LINEBACKER Nakobe Dean(55 – 4.0 – 0 – 0) is as good as gone, if we don’t trade OLB Nolan Smith (31 – 3.0 – 0 – 0).
Dean will be a Free Agent when the league year starts in March. Not only will he want a nice contract, he’s also going to want a chance to start. He can get both if he goes to Dallas, and joins defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who served as our DB coach this past season
Since nobody here is interested in Dean playing against us twice a year, the smart move is to find a way to keep that star off his helmet. With more cap space than Dallas, I like our chances in a bidding contest. Especially with his injury history, which every team will try to use as leverage. I think playing time offered will factor more heavily than money, because no one is breaking the bank to sign him. He’ll probably see a deal around 8M per, over 2 or 3 years, laden with incentives, regardless of where he goes.
The reason that I say trade Smith, is because this past season when he missed Weeks 4 through 8, rookie LB Jihaad Campbell(80 – 0.0 – 1 – 1) started in his place. Campbell racked up 27 of his 80 tackles in that span, as well as his first career interception. When he was drafted, Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio(on more than one occasion), implied an eventual move to the edge for Campbell.
On top of all this, Smith has often been used as a DE. However, the trade for Jalean Phillips(28 – 2.0 – 0 – 1) has made Smith superfluous in that situation. Phillips is also a FA as of March, and probably about to get a deal in the area of 19M$ over 3 years. In a very real sense, Smith is standing in the way of three players. All of whom are more productive than he is. Besides, a LB corps of Dean/MLB Zack Baun/Campbell is more instinctive, talented and dynamic than a corps of Campbell/Baun/Smith.
Such a trade wouldn’t be happening in a vacuum. Word around the campfire says, the Eagles are already quietly trying to make cap space to pay DT Jalen Carter (FA after 2027) and DTJordan Davis (FA after 2026).
The Eagles could activate Carter’s fifth year option, but all signs point to them trying to get a long term extension (done early), with both.
Having to shell out for Phillips, Carter, and Davis means that not everyone gets to stay, unless they give the Eagles a hometown discount. For players like S Reed Blankenship, that would be a terrible move. He’s already not the fastest Safety. When he loses a step due to age, he won’t get the kind offer that he can demand today. So he’s almost certainly out of here.
Smith is also a FA after 2027. If he loses his starting spot to Campbell in the next year or two, the Eagles will already not be looking to not extend him. The more time left on Smith’s rookie contract, the more valuable he will be in a trade. Moving him now ensures that we get maximum value for him.
Dean, Baun, and Campbell, playing behind Phillips, Carter, Davis, and DE Jalyx Hunt. We have about 9.8 M in cap space, and can painlessly make another 22.4 in cuts, getting us to 32.2M. Most of that is going to Phillips. The real wizardry, will be about what we can do with all the dead money we have floating around. In the meantime, let’s make this trade happen.
WINNING the NFC East last week, clinched at least one home playoff game for us. Now that we’re assured of at least the #3 seed, we are resting some starters and manufacturing a Bye Week for ourselves. This is beyond smart.
We beat the Commanders two weeks ago, and because after a touchdown, we went for a two point conversion instead of the extra point, they implied that we were running up the score. (Over a point!) Their coach said something like ‘if that’s how they want it, we’ll see them in two weeks.’
I don’t know if that was his way of hinting at putting bounties on our guys, or what. In any case, it’s better that we don’t risk key players, against a team playing for nothing, which also doesn’t have to worry about suspensions that could derail their current season.
With a win, we would finish at 12 – 5 (the record that I predicted in August). Note: Depending on the outcome of the Bears/Lions game we could end up as the #2 seed in the Conference.
With a loss, we stand on 11 – 6, settle for the #3 seed and host at least one playoff game.
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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 of Man 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.
QB Tanner McKee contributes to our 41 – 7 win over Dallas.
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1) Start Tanner McKee: The rookie contract for QB Tanner McKee is up after the 2026 season. He’s talented, he wants to play, and he knows there’s no way we’ll elevate him above Hurts. In a nutshell, he won’t be resigning with us after 2026. So, if we’re smart, we’ll trade him ASAP (before the Draft). Before an injury (or a headline) can lower his trade value.
During the last game of last year, McKee guided back-ups to victory over the giants starters. If he can match that feat again on Sunday… For teams like the Steelers, Jets, Falcons, and Cardinals, a proven player like McKee, paired with our 2026 first rounder (we don’t need another first round contract, right now), could be worth a lot of future draft capital
Give McKee three quarters, then play QB Sam Howellfor the final one. If we trade McKee prior to the Draft, having a veteran, back-up QB already in harness, would be the smartest move. In regards to searching for a back-up, Howell (who is on an expiring contract), is as good a jumping off point as any. If he plays well Sunday, ink him for two to four years, and be able to trade McKee with full confidence in our QB room.
