Time For The Philadelphia Eagles To Tank

Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jason Peters (71) is taken off the field in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jason Peters (71) is taken off the field in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 7, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; General view of 2015 NFL draft selection cards of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Jameis Winston), Tennessee Titans (Marcus Mariota) and Jacksonville Jaguars (Dante Fowler). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 7, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; General view of 2015 NFL draft selection cards of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Jameis Winston), Tennessee Titans (Marcus Mariota) and Jacksonville Jaguars (Dante Fowler). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Why Two Year Strategies Work?

It comes down to patience in an impatient world of the NFL.  If the Philadelphia Eagles go into the NFL off-season with a complete understanding that they will take a multi-year approach – they can set themselves up in both free agency and in the draft.   Let’s assume that the Eagles search for a head coach goes remarkably well, and that we obtain a coach who attracts a staff which is quite capable of working with young players and grooming them.  In this scenario, the team is set up to bring in the younger players, coach them up, and with a enough patience can expand their off-season acquisitions from “immediate impact” players to “great upside” guys.

By taking this longer term look at the team, we will like not play well in the 2016 season.  As we lose, our draft position in the 2017 NFL draft improves dramatically.  As we become a team where attrition through free agency becomes a net loss rather than a net gain, we begin to accumulate compensatory draft picks in much of a similar manner as the Baltimore Ravens.  Those “additional” draft picks could be waiting for us in the 2017 NFL draft if we show patience and restraint.

By the same token, if we don’t find “THE” coach, we can cut our losses in a year and try again.  It’s been a track record of this team right now that people are moving through at a more rapid pace than before.  The bad coach would have a bad season, and again we find ourselves in a good position in the 2017 NFL draft and in strong position to obtain that franchise quarterback that we so desperately need.

A top draft choice is a huge attractor to a new head coach.  He knows the team can get HIS quarterback, and that means job security.  Job security to a head coach means stability and success to the fans.

Next: About That Thing Called Patience