Interesting Idea
Posted: February 22nd, 2018 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 208 Comments »We know the Eagles need to get under the salary cap. That means re-working some deals and making some cuts. It could also mean possibly trading a veteran, if the circumstances were right. PFT had a link to a story yesterday about the Colts transitioning to the 4-3 defense. They want to be a fast, attacking Tampa-2 style defense. One problem…they don’t have much at DE.
Interesting.
The Eagles could talk to them about a trade of Vinny Curry. The Eagles would save $5M and help to create a better cap situation. The Colts would have their starting RDE. Frank Reich is the new coach in Indy and might like bringing over a guy from the Eagles to help establish the right culture. The Colts are projected to have a ton of cap space. They could go sign a free agent, but this isn’t projected to be a great crop to choose from.
You wouldn’t get great return for Curry. You could ask for Indy’s 4th round pick. Would you do it for a 5th? Keep in mind that their pick is at the top of the round.
The NFL Combine starts on Tuesday and teams will begin discussing deals…in Indy. This is where the groundwork of most major deals happens.
The Eagles could talk to Curry about taking a pay cut. If he would agree to do that, they might prefer to keep him. Curry’s sack numbers weren’t great to be sure, but he was an outstanding run defender and got good pressure on the QB. He’s not worth his current cap price of $11M to the Eagles so something has to happen.
The other X-factor here is whether the Eagles think Derek Barnett is ready to seriously push for a starting job. If so, they might want to move on from Curry. That would allow them to save money and then add a young DE to the mix. Brandon Graham and Chris Long aren’t young so adding a young player might make a lot of sense.
It sure feels like the smart play would be to move on from Curry. I’d hate to see him go, but that’s the business of football.
*****
Eagles' Alshon Jeffery played with torn rotator cuff; surgery could sideline him through preseason https://t.co/ypEoPJMQ6D via @philly.com
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) February 22, 2018
So AJ played all year with a torn rotator cuff? Wow. Tough dude. Les has some details.
Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has undergone surgery to repair his right rotator cuff, a source said Wednesday, confirming an NFL.com report. The goal is for Jeffery to be ready for the 2018 regular season, though he could return during the preseason if all goes well, the source said.
Jeffery, 28, one of the Eagles’ biggest Super Bowl LII heroes, was injured on the first weekend of training camp but played every game of the 2017 season, catching 57 passes for 789 yards and nine touchdowns. He played 82 percent of the Eagles’ offensive snaps.
Jeffery did not experience significant discomfort during the season or the three-game postseason, the source said. In the playoffs, Jeffery caught 12 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns, including a spectacular 34-yard score from Nick Foles in the Super Bowl.
Two questions came out of this. First, how was he never on the injury report. That last paragraph from Les tells you the key info. The injury didn’t really affect him that badly. He practiced and played at a high level. The Eagles didn’t gain any competitive advantage. The league could talk to the Eagles about this, but it looks like they should be okay by the letter of the law.
Should the Eagles have signed AJ to the contract extension knowing he was hurt? If he was a starting QB or pitcher, no. As a WR, not a huge deal. He obviously played through the injury and made some huge catches. The Eagles don’t win the Super Bowl without him. This is an injury that should completely heal after surgery so I don’t see this as some major risk.
He will miss some preseason and Training Camp time. That will provide a huge opportunity for Shelton Gibson, Mack Hollins and other young receivers to show what they can do.
_
I’ve been on the trade/cut Curry bandwagon for a while.
1) he is on a bad contract
2) Barnett is ready to start
3) as Tommy said BG be Long are older players. BG is a guy who’s impact could just fall off a cliff as he ages. We need to add young players here
4) we could use the cap relief to improve the roster elsewhere
Curry was the ultimate tease. We all thought that he would be more impactful and productive in Schwartz’s system. He’s been better, but hardly a guy that is irreplaceable. With so many tough decisions coming up for this team Curry feels like an easy one.
Yeah I like Curry but not at his current contract. I feel like he’s one of the keys to our offseason, because either moving him or getting him to restructure could really help get us some breathing room, since it’s unlikely we’re going to move Foles.
For what it’s worth I had a dream that Nigel Bradham signed elsewhere. I called him a traitor in my dream.
I’m not sure it’s unlikely we move Foles. I go back and forth on an almost daily basis. I think Foles is the key to how this offseason plays out.
Yup.
I feel like we should begin a competition about who can comment second. Much harder.
Actually, you get my vote.
When it comes down to the Eagles defense it shouldn’t be whether Barnett is ready to start, but the number of effective DES it takes to maintain the rotation. Finding a DE that can play with so few picks is even more difficult. Hopefully, they already have one such player in Means.
Even though the Eagles have other needs it is vital for this defense to continue to find the players capable of putting constant pressure on QBS. What better example than Chris Long who played a major part in the Super Bowl run. Here’s a guy that was once a premier pass rusher that just had the best year of his career since his early years with the Rams.
Thank you for bringing up Means – he needs his shot (especially with our rotation-dependent system). How much praise can one man receive from the OL members?? Need to save money, and Curry-out/Means-in makes all the sense in the world.
Please refrain from starting an idea with “here’s a guy…..” That sounds so Colinsworthian….
You talk about Chris Long, you’re talking about a guy who…
This is honestly the first comment here that I thought about downvoting, just because I hate Collinsworth so much I want to downwote everything about him.
It is also about cap allocation. If you pay big money to four og five starters on the D-line, you are not going to be able to sign good DB’s and LB’s. Right now it works out because our corners are essentially playing for free. But in 2019 they are going to have to start signing guys like Darby and Mills along with Hicks (and Agholar, Vaitai and Ajayi on the offensive side) and this changes things for the D-line. It means that they are probably looking at how to draft some younger guys at DT and DE this offseason and next to balance the salaries out. At least, that would be the ideal. They would almost certainly also love to have some cap space to carry over into 2020 to pour into Carsons contract which might be a huge deal.
