Breakout Players

We tend to focus on trades, free agency and the draft as ways for a team to improve. There is also player development. You need the guys already on your roster to get better. If a couple of them can make a jump, it can help the team in a big way.

With that in mind, here are some breakout candidates for the Eagles:

QB Jerrod Johnson – Johnson is big at 6-5 and has a good arm. He’s a dual-threat QB who can back up Jalen Hurts and possibly push for the starting job. He was raw coming out of Texas A&M, but I think now that he’s got a few years under his belt we should expect big things from Johnson.

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RB Tony Hunt – The Eagles need a big back to complement Miles Sanders. They spent a mid-round pick on Hunt for the 233-pound Hunt for a reason. He was a stud and Penn State and is now ready for his breakout NFL season. Hunt got off to a slow NFL start, but it feels like the light has finally gone on.

RB Henry Josey – You can never have too many explosive runners and Josey is just that. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry in the 2014 preseason. Eagles coaches have kept him under wraps since then, waiting for the right time to unleash Josey on the NFL. The time is now!

FB Stanley Havili – NFL teams love versatility and that is one of Havili’s strengths. He can play RB or FB. He can run and catch. He can block. He’ll play STs. I think Havili has a firm grasp of the offense and could prove to be a key part of the Eagles dominant ground game this year.

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WR Jeremy Bloom – The only difference in Bloom and Cooper Kupp is opportunity. The Rams were so weak at receiver that they had to feed the ball to Kupp. Bloom didn’t get that luxury. I think this is the year that the coaches feed him the ball and he takes over the NFL. He’ll prove to be better than Kupp because Bloom is also a dynamic returner. Watch out world!

WR Michael Gasperson – The Eagles do need a big receiver to emerge. Gasperson is 6-4, 220. He’s got a ton of potential as we’ve seen in mini-camps, Training Camp and the preseason. Could this be his year? Move over JJAW. Is Gasperson time!

WR Paul Turner – The one thing that could stop Bloom from having his breakout year is Turner. For his career, Turner averages 14 yards per catch. Hall of Famer Cris Carter is at 12.6. Am I saying Turner will suddenly turn into a Hall of Famer? I just might be.

WR Shelton Gibson – If the Eagles end up trading Jalen Reagor for a pair of first round picks, they’ll need someone to replace his speed. Gibson is a terrific vertical threat. Just how fast is he you ask? Gibson is faster than Dietrich Jells.

WR Chad Hall – I think the Eagles are going to learn from Cordarelle Patterson’s breakout year in 2021. Hall, like Patterson, is a RB/WR tweener. There is finally a blueprint for how to use him. My words of advice for NFL defensive coordinators…get some extra midnight oil because you’ll be burning a lot of it as you figure out how to slow down Hall. You sure won’t be able to stop him.

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TE Emil Igwenagu – The Eagles have big traditional TEs. They need an undersized athlete who can catch the ball and make plays. Iggy is that dude. Sure, he’s been haunted by his penalty against the Bengals from late in the 2012 season, but I think enough time has passed that he’s finally ready to emerge. Could he prove to be another Dallas Clark? Probably.

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OT Calvin Armstrong – Who will replace Lane Johnson at RT when he eventually retires? Armstrong has terrific size at 6-7, 320 and he’s ready to maul guys in the run game. His pass blocking needed some work, but I think we’re about to see more than a decade of coaching finally pay off.

OT Dillon Gordon – The former LSU tight end converted to OT and showed tremendous potential. He’ll have a hard time getting on the field in Philly, but could be traded for a first round pick. Elite LTs are coveted around the league.

OL Trey Darilek – Jeff Stoutland loves versatile OL. Darilek could replace Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks or Lane Johnson. He was a stud at UTEP and that place is a football factory. The only question is where he becomes a Pro Bowler.

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DE Jerome McDougle – Injuries have slowed McDougle down, but I’m told he’s in the best shape of his life and feels like it is finally his time to shine. I’m selling my Bitcoin and buying stock in McDougle!

DE Ricky Sapp – If you’re good enough to be a star at Clemson, you’re good enough to be a star in the NFL. Sapp had 17.5 sacks in his career for the Tigers. I’m expecting that many for the Eagles in 2022.

DE Daeshon Hall – If you’ve been reading my stuff for a few years, you know I love Hall. He’s been absolutely dominant in the preseason. I think this is the year he goes from project to the Pro Bowl.

DE Phillip Hunt – He’s only 5-11, but that means Hunt stays low and gives blockers fits with his pad level. He will become a key situational rusher this year. I’m putting the over under at 9.5 sacks. And I’m taking the over!

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DT LaJuan Ramsey – All those sacks from the edge only happen if DTs are collapsing the pocket. Ramsey has a terrific combination of quickness and strength.

DT Aziz Shittu – Shittu is an athletic DT who can give OGs fits. His ability to shoot gaps and blow up plays is unquestionable if you watch preseason games. This is finally the year that goes from the summer to the fall.

DT Brandon Bair – This dude is 6-7, 280. He can collapse the pocket just by leaning on the OL. Expect Bair to push QBs back, right to the waiting arms of McDougle, Sapp and Hunt.

DT Elijah Qualls – Somebody has to stop the run, right? Qualls is squatty at 6-1, 320 and he’ll eat up blocks like I eat up Funyuns.

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LB Jake Knott – The former Iowa State star has had injury issues slow down his NFL career, but he is healthy and read to kick some butt. Knott is a tough, instinctive LB who can help the Eagles better control the middle of the field. He’s a combination of Casey Matthews and Dick Butkus.

LB Keenan Clayton – You need speed in the middle and Clayton is a dynamic athlete. He will play DB in some sets, but it doesn’t matter what you call his position. Clayton is a disruptive playmaker who will own the middle of the field. And the rent is due. Get ready to pay up, suckas!

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CB Trevard Lindley – The Eagles love playmaking CBs. Lindley had 10 picks at Kentucky before QBs quit throwing his way. He’s got one pick under his belt in the NFL. I expect that to change this year as he emerges into a star. Who’s ready for a trip to Lindley Island?

CB Rashad Barksdale – Is he a safety or corner? All I know is that he’s big, athletic and ultra-talented. Barksdale has developed slowly since coming from the University of Albany. I think he’s finally adjusted to the NFL and we’ll see Barksdale as a star this year.

DB Jorrick Calvin – He’s more of a return specialist, but Calvin can also help in the secondary. The only thing that will hold him back this year is if teams are scared to kick his way. Kick to him you cowards!

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S Ed Reynolds – Every secondary needs a ballhawk and Reynolds is just that. He picked off 6 passes in his junior season at Stanford and averaged 50 yards per return. Three of them were pick-sixes! Reynolds is about to make Eagles fans forget Rich Miano ever existed.

S Reshard Langford – If one safety is the playmaker, you need the other guy to be the enforcer. Langford is meaner than a box of scorpions. He’ll come down in the box and light some suckas up.

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