The Eagles are only three games into the season, but the early cracks are already loud enough to demand a response. After the loss to the Bears on Monday night, Philadelphia has a quick turnaround before hosting the Rams on Sunday, and that kind of short week makes any shakeup harder to pull off.
Still, with the Eagles sitting at 2-1 and a difficult run ahead - home against the Rams, in London against the Jaguars, then back home for the Panthers and Cowboys - the urge to tweak the roster is understandable. The trick is not to overdo it. But there are a few spots where change makes sense.
At linebacker, Jeremiah Trotter deserves a real look on defense. Second-year linebacker Jihaad Campbell has not settled in, and after the summer Trotter had, this might be the moment to give him snaps, at least on running downs.
The bigger issue is the absence of Nakobe Dean. It is not just his blitzing and run defense the Eagles miss.
It is his voice. Even while rehabbing, Dean was active on the sideline, pointing things out and pushing teammates along.
That kind of leadership has been missing, and nobody else has stepped into that role when things start to go sideways.
The same sort of adjustment may be needed in the secondary. Drew Mukuba and Marcus Epps have both struggled across all three games, and neither has done enough in coverage or as a tackler.
Mukuba’s nine tackles against the Bears came with plenty of misses attached. If the Eagles are going to make one change back there, Epps is the more likely candidate to sit, in part because Mukuba was a second-round pick and is still only 23.
Michael Carter should also see more work. He and Epps battled for the job deep into the summer before Epps eventually won it.
Maybe experience was the difference, or maybe Carter’s move from cornerback needed more time. But a month into the season, that grace period is over.
Carter has to be part of the answer, and there was at least a sign of that in Chicago, where Epps played 27 snaps, or 38 percent, compared to Carter’s 20 snaps, or 28 percent.
There is also a possibility of reshuffling with Cooper DeJean. He could be used as a full-time safety, though defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has said he does not want DeJean playing there on every defensive snap.
That was before Kenny Moore was signed last week. Moore can handle the slot, which opens the door for a setup in which DeJean shifts back to safety at times while Moore works inside.
That kind of mix-and-match arrangement could involve DeJean and Carter splitting duties on the back end.
The need for leadership on the back end has been obvious, too, with Reed Blankenship missing in the same way Dean is missing at linebacker.
Up front, a change at guard feels more like a watch-this-space move than an immediate switch. Cam Jurgens at left guard is not a lost cause, and Willie Lampkin is not automatically the fix. It may be too early to make that call, but the line has to hold up better in pass protection, especially against the blitz.
A few other tweaks stand out. The screen pass, for one, should probably be tossed out.
It is not gaining enough to justify the call. Zach Ertz should also become more involved.
He just played his first game after being signed to the practice squad, so his role should grow in the coming days and weeks, even if Dallas Goedert returns.
On defense, Jonathan Greenard needs more chances. He played only 18 snaps, 11 fewer than Arnold Ebikieite, and his workload should rise once he is fully back in football shape. The bigger concern is the pass rush as a whole: the Eagles have only three sacks in three games, and Nolan Smith has the only one among the edge rushers.
That brings the final question into focus: where has Jalyx Hunt gone? He looked like a sure thing for a Pro Bowl-type season in August, and plenty of people thought he might finish with double-digit sacks. Right now, that feels a lot further away than it did a month ago.
In Other News...
Eagles Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem Than One Bad Night
The Eagles 27-7 loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football looked bad on the surface, and the details only made it harder to dismiss. Philadelphia gave away the ball three times, drew 10 penalties and spent much of the night chasing Chicagos passing game, with the Bears finding steady answers through the air. For a team trying to stay on track, it was the kind of performance that turns one rough result into a much bigger conversation.
A few individual efforts still stood out, with DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley providing some of the few bright spots on an otherwise frustrating night. But the struggles of players such as Marcus Epps and Andy Dalton only added to the sense that this was more than an off game, especially for a defense that could not settle in against Case Keenums rhythm. The loss left the Eagles looking for answers in a hurry, because the issues exposed here went well beyond one bad evening. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Hurts Gave Eagles Fans A Major Scare On One Brutal Hit
Jalen Hurts gave Eagles fans a jolt on Monday night when he took a heavy hit from Bears linebacker DMarco Jackson and went down near the sideline during the game in Chicago. The moment briefly shifted the focus away from the scoreboard and onto Philadelphias quarterback, with Hurts heading to the medical tent for a concussion evaluation before the Eagles could fully exhale.
Hurts was eventually cleared and returned to the game, easing the immediate concern for a team that could ill afford to lose its starter in a prime-time matchup. Chicago had already grabbed an early lead on Case Keenums touchdown pass, so the sequence only added to an uneasy start for Philadelphia, which had to keep playing while its most important player was being checked out. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Siriannis Sideline Outburst Started With One Alarming Eagles Moment
The moment that set off Nick Siriannis sideline reaction came in the middle of a rough night for the Eagles on Monday Night Football, when Jalen Hurts took a hit that sent him into a concussion evaluation. Cameras caught Sirianni yelling at Bears linebacker DMarco Jackson in the aftermath, a flashpoint that stood out even more in a lopsided 27-7 loss for Philadelphia.
Sirianni later apologized for his language and said he regretted the way he handled himself, a notable admission from a coach whose sideline intensity has long been part of the package. For the Eagles, the bigger concern remains the health of Hurts and the larger fallout from a game that went sideways quickly, but the sideline scene added another layer to an already frustrating night. [Read more 🡒]