What was mostly a frustrating Eagles' season is now over following their loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, a defeat that saw them lose quarterback Carson Wentz in the first quarter to a head injury.
Now, the offseason is here, and for the second year in a row, the Eagles will enter it with plenty of tough decisions to make.
Here is a quick look at some of the biggest questions facing this team for the offseason:
What to do with Alshon Jeffery?: The Eagles No. 1 receiver did not have a great season, playing poorly early on and then ending the year on the injured reserve with a foot injury. Now, the Eagles need to decide if they want him back, if he will be healthy enough to play next season or if they are willing to eat the massive cap hit ($26 million in dead money) it would take to release him. What the Eagles' do with Jeffery will have a big impact on their biggest position of need — receiver — and their cap space to fix their roster overall.
Re-sign Jordan Howard?: At one point this season it looked like the Eagles needed to sign Howard to an extension before the price kept going up. Like Jeffery, however, Howard ended his season on the sideline. Howard got just one snap after the team's Bye Week due to a shoulder injury, and while he was sidelined, the Eagles built their backfield around Miles Sanders and Boston Scott — and it worked. The Eagles don't need Howard back, but on a cheap one-year deal, the two sides could agree to another season together.
Give Jenkins a new deal or trade him?: The Eagles' best defensive player this season was safety Malcolm Jenkins — and it is no guarantee he will be back next season. Jenkins entered 2019 looking for a new contract, but instead of holding out or causing trouble, he played all season at a Pro-Bowl level. He won't be doing that again in 2020. The Eagles are going to need to decide if they want to give Jenkins the new deal he deserves or move on from the captain of their defense.
Coaching staff decisions: At the Bye Week, with the Eagles struggling, it seemed a lock the team would make some major coaching changes this offseason, starting on offense with offensive coordinator Mike Groh and receivers coach Carson Walch. After finishing the season with four-straight wins, however, it isn't so clear they need to go. The offense improved as the season went on and receiver Greg Ward was a main contributor. Will the Eagles look at the second half of the season and keep Groh/Walch, or decide they need to make changes? What they do will have a big impact on their 2020 offense.
Jason Peters or Andre Dillard?: Left tackle Jason Peters could not have made it more clear after the team's loss to the Seahawks that he wants to be back. In fact, not only does he want to play another season, but he might want to play two more. That is going to be tough to do in Philadelphia, considering the Eagles just used a first-round pick on Andre Dillard. Will the Eagles, who have had trouble moving on from Peters, once again bring him back? Or will they turn over the left tackle spot to an unproven Dillard? A decision that should be an easy one could end up being a lot more difficult than it should be, considering how respected Peters is in the locker room, and how well he played at the end of this season.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
