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Film breakdown: Charting the Eagles' 48 sacks allowed: Part 2 - JimmyK, Philly.com
In the first 4 weeks of the season (analyzed in Part 1 of this series), the Eagles had a lot of protection and communication issues along the offensive line, which led to 14 sacks, or 3.5 sacks per game. In the 2nd quarter of the season, communication seemed to be much better, as many of the 9 sacks the Eagles allowed in Weeks 5-8 were a matter of poor decisions by the quarterback, or simply good coverage down the field. As we continue on this 4 part series, we'll detail each sack allowed against the Giants (first meeting), Buccaneers, Cowboys (first meeting), and the Giants (second meeting). Here's the running tally of sack responsibility after 8 games.
Draft Lessons - Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
Last year after the draft I wrote a post with some draft lessons that we got from Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman. Since we’re now talking about the draft a lot, I thought it would be good to reflect on them.
Offseason outlook: Quarterbacks - Inquirer
One intriguing name is Colt McCoy. The former Texas star spent last season with the 49ers. He’s 27 and has 21 career starts. McCoy has good mobility and was a solid threat running threat at Texas. Some of the other free agents on the market are Minnesota's Josh Freeman, Jacksonville's Chad Henne, and Seattle's Tavaris Jackson.
Mosher's Mailbag: Eagles vets facing pay cuts? - CSN Philly
Q: Do you see the Eagles releasing any veteran player due to salary?
A: I wrote about this last month. To me, the veterans likeliest to take a pay cut are Trent Cole, who’s expected to make $5 million in base salary but might have his role reduced, and DeMeco Ryans, who is slated to make $6.8 million. The Eagles don’t want to let either go, but they have some contract extensions on the horizon and expect to be active in free agency this offseason. Others who could be asked to accept a reduced salary are right guard Todd Herremans ($3 million in 2014), tight end Brent Celek ($4 million), wideout Jason Avant ($3.25 million) and tight end James Casey ($3.985 million, $2 million of which is guaranteed).
Wake-Up Call: Why the Vets Bought In - Tim McManus, Birds 24/7
Once the 2013 season was a wrap, Chip Kelly thanked his players for taking a chance on a rookie coach. "He was just proud of his guys and just appreciative of everyone buying into his program," said Eagles receiver/special teamer Brad Smith, via SI.com. "A lot of people didn’t know if it would work — a college coach coming into the NFL and how guys would respond and how they would respect him."
Michael Sam: Eagles' Evan Mathis says if teams don't want Sam because he's gay, they don't deserve him - ESP, NJ.com
Since Sunday night, when Michael Sam revealed he is gay, many have wondered how current NFL players would handle an openly gay teammate in the locker room. Eagles' Pro-Bowl offensive lineman Evan Mathis believes the question is moot. NJ.com asked Mathis to share his thoughts on Sam, and whether he would be welcomed into an NFL locker room. Mathis doesn't believe it would be a big deal, saying that any team that doesn't want Sam because of his sexuality doesn't deserve him. Here are Mathis' thoughts, unfiltered.
Tallest and Shortest Wide Receiver Groups Since 1950 - Chase Stuart, Football Perspective
Yesterday, I looked at the average height of the receivers of each team in the NFL in 2013. Today, we’ll use the same method but look at every NFL team since 1950. As it turns out, the 2013 Bears rank as one of the third tallest group of receivers in history. The only thing Chicago didn’t have was a 6’8 Harold Carmichael.
How will news that Michael Sam is gay affect NFL draft stock? - College Football - SI.com
The news that former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam is gay holds significant social and cultural ramifications. But from a purely football perspective, his decision to come out prior to May's NFL draft will make his path to the league daunting, eight NFL executives and coaches told SI.com. In blunt terms, they project a significant drop in Sam's draft stock, a publicity circus and an NFL locker room culture not prepared to deal with an openly gay player. Sam, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was projected as a mid- to late-round draft pick prior to his announcement.
Philadelphia Eagles NFL Ugly Sweater Wordmark - ClarkToys.com
Yikes
