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HOWIE’S DOING SO FAR

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/03/10
Posted in: Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , . 10 Comments

no ragrets

ALMOST a month ago I nearly put out an article saying how much I was looking forward to Howie Roseman returning to the role of General Manager. But it was early and so I didn’t want to jump the gun. I’m glad I waited, because right now, I have some seriously mixed feelings about the job he’s done so far. Before I get into giving the world my two cents, I think it’s important that we go over the facts to make sure we’re all on the same page.

THE CUTS:

It’s important to get rid of players that are bad apples, players who don’t fit your scheme, or players who are no longer productive. We started off by shedding WR Riley Cooper who’s productivity has always been questionable at best, and who was clearly not worth the weight of his contract. Soon after followed ILB DeMeco Ryans who was not only a bad fit for the 4-3 system we’re implementing, but who would have also been in the way of budding star Jordan Hicks. Ryans contract was simply too heavy to sit him at that price. These moves made sense. If anyone can find the fault in them, I’d be interested to hear it. Logic however says these cuts deserve a top grade. (A)

RETAINED FREE AGENTS:

Before you reward a stranger for things he hasn’t done for you, it’s pretty smart to reward the guys you drafted who have performed well. RT Lane Johnson‘s durability and consistency were worth rewarding. TE Zach Ertz has improved his production every year of his career so far. You reward that. DE Vinny Curry‘s production has consistently out-paced starters on this team. TE Brent Celek has been a good soldier for this city since the day he got here. SS Malcolm Jenkins is a leader on and off the field. You reward those things. QB Sam Bradford had half of a good year. You rew- Wait. Hold on. The guy puts up pedestrian numbers in a high powered offensive system and it makes him worth bring back? Especially now that he’ll be back to running a more traditional system, which he’s been mediocre at over his whole career. 5 out of 6 equals an 83. (B)

TRADED PLAYERS:

We gave away ILB Kiko Alonso and CB Byron Maxwell to move up five spots in the 1st round of this Draft. Yes that move clears cap space, but it also widened our hole at LB without getting much in overall return. The move up is to get what? A QB? There is no franchise QB in this Draft. Granted, some of these guys look better than the other guys, but you wouldn’t put any of them against Andrew Luck the year he came out. You wouldn’t put them against Cam Newton, or Eli Manning the year they came out either. This years QB crop is far from great, so moving up to get one would be stupid. Oh yeah! We also gave away RB DeMarco Murray to swap 4th round picks with the Titans. So instead of a depth and a 1-2 punch at RB, we now have to cross our fingers that when RB Ryan Mathews gets injured again (and he always does), it won’t be for too many games. We got hosed twice. (F)

SIGNED FREE AGENTS:

At the time that this is being written (4:28am 3/10/16) the Eagles have so far added FS Rodney McLeod, CB Ron Brooks, OLB Nigel Bradham, QB Chase Daniels, and G Brandon Brooks. This is largely a shrug inducing list. (Though I’ve been big on Bradham for years now. In fact I was hoping that we’d get to draft him.) Bradham’s experience with the system run by Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz should help the team right from the get-go. From what I hear McLeod is pretty good too. Ron Brooks and Daniels are career back-ups, and finesse blocker Brandon Brooks offers us nothing that Allen Barbre wasn’t already giving us. Which was clearly not enough. Given that by the time you read this, we could have signed two more guys, I won’t put a grade on this section. But let me tell you, it wouldn’t be a high grade if I did put one on it. (-)

On the whole, we’re no stronger than we were the day Chip Kelly came to work and saw Jeff Lurie throwing his shit out of a second story window. I mean just look at the talent we added or lost, position by position.

QB – We’re no better

RB – We’re less talented

WR – No better

TE – No better

OT – No better

G – No better

C – No better

(Defensive grades are not adjusted for the new system. This is just about player talent.)

