Thank You Cards

Posted: February 23rd, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 191 Comments »

The Eagles won the Super Bowl for a lot of reasons. Carson Wentz got the team off to an amazing start. Nick Foles was sensational during the playoffs. Doug Pederson proved to be a brilliant coach. The defense was stifling for most of the season. You can go on and on and list all kinds of reasons.

There are some non-Eagles to thank as well. The team should consider sending out Thank You cards to some folks.

The Rams

It is funny how important the Rams were to the Eagles success. I won’t even get into the Sam Bradford angle. That’s a long, complex part of the story. The Rams did the Eagles a huge favor by drafting Jared Goff first overall and letting the Eagles “settle” for Carson Wentz. Goff had a terrific year and might win a Super Bowl of his own in the future, but Wentz was the perfect choice for the Eagles. He fits this team and this city. He looks like a special player.

The Rams also cut Nick Foles, after making his life miserable. That sent Foles to KC last year and helped him want to come back to Philly this year. Foles had fun in Philly early in his career. He got to experience that and so much more in his return this past season. If Foles hadn’t been so miserable with the Rams, he might have focused on going somewhere he could battle for a starting job.

I also think the December game in L.A. was important. The Rams really pushed the Eagles that day, but the Eagles came from behind and won the game. It was actually similar to the Super Bowl, where the Eagles led most of the way, but fell behind late before coming back to win.

Chip Kelly

The Chipster played a key role in the Eagles winning the big game. Unfortunately for him, it isn’t all for good reasons. If he didn’t turn so cold and awkward in his time in Philly, Jeffrey Lurie might not have been so focused on finding a coach with “emotional intelligence”. Pederson might not have been a key candidate if not for Kelly’s demeanor in 2015.

Chip fought for control and then pooped the bed when he got it in 2015. Those moves helped the Eagles to have a bad year and played a big part in Lurie firing him. If Chip hangs on to LeSean McCoy, maybe the Eagles go 9-7 in 2015 and he keeps his job. His own bad moves paved the way for his demise. Chip’s bad moves also helped the Eagles land good draft position. That gave them a chance to move up to 2nd overall. If the Eagles are starting off in the 20’s, I don’t know if they could have pulled that off.

Chip banished Howie Roseman for 2015 and that turned out to be the best thing ever for Howie. He got a huge serving of humble pie and I think that turned out to be a good thing in the long run. He also has been a different person since coming back. He had his job taken away and then given back. That gives you a new perspective on life and your situation. I don’t know if old Howie could have made things work with a personnel guy like Joe Douglas. New Howie has made it work and the results are pretty great.

On the plus side, Chip hired some good coaches that are still with the Eagles. Jeff Stoutland and Dave Fipp are key members of the staff and played a big role in the Eagles championship success.

Chip brought Sports Science to Philly. I have no concrete proof of that making a huge difference, but it sure feels like it has had an effect. You see guys playing later into their 30’s and still performing at a high level in some cases. Sports Science can’t do anything about broken ankles or torn ACLs, but it does feel like the Eagles deal with fewer nagging injuries.

The up-tempo attack was a good thing. I think Chip was wrong to build his whole team around it, but going up-tempo is a useful weapon for the offense and the Eagles do it well. There are coaches and players here from Chip’s tenure and you have to think their time under him has helped the Eagles when it comes to playing at warp speed.

The Vikings

They traded for Bradford, paving the way for Wentz to get on the field in 2016.

They drafted Dalvin Cook, a player the Eagles had some interest in. If the Eagles had made a play for him, who knows what the RB group would have done.

I think it was important that the Vikings had a great season and pushed the Eagles. If the Eagles had clinched HFA a week or two earlier, the team might have gotten sloppy. The Vikings pushed the Eagles until the end and I think that helped the Eagles stay at a high level.

Oh yeah…thanks for not showing up in the NFC title game.

The Oddsmakers

I don’t think the underdog status played a big role, but if it helped with one block, one tackle or one catch, then it was a good thing. It did give the players a fun angle and the fans certainly ate it up. The Eagles were never going to overlook a postseason opponent thanks to hearing about the point spreads for the games.

The Dolphins

Howie trading Kiko Alsono and Byron Maxwell so he could move up in the draft was simply amazing. He unloaded players the team didn’t want and got the Eagles close enough where they could then go get Carson Wentz. Thank you Miami.

The Dolphins didn’t feel that was enough so they graciously traded Jay Ajayi to the Eagles in October.

The Bengals

Imagine if Cincy had kept rookie PK Jake Elliott and put some other guy on the street. I’m not sure the Eagles win the Super Bowl. Who knew such a simple move by the Bengals could be so crucial to the Eagles winning a title.

The Bills

Thanks to Jim Schwartz, the Eagles feel like Buffalo South at times. From Corey Graham to Nigel Bradham to Schwartz himself, former Bills played a big part in the Eagles success. Ronald Darby made key plays in the wins over the Giants and Raiders late in the year. Without those wins, the Eagles might not have had HFA.

The Browns

Cleveland had the #2 pick in the 2016 draft. They decided Carson Wentz wasn’t worthy of that spot so they dealt the pick away. The Eagles paid a lot for it, but that proved to be a bargain when you look at the results since. The Browns are 1-31. The Eagles are champions.

Cleveland decided that giving Wentz to the Eagles wasn’t enough so they fired John DeFilippo. He came to Philly and did a great job of coaching Wentz, Foles and Nate Sudfeld. Very generous of the Browns to give the Eagles a great QB and a great QB coach.

Andy Reid

Believe it or not, the Eagles road to the Super Bowl began in 1999 when Reid became the team’s head coach. He brought a professionalism and structure to the organization that had been lacking since the Dick Vermeil years. Reid brought in Pederson to be his QB. That obviously strengthened their bond and Pederson wouldn’t be where he is today without Reid.

Reid drafted and coached guys like Jason Kelce and Brent Celek. He was here when the Eagles traded for Jason Peters. Those veterans are key leaders for the team, in part because of the way they were developed by Reid. Nick Foles was part of Reid’s final draft class (along with Fletcher Cox, Vinny Curry and Mychal Kendricks). Reid only spent a year with Foles in Philly, but they developed a good relationship and Foles joined him in KC in 2016. Reid played a major role in Foles deciding not to retire, which was pretty important to the Eagles winning the Super Bowl.

Lurie had Reid in mind when he began his coaching search in January of 2016. Lurie wanted to find someone who knew football, but just as importantly, someone who knew people. He saw that kind of potential in Pederson, who many joked was Andy Reid Jr. Nobody is laughing now.

 

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191 Comments on “Thank You Cards”

  1. 1 Masked Man said at 8:45 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    BGN has a list of the Comp Picks awarded for the 2018 NFL Draft

    I would be on the phone with…

    >Cincinnati and Oakland with 4 Comp Picks Each!

    >Arizona and Houston with 3 Comp Picks Each!

    >And I would be on the phone with Indianapolis!

    (They have 0 Comp Picks. But they are converting from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense with our old buddy Coach Frank Reich.)

    Some other teams have three and four picks awarded too. Don’t want to help too many of those other teams with multiple Comp Picks though.

    https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2018/2/23/17046422/nfl-compensatory-picks-eagles-offseason-draft-2018-philadelphia-free-agency-formula-how-it-works

  2. 2 Guy Media said at 8:39 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Those 3rd round comp picks are totally undeserved, completely offensive, and totally drive down the talent pool of guys we can take at the end of the 4th.

