Tag: Jim Schwartz

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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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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7 Philadelphia Eagles who need to step up for Carson Wentz in 2020

7 Philadelphia Eagles who need to step up for Carson Wentz in 2020

The Philadelphia Eagles will enter the 2020 NFL season with championship aspirations and a quarterback on the hunt for his absolute respect around the league.

Wentz is one of the top-5 quarterbacks in the game, but all critics talk about are his eight games missed over the past three seasons including his first postseason start against the Seahawks last year.

Wentz can’t win another division title alone and in this breakdown, we’ll look at the seven Eagles who need to step up and do their part for the MVP candidate.

***

Matt Pryor

1.  Matt Pryor, Right Guard

Pryor spent two seasons learning the Eagles’ offense for this moment and was the Eagles’ choice to replace Brandon Brooks in the Birds Wild Card loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Originally selected by the Eagles in the 6th round (206th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft, Pryor actually made his first career NFL start in place of an injured Brooks in that Wild Card game vs. Seattle.

An All-Big 12 honoree at TCU, Pryor will be called upon to help the Eagles maintain the distinction of being in the top-3 annually in both pass and run blocking. Pryor won’t be able to match Brandon Brooks’s production, but he’ll definitely need to hold up in the interior so Wentz can work his magic.

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Philadelphia Eagles make more changes to sports medicine and performance staff

Philadelphia Eagles hire Eddie Grayer as an assistant strength coach

The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to be a younger, faster, and healthier team during the upcoming 2020 NFL season.

Howie Roseman has taken more steps to ensure a healthy and productive season and the Eagles have made changes to their sports medicine/performance staff, per Tim McManus of ESPN.com, by adding Eddie Grayer as an assistant strength coach and parting with assistant athletic trainers Micah Gerhart and Mark Lewis.

Grayer previously worked with the new director of sports performance Ted Rath in L.A. and played a part in the Rams being one of the NFL’s healthiest teams over the past two seasons.

Rath joined the Rams after eight seasons as a Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions assistant.

Rath and Jim Schwartz have history, but most important to the Eagles, his recent stint with the Rams resulted in LA having one of the healthiest teams in the NFL.

Rath is to like utilizing analytics, wellness checks and recovery plans to keep players healthy while using a digital questionnaire — similar to a short quiz — to stay updated on his player’s health.

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Avonte Maddox vs. Sidney Jones named the position battle to watch for Philadelphia Eagles

Avonte Maddox vs. Sidney Jones named a position battle to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles

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The Philadelphia Eagles will have several intriguing position battles go on during this virtual offseason, but none more important than who will play cornerback opposite Darius Slay.

When the Eagles acquired Slay from the Detroit Lions, it finally secured Jim Schwartz a lockdown caliber defender capable of stifling a teams’ number one wideout. That acquisition will all be for naught if the Eagles can’t get consistent play at cornerback opposite Slay.

In a projection of starting lineups for all 32 NFL teams by Pro Football Focus, Avonte Maddox vs. Sidney Jones at cornerback has been named the battle to watch.

Battle to watch: Avonte Maddox vs. Sidney Jones at outside cornerback

The Eagles put in work in their secondary this offseason, bringing in several high-level players like Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman, along with a draft prospect PFF liked in K’Von Wallace. Their second outside cornerback spot is still a little up in the air, though, with the two major players being Maddox and Jones. Maddox has the edge in experience (1,248 defensive snaps compared to Jones’ 643) and has graded out slightly better (55.9 compared to Jones’ 53.0). That should give him the leg up in the competition.

Maddox was previously the starter in the slot but with the addition of Will Parks, Nickell Robey-Coleman, and Cre’Von LeBlanc returning, Jim Schwartz may have different ideas about the outside.

Maddox will likely get the nod, but the Eagles desperately want Jones to come out the winner despite no public acknowledgment of such a claim. The former second-round pick, Jones has all the skills and just needs to confidently put it all together.

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Eagles should be one of the NFL’s healthiest teams in 2020 after two key hires

Eagles should be one of the NFL’s healthiest teams in 2020 after two key hires

The Philadelphia Eagles have made the playoffs three straight years, and they’ve accomplished that feat despite being one of the NFL’s most injured teams during that time period.

The team has dealt with soft tissue woes for the bulk of the past three seasons and that factor wasn’t lost on GM Howie Roseman after the Philadelphia Eagles officially announced multiple changes to the 2020 coaching staff, while the front office and training staff received an overhaul as well.

