A look back at Eagles 2023 NFL free agent class

With 2024 NFL free agency set to begin in less than two weeks, we’re looking back at the Philadelphia Eagles 2023 free agent class

Coming off of their Super Bowl LVII loss to the Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles lost several starting players to free agency — C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Marcus Epps, T.J. Edwards, and Kyzir White.

Howie Roseman helped alleviate some of that loss by adding six veterans on one-year deals to help the Eagles return to the postseason in 2023.

Philadelphia started 10-1, before losing six of their final seven games including a wild card loss to the Buccaneers.

One big reason for the collapse was the lack of production from each of those veteran additions.

Kansas City repeated as Super Bowl champions, and with all the attention now focused on 2024 NFL free agency, we’re looking back at the 2023 class.

Colts’ Zack Moss downgraded to OUT vs. Falcons

Zack Moss (forearm) has been downgraded to OUT for Week 16.

Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss (forearm) was downgraded from questionable to out ahead of the Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced Saturday.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering Moss failed to log a practice all week. The fact that he was given a questionable injury designation was slightly a bigger surprise.

While Moss’ absence certainly hurts the depth of the backfield, the Colts will see the return of star running back Jonathan Taylor from a three-week absence following thumb surgery. Taylor was a full participant at practice all week.

The Colts also have Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson on the active roster so they will be going with three backs on Sunday with Taylor seeing the majority of the work.

[lawrence-related id=92799,92796,92794]

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 16 free agent forecast

Here are the top waiver wire targets for Week 16 of fantasy football.

For the majority of leagues, the first round of the fantasy football playoffs comes to an end Monday night after a wild weekend of games in Week 15.

Hopefully, you were able to get through the week unscathed with a victory, but there were plenty of injuries that hit managers right in the starting lineup.

Among the players with injuries to monitor enter Week 16 include Ja’Marr Chase, Keenan Allen, Josh Jacobs, Alexander Mattison, Brian Robinson Jr., Michael Pittman Jr., Zack Moss, AJ Dillon and Isiah Pacheco.

The bye weeks also are finally over, so it will be just good old-fashioned fantasy football. With trade deadlines concluded in the majority of leagues as well, the waiver wire becomes the most vital tool for fantasy managers over the three weeks.

We’re also getting to the point of the season in which stashing FAAB isn’t as crucial. Don’t hesitate to spend a bit more on a player who might give your team an edge down the stretch.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

5 takeaways from Colts’ 30-13 win over Steelers

Here are five takeaways from the Colts’ 30-13 win over the Steelers.

It looked like it was going to be another week where things were going to go wrong for the Indianapolis Colts.

Following a shanked missed 56-yard field goal attempt by Matt Gay, the Pittsburgh Steelers marched down the field for a touchdown, but missed the PAT attempt to make it a 6-0 game. On the following drive for the Colts, they would go three-and-out, and the Steelers blocked the punt to set up their second touchdown of the game for the 13-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Then the game got flipped upside down. Indy would score a touchdown to respond to Pittsburgh and would go on to score 30 unanswered points despite losing Michael Pittman Jr. and Zack Moss in the second quarter.

This win ended the eight-game losing streak to the Steelers and the Colts are now 7-0 when they have the lead at halftime.

This was a crucial win for Indianapolis with the Cincinnati Bengals winning early today to keep their playoff hopes alive entering the final three weeks.

Here are five takeaways from Indy’s victory:

Studs and duds from Colts’ 30-13 win vs. Steelers

Taking a look at the studs and duds from the Colts’ 30-13 win over the Steelers.

The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) continued their playoff push with a 30-13 win at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) on Saturday.

It wasn’t pretty in the first half, especially as the Colts were down 13-0 early on after a missed field goal, a touchdown drive allowed and then a blocked punt that led to another Pittsburgh touchdown.

But the Colts were able to prevail thanks to some big plays by the passing offense after Gardner Minshew gave Indianapolis their first lead as they took a 14-13 halftime lead.

From there, the Colts outscored Pittsburgh 16-0 in the second half as they cruised to a convincing 30-13 victory.

Here’s a look at the studs and duds from the Week 15 win:

Colts dominate Steelers, 30-13: Everything we know from Week 15

Recapping the Colts’ massive 30-13 win over the Steelers.

The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) with a dominating 30-13 win Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

In what was essentially a must-win, this game did not start out well for the Colts. They fell 13-0 early in the second quarter, and it appeared we were getting an encore of the Week 14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, the Colts kept the energy up and wound up scoring 30 unanswered points over the course of the final three quarters of the game. The Colts put together arguably their most complete game despite Michael Pittman Jr. and Zack Moss exiting, which added to the absences of Jonathan Taylor and Braden Smith.

The Colts continued taking the ball away, winning the turnover battle 3-0, and the pass rush came through in a big way during the second half. This game could have featured a bigger score had it not been for a pair of brutal drops in the end zone during the first half.

