Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

2023 Overview

Posted May 1st, 2023 | Comments Off on 2023 Overview

Free agency is largely over. The draft has come and gone. There are still roster moves to be made, but we now have a good idea of what the roster will look like this season.

QB

Jalen Hurts is coming off a great year. He’s healthy, signed long term and ready to go.

Marcus Mariota was signed to be the primary backup. He has experience and skill set to be an excellent fit on the Eagles. Ian Book and rookie Tanner McKee will battle for the third roster spot. Book is the better athlete and has a bit of NFL experience. McKee has more overall talent.

RB

Miles Sanders was the workhorse last year, but he’s gone. D’Andre Swift averaged 5.5 ypc for the Lions last year and could thrive in this offense. Rashad Penny averaged 6.1 ypc for Seattle last year. They form a potent 1-2 punch. Kenny Gainwell finished 2022 in strong fashion and will battle for touches. Boston Scott will be ready for the two games against the Giants.

This group will be more RB by committee than last year, but that’s not a bad thing. All of the runners have talent. All of them have the big play ability that Nick Sirianni wants in his runners.

WR

AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are as good a WR tandem as there is in the league. Quez Watkins will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing season. Olamide Zaccheaus comes over from Atlanta to add depth. Britain Covey was purely a RS last year. Devon Allen will push for a roster spot. UDFA Joseph Ngata brings size to the mix. He’s 6-3, 217. He has legit NFL potential.

If Brown and Smith stay healthy, the Eagles are set. It would be nice to have another talented veteran to add to the mix, just in case. A bounce-back year from Watkins would be great, but you can’t count on that. Expect Howie to watch the waiver wire and see if any good fits become available. The Eagles aren’t looking for a star, just a dependable veteran.

TE

Dallas Goedert is one of the best TEs in the league. Things open up after that. Jack Stoll is a solid blocker and effective receiver. He has limited upside. Grant Calcaterra only caught 5 passes as a rookie, but showed really good athleticism. He’s got to show that he can be an effective blocker to play on a regular basis. Tyree Jackson showed real promise in the past, but this could be his final chance. He needs to stay healthy and play well.

Depending on how the young guys look, the Eagles could have interest in adding a veteran here. If Calcaterra takes a step forward, the Eagles will probably be in good shape.

OL

Four starters return. Cam Jurgens will take over at RG. Some wonder if rookie Tyler Steen will get that role. The Eagles love Jurgens and want him on the field. He practiced at G and C last year so he should be ready for RG.

I’ll be interested to see what the plan for Steen is. He could be the backup at LT and LG. Or the team could want him to battle Jurgens for the RG spot. Jack Driscoll is back to be a key backup. I suppose he could get a chance at RG as well. Sua Opeta will be in the mix. Brett Toth has been a backup at several spots.

The OL should once again be one of the best groups in the league. They have good starters and depth and are mixing in more youth.

Edge

Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat are outstanding edge rushers. They are backed up by Brandon Graham and rookie Nolan Smith. That’s incredible talent and depth. And you still have Derek Barnett, Patrick Johnson, Kyron Johnson and Tarron Jackson battling for spots.

DL

Lots of changes in this group. Jordan Davis will take over as the NT. He’ll be backed up by Marlon Tuipulotu and Noah Elliss. Tui showed some flashes last year. Ellis is huge at 6-4, 346 and has potential. He was hurt last year. If he’s healthy, he could be someone to keep an eye on.

https://twitter.com/EaglesXOs/status/1577337968771088385

Fletcher Cox is back at DT. Milton Williams will have a chance to start, but rookie Jalen Carter will have a chance as well. The Eagles know how talented he is and want him on the field, if he’s ready. Carter won’t have to start, but they will need him to be part of the rotation. FA Kentavius Street will give the team an interior pass rusher off the bench. Rookie Moro Ojomo has a good chance to earn a roster spot and could be part of the rotation. He’s got the length and strength for the role.

This group has tremendous potential. Davis could develop into a force in the middle. Williams played his best football in the second half of last year. Carter could make an impact as a starter or backup. There are no guarantees everyone will pan out. It will be interesting to see how things shake out this season.

LB

Nakobe Dean looked good in his limited playing time last year. The Eagles are excited to get him on the field. Nick Morrow will likely be the guy starting beside him. Morrow struggled at MLB for the Bears last year, but played better when he moved to WLB. We’ll have to wait and see how the Eagles use them.

I thought Christian Elliss looked good in a couple of games where he got LB snaps. Maybe he’ll push for time. Davion Taylor has all the athleticism in the world, but has to show that he can play LB. Shaun Bradley is a good STer. He’s not shown much at LB. UDFA Ben VanSumeren is a great athlete who is still learning to play LB. He’s tailor-made for the practice squad.

The Eagles will be looking around the league. There are a lot of questions here. It’s possible the coaches will want to see this group in camp before pushing for help. This is the weakest position on the team.

SAF

Reed Blankenship showed enough last year that I want him to start. Terrell Edmunds has 75 career starts and could be adding to that total. Rookie Sydney Brown is a player the Eagles were very high on so he could get a chance to play right away.

Justin Evans will battle for a roster spot. He has talent and experience, but more than a few question marks as well. K’Von Wallace is coming off his best season and will push for a roster spot, possibly playing time.

