Embracing Risk

Changes are coming. There will be changes to the coaching staff. There will be changes to the roster. There will be changes to the starting lineup.

Not all of these changes will be safe, easy to understand moves. The Eagles are going to have to take some chances. They must embrace risk.

Jason Peters should be out as LT. Is Andre Dillard ready? The only way to find that out is to take a chance on him. You can’t go looking for a Pro Bowl LT to take Peters’ place.

We have no idea what will happen in the secondary. We know Avonte Maddox will be back. We assume Cre’Von LeBlanc will be back. Just about everything else is up in the air. Malcolm Jenkins could be cut or given a raise. Maddox could be the slot or moved to safety. Jalen Mills could be re-signed.

The Eagles have a lot to figure out with their DBs. There is no foolproof plan. They need to make smart decisions, but they also need to be willing to take some chances. Move Maddox to safety. Put LeBlanc in the slot. Bring back Mills and find someone to start opposite of him.

Do not bring back Ronald Darby on a cheap deal and try one more year of him and Mills on the outside. That isn’t working.

Let Nigel Bradham go. I know Jim Schwartz loves his veteran LB, but it is time to move on. You have a pair of young, cheap LBs in Nate Gerry and T.J. Edwards. Find a new veteran to mix in with them. Bradham isn’t cheap and he’s not been all that good in the last couple of years.

DE is another tricky spot.

Brandon Graham – Derek Barnett
Vinny Curry – Josh Sweat
Genard Avery – Shareef Miller
Joe Ostman – Daeshon Hall

Curry is a free agent. He put up good numbers for the Eagles (5 sacks) and proved to be a solid backup. Do you bring him back? If so, then what is the plan for Avery and Miller, two young players you have mid-round picks invested in?

At a certain point, you have to take chances on young players. The Eagles see these guys every day in practice. They know if the players are developing.

The Eagles have some tough choices here. They didn’t get enough out of Sweat this year. Avery barely played, but Howie Roseman said that move was more about the future. Okay, the future starts in 2020. How much do you count on Avery?

This is where hiring a new DL coach also has to get factored in. Can someone else start to better develop these young players?

The 2020 offseason is going to be very interesting as we see what moves the Eagles make and where they stand pat.

I think they understand the need for change. How much of it will we see and just how much risk will they embrace?

*****

Along with Connor Barwin, Brent Celek is in Mobile with the Eagles, observing the Senior Bowl process

— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) January 21, 2020

I can confirm this. I wonder if hiring Celek and Barwin is what Howie meant when he said he had a couple of exciting additions to announce.

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