SAFETYMalcolm Jenkins has stayed in the news during the 2020 offseason. He returned to the first team that he won a Super Bowl with (New Orleans). He worked out with new Eagles SS Will Parks, mentoring his replacement, despite not being teammates. He’s recently demonstrated peacefully, for the social cause that he has spent years advocating for.
He has said repeatedly and pointedly, that he considers Philadelphia his home.
I was sick and salty, moody, and disgusted when the Eagles let him get away. I knew we’d regret it. I knew we’d see it come back to rub our collective noses in it. I just didn’t think it would happen so fast, and so nationally. My current level of butthurt looks like this:
Real talk. Can we just trade and get him back please? The sheer amount of egg on our faces, is already outweighed by whatever the Saints would ask for in return for him. Every time he pops up on the local news, or NFL Network, or CNN, I want to cram GM Howie Roseman’s head in a pencil sharpener.
Have you noticed how we Eagles fans are very excited about the Offense this year? But when the subject of our Defense comes up, suddenly it’s “Excuse me. I have something in the oven”, followed by us sprinting from the room. Which in hindsight, was a bad way to end the prostate exam. (I never went back for my clothes, because I was too scared to discuss our LB situation.)
The leadership vacuum created by Jenkins’s absence is massive, and anyone who tells you different, has no idea what they’re talking about. Most of football is mental. If football were all about measurables, JaMarcus Russellwould be a Hall Of Famer and you wouldn’t even know who Joe Montana was. Taylor Mayswould be a perennial All-Pro, and Brian Dawkins would have had a two year career.
The ability to lead and to inspire is a rare gift. On any roster of 53 men, you may have 39 solid alpha types, and still only 2 or 3 true leaders. During seasons of adversity and injury (including our 2017 Super Bowl win), Jenkins was the linchpin of the team. Mentally keeping players in the fight. Being accountable and holding people accountable. (Fuck Orlando Scandrick! Sorry, I had to stop that right there, before that even got started.)
The odds of the Eagles bringing back Jenkins are virtually non-existent. It’s just me throwing a coin in a fountain, with my eyes closed and my fingers crossed. It’s also me, trying to have a conversation that inspires people to participate in a discussion about football again. To welcome opinions on a subject that brings us joy, and healthy debate.
While I’m not the leader that Malcolm Jenkins is, I can aspire to inspire. Like Jenkins, I choose to use the sport of football as a rally point. To utilize my small stage as a scribe, to bring people to a common table. One where we can laugh, debate, and bond over a love that is bigger than all of us, and even bigger than our rivalries
True leaders find ways to maximize their tools and bring their people together. I have no doubt that the Eagles will find new voices, and that new leadership will emerge. It’s a solid locker room with a solid culture, which promotes the building of leaders. I just wish we had this particular leader back.
WHAT the fuck is the hold-up!? While the Eagles are solid with RBMiles Sanders as our starter, we still could use a veteran insurance policy, just in case (knock wood) Sanders gets hurt. The Eagles brass apparently thinks the same way, which is why it’s no secret that they’ve kicked the tires on RB’s Carlos Hyde, Devonta Freeman, and former Eagle LeSean McCoy. That being said, we still haven’t signed anybody.
Hyde signed with the Seahawks, so he’s off the board. Freeman has has had trouble staying healthy in recent years, yet still expects to make north of the 4 million dollar offer (from the Seahawks) that he turned down. Last season for the Chiefs, McCoy had a salary of 3 million, so he could VERY likely be brought in for that figure or less.
In addition to being affordable, his familiarity with the Offense that Head Coach Doug Pederson runs, allows him to hit the ground running. Add to that, the fact that he’s a complete three down RB. Add to that, the idea that he knows he’s coming in as a role player/mentor. Now add to THAT, the fact that respected veterans WRDeSean Jacksonand RT Lane Johnson are actively stumping for McCoy’s return.
When you add all of those factors up, it damn near breaks your abacus. McCoy not being signed already, makes as much sense as double D’s on a fish.
