Continuity
Posted: March 3rd, 2016 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 236 Comments »The Eagles will have the same starting QB for another year.
Sam Bradford gets to stay with an organization and his teammates for another year.
Both sides valued continuity quite a bit, which really does make a lot of sense. Bradford will have to deal with a new coach and a new offensive system, but even those changes have some hints of familiarity. Doug Pederson is a lot like Pat Shurmur, who Bradford played for in 2010 and 2015. Bradford noted that he expects Pederson’s offense to be similar to Shurmur’s as well.
So much of Bradford’s career has been about change that I do think he really valued staying put if possible. He is 28 years old. That’s prime age for a QB. If he can play well in 2016, that could give him a long term future in Philly or set him up for a big deal somewhere else that he chooses.
Bradford was asked about following Chip Kelly to SF and indicated that wasn’t an option. I don’t think he’s got anything against Kelly personally, but I think Bradford wants to play in a different offense and I think he also looked at that roster and saw a lot of holes.
One of the selling points for Bradford staying in Philly was the fact Pederson wants to let the QB make adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Bradford said he thinks his mind is one of his best attributes. Making pre-snap changes can keep the team from “wasting plays”, as Bradford put it.
It sounds like the Eagles were united in wanting him back. Doug Pederson certainly pushed for his return. Josh Paunil has the details.
According to Pederson, “it didn’t take long” for him to determine that he wanted Bradford back, whom he liked as a prospect coming out of Oklahoma.
“We’re so excited. I’m so excited.” Pederson said. “I also want these players that are free agents to want to be here, and he wants to be here. That’s probably 90 percent — I want all of them to be here, but having Sam is obviously a big boost now heading into free agency.”
Pederson called Bradford’s tape toward the end of last season “very promising” because the quarterback felt more comfortable in the pocket, he trusted his teammates more and he was calm under pressure.
Tim McManus has the Howie Roseman angle covered.
It’s a noteworthy dynamic to this whole thing — that Roseman chose to back a quarterback that is so closely associated with Kelly and the power grab he made at Roseman’s expense (at least temporarily). In a quieter moment following Bradford’s press conference, the executive vice president of football operations explained why he chose to do so to Birds 24/7.
“It’s about doing what’s right for the team,” said Roseman. “I don’t care who found the guy. If he’s a good player, let’s roll.
“I remember I went to Oklahoma to scout him before his junior year. You see this guy who has got size, he’s got arm strength, he’s got accuracy and he’s a great athlete; he played basketball, scratch golfer. And I remember one of the coaches down there telling me that he could be the governor of Oklahoma — he was that kind of smart guy. I think it’s a situation where we’ve got to do what’s right for the Philadelphia Eagles. There’s no motive other than that — trying to build the best team.”
This is still a marriage of convenience. The Eagles needed Bradford and he needed them. But this situation does make sense beyond that and both sides can feel good about the deal.
There are no guarantees that things will work as both sides want. Life in the NFL has a way of ruining the best laid plans of mice and men. The key here is that this isn’t some shot in the dark with little hope of success. Bradford should be a good fit for this offense. And there is real value in bringing him back to build on the chemistry he developed with Zach Ertz, Jordan Matthews and others.
I think there is one other angle that is important for Roseman, Pederson and the Eagles. Credibility. Many of Bradford’s teammates wanted him back. If he had spurned the team to go elsewhere or if Pederson had passed on him to bring in Chase Daniel, you wonder what kind of signal that would have sent the players. Since Pederson is a new coach and Roseman is returning to his GM job under strange circumstances, I think there will be heightened scrutiny for them.
Convincing the big name QB to return and working out a reasonable deal makes Pederson and Roseman look good. And that could help as the team heads to free agency next week. The Eagles will be trying to convince new players to join them. The return of Bradford could help that situation.
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[…] Tommy Lawlor The Eagles will have the same starting QB for another year. Sam Bradford gets to stay with an […]
I still do not know how the detractors find this as a losing situation. I am not as involved as others here nor do I have the football knowledge, but to just say since Sam has not been a good or great quarterback he will never be is way to simplistic. Not playing for two years, going to a new team and system and expecting a top 20 performance just wasn’t going to happen. To me, just seeing SB take the punishment he took and still stand in the pocket and deliver was a plus. No back peddling, dropping to the ground to avoid a hit or running for his life. Just standing and delivering. It is not his fought Chip gave up too much and it is not his fought there were so many drops. It is also not his fought he made the money he has and it seems people equate the money he has made to his performance which is not realistic. The NFL is a business but to us it is entertainment and entertainers, no matter the field or how poorly they perform, will always be paid.
If there is no progression this year, even with a new system and coach, I will be disappointed but until then I can not be anything but glad that Pederson and company have at least given the team a chance to competitive in the NFCE. As the Giants have proven, just make the show and there is a chance. I believe Bradford, as QB this year, gives them the the best chance to make the show, not what else is out there.
You’re in the minority. I’m higher on Bradford than most, but everything about that team was bad last year. I doubt any QB would have had a lot more success sans the 1st four games off his injury. Add to that a struggling OL, non-existent run game, and a receiving core that led the league in drops – I’m surprised our record wasn’t worse.
I really believe with a fixed OL, SB could be a very solid player for us. But I’ve been wrong many times before (e.g. thinking Chip would get it together), so I guess take it with a grain of salt.
I think people can grant you that we needed to sign a QB, that Bradford was the best choice, and that Howie found a good deal while still being disappointed that we ended up in the situation where these were our only options.
We can call it the Maxwell Syndrome.
I wish Maxwell’s deal was as easy to drop as Bradford’s.
After this season it is, right?
True. So I won’t gripe if we get a “top 10” CB at 13.
And Maxwell could play much better with Billy D gone.
His biggest issues came against teams running cover 3 beaters. Schwartz is much more varied on the backend so he won’t be put in as many bad spots.
You mean Schwartz might know what to do if Romo points right at his CB who is one on one with Dez prior to being torched for 3 TDs in the same game?
Basically the mid-90s/late-90s all over again in many aspects as the Eagles shuffled through a series of middling/underwhelming QBs until they drafted McNabb.
Could this team win 8 or 9 games next year, win the NFC East, and make the playoffs? Yeah they could. They might even win a game if they get a favorable matchup at home but I understand why fans are frustrated a bit too because of what they see as the clear limited upside of this team too including Bradford.
“If there is no progression this year, even with a new system and coach, I will be disappointed”
And so will they and he’ll be cut with minimal harm to the cap.
