Other Pieces

Posted: May 8th, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 133 Comments »

We’re all excited by what the Eagles did in the draft and free agency, but what about the development of players already on the roster? That can be a big X-factor for a team trying to get over the hump.

Howie Roseman recently noted that DE Alex McCalister looked great. That meant he looked bigger and stronger. We’ll have to see how that translates to the playing field. McCalister was a talented pass rusher from Florida. He has NFL ability. He just needs to be able to handle the physicality of the NFL. Imagine if this guy has things start to come together for him.

***

We’re mostly down on Dorial Green-Beckham right now. There was a time when we saw this and really got our hopes up.

The Eagles dramatically changed the WR position in the offseason. There will be serious competition for roster spots, let alone playing time. This will either bring out the best in DGB or he will be looking for a job.

The talent is there. We’ll find out just how competitive he is this spring and summer.

***

I’m curious to see if any of the holdover CBs can challenge for playing time. C.J. Smith was impressive last summer. He was never good enough to get on the field during the season, but that’s not shocking for a UDFA rookie at corner. He has to take another step forward this year if he wants to keep a job. He has to show that he can contribute.

Aaron Grymes looked great at times last summer. I would love to see him challenge for the slot corner spot in this defense. Grymes has some experience from his days in the CFL. He showed ability last summer and seemed to be a guy with a chance at getting playing time before he got hurt.

***

OL Dillon Gordon is one of the players I’m most curious about. When I watched him as a TE at LSU, I wasn’t impressed with his blocking. The Eagles signed him and bulked him up to OL size. I was blown away at how good he looked in the preseason. He showed LT potential. He was a natural pass protector with good feet and agility. He was raw, but talented.

The Eagles liked what they saw enough to keep him on the roster. This was a player they didn’t want to risk losing.

I’ve been around long enough to know that players can flash in one summer and then disappear. Gordon has to build on what he did last year. He can’t looked talented, but raw anymore. He’s not a rookie this time out. He’s been part of an NFL team for a year now and knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t have experience, but he’s been at practice and been getting coached enough that we should see real growth from him.

I’m excited to see what this young man can do.

_


133 Comments on “Other Pieces”

  1. 1 scratcherk said at 8:35 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    What are our expectations (if any) for Joe Walker?

  2. 2 D3FB said at 8:37 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    It all depends on that knee. If it’s healthy he’s on the team playing ST and developing as a reserve LB. If it’s not he’s Jacory Shepard 2.0

  3. 3 Steve Smegal said at 8:44 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Max Unger went down with a foot injury. Get on that phone Howie. We have extra lineman at every price point.

  4. 4 scratcherk said at 8:46 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    fleece em good howie.

  5. 5 TXEaglesFan said at 8:49 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Does anybody know if they have a decent RB or CB they would be willing to part with?

  6. 6 Corry said at 9:05 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Their running back position is crowded.

    http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2017/5/8/15577498/max-unger-injury-saints-trade-eagles-center-jason-kelce-rumors-mark-ingram-philadelphia-news-nfl

  7. 7 Gary Barnes said at 9:34 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    It would certainly be fantastic to get starter value out of one of these deep roster guys – that is another aspect of effective roster development i.e. that the team found hidden gems fro UDFA or late in the draft etc. that produced well and were paid little cap-wise.

    I give Roseman’s comments about what players “look great” very little credence. He says similar things every year and most of it is PR.

    This season will come down to roster construction and player performance, but also coaching. A big part of that will be Pederson’s growth/evolution as a head coach, strategic thinker, motivator and play caller.

    We really need Doug to learn and adapt more quickly and effectively, find ways to utilize his talent better, identify and implement schemes/play calls that take full advantage of that talent and make sure all his players are on board and ready to excel.

  8. 8 D3FB said at 9:48 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Kelce for Ingram kind of makes sense.

    Ingram would be a nice piece to add and alleviate concerns about the backfield.

    The problem is Kelce’s only a half season rental for them. Unger’s a better player when healthy. Unger is older but they are still pretty committed to Unger in 2018 (3.5 dead 4.5 savings).

    I just think it would probably still have to be Kelce + a pick (assuming they even want Kelce)

  9. 9 Rellihcs said at 9:49 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Orlovsky + Kendricks for Ingrim?

  10. 10 Stephen E. said at 10:00 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    We’re signing Dan Orlovsky? So we can trade him?

  11. 11 Rellihcs said at 10:04 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    I really don’t know. just half joking/spitballing. We’d sign him to the PS (that’s the report), so I don’t even know if we can trade PS players.

  12. 12 teltschikfakeout88 said at 11:14 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Tyler Orlovsky….