That’s not to say that I don’t trust RB’s Corey Clement, and Boston Scott. What I’m saying is, as an insurance policy, I trust the Eagles all-time leader in rushing yards, just a little bit more. Perhaps not as a workhorse, but definitely the top half of a RB tandem, until he was outplayed by the other half.
We need to quit dicking around and sign McCoy. We know that we’ve made magic with him. Hell, since 2014 he’s become the standard by which we’ve judged all who’ve followed him. Overthinking this is only outsmarting ourselves, and benefiting our rivals We want him. We need him. So let’s just sign McCoy already.
WHILE most of the talk is on the pair of Jalens that the Eagles drafted, WR Marquise Goodwin was the sneaky good add of the offseaon. How could adding him be sneaky when every time the media mentions our addition at that position, they mention the trade brought Goodwin here? How could it be sneaky, if people are talking about it??
Sneaky is not about some punch that our rivals don’t see coming. It’s about the power of the punch that everyone seems to be underestimating.
Goodwin has played 7 years so far. He’s never posted a 1,000 yard season. Never caught more than 4 scores in a year. He owns a career catch rate of exactly 50.0%. Over the last 3 years since he got to San Francisco, he’s started fewer games, seen dramatically fewer targets and caught for dramatically fewer yards, with every returning year.
The point is, the 5’9”, 180 pound receiver, though extremely fast, is viewed as a known commodity already. He’s seen as a flame-out. A one-trick pony who languished for 4 years in Buffalo, and then was slowly phased out of the offense in San Fran.
His stats tell that story. His tape however, tells another. He is a bit of a one-trick pony, but when relegated to role-player, it’s one hell of a trick. I don’t usually use highlight video, because it doesn’t tell you who a man is, down in and down out. It doesn’t show nuances. But Goodwin isn’t here for nuances. We didn’t bring him in to be poison. We brought him in to be a .45 slug.
Check the tape. It’s 6 minutes so wait until you have time. Trust me. It’s worth it. Don’t let me talk you into him. Let his tape sell you on why he’s here.
Did you see how often he had to stop and turn around for the ball? Did you how it works out when he doesn’t have to? Did you see that “Toe Drag Swag”? Now consider that most of this was with QB’s C.J. Beathard, Nick Mullens and Brian Hoyer throwing to him. QB Jimmy Garoppolo targeted Goodwin just 21 times (12 catches) in 2019.
Now Goodwin has QBCarson Wentzthrowing to him. Wentz has better arm strength, accuracy and ball placement skills than any QB that Goodwin has ever played with. And unlike Garoppolo, Wentz doesn’t throw passes with his eyes closed.
Goodwin is in the best position to succeed that he’s ever been in as a professional. Despite being role-player, he’s now free to practice the trade that he’s mastered. The one where he takes the top off of defense and opens up the field behind him. And unlike in the past where he was just a 50/50 threat, now he’s in a system that makes him a bonafide weapon.
Alshon. DeSean. Jalen. Zach. Dallas. Greg. And Marquise.
Our Offense is loaded and the QB is ready to fire. Sneaky good add indeed.
EAGLES QB Carson Wentz frequently plays and produces at an elite level. He has his flaws: He has a history of taking too many sacks, instead of getting rid of the ball quickly. He doesn’t run for enough cheap yardage. He leans too much on the TE position. In fairness, he seemed get past much of this by the end of 2019. It’ll be interesting to see how he opens 2020.
Even with his flaws, Carson’s young resume still boasts a constellation of stellar marks:
*He rarely throws interceptions, having never thrown more than 7 in a season, since his rookie season when he threw 14.
* His red zone stats look like something out of a Madden video game. In 55 games he’s thrown 72 touchdown vs just 2 interceptions in the red zone.
*He’s won the division twice out the four years that he’s been a pro. His first division win was iced even before he played the game in which he was lost for the season. By that point, he was an MVP candidate, and he had his team playing for home-field advantage in a year when his efforts would help win Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl.
* He won his second division crown throwing to a group of players (WR Greg Ward, WR Deontay Burnett, WR Robert Davis, RB Boston Scott, and TE Joshua Perkins) all of whom started the season as Practice Squaders. Burnett and Davis weren’t even on Philadelphia’s PS.
