Adversity caused by injuries is not rare for a football team to endure. During phase two of OTAs, it’s a little more rare. Unless you are the Los Angeles Chargers. On Tuesday that’s just what happened for the Philadelphia Eagles who lost a linebacker for the season just hours after cutting one.
Mychal Kendricks actually gets cut
On Tuesday, May 22 the Philadelphia Eagles released linebacker Mychal Kendricks. Kendricks was a valuable asset last season in which he played 60 percent of the defensive snaps. However, this season Kendricks would not have played nearly as much. He was the odd man out at the linebacker rotation when going to the Eagles’ favored nickel defense. This means he wouldn’t have seen the field all too much.
Last season he played so much because Jordan Hicks went down with a season-ending Achilles tear. However, Hicks is returning and Kendricks was going to make $7.6 million this season. That is a sizeable amount for a player that would not reach nearly 60 percent of playing time this season. This was more of a cap saving cut then anything else. The Eagles had tried to trade Kendricks multiple times throughout his career, therefore him getting cut is not overly surprising.
Paul Worrilow goes down
Paul Worrilow. Photo by Bleacher Report
Later on, that same day is when the Eagles suffered a loss of another linebacker, this one from injury. Paul Worrilow, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions, tore his ACL during OTA’s when he collided with another player in a drill. It was apparent immediately that he was seriously injured, athletic trainers put an air cast on his knee and he was carted off the field. It was quickly learned that he had indeed torn his ACL and will be out for the upcoming season. He was likely going to be a backup and he was a toss up to make the team. Still, two lost linebackers in one day is a major loss for any team.
Featured image by Michael Ainsworth (AP Photo)
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Sometimes as fans, we forget that NFL players are truly people with lives, not just players or pawns on fantasy football teams. Today, let’s look at just some of the many off-the-field projects, charities and activities that the Eagles’ organization and their players take part in each year. Many of these guys are not just great players, but great people too.
The Philadelphia Eagles off-the-field ventures
Eagles Green Efforts.
Philadelphia Eagles Go Green
Mission of Hope
Home Runs for Hearts
Huddle Up for Autism
Eagles Care
Philadelphia Eagles Go Green is an initiative that has made the Eagles stadium completely self sustained. They use solar panels and wind turbines to generate electricity and the stadium produces almost no waste.
On the mission of hope trip, the players handed out shoes, painted houses, played games with the kids and helped in construction of a sports complex. Things like this can go a long way towards improving a neighborhood.
Home Runs for Hearts is a home run derby designed to raise money for research and educational programs in Philadelphia.
Huddle Up for Autism is an event where children who have autism are treated to a nice day complete with activities, meeting some of the players and even going onto the field.
Finally, Eagles Care is a program where each year, the Philadelphia Eagles select three non-profits to partner with and help strengthen to make an even greater impact. Last year, they built playgrounds, helped Dignity Housing provide affordable homes for single parents and their children and helped improve the lives of children suffering with cancer and their families. These are just some of the many ways that the Philadelphia Eagles try to make the world a better place.
Others are orchestrated by individuals on the team itself
Carson Wentz in Haiti. (Photo by Nick Rotondi)
Just in the last year, so many players have made such an impact on society. Chris Long donated his entire year’s salary to helping the education of the up-and-coming generation. His money went towards helping children get the best possible schooling.
Carson Wentz and his foundation, the AO1 foundation, are building a massive sports complex in Haiti. Wentz himself has even donated up to $500,000 himself towards the construction of the project.
Malcolm Jenkins helped supply needy families with food and other supplies and necessities.
These players all participate in so many more charity efforts that are not listed. Many NFL players are working towards making today a better time, and that is commendable. Maybe we should all ask ourselves what we can do for our communities even if it is just a small donation or some of our time.
Featured image by Drew Hallowell
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This is part two of my Eagles roster prediction. If you need to catch up on part one, just follow that link. As I said before, these predictions are purely speculative and based upon past performance and projections of future performance. In addition, I will only use players on the Eagles official roster on their website.
