Reviews

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 2: RAMS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/09/20
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

HOW do we fix this?

Eagles 19 – Rams 37

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Carson Wentz: (26/43 – 60.4% – 242 – 0 – 2)

(S) RB Miles Sanders: (20 – 95 – 4.7 – 1 – 1)

(S) WR DeSean Jackson: (9 – 6 – 64 – 10.6 – 0)

(S) DE Brandon Graham: (1 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: RAMS did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Run the football: I said 24 handoffs at least in this game, and 24 handoffs is exactly what was delivered. As a result, Wentz was sacked exactly none times this week. He also wasn’t holding the ball long, which sort of neutered all the speed we added in the offseason. (DONE)

2) Play more man coverage: We played loose man coverage, and took away the Screen game. However, we also let receivers to uncover far too quickly, allowing the Rams QB to hit on all of his first 13 pass attempts. In fact, the Rams had 21 points on the board before a single pass was contested, as the ball was delivered from clean pocket after clean pocket. We played “man”, but there was no “coverage”. (NOT DONE)

3) Get outside and play: In the 3rd quarter, Wentz hit TE Zach Ertz (7 – 5 – 42 – 8.4 – 0) on a play-action roll-out to his left, but it was the only one not born from pressure. It’s as if the coaching staff feels that they no longer have to be creative or unpredictable, now that we have more speed on the roster. FYI: We have yet to make that speed dangerous to anyone besides our own expectations. (NOT DONE)

4) Capitalize on their punting: What punting? On ten drives, the Rams scored 5 touchdowns, 1 field goal, had 2 punts, 1 drive ended by half-time, and 1 drive ended by the game expiring. We can’t stop anybody or generate turnovers. The one turnover we had today, was generated by our Special Teams. Our Defense is trash. And no I didn’t stutter. (NOT DONE)

This week we did 1 out of 4 things, (3 of 8 on the season), which is how you get keistered by almost 20 points. We were almost blown out. At home! In front of our cut-outs!

There is a metric fuck-ton to fix, in order to avoid going 0 – 3 vs Cincinnati next week.

On The Whole:

I know many fans are going to want to put this on Wentz, because he didn’t throw a touchdown, while throwing two interceptions. Fine. Go ahead. I won’t argue with that crowd.

FOR THE REST OF YOU: I’m far more concerned with our inability to stop anybody, or even seem to slow them down much. On those eight drives not ended by the Rams just LETTING time expire, they scored six times. Five of those six scores were touchdowns.

In two weeks, this Defense has also generated zero turnovers, and hasn’t even been close to doing so. Next week we face an 0 – 2 rookie QB, and run game that is sputtering. If we can’t stop that team from putting up 21, then it will be time to seriously evaluate the Defense from the top down.

This season is far from over. The two division leaders are both sloppy 1 – 1 teams. So the NFC East is by no means out of reach, or even starting to slip away. That said, we need to put up a “W”, quick, fast and in a hurry. The fastest way to do that, will be finding a way to stop opponents from scoring at will.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK1 : FOOTBALL TEAM

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/09/14
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

EIGHT sacks allowed.

Eagles 17 – Football Team 27 

EAGLES LEADERS:

QB (S) Carson Wentz: (24/42– 57.1% – 270 – 2 – 2)

RB (S) Boston Scott: (9 – 35 – 3.8 – 0 – 0)

TE (S) Dallas Goedert: (9 – 8 – 101 – 12.6 – 1)

DE (B) Josh Sweat: (3 – 1.0 – 0 – 1)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in  Four Things: Football Team did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Run the football: We handed the ball off just 16 times today. Compared with 42 passing attempts, and 1 QB sneak. Play-calling like that (71.1% pass) will get a defense not respecting the run, and teeing off on our QB to the tune of 8 sacks. Especially against a makeshift Offensive Line that took on more injuries during the game. No attempt at establishing a rhythm on the ground was ever attempted. (NOT DONE)

2) Blitz off our right: There were a couple of these after the half, but most of the game was spent with no pressure or contain on our right side. This is particularly damning given the absence of DE Derek Barnett, and the subsequent injury to DE Vinny Curry (1 – 0.5 – 0 – 0). No attempt to shore up that side was ever made. (NOT DONE)

2020DallasGoedert

TE Dallas Goedert hits paydirt on a 34 yard strike from QB Carson Wentz.

3) Throw aggressively: This was done to the point of foolishness. There were some very nice downfield throws and reads. However, when it became apparent that Wentz wouldn’t have the time to stand in the pocket, shorter routes for the WR’s were not called. (DONE)

4) Make tackles: There were some misses, but nothing egregious, or atypical of standard football. For the most part the Eagles defenders reliably wrapped up what was in front of them. Nobody got put on a poster today. (DONE)

That makes this weeks Four Things score, 2 of 4, and puts us at 2 of 4 on the year. These were easy marks to hit. The fact that we were on 50/50 on them, indicates that somebody (Head Coach Doug Pederson) was being cute today.
Here’s hoping we get some of this stuff ironed out by next week when we face the  1 – 0 Rams. The killers of Cowboys.

On The Whole:

I’m not going to harp on injuries, or use them as an excuse. We’ve been dealing with those for years. We’ve been saying “Next man up” for years. As fans, we’ve been crowing the words “Despite injuries…” for years. So we don’t get to hide behind them now. If a man is paid, he should be able to do his job.

I’m on record as saying that Boston Scott is more of a Screen guy and less of a legit RB. That showed today when he did get carries. When a defender meets him, the play is over. If RB Miles Sanders misses anymore time, we need a better response than Boston Scott.

Eagles WR’s barely showed up today. Part of it was a lack of protection. Part of it was just rookies being rookies (8 targets, 2 completions). Detail stuff like, not coming back to the ball on Curl routes. Nothing to panic over. It’s why you call a rookie a rookie. This was their first NFL experience vs. guys not on their team. Understanding how to leverage a teammate that you see everyday in camp, is different than leveraging guys you’ve never seen. This will get fixed.