  13. 13 BlindChow said at 7:33 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Tyler Orlosky. This should be a fun one.

  14. 14 D3FB said at 10:02 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    They’ve got second year C Jack Allen who is roughly comparable to Orlosky (decorated college C’s who are C’s only with functional strength and athleticism. Allen’s a bit shorter and more powerful). So if they aren’t going to roll with Allen then they aren’t going to see Orlosky as the answer.

    UDFA’s have zero value until camp (and even then it’s conditional 7s and other UDFAs)

    And they already have an athletically gifted but can’t diagnose jack shit LB in Stephone Anthony.

    Kelce + a 5th is probably the loose framework of a workable deal. Get the pick down to a 6th or get a 7th back in return and I’m in.

  15. 15 Rellihcs said at 10:05 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    I don’t know how I feel about Kelce and a 5th.. So Yeah I agree that getting the pick down to a 6th or conditional something would be better.

  16. 16 Corry said at 10:10 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Kelce would only be a half year rental for sure, but is Ingram’s roster spot a guarantee given what the Saints did in the offseason? They signed Peterson, drafter Kamara in the third, and they still have Cadet who backed up Ingram last year. Ingram is signed through 2018 and would cause the Saints to carry dead money if they cut him, but given their other resources at the position, I’m not sure Ingram is a sure thing to be with the Saints this year despite a strong 2016 campaign.

  17. 17 D3FB said at 10:26 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Cap hit is the same if they trade him or cut him. He’s expendable but he’s on a decently cheap deal and productive so he’ll have value league wide. They apparently want a 3 or 4 for him (which they won’t get)

    Cadet’s a receiving back only. Hightower was the backup. The question for the saints relative to how bad they want to move Ingram is: do they want a guy who can take over AP’s carries if he gets hurt and keep Kamara as a change of pace back or do they want to thrust Kamara into the role and have Cadet be the change of pace to him.

    I’d love to add Ingram. I just think the Saints are better off moving him for the best draft capital (or just keeping him) return and letting Jack Allen start the first half of the season.

  18. 18 Corry said at 10:30 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Hightower was the back up, but Cadet played the 2nd most snaps. (According to BGN anyhow).

    The Saints would be smart to hang onto what they have until camp at least though. They’ll see what Allen has to offer and if he struggles, then you can move one of your running backs if necessary. I do think that’s a lot of resources tied up in the running back position for a pass first team.

  19. 19 D3FB said at 10:34 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    It is I just don’t think Kelce moves the needle.

    (BGN must be including ST’s because Hightower 286, Cadet 247)

  20. 20 Sb2bowl said at 10:41 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    How about Ingram for Matthews?

  21. 21 D3FB said at 10:46 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    I’d be interested.

    My one concern is the slot WR depth chart looks like:

    JMatt, (Ags???), Turner, Marshall, Ward.

  22. 22 Sb2bowl said at 10:59 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    (Pumphrey)- Ags might be better suited for the slot, and we have Sproles, Gibson, and Turner.

    I think Gibson starts more in the slot with Smith and Jeffrey on the outside. Ags can play in and out. Turner is slow, but he can get open.

    It’ll be interesting to see what concepts open up in the passing game with two veteran receivers on the outside. We’ll have to develop the slot passing game, but we have options (bigger/stronger guys vs smaller/quick).

    Matthews probably isn’t here after next year, but with the Saints high powered passing attack, he’ll get plenty of chances down there to pad his stats. I’m not sure Matthews is here next year for us (re-signed?), but I would consider it to trade him straight up for Ingram.

  23. 23 D3FB said at 11:42 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Like I said I’d probably do it but that’s certainly a conversation the GM has to double check with the coaching staff

  24. 24 wee2424 said at 2:03 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I think Gibson is best suited for the outside, and putting him in slot will limit his strengths while playing to his weaknesses.

  25. 25 Sb2bowl said at 2:30 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    We don’t know that yet- might not be a bad third or 4th option when we spread them out and throw the ball.

  26. 26 D3FB said at 8:26 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    The short part of Gibsons game isn’t good. They can probably do some bubble stuff and some end arounds etc with him, where you just get him the ball and let him run. He’s not a guy I’d be super into running the 6 yard out on third and five.

    For this year Gibson is basically a better Treggs.

  27. 27 wee2424 said at 9:56 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    If you read up on him and watch some tape it becomes very apparent that he is meant for the outside, especially at this point of his extremely young career.

    In the future he MAY develop into a decent slot receiver, but I just don’t see the coaches really trying him at that due to the fact he is really meant to be on the outside.

    Im sure the team views him as Smiths replacement.

  28. 28 wee2424 said at 11:18 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    I think with our outside weapons a drop off in slot talent wouldn’t be too hurtful.

