I’ve heard Eagles fans express anger at the way Doug Pederson was hired. It’s understandable, but I don’t think we should get negative about Pederson before we know what kind of coach, he’s going to be. In the more than 30 years I’ve been working in and around the NFL, I’ve seen candidates that everybody wanted, turn out to be busts, while unheralded candidates who everybody thought was going to fall on their faces, wind up getting the job done.
Some say the Birds didn’t talk to enough candidates. Others say Andy Reid had too much influence on the pick. Reid had winning seasons in nine of his fourteen years here with Lurie. In more than one third of his years here in Philadelphia, he took the Birds to the NFC Championship game. During Reid’s time with the team, Lurie saw the value of his team sky-rocket. He would be a fool not to consort with Reid, when picking another coach.
Yes I guess they could have talked to other candidates like Sean McDermott, but Lurie and company knew they were leaning toward the offensive side of the ball, so interviewing a defensive coordinator wasn’t in the plans.
I think it makes sense to go with a former NFL quarterback, who was both a quarterback coach and an offensive coordinator. A lot of the success of this team is going to revolve around making the right decisions about the quarterback position. Pederson, who talked glowingly about Sam Bradford in his first news conference, has the experience and knowledge to make those decisions.
I think it’s an advantage for an Eagles coach to know how spirited the fans and the media are here in Philadelphia because the coverage of the Birds is more intense than any other team in the NFL. Pederson wasn’t shocked by the standing room only greeting and grilling he got at the Nova Care Complex on Tuesday. He’ll be able to deal with the local sports media and Eagles fans in a genuine and professional manner. Chip was overwhelmed by the attention everybody paid to his every word and move. Pederson won’t be caught off guard again. By the way Doug, tighten up the explanation for the slow late game drive against the Patriots.
Although, I was hooked on the idea of hiring the Panthers McDermott, I’m confident defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is going to be able to put together one of the top ten defenses in the league. I like the defensive personnel on the roster and I think he’s going to get the best out of them.
The number one reason I like the hiring of Pederson is because he knows and stresses the importance of taking care of the football. It was one of the key reasons the Kansas City Chiefs were able to put together an 11 game winning streak. You can see it in the conservative way that Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith plays the quarterback position. He will throw the ball away, run with it, then slide or take a sack before throwing an interception. Most of the teams in the league don’t emphasize it enough, so they beat themselves.
Pederson mentioned taking care of the football in his news conference and I think it’s going to help him have some success here. He’s going to have a good defense with Schwartz as his defensive coordinator. Dave Fipp will return and that’s going to mean a good Special Teams unit. Put avoiding turnovers together with a good defense and a good special teams unit and you have a playoff contender.
I think Pederson was a quality hire. I expect good things in the near future.
I wouldn’t put a lot of weight on how much other teams pursued Pederson. To take a step further, who cares if Eagles fans weren’t jumping up and down and cheering when Pederson was selected. There was a lot of excitement and cheering when Chip was hired and you see where that got us.
Check out the four head coaches in this year’s NFC and AFC Championship games. They weren’t celebrated when they were hired.
A lot of critics said Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was too old. They said the veteran had seen his best days. There wasn’t much excitement around him and the Cardinals signed him because there was nobody else available. Chip Kelly was the sexy pick during that offseason. In fact the Eagles canceled an interview of Arians because of Kelly.
Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera wasn’t a celebrated pick when the Panthers signed him. In fact, Carolina fans questioned the hiring. He had been a defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers and prior to that he was the Eagles linebackers coach. The Panthers were 15-1 this year.
The two AFC coaches were not glittering hires, either. Nobody was jumping for joy in Boston, when the Patriots hired Bill Belichick. He had been run out of Cleveland on a rail and the NFL experts were saying that he was lost without Bill Parcells. He may be the greatest NFL head coach of all-time.
Denver’s Gary Kubiak was an assistant in Denver before going to Houston. He took his team to the playoffs a couple of times, then was fired in the middle of the season a couple of years later. Broncos President John Elway gave him another shot as a head coach and so far he’s making the best of it.
I think hiring head coaches is very similar to the way Forest Gump described a box of chocolates, “You never know what you’re going to get”.
Gary ,You said we should not be negative about the Pederson hire. Dont forget that city is called Negadelphia for a reason, As a matter of fact you were the first person I can recall using that phrase.I am willing to wait and see , but to the other fans if Pederson starts out 0 and 3 , then his goose is cooked in good old Negadelphia.
