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2024 Philadelphia Eagles Preview
Philadelphia got off to a roaring 10-1 start in 2023, but came completely unraveled afterwards, losing five of their last six. Losses to Arizona and New York to finish the season cost them the division, and a pathetic effort in the Wild Card round saw them crushed by Baker Mayfield and Tampa, 32-9. A new-look coaching staff featuring Vic Fangio on defense and Kellen Moore for the offense will look to guide the Eagles back to the playoffs. Coupled with one of the best draft classes in recent memory, fans are hoping for a successful season in 2024.
The Eagles feature interesting players at a number of positions; I flat out don't know if I've been alive long enough to have seen an NFL team with a white safety, cornerback, running back and wide receiver all on the same 53-man roster.
Total White players on 53-man roster: 16
Total White starters: 5
Starters listed in bold.
OFFENSE
QB: Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee
RB: Will Shipley
WR: Britain Covey
TE: Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra
C: Cam Jurgens
G: Landon Dickerson, Trevor Keegan
T: Lane Johnson
DEFENSE
LB: Ben Van Sumeren
CB: Cooper DeJean
S: Reed Blankenship
SPECIALISTS
K: Jake Elliot
P: Braden Mann
LS: Rick Lovato
RESERVE/INJURED
TE: McCallan Castles
PRACTICE SQUAD
OL: Nick Gates, Jack Driscoll, Dylan McMahon, Brett Toth
TE: Jack Stoll
WR: Griffin Hebert, Kyle Philips
QB: Will Grier
Pittsburgh decided to cut bait with former first-rounder Kenny Pickett in the offseason, and the Eagles were ready, acquiring the New Jersey native for a couple of picks (one of which Pittsburgh used on Payton Wilson). Pickett's tenure in Pittsburgh was virtually doomed from the start; incompetent play-calling, porous offensive lines and a head coach that seemed content to coldly ignore him all combined to produce understandably uneven results. Pickett will bide his time in Philadelphia, and hope for an opportunity while backing up Jalen Hurts. Tanner McKee was again excellent in the preseason, but will again serve as QB3 and himself wait patiently for any opportunity that ends up coming his way.
Clemson star RB Will Shipley was drafted in the fourth round after spectacular Combine and Pro Day performances highlighted by a 4.39s 40-yard dash at 206lbs. His college exploits are well-documented on this site, but a frustrating junior follow-up to his unbelievable sophomore season had many wondering where he would end up, as Clemson underperformed across the board. Excellent preseason play has him nicely positioned as a backup to Saquon Barkley. Ken Gainwell is an acceptable backup, but it's clear Shipley is far more talented. Shipley should see the field on some third downs and select packages this season, with his role hopefully increasing greatly in 2025.
Diminutive WR Britain Covey finally cracks the opening day roster on his third try. One of the NFL's very best punt returners, Covey finished the 2023 season second in the NFL in average yards per punt return and led the league in total punt return yards with 417. His chances of seeing meaningful offensive snaps from the slot basically vanished when the Eagles acquired Jahan Dotson, despite Covey looking great in camp and preseason. Hopefully he can play his way into a larger role if given a chance.
Dallas Goedert played in 14 games in 2023, with a career-high 59 receptions. His averaged dropped to ten yards per catch however, the lowest of his career. This entire Philadelphia skill player group suffered statistically during the Eagles late season implosion; a disjointed game plan coupled with erratic QB play contributed to Goedert and the WRs inconsistency. He'll look to improve on those numbers this year in Moore's offense. Grant Calcaterra flashed in camp this year as a receiving threat and slides forward to TE2 this season. It would take a Goedert injury to see him involved in much more than special teams, however.
The Philadelphia o-line room features less white player depth on the active roster than usual, though some of that is due to how teams use the practice squad these days: more on that below. Cam Jurgens slides back to his natural center position from guard, as he takes over for the retired future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce. Jurgens was drafted as Kelce's "handpicked" successor, so expectations and pressure are high for the third-year man from Nebraska; he performed admirably while out of position in 2023. Landon Dickerson turned in another healthy and solid season in 2023. Draft reports for the young man told a story of a talented lineman constantly beset by injuries. He's been able to buck that health narrative and perform at a top level so far in the NFL, including back-to-back Pro Bowl selections in '22 and '23. There's not much you can say about Lane Johnson that isn't already said by his trophy case: five Pro Bowls, two All Pros, and a Super Bowl championship. One of the all-time greats in Philadelphia returns for a twelfth season, and claimed over the summer he has more in the tank after this. Trevor Keegan is a rookie out of Michigan who practiced all over the line in camp, but will primarily play guard if he sees the field.