The fact is, Carson is a monster. Anytime someone wants to take a shot at him, they never attack his play. They attack the three regular season and three playoff games he missed in 2017. They attack the two first games of 2018 where Carson wanted to play, but the coaching staff held him out until the team doctor (since fired) cleared him. They attack the last 5 games of 2018 where again, Carson wanted to play (through stress fractures in his back), but was shut down by the coaching staff, on the advice of the (since fired) medical staff.
The question however was, is Carson Wentz elite? Is he to be mentioned in the Brady, Rodgers, Wilson, Brees, Mahomes crowd? Is he in that upper echelon of current NFL QB’s? The short answer is: No. He isn’t.
Currently, Carson is 0 – 1 in the playoffs. We Eagles fans can spin that 2019 playoff loss to Seattle any way we like, but the facts are, Carson started the game and the Eagles lost it. Period. Until Carson gets that first playoff win under his belt, he’s going to be the Buddy Ryan of QB’s: Great in the regular season, but the world’s greatest tease in the playoffs.
Carson’s arm strength, accuracy, ability to read defense, and ability to make plays that make other players gasp, are all top-notch. There is no doubt that he is an elite talent, but there is a difference between being a “talent”, and being a guy who delivers. To become an elite QB, to become a guy who delivers, Carson has to get this team to an NFC Championship game.
FIRST of all let me say, that this schedule is very nice! A Week 10 Bye would have been better than the Week 8 Bye that we got. However, with the uncertainty surrounding how much of this season will actually get played, while not perfect, this schedule is really really good.
This is a much better schedule than 2019’s, which I said last year was a trap. Because to hell with who’s on the schedule, it’s when the games fall that matters. Last year was loaded with traps. This year…not so much.
Understand, the Eagles won’t have a stout Defense in 2020. There is no feared pass-rusher. Our second level is a question mark. The Secondary just lost it’s leader. So for us to win 11 games, we’re going to have to put up a ton of points this year, and the roster has been stacked to do exactly that.
Home games. We get back to back homes games, and we get a stretch of three home games in the first half of the season. So from Pittsburgh through the Bye (W5 to W10), the Eagles never have to leave the state. As one die-hard Eagles fans pointed out,
Away games. We get three sets of back to back road games. San Fran and Pittsburgh (W4, W5), are early in the year. Then coming off of our Bye (W10, W11), it’s just 2 hours up 95 to NY. The following week we don’t even break the time-zone flying to Cleveland. The only set that concerns me in terms of travel, are (W15, W16) at Arizona and Dallas.
Games that flat out concern me are
*Baltimore (W6) because running QB’s give us fits.
*Seattle (W12) because we have never beaten their running QB.
*Green Bay (W13) because it’s Lambeau in December. We beat them in 2019, but that game was in September.
*New Orleans (W14) because like Seattle, they seem to have our number.
From a knee-jerk expectation standpoint, that still hints at a 12 – 4 record. Not bad, but let’s look closer at this thing. Let’s level the playing field and assume everybody stays healthy on all the rosters.
1. Washington. As long as they run a 3-4 defense, they’ll never beat this team. Especially without a QB. Right Alex?
2. LA Rams. Doug Pedersonhas Sean McVay’s number. Plus the Rams lost a ton of talent.
3. Cincinnati. Expect the Eagles defense to make life hard on the rookie QB.
4. San Francisco. Teams have tape on the 49ers. Andy Reidwill give Doug the blueprint.
5.Pittsburgh. Getting their QB back is a plus, but now his weapons are just average.
6. Baltimore. This one will be trouble if nothing is done about our LB’s.
7. New York giants. Their new coaching staff is on it’s first short week.
8. Dallas. Cowboys second straight road game vs a rested Eagles team.
9. BYE WEEK 7 – 1 (projected)
10.New York giants. Rested Eagles overwhelm inferior opponent.
11. Cleveland. Winnable game, but too much cockiness causes a needed stumble.
12. Seattle. No move in the offseason was made to shore-up their 27th ranked pass defense. The Eagles come into this game with weapons this year.