    I am curious to see Ags in slot, and I think Turner could be a decent slot receiver. He may not be as talented as Mathews, but he sure as hell will catch the ball. Having Smith, Ertz, and Alshon on the field should make playing slot a bit easier.

  29. 29 Jason said at 1:50 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Run even more 12 personnel packages if JMatt is shipped for Ingram? Ertz becomes primary slot receiver.

  30. 30 wee2424 said at 1:56 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    No PT?

  31. 31 xmbk said at 2:55 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I think Matthews and Ertz have been stepping on each other’s toes for a couple of years. Might be better this year, but if Matthews goes I think it would open up some opportunities for Ertz as well. Also lets Alshon move inside some, if either of the rooks are ready.

  32. 32 Insomniac said at 2:14 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Ingram is just so average though.

  33. 33 meteorologist said at 8:51 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Is Ingram a younger Ryan Mathews? Only 2 16 game seasons

  34. 34 xmbk said at 10:32 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    I don’t think people appreciate that Barnett fell due to the run on offense. Without that run, the Eagles do not get him. I think we might look back on this a little differently than we do right now.

  35. 35 Sb2bowl said at 10:39 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Public Service Announcement:

    This is no place for rational and logical thought; please refrain from using reason and instead stick with emotionalism and uninformed opinions.

    Please return to your regularly scheduled unfounded concerns and fears.

    Thank you!

  36. 36 wee2424 said at 11:06 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    That should be a disclaimer placed on every Eagles website.

  37. 37 Mac said at 11:15 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Even if he doesn’t become an elite NFL player, he has the makings of being a great foundation building piece for the franchise. If he becomes Trent Cole 2.0 or somewhat better, that’s a great value at 14.

  38. 38 Ark87 said at 12:52 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Trent Cole spent a fair portion of his career being elite, being in the trifecta of great pass-rusher conversation: Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware, Trent Cole. Trent Cole getting in the conversation for being the best all around DE, great pass rusher and best run defender by a fair margin. Very unlikely that Barnett ends up better than Cole. Barnett will likely be a starter, and that’s about what you can expect from 14

  39. 39 sonofdman said at 2:08 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I am a big fan of Trent Cole and agree is would be great if Barnett ends up as good as Cole, but Cole was not ever really in the conversation with Ware and Allen for being the best all around DE. I think you might have the green colored glasses on for this one.

    Ware
    Sack numbers by season: 8, 11.5, 14, 20, 11, 15.5, 19.5, 11.5, 6, 10, 7.5, 4
    Total sacks – 138.5
    9 prowl bowls, 4 1st team all pro

    Allen
    Sack numbers by season: 9, 11, 7.5, 15.5, 14.5, 14.5, 11, 22, 12, 11.5, 5.5, 2
    Total sacks – 136
    5 pro bowls, 4 1st team all pro

    Cole
    Sack numbers by season: 5, 8, 12.5, 9, 12.5, 10, 11, 3, 8, 6.5, 3, 2
    Total sacks 90.5
    2 pro bowls, 0 1st team all pro

    Cole was very good against the run. Ware was also good against the run, while Allen was not. But Ware and Allen were at another level as pass rushers. Cole had a great career, Ware is a no doubt hall of famer and Allen likely will be in the hall of fame as well.

  40. 40 Ark87 said at 2:23 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I didn’t mean to give the impression I thought Cole had similar careers to Ware and Allen. I mean in the sense that he was literally in the conversation when they were all in their prime. Like discussions about top 5 in a position group shows during the off season filler talk. Cole was well-regarded for being perhaps the most complete DE in the league, even if his numbers were not as flashy.

    Career-wise The other guys are probably HoF (Ware I think is a lock). They had higher highs and kept those numbers up for longer. Cole perhaps changed systems too many times beginning at the end of his prime. He won’t be considered for any big career honors.

  41. 41 sonofdman said at 4:05 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Cole was great against the run. He definitely played the run as good or better than most other good pass rushers. But sacks (and hurries) will always be the most important thing for 4-3 DEs.

    Cole was one of my favorite players of that Eagles era. I loved how physical he played and how he went at full speed at all times. If there was a stat for uncalled holding where the refs ignored o-linemen wrapping their arms around the neck, I think Cole would have led the league.

  42. 42 Ark87 said at 4:09 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I wonder how many fingers he has broken. Always interesting seeing O-linemen with super messed up fingers and bragging about them like they wrestle gators. “yeah that one was Trent Cole in ’07”

    He definitely leads the league in Judo-throwing offensive tackles.

  43. 43 KillaKadafi said at 3:10 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    It would be interseting to see the run defense stats, as Cole was very impressive against the run.

