Eagles News: 3 out of 4 NFC East reporters name Derek Barnett as the division’s “rising star”

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NFC East Q&A: Who is the rising star in the division? - ESPN
Jordan Raanan, ESPN New York Giants reporter: Eagles’ Barnett. Barnett had a promising rookie season with the Eagles. His 37 total pressures were equal to No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett’s, despite almost 100 fewer snaps. This is the year Barnett bursts onto the scene with his ability to bend around the edge and get after the quarterback. Barnett had 5.0 sacks as a rookie, despite being on the field for just 41 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps. Even though Philadelphia likes to rotate its defensive ends, that should increase in Barnett’s second season, especially with Brandon Graham coming off surgery and offseason acquisition Michael Bennett expected to be used in a part-time role. The opportunities will increase for Bennett, and so will his production and stature around the league. Barnett’s going to be a force.

One Key to Protecting Carson Wentz - BGN
Paramount to the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles offensive success in 2018 is protecting franchise quarterback Carson Wentz. Yes, protecting your quarterback should always be a priority, but what does that mean? I’ll admit it’s a lazy statement, but there are methods to help keep your investment upright. Sometimes it means getting the ball out quicker by dialing up quick hitting concepts. Sometimes it’s being alert of pre-snap blitz indicators or being capable of picking up stunts. We’ll dive into all of those eventually, but for today let’s stick with how quickly we can get the ball into our playmakers’ hands. Consider this an analytics appetizer before the main course film pieces arrive.

Is the Eagles’ roster better or worse in 2018 than it was in 2017: Offense edition - PhillyVoice
Wide receiver: Like at running back, the Eagles’ wide receivers are largely the same as they were a year ago, with Torrey Smith being switched out for Mike Wallace. In my view, Wallace is a clear upgrade from Smith, and some of the younger guys like Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson should grow with more experience.

Eagles Out To Snap Jinx In The NFC East - PE.com
With Training Camp now only a couple of weeks away, and the regular season just around the corner from that, it’s time to dig in deeper here with a look at what’s ahead. And the reminder from here is this: No matter how it looks now, and what you think based on a paper roster, it rarely plays out as planned, especially in the NFC East. A “new normal” would include erasing the division repeat “jinx,” which has been in play since 2004, a generation of Eagles football in the past.

Top NFL WRs on slant routes - Pro Football Focus
4. Mike Wallace, Philadelphia Eagles (formerly w/ Baltimore) – 112.8 WR Rating. Wallace notably ended the 2016 season ranked first on this list after he generated perfect WR rating on his slant targets, and while he did see a slight drop off in 2017, it wasn’t by much. All told, he hauled in 9-of-14 targets for 112 receiving yards and one touchdown and his 12.4 yards per slant reception ranked seventh among receivers with at least 10 targets.

How Ray Didinger and his son helped make Philly Special - The Athletic
“‘What are you talking about? You gotta take the three points. What are you, stupid? How dumb can this coach be?’” he says. “And I said, ‘How many times have you seen the Eagles this year?’ And he said, ‘Oh I’ve seen ‘em a couple times.’ And I said, ‘Well I’ve seen ‘em every week, and I’m telling you they’re not kicking the field goal.’ “He says, ‘Well that would be the stupidest goddamn thing I ever saw! Passing up three points in the Super Bowl? Jesus Christ!’ He says, ‘I know this coach hasn’t been coaching long, but how stupid is this guy?’ “So here comes Foles back on the field. He looks at me, he says, ‘Jesus Christ! They are gonna go for it!’ Now, of course, I have no idea what they’re gonna run. I have no more idea what’s coming than anybody else does. But they run the play and of course score the touchdown, and this guy, his first reaction is, ‘Nah, nah, nah, nah. That can’t be legal. That can’t be legal. There’s gotta be something wrong with that. That formation, that something, that can’t be legal. They gotta call that. They’re taking that back.’ And I said, ‘I don’t think so.’ And then he says, ‘What the hell do you call that thing anyway?’ “And I said, ‘In Philadelphia, we call it a touchdown.’”

Are the 2018 Eagles better or worse along the defensive line? - NBC Sports Philadelphia
Curry registered 8½ sacks in the past three years. Bennett registered 8½ sacks in 2017 alone. That’s not to say Curry doesn’t get pressure — his 22 quarterback hits including the playoffs last season were one off the team highs — but Bennett is a finisher, averaging eight sacks over the last six regular seasons. The Eagles addressed the rush up the middle as well. Five-time Pro Bowler Haloti Ngata appeared in only five games in 2017, but his two sacks equaled Allen’s four-year total as a reserve. New additions aside, there’s reason to suspect the Eagles could get more production from defensive end Derek Barnett as well. Chosen 14th overall in last year’s draft, Barnett finished his rookie season strong with six sacks and two forced fumbles in his final 13 games, including the playoffs. Pass rushers often take a big leap forward in Year 2, so watch out.

Expect nothing out of Sam Bradford, says Mike Florio - Revenge of the Birds
[BLG Note: Yup.]

Everything you should know about the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft - SB Nation
It’s (supplemental) draft season! The NFL’s annual supplemental draft is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. ET on July 11, and there are actually some intriguing players this year. Normally, the pool of players don’t get drafted and then enter the ranks of undrafted free agents looking for a team. This year is a bit different, with a couple defensive backs being projected as potential supplemental draft picks.

Indie Rockers Queen of Jeans Flip ‘90s Teen Movie Scene Into Queer Love Story in ‘U R My Guy’ Video: Premiere - Billboard
[BLG Note: BGN Radio’s John Barchard and I make cameos in BGN writer Patrick Wall’s band’s music video. Check it out!]

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