Where do Eagles go from here?

I’d like to think the Eagles have a great year ahead filled with victories earned by the lessons of past defeat… MV stays healthy, there are no major injuries to anyone, and the priority of ball security is held second to none…

And let’s face it, all they’ve got to do is improve their 2011 record by two games— two stinkin’ hard-fought games— and they’re in the playoffs in 2012-13 with a chance to do major damage and advance further.

But the reality will be—it’s just not that easy or predictable.

Vick will either evolve to new heights or crumble into mediocrity. The league is pretty much on to his game.  At least the Eagles defense is building to a higher level of competency…and that may be the area where the Eagles will make the biggest contribution to a successful 2012.

But the devil is in the details. And here are the details of a new season in the making, as Ed Kracz (no, not Mr. Kraxx) wrote about for phillyburbs.com earlier this week… and prior to further Mach 10 draft speculation, it is good to note his “turning point” issues with the Eagles.

To wit:

The trouble with sleeping, eating and breathing Eagles day after day since summertime is that, even when the season is over, that never really stops. Whoever said that there is no offseason in football, or any professional sport for that matter, knew what they were talking about. Maybe the only difference is that, instead of asking questions out loud to yourself about the team, the season and the coaches, the questions only roll around inside your head and remain there. Though there seems to be a bit less urgency surrounding them, that doesn’t mean they go away.

“The key is always, always after you ask yourself a question, whether it stays inside your head or is blurted out to no one in particular, you must never, ever answer it out out loud. That would mean you are talking and answering yourself. But, as a public service, here are a few Eagles questions that keep rattling around in my sleep, during my meals and when I inhale — with out-loud answers for your reading pleasure.”

What to do with DeSean Jackson?

This is the one question that swirls around more than most.

He is without a contract. He has outperformed his four-year rookie deal, topping 1,000-yards receiving in two of those years and going above 900 yards in the other two. He became the first player in NFL history to post 3,500 receiving yards and 1,000 punt return yards in his first four seasons in the league. The list of on-field accomplishments goes on and on. Say nothing about how he stretches defenses with his blinding speed… But his off-the-field petulance was in the spotlight this past year.

Answer:  Jackson needs to return. And he needs to do it with a multi-year contract. He told me after the Eagles’ season finale that he would be receptive to a franchise tag, which would pay him an average of the top wide receiver contracts in the league. But the Eagles shouldn’t risk paying for only a single year; otherwise, Jackson could become the off-field distraction he became last season…Franchise and transition tags can begin being applied on Feb. 20 with a deadline to do so on March 5.

 

The Patriots’ Antwaun Molden (left) intercepts a pass intended for the Eagles’ DeSean Jackson during the second quarter of New England’s 38-20 victory on Nov. 27.

What about Asante Samuel?

The cornerback didn’t help his case for sticking around by ripping the front office prior to the trading deadline in October.

Answer: Samuel missed the last two games of the regular season with a hamstring injury, and the Eagles didn’t miss a beat. He will be gone, but only provided the Eagles get something close to what they believe his value is… Say something along the lines of a mid-round pick or two.

What will Andy Reid do with Juan Castillo?

This one may be answered before any others. Maybe even any day now.

Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier recently praised Castillo. So if Reid hands Castillo his walking papers, he can carry them right on up to Minnesota.

But replacing Castillo is dicey for Reid, since the players all seemed to respond positively to him, and a change would make the next defensive coordinator the fourth coordinator the team has had since 2008.

Answer: If there is somebody more qualified than Castillo, say, Todd Bowles, then Reid needs to hire him. If there is nobody with a resume much better than Castillo’s — and the emphasis is on “much” — then Juan should be brought back.

If Castillo goes, what becomes of the wide nine?

On Jan. 2, the day the players cleaned out their lockers and headed into their offseason, one defensive linemen told me line coach Jim Washburn wanted to return, but wasn’t sure if the Eagles were open to having him back.

That may have changed with the hiring of Jeff Fisher in St. Louis. Fisher and Washburn worked together in Tennessee for 12 years.

Washburn, as we all know, brought with him the wide-nine scheme when he was hired. The wide-nine, as we all know, was vulnerable to the run. If Washburn is gone, then what becomes of Jason Babin, who obviously flourished in Washburn’s unique system with 30½ sacks the past two years under Washburn’s coaching?

Answer: Washburn should return. With 50 sacks this year, the Eagles tied the Vikings for most in the league.

What will the Eagles do in free agency?

This question consumes me for hours on end.

The league can begin negotiating with free agents at 4 p.m. on March 13. In previous years, free agency began at midnight. An earlier start should make things even more interesting for fans.

It seems to make sense that the Eagles will go after a veteran linebacker. Of course, it seemed to make sense last year, too, but the team chose to go with youth and inexperience.

It proved a toxic mix.

Some names to keep an eye on in the free-agent linebacker class are Stephen Tulloch, Curtis Lofton and London Fletcher.

Tulloch was available last year, but the Eagles turned a blind eye. All he did was make 111 tackles with three sacks and two interceptions.

Lofton registered 147 tackles for the Falcons and, at 6 feet, he’s two inches taller than Tulloch. Both are physical in the run game and are in their mid 20s.

If the Eagles spend a first-rounder on a linebacker, they may want more of a one- or two-year stopgap in Fletcher, who is 36, but was highly productive with 166 tackles for the Redskins.

Answer: You hope the Eagles learned their lesson from last year and grab one of these players.

What else can they look at in free agency?

This will depend on if DeSean Jackson walks. Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson is 6-foot-5, 230 pounds and productive in the red zone. He could be a potential target given that the Birds’ red zone offense was ranked 14th in the league, scoring touchdowns on 34 of their 66 trips there.

Vincent Jackson played under the franchise tag last year and earned about $11.5 million.

A backup quarterback may also be needed. Vince Young wasn’t good enough. Donovan McNabb anyone?

Answer: If they don’t chase Vincent Jackson, don’t look for the Eagles to make a big splash in the market. Any moves will be simply tweaks, but that won’t mean they will be less important than some big-ticket player.

What happens in the draft?

Haven’t met an expert yet who can figure out exactly what the Eagles will do on draft day. They are as unpredictable as they have been unspectacular with their selections these past couple of years.

Saw one early mock draft already that had them picking Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd in the first round.

Answer: Who knows? But I’d be surprised if it is a linebacker — along the lines of say Boston College’s Luke Kuechly — since Reid has never taken one in the first round. The last time the organization did was in 1979, when they selected Jerry Robinson out of UCLA with the 21st pick.

It would also be surprising if the player they pick doesn’t play defense. But, again, there is no figuring them out when it comes to the draft. Trading down and picking a quarterback? Hmm…

All that’s known at the moment is the draft is April 26-28.

Is 2012 the year of reckoning for Reid?

It would seem that Reid needs to win the Super Bowl in order to get a contract extension. He has just two years left, and it makes sense that he won’t head into the final year of that deal in 2013 without one.

Owner Jeffrey Lurie, speaking two days after an 8-8 season, made it seem as if he took a long, hard look at Reid’s status. Longer than he usually does. Or maybe not. With Lurie’s ties to Hollywood, one can never be sure if he isn’t just merely building drama.

Answer: Yes. If Reid doesn’t win the Super Bowl, or at least get there, he’s O-U-T.

[Ed Kracz: 215-345-3069; email: [email protected]; Twitter: @kracze]