The O-Line is a nightmare. On Tuesday I had no idea that RT Lane Johnson would miss this game. For some reason C Jason Kelce was a game-time decision. No one on the right side of our line had ever started an NFL game. You cannot dangle a Franchise QB, on 42 pass attempts, behind a duct taped O-Line IN WEEK ONE! Unless you’re trying to kill him, or get him injured.

Defensively we seemed to pick up where we left off:

Too much room with the cushions.

Too much Nickel.

An unwillingness to blitz.

An inability to generate turnovers.

Our Defensive Line can never reach it’s full potential, if the Secondary keeps allowing receivers to uncover quickly.

There is a great deal that needs addressing this week. Injuries be damned.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK #42: JETS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/30
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Fans, Four Things, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Still not sure if this was a game, or assault and battery.

Eagles 63 – Jets 23

EAGLES LEADERS:

Carson Wentz: (32/39 – 82.0% – 544 – 5 – 1)

Miles Sanders: (31 – 181 – 5.8 – 2 – 0)

DeSean Jackson: (8 – 5 – 167 – 33.4 – 3)

Brandon Graham: (4 – 3.0 – 0 – 1)

Jets Coach Adam Gase. That moment when the Ex-Lax hits during your press conference.

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, in order to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: JETS did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) No biting: Upon being flagged for delay of game, Wentz tore off his helmet, and ran right at the referee. But he didn’t bite him! So we’re making progress there. Carson’s new training regiment has made him a ton more aggressive, but he’s learning to manage it now. That being said, RT Lane Johnson bit a LB, and K Jake Elliott bit a hot dog vendor. So, it’s happening less… (NOT DONE)

2) Eliminate penalties: Unlike last week’s 6 penalties, this week had only 1 penalty. Head Coach Doug Pederson stayed fully dressed, and saved his taunting for the post-game handshake. At which point he yelled “Open neck, no respect!” and smacked Jets coach Adam Gase in the back of his head. It was hard enough to make Gase choke on his chewing gum. Luckily, LT Jason Peters’s fingers were long enough to dig the gum out of Gase’s airway. Vomit was everywhere. (DONE)

3) Fewer points allowed: The Eagles gave the Jets a pre-game, 20 – 0 lead, which was erased by the end of the first quarter. (NOT DONE)

4) Use the scoreboard: Yet again DT Fletcher Cox was invited into the home of a rival coach, by their wife. Cox said that nothing happened though, because Gase’s wife “looks an evil potato that learned how to smile”. Still, seeing it on the big screen was enough to unnerve coach Gase, and provide us an advantage. (DONE)

That makes this week’s FT score a “Meh” 2 out of 4. Which brings the season total to uhhh…This far in, I’m no longer even counting. Tune in next week, when the Eagles harass and heckle yet another team into playing a game. Maybe the Ravens again? I’m hoping for the Ravens.

On The Whole:

This one got out of hand quickly. Easily the highlight of the day was Carson Wentz lining up at weakside LB, and sacking QB Sam Darnold. The sack celebration got a little weird, when Carson grabbed Darnold by the collar, and started shouting that Darnold had “no right” to red hair.

Upon releasing Darnold, Carson went to the sideline, while repeatedly shouting German curse words. Not curse words in German, but the literal words “German curse words”. Weightlifting is making that guy scary.

By the half it was 34 – 23, and the Eagles began letting their fans take snaps here and there. The halftime show involved Earl Thomas and his brother counting out quarters to “go halves” on a hooker. Did you notice my 7 yard run in the third quarter? 

I cannot wait to see what the next game brings us.

RANDOM THROW-IN: December 2, 2012. This is one of the TWO games he ever played in.

MARQUISE GOODWIN. SNEAKY GOOD.

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/05/28
Posted in: Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Roster, stats, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Marquise Goodwin 49er

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.

hmmm...

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 QB Carson Wentz throwing 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.

Loading revolver Dark Tower

Our Offense is loaded and the QB is ready to fire. Sneaky good add indeed. 

IS CARSON WENTZ ELITE?

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/05/26
Posted in: Conversations, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Roster, stats, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

wentz fireworks

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.

Carson Wentz prepares to fire

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.

wentz v TB 2016 rookie preseason

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.

Otherwise he’s just Dak Prescott.

Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott

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.

NFC EAST DRAFT REPORT

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/30
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

DRAFTING isn’t just about who’s getting the fastest return on investment. It’s more about who’s getting the most return on investment. Success is determined by how many of the picks will pan out, thus protecting their team from needing to spend another pick on that same position, any time soon.

Salt Bae Context

The Eagles have won the NFC East in 2 of the last 3 years. Thus, they felt as if they only needed to re-load. The other three teams all hired new head coaches. Given that they all have new “chefs” (so to speak), they all had to go out and get ingredients that they felt their kitchens were missing.

Understand first and foremost, these chefs aren’t all trying to produce the same thing in 2020.

Dallas is in “win now” mode, and trying to whip up a division title. Think of New York as Burger King. They got rid of an iconic figurehead, and they want to sell the image of upscale while still selling fast-food. Washington has been the subject of so many health code violations that hardly anyone will spend money there. Right now they just want to convince people that the rats don’t have rabies.

So these different goals, mean that a successful Draft will have different benchmarks for each team. This means that the players each team has picked, have to be viewed not as data, not as bench reps, or as 40 times, but through the lens of what his team needs him to be.

Let’s get a look at each of our rivals, and how their picks meet their needs. Because of course…Context.

 

redskins draft.jpg

Redskins

DE – Chase Young – He’s talented, but they already had four talented passrushers at DE and OLB. However, drafting Young may have been more about transitioning away from Ryan Kerrigan. On the one hand, that’s smart thinking. On the OTHER hand, it traps the Redskins in a 3-4 system that the Eagles have owned for the last three years.

