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1 week into free agency taking stock and where do we go from here

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  • 1 week into free agency taking stock and where do we go from here

    Now that the first two waves of free agency are over, time to take a look at where the Eagles could go from here. Make no mistake they lost come damn good players over the last week. They also kept some damn good player, some leaders. I was listening to Jason Kelce podcast last night. First it is a damn good podcast, 2nd he had Nick on. This was recorded several weeks back at the combine. Listening to Nick talk he named every one of the leaders on the team. He mentioned Cox, He mention Kelce, he mentioned BG, he mentioned Slay. He mentioned Hurts & Lane. The interesting thing is Cox, Kelce & BG were not signed at that point. He knew they were bringing them back. He probably lobbied for them to come back. Its interesting that not one guy who left via FA was mentioned. Now does that mean we didn't lose core players. Oh hell no we lost some core guys. But we had planed for most of them. I do think they planed to keep CJGJ, but the whole negotiation went south. So lets take a look at each positional group and where we can go from here.

    QB - Hurts, Mariota, Book. This group is better than last years group for several reasons. Hurts going into year 3 as a starter, Mariota is a better backup than Minshew and can run the offense the same way. Book continues to be the developmental guy but having a hole offseason in the program should help him. I don't see the need to add here.

    RB - Gainwell Penny Scott Sermon - I really liked the way Gainwell played down the stretch. He basically supplanted Miles. Penny is.a risk but a good risk to take because he is different than both Gainwell, Scott or even Miles. In fact when he is healthy he is a better back than Miles. Bigger, stronger, breaks tackles and just as fast. They could draft another back that would take over for Sermon but I doubt it, not with only six picks. They probably will add another UDFA guy. Which you can find backs that way. Right now I will say this is a slightly worse group than last year only because of Pennys healthy history. If he is healthy all year look out.

    WR - Brown, Smith, Watkins and about 10 guys who are practice squad guys. The top 3 are one of the better in the league. Yes Quez has had his drops and he could be replaced at some point. I would bring back Pascal and I think they at some point. They could draft another WR late day 2 or early day 3 if they obtain picks. I would say this is about even from last year

    TE - Goedert, Stoll, Calcaterra - Goedert is a top 10 TE in football but seems to be nicked for a game or two every year. Stoll is fine as a 3rd tight end. Calcaterra is a guy who has the talent to be a solid number 2 and play the number 1 role for short spurts. Looking forward to seeing him in year 2. If another weapon is there on day 2 I could see the Eagles possibly taking a TE.

    OT - Johnson, Mailata, Toth, Driscoll - Starters are two of the best in the business. Toth coming back healthy would solve some issues here. Driscoll to me is a better guard than tackle. I would not be surprised if they use a first round pick on a OT. Or trade back from 30 and use an early day 2 pick for a tackle. Less depth than last year so its slightly worse

    OG/C - Kelce, Jurgens, Opeta, Dickerson , Tom. This is an area of need. Even if Jurgens slides to guard they need a solid backup . They had high hopes for Sills but legal issues now have him gone. Tom is. 5 year vet who can played some back in 2018 as a rookie for New Orleans. I think this is going to be address either they draft an OT and move Driscoll back or take a C/G at some point.

    Offensively the team is pretty much set. They need some depth at WR, OL and maybe TE. They value the lines so I think OL will be one of their first three picks. see mock below.

    DE - BG,Sweat, Barnett, Robinson, Jackson - BG coming back is a huge one. Barnett will be back to take some snaps and that will help in the run game. As much as people rip on him he is a pretty good end on the run side of things. Sweat is one of the better pass rushers in the league. They will address this position in the draft. Possibly with pick 10. Reddick is at SLB for me btw. This is about the same as last year, subbing in Barnett for Quinn may actually be an upgrade.

    DT - Cox, Davis, Williams Tuipulotu, - Davis is year two needs to take the next step. He was really good last year before he got hurt. Never seemed to get it back after. This is going to be a big year for him. Williams started to flash last year. I think with an expanded role he is going to be good. Cox and Tuipulotu provide good rotational depth. However this group is going to miss Javon Hargrave. If Jalen Carter for some reason falls to the 7-10 area, I would jump up there and take him. Otherwise there are a few others I like in this draft. The Eagles will address this in the draft day1 or day 2.

    SLB - Reddick , K Johnson, P Johnson - Reddick is the best SLB in the game. He can rush the passer and cover in small spaces. The Johnson brothers are depth at best. Still this group is as good as last years group

    MLB/WLB - Dean, Bradley ,Ellis - This starts the great unknown. Based on his college play you may think Dean is an upgrade from coverage adverse Edwards. He fell to the 3rd round for. a reason and we didn't get to see him much on defense. When we did he played a little more WLB. FIRST FREE AGENT I am going after is Bobby Wagner. If not Wagner I will take Myles Jack. Either one of them brings instant veteran leadership, while Wagner is not the Wagner of a few years back he is a solid football player still. Same with Myles Jack. I think we are also going to draft a LB at some point

    CB - Slay, Maddox, Bradberry, Williams, Jobe, McPherson - Pretty stacked group. Veterans and some youth. Better unit than last year. Williams really adds to the depth. They could still address this position in the draft.

    Safety - Blakenship, Wallace - Biggest position of need on the team. I loved what I saw of Blankenship and can buy into him being one of the safetys. Wallace stinks. I am going to sign Adrian Amos or Deon Bush (who played for Desai). I am also going to bring back Jalen Mills and draft a guy.

    Recap - Sign Bobby Wagner, Amos and Mills - None of them will break the bank.

    Draft:

    10 - Trade back to the Patriots at 14 - !0 and 219 for 14, 76 & 117

    14 - Nolan Smith EDGE Georgia - Freak athletic that shows up on film. Can rush from the DE position or the LB position and can play in space. In Desai 5-15 alignments he could be put next to either Sweat or Reddick and cause some major havoc with his 4.4 speed.

    30 - Trade back again with Tennessee - 30 & a 5th rounder in 24 for 41 & 72

    41 - Owen Poppoe LB Auburn - This kid can hit and he has the speed to play sideline to sideline. Showed up in every game I watched of him.

    62 Ji'Ayre Brown S Penn State - If you are looking for the next CJGJ type here he is . Cover safety more than a box safety but he can tackle and he can play the pass well. Play dropped off slightly last year after Brisker left for the Pros. Can play in some of those sub packages right away and take over for Amos in 24.

    72 Gervin Dextor DT Florida 6ft 6 320 lbs. Can play rotationally at first with starter upside.

    76. Tyler Steen OT Alabama - 6ft 6 320lbs. Played tackle in college could move into guard in the pros. Get him into Stoutland U. Starter upside.

    94. Jaylon Jones CB Texas A&M - 6ft 2 205lbs - Bigger corner in the Bradberry mold. Just adds to a loaded CB room but you can never have too many CBs

    117. Jayden Reed WR Michigan St 6ft 185lbs - Broke some really big plays in college. Shifty receiver who can return kicks and punts.

    249. Micheal Turk P Oklahoma - This goes without saying Sippos needs competition in camp

    I have to say overall this team is in better shape than I thought they would be in going into the offseason. They actually have a chance to get better. Hard to believe but they do.

    Were from Philly F in Philly no one likes us we DON'T CARE!

  • #2
    Right now I don’t see them as better than last year but certainly will be competitive. As for positions
    QB. They’re set. Will have a camp body from somewhere
    RB. Good group IMM. They’ll have a PS guy from some team’s cuts.
    WR. Quez will be better this year but I liked that Oaschal is a dependable guy that can come in and make a catch.
    OL. High priority to grab a future tackle. It is how they operate.
    TE. Top three are set and dependable. Don’t see a future for Jackson so I expect they look for a TE late in draft or as an UDFA or cut from another team after camps.
    Offense will continue to be good but biggest concern for me is Hurts getting hurt running too much.
    The D is high priority draft need. CBs are set but another DE/DT and LB and S are definite needs.
    the DL as it stands will be okay but nothing like last year. Age is catching up here. Lost good LBs but they don’t like to draft LB high. I’m not sold on Dean. A FA and a draft pick would not hurt. Blakenship will be okay at S but I see a need for both a FA and a draft pick.
    Wait until next year is a terrible philosophy
    Hope is not a strategy
    RIP

    Comment


    • #3
      I think you are spot on Taz. I think LB and Safety are the focus for me and I would like some additional depth along both fronts.

      We are trending towards the draft now no doubt.

      Some players I like in slots I think we could get them:

      QB - The Eagles like the UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson or at the very least have met with him. He should be available late and has a similar skillset to Hurts. I like Max Duggan who I think is a plus athlete and a smart kid who would fit in this offense. Both would be late round picks.

      RB - I LOVE Deuce Vaughn from K-State. He is a Darren Sproles clone. He could return punts also. He is about a 5th round pick. I'd love this kid. Overall, I agree though we are slightly worse here but also potentially slightly better. Penny is more of a downhill runner and I think Gainwell is also downhill and just as explosive. I will not miss Miles Sanders one bit.

      WR - I am OK with keeping Quez Watkins. One guy I would love to see us target is Xavier Hutchinson from Iowa State. I watched him play a bunch. The Clones run a similar offense and he is big at 6-3, 205. There is the Matt Campbell-Nick Sirianni connection too. Hutchinson could be a Zach Pascal clone. I also like Jalin Hyatt a lot but I think he is going to go in the top 50 and I don't want to burn that high of a pick on him. Our focus here needs to be on preparing to extend Devonta Smith.

      TE - I agree with you here Taz that Calcaterra is ready to take a step forward. I don't see a TE I'd draft unless Sam Laporta slides a bunch or maybe Davis Allen who is a very big pass catcher and fairly athletic for Clemson.

      OL - I am going to bunch all of this together. I would not take the kid from Northwestern. I think he is a little light in the britches. The Eagles are kicking the tires on both Ohio State tackles and I am not high on Dawand Jones either. He is too tall I think. I could see the Eagles taking Cody Mauch on day 2. He is a very athletic. Almost a Lane Johnson clone in how he grew into the position. I am a HUGE fan of O'Cyrus Torrence but I am not sure he is a scheme fit. He looks a lot like Landon Dickerson to me. He is also really versatile and can play all across the front. Maybe not LT but potentially RT. I would not be surprised to see the Birds take him if he is there at 30. I don't think he will be though. I also think the Eagles will take a look at Steve Avila the guard from TCU who can also play center. And I think Andrew Vorhees the G from USC who tore his ACL at the combine would be a great day 2 pick. Draft him and let him heal and then he is a plug and play at RG next year when Kelce retires and Jurgens moves to center.
      Listen... Jurgens may not work out. Just because Kelce blessed the kid doesn't mean he is a sure thing. He is very similar in size and skill set to Isaac though so I have every bit of faith that he will play at a high level.

      DL - Taz I would not trade up for Jalen Carter. If he is there, I'd take him but I wouldn't use draft capital to move up. I think it is highly likely that of this group... Tyree Wilson, Myles Murphy, Will Anderson, and Jalen Carter, one of them is going to be there at 10. My dream scenario would be if Tyree Wilson/Myles Murphy are there at 10 and Bryan Breese/Calijah Kancey are there at 30. That might seem like overkill but you can't have enough pass rushers in this league anymore. You must get to the QB quickly and you must do it with 4-5 guys. I do think Barnett is back and I am OK with that. A DE rotation of Sweat, Graham, Barnett and Myles Murphy would be scary. A DT rotation of Davis, Cox, Kancey, Suh and Milton Williams would be excellent. I really really like Milton Williams and think he is going to have a great year.

      LB - Two players I really like are Jack Campbell, MLB, from Iowa and Dorian Williams who is an undersized LB from Tulane. We really are relying on Dean to be all that he is advertised. There are going to be some growing pains. I would love to see Bobby Wagner with one big reason being keeping him out of Dallas. Campbell would be slotted at 94 if we stay there. I like him although he is not going to win a lot of foot races. He just knows how to play the position.

      CB - I think Kelee Ringo is the best CB in this draft. He can mirror a WR but he can also tackle. He is tall which is a HUGE benefit. If he is there at 30 and you don't love the DL/OL available I'd take him. I get that we have used a lot of free agent dollars on CBs but Ringo is great long-term insurance and Greedy Williams is only here on a one year deal. Two other players I like are TreVius Hodges from TCU. He is small but is absolute glue in coverage. He is a faster version of Avonte Maddox. He will be there late. At 5-8, he is going to slide. I also think he can return punts. I also like Julius Brents from KSTATE. He is huge at 6-4 and lacks top end speed. I wonder if he could make the move to safety. He will be there on Day 3 early I think because he is not naturally a fluid mover. He is more of a zone and tackle guy but that is the way the league is going.

      S - I think it is highly likely the Eagles sign either Adrian Amos or Jalen Mills. They could trade for Kevin Byard who the Titans are asking to take a pay cut but he doesn't want to. I think he is trying to force a release. AJ Brown should get in his ear and Byard is a Philly native. If I am going to draft a safety, I need him to be a big safety because he needs to be able to come down in the box and tackle but also cover over the middle that are bigger including the TE. Antonio Johnson from A&M is 6-3 and a good player. He has great speed and instincts. If he is sliding towards 62, I'd absolutely use a pick to move up and get him because he is not going to fall all the way to 62. He will go in the 40-50 range.

      Lastly... Taz I agree they need to upgrade punter. I'm not sure you draft one but if they did with one of those late round picks I would not be upset.

      You know Darren if you'd have told me 10 years ago that someday I was going to solve the world's energy problems I'd have said your crazy.... now lets drop this big ball of oil out the window.

      Comment


      • #4
        Nice in-depth roster scan, taz. I like the picks in that mock too.

        I think that OL will get a look re: Lane's successor. WR depth too. I don't think that the team will rely heavily on Penny staying healthy, but Sermon may be the hedge against any concerns there. There will likely be some UDFAs brought in at OL and WR.

        At LB, I am intrigued by Henley, though I don't know a lot about him outside of the fact that he was once a high school WR and moved to defense. I think they'll draft a LB and safety, but neither in Rd 1.

        D-Line may see multiple picks, if only to replenish depth. In addition to drafted players I wouldn't be surprised to see UDFA defensive linemen brought in as well.

        Comment


        • #5
          QB - probably set, depending on how much they like Book. Mariota was atrocious on deep passes last year, so Minshew was probably better in that respect, but Mariota is a better runner. Regardless, he's the QB2 and is fine.
          RB - Will probably add a later draft pick or UDFA or low-salary veteran at some point, as injury insurance for Penny.
          WR - I'm fine with Quez, he knows he didn't play well this last year and could bounce back some. But he will get a salary escalator, and the Eagles may be fishing for some options in case they want some cap space back at cut time. Maybe Devon Allen becomes the guy to take the top off, even if you don't throw it that way very often. We will probably sign a veteran to replace Paschal. A draft pick would not surprise me at this point, though not high. Something of a need.
          TE - probably set. Tyree Jackson is hanging around too; had a lost year due to that injury.
          OL - agreed they need depth. Would be somewhat surprised if we pick one at 10, since they probably want Jurgens on the field this year, but for sure they will be drafting here. They will likely need a starting guard next year once Jurgens slides to C, and Opeta seems to take a step back this past year.
          DL - Definitely an area of need, and most likely area to draft high. We have BG and Cox back but they could be one-year players, and Barnett too. Could even see two high picks here, if one is DE and one DT. We don't absolutely need a starter here for 2023, but need some rotation players.
          SLB - Think we are set, though could draft a guy to replace one of the Johnsons as backup.
          ILB - Morrow signing helps, but still a need for depth. I don't think we are spending even moderate dollars here though -- cheap veterans or draft picks. Wagner won't be incredibly expensive but still too rich for us.
          CB - that list is actually pretty good. If there is a CB they love high, I could still see it, as I'm not positive Slay is here beyond 2023 -- can't quite parse the contract since I don't know if 2024 is fully guaranteed or not. But we have good starters and good depth, actually.
          S - Huge need as mentioned. If there are free agent dollars left, this is probably the spot. And should be drafting here too. Justin Evans is likely better than the depth we had last year, but need more than that.

          Comment

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