Well said Rich. I keep on seeing posts from guys like Brandon Lee Gowton, Mark Saltviet, Jimmy Bama, detracting Bradford. They seem to never take in to account how easy it was for the defense to read the plays, how bad the blocking was, how many drops the WRs had, how many quick 3 and outs there were because of said play calling. This last year was all on Chip. Oh, and on top of that, Bradford stayed relatively healthy (missed a few games) for most of the season after suffering 2 straight ACL tears. I can’t wait to see what he can do with having the freedom to audible at the line. The 2nd year is also the year most ACLs are fully healed. He’ll have full off season to hit the strength and cond. program hard. I’m excited to see what he will do this following season.
I like the resigning for the terms but I just don’t get those who keep peddling the ‘promise/potential’ of Bradford at this point.
Largely is what he is including a dink and dunk guy who has issues with completing passes down the field along with being very injury prone.
He’s a starting-caliber QB but a 2nd-tier (maybe even 3rd-tier) QB in this league. Just a better option than Sanchez or Foles let alone everyone else available via FA.
Depressing.
https://twitter.com/RoobCSN/status/705630481128161280
In other words, we need to find a highly mobile QB.
[ducks and hides from Media Mike]
Ha ha ha ha ha. Except what made McNabb great was that he figured out very early in his career that running to run was poor football and he developed into a guy who really took care of the football and always looked to make the pass. I’m a huge McNabb fan and wish more guys with the ability to run knew how to temper it in order to play the game the right way. Just a shame that McNabb never learned how to set his feet properly to improve his accuracy to where it could have gone.
Cunningham was so exciting, but ultimately the case study for why you don’t invest in letting a guy just “make plays”; it ends in failure. Cunningham was at his best as an old man in Minnesota where he let his passing talent and field vision win the day. I wish we had that level of play from Cunningham here.
I think McNabb went overboard, there were games when he could have run for a first and he just refused. I kept thinking during the playoffs, ok they are going to unleash him now, just keep the Pats on their toes, do it, DO IT.
Yep, he willingly threw away the edge that he had over other QBs in his class.
To bring up an old joke – too much Chunky soup made him too chunky to run!
Also helps that JJ was still alive for the better part of his career.
Our QB history for the past 40yrs is pretty pathetic
It really bugs me when people keep saying “I remember how great a prospect Bradford was when he came out of Oklahoma” to justify trading for him (Chip Kelly era) or re-signing him(now).
It seems like everyone wants his turn at making Sam the great QB they thought he was gonna be back when he was at college, disregarding his work in the NFL and pretty much assuming that he was a below average QB al lthis time because of his previous coaches, but them, yeah them, they will make it work!
At least we’re not paying him like that guy. So the rhetoric is nice, but they didn’t hand him a bloated contract bases on that rhetoric.
History of a coach killer.
This is such a valid point it makes it hard for me to keep saying to myself, “I remember how great a prospect Bradford was…”
“Many of Bradford’s teammates wanted him back. If he had spurned the team to go elsewhere or if Pederson had passed on him to bring in Chase Daniel, you wonder what kind of signal that would have sent the players.”
Not a good one unless they were doing a full blowup job. If we were drafting #2 overall and could easily draft a franchise guy (like Reid did with McNabb), you can sell the vets on a placeholder journeyman while you groom the rookie.
http://walterfootball.com/draft2017QB.php
BARF
This is why you don’t “wait until next year” to get a QB. There might not be a real NFL starter in this group.
Did you know who Carson Wentz was a year ago?
I knew who Goff was a year ago. And most of the other top guys who weren’t Wentz.
Kiel could propel himself up with a really good year. Some people I trust like Mahomes.
It’s way too early to know what next years class will look like. Both Lynch and Wentz were in the keep and eye on this guy category last year. Bortles was in that category the summer before he came out. Tajh Boyd was considered one of the top QBs the summer before his senior year.
I mean people on here were adamant this time last year that Jeremy Johnson was gonna be pick 1-1 this year.
I hope we walk away with one of the top 3 this year.
But lets wait until like October to see what next years QB class looks like.
I can see that, but with one correction
Top 2.
I don’t buy Lynch as a guy we need to go out of our way to get.
Im really starting to hope the Eagles draft Lynch just to spite you.
I like Mike, and tend to agree with him on this, but there would certainly be an entertainment value in watching him explode under these circumstances! The immediate reactions alone would be comedy gold.
It helps that Im a Lynch fan too. Rather a fan of the top 3 qbs but feel Lynch is the most realistic.
I’d only be irked if they reach for him at 13 rather than getting him later in the draft by trading down. I don’t mind him in and of himself, but he doesn’t prevent enough of a “sure thing” at the position for me to justify his selection that early.
Ha ha ha ha ha. You had better hope he works out if we do. And FYI, I’m only anti-Lynch at 13 because I believe (as of today) he could be had by trading down.
Or trade for Cam. His head would explode.
I don’t think the Eagles should say let’s target qb A. If he’s not there, let’s get qb B. If he’s not there, let’s get qb C. Hoping the Ealges do their homework and find their QB and if they love him – get him. IF that guy isn’t there – don’t force it…wait til next year.
…..
Every year – a starting caliber QB enters the NFL. Eagles can’t be blinded by “oh, we better take one because next year there won’t be one”. Even if there isn’t, the Eagles should wait 2 years. Finding the right one is important. Grabbing one now “just because” can and will be years of — well, the Rams.
Or maybe the Seahawks in the 1990s. Or the Browns since the 2000s.
Agree 100% with the article with the exception that it does not take any level of intelligence to become a governor or a politician in general.
At least in Oklahoma recently.
ouch! Oklahoma slam coming out of nowhere?
It was bound to happen Sooner or later.
Did the slam come from Boomer Esiason?
Not that I’m in a hurry to run Barwin off of this roster, but given our vital need to get Cox under a long term deal and the fact that the cost will go up and up and up the longer we wait (and yes, I know his agent knows this as well)………
Trading Barwin gets you back $6.1 mil this year, $7.5 next year, and $10 mil in 2018. We’re on the books for big caps hits for Graham and Curry as well. Paying 3 DEs on that level seems a bit excessive. I love what Barwin has done for this team, but I really see him as more of a 3-4 OLB first, a 4-3 DE as a distant 2nd, and a 4-3 SAM in an extremely far back 3rd.
If I add those to Cox’s cap hit this year of $7.75, we could get a ton of money rolled into absorbing Cox’s cap hit if we get him to sign a 6 year / $96 million dollar deal (that is really 5 years / $88 million of new money if we count this year) as part of the deal.
If we could get Barwin moved for a 2017 4th that becomes a 3rd if he plays in 12 games or gets 8 sacks, I’d take it.
You can cut him for 600k after the season. So the savings would be all about 2016 (and being able to roll some of that into future years).
