Rumors Start
Posted: February 7th, 2017 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 130 Comments »The offseason is here and the rumors are starting.
ESPN Sources: #Eagles recently approached Pro Bowl LT Jason Peters about reducing his salary: https://t.co/frVyUa7TfY
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) February 8, 2017
This isn’t big news. Peters is due $11.2M this year. The Eagles would love to lower that cap figure. They can ask him to take a pay cut, but I’d be shocked if Peters agreed to that. Nice guy, sure, but giving up money when you have the advantage over the team? Just doesn’t seem likely. It is possible the Eagles could re-work his deal and take some of his money and move it around to lower this year’s figure. That will mean more dead money in the future, but the Eagles might be okay with that. They’d like more room now.
The Eagles are usually good with contracts so I would expect them to figure out a way to handle this situation.
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The Eagles were linked to WR Torrey Smith prior to the trade deadline. Jason La Canfora makes it sound like they could still be interested.
It’s all about receivers for the Eagles as well. Yeah, the offensive line needs retooling, too, but getting Carson Wentz someone who can line up outside the hash marks and make a play is a required starting point for the 2017 offseason. They might land Torrey Smith in a trade, but they need to draft a receiver high as well.
Trade? No. Smith is due $9.5M this year and has high figures after that. No thank you.
The Niners are almost a lock to cut Smith so they can get out of that deal. When he hits the street, the Eagles could very well be interested.
Smith struggled in SF, but had poor QB play. In 28 games over the last 2 years, he was 53-930-7. That’s not good for a veteran receiver with a big deal. If you go back to his Baltimore days, Smith was a much better player. He had a lot more stability and that showed in his numbers. From 2011-2014, Smith averaged 53-898-7. He helped them win a Super Bowl. That’s a WR you actually want. Those numbers helped him get the big deal from SF.
To be sure, Smith isn’t a great WR. But if you got him for a fair price and teamed him up with another free agent and a mid-round pick, you would have a good group to put around Jordan Matthews.
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Speaking of WRs.
Multiple sources say this week WR Pierre Garcon, #Redskins still not talking. Chances of losing him AND DeSean Jackson increasing by the day
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) February 7, 2017
I don’t know if the Eagles will be interested in Garcon and/or Jackson, but it would be nice if they both hit the market. First, that would give the Eagles the option of making a play for one of the guys. Always good to have options. Second, it would spread out the market a bit and possibly help the Eagles land a WR they do want. The fewer targets there are, the more competition there will be for those guys.
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It has been reported that the Eagles will be interested in WR Kenny Stills from the Dolphins.
I've been told to project that Dolphins WR Kenny Stills is in the 5-yr, $30M neighborhood on a new salary, with $12.5M-plus being guarantee.
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) February 7, 2017
Kelly is a Miami beat writer so I’m sure he has some solid connections in regard to Stills. That’s a very reasonable contract for Stills and the numbers could actually be low. If that is his price range (and he’s young and talented), you can understand why the Eagles would have interest.
And please don’t turn this into “The Eagles are being cheap” nonsense. There is only one big time free agent WR and that’s Alshon Jeffrey. We don’t know if he will hit free agency. And if he does, is Jeffrey worth mega-bucks? Is he a guy you pay $14M per year to? If there was an elite WR with no baggage for the team to pursue, the Eagles would be on that guy like a duck on a june bug. There is no such player in this market. That’s why you have to be a smart shopper.
If the Eagles decide Jeffrey is worth it, fine. But he’s not a slam-dunk, no questions asked kind of target.
It will be very interesting to see who the Eagles do target and who they’re able to land.
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[…] Tommy Lawlor The offseason is here and the rumors are starting. ESPN Sources: #Eagles recently approached Pro […]
Im still in a dummified stupor zombie state of disbelief from duh super bowl still
Get some sleep and then get over it, Dave. The new season has begun. Every team, including the Eagles, believe it or not, is 0-0.
So the WR are trash for the most part but how many new faces can we see at the position next year? I would figure the Eagles carry 5. Agholor is arguably the only lock due to salary but I can see Turner, DGB, Treggs and Matthews ALL gone with Matthews as a potential trade piece. However if Matthews stays which ia probably more likely we are looking at either 2 WR in FA and one in tje draft or vise versa. I would think grabbing 2 in FA opens up the draft a bit more .