I will be listing the players by position and I will also list the players who were cut so that you can see exactly who makes and doesnt make the roster.
Defensive end – (6)
Make the roster – Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Chris Long, Michael Bennett, Josh Sweat, Joe Ostman
Cuts – Danny Ezechukwu, Aziz Shittu, Steven Means
Defensive end is the strongest position on the Eagles roster, besides quarterback. The obvious returners are Graham, Long, Barnett and Bennett. They are joined by promising fourth-round pick Josh Sweat and undrafted free agent Joe Ostman. I would not be surprised if Sweat works his way up to become the first rotational defensive end behind Graham and Barnett. He has incredible length, speed and talent. All he has to do is put the work in and stay healthy.
Michael Bennett is in the defensive end section because he is listed as one. However, I would not be surprised if he started the season playing inside next to Fletcher Cox as a way to make up for the extended absence of Timmy Jernigan. I believe Ostman can make the cut over the other players currently on the roster, it was surprising to me that he was not drafted in the first place.
Defensive tackle – (5)
Eagles defensive line. Photo by Eric Hartline of USA TODAY Sports
Make the roster – Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan* (Reserve/PUP), Haloti Ngata, Elijah Qualls, Destiny Vaeao, Winston Craig
Cuts – Bruce Hector
Yes, I know six players are listed and it says five. The reason for that is that Jernigan is going to be out four to six months. This means he will most likely start the season on the Reserve/PUP list. Which means he will not count against the 53 man roster limit.
Now, to the analysis, Fletcher Cox, Jernigan and Ngata are all as close to locks as can be. The last spot should end up being a battle. Qualls showed enough last year for me to put my faith in him earning this spot. Vaeao made the roster last year so him making it again this year is not a surprise. He has talent and is a good rotation player should the Eagles have injuries. Craig is making the roster here but he will be the likely cut when Jernigan returns.
Linebacker – (6)
Make the roster – Jordan Hicks, Nigel Bradham, Mychal Kendricks, Nathan Gerry, Corey Nelson, Kamu Grugier-Hill
Cuts – Asantay Brown, Joe Walker, Paul Worrilow
Hicks Bradham and Kendricks should end up the main starters in the base defense. In the nickel, just like last year, expect Kendricks to come off, leaving Bradham and Hicks.
The last three spots are not out of reach for any of these players. However, I expect Corey Nelson to land in one of them and I believe Nathan Gerry’s versatility will land him one if he continues to develop. Grugier-Hill is a great special teamer which will most likely get him a spot on the team. However, the other linebackers seem better at actually playing linebacker.
Corner – (5)
Photo by Michael Leff/Getty Images
Make the roster – Jalen Mills, Sidney Jones, Ronald Darby, Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox
Jones and Darby figure to be the outside starters next year with Mills sliding in to play the slot. The backup on the outside should be Douglas and the slot backup figures to be rookie Avonte Maddox.
This position group seems like one of the easiest to project. Barring a trade of Ronald Darby, this will be the group the Eagles carry into next year.
Saftey – (4)
Make the roster – Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Tre Sullivan, Stephen Roberts
Cuts – Ryan Neal, Jeremy Reaves, Chris Maragos, Dominick Sanders
Jenkins and McLeod will be the starters next year. Tre Sullivan will likely serve as the primary backup. Chris Maragos normally makes the team as a special teams ace. However, this year the Eagles go for a youthful player they can develop at the position. After all, Maragos is 30 years old and costs $2 million a year.
The only changes I could see happening to the top three are if two of the undrafted free agent rookies in Neal, Reaves, Roberts or Sanders have an amazing camp and preseason. Then I could see Tre Sullivan losing a spot to one of them. Stephen Roberts gets the last spot because he more athletic and faster than the others in this group. In addition, he has versatility as he has played both strong and free safety for a big SEC school in Auburn.
