Eagles Play Spoiler With Entertaining Win
The playoffs are out of reach, but the Philadelphia Eagles are doing their best to finish out the year strong.
With the opportunity to play spoiler against the New York Giants, the Eagles started the game strong, marching down the field on their first possession, finishing with a Darren Sproles touchdown run to put themselves up 7-0.
The defense held New York to just 13 yards over their first three drives, one of which resulted in a pick-six from Malcolm Jenkins. The defense would do a good job containing the Giants for most of the first half, allowing two field goals on the next two drives.
The offense struck back towards the end of the second half, with Carson Wentz hitting Nelson Agholor (of all people) for a 40-yard touchdown strike, giving the Eagles 21 points at the half. Just for some perspective, the team had only managed to score more than 21 points in an entire game six times since dropping 34 points on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3.
Unfortunately, the Eagles’ offense wouldn’t have much to offer in the second half, generating only three points. The defense was up to the task of containing New York however, allowing only two second half field goals.
Concerns With Wentz
Watching Carson Wentz play, we’ve seen a lot of promise, but there have been two recurring issues with his game that have given me pause.
Wentz has been late on a lot of throws, and he’s struggled with the deep ball all season.
Following his early success, these two flaws have been recurring quite a bit in Carson’s game, and they’ve led to a lot of his worst moments.
Wentz just hasn’t been good at judging the deep throw, and how and when to attempt it. Tonight, he misplayed a deep ball that ended up being intercepted in the first half, and did the same thing in the second half that just narrowly missed being a turnover itself.
We’ve rarely seen Wentz hit on deep, explosive plays, and there’s no doubt that a lot of that has to do with the quality of wide receiver he’s working with, but he himself hasn’t made a lot of great throws in those spots, and its absolutely something he needs to work on in the offseason.
Doug Pederson Drives Me Insane
More and more, Doug Pederson has shown that he has, at best, a very questionable feel for the way an offense should be run and called on gameday.
Today, the most egregious error came in the second half. On the first possession after Carson Wentz returned from being evaluated for a concussion, Pederson made one of the most horrendous playcalls I’ve ever seen.
On a third down and long, Pederson called for an elaborate double reverse to Nelson Agholor, which required his quarterback to be the lead blocker on the run. Stop and think about that one for a moment.
The quarterback, fresh off of a fairly lengthy concussion evaluation, was immediately asked to be the lead blocker, exposed to all kinds of contact, on a goofy gadget play that had little chance of success.
Pederson was very fortunate that Wentz came away from the play unscathed. If the playcall had done any kind of further damage to the quarterback, it would have been a fireable offense.
Quick Thoughts
Offense
- Lane Johnson made his return from a 10-game suspension tonight, and the offense seemed to receive an immediate jolt with his presence. Johnson gives the Eagles an elite presence in their line when healthy, and its a shame that we only got to see the line at full strength for a handful of meaningful games this year.
- You can’t help but admire the kind of player that Darren Sproles is. He’s a gamebreaking player, and its a shame that the Eagles have had such poor teams that haven’t been able to take better advantage of what he can do.
- Nelson Agholor is terrible. I don’t even care that he caught that 40-yard touchdown. Agholor can’t play. Giving him reps is a waste. If he’s on this roster next year, its an absolute disaster. The easy, drive-killing drop in the second quarter is the player that he really is.
- The tight ends largely vanished from the gameplan this week, with Zach Ertz and Brent Celek combining for just five catches. Trey Burton was held off of the stat sheet.
- No wide receiver caught more than two passes. Agholor had two, Jordan Matthews had two, Dorial Green-Beckham had one.
Defense
- Huge game for Malcolm Jenkins, who picked off Eli Manning twice, and broke up several other passes. A shame such a great effort came in a meaningless game.
- Terrence Brooks got a look with the defense in a key moment, and came down with a game-sealing interception. I’m certainly in favor of him getting more reps over Jaylen Watkins, who has been killing the defense for weeks.
- No sacks for the defense line.
- Odell Beckham caught 11 passes for 150 yards, but the Eagles actually did a decent job keeping him from burning them down the field.
Special Teams
- Nelson Agholor is possibly the least intimidating kick or punt returner I’ve ever seen.
Final Thoughts
A win is a win, and while the Eagles fought hard for the third straight game, I don’t feel great about this win simply because of Doug Pederson.
I don’t like the way Doug calls games. Apart from the call to have a previously concussed Wentz as a lead blocker, I hated the offensive gameplan as a whole. I know there’s little talent at the skill positions, but I think that what talent he does have, he’s badly mismanaged throughout the season.
The Eagles finally have a legitimate quarterback prospect in Carson Wentz. Right now, I’m not at all convinced that Pederson is the right guy to be working with and developing him. The way Wentz’s play leveled off and stopped progressing after the early stages of the season is very concerning to me, and the weekly playcalls just aren’t putting him in a position to succeed.
Although a lot of what I’ve written in this review is on the negative side, I do realize that the Eagles did in fact win this game. But the reality is that Pederson’s offense barely managed to generate 17 points, and if not for a stellar defensive effort that forced three turnovers, we could easily be talking about a sixth straight loss.
Wentz represents hope for the future, but Pederson could very well be the ball and chain that keeps him from delivering on his promise.
Follow Denny Basens on Twitter, @DennyBasens
I think that you left a lot out of this piece. The defensive game plan was difficult to watch though it worked out in the end. Eli basically had open targets on almost every play because they were trying to take away the deep ball. Graham got pressure all night which made Eli consistently throw early though he never got a sack. Eli threw a bunch of balls while turning away (like he always does) which were incomplete or interceptions. The defense made big plays when they had too.
As far as Wentz goes, I agree with the deep throws last night, but he has made some nice deep throws this season that were dropped or not pulled in by Mathews because he couldn’t get his feet in bounds. His mechanics are off because for much of the season he hasn’t been able to set his feet with the revolving door of offensive lineman. I want to see him next season with a full off season to prepare as the starter and hopefully with another WR on the outside besides Agholor.
That being said, how could you possibly not mention his escapability last night? To me that was the story of the game. After the GB game we started to see him using his feet as a weapon and last night, he prevented a ton of sacks and extended plays. That is what has me excited. He looked like Randall out there (albeit a much slower version) getting out of situations that looked impossible.
Where I will agree is that the game plan is awful. Very predictable plays all night long as per usual. My other issue is with Pederson is going on 4th down when you take the sure points there to make the lead 8 points. I understand playing aggressive, but I think that sometimes you need to play with your head instead of your D
The other thing that I reiterate is that it is a shame that Ryan Matthews can’t stay healthy because he is a stud when he plays.
Bugs. In addition Pederson main head scratching moment came late in the game when he inexplicably threw two out of three attempts once incomplete to Agholor on a key third down to extend a drive? (When if ever has he accomplished that feat)? Allowing the clock to stop and leaving the Giants a time out and the ball to win the game? If not for the luck of above did we survive the bone headed clock mismanagement of our coach..Shwartz has to look at results vs desires..We’ve had multiple zero sack games and he also frustrates sending his wide nine four ,with zero results vs even a statue in ELI..playing and showing two deep safeties on running plays? cmon man? The coaches almost,gave this gift wrapped game to the Gmen ..Wentz earned the absolute love of this team yesterday..if he doesn’t return the air would have for certain come out ..on the goal line play the coach handed the ball backwards to Matthews from inches away on th goal line ? wtf? Put the head down and follow the pile moving forward ,and take the snap. For gods sake under center ..It’s almost tome frustrating to see Pederson take Andys 10 worst calls and incorporate them into his copious notes? I’ll take the win ,but in many aspects the realities of how fake the Giants are ,was more apparent than how good the birds played ..the packers and Dallas and at times Seattle are so much better at this present time ..in the NFC
Agree with most of this especially the 4th down play call. I really didn’t like that call to not take the points but I could deal with it if the play calling was better. I am so sick of seeing shotgun when they are inside the 5. That definitely reminds me of AR. Always thinking that you are smarter than everyone else in the world.
