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Tag: Bryce Huff

  • Bryce Huff sack tracker

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    Back in the spring, the Philadelphia Eagles traded Bryce Huff to the San Francisco 49ers for a fifth-round pick that can become a fourth-round pick if Huff has eight sacks during the 2025 season.

    Note: Some of you have asked if the Eagles even own this pick anymore after all the trades they have made in the past two months. And, yes, I assure you that if the conditions are met, the Eagles will own the fourth-round pick.

    Anyway, here we’ll track Huff’s sacks on the season, in stick figure form:

    • Week 1, at Seahawks: 0 sacks

    • Week 2, at Saints: 1 sack!

    • Week 3, Cardinals: 1 sack!

    • Week 4, Jaguars: 0 sacks

    • Week 5, at Rams: 

    • Week 6, at Buccaneers: 

    • Week 7, Falcons: 

    • Week 8, at Texans: 

    • Week 9, at Giants: 

    • Week 10, Rams: 

    • Week 11, at Cardinals: 

    • Week 12, Panthers: 

    • Week 13, at Browns: 

    • Week 14: BYE

    • Week 15, Titans: 

    • Week 16, at Colts: 

    • Week 17, Bears: 

    • Week 18, Seahawks: 

    092125gobryce2sacks

    You’re welcome.

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    Jimmy Kempski

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  • Checking in on recent former Eagles: Turnovers aplenty from old friends in Week 3

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    The Eagles are 3-0. So no complaining, right?

    The team has an inconsistent pass rush, is missing a reliable second cornerback and is lacking in offensive line depth. Those are just a few among a variety of weaknesses and issues dogging the perfect Birds so far this season.

    Philly’s roster, as constructed, is clearly still one of the best in the sport. But could it have been even better? Here’s a look at the players Howie Roseman and the front office decided to trade away, or cut, or let sign elsewhere over the past few months. Will any of those decisions come back to haunt them?

    C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S, Free agent

    We’ll start with CJGJ, who was a key contributor to the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning defense but was not in the team’s plans for 2025. He was traded to the Texans, for whom he started three games — but he reportedly clashed with the head coach there. He was cut this week. From ESPN:

    Gardner-Johnson has struggled to pick up coach DeMeco Ryans’ defensive scheme this season, which has contributed to several big plays against the secondary through the first three weeks for the Texans, who are 0-3 to start the season.

    On Monday, Ryans was asked about the communication between his secondary’s players, admitting “it hasn’t been great.” [ESPN]

    Isaiah Rodgers, CB, Vikings

    Howie Roseman doesn’t always get it right. Rodgers scored not one, but two defensive touchdowns on Sunday for Minnesota as they thrashed the Bengals. He had an 87-yard pick six, and later a 66-yard fumble recovery returned for a score. Meanwhile, the Eagles are struggling to field a decent CB2, as Adoree’ Jackson has been less than stellar through three games. He would have been worth a few extra million bucks this season.

    Darius Slay, CB, Steelers

    Slay had a fumble recovery and three tackles in Week 3. At 34, he is still playing every snap at outside cornerback.

    Milton Williams, DT, Patriots

    Williams had two tackles for loss against the Steelers last weekend, bringing his season total to five. He’s been excellent defending at the middle of the line.

    Mekhi Becton, OG, Chargers

    Becton left Week 3 with a concussion. Prior to that he’d been solid but not light’s out playing guard for the Chargers, a team that was willing to pay more than Philly was to sign the Super Bowl champ from last year.

    Josh Sweat, DE, Cardinals

    After a monster Week 2, Sweat added another sack in Week 3 along with two QB hits and a tackle for loss. Former Eagles d-linemen continue to produce elsewhere.

    Bryce Huff, DE, 49ers

    Huff had a sack, two QB hits and a pass deflection in Week 3. He needs six more sacks for the Eagles to get improved draft compensation. 

    Oren Burks, LB, Bengals

    The former backup linebacker for the Eagles forced a fumble and had five tackles against the Vikings.

    Thomas Booker IV, iDL, Raiders

    Another former Eagles pass rusher – another forced fumble. Booker, who was sent to Las Vegas for Jakorian Bennett, had three tackles and a forced fumble against Washington. 

    Kenny Pickett, QB, Raiders

    After the Eagles traded Pickett for a fifth-round pick and Dorian Thompson-Robinson (who they cut), the QB-rich Browns traded Pickett to the Raiders to recoup that fifth-rounder. He’s Geno Smith’s backup there.

    Kenny Gainwell, RB, Steelers

    Gainwell scored his first touchdown of the year in Pittsburgh, and had four carries for 16 yards and a score in Week 3. He also hauled in a 10-yard reception, bringing his total to seven catches this season.

    Darian Kinnard, OL, Packers

    Kinnard played just seven total snaps in the Packers’ upset loss to the Browns.

