News and Notes

Posted: January 27th, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 160 Comments »

Doug Pederson, Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie were at Wednesday’s practice together. They paced the sidelines, seeming to watch a lot of offensive players. On Thursday, it was just Pederson and Roseman. They weren’t together. Howie stayed on the move, while Pederson spent a lot of time on the sideline watching the teams.

Most coaches go sit in the stands. They surround themselves with assistants or scouts or coaching buddies. Pederson seemed more focused on watching the players than just socializing. He did an interview with Alex Flanagan of the NFL Network, but that’s because no one can resist her magical powers.

I’m not trying to make Pederson into a workaholic superhero, but I think it is a good sign that he’s focused on football. Established coaches can relax a bit in Mobile. Doug isn’t established and I think he knows that. He needs to find some talented players and to get his team on the winning track.

*****

Notes from the North team’s Thursday practice are here.

I haven’t had a chance to finish the South team due to traveling. I’ll get them posted as soon as I can.

*****

People continue to ask about Connor Barwin. Could he stay with a pay cut? Could he play LB?

From what I’m hearing, Barwin is only open to a minor pay cut. That’s not happening. Honestly, I don’t think the Eagles have any interest in bringing him back. They love Barwin the person, but after watching him this year, he really needs to play in the 3-4. Barwin is at his best when you can use his versatility.

He won’t play LB for the Eagles. Jim Schwartz doesn’t want a 260-pound SAM. He has Nigel Bradham playing that spot at 6-3, 240. Plus, Bradham had a good season. There is no reason to replace him.

Barwin is as good as gone. Great guy, but he needs to be in the 3-4.

*****

Some people are asking about the Eagles and Temple players. I think the Eagles could like OL Dion Dawkins. He played LT for the Owls, but lacks great feet. He’s more of a OG. I don’t know his value yet but he could be a target.

LB Hasson Reddick is 6-1 1/2, 237. He’s meant to be a 3-4 ILB in the NFL. If he was available late, the Eagles could take a look at him, but I don’t think that will happen. I think 3-4 teams will want him, possibly early.

*****

One interesting point of discussion in Mobile was the future of Jordan Matthews. There is no question that he is the Eagles best WR. He is a good NFL player. But how do you pay him? Matthews is not a weapon. He doesn’t have great hands.

The argument for him is that he’s got 225 catches and 19 TDs in 3 years. That’s good production.

The counter is that those numbers are flawed. He played in Chip’s system for 2 years and that meant extra snaps in every game. He also was the key to the passing game because the team lacked other quality WRs. The QB was going to force the ball to him.

I hope Matthews and his agent have realistic expectations and that something can be worked out. If they want big money, you just can’t pay that to a solid, but less than great player.

It really is critical that the Eagles find talent for the WR position this offseason, for both 2017 and the future.

_


160 Comments on “News and Notes”

  1. 1 News and Notes - said at 11:39 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    […] Tommy Lawlor Doug Pederson, Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie were at Wednesday’s practice together. They […]

  2. 2 nopain23 said at 11:47 AM on January 27th, 2017:

    I love JMat but if the Eagles overpay him they’re crazy. He’s not the type of receiver that’s going to go win you a game. Great locker room guy, exemplary teammate, workaholic but not a guy you break the bank for. We see what happened when the iggles paid players based on potential. You don’t pay top dollar for a receiver with suspect hands

  3. 3 anon said at 3:17 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Didn’t he win us a game against Dallas last year? Got open and Sammy b hit him for a TD? How soon we forget.

  4. 4 RobNE said at 4:00 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    What if we ran the country and made policy decisions based on anecdotes?

  5. 5 anon said at 4:23 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    We’d be making the eagles great again ™

  6. 6 Stephen E. said at 9:10 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    I dunno. The former regime ran the country based on hyperbole, and at least we’re still here.

  7. 7 Forthebirds said at 10:28 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    What if we ran the team based on alternative facts. JMatt has great hands and switching Hart to Oline will be easy and add depth. If only the opposition party press would report fairly or shut up, we’d see the Eagles are going to be great again, but we have to ban Muslim players and send Mexican players, who are rapists, back across the Border. Oh and Belicheat is a good guy and we should better relations withe the Patriots.

  8. 8 nopain23 said at 4:09 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    C’mon let’s be honest Jmat has come up short infinitely more times than he has come through here in Philly. Good kid band hands. That fact is indisputable. We all love the kid but he’s a number 3 receiver at best so far in his career. Can’t keep throwing good money after bad. At some point you are who you are. He’s our best receiver but that’s a sad statement in it of itself

  9. 9 eagleyankfan said at 4:20 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    you mean like the guy that was on the Giants and made that GREAT catch by holding the ball onto his helmet?

