Eagles News: Five players make list of top 100 free agents in 2020

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Evan Silva’s Top 100 NFL Free Agents - Establish The Run
38) Jason Peters – Still among NFL’s top pass-protecting LTs at age 38 but short-term fix at best. [...] 66) Ronald Darby – Name bigger than his game at this point but still only 26, needs better injury luck. [...] 84) Nelson Agholor – Sometimes dynamic, often frustrating slot WR left too many yards on field in ’19. [...] 89) Rodney McLeod – Coverage safety is missed-tackle machine. Will open season on wrong side of 30. [...] 96) Timmy Jernigan – Disruptive role-player NT at best on limited snaps. Dominant against the run.

Eagles are counting on Howie Roseman to fix two positions he’s struggled to get right in the past - BGN
The Philadelphia Eagles’ two biggest positional needs heading into the 2020 offseason are pretty obvious: wide receiver and cornerback. You can debate the order (receiver is the clear priority to me) but they’re undoubtedly the top two. Carson Wentz arguably had to play with the league’s worst receiving corps last season. That can’t happen again; he needs more support. Defensively, the Eagles were getting shredded by opposing receivers on a weekly basis. And so it’s up to Eagles executive vice president/general manager Howie Roseman to fix these spots. The question is: can he? Looking back at Roseman’s track record since he originally came to power 10 years ago, the results don’t inspire the utmost confidence.

Three free agents who make sense for the Eagles, version 2.0 - PhillyVoice
Back in 2016, per Brandon Lee Gowton’s “Eagles’ interest tracker,” the Eagles had Nick Kwiatkoski in for one of their 30 allotted pre-draft visits, they held a private workout with him, and they were in attendance at his pro day. That’s a whole lot of attention for a Day 3 prospect. The year 2016 is particularly relevant for pre-draft interest because it was the year that Roseman came back into power, pre-Joe Douglas. In other words, Howie himself seemed to like Kwiatkoski, who has blossomed into a nice role player for the Bears over the last four years. In 2019, under new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, Kwiatkoski only appeared in 2 of the first 8 games in the regular defense, playing just 45 snaps. After Danny Travathan got hurt, Kwiatkoski became a regular, starting 7 of the Bears’ last 8 games. In those 8 games, he had 58 tackles (6 for loss), 2 sacks, and an INT, while continuing to play special teams.

Berry to the Browns - Iggles Blitz
It would be great to bring Howard back, but there are concerns. How much would he cost? Would Howard be happy as part of a RB trio? He was a workhorse for the Bears. This year he started off as the Eagles workhorse before giving way to Sanders. If you feed the ball to Sanders and still want to get touches to the primary backup and Scott, there could be some games with minimal touches. Howard might prefer to go somewhere he could have more touches. Holyfield is young, cheap and would embrace any role you gave him. There would be real logic to taking a chance on him. The Eagles do need competition in the backfield. They could go for young RBs or add a veteran or two. And there still is the chance they bring Howard back. He was off to a very good start this year before his stinger injury.

Super Bowl LIV Week Is (Finally!) Here—and Don’t Be Surprised to See One or Both of These Teams Here Again - MMQB
The Eagles’ hire of new secondary coach Marquand Manuel won’t get the attention that the offensive coordinator hire will (whenever that happens), but it might be just as critical. Getting the corner spot shored up will be a high priority in Philly this offseason, and Manuel will be in the middle of that.

‘You could have heard a pin drop’ during Kobe Bryant’s 2017 speech to the Eagles - The Athletic
“He was an idol and icon and hero to a lot of us,” said Ertz, who grew up an ardent Bryant fan in Northern California. Ertz received the best birthday present he can remember last year when his wife Julie gifted him a Lakers jersey with a personalized message from Bryant. “Us being pro players, probably very few guys you get hyped for,” Brandon Brooks said that day in 2017, calling Bryant an example of “celebrities among celebrities.” “A dream come true, really,” Rodney McLeod said hours after Bryant’s speech. McLeod sat near the front of the meeting room with his phone ready and a pen and paper prepared to take notes. He didn’t need to review the notes to remember Bryant’s message, though. What resonated with McLeod was the “Mamba mentality.” “He wanted to kill the guy lining up across the court from him, and make him feel he didn’t deserve to be on the court,” McLeod said. “He wanted to make them feel they shouldn’t be on the basketball court. They should be an accountant.”

