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Tag: Landon Dickerson

  • Two Center Pieces Plan To Return: Johnson and Dickerson Back for Eagles – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

    Perhaps the best thing to come out of the Chip Kelly era was a Right Tackle from the University of Oklahoma in 2013.

    That Right Tackle — one Lane Johnson — wouldn’t become just another great Eagles Offensive Lineman; he would become one of its greatest.


    This week,  Johnson announced that he will be returning for his fourteenth NFL season , where he will once again anchor a line allowing Jalen Hurts another shot at pocket perfection in 2026.


    And that is where we have another piece of really good news for the Eagles.

    Landon Dickerson

    Although Johnson missed the last seven games of the season and an NFC Wildcard Game with an ankle injury — teammate Landon Dickerson, despite a myriad of injuries — will also be returning next season. It also means that the 2025 Eagles Offensive Line could potentially return intact, including Jordan Mailata, Tyler Steen, and Cam Jurgens.

    Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

    Even so , the man who brought Johnson his first Super Bowl Ring — Doug Pederson may never again have to pay for a meal or a drink in Philadelphia — but he will not be his new Offensive Coordinator. There will not be a reunion with the man who stands with quarterback Nick Foles in the bronze statue that resides outside of Lincoln Financial Field, capturing one of the best moments in franchise history, nor with the same man who drafted Jalen Hurts and won a Super Bowl with Brandon Graham, Jason Kelce, and Jake Elliott — alongside Johnson.


    Lane Johnson’s presence is more than just helpful. The Eagles are 120–62–1 with him in the lineup — including nine playoff appearances, three NFC Championships, and two Lombardi Trophies.

    Since arriving in 2021 after being drafted from Alabama — Landon Dickerson has helped the Eagles to two Super Bowl appearances, three NFC East Titles — and one championship last season in 2025.


    It means that Philadelphia can count on two of the most important pieces of its offensive line.

    For at least one more season.


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    Michael Thomas Leibrandt

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  • Stoutland University Re-Opening as Kuper College  – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    With the announcement that the Eagles would need to be in search of a new Offensive Line Coach. Panic began to set in. Not only would a new offensive coordinator be taking over for the 5th consecutive year. But a vacancy was suddenly open that hasn’t been available since 2013.

    The Eagles had kept the doors to Stoutland University open for 13 seasons. With players including Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks having come and gone through the Eagles doors. While the legacy will live on as long as Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson continue to play for the city of Philadelphia. 

    Kuper’s 2025

    Chris Kuper spent the last 4 years as the Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach. With Mannion having spent time in 2023 with the Vikings, another familiar face to his new staff makes sense. 

    Could a resume stack up against Jeff Stoutland’s tenure? Unlikely. But the Vikings were building towards something that ultimately didn’t work out in 2025. 

    When it was all said and done. The Vikings tied 2nd for most sacks given up with a total of 60. Tied with the Chargers and Jets. Only the Raiders gave up more with a total of 64. 

    Minnesota also saw three different Quarterbacks across the 17 game season. With starts from J.J. McCarthy to Max Brosmer and Carson Wentz. Injured QBs were the least of the Vikings concern.

    Injuries, Injuries, Injuries

    Last offseason, the Vikings signed Ryan Kelly and Will Fries to play Center & Right Guard. Slotting in with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Niell returning from previous seasons. The Vikings also added Donovan Jackson with the 24th overall pick in the 2025 draft. 

    Things started slow for the Vikings as Darrisaw didn’t play until Week 3 and only started 10 games. 

    Ryan Kelly only saw action in 8 games throughout the season, being placed in concussion protocol weeks 2, 4 and 16.

    While both Jackson & O’Neill finished the season with 14 games. The Vikings OL was constantly rotating out players and rarely saw consistent starting lineups. 

    With tattered and bruised players, even the Eagles offensive line struggled only missing Lane Johnson for 7 games and Landon Dickerson for 2. 

    If given a healthy season, there’s opportunity for Kuper to cement himself in a new era of Eagles football. One that might find itself in need of new cornerstone pieces to the offensive line.

    With the draft coming in April, are you expecting the Eagles to draft OL in the first round?

