Eaglemaniacal

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2022 DRAFT WISHLIST

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/04/26
Posted in: Defense, Draft, Fans, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, Rivals, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

PROPERLY armed, the Eagles can win the NFC East. We’ll need to do some remodeling, but not full-on rebuilding. With the current combination of the Eagles being really good at some things, and our rivals being bad at some things, the door is open. More than just a little. We just need to add the right pieces to shore up our own weaknesses, before we attempt to stroll/walk/dip through it. 

We have what seems like 700 picks in this Draft, but today I’m just going to focus on these five:

Round 1: No. 15 (from MIA)

Round 1: No. 18 (from NO)

Round 2: No. 51

Round 3: No. 83

Round 3: No. 101 (from NO)

Here are the players I want to see become Eagles this week:

Round 1: No. 15 – DT Jordan Davis: Some might consider this a few picks early, others will say it’s an outright reach. There’s a good chance that he won’t even be there at 15, so I wouldn’t gamble on that. Just to be sure, I’d offer this pick (#15) and #101 to Houston, for the #13 pick, to avoid losing Davis to Baltimore at #14.

What I see is five years (rookie contract) of a space eating, run-stuffer who absorbs double-teams, and helps to keep our LB’s clean, in a division that still runs the ball. Adding this guy would upgrade the entire defense on that alone. When DT Fletcher Cox is gone next year, Davis gives us someone to build around. He’d also help keep DT Javon Hargrave effective, and let DT Milton Williams play more DE.

Round 1: No. 18 – WR Treylon Burks: The Eagles made overture after overture to free agent WR’s this offseason, all of whom turned us down. Eventually the Eagles settled for WR Zach Pascal. Yes, settled. If you think our Front Office is done trying to upgrade our WR position, then you my friend have lost the plot.

The Eagles have fast guys at WR (Watkins, Hightower). We got guys you never heard of (Allen, Cain). Guys who can’t catch (Reagor). We have clever guys (Ward), TE guys (Arcega-Whiteside), shrug-worthy guys (Pascal). What we don’t have, is a big, fast, and physical guy. And that’s where Burks comes in.

Burks is so different from WR Devonta Smith, but WOW, what a potential combo! Smith is a precise route runner who creates separation and gives the QB, friendly places to put the ball. Burks can win contested catches and shed tackle attempts. So for each of them, Safety help is needed to prevent a routine catch from turning into six points. Which would make it very hard for a defensive coordinator to write a coverage concept, that wouldn’t get shredded on a weekly basis.  

Round 2: No. 51 – S Daxton Hill: Though he plays a lot of Nickel CB, he can play anywhere in the secondary. Let me reiterate: Anywhere in the secondary. He’s a DB with 4.3 speed, and it shows up on film. Many athletes leave their impressive 40 times at the Combine. This kid had his on display before he got there. Better still, he attacks the football and causes interceptions for other players off of deflections.

The F.O. chased CB Stephon Gilmore in free agency, but they didn’t chase a bunch of CB’s. Pretty much just Gilmore, because… Well because he’s him. Otherwise we have Slay, Maddox, and 7 young CB’s to evaluate. Spending a high pick on another one, only makes that evaluation more complicated.

What we need, is a FS with Jaws-like closing speed, who is nearly impossible to outrun. This could be that guy.

Round 3: No. 83 – DE Joshua Paschal: He didn’t rack up a ton of sacks in college, and he’s not a pass rush demon. What he is, is a big, assignment solid DE. He sets the edge vs the run, and gains consistent penetration, proving disruptive both as a DE, and DT. He even flashes the ability to play as a 3-4 DE.

The best thing about him, is that he doesn’t just make plays when he isn’t blocked, or when he’s poorly blocked. This guy makes plays even after beating squared up offensive linemen. He plays a man’s game already. The idea of sitting him next to Jordan Davis for the next three of four years (or longer) is a happy thought.

+++++

This is how I’d like to see the first three rounds go.

