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For the Philadelphia Eagles, there is no future past the immediate week in front of them. In the midst of a playoff push and teams nipping at their heels, they’re as short sighted as they can get.
For everyone else though, we get to look ahead as far as we want — perks of being a fan, I guess. In that spirit, it’s worth it to look towards the offseason and start taking a crack at what the Eagles are going to do. Aside from the obvious stuff, like figuring out what to do with Sam Bradford, it’s looking like the Eagles are going to need some free agent wide receiver help.
Pencil in Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor as your starters next year. Past that, well, it’s not looking so hot. Riley Cooper is 50/50 on being back, Josh Huff is just a body at this point, and Seji Ajirotutu is unrestricted. A shake-up there wouldn’t be entirely unexpected or unwarranted. Even if Cooper and Huff stay, you can’t count on them for much.
The draft is already going to be a little dicey without that second-round pick, and protecting Bradford has to be Chip Kelly’s top priority. So no major receiver help is going to come early unless there’s some wacky trade the Eagles swing that notches another early pick.
Thus we arrive at free agency, which on paper might look good but should thin out quickly at the position. The current cream of the crop, Alshon Jeffery, is in no way getting out of Chicago that easily so I’m taking him off the table now. But depending on how Kelly decides to go at the position, there are two guys I think could be cost-effective and useful options moving forward.
Let’s say that Kelly decides that the deep-threat element needs to come back. If that happens, Travis Benjamin is going to look very attractive. He’s been held back by inconsistent quarterback play all year and he’s faded in and out as a result. But Benjamin is a true burner that doesn’t appear to have any diva qualities. Plus, let’s be honest, Cleveland is a mess. Benjamin may not want to stick around, he’s not worth the franchise tag, and Cleveland has so many other things to worry about that Benjamin might just slip through the cracks. If so, he makes a ton of sense.
Or, let’s say Kelly thinks drops and efficiency are the issue and wants a strong possession receiver. Say hello to our best option there, 36-year-old Anquan Boldin. No, he’s not a sparkly new player, but if physicality is what Kelly wants Boldin is the finest option out there. He’s been quietly and sneakily effective these past few years but has been glossed over because San Francisco is a wreck like Cleveland is. Boldin could easily smack around a slot cornerback or be fine on the outside with Matthews while Agholor kicks inside. Boldin wouldn’t break the bank either, not by a long shot.
Time will tell, but I think the Eagles will wind up having some interest in one of those players. The Eagles will have some cash-friendly options available to them, and some veteran reliability at the position would go a long way.
Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.
