“If you get to that spot where you don’t start him or you bench him, I think you’re sending the wrong message to your football team that this season is over, and that’s a bad message,”
EAGLES Head Coach Doug Pederson said that when asked about benching QB Carson Wentzon Sunday November 22nd. Just 14 days later, he was benching Wentz for rookie QB Jalen Hurts.
If we’re taking Pederson at the words that he said, then the Eagles 2020 season is over. This deprioritizes winning, and makes it seem as if we’re tanking without outright saying that we are. Save Carson some wear and tear, put out the rookie, and dunt, dunt, dunt, dunt.
The problem is, Four Things is all about how to best go about pursuing the win. So how do we win when it no longer is the real mission?
Are we chasing a draft spot? Is the goal for Doug to prove that Wentz was holding him back? Is the goal make the fans so disgusted, that they’re okay with General Manager Howie Roseman, gutting the team?
Personally, I think it’s the last one. It totally would explain the Eagles drafting Hurts, instead of getting a CB (since the team had little confidence in CB Sidney Jones), or a DE (with DE Brandon Graham being old and pricey). What’s more, it explains why we’d Drafted WRJalen Reagorand not Justin Jefferson, Brandon Aiyuk or LB Kenneth Murray. It also explains why Hurts over S Jeremy Chinn.
If Doug was already starting out 2020 on a warm seat, then Roseman would be hella reluctant to draft a bunch of scheme specific studs, for a coaching staff which might be on its way out.
Reagor played all the WR spots in college. Hurts wasn’t going to be a starter in 2020. Neither man would be married to an identity, if the whole team needed to change. Perhap Aiyuk also had that flexibility, but all the other guys on the prior list, would have had to be untaught everything he knew about being an NFL player, before starting to reconstruct him. Reagor and Hurts are still lumps of clay.
SO! With “winning” this week being defined as disappointing YOU the fan, here are the Four Things that Howie needs this week:
1) Lose the game:A win keeps us in the hunt for the East, whereas a loss (coupled with a win by No Frills, or the giants) basically equates to a mercy killing for our season.
2) Don’t bench Hurts: No matter how bad he looks, benching Hurts would be DISASTROUS for this franchise. It would serve to de-legitimize the position from top to bottom. Right now, this can still be written off as a slump that Wentz needs a break from. Swapping QB’s in and out makes it look like there is no deep confidence in anybody. It would only be worse if Wentz comes in and saves the day.
3) Give up 35 points: Something needs to happen to justify getting rid of DE Brandon Graham, and DT’s Malik Jackson andFletcher Cox this offseason.
4) Doug has to look clueless:Remember the day that Doug outcoached Bill Belichik? Well Howie needs you to forget that he can do that. Forcing him to start a rookie vs a Sean Payton coached team, is the equivalent to blindfolding Doug, putting him in the ring with Mike Tyson, and then demanding a win.
Remember:
Beating Sean Payton with a rookie, would suggest that Doug is a beast, and Wentz is the dead weight.
Roseman needs a loss. The worse the loss we suffer, the easier it will be for him to tear the team down to the studs.
The worst thing that could happen for everyone, is a concussion or anything else that means Hurts can’t finish the game. Wentz leading a comeback victory would be the absolute nightmare scenario for both Pederson and Roseman.
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned inFour Things: Packers did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run to pass: Running on first down had us moving the ball on the first drive, but then we abandoned it. Silly enough, we didn’t really pick it up when we put out our rookie, back-up QB. On the whole, there were 17 handoffs in this game (1 to a WR.) Compared to 27 pass attempts and 8 QB runs, it’s just not how to run an offense. (NOT DONE)
So can we talk about the coverage scheme being a problem? Or are we still blaming the CB’s?
2) Force their QB left and hit him: We did this. Unfortunately on those same downs, NO ONE was covering, and it led to big plays. Easy, big plays. I don’t know whether we’re failing at succeeding or succeeding at failing, but both paths led to a big fat “L”. (DONE)
3) Start fast:We came out and established a 3 – 0 lead. Our first lead since they tore down the Vet. Or at least that’s how it felt. Then we abandoned the run and started playing like chumps again. (DONE)
4) Avoid starting drives inside of our 20: We did a much better job of this than we have in many prior weeks. We also didn’t bury ourselves in penalties. (And that holding call on LG Isaac Seumalo was bullshit. So was the ticky-tack push off on WR Alshon Jeffrey.) (DONE)
We actually did 3 of 4 things this week. But we had problems elsewhere that were laid bare, when we switched QB’s in the 3rd quarter. Next on the docket: the New Orleans Saints.
