Tag: Brandon Brooks

Eagles’ RG Brandon Brooks makes his debut on the NFL Network’s Top 100 list landing at No. 98

Brandon Brooks is No. 98 on the NFL Network’s Top-100 Players List

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The accolades continue to roll in for Brandon Brooks and the Eagles all-world right guard just received the highest honor, making his debut on the NFL Network’s Top 100 players for 2020 list.

Brooks will miss the 2020 NFL season with a torn Achilles, but that didn’t stop his peers from showing him the ultimate respect.

Brooks was the highest-graded guard in football in 2019, the second-ranked guard on the PFF top 50 list, and the fifth-ranked player on PFF’s 2019 101 lists.

Over the last three seasons, Brooks has started all 48 regular-season games, while playing in 95% of the Eagles offensive snaps and making the. Pro Bowl in each season.

7 Eagles most likely to make the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2020 list

7 Eagles most likely to make the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2020 list

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The NFL Network will trot out their annual Top-100 players for 2020 list starting this Sunday, July 26, at 8:00 PM EST.

Last season four Eagles landed on the list and three more players were deserving of the honor as well. With the players voting amongst their peers, we list seven Eagles are most likely to land on the Top-100 list for 2020:

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1. Fletcher Cox

Cox was No. 28 on the list in 2019 and although his stats were down in the sack department, the Eagles star was still just as dominant. Pro Football Focus ranked Cox as the fifth-best interior lineman in 2019 and only Aaron Donald has generated more quarterback pressures than the 151 Cox has generated over the past two years. In what was deemed a down year, Cox registered four sacks, 42 hurries, and ten additional hits quarterback and his 89.5 overall grade from PFF was the highest for a defender in the NFC East.

Stats don’t tell the whole story and Cox is a game wrecker who’ll have two new running mates this season.

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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.

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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.

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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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Eagles linemen were the 2 highest-graded offensive players in the NFC East in 2019

Brandon Brooks was the highest-graded offensive player in NFC East in 2019

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The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in all of football but they’ll be without one of the top overall players in the NFL this season.

Brandon Brooks is not only the best guard in football, but he’s one of the top overall players in the league and the highest-graded offensive player in the NFC East last season.

It’s an amazing honor and even more of a reason why the Eagles reverted back to Jason Peters to replace Brooks instead of Matt Pryor.

Johnson, Brooks, and Peters also landed on the list of the top-10 highest-graded offensive linemen last season as well.

Eagles land in the top-2 of the 10-best-performing NFL offensive lines by expected rushing yards

Eagles No.2 in a ranking of the 10-best-performing offensive lines

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The Philadelphia Eagles build from the inside out and the dominating line play on both sides of the ball is a huge reason for the sustained success over the past three seasons.

The Birds enter the 2020 season with huge expectations and the offensive line is a huge reason for the Eagles to be confident regardless of what happens at wide receiver. The Eagles will rely on Miles Sanders at running back and based on a ranking from NFL.com, the second-year running back is slated for success thanks to the offensive line’s penchant for giving that extra push.

Using an advanced metric called expected rushing yards (blocking effectiveness) Sanders averaged a yard or better more than other running backs around the league thanks to the Eagles road-grading offensive line that opened holes upfront at an alarming rate.

Rank
2
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
2019 stats: 4.62 xYPC, 1,782 ERY, -98 RYOE, -0.25 RYOE per attempt

