How good was game?
Jarrett Bell puts the excitement of Super Bowl LII in perspective. Burning issues for Eagles, Patriots in ’18,
What’s ahead for the Super Bowl LII teams:
Philadelphia Eagles
When will Carson Wentz be
healthy? Though Wentz has maintained he expects to be on the field for the opener, it could wind up being close. And the quarterback will miss the entire offseason program and be limited during training camp. Even after Wentz’s success in 2017 as a leading MVP candidate until his injury in early December, that is important development as he enters his third year.
Free agency: General manager Howie Roseman settled some of the Eagles’ most pressing free agency questions during the season by signing wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and defensive tackle Tim Jernigan to extensions. The Eagles won’t have much salary cap room to spend on veterans and might need to get creative to re-sign some of their veterans who are slated to hit the market, including outside linebacker Nigel Bradham, cornerback Patrick Robinson and running back LeGarrette Blount. Will Jason Peters return? Long before Wentz suffered his injury, the Eagles lost star veter-
an left tackle Jason Peters. He told reporters last week in Minnesota that he wants to continue playing and return for a 14th season, and he is under contract with the Eagles. But the 36-yearold is due a $7.7 million salary in 2018 and carries a cap hit of $11.7 million. Changes to coaching staff: Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will be back, but head coach Doug Pederson’s offensive staff could look markedly different, should quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and running backs coach Duce Staley land promotions elsewhere. Replacing DeFilippo would be a particularly important hire given the impressive work he did in 2017 with Wentz and Foles.
NFC East competition: Other teams in the division have made major moves, including the New York Giants’ hiring of Pat Shurmur and the Washington Redskins landing quarterback Alex Smith in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. With the Dallas Cowboys poised to bounce back in a full season with Ezekiel Elliott, the competition within the division should be fierce.
New England Patriots
1. How will Tom Brady fare
at 41? Brady remains one of the most productive and clutch passers in the NFL. But he will turn 41 in August, and questions remain about whether a dropoff is imminent. Brady, however, has said he wants to play into his mid-40s and has shattered expectations about what to expect from a quarterback of his age. It’s also unclear what the passing game as a whole will look like next season, as safety valve and slot receiver Julian Edelman is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and tight end Rob Gronkowski has dealt with numerous injuries.
End of an era? An ESPN report published in January depicted a rift within the Patriots organization over the trading of former backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and hinted that this could be the last year of the Brady-Bill Belichick-Robert Kraft trio. Kraft isn’t going anywhere. So the big question is whether any potential tension among the three would prompt changes. Any such ending seems extremely unlikely, but the trio might use the spring and summer to address any lingering concerns. Staff changes: The Patriots will have to replace defensive coordinator Matt Patricia (the new Detroit Lions head coach) and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (expected to become head coach of the Indianapolis Colts). The contract of special teams coordinator Joe Judge is also expiring at the end of the season, per multiple reports. Though transition is inevitable, the Patriots like to promote from within and have viable candidates as replacements. Assuming New England sticks with the in-house route, look for current receivers coach Chad O’Shea to command the offense and for linebackers coach Brian Flores to lead the defense.
Free agency: The most interesting situations concern left tackle Nate Solder, 29, cornerback Malcolm Butler, 27, receiver Danny Amendola, 32, and running back Dion Lewis, 27. Butler might be the most likely to leave after his Super Bowl benching. But New England has been able to replace productive players with more affordable options.
Finding a successor: When the Patriots dealt Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers, they parted with any future the team might have at quarterback beyond Brady. The Patriots have Brian Hoyer locked in as their backup through the 2019 season, but the 32-year-old is a shortterm solution. Beyond him, New England doesn’t have another passer on its roster. Look for the Patriots to strongly consider taking a quarterback in the draft.