Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Trader Howie

Posted March 9th, 2024 | Comments Off on Trader Howie

The new league year starts on Wednesday. That means free agency begins, but also trades. The Eagles are working that angle, trying to see about moving some veteran players.

Both Sweat and Reddick are in the final year of their deals. Both are good pass rushers, but they are coming off disappointing seasons. Reddick will turn 30 this year. Sweat will turn 27. That means he is still in his prime, but he has knee issues so he might not be on the same timeline as other players.

Reddick has value because he’s had four consecutive seasons with 10 or more sacks. Teams want proven pass rushers. The Eagles won’t get great value for him, but some team could want Reddick because he offers immediate impact. Sweat is a more complicated discussion. He can look dominant at times. But he didn’t make plays down the stretch last year, a time when the Eagles desperately needed them.

The Eagles will see what is out there. Is this an either/or situation or could both be on the move? I would normally say there is no way both guys could be dealt. But the Eagles might do that and then actively sign a FA…like Bryce Huff. The team has Nolan Smith ready to take on a bigger role this year. They also have a good backup as of today.

We knew BG would be back. It was just a matter of working out a deal that worked for both sides. He’ll get $4M this year.

The Eagles could then spend a pick on another pass rusher, possibly even a first rounder. It sure sounds like there will be some new blood chasing the QB for the Eagles this year.

Let’s go back to Huff for a minute. He will turn 26 this season and is coming off a strong year. Huff didn’t start for the Jets last year, but still had 10 sacks. He is 6-3, 255. Huff has good burst off the edge. He plays with great leverage and also has good power. He had more sacks and TFLs than Sweat last year and almost the same number of QB hits. Sweat started 17 games. Huff didn’t start at all. He was incredibly protective for a backup.

If the Eagles go after Huff, they’ll be taking a chance. They would move him to a different scheme and project that he would be a high level starter. Huff would be focused on rushing the passer and he’s proven that he can do that so the move does make sense. He’s an ascending player. His QB hits have gone up each of his four seasons. He sure feels like the kind of young player you do take a chance on.

This is a very fluid situation. Stay tuned.

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Comp picks were announced on Friday. The Eagles got:

3rd
5th
5th
6th

Let’s turn to Jimmy Bama for a full breakdown on the comp picks and what the Eagles will have to work with in April.

The Eagles will have 4 of the top 97 picks in the upcoming draft. This will be a critical spring for Howie and the Eagles. They need to hit on multiple picks to improve the roster and help them remain a Super Bowl contender.

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One Out, One In (Kinda)

Posted March 7th, 2024 | Comments Off on One Out, One In (Kinda)

Free agency starts next Wednesday. Legal tampering begins on Monday so we’ll actually see activity then. The Eagles are making moves now to be ready for next week.

Maddox is a tough subject. There are times when he has played some really good football. He’s in the prime of his career. He is versatile, with the ability to play safety or in the slot. The problem is that Maddox has only played in 39 games in the past four seasons. He just can’t stay healthy.

There was speculation that the Eagles could consider bringing him back at a lesser salary. Maybe. But if the problem is durability, then it doesn’t matter how cheap he is. The Eagles need to spend a draft pick on a guy who can play the slot. If they do that, then having Maddox in the mix would make sense at the right price.

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Jason Kelce has retired. Fletcher Cox might be retiring. Brandon Graham wants one more year.

BG has value because he can come off the bench and contribute. He won’t cost a ton of money. This is a good role for a high-energy veteran like BG.

We still don’t know if Haason Reddick will be staying. If he is traded, the Eagles will need to replace him with a starting level player. BG is purely a rotational guy at this point.

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There has been speculation that the Eagles might pursue Saquon Barkley in free agency. Forget about what Eagles fans think of this, let’s see what Tiki Barber thinks.

That is hilarious.

He wants Barkley to go anywhere in the league but Philly. I love the fact he hates the Eagles so much. That is just fantastic.

I would love to see Barkley in green, but I don’t know if the Eagles would be willing to pay the money needed to sign him. Most likely this is just his agent mentioning the Eagles to drum up interest. RBs haven’t had a very robust market in recent years.

We’ll see. It would be fun to see a dynamic RB like him in this offense.

*****

This cut caught me by surprise.

Simmons will turn 31 in November, but he remains a good player. He knows the Fangio scheme and would make sense for a couple of years.

This has been a wild offseason for safeties. They are getting cut left and right.

  • Justin Simmons
  • Jamal Adams
  • Kevin Byard
  • Jordan Poyer
  • Marcus Maye
  • Keanu Neal
  • Quandre Diggs
  • Eddie Jackson
  • Rayshawn Jenkins

That is wild for one offseason. And there could be more to come.

Teams want cheap options at safety. The Eagles have Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown, but Brown is hurt for now. Adding Simmons for a couple of years might help the young guys to develop into long term solutions.

Whether the Eagles go for Simmons or someone else, they will have plenty of options. Let’s hope they choose wisely, if they decide to go for a veteran safety. With two young guys already in place, it would make sense to add a veteran free agent.

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