Getty Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
The Philadelphia Eagles headed into training camp in the mix to battle for the NFC East or a playoff spot, and take a step towards contending in the future. As it turns out, the future is now. The Eagles are the last undefeated team in the league, and there are no big holes on their roster.
With the NFL’s November 1 trade deadline now three weeks away, general manager Howie Roseman faces a decision: where should he try to upgrade the roster to position the Eagles to contend for a Super Bowl?
The Eagles have an abundance of draft capital, with two first round picks next year. They also have no glaring needs. However, there are a few spots where upgrading the depth or adding a specialist could improve their roster.
Eagles Could Upgrade Depth at Tight End
Dallas Goedert has been phenomenal this year for the Eagles, but he’s only logged 62% of the Eagles snaps at the position. Tight ends not named Dallas Goedert have combined for 2 catches for 44 yards. Those belong to Jack Stoll (1 catch for 4 yards) and Grant Calcaterra (1 catch for 40 yards). An average of 39 snaps a game are going to tight ends other than Goedert, and there hasn’t been much production there.
The Eagles have plenty of offensive weapons for Jalen Hurts to throw to, but it can never hurt to have more versatility. If the Eagles find themselves in the playoffs with a matchup where going with two tight ends would be favorable, it would be nice to have a second pass-catching threat. Calcaterra is likely to become one in the future, but only the Eagles know how much confidence they have in his future arriving this year.
If the opportunity presents itself to add another tight end, the Eagles should consider it.
Eagles Should Look for a Rotational Defensive End
After losing Derek Barnett to injury, the Eagles added Janarius Robinson, but he hasn’t gotten onto the field yet. Behind Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat, the pure defensive end rotation hasn’t been very productive. Of course, Haason Reddick has been a beast off the edge, but he’s not being utilized as a true defensive end most of the time.
This isn’t an area of need, but it’s always nice to keep the rotation fresh late into the season and to have some injury insurance. If the Eagles lost Graham or Sweat for any extended amount of time, they’d be suffering a significant downgrade to the defensive line.
Birds Could Upgrade Dime Cornerback
The Eagles top three cornerbacks have been excellent this year, so there’s no need to shop for an upgrade to Darius Slay, James Bradberry, or Avonte Maddox. But the injury to Maddox has showcased that the Eagles depth at the position could be better.
Don’t get me wrong, Josiah Scott has had his moments, but he’s allowed a passer rating of 132.9 when targeted, according to Pro Football Focus. Imagine the likes of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, or Josh Allen working against him in the postseason.
Given that cornerbacks are often more susceptible to missing time from even minor injuries (regardless of toughness) since something like a minor ankle sprain or tweaked hamstring can impact speed and agility – which are needed to keep up with opposing receivers, the Eagles might want to add a little more depth here.
Eagles Offense Could Use a Specialized Running Back
Miles Sanders is having a career-year thus far, on pace for more than 1,400 yards on the ground. Kenneth Gainwell has been relatively productive behind him, but is only averaging 5.5 touches per game, and Boston Scott has had a quiet year.
The one weak point for Sanders is in the passing game, where he has just 10 catches for 41 yards through five games. The Eagles could benefit from adding a pass-catching back, adding another weapon to the aerial attack.
The Birds could also utilize a bruising running back to take on a role similar to that held by LeGarrette Blount in their 2017 Super Bowl run.
It may seem crazy to think that the Eagles should try to upgrade their rushing attack, which ranks fourth in the league, but this is more about adding another facet and more options to it.
Eagles Could Add an Explosive Punt Returner
Britain Covey ranks 18th in the league with 6.1 yards per punt return, and he hasn’t looked particularly explosive during his 14 punt returns. When the weather gets cold and offenses slow down a bit, having a game-breaking punt returner can make a huge difference in a late-season or postseason game.
If the Eagles are able to pick one up without giving up too much, they just might be getting the piece that puts them over the top in a close playoff game. It’s also possible that they can find someone to check two boxes, such as a pass-catching running back who is a threat in the punt return game or a depth cornerback who can return punts.