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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/alcatraz_0109 on 2023-08-04 16:10:21.
2022 Recap:
Record: 14-3, 1st in NFC East, Lost to KC in Super Bowl LVII. 32 Teams/32 Days recap
Coaching changes:
| Position | In | From | Out | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Coordinator | Brian Johnson | Eagles QB Coach | Shane Steichen | Colts HC |
| Defensive Coordinator | Sean Desai | Seahawks asst. HC/def. asst. | Jonathan Gannon | Cardinals HC |
| QB Coach | Alex Tanney | Eagles asst. QB coach | Brian Johnson | Eagles OC |
| LB Coach | D.J. Eliot | Temple DC/OLB coach | Nick Rallis | Cardinals DC |
| DB Coach | D.K. McDonald | Eagles asst. DB coach | Dennard Wilson | Ravens DB coach |
The Eagles were expected to have plenty of assistants in high demand after their Super Bowl run, and they ultimately lost OC Shane Steichen and DC Jonathan Gannon to head coaching gigs. (Although not many Eagles fans view the latter as a loss.) In response, Nick Sirianni made a concerted effort to maintain the continuity of 2022’s staff while bringing in plenty of outside names to lend experience and keep things fresh. An example of this continuity is the promotion of QB coach Brian Johnson to OC - Johnson has years of OC experience at the college level, and he and Hurts have a long history. An example of this commitment to new faces is the addition of Sean Desai as DC - while Vic Fangio was the dream, Desai is younger and should offer the flexibility and varied background that should cater to a new-look Eagles defense.
The Eagles also added multiple coaches that each carry with them decades of coaching experience, both at the pro and college levels. The most prominent name of these is senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia. Say what you will about his Lions tenure or his disastrous offensive playcalling in New England last year, but Patricia at least carries nearly 2 decades of NFL coaching experience, mostly as a defensive assistant under the best defensive head coach of this generation. Senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady also carries NFL playcalling experience with him; Brady was Sirianni’s replacement as Colts OC when Sirianni joined Philly. Defensive assistants D.J. Eliot and Taver Johnson each have multiple years of experience at the college level.
Free agency recap:
Departures
| Player | New Team | Contract Terms |
|---|---|---|
| DT Javon Hargrave | 49ers | 4 years/$84M/$40M GTD |
| OT Andre Dillard | Titans | 3 years/$29M/$10M GTD |
| OG Isaac Seumalo | Steelers | 3 years/$24M/$7M GTD |
| S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson | Lions | 1 year/$6.5M/$6.5M GTD |
| LB T.J. Edwards | Bears | 3 years/$19.5M/$7.9M GTD |
| RB Miles Sanders | Panthers | 4 years/$25.4M/$13M GTD |
| S Marcus Epps | Raiders | 2 years/$12M/$7.8M GTD |
| LB Kyzir White | Cardinals | 2 years/$10M/$6M GTD |
| QB Gardner Minshew | Colts | 1 year/$3.5M/$3.5M GTD |
| WR Zach Pascal | Cardinals | 2 years/$4.5M/$2.3M GTD |
| DE Robert Quinn | FA | Unsigned |
| DT Linval Joseph | FA | Unsigned |
| DE Ndamukong Suh | FA | Unsigned |
| P Brett Kern | FA | Unsigned |
Re-signings/extensions
| Player | Type | Contract Terms |
|---|---|---|
| QB Jalen Hurts | Extension | 5 years/$255M/$110M GTD |
| RT Lane Johnson | Re-negotiation/extension | 1 year/$33.4M/$30M GTD |
| C Jason Kelce | Re-signed | 1 year/$14.25M/$14.25M GTD |
| CB Darius Slay | Re-negotiation | 3 years/$42M/$24.5M GTD |
| CB James Bradberry | Re-signed | 3 years/$38M/$20M GTD |
| DT Fletcher Cox | Re-signed | 1 year/$10M/$10M GTD |
| DE Brandon Graham | Re-signed | 1 year/$5M/$5M GTD |
| RB Boston Scott | Re-signed | 1 year/$2M/$1.08M GTD |
| TE Tyree Jackson | ERFA | 1 year/$940K/$0 GTD |
Free agent additions:
| Player | Old Team | Contract Terms |
|---|---|---|
| QB Marcus Mariota | Falcons | 1 year/$5M/$5M GTD |
| S Terrell Edmunds | Steelers | 1 year/$2M/$0.6M GTD |
| S Justin Evans | Saints | 1 year/$1.59M/$0.6M GTD |
| CB Greedy Williams | Browns | 1 year/$1.35M/$0.6M GTD |
| RB Rashaad Penny | Seahawks | 1 year/$/$1.35M/$0.6M GTD |
| DT Kentavius Street | Saints | 1 year/$1.28M/$0.5M GTD |
| WR Olamide Zaccheaus | Falcons | 1 year/$1.23M/$0.65M GTD |
| TE Dan Arnold | Jaguars | 1 year/$1.19M/$0.05M GTD |
| LB Nicholas Morrow | Bears | 1 year/$1.16M/$0 GTD |
| OL Dennis Kelly | Colts | TBD |
| RB D’Andre Swift | Lions | Trade |
It was inevitable that the Eagles’ cap situation would mean the loss of multiple key players. And indeed, 5 of the Eagles’ top 8 defensive players by snaps played, along with their starting RB and RG, would all leave.
