Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

2022 Offseason Begins

Posted March 15th, 2022 | Comments Off on 2022 Offseason Begins

The Eagles were good enough to go 9-8 and make the playoffs last year. They were not a legitimate Super Bowl contender. In order for the team to get better, they must add more talent, especially playmakers.

Think about the last two Super Bowl champs. They were good teams, but they were also loaded with playmakers. Some were drafted, some traded for and others were free agent additions. There is no magic formula. You just need to find them.

Monday was the start of legal tampering and the Eagles jumped right into the action.

I like it.

Reddick isn’t a stereotypical player. At 6-1, 235, he’s not even big for a LB, let alone a pass rusher. Don’t obsess on that. Focus on what Reddick does well…which is to get to the QB. He has 23.5 sacks in the past two years. He’s also got 27 TFLs and 8 FFs. Simply put, Reddick is a playmaker.

The best guess is that the Eagles will use him in a hybrid role. Reddick will be the SAM linebacker in some sets. He’ll be an pure edge rusher in other sets.

Jimmy Bama wrote a piece on the Reddick signing. He’s got a video in there showing all the sacks from last year.

Reddick is an explosive athlete. He can fly off the ball. He plays with good pad level and has a non-stop motor. Reddick isn’t just a finesse player. He can set the edge on run plays. Reddick is in the prime of his career and he plays an impact position. This is the kind of guy you want to add in free agency.

I didn’t know what to expect at DE. Would the Eagles go after a veteran like Chandler Jones? Would they focus more on the draft? Instead, they focused on finding the best pass rusher available. Jonathan Gannon wants to run a versatile defense with different fronts. Reddick is a good fit for that, with his ability to play SAM and DE.

*****

Let’s talk about some other plans for the Eagles offseason.

SAFETY

  • Sign Jordan Whitehead

The Eagles must improve safety. At the same time, Gannon played his guys way back a lot of the time. That is going to limit their effectiveness. Because of that, I don’t think this is a position you spend a lot of money on. Whitehead is about to turn 25 and is in the prime of his career. He can hit and tackle. He can attack the ball when it is in front of him.

  • Re-sign Rodney McLeod

I’m not a huge fan of this, but McLeod is a terrific leader and locker room presence. I would bring him back and spend a pick on a safety. McLeod is a band-aid until Marcus Epps or the rookie is ready to take over in 2023.

RECEIVER

This is a much more complicated situation. The Jaguars gave Christian Kirk a ridiculous contract. There were rumors the Eagles might have interest, but he got $18M per season. That is several million more than expected. We don’t know how this signing will affect the receiver market. This could scare a lot of people off and keep prices reasonable. This could drive prices up and make the Eagles focus on the draft for now.

Allen Robinson is the top guy available. He seems like a volume receiver and I’m not sure that’s what the Eagles are looking for. DJ Chark would make more sense from a cost, ability and fit perspective. He only played four games last year so there is risk. JuJu Smith-Schuster would make some sense, but there are questions with him as well. Russell Gage doesn’t have great upside, but he could be good value and a good fit.

The Eagles wanted Calvin Ridley so they weren’t just bargain hunting. I’m just not sure anyone left on the market is worth a big investment. The Eagles might be smart to let things settle down and see who is left.

Signing Zach Pascal could be a good fallback option. The Eagles need a good group of WRs. Pascal could help build that. He can be your #4 or #5 guy. Pascal is a solid receiver with some size. He is an outstanding blocker and will play on STs.

LINEBACKER

  • Sign Jordan Hicks

TJ Edwards is set as the MLB this year. WLB is wide open. Davion Taylor and Alex Singleton handled the role after Eric Wilson’s release last year. Taylor got hurt. Singleton isn’t meant to be a starter. Hicks is a 3-down LB with the ability to make plays in coverage. I expect the Eagles to draft a LB as well so Hicks could be helpful to all the young LBs.

I love/hate this. Singleton isn’t a good starter, but he is a good STer and role player. You want him back on the roster. At the same time, you cannot overpay for a guy with his limitations. He’s a good guy with a good story, but he’s an erratic LB. You can’t waste resources on him by overpaying for his services. Try to bring him back, but the tender was too high.

If Singleton walks, you move on to find another LB.

*****

The Eagles will be active, adding and subtracting guys.

*****

COMMENTS

_

Comments are closed.