{"id":15840,"date":"2017-03-11T20:24:15","date_gmt":"2017-03-12T01:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=15840"},"modified":"2017-03-11T20:24:15","modified_gmt":"2017-03-12T01:24:15","slug":"philadelphia-eagles-2017-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2017\/03\/11\/philadelphia-eagles-2017-free-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"Early Impressions for the Philadelphia Eagles\u2019 2017 Free Agency Moves"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s day two of the 2017 league year and the\u00a0Philadelphia Eagles<\/strong>\u00a0have already sent waves rippling through free agency. Last season Philadelphia\u2019s receiver corps was, at its best,\u00a0lackluster<\/em>. Without a deep-threat and a reliable pass-catcher,\u00a0Carson Wentz<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was\u00a0ultimately\u00a0limited to quick, short throws despite a strong start to the season. The run-game was made stagnate by the one-dimensional passing and ultimately the entire offense sputtered. Knowing that the receiver position was one of dire need, the Eagles signed not one,\u00a0but two<\/em>\u00a0of the best available receivers,\u00a0Torrey Smith<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Alshon Jeffery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Early Impressions for the Philadelphia Eagles\u2019 2017 Free Agency Moves<\/h2>\n

General manager Howie Roseman didn\u2019t stop there, though. In a few less-publicized moves, the Eagles also added offensive line depth, cut\u00a0Connor Barwin<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>declined running back\u00a0Kenjon Barner<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s option, and re-signed special teams stud\u00a0Najee Goode<\/a><\/strong>. Keeping all of that in mind, here are some projections for the 2017 season.<\/p>\n

The Former State of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Receivers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you watched an Eagles game last season, you were likely exasperated with the painfully-mediocre receiver play. That\u2019s not to say the Eagles\u2019 young receiver corps lacked talented, but it was clear that they were in need of a true number one option.<\/p>\n

Nelson Agholor<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>was a colossal disappointment in his second year, offering little more than dropped passes and route gaffs despite a first-round pedigree and a well-touted off-season. Sophomore\u00a0Dorial Green-Beckham<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0looked promising as a huge, athletic target for Wentz. Unfortunately, his play was what one would expect of a developmental prospect that had to rapidly learn a new offense. While Green-Beckham had clear moments of potential, his play was simply too sporadic.\u00a0Jordan Matthews<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was the only wideout near 1,000 receiving yards, but even he was supremely inconsistent. Without a decoy, defenses could focus on keeping Matthews out of a game and frequent drops\u00a0kept him from beating coverage.<\/p>\n

The Eagles did get some production out of rookies\u00a0Bryce Treggs<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0Paul Turner<\/a><\/strong>. However, like Green-Beckham, these receivers were too underdeveloped to be consistent performers. With a glaring deficit of experience and quality hands, the Eagles wideouts weren’t a serious threat.<\/p>\n

Fly Eagles Fly\u2026 With a Better Receiver Corps!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

2017 is the year that changes. Alshon Jeffery is no\u00a0Julio Jones<\/a><\/strong>, but he’s a true number one receiver. His production may have dropped over the past two seasons, but there are a variety of explanations. The\u00a0Bears<\/strong>\u00a0never replaced\u00a0Brandon Marshall<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0so defenses could take out Jeffery with little fear of other options burning them.<\/p>\n

Jeffery has the instincts and strength to make contested catches, with an accompanying knack for breaking tackles. These are qualities that were\u00a0rarely present on the Eagles’ roster last season, so it goes without saying that Jeffery is a good addition. But he’s not the only one.<\/p>\n

Torrey Smith also had a mediocre season in 2016, but he’s had success as a speed threat in the past. He may not be as well-rounded as Jeffery, but he’s an upgrade over Agholor; and his touchdown numbers are highly-respectable.<\/p>\n

At a minimum, Smith frees up Jeffery and Matthews. At a maximum, Smith registers as one-half of a potent, deep-threat receiver duo that has Jordan Matthews doing damage from the slot. That\u2019s not even counting the Eagles\u2019 tight end options. On paper, this receiver group is vastly superior to anything the Eagles mustered last season.<\/p>\n

