Tag: Josh Sweat

Eagles DE Josh Sweat lands ahead of Aaron Donald as the 2nd- highest graded defensive player in Week 1

Josh Sweat was the No. 2 highest graded edge-rushers in Week 1

The Philadelphia Eagles will work to get over Sunday’s dreadful 27-17 loss to Washington on the road, that saw the Birds give up 27 unanswered points. Lost in the misery was a strong performance from defensive end Josh Sweat.

Sweat’s strong performance against Washington could make things difficult for Derek Barnett, who’s looking to regain his standing on the depth chart amid another battle with injuries.

Sweat was dominant in the loss, playing 70% of the snaps at defensive end and finishing ahead of the Rams Aaron Donald, as the second highest-graded player in the NFL at the position this week.

Eagles DE Vinny Curry expected to miss 4-weeks with a hamstring injury

Eagles DE Vinny Curry out 4-weeks with a hamstring injury

The Philadelphia Eagles early-season injury woes continue and talented veteran defensive end Vinny Curry is the latest name added to the list. Curry left the Eagles season opener with a hamstring injury and Tom Pelissero is reporting that the defensive end will miss four weeks with a hamstring injury.

Curry was injured late in the third quarter and then had to be helped to the sideline. He went to the blue medical tent on the sideline and then was helped to the locker room by trainers.

Curry, 32, had three tackles, a half-sack and one quarterback hit starting in place of the injured Derek Barnett.

Derek Barnett ruled out for the Eagles season opener vs. Washington Football Team

Derek Barnett ruled out for Eagles season opener vs. Washington Football Team

Derek Barnett entered the 2020 NFL season with huge expectations and he’ll start the year on the sidelines after the Eagles ruled him out for the team’s season opener vs. the Washington Football Team.

Barnett joins running back Miles Sanders (hamstring), Alshon Jeffery (foot), and Javon Hargrave as Eagles starters who’ll miss the contest because of injury.

Lane Johnson looks to be a game-time decision for the Eagles as the teams utilize precaution with a handful of early-season injuries. Boston Scott (RB), Josh Sweat (DE), and Jalen Reagor (WR) will all make starts in place of injured Eagles stars.

Philadelphia Eagles’ biggest 2020 training camp position battles

Philadelphia Eagles training camp battles and predictions

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The Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2020 NFL season locked and loaded with the bulk of their 53 man roster set.

Entrenched in such a talented roster are several high profile training camp battles at integral positions, with the ramifications trickling down the lineup.

With the acclimation period ramping up and the Eagles just days away from putting on the pads, we breakdown the top position battles:

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Avonte Maddox

1. Cornerback opposite Darius Slay

Depending on whom you ask, the job is either Avonte Maddox’s to lose or Sidney Jones’s position for the taking. Slay is entrenched as the Eagles franchise cornerback. The player opposite of him has yet to be determined, but it’ll likely come down to Maddox, Jones, or Rasul Douglas.

Nickell Robey-Coleman and Cre’Von LeBlanc will hold down the slot, and the Eagles could choose to utilize a rotation similar to last season.

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Malik Jackson could provide more pass rush for the Eagles by moving to defensive end?

Eagles DT Malik Jackson could play primarily at defensive end during 2020 season

The Philadelphia Eagles avoided adding a pass rusher during free agency and didn’t address the position until they selected Casey Toohill in the later rounds.

With the Eagles needing more pressure off of the edge, Jim Schwartz and company could turn to a guy already on the roster, looking to redeem himself.

Malik Jackson signed a big-money deal to play next to Fletcher Cox at defensive tackle but saw his 2019 season end during the season opener against the Redskins.

During free agency, the Eagles added Javon Hargrave to the roster and that left some wondering where that leaves Jackson? With several unproven defensive ends on the roster, the Eagles could turn to Jackson when they need more pressure off the edge according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Jackson has 32.5 career sacks, came into the NFL as a defensive end, and could turn this opportunity into his future.

