Eagles 2023 Offseason

[xogfog]

The Eagles have a lot of offseason decisions to make. Several starters are free agents and Hurts is eligible to be signed to a large contract.

Here are the free agents: CB James Bradberry, DT Fletcher Cox, LB T.J. Edwards, S Marcus Epps, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, DT Javon Hargrave, DT Linval Joseph, RB Miles Sanders, OL Isaac Seumalo, LB Kyzir White, OL Andre Dillard, P Brett Kern, QB Gardner Minshew, WR Zach Pascal. DE Robert Quinn, RB Boston Scott, DT Ndamukong Suh

Also factoring in their decisions are DE Brandon Graham and C Jason Kelce who each might be considering retiring.

As for the 2023 draft, the Eagles don't have a lot of picks (6 total) at this time, they have two first round picks, a second, a third and two seventh round picks. I suspect Howie will get creative and move some picks around to acquire more picks.

Hurts is sill on his first contract in 2023, but the window for negotiation on his big second deal can begin this year. The big question is, would Jalen be willing to take a team friendly contract, meaning push a lot of the money into 2024 and beyond and play 2023 at a reasonable number like Brady did in New England. Howie is a master at structuring and re-structuring contracts in a way that the players and the players union never seem to gripe about, so maybe Jalen, who has never been about "me" and is seems to have a great head on his shoulders may see the value of being able to keep a good team around him for the next few seasons.

Getting back to a Super Bowl is never an easy thing, hopefully the Eagles can hold enough of the team together and supplement equal or better players though free agency and the draft to keep the Eagles competitive for the next several years.

[Austinfan]

I keep having to explain this to people, most draft picks don't start as rookies, in fact, the majority are buried in the back of the roster (7 players who don't dress) and for late round picks and UDFAs, the practice squad.

So if you're looking at holes, they will be filled by players already on the roster or free agent patches.

Maybe a couple draft picks may start next year.

This season, Davis (3rd/4th DT), Jurgens (8th OL), Dean (4th LB), K Johnson, Calcaterra spot duty, Blankenship, PS to starter due to injury (2 games),

2021: Smith and Dickerson started
2020: Reagor
2019: Sanders
2018: Goedert (8 games)
2017: None

[gmwannabe]

X and AF you both are correct. This was the roster to take it home. Too many things change. Any viable Wide Receivers on the PS (not sure). Any DT's on the PS (maybe Marvin Wilson). Howie is going to have to pull major strings. Doesn't look good. At least they have the QB. Could you imagine going into this draft if Hurts would not have worked out? Thank goodness they can draft elsewhere.
gm

[phillychuck]

Free Agents...try to sign the high dollar guys:
In priority order...
Relatively big contract guys:
Hargrave
Bradberry
CJGJ
Seumalo

Home town discounts:
Graham
Kelce
Scott

Only if a real bargain:
Cox
Sanders
Edwards
Pascal
White
Epps

[dicemen99]

The Eagles have had four top 10 draft picks in this century - Corey Simon, Lane Johnson, Carson Wentz & DeVonta Smith. All four have been impact players from the very start of their career.

I'll expand it to the last 25 years (because it adds a couple of more top half picks) and here are the players the Eagles have selected in the top half of Round 1:

Tra Thomas (#11 overall) - started 16/16 games of rookie year
Donovan McNabb (#2) - started final 6 games
Corey Simon (#6) - started 16/16, 9.5 sacks
Jerome McDougal (#15) - injured in final preseason game, missed 8 games, no starts
Shawn Andrews (#16) - started 1st game, broke leg, started every game he was available as an Eagle
Brodrick Bunkley (#14) - played sparingly
Brandon Graham (#13) - started 1st game, up and down season, before tearing ACL
Fletcher Cox (#12) - 9 starts in year 1, 5.5 sacks
Lane Johnson (#4) - started 16/16 games
Carson Wentz (#2) - started 16/16 games, broke a number of Eagle QB records
Derek Barnett (#14) - no starts, rotated in, 5.0 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries including a TD
DeVonta Smith (#10) - 16/17 starts, 900+ yards, set Eagles rookie receiving record
Jordan Davis (#13) - started 5 games, was an impact early down run defender

Pretty much the only out and out bust was Bunkley. You could argue McDougle, but injuries really impacted his season and pretty much his entire career. Everyone else had production which ranged from impactful contributor to one of the top players on the team.

The Eagles have the #10 overall pick and I would expect they would use that to replace one of their FAs due for a big contract - if I had to guess, it will be Bradberry if things break right for them in the draft (and there are a lot of impact CBs in this draft). And I would expect they will replace him successfully, given their track record.