  3. 3 GreenBleedin said at 9:06 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    Nice article Tommy. Teams are going to be holding their wallets when Howie calls from now on.

  4. 4 ColorSgt said at 9:45 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    I said that after the Bradford trade. He’s still preying on the weak.

  5. 5 Guy Media said at 8:38 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    They can’t help themselves when they don’t have a QB.

  6. 6 Full_Frontal_Pederson said at 9:13 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    The Browns are 1-31. The Eagles are champions. Splooosh

  7. 7 wee2424 said at 9:20 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    Mic drop.

  8. 8 bdbd20 said at 9:17 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    Also, the Giants.

    Thanks for sucking.

    Also, Dak.

    Thanks for sucking.

  9. 9 wee2424 said at 9:19 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    It does feel good to say Reid helped bring us a SB.

  10. 10 Guy Media said at 8:36 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I’ll always be a fan of Reid. 130 wins as the Eagles head coach is a really strong number considering the ass clowns we’ve had coach this team over the years. It was a shame it was time for him to go when he did, but I can’t be anything but a fan of the guy’s whole body of work.

  11. 11 wee2424 said at 10:15 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Yeah,. I’ve always been a big fan of him. I was actually living in Allentown for a bit (hate that city), when his son passed. Reportedly he bought the stuff 3 blocks away from me. I felt so bad for that man and family when that happened.

  12. 12 Guy Media said at 10:17 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    The whole heroin thing is f-ing brutal.

  13. 13 wee2424 said at 11:14 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Yeah man, I can’t count the funerals I’ve been to. It’s sad, it really is. Majority of them are good people, they just fell into a trap that is hard to get out of.

  14. 14 John Luck Pickerd said at 9:30 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    Great stuff Tommy!

    Wonder what Lovie Smith has to say now about Jake.

  15. 15 Greg Tulino said at 12:51 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Did you mean Marvin Lewis?

  16. 16 John Luck Pickerd said at 11:04 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Haha, yes epic Freudian slip.

  17. 17 Guy Media said at 8:26 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I wonder why Lovie Smith thinks he’s too good for a DC job when he clearly sucks as a head coach.

  18. 18 ChoTime said at 12:44 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Most people eventually get promoted to their level of incompetence, or at least that’s the saying.

  19. 19 the guy said at 9:34 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    It still staggers me that since the Browns passed on Wentz they’ve won as many games as the Eagles have Super Bowls.

    Those poor, poor, poor Browns fans. I can feel sympathy for them now that the wait is over.

  20. 20 ColorSgt said at 9:41 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    I’ve respected Brown’s fans for a long time. Sticking with a team that bad all these years is Philly kind of loyalty.

  21. 21 DustyRyder71 said at 12:34 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Not only a bad team, but a team that walked out on them… and then promptly won Cleveland’s rightful Super Bowl in Baltimore.

    That’s adding insult to injury, then having your best friend run over your dog as he drives away with your wife. It’s hard to comprehend how badly Cleveland was screwed over in that deal. Browns fans are the die-hardest of the die hards

  22. 22 Brian said at 7:25 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Yeah, I have a lot of respect for them. Of all the “tortured” fan bases, they have it by far the worst. Now that we have ours, I’ll be rooting for the Browns and Vikings fans to see their team win a SB. (Not as hard as I’ll be rooting for us to get LII some company, though.)

  23. 23 ColorSgt said at 7:57 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Vikings fans dug themselves into a bit of a hole for me they way they handled the NFC championship loss. But I’m sure I’ll get over it someday.

  24. 24 Guy Media said at 8:25 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Vikings fans need to apologize for issuing a threat to Philly about “taking over” out stadium, getting OWNED on the field, in the stands, and in the streets, and then crying about it. Had people up there just accepted their lower status with a smile, nobody would have given them as much crap. HOW FUCKING DARE YOU attempt to say you’re going to “take over” Philly?

  25. 25 Forthebirds said at 11:15 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Kind of like Costa Rico threatening to invade the United States

  26. 26 Guy Media said at 8:24 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    And being enemies of pieces of shit from Pittsburgh gets you a lot of credit in my book. Dumb fuck Indians fans trying to tell me Terry Francona is a good manager is too much to take however. That dude was a brain dead impotent mongrel here from 97 thought 2000; he’ll forever suck.

  27. 27 ColorSgt said at 9:52 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I think Francona improved some over time, but i get your point.

  28. 28 Guy Media said at 9:59 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    The permanent defining feature of anybody and anything is their utility to me. In Francona’s case he was a sucky bum as the manager of the Phillies. Bowa immediately improved the team.

    Francona, like a few other dudes, couldn’t handle actual managing in the National League and is only fit for low IQ back slapping in the AL where you don’t ever have to worry about real baseball decisions due to the blasphemous designated hitter.

  29. 29 Guy Media said at 8:22 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Thankfully they took power away from the two pussies playing at talent evaluation and got a real GM in there.

    IF the scumbag felon owner can stay out of the way of the people doing the football work, Cleveland is in a bad spot.

    The Steelers, due to age / having a bunch of brain dead pussies as fans, are on the edge of a cliff for a massive rebuild. Baltimore is a terminal disease patient who is whistling past the graveyard, but are about to be in it. The Bengals………….well, enough said.

    The Browns, if they draft the guys they should over the next year and make a few smart FA signings (i.e. going after Cousins for big $), could actually take over that division in 2019 and beyond for a good while.

  30. 30 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 11:17 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    And that GM now has 4 picks in the Top 35 to play with, thanks to the aforementioned “pussies” and DePodesta, who’s still with the team.

  31. 31 33% God said at 9:45 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    “There are coaches and players here from Chip’s tenure and you have to think their time under him has helped the Eagles when it comes to playing at warp speed.”

    Boy how true this is. I really wonder what Doug would have done with Foles if he didn’t have that 2013 tape of Foles to refer to. How utterly sendipitous. Chip may have fudged up a lot but when it comes to Foles, his offense worked.

  32. 32 Guy Media said at 8:17 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Especially dispelling the noting that you need a running QB to run an effective offense out of shotgun with play action passes disguised as “options” that really aren’t.

  33. 33 DJH said at 9:59 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    Great stuff Tommy!

  34. 34 ColorSgt said at 10:00 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    Could thank the Seahawks for getting Peds to be conservative and beating the Eagles. I think he decided to stay aggressive after that.

  35. 35 DustyRyder71 said at 10:34 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    I came here to say the exact same thing. Thank you, Seattle, for giving the Eagles the most illustrative, useful beating in franchise history. That was the night Doug said “never again”.

  36. 36 Guy Media said at 8:16 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    There were a ton of dudes not doing their jobs that day. The worst stuff I said to/about Kendricks all year was on that TD pass to the RB that Kendricks just sort of forgot to cover.

  37. 37 Guy Media said at 8:15 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I’m really happy we don’t have Seattle on the schedule this year. I just put “L” next to that game when I see it on our schedule no matter where it is. Hopefully that worm will have turned by the time we play them again in a few years.

  38. 38 Ark87 said at 8:35 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I’d like to see them in our house these days, just once. The Linc is so nasty these days, and I love that. But yeah, everyone was feeling real good going into that Seattle game, I was not. I was the most negative I had been, they were a mess but being being huge underdogs in their own house I knew they were going to bring it.

    In hind sight that was just the punch in the mouth that we needed.

  39. 39 Guy Media said at 8:36 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Exactly. And that game will be here in 2020.