Matthews is so tricky because of his
– decent production over 3 years
– inability to play the slot
– hard to establish value (I’ve seen $8 mil + / year) based on production
Um… playing the slot is what Matthews does best.
I guess you mean inability to play outside of the slot.
Yeah, that was bass ackwards on my part. Good catch.
are there articles or facts backing up what you’re saying or are you just spit balling thoughts? Agholor the ‘only lock’…’potential’ trading JM?
Its been well established that the team will probably keep Agholor due to financial reasons and there have been articles speculating a Matthews trade due to his low ceiling, inflated numbers and ability to only play the slot.
I’ll call BS or agree to disagree. Even in T-Law article above he says “a good group to put around Jordan Matthews.” I’m not saying T-Law is in the know, I’m just saying if there was a hint or whisper of the Eagles planning on moving from JM, T-Law wouldn’t use words like ‘put around’ JM. JM costs nothing to keep this year. Only productive WR on team. And if “low ceiling” then his trade value will suck. JM isn’t going anywhere.
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was Rowe considered a lock last Jan do to low financial reasons? All the whispers now are – improve weapons at wr. Sign fa and draft a rookie. or sign 2 FA’s. Eagles are looking to replace 2 WR’s. Aggie is far from a lock. His starting job is jeopardy. His roster spot could be as well. I’d like to see him 1 more year. Just not in the JM/DGB/Aggie trio :).
All the Matthews stuff is speculation. Jimmy has posted articles on why it makes no financial sense to cut Agholor. He isnt going to get cut but he certainly isnt guaranteed a starting spot.
Is josh Gordon still technically a brown?
I don’t know but that reminds me, Justin Blackmon is still with the Jaguars
a little different. blackmon literally gave up on football and wanted to be a regular guy, josh stays in shape just cant stay out of “trouble”. anyway i love for the eagles to take a look at him be we know that would never happen
Part of me hopes Eagles don’t invest good resources (top draft pick/pricey FA) and try to develop what we have. Not only would it let us build on other parts of the team, but could also set a good precedent on being a patient franchise.
Right now there’s a heavy narrative from fans, media, pretty much everyone that we’re talent-less at the position. I say don’t give into the pressure, keep developing and if a top prospect is there take him. I’m more worried about keeping the defense a top unit while we have a franchise QB finally. That’s the ultimate combo for success in January
Who do you see improving enough to solve our WR problem internally?
Well at least we have a pair of bodies in Agholor and DGB who have NFL physical talent. Not that i expect either to break out at this point but if either have a lightbulb moment they could do so.
CB is worse because we don’t even have that – Mills has physical limitations and after that we have no young players to develop.
I don’t like the thought of giving up on Agholor after two years, especially since he pretty much just hit bottom. Matthews can be a 1000+ receiver if he works on drop issues as well. I still like our tight ends and receiving threats out of the backfield. Who knows where DGB’s head is but he’s a very young player too.
There’s not one receiver on this team over the age of 24. I’m fine with “gambling” on 1 or 2 developing or at least becoming reliable role players. I don’t like the thought of spending big money to try to replace a core you mostly drafted
Thing is: the Eagles went this way – last Offseason. Many fans thought the WR suck before last year. Howie only made minor WR FA moves because he hoped Matthews and Agholor could develop. Then he traded for DGB. I agreed with that strategy. But: you can’t do it 2 years in a row. Not after the young players not only didn’t make a jump, but regressed. Aghs had a chance to develop without competition. 2 years is the most you get in this league. He can, potentially, still make it, but the Eagles CANNOT bank on that. They need two starting type players at the position. If Aghs beats them out – fine. If not, well, it will be his last year. He better develops as a Returner if he wants to be active on gameday.
Being a patient/continuously-great franchise takes patience every offseason. We took a really good approach last year and I think that’s how we should address every year.
Most players only get two years because most teams aren’t sound. They panic like everyone else. If we just go BPA in the draft, keep adding the best possible talent to the team, and not break the bank on free agents there’s virtually no way we’ll be bad for the future. This is how Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Denver and Green Bay operate every year. Once you become a consistently winning team you can go after free agents seeking a title, not money
I don’t think it’s a heavy narrative from fans — I think it’s stats/production/mistakes and constant drops. This is not a talented group. We hope to have a franchise QB. Certainly sounds and looks the part. Once you have him, what’s the next step for the offense? Improve your weapons….
