The Eagles are looking for a new offensive coordinator after firing Brian Johnson this week. Dave Zangaro and Reuben Frank talk about this.
44 of the 67 players the Eagles utilized this season started at least one game.
And there are very few guys on the list who can look in the mirror and say they performed as well as they could all year.
D’Andre Swift, DeVonta Smith, and A.J. Brown. the line of attack. Cox Fletcher and Graham Brandon. Bradley Mann and Jake Elliott. Is there anyone else playing defense? Ringo Kelee? Perhaps some others. Few.
Therefore, in order for the Eagles to resemble the club that began the season in 2024, almost every player on the roster needs to improve.
season 10-1 as opposed to the one that ended 1-6. The general manager, the coaches, and everyone else are in the same boat.
However, because we’re concentrating on players here, we’ve compiled a list of 10 Eagles who need to improve in 2024. Only players with contracts through 2024 and those who are probably coming back were included.
Blankenship, Reed
Like many other defensive starters, the second-year safety had a strong start to the season until his play drastically declined in the second half. Although he did lead the Eagles in interceptions with three, his coverage and tackling became weaker as the season progressed. Quarterbacks’ passing rating against Blankenship through Week 11 was 79.9, 13th out of 46 safeties targeted.every game, at least twice. The next result was 135.0, placing it 48th out of 51 safeties that were targeted twice every game. The Eagles need Blankenship to play at a consistently high level next season since they are so thin at safety, especially with Sydney Brown probably out until the beginning of 2024.For approximately a month and a half, Carter was performing at an all-pro level, but he was unable to maintain it, and his play significantly declined in the second part of the season. 3 ½ sacks, five tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, seven quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles in the first six games. Eight weeks of no forced fumbles, two and a half sacks, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, and two quarterback hurries. As the season progressed, so did his run defense. Overall, Davis had a strong rookie campaign and has all the makings of an interior lineman in the Pro Bowl very soon. He would be a lot better if he could play the entire season like he did during the Miami game.
a total pro.
We could all observe Davis’ decline in the second half of the season, which was even more noticeable than Carter’s, given Davis is his college friend. He recorded two and a half sacks, two tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, and seven quarterback pressures in the first seven games. He has only had three pressures, no quarterback hits, no sacks, and 0 tackles for loss over the previous 11 games. His work against the run suffered, too, just like Carter’s. After the season, Davis stated that he let persistent ailments to have an excessive impact on his performance and that he needs to learn how to maintain his health while playing through bumps and bruises. With only approximately 31 snaps per game, Davis did not play nearly enough to physically collapse. Entering Year 3, he is a No. 13.
chosen and must be able to play at a high level for the duration of the season. particularly if Fletcher Cox does not return in 2024.
Dean Nakobe
This is a difficult one because Dean was injured on the first day of play and was not fully recovered when he returned, only to be hurt again. The fact is, though, that the Eagles relied on Dean to be a playmaking off-ball linebacker when he was donning the green-dot helmet, and his performance was only mediocre prior to his season-ending injury. After foot surgery, Dean, who is only 23 years old, should be 100% according to OTAs. He has no past history of injuries, and if he can maintain his health, he will almost certainly
beginning work in 2024. Even though he’s entering his third season and needs to provide the Eagles with a complete season of healthy, elite play, his achievements at Georgia still make him an intriguing talent.
Goedert, Dallas
Goedert only had two games this year with more than 50 yards, compared to 15 in 2021 and 2022. His yards per game decreased this year from 42 to 57 from the previous two years, while his yards per reception decreased from 13.8 to 10.0. Goedert was 14th this year, despite having the fourth-most yards of any tight end in 2021 and 2022. Despite missing three games, he set a career-high with 59 catches, so he wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t the top tight end thatThe past few years have shown us. Goedert is currently 29 years old, but tight ends can continue to perform well well into their 30s. The Eagles expect Goedert to improve and return to his 2019–2022 level of play.Hurts changed in 2023, although it wasn’t all his fault. The play calling frequently didn’t help him, the offense was frequently an uninspired muddled mess, drops were a common problem, especially in the Jets and Cowboys losses, and his ailments were undoubtedly a role. Even though they weren’t all his fault, 15 interceptions is still 15 interceptions, and 19 turnovers in total is simply too much. That ranked third in the NFL this season, only surpassed by Josh Allen (22) and Sam Howell (24). It wasn’t all awful though, as Hurts finished with the second-most touchdowns in the league with 38. However, when the Eagles needed Hurts to step up late in the season and help pull the team out of a malaise,Even while he wasn’t entirely to blame, 19 turnovers in all is simply too much. That ranked third in the NFL this season, only surpassed by Josh Allen (22) and Sam Howell (24). It wasn’t all awful though, as Hurts finished with the second-most touchdowns in the league with 38. Hurts wasn’t, however, the player the Eagles needed him to be to help them break out of their slump late in the season. You just have to be better than Hurts to be an MVP contender every year and one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. He needs to get better at making decisions, keeping his pocket attentive, and working against the blitz. However, he is still a unique talen.Maddox played in the final three games of the season despite having surgery in September to repair a damaged pectoral muscle. When he returned, he had not played in 14 weeks. In addition to having to get back into shape, he was playing safety in the playoffs, a new position under a new defensive coach. Therefore, it made sense that he wasn’t performing at his best. But Maddox has an issue with that. He only longs for more time. Only 13 games hath he played in the past two years, and since being selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, he has missed 36% of the Eagles’ games. Maddox is one of the better spots in the NFL when he’s healthy. He just doesn’t usually
sound.
Reddick Haason
Not that Reddick didn’t enjoy a successful year. Yes, he did. With 11 sacks, he finished 15th in the league and was selected to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. However, it was somewhat disappointing following his 16-sack season in 2022 (plus an additional 3 ½ in the postseason). particularly without any sacks in the previous six games, when the Eagles needed anything to energize the defense. Now, Reddick’s usage was contributing to the problem. Although zone blitz ideas have a place in any defense, 15 snaps at slot corner may be a bit excessive given that he only dropped back in coverage three times in the first fifteen games (thanks, Matt Patricia). He has dropped back in coverage fifteen times in the last three games.Too little for a fearsome edge rusher over a pivotal three-game stretch. Not only did Reddick’s sack total decline, but he also lost three fumble recoveries, dropped from 41 to 35 pressures, and went from having an NFL-high five forced fumbles to none. Although he performed well this season, the Eagles need him to return to his dominant 2022 form.Late in the season, he finally began to see some playing time, but the Georgia freshman was unable to convert that into any meaningful production. Smith’s Pro Football Focus pass rush grade of 53.7 placed him 115th out of 132 edge rushers who played at least 100 snaps on pass plays. All year long, he had one hurry and one sack. The coaching staff must share some of the guilt for failing to find a method to get Smith on the field. Prior to seeing 143 snaps in the last eight games, he had only played 61 snaps through Week 10. As a rookie, he played 188 total snaps, the fewest by an Eagles first-round selection since Marcus Smith played 68 in 2014. Not the business you wish to maintain. The greater worry might be
