Category: Eagles Minicamp

Doug Pederson on whether the Eagles hold an advantage over NFC East coaching staffs during COVID-shortened offseason

Doug Pederson says continuity on coaching staff gives Eagles advantage

Doug Pederson addressed the media on Monday, officially kicking off the Eagles 2020 training camp which will be held during the coronavirus pandemic.

It’ll be a different training camp and regular season for all 32 NFL teams, and it’ll be extremely difficult for the other three NFC East franchises who underwent changes to the coaching staffs and front offices.

While addressing the media on Monday, Pederson again addressed the elephant in the room and that’s the distinct advantage the Eagles have had during a COVID-shortened offseason.

“I’ve thought about that, with the new staffs, just in our division here and in our conference, and it’s got to be extremely tough not to be around,” Pederson said. “They spent a little bit of time, maybe a few weeks, way back in February and March, maybe together. It’d be hard.

“And then not having your players in the offseason, and trying to teach a new offense, defense, special teams, I’m sure is probably difficult in its own right. We’ve been blessed – I’ve been blessed – going into my fifth year here in Philadelphia and maintaining the staff that I have, and adding some great additions to the staff this year.

“And I think that our players are excited, because they’re not having to learn a new offense, defense, or special teams.

The Cowboys moved on from Jason Garrett and hired Mike McCarthey during the offseason, while the Giants hired a young coach in former Patriots special teams coach Joe Judge and the Washington franchise finally got it right landing Ron Rivera.

Pederson, Jim Schwartz, and Wentz have been together for five years now, while the rest of the division will continue to get acquainted while on the run.

It’ll be interesting to see when and if that advantage surfaces.

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Raequan Williams named the Philadelphia Eagles best UDFA entering training camp

Raequan Williams named the Eagles best UDFA entering training camp

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The Philadelphia Eagles waived five players on Sunday, two that were defensive linemen and one defensive tackle who actually saw regular-season action in 2019.

A major reason for Howie Roseman’s parting ways with Albert Rush stemmed the Eagles being supremely high on former Michigan State defensive tackle Raequan Williams.

The rugged defensive tackle isn’t flash and dazzle, but more of a blue-collar, get it out of the mud type player that will definitely find his place on someone’s roster. Williams joined the Eagles to rave reviews and during Bleacher Report’s breakdown of the top undrafted free agent for all 32 teams, the defensive tackle was front and center again.

The Philadelphia Eagles may have lucked out when former Michigan State defensive end Raequan Williams fell to them outside of the draft. The 6’4″, 305-pound Williams has the size of a more traditional down lineman, but he has shown the sort of penetration power that teams covet at the position.

In 2019, Williams had 48 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, and two passes defended. Williams also proved durable, starting 42 consecutive games.

The Eagles were impressed enough by Williams to offer him $100,000 guaranteed, per Spotrac.

If Williams doesn’t crack the 53-man roster, he will have a good chance of landing elsewhere.

The former Michigan State Spartan can improve as a pass rusher, but he’s long, versatile, and he has a high-motor against the run game.

Williams earned third-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior after starting 13 games and racking up 53 tackles, 10.5 for loss, two sacks, and five pass breakups. Rather than cash out on his pro potential, he stayed in school and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors again and he’ll carve out a role on the Eagles roster.

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Eagles Howie Roseman lands in the top-5 of a ranking of alll 32 NFL GM’s

Howie Roseman is No. 4 in a Rotoworld ranking of NFL GM’s

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The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the gold standard franchises in the NFL because they have solid ownership, a leader of men for a head coach, and a top-10 signal-caller who’s among the best at what he does.

The main component of the Eagles success could be found in general manager Howie Roseman, whose cap wizardry and free-agent signings have turned Philadelphia into perennial contenders.

Rotoworld’s Patrick Daugherty just compiled his ranking of the NFL’s top general managers and Roseman landed a top-4 ranking, behind some big names and a couple of coach/GM combos.

4. Howie Roseman, Eagles

A roster that had won playoff games with its backup quarterback in back-to-back years finally reached January with its starter. Then he got hurt again. It was that kind of year — again — in Philadelphia, but even “those kinds of years” have produced postseason appearances under Howie Roseman. Only one other team the entire decade, the 2011 Texans, won a playoff game with its backup quarterback. Roseman has accumulated depth even as it has been lacking in a few critical areas. Try as he might, Roseman can never seem to find enough cornerbacks or wide receivers. He aggressively addressed both this offseason, taking Darius Slay off of Matt Patricia’s hands before spending a first-round pick on Jalen Reagor. Roseman added three other wideouts, joining a hopefully healthy DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery. Despite a steady stream of bad injury luck since December 2017, the Eagles keep winning games — one of them Super Bowl LII — and making the playoffs. If Roseman’s squad ever regresses back to the health mean, it won’t just sneak into the playoffs, but contend for another Lombardi.