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • The NFL Season Is Over and Everything Is Worse Now; So, Here Are Some Alternatives – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Credit: Philadelphia Eagles-Facebook

    The NFL season is over, and everything is worse now. We just saw the Seattle Seahawks soundly defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60, meaning the Eagles’ title of defending champions is over.

    We now enter the dark day,s also known as the offseason.


    Football-less weekends are upon us.

    How you spend these next few months is up to you, but here’s where I’m starting.


    Coaching Staff

    Credit: Philadelphia Eagles-Facebook

    Prep for the next Eagles season. There’s been a lot of upheaval in the Eagles staff, particularly on the offensive side. Let’s familiarize ourselves with them. New Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion, Passing Coordinator Josh Grizzard, and Offensive Line Coach Chris Kuper have joined the Eagles staff for 2026. They seem like promising young hires, which is the cliche way of saying we know very little about how they’ll actually perform.

    We do know that Jordan Love has played well under Mannion, Baker has become the franchise guy in Tampa under Grizzard, and the Vikings’ rushing game was surprisingly competent despite the revolving door of starter quarterbacks. I’ll also be looking at players who may join or leave the team next year.

    A.J. Brown

    Brings us to crazy trade scenarios. Is AJ Brown actually going to force a trade out of Philadelphia? Personally, I want to keep AJ despite his antics from the last two years. Most reports show Brown’s value around a second-round pick, which doesn’t justify it to me. Sure, a second-round pick could be any caliber of player; it could even be an AJ Brown-type player. Then again, Howie has shown he’d rather pull the plug early than late.

    Maxx Crosby

    Is Howie going to pull a masterclass and try to get Maxx Crosby? While I would love to see a player like him added to the team, I think it only really happens if the Raiders are desperate to move him.

    He has a massive contract signed last year, and the Eagles need more help on the offensive line than on the defensive line. They’ll likely try to build through the draft.

    2026 NFL Draft

    Speaking of, you can also start prepping for the draft. My early draft prep is to take an o-line or player from either the college playoffs or the SEC. I think the biggest difference for the Eagles from 2024 to 2025 was their running game.

    Hand up, I’m not much of a college football fan, so specifics will come later as we get closer to the draft. I do know that we can’t judge their past season of play until we see how well they exercise before the draft. More to come later, but we have our last idea.

    Landon Dickerson

    Doom scroll about the team. Not recommended, and actually, I’m going to try to talk you down on the big ones. Landon Dickerson might retire due to a knee injury that has reportedly plagued his 2025 season and was an issue when he was first drafted. It may surprise you, but I’m not secretly a doctor with a great knowledge of players’ knees.

    As a sports watcher, I can say we’ve seen a lot of players with leg injuries heal faster and return to 100% as of late. There are ACLs like Jayson Tatum or even Joel Embiid who got knee surgery and have been playing like they did when they won the MVP.

    Lane Johnson

    Lane Johnson also underwent surgery, and as the Eagles’ longest-tenured player (assuming Brandon Graham re-retires), there are questions about his future. I don’t actually expect him to retire unless his healing goes worse than expected.

    What I do expect is that this is his last year, so the Eagles better take one of those guys I haven’t researched yet.

    Vic Fangio

    Vic Fangio also flirted with retirement but has told the team he’d remain for at least another year. While this would be bad for obvious reasons, there’s always the chance that these were just rumors and a return to winning would cure his issues. There’s also our old pal Jim Schwartz, who is taking a year off from football after not being picked as the Browns’ head coach.

    Would he be willing to take another defensive coordinator position? Who knows, but I can tell you he’d get more national coverage with the Eagles than the Browns.


    Those are a few things I’ll be doing.

    I’ll also be writing for all you fine readers.


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    Hello, I’m a greater Philadelphia native writing mostly about the Eagles and the rest of the NFL. Articles aren’t … More about Kyle Lavin

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    Kyle Lavin

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  • If the Eagles aren’t careful, they might just shut their contending window on themselves

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    It’s all a super fine line to walk, one that is obviously the ultimate luxury to because it meant winning the Super Bowl, but also one that comes with shifted and far greater expectations, especially in this town. 

    It comes with the weight of a “new norm,” of going from the goal of winning just one Super Bowl, which is lofty enough alone, to multiple, and of keeping that contending window open for as long as sustainably possible.

