2017 is Finally Here

Posted: February 6th, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 145 Comments »

No more Super Bowl hype.

No more playoffs.

No more Hall of Fame.

2016 is finally in the books so we can now concentrate on something truly important…the 2017 offseason. Spoken like someone who follows a non-playoff team, right? When you aren’t at the top or near the top, you can’t wait for the offseason. That’s when your team has a chance to make moves that could change their fortunes and get them where they want to be.

Atlanta had a great offseason last year. They signed free agents C Alex Mack, WR Mohammed Sanu and DE Dwight Freeney. They drafted well, landing 4 starters. They also developed their own players. That pushed them from 8-8 to being up 25 points in the Super Bowl. There were no mega-deals given out. There were no parades for the signings of Mack or Sanu. Atlanta got the right guys to help their team get over the top.

As for that loss….I cannot imagine how Philly would handle that.

The Falcons had the Super Bowl won. And then they blew it.

I’m still hurting from blowing a 10-point lead to Dallas back at midseason. I can’t wrap my head around the idea of losing the Super Bowl the way the Falcons did. I’ll be interested to see how those players respond next season. That’s the kind of loss that could galvanize a team or ruin it. Those guys will be second-guessing each other for the rest of their lives. Getting pas that will be a monumental task.

Good Eagles fans are now trying to turn that loss into a positive.

I like it.

*****

I spent a lot of the weekend watching college WRs. I need to write out some thoughts on them. This isn’t an elite group, but there are some really talented guys.

I think I like Corey Davis a hair better than Mike Williams right now. Davis is faster and is also more dangerous with the ball in his hands. The Eagles might not have a chance to draft either guy. Or if the Eagles sign a couple of FA receivers, they may not want to draft either guy.

There are plenty of mid-round players that I like. The Eagles do need to add a WR in this draft. That position needs all the help it can get.

One guy that I find fascinating is Jalen Robinette of the Air Force. He’s 6-3, 218 and really gifted. But he comes from the Air Force and that makes evaluating him tricky, because of their offense (option) and the level of competition. Still, watch this and you’ll see how talented the young man is.

_

145 Comments on “2017 is Finally Here”

  1. 1 daveH said at 8:30 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Arthyr Blank came down to the sideline to cheer and savor it …

  2. 2 scratcherk said at 8:41 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    i was scared for his wife’s hand toward the end of the game.

  3. 3 daveH said at 10:05 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    He naturally has a long face to start with but ..

  4. 4 Sb2bowl said at 11:33 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Guess he’s just going to have to sulk in some cold, hard cash to wipe his tears away. But in reality, that’s gotta suck.

  5. 5 Fufina said at 8:40 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    I cannot imagine being an Atlanta fan or player right now. My experience is they are just in denial at the moment… may take some time before they even get to the anger stage.

  6. 6 RobNE said at 10:29 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    ha amateurs we all would have moved right to Anger and stayed there a really, really long time.

  7. 7 P_P_K said at 11:05 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    I still hate the Pats from our 2005 SB loss.

  8. 8 RobNE said at 3:17 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    As you should. You are doing it right.

  9. 9 RobNE said at 9:30 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    I don’t know where to start. First, I’ve now watched with neighborhood Pats fans several SB’s (actually all 5), including the crazy Seahawks and Falcons game endings. Do I get anything extra for having to sit thru that? Literally people hugging screaming high fiving and RobNE just sitting there, trying to look neutral.

    Second, coaches need to stop being so cute against the Pats. When they were down 16 my cousin (Steelers fan) and I were texting that the Pats would win in OT. The Falcons should have acted like that was probable and taken all the time off each play. I knew the 2 point conversion would be that semi illegal pick play, Belicheck knows refs are unlikely to call it. Both the Seahawks and Falcons got too cute. I blame Ryan too though, you have one job in that instance.

    Brady finally was having a bad game, threw a pick 6 but no, I can’t even get to enjoy one SB beat down.

  10. 10 Anders said at 9:40 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Its crazy how bad opposing coaches call plays against the Pats.

    Had the Falcons just ran the ball like 5 times more in the 2nd half, they would most likely have won

  11. 11 Tom33 said at 9:48 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Had they run the ball 2 times after the last Julio Jones catch with 3 mins to go and kicked a fg they would have definitely won.

  12. 12 Fufina said at 9:49 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    could have pretty much won with a 1st down running as well. So many ways to win from there.

