Philadelphia Eagles
Offense
Chip Kelly proved that the Oregon offense is not limited to just the college ranks. Evidence: the Eagles finished as the NFL’s top rushing team, and far and away the fastest offense in the league.
Philly lost its top wide receiver, DeSean Jackson, who’s now hauling in passes from Robert Griffin III down I-95 in Washington. Jeremy Maclin is back healthy, playing for a long-term deal, while second-year tight end Zach Ertz and second-round pick Jordan Matthews have garnered all the praise over the offseason.
Kelly knows what he’s doing, and wouldn’t allow a player of Jackson’s caliber to leave town if he didn’t have another plan in place. The Eagles again should have one of the NFL’s best offenses.
Defense
As good as the Eagles were on the offensive side of the ball, they were equally as bad on defense, especially against the pass. The Eagles owned the league’s worst pass defense in 2013, though it did improve down the stretch.
The team added Malcolm Jenkins from New Orleans and Nolan Carroll from Miami to solidify a secondary featuring budding stars in Earl Wolff and Bradley Fletcher. Marcus Smith was taken in the first round to help rush the passer, since the team lacks true weapons in that area.
Outlook
Yet again the NFC East is wide open, but barring a truly resurgent season out of the Redskins or Giants, the Eagles should still be considered the favorites to win it. It was a dog fight last year to take home the division crown, and because none of these teams fit the “elite” category, it’ll likely be the same in 2014.
How far Philly can go in the playoffs without seeing major improvements out of the D remains to be seen. And there is still a cloud of doubt hovering over Nick Foles, despite a fantastic 2013 as the full-time starter. The Eagles need both of those questions answered quickly.
