Where is the Philadelphia Eagles’ biggest need this offseason? Some would argue it’s at quarterback. Most would say it’s the secondary.
The important thing is that those are not the Eagles’ only needs—not by a long shot.
While the drum beats louder and louder for the Birds to do “whatever it takes” to land Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota in this year’s draft, there’s a cruel reality Philadelphia has to face. Every pick the Eagles send in a trade to move toward the top of the draft equates to one more area of the roster that goes unaddressed, and every player who's packaged as part of such a deal opens up one more hole.
There’s only so much the team can do in free agency. There’s only so much talent out there, and after awhile, it becomes cost-prohibitive to build that way—not to mention you’re signing older players already well into or exiting their prime.
The Eagles require an influx of young, inexpensive talent at a host of positions, or it may not matter who’s under center. Some issues are more immediate than others, but what’s certain is there are a number of spots that could sorely use upgrades and/or depth.
| Stats | 264.9 | 7.8 | 72/18 | 91.6 |
| Rank | 31st | t-27th | 32nd/32nd | 21st |
NFL.com
Obviously, the secondary is the most glaring. Philadelphia has finished 32nd and 31st against the pass in consecutive seasons. Starters at both cornerback and safety are expected to depart as free agents this offseason.
It’s not as simple as filling the vacancies left from those departures, either. That goes double at corner, where only one player is signed beyond this season—2014 fourth-round pick Jaylen Watkins. Most teams carry five. And at safety, after Malcolm Jenkins, not a single player on the roster is guaranteed to be on the 53-man come September.
It’s going to take more than a couple of free agents and some late-round picks to restock the defensive backfield.
If it were the only issue on defense, that might be one thing. Unfortunately, the Eagles aren’t exactly a picture of stability at linebacker, either. They may be in search of two starters there, too.
Michael Perez/Associated Press At outside linebacker, Trent Cole is a potential cap casualty—and turning 33 to boot—Brandon Graham is an impending free agent, and 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith barely got on the field as a rookie. Even if Cole or Graham is retained as a starter, the group is lacking depth. Oh, and while Connor Barwin is coming off of a career year on the opposite side, he’ll be 29, which means decline is right around the corner.
And on the interior, DeMeco Ryans will be 31, is coming off of his second Achilles injury and is entering the final year of his contract at an inflated cap figure as well. Even if the Eagles want him back, there is some question as to whether he’ll be recovered in time to contribute in any meaningful way in ’15. At the very least, the club must find insurance, if not an altogether replacement. Plus, once again, depth is a concern.
Naturally, defense is at the forefront of most concerns. However, perhaps the most worrisome aspect of the roster is on the other side of the ball—at least it will be in due time if contingencies aren’t made soon.
| Brent Celek | TE | 30 |
| Trent Cole | OLB | 33 |
| Todd Herremans | RG | 33 |
| Evan Mathis | LG | 34 |
| Jason Peters | LT | 33 |
| DeMeco Ryans | ILB | 31 |
| Darren Sproles | RB | 32 |
| Cary Williams | CB | 31 |
NFL.com
Three of Philadelphia’s five starters along the offensive line are already well into their 30s now. Never mind depth was clearly an issue already this season when as many as four starters were out of the lineup. The front office needs to start thinking about replacing a few of these people, likely within the next year or two.
Sure, left tackle Jason Peters and left guard Evan Mathis still receive Pro Bowl recognition, but for how long? The Eagles can’t count on that forever. Meanwhile, right guard Todd Herremans has suffered season-ending injuries in two of the past three seasons and is considered the weak link of the unit to begin with.
Let’s not forget that LeSean McCoy, the offense’s best weapon, is approaching a stage of his career where the Eagles can no longer rely on him to be the workhorse. McCoy only turns 27 this year, but we all know the shelf life of a running back is not always that of virtually every other position.
And just as soon as the front office has built a farm system capable of cultivating options for all of these areas, new holes are sure to spring up at wide receiver, tight end and along the defensive line.
Simply put, the Eagles can’t find and develop replacements for all of these players through free agency and with a series of late-round draft picks. First-, second- and third-round picks—the type that will be integral in any trade into the top five of the draft for Mariota—are the foundation of every roster in the NFL.
Just remember that any time you hear and say “whatever it takes” for Mariota. Maybe he falls to a point in the draft where a trade makes sense. Maybe he winds up being that good that he can overcome massive deficiencies throughout the roster.
Only a select few quarterbacks have shown the ability to put a team on their back, though. Given the wealth of needs on the Eagles, is it really worth the risk to find out whether Mariota can?
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