Rants

GAMBLING AT LEFT TACKLE.

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/31
Posted in: Coaching, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, Rants, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

jason-peters-jordan-mailata

FOR anyone who doesn’t know this already, the LT position is the premier offensive line assignment, in football. That position is the one which protects the QB’s blindside. It’s not one that smart teams gamble with. Let me ask you: Are you okay with gambling on protecting QB Carson Wentz’s blindside?

Jason Peters was brought in after RG Brandon Brooks was lost with an Achilles tear. Peters was asked to play RG and given a 1.8M$ deal. Fans were excited. Partly because we figured that if something happened to LT Andre Dillard, or if Dillard didn’t pan out, we could always move Peters back out to LT.

Well something did happen to Dillard, and now people are acting confused over how we should deal with it. Whom shall we put out at LT? How do we protect our Franchise QB? If only we had a Hall Of Fame, perennial All-Pro caliber player, nicknamed “The Bodyguard”. This is the easiest decision to make since “and now another breath”, but here we are over-thinking it.

Some fans figure that perhaps OL Matt Pryor can take over at LT. Or even OL Jordan Mailata. No disrespect, but Pryor has played almost exclusively at RG, for a career grand total of 79 downs. Both times were in relief of Brooks. Mailata has yet to play a single down in the regular season. Again, are you okay with gambling on protecting Carson Wentz’s blindside?

LT is not a position to trifle with, and big time talent, costs big time money. In fact, if you look across the NFL, you’ll find that the highest paid offensive lineman on most teams, is generally the starting LT. Which brings me to another point.

There are fans and sportswriters irritated that Peters wants more money to move back to LT. Let’s clear this up immediately: Peters SHOULD ask for more money. The market value of a G is significantly lower than a LT. Moreover, based on their understanding of the market, the Eagles Front Office should have had the class to offer a re-worked deal, when they came to ask him to switch positions.

Look at the market for starting LT’s. None of us working stiffs will make NFL money in 2020, but we all understand the value of not allowing our employers to underpay us for good work. Look at this through that lens.

Here in 2020, the average NFL team pays out 10.3M$ on it’s LT position, as shown here. So far in 2020, the Eagles (counting Dillard) are spending 3.77M$. TOTAL. The only teams less invested at the LT position, are Jacksonville (3.72M), then Washington (2.68M), and then the giants (1.56M). Is this the kind of company we should be keeping? Is this who the Eagles are now?

The cap space is available in terms of the 21M$ that we want to roll-over into 2021’s salary cap situation. Upping Peters deal an additional 6 or 7M$ cuts into that, but again: Are you okay with gambling on protecting Carson Wentz’s blindside? That’s the issue here.

COWBOYS ADD PAST RUSH

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/14
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, free agents, NFC East, Players, Rants, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

bruce springsteen.jpg

LOOKS like the Cowboys have done it again! Yet again, they’ve put on Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” and reached into the fog, and back through the ages. They grabbed onto DE Everson Griffen’s 2017 reputation, and pulled it into the present. They stood over it proudly. Then they gave it some money. Never considering that Griffen’s body comes with his past reputation.

Griffen is coming off of an 8 sack season in Minnesota. He started 15 games, playing 848 defensive snaps. Apparently the Vikings felt that his back-up, DE Ifeadi Odenigbo (7 sacks, 0 starts, 368 snaps) made Griffen expendable enough to just let walk. That is telling. It makes me wonder about what went on in the treatment room.

Cowboys mainstay DE Demarcus Lawrence hasn’t been the same guy since his 14.5 sack season three years ago. Funny, that was also a contract year. Since getting his money, Lawrence has provided diminishing returns, despite having reliable help along the line.

lane jonson stonewalls demarcus lawrence as carson wentz sets to deliver.

Having not played a snap since 2015, it seemed that DE Aldon Smith was more like All Done Smith. Even before his 4 year hiatus, Smith had spent his last three seasons being a shadow of the player he’d been in his first two seasons. Frankly, the addition of Griffen, this late in the game, doesn’t indicate much faith in Smith.

The team also added DT’s Dontari Poe and Gerald Warren. Both are solid pass rushers, but they both saw diminished snaps in 2019, and were allowed to just walk out the door after the season.

Po Teletubbies

So the Cowboys went out and assembled, what would have been a really good defensive line in 2012. Except well…Demarcus Lawrence wasn’t in the NFL back then. He and Aldon Smith have never been good at the same time.