Special Teams – (3)
Kicker – Jake Elliott
Punter – Cameron Johnston
Long snapper – Rick Lovato
The Eagles figure to have a solid special teams unit once again. Kicker Jake Elliot was crazy good last year as a rookie. He should only get better. Cameron Johnston got the fast track to the job when Donnie Jones retired and then last decided he did not want to retire yet and requested his release. Finally, Rick Lovato is a good long snapper and doesn’t even look to have any camp competition.
There you have it 24 players on offense, 29 players on defense and special teams. 53 man rosters predictions are known to be especially volatile so I could be way off. However, this is who I believe will be on the team heading into the regular season.
Featured image from FAST Philly Sports
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Real football begins in just about four months. Today we look forward and consider who will be playing once the preseason is over and the games start to matter.
There is a lot of speculation involved with projecting a roster from this far out. Even Eagles general manager Howie Roseman does not know exactly who will be on the roster after final cuts are made.
Let’s break down the roster by position groups to show exactly who could be left on the roster. There will be two parts, offense and defense. The first is offense. Next week, we will look at predictions on the defense. Only players on the Eagles official roster on their website will be listed.
Quarterback – (3)
Sudfeld and Foles (Photo by AP/Matt Rourke)
Make the roster: Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, Nate Sudfeld
Cuts: Joe Callahan
Barring a surprise trade of Nick Foles, Philadelphia seems to have this position group settled. Joe Callahan would have to outplay Nate Sudfeld substantially for them to put him on the roster. The Eagles have been very vocal in their praise for Sudfeld, and it seems they truly like him and his potential.
Although the signing of Callahan to a two-year contract is interesting, Sudfeld still holds a large edge over Callahan. He even has an extra year of learning the offense on his side.
Running back – (4)
Make the roster: Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement, Darren Sproles, Josh Adams
Cuts: Donnel Pumphrey, Wendell Smallwood, Matt Jones
Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement and Darren Sproles are locks to make the roster. Adams will have to fight for his spot against the remaining three running backs.
Donnel Pumphrey seems like he has not put on enough weight yet to contribute at the running back position. Wendell Smallwood has a history with injuries and fails to make a big enough impact when he does play.
Finally, Matt Jones has a problem with fumbling. The Eagles are a ball control offense, and turning the ball over is not acceptable for their running backs.
Offensive line – (9)
Matt Pryor (Photo by Getty Images)
Make the roster: Jason Peters, Stefen Wisniewski, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Chance Warmack, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Matt Pryor, Isaac Seumalo
Cuts: Taylor Hart, Aaron Evans, Darrell Greene, Jordan Mailata, Jon Toth
The starting offensive line is the best in the whole NFL. The possibility of a starter being unseated is unlikely. Therefore, it is really a battle for the backup roles.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai played well as the season came to a close last year and should be the primary backup to Jason Peters and Lane Johnson. Chance Warmack is the Eagles best backup interior lineman and has a year left on his contract. Matt Pryor should make the roster because he was just drafted and has some good potential. Isaac
Seumalo is on the fence. He was terrible last season, but the year before the future looked bright for him. Hopefully there is a good battle for the ninth spot and the best player makes the roster regardless of age or size.
Recievers – (5)
Make the roster: Alshon Jeffery, Mike Wallace, Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins, Bryce Treggs
Cuts: Marquess Wilson, Markus Wheaton, Shelton Gibson, Greg Ward, Rashard Davis
Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Mack Hollins are locks. Wallace is a near lock and will be on the roster unless two of the other six receivers have amazing camp, practice and preseason performances. For now, the final spot will probably be Bryce Treggs because he knows the offense and he has coveted speed at the position.
Shelton Gibson and Markus Wheaton are his biggest challengers for the roster spot. Gibson could not catch last year and had trouble learning the playbook. After a full year, he should look much better. Wheaton spent last season injured, so his performance will be a mystery until we see it.
Tight Ends – (3)
Make the roster: Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Billy Brown
Cuts: Adam Zaruba, Richard Rodgers, Josh Perkins
Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert are obvious locks. Billy Brown is a young tight end the Eagles think has a bright future. His main problem is poor blocking. Unfortunately for him, blocking is very important in Philadelphia’s diverse offensive attack. Hopefully a year on the practice squad has helped him improve his blocking. If not, it could be Richard Rodgers who earns the third tight end spot.
