The NFL Draft is right around the corner, assuming everything will run as planned, and The Philadelphia Eagles are at a critical moment for many elements of the organization.
First the front office.
The two seasons since the Super Bowl make it seem like the organization is led in the dark.
Howie Roseman has worked the phone in the past and made some great moves, but when does it get to the point that the past doesn't matter as much as today?
Look back to 2016 when Howie came out of the basement of the NovaCare Complex and started unloading (it still hurts to say it....) Chip Kelly's terrible contracts. I mean for god's sake he traded away MARK SANCHEZ for a draft pick, albeit a 7th rounder, it was still a value trade.
All the moves in 2016 lead to accumulating enough draft picks to acquire Wentz in the second overall pick.
He earned his right to be known as a great GM, but let's stop living in the past.
Amari Cooper. Jalen Ramsey. Jadeveon Clowney. Even Josh Gordon. Now Hopkins, Diggs and Byron Jones.
All these misses could have kept the Eagles on the cusp of another championship.
Instead (no offense to these guys*) we got:
Golden Tate, Hassan Ridgeway, Sendejo, Gernard Avery, Jordan Matthews (again.. and again), and.. and... and....
....
....
....
.... sorry about that took a couples seconds to get that bile out. *(exception to the no offense clause, take all the offense)
Regardless, of who we got in 2018 and 2019, this year Howie needs to get his magic back. So far, a month before the draft confidence is low. Especially when you look at his track record in the draft (covered in an upcoming post). The interesting part is from a fan's perspective, the offense seemed weak last year, especially when it came to WR, but there was some turmoil and injury on that front.
So, there is less concern with the eye catching headline of 'EAGLES MUST DRAFT A WR'.. It is ONE OF THE concerns, but look at the defense.
Safeties over compensating for bad corner and linebacker play.
No one knowing how to tackle.
Everyone playing soft coverage.
Howie has begun the secondary fixes, but will it be enough?
Additionally, the front office has been too much about loyalty. They continually want to give the deals to players that were there for them: Peters, Sproles, Matthews to name a few. Even though they're getting old and past their prime. This over commitment to "your guys" doesn't allow for the natural growth of youth in your team. Now rumors are flying of Shady returning. While he was a great back for the Eagles over the years, he doesn't need to join a crowded backfield, unless it is for cheap dollar and he knows the backfield isn't his.
Howie needs to make some adjustments in his strategy, and hopefully it starts with overlooking McCoy as a viable option.
Let's keep an eye on Howie this off-season and before the trade deadline. He may make a splash out of desperation of becoming the hero again... maybe we'll be saying:
Secondly, is Jim Schwartz.
The defense stepped up towards the end of the season in 2019 and proved that they can actual stop teams, even if it was some of the lowly NFC East teams. But giving up only 38 points to the Seattle Seahawks in 2 games is pretty impressive, even though the offense couldn't keep up their end of the bargain.
Jim is in his 5th year on this team. He lost two HUGE parts of his defensive leadership: Malcolm Jenkins and Nigel Bradham (maybe not..)
Can he inspire this unit to play every game like they did against Russel Wilson?
There were a ton of mental mistakes last year that ended up costing the Eagles an easier road to the playoffs.
Specifically, trick plays.
Patriots: Double Pass. Touchdown
Seahawks: Fake Reverse Pass. Touchdown
Dolphins: Fake FG pass TO THE PUNTER. TOUCHDOWN!* *(granted this was special teams but many of the defensive players on the field)
Stopping any of these 3 (or preferably all 3) would have changed the outcome of the games.
Especially with the secondary Howie is building for Jim, if there are the same problems this season it may be time to find a new Defensive Coordinator.
I don't say that lightly.
Jim is a great coach, and has some unique ideas and also is a voice of reason for a head coach who may not always be reasonable, but there are other Defensive minds out there that can buckle down on their defense and ask more of them in the critical situations where focus has been lacking.
Jim will be a focus on the sideline from a fan's perspective this year.
Finally, Carson Wentz.
It is all about Carson isn't it?
Carson Wentz needs to have the best year of his career. All signs are pointing to his receiving corp being relatively young (outside of an aging D-Jax) especially if they're going to solve this in the draft. He is going to have a young Andre Dillard protecting his Blind Side.
His running backs look to be led by Miles Sanders, in his second year. Being young around a franchise quarterback is great, but it puts more importance and pressure on him being a leader. Jason Kelce, Jason Peters and Lane Johnson have stepped up as the offensive leaders over the beginning of Carson's career, but it is time for him to take that role on fully.
Now that he got paid
It is time for him to prove why he deserved that money not just as a quarterback but as a leader.
He stayed healthy for most of last season aside from a freak hit that occurred in the playoffs. He was beginning to make players like Greg Ward look like they had pedigree. He needs to continue that into the 2020 season.
His stats have regressed a little, but his Interception rate is still low:
He had a relatively good completion rate based on who he had catching, but he still got sacked a ton. Which leads to his biggest weakness... fumbles:
Even with the fumbles his turnover rate is still towards the middle of the pack when it comes to QBs in the NFL. A good start would be seeing him get rid of the football more often in the situations where he is going to be sacked, or just get rid of the ball faster.
2020 is going to be a year that determines who Carson really is. From a fan's perspective he needs to get the entire fanbase behind and come out of the shadow of Nick Foles.
Pivotal 2020 Draft
This draft will have many compounding effects for the Eagles organization going forward. They are currently one of the oldest teams in the NFL. The draft needs to be a hit. They have 10 draft picks. It would be optimistic with Howie's record to get 5 draft picks that are legitimate starters in one draft. So, I'm hoping for anywhere between 2 and 5. If there are more this team will be setup of for years to come with Wentz and Sanders as the base to build around.
From a Fan's Perspective will be covering the draft throughout the month of April. An all new podcast will be beginning May 3rd, please follow us on social media to keep up with our updates:
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