Chiefs’ LeSean McCoy: ‘I’m going to retire as an Eagle’ - Inquirer
McCoy indicated that he wants to play beyond this season, but as Reid said, the shelf life for running backs is brief, especially for elite ones who have never played special teams. But McCoy proved that he still had agility and burst pre-injury. He could be called upon Sunday. If not, and the Chiefs still won, he said he’d be happy. “I feel like winning a Super Bowl is like a lifetime thing,” McCoy said. “Come on? How many great players that haven’t been here, some that haven’t won. So I’m excited. I’m not going to complain. I can’t be selfish. This is probably the first time I’ve ever been in a situation where it was like this is bigger than Shady McCoy.”

Day in the Life: Scouting an all-star game - PE.com
When I started my career, I was a pro scout, meaning that I was evaluating other teams in the NFL. Pro scouts typically don’t come down to the Senior Bowl or other college all-star games because the college staff primarily handles that. I began coming down here as I made the transition into being a college scout over the years, and it’s been a great experience every single time. For most of the year, college scouts are out on the road working by themselves. We are watching these college players work hard toward reaching their dream of playing in the NFL. What they put on film in games is obviously important, but there’s a lot more to it than just the tape. During the fall, scouts meet with really anyone who connects with these young men on a regular basis. It could be coaches, administrators, staff members, and everyone in between.

‘My time is going to come’: Former Penn State DE Shareef Miller reflects on watching during rookie season with Eagles - PennLive
It was an unremarkable debut for Miller, but it’s one that has stuck in the 22-year-old’s mind. He knows he’ll have an opportunity to make a run at playing time next season, but he also knows he needs to put himself in position to take advantage of the chance when it comes. At this point, it’s less about words and more about action. “I got to do it,” Miller said as he cleaned out his locker earlier this month. “I can’t talk about it. I could say a million things that I’m going to do, but s---, I got to do it.”

Report: Browns hire Andrew Berry as GM - Dawgs By Nature
Berry’s arrival means the Browns have achieved the organizational alignment that co-owner Jimmy Haslam reportedly wants from the franchise. Berry worked with current chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta in Cleveland from 2016 to 2018, and is familiar with head coach Kevin Stefanski from when the Browns interviewed Stefanski following the 2018 season.

Oklahoma Sooners Football: Reports - Former Sooner DeMarco Murray to return as running backs coach - Crimson And Cream Machine
According to multiple reports, record-breaking Oklahoma Sooners running back and current Arizona Wildcats running back coach DeMarco Murray will return to Norman in the same position. The development was first reported by Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority and was later confirmed by SoonerScoop’s Carey Murdock. [BLG Note: Will Murray teach Oklahoma’s running backs how to slide?]

After one season: Debating the Cowboys move of giving Ezekiel Elliott a huge contract - Blogging The Boys
There’s no denying that Zeke is a premium running back. He is durable, he is productive, and can play all phases of the game on offense. And play them at a very high level. The question becomes: is he worth that much more money than other backs, especially if the Cowboys do not emphasize the run game quite as much as they did in the Jason Garrett/Scott Linehan era. The jury is still out on this move, as indicated by ESPN, but we want your thoughts anyway. Did the Cowboys do the right thing, or make a mistake, in paying Elliott the big bucks?

Who the Hell Is Raheem Mostert? - B/R
He just had maybe the best playoff game a running back has ever had, propelling the 49ers into the Super Bowl and rewriting the NFL’s record books. Think it came out of nowhere? Think again.

Andy Reid interview: Chiefs coach talks time in Philly, his future and more ahead of Super Bowl LIV - NBCSP
Andy Reid walked into the media room at the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility with a wide grin on his face and a distinct limp in his gait. The long scar running down the front of his right knee looked like the aftermath of an earthquake fault line, a constant reminder of the two knee replacement surgeries he had on the same knee in 2015 and 2016. We hugged and caught up on sharing information about our families for a good five minutes. That’s the Andy Reid I got to know away from the cameras: unguarded and open. Relaxed and willing to reveal information unknown to the general public. Once the camera light went on, he became Coach Andy Reid again. He gave short answers, never taking praise himself, but always acknowledging players and coaches who’ve helped put him in positions through the years to be successful. He beamed about the pride and joy he felt when watching his protégé Doug Pederson hoist the Lombardi Trophy a few years ago and the city of Philadelphia finally celebrating.