  10. 10 Ark87 said at 12:36 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/620d4e72975052554d613daecc6dfec1cb60b9d14aebee972f660f75c25759cb.jpg

    As soon a I donated and put on my new donation shirt, I felt a magical force overcome my life. I was approached by women immediately, my wife was nice to me, and I got a raise. Please donate to Tommy, embrace the magic.

    Almost met the goal in just over 24 hours guys.
    Goal Progress: 30/35
    The Heroes:
    #1:D3FB
    #2:bill
    #3:Mac
    #4:ACViking
    #5:meteorologist
    #6:Bert’s Bells
    #7:P_P_K
    #8:Ark87
    #9:John Galt
    #10:Nailed It!
    #11:Tumtum
    #12:Dave
    #13:Midnitemud
    #14:Koy: The Legend of Neckbeard
    #15:anon
    #16:Corry
    #17:Insomniac
    #18:Rellihcs
    #19:laeagle
    #20:daveH
    #21:A_T_G
    #22:BobSmith77
    #23:Anders
    #24:Crus57
    #25:RobNE
    #26:ChoTime
    #27:TXEaglesFan
    #28:Steven Steiner
    #29:Jon
    #30:xmbk

    Let me know if I missed you, We have several posts across 3 threads from multiple users, doing my best to spot everyone. Lets see what we can gather over the weekend and I promise I’ll stop distracting from the quality football talk.

  11. 11 bill said at 2:15 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Sorry, I’m not going to tell you who I work for.

  12. 12 Ark87 said at 2:33 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    tell that turd who’s boss

  13. 13 Mac said at 2:51 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    There might be another to add to the list:

    damccomas Tumtum

    •4 hours ago

    Done

  14. 14 Ark87 said at 3:13 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    oops, good catch! Didn’t see him there, was hard to find even knowing it was out there (almost put him up there as “damccomas Tumtum”, but he was responding to Tumtum’s message saying he donated)

  15. 15 pkeagle said at 5:00 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    I’m in too now – was AWOL from the site for a few days but back up to speed!

  16. 16 Dave said at 12:37 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Taking into account production only, JMatt is very similar to Mohamed Sanu.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4de20324d8400300fdc9b3da39a9c6259d01f94a4b2b093141123e00537b6f89.png

  17. 17 Tumtum said at 2:18 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Sanu was like a 3-4 for most of his career?

  18. 18 Dave said at 2:30 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Yes, and that is very much my point. While given the increased workload of a #1 receiver, Mathews produced like a #3.

  19. 19 anon said at 4:22 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    ouch

  20. 20 Tumtum said at 6:15 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Ouch. Sanu was much more than that this year for sure though.

  21. 21 GermanEagle said at 3:30 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I don’t know where or how you found this comparison, but this find I would call a stroke of genius. Now can you please stop with the #alternativeFacts. 😉

  22. 22 Mitchell said at 12:42 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    With Jones or any other receiver eventually the speed becomes less of an issues and the real question is, “Can he make plays downfield?” He did it in college (as the only weapon) and he’s doing it against draftable CB’s at the Senior Bowl. Kid can play.

  23. 23 Insomniac said at 12:46 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Matthews is a solid #3, if he wants anywhere near more than 5.5mil per year with some performance incentives then he can leave. It also baffles me that some fans just want to go after guys like Alshon/Pryor/Desean. We need more than just two WRs this offseason. We need a total rehaul just in case DGB and Agholor continues to suck.

  24. 24 SteveH said at 12:48 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    IDK, to me Mathews is an ideal workhorse #2 guy. Not an explosive playmaker but someone who gets open often enough and is physical. If he had better hands he’d be a really prized commodity I think.

  25. 25 Insomniac said at 12:58 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Matthews has everything that doesn’t make him a #2. Bad hands, bad body control, no separation, can’t high-point the ball, and bad focus. You can have some of those traits but not a combination of all of them as a #2. While a #1 will have one or two of them.

    #2 WRs are like Maclin, Desean, Eric Decker, Emmanuel Sanders, Pierre Garcon, Randall Cobb, Jarvis Landry and Golden Tate. I wouldn’t put Matthews anywhere near those guys albeit some of those guys are on the higher end.

  26. 26 Tumtum said at 2:17 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    JM is Eric decker..with worse hands, and body control…better blood.