On The Whole:
Let’s get to the elephant in room. Should Jalen Hurts be the starter next week? The answer is “No”. Inserting him didn’t fix any of the problems we’ve been suffering all year long.
Today Wentz was sacked 4 times, to Hurts 3 times. Hurts ran for 29 yards on 6 carries (5.8 yards per run), to Wentz’s 18 yards on 3 carries (6.0 yards per run). One repeated knock on Wentz, has been that this year, he’s as likely to throw an interception (15), as he is a TD (16). Today Hurts threw one of each. Everyone has been upset that Wentz has had trouble completing 60% of his passes in games. Hurts had a completion percentage of 41.6 today.
If results matter to you more than the color of the QB (Oops! Did I put that out there?), you can’t claim to be happy with what you saw. Everything Hurts did, was slightly worse than what we’ve come to expect from Wentz. If you want to grade Hurts on a rookie curve, go right ahead. I won’t even argue. What I will do, is point out that wins and loses stem from his results, not curved grades.
Folks, the problem is with the system. I told you thisWEEKS ago, and I even mentioned how to fix it, and I EVEN said that it likely can’t be done in-season.
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned inFour Things: Seahawks did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Attack, attack, attack!: Yardage-wise, the Seahawks are the worst defense in the league, on their way to being the worst pass defense in NFL history. Unfortunately, it seems like the Eagles have forgotten how to do simple things. Something as simple as getting open and catching a ball. Something as simple as spotting a wide open man. Something as simple as both players knowing the play. (NOT DONE)
2) Run the damned ball:This game featured 51 passing plays (45 attempts, 6 sacks), and just 9 TOTAL handoffs, all game long. This game at no point, had gotten out of hand. There was no reason to abandon the run. (NOT DONE)
3) Go For Two: Get two turnovers was the mission. We didn’t sniff even one. (NOT DONE)
4) Do Better with Hidden Yardage: HA! We were penalized 9 times for -79 yards, and returned 2 of 3 punts for a total of 19 yards. So we weren’t exactly helping our struggling Offense with advantageous starting field position. (NOT DONE)
WR Jalen Reagor being interfered with.
This week we hit0 of 4 marks. It’s hard to believe the Eagles can be this bad, without making a concerted effort at it. Honestly, I’m starting to believe this is being done deliberately. Next week we get just what every reeling team needs: A trip to Lambeau Field, in December! We beat the Packers at home last year, but that was in September. I sense a prison shower scene, in our near future.
On The Whole:
Let me start by saying, I told you so. Those rumors about QB Jalen Hurtsgetting extended playing time this week, were just that. Rumors. This was evinced by the standard THREE snaps (officially two), that Hurts logged in this game. I’ve been telling Eagles fans all season, that Wentz is your starter. Monday Night Football went as far to put up a graphic depicting why the Eagles are financially tied to Wentz until 2022. (Unless a trade is made.) That graphic, by the way, repeated what I said to you last week in ‘DOUG CAN’T BENCH CARSON‘.
Now to the game.
Aside from not being able to play football, our Offense is in great shape. We have blockers who can’t, receivers who don’t, and a coaching staff that seems hell-bent on getting the QB murdered.
For all this talk of Wentz not having to play “hero ball” and “not having to wear the cape, all the time” it damned sure looks like he does. Please point out to me the other player attempting to carry the Offense during the game, or shoulder the blame after a loss.
Carson, yet again trying to give a ball away. Dammit Wentz! LMAO!
SHOULD the Eagles bench QB Carson Wentz? If you answered “Yes” to that question, you may be suffering from a severe case of Stupidity. Wait, no. That’s never how it actually works. Everyone else around you,may be suffering from your severe case of Stupidity.
Remember hating WR Nelson Agholor for years? Remember calling him a bum? Remember who didn’t? That would be me. Remember hating MLB Jordan “Cowboy Killer” Hicks for being injured all the time? Remember who didn’t? That would also be me. Remember hating CB Sidney Jones and CB Rasul Douglas? And again, guess who didn’t?
