KEEPin mind, when these predictions come out, no one knows who will be drafted by which team.
This is an assessment of the team as it is staffed by veteran players with track records.
Rookies don’t usually shake up the NFC East division, so there’s a pretty good chance that what you see here, will be how it shakes out for the year.
Strongest Offense: PHILADELPHIA – This was the NFL’s #3 scoring unit last year. They had two free agent defections, but the replacements have all been reliable contributors on this team fpr years. There are no holes, and no question marks. No other unit in the division can claim that.
Weakest Offense: NEW YORK – Everything is wrong with their offense. I won’t go into details here. I already did that, in the article.
Strongest Defense: PHILADELPHIA – Dallas has a deeper (better?) secondary, but up front, their line gets manhandled vs the run. Philadelphia does not have that problem, and is solid from front to back. (See: PLAYOFFS, San Francisco)
Weakest Defense: NEW YORK – Holdouts and defections cannot be great for team morale. There was already a talent vacuum, last year. This season can’t have made that any better.
Strongest Special Teams:NEW YORK– Reliable kicking in a stadium that sees the kind of winds, that New York, San Fran and Chicago sees, is nothing to dismiss. One team being able to count on their kicking when the other team can’t, has been the tale of many a victory in this league.
Weakest Special Teams: WASHINGTON – This unit has been limping along since 2020. Apparently the bar is just set to “Low” for this part of the team.
Projected Winner: PHILADELPHIA
This team has mitigated losing personnel extremely well. In fact, they didn’t lose as many players as they were expected to. Some even re-signed for less money than they could have gotten elsewhere. That’s the sign of a roster that believes, and is dialed in.
Darkhorse Winner: DALLAS – ESPN picked them to win the East. Given that New York and Washington don’t have the tools, if it’s not Philadelphia, it has to be Dallas.
RELAX. Yes, S Chauncey Gardner-Johnsonsigned with the Lions. Yes, we could have used his services. While those two things are true, let me tell you two more truths. One, we may very well have the answer to his departure on the roster already. Two, his choice isn’t going to work out for him in the long run. And by the long run, I mean inside of the next 365 days. Gotta think long-term, folks!
(NOTE: If I’d written this without first writing GARDNER-JOHNSON’S DEAL, this article might be seen as sour grapes. But since I did write that first, there should be very little of that talk. There’ll be some (you’ve met morons before), but it’ll be minimal.)
First, when Gardner went down with a lacerated kidney and missed four games this year, rookie S Reed Blankenshipstepped in for him. However, even after Gardner came back in the final game, the Eagles found a way to get Blankenship 45 snaps (71%) in that game. They got him 48 (92%) in the Divisional playoff game.
S Reed Blankenship picks off Packers en route to Eagles win.
This demonstrates that the coaching staff either had a lot of trust in Blankenship, or they were trying to get a look at him. Both Gardner and FS Marcus Epps were going to be free agents, so it made sense to know if Blankenship gave the Front Office any leverage; or if they just had to grease up, bend over, and bite down on the blanket.
If we don’t start Blankenship, maybe the answer is 42. By which I mean, K’Von Wallace, who also got a start during Gardner’s injury (when Blankenship missed a game with an injury). Maybe Blankenship and Wallace could be 2023’s pairing. In any case the F.O. seems settled on the position. Aside from Gardner, they didn’t seem interested in other free agent Safeties.
S K’Von Wallace saying hello. Is K’Von a variation of Kevin? This thought haunts me. Vexs me.
Epps was allowed to walk quickly, and the Eagles weren’t willing to offer Gardner a guaranteed 8M for just one season. They wanted three years. The deal he signed with Detroit is one year, worth up to 8M$. Meaning he’ll need to play for incentives to reach that 8M. I have no idea what those incentives are, and because he’s now S.E.P. (Someone Else’s Problem), I won’t be looking into it.
Brings me to my second point of why this move won’t work out for him.
