No Eagles Move: Is Standing Pat The New Philly Strategy?
I’m not a fan of the status quo. Patience is a virtue that I certainly need to pray to be bestowed upon me more at church. I do not know about you, but rolling it back or not addressing concerns sooner than later doesn’t thrill me. Whether it’s the Eagles, Phillies or 76ers currently I have seen a little too often that keeping the status quo is the strategy. It’s to varying degrees, but has it served us well? Let’s look at some examples and I believe I can make the case that you will have similar concerns.
The Eagles punted on the trade deadline yesterday
Vic Fangio sat behind the microphone and told the media that he was very happy with what he has. He isn’t a fan of adding veteran pieces halfway into a season and trying to shoe horn them into the rotation. It’s weird how much I trust in his vision. I’m usually far more skeptical. The idea of not chasing a pass rusher may come back to haunt them but I wasn’t feeling that it was a necessity.
On the offensive side of the ball I felt differently. Saquon Barkley has been outstanding, but he is on pace for his largest workload ever. I’m not sure that is the best strategy for him or the Eagles. Rarely does a running back put together their best season at the age of 27, but Barkley is defying the odds. I don’t doubt that he can continue to put together an amazing season.
I’m just skeptical that he can sustain this level of production and be at his best in January. This team is rolling because of the balance of superstar options in the running and passing game. Finding a way to spell Saquon for considerable carries should be a top priority.
Can Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley carry the load if an injury were to occur? I’d suggest that a reinforcement was in order but the cost must have been considered too high. If the worst happens I’m going to tell you the price they weren’t willing to pay could seem cheap.
Dave Dombrowski sends a signal to not expect a ton of change
You don’t have to read between the lines to know that Dave Dombrowski is faced with a considerable challenge. He is locked into some huge long term contracts with players heading towards the back end of their primes in Harper and Turner. He has a rotation that is contractually set with Wheeler, Nola and Sanchez locked in for the next three seasons.
There isn’t a ton of flexibility. He also owns a roster that has seen declining post season success over the last three straight seasons. So what does he do? If the USA Today reports are true they are willing to part with Castellanos, Bohm or Marsh. Could it be a combination of the three?
If the Phillies continue with their plan of platooning outfielders they will not be up to the challenge of beating top competition when the October leaves fall. Without change that would mean that they believe they are like the Dodgers and can shake off postseason failures to finally win that championship. I’d rather see a more wholesale, aggressive makeover.
The 76ers doubled down on their count on Embiid strategy this off-season
It’s been a tumultuous start for the 76ers after a summer where Joel Embiid was injured in the post season and then participated in the Olympics. It brought him a personal accomplishment but the summer of rehab never happened. That has cost the 76ers a fast start in the 2024 season but it’s what they did with the rest of the roster that raises eyebrows.
They decided to once again get older and their bench is certainly not a group of youthful upstarts. The 76ers said we have a few more years of the Embiid prime and so they doubled down on surrounding him with veterans. They are hoping it works and I’m optimistic that it can bring them further than the second round. I’m also confident that if they don’t deliver it will lead to another shot at a “process”
CONCLUSION
Standing pat is a bold strategy. It is one that every Philadelphia fan needs to completely buy into.
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