The Eagles offseason is in a worrying place with a vital off-season ahead

[Road to Victory]

https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2020/12/28/the-eagles-offense-is-in-a-worrying-place-with-a-vital-offseason-ahead/2/
 

The Eagles offseason is in a worrying place with a vital off-season ahead

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Bryan Cameron

The Eagles have officially been eliminated from the playoff race and could be entering the draft with a top 5 pick depending on how next week turns out. No one expected the season to end this way. Doug Pederson’s offense has been regressing since 2018 no matter the QB under center. The Eagles never successfully invested in weapons for their QB outside of a running back but don’t even know how to use him. The lack of self-awareness has led all of Philadelphia to this very moment.

A moment that should be fully taken advantage of. A moment of clarity per se. The key to self-awareness is that you have to be mentally prepared to understand and accept your flaws. The Eagles haven’t done that in many years with their poor drafting being a prime example. The second key is that you have to formulate a plan to help yourself get out of "quicksand”. Which the Eagles have not. Instead, they embraced the chaos and allowed themselves to believe they weren’t drowning. This is the current state of the Eagles. Let’s name this chapter "Buried beneath the New Norm”.

A regressing Head Coach

Doug won’t come out and say it, he’s too prideful to call it what it is. The former Chiefs offensive coordinator has never found the route to being an excellent coach. Lurie and Roseman tried to help the offense out by hiring Marty Mornhinweg, Rich Scangarello, and several others. This only added weight to the body that was already sinking. Pederson had to deal with the embarrassment of standing up for Groh and Walsh just to have them fired the next day.

The Eagles head coach tried to show his authority but instead was shown that he has no say in what goes on around him. This led to this season. 

The Eagles had a sure thing in Carson Wentz but even that fell apart. The offensive line was so inconsistent health-wise and play-wise this season that Carson Wentz was on pace to being placed on a stretcher by week 16.

The QB’s regression was also the product of a poor gameplan week in and week out. Pederson showed a lack of creativity all season long until Jalen Hurts did what the front office told Carson not to do: make plays with your legs. 

People around Wentz have treated him as a fragile QB due to their fear that he won’t make it out alive. So instead they tried to transform him into a pocket QB that can never be settled in the pocket due to the inconsistent offensive line.

Pederson never gave Wentz a chance when it came to play-calling. Now whether Wentz was checking out of Doug’s plays or not, we’ll never know, but the disconnect between the two is very obvious and has to be addressed one way or another this offseason.

In the second round of this year’s draft, the Eagles did something that no one was expecting. Instead of addressing a team need, they went full throttle with initiating chaos by drafting QB Jalen Hurts. They followed the pick with the declaration ofwanting to be a QB factory. The team with the declining offense dared to make themselves look like an elite organization when they were never heading in that direction.

Eagles QB Carson Wentz had to deal with the Hurts drama all season until he was unseated by the rookie QB. Hurts came in and created such a unique spark that it had fans and media members alike clamoring for the rookie to be the franchise QB. Hurts was proving them right until last night when he hit the inevitable rookie wall. Jalen had three turnovers in a pivotal game that could’ve put them in position to make the playoffs but the Oklahoma product ended up revealing the truth about the Eagles offense: Carson Wentz wasn’t the issue.

Now, the Eagles will head into the 2021 season with a huge decision to make. Who is their franchise QB? Which one will they move to? A decision that will surely come with consequences in the future.

Lack of talent

If the Eagles have a top 5 pick in the draft or even a top 10 selection, then they’re finally in a position to acquire some talent on offense. The Eagles need a big-time receiver for whichever QB they decide on keeping. 

Chase and Smith should be on top of their list of priorities when it comes to selecting early on. The Eagles passed on Justin Jefferson for Jalen Reagor to only use Reagor the way that the Vikings are using Jefferson. A bit confusing isn’t it? Justin Jefferson was passed by the Eagles because they felt like Reagor would be the better fit but instead, they misused Reagor and played him against what he does well.

It’s a recurring theme for this staff. Fulgham was benched because Pederson said Alshon was playing better. Even after Fulgham exploded on the scene, the Eagles coaching staff stuck with their agenda of making Alshon look better than what we all have known him to be. News flash: The Eagles don’t know what they’re doing.

