What to expect from the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021?

With The Eagles season just 3 Weeks away. We already kind of know what to expect. Or do we? With a new Coaching Staff and New QB a ton of questions remain unanswered in this blog I will give you some players and some coaches to be on the lookout for as we move closer to the start of the regular season.

Jalen Hurts

How can you hate Jalen Hurts? Jalen looks like player ready for war. He is always counted out and has always played very well under pressure. NBC’s Chris Simms recently left Jalen Hurts out of his top 40 Qb’s in the NFL. How disrespectful is that. I truly believe Jalen Hurts can take a huge leap and become the future for the Philadelphia Eagles. Now that is if the team allows him to. The Eagles have been recently linked to Houston Texans’ QuarterBack Deshaun Watson and knowing Howie Roseman he is most likely extremely interested. Although his legal issues may hold him back I would not be surprised if the Eagles trade for the star QB (if he’s innocent). But for now the QB1 is Jalen and he has all of the fanbases’ attention.

Nick Sirianni

Personally, I was not high on Nick Sirianni when the Eagles first hired him. And quite frankly I’m still not. As an eagles fan I’ve learned to never be excited about anything it seems like the eagles never have anything good. Like Donald Trump once said “Bad things happen in Philadelphia”. Nick Sirianni’s First press conference was one to remember he seemed nervous as if he’s never spoken to the media or anyone before. Since then he seems more confident but maybe a bit of a overthinker which is a big change supposing Doug Pederson was a guy who thought he knew it all. Coach Sirianni looks like he is ready to learn from his mistakes and become a better coach every day. Just like Coach said yesterday in His press conference ” Like Jalen said ‘Rent is due every week and we don’t plan on missing a payment”. Coach added, ” If we pay rent every week we get better”. Seems like these two are very responsible with their bills. Lol.

Jonathan Gannon

Oh Boy. Jonathan Gannon also newly hired as a Defensive Coordinator. His run defense this preseason is something that makes me want to turn off my TV. I really hope this is just a thing that he is doing for the preseason. He recently stated that he wants to see everyone 1v1. Meaning he won’t blitz this preseason which is understandable. Coach Gannon looks to regain the eagles reputation of being the blitz heavy defense we all remember. I expect big things this season for the defense with additions Like Anthony Harris, Eric Wilson and Steven Nelson this defense should look a lot better. If the team wants to be successful it starts with the defense.

Howie Roseman

This man has managed to salvage his Job multiple times. For example, When Chip kelly took over he was on the verge of being fired. One year Later he built a Championship Roster. But after that whole Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson Mess you have to hope this is a make or break season for Howie. Howie has been able to hire 3 head coaches that is unheard of in the NFL. But I give credit when credit is due and with no money he was able to sign some solid players. And was able to pull off a crazy trade on draft night to move up to 10 and draft WR Devonta Smith. I truly hope that of the eagles are a competent team in the trade deadline he is able to pull off 1 or 2 solid trades. With a estimated cap space of $54 Million and 2 first round picks in 2022 (Could be 3 if Carson Wentz plays 75% of the snaps for the colts) it’s a big offseason next year for Howie.

Devonta Smith

Devonta Smith was such a surprise pick. When the eagles traded up to 10 I was ecstatic. So was the entirety of the Eagles Fanbase just take a look at this.

You think Eagles fans were happy to draft a Heisman Trophy winner? 🏆 (via @Eagles)@DeVontaSmith_6 | @AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/2LlavcXYo5

— NFL (@NFL) May 4, 2021

Devonta Smith had his debut on Thursday against the patriots racking up 2 receptions for 19 yards. Does his body frame worry me? Watching his tape it seems like no one can catch him in the line of scrimmage so if no one can get physical with him then I don’t worry about his frame. The Former Heisman winner put up video game numbers in 2020. Making him the 2nd WR of all time to win the heisman award. With all the accomplishments it seems like the eagles finally got a WR1 but only time will tell. Wishing the best for Devonta.

.@DeVontaSmith_6 in and out of the whip route in 2 steps 🥶 pic.twitter.com/uTAIbZHj1q

— Receiver School (@ReceiverSchool) August 20, 2021

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“Wentz” Did It Go Wrong?

