Eagles News: Three players make PFF’s list of top 50 NFL players heading into 2020

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PFF50: The NFL’s 50 best players entering the 2020 season - PFF
15. DI Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia Eagles. Aaron Donald exists in a world of his own, but there are a number of other interior defensive linemen who are vying for the title of the best in the league not named Donald. Fletcher Cox is the best power pass-rusher in the NFL. His ability to overwhelm physically dominant offensive linemen is unique, and it has led him to some truly spectacular seasons. Over the past three seasons, Cox has 202 total pressures — the second most in the league among interior pass rushers — and the sixth most in the league among all players. He is a wrecking machine inside for the Eagles. [...] 34. G Brandon Brooks, Philadelphia Eagles. Just a season ago — in his first year back from a torn Achilles — Brandon Brooks won PFF’s Bruce Matthews Award, which is given to the best single offensive lineman in football. It was a career year for a player who has always been quietly one of the best offensive linemen in the league. He has never had a season that graded lower than average, and he has now surrendered just four sacks in four seasons. Last year, he had eight games in which he surrendered no pressure at all, and if anything, he was a better run-blocker than he was a pass-protector. [...] 49. EDGE Brandon Graham, Philadelphia Eagles. Brandon Graham has been one of the best edge rushers of the entire decade, but at 32, we may have seen the last of his best years. Last season, his overall PFF grade slipped below 85.0 for the first time since 2015, and he posted the lowest pass-rushing grade of his career since he became a full-time starter. Sixty-seven total pressures is still an impressive number, but the decisive wins weren’t there as often as they had been in previous seasons. Even a declining Brandon Graham is still a problem for an offense, however, and that’s how he makes this list.

Is Jalen Mills suited for Malcolm Jenkins’ old role? - BGN
If we highlight that game as a benchmark for what Mills could do in his new role, one thing jumps off the film fairly quickly: the Eagles played as much man coverage as they had in any game during the 2019 season. This makes sense: the Patriots’ receiving corps wasn’t that good, so they could hang with them one-on-one in theory (in practice, they still struggled). Mills was regularly tasked with covering Julian Edelman in the slot, which put the Eagles’ CB1 against the Patriots WR1. Again, makes sense. But it also served to protect Mills from the necessary coverage checks he’d have to make in zone coverage. And despite that protection, he still struggled. Here, watch Mills successfully “Banjo” or “Buddy” a two-receiver stack with Rasul Douglas by playing with inside leverage and playing the first in-breaking route from either of the two receivers, while Douglas plays the first out-breaking route. Mills was only able to do this after failing it earlier in the game, where he missed a similar call from Ronald Darby following motion to a two-receiver stack, leading to an easy completion and YAC play.

The Best of The Kist & Solak Show Recaps: 2019 Weeks 9-12 - BGN Radio
Relive the 2019 Eagles season with Michael Kist & Benjamin Solak in this compilation of the best breakdowns & moments with the 2nd installation coverings weeks 9-12! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Eagles new player (or current player with new role) series: Jalen Mills edition - PhillyVoice
The move from Jenkins to Mills is highly likely to be a downgrade, but only because Jenkins has been such a good, tough, tone-setting, playmaking player and leader for the Eagles for more than a half decade. That said, I do think that Mills fits his role well. After playing four years as an outside corner, never shying away from a challenge even if he was sometimes overmatched athletically, it will feel like a breeze for Mills to go from manning up against guys like Julio Jones, to even a good tight end, like, say, Evan Engram, for example. Again, he’ll probably be a downgrade, but maybe not a drastic one? I’m actually intrigued to see what he can do in this new role, which makes sense for his skill set.

Drew Brees fumble highlights how much Carson Wentz nailed it - NBCSP
As we watch Drew Brees backpedal, apologize and now try to smooth things over with his teammates and his city, one thing is becoming clear. Carson Wentz nailed it. The first time. Wentz last Friday became one of the first high-profile white athletes in America to speak out about the killing of George Floyd. He stopped short of specifically calling out police brutality but he condemned “institutional racism” and his approach was one of understanding and empathy. It was honest, it was refreshing and it was unifying. Then there’s what Brees said.