First, he got off to the start he did last year, because opposing QB’s threw at our Safeties, to avoid throwing at our Corners; each of whom had 3 picks last year. Also the pass rush we generated last year, racked up 70 sacks. Helping us finish #1 vs the pass last year.
Second, Detroit’s CB’s are mutts, who had just TWO total interceptions. Given that their Safeties snagged 5 picks in 2022, opposing QB’s target their CB’s. So Gardner won’t see many chances to make plays. Also Detroit doesn’t generate as many hurried throws, with just 39 sacks last year. He’s out there on a prove it deal, and won’t be given a chance to do so.
The year he had with us last year is a complete outlier in his career. Check it out:
We made him. Now he gets to be an average S, on a bad defense, wasting away in the Midwest. But hey, Life is an I.Q. Test. This is the sort of decision you make when you chase short-term gains, without considering the long-term picture.
Oh, did I mention that Detroit finished 30th vs the pass last year? Oh, I didn’t? Well! Detroit finished 30th vs the pass last year. He tantrumed his way out of New Orleans over money, and now he’s let his emotions land him in Detroit.
By the way: The contract he signs next year, will likely be for similar per year money (6 – 8M) as the one he just signed, but given inflation, will actually be a smaller deal. I say “likely” because Detroit isn’t a very smart organization, so they could surprise us.
But don’t panic. No matter what happens elsewhere, we’re still in an great situation right here. With even better things already in the works. Gotta think long-term, folks!
ONE of my most frequent quotes is “Life is an I.Q. Test.” I say that a lot, and it happens to be true. For example, if SS Chauncey “CJGJ” Gardner-Johnson returns to the Eagles, it will show us how smart he is. By the way, the fact that he’s been a free agent this long, I think increases his chance of returning to the Eagles in 2023. Just saying.
He went into the free agent process thinking his services would fetch him at least 14M$ per year. So far only one Safety has netted such a deal, and CJGJ was not him. So he’s been posting and taking down messages on social media; the gist of which have been that, he feels disrespected by the offers he’s been getting. Boo-hoo.
So he’s not worth as much as he thought he’d be, and he’s butthurt over it.
Him being a twit and throwing a contract tantrum, is the reason the Saints gave him to us, for a 5th and 6th round pick. Forget a squabble over money, to them he wasn’t worth the headache.
In the end he’s still going to sign somewhere to make at least 7M$ this year, because it’s not like he’s going to retire in protest. So when he signs for under 14M, he’ll still feel like he’s underpaid, regardless of where he signs. (Hey look! It’s the world’s tiniest violin!)
This is where the I.Q. test comes in. Does he want to be underpaid on a rebuilding team, or on one that could be Super Bowl Champion inside of the next 365 days? Those are literally his choices right now. And I know what you’re thinking: “But he could go to another contender.” To that I counter with: Could he? Could he really? This article was brought to you by today’s sponsor: CONTEXT.
Chiefs are about all tapped out and won’t spend on him. Bengals would just be patching a hole created by the free agent Safety they just lost. San Fran just blew their wad on DT Javon Hargrave. Buffalo is a possibility, but CJGJ is a Florida boy, who likes nightlife. Dallas can’t afford him, because they just extended their own Safety,
Everyone else is farther away from being a Super Bowl contender.
There’s rumors that Denver is courting him, but they just hired a new head coach, and they play in the same division as QB’s Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert. With as loaded as the AFC is, it’s possible that CJGJ could never take another playoff snap, over the duration of his next contract.
Or he could come back to the team that MADE him, and possibly become a champion. What do I mean by “made him”? Just this:
True or false. When CJGJ was out with a lacerated kidney last year, rookie S Reed Blankenship stepped in and looked pretty darn good out there. That statement would be TRUE. So, Chauncey might want to git his ass back here, while the gittin’ is gittin’. Because he has more ways to fail than succeed. Let’s see if he’s smart enough to see that, because Life is an I.Q. Test.
