The Eagles Can’t Work Around Nick Sirianni

This week it was exciting to hear new Eagles Coordinators Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore speak for the 1^st time at the NovaCare complex.

On paper, Howie Roseman has had an excellent offseason. While the loss of Haason Reddick could be costly, we won’t be worried about it if Bryce Huff becomes a quality full-time player. Howie added Saquon Barkley to the offense and a slew of young athletic pieces to the defense in the draft.

CJ Gardner Johnson is back as well. It is hard to rely on rookies, but I find it hard to believe that 2 of Mitchell, DeJean, Hunt, & Trotter Jr don’t end up making an impact in year one. They don’t need to be instant All-Pros to be upgrades.

Both Moore and Fangio will have new pieces to play with to help erase last year’s historic collapse.  

None of it will matter though if Nick Sirianni isn’t better though.

The Eagles were the 1^st team ever to start 10-1 and not win 12 games. It is even worse than other collapses because the Eagles had 17 games to do it and the previous teams only had 16. When adversity hit, he did a terrible job leading.

Yes, there were personnel and play-calling issues, but they still should have been able to put wins together with the schedule they had. The team got worse down the stretch as the schedule got easier.

They managed to lose to Drew Lock, yes, Drew Lock, a Giants team that needed to lose for draft position, and the Cardinals who were horrible. You guys know all of this already, of course, so I apologize for the reminder.  

Sirianni’s fertilizer speech was ridiculed locally & nationally, but it turned out to be the right message at the right time.

Last year, he couldn’t find a similar refrain. With him shifting his role to the CEO-type coach this year, him finding the pulse of the team will be more important than ever. Both Super Bowl participants hit adversity last year and managed to rally.

As talented as I think the Eagles will be in 2024, I know there will be tough moments. Injuries happen, young players make mistakes, and new coaches can lead to miscommunication early in the season. Will Nick Sirianni be ready to rise to the occasion like he did in 2021, or will be fold like he did in 2023?

The answer to that question will tell us how excited we really can be about the 2024 season.  

The NFL Draft is far and away one of my favorite sports events of the year. As a league, there is a lot of things they do that I don't think. but more than any other league, they have nailed the annual draft. Making it an exciting event. It's the best sports event that does not include an actual game.

Who will my team pick? Where will this guy go? Which team is going to mortgage their future for a QB who wasn't even that good in college? It is theater. But I love it.

But it has not always been a fun night for Eagles fans. Howie Roseman has done better recently. But there was a time when we dreaded what he would do this year. Picks like Jalen Reagor, JJ Arcega Whiteside, Davion Taylor, and Andre Dillard made us hesitant to get excited about any player they took.

But then things turned for the better. In recent years he added players like Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Jalen Carter, and Cam Jurgens. All who appeared poised to be starters for a long time.

So how will he do this year? Howie had some work to do. They entered the draft with their offense in decent shape. They had locked up most of their best players on that side of the ball before the draft. Landon Dickerson, Jalen Hurts, Jordan Mailata, and Devonta Smith all got long-term extensions. And just before day 1 of the draft kicked off, they extended AJ brown as well.

But the defense? That was very much still a work in progress. Their defense was among the worst in the league in 2023. While Vic Fangio will steady things a bit, more than anything they needed talent.

Outside the defensive line, there was very little talent on this defense. They spent all offseason adding offensive talent like Saquon Barkley. But they were relying on the draft to fix their defense. Did they do that?

The 1st round could not have gone any better for the Eagles. They got the best player, at their biggest player of need, and didn't need to trade up to get him.

They say you don't draft for need, but if the best player available also is a need, you do it. Quinyon Mitchell has the makings of a star cornerback. He shut down the competition at Toldeo. And while some are concerned about that competition being weaker, he also shut down the competition at the Senior Bowl.

We have been desperate for the Eagles to land a prolific young cornerback, and they finally did it. This could be nothing but an A+.

Grade- A+

What is better than 1 good young corner? Two good young corners. History repeated itself in the 2nd round. The last time the Eagles took a corner was 2002 with Lito Shepard. They followed that pick with Michael Lewies and Sheldon Brown in the 2nd. This time the Eagles paired Mitchell with Cooper Dejean.

Many people had the Eagles taking DeJean at pick. Getting him in the 2nd round, feels like a steal. He held opposing QBs in the Big 10 to a passer rating under 50 in each of the past two seasons, and racked up 7 picks.

DeJean could play outside corner, could play in the slot, or could even play Safety. Hell, he can even be a return man. He did a little of everything at Iowa, and did all of it at a high level. The phrase Jack Of All Trades, Master of None does not apply here. Because in his case, he looked like a Master Of All Trades.

They had to give up assets to trade up for him. They packaged both their 2nds to get up to 40, but got a 3rd back. They also swapped 5th round picks. It cost them a second chance at a player with a 2nd round grade. But to get a guy they would have taken at 22, it is worth it.

