The Eagles are Super Bowl Champions. For the next year, the Vince Lombardi Trophy belongs to Philadelphia. But as Tom Brady once said, the best ring is “the next one.” As awesome as that Super Bowl was, and as great as the parade we just had was, it sure would be nice to do it all again next season.
Related: Iconic Moments from the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX Parade in Pictures
A lot of things had to go right to make the great team we watched this year. They hit on nearly every single free agent and most of their draft picks. If they are going to repeat, Howie Roseman will need to have another great offseason.
They have a few key free agents, and they won’t be able to keep them all. Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, and Zack Baun were all key pieces of the Eagles defense, and are all set to hit the market.
Their offense is getting more expensive as extensions they gave some of their stars start to kick in, with increasing cap numbers. But if anyone is up to navigating those obstacles, it is the GM who has built two almost completely different Super Bowl rosters.
If The Eagles Are Going To Make It 3 Super Bowls, These 5 Things Will Need To Happen:
Re-Sign Zack Baun
Of the several UDFAs, Baun is priority number 1. It is hard to see them turning another seemingly minor signing into an All-Pro. His play against the run, in coverage, and occasionally as a Blitzer, is a massive reason why the Eagles defense was so great this year.
The Eagles have proven at this point they can find Defensive Tackles and Edge Rushers. They also already have other great players there to help make up for the potential losses of Sweat or Williams. But at LB they do not know if Dean will even be available to start the season, Oren Burks is a FA, and they have not seen enough from Jeremiah Trotter Jr to trust him as the starter.
Luckily all signs point to Baun staying. Every beat reporter we have had on 97.5 has said the same thing, the Eagles are prioritizing keeping Baun. So this first thing might be taken care of easily. But it is still something that has to be done. Losing Baun would completely change the outlook of this D, and replacing him would be much harder than replacing one of the other key FAs.
Either Keep Or Adequatly Replace Josh Sweat
Josh Sweat was a big reason why the Eagles defense was so good in the Super Bowl. 2.5 sacks and 7 total pressures. He easily could have won Super Bowl MVP.
But he is also a pending free agent. And after tallying 8 sacks in the regular season, and 2.5 in the Super Bowl, it is easy to see him getting a big contract. The question is will it be here, or elsewhere?
If it is not here, then the Eagles’ biggest need will be finding another Edge Rusher. After him they have Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Bryce Huff. Smith proved he is ready to be the guy in the playoffs, and Hunt has shown a lot of potential, but after this season, the Eagles can’t bank on Bryce Huff stepping up.
You can’t get by with just 2 dependable guys on the Edge. Frankly getting by with a 3 man rotation for most of this season was amazing.
Pick 32 of the draft would be a good place to look for another Edge Rusher. A free agent could also work, but if they can’t afford Sweat, that would also mean they can’t afford most of the top options in Free Agency.
Finding a way to keep Sweat would be the best option.
Either Keep Or Adequatly Repalce Milton Williams
Milton Williams was sneakily one of the best DTs in the league this year. Playing next to Carter helped, but Williams was second in pressure rate among qualified DTs this season. And like Sweat, he showed up in a big way for the Super Bowl with 2 sacks including a strip sack.
At DT they have a bit more depth to play with if they lose Milton Williams. They obviously have Jalen Carter, but then also Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, and Thomas Booker.
Still, they are going to want another guy. Jordan Davis is very good at what they ask him to do, but is not an every-down player, at least not yet. Moro Ojomo likewise has been very good in a limited role.
If Williams leaves, which right now feels like the eventual result, they are going to want more depth. That might come in the form of a role player, with Davis and Ojomo stepping into bigger roles. If they lose Sweat and Williams, Edge Rusher is the slightly bigger need. But adding another capable DT to the mix would certainly be a must as well.
Hit On Their Draft Picks Again
In 2021 the Eagles drafted Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and Milton Williams. In 2022 they drafted Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens, and Nakobe Dean. In 2023 they added Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Tyler Steen. Last season they drafted Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Jalyx Hunt.
Howie Roseman is on an All-Time Heater. It is a big part of the reason why they can have such an expensive offense, and yet still have the best defense in the league. But there is no rest of the weary. As great as Howie has been in the draft, he needs to keep hitting those HRs if they are going to turn this 1 win into a dynasty.
The offense has very few, if any, immediate needs. But RT could soon become one. Lane is coming back, but who knows for how many more seasons. The Eagles might want to plan ahead like they did with drafting Jurgens before Jason Kelce retired.
The defense will have more immediate needs. We already discussed DE and DT with Sweat and Williams potentially leaving. Getting more young, and cheap, stars along that line would go a long way to keeping this defense at the top of the league. The foundation is there with Carter, Davis, Smith, DeJean, and Mitchell locked up for the next couple of years at least on rookie contracts. But to become the rare team that forms a dynasty, they will need even more help.
Hire A Offensive Coordinator With Play Calling Experience
Kellen Moore is gone. So now for the 3rd straight offseason, the Eagles will begin the search for an Offensive Coordinator. The favorite to get the job right now is Passing Game Coordinator Kevin Patullo, who has been with Nick Sirianni going back to his time in Indianapolis.
But Patullo does not have play-calling experience. In 2023 they hired Brian Johnson, who also lacked play-calling experience. It did not go well. That is not all on him, Sirianni played a big role in that. It is why they pulled Sirianni from play-calling duties and brought in someone experienced like Kellen Moore to run things.
Given how well that worked out, they should try and copy the formula, and bring in another experienced playcaller to run the offense, while Sirianni can focus on what he does best. I.E. managing the team, and making in-game decisions.
Kevin Patullo might be doing a great job as the pass game coordinator. But he has not called plays, or been in charge of an offense, at the NFL level. For that reason, Patullo might not be the best option.
That is not to say it can’t work. Maybe Patullo would be great at it. But maybe a name like Jim Caldwell, who has proven time and time again he can run an NFL offense, would make more sense. Maybe a name like Frank Reich. But whoever it is, it should be someone we know can run an offense, not someone we hope can run an offense.