CRUSHING Dallas to move into first place. Was there ever a more joyful sentence? On a short week, we get to face the team that was in first place, before we took the spot. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, gets to sink his teeth into a 7 – 3 Commanders offense, led by a rookie QB. Meanwhile, RB Saquon Barkley gets to square off against the 28th ranked rushing defense in the league.
Winning moves us to 8 – 2, and expands our division lead over Washington. It would also maintain our position as the number two team in the conference, currently behind Detroit (8 – 1).
If we were to lose, we’d be 7 – 3, and back in second place in the division.
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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots ofMan Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: The Commanders
1) Run ‘Em Down:This isn’t my typical “Run the ball” request. This is a game, where we should lean heavy on the run. Even if it’s not working early. The Commanders are awful against the run. On Sunday, they gave up 140 rushing yards, as the Steelers wore them down and wore them out, with their physical, downhill style.
The Commanders have not yet had time to physically recover, and with DT Jonathan Allen on Injured Reserve, they are no match for an Eagles line which will get back LTJordan Mailata. There should be a game that sees 30 non-QB rushing attempts, with Saquon seeing more than 22.
2) Torment Single-high Coverage:The Commanders awful run defense, will frequently borrow a Safety to help load the box against our run game. When that happens, there will only be one Safety back deep to help with coverage, and he can’t help double both WR A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. One of them will have a one-on-one match-up.
When that happens, even if it’s third and one, there needs to be an audible called, and whomever the Safety doesn’t help cover, gets the football. We need to keep the box open, so that Saquon has room to operate.
3) Hit Their Quarterback: Even if we don’t get sacks, just hit him as early, and as often as possible. He’s a slender rookie, playing through a rib injury. Since sustaining that rib injury, his accuracy has declined sharply. Prior to the injury, the team was averaging 29.6 points per game. In his three games since, they haven’t seen 29 points.
QB Carson Wentz no longer plays for Washington, but in the path of DT Jordan Davis, this is what QB Jayden Daniels needs to look like
Hitting him isn’t about scaring him. It’s about scaring his coaches. To prevent them from calling certain things. That organization has been looking for a franchise QB since 1993. Now that they may have him, they’ll want to guard against RG3-ing him. If we can get his coaches to be his first obstacle, the entire game is much easier.
4) Jump A Couple of Short Passes: With the underneath coverage that we’ve been playing recently, it’s time to take it to the next step. The Commanders like to throw to their RB’s. Awesome! Those are great routes to jump. Or jumping a crossing route! Both excellent examples of routes to jump.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Win or lose, it sets up an awesome Week 16 re-match. It could even get flexed to prime time, given the current status of both the 3 – 7 Cowboys, and the 4 – 6 Buccaneers. For now, they are scheduled for the 8:15 slot, while our game is at 1:00. Again, for now.
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WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
Sack Leader: DE Bryce Huff (Sacks:1.0/ FF: 1/ Tackles: 1)
Special Teams Ace: K Jake Elliott10 points on 2/2 FG and 4/4 XP
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I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these 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 in Four Things: COWBOYS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Take Away Anything Simple:QB Cooper Rush (13/23 – 56.5% – 45 – 0 – 0) and QB Trey Lance (4/6 – 66.6% – 21 – 0 – 1) never really had underneath or intermediate options, so instead they threw a few fruitless attempts downfield, but mostly kept dumping it off, on passes around the line of scrimmage. At that point the Eagles just made the tackles.
We entirely boxed up their passing game at 2.2 yards per pass attempt (17/29 – 58.6% – 66 – 0 – 1), and used the same coverage concept, to control their run game (24 – 97 – 4.0 – 0 – 1). We did the fuck out of this. It won’t work every week, but we need to keep this concept on speed dial.(DONE)
2) Play-action Should Be Deadly: Play-action was used effectively in this game, but not in the way that I mentioned here. Who cares? We won! On a very positive note, our TE’s and WR’s three and four were meaningfully involved.
TE Dallas Goedert scores!
Retuning from injury TE Dallas Goedert (3 – 2 – 25 – 12.5 – 1) struck paydirt, as did rookie WR4 Johnny Wilson (1 – 1 – 5 – 5.0 – 1). For the second week in a row WR3 Jahan Dotson (1 – 1 – 27 – 27.0 – 0) grabbed a pass over 25 yards. Even though this wasn’t done, there is a silver lining. (NOT DONE)
3) Blitz From the Defense’s Left:We didn’t do much blitzing in this one. Instead, our four man pass rush benefited, from the coverage concept we were running. We got three sacks and three fumble recoveries out of it. Can’t be mad at that! (NOT DONE)
4) Take the Points, Nick!: Head Coach Nick Sirianniwas great in this one! He took the points that were available. He didn’t gamble with either the situation or his player’s health. (DONE)
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This week’s Four Things score was2 of 4, but what a 2 of 4! It was- Nope! No time to dwell on it. Four days from now, we host the 7 – 3 Commanders, in a battle to keep first place in the NFC East.
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LB Zack Baun forcing RB Ezekiel Elliott to cough up the ball near the goal line
Game Hero: LB Zack Baun – He was part of THREE, of our five turnover in this game, he forced two fumbles. One was recovered by S Reed Blankenship (4 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) and the other by DB Cooper DeJean(2 – 0.0 – 0 – 0). He also recovered a fumble forced by DE Bryce Huff.
Game goat: QB Jalen Hurts – He had two first half turnovers (1 interception, 1 fumble), keeping this game an actual game, for longer than it should have been. He also invited five first half sacks, with his tendency to hold the ball too long.
On The Whole: Lots of people will tell you that Dallas was without their starting QB for this game. That’s wrong. Cooper Rush is their starter now. He’s never played on any other team, so he knows Dallas’s system. He had a week’s worth of prep for this game. He had reps with the Ones. So we defeated their starter.
Saquon Barkley had 14 rushing attempts and he caught 1 pass, for a total of 15 touches. I said it would be nice if he had 16 touches or fewer; because we need to lighten his workload. That is, if we don’t want him to be gassed for the playoffs. Besides, it first gives him a break in anticipation of the game against the Commanders on Thursday.
So right now we’re on a five game win streak, we sit atop the division, and right now we seem to be getting better every, single week. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty good about the season right now.
Note: This article was supposed to come out weeks ago, but I simply forgot it. I had a loved one in the hospital, and the world simply had to stop until she was out. By then, this article was the furthest thing from my mind. I’ve tweaked NOTHING in the article aside from adding a second note at the very end, and I’m tickled by how on the money I am after two games.
Strongest Offense: PHILADELPHIA – The only weakness on this unit is TE depth. While RB could also use a stronger backup, the pieces are here for a by committee approach. As far as the starters, this team has the best Offensive line in the division, and the best 1-2 punch at WR possibly in the NFL.
Weakest Offense: NEW YORK – None of the skill players scares anyone, and the QB is practically a burning orphanage on Christmas Eve. They are however, developing an offensive line for next year’s QB.
Strongest Defense: PHILADELPHIA – Entering the season, there are questions about one of the Corners, but otherwise this unit has added enough raw athleticism at every level, to compete with even units built for pure speed. That’s not to say it’s perfect, but the issues that this unit has, are pretty common throughout the division. Philly just has more depth and ability to mix and match, which limits the opportunities for opponents to find mismatches to exploit.
Weakest Defense: WASHINGTON – This team should be strong right down the middle, but they lack weapons that can consistently make a difference. By season’s end however, they just MIGHT surrender fewer points than the giants. Washington has a clock eating offensive style that will limit opponents opportunities to score. New York’s offense is so bad though, they may allow more points because they give the opponent more opportunities with better field position. The reason the giants aren’t here, is because they have enough weapons to possibly become a decent unit. Washington stands no chance of that.
