Eagles News: Sidney Jones is ‘turning heads’ at practice

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NFL’s Great Expectations 2018: 10 Teams, Coaches and Players (Plus a Broadcaster) to Watch - Sports Illustrated
If you’re looking for an area where the reigning champions could be better than they were in 2017, the secondary is one. Second-year CB Sidney Jones has turned heads early on in OTAs, showing the ability that had him pegged as a top-20 pick prior to tearing his Achilles ahead of the 2017 draft. And young journeyman De’Vante Bausby’s been a bit of a revelation at corner too, making for good competition at that spot ahead of training camp.

Brandon Brooks says playing for Patriots protege made him so miserable that he almost retired - BGN
Speaking after Eagles OTA practice on Tuesday, Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks talked about how playing for Belichick protege Bill O’Brien — who was employed by the Patriots from 2007-11 — with the Houston Texans was ... well, not enjoyable. “It’s crazy that people haven’t known this,” said Brooks. “It’s been this way for like a decade. You’ve seen— Reggie Wayne did it. He retired. He went there [to the Patriots] for a training camp and retired. Shit is not fun there. I was under the same regime in Houston [with O’Brien]. I almost retired. Shit was miserable, every day. Every day.”

Which Eagles players could still be traded this offseason? - PhillyVoice
A year ago, after an encouraging rookie season, Isaac Seumalo was being thought of as a long-term replacement for Jason Kelce at center. Now? Not so much. Kelce was arguably the best center in the league last year and is now a Philadelphia legend, while Seumalo was a rare disappointment on a Super Bowl winning team full of overachievers. Seumalo has already played five different positions (LG, C, RG, RT, TE) in his two years in the NFL, and is the type of versatile offensive lineman smart teams covet. With so many teams around the league in desperate need of offensive line help, Some team out there might find it worth parting with a mid-to-late round pick for Seumalo.

The NFL Contract-Year All-Stars - The Ringer
Brandon Graham was one of the Super Bowl champions’ top playmakers off the edge last year, where he racked up a team-high 9.5 sacks and 60 pressures (12th among 4-3 defensive ends), per PFF. The 30-year-old heads into his contract year as one of the best pass rushers in the league, and his earning potential is massive; he and his reps should point to Jason Pierre-Paul’s four-year, $62 million deal with the Giants last year—which included $40 million in guarantees—as a benchmark for any new contract talks. But considering linemate Fletcher Cox is already one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the league, the Eagles must decide whether to slice off a huge piece of their salary cap pie for two players. With Carson Wentz locked in to his cheap rookie contract for a few more years, the Eagles could certainly still offer Graham a generous deal, but the Eagles won a championship in big part due to their depth at just about every position on the roster—and keeping Graham long-term could hurt GM Howie Roseman’s ability to keep that group together.

RB Room Loaded With Diverse Talents - PE.com
Corey Clement knew that the running back room wouldn’t be the same the second time around. LeGarrette Blount was gone, a free agent signee in Detroit. Matt Jones, not that long ago a rising young power back, was added in free agency. Jay Ajayi would be here from the jump after playing for half a season with the Eagles. Things would be different, for sure. And they are. “It’s extremely competitive, but I love that,” said Clement, who signed as an undrafted rookie last spring and went on to play a key, and very versatile, role for the Eagles in their Super Bowl-winning season. “Competition brings out the best in everyone. No matter the day, the weather, anything, we’re all giving it 100 percent. We are pushing each other. I think you need that to be the best player you can be. You don’t take anything for granted here. They’re always going to challenge you.”

Every NFL Team’s Most Exciting UDFA Addition - B/R
“[Defensive coordinator Jim] Schwartz was talking to me and saying how if you can get upfield as a defensive lineman, you’re going to love this place,” Hector said. Hector logged 28 tackles for loss and 18 sacks in three seasons at South Florida. He’s capable of disrupting plays in the backfield, and Schwartz knows how to turn that type of defensive lineman into a playmaker. With more snaps available because of Jernigan’s absence, Hector could flash early and often during the offseason.