    The Eagles of the Pederson-Wentz era ultimately couldn’t do it. They’re immortal for doing the once thought impossible with Nick Foles miraculously leading the charge, but they crumbled trying to push forward in maintaining that.

    Now the Eagles of the Hurts-Sirianni era are standing at the windowsill trying to keep themselves in annual contention.

    But if they’re not careful over these next few months, they might just end up slamming it all down on their figurative hand.


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    Nick Tricome

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  • A Blown Chance To Get Back In The Saddle. – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    You’d think the Eagles would’ve taken things personally after coming up short to the Denver Broncos at home. Losing 21-17 in Week 5. A short week that would see their second NFC East match of the season, against a 1-4 Giants squad that just struggled to keep a close game against the New Orleans Saints. The opportunity to go 5-1 was right in front of them.

    And then disaster struck. 

    Injuries On Injuries On Injuries 

    Jalen Carter was held out of Thursdays game as a precaution. An unfortunate pre-game loss but it shouldn’t have been as detrimental to the team as it was. Hopefully the Week 7 injury report comes with good news for his availability against Minnesota. 

    Add on top of that a Quinyon Mitchell hamstring injury held him out for the remainder of the game (we’re still waiting on an update for Week 7). 

    With Landon Dickerson finally being given much needed time off to recover from a plethora of injuries. The Eagles aren’t looking as healthy as they did for last seasons run.

    Another Week Of Sloppy Offense

    The Eagles can’t seem to pick which quarter they struggle the most in. From 3 points in the 2nd half of week 1. 7 points in the first half against the Rams, and only 7 points in the 2nd half against the Buccaneers and Broncos. The Eagles were shutout against the Giants and were picked off the first time in the 4th quarter of Week 6.

    If the Eagles plan on winning more games, they’ll need to get the offense in a more consistent rhythm that is able to score more than 17 points against some of the best (and worst) defenses. 

    A Weekend Of Successful Hate Watches.

    While the Eagles dropped an important division game against a bottom feeder Giants team. That didn’t stop more teams in the NFC from also having very unfortunate ends to their Week 6 matches.

    • The Cowboys fell to 2-3-1 as Rico Dowdle stacked up 239 total yards against his former team. 
    • The 49ers(4-2)lost their 2nd game to the Buccaneers(5-1), but both teams racked up more injuries, including Fred Warner & Emeka Egbuka. 
    • The unstoppable Lions were held to only 17 points to a Chiefs team that started the year 0-2. 
    • The Bears struggled to take down the Commanders, but a late 4th Quarter fumble gave the Bears the opportunity to come out on top. 

    After a very long week being disappointed in an Eagles loss. They still finish Week 6 atop the NFC East with a 1 game lead on the Commanders. 

    Perhaps things aren’t that bad after all?

    The post A Blown Chance To Get Back In The Saddle. appeared first on Philadelphia Sports Nation.

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Week One Eagles Recap, The Start Of A New Chapter. – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Thursday night, before a long and stressful game that had a little bit of everything. The Eagles got to hang their second Super Bowl banner in front of fans at Lincoln Financial Field.

    What ensued were questionable flags, a costly turnover, weather delays, an early ejection and even…spitting contests?

    Chaos At Kickoff

    The Eagles unveiled the banner, with a little help from recently retired Brandon Graham.

    And just minutes later, on the opening kickoff return. Ben VanSumeren’s season might’ve came to an abrupt end. We’ll wait for an official announcement on the severity of the injury, but the Eagles FullBack idea might be over. 

    To makes matters worse, VanSumeren wouldn’t be the only player to miss the rest of tonight’s game. With a self inflicted wound, Jalen Carter was ejected while trainers dealt with the injured player. It doesn’t matter if Han or Dak shot first. But Carter’s presence was missed for 4 Quarters as the Cowboys totalled 119 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. 

    While the Eagles pass rush struggled to get home, they managed 2TFLs late in the game. Almost like they were missing one of their best defensive players?

    Next Man Up

    With Carter ejected it was time for another Georgia Bulldog to take his place. 

    While some of his pressures should have turned into sacks tonight. Jordan Davis played a huge role along with Moro Ojomo who both played 89% of the Eagles defensive snaps.