“Narrative” means story. The story that we have no talent at WR is supported by the evidence.
The past doesn’t always dictate the future. I’m tired of Eagles taking the bait every offseason and throwing all they have at a weak position group. Like I said if a top prospect is there take him, but we’re in a good position finally and have a good roster. There’s no need to panic and try to put a perfect team on paper. Draft, develop, and sign good value players that want to win.
Well, BPA is fine in theory, but in practice the roster does dictate to some extent how resources will be deployed. Obviously the team’s drafting has not been spectacular in recent years, but most of the missed picks were defensible, not reaches for need. You can miss on BPA just as easily, and then you’re in the same position.
As far as the past determining the future, much of these problems are due to Chip/Roseman ditching good NFL starters and creating holes that then we predictably failed to fill. Predictably, because it is hard to replace an NFL starter in general.
BPA isn’t fine in theory, it’s proven to be the best method of building a football team and drafting well. There’s a reason every GM says they’ll do it every year.
Marcus Smith was a reach not for need, but most likely the obsession Chip had with needs for each position limited Roseman’s options. For all we know there were only a handful of first round prospects Chip wanted. Anyone that was an “overachiever” or had character concerns was scratched off.
You can miss on BPA, but then you are at least aware you have a poor scouting department. You learn nothing about your front office as a GM if you end up taking the a lower-ranked player instead of who was on the top of the board
Semantics. Did you even read my post?
If I’m Peters I’m laughing right in their face with that request. If you go at a guy for money, you need to be prepared to cut him if he says no. Given we don’t have a clear plan at starting tackle if Peters is gone and that Lane can’t stop taking PEDs with his MMA buddies; cutting Peters is a massive risk going into 2017. Money can be gleaned elsewhere.
I imagine they can do a restructure to lower his cap hit a little, guarantee his 2017 Salary, improve short term cash flow and save the Eagles a little real money as well.
Peters is due $10.7m in cash in 2017 currently(10.45m+250k workout) and $10.25m in 2018. (cap hit is +$1mil more each year in pro-rated bonus)
You could restructure the remaining deal to be something like:
$3m signing bonus, $6m roster bonus in March, $1m Salary in 2017 and then $9m in 2018, and a new 2019 year at $9m.
Which would give a 2017 cap figure of $9m and $10m in 2018. Saving the Eagles a $2.7m in cap in 2017 and $1.95m over the next 2 years in real $$.
As Peters i am willing to do this because i still get paid $10mil in 2017, but i get my money 9 months sooner and fully guaranteed which is probably worth the small dip in total earnings, and if i decide to play in 2018 there is probably a chance to do a very similar cap shuffle next year. 2019 is unlikely to happen but there is a chance he still wants to play then if he continues to be healthy and it gives him a place to begin a conversation with.
“And please don’t turn this into “The Eagles are being cheap” nonsense.”
I agree with Tommy completely here. That hasn’t been the case in a long time in a sense of total spending. They’re at the top of the list there and have been for a while.
All of that being equal, I’m not really into paying top dollar for any more external guys unless we’re talking Reggie White, Charles Woodson, etc., type signings. I’d much rather draft well and extend guys you know well with big $ when the time is right.
I think the best place to shop in free agency is the tier just below the top names. Sign good players who are coming off rookie deals but who are not yet big names or getting probowl nods. Guys like Jenkins, McLeod and Barwin when we signed them.
Proven NFL production but with upside to get better and you are not paying the top of the market, name recognition price. The problem with shopping in the tier bellow that is you are not actually sure you are buying above replacement level of talent and can leave you with bad contracts. Stills is probably going to come in and put up about ~600yards next year and you are stuck paying and playing him even as you desperately want to find a better replacement for him.
I don’t even really want to pay for elite players in FA at the moment – players like Suh or Jeffery this year, will be paid so much its almost impossible for them to actually be worth their contract.
I’m not a huge fan of this WR free agent class. I’d take Garçon if he’s not too expensive. Stills would be intriguing at the right price given that he’s so young and still has room to improve. DJax and Torrey Smith do nothing for me, and Alshon Jeffery is a classic case of a second tier player who will get paid like a first tier one because he’s the top target on the market. Meh. Still think I’d rather roll the dice with Corey Davis or Mike Williams in the draft at this point.