  13. 13 Ankerstjernen said at 8:34 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    ..the only – Literally ONLY – way they were going to lose at that point, except for a turnover, was to take two sacks and go backwards 20 yards. I can’t believe they didn’t just run it up the middle twice and kicked the FG to go up 2 scores with 2:30 on the clock. Can. Not. Believe. It.

  14. 14 Fufina said at 9:48 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    I kind of agree with keeping with what you are good at – they are winning the game being aggressive – keep up with it. There was enough time and time outs left for the pats that a few runs wouldn’t have changed the game.

    Where they jumped the shark was after that Julio circus catch. 1st and 10, at the 23 with 4mins left in the game, you run that ball 3 times. If you get a 1st down its probably game over. If you kick the field goal its probably game over. If you miss the field goal, you are giving the ball back to Pats with 2mins and the entire length of the field drive.

    What you cannot ever ever do is take sacks, commit holds and end up out of field goal range and barely take off any time on the clock.

  15. 15 Anders said at 9:55 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Its crazy is that Shanahan did things 99% right, but in the one situation where everybody even the “stats guys” say to run the ball and kick the FG, he choice to pass.

  16. 16 daveH said at 10:04 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Just like pete carroll. Crazy

  17. 17 Fufina said at 10:19 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    The Seahawks made the right call there. The had to score a TD, the Pats filled the box inside and left everyone 1v1 outside. Lynch was 1-4 all year on 1 yard runs in the redzone or 4th down – because their OL was not good and when against a fully stacked run defence.

    The right call was to pass, you just had to expect your QB to execute and not throw a pick.

  18. 18 ChoTime said at 10:38 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    When you’re in the situation where one slightly not great pass and an incredible defensive play is going to lose the game for you, sometimes you’re going to lose.

  19. 19 DarthBanner said at 11:23 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Not in that situation with a timeout left. You run Lynch on second down. If he doesn’t get in, call your time out. 3rd down pass play and if that doesn’t work, you can do whatever you want on 4th. Give yourself the most chances to win.

  20. 20 daveH said at 11:34 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Marshawn had been unstoppable , Butler made arguably the greatest single play in super bowl history … but no one wud argue w your reasoning. Especially if you did that assessment live ..

  21. 21 RobNE said at 10:13 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    yes my focus was really on after the Julio catch. You have to get 3 there. You have to.

  22. 22 Sb2bowl said at 10:39 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Once they blew that, you could see their body language just sag. A FG there puts the game out of reach.

    Did anyone else notice that the Falcons were running plays with 15 seconds left on the play clock as the game was winding down, and they had the lead? I couldn’t believe it, kinda like an anti-Eagles/Patriots final drive.

  23. 23 Tom33 said at 9:59 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    I was in Charlottesville in the 80’s when Gibbs and the Hogs were winning. Texas in the 90’s when the Cowboys were winning. And I’ve lived here in Northern NJ for the past 15 years and had the pleasure of experiencing the greatness of Eli. So I feel your pain.

    I can’t imagine how Falcons fans felt watching that happen. I happen to think Goodell is as evil as Bill B, so I was on the fence last night. But the way it went down was awful. If that were Philadelphia, Kyle S. wouldn’t have trouble getting to SF as Eagles fans would have run him out of town already.

  24. 24 RobNE said at 10:12 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    I was in Charlottesville for some Redskins SB’s too. Painful.

    True, I guess the silver lining is “hey it wasn’t the Eagles that blew that lead”.

  25. 25 laeagle said at 5:29 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    I was there in C-ville for the Mark Rypskin SB. It was where and when my burning hatred for Tony Kornheiser began, with his awful and pandering “Bandwagon” column. It was awful.

  26. 26 RobNE said at 11:05 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    What year are you again? I’m 93.

  27. 27 laeagle said at 11:49 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    Also ’93!

  28. 28 laeagle said at 3:33 AM on February 9th, 2017:

    93 also

  29. 29 ChoTime said at 10:36 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    The Pats remind me a little of Jack Nicklaus in majors. He said a lot of times it was fine to shoot par on the final round, because the other guys would be feeling the pressure and falling apart.

  30. 30 RobNE said at 10:55 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Right and Tiger’s opponents for awhile did that a lot too.

