5 reasons Eagles can win the Super Bowl this year

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 11: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) runs after a catch during the first mandatory day of Philadelphia Eagles Minicamp on June 11, 2019 at the Novacare Complex in Philadelphia, PA (Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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The Philadelphia Eagles are seeking a third straight trip to the playoffs. How can Doug Pederson’s team make it two Super Bowl appearances in three years?

This offseason, general manager Howie Roseman has been dotting the “Is” and crossing the “Ts” when it comes to the roster of the Philadelphia Eagles. One year after the franchise captured its first Lombardi Trophy while claiming the team’s first NFL championship since 1960, it took a late-season surge for the Birds to finish 9-7 and claim a playoff berth.

After knocking off the Bears in Chicago, the Eagles fell short at New Orleans. So over the last few months, Roseman has been acquiring some new faces while bringing back others to the organization. It’s a roster that appears to be as deep as any in the league and one capable of representing the NFC in South Florida in early February.

While it’s not necessary for Doug Pederson’s team to dethrone the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East in order for the Birds to reach Super Bowl LIV, earning a first-round bye or even the top playoffs seed in the conference would help. So how can the Eagles get back to the “Big Game” for the second time in three years?

5. Answers at cornerback

It’s early August and for numerous reasons the Eagles are still making changes to their defensive backfield secondary. A few bumps and bruises over the last week or so and the team opted to add veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick, late of the Kansas City Chiefs. A few days later, Howie Roseman inked strong safety Johnathan Cyprien to a one-year deal.

Of course, the real issue in Philadelphia a year ago was the play at cornerback, due largely to the fact that Ronald Darby (9 games and starts) and Jalen Mills (8 games and starts) finished the 2018 season on injured reserve and Sidney Jones (9 games, 4 starts) were limited to a combined 26 regular-season contests. The instability at the position is one reason only two teams in the NFL allowed more passing yards per game than the Eagles this past season.

It’s worth noting that Darby (12) and Mills (9) still finished 1-2, respectively in passes defensed in ’18. The latter is currently on the physically-unable-to-perform list. Can this area stay healthy this season?

Next: No. 4

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