Eagles Offseaon

Ok, so if you are like me then you're pretty anxious about the offseason moves that the eagles are going to be making, and honestly march 8th can't come soon enough. so here is my take on what had happened and what I think should happen.

First off the coaching changes (or lack there of). Personally I'm happy we kept Andy. I know a lot of fans were calling for his head but he is a great coach and the day he leaves philly will be without a doubt a sad one. I know he hasn't one the big game for us but at this point changing horses would hurt more then it would help. When Reid does leave philly whether by choice or being ousted it will signal a time for the eagles to completely rebuild and as a fan that wants the Lombardi brought home that's not really what i'm looking for right now. As for Juan, I think he's a good coach that just got a raw deal. With no offseason, new job, new D line scheme, and an handful of new players none of which really addressed the Ds weaknesses I wasn't surprised that his defense struggled to gel. I do think there was misuse with not using players to maximize their talents but as the season went on I could see the players buying into Juan's plan and the D did improve. Another year with these new players and a full offseason to work with them will do wonders for this team. That being said if the D struggles I wont be surprised to see Juan be replaced by newly acquired CBs coach Todd Bowles.

I do think the eagles are off to a good start with the offseaon, and a big kudos to Cullen Jenkins for making a statement that not only does he want to be here, he wants to help the team be able to make the offseason adjustments needed to become a better team. I already like Jenkins a lot, not only is he a monster of a DT but I believe he is going to become the vocal leader of this defense, which is something this team lost when Dawkins wasn't brought back.

The next questions is what the eagles do with their own free agents and the biggest name that everyone is worried about is Mr. Desean Jackson. The rumor out there is that he will in fact get the franchise tag which I think is a very smart move because it buys the eagles some time. Now I would love for DJ to be in midnight green again next season IF a mutually beneficial deal can be worked out, but for that to happen both sides will have to swallow a bit of their egos. He wants #1 WR money and the eagles have concerns about consistency and him being injury prone. He isn't a reliable #1 like Larry Fitzgerald is and it is wildly accepted that he is one big hit away from being taken out of a game. That being said there is no other player in the league like DJax and that's what makes it hard to put a price on his worth. He is a player who stretches the defense and has the ability to turn any play into a huge play. Had he not been out for the Arizona game who know what would have happened. I think the eagle need to work out a deal but if one can't be done by draft time I would look for the eagles to trade him so that they can at least get something in return for him.

The next guy I feel the eagles NEED to keep is Evan Mathis. This guy absolutely needs to be brought back and should be the eagles #1 priority to resign. Keeping our O-line together and working with Mudd for a whole offseason should make them even better then they were last year. Now I know there are a bunch of other free agents that the eagles have but i feel that the eagles need to keep Antonio Dixion and Derek Landri. They bring depth to the D line and they have shone they can make plays. Everyone else I expect to find jobs elsewhere.

Lastly there is the question of what to do with Asante Samuel? I would hate to see him go because he is a hell of a player and while he does lack tackling skills he is a ball hawk who, when used correctly, makes huge plays. However, he does seem to be the odd man out and with a huge salary the eagle might trade him just to free up some cap space. If Asante is traded I want to see us get something for him. I know it's rumored that we might only be able to get a third or a fourth for him which is OK at best, but if we use the money we save on Asante to bring in some FA talent to improve the LBs then he might not be missed as much esp with DRC being able to step up in the starting role. The key here is that IF we move him we utilize situation to improve an area of weakness with both what we get for him AND with the cap space that opens up.

So let's address some offseason needs. First off I think the #1 priority should be the LBs they have underplayed in recent years and there obviously needs to be a huge upgrade. I hope the eagles address this in free agency AND the draft. Bringing in a guy like D'Qwell Jackson, Stephen Tulloch, or Curtis Lofton would not only immediately upgrade the LB corps but also provide a veteran to help teach the younger guys we've brought in over the past few season. Additionally, I think the eagles need to pursue a high profile LB in this years draft rather then waiting till the later rounds and hope players can step up.

Next is the D line we need to find a way to stop the run. Upgrading the LBs will help improve that but bringing in one or two guys via free agency or the draft (which will be more realistic) needs to be done. Mario Williams will be highly sought after and it will be a surprise if the texans let him walk. However, he has said that money isn't his motivation as he has already had a huge contract and made plenty he wants to win and for the right price the eagles should take a look into him. There's been buzz about Haynesworth being brought in because of the Washburn connection and while it would be nice to have a Haynesworth circa 2008 playing for the eagles I just don't see it happening he's quit on too many teams I think he's made his money and because of that has lost his desire to play at a high level. That being said there are a lot of talented guys out there that could be brought in as role players so look for at least one to be brought in esp with all the question marks surrounding Brandon Graham.