17-0…17-24

*sighs*

For those who are unaware, the Philadelphia Eagles have lost to the Washington Football team. In rather embarrassing fashion might I add, squandering a 17-0 lead. Last year it was the Eagles who came out of the tunnel after halftime and rode hot handed DJAX to a eventual comeback of their own. This year, the Eagles came out hot, and lost all steam once Jack Driscoll was removed from the game.

The negatives of this game are abundant, and positives are few and far between, but, there are a few;

Jack Driscoll- The rookie tackle had a few hiccups, none resulting in anything catastrophic and all fixable mistakes. He’s a bright spot simply because once Mailatta was forced to replace him, the drop off was VERY evident. Overall, at this point Jack Driscoll is no Lane, true. I think more importantly we know he’ll be at worst servicable down the road, pending his injury diagnosis.

Defensive Line- Realistically Washington didn’t light us up offensively, Haskins took advantage of numerous short field situations. A product of our either a interception or failed 4th down conversion. The defense held up and players like Josh Sweat and Malik Jackson made some big plays, this is huge to see as they are key contributors going forward.

Wentz and DJAX are OK- As trivial as it sounds, we have to be happy two of our “projected” key contributors stood healthy. We have to assume they will move on to week 2 eager to erase the memory of the week 1 loss.

Rams are next….Let’s just say if this offensive line isn’t in tact by then, Aaron Donald may have a field day.

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Casey Toohil 7th Round Steal

Casey Toohil Earns Roster Spot

The ink is beginning to dry, leases are being signed, and moving trucks are being rented. The Philadelphia Eagles have announced their 53 man roster, and while there were many surprise cuts made, one man defied the odds and earned his spot.

When you think of 7th round picks, you think practice squad hopful, when Casey thinks 7th round pick, he thinks opportunity! The Eagles for much of their franchises life span has prided themselves on their ability to solidify the trenches. Our defensive line was a strength going into this year, while we knew there would be a couple people fighting for rotational spots, no one could have predicted the outcome.

At pick 233, The Eagles selected a 23 year old LB/DE out of Stanford. North of 240 pounds, Casey ran an impressive 4.6 40! Combine that with a 10.5 inch broad jump and some impressive cone drills, scouts took notice of the athleticism Casey possessed. At the time of the selection, the overlying issue was whether he’d be a stand up lb or DE at the next level.

Eagles signed him to add depth to a pass rush that is getting older by the minute. Anchored by veteran Brandon Graham, and a underwhelming Derek Barnett. Younger players such as, Shareef Miller, Genard Avery, Josh Sweat etc all fought for playing time. Well, that fight continued through training camp and Miller unfortunately was deemed the odd man out.

I’m excited to see what Casey can do, he needs to work on using his hands and becoming a solid run stopper, but let’s be honest if he can consistently get to the QB we can work with the rest.

What do you guys think? Who was a suprise cut for you? Watch this weeks Sunday Sports Talk now on youtube for my analysis on breaking news and the upcoming Thursday night game.

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Is Jason Peters Worth A New Contract?

Will the body guard need to make his return to LT?

With the NFL kickoff mere days away, The Philadelphia Eagles face a major decision. As many may have heard second year LT, Andre Dillard, suffered a season ending bicep tear causing Philly to orchestrate a major reshuffle of their 2020 offensive line.

When announced Brandon Brooks would likely be out for the remainder of the season, Howie called upon old reliable. Jason Peters a perennial pro bowler, 6x all pro, as well as a part of the NFL all decade team is a lock for the Hall of Fame. Has his age finally become an issue though? At the ripe age of 38 the all world LT was called to fill the hole Brooks injury created. He did so on a team friendly low cap hit contract.

Now that we face a major injury at the position that earned him the moniker, “The Bodygaurd”, most eagle fans assumed he’d slide right back into his previous role. Well, not so fast, he’s not made clear that he is NOT willing to move back to LT without a revision to his contract.