WR – Antonio Gibson – This one stings on two levels. First, Gibson is a Swiss Army knife with good size and better speed. Second, I wanted the Eagles to draft him. I do not look forward to seeing this guy twice a year.

T – Saahdiq Charles – For a team that needs help at Tackle yesterday, this was a pretty dumb move. Charles is going to be a project. Watching him vs Alabama last year, hints that NFL DE’s will eat him alive.

WR – Antonio Gandy-Golden – Big receiver who plays like one. If he sees opportunities, he could have a nice career.

C – Keith Ismael – This was a weird pick. The ‘skins are already two C’s deep. Why add a third?

LB – Khaleke Hudson – LB/S tweener. He may have been drafted with an eye towards building Special Teams coverage units.

S – Kamren Curl – Small, slow and lacking ball skills.

DE – James Smith-Williams – You can’t make the club, in the tub! Season ending injuries in 2015 and 2016, and was hurt most of 2019.

The Redskins needed help at WR and they got it. Fortunately for Eagles fans, they ignored a number of other needs. We can officially start drawing the chalk outline around Washington’s 2020 season.

 

giants-draft-picks-results-2020-nfl-draft.jpg

giants

T – Andrew Thomas – With Nate Solder at LT, Thomas will likely see action at RT, given that he’s no worse than what they have there already.

S – Xavier McKinney – Not big or particularly fast, this plain old cracker is a Ritz as far the giants are concerned. Their cupboard was bare at this position, and the organization needed to get a guy from a credible program, so if he fails fails, they can at least say they tried.

T – Matt Peart – He’s a project. Given that there is no room to start him, it was weird to blow a pick on him this early. In any case, that’s criticizing the pick, not the player. The player has some potential, but he will likely sit on a shelf for the forseeable future.

CB – Darnay Holmes – Not too interested in making tackles vs the run. Listed at 5’10, but looks 5’5 on tape. Will challenge routes, but doesn’t win many of those challenges. No factor in stopping a vertical attack. He has speed and some ball skills, so he may offer some value as a reserve FS. That said, if the giants insist on this kid playing CB in the NFL, he’s going to get shelled.

G – Shane Lemieux – As a former lineman, this kid’s video was fun to watch. He brings a bouncer’s mentality, shoving people violently, always looking to “throw somebody out of the club”. The guy wants to hit people. Sadly, that quality is no longer an automatic in linemen anymore. Despite him being the enemy, I found myself excitedly rooting for him. Unfortunately, he has issues with a lack of quickness, and awareness. Neither of which are aspects that can be coached up. They could however, be camouflaged if he played C.

LB – Cameron Brown – Solid tackler with a very good motor. He’s not fast, but has functional speed to be a classic scrape LB. The problem with that is in today’s NFL, a LB has to be able to cover. This guy in coverage… It’s awful. He picks up his feet like he’s wearing ankle weights, and changes direction like a glacier. Watching him almost make half a dozen plays, during one 6 and a half minute video, was excruciating.

DE – Carter Coughlin – A 240 pound DE, in the NFC East? Nope. This guy is a camp body. Watch the video vs Iowa and tell me I’m wrong. He offers nothing against the run and less in coverage, despite his 4.57 Combine speed. At best he has kick coverage value.

LB – T.J. Brunson – Has hash mark to hash mark speed, which is unacceptable for a LB weighing only 230 pounds. Watching him “run” felt like chewing tin foil.

CB – Chris Williamson – Takes entirely too many false steps at the beginning of plays, because he doesn’t trust his eyes. This is because he’s still sort of new to the position. That will get him quickly overlooked as he competes with others for a livelihood.

LB – Tae Crowder – Mr. Irrelevant 2020. Dreadfully slow. Cedes too much ground when taking an angle in pursuit, to make up for his poor speed.

The offensive linemen they picked give a rival reason to worry. Defensively the giants weren’t fast before the Draft, and did nothing to address that weakness, as their rivals (particularly Philadelphia) added speed to their offenses.

 

roger goodell.jpeg

Cowboys

WR – CeeDee Lamb – Fast, strong, with good height. All traits that should make him a monster in the Slot. Didn’t see a lot of press coverage. Also benefited from defenses having to keep an eye out, for a QB who ran for over 1,000 yards in 2019. Those factors don’t matter as much in the Slot, but if he’s asked to play the outside, he may struggle more than most fans expect. Nevertheless, this is a solid pick-up.

CB – Trevon Diggs – Great physical tools. Aggressive to the ball. Likes to press, which is great if his team plays Cover Two. Has punt and kick return experience, though he hasn’t done much of either since 2018.

DT – Neville Gallimore – Swing and a miss! Most people are high on him. Not me. Has the build of a gap penetrator, but instead of knifing in, he pops straight up, and starts hand-fighting, often getting caught up in rugby scrums at the line of scrimmage. He’s 100mph on every snap, but that’s only great if he’s heading in the right direction. Often he doesn’t even see which way the play is going. He just plods forward on the snap. That won’t help him at the next level.

CB – Reggie Robinson – Couldn’t find video that wasn’t just highlights only. His pluses are that he’s got good size, and tested well at the Combine. The minuses are what multiple sources write about his ability to stay with his assignment. Still that’s no reason why he can’t play Nickel or zone. No evidence to ding him, so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt here.

C – Tyler Biadasz – Not at all flashy. Anchors fine in pass protection, but doesn’t really move people in the run game. Word is that he has trouble with power inside. That will not be helped by the jump in competition quality, and his mounting medical bills. In the spring of 2019 he had hip surgery, and immediately after the 2019 season, he skipped the Combine to have shoulder surgery. With no offseason program to help him, he’s going to be susceptible to cut-down numbers crunches.

DE – Bradlee Anae – High motor. Plays the pass before the run, which results in unset edges and running himself out of plays. Plays fast, but doesn’t know how to convert speed to power, resulting in him getting washed out of the play vs runs.

