Eagles News: Andre Dillard hasn’t allowed a single quarterback pressure so far

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Andre Dillard, Elgton Jenkins and Patrick Mekari shining as pass-blockers early in preseason - PFF
Of the 35 rookie offensive linemen who have lined up for at least 40 pass-blocking snaps this preseason, three have distanced themselves from the pack by not allowing a single quarterback pressure. A few familiar names in Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Andre Dillard and Green Bay Packers second-round pick Elgton Jenkins headline the small group, proving early on that they can succeed against NFL-caliber players. [...] So far this preseason, we’ve seen [Dillard] face off against a handful of players on the edge, including Jacksonville Jaguars first-rounders Josh Allen (2019) and Taven Bryan (2018), as well as Ravens castoff Kamalei Correa — now with the Tennessee Titans as a former second-round pick in 2016. Of his 50 pass-blocking matchups, Dillard has been credited with a “loss” just once, otherwise stuffing Allen on three occasions and Correa on 10, among others. If his early preseason success is any indication, Dillard may not be riding the bench for long come the regular season. Two impressive pass-blocking performances, and even a 91.6 run-blocking grade in preseason Week 2, will have the Eagles giddy to get him real playing time.

Eagles vs. Ravens Practice Notes: Carson Wentz to Alshon Jeffery is the play of the day - BGN
But then Wentz DID connect with Jeffery on a deep bomb with Earl Thomas beat in coverage. Thomas tried to rip the ball out as Jeffery went to the ground but the receiver held on. Easily the best play of the entire practice for either team.

Hugs Are Bad, Handshakes Are Good - BGN Radio
Brandon Lee Gowton & Michael Kist recap the last two days of practice for the Philadelphia Eagles including a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens! PLUS several updates on injuries and some roster predictions at key spots!Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Eagles mailbag: Mostly roster what-ifs, trade possibilities, odds and ends, etc. - PhillyVoice
Young corner: I still think that the best candidate for a trade in this department would be Sidney Jones, however, I just don’t see that happening at this time with Ronald Darby’s Week 1 availability in question, and Jalen Mills likely to start the season on PUP.

Ravens vs Eagles, Day 1 - Iggles Blitz
Mack Hollins had an active day. It was good to see him play against the Jaguars and then to read about him having good moments against the Ravens tough secondary. Hollins is a talented receiver, but I feel like people have almost given up on him because of last year. The injury situation was weird, but Hollins seems to be healthy now and heading in the right direction. He’s important because he can do the dirty work. He’ll block and play on STs.

From MVP to the NFC North winner, our 10 favorite bets for the 2019 season - The Athletic
Carson Wentz to win MVP: +900 — Let’s finish up with my two favorite MVP bets. In the last five years, the MVP has been a quarterback who played at a high level and whose team finished with a top-two seed in his conference. Narrowing the criteria to fit that description, we end up with 10 to 12 potential candidates. Wentz is an appealing pick out of that group for a number of reasons. No. 1, he’s positioned to succeed. The Eagles have a top-five offensive line, tremendous weapons in the passing game and an excellent play caller in Doug Pederson. They’re also going to throw the ball a lot. In 2017, Wentz was in the MVP discussion through 13 games before getting injured. We know he has the ceiling to be in the mix. And as far as team performance goes, the Eagles are one of five teams that has made the playoffs in back-to-back years, and they have the third-easiest schedule, per Sharp Football Stats. Obviously, he has to stay healthy, but Wentz at +900 is intriguing. Note: Other places, such as the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, have Wentz at +1200.

Gridiron Digest: Rookie Quarterback Extravaganza - B/R
Andre Dillard, offensive tackle, Eagles. Dillard appeared to completely space out on the play that knocked Cody Kessler out of the game and Josh McCown out of retirement. But as this breakdown by former NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz illustrates, Dillard was actually handling his assignment properly. Dillard, the Eagles’ first-round pick and heir apparent to Jason Peters, has been solid in camp and in games, so the Eagles are now loaded with depth at tackle. The Texans general managers should call them. No, not all at once! Now you’ve all gone straight to voicemail, and no one checks voicemail anymore. No wonder the Texans can’t get anything done.

Practice with Ravens provides new intensity, perspective - PE.com
A knee injury suffered on a botched handoff attempt in Dallas last season cost Corey Clement the rest of the year and he’s worked hard to get back on the field. It’s been an arduous process, but Clement looked like the best version of himself on Monday against Baltimore, ripping off several long runs. Clement attacked his rehabilitation, lost weight, feels faster, and is hopeful to make his 2019 preseason debut on Thursday night against Baltimore. The injury was a stunner and Clement has worked hard to win the physical and emotional battle. “It’s a jolt of reality and it reminds you that you can never take this game for granted,” Clement said. “I’ve put a lot of hard work into this, into getting back on the field. I felt great out there today. I felt fast, I saw the field. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed working against another team.”