  27. 27 Mac said at 5:04 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Jordan Matthews > Hank Basket.

  28. 28 Stephen E. said at 9:13 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    Apparently, a #1 receiver is an elite receiver. Kind of a limited number of those.

  29. 29 Tumtum said at 2:16 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    If he had better hands.

  30. 30 Forthebirds said at 10:35 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    I agree. He is a #2. If we had a true deep threat, his numbers would go up.

  31. 31 Tumtum said at 2:16 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    5.5 for 3 years seems fine to me. I feel like he gets more somewhere else. He certainly ain’t getting Maclin money.

    I agree that I don’t want any of the 3 you listed, but I don’t think for the same reasons. At least we agree 🙂

  32. 32 GermanEagle said at 3:27 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Give me Pryor and I will cream my pants…twice a day.

  33. 33 Insomniac said at 3:54 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    We’re going to need more than Pryor.

  34. 34 P_P_K said at 4:42 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Reducing frequency?

  35. 35 BobSmith77 said at 1:58 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    That could get expensive and awkward

  36. 36 SteveH said at 12:47 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    As painful as it would be to go through another season wtih a shitty receiving corps… I really want us to BPA this draft, even if that means passing over WR until late in the draft. We’re building for 2-3 seasons from now, not next year.

    That being said, if a stud WR happens to fall to us, TAKE THE MAN!

  37. 37 Corry said at 1:07 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I’m all in on BPA. We have enough holes on this team that you could rationalize everything except QB (and maybe safety) in the first round.

  38. 38 anon said at 1:21 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Easier to say in Jan than it is in October when the team is losing and we’re blaming Howie.

  39. 39 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 1:40 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    BPA doesnt have to be followed exactly to the letter. If you have one than more similar rated players on the board you take the guy you can use more or need more.

    There is a decent chance the BPA at 14/15 is a Safety(Hooker/Adams). I personally hope they would pass on that. Maybe the next BPA after that is a QB. Pass. There’s a give an take to it.

  40. 40 Corry said at 2:05 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Well sure, if that’s the case (BPA is a QB or safety) then you look at one of your trade partners (those are generally worked out before hand) and move back to gather more picks.

  41. 41 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 2:16 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    or just take the next guy on your board

  42. 42 Corry said at 2:32 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Depends how far down that guy is and where the value is.

  43. 43 Sb2bowl said at 2:52 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    This is key- position groups/rankings and individual talent evaluation split up in levels. If one guy is much higher than the next, regardless of position- take him. Otherwise, stick to the scouting and player evaluation based on team philosophy and needs according to roster building.

  44. 44 nopain23 said at 3:06 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Neither Hooker/Adams is getting to 15…if so the iggles will definitely get palatable offers to trade back and if San Francisco , Cleveland Jets , pass on QB with their first round picks they’re definitely trade partners.
    But reading the tea leaves it looks l8ke on new of the elite corners will be available in that range

  45. 45 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 3:32 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I think its possible that S is BPA at 15. Or it could be a DE or CB. Who knows. It more about BPA and drafting being always as black and white as fans and the media make it out to be

  46. 46 nopain23 said at 4:24 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    TBH if the iggles were to take hooker at 15….I would not be upset. Jenkins in the slot, hooker at center field…..not the best use of resources I will admit….but it’s not the catastrophe that some may make it out to be. A good defensive mind gets his best players on the field

  47. 47 Tumtum said at 2:08 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    This team isn’t as far off as you may think.

    BPA is the best strategy by far. There are so many times where players are ranked equally though, you can absolutely target positions. Just “stay true to the board”.

  48. 48 anon said at 1:20 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    If. Matthews and his agent I’m looking at the ertz deal and saying, why not me?

  49. 49 Sean Stott said at 1:42 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I’d definitely rather have Ertz than Matthews, I don’t even think it’s close

  50. 50 Tumtum said at 2:06 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I have my fair share of issues with Ertz, but I do agree.

  51. 51 Tumtum said at 2:00 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I have no problem letting JM walk after this season, should his performance maintain at the current pace. I fully expect that it will.

    He gets made out to be such a hard worker. Either that isn’t true or his training is really flawed.

  52. 52 GermanEagle said at 3:26 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Now if he could only drag both feet in bounds…

  53. 53 RobNE said at 3:57 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it, it’s that he didn’t even have the awareness to know to try.

  54. 54 sonofdman said at 4:01 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    But then he would lose his balance and fall down. He needs that extra step to stay upright.