    One of the issue I have about comparing 3-4 OLBs to 4-3 DEs is how often the former is matched up against a overmatched TE

  44. 44 Mac said at 4:31 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    If it’s the “or somewhat better” that’s throwing you off, I could say, in the neighborhood of Trent Cole 2.0… because I think that’s where Barnett could end up.

    Mario Williams, Terrell Suggs, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Julius Peppers… Trent Cole belongs in the conversation among the top 10 DE/OLBs of a decade, and I agree that he’s an outstanding player (and one of the very few Eagles jersey’s I own), but I do believe this Barnett kid is inheriting a very nice situation with Graham, Curry, Cox, and Jernigan in place… he could put up some good numbers (even this year).

    I like this move even more because I see this as a potential long term feature player for the Eagles. Will he be in the discussion of top 10 DE/OLB 10 years from now? I’m not sure, but I’m willing to hope that he will be.

  45. 45 Ark87 said at 4:59 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I like the move as well. because even if he is only sort of a reliable every-down starter, say among the top 32 pass rushers in the league (of a hypothetical 64+), that probably has more value than say, a stud running back. I don’t disagree with you on his potential, I just don’t really expect him to meet it, as very few players ever meet their potential, takes a special situation to do that. But I’m hoping he does. Either way, I’m happy with the pick.

  46. 46 Donald Kalinowski said at 12:00 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    People wanted an elite playmaker on offense or a CB. Barnett doesn’t seem explosive or athletic and not a guy that teams will gameplan around. He’s mostly just a compliment to the DL and it was a bit dissapointing.

  47. 47 Fufina said at 12:50 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Think people are severely underestimating his ceiling. He has a pretty special set of athletic tools, with his body control, ability to bend, change of direction and fluidity. What he does not have is special vertical explosion, but i am not entirely convinced that this is a vital component of being an elite pass rusher, and i would argue ability to bend, body control and power are far more important.

    One of the other ways people seem to look at Barnett is that he is some kind of finished product. He is a technician in some areas of his game, he has excellent hands and his bend and rip is pretty polished. However he has lots of areas to develop, he needs to grow his counter moves, improve his at times comical spin move etc. The other area of upside is his strength. Barnett is only 20 still, and has significant upside to improving his functional strength. If he can improve that, it opens up bull rushes as another threat to a Tackle, and should help him convert his speed to power to really put a Tackle on roller-skates.

    True Freshmen at 18 do not come into the SEC and put up 10 sacks without have some pretty impressive raw tools and talent. People are underselling how good he could be.

  48. 48 Gian GEAGLE said at 1:18 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    The problems is the combine only measures a small fraction of the athleticsm needed to succeed in the NFL. There are so many other tests they could do that would be more valuable than measuring a DE’s 40 time, and it just so happens that the antiquated drills that they do measure arent the best areas of Barnett’s game that makes him successful.

    For example if they find a way to measure hand usage, that would be a lot better than measuring a 40 time for a 270lb player who’s job rarely requires him running more than 5 steps to get to the QB
    .
    Just the fact that we have the 40time as one of the measures for every single position shows that combine is mostly generic football measurements that fall short of getting in depth measurements of all the different skills required to be successful at different positions once they get to the next level

  49. 49 Sb2bowl said at 1:39 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    You bring up a good point- when will the NFL (and thus the Combine) begin to incorporate some “advanced” statistics into their player measurements?

    And why not have specific drills for positional groups? Want to know how fast a QB is in the 40? Keep it. But want to see how many footballs a QB can put on a target (a la Pro Bowl skills challenge?)? Add it.

    There’s an ocean worth of data out there that the NFL simply doesn’t collect, because “that’s the way they’ve done it”…………..

  50. 50 ChoTime said at 1:47 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    They’ll use it once they get something better. The tests already measure athleticism fairly comprehensively. Short range burst, change of direction, general agility, long speed, as well as physical size and reach. How often do we see people who don’t measure up dominate games on a consistent basis? After all, that’s what we’re talking about here. No one’s saying Barnett can’t be a solid pro.

  51. 51 Sb2bowl said at 2:48 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I think he can be……… (Barnett).
    But like every rookie, there are going to be trials and growing pains. That’s why I’m glad we have some veterans in front of him- if nothing else, he’ll learn how to prepare and play in a manner well advanced for his years.

    I’m excited to see what he can do when he earns the playing time. I wasn’t overly enthused when we made the pick, but it wasn’t disappointing either. Out of what was available, right now it looks like they made a good selection which also matches up with value and team need.

  52. 52 Sean Stott said at 4:23 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I once heard a fan ask Bill Polian this question on Sirius. Another issue you have to consider is that these current tests have the benefit of being around already, for years. They can look at historic performance in Combine drills vs. career production, for instance. If you come out with a new metric, there will be growing pains as scouts and teams figure out how these new metrics help define career outlook.