If you trade him right now you have to replace him. Otherwise your a couple of tweaked hammys away from MSII and Steven Means being your starting DEs. I have hope for Marcus but much more as DE4 right now. He’s as likely to get cut in camp as breakout.
Now if we walk away with a DE in the top 100, sure I’m calling people, or if someone calls me and blows me away I’ll listen, but as of right now he’s got far more value than the 6 mil in cap savings.
I’m, by default, a “year early” rather than a “year late” guy when it comes to unloading players off of a team that isn’t poised to make a deep playoff run, but I get your logic.
I think I could make a strong case that I could get a journeyman type DE off of the free agent market to more cheaply fill that DE3 role behind Curry and Graham, but that guy would certainly provide less skill than Barwin. I just trust that Schwartz’s system would help mitigate that.
Ehhhhh it’s a bit underwhelming on the EDGE FA market.
Barwins a good locker room guy, that’s going to have some value. It seems like the team is intent on trying to win the division, he helps with that.
I’m not opposed to trading him, I just think you’re making the team weaker for minimal long term gain.
I can’t argue that the team would be weakened in the short run by dealing Barwin. The entire purpose would be getting the Cox situation settled sooner rather than later and getting as much of the guaranteed money and scary cap hit stuff out of the way while I can have him in his prime. Every long term deal that is going to cause our cap a massive dead money issue if the guy gets hurt causes me an endless amount of worry and grief.
6 mil minus a the cost of a vet replacement (we’ll say conservatively 2 mil). That’s a net of 4 mil.
It’s not worth front loading an extra 4 mil this year on what’s going to be a 5-6 year deal. You’re talking about prorating less than a mil a year and being able to keep Barwin.
Plus I don’t love frontloading, because in 2 years when the player looks around and goes oh wait I’m making like the 15th highest at the position in salary this year they get mad.
Joe Banner has an answer for being mad about that…………
You don’t tell the best player on your team tough shit.
The fifth best? Sure.
And given that the cap is about to go $155, $170, $185, $200 for 2016-19…………those larger salaries on the back end are survivable.
Here is one where I traded up for Goff using next year’s one. I feel good getting the QB I wanted, two guys who have high potential to start long-term on the O-line, a great WR prospect, rotational DE who can play strong vs. the run, a good value (but character risk) CB prospect, a great blocking TE for two TE sets, a RB to put into the mix, and a potential SAM backer who can be solid on special teams (if he stays healthy).
Round 1 Pick 8 (MIA): Jared Goff, QB, California (A+)
Round 3 Pick 14: Landon Turner, OG, North Carolina (A)
Round 3 Pick 16: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh (A+)
Round 4 Pick 15: Joe Haeg, OT, North Dakota State (B)
Round 5 Pick 14: Ronald Blair, DE, Appalachian State (A-)
Round 5 Pick 23: Rashard Robinson, CB, LSU (B+)
Round 6 Pick 13: David Morgan II, TE, Texas-San Antonio (B+)
Round 7 Pick 12: Aaron Green, RB, TCU (A)
Round 7 Pick 30: Travis Feeney, OLB, Washington (C+)
Boyd’s a bit redundant as far as what he brings to the WR corp
Big fan of the rest.
Thank you.
And I’m of the belief that Huff is one season away from being gone, so I think we need to add another WR. I’ll have to scout for a stretch the field or high point the ball guy instead next time I do a run through one.
I think kicking Huff into the slot where you can get him some quick easy catches and let him use his RAC ability does wonders for him. He was really miscast and underutilized last year.
Like you said I think if you want to hedge you’re bets you look for either a big body guy or a speedster.
you had me at “I think kicking Huff”………………..because I’d like to kick him right in his head if I see one more drop or fumble.
That’s what I just didn’t understand about Chip. He drafted the kid (Huff) and crowed about his RAC ability, then never (well, rarely) “put him in the position” (puke!) to use it. I think Pederson’s WCO will help him out (As long as he holds onto the ball!).
Ok I have one person in my “Huff isn’t bad, and can actually be good” camp.
Do you want public relations or operations controls?
Im still a fan of Huff too. He showed plenty of flashes last year but as soon as he did, he was yanked off the field.
Alright you can be in charge of finances.
because he has just as much bad moments as good?
Last year though? I dont think so, he generally looked pretty good and imo didnt get enough playing time.
Selective memory.
I guess I could say the same for you.
He is a bad receiver. He is also extremely error prone. In a gadget role, perhaps he could prove to be effective.
The problems look like things that can be improved. The things he is good at are the things that are hard to find.
He’s got a limited ceiling but he’s been miscast, dealt with injuries, and constantly out of favor.
Plenty of guys struggle early in their career and turn out to be solid players.
He’s never going to be a line leading WR but he can be a solid piece of a WR room.
Jason Avants first 2 years:
30-335-3
Josh Huff:
35-410-3
Exactly. I think Huff can easily gain 600 yards + this year and Avant only did that when he was forced to play outside due to injuries. He is more dynamic than Avant ever was. If he can sort his hands out, he stands to be much better in this version of ARs offense.
People expect a star out of everyone. How about a solid role player?
The thing is, he needs to stop tipping balls to the defense because that’s one thing you can’t do in the slot where defenders are everywhere.
If SF doesn’t want Goff or QB, we should try to trade Agholor and Hart to them instead of a future 1st or Huff, Hart and a 5th or even higher pick. Anything to avoid giving up the future.
No one would want Agholor.
Eagles still like him. I think Kelly loves Agholor. He recruited him. It was his first choice. He brings rookies along slowly. Agholor has speed and athleticism. 49ers need WRs.
It’s the asking price that would scare off a ton of teams. Agholor is a recent first round pick and still has value to him even though that value isn’t relative to his performance.
It seems the non-handshake was real for Tom Coughlin, and that he was not over it when he interviewed with the Eagles. Kind of a sad story to see an iconic coach leave on such bad terms.
http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2016/03/ex-giants_coach_tom_coughlin_bombed_eagles_intervi.html
I’d be irked as well if some dope like Jerry Reece set me up to take 100% of the blame for why the team sucked for the last 3 years. I’m not Coughlin fan, but is he really the only/main reason the Giants had problems? They kept the GM and entire staff, but fired Coughlin.
That’s a joke. I wouldn’t let Jerry Reece pick his nose on his own, let alone pick players in a draft.
Ok, Beckham has been great. But;
Flowers was a reach. Landon Collins can’t cover. Justine Puke is a turnstile. The list goes on and on over Reece’s time there.
The Giants roster essentially sucks at most positions.
