Tag: Grant Calcaterra

Howie Roseman explains why Eagles haven’t extended Zack Baun, other key free agents

Eagles GM Howie Roseman could be looking to stack up on compensatory picks after he explained why the Eagles didn’t hand out contract extensions to key 2025 free agents like Zack Baun, Josh Sweat and others

The Eagles have 19 pending free agents, and with some big names looking to cash in, the Philadelphia defense could look quite different in 2024.

During his Super Bowl opening-night press conference, the Eagles GM provided insight into his thinking, explaining to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia why he didn’t extend contracts to several key free agents.

“Once you start doing that, it’s almost like, are you picking favorites?” Roseman said. “And the other guys start saying, ‘What about me?’ And they start playing for themselves as opposed to the team.

“Now, we’ve seen that probably costs you money in the long run as you’re doing it. But when you have an opportunity to compete for a championship, it’s worth that sacrifice I think.”

Philadelphia has several critical free agents who probably want to return to the Eagles but could land massive paydays on the open market. Zack Baun, Mekhi Becton, Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Isaiah Rodgers, and Kenneth Gainwell could land lucrative deals when the new league year begins.

Roseman admitted that he watches Baun and Becton’s price tag grow daily but sacrificed potential long-term deals for a Super Bowl run without distractions.

“I’ll do anything for a championship,” Roseman said. “So if that’s the trade-off and maybe we lose a player, I won’t like that, but I’ll take it.”

The six free agents listed above will all have major suitors on the open market, but if those players depart, the Eagles can land upwards of four compensatory picks.

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles holds a 10-0 lead over the Packers

Jalen Hurts fought off rust and an intense Packers pass rush to make plays when needed as the Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first half. Vic Fangio’s defense did a good job of confusing Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love, forcing two …

Jalen Hurts fought off rust and an intense Packers pass rush to make plays when needed as the Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first half. Vic Fangio’s defense did a good job of confusing Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love, forcing two interceptions.

Philadelphia lost linebacker Nakobe Dean to a knee injury and will look to finish drives and capitalize on Packers turnovers.

With the second half underway, here are seven takeaways from the first half.

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Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles hold a 24-7 lead over the Cowboys

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles hold a 24-7 lead over the Cowboys

It was another disastrous first quarter, but the Eagles’ defense found their footing, and Kenny Pickett discovered a connection with DeVonta Smith. Buoyed by two C.J. Gardner-Johnson interceptions, Philadelphia found their rhythm and held a 24-7 lead over the Cowboys in the first half.

An Eagles win Locks up the NFC East and the No. 2 seed in the conference while allowing Jalen Hurts another week to recover from his concussion.

With the second half set to begin, here are ten takeaways from the first half.

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Grant Calcaterra with a fantastic diving catch to save Eagles scoring drive

Grant Calcaterra with a fantastic diving catch to save Eagles scoring drive

Grant Calcaterra is a solid backup tight end who can improve his run-blocking.  Still, he’s a talented pass catcher and made the play of his career on this diving grab for a 34-yard gain.

A Calcaterra drop likely leads to another fumble, but instead, the Eagles regrouped and took a 14-7 lead on a 22-yard touchdown pass from DeVonta Smith to Kenny Pickett.

Calcaterra has one catch for 34 yards in the first half, while Pickett is 7-9 passing for 77 yards (8.6 average), one touchdown, and a 139.4 quarterback rating.

Eagles OC Kellen Moore weighs in on potential replacement if Dallas Goedert misses time

Eagles OC Kellen Moore weighs in on potential replacement if Dallas Goedert misses time

Philadelphia moved to 10-2 on the season with a 24-19 win over Baltimore on Sunday and received even better news on the injury front afterward.

Dallas Goedert was forced to exit with a knee injury late in the Week 13 win, and Jeff McLane of The Inquirer reported that Eagles brass believed their star tight end avoided severe injury.

Now, after a Monday MRI, Goedert will be week to week, and while he could be a candidate for IR, he’ll be around for the playoffs.

Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was asked about potential replacements for his star tight end.

“We’ll see how this week progresses. It’s December football; a lot of guys are banged up. That’s how these weeks now naturally progress.”

“We feel fortunate that we have a number of guys with [TE] Grant [Calcaterra] obviously playing an excellent role when he hopped up when Dallas was down earlier. [TE] E.J. [Jenkins] and [TE] C.J. [Uzomah], have both played a few games this year. They’re ready to go. We feel fortunate to have the depth that we have. We’ll see how it progresses.”

Goedert had three catches for 35 yards (11.7 avg) and one touchdown on the afternoon, moving his season totals to 38 receptions for 441 yards (11.6 avg) and two touchdowns. Philadelphia will start preparation for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and Goedert could be held out ahead of a huge matchup against the Steelers in Week 15.

If Goedert does miss time, Calcaterra is a capable backup, and C.J. Uzomah was signed to the active roster from the practice squad.

