It was a tale of two halves in the first matchup between the Eagles and Washington Football Team. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, the ending wasn’t in their favor. Here’s what we learned:

1. Carson Wentz…

In the first half, Carson Wentz looked like the best quarterback in the league. All the hype surrounding this new Eagles offense was real, and the Eagles were set to win by 40. But once the 2:00 warning of the first half passed, everything flipped on its head. Carson Wentz couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, and the offensive line couldn’t block a fly.

Obviously some of the blame falls on the big guys up front, but for some reason, Carson Wentz seemingly forgot how to play football during that commercial break. His accuracy dwindled and he just couldn’t figure out when to throw it away. Obviously his ability to extend plays is part of what makes him so good, but by his fifth year, he should know when to just chuck the ball into the dirt and look forward to another down. His inability to make that decision cost the Eagles several times, including one drive where he turned a shorter FG attempt into a 53-yarder (which was missed). 

Wentz also struggled to protect the ball, tossing two interceptions and fumbling twice. Fumbles have been a huge problem for him to this point in his career and it’s a shame that he hasn’t cleaned that up yet. Some of these mistakes could be attributed to the lack of a rapport between Wentz and his young receivers, but there is no excuse for not protecting the ball when pressured. To put it plainly, Carson MUST be better for the Eagles to go anywhere.

2. That Offensive Line…

The Eagles knew they were going to be short-handed on the offensive line coming into the game, but nobody expected an eight-sack onslaught. Washington had several players with multiple sacks, including rookie Chase Young who had 1.5 in his NFL debut. Jason Peters was abysmal even after receiving a pay bump. Lane Johnson was out and his backup Jack Driscoll got hurt during the game. The only encouraging sign was that a battered line had this bad of a game against arguably the best defensive line in football. Not every team is going to come in with five first-rounders across their line. 

It wasn’t just pass-blocking that was terrible. The Eagles, who were also short-handed at running back, couldn’t open a hole all day. The team’s leading rusher was Boston Scott who finished with 35 yards on barely 4.0 YPC. The absence of Miles Sanders stings, but he likely wouldn’t have done much behind this unit.

3. Injuries

I feel like I’ve used this heading in every single Eagles recap over the past two seasons. This team cannot catch a break on the injury front. Already missing Lane Johnson, Miles Sanders, Javon Hargrave, Derek Barnett, and Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles lost Vinny Curry and Craig James to “significant injuries” during the game. Brandon Graham, Jack Driscoll, Boston Scott, and possibly DeSean Jackson also were dinged up at some point in the contest. In 2017, 2018, and even 2019 it just felt like bad luck, but at this point, something is just off. Clearly the revamped training staff hasn’t done a thing. I’ve never seen so many hamstring injuries on one injury report. Something has to be done.

4. Tight Ends

Zach Ertz chose the worst possible week to go public about his contract fiasco. In his first game since a shouting match with Howie Roseman, Ertz caught just 3 of 7 targets for 18 yards and a score. He was thoroughly outplayed by his backup Dallas Goedert who some actually think is better than him. That was true for at least this week; Goedert finished with 8 grabs for 101 yards and a score of his own. The usually reliable Ertz also dropped a crucial fourth-down pass that essentially sealed the deal for Washington. Just a bad week in general for the longtime Eagle.

5. Final Thoughts

Aaron Donald historically hasn’t seen much success against the Eagles, but history doesn’t account for how bad the Eagles OL is looking right now. If something doesn’t change, next week’s game against the Rams could get ugly in a hurry. Also, Jalen Ramsey and the Rams DBs are worlds better than who the Redskins employ, so it won’t be easy pickings for Carson Wentz.

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer

The NFL’s annual four-game preseason slate gives teams a chance to evaluate players that are hopeful to make the team. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to cancel this year’s preseason, making it harder for young players and fringe players to showcase their talents. Regardless, teams still had to cut it down to 53, so here is the Eagles final 53-man roster in depth chart form.

Quarterback: Carson Wentz, Nate Sudfeld, Jalen Hurts

No surprises here. While Jalen Hurts hasn’t officially taken over Nate Sudfeld as the team’s backup quarterback, it’s bound to happen at some point this season. The Eagles are in good hands at this position. Josh McCown is also on the practice squad as an emergency QB.

Running Back: Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Corey Clement, Jason Huntley

At first, it appeared as if the Eagles were only going to keep three backs, but they scooped up Jason Huntley at the last minute. The rookie Huntley was actually someone the Eagles wanted in the draft, so they wasted no time signing him after he was cut by Detroit. Sanders, Scott, and Clement as the top three backs is no surprise, but Philadelphia has no true power back on the roster.

