THIS game officially closes the books on the 2016-2017 season and turns our collective eyes to the 2017-2018 season. In this first pre-season game, we get our first look at how the new additions will fit, and whether or not we’re better for now having them here. Winning or losing isn’t the point. This is an evaluation tool for the coaches and a tune-up for the players. Nothing more.
This is the football equivalent of your elementary school music teacher, expecting you to strike that flat bell sounding thing with the mallet, when they point to you.
It’s pretty basic shit, and so there’s no excuse for screwing it up out there.
Since winning serves no purpose at this point, it will serve us best to get a DEEP look at the roster. Since everyone will be doing basic stuff, it should serve as a solid measuring stick as to who is and who isn’t fundamentally sound as a player.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to look for versus the Packers:
1) Which WR has QB Carson Wentz’s eye: There’s a good chance that WR Alshon Jeffery will be held out of this game, while he nurses a minor shoulder issue. We know that Jeffery will be the primary target when the games count, but when he isn’t on the field, which WR does Wentz look for?
2) Covering our bets: Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartztold the world that he’d be blitzing more in 2017. That means the CB’s will have to either play more man-press or force WR’s to the sideline. (That’s because inside releases will undercut any blitz attempt.) The cushions we played with last season… they have to disappear to make the blitzes work, and these young CB’s need to practice what they’ll actually be doing this year.
3) Timmy, Timmy, Timmayyyyy: It may be unfair to expect so much from a new player, but DT Timmy Jernigan is lining up next to DT Fletcher Cox, so I expect to see the Packers unable to get anything done between the Tackles. I don’t care about Screens and Shuffle-passes, or Jet Sweeps and QB scrambles. It’s all the bread and butter stuff, that I expect to see taken away.
4) Getting carried away: I want to see RB Corey Clementend the night with 5 carries for 24 (or more) yards, with at least one run of 10 yards. I’d like to see him before the fourth quarter. Preferably sprinkled in, off and on all night. Testing him against 3rd stringers won’t tell us if he can help us during real NFL season
Again, the point of this game isn’t a win. If we win this game 1000,000 to 0, it won’t mean a single thing towards our playoff push. It won’t add an inch to our ****s or a dollar to our bank accounts. We need to expose our youth to some “live fire” and test their mettle. The sooner we can separate the chafe from the wheat, the sooner we can focus on truly putting 7-9 (and 7-9) behind us.
MYCHAL Kendricks requested a trade in the offseason, and many Eagles fans reacted by throwing bitch-fits, while saying dumb shit like “Trade his ass” and, “If he wants to leave, fine, trade him”. I called it ‘dumb shit’, because it’s purely an emotional reaction, and it doesn’t take into account a single fact with bearing on the team’s upcoming season.
Odds are that the Offense will still have to iron out some chemistry issues, early in the year. So we’ll have to lean on the Defense to carry the team, when the season starts. However, if we sabotage the Defense, we could wreck the entire season beginning Week One. Let me paint you a picture.
First of all, Kendricks asked for that trade during the offseason. That was prior to Training Camp, prior to mandatory OTA’s, or even prior (according to ESPN) to the Draft in April. Due to how much Nickel we played, Kendricks didn’t play much in 2016 (just 27% of the year’s defensive snaps).
Despite not playing him much, the Eagles told Kendricks flat out, that he’s talented and that they want to hold onto him. For his part, he wants to play, and be able to play himself into a bigger contract in the future. Imagine that. A guy who wants to earn his money. And fans take issue with that? Really?
At first it seems like maybe it’s a lost cause. I mean, the system we run, is the system we run, right? Wrong. In July (this would be AFTER Kendricks made his feelings known), Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz,told the worldabout a philosophical shift in our schemethat would better take advantage of Kendricks’ strengths. So Kendricks doesn’t have to leave here to play, and earn a bigger pay day down the line.
That means the situation today, isn’t what it was when Kendricks asked for that trade. This is why Kendricks had no qualms about mentioning it. While the issue could always come up again, (for now at least) it’s a quashed matter.
