Super scouting report: Breaking down the Eagles' personnel

The comprehensive scouting report on the Eagles' personnel ahead of Super Bowl LII culled from film study and discussions with two pro personnel executives.

OFFENSE

Scheme

The offense is designed, with help from offensive coordinator Frank Reich, and called by head coach Doug Pederson. The foundation is Andy Reid’s scheme with the Chiefs, so it’s reliant on West Coast offense principles and has elements of the spread offense, both from Reid’s experimentation in Kansas City and leftover from Chip Kelly’s tenure with the Eagles. It’s a short, quick passing game that often doubles as an extension of the running game. There are designed shot plays, but the deep ball is not a foundation. Run-pass options (RPOs) are run about a quarter of the time but there is no threat of the quarterback running. They are mostly outside zone runs, with a backside slant.

Eagles ranked seventh in total offense (365.8), third in rushing (132.2), 13^th in passing (233.6) and third in points per game (28.6). The Eagles were also third on third downs (41.7 percent), and first in red zone percentage (58.8).



Quarterbacks

No. 9 Nick Foles (6-6, 243): Smart, risk-adverse quarterback who is limited by his athletic ability. Doesn’t possess a very strong arm, and is long with his delivery and can be slow to process off his first read. Slow feet and doesn’t like to make plays with his legs. Not a good deep-ball thrower or outside the numbers. Likes to throw quickly within a 10-yard box.

7 Nate Sudfeld (6-6, 227): Former sixth-round pick of the Redskins was released when the team decided on keeping just two passers. Decent athlete. Productive college player. Needs a lot of refinement.



RUNNING BACKS

36 Jay Ajayi (6-0, 233): Good running back with a plenty of power and speed who has battled chronic knee issues in recent years. Best asset is his agility with the ball in his hands. Good vision, hits the hole hard. Will put the ball on the ground during second-effort plays.

29 LeGarrette Blount (6-0, 250): Former Patriot is your classic big back in that he needs room to get going, and if he does, he’s trouble to bring down. A better athlete than he appears, Blount needs to be met in the hole. Will fall forward. Has ball-security issues.

30 Corey Clement (5-10, 220, 4.58): Used a third-down back, but he’s really more of a two-down back. Not especially fast or quick. Decent pass catcher.

28 Wendell Smallwood (5-10, 208, 4.45): Was inactive for the NFC championship, could see him active and have a role vs. Patriots due to his speed. Has a tendency to try to do too much. Slippery in the open field.



RECEIVERS

17 Alshon Jeffrey (6-3, 218, 4.47): One of the better big, possession receivers in the league. Doesn’t separate from press coverage and relies on size. Good hands catcher. Tough matchup when he posts up. Not as fast as he was coming out of college, but will fight against physical coverage. Caught only 57 of 120 targets in regular season.

82 Torrey Smith (6-0, 205, 4.43): One of the fastest straight-line receivers in the league, but has no shake and can only run in straight lines. Hands have improved during his career, but he is still not a natural pass catcher. Doesn’t like physical contact. Eagles like to use him on designed shot plays early in both halves. Caught 36 of 68 targets.

13 Nelson Agholor (6-0, 198, 4.42): A major disappointment when he played on the boundary but has been a revelation since he moved inside to the slot this season. Quick and shifty, he makes plays in a variety of ways inside in this offense, including on straight runs. Not big, but can take a beating. Caught 62 of 95 targets. Tied for second on team with eight TDs.

10 Mack Hollins (6-4, 221, 4.51): Big receiver but doesn’t get in the mix much due to multiple TE looks. Caught 16 of 22 targets.

18 Shelton Gibson (5-11, 191, 4.50): Caught 2 of 3 targets.

86 TE Zach Ertz (6-5, 249, 4.76): Good possession tight end but not overly athletic. Excellent hands, and has a good feel for coverage. Foles’ No. 1 target in all situations. Caught 74 of 100 targets for eight touchdowns.

88 TE Trey Burton (6-2, 224): An athletic, move TE for the Eagles who they will run designed plays for against secondary defenders. Very inconsistent hands and instincts. Caught 23 of 31 targets.

87 TE Brent Celek (6-4, 255): Almost strictly a blocker at this point.



OFFENSIVE LINE

72 LT Halapoulivaati Vaitai (6-6, 320): The 2016 fifth-round pick was pushed into a starting role after Jason Peter’s season-ending injury. A good college player, he’s done a serviceable job. A bit of a mauler in the run game with plodding feet, he can be beat with quickness and outside leverage.

61 LG Stefen Wisniewski (6-3, 305): Inconsistent but when he’s on, he’s a devastating blocker in the run game on screens. Tough to beat with power.

62 C Jason Kelce (6-3, 295): One of the best centers in the game. Plays with tremendous leverage and smarts. He has such great feet that he will pull on sweeps and will lead the way on screens. Everything keys off him.

79 RG Brandon Brooks (6-5, 335): A huge and strong body inside for the Eagles. Loves to dish out punishment in the run game, tough to move around in the pass game but he is not the quickest player.

65 RT Lane Johnson (6-6, 317): One of the best athletes at the tackle position in the NFL. Runs like a tight end. Tremendous feet. Not the most natural player and can be bullrushed.

73 G/C Isaac Seumalo (6-4, 303): Interior backup.

67 G/T Chance Warmack (6-2, 323): Former first-round pick is trying to stay in the league.

DEFENSE

Scheme

Jim Schwartz coordinates a very aggressive 4-3 scheme that relies on front-four pressure. They do not blitz much, and usually rely on zone coverage (Cover 3) in the secondary.

