1. Chip Kelly is in his second season. He did a lot of things right in 2013, but also made several mistakes with his use of the clock, challenge flags and in-game adjustments. Kelly is not the type of guy who wants to repeat on his previous failures, improvement in these areas will certainly be his focus.
- A more “complete” offense. You will not replace Desean Jackson, end of sentence. No combination of Maclin, Sproles, Matthews, Huff and the other offensive weapons gives you that “top end” speed. After Jackson and Cooper last year, the depth chart for playmaking receivers was nonexistent minus the tight-end contribution. The ability this season to use our “receiving” additions in a variety of schemes will allow versatility that was not there last season. At times in 2013, Kelly ran out of “combinations” of players/play-calling to attack with, and defenses were able to slow down our offense. This season Kelly has a lot more at his disposal, and defenses may not have to worry about being burned by D-Jax, but they will have to decipher looks and player combinations this season that will be difficult to contain.
- The defense– Malcom Jenkins was a “nice addition,” and we spent a large portion of our draft on the defensive side of the football. I expect the returning vets to be comfortable with the 3-4, no longer learning on the fly. Like the first year of any job, when a new boss with a different system is being taught to you, even when you try to avoid it, attempting to not make mistakes rather than trusting what you know is difficult. The Eagles are a 3-4 defense, guys have added size and have worked on specific skills to be successful in this scheme throughout the offseason.
- Special Teams-The Eagles have added players who are special team “aces.” Guys who have made their living by following their assignment, making the open field tackle and sacrificing their body. Additionally, trading for Sproles and drafting Huff, the kick/punt return game will actually be a threat and not a “going through the motions” part of our 2014 season.
- Nick Foles/Lesean McCoy– The quarterback and running back tandem last season was incredible. McCoy led the league in rushing. Foles had a never before seen touchdown to interception ratio after finally being named the starting quarterback. To expect repeat seasons “statistically” would be asking a lot, but I expect both players to improve on some areas in year two of Chip Kelly’s system. I expect an increase in the North to South running style of McCoy, not always looking for the cutback but attacking the hole with force. Foles will trust his reads; worry less about throwing the interception. Quicker release and not taking sacks to put the offense in third and long situations.
Tags: Philadelphia Eagles
One of the main reasons that I would look for improvement this year would be a FULL offseason of the coaching and training staff. The players have had a year under this staff, they have a better idea of what is expected and the coaches have a better idea of what they have and what they need to do to teach and motivate each player to get out of them what the team needs. One full year under the sports science and nutrition program will also start to show benefits. I agree with your first point Jeff, I believe that Kelly will look to improve on the mistakes he made last year, I believe that he is driven that way.
I would also believe that they understand that they made a very unpopular move with the fanbase, cutting DJax, and this may push Kelly even harder to see that his offense is as successful as possible.
Training camp should be interesting this year…there are a number of veterans who will be fighting for a spot or more time..especially on the defense…Graham, Curry, Allen, Casey Matthews are just a few who will need to show that they have a spot here. I cannot wait for camp to start and we see what the second year of Kelly will look like.
Huge difference with the “feel” of what camp will be like in 2014. There was a large portion devoted to the getting to know you with the players/coaches, the training/play-calling and the out with the old (Reid) and in with the new (Kelly) atmoshphere.
The players “believe” not only in what Chip is teaching, but they believe in themselves. Not having locker room guys like Vick, Avant in the room, I feel comfortbale that other leaders will have a bigger role.
Chip counts on his vets to be leaders in the locker room, it appears as if Celek, Hermanns, Ryans and even Foles are the guys getting the troops ready.
Malcon Jenkins played that role with the Saints, and it is certainly a reason he was signed by the Eagles.
There are some good things in place. No matter what we say with things being in the “past,” the D-Jax cloud will hang over our heads all season long to some degree.
All good points Jeff.
Yes, the DJax “cloud” will be there all season unless he suffers another concussion and is not on the field.
Maybe he gets too rich for his britches, comes across the middle of the field and Boykins puts him down for a nap…
No, I am not looking for an Eagle to take him out. He didn’t ask to be cut, and he has not said anything about the players or organization that would warrant taking a run at him.
He was / is one of my more favorite players. I was just pointing out that he has has a history of multiple concussions, and that in the NFL on every play there is a possibility of a big collision.
That being said, back to your original point, that as long as DJax is on the field, there will be comparisons with his production versus the Birds WR’s. As long as the teams production and wins exceed the other teams, I could care less about a meaningless individual comparison….but we all know that the articles will be written.
I think a full off season cannot be stressed enough especially for Foles who is now the starting QB in the off season and in camp. He will get all the first team snaps and not have to worry about every thrown costing him his job.