Roseman’s Achilles heel has always been the draft but if this team can stay healthy and the GM can lead the Eagles out of the salary cap hell awaiting, he could find himself vaulting up the list.

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Eagles land in the top-10 of a ranking of every NFL team’s backup QB situations

Eagles No. 10 in a ranking every team’s backup quarterback situation

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Nick Foles and Josh McCown have moved on from Philadelphia but the Eagles backup quarterback position should be in good hands thanks to the re-signing of a talented veteran and drafting of a potentially dynamic playmaker.

The drafting of Jalen Hurts made waves in the city of Philadelphia but it’ll be the availability of Nate Sudfeld that keeps Eagles coaches calm amid another season where analysts and critics question Carson Wentz’s ability to stay healthy.

Pro Football Focus recently ranked the backup quarterback situations for all 32 NFL teams and the Eagles landed a solid, top-10 ranking because of Sudfeld and Hurts.

10. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Backup QBs: Jalen Hurts, Nate Sudfeld, Kyle Lauletta

Hurts will need an injury to Carson Wentz in order to get anything resembling a full-time role under center. He has the size (6-foot-1 and 222-pounds) to handle a legit rushing workload, enough speed (4.59-second 40-yard dash) to create big plays and more proven production (career 614-3,274-43 rushing line) than any other QB in this class. It doesn’t really matter if Hurts isn’t ready to function as a high-end passer. Historically, QBs who have high-end rushing roles have simply been a cheat code in fantasy football.

It’s unlikely we see Hurts earn a starting role anytime soon but don’t be afraid to immediately start him in fantasy leagues of all shapes and sizes once he’s under center. Among QBs with at least 100 rush attempts, 15 of 22 (68%) have finished as a top-six fantasy scorer since 2000. This type of workload would certainly be near Hurts’ 16-game projection.

Sudfeld has supplied some preseason goodness over the past few seasons and seemingly has the support of the coaching staff. Add it all together and there’s reason to believe the Eagles offense won’t be in an awful position if Wentz (again) misses game action in 2020.

Hurts is the guy some fans will clamor for but it’s Sudfeld’s knowledge of the playbook and skill set that will allow Eagles coaches to proceed with the gameplan if Carson Wentz somehow is forced to leave a ballgame this season.

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Darius Slay lands on list of the 22 most important NFL players who changed jerseys this offseason

Darius Slay lands on list of the 22 most important NFL players who changed jerseys this offseason

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The Philadelphia Eagles made the biggest move of the offseason, landing the disgruntled Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions without parting with a first or second-round pick.

The Eagles have searched for an All-Pro quality cornerback and Slay gives the Birds a player that can now allow Jim Schwartz to dictate gameplan and formation towards the opposing offense while placing his other defensive backs in position for success.

The Ringer recently broke down the 22 most important players who changed jerseys this season and Slay landed high on the list.

Darius Slay
Old Team: Detroit Lions
New Team: Philadelphia Eagles
The Move: Traded for third- and fifth-round picks

The Eagles have needed cornerback depth since their Super Bowl win (and before that, too, if we’re being honest), but had ignored the problem with Band-Aid solutions. Rather than shell out a king’s ransom of two first-round picks for Jacksonville’s Jalen Ramsey, the Eagles waited until they could snag Slay for cheap. Slay is one of the best cover corners in football, and while he wasn’t spectacular under Lions head coach Matt Patricia, he figures to rebound with Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who was his head coach for his rookie year in Detroit. Philly has already given Slay a contract paying him $43 million over the next three years, so the team seems confident in his ability to contribute. For Detroit, this meant the team traded away its two best defensive backs in less than a year (they dealt Quandre Diggs to Seattle for a fifth-rounder in October) and didn’t get more than a third-rounder in return. This trade is a good example of good organizations getting better and bad organizations getting worse.

Slay should be recharged by the change of surroundings and he’s spent the entire offseason being motivated by the snubs on several cornerback rankings.
The Eagles should see the best of Darius Slay this season.

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Eagles’ training camp to start on time after NFL, NFLPA agree to CBA issues related to Covid-19

Eagles’ training camp to start on time after NFL, NFLPA agree to CBA issues related to Covid-19

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In a move that will allow all 32 NFL training camps to open and start on time, the NFL and the NFLPA have agreed to a deal on all the CBA issues related to practice, testing protocols, and other concerns amid the coronavirus.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released this statement a short time ago.

Training camps will proceed under a modified schedule that will allow players and coaches to slowly reacclimate themselves.