2) Chase the Yards:He doesn’t have to play the whole game, but let’s get WR DeVonta Smith the 44 yards that he needs to get to 1,000 yards on the season. Just a bunch of routes that let him get out of bounds, or get down quickly. No need for him to be a hero. Just get the yards, and go change into street clothes at the half.
RB Tank Bigsby rushed for 104 yards vs the giants in this game
It would also be great to see RB Tank Bigsby get a start and another 100 yard rushing day. I would also welcome an appearance from RB A.J. Dillon. I feel like we already have a sense of what RB Will Shipleycan be with the ball in his hands, and I’m extremely not impressed.
3) Get A Long Look:There are a handful of defensive back-ups, that I really would like a good look at. Players like rookie DT Ty Robinson, LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and CB Jakorian Bennett finally getting to start a real game, here. Offensively, it’d be great to see WR Darius Cooperget five targets, as well as a couple of balls to TE Cam Latu, who has yet to see a single target in his career.
We need a sense of how these young players measure up against full-time starters. If we have players instead of just bodies in those spots, we’re less dependent of drafting depth, overspending for free agents, or reaching on old players with baggage or lengthy injury histories.
4) Don’t Shy Away From Kicking:We need to know before the playoffs, just how hard we can lean on K Jake Elliott. He’s again had a shaky season, but if we can show some confidence in him, maybe it will help him past his yips. If it doesn’t, then the coaching staff knows they have to compensate with the play-calling, for not being able to trust his foot.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Our advancement to the two seed partially depends on the outcome of another game, which we cannot influence in any way. So, while winning this game would be nice, it can’t be our only focus. We should use this game as a tool for inflating the trade value of some of our players, and to discern the difference between quality depth and bodies.
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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.
DRAFT reviews usually come out immediately after the event. Everyone is in such a race to get it to you first, that they rarely ever give it to you good. Not me. I like to take my time and go deeper. Really explore all those places that others tend to ignore. I want to make sure that you’re satisfied. (And accurately informed)
First off, General Manager Howie Roseman is on another level. On the surface, this Draft haul is so amazing, that it’s easy to want to jump to the end of the season, and start spouting a bunch of expectations; but we really need to pump the brakes. Me included.
Now let’s get into it.
Round 1 (9th overall): DT Jalen Carter– We started with the 10th overall pick, but Howie made a deal that moved us up one spot, to take a player widely said to be the most talented player in the entire draft. Some teams were concerned about character issues, but since when did the Eagles make a habit of taking head cases? So I have to trust their judgment on this one.
DT Jalen Carter celebrates his sack by raising the QB into the air.
As an athlete, Carter is explosive, and powerful. He’s an interior penetrator and disruptor, who also can stand a blocker up at the point of attack, not allowing a hole for the run. Better still, from what I watched of him, he keeps a QB’s feet chopping. That means the QB’s normal throwing platform, is compromised.
It’d be a mistake to judge Carters rookie season by sacks and tackles. Those numbers can’t tell the true tale of his value. What Carter does best, is make offenses run off-schedule. He has the ability to make opponents a lesser version of themselves. Wreck a blocking scheme. Make the QB throw off-platform. There’s no stat for those things, but watch how often you’ll see him do it. Pick Grade: A+
Round 1 (30th overall): LB Nolan Smith – His highlights make him seem like a DE and pass rusher, but he only had 12.5 sacks over 4 years at Georgia. Smith is an active, high-motor player, who was used more like an x-factor than a player with a dedicated role. Watching him vs Clemson, a few things jump off the screen.
The first thing I noticed was the size mismatch. He’s only 238 pounds, but Georgia liked to deploy him as a DE/Edge player too often. If the Eagles don’t make this mistake, Smith should be just fine. The next thing you notice is his speed. The guy is blur off the line, and can run with just about any RB or TE.
Georgia used him as more as a Edge player, but the Eagles are going to have to transition him into a bonafide OLB. While he’s shown an ability to set an edge and corral RB’s, as well as rush the QB; he’s also displayed the speed and movement skills to handle coverage in zone and shallow man. So he has the tools to make the adjustment. Pick Grade: A
Round 2 (65th overall): OT Tyler Steen– There is talk of moving him inside to RG, but the move will likely not suit him well. Steen isn’t a lunch pail sort of guy. He had a round 3 or 4 estimate on him, but we reached and grabbed him in the second. From what I’ve seen, there’s no way he should have been drafted at all.
Watching him in the Alabama/Tennessee game, hurt me to my heart. There was no aggression in his game. He fell off of blocks constantly; lunged and ended up on the ground a lot; and his hand usage is atrocious. In the game vs Texas, he looked like outright trash. Finishing no blocks, and watching entirely too much football.