Solidifying the O-Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Eagles\u2019 offensive line manhandled opposing lines the first three games of 2016. Then\u00a0Lane Johnson<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was suspended for ten games and it all fell apart. The right tackle position was a revolving door and the rest of the line, and offense, suffered. When Johnson returned near the end of the season, the line performance immediately returned to greatness \u2013 but it was too late for the Eagles to recover their season.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia indirectly addressed this issue by adding former\u00a0Titans<\/strong>‘ first-round pick\u00a0Chance Warmack<\/a><\/strong>. The prized left guard never truly lived up to his\u00a0full<\/em>\u00a0potential in Tennessee, but he was hardly a bust either. Warmack can bring some competition to a guard spot or add some capable depth.\u00a0It\u2019s entirely possible that the move was really directed at replacing an aging\u00a0Allen Barbre<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Eagles also re-signed\u00a0Stefen Wisniewski<\/a><\/strong>, who has experience at both center and guard. The new contract\u00a0could<\/em>\u00a0be a simple depth move, but it\u2019s entirely possible that the Eagles are planning on reshuffling the line. Barbre isn\u2019t the only aging linemen;\u00a0Jason Peters<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is 35 this season and\u00a0Jason Kelce<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is 29. Admittedly, Kelce is still young, but there have been plenty of rumors that his tenure in Philadelphia is nearing its end.<\/p>\n

Still, the Eagles don\u2019t need<\/em> to replace members of the line this upcoming season. A possible lineup would have Peters staying at left tackle, Warmack replacing Barbre at guard, Kelce at Center, Brandon Brooks<\/strong> at right guard position, and Lane Johnson holding down the right tackle spot. Wisniewski would headline the second tier unit and the Eagles have a more secure front-five.<\/p>\n

Shuffling the D-Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The defensive line was a different story.\u00a0Fletcher Cox<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0had a subpar season by his standards, but still served as a dominant force. On the left end,\u00a0Brandon Graham<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0had the best season of his career while\u00a0Bennie Logan<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0enjoyed a solid effort at Cox\u2019 right.<\/p>\n

Connor Barwin\u00a0had less success as the right-side defensive end. Playing out of his norm in a 4-3 defense, Barwin never adjusted to the new scheme and his production drop was significant. For this reason, it didn\u2019t come as a surprise when Barwin was cut Thursday, saving $7.75 million in cap space. This does create a hole at the position, but the Eagles could easily draft a rookie or look to free agency.<\/p>\n

The bigger problem, one likely to be solved in the immediate future, is what to do with Bennie Logan. Now a free agent, Logan was a brilliant run-stuffer in 2016 and the Eagles should make an effort to re-sign him. However, backup\u00a0Beau Allen<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was good in relief, so Logan\u2019s loss wouldn\u2019t be catastrophic.<\/p>\n

Overall 2017 Outlook<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On paper, the Eagles won the early days of free agency. Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith not only give Philadelphia a vertical passing game, they allow the franchise to focus on other areas in the draft. That’s especially important in the first round, where a number of reputable corner backs are expected to go. Considering the Eagles haven’t had a decent set of corner backs in years, that’s a big\u00a0need.<\/p>\n

Adding Warmack and re-signing Wisniewski for offensive line depth was similarly\u00a0imperative, since protecting Carson Wentz is essential to his long-term success. Not to mention the freedom it will provide both phases of the offense.<\/p>\n

The defensive line is a little more precarious at the moment. It’s unlikely that\u00a0Marcus Smith<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>replaces Connor Barwin, so the Eagles will have to add a new defensive end soon. Assuming the Eagles can improve or maintain Barwin’s mediocre level of production from last season, the defensive line should continue to be a team strength.<\/p>\n

With all of that in mind, the Eagles should have a better roster in 2017 than they did in 2016. Assuming Carson Wentz continues to develop into the franchise quarterback he\u2019s believed to be, the Eagles could be a legitimate contender in the NFC East this year.<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n