After Dreadful Cowboys Loss, Where Do Eagles Go From Here? Answering Philly’s Biggest Qs

When Howie Roseman traded away Cam Jurgens, a key piece of the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line, he insisted that wasn’t a sign that a fire sale had begun. He still had high hopes for his team this season. He saw the division as very winnable. Of course, that was three long weeks and three losses ago. Now, there’s no reason to pretend anymore, or for the Eagles general manager not to raise the white flag on a lost year after his team fell to 2-5 with a disheartening 38-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at home on Monday night. The roster is crumbling before their eyes. Their starting quarterback might not play again this season. And after a remarkable, five-year run of mostly sustained success, they have hit a rut where absolutely everything is going wrong. “No one likes that, but smart GMs see that as an opportunity,” one NFL executive told me. “And Howie Roseman is a very smart GM.” The opportunity is to do more than just tinker with the roster on the fly, which the always-active Roseman has done at the trade deadline during most of his Philadelphia tenure. It’s an opportunity to start purging an aging, crumbling, expensive roster and start assets to help plug current and future holes. And if that sounds like “rebuilding” … well, maybe it is. And maybe that’s what the Eagles have to do to become a championship contender again. “They are a smart, aggressive franchise that knows exactly what they are,” one rival general manager told me. “They’re not going to waste this opportunity just so they can finish 8-9. They won’t accept mediocrity. They want to compete for championships. “And they’re not particularly close to doing that right now.” So, after the Eagles bottomed out on Monday night, how do they begin to get back on top? It will likely start between now and the NFL trading deadline on Nov. 10, when many around the league expect Philly to be among the biggest sellers. And that might be just the start of many months of major changes. They’ve got some brewing salary cap issues to sort through after years of pushing cap hits into the future. They need to completely rebuild their once-powerful offensive line. And they’ve even got a head coach and franchise quarterback with questions about their long-term futures in Philadelphia too. “I have a feeling that the next time the Eagles are a powerhouse, they’re going to look a lot different,” another NFL executive told me. “But I’ll never underestimate Howie Roseman. It won’t take him long.” How long depends on how fast he moves, and how quickly he can find answers to the Eagles’ biggest questions: It’s easy to say, “Everything must go!” And maybe that’s the right approach. The Eagles certainly have plenty of rental players whose contracts will expire after the season, like tight end Dallas Goedert, cornerback Riq Woolen, defensive tackle Moro Ojomo and wide receiver Hollywood Brown. Edge rusher Nolan Smith is thought to be available too, along with veteran guard Landon Dickerson and possibly linebacker Zack Baun. None of them are likely to bring back a high price, like a first- or second-round pick, but they all could help Roseman stockpile Day 3 picks over the next two drafts, which he could package together to turn into more valuable picks or players. “They’re not helping the present, so if they’re not part of the future, there’s no reason to keep them around,” the NFL executive told me. “And they can probably get something for most of those guys.” It’s not a guarantee that Roseman will sell them all off, though. He won’t give them away for nothing. And players like Ojomo and Woolen could benefit the Eagles with a compensatory draft pick if they keep them around and then let them leave as free agents next spring. “Whatever they do, they have to be aggressive,” the GM told me. “They know you don’t get better by standing pat and just watching players walk away.” Several NFL sources said the Eagles’ biggest trading chip would be the 29-year-old Barkley, assuming his back and hamstring aren’t long-term concerns. He’s had a fast, steep decline since his 2,005-yard season two years ago, though he’s still an elusive, impact player who can help a contending team. “His numbers may have dipped, but that’s more the [offensive] line problems than it is him,” an NFC scout told me. “There aren’t many faster, more elusive backs than him.” “I’m not sure I’d make a big bet on his long-term prospects,” the general manager told me. “But short-term, for a contending team? He could put you over the top.” No one has gotten any indication, though, that the Eagles are willing to trade him. But considering Barkley is signed for two more seasons and has just $2.5 million left in guaranteed money on his deal, he would be incredibly attractive for a contender and could conceivably bring a lot back in return. And given Barkley’s age and decline in numbers, it could make sense for them to acquire assets to start over at that position now. “I think they could get a second-round pick and more