    Harrison Bryant, TE, Texans

    The shortly-tenured Philly tight end played 21 snaps in Houston last week but didn’t register a stat.

    Jack Stoll, TE, Saints

    The former Eagles’ blocking tight end caught two of three targets Sunday and scored a touchdown, his first of his entire NFL career. 

    Avonte Maddox, CB, Lions

    Maddox made the Detroit roster out of camp and is a depth corner. He did not play on the regular defense in Detroit’s Monday Night win, appearing just six times during special teams.

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  • Will The Eagles Make Another Move In August? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Eagles are one of the most active organizations when it comes to making trades.

    Just one month after winning Super Bowl LIX the Eagles made two trades. 

    The first move swapped C.J Gardner-Johnson with Kenyon Green, which also saw the Eagles move up from the 6th round to the 5th round in 2026. However, last week both players were injured and will most likely miss the start of the regular season.

    The other trade (on the same day) was a swap of Quarterbacks. The Eagles acquired pick 164, (used in the trade up to acquire Jihaad Campbell) and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The price? Super Bowl champion QB Kenny Pickett.

    With a handful of trades up and down throughout the 2025 Draft. The Eagles spent the rest of the spring focused elsewhere.

    Then in June. The Eagles fixed one of their prior free agent errors by sending Bryce Huff to the 49ers for a 2026 conditional 5th round pick. Bringing their total picks in the 2026 draft to 10, with an expectation to receive an additional 3 comp picks.

    Making Moves In August

    The most recent move to add to the Eagles August history is the trade for CB Jakorian Bennett. Adding to the CB2 camp competition between Mac McWilliams, Kelee Ringo and Adoree Jackson.

    A simple player for player swap saw the Eagles add to the secondary, and in return the Raiders added Thomas Booker to their defensive line.

    Below we’ll look at the Eagles history in August, with a whopping 9 trades during the final month of the offseason in the Nick Sirianni era.

    2024

    • 8/22 PHI traded 2025 3rd and two 2025 7ths to WAS for WR Jahan Dotson and a 2025 5th

    2023

    • 8/29 PHI traded a 2025 6th to DEN for TE Albert Okwuegbunam and a 2025 7th

    2022

    • 8/15 PHI traded WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside to SEA for S Ugo Amadi
    • 8/24 PHI traded S Ugo Amadi and a 2024 7th to TEN for a 2024 6th
    • 8/30 PHI traded a 2023 5th and two 2024 6ths to NOLA for S C.J. Gardner-Johnson and a 2025 7th
    • 8/31 PHI traded WR Jalen Reagor to MIN for a 2023 7th and a 2025 4th

    2021

    • 8/27 PHI traded a 2022 6th to JAX for QB Gardner Minshew 
    • 8/30 PHI traded OL Matt Pryor and a 2022 7th to IND for a 2022 6th

    With a multitude of trade acquisitions for both starters and depth pieces happening in the month of August. Will the Eagles stay with their current roster? Or is another trade brewing with the 53 man roster deadline less than two weeks away on August 26th?

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • The Eagles’ pass rush has come alive since the bye

    The Eagles’ pass rush has come alive since the bye

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    There might’ve been no part of the team that benefitted more from two weeks away than the Eagles’ pass rush. 

    In the four games before the bye, they just weren’t much of a factor. A front seven that was supposed to be strong on paper was instead struggling to get to the quarterback, which led to coverage getting picked apart overtop and the whole defense getting left on the field for way too long. 

    Brandon Graham, in year 15 and at age 36, looked like the Eagles’ most effective rusher off the edge; Bryce Huff, as the offseason signing meant to replace Haason Reddick, looked like an unplayable disaster; and the Georgia products Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Nolan Smith, they would either show quick flashes of brilliance or just disappear entirely. 

    None of that was what the organization, which has always prided itself on strength within the trenches, had in mind, and was collectively one of the leading factors for why the Eagles were only treading water through their first five games. 

    But then something clicked. 

    The Eagles took the bye and then returned home to Lincoln Financial Field a week later against the Browns, and while they just barely beat an awful Cleveland team with much to criticize about the 20-16 effort, the pass rush did get to Deshaun Watson five times with, by far, the most punch they displayed yet. 

    Then on Sunday in East Rutherford, they were tearing through the Giants’ offensive line and chasing down floundering quarterback Daniel Jones all day. The Eagles totaled eight sacks in Sunday’s 28-3 thrashing of New York, doing so with their most complete overall effort of the season and with a pass rush that finally looked as mean as many expected it to. 

    “I’m happy that it’s showing up because we work every week,” Graham said after the win over the Giants that moved the Eagles to 4-2.

    “It was just a matter of time,” Sweat added of working through his own early-season struggles. “When would I have time to get there?

    “I’ve been rushing the same,” Sweat cracked with a big smile. “Ain’t doing nothin’ different, but as a group, we’ve been taking care of each other, and like I said, the back end, they’ve been doing their thing, too. Both sides have been improving a lot.”

    And maybe just in time. 

    The Eagles have combined for 13 sacks over the past two games, compared to just six through the first four ahead of the bye week. 

    On Sunday in the Meadowlands, Sweat got to Jones first on a third down to force the Giants to punt on their second drive, which opened the floodgates for Carter, Smith, Huff, and linebacker Nakobe Dean to cash in, too. 

    By the time the first half was over, Jones had already hit the MetLife Stadium turf five times, and by game’s end, Carter and Dean each had two sacks, while depth rusher Jalyx Hunt recorded his first career sack (with a forced fumble) on Drew Lock in garbage time. 

    The Giants’ offense never really had any time to breathe, and moreover, the shift in pressure from the Eagles’ pass rush has contributed to an overall effort where the defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown over the past two weeks. 

    Of course, there’s the obvious “yeah, but…” there: The Browns are terrible, and so are the Giants. 

    But from the Eagles’ perspective in the locker room after Sunday’s win, it is momentum building, and toward a section of the schedule that is very winnable – at Cincinnati this coming Sunday and then home against Jacksonville the next – ahead of their first crack at Dallas on November 10. 

    A resurgent pass rush, and the team on the whole, intends to keep it rolling.

    “I don’t know if it’s like something that’s clicked,” said Huff, who has 1.5 sacks since coming back from the bye week. “But I just feel like it’s a product of us working hard every week to continuously improve on what we’ve been coached to do. Everybody’s taking up their role and attacked it.”

    And they’ll need to keep attacking if the Eagles are going to hit their stride.

    MORE: How the Eagles’ secondary, D-line worked together for 8 sacks vs. the Giants

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  • Training Camp, Hall Of Fame and 2024 Preseason: The NFL Is Back! – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Training Camp, Hall Of Fame and 2024 Preseason: The NFL Is Back! – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Today marks the first day of the NFL season with an actual game being played.
    I was lucky enough to share that day with the Eagle’s open practice. 

    Hall Of Fame Game

    The Eagles might not have had any relations to this year’s Hall of Fame class, including Steve McMichael and Devin Hester, giving the Bears their second appearance at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in the last six years. But they might soon, with some Eagles greats who have recently retired, like Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce.

    Perhaps the Eagles will end their 18-year absence one day, with 17 nominees in the 2024 class. Or once either of these recently retired players hits eligibility five years from now.

    And for those who think 62 or 91 might not make the hall one day, here’s a glimpse at their resumes.

    • Fletcher Cox: 6x Pro Bowl / 1x All-Pro / HOF All-2010’s Team / Super Bowl 52 Champ
    • Jason Kelce: 7x Pro Bowl / 6x All-Pro / Eagles-Record 145 Consecutive Starts / Super Bowl 52 Champ

    Open Practice!

    On the other side of Thursday was the Eagles open practice, and if you’ve been as impatient as I have for football season, then today was a pretty good day.

    Nearly 50,000 fans showed up at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday, and almost 75% of the Linc was filled for practice. 

    And the offense didn’t disappoint, with Hurts posting the following stat line to end the day.

    We’re only five weeks out from the Eagles opening the season against the Packers in Brazil.

    And while they still have plenty to make up for last season’s disastrous end, we still have preseason games to get through before we get there.

    Preseason

    The Eagles will have three preseason games in the coming weeks:

    • @ Baltimore Ravens
    • @ New England Patriots
    • @Minnesota Vikings

    For once, the Eagles won’t host the Vikings in the regular season to start their year; instead, it’ll come one week earlier in their final preseason match.

    Regardless if the Eagles starters see any real action in the coming weeks, there are plenty of names to look out for, but they might not even see much of the playing field this season.

    Jalyx Hunt

    After cutting Barnett late last season, the Eagles’ defensive line depth weakened. After acquiring Huff and moving on from Reddick, they would need more insurance in the defensive end position. Enter the Eagles’ third-round pick.

    If Vic Fangio is committed to playing those who deserve playing time, we may see more rookies play than we have in the past. While that opens the door for the rookies, it could also limit some of the other playmakers on the roster.

    Isaiah Rodgers

    The Eagles had Rodgers tucked away on the suspended list for most of last season, and now that the year is beginning, we’re finding out the Eagles have a massive logjam in the secondary.

    Multiple rookies, Mitchell and DeJean(injured), as well as plenty of other sophomores and veterans, are vying for a roster spot. 

    However, Rodgers is getting reps with the first team, so there are even more questions about who might play in the preseason.

    If Rodgers is penciled in as a starter, we won’t see much from a player who hasn’t seen playing time in almost 18 months.

