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Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...
The NFL Trade Deadline Is Heating Up - MMQB
Again, the market for receivers is pretty hot. The Patriots and Niners were out there actively looking. Also among those that have kicked the tires on adding at the position, with the caveat that these talks can simply be exploratory, have been the Saints, Bills, Eagles and Packers. Two names that have been floating around out there at the position won’t excite people like A.J. Green would—Jets’ Robby Anderson and Browns’ Rashard Higgins. The former, naturally, would come at a higher cost than the latter. [...] So which offensive linemen are out there? I believe fourth-year Eagles OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai could be moved. Philadelphia likes him as a player, so whether a deal is done will be predicated on the return they can find for him. Vaitai, who has 17 regular-season starts under his belt, was the Eagles’ left tackle in its Super Bowl win over the Patriots. And while he may not be a long-term solution at that position, he could be a short-term fix, with a very solid future at another spot on someone’s line. Cleveland and New England would be obvious suitors for Big V. The Patriots could use insurance at the position, given second-year pro Isaiah Wynn’s injury history.
Eagles vs. Bills Game Preview: Five questions and answers with the enemy - BGN
The Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) and Buffalo Bills (5-1) are set to play at New Era Field on Sunday. In order to preview this Week 8 matchup, I reached out to our associates over at Buffalo Rumblings. The considerate Corey Giacovelli kindly took the time to answer my questions about the upcoming game. Let’s take a look at his answers. Also, don’t forget to check out my side of the Q&A exchange over at BR.
This Is Fine - BGN Radio
Jimmy Kempski and Brandon Lee Gowton get your ready for Week 8 of NFL action by previewing Eagles-Bills, giving their NFL picks, and by analyzing what’s going on with the Eagles PLUS positions the Eagles should attack in the 2020 NFL Draft because all of this is fine... Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.
Buffalo Bills vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Five Questions with Bleeding Green Nation - Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills will have another home game this week when the Philadelphia Eagles come to town. Buffalo is coming off a hard-fought victory against the Miami Dolphins while the Eagles seemed over matched by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. To preview this match-up we talked to Brandon Gowton at Bleeding Green Nation to get the scoop on the Eagles.
Eagles vs. Bills: Five matchups to watch - PhillyVoice
4) Brandon Graham vs. Cody Ford. The matchup I like the best for the Eagles on the defensive side of the ball is Brandon Graham against Eagles fan draft crush Cody Ford, who has struggled in pass protection for the Bills this season. The Bills employ an unorthodox RT rotation, actually, with Ford splitting time with former NFC East (Washington) offensive lineman Ty Nsekhe. Ford is playing somewhere around 2/3 of the Bills’ offensive snaps, and he has had more than his share of ugly moments as a rookie.
Game Review – DAL 37, PHI 10 - Iggles Blitz
Agholor – The most notable play in the game came when Agholor couldn’t catch up to a deep ball from Wentz. Agholor stretched his arms and at the last moment pulled them back in. A lot of people labeled this as a lack of effort. I don’t agree with that. Agholor already 50 to 60 yards. That was the effort. Pulling his arms in was stupid. Why would you do that at the catch point? That’s not laziness. That’s not a lack of courage. To me, that’s just stupidity. Even if you don’t see the ball clearly, keep your arms out there. That’s your only chance to catch the ball.
NFL trade deadline: One buy/sell proposal for each AFC team - NFL.com
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Buy wide receiver Nelson Agholor. The Eagles loom as buyers on defense, especially in the secondary, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see them part ways with Agholor. With one game all year of 60-plus receiving yards, Agholor has struggled to mesh inside an out-of-sync Philly offense. Indy would welcome the former first-rounder as needed help alongside T.Y. Hilton. With Zach Pascal, Parris Campbell and Chester Rogers behind the star pass-catcher, signal-caller Jacoby Brissett could use some veteran help. Potential compensation: 2020 fourth-round pick.
The NFL Trades We’d Like to See Before Tuesday’s Deadline - The Ringer
Arizona trades CB Patrick Peterson to Philadelphia for WR Nelson Agholor and a first-round pick. The Eagles reportedly made this offer earlier this week, according to Bleeding Green Nation. Peterson has been rumored to be a trade candidate for more than a year, and with his contract expiring at the end of next season, it would be a logical time to deal him. One possible destination is Philadelphia, the most CB-depleted quasi-contender. During their 2017 Super Bowl run, the Eagles traded for Bills cornerback Ronald Darby, but they’ll need more firepower this year after being outbid for Jalen Ramsey by the Rams and Marcus Peters by the Ravens. Peterson is signed for an affordable $7 million and change in 2019 and $12 million in 2020, and the Eagles have a lot of cap space this year ($28.2 million, fourth most in the league). He’d be a massive upgrade over Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas and could help the Eagles salvage their season.
