Everybody loves lists during the off season. And everybody knows that Eagles fans are attached to their team with their hearts. So with all the uncertainty surrounding the Eagles, especially at the quarterback position, Peter King has been kind to the Birds by listing them in the number 7 spot. Yes number 7 out of 32.
Here you’ve got a team that didn’t make the playoffs last year. They have no idea who the quarterback is right now, and they have other questions about their offensive line, but they’re the 7th best team in the NFL. I wish that was true, but there’s no way I could put the Birds in the Top 10 right now.
Things could fall in place for the Eagles, but we won’t know the answers to a lot of the questions surrounding Chip Kelly’s team until August. Is Sam Bradford going to be healthy and ready to play? Is the offensive line going to be intact with Evan Mathis at guard when the season starts? Will we they be able to replace Jeremy Maclin’s production this year?
Is Brandon Graham going to be putting pressure on the quarterback from his outside linebacker position? Will they be able to find somebody to play safety opposite Malcolm Jenkins? Do they have a player on the roster who can do a good job at the cornerback position opposite Byron Maxwell?
Can a team with so many new players be able to jell in the first year they are together?
I would have them in the middle of the pack right now at around 15 or 16. Where would you have their Birds listed?
Take this list with a grain of salt.
I respect Peter King most of the time, but he is a bit much a Chip Kelly fanboy. Without a stable QB, how can they be 7?
He also has:
Minny @ 6
Balt @ 1
With Peter Kings track record of predictions, I would have preferred that he pick the Birds last. This might be as bad as the Madden curse.
***NFL NEWS****
Panthers and QB Cam Newton close to Reaching a Long-Term Deal keeping him in Carolina thru the 2020 Season, Reports are that he will earn between
$20-$21 Million Per Season after Earning $14.5 Million in his Option Year in 2015..
Thus eliminating themselves from SB contention for the next decade. Glad they’re in the NFC.
If Cutler, Stafford and Ryan can all get big Deals north of $20 Million and have little to no Playoff Success, then why not Cam Newton who has at least gone to the Playoffs Twice, What has Sam Bradford done ?
Watch Bradford go 8-8 in 2015 and some stupid ass Team pay him $16-$18 Million a Season on his Next Deal for “Potenital”.. At least Cam Newton is out there Competing.. Give me Cam every day over Bradford..
Paulman’s Power Rankings of the NFC Conference
1) Seahawks – Have Contract Issues to Work out with QB R Wilson, DE M Bennett, LB Bobby Wagner & RB M Lynch & OLB Bruce Irvin…. Watch Bennett’s behavior..
Lost some Quality Players on Defense (CB Maxwell, LB Depth, Guard James Carpenter, Center Max Unger from a shaky Starting OL
They Did add All-World TE Jimmy Graham who I believe is not a good Fit for them Scheme wise or Locker Room wise & CB Cary Williams
Key Players like Safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor had off-Season Surgery so expect them to be careful instead of rushing them back but until someone knocks them out, I have to keep them at #1 though I do believe this will be their final season as the Best Team in the NFC
2) Packers – Stacked Offensively and have a very Balanced Attack with the NFL’s Best All-Around QB, Good Receivers, Good RB’s and a ton of motivation to bounce back and represent the NFC in the Super Bowl after the blew the Championship Game at Seattle in the final 5 Minutes of the Game..
Then a Big Drop Off to the Remainder of the NFC
3) Cowboys – Added 3 1st Round Talent to their Roster and a Highly Motivated DE Greg Hardy along with RB D McFadden who I still think is not the work-horse RB that their Offense really needs…
They have the NFL’s Best OL, Good Receivers in Bryant,T Williams, C Beasley and should see improved production from 2nd Year WR Devin Street
They are stacked at TE with Witten, Escobar & Hanna
When I look at them Defensively, with the Additions of DE G Hardy, a healthy 2nd Year Promising Player in DE Demarcus Lawrence, a Healthy Return of LB Sean Lee and Draft Pick Pass-Rusher Randy Gregory, this Front 7 for the Cowboys became way more Athletic,Longer, Bigger and Faster with them then previous.. Years… Their Secondary is probably the strongest or at least the most consistent in the NFC East with CB B Carr, O Scandrick,M Claiborne and now Byron Jones to go along with smart Safety’s in Barry Church and JJ Wilcox
The biggest issue remains now with the Play Calling and the Power that OC Scott Linehan now has, who has been known to get a little Pass-Happy when running an Offense as he did with Lions & SL Rams on his Prior stops..The Loss of OL Coach Brian Callahan ,to the Redskins, was huge
and may make a real difference once the Season come to crunch time
in Terms of Talent, Salary Cap Issues, the Cowboys are probably in the best Position from Top to Bottom as they have been in 10 Years
4) The Lions, Cardinals, Giants, Eagles,Vikings,Rams,Panthers & Saints
I put all in the same category and definite step below the Top 3 in the NFC..
