Thoughts on Philadelphia Eagles?

That’s just as important

Of going all in because they have gotten close to winning it all.

The problem for them is it takes so many factors to win it all and it is not always hate tied the the new group will be as good or better than the last group and stay healthy.

Losing Kelce is also huge.

I think they will be very good but I don’t trust the coach and I think Hirts is getting beat up.

Fatal flaw is head coach. I'm shocked he kept his gig.

On sheer talent alone I think they can compete for the division, but in the tournament I don't think they advance against an elite team.

In 2022 they drew a pedestrian Giants team, and then a 9ers team without a quarterback for a lot of the game.

In comment 16443521 JohnB said:

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That’s just as important

Kelce and Cox retired. Those are pretty big losses. I think Jurgens slides to center from RG and Jalen Carter takes over 3-Tech duties from Cox.

As far as additions go in the OP, Mustipher might be a backup for Jordan Davis, Burks for Zach Cunningham?

but it is closing, and it could close faster than people think. They got exposed last season, so it will depend on if Sirianni can maintain control of the locker room and if they adjust to their exposure.

I hate that team more than any other team in pro sports.

Changed OC from Brian Johnson to Kellen Moore. Scapegoat for Sirianni. Johnson was Hurts' QB coach in 21-22.

Fangio takes over for defense and he runs a different scheme than they have been running. Still many questions on the team for them.

My big three:
- replacing Jason Kelce
- corner play and depth with Slay, Bradberry, Ringo, Ricks
- inside linebacker play in new scheme: Devin White, Zach Baun, Nakobe Dean

If the eagles falter - it most likely fall on his shoulders.

I thought he was terrible last year - and any type of regression might make them rethink their QB situation.

which makes sense. The issue is whether he can improve enough as a passer - he was bad last year throwing the ball. How many goal line and 4th down rushes does he have left in him? IMO that’s just bad coaching at that kind of volume, they need to reverse course on that strategy.

But they are the favorites in the NFCE IMO. Dallas has their own problems too.

Even worse than their pass coverage was the tackling. Although I assume the latter was maybe because they were giving up?

I don't think I ever remember a team tackling worse than that playoff game versus Tampa.

In comment 16443530 Fishmanjim57 said:

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I hate that team more than any other team in pro sports.

This X infinity!

-In Kelce and Cox they lost a ton of leadership in the lockerroom and on the field on both sides of the ball. You may think that’s a small thing but for a team that lost 5 out of 6 down the stretch with some turmoil and a child for a head coach, I’d be careful.

-Can hurts stay healthy? Always a question for a mobile QB and one who makes a living under the pile on 3rd and 4th and short.

-On the positive side, the kept (who is in my opinion their secret weapon) Jeff Stoutland around another year. Expect them to continue to be solid up front on the OL and to be able to scheme the best out of Barkley in the run game. If Barkley is healthy he will have a big year, but that’s a big if.

Their OL definitely got worse and their RT will be 35.

To me Barkley is in decline. If they use him too much they will see the same 3.9 yards per carry player we saw. He doesn’t have that burst he had, I think it was a big over pay and may backfire on them. Their WR duo is still top 5 but I do think Hurts shoulder was injured and he’s not all that good.

On D, their young players haven’t shown to be as good as the guys they replaced. Signing Gardner-Johnson was a good pickup. I liked Huff, but he was a part time player, just a pass rusher. Can he handle a larger role? Their CBs are old.

I still think the Cowboys are the regular season team to beat and Philly is trying to hold on but age is catching them.

good but I don't think Hurts is good enough to close the deal at the end. I wonder if they cut back on the tush push.

The OL is the key for that O. I expect better front 7 play.

I expect Roseman to add to the lines in the draft like always. He said he learned from Reid BPA and you always take the lineman. Similar to George Young (and TC early) if you add LB.

And not be a factor.

I think Cox and Kelce were the leaders of the trenches.....curious to see what happens.

An exceptional roster and their quarterback and head coach are made to look much better than they really are because of it.

Even though I think we improved our OL and they’ve lost some guys on their line (both sides), they’ll still beat us up in the trenches.

the last month of the season. In fact, they were one of the worst teams in the NFL once their season ended with another ass whipping in Tampa. Their D was completely dysfunctional.

So, until I see otherwise, this is a .500 team at best. Hurts probably peaked in 2022 and looked like he was throwing a watermelon late in 2023.

teams will be salivating at facing that secondary. Their corners are washed.

In comment 16443521 JohnB said:

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That’s just as important

.

Only important pieces are Kelce and Fletcher Cox (getting long in the tooth himself). They have prepared well for their departures, with Jurgens and as I mentioned in another thread, two behemoths on the D Line from Georgia.