QB – Ben DiNucci – No short video, only a whole game. Move along folks. There’s nothing to see here.

Dallas was #2 in passing last season, #1 in yardage and #6 in scoring. They did not need offensive help. They spent part of last season trying to trade for a SS. They lost their best CB, and pass rusher in free agency. So of course the very first thing they did, was bring a handful of sand to the beach. They drafted a WR. True, they got a couple of promising CB’s, but given their “win now” attitude, they came out of this Draft with the same holes they went into it with, and no one who’s going to change the narrative on defense.

*****

SOON

Other writers will judge this Draft based on how talented they think the picked players are. I’m looking towards whether or not the pick helped improve the team they just went to. 

The giants and Redskins don’t expect to win the East this year. So for them, there was no failing this Draft. They’re rebuilding those teams, and so they added some pieces. They even added a couple of really nice ones.

The Cowboys are a different story. More important than getting better than an opponent, a team first needs to be better version of itself. Nobody that the Cowboys added in this Draft, addresses any of 2019’s concerns, or any of the problems that the team created for itself this offseason. They added talent, but they needed it more in other places. 

2020 EAGLES DRAFT REPORT

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/24
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, Reviews, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
judd hirsh as alex reiger.jpg

Alex Reiger. No relation.

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): WR Jalen 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:

Strawberry-Banana-Smoothie

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.

randall1.jpg

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 QB Nate 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) OLB Davion 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.

Here is his complete body of collegiate work.

DAY THREE:

Round 4 (#127 overall): S K’Von Wallace

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!

Goldberg mic drop.gif

 

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): OT Prince 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.

2020 EAGLES

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/16
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

the big bird

LAST season an injury riddled Philadelphia Eagles team, won the NFC East with an overall record of 9 – 7, and a 5 – 1 division mark. This was immediately followed by a Wild Card playoff loss. While Philadelphia is the only team in the division not to get a brand new head coach, the staff on both sides of the ball underwent dramatic renovations. Division rivals who thinks they know this team, may be in for a massive shock to the system.

Now let’s get a look at what the Pre-Draft 2020 Eagles roster, tells us about the team today.

OFFENSE:

QB:

Wentz lasers.jpg

Carson Wentz played all 16 games last year and threw for a career-high 4,039 yards. This he did with an injury depleted receiving group. His mobility was also back on display, as he accounted for 243 rushing yards. The knocks on him are that early in the year he took too many sacks, which led to too many fumbles. By seasons end, those issues seemed to evaporate. If he starts off 2020 at that level, MVP candidacy will be a part of his season.

Given that Wentz started and finished every game in 2019, and given that the 5 starts he missed in 2018 were all due to coaches discretion, the only real games he missed due to being injured, were the ones from 2017. So we can officially deep six the “injury prone” label. Behind him is Nate Sudfeld on a one year deal. Sudfeld isn’t flashy, but when he’s in, the trains still run on time. Given his track record, and familiarity with all things Eagles, it would’ve been in the Eagles best interest to sign him to a longer contract. Kyle Lauletta flamed out in his only year in New York, but the Eagles have a better position staff, and may be able to get something from the lad. If so, they may discover yet another Diamond from Exton. (+)

RB:

card.miles.sanders

Miles Sanders is the guy. This almost definitely will not be a committee position in 2020. Sanders can run the ball, catch the ball, and pass protect. While he is an every down back, he may not be an every situation back. Hard yards up the middle, and heavy workloads don’t seem to favor him. While he was productive when asked to carry the load, it came at a cost. An ankle injury in Week 17, became a knee injury during the playoff loss. It was bad enough for him to need crutches and be asked about surgery. (He didn’t need it.)

Unlike 2019, Sanders won’t split carries for nine weeks. He’ll be in harness from Week One this year. The insurance policies behind Sanders are Boston Scott and Elijah Holyfield. Holyfield is as green as St. Patrick’s Day. Scott had some big moments in 2019, but didn’t demonstrate much in the way of consistency. He had some short TD runs, but he had plenty of carries between the tackles, that went nowhere too. He looks great on Screen passes, but if Sanders goes down, the Eagle are up shit’s creek, because there is no meaningful depth here. (-)

WR:

Alshon and Carson 2017

At the moment this group is no less dangerous than it was last year. Alshon Jeffrey is back to win contested and jump balls in the end zone. Show me the film of the last time he lost one of those contests. DeSean Jackson is back to win foot races to the end zone. Show me the last time he lost one of those. This is the 2020 starting pair for the Eagles, unless they can somehow find a way to upgrade. Greg Ward is likely the new slot receiver. While he’s no burner, he’s a very good route runner with RELIABLE hands, who understands that he needs to uncover quickly to give his QB a place to go with the ball. He’s also proved that he can start on the outside. If he gets the snaps, don’t be surprised to see a 50 catch year from him.

The Eagles also have J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, but so far that doesn’t mean much. Shelton Gibson is also lurking back there, after spending the 2019 regular season on the Browns Practice Squad. There is no secret that the Eagles will spend a high draft pick here, so the landscape WILL change. That said, it’s already dangerous and three players deep, with targets that the triggerman already trusts to get the job done. (+)

TE:

Zach Ertz Dallas Goedert

Zach Ertz 88 catches, 916 yards, 6 TD’s. Dallas Goedert 58 catches, 607 yards, 5TD’s. That’s a combined 144 catches, 1,523 yards, 11 TD’s. There is no more dynamic duo at this position in all of football. Philadelphia boasts a pair of highly reliable targets who also function as capable blockers. And just to rub it in, Josh Perkins is a third stringer who can be split wide, and force secondaries to respect him down the field. (+)

OT:

lane vs watt.jpg

Perennial Pro Pro Bowl RT Lane Johnson is still indisputably one the best in the game. The situation at LT however, depends on who you ask. Some think that second year man Andre Dillard is ready to takeover for the departed Jason Peters, others think he’s a bust in the making. In limited action at LT in 2019, Dillard looked like a rookie in the NFL, who was frequently left on an island. He clearly needs coaching, but it’s far too early to pull the panic lever. In limited action at RT, he was an unmitigated disaster, and had to be sat down. This indicates a player who gets away from his core concepts and fundamentals too easily. That’s fixable, but it’s also the pin in a grenade looking to go BUST!