Strongest Special Teams: PHILADELPHIA – This was evaluated just using the LS, P, and K. Returners were not included, because no one has any idea, of how the new kickoff rules will impact the game. The NFL has even alluded to altering rules “in-season”, but Commissioner Roger Goodell nixed that notion about a week ago. As far as why Philly was picked, just look at the reports. Philly is strong in all three areas. The other three team cannot claim the same.
Weakest Special Teams: WASHINGTON – Both Washington and New York have a reliability issue with their kicking game. The difference is, that the giants punting game improved slightly last season, so they’re on an upward trend there.
Projected Winner: PHILADELPHIA – It’s not even close. If you disagree with my assessments, go through the reports and tell me what I screwed up.
Darkhorse Winner: DALLAS – Because of course they are. The NFC East is a division of haves and have nots. The Eagles and Cowboys dine on caviar. Meanwhile, the giants and Commanders watch and wait for each other to fall asleep, so that they can attempt to cannibalize their cellmate. (Note: Given how last week (Week 2) worked out between these two, this is now my FAVORITE line of the whole damned article.)
LOST in the Wild Card round, 11 – 6, second in the NFC East, 25.5 pspg / 25.2 papg
The Eagles ripped out the gate to a 10 – 0 start. However, they aand may of us writers, never quite seemed comfortable, because the Eagles allowed the games to be more difficult than they should have been. Then the wheels fell of, the team utterly collapsed, and no explanation has yet to be given. (Good. I wouldn’t want to hear it anyway.)
The Eagles responded by replacing the offensive and defensive coordinators. They also allowed General Manager Howie Roseman, to go all Tanya Harding on the entire city of New York, by taking RB Barkley from one team, and trading OLB Hasson Reddick to the other.
OFFENSE:
QB Jalen Hurts
QB: Jalen Hurts experienced a little problem with turnovers last year. Whether it was an anomaly, or it’s because teams have figured him out, remains to be seen. He still has trouble punishing the blitz, but his 99 touchdowns in three seasons as a starter (despite four missed games) makes you wonder what he could be, if he fixed that glaring flaw.
Kenny Pickett has plenty of arm talent and moxie. Half of his 12 career wins, are comeback victories. Which is a heck of a feat, given the lack of protection he was working with in Pittsburgh. Tanner McKee is a big, strong, tough player, and his teammates like playing for him. He is however, the definition of a pocket passer. (+)
RB: Saquon Barkley. Seeing how good he’s been with trash players and coaching surrounding him, only makes you wonder how good he can be now. However, it’s him being over 230 pounds that most excites me. No knock on all-time leading rusher LeSean McCoy, but the Eagles have had a lot of success here, with guys 220 pounds and up.
Kenneth Gainwell is a man without a real role. He isn’t special at anything. Will Shipley is a 4th round rookie, who seems like a big effort, hard nosed type. Neither backup is built to be an NFC East style workhorse. Which raises the question of: Who carries the load if Barkley gets hurt? Barkley is a great starter to have, but the depth is a question. (+)
TE: Given some of the other names on this team, it can be too easy to overlook Dallas Goedert. However, even as a third option, he’s been quietly putting up around 600 yards per season, for the last five seasons. There doesn’t seem to be a plan for third year man, Grant Calcaterra, as his blocking never wowed anyone. Again, this is a case of excellent starter, no real depth. With just two active, the position is also thin. (-)
WR: A.J. Brownis flat-out uncoverable. Hands, speed, size, vertical leap, route running… He owns every tool in the hardware store. On the opposite sideline, is DeVonta Smith, who puts on a clinic with every route that he runs. He posted a 72% catch rate last year. As a BOUNDARY receiver, with over 100 targets. Those are star receiver numbers, and he’s the #2.
Jahan Dotsonwas traded for, to give the Eagles a legit slot receiver and real depth. Rookie 6th rounder Johnny Wilsonis the #4 receiver. He’s 6’6” 228 pounds, but he has slow feet for this position. Having played at 245, if his blocking improves, a position switch might suit him. Britain Covey is primarily a return man. (+)
LT Jordan Mialata
OT: LT Jordan Mialatahas become a team captain. It still feels a little premature to call him ‘elite’, but his name does keep coming up in the national conversation. RT Lane Johnson is elite. There is no media outlet that refers to him, without calling him a future Hall Of Famer, somewhere in the conversation. It can be debated who the best OT in the league is, but there is no debate that the Eagles have the best starting pair.
LT Fred Johnsonhas been with the team since last year, and even saw a little bit of action. While RT Darian Kinnard played a lot during the preseason, you could tell he was a lock to make the team. I think coaches just wanted to be sure he was really as good a he seemed out there. (+)
OG: While LG Landon Dickersondoesn’t get the credit, he’s the real reason that the Brotherly Shove works as well as it does, as consistently as it does. As if to acknowledge this, the Eagles low-key made a point of giving him a four year extension, in March.
At the RG position is Mekhi Becton. He was a 2020, #11 overall draft pick, who the Jets had at RT, until he suffered two right knee injuries. At 6’7” 363 pounds, he’s an absolute monster of a man. So instead of playing him at RT, the Eagles chose to kick him inside, where he can wrestle with opponents in a phonebooth. He was good enough in camp to take the starting spot.
Tyler Steen is the second year man, who was supposed to start. Until Becton came along. I wasn’t big on Steen last year, but word is he’s improved noticeably. Rookie Trevor Keegan was selected in the 5th round this season. Not much is expected of him yet. (+)
C: Cam “Beef” Jurgensis taking over for the retired future Hall Of Famer Jason Kelce. Jurgens has 28 career starts at G, although the pivot is his natural spot. Not only did Kelce helped hand-pick Jurgens in the 2022 Draft, he mentored him. Groomed him to be a ready when the moment comes. This is that moment. Oh and there is no back-up. (+)
In A Nutshell: This roster is so stacked it’s ridiculous. And there may be even more help on the way.
DEFENSE:
DE: Brandon Graham is returning for his 15th and final ride, with the only NFL roster that was ever lucky enough, to have him grace it. He’s no longer a starter, but his snaps are impactful, as he plays the position classically. By which I mean, he plays the run on the way to the pass. Most modern players at this position, just play pass first, and so often fail to contain the edge.
Free agent Bryce Huff, comes over from the Jets, and will likely be the starter that Graham rotates with. He didn’t start a game last year and still led that team with 10 sacks. So of course, instead of starting him, the Jets let him walk. (+)
DT: I won’t keep you in suspense. The Eagles are literally SIX players deep at this position. Every guy here could start on a team somewhere in this league. Jordan Davis is a mountain of a man and the centerpiece of the Defensive Line. By his own admission he wore down in 2023, and has dedicated himself to his conditioning in 2024. Stay tuned. Jalen Carter grabbed 6 sacks and finished in second place for rookie of the year, last year. Milton Williams is a tweener, who gets moved around, to create and enhance mismatches along the line.
Moro Ojomo has made plenty of noise in preseason games. Now it’s time to translate that to games that count. Byron Young was a 3rd rounder last year, but was a victim of a 2024 numbers crunch in Las Vegas. Thomas Booker was an End in Houston last year. All three of these guys are tweeners, in that they’re Big End/high motor Nickel Tackle, types. Too much depth here. (+)
OLB: Josh Sweaton paper, changes position from DE, but in no way will that change how the Eagles utilize him. He gets lots of pressure and hits on passers (23 in 2023). The Eagles are just trying find a way to turn those into sacks (just 6.5 last year.) Nolan Smithwas supposed to be a steal in the 1st round of last year’s Draft, but he can’t produce from the sideline.
