Eagles 2021-2022 Season

bkeich 2022-05-02 21:33:12 UTC #584

Yes, that is my thought too, but that is a truly terrible way to acquire a starter. That is a miniscule chance of working, and honestly it was avoidable, there were tons of quality CB and S available in FA, but of course they didnt do that thinking they would address it in FA.

Now we have very unbalanced defense in talent. We have 3 DT's that might make a Pro Bowl if they had the playing time. We have more good LB's than we have had in a decade, and we have 2 proven DBs. The problem is the league is now heavily pass oriented, so we are setting our selves up to stop the minor part of the game and get torched (again) by the majority part of offenses.

I dont agree that this was a long rebuild. This was a playoff team last year, albeit partially due to a light schedule, but this should be an improving team from a 9 win team. This is not a rebuild, we have a fairly small window here where Hurts is cheap and 2 of our OL are on the verge of retiring. This is not really that much of a team that is built for the future, it is built for the next 2 years.

allentown 2022-05-02 22:07:33 UTC #585

Our defense was less unbalanced last season, because the inadequacy was more widespread. The DBs weren't good enough. The LB can best be described as pathetic. The DL didn't get nearly enough sacks and wasn't stout against the run. It was a bad D. It wasn't fixable in one season. Regardless of whom we added, there remains, at least in my mind, serious questions about our defensive coordinator's game plans.
It's also a team which has gotten by year-by-year kicking the $ problem down the road, by reworking contracts at the expense of future seasons. Do we have 3 pro-bowl DTs? Cox fell off a ton over the past two seasons. I'm not sure what we get from him in 2022. Hopefully Davis can keep opponents from double-teaming Cox so much.

Yes, the team is unbalanced. Is it built to win only in this season and next? If so, they are truly screwed, as they still don't know what they can count on from Hurts. The whole course of the next season will be determined by whether or not we must replace Hurts. If the answer is yes, then this year and next look a lot bleaker. I think Hurts will prove to be at least ok. He's not a top-5, but they probably can win with him, as they did with Foles, with a strong enough team around him..

It's certainly (very arguable) that the team should have taken Kyle Hamilton with pick 13, but their scouts/coaches were in love with Davis. The clearly saw him as best-player-available. DT was a strong need. Cox definitely gone after this season. They have to rely upon their prospect evaluations.

Should the last 2 draft picks gone for DBs? Probably, but I never count on more than special teams guys from picks that late. We've gotten lucky with some late picks, but that's the exception.

My comments are based upon never expecting that they could have a true contender after this off-season. I'll judge Roseman after 2023. I'm sure you know I've not been a big Roseman guy in the past, but I'm not disappointed in this draft. I think it was plus on days one and two. I was disappointed in day 3, but never have great hope for day 3. Mailata was a huge aberration.

phillychuck 2022-05-02 22:29:42 UTC #586

I think fans are generally too down on the defense from last year. We were 12th in pass yards allowed per game, 9th in rush yards/game, and 10th in total yards/game. To hear fans talk it sounds like we were 33rd in a 32-team league. We only have two holes left on defense, one safety (if you believe in Epps or Harris) and one outside corner. The Eagles now have 6 young players trying for the outside corner spot led by Zech McPhearson, who acquitted himself well in limited time last season. That's a lot of lottery tickets; one or two will probably be decent (hoping our coaches can figure out which one(s)). If they sign Matthieu they fill the safety hole; if not we get to see if they get creative with players on the roster or with a trade. I'm actually optimistic for the defense this season.

zambonir 2022-05-02 22:41:59 UTC #587

Matthieu's off the market.

phillychuck 2022-05-02 22:43:09 UTC #588

Damn. I was away today; did he sign with the Saints? That's bad for our draft pick, too, if so.

xogfog 2022-05-02 23:36:33 UTC #589

Eagles granted Nate Herbig his release. I suppose he saw the writing on the wall with the drafting of Jurgens.

nycphils 2022-05-03 00:30:11 UTC #590

He signed the RFA tender recently - That allowed him to be traded at the draft. Probably made a deal that he’d sign so that the team could try to get a pick for him but if they couldn’t the Eagles probably agreed that they’d release him.

Purduke 2022-05-03 00:46:06 UTC #591

phillychuck:

I think fans are generally too down on the defense from last year. We were 12th in pass yards allowed per game, 9th in rush yards/game, and 10th in total yards/game. To hear fans talk it sounds like we were 33rd in a 32-team league. We only have two holes left on defense, one safety (if you believe in Epps or Harris) and one outside corner. The Eagles now have 6 young players trying for the outside corner spot led by Zech McPhearson, who acquitted himself well in limited time last season. That's a lot of lottery tickets; one or two will probably be decent (hoping our coaches can figure out which one(s)). If they sign Matthieu they fill the safety hole; if not we get to see if they get creative with players on the roster or with a trade. I'm actually optimistic for the defense this season.

