The Plan vs. the Finished Product: A Final Verdict on the Eagles’ Offseason

Man plans and God laughs is the translation of an old Yiddish saying highlighting the unpredictability of life.

Mike Tyson was even more straightforward when it came to that sentiment with his famed quote: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

Eagles GM Howie Roseman was almost universally lauded for his 2022 offseason but any perceived success came by rolling with the punches and adjusting on the fly, at least at some positions.

There's always revisionist history so, with training camp set to begin next week, it's time to step back and remember what the plan actually was, what the finished product looks like, and which scenario projects to be better come September for Philadelphia.

QUARTERBACK

Goal: Upgrade with a proven veteran star if possible with the defined names being Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson, two players with no-trade clauses who refused to consider Philadelphia.

Finished Product: The status quo with hopes pinned on an improved Jalen Hurts being able to do more damage from the pocket after being given a better supporting cast and working on his mechanics with former MLB pitchers turned QB gurus Tom House and Adam Dedeaux.

Verdict: It's always better to have a proven superstar at the game's most important position so obviously the pie-in-the-sky Wilson dream would have been the best-case scenario for Philadelphia.

A suspension still looms over Watson's status and it's doubtful the Eagles would have gone to the financial lengths Cleveland went to get the embattled QB anyway so dodging a bullet there isn't the worst thing.

It's also worth noting that the Eagles never made a play toward potential slight upgrades or lateral moves like Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo so it's not mutually exclusive to understand the organization likes Hurts but also realizes the ceiling is somewhat limited.

Reports of 10 bad reps in a May OTA practice, while incorrect from a literal descriptive standpoint, were absolutely true from the perspective of the Eagles being unsure about Hurts after seeing the clunker.

WIDE RECEIVER

Goal: The original plan was to try a reclamation project with Atlanta's Calvin Ridley until a gambling app faux pass derailed a potential trade.

From there the Eagles said Godspeed to Christian Kirk when the former Arizona receiver broke the bank in Jacksonville, then lost out on Allen Robinson when the former Penn State star decided he wanted to play with the Super Bowl champs, and finally, Robert Woods, whose gold watch from the Rams was the ability to pick a destination which turned out to be Nashville.

Finished product: After going 0-for-4 in the guts of the game, draft night extended things for Roseman who cracked a home run in the form of the trade for A.J. Brown, albeit for a significant draft capital (first- and third-round picks) and a hefty price tag (a four-year extension worth $100 million).

Verdict: From a football perspective, the Eagles got the best receiver of the lot they were looking at and the only qualms are the package they had to surrender to get it done.

On the field, it's hard to argue the contingency wasn't better than Plans A, B, C, and D.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Goal: Get Georgia unicorn Jordan Davis in the draft.

Finished product: The Eagles got the 6-foot-6, 340-pound Davis at No. 13 overall with a targeted trade-up over Baltimore in the first round.

Verdict: Davis projects to be the prototypical zero- or one-technique nose tackle that will open up Jonathan Gannon's ability to use multiple fronts.

The only debate here is whether the Eagles get the evaluation of the player correct because it was mission accomplished with the plan.

EDGE RUSHER

Goal: Find a finisher for a pass rush that finished No. 31 in sacks last season with the eye on South Jersey native and former Temple star Haason Reddick as a hybrid SAM LB/edge rusher.

Finished product: The Eagles got Reddick at a pricy $15M AAV, expensive but understandable for a team that hasn't had a double-digit sack producer on the edge since Connor Barwin in 2014.

Verdict: Reddick had 12.5 sacks in Arizona in 2020 and 11 with Carolina last season. The Eagles would be happy with either number.

LINEBACKER

Goal: Find a modern coverage linebacker who can make things more difficult for backs and tight ends with former LA Chargers starter and Lehigh County native Kyzir White being brought home on a one-year, prove-it deal.

Finished Product: White and third-round pick Nakobe Dean, a borderline first-round talent who fell around the league due to injury concerns both short and long-term.

Verdict: The Eagles medical staff believes Dean is good to go and Gannon now has four bodies (T.J. Edwards, White, Dean, and Davion Taylor) to mix and match at a position the Eagles have been weak at during recent seasons.

CORNERBACK

Goal: Upgrade the outside CB slot opposite Darius Slay even though veteran Steve Nelson proved serviceable in 2021.

The Eagles talked with former Minnesota first-round pick Trae Waynes, who begged off and is contemplating retirement.

Finished product: The Eagles were able to land a big fish when the division rival Giants had to move on from James Bradberry due to salary-cap issues.

Verdict: Bradberry had a bit of a down year last season while playing through an injury but projects as a perfect fit for a zone-heavy Gannon scheme.

SAFETY

Goal: The Eagles targeted and wanted Marcus Williams but were outbid by Baltimore, who gave Williams a monster five-year, $70 million deal.

Finished product: Philadelphia will be rolling the dice with Marcus Epps, hoping the fourth-year player can move from a rotational role to a full-time starter. The Eagles also re-signed veteran Anthony Harris to be a stabilizing force on the back end and brought in former San Francisco starter Jaquiski Tartt as a Band-Aid and insurance policy.

Verdict: Minneapolis Miracle aside, Williams is regarded as one of the best coverage safeties in the league and the position remains the Eagles' biggest weakness on paper so the contingency here paled when measured against the original desire.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

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