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Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...
Biggest steals of the 2020 NFL Draft - PFF
PICK 127 — CB K’VON WALLACE, PHILADELPHIA EAGLESPFF Big Board rank: 60. With his physicality, instincts and quicks, Wallace can play in the slot or box at an incredibly high level and should have been a second-round pick. Wallace was consistently solid in coverage at Clemson, but he took a huge step forward in 2019, logging an 89.7 coverage grade and combining for 10 pass breakups and interceptions (more than what he combined for in his last three years).
K’Von Wallace is on a mission and the next stop is Philadelphia - PE.com
As expected, Dawkins’ presence looms large over the program, especially for defensive backs like Wallace. However, Wallace got to know Dawkins personally through his roommate, Brian Dawkins Jr. “They’re like family to us,” Wallace said of the Dawkins family. “My mom knows his mom very well. They communicate here and there.” “We never really talk much football,” he added. “We talk about life. We talk about our spiritual selves because he’s a man of God first. He just always wants his son and I to be heavy on the word and to be driven spiritually because that’s where your passion comes from. Football will always take care of itself when you got the right things in place.”
Projecting first-year roles for each of the Eagles’ 10 draft picks - PhillyVoice
Round 4, S K’Von Wallace: I would project Wallace to get the second-most snaps among the Eagles’ rookie class, behind Reagor. Wallace is coming from a program in Clemson where he played in three ACC Championship Games, and five College Football Playoff games, including two for the National Championship, and he had to cover NFL-calber receivers every day in practice. He has already been a productive player at the highest level of college football. He is also a versatile defender, who is something of a safety/slot corner hybrid, or as the current NFL buzz word goes, “positionless.” [...] With no Eagles injuries in the secondary, Wallace could compete for the third safety job with Will Parks. With injuries (and the Eagles always have a slew of them in the secondary), there are all kinds of different shuffles that can occur in which Wallace could find his way into the starting lineup. Of course, he’ll have to show that he can play in training camp, and I believe that he will.
Report: “It’s only a matter of time” before the Eagles re-sign Jason Peters - BGN
It sounds like Jason Peters is going to enter the 2020 NFL season as the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting left tackle. At least, that’s what NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Derrick Gunn seems to be indicating. Gunn said the following during a recent appearance on Quick Slants.
The Eagles are hoping all the speed they added will make them contenders again - SB Nation
The Eagles, to no surprise, targeted a wide receiver with their first pick. What was a little bit of a surprise, though, was that they took TCU’s Jalen Reagor (they also traded for receiver Marquise Goodwin on draft weekend and selected Boise State’s John Hightower in Round 5). However, the biggest surprise came in the second round when Philadelphia opted for a quarterback, despite having 27-year-old Wentz under contract through 2024. So what role will Alabama/Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts fill? Maybe a little bit of everything. The Eagles drafted two offensive linemen but not until Day 3: Auburn guard Jack Driscoll (fourth round) and his college teammate, tackle Prince Tega Wanogho (seventh). Colorado linebacker Davion Taylor, a third-round pick, is a bit of a project but has a high ceiling.
Joe Banner: Eagles picking Jalen Hurts isn’t crazy, but ‘it’s not the path I would have chosen’ - Inquirer
Now, whether he turns out to be good enough, that’s a whole separate question. Because if they got the evaluation wrong, no matter what the philosophy was, then they made a mistake. But I think the worst-case scenario is he’ll contribute some on offense and should give them a quality backup for the next four years. I just think that where they’re situated, with the availability of backup quarterbacks out there on the free-agent market, that (a second-round pick was) too valuable an asset to use the way they did. But I don’t think it was a crazy, irrational decision that I can’t come up with some ways they can use him that make sense.
2020 NFL draft surprises: Why did the Packers, Eagles draft quarterbacks Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts? - ESPN
Let’s be clear here. Hurts’ game is nothing like Hill’s, regardless of how much the Saints just committed to their quasi-quarterback. Hill has played 423 offensive snaps over the past two seasons and thrown a total of 13 passes. He has caught 22 passes over that same time frame. Hurts is not that kind of threat, though I suspect the Eagles will try to integrate at least one package in which they use Hurts and Wentz on the field at the same time to try to confuse opposing defenses. Hurts is not a receiver. He’s not a running back. He’s a true quarterback who also can serve as an effective runner. The Eagles can make use of those skills, even while Wentz is healthy. To start, the Eagles (or Wentz himself) have been aggressive about sneaking their starter. Wentz carried the ball 14 times on third or fourth down with 2 yards or less to go last season, which was as frequently as Ravens QB Lamar Jackson carried the ball in the same situations. Only the Bills’ Josh Allen ran the ball more frequently in short-yardage last season.
Lane Johnson thinks Jalen Hurts pick will ‘bring out the best’ in Carson Wentz - NBCSP
It would be understandable if Wentz wasn’t the biggest fan of the pick. Not only did the Eagles draft his backup, which could signal their concerns with him, but they used the pick on a player who won’t help him win this year. “I think ultimately as a fan, you see it flash across the screen and it’s surprising,” Johnson said in an interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark. “But as far as him, man, the way he handled stuff last year, I think that was big for him. That was big for our team. He’s a competitor, so it’s only going to bring the best out of him moving forward. We’re lucky to have both guys.”