DE – No better

DT – No better

OLB – Clearly better

MLB – No better (We had Hicks last year)

SS – No better

FS – Questionable (Thurmond was very good for us last year)

CB – Less talented

So far our 7-9 team has gone backwards in terms of talent. For that we can (SO FAR) only blame Roseman. That being said, this is a highly fluid situation and a couple of moves one way or the other could stand the whole thing on it’s ear. Still, I’m glad I waited on that article.

EAGLES TO GO ON THE OFFENSIVE FOR LINE HELP

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/03/07
Posted in: Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

1eb

THUS far I’ve seen a couple of reports linking the Eagles to Chiefs FA Guard Jeff Allen. That wouldn’t be a bad signing, but I’d at least like to see the Eagles make a serious offer to Ravens G Kelechi Osemele.

Osemele is a young Pro Bowl caliber G and so is worth a big investment on those points alone. The sticking point is that due to another player being injured this year, Osemele filled in at LT and did a good job. With as valuable as LT’s are in this game, Osemele may be thinking that if he can switch from G to LT, that he’ll get the significant jump in pay that goes with it.

At the very least he has to be thinking that he needs to ensure that some team doesn’t sign him as a G and then “suddenly decide” to play him at LT. For him, signing a big deal now ensures that things are already on the up and up, regardless of whatever might happen down the line.

Richie Incognito is another guy I’m big on. He has the reputation of being a bully, but then again he’s made millions of dollars as a man who physically imposes his will on alpha males. An NFL Offensive Linemen is more or less a top-shelf professional bully. Every time they beat a Defensive Lineman, they’re making it harder for him to negotiate more money on his next contract. They are literally taking those guy’s lunch money. If they could twist nipples and give wedgies, they damned well might!

So no, I have no problem with an O-Lineman who’s a bit of a bully. In fact I have more of an issue with the ones who aren’t. The knock on Incognito is that he’s 33. That same knock is shared by Jahri Evans formerly of the Saints, who I also like.

The Steelers Ramon Foster and Vikings Mike Harris are also two names I’ve heard good things about, but I can’t say that I know/remember how they look in a game. What I will say for them is that they’re NFL veterans and they’re huge Guards at 328 and 338 respectively. Harris is only 27, and just the other day was offered a 2 year deal of 3.5M, so he can probably be lured away from Minnesota.

In any case these are a few Free Agent names I’d like to see in an Eagles jersey in 2016. If I didn’t mention this or that name, then you know how I feel about them coming here.

(I’m on the fence about Alex Boone.)

TOTAL DUMB-ASSES

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/02/29
Posted in: Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . 6 Comments

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JEFF Lurie will make the Eagles look like a total dumb-asses if he gives a 20 million dollar contract to a Quarterback who has never been above .500 as a starter,  and who has only been a .500 starter once (when he was a rookie). Given Tom Brady‘s 2016 cap figure of 15M, and 2017 cap figure of 16M, you have to wonder what the point is in offering Sam Bradford a dime over the 13M he made last season. If anything, Bradford deserves a massive pay cut. 

In real terms, what Bradford makes is none of my or your business. Generally I’m all for a guy making as much as he can. However, handsomely rewarding Bradford for being a first round bust, sends all the wrong messages. Not only that but it sends them to every level of football.

How do you tell this years crop of rookies to strive for excellence as a pro, when years of mediocrity will get players top dollar? How do you tell current NFL players that being paid less for more results isn’t a sign of disrespect? How do you continue to tell fans that you couldn’t re-sign Player X, because you had to overpay Player Y? How do you tell college and high school players that playing in the NFL is a privilege when they watch a guy shit the bed year after year, with excuse after excuse, only to not only keep a career, but start and then be grossly overpaid for underachieving?

The answer is that you can’t.

Sam Bradford’s upcoming contract will invalidate anything, any coach has ever said, to any group of players taking a knee before him. Bradford is to results oriented rewards, what Tom Brady is to good sportsmanship.

Look, some idiot is going to sign Bradford to a boatload of money. That part cannot be stopped or stemmed. As a fan, all I can do is hope that we aren’t those total dumb-asses.

