Eagles News: Carson Wentz responsible for Philadelphia having one of the NFL’s best red zone offenses

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Ranking the best red-zone offenses and defenses in 2019: Ravens dominate on offense, Broncos lead the way on defense - PFF
Offense that could be in store for regression: Philadelphia Eagles. EPA per play outside red zone: -0.06 (18th). The Eagles’ offense sat right around league average in EPA per play before they got inside the red zone but fell behind only the Ravens in EPA per play when they got inside the 20-yard line. Philadelphia had one of the most effective ground games in the NFL inside the red zone, as the NFL’s highest-graded run-blocking offensive line truly paved the way last season. Additionally, Carson Wentz threw for 21 red-zone touchdowns, third in the NFL behind only Jackson and Russell Wilson, and he didn’t throw a single interception. That’s a recipe for red-zone success, but given their mediocrity offensively in other areas of the field, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some regression in 2020.

Duce Staley says the Eagles don’t need to limit Miles Sanders’ touches - BGN
“I’m excited abut Miles, I’m excited about him handling the full load. I don’t see Miles as a guy you have to monitor his touches. You put him in and you let him go.”

At the Podium: The NFL100 Snubs Carson Wentz - BGN Radio
John Stolnis airs his grievances against the NFL100 snubbing Carson Wentz as he introduces Wentz’s meeting with the media from this week! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Will Jim Schwartz allow Darius Slay to follow the opposing offense’s best receiver? - PhillyVoice
“So, I don’t know that it’s going to be a 100 percent, all-the-time thing. Maybe it’s a particular game. Maybe it’s 50 percent of the games. Maybe it’s 75 percent of the games that Slay is matching a particular receiver, but you will see that from our defense. And in order to do that, it’s not just on Slay to know inside and outside, which we have a very good comfort level with, and feel like he can do that. But now it’s going to make all of your corners, your safeties, and your nickels have to be just a little bit more multi-dimensional. If Slay lines up at the nickel, the nickel needs to be able to line up at the outside corner, and you need to be able to play man, and zone, and blitz from that same look.

Carson Wentz knows exactly what Eagles’ offense is missing - NBCSP
It’s really hard for an NFL team to go 12 straight games without a 40-yard catch by a wide receiver, but when you have the receivers the Eagles had last year it’s not too surprising. The Eagles were among the NFL’s worst big-play teams a year ago. They recorded their fewest 40-yard pass plays in two decades and they didn’t have a touchdown longer than 32 yards the last 15 games of the season. In fact, their wide receivers didn’t have a TD longer than 20 yards after the opener. Once DeSean Jackson’s season ended essentially after one game, there was zero firepower in the offense, and the fact that the Eagles were able to make the playoffs and finish with the No. 12 offense in the league is a testament to what Carson Wentz was able to do with a cobbled-together offense of practice squad receivers. But it’s a tough way to win. Really, it’s almost an impossible way to win.

Will Carson Wentz embrace mentorship role with Jalen Hurts? Early signs are encouraging - Inquirer
Wentz knows what it’s like to have a quarterback take him under his wing — and not. And he said he will take the former approach with Hurts. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by a lot of good quarterbacks,” Wentz said Thursday. “That’s not going to change my approach to the game personally and for how I’ll help him. I’m going to be here for him, help him to understand the ins and outs of the game. “Ultimately, do whatever I can to help the team and that’s to help bring him along, as well.” Wentz mentioned his three-year relationship with backup Nate Sudfeld and before that with Easton Stick as his backup at North Dakota State. But it’s probably his experience with Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel after he was drafted in 2016 that will influence the 27-year-old most in his dealings with Hurts.

Broncos release tight end Jeff Heuerman - Mile High Report
Heuerman, 27, was a third round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He piled up 63 career receptions for 678 yards and 5 touchdowns in his time with the Broncos. With the addition of Noah Fant in 2019 and rookie Albert Okwuegbunam, the move is all about youth for Denver. Well, almost all about youth. The Broncos will also shave $4.375 million in salary cap, which will boost their available cap in 2020 to around $16 million for their Top 51. [BLG Note: Heuerman played under Eagles senior offensive assistant Rich Scangarello last year. Maybe the Eagles look to bring him in as a third tight end? Better blocker than Josh Perkins.]

Stephen Jones on Cowboys WR corps: “I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it.” - Blogging The Boys
Prescott threw for career-highs in touchdowns (30) and yards (4,902) a season ago with Kellen Moore calling plays for the first time, while both Cooper and Gallup eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. Adding Lamb, who was an All-American selection and regarded as one of college football’s best players during his career with the Oklahoma Sooners, has to put fear into the minds of opposing secondaries. As the Cowboys prepare for the upcoming season, Prescott has been working out with his star-studded trio. Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones is excited just like the rest of us, and he even went as far to say “I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it”.

A Surprising Question To Have To Ask: Alex Smith or Dwayne Haskins? - Hogs Haven
Secondly, on a much more football related note, building around a 36-year-old quarterback coming off a major injury and doesn’t have any major ties to the current coaching staff seems odd. The math doesn’t quite add up there. If the team is truly in the process of a rebuild – like a real rebuild – Dwayne Haskins is the guy to center it around. Who would you take? Alex Smith or Dwayne Haskins?

Terry McLaurin has what it takes to be a WR1 in fantasy football this year - Fake Teams
What makes McLaurin exciting isn’t just that he’s going to get a ton of targets this year. It’s also that you know he’s going to produce with those targets. McLaurin was tied for 10th in the NFL last year in average depth of target (aDOT)—among receivers with at least 60 targets—with 14 yards. This means Washington’s offense was targeting McLaurin down the field, putting him in great opportunities for big plays and a lot of yardage. We saw this ring true his rookie year when he was top 10 in both yards per reception (15.8, 10th) and yards per target (9.9, T-9th). Among the rising sophomore receivers, I have a lot more faith in McLaurin repeating those numbers than say A.J Brown. While Brown was second in the NFL last year in yards per reception with a whopping 20.2 yards (and first in yards per target with 12.5), he did all his work after the catch, and that is a lot harder to repeat.

NFL suspends Antonio Brown 8 games upon his return - Behind The Steel Curtain
Former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has been very undecided as to whether he wants to play the game of football anymore. On the wrong side of 30, Brown has said he is done, and that he wants to return, all in the course of a week. His overall frustration was with how the NFL is seemingly dragging its feet over disciplinary actions he is facing if, or when, he decides to get back into the league. Per Robert Klemko of the Washington post, if a team wants to take a flier on Brown, he will have to sit out a half of the season, eight games.

ESPN reportedly chooses its new ‘Monday Night Football’ booth for 2020 season - Yahoo! Sports
The vacant “Monday Night Football” announcing booth appears close to being filled. According to reports from Jim Miller and Andrew Marchand, ESPN is expected to announce a three-man “MNF” booth for the 2020 NFL season: play-by-play analyst Steve Levy, and color commentators Louis Riddick and Brian Griese, both former NFL players.

Could NFL players wear masks during the 2020 season? Lingering coronavirus-related questions - ESPN
As it stands, there is expected to be some voluntary use of masks during practice and games. The league’s game-day protocol strongly recommends that coaches, staff members and non-participating players wear them on the sideline. Referees and other officials are likely to be in masks too, to be used in conjunction with electronic whistles. But for now, the only people required to wear masks on the field on game day are the relative handful of non-football personnel who will have access to the field. So the fundamental paradox of playing football in a pandemic — minimizing virus spread among players in a game that does not allow for social distancing — might only be solved by voluntary adoption of technology designs that remain in development. Absent a visor or mask, the NFL will have to hope that the rest of its protocols, from daily or near-daily testing to strict limitations on in-person meetings during the practice week, will prevent infected people from getting onto the field in the first place.

2020 could be strangest NFL season since 1943 - PFT
The 101st season of the National Football League could end up being the strangest one since the 24th. In 1943, World War II caused the league to shrink from 10 to eight teams, and to institute out of necessity one specific rule change that revolutionized the game. The depleted supply of players due to World War II caused the Cleveland Rams to suspend operations for 1943. It also resulted in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles combining teams.

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