It was only so appropriate on The Day After, as the players cleaned out their lockers and met the media for final time in the 2019 Eagles season, that as the locker room closed and reporters spilled into the hallway of the NovaCare Complex, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, shelved with an Achilles injury, scootered into the locker room, followed closely behind by running back Miles Sanders, moving about on crutches.
Injuries left their lasting imprint on a season that ended in crushing fashion on Sunday in the NFC Wild Card playoff game against Seattle, a 17-9 loss at Lincoln Financial Field that sends the Eagles into the offseason with many reasons for optimism and, of course, a lot of work to do on the football program.
“That’s the nature of this business,” defensive tackle Malik Jackson said. “Year in and year out, there is going to be change. It has to be the right change.”
Jackson is a prime example of the course the 2019 season took: He signed with the Eagles as an unrestricted free agent, a durable veteran who would pair perfectly with Fletcher Cox at defensive tackle in a turbo-charged defensive line rotation. Jackson lasted 32 snaps before suffering a season-ending foot injury, the first of the big-time Eagles to go down with season-ending injuries.
At the end of the season, the Eagles had 13 players on the Injured Reserve list. Seven of the 11 players who opened the season as starters on offense (quarterback Carson Wentz, Jeffery, wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor, running back Jordan Howard, offensive tackle Lane Johnson, and offensive guard Brandon Brooks) didn’t finish the playoff game against Seattle.
The Eagles head into the offseason with a whole lot to consider, including …
1. The injuries, and why and how they are happening
For three straight seasons the Eagles have been ravaged by injuries. They are a part of this game, sure, and many other teams are having the same injuries happen, but it’s something for the team to really look at and understand and improve. Is it the way the team is conditioning? Does the Training Camp plan need to be altered? Should players see more time in the preseason? Less time? Is it equipment-related? There are so many questions here. The Eagles need to find the answers and reduce the number of crippling injuries for 2020.
2. Does Doug Pederson plan to make any changes to the coaching staff?
This coaching staff deserves a tremendous amount of credit for keeping the team together in the face of a 5-7 midseason malaise and making the run to win the NFC East. It certainly wasn’t easy with so many injuries and so many roster changes on the fly. That said, addressing the coaching staff is an annual challenge for a head coach, and this year is no different. This isn’t to say the Eagles need to make changes, it’s just a point that it’s part of the offseason agenda.
3. Who is an unrestricted free agent and does he return?
The list of unrestricted free agents is long: Agholor, defensive end Vinny Curry, Howard, defensive tackle Tim Jernigan, quarterback Josh McCown, safety Rodney McLeod, cornerback Jalen Mills, offensive tackle Jason Peters, quarterback Nate Sudfeld, offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai, cornerback Ronald Darby, linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, and defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway, among others.
Not all of those players are coming back. The Eagles have some tough decisions to make, as always. They have to get this roster young, faster, stronger, more physical.
"Many" - Google News
January 07, 2020 at 01:32AM
https://ift.tt/36u32Ur
Finality of the season is here, with many questions to answer - PhiladelphiaEagles.com
"Many" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2QsfYVa
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Finality of the season is here, with many questions to answer - PhiladelphiaEagles.com"
Post a Comment