Not an entirely accurate statement, but you get the idea.
Sometimes teams will take a diamond in the rough, because he’s extremely explosive; or has the nimble feet of Ginger Rogers; or is freakishly strong, or has other in-born traits that can’t be taught. That said, I honestly don’t see what the Eagles will try to build off of with this kid. Then again, I’m not on a coaching staff. Pick Grade: F
Round 3 (66th overall): S Sydney Brown – Word is, that he’s an in the box thumper. (I used to have a pet rabbit named Thumper, so this term always tickles me when it’s used in football).
However, watching video of him vs Wyoming, was underwhelming. It shows him watching a lot of football, when others are swarming to the ball, as well as missing tackles.
I usually don’t watch highlight vids, but even his highlight reels don’t back up the hype of him being a hitter. Maybe there’s a Special Teamer here, but I don’t see much else. Pick Grade: D
Round 4 (105th overall): CB Kelee Ringo – Watching him against Oregon, it was hard not to like the potential that was clearly on display. Rarely do I fall in love with measurables, but 6’2, 207, running a 4.36?! Yet my favorite part was watching how when he played man-press, the QB ignored his half of the field.
His tackling could be better, and his mirroring needs polish, but these things are what coaches are paid to improve. This kid has excellent tools, and will spend the next three years learning from CB’s Darius Slayand James Bradberry. Pick Grade: A
Round 6 (188th overall): QB Tanner McKee – Watching bis game against Arizona State made me wonder why the Eagles spent a pick on him. He showed zero pocket awareness, happy feet in the pocket, and seemingly has no idea what a “touch pass” is. Seriously, he strong-armed every throw on a straight, flat line.
Initially when I saw him as a pick, I figured maybe he’d compete with QB Ian Bookfor the third string. After seeing him play, he seems like just a camp arm. Essentially a salaried jugs machine. Pick Grade: D
Round 7 (249th overall): DT Moro Ojomo– Video against Alabama is always quality study material, and that’s what we have here. Ojomo is active inside, but doesn’t rush with much of a plan. So he can muddle a blocking scheme, but he runs himself out of plays just as often.
He looks like a solid rotation piece. They type who can come in later in the game, vs a tired o-line, and rely on raw strength to shine for a possession or two. Pick Grade: B
While the trade for native Philadelphian RB D’Andre Swift happened during the Draft, it’s not a pick, so it won’t be graded. It was also further demonstrated proof that the Eagles don’t draft RB’s in the first round. (At least not under this GM.) Fans clamored for RB Bijan Robinson, but I said we wouldn’t go that route, and I even told you why. I wanted two defensive lineman and that’s what we took.
Notable Post-Draft signings:
WR Joseph Ngata – 6’3 217, not a burner, but makes tough grabs in traffic, as well as YAC.
CB Mehki Garner– 6’2, 212, needs to be moved to S/NCB.
I know other sites and publications gave the Eagles (and nearly everyone else) A-pluses, A’s and B’s, but they’re grading on curve so gentle, you’d think they were a public school teacher on probation.
On the whole, after taking a deeper look than the national media could afford to, for every team, I’d give our Draft a C+. While we hit some home runs here, three of four picks just don’t look like they’ll fit here. Reaching for one of them just makes that pick hurt worse.
WATCHING SS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson literally snatch the last game away from the Cowboys, made it known to the world exactly why the 6 – 0 Eagles, are the king of the fucking mountain. This week the NFL feeds sheep to lion (yet again), as they serve Philadelphia a shaky rookie QB.
Even worse, the game is here in Philadelphia. Philly is a tough, frenetic place to play even under normal circumstances, but now? NOW?? This city is in the grip of Championship Mania, as thePhillies begin a best of seven World Series push, this very night. Everyone and everything in this city, is thrumming with energy. You can get an electric shock from touching asphalt here. Throwing this rookie out there on Sunday… That poor kid has no chance. None. None at all.
A win of course, keeps the Eagles at the head of the table, as the NFL’s only undefeated team. Coupled with a loss from the giants, a win would open up our lead in the division. A loss coupled with a giants win, would put them in first place, due to one extra win, because they didn’t have a bye yet.
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The point of Four Thingsisn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Steelers.
1) Divide and Conquer: This game needs to be the tale of two halves. The first half spent mostly rushing four, and giving the Steelers QB confusing coverage looks. Rush four to not over-commit our LB’s, so they can take away the run, and put the game on the QB’s shoulders. Give him different coverage looks, so that he doesn’t trust his eyes. Especially early in the down.
