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The Linc: DGB and Treggs “prioritized getting acquainted with the Philly nightlife”

News and notes for 2/1

NFL: Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles Must Overhaul WR Corps In Free Agency & The Draft - 4 Philly Sports

Now consider that two of their young, potentially promising receivers -- Green-Beckham and speedster, rookie free agent Bryce Treggs – are far from locks to be on the 53-man roster when the 2017 season begins. Both made sporadic contributions in 2016 as one-dimensional weapons. According to team sources, both prioritized getting acquainted with the Philly nightlife over outworking their teammates, in practice.

Amazingly, not even the advice of franchise icon Brian Dawkins, who’s been involved in player development since being hired last summer, sunk in for these young receivers. Had they shown to be coachable, or more interested in self-improvement, they each could have made a difference this past season playing alongside strong-armed, rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.

Eagles castoff Eric Rowe glad to be in Super Bowl - Inquirer

"When I got traded I was kind of surprised," Rowe said on Monday. "But at the same time I was like, 'OK, this is a new shot, a new opportunity.' I was like, 'If Bill sees something in you, shoot, he sees something in you.' So I tried to make the best of it and now five months later I'm in the Super Bowl in my hometown.

"That's just like surreal."

Rowe is still one game away from claiming a championship, but there was certainly a sense of déjà vu during media night. A year ago, it was offensive lineman Evan Mathis who was playing in the Super Bowl after the Eagles had released him. Former coach Chip Kelly was behind that decision, and Howie Roseman was behind this one, but even the Eagles executive recently admitted that maybe he was having second thoughts.

"To say that we don't go back and think about [decisions] and think about if we were right, I mean that's part of it you know?" Roseman said a week ago. "You want to hit as many as you can, but when you're watching games of other players that you had here, that's the hard part about doing it."

Big-money market awaits Eagles for free-agent wide receivers, cornerbacks - ESPN

Corry believes DeSean Jackson will try to stay in the $8 million per season range, while Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills will try to vault past the deal the Rams gave to Tavon Austin ($10.5 million average, $28.5 million in guarantees) last summer.

"That's a benchmark for any receiver that's not a number one receiver that's a free-agent now," Corry said. "That's one of those deals that I expect teams to try to say, 'That's an anomaly in the marketplace and we don't count that deal.' I'm expecting teams to try and dismiss it, but agents are definitely going to try and use it."

The top available cornerbacks, meanwhile, could demand big bucks.

"You think Byron Maxwell ($10.5 million average, $25 million in guarantees) was a steep price, he's going to seem like a relative bargain compared to what these guys are going to want," Corry said.

Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has already worked with former Buffalo Bills corners McKelvin and Ron Brooks in Philadelphia, and could be interested in reuniting with Stephon Gilmore as well. Gilmore, though, just played on a fifth-year option worth over $11 million and has hinted that he believes he's worth at least as much as as Josh Norman, who received a five-year, $75 million deal with the Washington Redskins last offseason.

As for A.J. Bouye, the 25-year-old who went from reserve to top-end corner this season, Corry predicts he'll make "at least Janoris Jenkins money -- $12.5 million a year -- at least," despite not having much of a track record before this season.

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