I agree, but with Schwartz’s system it’s vital that they maintain constant pressure or you will see what happened in the Super Bowl defensively more often. Unless, the Eagles CB’s learn to play tighter coverage, and I hope Jones and Darby have that ability, it’s imperative that the Eagles have a strong rotation of DE’s.
Did I miss something or hasn’t there been much discussion on the serious of Wentz’s injuries? One doctor comparing the extent of Wentz’s injuries to RGIII is concerning. Obviously, it helps that if Carson is forced to slow down he has a greater skill set than RGIII has or had.
It appears that doctor was incorrect
I doubt that doctor has seen any MRI or rehab results from either player, so I discount the speculation.
You are probably right.
Don’t worry. It’s all you’re going to have to talk about for the next months, and I promise you, you will get more of it than you want.
Les Bowen went on twitter saying the reporting was inaccurate, that the doctor who went on the radio wasn’t affiliated with the case. I wouldn’t be surprised if WIP put him on the radio to generate some material, it’s a long offseason.
Sounds good me.
Did I miss something or is trusting WIP for serious technical medical information laughable?
Saw the article on Bleeding Nation. I didn’t realize it was from the morning show, but do seriously doubt Angelo’s medical expertise? You forget the man is an expert in every area, at least in his mind.
The source we should go to for this is the people who bring you cataldi and the wing bowl.
All the best doctors publicly discuss patients they haven’t examined.
Seriously, putting any stock into that is foolish – period.
Ok, I’ll stop now. I promise.
The guy claimed it must be 3 ligaments just from looking at the hit when it’s reported to only be 2. His recovery timeline is if his guess is correct but I can’t see why the team should lie
Did the Eagles officially report 2? Doug mentioned one, Carson said two, but was there ever an official report? Just curious
It is fairly rare for somebody to tear three ligaments in the same knee during the same injury unless they have their knees run over in a traffic accident. There is only so many different ways a joint can bend in one move. The world, as far as we know, still only has three dimensions.
One doctor who hasn’t talked to, or treated Wentz. We know as much about the injury as that doctor does. Also, 80% of RGKnee’s game was running – not so with Wentz.
Moving Curry makes sense to me. I haven’t thought this through, but it looks like the upcoming draft has some exceptional DT talent. How about sending Curry and Jernigan to Indy for a 2nd and a 5th? Or a 3rd and a 4th? When Jernigan was on his game he was more valuable than Logan with penetration and getting skinny, but he was off his game quite a bit. That would necessitate that a DT that they like a lot would be pick #1 or #2. I know that OL is a major focus for acquiring youth and depth, but the OL seems (budget and play level) manageable for at least another season. The DL has to get younger more immediately.
Can’t trade Jernigan. That would cost you 6 million against the cap. When we signed him to that deal, he is here for 2018 at the very least, and most probably 2019 as well (though if he’s absolutely awful he could be cut).
While cap relief is nice, you can’t just start losing multiple guys on that line and expect it to be good. There is probably too much cap along the DL right now, and Curry is the obvious one to drop for 2018, but if he goes, and in 2019 Graham and Curry go, all of a sudden we have a problem there. And free agents there are expensive.
If we can re-sign Graham, Curry pretty much has to go. It’s the unknown of that situation which is the issue.
Well that is more thought out. I would guess there is definitely too much cap on DL, but to me that’s a lot like the national debt. when interest rates are non-existent, borrow, borrow, and borrow. I think after QB, DL is the area where overspending is appropriate….but the interest rate is rising fast on Eagles. And more concerning to me, DL is aging rapidly. If not the DL, there will be pain somewhere I gather.
Curry is a solid player and easy to cheer. If there was no salary cap, he’s definitely a guy who makes the team better.
But there are cap considerations and the arguments for moving him are very strong.
Well said.
Plus he’s a man of faith…so there’s that…
Helps a lot with healing time from what I’ve heard
I would classify my reticence as fear of the unknown.
It is easy to say: let’s replace the guy with the bad contract with a cheaper equivalent player.
It’s much harder to actually acquire that cheaper equivalent player. Granted it is easier to replace an effective DE than say 3-4 OLB, but the importance of DE in this defense adds to the concern about the potential replacement.
This is true, but in Curry’s case Barnett is on the roster and has shown big time ability.
You’d basically be replacing what Barnett was expected to do last season -be in the right place and not get beat, maybe make a play or two. Essentially “replacement level” production.
But that’s what makes it tough. We KNOW Curry is productive. Then it becomes a measure of the value of the production in relation to the rest of the roster construction.
I was digging the ability to platoon DEs with Graham/Curry and Long/Barnett. We’re not certain on the return of Long and if Barnett moves up to the top with Graham then our 2nd line of DEs are both question marks.
I’m not saying it can’t work out, but I am saying that it’s very possible that the DE position won’t be as strong as it was in 2017.
If you move on from Curry then Long is safe. The team seems to like means. We would add another DE in the mix. If we do trade Foles we have the draft picks to spend on a DE. We won’t lose the platoon strategy. We will be losing a solid player on a bad contract. We can replace him fairly easily with a solid player on a good contract.
Long is only “safe” if he wants to play football in 2018.
Has there been any indication at all that Long does not plan to play next year?
He’ll deal with it when he gets back from his mission…
“cheaper equivalent player”… have you no faith in Stephen Means?
Haha, I wouldn’t necessarily say I have no faith, but I also wouldn’t put Means near Curry’s level.
It is interesting that a player could keep an injury a secret from the team all season. He likely would have had to get treatment at some point or at least a diagnosis of the injury – did he go to his own doctor? Did the team’s doctors or trainers know?
Where did anybody say anything about this being kept a secret?
The fact that it never showed up on the injury report = it was a secret.
From other teams, not the Eagles.
And from everybody’s fantasy rosters.
You might remember how Alshon was strangely absent from the training camp practice field last spring. I bet something happened then.
The team knew. He wanted to play. He bet on himself and did a one year prove-it contract. He was a player that had a reputation for not staying on the field so he played through it. He played with some pain for a big payday. Its impressive, but wideouts can play through this injury.
