Eagles 2020-2021 Season

[phillychuck]

Allentown, I disagree about both the line and the WR corps ABSENT injuries. I';m not arguing that the injuries should not have been anticipated (somewhat), but still:

LT--high first round draft choice (Dillard) who looked good at that position last season.
LG--rising star who got votes for pro-bowl team
C--all-time great, borderline HoF player
RG--all-pro
RT--all pro

There wasn't a better line ON PAPER in all of football in July.

Jackson/Reagor/Ward was at least an average WR group if healthy. With Jeffrey mixing in, supposedly by week 6. Again, not pathetic on paper, not elite, but functional. And Sanders with Scott backing him up was better than what most teams had at #1/#2 RB. I'm not going to allow claiming that the offense was crippled by not having a decent #3 RB.

As I said, solid before the injuries. Probably much better than solid with a MVP-caliber QB who had looked pretty good in the last 6 weeks of 2019.

[allentown]

Injuries to Jackson and a slow return for Alshon were a lot more than somewhat anticipated. Based on Jackson's recent injury history and Alshon's condition, they were close to a certainty. Peters wasn't playing the position at which he had been All-Pro and he looked like he was both finished and injury prone prior to this season. Dillard was a first rounder, but there were a lot of questions about him from 2019. His injury was certainly one of the many bad luck injuries along the line. We didn't need a big running back for most downs, but in situations where a power back is called for, we didn't have one. Most teams, including recent Eagles teams, have had a power back. Wentz looked good the first half of the opener. He hasn't looked good for an entire half since that game.

[gmwannabe]

i think that play where he threw the interception, in the first game, with 1:40 left in the first half turned the whole season. up 17-0 and wentz was playing very well. That interception changed the entire game and maybe the season. Doug, Just run the BALL.
gm

[phillychuck]

Peters wasn't playing the position at which he had been All-Pro

Brooks, however, was an all-pro at RG and the July occupant of the position.

[allentown]

In that case, I'd say Seumalo was solid, but not a rising star at this time. I didn't count Brooks as part of the roster, because he was gone long before the season began. Was Peters really a good replacement option? At the salary they gave him? But, yes, the loss of Brooks started the camp season on a sour note.

[xogfog]

I think if Hurts plays well over the next two games, his trade value would be high. Among this years draft, he'd be in the top 7 QBs if he was redrafted, so it is remotely possible they could get a late 1st round pick for him or an early 2nd, so I'm all for trading him and keeping Wentz if they get new coaches to fix Wentz.

[phillychuck]

Zach Berman said he is only clearly behind Lawrence and Fields in a hypothetical re-draft, which is at least a mid-first. I'm not dying to trade him, though. Especially if he's solid in the two division games.

[LegoDoom]

Hurts playing well on a team where a former #2 overall has floundered, compounded that he makes much less than a top 5 pick, and there is no way I trade him for less than a1st plus. Is he behind Lawrence and Fields, yes, but Haskins was taken at #15 ffs.

[xogfog]

Wentz only floundered this year. He was on his way to an MVP in 2017 before he tore his ACL, the beginning of 2018 he was still less than 1 year removed from the ACL, then he had the back fracture toward the end of 2018, again, he was slow getting out of the chute in 2019 but finished strong with nothing around him and was concussed in early in the first playoff game on a cheap hit. So, it is way too early to say he is washed up. This time off, in fact, may be exactly what he needs to see the game as an observer. I'd rather trade Hurts for another high draft pick this in the next draft because this team has too many other needs and the draft is the cheapest way to address them with the sunk cost of Wentz. Then the priority would be to get the right coaches around Wentz to build him back up.

[Philsmania]

Have the injuries taken too big a toll on Wentz? Particularly the concussion.

