technical details
  1. is_video => true
  2. alias => "philadelphia\/\/eagles\/eagles-mailbag-top-needs-golden-tate-missing-super-bowl-team"
  3. nid => "691976"
  4. title => "Eagles Mailbag: Top needs, Golden Tate, missing Super Bowl team"
  5. is_chrome_page => false
  6. article_body => "<p>We\u2019ve made it to the end of the week and the bottom of the mailbag barrel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, we answered your questions about Carson Wentz\/Nick Foles, Sidney Jones and the defensive line <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/eagles-mailbag-carson-wentz-vs-nick-foles-sidney-jones-defensive-line\" target=\"_blank\"><em>(see story)<\/em><\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, we answered your questions about Jordan Mailata, Brandon Graham and running backs <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/eagles-mailbag-jordan-mailatas-future-drafting-rb-bringing-back-brandon-graham\" target=\"_blank\">(see story)<\/a><\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And today, we\u2019ll finish out the mailbags. Thanks for all your great questions. If I didn\u2019t get to yours, we\u2019ll do more mailbags throughout the offseason.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Besides cornerback, what positions do the Eagles absolutely need to upgrade?<\/p>&mdash; Paul L (@Igglesfan_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Igglesfan_\/status\/1087728008117530624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 22, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>Earlier this offseason, I listed my top five Eagles needs for this offseason and didn\u2019t even list cornerback. Here they are:<\/p>\n<p><strong>DE:<\/strong> If Brandon Graham is gone, the Eagles need to replace him. But even if he\u2019s back, the Eagles need to get younger at that spot. This is a draft full of defensive line talent.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>OT:<\/strong> Even if Jason Peters is back, he\u2019s 37 and the Eagles need to find his replacement. Maybe it\u2019s Jordan Mailata, but it\u2019s too early to know that for sure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>DT:<\/strong> The spot next to Fletcher Cox in 2018 was a mess. Tim Jernigan won\u2019t be back without a restructure, so maybe they simply draft someone to line up next to Cox.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>RB:<\/strong> This position was kind of a mess thanks to injuries in 2018. They need a feature back and bringing back Jay Ajayi isn\u2019t enough for me.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>WR:<\/strong> I\u2019ll admit receiver isn\u2019t high on the list, but they need a field stretcher. That was supposed to be Mike Wallace in 2018.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/lyfe_muzik\/status\/1087729428963184643\n<p>It\u2019s not completely impossible, but I don\u2019t think it would be wise for a few reasons. The most obvious one is the Eagles never truly realized how to utilize Tate this past season because he and Agholor play the same position. If they had figured out how to make it work, maybe. But the other part of this is financial. Alshon Jeffery\u2019s cap hit for 2019 is over $14 million. If Agholor plays this upcoming season on his fifth-year option, he\u2019s another $9-plus million. Can the Eagles really justify paying Tate what it would take to keep him and paying between $27-30 million for three players at one position? I don\u2019t see it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Think Rodney will take a paycut? Love his play and attitude but just under a $10mil payout next year is a bit too high for my liking.<\/p>&mdash; Berg Gang (@AndrewZomberg) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AndrewZomberg\/status\/1087728640551542789?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 22, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>I agree with you that McLeod\u2019s cap hit is too high for this upcoming season, especially as he comes off an ACL tear. His hit is over $9.3 million and the Eagles could save over $5 million cap space by cutting him. I think it would be beneficial for both sides to find some common ground and work on a cheaper deal. It would keep McLeod on a team to prove he\u2019s truly healthy and it would help the Eagles out from a cap standpoint.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Birds missed him on the field in 2018, but the emergence of Avonte Maddox as a possible replacement might make him more expendable. Although, I think the Eagles ought to try to keep McLeod first.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Which 2 players from the 17 SB team did we miss the most this season?<\/p>&mdash; \ud835\ude3c\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude6e\ud83c\udf3a (@thatkidanthonyy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thatkidanthonyy\/status\/1087806285851099136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 22, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>I like this question; good job. I\u2019ll go with Beau Allen and Patrick Robinson and that\u2019s not to say I fault the Eagles for letting either of them go.