OK, listen — I know the Eagles were incredibly banged up last season, and they weren’t exactly trotting out three versions of in-his-prime Terrell Owens in their receiving corps, so their running backs were at a bit of a disadvantage. But let’s take a moment to heap praise on the Eagles’ line, the lone group that remained somewhat intact throughout the season while everyone else took turns in the trainer’s room. Philadelphia performed better in xYPC than its NFC East rival Dallas — logging 4.62 xYPC versus the Cowboys’ 4.16 — it just lacked star ball-carriers to take full advantage (we talked about Sanders above already). The Eagles weren’t the only team with a negative RYOE to land in the top 10 in xYPC, either, with half of the group ending up in the red. But they were the only one of those teams with an offensive line (plus two solid tight ends) good enough to help clear space for what should’ve been over 4.6 yards per carry on average. The loss of guard Brandon Brooks this offseason could be devastating for 2020. Hearing the news of his Achilles injury pained me very much, but the return of Jason Peters in an unfamiliar guard role means the team might be able to weather that storm. Meanwhile, it’s time for Andre Dillard to own the left tackle job he was drafted to take. If the Eagles can stay healthy and find a way to replicate what they did up front in 2019, they should win more than the nine games they took home last season.

The only team better in the NFL last season was the Baltimore Ravens, who with the help of MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, ran the ball more effectively than any team in the league. Bringing Peters back brings some comfort to the unit and if Andre Dillard and Isaac Seumalo can mesh on the left side, Miles Sanders could be in store for a huge rushing season.

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The NFL’s 11 best offensive guards

Guards are no longer the anonymous guys who toil away without recognition, and here are the best in the NFL to do it right now.

If you were to ask a number of offensive skill players around the NFL just how important offensive guards are, you may get a selection of different answers. One skill position player who may have a stronger take on that than others is Tom Brady. Brady has been to nine Super Bowls in his estimable career, willing six and losing three. In the two the Patriots lost to the Giants, one player made as much of a difference as any other, and that was New York defensive lineman Justin Tuck. Tuck was able to get past New England’s interior offensive linemen and force Brady to deal with the one thing that drives him nuts — pressure up the middle that prevents him from stepping up in the pocket.

More mobile quarterbacks can benefit from great guards who can get up to the second and third levels, and running backs with top-level guards in front of them are obviously going to have a better go of it. Guards are no longer the anonymous guys who toil away without recognition, and here are the best in the NFL to do it right now.

More Top 11 lists: Slot defenders | Outside cornerbacks | Safeties | Linebackers | Edge defenders | Interior defensive linemen | Offensive tackles

Honorable Mentions

(Jerry Habraken-Imagn Content Services, LLC)

Brandon Brooks of the Eagles would have been in the top three on this list, and perhaps the second guard overall… because no matter what, nobody was replacing my top guy on the list. Last season, Brooks allowed just one sack and 19 total pressures on 647 pass-blocking snaps, and he was also a top-shelf run-blocker. Sadly. Brooks will miss the entire 2020 season with a torn Achilles’ tendon, which has the Eagles trying to switch Jason Peters from left tackle to guard — an interesting experiment. Also, had Baltimore’s Marshal Yanda not announced his retirement, he would have been in the top half of this list, as well.

Beyond that, there were some tough calls as to who to leave off this list. While Joe Thuney of the Patriots was an easy add. But Shaq Mason, his battery-mate, just missed the cut, as there were a few guys who were slightly better run-blockers in 2019, and Thuney’s pass pro was simply on a different level. Gabe Jackson of the Raiders had some great tape as usual, but was a bit too prone to allowing sacks. The same could be said of former Panthers guard Trai Turner, who’s been one of my favorite interior offensive linemen since he came into the league in 2014. Perhaps a change of scenery (Turner was traded to the Chargers in March in exchange for tackle Russell Okung) will put him back on the right foot. And Larry Warford, who the Saints released in May in a cap-cutting move, should find himself on a roster sooner than later.

Now, onto the top 11.

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Philadelphia Eagles currently have the most money already committed to the 2021 salary cap

Eagles have $267.3 million committed to the 2021 salary cap

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The Philadelphia Eagles have huge expectations as they enter the 2020 NFL season and while the business will need to be handled on the field, Howie Roseman and company will need to handle some huge business off the field as well.

