Under the Radar Positions of Need for the Eagles

By Scott Crabtree

The Eagles have some glaring needs on the roster, most notably in the secondary, where there is a scarcity of talent. Depending on what happens in free agency, the Eagles also will need wide receiver help if Maclin and Cooper sign elsewhere. These are the team’s obvious needs; however; the team has some less pronounced needs elsewhere on the roster as well.  The offensive and defensive lines need to be tended to.

Many people are praising the Birds for the play of their offensive line this year.  Pro Football Focus went so far as to rank the Eagles offensive line as the ninth-best unit in the NFL. However, they may not have played as well as they are given credit for, as although they led the way for Shady to get the rushing title, the team also ranked 26^th in sack percentage. That statistic can’t be blamed on backups, since the line as a unit was remarkably healthy this year. What it boils down to is that the line run-blocked well during the season, but wasn’t great in pass protection. Against the Cowboys and the Saints in the last two games of the year, Foles struggled to get comfortable in the pocket, which is why they scored nearly four points fewer than their season average in both those games. Jason Peters and Evan Mathis both played at a high level this season, Mathis even earning an All-Pro award, but it is not a stretch to think that at 32 years old they will soon start to break down. Todd Herremans is also 32, but he didn’t play especially well this season. In addition to the age concerns, Jason Peters becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2014 season. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles try to inject some youth into their offensive line to pair with Lane Johnson this offseason. The 2012 season showed us how dangerous a lack of offensive line depth can be.

At first glance, the defensive line doesn’t look like a huge area of concern, but it is an area in need of depth. The pace at which the offense plays puts a ton of pressure on the defense. The Eagles led the league in defensive snaps, and the guys that fatigue most quickly are the big boys up front. At times during the game against the Saints, both Fletcher Cox and Ced Thornton looked gassed. The team hasn’t found a reliable player to rotate in with those two guys. Additionally, Bennie Logan looked good on passing downs this season, but he is not a nose tackle. Bringing in a NT that can occupy two blockers will not only make the defensive ends better, but it will also improve free up the linebackers to make plays. The Eagles ended the season ranked 20^th in sacks, and dead last in sack percentage, according to Pro Football Reference. In other words, they produced sacks on a smaller percentage of opponents passing plays than any other team in the league. Defensive coordinator Billy Davis is all about generating pressure. A big nose tackle will help the Eagles get the pressure up the middle that will keep the Kyle Ortons and Matt Cassels of the world from going over 350 yards. Let’s hope the Birds can find some value in the draft to improve the defensive line.