The Eagles Are In a Position to Make This a Quick Rebuild
Following the Eagles blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins, the team will have in all likelihood three first-round picks next off-season.
Pile that with an NFL leading 11 picks this draft, the team has the ammo to bring in some young and exciting talent.
Nobody is expecting the 2021 Eagles to be anything special, but the Eagles have put themselves in a position to make this a quick rebuild and make a run for the playoffs in 2022-2023.
Beginning with the obvious, the three first-round picks. We still need Carson to play 75% of the snaps in Indy, but that seems likely to happen if no injury happens. Three picks in the first round would be a blessing, but having the same man who has botched so many picks before getting a chance at three more first-round picks is scary. Either way, the Eagles would have a shot to add some serious young talent through the draft, or maybe they are plotting something bigger. With an abundance of ammo, the Eagles could look at trading for a big-name QB. Russell Wilson has been floated around, but there is no true interest there. That seems too far out of the picture, but the chance to add three quality players who are either going to start or get significant snaps is huge for the present and the future. With three first-round picks next year, the Eagles are in a position to help improve their team vastly.
The next big piece to this puzzle is the cap space.
The Eagles had little to no cap space this year after the Wentz trade, and it took a lot of work to get below the cap. Now next off-season will be a completely different story. With Wentz off the books and the salary cap expected to rise, the Eagles could be major players in next year’s free agency. With players like Jamal Adams, Tyrann Mathieu, Davante Adams, Akiem Hicks, Stephon Gilmore, and Fred Warner all set to be free agents, the Eagles could look to make some massive upgrades.
If Hurts shows next year that he can be the guy, then you have a QB with two years left on his rookie deal that you can build around and really try to compete with. If Hurts doesn’t show he is the guy, then you have a ton of draft capital to move up and get your guy in the draft, make a blockbuster trade for a superstar QB, or sign one with the cap space.
The Eagles have themselves in a very good spot next year financially to be true players in the market.
Rebuilds can happen quickly in the NFL, and even though the Eagles have put themselves in a great position for the next off-season, there is still a lot of work to be done. Having three picks in the first round doesn’t guarantee three superstars, especially with our GM. Having tons of cap space doesn’t also equal tons of superstar signings; there are still 31 other teams in the league.
The Eagles need to show some encouragement this year. That doesn’t mean going 15-2 and a number one seed in the NFC, but they need to show that they are a team that is headed in the right direction. Nobody will want to join a team that went 3-14 that seems to be headed in the wrong direction. If the team goes 7-10 but shows they are only a couple of pieces away, then those big-name free agents may look at the Eagles as a good spot to sign.
2021 is still going to be a big year to see where the Eagles are headed.
Watching free agency as an Eagles fan this year sucked. Watching the Patriots sign everyone they wanted and making massive upgrades to their team while the Eagles had to fight to barely get under the cap.
With the moves this off-season, the Eagles are primed to be big players next off-season; three first-rounders, plenty of cap space, and a QB on his rookie deal is a recipe for success in the NFL.
The Eagles still need to see what they have in Hurts, but with 17 games to evaluate him, they should be certain to get the right answer.
This off-season may have sucked Eagles fans, but just look forward to the next one.
Featured Image: Norm Hall/Getty Images
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Categorized:Eagles