The Philadelphia Eagles are less than two weeks away from a season-opening showdown in D.C. against Chase Young and the Washington Football Team. With training camp now in full swing and several notable changes to the roster, here’s an updated 53 …
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The Philadelphia Eagles are less than two weeks away from a season-opening showdown in D.C. against Chase Young and the Washington Football Team.
Eagles land Andre Cisco in PFF’s Preseason 2021 NFL Mock Draft
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The Philadelphia Eagles retooling of their roster will likely continue into the 2021 offseason when some serious salary cap questions will need to be answered.
The Eagles could be $51 million over the cap in 2021 and several big named veterans may face restructured deals or outright release. With the 2021 salary cap likely to be lowered, the NFL Draft could provide a remedy for supplanting young talent on the cheap.
Pro Football Focus recently released its preseason 2021 NFL mock draft and the Eagles add another rangy All American safety from the ACC.
23. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — S ANDRE CISCO, SYRACUSE
I don’t anticipate a safety with 4.3 speed and 12 picks by the end of his true sophomore year lasting too long in the draft. While his tape is incredibly up and down at this point, you can’t teach the sort of playmaking ability he possesses.
A two-year starter at safety and a 2020 preseason first-team All-American, Cisco had five interceptions, five pass breakups, and 65 tackles on the season despite missing three games to injury.
A ballhawk, Cisco led the ACC interceptions each of his first two seasons.
With training camp now in full swing and several notable changes to the roster, here’s an updated 53 man roster projection:
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QB – 3 — Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts, Nate Sudfeld
Sudfeld is the unquestioned backup, but Hurts has looked sharp during the initial workouts as he continues to soak up the NFL game during a shortened preseason.
Jalen Mills speaks on his adjustment to playing safety for the Eagles
Jalen Mills has been beloved by fans and coaches during his stint in Philadelphia and after losing one of the most beloved figures in franchise history, the former cornerback is well aware of the standard he’ll need to uphold.
Despite struggles at cornerback, the Eagles have been solid at the safety position with Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod leading the charge.
After months of squabbling over his value to the Eagles, Jenkins was allowed to hit free agency and return to the New Orleans Saints.
Mills meanwhile re-signed with the Eagles in free agency before announcing a new number and a position switch.
A safety at LSU his last two seasons, Mills will now be returning to his roots perse.
“You just got to be a ballplayer at the end of the day,” Mills, who changed his jersey number from 31 to 21, told reporters Thursday. “For one, you have to know, of course, the defense, but I think it’s no different as far as playing corner and safety other than just a little bit more tackling.”
For Mills, the biggest adjustment has been relearning how to communicate on the backend and developing that crucial chemistry with McLeod.
“I really just wanted to hear the way he communicated because, of course, he’s been on the back end and I was playing on the outside, so now me hearing how he was communicating, I told him that I didn’t want to switch anything that he did because he’s been successful at that spot,” Mills said.
“I just wanted to make sure that he’s still playing fast because at the end of the day, like I said, I know the defense. I just wanted to get the exact verbiage he may have been using on the back end,” he later added.
With the lack of preseason games and a reduced training camp due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mills will literally need to hit the ground running as the team prepares for Washington or risk losing snaps to Will Parks or rookie safety, K’Von Wallace.
Rodney McLeod says Eagles’ secondary lost some respect around the NFL
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The Philadelphia Eagles roster retool trickled down into their embattled secondary where they allowed Ronald Darby and Malcolm Jenkins to walk in free agency, replacing the duo with Darius Slay, Will Parks, Nickell Robey-Coleman, K’Von Wallace and Jalen Mills’s move to safety.
Marquand Manuel is the newest addition coaching wise and the Eagles are hoping he brings some of the experience that helped the Seahawks once young secondary develop into the Legion of Boom.
“I think people respect him because one, he has played the game, his passion, and the way he coaches his group,” McLeod said. “The expectations that he has for us are very high. He has coached a lot of good secondaries, and we want to be another group to be respected in this league and treated as such. He is going to fit perfectly, and we are going to be good.”
He harped on that lack of respect that the Eagles back-seven faces on a weekly basis.
“As a defense, I think we lost a little bit of respect,” said McLeod. “It was gained as the (last) season went on, I believe. We caught our stride, guys (got) confident in one another. We were getting to the spots that we needed and you saw things coming together. But as a secondary, I felt that we were a little disrespected at times.”
McLeod is the one veteran holdover from the purge whose play has been consistent and as he assumes a new leadership role, he’s looking for the Eagles secondary to redeem itself after some embarrassing play over the past two seasons.