  53. 53 ChoTime said at 5:15 PM on May 9th, 2017:

    I love stats, but am not a huge fan of the physical metrics. AFAIK, they’re pretty good at eliminating people from consideration but not so much in predicting future performance. A lot of players’ value is in information processing and intuitive understand of the game, which is hard to measure.

  54. 54 wee2424 said at 8:40 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Could not have been said better.

  55. 55 xmbk said at 2:48 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I have no doubt that is how some fan’s looked at it. They are wrong, or had unrealistic expectations for the 14th pick.

    Not saying guys like Ross or McCaffery aren’t fun. But again, I think if/when the D Line starts pressuring a bit more like the days of old, you will hear people change their tune.

  56. 56 wee2424 said at 8:43 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Ross won’t be fun on the sideline.

  57. 57 Ankerstjernen said at 4:10 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    He was in the 88th percentile among DE’s in the 3-cone. I think 6 hundreds of a second slower than Sidney Jones in that same drill, a person just about 70 pounds lighter. Part of it is his elite ability to contort his body and bend with speed, which he uses to beat premium left tackles who simply arent athletic enough to keep up. The idea that Barnett is unathletic because he runs 1/10th slower in the 40 simply has to stop. Stop it. Stop.

  58. 58 xmbk said at 4:52 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Slower in a good way. Actually a concern that someone as small as Jones couldn’t break 7.

  59. 59 Ankerstjernen said at 5:03 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Maybe Barnett is just… Athletic?!

  60. 60 xmbk said at 5:42 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Nothing to do with Barnett. It’s a mild concern that a small CB couldn’t break 7.

  61. 61 Jernst said at 6:41 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    he was actually 0.6 seconds FASTER than Sidney jones in the 3-cone believe it or not

  62. 62 wee2424 said at 8:42 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    He was faster then Jones.

  63. 63 Dave said at 12:24 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I think the other reason were his poor numbers at his pro day and combine.

  64. 64 xmbk said at 2:44 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I don’t think they had any effect at all on his draft position. If he were more explosive, he probably goes higher. Some teams are all about upside. But his tape said everything teams needed to know, and the combine didn’t have any surprises that changed anyone’s evaluation.

  65. 65 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 5:24 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    2 RBs, 3 QBs and 3 Wrs. No one saw that happening.

  66. 66 BlindChow said at 11:07 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    “He was never good enough to get on the field during the season…”

    I do wonder about this. We saw with Agholor last year that salary had a bigger bearing on whether you played than performance.

  67. 67 Dude said at 11:16 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    Possibly, or it could be an indictment of the rest of the WR corps.

  68. 68 Mac said at 11:17 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    It almost sounds like you think being a coach is as simple as watching a player play football and evaluating them based on the results of said playing time.

  69. 69 xmbk said at 11:33 AM on May 8th, 2017:

    As fan’s we tend to simplify our perspectives. If a gun was to Pederson’s head to win a game, he might make different decisions. But he’s also trying to develop players. They certainly see and know a lot more about the players than just what we see on Sunday.

    I think it’s much more reasonable that potential had a bigger bearing on Agholor’s pt than performance.

  70. 70 Dave said at 12:23 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I may be wrong, but I thought I read last year that Ags practices very well and looks great. Come game time, he looks poor.

  71. 71 Mac said at 12:34 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    He’s headed in one of two directions: find the right girl, settle down play out the Philly contract and have a successful career as the #2 WR in another city, or find another wrong girl, have more problems and bounce from team to team as a journeyman WR that keeps getting new contracts because he “was a 1st round pick.”

  72. 72 xmbk said at 2:45 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Prime sports psych candidate.

  73. 73 A_T_G said at 12:57 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    C.J. Smith was one of my underdog favorites last year and Dillon Gordon stepping into the starting lineup as Peters leaves would be beautiful symmetry. I’ll be rooting for both of them.

  74. 74 Gian GEAGLE said at 1:10 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I will say McCalisters body bend looks impressive. He Has the ability to bend and get under RT’s to beat them around the edge to the QB which was on display in both of these clips. The question with him is whether he added enough bulk/strength to set the edge against the run, and he might have to show some special teams ability if he wants To give himself a chance to take MS2 roster spot

  75. 75 SallyForth said at 1:49 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Along with Dillon Gordon am also curious to see if Taylor Hart has any possible future at Tackle.

    Have a hunch that Grimes might well make it at the slot corner.