  31. 31 DarthBanner said at 11:07 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    All I can say is, 1st and 10 on the opponents 25 up by 8 with 4 minutes to go in the super bowl you run the ball 3 times, kick the field goal, and win the game. You also don’t go prevent D in the 3rd quarter.

  32. 32 Dave said at 11:41 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    I don’t think they went prevent D as much as they were fatigued from all the snaps they played.

  33. 33 Gary Barnes said at 3:14 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Pats had shut down the run the whole 2nd half – the defense really stepped up

  34. 34 DarthBanner said at 4:54 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    So? Even if the falcons gain no yardage they take 2 minutes off of the clock or force the pats to burn their 2 timeouts and still kick a field goal and win the game. If they happen to get a first down they win the game.

  35. 35 Julescat said at 10:08 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    in the end the Falcons resorted to being the choking team that we have all come to expect every season

  36. 36 RobNE said at 10:28 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    So having watched a lot of Pats games, it seems one of their go to strengths has been a slot WR or outside WR (Welker, Amendola, Edelman), who just can’t be covered when you need 3-4 yards. They dink and dunk all the way down the field. Given this, how do we feel about Matthews in the slot?

    I know this is getting way down the path when I’m questioning the best WR we have, but it’s more about how to build a team. With the renewed emphasis on D holding on WR’s, does a bigger slot WR really provide the benefit you need?

  37. 37 ChoTime said at 10:35 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    1. there’s a tendency to want to copy the champs (not just you, in general). It’s not productive. Every team has to deal with their own situation.
    2. JM’s the best receiver on the team, so getting rid of him isn’t going to help.
    3. It doesn’t matter if the slot receiver uses quickness or size to get open, he just has to get open.

  38. 38 RobNE said at 10:58 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    true I just can’t help to watch and think we should try to do this or that. I’m just amazed at the Pats. Without Gronk even. I really need Brady to retire already.

  39. 39 ChoTime said at 12:51 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    The thing about that bastard is when they had old Randy Moss he was dropping dimes forty yards down the field. And when they got Gronk going, he would just kind of dominate people. And now he’s doing it with these little white guys. A lot of things become possible when you have someone like that manning the helm.

  40. 40 Stephen E. said at 3:25 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Edelman and Hogan are both over 6′ tall and 200 pounds.

  41. 41 ChoTime said at 5:01 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Julian Edelman
    #11 WR
    New England Patriots | Official Team Site
    Height: 5-10 Weight: 200 Age: 30

  42. 42 eagleyankfan said at 7:48 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    And coaches to help scheme with what they have…

  43. 43 Sb2bowl said at 11:14 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    1. They’ve been doing the same things with different types of players for almost a decade. Remember Troy Brown? I hate that little bastard.

    2. Agreed, it’s not going to help if we dump him; Wentz struggles with seem throws, but is excellent outside of the hash marks. This molds my thinking into moving away from the slot-centric players and picking up WR’s that can actually challenge the outside of the field.

    3. I agree with you (they just have to get open) but HOW they get open dictates a lot. Do they use size/speed to get separation, or quick, sharp cuts to gain leverage? However their strengths line up, we need to match the play calling to those abilities.

    Think of the Ravens game, when we had Matthews try to run that little out/in jump cut. He’s too slow to do it; the defender never bit on the fake, and we lost by 1. I think AGS would be better at that play, but he didn’t have the opportunity. He wouldn’t catch the ball, but at least he would be open.

    Speaking of AGS- I’m always amazed that we don’t try to utilize his elite change of direction abilities. Think back to the Colts pre-season game. Or the Giants game at the end of that year where he caught it, pivoted, and got 10 yards before contact. See the 4:20 mark of this video for the example vs the Colts.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5afBfYEKcSA

  44. 44 A Roy said at 12:33 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    3. I especially like the “two hand throw” move where the receiver stops, throws the defender downfield and comes back for the catch.

  45. 45 ChoTime said at 12:49 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Blocked by the NFL!

  46. 46 Sb2bowl said at 12:57 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    assholes

  47. 47 Sb2bowl said at 10:36 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Those guys have elite agility and lateral quickness- think of Cole Beasley as well. Matthews doesn’t have that- so we’ll need to attack from the slot a different way.

  48. 48 Fufina said at 10:38 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Think we need to wait and see how Wentz develops before making any conclusions about what works and doesn’t. Brady is the best i have ever seen at making those types of decisive quick throws that are somehow always 100% safe – expecting any other QB to replicate that is pretty tough.