Howie Roseman > Jerry Reese
HOWIE “our Supreme Leader” Roseman is certainly an upgrade to Reese …
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jerry Reese is basically the GM Cockroach version of Jeff Fisher, guys who inexplicably can’t be fired no matter how Terrible they are
I mean, I think Reese sucks too. Its kind of hard to compare him to Fisher when he has two recent Superbowl wins.
Yep, crazy how bad that roster is because of Reese, yet he seems to be immortal
The message was clear from the Giants brass. It was all Coughlin’s fault. All of it. Shame.
The former sports writer Ernie Accorsi had both Reese and Dave Gettleman in his fold when he was GM in NY. Accorsi was credited with landing Eli and building a ferocious front four, and, presumably, old Ernie had a say in who succeeded him. In hindsight it looks like Gettleman was the keeper, but the Giants let him get away.
Just like the great player who can’t accept that he is done. Your done Tommy. Ride off. You have a very special place in the hear of New York fans.
Ok, I’m officially tired of the “we’re going to make this team a home and family” mantra coming from the team. I get it, Chip was cold and impersonal. Some players, perhaps even a majority didn’t like him. They brought in a new staff with directions to be more touchy/feely. I even understand the logic of it. Time to stop shoving it down our throats, however…
Why? ISNT that what EVERY team says and strives for?
It is weird. There have been other A-hole coaches that have been fired and eventually scapegoated, but this seems extreme. Or maybe I would hear the same story if I followed other teams as closely.
When the coach snaps on Jordam mathews and threatens to get rid of him for playing with emotion, Id say THATS a little extreme
,,
Forcing a hall of fame LT to practice while trying to play thru injuries on Sunday is a little extreme
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Im not even sure Chips duck playërs like Josh Huff LOVED playing for chip here
?????????? JM story I never heard. Do tell.
If I remember correctly, he told Matthews he was going to be cut if he didn’t stop spinning the ball after scoring touchdowns. I don’t have a link.
Passed by quick because Matthews is a good soldier.
i remember it the same way.
http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2016/01/watch_cris_carter_says_chip_kelly_threatened_to_cu.html
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So in addition to everything else he is the fun police.
Yeah something silly like that
The narrative is flipped so many time in sports. “We are taking a more business like approach to our team”. “Inmates ran the asylum”. “We need to be a family”. “These are my brothers”. “Football is a business”. Its complete jargon. My eyes just glaze over when they talk about that stuff.
“convenience” – best for both – good fit – yadda yadda yadda(man, it’s been forever since I yadda’d) — Sam is here and everyone(except some fans) seem to be happy. This is still a very unsettling situation. There are too many “what ifs” about this marriage. Both (Bradford/Eagles) are happy but both are keeping an eye on the future AND they should be. It’s good both sides are smiling and saying all the right things — but this is still just a Band-Aid. Both sides are shaking hands while crossing their fingers behind their backs.
……
IF Eagles really loved Bradford and Bradford really wanted to be here — a different contract would have been offered and signed. The love each other – but not in that way kind of contract. Which is why it’s critical the Eagles draft a QB this year. “Credibility” as mentioned above – if Sam’s only here one year and the Eagles do not draft a QB this year – that credibility goes right out the window….
Yeah Im not so sure I buy that Narrative,,, more likely Roseman offered Bradford a few different contracts and he chose the two year deal, which kind of makes sense if the team is offering a 5yr deal they can get out of after 2-3years. bradford might as well also sigń a short deal to have a chance to play his value up and hit free agency at the age of 31 for one last big pay day.
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If the Eagles can cut you after a few years into your 5yr deal, might as well sigń a short deal so you have the same opportunity as the Eagles, especially when you are a QB and you know that if you play well, they will want to extend you again in a year or two anyway.. what good is a 5yr deal, when if you don’t play well they will cut you in a few years? Especially when you know that if you do play well you will have the opportunity to get extended and remain here… Thinking the two year deal made more sense to SAM than the assumption that he just accepted some deal he didn’t love from the Eagles, when he could have just waited a week, hit the open market and see if a better opportunity pops up,. It’s not like he couldn’t sigń with the Eagles after the start of free agency
..
Id bet Roseman put 3 different contracts on the table and SAM chose the one that made sense to him
I hear ya. Thinking is — a 5 year deal — Eagles would 100% be committed to Bradford being here at least 3 years. That’s stability. Easier to tell FA’s that Bradford is, without question, the QB for the next 3 years instead of ‘he’s definitely here 1 year’.
…..
That’s what’s missing with this contract. Stability.
Forget the contract for a second….. If Bradford plays well, he will be here for a while. If he doesn’t he will be gone, and that’s how it should be for every player…
true. However — stability is what makes better teams. Sooner or later, Eagles have to find their guy. Vick is our guy, wait, Foles is our guy, wait Bradford is our guy … how long are they going to do this?
However fuckin long it takes.. You can’t commit Longterm to someone who doesn’t deserve it, no matter how much instability you had. And just because you draft a guy doesn’t mean he will pan out. You can’t snap your fingers and say I want a franchise QB. If it were that easy we would have did it 5 years ago. you could end up drafting 3 Qb’s in the first round and still be in this position…Committing to the wrong guy, is worse than our QB carousel. We have the best QB we could have gotten and maintained all flexibility. What’s to complain about?
You’re missing my point but you’re arguing for my point. I never said the Eagles have to(nor should) commit to Bradford. All I’m saying – the QB is still “unsettled”. They still do not have a long term QB. Bradford – as you pointed out, doesn’t deserve it. Eagles can draft a qb at 13 and still not pan out — that’s all the definition as unsettled as I can get ….
….
My other comment was basically about all the gushing over how this is a great thing(2 year deal). It’s perfect for it’s purpose – but that’s it. It’s not perfect for the long run of this team…
Right. If he plays well he isn’t going anywhere, no matter what.
If he plays well, that contract will be torn up and re-done next year.
Draft 1 (or 2). Cut Mark, and sign one of these other Sanchez types that has a chance to become “the guy”.
Sam certainly could become the long-term solution, but neither side should expect it.
Seattle school of QB searching. We are in our sophomore season. Lets hope we can graduate with honors.
If chip was still here, we would be signing Arian Foster to be our #4 RB.
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Curious that Pederson hasn’t spoken to Demarco yet
..
I wish the media would ask Roseman if they have given Murrays agent permission to look for a trade partner?
DeMarco to Houston?
1) Houston has cap space to burn
2) Roster is actually half decent aside from QB
3) AFC South is winnable
4) Owner is tired of QB re-treads, so a nice run game for a young QB would be in the cards.
5) DeMarco gets to go back to Texas (hahahaha).
6) Foster is gone.
It’s up to Murray, he ismt getting traded if he doesn’t restructure for the team trading him.. Hopefully a team he likes rescues us and asks Murray not to take too much of a paycut..
we have done quite a few deals with Houston the last few years… lets hope for one more.
Curious to see how much muscle SAM packs on this summer… And if we can also manage to find him a jersey that Fits, sky’s the limit lol
Is it leg day yet?
Everyday is leg day Sam… everyday.
I can’t rip Sammy Sleeves any more. He was asked about his big sleeve uniform and he said that feelimg sleeves on his arms has always bothered him, and I know exactly what he is talking about. I was the same way in basketball and football. Mentally I would feel as tho my arm motion was restricted shooting a jumper even if the jersey just brushed against my arms… I know how he feels, now that he explained it. Hopefully he puts a little mass on and fils the jersey out a bit better..
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The guy spent more time rehabbing than training his body the last few years, logically his weight was going to be down. Hopefully he gets the healthy continuity to be able and build his body back up
Tendered Tobin. Woo woo. Dream team.
No brainer.
I know. Need backup. But I felt like being sarcastic for a change.
Letting him walk was the no BRAINER as far as I’m concerned. I HATE bringing back all 3 (Gardner, Barbie and Tobin). Barbie and Gardner is fine, no need to bring back Tobin. If we do keep Tobin, at least get rid of Dennis Kelly, if it weren’t for him, SAM may have played 16 games
aww hell why not? This doesn’t mean he is on the team. It just means Dougy P can figure out if he likes em.
Not sure why you would even lump Gardner in there but can’t blame you for hating him. He didn’t win us any games.
They could have resigned him at minimum. Who else is going to sign this guy?
Non-guaranteed as well. Hoping the Eagles find a better prospect and that Tobin is just a placeholder at this point.
Ah, the off season. When you check back in to Twitter and find 10 consecutive tweets announcing that Matt Tobin was tendered at the lowest level.
lol, I was thinking the same thing.
The title of this article made me think about how Chip should of been given another year. Really excited about what Dougy P and crew can do, and love the fact Howie is back in charge up front. Still think Chip needed another year.
I agree with the thought Chip deserved another year. But the Schwartz hiring really tempers that. I’m really excited to see how this defense develops over the next few years.
Based on normal on field stuff you’d think he would get another year. But there must have been front office issues that ticked off lurie enough to not bring him or Marynowitz back. Or maybe lurie really disagreed with the offseason changes but gave Kelly the rope if it would make the team better as promised. I think Kelly the coach actually did a much worse job this year.
His inability to adapt was pretty damn frustrating. Very Reid like.
Couldn’t happen to a better guy:
https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/705774714447339525
Lets not forget he was the guy who Ray Riced his fiance before it was the cool thing to do. This was back when beating your wife wasn’t as taboo as smoking weed. Interestingly enough he married her shortly after just like Ray did.
Thinking this is probably domestic in nature too.
If it is, I bet he went for her knees.
That was low.
It tuns out, in Arizona you actually get arrested for illegally crashing into a stationary object. Probably fined, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCSBoOcGFFE
Speaking of crashes in Arizona…
Awesome Combo!
but Ozzie Newsome doesn’t make many mistakes!
I guess we now know for sure it was Molk as the anonymous NFL lineman from that book. He just announced retirement.
What a rat. Good riddance.
what anonymous lineman from what book?
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/nfl-locker-rooms-exposed-new-tell-all-book-article-1.2471646
I know continuity is something we always talk about being valuable, but I do wonder just how valuable it is. I’d love for someone like Bill Barnwell to analyze the importance of continuity (maybe someone has and I just haven’t seen it). Far to often, people point to good Olines, or pro bowl QBs, or some other top end position group/player who has been under the same coach or system for years as evidence of continuity being critical for success. To me, that analysis completely misses the point that it is just as likely (if not even more likely) that the elite talent is what is keeping that player/coach/position group in place which is leading to continuity, and not the other way around. Certainly, I am not arguing that continuity is a BAD thing for anyone. But when I read things like “Bradford’s career has been hurt by constant change and continuity will benefit him” I wonder if we are overvaluing continuity. Maybe he would have improved, or maybe his career would have been just the same.
I guess for me, change for the sake of change is generally not a good strategy of improving a team. At the same time, stability for the sake of stability rather than pursuing a potential improvement in talent also may not be a good strategy.
And just to be clear, this isn’t really meant to be a comment about Bradford and whether or not we should have kept him (it’s certainly unclear if even you want to go after someone else, what reasonable options were available), just a comment on continuity since it is discussed here a lot, particularly in regards to the Oline.
Continuity is just one of the many factors that can affect a team’s success. Devoting an article to it may give it disproportionate impact, but you have to pick something to write about. If it becomes a talking point or substantial narrative, then you know it’s gone too far.
I’d love to see an analysis by someone like barnwell too, but it would have to be well done. I think it’s clear that continuity can be important, particularly for groups like the OL. But there’s also the correlation/causation problem here. Continuity may be the product of individuals playing well, so a team decides to keep them around.
My guess is that it’s a mix–continuity is great when you have real talent. The impact of both together can be big. But i would like to see some empirical verification.
In the end, I think that making decisions about whether to keep or drop a player needs a mix of analysis like this and some good old fashioned expert judgment. Risk/reward decisions of what to do with a player is probably as much an art as it is a science.
Changing the subject a bit I have some questions on defense. Since the Eagles managed to keep so many players suited to the 4-3 through the Chip Kelly era, I feel the Eagles will be a good defensive team. But is there not an opportunity to do some interesting things now that some of our DEs can both cover and rush from a two point stance. Specifically, I’m thinking of some of the blitzes Greenbay does from a 2-5. That stuff is aggressive and can be quite disruptive. Can’t that stuff work in Jim Schwartz’ defensive structure?
Sounds like you have zone blitzing on the brain.
Jim Schwartz is one the lease blitzing defensive coaches in the NFL. He firmly believes in having his d-lineman attack going after the QB almost every play. Rarely does he drop DEs in coverage. Would love to bring JJ’s zone blitzing defensive scheme back to Philly but that isn’t happening. Gotta role with what Schwartz brings in his own kind of defense.
It’s true that Schwartz blitzes the least. So you’re probably right. But I’m struck by the fact that one of the big drivers of his utilization of the wide 9 in Detroit was the need to funnel plays back to his dominant DT. Obviously, the same dynamic is going to be in play here with Cox, but I think it also highlights that Schwartz can be flexible with his approach to suit his talent. We might see (and I hope we do) some exotic packages, given the versatility in the DL. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Im not sure we see much blitzing, some of course, but there is something Schwartz already talked about as eagle coach: since we have a bunch of pass rushers that are credible in coverage, he talked about putting your 5 best pass rushers on the Line, and the opponent won’t know which 4 our rushiñg, and which one is dropping into coverage
I don’t think Schwartz’s scheme does that stuff.