Adam Zaruba is a former rugby player and a long shot for the 53-man roster. Josh Perkins was released by the Atlanta Falcons in January after spending a couple seasons on their team. He has a career total of three catches and 42 yards, so he should be considered another long shot for the position.
That is a total of 24 players on offense. After taking out three spots for the special teams positions, that leaves 26 open for a deep defense to retain as much talent as possible.
Featured image from Al Bello/Getty Images
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The Eagles have signed former Redskins and Colts running back Matt Jones to a contract. Ian Rappoport stated that Jones took part in a three back workout yesterday that also involved running back Terrance West.
Who is Matt Jones?
Matt Jones. Photo by Micheal Reeves/Getty Images
Matt Jones was a 2015 third round pick of the Washington Redskins. He showed promise as a power back in his rookie season gaining 490 yards on 144 carries. He also scored three touchdowns. However the next season he failed to live up to expectations. His fumble prone nature caused him to fall out of favor with the Redskins coaching staff. He had eight fumbles in just two seasons in Washington. Then after the season he was released. The Indianapolis Colts signed him, but he failed to make an impact bouncing around from their practice squad to their active roster.
Will he make it through offseason cuts?
Matt Jones. Photo by USA TODAY Sports
Matt Jones has a lot of competition. He was brought in to try to fill the role LeGarrette Blount vacated this offseason. His competition for a spot on the roster is undrafted free agent Josh Adams, Wendell Smallwood and Donnell Pumphrey. The Eagles currently have seven running backs on their roster. They will most likely reduce that number to four or five through the offseason cuts.
Matt Jones is going to have to really impress the Eagles coaching staff to beat out all of his competition. I wouldn’t say it is impossible, however, I would say that rookie Josh Adams is my favorite to fill the role of power back. It will most likely be an uphill climb for Jones to make the roster. However, it is a positive for Matt Jones that the Eagles do not seem very confident that their current running back group can fill the void. Maybe Jones has more of a chance than you would think.
Featured image from 247 Sports
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Carson Wentz went down with an ACL and LCL tear on Dec. 10, 2017. After a few days, the news broke that the injury was an ACL tear.
Immediately after the announcement, everyone proclaimed that the Philadelphia Eagles were done for the year. They also said that Wentz was unlikely to be able to start the beginning of next season for the Eagles. Looks like both of those statements just might turn out to be wrong.
The standard recovery time of 9-12 months puts him back on the field Sept. 10 at the earliest and Dec. 10 in the near worst case. This time, expectations may be exceeded. Wentz says that he expects to be back for the season opener on Sept. 6 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Could Wentz really be ready for Week 1?
Carson Wentz (Photo by Eric Hartline USA TODAY Sports)
Many times, athletes can be overly optimistic about their recoveries from injury. Just last year, the Indianapolis Colts brass and even Reggie Wayne stated that they believed Andrew Luck would be ready for Week 1. However, as the season drug on for the Colts, Luck did not play one game.
Sometimes, an athlete can be a special circumstance and recover much more quickly or effectively. For example, Adrian Peterson tore his ACL in December of 2011. However, he was able to come back and rush for over 2,000 yards in 2012.
In the end, Peterson fell eight yards short of the single season rushing record with 2,097. It is truly remarkable that he was able to get even close to breaking the record in a season where many thought he would not even be able to start Week 1.
That shows that quick recoveries are possible with dedicated rehab, a smart recovery plan and good genetics. This case is especially impressive at the position of running back as they take the most abuse of any player on the field. Wentz is a quarterback, which should help his odds of making it back.
Will Carson Wentz be one of these success stories? Maybe. We probably will not know until we are closer to the season opener.
It sure sounds like he thinks he will be ready though, and if anyone can do it, Wentz can. Wentz was asked on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football about the possibility of starting Week 1 and said this in response.