LET me say up front, I would like to see SS Chauncey ‘CJGJ’ Gardner-Johnson return to the Eagles in 2023. He’s smart, aggressive, versatile, and sticky fingered. He’s also the sort of emotional spark plug that a defense needs, in order to max out it’s potential. So let me say again, (because I don’t want to confuse anyone): I would like to see him return.
That being said, if he doesn’t return, I am more than ready to roll with SS Reed ‘Ghost’ Blankenship. Blankenship wasn’t the sort of emotional leader that CJGJ is, and he’s not quite as fast, but he brings a work-pail and hardhat approach that can’t help but resonate with the people of Philadelphia. Even better, he’s also a sticky fingered, aggressive hitter.
The word is that CJGJ wants upwards of 15M$ per year; whereas Blankenship being drafted last year, is on his rookie deal. If we can re-sign CJ, great! If not, we have money that can be spread around to other veterans. Maybe someone like G Isaac Suemalo. Or perhaps DT Ndamukong Suh. Extra cash could also help facilitate a trade.
All I’m saying is, if we don’t end up with CJGJ, it is by no means the end of the world. Our fallback position is fairly excellent as far as options go. We have a young, confident go-getter, who is trusted by his teammates already, and best of all, he’scheap.
So don’t be nervous. Howie, will figure it out. And again, while re-signing him is what I’d prefer, having CJGJ Ghost us, wouldn’t kill our chances of running it back. Meanwhile, at the Commanders headquarters…
THE Eagles 2023 Defense is going to be hard for me to pin down for a while. We have Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai, who is said to favor a 3-4 base. Like the man he’s replacing (Jonathan Gannon), Desai is also favor a “multiple alignment” approach. However, it’s our base which will drive the type of personnel that the team either adds, or allows to slip away...
Right now all the talk is about whether or not SS Chauncey “CJGJ” Gardner-Johnson will re-sign; and whether CBDarius Slay will be traded. These guys are important, but those aren’t the big issues for this Defense. Those guys benefit from our identity. They don’t create our identity.
Let’s start with something you already know: Pass rush and winning up front, are what the Front Office wish to be the calling cards of our Defense. So they usually spend the big money, and the early draft picks, on the front seven. Which poses a bit of a problem for this season.
If we’re switching to a 3-4 base, under contract, we have Haason Reddick at LOLB to build off of, and Jordan Davisto plug in at NT. However, every other player at the DT position: Fletcher Cox, Ndamukong Suh, and Linval Joseph, are all free agents as of this week, or already gone (Javon Hargrave). So we have no interior depth.
At 3-4 DE, we have possibly Milton Williams, but DE Josh Sweat and DE Brandon Graham aren’t 3-4 DE’s or OLB’s either. In fact, the last time Graham played in a 3-4, (back in 2015), he was moved to OLB, and was a liability vs the pass. Those legs are 8 years older now. So, two of our better 4-3 players don’t fit the new 3-4 scheme.
If we do switch, it would make far more sense to play Nakobe Dean at ILB. That would give OLB/DE Patrick Johnson a chance to shake his ill-fitting tweener label. Johnson has been used as a situational, pass rush, 4-3 DE; but he’s too small for every down use there. A move to 3-4 OLB could transform his career.
With OLB Kyzir White being a free agent, we really don’t have a presence at RILB, let alone depth. So there’d have to be a fair amount of roster rebuilding between now and September, with everyone learning how to communicate new terms, as they fill new roles. Which basically sounds like missing the playoffs, due to the division’s weakest defense.
Of course, if we stick with a base 4-3, we just need a DT to pair with Davis, and to re-sign White. After that, we’re building depth, and guys who are used to their 4-3 roles, are just learning new terms. Better still, the new DC can lean on veteran leadership. If everything is all new to everyone, we’re essentially playing 11 rookies.
BUT! Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. We’ll revisit this when Free Agency quiets down.
SINCE the Super Bowl, I’ve been almost dead silent. I wrote Four Things Reviewed, and a reaction article to Jonathan Gannon leaving. I haven’t even weighed in on new Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai, yet.
