7 things the #Philadelphia #Eagles can learn from #Rams, #Bengals different models of building a successful and championship #NFL roster
The NFL is a copycat league, and as teams look to follow in the footsteps of both the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, there are definite pros and cons to each methodology.
In today’s NFL, teams acquire talent via free agency, trades, or the NFL draft, but the debate will now be centered upon which route works the best and most importantly, the quickest?
The league’s final-four teams (Chiefs, Bengals, Rams, 49ers) all have different ways of doing business, and as the Eagles look to join that next tier of teams that are able to sustain success, the chosen path (model of rebuild) will determine the length of time between rebuilds in Philadelphia.
With the Super Bowl now in the rearview mirror, here are seven things the Philadelphia Eagles can learn from the Bengals and Rams model of roster building.
Ranking the QB’s the Eagles will face during the 2020 NFL season
The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and during their 2020 NFL season they’ll face some of the best signal-callers on the planet.
The Eagles will play their three NFC East opponents (Dal, NYG, Was), four AFC North opponents (Bal, Cle, Pit, Cin) along with four teams from the NFC West (49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Cardinals) as well as the Saints and Packers.
In the division, they’ll see Dak Prescott twice, along with the ever-improving Daniel Jones and Dwayne Haskins.
During the four-game AFC North jaunt, they’ll face the reigning NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson, along with games against Baker Mayfield, Ben Roethlisberger, and the No. 1 overall pick, Joe Burrow.
The NFC West will see the Eagles face Jimmy Garappolo, Russell Wilson, Jared Goff, and the electric Kyler Murray.
And finally, the Eagles will face two legendary signal-callers in Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Injuries happen in the NFL, but if all these guys are healthy, the Birds arguably ended up-facing five of the top-12 quarterbacks in the NFL this season.
With the virtual offseason progressing, we rank the quarterbacks on the Eagles 2020 NFL schedule.
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Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
13. Dwayne Haskins — Redskins
The Redskins selected Haskins with the 15th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and he started his rookie season off as an understudy to Case Keenum.
Haskins took over as the starter in Week 9 and started seven straight games before an injury forced him from a Week 16 matchup against the New York Giants.
A work in progress, Haskins had two games last season where he threw at least one touchdown and no interceptions, while failing to complete at least 60.0 percent of his pass attempts in four consecutive games.
His most effective game as a starter came during a Week 15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in which Haskins threw for 261 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 75-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin.
Eagles could start 2020 season with 4 straight games against AFC opponents
The 2020 NFL regular season schedule is set to be released on Thursday and the Eagles early-season opponents could look a little different.
In past seasons the Eagles have opened up against a division opponent or someone from the NFC but the COVID-19 pandemic threatening football activities, the NFL has taken steps to protect the most important matchups.
John Clayton of 710 ESPN confirmed to Doug Farrar of USA TODAY Sports Media Group that the league has discussed having all 32 teams begin the season with four out-of-conference games as a scheduling precaution in case the season needs to be delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As we discussed on Tuesday, the Eagles will play four teams from a division in the AFC on a rotating four-year cycle (Bal, Cle, Pit, Cin) in 2020.
For the NFL, those games are considered the least important in terms of determining division winners and playoff standings.
The Eagles are scheduled to host the Ravens and Bengals while traveling to face the Browns and Steelers if Clayton is correct.
Last season, the Ravens were the No. 1 seed in the AFC, while the Steelers were besieged by injuries, yet nearly made the playoffs. Cleveland has a new coach in Kevin Stefanski, while the Bengals have Joe Burrows under center now after parting ways with Andy Dalton.
If Clayton is correct, it shapes up for an exciting first month of the season, with the prospects for the Eagles to start 3-1 and no worse than 2-2.
Joe Burrows player profile with a fantasy perspective.
What a difference a year makes. Joe Burrows played at Ohio State for his first two seasons and never was better than the No. 2 quarterback. In 2017, he played behind Dwayne Haskins and J.T. Barrett while only throwing eleven passes. Burrow red-shirted as a freshman and actually graduated from OSU in just three years with a degree in consumer and family financial services. That made him eligible to play as a graduate transfer to LSU.