  55. 55 nopain23 said at 4:12 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Give this man a cigar. I get killed whenever I echo tis exact sentiment

  56. 56 eagleyankfan said at 4:16 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I’m not a fan of letting go your best wr. JM is somewhat a bust in my eyes but he’s serviceable. I’d rather build above him and have JM as 3(maybe 2) guy to man the middle. Let go of JM and have who at wr? Have to build around someone. Can’t give Wentz a worse producing wr season than ’16.

  57. 57 anon said at 4:21 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Yup, people think the grass is always greener but as we’ve seen from losing our #1 and #2 WRs it’s not.

  58. 58 nopain23 said at 5:05 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I’m all for keeping him….but overpaying to keep him makes zero sense. I hate the pats but one thing everyone should learn from that franchise is never overpay for mediocre talent. Leave that to the 49res, bills, jags ,jets etc

  59. 59 anon said at 5:50 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Easy to say when you have great coaches and the best QB in NFL history. Not everyone can do so much with such limited talent.

  60. 60 kajomo said at 6:34 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    You do realize he has another year on his contract. We will likely bring in a FA and 2-3 draft picks. Build around those guys and let JMatt walk.

  61. 61 eagleyankfan said at 7:57 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    I think they’ll bring in more than just 3 new WR’s, however, finding 3 that will be better than JM? That’s going to be hard, if not impossible. I’ll jump for joy if they find 1 this year.

  62. 62 Tumtum said at 6:14 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    He is of course our best WR, but his under performance is clear.

  63. 63 P_P_K said at 10:08 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I keep thinking he is under-performing, but it may be that this is who he is.

  64. 64 Tumtum said at 2:06 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    Unlike many here, I think catching is something that can be improved with time spent.

  65. 65 P_P_K said at 2:37 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    I definitely agree with you. I am getting tired, though, of being wrong in my pre-season predications that “This will be the year JM shines.”

  66. 66 Tumtum said at 9:38 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    Same x100.

  67. 67 ChoTime said at 9:33 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Not sure I follow the logic. You can’t polish a turd.

  68. 68 Mac said at 9:51 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    You absolutely can polish a turd. It just has to be a coprolite.

  69. 69 ChoTime said at 6:22 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Upvoted for finally finding someone using that word in casual conversation.

  70. 70 Tumtum said at 2:07 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    I think catching the ball is muscle memory. That is something he should be able to improve.

    I think there a bunch of other training techniques that could focus on other weak areas but I won’t even get into that.

  71. 71 ChoTime said at 4:44 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    It is and it isn’t. I think most of the these guys catch just fine in practice, it’s when they’re faced with pressure and competition that they fold. It’s when the “bullets are flying” that talent emerges, and in pro sports, talent is everything IMO.

  72. 72 Tumtum said at 9:38 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    Really hard to say. I do feel a little guilty for holding the guy to this sort of standard. Harsh reality of fandom. I just feel like he should stand out in some area.

    At this point is the guy anything other than Hank Baskett?

  73. 73 ChoTime said at 12:10 PM on January 30th, 2017:

    We’re talking about Matthews right? My guess is he’s a bit better than Baskett, but not much. He gets a lot of targets because of the lack of talent around him. It will be interesting to see if he just drops right off the map once we get some viable players around him.

  74. 74 Tumtum said at 2:42 PM on January 30th, 2017:

    He reminds me a lot of Baskett. Baskett had a few games where he was fed the ball and looked alot like JM. Pretty big and long. No real body control. Not that fast. Hank probably catches better, but is a good bit worse after the catch.

  75. 75 A Roy said at 3:00 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Many people look at a draft board the way Mel Kiper Jr does it. #1 through #32 in the first round. In actual practice, teams target specific players based on talent, needs, scheme, potential availability. The Eagles may only have 7-8 names on their board for #14/15. If none are there, they trade down. There won’t be any QBs, for example, as BPA in the first few rounds for Phila. Ditto Safety. There are too many others in the same value range who might be a CB, WR, T, DE or LB that would become BPA FOR THE EAGLES…as opposed to BPA for ESPN.

  76. 76 nopain23 said at 3:13 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    If Derek Barnett by some grand miracle is available when the iggles pick….they should sprint like hell to the podium no? If Davis/Williams/lattimore/wilson/Tebor/Cook/Barnett are on the board at 15…I still go Barnett. That kid is a stud!!

    Because you know what beats a great Oline?…an even better Dline

  77. 77 Sb2bowl said at 3:26 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    If all of those guys are still on the board at that point, I’d love to see Howie move back 3-4 spots, pick up a draft pick or two and still get some great talent.

