Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 1/12/23.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
PFT’s NFL 2022 executive of the year: Howie Roseman – PFT
General Manager Howie Roseman made some very effective moves and now the Eagles are the conference’s top seed at 14-3. That’s why Roseman is PFT’s 2022 executive of the year. Philadelphia brought back veterans like center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. But the club also signed free agent edge rusher Haason Reddick, who finished with a team-high 16.0 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 26 quarterback hits. But the biggest move came on draft night, when the Eagles sent the No. 18 overall pick in the first round and a third-round pick to the Titans for receiver A.J. Brown. Brown — who agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract with Philadelphia upon the trade — was everything the team needed to improve its passing game. He finished the regular season with 88 catches for 1,496 yards with 11 touchdowns. He was the perfect complement to second-year receiver DeVonta Smith, who caught 95 passes for 1,196 yards with seven TDs.
Howie Roseman, Exec of the Year? No-brainer, says Jeffrey Lurie.
Jeffrey Lurie answered the question with a question, and with a coarseness both charming and alarming coming from a man with a Ph.D. from an ivory tower like Brandeis University. “Jesus,” said the Eagles’ owner, “if Howie’s not Executive of the Year, who is?” Good question, professor.Howie Roseman was the Aaron Judge of NFL execs in 2022. He just kept hitting home run after home run.
Eagles roster construction: 5 thoughts and lessons on Howie Roseman’s approach – The Athletic
Roseman’s “quarterback factory” line drew ridicule, but you know what? The sentiment was correct. That pick might be the best one Roseman ever made. And even if the intention at the time of the pick was not for Jalen Hurts to become the franchise quarterback, or if there were residual effects of the pick that the Eagles could have and should have accounted for, the prevailing lesson is that if you have conviction about a quarterback, take him. The position is too valuable and the resource is too scarce. If you truly believe in the player and the person, make the investment — even if it’s a crowded depth chart, even if there’s not a clear path to playing time. This was my 11th year covering the Eagles. In those 11 years, the starting quarterback has either been injured or benched in all but one season. Among the 14 playoff teams this year, five of them have needed to use their backup quarterback because of injury. It makes sense to replenish the position. This doesn’t mean to force a second-round pick simply to have an inexpensive backup — there’s a better chance of drafting Drew Lock in Round 2 than Hurts — and there were questions at the time about whether Hurts would be a starting-caliber quarterback. But the Eagles clearly saw value in Hurts, and they were right. Jeremy Chinn would have been a good pick in the second round. Hurts turned into a franchise-altering selection.
State of the NFC Playoff Field: The Path to Glendale – BGN
The Eagles, in spite of having a “weak” schedule where they didn’t face many “top” quarterbacks, nonetheless won the most games against teams with winning records, and are tied with the 49ers for the best winning percentage against playoff teams. They also have the second-best point differential in the NFC (+133), trailing only the 49ers (+173). Oh, and that lone loss? That came against the Cowboys with Minshew in at quarterback. Hurts is undefeated against winning teams and playoff teams in 2022.
The EPA Podcast #12: Primary OC candidates if Shane Steichen leaves? Previewing Super Wild Card Weekend+ Mailbag – BGN Radio
Shane Haff and Victor Williams briefly touch on the Eagles regular season win against the Giant, look ahead to Super Wildcard Weekend and share their thoughts on who they would like to see in the NFC divisional round.
NFL MVP candidates, ranked ahead of the 2023 playoffs – SB Nation
2. Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts has been nothing short of a revelation this season, and his MVP candidacy is based on how much he elevates the run game of the Eagles in addition to the steps he’s made as a passer. If you examine the games that Jalen Hurts missed compared to the ones he played in (he missed two games due to injury in weeks 16 and 17), those were two of the three worst games the Eagles had in terms of EPA/rushing attempt. Their first down rate in those games was also two of the worst outings they had over the season. Yes, the Eagles offensive line is fantastic, but much of the Eagles rushing success could be attributed to Hurts as well. He’s third in EPA/rushing attempt and first in rushing TDs with 13 on the ground. In addition, his total EPA is higher in the passing game, and his development as a passer unlocked the Eagles offense and made it the most dynamic in the league. That screams MVP worthy to me.