Howie killed it with the Bradford deal.
Howie is gonna kill it in free agency and the draft too.
We’ll be back in the playoffs next season.
To that end, whither De Marco?
MOLK retiring is almost as great as cutting Sanchez, Almost…..
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Then they went and screwed it up tendering Tobin.. I can’t stand turnstile tobin. Cut the cord and replace him with a rook
LOL That’s right, you NEVER liked Molk did you…
Out of the country the past week and finally caught up with the Bradford resigning. Agreed with Tommy that it is a fit of convenience for both teams.
I’ll give Roseman some real credit too. I thought for sure he would either have to overpay in either dollars or years for Bradford. He did neither. Still has to deal with several other lousy contracts including Murray but no real complaints this offseason so far except the Curry extension. Still not sold he is a starter or is capable of performing well if he plays 3 downs.
Otherwise Roseman is putting this team in a position to contend for the NFC East next year without sacrificing too much long-term flexibility. I would have preferred a rebuild but it is a reasonable strategy given how weak the NFC East looks like it will be again next year. Easy enough to see 9 wins (or even 8) winning this division next year.
As for bringing Bradford back and the continuity it provides, hard to see there being that much value in it with an almost entirely new staff, new head coach, and a new scheme that the head coach will play call.
I’m most interested to see how much flexibility Pederson will give Bradford especially to audible. Sorely been lacking in this offense the past few years early on down when it was obvious the box was stacked yet they would try to run anyways or have an unfavorable formation in the red zone. I’m hoping Bradford has a wide degree of latitude from the get go to make those calls.
he claims his best asset is his brain.
look at the big brain on sam!
Continuity with the players is just as valuable. Rapport and timing with the receivers is extremely important.
We have to get younger at RB. In the next two years I hope we get rid of all the RBs. It’s obvious that best case scenario is being able to dump Demarco in a trade, but he has to agree to restructure to be able to make that happen so I don’t know how likely that is.. If we can’t trade Demarco, then im going to start hoping that we can draft ZEKE, and turn around and trade Ryan Mathews during the draft…. Go into the season with ZEKE, Murray, and Sproles, get to next offseason when we can cut Murray, and find a rookie backüp for ZEKE.. They can keep SPROLES if he keeps producing as a 3rd down back/slot WR, but if we notice a big drop off this year they can move on from him too.. SProles is a pro’s pro, love to have him set an example for our young Next era RBs..
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I really don’t want to keep Murray and lose Ryan, but ryan has more value, and murray may not be TRADEable… If we have to get rid of Ryan instead of Murray, drafting ZEKE would sure soften the blow. Of course he may not even last Til #13, a lot of RB needy teams ahead of us, two from our own division.,. on paper we have 3 quality backs. But I don’t feel comfortable not having any youth at that position. This is easier to Do if we sign a Guard and Safety in FA
Fair scenario. Just thinking out loud, but I wonder if Houston would be interested in trading for Ryan Mathews for a mid-round pick.
The guy put some good play on film last year, looked explosive. Not a horrible Untradeable contract like Murray. I dont think it would be hard to find a trade partner… But I NEED ZEKE in return if we are giving away our best RB and he is no GUARENTEE at 13, so Id wait Til after the first round to trade Mathews if we are going to move him.. I think we can trade him, so no reason to make him a cap casualty… Heck we can spend most of our cap if we plan on trading him on draft night, unloading his contract would almòst pay for signing all our rookies.
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Drafting a RB initially sounds crazy, but if we get a Safety and Guard in FA, draft a RB in round 1, we still have plenty of picks to address needs with something like
Rd 1) ZEKE
Rd 2) Fuck you chip!!
rd 3) Tackle
Rd 3) Guard
Rd 4) DT
Rd 5) CB
Rd 5) QB
Rd 6) LB
Rd 6) DE
Rd 7) DT
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Get a 5th rounder for Ryan Mathews and trade a WR
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Hopefully we get a 7th for Taylor Hart, or Storming Sturgis
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Theoretically we could draft a RB and still take care of key needs, signing a Guard, spending a 3rd on a Guard and a 3rd on a tackle is more then enough investing in our OL
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But Im less intruiged by trading Ryan if we can’t get ZEKE at 13
Drafting a RB doesn’t sound crazy at all. They could easily trade Matthews given his contract and/or release Sproles if they think he can’t contribute overall anymore to keep a roster spot.
I guess I’m probably greedy and spoiled by our rich RB history mostly build thru the draft… If we can get a kid who is a leader and has a chance of starting at a high level for the next 7 years, I really don’t care what position he plays, Id be all for it…. And chip made a mess of the RB Room, all that money for guys who are all at the end of their careers, and no young legs at one of the easiest draft and plug positions in the game… It kills me, the fantasy football mess he made at RB.
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Heck, there are rumors that Carols Hyde wasn’t even on chips draft board, WOULDNT be shocked if Chip would want to trade for Ryan and bring the Cali boy back to the Westcoast
WOULDNT be a bad idea for the Texans either.. Like us, they can win the division this year, if they are going to be stuck drafting a project QB in round 1, might be a good idea for them to sign Peyton as a bridge, and trade for Ryan with Hopkins on the outside.
.l
They say RG3 may be headed to Houston, I hope so, it would be so entertaining to see demandijg QB Coach Bill Obrien try to coexist with BirdBrain RG3 and his “Brand” which is worth about as much as the “Manziel brand” these days
They just got rid of one dude who refused to be healthy for a full season. Replacing him with another guy with that lack of dedication probably isn’t up their alley.
As for Vegas, the lines for over/under are out and the Boys at 9 wins with every other NFC East team at 7.5 wins including the Eagles.
Every single NFC East team though has a huge money line against going with the under.
Tempted to take the under on Dallas.
It is certainly the most tempting because of the likelihood of Romo getting hurt/ineffective but the money lines for the under stink.
I actually like the Skins on the over a bit at 7.5 especially if they have another good draft. Sadly I think the Skins finally have a competent GM now who Snyder is going to let actually do what a GM largely should be able to do with too much direct inference.
It is pretty tempting… If the odds stay the same after the draft, and Dallas DIDNT draft ZEKE, I might have to take that bet
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But if they take ZEKE, I fear him being able to be enough of a workhorse as a rookie behind that line to possibly protect romo enough to get thru 75% of the season? Lol of course if Romo stays healthy, it means ZEKE has been run into the ground and will have to retire in 5 years, but that’s a different story
While I could do without the endless running commentary on how much he dislikes Sam Bradford, I saw on Jimmy’s latest article that the Eagles may not pursue Gipson because he may be too similar of a safety to what Thurmond was. From what I’ve read, quite a few of the commenters on here would love Iloka. Is it just due to his size and athleticism – reminiscent of Kam Chancellor? I honestly haven’t heard anything about this guy until this year. Does anyone have insight into how good he is at the position and his fit with the Eagles? In articles that I’ve seen, Nelson was the superior of the 2, but at age 32, is not an option.
