The Philadelphia Eagles won 10 of their first 11 games last season as they looked to successfully defend their NFC title and claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy. However, there were warning signs along the way, and the bottom fell out in December and January, as they lost five of their last six regular season games.
In the Wild Card round of the playoffs, they were embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-9. Somehow, despite many rumors and lots of criticism from fans, head coach Nick Sirianni kept his job, while the team now has a new defensive coordinator in Vic Fangio and a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore.
While two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley came on board in free agency, Philly’s biggest problem is defense. It went from having one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2022 to ranking near the bottom of the league in points allowed, total yards allowed, passing touchdowns given up and first downs surrendered last season.
Some feel Philly’s aging duo of cornerbacks in Darius Slay and James Bradberry simply won’t get the job done anymore. The team made a number of defensive moves this offseason, which has made Bradberry seem like the odd man out.
How will the Eagles’ secondary look in 2024?
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report that Bradberry’s role with the Eagles and even his future there is the biggest question they face as offseason workouts move on.
“The writing was on the wall for Bradberry after the Eagles used their first two picks of the draft on cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, meaning the nine-year pro wasn’t going to be a starting cornerback in Philadelphia anymore,” wrote Holder. “Head coach Nick Sirianni confirmed that Tuesday, stating the veteran will work at safety, via NBC Sports.
“However, the defense also has C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship on the back end and Bradberry’s contract becomes expendable now that June 1 has passed, per Over The Cap. With a decreased role on the team, it wouldn’t be surprising if the soon-to-be 31-year-old asks for a trade or to be released this summer.”
Specifically, pass defense was the Eagles’ bugaboo last season, especially down the stretch. They gave up 30 points or more in seven games last year, including their playoff loss to Tampa Bay, but four of those games took place after they started 10-1.
In back-to-back games in early December, they got blown out by the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys by a combined 43 points, which started their plunge. Perhaps their worst defensive showing all year came in Week 17 when they gave up 35 points to the Arizona Cardinals, a team that finished 4-13, in a loss that seriously jeopardized their chances of finishing first in the NFC East.
While a mostly new offense has been installed this offseason, Sirianni and Fangio will need to fix the Eagles’ defense if they are to fly high into the stratosphere this coming season.
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