The NFC East Division Champions are entering their second season under Chip Kelly, and the man who now lives in the land of a thousand BBQ sauces is just an afterthought. After consecutive losing seasons in which Andy Reid led the Eagles to futility, Kelly created a turnaround of epic proportions. But what is on deck for year two of the Kelly regime?
Though they won a division title a season ago, the 2014 Eagles are not without their -shortcomings. Replacing a diva wide receiver, solidifying a pass rush, and filling gaping holes in the secondary are foremost on Philadelphia’s to-do list.
Who can fill the shoes left by a receiver who caught 82 passes for 1332 yards and nine scores in 2013? Enter Jeremy Maclin, who in 2012 caught 69 passes for 857 yards and seven touchdowns in Marty Mornhinweg’s system. Maclin is not quite as fast or agile as Jackson, but will be an easy replacement for Jackson’s numbers as the number one target for Nick Foles. While Maclin is more possession oriented than DeSean Jackson due to the latter’s home run potential, Maclin is also more versatile in the routes he can run making him an even better fit for Kelly’s offense than Jackson was.
Maclin will not be the only one swallowing up targets Jackson left behind after his release, as second-year tight end Zach Ertz is ready to become a focal point of the team’s passing offense. Other options to take on some workload include Darren Sproles who has seen much time in the slot at training camp, and Jordan Matthews the SEC’s all-time leader in receiving. If Maclin is not up to task, surely these three can patch over what is seemingly the only hole in Philadelphia’s offense.
The other side of the ball is not nearly as close to pristine as the unit’s offensive counterparts. Ranking 20th in the league last season with only 37 sacks, Philadelphia must get its pass defense rush going. Trent Cole managed just eight sacks after switching to outside linebacker, and Brandon Graham rarely saw the field enough due to the fact that he is a liability in pass coverage. Could a rookie be the answer here, or will Graham finally play like the 13th overall pick he was drafted as five seasons ago.
Marcus Smith turned a lot of heads when his name was called as the 26th overall selection in this year’s draft. Smith was an excellent pass-rusher at Louisville where he accrued 24 sacks and 32 tackles for loss in three seasons as a Cardinal. Be it Smith or the long-awaited emergence of Graham, someone must step up in this talented yet-ineffective unit for Philadelphia to improve in pass coverage this season.
After surrendering 4,636 yards to opposing passers in 2013, the last-ranked pass defense in football must improve in 2014. While Brandon Boykin has emerged as an All-Pro slot--corner, there are numerous holes in the team’s secondary starting at the strong safety position.
Either veteran Nate Allen or the relatively untested sophomore Earl Wolff will hold the reigns of Billy Davis’ pass defense this season, a fearful scenario for Eagles fans. Will the team go with the unknown developing player or the average starter they known and cannot get rid of? Either way, this position is has the largest void of talent on the roster, and will be a major concern should neither player emerge as an NFL quality starter.
From pass rush to pass defense to figuring out who is going to catch the football, the Eagles have a large volume of things to work on heading into 2014. Regardless, the team enters the year as the most talented in division, and expects to repeat its fortunes as division champion this season.