One thing about me is, I’m a player first type of fan, but to me this mentality is selfish and unwarranted quite frankly. Jason Peters has not stayed healthy nor consistent the past few years. If we were to bet on a elite or even above average out put from him is in my opinion unrealistic.

My decision would be to give these young Lineman a shot and revisit the issue after game one if necessary. The future is now for Philadelphia Eagles and they need to treat this move with that in mind. Jason Peters needs to be a team player in this situation.

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Injuries…Already?

As the NFL gears up for its inaugural kick off, The Philadelphia Eagles rev the energy up at their training camp.

Due to the cancellation of preseason, this elongated training camp is looked to provide teams the opportunity to evaluate their young talent. The Eagles are doing just that, while young players like, Reagor, Watkins, and more begin to make their imprint on the team vets seem to be lagging behind.

Hargrave, Sanders, Peters, Lane, and more have all had to sit out multiple practices due to either injury or illness. When does this become a cause for concern, or is this the smartest play for the Eagles?

With less than a full month to go, the Eagles need to begin to build chemistry and solidify who will be starting where. While I’m not too concerned with the rest the vets are getting I am definitely keeping a trained eye on the progression of our depth chart. Still many questions left unanswered!

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Carson Wentz’s value and outlook for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020

Seldom too often we tend to give the “ your excused card” to an NFL Quarterback . But if any Quarterback deserved it in 2019 it had to be Carson Wentz. Going into the 2019 Season the Eagles and their fans had high expectations for a lethal offense and at the snap of a finger their entire receiving core was ravaged with injuries, putting Carson Wentz into an extremely difficult position. Not only Carson but putting extraordinary stress on the run game, All the respect but Miles Sanders was just a baby(rookie)

Come mid season the Eagles were in quite the slump (losing 2 of 4 in October and 3 of 4 in November,2-5 total)but December brought out a better version of Miles Sanders and a consistent Wentz as they ended the season on a 4 game win streak. They ultimately lost in the first round of the playoffs and sooner rather then later the injury bug caught Carson Wentz yet again, suffering a concussion early in the first quarter. But when it’s all said and done a quarterback without his Receivers is like peanut butter without jelly, it just can’t happen.The Eagles will look for health from Carson Wentz and most importantly a Receiving core that can stay on the field, along with some key additions to this teams defense there’s no reason to believe an NFC East Division title is unattainable in 2020,no matter how much those dirty Cowboys are hyped up again !

BATTLE BREWING FOR CB2

CB2 BATTLE

A lot has been made of the arrival of lockdown corner, Darius Slay, rightfully so. Yet with all the stability Slay adds to one side of the secondary, we face just as much doubt on the other.

• 

(From left) Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox, Sidney Jones

Candidates for CB2 include familiar faces such as, Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas, and fan favorite Avonte Maddox. With the latter seemingly more fit to run slot does that make it a two man race?

I believe the three will battle for the CB2 spot well into the season, do not be surprised to see a rotation at CB2 even if only for the first few weeks. I feel as though Sidney Jones is the best on paper fit for the role, but will need to become far more consistent. Rasul, while having the prototypical size and arm length, he lacks the speed and overall ability to follow the Terry Mclaurin’s or even the Slaytons on our schedule.

Which brings me to Avonte Maddox, I believe he is our best CB outside of Darius Slay. I do, however feel due to his size being an outside corner may be a bit more than, the 5’9 183 pound 24 year old, can handle. Yet with the Nickel Roby-Coleman looking like all but a lock to start in the slot, the outside may be all that is left for Maddox.

Quez Watkins turns on the afterburners against CB Rasul Douglas in one on ones

My prediction is, Sidney Jones begins as the “#1 CB” but wouldn’t be surprised to see Maddox fight him the whole year for playing time. As far as Rasul goes, unfortunately I don’t see him being an Eagle much longer.

What are your thoughts? Who do you see winning the CB2 battle?

Written by; Joe Castro of Philly Philly The Podcast

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What Will Winning A Championship During A Pandemic Look Like?

