Five Eagles facing a make-or-break season in 2015
The NFL is an unforgiving league and the nickname "not for long" league didn't just come out of nowhere. Due to the NFL's strict salary cap, player movement is fluid from season to season, and sometimes week to week.
The Philadelphia Eagles have built their roster for the 2015 season, but the future of their roster is in part tied to the contracts they have already signed. With several key impending free agents and head coach Chip Kelly's tendency to create major roster turnover from year to year, the 2016 roster could look a lot different.
The following five players will need to step up and meet or exceed expectations if they want to remain members of the Eagles in 2016.
Riley Cooper
If releasing Riley Cooper this offseason didn't cost the Eagles $6.2 million in dead money, some believe that he would no longer be an Eagle right now. Cooper is coming off of a disastrous 2014 season. Cooper finished rated as the worst wide receiver in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. He failed to separate from coverage on a consistent basis, and he reeled in just 55 of his 91 targets. He also had one of the NFL's lowest yards after catch average among wide receivers, totaling just 2.9 yards after the catch per reception.
Despite being a major liability in the passing game, Cooper offers the Eagles' offense an added element in the running game. Cooper finished as the eight-best blocking wide receiver in 2014, per Pro Football Focus. The Eagles want to get back to running the football to open up the pass after committing 17 more total turnovers in 2014 than they did in 2013. Riley could still provide a value for the team and keep a role.
However, the Eagles just added more talent at wide receiver with a premium draft selection by selecting Nelson Agholor. I broke down why his breakout is on the horizon, but even if it doesn't happen this season, he will be primed for a big year in 2016. The Eagles also have promising second year wide receivers Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff to round out the Eagles' future top three.
Cooper is set to count $5.3 million agains the Eagles' 2016 salary cap, and the team can recoup $2.9 million in 2016 cap space by releasing him before June 1st.
Brent Celek
Brent Celek won't be a popular name to appear on this list, and his play certainly hadn't fallen off in 2014, but there are several other factors in play. In 2014, Celek's biggest contribution came as a blocker. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished as the second-best run blocking tight end. He struggled to create separation in the passing game and finished with just 4.2 yards after catch/per reception on his 32 receptions.
Still, Celek operated as the starter and saw more offensive snaps than promising second year tight end Zach Ertz. Now, entering his third season in the NFL, Ertz has dedicated his offseason to improving as a blocker. Earlier in the offseason, he met with Tony Gonzalez to learn the nuances of the tight end position. Ertz had already taken a step forward as a blocker in 2014 compared to his rookie season, and if he can prove to be a consistent blocker in 2015, Celek becomes expendable. Ertz is the superior receiver.
Celek is set to count $5 million against the Eagles' 2016 salary cap. If the Eagles release him before June 1st, it would result in zero dead money--the Eagles would recoup the entire $5 million in 2016 cap space. Celek is no lock to be with a different team in 2016, but if Ertz does break out in 2015, the Eagles could find it difficult to allocate $5 million in cap space to a reserve tight end. Celek will be 31 years old when the 2016 regular season gets underway.
DeMeco Ryans
DeMeco Ryans was the leader and quarterback of the Eagles' defense in 2014. After he suffered a torn Achilles' tendon in Week 9, the Eagles' defense was never the same. Earlier this offseason, Kelly also attributed the step back on defense to Ryans' absence. Ryans has participated in training camp practices to open camp, but he is taking things slow. On Tuesday, he admitted that he is not yet 100 percent healthy, and it's fair to question whether or not he will ever get his explosion back after this type of injury at his age.
Age and injury aren't the only factors working against Ryan's chances of sticking with the team beyond 2015. The Eagles added two talented pieces to their depth chart at inside linebacker this offseason. First, they traded for 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year Kiko Alonso, and then they drafted inside linebacker Jordan Hicks. Earlier this offseason, Eagles' linebackers coach Rick Minter compared Hicks to Ryans. Of course, the Eagles also have talented inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks on the roster, and he is entering a contract year in 2015.
Ryans is set to count $4.5 million against the Eagles' 2016 salary cap. The Eagles can recoup $3.5 million in 2016 salary cap space by releasing Ryans before June 1st. Ryans will be 32 years old when the Eagles kick of the 2016 regular season. If he is no longer an every down linebacker or at least an impact defender on a more limited snaps count, $4.5 million is a steep price to pay for his services.
Walter Thurmond
Around this time last offseason, people were talking up Walter Thrumond as one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL. He enjoyed a strong training camp with the Giants, but his regular season was cut short after just one and a half games. His injury history is starting to build up. Over the last four seasons, Thurmond has appeared in just 22-of-64 regular season games.
With his sports science program in place, prior injuries are less of a concern for head coach Chip Kelly, so he took a flier on Thurmond this offseason. To almost everyone's surprise, Kelly decided to convert Thurmond to safety during the Eagles' spring practices and he hasn't looked back since. Thurmond has worked almost exclusively as the team's first team safety in training camp practices so far.
For the Eagles, safety has long been a position of constant roster turnover. They found one keeper in 2014 free agent acquisition Malcolm Jenkins, and they are likely hoping that Thurmond could be the next guy to follow in Jenkins' footsteps. Thurmond is set to hit free agency this offseason, and if he suffers through another season marred by injuries, the Eagles could choose to simply move on.
Mychal Kendricks
After an offseason full of trade rumors, Chip Kelly recently confirmed that the Eagles will not trade Mychal Kendricks. One has to wonder if his decision was influenced by Ryans' slow recovery. Either way, Kendricks has one more opportunity to prove that he belongs to be in the Eagles' long-term plans.
On the field, Kendricks doesn't have much more to prove to Kelly and the organization. In 2014, he was his normal dominant self in pass coverage and he even became a dynamic pass rusher from the inside. He racked up four sacks, eight quarterback hits and 15 quarterback hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. Only one other inside linebacker finished with more total quarterback pressures than Kendricks, and he played 155 more defenisve snaps.
Of course, total snaps is the key thing to keep an eye on with Kendricks. Earlier this offseason, Kelly mentioned Kendricks' injury history as a reason to be skeptical about his prospects going forward. Kendricks has battled through many injuries to date in his career, and he missed four games in 2014. Kendricks is set to enter free agency this offseason, and the Eagles will likely have to make a deicsion to keep either him or Ryans. While Kendricks is much younger and a much more effective linebacker at this stage of their careers, he will also require a larger salary cap allocation in 2016 and beyond.
*All salary cap information comes from Overthecap.com
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