Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (2) celebrates with teammate safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (23) after intercepting a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Yes, all in all, I would have to say that last week was an action-packed and ultimately good week for the Eagles. I didn’t think they were going to be able to keep starting cornerback James Bradberry, but they did. Howie Roseman and his crew were reported to have lost Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, but he’s still part of the team. They were able to restructure his deal and make it more cap-friendly for this year and for that, he was able to get a two year deal with $23 million guaranteed.
On a negative note, I thought they were going to find a way to sign safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, but ultimately after making a strong offer to him, they lost the young safety. On Sunday, he signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions for $6.5 million dollars guaranteed and a total of $8 million dollars. Clearly Gardner-Johnson and his agent thought they were going to get a much better deal than they got.
The Birds have lost some quality players, but to me the age of the players is the key. They’ve said good-bye to quite a few young players. For example Gardner-Johnson will turn 26 during the upcoming season.
Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who just turned 30, signed with the 49ers. There’s no way they were going to be able to sign him at more than $20 million dollars a year.
Middle linebacker T.J. Edwards, who will be 27 in August, signed with the Bears. He had an outstanding year for the Eagles and I think he will be missed. His intelligence is taken for granted because he had to make all the defensive calls on the field.
Weakside linebacker Kyzir White, who will be 27 on March 26, signed with the Cardinals. He’s a converted safety, who does a great job of defending the pass.
Free safety Marcus Epps, who is 27, signed with the Raiders. I think he’s a good young player, who will get better with time.
Right guard Isaac Seumalo, who turn 30 during the season, signed with the Steelers.
Running back Miles Sanders, who will be 26 in May 1, signed with the Panthers. Sanders is a talented, young running back, who still has some good years ahead of him. There was no way the Eagles were going to sign him.
Back up wide receiver Zach Pascal, who will turn 29 during the season, signed with the Cardinals. He’s a good blocking wide receiver. Unfortunately, that’s not a valued talent around the league.
Yes, I like what Howie Roseman and his crew have done, but I wonder if they may be getting too old. You know the NFL is not an old man’s game and I’ve seen teams aged quickly. Think about it. The Birds have re-signed defensive end Brandon Graham, who is 34 years and headed into his 14th season as an Eagle. Yes for the first time in his career, Graham reached the double digit number in sacks with 10, but at some point he’s going to hit the wall. We will find out this year how much he has left.
They also re-signed defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who has been a Pro Bowler six times, but he’ll be 33 during the upcoming season. He had a good year, but he’s not the dominant player he was earlier in his career.
Bradberry will be 30 years old during the upcoming season. He’s still playing great football, but when will he start to head south.
Mr. Slay, one of the other starting corners will be 33 years old at the end of the 2023 season. He played well at the beginning of this past season, but he did not play well in the second half of the season. Will he correct that at the start of the upcoming season or will he continue to head south? Has he permanently lost a step?
Many times fans will laugh at those questions, but remember that everybody starts heading south at some point. Nobody can play forever. Pro football is a demanding sport and each season takes a lot out of every player.
They have also resigned Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce, who may be playing the best football of his career. He’s amazing but he’s closing in on 36 years of age. Kelce has been getting better in the last few years, but you know the fall isn’t very far up the road.
I want them to focus on having a good draft and that’s still going to play a very important role in the season. I expect them to address the defensive line.
I like the fact that they were able to sign Marcus Mariota for the back up quarterback position. His ability to run will allow the Birds to keep the same offense, if and when he comes into the game. His running skills are similar to Jalen Hurts’. They needed this move.
