Eagles News: Avonte Maddox making his case as the Eagles’ best cornerback

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Avonte Maddox may end up the best of the Eagles’ current cornerbacks - Inquirer
Maddox had a fine rookie season, better probably than most expected from the fourth-round draft pick. But what has been evident in his play over the last month is that the second-year cornerback is taking the leap many successful players make during their first full NFL offseason. “I feel like I know a lot more,” Maddox said Wednesday after a minicamp practice. “I’m still in here asking questions because I have to, but I got a better understanding of the defense, so I’m not just learning on the fly.”

Eagles mini-camp observations: Avonte Maddox is good - PhillyVoice
The defensive highlight of the day was an interception by Avonte Maddox, who was playing what looked like trail coverage on Marken Michel, who was running some sort of seam route. When the ball was released by Wentz, Maddox accelerated -- and then elevated -- for the ball, making an impressive leaping catch, before running the other way with it. Maddox has picked up right where he left off a season ago, and looks really good.

Eagles Minicamp Practice Notes: Carson Wentz and DeSean Jackson team up for the highlight of the day - BGN
CARSON WENTZ UPDATE: The highlight of Wednesday’s practice was when Wentz dialed up a 50-yard deep bomb to DeSean Jackson for a touchdown. The ball was right on the money; it hit Jackson — who burned Rasul Douglas — in stride. Wentz has been throwing to Jackson all spring long but that’s the first time the two really connected on a shot like that. Players got really excited. The play had me thinking: is Wentz the best quarterback that DeSean has ever played with? Scary thought for the Eagles’ opponents.

The Kist & Solak Show #99: Eye On the Enemy - Washington Redskins - BGN Radio
Michael Kist and Benjamin Solak continue their Eye On the Enemy series with their second installment! This time it’s the Washington Redskins under the microscope! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Minicamp Roundup – Day 2 - Iggles Blitz
The Eagles were great in the Red Zone in 2017. Last year? Not so much. Getting back to being a top RZ team would help tremendously. Better weapons will be a big part of improved RZ play, but Wentz needs to be better as well. He left points on the field last year.

Eagles minicamp observations: DeSean Jackson looks like he’s going to be a problem for defenses - The Athletic
This spring, Jordan Howard and the coaches have fielded a bunch of questions about his ability as a receiver. The company line has been that Howard is more than competent in that area and that he’ll be able to help the passing game. I’m not buying it. Howard has averaged 12.1 receiving yards per game in his career. Can he catch some check-downs and screens on early downs? Sure. But that’s not why the Eagles traded for him. He’s on the roster to be a downhill runner. Miles Sanders has been sidelined in the spring with a hamstring injury, but the guess here is the coaches really want to see how the rookie looks as a receiver in training camp and the preseason. Plus, Doug Pederson has pointed to Boston Scott as a potential Darren Sproles replacement.

Wednesday’s Practice Report: The Wentz-Jackson connection is sizzling - PE.com
Cornerback Avonte Maddox is no longer a rookie and he isn’t an unknown. He’s just a darn good football player who has, it appears, settled in on the island after splitting time at safety in his first Eagles season. Maddox has been around the football throughout the spring and had a big interception on Wednesday. The Eagles don’t have a depth chart, as we all know, so they’re just rifling through personnel combinations now, but it’s going to be tough to keep Maddox off the field. In this camp, Maddox and Sidney Jones have been taking first-team reps at cornerback on the outside, with Cre’Von LeBlanc the nickel cornerback. Neither Ronald Darby (knee) nor Jalen Mills (foot) have practiced this spring.

PFF50: The NFL’s 50 best players entering the 2019 season - PFF
24. C Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles: Kelce’s four-year overall grade (91.1) ranks fourth among the 94 interior offensive linemen with at least 2,000 offensive snaps played since 2015, and his 93.4 run-block grade ranks first among the same group of qualifiers. Most recently, Kelce earned a career-high 88.0 pass-blocking grade in addition to his 80.7 run-blocking grade in 2018. He also earned a 94.6 run-blocking grade throughout the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in 2017, a single-season mark that ranks first in the PFF era (2006-18) among qualifying centers and one that landed him PFF’s top run-blocker award in 2017.

2019 NFL season: Projecting the top five rookie running backs - NFL.com
[BLG Note: Miles Sanders didn’t make this list.]

7 lingering questions for Giants ahead of training camp - Big Blue View
There’s a lot to unpack there, but if nothing else, the Giants might have an advantage without Odell Beckham Jr. in the lineup in that opponents won’t be able to correctly anticipate him getting most of the pass targets, which will aid their game planning. But whether the Giants get the production made up by whom they have on the roster is another story.

Pete Carroll expects Mychal Kendricks on the field this season - ESPN
Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the team believes linebacker Mychal Kendricks will be available this season despite his ongoing insider trading case. The 28-year-old Kendricks pleaded guilty last September to insider trading, then signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks a week later while Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright were injured. One source familiar with the situation said in October that Kendricks could be facing 30 to 37 months in prison -- as had been reported -- based on federal guidelines and the amount of money involved in his case. ”We do expect him to be on the team this year,” Carroll said Tuesday as the Seahawks began their mandatory minicamp.

Jared Goff considers new contract with Rams since Eagles locked up Carson Wentz - LA Times
“You definitely think about it,” Goff said Tuesday as the Rams opened what was essentially a one-day mandatory minicamp. “But at the same time, I know none of that is even possible without playing well on the field, and being available on the field.

8 reasons why the Raiders were a slam dunk choice for ‘Hard Knocks’ - SB Nation
4. We’d get an inside look on the working relationship between Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden. Hard Knocks will give viewers a front row seat to the Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden show. Mayock was hired as the general manager in December after spending the better of 20 years on TV. He’s most well known for being NFL Network’s lead draft analyst. Mayock didn’t have any experience working for an NFL front office prior to being hired by the Raiders. Watching Mayock go from TV to overseeing the Raiders would bring fans insight on a side of the business they rarely get to see. More importantly, it would show exactly how much power Mayock has.

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