RAIDERS: THE GREAT TRADE ROBBERY 2.0

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/02/01
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Defense, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, playoffs, trade, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

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RIGHT now, (when you ask about it), this is what people think: Oakland got two first round picks, while Chicago got DE Khalil Mack and a double-doink knockout, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. That’s true, but it’s massively oversimplified. The Raiders may have just pulled off the second Great Trade Robbery.

If the Raiders were a playoff team, they’d see both more and deeper media coverage (like they used to). If that were the case then “professional” reporters may have done their job, and taken a closer look at that trade, when it happened.

Thank goodness, you have me.

A few months back, I wrote about the Bears/Raiders trade, in an article called “OH THEM HIDDEN FEES!” In that article I said, even if the Bears make four quick playoff exits, then the trade is still a successful one, because it unseats Green Bay, and makes Chicago the focal point of their division. But I may have to rethink that.

Much of the national media barely stopped short of calling the Raiders morons, for having parted with Mack. If you read my article, you saw that I didn’t think it was a bad deal for Oakland at all. Quite the contrary! As someone who regularly follows the Raiders, I had a clue as to what was happening there. So I already had a glimpse of their Big Picture. (More about that, down the page.)

After watching Mack get essentially manhandled during the first round of the playoffs by  Eagles RT Lane Johnson and what’s left of LT Jason Peters, I decided to look again at Mack’s last two seasons. Just to put my eye on where the trade currently stands.

Remember when I said this was a good trade for Oakland? Well, early returns would suggest that the Raiders pulled a fast one on the Bears.

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In 2017 the Bears defense was 9th in points allowed, and 10th in yards allowed. In 2018 they moved to 1st in points allowed, and 3rd in yards allowed. So a top 10 defense became a top 10 defense. Yes, they moved into the top THREE, but you know how these things are divided up. Top 10 is good, middle 10 is meh, and bottom 10 means someone will likely be fired. (Finishing under 30th means someone probably got canned during the season.) Also, the Bears sack number went from 42 to 50. So the Bears moved up. But not really.

Mack himself missed games (two), for the first time in his career. His sack number was 12.5, which is the second best year of his career. However his tackle numbers fell off cliff. After averaging 76 per year for four years, and coming off of a career best 78 in 2017, his tackles fell to 47.

One of the best parts of Mack’s game was that he was also good vs the run, and made plays despite double and triple teams. This clearly hasn’t manifested in Chicago. That means the Bears may be deploying him incorrectly, and thus aren’t getting the player they traded for. Or, they are using him just as the Raiders did, but he can no longer be as effective as he was in Oakland.

In either case, the Bears aren’t getting the player they traded for.

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It raises the question of whether or not the Raiders already knew that, when they dealt Mack. Playing 64 straight games of constant double and triple teams. Combine that with four years of practices. Years of things left off the injury report, to not tip the opponent on how to gain an advantage. (Now why would I say something like that?) Did the Raiders already see a decline coming?

What did they know, and when did they know it? All signs point to them knowing plenty, and knowing it very early.

If that’s the case, then the Raiders idea may have been to hose a team, to help turbo-charge their re-build effort. In this way the Raiders could save themselves years of cap space, and parlay a player they didn’t see in their future, into multiple players that may be key components. So in August of 2018, the Raiders asked for TWO first round picks as the price of trading Mack.

The national media essentially laughed at Oakland for asking for a price that no one would be willing to pay. So of course Oakland wound up getting two first-round picks from Chicago (2019 and 2020), AND a 2019 sixth-round pick, as well as a 2020 third-round pick. Instead of hailing the Raiders as shrewd, they were more or less derided for doing what no one thought could happen.

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Funny thing is, 49ers GM John Lynch says he offered more. “I continue to (believe that we offered more for Mack). That, at times, leads me to believe, were we ever in consideration? I understand the thought of sending him right across The Bay — I don’t know how that factored in — but it is what it is.”

I agree with Lynch in thinking that the Raiders wanted Mack out of their media market. Besides, the favorable weather in San Fran would only contribute to Mack playing better, thus making the Raiders look dumber for trading him.

However, Chicago, longer grass, in cold weather?That helps hinder any player’s change of direction. Especially for a player with an ankle injury. Especially if he’s been dealing with and possibly concealing lower body damage for a year or so. Why that hint again? His Injury Report for 2017 in Oakland:

Week 1 Did Not Practice (knee).

