The 2024 offseason is now underway for the Philadelphia Eagles, with the bulk of free agents already gone. With the upcoming draft, they have some choices to make on how to fix their roster.
What are the Eagles’ current strengths? What are their weaknesses?
Strength: Offensive Line
Yes, even with Jason Kelce’s expected yet still gut-wrenching retirement, the Eagles are still strong at their offensive line. It shows how spoiled they’ve been for a long, long time.
Sure, the Eagles’ interior offensive line took a big hit with the loss of Kelce, but it will serve as a chance for someone like former 2023 third-round pick Tyler Steen to emerge. He only played 71 snaps last season, so he’s due for an increase in that department. The Eagles have done a fantastic job acquiring and developing offensive linemen over the past couple of decades — the hope is that he can be the next.
The Eagles know what they have in Landon Dickerson, as he is a two-time Pro Bowler with just three seasons under his belt in the NFL. Getting him was a fantastic snag for the Eagles back in the 2021 NFL draft early in the second round. At 25 years of age, he should be the anchor of the interior offensive line for years to come — especially with his new four-year deal.
As for Cam Jurgens, he is the likely Kelce replacement at center after playing a lot of guard for the Birds last season (89%, to be exact). He’s still just 24 and played decent last season, so his progression will be something to monitor.
As for the rest of the offensive line, the Eagles know what they’re getting in tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson at this point. Arguably the best tackle duo in football, the offensive line will still be a strong point for Philadelphia, if not their strongest. If they can stay healthy, there shouldn’t be much to worry about with this unit.
Weakness: Defensive Backs
Looking at the Eagles’ first major weakness, the defensive backs took a significant step back from 2022 to 2023. They lost Avonte Maddox this offseason, who didn’t have the best 2023 campaign, but it’s still a loss nonetheless. James Bradberry’s regression has been apparent, and he still has two seasons left on his $38 million contract that he signed last offseason.
Before free agency, the only positives in the secondary were arguably only Darius Slay and Reed Blankenship. Even Slay took a small step back in 2023, so it was (and still is) a worrying aspect of the team.
But the Eagles went out and signed safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to a three-year deal, giving the Eagles their 2022 swagger back and some good coverage at that. The secondary still needs major work, but the importance of that addition cannot be understated.
Strength: Offensive Skill Positions
One thing that hasn’t always been great for the Eagles has been their skill positions. Now, however, it is one of the best features of their roster. The duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith at wide receiver is can’t-miss good. Both of them will be eyeing Mike Quick’s record from 1983 to 1985 where he notched three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons — they each have two in a row.
More recently, star running back Saquon Barkley agreed to terms with the Eagles. He is the only back in the NFL who recorded top-10 rushing yards over expected (RYOE) campaigns in both 2022 and 2023. He had dozens of big rushing plays (10 or more yards) for the New York Giants on a brutal offensive line, so he’ll help bring some explosiveness to Philadelphia. Even if he’s 27, he’s still one of the best at his position.
At this point, Jalen Hurts doesn’t need to be discussed. Even at his worst, which was arguably last season, he was still a phenomenal quarterback. He will only continue to get better.
Whether or not a tight end is considered to be a skill position or not, Dallas Goedert makes a good case for it. He’s not just a standard tight end — he can block, catch, and make plays. He is a vital player in the Eagles’ offense.
Weakness: Linebackers
It’s been the case for a while now, but the Eagles’ linebackers are not up to par. It’s been a while since that has been a strength, really. It’s both good and bad news that Nicholas Morrow, Zach Cunningham, and Shaquille Leonard are all likely on the way out. They had some good performances in there, but it was overall pretty disappointing.
The Eagles’ defense needs to improve next season, obviously. Things went smoothly early on, but some bad games against the Washington Commanders of all teams suggest they need more. By the end of the season, surrendering 30 or more points came with regularity. The linebackers definitely played into that, and there will be some big changes. If there was a position that the Eagles go heavy on in the draft and what’s left of free agency, that’ll be it.
In free agency, the Eagles added linebackers Oren Burks and Zack Baun to the room, but those are more or less depth adds. The addition of Devin White was a high-reward move, but it doesn’t take away from the Eagles’ issues. With the addition of Johnson to the secondary, the linebacker core is probably the Eagles’ biggest weakness as of now, even with White, especially now there.
Strength: Pass Rush
Much like the offensive line, the Eagles have had a fantastic defensive line for a while. They have great youth in Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, while Josh Sweat and Milton Williams are both relatively young, too.
Carter, specifically, could take a massive jump for the Eagles. He was an elite player last season, so the hope is that his sophomore season can bring even more. With a duo of him and Davis out there, the Eagles should be dangerous for years to come. But 2024 could be a massive one for both of them.
Veterans like Brandon Graham and Reddick are still important to the Eagles. Reddick was the Eagles’ sack leader, while Graham has had his game age like a fine wine. He is still a great player at age 35. He is reportedly in the works for an extension to give it one more year. At this point, he’s one of the greatest Eagles of all time — the good news is that keeping him around will actually help the team rather than serve as a sentimental move.
However, considering the fact that the Eagles signed 25-year-old defensive end Bryce Huff to a contract worth $51.1 million, among their other huge splashes, chances are that someone like Reddick could go. There’s not enough money to keep everyone, and it would be a bit irresponsible for a young team to do that. With that out of the way, the Eagles pass rush should still be an area of strength without either of them. It might take a hit, but it is a young unit with a lot of talent.
In the draft, the Eagles will have three picks in the first two rounds. That’s plenty of ammo to make some big changes.
If the Eagles want to go back to the Super Bowl, addressing their needs will be a must. They have the assets to do so adequately.
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Justin Giampietro
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