Re: Peters, they have to have a plan to phase him out over the next year or two, because he’s near the end of the line physically. Lane will take over at LT when he’s gone but I wouldn’t mind seeing them draft a developmental guy to compete with Big V to be a future RT possibility.
I believe in trends and not retreads. Stills was good with Brees. Even then, they didn’t want him. Torrey Smith was ‘ok’ 3 years ago? I know stats don’t tell the whole story…avg 53 catches for 3 years…however…in 2013, he had a really good year. That was his only year with >50 catches. Are we hoping Eagles land a guy who had 1 good year back in 2013? Not 1 game with 4 catches last year. 2015 he had 2 games with > 4 catches. Can we blame all that on ‘bad qb’?
….
On paper, I don’t see that much of production leap going from JM/Aggie/DGB to JM/Stills/Torrey. We’d have to believe in the change of scenery logic. I guess anything would be better than returning what they currently have. I’m hoping for more of an upgrade. JM/Torrey/Britt/rookie? Ugh — lol
I think what we see with JM is what we’re going to get. But the reason we all hate Aggs and DGB is because they severely performed below their talent. There is a chance that a different coach can raise them up to at least competent starters. Just can’t count on it. Would need Aggs to get his head out of his butt and DGB to actually take his profession seriously. If we’re lucky, we might get one of them to be a decent player. To your point, that’s not a plan, it’s a hope, so we have to bolster them with a veteran and a young talent imo. Won’t be great, but might be functional.
I wouldn’t be upset with Aggs as wr4. 🙂
Don’t care about the name on the Jersey, if that dude from last year comes back, I don’t want him on the team. period. If he plays to his potential, and he’s a starter, I don’t give a damn about past drops, strippers, under performing. If he comes back and plays like a starter, start him. If he plays like last year, cut him. If he plays like a #4, fine. Keep him till we can find a cheaper #4
Again, for me, OL, DE and CB are more important than WR. I want a dominant OL and pass rush. Pass rush makes our LB and secondary better and a good DE to combine with Graham, Cox and Logan would be fantastic. An elite OL helps the most in facilitating Wentz’s development, keeping him healthy and allowing him to run the offense effectively. FA WR are almost never worth the cost.
I agree with your team needs… but I still think they need to play in the FA WR market to the tune of at least one guy who knows how to catch a football. Britt would be my top choice followed by Garcon. And if he’s cheap enough I’m still fascinated by the possibility of Goodwin.
That’s fine as long as the OL, DE and CB have been addressed. One has to have priorities and focusing resources on the positions that help a team win most consistently makes sense. WR is a lesser priority for me, but I’m confident we can find players at reasonable cost that can help that position.
Our pass rush has been neutralized by quick passes. CB is way more important at this point since none of them can cover.
That’s because it is not good enough and we have a DC who refuses to blitz or do anything different to confuse/mix up the QB. When we only rush 4 and our 4 are not good enough, it should not be a surprise we get exposed. If Schwartz is going to stay and continue his scheme, we need a better 4 to hammer the QB and help our LB and CB. It will not matter how good our CB are if we have no consistent pass rush – even the best guys can cover for only so long.
Perhaps we’re only rushing four because the defense can’t cover anyone and the DL is supposedly the defense’s biggest strength?
I doubt it. Rushing only 4 has been part of Schwartz’s scheme for years on various teams.
This simply wasn’t true, at least after the Bengals game (when the “quick passes!” excuses were the loudest…
http://www.phillyvoice.com/eagles-pass-rush-excuses-are-weak/
The Packers game though!
Agreed to a point but their still going to have to bring in at least 1 (if not 2 starting WR).
That’s fine, I just would not go the FA route or I would be very careful in selecting the most cost effective FA option that fits our scheme best. We cannot afford to waste good cap again on mediocre players. I’d see who gets cut and/or work on trading for a young WR currently blocked that they believe has excellent upside. But that again comes back to the inevitable question about Pederson & the coaches: can they develop talent effectively? We’ll have to see.
just some other thoughts on OL. Before and after suspension, OL play was much, much better. Yes, OL play is extremely important, but the OL isn’t as bad as one might think. You thinking Kelce will be moved? OL could be 1 player away while WR’s are 2 or 3 players away from being productive. OL did help Dak — but so did Dez….