I agree with this point….especially after Pederson announced that “Sure – Eagles can win the east and make the playoffs next year!!” at his PC
That was a mistake.
He raised his own ecpextations (unrealistically and unnecessarily) and will be held to that quote.
History says rookie HCs usually take a while to gain traction. They make mistakes, and they usually don;t win in their first year.
And here was the rookie HC proclaiming – we can “win now!” Ooops.
Should have stuck with “Gonna get to work evaluating everyone, putting together a staff, turn this thing around and build a winning program here in Philly.”
Be honest….”there may be some bumps in the road, but we’ll get this thing turned around. I’m not interested in winning the NFC East next year. I am interested in building a winning program that can compete for the Super Bowl over a long sustained period of time. That’s going to take work, and we’re starting that work today….”
Well thought out, reasonable and balanced story GCOBB. I don’t care about the sizzle, just the steak. Pederson has to impress his players as they are the ones who will be playing for him, not the fans. This season I am not concerned about winning a weak division or making the playoffs, I am interested in seeing the development of players and the team as a whole. Immediate success does not mean progress..just look at the Chip Kelly era..3 and out. The playoffs are nice, but the goal has to be hire than getting there, Eagles fans have been there and done that. I need more than a playoff appearance to deem a season successful. Hopefully the Eagles FO and coaching staff are putting together something special for long term success, not just a microwave meal to appease some fans hunger. All we can do is wait and see, but let’s give the man a shot before forecasting doom and gloom.
Wih bout a doubt, the best non-reactionary story on GCOBB in quite some time. Mentioningt hat AR was the steward of the franchise during the time when his franchise grew by leaps and bounds was a great point, one I’ve mentioned a hundred times.
I think Pederson will have a nice run. It is obvious that QB play is at the forefront of the thinking at nova care.
I like the Staff that being put together
On Offense with Pederson, Reich & Defilippo working together could make a nice balance of experiences and philosophies..
I really like what Jim Schwartz can bring to the Defense and he’s a warrior stand up guy from Baltimore and knows that good Defenses win in the Northeast or at least give you a good chance to win.. I see most of the Eagles defenders in the Front 7 are going to love playing for him and his downhill, attacking style & schemes…
Greg Lewis as WR Coach will be interesting to watch with the Eagles Young WR’s
Excellent article by GCobb. Doubts, concerns, and criticisms of management should not be used to bash Pederson. He should be given a fair chance and opportunity to succeed. However, he should be held accountable for what he said by giving him what he needs to win. He said:
“Sure – Eagles can win the east and make the playoffs next year”
Well, we need to hold him to that…because he said it!
We should also respect the Coaches evaluation of the Quarterback situation, Pederson has made it pretty clear what he thinks about Sam Bradford:
“I think Sam’s a quality quarterback, I think he’s a top-notch quarterback. Look at what he did the last half of the season. The numbers he was able to put up — he’s a quarterback that would fit perfectly into a system I’m going to bring.”
This is how you win in this league, with “top-notch” Quarterbacks…and the new Coach made it obvious that he thinks Bradford is a Quarterback that can help him achieve the objective he is seeking in making the playoffs-next year!
So yes…lets give the new Coach a chance to work with the offensive personnel that’s here- with Bradford, Demarco Murray, Agholor, Matthews, and others
Paulman’s NFL Mock Draft for 2016 – (Top 12 Picks with Eagles Subsequent Scenarios)
1) Titans – OT L Tunsil (Ole Miss)
2) Browns – QB J Goff (Cal)
3) Chargers – DE J Bosa (Ohio State)
4) Cowboys – QB Carson Wenz (N Dakota State)
5) Jaguars – CB/Safety J Ramsey (Fla State)
6) Ravens – WR L Treadwell (Ole Miss)
7) 49ers – OT Ronnie Stanley (Notre Dame)
8) Dolphins – LB Myles Jack (UCLA)
9) TB Bucs – DE D Buckner (Oregon)
10) Giants. – DE E Ogbah (Oklahoma State)
11) Bears – DT A Billings (Baylor)
12) Saints – CB V Hargreaves III (Florida)
13) EAGLES on the Clock
5 Likely Scenarios if the Draft Falls like this
1) Draft QB Paxton Lynch of Memphis
2) Draft DT A’Shawn Robinson of Alabama
3) Draft OT Jack Conklin of Mich State
4) Draft Highest Rated Player but with a Risk – DT Robert Nkemiche (Miss)
5) Trade Back to a Team who wants QB Lynch (Rams, Jets or Texans or 49ers)
and then get multiple Draft Picks in return (Do note the 49ers have 12 Draft Picks in 2016 Draft)
If Eagles Sign QB Sam Bradford, then they will likely Select DT Robinson or Nkemiche with that 13th Pick ..Then next few Picks could go like this
#77) OT J Theus (Georgia)
#79) CB/Safety R Robinson (LSU)
#110) TE N Vannet (Ohio State)
Would be interesting to see if Philly goes after DT Nick Fairley this offseason along with SS George Ioka out of Cincy. Would be 2 solid additons thats would help this team right off the bat next season.
