Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Guide: 10 Steps to a Super Bowl

Dec 14, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly talks with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (18) during a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles 38-27. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles offseason brings many decisions to be made, and with head coach Chip Kelly in charge of the player personnel we can expect some interesting decisions to be made. The Eagles are going to have quite a few holes to fill this offseason. It might seem like quite the daunting task, however, the solution to their roster woes might be simpler than one would expect. This simple ten step plan is the blueprint to bringing the Eagles back to the playoffs.

Part 1: Cornerback

First, the Eagles need a complete overhaul at the cornerback position. The Eagles had a less than useless pass defense this year, as evidenced by their losses down the home stretch of the season. The Eagles current depth chart at cornerback looks like this.

Step One: The Eagles need a number one cornerback.The clear choice here is Byron Maxwell of the Seattle Seahawks. Maxwell is a very talented player and athlete and would not be too expensive. I would compare his contract to that of former Seattle Seahawk, current New York Giant cornerback Walter Thurmond. Thurmond signed with the Giants last offseason on a one year deal. The Giants took a 3 million dollar cap hit from this deal. I would expect that the Eagles could lure Maxwell in with an offer in the 4-5 million dollar range per year.

Step Two: For their next cornerback I would say that the Eagles would be well off signing either the aforementioned Thurmond to a similar deal that the Giants brought him in on, or Houston Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson. This way the Eagles have an above average pair of young corners who will be a significant upgrade.

Step Three: Cap this off by cutting either Cary Williams or Nolan Carroll (most likely Williams due to his larger cap hit and off field issues) and drafting a corner in the second or third round for depth. Now your depth chart looks like this.

Part Two: Quarterback

The Eagles went into 2014 with three quarterbacks on their roster. Quarterbacks Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley. Now Sanchez (the turnover machine) is leaving for free agency and Foles took a huge step back in performance. The Eagles might simply bring Sanchez back and give Foles another go. However, what I would do if I were the general manager is not quite as simple.

Jan 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Bryce Petty (14) throws during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Step Four: I want a quarterback from the draft, and his name is not Marcus Mariota. His name is Bryce Petty of Baylor. Many Baylor quarterbacks do not translate well to the NFL because the offense is much different and does not complement them the way their college offense did. However, this is not the case with Chip Kelly’s offense.

Petty is not only capable of making all of the throws necessary to be an NFL quarterback, he is also surprisingly mobile for his size. Perhaps the best way to show just how good Bryce Petty is, is what he did in the Cotton Bowl on January 1st. Petty was 36 for 51 (completed 70.5% of his passes) and he threw for 550 yards and three touchdowns. All of this against a Michigan State defense widely considered one of the top in the country.

Eagles

I project Petty to be high first round pick because of his skill set and the shallow 2015 quarterback class. While as of now his value is up for debate, I believe that after the NFL Scouting Combine and Petty’s pro day he will be high on many teams’ draft boards.

If Petty falls to the Eagles, it would be perfect, however, this is most likely not going to be the case. The Eagles will have to trade up for him. It might be as simple as putting together a package that includes their 2015 first and second round picks. However an interesting alternative package includes their 2015 first round pick and right tackle Lane Johnson. Johnson is desirable for another team because he is young, cheap, and athletic. He is also expendable because he was the weak link on the Eagles offensive line this year and an upgrade is available in free agency.

*Step Five (Conditional Step, only in play if Eagles trade Johnson): Sign Dallas Cowboys right tackle Doug Free or Green Bay Packers tackle Bryan Bulaga. Not only would one of these men replace Johnson, but they would be an upgrade. Bulaga is the better fit as he is more athletic and is only 25 years old.

Part Three: Wide Receiver

The Eagles are losing their number one receiver in Jeremy Maclin this offseason and their number four receiver in Brad Smith.

Step Six: Re-sign Jeremy Maclin. No ifs ands or buts about it, Maclin has emerged as the top ten receiver he was always supposed to be and there is a clear mutual interest for the Eagles to reunite with him.

Dec 27, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Nelson Agholor (15) is defended by Nebraska Cornhuskers cornerback Daniel Davie (23) during the first quarter in the 2014 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Step Seven: Replace Riley Cooper. I would say cut Riley Cooper, however, Cooper is owed too much money that it would hurt more than help to cut him. When I say replace Cooper what I mean is sign or draft a receiver to be his replacement. My top option is USC’s Nelson Agholor. Agholor is not one of the top names in this draft, but whenever I watch him play I am very impressed. Agholor could take a slot role and wide receiver Jordan Matthews could move to the outside.

Another option, perhaps more exciting, is signing either wide receiver Andre Johnson of the Texans or Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons. Both veterans could help turn the Eagles’ receiving corps into an elite one.

Part Four: Safety

Step Eight: The Eagles need a strong safety to be an upgrade over the departing safety Nate Allen. The top option is obviously New England’s Devin McCourty who would make the Eagles secondary significantly better, however, New England may not let him go and if they do he will not be cheap. A cheaper option is Ron Parker of the Kansas City Chiefs. I’m a big fan of Parker and think he is one of the more underrated safeties in the league right now, and he is also very versatile. That being said I truly believe that signing McCourty should be the Eagles’ number one priority this offseason.

Part Five: Pass Rush

Step Nine: A lot of cash frees up with the possible departures of linebackers Brandon Graham and Trent Cole. Graham would be worth bringing back on a cheap one or two year deal, but Cole isn’t cheap, and frankly he isn’t worth it anymore. Bring back Graham, but unless he agrees to take much less money, let Cole walk.

Step Ten: I’d like to see the Eagles spend their money on an elite linebacker like Justin Houston of the Chiefs. A different but also exciting pick is Jason Worilds of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Another interesting name floating around is Jerry Hughes of the Buffalo Bills who is an incredible pass rusher and would make a great addition.

Obviously not all of these moves can or will be done, due to money, teams re-signing their players, etc. However, if the Eagles try to make most of these changes I truly believe they have a Super Bowl in their future.