ReportWire

Tag: Josh Sweat

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

    [ad_1]

    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.

    SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter

    Follow Evan on Twitter:@evan_macy

    Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports

    [ad_2]

    Evan Macy

    Source link

  • Know your enemy: Can Eagles EDGEs dominate remade left side of Chiefs OL?

    [ad_1]

    When the Eagles and Chiefs meet Sunday in Kansas City, they won’t be the exact same squads that met in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans about seven months earlier, a memorable night for the Eagles as they pounded the two-time reigning champions by a 40-22 score that wasn’t even that close.

    The Eagles are trying to rebuild a top-ranked defense that lost about half its starters in the offseason to free agency or trades. The Chiefs are trying to repair the left side of an offensive line so decimated by injuries come playoffs that coach Andy Reid had moved his All Pro left guard to left tackle and filled the left guard spot with a third-stringer.

    Amazingly, the Chiefs still made it to the Super Bowl despite their offensive line issues, but the short-armed Joe Thuney was no match for the length of Eagles EDGEs Josh Sweat, Jalyx Hunt and the team’s other pass rushers who teed off on Patrick Mahomes. 

    Pressures like this were common throughout the game:

    And like this..

    The Chiefs remade their o-line this offseason, trading Thuney to the Bears and moving 2024 second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia to guard after the former BYU lineman struggled as a rookie and couldn’t get on the field past Week 1. They also used a first-round pick on Ohio State OT Josh Simmons, who was a big-time recruit out of California and one of the most athletic linemen in his class. Simmons suffered a knee injury in October and missed the rest of the season, including Ohio State’s run to a national title. 

    Simmons won the starting LT job and lined up alongside Suamataia last Friday when the Chiefs opened their season in Sao Paolo against the Chargers, a game they’d lose 27-21.

    How improved are the Chiefs on the left side compared to February? It’s a complicated answer. At very least, they have a left tackle who’s actually a left tackle. At left guard, though, Suamataia is nowhere near Thuney’s level.

    The film from Week 1 showed that both young linemen have some progress to make, and the Eagles are probably happy they get to face them earlier in the season.

    The Chiefs showed some communication breakdowns – especially against some stunts and line games, which the Eagles do occasionally – and some technique breakdowns for both linemen.

    Pressure on Mahomes came early for the Chargers – like the first third-down sceanario, a 3rd-and-6 that saw Simmons driven back into the pocket, forcing Mahomes to throw off his back foot with a lot of traffic in his face.

    Both Simmons and Suamataia were driven back to collapse the pocket, making Mahomes release quickly and off the mark at the first-down marker.

    Here’s a schemed pressure with the Chargers overloaded on the left side of the line.

    The Chargers executed a T/E stunt and delayed LB blitz but the real pressure simply came from the DT getting inside Suamataia and then riding him back into Mahomes, who was hit while he threw incomplete.

    Side note: This is also the play where Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy and TE Travis Kelce collided on a mesh concept leading to Worthy’s exit from the game with a dislocated shoulder. He’s listed as doubtful to play Sunday.

    Here’s a pressure from just a three-man rush – a three-man rush!

     

    Simmons gets beat badly off the snap by the edge rusher, forcing Mahomes to step up and then scramble to his left. Naturally, the LB who looked like a blitzer but was actually a dropper and spy saw Mahomes the whole way and was able to outflank Mahomes to make the QB stop dead in his tracks and try to reverse course before getting sacked.

    Every so often, the Chiefs like to go under center and run play-action bootlegs, getting Mahomes out of the pocket, where he’s a sensei with his ability to hurt defenses with a pass or run. There were two instances where the under-center play action did nothing to help Mahomes avoid pressure from the left side.

    Here’s one:

    Simmons badly missed his punch on the EDGE defender, who beat him with a hand swipe and then went into QB pursuit mode. Sure, Mahomes picked up the first down, but he took a major knock at the end of the run. 

    The Eagles don’t have Sweat anymore but Jalyx Hunt and Josh Uche took turns last week lining up over Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton while Jordan Davis lined up over LG Tyler Smith and had one of the best games of his career, although his best rushes came against Cowboys C Cooper Beebe.

