A season that started with a 10-1 record ended in disaster for the Philadelphia Eagles. Months removed from reaching the Super Bowl, the Eagles had one of the biggest late-season collapses in NFL history. As a result, major changes are needed this offseason.
Philadelphia already suffered its first blow of the winter with All-Pro center Jason Kelce retiring. Not only are the Eagles losing one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, but a leading voice is now out of the locker room. For a franchise that experienced a lot of finger-pointing in December, Kelce’s departure only increases the need for foundational changes.
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Let’s dive into our offseason preview for the Philadelphia Eagles.
1. Philadelphia Eagles fire Nick Sirianni, clean house
It’s rare for a head coach whose team went to the Super Bowl a year ago to be fired. Ordinarily, we wouldn’t encourage such a rash decision. However, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni put the organization in this position. When you start losing control of the team even when things are good, that’s a massive red flag.
Make no mistake, there are plenty of alarming issues to choose from. You can start with players pointing fingers at one another with the locker room spiraling into one position group versus another. Even putting that aside, Philadelphia stripped Sean Desai of play-calling duties on third down after Week 10. That wasn’t enough, with the DC duties being taken away from Desai and given to Matt Patricia soon after. Patricia never should’ve been on the Eagles’ staff in the first place and his track record as a defensive play-caller provided ample evidence that he wasn’t right for the role.
All of this is a reflection on Sirianni. Not only because the new hires blew up in Philadelphia’s face, but also due to the fact he both lost control of the locker room and proved he was carried by his coordinators last season. That’s why, one year after he prepared for the Super Bowl, Sirianni needs to be fired.
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2. Hire Mike Vrabel as head coach, Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator
Accountability and leadership are two things the Eagles need in 2024. Kelce’s retirement means a powerful and respected voice in the locker room is gone. While he might not have been the loudest player on the Eagles’ roster, Kelce set the tone for the entire team and brought an edge when needed. That’s what we’re focused on for the next Eagles’ coaching staff.
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It also defines Mike Vrabel. He’s one of the best head coaches in the NFL not because of an innovative mind or a scheme that causes frustration for opponents. Instead, the former linebacker strikes the perfect balance of being a hard-nosed coach who knows how to connect with players at the individual level. Bringing in Vrabel as head coach will bring some swagger back to Philadelphia’s defense, but it will far more importantly get rid of the finger-pointing and selfish mindsets that plagued the Eagles late in the year.
| PPG | Yards per Play | Red Zone TD rate | |
| 2019 | 24.9 (8th) | 6.0 (5th) | 77.36% (1st) |
| 2020 | 29.6 (4th) | 6.1 (5th) | 74,24% (2nd) |
We know the offensive coordinator choice of Arthur Smith won’t be popular. However, it’s important to remember how successful he was when he was allowed to focus entirely on the offense. There’s another positive with Smith. For a fan base that desperately wanted its last coaching staff to run the football more, the Tennessee Titans finished third in the percentage of running plays in 2019-’20 with Smith. A reunion with Vrabel in Philadelphia could be perfect for everyone.
3. Trimming out the roster to create cap space
The Eagles’ front office will have some difficult decisions to make this offseason. Philadelphia needs to think about its future on the offensive line, with Kelce retiring and right tackle Lane Johnson nearing that age. Our first priority, though, is creating the cap space necessary to improve the defense.
- Philadelphia Eagles cap space: $28.543 million
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| Philadelphia Eagles player | Cap Savings (Pre/Post-June 1 release) |
| Kevin Byard | $13.06 million (pre-June 1) / +$14.1 million (post June 1) |
| Avonte Maddox | +$2.339 million / +$7.5 million |
| Brandon Graham | +$1.5 million (post-June 1) |
| Fletcher Cox | +$1.5 million (post-June 1) |
| Marcus Mariota | +$2.3 million (post-June 1) |
| Fred Johnson | +$1.125 million (pre-June 1) |
Just a few of these moves turn $28 million of cap space into more than $50 million to spend in NFL free agency. Contract extensions and restructures would open up even more space, too. If the Eagles want to take the all-in approach, this will allow them to add impact talent via the open market.
4. Philadelphia Eagles add L’Jarius Sneed, Lavonte David in NFL free agency
With the Chicago Bears guaranteed to keep Jaylon Johnson, L’Jarius Sneed comes the best cornerback in NFL free agency. The Kansas City Chiefs will attempt to re-sign him, but cap issues and negotiations with Chris Jones may prevent that. If that happens, Sneed has to be Philadelphia’s top target.
Only 27 years old entering next season, the 6-foot-1 cornerback can be the No. 1 man in Philadelphia with Darius Slay bumped down to the No. 2 boundary role. Among starting cornerbacks this past season, per Pro Football Focus, Sneed allowed the 11th-lowest reception rate (45.2 percent) with opponents posting just a 53.4 QB rating when they targeted him in man coverage. He fits Philadelphia’s secondary beautifully.
At linebacker, bring in the veteran Lavonte David. While he’ll be 34 next season, David is still playing at a high level. David is the ideal three-down linebacker, posting the 11th-highest stop rate (9.8 percent) and still ranking 20th in PFF’s coverage grade (68.0) among linebackers. Plus, he makes the players around him better with his leadership, instincts and film study also providing further support to the Eagles.