Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...
Only a global pandemic could stop the Eagles from signing a free-agent cornerback (Byron Jones) - Inquirer
But the groundswell of expectations from league sources suggests that Roseman will spend the bulk of his free-agent dollars on cornerback and use the draft to stock the bare receivers bin. Jones isn’t the only available cornerback. The Eagles could be in on second- and third-tier free agents like James Bradberry, Trae Waynes, Kendell Fuller, Logan Ryan, Bradley Roby, Eli Apple, Chris Harris, Jimmy Smith, or Xavier Rhodes. But Jones checks off so many of the Eagles’ boxes. It will cost them, and there’s a good chance that he won’t play up to his salary. But that’s the price of doing business in free agency, and of drafting poorly.
Eagles Mock Draft Roundup: Justin Jefferson is the favorite but there’s a dark horse rising - BGN
Jefferson just edged out Ruggs as the most popular pick in last week’s roundup. Now Jefferson has a clear lead as the favorite for No. 21. I previously discussed Jefferson’s potential fit with the Eagles at length. Silva’s recent Michael Thomas comparison for Jefferson caught my attention. Thomas isn’t a burner by any means (4.57 speed - 29th percentile) but he’s still a very dominant player for the New Orleans Saints. If the Eagles think Jefferson can be a similar kind of force, well, that’s why he’d make sense in the first round.
What’s the plan? - BGN Radio
Jimmy Kempski and Brandon Lee Gowton hit up a plethora of topics: XFL players to snipe? Marty returns! The Off-Season Attack Plans. Finger wagging draft crushes. Listener questions! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.
Roundtable: NFC East beat writers break down their teams ahead of free agency - The Athletic
Wish list: They must add a No. 1 cornerback, with the Cowboys’ Byron Jones being the player to watch. The wide receiver market is not as robust and it’s a deep draft class, so the Eagles shouldn’t rush to spend big there. They must make speed a priority, though, which is why Tampa Bay’s Breshad Perriman is a player to target if the price is right. Even though the Eagles are returning their starters on the defensive line, their pass rush wasn’t good enough last season and the position is an organizational priority. The Eagles need linebackers, but it’s not a position they value with significant resources. Look for them to go bargain shopping at the position. The Eagles have preferred veteran backup quarterbacks with starting experience under Doug Pederson, and they’ll be flush with options once the starting jobs are filled.
NFL Free Agency Primer - Rotoworld
Running Backs, Also Out There: Jordan Howard. Even in today’s NFL, plug-and-play two-down grinders are still surprisingly popular. [...] Wide Receivers, Also Out There: Breshad Perriman has quietly become one of the better situational deep threats in the league. It’s something every team needs and few teams have.
Top 101 NFL free agents of 2020: Tom Brady fourth-ranked QB - NFL.com
6) Byron Jones — Jerry Jones isn’t one to lose his stars, but he’s in a bit of a bind with Jones as the talented third wheel, tagging along behind Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper in the contract line. A rare athlete, Jones started his career at safety before moving to his current cornerback role that calls for the weekly stifling of top receiving threats.
Revisiting the Top Free Agents of 2019 - Over The Cap
Nick Foles, Jaguars- 4 years, $88 million, $50.125M guaranteed. Foles was supposed to lead the offensively challenged Jaguars to the promised land but an early injury set the team back and then when Foles returned he struggled and was quickly benched in hopes of sparking the team. We valued Foles’ performance for the year around $1.9 million, that of a low level backup, The Jaguars will be desperate to trade Foles as cutting him will cost nearly $34 million on the salary cap with another $5 million becoming guaranteed in early March. Woof.
The Most Interesting Teams Entering NFL Free Agency - The Ringer
The Cowboys are in a squeeze. They already have the league’s most expensive offensive line and most expensive running back. Now they’ll likely have to make quarterback Dak Prescott the most expensive player in the league. But if the proposed collective bargaining agreement passes, teams will get only one franchise tag to use, and the Cowboys will be hit the hardest. With only one tag available, they’ll be in an even worse negotiating spot with Amari Cooper. Letting their best receiver leave in free agency after trading a first-rounder for him in 2018 and handing Prescott the league’s richest contract is almost unthinkable. Not only is Cooper a free agent, but so is Randall Cobb and Tavon Austin. Will Dak earn $36 million a year to throw at Michael Gallup? Cooper has so much leverage that retaining him for his expected price—maybe $20 million a year—could also be imprudent. Is Dallas going to spend a fortune on their offense when their players disappeared in clutch moments last year? Perhaps the bet is that new head coach Mike McCarthy can fix everything, including the team’s expected decline on defense with the loss of defensive end Robert Quinn and cornerback Byron Jones, whom Dallas did not prioritize re-signing.
