The Philadelphia Eagles have undergone massive changes on the sideline and behind the scenes. Out is head coach Chip Kelly and the new, more collaborative front office has officially been installed by owner Jeff Lurie. Their first order of business: locking up the young talent currently on the roster. That means offensive tackle Lane Johnson and defensive end Vinny Curry should be expecting new contract offers in the near future, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. But first, the Eagles signed tight end Zach Ertz to a five-year extension worth $42 million.
Of those three players, Ertz has the best chance to truly breakout under the new regime, which is likely whe he's the first to score a new contract. A 2013 second-rounder, Ertz hasn't exactly popped like many thought he would in the NFL. But this past season saw him set career highs in targets (112), receptions (75) and receiving yards (853). Given new head coach Doug Pederson's pedigree, things could get even better in 2016.
In Pederson's offense, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce amassed 187 total targets over the last two seasons. In fact, his 2015 stat line was nearly identical to Ertz's - 72 catches, 875 yards, five touchdowns - but Kelce was the No. 2 target behind Jeremy Maclin on a run-oriented team.
With wide receiver Jordan Matthews failing to really distinguish himself in his second-season, Ertz could easily become the focal point of Philly's passing attack, especially if Pederson employs a similar offensive strategy with the Eagles. Locking Ertz up now, before he has the chance to post monster numbers in 2016, could potentially save the Eagles millions of dollars. Virtually no good offense in the NFL operates without a quality pass-catching tight end anymore and Ertz would have drawn significant interest had he been allowed to hit the open market.
Then again, Philly's quarterback situation is still very much a question mark as well. Who knows who will even be throwing Ertiz the ball next season.