    We’ll find out next week which Eagles will get to suit up for their first preseason game, less than a week away.
    Football is back!

    PHOTO: Philadelphia Eagles/Facebook

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Could The Eagles Add To The Defensive Line? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Could The Eagles Add To The Defensive Line? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The problem between the 2022 and 2023 Eagles defense. (Other than not being able to get a single stop most games). Was the change in production from the defensive line.

     

    From having four 10+ Sack players. (Reddick, Sweat, Hargrave & Graham)

    To only a single 10+ Sack player. (Reddick)

    The 2022 Eagles might’ve fallen short of the Bears 72 Sack record in 2022. But they were nowhere close to repeating that total, only recording 43 sacks last year. Ranking 20th league wide.

    There’s plenty of reasons as to what might have fully derailed the Eagles season. Giving up an average of 30.3 points in the final 6 games of the season, including a 32 point defeat to the Buccaneers in the Wildcard round. Somehow, the team that gave up the least passing yards in 2022, with an average of 171.6 yard against per game. Became the team that gave up the 3rd most, with 255.7 passing yards against in 2023.

     

    Overuse Down The Stretch

    The Eagles defensive line finished the season injured and not as deep as it started. After playing multiple overtime games, the Eagles were never the same following the win against Buffalo. Where the Defense played 95 Snaps, and what seemed like the point of no return for the season.

    Below is the DL and its share of snap counts across the season

    Player Total Snaps Snap % Snaps Played Vs Buffalo
    Haason Reddick 862 74.18% 83
    Josh Sweat 828 71.26% 81
    Fletcher Cox 684 58.86% 22
    Jalen Carter 563 48.45% 76
    Jordan Davis 519 44.66% 62
    Milton Williams 494 42.51% Missed Game
    Brandon Graham 395 33.99% 26
    Nolan Smith 188 16.18% 11
    Marlon Tuipulotu 162 13.94% 32
    Derek Barnett 99 8.52% Cut/Signed with HOU
    Kentavius Street 87 7.49% Traded To ATL
    Moro Ojomo 68 5.85% Missed Game

    Had the Eagles not over-relied on their starters and played more of their depth. Perhaps the major burnout at the end of the year would have saved them from not being able to get off the field. Add on the fact they traded away Street and Cut Barnett at the trade deadline. The Eagles defense was without 2 more players to pick up the snaps.

     

    This Years Additions

    Much like the last few seasons, the Eagles have successfully drafted players before their predecessor’s had retired. From Kelce to Jurgens. Cox to Davis/Carter.

    Now that the Eagles have gone and made acquisitions throughout the offseason. They’ve been able to add Bryce Huff, Jalyx Hunt and Julian Okwara to the OLB position. With the expectation Nolan Smith will also see a larger role in his 2nd season, similar to his fellow Bulldog teammates.

    But with countless DBs and only so many roster spots available. It feels like the Eagles further additions could come along the defensive line. (When haven’t they). Additions such as Genard Avery, Ndamukong Suh, Robert Quinn, Linval Joseph have all been acquired throughout the last few seasons.

    You can’t always prevent injuries, and if defense wins championships. Then depth could be necessary down the stretch. Could a name like Chase Young come up in a few months if the Saints finally blow it up? Or perhaps the Eagles go big game hunting and see if the Chargers are committed to a rebuild, and are interested in shopping Khalil Mack?

     

    There’s still a long way to go till the Week 9 Trade Deadline. But Eagles training camp begins next week, and then we’ll finally get our first taste of the Eagles season to come that is just around the corner.

     

    Photo Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images

     

     

     

     

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Three Eagles Veterans Who Can Continue Making An Impact In 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Three Eagles Veterans Who Can Continue Making An Impact In 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Last week I discussed 3 new Eagles who could make an impact in 2024. From new faces on the defense, and changes to the offense. There isn’t many reasons to doubt what the 2024 Eagles should bring.

    With Training Camp and Preseason starting in the coming weeks. We’ll get a closer look at some of those players still vying to make a final roster spot before the 53 mans are due August 27th. While we might not see much of some of the Eagles veterans during those preseason games. There’s still a bottom line to expect from some players that have been around the organization for most of their careers.

     

    Josh Sweat

    Entering the offseason, it wasn’t clear if the Eagles were going to keep Josh Sweat or Haason Reddick in the future, as both would have been on expiring deals after this season had they not made a move for Bryce Huff.

    Now, there’s more expectation from Sweat with a contract season looming. The Eagles drafted Sweat with the 130th pick in the 2018 Draft. Did they expect him to put up an 11 Sack season in 2022? Or 11th in Pressures last season?

    The Eagles made a statement keeping Josh Sweat for the final year of his deal. With the additions of Bryce Huff and Jalyx Hunt, some pressure might be off of Sweat, but the Eagles should expect to see something similar to his 2022 season if they’re going to continue with Sweat in the picture.

