Steelers trading QB Kenny Pickett to Eagles

Kenny Pickett goes from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia

Russell Wilson is in and that means Kenny Pickett is out in Pittsburgh.

The former first-round pick of the Steelers will remain in the Keystone State,  as the AFC North team is dealing him to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pickett was the 20th overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft.

He was 14-10 as a starter, going 7-5 twice.

Pickett threw for 4,474 yards and 13 touchdowns against 13 interceptions.

He played college ball at Pitt and is from Oakhurst, New Jersey,  less than 90 minutes from Philadelphia.

Eagles agreeing to terms with Saquon Barkley is a radical departure for Howie Roseman

Saquon Barkley isn’t a typical running back decision under Eagles GM Howie Roseman, but it could work like a charm.

Generally speaking, the Philadelphia Eagles under general manager Howie Roseman have not put big money into running backs. D’Andre Swift, who led the team in rushing yards last season, did so on a small one-year deal, and that’s been par for the course.

So, what do we make of the fact that former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has agreed to terms with the Eagles on a new contract… and on this new contract?

Barkley, selected second overall out of Penn State in the 2018 draft, won Offensive Rookie of the Year with a league-high 2,028 yards from scrimmage. Last season for the Giants, behind an offensive line that was… well, interesting, Barkley totaled 1,242 yards from scrimmage. He ran 247 times for 962 yards and six touchdowns, forcing 31 missed tackles and gaining more than 15 yards on running plays 12 times. Add in his value as a receiver, and if Barkley can stay healthy, this is a pretty big win for the Eagles.

And when you factor in Barkley’s ability to create explosive run plays out of read-option and RPO looks, this becomes a highly interesting fit, because Jalen Hurts forces defenses to go every which way as a runner on those types of plays.

Eagles agree to terms with former Jets pass-rush demon Bryce Huff

The Eagles added a major chip to their redefined defense by agreeing to terms with former Jets pass-rushing demon Bryce Huff.

The Philadelphia Eagles are redefining their defense to a degree under new coordinator Vic Fangio, and they got a major piece in free agency when they agreed to terms with ex-New York Jets edge-rusher Bryce Huff.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Huff makes a bit of history with his upcoming contract.

Through his first three seasons with the Jets, Huff was not a top-tier consideration, though his four sacks and 36 total pressures in just 173 pass-rushing snaps in 2022 was a bit of a harbinger. But 2023 was unexpected to say the least; Huff totaled 10 sacks and 67 total pressures on just 334 pass-rushing snaps.

So, there shouldn’t really be a concern about Huff being any kind of one-year wonder; he just had more opportunities to demolish opposing blockers in 2023. More likely than not, is specific top-five pass-rush win rate will continue. If that’s the case, expect to hear his name more often when we’re talking about the best edge-rushers in the league.

Bears agree to terms with RB D’Andre Swift in a deal that could go either way

The Bears took a shot on running back D’Andre Swift, hoping that Swift can transcend any offensive line concerns.

The Chicago Bears have added to their running back rotation by agreeing to terms with former Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions back D’Andre Swift. The deal will go through on Wednesday at the beginning of the new league year, and it’s a three-year, $24 million deal.

Last season, Swift had a career year behind Philly’s offensive line, with 1,083 yards and five touchdowns on 239 carries. Swift forced 45 missed tackles, and had 12 runs of 15 yards or more. Swift also caught 43 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown.

Chicago’s offensive line isn’t on the Eagles’ level just yet, which ostensibly puts Swift in a position where he’ll have to create more yards on his own. 578 of Swift’s rushing yards came after contact last season, but he also had 25 negative runs to his 21 explosive plays. That’s not to say that Swift is entirely a product of his line, but the Bears will hope for as many of these kinds of plays as possible.

Eagles make Landon Dickerson the highest-paid guard in NFL history

The Eagles made Landon Dickerson the NFL’s highest-paid guard. But which Landon Dickerson are they getting?

The Philadelphia Eagles have dealt with the loss in retirement of two stalwarts on their lines — center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox — and now, general manager Howie Roseman is doing what he can to keep the rest of the band back together. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Eagles have re-signed left guard Landon Dickerson to a new contract that fattens his wallet to an historic degree.

