We still have a few weeks before training camp but judging by how many questions I got the other day, you guys are excited about this Eagles season.
You should be.
After answering your first round of questions — including one about playing time expectations for rookies — there are still plenty left.
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Here we go:
When I look at the Eagles roster position-by-position, the one potential weakness that stands out is linebacker. The Eagles lost both T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White in free agency. And even though that wasn’t a shock given how the Eagles traditionally value the position, it did leave them pretty light. I’m still bullish on Nakobe Dean, who basically had a redshirt season as a third-round pick last year.
But even if Dean’s spot is solidified, the only significant addition the Eagles made at linebacker this offseason was signing former Bears starter Nicholas Morrow to a one-year contract that didn’t include any guaranteed money. Maybe Morrow will be a steal — or at least serviceable — and the Eagles won’t need to add. But linebacker this year kind of reminds me of safety last year. The safety spot entering 2022 felt unsettled and then Howie Roseman traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson shortly before the start of the season. Maybe that could happen at linebacker this summer.
NFL
The name that really stands out to me is linebacker Patrick Queen down in Baltimore. Queen is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2023 after the Ravens declined his fifth-year option for 2024 and his role and future should be in question. The Ravens last season traded for Roquan Smith and then gave him a five-year extension, making him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the NFL. And then on top of that, the Ravens used a third-round pick on Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson, who garnered some first-round buzz during the pre-draft process.
So if Queen doesn’t have a future in Baltimore, the Eagles could take advantage and Baltimore could get something out of Queen before he leaves in free agency. If you’re looking at Queen from the Eagles’ perspective, he checks a lot of boxes. He’s still just 23 years old despite playing three full seasons in the NFL. He has draft pedigree as the No. 28 overall pick out of LSU in 2020. And while he hasn’t exactly become a star, he has played and started every game in his NFL career and still has room to grow even after a 117-tackle season in 2022. (If you’re wondering, Queen ranked as ProFootballFocus’s 31st-best linebacker last year.)
We’ve obviously seen the Eagles be very hesitant to use significant resources at linebacker but getting Queen in house might make it a tad easier to sign him to an extension if they want. And even if the Eagles don’t, there’s a chance he could be a missing piece on a Super Bowl team.
While Queen is my answer, I also got a specific question about Buccaneers linebacker Devin White. White is similar in some ways to Queen. He’s another young, former first-round linebacker out of LSU who might be available. White reportedly requested a trade out of Tampa but it doesn’t seem like the Bucs are willing to move him yet. White has also been a more successful player than Queen and that means it would take more to get him and then you’d probably have to figure out a long-term extension immediately. White was a Pro Bowler in 2021 and has three straight seasons with 124+ tackles.
I’ll give one more honorable mention to Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn. The Eagles might feel OK at the safety spot with Reed Blankenship, Terrell Edmunds and rookie Sydney Brown but it’s worth mentioning Chinn. The 25-year-old is entering a contract year and the Eagles were reportedly very interested in him back in 2020 before they drafted Jalen Hurts at No. 53. Chinn went 64th overall. But in general, I don’t think safety is as glaring a need as linebacker.
The Eagles have certainly come a long way at the receiver position in the last few years. It was pretty spectacular to watch A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith together in 2022, but they should be together for the long haul too.
Heck, the Eagles control their rights through the 2025 season, which would mean at least four seasons together. That’s pretty much the minimum and that’s a long time in the NFL.
When the Eagles traded for Brown last offseason, they signed him to a four-year extension through the 2026 season. And Smith was a first-round pick in 2021 so his final year under contract is 2024 but the Eagles will obviously pick up his fifth-year option, which means they’ll have his rights through 2025.
Unless this season really doesn’t go to plan, the Eagles should also try to extend Smith after the 2023 season when he finally becomes eligible. Brown is already rooting for that.
Here’s what Brown said this offseason on the Raw Room podcast before Jalen Hurts got his mega extension:
"I'm definitely going to try to do everything in my power to play as long with Jalen as I can … him and DeVonta, you know what I'm saying?” Brown said. “Shoot, me and DeVonta, we're a great tandem. I'm definitely going to try to keep that going as long as I can. He's up and rising, bro — on another level. So, at some point, he's going to be up (for a contract), you know? You definitely are going to try to keep the team together, man, and win while we're together.”
Sure, it won’t be cheap to keep Brown and Smith long-term, but receiver is a position the Eagles clearly care about. The Eagles know the easiest way to be successful in the modern NFL is to have a high-powered offense, specifically a high-powered passing offense. They’ll always dedicate resources to the trenches but keeping weapons for Hurts is going to be important too. I expect they try to keep that core together for a long time.
Optimistic: The Eagles are every bit as good in 2023 as they were in 2022. Hurts continues to play at an MVP level, the offense continues to hum despite the loss of Shane Steichen and the defense makes up for a talent drop with an impressive season from new DC Sean Desai. The Eagles take the No. 1 seed and earn the bye again.
Pessimistic: We’re assuming no major injuries based on the question and that’s important to note. Because injuries can change a lot and the Eagles had great injury luck in 2022. But if they’re healthy, I have a hard time imagining the Eagles aren’t good in 2023. They do face a tougher schedule so if they don’t get off to a hot start and then have to face the gauntlet needing wins, that could be tough. Still, if this team is healthy, I still think the floor is a wild card berth.
I really don’t see regression coming for Hurts. And even though he was an MVP candidate in 2022, he still has room for growth as he continues to spend more time in Nick Sirianni’s offense. The more time any QB spends in an offense, the better his grasp of it becomes and that’s an exciting thing. The one thing that could hurt Hurts is if he gets hurt; that was a mouthful, huh? Hurts has dealt with injuries in the past two Decembers and we can’t completely ignore that. During the last two years as a starter, Hurts’ running ability has made him a special player but at some point he might just need to run less as his career goes on. We don’t know if or when that will happen but if it does, that’s OK. By then, you just have to hope Hurts has come far enough as a passer and on the mental side of the game that losing his unique running ability won’t be as big of a loss as it might seem now.
Hmm. Fun hypothetical. I’m not as sold on Brock Purdy as much as some folks seem to be. Just haven’t seen enough. And while Dak Prescott isn’t a slam dunk top-10 QB, he would at least give the Niners a steady QB presence. Right now, via Points Bet, the Eagles are +700 to win the Super Bowl and the 49ers are +800. So adding Prescott to that roster would probably at least pull them even.
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