“WE CAN ONLY SIGN ONE”

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/02/25
Posted in: Conversations, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , . 2 Comments

lurie

EAGLES fans it’s time for a reality check. You either get to keep DT Fletcher Cox long-term, or QB Sam Bradford. If a long-term deal gets done for one this year, a one CANNOT be reached for the other. Let me say this plainly. We can only sign one. I say again, we can only sign ONE. The money simply isn’t there for both. The NFL will not expand the salary cap for JUST the Eagles.

Too many Eagles fans are stumbling around out there with images of Bradford as our starting QB in 2016. My guess is that those same fans either don’t own a calculator, or really don’t understand what the salary cap is. In fact, I get the feeling that some of them may think the salary cap is a type of hat.

Look, listen. Eagles GM Howie Roseman has said  that signing Cox is a priority and that he will get “great” player money. Cox is looking for a 100M+ dollar deal (with about 50M of it guaranteed). Being conservative and saying that he “only” gets an even 100M, that breaks down to 16M per year over 6 years, or 14M per year over 7 years. Given that he’s scheduled to make 7.8M this year, that’s at least a jump of 6M this year alone (depending on structure).

With cutting ILB DeMeco Ryans yesterday, the Eagles just added 3.5M to our 26.4M in cap space. That gives us a total of 29.9M in cap space. If Cox pulls down 14M this year, that would only leave about 15.9M in cap space. Bradford won’t stay here for 15.9M. Roseman has said “It’s a huge priority for us to keep Fletcher Cox”. Given that he’s uttered no such series of sounds about Bradford, I’d have to say that the Eagles have already made their choice here.

Let me sum up for those who still hold out hope that I’m wrong about Bradford: We can only sign one. Cox is the priority. Bradford won’t stay for what we can offer him. So go ahead and start burning your Bradford jerseys like you know you will, when you go from worshiping him to suddenly (and unfairly) labeling him a traitor or “just being in it for a paycheck”.

LET’S KICK THE TIRES

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/02/10
Posted in: Defense, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

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NOW it’s getting interesting! Players are staring to hit the cutting room floor of NFL teams as they start trying to clear cap space for applying Franchise Tags (beginning next Tuesday the 16th) or to sign players off the street when Free Agency starts (on March 9th).

A few of the names already to hit he ground have me raising an eyebrow in interest:

G Jahri Evans (N.O.) : He’s long in the tooth at 33 but he’s still got game, and he’s an upgrade over any Guard on our roster right now. Besides, our young O-Linemen could use a mentor; and his six Pro Bowl selections (in 10 years) and a Super Bowl win would make his voice carry a lot of weight with the young ‘uns. It would also be nice to bring home a Philly born player.

OLB David Hawthorne (N.O.) : At 30 he also has some miles on him, but there’s still some tread left on his tires. Considering how weak we are at WLB, his presence alone would legitimize any competition for the spot.

OT Jason Fox (MIA) : According to all reports he struggled this season at both LT and RT. Then again Miami is a dumpster fire beginning with the leadership and it trickles down from there. Years ago many Eagles fans thought QB Jeff Garcia was washed-up due to poor stints in Cleveland and Detroit. I said not so fast, he was just in bad situations. The he comes here and you know the rest. Same with Steve Young leaving Tampa Bay and going to San Fran. Fox is just 27 and may need nothing more than to go to a team with an actual coaching staff. At worst he’s depth.

Keep in mind that we still need to draft players at every one of these spots, but these guys here would make solid fall-back positions. We’ll re-visit this list as more players get the heave-ho, but for now this wouldn’t be a bad free agent crop at all.

NO MISUNDERSTANDING EAGLES FANS

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/02/01
Posted in: Fans, NFL, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , . 2 Comments

NO CHILL HULK

PHILADELPHIA fans. Lincoln Financial Field.

It’s a night game. Twenty-five degrees outside, and the mercury is creeping to the bottom of the thermometer as if it can huddle against itself for warmth. There’s a guy making $15 an hour sitting in a $300 seat, next to guy who makes $12 an hour. Neither can really afford to be there, but neither can afford to be anywhere else tonight.

