Philly Front Office

No one is jumping ship from the Eagles, but it is certainly time to think about the next voyage of the SS Birdgang. Next week is the BYE and then it is a long two months of games to get through. At 2-7 it’s time to think of how we will navigate 2 holiday games, think about the draft, and look to next season.

Next Week

The NFL Trade Deadline is on Tuesday, November 10th at 4pm. Odds are that there won’t be any major moves, but the Eagles do have plenty of role players that could see some extra draft picks come in and the already depleted roster further depleted.

Rumor has it that both Saquon Barkley and Moro Ojomo aren’t going anywhere, but names like Riq Woolen, Nolan Smith, Tanner McKee, and a few others have the chance to be on the back of different jerseys by next weekend.

Next Two Months

By January 10, 2027 the final whistle will blow on the cold, artificial turf of the Meadowlands and this season will be mercifully over. What originally began as a possible Super Bowl team has been decimated down to backups, lost jobs, and question marks. We don’t know what will happen, but we need to find a way to get there.

We will all still watch every Sunday, but while some games can be put to the side or ignored as much as possible, others will be front and center:

• at Cowboys on Thanksgiving. We obviously aren’t going to miss holiday football, but make it against the Cowboys and this is a recipe for true misery.
• vs Seahawks at 5pm on a Saturday for some reason. As if the Eagles didn’t have enough primetime games this season we are also going to be the only game live on a Saturday afternoon without college football. Lovely!
• vs Texans at 8:15p on Christmas Eve. WHHHYYYY?
• at 49ers on Sunday Night Football. There are few teams out of the division we hate more than SF and yet that’s who we get to watch compete for the best record in the NFL while we pray for good Draft luck. This one is going to hurt.

Just in case it wasn’t clear, from here on out, you should be rooting for losses, even against out enemies. It is all about draft position now. At only 2 wins, the Eagles are in a group of 5 for the 4th through 8th worst records in the league. Top 10 in general is good, but the difference between that and top 5 is the difference between just a starter and a possible All-Pro. Then there’s the possibility of slipping to the next tier that takes us down to 12th. Unfortunately, the Cardinals, Colts, and Texans are on the schedule. Those will be tough games.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t things to watch. Joe Milton should stay as the starting QB. He did not look good today, and my hopes are not high, but getting a chance to start in a low pressure situation can only help the kid’s development. Then there’s Makai Lemon, Markel Bell, and Drew Kendall who can hopefully improve. Willie Lampkin needs more run over Landon Dickerson.

Next Offseason

The unofficial start to the offseason will be right after the final game ends and we learn the fate of Nick Sirianni. Black Monday eventually comes for everyone and it’s hard to believe Nick gets another chance. It isn’t impossible though. He isn’t the only one who could be out considering Sean Mannion has been a bust and Vic Fangio will probably retire. It might be a total house cleaning.

The offseason really starts as soon as we get an update on Jalen Hurts. The hope and the expectation is that he comes off blood thinners and the clots do not come back. If they don’t, then he is your QB for the 2027 season and will probably get a contract extension. If not, it could be a total rebuild in Philadelphia. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Assuming all is well in Hurts-ville, the team will have around $30m to spend in free agency but will also need to offer up some extensions:

• Jalen Hurts: No more guaranteed money and his cap hit is getting higher
• DeVonta Smith: He’s been underpaid his whole career and his original extension is out of guarantees. He’s not going anywhere
• Nolan Smith: Smith will be in his 5th year option season that has already been restructured. This might mean he’s getting traded, it might mean he’s getting a new deal
• Moro Ojomo: I am dubious of an extension getting done unless Jordan Davis or Jalen Carter are miraculously traded, but it is in the rumor mill so it has to be addressed
• Quinyon Mitchell: One of the NFL’s top corners is about to ger paid like one in his first offseason of extension eligibility. Because he has a 5th year option as a former first rounder, there is a chance the team could wait (but probably won’t)
• Cooper DeJean: Unlike Q, DeJean does not have a 5th year option. He also hasn’t lived up to his first team All Pro billing this season. Are they going to try to extend him? It’s probably the biggest front office question of the offseason.

Next Draft

If the season ended right now, the Eagles would have at least 4 picks in the top 106 and possibly more depending on the trade deadline. They also have some extra picks in 2028 (1st from NE, 2nd from Baltimore) that would allow them to maneuver wherever they wanted. Any direction the Eagles want to go in, they can. Personally, I think this should be offensive line (Jordan Seaton) but there is obviously talk of Jeremiah Smith, Colin Simmons, or even QB (depending on Hurts). Like Kevin Garnett would say, “Anything is possible!!!!”

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