Rotator cuff is weird like that. It can settle down and leave you alone if it’s a slight tear.
It’s a killer injury for baseball player (pitcher especially). Everybody else, not so bad.
I mean I wouldn’t want to have it or anything, but still.
#tennis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAOf6s9js9Q
Chris Rea DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS .. one of the best ever
..
And also JOSEPHINE
I’m not sure how injury reports are supposed to be made, but if Jeffery was hurt, didn’t the Eagles have to report it on their weekly report?
Of course, I never did understand the purpose of requiring an injury report, unless it has something to do with gambling (and of course we all know the NFL would never support gambling, Ha Ha). Otherwise, why should it be necessary to give your opponent this information?
It has to do with gambling.
The other option, could be to trade Brandon Graham. He is a really good player, but wants to get paid like he could as a free agent, and i think that could well be more than what the Giants paid Vernon in 2016…. and i am not sure that is something the Eagles can afford even if they want to pay a 30 year old DE like that, 3rd contracts can be scary.
You would get a bigger return for Graham even with him having just 1 year left, probably can get a 3rd, and he is better than any of the FA DE’s on the market.
I think trading your best edge rusher (by a wide margin) when you don’t have to would be a big mistake.
Yes, lets not get crazy here. The Eagles are in position til actually win it again this season. The 2018 team could be even better than the 2017 one, with a bit of injury luck. This is not the time to trade away your best edge roster like you are rebuilding for the future or something.
You’re nuts.
https://media.giphy.com/media/hyMFaxhuQkZTq/giphy.gif
Anything is possible and everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I do agree with you for the most part that Fufina is nuts. Brandon Graham is underpaid and was underrated until this year for most folk. He might be 29-30 years young and that might be considered old for a DE seeking a lucrative contract. I haven’t looked at his total snaps for his career but I do remember he has been sidelined by an injury. Does less snaps (due to injury) = longer career because of less body punishing contact on the field, if so, he should be in his prime now?
I like Fufina’s quirky outside the box takes and cap insight. The new avatar is a downgrade though imo.
I guess that is presuming that he is gone after 2018. Still, he’s our best DE, and not sure that Barnett is ready to be that good. I think we’d need a significant return (well more than a 3rd) to even think about it, as we would need to draft another DE at that point.
If we think we can re-sign Graham — he may just be playing the media over the summer to see if he can get Roseman to raise the offer, but wants to sign — this would be foolish, I think.
If we know for sure Graham intends to play out this year then walk, it does get to be a harder decision. But we still get Graham for another year in that case, underpaid, and maybe get a 3rd rounder as a comp pick when he walks, so I would not do it for a 3rd.
Kinda like a chandler jones move ala the patriots. Would need similar return (1 or 2).
Or we could let him play this year disgruntled, and franchise him next year. in the meantime, draft another de this year.
This is my preferred move if Graham wants really big money. Draft a DE this year and franchise him next year if necessary.
If you don’t have any intention of signing him or no intention of franchising him next year, then do you trade Graham for value now (1 or 2) or hope you can get a compensatory pick for him (late 4th probably bc of age maybe late 3).
Personally I think Barnett is ready now, but you lose a really good pash rusher on third down that we move inside and just won us a superbowl. Its not who is going to replace graham, but who would replace barnetts production (assuming barnett can replace grahams). Hits wise, and effective pass rush – graham has been top 5-10 for last couple yrs even if sacks don’t say that. but he isn’t good enough to get a double team like some other stud des.
Its an unnecessary risk to do to a strength. better to try and talk to curry or trade him. Keep graham for a yr, and possibly franchise him next year if need be. draft another de now.
Big consideration overresigning graham is ags, darby, ajayi … all younger by 3-4 years and up at same time. you resign ags now bc he hasn’t blown up yet and can get him cheap. you don’t resign ajayi bc he is a rb. let him play a yr and see where we are. let darby play another 8 games, and if you love him them sign him (but not a rush bc we are so deep there). if he doesn’t flash, let him walk. if graham balls out this year, consider franchising him for one more yr.
No one is making a 31 year old, especially one who doesn’t have eye popping sack totals, the highest paid edge.
Something that dramatic – the guy who saved the big game gets dealt for a pick – something of that caliber feels like it’s in the wind. His play from here on out will diminish the value of his current worth in a trade.
Crazy that this board consistently thinks everyone is going to take a hometown discount to stay here, *except* for Graham and Curry, two of the guys most likely to do so.
Don’t burst our bubble, youse!
Curry might, but Graham is on record saying he won’t. He really was underpaid with this last contract, so this is his last chance to really cash in. And he’s got a ring. It may all be posturing, but maybe he really is willing to risk injury this season in order to hit free agency.
Dawk and White took the money, they’ll all go to the money. The 2017 Eagles all had a wonderful year that they will never forget and no one can ever take away from them. They made friends that they think of as family and will keep for the rest of their lives. There will be reunions. They all got their ring and crossed that off their bucket list, every last one of them is going to set out to get paid now.
Dawk was during the Joe Banner years where our FO was way too rigid with players. Dawk was willing to take way less money for additional years. Denver offer both. We offered neither.
I don’t know the numbers, but the Eagles opened the door for Reggie to go to Green Bay…for a ring. Maybe the greatest DE to ever suit up with nothing to show for it but nice compensation. Pretty much everybody agreed he deserved better.
Yeah, pretty much this is how it works.
Yea it kinda depends on the player and contract. Someone making 4mm here vs. 6mm elsewhere is probably a lot harder than keeping someone here at 12mm vs. 13 or 14mm elsewhere
Just so you are aware, pretty much anyone that chooses to sign an extension with their team without testing FA is taking a hometown discount.
I don’t understand the pessimistic view that no player sees the value of winning, culture, or a being in a city they enjoy. I believe we are a team players want to place for. That doesn’t mean they are take $20mil less, but many are willing to make some conssessions for non-monetary benefits.
