2019 Record and Finish:
The 2019-2020 Philadelphia Eagles finished their season going 9-7 for a .563 winning percentage. This was good enough for the NFC East’s division crown and a berth into the playoffs. Despite the Eagles HORRID injury struggles, they made it to the postseason. Unforutnelty, that bug bit them where it hurt the most, and franchise QB, Carson Wentz took a cheap shot to the head early in the first quarter and was done for the game. They could never recover and lost the Wild Card matchup against Seattle, 17-9.
Returning Starters:
Offensive Side: 9
Defensive Side: 9
Key Additions:
DI Javon Hargrave (signed for three years, $39 million, $26 million guaranteed)
CB Darius Slay (via trade) ( three-year, $50 million contract, $30 million)
S Jalen Mills (re-signed for one year, $5 million)
S Rodney McLeod (re-signed for two years, $12 million)
QB Nate Sudfeld (re-signed for one year, $2 million)
S Will Parks (signed for one year, $1.6 million, $1 million guaranteed)
Philadelphia Eagles Season Outlook:
The Eagles have qualified for the playoffs in three straight seasons after winning their first-ever Super Bowl 2017 when they went 13-3. The last two years have been more than mediocre, with back-to-back 9-7 seasons. After going 3-0 in the playoffs in their Super Bowl season, the Eagles are 1-2 in the postseason since. The window does not look closed yet on a team that returns in 2020 as the defending NFC East champions, but they need to kick it into high gear ASAP.
The Eagles remain serious contenders in the NFC East, in part because of their relative roster stability as well as the coaching shakeup in the division. Wentz is a top-tier QB and having Sanders, Ertz, and Goedert by his side will only help him in the long run. On the other hand, when Jalen Reagor comes back from injury he needs to produce right away. The Birds basically NEED full/injury-free seasons from Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson and now the offensive line is a question mark following the loss of two expected starters.
The defense addressed two big needs by adding help along the defensive front and in the secondary. But other than Cox, Hargrave, Graham, McLeod, and Slay the Eagles will need their non-superstars to really step up. Philadelphia is a good team, but remember that it needed to win its final four games to reach the playoffs. Expect playoff contention, but a lot must go right for postseason success. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles finish the 2020-2021 season with no more than 10 wins.
Win Total (Over/Under):
Honestly, the Eagles should finish right around 10-6 maybe even the 9-7 record again. The reason why is because their schedule is prickly, to say the least, with the Eagles set to play five playoff teams from last year. If they can make hay early in the season, they could even reach 11 wins, but this is a decent sized stretch. The team has to gel quickly and perfectly since the schedule is backloaded with some games that, at least right now, look difficult. If you want to play the conservative route with your money, putting a bet down on the Eagles under 9.5 wins. While on the other hand, if you want to shoot for the moon and go big or go home, throw some green down on Philly over 10.5 wins.
Fantasy Player to Watch:
Some people may pick the easy route here and think the answer is QB, Carson Wentz. Well, this is not the move from a fantasy standpoint at all if you ask me. The reason why being the 27-year-old finished among fantasy QBs as follows in recent seasons: 9th in 2019, 23rd in 2018, 5th in 2017, and 24th in 2016. His finishes have been all over the place and the overall stats during each season of his career have varied as well. Wentz is a solid option if, coming down to it, you need a QB and he’s the best one left on the board but in my expert opinion, stay away from Wentz.
The Eagles have some solid options at the wide receiver spot but nothing too enticing. Jeffery and Jackson aren’t in their prime anymore but they still, have some upside to bring to the table. Reagor has a tremendous upside to his game but will need time to prove his worth via fantasy. When it comes to wide receivers on the Eagles, I’d recommend leaving them be unless needed as an emergency.
The Eagles star fantasy player for this new season is going to be none other than second-year RB, Miles Sanders. Miles Sanders will head this backfield in 2020 after Jordan Howard ended up in Miami this offseason. The rookie finished last season leading the team in rush yards. He compiled 818 rush yards and three rushing touchdowns. He had 2.1 rush yards after contact per rush and 373 total rush yards after contact. Last season, the Penn State product had 28.6 percent of rushes inside the 5, but that number should increase greatly. With the WRs hampered by injuries last season, Sanders was third in receiving on the team. He hauled in 50 receptions, 509 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns. The 23-year-old should receive enough volume to be considered an RB1 on your team this year.
