Eagles News: 2021 NFL power rankings are pretty low on Philadelphia’s outlook

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

NFL Power Rankings: Which teams are best positioned to win the next Super Bowl? - The Athletic
29. Philadelphia Eagles. They are another team without an answer at quarterback. As of this writing, Wentz has not been traded, but the expectation is that he will be. If the Eagles identify a high-ceiling quarterback who’s available at No. 6 in the draft, they could take a swing. If not, they can ride with Jalen Hurts in 2021. If he plays well, great. If not, they can try to come up with a quarterback solution next offseason. The Eagles are in bad cap shape and won’t be able to significantly improve their roster in free agency, and they lack young talent. If Nick Sirianni emerges as the next Bill Walsh or Hurts looks like the next Russell Wilson, they could win the NFC East in 2021. But the most likely scenario is a low-ceiling, mediocre team.

The Ringer’s Way-Too-Early 2021 NFL Power Rankings - The Ringer
25. Philadelphia Eagles. I’m just going to assume that the Eagles trade Carson Wentz at some point in the next few weeks or months, and that Jalen Hurts takes over as the presumptive starter. That should help the team’s offense become a little more dynamic, but Philly’s got plenty of other issues to fix. The Eagles are currently projected to come in $49 million over the cap next year (second worst) and may be headed toward some big roster purges and a rebuilding season under new head coach Nick Sirianni.

Rumor: Bears getting “really impatient” with Eagles in Carson Wentz trade talks - BGN
For all the talk about a Carson Wentz trade happening “soon,” we’ve yet to see a deal materialize. So, what gives? All indications are the Eagles have offers on the table but they’re not lucrative enough for Philly to pull the trigger. It seems like Howie Roseman is holding out for the perfect bid to come in. But will that ever arrive? The Eagles are potentially running the risk of Wentz offers being pulled off the table by waiting too long. On that note, Windy City Gridiron contributor Brandon Robinson recently appeared on The Bear Report Podcast to talk about where things stand with Wentz and the Bears.

Best-case, worst-case scenarios for all 32 NFL teams - PFF
Best-case: They sucker a team into trading a monstrous package for Carson Wentz. Worst-case: It’s Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts and no WR with the No. 6 pick to begin the year. If Philadelphia can get a Matthew Stafford-type of package for Wentz, then this offseason would already be considered a huge win. On top of leading the league in turnover-worthy plays, Wentz ranked dead last in percentage of accurate passes thrown beyond the line of scrimmage and second-to-last in negatively graded throw rate. He does still have something to offer with the right team, but that team is not the Eagles given their current situation, It’s quite clear that he isn’t going to produce like an elite quarterback on a routine basis. With a Wentz seemingly a sure thing at this point and the Eagles unable to make any major moves in free agency with the second-lowest cap space available, it’s vital they nail the No. 6 overall pick. They should obviously be suitors for Justin Fields, like many other teams, but if they lose out on that race they should undoubtedly take the best wide receiver on the board. Heisman winner DeVonta Smith could be that guy. Outside of his thin frame, there is nothing to be concerned about with Smith. He does everything at the position at an extremely high level, and it showed throughout his 2020 season when he posted a record-breaking 94.9 PFF grade.

Mailbag: Remembering NFL Coach Marty Schottenheimer - MMQB
From JT Barczak (@jtbarczak): Who is the Bears’ starter at QB in 2021? ... Straightforward question, JT, so I’ll give you a straightforward answer: Carson Wentz. And I don’t feel great about giving you that answer right now, mostly because the way the Wentz situation has played out, in general, doesn’t lend itself to easy answers. I believe the Eagles overshot the market to begin with by asking for the Lions’ Matthew Stafford return for Wentz. I also think their insistence on coming away with a first-rounder-plus is why things have slowed. Both the Colts and Bears are interested, but there are hang-ups for both. My sense is Indy would want this to be more of a two-year flier than a full-on marriage to Wentz, and it’s important to remember that the Colts didn’t put their first-rounder on the table for Stafford—which shows the sort of discipline GM Chris Ballard is operating with. As for Chicago, mortgaging future assets might be a tough sell to ownership, given that the team’s football brass will be fighting to keep jobs this year. I also think the experience the coaches in both places (Frank Reich in Indy, John DeFilippo in Chicago) have with Wentz cuts both ways. They know the good. They understand the ins-and-outs of what Wentz needs fixed mechanically. They also know how he’s reacted to hard coaching in the past, and how, over his first two years, the Eagles were able to scheme around some of the weaknesses in his game. I’m fascinated to see where this goes.

