Tag: Matt Pryor

Philadelphia Eagles 53-man roster projection ahead of 2020 training camp

Eagles 53-man roster projection ahead of 2020 training camp

GM Howie Roseman stayed true to his retooling effort, forgoing big named free agents at specific positions to add youth and speed to the roster.

In the NFL draft, Roseman made waves by selecting a quarterback in the second round and then securing Carson Wentz some speed via trade (Marquise Goodwin) and three solid draft picks in Jalen Reagor, John Hightower, and Quez Watkins.

With the training camp here and set to start here’s a look at the Eagles projected 53-man roster.

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QB – 3 — Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts, Nate Sudfeld

Sudfeld is the unquestioned backup, but the Eagles have made it clear that Hurts will be involved from the beginning, meaning he’ll likely make the roster every week, especially with it expanding two more players.

A huge battle to watch will be Sudfeld and Hurts, with the rookie possibly ascending early on or struggling to learn the ropes as an NFL passer. Either way, Hurts is apart of the Eagles’ future and apart of the present.

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EAST HARTFORD, CT – SEPTEMBER 29: Michael Warren II #3 of the Cincinnati Bearcats carries the ball during the first half against the Connecticut Huskies at Rentschler Field on September 29, 2018 in East Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)

RB – 4 — Boston Scott, Corey Clement, Miles Sanders, Michael Warren

The Eagles appeared prepared to enter the 2020 NFL season with three holdovers from last season and Elijah Holyfield was the third name. After bringing Corey Clement back in free agency and signing undrafted free agent Michael Warren, this group will look different. Sanders will be a year stronger, while the Eagles brass loves Boston Scott and what he brings.  Look for the undrafted rookie Michael Warren, to snag the role of goalline and short-yardage back if it isn’t Jalen Hurts there as well.

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Eagles land in the top-2 of the 10-best-performing NFL offensive lines by expected rushing yards

Eagles No.2 in a ranking of the 10-best-performing offensive lines

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The Philadelphia Eagles build from the inside out and the dominating line play on both sides of the ball is a huge reason for the sustained success over the past three seasons.

The Birds enter the 2020 season with huge expectations and the offensive line is a huge reason for the Eagles to be confident regardless of what happens at wide receiver. The Eagles will rely on Miles Sanders at running back and based on a ranking from NFL.com, the second-year running back is slated for success thanks to the offensive line’s penchant for giving that extra push.

Using an advanced metric called expected rushing yards (blocking effectiveness) Sanders averaged a yard or better more than other running backs around the league thanks to the Eagles road-grading offensive line that opened holes upfront at an alarming rate.

Rank
2
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
2019 stats: 4.62 xYPC, 1,782 ERY, -98 RYOE, -0.25 RYOE per attempt

OK, listen — I know the Eagles were incredibly banged up last season, and they weren’t exactly trotting out three versions of in-his-prime Terrell Owens in their receiving corps, so their running backs were at a bit of a disadvantage. But let’s take a moment to heap praise on the Eagles’ line, the lone group that remained somewhat intact throughout the season while everyone else took turns in the trainer’s room. Philadelphia performed better in xYPC than its NFC East rival Dallas — logging 4.62 xYPC versus the Cowboys’ 4.16 — it just lacked star ball-carriers to take full advantage (we talked about Sanders above already). The Eagles weren’t the only team with a negative RYOE to land in the top 10 in xYPC, either, with half of the group ending up in the red. But they were the only one of those teams with an offensive line (plus two solid tight ends) good enough to help clear space for what should’ve been over 4.6 yards per carry on average. The loss of guard Brandon Brooks this offseason could be devastating for 2020. Hearing the news of his Achilles injury pained me very much, but the return of Jason Peters in an unfamiliar guard role means the team might be able to weather that storm. Meanwhile, it’s time for Andre Dillard to own the left tackle job he was drafted to take. If the Eagles can stay healthy and find a way to replicate what they did up front in 2019, they should win more than the nine games they took home last season.

The only team better in the NFL last season was the Baltimore Ravens, who with the help of MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, ran the ball more effectively than any team in the league. Bringing Peters back brings some comfort to the unit and if Andre Dillard and Isaac Seumalo can mesh on the left side, Miles Sanders could be in store for a huge rushing season.

