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  • Essential Things to Know About NFL Computer Picks – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Essential Things to Know About NFL Computer Picks – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    An NFL computer pick is an objective, stat-driven NFL prediction on the result of specific NFL markets that are open for that game.
    With access to increasing data, advanced stats beyond yards and completions have increased significantly in recent years.

    We may use this knowledge to get an advantage in the NFL betting markets. The computer picks run over 10,000 simulations of every NFL game to account for the possible outcomes and variables.

    It accomplishes this by predicting each player’s performance using hundreds of algorithmic variabilities, which are utilized to run simulations of entire matches.

    You can check and verify the Wunderdog.com NFL to know more details about NFL computer picks.

    How Are the Computer Picks for the NFL Determined?

    The Pickswise computer picks uses machine learning techniques as inputs to a Monte Carlo method to generate pre-game probability. This means that we account for the wide range of possible outcomes and probabilities within a particular sporting event by simulating it 10,000 times. To execute simulations, we first forecast each player’s performance based on hundreds of computational variabilities.

    The odds themselves are dynamic and are revised in response to fresh data obtained, including team news, meteorological conditions, and changes in betting markets. A value bet is defined as one that finds a difference between our forecasts and the current betting markets.

    NFL Computer Predictions: Game-Time Odds 

    Pre-game and live content is produced by our computer picks during a game. For each NFL game this season, the computer produces pre-game odds and NFL computer selections for the three primary NFL markets: money line, totals, and against the spread.

    NFL Computer Picks and Predictions Against the Spread 

    This page displays the spread line as of right now, along with the odds and probability estimates made by computer picks for each team to cover the spread.

    Since lines can fluctuate over the week, our page is updated every day to account for any changes in the spread and how they affect the NFL computer’s predictions and selections. 

    NFL Computer Predictions for Pick Scores 

    Predicting the computer selection score is the most widely used application of  NFL computer choices. Because we have an abundance of statistics at our disposal, today’s NFL computer picks can do mathematical calculations to forecast how the game will unfold and how many points each team will likely score. Our algorithm can then identify the differences and the best bets, whether the Money line, Spread, or Totals, by comparing our stars-based projections with the sportsbook’s odds. 

    NFL Computer Picks and Predictions: Over/Under

    This page displays the current point total line as the probability estimates made by our computer pick for the match to go over or under the current line, along with the odds of doing so.

    You can be confident that what you see is accurate and reflects the most recent odds and lines because our page is updated often to account for any changes in the lines and how they affect the forecasts.  

    Cash Line NFL Computer Predictions and Picks

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    The computer makes predictions on the match’s result as well. The most basic type of sports betting is money line wagering, which consists of predicting the game’s winner. The computer picks will use the results of more than 10,000 simulations it runs for every game to determine each team’s chances of winning.

    Additionally, it provides the current money line odds for each team.  

    NFL Computer Forecasts: Player Attachments 

    Player prop bets are becoming a more and more common kind of NFL betting, and the lines and odds can serve as helpful benchmarks for choosing players for fantasy football. Our computer picks runs hundreds of variables in each player’s performance to forecast player performance, which is then utilised to match simulations overall.

    NFL Computer Football Forecasts 

    Projected player stats for each game’s top anticipated players are another fantastic usage of our computer picks. You can place bets on player metrics markets like total yards throwing, receiving, or running in addition to touchdown wagers.

    In all three of these categories, our computer picks models and projects the expected yards for players.

    In-Play Probabilities for NFL Computer Predictions

    Computer picks provide live, dynamic in-game probabilities that adjust to the on-field action of the Against the Spread, Totals, and Money line markets. In addition to making pregame NFL computer picks, it presents an interesting in-game screen.

    A popular and thrilling option to place a wager while watching the action during a game is in-play betting, also known as live betting, on several online sportsbooks.

    You can bet on player props, Money Line, Totals, and Against the Spread, among other markets, with odds adjusted to reflect on-field events.

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  • Random Eagles notes: Haason Reddick trade aftermath, and staffer changes

    Random Eagles notes: Haason Reddick trade aftermath, and staffer changes

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    There were some Philadelphia Eagles news items over the last week or so that probably aren’t worthy of their own articles, but we’ll round them up here.

    Former Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick skipped Jets mandatory minicamp

    As a reminder, the Eagles traded Reddick to the Jets for their third-round pick in 2026. That third-round pick will become a second-round pick if Reddick plays at least 67.5 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps and he has 10 or more sacks in 2024.

    Jets beat writer Rich Cimini of ESPN published a podcast episode detailing what he knows about the Reddick situation, which was summarized by this guy on Twitter: 

    (I listened to the podcast episode to verify accuracy of the above bullet points.)

    The Jets knew that there was a good chance that Reddick would be just a one-year rental, because immediately after they made the trade for him they had Adam Schefter carry water for them.

    (Side note: The Jets will only receive a compensatory pick for Reddick if he leaves in free agency next offseason and he isn’t canceled out by an incoming signing who also qualifies toward the comp pick formula.)

    Anyway, Reddick’s situation with the Jets is a little contentious at the moment, but don’t go gloating to a Jets fan in your life. It’s best for the Eagles if Reddick plays for the Jets this season and plays well because of the trade conditions we laid out above. Reddick/Jets discontent is bad for the Eagles.

    Ultimately, this just feels like some short-term drama, and my guess is that Reddick will show up for training camp when fines for missing practices become far more stringent. 

    VP of player performance Ted Rath is out, and Big Dom is now part of the coaching staff

    Over the last two seasons, you may have seen a guy in a tight shirt wildly celebrating positive Eagles plays from the sidelines, patting players on the helmet and helping them to feet. That was Ted Rath, the Eagles’ former VP of player performance. Rath is out, and my understanding that a reason why is because Jordan Davis — and to a somewhat lesser degree, Jalen Carter — did not finish their 2023 seasons strongly, which has been attributed to their conditioning, or lack thereof.

    This offseason, Davis, Carter, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and defensive line coach Clint Hurtt have all stressed that the focus for Davis and Carter is to be in peak physical condition for the 2024 season.

    In other news, Dom DiSandro (“Big Dom”), is now in charge of “gameday coaching operations” in addition to his two other titles, “senior advisor to the general manager,” and “chief security officer.” That move was no doubt made to allow Big Dom to do Big Dom things as needed on the sidelines during games.

    The Eagles have robust 2025 draft capital

    During the 2024 draft, Howie Roseman made three trades that netted the Eagles extra picks in the 2025 draft:

    1. They traded the 120th overall pick to the Dolphins for a third-round pick in 2025. That pick will land somewhere in between 65th and 96th overall.
    2. They traded the 123rd overall pick to the Texans for the 127th overall pick and a fifth-round pick in 2025.
    3. They traded the 132nd and 210th overall picks to the Lions for the 164th and 201st overall picks in 2024, plus a fourth-round pick in 2025.

    Many assumed that Roseman made those trades anticipating that the team could lose a draft pick for allegedly tampering with Saquon Barkley during free agency. However, the Eagles were cleared of wrongdoing and did not lose any picks.

    Their 2025 draft capital currently looks like this: 

    Round  How acquired 
    1  Eagles’ own pick 
    2  Eagles’ own pick 
    3  Eagles’ own pick 
    3  From Dolphins 
    4  From Lions 
    5  Eagles’ own pick 
    5  From Texans 
    7  PHI, ATL, NO, or DEN 
    7  PHI, ATL, NO, or DEN 

    They have an extra 3 and an extra 5 to waste on a bum at the trade deadline.

    Eagles single-game tickets go on sale today (Tuesday)

    10 a.m., in case you missed it.

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  • A look at the Eagles’ players over 30, and their succession plan for each

    A look at the Eagles’ players over 30, and their succession plan for each

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    The Philadelphia Eagles lost C Jason Kelce and DT Fletcher Cox to retirement this offseason. Kelce will be replaced at center by Cam Jurgens, who the team drafted two years ago to be his successor, and the Eagles have been loading up in the draft for years at DT in advance of Cox’s departure. 

    The Eagles currently have six players who are 30 years of age, or older, plus an additional two players who will soon turn 30. The 30-somethings are EDGE Brandon Graham (36), RT Lane Johnson (34), CB Darius Slay (33), TE C.J. Uzomah (31), LS Rick Lovato (31), and James Bradberry (30). TE Dallas Goedert and K Jake Elliott will both turn 30 in January.

    Five of the players listed above have at least one All-Pro season on their résumés. That’s not out of the ordinary. The oldest players on teams are often also the best players, seeing as they’ve been able to stick in the league long enough to become among the oldest.

    Here we’ll take a look at what kind of succession plan the Eagles have in place for each of their aging players (oldest first).

    • Edge Brandon Graham (36): Graham will be playing in his 15th NFL season in 2024, which he said will be his last. He played in every game in 2023, but only played 395 regular season snaps. His snap count will likely land somewhere in that area again in 2024, if he stays healthy.

    The Eagles more or less swapped out Haason Reddick for Bryce Huff this offseason, and got Josh Sweat to take a pay cut after putting him on the trade block.