Depth at this position looks like Matt Pryor who looks far better when moved inside. Jordan Mailata is still on the roster, but his back issues might make 2020 his wrap-up, if he can’t get on the field for the third year in a row. There is a blue chipper here, but this position has far too much to prove to just sign off on it. (-)

G:

RG Brandon Brooks has been voted to the last three Pro Bowls. LG Isaac Seumalo has never been voted to one. That’s not a mistake. Having played his entire career on an Offensive Line that featured 4 Pro Bowl mainstays, it’s not that Seumalo plays on a line that garners no attention. The fact is, he’s an average player at best; or a sub-par player who’s being carried, at worst.

Brooks ended his 2019 season with a dislocated shoulder. It remains to be seen what if any ill-effects will linger as a result. It also remains to be seen if the lingering issues will be all in his head. Brooks already suffers from an anxiety disorder, which flared up in 2019, because he was given a contract extension, that he became worried about living up to. Packing a “comeback” on top of those weekly attacks, which cause him to vomit before every game, may be a tipping point.

Depth at the position looks like Matt Pryor who played solid when filling in for Brooks. Despite all the listed drama, this position has been stable, and advertised as one of the NFL’s best for years now. (+)

C:

Jason Kelce is the best pivot in the division, and it’s not even close. Still, there are rumors that he’s considering retirement. If this is the case, then the Eagles have to begin the transition this year. The Eagles brought in two undrafted rookies in 2019. Keegan Render and Nate Herbig. Based on 2019 preseaon play, Herbig looks like the odds on heir. However, this draft has a couple of guys that could be worth a pick. That’s all in the future though. For now, Kelce is definitely the best in the division and possibly the best in the game. (+)

In a nutshell:

The only question here is whether or not LT Andre Dillard is ready. There are too many weapons here for the QB to be sabotaged by shitty blindside protection. If that area is stabilized, this Offensive unit should finally be able to do many of the things that everyone predicted it would do in 2019. (+)

 

DEFENSE:

DE:

2019 brandon graham

Brandon Graham is a productive and technically sound player, vs either the run or the pass. While he gets sacks and piles up hurries, he’s not really a pass rusher to be feared. Derek Barnett’s game was supposed to be winning hand battles to gain access to passers. However, his tendency to flatten the edge instead of setting it, helps opponents salvage too many plays. (This is why down for down, current free agent Vinny Curry was far more effective than Barnett in 2019).

It took a minute for the light to go on for Josh Sweat, but in 2019 it clicked for him. He however, may need to add another 10 pounds, before he can be a starting player at this position, in this division. Daeshon Hall produces when he gets an opportunity, but he’s stuck behind other players contracts right now. (Sorry fella, but that comes with the game, sometimes.)

This position is not as productive as it should be. Also, they just don’t have a scary pass rusher. For that reason, I think a player will be picked on either Day One or early on Day Two of the Draft. Still, the Eagles are productive, and have two back-ups who would be legit NFL starters, with yet two more promising prospects, waiting in the wings. Depth and production are always a great combo. (+)

DT:

2019 Fletcher Cox Daniel Jones

While teams don’t double Fletcher Cox on every play, every time they don’t, he reminds them that it was stupid not to. Be it run or pass, the man wrecks blocking schemes like they were homes. While newly signed former Steeler, Javon Hargrave, made his bones as an “A” gap penetrator, he can also hold the point of attack.

Coming back from a Lisfranc injury, is Malik Jackson. Jackson is more of an interior pass rusher, and thus he has a reputation as being extremely disruptive on the inside. Hassan Ridgeway isn’t really a pass rusher or a run stuffer. He’s a scrapper. He’s not really starter material. He’s not a 40 snap guy. What he is, is great in bursts. When he subs in, the opponent isn’t getting anything in the way of a break.

FIFTH down on the list is 350 pound Anthony Rush. Rush is a space eater, and block absorber. When he’s in the “A” gap, teams have a much harder time doubling Cox. Rush made life a lot easier for Cox in late 2019.

I’ve never seen anything like this at this position. Never. Not on any team. This position isn’t just five players deep, it’s five players who each make each other better, deep. Jackson’s a back-up, who’s been to a Pro Bowl, and started in a Super Bowl. Again, here he’s a back-up! It’s almost silly! There’s no way the season opens with all five of these players on the roster. No way. The NFL and the laws of supply and demand regarding talent, just won’t allow for such a thing. It’s unnatural. It’s flat-out not real. (+)

OLB:

Nate Gerry has trouble with interior linemen, so he was a liability vs the run when the Eagles tried to play him on the inside. Once he was moved outside, he couldn’t stop making plays. More importantly, he started preventing opponents from making plays.

FA addition, Jatavis Brown isn’t suited to the pounding of playing this position in this division. At 221 pounds, if he’s here to be a Nickel/Dime guy, that may work. Asking him for more than that is likely asking for trouble. He’s a career back-up who was pressed into starting 10 games in 2018, but he was promptly returned to the bench in 2019. So odds are that he didn’t impress.

