Roster Turnover And Experience

Updating some charts here now that we have a better sense of how the starting lineups are going to shake out this year.  First, the roster turnover graphic (click for full size):

Six years, six different (projected) starting WILs...

Assuming the lineup above, here's the experience chart (again, click for full size):

  

The "stealth" rebuilding has been talked about so many times around here -- and, over the last year, other places -- that it's not really a secret any more.  However, it's still striking to see how much the Eagles have turned things over since the Super Bowl:

• Only three starters remain from 2004.
• After the 2005 debacle, Reid installed new starters at 10 positions, shoving youth to the fore across the field.
• The last couple years have seen the running out of almost all the old guys.  McNabb is the only 9+ player left.  Sheldon and Westbrook are the 8s. 

Quoting myself (with apologies) for convenience:

My argument would be that teams want good players first and foremost, but once you get beyond the talent question, you're better off if the majority of your roster is in the blue or red sections.  The green players (rookies or second years) don't have the experience you want in crunch time and the graybeards (nine years and up) are generally on the wrong side of 30 and starting to lose at least one step.

If this lineup holds, 19 of the 22 spots next year will be blue or red.

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For historical interest, here's the 2007 version of this post.  And here's 2008 (go with 2007 first so you can skip the re-hash in the 2008 piece).