That throw on 3rd and five which left them a TO. WTF? I wanted to break my tv.
The bookend tackles ,who likely will be returning are set for next year.Obviously the play of Big V and the depth of this line ,with all the shuffling has put on tape a lot to evaluate ..If ever we needed a center that can hold his water vs a bigger nose tackle ,it was evident last night ..many of these criticisms of Wentz inability to throw a deep ball ,are interrelated..I’m not going to openly call for a coach change but in Reich and Pederson ,I’d like a mentor on offense ,someone to allow for a broader comprehension and ability to play call the game ..and stop with the obvious missteps .Is it Pedersons inability we are witnessing ,or is it lack of personnel? I’d say it’s both
Want to take a moment and express to all faiths ,have a happy joyous holidays and enjoy your families and the goodness of the gcobb humanity …and chimp ..may you. Get a new bag of s–t to fling ,and keep us all amused ..
One last thought on the Giants .Im in awe of beckham ,he’s a special talent and I only dream. What he’d look like in green
Always a great day after and Eagles win.
Amazing to see the difference that Lane Johnson makes to this team. I would also think that with Johnson being back, Brooks anxiety issues should lessen. Now, we need to make sure that Lane doesn’t put anything banned in his mouth, or we loose him for 2 years.
Pederson has made his point..he is aggressive…I would rather he be smart. Kicking the field goal was the call at that point in the game. Hopefully he will be smarter next year.
I am not sure if it is injuries or Duce, but the running back rotation doesn’t always make sense to me. Matthews is a powerful back, but they seem to go away from him in the 2nd half of most games. Not sure who is making that call, but I want to see us keep running until a team stops us. Also, with Lane back it helps that run attack.
I have been critical of the d-backs, but coming up with 3 picks was nice to see.
Agholar…ugh. Touchdown…which he looked shakey as shit catching….does not make up for his erratic play. He needs to come back next year ready to produce.
Wentz….showed toughness coming back, showed elusiveness and ability to extend a play, now he needs to have receivers work with him when he scrambles (like Rogers and Nelson). Wentz is the real deal, and with players around him he will continue to improve.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS GCobbers.
i agree about the RBs. I cant understand the choices sometime. Matthews not in the end of last weeks game was the biggest but lots of other examples
I thought I saw Trey Burton catch a couple of real short passes for minimal gains. Brandon Graham played his ass of Football and was knowvking on Eli’s Door all game long, LB Bradham & Safety Jenkins were all over the Field too..
I thought Beau Allen as arotational DT had some nice Plays and played with high energy..,
RT Lane Johnson return was nice to see where the OL is balanced and canrun right or left to keepDefenses honest and LJ was very solid in Pass-protection…
Wentz had time most of the evening, but with limited outside Receivers, Jordan Matthews at 80% only leaves the TE’s for those short routes who were open.. Do note that the Giants Secondary has been shutting down many Teams Passing Stats this Season…
Sproles had a nice game but mis-read that one Screen that could have went for a huge Play early on when the Eagleswere up 14-0, if he delayed for another second and cut outside, he was gone, instead he cut inside and ran right into the only unblocked Giant Defender who made a nice Tackle on Sproles
All in all 2 solid and high energy performances by the Players & Coach’s which is good to see at the end of the Season.. now next week they can play hard and finish strong against the Cowboys …
Wentz played well, not great, but he showed toughness and resilience and leadership for hanging in there after getting woozy that most young QB’s would not have rebounded From…
Merry Christmas to Everyone…
Merry Christmas everyone.
Are you for real about the concern about Wentz being late with the ball???
Imagine that you have no confidence in your receivers to be where your photographic memory says they should be!!!! Late is due to receivers and my evidence is that early on in season he was more on time than now. Get the man some folks he can trust and boom problem solved.
My only concern with Wentz is the supporting cast getting talent around him up to speed.
Jeezus H Christ..I need a double shot of lithium after reading this report. I felt great about the win after being on a five week losing streak. If you can’t feel good about this win after not winning for five straight weeks then something is wrong..and it’s not Doug Pederson. Negadelphia.
Every win isn’t going to be perfect or pretty nor is every game going to be coached perfectly…but I’ll take an ugly win and be happy about it.
What a Les Miserables.
So I feel like the birds should grab Moritz Boehringer from the Vikings and see if we can add another physical project to the team for week 17 and basically take a huge flyer on the 6’4″ receiver with raw speed. Could he be worse than (insert eagles WR).
Who woul you guys like to snag off a practice squad.
Yes I just love the guy is German and played for the Unicorns (which are like talented we in philly, mythical)
Not we WR
EHL I couldn’t agree with you more! Carson regressed? Are you kidding me! .? God damn he had 5 right tackles and a make shift offensive line yet he kept us in games . Regressed? And as far as game planning , even tho they have a losing record they are tops in TOPossessin …. They are just fine with Peterson ….he and wentz are tied to the hip.
Reading Denny’s story was absolutely brutal. I see more positivity in the obituary section. I’d have more fun and be more pumped hanging out with the Grim Reaper.
It actually shows how ill informed he is and how he views the birds with tunnel vision. Doug Pederson has done a great job. His game plans are solid, he utilizes the short pass to augment running game and try to keep the clock moving. Eagles have had one brutal awful stinker and that was the bengals. You better learn to like Pederson, he and wentz are currently our ticket to the parade. This is Cower and Ben, Peyton and dungy and hopefully cheat and Brady, McCarthy and Rogers …..
Hac. Talk about raising the bar on the coach..gold standards .Lets agree hes had his gaffes,and hoping hes a rookie coach with a cupboard thats been depleted in talent and in the case of our 2016 kryptonite..lane johnson Hes sitting here at 6 wins with many learning experiences,not able to close out many close losses..All the boneheaded moves by agholor ,matthews fumble,and one call I dont want to see in 2017..A goal line snap on 4th and inches..Some obvious injuries to the foundation of this team is its O line..We may have something to be thankful,as big v and others have been instrumental in still being respectful..next season as a second step in coach pedeesons..tenure..we are seeing a team fighting for the coach,thats as they say the bottom line..
Desert… I contend that if you watched any other team with as much passion, intensity, tunnel vision as we all watch the eagles you could point to ‘bone headed ‘ moves.
When comparing those coach qb combos I’m saying they are tied at the hip, they need each other and will grow together….
To recap he went from INJURED training camp third stringer to starter week one. Take away individual plays that ‘didn’t work’ he’s got a team still playing hard in week 15, a QB who has grown, depth on the OL
Case and point just happened. Dolphins up by 4 with 4:45 left decent field position and first and 10 they run a reverse and it gets 0 yards, 2nd and 10 swing pass incomplete stopping the clock and it’s 3 and 10, they punt and there is 4 minutes left with buffalo having the ball….. Kinda dumb but I’m not vested in the game so I don’t care.
Ha! Ahh yes, I suppose I just had tunnel vision and was ill informed when I was one of the few people that didn’t buy-in to Chip Kelly hook, line and sinker? Yeah, the #INCHIPWETRUST crew totally had it right.
Or when I wrote for years about how I thought turnover-prone Michael Vick was never the answer at quarterback. Nah, that was just me being negative again.
