PFF offers an interesting take on the state of the Philadelphia Eagles

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Brandon Graham
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Brandon Graham /
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Pro Football Focus, one of the most trusted sites on the web’s been dropping a little knowledge about each NFL team, and if you’re a fan, you’ll want to know what they had to say about the Philadelphia Eagles.

There’s nothing in the world like Pro Football Focus. For the stat junkie in all of us, it satisfies that desire for numbers. For the NFL fan, it gives us an in-depth look at how our favorite players are performing. Their site gives us a unique look at stats that don’t always show up in the box score. For the Philadelphia Eagles fan, PFF represents the typical ‘love and hate’ relationship.

Quite a few Eagles fans got upset last off-season because, believe it or not, PFF actually told them that their team should be good. Well, no one will complain about that proclamation now. Here we are a year later. The 2018 NFL Draft is approaching. This time it’s in Dallas, PFF is releasing their ‘State of the Franchise’ for all 32 franchises. If you’re a fan of ‘The Birds’, one is very interesting.

Take a look:

Video courtesy of Pro Football Focus’ YouTube page

Let’s analyze.

We at ITI actually give the nod for most of this. Sure, the Eagles lost a ton in free agency. We also still see them as one of the favorites in what’s now a wildly competitive NFC. It was going to be impossible to hold on to so many great players, and looking back, there’s a possibility that we didn’t realize just how deep this team was.

Depth will need to be replenished, but if cornerback Sidney Jones is what we think he is (and we believe he is), he could mask some of the issues with losing Patrick Robinson. As much as we love wide receiver Torrey Smith, thanks mostly to the work he put in during the playoff run, Mike Wallace is an upgrade. As Sam Monson stated, Smith dropped seven of 43 catchable passes while Wallace dropped only three of 55 catchable passes.

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ITI agrees with PFF and gives Philly a passing grade.

Let’s not forget there was a ton of talent on this Eagles team that didn’t always get the opportunity to showcase it. Think of those guys who spent a lot of time on the practice squad that the Eagles are expecting a lot from. Those guys include linebacker Nathan Gerry, running back Donnel Pumphrey and wide receiver Shelton Gibson. Then, there are guys no one’s mentioning, not because they weren’t talented but because Philly was loaded at so many areas.

Wait until defensive end Steven Means, who showed he belonged in the NFL, gets his shot. The same can be said for tight end Billy Brown. The latter will be looking to make a name for himself, especially since we, so often, discuss the Eagles tight ends and do so without giving him a mention.

Next: How secure is Philadelphia’s future at safety?

To make long stories short, the Eagles will be good again and looking to add another Lombardi Trophy to the shelf at the end of 2018-19 season.