Redskins place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Brandon Scherff - Hogs Haven
The Redskins have officially placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on right guard Brandon Scherff. This move was expected for a while, even though the Redskins were reportedly working on an extension to avoid the tag. The Redskins have been trying to work out a new contract with Scherff since at least last year, but the sides were far apart. The last reported offer from the Redskins was $13+ million per year. The free agent market is expected to produce some eye-popping deals if the new CBA is approved tonight.
Roundup: G Chance Warmack eyeing comeback - NFL.com
Once the No. 10 pick in the draft, guard Chance Warmack is eyeing a comeback, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported. Selected 10th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, Warmack played from 2013-2016 with the Titans before two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Warmack did not play in 2019. Garafolo added that Warmack has team visits lined up once teams reopen facilities. [BLG Note: Never forget the Eagles paid Warmack just over $2 million to play seven snaps in 2018.]
Sources: Many team officials question start of NFL’s league year - ESPN
Multiple team officials are skeptical that the NFL will be able to start its league year next week, expressing doubt to ESPN’s Adam Schefter given the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the United States and the typical in-person visits, including physicals, that would have to happen as part of free agency. It’s a situation that is drawing a variety of opinions across the league. Some told Schefter that they believe the NFL is waiting for voting results from the NFL Players Association on the proposed collective bargaining agreement to announce its next step, in hopes of avoiding a third delay to the players’ CBA decision. The vote ended Saturday at 11:59 p.m. ET, with a simple majority needed to pass.
NFL still plans to start free agency next week - PFT
When it comes to its plan for free agency in light of current global events, the NFL could be consciously choosing the appearance of tone deafness over strategic benefit, for now. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the “NFL continues to say it’s business as usual and new league will start this week.” And while Schefter continues not to point out that the league is believed to be waiting until after CBA voting has closed to change its plans (enough believe this that he surely would have heard it by now), Schefter acknowledges that “[m]ultiple team officials express widespread skepticism that the NFL can start its league year this week, when our country is in crisis and so much — travel, visits, physicals — would have to happen.”
Which NFL team will be the next to move on from its starting quarterback? - SB Nation
Dwayne Haskins was drafted last year with the No. 15 pick. That staff that drafted him has been fired and Ron Rivera hired. Since the combine, there have been rumors that Washington is considering Tua Tagovailoa with the second pick, which would also mean passing on elite pass rusher Chase Young. This is the same situation as Arizona last year, but Haskins played better at times in 2019 than Rosen did in 2018. It’s possible Rivera did homework on Haskins last season while preparing for the draft as the coach of the Carolina Panthers and didn’t like him as a player. Or he could have spoken with outgoing coach Jay Gruden and gotten word that Haskins can’t handle the gig. As former Washington linebackers coach Ron Ryan said recently, Haskins wasn’t ready last season.
Coronavirus causes XFL suspension: League balances mixed emotions after sudden halt to 2020 season - CBS Sports
It was Thursday, March 12, around 5:30 p.m. ET, when XFL players started calling their agents to pass along the news. Their league had been canceled. About two hours later, when the startup professional football venture made the official announcement, the terms were less harsh: “Currently, the XFL will not be playing its regular season games” — with a promise to play “a full season in 2021” and beyond. That may very well be true. There is general optimism among the XFL and its players that things will, eventually, return to normal. Pretty much the entire professional sports landscape has been forced to adopt the same hope, all while shuttering — literally — almost every major league in the wake of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Why Covid-19 is so dangerous for older adults - Vox
Even before the Covid-19 coronavirus reached more than 100 countries around the world, early data from China — where the outbreak started — suggested that older adults were the most vulnerable to the worst effects of the disease. Now, that data, along with emerging research from Italy — the second-most-affected country in the world — is showing just how dangerous Covid-19 is for older people, and others with with heart, lung, and immunological conditions.
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