  40. 40 ColorSgt said at 8:48 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I thought the term was “punch to the horse’s mouth.”

  41. 41 ChoTime said at 12:46 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Preferably once they’re five years away from being good instead of just two.

  42. 42 ColorSgt said at 10:05 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    https://youtu.be/qa3JVE732AQ

  43. 43 Mac said at 10:42 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    I mentioned a big thank you to the dolphins the other day for helping us get Lane Johnson. Without their creative draft day maneuver, we probably wind up with Dion Jordan.

  44. 44 unhinged said at 11:45 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    If that happened, and Jordan played for us like he did for Miami, he’d have seen less of the playing field than Marcus Smith, and it may have hastened Kelly’s departure.

  45. 45 DustyRyder71 said at 10:56 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    The Super Bowl was practically a carbon copy of the Rams game,… right down to the game-saving strip sack. In both games, the defense couldn’t stop anyone, until they had to. Then they did.

  46. 46 unhinged said at 11:38 PM on February 23rd, 2018:

    Awesome thank you note.

  47. 47 Philadelphian said at 2:21 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Since we are doing “what ifs”, I figured I add to the list.

    Remember when we were upset because Russell Wilson wasn’t drafted by the Eagles and they “settled” for Nick Foles?

    The question begged to be asked today is would the Eagles have been better off by drafting Wilson or the way things turned out. With Wilson’s talent maybe Reid’s last year with the Eagles wouldn’t have been a disaster, although with most of OL on IR and one of the most pathetic defenses in history in place I doubt if Wilson could have made a difference. Then again, maybe Wilson would had been a perfect fit with Kelly’s offense, although the defense would still had been bad and Kelly’s offense predictable. Then, of course the question would be if the Eagles had Wilson, would there even be a need to move up and get Wentz. Just think about it, with Wilson around Kelly might have stayed around for another year and for all we know Doug Pederson would never had been become the Eagles head coach.

    I know I threw out a lot of what ifs, but the fact is maybe we lucked out in setting for Nick Foles after all.

  48. 48 Guy Media said at 8:13 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    If Wilson was here maybe Andy Reid never gets fired. And we certainly wouldn’t have Wentz either. But I think Wilson is an absolute super star, a modern(er) day Steve Young, and one of my favorite guys in the NFL. He’s a no-doubt top 5 QB in this league.

    But you’re right, we might not have a title right now if Wilson had been the pick for us that year.

  49. 49 ColorSgt said at 8:53 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Might have won a SB with Andy and Wilson…. Wait, looking into my crystal ball, the Eagles are up by 14 points with the ball and 3 minutes left, and Andy inexplicably is throwing the ball and using timeouts. The Eagles end up losing in OT….

  50. 50 ChoTime said at 12:48 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Put it this way, look what Reid did with #5 as the QB. I like 5 a lot, but Wilson is way better and he’s a winner. Obviously, things turned out great, but having Wilson on this team could have been a good thing, too.

  51. 51 Philadelphian said at 1:26 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Agree, but for all we know, Wilson would not have survived the depleted OL we had in 2012. Then again, he does damn good with the bad line he has in Seattle.

  52. 52 T_S_O_P said at 2:44 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I’ll add the New England Patriots for offering a sweeter deal for Brandon Cooks than the Eagles and to the Saints for accepting.

  53. 53 Brian said at 7:30 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Thanks, Giants, for hiring Ben McAdoo. He might not have done as badly as in NY, but Douglas was the right guy at the right time for this team.

    I’d been hoping for Adam Gase that offseason, so let me add that PS to the ‘Phins’ card.

  54. 54 Guy Media said at 8:11 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Hue Jackson was my favorite, also liked Paul Guenther. HATED McAdoo, hated Caughlin more. Didn’t like Gase really.

    I did check the receipts on the link to Tommy’s article from two years ago discussing Pederson (that he posted last week) and I wasn’t against Pederson, but I did want to make sure they made staffing hires with experienced dudes to give Pederson a hand getting this thing going. I’m glad Howie did that in Reich and Schwartz.

  55. 55 Dave said at 7:46 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Congrats to little Andy Reid for winning the gold medal in men’s curling!

    http://media-cdn.wehco.com/img/photos/2018/02/22/curling4webb6421462362_t1070_h1c393fa5e7b7ed53a6a2ac5917bc9ba1acb6daf3.jpg

  56. 56 P_P_K said at 10:18 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Badass.

  57. 57 Howard Humetewa said at 11:42 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Awesome….Andy gets the gold!!!

  58. 58 Ark87 said at 8:28 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Since the Superbowl has me feeling generous, I would extend the thank you to Chip just a tad. The dude was god-awful at running an organization of grown men but he did know his football. Before Chip, Nick Foles was not mobile enough to run college concepts in the NFL (as far as the NFL was concerned at the time, you had to be RGIII, Cam, Kaep, or Wilson to pull it off, and even that was viewed as a QB-killing gimmick). Which leaves him with everyone trying to make him a traditional pocket QB, which he isn’t anything special at.

    Without 27-2 and the 7 TD game, there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for Pederson to chase. Pederson was able to build on and perfect an NFL-proven blueprint, and now Nick Foles is a Super Bowl MVP. So thanks for that Chip. It’s too bad you were a raging A-hole who didn’t value your players and got complacent and rigid with your scheme and system.

  59. 59 Guy Media said at 8:32 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I’d offer running the QB on purpose is always a gimmick and Pederson proved you can do all kinds of things with motion, call it an option, but really have it be a WAY better type of play action that the QB figured out before the snap.

  60. 60 Dave said at 8:41 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Or as many football people call it, a “college offense”

  61. 61 Guy Media said at 8:43 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    When you don’t run the QB at all and it’s all 2nd and 3rd level play action concepts; it ain’t college anymore.

  62. 62 Dave said at 8:52 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    To determine that requires actual analysis, something many talking heads lack.

  63. 63 Guy Media said at 8:41 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I still can’t believe that Miami actually wanted to add LOSERS like Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell to their team via trade after both guys proved to be unmotived, sucky, salary stealing bastards.

  64. 64 Dave said at 8:50 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Kiko is actually a physically and instinctively gifted linebacker who signed a nice contract extension last year. His problem is that he has too much yardage between the goal posts.

  65. 65 ColorSgt said at 8:55 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    And too much open yardage between his ears.

  66. 66 Guy Media said at 8:58 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    And he’s a pussy.

  67. 67 Masked Man said at 2:17 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    He’s about like a 40 watt bulb, that Kiko.

  68. 68 FairOaks said at 12:20 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Kiko was good and cheap. I’m not sure the Eagles *wanted* to trade him, though Schwartz probably didn’t like his mental side, and that was probably key to moving up and taking Maxwell’s salary. Miami may have been counting on Maxwell to be motivated again with them… which he was for the last 2/3s of his first season there, so the trade was looking better last offseason, but got unmotivated again this year and was released.

  69. 69 Philadelphian said at 1:01 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I think the reaspn the Eagles traded for Alonso was their ridiculous decision to switch to a 3-4 defense. Decent OLS are a premier and the fact is the only player we had that excelled there was Conor Barwin. Brandon Graham and Trent Cole did okay there even though it wasn’t their strong point.

    Actually, the difficulty of finding OLS is also the reason they reached for Marcus Smith.