2019 Genard Avery half sack

Genard Avery is more of a pass rusher. Given that the Eagles don’t like to blitz, it remains to be seen if Avery will need to switch positions. At this point Alex Singleton is a kick coverage guy. (-)

MLB:

Duke Riley and T.J. Edwards are the current candidates for this spot. Riley, at 218 pounds is impossible to take seriously as a starting LB on the edge, and even less so in the middle. His role here seems limited to Nickle packages and kickoff coverage. Edwards logged four starts in 2019, both in the middle and on the outside. The Eagles organization seems quietly hellbent on finding a way to get him on the field. (Trivia facts: The Eagles won all four of Edwards starts, and didn’t allow more than 17 points in any of them.) The team could have a future with Edwards in the middle. However, they haven’t made it his spot yet, and they have no depth even if they had done so. That said, this position cannot be graded well at this point. (-)

S:

FS Rodney McLeod make tackles, and plays on the ball, despite being stuck with having to cover deep from sideline to sideline. Jalen Mills moves from corner to SS. He already knows the concepts, the calls and many of the surrounding players, so his learning curve shouldn’t be very steep at all. The issue will be in deciding how to utilize him best. His lack of a second gear hurt him on the boundary, but if the Eagles play him in the box, it will only make that problem seem worse. Lining him up outside of the box, basically takes the team out of Single-high coverage and puts us in a Two Deep look. (Which I would be all for.)

Philadelphia native Will Parks comes in to push Mills for the starting role. The Eagles traded for Marcus Epps in 2019 and he only played 7 games for the Birds. That said, he played more as time went on. The loss of Malcolm Jenkins is a massive blow to the locker room, but the fact is, this position should still perform effectively on the field. Especially given that the position is faster and deeper in experience than it was a year ago. (+)

CB:

The big story here is the addition of former Lion, Darius Slay. If he’s as good as advertised in man coverage, then he will allow the Eagles to play their Cover One/Cover Three scheme, without as much need for help over the top.

2019 sidney jones2

Odds are, the other starting spot will go to Sidney Jones. Everyone seemed to be measuring him for his ‘Bust’ label, when suddenly near the end of 2019, the light seemed to click for him. He’s not out of the woods yet, but at least he looks like he’ll be getting a chance to redeem himself. Jones could be challenged for the spot by Rasul Douglas, and Cre’Von LeBlanc.

Douglas has started 18 games over the last three seasons, but he flat out cannot cover deep speed. He diagnoses, tackles, and has very good ball skills. However, on an every down basis, in the Eagles Cover One/Cover Three scheme, Douglas is just too flammable. Unless (like Jalen Mills) his position is changed, the Eagles will never get the maximum out of him.

LeBlanc is a favorite of the Defensive Coordinator, but injuries and a need for someone who excels in the Nickel, kept LeBlanc off the edge. That may be where former Ram, Nickell Robey-Coleman comes in. Coleman brings a reputation as one the NFL’s best at covering the slot. Avonte Maddox has also started inside and outside, but with two players being pulled in and paid well, and with LeBlanc free to play the outside now, it seems as if the Front Office is already looking past Maddox at this position.

Crevon LeBlanc.jpeg

Setting the scheme aside and just looking at the athletes, this is an experienced, versatile, and deep group of battlers. Of these six players, five have started playoff games. Two have Super Bowl rings, and a third has been to one. This is the best group in the division, and it’s not even close. (+)

In a nutshell:

There is a hole right through the heart of this unit. The second level is ill-equipped to handle a physical 16 game schedule, particularly in this division. As a result the rest of the unit will have to make for that area’s shortcomings, instead of trying to max out the whole unit’s potential. Couple that with a questionable defensive system, and it doesn’t matter how good the athletes are. A strong Draft at LB may salvage this unit, but as of today, it isn’t a strength for this team. (-)

 

SPECIAL TEAMS:

P:

Cam Johnston has been very consistent from last year to this. His average came down from 48.1 yards to 46.4, and his net came down from 42.7 to 42.3. He had 31 punts returned for 194 yards (6.2) in 2018, and 32 punts returned for 207 (6.4) in 2019. On 10 more punts in 2019, you could argue that it was a lower percentage of his punts returned (45% vs 50%), but the point would be the same.

That high number of returns indicates that he’s outkicking his coverage and allowing returners to think they have a chance to affect the game. On the surface, the stats make it seem like he’s good but not great. In reality he’s giving hope to the opponent, and that is not a strength. (-)

K:

card.jake.elliott

Jake Elliott as far as points was as accurate as he’s ever been with a career-highs in Field Goal percentage (84.6) ,and Extra Point percentage (94.6). Although his accuracy from 40 to 49 dipped for a second year in a row (92.3 in 2017, 87.5 in 2018, 71.4 in 2019). That’s a 20% slide in two years.

Oh, there’s more!

On his kickoffs, only 64.2% were touchbacks. That saw 27 returned for an average of 23.8 yards a pop, and 1 came back for a touchdown. His kickoffs just aren’t long enough, consistently enough.

On FG attempts of 50 yards or longer, he was just 2 of 4 (50%), putting him at 4 for 9 (44%) over the last two seasons.

Also we were 0 for 2 on Onside Kicks, and his FG fake resulted in him throwing an interception.

He was however, just signed to a five year extension with 10M guaranteed, so bugger me to figure out where his motivation to improve will come from. (-)

RS:

Aside from WR Greg Ward and RB Boston Scott, there really isn’t anyone else for this duty to go to. DeSean Jackson and Miles Sanders are now too valuable to risk in such a fashion, and none of the other Eagles on the roster who have kickoff and/or punt return experience, are likely to make the final roster.

Neither Ward nor Scott have proven to be much more than a placeholder for the positions so far. (-)

In a nutshell:

None of the deficiencies here are genuine deficiencies. What they are, is one no-frills aspect stacked atop another no-frills aspect. Put bluntly, there is nothing special about the Eagles Special Teams. There is nothing here to hang their hats on. The entire premise seems to be “Just don’t lose it for us.” This unit doesn’t seem capable of contributing to a win on it’s own. (-)

 

BOTTOM LINE:

This looks like a team that will be able to score. The question is, will they be able to stop anyone or win close games? Right now, due to nothing more than arrogance, that looks pretty dubious.

shoot_yourself_in_the_foot

It seems yet another Eagles coaching staff, wants to attempt re-inventing the wheel. It may happen, but while the Eagles are experimenting with concepts, their division rivals will be trying to improve at winning football games. Not a good look so far for Philly.

