The Eagles won the NFC East last season where the team was ravaged by injuries. Carson Wentz was one player that stayed healthy, for a change, and will this be the season he gets his first career playoff win?
Odds to win NFC East: +140
Odds to win NFC: +1000
Odds to win Super Bowl: +2000
Key Additions: The big addition for the Eagles in the off-season was bringing in “Big Play” Slay Darius Slay, who is one of the premier cornerbacks in the league.
The team used their first-round draft pick to take WR Jalen Reagor and traded for WR Marquise Goodwin. The Eagles also made a surprise pick in the second round taking QB Jalen Hurts to back up Wentz.
Key Losses: The team lost some skill position players in the RB duo of Jordan Howard and Darren Sproles and former first-round draft pick WR Nelson Agholor. Philly also lost veteran S Malcolm Jenkins.
Season Preview
Wentz had a solid campaign last season even though his WR corps was banged up for most of the season.
How bad injuries hit the receivers is evident by the fact that the top three players in receiving yards were two tight ends and a running back. Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson played one game together and that was in the first week of the season.
Jeffrey and Jackson are back and first-round pick Reagor and off-season addition Goodwin give the birds a legit WR corps, but can they stay healthy? TE Zach Ertz led the team with 916 receiving yard and fellow TE Dallas Goedert had 607 receiving yards.
Wentz has the targets but unlike last season this season, they have to stay on the field.
Miles Sanders had over 1,300 yards from scrimmage last season and with Howard gone, he is THE guy in the backfield this season.
He will be counted on to take a lot of pressure off Wentz, who is under a lot of pressure anyways with his huge contract and lack of post-season play mainly due to injuries.
Even with the addition of Slay, the loss of veteran Jenkins may hurt. The team is hoping Slay can be a leader in the secondary, which has some question marks.
Last season the Eagles were one of the best teams in the league defending the run while one of the worst defending the pass.
Philly does not have the toughest first half but does have to face the 49ers and Ravens. In the second half, it gets tough.
In a killer stretch starting December first they face the Seahawks, Packers, and Saints.
Prediction: It is hard to see how the Eagles will do this season, as health is the key issue. They made the playoffs last season with a strong run game and with Wentz passing for over 4,000 yards.
I see Philly being healthier this season and Wentz having a good season. They will not win the NFC East again with the Cowboys doing so, but I see them as a wild card team that will not make much noise in the playoffs.