Eagles Have Four Named to All-Decade Team
The NFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame released its all-decade team from the 2010s and the Eagles were well represented with three former players and one current.
They are:
Jason Peters, Darren Sproles, LeSean McCoy, and Fletcher Cox.
Cox was listed as one of the defensive tackles. Cox is set to begin his ninth season with the Eagles and owns the franchise record for most sacks by an interior lineman with 48, ahead of Andy Harmon (39.5), Ken Clarke (32.5), and Corey Simon (32).
The other defensive tackles named to the team were Geno Atkins, Aaron Donald, and Ndamukong Suh.
Darren Sproles has the distinction of making the team as both a flex player and punt returner. He is the fourth player to appear on an all-decade team at multiple positions, joining Mel Gray (kick and punt returner in 1990s), Dante Hall (kick and punt returner in the 2000s), and Deion Sanders (cornerback and punt returner in the 1990s).
The NFL replaced fullback on the 2010s team with the flex position, reflecting the evolution of the game. The flex is defined as a player who fits several offensive roles for his club. Sproles tied for second among NFL players during the decade with five punt-return touchdowns.
Sproles also played running back but did not make the team at that spot.
McCoy did. Joining him at RB were Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson, who was one of eight unanimous selections.
The others were Donald, quarterback Tom Brady, linebacker Von Miller, offensive tackle Joe Thomas, kicker Justin Tucker, defensive end J.J. Watt, and guard Marshal Yanda.
McCoy remains the Eagles’ leading rusher, despite being traded away by Chip Kelly following the 2014 season, with 6,792 career yards in six seasons with the team.
In 2013, McCoy ran for a franchise-record 1,607 yards. Last year, he won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, though he was inactive for the game. He is a free agent and there has been some conjecture that he could return to the Eagles.
McCoy will turn 32 in July. He has rushed for 11,071 yards and 73 touchdowns since entering the league as the Eagles’ second-round pick (No. 52 overall) out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2009. He also has 503 catches for 3,797 yards and 16 scores.
Peters is currently a free agent after the Eagles decided to move on from the left tackle and hand the job to last year’s number one pick Andre Dillard.
Peters, known as the Bodyguard for his superior ability to protect the left side of his quarterback, was acquired by the Eagles in 2009 and he went on to earn six Pro Bowl honors in the past decade. He was also an All-Pro twice.
Here is the team:
OFFENSE
WR: Antonio Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones
TE: Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce
OT: Peters, Staley, Tyron Smith, Joe Staley
G: Jahri Evans, Logan Mankins, Zack Martin, Yanda
C: Maurkice Pouncey, Alex Mack
QB: Brady
RB: McCoy, Gore, Peterson, Lynch
Flex: Sproles
DEFENSE
DE: Calais Campbell, Cameron Jordan, Julius Peppers, Watt
DT: Cox, Atkins, Donald, Suh
LB: Chandler Jones, Luke Kuechly, Khalil Mack, Bobby Wagner, Miller, Patrick Willis
CB: Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman
S: Eric Berry, Earl Thomas, Eric Weddle
DB: Chris Harris, Tyrann Mathieu
SPECIALISTS
Punter: Johhny Hekker, Shane Lechler
Kicker: Stephen Gostkowski, Tucker
PR: Sproles, Tyreek Hill, Devin Hester, Cordarrelle Patterson
COACH
Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll
