Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Getting Faster

Posted March 17th, 2026 | 2 Comments »

The Eagles finally made a wide receiver move. Only it wasn’t the one we’re all waiting on. They added speed to the offense by going Hollywood.

Let’s start by saying this move had nothing to do with AJ Brown. The Eagles needed to replace Jahan Dotson. They also wanted to add speed to the offense. Brown is an explosive receiver. Last year he was 49-587-5 for the Chiefs. Those numbers could go up now that he’s playing with a good QB (checking to see if any KC fans are reading this).

Brown averaged more than 60 catches a season over his first five years when he started for the Ravens and Cardinals. He is a guy that you can feed the ball to. At this point in his career he may be best suited to being a role player. Fran Duffy mentioned that Brown could be used in the offense the way the Rams use Tutu Atwell, another undersized speed receiver. Brown only averages 11.6 yards per catch for his career so he’s not necessarily a big play guy. He does have the speed to stretch the defense, which is likely why the Eagles wanted him. If he goes deep, that will open things up for DeVonta and the other starting receiver (AJ or whoever gets signed/drafted).

Brown can play in the slot or outside. He showed really good footwork on a few of those catches. He doesn’t need to be great to help this offense. He just needs to be a good #3 that makes plays when the ball comes his way.

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A couple of updates on the AJ Brown front. Adam Schefter offered his thoughts.

No real news there. All the insiders lean toward AJ being dealt. But it doesn’t sound like it will happen any time soon.

The Eagles do have a high asking price for him, but that price was validated today. The Broncos traded a first, third and fourth round pick for WR Jaylen Waddle. AJ is a better player than Waddle so he should bring back a better haul. On a side note…the Dolphins could be awful this year.

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We sometimes talk about a championship window. After Super Bowl LII, that closed shut in a hurry. Things are different this time around.

Those aren’t just young Eagles. They are young stars. As long as Howie and his staff continue to add talent, this team should be contending for a while.

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Darius Slay announced his retirement on Monday. Slay was great for the Eagles, making three Pro Bowls and helping the team to a pair of Super Bowls, including one title. Not a bad run. Howie traded a third and a fifth for him back in 2020. Some questioned the move at the time. It turned out to be one of the best moves Howie ever made. Not only was Slay a great player for the Eagles, he was also a great leader and teammate. He spent 2024 tutoring Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. I’d say that worked pretty well.

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Patience Grasshopper

Posted March 16th, 2026 | 3 Comments »

Some teams have attacked the offseason aggressively, signing a lot of players to fill a lot of holes. Other teams have made big moves, hoping to put them over the top. The Eagles fall into the third bucket. They are one of the teams that has had to shop for bargains. They have lost more than they have gained so far this offseason. That’s no fun for the fans. It has to be even more frustrating for Howie Roseman.

Howie is one of the most aggressive GMs in the league. He loves to make moves and take risks. He’s now a victim of his own success. By drafting well and putting together such a strong roster he’s got to find a way to pay those guys. That means limited resources for some of the open spots. For those of us on the outside it can lead to confusion.

Why isn’t Howie doing anything at safety? All the good players are getting signed! He should have kept Reed Blankenship. What’s going on?

Patience, grasshopper.

There is a method to his madness. Howie has a plan. I’m not saying you can’t be critical of him or that the moves will work as planned. They went after Bryce Huff aggressively in 2024 and he did basically nothing. That team still managed to win a Super Bowl. The year before they signed a bunch of band-aids for the defense and basically none of them worked. That defense fell apart as the season went along.

The Ravens are the non-Eagles team I have paid a lot of attention to over the years. They don’t panic. They are patient. Think of all the times that good players have fallen to them in the draft. It feels like that has started to happen with the Eagles (Quinyon Mitchell, Jihaad Campbell). There are times to go get your guy (Cooper DeJean), but you also need to be able to sit tight and trust your draft board.

Baltimore can also be patient in free agency. Ozzie Newsome wanted to find the right guys. Why go sign some mid-tier player you don’t believe in? Wait and see who gets cut. See if someone is availabe via trade. See if someone from your own roster emerges. But don’t add guys just for the sake of making moves.

Think about the safety position. Howie could have afforded to re-sign Reed Blankenship. He didn’t, though. He could have afforded some of the other free agents we’ve seen get deals. Howie has sat tight. That tells me that he’s got a plan. Unfortunately he’s not been kind enough to share the plan with me. Maybe the Eagles truly belive Michael Carter can play safety. Maybe they will draft someone with an early pick. I still think re-signing Marcus Epps would be a smart idea. He impressed when he played last year.

The Eagles still have options. We just have to be patient to see what the plan is.

Free agency is always broken into segments. There is the first week when it is fast and furious. Teams are going after players aggressively. Signings are coming at us fast and furious. Things settle down over the weekend. The second week of free agency is kind of a re-set. Teams look to see who is still available. Players and agents have to re-set their expectations. Maybe they are now willing to sign shorter prove-it deals. Or maybe just lower their price in general. There won’t be as much activity this upcoming week, but plenty of deals will be made.

Now that Howie has resolved the Dallas Goedert situation, he will have a better idea of what the team can spend and what moves they can pursue. The Eagles still need help at receiver and safety, as well as possibly wanting another edge rusher. The Eagles reportedly showed some interest in Darnell Mooney, but he just signed with the Giants. Fran Duffy mentioned Brandin Cooks as an interesting addition. He’s fast, experienced and cheap (Cooks, not Fran). Jauan Jennings would also be an interesting target.

Jennings is also a very good blocker. He would make for a good addition if the price was right.

There are holes left to be filled. There are deals to be made. They won’t all get done this week. Back in 2017 Howie signed Chris Long and Patrick Robinson three weeks into free agency. There are still good players available. Your scouts have to identify the players who are the right fits for your scheme and organization.

Let’s see what happens.

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I know some of you will get the reference in the title. It comes from a 1970’s show called Kung Fu. It was about a boy who was raised as a Shaolin monk and then had to flee to the US and wandered the old West. I watched it as a kid and it was one of my favorites.

Clearly Nick Sirianni is a fan of the show.

More of Master Po’s lessons might lead to another Super Bowl.

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