Answers From Within

Free agency starts in a month. The draft is a month after that. But those aren’t the only ways for the Eagles to get better.

Player development is critical.

I wrote about that for PE.com. The Eagles must get improved play from players already on the roster if the team is going to be a Super Bowl contender. There are going to be salary cap issues in 2019 so the team can’t just hunt for help. They need cheap answers…young players already in place.

Mack Hollins could be a key player. The Eagles could have really used his ability as a deep threat last year. WRs normally struggle as rookies and take a big step forward in their second or third year. It would help tremendously if Hollins could do that in 2019. Hollins is a big guy, but was an exceptional deep threat in college. He averaged 21 yards per reception for his career.

I’m sure many of you remember this play from his rookie season.

All @mackhollins does is catch first downs and touchdowns. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/PeCn4oe62D

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 24, 2017

The Eagles will probably add a receiver with a pro move. They don’t believe in counting on rookies to be key contributors. Still, they can’t count on that player to entirely solve the issue of adding speed to the offense. Mike Wallace got hurt and did nothing last year. Torrey Smith struggled at times in 2017.

Whether the Eagles go for a young guy like John Brown or a veteran like DeSean Jackson, they’ll still need Hollins to do his part.

One player I didn’t list in the article is LB Nathan Gerry. If the Eagles lose Jordan Hicks in free agency, it is possible Gerry will be in the mix at MLB. They already brought back Paul Worrilow to compete for the job and/or add depth. They would likely add someone in free agency or the draft.

While Gerry flashed at times in 2018, it is hard to say what to expect from him next year.

Shot 2 – The #Eagles linebackers in this game did a good job of attacking downhill and being present in their gaps for most of the night. Nate Gerry had his best game of the year against Washington #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/ODsWCQnHNs

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) December 6, 2018

Shot 3 – Great play on this INT by Nate Gerry, who was a safety in college @HuskerFBNation and always showed great instincts in coverage. Attacks the LOS, hunts the crosser up when he reads play-action and makes an athletic play for the pick #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/wwTDSUUjZ0

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) December 6, 2018

I would describe him as a player on the rise, but projecting him as a starter might be a bit much.

If the Eagles don’t make much of an effort to keep Hicks, that may give us a hint that they think Gerry can be more than just a role player in the future.

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