  70. 70 unhinged said at 2:55 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    If I recall correctly, both Kelly and Jeff Lurie were publicly musing about the need for a franchise QB, and the money allocated to various positions. Kelly flat out said that if he hadn’t traded McCoy when he did, Eagles likely would have gotten nothing for him when his contract was up, because they weren’t about to pay market value.

  71. 71 Guy Media said at 3:01 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Shame they said that before market value for RB hit the toilet. But nobody told Bell that in Pittsburgh.

  72. 72 FairOaks said at 3:12 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Except they paid about the same amount for Murray that McCoy accepted from Buffalo. Granted, that was another contract we couldn’t afford which Roseman disposed of as well.

  73. 73 Guy Media said at 3:15 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Howie disinfecting a lot of Chip’s stupidity was amazing.

  74. 74 unhinged said at 3:21 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Good point, but that was also miscommunication in part. I don’t remember the specific details, but Murray – wasn’t he signed because it looked like the Matthews deal was off?

  75. 75 Guy Media said at 3:23 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Or was that Frank Gore’s fault?

  76. 76 FairOaks said at 7:40 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I thought that was after Gore went elsewhere. Kelly had said he wanted to sign two RBs. I think the money was there, really, once Maclin left — that was the part Kelly didn’t want.

  77. 77 unhinged said at 2:32 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Whoa, hoss. DROY, fierce hitter, downhill instinctive LB. They love his work ethic and his play in Miami. He came into Philly recovering from an injury. He took the field too early. Look before you hate.

  78. 78 Guy Media said at 2:34 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Fuck him. He did shit here and McCoy is now on 13000+ yards from scrimmage and 81 TDs. Alonso was a total pussy.

  79. 79 unhinged said at 2:49 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    And let’s not forget the 40 million big ones. Bet he’d trade those stats for a ring. Then again, he’s such a stellar human being (not), that he’s probably content with his personal stats, his personal bank account, and 7 months off.

  80. 80 Guy Media said at 2:58 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    That’s also 100% fair, but I needed something more than Alonso’s production back in that trade.

  81. 81 unhinged said at 3:01 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    How about a franchise QB and a ring? They didn’t come straight from that trade, but if that amount of precious cap space was eaten up by ANY position other than franchise QB or All-Pro DL, recent history could very well have been averted.

  82. 82 Guy Media said at 3:02 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    You’re clearly not showing enough faith in Howie getting that done no matter what!

  83. 83 unhinged said at 3:19 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I admire (and believe in) the renaissance HR. Remember, paleolithic HR created some of the mess that Kelly and Lurie attempted to address. Kelly did not harp on position costs, but I always thought that he wanted the DJAX handling to be a shot across the bow for big-eyed, me-first talents. Howie probably hated his exile, but he clearly learned from the whole experience.

  84. 84 or____ said at 2:37 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    No no, Guy, is hate before you anything.

  85. 85 Guy Media said at 2:41 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Didn’t hate him until he provided 11 games, 1 INT, and 30 tackles in return for the best RB in the history of the franchise. But as the entire value of his existence is what he provided in 2015; fuck him.

  86. 86 or____ said at 2:55 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Textbook grudgery

  87. 87 Guy Media said at 2:57 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    True. If your utility to me was inferior in any way, shape, or form; you’re branded for life as a fucking piece of shit scumbag motherfucker. That’s etched in stone.

  88. 88 unhinged said at 2:58 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I think there might be room for you in the Prez’s inner circle.

  89. 89 Guy Media said at 2:59 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Same personality / opposite ideology. It’s both funny and sad.

  90. 90 or____ said at 3:00 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Wow. Impressive honesty/vulnerability

  91. 91 Guy Media said at 3:00 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I’ll fully admit I’m a grudge carrying nut. It comes as part of living in ESTJ world if you’re into Myers-Briggs.

  92. 92 or____ said at 3:03 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    But your level of introspection is beyond light years beyond (that was intentional double use of beyond) them…

  93. 93 Guy Media said at 3:04 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    If I can’t know myself, who else would I be able to know……..

  94. 94 or____ said at 3:12 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Who that’s deep man.

    That’s Kiko level wisdom

  95. 95 Guy Media said at 3:15 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    The same Kiko who grunted at Les Bowen in an interview?

  96. 96 or____ said at 3:18 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    “Kiko see ball, kiko make extremely high level wise philosophical truism comment!”

    That’s what Chip said right?

  97. 97 Guy Media said at 3:08 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    And to follow up on how i do stuff.

    ESTJs thrive on order and continuity. Being extraverted, their focus involves organization of people, which translates into supervision. While ENTJs enjoy organizing and mobilizing people according to their own theories and tactically based agendas, ESTJs are content to enforce “the rules,” often dictated by tradition or handed down from a higher authority.

    ESTJs are joiners. They seek out like-minded companions in clubs, civic groups, churches and other service organizations. The need for belonging is woven into the fiber of SJs. The family likewise is a central focus for ESTJs, and attendance at such events as weddings, funerals and family reunions is obligatory.

    Tradition is important to the ESTJ. Holidays, birthdays and other annual celebrations are remembered and observed often religiously by this type. The ESTJ is inclined to seek out his roots, to trace the family heritage back to honored ancestors both for a sense of family respectability and for a sense of security and belonging.

    Service, the tangible expression of responsibility, is another key focus for ESTJs. They love to provide and to receive good service. The ESTJ merchant who provides dependable service has done much to enhance his or her self image.

    ESTJs have an acute sense for orthodoxy. Much of their evaluation of persons and activities reflects their strong sense of what is “normal” and what isn’t. ESTJ humor is frequently centered around something or someone being off center or behaving abnormally.

    ESTJs promote the work ethic. Power, position and prestige should be worked for and earned. Laziness is rarely viewed with ambivalence nor benevolence by this type.

    The ESTJ is outspoken, a person of principles, which are readily expressed. The ESTJ is not afraid to stand up for what he or she believes is right even in the face of overwhelming odds. ESTJs are able to make the tough calls.

  98. 98 or____ said at 3:17 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Ha I tend to be anti myers briggs. But this sure says a lot about our debates on “consensus draft value”….

  99. 99 unhinged said at 3:05 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Glad you got it. I was not impugning your principles.

  100. 100 Guy Media said at 3:05 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Totally!

  101. 101 or____ said at 2:59 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Too harsh.

    But Mike is TEXTBOOK example of a grudger

  102. 102 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 11:21 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    He’s not instinctive at all.

    Dude’s a fucking moron who can’t cover a TE, read a defense, and can only play in schemes where is only job is to wait and see what the QB does.

  103. 103 Insomniac said at 9:49 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    https://247sports.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/Bolt/Marcus-Smith-to-Eagles-after-Seahawks-win-Talk-that-s–111697659

    Well since you guys got most of it covered already..I guess thanks Marcus Smith?

  104. 104 kajomo said at 10:17 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    We were talking yesterday about whether the FBI and police could have done a better job preventing the parkland shooting. This Jonathan Martin situation is a great example of how things should be done.

    The authorities where given a tip, they followed up, and now Martin is getting the help he needs. Most, if not all of these shooters, are suffering from mental health issues. If we get to them ahead of time we don’t want to arrest the. We want to help them deal with whatever issues they are facing. We will never know if Martin would have acted on his vague threat, but if more situations were handled like this I’m confident school shootings become a much more rare occurrence.

  105. 105 P_P_K said at 2:01 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Here in VT, the authorities arrested a young man who was plotting a school shooting. Great work by law enforcement.

  106. 106 kajomo said at 10:19 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    Damn it Tommy. For a second I thought we just got some huge haul for Nick form the Cardinals. So much a great haul that you wanted to thank them.

