Nick & Jeff Talk

Posted: March 26th, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Nick & Jeff Talk

On Monday we heard from Howie Roseman at the owners meetings in Orlando. Tuesday was Nick Sirianni and Jeffrey Lurie’s time to meet with the media.

I wish I could tell you this was really interesting, engaging material. Lurie was far and away the better of the two. Sirianni was in secretive mode and spoke in coaching generalities.

Lurie expressed genuine disappointment in how the 2023 season ended. That sounds obvious, but it was important to hear him say it and not just gloss over that trainwreck of a finish. Lurie focused on positives, as anyone would. He talked about the success the Eagles have had with Sirianni and Jalen Hurts and wanting to get back to the level of the 2022 season.

He was asked about why he brought Sirianni back. Lurie talked about Nick’s honest evaluation and desire to fix things. I know a lot of people questioned whether Sirianni would make changes, but at his core, I see him as ultra-competitive. That means you do whatever it takes to win. Give up play-calling? Fine. Fire a young coach you like? Fine. Go get me the best guys out there.

Lurie talked about how Sirianni was pushing for Kellen Moore from the start of the coaching search. That’s important. You need Sirianni to fully buy into the new coach and to embrace changes to the playbook. It sounds like that is happening. Lurie said the addition of Moore can make the Eagles offense more dynamic and innovative. That would be better than what we saw the final six weeks.

I liked Lurie talking about how Howie Roseman and the front office looked for market inefficiencies to potentially exploit. It felt like that’s what happened with Saquon Barkley this year. Other teams shied away from giving big money to a RB so the Eagles weren’t in a bidding war. Lurie also made sure to praise Howie’s support staff, talking about how structuring contracts the right way can give the Eagles an advantage.

Lurie was asked about CB Isaiah Rodgers. He said he expects Rodgers to be reinstated by the league. Lurie said Rodgers is an important piece for the Eagles. We know the Eagles CBs are an odd mix right now. You have two older guys in Slay and Bradberry and then a bunch of young guys. Rodgers is 26 and has 10 career starts so he’s between those groups and could challenge for a starting role this year.

Lurie spoke about how both Hurts and Sirianni need to be themselves. He was asked their personalites (Sirianni too emotional, Hurts too reserved). Lurie said that it was important for both of them to be genuine. The worst thing Hurts could do was to change and try to fake it. I immediately thought of Russell Wilson. Lurie admitted that Sirianni has a tough balancing act with being emotional, but not too emotional.

Sirianni was much less interesting.

He refused to commit to Cam Jurgens taking over for Jason Kelce. Sirianni doesn’t want other teams to know what the Eagles will do. I get the need to keep things somewhat secret for a competitive advantage, but there are times when Nick goes too far.

Sirianni talked about the new backup receivers. He likes DeVante Parker’s ability to win outside and the fact he’s different than the other guys (insert your own joke there). Sirianni praised Parris Campbell, focusing on his speed. He also seemed to think Campbell would be a good fit personality wise.

You can watch if you like, but there really isn’t much compelling content.

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Howie Talks

Posted: March 25th, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Howie Talks

The owners meetings are taking place in Orlando. Nick Sirianni and Jeffrey Lurie will meet with the media on Tuesday. On Monday, Howie Roseman met with reporters and offered thoughts on a variety of subjects.

The Eagles didn’t just go spend big on a RB. They spent big on a special player. I think that is an important distinction to make. Last year the Eagles paid solid money for a solid starting RB. This time around they went for a star. Howie always talks about trying to find an edge in terms of roster construction. Maybe as other teams are being cautious about paying RBs, the Eagles saw an opportunity to go the other way and get a big time talent. The price wasn’t that high and Barkley didn’t cost any compensation.

There is risk in this move, but also the potential for a home run. Barkley has a special combination of size, speed and athleticism. He could make a good offense great. He is one of the rare players that feels like a threat any time he touches the ball.

The Eagles defense lacked talent and attitude last year. And the coaching wasn’t ideal. CJGJ gives the defense someone who can cover and make plays. He also brings attitude. Some will call it swagger. It was hard for some of last year’s defenders to have swagger. If you don’t have talent, it is to be a confident, aggressive player. CJGJ can have a real impact on this defense.

Huff is a fascinating addition. He’s coming off a 10-sack year and has a lot of potential. But he’s unproven as a starter and there is a question about what the Eagles will do with Haason Reddick. Howie wouldn’t address that topic. He certainly is high on Huff and thinks he can be a key player for the Eagles. It certainly does seem like the Eagles are going to do a lot of rotating with their pass rushers this year. That is a way to bring out the best in Huff.

Speaking of edge rushers…Howie’s most interesting comments might have been about Zack Baun. The Eagles signed him on Day One, just like Saquon and Huff. They targeted all three of the players. That doesn’t mean Baun will be a starter or key player, but he is an interesting option for Vic Fangio. Howie compared him to Andrew Van Ginkel, who played for Fangio last year at Miami. Van Ginkel had an INT, 6 sacks and 19 QB hits for Miami last year. He was able to move around and do different things. Baun has the same versatility so he could be more of a factor than people initially expected.

Rather than talk about only new guys, let’s mention a returning player. James Bradberry had a disastrous season in 2023. The Eagles have publicly acknowledged his struggles, but also have talked about him bouncing back. Because of his contract, cutting Bradberry doesn’t help them. They pay him to play or they pay him to go away. But they will be paying him.

I hated what I saw from Bradberry last year, in terms of results, but also toughness and effort. If you struggle to cover, you better sure as heck tackle and play your butt off. Bradberry didn’t do that.

Maybe having Fangio running the defense will bring out a better version of Bradberry. Maybe having a guy like CJGJ around will bring out a better version of Bradberry. Maybe it will simply be pride that kicks in. The Eagles are keeping Bradberry around for now to see if they get an improved player.

“For now” is the key phrase. If they draft a corner early, they might let go out of Bradberry. Or the Eagles might just cut him at some point this summer. They saw him slip in a big way last year and have an idea of whether there is any real chance of him improving.

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