“Not as bad as one thinks” is not the high standard we should have for the OL. If we want to be an elite team and maximize Wentz’s chances of turning into a franchise QB, the OL is one of the primary positions we must not only “fix”, but make into a dominant unit. I hate the Cowboys, but by focusing on the OL first they have opened up a 5-10 year window where they have the chance to win.
You can only replace so many receivers at a time. Matthews and Ags will stay and possibly Turner. I’d prefer they get Stills rather than Garcon or DeShawn. They need to spend one high and one mid range pick in the draft but neither of these is likely to contribute much in their first year.
I don’t think anybody is expecting much production anyway. Year 2 of rebuilding…keep ship pointed in the right direction…I think before we say “sign DJ”(for example), we’d have to think where he’ll be in two to 3 years….by then, hopefully, people drafted this year are ready to contribute and Wentz will be well seasoned….
I totally agree. I could see them taking DeShawn if the price is reasonable as a short term solution till they develop draft picks. I never understood why they let him go. There were character issues, but the guy never had been arrested or accused of anything worse than remaining friends with some low life youths from his past. Injuries may be an issue.
Do you guys think DGB sticks around here another year, or do we cut/trade him? We won’t get much on trade value, but anything is better than nothing.
I think he will have an opportunity to make the team and the rest is up to him.
He fits the type that you give a chance too- hopefully at MTNG stated, the light bulb finally goes on and he can live up to 20% of his potential.
Doesn’t cost much. DGB sticks around to see if lightbulb turns on then is a borderline cut when reduce to 53. Might trade when they know he is getting cut for a player another team is probably going to cut.
Eagles learned that you can’t do anything when no one is catching the ball. Mediocre receivers will do but someone has to catch the ball.
I wish they could focus on OL, RB and CB, but wr is SO bad.
Sometimes in NFL seems like a team needs to be decent everywhere or the one area of extreme problems negates every strength. For example a good/great DL doesn’t help win games when QB can throw jump balls before rush gets there. Another example is that a good RB and good OL doesn’t have a chance when wr are so bad the defense doesn’t have to worry about them.
Still wonder if the Eagles are willing to get Peters walk and save the $9M. Still think their delusional if they think Vaitai can start at RT right now.
Highly doubt it. They see Wentz as a quarter of a billion dollar guy. I think they’ll sink the cost of Peters as part of their investment in protecting the Franchise.
Still like Pryor from Cleavland from all that’s available, good size, speed, good hands and should come with a reasonable price…
He’s going to be expensive, and from what people are saying- he’s a real asshole. Probably not the best thing to bring in for your 2nd year QB.
But if we can get him for $10m over 3 years, I’m all for it 🙂
None of those rumors are from this season. He was the only good thing about that offense. Look at his progression from QB to wr. He’s better than dgb, by far and just started doing this
Agree with you regarding the only threat on their offense; I just don’t think he’s the type of player that the Eagles will target.
I’m not debating whether that is right or wrong- I just don’t see him as someone we will go after in FA
DGB is a complex to me- guy could absolutely be top 5 in the NFL at his position, but he simply doesn’t have the drive to reach those heights. That’s a shame
Not to pick on you, but there’s a lot more to WR than size/speed. There’s also something called _skill_, which is partly practice but is also related to talent.
I don’t take it like that at all- all good brother.
To my eye he was easily a top 10 WR. It is pretty apparent he will work hard and probably not get in trouble off the field (other than a couple free tats..wasn’t that him?). Just because he isn’t a criminal doesn’t mean he isn’t scummy. T.O isn’t a criminal, but was sure able to derail a team. I hope we learned from that.
If they do add him, I expect Lurie to address that part of him. If that were to happen and Lurie was satisfied he had changed, I would be fine with it. Anything less and I would be pretty upset with the signing.
All indications are that Browns will tag Pryor. They have tons of space and no reason to let him go. So I would forget about him as an option.
Arent Browns loaded with cap space now? They cut some more players. Already signed Collins. Pryor aint going anywhere.
they have like $100M in cap space. They are doing a Sixers tank without taking any criticism for it.
Still want nothing to do with him.