[bkeich]

My guess is the Eagles will probably trade out of #10 if one of the QB's drop and pick up some other draft capital. Going to be interesting to see, so much depends on how expensive Hurts becomes and which of the defensive FA's they retain or add.

I suspect there are going to be some glaring holes in the defense coming into the draft. We may really need to do some trade downs to get quantity of defensive players.

[dicemen99]

I don't know. #10 will be a premium spot given that 2 or 3 QBs could go in the top 10. They may trade down a few spots, but I don't see them trading out of the impact zone. I think it is more likely they use #30 to get more draft capital.

[zambonir]

I think suggesting or expecting Hurts do anything like Brady is dubious. Brady didn't really start doing that until he'd already made around $100 million (and in fact his third contract, and first one after he was truly TOM BRADY, in 2005, was not easily done). He did not take less money on his second contract to help the team; it was just a different time for both $ and younger QBs.

I'm sure it won't be contentious and it will also be creative, but he'll get paid like an MVP/Super Bowl contender, knowing his career could still end or the non-guaranteed money could do away at any time. If he's fortunate enough to play for years to come, there will be other opportunities to rework deals or give discounts on contracts 3 or 4.

[Austinfan]

By the time Brady got to his third contract, I suspect off the field revenue started approaching salary.
Hurts may get there by his second contract.

[Docs]

Eagles need to replace their Offensive and Defensive Coordinators. Gannon hired by the Cardinals as their head coach and Steichen hired by the colts as their head coach. Brian Johnson the leading candidate for Offensive Coordinator.

[xogfog]

I expect Fangio will be hired as DC, and Brian Johnson will be elevated to calling plays.

[zambonir]

I believe Fangio already took the Dolphins job even as he was consulting with the Eagles. Also, he didn't seem to help.

[allentown]

I wouldn't trade out of 10. The Eagles should still be shooting SB this season. They need an almost sure immediate contributor at #10, which they won't likely get farther down first round or in second round. Also, this isn't the draft to try to corral more picks for next season. We need help now.

[zambonir]

Might be time to lock the "season" thread? Replying to my own post from there, just a non-Eagles notable note.

Eagles 2022-2023 Season

Be careful what we wish for.

I assume losing Steichen won't be a big deal but then again Reich and DeFilippo weren't supposed to be so hard to replace either.

I would also think they might just promote from within, which would no doubt irritate people who want bigger changes defensively. But Brian Johnson is Hurts' guy so that would probably be smart.

So how many NFL head coaches are now part of the Eagles/Lurie family tree, I think it's actually a full dozen if you count Demeco (and I'm not even including Payton).

Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy might get passed over again for coaching job, and it's a...

[zambonir]

...losing Gannon isn’t just bad news for the Eagles. It is catastrophic. Lurie and Roseman know it.

“Shane’s a good coach, but Gannon’s a star,” an NFL source familiar with the Eagles told me Tuesday after reports of Gannon’s departure to Arizona. “He’s smart, and his defense was really good this year. It was like [the Eagles] had two head coaches.”

Gannon is irreplaceable. In just his second season as a defensive coordinator, he integrated eight new frontline players and emerged with the No. 2 defense in football, which not only led the league with 70 sacks but also logged the third-highest total in NFL history. It allowed 30 total points in the three games that preceded the Super Bowl, all against playoff teams.

Losing Jonathan Gannon is the Eagles’ bigger coordinator loss | Marcus Hayes

[phillychuck]

Marcus Hayes likes Gannon. I rest my case.

[zambonir]

Haha fair.

[allentown]

I think it fair to say 'he's like another head coach', because his main benefit is that he has established a good atmosphere with and among his players. That's not his main job though. He's the x's and O's guy for the D and he fell down in that area. Also, I think he maintained that rapport with his veterans by underutilizing the young players.

[phillychuck]

With all the criticism of Gannon here, lots of it by me, I think he will be a very successful head coach if he gets the right personnel. Better HC than DC.

[zambonir]

I think Hayes makes plenty of good points (for instance, that the Chiefs burned the Eagles on a blitz and in man for a total of 3 TDs). And you could say the same thing about the anti-Gannon crowd with Angelo. A lot of the criticism is based on last year rather than this year, and on Philly fans simply preferring a certain style of defense regardless or results.

But yes as I've said before his qualifications to be head coach have very little to do with his schematic skill as a DC.

Regardless, he won't be easily replaced. A internal hire might not be as good a manager or teacher, while keeping the same philosophy (which of course the GM and head coach ultimately sign off on anyway). An outside guy with a new scheme might still fall on his face. Of course it will also be very easy to fail to live up to this season. They could win 14 games again but then not make the Super Bowl. Or they could look better than this year's defense but still give up more points/lose more games.