The NFL trade deadline was yesterday and Eagles executive vice
president of football operations Howie Roseman did not go quietly acquiring
wide receiver Golden Tate from Detroit for a third-round draft pick. The trade
deadline coincided with the Eagles bye week which came exactly halfway through
2018, so there’s no better time to look back at how things have gone and look
ahead and what’s to come than right now.
With eight games down and eight games to go, the Eagles sit
at 4-4. If losses to Tampa Bay and Tennessee raised red flags, then blowing a
17-point lead at home against Carolina started to sound alarms. The previously
reliable offensive line was struggling to protect Carson Wentz upon his return
in week three against Indianapolis. Defensive backs were getting burned left
and right. The offensive play calling got too pass-happy. The competency of yet
another defensive coordinator was called into question. Injuries started to
pile up. In other words, not much was going right.
Fortunately, the New York Giants and a team in disarray
quarterbacked by Blake Bortles popped up on the schedule at just the right
times. A blowout victory over the anemic Giants followed a loss to the
Minnesota Vikings in an NFC Championship rematch and Bortles was just what the
doctor ordered for a defense that blew a 17-point lead the previous week
against Cam Newton and Carolina.
While there’s certainly been more bad than good in the first
eight weeks, it’s not all gloom and doom for the defending Super Bowl
champions. The defense has been widely criticized for its soft coverages late
in games with leads. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has been ultra-conservative
late which often led to teams methodically marching down the field and allowed
Carolina to get all the way back. But they still had to earn the lead to begin
with and the Eagles dominated a 5-2 Carolina team for three quarters without
allowing a point. Wentz’s numbers have managed to improve from last year when
he looked destined to be the MVP. Alshon Jeffery returned from a torn rotator cuff
in week four and has looked every bit the part of the number one receiver the
Eagles signed him to be in March 2017.
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| Lynne Sladky/Associated Press Tate gives the Eagles a much-needed additional playmaker on offense. |
With running back Jay Ajayi, defensive end Derek Barnett and
safety Rodney McLeod all out for the year, not much consistency at wide
receiver beyond Jeffery and struggling cornerbacks, Roseman had to do something
yesterday. But, he obviously wasn’t going to be able to fix it all. Trading for
Tate probably made the most sense. Realistically, more than one move from the
Eagles yesterday would have been asking a lot. The NFL trade deadline is
usually relatively quiet compared to other sports. Therefore, getting help for your
franchise quarterback was the move to make. The offensive line was not as
problematic last season. The defense wasn’t blowing as many leads last season. Banking on some positive regression while
upgrading a position that the team was thin at was the logical conclusion for
Roseman.
Moving forward, it’s fair to assume the Eagles still have
their best football ahead of them. For as bad as the first half of the season seemed
at times, they’re still in second place in a lackluster NFC East. The week 17
game at Washington may decide the division.
That’s one of five NFC East games the Eagles still have left to play.
With some improvement on the offensive line, in the fourth quarter overall and situationally
from coach Doug Pederson, the division can still be won. But how far things
will go beyond that remain to be seen. Upcoming road games against the New
Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams will be very telling. It was a bumpy ride
in the first two months of the season, and as long as it’s a little less bumpy
in the second half, they’ll be back playing at Lincoln Financial Field in
January.
Photo: https://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2018/10/golden_tate_to_eagles_heres_the_nfls_reaction.html
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