A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far way, Nelson Agholor was a major draft bust and a topic of complete derision. He couldn’t even line up in the right spot.
Agholor had a breakthrough season in 2017. He finally looked like the guy the Eagles always thought he would. Moving to the slot made a world of difference.
So did getting a good position coach. Mike Groh came in and pushed Agholor, as well as the other receivers. He was a good teacher, communicator and motivator. The talent was always there. Groh knew how to push and prod Agholor to get the best out of him.
One thing we don’t know is what Agholor’s ceiling is.
He made tremendous strides from 2016 to 2017. He can still get better, but how much better? I don’t think he will make a big leap, like he did last year. I think Agholor can improve the subtleties of his game. It will be interesting to see what impact having a great season has on him. Agholor’s confidence has to be sky-high right now. That could make him even better. It could also cause him to let up a bit and get sloppy.
We’ll have to wait and see. It is possible he could be even more of a playmaker this year.
*****
Roster Move: #Eagles have waived/injured CB Elie Bouka.
Bouka was a major long shot to win a roster spot so this isn’t a big deal.
Even with cutting him and Worley, the team has plenty of depth at CB.
*****
I watched more tape of Matt Pryor, the OL the Eagles took in the 6th round. Joe Douglas talked about the TCU-OU game. Pryor was solid in that contest, but didn’t stand out all that much to me. I watched him in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and was impressed.
Pryor played RT in that game. He had a handful of dominant moments. That was encouraging.
I am going to watch a few more TCU games before doing a longer write-up on him. I certainly do feel better now than I did during the draft.
Howard was a UDFA with the Eagles. Didn’t pan out here, but started 88 games for the Jets, Raiders and Ravens. Pryor is the better prospect. We’ll have to wait and see if he turns out to be the better pro. If Pryor can somehow start 88 NFL games, he will have had a good career.
*****
Only a matter of time. #Eagles losing assistant director of college scouting Michael Bradway to position w/Kansas City, per two league sources.
Bradway, who’s been with Eagles for seven years, teams back up with w/Chiefs GM Brett Veach, who came up thru Eagles scouting chain.
The Eagles have a great scouting staff. Bradway is part of that group. You never want to lose someone like Bradway, but you’re also happy to see him get a chance to climb the ladder. He will now go to Philly West, aka the Chiefs.
Posted April 30th, 2018 | Comments Off on Roster Overview
Now that we know the key moves of the offseason, let’s take a quick look at the roster.
DEPTH CHART
WR  Alshon Jeffery … Mack Hollins …….. Marquess Wilson … Jordon Gandy WR  Mike Wallace .… Shelton Gibson …… Dom Williams WR Nelson Agholor … Bryce Treggs …… Greg Ward …… Rashard Davis QB  Carson Wentz ….. Nick Foles …..… Nate Sudfeld RB  Jay Ajayi ………… Darren Sproles …….Corey Clement … Wendell Smallwood … Donnel Pumphrey ….. Josh Adams TE Zach Ertz …….…. Richard Rodgers … Dallas Goedert ……..Billy Brown ….. Joshua Perkins LT  Jason Peters …….… Halapoulivaati Vaitai ….. Aaron Evans LG Stefen Wisniewski … Isaac Seumalo ………… Darrell Greene OC  Jason Kelce …………. Jon Toth ……………….. RG  Brandon Brooks … Chance Warmack …….. Matt Pryor RT  Lane Johnson ……… Taylor Hart …………… Jordan Mailata
DE  Brandon Graham …. Chris Long ….. Steven Means …. Joe Ostman DT  Fletcher Cox ……….. Destiny Vaeao ….. Azziz Shittu … Bruce Hector DT  Tim Jernigan ………. Haloti Ngata ….. Elijah Qualls … Winston Craig DE  Derek Barnett ….… Michael Bennett …. Josh Sweat WB  Mychal Kendricks … Corey Nelson ..… Nate Gerry MB  Jordan Hicks ……….. Paul Worrilow ….. Joe Walker SB  Nigel Bradham ……… Kamu Grugier-Hill … Danny Ezechukwu SS  Malcolm Jenkins …… Chris Maragos ….. Ryan Neal … Asantay Brown FS  Rodney McLeod ….. Tre Sullivan ……. Jeremy Reaves … Stephen Roberts CB  Ronald Darby  ……. Rasul Douglas …… De’Vante Bausby … Jordan Thomas CB  Sidney Jones ………….. D.J. Killings …. Elie Bouka …. Marsloshawn Franklin NB Jalen Mills …………. Avonte Maddox …. Randall Goforth …. Chandon Sullivan
P Cameron Johnston K Jake Elliott LS Rick Lovato
PR Darren Sproles …… Rashard Davis KOR Wendell Smallwood …. Corey Clement …. Avonte Maddox
Overall, that is a darn good roster. It certainly isn’t without issues, but neither was last year’s and that team won the Super Bowl (in case you forgot).