13. Green Bay. It’s Lambeau. In December. Those four words, in that order, are terrifying.
14. New Orleans. Winnable game. Third road game in a row, for a team that had a W6 bye.
15. Arizona. Not nearly enough effort went into keeping their tiny QB upright. Big mistake. Biiiig mistake.
16. Dallas. Our second road game in a row. Whoever needs this game more, will win it.
17. Washington. This one gets goofy. Eagles back-ups are playing before the half.
Likely 11 – 5
The only game that feels like a predetermined loss is Baltimore. That too could change if the Eagles sign a LB, or one of the young LB’s prove me wrong and becomes a stud. So yeah, the Eagles had better sign someone.
PHILADELPHIA is about to repeat as NFC East champions. Fans of other divisions would shrug and say that’s no big deal. It’s just a division title. Fans in THIS division know that’s far from true. In most years, the NFC East doesn’t produce a winner. It produces a survivor. Which is why since the 2004 – 2005 season, no team in the division has won it back-to-back years.
This year however, the Eagles are looking like they’re going to change that.
Signing RB Corey Clement was a subtle move, but by no means was it small. Social distancing policies have prevented all teams from having Organized Team Activities, and mini-camps. Teams use those periods for things like:
*Offseason workouts to help the team bond and develop chemistry.
*Introductory physicals, and on-site physical therapy by renowned experts.
*Retired veterans who come in to talk to rookies about money, agents, balancing life, etc.
*NFLPA sending reps to discuss insurance, union dues, obligations, legal protections.
*Meetings to discuss core concepts of the system, and Q and A about the playbook.
Teams are trying to do some of this OTA and mini-camp stuff, digitally. However, it’s efficacy has no standard by which to reliably measure it, only to compare it. Also, many teams never got an in-person look at most (or in some cases any) of the athletes that they drafted. Yet they have to go right into Training Camp mode, and immediately begin evaluating players to see who stays and who goes.
This process will be harder on the Cowboys, giants, and Redskins, because all of them have new coaches who have to get to know their teams, and install brand new systems on offense and defense. The odds that they could overlook a gem, and leave talent on the cutting-floor is now more likely than not.
The Eagles have the same coach and (mostly) the same systems from last year, so they don’t have to worry about that steep team-wide learning curve. Which is where a simple move like signing Clement (who already has mastery of the system), will pay huge dividends.
Moreover, there have been rumblings in the last week or so, about the Eagles bringing back LT Jason Peters and LB Nigel Bradham. These would be genius level moves. Bradham would immediately erase our hole at LB, and give the young guys a real LB (not a tweener) to learn the trade from. Peters would immediately ease any doubts people have about LT Andre Dillard, by giving him a little more shakedown time, as well as being on-hand to mentor him.
So last year’s champs have a massive head start. Oh yeah, and this can’t be repeated enough: The Eagles went 5 – 1 in the division while running on fumes, and still won the East. This season the team gets back firepower they hardly got to use last year, and then added to it.
DESPITE the rumors that they’d be traded before the 2020 Draft or, traded during the 2020 Draft, both WR Alshon Jeffery and CB Rasul Douglas are still on the roster. This is the second “I was right” article that I wrote over the weekend, and it feels good to post this motherfucker.
Felt like not a day went by this Spring, where some folks weren’t running these guys out of town. However, it would seem that the Eagles organization finds them more valuable in an Eagles jersey, than as bargaining chips. I kept telling folks, that sort of thinking didn’t add up? But what do I know?
A lot. Turns out, I know an awful fuck of a lot. Yet some folk insist on being wrong. Maybe it’s part of their diet, and they’ll die if they aren’t fucking up. Who knows? (Probably ME!) But let me give my back and my palm a rest, and get back to talking Eagles, specifically.
I for one am excited by this, and what it does for our chances to repeat as NFC East champs. Understand, that in a year where there will be no OTA’s, no mini-camp, and an abbreviated Training Camp, having guys who have mastered our systems already, is a massive advantage over teams just learning theirs. There is no learning curve for our guys, so they can just hit the ground running.
