The good news about winning a Super Bowl is being world champs in arguably the top sports league around the globe. I am sure I would get some push back from die-hard basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer fans out there, but even people that do not follow sports have a passing interest in the NFL and more importantly the biggest single-day sports event of the year.
The bad news about winning a Super Bowl is you have nowhere to go but down unless you win another one the following season. While every Eagles' fan has a strong appreciation for what this season's group of players were able to accomplish, keeping this exact same group intact for another run in 2018 is not feasible given the complexities of the NFL's salary cap system.
Winning a Super Bowl can be a very costly proposition as evident in Philadelphia's cap situation heading into the offseason. Team vice president and the chief architect behind this team's roster, Howie Roseman will really earn his keep this year as he tries to keep the team competitive enough to make another championship run.
The Eagles were well over the current NFL salary cap heading into the league's new business year, so right off the bat there were cap casualties including wide receiver Torrey Smith, who was traded just weeks after the parade on Broad Street. Also gone are tight ends' Brent Celek and Trey Burton to free up cap space. More recently, Philly decided to part ways with Vin Curry after failing to come to terms on a restructured contract.
The biggest editions to the team were defensive end Michael Bennett, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and wide receiver Mike Wallace. Roseman was also able to work his magic in restructuring deals for a few current players to free up some more space within the cap, most notably tight end Zach Ertz.
One of the biggest reasons the Eagles were able to make that huge leap from a 7-9 record in 2016 to Super Bowl glory this past season was Roseman's decision to build this team from the inside out along with the help of head coach Doug Pederson. Philly has one of the best offensive and defensive fronts in the NFL which allow the rest of the team to excel at their positions as well.
Looking ahead to this year's draft, the Eagles have the 32nd pick in the first round followed by two picks in the fourth round and one in each of the final three rounds. They will probably go with the best available player with each selection regardless of position to add even more depth to this championship roster.
The biggest question mark heading into next season will be the health of Carson Wentz's rebuilt left knee, but if Nick Foles is still on the roster he has more than proven he is a very capable backup. The ground game will be anchored by Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement with LeGarrette Blount moving on. Wallace could fill the spot Smith vacated at wide receiver and do not be surprised if the Eagles draft a tight end with their first round pick as the new backup to Ertz. Cornerback Patrick Robinson has also found employment elsewhere, but look for second-year vet Sidney Jones to step up his game after missing most of his rookie season due to injury.
Roseman will continue to tweak Philadelphia's roster with additions and subtractions here and there. You never know what kind of future deals he is likely to pull off given his keen instinct for filling the team's most pressing needs. In the final analysis, Eagles' fans waited 51 years to see our beloved Birds win their first Super Bowl title. I am sure we can easily wait 10 months to add a second world title to the mix.
