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Philadelphia Eagles Sign DE Chris Long And CB Patrick Robinson

By Deanna Chapman
Published on: 08:47 PST, Mar 29, 2017

The Philadelphia Eagles recently signed DE Chris Long and CB Patrick Robinson to the team. Chris Long joins on a two-year deal while Patrick Robinson joins on a one-year deal. The Eagles posted the announcements over on Twitter.

Chris Long

Chris Long spent the first chunk of his career with the St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams) and went to the New England Patriots for a season last year. His move to the Eagles will allow them to improve their defensive line. His most productive years so far spanned 2010 – 2013, where he averaged more sacks and had more tackles. His highest sack count came in 2011 when he finished with 13 sacks. In 2014, he only played in 6 games for the Rams and has slowly been improving after a couple of down seasons.

For the Patriots, Chris Long didn’t start in every game, but for the Eagles, he could be of more use. The Patriots were already a strong team when he joined, and the Eagles are still looking to make improvements. If he can get back into his peak condition, he could be a great asset for the Eagles.

[Image by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images]

Patrick Robinson

Their second signing, Patrick Robinson, will be joining the Eagles from the Indianapolis Colts. The cornerback position is another one that the Eagles need help with. Robinson didn’t play in every game for the Colt last season, so it’s a riskier signing for the Eagles and likely why they only came to a one-year deal.

Patrick Robinson spent five seasons with the New Orleans Saints, one with the San Diego Chargers, and one with the Indianapolis Colts before his deal with the Eagles. His stats are a bit all over the place due to injuries. In 2013, he recorded a single tackle with only playing in 2 games and starting in neither of them. His most recent season wasn’t his best by far, and that lead to the Colts cutting him this week.

Where do the Eagles go from here?

While Robinson can contribute to the Eagles, he does not solve all of their problems. The defense has been suffering, and he’s on a “prove it” deal with the team. He can provide them with some veteran experience, but they still need more bodies in their secondary. Long is in a similar situation. He’s bringing a veteran presence to a team that needs all of the help it can get.

The Eagles have some tough competition in the NFC East, namely the Dallas Cowboys, who have some offensive weapons. Long and Robinson will both have to step up their game if they want to be offered more than just short-term deals.

The Eagles finished 7-9 in the NFC East where Dallas and the New York Giants topped the standings. Not to mention, the Eagles played the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, which didn’t do their schedule any favors. The team has a long way to go if they hope to make it to the playoffs, but working on their defense is a good start.

With the draft coming up, the Eagles will be looking to add more players in the secondary, but they’re also looking to add some offense. Bleacher Report has an in-depth draft preview to cover everything the Eagles will be looking to do. Here’s an excerpt from it:

In the upcoming 2017 NFL draft, the Eagles’ needs are clear. Their cornerbacks gave up 13 touchdowns and only pulled in three interceptions last season, and Philadelphia gave up the third-most passing plays of 40 yards or more. The 2017 draft class touts a strong group of cornerbacks, and after releasing Leodis McKelvin and seeing Nolan Carroll sign with the Cowboys, the Eagles will have to go that route at least once.

Beyond that, more pass-rush help would help, the offensive line could use a few tweaks and the lack of a true bellcow running back could hurt the offense over time. The Eagles aren’t too far away from contending for the playoffs, but they’ll have to make the right moves when the draft comes around.

[Featured Image by Al Bello/Getty Images]

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