Still, the Colts kept their playoff hopes alive in a must-win game and they still control their own destiny with three games remaining.

Here’s everything we know from the Week 15 win:

Oklahoma Sooners land three in ESPN’s top 50 college football transfers from the portal era

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a ton of success in the transfer portal as they have landed three of the top 50 of all-time according to ESPN.

The transfer portal giveth and the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] taketh away.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been one of the college football teams that have had a great deal of success in the transfer portal era. That era is defined as anyone who transferred between 2018 and 2023, even though technically, the portal didn’t become a thing until October 2018.

So, that eliminates [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] from the discussion. But still,Oklahoma has had a history of doing well with transfer players. ESPN (subscription required) came up with a list of the top 50 players in the transfer portal era. The Sooners landed three of them.

The first one came in at No. 50: [autotag]Michael Turk[/autotag]. Turk transferred to Oklahoma from Arizona State and had an average of 48.4 yards per punt with a 44.1 net average over two years.

We start with some special teams love. When you dip into the portal for a punter, “NFL special teams lineage and a 48-yard average” is pretty much exactly what you’re looking for. – Bill Connelly ESPN

Turk was a godsend to the Sooners. He helped shore up any special teams issues. The team and its fans found out quickly how big a loss he was this season.

The next one on the list for Oklahoma was [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] at No. 9. Gabriel transferred from UCF and played the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Oklahoma. He threw for 6,828 passing yards, 688 rushing yards, and 73 total touchdowns in 24 games.

He began his career in 2019, winning 10 games at UCF. Four years later, he won 10 games at OU. He’s seventh in all-time passing yards and eighth in touchdowns … and he still has a year of eligibility left. – Connelly

After losing [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] to the portal, the Sooners were very lucky to get someone as talented as Gabriel to take over at quarterback. He was always underappreciated, but he was a very good quarterback for Oklahoma.

The last one for the Sooners is [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag], coming in at No. 8. Hurts transferred in from the Alabama Crimson Tide and played one season in Norman in 2019. He had 3,851 passing yards, 1,298 rushing yards and 52 total touchdowns in that one season.

He came within three seconds of leading Alabama to a national title as a true freshman, lost his job to Tua Tagovailoa and moved to Norman to completely rehabilitate his reputation under the most QB-friendly coach in the country. It took Joe Burrow and LSU to outscore the Sooners in the CFP. – Connelly

Hurts was close to becoming Oklahoma’s third straight Heisman winner; he finished as the runner-up to Joe Burrow. He led Oklahoma on a magical season and now has Oklahoma and Alabama fans arguing over who takes credit for his NFL success.

That’s what the transfer portal provided for the Sooners. The portal also took away two former Sooners who made the list in Williams and [autotag]Trey Sermon[/autotag].

Fans have mixed feelings about the portal, but it’s clear it is here to stay. It’s time for teams to start embracing it. The Oklahoma Sooners have and to great success.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Colts vs. Titans: Keys to victory in Week 5

Here’s how the Colts can beat the Titans in Week 5.

The Indianapolis Colts continue their homestand in Week 5 with an AFC South rivalry game against the Tennessee Titans.

The division is currently a very contested race. All four teams hold the same record entering this week and need a win to continue their push for the South’s best. The Colts, in particular, are looking to right the wrongs of several games past and break a five-game losing streak against Tennessee.

Here are the keys to victory for overcoming the prowess of the Titans:

 

Takeaways and observations from Eagles 25-11 win over Buccaneers in Week 3

We’re looking at takeaways and observations from the Philadelphia #Eagles 25-11 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3 on MNF

Philadelphia’s defense shut down Baker Mayfield and the Tampa offense, while the road team had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver on a night when Jalen Hurts and the offense left points on the board.

The Eagles played another sloppy contest but moved to 3-0 on the season after a 25-11 win over the Buccaneers on ABC’s Monday Night Football.

Rookie defensive tackle and No. 9 overall pick Jalen Carter was again dominant in limited pass rush opportunities, while the Eagles secondary adjusted without Avonte Maddox in the slot, moving James Bradberry and Sydney Brown around the field.

With the Birds set to start preparation for an NFC East matchup with Washington, here are takeaways and observations from the win.

 

Instant analysis of Eagles 25-11 win over Buccaneers on Monday Night Football

We’re looking at instant analysis of the Philadelphia #Eagles 25-11 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football

The Eagles played another sloppy contest but moved to 3-0 on the season after a 25-11 win over the Buccaneers on ABC’s Monday Night Football.

The Philadelphia defense shut down Baker Mayfield and the Tampa offense, while the road team had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver on a night when Jalen Hurts and the offense left points on the board.

Rookie defensive tackle and No. 9 overall pick Jalen Carter was again dominant in limited pass rush opportunities, while the Eagles secondary adjusted without Avonte Maddox in the slot, moving James Bradberry and Sydney Brown around the field.

With the Birds set to start preparation for an NFC East matchup with Washington, here’s an instant analysis of Monday night.