In the second half rush five, and play aggressive man coverage. Fake some looks that we gave him in the first half, so that he thinks he knows what he’s seeing, then make plays on the ball. Don’t just blitz his body. Blitzkrieg his mind. This week we chambered another round,
when we added DE Robert Quinn to the roster, via trade with Chicago. We’ll be looking to either pick off the QB himself, or his passes.
2) Suffocate the Run: Engage the Steelers at the line of scrimmage, and bottle up the run early. Their leading rusher averages just 3.3 yards per carry, and twenty percent of their offense runs through him. We don’t need to shut him down, just make him unreliable. Keep our LB’s clean, and their run game should taper off.
The Steelers haven’t invested much draft or development capital in their offensive line, and it shows up in their run game (3.3) and pass protection. Left to right, in terms of talent, they trot out a 4th rounder, 4th rounder, two free agents, and a 3rd rounder. Across from them: DE Brandon Graham 1st rounder, DT Fletcher Cox 1st rounder, DT Jordan Davis 1st rounder, DE Josh Sweat 3rd rounder.
3) Win the Phonebooth: The Steelers run a 3 – 4 that’s an actual 3 – 4. Their OLB’s are not DE’s playing a glorified 5 – 2. Their OLB’s can actually play in space, so there will be no gimme routes to TE’s or RB’s. It will probably not be easy for QB Jalen Hurts to bootleg into big plays. So we’ll have to come at this one a little bit differently.
Drop our 300 pound G’s, repeatedly in the laps of their 240 pound ILB’s. Make it a physical game. Make it a fistfight in a phonebooth. Run the ball straight ahead, and just beat the hell out of them. Maul them. Harass them. Wear them down. Wear them out. Put the dogs on them. Leave nothing left of them for the second half. Then once they’re tired and stiff from resting during half-time, do it again in the second half.
4) Give Minka Fits:Line up WR Quez Watkins in the Slot, and have him run directly wherever FS Minka Fitzpatrick is. Keep one of their most important players where he can’t influence the game. Blow the top off their defense, and create room to work underneath of it.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This game shouldn’t be about big splashy plays. We’re facing a team with an old reputation of being hard-nosed, no nonsense, and blue-collar. Usually as a Pennsylvanian, I’m proud to share those traits with the former Steagles. However, this week is Cross-state Rivalry Week. Order must be maintained.
Also, we need to send the NFL a wake-up call. We’re undefeated, and have won multiple ways. We aren’t part of the 2022 conversation. We ARE the 2022 conversation. The league needs to see us put on an execution. A slow, deliberate, methodical dismantling of an opponent. One where no one talks about a lucky bounce, or missed call, or some other fluke being the difference.
It’s high time we made it clear, that WE, are the king of this fucking mountain.
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Prediction: EAGLES 28 – Steelers 13
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, you are 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.
ARMING for a Super Bowl run. That’s the whole point in making a mid-season trade. It’s getting that last piece, which should put your team over the hump. It’s shoring up a glaring weakness, or giving an obvious strength the Barry Bonds treatment. It’s saying “Damn the consequences. I’m all in!”
Defensive line and pass rush, are already deep and dominant areas for this Eagles team. There isn’t an NFC team that can beat us now. Adding Dallas Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence to this team, would almost act as a reservation to play in the upcoming Super Bowl.
Understand, this move is highly unlikely at the moment. The current NFL playoff structure includes seven teams, three of which are Wild Cards. If the playoffs started today, Dallas would be in as the sixth seed. With playoff hopes still alive, no team is parting ways with a player like Lawrence.
That said, the November 1st trade deadline is two Cowboys games away from now, and currently there are six, 3 – 3 teams in the NFC. The math will turn suddenly and sharply for at least one of these teams. If the the 4 – 2 Cowboys split these next two weeks, they’d be 5 – 3. If they drop both, they’re 4 – 4 with a very murky franchise picture going forward.
Get this: Lawrence is 30 years old, and set to count 35M$ against the 2023 salary cap. He last had a 10 sack season in 2018. Since then, he’s put up 5.0, 6.5, 3.0, and currently sits at 3.0 through six games. This year, that’s half a sack per game. Over seventeen games that projects as just 8.5 sacks, and he’s under contract until 2025, when he’ll be 33.
Hell, with DE’s Chauncey Gholston and Sam Williams waiting in the wings, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might welcome a chance to dump Lawrence’s contract. Especially if he can get us to cough up a second rounder and fourth rounder in 2023; or a 2023 second, and a 2024 third.
For the Eagles it would also work out well. Part of Lawrence’s production issues have to do with him never having an interior presence like DT Fletcher Cox. With OLB Hasaan Reddick on his left arm, and Cox on his right, there may not be enough players left to block him! Lawrence isn’t a long term building block, but he can be this year’s Chris Longor Michael Bennett, and really help further a playoff run.
