Sometimes I wish the Eagles didn’t win the fucking Super Bowl.
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but as ITB’s marquee Eagles fan, I can tell you that the panic button and I have had an extremely abusive relationship this year. As many Philadelphians and longtime Birds fans can also attest to, the 2018-19 NFL season is unfortunately bringing with it pain that is all too familiar. In a world where the Eagles never brought home the Lombardi Trophy, this season would’ve fallen into an overflowing pile of throwaway years in which we missed the playoffs by just a smidge. These seasons are still disappointing, but not too deviant from the mean nevertheless. Before last year, my two biggest fears in life were heights and dying before the Eagles won a Super Bowl. Nowadays, my biggest fears are heights and that Doug Peterson crammed last year’s playbook into a bottle and threw it into the Schuylkill River.
Eagles fans are often stereotyped for being quick to change their opinion of the team (and the team’s predicted success) on a game-to-game basis. I would argue that this isn’t derived from a lack of knowledge of football or the team; instead, Philadelphians drown themselves in their passion for the team, and take wins and losses extremely personally. I, too, fall victim to allowing my weekly mood to be dictated by the success or failure of the Eagles on Sunday. Needless to say that this week has been off to a completely dogshit start.
This was, however, until I was sucker-punched with a euphoric realization just last night. My fellow Eagles fans, I think it is officially time to sit back in our La-Z-Boys, inject morphine directly into our veins, and disallow ourselves to feel any pain until this season ends. The 2018-19 NFL season has already come to a close for the defending Super Bowl Champs, so there’s no reason to have a brain aneurysm every weekend until the New Year just because the Eagles are a shell of the team that they were a mere nine months ago. The time has come to let this season burn itself out, and to start looking forward to what can be done in the offseason.
“But Nick,” I hear you crying in my head, “there’s still seven weeks in the season! We can still pull this out!” In my opinion . . . we can’t. In the fourth quarter of Monday night’s embarrassment against Dallas, Al Michaels (presumably after his seventh Moscow mule, as his words get increasingly slurred as the quarters go by) aptly mentioned that the Redskins have the second easiest remaining schedule, whereas the Eagles have the second toughest. The R-Words’ hardest non-divisional game for the remainder of the season is this week, at home, against the Houston Texans. The 4-5 Eagles, on the other hand, have to travel to New Orleans and Los Angeles to play not only the two best teams in the NFC, but arguably the #1 and #2 squads in the country. Oh, and they play the Texans as well.
Even if the Eagles win their first meeting against Washington in Week 13, I still think that the team will be beyond saving. It’s no secret to anyone that the NFC East will not produce a Wild Card team, and by counting losses to the Rams and Saints as guarantees, the Eagles’ best case scenario stems from a 9-7 season. It’s very hard to imagine the Redskins losing four of their next seven, let alone the fact that–surprise!–the Cowboys are now a factor in the division again, especially after beating the Eagles at their own game. To reiterate: the Eagles’ season is done.
But not all hope is lost. The Eagles just simply failed to recreate the formula that got them to Minnesota last year. I think I’ve narrowed down Philly’s pitfalls to three key issues, and thought of some ways to get around them. Let’s explore!
1.) Key Injuries
This is an unavoidable issue that all 32 teams in the NFL have to deal with each year. Losing the wrong people can turn a promising season into an abysmal one, which has (partially) been the case with the team in question. Likewise, this is an issue that’s hard to comprise a solution to. However, despite Howie Roseman being the best VP of Football Operations in the league (and the subject of my twitter header), I think maybe we should’ve been a bit more skeptical of some of his acquisitions last year.
For starters, Jay Ajayi was an unquestionably high-risk, high-ceiling pickup. His injury history was no secret to anyone, but trading a fourth-rounder for him before Week 10 last year was all-around a smart decision. That is, at least, when Ajayi was expected to have a secondary role to starter LeGarrette Blount. Ajayi is undoubtedly a starting-caliber back in the NFL, but his workload was conducive to mitigating his risk of injury. Take Blount out of the picture, and Ajayi becomes an ACL tear waiting to happen.