Hightower has been inactive for weeks due to reasons that have not been disclosed. Watkins finally got some playing time in week 15 but then disappeared shortly after. Fulgham has been getting garbage time snaps and even though he’s been productive, the coaching staff have still favored Alshon and Ward. The wide receiver rotation in general has been terrible.

The Eagles have big questions to answer

Then, there’s the offensive line. Ravaged by injuries, the unit has now seen 14 different iterations in a single season, with Jason Kelce being the only remaining starter. That should change next year with Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson returning, but what about the Left Tackle battle between Jordan Mailata and Andre Dillard? What about Jason Kelce’s heir to the throne? Do the Eagles have a reliable backup guard?

This isn’t even taking into account the Zach Ertz contract debacle alongside Dallas Goedert’s final contracted year approaching, or the fact that the team are $65M over the salary cap. Fun.

A long offseason ahead for the Eagles

Usually, by the end of the season, there’s more good to take away than it is bad but the Eagles have been on a downward spiral since the 2018 offseason. It’s been a poorly managed roster from top to bottom. The continued interference of GM Howie Roseman and Owner Jeffery Lurie has led Philly to this post. The disconnect between Wentz and Pederson was doomed since the 2018 injury. There’s too much bleeding coming from this organization and the powers to be aren’t the ones that can stop it. There needs to be a better evaluation process this offseason, better self-awareness.

 

[time2rock]

Quote

There needs to be a better evaluation process this offseason, better self-awareness.

Indeed ... but you can bet there won't be.  Lurie will just brush off everything pointed out in this piece that is spot on with regard to the issues that have led to this team being on a downward trajectory for the past 3 years as the result of the pandemic and injuries.  I believe it will take another season (or possibly even two) of Lurie getting pissed over watching the same dreck he saw this year before he gets the stones to make the changes needed to get back on the right track.

[wyote]

Everything is always in a worrying place. There are no guarantees. This guy's just weak. He needs to grow a pair and deal with the fact that life is hard. 

[birdman#12]

Pederson is a lousy talent development coach.......he simply doesn't develop young talent that the eagles bring in......It's not the player selections, it the really poor talent development of Pederson and his staff.  So until that changes, don't expect much from future draft picks.

[EaglesAddict]

1 hour ago, birdman#12 said:

Pederson is a lousy talent development coach.......he simply doesn't develop young talent that the eagles bring in......It's not the player selections, it the really poor talent development of Pederson and his staff.  So until that changes, don't expect much from future draft picks.

Not saying I agree or disagree, but what makes you say this?

[Road to Victory]

5 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

Pederson is a lousy talent development coach.......he simply doesn't develop young talent that the eagles bring in......It's not the player selections, it the really poor talent development of Pederson and his staff.  So until that changes, don't expect much from future draft picks.

Not sure I completely agree with that. I’m not sure if you’re referring to guys that have left the team and had some success or current players on the team. We’ve had some good development.  
 

Miles Sanders

Boston Scott

Greg Ward

Travis Fulgham

Dallas Goedert

Jordan Mailata

Alex Singleton

Marcus Epps

With the exception of Sanders and Goedert all those guys were either low round picks or taken off the scrap heap. Sure, none of them are on a Pro-Bowl level but they are either solid starters or good role players. 

[Talonblood]

As we all hope things will change, they never can if you have the same people in place, which the Eagles do.  As an example (I am having fun here, but kind of serious, too) Howie signed a college QB in order to turn him into a.... tight end. Sound familiar? The Eagles always seem to get a player, and then transform him from what he is into a Frankenstein project. I would really pound Howie for this, except a few of these things actually worked recently on the O line and at WR. But I just laugh as I picture Howie laughing madly in his football laboratory, and he creates football Frankensteins in his football factory. This football factory is just north of the QB factory, by the way.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

What's worrying me is that so far the moves they've made is pretty much just to undo the coaching moves they did last year. 

They perhaps think that Scangarello and Marty were the reasons this offense took a step back? Which completely ignores that this offense has been regressing since the SB. 