Seven NFL Rookies Who Are Under Pressure to Perform Quickly - MMQB
JALEN REAGOR, WR, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. As we’ve detailed in the past, receiver development is difficult in the NFL as it is. This has changed a bit over the last two years as NFL and collegiate offenses have come to more of a middle ground, but Reagor comes into a situation where he’s going to be forced to be spectacular right away. The Eagles’ aging, injury-prone receiving corps dragged down the offense late in the season and was difficult to replenish in one offseason, despite a solid draft and trade for Marquise Goodwin. Reagor was in the slot 14% of the time at TCU last year and ran 13 different route concepts. The diversification of his responsibilities will broaden in Philadelphia.
Divisional roundtable: Where NFC East teams stand after the draft - The Athletic
Impact rookie — Philadelphia: It better be Jalen Reagor. The Eagles neglected to address their receiver need with a veteran, banking instead on the impressive crop of draft-eligible receivers. At No. 21, that patience delivered Reagor, who will be judged against Justin Jefferson, who was selected 22nd overall by the Vikings, and CeeDee Lamb, who went 17th, within range for a possible trade-up though that may have been easier said than done. The Eagles chose Reagor because the offense has been starved for speed and space in each of the past two seasons, save for one game with a healthy DeSean Jackson. Reagor offers juice on the outside and big-play ability, but the team needs him to start much faster than J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, last year’s early-round rookie receiver, did.
Which are the 10 or 11 relevant teams? - PFT
My own list consists of these no-brainer franchises: Chiefs, 49ers, Patriots, Ravens, Seahawks, Saints, Eagles, Steelers, Packers. That’s only nine; the last spot or two could go to the Rams, Cowboys, Buccaneers (as long as Tom Brady is there), or Vikings, or the Bills, Colts, Texans, or Titans.
Which NFL Rookies Have the Most Fantasy Football Upside in 2020? - The Ringer
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys. Lamb seems like a better real-life than fantasy fit in 2020. Amari Cooper has the no. 1 receiver spot locked down in Dallas, and the no. 2 job is held by the solid Michael Gallup. Lamb may come for Gallup’s targets soon, but it probably won’t be in 2020. So much of NFL passing success is about timing, and timing comes down to practice. In normal circumstances, rookies are behind the curve in getting into a rhythm with their quarterback, and nothing about 2020 is normal. Even if Lamb starts getting reps with Dak Prescott in August, that’s late to begin establishing a rapport. Lamb could surpass the 83 targets that the departed Randall Cobb had for the Cowboys in 2019, but it’s unlikely that he will be able to produce on a consistent basis. It’s unlikelier still that fantasy owners will be able to predict that production well enough to start him. Dallas led the league in total yards last year, but still had just four startable fantasy players: Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Cooper, and Gallup. It’s hard to see Lamb cracking into that group. While his ceiling as the team’s no. 2 receiver behind Cooper is enticing, his floor as the no. 5 option behind Elliott, Cooper, Gallup, and tight end Blake Jarwin is worth keeping in mind.
Dallas Cowboys fans are soaring with confidence after the 2020 NFL Draft - Blogging The Boys
As you can see, a significant majority of Cowboys fans are pleased with what the team has done through the offseason acquisition period. Confidence has shot up more than 100% as the collective has gone from below 40% to over 90%. That’s crazy. No one is saying that the Cowboys have a perfect roster or are going to go 19-0 en route to winning their sixth Super Bowl; however, the organization has really earned the right to be trusted over the last few months. Dallas addressed the defensive tackle position with two free agents and a third-round pick. They added dynamic wide receivers both in returning Amari Cooper and drafting CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys even moved on from Jason Witten which suggests that they are done with letting cornerstone members of the franchise hang on as long as they want to. Things are happening on the team’s terms in many ways which is great to see.
Report: Redskins decline Reuben Foster’s 5th year option - Hogs Haven
The Washington Redskins have reportedly declined the 5th year option for LB Reuben Foster. The former 49ers 1st round pick was picked up off of waivers after San Francisco decided to cut ties with him following another domestic violence incident with his ex-girlfriend(charges were later dropped). Foster did not play for the Redskins in 2018 while he was on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.
Vox Media Furlough Fund - GoFundMe
On May 1, more than 100 Vox Media employees will be furloughed without pay for three months. The Vox Media Union fought hard to mitigate the impact of these decisions on members of our unit, and now, we want to help close some of the financial gaps for our colleagues who have lost their pay. This GoFundMe was created by Vox Media workers, both in and out of the Vox Media Union, who wanted to support colleagues in and outside of the union impacted by these furloughs. All funds collected will be distributed in equal amounts to all furloughed employees and permalancers who opt in to receive funds. [BLG Note: Please consider donating to my furloughed SB Nation colleagues if you can afford to do so. Thank you.]
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