Eagles secondary already gravitating towards DB coach Marquand Manuel
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The Philadelphia Eagles made several changes to the secondary, none more important than the addition of defensive backs coach, Marquand Manuel.
Eagles cornerbacks have suffered over the past two seasons under Cory Undlin, but he’s off with the Lions now and Manuel, a former college star and NFL safety, has been hired to retool a once confident secondary.
The initial reviews have been glowing and star safety Rodney McLeod told reporters during a zoom meeting that Eagles defensive players have already started to gravitate towards Manuel.
“I think people respect him because one, he’s played the game,” said McLeod via NJ.com on Thursday. “His passion and because of the way he coaches this group and the expectations that he has for us. It’s a very high standard,” McLeod said. “He’s coached a lot of good secondaries. We want to be another group to be respected in this league and treated as such. He’s going to fit perfectly, man.”
The additions of Darius Slay, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Will Parks, and K’Von Wallace were instrumental as McLeod believes the Eagles’ secondary has lost some respect in recent seasons with the linebackers and secondary taking the bulk of the heat after being labeled the weakest link.
“As a defense, I think we lost a little bit of respect,” said McLeod. “It was gained as the (last) season went on, I believe. We caught our stride, guys (got) confident in one another. We were getting to the spots that we needed and you saw things coming together. But as a secondary, I felt that we were a little disrespected at times.”
With Slay manning the corners and Nickell Robey-Coleman in the slot, the Eagles should have a different presence in pass coverage this season. If Wallace can transition his versatility and physicality early-on, the Eagles could have a top-10 secondary.
Eagles are No. 12 in a ranking of all 32 NFL defenses
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The Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2020 NFL season with a retooled defense that will offer a ton of attitude, confidence, and big playability.
After the addition of Darius Slay, Javon Hargrave, Will Parks, and Nickell Robey-Coleman, along with the selection of K’Von Wallace and Davion Taylor, the Eagles are locked and loaded with a revamped defense that offers Jim Schwartz schematic options he’s never had in his first four seasons.
The Athletic recently ranked all 32 NFL defenses entering the 2020 NFL season and Philadelphia landed just outside the top-10, with the 12 ranked unit.
12. Philadelphia Eagles
Last year: 12th
In four years with Jim Schwartz, the Eagles’ defense has produced two top-five finishes and has never finished lower than 15th. Their defensive line could be special in 2020. The Eagles signed Javon Hargrave to team with Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham. Derek Barnett has been a solid starter and is only 24 years old. And the Eagles will get back Malik Jackson, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 last season. It’s a deep and talented group that could be among the league’s best. In the secondary, the Eagles traded for Darius Slay and signed Nickell Robey-Coleman. The plan is to go with a heavy dose of man coverage. The secondary still has questions at safety and corner, and the linebackers will almost certainly be a weakness, but between Schwartz and the defensive line, this defense has a high floor.
Slay can still travel with the opposing team’s best wide receiver, but the addition of a top-five slot cornerback allows Schwartz the freedom to place one of the NFL’s top cover guys on the top receiver outside, while not confusing the defense or tipping the offense to man or zone coverage.
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.
K’Von Wallace signs rookie deal with the Philadelphia Eagles
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In a move that should bring joy to the hearts of Eagles fans, the team has agreed to a four-year deal with their fourth-round pick, K’Von Wallace per Mike Kaye of NJ.com.
The 127th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, Wallace was a star at Clemson and reminds some of former Tigers and Eagles star, Brian Dawkins. An impact player from day-one, Wallace will compete for time at several different positions.
Wallace’s rookie deal will pay him $4,001,113 million over four years, with a $706K signing bonus.
The Eagles signed the first-round pick Jalen Reagor to his rookie deal on Monday as well and now have four of their ten picks signed.
Every NFL team has at least one player whose play deserves more praise than it gets. Here’s every team’s most underrated player.
In the NFL, players are underrated for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes, they’re second banana to a superstar whose deeds take up all the oxygen. Other times, it may be that the player has to climb up the depth chart as a little-regarded contributor, and the media hasn’t caught up yet. It’s also possible that the player has an incandescent talent that’s hidden by an unfavorable scheme. And it could also be that the player has had one great season, and everyone’s waiting to see if it’s a fluke.
No matter the reasons, every player on this list has set an exceptional standard deserving of more recognition. Here are the most underrated players for every NFL team going into the 2020 season.
Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Chandler Jones
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Do you know which NFL player has the most sacks since 2012? We’re kind of giving it away here, but yes, it is Chandler Jones with 96 since his rookie season. That puts him above Von Miller, J.J. Watt, Cameron Jordan, Justin Houston, Aaron Donald, and anyone else you’d care to mention. Jones also has 85 quarterback hits and 307 quarterback hurries in that time, but he’s rarely discussed when it’s time to talk about the league’s edge-rushers. This despite the fact that he led the league in sacks in 2017 with 17 and finished second to Shaquil Barrett with 19 last season. Perhaps it’s because he’s been doing his work of late with a Cardinals team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, but no pass-rusher deserves more praise in line with his accomplishments than Jones.
Atlanta Falcons: DL Grady Jarrett
(Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Lost in the specter of the Falcons’ 28-3 meltdown in Super Bowl LI was the fact that Jarrett, the Falcons’ fifth-round pick in 2015, was a borderline MVP candidate with three sacks and four quarterback hits before everything fell apart. Downgraded out of Clemson because he was allegedly too short, Jarrett has been a remarkable interior disruptor throughout his NFL career. Whether aligned at nose tackle or three-technique, Jarrett has totaled at least 43 quarterback hurries every season since 2016. The Falcons rewarded him with a four-year, $68 million contract in July, 2019, but Jarrett still doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.
Baltimore Ravens: OT Ronnie Stanley
(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
Who’s the best left tackle in the NFL today? Were you to poll 100 experts, you’d get several different answers. But it’s hard to argue against Stanley, who allowed just one sack and 10 total pressures in 543 pass-blocking snaps last season, and helped the Ravens put together the NFL’s most dynamic rushing attack in his 489 run-blocking snaps. The 2019 season marked Stanley’s first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods, and there should be more of that to come. Lamar Jackson is the talk of Baltimore’s offense, but it wouldn’t go the way it does without Stanley’s presence.
Buffalo Bills: WR John Brown
(JAMIE GERMANO/ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE -Imagn Content Services, LLC)
The big news for the Bills this offseason was the trade that brought Stefon Diggs to the team, but Buffalo’s receiver corps was already pretty strong, and Brown was the primary reason in 2019. Despite the fact that he plied his trade in a new offense and took passes from erratic quarterback Josh Allen, the former Cardinal and Raven set a career high with 72 receptions and posted the second 1,000-yard season of his career. The addition of Diggs should give Brown more one-on-one opportunities to succeed — especially if Allen is able to get his GPS aligned.
Carolina Panthers: S Tre Boston
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Few deep safeties have been as adept in pass coverage than Boston over the last five season, so it has been a mystery why the Panthers cut him in 2017, and why he was unable to find more than a series of one-year deals with different teams until Carolina re-assessed its approach and signed him to a three-year, $18 million deal in March. It’s still chump change for a guy who plays as well as Boston does — he’s totaled 16 interceptions to just eight touchdowns allowed in his career — but it’s a nice bounceback for a player whose desire to protest may have cost him a more lucrative deal.
Chicago Bears: WR Allen Robinson
(Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports)
If any current receiver would be justified in filing a grievance against the NFL for lack of quarterback support, it would be Robinson, who has moved from Blake Bortles as his primary QB in Jacksonville to Mitchell Trubisky in Chicago. Hardly ideal. Still, Robinson led the NFL in touchdown receptions with 14 in 2015, and last season, with Trubisky falling apart most of the time, he still caught 98 passes for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns. 2020 marks the last year of Robinson’s current contract with the Bears, and he’ll undoubtedly make the best of Chicago’s Trubisky/Nick Foles quaterback situation, and perhaps wind up on a team with a functional quarterback after that.
Cincinnati Bengals: RB Joe Mixon
(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
The hope in Cincinnati is that the offense will come around with Joe Burrow at quarterback, but the Bengals are already set at the running back position, where Mixon gained 1,137 yards and five touchdowns on 278 carries last season, adding 35 receptions for 287 yards and three more touchdowns for good measure. Only five backs broke more rushing tackles than Mixon’s 52, and he totaled 14 runs of 15 or more yards last season, tied for fourth in the league.
Cleveland Browns: RB Nick Chubb
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Tennessee’s Derrick Henry was the NFL’s rushing leader in 2019, but it could easily be argued that Chubb was the league’s most efficient rusher. Not only did he gain 5.0 yards per carry (1,494 yards and eight touchdowns on 298 carries), but he also led the league in rushed of 15 or more yards (20), only the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs broke more rushing tackles than Chubb’s 66, and only Henry averaged more yards after contact per carry than Chubb’s 3.77. He was a one-man wrecking crew in a broken offense in 2019 — perhaps new head coach Kevin Stefanski can change that, but there’s no doubting Chubb’s status as one of the league’s rising stars.