Better still, our new players will have an easier time learning, because everywhere they look is an example of a player who knows what he’s doing, and why. Imagine being new somewhere, and the two other people whom you work directly with, are also new. Think of all the communication errors! Or when everyone thinks something was the other person’s responsibility.
The Eagles have accountable teachers from wall to wall. Why monkey with that? Oh yeah. The other thing is, Alshon and Rasul actually make plays. What fool lets that kind of quality walk out the door, without a bonafide successor in the wings, or for a sweet post-Draft trade package?
So you can shut the rumor machines down. The 2020 Draft has passed, and Alshon and Rasul are still rocking midnight green.
WHAT the fuck was that?! This is our first round pick? Are you shitting me?!? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the player. If they use him right… Seriously. It’s not the player I’m pissed over. What irritates me is that with studs at WR, and other positions, we selected a slot receiver. Oh yes we did! Small, quick, and has problems with being pressed? That equals Slot in the NFL.
Side note, before we get into it: Remember when the local media and some fans, were trying to rumor WR Alshon Jeffery’s way out of Philadelphia? Remember about a month ago when GM Howie Roseman suddenly started talking Jeffery up, in public? Yeah, this is why. The Eagles can’t start a small WR, who has trouble being physical on the outside. So like I’ve been telling you: Get comfy with Alshon in 2020. (Unless you want to put money on WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, suddenly being ready to play NFL ball.)
For those of you who see links to this through social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.): Over the next couple of days, you will see this same article re-posted, but there will be new content added to it each day.
Now let’s get to it.
Round 1 (#21 overall): WRJalen Reagor
He’s fast, but not really a deep threat, because he has a small catch radius, and isn’t a contested ball winner. He also has issues with press coverage. However, being fast, quick and agile, he’s a natural as an NFL Slot receiver.
Also, his blocking reminds me of Matthew McConaughey doing a French accent in a movie. You say there’s no such thing? EXACTLY. Tell me that his blocking in this video didn’t make you queasy. This guy doesn’t like to mix it up, and that ain’t a great trait for a football player.
He does have experience as a returner. That said, I’m hoping we didn’t spend a first round pick on a returner. Especially in a game where the return aspect is being legislated away, a little more every year. Seems like it would be self-defeating right? Like masturbating with a cheese grater.
Reagor has some physical tools that can be harnessed, but he’s strictly a complimentary piece, and the first round of the Draft is no time to take complimentary pieces. That first pick is supposed to be a tone setter, and there is nothing about this guy’s game that says tone setter.
DAY TWO:
I found a new way to enjoy my Pepto Bismol. I call it the Roseman. I’ve named the ulcer Howie.
Round 2 (#53 overall): QB Jalen Hurts
Where to begin? Where to begin? Oh I know! How about last night’s quote from GM Howie Roseman: “For better or worse, we’re quarterback developers. We want to be a quarterback factory.”
Note to reader: Factories make things to sell them, not to keep them. The next time you get a jersey with the name of an Eagles QB on it, you may want to make it a rental.
Enough about the pick. Let’s talk about the player.
Jalen Hurts can run and isn’t afraid to lay his body on the line. As a QB who’s (too) quick to scramble, he brings an element of spontaneity that defensive coordinators will find nearly impossible to game plan for. While he may not possess the biggest arm in this draft class, he can make every throw required of a pro.
On the other hand, his accuracy stats are eye-popping, until you watch film and see how often he throws Screens, and dump-offs. He possesses no pocket presence, and in fact, his quick-bail tendency can make an offensive line look worse, as they may not know if or where he’s scrambling from.
Remember how bad the line looked when QB Randall Cunningham played here, but how much better they looked when literally anyone else started? When you don’t scramble with a plan, your line doesn’t know how to protect your exit. Our new pick likes to scramble without a plan, and that may get Jalen, hurt.
All at once, this pick is a large middle finger to QBNate Sudfeld, and a warning shot at QB Carson Wentz. Dear Carson, Next time: With your shield or on it. As I said back on March 5th: The next time Carson voluntarily goes into a tent, there should be s’mores involved.
