The Philadelphia Eagles have fired Shaun Huls, director of high performance, and Shireen Mansoori, director of rehabilitation,
The Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the most injury-riddled football teams in the NFL over the past two seasons and the organization recently took strides to change that narrative.
According to Jeff McLane of The Inquirer, the Eagles have parted ways with Shaun Huls, director of high performance, and Shireen Mansoori, director of rehabilitation,
Per McLane, their contracts were allowed to expire.
Huls was brought on by Chip Kelly in 2013 when the former Oregon head coach made sports science a premium at the NovaCare Complex. Kelly had Huls monitor the player’s sleep and eating habits from home or the practice facility.
After moving on from head physician Peter DeLuca and his staff after the 2017 Super Bowl season, the Eagles went from one of the NFL’s healthiest teams to one of the most injured.
21. Philadelphia Eagles
Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
Zero Eagles receivers found their way to 500 yards in 2019, Nelson Agholor is a free agent, Alshon Jeffery will be 30 in two weeks and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside had a limited 10-catch impact in his rookie campaign. Carson Wentz likes to air it out, but he didn’t have the right personnel to do so. Coach Doug Pederson thought he had an answer in the vertical game with DeSean Jackson, but an abdominal injury limited the veteran speedster to 62 snaps. Ruggs, though, is a human torch — he could run in the 4.2s at the combine — and immediately gives Wentz a weapon in the passing game outside of Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert and Miles Sanders.
Ruggs, Miles Sanders and a healthy DeSean Jackson could give the Eagles weapons that would present matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. If J.J. Arcega-Whiteside can take the next step and Alshon Jeffery can return, the Eagles would present a formidable offense, capable of giving any defense in the league fits.
McShay’s draft order came from using ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) and it will continue shift as the season winds down and draft positions change.
Kansas City sits atop Touchdown Wire’s final 2019-20 Power Rankings, but coaching moves spur movement up and down our postseason list.
When we compiled the last Touchdown Wire Power Rankings of the regular season, we based them strictly on how teams fared in the 2019 season. That’s a tried and true formula and a fair way to judge how a team performed in that season.
Now, we’re going to take a slightly different approach. That’s because there already have been a lot of changes this offseason — coaching changes, changes at the top of the quarterback hierarchy and plenty of speculation about potentially significant player movement when the league year starts in March.
That’s why we’re taking a different approach to our postseason rankings. Yes, what a team did during the season will play heavily, but changes in 2020 also matter.
For example, the Washington Redskins were No. 31 in our rankings at the end of the regular season. But they’re moving up with the arrival of coach Ron Rivera, who will bring a sense of order that was previously lacking.
Now, that the Super Bowl has been played, it’s time for the final Touchdown Wire Power Rankings for the 2019-20 season.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images
(2-14; Previous rank: 32)
The Bengals were consistently dismal all season, and that’s why they’re holding onto the No. 32 spot. Head coach Zac Taylor is lucky to be returning for a second season, but owner Mike Brown has been unusually patient through the years. Maybe that patience will pay off this time. The Bengals get a great reward for being so bad. They earned the first pick in the draft, and it’s almost universally believed they’ll use it on LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner. Burrow might make a big difference right away. But he needs help. The offensive line needs an overhaul, and it’s imperative that the team re-signs receiver A.J. Green, who can make Burrow look good in a hurry.
31. Carolina Panthers
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
(5-11; Previous rank: 26)
We dropped the Panthers to No. 31 because they’ve had so many changes. And none of them are clearly for the better. Owner David Tepper continues to put his stamp on the team, and things are likely to get worse before they get better. Tepper fired coach Ron Rivera late last season. Rivera is highly respected around the league. Tepper replaced him with Matt Rhule, who has a reputation as a program builder on the college level but has never been an NFL head coach. Throw in Luke Kuechly’s surprise retirement and the parting of ways with tight end Greg Olsen, and the roster is worse today than at the end of the season. Plus, there’s no telling what the Panthers will do with injury-plagued quarterback Cam Newton.
30. Detroit Lions
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(3-12-1; Previous rank: 30)
Head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn held onto their jobs despite a disastrous season. The only reason I can see for that is that owner Martha Ford gave Patricia a pass because he played much of the season without quarterback Matthew Stafford. The veteran Stafford isn’t a world beater, but he puts up stats and keeps the Lions competitive. Stafford’s return will help the Lions, but Patricia and Quinn have to go out and acquire more talent if they’re going to contend for a playoff spot. If they don’t, they’ll be gone.
