Eagles News: Cam Newton as Carson Wentz’s backup in 2020?

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Cam Newton, Jameis Winston landing spots: As Patriots and others ignore them, here are six teams who shouldn’t - CBS Sports
The Eagles should be thinking in these terms, too. No way they can go into the season with Nate Sudfeld behind Carson Wentz. Not with Wentz’s proclivity to miss games. Not with the stakes being this high for Philadelphia. Joe Flacco would make a helluva lot of sense, too, here. But if I can get Newton for, who knows, $7M a year? $10M? I’m doing it. Add in a voidable year or two to lower the cap hit. What am I missing here? Why wouldn’t a good team jump all over this? I can recall, not that long ago, faux starters like Brock Osweiler getting $18M a year guaranteed for two years, and the Broncos and Texans in a bidding war for his services. And now no one would trade a seventh-round pick for Newton with one year and $19M left on his deal? I get there may be some medical concerns, but the trade would always be incumbent on him passing a physical, anyway. If pretend QB1s were going for $18M BEFORE the cap started exploding, what Super Bowl contender wouldn’t try to get in on this now?

5 things to know about new Eagles cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman - BGN
Nickell Robey-Coleman is just one of the multiple new faces we’ll see line up in the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary this year. The 28-year-old veteran could very well be poised to serve as the Eagles’ slot cornerback. In order to learn more about Philly’s new defender, I thought it’d benefit BGN readers to get a Los Angeles Rams perspective on NRC. Here’s my exchange with Joe McAtee (@3k_), formerly of Turf Show Times.

From the Bleachers #18: Favorite All-Time Eagles Bracket - BGN Radio
Shamus Clancy created a doozy of a bracket using present & past Eagles players, check out his thoughts on how it shakes out for him PLUS some shopping ideas for Eagles gear! Sign up for Shamus’ newsletter right here: https://www.patreon.com/shamus_clancy. Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

A look at the likelihood of wide receivers being drafted before the Eagles’ pick - PhillyVoice
Analysis: In our view, there’s little hope for one of the top three receivers – Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs, as well as Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb – falling all the way to pick No. 21. If the Eagles want to make a move for one of those guys, it will probably require too far a leap, and as a result will be too cost-prohibitive, especially with the Eagles already trading away their higher third-round pick for Darius Slay.

New players, new roles, new numbers: A look at how these Eagles fit in 2020 - PE.com
Will Parks, S, No. 28. A Philadelphia native, Will Parks returns to play with the Eagles as a hybrid safety. So, what does that mean, exactly? It means the Eagles plan on seeing how the fast and aggressive Parks fits in as a deep safety and then how he works out in some of the subpackages within the defense. The Eagles think that Parks is going to allow the secondary to win with a variety of personnel on the field – Kansas City’s defense won the Super Bowl using four cornerbacks on the field at one time, with Tyrann Mathieu serving in that hybrid role, so Parks has a chance to win some playing time in what should be a highly competitive secondary.

Execs unfiltered on every NFL team’s free agency moves and trades - The Athletic
Darius Slay was known to be available for a long time, dating back to last season, without a long line of teams bidding up the price. Philly signed him to a three-year, $50 million extension that gives the Eagles an easy out after two seasons. Most execs seemed to like the acquisition for Philly. Not everyone loved it, with one mentioning the Eagles’ widely celebrated 2011 acquisition and signing of Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha, like Slay now, was a three-time Pro Bowl choice. They were at similar stages of their careers. “Why didn’t the rest of the league want this guy for even a second-round pick if the contract was so reasonable?” this exec asked.

Most impactful moves and offseason goals for all 32 NFL teams - ESPN
Biggest question to be answered: What are they going to do at wide receiver? Philadelphia decided to let the first wave of free agency pass without adding some much-needed receiver help. The Eagles had talks with the Houston Texans about DeAndre Hopkins but decided the deal wasn’t right for them. That puts pressure on general manager Howie Roseman & Co. to get it right in this April’s draft. It’s a very good receiver class, and the Eagles should have the opportunity to get a difference-maker at No. 21 overall. They can’t afford to miss after failing to have a single receiver hit the 500-yard receiving mark in 2019. — Tim McManus