Some NFL Drafts have good fourth rounds. When we look back in 5 years, I doubt this will be one of them. This is a shallow draft, in terms of finding many difference makers at RB, TE, QB, G, and DT. That being the case, we should grab what we need, and everything from the fourth round and on, view as a lottery scratch-off.

THERE WILL BE FOOTBALL.

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/04
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Preview, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

EAGLEMANIACAL.com guarantees that there will be football this Fall. It may be sloppy. There may eventually be a high number of replacement players dragged in. The season may even end early. That all being said, you will get football in 2020.

You’re welcome.

CHANGE MY MIND

You want to know how I can make such a guarantee, right? Of course you do. Let me nutshell it. The NFL has 5 billion reasons to make sure that they get their games, on our television screens. I’m specifically talking about the league’s annual broadcast contract hammered out in 2014.

Advertisers pay broadcasters to run their ads, and in turn the broadcasters pay the NFL (5 billion dollars. Billion. With a “B”) to attract eyes to see those ads. Zero games would mean zero eyes on ads, so advertisers would want their money back from the broadcasters. Which means the broadcasters in turn, would want their money (5 billion dollars) back from the NFL.

Understand, all of that nonsense can be avoided, with the simple broadcast of football games. To keep the money (the 5 billion dollars), the NFL simply has to fulfill their obligation to provide games. Those games don’t have to be great, they just have to be ON.

Right, Browns fans?

Being a BROWNS fan

So you will get football this year. And the NFL will even broadcast whatever it is that the Washington “Team” does now. I assume it’s a form of liturgical dance, or sports LARPing. In any case, you’re gonna get WEEKS of it. 

And you have Roger here to thank for that. 

Roger Goodell Boo the Commish 2020

Side note: This picture looks like Roger is promising to stop fucking the dog, but the dog already knows that he’s lying.  Can’t unsee that now, can you?

You’re welcome.

OUR FREE SPEECH.

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/07/02
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , . 4 Comments

eaglepatiotic
EAGLEMANIACAL.com is a small platform. It doesn’t have thousands of daily or (at this point), weekly readers. It’s not monetized. In fact, the only time this website ever had a financial aspect to it, is when I briefly made and sold t-shirts (and tried to sell jerseys), back when I first started out in 2014. Despite all the things it may not be, what this site is, is 100% MINE.

That means, my speech is never censored by a sponsor, or anyone else who can punish me for speaking my mind. So I can say anything I damned well please, in any goddamned way I fucking please, and anybody who doesn’t like it, can bleed from the eyes, then fuck all the way off.

yeah

I say that because, I’m seeing a crazy rash of my friends on Facebook, being penalized over some of the silliest shit. A 2 day suspension here. A 7 day suspension there. A 30 day ban. A pair of Ray Bans. Usually over practically nothing. Just for speaking their minds!

Recently, a number of Facebook’s sponsors began pulling their advertisements (i.e. ad revenue), because they feel that the social media platform, isn’t doing enough to cut down on “hate speech”. This of course is only going to make FB more aggressive towards sniffing out “hate speech”, and result in even more goofy suspensions.

I would advise you not to quit any influential social media outlet, out of frustration. Removing your voice from the debate, doesn’t end the debate. Falling silent just means, when policy makers want to sample public opinion on how to proceed, there may be no voices like yours, for them to hear. We need our better voices.

gwen ifill
As a huge believer in free speech, plenty gets said that I don’t like, and am even offended by. That said, my sensitivities shouldn’t define the boundaries of what you can say, and vice versa. While there are certain words that I’ve blocked from my site (faggot, nigger, queer, etc.), it was done more to keep discourse civil, than with an eye towards censorship.

Though I’ve never had a FB suspension or ban, if the day comes when you don’t see me on there, you can always find me HERE. (Hell, I even made it possible to e-mail me.) While I’m not looking to have a silly showdown with FB, I won’t be made to wear fucking gag either.

free speech (me)

While I don’t frequently deviate from talking about football here, I have used this platform to discuss baseball, politics, kneeling during the anthem, even our skyline and how it took shape. This is a place to relax, loosen our belts, and express our ideas. Both popular and un.

