June 27, 2016

NFL age inventory: Offensive skill positions

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

Matt Rourke/AP

Zach Ertz is still only the sixth youngest projected starting tight end in the NFL.

All week, we'll be taking age inventory of the Eagles' projected starters compared with the rest of the NFL. Today we'll begin with offensive skill position players, followed by the offensive line on Tuesday, the defensive front seven on Wednesday, and finally, the defensive secondary on Thursday.

First, let's take a broad look at the offensive skill positions as whole, and where the Eagles rank, age-wise. For the below chart, we took the projected starters for each team at the following positions -- QB, RB, WR1, WR2, WR3, and TE.

Rank	Team	Avg age
Youngest	Dolphins	24.5
2	Eagles	24.7
T-3	Vikings	24.8
T-3	Rams	24.8
T-3	Raiders	24.8
T-6	Texans	25
T-6	Buccaneers	25
T-6	Jaguars	25
9	Bills	25.2
10	49ers	25.3
11	Bengals	25.5
T-12	Lions	25.7
T-12	Seahawks	25.7
14	Browns	25.8
T-15	Colts	26
T-15	Titans	26
17	Redskins	26.2
18	Saints	26.5
19	Packers	26.7
20	Chiefs	26.8
21	Jets	27
22	Falcons	27.2
T-23	Panthers	27.5
T-23	Steelers	27.5
T-25	Bears	27.8
T-25	Giants	27.8
T-25	Broncos	27.8
28	Cowboys	28.3
29	Chargers	28.7
30	Cardinals	29
31	Patriots	31
Oldest	Ravens	31.5

As the chart above shows, the Eagles have the second-youngest skill position players in the NFL, with a caveat. For the above chart, we used Carson Wentz as the Eagles' quarterback, seeing as he is ultimately going to be the long-term starter. If you were to substitute in Sam Bradford, the Eagles' average age would be 25.5, which would tie them with the Bengals for the 11th youngest team.

Quarterback

Here is a list of the NFL's starting quarterbacks, listed in order from oldest to youngest. We included both Wentz and Bradford to show were they fit in compared with the rest of the NFL.

Player	Position	Team	Birthday	Age
Tom Brady	QB	Patriots	8/3/1977	38
Drew Brees	QB	Saints	1/15/1979	37
Tony Romo	QB	Cowboys	4/21/1980	36
Carson Palmer	QB	Cardinals	12/27/1979	36
Eli Manning	QB	Giants	1/3/1981	35
Ben Roethlisberger	QB	Steelers	3/2/1982	34
Philip Rivers	QB	Chargers	12/8/1981	34
Jay Cutler	QB	Bears	4/29/1983	33
Aaron Rodgers	QB	Packers	12/2/1983	32
Alex Smith	QB	Chiefs	5/7/1984	32
Matt Ryan	QB	Falcons	5/17/1985	31
Joe Flacco	QB	Ravens	1/16/1985	31
Mark Sanchez	QB	Broncos	11/11/1986	29
Matthew Stafford	QB	Lions	2/7/1988	28
Andy Dalton	QB	Bengals	10/29/1987	28
Sam Bradford	QB	Eagles	11/8/1987	28
Kirk Cousins	QB	Redskins	8/19/1988	27
Ryan Tannehill	QB	Dolphins	7/27/1988	27
Cam Newton	QB	Panthers	5/11/1989	27
Russell Wilson	QB	Seahawks	11/29/1988	27
Andrew Luck	QB	Colts	9/12/1989	26
Tyrod Taylor	QB	Bills	8/3/1989	26
Robert Griffin III	QB	Browns	2/12/1990	26
Blaine Gabbert	QB	49ers	10/15/1989	26
Brock Osweiler	QB	Texans	11/22/1990	25
*Geno Smith	QB	Jets	10/10/1990	25
Derek Carr	QB	Raiders	3/28/1991	25
Blake Bortles	QB	Jaguars	12/16/1991	24
Carson Wentz	QB	Eagles	12/30/1992	23
Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Vikings	11/10/1992	23
Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	10/30/1993	22
Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1/6/1994	22
Jared Goff	QB	Rams	10/14/1994	21

Bradford is right around the median age for starting NFL quarterbacks, while Wentz, at 23, is obviously among the youngest at his position, although older than your typical rookie quarterback.

