Ranking Eagles' 5 Biggest Needs Heading into 2021 Offseason
The Philadelphia Eagles' focus shifted to the offseason after the team dropped from playoff contention via its Week 16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
That 37-17 defeat meant slipping to 4-10-1, the franchise's worst mark since 2012 and a signal of dire problems, since it can't compete in an NFC East that features two 6-9 teams at the top.
Given the wealth of roster problems that put the Eagles into this hole, they have a good argument for drafting almost any position in the first round or paying up big in free agency for any spot.
But a few weak areas have been blatantly the weakest points on the roster, don't have much long-term hope on the depth chart and could even be a cap problem. Here's a look at the biggest needs the Eagles should address this offseason.
5. Offensive Line
1 of 5
Right, right—which team doesn't need offensive line help these days?
But things look especially precarious in Philadelphia given some of the age, salary and injury factors.
Jason Peters, for example, is 38 years old and could only get into eight games before a toe injury put him on injured reserve Dec. 11. He's also facing free agency. Brandon Brooks will be 32 by next season after not playing this year because of a torn Achilles and carries a $14.6 million cap hit for 2021.
Lane Johnson could only get in seven games and will be 31 years old on a $17.9 million cap hit next year. Even Jason Kelce is 33 years old.
The Eagles do have some intriguing long-term talent, mostly in the form of 25-year-old Andre Dillard. But he's not nearly enough considering the unit's rash of injuries this season and league-high 62 sacks allowed. Few could complain if the team added another first-round talent on the line to pair with Dillard.
4. Interior Defensive Line
2 of 5
Just looking at the names and money invested into the interior of the defensive line, the unit would seem like a strength.
But money is part of the problem, especially when paired with age and performance.
Fletcher Cox is 30 years old and carries a cap hit that escalates to $23.9 million in 2021. Malik Jackson, soon to be 31, sees his $4.7 million cap hit jump to $13.6 million next season after regressing to a 63.0 Pro Football Focus grade. Javon Hargrave, signed this past offseason for three years and $39 million, will be 28 years old by next season and has a 61.9 PFF grade.
It's a lot of cash (three of the top nine cap hits for the team next season) thrown at a positional group for so-so production, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Eagles try to wiggle out of some of these cap hits while adding youth via the draft.
3. Wide Receiver
3 of 5
The Eagles tried to address wideout and have failed to make it work.
Jalen Reagor was a fun-looking investment in the first round of the 2020 draft, yet he only played 10 games, having spent time on IR with a ligament tear in his thumb. In all, he caught 30 passes for 381 yards and a single score.
There isn't much else to speak of besides further problems. Travis Fulgham's snap counts disappeared since Alshon Jeffery returned from a calf injury in Week 10. But Jeffery is 30 years old, has caught just six passes in seven games and has an $18.5 million cap hit next season.
Greg Ward, the team leader in touchdowns with six, is averaging a miserable 7.9 yards per catch. Rookies John Hightower and Quez Watkins haven't done much, and DeSean Jackson is 34 years old, has appeared in only five games and carries a cap hit of $10.9 million for 2021.
Before the season, this unit seemed like a fun blend of upside and win-now players to help Carson Wentz. And while Wentz's play was a problem, too, it's clear the Eagles need to punch the reset button here.
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2. Linebacker
4 of 5
The Eagles are earning the fruits of their labor at the linebacker position.
Which is to say they don't seem to value it, and it shows.
Shaun Bradley is a sixth-round rookie with a 66.9 PFF grade; Alex Singleton was undrafted; and the team traded for Duke Riley, the owner of a 55.1 PFF grade, in September 2019. As PFF's Michael Renner pointed out, the linebacker unit has totaled a 34.7 coverage grade and a 117.0 passer rating this season, which are both among the league's bottom four marks.
Given the way opposing offenses seek Eagles linebackers to pick on even with the team's weaknesses at cornerback, it's time for the front office to pour more resources into the unit. Early in the draft would make sense, as would a big-name free agent such as Lavonte David, who has posted triple-digit tackles in eight of his nine seasons.
1. Cornerback
5 of 5
Many things factor into the Eagles' 26.5 points per game allowed and 243.5 passing yards given up, both bottom-12 numbers.
But corner is the notable weak spot and has a concerning outlook.
Darius Slay is the big name in this group, but he's only sitting on a 60.1 PFF grade with 57 receptions allowed on 74 targets. He's also almost 30 years old, and his cap hit will escalate to $15.8 million in 2021.
There isn't much behind Slay on the depth chart, especially now that it's clear Avonte Maddox can't survive on the boundary, as noted by a simple eye test and his 37.8 PFF grade.
This is the sort of sour spot that could be the no-brainer first-round pick for the Eagles, though targeting a big name such as Patrick Peterson in free agency could make some sense too.
Salary info via Spotrac.
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