    As for DBG … am truly wondering about the “talent” that’s attributed to him. If “talent” pertains to his size – then he’s VERY talented. Alas, that great size has failed to translate on the field. And as he doesn’t play on ST it would seem his days on the Eagles are numbered …

  76. 76 Insomniac said at 2:24 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    You’re making him out to be Hank Baskett. DGB has immense physical talent but he’s not willing to put everything together.

  77. 77 sonofdman said at 3:52 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Nah, Hank Baskett played special teams.

  78. 78 xmbk said at 4:48 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    The fact that DGB doesn’t contribute on ST speaks volumes.

  79. 79 Jernst said at 6:37 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Semantics. If you mean size and speed when you say talent, then yes he’s physically talented. If you mean, skill at playing the position of WR in a professional football game, then no he is not talented at all. He doesn’t run good routes, he doesn’t get open, he doesn’t use his size to out-muscle, out-jump or even out-position smaller CBs during contested balls, he doesn’t track the ball well, he doesn’t block well, he doesn’t run after the catch well, he doesn’t high point the ball well, heck he doesn’t even know the rules or seem to try very hard. So, I kind of agree with Sally…he’s big…he’s fast…and despite playing with those immense physical advantages over his competition he’s so untalented that it doesn’t even matter.

  80. 80 Insomniac said at 10:32 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    He has RAC skills. The best RAC skills on the team after Sproles actually. He can high point the ball well. As seen in the GIF and in his rookie year. He doesn’t track like the best of them but Wentz’s deep ball accuracy was one of the worst in the league. So how is he Hank Baskett again?

    That Titans staff would have struggled to coach up Julio Jones if they had him. For christ sake, DGB started five games his rookie season and was the the top WR with 582 yards. The coaching down there sucked and he got traded to us.

  81. 81 Insomniac said at 2:15 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    If DGB even puts something together then Agholor and Turner are gone. You’re not stashing Hollins or Gibson on the practice squad.

  82. 82 Sb2bowl said at 2:46 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Probably going to carry 6 WR’s this year, depending on how everything shakes out.
    Jeffrey, Smith, Gibson, Hollins, Matthews (trade?), Ags/DGB/Turner.

    DGB doesn’t play special teams; neither does Matthews. Jeffrey doesn’t, and I’m not sure about Smith (probably not). If it comes down to it, Ags may have to cut his teeth and get a little dirty on special teams in order to stay on the team.

  83. 83 Jernst said at 6:32 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Ags is the only WR with a dead cap hit if cut. We’ve got the least amount of cap space in the league. We’re not going to cut Agholor and lose $2.13M in cap space to keep DGB or Turner.

  84. 84 Sb2bowl said at 9:13 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Remember when Reid kept 7 WR’s on the 53 man roster?

  85. 85 xmbk said at 2:49 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    It’s not happening. DGB is who is he is, and pretty soon that likely will be an ex-NFL player.

  86. 86 Insomniac said at 3:01 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    You could say the same for Aghs and Turner. DGB has the highest upside of that group.

  87. 87 xmbk said at 4:46 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    But Ags works hard, and Turner is a professional. I give Ags the best chance at this point, but we’ll know very soon on him.

  88. 88 Insomniac said at 7:30 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Are we giving Aghs the Matthews excuse now? He’s in the same boat as DGB, mentally incapable of playing at the highest level. DGB at least has size while Aghs

  89. 89 xmbk said at 5:43 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    I didn’t know working hard was an excuse. It’s a positive attribute.

  90. 90 Insomniac said at 9:53 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Were you one of those people who kept buying into Matthews being a stud because he posts training videos? Sounds like it.

  91. 91 xmbk said at 10:03 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Whatever. Matthews works hard, deserves respect for that.

    Sounds like you’re one of those people who wants to fill a team with longshots, then when one turns out you congratulate yourself. Underachievers with major upside = fired coaches and more high draft picks. DGB has never given anyone any reason to believe has a clue. Lumping him with Matthews is absurd, and the Ags comparison is a reach.

  92. 92 Insomniac said at 10:55 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    He does get respect for working hard. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a #3 WR at best.

    Keep the assumptions up buddy maybe you’ll hit on one with a long shot. DGB has given the more important people a clue. Dougie obviously wanted him. What has Matthews and Ags done again with all of said hard work? Ags comparison is a reach when all 3 of said WRs don’t have the mental capacity to do a combination of running routes, catch the ball, and stay in bounds. Righttttt.

  93. 93 xmbk said at 12:06 PM on May 9th, 2017:

    He obviously wants him? Not buying that.

  94. 94 Insomniac said at 2:12 PM on May 9th, 2017:

    It’s like the Kelly for DGB trade never happened in your mind.

  95. 95 xmbk said at 3:17 PM on May 9th, 2017:

    Wow, giving up a resource like Dennis Kelly certainly does show commitment.

