ESPN NFL Expert believes Eagles are one of the most improved teams after Free Agency
With two weeks of moves to show for, an ESPN NFL Expert believes the Philadelphia Eagles are one of the most improved teams.
The NFL New Year is already flying by. After it felt like it took a decade to get here, we are already two weeks into the official offseason. Before the new year kicked off, the Philadelphia Eagles were strapped for cap space. They were second-last in the league, to be exact. So when Eagles’ front office general Howie Roseman stated they were going to be aggressive this offseason, we weren’t exactly sure how he was going to make it happen. But he did, and many are impressed.
To start the new offseason right, Howie Roseman made a splash on the first day. The Eagles filled the void of Timmy Jernigan by signing a veteran defensive tackle, Malik Jackson. Then, they finally got themselves a speedy wideout when they traded a sixth-round pick to Tampa Bay to bring home DeSean Jackson. After that move, the Eagles didn’t really go crazy, as they are just filling in depth now. But two Monday’s ago alone was a very productive day for the Eagles.
Recently, ESPN hosted a roundtable event where NFL Experts discussed the good and the bad of the Free Agency period for teams. Who had the biggest bargain? Who had a bad offseason (the New York Giants were the clear favorite for that, obviously). And most importantly – Who improved the most this offseason? The favorite amongst everybody was the Cleveland Browns, which is well-deserved. But everybody had to name a team who was next to Cleveland in that category. To no surprise, the Eagles ended up getting a nod.
Are the Eagles one of the most improved teams?
"Let’s not forget what the Eagles have done, amid outsized concerns that they would be too tight against the salary cap to do much. They signed defensive tackle Malik Jackson to play alongside Fletcher Cox, as potent an interior pairing as there is in the NFL. And they brought back receiver DeSean Jackson, who is still one of the NFL’s top deep threats and is adept at the routes quarterback Carson Wentz throws best."
According to ESPN NFL Expert Kevin Seifert, the Eagles’ two acquisitions of the Jackson’s is already a substantial upgrade for both, their offense and defense. Fletcher Cox needed a player beside him to take the double-team pressure off of him – check. Then, Carson Wentz needed somebody to throw down the field to, without having to worry about chucking up a 50/50 ball – check. The rest of the moves now become depth until the NFL Draft.
Next. Could C.J. Anderson be a target for the Eagles?. dark
Just Another solid start to the offseason for Howie Roseman. Just remember though, winning on paper is just half the battle. We saw the Eagles win during last year’s offseason as well, and they just barely made the playoffs at 9-7. This year, they need to ensure they remain healthy and consistent. Hopefully, Howie’s moves help the team out significantly come September.