The original one who was very good or the more recent version, who’s been kind of eh. .

They never properly replaced Seumalo at guard now they have to fill Kelce's void with an aging RT. It showed in their game against us in January, they couldn't block us upfront. Carter might become a great player and still not fill the production Hargrave gave them. They've lost real difference makers on both sides of the ball and it showed at the end of last season.

Makes them one of the Super Bowl favorites. Needs to stay healthy and be ready at the playoffs.

hire the right assistant coaches now to shore up Siranni?

They will be a playoff team again next year b/c of how bad the NFC is.

Probably win the division as well.

which starts at the head coach on down. They were lucky and coasting until SF punched them in the mouth and the roof collapsed.

You have a leadership problem out the gate with Kelce and Cox leaving and their OL is a year older, not better. They showed cracks last year.

Their vaunted depth never came together. Jordan Davis looks like a complete bust. Let's see how Carter does in his 2nd year, he tailed off and started to show a bit of why he dropped in the draft to begin with.

Hurts was given a contract based on a perfect storm season and will end up being a worse deal than Daniel Jones'.

Philly is a team that if they don't get off to a good start and win some games convincingly, that whole thing will implode. I said the year before that Sirianni is nothing more than Millenial Barry Switzer and I meant it. He was along for the ride on a stacked team. He played to their dumb fans who ate it up....until it stopped working they already turned on him last year during their collapse. And I think Howie is believing his own press too much too.

They are an 8-9 team. If they get the right breaks, maybe they do win 10-11 games. But I could also see the wheels come completely off and they end up a 5 win team and Howie fires Siranni to save his own ass (which is why he kept him around, IMO, he wanted a scapegoat after firing the coordinators).

Oh...and Saquon will have some game early on that he scores 3 TDs and puts up 250 total yards and everyone will celebrate it. But they will end up hating that contract before the season is out.

They're still a highly talened team but one in a huge identity transition that is also coming off legitimately historic collapse. They lost the two biggest voices in that locker room in Kelce and Cox. Moving Jurgens to C leaves a hole at LG. Many of the key remaining vets are on on their last legs (Johnson, Slay, Bradberry). I dont think Huff is the same player Reddick has been for them. The young DTs were disappointing down the stretch and are still firmly in that "learning to be pros" stage, and Carters off field issues continued with the "definitely wasn't stealing" incident at Target. Speaking of steals Nakobe Dean was benched and they bought a lottery ticket in Devin White. They run their QB like they're mad at him (opening a game with a naked boot when dudes got the flu lol?) and he was not a good passer last year.

Yes, I'm biased and I'll never pass up a chance to tell you why the Eagles might crash and burn every single year. But man, the stage is really set. Big additions, high expectations, aging at critical spots, and the X factor that is Sirianni. He's a fucking mook and Birds fans know it now. Every single one of them that I talk to has an undercurrent of uncertainty. A "Well, they better get it right THIS time or it's over" lurking just behind the bravado that can't help but stick its head out when you ask them about the coach.

window is closing. They'll make another big push this year and next year to try and speed it up which include the new OC, Moore. I'm not convinced that this will work, but they're pulling out all the stops so to speak.

and he hasn't lost his fastball, don't count them out.

In comment 16443549 Rudy5757 said:

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Their OL definitely got worse and their RT will be 35. To me Barkley is in decline. If they use him too much they will see the same 3.9 yards per carry player we saw. He doesn’t have that burst he had, I think it was a big over pay and may backfire on them. Their WR duo is still top 5 but I do think Hurts shoulder was injured and he’s not all that good. On D, their young players haven’t shown to be as good as the guys they replaced. Signing Gardner-Johnson was a good pickup. I liked Huff, but he was a part time player, just a pass rusher. Can he handle a larger role? Their CBs are old. I still think the Cowboys are the regular season team to beat and Philly is trying to hold on but age is catching them.

There hasn't been a repeat winner in the NFC East since 2004. The Eagles won the division for four straight years starting from 2001 and ending in 2004 (old article about it HERE).

That pattern held last season with the Cowflops nudging past the Green Slime near the end of the season. I have a feeling the pattern continues this year. I think the Eagles will win the East and will be contenders to be in the Conference Title Game again, unfortunately.

In comment 16443557 Biteymax22 said:

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An exceptional roster and their quarterback and head coach are made to look much better than they really are because of it. Even though I think we improved our OL and they’ve lost some guys on their line (both sides), they’ll still beat us up in the trenches.

