Philadelphia Eagles Twitter: The Fans Chirp About Issues
By Tom Aresco
Philadelphia Eagles fans are growing weary of the apparent quarterback conundrum and want answers faster than the front office can provide them.
I love Twitter. Picture your high school, with its cliques and flings and gossip. Picture the most crowded hallway before homeroom starts, with the buzz and the chatter about prom, sports and miscellaneous NSFW topics. The most simple of the social networks, Twitter, virtually put all of those hallways into the same school.
Although it’s virtual, it feels like there is an existing physical structure that each group occupies. There are designated “areas” for fans of anything to talk about their common interest. Sports can get intense when there are disagreements, and when a rival fan intrudes on a conversation. It’s more entertaining than television at times all the time.
So, the growing group of fans that flood my timeline with their recommendations for the upcoming season are known as “Eagles Twitter”. Today, I asked Eagles Twitter to send me questions so that I could summarize what everybody was thinking and put it in one place. I received excellent feedback, and I’m going to give my two cents on each of the subjects at hand.
@DatMartinezFam asks:
Will Kiko Alonso return to his rookie form this year?
The question mark at linebacker continuously comes up in discussion amongst fans and local beat writers. Last year’s rookie sensation Jordan Hicks figures to be an inevitable starter. Mychal Kendricks was just given a four-year extension in the 2015 offseason, and with the change to Jim Schwartz’ 4-3 he could see a redemption year.
The third linebacker spot is up for grabs, and the only way Alonso will win the job is if he indeed comes back to form. The Eagles gave Najee Goode a one-year extension earlier this week, DeMeco Ryans is still under contract and they could even be on the hunt to add another body to that unit. Alonso is a top three linebacker talent on this team, but he must prove he can stay healthy.
@nfldraftnick asks:
If no one else is re-signed, what are the Eagles’ five biggest positional needs to address in free agency and the draft?
Nick and I used to write together on the staff of another site, and he was kind enough to bring me to the FanSided team. Nick has since been on a writing hiatus as he prepares for the NFL Draft, where his true passion resides. Between drawing up mock drafts and watching film, he had the time to give me a hard question.
This topic has also become a daily debate. Some think that the Eagles need to continue to build the defense, while others want to focus on quarterback and offensive line. To answer Nick’s question, if no one else re-signs, here are the top five needs in order: QB, OL, DB, WR, DE/LB.
@_Philly_Talk asks:
Foles stans still exist?
This Philadelphia sports account tweeted this earlier. It wasn’t in response to my prompt for questions for this article, but I wanted to shed some light on this report. A “stan” is an overly obsessed fan who will not let go. When there is a questionable figure (player or coach) that the fan base is divided on, one side calls members of the other side “stans” or “bots”. Chip Bots, Bradford Stans — they’ve all been in play at one point or another.
Philly’s favorite reporter, Adam Schefter, has stated on multiple occasions that the Eagles are interested in bringing quarterback Nick Foles back to the City of Brotherly Love for another run. It’s hard to believe that anybody would be on board with the return of a quarterback who was benched last season, but Foles stans still exist. Sigh. The majority of fans, however, are not even close to giving this move the nod.
Eagles
@CarlosRod_02 asks:
Who could be a name to watch at QB besides Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel?
As far as pro quarterbacks, sadly, Mark Sanchez. Hopefully there isn’t a scenario in which Sanchez is the best option to start 16 games, but we’ve seen crazier situations occur. If not for one of the three mentioned, I’d have to say that the draft would provide the starter. Paxton Lynch, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are all toss-ups, but that could lend to one of them being available at 13th overall.
The hottest debate online is that of Bradford. Will he be back or will they cut ties? It’s so hard to gauge what the best option is, that it almost isn’t even worth trying anymore. It should be one very interesting offseason at the quarterback spot.
@ALi_the_prophet asks:
Eagles’ biggest need in the draft? Any QB worth a first round pick at 13? Next season, should Jordan Matthews be an outside WR?
This is basically the summary of the issues that have fans chirping lately. The Eagles need to strike gold on their first round pick after seeing two consecutive top selections produce bust-worthy rookie seasons. I truly believe that the offensive line must be solidified to create long-term success.
I believe that if QB is viewed as a desperate need, they have to take one at 13. That doesn’t really mean any of those guys are guaranteed to be worth the selection, though. Quarterback goes hand-in-hand with the line, obviously.
Jordan Matthews could definitely play inside or outside next season. He has the versatility, he’s improving and his offseason training has been insane. Anybody follow him on Snapchat?!
My first Twitter mailbag article was a success! I couldn’t use all of the questions I received, but I’ll get more takes next time. Eagles Twitter is the place to be for real fans talking real issues. Most of the writers at Inside the Iggles cover these topics daily, so get your scoop (@InsideIggles).