  49. 49 BobSmith77 said at 11:24 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    That is never going to be Wentz’s strength.

  50. 50 BreakinAnklez said at 3:15 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Ryan Switzer. Not to continue the lazy comp (small, quick, white guy), but that’s him. I’d love to add him in the middle rounds. He was a beast for UNC his entire career.

  51. 51 laeagle said at 5:25 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    There was a great article in the NYT on Sunday about how those kinds of WRs get picked up by the Pats, and what they look for. Evidently there’s a LOT of stuff expected of them, mainly by Brady. I don’t think Wentz is at the level where he could even have specific requests of his WRs. I think he’s still on “catch the goddamn ball”.

  52. 52 teltschikfakeout88 said at 10:16 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Tom Brady kinda helps cover up the “short” comings of hogan, amendola and edelman…ohh and add Eric Rowe of eagles cast offs to win SB with NE….Kyle Arrington and amendola are others…

  53. 53 D3FB said at 8:02 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    I’m a huge Trent Taylor fan (Ryan Switzer also in the category but will go earlier). Take him on day 3, let him slowly work his way into reps. After the season don’t pay JMatt batshit money, and instead have Taylor take over the role. Michael Camapnaro is a similar guy who Baltimore may move on from in the offseason, worth keeping an eye on as well.

    I’m a big proponent of adding a shifty slot WR. Finding bigger guys to play in the slot isn’t hard and JMatt is going to cost too much money.

  54. 54 Sb2bowl said at 11:16 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    How do you think that correlates with the relationship that Wentz and JMatt have cultivated? I’m a proponent of finding a quick-twitch guy from the slot, but the Birds may just hold on to their home grown talent.

    I do hope that some of the influence from Ozzie will help Douglas motivate Howie to move on from home grown, albeit overpriced talent. Draft, replace, repeat.

  55. 55 D3FB said at 2:12 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    I think you trade JMatt to the Texans and he’s Brocks best buddy before the end of the week. Wentz is hopefully the dude for the next 15 years, the WR corps is going to churn multiple times. He’ll have Ertz. He’ll hopefully have a running game and veteran outside WR. I think they’ll be fine moving on from JMatt. I’d rather trade Jmatt, put the pick back into a rookie WR and give Burton 4 years 12 mil to be core ST, TE2, big slot when needed, and save the money.

  56. 56 CrackSammich said at 8:18 PM on February 8th, 2017:

    If you’re taking anything from the Patriots offense, it’s not that you need to folllow their blueprint. It’s that you need to recognize the strengths you already have your roster and let that dictate your offense. When you have two great tight ends, you run two tight ends. When you have 5 slot receivers, run your offense through the slot receivers. In no way should we stock up on slot guys just because someone else made it work.

  57. 57 Tumtum said at 10:46 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Eric Rowe, world champion, everyone.

  58. 58 Tom33 said at 11:04 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Yeah, but he doesn’t have #swagger

  59. 59 Sb2bowl said at 11:05 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Crazy, right?
    To be fair, he didn’t play that well- but when it mattered, the Pats pulled it out. Life lesson to be learned

  60. 60 Tom33 said at 11:12 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    I thought he played pretty well actually. Broke up the pass to Gabrielle, had the TFL near the goal line, and got to cover Julio Jones a lot. I don’t think he could have had better coverage on the last catch – just a perfect throw and an even perfecter catch!

  61. 61 Sb2bowl said at 11:38 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    The last catch was exceptional; I kept thinking, that’s why you draft tall CB’s (can’t teach measurables)- Julio just jumped higher. Rowe was in good position.

    I thought he gave up some catches early in the game, but I have no idea what the defensive alignment was in those situations.

    He seems to play better against the bigger, physical WR’s as opposed to the quick guys. Good for him.

  62. 62 Insomniac said at 6:56 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    That was a better throw than catch but the catch itself was phenomenal.

  63. 63 Sb2bowl said at 9:56 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    Kinda thought that was half heave/prayer. Let your guy make the catch. I hope some day that we have a player like that, where Wentz can throw it up and our guy can come down with it.

    I’m looking at you, DGB. Get your shit together and do something with your life on the football field.

  64. 64 Insomniac said at 9:42 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    I thought the ball placement was insane and highly accurate. He did it while scrambling too so there’s that.

  65. 65 daveH said at 11:36 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Most hated Pat Chung 2 time W Champ.

