Sports: Eagles Hope Offense Will Be Vastly Improved

By Pete Henry:

  

     The Eagles had one of the worst receiving corps I have ever seen last year.  They added some receivers in free agency and through the draft in hopes of giving young quarterback Carson Wentz some viable targets. 

     Wentz will be entering his second season as a pro.  He was not perfect in his rookie year but a lot of the offense’s struggles were not his fault.  There were far too many dropped balls by wide receivers.  Even the team’s best receiver, Jordan Matthews, dropped way too many key passes. 

     Alshon Jeffery was signed to a one year contract.  The team will likely look to extend Jeffery if he has a good year.  Jeffery gives Philadelphia a legitimate number one receiver.  He is a large target at 6-3, 220.  Moreover, Jeffery has a huge catch radius.  He will go up and fight for balls in the air.  This was something the Eagles’ receivers as a whole were terrible at in 2016.  Furthermore, Jeffery will be a nice red zone target on slants as well as fade routes.  Jeffery has the ability to get behind a defense. 

     The Eagles signed Torrey Smith to add some deep speed.  Smith has big-play ability.  The key with him will be to get him isolated on an opposing team’s third corner or a safety.  Smith can make some defensive backs look silly.  He could be a real threat on play-action passes.  Smith will also go up and get the ball when it’s in the air.  Opposing teams will have to honor his speed. 

    

   The presence of Jeffery and Smith should open up some space for the tight ends.  Zach Ertz was probably the team’s most reliable pass-catcher last year.  You don’t want a tight end being your quarterback’s first option, however.  Ertz could be really dangerous if he has some time and space to operate. 

     Trey Burton is another player who could really blossom with the wide receiver additions.  Burton has good speed and ability to run after the catch.  Wentz looked for him in some key situations in 2016. 

     Darren Sproles is the team’s Swiss Army knife.  He is a matchup problem for just about every opposing defense due to his quickness and elusiveness.  Doug Pederson had Sproles carry the ball more than we’ve seen in recent years.  Defenses have a tough time finding Sproles because he is so small and follows his blockers to perfection.  He averaged 4.7 yards per attempt in 2016. 

     Sproles gives the team one of the best screen options in the National Football League.  When he gets the ball in open space, it becomes a punt return and he can score at any given time. 

     Donnel Pumphrey is not as bulky as Sproles but he can do a lot of the same things.  Pumphrey gives Pederson another back that he can create mismatches with.  He might end up getting six or seven carries a game as a change of pace back.  Pumphrey carried the football a lot at San Diego State. 

   

  LeGarrette Blount was brought in to be the club’s power back.  Blount is supposed to punch in every touchdown from the one-yard-line.  The Eagles are hoping their lack of ability to convert on 3^rd and one will be a thing of the past with Blount. 

     The former Oregon product was signed to a low-risk one-year deal for low money with incentives.  Blount will make teams respect their running game.  He could help the Eagles in the fourth quarter when they are trying to protect a lead with five minutes left and run out the clock.  The key with Blount is he must be given running lanes.  Defensive penetration gives him problems.  You cannot arm tackle Blount.  He is too big.  Blount simply runs through arm tackles.  He thought he would command a big, long-term deal this offseason.  He didn’t get it.  Blount will have every reason to run angry this year.  The Eagles could benefit from that. 

     Of course, none of this works without the offensive line being solid.  Lane Johnson missed 10 games last season, due to PEDs, and the squad sure missed him.  Johnson is easily the team’s best lineman and one of the best in football, for that matter.  Johnson needs to be on the field for this line to be at its best.  Having Johnson back is like adding an All-Pro right tackle.  That can’t be understated.  The pass-protection was noticeably better with Johnson.  This is essential for Wentz to maximize his talent. 

     There has been talk of Isaac Seumalo playing center but he has a chance to be an outstanding guard.  He could compete for the starting left guard spot.  Seumalo is athletic and he is a people mover.  That is what Pederson wants.  Driving defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage is imperative for the running game. 

    The team added two speedy receivers in the draft that should be able to exploit single-high coverage.

     Philadelphia should be better on offense this coming season.  How much?  Yet to be determined.   

Photos Credit: Philadelphia Eagles

Read the article here: http://delcomag.com/Archive/JULY2017DCM/index.html?page=42