The Philadelphia Eagles have been relatively quiet this offseason, despite a few re-signings and some small free agency acquisitions. The 2022 NFL Offseason is the perfect time for the Birds to kick the team rebuild into high gear. Philadelphia has three first-round draft picks and the ability to cut ties with less productive players.
The draft doesn't start for over a month. In the meantime, the Eagles need to focus on moves within the league to strengthen their roster. Here are two things that the Birds must get done within the next month.
2 Moves The Eagles Must Make This Offseason
1. Sign a veteran wide receiver
Many big name wide receivers have signed new contracts with different teams since the offseason began. For example, former Green Bay Packers star Davante Adams joined the Las Vegas Raiders, and Tyreek Hill left the Kansas City Chiefs for the Miami Dolphins.
Out of all of the receivers moving around, the Eagles got Zach Pascal, a free agent formerly on the Indianapolis Colts. While Pascal is a good start, he isn't the veteran receiver that the Eagles need to strengthen the offensive air game.
This past season, the Eagles relied on rookie DeVonta Smith to be their number one receiver. While he had an outstanding first year in the league, the team needs more reliable offensive targets. Even Smith said that he would benefit from working with an established receiver beside him.
“I feel like it would help…Somebody that’s already been there. I know it would help for me, just being under their wing, how they operate, how they are as a pro,” Smith said, quote courtesy of NJ.com.
The Eagles have plenty to include in a trade to get a veteran receiver, but not many studs want to come to Philadelphia. Why? The Eagles' offense is mostly surrounded by the run game. In fact, the Birds led the league in rushing with 2,715 yards for an average of 159.7 yards a game (stats per Statmuse).
With this style of offense, Philadelphia receivers get fewer receptions compared to the rest of the league. In turn, their productivity and value could go down, negatively affecting their professional careers. This offseason, the Eagles need to find a way to get an established receiver to Philadelphia to further Smith's growth and the team's overall air game.
2. Cut ties with Jalen Reagor
Eagles fans have been trying to get rid of wide receiver Jalen Reagor for quite some time now. Since he joined the team in 2020, Reagor has proved to be one of the least productive first-round picks in recent Eagles history.
Reagor averaged 17.5 yards per game in the regular season. The mediocre stat gets even worse when broken down game-by-game. Reagor had three games with no yards and two games with negative yards, ultimately doing more harm than good.
If the Eagles cut ties with Reagor this offseason, it will make room for their new veteran quarterback. Howie Roseman is hesitant to give Reagor up because he was one of his first-round picks. However, the GM has three more tries to get it right in the 2022 NFL Draft.
If the Eagles capitalize on this offseason and its full potential, expect a deep playoff run next season.