As for derailing the season, we’re already thin at LB. We’re not thin at OLB, or ILB, or MLB. We’re thin at LB, period. That’s even with Kendricks. Now factor in OLB Nigel Bradham facing a possible six game suspension, over an assault charge that earned him probation instead of jail time.
Trading Kendricks and losing Bradham for six games would practically rip the guts out of 2017 before it even started. The closest thing we have to an experienced hand at the position is Najee Goode. Goode has one career start in five seasons, and 21 of his career 42 tackles happened in 2013.
Of course one of the young guys could make a splash. Maybe all one of these guys needs is a chance. That could be true, but without much experience in game-time situations, it’s far more likely that they’d make costly errors, learning on the job. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt this team to add a guy like Josh Bynes or Donald Butler to the roster.
So with no depth and a possible suspension looming, we are in no position, no position, to be giving away talent. Especially not over some fans having a knee-jerk, over-emotional reaction to a feeling of rejection, over an issue that was dead before they ever heard of it.
Eagles fans are known for being a tough bunch. Quit making us look like bitches.
GIVEN all the talent added up front during this offseason, and with him staying home for OTA’s, the release of DE Marcus Smith didn’t really come as a shock to anyone. Drafting DE Derek Barnett could be seen as getting an infusion of young talent. That said, you don’t add a veteran like DE Chris Long, and trade for a DT like Timmy Jernigan, if you’re happy with what you already have.
Trading away OL Allen Barbre, on hand has me a little nervous, because his ability to start at G and RT were nice assets to have. On the other hand, it says the Eagles feel good about not just the depth at G, but that there’s also someone to believe in at reserve OT.
The early hope is that I was wrong last year about OT Halapoulivati Vaitai, because if the Eagles are pinning their hopes on undrafted rookie Victor Salako, or Taylor Hart who was a DT last year, we could be in some real trouble. Until I see otherwise, I’ll stick to my assessment of Vaitai as a stiff and heavy-footed turnstile.
The move I’m still waiting on, is trading RB Ryan Mathews. Given the additions to the RB position that the Eagles have made, keeping Mathew’s salary on the books is just silly. Besides, with the injury to the Baltimore Ravens starting RB, now would be great time to deal them Mathews.
Initially the idea would be to try and get a CB out of them, but the Ravens wouldn’t be willing to part with anyone we’d want. We might however, be able to get an OT out of the deal. OT De’Ondre Wesley wouldn’t be a bad swap at all. At best, he sits behind Jason Petersand Lane Johnson for a year or two. At worst, he’s a camp body who adds competition to what we already have. In any case we’d get to dump Ryan Mathews salary.
THOSE who said they’d like OLB Mychal Kendricks either traded or released, may want to pump the brakes. He could be instrumental in helping us punk the NFL. Defensive CoordinatorJim Schwartz recently said, if the Defense can’t cover a pass-catching RB, that we’ll just blitz more to “keep his ass” in pass protection.
To do something like that takes two things.
First, Schwartz needs a horse he can ride. That means he needs a LB who can pass rush. One who can beat the blocks of TE’s and RB’s, and the occasional O-lineman. News flash! Kendricks has already proven himself adept at all of that. Every piece of it. Better still, he’s done it both on the inside and on the edge. This means he can be moved around, which makes him harder to game plan for. Better still, he’s already under contract. Schwartz’s new philosophy turns Kendricks from a liability into an asset.
Having the right player is great, but it isn’t the most important part needed to make this work. Second and more importantly, the DC needs the will to force teams to commit their RB to pass protection.
This part takes nerves, balls, and a thick skin. This philosophy requires the DC to play the part of the villain. He has to be willing to make enemies that will cost him future job opportunities. He must be willing to be eternally reviled as a devil by some, and worshiped as a god by others. He must become Buddy Ryan2.0.