  107. 107 Masked Man said at 2:12 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Not yet.

  108. 108 suthrneagle said at 10:23 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    “Oh yeah…thanks for not showing up in the NFC title game.’

    I would like to respectively disagree with this statement…

    On their first possession the Vikings walked right over the Eagles defense like it was a walk-thru rehearsal…they definitely showed up.

    Maybe that was there downfall, thinking to themselves that the rest of the game was going to be as easy.
    The interception TD really demoralized them; they were never the same, and then the Eagles took over and the rest is folklore stuff for the history books.

  109. 109 FairOaks said at 12:14 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Yeah, agreed, I think the Vikings played pretty well. Eagles were still better, but it was the turnovers that turned it into a blowout. Vikings continued to have substantial drives that game, but were stopped by turnovers or going for it on 4th down (where if the game was closer they would have kicked field goals). The pick-6 was a huge play; even with everything else the same Eagles would have had at most a 7-point lead at halftime instead of the game being virtually over.

    I thought the Eagles outplayed the Falcons similarly, but the turnovers went the other way that game, which turned it into a coin-flip (Falcons could have easily won that game at the end).

  110. 110 ChoTime said at 12:50 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Good analysis. Football is such a funny, random sport. High-leverage plays are the difference between wins, losses, blowouts, nail-biters. It’s not like basketball, where there are hundreds of possessions and the most you can score on any play is 4 points out of 100+.

  111. 111 Philadelphian said at 1:06 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    And that is why winning a Super Bowl is probably one of the most difficult championships to obtain. No matter how talented a team is, repeatedly in almost impossible.

  112. 112 DJH said at 3:32 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I read somewhere a few years ago that “statistically” the Eagles “should” have won 3 Super Bowls. Luck is a huge element in getting to and winning a SB for sure. (Still looking for that article.)

  113. 113 Guy Media said at 3:34 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    91, 02, 08

  114. 114 Forthebirds said at 11:37 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    So many things had to go right for this year to happen, and the team had to overcome the things that went wrong, the loss of Wentz, Hicks, Sproles, and JP. I know we will win more Superbowls with Wentz over the next 10-15 years (okay, nothing is a given, but I know it), but this years team will remain my favorite Eagles team, maybe because I’ve waited 57 years for this, but mainly because this team had such great guys on it. Chris Long, Jenkins, Carson, JP to name a few. Guys who stood up for what they believed in, played in many cases beyond expectations, took the next man up as their mantra, didn’t complain when players were brought in that took some of their playing time, etc. It’s not just that we won the SB, it was how, including the game itself, beating the Pats in the 4th quarter. In the next two or three weeks, I’ll be getting my first tattoo (I’m 73). I’m going with the Eagles logo of the flying eagle with a football in its talon and of course LII. Family thinks I’m nuts. Yeah, happy nuts.

  115. 115 Philadelphian said at 1:14 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I know what you are feeling. I am 65 years old and have waited almost as long and what makes it even more rewarding is no one can ever take it away from us.

  116. 116 mtn_green said at 11:39 AM on February 24th, 2018:

    I think you’re wrong tommy, A lot of good decisions allowed the eagles to overcome bad luck.
    Back up LT, QB, MLB, kicker off a practice squad, backup 3rd down back up, picked up ST ace off street(Brahman), MLB backup off the street(ellerbe), results in SB?!

    Ask packers fans how likely a SB is with a QB injury? Most teams and fan bases are playing the Russian roulette game of ‘if qb survives season then team goes to playoffs.’

    Almost every good* team has an asterisk.
    *If QB stays healthy.

    Eagles won anyways.

  117. 117 Philadelphian said at 1:22 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Interesting comments, but it begs the question what comes first the luck or the decisions.

    For example, who could have predicted that Elliott would be that good or Kendricks suddenly remembering he had the talent to play and stay on the field while using it? I’m sure Pederson and Roseman considered Foles a better than average backup, but doubt if either of them would have predicted that he could throw accurate after accurate passes in crucial situations during the Super Bowl.

  118. 118 or____ said at 1:49 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Can’t it be (and ins’t it) a combo of both?

  119. 119 laeagle said at 2:32 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I think the Elliott decision is debatable, but loading up on OL the way they did, along with totally changing their backup QB situation, despite the cost, and despite criticism from the fans and media, were both excellent decisions.

    I think bringing in lots of high variance free agents, knowing that some would inevitably “hit”, was very smart. Same with playing the odds on the low priced vet market (Long, Robinson, Blount, Smith).

    I also think that the wheeling and dealing was next level compared to the rest of the league, to net guys like Jernigan, Darby, and Ajayi, all players that no one would have guessed were even possibilities. That’s not just good trading, that’s good scouting at a deep level (not just free agents or draft picks, but quality players on other rosters who might be hitting tradeable points in their contracts).

    All in all, this offseason was pretty much a master class in front office-ing.

  120. 120 SteveH said at 1:23 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    The Browns. Just amazing.

  121. 121 or____ said at 1:51 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Off topic draft question:

    For those few out there mocking TE to us at 32 – does anyone see a guy worthy of drafting that high? We all get the concept – and it’s hard to argue with needing to restock behind Ertz, especially for blocking, FB/HB/depth reasons.

    But we don’t need/want to go get another Ertz type. We need a guy who will be burton and celek – most likely need to bring in at least 3 candidates including Billy Brown for camp…

    Is there a (32 worthy) well rounded guy that we really should covet?

  122. 122 RC5000 said at 2:56 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    No I think Goedert and Hurst are almost worthy but we have too many positions I’d prefer to fill with our first pick – DL, CB, ILB, OL. We would trade down if we want to get one of Goedert, Hurst, and Gesicki.

    I think Gesicki or Thomas in the 3rd and Fumagalli and Breneman (receivers more than blockers) and./or Smyrthe and Schultz (blockers more than receivers) in 4th or 5th make more sense.

  123. 123 or____ said at 2:57 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Thanks, I’ll do some research based on that.

    But as far as prioritizing at 32 – DL and CB – HELL NO

  124. 124 RC5000 said at 3:32 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I prefer a trade down unless some top player falls unexpectedly.

    What was our biggest issues in the Super Bowl? Oh yeah it was coverage and getting Brady to the ground.

    DL is what got us there and we’re going to lose Beau Allen and may need to trade/cut Curry. Regardless I would love to get a versatile DL like Taven Bryan or maybe Trent Thompson if his current medicals are good.

    Schwartz rotates the DL like crazy, it’s a big important part of our success on D.

    Both Darby and Mills are no sure shutdown CBs. I’m not sold on Darby yet. Mills may be better suited to safety or slot and Watkins is out and who knows if Corey Graham will be back?

  125. 125 or____ said at 3:37 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I agree about building some safety depth (can’t dislike the idea of mills and douglass spending some time there).

    I think judging weaknesses in terms of roster building off of the superbowl v. b and b is silly.

    But I appreciate your TE briefer. I looked into it and for me it solidifies that I don’t want to waste time with any of those guys – until the blockers in 4th/5th beyond.

    I don’t think we need to try to find the next Ertz. Brown can become a Burton in terms of weapon, but I want a celek (of late) replacement.

    I really want LB OT or RB at 32 or if we trade down. DL – ok…

  126. 126 D3FB said at 6:00 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Hurst wil be 25 before he plays a meaningful snap.

