Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Good OL News

Posted February 19th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

The Eagles offensive line has been the subject of a lot of discussion this offseason. They were disappointing in 2025 and there were questions about some guys possibly retiring. We got some good news on the retirement front.

That is a good start to the offseason. The next order of business is getting them healthy. Johnson had a Lisfranc injury so he just needed time for that to heal. He will be fine well ahead of any offseason activities. Dickerson is a more complicated situation. He wasn’t healthy at all last year. He tried to play through that and the results weren’t good. The Eagles early exit from the playoffs will give him extra time to rest before the summer.

Normally I would say Dickerson wouldn’t need to worry about any OTAs or even the beginning of Training Camp. This year the Eagles will have a new OL coach and a new offense. Dickerson will need reps to get accustomed to the changes and to be in sync with the rest of the OL. The team will manage his reps carefully.

The Eagles will have their five starting O-linemen back for 2026. That could change free agency plans, but will not affect the draft. You can’t count on Dickerson or Johnson in any long term thinking. They are year to year from this point on. Howie Roseman and his staff know they need to get young talent to add to the mix. They don’t have to prioritize G or T. They should go best available.

Fred Johnson is a free agent and could re-sign. He tried to get a starting job last year and that didn’t go well. He wants to start, as all players do, but that won’t happen with Lane and Jordan Mailata in place. Fred may decide being the swing tackle in Philly isn’t the worst thing in the world. We’ll see how that goes.

Mekhi Becton is expected to be released in the coming weeks. I’m just not sure he’s a good fit for the new system so the team may not be interested in a reunion. The Eagles may now prefer blockers that aren’t as tall and are more athletic. They’ll still want big, strong blockers. There will just be more of an emphasis on movement skills than sheer size and power.

Check out Clemson RT Blake Miller.

He’s light on his feet. He’s good in pass pro. He also shows the ability to get up to the second level on run plays and block on the move. He definitely could be a player the Eagles consider at pick 23.

I feel confident the OL will be better this year. No one suffered a recent injury that will linger. Some young guys from last season will be a year older and might be able to contribute. And the team knows it must add talent. They will certainly miss the coaching of Jeff Stoutland, but having healthy players and better depth should lead to better OL play.

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There is something to be said for this. Some of Nick Sirianni’s worst hires have been guys he worked with and was close to. Find the best guys and hire them. Bill Walsh was set to hire a veteran QBs coach back in 1986. He interviewed a guy from BYU on someone’s recommendation as almost an afterthought. After the interview, Walsh knew Mike Holmgren was his guy. Holmgren then had a great NFL career despite being completely new to the league.

Find the best guys, not the best resumes.

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Staff Updates

Posted February 17th, 2026 | 3 Comments »

The Eagles have continued filling out their coaching staff. The team hasn’t made any official announcements. They like to wait until everything is done so we’ll hear from them in the future.

For now…

This move came as a surprise to many. With a new offensive scheme and a new offensive coordinator, most people expected an outside candidate to get the job. Sean Mannion has been putting together the offensive staff so this would seem to be his choice. Frazier is an interesting choice. He spent three years working with Nick Sirianni in Indianapolis. Frazier joined the Eagles last year so he has worked with Jalen Hurts. He was with Miami in 2024 so he’s been part of the Shanahan offense. Frazier checks a lot of boxes. With all the change Hurts has had to deal with in terms of coaches, there is something to be said for keeping a familiar face around to help him learn and adjust to the new offense.

With Mannion being a new OC, some wanted a veteran coach in this spot. There is an argument for that. But it isn’t a requirement. I think there is something to be said for going with young coaches and trying to find the next “guy”. Besides, the Eagles can still add a veteran assistant and give him some hybrid title if they think experience is needed.

The Eagles already have Joe Kasper in place. He’s been the safeties coach over the past two year. Pellegrino has six years of experice coaching CBs with the Patriots. He coached nickelbacks with the Bills last season. Maybe Kasper oversees the whole secondary, but focuses on safeties. Pellegrino could then focus on CBs. Or maybe they have them switch areas. Either way, they will be working together.

The Pats had some good pass defenses with Pellegrino as their CBs coach. Buffalo allowed the fewest passing yards in the league last year. This isn’t to say Pellegrino is the key reason for those units, but he’s been part of good defenses and knows how to coach DBs. He hasn’t worked in the Fangio system, but the Bills play a lot of 2-high coverage so Pellegrino will have some familiarity with what the Eagles are trying to do.

Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that longtime Irish veteran assistant strength coach Fred Hale is departing Notre Dame after five years to take a spot on Nick Siriani’s Philadelphia Eagles staff in the NFL. Sources said that Hale, a former two-sport player at Mercyhurst, will be the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Eagles.

There isn’t a lot to say about this one. Hale may bring some fresh ideas to the mix. Colleges have to turn high school kids into players with NFL type bodies. That means a huge focus on strength and conditioning. ND has put out some fantastic athletes over the past five years so Hale definitely knows what he’s doing.

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The Eagles have the fewest such games in that period. I knew they would rank highly, but didn’t expect them to be atop the list. The Jets really are in a league of their own. Yikes.

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Tuesday was Buddy Ryan’s birthday. He coached the Eagles from 1986-1990. Buddy never won a playoff game in Philly despite his promise to win championships. But he did build a team that won games and brought hope to the franchise. The Giants were a SB team. The Skins were a SB team. Dallas was Dallas. Philly was the little brother to that group. Until Buddy got to town. He brought an attitude and mentality that helped the Eagles grow into a good team. They couldn’t get over the hump and a lot of that was on Buddy, but I still think he’s an important figure in team history.

I wouldn’t be an Eagles fan without him. I loved his style of defense. I loved the way his teams played. We all want championships, but there is also something to be said for having a team that is fun to watch. I’ll fondly remember those teams, despite their flaws.

Some highlights from The Body Bag Game

A good video on the 46 Defense, focusing on the ’85 Bears

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