Of note to the Eagles are the ages of the rest of the quarterbacks in the NFC East. Tony Romo and Eli Manning are now the third- and fifth-oldest projected starters in the NFL, respectively. Their careers are drawing near an end.

There are 10 teams with starting quarterbacks who are at least 32 years old, seven who are at least 34, and five who are at least 35. There's an argument to be made that the Eagles drafted a quarterback before a huge chunk of the NFL will need one.

Running back

Here's a list of the projected starting running backs in the NFL. Note the vast difference in the ages of the starting running backs below, and the ages of the starting quarterbacks above. The idea that running back shelf lives are short is far from a myth:

Player	Position	Team	Birthday	Age
Frank Gore	RB	Colts	5/14/1983	33
Adrian Peterson	RB	Vikings	3/21/1985	31
Rashad Jennings	RB	Giants	3/26/1985	31
Justin Forsett	RB	Ravens	10/14/1985	30
Matt Forte	RB	Jets	12/10/1985	30
LeGarrette Blount	RB	Patriots	12/5/1986	29
Jamaal Charles	RB	Chiefs	12/27/1986	29
Jonathan Stewart	RB	Panthers	3/21/1987	29
Ryan Mathews	RB	Eagles	10/10/1987	28
DeMarco Murray	RB	Titans	2/12/1988	28
Chris Ivory	RB	Jaguars	3/22/1988	28
LeSean McCoy	RB	Bills	7/12/1988	27
Doug Martin	RB	Buccaneers	1/13/1989	27
Mark Ingram	RB	Saints	12/21/1989	26
Eddie Lacy	RB	Packers	1/1/1991	25
CJ Anderson	RB	Broncos	2/10/1991	25
Latavius Murray	RB	Raiders	2/21/1991	25
Lamar Miller	RB	Texans	4/25/1991	25
Carlos Hyde	RB	49ers	9/20/1991	24
Jeremy Langford	RB	Bears	12/6/1991	24
David Johnson	RB	Cardinals	12/16/1991	24
Le'Veon Bell	RB	Steelers	2/18/1992	24
Devonta Freeman	RB	Falcons	3/15/1992	24
Jeremy Hill	RB	Bengals	10/20/1992	23
Isaiah Crowell	RB	Browns	1/8/1993	23
Matt Jones	RB	Redskins	3/7/1993	23
Melvin Gordon	RB	Chargers	4/13/1993	23
Ameer Abdullah	RB	Lions	6/13/1993	23
Jay Ajayi	RB	Dolphins	6/15/1993	23
Thomas Rawls	RB	Seahawks	8/3/1993	22
Todd Gurley	RB	Rams	8/3/1994	21
Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Cowboys	7/22/1995	20

Ryan Mathews is the ninth-oldest projected starting running back in the NFL, although he's unlikely to factor into the Eagles' long-term plans.

This offseason, both Mathews and DeMarco Murray were on the trading block. The Eagles were going to trade one and keep the other. When they traded Murray, Mathews became the lead back, out of necessity.

Mathews has only played all 16 games once in his career. When he wasn't missing games, he was often playing with some kind of injury. From 2010-2015, Mathews appeared on the injury report a staggering 53 times. He also doesn't have good hands as Eagles fans witnessed a season ago, so he may not be the fit the Eagles are looking for at running back in Doug Pederson's offense. Pederson has expressed that he wants to move his backs around the formation, where they can create mismatches for opposing defenses. If the Eagles trade or cut Mathews next offseason, they'll save $4 million.

It is also worth noting that the 2017 running back draft class figures to be extremely stacked.

Wide receiver

A season ago, the Eagles led the NFL in dropped passes. This is where youth will hurt you. The Eagles' receiving corps are very young, but they are also among the least threatening in the league.