  127. 127 RC5000 said at 6:11 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    ,Maybe he’ll fall into the 3rd.

  128. 128 Masked Man said at 3:33 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Here’s Mike Mayock’s Top 5 TE’s

    (with draft round projections from NFL.Com)

    All 5 received an NFL Combine Invitation

    Tight ends
    1. Hayden Hurst, South Carolina – 2nd round
    2. Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State – 2nd round
    3. Mike Gesicki, Penn State – 2nd round
    4. Mark Andrews, Oklahoma – 3rd or 4th round
    5. Will Dissly, Washington – No Scouting Report at this time

    And personally I like NC State’s Jaylen Samuels, but not at #32 in the draft. That seems too high for all these guys.

  129. 129 RC5000 said at 3:36 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Samuels is going into the draft as a RB IF he keeps his weight down. He was 223 lbs, at the Senior Bowl. There just aren’t 5-11 TEs in the NFL these days.

  130. 130 Masked Man said at 3:37 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    He’s a combo guy. But he’s a TE at Combine so far. I like him though. Rushing, Blocking, Receiving, a lot like Burton.

    The 5’11” thing will hurt his stock but he might be a player.

  131. 131 or____ said at 3:48 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Hard to not like him, but I don’t like him as a TE. Yeah, he might line up in the slot sometimes and run “Ertz like” routes etc… but I think of him as RB/WR/TE offensive weapon. Not what I’m looking for. If we draft him, cool, but he’s not checking the TE celek replacement box for me – not at all.

    But thanks for the list.

  132. 132 Guy Media said at 2:07 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Your score is: 19549 (GRADE: B)

    Your Picks:
    Round 2 Pick 5 (NYJ): McGlinchey, Mike, OT, Notre Dame (A)
    Round 3 Pick 8 (NYJ): White, Kyzir, SS, West Virginia (A-)
    Round 4 Pick 31: Thomas, Chad, DE, Miami (FL) (A+)
    Round 4 Pick 32: Walton, Mark, RB, Miami (FL) (A)
    Round 5 Pick 19: Fatukasi, Folorunso, DT, Connecticut (A+)
    Round 5 Pick 32: Fountain, Daurice, WR, Northern Iowa (A+)
    Round 6 Pick 32: Bellamy, Davin, OLB, Georgia (A+)

    New tackle, hybrid coverage WIL/S, pass rusher, rotation RB, rotation DT, WR/PR/KR, and SAM

  133. 133 or____ said at 2:34 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    No TE? LB that late? ew…

  134. 134 Guy Media said at 2:36 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I’m having the worst time trying to find LB at times where we’re currently picking. I’m dying to ready more about some of them and see Howie possibly get us into round two or three for that purpose. Do you have any LBs you like?

    And I guess we could do TE with Billy Brown and a lower cost blocking bro free agent if need be.

  135. 135 or____ said at 2:39 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I hear you.

    Nah, I’m not up on the LBs yet but I really look forward to focusing on the LBs in in rounds 1-5.

    As far as a TE – I just really want us to get it right. I like Billy Brown a lot, but I really want whoever else makes the team to be highly adept at blocking – period. I don’t want an iffy young project there.

  136. 136 Guy Media said at 2:43 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I think there are some hammers in the FA market who could be had for cheap. But yes, blocking TE is a must going into next year. I really wish we’d gotten Kittle or Sprinkle in last year’s draft.

  137. 137 or____ said at 3:46 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Agreed.

  138. 138 RC5000 said at 3:46 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Breneman is a good receiving TE reminiscent of Kittle but maybe a little slower.

    Fumagalli is another receiving TE , he isn’t fast but he’s smart and he makes incredible catches.

    Those guys could be there in the 4th/5th.

    https://youtu.be/Roz40–21Y0

  139. 139 or____ said at 2:41 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Generally I think this is because you’re doing this way too early. (I know that’s what you like to do)…

  140. 140 Guy Media said at 2:42 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    It’s just a discussion exercise for helping to get opinions from the guys on here who really scout the college guys closely. I’m more of a voracious reader of secondary sources on these guys. But I really do like hearing what everybody things of these guys as we go towards the draft.

  141. 141 or____ said at 2:46 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Makes sense. I relate/totally agree with all of that.

    It really makes – annually – the draft weekend one of my favorite times of the year. I’ll be in Chicago for a wedding that weekend this year but it’s cool given our pick structure…. gives me a reason not to go crazy all round 1 and same for day 2…

  142. 142 Fufina said at 2:53 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Your score is: 21603 (GRADE: A-)

    Your Picks:
    Round 2 Pick 27 (S.F.): Bryan, Taven, DT, Florida (A+)
    Round 3 Pick 6 (S.F.): Goedert, Dallas, TE, South Dakota State (A+)
    Round 3 Pick 10 (S.F.): Guice, Derrius, RB, LSU (A+)
    Round 4 Pick 32: Miller, Kolton, OT, UCLA (A+)
    Round 5 Pick 19: Bates III, Jessie, FS, Wake Forest (A+)
    Round 5 Pick 32: Falk, Luke, QB, Washington State (A+)
    Round 6 Pick 32: Moore, JMon, WR, Missouri (A+)

    Might be my best draft so far… But i have the same issue, really struggle to find LB’s i like in the draft.

    The rankings are still crazy on first-pick.com, there is no way Kolton goes in the late 4th, or Goedert falls to the 3rd.

  143. 143 Guy Media said at 2:57 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Yeah, and the trades are still too generous in both of our trade downs by a round.

    And I’m calling it right now if we get that running back; Derrius Gin and Guice………..

  144. 144 Fufina said at 3:06 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Well im justifying trading down with the Eagles based on the fact we will get some extra capital from trading some of Foles/Curry/Kendricks and will use that to get back into day 3 (if Curry/Kendricks) or just straight up with Foles.

  145. 145 RC5000 said at 3:51 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Love it but I don’t know if my guy Bryan falls that far and Goedert seems to be the apple of the draft geeks eye at late first on mocks as you say.

    I’d be very surprised if Falk falls quite that far.

    Their rankings frustrate me.

    I was just looking at Bates today. He’s only the second mid round safety I found I think that stands out at all. Him and the other Edmunds at Va. Tech…

  146. 146 kajomo said at 8:15 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Love Chad Thomas btw. I think that’s guy could be a steal in the right situation. Looks like a 1st or 2nd round pick, but hasn’t put it all together on the field yet.

  147. 147 RC5000 said at 2:46 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Some draft prospects that fit us. One at each basic position besides QB and STs.

    FS JESSIE BATES WAKE FOREST 2nd-3rd but if he drops to 4th or 5th, he could be a nice player to groom under Jenkins…

    BOTTOM LINE Versatile safety option with the athletic ability to handle man coverage responsibilities in space and the instincts and ball skills to post ball production in zone coverage. Bates is more than willing as a hitter, but can get himself in trouble as an open-field tackler due to inconsistent pursuit angles and technique. Bates plays with energy and aggressiveness and is likely to fill a stat sheet with production thanks to his versatility and play traits. He should contribute early on defense and special teams and has a chance to become a good NFL starter.

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/jessie-bates?id=2560130

    DT TRENTON THOMPSON GEORGIA 1st-2nd round talent but he’s been injury plagued. Intriuguing if we traded down. nfl.com has him as a 4th-5th but someone will take a chance earlier if his current medicals are okay.

    Stays low out of his stance. Attacks at the point with desired level of leverage. Three-technique who flashes lower body power to torque and toss guards. Base is wide and sturdy heads-up scraps. Athletic big with some disruption.