Agreed. I like Hurts on and off the field a lot more than that dope Sirianni though. Sirianni is one of the most annoying people I've EVER seen associated with the Eagles, and that's saying a lot, lol. Watching him eventually flame out will be GLORIOUS!!

the way they ended the season last year is telling. Yeah usually season to season doesn't mean much anymore, but in their case I see a carryover. That coach is an issue!
We can only hope anyway.

Nick Sirianni is a good coach (can’t make it as far as they did) but he’s not a great coach. That offense was dependent on Steichen for its success and got way worse after he left. It’s predicated on their stars outperforming their opponents and doesn’t really scheme them open. I don’t have much faith in Kellen Moore and I think we’re going to see more of the same. Losing Kelce is a huge deal. The league is figuring out Hurts.

Their D line is great but their CBs are slowing down.

I still like Saquon and I’d root for his success, but I suspect he’s going to find that his transition won’t produce the results he’s looking for. Howie dropping $$$ on an aging RB is a strange move and one that won’t pay off.

I think they're prime contenders to be in the NFC Title Game again this coming season, besides winning the division. I see Saquon being good to very good behind their line for the first two years of contract too. I feel the same about their team. Their best two remaining shots IMO are 2024 and 2025, particularly 2024. I can see them majorly slipping in 2026.

you have to ask yourselves, if you'd rather have their players or ours in 2024?

I think Daboll is/could be better as a coach, they have the better GM.

On paper, they should go to the Superbowl still. But we've heard and seen that before.

because he was a team captain on the Giants and ultimately may be a huge factor in bringing that team together

I hope it's not the case -- but I suspect that it is - an that this is why Philly was willing to pay him the big bucks

I would not underestimate the Penn State Barkley factor

In my view they are a good team until proven other wise - if their secondary betrays thenm -- let's effing hope so

a year early the get Carter and Jurgens are ready ro replace Cox and Kelce.

They use FA and cap manuvers to allow them to draft straight talent and not force things.


They do miss though ringo and ricks may need replacements

Eagles had very serious Talent and Depth issues all over their defense...it WAS NOT a coaching issue. Carter will be a player. Davis has been an enigma, never getting much beyond a 30% snap count. They were beat down by a lousy Cardinals Team and were absolutely Rag Dolled by our Giants. They need to address front 7..... NFL DB Fields are always in need, like MLB Bullpens.

I expect a good reload from the Birds..they are at an excellent starting place. The Coaching issues were overblown, but bear watching.

I hope they never win another game. I hate them.

In comment 16443626 Matt in SGS said:

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which starts at the head coach on down. They were lucky and coasting until SF punched them in the mouth and the roof collapsed. You have a leadership problem out the gate with Kelce and Cox leaving and their OL is a year older, not better. They showed cracks last year. Their vaunted depth never came together. Jordan Davis looks like a complete bust. Let's see how Carter does in his 2nd year, he tailed off and started to show a bit of why he dropped in the draft to begin with. Hurts was given a contract based on a perfect storm season and will end up being a worse deal than Daniel Jones'. Philly is a team that if they don't get off to a good start and win some games convincingly, that whole thing will implode. I said the year before that Sirianni is nothing more than Millenial Barry Switzer and I meant it. He was along for the ride on a stacked team. He played to their dumb fans who ate it up....until it stopped working they already turned on him last year during their collapse. And I think Howie is believing his own press too much too. They are an 8-9 team. If they get the right breaks, maybe they do win 10-11 games. But I could also see the wheels come completely off and they end up a 5 win team and Howie fires Siranni to save his own ass (which is why he kept him around, IMO, he wanted a scapegoat after firing the coordinators). Oh...and Saquon will have some game early on that he scores 3 TDs and puts up 250 total yards and everyone will celebrate it. But they will end up hating that contract before the season is out.

From your lips to gods ears

As they should. Barkley can definitely help Hurts as long as he doesn't get hurt himself. It does seem like they are able to easily work the cap. They always seem way ahead of us.

Adding Huff and not losing any of their edge guys. Then adding White (I think he could flourish with a change of scenery) and bring back Gardner-Johnson.

One thing I’ll point out is they did nothing to improve CB, and aside from coaching the secondary was their achilles heel down the stretch. They are either very young, or very old at that position. Slay/Bradberry aren’t getting better. The backups (Ringo, Ricks) struggled last year, and were flawed players coming out (4th round/UDFA). I’m sure they will address it in the first couple of rounds too, but worth noting for now.

On the offensive side, I really don’t see how they’ve gotten better. Barkley is better than Swift, but they lost Kelce. That cannot be understated. He was the anchor of their running game, and one of the 3 or 4 best to ever play Center. You don’t just “replace” a guy like him.