Wide Receiver 1: Alshon Jeffery, Jalen Reagor

It’s a good sign for Jeffery that he’s still listed as the top receiver on the depth chart. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, both guys here are injured. Fortunately for Philadelphia, they’re both expected to come back sooner than originally expected.

Wide Receiver 2: DeSean Jackson, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, John Hightower

Wide Receiver 3: Greg Ward

Greg Ward won the slot job! Looks like the former college QB may be more than just a three-game wonder. Overall, the Eagles receiving corps is looking pretty good. Carson Wentz himself called this group the most explosive he’s ever been a part of.

Tight End: Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Richard Rodgers

Once again, the Eagles return the best tight end duo in football in Ertz and Goedert. A familiar face in Richard Rodgers also returns. Hopefully, Goedert fully breaks out this season because nobody knows how long Ertz will be around for.

Center: Jason Kelce, Nate Herbig

Left Tackle: Jason Peters, Jordan Mailata

Thanks to Lane Johnson’s cooperation, the Eagles gave Peters the pay bump he wanted and he returned to LT. Carson Wentz should feel a lot better about his blindside.

Right Tackle: Lane Johnson, Jack Driscoll

Lane Johnson has been dealing with an ailment lately, but the right side is still fine as long as he’s there. Jack Driscoll made the team over college teammate Prince Tego Wanogho.

Left Guard: Isaac Seumalo, Nate Herbig

Right Guard: Matt Pryor, Nate Herbig

Nate Herbig is the main backup for the entire interior of the offensive line. With Peters kicking back out to LT, Matt Pryor will be the replacement for Brandon Brooks.

Right Defensive End: Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, Genard Avery

If Josh Sweat is as good in real action as he is in practice, this Eagles DE rotation should be very stout. Avery has to prove that he’s worth the draft pick that Philadelphia gave up for him.

Left Defensive End: Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Casey Toohill

Two longtime Eagles in Graham and Curry headline this position. It was surprising to see Toohill, this year’s seventh-rounder, make the team.

Right Defensive Tackle: Javon Hargrave & Malik Jackson

On the Eagles website, both of them are listed as starters at the same position. The Eagles have a ridiculously good defensive tackle rotation.

Left Defensive Tackle: Fletcher Cox, Hassan Ridgeway

Cox, the defense’s superstar, should be able to get adequate rest in-game with Ridgeway backing him up. Ridgeway, a decent player in his own right, will be fine next to Hargrave/Jackson.

Right Outside Linebacker: Nathan Gerry, Alex Singleton

Middle Linebacker: T.J. Edwards, Shaun Bradley

Left Outside Linebacker: Duke Riley, Davion Taylor

Linebacker is currently the weakest part of the Eagles roster. Nathan Gerry, at best a decent but inconsistent starter, is their best player here. Riley is a special teams ace who hasn’t contributed much on defense. It was nice to see Bradley, who went to college local at Temple, make the final roster.

Right Cornerback: Avonte Maddox, Nickell Robey-Coleman

Left Cornerback: Darius Slay, Craig James

The cornerback position has been absolutely REVAMPED for the Eagles. Darius Slay is the first elite CB the Eagles have had in years, and behind him are Maddox and NRC, two high-level slot corners who can contribute on the outside. Craig James is a special teams ace who showed enough this offseason to be named a captain. The Eagles also brought back fan-favorite Cre’ Von LeBlanc, but he did not appear on the depth chart.

Free Safety: Rodney McLeod, K’Von Wallace

No surprises here.

Strong Safety: Jalen Mills, Marcus Epps, Rudy Ford

We will finally get to see Jalen Mills at safety, a position he’s probably better suited for than CB. Epps and Ford round out the depth chart.

Punter: Cameron Johnston

Kicker: Jake Elliott

Punt Returner: Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, DeSean Jackson

Kick Returner: Boston Scott, John Hightower, Jason Huntley

I can’t imagine the Eagles risking Reagor and Jackson on punt return duties. I expect Ward to handle the bulk of the returns. Boston Scott was the primary kick returner last year and will likely continue that role this year.

*Depth chart comes from the Eagles Official Team Website

-By: Micah Jimoh

The 2017 NFL season was a fairytale for the Philadelphia Eagles. They were the #1 seed in the NFC and won the Super Bowl despite an offensive onslaught from Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The franchise’s success in 2017 and over the last three seasons in total has overshadowed what proved to be a nightmare of a draft that year. Let’s take a look at how things have panned out for the Eagles’ eight selections.