    They also drafted Nolan Smith in the first round of the 2023 draft, and Jalyx Hunt in the third round of the 2024 draft. Smith barely played as a rookie, and Hunt is unlikely to play much as a rookie this season.

    Reddick, Sweat, and Graham combined for 38 sacks in 2022, plus another 6 in the playoffs. Reddick is already gone, Graham will be gone next year, and Sweat might not be around next year either.

    The succession plan, for now, is Huff, Smith, and Hunt. Huff is the most accomplished of the three after having a breakout season in 2023, but even he is a work in progress as he’ll have to improve against the run to be a more reliable three-down player.

    The succession plan on the edge is shaky, and it’s a pretty good bet edge rusher will be a high priority next offseason in the draft and/or free agency.

    • RT Lane Johnson (34): During the 2022 season, Johnson said that he wanted play “maybe two more years.”

    During the 2023 offseason, he negotiated a four-year contract that replaced his existing contract, making 2026 the final year of his deal.

    In the locker room after the Eagles’ playoff loss to the Bucs last season, Johnson said that he thinks he has “a few good years left.”

    So when will Johnson retire? Hard to say! 🤷‍♂️

    He is still one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, so the Eagles hope he’ll stick around while longer.

    The 2024 draft featured a deep crop of first-round talent at offensive tackle, and it would have made sense to select a successor for Johnson, especially if that player could also play guard in the short term. Instead they drafted a corner, which was another obvious need.

    As far as succession plans, the Eagles don’t really have one at RT, unless you count lottery ticket free agent Mekhi Becton or 2023 draftee Tyler Steen, who the team selected to play guard.

    “To draft Lane’s successor or not” was a hotly debated topic leading up to the 2024 draft, and probably will be as well leading up to the 2025 draft.

    • CB Darius Slay (33): With Slay now 33 years of age (he’ll turn 34 during the season) and James Bradberry likely on his way out of Philly, the Eagles made cornerback a priority this offseason, using their first two picks in the 2024 draft on Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Last offseason, they selected Kelee Ringo in the 2023 draft, while also signing-and-stashing Isaiah Rodgers, who is now back from suspension.

    Those guys still have to prove themselves at the NFL level, but the Eagles can feel reasonably good about their succession plan at cornerback.

    • C.J. Uzomah (31): Uzomah is probably just a one-year rental, assuming he makes the team. There’s no succession plan needed for a this type of player. 

    • LS Rick Lovato (31): Lovato was scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, but he signed a one-year deal a day before the start of free agency. He could be a year-to-year decision for the Eagles for the rest of his career.

    • CB James Bradberry (30): (See Darius Slay above).

    • TE Dallas Goedert (30 in January): The Eagles drafted Goedert after Zach Ertz’s fifth season when Ertz was only 27 years old. They drafted Ertz after Brent Celek’s sixth season when Celek was 28. Goedert has played six seasons and he’ll turn 30 in January.

    Tight end is a position where it often takes young players a few years to become reliable. Tight ends also tend to fall off sharply once decline sets in. 

    The Eagles selected Grant Calcatera in the 2022 draft, but he only has 9 career catches. They have also taken some fliers on other teams’ trash (Albert Okwuegbunam) and undrafted free agents (most recently McCallan Castles this offseason), but they do not have any legitimate succession plan in place for Goedert, whose contract runs through the 2025 season.

    • K Jake Elliott (30 in January): There’s no reason to believe Elliott won’t be a great kicker for the foreseeable future, and he just signed a contract extension that runs through 2028. (Also, having a succession plan in place at kicker isn’t really a thing teams do). 

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  • Will Saquon Barkley Be The Eagles Next 1,000 Yard Rusher? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Will Saquon Barkley Be The Eagles Next 1,000 Yard Rusher? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Since LeSean McCoy did it in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014. It took the Eagles 8 years to have another 1,000 yard running back. And they did it with 2 different backs in back-to-back seasons.

    Once they got that 1,000 yard season from Miles Sanders, he was on his way to Carolina with a $25.4M/4-year contract. And after Sanders’ departure, the Eagles were able to hit a home run in trading for D’Andre Swift, who put up 1,049 rushing yards in his single season with the Eagles, before signing a $24.5/3-year deal in Chicago.

    The Eagles have seen both of their last rushers leave the year after setting careers highs. Now the 7th(Swift) and 12th(Sanders) highest paid running backs in the league. The Eagles decided to go a different route.

     

    New Face In The Backfield

    Back in March, the Eagles signed their new RB1 to a massive $37.5M/3-year deal.

    The Eagles made a move for a running back that rivals the 49ers acquisition (and now extension) of Christian McCaffrey.

    Now, the 6-year Giant makes his way to Philly, as the 4th highest paid running back. Soon to play behind what was the #1 ranked Offensive Line in 2023 (per PFF). While the question still remains of how well the Eagles offensive line may be in 2024 without Jason Kelce at Center. Even ProFootballNetwork had the Eagles still at the top spot in their offensive line rankings back in April.

     

    Giants Offensive Line Woes

    While PFN had the Giants listed at 23rd following the 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft, PFF had them ranked dead last at 32nd following the 2023 season, and had them ranked 29th this time last year.

    Even with some of the worst ranked OL’s in the league, that hasn’t stopped Saquon Barkley from putting up the following rushing stats

    2023 – 962 yards in 14 games
    2022 – 1,312 yards in 16 games
    2021 – 593 yards in 13 games

    With these rushing numbers, Saquon was also putting up plenty of receiving yards, even with the following QBs behind those previously mentioned bottom of the league OL’s

    2023 – 280 Rec yards – Tommy DeVito(6) / Tyrod Taylor(5) / Daniel Jones(6)
    2022 – 338 Rec yards – Daniel Jones(16) / Davis Webb(1)
    2021 – 263 Rec yards – Daniel Jones(11) / Mike Glennon(4) / Jake Fromm(2)

     

    Saquon’s Future

    On a new team that already has some of the best talent in the league, Saquon will have plenty of opportunity over the next three season with the Eagles. Finally providing Jalen Hurts a reliable receiving back under a new offensive coordinator with Kellen Moore will give the Eagles another player capable of ending up with an Offensive Player of the Year award.

     

    With training camp and pre-season just a few weeks away, how many yards do you think Saquon will put up in his first year with the Eagles?

     

     

     

    Photo Credit: Monica Herndon / Philadelphia Inquirer

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Eagles rookie NFL player comparisons: C Dylan McMahon

    Eagles rookie NFL player comparisons: C Dylan McMahon

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    As we do every offseason, we’ll be comparing each of the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookies to current or former NFL players. Today we’ll find a comp for sixth-round center Dylan McMahon.

    ROOKIE COMP SERIES

    CB Quinyon Mitchell | DB Cooper DeJean | EDGE Jalyx Hunt
    RB Will Shipley | WR Ainias Smith | LB Jeremiah Trotter
    OG Trevor Keegan | WR Johnny Wilson

    McMahon played at C, LG, and RG during his college career, but at 6’3, 299, with sub-32″ arms, his most ideal fit is at center. He was a four-year starter at NC State and he has some explosiveness in his lower half.

    McMahon has good agility, but the Eagles will likely look to get him to bulk up a bit in the weight room so he isn’t overwhelmed by hulking NFL defensive tackles. A little taste of his game:

    I’ve seen some make the observation that both McMahon (190th overall pick, 2024) and Jason Kelce (191st overall pick, 2011) were both athletic, undersized sixth-round centers, but, I mean, come on.

    The player who I identified as a closer match is Scott Quessenberry, who is a free agent, but who has played for the Chargers and Texans. If you know who Scott Quessenberry is, a tip of the cap to you, sir or ma’am. He is a career backup who has filled in at center and guard over his career (79 games, 26 starts). Like McMahon, Quessenberry is in undersized-but-agile interior offensive lineman whose primary position is center. He’s No. 61 here:

    Also like McMahon, Quessenberry has an explosive lower half, but very short arms for an offensive lineman:

    Measurable  Dylan McMahon  Scott Quessenberry 
     Height 6’3 3/8  6’3 5/8 
     Weight 299   310
     Arm length 31 3/4″   31 3/4″
     Hand size 9 3/8″   9 3/4″
     40 time 5.10  5.09 
     Vertical jump  33″  33 1/2″ 
     Broad jump 115″   111″

    And thus concludes our rookie comp series.

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  • Eagles Cornerback Carousel: Who Will Make the Final Cut? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Eagles Cornerback Carousel: Who Will Make the Final Cut? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Eagles wrapped up their third and final day of minicamp today. The team will hold a training camp closer to the end of July.
    Final 53-man rosters won’t be due until August 29th, but an overcrowded position noticeably stuck out throughout the week.

    How Many Corners Are Too Many Corners?

    The Eagles announced this morning that they have finally signed Quinyon Mitchell to his rookie contract.

    Quinyon was the final rookie of the Eagles 2024 draft class to be signed.

    With 14 Corners under contract and over 2 months before any final roster decisions, the Eagles will have a deep secondary. But who will make the cut?

    Similar to the last few seasons at defensive tackle, the Eagles have made acquisition after acquisition in the secondary to revamp a defense that gave up 252.7 passing yards a game, ranking 31st in Passing Yards against.