Past rush, or pass rust, Griffen’s signing seems to indicate that the Cowboys are already disappointed with the firepower they added months ago.

In the blink of a young girl’s eye, glory days!

Bruce-Springsteen.jpg

COVID-19 THIS SEASON

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/11
Posted in: Conversations, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Zeke eat virus

MARCH 18, 2020 was the last day that Philadelphia saw single digit (8) new cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), better known by it’s unhappy neighbors as either Coronavirus, Covid-19, or Ms. Rona. With Fall and Football season coming up, I wanted to talk about this thing from a slightly different angle.

I’m going to throw some numbers at you. Don’t run off. They’ll be easier to follow than QB passing stats.

Currently the city is in what is referred to, as a ‘Modified Green‘ phase of re-opening. We are not now, nor have we yet been, to ‘Full Green‘ phase yet. In the 38 days since going Modified Green on July 3rd, we’ve seen 4,623 new cases, for a daily reporting average of 121.6. Once there’s a lull in patients at work, I track the daily reporting numbers.

That term “daily reporting” is a tongue-in-cheek term. While people are testing daily, test results are not immediate. Some take a few as 2 days for facilities like hospitals that have their own on-premises lab. For other testing facilities, which have to send the tests to a lab, results can lag as long as 14 days behind.

8.9.20 covidphila

This chart is as of 5p.m. on 8/10/20

Even on the City Of Philadelphia’s official Coronavirus webpage, the daily reports are adjusted daily to reflect the new results that came in for that day. For example: At the moment, the new cases for Friday (8/7/20) is at 68. (It was at 52 when I started this article two hours ago)*. That number will creep upward for at least the next week. This is because every day, delayed results come in, and get added to the date of the test.

Now for those numbers that I promised.

June 1st to July 2nd (Yellow Phase) : 3,793 new cases, over 32 days, with an average of 118.5 new cases per day.

July 3rd to July 26th (Modified Green – Dormant Reporting) : 3,201 new cases, over 24 days, with an average of 133.3 new cases per day.

July 27 – August 10th (Modified Green – Active Reporting) : 1,422 new cases, over 14 days for an average of 101.5. Keep in mind, NONE of the numbers in this 14 day range can be counted on to be final. While at first glance it always looks like the curve is flattening in the Active Reporting range, the Dormant Reporting range tells what happens by the end of that cycle.

As you can see here on the city’s page testing-and-data/ in the upper corner of the Positives section, it cautions the reader that “Data May Be Delayed”. So again, the numbers in the 14 day range will creep upward for usually a week, but sometimes as long as two weeks. That’s just the raw data.

Data Arguing

Okay, maybe not THAT raw.

The point of this article, is to say that the Philadelphia region is not ready for a move to Full Green. There has clearly not been a “flattening of the curve.” In fact the data suggests that we’re ticking upward, even with the aid of outdoor spaces and ultraviolet rays, which help kill the virus (while in the air, not inside the body, Mr. President).

Philly’s leaders can’t allow the local economy to cave in, so some degree of being open is needed to keep people fed. Especially before the weather changes and forces people back into confined areas. (No outdoor spaces, and far less UV rays. COMING SOON! Get the picture?) We shouldn’t fault our elected officials for trying to do as much as they can, while they can.

Liberty Bell (1)

However, we the people ARE the government. By voice, by vote and by demonstrative acts as individuals. A move to Full Green does not mean that we as individuals are required to act as if we’ve put this thing behind us. Should our elected officials open movie theaters, or schools, or stadiums or whatever, in a way that flies in the face of our common sense, we are responsible for using OUR individual actions to demonstrate a lack of support for such a move.

Understand, intelligence is not what you know. It is in fact, your capacity to learn. Can you learn? is the question. Can you think? Unless we want to be the next Florida, or Texas, or California, or Georgia, then fellow Philadelphians, we have to demonstrate the capacity to learn. The ability to make a choice based on our intelligence and not our animalistic comforts.

The lives of our most cherished loved ones are depending on it.

*By the time I was able to get this article out, the case reporting for 8/7/20 had gone from 52 to 68 to 80.