Nothing is official with the UDFAs yet. That is always a fluid situations. Players agree to terms, but nothing is official until they sign a contract. The Eagles will make an announcement on Monday or Tuesday.
The Eagles signed several Safeties. That position needed depth and competition. The Eagles added quality UDFAs in hopes of finding a player or two.
RB is deep, but shallow at the same time. There are a lot of bodies, but also question marks. It could turn out to be an outstanding group if Sproles is healthy and back to his previous form and either Smallwood or Pumphrey can bounce back from disappointing 2017 showings.
It will be interesting to see what the Eagles do at Punter. Do they think Johnston is the guy? They will bring in competition for him at the least. I just wonder if they’ll look for a veteran to bring in or think Johnston has the potential to be the guy.
*****
More info on some UDFAs.
OT Aaron Evans – He played LT for Central Florida the past three years. Has good size at 6-5, 309. I was impressed with his game tape. Evans is a solid pass protector. He doesn’t have great feet, but does a good job of mirroring the rusher. He has an effective kick slide. Quiet feet. Good blocker on the second level. Uses his hands well. Good skip pull. Could play OG or OT in the NFL. Looks the part of an NFL lineman, both physically and in the way he plays.
LB Danny Ezechukwu – I previously wondered where he would play, but he is definitely a LB. Tough. Smart. Physical. Has good size at 6-2, 247. One small issue…not very athletic. Played a ton of snaps for the Boilermakers and still only finished 8th in tackles. Try-hard guy who faces a serious uphill battle to make it in the NFL.
S Asantay Brown – Played S for two years at WMU and then moved to LB for his final two seasons. Could play LB in the NFL, but at 6-0, 215 I’m guessing the Eagles will try him at Safety.
Speaking of my pro day reports, some leftover players now on NFL radar as post-draft free agents or better:@WMU_Football LB Asantay Brown (6-0 3/8, 215) 4.62/4.63 40, 38 VJ, 10-6 BJ, 4.19 ss, 6.86 3cn, 16 lifts. Worked out at safety.
That is a great Pro Day workout. Kamu Grugier-Hill also had a great Pro Day when he was coming out. He was 6-2 and able to add weight to his frame. Brown isn’t likely to add that much more bulk. The key for him will be playing well on STs. That’s how KGH has kept his job in the NFL.
DT Bruce Hector – The Eagles gave him good money so this is a player they have interest in. 1-gap DT who showed the ability to get to the QB in college. Had 18 sacks over three years. That’s excellent production for an interior rusher. Ideally suited to be the 3-technique, but willing to play NT and do the dirty work when asked. Has a good motor. Does a good job of pushing the pocket when he can’t get by his blocker. Good combination of strength and agility makes him a disruptive DT.
The Eagles did better than I thought. With such a deep, talented roster, I was scared they would sign a bunch of camp bodies. Several of these players can push for roster spots. Odds are they won’t make the team, but this is a good group.