Facing uncertain future, Eagles must take advantage now – NBCSP
It’s possible Kelce, Graham and Cox, three of the greatest Eagles of all-time, will all be gone next year. Among others. This team will have a dramatically different look and different feel. With Jalen Hurts due for a mammoth contract, Roseman will have to continue drafting well, and kids like Zech McPhearson, Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis and Cam Jurgens will likely have to take on much more significant roles. Will Hurts continue to grow and improve and develop into that all-time great Eagles quarterback he’s shown signs of? I think so. But I thought so also with Carson Wentz five years ago. The Eagles have a chance to do some unforgettable things over the next few weeks.
PPR #425: Eagles Post-Season Outlook With BGN’s Brandon Gowton – Philly Pressbox Radio
The Eagles are the top seed in the conference and have earned an appreciated first-round playoff bye, but are they a legitimate Super Bowl contender? Not everyone thinks they are! We discuss that and much more this week with Bleeding Green Nation’s BRANDON LEE GOWTON! Sixers and Flyers talk, too, and Bill, “Boop” and Chet make their Wild Card Weekend projections. Who will be the Birds’ opponent in the divisional round?
NFL Playoffs: The most complete teams heading into the postseason – PFF
No. 2: Philadelphia Eagles. Biggest strengths: Offensive line, coverage and pass rush. The Eagles managed to post league-best marks in each of these categories. PFF’s top-ranked offensive line is expected to get stud RT Lane Johnson (abdominal) back for the playoffs, while there isn’t a more complete pass defense out there, thanks to the team’s dominance both in coverage and at the line of scrimmage. Only the 49ers (+173) and Bills (+169) had a higher point differential than the Eagles (+133) this season — this team is rather loaded from top to bottom.
The Field – Iggles Blitz
As for the wild card teams, Dallas is the 5th seed. They went 12-5 this year and looked dominant at times. Dallas beat the Vikings 40-3. Two weeks later they beat the Colts 54-19. Those games got the national media fired up and jumping on the Dallas bandwagon as fast as possible. But the Cowboys went 3-2 after that. Injuries started to hurt the defense, which allowed 27 points per game over the last five weeks. The only team they shut down was the Titans, with QB Josh Dobbs making his first NFL start. More concerning, Dak Prescott turned into an INT machine. He threw at least one pick in each of the final seven games (11 total). He threw 15 for the season, the same amount Jalen Hurts has in the last two seasons combined. When the Cowboys are on, they can beat anyone. They can also play down to the competition. Dallas needed some luck to beat the Texans. They needed some luck to beat Gardner Minshew. They got dominated by Washington in the season finale. I’d be shocked to see this team win it all. They are just too sloppy and I don’t see that going away. Your crazy stat of the day…Dallas was 1-3 when playing on a grass field this year. That’s not good with Tampa, SF and Philly above them in the seedings.
Super Bowl LVII dream matchups: Ranking the five clashes I’d most like to see in Arizona this February – NFL.com
2) We’ll call it the Andy Reid Bowl. Reid’s current team versus the club he helmed for 14 seasons but couldn’t get over the Lombardi hump — that’s a fun tale. The two No. 1 seeds could be on a collision course. Patrick Mahomes has played like an MVP candidate despite a season of change on offense. The magician still finds a way to move the chains and make jaw-dropping plays every week, even when the chunk gains are stifled. Mahomes playing in a Super Bowl is a win for all, regardless of the opponent. But facing an Eagles defense that allowed the fewest passing yards in the regular season and led the NFL with 70 sacks (15 more than the second-place Chiefs) would be a tantalizing matchup. Would Mahomes be patient enough with the run against an Eagles D susceptible to the ground game? Then there is the Jalen Hurts-led Eagles attack that’s as dangerous as any in the league when everything is clicking. Hurts’ ability to run against a Chiefs D allowing the fifth-most yards on the ground to QBs would be tremendous. Add in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith against young Chiefs corners, and we could get a high-flying shootout. Oh, and the last time two No. 1 seeds met in the Super Bowl, the Eagles took down Tom Brady and the Patriots for their first Lombardi.