Jalyx Hunt is a 3rd round rookie, who had no business still being on the board when the Eagles got there. Patrick Johnson’s value lies in his flexibility (LB/DE), and his Special Teams play. While Eagles have parts here, getting production from them has proven to be challenge. (-)
ILB: Free Agent Devin White came over from Tampa. His resume shows that he can be a playmaker, but with most Eagles starters playing no preseason snaps, it’s impossible to judge how he fits. Zach Baun comes over from New Orleans, having been a spot starter and situational player. When the Eagles go to their 5 – 2 alignment, these two head the depth chart.
Nakobe Dean has so far not panned out as planned, but this new defensive coaching staff, seems excited about him. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. will initially get stuck on Special Teams, but his heads-up style of play, suggests that coaches will find defensive snaps for him. Oren Burks was a late preseason acquisition who has starting experience, and has made some plays. Ben VanSumeren is a born Special Teamer.
The position is stable and solid up top. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that the free agents we added, are stunting the growth of the young guys we have (who seem to have more upside), by keeping them off the field. (+)
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (CJGJ) intercepts a pass
S: C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns, after a year in Detroit that he’d probably like to forget. His 2022 season here, saw him lead the NFL in interceptions and play in the Super Bowl. He’s back to get a taste of that again. Reed Blankenship isn’t a burner, but he possesses pretty much any other trait you’d want at this position. If the communication between these two is good, the middle of the field will be a dangerous place to venture.
Rookie 2nd rounder Cooper DeJean, fist best at this position. Yes, the coaches love his schematic flexibility, but ultimately, player play best where they play best. Tristin McCollumwas a longshot to make this roster, but here he is. (+)
CB:Darius “Big Play” Slaydoesn’t get the respect that he deserves. Even playing in a heavy cushion cover scheme, he’s picked off 8 passes in three seasons. Isaiah Rodgers was brought in a year ago while on suspension. We have yet to see him play. Quinyon Mitchell is a 1st rounder from this year. While he’s well thought of, he’s still a rookie. There’s an education coming.
Kelee Ringo is a big guy, who plays with an aggression and swagger that will either make him a star pr run him out of the league eventually. Eli Ricks is another tall one, who made a few clutch plays as a reserve in 2023. Fact is, Slay is great, but there’s no way to vouch for the other side yet. (-)
In A Nutshell: This unit should be strong down the middle. The edges of the defense is where the question marks are.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Rick Lovato notched 3 tackles and forced a fumble, in 2023. (+)
P: Braden Mann posted a punt average of 49.8, and a net of 43.8. Both of which were career bests for him. (+)
K: Jake “The Make” Elliottmade a career-high 93.8% of his field goals, and even made 7 of 8 from 50 or more. (+)
In A Nutshell: The Eagles have long understood the battle of hidden yardage, and it continues to show.
BOTTOM LINE:
This is team went on a 10 – 0 start last year, while never looking like a dominant team. I personally am getting the vibe that they won’t get out to a long undefeated streak, but they will absolutely land on a few teams this year.
As for 2024: A record of 12 – 5 seems to fit like Cinderella’s glass slipper. Let’s go with that.
LOST in the Wild Card round, 12 – 5, first in the NFC East, 29.9 pspg / 18.5 papg
Despite a 3 – 2 start, the Cowboys just plugged away, and generally beat whomever was on the schedule. They worked their way into first place in the division, only to get shit-canned in their own home, by a young Green Bay team in the playoffs.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has just put together three 12 – 5 seasons in a row, with a playoff record of 1 – 3, over that same span. He’s replaced his ex-defensive coordinator with Mike Zimmer, but everything else, has been just making small adjustments. Chances are, without a deep playoff run, McCarthy is likely getting fired. Not in spite of his three year 36 – 15 record, but rather because of it. Owner Jerry Jones, isn’t patient enough to endure much more of “close, but no cigar!”
OFFENSE:
QB: Dak Prescott is the starter, but he has no idea whether or not the Cowboys want him back next year. So why did I lead with that, instead of whether he’s any good or not? One, because anyone reading this, already knows he can play. Two, because potentially having to shop himself as a free agent next year, will affect how he regards injuries this year.
You have to ask, how much will Prescott hold back, in an attempt to limit damage to an already 30 year old body? Since any holding back will affect any athlete’s play, it stands to reason that we may not see the best version of Prescott in 2024. Especially with his primary weapon missing all of camp and the preseason.
The backup, is Preseason Hall of Famer Cooper Rush. He’s 5 – 1 lifetime, in games that count. His only career loss came vs a Philadelphia Eagles team, that went to the Super Bowl that year. He’s extremely smart and very hard to fool. Unfortunately, his physical tools are underwhelming. Because of this, the Cowboys are looking past him for their next starter.
Third stringer Trey Lance, has all the physical tools of a star. However, he’d been a goofy disaster since the 49ers overdrafted him #3 overall in 2021. He started four games, went 2 – 2, and the 9ers felt they’d seen enough. Just FOUR starts, for a first round pick, and they threw the towel in on him!?
So when Dallas traded the 9ers just a fourth round pick for him, during the 2023 offseason, everyone assumed Dallas had fleeced them. Wrong. WRONG! When Dallas realized the scope of the project he was, they basically red-shirted him all last season. So far this preseason, vs vanilla defenses, Lance appeared to have regressed.
So while this team does have two good players at this position, neither is motivated to do anything besides audition for other teams right now. (+)
RB: Ezekiel Elliott returns to Dallas! Not the old version that could eat clock with a lead, batter a defense, and put away games. Instead, Dallas is getting the new version, that hasn’t seen a 100 yard game, broken a run of longer than 27 yards, or had an average of 4.0 per carry, since 2021. They’re getting the version that hasn’t averaged 7 yards per catch, since 2019.
Elliott is the best they have for now. Rico Dowdle is an undrafted, career backup who plays like it. In thirty-six games, not one is a start, and instead of promoting him, they brought in Elliott. At 5’6” 176 pounds, and being easy to arm tackle, Deuce Vaughn will never see many carries.
The Cowboys signed Dalvin Cook to their practice Squad, and it’s wise to assume he won’t stay there long. The Vikings cut him over money in 2023, and the move didn’t work out for them. He spent the 2023 regular season as a backup with the Jets. ( He signed with the Ravens for one playoff game). Though he looked like a bad fit in New York, he still showed home run capability in 2022, with a career long 81 yard run. Unless Cook can lift this group, it’s a bad one. (-)
TE: Jake Ferguson is more of a receiver than a blocker, but he’s not going to scare anybody who has to cover him. Luke Schoonmaker is more of a blocker than a receiver. Undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford, is big (6’6” 268) target. That said, he’s not much of blocker, and his feet turn over at an alarmingly slow rate. This guy is going to get cooked at this level. (-)
WR: Did the Cowboys just pay 30M$ per year for a slot receiver? Given that in 2023, 60% of Ceedee Lamb‘s targets and 66% of his receptions came from the slot, the numbers would strongly suggest that’s exactly what the Cowboys did. Look, there is no disputing that Lamb can get open, make catches, and score. The question is: Can he do it consistently against an opponent’s best cover guy; or does he need to be matched up vs a Nickel player?