Week 2 Limited (Not Injury Related).

Week 12.

Week 13.

Week 14.

Week 15.

Week 16.

All DNP. All NIR. Let’s get some context on Mack not practicing during those weeks, in particular.

Going into Week 12, coming off a 8 – 33 loss, with a record of 4-6, same as the Chargers, chasing a 6-5 Chiefs team, why would you not practice your best player, if he’s not hurt? It’s not like you’re resting him for the playoffs! You do it to ease up on an injury that you’re leaving off the books.

The Raiders finished 6-10, missed the playoffs, and subsequently stopped all communication with Mack during the offseason. They went zero dark thirty on him. Then they traded him. And not only did Mack miss practices in 2018, he missed actual games, for the first time in his career.

With a lower body injury.

Are you seeing that Big Picture now? I thought you might.

Some of you may remember the Great Trade Robbery, where Dallas (took it all, socks and drawers, and) left Minnesota nekkid except for flip-flops in the snow.

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Well here we go again. Oakland pulled a Dallas.

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The Raiders unloaded a sports car with a blown head gasket, now coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber. And the Bears paid through the nose for the thing that happens next.

2018 WAS WEIRD AS FU–

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/30
Posted in: Conversations, Crazy Talk, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Rivals, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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FROM Fitzmagic; to the Chiefs cutting the NFL’s 2017 rushing leader; to the Minnesota implosion that only surprised people wearing purple; to the state of Louisiana being home to the world’s biggest collection of punk-ass, crybabies, 2018 was a weird season for many teams.

Weirdest thing of all, was the NFC East’s down-to-the-wire, dogfight for a playoff spot.

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Last year’s champs, started 2 – 1 then spent the next 12 weeks being .500 or worse. The team that would eventually win the division, took 12 weeks just to break .500. The team that got out to a 6 -3 start, then contracted Nancy Kerrigan’s Disease, and fell short of .500. And then there was that team that peaked at 1 – 2.

It was a weird year. Let’s take a look back at it, shall we?

NEW YORK: We learned a lot about New York this year. We learned that QB Eli Manning’s contract contains language that allows him to take the offense hostage. At least until the end of 2019. We learned that RB Saquon Barkley can personally generate 1,000,000 yards of offense in a game, and still manage to see his team get blown out by 21 points. Quick question: When was the last time you saw a GM have fire sale at midseason, with a Head Coach in his first year?

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We also learned that in the NFL you need two feet in bounds, to make a touchdown catch, unless one of your knees belongs to WR Cole Beasley.

WASHINGTON: Their 2018 season included more sad chapters than The Bible. Imagine riding high at 6 – 3, then suddenly: “Hey! Anybody wanna see a grotesque injury?” At which point QB Alex Smith’s leg was broken/blew up vs the Texans. At home in his living room, an unemployed Mark Sanchez said “Damn. That’s a shame” and looked over at his phone. Seemingly minutes later, the Eagles broke QB Colt McCoy’s leg. On the sideline QB Mark Sanchez said “Damn. That’s a shame” and put his helmet on. Sanchez was allowed 1 start, after which Owner Dan Snyder said “Damn. That’s a shame” and began burning his Redskins jerseys.

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Adding insult to injury, were even more injuries! I almost forgot to mention that their starting G’s were on IR for half the year. And then they lost back-up G’s and a starting OT, and then a back-up OT, and then… You know what? It would be faster to list the Redskins who didn’t end up on IR in 2018. Hey, have you ever seen a man break a 90 yard touchdown run, and still not rush for a 100 yards in that game? Yo, Adrian! Magically, RB Adrian Peterson managed to rush for 1,000 yards, despite being 33, with no supporting cast. Perhaps he’s the player the Redskins can finally build around. Damn. That’s a shame.

PHILADELPHIA: City of Champions! “Oh no! Our Starting QB might be healthy enough to play!” Nothing says “Get well soon, Carson!” like a shrine to back-up QB Nick Foles, built in a teammate’s locker.

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You wanna know what weird is? Weird is watching your team get jungle raped, 48 – 7 on national television, and then watching our players say (WITH STRAIGHT FACES), they still believed the Eagles could make the playoffs. Weirder still was believing it as a fan. Weirder than that, was realizing that we as fans, might be delusional this time.

