Jason Kelce, gone. Fletcher Cox, gone. Today we found out another Eagles legend was walking away.
DeVante Parker is retiring. He allegedly wants to spend more time with his family. I prefer to believe that he’s intimidated by the thought of facing James Bradberry in practice and just decided to hang up his cleats.
Go ahead and put DeVante Parker in the Frank Gore wing of the Eagles Hall of Fame.
Joking aside, this isn’t a shocker. The Eagles were his third team in four years. Parker is a player on the decline and he knows that. I’m guessing the idea of playing for a title contender really appealed to him, but as offseason activities got closer he realized he didn’t want to deal with the grind of camps and practices. That is understandable.
The game of football is fun. The practice and preparation are not. Well, at least not to most people. There is always the occasional guy who enjoys all the work and the grind of the offseason.
The Eagles still potentially have good depth at receiver.
WR – AJ Brown – Johnny Wilson
WR – DeVonta Smith
Slot – Parris Campbell – Ainias Smith – Britain Covey
Campbell can play in the slot or outside. Smith might be able to play outside, but he’s better suited for the slot.
The Eagles need to add a veteran to the mix to help them get through the spring and summer. They also need someone in case, god forbid, there is an injury. The free agent market is pretty bare. You know Howie will be working the phones to see if anyone is available in a trade. He will also try to figure out who is likely to cut a WR worth claiming. There are different options. The good news is that the Eagles don’t need anyone right now. They can be patient and see how things go.
The rookies have an opportunity here. If they perform well, it will help them to not only secure roster spots, but also to make the coaches think they are worthy of a role this season.
The Eagles have now signed all of their draft picks except first rounder Quinyon Mitchell. Cooper DeJean just signed his deal on Monday. There was some thought he could be the last to sign because second round picks can be a bit trickier these days. Howie and his staff do a great job with contracts so it isn’t a surprise to see that they figured out something that worked for both sides.
Mitchell should get done soon. The days of draft picks not signing for months is long gone.
I guarantee you that DeVante Parker will make the roster. Bet your mortgage on it. Bet your parents’ mortgage. And your neighbors. He is a one-million percent lock. There is zero chance Parker doesn’t make this team.
At least I assume that’s what Jimmy said. I saw Parker’s name on there and quit reading so I could come over here and point out the error, like any good friend would.
I posted my first roster projection the other day. Despite the fact it was completely perfect and amazingly brilliant, people had some questions. Let’s talk about some of the things that were brought up.
Britain Covey
Covey is an interesting topic. The case for him is that he’s been one of the best punt returners in the league over the past two years. He led the league in return yards last season and averaged 14.4 yards per return. That isn’t a player you casually cut. The argument against Covey is that he has 4 catches for 42 yards in his short career. He’s done practically nothing as a receiver. The Eagles now have more potential players at the WR position.
AJ Brown – lock DeVonta Smith – lock
DeVante Parker – veteran with ability Parris Campbell – veteran with ability
Ainias Smith – talented rookie Johnny Wilson – talented rookie
Joseph Ngata – returning member of the practice squad
The Eagles will either keep 5 or 6 receivers. There are now 8 guys battling for those spots. Injuries and performance will determine who makes it. Covey is not a lock, but don’t overlook his PR skills. He helps with field position.
There are some possibilities to discuss. The Eagles can use the practice squad to bolster WR. I think Wilson would make a lot of sense. Parker or Campbell could be a good fit. The other possibility is that the Eagles could trade Covey. If the team thinks Ainias Smith can be the PR and help at WR, Covey could be expendable. The Eagles wouldn’t get a lot in return, but he would have some value.
Josh Jobe
Jobe was a STs stud at Alabama. He has been a standout in the NFL as well. STs coordinator Michael Clay mentioned him as one of three key guys last week. Again, that isn’t something to take lightly.
The problem is that Jobe has very little chance to make the team as a CB. There is better depth and corner and nickelback. Safety is a position where there isn’t great depth. According to his college bio, Jobe played CB at Bama and in high school. Could he move to safety? He can hit and tackle. He’s physical. It would make some sense to give him a chance to show what he can do. There is still plenty of depth at corner. We’ll see if the coaches give him a shot. I know Clay would love to have him make the team so he could continue to play STs.
LB
I went heavy at LB. Part of that is because Zack Baun can play inside or outside. That gives him good value. Devin White and Nakobe Dean are the projected starters for now, but might not be long term answers. I think the team would want to keep Jeremiah Trotter Jr and Ben VanSumeren to see if they can develop into starters. The odd man is Oren Burks, who has some starting exerience and STs ability. This is a position where we really don’t know what will happen. It is possible several of the guys could play well and help the defense out. Or we could see players fail to stand out. In that case, Howie might need to do more work at LB.
RB
The Eagles have a stud in Saquon Barkley. Kenny Gainwell is a proven backup and rookie Will Shipley could be a good backup.
Things are wide open after that. UDFA Kendall Milton is talented. He could be a good PS candidate. Lew Nichols and Tyrion Davis-Price came over from other teams and have some potential, but are completely unproven. The Eagles might just stick with three RBs and keep someone on the PS.
*****
SCHEDULE TALK
I don’t get too fired up about the schedule. Still there are some things to talk about. There is no insane gauntlet like the team had last year. There are tough stretches, but that’s true every year.
The bye is in Week 5. You wish that was a bit later.
There are seven games slated for 1pm kickoffs. Those games are the best.
Thankfully there is only one MNF game. Those games are the worst.