Ranking all 14 NFL playoff quarterbacks: Strengths, weaknesses – ESPN
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles. Hurts has a butterfly effect on the rest of the Eagles’ roster. You can just see how much he changes that team when he’s under center, and he creates problems for opposing offenses. Hurts forces opponents to play true 11-on-11 football thanks to precision passing and the ability to run the ball like a tailback. He completed 66.5% of his passes this season and only threw six interceptions, and his 66.7 QBR finished fourth. And only Jamaal Williams had more rushing TDs than Hurts’ 13. He can chase the big play too much, but then again, he does have A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith out there running routes for him.
Spadaro: ‘The ultimate teammate’ Matt Leo waits for his opportunity – PE.com
He has been in every meeting, taken part in each practice, worked as hard as anyone in the strength and conditioning room, and knows, just knows, that he is ready for that moment, the time when his number his called. But every week as the Eagles step onto the field and play a game, Matt Leo is on the sidelines in team-issued gear, cheering on his defensive linemates and helping any way he can. Leo is in his third season on the Eagles’ practice squad as part of the NFL International Player Pathway Program, designed to expand the worldwide talent pool for the game and the league. Should Leo – born and raised in Adelaide, Australia before coming to the United States and playing collegiately at Iowa State – move up for a gameday and suit up, he would lose his designation as part of the program. In his third and final season in the program, Leo will soon have to make a decision about his future. In the meantime, he is loving every bit of his experience and soaking up wads up football knowledge.
The Cowboys have a lot of work to do in order to defeat Tom Brady and the Buccaneers – Blogging The Boys
What makes the loss in Week 18 even worse is that the Commanders weren’t even playing all of their top players. They played without their top two running backs, Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson. They also decided to sit their top two quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Carson Wentz with fifth-round rookie Sam Howell getting his first career start. It seemed like heading into the game the Commanders wanted to get a possible glimpse at their future instead of putting together the best available players on the field. Who could blame them? They were out of the playoff picture due to a recent steak of not winning any games since their victory against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12. Even when it appeared that the deck was stacked against them, they defeated the Cowboys 26-6. It was a shock to so many people, and because of how things played out in the final regular-season game, America’s Team have plenty of doubters ahead of Monday night’s wild card game against the Buccaneers.
All hands on deck as Giants begin practicing for Vikings – Big Blue View
New York Giants coach Brian Daboll said Wednesday that “everybody will practice” as the Giants begin on-field preparations for Sunday’s wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. That means that cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, out since Week 11 with a knee injury, defensive lineman Leonard Williams (neck) and edge defender Azeez Ojulari (ankle) were all be on the field. “I’m encouraged where everybody’s at,” Daboll said. Jackson, the Giants’ best cornerback, would be a welcome addition as the Giants try to defend Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who led the NFL with 128 receptions and 1,809 receiving yards this season. Jefferson had 12 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown in Minnesota’s 27-24 Week 16 victory over the Giants.
Which Washington players provided the best value in 2022? – Hogs Haven
It should come as no surprise that Washington’s worst value this year – among those playing more than 3 games – was Carson Wentz (AV 4). The washed up, strong-armed quarterback provided a value of $7,100,000/AV, and to add insult to injury, cost the team two third round drafts picks and the equivalent of a 4th rounder in the 2022 draft.
Coaching searches, & which playoff QB is at the top of his game – The SB Nation NFL Show
This week on the SB Nation NFL Show, Rob “Stats” Guerrera, Kyle Posey, and Justis Mosqueda discuss the latest in the NFL’s coaching carousel. Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh are the hottest names being thrown around so far–and Sean McVay could be out in Los Angeles. We finish things up with this week’s gauntlet discussing which quarterback is playing the best as we head into the playoffs.
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