The Linc - Time for More Zach Ertz

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Some Draft Q&A - Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
Is Bryce Brown trade bait? I doubt it. Here’s the problem. Brown has big time ability, but as a RB coming off a mediocre year he would have little value. I’m not trading a talented player like Brown for just a 7th rounder. Brown has 2 years left on his rookie contract. The Eagles need to see if he can become a key player or if he can develop into a tradeable asset.

Replacing DeSean: More Zach Ertz, please - Andrew Kulp, The700Level
It’s safe to say there should be an increase in the use of tight ends moving forward, if for no other reason than out of necessity. The Birds will surely draft a receiver, but there’s no telling how much a rookie will be ready to contribute from day one, and while there are some viable No. 3 candidates already on the roster, likely nobody that absolutely must be on the field.

Offseason Program Countdown: 15 Days - Danta Klaus, PE.com
Ertz's final numbers as a rookie – 36 receptions, 469 yards, four touchdowns – compare quite favorably to those of other tight ends who have gone on to become prolific NFL players, such as Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski. Expect Ertz to continue his development and take that next step in 2014.

Weekend Reading: Draft Edition - Tim McManus, Birds 24/7
The draft is just over a month away. We’ll be kicking our coverage into high gear beginning this week. Let’s start with a look at who the draftniks are linking to the Eagles.

Eckel: Matthews, Robinson cream of offensive line crop in NFL Draft - Mark Eckel, NJ.com
Three of the top four players taken in last year’s draft were offensive tackles, starting a run that included a total of nine offensive linemen being selected in the first round. And this year?" "It’s better," the NFC personnel man said. "The two guys on top of the board this year are better than all four of those guys last year."

Giving 'Em Fitz: Fans staying home to watch sports - Frank Fitzpatrick, Inquirer
Those who can't imagine ever preferring streamed or TV games to live sporting events are probably the same dinosaurs who still like newsprint with their morning coffee. Sure, televised sports have been around for 60-some years and professional sports attendance has exploded. But fans have never had as many good reasons to stay away.

A Passing League - Chase Stuart, Football Perspective
In some ways, the premise of this post is geeky even for this site. And that’s saying something. There is a debate over the proper way to measure league average. For example, when we say the average completion percentage in the NFL is 61.2%, this is generally assumed to reflect the fact that in 2013, there were 18,136 passes thrown in the NFL, and 11,102 of them were completed.