Eight Philadelphia Eagles land on ESPN’s all-decade NFC East Team.
Whether they make you smile or they make you feel like throwing something at your television, there’s one thing you can’t take away from the Philadelphia Eagles. They may miss the mark in their evaluation sometimes, but they do everything that they can to field the best team possible.
Sure, they miss the mark sometimes, but let’s be honest, being a “Birds” fan hasn’t been all that bad. Think about it. You could have grown up cheering for the Cleveland Browns or the Detroit Lions.
Ask them in they’d take a few more division titles, all of those wins in the playoffs the Eagles have racked up over the last two decades or the Vince Lombardi Trophy that sits in the NovaCare Complex. Again, life hasn’t been bad as a “Birds” fan. We’ve seen some nice teams. We’ve seen some talented players, especially over the last decade. Recently ESPN’s NFL Nation named the members of their all-decade team. That’s the best player at every position. Eight “Birds” made the cut. Who are they? We’re glad that you asked.
Here are the names of all eight Philadelphia Eagles who made the cut and thoughts on each one.
Jason Peters, left tackle, future Pro Football Hall of Fame (2009-2019): Here’s one of this list’s no-brainers. “The Bodyguard” made six Pro Bowls between 2010 and 2016 and nine total. He’s a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Brandon Brooks, right guard, (2016-present): There aren’t too many men who are walking that can say they’re on Brandon Brooks’ level. He joined the “Birds” as a part of Pederson’s regime in 2016. He’s made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons.
LeSean McCoy, Philly’s all-time leading rusher (2009-2014): The Eagles all-time leading rusher cracks the list as one of this team’s running backs. After entering the league in 2009, he racked up 6,792 rushing yards in an Eagles jersey including 6,155 between 2010 and 2014. He made three more Pro Bowls as a member of the Buffalo Bills between 2015 and 2017.
Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle, (2012-2019): Fletcher Cox isn’t just one of the best Eagles of the past decade. He’s one of the greatest players in team history. He’s been working on a Hall-of-Fame resume for the past eight seasons.
Malcolm Jenkins, safety, (2014-2019): Malcolm Jenkins is one of the greatest leaders and players that this Eagles team has ever seen. He made the Pro Bowl three times in his six seasons with the “Birds”, and whether you agree with the sentiment or not, you can make the argument that he belongs in Canton, Ohio when his playing days are over.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Eagles (well, technically he was on the team), (2011-2012): Okay, calm down guys. Regardless of what you think of him, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie might have been a member of those mercenaries Philly enlisted in 2011, but yes, he was still an Eagle for two seasons. He makes the squad but probably due to the work he put in with the New York Giants and Washington Redskins.
Darren Sproles, (specialist), (2014-2019): Philly’s version of the Swiss Army Knife is a no-brainer for this team as a specialist. You can make the argument that he’s an all-time top-five all-purpose player in the NFL.
The Coach: Dougie P, (2016 to present): Doug Pederson has won when he’s had nothing. He’s won when his team has been ravaged by injury. Only Pederson and Tom Coughlin can lay claim to being worthy of coaching this squad, and the experts give the honor to Philly’s head man. That’s a wise choice.