Player	Position	Team	Birthday	Age
Steve Smith	WR	Ravens	5/12/1979	37
Vincent Jackson	WR	Buccaneers	1/14/1983	33
Nate Washington	WR	Patriots	8/28/1983	32
Larry Fitzgerald	WR	Cardinals	8/31/1983	32
Brandon Marshall	WR	Jets	3/23/1984	32
Ted Ginn	WR	Panthers	4/12/1985	31
Jordy Nelson	WR	Packers	5/31/1985	31
Danny Amendola	WR	Patriots	11/2/1985	30
Andrew Hawkins	WR	Browns	3/10/1986	30
Eddie Royal	WR	Bears	5/21/1986	30
Julian Edelman	WR	Patriots	5/22/1986	30
Stevie Johnson	WR	Chargers	7/22/1986	29
Mike Wallace	WR	Ravens	8/1/1986	29
Pierre Garcon	WR	Redskins	8/8/1986	29
Jordan Norwood	WR	Broncos	9/29/1986	29
Brandon LeFell	WR	Bengals	11/4/1986	29
Victor Cruz	WR	Giants	11/11/1986	29
DeSean Jackson	WR	Redskins	12/1/1986	29
Darrius Heyward-Bey	WR	Steelers	2/26/1987	29
Eric Decker	WR	Jets	3/15/1987	29
Emmanuel Sanders	WR	Broncos	3/17/1987	29
Michael Crabtree	WR	Raiders	9/14/1987	28
Demaryius Thomas	WR	Broncos	10/25/1987	28
Cecil Shorts	WR	Texans	12/22/1987	28
Jeremy Maclin	WR	Chiefs	5/11/1988	28
Antonio Brown	WR	Steelers	7/10/1988	27
AJ Green	WR	Bengals	7/31/1988	27
Golden Tate	WR	Lions	8/2/1988	27
Kenny Britt	WR	Rams	9/19/1988	27
Doug Baldwin	WR	Seahawks	9/21/1988	27
Dez Bryant	WR	Cowboys	11/4/1988	27
Jeremy Kerley	WR	Lions	11/8/1988	27
Torrey Smith	WR	49ers	1/26/1989	27
Julio Jones	WR	Falcons	2/3/1989	27
Cole Beasley	WR	Cowboys	4/26/1989	27
Kamar Aiken	WR	Ravens	5/30/1989	27
Brian Quick	WR	Rams	6/5/1989	27
Mohamed Sanu	WR	Falcons	8/22/1989	26
Terrance Williams	WR	Cowboys	9/18/1989	26
Rishard Matthews	WR	Titans	10/12/1989	26
Kendall Wright	WR	Titans	11/12/1989	26
TY Hilton	WR	Colts	11/14/1989	26
Jarius Wright	WR	Vikings	11/25/1989	26
Michael Floyd	WR	Cardinals	11/27/1989	26
Travis Benjamin	WR	Chargers	12/29/1989	26
Jermaine Kearse	WR	Seahawks	2/6/1990	26
Alshon Jeffery	WR	Bears	2/14/1990	26
Marvin Jones	WR	Lions	3/12/1990	26
John Brown	WR	Cardinals	4/3/1990	26
Quinton Patton	WR	49ers	8/9/1990	25
Randall Cobb	WR	Packers	8/22/1990	25
Marquise Goodwin	WR	Bills	11/19/1990	25
Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Panthers	2/5/1991	25
Markus Wheaton	WR	Steelers	2/7/1991	25
Taylor Gabriel	WR	Browns	2/17/1991	25
Seth Roberts	WR	Raiders	2/22/1991	25
Tavon Austin	WR	Rams	3/15/1991	25
Rueben Randle	WR	Eagles	5/7/1991	25
Bruce Ellington	WR	49ers	8/22/1991	24
Allen Hurns	WR	Jaguars	11/12/1991	24
Marqise Lee	WR	Jaguars	11/25/1991	24
Justin Hardy	WR	Falcons	12/18/1991	24
Robert Woods	WR	Bills	4/10/1992	24
Kenny Stills	WR	Dolphins	4/22/1992	24
Keenan Allen	WR	Chargers	4/27/1992	24
Quincy Enunwa	WR	Jets	5/31/1992	23
DeAndre Hopkins	WR	Texans	6/6/1992	24
Brandon Coleman	WR	Saints	6/22/1992	24
Albert Wilson	WR	Chiefs	7/12/1992	23
Jordan Matthews	WR	Eagles	7/16/1992	23
Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	9/28/1992	23
Willie Snead	WR	Saints	10/17/1992	23
Chris Conley	WR	Chiefs	10/25/1992	23
Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	Giants	11/5/1992	23
Jarvis Landry	WR	Dolphins	11/28/1992	23
Davante Adams	WR	Packers	12/24/1992	23
Phillip Dorsett	WR	Colts	1/5/1993	23
DeVante Parker	WR	Dolphins	1/20/1993	23
Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	4/12/1993	23
Nelson Agholor	WR	Eagles	5/24/1993	23
Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	6/14/1993	23
Jamison Crowder	WR	Redskins	6/17/1993	23
Adam Humphries	WR	Buccaneers	6/24/1993	23
Kevin White	WR	Bears	6/25/1993	23
Donte Moncrief	WR	Colts	8/6/1993	22
Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	8/21/1993	22
Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	8/24/1993	22
Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	9/25/1993	22
Stefon Diggs	WR	Vikings	11/29/1993	22
Sterling Shepard	WR	Giants	2/10/1994	22
Will Fuller	WR	Texans	4/16/1994	22
Devin Funchess	WR	Panthers	5/21/1994	22
Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	6/17/1994	22
Corey Coleman	WR	Browns	7/6/1994	21
Tyler Boyd	WR	Bengals	11/15/1994	21
Laquon Treadwell	WR	Vikings	6/14/1995	21