    Even with the draft picks, the Eagles will have most of the same secondary they did last season, with the following players returning.

    • Darius Slay
    • James Bradberry
    • Avonte Maddox
    • Kelee Ringo
    • Zech McPhearson
    • Eli Ricks
    • Josh Jobe

    With the additions of Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Isaiah Rodgers, there will be a few odd men out unless something changes with those already under contract.

    Having too much depth isn’t a bad thing.

    During the last training camp, the Eagles had 5 options at running back before only using 3 throughout the entire season. (We’ll still never know why Swift didn’t play week 1)

    But for the Eagles’ corners, things changed throughout the last 3 days, as we’ve seen Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers at CB2 already. With Mitchell, DeJean, and Rodgers sharing 2nd team throughout the week, the Eagles might finally have the depth if multiple injuries occur once the season picks up.

    So, Who’s Out?

    During the Eagles minicamp, multiple things came up.

    The Eagles seemed to already have assessed the Safety position this offseason, bringing back C.J. Gardner-Johnson on a three-year deal. And if Maddox is ‘learning the safety position,’ that will end up being another depth piece behind those penciled-in starters.

    If Bradberry is also getting a change of scenery on the field, perhaps this is the end of the road before getting traded or cut. We’ll have to wait and see, as Bradberry went to the medical tent at the start of the minicamp and wasn’t a participant for the rest of the week.

    While I’m sure, there are plenty who may want Bradberry off the team as soon as possible. The Eagles have the cap space committed to the player, and he was a ‘part of the plans‘ (12:04) during the Combine. If there’s a team in desperate need of a corner, Bradberry might be on the block to make room for the new additions to the Eagles.

    With another month plus break before more Eagles football. Who do you have making the roster in the secondary?

    PHOTO: Philadelphia Eagles

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  • Eagles minicamp practice notes: Rookie RB Will Shipley impresses

    Eagles minicamp practice notes: Rookie RB Will Shipley impresses

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    The Philadelphia Eagles completed Day 2 of a mandatory three-day minicamp on Wednesday, and practice was open to the media. As always, we have practice notes.

    • As noted in the headline, one of the obvious standouts on the day was rookie RB Will Shipley, who worked quite a bit out of the slot, and who made about a half dozen receptions on the day. I thought his most impressive moment came on a reception deep down the field, after which he turned on the jets and widened the distance between himself and rookie CB Quinyon Mitchell, who was chasing him from behind. Mitchell ran a 4.33 40 at the Combine. Anyway, my takeaway here? Shipley has some wheels.

    • I thought Jalen Hurts had a shaky day. On a play in which Shipley was wide open on a wheel route down the left sideline, Hurts instead threw short to A.J. Brown, but was picked by Reed Blankenship. He also missed an open Dallas Goedert on a deep throw down the right sideline, and he was almost picked by Cooper DeJean on a sideline throw to Brown. It looked like Hurts might not have seen DeJean on the play. On the positive side, he did rip a 20-yard throw to Brown over the middle, with good velocity.

    • Quinyon Mitchell got some time with the 1’s, both on the outside and in the slot. After the draft, Howie Roseman said that Mitchell has the versatility to play both outside and in the slot, but his primary position would be outside. 

    “For us, the most important thing he focuses on one thing as a rookie,” Roseman said. “That’s [Vic Fangio’s] and his staff’s choice, but when we talk about him, we talk about him as an outside corner and kind of working from there. You do watch him and see him play some inside, so he’s got that versatility. We’ll get him in here and see what he’s comfortable doing with our coaches and work from there.”

    My take is that Mitchell playing some in the slot already is a good sign, in that he has shown that he can handle more on his plate.

    • Kelee Ringo had a couple of pass breakups after a strong first day of minicamp on Tuesday.

    • Rookie UDFA RB Kendall Milton caught a pass in the flat uncovered and then outraced the rest of the defense about 40 yards to the end zone. That was a coverage bust, but Milton still looked good on the play and made the defense pay for a mistake.

    • John Ross made a bunch of catches, including a one-hander. He was a rookie camp tryout, but has looked like he could legitimately compete for a spot on the 53-man roster.

    • Josh Sweat jumped offsides at one point. That was an issue for him last season, as he was called for 6 offsides penalties. Technically, he committed 3 offsides penalties, and 3 neutral zone infractions, but shut up. As a team, the Eagles committed 11 defensive offsides or neutral zone infraction penalties, which means that Sweat had more than half of them.

    • The Eagles practiced kickoffs for the first time in front of the media this spring. As you’re probably aware, the NFL will have new kickoff rules this season. The following is a good, succinct explanation of the new kickoff rules, which the NFL adopted from the XFL:

    Did you watch that tutorial? Cool. Personally, I have some opinions on what teams will try to do from a kickoff coverage perspective. To begin, it’s worth noting that nobody can move until the returner catches the kick. As such, kicking popups doesn’t make a lot of sense. Why? Well, when you see kickers hit popups they are doing so because they are trying to give the kick coverage team extra time to run down the field. With these new rules, that benefit is eliminated. If nobody can move until the ball is caught, then all the time that the ball spends in the air only benefits the returner, who has a better chance of settling underneath it and catching it cleanly before the return. 

    My bet is that kickers will spend a lot of time practicing hitting line drives that touch down in the “landing zone” in between the 20 and the goal line, and try to make it difficult for returners to field kickoffs cleanly, while also trying to put the ball through the end zone on a bounce. Conversely, I think you’ll see return units spending a lot of time working on trying to field those low liners to set up returns. That’s going to be the name of the game on these returns, in my opinion. Who has kickers that are good at hitting line drives in the landing zone, and who has returners who are good at fielding liners?

    On Wednesday, it felt more like an “introduction to the new kickoff rules” session. Jake Elliott and Braden Mann took turns kicking off, and they weren’t doing anything fancy. They were just kicking easily fieldable balls to the returners. Interestingly, 10 different players got return reps, with two players back for the return on each kick. They were (in alphabetical order):

    1. WR Parris Campbell
    2. WR Britain Covey
    3. RB Tyrion Davis-Price
    4. RB Kenny Gainwell
    5. S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
    6. RB Kendall Milton
    7. RB Lew Nichols
    8. CB Isaiah Rodgers
    9. WR John Ross
    10. RB Will Shipley

    The notable omission was Cooper DeJean. If I were to handicap who will be back returning kicks for the Eagles in 2024, I would say Rodgers and Shipley.

    • During media availability Brandon Graham was asked a benign question about what it will be like without Fletcher Cox around anymore. Graham’s answer took a few turns along the way, and it ended with him criticizing the 2023 defensive coaching staff, lol. The question begins at the 28:00 mark below. Graham was then of course asked follow-up questions.

    I’m going to miss BG next year. 

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  • Noteworthy NFL date June 1 is here: What does it mean for the Eagles?

    Noteworthy NFL date June 1 is here: What does it mean for the Eagles?

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    June 1 is a noteworthy date on the NFL calendar, generally speaking, as it typically triggers a number of roster moves around the NFL.

    Prior to June 1, if a player is cut or traded, any and all dead money, usually in the form of bonus proration, accelerates into the current year, and counts toward the salary cap in the current year. If a player is cut or released after June 1, any bonus proration in future contract years won’t count toward the cap in the form of dead money until the following year.

    Are you still here? You haven’t closed this article after that last paragraph? Thanks! Here’s what it means for the Eagles this year.

    June 1 releases / retirements

    The Eagles like to utilize June 1 releases, so it’s worth knowing a little something about them if you’re into salary cap minutiae. As always, OverTheCap does a great job of explaining them. This year, the Eagles did not release any players with a June 1 designation, but they do have a pair of players in Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox who will “officially” retire either on June 1 or very shortly thereafter.

    How will the remnants of their contracts affect the Eagles’ salary cap going forward? Well, retirements work in a similar way to releases. Normally, if a player is released, whatever guaranteed salary is left on his deal, and any prorated bonus money that has already been paid out to the player will remain on the team’s salary cap. If a player retires, he does not get paid his salary (duh) or any roster bonuses, but any prorated bonus money already paid to the player that has not yet counted toward the salary cap will, you know, count toward the salary cap. 

    There have been some occasions in which teams have attempted to recoup signing bonus money after a player unexpectedly retired, but that is not going to happen in Kelce’s or Cox’s cases, given their contributions to the team over the last decade.

    • Kelce will count for $8,678,000 in dead money in 2024, and $16,438,000 in 2025.

    • Cox will count for $4,200,000 in dead money in 2024, and $10,100,000 in 2025.

    Trades become more palatable for some players

    In 2021, the Atlanta Falcons traded Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans shortly after June 1, because it meant that they could spread out his dead money over 2021 and 2022, instead of the full amount being applied to 2021. In 2022, the Cleveland Browns traded Baker Mayfield to the Panthers under similar circumstances. We’ll see if the passing of the June 1 barrier spurs trade action around the league.

    The one Eagles player who would make sense in a trade is James Bradberry, should the Eagles find a team interested in him. Trading Bradberry instead of releasing him would save them a little over $1 million in guaranteed salary. By waiting until after June 1 to trade him, they would also be able to dump a portion of his dead money hit in 2025, but we’ll get into more of those details if a deal goes down. The Eagles would likely be happy to trade him for a ham sandwich if they could.