2019 Quarterback Tiers Revisited: Re-evaluating some QBs of interest at the midseason mark - The Athletic
The situation in Philadelphia could be more interesting than the quarterback situation specifically. Right tackle Lane Johnson suggested following the Eagles’ 37-10 defeat at Dallas in Week 7 that players aren’t showing up for meetings on time. Safety Malcolm Jenkins said that was news to him. Coach Doug Pederson suggested there wasn’t anything serious. It’s the sort of noise that doesn’t always mean much, but could increase in volume if the team struggles. “Because (Nick) Foles played his balls off and won a Super Bowl, there is so much pressure on Wentz that wouldn’t be there otherwise,” an offensive coach said. “Throw the contract on top of it and the expectations are so far out there. Now the tackle can’t shut his mouth. The DB has a contrary opinion. The defense isn’t playing up to standards, either. Can you change course from what is going on right now?”
Suddenly, Carson Wentz faces a defining moment in Eagles’ tenure - ESPN
Wentz is certainly not the primary reason the Eagles have gotten off to a rocky start. DeSean Jackson’s injury short-circuited what promised to be an explosive downfield attack. Jackson’s counterparts have failed to pick up the slack in his absence. Wentz’s receivers are second in the NFL in drops with 13, according to ESPN’s Stats & Information, and are tops in fumbles (4) and fumbles lost (3). Even so, Wentz continues to thrive in the red zone (7 TDs, 0 INTs) and on third down (5th-best QB rating of 104.3). Philadelphia’s pass defense has been one of the league’s worst all season, allowing eight passing plays of 40-plus yards, second most in the NFL. Couple that with a downright epidemic of starting games slow as a team, and it’s not hard to figure out why the Eagles are where they are.
For Carson Wentz, Sunday brings a new challenge - PE.com
Carson Wentz insists that when he’s watching film of a game, even one as difficult to digest as Sunday’s loss at Dallas, the plays are there to be made. The playcalling is fine, he says. The scheme is proven and sound. There is enough talent on the field to score a lot of points. It comes down to a mistake here, another one there. Everything, Wentz says, is fixable. “That’s what we’re doing every day, working to correct our mistakes,” he said. “It’s frustrating, because I know what this offense is capable of doing. But we’re not consistent. We have to be more consistent and eliminate the things we’re doing wrong. I take a lot of the responsibility. I think there are a lot of plays in those losses that I would love to have back. I think everyone would say the same things. There is a lot of execution, a lot of plays we’re leaving on the field.”
Carson Wentz and Philly Fans May Be Barreling Toward an Ugly Future Together - B/R
If you want to make a Philadelphia sports fan groan, mention just about any of the city’s sports legends: Donovan McNabb, Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, Eric Lindros, etc. If the Eagles are not careful, Carson Wentz will someday be added to the list. McNabb and the others (and there are enough others to fill a book) were great players. Some were league MVPs. A few were Hall of Famers. The City of Brotherly Love chewed them up and spat them out like wads of stale bubble gum. Mention their names at some Greater Philly sports bar nowadays, and you won’t hear about dazzling plays or unforgettable seasons. You’ll hear about puking at the Super Bowl, “practice,” decades-old dramas and real or imagined shortcomings.
As critics pelt Eagles’ QB Carson Wentz, Donovan McNabb has seen this movie before - Inquirer
What advice, then, would McNabb offer Carson Wentz, under siege behind the walls of NovaCare? “Closed ears, closed mouth,” said McNabb, who will be inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 7. In other words, don’t listen to the gossip, and don’t feed the flames. McNabb said it is important at such a time for teammates to see the quarterback working on his own game, not seeking out critics or trying to direct the parceling out of blame. “You should be trying to perfect your craft. What are you doing wrong? What can you correct?” McNabb said. “Get it cleaned up. They need to see you working on yourself, working with the offensive coordinator.”
2019 PFF Week 8 NFL Power Rankings - PFF
16. Philadelphia Eagles. Last Week: 12th. Losing badly to the Cowboys in Week 7, Philadelphia drops four spots to No. 16 in PFFELO. Quarterback Carson Wentz still ranks third in PFF passing grade (84.5) entering Week 8, but he simply hasn’t had enough help from his supporting cast to live up to high expectations. Despite leading the NFL in pressure percentage (40.9%), the Eagles’ defense ranks 24th in yards per play allowed (7.4).
Sidney Jones’ reaction to people saying his confidence is shot - NBCSP
Sidney Jones knows people think his confidence is shot. He says it isn’t. “I know that’s a whole big thing going on,” Jones said to NBC Sports Philadelphia on Wednesday. “It’s been said in the media here or there or whatever. It is what it is. It’s out there, but I know what I got at the end of the day. It’s all about me and where my focus is. Nothing else really matters. If I believe in myself, that’s all that matters.” After Jones said that, I wanted to clarify that he still has confidence. “Of course,” he said. “I’m telling you I got it.”
