Eagles 2021 Offseason

[xogfog]

I figured it was time to start this, albeit late, because free agency and the draft are coming up. Mods, please lock the 2020-21 season thread.

Of course, some major news already has taken place this offseason, including the trade of Wentz, the firing of Pederson and most of his staff, the hiring of Sirianni and all of his staff, releasing DJax, etc.

As much as I wanted Howie gone as well, he has a good job so far getting under the cap by restructuring the contracts of Graham, Johnson, Slay, Kelce and Hargrave. There are still a couple of other candidates for restructure in Cox and Brooks, but we'll see. The league salary cap has been set at at $182.5 mil, down from last season's $198.2, and with the Wentz dead money this year, Howie had to get imaginative. Next year there will be a new TV contract and the Eagles won't have the Wentz money on board, so they should be in better cap shape then.

Some players are obvious cut/trade candidates, Jeffrey, JJAW, Ertz, they already released some deep roster guys in Coutess and Hester. It will be interesting to see if they can get anything for Ertz.

The free agency period begins next Wednesday, March 17th. Don't expect the Eagles to be big players due to the aforementioned cap issues for this season. The draft this year is set for April 29-May 1.

[gmwannabe]

X, the Eagles were thought to be in good shape for next year, cap wise. With this restructuring of some players, does the cut into their amount that was available for next year?
gm

[xogfog]

It pushes some salary to next year, but in some case spread across multiple years, but any money they pushed into next year with the restructures is still less then what they would have been paying Wentz. The cap should also go back to close to $200 mil because of the new TV contract and there will also be some fan generated revenue with people back in stadiums for games.

[xogfog]

With the NFL draft a little over a month away and the Eagles having the 6th overall pick, let's assume they are not drafting a QB in that spot. Pick the player you would like assuming they would be available:

• WR Ja'Marr Chase
• WR Devonta Smith
• WR Jaylen Waddle
• TE Kyle Pitts
• OL Penei Sewell
• CB Caleb Farley
• CB Patrick Surtain
• LB Micah Parsons

Show results

[zambonir]

I'm with the majority, if Sewell drops to them you gotta forget about the WR and try not to screw it up in the second round.

I'll be surprised if they pick at 6. Trading up for QB seeming a bit less likely, so a minor trade-down for someone who wants that next one badly enough, probably.

[xogfog]

In contract restructure news, Brooks yes, but Johnson has not, as previously reported and likely won't have to.

[schillingfan]

While they need weapons, I think you can get good wide receivers in later rounds. A stud OL or Dl is building for the future. It’s not like they are going to be good next year. I’d even trade down if Sewell is taken and get another good OL or a flip a coin wide receiver. It’s an easy position to miss on.

[Florida_Sunshine]

Trade down and take Pitts. Use the extra pick for LB, OL or DL.

[zambonir]

If Fields drops to 6 they probably take him, or trade down. And if Chase and Smith are both gone, maybe they trade down, or maybe they take Waddle, which Hurts would obviously love.

They'll never take a LB, that's a Howie thing as much as Schwartz thing.

[Florida_Sunshine]

My response was to the poll and what I would do.

[nycphils]

I don’t think they need to draft an OL high...Mailata looks like the LT, Dillard is still on the team (can we trade him for a 3rd? He’s cheap.) and Driscoll looked like a reasonable backup to Lane. I also trust Stoutland to get the line playing well...all the advanced metrics indicated the issue last year wasn’t really the line, but it was Wentz holding the ball too long.

[LegoDoom]

I don’t think they need to draft an OL high...Mailata looks like the LT, Dillard is still on the team (can we trade him for a 3rd? He’s cheap.) and Driscoll looked like a reasonable backup to Lane. I also trust Stoutland to get the line playing well...all the advanced metrics indicated the issue last year wasn’t really the line, but it was Wentz holding the ball too long.

I don't disagree with this, but Sewell or a QB has much more value at #6 than any other player/position. I take Sewell 100% of the time if he's there. You could make the same argument for a QB (even though I like Hurts). If you don't want to take OL or QB, then trade down.

[zambonir]

Yeah if Sewell is there you either can't resist, or you trade down. A QB is different because whoever is there is still a toss-up, a little easier to pass one up, or for sure trade down.

Of course with a QB the Eagles' style tends to be to have a particular guy they want, and they'd trade up or down depending where he is. But all indication is they're willing to wait one more year. If Hurts is a bomb they could be drafting higher than 6 next year too.

[xogfog]

I just killed a mock draft, best score yet, all A+ draft:

[phillychuck]

xofog, did you trade any 2022 picks for this? It's the best I've seen for not 2022 trades if not. Of course, there would be no chance in the real world you could get Chase and Pitts at 19 and 20...

Of your later picks, I love Robinson, Hubbard, Cleveland, and, of course, Duffy.

[xogfog]

No future picks traded I traded like crazy and kept getting good offers, I traded down four times in the 1st round to 19 getting 4 extra 2nds . I got Chase at 19, then I traded two 2nds and a 3rd for 1-20 and got Pitts. I then traded down in the 2nd round a few times picking up extra 3rds and 4ths and a 5th. I traded the 5th for a 6th and a 7th and got lucky that all my picks were A+. The other thing is I tried to draft based on what the highlighted needs were.

[phillychuck]

Awesome job! If only we could do something like that in real life...

If Howie did this draft I'd quit my job and become his personal chef for life. Yes, I can cook.

[allentown]

It is a great draft haul, but I think more than a tad unrealistic. I think extremely unlikely for Chase and Pitts to fall to 19 and 20. I will be surprised if either of them lasts beyond the top 10. This certainly is a list that fills most of our holes.

[andyb]

The weakness in all these draft point strategies is that you can't fit that many young players on a roster and expect to have a good team. Kind of like a baseball team having too many prospects to fit on the 40-man roster and losing them to the rule 5 draft or waivers.

I think the real optimum strategy would put a little more value on higher picks since they would have a better chance of contributing immediately and being long term starters (i.e. above free agent replacement level).

It is a fun game to play of course. Just not too realistic.

[Florida_Sunshine]

NFL DRAFT GAME 2021Logged in as: FLadv
YOUR TEAM: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
GAME OVER!

Your score is: 48949 (GRADE: A)

Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 18 (MIA): Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida (A)
Round 2 Pick 4 (MIA): Trevon Moehrig, FS/SS, TCU (A)
Round 2 Pick 9 (DET): Zaven Collins, ILB/OLB, Tulsa (A+)
Round 2 Pick 12 (DAL): Asante Samuel Jr, CB, Florida State (A-)
Round 3 Pick 6: Darius Stills, DT, West Virginia (A)
Round 3 Pick 17 (MIA): Baron Browning, ILB/OLB, Ohio State (A)
Round 3 Pick 20: Alim McNeill, DT, North Carolina State (A)
Round 3 Pick 24 (DET): Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC (A+)
Round 3 Pick 35 (DAL): Brady Christianson, OT, BYU (A+)
Round 5 Pick 6: Landon Young, OT, Kentucky (A+)
Round 5 Pick 12: Amari Rodgers, WR, Clemson (A+)
Round 6 Pick 5: Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan (A+)
Round 6 Pick 39 (COMP): Chauncey Golston, DE/OLB, Iowa (A+)
Round 6 Pick 40 (COMP): Tommy Kraemer, OG/OT, Notre Dame (A+)
Round 7 Pick 6: Damar Hamlin, FS/SS, Pittsburgh (A+)