It's time to turn the page.
That sentiment is Howie Roseman's, not mine or yours or thousands of Eagles season ticket holders.
But the idea is sound, and frankly overdue. The Eagles can't continue squeezing every ounce of life out of a Super Bowl window that magically opened in 2017. It's time to retool, as Roseman is on the record saying.
Achieving a successful retooling effort isn't easy. When the new league year starts, Roseman will have to thread the needle between building a good team for 2020, but thinking more about future years than the franchise has in a long time.
If Roseman needs advice, WIP callers are ready and willing to supply it on a daily basis. I'll get the ball rolling.
Here's my seven-step plan for how the Eagles should map out the offseason.
Move on from Jason Peters, let Andre Dillard sink or swim: All the Peters talk at the NFL Combine is infuriating. It's time to move on, and time to see if last year's first-round pick can play. The Eagles need to learn if Dillard can be the team's left tackle on its next Super Bowl roster. End of story.
Cut Alshon Jeffery: Addition by subtraction is a real thing in pro sports, and this is a clear example. I don't care about $26M in dead cap money. Roseman made a mistake by guaranteeing Jeffery's contract for 2020. He can't compound the mistake by allowing finances to get in the way of what's best for the team.
Jeffery isn't worth the headache, and isn't worth the negative energy (from on-field body language to allegedly ripping Carson Wentz anonymously) brought to team. The Steelers ate $21M in dead cap money last offseason to rid themselves of Antonio Brown. It was the right call. Cutting Jeffery (let's be real: no one is trading for a slow, injured, expensive malcontent) will be too.
Pass on Amari Cooper: Yes, Cooper (26) fits Philadelphia's edict of bridging today and tomorrow. Yes, signing him would weaken the rival Cowboys. Yes, he'd instantly be the best weapon Wentz has ever had. But paying a wide receiver top-five money wouldn't be a good use of resources. Cooper would be the wrong kind of splash for a team that needs to balance it's cap distribution better and weigh the strength of the upcoming draft. Plus, Cooper's nagging knee issues last season should give any smart team pause.
Spend on young, rising defensive players: Last year, the Eagles went all in on offense. The team's top three draft picks were on offense. DeSean Jackson returned. Wentz was given a long-term deal. The Eagles ranked just 21st in cap room allocated to defensive players in 2019. Only two teams spent less on defense and went on to make the postseason. This free-agent period is a chance to reverse that, and use the bulk of over $40M in cap space to re-make the defense.
If at least two of the following group don't arrive for a press conference at the NovaCare complex in late March, there's a problem:
Byron Jones, CB, 27
Yannick Ngakoue, DE, 24
Justin Simmons, S, 26
James Bradberry, CB, 26
Vonn Bell, 25, S
Kendall Fuller, CB, 25
Maliek Collins, DT, 24
Not every one of those names will hit the market due to the franchise tag. But there will be enough to target when the legal tampering period begins on March 16.
Target and draft a wide receiver in the first round: It's time to stop getting cute in the NFL Draft. In 2017, the Eagles waited out a great running back class only to end up with Donnel Pumphrey in the fourth round. Last year, a historic defensive line class went by only to watch the Eagles select Shareff Miller in the fourth round.
Let's make this year simple. With the 21st selection, a really talented wide receiver should be on the board. If the guy the Eagles want (Henry Ruggs III?) is projected to go earlier, subtract from a treasure of draft capital (10 picks) to move up in the first round and get the right guy.
Explore Zach Ertz's trade value: This one hurts, but it's the prudent thing to do. Ertz (along with Brandon Graham) are my favorite current Eagles and I'd love to see their entire careers played in midnight green. But with Dallas Goedert's role suppressed by having Ertz atop the depth chart, the Eagles need to at least gauge what Ertz could bring back in a deal.
If the value isn't substantial, keep Ertz around to catch 80 passes a year. But if a team is willing to pay a king's ransom for a special tight end that wants to be paid like one, elevating Goedert and reinvesting picks and cap room to other areas could help retool this franchise.
