Final Week of OTAs

Posted: May 31st, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 98 Comments »

Today the Eagles begin the final week of OTAs. This isn’t the time of year for making conclusions. This is Lorenzo Booker and Sean Considine season. 90 players are running around in shorts and trying to both learn the scheme and impress the coaches. This isn’t real football.

Focus on the basics. Are QBs throwing the ball well? You want receivers to run crisp routes and then catch the ball. You want RBs to look smooth and show good physical skills. O-linemen can show good footwork and agility. They aren’t allowed to come off the ball and attack defenders so the whole physical side of blocking is left out.

D-linemen are using the most basic of pass rushing moves. LBs need to be in the right gap on run plays and then show they can cover well on pass plays. DBs probably have the most to show. They need to diagnose plays quickly and be in the right spot. They also need to cover well. They aren’t allowed to play bump ‘n run, but the DBs can show you a lot with their instincts and movement skills.

Some writers may talk about Kenjon Barner looking like a starter or Carson Wentz being the smartest QB. Pump the brakes on that stuff. If you have followed football long enough, you know we hear reports like that every year and they rarely turn out as expected.

You can get a lot of false reads in the spring and summer. Remember a few years back when Chris McCoy played lights out and we thought he was a lock to make the team? The guy was great in the preseason. He was a terrific pass rusher. And the Eagles cut him. The Jags signed him and then cut him. McCoy has never played in a real NFL game.

Whether it is seeing someone look great in shorts or beat up on third stringers, this is the time of year when a lot of us can get fooled.

*****

Jeffrey Lurie spoke to Jenny Vrentas for the MMQB on the Eagles QB situation.

5. I think the Eagles’ quarterback strategy comes down to playing the odds, at least as Jeffrey Lurie explains it. “We see it differently than I guess some other people may,” Lurie said at the league meetings. “We see Sam [Bradford] as absolutely the right guy to quarterback the team. We are so rarely able to draft in the Top 5 in the draft. It’s only been twice in about 15-20 years. So we saw the opportunity, and we liked two quarterbacks. We had to make the move to secure having a potential franchise quarterback for many, many years. Having a lot of assets at the most important position in the NFL is a good strategic move for now. And it can only benefit us. Because in the NFL, it’s the one position you can’t just go get. And so when you have an opportunity, you’ve gotta take your shot, and you’ve gotta be bold. Otherwise, if you say to yourself, you know, it is probably a 50-50 shot that maybe the quarterback will be really good, you can’t let that deter you. So that’s how I look at it: You either have a really good QB and you compete for the Super Bowl, or you don’t and you are probably not competing for the Super Bowl. And that’s simple.”

I think most Eagles fans have figured this out as Lurie, Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson have talked about QBs this spring. But just in case…

The Eagles are going back to the old SF/GB model where you load up on QBs. The key to that working is bringing in the right players. Time will tell if the Eagles did that.

_


98 Comments on “Final Week of OTAs”

  1. 1 Final Week of OTAs - said at 8:50 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    […] Tommy Lawlor Today the Eagles begin the final week of OTAs. This isn’t the time of year for making […]

  2. 2 lcwboyboy said at 8:51 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    I dunno. I still feel like Lorenzo Booker can be somebody.

  3. 3 Cafone said at 12:05 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Dion Lewis made it back to the league so anything is possible.

  4. 4 Tumtum said at 3:50 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    “Dion Lewis is a star in the league so anything is possible.”

    Fixed that for ya.

  5. 5 Media Mike said at 6:06 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    He’s laying down on the job again. Some star.

  6. 6 Tumtum said at 7:05 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    You really do despise guys that get hurt. At least your consistent!

  7. 7 daveH said at 11:54 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Did he get a ring? Ill have to call the internet for confirmation. . But most hated Pat Cheung has one. he also had a great season and got a new contract. That stfd’d me. Glad for him.

  8. 8 BobSmith77 said at 9:30 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    Barner has a lot of self-confidence so he does have that going for him.

    As for the Eagles’ QB situation, if Bradford has a significant injury where he is going to miss at least a month or more do the Eagles put in Wentz?

    It seems like every analyst I heard/followed said that Wentz was notably more impressive in OTAs than Daniel. Didinger said Daniel ‘had trouble making throws consistently’ and Frank said if the Eagles have any competitive aspirations next year Daniel can’t be the guy for more than a game.

  9. 9 Cafone said at 12:03 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    The answer to your question probably depends on when it might happen. I think we are all aware that Daniel doesn’t have the physical gifts of the other two QBs, but he knows the offense. So if Bradford goes down in September, Daniel is his replacement. If Bradford goes down in December, we’ll see…

    Another factor is how it happens. If Bradford goes down during a game and Daniel goes in because Wentz is not active, perhaps the decision on the next week’s starter will be partially determined by how Daniel plays in relief.

  10. 10 Gian GEAGLE said at 12:32 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I don’t expect To see Wentz this year

  11. 11 BobSmith77 said at 1:26 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I’d bet strongly against and be really surprised if they don’t see him start at least start 3 games. Vegas has the O/U on his games starts at 4.5 which sounds about right.

  12. 12 Gian GEAGLE said at 4:43 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Used to be 3, so that just means people have been betting Over
    ..
    Now that we don’t need SAM to stay healthy, I expect him to play 16 games, and Probably play better than most expect… No Wenfz this year, but we”ll see…

  13. 13 BobSmith77 said at 5:17 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    You really think that is a 50% or more chance that Bradford plays 16 games this year for the Eagles?

    I would put that number at under 10%. Either he will get hurt at some point or more likely they start Wentz for at least a game or two in Dec.

  14. 14 daveH said at 11:52 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Preseason final game .. itll be a sellout

  15. 15 BobSmith77 said at 9:35 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    I am pretty low-key on the upcoming season. Until Wentz starts, it seems like they are just in a holding pattern.

  16. 16 Tumtum said at 3:48 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Looks like you and I are polar opposites!

  17. 17 eagleyankfan said at 9:38 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    cough…sneeze…bullsh*t….cough…excuse me — allergies….

  18. 18 Gary Barnes said at 9:50 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    Good stuff, Tommy. Agree this is the over-reaction and exaggeration season. I appreciate Lurie being honest about the Eagles stock piling QB and trying to make sure they get an impact one out of the group. The only problem I have is that I disagree with him on a franchise QB being absolutely necessary to competing for or winning a SB. Building a dominant defense and OL can work. Chasing the franchise QB is risky and demands paying a premium price for non premium talent in many cases.

  19. 19 Tumtum said at 10:05 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    Nice that some aren’t yelling about chaos and falling clouds. The Eagles made a conscious effort to sign 3 possible solutions at QB. Madness!!!

  20. 20 BlindChow said at 10:40 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    Lurie said if you don’t have a QB, you probably won’t be competing for a Super Bowl; not that it was impossible.

    And he’s right. Teams with the best defense make the SB way less often than teams with a great QB. The “Denver model” is a far less successful method of capturing the Lombardi, and it would be foolish to make it the basis of your team’s strategy. (Even Denver themselves went after an elite QB, though he clearly broke down by the time their defense had been built up.)

  21. 21 eagleyankfan said at 11:30 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    I’m willing to bet, the majority of SB winners in the last 10 years have had a top 5 defense. I think it’s rare that a non top 5 defense wins a SB. One could argue the last SB win by the Giants their defense wasn’t ranked as high. But if you look at their defense solely on the second half of that season, they were number 1 or 2.
    ….
    If you’re literally talking of the #1 ranked defense – you’re probably right — but you pretty much need a top 5 D…

  22. 22 Dude said at 12:05 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    It’s almost like your chances of winning a Super Bowl are better if the whole team is good. Maybe we should try that model.

  23. 23 Cafone said at 12:07 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Why be good when you can be gold?

  24. 24 eagleyankfan said at 2:54 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    If there’s 1 simple solution – nobody has found it. But it sure helps the odds with an overall good team.
    …..
    As soon as someone can explain to me how Eli has two rings, and Marino has none, I’m all ears…

  25. 25 Tumtum said at 3:48 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Illuminati

  26. 26 Tumtum said at 3:47 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Don’t be silly.

  27. 27 bentheimmigrant said at 1:35 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    http://www.nfl.com/superbowlchamps/defense
    http://www.nfl.com/superbowlchamps/offense

    Nice looking graphs, but not the best for data… anyway… at a glance, it looks like the importance of each is about equal. I’m of the opinion that you generally can’t be below average on either side of the ball. You need to be excellent at one, and at least above average on the other, to expect to compete. For me, the real example is that 2007 Pats. All-time great O, one of the worst D’s ever. Couldn’t get the job done when it mattered most.

  28. 28 eagleyankfan said at 2:56 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    not sure what you mean about the 2007 Pats — ranked 4th…http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/total/position/defense/year/2007

  29. 29 bentheimmigrant said at 6:21 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Huh. My memory said they had a historically bad pass D. I say they’ve doctored the stats… Need to find them another draft pick.

  30. 30 Anders said at 2:22 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Pats last year was 8th in points and 13th in yards, Ravens in 2012 was 20th in points and 16th in yards.

  31. 31 eagleyankfan said at 3:04 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    majority — I didn’t say every year … Sandwich Denver and Seattle around those teams and we’re at 50/50 of the last 4 years…

  32. 32 Gian GEAGLE said at 4:50 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I believe in respecting all the positions. Any position can be exposed as a weakness if you lack Talent.
    ..
    We had a franchise QB, elite Weapon in westbrook, a quality OL, an elite NFL defense, even had T.O for a year and we still don’t have a damn Super Bowl to show for it. And people want to devalue positions? You need the best TEAM especially in the NFL and you Probably want to avoid glaring weakness that are hard to compensate for.. For example, you can make a RB look good with a good OL, easier than a Good RB can make a bad OL look good..
    ..
    It’s not Complicated, you need a solid QB, OL and Defense.. With a solid OL comes a solid run game, and with a solid defense comes run Defense which are both important parts of the equation when making a playoff run.
    ..
    Try to win a Super Bowl with a bad QB, poor OL play, or a poor defense, and you have to get really lucky to win a SUPERBOWL that way. Typically you need an elite QB like bRady who can help compensate for a bad OL, or an offense that scores 40 points a game to compensate for the bad defense… So best bet is to focus on Defense, QB and OL, and odds are thats enough to be in the mix to contend

  33. 33 Tumtum said at 4:51 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    We also had a top notch D. Really we had the team. Just didn’t happen.

  34. 34 Tumtum said at 3:46 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Think it is pretty safe to say that you need a really strong over-all team to win the world championship. I think logic would dictate that the worse your offense is the better your defense has to be and vise versa.

    Building a top 5 defense seems easier than finding a franchise QB to me.. since you know there are 5 every year. I could be wrong about that. Just seems the hardest ingredient to find for the Superbowl Cake is the star QB. I think that is more where the line of thinking is.

  35. 35 Forthebirds said at 10:43 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    Our D line is very very good, our O line looks to be much improved, It’s the skill position players that worry me. Brady could make average guys look great, but how many Brady’s are there. ?

  36. 36 Tumtum said at 10:01 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    When I saw pft give the shout out to Barner yesterday it almost felt like the kiss of death. We hardly knew ye.

  37. 37 Forthebirds said at 10:45 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    Someone better will get cut from another team and bye bye Barner.

  38. 38 Tumtum said at 11:24 AM on May 31st, 2016:

    Meh maybe. He did pretty well in a limited role last season. He has a versatile skill set, and would probably be the best returner on the roster (not taking into account rookies who I don’t know at all). I don’t recall if he did punts in college, for some reason I think he didn’t. If that is a skill of his and this Sproles situation ends with him off the roster, his value is even greater.

    Greg Lewis is here to remind everyone what happens when you don’t have a plan at return man.

  39. 39 Media Mike said at 6:08 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    You know we still have Sproles; right?

  40. 40 Tumtum said at 7:04 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I had something in there about if Sproles winds up not being on this team. Guess I erased it. Sproles does not do kicks though.

  41. 41 Media Mike said at 6:07 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    From your lips to God’s ears.

  42. 42 Media Mike said at 6:07 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    We know him well enough.

  43. 43 Nailed It! said at 12:09 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Bradford is having a bad practice, now here is a 10,000 word think piece on how the Eagles will never win a championship (a look into the future after todays practice.)

  44. 44 BobSmith77 said at 12:16 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Lurie’s comment strikes me as a throwaway comment regarding the QB situation too.

    Given what they gave up to get Wentz and how they are basically struggling their future plans around him, he better be a Top 10 QB or their sunk for the next 5 years.

  45. 45 Gian GEAGLE said at 12:34 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    If losing two draft picks in the next two years cripples us for 5 years, something is seriously wrong… Exaggerating much?
    ..
    If we are a 5 or 6 win team, you must think no one in our division will win more than 7 games?

  46. 46 Tumtum said at 1:22 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    What if Bradford throws for 5000 yards this season? What if Bradford goes down and Daniel breaks out? If Wentz decides to retire to be a fur trapper in North Dakota, are we set back?

    Its cover your ass approach at building an elite franchise. If he doesn’t work out we should be at least covered so that the team isn’t the Browns for the next 5 years.

    I always try to see any point of contention from every angle and yours (the majority around here) just does not compute. YES there is a huge risk in trading up to 2, good idea to hedge your bet, right? Worked out for the Skins.

  47. 47 BobSmith77 said at 1:25 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    No it isn’t and they are just placating Bradford a bit. At this Bradford is a well-known commodity and he is middling at best.

  48. 48 Tumtum said at 3:42 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    So they signed him, refused to trade him, and anointed him the starter to placate him?

    I’m stupid, you will have to explain the reasoning in order for me to understand.

  49. 49 Media Mike said at 6:09 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    “What if Bradford throws for 5000 yards this season?”

    Yes please. This would give us great return in a trade.

  50. 50 Gian GEAGLE said at 12:30 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Ryan Mathews is back at practice, hopefully that pumps the breaks on the barner/smallwood hype.
    ..
    Sad when fans are more realistic than the media who is supposed to provide us our info
    ..
    The other day it was a donkey claiming that Wentz knows the offense better off of his limited OTA access, when players are just learning the scheme and getting in shape for Camp competition..
    ..
    I just took a 5 minute ride to Wawa, and there is some donkey on sports radio literally talking about how signing Colangelo should put us in the race to sign a guy like Durrant this summer….that may be one of the dumbest things I ever heard. I hate Colangelo, but to act like not being able to sign Durrant this summer would make him a failure, is about as idiotic as it gets… WIP should be ashamed and Embarressed of putting this crap on their airways. It makes Eskin and Cataldi sound “intelligent”

  51. 51 RobNE said at 12:36 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I agree but it’s going to be a long time before I feel any sympathy for a Colangelo.

  52. 52 Gian GEAGLE said at 12:37 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Fuck him! I will never trust that hack… But for a media member to even put Durrants name in our fans head at this juncture of our rebuild is just absurd

  53. 53 Gian GEAGLE said at 12:38 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    But the ONLY NEWS that Matters this week in Philly, is Embiid tweeting that he is finally healthy… I’d give up Ben Simmons, the Lakers pick and the Kings pick if it GUARENTEED Embiid would stay healthy for the next decade

  54. 54 The original AG said at 3:25 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Imagine Embiid and Simmons in the frontcourt, or Ingram in the backcourt. I say backcourt because he has the J, but not the size yet to bang with the big boys.

  55. 55 Gian GEAGLE said at 4:39 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I’ll be much more excited about Simmons if he can be our SF Longterm instead of having to be our PF. I want Simmons at SF, two shooters in the back court from the 2017 draft, and two shooters in the front court(SARIC, Embiid).. 4 shooters and Simmons at SF is perfect for Simmons,.. But to make it work he has to give up the PF spot to SARIC, and focus on improving his shooting, and committing to defending SF’s
    ..
    It will be easier to build this team if Simmons can play SF, so SARIC can play PF, Joel at Center, and bring Noel and Grant off the bench…. Get our Backcourt in Nexf years draft, the free agent stop gap getrans we sigń this offseason, become rotation bench players after next years draft.
    ..
    By the end of the 2017 he can easily surpass the wolves as the most talented young roster as long as he doesn’t screw with the lakers pick
    .
    And an unprotected Kings pick should also be untouchable since it’s the Marvin BAGELY draft class
    ..
    Sucks that I have to be so nervous with this moron at GM

  56. 56 jaws80 said at 3:47 AM on June 1st, 2016:

    completely agree. just need to be patient, they have the draft assets they need to fill in point guard and shooting guard. I want Simmons defending small forwards so he can start alongside of Saric, with Embiid in the middle. Already have a “logjam” up front so dont need to use any of the great draft assets in coming years on front court players. So just wait, be patient…. But this means being comfortable with a team of young players. “That is not how good teams are built” Colangelo has and will say, need to have a mix of young and old. But that is if you want to win a playoff series in 2019. I am thinking long term, like how Curry and Klay, or Durant and Westbrook, have had years to grow together. Thinking of this team in 2023 – they would be supremely talented and experienced enough that year for a championship run if just use the draft assets they have right now.

  57. 57 RobNE said at 2:49 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I dread looking at headlines b/c I’m waiting for Sixers to trade the Lakers pick, the Kings Swap and the Kings pick for some ok but can never be great PG. I’m terrified he gives up assets in order to get to mediocre faster.

  58. 58 Gian GEAGLE said at 4:16 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I’ll never forgiven he sixers if they trade the Lakers pick
    .,
    The average PG we trade for this offseason will get crucified once this fanbase gets to Know next years elite Pg draft of Markelle Fultz, Dennis Smith Jr, Lonzo Ball, D’Aaron Fox, Frank Nkiliniita, Frank Jackson.
    ..
    DEAD SERIOUS, I swea Kris Dunn wouldnt be a lottery pick in next years draft and he would end up being like the 4th to #6th PG if he was in next years draft. Fortunately he is too ball dominant, and not a good enough shooter for a 22 yr old to pair with Ben Simmons, so i would think Simmons means taking Dunn off our draft board.
    ..
    I don’t ask for much from this imbecile. It doesn’t take a genius GM to understand how stacked next years draft is, and if Coangelo is crazy enough to trade our Lakers pick for a PG instead of drafting a PG with the Lakers pick 400 days from now (2017 draft), if Colangelo is THAT Incompetant we might as well get it out of the way and find out right now..
    ..
    If he trades the Lakers or Kings pick, that’s all i need to know about him to know that this won’t be a success.. We won’t win more than 30 games next year, and there is No ways To fill ALL our needs this offseason, PG is a weakness of this draft and this crop of free agents, and PG happens to be the strength of Next years draft, so if he isn’t smart enough to just add a stop gap veteran like Grevias Vasquez or trade for a Patrick Beverly who will move to the bench once we draft a PG next year, then he has no shot of being the GM who will get this right…
    ..
    Lakers pick, Kings pick, EMbiid, SARIC, and #1 should be completely untouchable, and it shouldn’t take a genius GM to know this, if Colangelo doesn’t understand that much, then we are screwed anyway

  59. 59 The original AG said at 3:23 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I was on the Ingram train until Angelo Cataldi wrote an article saying that Simmons was going to be a bust. That made me realize that Simmons will probably have a Hall of Fame career. If Cataldi is certain about something, I have to think the opposite.

  60. 60 Gian GEAGLE said at 4:05 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I prefer Ingram, but I think Simmons is legit so even this moron Colangelo can’t screw This one up. I’d 100% take Ingram, but it’s not like I view Simmons as some Dangelo Russell, Kris Dun or Buddy Heild type fraud that has no business going top 5. Simmons is legit
    ..
    But if you have two legit players to choose from, I place more value in a kid who is the better defender and will be a primary or secondary franchise Scorer,,, we could draft Ingram and have an elite 1-2 scoring punch wifh Embiid to build around, once you have your franchise scorer building the rest is easy. I also worry that to max out Simmons ability, he has to play with two better scorers similar to how Dramond Green works so well with scorers like KLay and Steph
    ..
    However, as an Ingram fan I do acknowledge that Ben Simmons is just a jump shot away from becoming a legit franchise superstar, so as long as they think they can grow the shooting part of his game I don’t have a problem with them drafting Simmons…. I’ll be even more happy once I see he can play a lot of SF instead of having to be a PF primarily.
    ..
    All Colangelo has to do to not screw this up is do NOT TRADE AWAY
    embiid
    #1
    lakers pick
    Kings pick
    saric
    noel

    As long as he doesn’t ruin our ability to have two top 10 picks in the Specual 2017’draft, It will be hard for even Colangelo to screw up. Two picks allows us to add an Elite Franchise PG, and Elite scoring SG in next years draft…mark my words, by the end of 2017 draft we will have surpassed the wolves as the most talented young team, as Long as OKafor is the only lottery pick we trade. Figure that trade and signing two veteran bench players will keep him busy long enough to get us to the 2017 draft
    ..
    When the college season begins and people start to understand how special next years draft is, Colangelo will get crucified if he trades away that Lakes pick
    ..
    Fortunately Colangelo has been begging for a job for like the past 3 years and only got one when his daddy seized power of the organization. combine that with the fact that he Inheritted a dream situation stacked with assets, it should put him in position to be patient because if he screws up this golden opportunity, He may not get another Chance as an NBA GM. Hopefully the responsibility of the great situation he Inheritted is enough pressure to keep him in check and build this rigjt instead of rushiñg into mistakes…. It’s been a while since a team I loved had a GM I hate as much as this fool

  61. 61 The original AG said at 3:22 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I can’t tell you how worried I am that Colangelo will figure out how to mess this up. He’s got Simmons and a ton of height in the frontcourt. He’s got LA’s #1 pick coming soon, and the right to swap with the Kings for a couple years. While Hinkie made some mistakes with getting a good PG, he set this franchise up for some success moving forward.

  62. 62 Gian GEAGLE said at 4:36 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    .Wait Til you see the PGs we can get next year with that Lakers pick. There are at least 4 who are better than Dunn or any PG in this draft class..
    .
    I prefer Ingram, but as long as he doesn’t trade that lakers pick, I can live with Simmons because we will be able to get an elite wing and an elite PG in next years draft… We don’t even need the #1’pick next year, say we get 3 from our pick or the Kings swap, and get #5 or 6 from the Lakers, we will still be position to get one of the top scoring wings Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, Fultz, Monk.. And a top PG like Dennis smith, Ball, fox, Jackson
    .
    All this idiot has to do is not trade EMbiid, Simmons, Lakers pick. kings pick or our 2017 pick and SARIC… Don’t trade any of those and if will be hard for even Colangelo to screw up,
    .,
    The guy doesn’t have to do anything, just don’t trade the Lakers pick, and we will get to add an elite Backcourt next year like:
    Fultz and Monk
    dennis Smith and Josh Jackson
    Lonzo ball and Jayson Tatum
    Frank Jackson and Miles Bridges,
    ,,
    Everyone knows how special next years draft is, hopefully he is at least smart enough to respect that
    ..
    I’ll feel much better about drafting Simmons if we find out that he can be a SF instead of having to be a PF because SARIC can’t be a SF, and ideally I want SARIC and EMbiid on the court together because their passing can be a foundation of a ball movement offense, and having Simmons, SARIC and EMbiid in the game means we dominate the offensive glass… And still bring athletes like Noel and Grant off The bench..l don’t like Simmons as much if he has to a PF the entire time, but Brett Briwn called Simmons and Ingram perimeter players and there is no reason why Simmons can’t defend SF’s so hopefully he improves his shooting enough to be a SF for us long term, and play with a scoring Combo guard like Fultz at PG, and a scoring SG like Josh Jackson….. Put 4 shooters around Simmons at SF, like Fultz, Josh Jackson, SARIC, and Embiid would really maximize Simmons game
    ..
    I feel like it will be hard for even this idiot to screw it up… Hopefully he will feel the weight of making a decision like trading OKafor enough to make that the Only significant asset he trades away this offseason.. As long as he doesn’t screw up our ability to have two top 10 picks next year, we will be fine, assuming he doesn’t lose his mind and take someone other than Simmons or Ingram #1 lol

  63. 63 Gian GEAGLE said at 1:03 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Walter Thurmond is officially retiring….

  64. 64 Tumtum said at 1:17 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Crazy.

  65. 65 Media Mike said at 6:11 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/walter-thurmond/cash-earnings/

    He grossed about $8.5 mil in his career. I hope he has a few mil in the bank and his health.

  66. 66 Anders said at 1:22 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I still pinch my self every time I read players talk about Gym Shorts. I still have zero idea how they managed to get him as DC. Its almost like the Broncos with Wade. Some guys just knows defense. They might not be meant for HC, but they sure as hell can coach defense (I think Rex Ryan is one of those too).

    The biggest fear with Schwartz is that he will most likely leave in 2-3 years to become a HC again.

  67. 67 BobSmith77 said at 1:23 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Maybe but this defense will have to play really well. Schwartz still has that Lions debacle hanging over his head.

  68. 68 Anders said at 1:25 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Thats why I said 2-3 years.

    1 good year wont be enough, but if we have a top 5 defense 3 years in row. Teams will be lining up to get him

  69. 69 Bert's Bells said at 1:42 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    And Buddy Ryan.

  70. 70 The original AG said at 3:19 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Sans Houston. Or at least that’s what Gilbride would say.

  71. 71 Tumtum said at 3:36 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    1000x up votes for Gym Shorts.

  72. 72 Media Mike said at 6:12 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I’m half with you. I don’t see Schwartz necessarily getting another shot that quickly.

    But I’m tickled pink that we were able to sign him. He’s improved every D he’s every coached.

  73. 73 daveH said at 8:15 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    1st sentsnce is a tough one .. cox in shorts joke .. yuck

  74. 74 Nailed It! said at 1:36 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I got a question for the board, maybe it has already been answered. But from this boards perspective did Pederson have a better offense on paper in Kansas City, or do the Eagles have the better offense for him here? Who has more playmakers for him to work with?

  75. 75 Nailed It! said at 1:37 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I have not been watching KC that closely the past few years.

  76. 76 Anders said at 2:24 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    The Eagles have the potential to have the far better QB, but this year with Kelce, Maclin and Charles, the Chiefs have better weapons, but still have Smith.

    The Eagles also have the better OL and depending on Agholor and Wentz, the Eagles offense should be far better ehre

  77. 77 unhinged said at 4:19 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Sam probably has a higher ceiling than Alex, but, I think he’s also got a lower floor. AR got the OL, QB and Charles working a rhythm, and Reid’s first year in KC, I think, Charles was a beast. That opened up TE and play action. I am not sure that DP has the running threat that AR enjoyed early on in KC.

  78. 78 BobSmith77 said at 5:20 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Why is Bradford going to be that much better than A. Smith this year?

  79. 79 Anders said at 3:24 AM on June 1st, 2016:

    He is not, but Wentz potential in a year or two far outweights Smith’s potential

  80. 80 Tumtum said at 5:26 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    If Bradford becomes the next Alex Smith I would be thrilled. Alex has stayed healthy his whole career though.