Eagles ranked fourth in total defense (306.5), first in rushing (79.2), 17^th in passing (227.6) and fourth in points per game (18.4). The Eagles were also third on third downs (32.2 percent), and 20th in red zone percentage (58.8).



DEFENSIVE LINE

75 DE Vinny Curry (6-3, 279): One of the most underrated edge players in the league. Relentless as a pass rusher. Strong and fast. Stats: 3 sacks, 13 TFLs, 41 QB pressures.

93 DT Tim Jernigan (6-2, 295): A two-down player who is strong and quick but inexperienced. Stats: 2.5 sacks, 9 TFLs, 18 pressures.

91 DT Fletcher Cox (6-4, 310): Among the most devastating interior players in the NFL. He is strong and, when he wants to play, he is almost impossible to single-block. Not the greatest pass rusher in the world. Stats: 5.5 sacks, 4 TFLs, 36 pressures.

55 DE Brandon Graham (6-2, 265): Speedy and twisting outside pass rusher who will kick inside in sub to work off Cox’s double teams. Stats: 9.5 sacks, 16 TFLs, 26 pressures.

96 DE Derek Barnett (6-3, 259): Energetic and speedy sub rusher off right end. Length can cause problems. Stats: 5.0 sacks, 9 TFLs, 32 pressures.

56 DE Chris Long (6-3, 270): Extremely smart veteran outside rusher. Knows how to play with leverage and angles. Stats: 5.0 sacks, 3 TFLs, 38 pressures.

94 DT Beau Allen (6-3, 327): Burly and strong interior depth player.

97 DT Destiny Vaeao (6-4, 299): Depth. Likely inactive.



LINEBACKERS

95 OLB Mychal Kendricks (6-0, 240): A run-and-hit linebacker who can get a little overaggressive.

52 MLB Najee Goode (6-0, 244): A solid inside linebacker who probably won’t play that many snaps due to sub packages.

53 OLB Nigel Bradham (6-2, 241): Underrated linebacker who can get off blocks and runs really well. Good blitzer.

54 OLB Kamu Grugier-Hill (6-2, 220): Former Patriot is a special teams standout.

47 OLB Nathan Gerry (6-2, 218): Special teamer.

57 MLB Dannell Ellerbee (6-1, 245): Has some spot starts depending on the matchup.



SECONDARY

31 LCB Jalen Mills (6-0. 191, 4.56): Excellent second-year player who is physical, quick and plays with a swagger. Reminds of a young Malcolm Butler. The playmaker in the group.

41 RCB Ronald Darby (5-11, 193, 4.37): Phenomenal athletic ability but sometimes he relies on that too much. Gets his head in the backfield and will get beat on double moves. Undisciplined. Will be targeted by Patriots.

21 SCB Patrick Robinson (5-11, 191, 4.44): The journeyman has all of a sudden became one of the best slot corners in the game. Quick feet with a nose for the ball.

23 FS Rodney McLeod (5-10, 195): Got a big free-agent contract and hasn’t quite lived up to it. Very undisciplined and can be beaten on playmakers and precise routes. Will be targeted by Patriots.

27 SS Malcolm Jenkins (6-0, 204, 4.55): One of the best all-around safeties in the game. Tackles well in the box, and can cover receivers in the slot. Long, strong and quick. Not perfect, but pretty good.

24 3rdS Corey Graham (6-0, 196, 4.39): The UNH product will largely play a big role in the Eagles’ big nickel (three safety) subpackage. Covers and tackles well. Will come on blitzes.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Overall, Dave Flipp’s group is one of the best in the league. They will block all kinds of kicks, and tackle extremely well.

K Jake Elliott: Missed five field goals this season and three, curiously, came from 30-39.

P Donnie Jones: Veteran no longer has a big leg, but he’s good directionally. 45.3 average, 40.6 net. Only five touchbacks in 67 punts.

KR/PR Kenjon Barner: Can pop a big one occasionally but isn’t a huge threat.

PATRIOTS OFFENSIVE GAMEPLAN POINTS

Go fast, young men: The Eagles had a ton of problems when teams used the hurry up against them, including the Giants in Week 15 and the Vikings in the NFC championship game. They like to rotate their defensive line, and the no huddle neutralizes that and gets them tired. The more fatigued the Patriots can get Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham, the better for them.

Double moves: As primarily an off-coverage team, the Eagles like to keep an eye on the quarterback and jump the routes. This also leaves them susceptible to double moves, especially CB Ronald Darby.

Take the easy money/rub routes: If the Eagles come out and play mostly zone coverage, there will be several opportunities for Tom Brady to get the ball out quickly to the short receivers. The Patriots should and will take that easy money, and keep upping their play count. If the Eagles play man coverage, the Patriots need to pick and rub them to death. Teams that aren’t used to man coverage have trouble with this, and it’s a technique that’s second nature to New England.

PATRIOTS DEFENSIVE GAMEPLAN POINTS

Read your keys: The Eagles’ offense relies on misdirection in the run game, and scheming players open in the pass game. They are trying to create optical illusions for the defense, and that means the linebackers and safeties will have to be extremely disciplined in how they read and react.

No Ertz on third down: Nick Foles loves to look for TE Zach Ertz on third down, so the Patriots have to take that away, No. 1. Alshon Jeffrey is the other big target in the red zone.

Make Foles throw deep and outside the numbers: Foles prefers to make the short and safe throws, and he’s a decent quarterback there. He is not a daring thrower, and he is not accurate deep down the field and outside the numbers. If the Patriots can make him beat them deep, it will be a good day for them.

PICK

Coming Sunday.