Given the state of the world, I may sprinkle in a little more non-football stuff. I have a platform here. Why not use it to promote ‘free thought’? Why not use it to have HONEST discussions, and even bring up a couple of uncomfortable subjects, that may provide us with new perspectives?

Once upon a time, Americans were courageous enough to talk to each other plainly. I’m out to prove that, that is not a dead trait among our people. I just hope that you’re with me.

Yours, 

z-EB3 (grande)

HEY COWBOYS FANS…

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/05/03
Posted in: Conversations, Fans, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Draft heads 2017

REMEMBER June of 2019, when I wrote that QB Carson Wentz’s new contract wrecked the future for the Dallas Cowboys? If you don’t here’s the link. In it I explained why the Eagles signing their QB, meant a long-term downturn for the Cowboys. Things I said in that article, were confirmed in an article I wrote that following July. Here’s that link.

Understand, I live in Philadelphia. Never been to Dallas. Never even flexed shoe leather in the state of Texas. I have no internal sources on the Cowboys team. But Skip, this was a prophecy that called ahead, and told everyone to save the date!

skip-bayless

As of now, 6:30a.m. Sunday May 3rd, 2020, QB Dakota Prescott has yet to sign his 33M$ franchise tag, because he’s been saying all along that he wants 40M$ per year. In response, the Cowboys ran out and signed recently released Bengals QB Andy Dalton, to a 1 year, 7M$ deal. While Dalton is a bargain at that price, and an upgrade over back-up QB and preseason Hall of Famer Cooper Rush, make no mistake, this was meant as a shot across Prescott’s bow.

Meanwhile, Cowboys fans are lapping this up like kitties to cream. That’s because they aren’t seeing the bigger picture. They frequently take their eye off the ball, lose their place, and then wonder how they keep ending up in that same spot. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones distracts them with something shiny, and (yet again), everyone forgets that there was a plan.

zekedak.jpg

Funny thing is, it’s very likely to (yet again) blow up in Jones’s face. Last year during RB Ezekiel Elliott’s hold-out, Jones taunted Elliott when he praised RB Tony Pollard with the quote “Zeke who?” after Pollard had a decent showing (5 carries 42 yards) in a preseason game. Elliott continued his holdout, and when Jones caved, Elliott was given a 90M$ contract.

Having seen that playbook, Prescott has to know that he should sit until Jerry Jones caves. Either that or not sign, sit out the year, and show up in 2021 wearing a Redskins, Bears, Colts, Buccaneers, or Titans jersey. Meanwhile, the Cowboys would have to start their search for a franchise QB all over again.

charlie positive

Speaking of playbooks! The Cowboys have changed their head coach, but they’re running the same offense as before, with last year’s coordinator. If Prescott signs quickly, that offense can hit the ground running. If Dalton starts, then he has to learn the system from the ground up. The Cowboys are in “win now” mode, but starting Dalton would derail all of that, right from the start.

No OTA’s, and no mini-camp, with a shortened training camp this year. Not a good look for a team with a new head coach. Especially in a division that features a division champ that won while they were wounded, but now is healed up, and has added weapons.

2019 opponent-rival mock

The Eagles are not in “win now” mode. The Eagles are in predator mode. They don’t have to worry about a learning curve, and a short camp works in favor of a roster that has seen too many recent injuries. While the short camp situation works against other teams, it actually works for the Eagles. So it’s not minus one Cowboys, zero Eagles. It’s minus one Cowboys, plus one Eagles. Just on preparedness alone.

For the Cowboys to have a chance, Jerry needs Prescott to start. Otherwise, 2020 is another 8 – 8 record, and possibly third place finish, instead of a fight for #1.

8-8

SO WHY ISN’T DAK SIGNED?

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/06/10
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Rivals, stats, Super Bowl, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Wentz SB ring

EVER since the Eagles locked down QB Carson Wentz, Dallas Cowboys fans have been up in arms for some reason. On social media, their fans have put up a million and one posts, about how QB Dak Prescott is better than Wentz, along with stats to back up their argument.