2020 Cowboys

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/15
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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LAST year the Dallas Cowboys finished 8 – 8 overall and 5 – 1 in the division. Their defensive rankings from 2019 are meaningless because their new head coach will of course hire a new defensive coordinator. Offense is another story though. The Cowboys kept the offensive coordinator for last year’s 6th ranked scoring offense, which was 1st in yards per game (431), 2nd in passing (296.9), and 5th in rushing (134.6). So on offense the thinking is that the Cowboys will pick up where they left off.

Let’s get a look at the 2020 Pre-Draft Cowboys roster, to get an idea of who this team is today.

OFFENSE:

QB:

Assuming Dak Prescott signs a contract and reports to camp, the Cowboys have a reliable, young passer who set career highs in pass attempts (388), completions (596), passing yardage (4,902), yards per pass (8.2), oh and touchdowns too (30). The only problem here? Currently Prescott technically isn’t under contract yet. So he technically can’t count in this rating.

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So let’s talk Cooper Rush! He threw three passes in 2017, and he even completed one of them. For 2 yards. Rush flashes a career passer rating (so far) of 42.4. He is a true rarity, as he’s one of a handful of QB’s with more career attempts (3) than passing yards (2). Rush’s back-up is Clayton Thorson, a 2019 fifth round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles. Thorson didn’t last the entire preseason before he was cut loose. (-)

RB:

Even in a “down year”, Ezekiel Elliott posted 1,357 rushing yards and 12 scores. All of this on “only” 301 carries. That marks his second 300 carry season in a row, and his fourth in three years. His workload (or carrying around his heavy contract) is clearly taking a toll on him. He now checks himself out of games, for breathers more often than in prior years.

Also, he only had 4 rushes of longer than 20 yards. (For perspective, Philadelphia Eagles rookie Miles Sanders had 5 of those, on roughly half the carries.) Elliott’s longest run of the season, was just 33 yards. Despite his heavy workload (or maybe because of it), his rushing yards per game dropped for the third straight year in a row. (108.7 in 2016, 98.3 in 2017, 95.6 in 2018, 84.8 in 2019.)

Tony “Zeke Who?” Pollard put up a pretty good rookie campaign of 455 on 86 carries. Not bad given that there weren’t many carries left, once the team finished feeding their Zeke. So the Cowboys have some talent and depth here. (+)

WR:

Amari Cooper was heavily rumored to be joining the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020, but he inked a long-term deal to keep him in Dallas. However, what he did do in 2019, was put up career highs in yards (1,189), yards per catch (15.1) and touchdowns (8).

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Michael Gallup has really come into his own posting 1,107 yards and 6 scores, in his second year. That practically doubled all of his rookie stats. On this roster, beyond Gallup, no other player at this position caught more than 5 balls in 2019. Depth is an issue. (+)

TE:

Missing out on the TE of their dreams in 2018, because the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him a pick before they did, the Cowboys had to bring in current Las Vegas Raider Jason Witten, to help mentor Blake Jarwin in 2019. Jarwin is a big, athletic target. If he’s given a lot more opportunities, he has a chance to be really, really average. This upcoming season will be his fourth in a Cowboys uniform. If he really had chops to be a starter, Witten would have never been brought back. That said, as surrounded as he is with weapons, he should be able to at least duplicate the 63 catches for 529 yards that Witten posted in 2019. If he can’t, this entire offense will be in serious trouble. (-)

OT:

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LT Tyron Smith for 13 games per year, is one of the best in the sport. I say 13 games because every year, for the last 4 years, he plays exactly 13 games. La’El Collins is a good RT, but can we be honest? He’s not as good on the end, as he was inside. Still, it’s a very talented group. As far as back-up experience, Brandon Knight started in the Week 7 loss to the Jets… (+)

OG:

Zack Martin is one of the best in the game. He’s a metronome of consistency. Whether it’s pass or run. Down near the goal line? Score a touchdown, 1-2-3. On the other side is Connor Williams. Williams missed a few games in 2019, and was ably subbed by Xavier S’ua-Filo and Joe Looney. This group is a luxury to have with a pair of back-ups who would start on half of the NFL’s rosters. (+)

C:

Travis Frederick is football’s second best Travis, and second best pivot. (Both men above him are surnamed Kelce, BTW.) Kudos to him for coming back from Guillain-Barre syndrome to start all 16 games in 2019. Frederick even played well enough to earn a Pro Bowl nod, where he would back-up the Kelce from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wait! Never mind. Frederick retired. Leaving Joe Looney as the Cowboys best option at the moment. Also there is no depth. So uh… I’m just gonna put this right here. (-)

In a nutshell:

Depending on who comes back, and who actually reports to camp, this offense has all the ingredients it needs. However, they are likely to stumble out of the gate, without last year’s starting QB. They are also likely to stumble if last year’s QB signs, but misses any of training camp. This year’s offense will be last year’s offense, but with a new head coach, there will be different nuances to it. It will hit it’s stride, but that may take 4 or 5 weeks. (+)

 

DEFENSE:

DE:

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Demarcus Lawrence has trended down (14.5 sacks, then 10.5, then 5.0) for the second straight year since signing his 105M dollar contract. Now that the NFL is willing to overlook Randy Gregory’s desire to put marijuana ahead of football, maybe he can have a career now.

Hey! Speaking of introducing an unstable element to the roster, Aldon Smith was recently added. If we’re being accurate and honest, his first two years were monster, but the three that followed showed steep decline. Now he’s now 30 years old, 35 pounds over his 265 pound playing weight, and coming back after a 4 year banishment.

