5 biggest strengths on the Philadelphia Eagles roster
When a city is nicknamed 'Negadelphia' by many of its sports fans, that's sort of an indicator of the vibe. The Philadelphia Eagles are often discussed in the City of Brotherly Love if you haven't noticed, and even when things are going well, the feedback can, at times, drift into negativity.
Philly is a passionate sports town, but there are times when love drifts over into lunacy. Objectivity transitions into obsession. Cheers and jeers for the home team alternate at seemingly every home football game. We are told that happens because the fans 'care more'.
After a disappointing close to the 2023-2024 NFL season, there is, however, optimism. Maybe we'll hear more of the cheers at season's end. Our fingers are crossed. Yours should be too.
Vice president/general manager Howie Roseman has done his part. He has assembled a talented roster on paper. There are established and potential stars at seemingly every position. A few of the position groups should provide constant conversation during camp and some highlight-reel moments once the regular season arrives.
Here are five position groups that could, right now, be seen as the deepest and strongest.
Cornerback
Darius Slay continues to prove he's one of the best players at his position despite turning 33 years old this past January. As you know, that's typically when we send NFL stars to their retirement homes (or, at minimum, to some football version of assisted living).
Slay enters this next season with three consecutive Pro Bowl nods on his resume. That gives him six for his career (2017-2019, 2021-2023) and three in an Eagles jersey.
Isaiah Rodgers is reinstated. Kelee Ringo enters year two. Both have had exciting offseasons. Two rookies, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, have everyone excited. This is a deep position group.
Defensive tackle
Philly landed former UGA stars Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter in consecutive NFL Drafts. Both have shown promise with the potential to be even better.
Fletcher Cox has retired, but as is the case in the secondary with the cornerback room, the interior of Philly's defensive line is a deep and capable bunch. Milton Williams and Marlon Tuipulotu have starting potential while Moro Ojomo is someone who can take a step forward in year two.
Offensive Line
They're led by Jeff Stoutland. That alone is encouraging, but even without Jason Kelce, the starting five is impressive.
Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson. Cam Jurgens, and Lane Johnson... Yeah... We can live with that. Maybe Tyler Steen wins the starting right guard position? Let's say he does. It's a comfort to know guys like Mekhi Becton and Fred Johnson are the depth options.
Philly's O-line will again be a problem in 2024. Saquon Barkley is going to have a huge year.
Edge Rusher
Philly lost Haason Reddick, and regardless of how you feel he is handling himself, that is a huge loss from a production standpoint. Bryce Huff is the new guy, and best believe he is special.
Josh Sweat is in a contract season. He disappeared down the stretch last season, but he's great when he gets on a roll. He also played more snaps last season than he ever has.
Brandon Graham enters his 15th and final season. He still has some juice, but he'll need to work in a rotaional roll.
If Nolan Smith takes a step forward, which we believe he will, this unit could be scary. If someone gets hurt, however, this unit also begins to look extremely thin. Another addition wouldn't hurt.
These guys could look like they need a break by midseason, especially seeing as how the bye is so early, but for now, we'll list the edge rushers as a strength, edging the running back room, safeties, and wide receivers by a smidgeon.
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts came within four points of leading the Eagles to a second Vince Lombardi Trophy. He outplayed Patrick Mahomes on football's biggest stage. He was also the odds on favorite to win the MVP trophy after leading the Eagles to an overtime win over the Buffalo Bills last season.
You aren't going to tell us that guy isn't in there somewhere.
Jalen will be fine. He's too focused to fail. Kenny Pickett is an upgrade at QB2 over Gardner Minshew and Marcus Mariota. There's also a lot to like about Tanner McKee. Philly has an impressive QB room and a good teacher in Doug Nussmeier.
You may have also heard... We also like the offensive coordinator.
Worth mentioning: Coaching
Michael Clay continues to improve as a special teams coordinator. Kellen Moore is the owner of a fantastic offensive mind. Vic Fangio has forgotten more about coaching than some of these guys will ever know.
Nick Sirianni is the wild card on his own staff. There are questions about his relationship with Jalen Hurts, but we have seen his players work hard for him. He has also led his team to three consecutive postseason appearances while qualifying for a Super Bowl in year two.
None of the head coaches hired during the same offseason that he was hired can say that. If memory serves correctly, most are no longer head coaches.