We projected Rueben Randle to beat out Josh Huff for a starting job. If you're of the opinion that Huff will start, he is a year and five months younger than Randle. It should probably also be noted that Nelson Agholor's starting job is far from safe at this point as well.

Tight end

And finally, we come to the tight ends. For this study, we only used one tight end and three wide receivers for each team, although certainly there are teams around the league whose TE2 is better than their WR3. This might actually be the case with the Eagles, frankly.

Player	Position	Team	Birthday	Age
Antonio Gates	TE	Chargers	6/18/1980	36
Ben Watson	TE	Ravens	12/18/1980	35
Jason Witten	TE	Cowboys	5/6/1982	34
Delanie Walker	TE	Titans	8/12/1984	31
Zach Miller	TE	Bears	10/4/1984	31
Greg Olsen	TE	Panthers	3/11/1985	31
Jacob Tamme	TE	Falcons	3/15/1985	31
Gary Barnidge	TE	Browns	9/22/1985	30
Darren Fells	TE	Cardinals	4/22/1986	30
Jimmy Graham	TE	Seahawks	11/24/1986	29
Lance Kendricks	TE	Rams	1/30/1988	28
Julius Thomas	TE	Jaguars	5/14/1988	28
Virgil Green	TE	Broncos	7/21/1988	27
Jordan Cameron	TE	Dolphins	8/7/1988	27
Coby Fleener	TE	Saints	9/20/1988	27
Larry Donnell	TE	Giants	11/1/1988	27
Charles Clay	TE	Bills	2/13/1989	27
Rob Gronkowski	TE	Patriots	5/14/1989	27
Travis Kelce	TE	Chiefs	10/5/1989	26
Kyle Rudolph	TE	Vikings	11/9/1989	26
Ryan Griffin	TE	Texans	1/11/1990	26
Dwayne Allen	TE	Colts	2/24/1990	26
Ladarius Green	TE	Steelers	5/29/1990	26
Vance McDonald	TE	49ers	6/13/1990	26
Jordan Reed	TE	Redskins	7/3/1990	26
Tyler Eifert	TE	Bengals	9/8/1990	25
Zach Ertz	TE	Eagles	10/10/1990	25
Clive Walford	TE	Raiders	10/21/1991	24
Richard Rodgers	TE	Packers	1/22/1992	24
Jace Amaro	TE	Jets	6/26/1992	23
Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Buccaneers	9/29/1992	23
Eric Ebron	TE	Lions	4/10/1993	23

In case you're among the disappointed fans who think that Zach Ertz hasn't "broken out" yet, he has 133 catches and 1555 yards the last two years, and is still the sixth youngest projected starting tight end in the NFL.

NEXT: Offensive line

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @JimmyKempski

Footnote:

*There's a good chance Geno Smith might not even make the Jets' final roster if Ryan Fitzpatrick eventually signs a deal, but for now there's really no more realistic player to pencil in as the starter. Fitzpatrick is 33.