/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64005164/usa_today_10427260.0.jpg)
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...
Dak is asking for how much money?! Cowboys had better be prepared to break the bank. - Star-Telegram
Standing in the locker room with a white cowboy hat on, courtesy of Stetson not Gucci, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was the picture image of the viral hit song “Old Town Road.” And “you can’t tell him nothing” about his improved game and looming contract extension that seems to be increasing with each passing day. The new deal signed by Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, worth $32 million annually in new money, was not lost on Prescott. While that deal could impact his negotiations with the Cowboys, as the team is analyzing all 60 pages of Wentz’s new contract, per source, know that Todd France and CAA have broached a deal in the range of $34 million annually, according to someone with knowledge of the talks.
The Eagles should get “nasty” with DeSean Jackson - BGN
You’d be right to be excited about the new deep ball connection between Carson Wentz and DeSean Jackson. Since Mike Wallace went down with an ankle injury in Week 2 of 2018, the base has been clamoring for a true deep threat. Some thought the answer would come in the 2019 NFL Draft. It turned out, it came via trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Howie Roseman, the Checker of Boxes, checked yet another box. Color me shocked. Considering his past with the Philadelphia Eagles, there’s less heavy lifting to do familiarizing you, gentle reader, with the value Jackson brings. His ability to “take the top off” a defense is well known and from what we’re seeing at minicamp, he’s still got his trademark burners. The question then becomes, how can the Eagles deploy Jackson to achieve the best results?
Fireside Chats #11: So You Wanna Be a GM w/Dan Hatman - BGN Radio
Michael Kist is joined by Dan Hatman, Director of The Scouting Academy, to discuss the latest news concerning Joe Douglas, the New York Jets, the Philadelphia Eagles’ front office, and being a GM in todays NFL! Want to know more about The Scouting Academy? Visit their website! Presented by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation!
Eagles 53-man roster projection after spring practices - PhillyVoice
Before spring practices began, I was pretty adamant that the Eagles would not cut Thorson, unless he was absolutely atrocious all throughout the offseason, seeing as he was a fifth round pick in a draft in which the Eagles only had five picks. There’s no doubt that Thorson’s head is swimming as he tries to learn a new playbook, but the early returns haven’t been great. He’ll need to show something in training camp or the preseason, but for now, I’ll still confidently keep him on.
Front Office Update - Iggles Blitz
You may wonder about how fair or how smart it is to keep scouts from leaving. Scouts sign contracts with teams. As far as I know, they can only leave when given a job with roster control (GM, President of Player Personnel, Team President…titles change by team). Teams enforce contracts to have front office stability. It takes time for scouts and coaches to all get on the same page. There is real value in that and you don’t want your evaluators leaving for lateral positions. I’m sure Weidl is getting solid money from the Eagles so it isn’t like he’s being punished. When his contract is up, he’ll have to decide whether to stay or head off to NY to work with his friend. For now, he’s got a new role.
Why Carson Wentz’s Contract Extension Is More Complex Than Most Realize - MMQB
The real incentives in the deal are in the extra $16 million he can make, which would push him to $36 million per, eclipsing Russell Wilson’s APY of $35 million per. If he’s named MVP or Offensive Player of the Year in any of the next five years, another $5 million is unlocked. If he makes three Pro Bowls, or two with one coming in a playoff year, $6 million in unlocked. And if the Eagles win the Super Bowl in a season where Wentz plays 70 percent of the snaps or more, the final $5 million is spread over the remaining years of his deal. It is, by the way, no coincidence, that the three QBs ahead of him (Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger) as money-makers have each achieved at least two of those things. Wentz and the Eagles can now move forward with this deal taken care of, and if the plan that Lurie and Roseman laid out to the Tollners three years ago comes to life, this will just be the start. “That’s what they see, and what they saw all along—they’d lock him up long-term, and be in position to be competing for a championship every single year,” Ryan Tollner said. “The blueprint is obviously New England, with their incredible run of dominance in their division, and through the league. And I know Philly’s hoping to be at that level, and hoping this is a big step in that direction.”
Carson Wentz’ New Contract and the CBA - Over The Cap
Based on the reported numbers (and Ill post these later when I get a chance) I believe Wentz’ new cap numbers will be $3.99M, $18.66M, $34.67M, $31.27M, $34.27M, and $32M. There are some other minor rules I want to check into (and these can fluctuate if he doesn’t fall off the log right away), but I think these should be in the ballpark of where Wentz will be with the salary cap down the line. I’ll update this if I come across any more details.