Happen to agree with this excepting re McPherson. Not a phan. But I expect Howie is not down looking for a CB. There are quite a few unsigned FA CB's still on the market; couple coming off injuries I would expect might be ameniable to a 1 year prove it contract, or perhaps 1+1. But all of these guys ore solid starters. AJ Bouye, Kyle FullerRobert Alford -- all 4 to 6 year starters; all rated higher than Slay last year by PFF. Chris Harris or Xavier Rhodes. Both 9 or 10 year starters rated a slot or 2 behind Slay, perhaps looking for a playoff situation and understanding they aren't getting 4 year deals anymore. Trae Winans, Kevin King and Jimmy Smith, 4-6 year starters were part time in 2022 with part year injuries. There should be options at CB and that is before watching who gets cut in camp.

Safety is a bit tougher but still a couple. I wouldn't mind taking a go at Jaquski Tartt, he's a solid starter when healthy. But there are still a couple there even before camp begins.

Purduke 2022-05-03 01:04:38 UTC #592

Spotrac says Eagles have $9M available under the cap if you take the Top 51 contracts, including the draftees. One reason I think Reagor stays is getting rid of him would cost $4M+ against the cap -- essentially, we are in the same situation with him as we were with Aguilar in Year 3.

But I also haven't given up on him as many have. His hands are not that bad. He only had 4 drops last year (yes, we will all remember 2 of them against the Giants), but as a % of targets he was mid pack league wide. "Worst" hands as % of targets were actually Gainwell and Dallas.

Interestingly, Goedert's drop % last year was almost double what it was with Wentz his first two years with continues to raise questions in my mind as to the role Hurts' accuracy, and maybe more important his holding the ball too long, might play in the issue. I still remember Reagor's first catch -- a literal Mays-esque over the head catch on a bomb from Wents and I just can't quit on that ability before year 3. As disappointing a year as he had, he still finished the year right there with Randell Coff, Julio and ahead of CeeDee Lamb. I want to see if some of his issues resolve themselves with Hurt's progerss this year (hopefully) and a true #1 receiver on field.

phillychuck 2022-05-03 21:08:52 UTC #593

EJ Perry moves on--signs with the Jags. Eagles signed him while Strong was considering their offer; once Strong signed, the Eagles let Perry seek another offer.

gmwannabe 2022-05-04 18:50:43 UTC #594

not player related but I read where Catherine Raiche has left the eagles for the browns. in the article it stated that the Vikings were looking to hire her as a GM a few months ago and the eagles would have received 2 3rd round draft choices as comp. now with this move io read there is not any compensation. Why not? because of the position? if Weidl leaves for a GM job is there compensation?
gm

zambonir 2022-05-04 19:24:40 UTC #595

That compensation was only for a GM job, and only for diversity hires. Browns job is not GM. And Weidl is a white dude.

(It feels counterintuitive but I guess the idea is to reward teams for developing minority executives, while also giving them no reason to stop them from advancing. Which the Eagles don't do anyway, even if they are trying to change the rules after the last few guys left.)

Purduke 2022-05-05 01:52:55 UTC #597

LegoDoom 2022-05-05 12:48:00 UTC #598

Sorry if I missed it, but the AJ Brown contract details are out. His cap hit in the last year is $38M, so he will be restructured by 2025.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/aj-brown-29087/

bkox 2022-05-06 23:36:26 UTC #599

bkox 2022-05-08 15:47:59 UTC #600

bkeich 2022-05-09 00:18:27 UTC #601

Because when you think of who do we want to emulate the Browns come to mind? Hard to think of that as a good hire.

zambonir 2022-05-09 00:28:25 UTC #602

I'm sure that's what fans of the two teams who hired away the Eagles guys said too. Or what Browns fans said when they hired Berry back from the Eagles for that matter.

LegoDoom 2022-05-09 01:43:09 UTC #603

I realize you're making a Browns joke, but Walls worked for the Packers for 7 years prior to his 2 year stint with the Browns.

And if you want to refute the talent on the Browns, then lead with something other than "they are the Browns". At the very least, the Browns have prioritized the CB position (the Packers, too) which a lot of Eagles fans have been asking for.

bkeich 2022-05-09 13:06:12 UTC #604

That is true Lego, but they have never really put together a OL and frankly that is what I think is (quietly) the most important position. It is possible to win with a weak OL, but it is pretty unlikely.

I don't really buy into the whole "Howie sucks" logic of some Eagles fans. He has not addressed the secondary this off-season, but sometimes you just can't fix everything because of the way things fall out. Howie just went through a season with record breaking dead money, and the Eagles are once again #1 in the league in that category, after this year it will be much easier to fix things. Howie is at least doing "long plays" in his moves trying to build for the future. I honestly believe that if Hurts becomes a. Top 5-8 QB we are really built to have a run of some good seasons, he deserves credit for that.

Yea, it was really a Browns joke more than anything. It is the baseball equivalent of getting people from the Marlins or Orioles ML staff. It is of course possible that any team, no matter their record over time has good people, but I do admit I think it is more likely to find quality from successful teams.