  81. 81 Media Mike said at 6:13 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    That’s a really good question. Seems like both teams lack ideal personnel on O.

  82. 82 daveH said at 8:13 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Coaching is Recent problems for both Franchises

  83. 83 anon said at 11:58 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    KC #1 RB better than ours, KC #1 TE better than ours, KC #1 WR better than ours. But i think we have better depth a skill positions and better QBs.

  84. 84 Dave said at 1:43 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I love this quote from JMatt regarding Wentz’s aggressiveness (the anti-Sam)…

    “When I had my first time watching film with him, the type of shots he was talking about making … he was like, ‘Hey, if this cornerback turns his head, I might try to throw this one deep,’ and I’m like, ‘Bro, I do not think that’s where the ball’s supposed to be going.’ But … at the same time, I like it, because you can tell he plays the edge. You can tell he has that chip. You can tell he’s a guy who wants to take risks. I think one of the biggest attributes a quarterback can have that people overlook is savvy. The great ones, the Aaron Rodgerses of the world, the Tom Bradys, the Peyton Mannings, the Brett Favres, those legends, they’re great with the X’s and O’s but they have savvy. They’re not always going to go by the book. Sometimes, they’re just going to go make a play. Sometimes they’re going to say, ‘Hey, you’re my man right here, I’m coming to you, get open, I’m going to find you on the deep ball. And the way Carson was speaking, you can tell he wants to grow into that person and be that kind of quarterback. And then also he’s just a fun guy to be around. He and I were running routes just me and him one afternoon and then he was like, ‘Hey, I want to get some conditioning in.’ And Carson wanted to run routes. He was calling plays, he’s running corners and posts and I’m throwing to him. Everybody sees that serious side to him but he just loves the game. He wants to just be out there on the field, he wants to get to know guys, he also wants to take risks and I feel like he’s going to be really big for us going into the future.”

    http://www.csnphilly.com/philadelphia-eagles/jordan-matthews-qa-doug-vs-chip-playing-outside-carson-wentzs-savvy

  85. 85 Lord of the Rings said at 2:26 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    classic Pope

  86. 86 RobNE said at 2:46 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    he could sell used cars.

  87. 87 Ryan Rambo said at 7:47 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    To a NEW car salesman!

  88. 88 BobSmith77 said at 5:18 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Worst nickname in Philly sports right now.

  89. 89 Nailed It! said at 5:20 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Those damn millennials not respecting the church! *shakes fist at the sky*

  90. 90 BobSmith77 said at 5:25 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I could care less about that. Just a terrible and ill-deserved nickname.

    ‘Big Mouth’ or ‘Yapper’ might be more appropriate.

  91. 91 Rellihcs said at 11:40 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Boo

  92. 92 Rellihcs said at 11:39 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Nope, second to our hearty ot project “HPV”

  93. 93 iceberg584 said at 3:32 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    “the anti-Sam”

    You’ll recall after the OT win over Dallas, JMatt disclosed to reporters that Bradford told him before the play “Hey, I’m coming to you. Win right here.”

  94. 94 Dave said at 4:17 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    I was referring to being aggressive on deep balls in general. I don’t recall anyone ever comparing Sam’s down-field aggressiveness to Rodgers, Brady, Manning, or Farve before.

    JMatt caught a 15 yard pass on a crossing route from Sam at the hash marks and ran for 20 more yards for the score. That’s quite different from Donny’s (or Vick or Foles) 40+ yard rainbow passes dropping out of the sky and over the shoulder of their receivers for long touchdowns.

    I can only remember a few passes where Sam dropped a ball over the shoulder of a receiver running downfield. Nelson’s 53 yard TD stands out as one. Just not real aggressive otherwise.

  95. 95 Aaron said at 8:06 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    first

  96. 96 daveH said at 8:07 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    Second firsties

  97. 97 Aaron said at 8:07 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    yeah, I was late today, so I had to get it in

  98. 98 daveH said at 8:08 PM on May 31st, 2016:

    That’s what she said.