2019 NFL Week 1 picks: Steelers challenge the Patriots, Giants give Cowboys a scare and more best bets - CBS Sports
Eagles (-8.5) vs. Washington. I don’t love challenging the bigger point spread here, especially considering this is a divisional game. But this also smells like a game that could stay close before getting out of hand in the second half. History is on the Eagles’ side, too. In every one of Philly’s four straight wins against the Redskins, the Birds have claimed victory by at least 10 points. Couple that with the fact that this year’s Jay Gruden-led squad is comparatively worse -- maybe among the least-exciting rosters in the NFL -- and all of a sudden an 8.5-point margin doesn’t sound so crazy. Carson Wentz will be itching to return with a bang, and he’s got more than enough weapons to drop 35 on Dan Snyder’s club if everything goes according to plan. The Eagles are the smart bet.

As Baltimore Ravens head to Philadelphia, John Harbaugh has a Doug Pederson story to share - PennLive
Harbaugh said it was clear Andy Reid, Philadelphia’s head coach at the time, wanted Pederson on the team for a reason. “He was sharp,” Harbaugh said of Pederson. “He was a leader, and he knew how Andy wanted to do things because he had been in Green Bay with Mike Holmgren, and he knew the philosophy. He was big that way. He was really good for Donovan McNabb. He was a great mentor for Donovan.”

Malcolm Jenkins weighs in on NFL’s controversial partnership with Jay-Z - NBCSP
“We’re all kind of waiting to see kind of what the details are,” said Jenkins after Monday’s practice. “As a player who’s had to negotiate with the league and sit across from billionaires and talk about issues and why they should be important and why the NFL should be highlighting them, I think having somebody like Jay-Z who can add to that conversation — he does these things on a daily basis, has a history of doing those things — helps us as players to have an ally like that, so I’m looking forward to seeing what that turns into.

Report: Ezekiel Elliott and agent Rocky Arceneaux found Jerry Jones’ “Zeke who?” comment disrespectful - Blogging The Boys
The Ezekiel Elliott holdout isn’t necessarily super dramatic, but it did take a new turn with this Mortensen tweet. Elliott and his group want Jerry Jones to know that they don’t appreciate his worth being joked about. It’s a serious matter.

There is no quarterback controversy, and other thoughts - Big Blue View
Whether it’s a John Mara decision, a Pat Shurmur/Dave Gettleman decision or a combination of all of the above, Eli Manning is going to be the starting quarterback for the New York Giants to begin the 2019 season. He is going to continue to be the starting quarterback until he either proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can no longer play at a capable level, which neither I nor the organization believes is currently the case, or the Giants fall hopelessly out of playoff contention. That’s just how it is. There continue to be media members who, while questioning the Giants’ head coach, try to find backdoor ways to get Shurmur to open the door to a quarterback controversy. There are national media members and talking heads who insist there is a quarterback controversy. There are still incredulous, angry fans upset by the recent spate of losing seasons who can’t understand why Manning wasn’t gone years ago. In the eyes of the Giants’ organization, though, there is no controversy.

Vic Fangio Is Bringing His Hometown Vibes to Denver - MMQB
Fangio has coached in many different locations over the years, but he’s never forgotten his roots in his hometown of Dunmore, Penn. And now that Mike Munchak, from the neighboring Scranton, is also on his coaching staff, there’s an undeniable Northeast Pennsylvania influence around the Denver facilities. Also, veterans explain the magnetic draw to Bill Belichick, Mike Mayock has had it with Antonio Brown, Kyler Murray’s clapping problem and we try smelling salts!

Who won Week 2 of the 2019 NFL preseason? - SB Nation
10. Josh McCown’s jersey room, which just got 10 percent more decoration. McCown will soon find his picture listed under the Webster’s Dictionary entry for “journeyman,” (should my letter to the editor find its way to the right hands). The 40-year-old broke his brief retirement to join the Eagles as Carson Wentz’s backup, making Philadelphia the 11th stop in a 17-year NFL career. The veteran has alternated good and bad seasons since 2013. Fortunately (?) for the Eagles, 2018 was decidedly “bad” for the former Jet — his 55.8 passer rating was his lowest ever in a season where he’s thrown at least 20 passes. He’ll supplement a quarterback room that’s been ravaged by injury this preseason, as both Nate Sudfeld (broken wrist) and Cody Kessler (possible concussion) are slated to cede snaps. If McCown snaps back to form, he could carve out a spot as the No. 1 option behind Wentz this season — which, if history is any indication, will lead to an eventual Super Bowl MVP award.

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