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Eagles vs. Jaguars: Best photos from Philadelphia’s 28-23 win in Week 9

We’re looking at the top photos from the Philadelphia Eagles 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9 at Lincoln Financial Field

Nick Sirianni left 8+ points on the board with questionable calls, but Philadelphia got stops on defense when needed.  The Eagles moved to 6-2 on Sunday afternoon with a 28-23 win over Jacksonville. A.J. Brown was forced to exit with a knee injury. Still, Saquon Barkley made highlight-reel plays, and DeVonta Smith was a rock as the Eagles’ offense struggled to put the Jaguars away. However, it was functional enough to stay within a game of Washington in the division. With preparation for Dallas set to begin, we’re looking at the top photos from Sunday’s big win. ***

Eagles vs. Giants: Best photos from Philadelphia’s 28-3 win over NY in Week 7

We’re looking at the top photos from the Philadelphia Eagles 28-3 win over the New York Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in Week 7

The Eagles are 4-2 and back atop the NFC East after an emphatic 28-3 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

In Saquon Barkley’s first game against his former team, the running back logged 17 carries for 176 yards (10.4 avg) and one touchdown on the afternoon.  Barkley finished 14 yards shy of his career-high yards in a game and placed himself firmly back into the race for the NFL rushing title and the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award.

With preparation for the Week 8 matchup against the Bengals set to begin, we’re looking at the top photos in Sunday’s win.

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Sights and sounds from first half of Eagles matchup vs. Falcons

It wasn’t the most explosive first half, but Philadelphia rode the emotion of Nick Foles’ retirement and a raucous crowd to keep Atlanta out of the end zone late in the first half. The Eagles hold a 7-6 lead heading into the second half. Playing …

It wasn’t the most explosive first half, but Philadelphia rode the emotion of Nick Foles’ retirement and a raucous crowd to keep Atlanta out of the end zone late in the first half. The Eagles hold a 7-6 lead heading into the second half.

Playing without A.J. Brown, Philadelphia used a DeVonta Smith touchdown catch to establish a 7-3 first-half lead before the Falcons pulled within one.

Here are sights and sounds from the first half.

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Takeaways and observations from first half of Eagles matchup vs. Falcons in Week 2

It wasn’t the most explosive first half, but Philadelphia rode the emotion of Nick Foles’ retirement and a raucous crowd to keep Atlanta out of the end zone late in the first half. The Eagles hold a 7-6 lead heading into the second half. Playing …

It wasn’t the most explosive first half, but Philadelphia rode the emotion of Nick Foles’ retirement and a raucous crowd to keep Atlanta out of the end zone late in the first half. The Eagles hold a 7-6 lead heading into the second half.

Playing without A.J. Brown, Philadelphia used a DeVonta Smith touchdown catch to establish a 7-3 first-half lead before the Falcons pulled within one.

With the second half set to begin, here are takeaways and observations from the first half.

Primarily a punt returner, Covey joined DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson for the second snap, lined up as an outside receiver. Covey had two catches in the first half, for six yards on two targets.

Monday saw a matchup of two similar running backs with the veteran Saquon Barkley, and second year running back Bijan Robinson. Through two quarters, Robinson has the lead. The Falcons star has 10 carries for 72 yards, and one catch for 72 yards. Barkley has eight carries for 37 yards rushing in the first half.

Whether it was a punishment or by some design, Eagles star defensive tackle Jalen Carter didn’t see a snap in the game’s first series. He was back in the lineup for the second series. CArter finished the first half with one tackle.

At this rate the Eagles best offensive play is Jalen Hurts running. Hurts has 47 yards rushing on the Eagles final drive of the half. Hurts was 9-13 passing for 70 yards and one touchdown. He had six carries for 51 yards rushing.

Smith was going to be the focal point of the Eagles offense with A.J. Brown out and the Heisman Trophy winner rose to the occasion. Smith had three catches for 30 yards and a touchdown on the Eagles four possessions.

Sights and sounds from first half of Eagles Week 1 matchup vs. Packers in Brazil

The Eagles started the first half miserable in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but thanks to a stout defense, Philadelphia only ended up down 6-0 and entered the second half down 19-17 after regrouping. Both offenses made explosive plays, and the Packers secured …

The Eagles started the first half miserable in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but thanks to a stout defense, Philadelphia only ended up down 6-0 and entered the second half down 19-17 after regrouping.

Both offenses made explosive plays, and the Packers secured two early turnovers to exit the first half up two points. Packers quarterback Jordan Love was 7-14 passing for 130 yards and one first-half touchdown.

Free agent running back Josh Jacobs had six carries for four yards, Emmanuel Wilson led Green Bay with three carries for 37 yards, and Jayden Reed led all pass catchers with two catches for 79 yards and a score. With the second half set to begin, here are takeaways from the first half.