I really expect the Giants, Vikings & Panthers to Improve as all 3 teams have lots of Young Talent..
The Giants may possess the Best Passing Offense in the Conference in terms of play making ability with Odell-Beckham,V Cruz, Reuben Randle at WR
The Vikings may possess the makings of the best Defense in the NFC
The Panthers have added Youth, Talent to both sides of the Ball and if Cam Newton ever takes that next Step with consistency and letting the game come to him, then watch out.. Their Front 7 Defensively is as good as any in the NFL and they have an improved Secondary
I am not so sure about the Cardinals, Eagles & Saints as all Teams have issues … Cardinals lost their beloved DC Todd Bowles & some Assistants to the NY Jets, Gone is Darnell Dockett another Leader of that Defense and LB Darryl Washington too for his off the field issues… Carson Palmer, Larry Fitz are another Year Older and I just don’t see them Scoring enough Points as their Defense will be taking a step back.. I do like their Rebuilt OL with the additions of LT Veldheer, LG M Iupati and RG Jonathon Cooper from Injury so I expect the Cardinals to become a more Power Run first Team with Draft Pick RB David Johnson leading the way and Scat Back Ellington providing the big plays in the short Passing game and deep shots down the field with my main man, John Brown Jr from tiny Pittsburgh State,Ks
The Saints have issues along OL, LB and CB and made a lot of moves this Off-Season where they have gotten more Physical and Stronger at the point of attack adding Center Max Unger in the Graham Trade, then Drafted Austin Peat to go along with Guard Jabari Evans and promising OL Terron Armstead .. The Traded TE J Graham, WR K Stills and hope the Development of 2nd Year Receiver B Cooks along with Scat Back CJ Spiller will be able to provide some big plays Offensively, but expect RB Mark Ingram to get the rock quite a bit and Brees go to move of a controlled, shorter passing game as opposed to making big plays down the Field… Has HC Sean Payton worn out his welcome
Eagles issue is obvious, Who is their QB?
Can Sanchez lead the Eagles to 10-11-12 Victories and Playoff Success..
Can Sam Bradford even play 16 Games and take a Team in the NFL to the Post-Season.. How does he handle the Brighter Lights,Higher Expectations, the more demanding Local Media & Fans in Philadelphia than what he’s dealt with playing in the passive Midwest..
I am not sold on either one..
The Eagles OL has me most concerned and especially in the Interior
Defense will be better, can they keep the Pressure on the QB, Create Turnovers but get off the field on 3rd Down and Stop Teams in the Red-Zone
and Stop giving up the big plays in the passing game…
The Eagles play some very solid Defenses in 2015 against the Bills,Pats,Jets,Dolphins, Lions,Panthers & Cardinals and an improved Cowboy, Giants & Redskins Defensive Units .. We all know how mightily Chip Kelly & Eagles Offense has done versus the better Defenses in the NFL.. The 2015 Season will come down to execution, mistake and taking advantage of opportunities which you can say about every Team in the NFL
Can the Eagles cut their Turnovers in Half? Can they improve 50% in their Red-Zone Scoring Opportunities instead of settling for 3 Pts, Can they decrease their Penalties by 1/3 ? All of these Things are possible, but they have to prove it to me first, for if they don’t improve in these 3 categories, then they will be on the outside looking in ..
2015 NFC East
1) Cowboys (10-6)
2) Giants (9-7)
3) Eagles (8-8)
4) Redskins (6-10)
Giants suck on defense and their oline is terrible they will be a disater stop hyping the giants
Every 3-4 Years when Coughlins Back is to the Wall, they repsond,
they brought back old DC Spagnola who knows how to do one thing and thats gets pressure on the QB..
No Team can match up with Odell-Beckham, V Cruz & Reuben Randall
They have 3 Solid RB’s and Decent TE’s
OL Wise – they have Pugh, Richburg & Schawrtz on the Interior which is better than what the Eagles have … 1st Round Pick E Flowers at LT and a no-name at RT.. so all in all about equal to the Eagles since the Eagles have better OT’s
Cam newton the most overrated qb in the league….
Matthew Stafford, Colin Kaepernick, Jay Cutler, are more Overrated and Higher Paid than Cam Newton…
Stafford has to be the biggest underachiever that one talks about
The market defines a pro athletes salary. None are over paid or under paid. Simple economics …. As fans that earn normal salaries it can piss us off but it is the market… Means nothing. Teams with a great QB need to pay him 20 and figure out how to win with UDFA at a few positions.