The Eagles selected Dickerson with the 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Alabama, and Dickerson did have some rough moments last season in a Philly offensive line that underperformed overall. Dickerson allowed five sacks and 38 total pressures, after allowing three sacks and 40 total pressures combined in his first two seasons. Multiple injuries affected his efficiency, so that’s something to watch for in his future.

Eagles defensive star Fletcher Cox announces retirement

Another Eagles star has announced his retirement

Another of the Philadelphia Eagles’ longtime stars is retiring.

Following Jason Kelce’s announcement that he is calling it a career, star defensive lineman Fletcher Cox on Sunday took to Instagram to announce he is retiring.

 

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A post shared by Fletcher Cox (@fcoxx_91)

Cox was drafted out of Mississippi State and spent his entire 12-year career with Philadelphia.

He had 70 sacks in his NFL career and started 182 of the 188 games he played.

Eagles star center Jason Kelce announces retirement after 13 seasons

Eagles center Jason Kelce has announced his retirement

The Philadelphia Eagles will be looking for a new anchor for their offensive line. The wonderful center Jason Kelce announced on Monday that he is retiring from the NFL.

Kelce was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round, pick 191, in the 2011 NFL draft.

He played his entire career with Philadelphia.

He was a Super Champion (LII), six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler.

He played — and started — 193 games in his NFL career.

 

Is Vic Fangio right for the Philadelphia Eagles?

The Eagles made the decision to move forward with Vic Fangio. Is it the right one?

Given we just witnessed a collapse for the ages as the Philadelphia Eagles lost six of their last seven games, including a playoff blowout, it would seem imperative that Philadelphia recovers from the loss of their offensive and defensive coordinators from the 2022 season that they so desperately missed this last season. After the dismissal of both offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and defensive coordinator Sean Desai in the last few weeks, the Eagles have swiftly landed on their replacements.

On the defensive side of the ball, Philadelphia is looking to add experience by hiring longtime coordinator Vic Fangio to lead their defense. Given the lack of personality and fire that was displayed by a ridiculously talented defensive unit in Philadelphia, it is fair to wonder about hiring a guy who was just dismissed from his last team for failing to bring a personality to the defense as well as clashing with players.

All of this is not to dismiss the job that Fangio did — the Miami defense finished the season as a top-10 unit. In theory, handing the defensive talent in Philadelphia to the hardened and disciplined Fangio is a great idea, and could just about guarantee an improvement from a unit that looked bewildered and defeated in the closing stretch of 2023. On the flip side, this defense is filled with personalities and elite playmakers who likely won’t stand for being shoved into a doghouse or suddenly having a shift in their entire culture.

It’s going to be an experiment to see which side prevails for Fangio and this Eagles defense. It’s not as if the defense can get much worse as it was, and Fangio has the track record needed. However, the last thing Nick Sirianni needs is even more noise, especially coming from inside his own building. We will see if Philadelphia made the right decision here, or if they set themselves up for a dramatic disaster next season.

Eagles hiring Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator

Kellen Moore is returning the NFC East

Nick Sirianni has a new offensive coordinator to go with the new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

It was reported Saturday that the Philadelphia Eagles are plucking Kellen Moore from Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers,

Moore was with the Dallas Cowboys before heading to Los Angeles and the Bolts.

Moore will face Dallas twice in 2024. The Chargers are not on Philadelphia’s schedule.

4-Down Territory: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike McCarthy, Nick Sirianni, Worst of the Week

In this week’s “4-Down Territory,” the guys get into Tua Tagovailoa, Mike McCarthy, Nick Sirianni, and the Worst of the Week for the wild-card round.

Now that the wild-card round of the playoffs is over, it’s time once again for Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, and Kyle Madson of Niners Wire, to come to the table with their own unique brand of analysis in “4-Down Territory.”

This week, the guys have some serious questions to answer:

  1. What should the Miami Dolphins do with Tua Tagovailoa?
  2. Should this be the end for Mike McCarthy in Dallas?
  3. Has Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni become more an liability than an asset?
  4. What was our Worst of the Week?

You can watch this week’s “4-Down Territory” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “4-Down Territory” podcast on Spotify…

and on Apple Podcasts.