Add Chase Daniels as a backup and maybe Jeff Allen and call it a year in free agency and build through the draft.
Fairley played for Schwartz when he was in Detroit.. Fairley’s biggest Issue is his lack of conditioning which has led to some foot,ankle, lower leg injuries. I would be very wary of signing him to any long-term Big Contract for he’s been pretty inconsistent during his NFL Career mostly due to his desire or lack of it..
Looking for a High-Motor peak performer DT who brings it every game is
Malik Jackson of the Broncos who will be aFree-Agent
To be honest, This 2016 Draft is extremely Deep and Talented at DT
With DC Schwartz on board and Eagles going to a 4-3, both F Cox & B Logan will likely be the Stsrters with B Allen a Back-up and since it’s likely the Eagleswill extend both Cox/Logan to long-term deals, the smart play it to Draft another DT to groom and rotate in their first couple of Seasons..
I can’t see having 3 Highly Paid DT’s on a 53 Man Roster if they go after a DT in Free-Agency..
DT Robert Nkemiche of Ole Miss would be a Steal at #13, though he does have some maturity issues but paired with Cox/Logan would be a huge asset for him
If it not for his late season off the field issue (Being Drunk and falling out of a Hotel Window) he would likely be a Top 6 a Pick in this Draft..
He’s had 2 Incident’s this Season for stupid things as opposed to criminal behavior, etc.. If he gets on the right Team with Good Coaching and Teammates, this kid may end up being a terror
A’Shawn Robinson from Bama, A Billings from Baylor are other Top DT’s this Draft .. DC Schwartz loves active and big DT’s that can move
Can’t see any way we don’t resign or tag Bradford. We can’t be sure we can get a franchise QB at 13 and moving up may be too expensive. You would have to jump in front of SF at 7 and maybe Dallas at 4. Besides, this year’s crop are at least 2 years away even if they ultimately pan out. I can’t see all the haters on this site waiting 3 years for another winning season. Give Bradford a better offensive line and WRs who can actually catch and hold onto the ball. If he gets hurt – as I was sure he was going to this year, draft a QB next year when the crop is far better.
S0 because we can’t “be sure” to get a franchise QB at 13, the plan is to waste 60 million of cap space on shoulders slumped pad my stats in garbage time more than Jay Cutler bum?
Y. Great idea.
Vinnie…you keep getting confused…”shoulders slumped pad my stats in garbage time’, throw off the back foot, scared, and confused…that was Nick Foles…it was the best decision that we made not to waste 60 million on that you wanted to spend on that bum.
Sam Bradford had the highest completion percentage of any Eagles QB in history and that’s with his receivers leading the league in drops.
Resign him, tag him…and go from there! Give Pederson what he needs-‘a top-notch’ QB…support the new Coach!
Nick Foles is out of Philly, but he is still in your mind almost every day, koolbreeze….
I never see Vinnie mention Foles – it’s always you bringing Foles into the conversation.
You know, just because Foles sucks doesn’t make Bradford good. They both suck. The only problem is one still plays here.
I know….I understand Irish…
But you see if Nick Foles went to the Rams and led them to the playoffs
If he became a big time, franchise QB you,Vinniedafool, and all of the rest of the Foles fans would have a field day…you would have bashed me unmercifully
Too bad for you and the Foles crew that it didn’t work that way so….when we are talking about QB’s I have remind you of your foolish assessments
Just like the dumb ass statements about the best QB in the league
Cam Newton
Vinniedafool looks soo well…foolish right now…
Cam has “bad footwork”, stinks as a ‘leader’…and all kind of crap that Vinnie gave us about Cam Newton
Look at how he dismantled the Arizona defense in a way that even Aaron Rodgers could not…
Cam Newton has stepped up..MVP of the League
Has carried his team to a Super Bowl….
But according to Vinniedaloser, he can’t play…LMAO
Fool ass!!
In fact all of you Foles lovers would
That’s what I though – you are obsessed with Vinnie. LOL
Tag is $20 million not $60million. I’ll take Bradford, you take Sanchez or a rookie 2 years away from being NFL ready. Brilliant!
