Posted January 29th, 2025 | 1 Comment »We know the Eagles had amazing success turning edge rusher Zack Baun into an ILB. They could have interest in Oluwafemi Oladejo, who began his UCLA career at MLB before shifting to the edge. Oladejo had a real strong showing on Wednesday. He is 6-3, 261 and the kind of versatile edge that Vic Fangio would like. He dropped back in coverage and looked good. He showed the ability to win off the edge with burst and a good shoulder dip. Then check out this rep with him rushing inside.
Oladejo was a good run defender on the edge at UCLA. He is the kind of complete player Fangio likes. And if you think about last year, the Eagles drafted Jalyx Hunt who had a background as a DB.
I’m not sure Marshall’s Mike Green makes as much sense for the Eagles. He is 6-3, 251 and is more of a pure speed rusher. He has impressed in both practices so far and might not make it out of the first round. He is quick and athletic. He is relentless. Green will make some team happy.
Florida State DL Joshua Farmer would be an interesting target. He is 6-3, 314 and also athletic. He’s got the size to play NT if needed, but has the athleticism to be disruptive as a 3-tech or 5-tech. Farmer moves well for a guy his size. He can win as a pass rusher with power or a quick burst and good rip move. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted January 29th, 2025 | 2 Comments »The Eagles are in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years and the third time in eight years. That is one heck of an accomplishment. There is a lot of credit to go around, but you have to give Howie Roseman a lot of it.
Think about the 2022 team and this team. Most of the defense is new. There are four new starters on offense. Howie had to replace legends like Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox. He did and the Eagles didn’t miss a beat. That tells you what an amazing job he’s done the past couple of years.
Let’s talk about Howie and what has made him special in recent years. I think some people over-simplify it and think of the GM as a good scout. That’s only part of the equation.
Well put. Howie can scout and identify talent. He also understands the economics of football. A GM is a team builder, not just a drafter. You have to understand when to draft people and also how much to pay players. Value is part of the equation because you have finite resources (unlike the LA Dodgers).
I think Howie has done a good job in building up a philosophy over the years of what he wants. In the past he studied other organizations and looked for patterns. There is nothing wrong with that, but you need to identify what you want and how you want to build your team.
Remember when we heard the phrase “red star player”?
There are some basic elements to that, but it isn’t as simple as looking at stats or workout numbers. Character is a big part of the equation. Football character. Nick Sirianni talks about how if you bring in the right guys they will have the best chance of maximizing their talent, whatever that may be. I think the red star player ties into that idea.
The Eagles have been on a roll with recent drafts. They blew the Jalen Reagor pick in 2020 and they’ve been on fire ever since. There are stories about who wanted Reagor. The bottom line is that the Eagles took him and he was a major bust. Since that pick, they have been locked in. Maybe we should thank Reagor for making the organization realize they needed to not repeat that debacle.
One of Howie’s biggest strengths is the way he is always looking for talent. Mekhi Becton was signed after the draft. 31 other teams had a shot at that guy and passed. Terrific addition. Isaiah Rodgers was another good addition that 31 teams could have had.
I don’t know how things were between Howie and previous coaches, but he sure seems to listen to Vic Fangio. That’s smart. Find out what your coaches want and try to find out what they see so you can be on the same page. Fangio liked Jalyx Hunt and the Eagles took him in the third round. I’m sure Howie liked him independent of Fangio, but it was good to find out the DC liked the small school kid and would embrace him.
The Zack Baun story will be a part of Eagles lore. The whole world saw him as a backup edge and STer. Fangio saw an ILB. Howie wanted to sign him either way, but the Eagles trusted Fangio and put Baun at LB. He now has a chance to be the Defensive Player of the Year. That is nuts.
You sure can’t argue with Howie’s success over the past decade.
The good news is that he seems to be getting even better. That’s got to be a scary thought for the rest of the NFL.
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In case you missed it, here are my notes on Day 1 from the Senior Bowl.Â
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