for him, and I don’t know how you say no to that,” the GM told me. “He’s really good and a really good guy, but he’s also about to turn 30 [in February]. They have to see the writing on the wall.” During their recent dominant run, the line was the Eagles’ biggest strength. But center Jason Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson retired. Cam Jurgens, who was supposed to replace Kelce, was traded. And legendary offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was forced out, and lately the whole unit has been held together by duct tape. It’s gone from strength to weakness in a hurry. And the future looks … iffy. Beyond 29-year-old Pro Bowl left tackle Jordan Mailata, there are nothing but questions about the future, especially if they move on from Dickerson either at the trading deadline or in the offseason. They have promising players in center Drew Kendall and rookie right tackle Markel Bell. And they could try and re-sign right guard Tyler Steen. But that group still isn’t nearly what it used to be, and the pipeline of young talent and depth they always had seems to have dried up. “They don’t have a history of drafting linemen, but I think that’s going to change,” the scout told me. “They always got undervalued, talented players and let [Stoutland] polish them up. But he’s gone and they can’t do that anymore. So they’re going to have to start bringing in talent, not just hoping they can develop it.” “The biggest reason that their offense has struggled the last couple of years is their offensive line has fallen off,” the executive told me. “They know they have to rebuild from there if they want anything to work at all.” Hurts is out for the rest of the season after blood clots in his calf spread to his lungs earlier this month. From what the Eagles and Hurts’ agent have said, it seems his long-term prospects are good and he’ll return to playing football. And when he does, he’ll almost certainly be the Eagles’ starting quarterback for at least the next two seasons, because it would be almost impossible for the Eagles financially to cut or trade him until after 2028. But that doesn’t mean the Eagles won’t start looking for his eventual replacement now — and not just by drafting a developmental quarterback on Day 3 of the draft. Don’t forget, Roseman drafted Hurts in the second round in 2020, just 10 months after giving quarterback Carson Wentz a four-year, $128 million contract extension. And then, at the first sign that Wentz was struggling, the Eagles gave Hurts his job. That doesn’t mean it’ll happen the same way again. But the Eagles will likely want to start preparing in case it does. “I don’t know what they think of the quarterbacks (in the draft) this year, but it wouldn’t shock me at all if they draft Hurts’ eventual replacement early,” the GM told me. “It’s the perfect year to do it. There are a lot of interesting prospects, and one first- or second-round pick isn’t going to fix all of the Eagles’ problems anyway. Using that on a quarterback for help down the road might be pretty smart.” “Something has seemed off with Hurts anyway,” the scout told me. “He’s had so many offensive coordinators and just hasn’t looked comfortable the last two years. Sometimes that can take its toll on a guy. That doesn’t mean he’s done. But if I were the Eagles, I’d start thinking about what I’m going to do if I can’t get him straightened out.” Sirianni has had four straight seasons of double-digit wins, five straight trips to the playoffs, and been to two Super Bowls while winning one over the past four years. But there are times when it sure seems like Sirianni’s act is wearing thin in Philadelphia. He’s had more than a few examples of questionable late-game management that cost his team victories. And he’s had a lot of trouble hiring the right assistants, especially on the offensive side of the ball. And Lurie and Roseman aren’t always the most patient bosses. Doug Pederson was three years removed from a Super Bowl championship and had been to the playoffs three straight years when he was fired after a 4-11-1 season in 2020. Chip Kelly was fired after going 7-9 in 2015 after two straight 10-win seasons. Even Andy Reid was ushered out the door after going 4-12 in 2012, even though it was just his third losing season in a 14-year tenure that included a Super Bowl and five trips to the NFC Championship Game. So the idea that Sirianni is safe just because of his stellar record doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, especially since two of those years felt like wasted chances in Philadelphia. And don’t forget, there was some thought he might have been in danger after the Eagles’ first-round exit last year. “They don’t tolerate failure there,” the NFL executive told me. “It feels like every year they don’t win a title, they’re at least thinking about firing their coach. And if you’re about to start over anyway, this might be the perfect time to change it all.” “I never got the impression that they loved him there anyway,” the scout added. “You can’t argue with winning, though. But once that’s gone, all bets are off.”