Eagles positional previews: Defensive end - Inquirer
Who’s gone: Unless you count defensive line coach Phillip Daniels, replaced by Matt Burke, the only loss is Vinny Curry, who remains an unsigned free agent after returning to the Eagles last season on a one-year deal. Curry, the team’s biggest edge rusher at 6-foot-3, 279, was productive, notching five sacks, five tackles for a loss and a dozen quarterback hits, while playing 38 percent of the defensive snaps. But management wants to develop its younger players, and Curry turns 32 in June. If he’s still unsigned well into camp and Schwartz isn’t happy with those players’ development, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Curry return.

Eagles Franchise Five: Donovan McNabb, Reggie White among the best to ever play for Philadelphia - CBS Sports
“Concrete Charlie” might be the most popular Eagles player outside of Brian Dawkins, and for good reason. Famously one of the NFL’s last two-way players, Bednarik is known around the City of Brotherly Love as perhaps the truest on-field representation of Philly’s blue-collar fan base, gutting through injuries to play in all but three games over 14 seasons and cracking old-school highlight reels for his jarring physicality.

NovaCare Complex, Lincoln Financial Field set to re-open with limited employees Monday - PE.com
The Eagles will re-open the NovaCare Complex and Lincoln Financial Field with a limited number of employees beginning Monday, June 8. Although coaches are eligible to return to the facility, the Eagles have decided to continue their virtual offseason program remotely. Head Coach Doug Pederson is pleased with the progress made by the team thus far. All NFL players are not yet allowed back to their respective team facilities except for rehab purposes. Coaches will also continue their work from home.

When will the 2020 NFL season start? Answering the biggest questions, 100 days out - ESPN
So when will we start getting clarity on all of this? The NFL has followed a simple rule throughout the coronavirus pandemic: Maintain original schedules until they are no longer viable. So there is no reason to expect the NFL to make any imminent announcements about training camp or the season. For the most part, it has implemented its virtual offseason program in two-week increments. That’s a good working understanding for how the rest of the summer could go.

Three NFC East questions the Cowboys want answered - Blogging The Boys
How long before Jalen Hurts becomes the starting quarterback? It has been a running gag on Twitter that the Philadelphia Eagles drafted their new starting quarterback this year, but it isn’t entirely a joke. Carson Wentz saw his season ended by injury in both 2017 and 2018. Last season saw him play a full 16 games, only to go out early in the first playoff game he ever appeared in. Wentz’s health is the real question here, because the season for Philadelphia will likely depend on just how long he lasts. While Hurts was probably a more logical and valuable selection than we want to give the Eagles credit for, he is no Nick Foles, at least not yet. Doug Pederson is a very good coach who showed that he can make players like Foles better, but Hurts is not going to get the chance to develop that Wentz did when he was actually drafted to be the immediate starter. Hurts is going to be relegated to the second string, which means second-string work. With the CBA practice restrictions, that means that he is not going to be ready to immediately step in. While there is always a chance he could come in and set things on fire, it is very, very slim.

Are the Giants really ‘lacking’ at receiver? - Big Blue View
Golden Tate. 2019 stats: 49 receptions, 676 yards, six touchdowns. Many fans initially crushed the Giants signing Tate, mostly because it came shortly after the much maligned Odell trade. But Tate proved to be a huge positive for the Giants in year one of his contract. He was the perfect security blanket for Daniel Jones, and made his fair share of circus-like catches. The obvious drawback with Tate is his age. He’ll be 32 by the time Week 1 rolls around, and he’s likely on the back nine of his career.

Redskins seem focused on adding local talent to the roster - Hogs Haven
While Ronald Darby has been gone a long time — five seasons with the Bills and Eagles, and a college career at Florida State — he is a Maryland native who was born and raised in Oxen Hill. Speaking to reporters in April, he said, ““I’m grateful for the opportunity in Washington. I’m from the DMV area, so I grew up a Redskins fan. Just to come back home to play for the team I grew up loving is really something huge.”

Drew Brees ‘under fire’ after missing opportunity to advocate for those under fire, issues apology - Canal Street Chronicles
Looking at the hurt in Malcolm Jenkins’ eyes in his video response, which he posted after a conversation with Brees Wednesday evening is just one of many examples of people expressing their disappointment and surprise. Along with him came, sometimes harshly framed, statements and reactions from teammates and NFL players like Michael Thomas, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Sanders, Lance Moore, Marques Colston, Jamal Adams, and many others. Even Ken Crawley, who knows a thing or two about blowing it, chimed in. Meanwhile, both Marcus Davenport and Joe Horn went to his defense.

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