Brian Westbrook says ‘exposed’ Eagles need their leaders to ‘step up and stop the nonsense’ - CBS Sports
“I’m a little bit concerned,” he explains, “because they have some problems on the field -- lack of talent, lack of energy, lack of effort on some levels. The best players didn’t play well. They were beat in the trenches on both sides of the ball ... But then the bad part that you can’t do anything about is the lack of talent.” There are a couple positions, in particular, Westbrook says, where the depth has been revealed to be straight-up bad. Like most Eagles fans, he counts wide receiver, cornerback and the defensive line as the weakest links. He admits it’s certainly not too late for the Birds to turn it around, starting with a Week 8 road game against the Buffalo Bills, but hesitates to crown the current makeup of the team as strong enough to rebound over the long haul.
Start and Sit: Week 8 - Football Outsiders
With Jackson likely to miss another week, Alshon Jeffery remains the Eagles’ No. 1 receiver. But that is actually bad news for his fantasy prospects this week against a Bills defense that is No. 5 in DVOA against the pass and No. 4 in DVOA against No. 1 wide receivers. Combining the defensive opponent, the potential for wind, and Jeffery’s own declining play -- he has fallen from a 21.1% DVOA last year to -3.5% so far this year -- Jeffery is down to my No. 41 fantasy receiver this week.
Fantasy Football Rundown: Week 8 - Fake Teams
Carson Wentz continues to miss DeSean Jackson’s deep speed. A matchup against the Bills vaunted secondary is sure to the heart grow fonder. Wentz is just a high-end QB2 this week. Alshon Jeffery is relegated to the WR2/3 borderline in this matchup while Nelson Agholor and Mack Hollins can be left out of lineups (and rosters) entirely. Zach Ertz is just a mid-to-low TE1 in this matchup as well. Dallas Goedert maintaining a 59-74% snap share over the last four weeks doesn’t help Ertz’s cause either. Goedert is not a recommended start but one could do far worse in terms of TE dart throws/bench stashes. Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard continue to hurt each other’s fantasy value and in this matchup, there’s just not enough daylight for either of them to be bankable assets. Howard is the RB29, Sanders the RB30.
Patriots reportedly send Michael Bennett to Cowboys for late-round draft pick - Pats Pulpit
Bennett, a three-time Pro Bowler with 65.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles in his career, had been reinstated by New England on Monday. A “philosophical disagreement” with position coach Bret Bielema previously led to a one-week suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. The percentage of plays involving the 33-year-old Bennett reduced in each of his appearances, dropping down to 11 plays in a decisive win over the New York Giants on Oct. 10. His lone start came in the season opener. “I mean, it’s America. You can voice your opinion about how you feel about certain situations. That’s what I did,” Bennett told reporters in New England’s locker room Wednesday. “... I got suspended, lost money. What am I supposed to take away from that? I mean, it’s no love lost. It’s just how it is.”
Five quick thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys trading for Michael Bennett - Blogging The Boys
Dallas paid a seventh-round pick to the New England Patriots in order to acquire Bennett, although it has the potential to turn into a sixth-round pick. Even if it does, that’s okay. These are the exact type of moves that people are always clamoring for the Cowboys to make. Bennett is a savvy veteran who knows what it takes to win big games, landing him for such a low price is great in football terms. Speaking of prices the pick that the Cowboys gave up is in 2021! That’s as cheap as it gets.
Q&A: Will the Jaguars really trade Yannick Ngakoue? - Big Cat Country
Q: Is Yannick Ngakoue gone next? A: I hope not. Yannick is the consummate professional. He’s incredibly productive, an encouraging teammate, and a disciplined learner of the game. If the team trades him away, it would signal a huge breakdown in how this front office operates. I mean no exaggeration in this — if Yannick is traded, you should lose any faith you still have left in this front office. He was drafted at the top of the third round and has produced like a first rounder at one of the top three most important position in football. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him traded, but I would be even more disappointed than when Jalen Ramsey left.
Bill Callahan Redskins Presser: Case Keenum will remain starter if he’s healthy - Hogs Haven
Bill Calllahan stepped up to the podium to try to explain what went wrong after a loss to the Vikings dropped them to 1-7 for the season. Case Keenum will continue to start if he clears the NFL’s concussion protocol.
NFL picks 2019, Week 8: The Chiefs’ first test without Patrick Mahomes is Green Bay, no big deal - SB Nation
[BLG Note: Three out of 10 experts are taking the Eagles to beat the Bills.]
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