Once upon a time Brandin Cooks was electric and explosive. He’s not those things anymore, but he still caught 8 scores last year. Jalen Tolbert is going to be the second outside receiver, so that Lamb can stay inside. At 153 pounds Kavonte Turpin is just considered a gadget player. Jalen Brooks is a 7th rounder from last season. Couple players, but no depth. (+)
OT: The loss of Tyron Smith was inevitable and necessary. The problem, is not having replaced him with a high caliber player. At LT, Chuma Edoga is starting the season on Injured Reserve, for the first four weeks. It’s also the sort of injury (toe) that tends to linger. So rookie 1st rounder Tyler Guyton, will protect any realistic hopes that this franchise has of the postseason.
At RT Terence Steele returns for his fifth year as the starter in this spot. Not much has been said about him recently, and the general thinking is, if not much is said about an offensive lineman, he must be doing his job. Seems weird to me, though. The NFL is always talking about future Hall Of Famer, RTLane Johnson; and how fast LT Jordan Mailata has come along. (-)
G Zack Martin making it look easy
OG: Speaking of lineman who always get a mention, future Hall Of Famer RG Zack Martin, comes back for his eleventh year as a starter for this team. Opposite him, at LG Tyler Smith returns fresh from his first All-Pro nod. Am I painting you a picture?
Behind them for depth, they have T.J. Bass who saw two starts last season. There’s also swingman Asim Richards, a 5th round pick last year, and native of Philadelphia. (+)
C: Rookie 3rd rounder, Cooper Beebe made the transition from Guard, and seems to have snatched the starting spot here. He’s a wide, squat, fan of running the ball. However, he has some physical shortcomings that could make him a liability as a pass protector, over the long haul.
Behind him is Brock Hoffman, an undrafted free agent from 2022, who expected to inherit the role after two starts last season, and the defection of Tyler Biadasz. The drafting of Beebe, should have been a clue. If the offensive system were different, I would grade this position different. But since the system keeps these players in their wheelhouse, it’s fine. (+)
In A Nutshell: Injuries are part of football, and depth is a serious issue for this unit. They’ll have to stay very lucky to stay competitive this season.
DEFENSE:
DE: DeMarcus Lawrence played every game for a second straight season producing 50 tackles and 4 sacks. That however, doesn’t offset the loss of pass rush, with Dorance Armstrong going to Washington. It’s doubtful that Dallas will trust Chauncey Golston or Tyrus Wheat, with the spot. Partly because of 2nd round rookie Marshawn Kneeland.
Then there’s this other thing. While he’s not listed at this position, all the chatter (and this includes the depth chart on the Cowboys own website), says that Micah Parsons will play opposite Lawrence. I’ve said for the past two years, that this day was coming. Mostly since Parsons offers little value in off-ball applications. In any case, Dallas has a few pieces to move around. (+)
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT: Osa Odighizuwa is a high motor player, who should be moved to End. Instead, they play him inside, and the season wears him down. Last season he had no solo tackles for the final four weeks of the season, a similar disappearing act has been pulled in each of his three years.
Mazi Smith was brought in to help stop the run, but he dropped under 300 pounds to try and get sacks. The new defensive coordinator told him to knock that off, and go get fat again.
Speaking of fat, Dallas traded for oft-traveled Jordan Phillips, and signed oft-traveled Linval Joseph. They played together in Buffalo last season. This position is stocked with underachievers and guys who live out of their suitcases. Not a good sign for Dallas. (-)
OLB: Damone Clark looked like a reliable tackle machine last year, until about week 14. At that point teams realized that it was easier to make yards attacking him downfield in the passing game, than it was by trying to screen him. Of the 224 passing yards he gave up in 2023, 86 were in the last four games, with 8 catches on 9 targets.
DeMarvion Overshown missed all of last season, his rookie season, with a torn ACL. Rookie 3rd rounder Marist Liufau, seems to be in competition with Overshown, over that second starting spot. This is a great way to let iron sharpen iron. If at least one of these kids can play, Dallas may have struck oil here. Until then, everything here is a huge, glowing question mark. (-)
MLB: Free agent addition Erick Kendricks, has racked up over 1,000 tackles in his nine year career. He also has some playmaking ability.
Buddy Johnson screams red flags. He was a Steelers 4th round draft pick, who signed a four year contract in 2021. The following preseason the Steelers cut him, and didn’t even add him to their practice squad. Since then, he’s been on four different practice squads, played 86 Special Teams snaps, and recorded 8 tackles. Kendricks had better stay healthy. (-)
S: Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker return for a third year of working together. That should make adapting to their new defensive system easier. Markquese Bell entering his third year here, offers experienced depth and again, interpersonal familiarity. Juanyeh Thomas and Israel Mukuamu offer depth.
All of these guys knowing each other so well, should make assimilating the new system a snap. These players have already played together and played well. If there are problems in the secondary, you know the issue is the coaching, not the players, or misunderstandings. This is still the deepest group in the division. (+)
CB Trevon Diggs seems upset about something here
CB: Trevon Diggs returns after missing fifteen games in 2023, with an ACL tear. He’s a feast or famine type gambler, who probably gave up half as many big plays, as he made. The question is: What percentage of the gambler’s luck, was left on the operating table. With the departure of Stephon Gilmore, second year man, Caelen Carson is starting opposite Diggs. .
From the Nickel, DaRon Bland led the NFL with 9 picks and returned 5 of them for TD’s, last year. Unfortunately, he has a stress fracture in his foot that will require surgery, and keep him out at least six games. Stepping in for him, is Jourdan Lewis. He has a ton of experience, and even some fair measure of success. C.J. Goodwin and Andrew Booth play Special Teams. (+)
In A Nutshell: Up front they can still be pushed around. Their two best ballhawks having suffering lower body injuries, raises serious questions about this secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Since college Trent Seig has never played any other position. He’s essentially eating a roster spot. (-)
P: Bryan Angerer went nuts last year, posting a 51.4 yard per punt average, as well as a 45.3 yard average net. Both of which were career-highs for him. At age 35. Seriously, do I need to be the one to drop the “S” word? Or to bring up the term “random test”? (+)
K: After a decade of searching, and performing an interesting comedy of errors for their division rivals, the Cowboys, finally seem to have found their guy. Brandon Aubrey is young, has a big leg, and currently owns an accuracy mark of 94.7% on his field goals. (+)
In A Nutshell: The biggest thing that this unit has needed for a long time, was stability. They have that now.
BOTTOM LINE:
After this season, this team is headed for a rebuild. With that hanging over their heads, it’s unreasonable to expect the players to not get distracted. Add to that, the alarming lack of depth in positions like QB, MLB, and OT, and do you know what you get? Deformed fingers from keeping them crossed all year long. There’s a lot of talent on this team, but the players have ridden that ride before. That may not be enough to keep the roster interested this year.
As for 2024: I’ll go out on a limb and say 10 – 7, a Wild Card loss, and McCarthy being fired less than two weeks later.
New York headed into the 2023 season, looking to build off of their 2022 playoff appearance. Instead, they got out to a 1 – 5 start, which included an opening day 0 – 40 thrashing, in their own home, by division rival Dallas. Then their starting QB got hurt for the first of two times in the same season. It was an avalanche ride into a seemingly bottomless chasm, only stopped when they crashed into the immovable end of their schedule.
While most teams set their sights on trying to win the division, or make a deeper playoff run; the 2024 giants have to ask if they are going to need a new QB next year. Or maybe a new head coach. They’re in a state of trying to repair their ship, and seem less focused on if it’s ready to sail into war with the division.
OFFENSE:
QB: Starter Daniel Jones is coming off of an ACL injury, which cost him the last eight games of 2023, after he’d already missed three. That said, with a 1 – 5 record, and 2 TD’s vs 6 picks, he was already having an abysmal season prior to injury. His 22 – 36 – 1 record over five seasons, should have benched him, but his ridiculous 40M$ per year price tag, forces NY to keep starting him.
