Philadelphia Eagles: 5 underrated positions of need this offseason

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia Eagles Rudy Ford
Nov 15, 2020; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants safety Jabrill Peppers (21) carries the ball during a kickoff return as Philadelphia Eagles safety Rudy Ford (36) pursues during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

Special teams

Last but most definitely not least, the Philadelphia Eagles special teams unit needs a complete and utter revamp.

Not only was Jake Elliott a complete and utter disaster last season, but their overall return game ranked towards the bottom of the NFL in a plethora of categories. Guys like Greg Ward and Boston Scott routinely botched kick/punt returns, and all sorts of penalties popped up from the team’s coverage unit.

It was a really, really bad year for Dave Fipp and his crew of “special teamers”, hence why he was replaced this offseason by Michael Clay.

Outside of bringing in a true designated return man, the Philadelphia Eagles would be wise to target a few freak athletes who could be valuable on the coverage units. Versatile defensive backs and linebackers who can actually make a splash play or two on occasion.

As much as the team tried to sell the fanbase on Rudy Ford being some sort of “elite gunner”, it simply wasn’t true.

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Whether it’s in free agency, the back-end of the draft, or even on the waiver wire, adding one or two designated “special teamers” would give Clay and his staff some sort of material to build around for the future. Bringing in a new kicker wouldn’t hurt either.