NFL offseason power rankings: No. 9 Eagles traded A.J. Brown, but are they clear of the drama?
The next book A.J. Brown reads on the sideline might be one about all the drama surrounding the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles. There are enough stories for it.
What happened with the Eagles last season really wasn't new. In 2023, after a Super Bowl appearance, the Eagles took a step back and underachieved despite a loaded roster. The drama might have been amplified that season, and last season as well. It's Philly after all.
But the bottom line was a team that was dominant on its way to the Super Bowl LIX title looked last season like it wanted nothing to do with each other. The Eagles were talented enough to win 11 games and a division title, but there was a predictable flameout in the playoffs for a club that was clearly underachieving.
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The two biggest subtractions were Brown, who everyone knew was on his way out by the time last season ended, and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who wore the majority of the criticism for a stale and ineffective offense. Trading a player like Brown doesn't make Philadelphia better on paper, but it was a move with chemistry in mind.
The last time the Eagles were coming off a miserable finish to a season, they rebounded to win a Super Bowl. There's enough talent on hand where that's a realistic goal this time around as well.
Jalen Hurts always seems to be doubted, but he's a Super Bowl MVP and also played better than anyone else in Super Bowl LVII, which the Eagles lost to the Chiefs. The issues with the downturn in production for him, Saquon Barkley and the offense as a whole might be largely related to the play-calling. When ESPN's Dan Orlovsky shredded the Eagles for running the same unimaginative plays with the season on the line in the playoff loss to the 49ers, it summed up all of the Eagles' fans complaints about Patullo.
Maybe Sean Mannion, a 34-year-old fast riser who will be a first-time coordinator this season, will fix some of those woes. He'll have a scheme that is expected to be a huge change for Hurts, putting him under center far more often than he's ever done. The defense, which was arguably the NFL's best in 2024, was still very good last season. The roster as a whole is still one of the NFL's best. It's everything else that needs to improve. Some comments from Hurts in 2022 are instructive four years later.
"When you're playing a team sport, it's not all about X's and O's," Hurts said, according to the team's site. "A lot of it is ball, but the other part of it is getting to know that person, being on the same page with that person, knowing how that person thinks, and just getting to know him thoroughly."
It's not always easy to figure that out, and it's not like Brown was the only reason for the discord. Hurts' role in the offense's deterioration, and particularly his reluctance to adapt his game to playing more under center, was detailed in an ESPN story this offseason. That story also discussed tension between Hurts and coaches, and also between Hurts and teammates like Brown.
Again, it's nothing new in Philly. There were similar stories of despair during the 2024 offseason. That Eagles team won 16 of its last 17 games on its way to a championship. Doing it again in 2026 would make for a heck of a story, not that Philadelphia ever lacks content when it comes to the Eagles.
Offseason grade
The headline of the offseason was a trade that everyone knew was happening for months. Finally, on June 1, the Eagles officially traded A.J. Brown to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The Eagles got four fantastic seasons from Brown, including a Super Bowl title, then traded him for close to the same picks they gave up to get him (Philadelphia traded a first- and third-round pick to Tennessee for Brown in 2022). Not bad.
It also leaves a hole in the offense, but the Eagles prepared for that. They drafted Makai Lemon in the first round, trading ahead of the Steelers to steal him at 20th overall from Pittsburgh. Philadelphia also acquired Marquise Brown as a free agent and Dontayvion Wicks from the Packers for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick. None of them can be expected to fully replace Brown right away, but there was a plan.
Brown isn't the only loss. The Eagles lost edge rusher Jaelan Phillips when the Panthers offered him a massive four-year, $120 million deal. That caused the Eagles to pivot and trade two third-round picks to the Vikings for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, then signed Greenard to a four-year, $98 million extension. The Eagles also lost linebacker Nakobe Dean and safety Reed Blankenship, but signed cornerback Tariq Woolen and edge defender Arnold Ebiketie.
The draft as a whole was praised, as all Howie Roseman drafts are, with the team's consensus grade being eighth-best overall. In addition to Lemon, the Eagles added tight end Eli Stowers in the second round and offensive lineman Markel Bell in the third.
That's a lot of movement. The Eagles' roster can't be considered better with a trio of players who aren't as good as A.J. Brown trying to replace him and Greenard being Plan B after Phillips left, but as usual, Roseman did well given the challenges.
Grade: B-
Quarterback report
Hiring Sean Mannion was a big gamble by Nick Sirianni. Mannion takes over as Eagles offensive coordinator after just two seasons as an assistant coach with the Packers. Mannion was an NFL quarterback from 2015 through the 2023 season and quickly became a rising star in the coaching ranks upon his retirement.
"If I were to lock the three smartest people in the facility in one room, Sean would be there," Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata told the media this offseason. "And I think Sean would just be by himself. It would just be Sean. He's a wizard."
It has been said often this offseason that Mannion's scheme will emulate the Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan scheme, which will be a massive change for Hurts and the Eagles. Hurts has spent most of his career in shotgun and pistol. Mannion's scheme expects to have him under center more to use motion and play action, which typically helps a quarterback.
Reports have said Hurts has resisted being under center in the past, but all signs this offseason are that he's accepting the changes. Hurts is coming off a down season. The offense was in a rut and Hurts had his lowest yards per attempt of his career. How he accepts the scheme changes and produces in Mannion's new offense will shape the next phase of his career.
Odds breakdown
From Yahoo's Ben Fawkes: "A.J. Brown is gone, but Philadelphia still has high expectations for this season (favored in 13 games and a win total of 10.5). Rarely has a successful team seemed so unhappy — will the locker room be more united with Brown in New England? Philadelphia is still the favorite (+115) to win the NFC East, but a tough schedule awaits.
