Posted: June 29th, 2019 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »Zach Ertz is star. Dallas Goedert looks like a star in the making. Together they form the best TE tandem in the NFL.
Rob Gronkowski was the best TE in the league. Some argue that he’s the best TE to ever play. Gronk was a dominant blocker and overwhelming receiver. Remember him in the second half of Super Bowl LII? He was 8-107-2. The Eagles really had no answer for him.
With Gronk done, you can make an argument for Zach Ertz as the best TE in the league. In terms of route-running and hands, I don’t know of anyone better. Ertz has made great strides with his ability to make plays after the catch. He’s still an inconsistent blocker, but has gotten better in the past couple of years.
Doug Farrar did his rankings of NFL TEs and had Ertz at number three, behind Travis Kelce and George Kittle. Kelce is the most physically dominant of the trio. Kittle is coming off a great rookie season. He blocked well and averaged 15.6 yards per catch, a crazy number for a TE.
I think you can make an argument for any of the trio. Ertz just set the NFL record for catches in a season by a TE (116) and there are times when he looks like a WR out there.
It will be interesting to see how Ertz does this year. He won’t have 156 passes thrown his way. The Eagles are much deeper at receiver this time around so Ertz won’t be the primary option nearly as much.
One of the options will be Goedert, who was the talk of Eagles OTAs. He caught 33 passes as a rookie. Look for that number to go up this year.
There is an argument in the fantasy football community about how highly Goedert should be taken. Because of his talent and the Eagles offense, some rate him like a starting TE. Others see too many weapons on the Eagles and fear Goedert just won’t get the ball enough. It really does make for an interesting debate.
Sigmund makes a great point here. If you have Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Ertz and Goedert on the field, there is a really good chance Goedert is going to have a favorable matchup.
We can debate a lot of things, but talent isn’t one of them.
Goedert has tremendous potential. It will be fun to see how he develops over the next few years, both as a player and as part of the Eagles offense.
_
Posted: June 26th, 2019 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Some Jason Peters LoveJason Peters began his career with the Buffalo Bills. That seems almost hard to believe since he’s about to begin his 11th season with the Eagles. How time flies…
Ross Tucker told a good story about seeing Peters move to OT when they were both with the Bills. (nsfw)
This story got me to thinking about Peters and what an amazing career he has had. The Eagles were lucky to get him. So how exactly did that happen?
Peters wanted a new contract, but he was coming off a down season in 2008. Believe it or not, Peters was credited with allowing 11.5 sacks for the year. How on earth did that happen?
There were a mixture of issues. First, Peters held out in the spring and summer of 2008. He didn’t report until just before the season began. Peters wasn’t ready for the season and it showed. He gave up five sacks in the first four games. He settled down and played better after that, but still wasn’t up to his previous level of play.
The other issue is that not all of the 11.5 sacks were entirely on Peters. Still, even if you take out some of them, he didn’t have the kind of season you want to when you’re looking for a big raise.
Luckily, the Eagles weren’t scared by the 2008 showing. They saw a player with special ability and someone who played the second most important position to QB. The Eagles traded for Peters and gave him the contract he wanted.
Here is part of what I wrote back then.
This move has tremendous upside. It also does involve some risk. Jason was 6’4, 336 and very athletic coming out of Arkansas. He did play TE in college, but you could see his talent. For some reason, he went unpicked. Teams either had character questions or intelligence questions in regard to him. Guys that big and athletic don’t go unpicked just because they need coaching.
You also wonder if Jason will stay motivated. We’ve seen plenty of guys over the years who got their big payday and let up. That’s just human nature. Can Peters maintain his edge and work as hard as he needs to in order to be a true Pro Bowl player (like he was in 2007).
On the plus side, Jason no longer has to worry about his contract. He can focus on just playing. That has to be a big relief to him. He also is entering a winning environment. Jason isn’t used to playing with guys like McNabb and Westbrook. He’s never been on a playoff team and a legit Super Bowl contender (feel free to insert joke at this point). Reid is an infinitely better coach than Jauron. There is good structure in Philly. That can help players.
Let’s move back to the field. Jason isn’t the polished pass blocker that Tra Thomas was (in his heyday). Jason is a much better run blocker than Tra ever was. Nothing against the big man, but he wasn’t a good run blocker, even at FSU. Jason gives us a powerful presence on the left side. He and Todd Herremans form a really good 1-2 punch. That should make us that much more effective running to that side.
Tra struggled as a run blocker against 3-4 DEs and when he was in space. Peters should will be an upgrade in both areas. There were several games last year when Tra was out in space and didn’t get a hand on anyone. Westy got to the 2nd level, but couldn’t break the run into a big play. With Peters out there, Westy will have one less defender to worry about. Tra’s height worked against him in those situations. He was too upright and missed blocks on DBs and some LBs. Jason’s more compact build will help him.
3-4 DEs gave Tra problems because they normally go in the 300-pound range. He just didn’t have the kind of power needed to move those guys off the ball with any consistency. Jason has plenty of experience against the 3-4 defense and is better suited to take on those DEs. We don’t face a ton of 3-4 defenses, but it is becoming more prevalent.
Tra Thomas had a great career, starting at LT for 10 years. Jason Peters is an even better player and has been a dominant force since coming to Philly. It would be great if he could close out his career with a chance to play in the Super Bowl.
I have my doubts on Peters being able to make it to the Hall of Fame, but he’s been the best LT in Eagles history and an amazing player to watch. JP is truly one of a kind.
*****
Here were some pre-draft notes on Jason. As a reminder, he was a TE at Arkansas.
* Jason Peters, TE – ARK – Jason is mammoth. 6’4, 336. He is a good athlete. Light on his feet. Soft hands. I watched him in a game vs. South Carolina. He caught a few balls. On one catch, he made the grab and then juked a LB and got upfield to gain extra yards. On another catch he tip-toed down the sideline. He won’t be a great TE, but could be a real specialized weapon. Has the potential to be a good OT. He’s a good pass blocker, but isn’t as good a drive blocker as I expected.
* TE Jason Peters is a guy I’ve mentioned before. Goes 6’4 , 336. Could very well be a LT. The previous game I took in left me with the impression that he was a bit on the passive side. Glad I watched some more tape. He was a good aggressive blocker vs LSU. He drove SLB Eric Alexander about 8 yds downfield. Eric had to spin to get off the block (and to his credit made the tackle). On a passing play Jason was lined up beside the LT. The LSU DE took an inside slant on the LT. Peters stepped forward and shoved him from the side. The DE went down and also took out the DT beside him. They looked like bowling pins. Would’ve taken out the other DT, but he was just out of the way. Hilarious play. One block and half the pass rush was gone.
Don’t be fooled by Jason’s size. He is very light on his feet and looks pretty agile for a guy with that size body. Could be a backup TE for a year or two before moving to OT.
That Arkansas offense provided the Eagles with Shawn Andrews and Peters. That’s pretty darn good.
_
