Eagles 10 most pressing needs to fill this offseason
Here’s some good news and bad news. You’ll really appreciate this if you’re a younger Philadelphia Eagles fan. We’ll start with the bad news first.
No matter how hard you try, you’ll never shake the sting that was birthed by that Super Bowl 57 loss. Ask someone a little older about the Fog Bowl, the NFC Championship Game losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, and Arizona Cardinals.
You can also bring up that Super Bowl 39 loss or reference other sports if you need other parallels. Did you ever fully get over Joe Carter’s home-run shot in the World Series or Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer-beater?
The good news is this. Though we’ll never forget those moments as Philly sports fans, we have always recovered. This time will be no different.
The Birds have already begun their quest for a second Vince Lombardi Trophy. We expect a Jalen Hurts extension to be announced soon. The NFL Combine is on the horizon. Then, we’ll begin discussing free agency and the pre-draft process. It’s time to build what we hope will be another phenomenal roster.
Here are the ten most obvious holes the Eagles need to fill this offseason via free agency and the coming NFL Draft.
Tom Pelissero reported on February 22nd that the Dolphins are hiring defensive quality control coach Joe Kasper as their new safeties coach. He joined Philly’s staff during 2021’s offseason after spending the previous three NCAA football seasons as a Duke graduate assistant. With the Birds, he worked with inside and outside linebackers on pass coverage.
This isn’t the most important assistant vacancy that the Birds will be filling this offseason. At the time of this story’s publishing, Philly has three coaching vacancies to fill, and it won’t matter who leadership drafts or signs if they hire the wrong men to fill those vacancies.
Defensive coordinator
Regard
Much of the Inside The Iggles staff has been very vocal about our desire that Dennard Wilson takes over as defensive coordinator. It appears that some of the guys on the roster agree.
https://twitter.com/JAKIBSports/status/1629637942703431680?s=20
To date, they’ve interviewed everyone from Jim Leonhard and Chris Shula to Jessie Minter, Sean Desai, and Vance Joseph. So far, at this story’s release, no one has been hired. We’ll see if that changes ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine.
Offensive coordinator
Regardless of what people tell you, offensive coordinators do so much more than call plays on game day. Yep, you wouldn’t believe the things that fans say sometimes.
Sorry… We’re getting off track here. Seemingly, the wisest move would be to promote quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, but whoever takes over will have the benefit of inheriting some phenomenal talent on that side of the ball.
Linebackers coach
It feels like Kyzir White is out of here and it isn’t a guarantee that T.J. Edwards won’t be a cap casualty. It will be the responsibility of Philadelphia’s next LB coach to ensure that this unit continues to be a strength and Nakobe Dean turns out to be what we hope he is.
Here are the Eagles’ biggest roster needs (in no particular order).
Philly has some key cornerstone pieces, but they’ll also say goodbye to some familiar faces and contributors to what was a great season last time around.
Backup quarterback
The Birds have found their franchise signal-caller in Jalen Hurts, but it would be wise to reopen the ‘quarterback factory’. Gardner Minshew is at the end of his current deal, and Philly has an intriguing decision to make about the backup position.
Do they re-sign ‘The Mustache’ or shop for their QB2 elsewhere?
Tailback
Kenneth Gainwell proved to most of Eagles Nation what we’ve been telling you all along. He’s a heck of a player and capable of being a key piece in the rotation. The only problem is neither of the top two running backs from last year’s depth chart is signed for the 2023 NFL season.
Will Philly use some draft capital to find a running back or add one via the free-agent market? Seemingly, the former option is the better option, right?
Right guard
It will be interesting to see if Isaac Seumalo stays or goes. As of now, however, it seems the Birds may want to rely on some of their young guys and use some of the coins they would have used to retain Isaac to fill some other needs.
We could be wrong though. Obviously, we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
Punter
There’s no nice way to say this. The Birds seem to like Arryn Siposs. We aren’t as impressed.
Sure, they know more than we do, but we’re over the Australian AND Brett Kern. Please Howie Roseman… Find us someone else!
Safety
It sounds like the Eagles plan to hang on to Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Per report, they are expected to franchise him if an extension can’t be agreed upon.
Philly’s other starting safety from last season was Marcus Epps. His current deal is at its end. Past those two, the Birds currently have Reed Blankenship, Andre Chachere, and K’Von Wallace on their roster.
We like Reed. K’Von showed improvement last season, but you won’t hear a peep out of us if Philly invests in an upgrade.
Outside corner
We’ve all determined that James Bradberry is probably out of here right? If he is, we’re back to rehashing a conversation we have every year. Who’s the other outside corner going to be?
Darius Saly and starting outside corner Avonte Maddox return next season. Philly also has Tristin McCollum signed to a future deal and Mario Goodrich, Josh Jobe, Zech McPhearson, and Josiah Scott on the roster.
The Birds have only taken three defensive backs in the first round … like ever… The last time they did so was 2002 (Lito Sheppard). It may be time to finally do so.
Edge rusher
This is one of those things that falls in the category of being obvious. Brandon Graham and Robert Quinn are both impending free agents, even though we really like Josh Sweat, Derek Barnett has done nothing to make us feel like he’ll suddenly turn the corner.
If Philly went the route of adding the best available EDGE star and cornerback in Round 1, you won’t hear any complaints from us, but don’t be shocked if Howie drafts Lane Johnson’s eventual replacement or something. You guys already know how he rolls.