Eagles Have $24 Millionin Cap Space and are not 1-2 Players away from Deep Playoff Contention.. An entire System on Offense & Defense going in..
Eagles could Spend $20 of their Cap Space, then have to release 4-5 Veterans like Celek,Ryans, Peters & Sproles just to Win what 6-7-8 Games
Or they can Draft a Young QB to develop or pick up a 2nd Tier QB Matt Moore, or Chase Daniels, trade for EJ Manuel or Geno Smith or RG3 and Win what, 5-6-7 Games .. What’s the difference outside of the $20 Franchise Tag to a QBwho doesn’t want to remain in Philly anyways…
It’s not like Bradford is going to account for 3-4-5 more Wins …
You guys must have been watching a different QB in 2015 perform for the Eagles than many of us saw..
I am amazed on how many NFL Punt Returners are so lacking infundamentals.. The Pats just Punted from their own End-Zone. The Broncos Returner has to run up and just catch the damn ball… Why let it hit the ground..
Every Game I see this, or Returnman field a Puntin within their own 10 Yards
Calling for Fair-Catches when they have 10 Yards of open space or returning Punts with 3 Defenders bearing down on you… Unbelievable !!
What a Pass & Catch on 4th & 0 to Gronkowski with the Game onthe line..
What a Game..
New England is done…and I’m happy…but please I dont want to hear about the greatness of Peyton Manning…even in defeat…you have to say Tom Brady is one hell of a Quarterback!!!!
Costly missed extra point in the first half costs NE the game with :14 seconds left failed 2 point conversion for the tie.
Patriots had 30 + Plays in the Red-Zone , they failed to get it done..
Was a Great game but you simply just can’t Pass,Pass,Pass every damn down and expect to Win in the NFL..
Both Carolina and Arizona drilled the Eagles, real bad.
CamNewton looking sharp to Start..
The Eagles are not 1-2 players away from contention you are correct Paul man. They are about 4-5 max. And in your own words, 10 months can be a life time in the nfl. If philly gets 2 good linemen, along with a piece or 2 to secondary or dline this team can be something special.
ItS all about drafting and adding a goof free agent or 2 max. It is crucial that we get some contributers in this year’s draft obviously as it is for every team. But not every team is our eagles. We have talent and a nice core.
Slowing it down and playing methodical will make it easy on our defense to be sure they aren’t tapped out late in.the season.
It’s a team sport. Look what a struggling manning did this season who threw 9 tds and 17 ints. Give bradford a better oline, allow him to make audibles at LOS if need be. There is now way the drop plagues us again next year as it did this season with these wrs having another year under there belt with exp. Adding another wr can be a move as well to help weather it’s fa or the draft.
U need a supporting cast to look great as a qb. Bradford will be fine and improved in year 2 coming off his acls tear(s)
I’m looking for Pederson to build a Solid Team for a legitimate run in 2017,2018 and beyond..
Eagles Need 2 Guards & 1 OT to Develop
Need 1-2 WR’s (Matthews & Agholor are not enough)
Need another TE to Replace Celek who has 1 more Season, maybe 2
Need to add a Young RB (this will be Sproles Final Season, Ryan Matthews hasn’t played a full season in the last 3 Seasons now)
A Young QB to Develop
Defense
A DT, A Pass-Rusher, CB & Safety and another ILB
These all won’t added this Off-Season but the Eagles need to Develop a Young QB, A better & deeper OL and WR’s starting this Season for sure
Keeping Bradford just doesn’t make much sense to me in Pederson’s 1st Season .. Start fresh on Offense..
Carolina rolling 17-0.
Paulman, Everyone says we can’t win next year. You forget we are in the NFC Least. With a normal offensive pace, a more rested 4-3 defense could be pretty good. As I see it, the key is the offensive line. Resign or tag Bradford or show me the young QB who is going to be your long term answer. Trade back in Rd 1 and draft a stud OL. With the next 4 picks, add another lineman, DT, WR and a QB to groom. Maybe because I am older than you and have live through year after year of horrid seasons, I am not ready to go back down that road. There are a lot of last to first scenarios.
Winning the NFC Least in 2016 could happen but the Eagles are a good 2-3 Notches below the Top 5 Teams in the NFC
(Panthers, Cardinals, Packers, Seahawks who the Eagles could Play 10 Times and win maybe 2-3 out of 10 Times)
There are 3-4 other Teams who already started their rebuild mode and who are ahead of the Eagles, like the Redskins, Vikings, TB Bucs, Falcons who have new Coachs and young Talented Players in place..
WTF, Kurt Coleman making an Interception? Pigs are flying.
Kurt Coleman with his 8th Int of the Season and actually had a Pro-Bowl type of Season for the Panthers
Paulman, Of course you are right, there are better teams, but what I asked was, if you let Bradford walk, WHO are you targeting in the draft? What happens if we don’t get any of the top 3.QBs? How much would you pay to move up to guarantee we get our target? Now you have Sanchez or maybe we can get Foles back. See the problem….
Sam Bradford could have Jerry Rice, Randy Moss & Chris Carter on his team and he still wouldn’t throw it outside.
I’m fixing the OL first in 2016 and am ok with a journeyman QB for 2016 (Sanchez, Chase Daniels or even Matt Moore)
I like Carson Wenz, Paxton Lynch & Kevin Hogan in this Draft Class
but none of these QB’s are Franchise Types, at least out of gate and will need a Season or two to learn the NFL Game under Pederson, Reich & DeFilippo
The 2017 Draft appears to have more QB’s with upside
With Eagles having a new Staff and Offense & Defensive Schemes
Why not build that Offense around a Strong OL & Running Game & TE’s for a Young QB to grow and learn with..
All quiet on the Cam isn’t a franchise QB talk, Hahahaha.
Hey Vinnie…
Cam Newton is still throwing off his back foot!!!
Hell, he’s taken this NFC Championship Game Over..
It will be the New (Cam Newton) vs the Old (Peyton Manning) inthe Super Bowlwhich the NFL will just love the hype of the match-up…
Yes butt… DEFENSE
Broncos Defense and Secondary will bring it on Cam in the Super Bowl
Running the Ball will be difficult, expect a low-scoring Game decided by a big play or two .. I am going with the Panthers 27 – Broncos 23
Cam Newton is on a Roll and will make more Big Plays then Peyton Manning in the Passing Game down the field..
Surprised the Panthers went for 2 apt Conversion
HC B Arians has got to be burning up inside over that..
Carson Palmer playing like the Carson Palmer of Old..
I believe his Pumpkin has come to roost as he really struggled the last few weeks of the Season after that Games vs the Eagles..
I have seen alot of great players over the years. Luke K is really making me consider him as the best MLB i have ever seen
Ray Lewis an Mike Singletary may be more vocal and more rah rah but they couldnt do what Kuechly does.
He’s damn everywhere .. He’s awesome in Pass-Coverages, Runs Sideline to Sideline like a Safety and Rarely misses a Tackle or Assignment..
Pumpkin come to roost? Huh? You drunk again? You can definitely teach me how to butcher expressions!
So Paulman, let me get this straight. You are going into next season with Sanchez or chase Daniels (who hasn’t been a starting QB after all these years) and MAYBE Wenz or Lynch falls to us at 13. If not, we get to try again next year. Meanwhile you have passed up on a potential stud OT who could help anchor our oline for years. Why not keep Bradford for a year and give the team a chance while trying to find a long term answer later in this draft or next year. Who knows, maybe he will stay healthy and flourish behind a better oline.
Because his team is in the Super Bowl so why does he care if we get on the Cleveland QB Carosel.
Jk pman
Birds need to sign Bradford. Shouldn’t even be a question.
Because the EaglesCant afford to Sign Bradford with the bad deals that Chip Kelly made last year as GM.. signing Bradford to a $20-25 Million Per Year that he’s looking for means no other upgrades made to the Team which means
6-7 Wins for the foreseeable future.. That’s not what I want as a fan
The can afford it. Lose some dead weight players and pay sam
yes the Eagles can afford it…and its better to sign him than make a bunch of other moves and then have a QB who cant play and find yourself wondering where you are going to find a QB!
Look at the Rams…they have everything in place…excellent defense, good running game, good receivers….no QB.
By Signing Bradford, then the Eagles will be forced to make a bunch of other moves, with Salary Cap Casualties and not get to address the OL & WR Corp’s which are needed more than just another over-paid QB like Sam Bradford who has proven over his NFL that he cannot carry a NFL to Victory on his shoulders.
The best QB in the league this year is Cam Newton!
He beats you with his legs and his arm
Denver’s defense will not be able to just tee off on Cam
You have to be very disciplined in your rushing lanes…
Carolina’s offensive line is better than New England as well
Its going to be a defensive game but I see Carolina’s defense shutting Denver down…and Cam doing just enough to get the win
Trevone Boykin in the sixth round. A few character flaws but he is very athletic, throws a good ball with plenty of zip. I think with good coaching and a year on the bench you’ll have something.Also throws a good deep ball.