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/trenton-thompson?id=2560219

    CB Donte Jackson LSU – Late 1st- 2nd He is small but has great long speed and he’s a willing hitter. Learned behind the Green Goblin and Tre’Davious White. Maybe projects to slot but he can play outside or in the slot.

    Brings elite athleticism and speed to the field each game. May be the fastest player in this year’s draft. All the make-up speed you need. Loose and fluid with super-twitch. Smooth backpedal with very little wasted motion in transitions. Plus body control to handle tight or off coverage. Electric in click and close to the football.

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/donte-jackson?id=2560070

    JOHN KELLY RB Tennessee Up and down year but his receiving and slippery running style would be attractive in the 5th round to add depth. He’s not Kamara though.

    A national audience saw his breakout performance in 2017, as he had 128 rushing yards and four touchdowns against Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. He finished the year with 11 starts, leading the Vols with 831 yards and nine touchdowns and 189 carries. He was also used more regularly in the passing game, catching 37 passes for 299 yards. Kelly was suspended for one game after being arrested for misdemeanor drug possession (marijuana) after a traffic stop for a burnt-out headlight.

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/john-kelly?id=2560191

    LB DARIUS LEONARD SOUTH CAROLINA ST. I have some concerns about him shedding blocks but linemen can’t get their hands on him easily. He needs coaching and to learn not to take false steps. He played really well in the Senior Bowl. Could be a stud but as much as I like him, I can’t deny there is a little bit of a bust aspect to him. He should go in the 3rd round so this is an option if we trade down.

    “He’s a good worker and good learner and I think he has a chance to be a war daddy once he has an NFL training table and strength program behind him.” – AFC area scout

    BOTTOM LINE Long and twitchy with athletic ability and straight-line speed that should light up the combine. Leonard has packed on the pounds since hitting campus, but it hasn’t compromised his play speed as he has posted dominant production throughout. He lacks play strength and there are times you want to see more nasty in his field demeanor, but he has the traits and talent to become a good, three-down linebacker who can play 3-4 inside backer or 4-3 WILL.

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/darius-leonard?id=2559818

    DE DUKE EJIOFOR WAKE FOREST – Has a rip, spin and swim move in his tool chest which he’ll need. I can see him replacing Vinny and backing up Graham and Barnett. He could lso be used inside on passing downs. nfl.com has him as a 4th-5th rounder but I don’t think he’ll last that long.

    Ejiofor looked a little quicker and more fluid last season, but he’s not a naturally gifted athlete. Ejiofor’s game revolves around his heavy hands and his ability to finish as a rusher if a blocker gives him an opening. Ejiofor needs to play with better play speed and a more consistent motor to reach his potential, but his natural strength and ability to harass the quarterback as an interior rusher on sub packages gives him a chance to find some early playing time even if he’s a backup.

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/duke-ejiofor?id=2559868

    WR MARCELL ATEMAN OKLAHOMA ST. He could add depth behind Alshon though we may not have room especially since we could probably use a speedy WR / returner more. Still if he falls to the 4th round picks, I’m not sure you could pass on him,

    BOTTOM LINE Long target with good size and functional speed. Ateman played in a vertical offense that took advantage of subpar secondaries in his conference and should fit into a West Coast offense as a pro. His frame and ball skills give him instant credibility as a jump ball threat in the red-zone while he continues to hone his skill set.

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/marcell-ateman?id=2559939

    TE IAN THOMAS INDIANA – Would be an ideal backup to groom behind Ertz but I like him in the 4th round behind Goedert, Hurst, Gesicki and Fumagalli…If he is gone by our 4th round picks, I’d look at receiver TEs Fumagalli and Breneman or blocking TEs Smythe and Schultz.

    Thomas reminds me of Jermaine Gresham when he came out of Oklahoma, not the version you see today. Like Gresham, Thomas has the bend and “man strength” to become a successful in-line blocker if he improves his hand placement and grit. His production is lacking due to shorter two-year run at Indiana and a senior season filled with injuries, but it is easy to see NFL ability that just needs coaching and more experience. Thomas is an ascending combination tight end with an ability to become a good NFL starter who can be flexed around the field.

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/ian-thomas?id=2559849

    G WILL HERNANDEZ UTEP – He’s huge and a mauler which seems to fit Pederson’s OL and can move a little bit for such a massive guy with tree trunks for legs. I don’t know if we can take him even if we trade down from 32 because I lean to addressing the defense but he could step right in at LG (if it was needed). He seems to be a pure guard so the lack of versatility may not be attractive to DP and Co.

    “He’s exactly what you are looking for in terms of his work ethic and how much he loves the game. He will clique instantly in the offensive line room and he will be one of the strongest and toughest guys on the team as soon as he makes the roster. The only thing that scares me are those short arms.” – NFC area scout

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/will-hernandez?id=2559828

  148. 148 Guy Media said at 2:48 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I like it. Thanks for posting the list. One massive pet peeve of mine (not your fault) is these fucking scumbag assholes that do draft writeups listing DEs as LBs. FUCK 3-4; list the pass rushers as DEs.

  149. 149 Fufina said at 2:59 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Is a pet peeve of mine for the entire league, I think it should be divided up as Interior DL (all DT’s and 3-4 DE’s), Edge rushers (4-3 DE’s and 3-4 OLB’s) and LB’s.

    Should be this way for the franchise tag and other groupings at an official level in my opinion and would help people talk about the game in a more sensible manner since so many teams play hybrid schemes that don’t fit into the traditional 4-3 or 3-4 model people like to think of.

  150. 150 Guy Media said at 3:00 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    2nd pet peeve; NTs play in the middle of the line on a 3-4, DTs play in the middle of the line on a 4-3.

  151. 151 RC5000 said at 3:07 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Nah Leonard isn’t just a pass rusher. I think he projects at ILB/OLB in the 4-3 and could be somewhat like Bradham down the road.Just because he had 8.5 sacks. I think Kendricks was a sacker in college too. Leonard had 114 tackles. He’s a run stopper and has the athleticism to cover.

    https://youtu.be/C5sw6I6tI4Y

  152. 152 Guy Media said at 3:09 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Thank you.

  153. 153 or____ said at 3:14 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Please target the crap out of this guy in all your mocks. I’m all in.

  154. 154 kajomo said at 3:32 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Leonard reminds me a lot of KJ Wright. The both have those really long arms to minimize throwing windows in the passing game and can make tackles away from their body.

  155. 155 unhinged said at 3:57 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Thanks for the Cliff Notes.

  156. 156 unhinged said at 4:25 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    The bust aspect: he put on 50 lbs to get up to 213. Ignoring everything else, that is a flag for 3 down LB. His athleticism and speed could make him a situational star, and probably a ST stud, but even there his weight could prove to be a liability.

  157. 157 Masked Man said at 3:20 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    “Trey Burton denies report questioning his Eagles future”

    >Several hours after an NJ.com report surfaced that the Eagles were unlikely to re-sign Trey Burton, the tight end denied it on Twitter.

    http://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/trey-burton-denies-report-questioning-his-eagles-future

  158. 158 Guy Media said at 3:21 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Matt Lombardo (and that Elliot Shor Parks douche) are to professionalism as what Andy Reid is to dieting.

  159. 159 or____ said at 3:22 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Not harsh enough

  160. 160 Guy Media said at 3:22 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    You’re correct as accusing somebody of being a gang member is pretty scummy.