  96. 96 Insomniac said at 6:08 PM on May 9th, 2017:

    You can spin it whatever way you want, Doug said ok to the trade.

  97. 97 scratcherk said at 2:42 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Trade discussions have started between Eagles and Saints according to Crossing Broad. Makes too much sense for it to not happen.

  98. 98 Media Mike said at 3:52 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Kelce for whatever player or pick they want to give back, just so we have some long term cap relief = good.

    Kelce + a pick = BAD.

  99. 99 BobSmith77 said at 4:27 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Kelce for a season’s worth of po’ boys and beignets = ???

  100. 100 sonofdman said at 4:39 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    If you send them to me, I’ll be big enough to anchor against nose tackles by pre-season.

  101. 101 ChoTime said at 4:52 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    mmmm, po’boys…

  102. 102 BobSmith77 said at 4:42 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I have no idea when I see DGB I always picture him in ‘House Party’ as one of Kid N’ Play’s posse.

  103. 103 xmbk said at 4:47 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Nice. Appropriate.

  104. 104 A_T_G said at 5:27 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    https://twitter.com/fieldyates/status/861689737899380736

    https://twitter.com/igglesnut/status/861690384661057536

  105. 105 Tdoteaglefan said at 7:16 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Charles Walker 6’2 310lbs

    -NDT Scouting had him rated as the # 16 DT on the board…ahead of guys like Ryan Glasgow, Josh Tapou etc.

    Hand Technique: Hands possess a notable level of power and has great length to press and extend and reset the LOS. If conceding a clean chest is irregular with efforts to sweep or rip out of contact. Length is a huge asset to game.

    Flexibility: Has good lateral rotation ability throughout
    the trunk as a means of getting skinny when attacking blocks. Able to maximize ROM in the shoulders and strike optimally to overwhelm blockers at the point of attack.

    Competitive Toughness: Motor runs hot and cold; will ease off of too many plays to ignore. Will not release off the LOS with the same level of enthusiasm given down and distances and lacks drive to flow from the back side of the play to work down the field and challenge.

    Pass Rush Counters: Power rusher with nice initial
    quickness and pop in hands to go into gaps or between weaker defenders if left one on one. Lacks an elaborate skillset to win given the set of blockers in protection; needs more versatility.

    Two Gap Ability: Has a good, strong natural anchor thanks to stocky build and low frame. Will show length but is more of a punch and extend than actually working to stack blocks and get separate in the alley.

    First Step Quickness: Has a good initial release on
    passing distances, capable of keying up the snap count cleanly. Has only average close down ability and lacks burst to sweep across gaps and get after the football.

    Gap Penetration Skills: Powerful, low frame is difficult
    to press and wall off with effectiveness. Strength and momentum are essential to success; must beat linemen to spot in order to uncover with consistency.

    Feet/COD: Struggles with redirection ability. Appears
    to have a hard time corralling body weight and requires notable steps to collect and shift back towards the football when action in the play takes action the other way.

    Tackling: Length presents a notable tackling radius at point of contact. Capable of influencing the backfield with regularity if not covered. Has powerful frame to drop a shoulder and level a target in the backfield with a running start.

    Versatility: Has been used as a rusher on both interior
    and exterior gaps. Skillset is present to grow into an effective two gap defender and has more polish as a one on one defender to use hand power and length to overwhelm blockers.

  106. 106 Sb2bowl said at 9:37 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Thought he got drafted. If his head is on straight, he could push for a spot

  107. 107 Dave said at 5:38 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I don’t see the Saints trading for Kelce unless they think Unger will have a tough time making it back at all.

    There is a reason they spent a 2nd round pick on Alvin Kamara and also signed AP.

  108. 108 Ark87 said at 7:21 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Haven’t been following that closely lately, but they seemed to heavily prefer huge beefy O-line.

  109. 109 Dave said at 7:58 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    You are correct, Unger is a very big man at 6’5″.

  110. 110 Ark87 said at 10:06 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Poor Kelce would be a smurf on that line

  111. 111 Jernst said at 6:28 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Yea they don’t want nose tackles pushing the center of their line back into their 5’11” QB

  112. 112 Rellihcs said at 7:22 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Kempski has an article up bout vet rbs potentially available. I hadn’t thought about Carlos Hyde. Can’t lie, i want.

  113. 113 Insomniac said at 7:42 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    We’re tanking for Barkley or Guice.

  114. 114 Rellihcs said at 8:00 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    That idea kinda gives me a Chubb.

    I am fine with tanking, as long as we can do it whole still winning 16-20 games. You know, like the Sixers…

  115. 115 Dave said at 7:39 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    As I am slowly rewatching the NFL combine to see our drafted players, I came upon something sort of alarming.