For a big 6’4 225lb safety, he is pretty damn solid in coverage with plenty of experience in center field.. Bengals were rich at Safety, so he will be looking for someone where he can start full time and would be a great Interchajgeable safety next to jenkins…. Obviously a 6’4 225lb safety is not going to be a bitch in the Box. He can thump when he needs to… Does a good job using his size and leaping ability in centerfield.. Young, still improving… A kid who can play in centerfield while giving us much more in the box than a converted corner like Thurmond ever could..
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hoping he is our #1 target in free agency, even ahead of guard
Safety #1 target over o-line? I have to slightly disagree with you there brother. As bad as this o-line was last year I don’t see rookies coming in and solidifying the entire line. If o-line in general isn’t the #1 priority for the Eagles in FA then your boy Sam wont make it through the season again. I know the defense is more then likely going to have to carry this team next year but the Eagles have to begin building that offensive line with an infusion of talent and youth. With that said I would be happy with the Eagles landing Iloka, just not at the expense of the o-line.
Yes Safey is a Bigger need, for multiple reasons.
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1) Barbie, Gardner, Tobin, and whoever are probably more credible guards than Ed Reynolds, Maragos and Couplin are credible Safties, so right there it’s a bigger need..
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2) more importantly, it’s way way way easier to solve OL issues in the draft, even in rounds 3-5, and it’s much much harder to find a safety, let alone one that you can start day 1, which we desperately need and our Front Office is putrid at drafting safeties since before Chip got here
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3) be foolish to have such a need at safety and not take advantage of safety being one of the strengths of this years free agency.
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Of course Safety vs OL is a silly discussion to have,because both will be addressed as our main priorities
I think the biggest needs are OL and LB. If JP or Lane get hurt, the Eagles are screwed. The depth is atrocious with who they have now. If Kendricks or Kiko continue to underwhelm, under the current depth chart, they’re rolling out Marcus Smith and Bryan Braman. This scares me.
Who you plan on starting at safety? How can a potential LB injury be more important than a position we don’t have a starter at?
IF, now this is a huge if, IF the report that the Eagles are tinkering with the idea of moving Rowe to safety, then this answers that question. Considering the source, it is likely false.
For me, solid DL and LB play can mask less than stellar safety play. Hell, Kurt Coleman looked competent for the Panthers. Of course, we would love to roll 2 to 3 deep at each position with blue chip players, but it just isn’t feasible. I could roll the dice at the SS spot with an average player if that meant elite OL talent and a solid to elite LB corp.
ROWE to safety? what rumor, elliot Shor parks nonsense speculation? Made up speculation. No coach or GM has ever hinted at this…they aren’t moving ROWE after what he just did at corner, they don’t even have nolan under contract yet who we would need to play Nickel or Dime depending on how you view JaCorey coming Off injury
While Rowe flashed some skill at corner, I have no idea what the “new” regime thinks about him. Maybe Corey Undlin wants him at safety where he has the most experience. Maybe Corey wanted him there all along but Chip had final say on the matter. No idea. We may have to change some of what we think we know about certain players because of the Chip Kelly effect.
Just tossing discussion out there, since I saw it somewhere – and no it wasn’t an ESP article.
Do you think ROWE is not fast enough to stay at Corner? Just curious cause I really don’t get the line of thinking, especially when we aren’t talking about a position where we have an abundance of talent that can afford moving a player to another spot, and Rowe’s size running with WR the way he showed capabke of last year really intruigs me
It’s not about measurables though I agree that you need certain numbers to avoid get eaten alive out there. Most of Rowe’s experience has been at the safety position. I’m not saying he is not competent enough to be a cornerback. I think he can hold his own based on last year, but what if he is actually elite as a safety now that he’s gotten his feet wet in the NFL.
Like I’ve mentioned before, I’m in enemy territory down here and everyone’s favorite prospect on this blog from last year, Byron Jones, is now playing safety for the Cowboys and not CB. I just think we need to keep our eyes open now that we have a coach who can conceivably do the same.
Rowe has played very well at CB and has a strong chance of turning into quite a good one. CB is the more valuable position by far. It’s silly to move him to safety. I know he CAN do it, but I’m continually amazed by people suggesting we should do it. We move him to safety, we have a glaring need at CB. I’d rather a 2nd round resource go into one of the top 4 most valuable positions in the league than switch positions so people can feel satisfy their safety fix.
Harrison Smith and Iloka would make one hell of a safety tandem.
Right! Love Zimmer too
…..definitely the Kam Chancellor affect, but effective.
Yeah he isn’t the 6’4 Kam wannabe who can’t cover a lick… He is legit well rounded safety. He isn’t Kam yet, but he is getting better over the last few years.. He was on my radar the past two seasons. He can play. I also like that he fits more what our new regime wants. I miss having two physical safeties even tho Thurmond was fun in centerfield
agreed i am an Iloka fan.
He’s not Kam (who is?), but he’s got size, speed, and coverage ability. he’s actually best known for his all around play, not just his size. The size is a nice bonus.
Any interest is Leodis McKelvin?
If he comes cheaper then Carroll, sure.
That’s what I mean I know nothing about him but is he better than Nolan?
No he isn’t better then Nolan and he is also older, but the fact that the Eagles have their starting corners in place I definitely wouldn’t mind McKelvin if the price is right over Carroll. McKelvin is also familiar with Schwartz so that helps.
Good info thanks
He returns kicks and punts, doesn’t he?
yup
I dunno, ISNT he like 30 already? HASNT played a healthy season in a while,,
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Prefer someone younger who we can groom to replace Maxwell after this year if we still want to get out of his contract…
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Unless we talking QB or OL, id generally prefer not payng 30yr old free agents from other teams, at least until we are Super Bowl favorites trying to get over the hump
Yeah I don’t know much about him and wanted some info. Sounds like Nolan is our better option.
I would assume Nolan is cheaper.. I also saw a report Where he is open to taking a pay cut so that this may be one of those cases of him getting cut, and signed back much cheaper by the Bills..
Yes.
Riley Cooper had one of his best games against McKelvin and Buffalo last season. (3 rec 28 yds 0 Tds)
Enough said.
So you’re saying we should sign this guy?! Count me in.