Breath as dense as smoke leaves their mouths with the words “Fly Eagles Fly.” The smell of beer and the hum of possibilities. Someone nearby has a phone with “Mummer’s Strut” as a ring tone. The atmosphere is festive. Tonight victory is assured, since the Saints have never won a cold weather playoff game. History is on our side for a change.

That night, Saints history would be made and we would fall to them.

In most cities across our great nation, when their football season ends, their fans turn their bitter eyes to hockey, or basketball, or the wait for spring training. It usually depends on which type of pro teams they have there. Philadelphia boasts an NHL team, an NBA team, and an MLB team. Once that Eagles season came to an end, we had our pick of options to fixate on. We could have used any one of them as a distraction, and hid from a loss that could have haunted us.

But we didn’t do that did we?

Despite the fact that we have a franchise from every relevant pro league in America (including Soccer), Philadelphians never really fold-up camp on an NFL season. Here you can talk Eagles 365 days a year, and nobody will say “Hey buddy, it’s the wrong time of year for that”. Not unless he wants to be hit in the teeth with the edge of a ceramic plate. We take our Eagles seriously in this city. We’re rabid here. Unapologetically so.

I used to think we were misunderstood, but that’s not it at all. Other fan bases understand us plenty. And THAT is what they have their issues with. Other fan bases understand that they don’t have our pride. Remember that Forty-niners/Cowboys game where thousands of Cowboys fans sold their tickets to Niner fans? That could never happen here. It’s simply not possible. Other fan bases understand that they don’t have our loyalty. Five decades with no Super Bowl and still the Linc fills to standing room only. Other fan bases understand that they don’t intimidate players like we do. Rival players routinely say they hate playing here because of the fans. Other fan bases understand that our former players love Philly BECAUSE OF US. Players who leave here overwhelmingly speak highly of us. Some even kiss our logo when they return.

Allen Iverson comes home.
LeSean McCoy’s first game back

When have you EVER seen that elsewhere? (Okay, okay Micheal Jordan did it, but not after playing for someone else.)

So no. There’s no misunderstanding. Rival fans understand us perfectly. They understand, that we’re the best.

SAM BRADFORD WON’T BE BACK

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/01/29
Posted in: Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 12 Comments

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AFTER A sub .500 year, the Eagles fired the head coach, and brought in a new one who favors the West Coast Offense. This was after a lackluster season by a Heisman Trophy winning QB who’d peaked in college.

I’m not talking about 2015, I’m talking about 1998. The fired Head Coach was Ray Rhodes, the new coach was Andy Reid and the QB was Ty Detmer. Owner Jeff Lurie didn’t call it a rebuild, but he allowed Reid to come in and scrap everything about the Rhodes era. What shortsighted fans don’t get is that we’ve been here before.

This time around it’s Doug Pederson hired on the heels of a toxic Chip Kelly era. As poisoned as that locker room became, do you really think for an instant that Lurie wants Pederson to do anything short of a total rebuild? And what bigger change could the Eagles make than the very face of the franchise?

You used to be able to drive out I-95 near the Broad Street exit, turn your head and SEE our franchise emblazoned on the side of the stadium. The number of Donovan McNabb Eagles jerseys in circulation probably still outnumbers the combined number of Nick Foles and Sam Bradford Eagles jerseys. The Eagles haven’t had such a guy since 2009. And don’t you dare think for an instant that those things are lost on Lurie.

Fixing the culture and the bottom line are easier to do with a new trigger man running the Offense. It also fits hand-in-glove with inking players like TE Zach Ertz and OT Lane Johnson to new deals. (Also the numbers on Johnson’s deal hint strongly at a coming move from RT to LT, which I mentioned about a week ago.)

In case you’re missing it, the theme for this offseason will be stability. And since you can’t get stability with your fingers crossed over a brittle, underachiever with poor leadership skills… Unless something truly disturbing happens, expect the Eagles to move on from Bradford relatively soon.