29. New York Giants
Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
(4-12. Previous rank: 28)
Head coach Pat Shurmur was fired, and that’s not a bad thing. But he was replaced by Joe Judge. That likely prompted many New York fans to say, “Joe Who?” because Judge wasn’t a household name. Judge was the special teams and wide receivers coach for the Patriots. His New England pedigree undoubtedly helped him land the job. But this is a tough gig. Shurmur and predecessor Ben McAdoo failed miserably. Judge doesn’t have a lot to work with besides quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
(6-10. Previous rank: 29)
The Jaguars move up one spot in our rankings — mainly because they kept coach Doug Marrone but got rid of executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin. That should take pressure off Marrone, because Coughlin was a control freak and loomed over every move the coach made. Now this truly is Marrone’s team. His first big decision will be whether to start veteran quarterback Nick Foles or second-year pro Gardner Minshew. Neither is a bad choice.
27. Washington Redskins
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
(3-13. Previous rank: 31)
Washington scooped up former Carolina coach Ron Rivera to replace the fired Jay Gruden and interim replacement Bill Callahan. That was the best coaching hire of the postseason. Now, the Redskins have an adult running the show. Rivera, a former linebacker for the Chicago Bears, is known as a players’ coach. That’s only partly true. He also is a no-nonsense coach, who is firmly in control of his team. His specialty is defense, but his first task in Washington will be to find out if the Redskins can win with second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
26. Miami Dolphins
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
(5-11. Previous rank: 27)
Remember all the early talk last year about how the Dolphins were tanking and could go 0-16. That looked like a possibility for a bit. But coach Brian Flores held his team together, and the Dolphins started winning games, including the season finale at New England. They took themselves out of contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick. But they still could land their quarterback of the future with the fifth overall pick — perhaps Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert. In the meantime, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will be around to guide the offense until a replacement is deemed ready for action.
25. Los Angeles Chargers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
(5-11. Previous rank: 25)
Next season will be one of change for the Chargers. They’ll be moving into a new stadium they’ll share with the Rams. More importantly, they should have a new look on the field. Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers is almost certainly done after 16 seasons with the franchise. That has fueled wild speculation that New England quarterback Tom Brady could be coming to the Chargers. There’s some logic to this one. Brady has said he’s open to playing for another team. He owns a home in Los Angeles. The Chargers need wins. They also need help at the box office. There might not be a bigger drawing card than Brady. Maybe this is a pipe dream, but it’s not an impossibility.
Philadelphia Eagles No. 14 in ESPN’s early 2020 NFL Power Rankings
The 2019 NFL season is officially over and the Kansas City Chiefs are the reigning kings after securing a Super Bowl title following their 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.
The NFL changes gears really quickly and with the Tampa being the host of next year’s big game, ESPN has already released an early 2020 power ranking.
Reason for optimism: Carson Wentz. The growth of Wentz made 2019 far from a lost season. Not only did the quarterback make it through the regular season healthy, he ascended into a clear leadership position down the stretch by carrying an injury-ravaged offense on his back to punch Philadelphia’s playoff ticket. Wentz quieted the dissenting voices in the locker room and sent a reminder to the league that one of the top signal-callers in the game resides in Philadelphia. — Tim McManus
Wentz finishing a full season healthy for the first time since his rookie year was huge for the organization and fans. He didn’t get to compete in the playoff loss, but he gained experience and showed the organization that he can carry a team.
DeSean Jackson unveils Nipsey Hussle inspired ‘One of One’ Rolls-Royce
DeSean Jackson is currently working and progressing towards the 2020 NFL season after missing the majority of the 2019 season with a core muscle injury.
Robby Anderson sent out a tweet that suggests he wants to team up with Carson Wentz and Philadelphia Eagles.
We are less than two weeks away from the Super Bowl, which will crown a new champion between the Chiefs and the 49ers.
The big game will be the culmination of another successful NFL season and the start of the 2020 NFL Draft and free-agent season. The Eagles are looking to get younger, more explosive and it’ll benefit the franchise if they can utilize the draft and free agency to reload.
The Birds have their eye on a group of historic wide receivers entering the draft, and one accomplished free-agent wideout appears to have his eyes set on Carson Wentz.
In a tweet that has yet to be deleted, New York Jets free agent wide receiver Robby Anderson hinted at pairing up with Carson Wentz, suggesting that he’s seeing 11-11 in his sleep.
Anderson’s current quarterback Sam Darnold wears No. 14, so he wasn’t referring to him. Anderson currently wears No. 11 for the Jets while Wentz, of course, wears No. 11 for the Eagles. Both players could benefit from being on the same team and the Eagles have the cap space to make it happen.
Anderson could have been trolling or simply referring to numerological and divine energy, something totally unrelated to football.
Or, Anderson could have really been dreaming of teaming with DeSean Jackson and Henry Ruggs III to help fill the Eagles need for speed.
He’ll be a highly coveted free agent after catching 52 passes for 779 yards and five touchdowns with a 15.0 yards per catch average.
Eagles land Henry Ruggs III in Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft
The Philadelphia Eagles are in Mobile checking out the Senior Bowl but if you ask most draft experts and prognosticators, their minds are on Henry Ruggs III and his potential fit with Carson Wentz.
Henry Ruggs III – WR
School: Alabama | Year: Junior
Speed! The Eagles are focused on getting faster this offseason, and Ruggs is the most explosive player in the draft.
