NFL

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2018 DRAFT WISH LIST

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

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

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

And therein lies the problem.

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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THIS CAN STILL WORK

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/03/26
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, playoffs, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

 

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THE indictment of DE Michael Bennett is something the Eagles need to deal with. If he were still on his Seattle contract, then I’d say this is all on him. I’d say he was owed nothing, since he’s done nothing for the team, nor his new teammates, nor the fans in the community.

However, when he got here, he quickly re-did his deal to free up cap space for the Eagles. Where I come from (Philadelphia), when someone does you a solid, you do them one back. (Maybe even two.) So it’s on the Eagles organization to not distance themselves from this (fucking mess), once Bennett turns himself in.

If the NFL is going to suspend Bennett for violation of Personal Conduct Policy, then the NFL should say so as soon as possible. That way Bennett can start serving it as soon as possible. There is no upside to fighting a suspension here. Even if Bennett is found ‘Not Guilty’, the public will demand a pound of flesh from him. Get it over and done with, so that football can be the focus again.

While he’s out however, poses an interesting question about how his base salary and amortized bonus is paid out. (By the way, this is the only place you’re going to even see this subject brought up. If you hear someone talking about it next week, you’ll know where they got it from.)

With a base salary of 1.65M$, Bennett’s base game-check is 103K. His 5M$ roster bonus (if broken up and distributed through each game-check), is 312,500$. That’s a weekly payout of 415,500$. Over six games, that’s 2,493,000$. That much money can have significant bearing on the salary cap for 2018.

Look, the 5M$ roster bonus is guaranteed to Bennett. The only question is how and when it gets to him. That being said, there is no reason that this incident (which the Eagles and the NFL are trusting wasn’t hidden for a year by Seattle), should negatively impact the Eagles.

The only fair move here, is for the NFL to grant the Eagles 2.5M$ in cap space from Bennett’s 2018 contract, if they suspend him. Of course, we’d still be without his expertise for 6 weeks or so, but there may be a solution on the horizon for that DE spot.

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Last year, DE/OLB Connor Barwin played for the Rams for a base salary of 2M and a roster bonus of 1.5M, total hit 3.5M$. Barwin doesn’t fit as an every down 4-3 DE, but he can play that spot in a rotation. He also has some experience as a LB in coverage, so he offers a little (though very little) scheme versatility.

The question is, would Barwin come back to Philly for a shot at a ring, and to play in a scheme that doesn’t wear him down, but instead keeps him fresh? The answer is that according to a GQ article  from March 5th, the Barwins were leaving Malibu California, to wait out free agency in here in Philadelphia. The entire world to choose from, and they come here.

There’s your answer.

In true Philly style, the idea isn’t to avoid a mess, but to make the best of one. To see the opportunity in the middle of a crisis. Not to create a mess, but to expertly manage one. As we’ve been doing since the days of the Lenape and the Swedes. We can MAKE this work.

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THE 12: #3 RUN CARSON, RUN!

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/03/03
Posted in: Coaching, Offense, Players, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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Any idiot can say “Hey let’s sign every high-priced Free Agent on the market”. The 12 focuses on what we can do with what we already have, to fix or improve our team.

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LAST year I said that QB Carson Wentz should stop trying to beat defenders around the edge, and run for cheap and easy 5 yard gains here and there. I guess he reads these articles, because that’s more or less exactly what he did.

Instead of being cute and trying to sprint out, he mostly took yards that were presented to him when players receded into coverage. For a guy without 4.4 speed, he certainly turned into a dangerous runner as QB and as a result, teams had to adjust how they played us, which made it easier for receivers to get open. It was clockwork.

Due to his ACL/LCL injury during the season, fans who really don’t understand his injury, think he should stop running, or slide more. Both of which are idiotic notions. His running helps get receivers open, and he wasn’t injured as result of not sliding. He was diving for a short yardage touchdown that he’d have had, if not for a penalty. Sliding applied nowhere in that scenario. 

Thankfully, Wentz has said that he’s not going to change how he plays (in regards to when he chooses to run). That statement right there will continue to force opponents to defend against him running, and make things easier on the entire Offense.

For his part he should do just what he did in 2017. Don’t get cute. Just run for cheap, easy yards right in front of him. Due to his injury, it’ll be a year or so before he gets full explosiveness back in his takeoff. That’s fine. No one needs him to win foot races to the sideline. Just get what’s in front of him and get down.

