The Eagles are set for wholesale changes as owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman evaluated Nick Sirianni’s future following Philadelphia’s historic collapse, finishing the season 1-6 after a 10-1 start.
The first domino to fall is All-Pro center Jason Kelce, 36, who reportedly told his teammates he is retiring after 13 seasons with the Eagles but may now be having a change of heart.
Brandon Graham, who turns 36 in April, says he wants to return to the Eagles for one more final season, his 15th, and he’s one of the few guys on the roster deserving of writing his final script.
According to Over The Cap, Philadelphia has 20+ free agents, and we’re looking at the studs and duds from a disappointing finish.
Stud--Jalen Hurts
Hurts was been named to his second Pro Bowl, but the 25 year old star regressed in some sense.
In 17 regular season games, Hurts completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 3,858 yards and a career-high 23 touchdowns. He also added 15 rushing touchdowns, setting a new NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season, matching Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Hurts also broke multiple franchise records – establishing team records in total yards (4,463) and total touchdowns (38), while finishing second in the league in total scores behind Allen (42).
Hurts was among the league leaders in interceptions (15), and Turnover Worth Play Rate: 2.3% (6th).
Stud--D'Andre Swift
Swift made the Pro Bowl in his first season with the Eagles, and the free agent to be rushed for a career-high 1,049 yards with five touchdowns.
He also logged 39 receptions for 214 yards and a touchdown.
Swift has shown the ability to be a lead running back and if Howie Roseman doesn’t come correct, the former Georgia running back could his dual-threat production elsewhere.
Dud--Rashaad Penny
Penny joined the Eagles on a one-year deal last offseason but spent most of the year inactive after D’Andre Swift was acquired via trade.
After finishing the 2021 campaign on a high note—rushing for 671 yards and six touchdowns over the last five weeks—the running back saw action in 3 games, carrying the football 11 times for 33 yards.
Penny essentially had a redshirt season in Philadelphia, only being active for three games, and he’ll land on another roster in 2024 fresh and motivated to play.
Dud--Kenneth Gainwell
Gainwell played in 16 regular season games, rushing 84 times, for 365 yards (4.3 YPC), and two touchdowns.
He essentially was the same player from 2022, and he’s shown nothing that makes you believe he’s the lead back of the future.
Stud--A.J. Brown-DeVonta Smith duo
A.J. Brown had an Eagles receiver record 106 catches for 1,456 yards and 7 touchdowns, while DeVonta Smith logged 81 catches, for 1,066 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Dud--Quez Watkins
Quez Watkins will enter NFL free agency having caught 15 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown in his final year under contract.
Dud--Olamide Zaccheaus
Zaccheaus had 10 catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns in an undefined role after snagging 44 catches for Atlanta in 2022.
Zaccheaus will join another squad in 2024, and he’ll return to his 44 catch, 600+ yard output.
Stud--Braden Mann
After years of uncertainty at the position, punter Braden Mann set an Eagles records by averaging 49.8 yards per punt with a 43.9-yard net average.
An unrestricted free agent, Mann should be high on the list of players that need to return, and he’ll have suitors on the open market.
Studs--Eagles Offensve line
Injuries kept this group from reaching it’s full potential, but Philadelphia still had the NFL’s top offensive line.
Jordan Mailata (85.9), Jason Kelce (84.8) and Lane Johnson (82.9) were each among the five highest-graded players at their positions this season.
Mailata was the only NFL offensive tackle this season to earn at least an 83.0 grade in both run blocking and pass blocking.
Dud--James Bradberry
Philadelphia’s pass defense dropped to 31st in the league in 2023, and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio could choose to roll with the young guys at cornerback.
According to Pro Football Focus, after being named a second-team All-Pro in 2022, Bradberry allowed 56 receptions for 689 yards and nine touchdowns.
Stud-Jalen Carter
Through Week 9, Carter had generated 29 pressures (tied for eighth in the league among interior defensive linemen) according to Pro Football Focus, including four sacks and 20 hurries.
During the first half of the season, Carter played 49% of the defensive snaps (despite missing Week 6 against the New York Jets with an injury), second among Eagles defensive tackles behind only Fletcher Cox.
His production fell off down the stretch.
Carter finished his rookie year with 6.0 sacks, 33 tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery (which he returned for a touchdown) in 16 regular-season games.
A Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist, Carter started just one game and played 51 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps, but the ninth overall pick in the 2023 Draft was third on the team in sacks and fifth among all rookies.
Stud --Jake Elliott
Elliott was Mr. Reliable again, finishing ixth in the NFL in points (135), sixth in the NFL in extra points made (45), and tied the record for longest field goal (61 yards) in franchise history, a record he set in 2017.
Dud--Nolan Smith
Smith finished with the sixth worst PFF grade (50.2) on the Eagles roster.
Smith was drafted to huge fanfare after sliding down to pick No. 30 in the first round. After watching safeties like Brian Branch flourish.
Compared to that of fellow first-round pick Jalen Carter, Smith’s utilization was far more sparse. Playing behind Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, Brandon Graham, and Derek Barnett, Smith played 16% of the defensive snaps (188).
He notched his first career sack against the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.
Overall, Smith recorded 18 tackles and 1.0 sacks in 17 regular-season games in his rookie season.
Smith didn’t play more than eight defensive snaps in a game until Week 12, and his season high in that category was 21 snaps, coming in the final week of the regular season, when the team rested several starters. The 30th overall pick will look to compete for a larger defensive role in camp this summer.
Stud--Haason Reddick
Reddick just logged his fourth-straight season with 10-plus sacks in 2023 as he led the team with 11 to go along with a career-high 70 quarterback pressures.
Reddick finished the year with 11.0 sacks and 38 tackles in 17 regular-season games, and he recorded double-digit sacks for the fourth consecutive season, leading his team in that category and tying for 15th in the NFL.
Had Nolan Smith showed that he was ready to be an elite pass rusher, then the idea would be to cut Reddick, saving the Eagles $11 million after dead money allotment.
Outside of the sacks, though, Reddick’s numbers were poor by his standards.
His 38 tackles were the second-lowest mark of his career, and he didn’t force or recovered a fumble after forcing five and recovering three last season. His snap share (74 percent) remained identical, indicating the drop-off wasn’t due to a lack of opportunities, but mismanagement from coaches.
