The Eagles enjoyed a very productive 2023 offseason, but Howie Roseman and his staff will come to regret these three decisions.
It's fair to say the Philadelphia Eagles enjoyed one of this offseason's most productive offseasons based largely on the back of a very strong 2023 NFL Draft class. That doesn't mean Philadelphia executed a flawless offseason plan though. GM Howie Roseman still has a few things to answer for when his offseason is viewed on the whole.
The team deserves plaudits for adding high-end talent on defense via the draft. The University of Georgia trio of Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Kelee Ringo should all contribute as rookies. In particular, landing Smith with the No. 30 overall pick was a coup for the Eagles.
That doesn't mean the defense is a lock to be an improved unit next season. The safety position experienced a significant amount of turnover. The Eagles' front office's first offseason mistake was a reach for a rookie who isn't going to be ready to play when Week 1 rolls around.
Worst Eagles moves of the offseason: 3. Reaching for Sydney Brown in Round 3
Brown wasn't a terrible pick in the third round but he did represent a rare reach on the basis of need by the Eagles organization. The former Illinois standout has the speed to grow into a quality safety at the NFL level but his lack of physicality should be a major concern for coaches in Philadelphia.
That lack of tackling ability is going to take at least one or two seasons of NFL coaching to correct. if Brown is forced to play meaningful snaps as a rookie he'll need a lot of protection from fellow safeties on the roster in sub-packages. He can still give the team some value as a rookie in that role, but expectations of a third-round pick should be higher.
Worst Eagles moves of the offseason: 2. Letting Isaac Seumalo walk
Roseman faced some tough choices in free agency about what veterans he needed to let leave to keep the team's salary cap in good shape. Seumalo got a nice three-year, $24 million deal from the Steelers to change locales.
That's a very reasonable price tag for an offensive guard who, at his best, is a borderline Pro Bowl player. The problem the Eagles likely saw with Seumalo is his injury history. He missed serious time in 2020 and 2021 before bouncing back to play 20 total games for the Eagles last year.
Philadelphia believes former second-round pick Cam Jurgens is ready to take over Seumalo's starting spot at guard but that's a sizeable gamble for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.
Most Eagles fans accepted the Seumalo had to go due to salary cap concerns, but the Eagles could have tried to free up cap space in other ways to keep him in the fold. Losing him isn't going to torpedo their playoff hopes in 2023, but letting him go ply his trade for the Steelers on such a reasonable contract won't look good in retrospect.
Worst Eagles moves of the offseason: 1. Effectively trading C.J. Gardner-Johnson for Terrell Edmunds
Gardner-Johnson is another player who left the Eagles for more lucrative pastures this offseason. He may prove to be the team's biggest loss. The former fourth-round pick gave Philadelphia six interceptions and a lot of bite in the secondary last season.
The Eagles made a nice financial pivot to sign Edmunds away from the Steelers on a bargain one-year, $2 million contract. That's a great move for Philadelphia in a vacuum, but it does equal a significant downgrade on the field for the team in 2023.
Edmunds simply isn't the same caliber of playmaker that Gardner-Johnson is. He's a decent starter at a low-value position but Philadelphia needed to find a safety who could move the needle and force turnovers this offseason. Gardner-Johnson may have gotten an oversized deal from the Lions but replacing him with Edmunds is going to cost the Eagles points on the field.
Look for the Eagles to try to cover up their downgrade in the secondary by continuing to put a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks with the front seven. If Philadelphia's pressure stats don't go up this season it's going to be a major problem. Flipping Edmunds for Gardner-Johnson is just the sort of move that can really hurt a team when the playoffs roll around.