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This fan base can be infuriating, but nobody, absolutely NOBODY, makes a point and drives it home, like this bunch.

Then, when the shit actually happened, even us believers were like “Wait! What? Yaaaaayyyyyy!” How about all the injuries to our Secondary? So many guys played back there, that they started putting letters on jerseys instead of numbers. (“Who the hell is ‘M’?”) There comes a point after you watch a field goal double-doink off a goal post, when you wonder if you too should have built a shrine. Then the team blew a 14 – 0 lead the following week, and we broke out the old “We’ll get ‘em next year!” 

DALLAS: They had a great year. Started slow, but won 7 of their last 8. Traded for a player that opened up their offense, and helps hide how much of a liability QB Dak Prescott is. Found a LB who lets them move on from LB Sean Lee. Saw a couple of draft gambles pay dividends. Even won a playoff game. Everything looked great in Big D. Yup, they’d almost pulled it off, buuuuut… You realize that the 2018 season isn’t technically over, until the Super Bowl ends, right? So everything that’s happened in the last couple weeks, is still part of the 2018 season. Meaning that 2018 will end with, Dallas’s brain trust, intentionally trying to murder 2019 already. Dallas decided to fire a lackluster offensive coordinator, and hire…Kellen Moore? He was the Cowboys QB coach in 2018, and that’s it. That’s the extent of his coaching career, and now he runs the offense. What’s weird is, the hire comes from over Head Coach Jason Garrett’s head, so he’s just getting stuck with the arrangement. Which is fine with him because, well, you know how he and Jerry Jones are.django1.jpg

Then again, one questionable hire isn’t so ba- Wait! It wasn’t just one questionable hire. They also hired Jon Kitna to be Prescott’s QB coach. You realize that Kitna was an absolute turnover MACHINE when he played. Now he’s coming off 7 years of coaching high school football, with ZERO pro coaching experience, to make a ‘meh’ QB,better? So no stars were suspended. No convicts were signed. Nobody stole any underwear and were run down from behind, by a mall cop. Just a strong finish, culminating in a division win, plus a playoff win and… DAMMIT! They couldn’t wait to squander all that momentum. Couldn’t even let it wait until Monday of next week. Talk about reserving your spot on the basement couch! 

So there it is. The NFC East season that was. It made you want to pull your hair out at times, but it was never boring. Odds are pretty slim that 2019 will treat us to as crazy a rollercoaster ride as this year was, but just in case, I’m going to ask for a prescription for heart pills today.

THE PATRIOTS AREN’T GREAT

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/28
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, Super Bowl, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

THIS is an article about the New England Patriots.

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Actually, no. No it isn’t. This is an article about how the rest of the AFC has been complicit, in making the New England Patriots seem better than they really are.

I’m not going to harp on the cheating and the scandals. Me railing about the worst kept secrets in pro sports, would totally undercut what I’m getting at here. This is not about attacking the legitimacy of New England’s achievements. Nor is it about questioning the credibility of the current NFL for their stance on all things Patriot.

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In fact, let’s banish that for the duration of this article. For the sake of argument, lets say that every call, score, win, and division crown in the last nineteen years were ALL gotten by 100% legit means. Let’s say that the Patriots earned it all, and that they are really as good as advertised.

Let’s say that the rest of their conference, simply isn’t a match for them.

That very statement is a problem. Saying that the Patriots are that good, invalidates nearly half of the sport of pro football. It makes the rest of the AFC superfluous. In fact, if that statement is true, then the Owners on the Competition Committee, need to take a very hard look at what is going on here. Because it means that the sport is broken.

The Patriots have employed a single coach for just one year shy of two decades. There is plenty of film on what the he likes to run on both sides of the ball. There are a ton of former players who have cycled through that team, who have then carried intel to their new teams.

The coach’s offensive system isn’t a mystery. The basic tenets:

*Run on early downs, to eat clock and set up manageable 3rd downs.

*Attack the middle of the field with short to moderate passes, to punish and dissuade blitzing.

*Protect the QB by spreading the defense, so that he knows pre-snap where to quickly unload the ball.

*And run it all through a favorable mismatch, or the exploitation of an opponents weakness.