    Andy Reid is notorious for not helping out his offensive tackles so he can make the most of his five outlets on every pass play. We’ll see if he makes any adjustments Sunday afternoon or if the Eagles once again dominate the left side of KC’s offensive line.

    SIGN UP HERE to receive PhillyVoice’s Sports newsletters.

    Follow Geoff on Twitter/X: @geoffpmosher

    Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports

    [ad_2]

    Geoff Mosher

    Source link

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

    The Eagles’ pass rush has come alive since the bye

    [ad_1]

    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

    Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick

    Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports

    [ad_2]

    Nick Tricome

    Source link

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

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

    [ad_1]

    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

     

     

     

     

    [ad_2]

    Tyler L’Heureux

    Source link

  • 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

    [ad_1]

    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

    [ad_2]

    Tyler L’Heureux

    Source link

  • 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

    [ad_1]

    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

    [ad_2]

    Tyler L’Heureux

    Source link

  • The Draft Is Coming… Will The Eagles Make Another Draft Day Trade? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Draft Is Coming… Will The Eagles Make Another Draft Day Trade? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    [ad_1]

    We’re just under a month away from the 2024 NFL Draft.

    Starting on April 25th, the Eagles will have the following picks after a fully loaded free agency.

    After signing 13 players over the last few weeks the Eagles have found the solution to most of their 20 free agents this off-season.

    Spotrac has the Eagles at a projected $10.5M in cap space, so they might be done spending as they’ll still have to sign all their rookies following the draft. If they’re looking to open up more cap space, the Eagles have yet to make any decisions on Josh Sweat or Haason Reddick.

    Even after their shopping spree on the open market. The Eagles still have 8 picks in the upcoming draft, including 3 in the first 2 rounds.

    The Eagles have already traded  #98 and two 2025 5th round picks for Kenny Pickett and #120. Moving down 22 spots and acquiring a QB with term.

    And for a team that’s always active during the draft. Don’t expect them to be quiet.

     

    Previous Draft Trades

    Below are the past 3 years of Draft Pick trades the Eagles have made

    2023 Draft

    • Eagles trade 10th pick and a 2024 4th to the Bears in exchange for 9th overall (Jalen Carter)
    • Eagles trade 62nd pick to the Texans in exchange for picks #65(Tyler Steen), #188(Tanner McKee) and #230
    • Eagles trade a 2024 3rd to the Texans in exchange for #105 (Kelee Ringo)
    • Eagles trade a 2025 4th to the Lions for D’Andre Swift and #249
    • Eagles trade #230 and #248 to the Texans for #191
    • Eagles trade #191 to Tampa Bay for a 2024 5th

     

    2022 Draft

    • (Pre-Draft) Eagles traded #16, #19 and #194 to New Orleans for #18, #101, #237, a 2023 1st and 2024 2nd
    • Eagles trade #15, #124, #162 and #166 to the Texans for #13 (Jordan Davis)
    • Eagles trade #18 and #101 to the Titans for A.J. Brown
    • Eagles trade #154 to Jacksonville for #188 and #198
    • Eagles trade #188 and #237 to Detroit for #181

    2021 Draft

    • (Pre-Draft) Eagles trade Carson Wentz for #84 and 2022 #16
    • (Pre-Draft) Eagles trade #6 and #156 to Miami for #12 and a 2022 1st
    • Eagles trade #12 and #84 to Dallas for #10 (DeVonta Smith)
    • Eagles trade #70 to Carolina for #73(Milton Williams) and #191(Tarron Jackson)
    • Eagles trade #225 and #240 to Washington for a 2022 5th

     

    Time and time again the Eagles have shown to be very active in the draft. Loading up on future picks and trading up to acquire the guys they want.

    It’ll be no surprise by the end of April if the Eagles have traded more of their picks. Whether it’s to acquire players or future picks we’ll have to wait to find out.