    Among others who made plays Thursday night include Jahan DotsonZack Baun and Jihaad Campbell. Who forced a fumble on Miles Sanders on the Eagles 10 yard line, might have been the game deciding turnover.

    And Then There Was A Weather Delay. Again.

    As if a 45 minute delay for the first Super Bowl banner wasn’t enough… It happened again

    With 4:45 remaining in the third quarter of a 24-20 game. Lightning in the surrounding area led to over an hour long delay in the game. Not returning until 11:30 local time, there was still almost 20 minutes of clock left to play.

    The delay killed momentum for both teams, as the game saw 5 straight punts before the end of the 4th, after 8 straight scoring possessions opened the season. 

    The Eagles played sloppy throughout the game. As a team should look missing key pieces, already beginning to deal with injuries (Landon Dickerson & A.J. Brown), with new players in the defense like Campbell, Mukuba & Jackson. With yet another new offensive system now under Kevin Patullo.

    With a week 1 divisional victory under their belts, do the Eagles look like they’re ready to run it back for Super Bowl 60?

    Go Birds. 

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Eagles’ Assortment of Game-Breakers Has Them on Dynasty Watch – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Photo Courtesy of Eagles Nation on X.

    In their past three seasons, the Philadelphia Eagles have accumulated a 39–12 regular-season record and appeared in two Super Bowls. After narrowly falling by their hands in 2022, the Birds humiliated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs en route to their second Lombardi Trophy win last winter.

    These accomplishments alone have the Eagles on the brink of a dynasty—another title would surely put them there. Given the team’s assortment of game-breaking talent, they might be in luck.

    Eagles’ Returning Game-Breakers

    General manager Howie Roseman has done such an excellent job adding talent to the Eagles that it’s hard to put into words. He built what many called a “superteam” in 2022, but only improved the roster over the next couple of seasons.

    But let’s stick with the players who oversaw both Super Bowls. Starting with Jalen Hurts, he’s one of the premier dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL—immense rushing upside and one of the most efficient passers in the sport. He’s not necessarily the most gifted, but he gets high-end results. When the Eagles have needed him to perform the most, that’s often when he has shone the brightest.

    Then, you have the offensive line. Landon Dickerson deserves a shootout here, but tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson are definitely in that “game-breaking” tier. Recognized as two of the best exterior linemen in the sport, they make the offense’s life easier by consistently and emphatically winning their assignments.

    Next, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have been one of the league’s top one-two punches for a few years now. Coming up clutch in late-down situations and with huge contested-catch upside, they’ve flipped games on their head. Both have fourth-down snags to their name in the NFC Championship, leading to a momentum-altering touchdown a short while later.

    Eagles’ “New” Game-Breakers

    Over the past couple of seasons, the Eagles have added three game-breaking talents: Saquon Barkley, Zack Baun, and Jalen Carter. Their two recently drafted cornerbacks may get there (if they haven’t arrived already), but those are the big three who the Birds would’ve had no chance in 2024 without.

    PHOTO: Eagles Nation on X

    Barkley’s impact is self-explanatory. Setting the NFL record for rushing yards in a single season (2,504), he rushed about 1,000 yards over what would have been considered a huge win for the Birds. Winning games early in the season virtually by himself, and taking long-distance runs to the house in the playoffs, the MVP love he got was deserved.

    Baun was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate last season. He was the nucleus of that core, preventing big rushes and forcing turnovers at the most pivotal moments. For a team that often struggled in both of those areas before his arrival, he changed the game for the Birds.

    Finally, we have Carter. Already one of the most feared defensive linemen in the league, the 24-year-old should have about a decade of game-breaking football. His most influential play came on a third-down sack of Matthew Stafford in the NFC Divisional Round in January. With the Los Angeles Rams on the verge of a last-second go-ahead touchdown, the youngster saved the day and the Eagles’ season.

    The Eagles have something special here. With eight game-breaking talents on the roster (if not more), their excellence can be felt every week. It’s why Philadelphia’s hopes of yet another Super Bowl title are quite realistic.