Like he’d been doing in 2017.

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IS IT KARMA?

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/11/03
Posted in: Conversations, NFL, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

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2017 won’t be a banner year for the NFL. Ratings were low to start with, but now with a rash of injuries to marquee players in recent weeks, it’s unlikely to pick up. There is a noticeable cave-in on multiple fronts for the NFL. Whether it’s ratings, discipline, unity, or sponsorship, things seem to be tough all over for anything NFL related. Even for sponsors who make pizza.

Last week, John Schnatter, the founder of Papa John’s Pizza, blamed the NFL for his sluggish pizza sales. His reasoning is that the NFL upset people, by not denying American athletes their First Amendment right to free speech. That’s funny because Dominos also advertises heavily during NFL broadcasts. Yet their Quarterly Earnings Report for Q3 2017, reported gains across the board. 

While Papa John’s is better (as chain pizzas go) than Domino’s, it’s likely a case of people not wanting to support a Fascist pizza maker. (Personal note: I stopped supporting PJ in 2013 when I learned that he’d reduced employees hours, in order to protect his shareholders, as a corporate reaction to ObamaCare not being repealed. The link to his own words is right HERE 

So people aren’t eating less pizza. We’re just not eating his pizza. He didn’t give a shit about us, so we stopped giving a shit about him. That’s the Golden Rule in effect. It’s Karma stopping by to say howdy. So it makes me wonder, maybe this season is the result of Karma also paying the NFL a long overdue visit.

By long overdue, I don’t just mean for the league’s poor handling of Colin Kaepernic’s ‘National Anthem’ protest. I don’t just mean for it’s inability to discipline Ezekiel Elliott for violation of league decorum. I don’t just mean for it’s spotty track record on domestic violence, which allowed Greg Hardy to keep playing, while simultaneously black-balling Ray Rice. I don’t just mean from it’s inability to learn from the Chris Henry and Fred Lane tragedies. I don’t just mean from it’s unwieldy response to players protesting a social issue, that has been blatantly misrepresented by some as either a protest of Old Glory (our nation’s flag), or of our troops.

I’m saying it’s not just one of those things. It is ALL of those things which has earned a visit from Karma, which the NFL (and it’s sponsors), were too arrogant to see coming. The NFL has for too long forgotten that people not commodities, play football. People not demographics, watch football. The NFL has forgotten to take care of the Human element, and now the Human element is to some extent, abandoning the league, like we have with Papa John’s.

Fans watch football as a form of entertainment. It’s escapism. It’s a place to shove reality aside for a bit, and enjoy a chance to cheer. To believe. Whether at home with a loved one, in a bar with forty “new friends”, or with fifty thousand total strangers in a stadium.

Fans don’t want the reality of social injustice or inequality intruding on their escapism. Fans don’t want to be reminded that not everyone sees the world the same way, or has the same experiences. Fans don’t want to hear that this nation is not as great for some, as it is for others.

As sports fans, we want to see ourselves this way:

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However, the real world that we’ve all ignored (even when we aren’t at games), has intruded in on our game now. We are left faced with the same old divisions. Left avoiding the same old discussions, with the fractures of society now invading our escapism. This is nothing more than Karma. This is us reaping what we (you and I), as a society have sown.

As fans, it has left us believing less, and cheering less. That has lead to some people to watching less. Or not being able to “get into it” like they have in the past. It is our own lives, our own ended friendships and fragmented society which has come back to roost.

Papa John. The NFL. Everyone who isn’t an Eagles fan. What you are experiencing, is called Karma.

Sacrifice

DAMMIT, QUIT CRYING!

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/07/29
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Rants, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 MYCHAL Kendricks requested a trade in the offseason, and many Eagles fans reacted by throwing bitch-fits, while saying dumb shit like “Trade his ass” and, “If he wants to leave, fine, trade him”. I called it ‘dumb shit’, because it’s purely an emotional reaction, and it doesn’t take into account a single fact with bearing on the team’s upcoming season.

Odds are that the Offense will still have to iron out some chemistry issues, early in the year. So we’ll have to lean on the Defense to carry the team, when the season starts. However, if we sabotage the Defense, we could wreck the entire season beginning Week One. Let me paint you a picture.