Look, every snap of a football player’s career comes with risk. Every single one. However, there is a difference between a possible catastrophe, and a countdown to one. The human body will only absorb so much punishment before it cannot perform well. Every blitz that results in a full speed hit on a QB, scares an opposing coaching staff, regardless of whether or not the QB completes that pass.
Allowing too many high speed hits on a QB, has a way of jeopardizing entire seasons. So trying to minimize the amount of abuse their QB takes, will be why teams keep that RB in to block. Schwartz is putting this out there now, to make sure that opponents know the risk they run, if they try to involve RB’s in the passing game.
I love that, because it’s a clear attempt at intimidation. As I said in THE 12 this year, we have to “Make Fear Our Ally”. In the article, I go into the reasons why we need to do this, and it seems like the Eagles coaching staff is somehow, eerily on the same page as me. Imagine that. (Yet again it seems like an Eagles staff member may have come across an article or two of mine. If that’s the case, I was at Broad and South for the Phillies parade. Wonder where I’ll stand during the one for the Eagles.)
Of course (and I say this part with the assumption that an Eagles staffer is reading it), the benefits I spoke of in THE 12, will not happen if the Eagles do not have the will to follow through on what Schwartz has now put out there. 31 NFL teams have been put on notice now, and whether or not we follow through will determine if they laugh at us or are intimidated by us.
I’Mexcited about the mental development of Carson Wentz, as he makes an effort to be a legitimate franchise QB. I’m ecstatic over the acquisition of G Chance Warmack. I’m extremely happy with the extensions given to T Jason Peters, and C/G Stefen Wisniewski. The addition of DE Chris Long makes us deep with talented pass rushers, and DT Timmy Jernigan will make sure you won’t miss Bennie Logan. We added a ton of proven NFL talent during this offseason.
That all being said, what is with all this boasting already? It’s true. Last week I said we were about to undergo a massive evolutionary jump as a team, but pump the brakes, folks! Pump the brakes! Didn’t we just go 7-9? (Wait no.) Didn’t we just go 7-9, twice? Look, I’m all about optimism and whatnot, but talking to Eagles fans these days, you’d think we were already 14-1 and heading into Week 17. Let’s keep this **** in perspective shall we?
Most of the talk right now is on how WR Alshon Jeffery will come in and change the Offense by giving Wentz a “big time #1”, “a legit go-to guy”, and “a stud WR”. Well what the fuck? Wasn’t Jeffrey all those things in Chicago when they went 8-8, 5-11, 6-10 and 3-13? This is the same Jeffrey with 26 career touchdowns in 63 career games, right? (This is the part where people blame Jay Cutler, without realizing that in Chicago, Cutler with Jeffery (2012-2016) was more of less the exact same QB without him (2009-2011). Proof you say? Take a look here.)
Let me hip you all to something very important. How Jeffery plays is neither here nor there. It’s not the big issue. Nope. Not even close. The big issue is coverage. (Not pass rush as Sal Palantonio said it is, but coverage.)
Last year, because our CB’s couldn’t even stay with their shadows, our pass rushers didn’t get as many sacks as their talent would indicate they should have. Oh sure, we got a ton of hurries, but a hurry is what they call it when you get to the QB a second too late. (Either that or a penalty.) This season will come down to how consistently (key word!) our coverage can buy 3 and a half seconds for our pass rush. That’s it. That’s the whole season, right there.
Better coverage equals more sacks and turnovers, equals shorter drives, equals fewer chances for opponents to get into scoring range, equals fewer points by touchdown OR field goal, equals fewer points allowed, equals improved chances to win any game we play. All of that starts with coverage, because even great rush (as we saw last year) will be thwarted by quick and easy completions. Not quick and easy throws, but completions.
Unfortunately, no one (but me) seems to want to have that discussion. In a division with Eli Manning,Kirk Cousins, and (to a lesser extent) Dak Prescott, the idea of Defense hardly seems to be a subject around here. That’s disturbing, given it’s importance to the Eagles 2017 season.
