Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Good Vibes

Posted September 3rd, 2023 | 3 Comments »

The Eagles are coming off a great season and Super Bowl appearance. They bring back a ton of talent and had a great offseason. There is every reason in the world to be excited about this team and the upcoming season. That said, every year is a new team. When you lose some key veterans and mix in new guys…when you have players signing big deals…when you have everyone showering you with praise…it can be easy to lose the chemistry and culture that helped you get to the top.

I don’t sense problems with this team.

RG III had an amazing rookie season. It ended with him tearing his ACL, but he looked like the future of the QB position. Griffin fell in love with the spotlight. He had Subway sponsor his rehab. He went to movie premieres with owner Daniel Snyder. Griffin lost his focus and never came close to repeating the success of 2012. Jalen Hurts could be basking in the glow of his amazing 2022 season, new deal and rising fame. Instead, he seems as focused and driven as ever. Maybe even more so, with the bitter taste of the Super Bowl loss fueling him.

Hurts is the kind of player and leader you need to have extended success and not just a special season.

Cam Jurgens has the opportunity to replace Isaac Seumalo, who was loved by his fellow O-linemen. Jurgens has the right personality and demeanor to fit in with the group and keep their special chemistry going. He’s also really talented. Jurgens had a good summer and seems ready for the challenge.

The veteran D-linemen seem excited by rookies Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. Carter is the Baby Rhino and has really come on in recent weeks. He’s not just talented, he’s mean. Carter plays with an edge and veterans like Brandon Graham see and love that. Smith flies around the field at 100 mph. His energy is infectious. It is good to have new blood for a group that is coming off a great year. The new guys should keep them from sitting around and discussing last year’s stats.

The Eagles tried to keep CJ Gardner-Johnson, but it didn’t work out. They didn’t make any huge moves to fix the safety position, choosing to see if Reed Blankenship would step up. And that he has. Blankenship was lights out in Training Camp and just as good in joint practices. He’s the leader of the back end of the defense. Veterans like Terrell Edmunds and Justin Evans are competing to start with him, but Blankenship is the key safety. You love to see a young guy really taking advantage of an opportunity like that. He could have a big season for the Eagles.

Nakobe Dean will be the key LB. He didn’t have a great summer, but it can be harder for linebackers to stand out in camp. Dean has worked hard and will do everything he can to succeed in the middle. He was a star for a great Georgia defense so the situation shouldn’t be too big for him. Dean is desperate to get on the field and show what he can do.

When the Eagles came out flat in a practice against the Browns, Nick Sirianni let them know he wasn’t happy about that. The players then dominated Cleveland the next day. That tells  you Sirianni still knows what buttons to push and the players respond to him. Complacency can be a real issue for a team coming off a great season, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem so far.

The Eagles have 15 players in their first or second season. Those guys will play a lot this year and they are hungry to show what they can do.

Even with a lot of new faces on this team, the group seems to have good chemistry. Leaders like Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox and BG can have a transcendent effect. Those guys have been with the Eagles since the days of Fred Flinstone and dinosaurs. They know what it takes to win, but also what it takes to have a strong locker room where all 53 (actually 69) guys work together.

Hurts is like a cheat code. He’s so good on the field and maybe even better off it. He’s going to do everything humanly possible to win.

Sirianni has preached culture and connecting since he arrived. He’s been fertilizing the flowers for a couple of years now. Sirianni is picky about who he hires for the staff and which players the Eagles bring in. I think that focus will help this team to have another big time season.

A lot of good vibes out there right now.

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To The Point

Posted August 31st, 2023 | 3 Comments »

There are a lot of reasons the Eagles are expected to be a good team and Super Bowl contender. In a time where there is a constant demand for more content, you can find all kinds of analysis and coverage.

Sometimes I appreciate when people get to the point. From NFL.com:

Why Gregg Rosenthal chose the Eagles (to win the NFC East): The Eagles have the best combination of offensive and defensive lines in football. Jalen Hurts is their quarterback. Let’s not overcomplicate things here.

Boom. So simple and so dead on the money.

NFL.com polled writers and analysts. The Eagles got 24 votes to win the division. Dallas got 10. I know predictions don’t mean a thing, but I will never tire of reading about the Eagles being picked over the Cowboys.

*****

Let’s try that analysis on something else.

Why the Pulitzer committee will choose Jimmy Bama to win: He uses nouns and verbs. And he draws pictures. Let’s not overcomplicate things here.

Works.

*****

The Eagles have filled out their practice squad.

WR Devon Allen
WR Greg Ward
WR Joseph Ngata
WR Britain Covey

TE Brady Russell

OL Brett Toth
OL Julian Good-Jones
OL Le’Raven Clark

DT Thomas Booker

Edge Tarron Jackson

LB Kyron Johnson
LB Ben VanSumeren

SAF Tristin McCollum

CB Tiawan Mullen
CB Mekhi Garner

P Arryn Siposs

Keep in mind that this group has multiple functions. First is providing depth for the current team. If there is an injury, you can call someone up. The PS is also important for player development. You get to keep guys around and let them learn without having to take up a roster spot.

We tend to overlook the fact the PS guys are important for practice. That’s why there are so many OL/DL/WR/DBs on the PS and roster. You need to be able to roll guys in and out as you prepare for games.

Some misc points…

  • Greg Ward is legally required to be on the PS. Eagles didn’t have an option.
  • Russell could be a really good practice player. I get the feeling he does everything at 100 mph.
  • JGJ can snap so he’ll play a lot of center in practice.
  • Who does Jeff Stoutland love more, Mrs. S or Le’Raven Clark? He’s the Greg Ward of the OL.
  • I liked Booker coming out of Stanford. Might remind you of Moro Ojomo in terms of size, length and skill set.
  • The PS is perfect for VanSumeren. Let him spend the year learning and practicing and he might be a good role player in 2024.
  • Mullen is a nickel. Had some great years at Indiana and showed some playmaking ability.

I’m fine with this group.

*****

The Eagles are still trying to figure out what they want to do at punter.

Somebody call Sean Landeta.

*****

https://twitter.com/JimNagy_SB/status/1697283868867305698

Sad to hear about this. Gil stayed active around the game as long as he could. He genuinely loved football. He’s one of the reasons I became so interested in the draft and evaluating players. He loved finding talent and was creative and aggressive about it. He would check out basketball players and track guys at a time when a lot of scouting was still in the dark ages. Gil would draft from any school. He didn’t care if you were the Heisman winner from Pitt (Tony Dorsett) or an older guy from Navy (Roger Staubach) or a DL from Elizabeth City State (Jethro Pugh – started for 14 years and won 2 SBs). Gil focused on talent and built Dallas into a machine.

After he was out of the league, he embraced a role in the media and was able to share his love of football and the draft with everyone.

Absolute legend. RIP.

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