Eagles News: Philadelphia will have scouts at Trevor Lawrence’s pro day

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

NFL Execs Discuss Top Story Lines of Another Unusual Offseason - Sports Illustrated
The expected No. 1 pick will be working off a 50-throw script that will show his ability to play under center and off play-action, and emphasize his pocket movement and proficiency throwing on the move, from screen passes to deep shots. Lawrence hasn’t had the run-up that most quarterbacks do ahead of a pro day, because of the timing of all this, but he and Lawrence did get in two weeks of work in Orange County, and had a dry run Wednesday in South Carolina. And while the Jaguars are probably the only team that needs to be in attendance—I’m told that new Jacksonville coach Urban Meyer is credentialed for the event and is expected to be there—at least seven of the teams picking in the top 10 are slated to show up. The Jets, Dolphins, Falcons, Eagles, Broncos and Panthers will have scouts on the ground, too. One of those teams told me they felt like they had to be there, just to get the chance to see Lawrence throw and value him, just in case. [BLG Note: Sign that the Eagles are seriously looking to draft a quarterback?]

Bold NFL offseason predictions for all 32 teams: Trades for Deshaun Watson, Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz, more - ESPN
Philadelphia will draft a quarterback in the first round to compete with Jalen Hurts. Would the organization really end one quarterback controversy by trading Carson Wentz, just to invite another? That will be a question to grapple with between now and April’s draft. The opportunity could be too good to pass up. The Eagles hold the No. 6 pick and obviously hope they’re not selecting that high again anytime soon. If they identify a franchise QB, they could pounce while they have the chance.

What the Eagles should do at running back - BGN
After showing star potential down the stretch in 2019, there was excitement about Sanders taking a big step forward in Year 2. But that didn’t exactly happen. Sanders did improve his rushing efficiency due to a number of explosive runs that showcased his big-play ability. His volume stats could’ve been gaudier if the coaching staff was willing to ride him harder ... and the game script didn’t often have the Eagles trailing. But I’d argue Sanders’ usage wasn’t the most disappointing part about his 2020 season. Rather, it’s how he took a big step back as a pass-catcher. Carson Wentz deserves some blame in this regard since there were some plays when Sanders was open down the field (Week 3 comes to mind) and the quarterback merely overthrew his target. But Sanders also contributed to his regression with a league-high eight passes dropped. Sanders also allowed the fourth-most pressures of any running back in pass protection, according to Pro Football Focus. Sanders’ four fumbles ranked tied for third-most in the league and that was with a considerably lower workload than the top two players.

The Solak Show 001: Wentz Trade Rumors & 2-High 4-Ev‪a‬ - BGN Radio
The new Solak Show hosted by Benjamin Solak debuts with an analysis on the sudden stall of the Carson Wentz trade market, then welcomes Pewter Report’s Jon Ledyard for an X’s and O’s discussion on the Buccaneers’ defense against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Ron Jaworski discusses the ‘best offer’ the Eagles have received for Carson Wentz - PhillyVoice
Jaworski has close ties with the Eagles, and he even played a role in the hiring of Doug Pederson to become the head coach in 2016. But clearly, he is not working for the team now, as if he were, he would not be revealing that the best offer the team has received is... eh, just OK. The assumption here would be that one of the second-round picks from the Colts would be in 2021, and the other second-rounder in 2022. The Colts hold the 54th overall pick in the 2021 draft. According to the trade value chart, that pick is worth 360 points. If we were to assume the Colts could be picking in the same neighborhood again in 2022, the value of those two second-round picks together would be worth the equivalent of a late first-round pick.

The New Staff - Iggles Blitz
Sirianni has embraced youth. Andy Reid did that when he hired Ron Rivera, Leslie Frazier, Sean McDermott, Steve Spagnuolo, Brad Childress, Tom Melvin and Pat Shurmur. Reid kept young holdovers like Juan Castillo and John Harbaugh. That turned out to be an amazing staff. Sirianni isn’t likely to land a group that good, but there is something to be said for taking a chance on young coaches. If you can find guys that are smart, hungry and good teachers, you can build a really strong staff. This group should have plenty of new ideas. Several of them are coming up from the college ranks. Johnson was part of a cutting edge offense at Florida. I would hope he’ll have some good ideas to share with his NFL counterparts.