    Barnett looks like a real possibility; edge rushers are deeper than DL in general for this draft. I would see us going DL earlier, and edge later for more development of our line. Our needs line up well with this draft, lets hope they hit a home run

  78. 78 D3FB said at 8:41 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    He’s good, but not great. He has a limited pass rush arsenal and doesn’t bend around the edge as well as you would like.

  79. 79 Insomniac said at 10:36 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    What’s your opinion on Daeshon Hall and Dawuan Smoot?

  80. 80 D3FB said at 10:42 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Haven’t watched Hall. Smoot I would say is roughly a 4th round guy. There’s some raw tools but needs to get off blocks better in the run game and develop a plan as a rusher.

  81. 81 kajomo said at 10:37 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    This. We have enough power rushers. I want a guy that can explode off the line and bend.

    One guy who I think is really underrated is Charles Harris. He looks like a top 20 guys to me. He’s no Von Miller, but he is a really good pass rusher.

  82. 82 D3FB said at 10:42 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Only watched one Harris tape, he’s a guy a I need to get back to (haven’t watched a ton of DEs as I didn’t think they were going to be as interested as they have been). Couple other people have mentioned him in high regards.

    I thought they were going to be looking for more of a Price type undersized speed guy on day 3.

    If they really want to make an investment, I’d love Tim Williams at the top of round 2 and let Schwartz scream at him and hope he can straighten him out.

  83. 83 Howie Littlefinger said at 12:17 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    Dont forget we also stashed an undersized DE on IR last year so u may have a good point here

  84. 84 D3FB said at 9:56 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    Price and McCalister are slightly different. Both weighed 245 coming out. McCalister is just 7″ taller.

  85. 85 Howie Littlefinger said at 9:11 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    But Price has more Girth

  86. 86 D3FB said at 7:51 AM on January 29th, 2017:

    “But less heighth” -Doug Pederson

  87. 87 kajomo said at 7:47 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    What do you think of Price? The guy is super fun to watch, but his height is going to scare teams away. I am still not sure of what Schwartz’s measureable limits/requirements are.

  88. 88 D3FB said at 10:52 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    I think he’s going to have a nice career as a third down specialist. Schwartz does seem to love really long guys so it depends on what the front office and staff is looking for. If they want 250 snaps of high level pass rush then Price is a great fit, if they want a developmental guy with starter upside, not so much.

  89. 89 Sb2bowl said at 3:23 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I like Doug, and I hope that he is successful here in Philadelphia. The biggest issue we have faced over the last decade is the lack of consistency in our Front Office and overall direction of the team. We’ve changed coaches and schemes too many times to actually be successful.

    Because of the scheme changes, we’ve had to sign more FA’s to fill immediate needs/roster holes. With these coaching upheavals, our draft picks haven’t developed in a consistent manner. Thus, we are back to signing FA’s to fill needs/holes and add talent.

    Stability is key, and will help the process along. If Schwartz leaves next year, bringing in a 4-3 variation will be key. I don’t want that, but a 3-4 switch would be another disaster.

  90. 90 anon said at 4:11 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Poor talent discovery has been a huge issue for a decade. Howie’s forte is getting people in FA and so we’re great at that – not great at drafting and developing players.

  91. 91 Sb2bowl said at 4:30 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Agreed- contracts, value, draft position and reading the board are major strengths of Howie. He needs help in other areas, and hopefully Douglas can help with those areas………….

  92. 92 nopain23 said at 4:17 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    A great pass rush turn average CBs into good ones. Just saying and Barnett and Graham with COX would wreak havoc in the NFC for the next 5 yrs. Not to mention give our defense some identity. ButI all honesty unless there are some serious red flags he ain’t making it to 14/15.

  93. 93 Sb2bowl said at 5:08 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    We also have Curry, and I think he’ll be a bigger impact this year compared to last; I’m on board with you- this defense is build from the inside out. I really wouldn’t be surprised to see us add someone like Barnett like him with our first pick. Him or the kid from Michigan State on the inside, depending what they do with Bennie.

  94. 94 Nailed It! said at 5:40 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    But the other side of the consistency coin would be the Bengals, seems like Marvin Lewis has been there 15 years and has consistently brought mediocre results.

  95. 95 anon said at 5:52 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    No one remembers how terrible the bengals were for so long. Now they’re a perennial playoff 10-14 win team.

    But can’t win the big one – so you might be right, see Denver, see Atlanta who moved coaches and got better.