So while Boykin, or any other QB draftee, is being groomed, Bradford can give us a reason to spend our money and go to the LINC.
Use that $20-25 Million to fix the OL, WR and extend those young Core Players like Cox,Logan, Ertz & Lane Johnson
There’s not much out there. Could always sign the best QB in the CFL Bo Mitchell. I think the best coarse of action is to franchise Bradford. We need to DRAFT better,period.
ATTENTION SAM BRADFORD FANS!
ATTENTION SAM BRADFORD FANS!
Please re-watch the first half of the Arizona/Carolina Panthers game 10x. Watch the first half of the Arizona GB 10x game for good measure.
Then never speak of Sam Bradford again.
Hey that’s great Vinnie you don’t like Bradford. What is your solution ? Still haven’t seen any solution from you
If the Eagles attempt to re-sign Bradford they should use Alex Smith’s contract as the blue print.
2015..11.9 mil
2016…14.1 mil
2017…10.2 mil
2018 14.5 mil
For the record I would not go that high as Bradford went 5-9 this season as a starter and had a 17 td’s and 15 picks. 70% of his passes were 10 yards or less, he ranked 29th overall among starting QB’s with passes +20 yards. That is the definition of Charlie Checkdown. Bradford missed two games due to injury. Those numbers are underwhelming and not deserving of a huge contract which he is reportedly looking for. Personally I would let him walk and dradft my QB of the future (Carson Wentz). Wentz has a strong arm, his passes has zip, he can make all the NFL passes, he has mobility to maneuver and make plays down field with his legs, served as an asst coach when he was out with a wrist injury and he has a 4.0 GPA.
I been watching a lot of videos of Carson Wentz. He looks good… He will need to bulk-up a bit and I don’t think he’s a first year starter. I do think he’s better than Lynch.
Irish, he is 6’5″ 235. He has the frame to bulk up a little. Overtime he will naturally fill into his frame. Wentz will be in the Senior Bowl this weekend, it will be good to see him play against a higher level of competition. For me he has NFL skill, I just want to see how he thinks against more elite competition with in game situations. Then I will watch him at the combine. I do not put as much stock in that as game tape, teams made that mistake with Teddy Bridgewater.
Eagles News
According to source, Eagles have signed a five-year contract extension with TE Zach Ertz, who is now under contract through 2021
*Confirmed
Breaking News..The Eagles have just signed Zach Ertz to a 5 year deal ..Good move by the Eagles. Ertz has the physical ability and potential pro bowl ability, just gotta get the QB and O line taken care of!
Good Move by the Eagles and what Howie Roseman is best at, which is Contract Management, and keeping a Young Core Group together…
Dougie already making very moves.
Curry, lane Johnson and Walter thurmond to be next hopefully soon.
With the development of Rowe, and the Big signing of Maxwell and them both coming into year 2 with coach Undlin what will be the deal with Nolan Carroll? Is there anyway Philly cuts or trades him to save money and add another CB in Draft? We also will have Sheppard returning this offseason as well.
That could help save money for Walter and Bradford, assuming we make other cuts as well such as Celek, Sanchez and Demeco etc.
Nolan Carroll is a Free-Agent and will be looking to make a longer-deal at Starters CB Salary as he just completed his 2 Year Low Salary Deal with the the Eagles..
Nolan Carroll will test the Free-Agency Market and will likely find some suitors like the Ravens,Colts & TB Bucs that need Starting CB’s..
Excited to see how Douglas will utilize zach ertz this season. Especially how great Coach Reid has been his whole career at doing that with Chad Lewis, Lj Smith, Celek and Kelce.
Really hoping we run the wheels off celek his whole career. One thing chip stated that was spot on was how he is the ultimate philadelphia Eagle. Out of all of them I would love to meet Celek. Unselfish, strong durable and does whatever his coach says without any complaints. It’s a shame chip didn’t utilize his tight ends the way we thought he was going to. He could still be at this stage in his career a 70-80 reception guy with 750-900 yards if allowed the opportunity.
Current Eagles Free-Agents (11 Players that were on the 2015 Roster and who earned a combined $24-$25 Million Approx in 2015)
1) QB – Sam Bradford ($13 Million)
2) Safety – Walter Thurmond ($3.25 Million)
3) CB – Nolan Carroll ($2.9 Million)
4) DE – Vinny Curry ($1 Million)
5) DE – Cedric Thornton ($2.35 Million)
6) WR – Seyi Aijorutu ($665 K)
7) OL – Matt Tobin ($586 K)
8) DB – EJ Biggers ($585 K)
9) LB – Najee Goode ($516 K)
10) QB – Thad Lewis ($516 K)
11) Center – David Molk ($361 K)
Salary Cap Projected for 2016 Season – $154 Million
Eagles Committed Contracts for 2016 – $137.5 Million
Dead $$$ for Eagles 2016 – 1.9 Million
Total in Contracts/Dead $$$ – $139.3 Million
Available Cap Space for 2016 – $14.7 Million
Do Note that the Eagles must Replace these 11 Free-Agent’s Above to make a 53 Man Roster as well as Sign their Draft Class to Contracts which could be in the $5-7 Million Range which leaves less than $10 Million to Sign 10-11 Veteran NFL Players to replace the 11 they have that may leave and sign elsewhere..
Eagles have a Few veterans they can Release for Salalry Cap Relief
but these Players would be some of the True Leaders of the Locker Room
that New Coach Pederson may be hesitant about releasing..
Releasing Veterans like Brett Celek, Riley Cooper, Jason Peters, DeMeco Ryans & Darren Sproles after taking the Cap Hits would save the Eagles Approx $21 Million off their Cap but is the New Coaching Staff going to want to gut the Locker Room of its Leaders…
Again, this is why i go back that anyway you look at the Numbers,
Sam Bradford is a goner and cannot be justifiably re-signed for what he and his Agent are wanting. The rest of the Team would have to be sliced up and would end up not as good or talented and it’s Leaders…
Riley cooper a leader? Damn that’s a real football junkie hot take there
The leader mantra gets a little overplayed in my opinion. Guys like Jason Avant and Michael Vick were leaders at one point. Sometimes you do what you have to do to stay within the cap. Even if you let the above group go, you still have guys like Conner Barwin and Jason Kelce who are known leaders in the locker room.
Plus, you forgot Sanchez who will also save another 3.5 mil. Draft picks and guys coming back from IR will take the place of some of those 11 positions. And I also believe Curry and possible Walter Thurmond will be retained even if you do pay Bradford.
I hear your CTIA as Leadership/Experienced Players gets replaced all the time.. No one is leading when not playing and contributing..
But getting rid of all the Veterans that Pederson’s is familiar with and that he has experience Coaching with back from the AR Days may not be such a good idea for just saving Cap Space..
Some of these Poor Signings and Decisions from last Year by Chip Kelly just can’t all be fixed in 1 Off-Season, there will be some pain that has to be incurred and spread over until Howie Rosemans fixes up Kelly’s poor Financial Decisions…
I am sure Pederson would love to have Veterans like Celek, Ryans and Sproles around for 2016, but not at their Current Salaries.. Would these Players be willing to restructure and take a cut, or is it better to just release them and let them have a chance of hooking with another Team for a better Deal.. These are the things they will discuss and have to decide on pretty soon before March and the Free-Agency Period begins..
Understood….however, the other thing to consider is that cap hits versus salary is a language that always gets confused by fans. Take the Ertz deal, his contract is worth 8 mil a year but his cap hit for 2016 is only 3.3. Howie works the deals so that there is room for the moves we want to make. I would be willing to bet that extending Lane Johnson will actually decrease his 2016 cap hit number. Keep doing deals like that until 2017 when you can unload the bad Chip Kelly Contracts.
Honestly, there is plenty of room to sign Bradford….if they really wanted to.
Yes there is, but they don’t really want him at the Salary he’s requesting..
The Eagles will move forward and on from Sam Bradford..
Good point Canttakeitanymore…it makes no sense signing veterans like Celek which they did and then turn the team over to a rookie QB who we don’t know that can play, Sanchez who we know cant play, or bring in some other bench warmer and make him the starter…
The Eagles moves only make sense if they keep Bradford!
It’s Senior Week for College Seniors down in Mobile,Alabama
The North Team is being Coached by the Cowboys Staff and has
QB’s Carson Wenz, Kevin Hogan, Jeff Driskel and Cody Kessler on it
(Word is Cowboys HC Jason Garrett is Ga-Ga over Wenz already)
The South Team will be Coached by the Jaguars Staff and has
QB’s Dak Prescott, Jake Coker, Brandon Allen & Jacoby Brissett
Wow what an outrageous amount of money for ertz who looked like a bust for 2.5 seasons.
Unreal
Guy went off the last 4 games this year but prior to that what he do to deserve this $?
Not a read zone threat and super inconsistent for 2.5 years actually 2.75 years. Damn
Kinda hoping Wenz doesn’t have the best week at the Senior Bowl because the hype on the guy is ramping up and I’m seeing him being mocked to the Cowboys and even the Browns at 2!
I only like him because he’s a senior and am not excited about any of the juniors coming out because they’re too young and inexperienced.
I have the Browns #2, Cowboys # 4, and the 49ers # 7 all taking QBs in the draft. Possibly the Rams trying to trade up to get one of the top 3 QBs or Texans. ( Goff, Lynch, Wentz). Top notch Defensive talent will fall to pick 13 if 3 QBs go top 7.
I see Browns at #2 , taking a QB for sure
The Cowboys at #4 likely since they really made out last Draft with 3 1st Round Talents and can roll the Dice a bit to get their QB of the Future
The 49ers I am not so sure about Selecting a QB as they will likely stay with Kaepernick/Gabbert for Kelly to work with.. (Gabbert had his Best Years playing in a similar Up-Tempo Scheme with Missouri while in College which is very similar to what Oregon runs so he may actually play pretty well for Kelly)
Top QB’s by most Prospect Lists
1) Jared Goff – Cal – (6-4″ – 212lbs) – The Top Overall QB – Browns at #2
2) Paxton Lynch – Memphis (6-6″- 230lbs) – Early/Mid 1st Rounder
3) Carson Wenz – North Dakota State (6-5′- 230lbs) – Mid/Late 1st Rounder
4) Connor Cook – Mich State (6-4 220lbs) – Late 1st/Early 2nd Rounder
5) Christian Hackenburg – Penn State (6-4 235lbs) – 2nd/3rd Rounder
6) Dak Prescott – Miss State (6-2 230 lbs) – 2nd/3rd Rounder
7) Cardale Jones – Ohio State (6-5 250lbs) – 3rd/4th Rounder
8) Jake Coker – Alabama (6-5 232lbs) – 4th/5th Rounder
9) Brandon Dougherty – Western Kentucky (6-3 215lbs) – 5th/6th Rounder
10) Kevin Hogan – Stanford (6-4 220lbs) – 5th/6th Rounder
11) Brandon Allen – Arkansas (6-2 210lbs – 6th/7th Rounder
12) Nate Sudfeld – Indiana (6-6 240lbs) – 6th/7th Rounder
13) Cody Kessler – Southern Cal (6-1 215lbs) – 6th/7th Rounder
14) Jacoby Brissert – NC State (6-3 235lbs) – 7th Rounder/UDFA
15) Jeff Driskel – NE Lousiana (6-4 235lbs) – 7th Rounder/UDFA
Some of these QB’s will Participate in the Senior Bowl this Week and then the Indy Combines and then the College Team Workouts where some will move up and some will move down depending on how they do and interviews, injuries, etc,etc
Not only do the Browns have to take a QB, they have to take the “safe” QB. Their last 2 were both “risks” with big question makes…Weeden age and Manziel being Manziel.
So I can’t see them taking the kid from tier 2 because it opens them up to “look at those stupid Browns taking another gamble” comments, and if he struggles then its disaster city once again. I think Goff is the consensus “safe(er)” pick and thet’s where they’ll lean.
I have a feeling it’ll come down to Lynch vs Wenz if the birds pick a QB.
I prefer seniors over juniors.
It all depends on what the Eagles do in March in Free-Agency
Do they re-Sign Bradford, then Cut Sanchez and Draft a QB in 3rd Round
Do the let Bradford walk and Keep Sanchez and Draft a QB in the 1st Round
Do they let Bradford walk, Cut Sanchez and go out and Obtain a QB (Chase Daniels,Matt Moore,EJ Manuel, etc,etc) and then Address QB in the Middle/Late Rounds..
These Decisions will likely be made and known by March when the NFL Calendar Year begins and Free-Agency kicks in but before the late April Draft ..
I think the birds will try to go with CB Eric Rowe as the starter in 2016 and not pursue Nolan Carroll. That leaves a roster spot open for a veteran CB, wonder if Howie tries to go after Brandon Boykin this off season as a free agent. He was his draft pick.
We need Eric Berry
Find a way to sign him
Hopefully the Chiefs won’t tag him
We ‘ll see what happens with Thurmond
Look at that Broncos secondary, thats what I want here in Philly
We already have the defensive front, now we need the secondary
Signing Eric Berry would be huge