The Philadelphia Eagles still have a chance to win the NFC East in Week 18, and even if they have to settle for a Wild Card spot, they are guaranteed at least one playoff game. But the Eagles, who have lost four of their last five games, feel like an increasingly flawed team that is unlikely to reach the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. Part of the Eagles’ overhaul this offseason will likely be elevating both coordinator positions. Moving on from coach Nick Sirianni seems like an overreaction, but offensive coordinator Brian Johnson could very well be fired.
And whether Matt Patricia is officially done as defensive coordinator in 2024 or the Eagles go outside, the defensive coaching job is likely to undergo major changes.
However, part of the problem – particularly on defense – was a lack of talent. Between free agents leaving and aging, the bullpen and secondary were the responsibilities in the second half of the season. Under head coach Howie Roseman, the Eagles have not traditionally invested huge resources at linebacker.
Cornerback was a position they wanted to invest in. The Eagles will need to accumulate dead money this offseason to move on from James Bradberry or Darius Slay, and while rookie Kelee has shown positive signs. Ring and there’s a good chance the Eagles will make a big investment at Cornerback this coming season. To that end, Pro Football Focus recently listed each team’s ideal NFL draft prospects and ranked Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell with the Eagles. andquot;The Eagles kept both of their starting cornerbacks last season, but Mitchell still feels like an ideal investment for them at the position,andquot; PFF wrote. “Over the past two years, he has earned top coverage marks with an astounding 35 forced completions, six interceptions and as many as eight other dropped picks.andquot; Mitchell is a 6-foot-1, 197-pound cornerback who had a monster sophomore season at Toledo. He had five interceptions — two of which he returned for touchdowns — on 41 carries. He had just one interception his junior season, but again had 41 tackles, including two for a loss”.
PFF has Mitchell rated as the 40th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so he appears to be a realistic late-first-round target for the Eagles, regardless of where their pick ends up. Roseman, of course, has a great reputation for cap management. But the head will have to be creative in trying to get rid of Bradberry or Slay this season. Bradberry, who has a paltry 56.3 PFF grade this season, would leave $17.238 million in cap space if released this offseason. Slay would leave behind $35.096 million upon release, which may not be realistic.
