Some of you younger Philadelphia Eagles fans won't remember this. You guys are spoiled. This team wasn't always owned by Jeffrey Lurie or run by Howie Roseman. As much as we old heads love this team, there were tougher times to endure.
Our Birds weren't always a two-time Super Bowl-winning organization. There were some rough spots. A fog fell on Soldier Field. Bryce Paup shredded Randall Cunningham's knee by way of a low shot that would probably be illegal today.
So, forgive us if we reference the past 12 months more often than we should or mention a backwards hurdle when we should move on to other things. There were days when we wondered if the first Lombardi Trophy would come, but guess what?
Now, our Birds have two.
Updates Eagles depth chart
And, so it begins, the process of building another winner we hope can repeat as champions and defend Philly's crown. The first wave of free agency is gone. The Eagles have lost familiar faces but simultaneously added new guys we'll get to know.
The roster is still impressive. Most of the important cogs still remain. Here's a look at the updated depth chart. Feel free to drop us a line with any of your theories.
Quarterbacks
Starter: Jalen Hurts
Reserves: Tanner McKee, Dorian Thompson-Robinson
There are no surprises here. Philly and the Cleveland Browns swapped players and picks. Kenny Pickett is out. DTR is in. He isn't the Browns star some wanted Philly to add, but he's an interesting prospect (even if we don't expect him to play).
Running Backs
Starter: Saquon Barkley
Backups: Will, Shipley, A.J. Dillon,
Reserves: Avery Williams, Tyrion Davis-Price, Lew Nichols
Saquon Barkley needs some help. We don't want Philly to run him into the ground. Kenneth Gainwell joins Darius Slay in Pittsburgh, but the Birds recoup some of the loss by adding A.J. Dillon, another sledgehammer.
Fullback
Ben VanSumeren
The Eagles re-sign a valuable and versatile chess piece. VanSumeren plays fullback, linebacker and is valuable on special teams.
Wide Receivers
Starters: A.J. Brown (X), DeVonta Smith (Y), Jahan Dotson (Z)
Backups: Johnny Wilson, Ainias Smith,
Reserves: Elijah Cooks, Danny Gray
The top of the depth chart is elite. The bottom half leaves much to be desired. Philly's inability to find quality backups for A.J. and DeVonta isn't because of a lack of effort, but this unit needs something.
We aren't excited about Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith yet, but they're no longer rookies. Hopefully they take a step forward.
Tight Ends
Starter: Dallas Goedert (for now)
Backup: Grant Calcaterra
Reserves: Harrison Bryant, Kylen Granson, Nick Muse, E.J. Jenkins, Cameron Latu
At the time of this story's release, Dallas Goedert is still on the Eagles' roster. Still, if a trade partner can't be found, it's expected that he'll be released.
Left Tackle
Starter: Jordan Mailata
Backup: Laekin Vakalahi?
Philly let a wave of free agency pass without re-signing Fred Johnson, Le'Raven Clark, or Jack Driscoll. Should we assume that means Laekin Vakalahi is Jordan's backup at LT now?
Expect Philly to add another player here at some point, a backup swing tackle perhaps.
Left Guard
Starter: Landon Dickerson
Backup: Kenyon Green
Landon Dickerson is going to land on a ton of Pro Bowl rosters moving forward. Kenyon Green provides the insurance.
Center
Starter: Cam Jurgens
Backup: Brett Toth
Brett Toth may not be the next man up if anything happens to Cam Jurgens, but technically, he's the backup center on Philly's offensive roster.
Right Guard
Starter: Tyler Steen
Backup: Trevor Keegan
Keep an eye on Trevor Keegan. Philly needs depth, but he's a mauler we think the world of.
Right Tackle
Starter: Lane Johnson
Backup: Darrian Kinnard
Lane Johnson said he'd play one more year regardless of Super Bowl 59's result. It would still be wise for Philadelphia to begin exploring a succession plan.
Defensive End
Starter: Moro Ojomo
Reserves: Byron Young & K.J. Henry
Philly uses multiple defensive fronts in its deployment. Our depth chart is crafted with the 3-4 alignment (three down linemen and four linebackers) being the base set.
Moro Ojomo can play inside and out and should provide a relatively smooth transition after Milton Williams moves on.
Nose Tackle
Starter: Jordan Davis
Backup: Thomas Booker IV
Jordan Davis and Thomas Booker are bid-bodied stop-gaps here to clog the middle for opposing offenses.
Defensive Tackle
Starter: Jalen Carter
Backup: Gabe Hall
Jalen Carter is the best in the business. Milton Williams is listed on the roster as a DT, but we imagine there will be attempts to get him and Carter on the field simultaneously.
Weakside Linebacker (WILL)
Starter: Nolan Smith Jr.
Backup: Azeez Ojulari
Nolan Smith is super athletic. We're more excited by him daily. Azeez Ojulari joins the nest on March 17. He could play on the strongside of the defensive line, but we'll chart him here for now.
Middle (Inside) Linebackers (MIKE)
Starters: Zack Baun & Nakobe Dean
Backups: Jeremiah Trotter Jr, & Dallas Gant
Reserve: Ben VanSumeren
Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean would both start in the middle under normal circumstances. Dean is injured however and should miss the beginning of next season.
Strongside Linebacker
Starter: Jalyx Hunt
Backups: Josh Uche and Bryce Huff
Reserves: Patrick Johnson and Ochaun Mathis
Bryce Huff is on the trade block with Dallas Goedert. He continues to tumble down Philly's depth chart.
Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari are the new guys. They're both listed as the backups but trust us. They can rise once they earn their reps at practice and in-game opportunities.
Jalyx Hunt earned more playing time as his rookie season went on and seemingly moved ahead of Huff. If a game was to be played tomorrow (which isn't the case), We'd start Smith and Hunt with Uche and Ojulari as the backups.
Outside Cornerbacks
Starter: Quinyon Mitchell and Kelee Ringo
Backups: Adoree' Jackson and Eli Ricks
Reserve: Tariq Castro-Fields
It's Kelee Ringo's time to shine. Is he ready? We certainly hope so, but can he beat out veteran Adoree' Jackson?
Then again, maybe we should ask the other question. Can Adoree' Jackson beat out Kelee Ringo?
Nickelbacks
Starter: Cooper DeJean
Backup: Parry Nickerson
Strong Safety
Starter: Sydney Brown
Reserves: Lewis Cine, Andre' Sam
If you see Tristin McCollum as a strong safety because he's a better cover guy, we won't blame you. Still, with C.J. Gardner-Johnson in Houston now, it makes sense to believe Reed and Sydney are the starters.
Free Safety
Starter: Reed Blankenship
Backup: Tristin McCollum
What a story Reed has been. Once an undrafted rookie free agent, he's firmly entrenched as one of the imprtant cogs on the defense.
Special Teams
Placekicker - Jake Elliott
Punter - Braden Mann
Holder - Braden Mann
Long Snapper: Charley Hughlett
Punt Returners - Cooper DeJean, Avery Williams
Kick Returner - Will Shipley, Avery Williams
It sounds weird to say this, but Jake Elliott was a question mark all season. Will Philly add a kicker to create competition? Regression comes quickly sometimes in the NFL, even for an athlete as gifted as Jake is.
Charley Hughlett is here to replace Rick Lovato. The Eagles also added Avery Williams. He hasn't taken a single snap for this team, so we've labeled Coop and Will as the punt and kick returners, but the thought is that will change as we move through the offseason.