Eagles News: Nick Foles among free agents who will shape the 2019 NFL offseason

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The 6 free agents who will shape the 2019 NFL offseason - SB Nation
Nick Foles — Foles’ playoff magic may have worn off after 2018 — he threw four interceptions in two games this January — but his regular-season work proved he’s still a useful NFL starting quarterback. He set career highs by completing 72.3 percent of his passes and throwing for more than 280 yards per game. Including the playoffs, he went 5-2 as a starter and rallied his team from 6-7 to a spot in the Divisional Round. How many teams will be looking for a 30-year-old who has been good enough to win a Super Bowl and bad enough to consider retirement within the same 12-month span? Free agent quarterback solutions didn’t work out in Denver or Minnesota last fall, and Kyler Murray’s addition to 2019’s draft class adds a little extra intrigue to this year’s quarterback market. Washington and the Jaguars would both be interested in plug-and-play passers — would either be interested in giving up draft capital to acquire him that could be used to target a young QB?

Why the Eagles must let Nick Foles go - BGN
But if Carson Wentz is going to take the next step forward in his evolution as a QB, he, and the rest of the locker room, needs to know this team is his. Everyone needs to know the huddle belongs to Wentz, and he needs to enter 2019 as the Alpha, fully healthy, ready to establish himself once again as one of the five best QBs in the sport.

The Kist & Solak Show #77: Mocking the Eagles with Joe Marino - BGN Radio
Michael Kist and Benjamin Solak are joined by Joe Marino of The Draft Network to take a look at the prospects being linked to the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round while pounding the table for “their guys”, PLUS some Day 2 prospects that the Eagles could target! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Carson Wentz a villain? In this age of ‘narratives,’ the Eagles QB was bound to become one. - Inquirer
There’s a saying, attributed to the writer Gore Vidal, that fits perfectly this moment, this era of media presentation and consumption: “It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.” Foles’ story is great, and it’s true. But to provide the starkest contrast to it, to gin up the outrage, to satisfy our craving for absolutism, Wentz was bound to become the “villain” of this story sooner or later. He had to become a failure, and so he has. His stubbornness and confidence – the very attributes that, when he was a front-runner to be the NFL’s MVP, once earned him praise from his coaches – are now flaws and detriments. His personality and demeanor have become, as described in the PhillyVoice story, an “aw-shucks, overgrown-Opie-from-Mayberry routine [that] plays well with the local and national media.” All because the Eagles went 6-7 in the games he played this season.

Highlighting the top-10 edge defenders expected to enter free agency - PFF
3. Brandon Graham. As a balanced and somewhat underrated edge rusher, Graham enters free agency following five consecutive seasons of overall grades at 80.0 or higher. He’s thrived in getting after the after quarterback by completing his third-straight season with 77 or more pressures. His 88.1 overall grade this season was good enough for eighth-best among edge defenders, and while he’s at his best when rushing the passer, he also offers tremendous balance against the run. Even at age 30, Graham remains a versatile player that can be a prominent factor in any team’s defense.

Duffy: Senior Bowl Standout Penny Hart Among Combine Snubs - PE.com
Hart was one of the standouts from the Senior Bowl, and it’s a shock that he won’t be in attendance in Indianapolis as he would have been one of the top performers in drills. Hart is explosive, twitched up, and has a skill set that should translate well to the NFL game. He was able to consistently get defenders turned around in one-on-one drills down in Mobile last month. He is certainly undersized at 5-8, 180 pounds, but he was incredibly productive in the Sun Belt Conference finishing fourth all time in receiving yards. Hart should be able to carve out a role quickly at the next level.

Fair or not, Carson Wentz knows comparisons to Nick Foles won’t disappear - NBCSP
But, ultimately, Wentz is right. He can’t worry about it. I don’t know what it’s going to take for him to escape that shadow — an MVP, a couple MVPs, is another parade the only thing that does it? — but I do think he has all the talent and mental fortitude to persevere and still become the best quarterback in franchise history. It’s just not going to happen overnight. So even when Foles leaves Philadelphia, his shadow won’t.

Colts News: Colts bring back legendary coach Howard Mudd to help offensive line - Stampede Blue
The legendary line coach, who kept Peyton Manning remarkably clean for more than a decade, has been hired as a senior offensive assistant.

49ers to hire Miles Austin as offensive quality control coach - Niners Nation
Austin has a connection to Shanahan. Austin spent the 2014 season with the Cleveland Browns, the same year Shanahan was offensive coordinator. Shanahan departed for the Atlanta Falcons the next season while Austin joined the Philadelphia Eagles for his final season.

Ask 5: Which draft prospect will generate most buzz at combine? - NFL.com
LSU LB Devin White. ”I would say (Mississippi State DE) Montez Sweat, but he already generated enough buzz when he walked across the stage at the Senior Bowl. I’ll go with Devin White. I’ve been told he’s consistently running (the 40-yard dash) in the 4.4s and that will create some attention. Also, I wouldn’t sleep on (Iowa TE T.J.) Hockenson. He’s more athletic than people think.”

Kelvin Harmon Can Take Over Football Games - The Draft Network
Among the top talents at the position in this year’s crop is NC State’s Kelvin Harmon, who currently ranks as my No. 2 receiver in the class behind DK Metcalf from Ole Miss. Harmon is an alpha wide receiver with blue chip play strength. That, combined with his impressive hands and ball skills make him a monster in contested situations. But don’t confuse his physicality, size and ability to win 50/50 balls with him not being able to run routes and separate. He has enough juice and elusive traits to uncover and get open. He is a detailed route runner that knows how to maximize his physical ability.

The AAF Is Your Fun-As-Hell, Empty-Calorie Cure for the Super Bowl Hangover - The Ringer
An overtime in which field goals aren’t allowed? An extra official who can correct egregious calls on the spot? This isn’t a Sean Payton fever dream—it’s the new football league coming to your TV this week.

Phillies trade for Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto - The Good Phight
It may not be the deal you were expecting even a few days ago, but the Phillies have acquired 27-year-old catcher J.T. Realmuto from the Miami Marlins in exchange for catcher Jorge Alfaro, minor league pitchers Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart, as well as international bonus money. The team has confirmed the trade.

Report: Sixers trade Markelle Fultz to Orlando - Liberty Ballers
That’s right. The weirdest saga in recent NBA history is over, or at least taking its act down to Orlando (maybe it can get residency at one of the Disney theme parks). Less than two years after Philadelphia traded significant draft capital to take Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, the still-just-20-year-old guard is heading to the Magic for a package centered around 6-foot-6 wing Jonathon Simmons.

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