“I’m very confident,” he said. “It’s a fluid process, so you never know how it’s going to go, but where we’re at, just trying to do what the doctors say and just take it step by step. There are times when you feel great and want to push it more, but you’ve got to stay the course with what the doctors are saying. I feel really good and really confident for Week 1.”
In addition to his confidence, Ian Rapoport recently tweeted some promising news for Eagles fans.
#Eagles QB Carson Wentz has been running, which is a good sign for how his rehab is going. More confidence this morning on being ready for 2018. https://t.co/hYaFguxj5o
Positive note for #Eagles QB Carson Wentz: He recently sent film to gurus Tom House & Adam Dedeaux at 3DQB, and his mechanics are sound, I’m told. He’s throwing the same or better than before, technically. Injuries can cause players to alter how they throw. That hasn’t happened.
It is very likely that Wentz will be back for Week 1. However, at the same time, it would not be surprising if the Eagles held him out just a little longer to make sure that their franchise quarterback stays healthy.
Luckily for the Eagles, that is a very minimal problem for them. Philadelphia has a strong backup in Nick Foles, who just led the team to a Super Bowl victory. After all, Wentz would likely not have much of a problem with not playing immediately if it was in his best interest. Wentz has been very vocal in saying that he will listen to doctors and not risk his health to rush the recovery process.
Wentz also talked on Good Morning Football about how good of a relationship he has with Foles. He stated that there is no “ruffled feathers” between them and that they are “friends first and foremost before teammates.”
How will Wentz prevent injuries in the future?
(Photo by Sports Illustrated)
Much has been said about Wentz struggling with injuries over the last few years. He has suffered broken ribs and now a torn ACL and LCL in his first two seasons in the NFL. Therefore, Wentz was recently asked if he would change his playing style to avoid being injured in the future. Wentz responded by saying that he will always learn from injuries and other lessons he learns while playing. For example, when he watches game tape and realizes that he could have avoided a big hit on a play and only sacrificed a couple yards by sliding.
However, he also stated that he will never change his aggressive mentality because that is just who he is. As uneasy as it can make the fans, his competitive nature is part of what makes him such a great quarterback. He will learn to protect himself more as he gains experience in the NFL.
Featured image from Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
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The Eagles did a great job adding talent last year by acquiring quality undrafted rookie free agents. Three of the eagles undrafted rookies from last year are still on the roster today. Those players are running back Corey Clement, tight end Billy Brown and saftey Tre Sullivan. Clement went on to become a integral part of the offense and one of the heroes of Super Bowl LII.
This year, coaxing undrafted free agents to Philadelphia might not be so easy. This is because of the depth the Eagles have, meaning that free agents feel it will be harder to stay with a team with such quality depth to compete with.
That being said, it appears the Eagles still managed to sign some quality players that could make the roster in the fall. All of these signings are as of yet unconfirmed by the Eagles themselves. However, these players have most likely been signed by the Philadelphia Eagles.
The undrafted rookie free agent signings
Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame
Jeremiah Briscoe, QB, Sam Houston State
Asantay Brown, S, Western Michigan
Aaron Evans, OT, UCF
Danny Ezechukwu, LB, Purdue
Jordon Gandy, WR, Murray State
Bruce Hector, DT, South Florida
Anthony Mahoungou, WR, Purdue
Ryan Neal, S, Southern Illinois
Joe Ostman, DE, Central Michigan
Ian Park, OG, Slippery Rock
Jeremy Reaves, S, South Alabama
Stephen Roberts, S, Auburn
Brandon Silvers, QB, Troy
Chandon Sullivan, CB, Georgia State
Jordan Thomas, CB, Oklahoma
Toby Weathersby, OT, LSU
Which players have the best chance to make the roster?
Stephen Roberts makes a tackle. (Photo from AL.com)
According to pre-draft grades, the best bets to potentially make the roster are Joe Ostman, Toby Weathersby, Stephen Roberts and Josh Adams. Roberts and Adams most likely have the best shot at making the roster because of the positions they play.