As far as figuring out the money, The Eagles are already projected to have a loose estimate of 11M in cap space for 2023; they should have about 10M in rollover; and no one knows exactly what the cap ceiling will be. Also General ManagerHowie Roseman can take a bad contract, and turn that water into wine. So if you think of the money as an impediment, DON’T.
I’m writing this on my personal laptop, with my work laptop open to my lock screen. The picture on that screen, is of the Eagles 2018 parade. Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles is holding the trophy in the air, as the bus travels (the wrong way) on 15th Street. Crazy thing is, I’m in this picture. (Don’t look for me. Even I can’t make me out in this shot, and I know exactly where I’m standing in it.)
Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles holds up the Lombardi trophy, in front of the Municipal Services Building. Kevin Bacon’s father Edmund, designed it. FYI: When this was taken, I was standing across the street from it, with no clue that I’d ever work there. I work there now. Life can be funny.
This trade would put us in a real position to see another one of these, at seasons end. Again, this move is highly unlikely at the moment. So share the shit out this article! Spread the rumor! Speak it into existence. We have two weeks to get it to the right set of ears, and maybe make it happen. Be that 12th man, and I’ll see you on in February on 15th Street.
GOODBYE WR/TE J.J.Arcega-Whiteside. The Eagles cut short the WR to TE experiment, and traded him to the Seattle Seahawks, in exchange for a player they were going to cut anyway. Looking at the rest of the TE’s on the roster, I had hoped the experiment would pan out, and provide some depth. Maybe someone on the Eagles media staff, passed along my article about TEJack Stoll. Let’s hope!
When Arcega-Whiteside was over-drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, everyone’s JJAW dropped. (C’mon, I’m never going to get to use that again.) The biggest knock against him, was being picked seven spots ahead of Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf. In all fairness though, eight WR’s were picked ahead of Metcalf, including WR A.J. Brown.
A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf. (Apparently having initials instead of a first name, gets you ripped.)
While the fan base can’t blame JJAW for being drafted where he was, people can certainly held him responsible for never panning out as an offensive weapon. Where you get picked is someone else’s doing. Who you mold yourself into, is your own doing. To his credit, he did become a core Special Teamer, and was a heck of a blocker for the run game.
But this type of thing…
Dropping what would have been a game winning TD, then getting clowned by a DB that he’d beaten.
And let’s not even get into Umbrella-gate.
Happening once is bad enough. Happening more than that…
In a city like Philadelphia, that doesn’t take long to wear thin. But he’s getting a chance at a new start, in a city that is interested in him not as a TE, but as a WR/TE. Perhaps even pairing him and Metcalf in the red zone, as big targets who can also be relied upon as blockers.
As for the player that we got back in the trade, he’s NCB/S Ugo Amadi. He’s now one of either thirteen CB’s, or one of eight S’s, on this roster. If you want a look at his highlight tape, it includes being traded for JJAW. So don’t get too excited. But hey, the guy could flash in this system. Even if he doesn’t, injuries shape rosters too. Just like trades.
WHILE I really couldn’t care any less about the DeShaun Watson situation, I am infinitely curious about how this is going to shake out for the Cleveland Browns. With the NFL gearing up to place Watson on possibly a one year suspension, the Browns have an absolute shit-show on their hands.
(Full disclosure: I wrote this article on June 27th, but I kept balking at publishing it. If the Browns and QB Baker Mayfield had kissed and made-up (and there were stories saying that it could have happened), then this article would look pretty silly. Well now that Cleveland has been dumb enough to trade Mayfield, I can finally release this bad boy.)
Let me catch you up: Cleveland spent twenty-six years without a playoff win; get one with QB Baker Mayfield; do Mayfield dirty, by signing a pervert (Watson) to replace him; and now looks as if they’ll have to play this season without their pervert, or Mayfield. So ladies and gents, I present to you, third string QB Jacoby Brissett!
Big deal, right? All a third string QB does, is set Cleveland up for early draft picks, right? Nope. Cleveland has no first rounders until 2025. So the team has zero motivation to tank for draft position until then. It’s either win or humiliation. As for Brissett, he’s twenty-nine, and on a one year 4.6M$ deal. So an opportunity to start in 2022, is an audition for his 2023.
A closer look at him reveals a 14 – 23 record as a starter for a “less than good” Colts team. It also reveals a career mark of 36 touchdowns against 17 interceptions, with another 13 scores rushing. So he can play. The issue with him has been that his opportunities have always been with crap teams.
Before anyone forgets, the Browns have a pretty good roster. They went 8 – 9 last year, in a division that was won by the 10 – 7 Bengals. Honestly, with the Steelers now grooming a rookie QB, all it would take for the Browns to win the AFC North, would be an injury to Bengals QB Joe Burrow, and the Ravens continuing to be predictable.