Tommy DeVito had six straight starts last year, with a three game win streak in the middle of those. The offense seemed to find something with him, and averaged 18.8 points in games he started, vs 13.9 points in games that he didn’t. (Remember, Jones makes 40M$ per year.) Free agent Drew Lock was brought in, but he’s never been anything special as a pro. (-)
RB: Saquo- Sorry. Force of habit. Devin Singletary heads up the giants backfield and that comes with a ton of concerns. Historically, the giants lean heavy on this position. As a result they tend towards bigger, workhorse body types. Singletary is 5’7” 203 pounds. Not exactly built to carry an offense, which is why Singletary never has. You expect your lead back to have at least 100 carries over his backup. Singletary has never done that.
There are two other players at this position. The first is Eric Gray. He’s a 5th round pick from 2023 who’s production makes it wonder that he made the 2024 roster. Then there’s Tyrone Tracy, a 5th round pick from this year. That’s it. That’s everything on the active roster. On their practice squad they have Dante “Lil Turbo” Miller, but he last played competitive football in 2022. (-)
TE: This team expected to have Darren Wallerreturn, but he kicked his football habit and retired. What they do have, is Daniel Bellinger, and Chris Manhertz. Neither is much of a receiver. Manhertz has bounced around the NFL for nine years, and has all of 271 receiving yards, in his career, and has never caught more than 6 passes in a season. In 2021 he was targeted a career-high, 9 times. Not in a game. For the season. Nine times, in a season.
Theo Johnson is a rookie selected in the 4th round this year. Over three years in college, he posted 43 – 597 – 13.8 – 5. The giants have to be hoping that they found a diamond in a box of Cracker Jack. If not, it would mean the post-Draft retirement of Waller, has ripped a huge hole in the side of this franchise. (-)
WR: Malik Nabers was the sixth overall pick in this year’s Draft, and he’s expected to be the spark that brings this offense back to life. I have my doubts. He used to live off of the ‘Shake’ route; but it’s highly doubtful that NFL secondaries are going to be as easy to solve as that. He played slot in college. Wonder where he’ll play in the NFL.
Deep threat Darius Slayton is coming off of a career year in yardage. Strange how he seemed come alive last year, after his starting QB was injured. Wan’Dale Robinson’s yards per catch went from 9.9 in 2022, to 8.8 in 2023, with only 1 TD in each year. He needs a career year.
Last year,the up and downs in Jaylin Hyatt’s rookie season, suggested that the coaches didn’t know what their plan was for him. They need to figure that out in 2024. Gunner Olszewski is mostly a return man, who’s done most of his damage on punt returns. Aside from Slayton, no one at this position has been a threat to NFL defenses yet. (-)
OT: LT Andrew Thomas missed seven games last year with a hamstring issue. He finished strong, by starting the last nine games, while playing every offensive snap in eight of those. He also didn’t draw a single penalty during that span.
RT this year will be manned by former Raider, Jermaine Eluemunor. What he is, is a well traveled pro, who understands that his job is to win at the point of attack. What he is not, is flashy, nimble, or dominant. He’s instant mashed potatoes and Heinz Homestyle gravy. You won’t starve, but you won’t rave about the meal either.
Evan Neal started seven games last year, committing 4 accepted penalties for 24 yards. Whenever his name comes up, it’s never associated with anything good, but the giants keep him on the roster. Joshua Ezeudu is a swingman here. (+)
OG: This is where New York seemed to be focused in the offseason. They added three free agents at this position, despite the fact that only two will start. The biggest get, was Jon Runyan Jr., formerly of Green Bay. Coming in as 6th round pick, Runyan played his way into being a starter for the last three years, and now into a three year, 30M$ deal with the giants. (Not bad kid. Not bad.)
Also added, were Aaron Stinnie from Tampa, and Greg Van Roten from Las Vegas. Van Roten would allow the giants to team him with Eleumunor, and reconstitute the right side that helped the Raiders only allow 40 sacks last year, vs the 85 that the giants allowed. Stinnie is a six year veteran, but he has less than a season’s worth of starts in his career. (+)
C: John Michael Schmitz started thirteen games, after being selected in the 2nd round of the 2023 Draft. Got hurt a couple of times last year, and missed four games, but that’s football. He moves well getting out on second level defenders. What is concerning, is that he’s sort of controllable for linemen at the point of attack. He has no backup on the active roster. (-)
In A Nutshell: A shitty QB; skill players who are mid-tier or lower; and an offensive line that would be better if the system were built around a powerback. Which they don’t have on their roster.
DEFENSE:
DE: Officially the giants roster doesn’t list any players at this position. Everyone is designated as a Defensive Lineman. Their depth chart on the other hand, lists two players, Brian Burns and Boogie Basham. They are however, listed as OLB’s on the giants roster, so they will be covered in that section, here. (NA)
DT: Officially the giants roster doesn’t list any players at this position. Everyone is designated as a Defensive Lineman. Alright, fine. So let’s list their defensive linemen.
DT Dexter Lawerence from a little while back
Dexter Lawrence is a menace on the inside. He’s a massive dude, who requires the attention of more than one gentleman caller at a time. Rakeem Nunez-Roches joined the giants last season, but seems to be in line for an expanded role in 2024. With a name pronounced ‘roaches’, this dude has to be tough. As depth, D.J. Davidson and Elijah Chatman have been issued helmets with the team logo on them. Lawrence had better stay healthy. (-)
OLB: At the top of the food chain, is Kayvon Thibodeaux. He racked up 11.5 sacks last year, but only 3 of them came in the second half of the season. It has yet to be determined if he’s a difference maker, or an overdrafted situational player who gets too many snaps.
Brian Burns spent the previous five seasons racking up 46 sacks, on a Carolina team that never reached .500. So he took a five year 141M$ deal, to get sacks in the Big Apple. Boogie Basham’s career went in the other direction. With no starts and 4.5 career sacks, he’s expected to backup Burns. Backups Azeez Ojulari, Tomon Fox, and Benton Whitley combine to form Reflector. (That’s a G1 Transformers nod.) They’re basically bodies for depth at all the LB spots. (+)
ILB: Bobby Okereke played every defensive snap last season, racking up 149 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 picks, and 4 FF. He was a beast. Micah McFadden is less of a playmaker, and more of scrape and sift through traffic, type of player. He fits his role. Carter Coughlin is depth. (+)
S: Jason Pinnock was awarded the starting role in 2023, and put up 85 tackles, 6TFL, 2 sacks, 2 picks, and 2FF. Safe to say he earned his 2024 starting role. Dane Belton however, is huge question mark. He has 7 career starts, with 7 career takeaways, but just 686 career snaps played. So there’s still a learning curve, with 2nd round rookie, Tyler Nubin, breathing down the back of Belton’s neck.
Isaiah Simmons endured the worst year of his career while switching position from ILB to S, last year. Whether or not the move will pay off in 2024, is still a question. Gerrvarius Owens and Raheem Layne, make up the remainder of this position. (+)
CB Deonte Banks arriving way too early
CB: Deonte Banks started fifteen games as a rookie, last year. So it should come as no surprise that he’s getting the nod again in 2024. Cordale Flott is going from part-time starter, to full-time guy on the outside. It seems that 3rd round rookie Andru Phillips will get the Nickel job.