The 1 game that led to Jalen Mills’ position switch to safety - NBCSP
In that 17-10 loss to the Patriots on Nov. 17, Mills played all 74 snaps. It was the only game all season in which he played every snap. He had four tackles and a pass breakup. Overall, he played well. Take a look at how those 74 snaps broke down by position. According to ProFootballFocus, this shows how the Eagles used his versatility in that game: Left corner: 43 (58%), Slot corner: 13 (18%), In the box: 13 (18%)At the line: 4 (5%) , Free safety: 1 (1%) . This was the first time in Mills’ career that he played 10-plus snaps at three different positions. And he wasn’t just playing there, he was good. Against the Patriots, his PFF grade in that game was 77.3, his highest on the season and third-highest in his career. He was targeted 9 times and gave up 3 catches for 11 yards.

NFL Draft 2020: Why XFL’s Kenny Robinson Jr. has unprecedented advantage over other defensive back prospects - NJ.com
Robinson has received phone calls from teams like the Eagles, Jaguars, Rams, Chargers and Chiefs. The calls have revolved around his background, from his West Virginia departure to his XFL exploits. “I want teams to know that I’m mature and ready to contribute right away,” Robinson said. “I’m focused and I can handle everything that comes with it.” So far, scouts have given him a lot of positive feedback. Robinson says scouts believe he was given a “low-key head start” on the draft process because of his XFL work.

2020 NFL Free Agency: Texans Sign Timmy Jernigan To One-Year Deal - Battle Red Blog
Jernigan missed most of the 2018-19 season after having surgery on his back during the offseason. Before his injury, Jernigan was known primarily for his ability to stuff the run. He will bring some much-needed depth to the Texans defensive line. This continues a trend seen in the William O’Brien — General Manager era of the Texans: giving one year “prove it” deals to potentially high-quality players coming off of recent long-term injuries; this method started with Tyrann Mathieu two years ago. If Jernigan can remain healthy, and that’s a pretty sizable if, his signing could really pay off for the Texans.

Malcolm Jenkins attempts to accomplish rare feat in Saints homecoming - Canal Street Chronicles
The past tells us that second stints in New Orleans under Sean Payton frankly don’t go as well as first stints do. Malcolm Jenkins, of all the players mentioned above, is uniquely positioned to be an outlier as he became a much better and smarter player in Philadelphia than he ever was early in his career in New Orleans. Knowing the history of return performances with the Saints, its easy to have some trepidation with bringing the 11-year veteran back into the fold, but Jenkins has proven himself a pillar of consistency and his physicality, smarts, and leadership should prove to be a difference to a defensive backfield that has lacked in those areas since he walked out that door six years ago. If I were a betting man I’d let it ride on Malcolm Jenkins being as good as he was in Philly and certainly better than he ever was the first time around in New Orleans. He certainly won’t be a long term answer, considering his age and the stage of his career, but for a franchise in a win-now mode, on the cusp of the Super Bowl for the last few years, Malcolm Jenkins can certainly accomplish the feat of being a better Saint the second time around.

No fooling: Nick Foles’ addition a sign of Bears’ comfort and desperation - Windy City Gridiron
If only on a temporary basis, Foles is the walking definition of settling. There’s a reason the Bears are his fifth team in eight seasons. The 31-year-old isn’t even a year removed from a lucrative four-year $88 million deal the Jaguars were very keen on ridding themselves of as soon as fathomable. They’re fortunate Pace and his desperation were lying in wait. Foles has never started more than 11 games in a regular season. The next time he accrues meager milestones like 3,000 passing yards will be the first. He’s is a career high-level backup occasionally capable of heroism. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Patriots release quarterback Cody Kessler, leaving depth chart with two - Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots’ quarterback depth chart is down to two. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported Wednesday, New England has released Cody Kessler. Kessler, 26, joined the active roster last September and rejoined before the calendar turned to November. The former Cleveland Brown, Jacksonville Jaguar and Philadelphia Eagle served as the Patriots’ third-string option behind Tom Brady and rookie Jarrett Stidham, playing a role on the scout team while not seeing game action.