ESPN’s Field Yates just revealed which NFL teams have the most money committed to salary cap space for the 2021 season, and the Eagles were tops on the list at $267 million already spread out

In a breakdown of salaries and bonuses from OverTheCap, Carson Wentz, Fletcher Cox, Zach Ertz, Lane Johnson, and Alshon Jeffery currently hold the largest base salaries and cap hits.

The Eagles will likely look to either restructure or extend Fletcher Cox, while Zach Ertz, Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, and a bevy of other players could also be facing restructured deals, contract extensions or flat-out release.

The Eagles situation gets even direr if the salary cap shrinks due to the loss of income stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

Howie Roseman has his work cut out for him going forward.

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4 takeaways from the Eagles re-signing Jason Peters to a 1-year deal

4 takeaways from the Eagles re-signing Jason Peters to a 1-year deal

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The Philadelphia Eagles improved the depth on their roster on Tuesday, re-signing Jason Peters to a one-year deal and moving the future Hall of Famer to right guard in place of Brandon Brooks.

With Peters back on a one-year, $6 million deal, here are four takeaways from the move:

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1. Matt Pryor is not the guy

The signing of Peters is not an indictment on Pryor, but it speaks to the level of comfort that the Eagles have with the Hall of Fame left tackle.

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Taking a closer look at Jason Peters’ 1-year deal to return to the Philadelphia Eagles

Jason Peters’ 1-year deal with the Eagles is worth up to $6 million

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Jason Peters is returning to the Philadelphia Eagles to play a new position, as the future Hall of Famer will switch to right guard in place of the injured Brandon Brooks.

The move was a value deal for the Eagles who are able to secure a high-caliber player on a cheap deal.

According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Peters’ 1-year contract with the Eagles is worth up to $6 million if he reaches incentives with a $3 million guarantee, per his agent Vince Taylor of Elite Loyalty Sports.

Peters has spent the past 11 seasons with the Eagles, where he was named to seven Pro Bowls and collected over $110 million in salary.

Money won’t be the issue, but another playoff run and adding to his Hall of Fame legacy is definitely motivation enough for Peters this season.

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Why the Philadelphia Eagles are moving Jason Peters to right guard

Why the Philadelphia Eagles are moving Jason Peters to right guard

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The Eagles seemed prepared to move forward with Matt Pryor in place of the injured Brandon Brooks, but that didn’t stop fans and some analysts from clamoring for the return of Jason Peters.

Peters had previously openly discussed playing guard if it would extend his career and with Brooks lost for the season due to a torn Achilles, the question had been asked about Peters possibly switching positions.

Now that question is a reality after the Eagles signed Peters to a one-year deal to replace Brooks at right guard while continuing the Birds dominance up front.

Peters was PFF’s sixth-highest graded tackle in 2019 (83.4) and the Eagles are hoping that such efficient play will transition with him as he kicks down inside.

Peters knows the offense, he knows the system and what offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland expects from his group.   He can continue to mentor and help develop Andre Dillard without making the second-year pro feel nervous about his job status.

Former Eagles great and Pro Bowl left tackle Tra Thomas had previously weighed-in on Peters possible return and he wasn’t a believer.

“The skill isn’t the problem, it’s the wear and tear on the body,” Thomas explained. “If you are getting beat up out there playing defensive ends, you’re definitely going to get beat up playing offensive guard when you’re dealing with defensive tackles.”

“Everyone just thinks you can mix-and-match and just move around – it’s not that easy, to just move to different positions like that,” Thomas stressed. “Especially when you have been in a left-handed stance for so long, its takes a long-time to get that muscle memory to change.”

The future Hall of Famer was a tight end before moving to left tackle and has always been lauded for his extreme athleticism and nimble feet.

He’ll be covered by playing next to Lane Johnson, thus making the right side of the line dominant thanks to his familiarity with the All-Pro right tackle.

By bringing Peters back, the Eagles greatly improved their depth, add another swing-tackle to the lineup in case Dillard struggles or gets injured while ensuring that the 2019 first-round pick and Pryor continue to learn and develop under the best tutelage in the game.

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