Reggie White

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DEREK BARNETT’S 2020

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/06/28
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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HEADING into year four, DE Derek Barnett has 14.0 career sacks, and has never played all 16 games in a season. More than 14 sacks (by now), was expected of a player selected 14th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. It’s true that as a DE he’s expected to play the run as well as the pass, but make no mistake, he was drafted primarily to sack the QB.

He was touted for having beaten his school’s career sack record, previously held by some guy named Reggie White. Maybe you’ve heard of him? There was constant mention of Barnett breaking that record, coupled with Eagles brass raving about how Barnett’s hands helped him gain quick access to QB’s. 

No one came right out and said it, but the whispers were “This guy might end up being better than Reggie.” No one said that outright, because until someone does it, the idea will always be laughable. As an Eagle, Reggie played in 121 games, producing 125 sacks. That’s more than a sack per game, over a span of eight straight seasons, despite constant double and triple teams.

Reggie White made Troy Aik man

Reggie made Troy ache man.

Reggie White’s career as an Eagle reads like Norse mythology. So of course no one will put their reputation on the line, and say that Barnett (or anyone else), has a chance to be as good, let alone better, than Reggie. However, the implications were there. Meanwhile, after three seasons, Barnett has yet to have even produce 10 sacks in a calendar year, let alone a season.

To their credit, the Eagles decided to roll the dice on Barnett. They picked up the fifth year option on his rookie contract, increasing his cap hit from 4M$ in 2019, to 10M$ in 2020. This is partly why the Eagles aren’t throwing money at free agent players like DE Jadeveon Clowney, or trying to trade for a player like DE Yannick Ngakuoe.

In his rookie season (as a back-up), Barnett earned 5 sacks. In year two he went on I.R. just 6 games into the season. Last season (his first full season as a starter), he picked up 6.5 sacks with the DT position beside him, being a revolving door due to injury. The guy playing next to Reggie for five years? Just some dude with a generic name like Jerome Brown. Maybe you’ve heard of him?

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Barnett hasn’t had a consistent threat line up beside him yet. The Eagles are banking on 2020’s interior Defensive Line to provide the DE’s with more one-on-one opportunities, as well as cleaner, and faster paths to the passer. Thus allowing Barnett’s quick hands to become a factor.

While Barnett’s sack numbers aren’t eye-popping, in his rookie season, he collected what may be the most important fumble recovery in Eagles history, helping to secure our victory in Super Bowl 52.

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He also produced a strip/sack in the NFC Championship game, to help the Eagles get to that Super Bowl. So he can produce when it counts, which is likely where the Eagles faith in him comes from.

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The Eagles are banking on that, to the tune of an additional 6M$ this year. Here’s hoping that Barnett can finally deliver on a double digit sack year.

WEAKENING THE EAGLES

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/03/24
Posted in: Coaching, Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Rants, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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QUARTERBACK Carson Wentz’s leadership skills are not on trial here. I’m not questioning his ability to lead. So come on down off of that soap box. Don’t even get started. Deep breaths.

NBC’S John Clark wrote a story that I’m going to lift heavily from, because, well you’ll understand when you read it. In it he discusses why the Eagles really cut S Malcolm Jenkins. Check it out:

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But I think the biggest factor is changing the dynamic — turning this team over to their franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.

Jenkins was the leader. He was the voice of the team. He broke down the huddles. He was a very powerful voice in the locker room and a commanding and inspirational leader…

2019 Malcolm Jenkins pre-game

But you saw what Wentz was able to do this past season when the offense was ravaged by injuries at receiver down the stretch. “Carson and the kids.” He led them to the playoffs. He was free to be the leader with the younger receivers. They say he inspired them.

I believe the decision to let Jenkins walk is about changing the overall dynamic of this team so this is Wentz’s locker room.

I think it is similar to what the Seahawks did when they allowed Russell Wilson to take over the team and let go of powerful voices like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Michael Bennett.

This is undoubtedly Wentz’s team now.

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We won’t get into how that worked out for the Seahawks. (Didn’t.) What we will discuss, is that at no point did it ever seem like Carson and Malcolm had the team chasing different goals. Both men were active in the community. Both promoted accountability, and didn’t throw teammates under the bus. So it’s seems more like the locker room lost a standard bearer, and a player who led by example.

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What I’m questioning is, whether or not the Eagles are invalidating Carson’s leadership, with their artificial attempt to prop it up. Removing other leaders from the locker room, in order to magnify Carson’s voice, could very easily have the opposite effect, and make him look less like a leader, and more like the team’s mouthpiece.

Remember when other Eagles players called QB Donovan McNabb a “Company Man”? It wasn’t a compliment, was it? Being Managment’s guy, didn’t help him lead did it? In fact, it was sort of a barrier between he and his teammates, wasn’t it?

Now let’s take the situation with Carson and WR Alshon Jeffery. If the Eagles brass attempts to solve a rumored interpersonal rift between Carson and Alshon, by removing Alshon, it makes it seem as if Carson couldn’t “handle his own huddle”, and had to tell the teacher. Which makes Carson look like a weak leader. On top of costing Carson his most productive WR.

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The locker room damned sure doesn’t need a bunch of suits meddling in their chemistry. The Eagles need to leave Carson’s leadership to Carson. Let the man do his thing.

You know what!? I’ll do you one better! If it’s truly going to be Carson’s team, then let him pick his new WR this year at the NFL Draft! Let the locker room see him wield that kind of juice. (Let Alshon see that.)