     

    Photo Credit: Philadelphia Eagles

    [ad_2]

    Tyler L’Heureux

    Source link

  • The Eagles Free Agent Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Eagles Free Agent Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    [ad_1]

    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

     

     

     

    [ad_2]

    Tyler L’Heureux

    Source link

  • A Potential Haason Reddick Trade? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    A Potential Haason Reddick Trade? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    [ad_1]

    While the Super Bowl was the perfect way to kick off the week, Eagles fans received some frightening news on Sunday.

     

    A panic was set in before the big game had even started. Would the Eagles really end up trading their star Defensive End?

    Thankfully on Wednesday, some more information came out on this catastrophic situation.

     

    Reddick himself confirmed that HE was not the one to ask for the trade request. Which asks the question, where did the trade request come from?

    Nothing New From Howie Roseman

    There was more than enough reason to panic. Nothing like hearing your Defensive Player of the Year Finalist could be on a new team soon. But after the news was confirmed that Reddick wasn’t seeking the trade himself. Things began to make more sense, as this isn’t the first time the Eagles have gone about contract negotiations with a potential trade.

    Just days before free agency of the 2023 season started. The Eagles and Darius Slay were in a similar situation. While the Eagles eventually cut Slay at the start of free agency. Only 1 day later, and Slay was back with Philly on a brand new 3 Year, $42 million deal.

    Hopefully if this situation unfolds the same way. Reddick will find himself with a new contract, and a lengthy stay in Philadelphia.

     

    On The Other Side Of The Coin

    But what if the Eagles DID trade Haason Reddick? Currently, Reddick is the 21st highest paid edge rusher(per spotrac). Since joining the Eagles in 2022, let’s see how Reddick compares to some of the highest paid edge rushers.

    1. ($34M) Nick Bosa, 33 Games Played, 30 Sacks
    2. ($28M) T.J. Watt, 27 Games Played, 24.5 Sacks
    3. ($27M) Joey Bosa, 14 Games Played, 9 Sacks
    4. ($25M) Myles Garrett, 32 Games Played, 33 Sacks
    5. ($24.5M) Montez Sweat, 34 Games Played, 20.5 Sacks
    6. ($24M) Rashan Gary, 26 Games Played, 15 Sacks
    7. ($23.5M) Maxx Crosby, 34 Games Played, 27 Sacks
    8. ($23.5M) Khalil Mack, 34 Games Played, 25 Sacks

    With 27.5 Sacks of his own, it’s clear enough that the contract Howie Roseman was able to get Reddick on was a highlight of the 2022 Off-season. Expecting to see an extension somewhere above the $25 Million average, the Eagles could be in an even longer off-season next year with Reddick, Sweat, Smith and Dickerson all due for large contracts.

     

    The Last Huge Edge To Get Traded

    It’s been almost 6 years since the Raiders traded Khalil Mack to the Bears. In his debut season with Chicago he put up 12.5 Sacks in only 14 games! The price to pay for a 27-year old Khalil Mack? Not only was it a 6-year, $141M contract. The Bears also received a 2020 2nd round pick (TE Cole Kmet) and a 2020 7th (OL Arlington Hambright) in the trade. However, Chicago sent 4 draft picks to the then Oakland Raiders which ended up becoming:

    • 2019 1st (RB Josh Jacobs)
    • 2019 6th (CB Blessuan Austin) – This pick was traded to the Jets, which resulted in a 2019 5th (WR Hunter Renfrow)
    • 2020 1st (CB Damon Arnette)
    • 2020 3rd (WR Bryan Edwards)

    At the time of this trade, Mack was 27. However 4 years later, the Bears would get the following when they traded a 30-year old Mack to the Chargers:

    • 2022 2nd (S Jaquan Brisker)
    • 2023 6th (DL Scott Matlock) – This pick was traded back to the Chargers, which resulted in 2 2022 7th’s (S Elijah Hicks & P Trenton Gill)

     

    With 1 season left on Reddick’s contract, the Eagles could end up with a 1st round pick and more. While losing the star edge rusher would leave 862 defensive snaps to fill, the Eagles could stock up on more draft picks and attempt to make a splash on upcoming free agents like Danielle Hunter, Chase Young or Marcus Davenport.