    Watching highlights of Shelton Gibson, it really seems like he is a burner. I found it weird that he ran a 4.50.

    Zay Jones, on the other hand, seemed to play much slower than the 4.45 at which he was timed.

    When I used the super slow motion on my Directv DVR to go frame-by-frame, I was a little confused. Check out the frames below to make your own decision.

  116. 116 Dave said at 7:40 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Frame 1, just before any movement occurred for either rman

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/303cc3d113b5879eca51a7b7920dc41fd9904e3f96b0b76e2dc1a6cf55e8a249.png

  117. 117 Dave said at 7:41 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Frame 1, movement of both men occurs but Zay’s clock hasn’t started yet

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bff92368a027eac018c3cb9d270f4baa40bfbae32563c0fc1847bc9b3c877160.png

  118. 118 Dave said at 7:42 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Frame 3, more movement, no clock change for Zay

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/077b320fb5e961cb54f93b18cf9958f75a904491faf4af103b50ab40b5fbe19a.png

  119. 119 Dave said at 7:43 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Frame 4, both guys have their hand of the ground and Shelton is at 0.09 seconds while Zay’s clock still has not started.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5aa85e7caa60e77e3b8e6385a6196368290c22f560fcb1fd511fedab20578886.png

  120. 120 Dave said at 7:44 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Frame 5, both men’s heads are across the start line but Zay’s clock still hasn’t started

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4546e68aa592d25fc62b47e5a33b971a24587872323cb9ee03860d6e51175d21.png

  121. 121 Dave said at 7:46 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Frame 6, Shelton at 0.17 seconds, Zay still at 0.00

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1603fce0a928cffd7aef6c8152e9f794aacee6303d24f4158adbbcb7eea551f4.png

  122. 122 Dave said at 7:47 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Frame 7, Shelton at 0.19, Zay still at 0.00

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8a680c4841fc2b8a8077357159b7f163f7e9144b1ef880710e0d595e393ccff8.png

  123. 123 Dave said at 7:48 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Frame 8, both guys now have their rear foot of the ground. Shelton at 0.23, Zay still at zero

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8910cfbc64f16765e700537d0a2e2f04a8641a9de11aa1cfcfc844b321ca100.png

  124. 124 Dave said at 7:49 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Frame 9, Zay’s clock finally starts while Shelton is at 0.23 seconds.https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/80da10af64cdf6563ce31c02c748a6444d1417ace146636db9e50b6ce3c671e9.png

  125. 125 Dave said at 7:52 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    I figured I better check the end of the run to make sure the clock on the screen matched the actual run. I was slightly taken back that Zay’s clock stopped well short of the 40 yard mark. Shelton’s also stopped short, but not nearly as much.

    Zay’s run ended up officially as a 4.45 while Shelton was a 4.50.

    Mayock was shocked Zay ran so fast and bewildered by how slow Shelton ran. Now we know.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e19209c37f277c27e7dd6a3459f525be0a508a633da5d0d3c7f0282d4bd5a257.png

  126. 126 meteorologist said at 9:02 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Wow great work. Pretty sure the clock is supposed to start when the hand leaves the ground so they messed up on Gibson’s time. That explains his 4.39 at his pro day
    https://twitter.com/ErikBurkhardt/status/838056209840242688

  127. 127 Dave said at 9:18 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Gibson just flat out blows by CBs in games when you watch his highlights.

    I wanted to check Mack Hollins but they didn’t have the cock on the screen until halfway through his run. Then he pulled up lame before the finish and didn’t runs 2nd time.

    Honestly, I was blown away at how bad the electric timing was at the combine. You would think in 2017 they would have much better equipment/results.

  128. 128 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 9:31 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    That’s why teams still trust their own scouts/timers

  129. 129 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 9:08 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    Nice work detective

  130. 130 Jernst said at 6:25 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    It’s incredible how fast these guys run, when a third of a second is off the clock before they’ve even taken a single step off the line and they still run the 40 in 4.5 seconds.

  131. 131 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 9:06 PM on May 8th, 2017:

    The 40 is a track event. He could have been a half slow that day or had a bad start. Or he could have came up too fast. I really wouldn’t worry about it. He did break the record for the 60 yard dash.

    On his pro day teams had him 4.38-4.42.

  132. 132 wee2424 said at 10:09 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Gibson apparently pulled up due to an injury at the combine. Hence the 4.42 at his pro-day.

  133. 133 wee2424 said at 10:08 AM on May 9th, 2017:

    Im too lazy to look it up, but does anyone know what the cap savings would be if a Kelce for Ingram trade did occur?