My silence wasn’t because I was upset over the loss. Understand, I wanted that win. I really did; but it would be a bald-faced lie, if I said the loss, or how it happened, wasn’t almost expected. The NFC Championship Game. The Super Bowl. Everyone else was so excited. Meanwhile, I’d been secretly dreading them both, since Week 18.
Standing outside for the 2018 parade, the cold turned my Wawa coffee into a slushie. I was hoping for a repeat of that, for this year. However, when Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon slid down inside the five yard line, I felt nothing but calm. I didn’t yell, curse, or jump up. I didn’t turn off my TV, or change the channel. I watched until it was time to go write my little article.
I took that loss so well, that you would think I’d bet against the Eagles and won. People were literally asking me if I was okay. My calm was apparently too calm. I turned the page just a little bit too fast for the comfort of others. The fact is, I was able to make immediate peace with it, because that game went almost exactly as I’d truly expected it to.
We had that loss coming. And I’d said as much, MONTHS prior.
You may remember this article from September of last year PUTTING A FOOT IN DOUG’S ASS. In it, I foretold a great fall. In fact, I called it “the biggest fall of them all”. Those were my exact words. Most importantly, in that article, I told you WHY it would happen.
The NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. The knot in my stomach. Expecting the bill to finally come due, in one of those games, I was secretly dreading those games the entire time. The biggest fall of all, is what I predicted. I desperately hoped to be wrong. Desperately. Usually I love being right. But not always. Sometimes being able to see ahead, is a curse. And a lonely one.
How big was our fall? During the only NFL game seen around the world, we set a record for points scored (35) in a loss. Beating a record that we hung around an opponent’s neck, for our only Super Bowl win so far. Our QB played an almost flawless game, and yet the seven points from his turnover, would have been the difference. Changing that loss into a win. Our vaunted Defense, was suddenly unable to even hunt a lame QB.
Had the Eagles won with our youthful core, everyone would be using the term “beginning of a dynasty”. Instead they are saying that our “Super Bowl window” should be open for a few years. Given how close we came to winning, this was a massive faceplant. It was.
Again, we had it coming. We made that bed. As Eagles fans we see how it’s gone since Jerry Jones fired Jimmy Johnson, and we revel in it. So we should have learned: There will someday come a reckoning. ALWAYS. You never escape your own energy. And we got ourselves a taste last month.
Again, I was hoping, praying that we’d pay in some other way, or some other time, and win that game. I had hoped to freeze at another parade, outside of the Municipal Services Building. Well, not this year. That said, we’ve put the ugliness behind us. We’ve paid our Karmic debt. So now we can, and likely will, be holding up another Lombardi trophy, inside of the next few years. Afterwards, I hope we’re smarter this time.
Heck, maybe in 2024, instead of standing outside the MSB in the cold; I’ll watch the parade from my window. While seated comfortably, in the warmth of my office. Sipping on hot, gourmet coffee, brewed by my own expert hand.
Yes. That sounds about right. So how’s about I get back to writing about football.
This is the view from my first office. I haven’t taken a picture from the new one yet, but it’s DIRECTLY next door, so the view looks pretty much identical.
EAGLES Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon, has fucked off to become Arizona’s head coach. This is a HUGE break for our team! Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen also left, to become the Colts next scapegoat, but I don’t give shit about that right now. I want to celebrate Gannon’s departure RIGHT NOW! This is addition by subtraction.
The very first article that I ever wrote on this site, was ‘WANT A SUPER BOWL? THEN FIRE BILL DAVIS.’ In it, I mentioned how continuing to settle for Davis as our Defensive Coordinator, wasn’t going to get us where we wanted to go. I wrote that on February 2, 2014.
During 2015, the Eagles fired then head coach, Chip Kelly, and Davis followed. In 2016 Doug Pederson, became our new Head Coach. Pederson was joined by DC Jim Schwartz, who inherited the talent that Davis had been squandering on Defense. The result was that we won our first Super Bowl on February 8, 2018.
