Is it possible to be better than a team that went 13-3 and won the first Super Bowl in franchise history? Barrett Brooks thinks so.
Brooks broke down the 2020 Eagles roster Friday on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Quick Slants and explained why he believes this roster is superior to the one that won Super Bowl LII:
“… This may be the best Eagles team, maybe even better than the Eagles team that won the Super Bowl. Think about the speed that they possess, what it opens up on offense. It’s going to open up a run game. Now Doug [Pederson] has a consistent running back that can be a bell cow back. Everyone says, ‘Oh, they like running back by committee.’ That’s only because he didn’t trust a guy to be able to go out there and play down after down. He has that in Miles Sanders. Speed on the outside — not just [DeSean Jackson], but Marquise Goodwin. This guy ran a 4.2 [40-yard dash] coming out of the University of Texas. ... We have two of the best tight ends in the league.
“The offensive line, whether [Andre] Dillard is there or whether they sign [Jason Peters], this offensive line is still going to be pretty good. And defensively, we finally have a shutdown corner to go out and follow the best receiver. We are stacked … at the wide receiver position and at the cornerback position. The only real slight I see is at the linebacker position, not enough experience there. Defensive line, we’re stacked. We’ve got guys that can rush the passer from inside and outside. So I’m going to say that this is a far better team than not just last year, but I think better than the Super Bowl team. Yes, I said it.”
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The Eagles did certainly prioritize adding speedy weapons for Carson Wentz, acquiring Goodwin for a sixth-round pick swap and drafting Jalen Reagor with the 21st pick. Jackson’s health will be a key factor after the 33-year-old was limited to three games last season because of injury.
The “shutdown corner” Brooks refers to is, of course three-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay. “Two of the best tight ends in the league” — at least in Brooks’ opinion — are Zach Ertz, who needs 65 more catches to pass Harold Carmichael for most receptions as an Eagle, and Dallas Goedert.
Though the Eagles were good enough last season to earn a playoff spot with Wentz throwing to an eclectic cast of fringe receivers in the final few games, there are still numerous questions about the roster. How will the team adjust to the departure of Nigel Bradham? Will Jalen Mills be able to fill Malcolm Jenkins’ shoes at safety? What's going to happen at left tackle? Can Sanders build on an excellent rookie year and back up his apparently limitless self-confidence?
It’s only May, but Brooks is making his stance clear.
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