Top 8 Reasons to Be Excited About the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017
The difference between the excitement level surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles entering the 2017 season is night and day compared to the same time last year.
Turn back the clock 365 days, and you have yourself an organization trying to get back on its feet after the disastrous Chip Kelly era. General manager Howie Roseman was freshly back in control of the roster. Doug Pederson entered his first head-coaching gig without the weaponry he wanted. Quarterback Carson Wentz was a largely unknown developmental project.
Fast forward to present day, and the Eagles are undoubtedly flying upward in their quest for contention in the NFC East and beyond.
There are plenty of reasons that go into exactly why the Eagles are where they are and why looking forward to the season is so enthralling. Let's take a look into them.
Oh, Look, Consistency!
1 of 8
The Eagles have been allergic to consistency over the last half-decade. Kelly did post consecutive 10-6 seasons to start his tenure, but the roster build always proved to be a work in progress, and he only got one season to make roster decisions before getting the axe.
When Philadelphia hired Pederson and drafted Wentz, they entered a mini-rebuild that would require patience. A strong start to 2016 led to the Eagles sputtering to a 7-9 record, a result most Eagles fans couldn't be upset about considering the situation.
Now, Pederson has had an entire offseason to influence Roseman's moves in building an offense closer to the style he's going for. Wentz has undoubtedly hit the fast track of developing into a top quarterback. The defense has quietly filled holes and is coming together, at least on paper.
Most importantly, the organization has a clear plan that it appears intent on continuing for the next few years. And that alone is a reason for optimism.
Carson Wentz
2 of 8
The excitement surrounding Wentz in Philly is so palpable that it could warrant at least two slides, but we'll keep it simple and give him just one.
To say that Wentz has had a best-case first full year of his NFL career would be a striking understatement. Initially thought of as the team's third-string quarterback after his selection at No. 2 overall in the 2016 draft, Wentz started from Week 1 on and immediately showcased a blend of moxie, intelligence and skill that makes him look like a future star quarterback.
It became clear that Wentz just needed better offensive weapons in order to take that next step, and the Eagles delivered. Now, Eagles fans wait with bated breath to see just how high the ceiling is for Wentz.
NFC East Revenge Tour
3 of 8
Among the discouraging aspects of the Eagles' 2016 season, it's likely that none stung more from the top of the organization down to its fans than the team's lackluster performance inside the division.
After Week 4, the Eagles led the NFC East with a perfect 4-0 record. After Week 17, Philly was the caboose of the division with a 7-9 record despite winning its final two games against NFC East opponents New York and Dallas.
Of course, that followed an 0-4 start in the division that all but doomed the Eagles' season. They will be intent on setting the tone from Week 1, when they hit the road to open the season against the Washington Redskins in what they should peg as a NFC East revenge tour.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Timmy Jernigan
4 of 8
What could end up being the best move of the Eagles' offseason isn't the first one you'd think of.
Somewhat quietly, the Eagles secured a replacement for departed defensive tackle Bennie Logan when they moved draft capital to land former Ravens tackle Timmy Jernigan. The loss of Logan appeared to be a big blow to the Eagles' front, but it could become a blessing in disguise.
Simply put, Jernigan fits the 4-3 scheme of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz perfectly to wreak havoc alongside Fletcher Cox.
NFL's Daniel Jeremiah said on his Moving the Sticks podcast that the move could shake up the NFC East: "This Eagles defensive scheme with Jim Schwartz fits him beautifully. I think this is somebody as an interior player next to Fletcher Cox, he’s going to step his game up. He could get like a sneaky nine or 10 sacks in this defense next year."
Jernigan's big 2017 season will make fans forget all about Logan and leave them confident that this is still an elite defensive front.
Defensive End Overhaul
5 of 8
The Eagles made a few moves to overhaul their underwhelming edge pressure over the offseason, but the drafting of Derek Barnett is the real game-changer.
The former University of Tennessee standout is more than just stats, although he has those, too, after breaking Reggie White's school record in three years. Barnett earns his keep with consistent and reliable edge pressure, boasting a complete array of skills that allow him to beat tackles with strength, technique or speed.
Barnett is really all they needed to help out Brandon Graham and elevate the unit, but the Eagles did more than that. They shed cap room by releasing Connor Barwin before signing veteran Chris Long for depth.
Throw in Vinny Curry and possibly Marcus Smith trying to make amends for poor 2016 seasons, and Eagles fans could find themselves with an exponentially more disruptive pass rush in 2017.
An Actual Plan at Cornerback
6 of 8
The Eagles have been filling their holes at cornerback with big-money free agents and cheap stopgap options for many years, and it's backfired every time. Over draft weekend, they finally got the memo.
Philly made out like bandits in the draft when landing Washington's Sidney Jones in the second round, before drafting West Virginia's Rasul Douglas in the third. Both easily have the potential to turn into an impact starter sooner rather than later, with injury the only thing that's limiting Jones from being a big-time player right off the bat.
2016 late-round pick Jalen Mills is developing into a potential starter, while veterans Patrick Robinson and Ron Brooks give the team some leadership at a position filled with young bucks.
It may not be pretty to start 2017, and it's going to take some time, but the Eagles finally have a plan in place to have a dominant secondary for years to come.
Alshon Jeffery, Anyone?
7 of 8
Some of the loudest clamors for roster improvements called upon the Eagles to land a true No. 1 wideout for Wentz, and those fans got what they asked for.
There's little argument that Alshon Jeffery was the best available free-agent wideout, but landing him appeared to be a pipe dream thanks to low cap space. That didn't matter. Jeffery wanted to play in Philadelphia with Wentz and signed a cheap (for his caliber), incentive-ladel deal for one year to join the Eagles.
Jeffery is in Philadelphia to prove he's worthy of a longer term deal with big money, and it's not hard to see how he could achieve that as the top target for Wentz. While he's only one of a handful of moves the Eagles made to bolster their receiving core, he's the guy who is expected to produce at a big clip from Week 1 on.
Those Special Teams, Though
8 of 8
It's easily overlooked considering the other two units haven't performed nearly the same, but the Eagles can always count on fielding one of the best special teams units in football. 2017 should be no different.
After two of the last three seasons, Football Outsiders has donned Philadelphia's special teams as the best unit in the NFL. While a lot of special teams acumen results from fringe roster players buying into a team concept, it stems from good coaching with special teams coach Dave Fipp constantly putting together a dominant unit.
The Eagles lost some firepower in the return game, but they addressed it with the drafting of West Virginia speedster Shelton Gibson. Between Gibson and Darren Sproles, the Eagles will be well set up with the return game to help out the kicking specialists and the rest of the team.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