Roberts could become the third option at safety, much like Corey Graham was last year. His only current competition for that spot is Tre Sullivan. It will be interesting to see how that positional battle goes.
Adams is a big power runner, and the Eagles usually carry five running backs on their roster. This means there are two spots behind Jay Ajayi, Darren Sproles and Corey Clement. Adams, Wendell Smallwood and Donnel Pumphrey will be fighting for those spots.
Smallwood has been an injury risk and has not showed enough when he has been on the field. The Eagles would be best served going another route. Pumphrey was too undersized last year and got stashed on IR all year as a result. Pumphrey was supposed to be a Darren Sproles replacement, but he disappointed last year in training camp and preseason.
Honestly, Adams could beat out both of them if the Eagles only wanted to carry one more running back. The fact that they usually carry two makes him a very good bet to make the roster.
Which players will have the hardest time making the roster?
Jeremiah Briscoe (Photo from the Houston Chronicle)
The players who will have the toughest time making the roster are the two quarterbacks Jeremiah Briscoe and Brandon Silvers. The Eagles have established starters and backups in Carson Wentz and Nick Foles. They also have another quarterback they are interested in developing in Nate Sudfeld.
The presence of Silvers and Briscoe on the roster can amount to Philadelphia wanting to have some extra arms around for offseason practices and training camp. If one of them impresses, there is an outside chance they could land on the practice squad or as the third option at quarterback.
Overview of the undrafted rookie free agents
Most of the players signed will not even make the final roster. The Eagles are just utilizing all the possible avenues to bring talent onto the roster. While most of the players that they have signed will not make the roster, who knows? There could be a great player that just needs a little time and a chance in this group.
Featured image from USA TODAY
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With the NFL Draft finally in the rearview mirror, the window for educated speculation is now open. The powers that be in Las Vegas have released their projected regular season win totals for all 32 teams.
Going up against Vegas usually proves futile, but it is fun to try anyway. Here are the three best over-under bets to cash in on. All projected win totals are from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
Indianapolis Colts: Over 6.5 wins
Since Andrew Luck entered the league as a rookie before the 2012 season, Indianapolis has never posted a losing record in a year where their franchise quarterback has started the majority of the 16 regular season games. Luck has also led the Colts to the playoffs on three occasions. However, Luck has missed 26 games over the last three seasons, including all of last season with a shoulder injury.
The good news for Colts fans is there seems to be optimism surrounding Luck’s health for the upcoming season. Owner Jim Irsay recently stated publicly that he believes Luck will be ready to go in the fall. Irsay also mentioned that the Colts turned down trade offers for the three-time Pro Bowler.
(Photo from yardbarker.com)
If Luck stays healthy, this bet really is easy money. Still, even if he does not, the law of averages is on the Colts’ side. Jacoby Brissett filled in admirably in Luck’s absence last year. He started 15 games and threw 13 touchdown passes to just seven interceptions.
The Colts won just four games last year, but also managed to lose an astonishing seven games in which they held a halftime lead. Close games in the NFL often come down to a bounce of the ball. Some of those losses will turn into wins this year, no matter who is under center. A more offensive-minded coaching staff should help Indianapolis be better in terms of closing out games as well.
The Colts also have a workable schedule. Lastly, the addition of incoming rookie Quenton Nelson should immediately improve a Colts offensive line that is a large part of the reason Luck has been injured so often. One guy cannot fix an entire offensive line, but he can certainly make it better in a hurry. Nelson is the most polished offensive lineman to enter the league in quite some time. Ending a three-year playoff drought is realistic for this team.
Los Angeles Rams: Under 9.5 wins
This will probably raise a few eyebrows. The Rams are being touted by many to make a Super Bowl run.
Forget that. They will have a hard enough time defending their division title. Sean McVay turned the Rams offense and Jared Goff from a dumpster fire into the highest-scoring unit in the league last year. However, defensive coordinators always adjust when something comes out of nowhere and takes everyone by surprise for a year. They will adjust to the Rams’ offense, and it will regress slightly, similar to what happened to Dak Prescott and the Cowboys last year.
