Philly Front Office

When it comes to free agency, the Birds ain’t the Phillies that’s for sure. After a years long rebuild resulted in barely anything of value, the Phillies were basically forced to spend and trade themselves back to the playoffs. Similarly, the post-Super Bowl 52 Eagles found themselves with very little young or even in-their-prime talent. The Eagles drafted their way to this weekend’s championship on both offense and defense. While the Phillies were busy signing a core, the Eagles only needed help around the edges…with some big exceptions.

How the Eagles Were Built Part 1: The Draft – Offense

How the Eagles Were Built Part 2: The Draft – Defense

OFFENSE

RB1 – Saquan Barkley

The Giants were in a bad spot. A terrible team like them is not supposed to give a running back a fat new contract, but Saquan Barkley was also the only bright spot and biggest fan favorite on an otherwise forgettable roster. Handling his free agency had no chance of going right, but there was one way it could go terribly wrong. Kind of like playing roulette by betting both red and black, the only way you can really lose is if (oh this is too good…) the wheel comes up green. Well wouldn’t you know it Giants fans, the wheel spun and boy did it ever land on green.

The Eagles signed Saquan Barkley to a 3 year, $37.75m contract. In the summer people tried to tell me this signing was crazy; I assured them it was not. He was making less than many 3rd receivers and through some always clever cap work, just 5% of the salary cap. Then he hit the field and the rest was history. We just witnessed one of the greatest seasons by an NFL player of all time. Full stop. It wasn’t just the gaudy yardage totals either, it was the anticipation every game that he was going to break one. Not “if” but “when.” Then, would he break another? As if we weren’t spoiled enough, he went and took his first carry of the game against Washington to the house. What a special year for a special person.

With the amount of talent on this team, it is debatable whether we would be in the Super Bowl without Saquan, but it damn sure wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun (he spun and hurdled a goddamn player backwards, WTF!!!).

RG – Mekhi Becton

Two days after the 2024 NFL Draft, the Eagles signed Mekhi Becton to a 1 year, $2.75m contract. After being drafted 11th overall 4 years earlier, Becton had washed out of the Jets and was at a career crossroads. It is well known that offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland makes if not the decisions, then strong recommendations concerning offensive line personnel. Knowing the pedigree and seeing the 6’7″ 365lb frame, Stoutland saw that he had a chance to really salvage this project. Becton started camp as more of an all-purpose backup than in a right guard competition, but a lingering injury to Tyler Steen got Becton seeing the majority of the reps. He never looked back. Now, Becton is a pivotal force on the best offensive line in the league and even received All-Pro votes. He will now re-enter free agency as a premier talent rather than a veteran taking around the league minimum for second chance.

DEFENSE

EDGE5? – Bryce Huff

Apologies for starting the defense on a sour note. After signing a 3 year, $51m contract this off season, Huff barely saw the field. Initially it looked like the Eagles signed another Javon Hargrave type, a guy with potential who was ready to break out, but it never happened. He racked up impressive pressure numbers with the Jets last year, but that just didn’t translate to Vic Fangio’s defense. It wasn’t just a lack of numbers either, he never looked comfortable out there. I don’t know if anyone else saw it, but there was a game this year where he was in pursuit and he adjusted his helmet mid-play. That should be nothing, but it was jarring to see live. I had never seen that before. It’s little, but that’s something that probably shows he was overthinking everything and not focused. Huff and the won’t-otherwise-be-mentioned Devin White are the only blemishes on an otherwise sterling Howie off season.

ILB1 – Zack Baun

WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT!?!?! With all apologies to Saquan, dollar-for-dollar the best signing of the off season was Zack Baun. Now a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, Baun signed a 1 year, $3.5m contract on the first day of free agency. Most of us not only had never heard of him but were actively angry that we made him such a priority. We even signed him at a completely different position! Uncle Vic took one look at him, converted him to linebacker, and unleashed him as one of the best defenders in the league. From week 1 on, he has been EVERYWHERE. He’s in coverage, he’s blitzing, he’s in the backfield, he’s plugging holes, he’s diagnosing the plays pre-snap and blowing them up, he had 150+ tackles, forced 5 fumbles (plus one more last week), and is First Team All-Goddamn-Pro. He just had a TO-like single season in Philly and I pray we re-sign him.