Brandon Graham is 32 and Derek Barnett likely has one more season to prove he deserved to be a first-round pick.

With Jim Schwartz preferring to rush the passer and utilize his defensive line based on rotation, don’t be shocked if Jackson spends time at both positions, with Jackson getting the call on third downs.

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Eagles D-Line looks ready for huge season after gathering for workouts with Fletcher Cox

the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line looks to be in great shape after workouts with Fletcher Cox at Shady Trell Ranch in Texas.

The Philadelphia Eagles hopes of returning to the playoffs four a fourth straight season could hinge on the defense and most importantly, the pass defense.

One way of helping your cornerbacks is to sustain a disruptive and pressure-filled pass rush, one reason for the Eagles spending big money on Javon Hargrave in free agency.

The Birds will return Graham at defensive end, while Derek Barnett will man the other edge in what could be the most important season of his career.

The Eagles defensive line got a head start on the in-person part of the team’s virtual training camp when everyone except Hargrave made the trip to Texas for some bonding and workouts with Fletcher Cox on his ‘Shady Trell Ranch’, a premier hunting destination in Jacksboro, Texas.

Brandon Graham initially broke the news of the Eagles defensive line all gathering for some group activities with Cox.

Here’s a photo of the group courtesy of Cox’s friend and personal trainer, Deon Hodges.

The trip is similar and reminiscent of the gatherings quarterback Carson Wentz organizes in the offseason.

A few summers ago, Wentz took some teammates up to North Dakota to work out and bond together, while last summer they met in Houston.

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5 Philadelphia Eagles that should take a major step forward in 2020

5 Eagles that should take a major step forward in 2020

The Philadelphia Eagles are the defending NFC East champions and in order to defend their title, they’ll need a few under the radar guys to take a major step forward this season.

The Eagles don’t have many holes on either side of the ball but they do have five players who look to take the next step in their maturity as players.

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(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

1. Will Parks

The former Broncos safety Will Parks turned out more lucrative offers to join his hometown Birds on a one-year deal.

Parks brings a physical style of play coupled with versatility.

Parks can play in the slot, he can play in the box and he’s got a pretty good range as a safety.

Parks has racked up 148 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and 13 pass breakups during his NFL career in limited snaps. Look for Parks to increase those numbers while bringing some attitude to the Eagles defense.

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Should Eagles fans temper their expectations over the 2020 NFL Draft class?

Philadelphia Eagles fans should temper their expectations for the Eagles’ 2020 NFL Draft. History has shown Day 3 picks are question marks.

The 2020 NFL Draft is officially over and the Philadelphia Eagles have drafted 10 new players. They also traded for former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, so they added 11 new players over the 3-day event.

The Eagles selected former TCU wide receiver, Jalen Reagor, with the 21st overall pick. Reagor may never be a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL, but he will certainly be a weapon for the Eagles. It will be interesting to see Reagor’s career progress and watch the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Justin Jefferson’s career progress as well.

Regardless, the addition of Reagor will help quarterback Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense.   Reagor also is able to return punts and kicks as well, so he is versatility will pay off for the Eagles no matter what.

Day 1 of the draft may not have been a home run, but the Eagles did not strikeout.

Day 2? Well, the Eagles got hit by a pitch, if we keep the baseball talk going. They selected former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts with the 53rd overall pick. Many people thought the Eagles could add another impact player with their second-round pick, but taking Hurts instead was a huge gamble. Hurts is a solid quarterback, but the pick has sparked up controversy regarding Wentz and his backup.

The Eagles then drafted former Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor in the 3rd round. Taylor is a freak athlete. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but he is extremely raw and more of a project than a starter at this moment.