Similarly, Gannon has been squandering the talent on the defensive side of our roster. Yes, yes, I know! We got 70 sacks in 2022. But what else did we do? Let me give you a quick rundown:
We got turnovers in bunches at the beginning of the 2022 season. When those dried up, no adjustment was made. Just more and more soft coverages, allowing easy completions which kept our Defense on the field. Look at how we finished the season:
Ryan Tannehill: 14/22 – 63.6% – 141 – 1 – 0
Daniel Jones: 18/27 – 66.6% – 169 – 1 – 0
Justin Fields: 14/21 – 66.6% – 152 – 2 – 0
Dak Prescott: 27/35 – 77.1% – 347 – 3 – 1
Andy Dalton: 18/22 – 81.8% – 205 – 0 – 1
Davis Webb: 23/40 – 57.5% – 168 – 1 – 0
That 3rd and 30 vs Dallas? Our four man rush allowed Dak Prescott to move gently left, and heave a 50 yard strike, to a guy who had recently been on his couch! Who dialed up that rush? Who called for that loose coverage?
Looks like our Secondary wasn’t set right?
NOPE! We were set. This alignment is just how it was called.
Hey, how about the development of the rookies, DT Jordan Davis and LB Nakobe Dean?
Davis was injured in Week 7, and sat out three games. Prior to his injury, he had five starts. Once he returned, he would never again see 20 snaps in a game under Gannon. Free agent additions DT Ndamukong Suh and DT Linval Joseph, helped give DT Fletcher Cox relief during Davis’s injury, but they should have never out-snapped Davis after his return. Both did in every game.
Dean played all of 34 snaps all season long. He played a total of 43 if you count the playoffs. There is no way to convince me (or most of you), that Dean should have played behind LB Kyzir Whitefor most of this season. Don’t even get me STARTED about CB Zeck McPhearsonbarely seeing the field.
Does anyone want to discuss his adjustments in the Super Bowl? What adjustments? Great question. The Chiefs played pitch and catch all game long. I’ve seen clouds under more pressure than QB Patrick Mahomes saw that night. And yet how often did we see a five man rush? How about Man-Press? A Fire Zone Blitz?
When asked what defensive system he ran, Gannon answered with “Multiple”. I hated that answer right from the get-go! Multiple should mean that we see all kinds of exotic looks, but this guy didn’t come with the resume for Multiple. (Few in history have.)
Instead of “Multiple” what we got was mostly 4 – 3, off-Corners, 2 Deep Zone. Translation: Missionary, under the covers, in the dark, while wearing pajamas. Just get me someone who wants to play with his toys, and dreams up inventive things to do with them. Handcuff her behind her knees, and hit it from the back with your foot on her cheek. Let’s see some imagination!
My fear was that Gannon was going to stick around, and continue to squander talent. However, his fucking off, opens the door to a quick return to the Super Bowl. Maybe even as soon as next season, despite free agent departures like DT Javon Hargrave and CB James Bradberry! We could stumble into a dynasty here, folks.
Hold on. Let me dial it back a sec. I haven’t been a fan of any of our DC’s since Jim Johnson. Most of you have ridden that ride with me (hey, remember Juan Castillo?), so I don’t have to go into detail. We could still screw this up, but as of now, we’re stronger for having lost him. Today, we had some addition by subtraction.
OFTEN when we play a team that uses a 3 – 4 defensive alignment, I’ll talk about how some of them are really a 5 – 2, not a 3 – 4. Once I say that, the next words out of my mouth are usually going to be “Kerrigan Plan”.
This is not a term used by the Eagles or the NFL. Just me. Just this site. Heck, when you’re done reading this, maybe you’ll start using it too. So let me get to explaining what it is.
*****
Premise:
From 2017 and 2019, we swept the Redskins for three years straight. Our game plan was simple. Use their strength as a weakness.
Their 3 – 4 OLB’s (one of which wasRyan Kerrigan), were over 250 pounds and primarily used as pass rushers. Sometimes they might be asked to drop into a shallow zone, but these were players who would be liabilities in man coverage.
