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The Eagles won the Super Bowl last season. Are you doing better?
In the past two weeks, we have dissected the Eagles' 2018 alignment one position at a time. Most of the time, we determined that this year's team was more talented than the group that won a championship. But when will come the time to collect all the coins and give the kickoff on Sept. 6 against the Atlanta Falcons, will the Eagles really line up a top team compared to last season?
Better
Wide Receivers
Pass Rushers
The Eagles are clearly improving in two key areas. Torrey Smith's replacement with Mike Wallace was a clear improvement in a receiving body that should also benefit from a good Alshon Jeffery and Mack Hollins having a year in the NFL under his belt. Although the defensive line as a whole has some points of questioning, the addition of triple Bowen Michael Bennett to the defensive as well as the continued development of Derek Barnett could give the Eagles a much more frightening momentum.
we could see a significantly high performance is, tight end, assuming that the second round pick and athlete freak Dallas Goedert can come in and contribute immediately. Goedert joins Wallace and Bennett as the key newcomers for 2018.
Worse
Cornerback Nickel
Although there is a ton of talent at the cornerback, he is extremely unlikely that anyone can match the job Patrick Robinson did in the slot. Robinson was a proven option for nickel, posting a year-long career with the Eagles last season. On the flip side, options to replace him full-time – including Sidney Jones, Jalen Mills, Avonte Maddox or De Vante Bausby – have almost no experience in the NFL in this role. This is essentially a starting position, so Robinson's departure in the free agency is not a trivial matter.
Another place to watch is the vacant position at the low linebacker after the release of Mychal Kendricks. Kendricks has benefited from a resurgent season in 2017, and succession candidates – Corey Nelson, Nathan Gerry and Kamu Grugier-Hill – are not being recognized. Fortunately, it's a limited role, so Kendricks is not as big a loss as Robinson.
Same
Offensive Line
Safeties
Jim Schwartz
Doug Pederson
Howie Roseman
The good news is that there has a ton of carryover for the Super Bowl champions last season. If you consider that Jay Ajayi is the playmaker for this team, what he was in fact, 19 of the 22 starters are back, as well as many key backups. It's an incredible continuity that few NFL teams are honored, let alone the defending champions.
This continuity also extends to most of the coaching staff. Schwartz and his entire defensive team come back. There were some changes on the offensive side with Frank Reich and John DeFilippo getting new jobs, but the Eagles were able to promote the inside. More importantly, Pederson remains the head coach, and Roseman remains at the front of the front office. The basis of the franchise is the same.
The Unknown
Injured Players: QB, LT, MLB, RP / RB, DT
Perhaps the biggest question to know if The Eagles are better or worse lies in the recovery of many injured star players from a year ago, almost all of whom should resume their roles.
Can Carson Wentz get his MVP form? We saw the quarterbacks fight in their first year after an ACL injury. Jason Peters can still dominate at the age of 36 after an LCA on his own? The left tackle of the franchise struggled against the worst. Will Jordan Hicks be the same after an Achilles break-up? The young man is a student of the game, but it's a big one. Will Darren Sproles also be out-of-field and in the return match at age 35 and, again, with an ACL? Throw Tim Jernigan on the list, too. The defensive tackle is dismissed indefinitely from a back injury, which affects the depth of the Eagles.
Then again, the Eagles have already won the Super Bowl with almost all these guys set apart. For everyone except Hicks, there is a clear substitute waiting behind the scenes if they falter. Still, it's a concern
Better or worse?
As always, the only way to make sure of this is on the football field. And the Eagles could very well put a better team there, but not repeat as champions, because luck and timing are also factors here.
That said, with some questions and concerns aside, the Eagles look like a more talented overall team. Nineteen starters are back. Two replacements, Wallace and Bennett, look like improvements aside. Children like Barnett, Goedert, Jones and running back Corey Clement may be on the verge of becoming stars. Best of all, the Eagles remain strong along the offensive and defensive lines and have two quarterbacks capable of leading a team to the promised land. They may not be a better team than the group that won, but the 2018 Eagles look like a team BETTER
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