BG has already taken a hometown discount. He has a SB. I think he is a player looking to cash in in his last contract.
Curry to me is a guy I just want off the books. I don’t care if he takes a pay cut to save some money in 2018. I don’t want to pay him in 2019 and beyond.
There was an unusual time during training camp when Alshon was missing from the practice field. Remember?
He was present on the sidelines but away from all the action. Press guys complained that Alshon needed the reps.
It was an odd turn of events that went unexplained. That must be when it first occurred.
Bingo
Are there any teams that aren’t trying to acquire Kirk Cousins this off-season?
If I’m Howie… I’m letting his agent know he can suit up in Midnight Green for 6 mil next season.
Please let this happen! Please let this happen!
Could an unexpected team enter the chase for Kirk Cousins?
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/02/22/could-an-unexpected-team-enter-the-chase-for-kirk-cousins/
Cousins to the Cowboys? Do it, Jerry! Do it! Haha.
Cousins is currently the third best QB in the division (after Wentz and FOles). I’d rather see him somewhere else than upgrading Dallas or NYG.
I think Cousins is better than Foles. But if the Cowboys actually go that way… wow. That would put them back in cap strait jackets, which I thought that Dak let them wriggle out of. They still have $9 million of dead money for Romo in 2018. Granted, they could structure a contract with Cousins to avoid 2018 problems.
Jerry Jones may well go for something like that, but presumably his son may have a more sensible approach.
Foles RUles get outta here
He does but that doesn’t mean other players aren’t good too 😉
But you be arguably ok to rank them by rings and that puts cousins 4th in the division
I was already considering him behind Sudfeld, but Eli too?
Well id take Dak if he came w 2 rings .. damn if I’m talking hypothetical, id even take Andy back at the helm if he brought 2 rings. .. does that make me a sellout ?
As much as I despise Jones, QB is a position he has done well with in the past. Romo as an undrafted free agent and Prescott in the 4th round were far from bad choices. The fact is if Dallas’s OL is anywhere as they claim it, and it’s overrated, Cousins could do well there.
Their fool’s gold is a good thing for us. If they pay him a ton that means they have less to spend elsewhere.
Cousins is not a franchise QB. With him at the helm, they could conceivably with 9 – 11 games per year. That would keep them from having the chance to draft a real franchise QB and kill their cap space.
I’d be very happy with that.
He would also have a serious chip in his shoulder when playing the Skins.
If Dallas wins 11 games in a year, they’ve probably also won the division. I’d much rather they proceed with Dak.
Not when we win 12 to 13 games per year.
Why not I would give him 4 mil a year to back up WentZ
I have mixed feelings on this. Cousins would make them better. He’s a significant upgrade from Dak. So, for at least a couple years, particularly with Zeke in his prime, that would amen them formidable.
However, his price tag will slowly kill the little depth they have.on their roster. Cousins will likely get an inflated deal because, ya know, if you believe he’s a franchise QB, you pay him like one.
Jerry F’d up when he failed to get Manziel in the draft. That would have been the height of NFL entertainment.
OT – I just ran across this sorry if it’s old. Sproles would relate to this draft prospect Connor Williams who had a speech impediment and was bullied and ostracized. That’s pretty intense.
http://www.nfl.com/labs/cfb247/connor-williams/connor-williams.html
OT , just wow
Maybe think about going far far away
Sheriff Scott Israel said Deputy Scot Peterson should have “went in. Addressed the killer. Killed the killer.”
Video footage showed Peterson did none of that, Israel said.
“What I saw was a deputy arrive … take up a position and he never went in,” the sheriff said at a news conference.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-florida-shooting-sro-20180222-story.html
This nature thing is absolutely no ridiculous. First the FBI fails to follow up on a top the could have avoided this entire tragedy. Than the guy hired to protect this school sits outside like it’s a damn bank heist.
Not only the FBI but local authorities were made aware of the threat too. It took a lot of fail for this to happen
The FBI involvement here is being overblown due to the political situation at the moment, but we should all be careful what we’re asking for in this regard. There is nothing good that can come of having the FBI monitor citizens that have not yet committed a crime, and we should think long and before we compromise the 1st, 4th, and 5th Amendments to accommodate the 2nd.
There is a difference between making an arrest of someone who has committed not crime and simply following up. They did nothing when they had warning. They could have put extra security at the school anything would have been better than no action at all.
I also don’t give a shit about people’s rights when kids are being murdered in school.
I think even a cursory glance at American History would show you that when you give up rights to the government during a time of need, they almost never give it back when your time of need is over. That includes all current and past political parties, in case you think I’m saying something I’m not.
When things like this happen, there is no limit to the amount of people and organizations you can blame, and they’ll mostly be correct, because this is the culmination of thousands of failures across this kid’s lifetime. Changes need to be made, yes, but more importantly, the *right* changes need to be made.
1) You are assuming I believe people should be able to own automatic weapons. That is a right that I am perfectly fine with them taking away forever.
2) i never said arrest the guy. They could have been in high alert and staffed the area better to prevent something like this happening. I don’t know how even the most conservative person would argue that logic.
3) I will blame the FBI for not taking the time to follow up on a credible tip. They had intel and ignored it. That is inexcusable, as is a paid police officer watching the massacre happen from outside the school. There were failures all around.
We are already being surveilled via satellite, phone, cyber, ether, undercover. We have treasonous leaders elected by a rigged “2-party” system that is answerable ONLY to money. More and more power and influence has been ceded to fundamentalist right-wing, god-fearing ANTI-INTELLECTUALS because they outscream the fed-up moderates and progressives. Everybody knows that if the shooter was named Abboud or Mohammed, or if he yelled “Allah Akbar” that there wouldn’t be enough hotel space in Miami and Greater Broward County to accommodate all of the LE experts and PHD’s who swear to keep us all safe from foreign enemies. We are throughout the fucking looking-glass!
So – the sole responsibility of the FBI is to be reactive and not proactive? Interesting take….
