Legit Contender?

The Eagles drafted well, traded for AJ Brown and then signed James Bradberry to shore up the CB position. All of this had people jumping on the Eagles bandwagon faster than Nick Sirianni would talk ball with an average-sized Division III wide receiver with limited athleticism. The Eagles had a terrific offseason and certainly are improved from the group that lost to the Bucs in mid-January.

Are they good enough?

Are the Eagles a legit Super Bowl contender?

https://twitter.com/PFF_Eagles/status/1527096567991255045

Eagles News: Jalen Hurts needs to make Philadelphia look like a legitimate Super Bowl contender https://t.co/KlQwGM9lP7

— Bleeding Green Nation (@BleedingGreen) May 20, 2022

In mid-April, the discussion was whether the Eagles could win the NFC East. A series of terrific moves have pushed expectations even farther. And this isn’t just a lot of hype from Eagles fans.

Peter King is buying in. He’s got the Eagles as the #9 team in the NFL.

9. Philadelphia (9-9, lost to Tampa Bay in the wild-card round)

I see the Eagles as the best team in the East. I see Jalen Hurts doing enough to be a C-plus quarterback, with the addition of A.J. Brown. I see the receiving corps of Brown, DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins and Zach Pascal being good enough to make the Eagles a top-10 offense. I see Haason Redick returning to the scene of his prime (he played college football at Temple) and James Bradberry fortifying a corner depth chart to make this the best defense in the NFC East.

What I like about what the Eagles have done this offseason is this: They’ve created a team with a legitimate chance of winning now, with a legitimate offense to make a judgment on Jalen Hurts as the future quarterback. GM Howie Roseman has done it while still retaining enough pieces for the future to address the quarterback position if he needs in 2023. Roseman has three picks in the first two rounds next year, and three picks in the first two rounds of 2024. He’s done his job: He’s built a team for 2022, and he’s built a team that can do a U-turn in 2023 if need be.

The Eagles are better on both sides of the ball than they were in January, and that was capped by the Bradberry signing. In the end, they have a chance to win a game in January. The biggest addition was Brown, and I think he can be the difference in two or three games. “A.J. was a DNA match with us,” Roseman told me after the trade. “He was exactly what we were looking for in a receiver, and he matched our culture.” Good add.

The only NFC teams ahead of them are the Rams, Packers and Bucs. Dallas is down at 15.

I think some of the hype is absolutely fair. The Eagles went 9-8 last year, despite having a new coach and a QB in his first full season as starter. The coaching staff is back, the QB is experienced and the team added difference-makers and depth on both sides of the ball. There are a lot of reasons to believe in this team.

It is still fair to question Jalen Hurts and the QB position. He showed real promise last year, but came up small in some big games, most notably the playoff game. Hurts was 23-43-258 with a TD and 2 INTs. The Eagles were down 31-0 after three quarters. I had blocked that out of my mind. The Bucs made it clear they were the better team. The Eagles made the score look better with a pair of fourth quarter scores.

Hurts is now more experienced. He will have better receivers to throw to. He will have a better defense to help him out. The O-line remains a strength and the running game should once again be one of the best in the league. This is as favorable a situation as a young QB could ask for.

Hurts is potentially one of the weak spots as we look at the lineup now, but he will almost certainly improve this year. Donovan McNabb and Carson Wentz both made big jumps in their second full season as a starter. This isn’t just hope. History tells us Hurts should be a better QB in 2022.

Will he be good enough to get the Eagles where they want to go?

Just getting into the playoffs isn’t enough. This team needs to play at a high level. That means winning 11 or 12 games. That means winning the division. That means either winning in the postseason or losing a heartbreaker. If the Eagles are down 31-0 in the playoffs again, Hurts isn’t the guy. I know some people want to say Hurts has to win a postseason game. I think you have to be careful with things like that. What if they lose 38-35? Then Hurts is probably fine and the defense needs more work.

The key is for the Eagles to look like a legit playoff team. Tampa dominated back in January. The gap between them and the Eagles was Grand Canyonesque on that day. It would help if the Eagles won some tough games in the regular season. They only beat one team with a winning record in 2021 (Denver). The Eagles got to 9-8 by feasting on a weak schedule. They beat five teams who were last place in their division. That can help get you to the playoffs, but it doesn’t help one bit when you go against Tom Brady in January.

That loss can be useful to the Eagles. The front office saw major holes and knew they had to be addressed. The coaching staff saw the gap between their guys and the defending champs. The players got to see the level they need to be at when this January roles around. Playoff experience is good, even if you get your butt kicked. There are lessons to be learned.

The Eagles made the playoffs in 2000 and then got to the NFC title game in 2001. Can this team make a similar leap?

Hurts will have to get better, just like McNabb did in 2001. Both guys got upgrades at receiver and that helped the passing game open up and improve. AJ Brown is far better than any receiver the Eagles had in 2001 and he should have a major impact.

I think the Eagles were going to be better this year even with just minimal talent upgrades. The coaches have a better idea of what they are doing after learning together in 2021. The coaches know their players better. The players know the systems better. When you combine all of this with some major talent upgrades, it is easy to see why people are suddenly high on the Eagles.

Super Bowl? That might be a tad optimistic, but this should be one of the best teams in the NFC and they should be able to compete with anyone. The first real test might be Dallas on Oct 16. Then there is a three-game stretch vs the Colts, Packers and Titans in November. We’ll see if the Eagles are for real. They must beat good teams.

The Eagles have had a terrific offseason and there is every reason for people to be excited about 2022.

*****

Roster Move: Eagles have claimed CB Jimmy Moreland and released LB Joe Ostman. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/GnUVPVz95H

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 23, 2022

Another CB? The Eagles tried to add him last year so this is a player they like.

Darius Slay and James Bradberry are older so bringing in a bunch of young corners is smart. The Eagles can hopefully find a player or two to develop for the future.

Moreland can play in the slot or outside so he gives them flexibility.

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