Football operations, scouting department changes showcase depth of in-house talent - PE.com
Andrew Berry, who was hired just prior to the 2019 NFL Draft as the vice president of football operations, will continue to play a major role: “We knew when we hired him that he would be a big part of what we’re doing moving forward and giving him this opportunity working across football operations and personnel, player development, he’s got experience in analytics. He’s a vital part of our collaborative approach to building our football team,” said Roseman. “He has such a versatile résumé. He was a vice president of player personnel (with the Cleveland Browns) so he’s run a personnel department, he’s run a pro scouting department, he’s run a college scouting department. He’s put together an analytics group and now he’s got a chance to see what we’re doing.”
Doug Pederson tries to move the Eagles forward while getting them back to where they used to be - The Athletic
His team is at an interesting point in time. “We may not be the hunted, but we are known,” he says. “We are definitely one of the teams that other teams have to take notice of. Teams are still going to play their best against us. We have to play our best every week. The last couple of seasons are something to build upon for our team. But by no means are we satisfied. It’s Super Bowl or bust kind of thing. One of my goals coming in here as a head coach was to establish a culture that when we show up for training camp, we expect to be playing in January and February. I think we’re getting there.”
2018 Passing Plus-Minus - Football Outsiders
Passing plus-minus is a stat we annually track to help provide context to completion percentage. Given the location of a quarterback’s passes, it compares his completion percentage in each area to historical baselines. This stat does not consider passes listed as “Thrown Away,” “Tipped at Line,” or “Quarterback Hit in Motion” by Sports Info Solutions charting. How often a pass is completed based on the pass distance, the distance required for a first down, and whether the ball was thrown to the left, middle, or right side of the field. This is a counting stat, so more attempts are obviously a great thing for the purposes of what we’re talking about here. [BLG Note: Carson Wentz ranks 8th on this list, ahead of Nick Foles and Dak Prescott.]
Brandon Lee Gowton Talks Eagles Mini Camp - 94WIP
From Bleeding Green Nation, Brandon Lee Gowton, calls in to talk about the Eagles off season and the start of mini camp.
Draft Decisions: NFC East - Rotoworld
2.21 (53). RB Miles Sanders, Penn State - “Hey guys, we drafted a running back! We draft running backs in Philadelphia”... Staff favorite. Coaching favorite, personnel favorite. Front office favorite. Reminded us of some other players we’ve had around here. Great lateral quickness. Perfect fit for our offense… If he goes back for another year and stars again, how high could he go? Great feet, great balance, quick strike ability. Low mileage is a positive… Fumbles and pass pro can be fixed by Duce Staley. Same concerns Brian Westbrook had. LeSean McCoy has ball security questions as well… Can play all 3 downs. Jordan Howard has better hands than advertised. Coach can provide different looks. Matchup league. There’s not a play coach can’t call because we don’t have a skill set there… We joked about Sanders being available in round two… We’ve been looking for a runner like Miles for years.
Inside the short, unhappy life of the Alliance of American Football - ESPN
CHARLIE EBERSOL WOKE up in his San Francisco apartment just after 6:45 a.m. on April 2, his phone buzzing. He was running on four hours of sleep, as he had for months. In the previous two years, he had gotten married, become a father, founded America’s newest professional football league and overseen the hiring of more than 1,000 employees. His assistant scheduled his day in 7½-minute increments. He was 36 years old, with an easy smile under warm eyes, the filmmaker son of Dick Ebersol, one of television’s most celebrated and influential executives during his career at NBC, and Susan Saint James, the famed actress and activist. Charlie was always hustling, texting, hanging in powerful circles, flashing the caller ID on his iPhone when someone famous called, playing the part of salesman and brimming with confidence, at times too much. Ebersol knew the call had to be about his league, the Alliance of American Football. The AAF’s newest controlling investor, Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, had telegraphed for weeks that the league might not finish its first season. The news was now breaking. Ebersol had worked frantically to talk Dundon out of killing the league while also searching for a new investor. But potential buyers needed more time, maybe weeks, to vet the AAF -- or so they said. Ebersol didn’t have weeks. He had days. And as he answered his phone, Ebersol suspected he might be down to hours.
Join Broad Street Hockey and your fellow Flyers fans for The 2019 NHL Draft Party in Philadelphia! - BSH
It’s happening again and we want you to come hang out with us! This year our party will take place at Field House in Philadelphia beginning at 6pm on June 21 to watch our Philadelphia Flyers pick 11th (or will they??). Field House has a few different entrances, so here’s a handy map to help you find us.
How we should now evaluate the NFL offensive linemen who were drafted in 2016 - SB Nation
Retired NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz looks back at a draft that was loaded with OL ... in the first round.
...
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