For example, here is a play in classic Patriots style:

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ESPN diagrammed this, this year like they were explaining cold fission. Meanwhile I figured this out over a decade ago, just by watching it on television! However, the rest of the AFC, especially the AFC East, has yet to figure out how to stop it. Nor have they decided to employ these tenets themselves, to become just as dangerous. Mentally it seems that they’re asleep at the switch.

Bah! Maybe I’m being short-sighted and not giving enough credit to their QB, who has been there almost as long as the coach. As time has gone on, he’s clearly become a stronger, faster athlete, right? That’s why his numbers are better than they were the year before, every year.

Except that’s not the case. Year in and year out, the QB hovers around 30 touchdowns and 64% accuracy, with exception of an extreme outlier in 2007, where he somehow threw 50 touchdowns, and had an accuracy mark of 69%. (Neither of which he’s ever approached again. For some reason.)

So how is it that the rest of the AFC can’t catch on to two people, doing something more or less one way, for two decades? Don’t misunderstand, there have been challengers.

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The Colts had a couple runs when Peyton Manning was there. Denver also had a couple runs under Peyton Manning. The Steelers have had a few under Ben Roethlisberger. But by and large, the rest of the conference has been playing Dizzy Bat for 20 years now.

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Note the team doing this. While wearing pads. See my point?

It’s not like the Patriots load themselves up with the most talent. They never have the most dangerous receivers. They never have the league’s rushing leader. They’ve built a few solid contributors out of other teams cast-offs. They’ve even been up and down on defense over the span.

So it’s not like talent is what’s bailing them out. Their offensive scheme isn’t a mystery, and their defense is trash at times. So what is it? Perhaps it’s other team’s stupidity?

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This is an 8-man box vs Rex Burkhead. Go ‘head and read that again.

The Patriots are less a product of doing anything great, and more product of other teams being wasteful, slow to learn, and slower to adapt, to what is almost mind-numbing repetition. The mere fact that New England has been challenged by less than a handful of conference rivals, but repeatedly challenged by the same ones, only drives home my point: The AFC is trash and the Patriots are simply fortunate enough to play in the most remedial division, of a shit-show conference.

Today the upshot of all of this is, most of the country is already shrugging over the upcoming Super Bowl 53. Ticket prices have fallen as Los Angels fans are way too fickle to travel cross-country, like (Saint Louis) real fans would. Patriots fans are simply bored from going so much.

It’ll be interesting to see what the domestic television ratings are, and if announcers and media types, try to hype how high the rating were in foreign markets. (As if NFL fans care about how many Hondurans watched a game that we tuned into for the commercials.)

I’m not saying that the Patriots suck or aren’t good, but if the Patriots were truly as good as advertised, the coach and QB’s record in Super Bowls would be 8 – 0, not 5 – 3.

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(Sigh)

Real team dominance looks like 4 – 0 in the Super Bowl. Right Joe?

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I have no idea what that fifth ring is. GOAT bling, maybe?

CHRIS LONG IS A NO-BRAINER

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/27
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Players, Rivals, Roster, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

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NEXT year DE Chris Long is due 3.5M$ in the final year of his contract. That’s a pittance for what we’re getting in exchange. Aside from being a reliable, productive player, Long is an extremely high-quality person off the field. On the field, he plays starter level minutes, but he never bitches that he doesn’t get to start, and doesn’t make starter level money. (Note: Over the last two seasons, Long has more sacks (11.5) than any giant besides starter Olivier Vernon (13.5).

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Every time the giants overpay a former Dolphin, an Eagle gets his wings.

Chris is rare. Our odds of finding another player like him, are staggeringly low. When he leaves, regardless of how he leaves, we will miss him. Even if we find another player like him, we’ll have a situation where we could have had two like him. There is no getting around the fact that we are better with him. And Jerome forbid, Long should go to a division rival, like the aforementioned giants! 

So keeping Long should be a no-brainer.

He said that he’s mulling retirement. However he also said “I’m literally just kind of sitting back and seeing what the Eagles do, and who they bring in, or don’t bring in, and how deep that room gets.” And he also said “Listen, I know I’m an older guy. But, you know, I don’t think I’ve missed a practice over the last two years. I feel like I’ve been durable and ready when called upon.” In addition to that, and most importantly, he said “I’d like to play football in 2019”.

