Priority Number One This Offseason Is Reshaping The Defense
A lot of the talk right now about the Eagles is what they should do at quarterback or wide receiver. While both positions are up for questioning, reshaping the entire defense should be the Eagles’ number one priority. Every position on the defense is in need of reinforcements.
The Eagles’ defense last year under rookie defense coordinator Jonathan Gannon looked good at times, and other times looked flat-out bad. The Eagles’ defense struggled a lot more against playoff-caliber teams than they did against every other team. The Eagles have some glaring holes on the defense that need to be fixed.
The biggest hole right now is the safety position. Both safeties Anthony Harris and Rodney McLeod are set to hit the open market, leaving the Eagles in need of new starters. With the Eagles cap space, signing a big name starting safety should be high up on the list. Drafting a safety is also another possibility, but the Eagles desperately need help in the backend of the secondary.
The defensive line is a position group the Eagles must work on. The Eagles philosophy has been winning in the trenches and keeping everyone fresh as the game goes on. With Derek Barnett and Ryan Kerrigan leaving, the Eagles need more pass rushers. The Eagles have been linked to several pass rushers in this draft. I don’t think it’s a matter of if they draft a pass rusher this year, I think it’s just a matter of which pass rusher they chose.
Linebacker once again is a position of need for the Eagles. With so many teams having great linebacker play, the Eagles really need to prioritize the position. Maybe this is the year the Eagles draft one early? With three first-round picks, we can only hope. Getting a physical and dominant three-down linebacker is a wish Eagles fans have been craving for a while.
The Eagles will also need a corner opposite of Darius Slay. They have Slay and Maddox but Steven Nelson is now set to be a free agent. The Eagles could certainly look to one of their younger players, but getting more depth should be an option. Maybe even signing a veteran to help out and back up the younger guys.
With Gannon back as the coordinator next year, getting him some serious talent on that defense should be a main priority for the front office.
Featured Image: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
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Categorized:Eagles