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But the DT spot next to Fletcher Cox gave the Eagles nothing for most of the year and they really could have used Allen. Destiny Vaeao began the season as the starter and he\u2019s gone. Haloti Ngata came on late, but was injured throughout the year and wasn\u2019t great. Treyvon Hester is a playoff special teams hero but didn\u2019t do much defensively. If the Eagles had Allen, they would have just plugged him into that DT spot and they wouldn\u2019t have missed Tim Jernigan nearly as much.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The other one I\u2019ll name is Patrick Robinson. I know P-Rob got hurt in New Orleans, but we don\u2019t know if that would\u2019ve happened here. What we do know was that until the Eagles got Cre\u2019Von LeBlanc in there, that nickel corner spot was a mess. Remember Dexter McDougle? Yeah, that really happened this year.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/myteams-nbc-sports?utm_tags=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Eagles<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/thoughts-carson-wentzs-being-characterized-selfish-and-egotistical\">Thoughts on Wentz\u2019s being characterized as \u2019selfish\u2019 and \u2018egotistical\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/nfl-free-agency-2019-what-will-eagles-do-running-back\">NFL free agency 2019: What will the Eagles do at running back?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/nfl-free-agency-2019-comprehensive-look-eagles-defensive-ends\">NFL free agency 2019: A comprehensive look at Eagles\u2019 defensive ends<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/eagles-mailbag-jordan-mailatas-future-drafting-rb-bringing-back-brandon-graham\">Eagles Mailbag: Jordan Mailata\u2019s future, drafting a RB, bringing back Brandon Graham<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/eagles-only-seven-round-nfl-mock-draft-2019\"> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/eagles\/if-saints-fans-can-sue-i-have-litigation-list-my-own\">If Saints fans can sue, I have a litigation list of my own<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"
  7. author => "Dave Zangaro"
  8. mps => {"author":"Dave Zangaro","league":"","sport":"","sponsor":""}
  9. published => "1548424800"
  10. created => "1548359773"
  11. changed => "1548455969"
  12. status => "1"
  13. hero_image_credit => "AP Images"
  14. tags => [{"tid":"3856","name":"Nelson Agholor","url":"tags\/nelson-agholor"},{"tid":"3246","name":"rodney mcleod","url":"tags\/rodney-mcleod"},{"tid":"2301","name":"Jason Peters","url":"tags\/jason-peters"},{"tid":"2881","name":"Fletcher Cox","url":"tags\/fletcher-cox"},{"tid":"2721","name":"Brandon Graham","url":"tags\/brandon-graham"},{"tid":"406","name":"Philadelphia Eagles","url":"tags\/philadelphia-eagles"},{"tid":"2421","name":"Dave Zangaro","url":"tags\/dave-zangaro"}]
  15. section => "Eagles"
  16. team => "Philadelphia Eagles"
  17. image => {"uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/philadelphia\/2019\/01\/25\/redo-thumb.jpg","alt":"redo-thumb.jpg","title":"If Philly could redo moments in sports history"}
  18. video_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/video\/if-philly-could-redo-moments-sports-history"
  19. is_mediaid => true
  20. mediaid => "S8g0crdACiJw"
  21. video_autoplay => true
  22. video_automute => false
  23. mpx_account_id => "BxmELC"
  24. player_id => "philly_article"
  25. chrome_data => "{\"league\":\"\",\"sport\":\"\",\"sponsor\":\"\"}"
  26. sponsor => ""
  27. region => "philadelphia"
  28. fb_url => "https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/share?app_id=1811037219016879&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fphiladelphia%2Feagles%2Feagles-mailbag-top-needs-golden-tate-missing-super-bowl-team&display=popup"
  29. tw_url => "https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Eagles%20Mailbag%3A%20Top%20needs%2C%20Golden%20Tate%2C%20missing%20Super%20Bowl%20team&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fphiladelphia%2Feagles%2Feagles-mailbag-top-needs-golden-tate-missing-super-bowl-team&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fphiladelphia%2Feagles%2Feagles-mailbag-top-needs-golden-tate-missing-super-bowl-team"
  30. mailto => "mailto:?subject=Eagles%20Mailbag%3A%20Top%20needs%2C%20Golden%20Tate%2C%20missing%20Super%20Bowl%20team&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fphiladelphia%2Feagles%2Feagles-mailbag-top-needs-golden-tate-missing-super-bowl-team"
  31. tags_hide => []
  32. type => "article"
  33. meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/philadelphia\/eagles\/eagles-mailbag-top-needs-golden-tate-missing-super-bowl-team.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/philadelphia\/2019\/01\/25\/redo-thumb.jpg"]}
  34. orig_image => {"uri":"public:\/\/2019\/01\/24\/redo-thumb.jpg","alt":"redo-thumb.jpg","title":"If Philly could redo moments in sports history"}
  35. article_type => "article"
Eagles

