Philadelphia Eagles: Top 6 Positions That Will Have New Starter in 2018
The 11-2 Philadelphia Eagles are already a force to be reckoned with, but their long-term trajectory points straight upward with a number of talented young players set to develop into start-worthy options in 2018.
You would be hard-pressed to identify six positions on the Eagles roster in which the current starters aren't pulling their weight, as is the case with most teams that wrap up division championships with three games left to play. With that said, the Eagles are chock-full of emergent talent after a couple of savvy drafts and roster orchestration by general manager Howie Roseman.
These 2017 Eagles still have everything to play for, even after Carson Wentz's season-ending torn ACL suffered in their 43-35 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Most of the players pegged in this piece as 2018 starters will have critical roles down the stretch and into the postseason. But by the time training camp rolls around next season, the coaching staff won't have much of a choice but to begin using them as starters.
While many teams will look to free agency for replacement starters and the Eagles could choose that path, Philly is fortunate to have some young playmakers at positions where competitions could open up.
Let's identify the six most notable positions that could see a change.
Cornerback
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The Eagles knew upon drafting cornerback Sidney Jones in April that 2018 may be the patient and realistic expectation for him to make an impact, but now they may not have to wait that long.
According to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media, the rookie second-round pick will practice this week for the first time since he joined the team. Jones suffered an Achilles tear during his pro day at the University of Washington in March, and the former first-round hopeful has remained a long-term source of promise for the secondary.
Of course, the cornerback crew has surprisingly put together great football during stretches of the season, with Jalen Mills, Rasul Douglas and Patrick Robinson all stepping up after Ronald Darby's Week 1 injury. A unit that entered the season with little to no experience has thrived under pressure and done enough to be a complementary piece of a strong defense.
Ever since Darby returned following an eight-game absence, he's made it obvious that he's a starter. Mills has excelled for the most part and will certainly play a big part in 2018, but he's also put on tape his flaws. If Jones looks good in his fleeting opportunities this season and lights training camp on fire next summer, it's not hard to see a scenario in which Jones is a sure-fire starter.
The Eagles know what they have in Mills, who is an adept press corner and can dominate in the slot. But in the pairing of Darby and Jones, Philly could find itself a dominating duo of corners to take this unit to the next level. The coaching staff should be intent on finding out whether that's the case.
Running Back
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The numbers don't lie; this changing of the guard has already begun. But Jay Ajayi has yet to officially get the first start of his career as an Eagles back, coming off the bench in all five games.
However, Ajayi has slowly but surely taken a larger role in the backfield each week. That trend reached a tipping point in Sunday's win over the Rams, when Ajayi notched his first double-digit carry total as an Eagle with 15 carries for 78 yards while no other back surpassed seven carries.
The uptick in carries isn't necessarily by design. Ajayi is forcing head coach Doug Pederson to give him more burn, averaging an impressive seven yards per carry on 44 attempts in Philly after a paltry 3.4-yard average in Miami earlier this season.
The Eagles will not abandon their by-committee approach that's given them the league's second best rushing attack, but they're beginning to shy away from it in key games. Ajayi has been the focal point of the run game during pressure moments in the Eagles' last two games against the Seahawks and Rams.
LeGarrette Blount's consistency has played a huge role this season, but he just turned 31 years old and will be a free agent after this season. It could be wise for the Eagles to bring him back, but it won't be as a starter, with Ajayi seemingly reaching his prime at the age of 24 and still on a rookie deal.
The Eagles didn't spend a fourth-round pick on Ajayi for him to be a short-term option. He's already becoming the face of the Eagles' run game, and there will be no doubt of that entering 2018.
2nd and 3rd Wide Receivers
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The Eagles receiving unit as a whole has performed well in 2017. Individually, there remains some sorting out to do.
Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith entered the season as veteran free-agent acquisitions expected to take a firm grip on the No. 1 and No. 2 jobs on the perimeter, respectively. Jeffery has produced everything the Eagles expected, as told by his contract extension signed in early December.