    PHOTO: Eagles Nation on X

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    Justin Giampietro

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  • Current Roster Candidates for the Eagles’ Hall of Fame – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Current Roster Candidates for the Eagles’ Hall of Fame – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame is an exclusive place where only the best of the best can find their names. Which current players might find themselves there, as well?


    Shoo-in: Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham

    PHOTO: —

    Both of the players here have had incredibly long and successful careers with Philadelphia, essentially making them locks for the team’s Hall of Fame. These are two different cases, so let’s take a look.

    Lane Johnson is one of the most accomplished Eagles ever, being one of the best players on the Eagles’ Super Bowl roster in 2017, plus being a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time first-team All-Pro. He has played in 143 regular season games with the Birds from 2013 to the present, so he has seen a lot in his tenure.

    Speaking of a player who has seen a lot, we get to Brandon Graham. It took him a while to spread his wings and fly, but he was one of the best Eagles at his peak—he was a key figure on the Super Bowl team and several elite defenses. Making perhaps the biggest play in team history, putting up 73 sacks in 195 games, plus receiving a Pro Bowl nod in 2020, there’s just no way that Philadelphia can leave him out.


    More Likely Than Not: Jake Elliott

    Jake Elliott has been at it long enough to deserve to be in the “shoo-in” territory here, but he has been an Eagle for about half the time as Johnson and Graham. Still, that doesn’t mean he is any less incredible. Yes, he is a kicker, but he has consistently been a great one.

    Elliott has flourished in the clutch, which is an area where many other kickers falter. He was terrific in 2017, and from there he has really only gotten better. Over these past few seasons, he has gotten a Pro Bowl nod and been a second-team All-Pro. One of the NFL’s most accurate kickers from 2021-2023, he has seemingly already done enough to join David Akers in the Eagles Hall of Fame.


    Maybe/Too Early to Tell: Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jalen Carter, Rick Lovato

    This is the territory where we get the most subjective. They won’t all get in, but all of these seven players at least deserve a mention.

    Jalen Hurts’ case is pretty obvious. He has only completed three seasons as the Eagles’ starting quarterback thus far, but his time in Philadelphia over just the last two seasons has been sensational. He finished second in MVP voting in 2022 and was the favorite at some points during 2023, so the potential is there. The 25-year-old still has a lot to show before he can be put in the Eagles Hall of Fame with players like Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb, but there is definitely a world where it happens.

    DeVonta Smith has even more to prove than Hurts does, but we shouldn’t put it past him to be among the Eagles’ greats. Averaging over 1,000 receiving yards across his first three seasons in the NFL, the 25-year-old is clearly pretty special. He has a ton of talent and is a big reason why Philadelphia made it to the Super Bowl in 2022, so he has that going for him. If he can win a championship or have a long tenure with the Eagles, that would be his ticket to eternal glory.

    A.J. Brown is our first player here to not be drafted by the Eagles, but he is freshly 27 years of age and has put up two of the best receiving seasons in the history of the team. From 2022-2023, he has an incredible 2,952 yards and 18 touchdowns on 194 receptions. If he can keep that up for a few more years, it would be an inevitability for him to make the team Hall of Fame.

    Jordan Mailata is an interesting case because he doesn’t have any accolades on his resume, but it is clear from both the eye test and the advanced stats test that he is sensational. The 27-year-old tackle is lovable and genuinely really good at what he does. He would probably need a Super Bowl win and perhaps some individual accolades to make an Eagles Hall of Fame nod happen, but it’s not like either of those are unrealistic.

    Landon Dickerson is in a similar boat, but he has two Pro Bowl nods through just three seasons in the league. The Eagles projecting to be a great team both now and in the future should do wonders for his Hall of Fame case—a championship could set him over the top.

    Jalen Carter, while just a sophomore in the NFL, lived up to his draft hype in his rookie campaign. Finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2023, greatness could be in his future. We shouldn’t get too ahead of ourselves, but there is obvious potential here.

    Rick Lovato probably deserves to be considered, but he is also a long-snapper. He has played in 118 regular season games with the Eagles, has a Super Bowl championship to his name, and made the Pro Bowl in 2019. Perhaps it’s a stretch considering the position, but maybe it’s time to give a long snapper some love. Really, there is not much else he could have accomplished at this stage, so he deserves a mention.