Yes, the Eagles were smart in releasing Blount after he fulfilled his duty (helping us win “now”), and before he was owed a monster contract. However, leaving the injury-prone duo of Ajayi and Sproles to lead the run game with a young Corey Clement was borderline irresponsible. Sure, Clement showed flashes of greatness in 2017, but the sample size was so small due to running beside both Ajayi and Blount that he was never a guaranteed talent. The Eagles are now left with an ultimately nonexistent run game.
As far as the defense is concerned, all three of the Eagles’ top cornerbacks are now out with injury. Ronald Darby’s ACL tear has him out for the season, with Jalen Mills (foot) and Sidney Jones (hamstring) still having no clear timetable for their returns. The Eagles are left to hobble around with Cre’Von LeBlanc (who?), Chandon Sullivan (undrafted rookie), and Rasul Douglas (not terrible)–the latter being the only one with any real minutes this season as a CB for Philadelphia. As if to make the cornerback situation any more dire, free safety Avonte Maddox is now being moved over to fill a cornerback slot, leaving league standout Malcom Jenkins essentially all by his lonesome in the safety position. It is worth noting that the Eagles frequently run Jenkins in a linebacker/safety hybrid position, now allowing the depths of the field to be vacant.
Entering this season, the Eagles looked surprisingly deep at cornerback, with Darby, Mills, Jones, and Sullivan, along with NFC Championship hero Patrick Robinson and Panthers trade acquisition Daryl Worley. With talks brewing amongst NFL insiders and random schmucks on Broad Street that the Eagles were looking to shop Darby, it seemed as if they were fully committing to a young, talented roster of defensive backs that would bring prosperity to a notorious weakness of Eagles’ past. Yet here we are, with Darby on the IR, Robinson picked up by New Orleans in free agency, and Worley released.
This team was primed to start The Cornerback Process, and instead is left with a very shallow, unproven bench. There is no way in hell that this squad can deter Drew Brees or Jared Goff. However, it’s possible for Howie to repair his biggest offseason blunder by looking back to 2017’s offseason.
2.) Offseason Pickups and Trades
What made last year’s Eagles season so special was that it essentially lasted twelve months. Their offseason was far and away the most exciting in the NFL, and lead many to believe heading into the season that they bolstered the most talented roster from top to bottom. This was an opinion that held true until the final whistle was blown. This year though? Not so much.
The Eagles spent much of 2018 releasing more talent than they were picking up. Much to the front office’s credit, signing Michael Bennett was huge. Other than the Rams, the Eagles have the most exciting defensive line in football, and are a nightmare to face as a running back (unless your name is Ezekiel Elliott, apparently). Outside of that, though, there were virtually no improvements to the team.
LeGarrette Blount was obviously sent to Detroit, yet no one was brought in to replace him. Wideout Torrey Smith, who, barring the first half of the year, had a fairly impactful season in Philly, was released and replaced with an older, worse version of himself. Picking up Mike Wallace was . . . fine . . . but whatever potential he had as a 32-year-old vet was stifled by fractured fibula in Week 2. While there are rumors that he may be able to return late in the season, he might as well just lay low for the remainder of the year, and hope that someone gives him a chance in 2019. I certainly hope the Eagles don’t.
So what roster moves can the Eagles make in 2019? For starters, get rid of Wallace. He’s an old player accruing a pointless check from the organization, and with the recent signing of Golden Tate, his relevance on the team is constantly dwindling. He was only signed to a one-year contract to begin with, so he should be able to walk scot-free. In all honesty, the Eagles’ wide receiver situation is the strongest on the team. However, money needs to be saved in order to retain this talent. This is where my convoluted plan comes into play.
I think the Eagles need to make a trade with the Jaguars this offseason: send Nick Foles and Mack Hollins to Jacksonville, and receive Carlos Hyde and some draft picks. Big Dick Nick’s tenure in Philadelphia has to come to a close at some point, and I think sending him to an AFC team with a struggling quarterback is the best case scenario–especially before the Eagles suffer a big cap hit next year at his expense.
Despite the reports coming out of Jacksonville, no one in their right mind should say that Blake Bortles’ job is secure. I think that dangling the reigning Super Bowl MVP in front of their eyes should get their attention. Unfortunately, I’m throwing Hollins into the mix as well. Philadelphia is extremely secure at the wide receiver position, and Mack has been swallowed up by the depth chart. Hollins showed great breakout potential last season, with flashes reminiscent of Eagles alum DeSean Jackson at times. With a rookie contract lasting through 2020, the Jags may as well #FreeMack.