    How about trade possibilities for outside players?

    There were a pair of safeties in Budda Baker and Kevin Byard who were the subjects of Eagles trade rumors around this time last year. They did eventually deal for Byard at the trade deadline. This year there aren’t any players rumored to want off of their current teams who would make sense for the Eagles. One such player might have been Saints CB Marshon Lattimore, but the Eagles won’t be trading for him after selecting cornerbacks with their first two picks in the 2024 draft.

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  • Receivers Extended Around The League – Eagles One Step Ahead – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Receivers Extended Around The League – Eagles One Step Ahead – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    When you get things done ahead of 31 other teams in the league, there’s always a reward.

    For Howie Roseman and the Eagles, it’s a sigh of relief knowing your star players under contract for the next 2-6 years. And they’ve managed to save MILLIONS while doing so.
    Back in April, the Eagles extended multiple players. Now that the ink has dried on those contracts. It was about time the rest of the league got around to paying some of the other superstars.

    Eagles Remain Ahead

    In April, the Eagles signed their star receivers to two massive extensions.

    • April 15th,  DeVonta Smith, 3-year, $75M + 5th year option
    • April 25th, A.J. Brown, 3-year, $96M

    These contracts don’t come without merit, below has been the duos stat line the last two seasons.

    • DeVonta Smith – 33GP, 2,262Rec Yards, 14TD
    • A.J. Brown – 34GP, 2,952Rec Yards, 18TD

    While these may have been the first few receivers to be paid this off-season, they certainly weren’t the biggest paydays handed out in recent signings.

     

    This Weeks Extensions

    In the last few days. Multiple receivers have gotten contract extensions with their current team, including:

    Let’s see how these recent contracts compare with base stats of the following two seasons in comparison to the Eagles duo

    • Nico Collins – 24GP, 1,778Rec Yards, 10TD
    • Jaylen Waddle – 31GP, 2,370Rec Yards, 12TD

    When comparing to the Collins deal things might look great. Keep in mind that’s only 1 season with C.J. Stroud as the Texans Quarterback. Things might change in the upcoming season as well, with the addition of Stefon Diggs as well as the hopeful return for Tank Dell’s sophomore season.

    The same goes for looking at Waddle’s deal. Similar to DeVonta Smith who’s in a WR2 role behind Brown/Tyreek Hill. DeVonta Smith has put up similar numbers (108 less yards) and will be getting paid nearly $10M less across the 3 years of his deal. With these new contracts for star studded teams, which receiver would you rather in this scenario?

     

    Past Deals

    Of course these weren’t the only Receivers to break the bank this off-season, in fact multiple have already seen their new deals come through, including:

    • March 11th, Michael Pittman Jr, 3-year, $70M
    • April 24th, Amon-Ra St. Brown, 4-year, $120.01M
    • March 13th, Calvin Ridley, 4-year, $92M

    Of course with their payday, comes the stats. How does this other batch of receivers hold up to the last 4?

    • Michael Pittman Jr. – 32GP, 2,077Rec Yards, 8TD
    • Amon-Ra St. Brown – 32GP, 2,676Rec Yards, 16TD
    • Calvin Ridley – 17GP, 1,016Rec Yards, 8TD

    Even if Calvin Ridley had played the 2022 season. His numbers would still be somewhere between Pittman and DeVonta Smith. Depending on what team he had gone to, Ridley could have surpassed the 1,200 mark with ease.

    With all these receivers being under contract for the next 3-5 Years. You’d think that means the rest of the big names due in the upcoming year have seen new deals? For some, that’s not the case.

     

    No Contract In Sight?

    Also from the 2021 Draft class with Smith and Waddle, is Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase. Entering his 4th season, Chase has put up the following his last two years as a Bengal:

    • Ja’Marr Chase – 28GP, 2,262Rec Yards, 16TD

    Without a contract, the Bengals have exercised their $21.8M 5th year option for the following season. It will be hard to deny Chase of an extension. Even without Joe Burrow for lengthy periods, Chase has still been able to have success.

    But in the NFC, there’s two more names struggling for a payday.

    • CeeDee Lamb – 34GP, 3,108Rec Yards, 21TD
    • Justin Jefferson – 27GP, 2,883Rec Yards, 13TD

    Seeing every other team continue to lock up receivers might be good for the players, but certainly not the teams. A.J and Amon-Ra’s deals are going to be the closest comparison for this duo to get paid. And if they’re trying to takeover the #1 and #2 spot for highest paid receivers, teams will be looking to pay north of $30M to keep these players under contract.

     

    After all the deals and carousel doors of acquiring younger receivers, what contracts would you offer these players who might be left still bargaining for a deal come next off-season?

     

     

    Photo Credit: Rich Schultz / AP Photo

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Eagles Practice Observations, Bryce Harper’s Season, and State of the Phillies!

    Eagles Practice Observations, Bryce Harper’s Season, and State of the Phillies!

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    Sheil stopped by Eagles practice today and has some big-picture thoughts that he wants to review (02:23). Will the Eagles’ 2024 first-round pick, Quinyon Mitchell, be ready to start at the beginning of the season? New Ringer writer and Philly local Anthony Dabbundo joins the pod to discuss the Phillies’ progress so far this season. Is there real concern for Bryce Harper’s health (16:32)? Plus, is there excitement for a new season of Mare of Easttown and Shane Gillis’s new show, Tires?

    We want to hear from you! 215-315-7982

    Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Anthony Dabbundo
    Producer: Cliff Augustin
    Music Composed By: Teddy Grossman and Jackson Greenberg

    Subscribe: Spotify

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    Sheil Kapadia

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  • Philly Dads All Around! Get Cooking with FOCO’s Philadelphia Eagles & Phillies Plaid Chef Set – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Philly Dads All Around! Get Cooking with FOCO’s Philadelphia Eagles & Phillies Plaid Chef Set – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Philadelphia, stand up!
    Summer is right around the corner, and that means it’s almost time to get your propane tanks ready to fire up those grills on your backyard deck and begin cooking up a storm for the big BBQ cookout get-together.

    If you are looking for a way to rep your favorite Philadelphia sports teams in style as that summer heat begins scorching, impress your family and your guests with FOCO’s Philadelphia Sports Teams Plaid Chef Set available now!  As the Philadelphia Phillies season is in full swing and rookie mini-camps begin for the Eagles and the rest of the NFL, you can rest assured knowing your allegiance lies with your Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles not only at the stadium but also in front of your grill as you’re cooking up some burgers and dogs this summer.  

    PHOTO: FOCO

    This matching set includes a plaid team themed apron for the Phillies and Eagles with a matching oven mitt and chef’s hat. The apron features a massive team logo on the front, so no one will be confused with where your fandom lies during the offseason. The Philadelphia Eagles & Phillies Plaid Chef Sets will look just as good out on the back porch as they will in your kitchen all season long. This high-quality apron set will be a staple for any Phillies & Eagles fan.

    FOCO also offers each item individually on its website. So, if you just like how the apron looks, you can snag your favorite team’s chef apron for a cool $35.

    Just want the chef hat or oven mitt? Each can be purchased for $25 a pop. However, the price for the full set offers the best deal if you want to really show that you’re part of your Philadelphia Sports super fan club with this unique Philadelphia Eagles & Phillies Plaid Chef Sets from FOCO.

    Make sure to click on any of the links in this article to grab yourself a Philadelphia Eagles & Phillies Plaid Chef Sets from FOCO, as these are in stock and ready to ship immediately, just in time for the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday!

    Get ready to serve up the best food in the greatest fan fit. From the kitchen to the table to game day, do it all in style with the Officially Licensed Philadelphia Sports Plaid Chef Sets.

    PHOTO: FOCO

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    PHLSportsNation

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  • Unapologetically, Philadelphia: Setting Expectations for the Eagles in 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Unapologetically, Philadelphia: Setting Expectations for the Eagles in 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    With OTAs Underway and Another Philadelphia Season on the Horizon, the Eagles Have One Last Debt To Be Paid.

    Relax, the Eagles didn’t forget to resign a key free agent. At least not that we know of.

    And this isn’t an unexpected visit from Captain Davy Jones from The Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, arriving to cash in on your debt.

     PHOTO: —

    No one hundred years aboard The Flying Dutchman for you.

    The Eagles have re-signed veterans this offseason, added free agents in key positions of need, and earned an outstanding Draft Day Grade for brilliantly plucking talent from the collegiate ranks that somehow all other 31 NFL teams didn’t even detect.

    Off the field, the Eagles made big moves, too. They moved closer to international fame by scheduling a first home game in Brazil to kick off the season on a September Friday night in Primetime.

    Back home, they have added renovations to Lincoln Financial Field, including a TikPick Section in the Stadium.

    As the anticipation for the 2024–2025 NFL season grows around Philadelphia, the Eagles have one last great responsibility.

    That responsibility is to you.

    The goal of every NFL team each season in early summer is to lay the groundwork to challenge for a championship in February. But this responsibility isn’t just to play another shiny piece of hardware in the Novacare Complex showcase named after Green Bay’s legendary coach and polished on a regular schedule.