  66. 66 Tumtum said at 1:37 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    At least he was burned for a TD.

  67. 67 daveH said at 3:07 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    He just helped make the comeback all the more greater

  68. 68 daveH said at 3:09 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    My hate for him faded long ago .. and since been replaced by layers and even more layers of awe & jealousy and awe and admiration and more awe

  69. 69 Stephen E. said at 3:30 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    On that one pass breakup, he sure looked aggressive. Maybe we should look at picking him up, because he really looked like a Schwartz kind of guy. :-/

  70. 70 CSA said at 10:50 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Robinette looks slow getting up to speed. I love the high-point catches but I wonder if he could get any separation against NFL dbacks. I’m going to bet that his 40 times drop him to being a round 6-7 pick. There’s clearly enough talent there to make sure he is drafted though. When I see him I see a taller Avant and that’s not a terrible thing.

  71. 71 A_T_G said at 1:24 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    He kind of looks like the same flavor as the guys we already have. Maybe tougher than Ags and shiftier than Matthews, but that could be an illusion based on the competition.

  72. 72 pricebe said at 3:53 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    His hands would be better than anyone currently on the team…

  73. 73 A_T_G said at 11:10 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    That would certainly be a plus.

  74. 74 pricebe said at 3:53 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    I too thought Robinette reminded me of Jason Avant due to how crisp his routes were but a couple of thoughts, Robinette is much bigger than Jason Avant and much better at high pointing the ball due to his length. Also think he’s probably faster than Avant, Avant ran like a 4.6+ if I remember correctly

  75. 75 P_P_K said at 11:07 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Where were you 12 years ago today?

  76. 76 ChoTime said at 12:48 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Shaking my head at bad officiating when the Steelers beat the Seahawks?

  77. 77 P_P_K said at 1:57 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Picture worth a thousand words:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1776d71a18567f6c0428fae76f3809c430c5f926ae38367d00c0752bb1dd5c54.jpg

  78. 78 ChoTime said at 3:09 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Oops, am I off by a year?

  79. 79 P_P_K said at 4:06 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Yea, Steelers won the next year.

  80. 80 Mac said at 6:35 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    That looks like illegal contact with a QB’s helmet. Fitting.

  81. 81 ChoTime said at 6:36 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    I was thinking about this today. The Superbowl loss did not hit me that hard, not compared to the NFC Championship losses (excepting ’08, which was just a weird thing overall).

    The reason, I think, is that I assumed we’d be back.

  82. 82 P_P_K said at 7:32 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    I’m with you. I lost money on the Bucs and Panthers games, not on the SB loss.

  83. 83 Brian said at 11:14 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    I was not super crushed by it at the time. But, over the years, as the Pats have won more and more, with a cloud of cheating hanging over some of those, I’ve become more and more bitter. Was their videotaping program in place? No one who watched that game would say the Eagles got screwed, but in the end it was a 3pt game and one play could have made the difference?

  84. 84 BobSmith77 said at 11:23 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    All 38 die hard Falcons’ fans were devastated. The rest will wait to see if they are good or not by the middle of the year before following them more closely.

  85. 85 BobSmith77 said at 11:27 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    If Pederson had lost that game, they would have found some actual tar and feathers to greet him with at the airport on the return flight.

  86. 86 Dave said at 11:38 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    I disagree, the Mayor would have signed an immediate executive order banning him entering from the city limits.

  87. 87 Dave said at 11:44 AM on February 6th, 2017:

    Matt Ryan may have won the league MVP, but it was very evident last night that Julio makes Ryan’s numbers look much better than they are.

  88. 88 kajomo said at 12:47 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Taco Charlton is a name not mentioned much by eagles fans, but is a guy I think Schwartz would love. I think he’s similar, but a better prospect than Chandler Jones was coming out of Syracuse.

  89. 89 Sb2bowl said at 1:14 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    He’s got some serious potential, and played under a fiery coach in Harbaugh. He could be a target if we trade back some in Round 1, I don’t think he fits the bill where we currently sit.

  90. 90 Will Ft. Daft Punk said at 1:27 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Some people have him as a top 15 pick already.

  91. 91 Sb2bowl said at 1:34 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    I’m looking at him in the 20-25 range, but who knows. If we like him, take him. There are a few edge rushers ahead of him at this time, but the off season is young (Thomas, Barnett).

