2012 NFL Offseason Prospectus: Philadelphia Eagles

Rarely do you see a team with so much talent falter so horribly over the course of a 16 game season.

Philadelphia, on numerous occasion, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. This easily could have been a 12 or 13 win team, but miscues, a lack of mental toughness and injuries ended up being too great to overcome.

As the favorite, or at least one of the favorites to win the NFC, the Eagles had a splashy offseason, but were never able to translate that onto the field.

They didn't have the players to institute the new defense which happened to be coached by a former offensive line assistant.

Andy Reid consistently and relentlessly botched clock and challenge situations, despite having solid game plans.

Ironically, Mike Vick will never be a rock as your franchise quarterback as long as he continues to be the dynamic dual-threat, based mainly on the fact that he simply gets injured too often.

If you're the Eagles you must have a competent back-up quarterback because you have to plan on Vick missing at least a game or two with injuries.

That number will likely increase as Vick gets older.

Luckily, the Eagles have one of the most electric skill positions groups in football with Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Brent Celek.

The defense has elite difference-makers at defense end and corner, absolute musts for a passing league like the modern NFL. Their linebacker and safety groups are, on the other hand, well below average.

Philadelphia is probably the most likely 2011 non-playoff team to rebound in 2012. There's simply too much talent on this team and frankly, Andy Reid's job depends on it.
 
Offense
Philadelphia only signed three free agents this offseason, all of whom play offensive tackle. Steve Vallos from Cleveland and Mike Gibson from Seattle will provide depth while Demetrius Bell, signed from Buffalo, is the presumed starter at left tackle with Jason Peters suffering a major Achilles injury.

The offensive line could still use help on the interior and the Eagles will likely draft some help upfront. 

It's strange to see a team in the top 10 of every major offensive category only win eight games and miss out on the playoffs. Part of the reason was this team's heavy reliance on big plays. Maclin and Jackson are as explosive a duo as you'll find in the league, but on 3rd and 8 with safeties deep, those big plays don't come and you're having to punt. 

Also, the Eagles ranked second to last in turnover margin, thanks in large part to the offense's carelessness with the ball whether it was fumbles or interceptions.

If you look at the teams who lead the league in turnover margin, seven of the top 10 teams made the playoffs and the top three teams, San Francisco, Green Bay and New England, were the three best teams in the league most of the season.

If the offense can cut down the turnovers, they will be in a better position to win games. Also, adding a big-bodied receiver to help convert in the red zone and on third downs would be a plus.
 
Key Free Agents: Ronnie Brown RB, King Dunlap OT (re-signed w/ Eagles), Jamaal Jackson C, Evan Mathis G (re-signed w/ Eagles), Owen Schmitt FB, Steve Smith WR (signed w/ Rams), Vince Young QB

Defense
A year after the Eagles went all-in with free agent signings, particularly on the defensive end, the biggest move Philadelphia made this year was trading for Demeco Ryans.

Philly desperately needed a run-stopping linebacker to help plug the leaks of this front seven which, at times, was out-muscled.

Adding some beef to this front would help as the defensive front seven is athletic and disruptive, but not overly physical.

Whether it's defensive lineman or linebackers or both, the Eagles need to get stronger and bigger upfront.

Corner is one position the Eagles won't struggle with, although Asante Samuel is reportedly on the trade block. This is a deep group despite the fact that Nnamdi Asomugha didn't play up to this reputation last year.

Safety is a concern position for the Eagles despite Kurt Coleman's success creating turnovers last year. Unfortunately, there is only a handful of potential starters in this year's safety class.

This defense, much like the offense, was also in the top 10 in points, yards and total defense, they just couldn't make the plays when they needed to get off the field.


Key Free Agents: Victor Abiamiri DE, Antonio Dixon DT (re-signed w/ Eagles), Derek Landri DT (re-signed w/ Eagles), Trevor Laws DT, Juqua Parker DE (signed w/ Browns)

Draft Targets

Needs: OL,LB,S,RB,WR


Round 1 (Pick 15): Luke Kuechley ILB Boston College (Pos. Rank: 1, Overall Rank: 10)

If there was ever a marriage of need and value this is it. Kuechley was a tackling machine at Boston College and is the kind of physical, instinctive linebacker that could really improve this Eagle defense. He showed surprising athleticism at the combine, but the tape shows a lack of elite explosion to the ball. Luckily, he's so smart and adept at reading plays, for him, it's the difference between meeting the ball-carrier in the hole versus the backfield. He's still going to be in position to make a playe and is the kind of kid you can build a defense around.


Round 2 (Pick 46): Rueben Randle WR LSU (Pos. Rank: 6, Overall Rank: 46)

Scary. That's what this would be for defenses in the NFC East. Randle is a 6-4 receiver who reportedly ran in the 4.3's at his LSU pro day. Without a quality quarterback in college, it's hard to know just how good Randle can be, but physically he has every tool you could want. He's risen up draft boards and has even gotten some first round buzz leading up to the draft. If you trot Randle out there with Maclin and Jackson, you can put Jackson in the slot and suddenly you have a nightmare for opponents trying to cover maybe the fastest trio of receivers in the game. When you consider Randle's frame, he also has the size to give you those possession catches in the red zone and across the middle, something they don't have currently.

Round 2 (Pick 51 F/ Cardinals): Brandon Thompson DT Clemson (Pos. Rank: 7, Overall Rank: 51)
Andy Reid admitted after the season that he didn't have the defensive personnel to play some of the schemes they wanted to play last year. Really, that's his way of saying we don't have the right defensive tackles and linebackers because the 'wide 9' technique fits these defensive ends perfectly. Thompson is a player who has seen his stock consistently fall over the course of the season, but he's a powerful defensive tackle who can man his gap and uses his long frame to occupy blockers. He won't be an elite penetrater, but doesn't have to be in this defense where the ends are so dynamic off the edge.

Round 3 (Pick 88 F/ Texans): Brock Osweiler QB Arizona State (Pos. Rank: 6, Overall Rank: 86)

I absolutely love this pick for the Eagles. Osweiler is a physically-gifted player who is surprisingly athletic for a player who is 6-7 240. He doesn't have much experience, but he'd have time to develop behind Vick and Andy Reid, for all of his faults with some in-game management, is still one of the most creative offensive minds in the game. Osweiler likely isn't ready to be the guy to step in should Vick get injured, but after a year or two he might be. With this young group of receivers and Shady McCoy in the backfield, you couldn't ask for a better position to be as a developing quarterback.

Overall

Philadelphia is one of the better drafting teams in the league and this class would be no exception. From a value standpoint (7+), it'd be an elite group, plus they pick up a luxury pick in the second round when they traded Kevin Kolb. That deal already seems like a steal for the Eagles, but if a first round talent like Brandon Thompson falls to them, it will get even better.You're looking at up to three first-year starters right away, but at least two, plus a potential franchise quarterback. Under any circumstances, that's an excellent draft, but when you add in the kind of value here, it's an outstanding blend of quality and need.

Final Thought

There's no denying the players this team has is good enough, with no upgrade this offseason, to make the playoffs. Demeco Ryans was a solid upgrade and Demetrius Bell is a terrific insurance policy given Jason Peters' injury. Beyond that, any additions the Eagles make are gravy from a talent perspective. For the Eagles, the biggest questions are whether or not they can eliminate the mistakes, both player and coaching. The turnovers killed the Eagles last year, as did a few botched situational calls from Reid. Turnovers tend to regress to the mean given that they're often  based on a few lucky bounces. That's worth at least a win or two for this team and that's enough to put them into the playoffs. If that happens, they could make a deep run given the immense and explosive players on this team.