THE NFL’s 33rd TEAM

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/07/22
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, NFC East, NFL, Players, Rants, Rivals, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2019 Wentz is a gunslinger​
DOES anybody remember the Philadelphia Eagles? Last time I checked, that was the last team to win the NFC East division. Yet the national sports media scarcely acknowledges that Philly has a football team. Unless it’s a week where every team in a division gets a day.​

Oh wait! We did get some press after WR DeSean Jackson had a tweet that was viewed as offensive by some people. You may have heard of it? In any case, it was handled, and the rest of sports world forgot about the team again.​

Outside of that, when the Eagles do get brought up, it’s usually just a mention while being looked past. For example, despite taking the division directly away from the Dallas Cowboys, in a “do-or-die” second match-up last year, the national media seems to think that the Cowboys will win the division in 2021.​

2019 Sanders TD run

The Cowboys couldn’t beat the Eagles when they were more or less at full strength, and Philly was injury depleted. The Cowboys #1 ranked offense was held to nine points in that game. NINE. Versus an injury decimated team. And they’re still the favorites this year! With a new head coach!!​

We re-signed OL Jason Peters, immediately plugging a hole created by injury, and providing a gold plated insurance policy. Did that help the Eagles move into the favorite spot? Did it even invite a new discussion of how this would impact the Eagles, and thus the division?​

No. It did neither. No professional “journalist” wants to have those discussions. Instead, as expected, the national sports media delivered Jerry Jones his annual blowjob for wasting money, and producing more hype than substance.​

Mike Bolton Office Space disgusted
Whether being repeatedly overlooked, or listening to another year of empty Dallas hype, neither by themselves is even worthy of notice. However, when placed side-by-side, they create this weird effect. Almost like a prolonged feedback noise. A noise that usually lasts from April to October.​

Only four times in this New Millennium has the NFC East not gone to (9 times) or through (7 times) Philadelphia. That means that sixteen times in the last twenty years (TWO DECADES), the division couldn’t be decided without Philadelphia weighing in. Plus winning it twice as often as anyone else in the division, despite three head coaches over the span.​

Yet we barely rate a mention this time of year. Annually! It’s beyond annoying.

This year with the lack of other real football news, it’s worse than usual. It has me looking forward to the season for my salvation, because once the game count, and our winning starts, the Eagles cannot be looked past any longer.

2.7 New boss

UNSIGNED EAGLES ARE A PROBLEM

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/07/12
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Draft, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TRAINING Camps are rumored to be targeting a July 28th start date. With today being July 12th, that’s a mere 16 days from now. Two weeks and two days, or “Two and two.”

Love Connection Chuck Woolery.jpg

In the meantime, eight of our ten 2020 Draft picks, are still unsigned. To be clear, they will not be able to participate in TC without a contract. Not being able to do so, would slow their learning curve, and limit how early they can become serious contributors. Who do we have yet to sign? Take a look:

1st – No. 21 – WR Jalen Reagor

2nd – No. 53 – QB Jalen Hurts

3rd – No. 103 – LB Davion Taylor

4th – No. 127 – S K’Von Wallace

4th – No. 145 – OT Jack Driscoll

5th – No. 168 – WR John Hightower

6th – No. 196 – LB Shaun Bradley

7th – No. 233 – LB/DE Casey Toohill

Reagor not being signed (at this point), is extremely troubling. WR Alshon Jeffery isn’t expected back anytime soon from his 2019 foot injury. On the other hand, WR DeSean Farrakhan is being made to jump through hoops just to remain an Eagle.

In the event that the Eagles release Djax, the Offense will be right back where it was when the 2019 season ended. By that I mean, leaning on WR Greg Ward, and hoping that WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside can somehow put together the concepts of “get open” and “catch ball”.

Whiteside drops an easy score.

Remember this drop? If he catches this, he scores and we win. We lost 24 – 27. Good times.

The LB position remains an open wound. It would be asking a lot for 3rd round rookie LB Davion Taylor to be the upgrade that we need. However, we’re so thin on talent there, that we basically have to ask for exactly that.

All indications are that the Eagles have big plans for FS K’Von Wallace, but every day that he misses of TC, will be like a week’s worth of make-up time. Rookies who fall behind mentally, become liabilities that opponents will exploit during the season.

Not to downplay the importance of the remaining five Draft picks on the above list, but 1) None of them are signed either, and 2) The three guys that I pointed out, are the guys that the team needs big contributions from in 2020. (If there’s even a season.)

