Tag: T.J. Edwards

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’ linebackers land near the bottom in a PFF ranking of all 32 units entering the 2020 NFL season

Philadelphia Eagles are No. 27 in a PFF ranking of all 32 units entering the 2020 NFL season

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The Philadelphia Eagles have received scathing criticism from analysts and pundits for years over not properly addressing the linebacker position.

The Eagles let Nigel Bradham walk in free agency and have optimism in the position after drafting Davion Taylor and Shaun Bradley, while also signing Jatavis Brown via free agency.

With all the criticism the Eagles receive for the play of their linebackers, the unit in Philadelphia isn’t the worst in the league according to this ranking from Pro Football Focus.

The Birds landed a low ranking in the bottom-five of the NFL, but they aren’t the worst, landing at No. 27 on the list.

27. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
There’s a new look to the Eagles’ linebacking unit as they added speed this offseason and will have a few new faces competing for playing time.

Nathan Gerry returns after playing 669 snaps last season — including the playoffs — and posting a career-high 62.2 overall grade. Gerry hasn’t been as effective in coverage as you’d expect to see from a college safety, and tackling has also been an issue given that he’s missed 17.8% of his attempts, ninth-worst in the league.

T.J. Edwards is the name to watch in this group as the former undrafted free agent has played well when called upon — he earned a 77.6 overall grade in the preseason and an 83.4 overall mark on 122 regular-season and postseason snaps. Edwards is below average athletically, and there may be some coverage limitations, but he’s been a productive player since his freshman year at Wisconsin.

Duke Riley carved out a niche on special teams and that’ll likely keep him on the roster, while Brown has speed and athleticism but has seen his play dip since 2016 rookie season, his best as a pro.

The two wildcards in the new hybrid style Eagles defense is Davion Taylor (third-round) and Shaun Bradley (sixth-round).

Taylor is still learning the game, but he’ll enter training camp as one of the Eagles fastest players (4.39 speed) and could transition into Philadelphia’s version of Deion Jones for Atlanta.

Bradley excelled at Temple in the open field and could become an option on third down when his coverages skills are most needed against opposing linebackers.

The Rams were last on the list at No. 32, followed by Cleveland (31), Cincinnati (30), Miami (29), and Green Bay (28) rounding out the bottom-five. Bobby Wagner and the Seattle Seahawks had the top linebacking corps on the list, followed by the Dallas Cowboys (2), Tampa Bay (3), Houston (4) and Indianapolis are your top-five.

The Eagles could easily move up this list as the season progresses.

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94WIP: Former Badger T.J. Edwards ‘working for breakout season’

Philadelphia’s leading sports radio station interviewed former Badger linebacker T.J. Edwards yesterday and discussed his upcoming…

Philadelphia’s leading sports radio station interviewed former Badger linebacker T.J. Edwards yesterday and discussed his upcoming sophomore season.

Edwards–a Wisconsin football standout from 2015-2018–made a splash during his rookie season after joining the Eagles as an undrafted free agent, ending the season with a ProFootballFocus grade of 86.6–good for the best on the team at his position.

The former Badger is now slated to start for head coach Doug Pederson’s defensive unit this season after the team said goodbye to both of its starting inside linebackers from 2019.

From what he told 94WIP, he is ready to show what he’s capable of after finishing his college career with 366 total tackles, eight sacks and 10 interceptions.

“It is definitely exciting to have an opportunity in front of me to show what I can do,” Edwards said. “It is encouraging to have guys around me that are all kind of in that same boat.”

This opportunity comes as the result of an impressive late-season stretch at linebacker from Edwards after starting the season as a special teamer.

Here’s what he had to say about what last season’s opportunity means for his game going forward.

“I think it was really big. We had a bunch of veteran guys who were playing really good football, so in practice, those guys were the ones-and-the-twos. So we were getting maybe one-or-two reps a practice, but that is just how it goes in the NFL. You aren’t gonna get those opportunities to show what you can do, so you have to be ready at all times, to make a play or to prove that you know what you are doing and you can play at this level,” Edwards said. “I think just getting in there, it was one of those things where someone went down and I had to go in, and at first it was definitely different being out there on defense and lining up, because I hadn’t done it in a while. But getting out there with contact, striking linemen, really helped my confidence and just in terms of remembering it just football. Just got to keep grinding at that and keep getting better and things will happen.”

