clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Eagles News: Former NFL scout ranks Carson Wentz as second best QB prospect of the last three years

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/21/18.

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

NFL: Super Bowl LII-Philadelphia Eagles vs New England Patriots Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Let's get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Top 10 QB prospects of past 3 NFL draft classes: Darnold No. 1 - NFL.com
2) Carson Wentz, North Dakota State. Draft class: 2016; second overall pick, Philadelphia Eagles. The skinny: Wentz had an ideal skill set coming out of NDSU. His ability to drive the ball accurately and create with his legs made him a special prospect.

NFL Free Agency Recap: Eagles signings, trades, cuts, and players left unsigned - BGN
Keeping Bradham was the most important move for the Eagles. Philadelphia would’ve had a huge need at linebacker if they didn’t re-sign him. His contract is much more team-friendly than the “5 years, $40 million” sticker indicates. That makes it even better for the Birds. Bradham is a reliable starter who is one of the best coverage linebackers in the league. He’s proven he has the versatility to play strongside linebacker and also fill in at middle linebacker when necessary.

What Has Been The Most Important Move The Eagles Have Made This Offseason? - BGN Radio
James Seltzer, Brandon Lee Gowton, and Tra Thomas recap the Eagles offseason to date, and try to decide what move has been the most important so far. The fellas also discuss how these moves will affect team chemistry, what positions still need to be fortified, and much more.

NFC East free agency grades: Redskins edition - PhillyVoice
Forget the overpays of Richardson and Scandrick. Who cares, really? Ultimately, the Redskins’ 2018 offseason will be judged on the decisions they made at the quarterback position. Smith is the type of quarterback who needs a strong cast around him to be successful, which in my view, the Redskins don’t have. At a minimum, they’re way behind many of the teams in the NFC. For that reason, logically-speaking, I just can’t wrap my head around spending a boatload of valuable resources on a good-not-great 34-year old quarterback when the team appears to be far from contending for a Super Bowl. By the time the Redskins can put together a roster that can reasonably be expected to compete in a stacked NFC, how old will Smith be then?

‘Savage’ Bennett Looks To Fit In With Defense - PE.com
Michael Bennett is here to play football, to win another Super Bowl for the Eagles, and to have a lot of fun. “I’m always gonna trash talk out there because it’s fun ...

Brace yourself for some progress from Carson Wentz - NBC Sports Philadelphia
Brace yourself Eagles fans, for a bad pun and a picture that will make you happy. A day after a video emerged of Carson Wentz making some throws with a brace on his surgically repaired knee, he posted a picture to Instagram ... without the brace!

NFL’s top upgraded units through free agency - PFF
Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Line: Edge Michael Bennett, DI Haloti Ngata. Even if this offseason ends up as a lateral move for the Eagles, maintaining their spot as the best and deepest defensive line in the league is major haul. They were rolling seven deep up front last season but they were forced to move on from edge defender Vinny Curry and defensive tackle Beau Allen. While Curry had an excellent 2017 season, they may have upgraded with Bennett, especially when he’s unleashed as part of a rotation. His 80.6 overall grade last season was his lowest since 2010, but he was still one of the league’s best pass-rushers, finishing with 70 total pressures. Bennett can create pressure from anywhere along the defensive line, adding even more versatility to the front. On the interior, Ngata steps in to replace Allen, and it’s another potential upgrade for the Eagles. Ngata was limited to only 145 snaps last season, but even heading into Year 13 of his career, he’s still a useful player in a rotational role. Controlling the snap count should get the best out of Ngata and he’s just another piece to what should be another dominant season from the Eagles’ defensive line.

Eagles film breakdown: Could Corey Nelson replace Mychal Kendricks at linebacker? - Inquirer
Nelson played significantly more in 2016 with Marshall out for several games. He was an every-down linebacker in the Broncos’ final four games. Nelson (No. 52) didn’t always pop off the screen, but his athleticism was evident and he has the capability to fight off offensive linemen as he did here. Run tackling was occasionally an issue in 2016, although his tackling efficiency in 2016 was 20th out of 64 qualifying inside linebackers, per Pro Football Focus. On this play against the Chargers, Nelson (No. 52) did well to disengage from the fullback, but he couldn’t wrap up tailback Melvin Gordon (No. 28).

What we learned from Nigel Bradham and his four new Eagles teammates - The Athletic
Nelson later specifically mentioned the WILL position, when asked if he’d been told what position the team had in mind. The Broncos made an effort to retain Nelson, so the promise of a realistic chance to start likely made the difference in Nelson’s decision. His $2.25-million price tag confirms that the Eagles expect him to be more than a special teams player. There’s just nothing in Howie Roseman’s history to suggest he’s willing to build a team with the kind of investment in the linebacker position it would take to keep Kendricks. The release of Vinny Curry also confirms Roseman’s intention to remain unsentimental when it comes to the players who helped the team win the Super Bowl.

Agent’s Take: 10 contract-related observations after a week of free agency - CBS Sports
Chase Daniel continues to make out like a bandit relative to his actual playing opportunities. He’s had only two starts during his nine NFL seasons. Daniel’s last one came at the end of the 2014 season. He’s taken just 24 offensive snaps since then. For his career, Daniel has completed 51 of 78 passes (65.4 completion percentage) for 480 yards. Daniel has made over $22 million in the five NFL seasons since first becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2013. Thanks to a good relationship with new Bears head coach Matt Nagy, he signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Bears, his fourth NFL team in as many seasons, to back up and mentor 2017 second-overall pick Mitchell Trubisky. Nagy was Daniel’s quarterback coach during his three-year stint from 2013 through 2015 backing up Alex Smith in Kansas City.

NFL VP Troy Vincent confirms changes to NFL catch rule - ESPN
The NFL’s competition committee is expected to propose a new catch rule that would eliminate the “going to the ground” distinction in addition to reinforcing a high standard for overturning calls via replay, league executive vice president Troy Vincent confirmed Tuesday to the Washington Post. ESPN previewed the changes on March 8, explaining the committee’s options, along with the role that a replay update would play in reimagining the controversial rule.

Saquon Barkley’s Draft Stock Sent Spiraling by the Quarterback Carousel - B/R
So Barkley will probably be drafted seventh overall, though there are doomsday scenarios that could knock him out of the top 10 (Nelson, Fitzpatrick and others are still on the board; the Bears have zero need at running back with the eighth pick, etc.). Getting drafted seventh is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s halfway between Ezekiel Elliott’s fourth overall selection in 2016 and Gurley’s 10th in 2015. It’s out of the range that gives analytics hardliners coronaries, so Barkley and the team that selects him won’t be second-guessed the way they would be if he were drafted among the top five.

NFL linemen are getting rich, and they can thank college prospects for that - SB Nation
Here’s the short version of it — a college offense is almost nothing like a pro offense and the techniques being taught don’t translate to the NFL game. There are only a handful of schools that routinely use pro techniques, even in a “spread” offense, and those schools do produce pro-ready offensive lineman — Ohio State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, USC, Iowa, Alabama, and maybe a few more. And look, I get it. The job of a college head coach is designing an offense that helps produce victories in college football. It’s not their job to get their players ready for the NFL. (Though it is a recruiting bonus if you can point to all the pro players who have come through your program.)

...

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen

BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio

BGN Radio Facebook: Click here to like our page

BGN Radio Patreon: Support the show!

BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Bleeding Green Nation Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your Philadelphia Eagles news from Bleeding Green Nation