GM Howie Roseman has Philadelphia back on track. But the top seed in the conference? Chris Simms might have been having coffee with the entire offense when he wrote that…
Simms Said What??
Recently, Chris Simms of NBC gave his number one seed prediction for both conferences. To my surprise, both predictions were very out of pocket and unpopular choices; In the AFC, Simms picked the Chiefs to take home the top spot, and in the NFC, it’s going to be… Philly?? Yes, Simms believes in Howie Roseman, Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles so much to put them at the top of the conference in 2022.
Paying A Visit For Some Brotherly Love
In my previous prediction for the NFC, I had the Bucs winning fourteen games, shocking the league and easily winning the conference. However, Simms had me thinking. Is there a possibility that Philly made enough moves in the offseason to make a legitimate bid? Personally, I don’t even have them winning the East this year, just because Dallas still has a very formidable group, no matter what Stephen A. Smith says. Micah Parsons headlines a strong defensive unit, including players such as Demarcus Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch, Trevon Diggs, and Malik Hooker.
So, let’s break down this Eagles team. Well, a move that shocked the football world was Philly trading for Titans star wideout A.J. Brown. Pairing Brown with rising star DeVonta Smith, along with underutilized stud Miles Sanders could be a lethal offensive combination for quarterback Jalen Hurts. Additionally, they were finally able to move on from receivers JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Jalen Reagor.
Defensively, they added names such as Hasson Reddick, C.J. Gardner Johnson, and James Bradberry. I think the back of the Philly defense is going to play very well, and with household guys like Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham still in the fold, I wouldn’t be surprised if they became a top ten defensive unit in 2022.
Hurts Is The Guy?
For Philadelphia, it’s essentially going to come down to whether Jalen Hurts performs, or not. I believe that this team is postseason bound regardless, however, the number one seed is completely out of reach if Hurts doesn’t quickly put himself in the top ten QB conversation. In today’s NFL, a team cannot win thirteen to fourteen games with a subpar signal caller and leader on offense.
Speaking of Hurts, the third-year man out of Alabama and Oklahoma, a video surfaced in which he looks like he put on at least fifteen pounds of pure upper body muscle in the offseason. Hurts’ apparent transformation has Eagles fans jubilant, and as the potential team to beat in the NFC East, Philly is looking very formidable moving into this season. The front office has really done a splendid job with the depth chart over the past few seasons, and it’s scary to think that if Jalen Hurts does in fact take that next step towards stardom, the Eagles very well could be chasing a Super Bowl trophy.
Heavy Competition
The key is to find a way to jump past the Dallas Cowboys and reclaim the division, and according to Simms, that’s just the beginning of their success. The Cowboys are bringing everybody back from last season on defense, and the running back pairing of Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard can be elite when utilized correctly. CeeDee Lamb is primed for a breakout-type season with Amari Cooper being shipped off to Cleveland in the offseason. While a tough schedule looms, Dallas still looks very strong, and personally, I believe have the tools to win ten-plus games again.
Do I see the Eagles winning fourteen or so games and shocking the football world, becoming the number one seed in the conference? No, unfortunately, I do not. I just believe that it truly comes down to the uncertainty surrounding Jalen Hurts. I’m a big believer in “prove it” deals, and I couldn’t place Philly at the top of the conference, even with much better they have become, at the top of the NFC.