Behind that group of very young guys, are a couple more young guys in Nick McCloud and Tre Hawkins. This much youth could grow together into a rock solid corp. They could also come apart, when their lack of experience makes it hard to solve problems in real time, at game speed. Especially since they were not well coached last year. (-)
In A Nutshell: If the LB’s aren’t amazing this year, this defense is doomed.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Casey Kreiter has been here four years without becoming “famous” for anything. (+)
P: Jamie Gillan while his average punt dropped from 46.8 in 2022, to 46.0 in 2023, his net rose from 39.7 in 2022, to 42.2 in 2023. Subtle improvements here, can mean more often winning the hidden yardage battle, which helps lead to wins. (+)
K: Graham Gano is coming off his worst season as a pro, with a 64.7% accuracy mark on his field goals. If he doesn’t get his act together, he probably won’t finish the season as a giant. (-)
In A Nutshell: If they can fix the field goal issue, this should be a solid, but not flashy unit. (+)
BOTTOM LINE:
Maaaaaan, Daniel Jones be trippin’!
Unless Daniel Jones suddenly proves a LOT of people wrong, the offense is going to suck. I’d guess their ceiling to be around 19 points per game this year. If that’s the case, their defense will need to be stellar, which is unlikely, because 3 – 4 bases tend to wear down over the year.
As for 2024: Let’s call it 7 – 9. This is by no means a winning team, but they play a few teams with issues of their own. In a battle between dysfunctional losers (like Week One vs the Vikings), I’ll take the NFC East team, every time.
Washington went into the 2023 season having found a Quarterback to build their foundation on. They brought in Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy, from Kansas City, to revitalize their offense. After a 4 – 5 start, the team imploded, and never won a game for the remaining 8 weeks.
Head coach Ron Rivera and his staff were fired, and replaced by Dan Quinn and his. The Commanders then drafted a new QB to build their foundation on. There’s even talk of a(nother) possible name change.
OFFENSE:
QB: Jayden Daniels was drafted number two overall this year. So far he’s gotten all the important reps in OTA’s and such. Last year’s 17 game starter, Sam Howell, isn’t even on the roster. The back-ups are Marcus Mariota and Jeff Driskel. Both are just warm bodies and neither will even be offered a chance to unseat Daniels. So rest assured that this is his team.
This is a rookie’s team. A rookie born in warm California, who’s college career was in warm Louisiana. A rookie who will now be playing in the coastal northeast. He may one day be good enough to win the East, but it won’t be this season. (-)
RB: The starter is Brian Robinson. More of a north-south runner, in two seasons he’s never reached 800 yards rushing, or had a run of 30 yards. Austin Ekler (Chargers) adds more effectiveness as a pass catcher, and an air of explosiveness. It’s not a bad one-two punch. Jeremy Nichols (49ers) is probably just on the roster to push Ekler. The position isn’t flashy, but when you turn the key, it’ll run. (+)
TE: The Commanders didn’t draft Ben Sinnott #53 overall, to sit him. He is however, a rookie with a rookie running the offense. So his learning curve will have dips in it. Luckily, they have Zach Ertz. While he’s physically running on fumes at this point in his career, he’s enough of a pro to help a pup along. John Bates is on the roster, but he’s limited athletically. Aside from maybe the rookie, this position won’t scare anyone. (-)
WR Terry McLaurin
WR: Terry McLaurin is the anchor of this position. However, with just one 100 yard game last year, just 4 scores in 17 starts, and a third straight season with under 80 catches, he’s no longer “Scary Terry”. After that, there’s a serious fall-off. Olamide Zaccheaus was brought in, but he’s better with the ball already in his hands, than he is at actually catching it.
Dynami Brown, and Jamison Crowder are still on the roster, despite Crowder not being a serious option since the Pandemic. Third round rookie Luke McCaffrey (yes, his brother), is getting reps in the slot. It’s so bad that they recently brought back Byron Pringle, whom they’d previously let walk. (-)
OT: Presumptive LT Cornelius Lucas is in his tenth year on his fifth team, and he had 4 starts for this team last season. He’s also the most experienced player Washington has at the position. Andrew Wylie is likely the Swingman again. Behind that, it’s bad.
They’re currently trying to get Brandon Coleman, a 3rd round rookie out of TCU to push Wylie at RT. Trenton Scott is in his seventh season with all of 22 career starts, 9 of which were in his second year. Braden Daniels was picked in the 4th round, but looks to be a bit of a project. (-)
OG: Sam Cosmi is likely still the RG, but he’s a better pass protector than run blocker. At LG, last year Chris Paul was so good, that Washington ran out and signed free agents Nick Allegretti and Micheal Dieter. So that spot is a three man race for now. (-)
C: One of Washington’s biggest addition this offseason was Tyler Biadasz. He isn’t awesome, but he’s also no slouch. Rookie Ricky Stromberg is on Injured Reserve, and is done for the year. Interestingly enough, they took Stromberg in the 3rd round. Which is high for a player at this position. (+)
In A Nutshell: Rookie passer, lackluster receivers, and no protection. (-)
DEFENSE:
DE: The Commanders again raided the Cowboys cupboard, taking Dorance Armstrong (7.5 sacks), to bolster their pass rush. He played in every game, but only had the one start. Armstrong (in Dallas), was stuck behind two All-Pros, but here he could emerge as a star. Opposite Armstrong (so far), is Clelin Ferrell. Ferrell is a first round bust, who despite starting all 17 games on a stacked 49ers defense, managed just 3.5 sacks as Nick Bosa’s bookend. Depth comes in the form of seventh round rookie Javonte Jean-Baptiste. (-)
DT: Likely the best duo in the division, are Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Stats hardly tell their story, but they did just net 9.5 sacks between them. To call them headaches or disruptive, is to earn a PhD in Understatement. They’re an outright problem for offenses, as they each require a double team. In short, they wreck blocking schemes, which slows down offenses.
John Ridgeway, and Phidarian Mathis serve as back-ups. The depth here ain’t great, but the top of the order is about as good as it gets on the planet. (+)
OLB: The Commanders yet again ransacked the Cowboys roster, taking Dante Fowler (4 sacks in 2023). Fowler’s been a situational player since early 2021. He’s listed as a starter today, but he’ll probably split time with Jamin Davis. Davis was moved outside in 2023, in an attempt to get more pass rush from him.
LB’s Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu
Free agent addition, Frankie Luvu brings passion and energy, but physically, he’s nothing special. Which is likely why he spent his first four years as a Special Teamer. What Washington is banking on, is for his intangibles to help change their culture. Mykal Walker adds a body, but not much else. Everything here is a gamble. (-)
ILB: Tackle machine Bobby Wagner will now get to roam freely behind a loaded d-line. Despite being 34, if he puts up 200 tackles or 100 solo this year, it wouldn’t be a shock. If anything happens to Wagner, then Jamin Davis will likely slide back into this spot. (+)
S: Jeremy Chinn is a S/LB tweener who has been less productive every year. Instead of being a powerful Safety or a fast Linebacker, he’s become a slow Safety or a weak Linebacker. He is very much a reclamation project. Percy Butler made 13 starts last season for this team, but was largely ineffective.
Quan Martin was splashy in limited action last year, so he’ll likely get an early look. Darrick Forrest and Jeremy Reaves have yet to show any special qualities, but they’ve been here for some years, and will likely be the first layer of depth, ahead of the aforementioned Butler. (-)
CB: This position has added a first round pick (Emmanuel Forbes), and a second rounder (Mike Sainristil), since last year. Sainristil is projected as a starter for this season, while it seems that Forbes will sit. Ballhawk Benjamin St. Juste (1 pick in three years) returns, and free agent Michael Davis defects from the Rams on a one year deal.