5 Keys to Eagles Success in 2014
1) More innovative Game Plans & Player Packages on Offense
Utilizing Sproles, more Double TE Sets and a Deeper
WR Corps in Maclin,Cooper,Matthews & Huff where the “Slot”
and the Middle of the Field can be attacked
2) A Much better Special Teams in both Coverage
And Return Units
3) A Bigger and more Athletic DL with Depth
4) A versatile and experienced Secondary
5) A Coaching Staff in it’s 2nd Year which will be better prepared and game plan
I expect Chip Kelly to go more to his roots and philosophy of Coaching
Which is rotating many Players in and out based on match-ups, opponents and obviously the Score of the game
We may see McCoys workload drop 10-15% with addition on Sprolez which will keep him fresher for late season run
We may see no Receiver top 75 Receptions & 10 + TD’s but have
Instead see 5-6 Receivers (WR,TE, RB’s) all get 45-50 Receptions a few TD’s each which bottom line make them as a unit more difficult to defend
Defensively, I hope we see more Blitzing from Kendrick’s & Barwin
Or even CB’s on occasion to mix things up
One very important Stat to keep an eye on is the amount of Sacks which was very low last Season at 37 Total for the Defense and needs to
Get around the 50’s Total..I see no Eaglex Defender getting 10+ Sacks but can see 4-5 Players with 6-8 Each which again would be an improvement and a more difficult job by opposing Offenses to game plan for
Bottom line, Kelky will utilize this entire Roster,
The Depth & Conpetiotion across the Board should be better
The jets will be the Young Players like Foles,Ertz, Lane Johnson, Cox,Logan,Kendrick’s,
Boykin & Wolff all improving which on paper should occur
And then contributions from New Veterans like Maclin,Sproles,
M Jenkins right out of the gate in this Kelly/Davis System
There is lots to be optimistic about for 2014 & Beyond
Go Eagles..
Paulman…solid breakdown, it’s what has me pumped late May when I should be more connected with baseball and the NBA draft.
Because of the kind of players we now have on defense, and how our Wr core is set up, “COACHING” will be the key to how far the Eagles go this season.
There were seasons in the past where the Eagles O or the Eagles D were so dominant, that the coaches often said they would watch from the sidelines as fans and do their best to not mess up a good thing.
The Eagles have some nice pieces, great pieces here and there, but in order for the combination for the good, great and unproven to work, and to work well, the coaching staff will have to be one of the best in the league.
Completely off topic…the Eagles have 5 players who stand 6′ 7″ or taller. 2 OL, 1 WR and 2 DE.
I see improvements in these areas:
RB. Addition of Sproles.
QB. Foles entering “second” season
TE. Ertz makes jump entering 2nd year
WR. Ya that’s right. Addition of Maclin, Matthews, Huff > the subtraction of Desean
OL – Johnson also improves moving into his second year.
Not difficult to get excited about the offense.
More improvements:
Return game. Addition of Sproles and Huff should help this area a lot.
Defense? Still a question mark. But Jenkins and draft picks can’t be worse!
I disagree with Paulman. I hope the D continues to stay away from the blitz and relies on the front to get pressure – Seattle style. I don’t expect much from Smith this year. Improvement over the course of the year. I think D should shore up a bit, but they’re still going to get torched playing good offenses.
Still needing improvement: Kicking game. I’m rooting for “Murderleg”
Overall this team is bigger and more talented than last year. That’s good. Entering the 2nd year of the program, there should be better execution on both O and D. I think the O is going to move very, very quickly this season.
That being said, I still don’t see SB. The D still isn;t ready, and they have a tough sched. The Birds will be better, but their W-L record will be about the same.
Wow, maybe the first time ever, I agree with you Vinnie. I still see us being a year or two away from serious Super Bowl contenders but we do have the firepower to sneak our way in.
I hope for a Super Bowl this year. I’m going to start expecting it soon. Especially if we improve on last year.
What a terrible decision not to upgrade the secondary with the greatest safety in Free Agency history Jarius Byrd. This team does not want to win…..ETC ETC ETC….
Meanwhile in New Orleans….Jarius Byrd undergoes back surgery…..Jarius Byrd injured again…no way!
Fans are idiots…
Hey navy welcome back
Good cover name, toast Jenkins
Yeah especially when talking about a minor procedure that will not even have him miss a day of training camp.
Moron as usual, HUH? Try & research, & get the proper info, before you call other fans idiots, IDIOT! He wasn’t INJURED! It’s a minor back surgery, in which he will miss ZERO time.
The defense got better every single game and i truly believe they will continue that trend. The offense could follow the same trend which is scary because i believe we were the second overall offense in the league. Chip doesn’t seem as stubborn as Reid in the least and know he will work on clock management challenges ect. A LOT to be optimistic about this season and i say even with the very difficult schedule we were dealt i see another 10 maybe 11 win season. This is honestly from top to bottom the most talented young core i have seen this team have in the past 14 + years with reid. If we can keep drafting with success ( kudos to Howie Chip and Tom Gamble) i think we may Finally be able to obtain that long awaited trophy in the next five years. Just one fans humble opinion.
wow byrd got all that money to pay for his broken down back and I was upset we didn’t get him. oh well and now djack has a mild hammy pull
We will be fine but looks like the 49ers will have some v davis issues because he wants another contract…dam he just paid what he was worth
Who believes boykin should just be a starter and not just a slot cornerback? I think he can handle it
I think the Eagles would agree with you, so why don’t they give the kid his earned due>?