ILB3 – Oren Burks

Burks is almost 30, signed at the league minimum, and was basically run out of SF last season. Bitchy ‘Niners fans blame Burks for losing the Super Bowl after he filled in for the injured All-Pro Dre Greenlaw. Mahomes picked on him relentlessly that night. Now Burks is filling in for the injured Nakobe Dean. He will again be in the Super Bowl against Mahomes. Things seem very similar, but this is a different Oren Burks. He has forced two fumbles so far in the playoffs and is holding up in coverage. He isn’t being called into an emergency this time, but Mahomes will likely again be looking at him this Sunday. It is crazy that this backup linebacker is one of the keys to back-to-back Super Bowls. He is prepared this time.

CB4 – Isaiah Rodgers

You will be hard pressed to find someone with more to prove than Rodgers. He missed the entire season last year, suspended for winning a $1000 prop bet on Jonathan Taylor rushing yards. Taylor was his teammate at the time. The Colts released him right away. Howie being Howie, he recognized that making a prop bet doesn’t affect your ability to actually play football in any way and snapped up Rodgers pretty quickly. He has bided his time, waiting to make the most of his opportunities. In camp, it looked like he might even start the year as CB2 but Quinyon Mitchell just blew everyone’s doors off. Instead, Rodgers finds himself as the top backup on the outside. It’s not your imagination that he always seems to be around the ball as opposing QBs go right at him anytime he is forced to enter a game. He has routinely held his own. This includes two weeks ago when Mitchell went down against the Rams. He is about as high end of a CB4 as you could imagine.

SAF2 – Reed Blankenship

Undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State, Blankenship signed with the Eagles on a $50k camp contract. No guarantees to make the team, no promises, and very little hope of getting a roster spot. He wasn’t even their top undrafted signing that year (remember Carson Strong and Mario Goodrich?). Well, he made it through all the cuts and hit special teams. It wasn’t until week 12 that he got his first real opportunity to play when CJGJ went down against the Packers. We all collectively WHAT THE FUCK’d ourselves when Blankenship came in and immediately picked off Aaron Rodgers like he was shot out of a cannon. Like so many of these Eagles, he hasn’t looked back since. Look for the Eagles to extend him as soon as possible this off-season.

SAF1 – CJ Gardner-Johnson

Last year’s collapse was never fully explained. There was drama around the coordinators, the coach, and the QB, but we were never really given a reason why a team that just reached the Super Bowl simply forgot how to play football. We started 10-1 but it never felt right. I held out hope that things would just click but on December 3, it was very clear that it was over. We weren’t just steamrolled by SF that game, we were embarrassed. It was a bunch of scared kids getting bullied. Before the game they lined up and taunted our DBs and no one stood up. It was a schoolyard move, and it worked. During the game, only Big Dom seemed to have any fight in him at all. We laid down…at home…to our biggest rival. Why am I bringing up this bullshit? Because none of that nonsense happens if CJGJ is there.

Gardner-Johnson was just voted the most annoying player in the league. He gets under the skin of the other team and never shuts up. He even got kicked out of a game this year for talking so much shit. Do you think his teammates don’t feed off this? He might only be 5’11” and just over 200 pounds but he plays like the biggest bully on the block. Jalen Carter might be the meanest, and BG might be the loudest, but CJGJ sets the tone for this defense. We had him in 2023 and missed him more than anyone last year. It is no coincidence that this defense is back to being the bullies. The mean ones. The loud ones. The ones that you can’t fuck with because they are fucking with you already.

GO FUCKING BIRDS!!!