Eagles News: Philadelphia projects to have the third easiest schedule in the NFL

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Ranking the NFL’s toughest 2019 schedules from 1-32 - ESPN In$ider
30th most difficult — Philadelphia Eagles: Adjusted projected DVOA of 2019 opponents: minus-3.2%. Hardest schedule stretch: Weeks 4-7 (at Packers on short rest, vs. Jets off their bye, at Vikings, at Cowboys). They might be only three spots apart in these rankings, but there’s a big difference between the Eagles playing Atlanta and Seattle while the Cowboys get New Orleans and the L.A. Rams. Plus the Eagles get the Patriots at home and the Cowboys have to face them in Foxborough. Those differences will give the Eagles a leg up on returning to the top of the NFC East. Philadelphia’s schedule ends in December with four consecutive divisional games, including both contests against the Giants. Before that, the Eagles have a three-game road trip in Weeks 6-8 and then a three-game homestand (with a bye in the middle) in Weeks 9-12. [BLG Note: The Giants have the 28th hardest, the Cowboys have the 27th hardest, and Washington has the 22nd hardest.]

Eagles 53-man roster prediction: Cheat sheet edition - BGN
Okay, so, I lied when I referred to my latest Philadelphia Eagles 53-man roster projection as the “final edition.” I’m now doing one last version — a cheat sheet version — now that I have the benefit of seeing the Eagles officially cut their roster down to 65 players ahead of Saturday’s 4:00 PM Eastern deadline. Let’s try to figure out the remaining 12 moves the Eagles will make.

Rankings: The highest-graded offensive linemen through Week 3 of the 2019 NFL preseason - PFF
13. G Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Philadelphia Eagles — 76.9. The Eagles’ versatile offensive lineman has played all 87 of his snaps at right guard so far this preseason, just one year after he saw all of his snaps split between left (231 snaps) and right tackle (98 snaps). Through three games, Big V is yet to allow a quarterback pressure, and he’s only “lost” one of his 57 pass-blocking snaps. [BLG Note: Former Eagles offensive lineman Ryan Bates ranks 11th on this list.]

Whatever happens next, Greg Ward knows he did everything he could - NBCSP
“Honestly, it’s not nerve-wracking at all,” he said. “I’ve got faith. Whatever decision they make is on them. I’m not stressed or worried about it.” This is Ward’s third go-around with the Eagles. He had two stints on the practice squad in 2017 and after he was released in 2018 played in the AAF before that league folded. Ward, a college quarterback, looked like a promising wide receiver transitioning to a new position as a rookie. He looked significantly more comfortable last year. This year? He looks like he belongs. It’s clear he’s an NFL player. He said the key to really being able to shine this year at camp was figuring out how to clear his head and just focus on the challenge of each day without worrying about the big picture. It sounds easy. It’s not.

Citizens Bank Park to open for Eagles tailgaters - Inquirer
Ahead of some Eagles home games, fans can have a Shake Shack burger in one hand and a milkshake in the other as early as 9 a.m.

Jerry Jones: Most of these teams win Super Bowls without rushing champions - Blogging The Boys
“Secondly, we’ve had Zack now going on three or four years. And we haven’t won it [the Super Bowl] yet. And so we’ve got to figure out that obviously he’s not the ingredient that will win it. And so you’ve got to think that like that. You’ve got to play like that.” — You can listen to the entire interview that was on 105.3 The Fan right here, but you should know that he definitely called Zeke “Zack”, that’s not a typo, although it was probably an accident. Either way the fact that Jerry would openly acknowledge that the Cowboys haven’t won the Super Bowl in Elliott’s tenure and that they have to evaluate whether he’s a necessary piece to that cause is extremely interesting.

Mystery: Who Bought Those ‘Zeke Who?’ Billboards in Philadelphia? - MMQB
They popped up around greater Philadelphia, captivating and confusing all who set eyes upon them. Our week-long investigation—consisting of one email, one phone call, and six days of doing nothing—unveiled a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. Or something like that.

New CBA won’t be agreed to ahead of start of 2019 season - NFL.com
No further bargaining sessions are scheduled between NFL owners and players over the next week, so as expected, the 2019 season will begin next Thursday without a new collective bargaining agreement in place, sources tell NFL.com. However, dialogue remained positive between leaders from ownership and the NFL Players Association when they met earlier this week in Chicago, and the sides might reconvene at some point in September. Through seven formal bargaining sessions and a number of staff meetings in recent months, there still has yet to be a breakthrough on the No. 1 issue, with NFL owners continuing to want more regular-season games and NFL players continuing to want a larger share of revenue without adding regular-season games, sources say. Players are guaranteed 47 percent of total revenue under the current CBA, which is set to expire after the 2020 season.

The Real Blown Call: How the Pass Interference Replay Rule Could Explode in the NFL’s Face - The Ringer
The most famous play of the 2018 season wasn’t a catch, tackle, or run—it was the blown call heard round the world that helped propel the Rams past the Saints and into the Super Bowl. This offseason, the NFL changed its rules to make pass interference reviewable. But did it go too far? In trying to avoid one controversy, did the league create the potential for another? What debates could happen next? On Friday, The Ringer explores the ever-changing state of football officiating and how it continues to shape how we experience the game.

Alex McGough cut by Jaguars - Big Cat Country
[BLG Note: Give me McGough on the Eagles’ practice squad over Clayton Thorson.]

Ask a former NFL player: What happens when you’re released during roster cuts? - SB Nation
In 2008, I knew the Panthers were releasing me. They called my hotel room at 6 a.m. after the fourth preseason game, and told me to bring my playbook and head to the stadium. I was released, sent back to the hotel, and waited for the practice squad call. If the team releases a player without the intention of signing him back to the practice squad, he is given a plane ticket and sent on his way. You pack up your stuff in the locker room, say your goodbyes, and bounce. It’s exactly how you see it on Hard Knocks. It’s depressing cleaning out your stuff, knowing the work you put into the offseason, training camp, and the preseason games is for naught. All of us were rock stars in college and now we are humbled.

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