Round 3 (#103 overall) OLBDavion Taylor
YAY!!! Another LB ‘tweener! Because you can never have too much of something, that you already have too many of. Either he’s a LB that can’t beat blockers, or a SS that can’t cover and has no ball-skills. It’s up to the Eagles to decide which of these things they’ll give him your money for.
He’s 228, did 21 bench reps, and has 4.5 speed. He’s a test trap. You know, like Mikey Mamula. Ohhhhh, you remember that name don’tcha? DE Mike Mamula, tested off the charts, right? How’d that work out for us?
I swear, I’m not picking on Taylor. Look at the video. It’s not a highlight video, so it’s one that shows you who he is, down-in and down-out, throughout the course of a ballgame. It will show you who YOU will be watching on Sundays. Watch the video. Tell me if you want to see this guy squaring up in the hole vs a division RB.
The video makes it clear that he can read what’s in front of him, regardless of where the coaching staff decides to deploy him (Two Deep, Nickel, blitz, etc.) That said, he needs a refinement of technique throughout his game. From not getting engulfed by blockers, to initiating the action, to boxing in and forcing open-field runners to gear down.
There’s nothing here that can’t be fixed or enhanced, with the simple investment of time, and an opportunity to make a few mistakes. He has the instincts and the physical tools, as long as he’s played as a DB. Asking him to play Nickel LB in the NFL, is setting him up for failure. Give the kid a chance, and that should be all he needs.
Round 4 (#145 overall): OT Jack Driscoll
Good feet, reads stunts, works combo block well and moves with ease to the second level. The knock on him is that he’s not a people mover. Then again it’s hard to be when most of the time he’s playing out of a two-point stance. In fact, nobody on his offensive line aside from the C, routinely plays with a hand on the ground. You can’t get consistent run blocking leverage, out of a two-point stance.
Pro coaching will get more run blocking out of him. The question is will he be kicked inside to G. Better still, with his relatively short arms, it might be smart to see if he can snap a football.
Round 5 (#168 overall): WR John Hightower
I went with the highlight reel here, because his only game video, shows a guy who wasn’t a factor in a double digit comeback win.
There isn’t much to say here. He has 4.4 speed if he’s running a straight line. He may break 12 tackles if he plays a decade, and he’s not going to break a single ankle that he wasn’t born with. He adds value as a KR, but we took care of that need in the first round. He’s definitely Practice Squad material, but odds are long against him making the active roster this season.
Round 6 (#196 overall): MLB Shaun Bradley
Watches entirely too much football while he’s on the field. Lacks aggression, and doesn’t initiate or dictate the action, which is a key to success when playing inside. Waits for blocks to find him, and then he sticks to them like he’s made of velcro. Physical traits are meaningless when you leave your heart in the locker room. Even his highlight video is COMEDY . Pure FARCE!
Round 6 (#200): WR Quez Watkins
Yet again went with the highlight video, because the game video is underwhelming. So is his highlight reel, but the alternative was to post a picture of television static.
We have here, yet another fast guy who returns kicks, doesn’t block, and can’t break tackles. This one however, gets alligator arms across the middle. (That’s on the game video.) He’ll compete for a Practice Squad spot, but that seems like where he’ll max out.
Round 6 (#210): OTPrince Tega Wanogho
Note: This is the same game, but a different video than was used for 4th round pick Jack Driscoll. Driscoll was circled in the first one, Wanogho is circled here.
The guy looks good in pass protection, and he gets out nicely on Quick Screens and up to the second level. His hand placement needs some work, but that’s true of almost all offensive linemen coming out of college. Many sources had him being picked earlier, but his run blocking is probably what held him back.
As with teammate Driscoll, Wanogho’s run blocking will vastly improve if he’s taught to routinely put his hand on the ground and uncork his height, before he steps into his blocks. He also needs to sustain his run blocks to the whistle. Too often he disengages, and leaves defenders able to influence the play.
He’s drawn comparisons to (grrrr!) former Eagles LT Jason Peters, back from when Peters was switching from TE to OT. If the time is taken to coach Wanogho up, this guy could be a rose that grew from concrete.
