Going into this offseason we knew that Nick Sirianni was on the proverbial scorching seat. Howie Roseman shouldn’t be on it with him, however he has attacked the beginning of the offseason like he’s.
The primary week of free company was each a typical one and an atypical one for Roseman. In isolation the strikes he has made have largely match the Roseman template: investing in move rush, investing in offensive line, investing in quarterback, low monetary obligations and/or brief time period contracts to low precedence positions, a participant for decide commerce, signing former excessive picks to 1 yr contracts, including veteran depth behind established veterans… normal Eagles strikes.
However taken as an entire, the Eagles offseason appears to be like much like the kind of disjointed one which we see yearly from groups which might be beneath strain from above to get outcomes now. Predictably they not often work out.
Previous to free company the Eagles tried to melt the blow of buying and selling/slicing Haason Reddick or Josh Sweat by letting it’s recognized that they have been sad with their edge rushers play towards the run. Truthful sufficient, however then they went out and signed Bryce Huff, who presents little towards the run.
Within the Nick Sirianni period the Eagles haven’t signed a participant who spent most of his profession as a particular teamer. Within the Doug Pederson period when the staff did it was normally an undersized linebacker on a one yr contract. The signing of Zack Baun is nearly a complete reversal for the Sirianni period. Baun, a LB on a one yr absolutely assured deal, has double the profession particular groups snaps as defensive snaps performed. The one divergence from the Pederson period is that he isn’t undersized.
The Kenny Pickett commerce is QB Manufacturing facility hubris at its best. Picket is similar age as Jalen Hurts (really a couple of months older), and has gone backwards in his improvement. As a rookie he confirmed flashes of being an NFL QB, however regressed in his second season. Former Steelers OC Matt Canada did Pickett no favors, however Russell Wilson threw extra TDs in 15 video games of the Nathaniel Hackett/Jerry Roseberg season in 2022 than Pickett has in 24 begins in his profession. Making issues worse, Pickett was dealt after simply two seasons as a result of the Steelers had sufficient of him off the sphere. When Mason Rudolph saved the beginning job after Pickett returned from damage final season Pickett reacted poorly, then doubled down on the pouting when informed he wouldn’t get the primary reps in OTA over Wilson. That is the man you’re buying and selling for?
Then there’s Saquon Barkley, an ideal illustration of the paradox of the Eagles offseason.
Roseman by no means spent vital assets on the operating again place as a result of the highest of the market was overvalued. However free agent operating again contracts are not the dangerous enterprise they was. Barkley’s contract has him because the 18th highest RB cap hit in 2024, then 5% of the cap in 2025, which is a WR2 stage share. Barkley received the identical quantity of assured cash as Darnell Mooney.
However Barkley is a threat that Roseman hasn’t taken up to now. For one, this wasn’t his typical purchase low acquisition that he’s made on each veteran RB as a GM.
Darren Sproles was acquired for a fifth in a price slicing transfer by the Saints. LeGarrette Blount was signed to a one yr minimal contract. Jay Ajayi was traded for a 4th spherical decide after the Dolphins misplaced 40-0 to fall to 4-3 after going 10-6 the yr prior. Darren Howard was acquired in 2019 for a 2020 sixth from the Bears, Chicago had already traded away their 2020 1st, third, and 4th spherical picks. D’Andre Swift was acquired for a 4th and a swap of 7ths two days after the Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs, that they had additionally signed David Montgomery in free company. These trades are working the market.
Although Barkely is coming off a poor season and his contract is affordable, signing him was not shopping for low. The Eagles clearly had him as their precedence signing, no participant on the prime of their market in free company is a discount.
When Roseman has acquired veteran RBs, he’s virtually completely introduced in gamers with low workloads. Sproles was 31 and had 815 profession touches when acquired, Blount was additionally 31 and with 1214 touches, Ajayi 495, Howard 850, and Swift 788. Barkley has 1489. 2024 might be Barkley’s age 27 season, which has lengthy been often called the height of a operating again’s worth, and Barkley’s excessive workload received’t assist him beat that curve. Over the previous two seasons solely three RBs have extra touches than Barkley’s 640: Derrick Henry (690), Christian McCaffrey (668), and Josh Jacobs (663). McCaffrey is the one RB who has performed extra snaps than Barkley’s 1573 over these two seasons, with 1589.
Definitely going from the catastrophe that was the Giants offensive line to the power that’s the Eagles offensive line will assist. However Barkley wasn’t spending most of his carries caught within the backfield behind that horrible line, or going through a mountain of defenders that suppressed his manufacturing. Per NextGen Stats, in 2023 Barkley confronted the thirty fifth most 8+ man packing containers, and in 2022 the twenty ninth most. In 2023 he had the nineteenth lowest common time behind the road of scrimmage, in 2022 the ninth lowest. Previous to his ACL tear, Barkley averaged 8.2 yard per catch, because it, 6.3; he was within the prime half of makes an attempt per damaged sort out previous to the ACL with a mean of 10.6, because it he’s been within the backside half with a mean of 25.1. Whereas he’s been 14th and 18th in yards per try after contact within the final two seasons, however he was 4th in his first two, pre-injury seasons.
We knew that going into the offseason the Eagles have been going to must have a powerful season for heads to not roll. After the primary week of the offseason, there is no such thing as a excuse (aside from Jalen Hurts getting damage—which is a purpose, not an excuse) to not win the division. The Cowboys are treading water at finest, shedding a number of starters or contributors and signing only one participant to date. The WASTEAM Soccer Commanders added a excessive quantity of nothing particular gamers and can begin a rookie QB. The Giants, effectively, they exist.
The Eagles are dedicated to this core of gamers for 2025, the one gamers with the flexibleness of contract restructuring are Barkley and AJ Brown, and Brown is the one one they’ll transfer on from that may give them vital cap financial savings. If the Eagles fail once more this season, what occurs subsequent?