The Biggest Story Lines of the 2021 NFL Offseason - The Ringer
But Wentz doesn’t look great in this situation either. He has not requested a trade but is interested in playing elsewhere, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Les Bowen. Wentz has never won a playoff game with the Eagles. He’s made nearly $80 million in the past five seasons. He reportedly did not respond well to the quarterback competitions with Nick Foles—his backup who had a statue erected outside the Eagles stadium. Nor did he respond well to the Eagles drafting quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round last year, or Roseman’s comments that he wanted the Eagles to be a “quarterback factory.” But competition and uncertain job security is the nature of professional sports. If there is any doubt about Wentz being unable to meet the challenge, remember that the Eagles are attempting to take on the biggest dead cap hit ever so he can play somewhere else.

Eagles mock draft: The trade possibilities if it’s not Ja’Marr Chase at No. 6 - The Athletic
The further you move back, the bigger the draft-pick reward, but this is an Eagles roster devoid of young, blue-chip talent and the further back you go, the worse odds you have of drafting such a player. So, let’s say Jeffrey Lurie calls you later today and offers you a one-question job interview to replace Roseman. He presents these three hypothetical options: 1) Surrender the No. 6 pick, your 2021 second-round pick and a 2022 third-round pick to draft Fields at No. 3. 2) Stay at No. 6 and draft Chase. 3) Trade No. 6 to the Patriots for No. 15, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick. Select Georgia pass rusher Azeez Ojulari at No. 15. Which do you choose?

Way Too Early 2021 DVOA Projections - Football Outsiders
[BLG Note: The Eagles are projected to be 26th.]

The Look Ahead #23: What happens with Russ, Watson, and Wentz‪?‬ - The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera and RJ Ochoa look at some unhappy quarterbacks around the NFL right now, and wonder how Kansas City’s team will look different in 2021. How much should Seahawks fans be worried about Russell Wilson? Will the Texans’ restructuring help keep Deshaun Watson? Why the Colts won’t be the ones getting Wentz when the dust settles. Are we wrong to assume the Chiefs will be back in 2021?

The reality is that quarterback might be an option for the Cowboys in the first round of the 2021 draft - Blogging The Boys
2021 marks the highest that the Cowboys will draft in the first round (10th overall) since the draft that brought them Dak Prescott. It is possible that a handful of signal-callers go before they are on the clock, but they should be in range to draft someone that certainly has legitimate NFL potential. The Cowboys have generally drafted well at the top of their hauls in recent memory and it makes sense that they would do all of the homework necessary. Remember that last year their first reported virtual interview was actually with a quarterback, then Oklahoma’s and now Philadelphia Eagles starter (?!) Jalen Hurts. A lot of the makeup of the quarterback position across the league is going to be determined by the offseason that we are forecasting to be wild and filled with trades. Some have suggested including Dak Prescott in the frenzy of it all, but unlike others that have been thrown out in hypotheticals, he isn’t tradeable at the moment or in the near future. He would have to sign the franchise tag in order to make that happen which is hardly a slam dunk of a proposition. As Jerry Jones has already said this offseason, he holds all of the leverage.

Taylor Heinicke’s Signing Should Not Stop Washington From Pursuing a QB - Hogs Haven
When Heinicke’s contract was first reported, many assumed that was a pretty decent chunk of change to give to a player who was sitting on his couch for the majority of the 2020 season. Of course, it led to speculation that he was being brought back to compete for a starting job next season. Now, I’m not saying there won’t be a competition this summer, and that Heinicke doesn’t have a shot in that competition, but make no mistake about it - his contract does not even guarantee he’s on the team in 2021 and 2022(although I think he certainly will be). What it is, is a very solid, reasonable NFL backup quarterback deal, and one that could cost the team less that the tender that could have been placed on him for the 2021 season.

Duce Staley: I came to Detroit because it felt right - PFT
“Just thinking about Detroit and getting a call from coach Campbell, he was super excited on the phone. I felt the energy through the phone,” Staley said in his Wednesday press conference. “And then Aaron Glenn gave me a call and he says, ‘Hey man, we’re building something special here. We want you to be a part of it.’ And when I got those two phone calls, I’m telling you — being in Philadelphia for so long, each year I would get phone calls or opportunities to see what was out there, interest from other clubs. But when those two guys reached out to me, it felt good. It felt right.”

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