Burrow was named as the starting quarterback at LSU as a redshirt junior and led them to a 10-3 record including a No. 6 ranking on the final AP Poll that year. He entered his redshirt senior season with only 18 career touchdown passes. He already threw for 17 scores by his fourth game. He would end with one of the greatest single-season performances of all time. His 60 passing touchdowns and 5,671 passing touchdowns set all-time SEC records. He threw for more than 320 yards in 14 consecutive games. He accounted for more than three touchdowns in over half his games.
While some top players consider not playing in their final college playoff game to avoid potential injury, Burrows did play. He passed for 463 yards and six touchdowns in the 2020 National Championship game as the game MVP. Until 2019, Burrows had a minimal track record. Twelve months later, he won everything. Everything. Heisman, national championship, almost all single-season records of any note.
As if his prolific scoring and yardage and wins were not enough. He only threw for six interceptions all year. He owns one of the most dramatic year-to-year turnarounds in the history of all sports.
Year
Games
Runs
Yards
TD
Pass
Complete
Yards
Avg.
TD
Int
QBR
2016*
5
12
58
1
28
22
226
8.1
2
0
0
2017*
5
3
-5
0
11
7
61
5.5
0
0
0
2018
13
128
399
7
379
219
2894
7.9
16
5
0
2019
15
115
368
5
527
402
5671
10.8
60
6
*Ohio State
Pros
A mature 23 years old
Highly intelligent, great football IQ
Consistently rises to the occasion
Precise passer that throws a very catchable ball
Deadly accurate even with small windows
Great at reading defenses, setting up passes
A capable runner that can break a long gainer with his legs
Big frame lets him stand tough in the pocket and is hard to bring down
Equally effective in the pocket or on the run
Superior anticipation and sets up receivers to be successful
Won nearly every possible award for his 2019 season
Cons
Only one very spectacular season
Arm strength considered only average
Less accurate outside the numbers
Needs a “wide open” scheme to shine
Took some unnecessary sacks waiting on the play to develop
Fantasy outlook
Burrows is the consensus best quarterback in the draft and the favorite to be the first overall pick (currently the Bengals). That isn’t to say that it is not possible that he is not the first pick or that someone like Tua Tagovailoa couldn’t end up as the guy but Burrows won’t fall more than a spot or two or be less than the second quarterback taken. Heading into the NFL draft, the expectation is that the Bengals will select him with their first overall pick.
He will be a Day One starter where ever he goes. Aside from his prolific senior season, Burrows is very smart and a lock to be an asset for any organization. While other top players could have various scrapes with the law or questions surrounding their maturity, that doesn’t exist for Burrow. When he accepted the Heisman Trophy, his acceptance speech resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being donated to a food pantry in his Ohio hometown.
The rookie needs to end up in an offense that throws – a lot. The Bengals enter their second season under ex-Rams QB coach Zac Taylor who calls the plays. No doubt, selecting a premier rookie quarterback would result in molding the scheme to Burrow’s strengths.
The Bengals roster will undergo change via free agency and the NFL draft but they franchised A.J. Green to ensure that he and Tyler Boyd can offer their quarterback with an above average pair of receivers. Rookie quarterbacks rarely offer much in fantasy terms, but none of them are coming off as wildly productive of a season. Like any player expected to be the first overall pick, Burrows will be expected to step in and make a difference from the start. His long-term expectations are even higher.
NFL releases full list of 337 players invited to the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to embark on the journey of landing Carson Wentz some high-profile weapons and the next phase of draft preparation will start at the NFL Combine.
It’s unknown whether Joe Brady was a candidate for the Eagles offensive coordinator job, but according to Adam Schefter, Brady will be named the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator.
LSU’s passing game coordinator Joe Brady has told people today that he is planning to return to the NFL and the Carolina Panthers, per league sources.
It’s unknown whether Joe Brady is currently a candidate for the Eagles offensive coordinator job, but according to this quote from Cordy Worsham, it sounds like young hotshot plans on staying in Baton Rouge.
Joe Brady also said earlier today, "As long as they want me at LSU, my intentions are being at LSU."