First of all, Kendricks asked for that trade during the offseason. That was prior to Training Camp, prior to mandatory OTA’s, or even prior (according to ESPN) to the Draft in April. Due to how much Nickel we played, Kendricks didn’t play much in 2016 (just 27% of the year’s defensive snaps).

Despite not playing him much, the Eagles told Kendricks flat out, that he’s talented and that they want to hold onto him. For his part, he wants to play, and be able to play himself into a bigger contract in the future. Imagine that. A guy who wants to earn his money. And fans take issue with that? Really?

At first it seems like maybe it’s a lost cause. I mean, the system we run, is the system we run, right? Wrong. In July (this would be AFTER Kendricks made his feelings known), Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz, told the world about a philosophical shift in our scheme that would better take advantage of Kendricks’ strengths. So Kendricks doesn’t have to leave here to play, and earn a bigger pay day down the line.

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That means the situation today, isn’t what it was when Kendricks asked for that trade. This is why Kendricks had no qualms about mentioning it. While the issue could always come up again, (for now at least) it’s a quashed matter.

As for derailing the season, we’re already thin at LB. We’re not thin at OLB, or ILB, or MLB. We’re thin at LB, period. That’s even with Kendricks. Now factor in OLB Nigel Bradham facing a possible six game suspension, over an assault charge that earned him probation instead of jail time.

Trading Kendricks and losing Bradham for six games would practically rip the guts out of 2017 before it even started. The closest thing we have to an experienced hand at the position is Najee Goode. Goode has one career start in five seasons, and 21 of his career 42 tackles happened in 2013.

Of course one of the young guys could make a splash. Maybe all one of these guys needs is a chance. That could be true, but without much experience in game-time situations, it’s far more likely that they’d make costly errors, learning on the job. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt this team to add a guy like Josh Bynes or Donald Butler to the roster.

So with no depth and a possible suspension looming, we are in no position, no position, to be giving away talent. Especially not over some fans having a knee-jerk, over-emotional reaction to a feeling of rejection, over an issue that was dead before they ever heard of it.

Eagles fans are known for being a tough bunch. Quit making us look like bitches.

THE NFL PLAYERS STRIKE

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/07/17
Posted in: Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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WITH the recent edition of NBA contracts coming out, some NFL players are reacting as if football players are poorly paid. Players like Seattle Seahawk DB Richard Sherman, think that NFL players should strike, in order to get contracts more in line with NB and MLB athletes. That is not only an incorrect assessment of the situation, it’s outright bullshit to boot. So you can relax. There won’t be a strike.

Due to the current CBA, the NFL is on the hook to share 48% of the 13 billion in revenue that it made in 2016, with the league’s 1800 players. That breaks down to something like $3,466,666 per man, or per average contract. It’s this agreement that helped the NFLPA realize that the NFL’s financial obligation was 120M$ light to players in 2015, for which they sued and quickly were ordered to repay.

Let me ask you. Do you and your co-workers see 48% of what your company makes? Unless you’re in a unique situation, your answer was “No”. Probably an emphatic “No”, accompanied by a frown, or a derisive laugh, or a choice expletive. When workers get 48% of their company’s whole take, that is not underpaid. In America we call that “Quit whining, asshole!” (Let’s not even get into their benefits packages, which includes a perk of giving millionaires steep discounts on the tickets, that you’d pay through the nose for.)

Football is my favorite sport. I love it well ahead of any other sport, (and even ahead of some family members), but truth is truth. MLB players play 162 games per year and that league made 10 billion in 2016. NBA players play 82, and that league made 8 billion. NFL players play 16 and the NFL made 13 billion. Despite playing more games the NBA and MLB make less revenue, and thus have less total money to split between owners and players. This means that while some NBA and MLB players make a killing, there are far more players “taking haircuts” in these leagues, than there are in the NFL.

I’m guessing that the average NFL athlete will not want to trade hefty revenue sharing, for more low level and fewer guaranteed contracts, just to facilitate a few sky-high deals. I’m 99.9% certain that few players would vote to ratify any negotiated agreement that screws everyone except a handful of stars. Guys like Richard Sherman will be okay in that scenario. Players like (insert any Eagles CB) for instance, would get screwed like the brothel’s newest, underage whore.

