Philadelphia Eagles Building On Shaky Foundations

Nov 2, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) is tackled by Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) and linebacker Akeem Dent (50) during the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles are still in rebuilding mode.

Head Coach Chip Kelly is leading this team on a long journey and we’re only in year two. It will take at least four or five years before this Philadelphia Eagles team can even think of heading towards the NFC Championship game or even the Superbowl.

Previous coach Andy Reid left a team that lacked identity and commitment. It has taken a huge overhaul to even get this far, where the Eagles could be looking at successive 10-6 records. Getting to that point in the NFL is no mean feat and the Eagles have done well. They have, however, lost the wrong 6 games. Defeats to the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys show that the Eagles aren’t yet ready to compete with the NFL’s elite.

So, we head into offseason mode and take a look at what the Philadelphia Eagles have.

The answer, unfortunately, is not a lot when you consider how long this rebuilding process may be.

At quarterback, the position is up in the air, again. Mark Sanchez has proven that he is not good enough. Matt Barkley hasn’t done enough to earn a chance. Who knows what Nick Foles is? One minute he’s an NFL record breaker, the next he’s tossing the ball to defensive backs more than his own receivers. The problem is that there’s no clear QB to move for in next year’s draft, as Oregon QB Marcus Mariota is a guarantee for one of the top three picks. So, it’s likely that the Eagles stick with Foles and grab another back-up, leaving the key position on the team as a question mark for another season.

The offensive line is ageing. Todd Herremans, Evan Mathis and Jason Peters are all heading in to the twilight of their careers. Can the Eagles afford another season of injuries, which often occur more as players age?

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The defensive front is still an outside linebacker short of a perfect 3-4 fit. Two years in to the system, this shouldn’t be a problem, but it has been and it has been compounded by injuries to key players again. Middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans was placed on injured reserve earlier this season and there are doubts over whether he, the leader of the Eagles defense, will return in 2015.

Even star running back LeSean McCoy may not return in 2015. He’s an expensive player, who declined a bit this season. That can be placed on injuries to the offensive line, but is it worth a multi-million dollar risk to tie his down?

In short, the Philadelphia Eagles have far more questions than answers. There is a long term plan to build around players like Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks and Jordan Matthews, but the key positions on the roster remain mostly in flux.

Next year will be a challenge for the Eagles to reach the playoffs, as even the Washington Redskins and New York Giants can’t be as bad as they have been this season. The Philadelphia sports landscape isn’t known for its patience, however the fans may need to give Chip Kelly serious time to right this ship as they look to sail deep into the playoffs in the future.