Despite being predictably listed as a "DB" on the official roster, DC Vic Fangio has mentioned on numerous occasions he sees Cooper DeJean as purely a cornerback. The former Iowa star unexpectedly fell to the second round of the draft, becoming its best value pick in the process. An unlucky injury early in camp put DeJean behind the pack in the quest for a starting spot, however; he was only able to play in one preseason game, where he saw action mainly as the slot CB, a job that initially appeared to be his to lose. Don't panic if DeJean is a healthy scratch for a game or two to begin the season as he continues to ramp up from a missed training camp. He should be, at minimum, in the DB rotation at some point this year, if not in a starting spot.
Reed Blankenship was named the Eagles starting safety going in to 2023, and the former undrafted free agent from Middle Tennessee State did not disappoint. Blankenship played in 15 games and recorded 113 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defended. A nagging injury and the need to constantly clean up tackles behind atrocious linebacker play seemed to wear on Reed as the season went on. Hopefully a new defensive scheme keeps him fresh and at the top of his game for all of 2024, as he's an impact playmaker when at 100%.
LB Ben Van Sumeren surprised many by performing very well when pressed into starting duty due to injury last season. He starts this year on the active roster instead of the practice squad, and is a core special teamer. His off-the-charts athleticism plays well at LB and his may be a name to keep an eye on going forward.
Philadelphia has a busy practice squad, where they seem to have stashed most of their o-line depth. Any one of Gates, McMahon or Toth will be elevated to the gameday roster to serve as the backup center, while Driscoll will likely replace one of the subpar backups currently on the 53-man in fairly short order. Jack Stoll returns and may also see himself elevated to serve in his traditional role as a blocker and special-teamer, jobs he's performed well for many years in Philadelphia. Griffin Hebert has been released and re-signed to the practice squad repeatedly over the past two seasons and has also alternated between playing tight end and wide receiver during that time. Former Tennessee Titan Kyle Phillips is on hand to provide depth at returner and WR. Will Grier is likely simply networking for future coaching opportunities, as no team seems to want to give him a chance to be on an NFL roster.
Philadelphia got off to a roaring 10-1 start in 2023, but came completely unraveled afterwards, losing five of their last six. Losses to Arizona and New York to finish the season cost them the division, and a pathetic effort in the Wild Card round saw them crushed by Baker Mayfield and Tampa, 32-9. A new-look coaching staff featuring Vic Fangio on defense and Kellen Moore for the offense will look to guide the Eagles back to the playoffs. Coupled with one of the best draft classes in recent memory, fans are hoping for a successful season in 2024.
The Eagles feature interesting players at a number of positions; I flat out don't know if I've been alive long enough to have seen an NFL team with a white safety, cornerback, running back and wide receiver all on the same 53-man roster.
Total White players on 53-man roster: 16
Total White starters: 5
Starters listed in bold.
OFFENSE
QB: Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee
RB: Will Shipley
WR: Britain Covey
TE: Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra
C: Cam Jurgens
G: Landon Dickerson, Trevor Keegan
T: Lane Johnson
DEFENSE
LB: Ben Van Sumeren
CB: Cooper DeJean
S: Reed Blankenship
SPECIALISTS
K: Jake Elliot
P: Braden Mann
LS: Rick Lovato
RESERVE/INJURED
TE: McCallan Castles
PRACTICE SQUAD
OL: Nick Gates, Jack Driscoll, Dylan McMahon, Brett Toth
TE: Jack Stoll
WR: Griffin Hebert, Kyle Philips
QB: Will Grier
Pittsburgh decided to cut bait with former first-rounder Kenny Pickett in the offseason, and the Eagles were ready, acquiring the New Jersey native for a couple of picks (one of which Pittsburgh used on Payton Wilson). Pickett's tenure in Pittsburgh was virtually doomed from the start; incompetent play-calling, porous offensive lines and a head coach that seemed content to coldly ignore him all combined to produce understandably uneven results. Pickett will bide his time in Philadelphia, and hope for an opportunity while backing up Jalen Hurts. Tanner McKee was again excellent in the preseason, but will again serve as QB3 and himself wait patiently for any opportunity that ends up coming his way.