But rather than trying to chase big names through free agency or the trade market, the Eagles opted for a more cautious approach: finding players who were about to hit their prime, had a strong college/draft pedigree and/or some flashes of NFL talent, and may have been devalued because of injury concerns, and signing them to 1-year, low guarantee deals. The big money they did throw around was used to re-sign key veterans.
The biggest free agency splurge was QB Marcus Mariota, for just 1 year at $5M. While this might seem curious to outsiders given the eventual Jalen Hurts extension, it’s not surprising to Eagles fans, who’ve seen the team put tremendous value on backup QB the past few years. (And given they won a Super Bowl with a backup QB, can you blame them?). The Eagles didn’t need major offensive improvements, but added some good lotto tickets in RBs Rashaad Penny and D’Andre Swift and WR Olamide Zaccheaus. Penny has flashed tremendous talent in Seattle but has been snakebitten by injury; a healthy year behind the Eagles’ OL could result in a big payday. The Eagles got Swift for cheap when he was crowded out of Detroit’s RB room; he’s flashed gamebreaking 3-down talent, but has struggled with injuries and consistency. Zaccheaus, a Philly local, adds some versatility and depth to a WR corps that struggled to produce outside of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
On defense, the Eagles did well to retain CB James Bradberry and DT Fletcher Cox, but otherwise had to get creative to fill their defensive gaps while maintaining cap flexibility. The biggest plunge was ex-Steeler S Terrell Edmunds, who was certainly hurt by a cold safety market, but should be a favorite to start for a shallow S corps with his experience and versatility. DBs Justin Evans and Greedy Williams are both former 2nd rounders whose careers have been marred by injury, but are otherwise cheap gambles who could fill in as young-ish depth pieces. LB Nicholas Morrow was productive for Chicago in 2022 and is the most experienced LB the Eagles have, while DT Kentavius Street provides interior pass rushing depth.
It’s fair to say that free agency wasn’t exciting. The Eagles lost a lot of critical players and didn’t land any marquee names, nor did they bring in any guys who have consistently produced at a high level in the NFL (although I am personally bullish on Penny.) But this free agency was nonetheless a practical one. One of the reasons why they struggled after Super Bowl LII was an over-dependence on signing older free agents to multi-year contracts; when they declined and/or got hurt, they ended up being albatrosses. But the Eagles went in a different direction this offseason; not only did they largely target younger free agents, but they targeted players with good draft pedigrees, who with a bounceback year and better injury luck could turn into real contributors as they enter their prime. Furthermore, by offering lower guarantees, the Eagle will at least ensure they remain flexible roster-wise and cap-wise in case some don’t pan out, which could prove handy if the Eagles angle for a big trade down the line. Plus, thanks to their diversified approach, they should receive the maximum 4 compensatory picks for 2024.
Free agency Yelp Review: 3.5 stars.
Draft recap
| Pick (Round-OVR) | Player |
|---|---|
| 1-9 | Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia |
| 1-30 | Nolan Smith, LB, Georgia |
| 3-66 | Tyler Steen, OL, Alabama |
| 3-67 | Sydney Brown, S, Illinois |
| 4-105 | Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia |
| 6-188 | Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford |
| 7-249 | Moro Ojomo, DT, Texas |
Continuing a draft trend that the Eagles largely followed in 2021 and 2022, the team focused on finding players at premium positions with great measurables and plenty of experience at high-level NCAA programs.
Drafting DT Jalen Carter at 9th overall fits this theme to a tee: not only was he arguably the most disruptive player on Georgia’s elite defense over the last couple years, but given the high value the Eagles put on the trenches and the thinning out of the DT corps this offseason, Carter fits both need and organizational philosophy as well. Picking fellow Bulldog EDGE Nolan Smith at 30 is yet another example of this approach: a Georgia Bulldog with outstanding testing who should fit well in the Eagles’ pass rushing rotation with his explosiveness.
The Eagles added OL Tyler Steen and S Sydney Brown with back-to-back 3rd round picks; both come from excellent college programs (in Brown’s case, a college that has produced many high-level DB prospects the last few years), have plenty of college experience, excellent athletic traits (apart from Steen’s arm length and Brown’s height) and the versatility that could translate well to the NFL.
What could…
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