The Eagles decided to run it back with an average roster.
You’ve, no doubt, noticed this already, but following the Super Bowl win to close the 2017-2018 season, three of the Eagles’ past four regular-season campaigns have ended with nine wins. The other, the 2020 season, was a 4-11-1 debacle.
Part of the reason for that being the case is that prior to last season when Josh Sweat, Jake Elliott, and Javon Hargrave made the NFL’s all-star team, Philly hadn’t had a Pro Bowler who was under the age of 30 in a long, long time. As a matter of fact, it hadn’t happened since 2017. That’s a sign of bad personnel management and bad drafting.
In addition to their decision to reacquire Ward, Scott, and Herbig, Philly kicked the tires on Anthony Harris and Derek Barnett. They also released Fletcher Cox so they could reacquire him two days later at a lower price tag. Again, they could have done better.
We’ve seen what having those guys on the roster gets you, nine wins and an early playoff exit. It would have been nice to see what else was out there and if some new blood could have infused some energy into the locker room and franchise.
We’ll never know now, so here’s what we’ve come to expect… another average season, somewhere around nine wins, and an early playoff from the postseason. Typically, teams ‘run it back’ with a contender. The Birds have decided to return to the battlefield with the same average unit they fielded for the 2021-2022 season.