Smith has certainly bounced back after a horrid start to his Eagles career, but there's no doubting that Nelson Agholor has become the consistent No. 2 receiver for Wentz and now Nick Foles. Agholor has put up 663 yards and seven touchdowns on 48 grabs, blowing Smith's 408 yards and two scores out of the water.
There's no guarantee that Smith will be on the team in 2018, as he carries a $5 million cap hit on a team option for each of the next two years, per Over The Cap. While he's been an important piece at times, he's also disappeared during stretches of the season.
The Eagles also have a decent option in Mack Hollins for their No. 3 receiver job if they cut ties with Smith. The rookie has rarely been a factor in 2017, but he's still provided 201 yards and a score despite hardly seeing the field.
After a couple of seasons in which the Eagles were mired with underperforming young talent at receiver, things are finally looking up with Agholor's emergence and Hollins' potential.
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Defensive End
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There's nothing wrong at all with the Eagles' starting defensive end. Rookie Derek Barnett is simply forcing his way into the depth chart with his play, and choosing to ignore it would be coaching malpractice.
Among a deep group of Eagles pass-rushers who have been rotated regularly this season, Barnett is doing more with less opportunities. He's racked up five sacks on the season, and he's dominated the division in the process. Barnett has two games with multiple sacks, and they came against Washington and Dallas.
Despite that, he's not becoming enough of a regular on the line. The rookie only played 17 snaps in Los Angeles, per Pro Football Reference, which marked his lowest total of the entire season, and he's only been on the field for 44.98 percent of defensive snaps this year.
The Eagles do have a lot of talent on the edge, with Vinny Curry and Chris Long all excelling aside Brandon Graham. But Barnett undoubtedly has the most sheer talent out of himself, Curry and Long, and he's only 21 years of age.
Relying on more experienced players down the stretch is one thing, but Barnett needs as many snaps as he can get to reach his full potential. Beginning in 2018, that has to be a point of emphasis.
Outside Linebacker
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A change at outside linebacker isn't inevitable like some of the aforementioned positions, but it could still be on the horizon.
The Eagles defense has excelled in part because of linebacker Mychal Kendricks' shocking 2017 ascent, but it turns a previously simple decision into a difficult one for the front office. After being practically ostracized over the last few seasons, Kendricks has become a reliable starter and even a key member of the defense after Jordan Hicks' season-ending injury.
Philly can save $4.4 million of much-needed cap space and eat $3.2 million in dead money this offseason by cutting Kendricks before June 1, per Over The Cap. But that's no longer a given, even though they may need that money to lock down their other outside linebacker.
That brings us to Nigel Bradham, the Eagles' game-wrecking linebacker who's become the leader in the middle and has a team-high 69 tackles. Bradham is a free agent this offseason and will likely require a pay raise from the $4.75 million he makes to stay in Philly.
The Eagles have fared pretty well with just two linebackers ever since Hicks' injury, which could free them up to let go of Kendricks and retain Bradham. In that case, they'll have to hope that rookie Nate Gerry can take the next step, or look to continue playing the 4-2-5 sets that have worked over the last several games.
Return Specialist
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The Eagles entered the 2017 season with Darren Sproles, one of the most dynamic return men in NFL history. Over the offseason, they could face a tough decision on whether he's played his last game in gang green.
Sproles did state on The Game Plan presented by Lincoln Financial that he is leaning toward returning in 2018, but he'll be an unrestricted free agent. The Eagles are stacked at the running back position, and with so much money tied up across the roster, they may simply be unable to retain the veteran.
Kenjon Barner has done well in replacement of Sproles, averaging 10 yards per punt return on 21 returns. But if you take out his 76-yard return, that average is much more pedestrian.
The Eagles figure to be strapped for cash next offseason as they try to juggle salaries and make the numbers work, and Roseman is one of the best at that. But they may be forced into signing a player on a veteran's minimum contract to handle the responsibilities, or look toward a young skill-position player.
Agholor has become so important to the offense that he shouldn't be a primary option, but perhaps rookie Shelton Gibson can take the next step and become a roster player to fulfill those duties. If not, expect the Eagles to bring someone in to elevate their already strong special-teams unit.
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