Blankenship and Brown could give the Eagles a pair of young, explosive safeties. Edmunds isn’t an ideal fit, but his experience gives him an edge. This looks like a weak position for now, but teh B ‘n B boys could change that in a hurry.

CB

Big Play Slay and James Bradberry are studs. Avonte Maddox is terrific in the slot. Now you have Greedy Williams battling for a role. Josh Jobe was a key STer last year. Zech McPhearson is in his third season. Josiah Scott could be the backup nickel or McPhearson could take that role. Add in rookie Kelee Ringo and you have another talented piece. He’ll need time to be ready for the NFL.

UDFAs Eli Ricks and Mekhi Garner both have NFL talent and give the Eagles a lot of young players to try and develop.

ST

Jake Elliott and Rick Lovato are both outstanding.

Punter is wide open. Arryn Siposs has a chance to keep his job, but will need to perform at a high level. UDFA Ty Zentner has a big leg and lots of potential. Go here to read Jimmy Bama’s thoughts on  him.

*****

The Eagles have another loaded roster. If some young players step up, this team will once again be competing for the Super Bowl.

I have to give Howie Roseman a lot of credit. He’s not loaded up on older players and solely focused on 2023. The Eagles have some good young players they’ll be developing for the future.

Howie still has cap room to work with and plenty of future picks to deal if he wants to add more to this roster. For now, they’ll focus on coaching and developing the players already on the roster.

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Some UDFA Talk

Posted April 30th, 2023 | Comments Off on Some UDFA Talk

The Eagles won’t officially release the list of UDFA additions for a day or two. We’ll talk about a few of the big names they have reportedly signed.

LB Ben VanSumeren – Michigan State – 6-2, 231

Interesting player. Had an incredible showing at his Pro Day.

So how does a guy with solid size and special athletic ability go undrafted?

Went to Michigan as a RB/FB. After two years, moved to LB. Then he transferred to MSU in 2021. He was a backup LB and STer. Finally became a starting LB in 2022. Started 10 games and played well. Finished third on the team with 81 tackles. Limited playmaker, though. Had 3 TFLs, 2 sacks and 2 PDs. No FF or INTs.

Put on the tape and you see VanSumeren’s athleticism. He can fly from sideline to sideline. He has excellent agility and movement skills. The problem is that he’s not a natural LB. He’s still learning to diagnose plays and read offenses. He doesn’t finish plays as well as you’d like. He closes to the ball in a hurry, but is a sloppy tackler.

We hear Howie Roseman talk about finding players with “tools in their body”. That is absolutely VanSumeren. He’s got the raw ability to be a starting LB in the NFL. He needs work, though. I think he’s got a legit chance to win a roster spot because of his potential, but I don’t think he’d be ready to play this year. Maybe good coaching will make a huge difference and I’ll be shocked in the preseason, but I see a guy who will likely need time to develop.

WR Joseph Ngata – Clemson – 6-3, 217

Finished his career 88-1287-6. Best season was 2022 when he caught 41 passes. The Clemson offense struggled with throwing the ball in the past two seasons so that didn’t help matters. The Eagles reportedly gave Ngata big money to sign so this is a player they really wanted to get. He has good ability. Ran 4.54 and jumped 34.5 inches so that’s a good start for a WR. He doesn’t have good agility. Ngata is big and strong and plays that way. Can work the middle. Able to extend and pluck the ball. Will make some tough catches.

https://twitter.com/_MLFootball/status/1652006171903967250

https://twitter.com/accnetwork/status/1571300095353655298

I thought the Eagles would prefer a big receiver so adding Ngata makes sense. Can learn a lot by watching AJ Brown. Both are big, physical receivers. Ngata has legit ability. The question is whether he can consistently get open in the NFL. Ngata will block and knows how to use his size. Those traits give him a chance to win a spot in the NFL.

WR Jadon Haselwood – Arkansas – 6-2, 215

Elite recruit coming out of HS, number four overall (Nolan Smith was one of the guys ahead of him). Went to Oklahoma, where he played with some QB named Jalen Hurts in 2019. Best year was 2021 when he went 39-399-6. Transferred to Arkansas and had a terrific season, going 59-702-3. Playing in a tough, physical offense seemed to bring out the best in him. Ran 4.66 at the Combine and then improved that to 4.55 at his Pro Day. Solid athlete overall.

At his best in the slot. The Eagles use AJ Brown in there as a “big slot”. Haselwood doesn’t have anywhere close to his ability, but would be similar in terms of style. Has good RAC ability. Scrappy player who will block. Might remind you of Zach Pascal.

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1444401150011322369

Haselwood will compete. He’ll play on STs. He’s never going to be a star receiver, but this is the kind of UDFA you want. He’ll come in and battle for a spot.

OL Trevor Reid – Louisville – 6-4, 311

2-year starter at LT for the Cardinals. Good athlete and put on a show at his Pro Day: 38-inch vertical, 10-4 broad jump, 4.90 40-yard dash, 25 reps. Went undrafted because he is a project. Has a lean build. Will likely need to add some bulk in the NFL. Quick off the ball, but plays out of control. Poor balance. Gets out over his feet way too much. Jeff Stoutland has his work cut out for him.

Reid has the athleticism you want in an NFL OL. He just doesn’t have any polished skills. He’s light on his feet, but doesn’t have good footwork. Stoutland has to get him to slow down, play under control and use good technique. Reid is the kind of guy you want on the practice squad.

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