When the Eagles fired Chip Kelly just two years ago, nobody would have thought the trade-gutted team he left behind would go on to win a Super Bowl just two years later. In fact, it didn't. The team that hoisted the trophy on Sunday night was very different.
Of the 22 offensive and defensive starters just two years ago, plus the place kicker, the Eagles had only seven of those players in the lineup against the Patriots. (Listed in bold.) Virtually everyone else was drafted, traded for, or signed in free agency in either 2016 or 2017.
EAGLES STARTERS, 2015 VS 2017 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Position | Starter (2015) | Starter (2017) | How acquired? |
QB | Sam Bradford | Carson Wentz/Nick Foles | Draft/FA (2016/2017) |
RB | DeMarco Murray | LeGarrette Blount | FA (2017) |
RB | Ryan Mathews | Jay Ajayi | Trade (2017) |
WR | Jordan Matthews | Alshon Jeffery | FA (2017) |
WR | Josh Huff | Torrey Smith | FA (2017) |
WR | Riley Cooper | Nelson Agholor | Draft |
TE | Zach Ertz | Zach Ertz | Draft |
LT | Jason Peters | Halapoulivaati Vaitai | Draft (2016) |
LG | Allen Barbre | Stefen Wiesniewski | FA (2016) |
C | Jason Kelce | Jason Kelce | Draft |
RG | Matt Tobin | Brandon Brooks | FA (2016) |
RT | Lane Johnson | Lane Johnson | Draft |
DT | Beau Allen | Tim Jernigan | Trade (2017) |
DT | Fletcher Cox | Fletcher Cox | Draft |
DE | Cedric Thornton | Chris Long | FA (2017) |
DE | Brandon Graham | Brandon Graham | Draft |
MLB | DeMeco Ryans | Nigel Bradham | FA (2016) |
OLB | Mychal Kendricks | Mychal Kendricks | Draft |
OLB | Connor Barwin | Najee Goode | FA |
CB | E.J. Biggers | Ronald Darby | Trade (2017) |
CB | Eric Rowe | Jalen Mills | Draft (2016) |
FS | Malcolm Jenkins | Malcolm Jenkins | FA |
SS | Walter Thurmond | Rodney McLeod | FA (2016) |
PK | Caleb Sturgis | Jake Elliott | FA (2017) |
About two-thirds of them (15) were acquired since 2016; about 40 percent of them (9 of 23) were acquired in 2017. Brand-new coaching staff since 2015, too.
So if your NFL team was terrible and seemingly talent-thin this season, don't despair. Just two years from now, maybe they'll be hosting the Lombardi Trophy.
--Andy Richardson