Washington Redskins: Three things to learn from the Philadelphia Eagles

2 of 4

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Philadelphia Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman holds the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

No. 3 – Rebuilds don’t have to take decades

It wasn’t long ago, in 2015, that the Eagles were a team in turmoil.

Chip Kelly, after a brief and deceptive spell of respectability, was fired after an underwhelming 7-9 season. His personnel decisions handicapped the squad, and left them stuck with overpaid, declining players, like Ryan Mathews, Nolan Carroll, Marcus Smith II, and Cedric Thornton. Stranded in cap purgatory. With a roster overflowing with a talent deficiency.

In just two years, however, that has all changed. They ousted burdensome players and were careful in their acquisition of future contributors. They locked up players like Carson Wentz, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Jalen Mills, and Nathan Gerry through the draft, and picking up key assets like Corey Clement, Patrick Robinson, and Alshon Jeffery through free agency.

More from Riggo's Rag

Stacked onto the team’s returning core, this group of players formed a unit to be feared. And it only took two years.

The Washington Redskins, as much as some may elect to disagree, are relatively close to having this solid core in place. They’ve continued building through the trenches, albeit sporadically, but now, they have at least respectable starters in place. The offensive line is in need of little more than added depth, and with one more rotational starter on the defensive line, the Redskins’ front seven can become scary overnight.

If the Eagles have taught us anything with their miraculous 2017 season, it’s that there is no time limit for anything. And a major turnaround can happen quickly, as long as a team acts quickly.

Home/Commanders News