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.

2020 Giants

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/14
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 New York (g)iants finished 4 – 12 overall, and 2 – 4 in the division. Their 2019 offensive and defensive rankings are irrelevant, because under rookie head coach Joe Judge, there will be plenty of change. An early wise move by Judge, was hiring former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett to be his offensive coordinator. Aside from his offensive expertise, Garrett also brings current knowledge of the division, as well as intimate knowledge of his former roster. This could give New York a chance to hit the ground running.

Let’s get a look at what the 2020 Pre-Draft giants roster, tells us about who New York is today.

OFFENSE:

QB:

Daniel Jones was anything but consistent in his rookie year, but given that it was also the swan song for Eli Manning, it seems like a pass has to be given here for that inconsistency. As far as his 23 turnovers, that can’t be looked off. His 18 fumbles also can’t be ignored. Those numbers are even more alarming when you realize that he missed 3 games.

On the plus side, he posted 279 rushing yards last year. Manning never did that. He never had a season of even half that. Jones’s mobility allows the coaching staff a chance to get creative and revamp what the NFL has come to know, as giants football.

Behind Jones is the serviceable Colt McCoy. McCoy plays with the confidence of a starter, and this is the most loaded team he’s ever been on. The giants could do worse for a back-up. Still, at this stage Jones has yet to demonstrate that the game isn’t too big for him. His lapses are pivotal, too frequent, and frequently in pivotal moments. (-)

RB:

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Saquon Barkley ran for 1,003 rushing yards, but the way he produced them, had many people raising an eyebrow. Many games featured him being held under wraps, until a big play would boost his numbers, and make it seem like he’d been good all game long.

In reality, Barkley’s performances were inconsistent and unreliable during games. He has the talent, but he has to find a way to matter on more downs. Wayne Gallman had one big game against Washington during a three game stretch without Barkley. During the same stretch, rookie John Hilliman got 30 handoffs, lost two fumbles, never scored, and rushed for just 91 yards. Former Titan Dion Lewis was added, for some reason.

If anything happens to Barkley, this team will remove their helmets, go to the sideline, and sit quietly until the season ends. Still, they do have one of the most dynamic players in the league. If the new staff can get consistency out of that talent, this offense might make some noise. (+)

WR:

Last year, I soundly mocked the combination of Sterling Sheppard and Golden Tate as this team’s starters last year, and was right on the money. With the departure of Odell Beckham last year, Sheppard said that he looked forward to leading. He immediately developed into a poor man’s Cole Beasley, with Tate playing Nightwing to his Robin.

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Enter fifth round pick Darius Slayton. He gave the offense a little more size, and lot more speed on the perimeter. He also made plays that Sheppard and Tate don’t have the kind of athleticism to make. Corey Coleman returns from injury on a one year deal, but he hasn’t played any significant ball since 2017. The position has some talent and veteran stability. While that may not scare anyone, it allows for development. (+)

TE:

With a third year under his belt now, it’s possible to discuss trends and patterns regarding Evan Engram. In his rookie year he posted 722 receiving yards. In his second year he posted 577. In his third year, 497. Games played? 15, 11, and 8 respectively. At this rate he’ll play 6 games and catch for 386 yards in 2020. He needs to pick his game up.

During the 2019 season, the team picked up Kaden Smith, formerly of the 49ers. Smith started once Evans went down for the year, but he displayed no traits that make you think that New York doesn’t need help here. Also formerly of the 49ers, is Levine Toilolo. His 6’8” frame would suggest red zone menace, but his 97 catches and 8 TD’s in 7 years, tell the tale of a blocker. (-)

OT:

So LT Nate Solder is back, but he was a massive disappointment in 2019. Former Cowboy Cam Fleming will likely get the nod at RT. Behind these two are a pair of benchwarmers, who are as green as clover. (-)

G:

Will Hernandez wasn’t as good in 2019 as he was in 2018. Some blame him, some blame the guy to his left. I partly blame the coaches, and largely blame the guy to his immediate right.

Supposedly Hernandez is missing alignment reads, but why does that fall to a LG? Is every man on the o-line responsible for his own read? Who calls the protections? Who calls the slides? I can’t think of the last LG to do that. If there’s a communication issue, it doesn’t rest with the LG.

At RG is Kevin Zeitler, who wasn’t the rampaging failure that I predicted him to be last year. That’s not to say that he played like a Pro Bowler, but at least New York can say they plugged a leak. Nick Gates could step in at RG, if the rumor of Zeitler sliding outside, happens to come true. (+)

C:

Any time an o-line has communication issues up front, look no further than the guy in the middle. In this case that would be John Halapio.

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From all appearances the game is faster than Halapio can process mentally. That results in an out of sync o-line. Spencer Pulley is the reserve, but he’s also the guy they demoted, for the problem child they stuck with last year. (-)

In a nutshell:

This unit has critical issues with both communication, and ball security. The QB is no longer a rookie so his reads should be better. How much better remains to be seen. Whether o-line communication can get better without swapping out the C, is a major question. This offense can make some noise, but they have to stop waiting for it to fall into their laps, and take control of the situation. As the expression goes: Hope is not a strategy. (-)

 

DEFENSE:

DE:

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(NOTE: The giants are listing nearly all of their linemen as “defensive linemen”. It’s a cheap ploy to create uncertainty among the shakier coaching staffs. Everyone knows that the giants are moving away from a pure 3-4 to more of hybrid 4-3/5-2 front. It’s just Three Card Monte. Now that we’ve sorted that, let’s look at who (as of today) would start at this position.)