  92. 92 kajomo said at 2:18 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Thomas is a legit freak. I just think he’s an awkward fit for our defense. I would not be mad with him. I could easily see him going before we pick.

    Barnett on the other hand is not a special prospect. He does not have the ceiling Taco has. It’s honestly not even close. Barnett will likely have a long, solid career. Taco could be a perennial pro bowler.

    I think you are getting caught up in draft site rankings. Just watch Taco and tell me he is not a top 15-20 player. He is raw and inconsistent, but his potential is crazy. Guys like Ziggy Ansah got drafted high with a similar skill set.

  93. 93 Sb2bowl said at 2:33 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Just from what I’ve read lately- I don’t get too terribly serious with it until the combine/FA begins with us, to see what the composition of our roster looks like and a projection of holes/needs/talent for the Birds.

    Barnett looks solid, not flashy, sort of like B Graham without the bullish strength at this point. Hard to say what he will be, but as of now I think he has the highest floor of the 1st round edge rushers.

    Thomas looks like a player; he’s smart enough to adjust to multiple schemes, and it looks like he’s got the athletic ability to handle whatever comes at him. I could see him being an outstanding OLB in a 3-4, as well as a top tier talent in the 4-3. I don’t think he’ll last to our pick, but I’d grab him in a second if we could.

    I admit, I don’t know a lot about Taco Man. I’ll look into him as the off season progresses, thanks for your encouragement to do so.

  94. 94 kajomo said at 2:12 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    I have a feeling once the combine is over we will be hoping he is stillon the board when we pick. His ceiling is sky high.

  95. 95 Sb2bowl said at 2:34 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    That’s the problem with projections at this point- nothing really matters because players are going to move up and down as the off season progresses.

    Look at the kid from Villanova- he was on a few radars before the Senior Bowl, but now that the NFL scouts have seen the 6-7 DE up close, they are salivating. Probably just gained 2 rounds of draft grade just by performing on a higher stage.

  96. 96 kajomo said at 2:52 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    I agree.

    I have always wished the draft happened prior to FA. However that is not the case. So as I look at different scenarios for the offseason I tried my best to accurately predict where key targets will be drafted. It helps me form my best (and useless/fictional) plan.

    FOr example, I think Lattimore and Jones are in a class by themselves at CB. I happen to think both will be gone when we pick. As a result I have shifted my focus more toward pass rushers knowing I can get similar value at CB in round 2 as I would taking one at 14/15. Is just how my mind works and how I look ahead in the offseason.

  97. 97 laeagle said at 5:21 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Draft before FA is how we ended up with Danny Watkins.

  98. 98 Sb2bowl said at 1:44 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    That was such a horrible year

  99. 99 GENETiC-FREAK said at 5:41 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Thats how we got Watkins man.

    FA fills the needs. Drafting after gives you more flexibility n can go BPA.

  100. 100 Tumtum said at 1:39 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    I love him and I don’t even know him.

  101. 101 Dave said at 2:59 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    He was in a band in the 80s…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG3PnQ3tgzY

  102. 102 Bert's Bells said at 5:25 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    He WAS the band.

  103. 103 Bert's Bells said at 5:24 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Taco Tuesdays every day of the week.

  104. 104 D3FB said at 8:03 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    Physically very talented, I don’t think he understands football.

  105. 105 Sb2bowl said at 10:01 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    How important is the mental side of things when it comes to playing in Schwartz’s version of the Wide 9? In other words, we aren’t talking Billy Davis 3-4 OLB responsibilities.

  106. 106 D3FB said at 10:08 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    You still have to diagnose and not freelance (which Charlton does alot). It’s not quantam physics, but you do have to understand football, because if you’re just running 8 yards up field every play you’re gonnna get benched.

  107. 107 Sb2bowl said at 10:57 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    But they didn’t bench Babin.

    Thanks man- I wonder if that is part of BG’s growth as a player and leader. Didn’t he give credit to Hicks for the increased mental side of football a few years ago?

  108. 108 Mac said at 11:01 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    They did after they fired Washbum.

  109. 109 Sb2bowl said at 11:12 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    Hell yea they did, and they should have done it earlier! What a cluster-fun that season was……….

  110. 110 D3FB said at 2:03 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    It wasn’t so much the mental understanding, Hicks basically caused BG to realize he wasn’t handling his preparation (film) like a professional.