After what could be deemed a disappointing Day 2, the Eagles and their General Manager Howie Roseman went to work on Day 3. They added 7 players total throughout the final three rounds, and here they are:

Round 4, Pick 127: K’Von Wallace, Safety, Clemson
Round 4, Pick 145: Jack Driscoll, OL, Auburn
Round 5, Pick 168: John Hightower, WR, Boise State
Round 6, Pick 196: Shaun Bradley, LB, Temple
Round 6, Pick 200: Quez Watkins, WR, Southern Miss
Round 6, Pick 210: Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn
Round 7, Pick 233: Casey Toohill, EDGE, Stanford

A couple quick notes from this list:

–K’Von Wallace was a pick universally loved. He was a team captain at Clemson and can play multiple positions. We had him mocked to the Eagles a couple of times this offseason and he should hopefully be a perfect fit for the Eagles secondary.

-Adding depth to the offensive line is always good and hopefully one of the players can emerge with the potential to start if needed.

-Speed! It was clear the Eagles needed speed this offseason and Roseman delivered that. John Hightower and Quez Watkins are burners for sure, so they will give the Eagles receiver group a bump in that category.

Day 3 was a much better day than Day 2, but the only problem with that is these Day 3 picks may excite fans, but they are far from a sure thing for the Eagles. Since Roseman took over again for the 2016 NFL Draft, here is a list of his Day 3 picks and their impact on the Eagles throughout their careers:

The chart is color-coded, with green being good and red obviously being bad. As you can see, there is a lot more red than green. 2016 was probably the best year for the Eagles’ Day 3 picks, as Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Jalen Mills played significant roles in their Super Bowl victory. Wendell Smallwood deserves some love too, as he put up solid numbers as an Eagle.

2017 featured Nathan Gerry, who isn’t great, but he has had good value for a 5th round pick. 2018 was the second-best year since Roseman took back over. Avonte Maddox is a solid piece on defense, but he needs to stay healthy. Josh Sweat isn’t an elite pass rusher, but he has made plays when called upon.

2019 was a complete flop. Yes, we do not know if Shareef Miller will help or not, but they traded for Genard Avery last year, so that doesn’t bode well for Miller. And I think we can all agree that Clayton Thorson was a horrendous pick.

Out of these 17 Day 3 picks since 2016, six of them could be chalked up as solid Day 3 picks. However, only 4 of them made any sort of real impact in their rookie season. Smallwood started 3 games and had 367 total yards and a score in 2016. Big V started 6 games in 2016. Mills played in all 16 games and had 62 tackles in 2016. Maddox started 9 games and had 35 tackles and 2 interceptions. None of these contributions is ‘needle-moving’ either in their rookie season, but they did play a part of the team in their rookie season.

It is also worth noting that every Day 3 receiver (Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson) the Eagles have drafted since 2016 has been horrible. Gibson has 3 career receptions and Hollins was cut this year after being one of the worst receivers in the NFL. Two receivers are a small sample size, but it should not be overlooked.

What does this all mean? Well, it means that as nice as it was that Roseman had a solid Day 3 on paper, you can’t put too much weight into thinking that Day 3 players will be able to contribute in their rookie season or become impact starters for the Eagles.

So, while many will say Roseman saved the draft by having a great Day 3 after a solid Day 1 and a terrible Day 2, the facts show you that you should temper your expectations for the Philadelphia Eagles 2020 NFL Draft class.

4 positions for the Eagles that don’t need much attention during the 2020 offseason

4 positions for the Eagles that don’t need much attention in 2020

The Philadelphia Eagles are set to make sweeping changes to their roster, but they can be confident in what they have in certain positions.

The Eagles will likely overhaul things at wide receiver and cornerback, but there are several key positions that will only require minor changes or some subtle additions.

Here are four positions for the Eagles that don’t need much attention during the 2020 offseason.

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1. Quarterback

Carson Wentz is coming off arguably his best and most complete season as a pro. Wentz started all, 16 regular-season games, became the franchise’s first 4,000-yard passer and led the Eagles to another division title.

Nate Sudfeld didn’t play this season, but he’s still a capable quarterback and will probably be better served to return to the Eagles rather than seeking a starting spot in free agency.

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