Leonard Williams joined the team via trade, at midseason 2019. Honestly, there isn’t enough tape on him in a Giants jersey, to forecast whether or not he’ll be better than he was as a Jet. Reserve B.J. Hill was essentially demoted for Williams, and is a decent player. Oshane Ximines is a second year man likely in for a larger role. (+)

DT:

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2019 rookie, Dexter Lawrence came in and made an immediate splash, with 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his first eight games, while posting 4 tackles or more three times. Those may not seem like big numbers, but for a 342 pound rookie, essentially playing interior lineman, they were a damned fine start to a career. Then he hit a wall, and posted just 16 tackles for the remainder of the year, and no more 4 stop games. So this one has promise.

Having a huge body beside him to eat some double teams, allowed Dalvin Tomlinson to get more “iso” work inside. The result was his best year as a pro, posting 49 stops and 3.5 sacks. There is no reason not to expect more of the same in 2020. Austin Johnson was brought over from Tennessee. He’s not great, but teamed with R.J. Macintosh, the giants have size and experienced depth, which is never bad to have in reserve. (+)

OLB:

David Mayo is nothing special. He’s not big, or fast, or a good pass rusher, or a competent cover man. His biggest talent so far seems to be continuing to draw an NFL paycheck. Rookie Ryan Connelly got off to a start, before a blown ACL in week 4 shelved him for 2019. Teams will test the sharpness of his ability to change direction in 2020, so don’t expect him to pick up where he left off. Both Mayo and Connelly played inside in 2019’s 3-4 scheme, but right now it seems like the Giants will try a 4-3 hybrid look in 2020. Lorenzo Carter is suited to this position in a 3-4, but he’ll likely have to move to end, if the team does in fact switch systems. Kyler Fackrell was brought in off of Green Bay’s bench, on the strength of what seems like a fluke 2018 season. Aside from (possibly) Connelly everyone else here is just a pass rusher. (-)

MLB:

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Blake Martinez was plucked from Green Bay and has all the tools to be a star. Was that direct enough? (+)

S:

Jabrill Peppers. He’s the only player at this position on the roster to start an NFL game. The next most experienced player is 31 year old, nine year veteran Nate Ebner. Nine years. Zero starts. This has to be where that first draft pick lands. (-)

CB:

The big man on the block is free agent signee, James Bradberry. Bradberry is a big body who looks good on paper, but never looks quite as good in a game. Deandre Baker didn’t have an awesome rookie year, but he was a first round pick, so he started 15 games and will start in 2020. Julian Love started the final 5 games, and wasn’t much worse than anyone else at this position. In his defense, he was just a rookie taken in the fourth round. Sam Beal has yet to justify the Supplemental third round pick the team spent on him in 2018. Grant Haley, Corey Ballentine… New York has made a concerted effort to get young at this position. Young is good. Experienced is better. (-)

In a nutshell:

The Giants are what happens when a team leans too heavy on the idea that “pass rush wins games”. Pass rush helps, but if the rest of the defense can’t cover, then there is no pass rush. They are going to need a Connelly to be surprisingly good and add more talent in their secondary to have any shot at being a decent unit in 2020. (-)

 

SPECIAL TEAMS:

P:

While attempting the fewest punts of his career Riley Dixon had his best year so far in terms of Average (46.1), Net Average (42.3), lowest number of his punts returned (24), lowest number of return yards (136), and yards per return (5.6). He did however, have two blocked. Still, this guy’s foot will set a defense up well, and thus he gives his team a shot to win. (+)

K:

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This team needs to replace Aldrick Rosas. Honestly, I have no idea how he’s still on the roster this long after the season.

His 2019 season saw him connect on 12 of 17 Field Goal attempts (70.6%). Missing 4 out of 5 over 40 yards. However, he’d have only been the difference in 1 of the teams 12 losses. He also missed 4 extra points in 2019. In 2018 his FG kicking was 32/33 (97.0%), and in 2017 he was 18/25 (72.0%). That’s just too all over the map. A team can’t live that way.

His kickoffs continue to improve every year. In 2019, on 71 kickoffs, just 19 were returned (26.7%) for 18.5 yards per attempt, and yet again no touchdowns. Still, he needs replacing. (-)

RS:

The good news is that they seem to have a number of viable PR options. The bad news, is that none of them has ever taken a punt back for that tasty treat. So the position has babysitters, but no daddy. (-)

In a nutshell:

Aside from the punting, this unit needs serious help. Given that games are frequently won and lost on a toe; given that good starting field position for opponents often follows misses; and given that poor kicking leads coaches to go for it, in 4th down situations that they would rather not, this unit as a whole can’t be given a thumbs up. (-)

BOTTOM LINE:

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The Giants are a rebuild. They started their rebuild in 2017 when they hired GM Dave Gettleman, and he hired head Coach Pat Shurmur.

No one expects miracles in the first year, so fans mostly wrote 2018 off. Then Gettleman re-started the rebuild with a fire sale of Shurmur’s weapons in 2018. So of course no one expected much in 2019.

However, after 2019, the rebuild was re-re-started by ripping out Shurmur, and replacing him with this rookie head coach. So of course this means no expectations for 2020 either. I can just picture Gettleman telling everyone to “Trust the Process.” This team will suck until they fire the GM. As for 2020, call it 6 wins, 8 if they get off to a fast start. 

2020 Redskins

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/13
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments

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LAST year the Washington Redskins finished 3 – 13 overall, and 0 – 6 in the division. There’s no need to discuss their rankings because they hired a new head coach, in Ron Rivera. Rivera, already a defensive strategist, quickly hired Jack Del Rio to be his defensive coordinator, so you know what this team will hang it’s hat on. That being said coaches don’t wear helmets.

Let’s get a look at what the 2020 Pre-Draft Redskins roster, tells us about who Washington is today.

OFFENSE:

QB:

The starting job is up in the air. The new head coach would like to see Dwayne Haskins compete with undrafted, former Panther, Kyle Allen. Alex Smith is still on the roster, but there is no news on his return from the broken leg he suffered in 2018.

While Haskins improved statistically throughout the 2019 season, there was never a point where he showed he has the ability to be more than a mid-tier passer. In five of seven starts, he failed to crack 200 yards passing. In three of those games, he failed to even reach 150. Add to that, the fact that Haskins isn’t dangerous with his feet. There isn’t a single special aspect to his physical skill-set, or his leadership traits.

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As for Kyle Allen taking over the starting job, it’s a fantasy. Disregard that noise. Allen started 2019 on a tear. Then, once teams got tape on him, the carriage turned back into a pumpkin, the horses turned back into mice, and yadda yadda, ad infinitum. In his 12 starts he was 5 – 7 , but lost every game where he attempted more than 34 passes. He’s nothing special. (Which is probably why he went undrafted).

Not that Haskins is a better option, but the Redskins still owe him 11M guaranteed, and they did spend a top 10 pick on him. Scuttlebutt has it that the Redskins are taking a QB with the second overall pick in the upcoming Draft. If that happens, then you can draw a chalk outline around the 2020 Redskins, before the sun rises on Day Two of the Draft. (-)

RB:

Adrian Peterson just got another year added to his contract. And why not? The 35 year old led the team in rushing, yet again in 2019. However, too often his yardage doesn’t come in key situations, when his team needs it. In six of the fifteen games he played in last season, he averaged under 3.0 yards per carry. That’s not a typo. Under. His longest run of 32 yards, didn’t happen until Week 17.

Derrius Guice has missed 27 of a possible 32 games, since being drafted in 2018. He missed his entire rookie season with a blown ACL in his left knee, and most of 2019 with MCL issues in his right knee. On the bright side, his left knee was fine in 2019. Also the MCL sprain that ended his season, was probably more of a team decision to save wear and tear, once it was clear that they weren’t going anywhere.

Moving on from Wendell Smallwood, they signed former Buccaneer Peyton Barber. Barber is what you get if you gave a slightly less explosive Wendell Smallwood, a lot more carries. (No really. Look both players up and compare them. And if you’re a Redskins fan, try not to cry.)

In any case, the Redskins are in trouble here. They have a situation of an aging body, and a damaged body, both backed up by a nobody. I sense an early Draft pick here (-)

WR:

Terry McLaurin is a hot name. Deep threat, big plays, 58 catches, 919 yards, (15.8) and 7 TD’s in his rookie year. This guy is the truth, right? Hold up.

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Of his three 100 yard games, two were against the Eagles, and one was against the Dolphins. (Two teams with shaky secondaries.) In the remaining 11 games that he played in, he never even reached 90 yards. In fact, in those remaining games, he totaled a mere 564 yards, with just 3 scores and an average of 12.8. So let’s power down that hype machine.

Steven Sims closed out 2019 by catching 4 touchdowns in the last three games. Thing is, he’s more of a slot/gadget guy, than starting material. Trey Quinn, started off “meh” and then cooled dramatically, before completely disappearing after Week 12. Kelvin Harmon won’t scare anyone, but he has good size and will make catches.

Cody Latimer is also on the roster, but in 6 years, he’s never seen more than 24 offensive touches in a season. (-)

TE:

Vernon Davis retired. Jordan Reed was released. Jeremy Sprinkle is a blocker, not a receiver. Hale Hentges made a splash during the last two weeks of the season, posting 6 catches for 90 yards and a TD.

These circumstances prompted the Redskins to sign Richard Rodgers and Logan Thomas. It is doubtful either man will see opening day on the roster. (-)

OT:

Trent Williams is still on the roster, but he’s working hard to get off of it. Moses Morgan is a rock at RT. That’s the good news. The bad news is, the current answer at LT is likely Geron Christian. Or it’s recently signed, former Bears fill-in, Cornelius Lucas. (-)

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Moses Morgan and Brandon Scherff are one of the more formidable right sides in football.

G:

Washington handed RG Brandon Scherff a blank check to stay, and so he did. Ereck Flowers had a career year in 2019, which should come as no surprise since I told you that he would, last year. He translated that into a fat contract on another team. That led to the Redskins signing Wes Schweitzer. Schweitzer was a primary starter in Atlanta for two years before he played 15 games with just 7 starts in 2019. He started the final 5, but he was a back-up in 8 of the first 10. He’s that good. Don’t look for depth. There is no depth. (-)

C:

Chase Roullier is the starter, and Ross Pierschbacher will assume the number two spot. While nothing flashy, Roullier is steady. A team could do worse. (+)

In a nutshell:

They have half of an offensive line. They’re hoping that their ancient and injury prone backfield, can produce. They need to decide on a QB, neither of whom has anyone significant to throw to. This is an offense with no weapons, and no triggermen who could use those weapons in the first place. Worse yet, there is no cover for a triggerman to work behind. This offense is a shit storm. (-)

 

DEFENSE:

DE:

Redskin DES.jpg

Jonathan Allen and Matthew Ioannidis are the best pair in the division. They’re big, fast, strong, every down players, who make a huge impact at their position despite playing in a 3-4 scheme. The team is strong here, as long as they don’t have to play their bench. Behind Allen and Ioannidis, it’s gossamer thin. Former Eagle Trayvon Hester, and (native Philadelphian) Tim Settle play the swing-end spot, but neither really has the feet, bend, or suddeness of the starters. Still, with as good as it is at the top, this position is pretty strong. (+)

DT:

Daron Payne starts at NT and is a force in the middle. Unlike many at his position, he doesn’t just eat blockers, he can beat blockers. Tim Settle also fills in here, and is decent as reserves go. Trayvon Hester also has experience inside, and can play here in a pinch. (+)

OLB:

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Ryan Kerrigan is coming off of the worst year of his career. Just 5.5 sacks and finished the year on IR. The future is apparently Montez Sweat. In his rookie year he posted 7 sacks, but proved just as one-dimensional as Kerrigan, showing that he’s a pass rusher only. Ryan Anderson stepped in for Kerrigan and looked good in his three starts to finish the year. You have to wonder whether or not Reuben Foster is still in the plans, and what his knee (2019 ACL, MCL) looks like. Four guys at this position, and not one of them can cover. That’s called a liability. Limited starters, backed up by players with the same limitation? Not good (-)

ILB:

Both Jon Bostic and Cole Holcomb logged 105 tackles and a sack in 2019, but weren’t much vs the pass. That’s probably why Thomas Davis was signed. Davis can play both the run and the pass, but he’s 36 and thrived playing the outside. This will be a position change. So the math looks like, old dog + new team + new position + new system = hopefully he’ll be his old self. No chance in hell. Still the team has some parts that they might be able to mix and match, so it can’t be counted totally out. (+)

S:

Landon Collins logged 117 tackles and a sack. Not bad numbers for a second level defender, but Collins plays in the secondary. After posting just four deflections and no picks, for a second straight year, for a second team, the nagging questions about his (lack of) ability to cover receivers, won’t be easily put to bed. Here is a picture of him picking off a pass last year.

blank sheet

The team added D.C. native, Sean Davis, formerly of the Steelers. He missed all but one game of the 2019 season with a shoulder injury, but appears to have pretty good ball skills. So far however, his real claim to fame, is being sued by a Chick-fil-A employee, for causing the kid’s classmates to bully him. The depth here is negligible. (-)

CB:

2019 Greg Wards first TD

After an Eagles Practice Squader put Josh Norman on a poster, the Redskins cried “No Mas!” Seriously. Almost as soon as the season was over, the team’s executives started throwing all of Norman’s shit out of a second story window. And he was the best they had!

By late March their best at the position were Fabian Moreau, and returning career back-up, Kendall Fuller. Put another way, if this position were a McDonald’s menu, these two players would be a bag of apple slices, and a small cup of ice. Which is why they totally overspent for ex-Eagle, Ronald Darby.

roasted.jpeg

Given that the Redskins (like the Eagles) play Single-high coverage, Darby will be asked to play a lot of man coverage. On the upside, Darby is very fast, very athletic, and does a fair job of contesting jump balls. On the downside, when he’s not injured, he’s either stumbling in coverage, missing tackles, or giving up touchdowns. And sometimes all three at once! (-)

In a nutshell:

The 2019 Redskins didn’t look bad vs the pass statistically, because teams opted for easy rushing yards. That said, this unit looks too much like it did at this point in 2019. They have strength up front, but the edges and back of this unit, will spend a lot of time on the wrong end of highlights this year. (-)

 

SPECIAL TEAMS:

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P:

Tress Way averaged 49.6 yards per punt, this past season. He blasted a career long 79 yarder in a Week 13 win over Carolina. He also punted for a career-high 500 yards, on 10 punts with no blocks, in a Week 5 loss to New England.

Unfortunately, 39 of his 79 punts (49.3%) were returned for 354 yards or 9.0 yards per return. In fact, his 19 fair catches were his lowest since 2016, as opponents overwhelmingly chose to return the ball at a Return:Fair Catch ratio of 36:19.

This indicates that Way is still grossly out-kicking his coverage, and giving opponents a chance to make a momentum swinging play. Hidden yardage wins and loses games. While Way may be showing off a big leg, his placements are hurting the defense and very likely, costing his team wins. (-)

K:

Dustin Hopkins is one of those players who’s stable enough to keep, but always makes a team wonder what else is out there. Last season saw him post an 83% accuracy mark, with one attempt blocked. On the other hand, of his 68 kickoffs, only 17 (25%) were returned. (+)

RS:

WR Steven Sims is a KR guy to worry about. Posting 32 attempts, 819 yards (25.6), a 91 yard long, 3 returns of 40 yards or more, and a one brought back for a score. Not bad for a rookie, who also contributed five touchdowns on offense, posting both a 65 yard catch, and a 65 yard run. The addition of WR Cody Latimer, gives the Redskins depth in a spot that rarely has such a thing.

Sims was given an opportunity to PR, but that remains a trouble spot for the team. Still, he’s a back-up player who can change a game as a kick returner. That’s more than some teams in this division have. (+)

In a nutshell:

There is talent and stability here. The question is, can it be conducted to perform as a beautiful symphony, or will it continue to play like a middle school recital of “Three Blind Mice”?

BOTTOM LINE:

This team is a rebuild, but everyone knew that already. If they attempt to roll out a 3-4 concept with this roster, they’re going to spend a lot of time either having to play shootouts, or just being blown out on a regular basis. As this team is currently constructed, it has the look of a 4 win team.

TRADING FOR YANNICK NGAKOUE

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/09
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Players, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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DEFENSIVE End Yannick Ngakoue is trying to convince the Jacksonville Jaguars to trade him. Along with his many requests to be elsewhere, are a number of dropped hints as to where he’d like to go. If his hint list did not include the Eagles, I would totally ignore this story. But it does. So I can’t.

Lots of Eagles fans want the Front Office to trade for Ngakoue. He represents something that the Eagles have lacked for a long time now. He’s a pass rusher that opponents will feel they have to game plan for. Not to devalue DE Brandon Graham, but tell me about the year where Graham recorded 10 sacks or more. Don’t waste time looking. For Graham there is no such year.

In fact, the last time an Eagles DE recorded 10 sacks or more in a season was 2011. DE Jason Babin had 18, and DE Trent Cole had 11. No Eagles defensive lineman would notch 10 sacks again, until DT Fletcher Cox posted 10 in 2018.

So yeah. Many Eagles fans are excited by the elements that Ngakoue can add to our Defense. They have visions of double digit sack years dancing in their heads. To which I can only respond:

Excuse me.

Kirk God starship

Excuse me. I just want to ask a question:

Can Ngakoue thrive as a DE in the NFC East?

Three quarters of the NFC East plays in cities that get inclement weather. None of those teams plays in a dome. Three quarters of the NFC East plays in stadiums near large bodies of water. That means humidity in the air and on the ball, early in the season. It means frost on the turf, and a dry, slick ball, late in the season.

Because the weather can impact the passing game significantly, our division is married to the run in ways that other divisions don’t have to be. Defending the run requires bulk to keep players from wearing down later in the year. It’s why there are no 246 pound starting DE’s in this division. Now guess how much Ngakoue weighs.

Understand, Ngakoue is from Washington D.C., and he played college ball at Maryland. He knows what weather in the region looks like. He grew up with it, and he can undoubtedly add some weight. If he does though, will we be getting the player that we saw with the Jags, or will we be getting Jevon Kearse 2.0?

Funny story, true story. At 11:37 this morning I went looking for a picture of Ngakoue to place in this article. While doing so, I noticed that while there are dozens of pictures of him sacking QB’s, aside from this picture,

Yannick Saquon.jpg

it’s really hard to find any pictures of him tackling a RB. (Not that this is a tackle either.) You just can’t live that way in the NFC East. In this division, DE’s also have to play the run.

Also, watching him try to force his way out of Jacksonville makes me very uncomfortable. I’m fine with him wanting to leave. He’s entitled to wanting a different work environment. What I’m not fine with, is the way he’s making a show of it.

He says he wants to go to a team with a winning culture. One of the reasons Jacksonville doesn’t have a winning culture, is because they have players who make individual choices like the path he’s chosen. True strength of character would be to create a winning culture. Instead, he wants to immigrate to a place where the work has already been done. That’s suspect behavior.

You probably expected me to rant about why he’s not worth what Jacksonville is asking in return for him. Fact is, to me it never even needs to get that far. To heck with trading for him. I wouldn’t sign him, if he were an Unrestricted Free Agent. Keep reading.

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Other fans see his sacks, and look past all the red flags. He’s talented yes, but he’s a showboat who doesn’t bring more to the table than stats. That’s the antithesis of the Eagles locker room culture. He’s all wrong for the mental make-up of my team. For that reason, he’s better suited to the Browns, Steelers or Cowboys. Or of course, the Jaguars.

BUILDING THE EAGLES ROSTER

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/02
Posted in: Conversations, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

 

jeff lurie and doug pederson.jpg

WHILE I myself have been critical of General Manager Howie Roseman during the first round of Free Agency, I did remind people (and myself), that it’s still early. There is no need to panic. Also, I have concerns about a number of holes left throughout the entire team. Not just at receiver.

There are a few sportswriters crying about the Eagles not getting QB Carson Wentz any new WR’s. They shook their heads about Roseman saying that the team internally, sees our WR position differently than people do from the outside, and that we have plenty of talent at receiver. I agree with his assessment, having written in support of our current receiving corp, back in early February, as one of my first article in The 12.

2019 Eagles WRs - Good luck trying to sleep

Hey! Remember a year ago when everyone was sure that WR’s Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, and Nelson Agholor were going to torch the NFL? Remember a few months ago when the excuse was that Carson didn’t have Jeffery, Jackson, and Agholor? So wait. Now he’s getting Jeffery and Jackson back, and everyone is bummed about it? Are people really that upset about losing Agholor? Was he the difference maker? Is… Is that what this is?

Are people really upset that we didn’t get WR Stephon Diggs, who publicly threw his QB under a bus a few times? Are we really upset that we didn’t get WR Robby Anderson, a former Jet who’s not always proven to be coachable, and so had no serious suitors besides Carolina? Are we really upset that we didn’t spend 20 million on WR Amari Cooper, who has a well documented history of losing interest during games? In what way has Breshad Perriman proven himself the equal of either of our starters?

FYI: Trading for WR DeAndre Hopkins was do-able, but he wanted a new deal that the Eagles felt was outside of the team’s price range. Maybe something could have been worked out, but the Eagles want to get younger, and if we’re being honest, I’m not sure how Hopkins would have fit in the Audience Of One locker room, anyway.

AO1 carson_wentz .jpg

Make no mistake we have plenty of holes on Offense. Too many in fact, to obsess over any one position.

Depending on who you ask, LT is either solid for the next decade, or we have a bust waiting to be exposed and get our QB killed.

There is no insurance behind our starting RB.

If we don’t add some speed at WR, we’re one injury away from being where we were in Week 3 of 2018, and Week 3 of 2019.

Another veteran QB is an absolute must have. Preferably someone with a little mobility. Maybe signing FA’s Blaine Gabbert or Blake Bortles? A trade for Jacoby Brissette would also be a thing of beauty. (Though he would need his deal stretched out to five years.) Not to fuck over QB Nate Sudfeld, but you saw us last year. You can’t ever have too much talent at QB.

The Draft and the second round of Free Agency still lay ahead of us. Would it have been nice to have a few new, shiny pieces by now? Sure. Like I said, I’ve already said as much. But to whine and say silly shit like “Carson’s being hung out to dry.” That’s alarmist and stupid. Don’t be that fan. And ignore such rantings. 

WEAKENING THE EAGLES

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/03/24
Posted in: Coaching, Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Rants, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

BDAWK.jpg

QUARTERBACK Carson Wentz’s leadership skills are not on trial here. I’m not questioning his ability to lead. So come on down off of that soap box. Don’t even get started. Deep breaths.

NBC’S John Clark wrote a story that I’m going to lift heavily from, because, well you’ll understand when you read it. In it he discusses why the Eagles really cut S Malcolm Jenkins. Check it out:

*****

But I think the biggest factor is changing the dynamic — turning this team over to their franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.

Jenkins was the leader. He was the voice of the team. He broke down the huddles. He was a very powerful voice in the locker room and a commanding and inspirational leader…

2019 Malcolm Jenkins pre-game

But you saw what Wentz was able to do this past season when the offense was ravaged by injuries at receiver down the stretch. “Carson and the kids.” He led them to the playoffs. He was free to be the leader with the younger receivers. They say he inspired them.

I believe the decision to let Jenkins walk is about changing the overall dynamic of this team so this is Wentz’s locker room.

I think it is similar to what the Seahawks did when they allowed Russell Wilson to take over the team and let go of powerful voices like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Michael Bennett.

This is undoubtedly Wentz’s team now.

*****

We won’t get into how that worked out for the Seahawks. (Didn’t.) What we will discuss, is that at no point did it ever seem like Carson and Malcolm had the team chasing different goals. Both men were active in the community. Both promoted accountability, and didn’t throw teammates under the bus. So it’s seems more like the locker room lost a standard bearer, and a player who led by example.

2020BADTHING

What I’m questioning is, whether or not the Eagles are invalidating Carson’s leadership, with their artificial attempt to prop it up. Removing other leaders from the locker room, in order to magnify Carson’s voice, could very easily have the opposite effect, and make him look less like a leader, and more like the team’s mouthpiece.

Remember when other Eagles players called QB Donovan McNabb a “Company Man”? It wasn’t a compliment, was it? Being Managment’s guy, didn’t help him lead did it? In fact, it was sort of a barrier between he and his teammates, wasn’t it?

Now let’s take the situation with Carson and WR Alshon Jeffery. If the Eagles brass attempts to solve a rumored interpersonal rift between Carson and Alshon, by removing Alshon, it makes it seem as if Carson couldn’t “handle his own huddle”, and had to tell the teacher. Which makes Carson look like a weak leader. On top of costing Carson his most productive WR.

carsonwentz_camo

The locker room damned sure doesn’t need a bunch of suits meddling in their chemistry. The Eagles need to leave Carson’s leadership to Carson. Let the man do his thing.

You know what!? I’ll do you one better! If it’s truly going to be Carson’s team, then let him pick his new WR this year at the NFL Draft! Let the locker room see him wield that kind of juice. (Let Alshon see that.)

In the meantime, we should be about the business of adding strong players, and voices to the team, not subtracting them. Not all players (especially defensive ones) will relate to a QB, and having him as the only voice, risks losing resonance with part(s) of the locker room.

Removing Jenkins like this was bad for Karma. Owner Jeffery Lurie refuses to learn this lesson. This is is Reggie White all over again (11-5 in 1992 to 8-8 in 1993). This is Brian Dawkins all over again (NFC Championship game in 2008 to Wild Card in 2009). This is Terrell Owens all over again (Super Bowl in 2004 to 6-10 in 2005). We always pay for this immediately.

Do you see how we did Jenkins and LT Jason Peters (also a powerful locker room voice)?

We will pay for this in 2020.

EAGLES HOLES ARE FUCKIN’ UGLY

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/03/22
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Defense, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

doug pederson water bottle presser 2020

WE have a hole at starting SS. We have a hole at starting MLB. We have a hole at starting OLB. We have a hole at starting CB. We signed a career back-up SS. We signed a career back-up Nickel LB. It’s still early in the offseason, but still, it would be great to not have so many exposed holes.

Look I get it. We can find quality free agents after the Draft. We did it before, with players like RB LeGarrette Blount, This makes Eagles brass feel good about being late shoppers. But I want to show you something. Look at the 2017 signing dates of the free agents we brought in that year:

2017 free agents

To quote the poet, Bubba Sparks: “How else can I say it? I don’t speak no other languages?”

That chart is as clear as you can make a thing. If you want an impact player, you generally have to get him before the draft. That’s just common NFL knowledge. It’s also basic economics. The law of supply and demand. The demand for impact players is high, and so the supply of them will quickly run out.

This leaves us hoping for huge contributions from our rookies. Because we’ve been great at developing those, right? Look, we don’t have to sign a ton of expensive veterans, but a couple of pivotal ones? To fill important holes?

Put another way, at certain positions we’re just standing and watching everyone else buy up all the Charmin. Maybe GM Howie Roseman feels really good about those boxes of dot matrix paper he just bought, but a quick look at the situation, says that our holes are in for some rough times ahead.

dot matrix paper.jpg

For all the gas the Eagles talk about being a “win now” team, and wanting to “be competitive every year”, they certainly have all the ear-marks of being about to take a year off. This feels like an outright re-build.

“It’s fuckin’ ugly.”

WHAT’S THE PLAN HOWIE?!

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/03/21
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Draft, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, Rants, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Howie Roseman USAToday.jpg

That’s our kick-ass GM Howie Roseman. This guy, is a friggin’ GENIUS!

THIS so far, has been a nightmare. So far there doesn’t seem to be a plan. When we left the 2019 season we had obvious holes to fill, and things to strengthen. So get to it, right? Instead what happened, was our GM Howie Roseman, created more holes and has so far left them empty.

Some fans may have been placated by Howie trading for 30 year old CB Darius Slay. That said, I think many will acknowledge that a week earlier, no one was talking about Slay. Everyone (except me) seemed to want CB Byron Jones. As it stands now, Nobody’s First Choice, is thus far Howie’s crowning achievement of 2020.

Six weeks ago (going by talent on rosters), the NFC East was in the bag for the Eagles. Then our GM began just ripping shit up. Got rid of our only complete LB (OLB/MLB Nigel Bradham), a future Hall or Famer (LT Jason Peters), a perennial All-Pro (SS Malcolm Jenkins), the roster’s only down hill runner (RB Jordan Howard) and our leading receiver in Super Bowl 52 (RB Corey Clement).

card.corey.clement

Howie has left us thin at all of those positions now, and he hasn’t even brought in unproven players to fill those holes. What did we add to our roster you ask? Well shit, let’s take a look!

We got the aforementioned 30 year old CB, a NT (Javon Hargrave) for our 4-3 defense, in a Wide Nine system. We also got a… a… um…

Fuck! Just fuck, man! Fuck! The fuck is he doing, man?! I just want to… All he had to do was… I’m gonna go upstairs, put my head under my pillow, and blow my fuckin’ brains out!

Wait! Better idea.

head in oven.jpg

But it’s no time to panic.

It is after all, still early in the process, and with everything being pushed back a bit, due to a public health concern (WINK!), it theoretically gives the Eagles Front Office more time to weigh all the options. The problem with theoretically, is that other teams are making moves in real-time, which removes some of the options, off the board.

Raise your hand if you’d have liked a serious run at trading for WR DeAndre Hopkins.

How about QB Nick Foles for a 4th rounder (like Chicago paid)? Foles is re-doing his deal so that the Bears can afford him. So, you know. Yay. I’m happy for the Bears. Hey, if you can’t see my eye twitch, or hear the bitterness in my tone, then you might assume that I took that trade in stride.

