Four Storylines to Eagles Offseason So Far
Tom Brady’s move from New England to Tampa has been hands-down the top storyline of the NFL offseason.
No matter what happens from here until the 2020 NFL Draft begins in less than two weeks, that won’t be topped. A distant second are the trades of top receivers DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals and Stefon Diggs to the Bills.
Then there’s the off-the-field storylines, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the short and, potentially long term, at the very top. The agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement that guarantees labor peace through 2030, under any other circumstances, would have been the top storyline.
Here are the Eagles’ four top, offseason storylines so far:
No help for Carson Wentz
(AKA: The Great Twitter Debate: Justin Jefferson or Denzel Mims)
This storyline could be revised in just a few weeks when the NFL draft is over. Right now, one of the top offseason priorities of adding another veteran receiver, preferably with speed, for the franchise quarterback has not happened.
It would be considered an upset now if the Eagles don’t take LSU receiver Justin Jefferson at No. 21, with every single mock draft emerging this month having Jefferson going to the Eagles at this point.
That is, if he is still there. Jefferson and the big three of Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb could all be gone in the top 20.
Until Jefferson emerged as the clear-cut favorite, there had been plenty of back-and-forth in Twitter among Eagles fans and myself regarding the possibility that Baylor’s Denzel Mims could be the pick, especially after Mims went on a national show recently and said that Eagles are the team that have talked to him the most.
The Eagles chose not to dive headfirst into trying to acquire Hopkins or Diggs, and that might have more to do with circumstances beyond the Eagles’ control than anything else.
Still, the Eagles opted not to pursue anyone in free agency, such as Robby Anderson or Breshad Perriman.
If GM Howie Roseman doesn’t address this position in the draft, then the neglect at this position will be the clear winner of the top offseason storyline.
The Zach Ertz Conundrum
(AKA: The Great Twitter Debate, II: Trade or Keep the Tight End)
There has been much back and forth in the Twittersphere about what to do with Ertz after he turned down a contract extension last fall, will turn 30 in this fall, and has two years left on his contract.
Should the Eagles trade him or hang onto him and hope he and the organization can reach an accord?
The presence of Dallas Goedert complicates matters, because of the progress he has shown in his first two years and with two years left to run on his rookie deal.
Surely this is a situation on Roseman’s radar.
On one hand, trading Ertz now doesn’t make much sense. Even without an extension, he has two more years left and he is the best pass catcher on the team. Nobody’s hands are better, and his route running is top shelf.
On the other hand, his value may never be higher and why, if you are Roseman, would you risk letting Ertz hit the final year of his deal in 2021 not knowing the sort of rancor that could create?
Now, if Roseman finds another reliable pass catcher, say, in this year’s draft, and contract talks reach an impasse, we could be looking at Ertz’s final season in Philly.
Rebuilding the secondary
(AKA: Moving Jalen Mills to safety)
This was something that needed to be done – a priority just like finding a receiver.
The revision includes Mills returning on a one-year deal as the in-the-box safety, a role held by Jenkins for the last six seasons. Everybody likes to point to Mills having played that position for two seasons at LSU, but that was a long time ago, and Jenkins’ shoes are a big pair to fill.
As much as Roseman has done here – adding safety Will Parks, bringing back safety Rodney McLeod, trading for cornerback Darius Slay and signing Nickell Robey-Coleman - the Eagles may not be done. They could be on the prowl for a cornerback or safety or both in the draft.
Quest to get younger
(AKA: The departure of Malcolm Jenkins and Jason Peters)
Roseman was serious when he said he wanted this roster to get younger. He didn’t capitulate when it came time to re-upping safety Malcolm Jenkins’ contract nor did the GM cave and bring back Jason Peters.
Jenkins is 32; Peters 38.
The two oldest players he brought in were Rodney McLeod and Darius Slay, both of whom are 29.
Roseman isn’t done. With eight draft picks, the roster will get even younger still – provided all eight make the roster, something last year’s fifth-round pick, Clayton Thorson, was unable to do.