Lol Eli Apple said one of the first questions he was asked by the Falcons staff was “do you like Men?”…. Smh
I would’ve thought it would’ve been, “How do you like THEM apples?”
they should have asked him “have you been a fruit all your life?” and let him sit on the question for a few seconds before asking “… or did you change your last name at some point?” haha
is it inappropriate to say “i hope he never suffers a career ending injury and turns into a vegetable”?
i’ll just see myself out.
the crap that teams ask players is really dumb
Im glad he snitched on them and told the media. If they have the balls to ask him such nonsense, then don’t complain when a kid gets asked what’s the craziest question he was asked, and tells the truth..? Knowing the media asks kids that question, a coach has to be a moron to ask a kid that in 2016… Falcons head coach already had to appologize for his assistant coach
They might know their team.
What? Like they know their team has a bunch of homophobic assholes? It is a bullshit question no matter what.
yes
Worse than that in this case as it implies something with larger negative undertones.
in this case, its also against league guidelines to ask about a players sexual orientation, and possibly discrimination.
I find it hard to believe they worded the question that way because of the potential liability issues but there is no reason a team should be asking this question in the first place.
not sure i understand what you are saying. I found this referenced from the deadspin article on this topic. the league has in the past told teams not to do this. the Falcons did it anyway.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/football-insider/wp/2014/02/17/recent-nfl-memo-to-teams-reinforces-anti-discrimination-policies/
And in this case, I believe in violation of federal law.
Was Richie Incognito a fill-in on that panel?
He should have said yes and proceeded to sexually assault the person who asked it just to humble them.
Brunell said he was chase Daniels teammate and said he is no taller than 5’9 LOL shame on you if you were willing to replace SAM with Chase
Curry’s AAV is a little above 9M. Cap hit this year at 3M, goes up as high as 12M in his final year.
A 3-second GOOGLE search would have avoided the bogus story’s appearance here.
Daniel measured 6’0″ at the Combine . . . according to the NFL.
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/chase-daniel?id=81284
Also we would be delighted with a Brees or Wilson, both barely 6 feet or less on a good day.
Can’t believe we gave Tobin a RFA Tender. I know 1.6M isn’t much, but I do not see his play above what we could expect from a late-round rookie. I also hate that Sanchez is still around as a back-up. I would much rather they clear his space now, and be able to make an upgrade in Free Agency rather than a mid-tier signing. There are quite a few teams out there with a ton of cap space and only a number of quality players. Plus I do not want Sanchez taking any of that rookie QB’s reps, or Bradford’s in the new offense.
D3FB forced Howie to do it. I don’t know what kind of dirt D3FB has on Howie but it’s working.
I have the pictures of Howie having pictures of Lurie.
On a positive note, now people who want to buy a turnstile know the market value of one is $1.6 mil.
There’s not really a downside to giving Tobin that RFA tender, none of it is guaranteed, he’s just another body for camp, maybe he plays well and earns a starting position, if not he’s cut.
Furthermore, on our cap situation:
We have 17.4M in space as of the Tobin tender
This may seem like a healthy number, but I would expect more activity–preferably prior to Free Agency. Unfortunately, most deals (trade wise) will not happen until into FA quite a bit. Teams that “missed out” on certain players or positions then will feel the need to give up assets. 17.4M is nice, but if you take into account a few million for the rookies, Cox’s extension, and the fact that we usually like to go into the season with 8-10M in space for flexibility as the season goes along, that 17.4M is now looking like a few lower to mid tier signings.
This is where that 1.6M for Tobin and 3.5M for Sanchez really irks me prior to Free Agency. Gardner will be back and we will be drafting and adding to the O-line in free agency. Tobin has no business on this team at that number.
Lastly, our cap situation next off-season does not look good presently (14.6M). Yes, that can be increased with getting rid of Murray and Maxwell, but they preferably need to be replaced first. Also, I am aware we can reduce Sam’s cap hit or release him. But this also does not account for Cox’s future 15M hit, and any signings we will make this year. Fortunately we only have a few note-worthy free agents next year– Bennie Logan, Cox (at this point– he isn’t going anywhere), Kiko Alonso, Darren Sproles, Donnie Jones, Cody Parkey; this is potentially why we may see some trades or moves that we won’t all be in agreement of. I was initially thinking our cap situation would not be restrictive of us making some solid free agency moves if given the opportunity, but with the lack of space that would be created from Sanchez and a few others— and the current cap situations of other teams– I do not know how realistic that is.
Are you figuring our 2017 cap space on a $170 million cap?
The “projected” 166M figure.
I’m willing to go out on a limb as say that it’ll come in over $166.
And I’m more than sure Howie will have a stunt or two ready to free up some cash.
Yeah it will probably be above that, I am just estimating it on the conservative side. I’m sure Howie will manage it just fine. I just would like these “stunts” to come to fruition before Free Agency. Obviously that is very unlikely, but a solid Safety and Guard addition would really allow is to go into the draft and genuinely go BPA:
Quarterback of Future, RB to replace Murray and Sproles, CB to see Maxwell out the door next year, LB help if Kiko/Kendricks don’t come back to form (or stay healthy), D-line, Tackle of the Future, more Guard help, stud WR— We have so many areas we can upgrade. I think this is a talented roster, but anytime you pick in the top 15 you should be able to get an impact player to upgrade your roster. Reaching for a tackle/guard supposed to go at the end of the first round or another area of need is the worst thing we can do in my opinion.
Howie better be prepared to work several stunts. At least half the league is desperate for quality offensive linemen right now.
The $1.7 for Tobin isn’t guaranteed. So if they need the cap room to sign another player, they can cut him anytime.
reading that Folesy might make it back to the NFC east with the cowboys or skins as a back up?
classic.
$6 million roster bonus says no.
It’s guaranteed so Rams or someone will have to pay that no matter what. The thing is the rules allow two teams to negotiate who pays what portion of the roster bonus as part of a trade. So, another team may trade for Foles giving up minimum compensation, but paying the roster bonus and saving the Rams money. Conversely, if the Rams payed the roster bonus they would expect better compensation from a team trading for Foles. The two teams could meet anywhere in the middle.
Cap gurus. As much as I like Maragos, we learned he is not a good safety. What would
be the cap savings for releasing him? I think we have strong enough gunners and can draft later for special teams. Thoughts?
Has a very reasonable salary of $1.5 mil and dead money would only be 200k if I am not mistaken. Regardless if I am right or wrong on the cap details of it, my point is his contract is fine with that of a special teams ace like he is and he is more worth keeping then getting rid of.
For guys making that little it’s negligible cap wise. Keep them all for now. Retain the best 53 in September. The dead money or cap hits aren’t worth paying attention to in either direction.
Agreed friend.