Let me repeat a few points I made in my last article. I said to sit back and enjoy the next few years. I said this team’s evolution is a process. I said what we must undergo and undertake cannot be faked, nor simulated. While it would be nice to ride this offseason to a playoff berth, it would be foolish to go around expecting it. (At which point people will act like the Eagles somehow let them down again.)
There is much left to be done before we fans can strut around like we own the division. It’s been years now since we won the East. Years. We don’t own any form of valid bragging rights anymore. You claim bragging rights when you win, and NOT before. That doesn’t mean you can’t talk trash, but until our team can break .500 again, it might be wise to pump the brakes with the boasting.
JALEN Mills,Ron Brooks, Sidney Jones, and Rasul Douglas. Those are our top four CB’s on the roster. These four guys (plus one or two others) will make the team, and man the boundaries of our Defense. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that our Week One starting CB’s will be (barring injury), Mills and Douglas.
While that may come across as bravado or confidence, I assure you that it’s the opposite. Complete opposite. I’m worried ab— More accurately, I’m terrified of our CB situation. Did you know that between them, all four of those guys have a combined ZERO career interceptions?
Brooks has hung around for 5 NFL seasons, yet doesn’t have a single turnover (via interception, forced fumble, or fumble recovery) to his credit. Mills has a year under his belt, and may just have been a 7th round steal last year; but he only started 2 games, and played a lot of Nickel Corner. So as 16 game starters go, he’s still extremely raw. The other two CB’s are rookies. One of which will likely start the year on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list.
The most veteran CB/experienced starter on the roster, is Patrick Robinson.
Robinson iswearing his 4th different jersey in 4 years, so I have to wonder why teams keep signing him, starting him, and then not even keeping him around for depth, less than a year later. To me that comes across as a huge red flag. Some fans hope for him to be a mentor, but that seems unlikely.
A fellow fan told me this week, that he’d seen Robinson listed #1 on our depth chart. If so, then the likelihood that he’ll mentor a young guy who’ll impact his chance to start, is very thin. Besides, word around the campfire has it that he ain’t exactly a vocal locker room guy to begin with.
This isn’t to discount other players at the position. I liked what I saw in Aaron Gyrmes last preseason. I was irritated when he was cut, instead of a couple of DC Jim Schwartz‘s favoritism recipients. It would be smart to get a good look at former Jaguar, Dwayne Gratz since he’s a CB who likes to hit. Also Terrence Brooks, who snagged a pick and forced a fumble in our win over the giants last year, deserves to be here until at least final cut downs this year. That said, none of those three is someone you’d be enthusiastic about starting just yet.
So we have compromised health, no mentors, and no proven game-changer (at this level). That leaves us with the hope that Sidney Jones will rescue the position when he finally gets to see his first live action. Either that or we have to hope to be pleasantly surprised by whomever starts opposite Mills. Also we have to hope that the coaches didn’t see fool’s gold in Mills last year. That’s a lot of saying “hope”.
Our shakiest position from last season, comes a ton of change but zero certainties heading into this season. Instead of knowing that we have bedrock, we’re building a foundation on what we hope to be solid ground. So as I said, I’m terrified. More accurately, I’m scared shitless.
Well, here’s hoping that we’ll be pleasantly surprised.
GETTING it right. That’s always the most important part. I could have put out a Draft Report on Sunday, but I wanted to make sure I got it right. So I took my time, and I went over every pick again. Repeatedly.
Often times, people base Draft grades on whether or not an NFL team got good college players, instead of if those players stand a chance of helping the team that drafted them. After all, addressing weakness really is the point, right?
Weaknesses. We headed into the Draft needing a starting Cornerback to help our pass rush, or a bell-cow Running Back to loosen things up for QB Carson Wentz. We could have also used an Outside Linebacker who isn’t a liability in coverage, even against Running Backs. Yet we got none of those things.
So what DID we get?
1st round/ DE – Derek Barnett.