Cowboys free agency: Dallas adding DE Aldon Smith who is returning to NFL after four-year absence - Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys have made it a point to beef up their defensive line throughout free agency. So far they’ve addressed the interior by adding former Carolina Panthers Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe, but the outside has yet to receive any attention. That was until Wednesday night. In what is not an April Fools joke, the Dallas Cowboys made a rather large headline by bringing in someone who was once one of the most dominant edge rushers in the NFL. The caveat here is that the time this particular player dominated was about half of a decade ago. You didn’t misread that. We are talking about somebody who was an absolute force throughout the league, but hasn’t really been since 2015. We are talking about Aldon Smith.

Redskins 2020 Free Agency Recap: Who has Washington added/lost? - Hogs Haven
The NFL’s legal tampering period began Monday, March 16th at 12pm EDT, and free agency officially started Wednesday, March 18th at 4pm EDT. There has been a lot going on in that time. The Redskins have already lost 4 free agents, signed 10 outside free agents, re-signed 3 players, released 5 players, franchised Brandon Scherff, traded Quinton Dunbar away, and added QB Kyle Allen via trade. Even more moves are likely to happen, but here is where we stand now.

Daniel Jeremiah’s Top 50: 2020 NFL Draft prospect rankings 4.0 - NFL.com
14) Justin Jefferson — Jefferson is a tall, slender wideout with off-the-charts production. He lines up in the slot and out wide. He is an outstanding route runner. He does a nice job getting on the toes of cornerbacks and then creating separation out of the break point. He does a lot of work in traffic and will extend and finish before taking hard contact. He can play above the rim down the field and can contort his body to make special catches. He doesn’t have elite speed, but he’s plenty fast enough. After the catch, he has some wiggle and will fight for extra yards. Overall, Jefferson is a polished receiver and should make an immediate impact at the next level.

Futures: LSU LB Patrick Queen - Football Outsiders
Hot-and-cold tackling aside, Queen is a top-notch linebacker prospect. He is a sharp processor who is comfortable defending a wide range of run concepts, and he flashes tangible potential as an impactful coverage piece. Queen will need a touch of fine-tuning in the NFL, but all the baseline traits and abilities are there for him to be a starter right away. Pittsburgh Steelers second-year linebacker Devin Bush is not a perfect comparison, but Queen fits the same mold as an undersized, yet smart and athletic linebacker. Queen should be able to follow Bush’s path and end up as a first-round pick. Unless Isaiah Simmons counts as a traditional linebacker, Queen is far and away the top linebacker prospect the 2020 class has to offer.

Mailbag: The NFL Needs to Tone Down its Optimism About the 2020 Season - MMQB
The idea matches up perfectly with the decision to go forward with the new league year, which was, at the very least, an opportunistic move to pull in a captive audience, and the forceful nature with which they’re pushing ahead with the draft, which is, well, the same. It’s who they are, and how they got where they are, and so it’s not that hard to figure out what they’re doing here. But someone, anyone, at some point, should’ve raised their hand and asked the same question that could’ve saved the NFL a lot of trouble over the last decade, in countless scandals that made pro football look like a ruthless circus: Are we doing the right thing?

The 2020 NFL Draft will be different than any other. That hurts lesser-known prospects most of all - SB Nation
The NFL, like most of the country, is on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. No business is allowed at a team’s facility, except for medical rehab. Players, coaches, front offices, and owners are tasked with conducting their various roles off campus. This includes preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft. The draft remains on schedule for April 23-25. It will not be held in Las Vegas, but the picks will still be announced on television, even though no one will be there in person. It’s mostly business as usual for the teams, other than most of their personnel not being able to meet in the same room to review their draft board. It’s not business as usual for a wide range of players entering this draft, though. The cancellation of pro days, medical rechecks, and top 30 visits is going to alter where players get drafted. I spoke with agents, scouts, and coaches, and all agreed this draft will be different than any other since the combine era.

Join DK Rally to help raise $1 million for United Way coronavirus relief work - DraftKings Nation
Today, we are all in need of a comeback and want to use the power of the rally cap to help us get there. For every person who shares their rally cap on social media with the #DKRally hashtag, DraftKings will donate $1 to the United Way’s coronavirus relief efforts until we reach a $1 million goal. The money will help United Way across a range of needs from food banks to medical services to unemployment support. The rally starts on Monday March 23rd and runs through Tuesday April 7th.

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