Cant believe the combine is already here. If just feels like we just won the SB.
I dont think Curry or Foles are here this year.
“If just feels like we just won the SB.”
May this feeling last and last and last at least for a while longer…
It seems to be lasting for cowboys fans.
Good
The combination of the season lasting a month longer than it has in years and a comfortable SB afterglow takes us to the cusp of the new season. Good feeling. Agree…think Curry takes a powder and FOles goes.
“Steve Wilks: Cardinals will be “very aggressive” in finding a quarterback”
Posted by Charean Williams on February 22, 2018, 8:00 PM EST
>The Cardinals, currently without a quarterback under contract for
2018, will be “very aggressive” in finding Carson Palmer’s replacement,
coach Steve Wilks said Thursday. Arizona could look at signing a quarterback in free agency and drafting one, too.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/02/22/steve-wilks-cardinals-will-be-very-aggressive-in-finding-a-quarterback/
They currently have ZERO quarterbacks. They can’t be passive, or pass at all for that matter.
Hey Bert!
The Super Bowl MVP QB might sell some season tickets in AZ this year too.
I think Arizona could be a prime trade partner. The will miss out in the top QB prospects, don’t have the cap space for some of the top FA, and I think nick would embrace returning to Arizona.
You really want to make Foles play behind that OL?
1) if I’m Arizona I’d rather Foles than some rookie behind that OL
2) the OL can be fixed. This draft is loaded with good interior OL. It won’t be perfect year 1, but they can build in the right direction.
3) David Johnson would take a lot of pressure off of Foles
If they give away draft picks to get Foles, it will be harder to fix. And Foles will likely be awful year 1 while it improves, while fans might expect him to be better. Not sure that Foles would want to go there right now. Johnson would certainly help, assuming he comes back the same player he was. I’m sure they will try, but they may well also try to sign some other free agent QB first.
Johnson hurt his wrist. I don’t see that changing the player he is.
If they gave us a 2nd and 4th they could easily trade back in round 1 to recoup picks. The can add OL.
Other than the Broncos no team in need of a QB is really close (I am assuming the Vikings sign Keenum) to being a complete team. They all need work. The Jets need OL help, the Browns are historically bad, the Bills have been trying to trade their only good starter in Corey Glenn.
Foles isn’t going to a SB contender. Arizona has some pieces in place, has a creative OC, and is a place where Nick could enjoy raising his family. I’m not sure he finds a better situation
Jacksonville?
Either way, they have to get a quarterback. Yeah, the OL needs a complete overhaul that will take at least two seasons, but they can’t *not* get a quarterback… and they might as well get the one they like.
Whether or not they like Foles, I can’t say. But from where I’m sitting, he looks like the best fit on the market for them.
Yeah, I’d love to see it happen but D3 kind of broke down how bad that would of a destination for Foles.
Their OL was not that bad this year, and they have money to spend on a few FA’s. You have to assume that a QB like Foles will want to play for a team that has Fitzgerald and David Johnson being the focal points of the offense and has a pretty talented defense already. And they have a few dudes who are good deep threats which suits Foles’ deep ball pretty well. With the ties to Arizona, and with how their picks and cap space works out, it just makes too much sense for them to want to get Foles in there to be the starter while they try to develop a young QB who is not ready to start. And they are clearly stating that they are not going to blow everything up and commit to a total rebuild. They will probably lose out on Cousins who is going to get a ridiculous contract. So I could definitely see them setting their sights on either Foles or Keenum, and they could offer up this years second and next years second or third round picks, just like the original Alex Smith trade, in order to get the better QB of the two for lesser money. And I think Howie would go for that.
Their OL was dreadful. Their QBs were all knocked around. They were giving up pressure on half their dropbacks. Foles would not play well there either — even Carson Palmer couldn’t deal with it well.
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2017/12/13/16770834/arizona-cardinals-offensive-line-woes-not-all-on-offensive-line
They could go the FA route but good offensive lineman are expensive. And they need help at multiple spots, maybe even four of them. Maybe they have some young guys who their new OL coach will help, but… it’s not a good situation.
They have one commenter who thinks they should release four of the five starters and sign a bunch of mid-level FAs. Probably not realistic, but does demonstrate their situation.
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2018/2/22/17039194/2018-arizona-cardinals-offensive-line-jared-veldheer-mike-iupati-d-j-humphries
They probably need their high draft picks to help fix it. But they have zero at QB as well. If they could fix their QB issue without giving up draft picks, that would be far preferable to them. It seems likely that two of Bradford/Keenum/Bridgewater will be available, plus Cousins of course, plus McCarron. Brees is a free agent too, though I think everyone expects him to be back with the Saints. Obviously, if they do manage to fix their OL through free agency, then they may be more willing to trade for Foles.
Their WR situation is not good either. Fitzgerald is obviously still good, but is year-to-year on retirement. The rest of their WRs are free agents, and their TEs are either free agents or injured (Gresham tore his Achilles in the last game of the season, so he may not play a lot of 2018).
https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/cardinals/2018/01/06/arizona-cardinals-larry-fitzgerald-bruce-arians-michael-bidwill/1008682001/
(That was before Fitzgerald said he’d play at least one more year.)
David Johnson is really the only stud they have in his prime this year, and 2018 is the last year on his rookie deal. They have 22 million in cap space, and if they release some of their expensive OLmen they could get more, but they have a lot of holes to fix.
AZ has the 15th pick in the 1st round. I propose a trade. Here you go:
Cards get:
Foles
Warmack
Curry
Eagles 1st round pick, #32
Eagles 4th round pick TBD
Eagles get:
Cards 1st round pick, #15
Cards 2nd round pick, #47 or whatever
“It sure feels like the smart play would be to move on from Curry. I’d hate to see him go, but that’s the business of football.”
Exactly. I’m hoping he takes a salary reduction by the level of money that we’d save by cutting him. I’d love to have an active body run stuffer at $5 mil less / year for another year or two. But 3 sacks cannot equate to that current cap hit.
