Santoliquito: Eagles Becoming The Cleveland Browns Part II
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — No one wants to think it, but you're only fooling yourself if you don't face the inevitable: The Eagles are not a very good football team, and as it looks, might win six games this coming season—with the heavy emphasis on might.
Further proof that the Birds are morphing into the Cleveland Browns came Tuesday when a report revealed starting right tackle Lane Johnson, a key cog in any of the Eagles' hopes this season, could be facing a 10-game suspension for testing positive for PEDs for a second time, though nothing is conclusive.
The Eagles' lead running back, Ryan Mathews, appears one good, hard sneeze away from being lost for the season. Left tackle Jason Peters appears to be crumbling right before our eyes, a quad injury has shelved him for tonight's preseason opener against Tampa Bay. Wide receiver and lone deep threat Jordan Matthews will play himself into shape, after nursing a balky knee that may cause him to miss the entire pre-season, and free agent right guard Brandon Brooks has been slowed by an injured hamstring, which never heals without rest.
Related: Santoliquito: The Eagles Just Became The Cleveland Browns (Part 1)
After the season is over by mid-October, do you really want to put prized rookie quarterback Carson Wentz behind the aging Peters, Allen Barbre, Jason Kelce, Andrew Gardner and Dennis Kelly?
Call it more flotsam from Chip Kelly's ignorance of never addressing the offensive line during his three years here. A year ago, the offensive front lacked depth, and was the oldest in the NFL. Now it lacks depth, is old in vital places—and it lacks talent, too, without Johnson.
How long will Sam "Bridge" Bradford hold up behind a patchwork offensive line? Considering his brittle history, not very long.
Tight ends Brent Celek, Zach Ertz and Trey Burton appear to be a team strength in a tight-end friendly offense. But will Bradford be upright long enough to have the time to get the ball down field? In addition, Eagles' fans have been waiting for Ertz to break out and he seems to be stuck in middling mode, until the end of the season. He caught 75 passes last year, though 37 came in the last five games. He caught 58 passes in 2014—24 receptions in the last five games.
Related: Eagles Limp Into Preseason Opener
Defensively, the Eagles do have a chance to stay in games. But again, depth becomes an issue when you consider middle linebacker Jordan Hicks, though brilliant at times his rookie year, has a long history of being injured. And, Hicks is learning a new defense for the fourth time in the last four years. Check off the defensive line as the only area of the team that's certain, and the iffy secondary does come packed with the stabilizing leadership of Malcolm Jenkins.
Related: Eagles Trying To Trade For A Linebacker, Per Report
So get ready for a season of Kenjon Barner, rookie running back Wendell Smallwood (who has had quad problems in training camp), and reclamation projects like Rueben Randle and underachieving Josh Huff being relied on to make impact plays on offense. And Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Connor Barwin, and Jenkins trying to keep this waste bucket afloat until the right pieces are gathered around Wentz.
Top off all the above doubt with Doug Pederson's dubious ability as a head coach and it adds up to the only difference between the Cleveland Browns and the Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 11 at the Linc could be the uniforms.