What that means, is that the Redskins 3 – 4 looked like 3 linemen and 4 linebackers; but in terms of player ability and use, played more like 5 linemen and 2 linebackers. In terms of coverage, a 5 – 2 is like bringing a hammer to a plumbing job. It has almost no uses.
The Actual Plan:
When an opponent runs a 3 – 4 that’s more like a 5 – 2, then the OLB’s are going to surge forward, towards the QB, instead of dropping into a zone, or playing man coverage. The Cornerback on that side, will have left with the Wide Receiver.
These actions actually leave voids on the edges, where the Flats are. So the Flat is generally going to be 7-11 (always open). And THIS, right here, is where the Kerrigan Plan kicks in
The essence of the Kerrigan Plan is to throw Quick Outs, Wheels and such, right to the Flat. We’re not fighting them for anything. We’re literally taking what they designed their defense to give up. So it’s easy, and unless there’s a fumble, there’s almost no chance of a turnover. It’s free yardage. IF you’re smart enough to just take it, and not over-think it.
We killed the Redskins for years throwing Outs to TEZach Ertz, and Wheel routes to RB’s like Darren Sproles and Boston Scott. Screens passes are also highly effective.
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So there it is. It’s just a shorthand expression of a strategy for attacking an opponent. So the next time you see this term, you’ll know exactly what it means. Unfortunately, it also means when you see us NOT doing it in a game, it will infuriate you. BUT, such is the life of being an Eagles fan.
He’s the DT that the Eagles have put on Injured Reserve. Remember when they carted him off the field on Monday ni-, oh right. They didn’t. The Eagles put him on I.R. on Wednesday the 16th. This is Sunday morning the 20th. Quick! What’s his injury? Anybody? Anybody? His injury is sucking ass, and being pushed aside for two better players, that’s what his injury is. Please! Go to the Eagles website and get the details on this “injury”. I’ll wait…..
Over the last 5 weeks, the Eagles have allowed 124 rushing yards or more, in every game. It got really bad after the Bye week, when we allowed 144, 168, and 152 respectively. Many things factor into that. Not bringing arms to tackle attempts, holding runners up to claw at the ball, tackling shoulders instead of thighs. All of which are quickly correctable.
The biggest reason we’re getting run through however, is because we’re getting beat on the line of scrimmage. The knee jerk from fans, has been to either blame DT Fletcher Cox for falling off, or to blame the injury to DT Jordan Davis. Both are correct, but only in a round about way.
Cox was being asked to play more snaps than usual, as the coaching staff hoped he could fill the hole left by Davis, both as a presence and rotationally. As a result, we’re running Cox into the ground. In fact, we’re using him the opposite of how we should be using a player his age. (More on that in the upcoming Quarterly Report. Yes, it’s late. I know. Bear with me.)
Linval Joseph working the “One Half” technique. Ndamukong Suh gets a taste of Philly’s sports media.
So the Eagles added 34 year old DT Linval Joseph, and then DT Ndamukong Suh, who is 35. While Joseph is more of a space eater for the run game, Suh is a flat-out disruptor of blocking schemes. Even when he doesn’t make the play, he frequently causes havoc.
Understand, the worst of our run defense has coincided with the ramp up in snaps for Tuipulotu. Over the last three games, he’s averaged 33% of the defensive snaps. And that is not a good thing! I made it clear in last years Draft Reportthat I didn’t see selecting him as a good move. He stuck anyway.
I repeated my point about Tuipulotu in this year’s Pre-Draft Preview. My specific choice of words: “Marlon Tuipulotu played like trash, with a side order of ass last year,”. Yet he kept seeing the field this year. And the more he did, the more others like Cox were asked to compensate for everything that Tuipulotu can’t do. Which, you know, is pretty much everything.
