Getty Quarterback Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles, who look to improve through the 2019 NFL Draft.
The architect is choosing greener pastures, literally. Joe Douglas, the Eagles vice president of player personnel, has left the team to become the next GM of the New York Jets. He’ll get to run the show in a long-rumored reunion with his old pal Adam Gase.
We’ve agreed to terms with Joe Douglas to be our next GM.
Douglas signed a six-year deal worth more than $3 million per year. He will have full control of all personnel decisions, including final say on the 53-man roster, according to Adam Schefter.
Jets just would not take “no” as an answer from Joe Douglas. He tried to turn down the Jets and each time he did, they came back at him harder and harder. Jets simply were not going to be denied in their efforts to land the former Eagles’ vice president of player personnel.
In a not-so-stunning move — Douglas has been linked to the Jets for weeks — he’ll look to put his fingerprints on another team looking to dethrone the mighty Patriots, much like he did for the Eagles in 2017.
It’s hard to know how much input Douglas had over personnel decisions, with Eagles GM Howie Roseman looking over his shoulder for the past three seasons, but the team took a quantum leap during his tenure in Philadelphia. Sources have maintained that Douglas was in charge of scouting and player evaluation, particularly in the NFL draft. That would make sense considering he served as a college scout for the Bears and Ravens before landing in the Eagles’ nest.
Joe Douglas sat down with @EaglesInsider to discuss the scouting process in this exclusive interview.
Assuming that was the case, the best way to judge Douglas would be by his recent draft classes. Let’s examine those for a minute, shall we?
2017 Draft Class: DE Derek Barnett, CB Sidney Jones, CB Rasul Douglas, WR Mack Hollins, RB Donnel Pumphrey, WR Shelton Gibson, LB Nathan Gerry, DT Elijah Qualls
Quick Analysis: How Did Joe Do?
Overall, the jury is still out on this one due to injuries. The potential is there to grade it up to an A. For now, it’s a B+.
Derek Barnett filled a huge void at defensive end in his rookie season, but only played in six games in 2018 after suffering a shoulder injury. When Barnett has been on the field, he’s shown flashes of greatness, none bigger than the fumble recovery to ice Super Bowl LII.
Sidney Jones was supposed to be a bright spot in 2018 after red-shirting his rookie campaign. Unfortunately, he had a very up-and-down year while fighting a hamstring injury as the starting nickel cornerback. Big things are once again expected for Jones.
Rasul Douglas has looked impressive in spot duty, filling in at times for starting cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby. In fact, he has more interceptions than 22 of the 27 defensive backs drafted ahead of him. The organization is high on him, especially after he bulked up in the offseason. He could easily beat someone out in camp.
Mack Hollins has been an utter disappointment, an injury-plagued enigma wrapped in a riddle. After missing the 2018 season, he sat out last week’s OTAs. He’ll be fighting for a job in July. Donnel Pumphrey was cut once already. Shelton Gibson barely saw the field last year. Nathan Gerry has been on the bubble since he arrived. Elijah Qualls is no longer with the team.
The 2018 Draft Class: TE Dallas Goedert, CB Avonte Maddox, DE Josh Sweat, OT Matt Pryor, OT Jordan Mailata, DB Jeremy Reaves, RB Josh Adams
Quick Analysis: How Did Joe Do?
This is an extremely top heavy draft that could see only two players survive when all is said and done. Overall, it gets a B.
Dallas Goedert will always be the second tight end as long as Zach Ertz is here. Still, the Eagles love their two tight-end sets and Goedert is a matchup nightmare in the red zone. His role should expand significantly this season, with targets hovering at three per game.
Avonte Maddox is a star in the making. He was forced to play safety last year due to injuries, but his coverage stats ranked among the best in the NFL. Even with a flood of talent in the Eagles’ secondary, Maddox should see quality snaps and maybe even start.
Avonte Maddox dominated in coverage when he was on the field for Philly.
Josh Sweat saw action in nine games, none of them memorable. That being said, he was a fourth-round pick. The Eagles should wind up keeping him around for defensive end depth.
Matt Pryor might be another guy simply kept on the roster for extra insurance while Brandon Brooks recovers. With the Eagles bringing back Stefen Wisniewski, Pryor’s chances of making an impact seem slim. Jordan Mailata is 6-foot-8 and 350 pounds. That’s all you need to know. He’ll stick around until he gives them a reason to cut him.
Jeremy Reaves is gone, banished to Washington. Josh Adams was a fan favorite in his rookie year, a hard runner who racked up 511 yards when injuries turned him into the feature back. The opportunity is there, but drafting Miles Sanders did him no favors.
The 2019 Draft Class: OT Andre Dillard, RB Miles Sanders, WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, DE Shareef Miller, QB Clayton Thorson, DT Hassan Ridgeway (via trade)
Quick Analysis: How Did Joe Do?
This one can’t be properly evaluated since the only tangible thing we have to look at is OTAs. On paper, it sure looks like an A.
Andre Dillard is the left tackle of the future, the long-awaited replacement for legendary Hall of Famer Jason Peters. Miles Sanders is already drawing (way too early) comparisons to Saquon Barkley, while J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is getting similarly (laughable) ones to Alshon Jeffery.
Shareef Miller is a project out of Penn State, one with a clear path to shine now that Chris Long has retired. Clayton Thorson is another guy with tons of upside, if he soaks up all the knowledge spewing out of that quarterbacks room. Hassan Ridgeway is on here for fun, after he came over in a trade with the Colts. There’s a good chance he doesn’t make the final roster.