Let me run that by you one mo’ ‘gin: “I’d like to play football in 2019”.

What you just read were multiple examples of a guy quietly making his case. He’s saying to the Front Office that he’s still viable. That he still has good football in him. He’s waiting for the Eagles to say “Chris, we’d like you back. Will you come back?” That’s it. That’s what the man is waiting for. He has a contract, he just wants to know if Executive Vice President of Football Operations (EVPF– Fuck it), GM Howie Roseman wants him to stay.

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Last year (March 2018) when he was mulling retirement, I said we’d be fine at DE, even with the loss of he and Vinny Curry. However at that time, Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett and Steven Means were all under contract, and we’d even added Micheal Bennett.

As I said in RE-ARMING FOR WAR, the loss of Graham and Long, (Steven Means now plays in Atlanta), would leave us with Bennett, Barnett (returning from injury), and second year DE Josh Sweat. Sweat is also returning from injury, and he didn’t really flash before he got hurt.

So we need Long. We need him for character, depth, production and even tactically. Yeah, tactically. He understands the nuances of what his spot demands situationally, for this scheme. So if on a given down, he needs to freelance, he can do it without downgrading the integrity of the unit. You can’t get that from a new player. Even if that player is a ten year vet.

This is a phone call. This is that phone call that Reggie White and Brian Dawkins didn’t get from the Front Office. Not to put Long on that level, but the ease of resolving this situation is similar. We’re shooting ourselves in the foot if we don’t. This is easy. We need to get this done.

It’s a no-brainer.

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Don’t worry. Howie is smarter than this… Right?

 

 

RE-ARMING FOR WAR.

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/23
Posted in: Defense, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, Special Teams, trade, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

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DALLAS won the NFC East this season by sweeping us. The giants added firepower in 2018 and figure to pad their defense in 2019. This division isn’t going to roll over and let us just walk away with it like we did in 2017. We need to be able to take it from them.

That however, will take some serious work, because with 20 players becoming Free Agents this March, we’re a hair trigger away from being as big a mess as the Redskins. This locker room is about to undergo a significant change, and it’s going to be of supreme importance that the right players are either brought back, or brought in.

So what are the priorities? Let’s start at the top.

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QB: Carson Wentz is and should be, the future here. It’d be great to keep Nick Foles too, but he’d be too expensive. We’re projected to be 13 million over the salary cap, and he’s due to make 20 million. (Cap Savings!). This is simple math. By trading him to say…Jacksonville, we get him out of the conference, and can move up from 25th to 7th in the Draft. (Plus whatever else we can get out of them.) Nate Sudfeld has looked capable. He’s a (FA) Free Agent, but if he’s smart, he comes back here in 2019.

RB: Jay Ajayi suffered an ACL tear to his left knee in 2012. He also has osteoarthritis and now this ACL tear, in his right knee. No need to re-up for all those future missed and partial games. Darren Sproles is mulling retirement, so plans should be made like he’s not in the picture. (But if he’ll stay for 2M$ or so, we should find the cash.)

Otherwise, this position needs a complete overhaul. Not just of players, but of our philosophical approach to the kind of players we have here. We need more guys on the roster who want to be “The Guy” and work towards that. No more players who are happy being one-trick, role-players, just glad to have a roster spot.

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Installing Corey Clement as our third down/change of pace back, would be very smart. Also drafting a 225 pounder who actually runs like a big back, would give us the balance we had when we were putting up 30 points per game in 2017. It also wouldn’t hurt to sign a FA like Latavius Murray, or Spencer Ware as an insurance policy.

Were we to forgo drafting a back, adding Kareem Hunt (not Le’Veon Bell) is the smart move. Adding Hunt to this system would immediately lessen the aggressiveness of opposing pass rushers, and give our QB more room to operate. Besides, he’s 23 and has no rookie deal, so he can be inked for 4 or 5 years, and not at the top end of today’s RB market, due to his recent baggage.

WR: Alshon Jeffery is the big dog here, so he needs to see 10 or more targets (not 7), per game from Wentz. Nelson Agholor is due 9M$ on a fifth year option, which he really isn’t worth. (Cap Savings!) If he can find a team (Redskins maybe) to give him 9 mil, good on him. But it shouldn’t be us. Jordan Matthews made his meager opportunities count, so he should be brought back based on that, and his prowess as a blocker. Jeffery, Matthews and the returning Mack Hollins would make life hell on opposing secondaries, especially if a young speedster is drafted. Golden Tate thank you, and good luck on your next team.

