The Eagles Will Make a Big Jump in 2017
Don’t be surprised when Philly wins the NFC East
Led by rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, the Philadelphia Eagles went 7-9 in 2016, good for last place in the NFC East. Wentz and the Birds were the talk of the NFL after crushing the Pittsburgh Steelers to start the year with a 3-0 record, but the weaknesses of Philadelphia were eventually exploited. This made it difficult for a rookie quarterback to win because he was asked to carry his team.
Still, Wentz showed that he is the best quarterback from the 2016 NFL draft. He threw for 3,782 yards, good for 18th in the NFL, and first among all rookies. While the numbers aren’t staggering, context is key to understanding why Wentz was so good.
His offensive line was injured throughout the season and he was throwing to the worst receiving corps in the NFL. Based on the offseason moves the Eagles have made, Philadelphia is primed to take a huge step forward next season.
A big part of why the Eagles started the year 3-0 was the play of the offensive line. The starters on the line played each of the first four games of the year before Johnson served a 10-game suspension for a PED violation. With Johnson out, the line started to struggle.
Here are the players that started at right tackle for Wentz through the year:
Lane Johnson, Pro Bowl RT: 6 games
Halapoulvaati Vaitai, Rookie RT: 6 games
Allen Babre, Veteran LG: 3 games
Isaac Seumalo, Rookie G/C: 1 game
In the games that Johnson played right tackle, the Eagles were 5-1, outscoring opponents 166-83. Next year Johnson will be able to play every game barring injury, and the Eagles sured up the depth on the line by resigning Stefen Wisniewski and adding Chance Warmack. Wentz should have ample time to make throws, and the running game will improve automatically no matter the running back.
The biggest difference between last year’s Eagles and next year’s team will be the receivers Wentz throws to. The Eagles had the worst receiving corp in the league last season, led by Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green Beckham.
The Eagles totaled 24 dropped passes last year, eighth most in the NFL. Adding Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith will help Wentz substantially. Jeffery catches everything, over anyone. Wentz didn’t have one red zone threat last season, and Jeffery might be one of the best in the NFL inside the 20.
Smith will bring speed that can take the top off of the defense. The Eagles didn’t have any sort of deep threat last season, which makes it difficult to move the ball. When a defense doesn’t have to worry about a deep threat, every other play type is less effective.
Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz, the best targets from last year, will garner much less attention with their new teammates on the outside. Everything is looking up on the offensive end of the ball as Wentz enters his second year in the NFL.
The NFL draft is usually the place where teams fill needs and improve their team overnight. This year, the deepest and most talented positions are places of need for the Eagles. NFL Draft guru Mike Mayock has said that with this year’s cornerbacks, “You can get through four rounds of quality corners.”
Since the Eagles will most likely need to take at least two, it is promising that they’ll get value at such a crucial position. Also, the Eagles need a feature running back to help Wentz. No problem there, since Mayock has said that, “There are five backs with first round talent.”
The Eagles could very well use one of their first two selections on a running back, and they should be able to get a workhorse back to take the pressure off of Wentz. The Eagles led the league in time of possession last season without a good running back and a weakened O-Line. Imagine what they could do with some talent in the backfield.
With Wentz going into his second year, the offensive line at full strength, a draft deep in positions of need, and a vastly improved receiving corp, the Eagles are about to make a lot of noise in the NFC. Don’t be surprised when they take the NFC East, even though nobody will pick them going into the 2017 season.
