Nearly a decade without a 100-yard game from a homegrown wide receiver? When Ron Baker retired the right way. And a defensive coordinator who deserves to be mentioned among the best.
Welcome to this week’s installment of Roob’s 10 Random Eagles Offseason Observations, and if you’ve been desperately waiting for a Chris T. Jones mention, this is finally your lucky day!
1. Conversations about the best defensive coordinators in Eagles history always mention Marion Campbell, Bud Carson, Jim Johnson and Vic Fangio. And rightfully so. One name that’s often omitted is Jim Schwartz, and that’s a mistake. The job Schwartz did in 2017 was remarkable. That Super Bowl defense was actually better than this past year’s in a lot of categories, including 3rd-down percentage (32 percent in 2017 to 36 percent in 2024), run defense (3.8 to 4.3) and takeaways (31 in 16 games, 26 in 17 games). Both allowed 17 points per game and 17 first downs per game and both averaged 2.4 sacks per game. In one fewer game, the 2017 unit had more interceptions (19 to 13) . The 2017 group held quarterbacks to lower a completion percentage (60.4 to 62.2) and a lower passer rating (79.5 to 82.5). And that 2017 defensive roster wasn’t nearly as talented as the 2024 group, which was jam packed with next-level draft picks. There were a few starts, like Fletcher Cox, Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod and Brandon Graham. But there were also a bunch of mid-level journeyman-type of starters or backups, like Patrick Robinson, Vinny Curry, Tim Jernigan, Mychal Kendricks, Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, Corey Graham, Derek Barnett, Chris Long and Beau Allen. Good and in some cases very good players who were perfect for that team and played so well in that system for that team and that coach. Schwartz got the most out of what he had, and that’s the mark of a great coach. Fangio is a wizard. Johnson was a genius. Ol’ Swampy was a fantastic defensive coach under Dick Vermeil. Bud Carson was the perfect guy for that 1991 group. But Schwartz deserves to be mentioned with the others. He was brilliant in 2017.
2. How well has Howie Roseman built the current Eagles roster? Consider this: In the last two years, Fletcher Cox, Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham – three of the greatest Eagles of all-time – have all retired. And the Eagles are still favored to win the Super Bowl. That’s mind-blowing.
3. Landon Dickerson is the only offensive lineman in Eagles history to make three Pro Bowls in his first four seasons. Only Lum Snyder in the 1950s, Bob Brown in the 1960s and Shawn Andrews in the 2000s made two in their first four seasons. Jason Kelce made one.
4. The Eagles are now one of only 11 franchises to reach three Super Bowls in an eight-year span and one of only eight to reach three and win at least two. The seven others are the Patriots, Chiefs, Cowboys, Steelers, 49ers, Raiders and Washington.
5. On Nov. 17, 1996, Chris T. Jones – a 1995 Eagles 3rd-round pick had 103 receiving yards in a loss to Washington at the Vet. On Dec. 21, 2003, Todd Pinkston – a 2nd-round pick in 2000 – had 121 yards in a loss to the 49ers at the Linc. In between, the Eagles played 122 consecutive games without a wide receiver drafted by the Eagles having 100 receiving yards.
6. How refreshing is it to listen to Vic Fangio’s pressers? Nick Sirianni has his way, and he doesn’t tell you anything – “competitive advantage” – and that’s fine. It works for him. And, really, it’s hard to argue with anything that Sirianni does. But Vic has that Jim Johnson gene – in a lot of ways – but if you ask him a question he’ll answer honestly and with great detail and you feel like you actually know what he’s really thinking. So we know why Jihaad Campbell is starting out with the inside linebackers and not the edge rushers – because there’s a lot more to learn there. And we know Tristin McCollum is part of that safety competition with Sydney Brown and Drew Mukuba and that where Cooper DeJean lines up in base depends on how the young corners and safeties progress. And we know that Campbell will be back in August and Nakobe Dean is farther away. We know Fangio thinks Jordan Davis can be a factor as a pass rusher from the inside. We know Fangio believes Jalen Carter still has a lot of room for improvement. We know he was fine with the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade. This is all really valuable information for fans – and media – trying to figure out what the defense is going to look like in training camp and when the season gets here. Fangio doesn’t have to tell us any of this stuff in June. I’m sure glad he does.
7. Donovan McNabb still has the 10th-most playoff wins by a quarterback in NFL history with nine. McNabb and Jim Kelly are the only quarterbacks in NFL history to win nine or more playoff games without winning a Super Bowl.