The competition for the Rams is also brutal. Division rival San Francisco was the hottest team in the league to close out last year under quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. As long as Russell Wilson is in Seattle, they will remain a tough out. The non-division schedule is not much friendlier. It includes established powerhouses like the Super Bowl champion Eagles as well as the Saints.
Finally, the Rams acquired a wealth of defensive talent. Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh are all outstanding players. However, they are also very strong and volatile personalities. Finances aside, there is a reason they all changed teams this offseason. Whenever you put a bunch of volatile guys on the same unit, there is a reason to be nervous. It could all backfire, especially playing for such a young coach in a city like Los Angeles.
New York Giants: Over 6.5 wins
The Giants went 3-13 last year. Yet, Eli Manning still threw 19 touchdown passes and performed well in the midst of complete chaos around him. Yes, he is getting close to the end of his career, and the simplest thing to do when a team struggles as bad as New York did last year is change the quarterback. Still, the Giants should be applauded for not doing so.
(Photo from nypost.com)
Rookie Saquon Barkley immediately becomes an all-purpose three-down running back that will assist his two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback greatly. Second-round pick Will Hernandez and former Patriot Nate Solder have fortified the offensive line, at least on paper.
Also, the Giants have an easier schedule like the Colts. The Cowboys and Redskins could go either way this year. Even last year when they were awful, the Giants played the Super Bowl champions tough twice.
Lastly, new Giants head coach Pat Shurmur helped guide a quarterback with far less natural talent than Manning to one game away from the Super Bowl last year with the Vikings. Manning is well-positioned to find the fountain of youth in 2018, and the Giants are poised for a big bounce-back year.
Featured image from medium.com
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The Philadelphia Eagles made five selections in this year’s draft. By most accounts, the Eagles had a good draft. In addition to the selections they made this year, they received a second-round pick from the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft. They traded out of the first round, but still managed to acquire a lot of talent in important positions.
2nd round (49th pick) – Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State
Dallas Goedert makes a one-handed catch. (Photo from Hero Sports)
This is a great pick, not only in the quality of the player taken, but in the fact that he was kept off a divisional rival’s team as well. The Philadelphia Eagles had traded back to the 52nd overall pick, but traded back up to 49th just before the Dallas Cowboys to draft Goedert.
Goedert is heralded as a Zach Ertz-like playmaker, who has also received comparisons to Travis Kelce and Jimmy Graham. These comparisons are no doubt best-case scenarios. However, Goedert should more than make up for the losses of Brent Celek and Trey Burton in this offseason.
The Eagles added a talented player in a position of need and kept him from helping the Cowboys, who are still reeling from the surprise retirement of Jason Witten. What a win!
Maddox is a bit undersized for a corner at 5-foot-9, but that does not take away from his abilities as a corner.
While he is on the small side, he makes up for it with his toughness and athleticism. He possesses a great combination of both long speed and short area quickness, meaning that he will be a great fit in Philadelphia’s secondary as a slot corner. In addition, Maddox should match up well with quick slot receivers in the NFC East like Dallas’ Cole Beasley.
However, he is not guaranteed to start this season. The Eagles are loaded at the corner position. Ahead of him on the depth chart are Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas. Maddox will face an uphill battle if he wants to earn the starting slot position.
There may have been some slightly better prospects available to draft at this spot, but Maddox is certainly not a bad choice.
Grade: B+
4th round (130th pick) – Josh Sweat, DE, Florida State
Josh Sweat sheds a block. (Photo from Glenn Beil of USA Today)
Josh Sweat is an athletic freak. He stands at 6-foot-5, 251 pounds and has nearly 35-inch arms. Yet with this massive frame, he still managed to run a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash.
Sweat was a true luxury pick for Philadelphia as they have an extremely talented defensive line. However, Sweat has first-round talent and slipped this far in the draft only because of injury concerns.
If his knee issues are indeed behind him, he could end up becoming one of the biggest steals in this draft.