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TE: Zach Ertz is a receiver. He’s improved as a blocker, but he’s really a big WR. Dallas Goedert helps give us what might be the most formidable 1-2 punch at this position, in the league. Still, we could use a guy who’s calling card is blocking. Not a puppy, but a veteran presence. Someone like FA’s Tyler Kroft or Geoff Swaim.

OT: I’d like to see Jason Peters retire now. (Cap Savings!) He’s our best at the position, even when injured. However, these constantly occurring injuries make it clear that he should walk away, now. Before his body betrays him, and reduces him to just “some guy”. True, 10M is a lot to walk away from, but his body and his legacy should be worth more.

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Moving Lane Johnson from the right to the left beginning in OTA’s, seems like the smartest move. Halapoulivaati Vaitai simply can’t be trusted to man the blindside. During the 2017 playoffs, our coaching staff got away with giving him help on some downs, and rolling everything else to the right. However, during the moments he played the left in 2018, opponents showed that they were wise to us with that.

Jordan Mailata says that we can expect big things from him in 2019. If he plays a single down in 2019, it would be a vast improvement over how much he played in 2018. So the bar there is really low, right now. Matt Pryor is huge, but like Vaitai, his feet are way too slow, so he’s likely better suited to Guard.

A high draft pick, possibly our first rounder, needs to be spent here. No Free Agent patch. This guy should be homegrown, and allowed to get old with the QB.

G: Brandon Brooks should be back from Achilles tendon surgery, but there is no guarantee that he’ll be ready by Week 1. (Note: I initially had this written as an ACL tear, but alert reader Bobby, stepped up, and got me on the right path. If you talk I will listen!) Stefen Wisniewski and Issac Seumalo give the Eagles stability in terms knowing the scheme, but neither is the blocker that Brooks is. Chance Warmack is a FA, but he’s not liable to attract many suitors, and the Eagles could use an inexpensive insurance policy. That being said, there is also no reason why Pryor can’t be kicked inside, where he’s actually a better fit.

C: Jason Kelce has publicly acknowledged that he is mulling retirement, and that he doesn’t know if he’ll be back in 2019. That means we need to add a player. Not just a body. A player. There are no prizes to be had in scheduled Free Agency, so unless someone gets cut, it’s best to save that cap space. Wisniewski has extensive experience playing the pivot in the NFL. Seumalo has also logged downs at the spot, so we’re by no means in dire straits. However, it would be smart to draft kid. (Hopefully 320 pounder, with a nasty streak.) Until he’s gone however, Kelce has to be counted here.

 

DE: Brandon Graham is going to be a FA, and Chris Long  is mulling retirement. This leaves us with Derek Barnett (returning from injury), Michael Bennett who is a beast, and Josh Sweat. Sweat is more of an edge setter than a pass rusher, so he may not be a good fit in this scheme. If Graham is willing to come back for 5.5M, then we should ink him. Otherwise, see if (former Eagle) FA Steven Means wants to come back to Philly.

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DT: Fletcher Cox is the heart and soul of this defense, and one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL. The Eagles may attempt to free up 5M in (Cap Savings!), by cutting Timmy Jernigan and just eating 6M in dead money, instead of paying him 11M. Space-eating, run-stuffers like Free Agents Johnathon Hankins or Jordan Phillips would look really really good next to Cox, and wouldn’t break the bank to get here. Treyvon Hester should make the roster again in 2019, but everything about him says “role-player”.

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OLB: Nigel Bradham put up solid numbers, but most of what he does (plays through injury, adds an air of toughness, finishes his tackles, doesn’t blow assignments), doesn’t show up on a stat sheet. Still, it would be nice if he were turned loose more as a pass rusher. Kamu Grugier-Hill looked like a work in progress this year, but not getting to start until your third year will put a layer of rust on any player’s instincts. He has the speed and motor to be a diamond in the rough, the only question is whether or not he’ll get the opportunity in 2019. Depth here is a real issue, and has been for years now. Adding a Free Agent like Gerald Hodges should be easy and inexpensive. Aside from that, we should be able to grab a couple of Special Teamers after the Draft.

