The 2020 NFL Season will be a historic one for many reasons and with the Eagles looking to make the playoffs for the fourth straight season, several big names will need to rise to the occasion.
With the Eagles set to be in salary cap hell, here are seven Philadelphia starters who need to step during the 2020 season to ensure the greatest success.
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Derek Barnett
Barnett had his fifth-year option picked up by the Eagles after a 2019 season that saw him rack up unnecessary penalties while appearing in 14 games and recording 6.5 sacks, 30 total tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, 22 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles.
Barnett, who has missed 12 games over the past two seasons, has 14 career sacks in his brief career, far below the expectations for the former first-round pick.
Jim Schwartz and the Eagles will need the versatile defensive end to finally live up to his enormous potential.
Carson Wentz
Wentz is a star, but when you’re the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles and labeled “injury-prone” the expectations raise even more.
Wentz needs to be consistent from game one, helping to stabilize a young wide receiving corps that could propel the Eagles to another division title.
He’ll need to ignore the noise surrounding Jalen Hurts while playing well enough to reduce the 2020 second-round pick to nothing more than a gadget player and backup early on in his career.
Andre Dillard
The verdict remains unclear on Dillard and with Jason Peters still holding a key to the Eagles heart, the former Washington State star could spend a second-straight season learning from a future Hall of Famer.
Dillard is talented but looked lost during a trial run at right tackle and the fact that the Eagles continue to flirt with Peters indicates the belief that Jeff Stoutland and company aren’t totally sold.
DeSean Jackson
Jackson is still the Eagles’ most explosive offensive weapon when available and he lands on this list because the Eagles need the veteran receiver to be active more than ever.
With Jackson in the lineup, the Eagles offense becomes a machine and any questions about his chemistry with Carson Wentz were answered during the explosive 2019 season-opening win over the Redskins.
Jackson went for two scores and racked up over 150 yards receiving.
Isaac Seumalo
Seumalo makes the list because he’s the one starter outside of Dillard that has to remain consistent while continuing to raise his level of play.
The 79th pick in 2016 NFL Draft, Seumalo has become a solid left guard for the Eagles and projects as the starter going into next season, but he still leaves something to be desired.
Darius Slay
Slay gives the Eagles a big-time performer at the cornerback position and a jolt of confidence for a group that can totally use a mental overhaul.
Following his trade to the Eagles, Slay had his contract extended making him the highest-paid corner in the league after agreeing to a three-year extension worth $50 million, with an annual average value of $16.67 million.
Slay will need to be “fantastic” and consistent for the Eagles after a career low grade from PFF that snagged his attention.
in 14 games played for a Lions team that had the NFL’s worst pass defense, Slay racked up 36 total tackles, 13 pass deflections, two interceptions, and 0 forced fumbles.
Slay’s 346 yards allowed on 162 press coverage snaps, and 177 yards allowed on 214 off-man coverage snaps are numbers that some cornerbacks would die and he won’t need to improve on that in 2020, just maintain it going forward.
Rodney McLeod
The Eagles brought back McLeod in free agency while allowing Malcolm Jenkins to sign with the New Orleans Saints. That leadership void will need to be filled as the Eagles reshaped their secondary as well as moving Jalen Mills to safety.
McLeod returned from a torn ACL to start all 16 games in 2019, playing 99.8 percent of the Eagles’ snaps last season.
He’ll need to improve on the two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack in 2019.