  96. 96 Nailed It! said at 6:30 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Yeah I’d rather take the chance to have a great coach then consistently be just good never getting past the wildcard round. They only have one 12 win season since Lewis took over and really without one playoff win in 13 seasons you just have to move on

  97. 97 ChoTime said at 9:32 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Q……………………..B…………………….

  98. 98 Cafone said at 5:09 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    More like perennial wild card game loser.

  99. 99 Sb2bowl said at 11:31 AM on January 30th, 2017:

    Considering what the Bengals were before he arrived, he is a step up. Getting “over the hump” is another story entirely, but he has brought a positive change to that team and environment.

    Most of the teams that are playing well offer stability, and the ability to move up the ranks in the organization with a suitable replacement behind the leaving party. New England is obviously the prototype, but the Seahawks have been able to keep their defensive philosophy moving forward despite strong coaches leaving.

    This was one of the bugaboo’s of the Reid administration; he failed to replace his departing coaching talent, and thus the entire organization sustained a major hit to their talent development.

  100. 100 Cafone said at 5:07 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    I’m not too worried about Pederson. To me the two keys are the development of Carson Wentz and the job done on player acquisition by Roseman/Douglas. If they have to replace Pederson in a year or two, no big deal.

  101. 101 Sb2bowl said at 11:28 AM on January 30th, 2017:

    I’ve said a few times on various discussion boards- Doug is here for the development of Wentz, and if Wentz progresses like the FO hopes, Doug will be gone in 3 years to be replaced with a more established HC (perhaps Schwartz). Wentz’s development is #1, #2, and #3 priority for this franchise- and it should be.

    Build around the Kid as he is built up- we should be a playoff contender in 2018; I don’t have high hopes for next year, but I do want to see much needed added talent to the trenches and outside (CB and WR) of our team.

  102. 102 GermanEagle said at 3:25 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    OT:

    Can you be drunk 48/2?!

  103. 103 Bert's Bells said at 3:38 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    You know it!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL8G5pBZ5CI

  104. 104 GermanEagle said at 3:29 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Whoever thinks that Pryor is not worth to break the bank for most likely suffers from inauguration syndromes…

  105. 105 Nailed It! said at 4:09 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Pryor, Corey Davis and JMatt make a pretty good trio of receivers.

  106. 106 Sean Stott said at 4:11 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Won’t pretend I watched the Browns much this year, but I have heard rumors through the grapevine from friends of friends who say that maybe he is not good in the locker room.

  107. 107 anon said at 4:12 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Not just rumers a couple of people have come out and said as much.

  108. 108 Ryan Rambo said at 4:16 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Jesus wouldn’t be good in THAT locker room.

  109. 109 P_P_K said at 4:41 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Maybe Satan would.

  110. 110 Ark87 said at 4:48 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Belichick was run out of Cleveland

  111. 111 P_P_K said at 5:23 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Boom! Hall of Fame post.

  112. 112 wee2424 said at 8:48 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Ex teammates of his in college stated they couldn’t stand him.

  113. 113 Cafone said at 5:02 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    There’s plenty of reading on the internet about how mentally damaged Pryor is. It’s not just rumors.

  114. 114 Tumtum said at 6:16 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/10824-terrelle-pryors-behavior-leaves-much-to-be-desired
    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/12/21/ex-teammate-brian-hartline-rips-terrelle-pryor/

  115. 115 anon said at 6:32 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    What’s Brian Hartline doing these days? Haters gonna hate.

  116. 116 daveH said at 7:55 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Why does “everyone hate the hats ?”

  117. 117 Cafone said at 5:05 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    It’s interesting that you brought up the inauguration because like Trump, Pryor also probably suffers from some form of narcissistic personality disorder

  118. 118 bushisamoron said at 7:57 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    He is a good possession receiver from the slot. Birds receivers are really lacking. I see DGB not surviving camp, Ags staying on for financial reasons and two new starters on the outside, on from FA and the other drafted. Missing on a first rounder is a killer.

  119. 119 Will Defence Win Championship said at 9:06 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Eagles in desperate need to find a #1 and a #2 star WR’s which we’ve had none to speak of for years. I liked what I saw out of Terrelle Pryor, great size, speed, good hands, still young, has proved it against top notch NFL CB’s….may be a prima donna and not well liked by some but he is a proven commodity the Eagle’s badly need, if he is available I would grab him if not too expensive…

  120. 120 anon said at 10:11 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Whiffed on a lot of good wr drafts

  121. 121 meteorologist said at 6:38 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    1 year is not a proven commodity

  122. 122 Cafone said at 5:00 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    Pryor is apparently one of the biggest assholes in professional sports. I don’t think there’s any chance the Eagles bring him here.