Eagles

We’ve made it to the end of the week and the bottom of the mailbag barrel. 

On Wednesday, we answered your questions about Carson Wentz/Nick Foles, Sidney Jones and the defensive line (see story). 

On Thursday, we answered your questions about Jordan Mailata, Brandon Graham and running backs (see story). 

And today, we’ll finish out the mailbags. Thanks for all your great questions. If I didn’t get to yours, we’ll do more mailbags throughout the offseason. 

Earlier this offseason, I listed my top five Eagles needs for this offseason and didn’t even list cornerback. Here they are:

DE: If Brandon Graham is gone, the Eagles need to replace him. But even if he’s back, the Eagles need to get younger at that spot. This is a draft full of defensive line talent. 

OT: Even if Jason Peters is back, he’s 37 and the Eagles need to find his replacement. Maybe it’s Jordan Mailata, but it’s too early to know that for sure. 

DT: The spot next to Fletcher Cox in 2018 was a mess. Tim Jernigan won’t be back without a restructure, so maybe they simply draft someone to line up next to Cox. 

 

RB: This position was kind of a mess thanks to injuries in 2018. They need a feature back and bringing back Jay Ajayi isn’t enough for me. 

WR: I’ll admit receiver isn’t high on the list, but they need a field stretcher. That was supposed to be Mike Wallace in 2018. 

https://twitter.com/lyfe_muzik/status/1087729428963184643

It’s not completely impossible, but I don’t think it would be wise for a few reasons. The most obvious one is the Eagles never truly realized how to utilize Tate this past season because he and Agholor play the same position. If they had figured out how to make it work, maybe. But the other part of this is financial. Alshon Jeffery’s cap hit for 2019 is over $14 million. If Agholor plays this upcoming season on his fifth-year option, he’s another $9-plus million. Can the Eagles really justify paying Tate what it would take to keep him and paying between $27-30 million for three players at one position? I don’t see it. 

I agree with you that McLeod’s cap hit is too high for this upcoming season, especially as he comes off an ACL tear. His hit is over $9.3 million and the Eagles could save over $5 million cap space by cutting him. I think it would be beneficial for both sides to find some common ground and work on a cheaper deal. It would keep McLeod on a team to prove he’s truly healthy and it would help the Eagles out from a cap standpoint. 

The Birds missed him on the field in 2018, but the emergence of Avonte Maddox as a possible replacement might make him more expendable. Although, I think the Eagles ought to try to keep McLeod first. 

I like this question; good job. I’ll go with Beau Allen and Patrick Robinson and that’s not to say I fault the Eagles for letting either of them go. 

But the DT spot next to Fletcher Cox gave the Eagles nothing for most of the year and they really could have used Allen. Destiny Vaeao began the season as the starter and he’s gone. Haloti Ngata came on late, but was injured throughout the year and wasn’t great. Treyvon Hester is a playoff special teams hero but didn’t do much defensively. If the Eagles had Allen, they would have just plugged him into that DT spot and they wouldn’t have missed Tim Jernigan nearly as much. 

The other one I’ll name is Patrick Robinson. I know P-Rob got hurt in New Orleans, but we don’t know if that would’ve happened here. What we do know was that until the Eagles got Cre’Von LeBlanc in there, that nickel corner spot was a mess. Remember Dexter McDougle? Yeah, that really happened this year.

 

Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.

More on the Eagles