Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 5/4/24.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
2024 NFL Draft: My five favorite hauls … and one head-scratching class – NFL.com
Howie Roseman deserves a gold star on his draft-weekend homework after assembling an enticing haul of prospects covering both sides of the ball. The defensive backfield, in particular, features a pair of five-star talents that I had rated as the top players at their respective positions. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are plug-and-play starters at cornerback and nickelback, respectively. The dynamic duo possess the technical diversity and positional flexibility to shadow elite pass catchers all over the field, while upgrading the toughness and tenacity of the Eagles’ secondary. Jalyx Hunt and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. will also add some spice as instinctive, hit-and-run linebackers with playmaking ability. The Eagles’ surprising investment in second-level defenders could help the defense become a dominant unit led by a youth movement. Will Shipley gives the Eagles the perfect change-of-pace back to complement Saquon Barkley in the backfield. The former Clemson standout flashes some Christian McCaffrey traits as a multi-faceted playmaker with superb vision, balance, body control and ball skills. And an Eagles draft is never complete without adding a few developmental O-Line prospects. Trevor Keegan and Dylan McMahon provide Rosman with insurance policies to keep this offense flying high if injuries arise.
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Don’t get used to seeing Mitchell in 30. Seems like he could easily make the switch to his college number, No. 27, if/when Zech McPhearson gets cut. If not No. 27, we could certainly see No. 24 become available if/when the Eagles move on from James Bradberry. Either option is an obvious upgrade for Mitchell and necessary for him to reach his full potential.
A look at the Eagles’ rookie salary cap numbers, and the money needed to sign them – PhillyVoice
I’ll save you the work. It’s $2,318,593. The Eagles currently have over $31 million in cap space, according to the NFLPA public daily salary cap report, so, you know, they’ll have no problems signing all of their rookie draft picks, and will likely get that done sooner than later.
The Rookies – Iggles Blitz
The Eagles have a battle at RG, with Tyler Steen going against Matt Henessy and Keegan. Dylan McMahon played G and C in college, but I’m guessing they see him as more of a center. Whoever doesn’t start will have a chance to win the Sua Opeta role as primary backup on the inside. The more you can do, the better your chances are.
Nick Sirianni: We’ll start Mekhi Becton out at tackle and see what happens – PFT
Becton played tackle throughout his time with the Jets, so the initial thought was that the Eagles signed him to serve as a backup to Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. They are moving Cam Jurgens from guard to take over for the retired Jason Kelce at center, however, and Sirianni was asked if Becton will be under consideration on the interior. “We obviously have a lot of time to figure out who the top five guys are. He’s played tackle, obviously, as everybody knows. He’ll start there and then we’ll see what happens,” Sirianni said, via a transcript from the team.
Can Eagles’ top draft picks help transform secondary? – ESPN
The Eagles allowed 35 passing touchdowns last season, the second most in the NFL and second most in franchise history. No team allowed more pass yards (2,383) or pass touchdowns (23) on throws outside the field numbers than the Eagles in 2023. Lack of speed was part of the issue. With Slay, 33, and Bradberry, 30, deep into their careers, the Eagles knew they needed to act for both now and the future. “We wanted to create incredible competition at all positions. That was a position that we hadn’t addressed a lot early in the draft,” Roseman said. “We felt like that we still had some veteran guys on the roster and that we were going to get back … but we wanted to add some youth.” It took some good fortune for the Eagles to walk away with both Mitchell and DeJean. Mitchell, the playmaking corner out of Toledo, was widely projected to go earlier than No. 22 overall. There was a thought internally that he would be taken at pick No. 15 or sooner. A trade up for Mitchell was considered, but a run on quarterbacks and offensive linemen pushed Mitchell down the board and into the Eagles’ laps. It’s the latest the first defensive back has come off the board since 1995 (Tyrone Poole, No. 22 overall to Panthers).
Future of Eagles secondary takes the field at rookie camp – NBCSP
It’s way too early to know whether or not Quinyon Mitchell or Cooper DeJean will become stars in the NFL. That book is yet to be written. But at least Page 1 is out of the way. Mitchell, DeJean and the rest of the Eagles’ 2024 class took the field on Friday afternoon for the start of rookie minicamp. In the case of Mitchell and DeJean, it was the first step in what the Eagles hope will be long careers and a glimpse into the future secondary of the franchise. “It felt good just to be back in a team setting, putting the helmet and cleats on and just get moving with the guys,” Mitchell said. “I mean, I felt really good today and felt like overall it was a good day for everybody.” The Eagles made nine draft picks last weekend but chances are that this class will be driven by the success or failure of the top two picks: Mitchell at No. 22 and DeJean at No. 40. If all goes well, those two will become mainstays of the Eagles’ secondary for years to come.
Spadaro: The intense transition to the NFL begins with Rookie Minicamp – PE.com
The sheer adrenaline of being selected during or signed after the 2024 NFL Draft is now replaced by a business mindset. And with that focus, 41 players (including assorted young veterans and tryout players) are taking part in the Eagles Rookie Minicamp this weekend at the NovaCare Complex, understanding that a lot is going to be thrown on their laps. Buzz? Very much so, and in a rare scene two veterans lent a supportive voice and ear at the Friday practice – offensive tackle Jordan Mailata and wide receiver A.J. Brown. That’s leadership. That’s a team looking out for each other. “I think it goes back to having three different offensive coordinators in my three years at Clemson,” fourth-round draft pick running back Will Shipley said. “It’s something that I’m really used to – getting in a playbook and having to learn it quick and then being ready to go out to the field, whether it’s a walkthrough or the real, live stuff. Just being ready to go.” Things move quickly in the NFL.
Cowboys news: Ezekiel Elliott in return to Dallas – ‘I think I still am a dominant guy’ – Blogging The Boys
Ezekiel Elliott talked to the media about his return to the Cowboys and his expectations for this upcoming season.
Where would you have drafted an offensive lineman for the New York Giants? – Big Blue View
In the wake of the 2024 NFL Draft, a question about what the New York Giants did — or more precisely, didn’t do — keeps coming up. “Why didn’t the Giants draft any offensive linemen?” After all, the Giants surrendered an atrocious, league-worst, 85 sacks last season. That’s almost the exact number they gave up over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, when no one thought they had a good offensive line to begin with. So, why didn’t GM Joe Schoen prioritize the offensive line in the draft? Let me flip that question on its head. With the six picks the Giants had, where would you have selected an offensive lineman? Which player, or players, Schoen selected would you have been willing to pass on for an offensive lineman? Let’s go round-by-round.
The NCAA is inching closer towards a direct pay solution for athletes – SB Nation
As the NCAA marches towards an unknown territory (one that it may not see through to the end), a major sticking point that has to be addressed is the discussion of athletes being paid for their play from the universities and not third-party companies. Now, that reality might not be as far away as it once seemed. On May 2, details of a potential settlement between universities and student-athletes came out that would cost power universities up to $300 million over the course of a decade in revenue sharing with their athletes, per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. While that’s a big, big number that’s sure to rile up everyone, a breakdown of where that number is coming from makes a lot of sense for the future.
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