  123. 123 LeatherWallet said at 9:40 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    What are your guys’ thoughts on signing Kenny Britt and Stephen Gilmore in free agency? Britt had good numbers playing for the Rams (although I don’t know if thats because he was force fed the ball or not) and Gilmore played under Schwartz.

    Obviously these two alone wouldn’t fix the offensive and defensive woes but it would be good to go into the draft having signed these two in my opinion.

  124. 124 anon said at 10:11 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    That would be like bringing in the two guys we had this offseason

  125. 125 kajomo said at 10:33 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    I think both are underachievers. Gillmore will cost more than he is worth. Britt is too old. We need someone to grow with Wentz. Not be a rental

  126. 126 LeatherWallet said at 12:45 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    I didnt think about how Gilmore would get overpaid with the shortage of good CBs in free agency.

    I disagree on Britt, He’s only 28. I think we could get about 4 years out of him.

  127. 127 Ankerstjernen said at 6:54 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Britt had stretches of real dominance in his first couple years in the league. But repeated knee injuries and surgeries derailed him – he was hurt for several years on a row. This year is really the first time he has looked healthy in a while. They would need to let the doctors take a very close look at him. But if he is fully healthy, he might actually have a high ceiling and be a very good signing, Ryan Matthews style. Along with Robert Woods and Kenny Still, I think he is one of the ‘reasonably priced mid-tier young free agents with some opside’ that Roseman will be trying to sign.

  128. 128 LeatherWallet said at 8:18 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    I didn’t know Britt had a history of injury concerns.

    Those are some good guys too. Not dominant but certainly competent, which is better than what we’ve had.

  129. 129 Ankerstjernen said at 6:51 AM on January 30th, 2017:

    Absolutely. The hard part is getting that one dominant WR who can beat man coverage out of any defensive scheme. Once you have a guy like that, your Mohammed Sanu’s and Golden Tate’s of the world can suddenly become very nice playmakers on yoru offense. And those kinds of guys can be signed without over-committing with the resources. Which is what they should definitely try and do.

    About Britt, he also got into trouble with off-the-field stuff, appeared to be a knuckle head back when he was young. The only reason the Rams kept him around throughout all of that must have been because they saw big potential in him. Makes it interesting wether the new coaching staff will just want to let him go or not.

    I would love for us to take a chance on him, get him cheap on a three-year deal and match him up with someone like Mike Williams or Corey Davis on the outside. And then see him become our version of Crabtree or Moncrief or Sanu. With Matthews in the slot and Ertz/Burton inline, and a 3-down back like Kamara in rd 2 or 3, suddenly you are about one starting caliper O tackle away from fielding a pretty talented offense.

  130. 130 Cafone said at 4:58 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    I had Britt in fantasy several years back and he sucked so I want no part of him.

  131. 131 SteveH said at 10:05 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Embiid is ridiculous. Dropping 3’s like it’s his job.

  132. 132 Fufina said at 10:34 PM on January 27th, 2017:

    Not quite as great as Harden tho tonight – guy has been out of his mind all season… but 47pts, 12rb, 13ast is just an insane stat line… and there are 2 minutes left.

  133. 133 anon said at 1:56 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    guess i need to start watching basketball

  134. 134 daveH said at 10:14 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    The 6ers maybe..
    66ers
    66ers

  135. 135 SteveH said at 7:50 AM on January 28th, 2017:

    Yeah, sometimes you just gotta give props, Harden was unstoppable. Finished 51/13/13.

  136. 136 anon said at 12:18 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the decision to block DeFilippo came a year after coach Doug Pederson and executive V.P. of football operations Howie Roseman promised DeFilippo that the team wouldn’t stop him from becoming an offensive coordinator elsewhere. Per McLane, the decision to stop DeFilippo came from owner Jeffrey Lurie.

    Reportedly, Lurie wants to be sure that quarterback Carson Wentz will thrive; part of that plan apparently includes standing in the way of DeFilippo’s opportunity for advancement.

    The story gets even more interesting. At the Senior Bowl, Roseman passed the buck for the DeFilippo decision not to Lurie but to Pederson. Pederson declined comment on the issue.

    DeFilippo likewise declined comment, saying that he’s “thrilled to be with the Eagles for another year.”

  137. 137 anon said at 1:05 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    – From rotoworld

  138. 138 Dave said at 1:05 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    This very much sounds like DeFilippo wanted no part of the Jets offensive mess at QB and had Lurie do the dirty work.