Trade Rumor: Colts ‘Want More of a Two-Year Flier’ Than a ‘Full-On Marriage’ to Eagles QB Carson Wentz - Stampede Blue
That could certainly be a hold-up if the Eagles expect the Colts to surrender a single first round pick for Wentz, let alone two first rounders—if Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard merely wants an initial ‘two-year tryout’—with a wait-and-see approach beyond that.

More Wentz Speculation - Iggles Blitz
“It is clear as day that Wentz doesn’t want to be here. I have spoken to people who say that he has already mentally checked out of the city - @Tim_McManus” [...] If he wants out, you have to make that deal and move on. I’m not excusing the fact that things got to this point. We’ll have a long discussion about that this offseason. For now, we are staying focused on Wentz getting traded. I would love to see him go to Indy. The Eagles would then only have to face him once every four years. I’m not afraid of facing Wentz so much as all the over the top story lines about his revenge. I also have no interest in Nick Foles coming back. He will forever be a Philly legend for leading the Eagles Super Bowl run, but he’s just not a good QB anymore. We don’t know what Jalen Hurts future is, but we have a pretty good idea of Foles future, and it isn’t pretty.

Carson Wentz watch: Why time is now (or soon) for Eagles to make a deal - ESPN
The urgency stems from the fact that Philadelphia can’t really afford to lose one of its suitors. The Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears are considered the two primary bidders for Wentz — at least at the moment. Having multiple teams in the running is good for leverage. But it’s not as if the Colts and Bears are completely tying their hopes and fates to Wentz. It is believed both teams are looking around at other QB options. It is expected to be a historic offseason for quarterback movement, and there has been no shortage of names in the rumor mill, from Deshaun Watson (Houston) to Marcus Mariota (Las Vegas) to Sam Darnold (New York Jets). If the Eagles let this drag on too long, they run the risk of one of their prospective trade partners growing impatient and making a deal for another quarterback, which would leave Philadelphia in a weakened negotiating stance with the remaining team(s).

What we should expect from Jalen Hurts in Year 2 - NBCSP
Because what a quarterback does as a rookie historically has little bearing on what he does the rest of his career. Alex Smith threw 1 TD and 11 INTs as a rookie. Eli Manning had a 55.4 passer rating. Matt Stafford threw 13 TDs and 20 INTs. Josh Allen completed 52 percent of his passes and had more INTs than TDs. Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions. John Elway, Steve Young and Troy Aikman all threw twice as many INTs as TDs. Etc. So drawing conclusions about Hurts after 3 1/2 games is silly. We don’t know what he can be. We don’t know what he will be. Just remember, players are allowed to get better. Since 1950, there have been only four quarterbacks who’ve started at least four games for the Eagles in both their first and second seasons: Randall Cunningham in 1985, Donovan McNabb in 1999, Nick Foles in 2012 and Carson Wentz in 2016.

Washington re-signs QB Taylor Heinicke for 2 years, $8.75 million - Hogs Haven
The Washington Football Team has been linked with a lot of veteran QBs since the season ended, but have reportedly made their first move to stabilize the position today. Taylor Heinicke has been re-signed to a 2-year $8.75 million deal per Ian Rapoport. Heinicke became a cult hero during his two appearances for the team last season. Both games ended in losses, but he brought excitement that many fans missed at the position. Heinicke started the team’s home playoff game against the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and did better than anyone expected. He outplayed the other QBs the Bucs faced in the playoffs and impressed a lot of people including his teammates and coaches.

Report: Britt Reid’s Chiefs contract has expired - Arrowhead Pride
Britt Reid — the 35-year-old son of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid — is no longer with the club, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Palpably Unfair Podcast #23: Coordinating a Super Bowl Masterpiece w/Guest Nate Tic‪e‬ - The SB Nation NFL Show
Michael Kist is joined by Nate Tice of The Athletic to talk about a wide range of topics, including how and where to learn the game of football, how analyzing football changed from Tice after going from the coaching world to the media world, and an in-depth breakdown of the Super Bowl gameplans from Bucs coordinators Byron Leftwich and Todd Bowles!

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