De’Vante Bausby looking to go from scout team to Patrick Robinson replacement - The Athletic
Bausby (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He bounced around between Kansas City and Chicago for a couple seasons before joining the Eagles’ practice squad last September. One of his duties during the championship season was to emulate opposing cornerbacks as a member of the scout team. During games, Bausby said, guys like Alshon Jeffery would often come up to him on the sideline and let him know his efforts during the practice week were appreciated. “I remember [Jeffery] made a good play [against Washington], came to the sideline and was like, ‘That’s the same look,’ ” Bausby recalled. “He’s like, ‘You’re way better than them, Baus.’ So it was nice hearing that.

How Philadelphia Eagles’ Nelson Agholor can help the team sort out a defensive competition - PennLive
Nelson Agholor ran a fade route from the slot Tuesday while the Philadelphia Eagles were practicing red zone scenarios, but quarterback Nick Foles looked to the other side of the field and threw an incompletion. ”Could have gone back shoulder, though!” Agholor shouted after the play while standing in the end zone and staring directly at DeVante Bausby, the cornerback covering him. Bausby shook his head and barked back. ”Na,” Bausby responded. “I had you blocked up.” The banter between Agholor and Bausby continued through much of Tuesday’s session of organized team activities. Agholor hauled in one pass and gave Bausby a light shove. On other occasions, Bausby would stick with the Eagles’ third-year slot receiver and jog back down field nodding his head and flashing a smile.

Chris Long jokes about hockey players on Twitter, gets fans riled up - ESPN
There’s no sarcasm font on Twitter, many have lamented after a post gone horribly wrong. Unfortunately for Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long, there’s no troll font, either. Long, a fan of mixing it up with his followers on social media, decided to make a ripple by sending out the following while two huge matchups -- Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference finals between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, and Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals -- were ongoing Monday night.

NFL set to welcome back several impactful players from injury in 2018 - PFF
Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles. The fact that the Philadelphia Eagles were able to win a Super Bowl without their starting quarterback is a true testament to the coaching job by Doug Pederson, along with the overall strength of their roster. Wentz getting back on the field should make them even tougher to stop in 2018, with the former North Dakota State quarterback ranking fifth at the position with an 87.6 PFF grade last year.

Adjusted Interceptions 2017 - Football Outsiders
The three quarterbacks who threw 20 or more adjusted interceptions in 2017 will all play for new teams this year. Kizer was traded to Green Bay, while Trevor Siemian and Kirk Cousins both moved to Minnesota, Siemian via trade and Cousins in free agency. Siemian only threw 406 passes last year and actually had the league’s highest rate of adjusted interceptions, but then he’s going to be a backup for the Vikings, and you’d expect backup quarterbacks to struggle with ball security. Cousins, however, was briefly the highest-paid player in the league by average salary. He has since been passed in that category by Matt Ryan, but that doesn’t mean Minnesota’s expectations for him have lowered. If his luck comes back to earth, you can expect your Vikings fan friends to be extra grouchy.

DeMeco Ryans supplies shoulder for Reuben Foster to lean on - NBC Sports Bay Area
DeMeco Ryans last played in an NFL game in 2015. After just one season as an entry-level coach with the 49ers, he is now the team’s inside linebackers coach. Ryans, 33, is one of the central figures in the 49ers’ organization who will be counted upon to serve as a mentor to second-year linebacker Reuben Foster. He missed 5 ½ weeks of the offseason program this year while he faces criminal charges. Foster returned to the team last week, one day after a judge dismissed two felony domestic violence charges against him when his accuser recanted her initial statements to police.

Colin Kaepernick’s collusion case will hinge on President Donald Trump’s involvement in anthem debate - SB Nation
The Wall Street Journal’s report on Trump’s involvement said that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was among a group of owners who spoke to the president directly about the protests and an anthem policy.

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