Two years ago, Cleveland went to Kansas City and lost by just five points, in the Divisional round of the 2020 playoffs. This is largely still that roster. If the Browns made the playoffs this year, and suddenly got hot… Hey, weirder has happened.
My question is this: What if the Browns fuck up and succeed? What would the Browns do next year, if Brissett gets the Browns to The Show this year? What if they actually win it behind him? Where would that leave Watson? Remember, this team has no first rounder next year, so this year they have no reason not to go all in. Their QB needs this season, to possibly still have a career in a year. So a lot is at stake.
I don’t have any speculation for what the Browns might do. While the factors for a deep playoff run are all easily possible, it’s their aligning, all at the right time, that is highly unlikely. That said, a competent QB, plus a good roster, and a tight division, equals a chance.
Dear Browns fans, your team could very well stumble towards greatness in 2022. Just kidding! All it would take is a little errant luck, and your DeShaun Watson shit-show, could become a full-blown shit-nado. I hope you all brought a towel, because it’s almost time for you to…
This is going to sound weird to Browns fans, but did you know that most NFL fan bases look forward to football season? C’mon over. Let’s get you out of that abusive relationship. What’s happening to you, is not normal.
CLEVELAND Browns QB DeShaun Watson, seems to have a new accuser every 6 hours or so. It’s gotten so bad, that people are speculating about what it will take for the Browns to weasel out of the record, fully guaranteed, 230M$ contract that they signed Watson to, just a few months ago.
My guess however, is that as long as no criminal charges are filed, the Browns will stick with Watson. Come Hell or high water. Because they have to. They have almost no other option.
In order to pry Watson away from the Texans, the Browns parted with their:
2022 first round pick (CB Derek Stingley Jr.)
2023 first round pick
2024 first round pick
2022 fourth round pick (RB Dameon Pierce)
2023 third round pick
2024 fourth round pick
This was in exchange for Watson, and a lowly 2024 sixth round draft pick.
Understand, if the Browns cut Watson with him never playing a down for them, they will have effectively given the Texans three first round picks, a third round pick, and two fourth round picks, in exchange for just one sixth round pick. This would be six picks for one. With every pick the Texans get, being of much greater value than the one they gave up.
It would be the greatest hosing in sports history. The Texans could surpass the Great Trade Robbery, pulled off by the Dallas Cowboys in 1990. In that trade, the Cowboys sent RB Herschel Walker, two third rounders, a fifth rounder, and a tenth rounder to Minnesota; in exchange for three first rounders, three second rounders, one third rounder, one sixth rounder, and four players.
This is before Jimmy Johnson’s draft pick valuation chart changed the way the NFL executives viewed draft picks. So keep in mind, no one (not coaches, GMs, owners) looked at picks like we see them now. Imagine a caveman stubbing his toe on a brick of gold, before it ever had any value assigned to it. To him it was just a stupid rock. In 1990, a pick was more or less, just a pick.
One player and three picks, for four players and eight picks. As lopsided as the GTR was, Minnesota still had Walker (the focal point of that entire trade) play for them, and they won the third round exchange, (two for one). With the Browns, if Watson doesn’t play, everything, literally every single thing, that the Browns gave up, is more than the one thing they got.
If the Browns cut Watson, the NFL will not rescind the trade. Some of those picks have already been cashed in. So that part of it is DONE. Complete. Finito. So the Browns have to stick with Watson, come Hell or high water. If they don’t, it only makes their foolishness look even worse.
Even worse for the Browns would be if they cut him, and Watson ends up back in the NFL. Someplace like New York or Pittsburgh, on a 4 year, 175M$ deal, 100M guaranteed, and laden with reachable incentives. At that point this trade would get a nickname (maybe the Cleveland Crappy Ending™), that would for ever define the city of Cleveland.
As for Herschel Walker, he spent three seasons going 21 – 22 overall as a Viking, and one playoff win. The only team he would ever have a career winning mark with, would be the Philadelphia Eagles (26 – 22), and one playoff win. With Dallas (34 – 56) and the New York giants (5 – 11), Walker (86 – 111) would never win a playoff game.
If the Browns are dumb enough to cut Watson now, then the Texans will surpass the mark left by the Cowboys. I never thought I’d see the day when a franchise out-dumbed the GTR, but my dear reader, get your Gallagher poncho out of storage. We may be about to witness some messy history.
NOTE: Every day of the Draft I will add to this article, tracking the hits (H), questionables (Q), and misses (M).
EAGLES fans, get excited about 2022! Two days ago, I said“Properly armed, the Eagles can win the NFC East.” I then went on to explain what and who I meant by, “properly armed”. I said on Tuesday that we should trade up from #15 to #13 to draft DT [Jordan Davis], and then we should add big, physical WR [Treylon Burks] at #18. That in itself would have been great.