Eagles linebacker and former Nebraska Cornhusker safety Nate Gerry also expressed his excitement about what the future holds for the former Badger.

“I think TJ is a really good player. The past three years I’ve been there, I think he for a rookie he was ahead of schedule. He has natural instincts playing linebacker and was coached well at Wisconsin. He is instinctive and also intelligent,” Gerry said. “For him, especially going into year two, being able to figure out the defense more in-depth, that is going to help him quite a bit and he is going to make a lot more plays. I think TJ is a hell of player.”

The NFL season is (currently) slated to begin approximately two months from now and when it does all eyes in Philly will be on Edwards as he looks to become the next in a long line of impressive linebackers to come out of the Wisconsin football program and make waves at the next level.

Moving on from Nigel Bradham deemed the Eagles riskiest offseason move

Nigel Bradham’s departure deemed the Eagles riskiest offseason move

In a cost-cutting move that would allow younger players to take his place, the Philadelphia Eagles allowed linebacker Nigel Bradham to walk in free agency despite having no one on the roster with his in-game experience.

Bradham started 58 games for the Eagles over the last four years and now after the Eagles allowed him to test free agency, Bleacher Report deemed moving on from the linebacker as the Birds riskiest offseason move.

The Eagles return the athletic and talented Nathan Gerry and have high hopes for 2019 undrafted free agent T.J. Edwards. Jatavis Brown was signed in free agency as well, but none of those players combined have Bradham’s in-game experience.

It’ll be interesting to see how the competition plays out and rookie Davion Taylor could be a name to watch as well.

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T.J. Edwards set to have an increased role with the Philadelphia Eagles?

T.J. Edwards set to have an increased role with the Philadelphia Eagles?

The biggest criticism of the Eagles front office stems from Howie Roseman not making the linebacker position a yearly priority for the roster.

When you have Roseman’s ability to land undrafted free agent talent on the cheap, big free agent signings or high profile draft picks sometimes aren’t that necessary. Roseman landed former Wisconsin star T.J. Edwards as an undrafted free agent last spring and it paid big dividends on special teams and late in the season.

Now according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com, Edwards could be preparing to take the next step as a player, thus forcing himself into Jim Schwartz’s starting lineup.

A 2019 undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, Edwards fought his way onto the team and ended up starting four games his rookie season, finishing with 30 tackles.

The Eagles came away impressed with his instincts, his thump and his awareness in coverage. They believe he’s ready for an increased role and think he can be an impact player for them. They better be right. Philadelphia let Nigel Bradham and Kamu Grugier-Hill walk in free agency, and while they signed Jatavis Brown and spent a third-round draft pick on Davion Taylor, the amount of proven talent in this group is scarce. The opportunity is there for Edwards to grab.

Nate Gerry has been a consistent player for the Birds and should definitely find significant reps on the outside, but Edwards has the prowess and work ethic to definitely separate himself at middle linebacker.

Edwards will face competition from Jataivs Brown and Davion Taylor inside.

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T.J. Edwards named a surprise starter who could emerge for the Eagles in 2020

T.J. Edwards named a surprise starter who could emerge for the Eagles this season

The Philadelphia Eagles linebacker corps is either extremely underrated or a serious problem for a talented defense based on which analysts or NFL expert you choose to listen to.

The Eagles got extremely faster and athletic at the position after they signed Jatavis Brown in free agency and then drafted Davion Taylor and Shaun Bradley.

Even with the new moving parts, one name continues to emerge as a breakout candidate and that’s second-year linebacker T.J. Edwards who made the Eagles roster last season as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin.

Bleacher Report recently highlighted a surprise starter who could emerge in 2020 and Edwards was named the Eagles candidate.

Philadelphia Eagles: LB T.J. Edwards

The Philadelphia Eagles’ linebacker corps is concerning. A projected starting group of Nathan Gerry, Jatavis Brown, and possibly Alex Singleton doesn’t inspire much hope.

The younger options on the roster present some upside, though. The Eagles may be better off moving forward with T.J. Edwards, Duke Riley, and this year’s third-round pick, Davion Taylor.