Today sports return to Philadelphia (sorry Union). The Philadelphia Phillies are set to play a regular-season MLB game for the first time since September of last year, the Philadelphia 76ers have an exhibition game against the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Flyers are just around the corner. With the start of sports getting back to play, so come the high expectations that are placed on these teams. With the 76ers, they are hoping to turn around a mediocre regular season performance, the Flyers are looking to keep their hot pace going, and of course, the Phillies are expected to make the playoffs with the new 16 team format. 

SPORTS ARE FINALLY BACK! 🔥 https://t.co/peeF7WtgBq—
SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) July 24, 2020

Very possibly, Philadelphia could have all four major sports teams play a playoff game in the calendar year. Which is pretty impressive because it’s only happened four times since all four teams have been playing. The latest time was back in 2011 (2009,1981,1978 where the other years for those interested) when the Phillies lost to the Cardinals in the NL Division Series, the 76ers lost to the Heat, the Eagles lost Green Bay, and the Flyers fell to the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup. So if you have a basic understanding of how math works, the more teams in the playoffs mean the likely chance that one of those teams can win the championship. So with that knowledge, it made me ponder what does a championship look like during a pandemic?

A lot of the joy that comes from watching your team winning a championship is celebrating with other fans, and joining together to celebrate. Although, considering that the MLB world series concludes at the end of October, and both the NBA and NHL championships before that, what will that mean for a parade? For fans, the parade is the crown of winning the championship (a close second is being able to brag to your friends that support other teams that they suck). Of course, we have no idea what the coronavirus’s impact could be at that time, but with Philadelphia officials already banning fans from the Eagles stadium for the upcoming season, it feels unlikely that a parade could work. With that out of the picture, how can fans express their joy? One big Zoom call? 

I understand I’m getting ahead of myself, and just as easily as these teams can make the playoffs, all of them could be swept out of the first round. Although, strangely it feels exactly what a Philadelphia sports team would do. The one year when fans can’t attend, they go on and win a championship. 

Continuing the idea of what the fan experience would be, I don’t know how much more changes past not having a parade. Of course, I’m not oblivious to some of the fans that will argue “It’s my American right to stand inches away from strangers, in cold weather, while I only get a glimpse of the team”. Parade or not, I think fans will still have the same communal experience as they can throw it in the faces of the losing team online. I’m sure the championship memorabilia will still come (although delayed because come on it’s a pandemic, cut some slack!) and you can wear it next season when hopefully fans can enter the stadiums once again. 

In terms of the value that the championship will have, shouldn’t change. Now I’m fully prepared to make the opposite argument if the Mets, Yankees, Penguins, or any team from Boston wins. With the setup of the season for baseball, it’s simply just more meaningful games. The NBA and NHL will have slightly different setups but will still have the same elements of a normal post-season. Again, this season will always have an asterisk next to it, but so do dozens of other championships that fans don’t remember. All that matters is that the team that wins, won. 

“Now I’m fully prepared to make the opposite argument if the Mets, Yankees, Penguins, or any team from Boston wins.”

Lastly, if you haven’t been paying attention (which I don’t blame you), please take this last advice, look at Liverpool. Yes, the soccer team from England. Liverpool recently won the Premier League, and this was the club’s first title in 30 years. Just like Philadelphia sports fans, their first instinct when their team won is to celebrate with other fans. Fans were gathering around the Mersey Ferry terminal, which resulted in their mayor Joe Anderson asking fans to go back home. Now, I think you know what happens next. Until that point, the Liverpool area totaled 544 coronavirus deaths, on June 25th that number jumped to 1,677. Since then, of course, fans have stayed home, but the impact was done. I understand just like you, that if one of our teams won a championship it would be very disappointing not to celebrate with all of our other fans to rejoice in victory. Again, this all may mean nothing for Philadelphia fans but someone team will win, and we must understand the importance of keeping people safe. 

NFC BEAST? OR NFC LEAST?