    Everybody gets paid alot of money at this level, sometimes the difference between a sack and not getting any pressure is knowing that the other team only runs 7 step out of arc motion.

    With Charlton I’m not sure he would be alert enough to realize a slot WR motioning into the formation on 3rd and 2 means he’s probably going to get cracked.

  111. 111 kajomo said at 6:34 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    Have you heard this somewhere or is this something you’ve seen when watching him?

    I see guys like ansah and Dontarie Poe being drafted high and paying off due to their athleticism. Both were also considered very raw. How much different is Taco rom these guys?

  112. 112 D3FB said at 10:37 AM on February 8th, 2017:

    Ansah was raw because of a late switch to football. Poe’s biggest knocks were being a C-USA guy and not posting gaudy stats (and being a NT only), he was also a junior, so you’re willing to overlook some more of the underdeveloped traits.

    Charlton you can tell from watching film he doesn’t really get it, despite being a big recruit and being a senior at a power program. He only started one year. I get the appeal, he has impressive traits. There’s a chance he becomes very good. There’s also a chance he’s Alex McCalister with a filled out frame. It’s just not a chance I’d be willing to take given the other needs and how high we are picking.

  113. 113 SteveH said at 1:51 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    As an ardent hater of the Patriots, I think I’m recovered enough to say this: Fuck you Devonta Freemon, you block missing motherfucker. Stevie Wonder could have picked up that pass rush better than you did, and one of the many reasons I could never be a head coach is I would have cut you before you even got back to the bench. Failing such a simple assignment in such a critical situation is why the Patriots win and you lose; don’t do unbelievably stupid shit that loses you the game.

    That being said, my hangover says go back to sleep, where I’ll dream of a world where Matt Ryan has to give back half his guaranteed money for taking that sack. That is truly the only just world.

  114. 114 anon said at 1:53 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    i can see why tevin coleman plays on 3rd down

  115. 115 Sb2bowl said at 10:00 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    That was horrendous. Guy was running right at him and he halfheartedly chipped him

  116. 116 RobNE said at 11:12 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    that’s the RB that was out hurt right? Maybe the coaches should call a play knowing their RB that can’t block well is in the game.

  117. 117 xmbk said at 4:20 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Mistakes on the field can always be forgiven before those in the coaches box. Getting knocked out of fg range is on the coaches, first and foremost. Inexcusable stupidity, worse than Seattle.

  118. 118 P_P_K said at 4:27 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    This is the time of year when I try to forget that last year at this time I was thinking, “Next year will be our year.”

  119. 119 GENETiC-FREAK said at 4:37 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Falcons n Shannahan got too cocky. There was no need to go for an instant quick kill with that lead. A slow death is all they needed n they would have got the W.

  120. 120 GENETiC-FREAK said at 4:39 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Alex Mack was a massive signing for the Falcons T-Law. Top tier C in the game ever since he was drafted from the Browns. Still is a top tier C.

    Trufant was a big loss for the Falcons though.

    Keanu Neal needed to step up n make a play though.

  121. 121 unhinged said at 5:47 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    This morning on GMA, the panel was interviewing some expert on the saliency of the Superbowl commercials. So the “expert” gives his ratings ( a NY guy from a big advertising firm), and Robin Roberts (I think ) asked him what he thought of the game. His response was sweet: “…Hated it!” The panel was collectively gasping, “…What? The greatest Superbowl ever, huh?”. Ad guy: I HATE the Patriots!!! (live audience lets out a mixed moan – some cheering, some booing, some shocked that he said it.) Then ad man doubled down: “If you’re not from New England, YOU HATE THE PATRIOTS!!!”
    I loved the Lombardi Packers, the Walsh 49ers, and the Madden Raiders; I admired the Shula Dolphins, the Tom Landry Cowboys, the Chuck Noll Steelers, and the ’85 Bears. All of those teams had class and chops. They achieved greatness despite high competition, and they ENTERTAINED!! Today’s NFL is so blatantly mediocre and starved for a heavyweight bout that it is sad. The billionaires are incrementally destroying what they claim to love.

  122. 122 Dave said at 7:17 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Good Morning America, really?

  123. 123 Julescat said at 9:09 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    they could start by getting rid of the horrible commissioner

  124. 124 PacificPurl said at 4:12 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    What’s so horrible? He’s a CEO who takes advice from his management team and makes executive decisions. He also has to ultimately please the board of directors. If not Goodell then somebody else. Who?

