The NFL is celebrating it's 100th year of operation this season. The Eagles have only been around for 86 of the 100 years, but they have had some amazing talent play for them over those eight and a half decades. With that in mind, here's an all-time Eagles 53-man roster that I have created (starters are underlined).
Quarterback (3): Donovan McNabb, Randall Cunningham, Nick Foles
McNabb is still the leader in virtually every major passing category in Eagles history, so he would be the starter in this scenario. Although in the playoffs this team might be more inclined to ride Nick Foles. As his career progresses Carson Wentz will likely surpass all three of these quarterbacks.
Running back (4): LeSean McCoy, Steve Van Buren, Brian Westbrook, Wilbert Montgomery
McCoy is the franchise leader in rushing yards. In his prime he was able to juke and cross up any defender that was in his way, so he is the starter. Most fans never got to watch Steve Van Buren play, but those who did get to see him always sing high praises of him. Everyone knows of B-West and Montgomery's contributions to the Eagles too, so this is an obvious top four running back combination.
Wide receiver (5): Harold Carmichael, DeSean Jackson, Mike Quick, Alshon Jeffery, Tommy McDonald
Harold Carmichael catching every jump ball in sight plus DeSean lifting the roof off of opposing defenses? Sign me up for that. Tommy McDonald would be an amazing player in the slot, while Jeffery and Quick would be sold backups for Carmichael and Jackson respectively.
Tight end (3): Pete Retzlaff, Zach Ertz, Pete Pihos
The Eagles have been blessed to have had some of the best tight ends in league history. It'd make sense for them to run two tight end sets with Retzlaff and Ertz shredding defenses between the hashmarks.
Offensive line (10): Jason Peters, Evan Mathis, Jason Kelce, Todd Herremans, Lane Johnson, Brandon Brooks, Al Wistert, Tra Thomas, Jon Runyan, Chuck Bednarik
The Eagles' best offensive linemen have all mostly come in the past decade+. They have plenty of depth at tackle if they would ever need it, with Brooks being the only backup guard and Bednarik being the only backup center. Bednarik might be arguably better than Kelce at center, but he will be needed somewhere else on the field so it's better for him to conserve his energy.
Defensive tackle (4): Fletcher Cox, Jerome Brown, Andy Harmon, Corey Simon
Cox and Brown up the middle will have quarterbacks losing sleep the week leading up to playing them. There's not superstar depth behind them though in Harmon and Simon, but they could also get the job done.
Defensive end (5): Reggie White, Trent Cole, Clyde Simmons, Hugh Douglas, Brandon Graham
The starting two defensive ends for this Eagles team have combined for 209.5 sacks in their career. In other words, good luck offensive lines. If they need a strip sack late in a game they know who they could rotate in...
Linebacker (6): Chuck Bednarik, Seth Joyner, Jeremiah Trotter, Bill Bergey, Byron Evans, William Thomas
"Concrete Charlie" is arguably the best player in Eagles history. Every knows he played both offense and defense, but everyone will always remember him for what he did on defense (specifically what he did to Frank Gifford). Bednarik and Joyner would be able to cover the Eagles well over the middle. They would have plenty of solid depth too, so no worries on that end of the spectrum.
Cornerback (6): Troy Vincent, Eric Allen, Bobby Taylor, Tom Brookshire, Herm Edwards, Roynell Young
Good luck trying to complete passes with this trio of corners on the field. Brookshire was a ballhawk so if the team needed a big interception they could throw him into the mix. If you're trailing in a game and the opposing team needs to kneel the ball, just put Edwards into the game and he'll make sure you come back to win.
Safety (4): Brian Dawkins, Malcolm Jenkins, Andre Waters, Bill Bradley
The heart and soul of the defense, Dawkins and Jenkins on the field at the same time would leave offenses little chance to move the ball down the field. The defense would be too hyped up from their pregame speeches delivered from these guys.
Specialists (3): David Akers, Donnie Jones, Jon Dorenbos
For now Akers is still the best kicker in Eagles history, but a 61-yard field goal and a clutch kick in the Super Bowl puts Jake Elliott on the cusps of taking over. Donnie "Long Ball" Jones would be able to pin teams deep inside their own side of the field, thanks to perfect snaps from Dorenbos.
Head Coach: Doug Pederson
Andy Reid has a more extensive Eagles resume than Pederson, but Reid was never able to finish his job and give the Eagles their first Super Bowl. Pederson was the one who delivered the first Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia, thanks to his bold play calling in Super Bowl LII.
Defensive Coordinator: Jim Johnson
Even though Jim Schwartz was the DC would helped the Eagles get their first Super Bowl victory, JJ will always be known as the greatest defensive coordinator in Eagles history. His defenses in the early 2000s were something to marvel at.
Offensive Coordinator: Brad Childress
Childress was the OC for three of the four Eagles teams that went to the NFC Championship Game from 2001-2004. He pretty much wins by default because most other Eagles offensive coordinators either didn't pan out, or they were successful for a year or two then moved on to become a head coach elsewhere.
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