Safety is the last position on the defensive side and I think this is an easy fix, we have some nice young talent already so bringing in a solid veteran to push these younger guys and make them better seems to be the way to go. There are big names out there that will command money like Tyvon Branch, LaRon Landry, and Michael Griffen, but i'm not getting my hope up on landing on of those guys. We need a solid tackler who can either start or rotate in, I dont think drafting another guy late is the answer here.

On the offensive side of the ball we don't have any glaring holes but there is room for improvement. I will always welcome and upgrade to the O-line bringing in a solid offensive linemen is never a bad idea and will only make us better. Guys like Carl Nicks and Ben Grubbs should be available and if they are willing to play for a ring and not a huge paycheck I would welcome them with open arms.

The fullback position needs to be addressed however typically the eagles don't put much stock into the position. But remember how good Weaver was with the eagles, a lot can be said for having a solid FB in the back field. I'm not getting any huge hopes up for a huge move made here thought they will most likely look to the draft or an undrafted free agent.

The biggest question mark is the WR spot and that has a lot to do with what they will do with DJax. There is a lot of talent available in free agency and it would be a reach for the eagles to get a guy like Justin Blackmon in the draft. Best bet is to keep DJ as he is a huge offensive weapon. There have been numerous rumors about bringing in both Plaxico Burress and Randy Moss and if I had to choose one I'd take Plax hands down. He is a big target who can jump up and get the ball which would be huge for the eagles not only in the red zone but for every down. Giving Vick a big target like him make a ton of sense AND he has supposedly said he WANTS to be an eagle which means we can most likely get him for a bargain. He had 612 yards and 8 tds last year which isn't earth shattering by any means but him along with DJax, Maclin, and Avant would be a QB's wet dream. As for Moss he is a year away from the game which is actually a good thing for him because it means he's healthy and the buzz is that he still has the speed, size and hands to make plays. The downside is that he's had a recent history of quitting on teams and being a locker room distraction which WE DO NOT NEED.

Lastly, the back up QB and HB spots. I'm not sure Kafka is a sure #2 although he did show some bright spots when he did play. The eagles brought in Trent Edward and worked him out so we should keep an eye on that. I'd like to see them draft another QB esp after seeing the success a lot of teams had playing rookie QBs last year, and Mike Vick isn't getting any younger I know he's our QB and he's going to lead the team for the foreseeable future but if he has another year like last year how long will it be until fans are calling for his head as well. A full offseason as the eagles starter should do wonders for his game. Not to mention a young guy who is ready to step in WHEN Vick gets injured and can lead the team for a few games over the course of the season is precisely what we need for our back up. Oh and can we stop with the "lets bring Peyton to the eagles and have him compete for the job" rumors. It's dumb, it's not going to happen and the last thing we need is ANOTHER QB controversy.

The last thing I'm going to address is the draft although I'm not going to point out specific players that I think they should take or make up some kind of mock draft because lets be honest the draft never goes as it is "mocked" up and we never know who the eagles are actually going to take. What I will say is that the eagles need to be aggressive in WHO they choose. I'm not saying that they need to move around the draft a lot but they need to start making some bolder picks. Too often i feel like the eagles are making low risk low reward choices and that's not how you find gems and obtain impact players. Now no one could have predicted that Brandon Graham would have had injury problems but right after him Earl Thomas and JPP we're picked, additionally by picking Graham the eagles also passed on like Maurkice Pouncey, and Dez Bryant. In 2009 they did grab Jeremy Maclin who has been a solid receiver for the eagles despite some heartbreaking drops this year, but again did so at passing up on guys like Michael Oher and Clay Matthews. I'm just saying in the first round I think they need to pull the trigger and draft a high profile guy to fill the linebacker spot rather then picking a linemen like Andy loves to do, or trading out. Additionally we need to start drafting guys consider to be solid football players rather then project players who need work (another one of Reid's draft day MOs).

With all that said I'm very excited about out eagles this next season. We we're one game away from the playoffs this past year and had one of those games where we didn't blow a fourth quarter lead who knows what would have happened. I think the D will come together nicely with a full offseason with Juan and Vick will have a lot of time to work on lowering his turnovers. If we can do those two things and make some smart upgrades to the roster the eagles will be a force not only in the NFC East but the whole league.