The Eagles came up just short in last year's Super Bowl and these three roster holes could stop Jalen Hurts from winning it all this season.
General Manager Howie Roseman has assembled a roster capable of winning a Super Bowl title this year. That doesn't mean Jalen Hurts is surrounded by an invincible squad. Like every team in the NFL, Philadelphia has several roster holes that could prove fatal to the team's championship hopes.
The Eagles were forced to let several valuable veterans depart via free agency. Javon Hargrave leaves a giant hole in the middle of Nick Sirianni's defensive line. T.J. Edwards may not have been a star but his tackling ability at middle linebacker will be missed. Running back Miles Sanders was deemed expendable by Roseman and his staff but he accounted for a lot of yards last season.
The good news for fans in Philadelphia is that their front office has done a credible job planning for their free agency departures in advance. Even so, these three roster holes could ruin Jalen Hurts' chances of earning a Super Bowl ring.
No. 3 most concerning Eagles roster hole: Age at cornerback
Both Darius Slay and James Bradberry enjoyed high-quality seasons in 2022. The challenge for both will be repeating that feat as they get one year older.
Slay is the biggest worry since next year will be his age-33 season. Most fans expected the team to let him leave in free agency due to his advanced age. Instead, he returned to Philadelphia on a relatively modest three-year extension. He might hold up for one more year as a quality starter, but it wouldn't shock anyone if he saw a precipitous decline in his performance soon.
Bradberry will only be 30 next season and is coming off a nice, bounceback season. The Eagles should still keep a close eye on him early in the regular season. If he loses a step he'll immediately cease to be a quality starter on the outside.
The presence of Avonte Maddox and rookie Keelee Ringo offers the team some protection, but corner could become a problem area for the Eagles if either of their veteran outside starters takes a step backward.
No. 2 most concerning Eagles roster hole: No elite option at left tackle
Left tackle is less important than most teams because of the fact that Hurts is a left-handed quarterback. That means right tackle is the position charged with protecting his blindside.
That takes some pressure off Jordan Mailata to be the best offensive lineman on the team. To his credit, the former seventh-round pick was a quality starter for the Eagles last year. He allowed six sacks but still graded out with a PFF grade of 76.5 on the campaign.
He's a massive player checking in at 6-foot-8, 365 pounds but that size stops him from having the quick feet required to be an elite pass blocker on the outside. The Eagles didn't have a credible path toward securing a tackle with a higher upside without spending one of the first-rounders they used to add to their defensive versatility.
Modest improvement from Mailata would be a big boost for Philadelphia's offense. He should improve mentally as he enters his prime, but it's difficult to envision a scenario where he gets appreciably better as a pass blocker. That could lead to too much pressure in Hurts' face when high-stakes games are on the line.
No. 1 most concerning Eagles roster hole: Lack of experience at middle linebacker
T.J. Edwards may not have been an explosive playmaker for the Eagles' defense but he did rack up 159 combined tackles. That production earned him a three-year, $19.5 deal from the Bears in free agency.
His departure thrusts second-year player Nakobe Dean into a key starting position. He's got more speed than Edwards does but lacks experience. He only managed to make four solo tackles during his entire 2022 campaign.
Dean will need to get up to speed quickly if the Eagles' defense is going to take a meaningful step forward. He will be blessed with a lot of talent in front of him, but it's up to him to read the game correctly and soak up triple-digit tackles. The coaching staff would love to see him use his speed to create additional turnovers as well, but they might need to temper their expectations to make sure Dean doesn't get overwhelmed.
If Dean fails to step up and become a high-quality starter at middle linebacker then the Eagles will have to force someone else in their linebacking corps to play out of position. There's a noticeable lack of size in the group on the hole. That will play well against the pass but could make the Eagles too susceptible to opponents who want to run downhill in the playoffs.