How are those players looking these days? Hey, to all of you who wanted us to keep QB Nick Folesover Wentz, how is Foles working out as a starter? What is he now, 2 – 8? 2 – 9? Just to rub salt in a wound, this February, I also said in THE 12 that we should have paid SS Malcolm Jenkins? Here’s the link.
Clearly, I don’t suffer from Stupidity. Instead, I have a condition known as “Guru”. It causes me to look “down the line”, and assess before I speak. Which means, you should listen to me.
Now some of you are saying that Wentz should ride pine, because he’s having a shitty season. And it’s true, on most levels, it truly is a spectacular shit-storm of a season. It is however, only one bad season. Feel free to take a minute and look back at his career to confirm that.
Now for some math. Because I know you LOVES the Maths!
In June of 2019, Wentz signed a 4 year extension worth 128M$, with 107M$ guaranteed, and 66M$ being fully guaranteed through 2021. The Eagles can get out of the deal after 2021, if they’re willing to eat 24M$ in dead money, in 2022. That’s because Wentz has no guaranteed salary after 2021. His remaining guaranteed money is all bonus money. He has another 63M$ in pre-arranged base salaries through 2024, but not a dime of those salaries are guaranteed.
My point is, Eagles team owner Jeff Lurie is on the hook to Wentz for another 60M$ even after this 2020 season ends. Lost revenue from the COVID affected 2020 season, is threatening to shrink the NFL salary cap from 198M in 2020, to (an estimated) 186M in 2021. So for at least the next two years, Wentz will represent 12 – 18% of the Eagles salary cap. Whether he’s on the roster or not.
To relate this to you: If you had a $1,000 budget, what service would you agree to spend $120 – $180 on, if you were no longer getting that service? Oh, and keep in mind, you’d also have to pay for a replacement service at the same time. This is what fans think Lurie should do.
So here’s the 60M$ question: Would Lurie pay Wentz 34M to sit and watch football in 2021, and then 24M while on someone else’s roster in 2022? No. Not on your life. So Wentz is your 2020 AND your 2021 starter. As well as your likely starter in 2022.
Take notice of how nervous Head Coach Doug Pederson appears. Also take notice of how agitated, but otherwise calm, Wentz appears. In this business, franchise QB’s are far harder to find than a decent head coach. Especially with a guy like Assistant Head Coach Duce Staleywaiting in the wings. (Oh, you hadn’t considered that, had you?)
Duce would NOT be a pass-happy coach.
QB Jalen Hurts was brought here to keep asses in the seats, if Wentz gets seriously injured. That’s it. If Wentz gives the Eagles a medical reason to opt out, there’s a very talented insurance policy already on the roster.
Aside from that, Wentz is your starter. Definitely through 2021, but possibly until his deal runs out in 2024, when he’ll only be 32, and still carry a very friendly cap-hit of 32M$.
BACK in June, I said that Nate Sudfeldwould be our back-up QB for 2020, and rookie Jalen Hurts wouldn’t challenge for that spot. Actually, to quote myself verbatim, what I said was:
“if Wentz goes down, Sudfeld is our only QB who is well versed in the Offense. If Wentz goes down for the year (knock wood), and we’re already out of the playoff picture, sure, start Hurts. If we’re still in the playoff hunt however, Sudfeld has to be the guy. He has to be.”
Again, I said that back in June. So of course, when Head Coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday that “Nate is our No. 2, and obviously Jalen is still learning”, it felt like Doug put an official stamp on my statement. Yet people still want to have the debate about whether or not Hurts should be our back-up. Fine. Let’s do it.
Let me be clear about this first. I’m counting on QB Carson Wentz starting 14 regular season games, and winning in the playoffs this year. So for me, this is a moot discussion. It’s just an exercise in debate for debate’s sake. BUT, since we are talking about the #2 spot, we have to start the discussion from a point of Wentz being out again. So folks…
The Eagles will be a projected 84 – 87M$ over the salary cap in 2021. That means names like DT Fletcher Cox, DE Brandon Graham, TE Zach Ertz, WR Alshon Jeffery, WR DeSean Jackson, and G Brandon Brooks, could all be potential trade candidates to help clear cap space. Not all, but any three or four of them, could be traded for chicken feed, just to get a team to take their contract.
Would you waste what may be their last season, as well as the possible swan songs of G Jason Peters, C Jason Kelce, and DE Vinny Curry, just to develop a kid that will still be Wentz’s back-up in 2021? Or would you rather we try to ride this roster to one more deep playoff run?
