No introduction here, let's get right to the things the Eagles need to do in the offseason if they want to repeat as Super Bowl champs.
1. Have just the right amount of turnover. You'd think when you win a championship, bringing the entire team back in full is the best case scenario, but that usually isn't the case. Championship teams always need some turnover so you can bring in younger, hungry guys who have never won before to come in, and be extra motivated to achieve with the other guys in that locker room achieved. Players are human beings and complacency is only natural. You don't want to replace too many guys though, as this team has a blueprint for success and they've developed that family chemistry more than any team I've ever seen.
2. Add offensive line depth. Jason Peters will be coming off a torn ACL and MCL, and the Eagles are one serious OL injury away from being paper thin there. They need depth at LG and OT. This should be a priority in the draft. The Eagles had the top scoring offense in the NFL for almost the entire season and if they want it to stay that way they need to be deep on the o line. The draft would be the best place to address this and to address it early.
3. Add linebacker depth. Jordan Hicks has been injury prone, and the Eagles don't have a lot of quality depth at either LB position. They could use some young, high-upside talent there they can develop going forward. Guys like Ellerbe, Goode, and Grugier-Hill did solid jobs stepping in, but I don't think you want to be relying on those guys again if you have the choice.
4. Find a young stud running back. The Eagles had a dominant rushing attack this season piecing it together with a committee, and I would not be opposed to going that route again if the Eagles have to, but ideally you want a stud workhorse back of the future if they can find one in the draft. Blount is up there in age, Ajayi has questions about his knees moving forward, and Clement was a real surprise this season, but we simply don't know yet if he can handle the burden of a majority workload yet.
5. Find a young speedy WR. Torrey Smith had issues catching the ball this season, and went lengthy stretches of the season where he was totally invisible. To his credit, he played his best ball in the playoffs, and I'll always love him for that. We don't know yet if Howie is going to keep him on the roster for next season, but either way, this team should have their eyes open for a young deep threat to groom. Mack Hollins could very well excel in that role with more playing time, and we'll see what Gibson does in his 2nd year, but you can never have enough speed for your offense.
6. Get healthy. The Eagles just need to flat out get healthy. Get Wentz, Hicks, Peters back and playing at a high level first and foremost. It's amazing the Eagles were able to win a championship without them, but I'd rather not have to try and do it again. Those are key guys who will be motivated to come back and play in the Super Bowl this time around, and we have to get them back to 100% and feeling comfortable.
7. Howie, work that cap magic. The Eagles are currently projected to be over the cap, and will have very little salary cap space once the dust settles on March 14th. I don't expect the Eagles to be very active in free agency, and frankly this free agent class isn't very good. That said, you always need some cap room to fill in needs here and there, so it's up to Howie to restructure deals, re-sign players, and make all the cap stuff work out. Howie's management of the cap is a huge reason the Eagles won the Super Bowl to begin with. Fitting in key guys on team-friendly deals at a good price.
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