    Seeing as the Eagles have 10 different players on their current roster who could potentially make it to the team Hall of Fame (and perhaps a few more), there’s a lot of greatness in their group. Some of them are bigger stretches than others, but there is still an immense level of talent in their 2024 roster. Can they put it all together?


     

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    Justin Giampietro

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  • Setting The WR Market, Eagles Extend DeVonta Smith – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Setting The WR Market, Eagles Extend DeVonta Smith – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Eagles front office has done it again.

    After speculation that the Eagles would be paying their WR2 next after agreeing to a 3-year $66M extension with Jordan Mailata just two weeks ago. News finally broke on Monday that not only would DeVonta Smith’s 5th year be picked up, but it also came with a nifty 3-year extension.

    The Eagles will now have the following players on the offense under contract through 2026:

    • QB Jalen Hurts
    • QB Kenny Pickett
    • WR A.J. Brown
    • WR DeVonta Smith
    • RB Saquon Barkley
    • LT Jordan Mailata
    • LG Landon Dickerson
    • OL Tyler Steen
    • RT Lane Johnson

    Not a bad thing to have 8 offensive starters under contract for the next 3 seasons!

    But how did the Eagles get all these top tier players under contract without being well over the cap? (like the Saints have been for years)

     

    Ahead Of The League

    This is now back to back off-seasons where Howie Roseman and co. have been able to extend franchise cornerstone players before the other 31 teams in the league came to terms with their counterparts.

    QB Frenzy

    Starting with Jalen Hurts on April 17th 2023. A 5 year, $255M contract was signed ahead of the following quarterbacks

    • Joe Burrow – 5 years, $275M signed on September 7th 2023
    • Justin Herbert – 5 years, $262.5M signed on July 25th 2023
    • Lamar Jackson – 5 years, $260M signed on April 27th 2023

     

    Offensive Line Mania

    Not only did the Eagles get away with drafting Jordan Mailata in the 7th round of the 2018 draft. They’ve now extended him. Twice! While doing so, the Eagles have gotten ahead by signing Mailata to a 3 year, $66M deal. Now under contract until 2029.

    There weren’t many Offensive Tackles looking to be signed this off-season, but getting an extra 3 years from Mailata at $22M was perfect value giving some previously signed OT’s including:

    • Laremy Tunsil – 3 year, $75M signed on March 19th 2023
    • Andrew Thomas – 5 year, $117.5M signed on July 26th 2023

    However, this was the perfect market to get the Left Tackle signed for those extra years. Because the following will be due for a 5th year option and probable extensions in the next year.

    • Penei Sewell – drafted 7th overall 2021
    • Rashawn Slater – drafted 11th overall 2021
    • Ronnie Stanley – 5 year, $98.75M signed in 2020

     

    Setting The WR Market

    And that’s exactly how the Eagles have set the WR market with DeVonta Smith’s new deal.

    Had the Eagles not worked as quickly as possible on this deal. They would’ve been at risk of the following Receivers potentially getting record breaking deals done first.

    Since we don’t have contract money for these other receivers, let’s keep it simple and compare Yards/TDs.

    • DeVonta Smith – 50GP, 3,178 Rec Yards, 19 TD. signed a 3 year, $75M deal.
    • Justin Jefferson – 60GP, 5,899 Rec Yards, 30 TD. On a 5th year option for $19.74M
    • Ja’Marr Chase – 45GP, 3,717 Rec Yards, 29 TD. 
    • Tee Higgins – 53GP, 3,684 Rec Yards, 24TD. On a $21.8M Franchise Tag
    • CeeDee Lamb – 61GP, 5,145 Rec Yards, 32TD. On a 5th year option for $17.99M

     

    With DeVonta Smith’s extension checked off the offseason to-do list. The next big milestone will be the draft. Just one week away.

     

    Who do you have the Birds taking at 22nd?

     

     

    Photo Credit: Matt Slocum / AP Photo

     

     

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

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

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

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

     

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

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

    Laiatu Latu – Edge, UCLA

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

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

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

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

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

     

    Kool-Aid McKinstry – CB, Alabama

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

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

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

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

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

     

     

    No Offensive Picks?

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

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

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

     

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

     

     

     

     

    Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today Sports

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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