Eagles take NFL by storm in 2022, thanks to effective offseason moves
For the first time since 2004, the Philadelphia Eagles have started off the season with a 6-0 record.
Through six weeks, the Eagles have been nothing short of a powerhouse. Offensively, the team is scoring the fourth-most points per game, while the defense is allowing the sixth-least amount of points on a weekly basis.
It's a noticable difference from the 2021 season where the Eagles finished outside of the top-10 in scoring, and in the top-half of the league in points allowed.
What's the biggest cause for such a drastic change in the early portion of the year?
It's simple; the Eagles made sure to target players who fit their vision during the offseason.
Howie Roseman, who serves as the team's general manager, went all-in on the players he wanted in Philadelphia. He went after his guys and didn't settle for less, and it's done nothing but bear fruit to this point.
Eagles' newcomers play large part of the team's early success
One of the key ingredients to Philadelphia's success in 2022 has been the presence of a legitimate WR1.
Philly hasn't had a wide receiver hit the 1,000-yard mark since 2014. Noting this, the team went out and traded for A.J. Brown, who achieved that feat in both 2019 and 2020.
That success has translated well to his new team, as Brown is currently on pace to record 1,425 receiving yards this season.
It's not just about the numbers, though.
Brown wasn't at the top of Roseman's list due to him only being able to produce, but rather because he can make his teammates better and guide them in their growth while producing at a high level.
This isn't only the case with Hurts, who's having an MVP-caliber season, but DeVonta Smith as well. Smith has posted 80+ receiving yards in half of Philly's contests this season.
With Brown now on the roster, only three teams league-wide who score more points than the Eagles.
A.J. Brown is certainly an offseason success story, but he isn't the only one in Philadelphia.
Secondary gets monstrous help from offseason moves
Heading into the new year, the secondary was another concern for the team.
Darius Slay was never a problem, and Avonte Maddox had his moments in the slot, but the rest of the Eagles' secondary play was dreadful.
How did the team fix this? They zero'd in on a stud opposite of Slay and signed Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry.
During the '21 season, Philly's CB2 was Steven Nelson. Nelson allowed a quarterback rating of 108.4 when targeted, along with a completion percentage of 66.7% (48 completions).
Bradberry, on the other hand, has allowed a completion percentage south of 50 with an otherworldly quarterback rating of 27.2.
For reference - if you throw the football into the ground every play, you'll have a passer rating of 39.6.
Bradberry has been a big part of the turnaround, playing even better than star cornerback Darius Slay is on the other side.
Then, there's Chauncy Gardner-Johnson.
After the Sunday Night Football bout against division rival Dallas Cowboys, Gardner-Johnson is tied with Darius Slay for most interceptions on the defense.
Cowboys' quarterback Cooper Rush had only thrown one interception through the fifteen games he's appeared in throughout his career, and before he knew it, he threw two to Gardner-Johnson alone.
The pair of newcomers in the secondary is a major season Philadelphia now allows the sixth-least points per game by opposing offenses.
There's been a love-hate relationship between Philly fans and Roseman over the years, but this time, Howie has knocked the ball off the park and the Eagles are 6-0 as a result.