With it being a passing league, with the Eagles not having great cover linebacker’s, Bokins should continue to have an expanded role with the defense in addition to being our slot guy.
If you heard Malcom Jenkins, what the Eagles do “look” wise is utilize players in a variety of roles. Chip and Davis like to know that they can audible their defense with the 11 guys on the field because they have athletes who can play multiple positions.
I love everything Boykin does, and his height will probably be something that is used as a reason why he is better suited to not start at an outside CB spot. He has better all-around skills then any CB on this roster.
I think Watkins has better upside then Fletcher or Williams, and he could end up being a 2015 starter. Chip/Davis like the physicality and experience Williams/Fletcher bring at the back end and the unorthodox way we use our safeties. Although they don’t make the flashy plays, they also don’t give up many big plays.
Chip is not looking for a shut down defense, he would love it, but he wants a defense that can hold its ground, not get beat deep and allow his offense to return to the field and score points.
I believe our defense will be improved this year, but we are not going to be a top 10 defense. There are teams that have 3-4 years worth of drafts making up their defense, the Eagles are a few years behind them.
The depth at all defensive spots is better this season, and there was a point last season where our defense really held their own for a 6 game stretch.
Only time will tell how much better the defense is, but I think we will be impressed.
I think he deserves the opportunity zilents. Especially if Watkins can handle slot receivers. I also think Fletcher is better then Williams and could see a scenario where Williams is sent packing.
Williams is due a big $$ payday this season. Unless he plays like a pro-bowler or changes his contract beyond this season, 2014 will be the final season for Williams.
Fletcher is a very nice player, “when healthy.” He has missed a lot of games in a short career
Boykin isn’t a starting outside CB. He got exposed many times last year, when forced to go outside the slot. He’s good where he’s at. Don’t fix something, that isn’t broken.
***NFL News
NO Saints prize Free-Agent Signing Safety Jarius Byrd has decided to undergo
“Back Surgery” to repair some spinal tissue that’s been bothering him all Pff-Season and is expected to miss 6 Weeks minimum..
I told all you guys that were Gaga over Byrd that he had various health issues and that he was not worth the big deal that he received..
Byrd will never see Year 3 of his 5 Year Deal
Yes paul you did why do you always gotta be the “:I told you guys so”. I’ts annoying
LOL…..LMAO. Yeah Pman, why do you have to be so annoying!!
Nobody else on here ever says I told you so…..except….ok, maybe there are a few….lol.
lol….yea there are a few on here but Pman is the main one
Except or until he plays every game and is in the Pro Bowl again then you’ll never post another word on the subject.
He was overrated to begin with,
Has never won anything, injured a lot
And whined about his Contract every Season..
I am glad the Eagles stayed away from him ..
He a good Player, but not an Elite Player worth that Contract
I bet you Biggy that Jarius Byrd does not make Pro-Bowl in
2014.. The Position is stacked and now Byrd will miss lots if time in a new System.. Pro-Bowlers will likely come from the following
Earl Thomas, Eric Berry, Cam Chancellor,Adrian Wilson, TJ Ward
Donte Whitner, and up and coming youngsters like Ken Vacarro, &
Eric Reid…
Not that I give a damn but sure paulman I’ll take that friendly wager come up with some good terms.
Adrian Wilson, TJ Ward and Donte Whitner aren’t annual Pro Bowlers Paul.
And neither is Jarius Byrd, Cliff….
A little off topic but I am excited about our sixers….almost as excited as I am for eagles, but haven’t felt this way since AI days…I hope we have a great draft
Z, lets see how excited about the Sixers you are, when Wiggens, & Parker are gone by 3, & we trade down for more picks, for lesser talent!
LOL, I’m not getting sucked into the tank for talent talk DCar, like I told you before I wish I could come up with a better scenario for getting better but this just seems like spinning your wheels in sand.
I feel for Lesean McCoy.
we’re witnessing another exceptional talent that will get wasted in Eagle’s green like Westbrook was wasted. Hopefully the Eagles will haggle with him next season and allow him to actually go someplace in which he’ll have the chance to compete for the SB.
I have this feeling that even the Redskins organization will get another Championship before we sniff a chance.
Teams build from nothing all the time to win it all while we stay “competitive”.
Speaking of redskins…. move along songs. You gave up on this team… why are u still here? Vick is the backup in NY.. RG3 is the man in wash.. check them out. As much as this D needs work… ill take McCoy and THIS O anyday!!