/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63884796/usa_today_11892383.0.jpg)
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...
Five potential trade partners for the Texans if they move Jadeveon Clowney - The Athletic
The chances that the Eagles will land Clowney are very low, but they’re not zero. The big issue that the Eagles — and many other teams — face would be finding the money to sign Clowney to a lucrative extension. That’s an especially tall task in Philadelphia, where the team is going to be building around a high-priced quarterback pretty soon in Carson Wentz. That said, Howie Roseman is not afraid to take big swings. And he views the defensive line as a premium position. Clowney would be a disruptive player who could line up in multiple spots in the Eagles’ scheme. That he’s only 26 has to be appealing to Roseman. A core up front of Fletcher Cox, Derek Barnett and Clowney would create issues for opposing offenses for years to come. If this were a year or two ago, and the Eagles had Wentz on his rookie contract, I could see Roseman making an aggressive push for Clowney. Now? The Eagles will likely kick around the idea internally and might even call. But given what it will take in terms of draft pick compensation and financial commitment, a deal seems highly unlikely. — Sheil Kapadia
The Mack Hollins mystery - BGN
Hopefully we’ll see Hollins back out on the field sooner than later. If he can build on the potential he showed as a rookie, I think he can be a solid contributor for this team. It’s just hard to tell how realistic that is at this point. Even if Hollins does return soon, it’s fair to wonder how much his absence has stunted the 25-year-old’s development. (Not to mention going from No. 10 to No. 16 is a bad sign in terms of #JerseyNumberAnalytics.)
Organized Team Activities Progress Report - BGN Radio
Michael Kist and Brandon Lee Gowton go over all the happenings from the Eagles’ Organized Team Activities! Wentz, Goedert, a new starter at RG(?), the defensive back configuration and much much more all discussed on this loaded show! Presented by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.
Wentz Lives! - Iggles Blitz
It is good to hear Rasul Douglas carried over the momentum from January to the OTAs. He finished the season strong. It sounds like he is ready to really compete for playing time. Interesting that Avonte Maddox was at CB. The Eagles need to find a home for him and let him develop. Maddox is a talented player. You want him on the field.
Carson Wentz brings energy to Eagles practice, along with hope that history won’t repeat itself - CBS Sports
Wentz looked spry and agile as he booted out to his right and delivered powerful passes to the sideline off his signature hop-step. He unleashed some perfect deep fades in one-on-one will drills. Things were not nearly as smooth in seven-on-seven and full team drills – “X’s and O’s-wise, things weren’t perfect,” he conceded – though that’s not what this return was really about. This was about just being able to do the same things that all of his healthy teammates could, with no restrictions.
Eagles rookie JJ Arcega-Whiteside and his guardian angels - ESPN
When the camera cut to Stanford Cardinal wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside during the 2019 NFL draft, he was sitting on the couch hip-to-hip with his mother, Valorie, in their South Carolina home, friends and family all around them. Valorie intended to burst off the couch and break into a celebratory dance when her boy was selected. But when the call came from the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round that Friday night in April, JJ unexpectedly broke down -- so his mom did, too. ”There’s been a few times I’ve seen JJ cry. That was when my mom died, when I found out I had cancer, and one other time -- he had a little brother that passed during childbirth,” Valorie said. “That’s the three times in my life that I have seen him cry. So when he got emotional and cried, my happy celebration turned ... I just went from laughing and screaming to crying right there with him. ”It was a feeling of so many emotions all at once. How can you be happy and crying and ecstatic and nostalgic and all of these things all at the same time? That’s what it was like, just a big kaleidoscope of emotions.”
Fired-up Tim Jernigan brimming with confidence, motivation and swagger - NBCSP
“You gotta listen to what I just said,” Jernigan said, pointing out how obvious it was to him. “It speaks for itself, bro. You’ll see the difference in September then. Ask any coach in here, ask any player in here, what Timmy Jernigan look like? I ain’t gotta brag on myself, I ain’t gotta talk on myself. Ask them. I ain’t gotta say one word. It’s on.” Even when he’s getting ticked off by questions, there’s just something about Jernigan’s energy, his swagger, that separates him. It’s something the Eagles feel when they’re on the field too. It’s why late last season, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz stressed how important Jernigan was to the spirit of their defense.
While cast in Aaron Donald’s shadow, Fletcher Cox will go down as one of the best to ever do it - PFF
Among the 125 interior defensive linemen with 500 or more pass-rush snaps since 2015, Donald ranks first in pass-rush grade (95.9), total pressures (375) and pass-rush win percentage (22.1%). Cox ranks second behind Donald in all three metrics. And the trend continues, as Donald led all at his position in pass-rush grade in each of the past four seasons (2015-18). Cox ranked second two of the years (2017 & 2018) and third in another (2015). The five best single-season pass-rush win rates in the PFF era (2006-18) all belong to Donald and Cox. Donald owns the three best (2016, 2017 &2018) and the fifth-best (2015), while Cox owns the fourth-best (2018).