    On February 6th, 2018 — seconds after a Tom Brady Hail Mary pass fell to the turf at U.S. Bank Stadium — you finally came to your just reward. For ten seconds, the Eagles defense and every household in the metropolitan Philadelphia area froze and asked, “Did we just win the Super Bowl?”

    The pandemonium that followed — an event that took 58 years to happen again — was a feeling that Eagles fans deserve to feel every several years, not every half a century. You joined fellow Eagles fans at local bars, poured onto Philadelphia Streets in celebration, and climbed street light poles.

    We let our youngest Eagles fans stay up late, and for those whose bedtime was hours before, we woke them. We wanted them to remember where they were on this night for the rest of their lives. The night that the Philadelphia Eagles were once again World Champions.

    For nearly ninety-one years since Bert Bell utilized the likeness of FDR’s blue Eagles for his “New Deal” as the iconic visual of his new franchise, you have loved your team unconditionally.

    Eagles fans withstood almost a decade of losing right after the team’s inception, shoveled out Shibe Park in the 1948 NFL Championship Game in a blizzard, and then saw them repeat in 1949. They froze in the stands the Day after Christmas at Franklin Field in 1960, withstood nearly fifteen years of losing in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and decimated the living room furniture when they lost Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XXIX.

    When they lost Super Bowl LVII because of a penalty late in the game, you rallied behind their young quarterback, who promised to “win or to learn.”

    Each summer, you participate in the Eagles tradition by spending thousands on season tickets, hundreds on merchandise, and even more on travel to see away games. In 2022, the Eagles grossed over $598 million in revenue.

    This year, you might even be flying to Brazil.

     PHOTO: Wiki Commons

    Philadelphia’s love of its Eagles isn’t an arrogant, obnoxious attitude; it’s a dedication to our football team, like having another child. They are ours, win or lose, home or away.

    Football was built for Philadelphia. We supported the University of Pennsylvania as far back as 1876 and attended games at Franklin Field as far back as 1895. When Guy Chamberlain’s Frankford Yellow Jackets endured two fires at Frankford Stadium, were ravaged financially by the Great Depression, and were no longer viable in 1933, Philly was looking for a team to love.

     PHOTO: —

    They found it in the Eagles and have loved them with unwavering devotion ever since. Other NFL franchises are devoted to their teams, but not like Philadelphia and the Eagles.

    As the creeping humidity of May and June grows, the excitement of another Eagles season with rookie camps and OTA’s and the promise of another NFL Championship — that championship would be for you.

    It is the Eagles who owe you, Philadelphia. Payment begins on September 6th in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at 9:15 p.m. I have already bought my T-shirt.
    Oh, and that night of February 4th, 2018? That night was ours.

    PHOTO: —

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    Michael Thomas Leibrandt

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  • Here’s where recent former Eagles will be playing next season

    Here’s where recent former Eagles will be playing next season

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    The Eagles had a mini-makeover this offseason, which is a good thing.

    After a red-hot start and ugly collapse, simply running it back for 2024 would have been an unacceptable course of action, and as such the Eagles said goodbye to several prominent pieces from last season.

    Time will tell whether Howie Roseman and company made the right decisions. 

    A flurry of activity always hits in the spring when a new NFL league year and free agency begin — leading into the NFL Draft at the end of April. It can be hard to follow all the player movement. And that’s why we’ve thrown together this quick whip-around, to help Eagles fans keep track of where some of their old friends may be competing next season.

    Here’s a look at the new homes for 15 recent former Eagles who made some sort of impact on the squad last season:

    Marcus Mariota, QB

    Mariota signed a deal with the NFC East’s Commanders to help Jayden Daniels adjust to the NFL. He’ll likely be the back up to the second overall draft pick.

    D’Andre Swift, RB

    Swift was the first player off the board when free agency started back in May, inking a 3-year, $24 million deal with the Bears that seemed too rich for the Eagles’ blood. And then of course, they spent more than that to bring in Saquon Barkley.

    Boston Scott, RB

    The Eagles’ perennial Giant killer has moved on, and will fight for a roster spot with the Rams this spring.

    Rashaad Penny, RB

    Expected to have more of an impact when he joined the Eagles last offseason, Penny might have a better opportunity in Carolina with the Panthers, where he signed in April.

    Quez Watkins, WR

    The Eagles are rolling the dice at their No. 3 wideout spot, hoping one of the two rookies they signed (Ainias Smith, Johnny Wilson), or one of the veterans they signed (John Ross, Parris Campbell) can step into the role and make more of an impact than Watkins did in his four Eagles seasons. Watkins is with the Steelers this spring.

    Olamide Zaccheaus, WR

    The same goes for Zaccheaus, who was a depth wideout last season and didn’t add much on the field. He signed and will try and earn a role with the Commanders.

    Jack Stoll, TE

    A new No. 3 tight end will also emerge in Philly, as the block-first TE Stoll has signed with the rival Giants.

    Nick Morrow, LB

    The Eagles have a new-look linebacking core behind Dakobe Dean, and Morrow will take his next snap with the Bills.

    Christian Elliss, LB

    Mostly a special teams guy, Elliss will be with the Patriots if he makes their roster out of training camp.

    Haason Reddick, Edge

    The Eagles made some headlines — head-scratching ones to many — when they elected to trade away sack-mavin Reddick to the Jets not long after they signed New York’s top free agent pass rusher Bryce Huff to a pretty rich deal. Reddick was a Philly-grown star and a fan favorite and Eagles fans no doubt wish him luck up I-95 with the Jets this season.

    Derrick Barnett, Edge

    Barnett was actually waived by the Eagles last November and quickly signed by the Texans where he had 2.5 sacks in six games in Houston. Barnett was a first round pick by the Birds who was on the Super Bowl winning roster and tallied 21.5 QB takedowns in seven seasons in Philly.

    Kentavius Street, DT

    Street was a depth defensive lineman who didn’t play a ton in Philly. He’ll suit up with the Falcons this summer.

    Josiah Scott, CB

    Scott was a depth defensive back, who did get on the field a bit due to injuries in the Eagles’ secondary the last few seasons. He’ll try and earn a solid role with the Steelers.

    Kevin Byard, S

    After being the Eagles’ splashy trade deadline acquisition last season, the All-Pro fell sort of expectations in Philly and was not expected to return for another year as the Eagles were aggressive in upgrading at safety this offseason. Byard will play for the Bears in 2024.

    Terrell Edmonds, S

    A depth piece at safety, Edmonds will be in the Jaguars organization this year.

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  • Two Potential Breakout Candidates for the Eagles in 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Two Potential Breakout Candidates for the Eagles in 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    A new year is upon us, and the Eagles have many players who could make a leap forward. The outlook for this year’s squad is optimistic.

    Let’s take a look at some players who could have a breakout season.

    Jordan Davis

    Jordan Davis is entering his third season with the Eagles and is in a position to take a big step forward. With Fletcher Cox’s retirement, the Eagles will look to Jordan Davis for a bigger role.

    Davis is young, coming into this season at 24. He has had the benefit of learning behind Cox for two years, and now it’s his time to take over. Davis was seen at the Eagles Autism Challenge, where he looked noticeably thinner.

    Davis is a big guy, and his conditioning was always in question. This season, you can tell he is in better shape, and he is ready to embrace the role of a starting defensive tackle.

    Cam Jurgens

    Jurgens can break out for the same reason Jordan Davis can break out. His predecessor retired. Now that Kelce is gone, Jurgens will start at Center. The Eagles drafted Cam Jurgens, knowing he would be the guy once Kelce retired, and now his time has come. Jurgens played some right guard last year, so it will be interesting to see him transition back to center this upcoming season.

    Cam Jurgens has a ton of potential, and the Eagles are looking to him to be their center for the next 5-10 years. As fans, we can’t expect him to be Jason Kelce. Jurgens is his own person, and the hope is that he will be able to play center without having a huge drop-off in talent.

    Both Jordan Davis and Cam Jurgens have learned from some of the best players at their positions. It is time for them to step up and fill the roles they were drafted to fill.
    It is time for a new era of the Eagles inside trenches.

    PHOTO: Getty Images

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    Nate Schweitzer

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  • Revisiting the Eagles’ 2020 Wide Receiver Room – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Revisiting the Eagles’ 2020 Wide Receiver Room – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Philadelphia Eagles of today are spoiled with talent, and that especially applies to the receiving room. When all is said and done, both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith could be heralded as two of the best receivers in the history of the franchise — they are on the team at the same time.
    Just before those two arrived, the Eagles were in a dreadful spot regarding their wide receiver room.

    The 2020 Birds were the absolute worst example of this on the talent front, leading to an awful 4-11-1 record.

    Let’s take a look at all of its members.

    Travis Fulgham // 539 yards

    The 2020 season was that one time that Travis Fulgham, a practice squad wideout before starting out, led the Eagles in receiving yards. At 25 years old, he had one of the most unlikely breakout seasons in team history, with 539 yards through the air. He didn’t have a single reception in his NFL career before this.

    In Week 5, he had the game of his life. In an eventual 38-29 loss to a Pittsburgh Steelers team that would go on to win their first 11 games, he had 10 catches on 13 targets for 152 yards and a touchdown. From Week 4 through Week 9, he had 435 receiving yards and four touchdowns in just five contests.

    After this stretch of excellence for Fulgham, things died down. He is now in the Canadian Football League (CFL). With all due respect to him and his worth, he being the team’s best receiver is exactly why they won four games. It shows just how far the Eagles have come in such a short period of time.

    Greg Ward // 419 yards

    Greg Ward’s stint with the Eagles was short yet somewhat memorable. Even though he maxed out at just 419 yards through the air with six touchdowns, the college quarterback turned receiver in the NFL had his clutch moments.

    Ward’s story is a pretty wholesome one, getting a few looks with the Eagles after once being released by them in 2018. Fun fact: he was actually a member of the practice squad when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII.

    Jalen Reagor // 396 yards

    Now we get to one of the more scorned players on the list. Third up in yards for the Eagles was Jalen Reagor, who had 396 of them in his rookie season. Infamously drafted in the 2020 first round, the pick before Justin Jefferson, who already has an Offensive Player of the Year title to his name, Reagor didn’t live up to expectations.

    For a little while, Reagor showed some flashes. Still, it didn’t take long for the Eagles to realize his upside was essentially zero. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 2022.

    DeSean Jackson // 236 yards

    DeSean Jackson’s second stint in Philadelphia could have been something special, but it was absolutely crushed by injury. From 2019 to 2020, he only played in eight games, yet he had a 154-yard game against the Washington Commanders in Week 1 of 2019, ending things off with a single catch that went 81 yards for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in 2020.

    Even though he was getting up there in age, Jackson could still play by the time he went to the Eagles the second time around. His lack of health did not do the Eagles any favors, as he probably would’ve been their best receiver by a landslide had he played in all 16 games.

    John Hightower // 167 yards

    Next up, former fifth-round selection John Hightower finds himself on this list. 2020 was the only time in his career that he caught as much as a pass, appearing in 13 games and having 167 yards along with that. Today, he is in the United Football League (UFL) with the Michigan Panthers.

    Alshon Jeffery // 115 yards

    For the sheer importance of Alshon Jeffery to the Eagles franchise, it’s a shame he ended his tenure in Philadelphia so poorly. He only played in seven games, scoring a touchdown and gaining 115 yards on 13 targets.

    While Jeffery never had a 1,000-yard season with the Eagles, he was essential in their Super Bowl win in 2017. After his notorious drop against the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs, he was never the same.

    Quez Watkins // 106 yards

    Of all the players mentioned to this point, Quez Watkins was the only one to last for at least two more seasons in Philadelphia after 2020. He was an Eagle through 2023, signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.

    He had a peak of 647 yards and a touchdown catch in 2021, so he was one of the few Eagle draft picks here that actually lived up to his potential. Selected in the sixth round, he had a decent tenure in Philadelphia, but of course, that is clouded a bit by one play in particular.

    JJ Arcega-Whiteside // 85 yards

    JJ Arcega-Whiteside was another one of those patented Howie Roseman draft-day busts that he took in the middle of the Carson Wentz era.

    Drafted in the second round in 2019, he simply never lived up to his potential and is now in the CFL.

    Deontay Burnett // 19 yards

    For the last Eagles wide receiver who caught a pass in 2020, Deontay Burnett finds himself last on the list. He was an undrafted free agent after the 2018 NFL draft, having stints with the Tennesse Titans, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers. He had five catches in Philadelphia for 67 yards during his whole tenure.

    If you ever want to complain about the Eagles’ struggles again, just remember how bad they were not too long ago. The lack of talent on the offense was unbearable at times, but they seem to have that under control now.
    All we can do in the present is wonder how it got as bad as it did; Fulgham, Ward, and Reagor were their three best wide receivers in terms of yardage.

    PHOTO: X/@RoobNBCS

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    Justin Giampietro

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  • From DeVante Parker Retiring to John Ross Signed – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    From DeVante Parker Retiring to John Ross Signed – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    It’s not an Eagles offseason without a weekly dose of roster moves.

    DeVante Parker’s 2-Month Stint In Philly

    The series of events started on Monday when news of DeVante Parker’s retirement broke. Suddenly, the Eagles were down a receiver.

    Signed on the 2nd day of free agency, Parker was the 1st of 4 receivers acquired by the Eagles this offseason, including:

    • Parris Campbell
    • Ainias Smith
    • Johnny Wilson

    There were mixed reviews when Parker was initially signed by the Eagles. He may have torched the Eagles in 2019, but he wasn’t that Miami receiver anymore. He barely scraped by the 500-yard mark in 2021 and 2022. Parker didn’t eclipse 400 on the 2023 Patriots.

    While their QB carousel provided no real chance for receivers, there was an interesting stat that may not have helped Parker’s case.

    Even coming to Philadelphia as competition for WR3/4, this didn’t bode well for Parker’s case to make the team, which had the Eagles in familiar territory to last season.

    Myles Jack’s 2 Week Stint In Philly

    On August 6th, 2023, just days before the Eagles first preseason game. They signed Myles Jack and Zach Cunningham to 1-year deals. Adding two players to the Linebacker core that had yet to sign Shaq Leonard and still had a healthy Nakobe Dean. Things were looking good for the Philly Defense.

    It was exactly two weeks later that Myles Jack announced his retirement, leaving the Eagles without a depth linebacker they could have used.

    However, Jack’s retirement was shortened. Exactly three months later, on November 20th, the Steelers signed Myles Jack to their practice squad. He may not have played until December, but he could have been a useful piece for the Eagles’ struggling defense down the stretch.

    Quickly Filling Holes, Eagles Add John Ross

    The Eagles were going to need to move on from Quez Watkins after the disastrous season from the WR3. Seeing Olamide Zaccheaus and Julio Jones not be re-signed wasn’t the best result.

    But bringing in four receivers while bolstering the Tight End depth they’ve needed for multiple seasons is a welcome change to Kellen Moore’s new offense.

    In the wake of DeVante Parker’s retirement, the Eagles didn’t let the week end before signing a contract for their OTAs, which resume on Tuesday.

    While Ross might not have played for the last 3 seasons, that might be the least of the Eagles’ worries. If former Colt Parris Campbell can return to his Indy form, there’s only need for a WR4 on the Eagles roster.

    This provides Ross, Smith, Wilson, and Ngata with plenty of competition for that final spot. And this is all before we get to any potential trade deadline targets in October!

    Of all the players still vying for that final receiver spot.
    Who do you have making the Eagles roster at the end of the offseason?

    PHOTO: —

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • 10 players the Eagles can least afford to lose to injury

    10 players the Eagles can least afford to lose to injury

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    Each year, we try to determine which 10 players the Philadelphia Eagles can least afford to lose to injury. Obviously, the Eagles’ best players are included, but we also try to consider their importance to the scheme, depth behind them, long-term vs short-term effects, and other factors.

    This exercise is probably more fun to go back and look at in hindsight. For example: 

    • In 2017, they won the Super Bowl despite missing No. 1, No. 3, and No. 7 on that list. 

    • In 2018, the Eagles were among the final eight teams remaining despite losing No. 1, No. 9, No. 10, and occasionally No. 8 on the list. 

    • In 2019, by the time the clock hit all zeroes in the playoff game against the Seahawks, they were without No. 1, No. 9, and No. 10. 

    • In 2020, No. 1 got benched, No. 8’s season ended in June, and Nos. 2, 7, 9, and 10 all missed significant chunks of the season.

    • In 2021, the Eagles had incredible injury luck, as there were no players in the top 10 who missed more than five games. 

    • In 2022, once again the Eagles had injury luck on their side, though they did miss No. 1 and No. 2 for a few weeks late in the season, and No. 4 for five games.

    • In 2023, the Eagles couldn’t blame their epic late-season collapse on injuries, as the top 8 players on the list all started at least 16 games. 

    Here’s our list for 2024, in descending order:

    10) S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

    The Eagles missed Gardner-Johnson in 2023, as they were depleted at times both at safety and at slot corner. In 2022, Gardner-Johnson played both positions for the Eagles at a high level, and he did so with swagger and confidence, which the Eagles’ defense was missing in 2023.

    2023 rank: He wasn’t on the team.

    9) TE Dallas Goedert

    From 2021 to 2022, Goedert led the NFL with 10.6 yards per target, an impressive feat in and of itself, but especially for a tight end. He made the most of the targets that came his way, he blocked well, and generally speaking he is an unselfish player. He is an ideal No. 3 option in the Eagles’ passing game, which most assumed would continue to be a juggernaut in 2023. It didn’t go that way, obviously.

    Goedert was unstoppable in training camp, which in hindsight might have been misleading given the Eagles’ bad linebackers and safeties. He finished the season with 59 catches for 592 yards and 3 TDs. His 592 receiving yards ranked 14th in the NFL among tight ends. Goedert missed three games with a broken forearm, but it’s hard to view his season positively given the expectations.

    Still, there’s a major dropoff in talent from Goedert to whoever will be the Eagles’ No. 2 tight end in 2024.

    2023 rank: 9

    8) RB Saquon Barkley

    The Eagles made Barkley the fourth-highest paid running back in the NFL this offseason, signing him to a contract worth a little over $12.5 million in average annual value. Spoiler: They’re going to use him. If Barkley is able to stay healthy in 2024, there’s a decent chance he could touch the ball somewhere in the range of 300 times in the Eagles’ offense. If he can’t stay healthy, the Eagles will be forced to turn to Kenny Gainwell and rookie Will Shipley.

    2023 rank: He wasn’t on the team.

    7) CB Darius Slay

    The Eagles spent premium draft resources on cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell (22nd overall) and Cooper DeJean (40th overall) in the 2024 draft. However, Slay remains the clear CB1 and the only proven returning corner on the roster who played reasonably well in 2023.

    The 2024 season might very well be Slay’s last in Philadelphia, but he’s still a very important player and he is crucial to the team’s success in 2024.

    2023 rank: 10

    6) WR DeVonta Smith

    Smith is budding star player who is averaging 80 catches for 1059 yards per season through his first three years in the NFL, despite sharing targets the last two seasons with another star receiver in A.J. Brown. He was rewarded with a contract extension this offseason worth $75 million.

    But beyond the fact that Smith is just a really good player, the Eagles are very thin at wide receiver. During the offseason, they signed DeVante Parker, who had the worst separation stats in the NFL in each of the last four seasons, and Parris Campbell, who has averaged a mere 9.3 yards per catch over his career, as well as an almost impossibly low 5.2 yards per catch in 2023. Parker retired on Tuesday.

    They did also select a pair of receivers in the 2024 draft in Ainias Smith (fifth round) and Johnny Wilson (sixth round), but with some rare exceptions (the Rams’ Puca Nacua, for example) Day 3 receivers don’t often make an impact as rookies.

    The Eagles also have Britain Covey, who has mainly been a return specialist who has just 4 career catches. Covey probably deserves more chances in the regular offense, but he’s also probably a slot receiver only, which means that if Smith or A.J. Brown were to go down he wouldn’t be a suitable replacement on the outside.

    2023 rank: 6

    5) LT Jordan Mailata

    On an offensive line with two future Hall of Famers, I thought Mailata was quietly stellar in 2023, both in the run game and in pass protection. He has become one of the league’s best left tackles, and the Eagles don’t have quality depth at offensive tackle like they do on the interior.

    2023 rank: 7

    4) DT Jalen Carter

    Carter looked like an All-Pro at times as a rookie, but he cooled off during the stretch run of the season, like pretty much everyone else on the defensive side of the ball.

    Fletcher Cox led Eagles defensive tackles in snaps played every season from 2013 to 2023, averaging 835 snaps per season during that span. With Cox now retired, Carter is going to be asked to pick up that slack. If he goes down who’s going to play instead?

    2023 rank: Unranked

    3) RT Lane Johnson

    Johnson remains the best right tackle in the NFL, even after coming off a 2023 season that probably was not up to his impossibly high standards (though he was still great). Since 2016, the Eagles are 11-22 when Johnson is out of the lineup.

    • 2016: 2-8 
    • 2017: 1-0
    • 2018: 0-1
    • 2019: 3-1 (0-1 in the playoffs)
    • 2020: 2-7
    • 2021: 1-3
    • 2022: 1-1
    • 2023: 1-0

    Technically, the Eagles went 1-0 in games Johnson didn’t start in 2023, but they also lost a game to the Jets largely because he got hurt nine plays in, and his backup (Jack Driscoll) got wrecked all day.

    Again, as noted above in the Mailata section, the Eagles do not have ideal depth at tackle. 

    2023 rank: 2

    2) WR A.J. Brown

    We already noted above the Eagles’ thin wide receiver group after Smith and Brown.

    But also, Brown was the best player on the team in 2023. During the first half of the season, he had six consecutive games with at least 125 receiving yards, an NFL record.

    1. At Buccaneers: 9 catches, 131 yards
    2. Commanders: 9 catches, 175 yards, 2 TDs
    3. At Rams: 6 catches, 127 yards
    4. At Jets: 7 catches, 131 yards
    5. Dolphins: 10 catches, 137 yards, 1 TD
    6. At Commanders: 8 catches, 130 yards, 2 TDs

    Brown eventually cooled off when the Eagles’ offense as a whole sputtered down the stretch, but for a while when the Eagles’ season was going well, he basically was the offense.

    He finished with 106 catches for 1,456 yards and 7 TDs, but was unable to participate in the Eagles’ embarrassing blowout loss to the Buccaneers in the playoffs with a knee injury suffered against the Giants Week 18.

    2023 rank: 4

    1) QB Jalen Hurts

    After a magical 2022 season, Hurts took a bit of a step back in 2023. The Eagles’ 2023 season was a tough reminder that the NFL is super hard, and it can kick your ass. Hurts and the Eagles got their asses kicked in 2023. The 2024 Eagles will be under intense scrutiny, and a lot of that will fall on Hurts. He has bounced back from adversity in the past, and it will be interesting to see how he responds to a disappointing season.

    But certainly, the Eagles have little to no chance of competing for a Super Bowl if Hurts isn’t available.

    2023 rank: 1

    Dropped out of the top 10: Jason Kelce (retirement), Haason Reddick (traded), Josh Sweat (8th last year).

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  • Projecting the Eagles’ Path to the One-Seed – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Projecting the Eagles’ Path to the One-Seed – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Even though they didn’t as much win their division, the Philadelphia Eagles looked like they might hold the top record in the NFC in back-to-back seasons, starting their 2023 season with a 10-1 record.

    Philadelphia’s severe regression to an 11-6 record by the end of the season was a pretty wild scene, and it obviously took them out of contention for the one-seed.

    Acquiring it might not have changed their fate, which ended up being a one-and-done finish in the postseason, but having it is essential in the NFL. Once they didn’t, there was little chance for a run to be made.

    Considering each of the Eagles’ three Super Bowl appearances in the 21st century were guided by a first-round bye week, they probably want to make that happen again. Can they?

    Eagles’ Path to NFC Glory

    Since the Eagles didn’t win the NFC East, they get the benefit of having a somewhat easier schedule than they did in 2023. They face the entire NFC South (which might be the weakest division in the conference), the entire AFC North, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Los Angeles Rams, the Green Bay Packers, and every single NFC East team twice.

    There are obviously some pretty good teams here, but there are very few that the Eagles aren’t better than. They should be able to handle themselves, especially considering their upgrades in the offseason. There is no true ceiling or floor for Philadelphia, but getting 13 wins is not out of the question. It’ll be a challenge, but achieving this would set them up nicely.

    Predicting the 49ers’ Record

    Since they were the top seed in the NFC in 2023, the San Francisco 49ers don’t have the easiest schedule. While they could certainly do some damage, they face five teams that won at least a playoff game (Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Packers, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers). In addition, playing the Rams twice, the Dallas Cowboys once, the Miami Dolphins once, and the New York Jets once isn’t exactly the easiest set of games, either.

    That said, the 49ers are quite possibly the best team in the NFL entering the 2024 season. Sure, they play some tough teams, but they should also win most of them. At 12-5 last season, they were the NFC’s best team. Having a potentially tougher schedule this time around, just matching that campaign would be a likely success for them.

    Even though the 49ers are a very good team, the Eagles can expect them to be at 12-5 again. If that ends up being the case, that should be beatable for Philadelphia.

    Predicting the Lions’ Record

    The Lions are a fascinating team to analyze, considering the massive jumps they have made. When the Eagles had a 38-35 showdown against them in Week 1 of the 2022 season, even then, it was obvious that they could be a special club. After going 9-8 that season, they had their first 12-win season since 1991 and their first playoff win since that time in 2023. How much further can they go?

    Just like the 49ers, they are being punished somewhat heavily for their success. Considering this is something the Lions didn’t really have to deal with in 2023, their breakout was made just that much easier. They have the Bills, the 49ers, the Packers twice, the Bears twice, the Houston Texans, the Jaguars, the Buccaneers, the Cowboys, and the Rams, which could all give them issues. It’s hard to see a world where they improve upon their 2023 campaign, especially considering they didn’t make any major upgrades in the offseason.

    The Lions are certainly a team to look out for, but an 11-win season seems to be about right. Depending on how well some of the younger teams on that list develop, 2024 could be a seriously challenging campaign for Detroit.

    Predicting the Cowboys’ Record

    The Cowboys are probably the biggest team for the Eagles to look out for, and they will remain that for a long time. For as much as Eagles fans don’t want to admit it, Dak Prescott played sensational football in 2023 and was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Dallas didn’t do much of anything in the offseason, but their core is formidable.

    As for their schedule, it is pretty similar to Philadelphia’s, with some slight changes. They take on all of the same teams, minus the Packers, Jaguars, and Rams. Instead, the Cowboys have to face the Lions, Texans, and 49ers. Considering the Eagles are in the same tier as the Cowboys, if not better than them, in terms of where they rank in the NFL, making Dallas suffer just a little bit more is a good sign. It’s a big reason why the NFC East is notorious for never having repeat champions.

    Overall, a 12-5 record seems right for the Cowboys. Other than the Eagles, they consistently have their way with the division’s bottom feeders, the New York Giants and Washington Commanders. No team beats the rails off of bad NFL teams quite like Dallas does, so it would only make sense for them to do it again.

    Other NFC Contenders?

    There will surely be another team in the NFC that emerges as a legitimate threat. In 2023, the Rams, Buccaneers, and Packers were all surprisingly competitive.

    In 2024, a team like the Atlanta Falcons could see some improvement now that they have a solid quarterback in Kirk Cousins, and perhaps the Bears could see their young core see a progression like the Texans did in 2023. Still, the true top-end regular season contenders are minimal in the NFC.

    The Packers are another team that could build off of what they did, but they still only had nine wins. Seeing a boost of three or four would be possible but unrealistic.

    By no means are the Eagles in the clear, but they have a really good chance of being the best team in the NFC. It took an utter disaster in 2023 to get them out of the race, and even then, they were two wins shy of doing so.
    Now that they are stronger, the Eagles should put up an even better fight.

    PHOTO: Getty Images

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    Justin Giampietro

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  • A Super Bowl Holiday? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    A Super Bowl Holiday? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Super Bowl Hangover? The NFL has You Covered.
    If you are lucky in your lifetime, you’ll see your NFL Team play in a Super Bowl. If you are fortunate, you’ll see them win it.

    If you are nearly overcome with the emotions of the mere mention of that thought, Roger Goodell and the NFL are here to help. This week, Goodell floated the idea that eliminating one prepreseasonL game combined with an eighteen-week NFL regular season schedule would allow the Super Bowl to be scheduled on President’s week, thus creating a long holiday weekend for many.

    In short, the NFL PrePreseasonhedule is in a ton of trouble.

    Three NFL teams in the modern era haven’t yet been to a Super Bowl — The Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans. The Lions were one onside kick away from making the list only two.

    It had been 25 years since the Eagles first played the Patriots in 2005 and lost 27–24 in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXIX. I remember fearing that I’d never see it again. I was two years old when the Eagles played the Raiders in the Super Bowl in 1981. My Dad would forever describe that particular game as one that Philly should have won. The Eagles and Raiders played earlier in the year, right before Thanksgiving, and the Eagles narrowly won 10–7.

    When I attended a Super Bowl Party in 2005, I remember the excitement early in the day, with one question looming.

    Do you have to work tomorrow?

     PHOTO: —

    Already earlier in the week, Philadelphia and New England area businesses were taxed with workers trying to take the day off in the event that the euphoric feeling of a World Championship had overtaken your soul, making it nearly impossible to function at work the following day.

    I still remember the excitement on my Dad’s face in 2018 when the Eagles won it all. I thought to myself, better enjoy this one, not sure it will happen again. And crap, I have to work tomorrow.
    Dedicated in loving memory of my father Thomas J. Leibrandt — author, historian, Eagles fan, and a true Philadelphian.

    PHOTO: —

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    Michael Thomas Leibrandt

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  • Analyzing the Eagles’ reported 2024 undrafted free agent class

    Analyzing the Eagles’ reported 2024 undrafted free agent class

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    During the 2024 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles made nine draft picks. After it was over, Howie Roseman said that the team added seven additional undrafted free agents. So far, six have been reported. As a disclaimer, while reports of UDFA signings are usually correct, there are occasions in which a player is initially reported to have signed with one team, but instead they end up with another. 

    The chart below shows a snapshot of the Eagles’ reported signings, and their rankings/grades via Dane Brugler of The Athletic and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. We’ll update this if/when more reported signings trickle in.

    Player  Brugler  Zierlein 
    Gabe Hall, DT, Baylor  DT10 (4th round) DT17 (Round 4-5) 
    Gottlieb Ayedze, OG, Maryland   OG15 (Round 5-6) OG13 (Round 5-6) 
    Kendall Milton, RB, Georgia  RB26 (Priority FA)  RB18 (Round 6) 
    Anim Dankwah, OT, Howard  OT26 (Round 7-PFA)  OT28 (Round 7-PFA) 
    McCallan Castles, TE, Tennessee  TE19 (Priority FA)  TE13 (Round 6-7) 
    Andre’ Sam, S, LSU S25 (Priority FA) S23 (Priority FA)

    A look at each prospect: 

    Gabe Hall, DT, Baylor (6’6, 291)

    Hall was a player I didn’t didn’t know much about earlier this offseason, but he was a standout during Senior Bowl practices. Push-pull move here:

    Swim move here:

    He is a tall, lean defensive tackle at 6’6, 291, with an 84″ wingspan.

    Hall has some pass rush talent and some intriguing traits, but was a liability at times for Baylor against the run. Still, it’s a surprise that he didn’t get drafted.

    Source: Tom Pelissero

    Gottlieb Ayedze, OG, Maryland (6’4, 308)

    Ayedze played LT for four years at Frostburg State (MD), before transferring to Maryland in 2023, where he mostly played RT. At 6’4 with 33″ arms, his home in the NFL will likely be at guard. Ayedze is an undersized lineman who ran a fast 40. 

    He is a developmental prospect who the Eagles could try to groom as a backup guard/tackle.

    Source: Matt Zenitz

    Kendall Milton, RB, Georgia (6’2, 225)

    Milton is a big, one-cut-and-go sledgehammer-type back who runs through contact and usually falls forward.

    His career rushing stats:

    Kendall Milton  Rush  Yards  YPC  TD 
     2020 35  193  5.5  0 
     2021 56  264  4.7  1 
     2022 85  592  7.0  8 
     2023 121  790  6.5  14 

    One out of every 8.6 of Milton’s carries in 2023 resulted in a touchdown. He also finished off his college career on a hot streak, rushing 64 times for 495 yards (7.7 YPC) and 9 TDs in Georgia’s final five games in 2023. He wasn’t much of a threat as a receiver out of the backfield at Georgia, as he had just 12 career receptions.

    At running back, the Eagles have Saquon Barkley, Kenny Gainwell, and Will Shipley, who are all locks to make the roster. Otherwise, if the Eagles keep four running backs, Milton will compete with guys like Tyrion Davis-Price, Lew Nichols, and any further additions for a roster spot.

    Source: Jordan Schultz

    Anim Dankwah, OT, Howard (6’8, 353)

    Dankwah is a mammoth offensive tackle at 6’8, 353:

    I’ll let Zierlein do the heavy lifting here: 

    Decorated left tackle with extremely rare size, mass and length. Dankwah is a human wall with the ability to grind and drive opponents off their turf once he’s centered up and has his legs driving. He moves with adequate initial quickness but will struggle to redirect his weight to make blocks on the move or to recover against quick inside rush counters. Dankwah is too tall to play guard and might not have the lateral quickness to protect the passer at an acceptable level. However, size and power matter to NFL teams, and there is enough on tape for a general manager to invest a late-round pick in him.

    Dankwah is probably a multi-year project likely to spend the 2024 season on the practice squad.

    McCallan Castles, TE, Tennessee (6’4, 244)

    McCallan initially enrolled at Cal in 2018, but entered the transfer portal during the 2019 season. He transferred to UC Davis, and then to Tennessee in 2023. In 2023, Castles had 22 catches for 283 yards and 5 TDs. His most productive season was in 2021 at UC Davis, when he had 27 catches for 387 yards and 4 TDs. There are a bunch of broken tackles in this highlight reel:

    34 is a weird number for a tight end, but I digress.

    The Eagles currently have four tight ends on their roster — Dallas Goedert, C.J. Uzomah, Grant Calcaterra, and Albert Okwuegbunam. Only Goedert has ever really done anything for the Eagles, so there is some opportunity for an undrafted rookie tight end to make the roster with a good camp.

    Source: Jeremy Fowler

    Andre’ Sam, S, LSU (5’11, 191)

    Sam is a 25-year-old prospect who originally enrolled at McNeese State in 2017, transferred to Marshall in 2022, and then to LSU in 2023. He had 85 tackles and 3 INTs for LSU in 2023, and got a Combine invite. 

    Sam is undersized, but he can thump. 

    Source: Tom Pelissero

    History of the Eagles’ undrafted free agents

    Last year, one undrafted free agent — CB Eli Ricks — made the initial 53-man roster out of training camp. LB Ben VanSumeren and S Mekhi Garner eventually got added as well. A quick list of the Eagles’ undrafted rookie free agents who made the initial 53-man roster out of camp:

    2023 (1): CB Eli Ricks

    2022 (3): S Reed Blankenship, CB Josh Jobe, OL Josh Sills

    2021 (1): TE Jack Stoll

    2020 (0): None

    2019 (2): LB T.J. Edwards, OL Nate Herbig

    2018 (1): DT Bruce Hector

    2017 (1): RB Corey Clement

    2016 (4): WR Paul Turner, OT Dillon Gordon, DT Destiny Vaeao, CB C.J. Smith

    2015 (1): CB Denzel Rice

    2014 (2): TE Trey Burton, K Cody Parkey

    2013 (3): OL Matt Tobin, DT Damion Square, LB Jake Knott

    2012 (2): RB Chris Polk, WR Damaris Johnson 

    That would be an average of 1.8 per season. The only season over the last 12 years that no undrafted rookie free agents made the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster was in 2020, when COVID complicated that offseason.

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