The 2020 season for the Philadelphia Eagles has been nothing short of a disaster.
Sitting at 3-7-1 after 11 games is a far cry from where this team hoped to be at the start of the season.
Many pre-season previews had the Eagles as a potential playoff team who would compete with the Cowboys for the division title.
While the Birds are still in contention for the playoffs and division title, but that is more a testament to how bad the NFC East has been.
All four teams are below .500 with a combined record of 14-29-1.
Philly entered the season with high hopes.
A fully healthy Carson Wentz was finally supposed to be surrounded by more talented weapons and protected by a top-5 offensive line.
The defense was projected to have a strong interior and signed Darius Slay to be the shutdown corner they so badly needed.
Instead, Wentz has regressed, the offensive weapons have underwhelmed, and the line has been decimated by injuries.
The defense has not been as bad as the offense, but could still use some help in the secondary and at linebacker.
This upcoming offseason will be vital for the Eagles to get right.
1. Figure Out if Wentz is the Franchise QB
This is arguably the most pressing matter the Eagles need to figure out.
Just 3 years ago, Wentz was an MVP candidate who had Philly fans thinking they had a top-5 QB in the league for the foreseeable future.
Now, he is leading the league in interceptions and is the lowest-rated starting QB in the NFL according to PFF.
Through 11 weeks, PFF has Daniel Jones graded as the 14th-best QB in the NFL.
Carson Wentz is 33rd.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) November 23, 2020
The Eagles just committed to Wentz after signing him for $128 million over 4-years.
If Philadelphia decides he isn’t the QB moving forward, they need to make moves and hand over control to Jalen Hurts to see what he brings.
As bad as he has been this year, there are still plenty of teams that would roll the dice on Wentz.
The Eagles could also get back significant draft capital that could be used to fill over holes on the roster or draft their next QB if they don’t see Hurts as the long-term solution.
In Wentz’s defense, he has not had much help this year.
Blame cannot be placed solely on his shoulders.
The revamped receiving corp has clearly not met expectations.
Most dropped passes:
1. Carson Wentz – 29
2. Tom Brady – 28
3. Matthew Stafford – 25 pic.twitter.com/Ymgcb8O3FE— PFF (@PFF) December 1, 2020
They rarely get separation from defensive backs and when they do, they just can’t make the play.
The injuries to the offensive line have also left Wentz running for his life most plays.
He has been sacked the most of any QB in the NFL this season at 46.
Carson Wentz this season:
-15 INT (most in the NFL)
-46 sacks (most in the NFL)
-95 off-target incompletions (most in the NFL) pic.twitter.com/58O6lUU5xU— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 1, 2020
A healthy offensive line and better receivers could open things up for Wentz.
It’ll be on the Eagles to decide if they want to test out that hypothesis.
2. Eagles Need a New GM
A new GM would go a long way in helping the Eagles acquire talent and get younger.
The fact of the matter is Howie Roseman is a horrible drafter.
His draft record simply speaks for itself.
Since the 2013 draft that saw the Eagles take Lane Johnson and Zach Ertz, Howie has drafted 1 Pro Bowl player – Carson Wentz.
He has found quality starters and role players, but he just has not drafted any bonafide stars.
Most importantly – he cannot draft receivers.
Since drafting Wentz, here’s the list of receivers Roseman has drafted:
- Mack Hollins (Round 4 – 2017)
- Shelton Gibson (Round 5 – 2017)
- JJ Arcega-Whiteside (Round 2 – 2019)
- Jalen Reagor (Round 1 – 2020)
- John Hightower (Round 5 – 2020)
- Quez Watkins (Round 6 – 2020)
And here is a list of receivers Roseman has passed on in those drafts:
- JuJu Smith-Schuster (Round 2 – 2017)
- AJ Brown (Round 2 – 2019)
- DK Metcalf (Round 2 – 2019)
- Justin Jefferson (Round 1 – 2020)
- Tee Higgins (Round 2 – 2020)
- Chase Claypool (Round 2 – 2020)
Hindsight is always 20/20 and you have to consider draft needs at the time.
But that list has three proven #1 receivers and three rookies who appear to have #1 potential.
Roseman has failed to build a quality roster surrounding the Eagles centerpieces.
He has also failed to help this team get younger, and the litany of injuries the past few years is evidence of that.
3. Draft Better
This one goes somewhat hand-in-hand with finding a new GM but needs to be elaborated on.
The NFL draft is critical to teams remaining competitive year after year.
Teams can supplement their roster in free agency and through trades, but drafting rookies is where the most value lies.
The wide receivers have always been mentioned, but they also fail to hit on other key positions.
The secondary has been a major problem for the Eagles for multiple years now but has yet to be addressed in the draft.
Players like Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas, and Avonte Maddox have proven time and time again they are not shut down corners.
That is not to say they are horrible players, but they cannot be a #1 or #2 corner on an NFL defense.
In the past 5 years, Philadelphia has drafted 4 linebackers – 2 of them came in the 2020 draft and the other 2 are no longer on the team.
That second level of the defense hasn’t been a particularly strong area of the defense and it is rarely addressed in free agency either.
With Philly potentially having a top-5 pick in this year’s draft, they cannot miss on top-end talent once again.
As December begins, a look at the current 2021 NFL Draft order:
1. Jets: 0-11
2. Jaguars: 1-10
3. Bengals: 2-8-1
4. Cowboys: 3-8
5. Chargers: 3-8
6. Eagles: 3-7-1
7. Panthers: 4-8
8. Washington: 4-7
9. Lions: 4-7
10. Falcons: 4-7— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 1, 2020
Receivers like Ja’Marr Chase out of LSU and DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle out of Alabama are three prospects who could become that #1 option the offense so desperately needs.
There’s a can’t-miss linebacker prospect in Micah Parsons and some depth at the corner position.
If the Eagles do get a top-5 pick and don’t love anybody, they could look at trading back and picking up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick.
Dealing Wentz would also bring back added draft capital, giving the Eagles more opportunities at drafting top prospects.
NEXT: 3 NFL Teams Carson Wentz Could End Up With In 2021