Grade: A+
6th round (206th pick) – Matt Pryor, OT, TCU
Matt Pryor was not graded extremely well, nor did he test amazingly at the combine. He does, however, have immense size at 6-foot-7, 332 pounds.
He is very strong, but could struggle with speed rushers in today’s NFL due to his slower speed. In addition, there are concerns about his lack of effort and issues of weight maintenance. Those issues, combined with his lack of lateral speed, caused him to fall into the sixth round.
Overall, Pryor could develop into a good tackle or guard and has value because of his ability to play both positions.
Grade: B
7th round (233rd pick) – Jordan Mailata, OT, South Sydney Rabbitohs
Jordan Mailata’s measurables. (Photo from Pacific Sports Management)
Jordan Mailata was a rugby player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs and is an absolute giant. Mailata stands 6-foot-8, 345 pounds with an athletic build.
He is a project, as he has never before played American football. This means the leap to the NFL will be a big jump mentally. He will probably need a couple years to develop as an NFL player before he even comes close to starting. However, if he can learn the game and an NFL playbook, he could use his huge frame and athleticism to dominate as an offensive tackle.
If you have not seen any of his rugby tape, do yourself a favor and watch this video from the NFL’s twitter.
The @Eagles just drafted Australian rugby player Jordan Mailata.
Taking a flyer on a project in the seventh round is a good idea. After all, the Pittsburgh Steelers took a chance on a former Eagles defensive end (Alejandro Villanueva) and turned him into one of the best offensive tackles in football. With the athleticism that Jordan Mailata has, anything is possible.
Grade: B
Overall opinion of the draft class
Take this with a grain of salt as you never know how good a player is going to be until they play for a few years. For example, Nelson Agholor was considered a bust until his breakout season this year.
That being said, the Eagles drafted at least two future starters in Dallas Goedert and Josh Sweat, as well as a potential future slot corner in Avonte Maddox. Mailata and Pryor could surprise and turn out to be starters as well, At the very least, Pryor should turn out to be a decent backup swing tackle in the mold of Allen Barbre.
The Eagles also managed to acquire what could amount to a early second-round pick next year as well, which is always something to keep in mind when considering the success of a draft.
Overall draft grade: A
Featured image from 247 Sports
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The first round of the NFL draft is in the books. While the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t make the flashiest choice, trading out of the first was the best way to maximize value. The second round will be tonight which will be when the Eagles finally make their first selection.
What did Philadelphia get out of the trade?
Philadelphia’s remaining 2018 picks. Photo from Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles gave up their 32nd and 132nd overall picks to acquire the Baltimore Raven’s 52nd and 125th overall picks as well as next years second round choice. So in essence, the Eagles moved down 20 spots to move up five spots in the fourth round and receive Baltimore’s second round pick next year.
Why would the Eagles make this trade?
Philadelphia clearly was not in love with any of the prospects that are in line to be chosen at the beginning of the second round. In addition, they saw that they could move back and still draft a player with a similar grade and acquire the Ravens second-round pick in 2019 as well.
This year’s draft is considered unusually strong. This means that the difference between a third rounder and a second rounder, or even a late first-round selection is not as large as usual. The Eagles knew this and used it to their advantage. They leveraged the final pick in the first round to gain a second round pick next year. Lamar Jackson still being available also helped to increase the return in the trade. Now, if the Baltimore Ravens struggle next season, the Eagles could have a very valuable early second round pick.
Who could the Eagles select in the second?
Darrius Guice. Photo from CBS Sports
The Eagles should be expected to be in the market for a running back, tight end, safety, offensive tackle or linebacker. The Eagles are such a strong team that they can wait until their pick and choose the best available prospect. That being said, offensive picks to look out for are: tight ends Dallas Goedert or Mike Gesicki. Offensive tackle Connor Williams and running back Darrius Guice will also be targeted. As for defensive picks, corners Isaiah Oliver and Donte Jackson, as well as saftey Justin Reid could be the pick.
At the end of the day, the person the Eagles pick will be the best player still available at 52nd.
Featured image from Philly Influencer
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