The whole tampering thing is a joke. He won’t have to be interviewed if there’s anybody out there willing to beat an Eagles offer…which almost inevitably there will be. His agent will hear from somebody that team X will do it, and then he’ll go through the motions and sign with team X.
Can’t tell if this is a weak draft or it’s the foreign feeling of picking last in rounds.
It feels like a weak class. Not a lot of 1st round caliber players. We should try to get as many 2-3 round picks as possible
All for trading down right now.
I have been watching som players and no one is jumping out at me like in years past. I havent found an OBJ, Kareem Hunt, LJ, etc
What do you think of this in the 5th round. RB John Kelly…He’s no Kamara but he’s slippery and he’s a good receiver (where he could be better than Smallwood) Has a red flag.
This is an unfortunate turn of events for new Vols HC Jeremy Pruitt. We’d heard Kelly was leaning towards declaring earlier in the campaign, though we thought he might have a change of heart due to a misdemeanor marijuana possession citation in October and a poor second half as Tennessee’s offense cratered amid all the Butch Jones drama. The 5-foot-9, 212-pound Kelly isn’t a burner, which will hurt his draft positioning, but he is extremely tough and versatile. Kelly was a broken tackle machine at Tennessee who provided value in the passing game.
.
Poor, poor John Kelly. He began the year with three 100-yard rushing performances in his first four games, but as with Tennessee as a program, the wheels have since fallen off. To whit, the 5-foot-9, 212-pounder managed just 84 yards combined over the final three games of this journey into the heart of darkness by the Vols.
http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/cfb/138537/john-kelly
Yea especially at 32, some guys will be long gone by the time we pick.
Yeah it’s kinda weak especially in the first round but there’s potential that it turns out to be an average class.
Good :
TE, DL/Edge, RB
Lots of potential players but few truly great prospects:
OT, CB, WR, QB, Safety
Borderline good:
LB, Interior OL
Yup. I’m in the trade down camp right now. Not many guys who I would consider a first round picks at 32. Maybe I should consider picking at 32 as pretty much the top of the second round.
You should
Most eagles fans fall into 2 categories on Bradham:
1) he’s a very good player. We need to find a way to sign that guy
2) he’s a very good player. We will never be able to afford that guy
I have been wondering if the smart play isn’t to simply let him walk. I don’t think we will keep both Bradham and Kendricks. Teams with talented rosters have to make sacrifices and LB seems like our undervalued position on defense. Letting bradham walk while keeping Kendricks gives us the following benefits:
1) less money invested into LB in 2018. Bradham is likely getting a larger contract than MK. Even if we work it so his 2018 number is less, we will have $3.2mil in dead money by releasing MK.
2) less money invested in LB in the long term. MK will have very little guaranteed money left after this season giving us way more cap flexibility in the near future. With decisions on Wentz, Darby, Ajayi, Mills, Hicks, Ags all coming up that flexibility is important.
3) we will likely get a 3rd or 4th round comp pick for Bradham. We have been trying to trade MK for 2 years now with no success. I’m not saying we can’t, but Im not sure we get more than a 5th or 6th if we find a trade partner.
While Bradham is a nice player, he is not too good to let walk. The eagles have a massive task of keeping such a talented roster together to continue pushing for championships. Tough choices will have to be made and some positions will need to be managed on the cheap. This happened to all good teams. The Seahawks have had to go cheap at OL. The Packers have had to go cheap in their secondary. The Steeler need to keep drafting WRs because they can’t pay anyone to play opposite Antonio Brown.
I think we should let Bradham walk and use multiple mid round selections this year to begin transitioning our LB group. I know this is against the conventional fan wisdom right now, so I wanted the feedback from you guys.
It’s a reasonable position. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this happen.
A lot depends on how much he can get in free agency. If he scores a contract at like 7 million AAV, we may have to let him walk. But he is a bit older, and there is a possibility he will be suspended at some point for the 2016 incidents, and some LBs have languished on the free agent market in recent years. If that happens, we may be able to re-sign him at less money than Kendricks is getting, and that may be preferable. But I assume he will test the market to find his value, so the Eagles may not be able to sign him unless they get into free agency a while and he doesn’t get any blowout offers from another team.
To me the good lbs are in rounds 1-3, so I hate that idea. I refuse to accept that we can’t resign Bradham. And I want to trade back and select multiple lbs and an ot before round 5
Good LBs are found all over. Bradham himself was a 4th round pick. Kj Wright and Telvin Smith were late round picks. Hicks was a 3rd. Navarro Bowman was a 3rd. You don’t need to spend premium picks to find good LBs.
I really like Darius Leonard and Dorian O’Daniel in this year’s draft. The are unlikely to go early.
Also my point is that we’re are going to have to have a weak spot. Pay Bradham now and you will be forced to have a weak spot somewhere else down the road. To me LBs are the least valuable position group on our defense. I don’t want to let Sydney Jones or Barnett walk out the door a few years from now because we decided to keep Bradham.
I won’t be mad at all if we do re-sign him, but I just think most fans get tunnel vision on this current offseason, while HR has to take a longer look at our cap situation.
I can’t agree. Yes you can find individual exception, but generally, the good LBs are in rounds 1-3. You used Bowman as an example – I’d love to get a guy of his caliber, but we don’t even have a 3rd.
“LB is the least valuable group of our defense” – I believe Schwartz would give you an f’d up look for that. Of course we don’t need 3 studs – but we need 1 stud in his D that can be the enforcer – super reliable on tackling angles and force – and also call/run the LB group like Bradham did. If Hicks is injured, MK can’t be that guy reliably. And then the whole D falls apart with run stopping issues and also coverage issues. Schwartz has always needed 1 stud LB and MK can’t be that – you seem to discount this point.
I’m fine with getting rid of MK.
I don’t know too much about every LB you named, but I do know that if we (hypothetically) replaced Bradham with Telvin Smith, and Hicks went down, our D would be screwed. Smith is valuable – but not as the big/enforcer/sideline to sideline brains of the Schwartz D – a vital – critical part of his D.