And then on Thursday night, General ManagerHowie Roseman, pulled off not one, but two master strokes, mere minutes apart. Let’s get at it!
DAY ONE:
Round 1 (13th overall): DT Jordan Davis(H)
How big is Jordan Davis? His Fletcher Cox sized 6’3″ 315 pound teammate is the guy in the middle.
Davis is not a pass rusher. What he is, is a pocket collapser, and a run stuffer. He’s a guy who demands a double-team, and he’s virtually unblockable one-on-one when he finds his way into an ‘A’ gap. By the way, we will be pairing/rotating this kid with DT’s Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave.
With the three man triangle of Davis, Cox, and MLB T.J. Edwards, seeing the Eagles finish once again in the NFL’s Top 10 vs the run (9th in 2021), almost seems like a given. Surely it’s the basis that the Eagles pass rush will be built upon, now that the DE’s will see a ton of one-on-one match-ups. And this was all done by adding ONE GUY. If you don’t love this pick, you don’t understand football.
I said on Tuesday, that to avoid Baltimore grabbing Davis at #14, we should package our #15 and #101 picks to Houston for the 13th pick. What happened instead, was Howie packaged our #15 with two 4th rounders and 5th, to move up to 13. Dumping late rounders in a shallow Draft, when we have a ton of guys on futures contracts already? Absolute master stroke, Howie.
Round 1 (18th overall): TRADE for WR A.J. Brown. (H)
A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf. Eagles fans, are you happy now?
I wanted WR Treylon Burks with this pick, but Brown is so much better. Everything I said about why I wanted Burks, is true about Brown, and then some. With Brown it’s all been proven at the NFL level, and he’s more physical. In addition to which, he keeps his nose clean off the field. So we already know that we’re getting a real professional.
The knock on him is that in three seasons, he’s already had seven missed games due to injury. The worry is that now that the Eagles have given him a 4 year, 100M$ (57M$ guaranteed) contract, he might not ball out anymore. Really? Did I mention that he spent the offseason working out with QB Jalen Hurts? Before he was traded here. Does that sound like someone who doesn’t want to get at it? Or does it sound like a guy with a point he wants to make?
Aren’t you excited to see just what Hurts and Brown worked on this Spring? Shiiiiid, I know I am! With this ONE MOVE, the Eagles Offense is suddenly stacked! This guy was totally worth the 18th and 101st pick. Hell, if I was the GM, we’d have already blown it on Davis. So score one more for Howie!
DAY TWO:
Round 2 (51st overall): C Cam “Beef” Jurgens(Q)
The Front Office sees traits of C Jason Kelce in him, but I’m still not really all that excited. Jurgens moves well enough for all the second level stuff in the run game. He’s also smart enough to recognize fronts, and make the blocking scheme calls. Which is great. That’s all good news.
What he doesn’t do, is generate a new line of scrimmage with his blocks. Watching the videos (one and two), he doesn’t drive defensive linemen backwards, without a combo block. He turns them out of the hole, or ushers them down the line when they chase the ball carrier. Get them going backwards though? No.
He’s lean and has a lack of lower body mass, which betrays a high center of gravity. Not possessing a natural anchor, it opens the door to him being ridden back into his QB, at the NFL level. If he’s Kelce 2.0, then great. If he’s not, this was a wasted pick.
Round 3 (83rd overall): LB Nakobe Dean (H)
He has first round talent, but his medical history saw him slide two rounds. No one is saying what his injury is specifiaclly, but my guess is that he tore his pectoral muscle off the shoulder bone. A quick glance at him shirtless would confirm that, but even after scouring the Internet for a couple hours, there doesn’t seem to be even one. (Which is side-eye inducing.)
Here’s why he’s a hit, and not questionable or a miss. So far he has opted not to have surgery to repair the tear. Doesn’t matter why. Don’t focus on that. Get him in here for mini-camp and OTA’s. Let him see the pros and realize that to stay one, he’ll need to be at his best to win a roster spot. He’ll decide on the surgery, which will basically sideline him for his rookie year.
We don’t need him this year. We have MLB T.J. Edwards, who is coming off a good year. We have OLB Kyzir White on a one year deal. Get Dean the surgery, let him take his time to heal, and then get him out here, better than he’s been in years. We got a steal. To watch it pay off, all it will cost us, is some patience.
DAY THREE:
Round 6 (181st overall): OLB Kyron Johnson (M)
He’s a 3-4 OLB used mostly as a pass rusher in college. His draft dimensions are listed at 6’0” 235, which would be undersized for that role in the NFL. However, he has college listing that put him at 223 pounds as a senior. Which would make him a liability in the NFL, in the role to which he is accustomed. In coverage, he has 5 passes defensed in a 51 game career.
