Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Avoiding Extremes

Posted July 7th, 2026 | 1 Comment »

Nick Sirianni likes to talk about not wanting to do something too much or too little when it comes to play-calling trends and habits. He uses the quote that “A wise man avoids extremes.” Sirianni doesn’t always take his own advice.

For example, we know the Eagles overused hitch routes last season. That’s a perfectly good part of the offense, but it shouldn’t be something you do over and over.

Not ideal.

Kevin Patullo might have been running the offense, but Sirianni is the head coach and has an offensive background. He should have stepped in to address this at some point. Hopefully this will be solved by the change at offensive coordinator.

There is another trend the Eagles need to work on.

You don’t want to be ranked 31st in a category like this. Play-action passes are a real weapon, especially when you have a RB like Saquon Barkley. It forces the defense to play more honest. And play-action can lead to big plays. As you can see, Green Bay was middle of the pack, which is where you want to be, if not higher. With the Eagles going under center more, play-action can be even more effective.

Ryan Paganetti is a former Eagles staffer who is now posting analytical data on Twitter. Give him a follow for interesting nuggets and good statistical data like this.

*****

Someone asked how the Eagles could get a good offseason grade when they lost so much talent (Brown, Dean, Phillips, Blankenship). You have to look at the whole picture and think of all the changes.

Brown – Eagles aren’t replacing him 1-for-1. They changed schemes and the new one wants to spread the ball around rather than just feed it to the stars. Howie then went and made the overall WR corps deeper to fit the scheme. DeVonta will step in as the #1, a role he is more than capable of. This isn’t replacing TO with Greg Lewis or Reggie Brown. The Eagles had a plan and it can work. Seattle just won the SB with one star receiver (JSN) and solid guys around him. +

Dean – Nakobe will be replaced by Jihaad Campbell. This was the plan and probably part of the reason for drafting Campbell. He had a solid rookie season where he started 10 games and had 80 tackles. Campbell enters Year 2 with a very bright future.

Phillips – I think Greenard is an upgrade on Phillips so this one is easy.

Blankenship – Marcus Epps is slated to replace Reed. Epps started four games last season. The Eagles went 3-1 and allowed 12 points per game. He is an outstanding hitter and tackler. The drop-off will be playmaking. Blankenship was usually good for 3 or 4 INTs a year. Epps only has 3 for his career. Drew Mukuba will be the primary playmaker, an ability he showed last year and in college.

Think of other changes.

Sean Mannion sure feels like he’s going to be a real upgrade on Kevin Patullo.

TE is improved with the addition of a legit blocker in Johnny Mundt and a dynamic athlete in Eli Stowers.

The OL added OT Markell Bell. They also added some guys who can improve the OG depth. Dickerson and Jurgens are healthier than last year so the line play should be better.

We get a full offseason/season of Tank Bigsby. The coaches should now see real value in him.

Arnold Ebikete should be an upgrade on the Uche/Ojulari guys from last year. I also like the addition of AJ Epenesa.

Riq Woolen will be a major upgrade at CB2. Jonathan Jones should be an upgrade at CB4.

There is plenty to like about the Eagles offseason. They didn’t lose guys that caught them off-guard. They knew AJ was out. They knew Nakobe would likely be too expensive. And so on. Howie prepared and has good solutions in place.

****

ESPN ranked CBs today. How did the Eagles do? Quinyon Mitchell came in at #6 and Cooper DeJean at #10. The Birds were the only team with two players in the Top 10.

Quinyon Mitchell
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 24 | Last year’s ranking: 9

It’s only a matter of time before Mitchell cracks the top three. In just two seasons, Mitchell has worked his way into first-team All-Pro status with 29 pass deflections.

“Well-rounded coverage game and very competitive against the opposing team’s No. 1,” an AFC executive said. “Turnover production holds him back from the top of the group for me. Still an excellent player.”

Mitchell has yet to record his first NFL interception. The greats are paid to get the ball. But Mitchell’s metrics are undeniable.

He allowed 4.8 yards per target in coverage last season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, third best in the NFL among 87 defensive backs who were targeted at least 50 times. His minus-0.16 expected points added is tied for fourth among cornerbacks last season (minimum 75 targets faced). He has allowed 1.8 yards after the catch per reception, the fewest among corners. And his 42% tight-window throw rate was the highest in the NFL.

“Sticky man-to-man guy,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “He’s tough. Plays smart in big moments. Connected at the point of attack, which is one of the hardest things to ask for on a consistent basis. Will continue to get better and better.”

Oddly, Q does have multiple playoff INTs, but none in the regular season. That will change, hopefully this year. He has proven to be a great player in his two seasons.

Cooper DeJean
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 23 | Last year’s ranking: Unranked

DeJean’s presence on the list was a hot topic because of his positional flexibility. Is he a safety or a cornerback? He played mostly slot corner last season, but the Eagles plan to play him as a safety in base coverage and a slot corner in subpackages.

Since defenses are subpackage-heavy nowadays, and DeJean clearly has high-end cornerback traits, he remains a corner on our list. He appeared in 50% of the top 10 submissions for the position.

“He holds his own at any position, on the inside or outside,” a veteran NFC coach said. “He’s a corner because of the way he plays. [The Eagles] play a lot of man, and he ain’t shying away from nothing. He has the range and speed to play outside all day, too. He’s a Swiss Army knife.”

Along with Mitchell, DeJean is the first Eagles cornerback to make first-team All-Pro since Lito Sheppard in 2004. DeJean led all slot cornerbacks in catch rate allowed (61.4%), passer rating allowed (55.4) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.72). He has not allowed a passing touchdown as a slot cornerback over two seasons.

Coop was the youngest guy on the list at just 23. It really is crazy to think how lucky the Eagles were to get him in the second round. A lot of teams have to be kicking themselves.

With such highly rated corners it is no surprise to see a stat like this.

*****

During the draft we hear analysts say something like “This is a guy you take and he’s your RG for the next decade.” That rarely happens, as you can see from this stat (another good one from Ryan P).

The Eagles had 3 such guys in 4 drafts.

2010 – BG
2012 – Fletcher Cox
2013 – Lane Johnson

Unbelievably impressive. And they found another longtime starter in 2011…Jason Kelce, but he was a 6th rounder.

Players struggle to last a decade, let alone stay with one team. Injuries…salary…age…becoming firemen…so many different factors.

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One Comment on “Avoiding Extremes”

  1. 1 Eagles News: Philadelphia could achieve a “defensive plus-minus” threepeat - Philly Fan Radio said at 7:40 PM on July 7th, 2026:

    […] Avoiding Extremes – Iggles BlitzNick Sirianni likes to talk about not wanting to do something too much or too little when it comes to play-calling trends and habits. He uses the quote that “A wise man avoids extremes.” Sirianni doesn’t always take his own advice. For example, we know the Eagles overused hitch routes last season. That’s a perfectly good part of the offense, but it shouldn’t be something you do over and over. Not ideal. Kevin Patullo might have been running the offense, but Sirianni is the head coach and has an offensive background. He should have stepped in to address this at some point. Hopefully this will be solved by the change at offensive coordinator. […]