  139. 139 anon said at 3:35 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    He could have just refused the interview, happens all the time.

  140. 140 Dave said at 3:59 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    According to Mike Florio, many times the team steps in so the coaches don’t burn potential bridges when they want to turn down an interview.

  141. 141 Gary Barnes said at 1:44 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Roseman is such a snake. In Game of Thrones, his nick name would be LittleDick

  142. 142 unhinged said at 12:32 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Some questions for the pondering Bird watchers: Could Jason Kelce be a candidate for blocking TE? The guy’s combine numbers were sick for a C or any OL. Does he catch the ball? Would he entertain the invitation?

  143. 143 anon said at 12:34 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    not at a lot of perennial pro bowlers looking the change positions – especially not to one that makes significantly less money.

  144. 144 Dave said at 1:04 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Not at $6M per year with no special team skills.

  145. 145 unhinged said at 4:40 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Do we know that he has no ST skills? Most starting centers may not get close to ST play, but Kelce is athletic. I posed the question because he expressed a desire to stay in Philly more than once. As a convert to TE he’d definitely have to absorb a pay cut, but I’m just curious if a)Doug Pederson would have any interest, and b) if Kelce would be open to it.

  146. 146 kajomo said at 6:08 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    I don’t think either would be interested

  147. 147 Dave said at 7:06 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    I hear what you’re saying. Kelce is the epotome of a team player.

    Not sure you could justify sitting Celek or Burton for Kelce on offense. Doug already used Tobin as another tight end and Beau Allen as a fullback. Don’t forget Dillion Gordon, a former tight end turned tackle is on the roster.

  148. 148 unhinged said at 6:26 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    Yeah, I like the guy. I was thinking that rather than be a light-in-the-pants interior lineman, he could move outside and become part of a power running scheme. He’s probably going to take a cut in salary no matter what he decides to do, and a stint at TE could still exploit his athleticism. Of course if he isn’t into it, it’s a moot point.

  149. 149 Insomniac said at 3:41 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Zay Jones is apparently playing very well.

    https://twitter.com/YesIamAPirate/status/825434166636511232

  150. 150 anon said at 5:39 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Not bad, may or may not be an NFL catch, but def was not an NFL throw.

  151. 151 Insomniac said at 3:41 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    And another

    https://twitter.com/denden3_/status/825442362990145536

  152. 152 Mitchell said at 4:18 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Still dont think he can be a number 1 WR? He’ll be taken in the second round IMO.

  153. 153 Insomniac said at 5:05 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    He’s going to be a good #2.

  154. 154 anon said at 5:13 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Best thing about that clip was the TV. Had a good 6 inches and 40lbs on that DB who ran with him stride for stride but had no clue where the ball was or if it was coming.

  155. 155 Insomniac said at 6:52 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    http://www.nfl.com/videos/chicago-bears/0ap3000000706151/Jordan-Matthews-drops-almost-TD-pass

    A vast improvement over what we have though.

  156. 156 anon said at 5:38 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    “Thompson has built one of the most consistent franchises in the league through the draft, but there are plenty of people both inside and outside the organization who would like to see him be more aggressive in free agency. In fact, dissatisfaction with Thompson’s approach led to rumors he would be replaced this offseason, although coach Mike McCarthy hinted that will not happen during his season-ending press conference this week.” – Roto

    This is interesting, anyone think them not being more aggressive in FA has kept them from winning more important games? What if they acquired a real running back, better secondary, etc.?

    Wonder how hard it’s going to be for them to learn to properly evaluate and pay FAs.

  157. 157 kajomo said at 6:07 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Thompson is so overrated. He has Aaron rodgers. The rest of that team is below average.

  158. 158 Fufina said at 8:48 PM on January 28th, 2017:

    Hard to build a team when you only use the draft and never have good picks. The bulk of the leagues elite talent comes out of the top 10 picks, obviously there are people like Antonio Brown and Richard Sherman – but for every 1 of them there are a bunch of JJ Watt’s, Julio Jone’s and Von Miller’s.

    What tends to happen to teams in this situation is they get tempted to go after trying to find guys with high upside, rather and just good football players… and that is where you can get in trouble.

  159. 159 GordonGekko said at 10:05 AM on January 29th, 2017:

    Why do you F A G G O T S care? You want to suck their D I C K S?

  160. 160 Cafone said at 4:55 PM on January 29th, 2017:

    You shouldn’t use that word as a pejorative. Some people are gay, so what?