While it’s not impossible to win a SB with a rookie QB, it’s also never been done. So if you picked the deep playoff run, then you’re picking Sudfeld. And you’re bullshitting yourself, to tell yourself anything else.
This time next year, we’ll be having a stupid debate over whether Hurts should be the starter. (The local media will see to that.) So obviously I’m sure that Hurts is the #2 next season. Sudfeld’s deal is one year, his body of work is unimpressive, and Hurts has gifts that cannot be ignored. So the handwriting is clearly on the wall, regarding next year’s pecking order.
That being said, do not be surprised to see Sudfeld back in 2021. Most teams have a starter, we could use the depth, and he knows it here. And it’s not like he’ll get a better shake elsewhere. He lacks the resume for that. Especially if Wentz stays healthy and Sudfeld doesn’t play in 2020.
HEAD Coach Doug Pederson said the Eagles look at everybody. That said, long-time Free Agent QB Colin Kaepernick definitely falls in the “everybody” category. QB Carson Wentz being backed up by a guy who led a team to the Super Bowl, initially sounds like a good idea. However, given any thought, it’s fraught with problems.
First, if Kaepernick were a back-up, which back up would he be? Second, third, or fourth string?
Fourth string means that Kaepernick steals a roster spot from someone. So he hurts our depth, and may not even play a meaningful down all season long. That’s a bad trade-off, in exchange for twenty weeks of Carson having to answer the same questions repeatedly, about a guy he hardly knows.
Third string means that rookie QB Jalen Hurtshas his development pushed back a year. Hurts is clearly here to be the #2 in 2021, so he needs to be able to get his feet wet in 2020. Kaepernick at #3 means Hurts is pushed to #4 on the depth chart. That almost certainly puts the rookie on the Practice Squad. Which is no place for a second round pick to start his career.
Second string means that QB Nate Sudfeld probably wouldn’t make the 53 man roster. He’s already on a one year deal, with Hurts breathing down his neck like a prison shower scene.
Everybody asked Wentz what he felt when Hurts was drafted. Well here is how Sudfeld felt.
However, if Wentz goes down, Sudfeld is our only QB who is well versed in the Offense. If Wentz goes down for the year (knock wood), and we’re already out of the playoff picture, sure, start Hurts. If we’re still in the playoff hunt however, Sudfeld has to be the guy. He has to be.
Kaepernick may be more athletically gifted, but he can’t offer what Sudfeld can, in terms of keeping our playoff hopes afloat. He may be more experienced, but making him the #3, essentially throws away a second round pick. Is he worth not keeping an extra DE, or CB, or WR, if he doesn’t play a down all year?
On one hand, I love the idea of Philadelphia being the place where Kaepernick restarts his career. The idea of him taking a knee in the very city where Free Speech took it’s first breath as a Human right, gives me chills to even write it. The very POWER of the idea is seismic, and it nearly brings tears to my eyes. I want it, I CRAVE it on this city’s resume, because most American cities don’t have the backbone to take the weight of it.
This is the team that took inMicheal Vickwhen all the other NFL teams, bailed. QB Donovan McNabbvouched for him, and head coach Andy Reid took that recommendation to ownerJeff Lurie. These men believed in each other, and as a result, look at Vick today.
So yeah. Colin Kaepernick redefining how Americans view and accept political expression? I lust for that as part of Philly’s history. However, if it won’t work for the team, there’s no realistic way to expect it would happen. So Kaepernick coming to Philly is going to be a pass. (Get it? A pass?)
DRAFTING QB Jalen Hurts won’t lead to controversy on the Eagles team. The national sports media however, has almost nothing to talk or write about, because nothing is happening. Hey, I get it. Unlike me, they get paid to meet deadlines. While I can disappear for days at a time, they have to produce something daily.
Which is why they’re attempting to imply, that there will be disharmony in Philadelphia at the QB position. (I say “attempting to imply”, because to outright say it, they’d have to offer proof, and there isn’t any.) So while you may read a lot of articles about ‘The Controversy!!’, you can just shrug that bullshit off. That is, unless a quote comes from an Eagles player who also gives their name this time.