In comment 16443549 Rudy5757 said:

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Their OL definitely got worse and their RT will be 35. To me Barkley is in decline. If they use him too much they will see the same 3.9 yards per carry player we saw. He doesn’t have that burst he had, I think it was a big over pay and may backfire on them. Their WR duo is still top 5 but I do think Hurts shoulder was injured and he’s not all that good. On D, their young players haven’t shown to be as good as the guys they replaced. Signing Gardner-Johnson was a good pickup. I liked Huff, but he was a part time player, just a pass rusher. Can he handle a larger role? Their CBs are old. I still think the Cowboys are the regular season team to beat and Philly is trying to hold on but age is catching them.

Exactly this.

Ditto to Chris's point above on losing Kelce and Cox. Graham may not be the same player but important for them to keep a guy like that around.

They've gotten progressively worse since the SB loss and I expect that to continue.

In comment 16443626 Matt in SGS said:

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which starts at the head coach on down. They were lucky and coasting until SF punched them in the mouth and the roof collapsed. You have a leadership problem out the gate with Kelce and Cox leaving and their OL is a year older, not better. They showed cracks last year. Their vaunted depth never came together. Jordan Davis looks like a complete bust. Let's see how Carter does in his 2nd year, he tailed off and started to show a bit of why he dropped in the draft to begin with. Hurts was given a contract based on a perfect storm season and will end up being a worse deal than Daniel Jones'. Philly is a team that if they don't get off to a good start and win some games convincingly, that whole thing will implode. I said the year before that Sirianni is nothing more than Millenial Barry Switzer and I meant it. He was along for the ride on a stacked team. He played to their dumb fans who ate it up....until it stopped working they already turned on him last year during their collapse. And I think Howie is believing his own press too much too. They are an 8-9 team. If they get the right breaks, maybe they do win 10-11 games. But I could also see the wheels come completely off and they end up a 5 win team and Howie fires Siranni to save his own ass (which is why he kept him around, IMO, he wanted a scapegoat after firing the coordinators). Oh...and Saquon will have some game early on that he scores 3 TDs and puts up 250 total yards and everyone will celebrate it. But they will end up hating that contract before the season is out.

Another great post. Totally agree. Philly has had a strong run the last 7-8 years and I think its over with. They may sneak into a WC this year but I really believe they're closer to a full rebuild than many realize.

I said during his MVP season that Hurts a B/B+ quarterback with an A+ supporting cast, I stand by that.

It all just fell apart. Their elite players in the trenches got old. And Hurts looked like he wanted nothing to do with running the ball anymore. By the end of the year they were getting smacked around by everyone.

Barkley may be one of those guys with just bad luck. He’s going to the Eagles just as their dropping off. Shame…

In comment 16443526 Angel Eyes said:

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In comment 16443521 JohnB said: Quote: That’s just as important Kelce and Cox retired. Those are pretty big losses. I think Jurgens slides to center from RG and Jalen Carter takes over 3-Tech duties from Cox. As far as additions go in the OP, Mustipher might be a backup for Jordan Davis, Burks for Zach Cunningham?

Lane Johnson, Graham, Bradberry, and Darius Slay are getting up there too.

In comment 16443803 mittenedman said:

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It all just fell apart. Their elite players in the trenches got old. And Hurts looked like he wanted nothing to do with running the ball anymore. By the end of the year they were getting smacked around by everyone. Barkley may be one of those guys with just bad luck. He’s going to the Eagles just as their dropping off. Shame…

Bad luck had nothing to with Saquon deciding to take less money to sign with Philly over Houston.

MAKES THEM SOOO MUCH BETTER!!!! DO NOT PASS UP ON HIIM IN FANTASY.

I don’t think they’ve addressed that. They’ll be good, probably good enough to win the division, but I don’t see them making it out of the NFC, no less winning the SB.

But, to talk about the playoffs today is not wise. Must see who is injured, who I has been added or subtracted….lots of details still need to be filled in.

when older or oft-injured players sign with the Eagles, they go on to have slightly longer successful careers then people thought they would.

.

All those brotherly love tush pushes take a toll. Obviously, he isn't having surgery but I think something has been up with his arm since the shoulder strain he had in '22. They also lost a HOF center and a core player of their DL in Cox. I don't see them reattaining their '22 form and they are on a downhill slope with their aging roster and the Hurts ticking time bomb contract.

They will be old news soon imo.

In comment 16443566 bw in dc said:

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the last month of the season. In fact, they were one of the worst teams in the NFL once their season ended with another ass whipping in Tampa. Their D was completely dysfunctional. So, until I see otherwise, this is a .500 team at best. Hurts probably peaked in 2022 and looked like he was throwing a watermelon late in 2023.

Agree completely

The first thing I thought of…that wasn’t a nosedive…it was the Hindenburg.