The have been some rumblings about the Eagles wanting to use a 3-4 front, from time to time, so Johnson may have been selected with an eye towards that. Or, he may have been selected to light a larger fire under 2021 draft pick, OLB/DE Patrick Johnson in competition for that role. If he’s motivation, this is a good pick. If the Eagles are looking to rely on him on Sundays… Meh.
Round 6 (198th overall): TE Grant Calcaterra (M)
In 2019, after waking up from a hit suffered in practice, at the age 20, Calcaterra made the decision to retire from college football. It wasn’t because of one hit that he retired. It was because after multiple concussions, he realized that they were coming closer and closer together.
He took a year off and made a comeback in 2021, posting decent numbers as a receiver, but offering little in the way of physicality as a blocker. Knowing what we know, it’s hard to blame him for being less physical. Unfortunately, his position demands it. If retirement was his reality at 20, then someone was trying to tell him something. He just wasn’t wise enough to listen.
You want to root for this kid? Root for him to live. Root for him not to make the final cuts, or the Practice Squad. Root for him to be 50, and still recognize his wife and his kids. Having suffered multiple concussions means that CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) is already part of his future’s landscape. Root for it not to be made worse by wearing midnight green.
++++
I said on Tuesday that because it’s a shallow draft, we should load up in the first three rounds, and treat the remaining picks like lottery scratch-offs. Apparently Howie reads my articles, because that’s exactly what we did. He was aggressive in the first round, took what fell to him in the next two, and then practically bailed on the rest of it. Which was genius actually.
The top of this Draft was excellent. As a fan, I can only put it behind the 2002 Draft (Lito Sheppard, Mike Lewis, Sheldon Brown, and Brian Westbrook, in that order), in regards to how excited it got the fan base. Jordan Davis and A.J. Brown will make an impact in 2022.
The middle was saw us do some important pantry stocking. Nothing we have a pressing need for, but good to have in the house already. Neither Beef Jurgens (I do love the nickname), nor Nakobe Dean has to start in 2022. The game can be shown to them at a pace that allows them to be great when we do need them.
The bottom of this Draft is a head scratcher. Neither guy even seems like a Special Teams contributor. Maybe they’re here to push players already on the roster? Hell, I’m just disappointed that WR(?) Jalen Reagor is still on the roster.
New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rdand 4thdowns converted of 2 yards or less – Sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer(Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
Passing: (S) QB Joe Flacco – (13/16 – 81.2 – 188 – 2 – 0)
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Thingsarticles. 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: Jets did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Coach for the Win: Instead of trying to guide his starters to a form of victory to get the taste of a win in their mouths, head coach Nick Sirianni decided to continue to evaluate his bench. Maybe that will pay off, if we get hammered with another injury bug. (Not Done)
2) Play the Starters for a Half: Nope! The starters didn’t even wear jerseys without pads. They were on the sidelines in black t-shirts, like Batman henchmen. (Not Done)
3) Death Row Just Watches: Plenty of guys who are going to be cut, stole reps from guys that we may need to contribute if injuries become an issue. This may be viewed as me over-reacting after a third preseason game, but you can’t fake the adrenalin of a real game. Families, friends, and old coaches don’t tune into joint practices. Sirianni had a chance to give that to high level back-ups, and he blew it. (Not Done)
4) Shuffle the Ends: We got the same thing served to us as the last two games. We saw a lot of DE’s Matt Leo and Tarron Jackson. We saw little outside pass rush, and nearly zero run contain. Asking to see OLB’s Genard Avery and Patrick Johnsonget reps at DE remained an ungranted wish. (Not Done)
Again, that’s 0 for 4. Two straight weeks of goose egg, and 2 of 12 this preseason. The result being zero wins. Two weeks from now, I wonder if the Starters will get to play Week One; or if Sirianni will elect to save them for the playoffs. Rock, paper, motherfu-
On The Whole:
Some will see our 31 – 31 tie, and mention this silver lining. We put our bench out against many of the Jets starters, and we didn’t lose. The problem with that is, we got up 24 – 10 and then fell apart 7 – 21, to finish the second half. Not rolling out our best stuff is one thing. Being out-hustled on Special Teams, run over on Defense, and uninspired on Offense, is quite another.
Practice? Sirianni talkin’ ’bout Dual PRACTICE.
At this stage I have no idea where any spirit of competition is supposed to come from. The Starters know that they’re sacred cows, because the back-ups hardly showed anything, across three straight weeks. In fact, the only player looking over his shoulder at this point, might be QBJalen Hurts. Is he the starter yet? I’m kidding! I’m KIDDING! It’s not like the Eagles are going to go out and trade for QB Gardner Minshew. (sigh)
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