     

    For the record, I’d love to keep Reddick as long as we can. However with him and Josh Sweat due in 2025, sometimes tough choices have to be made.

     

    What would you do with this situation if you were in Howie Roseman’s shoes?

     

    Go Birds!

     

     

     

     

    Photo Credit: AP Photo / Chris Szagola

    [ad_2]

    Tyler L’Heureux

    Source link

  • Eagles acquire 3-time Pro Bowl DE Quinn from Bears

    Eagles acquire 3-time Pro Bowl DE Quinn from Bears

    [ad_1]

    LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The undefeated Philadelphia Eagles already have one of the NFL’s best defenses.

    Now, they’re adding another pass rusher to the mix.

    The Eagles acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Robert Quinn from the Chicago Bears for a 2023 fourth-round pick on Wednesday.

    The teams said the trade was pending a physical.

    Quinn goes from a rebuilding franchise to a Super Bowl contender. The Eagles (6-0) are the lone undefeated team. Philadelphia, coming off a bye, hosts Pittsburgh on Sunday.

    “I think it’s another great player on this team,” Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said. “He has a history of being a great defensive end and edge rusher. I think he’ll help us out in a number of ways. Adds a lot of depth, and I’m excited to meet him. I’m excited to meet him (Thursday) when he comes.”

    The 32-year-old Quinn is off to a slow start with just one sack and three quarterback hits after opting not participate in offseason workouts. But he broke Hall of Famer Richard Dent’s franchise record with 18 1/2 sacks last year in a resurgent season.

    “I value — I think I’ve talked about that a lot — the locker room and what it means and the culture and it (stinks) to mess with that, to be completely honest with you,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said.

    “But again, my job is to do what’s best for this organization not only now, but in the future. I felt like that was the best move for us to make.”

    With Quinn, an Eagles defensive line that already has Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Jordan Davis becomes that much more daunting. He replaces defensive end Derek Barnett, who tore an ACL in the opener at Detroit.

    The Eagles are holding opponents to 297.8 yards per game, which is fourth in the NFL. They’re fifth against the pass at 188 yards and rank second in interceptions with nine. When it comes to sacks, they’re tied for 10th with 17. And that’s an area where Quinn could help.

    He has 102 sacks over 12 seasons with the Rams, Miami, Dallas and Chicago. Quinn was an All-Pro with St. Louis in 2013 when he had a career-high 19 sacks and made his second straight Pro Bowl the following year. He went from 11 1/2 sacks with Dallas in 2019 to just two for Chicago in 2020.

    Quinn bounced back in a huge way last year and seemed a likely candidate to be traded in the offseason considering the Bears were essentially starting over. They hired Poles and coach Matt Eberflus to replace the fired Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy after missing the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 years.

    But Poles said trading Quinn in the offseason was not his intention.

    “I know I wanted Robert on this team in the beginning,” he said. “There weren’t many conversations at all. I was transparent with them — him and his crewー about that. I knew the way he played this game, the motor and all that.”

    He said the Bears “needed that” to “kickstart” how the defense would perform under Eberflus and new coordinator Alan Williams.

    Quinn, meanwhile, had said several times he would rather remain with the Bears than be traded. Poles said he wasn’t sure how his play this season impacted his market value.

    When the deal materialized, it caught star linebacker Roquan Smith off guard. He was at the dais addressing reporters when the news surfaced and he became emotional.

    “Man. Yeah, man. (Stinks),” he said, wiping his eyes with his shirt.

    He was asked how so.

    “Let me take a second for a second, if you don’t mind,” Smith responded. After about 10 seconds, he continued: “You know, I have a great deal of respect for that guy, you know. Damn. Crazy.”

    Smith got up and walked away, ending a brief session. A team spokesman told reporters, “We’ll get you tomorrow.”

    The Bears (3-4) visit the Dallas Cowboys (5-2) on Sunday. Chicago is coming off a surprising win at New England on Monday night.

    Though they’ve struggled against the run, the Bears have been one of the best at defending the pass. But now, they’re without one of their most important players.

    ———

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

    [ad_2]

    Source link