Drafting for need isn’t smart and drafting linebackers in the 4th – 6th is a complete crapshoot. But Penn State’s Jason Cabinda and San Jose State’s Frank Ginda are 5th rounders I have a little interest in and not just because their last names rhyme..
I would sign Bradham unless the price is too high (over 5-6 million per year and whatever the commensurate guarantee is). He is durable and he has stamina. He’s good in coverage most of the time and can play either of the spots in our 2.5 spots so we can plug and play next to him.
I would then look to trade Kendricks and I would draft a linebacker at almost any pick if it makes sense where we pick. Maybe trade back and take one in the 3rd if there’s one there (i.e. Darius Leonard).
But if he gets too big of an offer, they will have to let Bradham go and probably look to trade back for a linebacker either Van der Esch or Leonard.
If he get $5-$6 mil than it doesn’t mater. He is less expensive than Kendricks.
If however he get 4 year $30-$32 mil what happens then?
I believe we will get a 2nd+ for Foles and still can trade out of the first. We don’t need to pick LBs late. We could easily end up with multiple picks in rounds 2 & 3.
Also remember that if Hicks is healthy that 3rd LB will barely play, so MK and Hicks would see the bulk of the snaps. It’s not like we need 3 stud LBs.
Again I’m just bringing it up to discuss. I’m not sold either way. The eagles have some tough decisions and are likely having similar conversations.
Curry and Bradham were both key players vs the run. Lose both and run defense goes from #1 to ? Who replaces Bradham’s resilience/productivity? Along with Jenkins and BG, he’s the most physical tackler of the unit. If he wants a jackpot, I agree with your take, but if they can give him a nice bonus and an affordable contract, I think they should. He would not be that easy to replace.
I haven’t done enough scouting to find a LB that I can pound the table for in later rounds so I’m still firmly in the resign Bradham camp.
The day 3 guys really fucking suck this year at LB.
You’re making me feel a lot better about our LB situation.
Let Bradham walk. Keep Kendricks. Take Keishawn Bierria in the 5th or 6th trade a 2019 day 3 pick for NIck Kwiatowski.
Kendricks/Hicks/Kwiatkowski
KGH/Bierria/Gerry
That’s a fine enough group especially given the fact that we predominately play only 2 LBs at a time.
So we are actually over the cap right now?
Yes, although the actual cap figure has not been set yet, I think we are 9+ million over the expected cap. Cutting Celek and Smith would get almost all the way there, though we need more room for draft picks. Making Curry a post-June-1 cut would save 9 million all by itself (but harm the 2019 cap, which will also be difficult). But we will need to make some moves before free agency starts.
Hey Guys! Just arrived to Philly, awesome city so far as expected! I went to Mitchell and Ness and I’ve got to say I am quite disapointed with the choices they had. Isn’t there any more store Where I can buy Vintage Eagles gear? Is there an official store of the Eagles? Thanks a lot for your help
I hate to disappoint but I think there aren’t any other places to buy vintage other than online. Official store is at the Linc. But that’s also totally online too.
¯(ツ)/¯
Sorry to hear that Mitchell & Ness did not work out.
They’ve been known to be the best over the years. Don’t know who would be a better source.
Call the Eagles and ask them at (215) 463-2500.
They have their own stores Lincoln Financial Field and elsewhere.
CUT
Celek – $4mil
T Smith – $5mil
D Jones – $1.63mil
TRADE
Foles – $5.2mil
Curry – $5mil
EXTEND/RESTRUCTURE
Graham
Brook
L Johnson
$4-6mil freed up
LET WALK
Sproles
Bradham
Burton
PRob
Blount (possibly sign after the draft)
This would leave us with around $16mil in cap space. They can roll this money over for next offseason or look to lock up a player like Agholor or Darby.
As a side not we already have several extra picks in the 2019 draft. Bradham, Burton, and Robinson could all net us compensatory picks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see HR trade some 2019 picks for young players during training camp if we have any weak spots in the roster much like he did last year with Darby.
I would not let Bradham walk unless hegets an obscene offer. He has been durable which is hard to find at linebacker and he’s played a ton of snaps. He’s been oneof our best defensive players. I would trade Kendricks. And I would possibly still draft a linebacker high especially if we trade down..
I’m interested in Sproles if he wants to go for a championship and sign really cheap which I’m not saying is likely. He’s close to being ready.
What extra picks do we have in 2019 besides a 7th for Barbre?
A few sites have just that one pick. The pick for Dorenbos had to be returned.
http://www.phillyvoice.com/philadelphia-eagles-2019-draft-picks/
Yeah that’s one of the sites that shows one extra pick and Jimmy is probably accurate but I was just wondering if kajomo had other info.
I thought we had more. My bad
Bradham is the only durable LB we have. Yes, Kendricks was relatively healthy for one of the few times in his career, but with his past history it would be a huge risk depending on him.
The 2016 season was one of the few seasons Hicks stayed healthy. It was reported the only reason he wasn’t drafted higher was his injury history.
Id keep Nigel
Why are you restructuring Lane?
No need to unless we need the cash. If we needed the space he’s a guy that should see a 3rd contract so no issues reworking his deal
This is some good stuff on how Jeffery played through his torn rotator cuff all season.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/23/alshon-jeffery-torn-rotator-cuff-shoulder-injury-super-bowl-52-therapy-session?utm_campaign=themmqb&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
Very good insight.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Chiefs and Rams are “in the final stages of talks” on a trade that will send CB Marcus Peters to Los Angeles.
Without a doubt the Rams are going to be tough. Their offense is already one of the best and with Wade Phillips already turning the defense around l, adding Marcus Peters makes that unit even better.