MLB: When Jordan Hicks is healthy, he’s a very good player. Problem is, his track record for being healthy is shabby and now he’s coming off his rookie deal, and will want big boy numbers on his checks. Given the thin FA market though, the Eagles would be wise to sign him to a 3 year deal, and get an actual back-up in here. That’s not a shot at Nate Gerry, who filled in for Hicks this season. Gerry is a Safety/Outside Linebacker tweener, so he isn’t really suited for the MIKE position. If we’re spending on Hicks, we won’t have the money to blow on a FA. That means we’ll need to draft a back-up/possible replacement.

SS: Malcolm Jenkins is the only player at this position and that’s a problem for a couple of reasons. First, he’s up there in years, and we’ve got no one behind him learning to do what he does. Second, we been really lucky that he’s been healthy enough to play every snap, seemingly since he got here. It’s tempting fate to act as if we can ignore these things. We need to draft a kid to groom. A leader type.

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FS: Rodney McLeod is coming back from injury, but he should be full-go in 2019. Corey Graham frequently forgets to bring his arms to a tackle. (That’s when he isn’t diving at ankles.) Graham is a FA and so no lock to return. Tre Sullivan didn’t see a lot of action during the season, but he was an unsung hero of the Wild Card win at Chicago.

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CB: Rasul Douglas is tall, competitive, sticky fingered, and a solid tackler. If we’re smart, he opens 2019 as a starter. Avonte Maddox can be baited because he’ll chase the big play. While he’s been beaten a few times because of that, he’s also made a few plays because of it. After all, nothing ventured is nothing gained. Cre’Von LeBlanc is credited with nothing less than saving the Secondary, so um, expect him to be here in 2019. Jalen Mills was having an up and down year ((cough cough) struggling) before he hurt his foot. It remains to be seen if he’ll get to start on the outside or in the Nickle spot. Sidney Jones excelled in college playing man-press. The Eagles (regrettably) don’t use such a scheme, and so there is a real chance that the Front Office may have wasted a second round pick, on first round talent, that our coaching staff simply can’t find a use for. There’s talk of the Eagles drafting a player early at this position, but that seems almost like a massive overreach here, and robbing another position of needed talent.

K: Jake Elliott is a FA, but he’s restricted. There is no chance the Eagles let him walk.

P: Cameron Johnston still needs to work on his directional kicking, but he’ll be here.

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FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: DIVISIONAL ROUND : SAINTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/14
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, stats, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

IF nothing else, the ballooning debate over which QB we should ride with, has had most of the air let out of it. That’s the only silver lining here. The rest is muck and drivel.
I spent the latter half of the fourth quarter saying that I lay last nights loss at the feet of Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz. This is due to his repeated unwillingness to make adjustments, even when it’s clear that our opponents have. Former Eagles OLB Seth Joyner later echoed my assessment, and also fingered Schwartz for calling too passive of a game.

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Eagles 14 – Saints 20

QB Nick Foles (18/31 – 58.0% – 201 – 1 – 2) didn’t have his “A” game yesterday, an with the Eagles having no kind of run game, it was all on him to conjure up a win. It might have been possible had the Offense had more opportunities with the ball. Instead, DC Jim Schwartz seemed determined to make sure that the Saints had all the time and space that they needed, to operate their offense.

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these “Four Things” articles. We introduce an idea of what needs addressing BEFORE the game, so that fans have to honestly answer questions about those things, AFTER the game. This helps to get us, and keep us, all on the same page.

So, of the Four Things we were looking for in this last game, what exactly did we see?

1) Spread the Ball: Three receivers with 50 yards or better was what we ordered. Two receivers with 50 or better is what we got. NOT DONE

2) Sack Attack: We got a couples of sacks, but we did not keep hands up in the QB’s face. As a result he had clear lines of sight to convert key third down after key third down. NOT DONE

3) Win Rushing yards: We started Wendell Smallwood. You can’t win rushing yards without a RB. NOT POSSIBLE

4) Take away the short pass: With all the off-coverage, and vanilla zones, we didn’t take away the short pass, the long pass, the hall pass…. NOT DONE

That makes this week’s Four Things score 0 out of 4. That also brings the 2018 – 2019 to a close.