Let me concede most of the stats right now. I repeat, MOST of them. (More on that, down the page.) But yes, in many statistical categories, Prescott is ahead of Carson. There can be no dispute on that.

However, if Prescott is truly the better QB, then why doesn’t his team believe in him enough to at least copy Wentz’s 4 year 128M$ deal? Why are he and his organization so far apart, that both sides have elected to shelve the matter until training camp? Why wasn’t Prescott signed after the 2018 season, when he would have been cheaper, (as I suggested in March of 2018). 

i'm right.jpg

Maybe Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is stingy with his money? No. In fact, he’s been repeatedly criticized for paying players too much, too early, or both. So that clearly isn’t a factor.

Maybe Jones doesn’t have any faith in Prescott as a person? No. Jones has also proven generous to a fault when it comes to extending good faith, towards even men of questionable character. For his part, Prescott doesn’t own a black mark against his name. So that’s not it either.

Here’s what it is. Jones has been around enough winners to know one when he has one. If he thought he had one in Prescott, he’d have branded that steer a while ago.

For the answer, you have to look at Prescott’s stats. Not just at the stats, but into what they mean. Sports is funny that way. To many fans, a W is a W. To organizations, some of those W’s carry more weight than others. Here’s what I mean:

Prescott is 13 – 5 vs the division since he was drafted in 2016. Nice stat-line right? Hold up. Read it carefully. Like J.J. is doing.

Jerry screaming small.jpg

Since 2016 the giants have combined record of 19 – 29. They were 11 – 5 in 2016 when they swept the Cowboys, but have been 8 – 24 since, losing all 4 games between the two teams, for an overall record of 2 – 4 over the span. (Dallas margins of victory being 16, 20, 7, and 1. giants margins of victory 1 and 3 points)

Since 2016 the Redskins have combined record of 22 – 25 – 1, and they are 1 – 5 vs Dallas over the three year span. Their best year of the three, was 2016 when they went 8 – 7 – 1. (Dallas victory margins 4, 5, 14, 24 and 8. Washington victory margin 3)

Since 2016 the Eagles have a combined record of 29 – 19, and are 2 – 4 over that span vs Dallas, splitting the first two years, and being swept in 2018. (Dallas margins of victory 6, 6, 7, and 6, and Philadelphia margins of victory being 14 and 26 (Both with Carson at the helm.))

Wait for it.gif

So Dallas can look impressive vs sub .500 teams, but struggles vs a winning team, never once posting a double digit win? Interesting. Especially considering that one of those 6 point “wins” was a 6 – 0 game vs the deepest part of the Eagles bench, in Week 17 of the 2017 Super Bowl season.

One could hardly fault Jerry Jones for not counting that win in Prescott’s favor. (Prescott played that whole game, going 17 – 30 – 56.6% – 179 – 1 – 0 and passer rating of 85.3. Against second and mostly third stringers.)

Head to head, Wentz is 2 – 3 vs Prescott, not 1 – 3 as you’ll erroneously see reported, as their fans try to discount New Years Day 2018 (the 2017 season). Prescott started and then sat in preparation for the playoffs. The only Dallas game Carson has ever missed was the aforementioned 0 – 6, Week 17 loss. Which he’d have sat out anyway, even if he were healthy.

So as you can see, context is important.

Prescott’s agent is likely filling his head with how great his stats are, and telling him how much money he can get him. Jones on the other hand is realizing that if he pays his QB like Russell Wilson/Aaron Rodgers/Ben Roethlisberger… If he gives him Carson Wentz KING type money… If he pays Prescott, Super Bowl ring type money, then Jones won’t be able to afford a supporting cast to continue to hide a QB who can’t even sniff 25 passing TD’s in a season, playing alongside one of the NFL’s best RB’s.

jon-stewart-steven-cobert-drinking-tea.jpg

Had the Cowboys stood pat and not added WR Amari Cooper last year, they would be fine right now. Prescott would have continued to struggle, which would have capped his stats, probably cost a couple of games, and thus lowered his asking price. Or at least limited his leverage.