There are three other guys on the roster, but they’re just guys. This position is loaded with reputations based on yesterday’s talent, but it lacks a starting pair, any depth, or truly dedicated players. (-)

DT:

Antuan Woods is a stop-gap player, so the Cowboys continue their search for an interior pass rusher. Thus, Dallas raided Carolina’s dust bin, and signed Gerald McCoy, and Dontari Poe. The two had 9 sacks between them last year, but they also comprised the starting interior that allowed 143 rushing yards per game (29th) as well.

Last year’s hope at this position was second round draft reach pick Trysten Hill. However, Hill’s lack of give a damn put him in the doghouse of the last head coach. This new regime already seems to be looking past him. Which is fine since Tyrone Crawford is there to hold down a spot in the rotation. There’s enough veteran savvy to provide a solid rotation here. (+)

OLB:

It took NINE years, but Sean Lee finally played 16 games in a season. He makes solid tackles and good reads, but he’s an absolute liability in outside coverage. His eyes are still good, but he just doesn’t have the athleticism to stay with opponents consistently.

Leighton Vander Esch is perhaps a tad over-hyped, but he’s still a really good young player. The neck injury that ended his 2019 season was upgraded from “Stinger”, to “ Herniated disk”, all the way up to a surgery in January 2020. Jerry Jones was asked about it during the Scouting Combine (which feels like years ago now). The grapevine says LVE will be kept away from contact until Training Camp opens. At least.

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Luke Gifford and Joe Thomas are the back-ups here. Both had a chance to step up when LVE went down, and they did so well that the Cowboys signed a guy off of his couch. And started him Week 17. Until LVE gets back, this position is an open wound. (-)

MLB:

Jaylon Smith piled up 142 tackles last year, and even defensed 9 passes. He did it while starting all 16 games. His tackles have improved every year since he’s been in the NFL. He’s a hard guy not to root for. Behind him is Justin March-Lillard, but Sean Lee is a better fit. (This position is the one that also fits Lee best.) (+)

S:

New signee and former Bear, HaHa Clinton-Dix, is hardly worth worrying about in pass defense anymore. While his 2019 season looks good at first glance, most of it was done in a Week 3 game vs Washington. In fact, 3 of his last 5 career interceptions are against Washington. In fact, in 2018 (as a Packer), he intercepted them in Week 3, and was traded to them after Week 8. His remaining 9 weeks in the NFC East were not good ones for him.

Xavier Woods was a steal as a 6th round pick, but he seems to have hit a definite ceiling.

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This may be the wrong Xavier Woods. Let me check on that.

His play is competent and steady, but not game-changing. The talent level is has-been, not up-and-coming. They have no experienced depth and don’t match-up well with the talent they will see across from them in this division. (-)

CB:

In 36 career starts Chidobe Awuzie has 3 career interceptions. No one is afraid to throw to his side. Jourdan Lewis is a Nickel corner. However, the team has already started trying to talk their fan base into him, as an every down outside starter. Looks small, and plays small vs receivers who play big. His transition will not go well. Like the other players at this position, Anthony Brown gets a number of deflections, but doesn’t catch many.

In fact, in the last 4 years, these three players combined for 143 games, with 81 starts, and a grand total, I said TOTAL, of 11 interceptions. Free Agent Maurice Canady was added from the Jets, and he gives the Cowboys some experienced depth. Nobody fears this group. (-)

In a nutshell:

This unit is where 2019’s 8-8 record came from. This defense doesn’t get to the QB, or to the ball like a top unit should. Most of that can be traced not to the coaches, but to the talent that gets put on the field. This unit matches up very poorly for trying to defend against the top of this division. (-)

 

SPECIAL TEAMS:

P:

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Chris Jones is coming off of a career worst Average (41.6) and career worst Net (37.0). This marks the third straight year where he averaged under 45 yards per boot, which had been his norm from 2013 through 2016. Also, his net dropped again, for the third straight year. While only 18 of his 50 punts (36.0%) were returned, opponents averaged a respectable 8.5 per return, hinting that there may not be enough hang-time on shorter and shorter punts. (This is a man who once hit the Jumbotron.) Jones has more or less always been middle of the road, but his clearly diminishing leg strength could make him a defensive liability this year. (-)

K:

Dallas signed former Ram, Greg Zuerlein, to a three year deal this offseason. What Zuerlein has going for him is that for the last 3 years, his touchback percentage on kickoffs hasn’t dipped below 76.05%. So return men don’t see many opportunities.

Scoring however… That’s a different matter. In 2019 he had a Field Goal accuracy mark of 72.7%. He attempted FGs in 14 games, and had a miss in 9 of them, including a record of 1 – 2 in games decided by 3 or fewer points. (If you’re a Cowboys fan, just imagine Brett Maher with less range.)

Competing with Zuerlein is Kai Forbath. Forbath kicked for the Cowboys for three games in 2019, hitting all 10 FG attempts and all 10 extra points. The knock on Forbath is that even with the new rules, returners frequently opt to return his kickoffs instead of fair catching them. During his stints with New England and Jacksonville, he didn’t even handle that duty.

The third player at this position, (yeah, third) is inexperienced Tristan Vizcaino. Why he’s on the roster is anybody’s guess. But if you have three players at this position, you don’t have a player at this position. (-)

RS:

WR Ced Wilson is the teams best option at PR. Last year he returned 2 for 13 yards. He also had 3 KR for 64 yards, with the longest being 22. RB Tony Pollard had 14KR for 245 yards, but his long of 30, and average of 17.5, suggest that he stay on the sidelines. (-)

In a nutshell:

This part of a football team is responsible for setting the table, and establishing a sense of momentum. It seems however, that the Cowboys never got that memo. The result is that the Cowboys will have to run the race, while dragging 1/3 of their team.

BOTTOM LINE:

This is what happens when a staff understands football talent, but doesn’t understand football nuances. Then again, we’re talking about the American southwest aren’t we? It’s not a region that’s historically known for getting either nuance or subtle context.

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Until the team understands that it’s no longer 1984, they will be forced further and further into irrelevance, while they and their fans listen to the Judds “Grandpa” to help the days ease on by.