"More responsibility for Jalen Hurts behind an aging offensive line is concerning, as are the losses via free agency on defense (although trading for Jonathan Greenard should help the pass rush). The Eagles will need to get off to a strong start (favorites in seven of their first nine games), as a late three-game homestand (Colts, Seahawks, Texans) looms large for their playoff hopes. I like the under 10.5 wins."
Yahoo's fantasy take
From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Philadelphia is one of the smartest organizations in football, so I expect its offensive remodeling to be a long-term success. But it takes time for quarterbacks and receivers to build chemistry, so I'm going to fade Jalen Hurts in this transition year without A.J. Brown. Note that Hurts ran less last year, with a loss of 209 yards and six touchdowns from the previous season. His passing stats could rise with the shape of the offense changing, but Hurts' fantasy case has always been directly tied to the Konami Code. I'll pass on Hurts, instead targeting several interesting QB options in the later tiers."
Stat to remember
Saquon Barkley went from having one of the greatest seasons in NFL history in 2024 to barely making the NFL's top 10 in rushing yards last season. Barkley had 2,005 rushing yards in 2024 and 1,140 last season. His yards per carry went from 5.8 to 4.1. He had 17 20-yard runs in 2024 and four last season. Barkley had 482 touches in 2024, counting playoffs, the most in the NFL in 10 years. Just about every back that had been even close to Barkley's 2024 workload experienced a significant drop the next season, and Barkley had that dip that many predicted.
While most of the attention for the Eagles will be on how Jalen Hurts performs in a new scheme and how the team replaces A.J. Brown, the most pressing issue might be whether Barkley can produce closer to his NFL Offensive Player of the Year level or if he'll now just be a good but not great back.
Barkley is 29 years old and most running backs who don't look like Derrick Henry start to slow down at that age, if not before. Other running backs who have had 400 or more touches never fully rebounded after their big seasons. Barkley is fighting plenty of history to bounce back to his peak.
Burning question: Can the Eagles have the NFL's best defense again?
In 2024, the Eagles had the No. 1 defense in DVOA, led the league in yards allowed and were second in points allowed. It's not like the Eagles were bad on defense last season, but slipped to seventh in DVOA, 13th in yards allowed and fifth in points allowed. They were also ninth in EPA (expected points added) per play allowed and 10th in success rate allowed. That's pretty good, just a step back from the previous season. Some losses in free agency last offseason didn't help.
The Eagles can improve this season. They have perhaps the best cornerback trio in the NFL after signing Riq Woolen to a one-year, $12 million deal, though Woolen had worn out his welcome with the Seahawks and didn't get a multi-year deal elsewhere. Jonathan Greenard might have been a fallback option after Jaelan Phillips cashed in big in free agency, but Greenard had 24.5 sacks in 2023-24 before posting only three last season.
One key is defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Carter is undeniably talented, and his best plays are as impressive as any defender in the NFL. But consistency has been elusive and likely a reason the Eagles haven't signed him to a huge extension yet. He has the ability to be the NFL's best interior defensive lineman but needs to show that over full games, and for an entire season. Safety is also an issue, especially after Reed Blankenship left.
There aren't many flaws in Vic Fangio's defense, however. The Eagles might not be the best defense in the NFL again, but the pieces are there for a top-five finish.
Best-case scenario
At this time last year, the Eagles looked like a potential dynasty. The roster was as deep and talented as any in recent memory. While last season wasn't what Philadelphia wanted, 11 wins and a division title isn't a bad floor. Drama is just part of the Eagles' everyday existence, even when they're the best team in the NFL. Last season's noise doesn't mean the Eagles can't bounce right back with a better offensive scheme. Any team with Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Jonathan Greenard, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and some others can be the best team in the NFL.
The Eagles had the second-youngest roster in the NFL last season so it's not like they should be declining. It's possible that Hurts finds that being under center, using the cheat code of motion and play action more often, leads to a career year. Smith might explode now that he doesn't have to share targets with A.J. Brown. The defense can be among the NFL's best, as it was two seasons ago. Carter might be a dark horse NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Let's not forget how good the Eagles were two seasons ago. They can reach that height again.
Nightmare scenario
The Eagles will look a lot different on offense, with a new scheme and no A.J. Brown. Sean Mannion was a quarterback for a long time and people rave about his knowledge, but he also has just two seasons of experience as an assistant and now steps into one of the most talked-about coordinator jobs in the NFL. Maybe the offense, which also saw Saquon Barkley's production cut nearly in half last season after they rode him hard during a Super Bowl run, won't be any better. It's also worth noting that the offensive line lost one of the best position coaches in football, as Jeff Stoutland stepped down. He was the Eagles' line coach from 2013 to 2025 and one of the most respected coaches in the NFL. That could end up being a massive loss that hasn't been talked about enough.
The Eagles are too talented to completely crater. But if a new coordinator and new scheme doesn't fix things, what's next? And while plenty of teams would sign up for an 11-6 record even with a home playoff loss, a repeat of last season won't be good enough for a franchise that looked like it could win multiple championships in this era.
The crystal ball says
You can see from the countdown that the Eagles aren't our top-ranked NFC East team. That's more of an optimistic projection on the Cowboys than a statement on the Eagles, though there are certainly more questions about Philadelphia than there were a year ago. Sean Mannion could be a major upgrade at offensive coordinator, but he has to prove that.
The defense was good last season but not on the same tier it was in 2024. A.J. Brown might not have been happy but defenses had to account for him on every play. Philadelphia has the talent to win 14 games, as it did two seasons ago, and make a deep playoff run, but we'll pick them to get a wild-card playoff spot and come up short of another Super Bowl trip. That would certainly be accepted calmly and rationally by Philadelphia's fans and media.