I disagree regarding Peters taking a pay cut. He’s 35 years old and has a degenerative back condition. He’s got no guarantees and if he gets hurt he gets nothing. The Eagles don’t want to cut him but, with the way Vaitai played last season, they could if they had to. Peters won’t get close to the $10.5m he’s currently set to make this season on the open market and would have to deal with moving to a new city and settling in to a new locker room.
If the Eagles offered him $7-8m fully guaranteed for 2017 and $7-8m non-guaranteed for 2018, I don’t think he hesitates to accept it.
For the player it’s about guaranteed money, for the team it’s about cap hit (and real money to an extent).
The team could offer him 7 million for 2017, 5 million 2018, 10 million for 2019 with a 5 million bonus. They’d save around 3 million on cap this year, JP 2 would bank 12 million today and both sides would have a deal that’s equitable.
If he gets hurt playing football he gets his full salary.
The Eagles were like 6 or 7-1 with Lane Johnson last year right? You could easily reword that to “with Lane Johnson AND Jason Peters”. We could cut him, but I think we would rather pay him full price than do that.
Agreed, Big V was ok last season, but is not a consistent starter yet. Hopefully, he will continue to develop and become one, but no way do I cut Peters and depend on that happening by this coming September. We do not even know how Johnson is going to perform at LT either. Its not a minor adjustment.
In regards to Peters, stretching out the guaranteed money for a 35 year old sounds a lot more like a Cowboys’ move than an Eagles’ move.
Am I reading his contract right that he has 2M of guaranteed money left, 1M each this year and next, and is due 11M in the coming year? If that is the case, I agree with the other comments and Tommy that there might be a way for both sides to come out ahead.
If the Eagles are intent on paying him this year, that means they believe they will be paying him at least 12M (11M plus 1M guaranteed next year) for his services this year. If they are willing to pay him 4M for the following year, they could guarantee 8M each of the next two years, add some nonsense after that to fluff up the numbers, and get some cap relief without paying any more.
The risk for the Eagles is an injury. The risk for Peters is giving up on possibility of collecting 11M this year and then getting cut and finding a new job that nets him more than 5M next year. Both risks seem acceptable.
Yup. I think they can lower his cap hit this year, still pay him 11 million this year and then have him on contract for a reasonable/cuttable number the following year with another 1 million or so dead money 2019.
It’s not ideal to carry the dead money, but it works outs for all sides.
ATG with a free math class for all! Get in now before public education goes full Amway!
Still trying to get my head around ‘public education goes full Amway’ comment and its full meaning.
That’s right. Everyone should be Russian to line up.
First cut is Leodis McToast
We hardly knew ya. God, our CB’s are horrible and have been for 10 years. 10 YEARS!!
Hardly 10 years. 07′ Lito and Sheldon were our starters. Asante and Sheldon after them.
Our CBs have only been bad since Nnamidi or however you spell the jerk’s name.
Yes, they were our starters- but that was the beginning of the end for that era. We really haven’t had stability since those guys left, hence my 10 years comment. Brown was good for a few more years, but then we spent big money on Asante (good CB) and then the wheels fell off.
My point is- we need to find some guys to grow in our system. Hell, that means we need to have a stable coaching staff and actual stability in our scheme. That’s been our biggest issue- since the end of the Reid era (beginning when JJ died) we lost our way.
I get the point. It has been bleak here for a long time. In my mind we had good corners all the way through the Ellis Hobbs year.
I also thought Asatne was just fine in his last year. Sure there were signs that he was descending. We got rid of him just in time. If I recall he even went on to have one more good year in Atlanta before he really fell off. Don’t blame Asomougha’s nightmare on him.
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeet. I wanted to be first to jump on this. Nope.
Leodis my man!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2EG-MY73ig
I used this quote at work this morning… get out of my brain!
—actually the one just after this cut “Can we dance with your dates?”
I remember seeing an interview with one of the script writers. When they were filming that scene the director yelled at the actor to say “Wif yo’ dates”
the writer thought there was no way this movie gets released.
Wouldn’t today that is for sure. Still one of my favorites of all time because there is no better rally cry than Blutarski’s (sp).
https://youtu.be/ep-xgd_eETE
I always worry when the team is doing exactly what I want them to do….all of this noise is noise I want to hear. We are pretty doomed.
One and done CBs
Bradley Fletcher
Cary Williams
Leodis McKelvin
Who’s next!
