Philadelphia Eagles: 2 Thoughts on potential roster changes for 2022
By Ryan Loftus
Can the Philadelphia Eagles manage to replace the old with the new?
The Philadelphia Eagles have been known for one thing for the past few years: injury problems. That won’t be helped by the aging veterans on the roster, especially on the offensive and defensive line.
The Eagles had 14 different offensive line combinations in 2020, and it did not bode well for the safety of Carson Wentz, or Nate Sudfeld. Collectively, they were sacked a combination of 65 times over the course of the 2020-2021 season.
In addition to this, longtime Eagle Fletcher Cox has shown signs of regression with a combined ten sacks over the course of the last two seasons. Derek Barnett has not lived up to expectations, and Brandon Graham, while coming off a Pro Bowl year, isn’t getting any younger. Both Graham and Barnett, along with other veterans such as Kerrigan, Kelce, and Ertz (again, if he sticks around), are all free agents after the 2022 season.
The Eagles’ front office has started to prepare for these veterans to either retire or use their talents elsewhere. This offseason, a choice will most likely be made between Ertz and Goedert, and with Ertz trade talks still looming, the younger and more physical Goedert seems to be the future for the Eagles.
Rookie Landon Dickerson is expected to be the heir to Kelce at the center position once the legend calls it a career, and rookie Milton Williams was described by Bleacher Report as “an unbelievable athlete on par with Aaron Donald.” Young players like Josh Sweat and Jordan Mailata try to make their way into the starting lineup amidst the veteran presences.
The real mystery lies in if the Eagles will have the courage to move on from their veterans. After Brandon Graham decided to test free agency when his contract was up after the 2018 season, the Eagles offered him a massive three-year deal to keep him on board. Graham ended up having a strong performance for the team, but the same can’t be said about players like Jason Peters.
The Bodyguard was continually re-signed to the team despite regressing due to age and injury every season. If the Eagles can manage to part ways with even a few aging players, they will be one step closer to making the team younger and healthier.