According to The Inquirer via Football Outsiders annual report on adjusted games lost to injury, the Eagles finished 21st out of 32 NFL teams with 84.4 games lost to injury, based on a metric that includes every injury report listing and weighs the loss based on a player’s role and position on an individual team.

Two of the additions made by Howie Roseman, Tom Hunkele, and Ted Rath, could ensure that the Eagles avoid being ravaged by injuries in the coming seasons.

Roseman hired Tom Hunkele as director of sports medicine and Ted Roth as director of sports performance.

Hunkele had previously spent the last 11 years with the Minnesota Vikings and has ties to the area as a Reading native. Hunkele has been honored for his training and rehabilitation methods, while also being lauded for his proactive approach to treatment.

Rath joined the Rams after eight seasons as a Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions assistant.

Rath and Jim Schwartz have history, but most important to the Eagles, his recent stint with the Rams resulted in LA having one of the healthiest teams in the NFL.

Rath is to like utilizing analytics, wellness checks and recovery plans to keep players healthy while using a digital questionnaire — similar to a short quiz — to stay updated on his player’s health.

With injuries playing a major part in Philadelphia’s struggle to reach and advance once they make the playoffs, these two changes to the personnel and training staff could pay huge dividends going forward.

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4 takeaways from the Eagles choosing to exercise Derek Barnett’s 5th-year option

4 takeaways from the Eagles choosing to exercise Derek Barnett’s 5th-year option

The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly set to exercise the fifth-year option for star defensive end Derek Barnett after months of speculation.

The 14th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Barnett is now set to make $9.45 million on the final year of his rookie deal.

The deadline for exercising the fifth-year options on 2017 first-round picks is May 5.

With Barnett staying around for at least two more years, here are four takeaways from the move.

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1. Eagles didn’t address DE position in the draft

The Eagles had needs, but the defensive end was apparently not one of them, making the case for Barnett to stick around. The Eagles will enter training camp with Brandon Graham, Barnett, Josh Sweat, Genard Avery, and second-year player, Shareef Miller on the edge.

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Philadelphia Eagles to exercise Derek Barnett’s 5th-year option

Philadelphia Eagles to exercise Derek Barnett’s 5th-year option

In a move that was expected and makes sense, the Philadelphia Eagles are set to exercise Derek Barnett’s fifth-year option per Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice.

The move will pay the talented but inconsistent pass rusher just under $10 million per Over The Cap.

Durability seems to be the concern for Barnett, who has missed 12 games over the past two seasons.

The 14th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, Barnett has 14 career sacks in brief career, far below the expectations for the former first-round pick.

The option keeps the 23-year-old Barnett under the Eagles cap structure for the next two years, as the Birds look for vast improvement from the often undisciplined defensive end.

Instant analysis of the Eagles picking LB Davion Taylor in the third-round

Instant analysis of the Eagles picking LB Davion Taylor in the third-round

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The Philadelphia Eagles shook up the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected quarterback Jalen Hurts at pick No. 53.

In the third round, the Eagles got back to addressing needs, landing versatile Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor at pick No. 103.

A hybrid safety/linebacker in college, Taylor will likely permanently move to linebacker as Howie Roseman continues to retool the Eagles roster with fast players.

With Taylor in the books, here are three takeaways from his addition.

***

1. Taylor can fly

A raw player who’s just learning how to play the game, Taylor will bring a new level of speed to the roster.

A track star in high school, Taylor fits the mold at linebacker and could add tremendous versatility to the position.

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Eagles select LB Davion Taylor with No. 103 overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft

Eagles select linebacker Davion Taylor out of Colorado

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The Philadelphia Eagles finally addressed the defensive side of the ball in the NFL, selecting Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor with pick No. 103 in the third round of the NFL Draft.

The Eagles have had constant contact with the undersized linebacker throughout the NFL Draft process, starting at the Senior Bowl.

The Eagles were scheduled to host a top-30 predraft visit with Taylor before the Covid-19 crisis stopped all travel.

At Colorado, Taylor was used as a hybrid safety/linebacker and he could be a perfect replacement for Kamu Grugier-Hill.

Taylor was unable to play football in high school due to religious reasons and after some junior college success, he moved onto Colorado in 2018.

With the Buffaloes, Taylor appeared in 24 games, racking up 129 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, six passes defended, and two sacks.

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