I though Fletch and Williams each played 2 years
2014 is the year that I wanted to forget completely.
For a good laugh, type in “Bradley Fletcher” in Google and watch the dropdown suggestion as you are typing. Classic.
“the Eagles would be on that guy like a duck on a june bug. ” : For those of you that forgot Tommy isn’t a Philly native.
Every now and again Tommy likes to farm out one line to Dan Rather.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000784163/article/daniel-jeremiahs-top-50-prospects-for-2017-nfl-draft-20
I always take big boards with a grain of salt but there are 10 CBs in the top 50 by the way. Fabian Moreu is this years Byron Jones in terms of rise in draft stock.
I absolutely love that at 14/15, we should be able to get an immediate starter in any number of positions. Let’s hope the QBs and safeties are chosen high and often.
It’s the best thing Bradford has done for the team honestly.
We might need To get Carson Wentz but skimping from the OL SHOULDNT even be an option. Nothing is more important than going overboard with OL depth to best protect Carson even if that means needing a couple more offseasons to fully build up our arsenal of weapons.
..
The OL situation is pretty simple.. JP, Kelce, Barbie, Wisnewski aren’t lomgterm Eagles. Get rid of wisnewsk and barbie doll this offseason, hopefully adding and developing enough OL puppies along with Semalo,Lane and Vaitai to move on from JP and Kelce next offseason. Basically purging 4 veterans(Wis, Barbie, Kelce, JP) over the next two offseasons.
.
Hopefully Roseman can get creative and trade a contract like Kendricks or Barwin for an older reliable WR like Brandon Marshall which allows us to go for a modest FA Like Stills, invest a mid round pick in a WR. Add 3 new WRs (two accomplished veterans) to Jordan, Nelson and DGB and we will have a competitive camp battle where guys like DGB and Nelson have to fight for survival.
Brandon Marshall (for whom you’ve been beating the drum) —
You know he’ll be 33 y.o. entering the 2017 season . . .
And he was 2nd among NFL WRs in drops.
http://scores.nbcsports.msnbc.com/fb/leaders.asp?type=Receiving&range=NFL&rank=232
So you want an old guy who drops the ball?
I wrote a long post about the positives trading for him could do. I did clarify in the beginning that I wasn’t really pushing for him, even though I know it really sounded like it. Though there is no denying that I would certainly be ok with them trading Barwin for him.
You are right he is old and he does tend to drop the ball. I did a pretty good job of explaining his pros for the team and Wentz in that other post. To that I will add:
he has had an 11 year career. He has had more 100 yard catch seasons than not in that time, and has had 4 season of double digit touchdowns. If he gives me a 60% catch rate, I can live with everything else that comes with it.
TT:
I appreciate that you’ve laid out your argument.
Makes your acquiescence — if the Eagles went in this direction — very understandable.
After 2016, I’d prefer to have WRs who can catch 99.9% of Wentz’s catchable passes.
No doubt, though, that Marshall — at least before 2016 — was high production . . . actually, always reminded me of Terrell Owens (on the field, and off a little bit).
Not sure we will find anyone who is perfect though. There is a chance Marshall could be the best for us. Of course as Tommy said, perhaps the team deems Alshon worthy of what he will be paid as. I just don’t see any great solutions on the door step.
I can certainly understand being anxious due to his most recent catch percentage.
Semalo, Lane, Vaitai, (and Brooks).
I think Kelce is gone this year.
RON Brooks looks more promising for us going forward than Leodis. Eagles need To hold onto Nolan, Brooks, Mills and add a true #1 CB. Shame that renting Leodis Probably contributed to the Rowe trade. Sigń a corner and draft a corner.
.
Draft a LB to replace Kendrick
RON Brooks was up n down. Plays aggressive but handled that slot. Jenkins playing NB needs to stop coz Watkins is too hesitant at the back. Mills looks too slow to play outside. Think he be a good NB. We have few bodies at CB. Gratz could push for spot.
I’d say the odds are pretty high that Howie makes a trade in round 1 or 2 and picks up a 2nd for next year to make up for the missing 2nd round pick used to acquire Wentz.
There’s no making up for it, it’s not like a Pinochle hand where you need to be able to counter opponents moves with specific suits and cards. They already made up the missing 2nd round pick by acquiring Wentz. This draft, they will continue to maximize value where possible according to their evaluations, but the lost second had nothing to do with it.
