With several key starters hitting the free agent market, the Philadelphia Eagles could have looked like a fundamentally different team from the one that made the Super Bowl this past season.
For better or worse, a single offseason can change the fortunes of an NFL franchise. The impact of an offseason isn’t felt until later down the production line, but the warning signs are usually there. And for the Eagles heading into this offseason, there were a wide range of outcomes for the front office to navigate.
Just a few months removed from an emphatic regular season that saw the team set a franchise record for regular-season wins before a heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl to the Chiefs, the Eagles were heading into free agency with several key players set to test the free agent market. From James Bradberry to Javon Hargrave, the defense looked ready to take a substantial hit, while the likes of Miles Sanders and Isaac Seumalo were the potential losses on offense. The core of an exceptional roster was in doubt.
The hope was that the Eagles would be able to retain some of their core players, but the reality was that in some instances they would be priced out of a move. After all, good players command more money, and the hard cap – which the Eagles teetered precariously close to heading into free agency – would prevent them from bringing everyone back. Ideal worlds don’t exist in the NFL, so the Eagles had to pivot and plan for both the present and the future, carefully balancing the pros and cons of who to keep and who to let walk.
What made that an even more difficult task was the loss of both coordinators earlier in the offseason. Shane Steichen took the job as the new head coach of the Colts, while Jonathan Gannon was offered the same role with the Cardinals. Continuity is one of the most important and underrated aspects of team-building in the NFL, especially on defense where performances can be terribly volatile from year-to-year.
Losing too many cogs could disrupt any sort of rhythm the Eagles defense, who finished 4th in EPA per play per RBSDM. Retaining the right pieces would make new defensive coordinator Sean Desai’s life that much easier. No need to dress it up as something niche or complex. Teams want as many good players as humanly possible.
The Eagles were hit hard in free agency, losing their defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, two starting safeties, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps, as well as starting linebackers Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards, a starting guard in Seumalo and a starting running back in Sanders. Losing seven starters in one free agency period is brutal and it could possibly set the Eagles back – but it could have been a whole lot worse.
Despite the losses, the front office found ways to retain Bradberry, Brandon Graham, and Fletcher Cox while bringing back Jason Kelce for another year and extending Darius Slay. For a time, it seemed as though the Eagles and Slay were on track for a breakup. Retaining them all is huge for the team’s future outlook.
It bears repeating that continuity is vital for the Eagles as they transition to a new phase and coaching staff. The recent additions of players like Rashaad Penny and Terrell Edmunds will help soften the blow. As will the opportunity to draft two players in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft – including the chance to add a player in the top 10.
Ultimately, things have a way of working themselves out for certain teams – which is just another way of saying that smart teams set themselves up for success, even when things look bleak. Like it or not, the Eagles survived the offseason and they’ll be heading into 2023 as one of the favourites to hoist the Lombardi trophy yet again.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.