Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 4/26/23.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
Who does Bijan Robinson want to play with? Jalen Hurts – NBCSP
There’s no secret that many Eagles fans desperately want their team to take Texas running back Bijan Robinson in the first round of the NFL Draft. Turns out that would make Robinson pretty happy too. The star running back was on ESPN Tuesday and was asked which quarterback, aside from Patrick Mahomes, he’d like to play with. Robinson named Jalen Hurts.
2023 NFL draft buzz: Latest rumors, notes on teams, picks, QBs – ESPN+
As much fun as it is to imagine Bijan Robinson with the Eagles, it would be out of character for them to take him in the top 10. More than likely, I’d say the Eagles could use both of their first-round picks on defensive players. People also seem to like the idea of Robinson to the Dallas Cowboys as Ezekiel Elliott’s replacement, and if he were there for them at No. 26, I believe they would take him. But I doubt they make an aggressive move up to get him, and it’s more likely they end up with an offensive lineman or a tight end if they stay where they are in Round 1.
Best-case, worst-case scenarios for all 32 teams heading into the 2023 NFL Draft – PFF
Best Case: Eagles select RB Bijan Robinson at Pick No. 30. We at PFF have long fought against the idea of taking a running back in the first round, as it’s one of the most replaceable positions in football. However, Bijan Robinson is such a good runner and pass catcher that if a team had no glaring weaknesses and was drafting at the end of Round 1, he could be the icing on top of a complete team. The Eagles’ roster was so deep in 2022 that despite seeing a lot of players depart in free agency, they still don’t have any glaring holes. Running back is probably their weakest position group at the moment, as they lost Miles Sanders to Carolina in free agency and replaced him with Rashaad Penny. Worst Case: Eagles select RB Bijan Robinson at Pick No. 10 Taking Robinson at No. 10 with so many high-level defensive prospects still on the board would be a huge mistake for the Eagles. Philly is playing with house money after reaching a Super Bowl and still having a top-10 pick thanks to a trade with the Saints last year, but a pick like this should be used on the best player available at a position of greater value, such as edge rusher or cornerback.
3 bold NFL Draft predictions for the Eagles – BGN
BOLD PREDICTION NO. 2. In three of the last six drafts, and the last two in a row, the Eagles have selected a player from the SEC with their first pick. They’ve picked seven SEC players over the last three drafts, the most out of any conference in the country. This year? I don’t think they’ll take a single player from the SEC. The top of many draft boards includes a number of players from Alabama and Georgia, but I think by the time the Birds pick at No. 10 they’ll be eyeing a player from the Big Ten. Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski, Iowa EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr., and Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr. should all be there and I like those four players a lot. When you consider that they could use a little refresh in the trenches, the Eagles taking one of those dudes makes a lot of sense.
NFL Draft Preview: 10 questions with Tommy Lawlor – BGN Radio
What better way to get ready for the 2023 NFL Draft than to hear from the incredibly intelligent and handsome Tommy Lawlor (@lawlornfl) from Iggles Blitz? Brandon Lee Gowton and Jimmy Kempski fired 10 Eagles-related questions at their special guest. Interact with us on Twitter: @BrandonGowton, @JimmyKempski, @BGN_Radio, @BleedingGreen. Use discount code BGN15 at RighteousFelon.com for 15% off your order! Same promotion applies at WildRangerPet.com. Check out Kristin Roach at RoachRealtors.com
H2H Reunion – Iggles Blitz
I’ve talked a lot about DT Jalen Carter recently. One person asked what the difference is with he and Jordan Davis. Georgia played Davis as the NT in their base. He came off the field on most passing downs. Davis was there to clog the middle and eat up blockers. That let Nakobe Dean fly around and make plays. Carter played 3-tech and 4i for Georgia. There are times when he was 2-gapping, but he also got to attack upfield. He got to rush the passer. Carter is more explosive and more disruptive. When the Bears defense was so good a few years back, they had a NT named Eddie Goldman. He was 6-3, 325 and could stuff the run. Akiem Hicks was the star DT and he was 6-4, 335 and very athletic. I’m sure Desai loved having those two big pieces to control the middle and then Khalil Mack flew off the edge. That group was fantastic. Jordan Davis will be the NT in 2023. Desai would love to have Jalen Carter to play the Hicks role. The Eagles have Reddick to be the star edge rusher already. Desai saw up close how that trio could stop the run and affect the QB in Chicago. I’m sure he’d like to have something similar in Philly. Davis and Reddick give him two key pieces. Now he just needs another DL to add to that. Could be Carter. Or Mazi Smith. Or Gervon Dexter.
NFL Draft rumors: Giants trading up, DeAndre Hopkins trade, and Hendon Hooker to the Chiefs? – SB Nation
Seattle expected to pass on Jalen Carter. Thanks to the Russell Wilson trade, the Seahawks are in a position to dominate the 2023 NFL Draft, and potentially set themselves up to dominate future ones as well. As outlined in this fantastic piece by Mookie Alexander, Seattle can add a quarterback, they could trade down (or up), or they could draft the best defensive player or players available when they are on the clock. However, if they take the latter approach, Jalen Carter is reportedly not an option. According to ESPN’s Todd McShay, he has been told that Seattle would pass on Carter if the interior defensive lineman is on the board when they are on the clock. I have a strong sense Seattle won’t leave Round 1 without a quarterback. The more I talk to execs, scouts, coaches and agents, the more I think the Seahawks could be targeting Stroud or even Florida’s Anthony Richardson at this spot, depending on who is there. Stroud is 21 years old and Richardson is 20, and the idea is either could sit behind Geno Smith in the short term and develop into the answer for the long term. If both are gone, that means either Anderson or Wilson will be there, and I expect that’d be the direction Seattle goes. Multiple sources have told me Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter isn’t expected be the pick. I don’t see Carter falling out of the top 10, but it’s reasonable he could slide to the back end of it. Carter has not enjoyed the strongest pre-draft process, which could see him slide a bit on Thursday night. But as noted by McShay, it is hard to see him sliding too far. But maybe at least past Seattle at 5.