QB Carson Wentz has an injury history that though often over-stated, cannot be ignored. So there is to be no doubt that Hurts was brought here as the insurance policy for Wentz. That however, is down the line. Hurts is definitely here to be the back-up. Just not in 2020. There are three clear reasons for this:
1) Does anyone remember QB Nate Sudfeld? Sudfeld is your actual #2. He knows the Offense, he knows the players. He may not be spectacular, but when he’s in, you don’t worry.
2)Prior to being drafted, Hurts was said to still need some polishing of his deep ball accuracy, and how often his deliveries are off-schedule. Those are thing that can be fixed with time and experience, but those are two elements he won’t get a ton of any time soon.
3) He will also have an abbreviated Training Camp this year. If Hurts was going to supplant Sudfeld, he’d have to outplay him in camp. There is almost no time to do that. So if Wentz gets hurt while the team still has something to play for, you will see Sudfeld not Hurts, take the field.
So if Hurts is the third stringer, then Wentz is in no danger, thus, ZEE-RO controversy. It’s just math y’all. Don’t be afraid of it.
Granted, if it’s Week 9, the Eagles are 0 – 8, and Wentz gets injured, sure, put the kid in. What’s the worst that could happen? That said, if it’s Week 9, the Eagles are 5 – 3, and Wentz gets hurt, don’t pretend to be surprised when Sudfeld starts Week 10. I told you how it would play out, because it’s obvious to anyone who isn’t trying to manufacture a story.
BTW: There is an upside to all the nonsense. It’s a gift from our rival NFC East fans:
Carson Wentz’s credibility as an NFL QB is never in question. Even from rival fans. So. if they think that Hurts could take the starting spot from Wentz, doesn’t this mean that they see Hurts as a weapon? If Wentz was good enough to win the division 2 of the last 4 years, what do they think Hurts will do? I’m just saying, is all.
HEY Eagles fans, wanna see a magic trick? You know, it’s bad enough that GM Howie Roseman seems to have taken a contract out on his own team. It’s bad enough that we had to watch roster holes go unfilled, or filled with lower ranked players. But worse than all of that, is rival fans making fun of us, for selecting a QB in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
That magic trick, that I mentioned? I’m going to show you how to wipe that smile, right off of our rivals faces.
They clown us because QB Carson Wentz is “always injured” right? Well isn’t drafting QB Jalen Hurts a solid way of addressing that in a long-term fashion? QB Nate Sudfeld was just signed to a one year deal, meaning that this year Hurts gets to sit, and only do package work. For 2020 that’s likely how it goes, even if Wentz gets injured again.
Odds are that Hurts signs a three year deal in a month or so. Then he barely plays in 2020. He becomes the #2 in 2021, and even if he plays, he likely doesn’t set the world on fire. Year 2022 he enters as the #2 again, and the Eagles get to offer him an extension or trade him.
If he’s traded, we get something we value higher than him. If we re-sign him, it won’t break the bank, and is still inside of Wentz’s cap friendly deal, which runs through 2024. If Hurts is re-signed to a 4 or 5 year deal in 2022, then it gives the Eagles some negotiating leverage with Wentz in 2024. Unless Wentz has earned himself a second ring.
This means, as of today, we’re solid at QB through 2026. Can the Redskins say that? Can the Cowboys? The giants certainly hope that they can. We on the other hand, have an MVP caliber starter with a Super Bowl ring, who’s backed-up by a proven winner.
Granted, we Eagles fans may have wanted something else, but right now at QB, what we have on tap is better quality than some our rival’s top shelf. And if they’re reading this, you can bet that they’re not smiling.
WHAT the fuck was that?! This is our first round pick? Are you shitting me?!? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the player. If they use him right… Seriously. It’s not the player I’m pissed over. What irritates me is that with studs at WR, and other positions, we selected a slot receiver. Oh yes we did! Small, quick, and has problems with being pressed? That equals Slot in the NFL.
Side note, before we get into it: Remember when the local media and some fans, were trying to rumor WR Alshon Jeffery’s way out of Philadelphia? Remember about a month ago when GM Howie Roseman suddenly started talking Jeffery up, in public? Yeah, this is why. The Eagles can’t start a small WR, who has trouble being physical on the outside. So like I’ve been telling you: Get comfy with Alshon in 2020. (Unless you want to put money on WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, suddenly being ready to play NFL ball.)
For those of you who see links to this through social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.): Over the next couple of days, you will see this same article re-posted, but there will be new content added to it each day.
Now let’s get to it.