Round 7 (#233): DE Casey Toohill
Mike Mamula’s name was invoked earlier in this Report, and will be yet again here. Like Mamula, Toohill has a great motor, but he’s underpowered. He’s not fluid enough for OLB, but not strong enough to beat blockers. He also stops his feet too often when asked to work in space. Doesn’t seem to have a “thing”. Meaning there’s no bullrush, or swim, or spin, or club or anything that he relies on. Seems to think effort alone is enough to reach the QB, which would explain why it took 5 years to amass just 14 sacks in his career.
*****
On the whole, this wasn’t a Draft that was meant to produce starters in 2020. In fact, I doubt there is a single one of these players who will start a single game, that isn’t necessitated by injury.
This is a re-stocking, so that later we don’t have to shop out of desperation, when resources may not be as plentiful. We’ve opted not to take advantage while our opponents are trying to sort out their new coaches. Instead, we’re building for the day when they’re good, so that we can meet them nose to nose, if we can’t already be better.
This was a shitty Draft for those who’s only cooking is done with a microwave. For those of us who own a pressure cooker and a couple of crock pots, good eats are a-brewin’.
Notable Free Agent signings:
RB Mike Warren
Nicknamed “Truck” by his teammates, I already had Warren on my 2020 Draft Wish List. He gives the Eagles a guy who can gain tough yards between the Tackles, and has nice hands for a 226 pound RB. Sets up blocks well on Screens, and is no fun to tackle. His pass protection needs refinement, but he’s more than wiling to stick his nose in there. He was productive despite playing in a gimmicky read-option offense. Playing in a real system, with TE’s and an offensive line that won’t allow penetration on every other handoff, should help Warren show off his skills enough to make the 55 man roster.
LB Dante Olson
Runs a 4.8 40 and looks slower when running. The issue is that he’s actually a LB, not a the modern LB/S tweener. The guy plays with thump and ballcarriers tend to stop where he meets them. Speed may keep him off most NFL rosters, but a team that only asks him to scrape and perform zone coverage from Tackle to Tackle, could get a real steal here.
OUR earliest pick is 21st this year. There is no way to guarantee which Draft prospect will and won’t be available, by the time we get to select. It is mainly for that reason, that I never attempt to predict the Draft. The other reason is BAA.
What is BAA? The Eagles don’t use a “Needs” based Draft philosophy. They instead take a “Best Athlete Available” approach. Meaning, they’ve ranked every player in the draft pool, and will take the highest ranked player on their board, REGARDLESS of his position, whenever an Eagles pick comes up. The Eagles are not alone in this. Most of NFL teams use BAA as their draft strategy these days. The Eagles have made exceptions, but this is generally our M.O.
Understand, this is NOT a mock draft. This Wish List is what the Eagles Draft would look like, if I were the GM. By the way, expect to see me reach once or twice. If a guy is a great fit, you go get him. Period. End of story. Don’t listen to media pundits try to determine where a guy “should be” picked. Just go get your guy. When he becomes a perennial All-Pro, you won’t care that some twit said he should have been drafted in later round. Get. Your. Guy.
Were I the GM, these are the playerswho would be Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020:
Round 1 (#21 overall): LB Kenneth Murray – WR is deep, but there is a scarcity of NFL cailber LB’s in this draft. Murray is a three down MLB with enough size (6’2 240), to handle the run in this division. He has sideline to sideline speed, and is even an effective blitzer. With a defensive line in front of him that will demand a double-teamed DT on nearly every snap, Murray would be free to flow to the football, or could be used to corral scrambling QB’s.
Round 2 (#53 overall): CB Jeff Gladney – At 5’10 191 pounds, he’s not an imposing specimen, but he’s also not ankle-biter. He’s sticky in coverage and attacks the run. The video below will show him giving WR CeeDee Lamb all that he can handle. If things don’t pan out with CB Sidney Jones this year, Gladney is a great insurance policy going forward.
Round 3 (#103 overall): WR Denzel Mims – As deep as this position is, it would be foolish to run right out and get a WR. This guy has been on my (and apparently a LOT of local people’s) radar for a couple of months now. Sporting a straight-forward style that just looks like Philadelphia, he’s a 6’3, 210 pounder, who can run, will block, and make the odd circus catch here and there.
