The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to go on a revenge tour in 2024. Philadelphia started the 2023 season hot, winning 10 of their first 11 games. However, they crumbled down the stretch and were blasted by the Buccaneers in the playoffs. The Eagles are hoping that adding Saquon Barkely to the offense will help take them to the next level. Lane Johnson is confident that Barkley's in for a big year.
Johnson made an appearance on NFL Network's The Insiders on Monday. He spoke on a number of topics, including his new teammate. Johnson made some bold predictions about Barkley's 2024 season.
“Once you see him, you'll never forget, just physically imposing guy,” Johnson said of Barkley, per NFL.com's Bobboy Kownack. “I think he walks around 230 (pounds). … He's ultra competitive. When you see what he can do at the running back position and we can flex him out at receiver, he can go. It's unbelievable. I never thought that he would be playing for us, but here it is. I know that he's excited. We're definitely excited up front. I think he's poised for a big, big year.”
It is exciting to imagine what Barkley could do to Philly's offense. D'Andre Swift put up over 1,200 all-purpose yards in 2023 on 268 touches for six touchdowns. Barkley is a much more talented player, so it's easy to imagine him doing much more if given the same volume.
Johnson also believes that the Eagles have improved a lot this offseason. Philadelphia's revamped roster could make the difference in 2024.
“We have a lot of new faces, a lot of turnover,” Johnson said. “But [I] felt comfortable with the way we drafted. Got some great players. And really when you look at our roster, we have a lot of size. Obviously we have to go prove things and are eager to do so. But when you just look at the guys walking around the building, we've got size, we've got speed, and guys willing to work.”
2024 NFL preview: will the Eagles bounce back and return to the playoffs?
The Eagles want to avoid a repeat of the 2023 season.
To make that a reality, Philadelphia will need to prepare itself to rise to the moment in important games in December and January. This could require a great deal of planning and injury management throughout the early parts of the season.
The Eagles have a chance to start 2024 out on a hot streak. They open the season in Brazil against the Green Bay Packers followed by games against the Falcons, Saints, and Buccaneers. Philly can easily put up three wins in that stretch.
Unfortunately, the Eagles have a Week 5 bye. NFL teams usually prefer midseason bye weeks and that would be particularly helpful for Philadelphia. Their schedule includes some brutal games in the late stretches of the season, so it would have been helpful to guarantee some rest closer to those games.
That said, it's nothing that the Eagles can't handle. When they were at their best in 2023, they proved that they are one of the most dominant teams in the NFC when at their peak.
Philadelphia's main objective should be wrestling control of the NFC East away from the Dallas Cowboys. If the Eagles can win the division, they'll have as good a chance as anyone in the playoffs.
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