  161. 161 daveH said at 3:27 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    .. is what Andy Reid is to interior design
    ..
    (This one is out there i know, but when he put his house on the market in philly philly it was so hokie cliche riddled that it was the but of the home design world)

  162. 162 laeagle said at 4:31 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Please provide proof. Not because I doubt you, but because I genuinely want to see that. Money spent poorly is never not fun to mock.

  163. 163 daveH said at 5:22 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    http://www.phillyvoice.com/eagles-stay-or-go-doug-pederson/

  164. 164 daveH said at 5:25 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    That link wrong .. my technology blows. .. this schit so broken that cut&paste doesn’t work. .
    Curbed had it in googles

  165. 165 or____ said at 3:21 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Chasing early free agent media reports most likely from agents is always a worthwhile exercise.

    Ugh

  166. 166 unhinged said at 4:11 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    The irony is he probably will be gone sooner rather than later.

  167. 167 Donald Kalinowski said at 5:17 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    If I was a sports writer I would make my living off taking obvious ideas, putting them into an article, and backing it up with “unnamed source”.

    “Duce Staley frustrated with being passed up on the OC job”
    “Eagles looking to trade Vinny Curry”
    “Torrey Smith expects to be cut”

  168. 168 Fufina said at 3:25 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Off topic but….
    https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/24/geno-smith-flat-earth-kyrie-irving

    I don’t understand “Flat Earthers”, how is this a thing? I mean i can kind of understand some of the tin-hat theories out there, even if they are pretty obviously incorrect, but how and why is Flat Earth a thing in the 21st century.

    I mean 5000 years ago ancient civilizations worked out the world was round, the Greeks calculated the circumference of the Earth within 5% 2500 years ago. We have astronauts who have actually seen the planet (and spoilers it was spherical), hell we can see other planets, which are all spherical, with shop bought telescopes. 1000’s of flights and boats travel around the world every day which wouldn’t be possible without the world being round. Hell go to the coast and watch boats and it should be pretty obvious.

    There would need to be a global conspiracy of on a truly massive scale to somehow fake all this (although you can prove the world is round yourself pretty easily), and who benefits? “big” globe manufacturers?? Who would and could possibly fuel the kind of deception needed?? What possibly motivates people to become flat earthers? i can understand why some people are climate deniers, or anti-vaccine, or anti-evolution… but i cannot understand why someone would even want to believe the world is flat?

    It genuinely boggles my mind.

  169. 169 or____ said at 3:27 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Stop trying.

    Smart people trying to use their brains and reason to understand stupid people at their stupidest moments is an ironic lapse in smarts.

    It’s like when people say “but why didn’t the cracked out criminal think it through before getting caught in such a stupid way? If they had just rationally______…..”

    ha

  170. 170 Will Ft. Jimi Hendrix said at 3:27 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I cant even entertain flat Earth BS. There’s really no point.

  171. 171 daveH said at 5:18 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Are they really controlling the atmosphere ?
    ..
    How can we go to the moon but we don’t know who shot tupac ??

  172. 172 Guy Media said at 3:28 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    This is what happens when you don’t treat concussions properly and/or let tutors do all of “student”-athletes’ work for them.

  173. 173 Sean E said at 3:40 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I believe it’s a very big, ironic joke.

  174. 174 unhinged said at 3:46 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Some context…I think. It has become profitable to fabricate outrageous stories from thin air, then use social media and privately owned public media to repeat and quote and pollute rational discourse with crap. Members of the far right have taken this tack repeatedly in attempts to stir partisan support (and opposition…if folks are against “something”, then “something” must be there). There are folks among us who don’t believe humans ever went to the moon. A kook named Alex Jones makes money by inventing truths that get repeated and amplified. Jones stated that the Sandy Hook massacre never happened. He was part of the “rumor” that Parkland survivors were paid actors. When Obamacare was enacted, the “death panels” scare was fabricated. Where and when there is a way to make money, the USA is the place to play. Jones would not be allowed to ply his trade with impunity in most of the civilized world. But in the land of hucksters, he’s just a man.

  175. 175 Mac said at 4:03 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    If a town has one lawyer, he starves; if it has two lawyers, they both get rich.

  176. 176 Dave said at 5:05 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Kiko no understand spheres!

  177. 177 Donald Kalinowski said at 5:09 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    You can make a pretty convincing argument for pretty much anything and the internet allows you to spread that information anywhere. It’s why you have a large population of anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, trumpists, raw meat eaters, and etc.

  178. 178 Sean E said at 3:48 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Thank you to TOMMY for providing this great blog. Donated!

  179. 179 unhinged said at 5:27 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Brandon Lee Gowton is throwing out draft opinions:

    https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2018/2/24/17047914/nfl-mock-draft-roundup-2018-offensive-tackle-early-favorite-pick-eagles-philadelphia-kolton-miller

    I think Eagles should go D with their first pick DL or S, but lots of nice OL picks to be had. Here are some players who could possibly be 2018 draft picks

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/ronnie-harrison?id=2560103

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/durham-smythe?id=2559869

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/tim-settle?id=2560190

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/harold-landry?id=2559923

    http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/frank-ragnow?id=2559824

  180. 180 Donald Kalinowski said at 5:51 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    BPA but I prefer they don’t go after CB or DL

  181. 181 Donald Kalinowski said at 6:00 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Some other ones:

    1. If Pumphrey doesn’t get injured I could see the front office cutting Clement in favor of Pumphrey due to him being a 4th round draft pick.

    2. Lane Johnson’s suspension in 2016. Who knows how well Vatai steps up in 2017 if he didn’t get so much playing time last year.

    3. Chase Daniel wanting out. It opened up the door for Nick Foles to come in.

  182. 182 daveH said at 7:10 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Clement is what i was hoping Josh Huff could have been

  183. 183 Ryan Rambo said at 6:03 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    “Thank You Cards”

    I saw that title and thought we made some crazy trade involving Foles to AZ.

    Oh offseason!

  184. 184 FairOaks said at 7:42 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Jacksonville signed Blake Bortles for three more years? Wonders never cease.

  185. 185 Donald Kalinowski said at 8:37 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    They could have had Nick Foles for a 1st round pick!

  186. 186 Fufina said at 8:47 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Boggles the mind. Why do they want to piss away their contention window of the next 2-3 years with Bortles as their QB.

  187. 187 Insomniac said at 11:39 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    They’re probably hoping that resigning Robinson and hopefully having Westbrook/Cole emerge as viable targets will get Bortles back on the right development track.

  188. 188 Insomniac said at 11:37 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    wtf?

  189. 189 Dragon_Eagle said at 8:38 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    Thank you to Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder for continuing to be two of the worst owners in the league, both professionally and personally.

  190. 190 Dave said at 10:24 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    How true this is.

    https://twitter.com/MikeCatalana/status/967493190101209090?ref_src=twcamp%5Ecopy%7Ctwsrc%5Eandroid%7Ctwgr%5Ecopy%7Ctwcon%5E7090%7Ctwterm%5E0

  191. 191 Call Me Carlos the Dwarf said at 11:26 PM on February 24th, 2018:

    I think “Old Howie’s” supposed inability to get along with “Football Guys” was always overblown.

    At this point, it’s pretty clear that Howie clashed with Chip because Chip is a fucking moron, who’s bad at valuing assets, bad at evaluating talent for his own scheme, and bad at running football teams in general.

    Howie is good at all of those things, so it’s natural that he wouldn’t get along with The Chippah.