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Our preseason look at the rest of the NFC East concludes with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles
2015 Record 7-9
NFC East runner up
Some of the writers here at BTB are going to have to come up with some new material because the three year Chip Kelly era in the City of Brotherly Love has come to an end. The Eagles will now be under the guidance of Doug Pederson. The new head coach brings an offensive mind to the Eagles locker room. Brett Farve's backup for a time in Green Bay, Pederson also previously served as Andy Reid's quarterbacks coach in Philly and as his offensive coordinator in Kansas City.
The new coach has a rookie quarterback to groom, former BTB favorite Carson Wentz, who is now an Eagle. Safety Rodney McCleod, formerly of the Rams, and Reuben Randle are two other additions for whom the team has high expectations. To protect returning passer Sam Bradford and possibly Wentz the Philadelphia front office also invested in linemen Stefen Wisniewski and Brandon Brooks, both veterans, to shore up what proved to be a position of weakness last season.
Here is what the media has been saying about the Eagles over the past few days:
Philadelphia Eagles' Stefen Wisniewski gets first start; Can PSU grad make it permanent? Aaron Kasinitz, PennLive.com
One of the pieces the Eagles acquired over the offseason will get his chance to secure a starting job beginning with the third preseason game thanks to the same thing that hampered the Eagles OL last year; the injury bug. Rookie Isaac Seumalo had been penciled in at left guard for Pederson's offense until a strained pectoral muscle flared up. Now the veteran has a shot to earn back a role as an NFL starter. Not only must he hold off the rookie but also Allen Barbre, who will return to his natural position once Lane Johnson serves his suspension.
Regardless of how the three way battle for the left guard plays out, Eagles fans have seen this song and dance before. Their team is already busy juggling around offensive linemen and the season has not started yet.
NFL Trade Rumors: Eagles showing interest in cornerbacks Brandon Lee Gowton, Bleeding Green Nation
The Eagles have a solid corps of safeties on the roster, but corner has been an area of concern for the team. They have quite a few serviceable pieces on the current roster, but there is no one guy that really stands out as a playmaker. GM Howie Roseman is rumored to be looking to put an end to that by shopping around for another high talent guy who has not panned out for his current club.
Howie Roseman says the Eagles outspent everybody to win back stability Jason LaCanfora, CBS Sports
La Canfora described the parting of ways between the Eagles and Chip Kelly as a bitter divorce, and now the general manager is starting to act like a scorned spouse who still has access to the credit cards. Roseman is showing that he is unafraid to throw cash at the Eagles problems to bring in what he wants.
Roseman is trying to prove himself after regaining the power he lost during Kelly's tenure and he is throwing caution to the wind as he attempts to compete now and build a force for the future.
It was ambitious and expensive and includes quite a few gambles -- none as potentially boom-or-bust as the series of trades required to move up and take Wentz second overall -- and spoke to the faith Lurie has that long-time executive Roseman could navigate the franchise from the negativity and paranoia of Kelly's tenure into a kindler-and-gentler winner in Philadelphia.
There are a lot of risks involved for the Eagles. Hall of Fame GM careers are made and jobs lost based on gambles like the ones taken by Roseman. Time will tell how this one plays out. You know what happened to the previous genius in Philadelphia, could this one share the same fate?
Hayes: Eagles need a leader or two to emerge Marcus Hayes, Philly.com
I bet you have heard this one before. It was not long ago when this was being said about the Cowboys.
Local columnist Marcus Hayes started his feature out with this phrase "THE MOST remarkable thing about this edition of the Philadelphia Eagles is its staggering unremarkableness" and despite all of the wheelings and dealings going on he is pretty close to spot on.
No team in Jeffrey Lurie's era of ownership has featured less dynamic star power to act as the voices of the team. Leadership is intangible, and leadership is often dismissed, but leadership in a brutal, short-term job like the NFL cannot be overstated. All good teams have capable leaders, and the best leaders combine talent on the field with the ability to articulate issues off the field; and, if necessary, administer justice in the locker room. It's hard to be sheriff and spokesman if you're an ordinary player. Howie Roseman seems to have compiled a team chock full of ordinary players.
Hayes goes on to run down the list of likely prospects to emerge, but then shoots each one down with some solid reasoning. Solid yet uninspiring would seem to be kind for some of these guys.
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