Of the previously mentioned linebackers, Brown has the most starting experience. The 2016 fifth-round pick has also battled injuries throughout his four-year career. As such, Edwards could easily find himself running the Eagles defense as its “Mike” linebacker.

“He’s the kind of player that nobody in our scouting department gets excited about because he’s not fast or splashy, but he knows how to play,” an NFC linebackers coach told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein before the 2019 NFL draft.

With the Eagles sometimes utilizing five or six defensive backs, Edwards’s savvy ability to sniff out the run and make stops at the point of attack could give him the upper hand in a position battle that will highlight the early portion of training camp.

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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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Eagles LB T.J. Edwards set to have a huge 2020 season

T.J. Edwards named the Philadelphia Eagles most underappreciated player

The Philadelphia Eagles catch a lot of flak for not placing a priority on the linebacker position but Howie Roseman’s latest undrafted free agent find could become a future Pro Bowler.

Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards is quickly building a name for himself in NFL circles and the former undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin is set to make the Eagles GM look like a genius.

NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund broke down some of the most underappreciated players in the NFC and Edwards was the player she selected for the Eagles despite T.J. only playing 110 snaps as an undrafted free agent rookie in 2019.

This undrafted free-agent rookie signing last season paid huge returns for the Eagles’ defense in the form of the highest tackle rate among linebackers with a minimum of 100 snaps in the NFL (20 percent, or 22 tackles on 110 defensive snaps) and the second-best run defense grade among linebackers in the NFL per PFF’s grading system (90.3). A fun note here: His salary ranks 297 among 350 linebackers, per Over The Cap — but that will not be the case in his next contract, should he continue this level of production.

Pro Football Focus recently named Edwards as a potential second-year breakout candidate and the productive linebacker seems to have found a home in Jim Schwartz’s complicated defense.

Edwards will likely assume middle linebacker duties, while Nate Gerry, Shaun Bradley,, and Davion Taylor allow the Eagles to be even more versatile at linebacker.

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Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards named a 2nd-year breakout candidate for the 2020 NFL season

Eagles LB T.J. Edwards named a 2nd-year breakout candidate for the 2020 NFL season

The Philadelphia Eagles added speed and depth to the linebacker position during the 2020 NFL Draft but their most important player could be an undrafted free signee from the 2019 class.

T.J. Edwards is an emerging presence on the Eagles roster and a thumper who’s sure to have a role in Jim Schwartz’s versatile and aggressive defense.

Edwards was a special teams dynamo for the Eagles in 2019, but Pro Football Focus is banking on Edwards taking the next step and having a breakout season in 2020 as the team’s middle linebacker.

Arguably the least proven player on the list, T.J. Edwards nevertheless earned an 86.6 overall PFF grade as a rookie, which would rank him among the best linebackers in the game if he played more than just 112 total snaps. Why this is interesting, though, is that he had back-to-back seasons with a grade above 90.0 in his final two seasons at Wisconsin before going undrafted due to mediocre measurables and athletic profile. His NFL preseason grade was also consistently good, meaning Edwards has been an exceptionally productive linebacker at every level we have seen. He also excelled in coverage — unusual for a player with athletic limitations. He has a real shot to start for the Eagles this season and could be one of the surprise breakout players in 2020.

Edwards will compete with Nate Gerry, Davion Taylor, Alex Singleton, Jatavis Brown, and Duke Riley.

Philadelphia Eagles’ projected depth chart post 2020 NFL Draft

Philadelphia Eagles’ way-early projected depth chart after the 2020 NFL Draft

As the Philadelphia Eagles continue their retool, the overall roster and depth chart is starting to take some shape as it’s unlikely they’ll add too many more free agents unless a big name or value becomes available.

We projected the 53-55 man roster a little earlier, and now we’ll a depth chart for the Eagles heading into the virtual offseason workouts.

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Jul 26, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nate Sudfeld (7) runs drills during training camp at Novacare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

QB: Carson Wentz (Starter) — Nate Sudfeld — Kyle Lauletta

Went is entering his fifth year in the NFL and after getting over some humps in 2019, this will likely be his best year as a pro.

Hurts and Sudfeld will likely be active on gameday with the Eagles rookie having about 9-15 plays a game in a special package, including goal lines and short-yardage situations.

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