  125. 125 Bert's Bells said at 5:28 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    Yup, Goodell is a douche, but he’s doing the job the owners told him to do.

  126. 126 Tumtum said at 9:53 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    The general consensus from just about everyone I talked to was: Hope Falcons win, expect Patriots to.

  127. 127 Julescat said at 9:08 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    poor Kyle Shanahan

  128. 128 Dragon_Eagle said at 9:59 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    Offseason is here!!! yay.

  129. 129 eagleyankfan said at 7:56 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    yeah — put on your ‘offseason boots’ because the bs will get deeper…

  130. 130 九州套图 said at 11:11 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    来看看咯~

  131. 131 Insomniac said at 11:34 PM on February 6th, 2017:

    http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap3000000784125/Rapoport-Falcons-may-look-to-Chip-Kelly-to-replace-Shanahan

    Falcons trying to tank for one last shot at the SB with Ryan.

  132. 132 BobSmith77 said at 12:31 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    “Place your bets today, Eagles fans. The Birds have 50/1 odds to win Super bowl LII, according to Bovada.

    The other franchises tied with the Eagles at 50/1 are the Bengals, Dolphins, Saints, Titans and Redskins.

    The Birds were given the same odds to win Super Bowl LI entering this past season. At least they are consistent, right?”

    http://www.csnphilly.com/philadelphia-eagles/look-eagles-odds-winning-super-bowl-lii

  133. 133 A Roy said at 9:06 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    538 on ESPN has them at 42-1. Play the spread if you can.

  134. 134 RobNE said at 11:10 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    Does that seem low on the Bengals?

  135. 135 BobSmith77 said at 11:30 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    Maybe a bit but they are coming off a bad year and neither Andy Dalton or Marvin Lewis have won in the playoffs

  136. 136 Media Mike said at 5:29 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    2017 is here…………..so how soon before a bunch of players who need not to be here are gone?

  137. 137 Dave said at 8:12 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    If last year was any indication, by the end of this week.

  138. 138 Ark87 said at 4:09 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    they would be gone before week 17 if last year was any indication

  139. 139 Nailed It! said at 11:43 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    Steve Sarkisian to become new Falcons OC. Chipper Kelly to Alabama, well no one is saying it yet, but I am saying it now.

  140. 140 ACViking said at 11:48 AM on February 7th, 2017:

    NI . . .

    I think you’ve nailed it again.

    Kelly’s offense can only work in the sort of laboratory setting that Alabama’s ridiculous recruiting depth — ‘specially on defense — provides.

    That said, LSU should immediately fire Ed Orgeron and hire Kelly.

    Imagine what Kelly could do with all that East Texas and Louisiana prime talent . . . .

    Then again, unlike being the OC at ‘Bama with no recruiting duties, being a HC would force Kelly to talk to regular people — which he hates.

  141. 141 D3FB said at 2:20 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    Also the college game has moved like 6 steps beyond Kelly since he left.

  142. 142 Tdoteaglefan said at 6:08 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    offseason is here time for draft games!

    Round 1 Pick 15: Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama (A+)
    Round 2 Pick 13 (ARI): Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida (B)
    Round 3 Pick 10: Isaiah Ford, WR, Virginia Tech (A-)
    Round 4 Pick 12: Julien Davenport, OT, Bucknell (A)
    Round 4 Pick 13 (ARI): Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma (A-)
    Round 4 Pick 33: Jake Butt, TE, Michigan (B)
    Round 5 Pick 11: Daeshon Hall, DE, Texas A&M (A)
    Round 5 Pick 13 (ARI): Corn Elder, CB, Miami (Fla.) (B+)
    Round 6 Pick 10: Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, UCLA (A+)
    Round 7 Pick 12: Sean Harlow, OG, Oregon State (B)

  143. 143 Bert's Bells said at 7:56 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    Inside linebacker at 15. A+

  144. 144 Sean Stott said at 6:56 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    I don’t think they’ll cut Kelce

  145. 145 xeynon said at 10:34 PM on February 7th, 2017:

    Atlanta is screwed. I would wager my house they don’t make it back to the playoffs next season. The Super Bowl loser hangover is real for any team, and that was the worst loss in Super Bowl history, if not NFL history.

    Looking forward to the offseason and starting the process of building around Wentz. It’s so nice to have the biggest piece in place and just be building around him rather than still looking for that star QB.