Now that the dust has settled and the Eagles have officially parted ways with A.J Brown. The avenues of opportunity are officially cleared and are ready to be explored. Philadelphia spent most of the offseason in the news due to the A.J Brown saga and everything else that came with it. It was getting to a point where the move felt forced by the player and the media at times.
Nonetheless, the Eagles did not let that distract them. They attacked the offseason by beefing up a WR group that was once too dependent on their two star wideouts. The issue with having two stars on each side of the passing attack is that there aren’t enough snaps to be efficient while making sure each of them hits their statistical goal.
That became very evident as we saw A.J. check out or overreact when things didn’t go his way, even though the team was winning.
If we’re being honest, we have yet to see a truly balanced attack from Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense. Nick Sirianni’s offensive focus for years was to get the ball into the hands of their stars rather than to find ways to strategically open up the offense.
Fortunately for the Eagles, what was once a staple of their offense has now been cast aside in favor of the creative mind of Sean Mannion. Mannion is bringing an offense that will focus on the strengths of the playmakers and more importantly, it will open up the field for Jalen Hurts.
Gone are the days when Hurts will be criticized for being too dependent on throwing the ball to the outside. After the selections of WR Makai Lemon and TE Eli Stowers, it’s evident that the Eagles’ offense will target the middle of the field more often. Which is why the Eagles built their WR room the way that they did this offseason.
While DeVonta Smith will be the unquestioned WR1, defenses won’t be able to focus only on him and get away with it. Makai Lemon is a unique talent whose quickness and YAC ability will take over a game in the blink of an eye if he’s left unattended. He brings such a unique dynamic to this offense that will help keep defenses honest.
Now that A.J. Brown is gone, the expectations will change for Lemon in year one. While he won’t be expected to be A.J.’s replacement, he will be expected to be what Smitty once was or better. The same rule can apply to Dontavion Wicks. Wicks has experience in the Mannion offense, so his role could be just dynamic but he will be expected to show up the ghost of Jahan Dotson.
Wicks has an incredibly high ceiling and a potential that has yet to be tapped into. His strength and quickness can change the dynamic of any game but he has to be more reliable when it comes to making catches.
That would now leave the two veterans in Elijah Moore and Hollywood brown to be better than expected backups. When Brown is healthy, everyone knows he can take the top off of any defense. The Eagles haven’t had that kind of speed since DeSean Jackson. Elijah Moore always provides the Eagles with speed and elusiveness but how much juice does he have left in his tank?
Johnny Wilson is a big question mark, but his catch radius and the team’s high hopes for him could make him a dependable red-zone target.
The Eagles have incredible weapons waiting to be unleashed this season. While they can’t duplicate all that A.J. has accomplished with them, they can’t find ways to be better together. With Smith lined up for a breakout season, his success will swing the door wide open for his teammates and this offensive attack.