Cox eats double teams and disrupts the pocket; DT Javon Hargrave is an ‘A’ gap penetrator who gets to QB’s; Davis is a space eating, pocket collapser. Those are our true DT’s. While DTMilton Williams can play that spot, he’s more of a DE/DT tweener. He’s coming along, but we still don’t really know who he is, just yet. Tuipulotu is just a 300 pound guy. Hell, I’M a 300 pound guy! There should be more qualifications than that, to get a roster spot.
When Davis went down, we were left with a bum (Tuipulotu), and two guys who specialize in slipping the point of attack, not holding it. That’s not saying that Cox and Hargrave can’t play the run! We all know that they can. But that’s not where their salary size comes from.
Do you realize that at worst, if Suh and Joseph don’t contribute much as players, those two, plus Cox and Hargrave, will be pouring wisdom into Davis. Meanwhile we have no timetable on Tuipulotu’s return date. Which is totally understandable without an actual injury to assess.
ARMING for a Super Bowl run. That’s the whole point in making a mid-season trade. It’s getting that last piece, which should put your team over the hump. It’s shoring up a glaring weakness, or giving an obvious strength the Barry Bonds treatment. It’s saying “Damn the consequences. I’m all in!”
Defensive line and pass rush, are already deep and dominant areas for this Eagles team. There isn’t an NFC team that can beat us now. Adding Dallas Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence to this team, would almost act as a reservation to play in the upcoming Super Bowl.
Understand, this move is highly unlikely at the moment. The current NFL playoff structure includes seven teams, three of which are Wild Cards. If the playoffs started today, Dallas would be in as the sixth seed. With playoff hopes still alive, no team is parting ways with a player like Lawrence.
That said, the November 1st trade deadline is two Cowboys games away from now, and currently there are six, 3 – 3 teams in the NFC. The math will turn suddenly and sharply for at least one of these teams. If the the 4 – 2 Cowboys split these next two weeks, they’d be 5 – 3. If they drop both, they’re 4 – 4 with a very murky franchise picture going forward.
Get this: Lawrence is 30 years old, and set to count 35M$ against the 2023 salary cap. He last had a 10 sack season in 2018. Since then, he’s put up 5.0, 6.5, 3.0, and currently sits at 3.0 through six games. This year, that’s half a sack per game. Over seventeen games that projects as just 8.5 sacks, and he’s under contract until 2025, when he’ll be 33.
Hell, with DE’s Chauncey Gholston and Sam Williams waiting in the wings, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might welcome a chance to dump Lawrence’s contract. Especially if he can get us to cough up a second rounder and fourth rounder in 2023; or a 2023 second, and a 2024 third.
For the Eagles it would also work out well. Part of Lawrence’s production issues have to do with him never having an interior presence like DT Fletcher Cox. With OLB Hasaan Reddick on his left arm, and Cox on his right, there may not be enough players left to block him! Lawrence isn’t a long term building block, but he can be this year’s Chris Longor Michael Bennett, and really help further a playoff run.
As far as figuring out the money, The Eagles are already projected to have a loose estimate of 11M in cap space for 2023; they should have about 10M in rollover; and no one knows exactly what the cap ceiling will be. Also General ManagerHowie Roseman can take a bad contract, and turn that water into wine. So if you think of the money as an impediment, DON’T.
I’m writing this on my personal laptop, with my work laptop open to my lock screen. The picture on that screen, is of the Eagles 2018 parade. Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles is holding the trophy in the air, as the bus travels (the wrong way) on 15th Street. Crazy thing is, I’m in this picture. (Don’t look for me. Even I can’t make me out in this shot, and I know exactly where I’m standing in it.)
Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles holds up the Lombardi trophy, in front of the Municipal Services Building. Kevin Bacon’s father Edmund, designed it. FYI: When this was taken, I was standing across the street from it, with no clue that I’d ever work there. I work there now. Life can be funny.
This trade would put us in a real position to see another one of these, at seasons end. Again, this move is highly unlikely at the moment. So share the shit out this article! Spread the rumor! Speak it into existence. We have two weeks to get it to the right set of ears, and maybe make it happen. Be that 12th man, and I’ll see you on in February on 15th Street.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 