2020 RECORD PREDICTIONS

While times seem to become more uncertain off of the gridiron, the NFL looks to add a bit of normalcy to our lives. Multiple reports indicate the 2020 season will be beginning on time. So I decided now is a good time to give my division picks. Will the NFC East reclaim its powerhouse reputation, or will all the drama be too much for some teams to overcome? Here’s my take;

Eagles: Philadelphia while not totally drama free (see DJAX posts) we have been able to avoid major issues. Same head coach, same playbook, and for the most part those commonalities should propel the Eagles to a division title. I predict the Eagles will go 11-5 and win the division led by Carson Wentz and sophomore sensation Miles Sanders.

Giants: This is a shocker to most, understandably, but I am a believer in Daniel Jones and Saqoun Barkley. I don’t think they will be a wildcard team but I do believe they will navigate their EXTREMELY tough schedule this year, and see an improvement in record to the tune of 7-9. With the exception of a couple arrests, the Giants have been able to avoid negative media attention.

Cowboys: Obviously this isn’t an indictment on their talent, I do believe they are on paper the most “talented” team in the division. My concerns are solely based on Dak Prescott, while he has great stats and has lead the Cowboys to a playoff win, his lack of contract speaks volumes to the confidence Jerry world has in the QB. Dak will be playing under a microscope for the entire season, not to mention having a proven starting quality QB (Andy Dalton) chomping at the bit to take over at a discount if Dak was to falter. I see the pressure being the undoing of this team, new coach, new system, and too much uncertainty. I see the Cowboys regressing in a big way, 6-10 for “Dem Boys”

The Team in Washington: I’ll begin by saying, they have the talent to compete. Now that is out the way, this organization is a sinking ship. I see this year being a complete rebuild starting with the culture. While I love AP, no amount of old man strength will save this franchise at least not this year. I see the Washingtons(lol?) as basement dwellers, 3-13 might be a generous record.

Who do you have as your division winners?

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The Eagles Offensive Situation

Ben Carlson

QB: The QB situation for the Eagles is pretty straight forward. Carson Wentz will obviously lead the team as the starter as long as he is eligible to play, and Nate Sudfeld will likely back him up. The addition of Jalen Hurts in the 2nd round of the draft confused a lot; however, I am confident that Coach Pederson and Howie drafted Jalen Hurts mainly to use as a gadget player like the Saints use Taysom Hill.

RB: With the departure of Jordan Howard this offseason a lot of people are wondering what the Eagles will do to replace him for the 2020-2021 season. Their have been some big names popping up such as Carlos Hyde, Shady McCoy and Devonta Freeman. Me personally, I have a ton of faith in Miles Sanders as an RB 1; however, bringing in a vet that can help with the workload and potentially guide Miles for a year isn’t something I wouldn’t be opposed to.

WR: The front office did a great job at adding new weapons for Wentz this offseason. The additions consisted of Jalen Reagor, Marquise Goodwin, John Hightower, and Quez Watkins. Pederson and Howie were obviously going for speed and I’m all for it. I have high hopes for Jalen Reagor, I think he will have an impact from the start of the season. Marquise will be a good speed guy to have along side D-Jax. As for John Hightower and Quez Watkins, they were both good picks (especially for when we got them) and from the looks of their college tape if needed they will be ready (I really do think they are better than being just random backups but I don’t know what the front office will do about it, for we have a lot of WR on the roster) . To top that all off we still have Alshon Jeffery, Greg Ward, JJAW, Robert Davis, Deontay Burnett and Shelton Gibson

TE: The TE situation similar to the QB room is also really straight forward. We have the three headed snake from last year consisting of Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedart and Josh Perkins. I’m a big fan of our TE corp, year after year they continue to be reliable and consistent.

O-Line: As usual we still have a dominant O-Line; however, Vaitai left and is now on the Lions. A solid player and a pretty big lose, but definitely replaceable. As of right now it looks like the starting lineup will be Andre Dillard, Brandon Brooks, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo and Lane Johnson. This is a lineup I’m extremely confident in despite Isaac Seumalo’s super mediocre past. The front office did make some moves this offseason to pad the line such as draft Jack Driscoll and draft Prince Tega Wanogho. Both excelled in college and were good picks in the 4th and 6th round. The main obstacle is not being able to avoid injuries, we need to stay healthy. That doesn’t go for just the O-Line, the entire roster needs to stay healthy if we want to succeed this season.