It’s a brand new season for the Philadelphia Eagles, who are looking to recapture some magic. This was a team that not long ago won a Super Bowl, led by Nick Foles at quarterback. Since that time, the Philadelphia Eagles have been a disappointing team to watch.
They’ve made different moves at quarterback in hopes to relive the inconsistency. When those plans didn’t work out, they resorted to the draft. It’s probably good they did, too, because it gave them a chance to move on from Carson Wentz.
The Eagles closed their 2020 season with a record of 4-11-1 and found themselves last in the NFC East. What’s been tough to watch is the sudden collapse of a team that looked so promising. There were injuries across the board last season in Philadelphia, which definitely played a part.
However, the biggest issue could be that they stuck with Carson Wentz for the first 12 weeks. Jalen Hurts, who the Eagles drafted a few years ago, got the start in Week 13. Although he didn’t close the season with many wins, his potential is through the roof.
2021 Philadelphia Eagles Futures Betting Odds
Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl Champion Odds: +5000
Philadelphia Eagles NFC Champion Odds: +2500
Philadelphia Eagles Win Totals Odds: Over 6.5 (-140) / Under 6.5 (+110)
Philadelphia Eagles NFC East Champion Odds: +550
On the surface, we’re sure it seems like the Eagles are longshots to make the NFL playoffs. However, take into account the team who made the playoffs from the NFC East in 2020 had a 7-9 record. A losing record got a team into the playoffs. The NFC East is a deteriorating division right now.
The Dallas Cowboys are going through so many injuries they don’t know who will take the field. The Washington Football Team is still struggling to iron out their quarterback situation. The New York Giants don’t show any signs of getting better anytime soon.
At this point, the division is up for grabs, and Philadelphia is the closest team to taking it. Most of the core Super Bowl team is still around, aside from Head Coach Doug Pederson. This move should make the Eagles learn to adapt, which is something they haven’t done so far. To their credit, it seems like letting go of Carson Wentz was a smart move. Wentz went to the Colts and is now injured, likely to miss the entire season.
2021 Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Grade: B-
Key Additions: (WR, DeVonta Smith), (DE, Ryan Kerrigan), (RB, Kerryon Johnson)
Key Departures: (WR, Desean Jackson), (DT, Willie Henry), (S, Blake Countess)
The Eagles, with a sad 2020 fresh in their mind, went out in search of talented players. They were able to snag a big one in Heisman Trophy-winner DeVonta Smith. Smith is a great young wide receiver with good hands and great route-running.
The addition of Ryan Kerrigan gives them an elite tackler and pass rusher. Kerryon Johnson should give them even more depth at the running back position. Each of the signings the Eagles made was great ones, and we only wonder why they didn’t make moves sooner.
Unfortunately, a player we wish we could’ve seen alongside DeVonta Smith is wide receiver Desean Jackson. Jackson was a speedster that was constantly a deep threat. If they were able to pair him with Smith, they could’ve had the second-best wide receiver duo in the NFC East. We’ll have to see what the young pair of DeVonta Smith and Jalen Reagor will accomplish in 2021.
Philadelphia Eagles 2021 Preview
It might seem crazy saying that the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that went 4-11-1 in 2020, will win the NFC East in 2021. However, this is the way we see the division playing out in 2021. Jalen Hurts will be in his second year as a quarterback.
He now has two great targets to throw to. They’ve got some additions on defense that’ll help bolster the defensive line. Still, the most important thing is that it doesn’t take much to win the NFC East.
Philadelphia Eagles Futures Best Bets
For starters, we believe the over 6.5 wins is an easy bet for the Eagles to take this year. We see the Eagles winning four divisional games (1 over Dallas, 1 over Washington, 2 over New York). That leaves them only needing to win three games for the rest of the season. Take injuries and a Wentz-led offense out of the 2020 season, and they’d likely end up with an 8-8 record.
There is an area where you can win even more money, though. The Philadelphia Eagles are +550 to win the NFC East. This is a no-brainer bet, as they’re the fittest to take the division. Dak Prescott’s health is already being called into question in Dallas as he’s out with a shoulder injury. The other two teams are a long way from another division title, leaving the door open for Philadelphia.