Round 4 (#127 overall): WR/RB Antonio Gibson – Yes, two receivers in a row! The Eagles badly need a kick return threat. Gibson not only fits that bill, but he can also contribute on Offense, and in all four aspects of Special Teams. Odds are slim that the Eagles would keep 6 WR’s, but at 6’ 2, 220 pounds (the NFL site has him erroneously listed at 6’0) , with his ability to effectively carry the football, he might challenge RB Boston Scottfor his roster spot. Seriously, watch the video.
Round 4 (#145 overall): DE Marlon Davidson – Huge for the position (6’3, 303 pounds). Can play both inside and outside, but is definitely a DE not a DT. Generally sets his edge well, but still can get pressure on the QB. Watching this video reminded me very much of DE Vinny Curry in 2017.
Round 4 (#146 overall): RG Damien Lewis – This guy is a bully in the run game. Honestly, watch the video (RG #68). It’s easy to score points when the defensive line is too tired, and too beat up to rush the QB, or fill gaps. Also, with RG Brandon Brooksanxiety issue, and his rehabbed arm, it’s not a bad idea to have some insurance.
Round 5 (#168 overall): RB Mike Warren – This is a reach pick. Almost everyone says that he can be had after the Draft, but why gamble? He’s a big RB who plays to his size, has good hands and can be split out wide. The Eagles need a short yardage inside runner, and this guy is one of just a couple of those in this Draft. (A.J. Dillon is big, but runs soft. Sewo Olonilua already makes questionable off the field decisions.) Pull the trigger and get the guy we need. After all it’s just gambling a 5th round pick, not a kidney.
Round 6 (#190 overall): C Zach Shackleford – This is also a reach pick. Many suggest that he can be added as a free agent after the Draft, but as I said: If the guy has what you need, go get ‘im! Shackleford is a battler inside, with intangibles like leadership and football intelligence. He isn’t the biggest or the strongest, or the fastest. Then again, people said those same things about C Jason Kelce didn’t they? In years to come, Shackleford could prove an absolute steal.
As I said, a couple of my guys here are reaches, and that’s okay. The Chargers received no consolation prize for drafting Ryan Leaf where everyone thought he should go. That’s because the idea is to get a guy who contributes. If the player picked contributes regularly, then the pick was a good one.
Adding this draft class of complimentary players to the Eagles roster, would not only patch the holes and provide depth, but also sets up the team for the 2021 Draft.
WELL before the Eagles won Super Bowl 52, we knew that TE’s Trey Burton and Brent Celek weren’t coming back to Philadelphia. Burton was about to be a free agent and command a nice chunk of change on the open market. TE Zach Ertz was the headliner in Philly, and there wasn’t enough cap space to sensibly have two high-priced TE’s.
So when the Chicago Bears backed a dump truck full of money (4 years, 32M$) up to Burton’s door, no Eagles fan had hard feelings about it. Absolutely nothing in his history suggested that he should have made even half of that, so the feeling was ‘Sure. He should take the money and run.’ We generally wished Burton well, (as long as he wasn’t playing against us), and everyone turned the page.
Well, the Bears just cut Burton after two seasons where he didn’t deliver on a deal that he was never, ever going to live up to. Honestly, Burton isn’t a starting TE. He’s more of a TE 2A/TE 2B type.I mean, statistically speaking, Zach Ertz had Burton’s entire career in 2018. So Burton won’t see another ridiculous payday, which means he’s not going to end up starting anywhere.
But that doesn’t mean that he isn’t valuable. Even highly valuable! Burton plays Special Teams. That’s kick coverage and hands team. He has collegiate experience at QB, HB, WR and TE. For the Eagles he’s lined up all over the place, and we do love to move our TE’s around. Which we can do, because we have a genuine TE 1 in Ertz.
This means that TE Josh Perkins (whom I like), would be the odd man out, but if you had to pick between Burton and Perkins… I mean c’mon, with Burton the Eagles get a Swiss Army knife who’s a better blocker. The only question is, would Burton be okay with the role of TE 3, behind TE Dallas Goedert? If so, then bringing him back here would be a great move for him, and for the team.
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