Where Eagles’ offensive supporting cast ranks among rest of NFL
The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the NFL’s top supporting cast, and the group was upgraded after Howie Roseman signed Rashaad Penny and traded for D’Andre Swift.
They join an offensive group including receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, running back Kenneth Gainwell, and tight end Dallas Goedert.
But how does the Eagles’ offensive supporting cast compare to the rest of the NFL?
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked all 32 teams based on their offensive supportive casts — running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. Philadelphia landed at No. 3, a massive jump from 2022 and 2021.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
2022 rank: 8 | 2021 rank: 29I mentioned what I got wrong with the Seahawks, so let me take a little victory lap here. After the Eagles traded for A.J. Brown on draft day in 2022, I wrote about the deal and how Brown hadn’t been used often enough in Tennessee. In this space last year, I speculated that the Eagles would up Brown’s usage to about 85%.
Sure enough, that’s exactly where Brown landed, and his numbers spiked as a result. He racked up 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns and did so without giving up anything in terms of efficiency, as he ranked second in the NFL in yards per route run. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia’s other star wideout, ranked 18th among wideouts in the same category. It’s incredible to think this team was starting Travis Fulgham, Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward and even DeSean Jackson during the 2020 season.
The weak link is at running back, but even the options there are interesting. In addition to holdovers Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott, the Eagles imported two new options. D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny have both been efficient when healthy, but neither has managed to stay on the field often as a pro. It’s tough to count on them to suit up for 17 games, but not relying on either should allow the Eagles to keep their snap counts low and give them the best chance of lasting the entire season.
The rankings are based on 2022 production and omit every team’s starting quarterback, further proving how elite the Eagles’ skill group is and why Jalen Hurts should again challenge for All-Pro and MVP honors.