Or even at the beginning of the 2016 season when I projected the Eagles as a 6-win team that would finish last in the division, and many brilliant, clear-minded, all-positive fans like yourself scoffed at such an idea, because clearly they would be a lock for 9-7 or 10-6 in a pathetic division like the NFC East, right?
No, that was totally me being negative and ill informed, and I completely missed the glorious and successful years that the Eagles have had since 2008. Funny that I can’t seem to remember any playoff wins, but I’m sure you’re right and I’m mistaken.
Silly me, to think that I could have the gall to question a franchise that has gotten so little right over the last eight years.
Look, I love Wentz’s potential. But I’m very concerned that Doug isn’t going to be able to help him reach it.
There’s a reason Doug Pederson was not on ANY other team’s radar as a head coaching candidate last year. He got this job because it was a weak crop of head coaching candidates available, and he had strong ties to Andy Reid.
Doug looked like a coach of the year candidate through the first three weeks. The next 12 games have been pretty abysmal. Sure, there’s not a lot of talent at the skill positions, but Doug’s coaching mistakes have cost this team at least two games, and very arguably more.
The Eagles have more upside now than they’ve had in some time. But it could easily go south if the coach can’t develop talent and the front office continues to make personnel blunders like they’ve made in the past.
Denny. There is no way to deny some of what you state ,as have I ,it’s a fact ,that rookie mistakes have had an imprint all over this team.The beauty of a mistake in the NFL is that it’s permanently on tape ,and that’s the truest barometer ,not to repeat that mistake ,costing you faith from your players.These players understand ,that a disruptive Offensive line is the largest dominoe that fell ,in lanes 10 game suspension.I think it’s not coincidental that even you point out ,that Doug looked like Lombardi when he had a stacked deck ..Lets assume the patchwork line and omission of drafting an O line was a handicap beyond our comprehension.Sprinkling in ,injuries ,guards playing tackle,and tackles playing guard ,all in front of the perceived savior ,a rookie QB ..You’ve admitted that games one through three ,we had not only a solid QB ,but ,a flawless prepared coach ..on both sides of the ball.A spiral effect occurred ,and a natural regression ,and a dismal performance vs Cincinatti.Taking that one game and the domination of Pittsburgh at home as a wash ,of good vs evil..It’s been a steady but bumpy traveled road ,smooth in contrast when playing at home ,dominating the early scoreboard and playing appreciated by the home crowd.Effort over sixteen weeks ,playing for the pride of philly is a testament to the coach ,wins and losses in very close games ,with obvious liabilities ..skilled position players ..a patchwork line ..a couple of rookie gaffes …in summation ,he’s done a credible job ,and I agree ,the consensus ,is still too early to determine ,anything in evaluating Doug ..however One thing for sue ,he’s not an ego driven maniacal control freak,he’s got respect from his players ,he’s,proven he can be at best unpredictable at times ,and unlike AR ,he talks in some semblance of truism..This is a foundation to build upon ..we all will witness its growth and maturity ,and more importantly his imprint will be more apparent upon this team in consequential terms ,as he’ll pick collaboratively “his type of guys” in FA and the draft ..with the organization all pulling in the same direction.His future isn’t glaringly bright ,but it’s a Xmas tree of lights vs chip…who has singlehandedly destroyed two cities hopes now I the NFL ,and that is the greatest Xmas gift of all ..Doug vs chip
Denny…yeah but what he (desert) said!
Get used to Pederson… This is a long marriage.
Denny, go back and read YOUR article 9/25 “thoughts eagles steelers”…..
You are officially a flip flopper! You and fraud man
Not me HAC .. I Stated all Summer and during this Season that the Eagles were a 7-8 Win Team , even after their Hot 3-0 Start… I believe you had a few postings busting on me for standing by my 7-8 Win Cieling while most of you started tossing around 11-12-13 Wins after that Steelers Romp. The Eagles simply did not come into the 2016 Season with a proven, quality and consistent NFL WR Corps.. In fact, during the Summer I stated they were among the worst in all the NFL and I still stand by that..The Eagles Defense and Special Teams were going to have to carry this Team until Wentz & Co on Offense progressed which never really happened for a multitude of reasons.. Fast forward to now and the Eagles need to finish strong and play hard in their final Game which I believe they’d will and maybe even upset the already clinched Cowboys… This Off-Season they need to Address the Skills positions on both sides of the Ball during a Free-Agency and the Draft and then look to build upon the success that they did have this year.. Rushing Attempts, Time of Possession and continue to improve on 3rd Downs and finishing Drives once in the Red-Zone and be ready to compete in 2017 where a 8-9-10 Win Season is possible with a shot for the Post-Season..Eagles need 2 Receivers, another RB, along with OL & TE Depth .. Defensively they need another Pass-Rusher (Curry is a Rotational Player, MSII is not getting it done… another LBbfor MmKendricks is not getting it done and hasn’t for 2 Years now.. Eagles also need 2 CB’s
Ok let’s talk about the 9/25 article. I’m aware of what I wrote, but there’s several things that played out since then.
The Eagles were off to an unbelievable start, while the Cowboys, Redskins, and Giants all looked like different levels of mediocre through three weeks.
But at the time of the Steeler article, I got carried away in the moment and I was thrilled to see that this team finally, after so many years of no real direction, had some real hope. I’ve been so drained from the Dream Team era, and listening for three years to a complete and total fraud of a coach Chip Kelly tell anyone that would listen that “time of possession doesn’t matter”, “culture over scheme”, “sports science” and that his gimmick offense would reinvent football, my goodness, just to see a legitimate quarterback prospect performing at such a high level got me more excited as a fan than I’ve been in quite awhile.
As I stated in the comment above, through three weeks Pederson looked like coach of the year. And the Steeler game was at the height of that.
Looking back on that article, I certainly got carried away when I wrote that the expectation should now be for them to win the division. And honestly, I still stand by that comment to a point, because if Doug coached at a halfway decent level during the following 12 games, a 7-6 finish should have been well within reason.
Instead, winnable games against Detroit, Washington (twice), New York, and Dallas were all pissed away, and the coach had a lot to do with that from not getting Vaitai help in the Washington game, to being overly aggressive on fourth downs against the Giants, to not being aggressive enough against the Cowboys, just to cite a few examples off of the top of my head.
Also, the Pittsburgh Steelers had us all taken for fools. We viewed them as a 12-4 type of team coming into that game, with an elite, deep offense coming to town. Turns out they weren’t nearly half the team we thought they were, suffering several similar letdowns during the season, they’re a good team, but not the Super Bowl contender we thought the Eagles just dominated in Week 3.
Along the way, Wentz hasn’t played nearly as well as he did in the first three games of the season. His turnover rate has shot up, and while he’s still provided plenty of flashes along the way, I’m not at all convinced he’s being coached up well enough along the way.
My fear right now is that Pederson is for the Eagles what Chuck Pagano is to the Colts. The Eagles may have their franchise quarterback, but there’s a limit to how much good he can do if the coach can’t put him and the other players in position to succeed.
If you want to take that as flip flopping, that’s fine, and it is to a point, but I’ve been very consistent (not always correct) on my takes and outlooks of the Eagles and the other teams in the city.
Denny you were carried away in hat moment and you got carried away in this one. The eagles are in fine hands with Pederson…. You can’t look at individual plays. You and all us fans have watched each play of the season with great passion and interest. There is no other team we have watched this closely and with this critical eye because if we did we’d be just as critical of that coach, QB etc.
My wife’s family are ravens season tick holders and to hear them talk over the holiday Harbaugh is an idiot etc….
