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Tag: Tommy DeVito

  • The Eagles Free Agent Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Eagles Free Agent Frenzy – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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

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

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

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

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

     

    Division Rival Betrayal

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

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

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

     

     

    Shopping From Both Sides Of MetLife

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

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

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

     

    Addressing The OL

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

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

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

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

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

     

     

     

    Finally, Some Linebackers!

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

    A Reunion In Philly

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

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

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

     

    The New WR3 In Town

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

    And they did.

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

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

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

     

     

     

     

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

     

    Go Birds!

     

     

    Photo Credit: Matt Rourke / AP Photo

     

     

     

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    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • 3 keys to a Giants win over Packers

    3 keys to a Giants win over Packers

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    KEEP FORCING TURNOVERS

    The Giants’ recipe for winning with this low-scoring offense is to force frequent turnovers on defense and capitalize. Wink Martindale’s aggressive scheme typically flusters young quarterbacks, and his defense has forced 10 turnovers in the last three games. But Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love is on a hot streak with eight touchdown passes and no turnovers in the Packers’ three-game winning streak. Forcing Love into an early mistake would go a long way toward keeping this game close and giving the Giants a chance.

    CONTINUE TO THROW DEEP

    Jalin Hyatt made catches for 41, 29 and 22 yards in the Giants’ pre-bye 10-7 win over the Patriots. None of those plays led to points, but they did flip field position, an important dynamic for a defense-led team that needs to win low-scoring, tight games. Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka need to continue dialing Hyatt’s number to help Tommy DeVito and the offense stay confident and contribute in some meaningful way. The deep threat opens any offense.

    BLOCK THE PACK’S FRONT

    Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Kenny Clark comprise a devastating Packers defensive line that is playing at a high level this season. DeVito has taken 28 sacks in 149 dropbacks, including nine in Week 11 at Washington — the most sacks ever allowed in a Giants victory. It’s on both the offensive line and DeVito to avoid negative plays, but it won’t be easy against Matt LaFleur’s defense.

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    Pat Leonard

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  • Saquon Barkley may have given Tommy DeVito the next big NFL nickname

    Saquon Barkley may have given Tommy DeVito the next big NFL nickname

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    From afar, professional athletes can seem rather untouchable. They make millions of dollars playing a game, and, at the risk of painting with a broad brush, live the high life. New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito, however, feels a bit different.

    The signal-caller took a more humble road to the pros, playing at Syracuse and Illinois before entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent, but that’s not the entirety of his common touch. As you may have heard, the Giants QB lives at home with his parents, mere miles from MetLife Stadium.

    That arrangement comes with some fringe benefits.

    “It was a no-brainer for me,” DeVito told ESPN earlier this year. “Everything that I need is there at the house. The decision was made since this level of football is stressful for a rookie, especially from the quarterback position. There is a lot going on, a lot of meetings. So everything outside of football is handled by my family.

    “I don’t have to worry about laundry, what I’m eating for dinner, chicken cutlets and all that is waiting for me when I get there. My mom still makes my bed. Everything is handled for me. Honestly, I don’t even know if I could find a place closer to here than where I live. It takes me 12 minutes to get here.”

    And now, DeVito might have his family—and teammate Saquon Barkley—to thank for a new nickname.

    Tommy DeVito, #15 of the New York Giants, chats with teammate Saquon Barkley, #26, prior to an NFL football game on November 19, 2023, in Landover, Maryland. Barkley may have given his quarterback a new, iconic nickname.
    Michael Owens/Getty Images

    Barkley Called DeVito ‘Tommy Cutlets’

    While in-game interviews can be divisive—some feel that you’ll never get a genuine answer from a coach during the action—having a player mic’d up during a game is a bit more appealing. There’s (presumably) plenty of audio we can’t hear, but it can be cool to hear the sounds of the game and some candid chatter.

    And during the most recent week of NFL action, Barkley was the one wearing the “Inside the NFL” wire. If the clips that hit social media are any indication, the running back’s a big supporter of the club’s current quarterback.

    When DeVito was introduced, Barkley was seen hyping up the crowd and shouting, “Jersey!” The two then shared a brief exchange on the bench, with Barkley telling his teammate to be himself and have fun.

    But the most ear-catching comment came after DeVito walked away. As Barkley returned to the bench, he said, “Tommy Cutlets, you dig?” to no one in particular.

    Regardless of who specifically coined the nickname, hearing the Giants star using it is the sort of endorsement that can push a moniker to the next level.

    And while there’s no telling what a fan base will latch onto, it’s easy to see the potential there. DeVito has become something of a cult hero, with the New York Post making reference to “Tommy DeVito fever.” He also drew lengthy lines at an autograph session and was apparently asked to sign some objects as “Tommy Cutlets.”

    DeVito’s Hand Gesture Has Also Been a Hit

    But having a cool potential nickname isn’t all DeVito has working for him. The quarterback has also grabbed the attention of Giants fans with what has become his signature hand gesture.

    “I kind of thought it was just the old Italians. When they talk, they start doing this,” the signal-caller explained. “It’s just a little credit to them.”

    Giants assistant athletic trainer Phil Buzzerio deserves an assist, though.

    “He mentioned it to me a couple of weeks ago. I was like, ‘Alright, I’ll roll with it one of these days,’ and he was like, ‘This is the week!’ Alright, I did it, and then it kind of took off from there,” DeVito said.

    And given that 17 percent of New Jersey residents claim Italian heritage, it’s easy to see why his “DeVito” is resonating with Giants fans.

    Oh yeah, and winning back-to-back football games probably didn’t hurt, either.

    Is the quarterback the long-term answer in New York? That’s a question that’s larger than a few games. With that being said, though, every franchise has some cult heroes who made an outsized impact during a brief time on the team.

    And, if nothing else, Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito is probably playing his way into that category. Beyond that, the rest will be gravy (pun intended).