Clemson star RB Will Shipley was drafted in the fourth round after spectacular Combine and Pro Day performances highlighted by a 4.39s 40-yard dash at 206lbs. His college exploits are well-documented on this site, but a frustrating junior follow-up to his unbelievable sophomore season had many wondering where he would end up, as Clemson underperformed across the board. Excellent preseason play has him nicely positioned as a backup to Saquon Barkley. Ken Gainwell is an acceptable backup, but it's clear Shipley is far more talented. Shipley should see the field on some third downs and select packages this season, with his role hopefully increasing greatly in 2025.
Diminutive WR Britain Covey finally cracks the opening day roster on his third try. One of the NFL's very best punt returners, Covey finished the 2023 season second in the NFL in average yards per punt return and led the league in total punt return yards with 417. His chances of seeing meaningful offensive snaps from the slot basically vanished when the Eagles acquired Jahan Dotson, despite Covey looking great in camp and preseason. Hopefully he can play his way into a larger role if given a chance.
Dallas Goedert played in 14 games in 2023, with a career-high 59 receptions. His averaged dropped to ten yards per catch however, the lowest of his career. This entire Philadelphia skill player group suffered statistically during the Eagles late season implosion; a disjointed game plan coupled with erratic QB play contributed to Goedert and the WRs inconsistency. He'll look to improve on those numbers this year in Moore's offense. Grant Calcaterra flashed in camp this year as a receiving threat and slides forward to TE2 this season. It would take a Goedert injury to see him involved in much more than special teams, however.
The Philadelphia o-line room features less white player depth on the active roster than usual, though some of that is due to how teams use the practice squad these days: more on that below. Cam Jurgens slides back to his natural center position from guard, as he takes over for the retired future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce. Jurgens was drafted as Kelce's "handpicked" successor, so expectations and pressure are high for the third-year man from Nebraska; he performed admirably while out of position in 2023. Landon Dickerson turned in another healthy and solid season in 2023. Draft reports for the young man told a story of a talented lineman constantly beset by injuries. He's been able to buck that health narrative and perform at a top level so far in the NFL, including back-to-back Pro Bowl selections in '22 and '23. There's not much you can say about Lane Johnson that isn't already said by his trophy case: five Pro Bowls, two All Pros, and a Super Bowl championship. One of the all-time greats in Philadelphia returns for a twelfth season, and claimed over the summer he has more in the tank after this. Trevor Keegan is a rookie out of Michigan who practiced all over the line in camp, but will primarily play guard if he sees the field.
Despite being predictably listed as a "DB" on the official roster, DC Vic Fangio has mentioned on numerous occasions he sees Cooper DeJean as purely a cornerback. The former Iowa star unexpectedly fell to the second round of the draft, becoming its best value pick in the process. An unlucky injury early in camp put DeJean behind the pack in the quest for a starting spot, however; he was only able to play in one preseason game, where he saw action mainly as the slot CB, a job that initially appeared to be his to lose. Don't panic if DeJean is a healthy scratch for a game or two to begin the season as he continues to ramp up from a missed training camp. He should be, at minimum, in the DB rotation at some point this year, if not in a starting spot.
Reed Blankenship was named the Eagles starting safety going in to 2023, and the former undrafted free agent from Middle Tennessee State did not disappoint. Blankenship played in 15 games and recorded 113 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defended. A nagging injury and the need to constantly clean up tackles behind atrocious linebacker play seemed to wear on Reed as the season went on. Hopefully a new defensive scheme keeps him fresh and at the top of his game for all of 2024, as he's an impact playmaker when at 100%.
LB Ben Van Sumeren surprised many by performing very well when pressed into starting duty due to injury last season. He starts this year on the active roster instead of the practice squad, and is a core special teamer. His off-the-charts athleticism plays well at LB and his may be a name to keep an eye on going forward.
Philadelphia has a busy practice squad, where they seem to have stashed most of their o-line depth. Any one of Gates, McMahon or Toth will be elevated to the gameday roster to serve as the backup center, while Driscoll will likely replace one of the subpar backups currently on the 53-man in fairly short order. Jack Stoll returns and may also see himself elevated to serve in his traditional role as a blocker and special-teamer, jobs he's performed well for many years in Philadelphia. Griffin Hebert has been released and re-signed to the practice squad repeatedly over the past two seasons and has also alternated between playing tight end and wide receiver during that time. Former Tennessee Titan Kyle Phillips is on hand to provide depth at returner and WR. Will Grier is likely simply networking for future coaching opportunities, as no team seems to want to give him a chance to be on an NFL roster.
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