Eagles News: Miles Sanders named second most likely candidate to win Rookie of the Year

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PFF’s top 10 Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates for 2019 - PFF
2. RB Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles. Running back production is incredibly dependent on the offensive line, and Sanders has that edge in a big way over Josh Jacobs. The Eagles’ offensive line was ranked top 10 in the NFL last season in terms of run blocking, and they added tackle Andre Dillard in Round 1. Sanders wasn’t too far a cry from last year’s Rookie of the Year either, with an 83.1 rushing grade compared to Saquon Barkley’s 84.1 in his last season at Penn State.

Here’s what anonymous executives had to say about the Eagles’ 2019 NFL Draft picks - BGN
“I was surprised [Miles Sanders] went that high. Talented runner, finesse. I don’t think he’s a lead. I think he’s more of a change-of-pace or situational back. The trouble with penciling him in as a third-down back is he struggles with protection. … He’s a talented runner — feet, instincts, vision, all that, it’s there. I just don’t think he’s very physical. The protection would be the biggest question that I have on him. He’s shifty, I just don’t think he runs behinds his pads like a 210-, 215-pound back.”

At the Podium: Howie Roseman Recaps the 2019 NFL Draft - BGN Radio
In the last of our 2019 NFL Draft series on At the Podium, we chat once again with Howie Roseman, this time it’s his press conference after the conclusion of all seven rounds of the draft! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Where are the Eagles deep, and not so deep, after the 2019 NFL Draft: Defense edition - PhillyVoice
Defensive end: A considerable concern. Going from Michael Bennett to Vinny Curry is a downgrade, and there’s no obvious “feel-good about it” candidate to take over Chris Long’s role if indeed he’s gone. In Jim Schwartz’s heavy DL-rotation scheme, it is imperative that the front four is able to get to the quarterback without the aid of blitzers. The Eagles will still be able to do that when Graham and Barnett are in the game, but the combination of Curry and someone from the “maybe they show something” group could be a significant liability when they go in for their line shifts. If Graham or Barnett go down, the Eagles’ pass rush could be in serious trouble.

No Such Thing - Iggles Blitz
The Eagles might end up going for a veteran to play C/G. There aren’t great options, but it would be nice to have some experience for that area. At the same time, it would be nice to check out the rookies and get a feel for them. If they all struggle, go get your veteran. If one of the rookies shows real promise, hold on adding the veteran and give the kid a chance. You want cheap, young backups when you can find them. Howie Roseman was patient at RB and came away with a pair of players the team likes in Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders. Roseman was patient at LB and came away with Zach Brown. Roseman was patient at DT and came away with Tim Jernigan and Hassan Ridgeway. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t. You can’t make good players magically appear. I’m sure Jernigan talked to a lot of other teams before re-signing. He obviously didn’t get the deal he was looking for. Ridgeway came available on draft weekend so the Eagles jumped on him. Maybe the team is waiting for May 7 before pursuing more free agents. Or maybe they just don’t like the options right now. We’ll find out soon enough.

Lawlor: Who will be a surprise impact player in 2019? - PE.com
The addition of Zach Brown gives the Eagles a productive, experienced inside linebacker to add to the mix. He has 74 career starts. Paul Worrilow does have 52 career starts, but he hasn’t started 10 or more games since 2015 and he’s coming off an ACL injury. Nathan Gerry is a converted safety still learning how to play linebacker. Fort is a special teams ace and role player trying to show that he is capable of being a good starter. There is now a variety of backgrounds, ages, and skill sets competing for the middle linebacker job. Brown has the best résumé. Gerry is the best athlete. Fort is coming off the best year of his career. Worrilow has the most experience of playing in the 4-3 defense and should know the playbook well since he’s in his second year with the Eagles.

NFL Draft Grades Using Analytics - Rotoworld
(B+) Andre Dillard (92nd percentile OT prospect) was a really strong first-round pick. Not only does he enter the league with more pass-blocking reps as any offensive line prospect, but he also is one of the most athletic OTs in the class. Dillard is a member of the elite OL speed score club and also made Josh Norris’ short shuttle hall of fame. … Miles Sanders was drafted too early -- remember that he is, in fact, a running back -- and my model liked Darrell Henderson and Damien Harris more, despite being drafted after Sanders. However, the Penn State running back does check all athletic boxes and went off in his only non-Saquon Barkley season, so he is certainly one of the best backs in the class. That just doesn’t mean a whole lot this year. … JJ Arcega-Whiteside would be graded more favorably if my model didn’t knock the opportunity cost of not drafting Andy Isabella. However, my models do like Arcega-Whiteside in a vacuum and I’m bullish on JJAW becoming a multi-year starter for Carson Wentz, especially after surprising the #haters with a 4.50 forty at 225 pounds. … Clayton Thorson hasn’t been good in years, but I’m an advocate of drafting quarterbacks, so I can’t hate the pick that much. It just should have been Gardner Minshew who showed signs analytically that he could be a high-end backup.