Round 1: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

Outside of being a part of the biggest play in franchise history, Derek Barnett has really accomplished next to nothing in his short career so far. Everyone knows how talented he is, but the production doesn’t come close to matching the pedigree. In college, his 32 sacks in three seasons broke the school record set by Reggie White. In the NFL, he only has 14 in the same amount of time. He’s also missed 13 of a possible 48 games, the majority of his missed time coming in 2018. The Eagles revamped their defensive line with the addition of Javon Hargrave, but if Barnett continues to fall short of expectations, the front four will never be as good as they could be.

Round 2: Sidney Jones, CB, Washington

Arguably the most talented corner in a draft that had Tre’Davious White and Marshon Lattimore, Jones’ stock fell through the floor after a blown Achilles at his school’s pro day. The Eagles picked him up hoping that after a season of rehab, he could turn out to be the steal of the draft. That didn’t happen. Even after his Achilles healed, a litany of soft-tissue injuries kept Jones to just eight total starts over the next two seasons. When he actually saw the field, he spent his time getting torched into submission by various receivers. It took just three seasons for the Eagles to see all that they needed to see, and they cut him just eight days before the 2020 season opener.

Round 3: Rasul Douglas, CB, Virginia

Injuries have never been a problem for Douglas, the Eagles third-round selection in 2017. He’s shown some flashes of brilliance, but his complete lack of speed and quickness has made him useless against most receivers. He’s a great tackler with exceptional ball skills, but speed is something that DBs simply cannot live without in a league full of superhuman athletes. Just like Jones, he was released a little over a week before the 2020 season opener.

Round 4: Mack Hollins, WR, North Carolina

Drafted as a special teams contributor, the Eagles were hopeful that Mack Hollins could grow into a deep threat for Carson Wentz. He even wore number 10, the same as former (and now current) fan-favorite deep threat DeSean Jackson. After recording 226 yards on 14.1 YPC as a rookie, he was set to assume a bigger role in 2018. He ended up missing the entire year with a groin injury. Then, in 2019, when the entire Eagles receiving core was destroyed by injuries, the Eagles needed Hollins to step up. He responded with 10 catches in 12 games and was unceremoniously dumped by the team following a Week 13 loss to the Dolphins.

Round 4: Donnel Pumphrey, Jr., San Diego State

In a draft filled with stud running backs, the Eagles managed to take arguably the worst one. Let’s take a look at who else Philadelphia could’ve gotten:

Leonard Fournette - 2,631 rushing yards in three seasons

Christian McCaffrey - 1,000+ rushing AND receiving yards in 2019

Dalvin Cook - 1,135 rushing yards in 2019

Joe Mixon - 2x 1,100+ yard rusher

Alvin Kamara - 2,408 rushing yards and 243 receptions in three years

Kareem Hunt - 2017 NFL rushing yards leader

James Conner - 1,470 total yards in 2018

Tarik Cohen -1,613 career return yards

Marlon Mack - 1,999 rushing yards in 2018 & 2019

Aaron Jones - career 5.0 YPC, 19 total TD in 2019

Chris Carson - 2,381 rushing yards in 2018 & 2019

Who they got: Donnel Pumphrey, Jr. - 0 career stats

Round 5: Shelton Gibson, WR, West Virginia

The Eagles drafted Gibson as another potential deep threat wide receiver. Throughout his career, he’s averaged an astonishing 19.7 yards per catch… on three total receptions. Gibson has zero starts to his name and just 59 career receiving yards. He is no longer with the team.

Round 5: Nathan Gerry, LB, Nebraska

Gerry, a former college safety, is one of two players in this draft class to still be with the team. Thanks to the Eagles severe lack of linebackers, Gerry is expected to see significant playing time this season. He’s had his moments, but overall he’s just not very good. For a former safety, he gets lost in coverage at an alarming rate. After starting 12 games last season, maybe Gerry can make the leap to a solid, consistent starter. 

Round 6: Elijah Qualls, DT, Washington

Playing under a DT that loves to rotate in defensive lineman, Elijah Qualls had a chance to get snaps on this Eagles defense. Qualls ended up staying in Philadelphia for one year, recorded four total tackles, and was released by the team before the 2018 campaign. 

Overview:

Eight players drafted, and just two remain on the team. Those two, Gerry and Barnett, have not proved to be very good at what they do. Howie Roseman is given a lot of credit for what he does in the Eagles front office, but he’s also directly responsible for one of the worst drafts in NFL history. Not a single player selected has made an elite impact, and all of the players that were released have yet to make a contribution elsewhere (the jury is out on Jones and Douglas). 

For Joe Douglas & Howie Roseman:

https://youtu.be/_0xr0HCN794?t=78
*All stats were taken from Pro Football Reference

By: Micah Jimoh

Writer