Round 1 (#21 overall): WRJalen Reagor
He’s fast, but not really a deep threat, because he has a small catch radius, and isn’t a contested ball winner. He also has issues with press coverage. However, being fast, quick and agile, he’s a natural as an NFL Slot receiver.
Also, his blocking reminds me of Matthew McConaughey doing a French accent in a movie. You say there’s no such thing? EXACTLY. Tell me that his blocking in this video didn’t make you queasy. This guy doesn’t like to mix it up, and that ain’t a great trait for a football player.
He does have experience as a returner. That said, I’m hoping we didn’t spend a first round pick on a returner. Especially in a game where the return aspect is being legislated away, a little more every year. Seems like it would be self-defeating right? Like masturbating with a cheese grater.
Reagor has some physical tools that can be harnessed, but he’s strictly a complimentary piece, and the first round of the Draft is no time to take complimentary pieces. That first pick is supposed to be a tone setter, and there is nothing about this guy’s game that says tone setter.
DAY TWO:
I found a new way to enjoy my Pepto Bismol. I call it the Roseman. I’ve named the ulcer Howie.
Round 2 (#53 overall): QB Jalen Hurts
Where to begin? Where to begin? Oh I know! How about last night’s quote from GM Howie Roseman: “For better or worse, we’re quarterback developers. We want to be a quarterback factory.”
Note to reader: Factories make things to sell them, not to keep them. The next time you get a jersey with the name of an Eagles QB on it, you may want to make it a rental.
Enough about the pick. Let’s talk about the player.
Jalen Hurts can run and isn’t afraid to lay his body on the line. As a QB who’s (too) quick to scramble, he brings an element of spontaneity that defensive coordinators will find nearly impossible to game plan for. While he may not possess the biggest arm in this draft class, he can make every throw required of a pro.
On the other hand, his accuracy stats are eye-popping, until you watch film and see how often he throws Screens, and dump-offs. He possesses no pocket presence, and in fact, his quick-bail tendency can make an offensive line look worse, as they may not know if or where he’s scrambling from.
Remember how bad the line looked when QB Randall Cunningham played here, but how much better they looked when literally anyone else started? When you don’t scramble with a plan, your line doesn’t know how to protect your exit. Our new pick likes to scramble without a plan, and that may get Jalen, hurt.
All at once, this pick is a large middle finger to QBNate Sudfeld, and a warning shot at QB Carson Wentz. Dear Carson, Next time: With your shield or on it. As I said back on March 5th: The next time Carson voluntarily goes into a tent, there should be s’mores involved.
Round 3 (#103 overall) OLBDavion Taylor
YAY!!! Another LB ‘tweener! Because you can never have too much of something, that you already have too many of. Either he’s a LB that can’t beat blockers, or a SS that can’t cover and has no ball-skills. It’s up to the Eagles to decide which of these things they’ll give him your money for.
He’s 228, did 21 bench reps, and has 4.5 speed. He’s a test trap. You know, like Mikey Mamula. Ohhhhh, you remember that name don’tcha? DE Mike Mamula, tested off the charts, right? How’d that work out for us?
I swear, I’m not picking on Taylor. Look at the video. It’s not a highlight video, so it’s one that shows you who he is, down-in and down-out, throughout the course of a ballgame. It will show you who YOU will be watching on Sundays. Watch the video. Tell me if you want to see this guy squaring up in the hole vs a division RB.
The video makes it clear that he can read what’s in front of him, regardless of where the coaching staff decides to deploy him (Two Deep, Nickel, blitz, etc.) That said, he needs a refinement of technique throughout his game. From not getting engulfed by blockers, to initiating the action, to boxing in and forcing open-field runners to gear down.
There’s nothing here that can’t be fixed or enhanced, with the simple investment of time, and an opportunity to make a few mistakes. He has the instincts and the physical tools, as long as he’s played as a DB. Asking him to play Nickel LB in the NFL, is setting him up for failure. Give the kid a chance, and that should be all he needs.
Round 4 (#145 overall): OT Jack Driscoll
Good feet, reads stunts, works combo block well and moves with ease to the second level. The knock on him is that he’s not a people mover. Then again it’s hard to be when most of the time he’s playing out of a two-point stance. In fact, nobody on his offensive line aside from the C, routinely plays with a hand on the ground. You can’t get consistent run blocking leverage, out of a two-point stance.