Rookie wages are subject to a wage scale, where every player earns less than the guy drafted ahead of him. So there are already valuation charts that approximate what every rookie should eventually sign for.

paid peanuts

Usually the Eagles have the rookies signed by late April, mid May, but many sportswriters want to speculate that the delay is because of the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. However, given that Philadelphia moved into the Yellow Phase of the re-opening on June 5th, there is no reason why these deals shouldn’t have been/ couldn’t have been, negotiated in principle over Zoom, and then road tripped to finalize and sign.

Right now, we’re thin at LB and we aren’t signing rookies or veterans. Right now, we’re shaky at Opening Day WR, but instead of signing a top threat, we’re hinting at cutting one of the NFL’s top deep threats. Right now, we have more questions than answers at S, but we aren’t signing or trading for any.

Until we address those things, we can’t even seriously entertain the idea of adding an insurance RB, or getting some help at LT, or spending big coin on an over-hyped DE, who has just 32 sacks in 6 years. GM Howie Roseman, you gotta get it together.

THE REDSKINS NEW NAME

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/07/03
Posted in: Conversations, NFC East, NFL, Rants, Rivals, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FED EX, Nike, and any other company that wants the Redskins to change their name, because it’s “racist” is full of shit. Keep in mind, this is coming from an Eagles fan. I absolutely-

LOVE Eagles

-to see our NFC East rivals, with their nuts in a vice. That said, a line has to be drawn. I have to stick up for the Redskins on this. 

Don’t get me wrong.You half expect the team’s fight song to be ‘Mammy’ by Al Jolson.Their name is racist. We all know it’s racist, and rival fan bases have been giving the Redskins shit for it, for decades now. It’s low hanging fruit, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving. But that’s not the point.

The Redskins, were already named the Redskins, back before there was a Nike, or a Fed Ex. They started out as the Boston Braves (still Native Americans) in 1932, and changed the name to the Boston Redskins in 1933. Nike started as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964, and FedEx didn’t start up until 1971. Only Pepsico (called Pepsi-Cola in 1902) is older than the Redskins. (I went upstairs and got a Pepsi, just to drink it while I wrote this part.)

So of course the Redskins were already the Redskins, when these companies came around, asking to tie themselves to an established brand, in order to increase their own visibility. They wanted to advertise to everyone who tuned into see the team with the racist name, and sell their products to that team’s fans.

ice to Eskimos

These companies have been good with the Redskins being the Redskins for decades. Now due to some protests and statues being taken down, suddenly these companies have grown a conscience? Now they want to turn around and point their fingers at the Redskins for having a racist name?! That level of hypocrisy… The sheer BALLS to do such a thing… These people must get their pants specially made. They have to.

Let me ask a question: Hey Redskins fans, do you care what company makes your team apparel? Nike? Reebok? Probably not. One sweatshop employing underage children is the same as another. Right?

And FedEx! In 1998, those bitches bought the naming rights to the team’s home stadium, FedEx Field.

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If you look closely, you’ll see that half of that “crowd” are giants fans,. 

That 27 year, 205M$ deal runs through 2025. Let me nutshell that even further. For 22 years of a 27 year deal, FedEx has found everything to be copacetic with their name on the REDSKINS stadium. And NOW it’s racist?

Dan Snyder should tell FedEx, that if they wish, they can take their name off of his stadium, but that he gets to keep the outstanding balance of the contract (38M$ approximately). He should also say, that if they attempt to renege on the terms of the deal, that he’ll see them in court.

As an Eagles fan, I want to be able to torment Redskins fans about their racist name, for as long as I dare to cheer for people throwing around a hog-skin orb.

shadenfreude2

I don’t like that their name is racist, but I am tickled by watching them squirm as they acknowledge it, while feeling a need to uncomfortably defend it. And fuck anybody who tries to take that away from me.

BRINGING BACK MALCOLM JENKINS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/06/11
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Rants, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

Chris Long and Malcolm Jenkins

Jesus. How lucky were we in 2017?

SAFETY Malcolm 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:

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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 Russell would be a Hall Of Famer and you wouldn’t even know who Joe Montana was. Taylor Mays would be a perennial All-Pro, and Brian Dawkins would have had a two year career.

Brian Dawkins HALL OF FAMER

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.

card.malcolm.jenkins2

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. 

2019 Malcolm Jenkins pre-game

SIGN McCOY ALREADY!

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/06/09
Posted in: Conversations, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

player-leseanmccoy

WHAT the fuck is the hold-up!? While the Eagles are solid with RB Miles 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.