While it would have been great to have this year end like last year, we all know that no team can win it all, every year. So we are are going to see more playoff runs that end like this, than like last year. Which will still make for exciting seasons.

That being said, this season was a fun ride while it lasted.

On The Whole:

After jumping out to a 14 – 0 lead, we had no business losing this game the way that we did. Personally I see this as worse than the 48 – 7 regular season loss, because it feels like it was almost an inside job. The only thing that keeps me from thinking Schwartz got an envelope, is the fact that he’s been doing this shit since he got here. Here’s what I said in Four Things Reviewed after the Super Bowl:
“ 4) South Paw Switch: To be fair, I didn’t really expect this to get done, since it isn’t actually DC Jim Schwartz’s M.O. to make wholesale changes at the half. It would have however, kept the Patriot from outscoring us 21 -19 in the second half. (NOT DONE) ”

This is who Schwartz is, and this is what we have to live with. For as long as he’s here. Given that this was the last year of his contract though….

FOUR THINGS: DIVISIONAL ROUND: EAGLES-SAINTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/10
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

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REVENGE. Pay back. Bounties. Eagles players like LT Jason Peters have actually used those words. Earlier this year the Saints pasted us, 7 – 48. Did the Eagles players sulk? Did they feel sorry for themselves and mail the rest of the season in? They did neither of these things.

What the Eagles players did was meet as MEN. They talked about being embarrassed. They spoke of pride. They used it to resurrect a season that others had written off and were already throwing dirt on. And now, through teamwork and sheer will, the Eagles find themselves facing the same Saints team.

But they will do it, as a different Eagles team. Revenge.

I’m sure by now, most of you have heard about the cute stunt pulled by elderly Frankie Muniz.

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If you haven’t, let me nutshell it for you: He grabbed the Saints Super Bowl trophy and 225K in cash (representing an NFL player’s SB bonus), wheeled both into their locker room, and told the players if they want these, they have to win “three fucking games”.

I guess that no one told them that QB Nick Foles, has been making extra cake for killing motherfuckers since the Rams game! Bonuses of 250K for each regular season victim. Then a cool 1M, for that ice-in-his-veins, game-winning touchdown drive last week against the Bears in a playoff game.

FYI Saints: Eagles Owner Jeff Lurie, ripped that Wanted poster off the Bears carcass and nailed it to your team’s forehead for THIS week. Because this week we’re playing for revenge, and revenge is a dish best served, with a big ol’ bottle of ice cold Spite.

SPITE bottle

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Saints:

1) Spread the Ball: In 3 losses (TB1, DAL, CAR2) the Saints opponent had 3 receivers with 50 yards or better. In 5 close wins/near losses (CLE, ATL, BAL, PIT, CAR1) the opponent had just 2 receivers with 50 yards or better. Spreading the ball loosens up this defense.

2) Sack Attack: Since 2015, the Saints are undefeated when their opponent doesn’t record a sack. In our loss to them this year, we couldn’t get within a 50$ cab ride of the QB, and he dissected us on national television. Our mission couldn’t be clearer here. Get those hands UP to obstruct his line of sight, to make him hold the ball and give the pass rush time to hunt.

nigel bradham

3) Win Rushing yards: In all three losses, the Saints opponent led in rushing yards. So run it 25 times, not 11 like last time.

4) Take away the short pass: Don’t allow the RB easy releases into pass routes. Again, the idea is to make the QB hold the ball. As the rush gets closer, it gets harder for him to see over. Especially if those hands are up. It forces the ball more up than out, giving defenders a split second more to get to under the ball.

If we do all these things, we’re just about guaranteed to win. Now that we’ve covered what should happen, let’s get into what likely will happen:

Like Chicago, Eagles fans will NOT take over this venue. We will indeed be playing in a raucous and hostile environment, where it seems the very building is against us. With Chicago it was the field, in New Orleans it will be noise.

We’ll work to settle the nerves of our young Secondary, and get them to trust the communication. Once that happens, we can work on quieting that crowd.

New Orleans is going to try and come at us with a run game that they were able to lean on last time. But this time we’ll be ready for that. If their QB attempts to go by the film of how we played them the last time, this could end up as THE biggest debacle in his career.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 26 – Saints 19

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