So far they've brought back Doug, Howie and I think it's very likely they bring back Carson. Oh and no signs yet that Press is going to be given his marching orders which he without doubt should be. 

I don't have a lot of hope for this off season. I think next year will be much of the same. The rebuild can't truly rebuild until major changes are made.

[PoconoDon]

It's bad due to a variety of reasons but chief among them is this guy:

Until he goes,  nothing changes for the better in any significant way. 

[birdman#12]

The eagles hired John Dorsey, who has a good reputation as a talent evaluator but was criticized for handling the salary cap.  

For all those who criticize Roseman for his talent evaluation, Dorsey's input could help with the drafting.

Roseman knows his sh-- about the cap and will get the eagles in a much better position.  He's already started.

When it comes to talent development, the eagles need an upgrade in coaching.  They have very good OL & DL coaches, the WR coach, Morehead,  has been better than previous ones.  The DB coach, Manuel, needs another chance or two after dealing with so many injuries.  The upgrade has to come to the OC......and it's time the eagles gave Duce Staley a shot at it....as long as Dougie give up the playcalling.  Duce has played under offensive coaches like Gruden, Payton, Whisenhunt, Childress and Shurmer........he's played under multiple systems for good coaches.

Time to give Duce a shot.....

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

2 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

Roseman knows his sh-- about the cap and will get the eagles in a much better position.  He's already started.

He also put them in this position by kicking the can...

[Rob331]

Problem #1 - the $65M cap problem. 

Problem #2 - this coaching staff's (except for Stoutland) seeming inability to develop young players. 

[birdman#12]

17 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

He also put them in this position by kicking the can...

Despite your ignorance, he's considered one of the best in the NFL at managing the salary cap......

You think managing the cap means only having a lot of money at free agent time......and that's simply ignorant.  The eagles cap situation is not nearly as bad as the media and ignorant fans make it out to be.....Yeah, they have work to do but it's hardly a lost cause.  

Sometimes contracts don't work out as expected.  Some guys underperform and NOBODY can predict that.  

You guys like to point to Alshon Jeffrey......but what about Wentz?  People doubted that Jeffrey was worth that contract, but nobody complained when they signed Wentz to his deal.

They were right about jeffrey but brutally wrong about Wentz.  How can you predict if a guy will play like sh-- out of nowhere?  Some of the free agent contracts are dictated by market demand and again, it's hard to predict if a guy will outperform his deal or underperform it.

You can whine and moan all you want, but it not a simply game of add and subtract.  You look at the recent history of NFL contracts and there are loads of contracts to players who seriously underperformed their contracts......and teams left with sorting it out after dumping them.....it happens to any and all NFL GMs.  

Geez, try to get some perspective or understanding of this sh-- before whining about it.  Hindsight is 20/20.....but the unpredictability of player performance when it comes to drafting, contracts, development and free agency is what makes salary cap management so difficult.  

[weko]

On 1/8/2021 at 3:23 AM, PoconoDon said:

It's bad due to a variety of reasons but chief among them is this guy:

Until he goes,  nothing changes for the better in any significant way. 

This is the bottom line.  The only way to build a roster is thru the draft.  Howie is horrible at evaluating college talent.  in addition after 20 years he doesn't understand basic drafting  principles.  Almost every pick of the past 4 drafts was flawed either in missing on the player or making a pick with a flawed premise.  Howie is a disaster.  With our older talented players retiring soon we can look forward to 4-12, 5-11 as the new Lurie Gold Standard until he is escorted out of the building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

4 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

Despite your ignorance, he's considered one of the best in the NFL at managing the salary cap......

You think managing the cap means only having a lot of money at free agent time......and that's simply ignorant.  The eagles cap situation is not nearly as bad as the media and ignorant fans make it out to be.....Yeah, they have work to do but it's hardly a lost cause.  

Actually... Bad teams tend to have a lot of cap space, good teams manage theirs well. There are no awards for having the most cap space every year. 

Here's the thing... This roster sucks and it's way over the cap as things stand. And that's quite literally the worst situation a team can be in!