No one in this secondary set the world on fire last year, but it was initially chalked up to the growing pains of a young unit. Instead of giving them room to show what they learned, this position was reshuffled, with stop-gap players atop the depth chart. With this being a deliberate move, it’s hard to give it nod of approval. (-)
In A Nutshell: The middle of this defense should be impenetrable. Everything on the perimeter however, is there for the taking. (-)
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Tyler Ott has played some (blocking) TE in college, as an added value to the unit. (+)
P Tress Way
P: Tress Way returns for his 11th year in D.C. He brings with him his career 46 yard per punt and 41 yard net average. Numbers he maintained almost exactly in 2023. (+)
K: Cade York is the new king of this hill. Drafted by Cleveland in 2022, the Browns traded for a second Kicker in the offseason, and cut York in 2023 preseason. He then bounced around a couple of practice squads, but no active rosters. Now he has this job. (-)
In A Nutshell: They didn’t fix what wasn’t broken. Then they didn’t fix was broken. (+)
BOTTOM LINE:
This has the feel of a team that’s already tanking the 2024 season. They have four picks in the top three rounds of the 2025 Draft, with no scary contracts to weigh yet. So it seems like Operation Stockpile, is already in motion. So yeah, even before it starts, Washington looks to have written off the season. But keep your eye on what they do in March.
As for 2024: Let’s call it 6 – 11, and the head coach suddenly realizing that too much losing, kills a winning culture in it’s cradle.
DRAFT Day is today. Well actually it’s three days, the 25th, 26th and 27th, but you get the idea. Over the coming days, I’m going to do a position-by-position breakdown, of each team in the division. Just to compare known players apples to apples, and get everyone on the same page, before we start talking about the rookies, who haven’t actually even been to OTA’s yet.
Today we breakdown (cities are in alphabetical order): The Hunters
NOTE: This article won’t be doing the OLB/ILB/MLB thing. Too many teams like to move their Linebackers around these days. What I will do, is throw players listed as “Edge” into this category. It’s a weak designation, and I personally hate it. However, since teams use it, it must be taken into account.
DALLAS: Micah Parsons posted a career-high 14 sacks last year. After early career struggles vs the pass, the Cowboys severely limited his exposure in coverage. From 36 targets as a rookie, 11 in his second year, to just 5 in 2023. If he isn’t listed at DE next year, I’ll be surprised. Damone Clark is a secure tackler, but he’s an outright liability vs the pass.
Damone Clark
With the looming (now confirmed) retirement of Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas signed Eric Kendricks, hoping to bolster their interior run defense. DeMarvion Overshown is an oversized Safety, who has the sort of speed Dallas loves, but who doesn’t have enough thump to be a true in-the-box player. Buddy Johnson is still on the roster.
NEW YORK: Kayvon Thibodeaux posted 11.5 sacks last year. He’s a dangerous passrusher, but brings little else consistently to his position. He’d probably make his unit more dangerous if he played with his hand in the dirt. The other passrusher on this defense is Brian Burns, who averages 9 sacks per year, but he doesn’t do much else.
Bobby Okereke joined the giants last season, and had his best year as a pro. He’ll be looking to build on that. Micah McFadden is coming along nicely as a 5th rounder who has become a starter. He will of course have to get his 18% missed tackle rate, down considerably.
Azeez Ojulari will likely get first crack as the top back-up, but he’s been largely inconsistent thus far. Allow me to mention Boogie Basham, mostly because his name tickles me. He’s 274, but still listed at this position. The giants coaching staff just doesn’t get it.
PHILADELPHIA: On the surface, losing Haason Reddick was bad. However, judging from his statistical decline, slowness to recover from injury, his age, and his size; I have more than once wondered publicly, if the Eagles know something about his health that they aren’t disclosing. It would explain why they dug their heels in so hard, and so early, over his contract talks.
Nolan Smith gets Tua the QB, for his first career sack.
Entering his third season,Nakobe Dean is flirting with going from Draft steal to bust. Second year player Nolan Smith will almost definitely be a starter. Free Agent Devin White was added, possibly to have a seasoned vet’s voice to the meetings. These three almost definitely comprise the guts of this position. After this, it’s a lot of spare parts and longshots.
Julian Okwara is a situational passrusher who may find more snaps here, than he did in Detroit.Terrell Lewis may be getting a look there as well. Veterans Oren Burks andZack Baun were also added, but aside from NFL experience, the reason why is unclear. Neither seems to offer more upside than second year man, Ben VanSumeren.
This position is in the dark, groping along the wall for a light switch. It’s got tons of youth going for it, but that can also be used against the Eagles as well. Coaching will be key to seeing how it turns out.
WASHINGTON: Talk about a makeover! Jamin Davis is the returning starter from last year, but with the players Washington has added, him starting in 2024, is no guarantee. While he hasn’t really been a playmaker, he’s a solid tackler, and stable player to build off of.
Free agent addition Bobby Wagner will be 34 by the time the season starts. People keep saying that he’s not what he used to be, but last year he started 16 o f 17 games and put up a career-high 183 tackles. Frankie Luvu didn’t miss a start last year and posted 125 stops. Mykal Walker has been a starter, but wasn’t last year. So there is some depth here.
SO WHO’S THE BEST? A solid group of Linebackers, playing behind (what seems right now), the best line in the division, with a defensive head coach. The nod here goes to Washington, and they have everyone else beat by a mile.
Bobby Wagner is a can’t miss addition.
Based on the players, Washington may be exploitable in underneath pass coverage, but they’ll be a problem vs the run and dialing up blitzes.
DRAFT Day is April 25th. Well actually it’s three days 25th, 26th and 27th, but you get the idea. Over the coming month, I’m going to do a position by position breakdown, of each team in the division. Just to compare known players apples to apples, and get everyone on the same page, before we start adding rookies, which can include anything from 1st round busts, to 6th round sure-fire Hall Of Famers.
Today we breakdown (cities are in alphabetical order): The War Machine
NOTE: To make this article, players must be either a DE, DT, or NT. Being listed at OLB, LB, or Edge, puts them in another article. This is done to keep down confusion and banish semantics like “Well he’s mostly a passrusher, so….” We’ll have none of that here.
DALLAS: The Cowboys lost some firepower with DE Dorance Armstrong defecting to rival Washington. While DE DeMarcus Lawrence is still a pro’s pro, he’s no longer anyone to fear. He’s collected just 24.5 sacks…over the last five seasons. On the other side, Sam Williams has shown flashes as a passrusher, but he’s not great vs the run. Chauncey Golston plays the end and also Nickle DT, but is more of a utility player than a threat.
DT Osa Odighizuwa is too small vs the run over 17 weeks
On the inside, DT Osa Odighizuwa is a 3-4 DE being used completely wrong. He starts the year almost foaming at the mouth, but wears down. Especially vs the run. DT Mazi Smith was a first round pick last year, and was statistically blanked in eight games, playing 20 or more snaps in just six games. With Jonathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore leaving, Smith will be asked to do more. Much more. Carl Davis is a NT that may not be with the team much longer.
NEW YORK: The heart of this 3 – 4 line is DE Dexter Lawrence. Strong and enormous, he presents obvious problems vs the run. He’s listed at DE, but the giants play essentially a 5 – 2 front with 3 DT’s. The other “End” could be Rakeem Nunez-Roches, or D.J. Davidson, or any other name picked out of a hat. They added DT Jordan Phillips during the offseason. While Phillips doesn’t put up numbers, he’s huge and he’s disruptive.
The giants will continue to rotate their linemen, in and out of those three spots along the line. It’s meant to keep their opponent guessing and create mismatches, but it seems to backfire at key times. Eye discipline is different for DE’s and DT’s, but this giants coaching staff doesn’t seem to get that. They should be stout inside vs the run though.