Lane Johnson publicly squashes his beef with new Eagles teammate Zach Brown - NBCSP
Not long after he tweeted that, NBC Sports Washington spoke to Brown, who said Johnson’s comments were “insulting.” Brown was in his first year with Washington and wanted to create a winning atmosphere, which is awfully hard to do if your opponents are saying they’re going to whup your ass. At the time, Brown said, “That’s the thing, he’s guaranteeing that win. So when that game comes, when that opening game comes, we’ll see what happens.” Well … the Eagles won that Week 1 matchup in Washington, 30-17, and then went on to win the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history as Johnson was named to the All-Pro team. Washington went 7-9, the same record it finished with in both of Brown’s two seasons there.

2020 Mock Draft - Draft Analyst
31) Philadelphia Eagles - J.R. Reed/S/Georgia: Had Reed entered this April’s draft, I graded him as a top-50 pick.

From Eric Berry to Ndamukong Suh, predicting where the top 10 remaining NFL free agents will land - CBS Sports
RB Jay Ajayi, Atlanta Falcons: Adding a fifth-round power back in Qadree Ollison was nice, but it doesn’t exactly read like a complement to the similarly physical Devonta Freeman. Ito Smith is also in the house, but Dan Quinn has yet to give his ringing endorsement of anyone as a Tevin Coleman replacement. Ajayi is the Falcons’ best bet of bringing “lightning” into a room of “thunder,” especially at a discounted rate. Yes, he’s a bit repetitive in terms of being injury prone like Freeman, but he also brings a wealth of starting experience.

Raiders hire away Eagles Director of Pro Scouting Dwayne Joseph - Silver And Black Pride
Joseph is expected to hold the title of Pro Director, replacing Dane Vandernat who was let go in late January. Mayock has connections inside the Eagles organization from his days as a preseason color analyst for the team.

Packers sign former Eagles CB Chandon Sullivan - Acme Packing Company
Sullivan worked out at the 2018 NFL Combine, measuring in at 5-foot-10 3/4 and 194 pounds. His explosiveness is his best physical attribute, as his vertical jump (40.5 inches) and broad jump (11-foot-2) finished above the 90th percentile for cornerbacks. His speed (4.60 forty) and agility (4.36 short shuttle) from the Combine put him below the 20th percentile in those tests. However, he reportedly had a hamstring injury in Indianapolis and improved on those times in a solo Pro Day a few weeks later, with a 40 time around 4.50 seconds and a 3-cone time around 7 seconds. In Philadelphia, Sullivan was primarily a special teams player, though he did make one start in his five games. Look for him to compete for a roster spot through special teams contributions in 2019.

49ers sign LB LaRoy Reynolds; waive DL Ryan Delaire - Niners Nation
In 2018 with Philadelphia, he appeared in all 16 games and ranked second on the team with nine tackles on special teams. He also appeared in two postseason games and registered one tackle on both defense and special teams.

Bears acquire kicker Eddy Pineiro from Raiders - Windy City Gridiron
Just one day after their battle royal of kickers at rookie minicamp, the Bears have traded a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick to the Oakland Raiders for kicker Eddy Pineiro, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter also reported that the pick is based on the conditions that Pineiro must be on Chicago’s active roster for at least five games. [BLG Note: Chicago now has THREE kickers on their roster. The Eagles broke the Bears.]

When will Daniel Jones play? - Big Blue View
he answer to the question “when will Daniel Jones start games for the New York Giants?” really can’t be answered. That depends on any number of variables, most importantly how the season unfolds for the Giants. As much as the Giants have shown their willingness to prepare for the future by drafting Jones No. 6 overall, given the loyalty ownership and GM Dave Gettleman have shown to Manning it seems unlikely they will be in a hurry to shove Manning aside. If Manning is playing well, or well enough, and the Giants continue to have a realistic chance to reach the playoffs, it’s hard to envision the Giants pulling a Kurt Warner on Manning. Still, Jones is going to play ... eventually.

How Daniel Jones can develop into the quarterback the Giants think he is - SB Nation
This isn’t a groundbreaking statement, but the game just moves faster in the NFL than in college football. In order to avoid some backbreaking interceptions in the NFL, Jones needs to speed up his decision-making on plays where he has to do more than a quick drop in the pocket. This throw against Virginia Tech is a perfect example of this. Jones wants to throw to his receiver wide open toward the left sideline. Jones is staring him down all the way, but for some reason he’s incredibly hesitant to actually throw the ball to him. By the time Jones does, he’s gives the cornerback a chance to make a play on the ball and almost intercept it. This is a pick-six in the NFL.

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