I disagree. The lack of a 2nd round pick next year is huge and I think Howie will try to fill the void if possible. Being the GM of the team means you must look ahead as well as be congnizant of the present. The four-year salary of a potential starter chosen in the 2nd round give several years of value toward the salary cap.
We’ll trade Matthews to the Vikings for a second.
In a heartbeat!
We’re 80% of the way to recouping the value there with the Vikings 4 and the Patriots 3.
Point taken.
Wow, McKelvin’s gone. Surprised by that, it’s not like 3 million is too much to put into a replacement level corner. I’d take McKelvin over Bradley Fletcher or Cary Williams all day.
That hammy might be degenerating to the point where he’s worthless at any salary.
Could be. I guess happy we freed up some cap space? I’m going to miss McKelvin’s postgame interviews, that was high comedy.
Just did a no trade simulation
Round 1 Pick 15: Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State (A)
Round 2 Pick 11: Dan Feeney, OG, Indiana (A)
Round 3 Pick 10: Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina (B+)
Round 4 Pick 12: Marlon Mack, RB, South Florida (A)
Round 4 Pick 33: Daeshon Hall, DE, Texas A&M (B+)
Round 5 Pick 11: Jeremy Sprinkle, TE, Arkansas (A-)
Round 6 Pick 10: Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, UCLA (A+)
Round 7 Pick 12: Des Lawrence, CB, North Carolina (C+)
Was happy to get Lattimore at 15 considering only one QB went in front of me. I’m going to be personally offended on draft day if at least 3 don’t go prior to our pick.
I’m a big fan of this draft. Good job
If Hall’s any good, I’d be fine with this group.
I’d be significantly more surprised if 3 QBs went before our pick than if none go before us. If I had to bet I’d say only 1 goes before we pick. At this point I’m optimistically hoping for 2, but I’m not banking on it.
So can Sam shields still play?
Think hes had 4 concussions now.
Is it me or is Belicheck’s reputation after the Super Bowl win now being kind of white washed this week because he has been now anointed the ‘greatest NFL coach of all time.’
You certainly can make a very compelling argument that he is but I don’t see how that changes the fact that he is a largely wanton and remorseless cheater too.
I don’t agree that JP has all the leverage. No way does he get more than $8-9mil on the open market at his age. The eagles will have options in FA (Ricky Wagner is 25 yo) and the draft. They can cut JP at any time. He can get some short term security and more gaurenteed money by taking a small pay cut. Also moving his family or living out of a hotel seems like a hassle for a 35yo veteran. Staying is just easier
Does McKelvin even get signed this offseason or is he basically a veteran that is going to hope to latch on with somebody in training camp due to injuries?
Eagles have waived DL Connor Wujciak…free up $463,000 in cap space.
http://phi.247sports.com/Bolt/Report-Eagles-release-DT-Connor-Wujciak-51187948
I just, or should i say we all just watched the Patriots win a superbowl with some of the leagues most mediocre wr talent. Amendola, Edelman, Hogan, and some guy named james white. Understood that they have some dude named Brady throwing to them, but not 1 of these guys are considered anywhere near great WRs/rbs. Every year here is the same thing. 1 and dones. Why are we giving up on DGB, Turner again? After not even a full season? Now its J-matt? Agholor? Yet mediocre guys like Amendola,Edelman, and Hogan (3 white dudes? BTW i’m white also) are winning Superbowls? Screw FAs unless we can get a guy like stills cheap…..Lets grab a draft pick and work with what we have. Matt ryan with Julio Jones and Sanu, just got beat by 3 white dudes. Personally, i think Agholor picked it up in the end, and maybe gets his head back in the game and surprises everyone. Hell, just using DGB in the red zone( which never happened for unknown reasons) is a cheap option…Turner seemed to catch everything yet only played late season……We were 1st year of new system after the chip kelly mess. It takes time to build, Eagles fans are just impatient. We have the QB, so lets just dismantle what he worked on in his 1st season and try again and if it don’t work in 17, screw it, dump them all again and try again for 18. Just remember……….Amendola, Edelman, and Hogan.
No Torrey Smith, please. He’s no better than the receivers we have now, other than that he’s faster:
http://weapone.blogspot.com/2016/10/why-eagles-should-not-trade-for-torrey.html