PHILADELPHIA: Losing a player like DT Fletcher Coxwould gut most teams. However, the Eagles have massive pocket-crusher DT Jordan Davis; DT Jalen Carter, who just finished 2nd for Defensive Rookie of the Year (despite starting just 1 game); and DE/DT Milton Williams. DT Marlon Tuipulotu also provided quality play in 2023. Last year DT Moro Ojomo, would have made most active rosters, but here he got caught in a numbers game. None of these players are older than 24.
DT Jordan Davis is hard to ignore or lose sight of.
The starters at DE will likely be Josh Sweat, and DE Bryce Huffadded from the Jets. Sweat is a mid-level passrusher, who’s killer first step creates consistent pressure. Huff is coming off of a 10 sack season, where he didn’t start a single game. The Eagles are hoping more snaps translates into more production.
Coming back for his 15th and final season, is DE Brandon Graham. Odds are, he’ll be a situational player who won’t play much, unless injury dictates. There are rumors that the Eagles will switch from a 4 – 3 to a 3 – 4. If that happens, then some of the DT’s will see time at DE. If they play more of a 5 – 2, like they did in 2022, this line will be formidable.
WASHINGTON: Once again, the Commanders raided the Cowboys cupboard, taking both DE Dante Fowler (4 sacks in 2023) and DE Dorance Armstrong (7.5 sacks), to bolster their passrush. Both played in every game, but only Armstrong got to start (just 1 game). As depth, Washington is relying on DE’s Clelin Ferrell and K.J. Henry.
DT Daron Payne closes in.
It’s the interior where this group shines. In the middle of this line are DT Jonathan Allen and DT Daron Payne. To call them headaches or disruptive, is to earn a PhD in Understatement. These two are an outright problem for offensive gameplans, as they both require a double team. In short, they wreck blocking schemes, which slows down offenses.
Back-ups include DT John Ridgeway, and DT Phidarian Mathis. Neither is a real threat, so the fall-off from starter to back-ups is absolutely massive.
SO WHO’S THE BEST?
On the interior, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington are all talented, but only Philadelphia has any depth. More to the point, they have loads of it. Again, on the outside, for THIS article, we are not discussing “passrushers” who play LB/Edge, but actual listed Linemen.
Of the listed DE’s in the division, Dallas is unremarkable, but at least know what to expect of their starters. New York’s DE’s are more like DT’s. Philadelphia may be the most explosive here, IF their new addition wasn’t a one year flash as a Jet. Washington has one defined starter, and everyone is in a new scheme.
DT’s Allen and Payne are a menace. An absolute MENACE!
Philly is tops inside, Dallas is top(ish) outside. However, Philly has question marks at DE, and Dallas’s interior is practically a liability. The giants line is built to occupy blocks, not make plays. Washington has two DE’s who, (while not stars) are both proven passrushers. So we’ll give this nod to the Commanders.
DRAFT Day is April 25th. Well actually it’s three days 25th, 26th and 27th, but you get the idea. Over the coming days, I’m going to do a position by position breakdown, of each team in the division. Just to compare known players apples to apples, and get everyone on the same page, before we start adding rookies, which can include anything from 1st round busts, to 6th round sure-fire Hall Of Famers.
Today we breakdown (cities are in alphabetical order): The Engines
G Zack Martin, handling his business.
DALLAS: The Cowboys lost LT Tyron Smith and C Tyler Biadasz in Free Agency. Brock Hoffman is now the starting C. Ideas for protecting their QB’s blindside, include either moving All-Pro LG Tyler Smith to LT, or drafting one and hoping the rookie is a star. At RT Terrence Steele is essentially a turnstile. Depth at this position is Matt Waletko (2 years, 4 games, no starts.)
On the inside they still have RG Zack Martin, one of the best in the game. However, moving LG Tyler Smith to LT, would leave a two player hole, right next to Martin. So the Cowboys recently overpaid to retain FA journeyman G Chuma Edoga, who already knows the offense. Anyway you cut it, 40% of this line is about to be just a couple of guys.
RT Jermaine Eluemunor is back on the East Coast.
NEW YORK: The giants loaded up on linemen in FA. They lost one, but signed five. Of what they already had, C John Michael Schmitz and G Ben Bredeson, as well as T Andrew Thomas are likely to be starters in 2024. Beyond that, this room is loaded with journeymen and draft busts. Of the five guys they signed, not one of them has been to the Pro Bowl. Even as an alternate.
The biggest o-line addition was probably oft-traveled RT/RG Jermaine Eluemunor, who gets to play near his native Scranton; followed by G Jon Runyan Jr. Both started elsewhere last year. Which brings up the question of where LT Evan Neal fits in. He was a 2022 #7 overall pick, but so far he’s been an injury prone disaster. Does adding Eleumunor close the book on Neal?
Everyone else ranges from shrug-worthy vet, to just some guy in a jersey.
C Jason Kelce passing on pearls of wisdom to future C Cam “Beef” Jurgens.
PHILADELPHIA: Future Hall of Fame C Jason Kelce retired this offseason. Normally that would seem like a huge blow, but honestly, Kelce’s wisdom and energy may be missed more than his on-field play. Kelce helped the Eagles scout his replacement, C Cam Jurgens. Jurgens spent 2023 at RG in Kelce’s hip, learning when, how, and why certain things need to happen.
As for the rest of the line, LT Jordan Mailata and RT Lane Johnson might be the top pair of bookends in the entire league. On the inside, LG Landon Dickerson is the true engine of the Brotherly Shove play. With Jurgens sliding over, RG is now a question mark. The top candidate for the job is Tyler Steen, but he’s been underwhelming in the run game, so far.
Coming over from the Falcons is C Matt Hennessy, so he could man the pivot, and allow Jurgens to stay at RG. The loss of T/G Jack Driscoll, opens the door for T/G Brett Toth, who spent last year with Carolina, but has 17 starts under his belt as an Eagle. The rest of the depth is unremarkable and may have an uphill climb just making the roster.
Washington’s GM during a trip to Dallas.
WASHINGTON: One way to improve your strength in a division, is to steal talent from rivals. The Commanders did exactly that when they added C Tyler Biadasz. He’s not great, but he’s better than what they had. It’s to be assumed that Sam Cosmi is starting at RG, and LG will probably be Nick Allegretti. He was a career back-up in Kansas City, but Washington gave him 16M over 3 years (5M+ per year), so they probably don’t expect him to ride pine.
On the ends, RT Andrew Wylie is another KC defector, who quietly started 15 games for Washington last year. The LT spot however, was a nightmare last year. The Commanders outright released Charles Leno, and dragged their feet re-signing Cornelius Lucas to a 1 year deal. Without a legit blindside protector, their QB will be in for a rough year in this division.
They have a number of bodies as depth, but no one who won’t be a liability if they have to start a game. To be honest, even their starting line-up is shrug-worthy on paper. Unless the coaching staff can find enough magic to make this group more than the sum of its parts, this might be one of worst lines in football.
SO WHO’S THE BEST?
Even though Washington should be better than last year, they will likely still be awful. Dallas has clearly taken a couple of steps backward. That part can’t even be disputed. Both have question marks at LT, which is the last place on the o-line that a team needs questions. New York is unremarkable, but they do have parts they can move around, and possibly turn out a decent unit.
Philadelphia had a great line last year, and are bringing back 60 percent of it in place, and that could be as high as 80 percent if they so choose. They have a question that needs an answer at RG; but they even have depth whose starting experience is with their team, in the system they currently run.
There is no question that Philadelphia has the most complete, and deepest offensive line in the NFC East, at this point. And it’s not even close. You’d have to be an idiot, with your certificate hanging in a frame on your wall, to even argue.
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