Seven reasons why the Chiefs will win Super Bowl LIV - Arrowhead Pride
It’s attitude. It’s intensity. It’s mentality. These guys talk — and back it up. There isn’t a challenge that intimidates Frank Clark or Tyrann Mathieu. There isn’t a situation (or deficit) too big for Mahomes. Travis Kelce is going to make plays and fight for his right to party. These guys are feeling it. Confidence appears to be at an all-time high. This stuff matters — especially when they back it up on the field with big hits and big plays. The 49ers are a formidable opponent that presents some unique matchup challenges that will be examined ad nauseum. But whatever San Francisco tries to do, it won’t faze these Chiefs. The team is coming into the biggest game of their lives with the swagger of a champion. I can’t see them settling for anything but a title. [...] The Lombardi Trophy goes to the team that plays the best in the postseason — and on one particular Sunday in February. Over the last several weeks, no team in football is playing better than the Chiefs. The 49ers might be walking into a buzzsaw.

Everything you need to know for Chiefs vs. 49ers in Super Bowl 2020 - SB Nation
There’s no bigger party every year than the Super Bowl. That’s especially the case for Super Bowl LIV, whose name alone sounds like we’re all about to have the time of our lives. Like any good Super Bowl, this year’s meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers has something for everyone. Two great teams looking for their first championship in decades. A rocket-armed quarterback who can make impossible throws vs. a terrifying pass rush that can haunt anyone’s dream. One young coach vs. one veteran coach, both hoping for his own brand of Super Bowl redemption. Two rascally tight ends, one of whom is always ready to quote the Beastie Boys. The Super Bowl isn’t just for football fans, though. Maybe you’re only here for Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s halftime performance. Maybe you’d like to reminisce about the time Kathie Lee Gifford sang the national anthem before Super Bowl XXIX. Maybe you’re just looking for someone who hates Aaron Rodgers’ agent in the State Farm commercials as much as you do. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered on all fronts. So join the party and celebrate the Super Bowl all week long with us.

The Super Bowl Is a Smorgasbord of Football Excellence - The Ringer
Here are some other things to know about the matchup between the Chiefs and the 49ers: Mahomes is having the best postseason run ever tracked by Pro Football Focus. San Francisco tight end George Kittle, according to the same service, is the highest-graded player in football. Players and coaches at the height of their talents are spread across both sidelines. This is ensemble perfection. Think of Knives Out, except instead of big sweaters, there are a lot of Hawaiian shirts. Kittle is certainly the best tight end in football, and the second best is on the Chiefs, Travis Kelce. Head coaches Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan are two of the best play callers in modern football. There are dozens of these matchups hidden in Sunday’s game. Stack them all up—and include each team’s talent along the offensive and defensive lines and in the secondary—and you’ve got a great football game. That’s why the betting line started at one point. There’s been only one Super Bowl since 1983 with a one-point spread: the Patriots and Seahawks in 2015. (Which, if you missed it, turned out to be a famously close game.)

NFLPA to meet Thursday with board of player reps to talk CBA - NFL.com
NFL Players Association leaders have scheduled an important meeting Thursday morning with the board of player representatives to discuss the status of collective bargaining talks and get the board’s input on how to proceed, according to sources familiar with the plan. It’s a significant step after months of formal and informal bargaining sessions between the union and the NFL, which continues to push for the option to expand the regular season to 17 games as part of the next TV deals as a condition for increasing players’ share of revenue and other issues. The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire in 2021, and both sides want to avoid a work stoppage. The chances for striking a deal hinge in large part on how players respond to the idea of 17 games. Some players — including 49ers receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who played 17 regular-season games this year because of a midseason trade — have already spoken out strongly against it. So the NFL must make it worth their while, financially and otherwise, or else players opposed could band together and try to block it.

...

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen

BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta

BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton

BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio