A NEW START

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/08/31
Posted in: Conversations, Crazy Talk, Super Bowl, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TIME 2GRIND

WHEN all the dust had settled from every game of the 2017 season, the Eagles were the last team standing. We’d defeated “the goat” with “The Back-up”. The number one seed with the NFL’s best record, that was somehow an underdog, proved to be neither fluke nor mirage. We were the Champions.

Were.

The 2017 season is over with now. It’s done. Finished. History. Preseason has also (mercifully) come to an end. Now we stand on precipice of the 2018 season, and to be called Champions again, we have to do it all over again. Being good last year, means nothing this year. We’re starting 2018 from the bottom. Just like everybody else in the NFL.

May 23rd was the last time I wrote for you. After the death of my Mother in April, thinking about football became difficult. Scratch that. Focusing on the small details is what became difficult. A few personal difficulties thrown in after that, made that focus impossible.

Understand, I wanted to write. I needed to write. However, when I reached down to find my voice…there was nothing. Years of being able to simply summon knowledge and conjure articles, meant nothing this summer. So this is me starting 2018 from the bottom. Just like the Eagles.

Granted, the Eagles didn’t offer much inspiration. With them choosing not to playing key players, I couldn’t get a good look to do a real evaluation. So I didn’t even try to write a Four Things Preview for these preseason games. Why would I? Just imagine me writing:

Given that none of our starting skill players are dressing this week vs Cleveland, what we’re looking for, is RB Wendell Smallwood to rush for at least 50 yards in the first half. (That way he can avoid having to flip burgers three weeks from now.) Given the Eagles ultra-vanilla approach this preseason, you have to wonder how much time the announcers will spend verbally fellating Browns DE Myles Garrett, since he’ll be one-on-one with LT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and Smallwood is gutter trash at blitz pick-up. (“Would you like fries with that?”)

They gave me no inspiration, so I had no words to offer.

A football season and Life. Neither is sprint. They are marathons. Like me, the Eagles still have things to iron out. Like the Eagles, I have the depth to make it all the way back. So for me and for our Eagles, the 2018 season is

ANUSTART

Tobias gets FUNKE! (LOL)

EAGLES LINEBACKER SITUATION

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/05/23
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

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LINEBACKER Mychal Kendricks was released yesterday. Not long after that, Free Agent acquistion, LB Paul Worrilow, tore his ACL on the first day of OTA’s, effectively ending his 2018 before it started. Given our LB woes from last season after MLB Jordan Hicks went down, Eagles fans are already nervous about where we go from here.

I’m here to say: RELAX. We got this.

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The NFL is loaded to the gills with options for us to cherry-pick a starting caliber LB by July.

Examples would be:

1) Cincinnati’s Vontaze Burfict. Rumors about him being traded to Oakland already were out in March, and that was before the Bengals drafted LB Malik Jefferson in the 3rd round of the 2018 Draft.

2) Speaking of the Draft, Chicago grabbed a LB with their first pick, and they have an absolute glut of 13 bodies at that postion. Most teams roll with 6 to 9, depending on their system. If we can get our grubby mitts on Nick Kwiatkoski, he’s a better option than Worrilow would have been.

3) The Redskins have 14 LB’s, most of which are either well-proven or have intriguing upsides. (Especially in Jim Schwartz’s system). There is no way they get through final cuts without leaving some talent on the cutting room floor. If I know that, they know that, and would rather get something over nothing for that talent. “Paging Howie Roseman!”

This isn’t even taking into account the number of veterans who’ll be June 1st cap casualties. (Looking at my watch) June 1st is how many minutes away? Yeah. We’ll be fine.

Take a deep breath, and remember what I said. RELAX.

KEEP AN EYE ON THE COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/05/19
Posted in: Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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EAGLES fans have been so busy slapping each other on the back, congratulating ourselves, and singing the praises of GM Howie Roseman, that we almost missed something important. Almost.

Dallas might be teaching the NFL how to afford a QB in the 30 million per year, era. It’s not a lesson that Howie can follow, and you’ll understand why, as I explain why it’s going to work for Dallas (and other teams). It does however indicate, that the Cowboys front office is developing the ability to think ahead, and not just live one season at a time.

Cowboys QB, Dak Prescott, is about to be three quarters through his rookie deal, with Free Agency looming after the 2019 season. Given routine inflation, and any 2019 deals that could move the needle, Dallas clearly would be better served signing Prescott to a long-term extension after the 2018 season. That’s why there are conversations about this issue happening two seasons ahead.

Cowboys GM Stephen Jones said, just last Wednesday “You kind of, when the time comes, [expect to pay him]. I know Dak is going to have a good year this year. I hope it’s up there. It’s going to be as he deserves.”

He expects Prescott to have a good year? Really? How? By allowing his two primary weapons for 2017 to walk, and not replacing them? By shifting to a more run-oriented approach? By not improving the defense, which will force more shootouts which the Cowboys aren’t armed for? Seems like it will be hard for Prescott to even reach the 22.5 passing touchdown he’s averaged per season so far.

I find it interesting that the focus of the offseason has been to make the Cowboys offense more “Dak friendly”. Not more “Dak led” or “Dak keyed” or “Dak centered”. The term is “Dak friendly”. Look up each of those phrases, and tell me what you find. FYI: You’ll find more of THIS.

Whether most of their fan base accepts it or not, the Cowboys are in re-build mode. Understanding that they can’t compete for the division this year, their front office has decided to tank Prescott’s 2018, to help control their future costs. (Sort of like the Philadelphia 76ers tanked for years to contribute to “The Process”.)

The Cowboys went 13-3 in Prescott’s rookie year, then went 9-7 last year, with his play being reflective of both years. One more down year and he’ll look like a QB in regression, so he won’t “deserve” top dollar. From anyone. (Which helps keeps any bidding down.) At that point Dallas can sign him for multiple years, at a rate closer to 2016 top QB prices than to 2020’s top QB prices.

This is why Dallas isn’t getting him any real weapons. They’re capping his upside now, to be able to afford a team later. It’s a pretty cagey move on their part. Otherwise they’re stuck with creating holes all over their roster, to overpay their QB and RB in couple years.

The Eagles can’t follow that example, because now there is an air of extreme expectation among us fans. When the time comes, QB Carson Wentz will command a boatload of money, and many well-loved veterans are going to hit the cutting room floor, to make that affordable. Sorry Eagles fans, but it’s true. (Unless Howie has more tricks up his sleeve.)

That’s where these 11 draft picks fit in:

Rd    How acquired

1       Eagles’ own pick

2       Eagles’ own pick

3       Eagles’ own pick

4       Eagles’ own pick

4       Compensatory pick (Trey Burton)

5       Eagles’ own pick

6       Eagles’ own pick

6       Compensatory pick (Beau Allen)

6       Compensatory pick (Patrick Robinson)

7       Eagles’ own pick

7      (Conditional. Acquired from Broncos for Allen Barbre – Exact conditions not yet known)

Dallas has yet to learn how to leverage draft picks as well as Philadelphia does. That leaves them having to sacrifice the entire 2018 season, in order to control future costs.

Still, for anyone who’s scratching their heads over how and why Dallas is operating these days, now you get their plan. It’s pretty fool-proof too. I have to commend Dallas on this one. Which is why I’m hoping that Prescott has a great statistical year, despite the team being under .500 for the year.

Keep an eye on the Cowboys this year. This will be fun to watch. One way or the other.

Statler and Waldorf

MAJOR NFC EAST POWER SHIFT

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/05/10
Posted in: Conversations, NFC East, NFL, Preview, Rivals, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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LESS than a month ago, on April 13th I predicted that the Eagles would win the NFC East, that Dallas would finish second, Washington third at 6-10, and New York would finish last at 5-11.

It’s a Pre-Draft prediction, and I deliberately go out on limb for it. My record is 1-2 on these so far, because in the first two years, I didn’t change my prediction after the Draft, even though my gut screamed at me to do so. I refuse to make that mistake again, this year.

I’m officially changing my NFC East prediction. 

First things first. The Eagles will still win the division. Last year we did what we did, while short-handed, after a crazy injury bug seemed to target ONLY our key players. Law of averages (and general NFL history) says that we won’t have it as bad, for a second year in a row.

As for our key players who had to watch our Super Bowl win, while in their street clothes…There’ll be no complacency or Super Bowl hangover for them to battle. So there’ll be a bunch of key players playing hungry, and looking to prove something. This means the Eagles should be an even harder team to contend with in 2018, than we were in 2017.

It’s a good thing for the Eagles that the team will be a better team in 2018, because a certain team in the NFC East has stepped it’s game up. That team would be the giants.

The giants looked like a 5-11 team with the potential for 0-16, but then they had a strong Draft, which made their Free Agent moves more than just the sum of their parts. Drafting G Will Hernandez, now ties the entire offense together. If the giants had a decent replacement for Jason Pierre-Paul, they might have a decent defense in 2018. As it is, they’re an offensive team who’ll finish second in the East. That being said, jumping from basement to second place, indicates that the giants are headed in the correct direction. No mockery or sarcasm here. New GM Dave Gettleman deserves a round of applause.

The Redskins will still finish third. Washington had a quietly solid Draft, which seems weird after they gave an ancient, underachieving QB (Alex Smith), a fuck-ton of guaranteed money. It’s hard to tell if they’re arming for the future, or deliberately trying to harm themselves. Until recently, they’d been having the worst offseason of any team in the NFC East. Then the door flew open, and a new challenger yelled “Hold my beer, and watch this.”….

The Cowboys are on a diving board, doing a belly-flop into an empty pool. Screwing over WR Dez Bryant was one thing. Replacing him with shrugworthy draft pick WR Michael Gallup, or free agent WR Allen Hurns was another. Losing TE Jason Witten’s leadership won’t help at all. Lastly, moving CB Byron Jones from the corner to FS, was an attempt to make room for Seahawk FS Earl Thomas, but that has yet to actually happen. (If ever.) The Cowboys offseason has fallen into a woodchipper, and so they’ve fallen from second to last in projections.

Prediction: Eagles 11-5. Giants 9-7. Redskins 7-9. Cowboys 6-10

IS JERNIGAN’S INJURY DESTINY FOR VAEAO?

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/05/07
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Players, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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NEXT man up! After recent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, DT Timmy Jernigan will be out for 4 to 6 months. That means he’s going to miss OTA’s, any mini-camps, and likely most (if not all), of training camp and all four preseason games.

Upon his return to action during the season, he probably won’t be in proper football shape just yet. That opens the door for someone to step up and push for Jenigan’s starting role. Specifically DT Destiny Vaeao. Understand that “push” for the starting role, and “challenge” for the starting role mean very different things here.

By “push” I mean that if Jernigan is out longer than anticipated, the starting role would lean more towards one player inheriting it, than towards having several players split it.

To “challenge” would mean that Vaeao showed enough to make coaches consider taking the starting role from Jernigan. So far Vaeao hasn’t shown himself to be that player. However, in all fairness, he’s never had an opportunity to start and/or play extensively.

This however could be his opportunity, despite there being five other DT’s on the roster. Let me explain why it should be him and not the other five:

1) Timmy Jernigan – He’s out, and that’s the reason his spot is open.

2) Fletcher Cox – He’s already starting, so he can’t be competition.

3) Haloti Ngata – He’s the no-brainer pick to start, right? Wrong. He wasn’t brought here to play extensive minutes on a weekly basis, early in the season. Running him down early compromises him for when we’ll really need him.

4) Elijah Qualls – He wasn’t active for 10 of 16 games last season. He didn’t even start during preseason Week 3, or the regular season’s Week 17 garbage game, so it’s unlikely that he’d get the nod while the season is still on the line.

5) Winston Craig – He didn’t start a single preseason game in 2017, and didn’t make cutdowns last year. He was brought back AFTER the Super Bowl. He might have just been a camp body if Jernigan didn’t have surgery, but if he acts up in camp, he could use this opportunity to challenge Qualls for his roster spot.

All this makes the spot Vaeao’s to lose. Unless of course, the Eagles fuck up and opt to overuse Ngata, which undercuts the plan for him, and in turn undercuts the whole Defense. The Eagles are too smart to Eli things up that bad.

So keep your eyes focused on the interior of our Defense during camp and preseason. It’ll give you something to root for, until the NFL begins throwing us franchises to eat on September 9th.

2018 DRAFT REPORT

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/05/01
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Draft, Offense, Players, Reviews, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

 

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GETTING it right. To me, that’s always the most important part. I could have put out a Draft Report on Sunday, but I wanted to make sure that I got it right. So I took my time, and I went over each of our picks.

Repeatedly.

Often times, people base Draft grades on whether or not an NFL team picked “good” college players, instead of if those players can contribute anything unique to the team that drafted them. After all, addressing weakness really is the point, right?

So let’s talk about our weaknesses. We headed into the Draft needing a TE who can help with blocking for the run; an OT for the future; depth or maybe a potential starter at OLB; a reserve SS, and a KR/PR.

That’s what we needed. So what did we get?

1st round/ Nothing. We didn’t have a pick in that round.

2nd round/ TE Dallas Goedert – I don’t get this pick. Yes, he can catch, but his lack of effort at blocking is going to get someone killed. This is why I try to use game video, not highlights. Look at him down in and down out, and you’ll see what I mean about his blocking.

Grade: C

3rd round/ Nothing. Yet again, no picks.

4th round/ CB Avonte Maddox – Remember what I said about game video vs highlights? Well I can’t find any game video of Maddox, just highlights. Many of which look more like the offense making a mistake, and less like him making a play. Word is that he’s a candidate to be a Nickle CB, but he looks a little grabby for the inside.

Grade: D

4th round/ DE Josh Sweat – There’s talk that this guy can drop into coverage, but given how well he sets an edge (from either DE spot), we may want to keep this guy with his hand on the ground. He plays bigger than 250, and even seems to hold up well inside the 5, with his back to the end zone. This is a great value pick, as you can see by how he competes and produces vs top competition. He lacks a quick first step, but turned loose in the Wide 9, this guy might be a nightmare.

Grade: A

5th round/ Odd numbered round. So yet again we didn’t draft a football player out of college.

6th round/ RT Matt Pryor – We took a RT in the 6th round and he looks like a 6th round RT. There was no video of him specifically, so I’m using a game film for his team’s RB (Kyle Hicks.) Pryor’s work ethic and athletic prowess (such that it is) are on display. You’ll decide if you’re excited by what you see. I however, was not. Grade: D

7th round/ OT Jordan Mailata – Has never played a down of football of any kind (Pop Warner to college). Yet he somehow managed to get into the draft pool, and get picked ahead of actual football players. Unlike other sources, I’m not going to try to hype him by showing video of him playing Rugby, since it’s a totally different sport with him doing something totally different than he’d do as an OT.  Besides, we already have an Australian rules football player that we’ve not successfully converted to TE. A second experiment of this nature, seems like the waste of a pick. BUT! Maybe he’ll prove me wrong and become a perennial All-pro. Grade: F

Largely, I don’t like this year’s Draft much, but that’s okay. For several reasons, it was sort of a hard Draft for me to get excited over. We didn’t really have any glaring needs to address, so our team didn’t go looking for a player to rally around, or who one who could rescue us.

For Philadelphia, this year’s Draft was a re-stocking event. It was canned goods and peanut butter. Ketchup, sugar, and dry pasta. Coffee-mate and a carton of Kools. I love you, Mom.

 

2018 DRAFT WISH LIST

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/04/23
Posted in: Defense, Draft, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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PHILADELPHIA just won a Super Bowl. We’re picking 32nd. We don’t need new starters, because many are signed through the next few years. Even our primary back-ups are gold nuggets.

Thanks to General Manager Howie Roseman, the Eagles boast what is almost certainly the NFL’s most complete and deepest roster. There are some thinnish spots (OLB and TE) and some older spots (LT, C, WR, and DE), but it’s nothing that a strong Draft can’t smoothly pave over. All we need is a strong Draft.

And therein lies the problem.

This Draft has some goodies tat he top of it, and some nifty do-dads near the bottom, but the middle is like a vast wasteland, if your team isn’t desperate for talent. I almost wish we could reserve our picks, and sit this year out. However, that’s not how this works.

So I put together a Wishlist of prospects that I’d like to see the Eagles use our picks on. (Provided we don’t trade out of spot.) This list is less about the individuals talent that they bring to the team, and more about how they fit into what we do already. View this list with that in mind.

1) Round 1 Pick 32 (#32 overall): LT – CONNOR WILLIAMS

Word is that he’s fallen off since getting hurt, but we don’t want him bringing his college game/technique to the NFL in the first place. He’s got a good motor, a mean streak, and unlike our current back-up LT, he doesn’t have heavy feet. As usual, I prefer using game tape over using a highlight reel if I can. That way you see what a player is like, down in and down out.

 

2) Round 4 Pick 30 (#130 overall): LT – BRANDON PARKER

He run blocks with the attitude of RT. No sin in having a matching set of young Tackles ready to go, in case of retirement and or injury.

 

3) Round 4 Pick 32 (#132 overall): LB – GENARD AVERY

Now is where it gets weird. Avery has a 5th or 6t round grade on him, but to Hell with that. Less important than where we get a guy, is THAT we get a guy who does what we need. He may not be there later, so get him now. He’s a powerful guy playing in a scheme that suits him poorly. He’s moved around the formation (inside the box, on the edge, matched up in man), so he offers the chance to be a 3 down player.

 

4) Round 5 Pick 32 (#169 overall): RB – CHRIS WARREN III

“Warren has a 7th round grade on him! Why reach and get him this early??! Draft picks aren’t free! This isn’t Madden, dumbass!” I hear you, I hear you. Take a breath and let me ask you: “Will we miss LeGarrette Blount?” What if we we could replace him with a younger, cheaper player who already has some pass protection polish to his game? He won’t start, but he can fill that third RB role. Look at the WHOLE tape and tell me that he’s not worth a 5th rounder.

 

5) Round 6 Pick 32 (#206 overall): LB – DORIAN O’DANIEL

He’s more of a Nickle LB/Safety tweener, which we have a couple of already. The whole idea is to draft a Special Teams coverage Ace, who can also play some actual defense.

 

6) Round 7 Pick 32 (#250 overall): WR/RS – QUADREE HENDERSON

I’m not a big fan of highlight videos. However, given that so much of what this guy does is on Special Teams, it seemed silly to look for regular downs-type game video. Take a look and tell me if he reminds you of anyone.

 

So that’s what the Draft would look like if I had my way. I mean it’s pressure-free! Seriously, what do you get for the team that has everything? This Draft is a restocking run. That’s it. It’s a replenishment of depth, where hopefully we’ll find more gold in this Draft.

So lets get prospectin’! I meant, uh drafting.

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THE 2018 SCHEDULE

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/04/20
Posted in: Conversations, Reviews, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

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YOU can’t tell, but right now, I’m dancing in my chair. For the second year in a row, the schedule makers have smiled upon Philadelphia, and given the Eagles a pretty good schedule. It’s not a great schedule, but it’s a pretty good one. It’s also a tough one.

While a good schedule doesn’t mean a team will win their division, a bad one can easily act as an obstacle, or magnify the effect of existing obstacles like opponents, and injuries.

This year’s schedule includes a Week 9 Bye. Not too shabby. That’s a week off, smack-dab in the literal middle of the 17 week season. Eight games on, one week off, then eight games on. While I’m glad it’s not an early Bye (meaning anything earlier than Week 6), it would be better if it it fell on Week 10, 11 or 12. But Week 9 will do.

It’s a good schedule, but we do get plucked in the eye a few times. It’s a tough run, but there are only two points where we have short turnarounds of less than 7 days:

  • Week 6 at the giants, after facing Minnesota 4 days earlier. However, that’s not so bad considering that the giants are also on a 4 day turnaround, after visiting the Panthers. So both of our teams will be about as tired as the other. Sauce for the goose.
  • Week 14 at Dallas, after we duke it out with Washington 6 days earlier. A double stack of division games! Yummy! And we get to go on the road to Dallas! After they’ve had 10 days of rest. (Me no likey, the this one here.) Sometimes the placement of a game can make it hard to win it. This is one of those.

Then, after two weeks of war and emotional exhaustion vs Washington, and Dallas, we get to play the Rams in their home, on Week 15. This three week stretch could be the most dangerous part of the year.

In fact, the entire second half of the season is loaded with land mines. Five division games, and meetings with both the Saints and the Rams. All of which is fine, because a champion should be served a challenge.

It’s a tough schedule, but it’s a good one.

2018 NFC EAST PRE-DRAFT PREDICTION

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/04/13
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Special Teams, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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Keep in mind, when these predictions come out, no one knows who will be drafted by which team.

This is an assessment of the team as it is staffed by veteran players with track records.

Rookies don’t usually shake up the NFC East division (glaring at you Dallas!), so there’s a pretty good chance that what you see here, will be how it shakes out for the year.

(I know, I know. The font looks weird. I’ve spent the last hour fighting with the formatting for some reason, and decided to just release the damned thing.)

Strongest Offense: PHILADELPHIA

This isn’t even in question. The NFL’s #2 offense added depth, but didn’t bother signing a single new starter. There were simply no holes to fix. Just some light re-stocking to do as far as back-ups. No other team in the division can claim that. Eagles win this category in a walk.

Weakest Offense: NEW YORK

Aside from QB, everything on the offensive side of the ball is either in question, or undergoing a re-build. They have no run game. They don’t know if their top WR will hold-out, and if he does, for how long. The left side of the line is manned entirely by new players, and they’re all learning a new system to boot.

Strongest Defense:  PHILADELPHIA

The league’s most dominant defensive line lost two key players, and then upgraded itself. They added depth, and competition where they were thin at linebacker. They added players to allow them to now play physical, and not just fast. They prioritized a minor weakness, because there were no major ones to fix.

Weakest Defense: NEW YORK

Five of their eleven starters are just guys. One draft won’t save them, and no real moves have been made to transform the nucleus of the defensive culture. On top of which, possibly their best player on this side of the ball, said that the broken arm he suffered last year, may need a second surgical procedure to re-plate the break.

Strongest Special Teams: DALLAS

The only team in the division with a KR/PR game that’s worth a damn. They have some issues with Field Goal accuracy, but that seems like something that they can get under control pretty quickly.

Weakest Special Teams: NEW YORK

They are currently in the process of replacing everything, because last year everything was legitimately awful. Not just bad, awful. (Go back and read the report, or go to their website and look at what they did.) That of course is because they don’t seem to prioritize this unit, and so they may be here next year. Again.

Projected NFC East Winner: PHILADELPHIA

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My pick due to personal bias? That would cheapen the entire point of me working this hard (for weeks) on these articles. Easy pick because they won the Super Bowl? That would be pretty stupid, given the real phenomena of Super Bowl hangover.

Philadelphia is the pick because despite no real weaknesses, they improved the team on both sides of the ball. Even scarier (and this is something NO ONE else is talking about or even mentioning), they accomplished everything they did last year, with a rash of key injuries.

Despite winning the Super Bowl, the Eagles weren’t nearly at their best in 2017. What happens if they don’t get bitten as hard by the injury bug this year? What happens if they get to operate close to capacity? And the scariest part of all of it? They’re ramping everything up openly, but somehow it’s still low-key. You have to look close to even notice it. But once you do notice it…

The Suzette Charles Award: DALLAS

If for some reason the Eagles don’t win the East, only Dallas has enough talent to make the race for the division seem interesting. They don’t stand an actual shot in Hell, but if someone besides Philadelphia does it, it’ll be Dallas.

2018 – EAGLES

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/04/12
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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LAST year…Philadelphia won the Super Bowl after winning the NFC East with a 5 – 1 record, and going 13 – 3 overall. The 457 points they scored were first in the division and second in the NFL. The 295 points they allowed were the second lowest in the conference. This was all despite an injury bug that only seemed to take away key players. Part of that was an excellent job of adjusting by Head Coach Doug Pederson

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and his staff. The other part of that was the excellent roster assembled by General Manager Howie Roseman.

That was last year. Keeping in mind that the Draft will change some of this, the following is a report on how the team looks today, prior to the NFL Draft….

OFFENSE

QB:

Nick Foles was the Super Bowl MVP, has been a Pro Bowl MVP, and has set an NFL record for throwing 7 touchdowns in a single game. He’s all set to open this season, if MVP caliber starter Carson Wentz isn’t quite where he should with the rehab of the ACL and LCL that he tore last season. Third stringer Nate Sudfeld, owns the all-time NFL record for highest completion percentage (82.6) by a QB making his debut. This team has no concerns at this position. (+)

RB:

Starter Jay Ajayi plays fast and aggressively, but he has yet to display the catching ability of an elite back. Corey Clement

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has better hands, but he doesn’t offer quite the size/speed combo that Ajayi does. Otherwise, this team has two backs who could carry the load in the case of injury. Donnel Pumphrey missed 2017 with a torn hamstring, but prior to that, hadn’t shown much in the way of potential. Wendell Smallwood (for the moment) is still on the roster, but last year, after the Eagles realized what they had in Clement, Smallwood was mothballed until he was activated for the garbage time game against the Cowboys. The Eagles have a new Offensive Coordinator this year. To their credit he was promoted from within, not hired off the street. So continuity of overall concept should be unaffected. Whether or not the Eagles still hand the ball off 29.6 times a game in 2018, remains to be seen. (+)

WR:

Nelson Agholor made me eat crow over what I said about him last year. And it was delicious! In 2017 Agholor found his stroke, his stride, and his strength while playing in the slot, instead of on the outside. However, the real story here is Alshon Jeffery. While he didn’t reach 800 yards during the season, he scored 9 times in the regular season, and followed it up with a monster playoff run. All while battling a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder, which wasn’t revealed until after the Super Bowl.

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Mike Wallace (Ravens) proved at 30, that he could still take the top off of defenses, so the Eagles added him to keep Safeties out of the box. The 6’4” Mack Hollins should see increased playing time, after making a solid contribution as a rookie. Like last year, no one jumps out as a mega-star, but the position as a whole is a nightmare factory to defend. (+)

TE:

The luxury of three starting caliber players is gone, but Zach Ertz remains. He’s been good for at least 74 catches and 816 yards, per year, since 2015. Ertz isn’t a dominant blocker or big down-field threat. What he is, is clockwork, and that’s a trait that an offense needs at this position. Richard Rodgers (Packers) was added, and on the surface that looks like a total shrug. A closer look reveals that his former team had been getting away from utilizing the position, since 2015. By the way, in 2015 he was second on the team in receptions, and tied for the team lead in TD’s. So the Eagles have two guys who can catch the ball, be a red zone threat, and block competently if not dominantly. It would be a reach to call Rodgers a clone of Ertz, but he fits the scheme equally as well, and based on how Philadelphia uses Ertz, Rodgers wouldn’t be huge downgrade if he had to fill-in. The Eagles lack a player who is more of a goal-line and short yardage blocker. There are other players at the position, but they’re also more receivers or projects. (+)

OL:

In 2017 LT Jason Peters went down, and the Eagles filled his spot with Halapoulivaati Vaitai. While surface reports will tell you that Vaitai did a great job, in all truth the Eagles compensated by adding extra protection to the left side, when they weren’t rolling plays to the right, that they had been rolling them to the left. Then again simple adjustments are the easiest to make and easiest to maintain. Peters is set to return, but at 36 you have to wonder how much more he can take. That being said, until he shows he can’t play, he’s still one of the best. Stefen Wisniewski is the Eagles best player at LG. Isaac Seumalo opened the season there, but he was a bad fit from the word “Go”, and after 2 starts he was benched. C Jason Kelce anchors the pivot, and RG Brandon Brooks and RT Lane Johnson are as solid a side as there can be in football. Both earned their first Pro Bowl nods in 2017. Vaitai, and G Chance Warmack boast more high level experience than some NFL starters. So depth is no issue at all for Philadelphia. (+)

In a nutshell:

The Eagles don’t have the fastest, biggest, or strongest of anything on their offense. What they DO have, are back-ups who mimic many traits exhibited by the starters. That ensures snug scheme fits, and creates a level of depth that’s virtually impossible to copy, especially by teams who chase (and pay for) the top this or that. The Eagles don’t have the most talented offense, they have the most efficient offense. And it’s built that way from top to bottom, at every position. The team brought in no free agents to bolster the starting line-up on this side of the ball. That’s an indication of extreme comfort and confidence. Should make for an interesting and far-looking Draft. (+)

 

DEFENSE

DE:

While losing Vinny Curry was a blow, the Eagles recovered nicely with the signing Michael Bennett (Seahawks). Some would even call it an upgrade, since Bennett is a better pass rusher, and more flat out disruptive to a blocking scheme. Whether or not he can set and hold a hard edge vs the run, remains to be seen. Teams not being able to run is what helped us set up so many clear pass rush downs. Brandon Graham

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and Chris Long form a relentless 1-2 rotation on the left side. Whether or not Derek Barnett or Bennett will start on the right side, has yet to be discussed publicly. As an added pinch of salt in the wound of the other 31 franchises, the Eagles also have Steven Means on the roster. This position is the envy of the NFL. (+)

DT/NT:

Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan did great job of anchoring the middle and moving the line of scrimmage in 2017. They became somewhat less disruptive after injuries forced the coaching staff to adjust the scheme, but they should be back to wreaking havoc at full tilt in 2018. Adding to the deepest defensive line in football, is Haloti Ngata. A torn bicep ended his 2017 season in week 5, and he’s likely to miss only voluntary camp while he continues to rehab it. He’s a disturbingly quick man to say he’s 340 pounds, and now that he’s part of a rotation, he doesn’t have to worry about pacing himself, so he can go full blast whenever he’s out there. With Beau Allen’s departure, Destiny Vaeao may be in line for a larger role in 2018. (+)

OLB:

Nigel Bradham re-signed this offseason, so the Eagles have their best LB of 2017 locked in for the long ride.

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SMART MOVE! The version of the Wide Nine run by the Eagles wouldn’t work without the role the LB’s play, and Bradham was the best of all of them in 2017. The only knock on him is the three or four interceptions that bounced off his hands. Mychal Kendricks is solid, but he doesn’t come close to playing up to his contract. Scuttlebutt has it that the Draft will determine if he’s an Eagle in 2018. Beyond these two there is no depth. Some of this has to have made it’s way to Kendricks himself, so it begs the question of what effect it will have on his play if he stays. Right now it looks like there’s a player and half at a two man spot. (-)

M/ILB:

Jordan Hicks is great. When he plays. In three seasons he’s played 16 games, just once. The difference between this year and other years, is the Eagles went out and got a solid back-up to play behind Hicks, in Paul Worrilow (Lions). Worrilow isn’t a splash play LB. He’s an in-the-box, shallow zone guy. If pressed into starting, he has plenty of experience doing so. Interestingly enough the Eagles actually signed Corey Nelson (Broncos) before they added Worrilow. This indicates that instead of just anointing a back-up, the Eagles are going to make players fight over it. Can’t go wrong with that approach. (+)

S:

When you hear conversations about the best players at this position, if Malcolm Jenkins doesn’t get a mention then you can stop listening. While he may not be the best, he damned sure belongs in the conversation. He fills roles ranging from Nickel LB to SS to FS to Nickel CB, and he does them all well. (That’s Charles Woodson territory.) 2017 was his first year as an Eagle without scoring a TD. Rodney McLeod quietly does a great job as the last line of defense. He seemed to get more media fanfare when he was a Ram, but he’s been a much better player as an Eagle. Tre Sullivan made repeated “impacts” last preseason.

Unfortunately, he lost out to Corey Graham, who moved on after the season. Depth might be a question, but the top two guys are bonafide. (+)

CB:

Sidney Jones might turn out to be great. On the other hand, Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills, and Rasul Douglas aren’t great. They’re just all just very good. It remains to be seen how good Daryl Worley (Panthers) is in this system. On paper he plays his best football once the weather turns cold. So that’s a plus. To see Douglas or Mills converted to Safeties shouldn’t surprise, since they’re already tweeners and the Eagles need depth there, plus they already know the ins and outs of the system. Unless Jones emerges as one, there isn’t a single shutdown corner on the entire roster, but the worst player in this group is as good or better, than many starters in the NFL. (+)

In a nutshell:

Fast-break offense in basketball is a familiar term to most sports fans. Fast-break defense in football, not so much. That however, is exactly what the Eagles play. If a team can run the ball enough to balance the game, the Eagles have to fight. If they can stop a team from running early, the game turns into quicksand. The harder a team struggles, the faster they sink. To address that Philadelphia went out and added pieces like Ngata, Worrilow, Sullivan and Worely as players who are more thumpers types and less NASCAR. The Eagles are now building to play physical as well as fast. Keep an eye on this defense in 2018. It will be better than it was in 2017. (+)

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

P:

Cameron Johnston was on the roster last year during the preseason. He punted extremely well, with a net average of 43.0 yards. Granted, that’s just preseason, but that’s a preseason playing under Special Teams Coach Dave Fipp’s system. Johnston knows the core concept and many of the players. So he can hit the ground running during mini-camp, and just build from there. All of this is promising, but he’s still not verified by regular season play, so this grade technically can’t be a good one… Technically. (-)

K:

Jake Elliott came in with the superhero landing.

In just his second game, he kicked a 61 yard back-breaker for a walk-off win against a division rival. That set the distance record for both the Eagles franchise and NFL rookies. Nailing 17 of 19 from 40+ (including 5 of 6 form 50+) during the season, he only got better in the playoffs hitting 7 of 7 (including 3 o f 3 from 40 or better). Even his kick-offs got better, as during the season 40 of his 84 kick-offs (47.6%) were returned, for an average of 21.4 yards. In the playoffs that only 5 of his 19 kick-offs (26.3%) were returned, for an average of just 15.0 yards. Elliott could stand to improve his extra point kicking (39 of 42) and field goals of 30 to 39 yards (4 of 7, 57%). Other than that, this kid looks like he’s only going to get scarier. (+)

RS:

No one who returned a punt for the Eagles in 2017 is currently on the roster. As far as kick returners, Wendell Smallwood has actually brought one back for a score in 2016, and Corey Clement has a few returns under his belt. That having been said, none of these Eagles returners will scare anybody this year. Either they need to sign someone, or hope they stumble upon a gem. (-)

In a nutshell:

This is a very young unit, with a number of unproven players on it. While unproven doesn’t mean untalented, it does mean inexperienced and thus prone to mistakes at key points. Until these players can prove that they are above that, it’s less than fair to give them the benefit of the doubt. (-)

Bottom Line:

Defense wins championships, but the current media focus is offense first, second and third. That allowed the 2017 Eagles to perform a kind of sleight of hand. Scoring, then forcing mistakes in teams trying to catch-up, then repeating the process. All most saw were the scores, not how the Eagles got the ball back, or quietly won the hidden yardage battles. This edition (especially the defense) looks like it’s being honed to do an even more efficient job in 2018. And it’s all been done in fairly low-key fashion.