Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz should see more help this year with the signing of Nick Foles as backup. File photo by David Tulis/UPI |
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The Philadelphia Eagles entered free agency with plenty of positional needs and not much cap space, but did fairly well filling some holes without gutting the roster.
The top goal was to get some offensive weapons for young quarterback Carson Wentz. They signed two veteran wide receivers, Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith. Jeffery agreed to a one-year, $9.5 million deal with another $4.5 million in incentives. Smith is coming off two disappointing seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Eagles also used free agency to add depth to their offensive line (guard Chance Warmack), a backup to Wentz (Nick Foles) and a pair of defensive veterans - defensive end Chris Long and cornerback Patrick Robinson.
The Eagles are expected to focus on defense in the draft, particularly at edge rusher and cornerback. That said, there's a very good chance they go offense with their first-round pick - the 14th overall - to get yet another offensive weapon for Wentz.
Here is a closer look at where the Eagles are, how they got here and a shot at what they should do with their first pick in the draft.
THE BREAKDOWN
2016 finish: 4th NFC East (7-9)
2016 STATISTICS
TOTAL OFFENSE: 337.4 (22nd)
RUSHING: 113.3 (11th)
PASSING: 224.1 (24th)
TOTAL DEFENSE: 342.8 (13th)
RUSHING: 103.3 (15th)
PASSING: 239.5 (13th)
TEAM NEEDS
1. Cornerback: Last year's starters - Leodis McKelvin and Nolan Carroll - both are gone. The Eagles signed free agent Patrick Robinson in late March, but need to rebuild the position.
2. Running back: Ryan Mathews isn't expected back and 34-year-old Darren Sproles is a specialty player who will likely retire after the season. The Eagles need a versatile back who can run inside and outside and also line up as a receiver.
3. Wide receiver: The Eagles signed Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in free agency. But Jeffery signed just a one-year deal and Smith is coming off two disappointing seasons with the 49ers.
KEY PERSONNEL TRACKER (As of April 3)
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
LB Najee Goode: Potential Unrestricted free agent; 1 yr, terms unknown.
C/G Stefen Wisniewski: UFA; $8.025M/3 yrs, $1.75M SB/$3.525 guaranteed.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
QB Nick Foles: UFA Chiefs; $27.5M/5 yrs, $3M SB/$7M guaranteed; final three years can void.
WR Alshon Jeffery: UFA Bears; $9.5M/1 yr, $7.75M SB/$8.75M guaranteed.
DE Chris Long: UFA Patriots; $11.25M/4 yrs, $500K SB/$1.5M guaranteed (2018-2020 option years).
WR Torrey Smith: FA 49ers; $15M/3 yrs, $500K SB.
G Chance Warmack: UFA Titans; $1.51M/1 yr, $500K SB.
PLAYERS LOST
RB Kenjon Barner: Not tendered as RFA/Chargers; terms unknown.
DE Connor Barwin (released).
CB Nolan Carroll: UFA Cowboys; $10M/3 yrs, $3M SB.
QB Chase Daniel (released).
DT Bennie Logan: UFA Chiefs; $8M/1 yr, $1M SB/$7.68M guaranteed.
G Evan Mathis (UFA/retired).
CB Leodis McKelvin (released).
CB Patrick Robinson: FA Colts; 1 yr, terms unknown.
MOCK DRAFT
NFLDraftScout.com analysts suggest (No. 14 overall).
Rob Rang (March 27 mock draft):
Jabrill Peppers, SS, Michigan. Given the dynamic pass-catchers the Eagles face annually in the NFC East, addressing a leaky secondary should be among Philadelphia's top priorities. Peppers is a polarizing prospect in the scouting community based in large part because he recorded just one interception during his career at Michigan. However, he is an instinctive, versatile player with the open-field tackling skills and competitive nature to quickly become a fan favorite.
Dane Brugler (March 20 mock draft):
Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford. The Eagles have surrounded second-year quarterback Carson Wentz with weapons on offense, but adding a versatile threat like McCaffrey is something that should frighten the rest of the NFC East.
Agree? Disagree? Still shopping?
Based on the team's current status, those are our suggestions for that first pick. To double check or find another candidate see NFLDraftScout.com's full mocks and ratings.
Frank Cooney, founder and publisher of The Sports Xchange and NFLDraftScout.com, is in his sixth decade covering football and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee. TSX team insiders contributed to this article.