Super Bowl LIV: LeSean McCoy says, 'We want to do this for Andy ...

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 WR DeSean Jackson and 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.

player-leseanmccoybelt.profootballzone

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.

THE  LINEBACKER PROBLEM

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/05/12
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), Players, Rants, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

byron and seth upend emmitt

LINEBACKER is one of two positions where the Eagles have an extremely spotty Draft history. If you go back to 1975 (the year I was born), there have have only been nine LB’s drafted by, and panning out, as a four year starter for the Eagles: Reggie Wilkes 1978, Jerry Robinson 1979, Anthony Griggs 1982, Seth Joyner 1986, Byron Evans 1987, William Thomas 1991, Jeremiah Trotter 1998, Mychal Kendricks 2012, Jordan Hicks 2015.

Let me say that again. In 45 years, and after spending 52 draft picks on the LB position, the Eagles have had just NINE of them pan out. Since Jeff Lurie bought the team in 1994, the numbers are just 3 out of 27. Keep in mind that 1994 was 26 years ago. So we’ve drafted just three successful LB’s, in the last quarter century.

Which brings us to our current situation.

Many media types are wondering if the Eagles did enough in the 2020 Draft to shore up our holes at the MLB and OLB position. Let me disabuse you of the notion that this is a question. No. The Eagles have not done enough to patch the holes at LB.

card.LB nate.gerry

DC Jim Schwartz has given OLB Nate Gerry a few starts at MLB, and every time yields disastrous results. Gerry playing MIKE gives us sideline to sideline hustle, and better than average fluidity in coverage because he played Safety in college. Due to his size, in the NFL he was either going to be a fast LB, or a slow S. The Eagles opted for fast LB, and as long as Gerry stays on the outside, he’s an absolute asset and a playmaker. But he lacks the sand in his pants to play inside, or to start vs a run heavy offense, that has a good blocking TE.

Right now OLB Genard Avery is sitting in limbo. As an edge defender, his speed and power adds juice to our pass rush. He also has a history of playing ILB, and does a good job of not staying blocked when facing offensive linemen. Since opposing blocking schemes already are going to struggle with the Eagles DT’s, if Avery could make the move to MLB, our interior could become a virtual No Man’s Land. That however, is speculation on my part. To date there is no word of Avery making a move inside. 

OLB Jatavis Brown was added via Free Agency. In 2018, injuries forced the Chargers to start him in 10 of the 15 games he played. He made such an impact that he started just 1 of 13 in 2019. At 220 pounds, he’s a big S, but an undersized LB. In the limited video I can find of him, he needs help to finish many tackles. In coverage he’s no ballhawk, with zero interceptions in 4 years. He’s got speed, but what’s the point of speed, if you don’t make impact plays? I hope he makes me eat my words.

NFL: Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are high on Second year MLB T.J. Edwards, despite him having what keeps being referred to as “athletic limitations”. While he may not be a great individual athlete, he might be a great team concept football player. It’s worth noting that the Eagles are 4 – 0 when he starts, despite playing a combined 11 snaps in those games. (Perhaps he’s a human rabbit’s foot?) Also in those four games, our Defense which gave up a season average of 22.1 points per game, gave up 13, 14, 17 and 9 points respectively. He made no splash plays in the preseason, regular season or postseason, despite playing in all 21 of those games.

MLB Duke Riley is a 218 pound Special Teamer who saw just 28 defensive snaps in 2019. (This is compared to 111 for the rookie Edwards).

Second year LB Alex Singleton may be among the first wave of cuts. He’s a Special Teamer who didn’t see any defensive snaps during the season. That isn’t exactly a vote of confidence from the team, about his ability to play his position.

Rookie OLB Davion Taylor is a tweener in the Nate Gerry mold. Doesn’t seem to offer much vs the run. he’ll have to add weight to his 225 frame to handle the NFC East.

Rookie MLB Shaun Bradley is nice “local boy makes good” story, but his tape says Practice Squad at best.

Rookie free agent signee, MLB Dante Olson looks like a genuine Tackle to Tackle presence, but that may not be the best scheme-fit. I like him. I really do. However, unless the Eagles are about to alter what we do at MLB, I don’t know how he fits.

ANTIGONE = STILL HERE

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/05/04
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, Roster, trade, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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.

CHANGE MY MIND

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.

APTOPIX Vikings Eagles Football

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.

Just as I said they would be.

CHANGE MY MIND