Thoughts on Jalen Hurts’ $255 Million Contract with the Eagles – Over The Cap
I am not sure that there is a team more aggressive than Philadelphia at locking up their own talent without too much hassle and that there was little negative that could possibly occur this year to change the overall decision matrix on Hurts which probably made this an easy call to finalize now rather than in the summer. With the way QB contracts have gone you are pretty much screwed no matter what if the player drops off significantly. In this case this is arguably the most aggressive contract structure pertaining to the cap structure in over 20 years. The contract is structured in a way where basically there are two roads for them in 2027. If Hurts fails they will have wiggle room to drop his salary down to the mid $20M range that year. If he succeeds they can extend the contract and continue to push the cap charges into the future. My fear is that there is little gray area for him being a “good but not great QB” where you wind up in the situation that the Vikings are in with Kirk Cousins every year where the contract structure basically puts him in charge of almost every decision that is made.
Inside the Jalen Hurts deal – PFT
The deal gives Hurts the highest ever average per year in terms of new money. The tradeoff is a reduced cash flow, with $24.3 million in year one, $64.3 million through year two, and $106.3 million through year three. For a guy who slipped to No. 53 in the draft three years ago, it’s a win. For the Eagles, it’s a win. And if he keeps playing like he did in 2022, there will eventually be an adjustment.
Eagles mailbag: Ranking the NFC’s quarterbacks after the Aaron Rodgers trade – PhillyVoice
Question from @clemsonfan200: How much sense does taking a WR at 10 make to you? As my podcast partner Brandon Gowton has said on this topic, “This isn’t Madden.” The only receiver worthy of the 10th overall pick is Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a high volume slot receiver who led OSU with 95 catches for 1606 yards and 9 TDs in 2021, despite the presence of two other first-round picks in 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. In a video game, you can line up A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Smith-Njigba, and create an unstoppable passing attack. The TV pixels that make up Brown won’t get pissed if he only gets a target or two in a game. Human A.J. Brown most certainly will. It’s a challenge as it is to feed the big three. Smith-Njigba is really good so I understand the impulse, but it’s just not worth the potential fallout that could ensue at the expense of drafting a player at another position who can be a foundational piece for the next decade.
NFL Mock Draft 2023: Our beat writers pick 5 QBs in first round with Bryce Young No. 1 – The Athletic
10. Philadelphia Eagles (from NO): Nolan Smith, edge, Georgia. The Eagles prioritize the lines of scrimmage, and Smith’s unique athletic traits, including a 4.39-second 40-yard dash and 41.5-inch vertical jump, are hard for GM Howie Roseman to ignore. His 238-pound frame might be a concern — so was Haason Reddick’s, and that turned out OK — and the Eagles would need to rationalize the lack of prolific pass-rush production, but the upside is clear. This would be the third consecutive year the Eagles used their first-round pick on a player from the national champions. Paris Johnson Jr. was also under heavy consideration at this spot considering the way the Eagles value offensive linemen. A trade-up for Jalen Carter would have been enticing had he slipped a bit.
The Ringer’s 2023 NFL Draft Guide – The Ringer
10) Nolan Smith. The Eagles love to build strength on strength, and they take a talented edge rusher in Smith at this spot. Smith is über-athletic and bendy off the edge and gives the team another versatile playmaker to feature in its pass rush rotation. He’s a high-character player who can develop into a future leader on the Philly defense.
NFL Draft rumors: Giants looking to move up in Round 1? – Big Blue View
This draft provides a situation for the Giants where moving up in the first round could be the right move. The Giants have 10 picks, seven of those outside the top 100 and three in the draft’s final 20 selections. Ten draft picks would seem unlikely to make the 2023 53-man roster. There is also the reality that if the Giants are targeting cornerback or wide receiver in Round 1, as many believe they are, the top tier of players at both positions could be off the board. “We’ll see how the draft plays out,” Schoen said at his pre-draft press conference. “If there’s somebody we want to move up for we have some extra draft capital to do that. If we want to move back and collect some, we can do that, too.”
Cowboys final 2023 7-round mock draft prediction: Dallas goes offense in first round – Blogging The Boys
Like Zack Martin, Ron Leary, and Connor Williams before him, Darnell Wright would make the transition from offensive tackle to guard with the Cowboys. He would immediately step in Day 1 to replace Connor McGovern at left guard as a rookie. He could potentially replace Terence Steele at right tackle next year if Dallas chooses not to re-sign him to a long-term contract extension.
Ken’s Final Washington Commanders 2023 Mock Draft: Trades and Surprises – Hogs Haven
In recent weeks, many in the NFL media and various football analysts have been saying that right tackle is just as important as left tackle now. It’s not fully true, but the two positions are almost as equally important to an offense than ever before. Tennessee right tackle Darnell Wright is a plug-and-play lineman who will have an immediate impact.
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