The Philadelphia Eagles have the pieces in place to have a sustained run of success and potentially repeat as Super Bowl Champions.

Enjoy it fans….you deserve it. After waiting for almost 58 years, your Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl Champions. Gone are the jokes about not having a ring. Gone are comments about not being able to finish on the biggest stage. The Eagles have climbed the mountain and firmly planted their flag at the top. Now the question is, when can they do it again?

Looking ahead to 2018

Before we get into looking at next year, here is some advice. Enjoy this! Enjoy it for the next few weeks and months until the next season starts, because Lord knows that the city and fans have earned it. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s do a little speculation. The Eagles will open next season with a target painted on their back. They went from underdog to top dog and have the all important task of defending their championship.

There is no way to return the exact team that won the championship this year, but the Eagles can come pretty darn close. They have a young nucleus of talent that have either been resigned (Zach Ertz, Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham) or are still on their rookie deals (Carson Wentz, Derek Barnett, Jay Ajayi).

Combine that with the veterans such as Jason Peters and Brent Celek that are still under contract, and you have a locker room that will keep the same attitude and leadership that propelled them to success this year. The Eagles will also get players like Sidney Jones and Jordan Hicks fully healthy, and they should be instant contributors when back.

Potential Losses

As we mentioned, there is no way to return the same team next year. That means that there will be players who played big roles that will leave in free agency or be released.

Two potential losses could be the two back-to-back champions on the roster. Defensive end Chris Long and running back LeGarrette Blount endeared themselves to fans through their unselfish play and attitude all year. Both saw their roles shift throughout the year. Neither complained when that happened, and they ended up being huge contributors. Blount’s deal is up after this year, and Long could be released to clear cap space. As painful as it would be to lose these two players, football is a business. It would be great for the team to keep both, but it is not a guarantee.

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The next potential loss would be the man who brought home the extra hardware. Nick Foles had nothing short of a spectacular Super Bowl, however, this is Carson Wentz‘s team. Foles will forever be a legend in the City of Brotherly Love, but when Wentz is healthy, he will be the starter. Having a backup of Foles’ caliber is a luxury that not many teams have. Still, his value is so high right now that Eagles might get a deal that they can’t refuse.

Repeat?

It is incredibly difficult to repeat as Super Bowl Champions. With that being said, the Eagles look like they have the pieces for a sustained run of success. The coaching has been phenomenal and the players buy into the culture and philosophy of the team. This championship is proof of what happens when everyone works together. Even though the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles might look a little different, they could still end the season with a similar result.