CHIRPING BIRDS-SEASON REVIEW

The season is over for the 7-9 Philadelphia Eagles, and here are my final observations..

Howie Roseman is now the man in the spotlight. Not Doug Pederson orbeben Jeffrey Lurie. GM Roseman has the most important off-season in front of him He needs to find weapons for QB Carson Wentz. He needs to have a solid draft, where he finds a DB, one or two WRs plus a pass rusher and O-line help. Roseman needs to sign a few impact free agents, despite his salary cap limitations.

Just because the Eagles won their last twp meaningless games, the front office can't think the team is "close" and on;y a few tweaks here and there will get this current squad to the playoffs next year. True, the Eagles lost many close games this year. After Chip Kelly destroyed the team, despite all of their deficiencies, lack of play-makers, rookie quarterback and coach, and stupid play-calling and penalties, the team still finished with 7 wins, in a division where the top two teams won 13 and 11 games, respectively.

Still, the Eagles need help, not tweaking. They have their future QB, now they need to build around him. As the Birds were aggressive in landing Wentz through a series of trades, they need to stay aggressive and think out of the box in order to not only construct a playoff contender, but a Super Bowl champion.

With an easier schedule next year, the Eagles have a chance to bounce back in 2017. Realistically, it may take two solid drafts.But things happen quickly in the NFL now (see Dallas going form 4-12 to 13-3)/ After investing so much to get Wentz, the Eagles need to go all in to make sure he has got the weapons he needs to develop into the quarterback they hope he will be.

Here are my report cards for each position..

Quarterback- B

Overall, Wentz had a good year, considering where he came from, considering his lack of receivers, and considering his starting left tackle was missing for 10 games. He still needs work, but now at least the team goes into the off-season with hope. Think of life last year at this time- Chip Kelly was 7-9, with the team spiraling out of control. No future QB, not much hope. This tear, the Eagles have a building block for the future.

Running Backs- C

Ryan Matthews won't be back. Darrin Spoles was great again. He should be back, but he's not a 20-carry a game guy. Will Smallwood be the guy? The Eagles need to draft a young RB Look at what Elliot did for the Cowboys. Having a running game will make life a lot easier for Wentz, control the clock, give the defense much-needed breaks, and open up the field for the wide receivers.

Wide Receivers- D

No one really stepped up this year. Ib fact, guys regressed, starting with Nelson Agolhol. WR coach Greg Lewis needs to be replaced. Free agent DeSean Jackson should be signed. He would give the Birds the deep threat they desperately need. A young WR needs to be found in the drat/Keep Jordan Mathews, otherwise, overhaul the other wide-outs who drop too many balls and can't separate from defenses due to their lack of speed.

Tight Ends- B

Zach Ertz did not have the break-out season everyone hoped he would. He had flashes again of greatness, witness the final game vs. Dallas when he caught 13 passes for 137 yards. Will he ever be the Pro Bowl player they hoped for, or is he the solid but not spectacular tight end? Being a 90 catch guy makes the need for more than one new wide receiver less immediate. Trey Burton had a good year. Brent Celek is OK for a player on the decline.

Offensive Line- C

Even after Lane Johnson was suspended, the line did OK , despite all the patchwork and changes.They found more depth in younger players. Jason Peters had a better year. Johnson should be back at the start of 2017 unless he becomes a dumb-ass again. The Eagles need to add to the line and continue to draft at least one O-line a year. something Kelly ignored.

Defensive Line- C

They under-achieved, especially since the line was touted as the strength of the team. Vinny Curry and Fletcher Cox both had their contracts extended and both did not play up to expectations. Cox made the Pro Bowl again, but he was missing in bog gaps during the season. Are certain players out of position? Is the Jim Schwartz scheme to blame for a disappointing stretch of the season? Will Connor Barwin return, or will the Eagles cut him and save the money for a declining and aging player?

Linebackers- B

Hicks played well again. Mychel Hendricks probably won't return and may never will up to his early potential. The team could use more depth at LB, even though it doesn't look like the position is a priority.

Secondary- C

Malcolm Jenkins played great. Otherwise, the corner backs were bad and allowed too many big plays again. It's important to have good cover guys in the NFC East, with receivers like Beckham and Bryant to deal with. Defensive Back should be a first round consideration with pick 14 or 15. in a draft rich in corner backs.

Special Needs- B

The eagles had several kick-off returns for touchdowns, and Sproles was still a dangerous punt returner. The kicking game was solid, compared tot his time last year. Hopefully, long-snapper Jon Dorenbois returns healthy from a season-ending wrist injury.

Coaching- C

Doyg Pederson had an OK season as a rookie head   coach. His play-calling probably cost the team at least 1-2 games. His aggressiveness on fourth down was spotty. It's refreshing to be aggressive, but at times, Pederson wasn't always smart. Discipline was an issue and during the season the issue of the team playing hard did come up. But overall, with a  few minor changes on the horizon, the coaching situation is much better than with the Chip Kelly/Billy Davis regime.

Front Office- B

Still more work to do. Roseman needs to step up, be creative and think out of the box. New draft guru Joe Douglas needs to work the same draft magic as he successfully did in Baltimore. Owner Lurie has control over his team again. Time is getting short for him. Still no Super Bowl. He needs to give Pederson at least another year, for fear of changing coaches like the Cleveland Browns. Luire will be watching closely, as his patience and time is shorter than ever.