[xogfog]

I don't think the injuries have taken a toll on him physically. He was still mobile and strong this year, but he just started making uncharacteristic mistakes throwing the ball away, some of that can be tied to limited training camp and unfamiliar receivers, some of that was due to the O-Line problems and the subsequent pressure, but I'm not making excuses for how badly he played. I think mentally he might have gotten the yips due to the injuries and the increased pressure due to the O-Line, but then again, Doug did him no favors in trying to take advantage of Wentz's strengths, like quick short throws, like calling roll outs, where Wentz is great throwing on the move, or running the ball so that play action would work better. I think Wentz could regain his form if whoever the offensive coaches are would make those changes to the offense to work to his strengths and build his confidence back up.

I like Hurts, I think Wentz still has the higher ceiling, and adding more picks is more important than Hurts' value to the team next year, so that's why I think they should trade Hurts. Having three top 100 picks in the next draft would help a lot (unless Howie passes on more great picks to try to outsmart the league). Also, I worry about Hurts and his future heath the way he takes a pounding, he's not a huge guy. Trade Hurts, trade Ertz too and build some draft capitol. I think the O-Line will be better next year with Johnson and Brooks back and Mailata showing promise, Dillard as depth at tackle, Driscoll looks like a player too so they'll have depth, so keep putting talent around Wentz and fill some holes in the draft.

[allentown]

Dillard as depth at tackle,

He really bombed trying to fill in at RT, which greatly reduces his value as a depth tackle. Given his quickness, I wonder whether he could be Kelce's replacement..

Thinking back to Wentz remaining in the game after seriously tearing up his knee back in 2017, I wonder if he hasn't hidden and played with mildish concussion symptoms this season. I would not trade Wentz on the cheap. I think the team really needs to see what he is capable of after an off season in which they add a top tackle and wide receiver.

[phillychuck]

He really bombed trying to fill in at RT, which greatly reduces his value as a depth tackle. Given his quickness, I wonder whether he could be Kelce's replacement..

I think we need to see how Dillard handles a swing tackle role if he is given more than 3 days coaching him at the RT position. He literally had never played there prior to being thrown into the fire last year. (Given he doesn't win the LT job outright (which seems unlikely given how well Mailata has looked on tape)). He can't play guard due to his lack of weight and strength, but, it is possible he could fit in at center if he's willing to work at it, as you point out.

[zambonir]

I would not trade Wentz on the cheap. I think the team really needs to see what he is capable of after an off season in which they add a top tackle and wide receiver.

I just don't think he's gonna get the chance - to play or rebuild his value. He probably doesn't start for the Eagles again before Week 5 or 6 and that would only be if Hurts falters. And while the story this week was overblown, that is just gonna happen over and over again in the the off-season and training camp - and won't necessarily be overblown once he's definitively not the starter. This thing is also further exposing the cracks in the locker room that started showing last year - those don't seem so overblown now either.

We can't really know anything until the season is over and they do or don't make other changes, I suppose.

[bkeich]

Any word yet on what injury will knock DJax out of the game yet? Maybe during warmups

[xogfog]

With Jackson returning the Eagles will have 8 WR on the 53.

[zambonir]

beating the Cowboys and making the playoffs at 6-9-1 would be a fittingly weird unsatisfying ending to this season. but, ain't there yet.

(an hour or so later: maybe not a problem after all)

[Patchmk88]

I think I’d fire Pederson after this game. Some of the worst coaching and decisions I’m by a coach that I’ve seen in a game.

[flyers19rw]

I’m in on that idea. Granted that there are a bunch of new players in the game as well as some playing out of position. However the amount of penalties that showed a lack of preparation, concentration and coordination that just isn’t up to professional standards. Pederson is not setting Hurts up to succeed with his game plan. Not enough ground game and too much reliance on the arm of an inexperienced QB. The staff, aside from Stoutland, should go.

[zambonir]

Weren't you keeping Staley a few weeks ago or was that someone else?

It's all well and good to vent during a game, never mind whether they should even be trying to win it (as competitive as Doug is, if he has any shot of being the coach next year, he needs that higher draft pick a lot more than 6-win playoff berth).

It will be interesting to see what happens, but it has little to do with any particular outcome or even the entire season of coaching decisions. It is basically office politics.