Carlos Hyde has proven to be a reliable back since entering the league in 2014, and will surely be expendable in JAX with the return of Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon. Although it would be Classic Howie Roseman if the Birds were somehow able to land Fournette, they don’t really need him considering his extensive injury history. The same could be said about Yeldon. Hyde presents himself as a sturdy, young back who showed glimpses of greatness in both San Francisco and Cleveland. Adding him to the roster should provide enough security to keep Ajayi on the team, regardless of his injury history. The three-headed monster of Ajayi, Clement, and Hyde would be a formidable rushing attack for the majority of NFL defenses.
Jacksonville also isn’t really in need of a rebuild, despite having a piss-poor 2018. Their defense is strong, they have solid enough receivers, and they have a borderline Top 10 RB in Fournette, when healthy. Getting picks from them shouldn’t be the most difficult thing in the world, as NFL teams can’t blow up their teams and start over like NBA teams can, especially considering the drop off in value of a first round pick in the NBA Draft versus that of the NFL.
The Eagles, however, could benefit from some draft picks. LT Jason Peters is the NFL equivalent of your trusty kitchen refrigerator needing to be downgraded to the garage, so a premier replacement for him is necessary. That should be the top priority for the first round. Philly should then look for a ball-centric safety to run alongside Malcolm Jenkins. Although I’ve been fond of Maddox in the free safety slot, he’s only logged one pick this season, with Jenkins having none. If the Eagles could find an interception magnet in the draft, they could be looking at their best defense since the Brian Dawkins era. Philly’s cornerbacks won’t stay injured forever, and CBs like Jalen Mills were found as late as the seventh round. Drafting corners should be tertiary to picking an elite safety. Although Doug Peterson spent the 2018 offseason singing the praises of Nate Sudfeld, it would also be advantageous for the team to also explore another backup QB in the draft, too (assuming Foles is shopped). The deep rounds of the draft may not be a terrible place to look for a third-string passer.
Unfortunately, it’s also safe to say that Darren Sproles’ tenure in Philadelphia should come to a close. The Little Engine That Could really doesn’t have a purpose on the team anymore. He’s old, he’s injury-prone, and should be replaced by an acquisition such as Hyde. Additionally, with Tate taking over as primary punt returner, Sproles likely won’t even find a spot on special teams. I really, really love the guy, so I’m extremely saddened to have to physically and emotionally let go of him.
As for the rest of the team, the defensive front seven is solid, and offensive skill players can be bought in the free agency as they were last year. No, I do not want Le’Veon Bell. The Eagles need to keep their cash reserves fat in order to resign players they’ve already picked up (namely Golden Tate). A draft centered around the offensive line and a standout safety will greatly benefit this team.
3.) Failure to Explore the Playbook
I promise I’ll keep this section short, as I’ve looked up zero statistics on the matter. An eye test is all that I need to confidently say, WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO OUR OFFENSIVE PLAYBOOK?! The Eagles had the most entertaining offense in the entirety of the league last year. This season they’re fucking insufferable to watch. I distinctly remember watching this year’s Week 6 matchup against the Giants and passive-aggressively exclaiming that Doug Peterson had finally been able to breathe some life into the offense. Once again, no stats here, so I’ll just let the highlights speak for themselves:
Outside of this game, though, I feel like I’m not even rooting for the same team this year as I was just months ago. Peterson’s balls went from being the size of watermelons to prunes over the course of a year, and he’s embarrassing no one but himself. Philly’s playcallers need to wake the hell up and make this team moderately exciting again through taking risks, throwing the deep ball, and running the occasional trick play. Is that too much to ask of a team that did those things better than everyone else in 2017?
In conclusion, there’s no point in crying over the Eagles’ efforts this year. It is what it is. However, they are in a position to very easily replicate the sparks that it took to firestart their best season in the organization’s history. We’ve had our hangover. Now it’s time to pop some Advil, chug some Pedialyte, and get back to the culture of winning now.
In The Books 