Did you think you were safe from NFL power rankings in the offseason? If so, you were WRONG. No one can hide from these arbitrary lists.
These post-free agency power rankings come from NFL.com. The Eagles finished the 2014 season with an average ranking of 11.7. Now let's see where they rank following the beginning of what's shaping up to be a very busy offseason.
11) Chip Kelly sure has been in the news a heckuva lot of late. Unreal how that roster has been made over in short order -- and the work continues. DeMarco Murray and Sam Bradford generated plenty of buzz, but one wonders how much the Green Bays, Dallases and Seattles of the world are quaking in their cleats about the prospect of facing Jordan Matthews and Riley Cooper at wideout. And with Evan Mathis on the block and Todd Herremans gone, will there be continuity up front? Will it be better than it was early last year, when the deck was reshuffled several times due to injury? While everyone gets excited about Murray, and while Ryan Mathews takes his eighth tour of the facility, maybe we should focus on the defensive moves (which I think were stronger).
The Eagles are ranked about where they finished the end of last year. Considering no one seems to know what Chip Kelly has up his sleeve, keeping the team where they were is the safest course of action.
Overall, pretty fair assessment. The Eagles certainly addressed some key areas on defense such as inside linebacker and cornerback, but at the same time they still need a new starting safety. On offense, the line is a big question mark and the depth at wide receiver is paper thin.
There's still plenty of offseason left for the Eagles to address those needs. The second wave of free agency (see: bargain shopping) will begin now that the market has cooled down. Then there's the 2015 NFL Draft at the end of April. The Eagles currently have eight picks to work with.
Philadelphia is arguably a playoff team in these rankings because they're the sixth NFC team in the top 11. They're the second NFC East team behind the Dallas Cowboys at No. 6. Speaking of the division, the New York Giants come in at No. 24 while the Washington Redskins can be found a little lower at No. 27.
So what do you think of how the Birds rank: too high, too low, just right?