Despite their struggles in the latter part of the 2023 season, the Philadelphia Eagles don’t appear to require a lot of squad changes to stay competitive in the years to come. They must, however, also be ready to promptly replace any important players who depart due to free agency.
As noted by Bleacher Report in their most recent free agency recommendations for every NFL team, the Eagles have some issues with their group of running backs. In the 2024 offseason, D’Andre Swift, Boston Scott, and Rashaad Penny will all become free agents, leaving only Kenneth Gainwell with a contract.
There’s a possibility that the Eagles lose some of them, but fortunately, there’s a perfect candidate that they could target: Los Angeles Chargers running back Joshua Kelley
“Kelley can serve as the between-the-tackles/downhill runner, as he has a good build for that role at 5’11” and nearly 215 pounds. He’s also having a good season already setting a career-high with 404 rushing yards through 14 games and averaging 4.0 yards per tote while serving as the Chargers’ No. 2 running back,” the BR report noted.
The Philadelphia Eagles has been one of the most successful teams when it comes to scoring on the ground this 2023 season, so they would definitely want to maintain their consistency on that end moving forward.
If they do end up losing a key running back in the offseason, Joshua Kelley should be a good choice. While he has only made two rushing touchdowns so far in the 2023 season, he has proven his ability to bring down the field. And on an Eagles team with plenty of other weapons, he should be able to thrive..
While the Philadelphia Eagles need to address their running back situation, it’s far from the only thing that they need to keep an eye on.
Defense has been a big issue for the Philadelphia franchise this 2023 season, and it’s an area where they could use some fresh blood and a major boost. The Eagles are in the bottom half in defensive rating, having allowed 44 touchdowns already. They are also giving up 346.0 yards per game, which isn’t really a recipe for success.
For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the Eagles can’t afford to have a poor defense. After all, in the playoffs, that’s something that could doom them and prevent them from winning the trophy.