However it’s a non-starter anyway. NFL owners are not about to split revenue 50-50 with their employees. It wouldn’t be about dollar figures either. It would be about saving face, and being able to say that they are still the bosses. That they, not the players, run the league. The owners will not part with that for any dollar figure.

So this issue is a non-starter, and it’s likely one instance where the NFLPA might actually talk their members down for a change. So again, relax. Football will arrive in your town on schedule.

FOUR THINGS: EAGLES/RAVENS

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/12/16
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Draft, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

THERE are no more big plans for the 2016 season. Since most sports pundits and Eagles fans didn’t have many to begin with, no one should be disappointed at where the team is right now. The time has come for us to shift focus. Instead of trying to win 3 more meaningless games in 2016, or we should the table for 2017, 2018, 2019 and so forth and so on. Our 2017 season should start this Sunday.

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Billboard down the street from my house, at the Girard street on-ramp to 95

Since this game is meaningless, this game shouldn’t be about this game. This game should be about the 2017 offseason. It should be an evaluation tool that includes a high number of young players starting and playing in critical situations. We should get a deep look at our youth during “live fire”. Not just during “garbage time”, but while the game is on the line, to see how they handle the pressure and if they can respond well to it.

The smart play here is to get a long look at the back end of our roster, to be sure that we A) don’t release any youth that has real potential, and B) that we don’t waste a Draft pick on something that we already have, but don’t realize that we do. This way we get to focus laser-like on what we truly need, and can build on strengths.

This game shouldn’t be about beating the Ravens, but if we can do that with a bunch of young players and deep bench guys, it portends greatness and is a hell of confidence builder for the young guys.

So let’s talk about the Four Things Players we need to look for, Week 15 versus Baltimore :

1) WR Bryce Treggs: I’ve been screaming for more of him for weeks now. Rumors of possibly signing Free Agent DeSean Jackson next season, only make getting a DEEP look at Treggs so much more important. Why pay more for DJax’s balky, old hammies, when Treggs can already stretch a defense? If he can effectively snag deep balls against a team fighting for a playoff spot, then there’s no need to overpay for a FA, or spend a high Draft pick at the WR position.

2) WR Paul Turner: He should start over WR Nelson Agholor for two reasons. 1) it keeps the fire lit under Agholor’s ass, and 2) we get to see Turner vs starting NFL CB’s, and not just second and third string units. Everyone is screaming that we need to grab a WR early, and maybe we do. However, we should first take a long look to make sure.

3) G Dillon Gordon: G Stefen Wisniewski is a FA after this year, but he played well enough to be brought back. However, given the contract of G Brandon Brooks, and the commitment to developing rookie G Isaac Seumalo, giving Wisniewski an inflated contract to be a back-up, seems unlikely. That makes it imperative to determine if Gordon can be relied upon at all. If he can’t play, at least we know where we stand. If Gordon can play, then we can either improve our leverage with Wisniewski, or move on from him altogether with less doubt.

4) DT Destiny Vaeao: With DT Bennie Logan becoming a FA after the season, it would help to know how Vaeao looks when paired with DT Fletcher Cox. DC Jim Schwartz likes to sub his Defensive Line, 4 guys at a time, so we haven’t gotten to see much of a Cox/Vaeao interior. Even when Logan missed games with a calf injury, DT Beau Allen simply sucked up more playing time. Vaeao isn’t the run-stuffer that Logan is, but he’s a more dynamic pass rusher. Given the fall-off we’ve had in that area, seeing a Cox/Vaeao interior might be the shot in the arm this team has been needing.

At this point, looking ahead to the future isn’t tanking. Tanking is quitting early while there is still something on the table worth winning. We’re past that at this point. To paint you a realistic picture: We’d have to win out and go 8-8, while Tampa Bay and Atlanta (8-5), Washington (7-5-1) and Green Bay (7-6) would ALL have to drop their remaining games. Actually given Tampa and Atlanta’s 6-3 conference records with 3 conference games remaining, I don’t see how we (5-7 conference, 2 conference games remaining) overtake them. When you add in our inability to win road games and that we’d be exclusively on the road, it only makes sense to give real consideration to our Draft position (round Two and on), and determine the depth of our needs pertaining to free agency. It’s just smart football and good business.

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