In Year 2, Dallas Goedert is poised for a season to remember - PE.com
“You have to get used to the speed of things, for sure,” Goedert said. “It takes some time. As soon as you get here, you’re on the move. It’s tough to catch up sometimes. But if you keep your head down and keep grinding, understanding that it’s your job now, things slow down. I feel like it’s all slowed down for me. I can go out there and just play football and not think. That makes me a better football player. I’m pretty happy with where I’m at, continuing to work, continuing to enjoy this.”
Eagles tight end Zach Ertz ready to build on his record-breaking season - Daily News
“On paper, we’ve got an explosive, explosive offense,’’ Ertz said Tuesday after the Eagles finished the first of their 10 spring OTA practice sessions at the NovaCare Complex. “We just have to fine-tune everything and be on point. ”Bringing in a guy like Jordan Howard is going to help us immensely. A guy that you can give the ball to behind five really good offensive linemen and say, ‘Go to work.’ “And DeSean coming back is going to be big for us. He’s just so fast. The first play of the Tampa Bay game last year, he goes 70 yards [for a touchdown] on us. We haven’t had that since he left, honestly. [Jeremy] Maclin had it a little bit. But D-Jac is just another animal.’’ The addition of Jackson is intriguing in two respects. He not only gives quarterback Carson Wentz the most dangerous vertical threat he’s ever had, but Jackson’s speed also should open things up underneath for Ertz and the Eagles’ other two tight ends, Dallas Goedert and Richard Rodgers.
Mike Freeman’s 10-Point Stance: Russell Wilson Is Exactly What the NFL Needs Now - B/R
Philadelphia defensive lineman Chris Long retired this past week. Though he’ll be remembered as a talented player who helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl, his impact has gone far beyond the field. When Colin Kaepernick started taking a knee to protest social justice issues, it set off a chain of events that impacted the sport, and society, forever. One of the more striking aspects of the protests, even after Kaepernick was no longer on the field, was the small number of white players who joined their teammates. Long proudly joined those players voicing their concerns over social injustice. He also funded scholarships in his hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, in hopes of promoting educational equity and opportunity. I cannot emphasize enough how much a number of black players appreciated Long’s actions. Long will be missed. Not just for his good play but also for what he meant to black players during one of the most important times in league history.
Brandon Lee Gowton Talks Eagles - 94WIP
From Bleeding Green Nation, Brandon Lee Gowton calls in to talk Eagles’ OTAs and Carson Wentz.
Falcons DE Steven Means will miss 2019 season with torn Achilles - The Falcoholic
It’s hard, hard news for Means, a journeyman who found a home in Atlanta and was being primed for a bigger role in the team’s defensive end rotation. He signed a one-year extension in February and was one of the team’s only moves at the position this offseason. The move puts Atlanta in a bit of a bind. Means projected to be a key player in the team’s base defense, a role he grew into in 2018. Right now, the Falcons don’t have ton of depth at the position, and his loss puts the onus on rookie edge John Cominsky to play a bigger role in the rotation. Cominsky came into the University of Charleston as a quarterback, and needs development as an NFL defensive end.
Looks like things are on track for Cowboys to make Ezekiel Elliott highest-paid RB in NFL history - Blogging The Boys
Pelissero notes that Elliott’s camp and the Cowboys have been in communication despite ongoing contract talks between the team and representatives for Prescott and Cooper. He also mentions that it seems like everyone involved feels that Zeke will soon be the highest-paid running back in NFL history. Read it again. The highest-paid running back in NFL history. Of course, the barometer for running back salary in the NFL is Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams. He got his long-term extension after his third year (that’s where Zeke is now) last offseason, a huge contract to the tune of four years for $60M. [BLG Note: Good luck, Dallas.]
The 2019 NFL Contract-Year All-Stars - The Ringer
Players like Bobby Wagner, Michael Thomas, Dak Prescott, and A.J. Green have contract negotiations on the horizon. If they go into the season on the last year of their deals, their performances could make or break their bank account next offseason.
Why I’m glad the NFL didn’t change its ‘unfair’ overtime system - SB Nation
Retired NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz gives his thoughts about the current OT system, the potential PI replay tweaks, and the elimination of certain drills.
...
Social Media Information:
BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page
BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen
BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton
BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio