Posted May 10th, 2023 | Comments Off on More Jalen Carter Appreciation
We’ve talked a lot about Jalen Carter this spring, but he’s such a compelling subject that we’re going to keep talking about him. I hope that’s acceptable. If not, I’ve got some JJ Arcega-Whiteside All-22 pieces I can begin posting.
We’ll find out if Jason Kelce is a good judge of people, but it is encouraging that he’s saying the right things about Carter so far. I can’t stress enough the value that Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Lane Johnson and Kelce have in creating the right environment for Carter. They have experience and strong personalities. If Carter is willing to listen, he’ll be in good shape. If he isn’t, he’s going to wash out pretty quick.
Now let’s talk about Carter the player. He’s powerful and can physically overwhelm some blockers.
We probably don’t talk enough about him as a smart, skilled DT. Remember that he didn’t play in a 1-gap attacking system. Carter had different responsibilities based on the scheme on a particular play. Watch his 2-gap ability in this clip.
That is one special dude. If he pans out, the Eagles could have an absolute monster in the middle of their defense for a long time. I don’t want to over-hype Carter, but he’s not just your typical DT1 out of the draft. He can dominate vs the run and pass. That’s rare. Beyond that, DT is becoming even more of a critical position in today’s NFL. Coaches want to play with a light box. You can do that with DTs who can 2-gap. Offensive coaches can burn that by throwing the ball. Put Carter on the field and the offense doesn’t have an easy option.
The more I think about Carter as an Eagle, the happier I get. He might not pan out, but if he does, the Eagles could be building a dominant defense.
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The schedule comes out on Thursday. Here is your early look at what we know.
Here's what we know about the Eagles' 2023 schedule so far:
Week 13 ā vs. 49ers on Dec. 3 at 4:25 p.m. Week 16 ā vs. Giants on Dec. 25 at 4:30 p.m.
Mixed feelings on a Christmas game, but at least it is late enough that we can enjoy gift-giving in the morning. Fingers crossed on Santa getting me a case of PBR and large bag of Funyuns. Then I can enjoy the game in style!
The Eagles went to the Super Bowl. The team lost some big free agents, but were able to bring some key guys back. Then came a terrific draft and the trade for D’Andre Swift. The hype meter for Philly has been running high for all of 2023.
Philadelphia.Ā The Eagles averaged 34.7 points per game in the playoffs, have adequately compensated for losses of both coordinators, are not worse at any position (amazing on the defensive line, considering they had a 69-sack year last year and lostĀ Javon Hargrave), have an offensive line that should keep upright a rising superstar QB-of-the-future at the top of his game, and will field two top-15 NFL wideouts entering their age-25 (DeVonta Smith) and age-26 (A.J. Brown) seasons.
The Eagles were the only team in that bracket. The Chiefs, Bengals, Niners and Bills were the teams in the “Super Bowl Vibes” category. Back to the Eagles. “Not worse at any position”? I think he is giving the Birds a lot of credit at LB and S. The Eagles lost four starters and are counting on young guys to step up. That might just happen, but I think Pete might have overstated things a bit.
All hail Howie. The Eagles GM did it again, nabbing two hugely talented defenders in the first round inĀ Jalen CarterĀ andĀ Nolan Smith, before pulling the trigger on a logical, smartĀ trade to acquire running back D’Andre SwiftĀ from the Lions on Saturday. The moves make Philadelphia better on both sides of the ball and further entrench the Eagles as the top dog in NFC. NFL Network’s Peter Schrager reported on Saturday that GMs across the league are grumbling about the amount of praise Roseman receives from the football cognoscenti. On the playgrounds of my youth, these individuals would be labeled asĀ sore losers.
Their roster is even more loaded than it was after the Super Bowl loss. They killed the draft, which will make them even better. This team is clearly the best in the NFC.
The Eagles deserve to be first or second. They’re coming off a great year and have a loaded roster once again. I do wonder if the writers aren’t being a little over the top with their praise. The team lost an impact DT, above-average OG, both starting LBs, both starting safeties and a workhorse RB. That’s a lot.
I like the replacements and think there is a realistic chance this team could be better. The combination of Swift/Rashaad Penny might be outstanding in the backfield. Nakobe Dean could be a playmaking LB. I thought Reed Blankenship showed a lot last year and has excellent potential. Jordan Davis could be an impact DL now that he’s got a year under his belt. And of course we’re all excited about the rookies. Jalen Carter could start. Nolan Smith could be a key role player. Sydney Brown and Tyler Steen both have a chance to start as rookies.
History tells us one or two of those players/moves isn’t going to work. We thought Michael Bennett was a terrific addition and would boost the pass rush. Oops. We thought Andre Dillard would replace Jason Peters at LT. Oops. We thought Derek Barnett would be an impact pass rusher. Oops.
You just never know what’s going to happen, good or bad. Nobody thought Jalen Hurts would be a top starting QB. Nobody thought Haason Reddick would dominate the way he did last year.
I think the offensive staff will be okay. Losing Shane Steichen hurts, but the Eagles still have a lot of returning coaches on that side of the ball. Defense will be interesting. You hate losing good assistants like Nick Rallis (LBs) and Dennard Wilson (DBs), but Sean Desai could be an upgrade on Jonathan Gannon at DC. We’ll see if Nick Sirianni made good hires with the replacements.
There are some other things to consider. The Eagles will be hunted this year. Teams wanted to beat them last year, but the Super Bowl appearance will take things up a notch. I think other teams will also focus on Eagles schemes. The QB sneak will be studied ad infinitum. The RPO scheme will get similar treatment. The pass rush will get a ton of attention from offensive staffs.
The Eagles are going to play better teams. The Eagles could have an outsanding year and lose 4 or 5 games. We’ll see the official schedule on Thursday night, but we already know the opponents.
The 2023 NFL schedule will be released on Thursday night at 8 p.m.
Honestly, I want the tougher schedule. I think the Eagles need to be tested during the year so they’re ready for the playoffs. The Giants weren’t competitive in the divisional round last year. The Niners were a legit opponent, but the minute Brock Purdy went down, that game was over. The Eagles first real test came in the Super Bowl. And they failed.
That may sound harsh, but it’s true. The Eagles controlled the first half and led by 10, but great teams don’t stop just because they’re losing. They dig in and battle even harder. The Chiefs did that and made more key plays. The Eagles were sloppy in the second half and it cost them the game.
More tests in the fall will help the Eagles get ready for the postseason.
We’re all excited to see what this team can do, but we need to be aware that there will likely be a few more bumps in the road this time around. That just might serve the team well if they can get back to the big game.