Barnett sets the edge and generally doesn’t end up on the ground vs the run. That’s basically what you want from a DE, but he wasn’t brought here to just play DE, he’s here to be a dominant pass rusher. However, when I look at this game vs Alabama, I don’t see a quick get-off. I don’t see great change of direction. I don’t see him using an array of moves to win early against offensive linemen. Name one great pass rusher in the NFL who lacks all of those tools. You can’t, because there aren’t any.
I’ve read that his hands keep him from being blocked long, but I couldn’t find any game tape (games, not highlight reels) that show him doing it consistently. So far I see a guy who will have an NFL career, but I don’t see 10-12 sacks per year from him at this level. If he proves me wrong, AT THIS LEVEL, great. But until then… Grade: C
2nd round/ CB – Sidney Jones.
We needed a CB immediately. Taking one this high was the right move to make. Totally made sense. What would have made more sense, would have been selecting a player who isn’t already sidelined for 2017. Word around the Training Room is that next year, after he rehabs his torn ACL (CORRECTION: An alert reader (thank you Bobby) pointed out that it’s Jone’s Achilles, not ACL that tore. My apologies for the error), Jones will be as good as he ever was. Might even be a steal. That’s the talk.
On tape here, you see a CB who even from a cushion will begin to concede a lot of real estate before the snap. College will allow DB’s that flaw, but in the NFL it’ll quickly earn you a target on your back. Also his man-press doesn’t seem to lead to significant redirection of his assignment. Luckily, these are things which can be corrected with coaching. Provided (as hoped) that he didn’t leave any of his athleticism in the operating room. Grade: C
3rd round/ CB – Rasul Douglas.
Douglas has good size at 6’2, but his near 4.6 speed causes me to question if he can play on the outside at this level. Also on tape you see he can be beaten badly on quick routes inside. That’s alarming because for a 209 pound CB, his press at the line is lacking. (There were two videos I could have chosen to show, but the other one was played in snow. That’s not a fair condition to assess players.)
The plan may be to move him to Free Safety as an insurance policy behind Rod McLeod. However, right now it seems like the Eagles spent an early pick on a guy without a true role. Grade: C
4th round/ WR – Mack Hollins.
I flat out hate this pick. The Eagles went out and drafted a Special Teams coverage player, in the fourth round. Drafted him! Smart teams wait until after the Draft to get those guys. On top of that, as a WR he shuffles his feet at the snap and doesn’t attack his blocking assignments. Grade: F
4th round/ RB – Donnel Pumphrey.
We supposedly got him to replace Darren Sproles at some point. Then again we were sold the same bill of goods last year, regarding Byron Marshall, remember? To his credit, Pumphrey catches the ball pretty well, and is very nimble. If he can get the ball in open space, he can be an asset. Then again that statement likely would be true for most RB’s. Grade: C
5th round/ WR – Shelton Gibson.
I like this WR far more than the first one we selected. Although Gibson is also a drafted Special Teamer coverage guy, aspects of his game that say he may actually be able to contribute as a WR. He doesn’t hesitate at the snap and he aggressively gets into his blocks. (Which could help Pumphrey.) I think you add ST coverage guys after a Draft, but if Gibson can contribute as a WR and help return kicks, then this was a really nice place to take him. Grade: B
5th round/ SS – Nathan Gerry.
This is another horrible pick. Too often he slows down to a jog before the play is even dead. He misses tackles. (Did you see that last part where the QB ran him over?) He can be seen being “extra” after plays, instead of being adequate during them. Grade: F
6th round/ DT – Elijah Qualls.
No penetration. No ability to win one-on-one. Ends up on the ground in a number of ways. Maybe if we tape a cheeseburger to the QB or cover him in BBQ sauce, Qualls might not end up being redirected so easily. I have no idea how this guy got drafted by anyone. I doubt he even makes the practice squad. Grade: F
+ + + + + +
Last year we finished in the middle of the league with 34 sacks, which was 14 sacks behind the leader who had 48. DE Brandon Grahamled the NFL with 40 hurries, more of which could have been sacks if we had CB’s who could cover last year. The problem wasn’t our Defensive Line’s ability to get to the QB, it was that they weren’t given the time to do so. So of course we went out and got a starting CB, right? Wrong. We got a DE.
