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Eagles News: Philadelphia’s UDFA class ranks as one of the NFL’s best

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 5/5/19.

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NCAA Football: Kent State at Penn State Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

UDFA class rankings - Rotoworld
8) The Eagles swooped up three draftable guards [Ryan Bates, Iosua Opeta, Nate Herbig] -- I predict they’ll find at least one in the group who’ll hang (and they may get two). Edwards was worth a shot on college play alone. Note: The Eagles signed and then in short-order waived Temple S Dalvon Randall, who previously appeared on this list. So much for brotherly love!

Report: Malcolm Jenkins not attending Eagles’ voluntary offseason workout program - BGN
Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins is not attending the team’s voluntary offseason workout program at this point in time, according to a report from the Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Jenkins is well within his rights to skip voluntary workouts. But it’s not a total non-story when one of the team’s defensive captains and most vocal leaders — whom has never previously missed offseason workouts — decides to not show up with the rest of the team.

Where are the Eagles deep, and not so deep, after the 2019 NFL Draft: Offense edition - PhillyVoice
Carson Wentz is a top-five quarterback talent in the NFL, but he’ll have to prove that he can stay healthy after being unable to finish each of the last two seasons with major injuries. The Eagles lost the best backup quarterback in the NFL this offseason, as Nick Foles headed south to be the Jacksonville Jaguars’ new starter. Taking his place will be Nate Sudfeld, who has been developing behind the scenes for two seasons, as he was the No. 3 quarterback in 2017 and 2018. In my view, Sudfeld is ready to come out of the oven, and be the No. 2. He displayed legitimate skills during training camp, and was impressive during the preseason. He even threw a TD pass against his old team during the regular season. Behind Sudfeld will be Clayton Thorson, the Eagles’ fifth-round pick in the 2019 draft. Thorson will develop behind the scenes in 2019, like Sudfeld has for the last two seasons.

The Biggie Shuffle - Iggles Blitz
I had kicked around the idea of Big V playing OG, but hadn’t really thought about it too much. With Brandon Brooks out right now, the Eagles need someone to fill his spot. Matt Pryor worked at RG last summer, but didn’t look great. Big V is an experienced player and would make some sense. He doesn’t have OG experience, but he’s got the skill set to succeed on the inside. He’s big and strong. He can get movement in the run game. Big V is a solid pass protector. He struggles at times on the edge, but I think he would be fine on the inside. This is pure speculation at this point. We’ll have to wait for a minicamp to see where guys are lining up.

Can Eagles’ Andre Dillard excel as run blocker? ‘Ask the Expert’ with Duke Manyweather - NJ.com
“I think he’ll be fine. I think he will be able to be coached up. One of the good things that he does do is he is able to cut off the backside and that’s a really important block in the NFL. You see him able to win the edge, whether it’s an angle-drive block or a reach type of block. That’s all encouraging. His hand placement in the run game is actually better than -- or more consistent I should say -- than his pass protection, so that’s encouraging as well. The beautiful thing about Dillard is he is a guy that needs just a little bit of development and refinement in terms of making the transition from what he was asked to do at Washington State to what he’ll be asked to do on Sunday. He’s in a great situation and a great spot for that.”

Grading the Eagles’ offseason moves: Going with LB backup plan Zach Brown - The Athletic
Stat that I had to triple-check to make sure it was true: Brown has 372 tackles over the past three seasons. That’s second in the NFL to only Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner. Howie Roseman basically admitted that he would have liked to add a linebacker in the draft, but that didn’t happen. It’s good to have backup plans, and essentially, that’s what Brown ended up being. I checked in with The Athletic’s Mark Bullock, who breaks down Washington’s film on a weekly basis, about Brown’s skill set. He said he thought Brown was the team’s best inside linebacker last season. Bullock described Brown as rangy and athletic, and said he’s at his best when he can flow sideline to sideline unimpeded. In terms of coverage, Bullock said Brown has the athleticism to hold up in man but doesn’t always have the best instincts in zone. Overall, this seems like a perfectly reasonable move. Brown has the skill set to be a starter for a year and adds to the team’s depth. One thing I like about the Eagles’ defense is it has the personnel to match up with different styles of offenses. With Brown in the mix, they can play more base if they’re facing a run-heavy team. And as we saw toward the end of last season, the Eagles can go dime against pass-heavy attacks.

Set the Tempo | OTA Phase 2 Highlights - PE.com
The Eagles are setting the tempo in organized team activities.

QB crush: How the Giants fell head over heels for Daniel Jones - ESPN
Seeing Jones in person was an important box for Gettleman to check. Watching a quarterback live, he can see and hear them throw to determine arm strength, the way they interact with coaches and teammates, how they react between series and their body language -- things you can’t get from watching tape. Jones went 8-for-11 for 115 yards with a passing and rushing touchdown. He won the game’s MVP as well as Gettleman’s heart. ”I made up my mind that I was staying for the game and, frankly, [Jones] walked out there and I saw a professional quarterback after the three series that I watched, I saw a professional quarterback,” Gettleman said. “I was in full-bloom love.”

How NFL rookies can make the roster, as explained by a former player - SB Nation
So what are the keys to making the roster if you’re a late-round pick or UDFA? The simplest key is being a difference maker out there and giving all the effort you have. The latter goes without saying. To accomplish the former, you have to stand out and make the “wow” plays. Those are when coaches are watching film after practice, they are all marveling at your ability on a certain play. That’s how you start getting noticed and coaches will want to see you do more on the first or second unit. The best way to do that is knowing your assignments. This brings me to the most important key to making the roster. Knowing your playbook. When you know what you’re doing, you play faster, and thus can make the “wow” plays. As a rookie, there’s going to be so much information thrown your way about the playbook. On offense, you might be huddling for the first time in years. It might be the first play call you’ve heard with three or more words in it. It’s a big shock to the system when your coaches install five runs, three protections, and 12 formations on the first day.

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