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4 takeaways from the Eagles re-signing Jason Peters to a 1-year deal

4 takeaways from the Eagles re-signing Jason Peters to a 1-year deal

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The Philadelphia Eagles improved the depth on their roster on Tuesday, re-signing Jason Peters to a one-year deal and moving the future Hall of Famer to right guard in place of Brandon Brooks.

With Peters back on a one-year, $6 million deal, here are four takeaways from the move:

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1. Matt Pryor is not the guy

The signing of Peters is not an indictment on Pryor, but it speaks to the level of comfort that the Eagles have with the Hall of Fame left tackle.

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Eagles revamped offensive line lands in the top-10 of a ranking of all 32 NFL teams entering the 2020 season

Philadelphia Eagles are No. 10 in a PFF ranking of all 32 NFL offensive lines

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The Philadelphia Eagles perennially have one of the top-five highest-graded offensive lines entering and finishing most NFL seasons but 2020 offers an interesting twist.

Jason Peters is out as the Andre Dillard era begins at left tackle, while the Eagles will be without right guard Brandon Brooks after he tore his Achilles and will miss the entire 2020 NFL season.

Matt Pryor will likely get the first shot at replacing Brooks, but the loss will be monumental.

Pro Football Focus just released its annual ranking of all 32 NFL offensive lines and even with the losses, the Eagles still landed in the top-10.

10. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
The Eagles annually boast one of the best offensive lines in the league, and they finished No. 1 at the conclusion of the 2019 regular season. It will be difficult to repeat that feat without star left tackle Jason Peters and PFF All-Pro guard Brandon Brooks. The Eagles anticipated the Peters move by drafting Andre Dillard in the first round in 2019, and he’s locked in as the starter after grading out at 59.7 on 337 snaps as a rookie. For perspective, Peters allowed just 25 pressures on 602 pass-blocking attempts, while Dillard allowed 25 on 183 attempts — so it could be an adjustment for Philadelphia. The good news is Dillard’s track record at Washington State, where his pass-blocking grade on true pass sets is the fifth-best we’ve seen from any college player moving to the NFL.

Johnson and Kelce will be stout as usual, while Isaac Seumalo should make another jump and has played at a top-10 level since his debacle against the Falcons.

Dillard and the right guard battle are major keys for the Eagles and could be the difference between another top-3 ranking and middle of the pack finish. If Dillard can take the next step at left tackle and Pryor or Driscoll fortify the right guard spot, the Birds could be looking at another deep playoff run.

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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.

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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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Former Eagles great Tra Thomas weighs-in on whether Jason Peters could replace Brandon Brooks at RG

Tra Thomas unsure Jason Peters could replace Brandon Brooks at RG

The Philadelphia Eagles seem prepared to move forward with Matt Pryor in place of the injured Brandon Brooks, but that hasn’t stopped fans and some analysts from clamoring for the return of Jason Peters.

Peters has openly discussed playing guard if it would extend his career and with Brooks lost for the season due to a torn Achilles, the question has been asked about Peters possibly switching positions.

Former Eagles great and Pro Bowl left tackle gave his opinion on the matter recently and told 97.3 ESPN, that Peters would have a hard time making the adjustment.

“The skill isn’t the problem, it’s the wear and tear on the body,” Thomas explained. “If you are getting beat up out there playing defensive ends, you’re definitely going to get beat up playing offensive guard when you’re dealing with defensive tackles.”

“Everyone just thinks you can mix-and-match and just move around – it’s not that easy, to just move to different positions like that,” Thomas stressed. “Especially when you have been in a left-handed stance for so long, its takes a long-time to get that muscle memory to change.”

Pryor, the likely choice to replace Brooks, has experience from the NFC Wild Card matchup against the Seahawks last January and his physically similar to the All-Pro in size.

Thomas liked what he saw from the former TCU star.

“I thought Matt Pryor came in and held his own,” Thomas said. I thought he was really good at protection, to me I don’t feel there was a major drop-off.”

The third-year guard has the chance to make himself a lot of money this season and could put himself in-line for a big deal on the open market or for potentially replacing Brooks if the Eagles decide to move on.

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Eagles RG Brandon Brooks doing Jiujitsu training despite tearing his Achilles

Eagles RG Brandon Brooks doing Jiujitsu training despite tearing his Achilles

Brandon Brooks suffered a torn Achilles this week but it hasn’t stopped the Eagles star from putting in the work to keep his body in tip-top shape.

Brooks hasn’t had surgery yet, so he’s still taking part in MMA and jujitsu training with a walking boot, despite the torn Achilles.

In the video, courtesy of ESPN’s Eagles reporter Tim McManus via Ricardo Migliarese of Balance MMA, Brooks looks perfectly healthy while getting his ground and pound on.

Brooks will likely face backlash from some fans, but the injury is what it is and just sitting around won’t help the Eagles All-Pro heal any faster. He’s looking at a nine-month recovery regardless.

Brooks tore his left Achilles tendon while running during a rehab session at NovaCare Complex on Monday.

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3 things to know about Eagles backup RG Matt Pryor in the wake of Brandon Brook’s Achilles injury

3 things to know about Eagles backup RG Matt Pryor in the wake of Brandon Brook’s Achilles injury

Matt Pryor made the first start of his NFL career in the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks during Wild Card weekend and he held up under intense duress.

Pryor will now likely make his first regular-season start in the Eagles opener against the Redskins after Brandon Brooks suffered a torn Achilles tendon.

Standing 6-foot-7 and 332 pounds, Pryor entered the NFL with the reputation that he could play both right guard and right tackle.

With Brooks out for the entire 2020, NFL season here are 3 things to know about Pryor, the Eagles new starting right guard at the moment:

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1. Pryor is massive

Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round (206th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft, Pryor is a big, strong, powerful player who can play both spots along the line.

Pryor is similar in body type to Brooks, but not as athletic. The Eagles could regress some in the passing game but Pryor seems ideal to continue Brook’s run blocking dominance.

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3 takeaways from the news Brandon Brooks will miss 2020 NFL season with torn Achilles

3 takeaways from the news Brandon Brooks will miss 2020 NFL season with torn Achilles

The Philadelphia Eagles received some heartbreaking news on Monday when it was announced that Brandon Brooks has suffered a torn Achilles.

Brooks confirmed the news and stated that it was his other Achilles and not the one torn in the Eagles 2018 playoff loss to the Saints.

With Brooks done and the Eagles season off to a rocky start, here are four takeaways from the news.

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Sep 8, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive guard Brandon Brooks (79) blocks Washington Redskins defensive end Matthew Ioannidis (98) at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

1. Eagles best lineman is gone for the year

Brooks was the highest-graded guard in football in 2019, the second-ranked guard on the PFF top 50 list, and the fifth-ranked player on PFF’s 2019 101 lists.

Over the last three seasons, Brooks has started all 48 regular-season games, while playing in 95% of the Eagles offensive snaps and making the. Pro Bowl in each season.

Brooks tore his right Achilles tendon in January 2019.

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Philadelphia Eagles roster comparison: 2019 vs. 2020 offense

Philadelphia Eagles roster comparison: 2019 vs. 2020 offense

The Philadelphia Eagles 90-man roster is currently full and as the Birds move forward with their virtual offseason workout program, we’re interested in taking an early comparative look at the Eagles offensive roster from last season and a projected depth chart as it currently stands.

There’s been a change at left tackle for now, while the receiving corps is a lot faster and younger after some draft day wheeling and dealing.

Let’s take a  position by position look at how the Eagles offense in 2020 compares to 2019.

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Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback

2019 2020
Carson Wentz Carson Wentz
Josh McCown Nate Sudfeld
Nate Sudfeld Jalen Hurts

 

Heading into last season the Eagles were looking for Sudfeld to take the next step as a passer, while Carson Wentz was preparing to prove to the world that he could play an entire 16 game regular season. Fast forward and Josh McCown joins the roster after Sudfeld suffers a wrist injury, while Wentz has the first 4,000-yard passing season in Eagles history while leading the franchise to the playoffs.

Heading into the 2020 season, Wentz is facing unnecessary criticism once again after being knocked out of the Eagles Wild Card loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Clowney’s hit on Wentz would precipitate the Eagles drafting Jalen Hurts in the second-round and setting off an offseason of questions, excitement, and what-if’s.

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