Joe Banner: If Eagles’ season doesn’t go well, it will be because they didn’t get their line problems fixed

Former Eagles president Joe Banner is doing a weekly Q&A during the season with the Inquirer’s longtime pro football writer, Paul Domowitch. Here is this week’s installment:

Domo: So, were you as surprised as I was by Sunday’s loss to the Lions?

Banner: I was extremely surprised. I know the Lions are sitting at 2-0-1. But I think as the season progresses it will become evident that they’re really not a very good team, or a well-coached one.

I know the Eagles were missing some key people because of injuries. But I still thought they’d win easily. Even when they were down 10 points in the fourth quarter, I thought they’d come back and win the game. They were the better team. But the better team doesn’t always win.

Domo: The better team is now 1-2 and getting ready to play the Packers in a difficult short-week game at Lambeau. By Friday morning, a team many had going to the Super Bowl could be 1-3. If that happens, will it be panic time for Eagles fans?

Banner: I’m not panicking. I’m certainly more concerned than I was when the season started. But even if they lose to the Packers, they can bounce back from 1-3. It definitely makes getting a bye much, much more difficult. With the Cowboys playing the way they are, although they haven’t really played any tough teams yet, it makes winning the division harder, though I think it’s still very attainable.

They’re still a very good football team with a very good coaching staff. A 1-3 record would create a difficult hole to dig out of. Especially if you’re trying to do it missing some of the talent that they are.

Domo: You’ve talked about the high priority that the organization places on building the lines. But the defensive line, which is supposed to be the engine of Jim Schwartz’s defense, has underperformed in the first three games. And the offensive line has been inconsistent. How big a concern is that?

Banner: That’s my biggest concern right now. Jason Peters has exceeded every expectation anybody had for him. His play. His character. His work ethic. His leadership. But the reality is, if we’re being honest, he’s not playing at the level right now that we’re used to and that they need.

We’re having up-and-down play from a couple of other people on the offensive line. That group is the foundation for what they do and the foundation for most teams that win.

Detroit, at halftime, decided to shut down (Zach) Ertz. Once they get Alshon (Jeffery) and DeSean (Jackson) back, nobody’s going to be able to do that and it’s going to make a big difference to the offensive line as well as the entire offense.

Defensively, it’s a different story. They’ve lost two key players, Malik) Jackson and (Tim) Jernigan. Complicating matters is the fact that Fletcher Cox isn’t playing anywhere close to the way he’s capable of playing. He’s been the biggest difference on that line. And there’s really nobody else that’s stepping up and playing in a dominant way.

So you have this big weakness in the middle and just decent play on the outside, combined with a secondary that’s both injured, and in my opinion, only moderately talented. So this is really the concern. If the season doesn’t go well, it will be because their line problems don’t get fixed.

Domo: What are the chances of your former protégé Howie Roseman making a deal for defensive help — a defensive tackle, a cornerback — before the trade deadline?

Banner: I’m sure they’re evaluating every player out there who potentially could be available. But realistically, the chances of doing something that makes a significant difference at this point is very small.

Players that are on good teams aren’t getting traded at this point. So it’s a very limited pool. And whether there’s a solution there at this point is a long shot.

Domo: Their best cornerback, Ronald Darby, injured his hamstring Sunday and could be out for a while. Has his loss changed your opinion about them possibly trading for Jalen Ramsey?

Banner: Just to be clear, Ramsey is an outstanding player. I’d probably say that at this point, he’s the best corner in the NFL. I think everyone would agree he’s one of the two or three best. I just think that the cost in compensation — and by that I mean trade compensation and cap dollars — is too steep.

It’s a move I’d be looking into and discussing and debating. But from where I sit at the moment, I worry a little bit about how he fits in. Although the truth is he’s a better guy than he’s being portrayed at the moment. But I do also worry about bringing in another player with a really big cap number and giving up the draft picks that they need to balance (the cap cost) of the more expensive players on their roster and be in good cap shape going forward.

They can fit him in. Let’s be clear about that. Some people have suggested that I was suggesting they couldn’t fit him in. You can fit him in if you want to. It just reduces your flexibility on other decisions you’re making currently and going forward. That’s where my main reservation comes in.

Domo: Ramsey is one of a growing number of players over the last couple of years who have been involved in power plays to try to dictate where they want to play. As a former executive, how do you feel about this type of thing?

Banner: The truth is, I believe that some people are using it appropriately and effectively. Listen, the players have had more power for a long time than they’ve exercised. And I actually think it’s good that the players recognize that, and in some instances, are very, very wisely using it to their benefit.

I also see some instances where players recognize they have the power and are not using it wisely or effectively. For example, in my mind, Khalil Mack used his power very effectively. He wasn’t out yelling in the media. He wasn’t interrupting things during the season. He did report. He did the best he could to get moved. And did it in kind of a constructive way. It was a legitimate exercise of the power that players have, especially top-tier players.

Then there’s Le’Veon Bell, who used the power poorly. He decided to sit out a year and give up a year of income and not accept a deal from the Steelers that time proved actually was a very fair offer. More than fair. It was a good offer. To me, that was an example of a player not using the leverage wisely.

I put Ramsey in that category. Once you stop showing up (he called in sick and isn’t practicing), you’re hurting your market value and you’re potentially giving up money. Now, we’ll see if he stays in this mode the entire week. Or if he’s just trying to make a statement right now. If I were advising him, I’d say, “Listen, come in. We’re going to continue to work with them to get a trade made. If we can’t, then we’ll deal with this much more aggressively in the offseason if you still feel the same way.’’

When a player walks out on his teammates after he’s been there, other teams will legitimately question his commitment. Because what’s going to prevent him from doing that here if he gets unhappy? And who’s going give up a bunch of high draft picks and pay a guy a ton of money if you have to worry about that with him?

I’m in favor of players being more aggressive. This is where we’re at now. And it’s not going backwards. It’s only going forward. I actually think generally that is a good thing. I would rather not be running an organization or handling contracts while that’s happening because it makes the job much harder. But I think it’s going to create a fairer balance of power. But the players need to use it smartly, not randomly.

Domo: The Eagles signed DeSean Jackson in the offseason, but still hung on to Nelson Agholor, despite a $9.4 million option-year cap number. Any way they re-sign him?

Banner: I think they’ll let him go. That’s reflective of some choices they need to make going forward as opposed to trying to keep everybody. As we saw again Sunday, he’s been extremely inconsistent in his five years with the Eagles. We’ve seen him have stretches where he was playing like the first-round draft pick that he was. And then there have been periods where you’re looking at the bench to see who you could put out there instead of him.

You really can’t make a commitment to a receiver, especially a slot receiver, who is going to be fairly expensive based on the number of plays that he plays. So I think they’ll let him go and keep their fingers crossed that he doesn’t go somewhere else and find the consistency he’s lacked in Philadelphia. Because he’s proven he can play well. Hopefully, for the Eagles, he’ll put what happened Sunday behind him and become the asset we know he’s capable of being.