Our CB play was so bad last year, that we got rid of both Starters. While Sidney Jones may or may not become a perennial All-Pro after 2018, that still leaves us with questions about CB in 2017.
We needed to upgrade at WR, so we added two Free Agents, after Howie Roseman said no more “band-aids”. Then we waited until the 4th and 5th rounds to draft Special Teamers.
We needed a bell-cow RB and instead we drafted a player to someday replace a situational player.
Considering that we ended 2016 with a few needs (OLB, OT, RB) that we didn’t address during Free Agency, it’s hard to call this a good Draft, when we continued to ignore those needs.
The question isn’t about whether or not we drafted guys who can play. That really isn’t the question. It really isn’t the issue. The real issue is whether or not we fixed the holes that teams exploited against us in 9 losses out of 16 games last year. The answer is that we didn’t fix those holes. We didn’t utilize this Draft properly. So the truth is, while this was an amazing Draft for Philadelphia, it was a wasted Draft for the Eagles. The Front Office didn’t get it right.
OUR first pick in the 2017 Draft was DE Derek Barnett, and it was a stupid pick to make. I’m not saying that the young man won’t get sacks. He will get sacks. Even DE Marcus Smithhas gotten us sacks. I’m not saying Barnett won’t be a decent pro. I’m saying that given our needs at other positions, and how financially leveraged we are along the Defensive Line, it made no sense to pile more money in an area that will only prevent us from spending on other positions where we badly need the help.
I won’t even harp on the whole thing were we passed on talent at other positions. That’s a real issue, but I’ll let that walk until at least after round three. (The Eagles may surprise us. Again.) When I say it was a bad pick, I mean it from a purely mathematical standpoint.
Let’s look at some numbers!
1) Over the next two years we’re still on the hook to DE Vinny Curry for 20M out of a guaranteed 23M (7M base and 2M bonus in 2017 / 9M base and 2M bonus in 2018). After that, we’re free to release him and eat 6M in dead money for two years due to an amortization of his 10M signing bonus.
2) Over the next three years DT Fletcher Cox is guaranteed 49.3M of 63.3M (3M base, 5.2M bonus, 1.2M option in 2017 / 11.5M base, 5.2M bonus, 1.2M option in 2018 / 15.6M base, 5.2M bonus, 1.2M option in 2019). After that we’re free to release him and eat 6.4M in dead money.
I know those numbers turn into a blur when you read them quick like that, but the point is that for these two players, out of about 167M in cap space, we already were on the hook for 18M in 2017, and 28.9M in 2018. Now to that same D-Line we just added a first round contract, which will fall somewhere in the area of 4years, 18M (DE DeForest Buckner #7 in 2016) and 4years, 10M (DE Shaq Lawson #19 in 2016).
We are loading money into one area, and it will keep us from being able to spread it around into other positions like OT, CB, and WR; none of which are ever cheap when you try to sign or re-sign quality players. This doesn’t even mention positions like LB, and RB which we badly need help at.
In the meantime, some fans are cheering this pick like it means the end of Curry. What those fans fail to understand is that Curry will impact this roster for at least the next two years. At least. That’s regardless of how things play out. Whether he starts the next 32 games, or is cut the moment you read these words, Curry will seriously impact the Eagles until at least 2019. The real question is would you like to try and recoup some value over these next two years, or would you rather see him cut (after never starting a single game) and just swallow it?
On the other hand, people talking like Barnett will be the next Reggie Whitebecause he broke White’s college sack record, crack me up. If they’re looking for Barnett to get us 13, 18, 21 and 18 sacks in his first four years, despite not being quick twitch, possessing an explosive step, or not being great at changing direction, boy are they gonna be disappointed. How many great NFL pass rushers are playing in the NFL today without at least one of those tools? How many? Oh yeah, that’s right. Not one.
