Where did it all go wrong for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023? The reigning Super Bowl runners-up were 10-1 at one point this season and cruising toward the top seed in the NFC, only to lose six of their last regular season contests en route to a lifeless 32-9 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs.
Jalen Hurts showed his shortcomings as a passer, the team got away from the running game, and the defense showed little ability to stop anybody. With the offseason ahead, it is now a crucial time for the Eagles to make some upgrades in free agency and prove they are still a Super Bowl contender. Here are four free agents the Eagles should target ahead of the 2024 season.
Patrick Queen (LB)
After boasting a top-10 defense in 2022, much of the Eagles' late-season struggles came down to an inability to keep opponents out of the end zone. Philly gave up 29 PPG over its last seven regular-season contests this year, finishing the campaign ranked 26th in total yards allowed and 30th in points given up.
This Philadelphia defense is in desperate need of some upgrades, and one player linked to the team last season was Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen. The Ravens declined Queen's fifth-year option and he went on to produce the best year of his career, earning Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro honors. The playmaking linebacker is just the type of player this team needs to shore up its shaky defense.
L'Jarius Sneed (CB)
Another area where the Eagles need help defensively is the secondary. Philadelphia gave up the second-most passing yards per game in the NFL in 2023, with former All-Pro corners James Bradberry and Darius Slay both struggling. Bradberry gave up a passer rating of 114.3 in coverage while Slay missed five games with injury while Slay will be entering the 12th year of his career.
Kansas City Chiefs corner L'Jarius Sneed was one of the best coverage corners in the NFL in 2023, allowing a passer rating of just 56.2 and not giving up a touchdown all year. Neither the Chiefs nor the Eagles have considerable cap space to work with, but both will want to make their best pitch to an elite cornerback.
Gus Edwards (RB), D'Onta Foreman (RB)
Philly relied on running the ball in 2022, finishing fifth in the NFL in rushing yards. This year, the Eagles averaged 20 fewer yards per game on the ground and nearly abandoned the run game altogether at times this season. With Jalen Hurts having a less-than-spectacular season with his arm, the team should have leaned on the run game more. Instead, DeAndre Swift had 10 carries for 34 yards as the Eagles scored a season-low nine points in the Wild Card Round against the Buccaneers.
A change of mindset is needed in Philadelphia and an upgrade at the backup running back position. Kenneth Gainwell is a fine third-down back, but opponents know they do not have to put extra defenders up in run support when he is in the game. What makes the rushing attacks of teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears so effective is they have multiple backs they can cycle through while maintaining the same threat on the ground.
Both Gus Edwards and D'Onta Foreman are powerful backs who can take the load off DeAndre Swift and punish defenders as the game wears on. They would be perfect complimentary backs in an offense that needs to rediscover its identity.
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