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The Philadelphia Eagles had been the league’s greatest regular-season staff in 2022 after which got here inside a couple of performs of profitable the Tremendous Bowl, so making NFL predictions for a way their 2023 marketing campaign will play out are basically required to be on the optimistic facet. With nearly all of a deep and gifted roster set to return subsequent season, the Eagles are as soon as once more anticipated to be among the many NFL’s elite contenders.
However what if issues go mistaken? Simply final yr, the Los Angeles Rams — months faraway from profitable the Lombardi Trophy — fell aside and at the moment are getting into a rebuilding course of that features shedding veterans and their contracts, offering a transparent instance of simply how shortly issues can change within the NFL.
Let’s take a look at one of the best and worst-case state of affairs for the Eagles in 2023 as Philadelphia goals to defend its NFC crown.
Predicting the Greatest-Case Situation for the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2023 NFL Season
The most effective-case state of affairs for the Eagles in 2023 features a Lombardi Trophy. There’s no different means round that. Basic supervisor Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni have constructed and developed a roster able to profitable all of it in any yr, and the trail to the Tremendous Bowl within the NFC is much much less difficult than it will be within the AFC.
League-wide, solely the Chiefs have higher Super Bowl odds, whereas Kansas Metropolis and San Francisco have higher odds of constructing the playoffs, in keeping with DraftKings. Something can occur as soon as the postseason begins, however it’s practically inconceivable that Philadelphia gained’t not less than make the dance.
Newly-extended QB Jalen Hurts finished second in MVP voting after posting a breakout marketing campaign in 2022, and there’s an opportunity he can enhance even additional subsequent season, particularly as a passer. Hurts demonstrated great development between 2021 and 2022, growing his completion share, landing price, and yards per try whereas reducing his turnover and turnover-worthy throw charges.
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If Hurts can increase his manufacturing as a thrower, he’ll solely add to an offense that already boasted — far and away — the NFL’s high speeding offense a season in the past. Miles Sanders is gone, however the Eagles took two low-risk fliers on D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny, every of whom is likely to be extra dynamic than Sanders. And Philadelphia is bringing 4 of 5 starters from the NFL’s most talented offensive line.
The Eagles’ protection misplaced a number of key items like Javon Hargrave, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and T.J. Edwards, however the cabinet has largely been restocked with youthful, cheaper choices like Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and others. New coordinator Sean Desai may even work out extra inventive methods to make use of Philadelphia’s defensive expertise than former play-caller Jonathan Gannon did.
The most effective-case state of affairs for the Eagles additionally contains rival groups within the NFC failing to step up. Perhaps the 49ers battle to discover a quarterback reply if Brock Purdy takes some time to recuperate from his UCL harm. The Lions may fall to launch although everybody expects them to, or Geno Smith may again right into a pumpkin for the Seahawks.
The weak point of the NFC offers Philadelphia a ton of cushion. The top of the street — going through an AFC staff just like the Chiefs, Bengals, or Payments within the Tremendous Bowl — can be loads more durable, however the Eagles proved simply final season that they’re as much as competing with a membership like Kansas Metropolis.
Predicting the Worst-Case Situation for the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2023 NFL Season
The worst-case state of affairs for the Eagles would come with a severe harm to Hurts, however that’s too simple. Practically each staff within the NFL would battle to place collectively a reliable season with out their beginning quarterback on the sphere.
As a substitute, a extra reasonable unfavourable consequence is likely to be that Philadelphia’s veteran-laden roster abruptly begins to look outdated. The Eagles are counting on a bevy of gamers over the age of 30, together with Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, and Darius Slay, whereas James Bradberry will flip 30 earlier than the 2023 season will get underway.
Philadelphia’s secondary is likely to be probably the most weak space of their roster. If Slay and/or Bradberry had been to go down, the Eagles can be counting on rookie Kelee Ringo or Grasping Williams for vital snaps. In the meantime, Philadelphia now not has Gardner-Johnson or Marcus Epps round to patrol the again finish, and the Eagles’ security unit of Terrell Edmunds and Reed Blankenship wouldn’t be as adept at making up for CB errors.
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Nevertheless, even when a rash of accidents or poor play from Philadelphia’s veterans resulted in a down 2023 marketing campaign, a Rams-esque state of affairs is extremely unlikely for the Eagles. Roseman hasn’t mortgaged the long run like Los Angeles did to win its Tremendous Bowl — Philadelphia nonetheless has its first-round decide in 2024, plus additional picks within the second and fourth rounds. This isn’t a staff that might be pressured to start out promoting off property and utterly remaking its roster.
One different potential concern for the Eagles? After Gannon and Shane Steichen each landed head teaching jobs over the offseason, Philadelphia might be working in two new coordinators: Desai on protection and former quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson on offense.
Each Desai and Johnson are well-respected coaches, and Johnson has been ingrained within the Eagles’ offensive transformation over the previous two seasons. However there’s at all times an opportunity that one or each of these coaches doesn’t hearth on all cylinders proper out of the gate.
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