This isn’t the case of a talent (Barnett) that was too good to pass up. There will be no takers in a trade for a guy (Curry) making 9M per year who has never started a game. This is an unforced error that will limit our options at other spots on the roster. We didn’t administer forethought to this pick. As a result, we’ve painted ourselves into a corner. (Ironically by not selecting one.)
INSTEAD of keeping you in suspense, I’ll start by saying
the Eagles will be better in 2017 than they were in 2016. When I say better, I’m not saying “They’ll show everyone that they’re on the right track.” I’m not saying “You’ll see that they’re poised to compete in 2018.” Nope, I’m not making any weak statements here.
I’m saying “Our record will be better than 7-9”. I’m saying “The Eagles will compete IN 2017.” I’m saying GET EXCITED DAMMIT!
We added some weapons for our young QB. We addressed depth issues on our Offensive and Defensive Lines, as well as in the Secondary. These were problem areas in 2016 and they were solidly addressed in a way that not only gave us players, but options in player style. We even added an insurance policy when we up-graded our back-up QB situation. So we are clearly a deeper team today. That part is beyond questioning.
What we haven’t addressed so far, is our lack of a top-shelf RB, or a second Starter at CB. Those positions headline the shopping list that the Eagles will be taking to the Art Museum-
I’m proud to say I took this picture myself. This is the West Door of the Art Museum. Most people are familiar with the East Door or “The Rocky Steps”, but it’s this entrance that patrons primarily use when visiting the museum. The West Door also used to be my Dad’s security post when I was a kid. I practically lived here.
-on Thursday, when the 2017 Draft opens. Given how deep this draft is at both positions, we’re all but guaranteed to get a player we need, instead of just getting a placeholder that we hope will pan out.
My regular readers know that I’m not much of a cheerleader. That having been said, I’ve got my pom-poms in hand, and my pizzazz skirt on. If you truly want to see me in that outfit, CLICK HERE.
If you didn’t see me in a skirt, you can pity those who have, and be thankful you still have your eyesight. Better still, you can celebrate by watching our Eagles compete for the division crown this season.
Keep in mind, when these predictions come out, no one knows who will be drafted, and by which team. This is an assessment of the teams as they are staffed by veteran players with track records.Rookies don’t usually shake up the NFC East division, so there’s a pretty good chance that what you see here, will be how it shakes out for the year.
Yikes! Last year showed a couple exceptions to the general rule cited in the above Preamble. The first example was the Dallas Cowboys. They powered their way to the top of the division behind the play of two rookies, one of which was a QB forced to make 16 starts, when the long-time incumbent pulled up lame. (Again.) The Philadelphia Eagles were the second exception. They thought so much of their rookie QB that they traded away their Starter, and let the rook do his thing all year long. While that may have cost them a game or two last year, it was clear to fans, media and Free Agents alike, that the Eagles may be onto something.
Now we separate the men from the boys:
Strongest Offense:DALLAS
While Dallas is returning all of their skill position Starters, they suffered a couple of hits to their offensive line. Those hits are simple enough to patch over, but where those hits will show up is in depth. Last season when La’el Collins went down, there was a player of Ron Leary‘s caliber to step in for him. This year they have no such luxury.
Will the Cowboys be who they were last year? No they won’t. Teams have film on them now, and the system they run is so simple, it shouldn’t take much to slow them down. That said, each of Dallas’s rivals have some issue that keeps their own offenses from being complete, let alone scary. The Cowboys are the only team in the division who are not suffering from a key deficiency.
Weakest Offense:WASHINGTON
I can tell you firsthand that the loss of WR DeSean Jackson changes the way teams play against your offense. It also takes away a number of easy underneath options that a QB comes to think of as their’s for the taking. Jackson was on the roster when Kirk Cousinsbecame the Starter, so he is coming into a completely new reality in 2017. (Assuming that his mind is on 2017, and not on preserving his body for a long-term contract in San Francisco next year.)Washington’s one-dimensional run game won’t be of much help either, since most of it is derived from what the offensive line creates, instead of what the RB creates when the line gives him an opening.