HAC and family here’s wishing a peaceful. healthy holiday to you and family.I been thinking lately . would it not be the king of all ironies, If you moved to the same mountain town as the Paulman?No need to post ,just open the window and give a shout out ?Possiby each others best new Dawgs?Sound good to you?peace to you! Just goes to show , you never can tell//
It’s certainly a fair point that we all look at the Eagles and what goes on much more critically than other teams.
But I’d still maintain that the playcall to have Wentz as a lead blocker following a concussion evaluation is the latest in a number of red flags that pederson has shown. Again, there’s a pattern there between that, not giving Vaitai help on Kerrigan, overly aggressive on fourth down against NY, being gun-shy against Dallas, etc, and I just don’t believe he has a good, consistent feel for how to call the game as a head coach each week. Thus, my take on him from this week isn’t a reaction to one game or play, it’s a combination from everything I’ve seen during the 12-game stretch where this team has gone 3-9.
Maybe these are rookie coaching mistakes that will go away next season and beyond, but my feeling about pederson is that he’s going to wind up being a transitional, stopgap kind of coach. He’ll get next year and likely a third season at minimum to develop the team, but I think what ends up happening is that the Eagles will become a much more attractive coaching job with Wentz and the future talent they acquire, and if Pederson can’t get results out of the talent here, he gets removed for a guy with better qualifications.
Any first year coach displaying veteran type accumen has in the history of the league been relatively small..Doug had to be even more effective as we know as he was joined with a rookie qb..a suspended right tackle ,an ineffective receiver corp..and a defense that was supposed to leave there imprint on this team with a vaunted front 7..Lets remember that going into the season we pulled the rug out on him when minny went into a desperate need,and we dealt the qb who had a years experience with the offense..so little was what wed calculated,just days before the games counted..His first quarter of the season vs his last,begs to ask..which was more reflecting of his abilities? The next minths and the reshaping to the roster and a return on the freshman experience will pay dividends..Thats the hope..
I agree with Denny…no one denies Pederson did not walk into a talent packed roster. My issue is how he handled things he can control like play calling and use of personnel. I personally do not think he showed any progress on either this season. To me Wentz is a good example but I also understand he does not have the best of weapons to work with…which gets back to Pederson. There is a very short learning curve for NFL head coaches and a minimum competency level needed to improve which I don’t see….no other team spoke to Pederson and given how desperate losing teams are to find a good coach that says a lot..Lurie I think panicked after his Kelly fiasco with all this nonsense blather about emotional intelligence….can’t wait to hear the spin at his end of season news conference and why I as a long term season ticket holder should be excited about next year… I guess the good news is that ticket prices usually stay the same after losing seasons….if they go up be curious to the reaction!
Pajohn. Happy holidays to you.I think jeffrey lurie has been a different executive.of late..Hes mute ,in a season rife with complexity.for his rookie gm rookie coach rookie qb..im personally amazed ,how he never threw doug a line of confidence publically..we really havent heard a peep from howie either?Is this purposeful? How has howie done and does he show progress in his new role?The worst fate would be to have perhaps the right qb ,but a coach who doesnt measure up,and a gm ehps a better quantitative man vs qualitative..His next FA and draft MUST exceed his QB in contributing to the foundation..
Thanks and same to you. Good point about Lurie and Roseman silence… interesting…particularly no mid-season vote of confidence….as they say victory has a thousand fathers and defeat is an orphan…Pederson must feel parentless about now! Another “most important off-season ever” for us long suffering fans!
Lurie never speaks during the season and I contend he doesn’t have to throw a quote about confidence out there. His rookie coach and QB have had a nice year… As for Wetnz progression, has anyone noticed that he has utilized his escapability to make plays recently? That’s a huge step for a young guy.
I find it funny that there is criticism with wentz blocking a CB whom he outweighs by 40, I’ve seen just about every QB throw a little block on reverses. It’s football for crying out loud. More QBs are hurt throwing the ball and breaking a finger in a helmet….so should we criticize for throwing a pass?
The Best thing about 2016 is that with all the injuries, suspensions, player issues (Huff) is that Rookie QB Wentz played the entire Season and was still competing and playing hard throughout the Season.. this and the fact that 4-5 Eagle Rookies were also able to get Playing time and some significant experience which should quicken their learning curve for next Season.. When was the last time 4-5 Eagle Rookies all Played in their Rookie Seasons?
Now they need another Good Draft And add another 4-5-6 Contributing Players to add to their future Core Group.. maybe add 2-3 Free-Agents
Paulman,!!! as one of my favorite. posters, knowledgeable and on the money. but I cant quite figure if your pro Eagle, or a mild foe,A peaceful. safe, new year to you and your family, from me.However dont take on the likes of Dennis Basken in the future, He has unlimited info. and resources at his instant disposal. After all he is a pro writer, a pro wordsmith, i.e, do you think you would. could. should ,win ,a debate with a mr eskin?You are a sports lover. As I am a B – minus singer/ songwriter,/ farmer,/ musician/ but I would never try dueling banjoes with the like of Steve Martin.So I hope I have enlightened you a wee bit on the make up of sportsman, writers. etc, being dead wrong ,to those folks is poison to the old street creds, SEE You later Paul from N.C. and Paulman.
Afc is Wrapped Up with all 6 Playoff Teams Set (Pats, Dolphins, Steelers, Texans, Raiders & Chiefs)
The only meaningful Game next Weekend is the Packers/Lions for the NFC North Crown.. for the NFC , the Cowboys, Giants, Falcons & Seahwaks are all in already, the Lions can clinch at least a Wildcard with a win over the Cowboys Monday night.. packers have to beat the Lions next week to get in..
Right now I like the Patriots over the Falcons in the Super Bowl
Falcons have the most dynamic and balanced Offense with a bend but don’t break Defense that gets after the QB
Big Game for Eagles Next Week vs their Rival, the Dallas Cowboys
The Difference of finishing 5-11 and 6-10 is about 6 Draft Spots
Would you rather have the Eagles Selecting #8/#9th in every Round (Besides the 1st Round) or #13/14th depending on how some other Teams finish ?
Would you rather see the Eagles beat the hated Cowboys and build some confidence for the Future or get the best possible Draft Position as they can as they still are a Team in Transition and can really use the best Drafting position possible to add to their Future Core Group
Make that finishing 6-10 versus finishing 7-9 as the year are currently 6-9
Chimp. Happy holidays bro..I often wrestle with these throw away games ..This one however ,brings so many things to consider..Dallas will also be weighed,rest vs remaining healthy..The Eagles needs are more based upon evaluation of the young players vs remaining healthy..Id prefer we see alot of the backend of the roster..picking with minnys first rounder gives me incentive to pull for the Bears,and even a pot of gold wouldnt allow me to pull for Dallas..
Happy Holidays to You and Your Family Deserteagle…
I’m sure Doug Pederson would love to Win this Game to FInish with a 2 Game Winning Streak against Divisional Opponents who the Eagles will be chasing again next Year so a Win would be nice even if it’s against a half-staffed Cowboys Team.. Now a Loss to the Cowboys, who will be half-staffed probably stings a little more but in reality will kind of show how far the Eagles have to improve to play the better Teams in the NFC and right now, the Cowboys are playing very well, with confidence and are pretty young across the Board so they are not a 1 Year Wonder
The Vikings Pick to the Eagles will Likely be in that 14th-19th Range
but the Eagles remaining Picks for Rounds 2,3,4,5,6 & 7 will be based on how they finish … A 6-10 makes them get a 9th-12th Pick each Round
a 7-9 Record outs them in that 13th-16th Range
How many times over Recent Drafts Seasons have we seen the Eagles miss Players by a couple of Spots in the Draft…
I Wonder if Doug Pederson or Howie Roseman, is even thinking about Playing QB Chase Daniels this week as a Reward for his Loyalty and Hard Work he has put in, which almost guarantees an Eagle Loss but with better Drafting Position and some wear and tear on Wentz who can go into the Off-Season relatively Healthy..
CHimp. I value your opinion.looking back to jowies draft. I think in year one weve uncovered some possible contribution from 1 thru the end ..
Thnx Desert as I do value your’s also..
Howie Roseman had a Fantastic Year when looking back from where the Organization was 12 Months Ago… Besides the Obvious Coaching Changes, Howie had to Rebuild the Scouting Depts and the get the Team back on a more flexible Financial/Contractural footing, which he was able to make quite a significant improvement..
Now comes Year #2 of His Rebuild Plan which includes tweaking and evaluating the Current Roster with the experienced Coaching Staff’s input, and come up with a new Set of Needs and Plans of Action whether that’s Dealing with Under-Performing Players, Free-Agency, the Draft and how to continue to add to the New Core of Players and maybe look at some members of the Coaching Staff…
The Eagles have a lot of Young Players but they also have some aging High-Priced players that they need to address or rework their Deals and then they have some Players who are simply overpaid for their Production level on the field..
Identify the Core Group of Players moving forward and then add more Talent in this Years Draft/Free-Agency Period and even some Undrafted Players and grow the Team from there.
The Coach’s Evaluation of the Roster and teh Front Office’s Evaluation of the Roster may be 2 different things so it will be interesting to see how this PLays out… Coach Pederson, Reich, Schwartz have all been in the NFL for Years and should have a pretty good feel on what is needed on this Roster to help improve the bottom line which is Winning..
Players who I think may be on the Hot-Seat with remaining on the Eagles
RB Ryan Matthews Center Jason Kelce, Receiver Nelson Agholor, DE Marcus Smith II, LB Michael Kendrick’s, CB Leodis McKelvin & DE Connor Barwin (Salary Cap Casualty) & Brett Celek (Salary Cap Casualty)
Now some of these Players Current Contracts, Cap HIts and Dead $$$ meant its difficult to see them being released.. but there may be some work going on behind the Scenes to Re-Structure their Deals in orders to possibly Trade
One thing we have learned during Howie’s Tenure is that he won’t stand pat and just be idle during the off-season.. I expect 2-3 somewhat big moves with the Current Roster whether that’s a Surprise Free-Agent Signing, A Release or Trade or a Combo of all 3
One thing Howie usually does is pick-up a player or two late in the Season from other Teams Practice Squads or Free-Agents who are out on the streets today that end up contributing next Season…
Ryan Mathews is done as an Eagle, his career is actually in question with the neck injury.
MSII should be gone. Barwin will be gone. Due to (numbers) o linemen depth Kelce will be back, but 2017 will be his last year as Seumalo will replace him at Center in 2018.
Hac happy and merry bro..I also like seumalo ,but if we can upgrade the middle of the defense I’d do it now ,rather. Than later ..using Kelce as a guy who’s best in opens peace I’d try to utilize and play to his strengths,on shorty yardage situations and goal line ..id also feel with him as Wentz last line of defense a lot better than a huge hearted but undersized sproles..I think design wise we’ve seen glimpses of Wentz and his escapability and roll and read offense..How much of Wentz upside has actually been handcuffed purposely? Keeping his reads within his eyesight ,rather than down the box..Next year with a FA receiver say Pryor ,the playbook would look completely different ..Matthews would be in the slot ,and we’d also try to bring a guy like Westbrook from Oklahoma along ..wide outs like Boldin and Steve smith ,were probably overlooked ,knowing Sam I am and his pop gun was what you were building around,and not Wentz …in answering Denny’s assertions ,all these configurations and Howies year two plan ,bodes well for a team that needs to quickly improve ,if it wants rel Vance in this division..What we’ve witnessed is a Dallas team that needs to be measured against .
Paulman. a fact bout you , is ever since I started to read your posts. You do your homework. No one can say that you dont.
**NFL News**
Buffalo BIlls Terminate HC Buddy Ryan and DC Rob Ryan effective immediately
Eagles DC Jim Schwartz is apparently on the Short-List to Interview once the Season is Over per Sources as he had Success as their DC a couple years back.. others in the in the mix are OC Dana Beavell from Seattle, Kyle Shanahan, Josh McDaniels and Todd Haley all Offensive Minded Coach’s which apparently the New Ownership Group wants to have …
By upgrade the defense ,I mean to neutralize ,bigger and,stronger nose tackles ,that semeola would strengthen ..
Gimme Jabril peppers. Guy would be sick with Jenkins. Keep McLeod too and have jabril move up to lb in certain packages like deone Buchanan think the kidscall this type of player a money backer. Guy can play corner safety and lb
By drafting him you have a playmaker in the 2ndary or two in peppers and Jenkins. A playmaker or 2 at linebacker in peppers and hicks. And cocks ur lb
Get ur corner round 2 unless one of these stud rbs drop.
Jabril Peppers from Michigan is a Top 5 Draft Pick and is probably the Best All- Around and most Versatile DB in this Draft.. Many compare him to Jalen Ramsey who had a nice Rookie Season for the Jaguars and can be that “Monster Backer” like Deonne Buchannon is for the Cardinals which is a very good comparison.
He will make an Impact for whomever Drafts him from Day 1
most mocks are split on him, half have him top 5, other half have him mid 1st round. if mid 1st we gotta pounce
I could see Teams like the Bears,Jets,Chargers,Titans and Panthers all having a High Interest and Need for a player like Jabril Peppers as they will all be in the Top 10 Selecting this Draft..
I don’t see many QB’s in this Draft worthy of a Top 5 – Top 10 Draft so some of these bottom feeders may want to Trade Back to the Mid 1st Round to get more Draft Picks and then Select their QB of the Future…
But who knows, how the Interview, workout days, injuries, off the field stuff comes into Play for a lot of these Talented Players over the next 4-5 Months but if you want a Leader of the Secondary for the next 10 Years who can do many things at Safety, Monster LB, QB Spy, Return Punts/Kicks, Play in the Slot or down in the Box, than Peppers is your man..
DE Brandon Graham puts out a strong hint that Desean Jackson will be back with the team.
Jackson informed him “tell coach to come get me”
Chip Kelly makes his way to The Linc. Next season.
Imagine if DJax kills his ass.
I will be at that game
Was reading something that shady said on Instagram or snap chat that jaccpot told him he was going home. Idk how I feel about it. I guess it wouldn’t be awful but I’m not sure it’s a match. For starters teams like Cincy Tampa Indy and others could have interest in him.
When I look at Steve smith I can’t help think what jaccpot could’ve been if he put in work to have a NFL body… idk about bringing him back. He’s a homerun threat but not much else. I suppose he could open things up for the run game and ertz…
With uncertainty now in Buffalo and the emergence of gillisee it wouldn’t shoock me to see shady become available and if he does let’s bring the whole band back with a real qb.
Good to see things around here don’t change LOL
Only in Philadelphia does one guy messaging ” “tell coach to come get me” to a friend become a headline that reads:
“Eagles Interested in Signing Desean Jackson!”
the reports from a source came out weeks ago. then you add fuel to the fire with graham talking to him and more fuel with shady saying jaccpot said he was going back and its a story and its not just local. ive read it on espn and cbssports… but if you ask me this is jacksons agent setting the stage for his imminent free agency
the only cities that dont report something like this is jacksonville or cleveland or something, but they probably report it too. are writers supposed to ignore what players are saying?
HAC off the cuff observation: The broncos J. Elway gets a lot of play about his work on this site and nationally– however as many of you criticized the eagles for being top heavy at the QB position let us play this out– The broncos have been in near mutiny because elway over played his hand and they don’t have one competent QB– the eagles spent all that capital, mortgaged the future and look where they are at that position…they basically spent a #1 pick on the future after everything played out.
idk there werent really options for elway. think he tried everything but he knew :
osweiler was crap and not worth a cent
sanchez he gambled but then saw him live and sent him walking
bradford wasnt worth a 4th rounder let alone a 1 & 4
there was nobody else, they didnt have the ammo to move up.
i think elway did a decent job in finding simien who is every bit as below average as sam is and it didnt cost him a cent…
elway would be wise to overpay for romo this offseason…
now regarding our team, anyone who said we mortgaged the future (kool and paul) are obviously clueless because we clearly didnt…. regarding the $ as u say irrelevant i didnt like all that cheese going to chase and turd but it didnt matter because turd got moved…
Well my point is if the eagles had a SB caliber defense and our GM left us w/o a QB I think the narrative would be entirely different.
Hell our GM did the exact opposite and was criticized for spending a bit of a billionaires money to land a franchise QB– QB’s are like pitchers there is NO SUCH THING AS TOO MANY–yet many thought we did too funny!
Elway’s Problem was not what he did at the QB Position as Siemian has actually had a decent Season and they Drafated Paxton Lynch as their Future QB.. His Problem was losing, letting go 3 Starters off his OL and replacing them with unproven, young Players who were not up to the Task..
They sustained lots of injuries at the RB Position and therefore were unable to Run the Ball at all this Season like they did the last couple of Years..
Current QB Simiean does not have a big arm, neither does Sanchez and Lynch who does is not quite ready.. Elway rolled the Dice to Save $$$ along his OL and it came back to blow up on him.,.
In Gary Kubiak’s System, you must be able to Run the Ball so PLay-action can be effective which Simiean was doing well early on, but wnats injuries piles up and issues along their OL, no Running Game, No Play Action and No Deep Threat, then they were in Trouble to put 24 Points up a Game which is kind of similar to the Eagles issues on Offense …
paul, you know how i feel about OL– but even with the OL- the qb play hasn’t been clutch or good
3 Starters from their Super Bowl Lineup along the OL were Traded, Released or Not Re-Signed by Elway…. (OT Ryan Harris, Guard Evan Mathis and Center Louis Vasquez) which accounts for about 20 Years of NFL Experience between them.. Elway also Cut Veteran TE Owen Daniels and currently do not have an experienced reliable Pass-Catching TE on their 2016 Roster
Look at their Current RB Position due to Injuries to Starters CJ Anderson & Darren Hillman… They currently have Devontae Booker, Kapri Bibbs & Juwan Thompson that have a whopping 1 Year of Experience between them…
I’m not making excuses for the BRonco’s failure for they simply did not play well enough to make the Playoffs and neither did the Panthers whose GM decided to Release 3 Starting DB’s and Replace them with Rookies and hope for the Best… It’s hard to repeat and now its even getting harder just to get back to the Playoffs (with lots of Big Contracts going to such few Players).. After Winning, Everyone wants bigger Deals..
It just goes to show how fickle and how thin the line between Winning/Losing is in the NFL.. but in the end, the Teams that play Smart,Disciplined,Protect the Football and are fortunate with minimal Injuries to key Players/Positions are the ones that rise to the top by Playoff Time.. We see this just about every Season..
Point is if our GM left the cupboard that bare there would be hell to pay. Eagles lost starters on OL have a franchise qb, found depth on OL and missed the playoffs same as that defense in Denver
Broncos won the super bowl with possibly the worst qb I’ve ever seen (2015-2016 Peyton manning). There’s high school qbs last year that were better than him
Physically yes… But he brings other things to the table.
Eagles bring in Ottawa Redblacks Greg Ellingson for a tryout!!
Giddy up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zczkZ559CgM
There has been some good bowl games on. I’ve watched them to look at players who do not get a lot of publicity but appear to be good players.
SFU WR Rodney Adams 6’1″ 190. Good hands, speed to get down field.
Texas A&M WR Josh Reynolds 6’3″ 193. Lean build, needs to add muscle to last in the NFL. Good speed and makes great catches. He is the anti DGB in the red zone as he jumps up and high points the ball and will fight for it. Very competitive. Demonstrates great body control adjusting to ball while in the air.
Baylor WR KD Cannon 6’0″ 180. Quick and fast, reliable hands and makes the tough catches. I’d like to see him in an Eagles uniform.
U of Miami WR Stacy Coley 6’0″ 185 Good hands, fast, good blocker.
Oklahoma St RB Chris Carson 6’0″ 215. Powerful, fast and shows some elusiveness. I’d like to see the Eagles take him in the 5th round if they do not take D’Onta Foreman in the early rounds.
BYU RB Jamal Williams 6’1″ 220 Power runner with good speed for his size. Will be very productive behind a team dedicated to running the ball behind a good offensive line.
OK St WR James Washington 6’0″ 205…stated he is staying in school for his senior year..but he’s a helluva player. If he was coming out in 2017 he’d be the receiver I’d pursue in the draft in the first round.
Wyoming RB Brian Hill 6’0″ 220. Runs inside and outside. Physical downhill runner with another gear to break away from defenders.
IUP Guard Ethan Cooper 6’4″ 325, good in run blocking and pass protection..powerful and athletic for his size.
San Diego St Calvin Munson 6’1″ 245. Nose for the ball, is a classic inside linebacker..flows to the ball and is physical when he arrives to the ball carrier, sheds blocks. Personal favorite of mines. More athletic and faster Joe Walker. Simply a football player!
This has been a very competitive Bowl Season
A Couple of other RB’s I saw that who were Impressive and will get Drafted or Picked up as an Undrafted Free-Agent after the Draft
1) Kareem Hunt – Toledo (5-11 – 225lbs) Big,Powerful but has some Hops
2) Marcus Cox – Appalachian State (5-10 – 205lbs) Very Shifty & Elusive, has Good Hands for the Passing Game out of the Backfield and also not afraid to Block/Protect the QB…
3) Marlon Mack – UCF (6-0 – 210lbs) Nice Combo of Speed and Strength
Average 6.8 Yards per Carry this Season and 8.0 Yards per Catch out of the Backfield with 65 Catches in his 3 Year Career ..
4) Khalid Abdullah – James Madison (5-10 220lbs) 1700 Yards Rushing for 20 TD’s (6.3 yards per Carry Average and 122 Yds per Game)
I’m familiar with Kareem Hunt. Not that impressed with him based off of games I saw him play, but, he has received publicity.
I am aware of Marlon Mack, but I’ve never seen him play so I am not able to comment on his play.
I do not know anything about Khalid Abdullah. I have never watched James Madison football. Is this kid coming out for the 2017 draft?
Abdullah is a Senior at JMU and a 2 Year Starter and real workhorse for them… jMU knocked off N Dakota State in the Semi-Finals of the FCS Championship
And willPlay Youngstown State for the Title January 7th.
Abdullah has helped carry the JMU Offense during this very impressive Season and run they have had in the FSC Playoffs..
He’s s 5-10, 220lbs and from thatNewport News area.. Check him out..
Very good prospect….I’ve seen him play against my nephew at the University of Delaware.
Also Very underrated. Eagles should look at him in the later rounds, or as a UDFA..
Hahahaaa I can’t
Whatever that means Big Mhenski…
My Nephew Grant Roberts plays Defensive Tackle at U of D, who plays James Madison every year….
My cousin Sonny Hill will confirm that for you if you need him to…………
Can you please update your picture of you and your “son” to a photo thats not on a website?
Happy New Years…Not much of a Ball Game tonight between Clemson/Ohio State.. NFL News– Adam Shefter Reports that the San Francisco 49ers will be Terminating both GM Trent Balkee & HC Chip Kelly on Monday after their Final Game…
Draft News..
Both DE Myles Garrett (Texas A & M) and likely Top RB Dalvin Cook(Fla State) will forego their Senior Seasons and have officially declared themselves for the 2017 Draft
DE Garrett is likely the Top Pick in the Draft going to the Browns and RB Cook can go anywhere in the Top 12-15 Selections..
Two Things to Notice in today’s mostly meaningless Final Games across the NFL as Players, Coach’s and Referee’s are ready to begin their Off-Season
1) How Quick the Game goes by…(the clock will run a lot more )
2) How Few Penalties are Called…
The Eagles will be drafting at pick 14 in the first round during the 2017 NFL Draft as the Vikings finished in typical Bradford fashion 8-8. There will be good offensive and defensive players on the board at CB,WR and RB when we select our first pick.
I can’t believe there isn’t an article or more chatter about the Roseman press conference– first I understand that everything said in a PC is bull shit and made to placate or excite the fans. I never believe coach speak good or bad but the jabs he took at kelly were priceless– of course kelly took shots at the 49er gm etc…. this roseman guy he is a slick MFer! I don’t trust him with my wife or my wallet but god damn he’s shifty!
Howie has brought human capital now to the table in wentz.His transformative season started when minnesota Vikings qb went down ..In retrospect the howie show,starts and ends with that heist ..and the cleanup in aisle three of chips mess..hes got moxie,for certain,and now hes gotten a face of the franchise guy..thats alot of goodwill and has now managed to be a FA landing spot with a perceived franchise qb vs a string of mercenaries..Hes very astute at negotiating and fiscally hes par excellent..im hoping the reemergence of this team began when Bridgewater went down and traces back to the rams picking goff. We now sit with minnys one wentz and a fourth vs sam I am and 8_8 forever..and no first round pick. And his adversary in chipnochio without a headset. What a slam dunk
The shots he took at the LLCB were great- the lack of cap space, the lack of a qb under contract, the loss of players, the loss of draft picks was all just openly and not subtly highlighted. I thought it was a brilliant presser.
I find it interesting with the draft coming that we all kind of talk about position of need etc. well we all know that drafting for need leads to reaches…. I hope they stick to their guns and get the best player regardless of position.
I liked how he said they are finished with the “Band-Aid” approach which is what they’ve done for the last 5-7 Years… it leads to 9-7/10-6 Seasons and 1st Round Exits.. to Win a Championship you need a core of Players coming up and playing together for 3-4 Years not 1-2 Year Stop gaps
He also admitted that sometimes in re-signing your own Players can skew the Value of that’s Player and that they will do a better job of this with the new Player Personnel Director and his Staff to better analyze Players “Values” in Terms of Production, Team Needs & Position
Howie also went on to say that’s many difficult decisions will have to made this off-Season in terms of moving forward the aroster, Cap-Space, lack of Production, Injuries, etc, etc….
Paul I’m going to give you your first lesson in “how not to flip flop”– You are 100% correct the best thing he said was stop the band aid…acknowledging that please when FA season hits don’t clamor for this free agent or that free agent… a couple of 25-26 year old mid level FA is the way to go… not the big name high dollar guys– I know that you typically endorse that philosophy but once in a while you will flip flop on it… stick to your guns…build through the draft, supplement w/FA!!!!!!!!
I have always been a proponent of building thru the Draft and not being Big Players in Free-Agency.. This is someone I have been very consistent with thru during the Years.. I was against the Nnamdi Signing, Vince Young, Stacey Andrews, etc,etc , Who was about the only one on here who stating many times to stay far away from Safety Jarius Byrd a couple years ago where I stated he was damaged goods with various injuries? How has he worked out in New Orleans the last 3 Seasons?
Adding a Few Players thru Free-Agency is a basically a requirement now just to fill out a competitive Roster every Off-Season so it’s part of the Deal in the NFL for Teams in the Off-Season.. But I am not and have never been a big supporter to go out and sign a bunch of Big Names .. My Wish Lists usually were dotted with 2nd Tier Players or up and coming young Players looking for the chance to Step Up and Become Starters
Like this upcoming Free-Agency, I want nothing to do with WR’s Tyrelle Pryor, Alshon Jefffrey or even D-Jax but maybe target a Young Receiver with a upside on aProve it deal but not overpay them… WR Robert Woods, Kenny Stills, Jerome Kerley, Marlon Brown, Robert Streator are all under 28 Years come to mind.. Sign one of these Players and Draft 1-2 WR’s this Draft to build along with Quality Receivers in J Matthews,Z Ertz & T Burton
I rather Draft and Develop Players in-house which is why I commonly suggest moving unproductive and overpaid Veterans for even Mid-Late Round Draft Picks or in a package to move up 8-10-12 Spots…
We heard How says he wants to Build this Team to be a 12-4/13-3 Type of Team (a Top 2 Seed in the NFC with a Bye) and not just simply a 9-7 or 10-6 Team which will take a good 3 Years to Accomplish.. Are Veteran,Popular Players like a Jason Peters, Brett Celek, Connor Barwin, Darren Sproles, Nolan Carrol, etc, even going to be around in 2-3 Seasons?
These will be some of the Tough Decisions that he talked about having to make and that’s what he’s paid to do…
Maybe it’s better for the Eagles to take the Short-Term Hit now with Cap Hits by clearing the Deck of Large Contracts and Older Players who will not be among the Core Group in 2-3 Years Time .. Its a tough call but when I look at how the Division is Stacked … The Cowboys are Young across the Board, The Giants have a Small Window right now for the next 1-2 Years and the Redskins are up and down and inconsistent just like the Eagles but seem to be a little more stable under Jay Gruden than Previous Coach’s..
Maybe it will become the new “Trust the Process” by a Philly GM to Build thru the Draft and take the 3-4 Years of growing a Core of Young Players who can all improve and win together for the long-term..
Either way, it will be interesting to watch it unfold … This Draft will also be the first one with the New Front Office- Player Player Personnel Hires in Joe Douglas and Andy Weidl who have a track record of success of helping the Ravens of identifying talent and building thru the Draft over the Years
Forging a New Identity and surrounding a Team with Talent and PLayers who fit that Identity is probably the most difficult thing for any NFl?Sports Franchise.. Maybe with having Potential Franchise QB Wentz on board and around for the next 10-12 Years can help Coach Pederson and Staff along with the Front Office to help shape,develop and get a real identity back to the Eagles.. What type of Team do they want to become.. Fast,Physical, Disciplined with a focus on Attention to Detail,Execution, Grind and Pound or do you want to be a High Risk, High Reward, Big Play type of Team..
I’m fine with the slow and steady approach for the other ways have not worked..
Chimp. Some interesting developments within eagles football,organizathe organisation are on display and not least of which has been the state of the eagles by the gold standard besrer jeffrey luriie..heres.my take. And id like yours and others take. This is a new era of the eagles,and its tier of influence..while alot is made of what howie said,I noticed the optics ,with regards to howie.The state of the eagles ,normally jeffreys mantel wss fpresaken..I. Lieu of jeffreys transgression when he took chips bait and tossed howie aside,these are the consequences..jeffs errors in judgement had consequences,in the optics as well as the quantitative display of transparency.With the inclusion of a true pyramid organisational pursuit.as pman mentioned the draft noard and evaluation of talent will be handled as ut was at the ravens.Alot of whats happening in a copy cat league is morphing into a new Philadelphia eagles..I encourage all to watch the first ten minutes of showtime insiders the nfl. Wentz is miked up..the face of the franchise is certain..lis y en to the fun this dude is having. Ist confirmation that goff vs wentz is mpre than a coin flip.howie came up heads ..the eagles because of wentz are being considered for the reality football ecposure in camp..the face us in place ,now lets adorn the wings..
desert, i’m the first to say that any communication from team to the fans/media is useless. I’ve had to give enough BS talks to the media, parents, administration I know that there is a formula you follow and none of it means a thing. HOWEVER, the LLCB was a huge wake up to Lurie and also to Howie. The concern that Howie has given talent eval away and will be jealous if the other guy does well I believe is unfounded. The year away humbled him, I take him at his word that he spent the year trying to improve his craft, he’s a smart guy, he has a good paycheck and power i think he will be fine saying “so and so was an organizational pick” as oppossed to in the past there were andy picks and howie picks and chip picks.
I saw wentz miked up- it was great- he is the real deal.
hmmm looks like our lack of talent bust of a first round pick just made 2nd team all-pro…interesting.
also, dallas has 3 first team All Pro OL…… its not the sexy pick but….
I watched a lot of football this weekend… I didn’t watch every minute or every play but a lot. I tried to watch as a ‘fan’ of each team, critiquing play calling, time management, dropped passes etc. My conclusion… we are extra critical of our own guys because we have a vested interest– there were bad play calls/coaches decisions by every coach this weekend– every one of them– of course the criteria for a dumb call is when it doesn’t work… the dropped passes made assholar look like jerry rice–how bout beckam and his drops it was sweet!
The NFL wants to know why it’s Ratings are Down 8%…
Just watch the First Round of the Playoffs and you’ll know why..
This was probably the worst Year of Play inthe NFL in my opinion in terms quality of Play… look how one-sided these 4 Games were.. and these are supposed to be the #5th thru #12 Teams in all of NFL…
These Rosters and Practice Time are so cut to the bone that’s it’s basically a League of Attrition.. if you have Bad Luck with Injuries, you’re toast, if your relatively injury free, you have a great chance oin far or even Winning a Super Bowl..
I still say Patriots over the Falcons in this Years Super Bowl
Paul, I agree with most of what you say- I would add too that the nfl has turned into a game where if one team can get a break and jump out to a 2 score lead early then the complexion of the game totally changes and the leading team plays keep away and the losing team has to abandon their game plan and take more chances which often lead to interceptions etc causing the lead to grow more…
but the biggest thing IMO is the 53 man roster and what I think only like 46 or something are active on game day??? hell how bad will it be when they increase to 18 games…. i think thats when i may stop watching for good-
Can’t go to 18 and say that you care about player safety. That is only about money under the guise of giving the fans their moneys worth.
They should have 60 Man Rosters with 53 Active on Game Days…
Most NFL Teams do not even more that 2 QB’s on their Roster all Year long anymore which is just bad business for the Development and Future of the most Important Position in the Game.. How do Young QB’s even learn the NFL Game ?
They should have a 12-14-16 Team Developmental League where a Couple 2 NFL Teams go in and split the Costs to Support, Developed and Manage 1 of these Teams which would be great for Young Coach’s too..
Example — The Eagles/Ravens could jointly run a Franchise that Plays in Harrisburg
Denver & Seattle could have a Developmental Team in Salt lake City, etc,etc
Agreed 100%.
Games were horrible except for about 1/2 of the Giants/Packers game. Great to see see ODB apple up so badly in that game. Worse than non-factor. He actually detracted from their success with the drops.
Not sure about Atlanta. I think that they don’t get past Seattle next week. I also don’t like them against the Packers or Cowboys.
Thoughts on Christian McCaffrey? BGN has an article about him suggesting that the Birds could do well by picking him the 2nd round.
Not worth it Bugs..
Many think every prospect that comes out of Stanford is NFL Material; He isn’t Toby Gerhart 2.0, shouldn’t even be on the Birds board in my opinion.
2nd round give me Tim Williams, and/or Zach Cunningham….
3rd Round give me Cooper Kruup, and Dion Dawkins
No Go on Chris McCaffrey for me.. I don’t believe he’s Strong enough to handle the Load of a 3 Down RB at the NFL Level… I think he can be a nice Change of Pace Back, Catch some Balls out the Backfield, Handle Punt/Kick-Off Duties, A 3rd Down Scat-Back/Back-Up type…
I would not Spend a 2nd or 3rd or 4th Round Draft Pick on Chris McCaffrey
He’s about 6-0″ and 200lbs and will need to become Stronger..
I believe he will be a real disappointment if Selected too Early by some Team or Fans…
This a Deep Draft at RB, maybe no Zeke Elliot’s or pure Stud, but lots of Good Ones
I do like LB Zach Cunningham out of Vanderbilt in the 2nd Round and WR Cooper Krupp of Eastern Washington and or OL Dion Dawkins of Temple in the 3rd Round would be Great Selections …
I agree, no thank you to Christian McCaffrey. I will take D’Onta Formena in the second.
Either DeDe Westbrook or CB Kevin King in the third round.
I agree with you guys. I was just wondering if there is something that I am not seeing. He strikes me as one of those guys who is a great college player that doesn’t translate to the pros.
Greg Lewis fired… that should cure agholoar
*** Eagles News****
Eagles Fire WR Coach Greg Lewis today
I expect CB/Secondary Coach Gary Undlin to be Next ..
GLew fired, now just lose Agholor and DGB and the process will be complete.
Corey Undlin must go, through different regimes and different corners, the one constant has been Undlin. He should have been shown the door before GLew! Undlin is the Agholor of coaches.
Ehl. The agholor of coaches…kotitean….udin forgot to lpok back for incoming pink slip like aka his corners. For multiple seasons our corners didnt think looking back for the ball outweighed a feel for the ball…unless you re a bill davis led dee,that defies logic..Case in point on shwartz ..who never swueezed all he needed from the vaunted 7.id be surprised if they project change on that side,beyond the undlins of the world..personnel wise our pass rush regrettably didnt get it done ..causing our weaklink to be unduly exposed..
I saw an interview with _________ Riddick— I forgot his first name? anyway he was an exec for the eagles, now an analyst and apparently a leading candidate for the 49ers GM job he said that the coaching in the nfl isn’t always as good as you think given how hard these guys work and as involved as they are– says that some guys shouldn’t coach pop warner while others are giving phd level instruction– I guess G lew was the pop warner kind! He further says that if a qb is a bust that many many times its the coaching he’s received– he says if a top flight qb gets subpar coaching than he will bust– this is why pederson was the choice– there is no doubt that the Reich/Pederson marrriage is all with developing a stud QB in mind
HAC…that would be Louis Riddick.
I like Lou Riddick, he’s knowledgeable and usually pretty spot on with his analysis…
I can’t believe Mike Smith is being considered for a head coaching job again. He stunk on his first go around…what has changed. Jaguars will continue to go backwards with him at the head.
Jaguars Hire Tom Coughlin as VP of Football Ops and Named Doug Marrone as HC…
Mike Smith has done success as the Atlanta Falcons HC and took them to the Playoffs a few tims..There are a lot less successful re-treads out there that haven’t won at all.. He’s better off as a D.C..
This championship game is nuts.
Congrats to Clemson Tigers for Winning the Championship .. What a Game!!
Best championship game since Vince Young took down USC all by himself.
No chance Williams gets to the Eagles pick now.
And with the ___ pick in the NFL draft…the New England Patriots select….
Hunter Renfrow!!!
He is a little Cole Beasley running around making plays. Coming up big in big situations.