In the meantime, we should be about the business of adding strong players, and voices to the team, not subtracting them. Not all players (especially defensive ones) will relate to a QB, and having him as the only voice, risks losing resonance with part(s) of the locker room.

Removing Jenkins like this was bad for Karma. Owner Jeffery Lurie refuses to learn this lesson. This is is Reggie White all over again (11-5 in 1992 to 8-8 in 1993). This is Brian Dawkins all over again (NFC Championship game in 2008 to Wild Card in 2009). This is Terrell Owens all over again (Super Bowl in 2004 to 6-10 in 2005). We always pay for this immediately.

Do you see how we did Jenkins and LT Jason Peters (also a powerful locker room voice)?

We will pay for this in 2020.

GIANT SHOES TO FILL

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/06/26
Posted in: Conversations, free agents, NFC East, Offense, Players, Rants, Rivals, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

reggie w jr

REGGIE White Jr. is a WR for the giants, and his jersey number is 13.

Sounds like a storm brewing, right? Nope. First of all, he’s not the son of THE ^Reggie White^, as in the Hall of Fame DE who made most of his rep as an Eagle. This guy’s dad was just an NFL Reggie White, who played D-line for the Patriots and Chargers. He’s one of three or four such players with that same name, strewn about NFL history.

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Odell Beckham‘s jersey number just so happened to be available when the young lad was signed as an undrafted free agent. An unfortunate confluence of events, to be sure. 

I stumbled across this while researching the giants roster for tomorrow’s upcoming article. Upon seeing the name and jersey number, I immediately felt uneasy that the blood of Eagles royalty, was now a member of a rival team. A closer look however, revealed that it was just some schmuck who’s dad was just some schmuck. Worse yet, Schmuck Jr. was assigned a number that may be more curse than blessing.

Woefully, the young man comes into the start of his career, wearing a number that may be too big for him, and carrying a name that he can’t live up to. Worse yet, not being a draft pick, he was officially on the bubble the moment he signed his contract. Tragic though it is, you have to be tough enough to earn your life in the NFL.

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You know what would be peachy? If after the giants cut him, the Eagles sign him to the Practice Squad, convert him to Nickel CB, and then on a blitz, he gets a sack fumble vs the giants. That? Well now. Wouldn’t that just be hilarious?

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WE DIDN’T ADMINISTER WITH BARNETT

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/04/28
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Defense, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Rants, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

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OUR first pick in the 2017 Draft was DE Derek Barnett, and it was a stupid pick to make. I’m not saying that the young man won’t get sacks. He will get sacks. Even DE Marcus Smith has gotten us sacks. I’m not saying Barnett won’t be a decent pro. I’m saying that given our needs at other positions, and how financially leveraged we are along the Defensive Line, it made no sense to pile more money in an area that will only prevent us from spending on other positions where we badly need the help.

I won’t even harp on the whole thing were we passed on talent at other positions. That’s a real issue, but I’ll let that walk until at least after round three. (The Eagles may surprise us. Again.) When I say it was a bad pick, I mean it from a purely mathematical standpoint. 

Let’s look at some numbers!

1) Over the next two years we’re still on the hook to DE Vinny Curry for 20M out of a guaranteed 23M (7M base and 2M bonus in 2017 / 9M base and 2M bonus in 2018). After that, we’re free to release him and eat 6M in dead money for two years due to an amortization of his 10M signing bonus.

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2) Over the next three years DT Fletcher Cox is guaranteed 49.3M of 63.3M (3M base, 5.2M bonus, 1.2M option in 2017 / 11.5M base, 5.2M bonus, 1.2M option in 2018 / 15.6M base, 5.2M bonus, 1.2M option in 2019). After that we’re free to release him and eat 6.4M in dead money.

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I know those numbers turn into a blur when you read them quick like that, but the point is that for these two players, out of about 167M in cap space, we already were on the hook for 18M in 2017, and 28.9M in 2018. Now to that same D-Line we just added a first round contract, which will fall somewhere in the area of 4years, 18M (DE DeForest Buckner #7 in 2016) and 4years, 10M (DE Shaq Lawson #19 in 2016).

We are loading money into one area, and it will keep us from being able to spread it around into other positions like OT, CB, and WR; none of which are ever cheap when you try to sign or re-sign quality players. This doesn’t even mention positions like LB, and RB which we badly need help at.

In the meantime, some fans are cheering this pick like it means the end of Curry. What those fans fail to understand is that Curry will impact this roster for at least the next two years. At least. That’s regardless of how things play out. Whether he starts the next 32 games, or is cut the moment you read these words, Curry will seriously impact the Eagles until at least 2019. The real question is would you like to try and recoup some value over these next two years, or would you rather see him cut (after never starting a single game) and just swallow it?

On the other hand, people talking like Barnett will be the next Reggie White because he broke White’s college sack record, crack me up. If they’re looking for Barnett to get us 13, 18, 21 and 18 sacks in his first four years, despite not being quick twitch, possessing an explosive step, or not being great at changing direction, boy are they gonna be disappointed. How many great NFL pass rushers are playing in the NFL today without at least one of those tools? How many? Oh yeah, that’s right. Not one.

This isn’t the case of a talent (Barnett) that was too good to pass up. There will be no takers in a trade for a guy (Curry) making 9M per year who has never started a game. This is an unforced error that will limit our options at other spots on the roster. We didn’t administer forethought to this pick. As a result, we’ve painted ourselves into a corner. (Ironically by not selecting one.)