The new-look Philadelphia Eagles front office is working fast, which is ironic because it's been less than a month since they fired czar of football operations and tempo extraordinaire, Chip Kelly. But with Kelly out and Doug Pederson and Jim Schwartz in, the franchise is reportedly looking to lock up three young players expected to be key contributors in the coming seasons. According to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, the Eagles "have prioritized" extensions for Vinny Curry, Zach Ertz and Lane Johnson.
For Ertz and Johnson, it seems a no-brainer. Ertz has become a top offensive weapon for Philly, even as Kelly's offense stumbled this past season. Ertz finished 2015 with 75 receptions on 112 targets for 853 yards and 2 touchdowns. The former second-round pick has shown some inconsistency in terms of catching the ball - hasn't every player on the Eagle offense? - but as Shorr-Parks notes, if the usage of tight end Travis Kelce in Kansas City is any indication - Kelce had 187 total targets over the past two years - then Ertz may be in line for a major role moving forward.
Ertz, like Johnson, is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Signing them now would, presumably, save the Eagles money down the line should both continue to play well.
Johnson didn't make the major leap that was expected of him this season, but he played fairly well on the right side and filled in admirably and looked comfortable on the left when future Hall of Famer Jason Peters went down midseason. The presumption has long been that Johnson will take over on the left once Peters calls it a career, a change which could conceivably come this offseason when you consider Peters' age (34), his increasing fragility, and his ballooning cap hit over the final three years of his deal ($9.237, $11.2, $11.25).
Considering left tackles are a premier position in the league, locking up Johnson now, before he enters a contract year, would likely mean some kind of long-term savings.
As for Curry, he's had a rough go of it through the first few seasons of his career. An Eagles fan growing up, Curry was ecstatic to join Philly under Andy Reid when he was viewed as a perfect fit for Jim Washburn's attacking wide nine alignment. Unfortunately, Reid was fired and Kelly was hired, bringing Billy Davis and the two-gap 3-4 with him. Curry has seemingly been miscast the past three years as a 3-4 defensive lineman, who are tasked with reading and reacting instead of attacking.
While Schwartz wouldn't commit to a specific scheme and has used various alignments to great success during his career, it's likely that there will be plenty more opportunities for players like Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Brandon Graham and, of course, Curry, to attack, which should suit the former Marshall standout perfectly.
Signing Curry, an impending free agent with middling numbers, now is likely a sign that the team believes he'll be a strong fit in Schwartz's scheme and that his full complement of talents were not being utilized by Davis and/or Kelly.