Grade- A+

I am going to be honest and say I had never heard of Houston Christian, let alone watched one of their games. I was only vaguely aware of Hunt from what a few draft experts said. And they seem to like him.

He is a project, but one with a lot of upside. Since most of us have never watched him play, we kind of just have to take the word of people who did. It seems like he can play a bit, but we will find out when he takes the field.

They traded down twice before taking him, adding 2 4th round picks. So that factors in a bit. But if he doesn't pan out, and one of the guys who went between when they were supposed to pick, and where they took him, it won’t be a great look.

On the other hand, if they take someone with one of those 4th round picks who pans out, it makes it look like a great move.

This one is harder to grade, but I'll give it a decent one for now.

Grade- B

The Eagles have a lot of picks today, and not many picks in the 2025 draft. So why not trade one away from today, and gain what next year? That is exactly what they did. Howie turned Pick 120 into a 2025 3rd round pick. we don't know where in the 3rd that pick will be. its the Dolphins pick, so it could be later in the draft. But at worst, it is at least 30 picks higher than 120.

Great move.

The Eagles traded down, again, adding a 2025 5th-round pick. That part I like. As far the pick. eh. Shipley has skills that we should like. He can catch, he is fast, and he can contribute on Special teams. But many say the upside is limited. He isn't ever going to be a 3 down back. He's a backup.

They don't need that right now with Saquon Barkley, but there are higher-upside RBs available, and there will be RBs of Shipley's caliber later in the draft. Not a bad pick. He wi;ll find ways to help the team. Just not a needle mover.

Grade- C

We were shocked when Howie didn't trade up in the 1st and stayed at 22. That worked out. But clearly not trading made Howie uncomfortable, because he then made trades with every other pick. The latest, trading pick 132 and 210, for 164, 201, and a 2025 4th-round pick.

Oddly enough that 2025 pick, is the one they gave up to get D'Andre Swift this time last year.

Howie is stockpiling picks for next year. Thats the 3rd pick he added to his 2025 haul, which makes you think he is prepping for whatever the bogus tampering charges will be because James Franklin couldn't keep his mouth shut.

This one isn't as clear as a win as trading for the 2025 3rd round pick was. Their 4th moved down to the 5th, and they moved their 6th up 9 picks. We will have to see where that 4th round pick falls. But it's probably a smart move.

Grade- B

The Eagles needed another WR. Their depth behind AJ Brown and Devonta Smith was terrible. Enter Ainais Smith. Smith drew some comparisons to Deebo Samuel, in that he can kind of do it all as a WR. They used him as a standard pass catcher, but also found other ways to get him the ball in space, including with rushes out of the backfield.

Add on that he is a return specialist, and it seems like good value in the 5th round.

Grade- A

They did it. They took the Ax Man's son. The Eagles got a guy many Eagles fans would have been happy to see with their 3rd round pick.

If you are expecting him to be his dad, don't. he is a different kind of LB. For one, he is much smaller. One of the big knocks on trotter Jr, and why he fell to the 5th round, is is slender build. Will he hold up as a LB at this level? we will find out. But he is a smart, dependable LB, who can riush the passer as easily as he drops back into coverage.

Dont expect him to be a Super Star, but he can stabilize a position of need for the Eagles. And in the 5th round, it is amazing value.

Grade- A

If its an O-Lineman that Jeff Stoutland singled out, I love the pick. Keegan gave up 0 sacks last season. That is despite playing in the BIG 10 and going up against prolific competition. Keegan might be able to push for the starting RG job this year. If not, he is at the very least a solid backup plan. Dickerson has missed time here and there, so having solid backups is smart. Either way, great pick in the 5th round.

Grade- A

The Eagles double-dip at WR. First, they get their blazing deep threat, now they get a 6ft 7 giant in Johnny Wilson. I don't know too much about him., but the ESPN crew gushed about him., Saying he can run any route, has an unreal work ethic, and that mistakes never phase him. They even compared him to Brandon Marshall as a player.

If he is half as good as the player they described, they got a steal. I also saw Andrew Dicecco, who I trust with day 3 players more than anyone, sing his praises and say it was a steal. So I guess it was a good pick.

Grade- A

With their final pick, they went with a center. They drafted Jason Kelce 191st overall. The year he retires, they take McMahon 190th.

McMahon does have some similarities. both were considered great athletes coming out of college but had knocks for physical limitations. for Kelce, it was his size. For McMahon, it is short arms.

They aren't relying on this guy to replace Kelce. they will ask him to back up Jason Kelce. And by all regards, he should be a good backup. They needed OL depth and got it.

Grade- B

Overall, it was a great draft. But you can never address every need. We talked about them needing a TE, and they never got one. More importantly, they didn't get the future replacement for Lane Johnson. Luckily Lane still has a couple years left at least, so they have time. Otherwise, they hit most of their needs. They got two DBs, a 3rd RB, two more WRs and OL depth.

Depending on how they plan to use Cooper DeJean, they may still need a Safety. But they addressed their needs about as well as we could hope.

Overall Grade- A