8. Ron Baker retired the right way. Baker, a solid starting right guard for the Eagles for most of the period from 1980 through 1988, arrived at Buddy Ryan’s voluntary camp at JFK Stadium in the summer of 1989 only to discover that he was buried on the depth chart behind newcomer Ron Solt and 3rd-year pro Reggie Singletary. Baker, then 34 but still in great shape, immediately told Buddy he was retiring. Before leaving Philly and heading back home to Oklahoma, Baker stood on the sideline at JFK during practice and explained why he decided to retire: “I’m on the third team,” he said. “And I’ve been around long enough to know there aren’t three teams.”
9A. And here’s a ridiculous prediction: I think Will Shipley could have more receptions than rushing attempts in 2025. Shipley has shown – mainly in practice but also in the year-end Giants game last year – a real ability to catch the football securely and on the move and the quickness and elusiveness to pick up yards after the catch. I see a potentially dangerous receiving back in last year’s 4th-round pick. I’m not sure where he’ll fit in as a runner. That depends more than anything on how much A.J. Dillon is able to contribute. Assuming a healthy Saquon Barkley, if Dillon can be the back he was in 2021 and 2022 with the Packers, I wouldn’t expect there to be many carries for Shipley. But Barkley isn’t a natural receiver – although he’s a dangerous one once the ball’s in his hands – and Dillon is OK but not an elite pass catcher out of the backfield. Now, Shipley did have that 57-yard run against Washington in the NFC Championship Game so I’m definitely not going to dismiss him as a runner. I just see a lot more value with him as a receiver.
9B. What do I mean by Barkley isn’t a natural receiver but he’s a dangerous one? Last year, his 77 percent catch percentage (33 of 43 targets) ranked 37th out of 54 backs targeted at least 20 times. But his 6.5 yards per target ranked 22nd and his 8.4 yards per catch ranked 17th. Get it in his hands and he’s a weapon.
10. The amount of change we’re seeing in the Eagles’ secondary is a little scary, but I really believe they have the players – and the coaches – to make it work. The Eagles had seven defensive backs play 300 snaps last year and four of them are gone – C.J. Gardner-Johnson (1,171 snaps), Darius Slay (947), Avonte Maddox (358) and Isaiah Rodgers (420). That’s nearly 3,000 secondary snaps the Eagles have to replace. After a couple days of open OTAs, we’re starting to see the plan for this year. We know Quinyon Mitchell will be on the field for every snap at CB1 and Cooper DeJean will be out there for every snap in some combination of slot, outside corner or safety. And we know Reed Blankenship will be out there for every snap at safety. That’s a darn good start. But it leaves plenty of question marks. At second safety, I think the Eagles want Drew Mukubu to win that battle. I like Sydney Brown and what he brings to the table, and I think he’ll give Mikubu a good fight in camp. But he was a Jonathan Gannon-Era pick, and after the success the Eagles had with two rookie d-back starters last year it seems like the Eagles want to see this year’s rookie 2nd-round d-back win that job. That said, I expect Kelee Ringo to beat out Adoree’ Jackson for CB2. He was also a Gannon-Era pick, but at 22 he’s seven years younger than Jackson, and everything we’ve seen from Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni over the last few months has trended toward favoring the younger guys. And I figure a veteran like Jackson would be more comfortable as a backup than Ringo. And Jackson has been so injury prone, averaging fewer than 11 games played over the last six years, and you want the more durable guy out there starting. Depending what happens with the position battles, Jackson, Brown or Mukubu could all be candidates at backup slot. The Eagles will miss Slay and his experience, they’ll miss Gardner-Johnson and his spirit, they’ll miss Rodgers and his cover ability off the bench. And they probably won’t have the No. 1 pass defense in the league again. But with Mitchell, DeJean and Blankenship they have three outstanding starters, and some combination of Brown, Makubu, Ringo, Jackson, Eli Ricks, Mac McWilliams, Maxen Hook, Lewis Cine and Tristin McCollum should fill in the blanks. We saw last year what a superb teacher d-backs coach Christian Parker is (the same for corners coach Roy Anderson and safeties coach Joe Kasper), and they’ll need that this year, too, with so many inexperienced guys in expanded roles. It might take a while for the whole thing to take shape, but that was the case last year, too. The Eagles were 10thin pass defense going into Week 7 but finished first. A lot of that was DeJean replacing Maddox, but it just shows what’s possible after an iffy start. There’ll be a ton of change in the secondary, but that’s not always a bad thing.
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