That’s what they seemed to be doing in March. I even commended them, and commented on how it was a much smarter gambit than they are known for. But then they Cowboy’d it right up, and now they have to pay an average dude like a superstar outright, or get into a bidding war for him, or start all over without him after this season.

Carson got a new deal because his organization has seen enough to believe in him, despite his injury history. Prescott is still chasing a deal, because his organization has seen him be good, but doesn’t believe that he can truly be special.

Wentz and Prescott

Looking up to Wentz.

TALKING ABOUT MYSELF

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/07/06
Posted in: Conversations, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Sam Eric (Boyd)Theater - 1994

RARELY do I ever talk about myself beyond my history as a football player, or my love for writing. However, with Training Camp being weeks away, I find myself thinking a lot about things that aren’t football. So I figured why not share some of those thoughts.

WARNING! OLD FART RANTING AHEAD!

Sitting here, staring down the barrel of turning 42, it occurs to me that my odds of ever being the #1 overall NFL draft pick, might be starting to decline. No, really! I think my odds are slipping. Perhaps I should start getting in shape now. Oh yeah, and enroll in a college. Nah! I can put it off another year. Besides, someone has to eat these cheese steaks and Beiler’s doughnuts. And this beer won’t drink itself, right? Don’t worry folks! I’ll step up and take this one for the team. (You see that? I’m a goddamned American HE-ro!)

What would make more sense, is for me to show up to the NovaCare Center and tell them I’d like to fill out an application for team Owner. Of course it’s common sense to think that I’d get laughed out of the building. While that’s a safe bet, I can’t help but wonder what I’d do if someone (with a straight face) handed me an application.

I probably don’t have the qualifications to own an NFL team. So it might be better to stick to jobs that any unqualified idiot can get. So this is me deciding to run for President in 2020. My slogan will be “NEVER AGAIN!” My campaign promises will include:

1) The public flogging of Roger Goodell.

2) Having mascots visit more schools, hospitals, and prisons.

3) Establishing a quality of life police force. (Loud talking on cell phones, visible muffin tops, sandals with ugly feet, wearing clothes two sizes too small, taking up two parking spaces, etc. All ticketable offenses.)

4) Converting some of the Defense budget into a middle class tax cut, and moving the income tax return period from March to October, to help retailers when they need it most.

That will all have to wait a couple years though. In the meantime, I’m just going to continue to write, consume food and football, torment my rivals, and persecute those who butcher the (American version of the) English language.

I WAS WR-

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/12/12
Posted in: Conversations, Crazy Talk, Fans, Preview, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , . 3 Comments

Fonzie.jpg

BACK in early April, I said the Eagles would be at least 9-7 and win the NFC East. Despite many people asking about my temperature and asking if I needed to lie down, I did not waver from my assertion. Despite the bizarre week or so leading up to the Draft, I didn’t waver. Despite the bizarre preseason that saw us trade away our starting QB, I didn’t buckle.

The Eagles now have 8 losses, and so now winning 9 games is out of the question this year. And don’t even ask about winning the division. That… that’s uhhh…uhh…well see what happened was…Hey man, I’m not on trial here! You know what, could we change the su-

Had I been right, it would have been the stuff of legend! “How did he see that?!” “How did he know?!” The crowd would gasp and murmur as I walked by, and reach out to touch me. They would point and whisper to their children “Look there, boy. There is the man who stuck to his guns! HE is him who said, nine and seven. Let us all bask in his glow.” Instead people now point and say “See that retard over there? Nine friggin’ wins he says! What a dupe. Hey moron! I got your nine wins, right here!” 

BUT, that’s the price you pay for swimming against the current, and until I’m right again (which will be soon!), I’ll have to wear this crown of shit. I could make a ton of excuses. I could. I really could. But I won’t. I will simply man-up, and eat it. I’ll admit it. I was wrr. I was wrrrr. I was WRRRRRR!

(Deep breath) I was wrong.

THAT HAVING BEEN SAID…