It was week three of the 2016 NFL season and Eagles were
up on the Pittsburgh Steelers 10-0 in the second quarter. As that score
scrolled across the bottom on my T.V I thought nothing of the game. I had no
idea the Eagles would go on to destroy the Steelers 34-3. The Eagles shot out a
cannon at the beginning of the 2016 season. They opened the season 3-0 and
their rookie quarterback Carson Wentz looked like the real deal. Little did we
know that they would go 4-9 in the remaining 13 games. The Eagles have plenty
to be happy about going into this upcoming season.
First off, Carson Wentz appears to be legit! Wentz is a
gunslinger and he loves to move around in the pocket. Some analysts say that Wentz
struggled a ton last year with his mechanics. Coming from a smaller school like
North Dakota State University, I would expect that he got the job done the best
way he could there. His mechanical issues weren’t exposed at the college level,
but in the pros teams were able to force him in to some weird passing angles and he was exposed. Mechanical issues are correctable. No he may
not make all the adjustments immediately in year two but he will be began to
correct those issues and by year 4 or 5 he will have that fixed. In my opinion,
his biggest issue wasn’t his mechanics, it was Nelson Agholor, Dorial Green-Beckhum,
and Josh Huff. While Carson Wentz looked great for the Eagles as a rookie, the
receivers he was throwing to looked like trash. It's no wonder the Eagles went
out and got two veteran wide receiver this off-season.
Alshon Jeffery was a great pick up for the Eagles. He gives
Wentz a legit number one wide receiver if he is healthy. Jeffery when healthy
is one of the better wide receivers in the league. He has only played the full 16 games in a season once in his 5
year career. The Eagles are going to need him to be an elite receiver this season
so that their second year quarterback can begin to take the next steps.
The addition of Torrey Smith is a good one if he can
stretch the field. This was supposed to be Agholor’s job, but he can’t seem to get
open consistently and when he is, doesn’t seem to want to catch the ball. Smith
gives them a solid #2 option opposite Jeffery. With his speed, he will stretch
the defense and free up the middle for Jeffery and the flats for Darren
Sproles. Together Jeffery and Smith give Wentz a much better receiving unit
than he had last season. It will be interesting to see how things shake out for Jordan Matthews. Maybe he gets that number two
receiver spot and then Torrey Smith will play the slot. However, it plays out
the Eagles got much better at the wide receiver position.
The Eagles had a feisty defense last season. They don’t
really stop teams but they make enough plays that dirty up the game and forces
teams to out maneuver them. They really struggled in run support last year. Losing
two of your starting defensive linemen also doesn’t help the team get better at
stopping the run. Maybe Timmy Jernigan and Chris Long can provide the help this
team needs in run support.
Jernigan was with the Ravens where they played a 3-4 defensive scheme.
In college, Jernigan played defensive tackle in a four lineman front. He has
always played with great strength and I can see how they thought he may transition
into a 3-4 defensive linemen. I like him more as a tackle in the four man front and
that is what Philly runs. He should be able to do a lot of the things that
Bennie Logan did.
Taking Derek Barnette in the first round was a great
pick. The Eagles lost Connor Barwin in free agency and Chris long isn’t the
same player he once was. I think Long is a better run defender that Barnette
but Barnette will give the Eagles a better rusher off the edge. The combination
of Barnette and Long is an upgrade over Conner Barwin. Take these additions and
combine then with Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan and, Brandon Graham the Eagles
should have an improved front four.
Sticking with the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles
also added corner back Sidney Jones via the draft. The Eagles pass defense was average;
it was better than their run defense. Safety Malcom Jenkins is a really good
player and he makes this defense go. His ability to play sideline to sideline,
while coming up in the box versus tight ends is what makes him one of the
better safeties in the league. Jones will give the Eagles a big physical corner
back that could possibly shutdown one side of the field. Jones was considered a
top 10 pick in the draft but, slipped to the second round because of an injury
he suffered. The talk is that he will be able to play at some
point this season. That will probably depend on how good the Eagles are and if
they're in a position to make the playoffs.
The Eagles targeted two weaknesses this off-season. They
needed to get better at stopping the run on defense and get Wentz some better
weapons. They were able to address both very well. The off-season additions of
Jeffery, Smith, Jernigan, and Long were all at positions of need. I think they
were able to upgrade their wide receiver unit in one off-season. I also think
they brought in some guys on that defensive line that can help move them toward
being better at stopping the run. The Eagles are an all-around solid team. Their
biggest concern still is on the defensive side of the ball. They lost a
starting corner and Jones will not the healthy enough start the season. They will have to play the
best rushing team in the league twice, that being the Cowboys. That secondary
will also be a major concern, especially seeing as though they will have to see
Dez Bryant, Odell Beckhum Jr, and Brandon Marshall in four games this season. I
expect the Eagles to be better on defense and Wentz to be much better this
season with better weapons.
The Eagles were at the bottom of the NFC East division last season. All those teams improved this off-season which will make it even harder for Philly to win the division. I still see them as the worst team in this division. While I expect them to be better this year I still don't see them making the playoffs.
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