The Eagles need for speed matches up with the dynamic playmaking ability Ruggs III can offer in both the passing game and running game.
With Alshon Jeffery and JJ Arcega-Whiteside currently on the roster, the Eagles can afford to steer clear of a big-bodied wideout and need to focus on a player in the mold of Tyreek Hill, a player who changes the outcome of games with one single run after the catch or the ability run away from the defense.
Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III among 7 WR options for the Eagles in 2020 NFL Draft
The Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2020 NFL offseason with a need for speed as Howie Roseman and company look to upgrade the roster at several pertinent positions. Despite having a hefty load at wide receiver from a salary perspective, the Eagles are expected to be active during a historic NFL Draft that could see more than 8 wideouts selected in the first round.
Philadelphia doesn’t have to draft a receiver with their first-round pick, but this year would be as good as any year to take the leap.
With the Eagles needing a big-time playmaker on the outside or in the slot, here are seven wide receivers that make sense for the Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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1. Henry Ruggs III — Alabama
Ruggs III would be beyond an ideal fit for the Eagles at 21 and they should consider trading up for the former Crimson Tide star. The Athletics Dane Brugler ranks Ruggs 12th overall and projects him to go around No. 15.
The Eagles need to get faster and the 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds Ruggs III has been clocked at a 4.32-second 40-yard dash and could be the fastest player in the draft.
Ruggs III averaged 18.6 yards per catch this season and 17.5 yards per catch during his three-year career at Bama with 25 total touchdowns.
This is the season for comparison and Ruggs could be for Carson Wentz what Tyreek Hill has become for Patrick Mahomes.
The biggest need for the Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft is a cornerback, not a wide receiver.
The biggest need on the Philadelphia Eagles is cornerback, and it really isn’t an argument in my opinion.
Eagles wide receivers were not great this season. The Eagles will not re-sign Nelson Agholor, and for good reason. The Eagles could also part ways with Alshon Jeffery, even with the cap hit they will take. However, DeSean Jackson is under contract in 2020 and he was awesome for that Week 1 game against the Washington Redskins. He is the greatest deep threat of all-time and he will be back and ready to go for 2020. Greg Ward, who isn’t a No. 1 or No. 2 wide receiver, showed some promise and there is no way he isn’t on the roster to start 2020. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was one of the biggest letdowns of the season, but the Eagles used a 2019 second-round pick on him, so he will obviously be part of the Eagles next season. Robert Davis is under contract next season as well, but he is not a guy the Eagles are counting on to produce.
So, the Eagles receiver room will look as follows:
Jackson
Arcgea-Whiteside
Ward
Davis
It is clear that wide receiver will surely be addressed this off-season, but do not forget that Carson Wentz threw for 4,000 yards without a wide receiver going over 500 yards, which is an amazing stat. But outside of Wentz’s elite ability, why was he able to do that? The Eagles have two elite tight ends, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. They also have an extremely creative head coach and play-caller in Doug Pederson, who utilizes his running backs well in the passing game too.
A first-round receiver is not a bigger need than a cornerback. It just isn’t. Is getting Wentz more pass-catching help from the receiver position a priority? Absolutely. But getting Jackson back will be huge for Wentz and having the two elite tight ends needs to factor into this decision as well.
If you think the wide receiver room is lacking in 2020, picture this; the Eagles cornerback room is somehow worse.
The cornerbacks under contract in 2020 are as follows:
Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby will be free agents. The Eagles could bring one of them back, but it would be a huge mistake. Both players have shown more than enough times they are not the answer at cornerback. Darby is unable to stay healthy and when he is on the field, he is giving up big plays. Mills brings a ton of energy to the field and likes to tackle, but the main thing you want from your outside cornerback is coverage and he is a below-average cover corner.
LeBlanc will, and should, start as the slot corner in 2020. He has shown enough of a spark at the end of the last two seasons to get the start there. However, there is not one legitimate starter on the outside. That is a really, really scary thought.
Maddox is a good player, but I do not think outside cornerback is his best fit. I think the Eagles should work him more as a safety in 2020. Douglas has proven he is not a starter and I do not see how he is back in 2020. The Eagles will save almost $800,000 by releasing him, which is more than worth it at this point. And then there is Jones, who has underachieved his entire career but made a couple big-time plays to end 2019. The Eagles can save a little over $1 million by releasing him, but will they give up on him? I do not think so, but regardless, even if they keep Jones, they need a No. 1 and a No. 2 cornerback. Or, if they believe Jones or Maddox can be the No. 2 cornerback, they still do not have a No. 1 cornerback, which is why it needs to be the priority in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
After losing to the Seattle Seahawks, the Eagles will officially pick 21st in the 2020 NFL Draft. Howie Roseman is always making moves, so they may not pick 21st on draft day, but no matter when they pick in the first round; That pick should be a cornerback, as it is the biggest need for the Eagles next season.