     

    Jake Elliott

    We need to make one thing abundantly clear. The Eagles probably weren’t even close to being 10-1 if not for Jake Elliott’s performances last season.

    Throughout the year, Elliott made 30/32FG’s, and 45/46XP’s.

    Some impactful kicks that saved games include:

    • The Eagles only points in the 2nd half against the Patriots Week 1. With kicks made from 56, 51 and 48 yards.

    • The Commanders Week 4 Overtime game, that frankly didn’t need Overtime. From 54 yards.

    • To give the Eagles a chance in OT to beat the Bills, was this 59 yard FG.

    • Elliott scored 15 of the Eagles 33 points in the Week 16 win against the Giants. Going 4/4 FG including 3XP.

    Makes sense why the Eagles locked up Elliott to a 4-Year extension worth $24M this offseason. Now under contract until 2028.

     

    Darius Slay

    Coming into his 5th season on the Eagles. Slay has seen it all. From the Nate Gerry seasons, to the start and end of the Gannon Era, and then most of whatever Sean Desai and Matt Patricia brought to the table.

    Slay missed 4 games near the end of the Eagles season, including the games against the Seahawks, Cardinals and Giants. Perhaps if the Eagles had their true CB1 to end the year some of the defensive lapses that cost them games could have been prevented.

    However with a new year brings new opportunity. And if Slay ends up as a Captain again, there’s going to be higher standards for a presences many doubted during the turmoil of the Eagles collapse. And with all the new Cornerbacks looking to make their own roster spot.

    If the 6x Pro-Bowler is able to return to form, the Eagles secondary could become one of the best in the league after this years draft class.

     

     

     

    The Eagles report to Training Camp in 11 days. Where we’ll get another weeks look at the team before their open practice on August 1st.

    What rookies are you going to have your eye on?

     

    Photo Credit: Bill Streicher / USA Today Sports

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • New Eagles That Need To Make An Impact In 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    New Eagles That Need To Make An Impact In 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Eagles may have made some drastic changes throughout the roster. But there’s still some uncertainty about the depth chart. But with the new coaching changes and acquisitions made in the offseason (and yet to come), there’s plenty of players who will have their opportunity to make an impact on the roster.

    Below are a few standouts to look forward to in the regular season.

    Bryce Huff

    The biggest change to the Eagles defensive line is going to be the swap of Haason Reddick for Bryce Huff.

    In his 4 seasons with the Jets, Huff put up 17.5 sacks (with 10 coming in his last season), as well as 21 QB hits and 10 TFL in the 2023 season. During that season Huff only played 480 defensive snaps (42.22%). When you look at the workload that Haason Reddick had on the Eagles last year, with 862 defensive snaps (74.18%). Reddick posted 11 sacks, 23 QB hits and 13 TFL.

    Huff will have big shoes to fill in his opening season with the Eagles. But with a defense the Eagles have gone all out on, hoping to turn things around from the #26 rank they had last season, and 31st in passing defense.

     

    Will Shipley

    With the 127th pick in this years NFL Draft, the Eagles selected running back Will Shipley. Shipley had 827 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns in his final season at Clemson. Could the Eagles need to reduce Saquon Barkley’s workload, Shipley should be the best available backup. Fans and opponents saw the Eagles overuse of Kenneth Gainwell last season, with only 364 rushing yards. And unless his offensive woes(4.3ypc) were also due to Brian Johnson’s uncreative offense. He should be on a very short leash as the Eagles longest tenured back.

     

    There won’t be much to expect from Shipley in his rookie season if all goes well. But in the event of injury, the Eagles RB depth will need to come into play. And if Kellen Moore’s new offense can bring out the best in all 3 backs, perhaps they’ll be able to make their way into more top 10 rankings.

     

    C.J. Uzomah

    Something I spent most of last season hoping the Eagles would address, was adding another tight end to the roster.

    When they signed CJ Uzomah along with Kellen Moore becoming the new offensive coordinator. The offense was going to get some new looks. Uzomah might not have had much to show for his 2 seasons with the Jets, but joining a backup role behind Dallas Goedert might be the perfect setup for his next season.

    Throughout Moore’s OC seasons, his teams 1&2TEs had the following stats:

    2019(Cowboys)
    Jason Witten – 63Rec, 529Yards, 4TD
    Blake Jarwin – 31Rec, 365Yards, 3TD

    2020(Cowboys)
    Dalton Schultz – 63Rec, 615Yards, 4TD
    Blake Bell – 11Rec, 110Yards, 0TD

    2021(Cowboys)
    Dalton Schultz – 78Rec, 808Yards, 8TD
    Blake Jarwin – 11Rec, 96Yards, 2TD

    2022(Cowboys)
    Dalton Schultz – 57Rec, 577Yards, 5TD
    Jake Ferguson – 19Rec, 174Yards, 2TD
    Peyton Hendershot – 11Rec, 103Yards, 2TD

    2023(Chargers)
    Gerald Everett – 51Rec, 411Yards, 3TD
    Donald Parham – 27Rec, 285Yards, 4TD
    Stone Smartt – 11Rec, 155 Yards, 1TD

    With productive seasons from multiple TEs across multiple seasons and including a 2nd team should mean good things for the coming Eagles offense. If Dallas Goedert stays healthy for all 17 games of the season, the Eagles might be able to expect a 1,000 yard season from him, let alone how many yards they’re able to get from their TE2, arguably C.J. Uzomah until listed otherwise.

     

    There’s more than just the 3 players who need to make their impact known. But from the draft and free agency, these are the roles that could help define this Eagles season as a success, from positions they could have been lacking in the last few years.

     

    We only have to wait 19 more days until Training Camp starts. And after that, pre-season will be right around the corner.

     

    Photo Credit: Seth Wenig / AP Photo 

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Howie Roseman Won’t Let the Eagles’ Great Culture Fade – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Howie Roseman Won’t Let the Eagles’ Great Culture Fade – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    After a relatively addition-free offseason just a season ago, GM Howie Roseman has gone all out in 2024. He has, at the very least, improved every position of need for the Philadelphia Eagles, minor or massive.
    More than anything, that says that he is not keen on letting the Eagles’ winning culture fade. It means a lot in the NFL, and he’s not about to let that go away. He wants to get better no matter what.

    Roseman’s Additions

    In the opening days of free agency, Roseman most notably helped acquire running back Saquon Barkley, defensive end Bryce Huff, safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, and linebacker Devin White.

    Photo: Russ Heltman

    Having money for the future is important — the salary cap, believe it or not, does actually exist. Backloading contracts and restructuring them does come into play at some point or another, so Roseman has gone all out.

    Three of the Eagles’ biggest needs going into the offseason were all pretty apparent: the secondary, running back, and linebacker. There’s still plenty of time (and an entire draft class)  to add more, but Roseman prioritized his team needs while getting younger in the process. It would be one thing to sign veterans for an “all-in” season, but he’s maximizing his window here. Each of these players is relatively young, with Barkley being the oldest at 27.

    Getting to what these deals actually mean, let’s first start with Barkley. He was a more explosive back (10+ yard rushes) on a per-play basis than D’Andre Swift, who signed with the Chicago Bears this offseason for a decent sum of money. And he did that behind, arguably, the worst offensive line in football versus Swift doing it behind, arguably, the best. Barkley is the only running back to have a top-10 score in rushing yards over expected (RYOE) in both 2022 and 2023, so he still has a lot left.

    Both Huff and Gardner-Johnson are huge, young additions that help the Eagles have long-term hope at their respective positions. Huff has a lot of upside, while Gardner-Johnson is the exact energy Philadelphia was missing last season. The latter was a big culture signing, but more on that in a bit.

    White is an athletic linebacker who didn’t have the best season in 2023, but he should still be a solid asset for the Eagles. On a one-year deal, there is little risk involved.

    The Importance of Culture

    It’s hard to call what happened to the Eagles last season a lack of culture, but it’s clear that the vibes around the team were far lower than they were in 2022 when they went to the Super Bowl. You don’t have to be in the room every day to know that. And the fact that the Eagles dropped six of their last seven games, including their Wildcard loss, probably didn’t help matters.

    So what did Roseman do? He brought back an energy player in Gardner-Johnson. Not only was he a really good player for the Eagles when he was there during their run to the Super Bowl, but he gave them a little bit of spice. The Detroit Lions know all about this, especially when he taunted the San Francisco 49ers’ crowd during the NFC Championship when he was up by 13— just to lose anyway.

    But that’s the sort of attitude the Eagles need. There was far too much of the cliches last season — every player on the team promised they’d be better the next game and never got better. In an endless loop, the team needed real character and emotion. That was acquired. It might seem trivial, but “vibes” are very real. Look no further than when the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017 — that team was full of “vibes”. Perhaps the best team in that department the Birds have ever seen.

    Photo: —

    Not every team needs to adopt the “Patriot Way.” Players need to have fun and enjoy themselves. The Eagles sort of lost their character — that’s what made them special. With Roseman showing belief in his players by adding legitimate stars to both sides of the ball, the Eagles have veteran leadership and character in a player like Brandon Graham, skillful youth in someone like Jalen Carter, and stars in their prime, including A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Jordan Mailata just to name a few.

    Having a good, young team with a GM who is willing to make sacrifices to add to that helps build culture. The Eagles lost in the Super Bowl, started out as hot as ever the following season with a 10-1 record, faded, and got much better. They made changes. They have a lot of draft picks to work with. They have the recipe in place to be a good team again. Roseman deserves credit for that.

    The Eagles aren’t playing any games this season. They saw what failed just a year ago. Roseman is doing everything to not let it happen again.
    Growing as a GM, it is becoming apparent that Roseman could remain with the Eagles for a while. Not doomed to repeat history, he has evolved his entire career. He likely recognized just how influential culture is in football.

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    Justin Giampietro

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  • 3 Weeks From The Draft. Who Might The Eagles Take With Pick #22 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    3 Weeks From The Draft. Who Might The Eagles Take With Pick #22 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    With three weeks until the NFL draft.
    Rosters are beginning to take shape and some clear picks are beginning to show.

    With the Bears, Patriots and Commanders expected to take their QBs of the future. There will be a long way to go to see who might fall to the Eagles with the 22nd overall pick.

     

    While the Eagles have recently ended the conversation whether they would trade Reddick or Sweat. Another hole has opened in the depth of the roster.

    Sure the Eagles have already signed Bryce Huff to a $51M deal and have Nolan Smith waiting in the wings after only playing 188 defensive snaps in his rookie season. Barely seeing an increase in playtime after the Eagles had waived Derek Barnett prior to their Week 11 game against Buffalo. 

    Laiatu Latu – Edge, UCLA

    Re-filling the edge-rusher position after trading away Reddick, with Brandon Graham on his final season all while not knowing what you have in Smith and Huff is probably one of the best options for the Eagles at #22. Similar to drafting Davis and Carter in lieu of Hargrave and Cox departures in the last two seasons.

    The biggest area of concern regarding Latu is from a neck injury he suffered during a preseason workout in 2020. An injury that had the University of Washington medical staff refusing to medically clear him to continue playing.

    The Eagles have had multiple instances of drafting players with this warning, including Josh Sweat and Nakobe Dean. 

    If the Eagles don’t believe that Huff and Smith are able to take over enough of the defensive snaps. Bringing in Latu could be the final piece to a new defensive line. 

    NFL.com has multiple mock drafts with Latu going to the Rams at 19 and 24, as well as the Buccaneers at 26. He might fall perfectly within the Eagles range.

     

    Kool-Aid McKinstry – CB, Alabama

    After the disastrous end to the Eagles season. It’s clear a new CB might be needed on the roster. They’ve already gone and re-signed C.J. Gardner Johnson and now brought back Avonte Maddox as well.

    James Bradberry was “part of the plan” when Howie Roseman spoke at the combine, but things can always change by September.

    There’s plenty of available Cornerbacks in this draft. From Quinyon Mitchell, Nate Wiggins, Cooper DeJean and McKinstry are all projected to go in the late 1st round per NFL.com’s mock drafts. 

    Much like Latu. The Eagles may have to look at trading up if they wanted to go after Mitchell in the draft. However, if they wanted to move back in the 1st, McKinstry could be available past 22nd. Allowing the Eagles to regain assets later in the draft.

    With Bradberry and Slay still under contract for multiple seasons. The Eagles should be looking to drafting their predecessors like they have on the defensive line. Unless Eli Ricks or Kelee Ringo have breakout sophomore seasons, a long-term solution needs to be put in place alongside Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown in the secondary. McKinstry could be that answer, and could even allow them to trade Bradberry before the start of the season. Rumors have swirled about the Eagles landing Surtain from the Broncos, but I’d prefer to draft and acquire a starting caliber player still on a rookie deal.

     

     

    No Offensive Picks?

    The offence may not have been able to score at will last season. But the Eagles defense hemorrhaged yards and points beyond belief last year. Was it all on coaching?

    The Eagles have already gone and signed Saquon Barkley, DeVante Parker, Matt Hennessy and Parris Campbell plus more additions for the offense. Taking another day one defensive pick won’t hurt an offense that recently extended two players on the offensive line. With Mailata, Dickerson and Jurgens all under contract for multiple years. There’s multiple options for the Eagles to find a Right Guard late in the draft if Steen hasn’t won the starters spot.

    The Eagles will still have 7 draft picks following the 22nd pick. Where they’ve been able to make successful picks in the later rounds, including 2 more picks in the the top 60.

     

    Who do you have the Eagles drafting in the 1st round?

     

     

     

     

    Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today Sports

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • The Eagles Free Agent Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Eagles Free Agent Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Eagles had another grocery list of positions to fill this off-season.

    • Safety (or 2)
    • Linebackers (multiple)
    • Wide Receivers (multiple)
    • Running Back (or 2)
    • OL Depth

    They had already made a few moves to shore up some depth and competition in the roster. See more of the previous moves like Okwara and Kinnard here.

    If you had told me that the Eagles would cross off most of that list within the first week of free agency. I would assume most of the players were cheap acquisitions who might not even make the 53 man roster. But by end of day Thursday, the Eagles have started the off-season impressively.

    Let’s recap the moves they’ve made since Wednesday.

     

    Division Rival Betrayal

    The Eagles began the legal tampering period with some of the best news. And later finalized a 3-year, $37.75M deal with Saquon Barkley.

    This should be the 3rd year in a row Eagles end up with a 1,000+ yard player in the backfield. From Sanders, to Swift and now Barkley, who put up 962 rushing yards in only 14 games with the Giants this past season. While the Giants had started Tyrod Taylor, Daniel Jones and Tommy DeVito for equal amounts of the season. Saquon was in a similar situation to Christian McCaffrey, and should now make as much an impact on the Eagles as McCaffrey has to the 49ers offense.

    With only a $3,950,000 cap hit in 2024. Barely costing the team as they continued to spend their available cap space…

     

     

    Shopping From Both Sides Of MetLife

    There was one more stop the Eagles had to make while they were scooping players from MetLife Stadium.

    Signing Bryce Huff to a 3-year, $51M contract is a big price to pay for a defensive end who only played 42% of the defensive snaps. Compared to Sweat at $13.3M and Reddick at $15M, who both played over 70% of the Eagles defensive snaps. But with Huff putting up 10 Sacks last year for the Jets, this signing feels similar to when they signed Haason Reddick 2 seasons ago.

    So could this be a signing to replace one of the expiring Sweat or Reddick deals? Or utilizing the $30M jump in cap space to re-invest on the defensive line? We won’t know for now, but this Josh Sweat instagram comment might be a hint of what could still be to come.

     

    Addressing The OL

    Every year, there’s plenty of people online who scream into the void “The Eagles should use their Day 1 pick on an offensive lineman”

    I’m here to tell you they probably won’t do that, again.

    The Eagles had plenty of players depart from the Offensive Line. From Kelce’s retirement to no news on Sua Opeta or Jack Driscoll. But they’ve already gone and signed Darian Kinnard, and now Matt Hennessy.

    With 20 starts in Atlanta over the last 3 years, the former Temple Owl will make his way back to Philadelphia. Having played center and left guard in Atlanta. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Hennessy is viewed as a backup piece, but can bring competition for both Cam Jurgens and Tyler Steen during training camp.

    While this is only a 1 year deal, it probably keeps the Eagles from using a high round pick in the draft on the offensive line. If they’re truly building for the future they could use a 2nd or 3rd round pick, like they have in the last two drafts.

     

     

     

    Finally, Some Linebackers!

    There’s one position the Eagles desperately needed to invest in this off-season. And it took awhile for these moves to come through but they’ve made them.

    Adding 2 linebackers in the opening week of free agency is steps ahead of the linebackers the Eagles were acquiring last year.

    Nicholas Morrow was the only free agent move in March for a LB, and Zach Cunningham and Myles Jack weren’t signed until August.

    Devin White, a former Pro-Bowler and All-Pro had 83 tackles last year, including 2.5 Sacks and 2 Interceptions.

    While Zack Baun had 30 tackles, 2 Sacks and 1 Interception.

    Many may not approve of the White deal, but with plenty of time to make final roster decisions and the draft still a month away. White and Baun are better moves than the Eagles have seen at LB in some time. (We all remember Nate Gerry, right?)

     

    A Reunion In Philly

    Maybe this is what was missing from the Eagles secondary in 2023.

    C.J. Gardner-Johnson didn’t see plenty of playing time in Detroit, With a Week 2 injury that saw C.J. out until week 18. The reacquainted Safety still had 2 Interceptions across his 6 total games in Detroit, 3 in the regular season and 3 in the playoffs.

    Some wanted Justin Simmons to fill the void in the secondary left by Byard, but after some apologies, many are on board with this addition.

     

    The New WR3 In Town

    With Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus set to be free agents, the Eagles had to bring in multiple new faces for new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

    And they did.

    While DeVante Parker’s separation numbers are the worst in the league. The Former Patriot still had 539 and 394 yards during his 2-year stint with Mac Jones at QB (And Matt Patricia at OC).

    Not bad numbers to fill in a WR3 role that Watkins and Zaccheaus didn’t come close to last year. Sure the offense struggled under Brian Johnson, there’s still bright things to expect with new faces on this team with new coordinators and schemes being put in place this off-season.

    There’s still 1 more open WR spot on the roster that could be addressed in the draft or re-signing Zaccheaus. And with the Eagles only paying $1.2M of Parker’s deal, there’s no guarantee he makes the final roster cut in August either.

     

     

     

     

    The Eagles have already made plenty of moves signing new faces to the team, who are you hoping they’re still able to add before the draft?

     

    Go Birds!

     

     

    Photo Credit: Matt Rourke / AP Photo

     

     

     

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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