While they have a good offensive line and a TE situation worthy of envy, they don’t have the glue to hold it all together. Their losses on defense will require them to throw more, and may yield more yards and touchdowns, but if you look under the surface at the end of 2017, you will see a clearly less effective and diminished offense on this team.
Strongest Defense:PHILADELPHIA
Dallas’s junior GM, Stephen Jones is on recordagreeing that his team is worse off since Free Agency. Washington was already in the toilet before they lost DE Chris Baker. New York losing DT Johnathan Hankins and not being settled at MLB, puts a hole right down the center of their run defense (ranked #3 in 2016). Also, nothing so far has been done to bolster their 23rd ranked pass defense. Philadelphia on the other hand has added depth up front, but still hasn’t clearlyaddressed their Secondary concerns. However, their 2016 pass defense was ranked 13th not 23rd. (Note: There isn’t a team in this division that doesn’t have issues with it’s Secondary)
This isn’t a question of the strongest of the weak. There is no doubt about the Eagles strength at every level of their defense. Particularly on the Defensive Line. Better still, they have depth in most places. Last year the Eagles weakness was at CB, and so both starters are no longer on the roster. Patrick Robinson was to added to play slot CB, not as an outside starter. The remaining CB’s aren’t household names, but given the way Jalen Mills played in 2016 (his rookie season), he might become one soon.
Weakest Defense:DALLAS
They literally have problems at every level of their defense, and in every facet of it. Talent, depth, experience, andeven health coming into OTA’s. Everything is wrong here.This defense is going to allow too many games to turn into shootouts, and force their offense away from the run just to keep up. Barring every other team in NFC East suffering a rash of injuries, this team has no shot at 12-4 again. The GM responsible for creating this mess should be fi– oh wait… Never mind.
Strongest Special Teams: PHILADELPHIA
This isn’t even close. Kicking, Punting, Returns and limiting return yards, The Eagles are the only team in the division that is good in all of these areas. Not just okay, or passable. Legitimately good. They are proficient across the board, where the other three teams have at least one deficiency.
Weakest Special Teams:NEW YORK
Playing musical Kickers as you habitually post lackluster numbers, while also making no attempt to improve neither your personnel nor your coaching staff… That says in plain language that the organization doesn’t give a damn about this facet of the game.
Projected Winner: PHILADELPHIA(10-6)
After being 0-2 these last 2 years picking the Eagles, it scares the hell out me to be picking them again after a second 7-9 season. I kept going over this to make sure I wasn’t overlooking something, or missing something, because I have no interest in wearing 0-3. However, the fact is, right now, before the Draft, as these teams are staffed today, the Eagles are the team best equipped to survive the 17 week meat grinder known as an NFL season.
The Eagles are the only team in the NFC East that didn’t get worse in some regard, duringthis offseason. While it has yet to be proven that they fixed their 2016 offensive problems, those problems weren’t ignored (like the giants pass defense for example). The Eagles attempted to fix their problems, and so they run the risk of actually improving in 2017.
The same cannot be said for the defenses of the Cowboys, Redskins and giants. Dallas’s defense is so bad that their Front Office is already making excuses. Now that they have definitely lost Hankins at DT, New York’s run defense (ranked 3rd) is likely to fall steeply. Their pass defense was already an issue in 2016, and so far, they‘ve done nothing to fix or even upgrade it.Washington’s defense was already crap in 2016, and now they have offense to match it. In fact, their offense (both in the long and short term), have football pundits shaking their heads from coast to coast.
Look Out For: DALLAS
I don’t think they stand a chance in Hell, of upsetting the Eagles, but it would h ave been tacky to write “NOBODY” as the team to look out for. Since the Pokes won the division last, I figured they were owed the respect of a write-in.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 