The agreed-upon deal will allow the Eagles and the 31 other NFL teams to carry 16-man practice squads, it also includes high-risk and general opt-outs of participation due to the pandemic and no preseason games for 2020.

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Philadelphia Eagles 53-man roster projection ahead of 2020 training camp

Eagles 53-man roster projection ahead of 2020 training camp

GM Howie Roseman stayed true to his retooling effort, forgoing big named free agents at specific positions to add youth and speed to the roster.

In the NFL draft, Roseman made waves by selecting a quarterback in the second round and then securing Carson Wentz some speed via trade (Marquise Goodwin) and three solid draft picks in Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, and Quez Watkins.

With the training camp here and set to start here’s a look at the Eagles projected 53-man roster.

***

QB – 3 — Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts, Nate Sudfeld

Sudfeld is the unquestioned backup, but the Eagles have made it clear that Hurts will be involved from the beginning, meaning he’ll likely make the roster every week, especially with it expanding two more players.

A huge battle to watch will be Sudfeld and Hurts, with the rookie possibly ascending early on or struggling to learn the ropes as an NFL passer. Either way, Hurts is apart of the Eagles’ future and apart of the present.

***

EAST HARTFORD, CT – SEPTEMBER 29: Michael Warren II #3 of the Cincinnati Bearcats carries the ball during the first half against the Connecticut Huskies at Rentschler Field on September 29, 2018 in East Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)

RB – 4 — Boston Scott, Corey Clement, Miles Sanders, Michael Warren

The Eagles appeared prepared to enter the 2020 NFL season with three holdovers from last season and Elijah Holyfield was the third name. After bringing Corey Clement back in free agency and signing undrafted free agent Michael Warren, this group will look different. Sanders will be a year stronger, while the Eagles brass loves Boston Scott and what he brings.  Look for the undrafted rookie Michael Warren, to snag the role of goalline and short-yardage back if it isn’t Jalen Hurts there as well.

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Miles Sanders lands ahead of some big-names in a tier ranking of fantasy football running backs

Miles Sanders lands in the 2nd-tier as a top-10 fantasy football RB

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The 2020 NFL season is fast approaching and that means fantasy football fans can start preparing for the stress of a non-conventional NFL season on top of fantasy draft season.

Miles Sanders showed his ability to be a three-down back capable of carrying an offense and such respect leads to fantasy football royalty. Running back is king in fantasy football unless you are Michael Thomas or Julio Jones and Sanders will be among the most coveted players because of an Eagles depth chart that shows him as the clear top dog.

Pro Football Focus recently broke down a ranking of 2020 fantasy football running backs by tier and Sanders landed ahead of some big names on the list.

TIER 2 – RB1: PATH TO ELITE UTILIZATION BUT UNPROVEN
Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals

Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

Miles Sanders is in a similar situation to Drake — he exploded over the last seven games in 2019 after Jordan Howard‘s injury. Excluding Week 17, when he played 31% of snaps before exiting with an ankle injury, Sanders averaged 18.8 points per game. The rookie saw bell-cow usage, scoring twice on his six attempts inside the 5-yard line. Boston Scott did carve out a passing-down role, but Sanders still ran a route on 64% of dropbacks and had a 12% target share

Sanders has no competition at the running back position, but the Eagles pass to set up the run and with a loaded arsenal on the outside, the second-year running back could see his targets decrease with the return of DeSean Jackson and an influx of talent at the wide receiver position.

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Miles Sanders recently worked out with Eagles QB Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz worked out with Eagles RB Miles Sanders last week

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Carson Wentz and Miles Sanders displayed amazing chemistry down the stretch for the Eagles in 2019 and the two have already started the process for the upcoming season.

Sanders has been making the rounds with Eagles teammates and after working out with DeSean Jackson a few weeks ago, the second-year running back got in a workout with star quarterback Carson Wentz per John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Sanders was a huge part of the Eagles passing game during the last six weeks and was the Bird’s most explosive player in the passing game during some big NFC East wins as well.

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Philadelphia Eagles update season-ticket holders on potential seating options for 2020 home games

Philadelphia Eagles update season-ticket holders on the potential of attending home games in 2020

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It’s currently unknown if any fans will be in attendance for Philadelphia Eagles football during the 2020 NFL season, but the team has done a good job of keeping season ticket holders updated.

In an email sent to Eagles season-ticket holders on Tuesday, the Birds outlined a potential seating plan for fans amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The email comes amid some uncertainties surrounding the city of Philadelphia and the Eagles outlining a plan for fans to be in attendance after city officials initially stated that sporting events would be played without fans.

Those same officials have now backtracked on the comments but it still remains to be seen if fans will in fact be in attendance.

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