Hey! CB A.J. Bouye for a 4th rounder (like Denver paid), would have  also been nice.

How about signing free agents like MLB Joe Schobert or LB Cory Littleton?! RB Lamar Miller is still out there (coming off an ACL injury) and waiting for a committee role.

Don’t even get me started about us not re-signing Bradham (still unsigned), Peters (still unsigned) Jenkins, Howard, or DE Vinny Curry (still unsigned). Rumor has it that the Jets are interested in Vinny.

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I understand the idea of getting younger. I understand the idea of leaning on the draft. What I don’t understand, is the inactivity. What I don’t understand, is what we’re waiting for. What I don’t understand, is the plan.

Howie Roseman USAToday.jpg

UGH! Look at this idiot’s face. What’s the plan?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY TEAM!?!?

EAGLES TRADING FOR NICK FOLES.

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/03/05
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Draft, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, playoffs, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

QUARTERBACK Nick Foles is up for trade by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two questions I keep hearing and reading are “Should we trade for Nick Foles?” and “Do you want the Eagles to trade for Nick Foles?” Funny thing is, many fans treat those like they mean the same thing, but really those two questions are a million miles apart.

player-nickfoles.534

Should we? Yes. The Eagles need a back-up QB with Josh McCown unlikely to be back. If we bring in another QB, it should be someone who fits the system, and culture. Someone the roster can rally behind, if our starter gets hurt. Foles meets those qualifications better than anyone else we could put in that #2 slot. In fact, Foles meets those qualifications even better than QB Tom Brady could. And I dare you to argue with that.

Do I want it? Yes. I want anything that obviously helps us be stronger. In January, we watched McCown get hurt and still keep the Eagles in a playoff game. Given that McCown was able to do as much as he did, there is no way that you can convince me that

A) if QB Carson Wentz doesn’t get cheapshot, we still lose that game.

B) if Foles (being more familiar with the roster) stepped in instead of McCown, that we still lose that game.

2019 Josh McCown

Eat a dick Clowney.

NOTE: This is not to say that McCown lost that game for us. Far from it. The guy was a gamer for us, and was a hell of a teammate. It would do me proud to see him in midnight green in 2020.

That all having been said, Foles coming here is out of the question, right? We can’t afford him, right? Sit. Have some tea. It’s Blood Orange. Outside the box tea, for outside the box thinking.

The deal that he’s on in Jacksonville? He was never going to be a Jaguar past 2021. Media types were saying that while the ink was still drying on the contract. Only 50 of the 88 million was ever guaranteed, and after 2020 the Jags can either cut Foles and eat 12.5M in dead money, or pay Foles the remaining 53.875 million over two years.

Bottom line: After 2020 Foles is owed just 12.5M if he’s cut. Letting him keep his roster spot exposes the Jags to owing him more money. So he won’t be there under any circumstance in 2021.

Just over a year ago (2/21/2019) I wrote “WHY NOT KEEP NICK FOLES?”. In that article I proposed 50M over 5, with 3 years guaranteed. Putting my GM hat back on a year later, I’d up that ante. 50 over 5, with every red cent guaranteed, with retirement being the only caveat language. If he (or his wife Tori) wants a no-trade clause, add it.

Next to the CBA (whenever it gets done) that’s an easy lift for a ringer in the #2 slot. It guarantees Foles stays until he’s 36 – 37, and basically retires him as an Eagle. A quick call to his agent Justin Schulman, will determine if Foles is amenable to reworking his deal. If so, we need to make the trade.

Wentz Foles

What about Carson!? (Shrug) What about him? If he and Foles truly have a great relationship, he should welcome it. If he secretly doesn’t want Foles to steal his spotlight, then the next time he volunteers to go into a tent, there should be s’mores involved. “With your shield, or on it.”

But what do we trade them? Hold on. Let’s understand the terrain before we travel any further. Trading Foles is a salary cap purge for them. As I outlined in that article from last year, most teams already have their prospective QB of the future. Thus, trading for Foles is asking for a back-up with an eight figure per year, price tag. Throw in a decent QB Draft pool, and the trade partners get really slim for Jacksonville.

How about we dangle DE Derek Barnett? Unless he has a monster 2020, we’d be silly to pick up his fifth year option after 2020. With them possibly losing DE Yannick Ngakoue, this patches a hole for them, with youth that may have more upside in their system, than in ours.

In fact, since they lost CB A.J. Bouye, I’d sweeten the pot by offering Barnett and CB Sidney Jones. I think Jones has more upside than most fans here do, but I think his confidence will always be an on/off switch. Better to broom him before we have to make any sort of tough financial decisions regarding him.

FAP DUDE

Admit it. You LOVE the idea.

So we offer something we can’t use, for something they can’t use. We do it before the Draft, so everyone knows what they need to replace as early as possible, and in the process give each other some cap relief, in the time-frames where we each need that space. Afterward, we rework Foles deal to be worth 50M not just 12.5.

0-card.nick.foles.SBMVP

Like I wasn’t going to include this.

As I said, these are two very different questions. BTW: If we don’t get Foles, it would be wise to make a push for Jacoby Brissett, and offer him that same 50 over 5 deal.