Pro coaching will get more run blocking out of him. The question is will he be kicked inside to G. Better still, with his relatively short arms, it might be smart to see if he can snap a football.
Round 5 (#168 overall): WR John Hightower
I went with the highlight reel here, because his only game video, shows a guy who wasn’t a factor in a double digit comeback win.
There isn’t much to say here. He has 4.4 speed if he’s running a straight line. He may break 12 tackles if he plays a decade, and he’s not going to break a single ankle that he wasn’t born with. He adds value as a KR, but we took care of that need in the first round. He’s definitely Practice Squad material, but odds are long against him making the active roster this season.
Round 6 (#196 overall): MLB Shaun Bradley
Watches entirely too much football while he’s on the field. Lacks aggression, and doesn’t initiate or dictate the action, which is a key to success when playing inside. Waits for blocks to find him, and then he sticks to them like he’s made of velcro. Physical traits are meaningless when you leave your heart in the locker room. Even his highlight video is COMEDY . Pure FARCE!
Round 6 (#200): WR Quez Watkins
Yet again went with the highlight video, because the game video is underwhelming. So is his highlight reel, but the alternative was to post a picture of television static.
We have here, yet another fast guy who returns kicks, doesn’t block, and can’t break tackles. This one however, gets alligator arms across the middle. (That’s on the game video.) He’ll compete for a Practice Squad spot, but that seems like where he’ll max out.
Round 6 (#210): OTPrince Tega Wanogho
Note: This is the same game, but a different video than was used for 4th round pick Jack Driscoll. Driscoll was circled in the first one, Wanogho is circled here.
The guy looks good in pass protection, and he gets out nicely on Quick Screens and up to the second level. His hand placement needs some work, but that’s true of almost all offensive linemen coming out of college. Many sources had him being picked earlier, but his run blocking is probably what held him back.
As with teammate Driscoll, Wanogho’s run blocking will vastly improve if he’s taught to routinely put his hand on the ground and uncork his height, before he steps into his blocks. He also needs to sustain his run blocks to the whistle. Too often he disengages, and leaves defenders able to influence the play.
He’s drawn comparisons to (grrrr!) former Eagles LT Jason Peters, back from when Peters was switching from TE to OT. If the time is taken to coach Wanogho up, this guy could be a rose that grew from concrete.
Round 7 (#233): DE Casey Toohill
Mike Mamula’s name was invoked earlier in this Report, and will be yet again here. Like Mamula, Toohill has a great motor, but he’s underpowered. He’s not fluid enough for OLB, but not strong enough to beat blockers. He also stops his feet too often when asked to work in space. Doesn’t seem to have a “thing”. Meaning there’s no bullrush, or swim, or spin, or club or anything that he relies on. Seems to think effort alone is enough to reach the QB, which would explain why it took 5 years to amass just 14 sacks in his career.
*****
On the whole, this wasn’t a Draft that was meant to produce starters in 2020. In fact, I doubt there is a single one of these players who will start a single game, that isn’t necessitated by injury.
This is a re-stocking, so that later we don’t have to shop out of desperation, when resources may not be as plentiful. We’ve opted not to take advantage while our opponents are trying to sort out their new coaches. Instead, we’re building for the day when they’re good, so that we can meet them nose to nose, if we can’t already be better.
This was a shitty Draft for those who’s only cooking is done with a microwave. For those of us who own a pressure cooker and a couple of crock pots, good eats are a-brewin’.
Notable Free Agent signings:
RB Mike Warren
Nicknamed “Truck” by his teammates, I already had Warren on my 2020 Draft Wish List. He gives the Eagles a guy who can gain tough yards between the Tackles, and has nice hands for a 226 pound RB. Sets up blocks well on Screens, and is no fun to tackle. His pass protection needs refinement, but he’s more than wiling to stick his nose in there. He was productive despite playing in a gimmicky read-option offense. Playing in a real system, with TE’s and an offensive line that won’t allow penetration on every other handoff, should help Warren show off his skills enough to make the 55 man roster.
LB Dante Olson
Runs a 4.8 40 and looks slower when running. The issue is that he’s actually a LB, not a the modern LB/S tweener. The guy plays with thump and ballcarriers tend to stop where he meets them. Speed may keep him off most NFL rosters, but a team that only asks him to scrape and perform zone coverage from Tackle to Tackle, could get a real steal here.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 