Unless he’s a distraction, or a lockerroom toxin. KC most likely had a reason for letting a talented CB go. I’m curious to know what KC is getting for him.
https://twitter.com/JoeBanner13/status/967102058347167744
They’re probably losing Trumaine Johnson though:
The Rams entered the offseason with a desperate need at cornerback. Johnson, who spent the past two years playing under the franchise tag, and slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. Their No. 2 cornerback, Kayvon Webster, ruptured an Achilles tendon
in December. Beyond them, there isn’t much depth.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22556460/los-angeles-rams-agree-trade-kansas-city-chiefs-cornerback-marcus-peters
do you even need corners at all when you have Aaron Donald?
Someone pointed out the Chiefs have traded away possibly their most important offensive and defensive players before trades are even allowed.
Hadn’t even thought about it but TRUE! Peters must really be a headache…geez.
Headache for andy … that aint hard to belice at all
Sucks having to trade an impact player you selected with the 18th overall pick this quickly.
Didn’t expect Peters to be on the trade block but if they get a good return then it’s probably better to get rid of the headache.
Trey Burton not expected to re-sign with Eagles, report says
https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2018/2/23/17045482/trey-burton-eagles-nfl-free-agency-rumors-tight-end-philadelphia-nfl-agent-florida-super-bowl-philly
IMO, Burton was criminally underused in the past 2 years. His handicap was his lack of size/blocking ability.
Watch out for Billy Brown. 30 pounds heavier, great hands, and according to Kendricks, a baller on the scout team.
I think his handicap was having a top 3 TE in front of him
I am looking forward to Billy Brown getting some action.
The status of Ertz and Celek made it hard for Burton, and even for Billy Brown last year.
Hate to lose Burton but happy in advance for him. Hoping Big Billy is a stud in waiting.
If Brown is 30lbs heavier than when they drafted him, I’d be on the lookout for a 4 game suspension soon.
or did you mean 30 lbs heavier than Burton?
At combine: Burton 225, Brown 255
Dumb dumb Matt Lombardo wrote that report. Burton will probably sign a new deal tonight.
The Onion has been enjoying a bumper crop recently, and they nailed this one…
https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/967090208981348357
One thing to keep in mind with Bradham – dude has a hair trigger and has been extremely lucky to not get into any trouble with the league so far.
Trading Curry is a tough call.
– He will be 30, only had 3 sacks, and is overpaid for his production.
– He was very good vs. run, had a ton of QB hurries, and actually took PT from Barnett as the season went on including in the playoffs. He also has been consistently on the field during his career too. Durability matters in the NFL.
Guess it depends on a few other things including his willingness to renegotiate and what the Eagles want to do with a few other players including Peters.
I would lean towards ‘yes’ for a really high 4th but it is a tough call. It really hurts their DE depth and takes away from what is the strength of the team right now.
Great example of trying to repeat next year vs trying to take a longer-term view with Wentz and Pederson.
How does a guy with a ton of hurries lack production? I’m not picking on you. This is a common trope and it confounds me.
It isn’t trope. QB sacks are a much rarer occurrence and have a much more profound effect on drive success.
NFL recognizes this and pays a real premium to defensive players who consistently rank high in sacks.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2017/08/01/the-value-of-a-sack-and-why-pass-rusher-is-the-nfls-second-most-important-position/?utm_term=.93817077ddf9
Curry was paid n large part because of the 9 sacks he had 2014.
https://media3.giphy.com/media/3ov9k3Pq54ky2rNyp2/giphy.gif
First tier DEs who get QB sacks get the new car.
Second tier DEs who get QB hurries get the set of steak knives.
I think the league is evolving on that. More nuance.
ie, the Superbowl
1 sack=1 turnover=win
50 hurries=505 yards
Well sacks are the money play, and the Eagles struggled to get enough of them during the year considering the quality of the pass rush and the amount of pressure and disruption they caused. I imagine Schwartz went nutz with all the plays they left on the field this year, and i am sure finishing better will be a big DL focus next year.
Curry was a good player last year, he had a few sacks ‘stolen’ from him, and he did an excellent job pushing the pocket and maintaining contain so other pass rushers would have the chance to eat. Problem with talking about ‘overpaying’ is you need to talk about it in the context of what he would earn as a FA at the moment – and im pretty sure in this FA market, with limited DE options and draft class lacking quality at DE outside of Chubb, Curry could get the $9.5mil a year deal he signed with the Eagles.
I couldn’t disagree more with your first paragraph there. He knows quick passes negate that and a play where qb throws ball out of bounds or makes bad throw due to dl play is a win.
I’m with you.
I’d rather have a guy get 6 hurries and 1 sack out of 10 passes than 2 hurries and 2 sacks.
All day long.
Still think Curry is overpaid though.
Well put.
It isn’t the production that generates salary in the league for 4-3 DEs. It isn’t that Curry isn’t doing important stuff, it’s that the stuff he doesn’t doesn’t really equate to a cap hit of $11 mil.
https://overthecap.com/position/4-3-defensive-end/
Hmm Chris Ivory got cut. If we do need a RB then I wouldn’t mind kicking the tires on him if the price is right.
Only if we don’t bring back Blount and we don’t seriously draft someone.
Yeah, close to start of camp fall back plan dude for sure.
https://youtu.be/5othJHgB6oM
Id rather draft one this year.
I wouldn’t mind on day 3 but Ivory probably will cost the same as Blount did if Blount leaves.
I hope they find a way to get Michel or Jones if they last until day 2
I love Michel and have brought him up before he started rising up the boards (and probably before we got Ajayi) but I don’t want a RB that high.
Man.
ABC News confirmed that Martin was the man detained by police.
It is unknown whether the Instagram account is Martin’s account or if he posted the image.
The image on the Instagram account said: “When you’re a bully victim & a coward, your options are suicide, or revenge.” The image showed a shotgun, ammunition and tagged four accounts, including those belonging to former Miami teammates Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey. It also included hashtags for Harvard-Westlake, where he went to high school, and the Miami Dolphins.
Harvard-Westlake, an elite private school in Los Angeles, closed Friday morning in response to the post, but police told ESPN there was no direct threat to the school.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22557505/former-miami-dolphins-lineman-jonathan-martin-detained-police-social-media-post
Wow