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Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...
What to do about Derek Barnett: Should the Eagles sign him to an extension or wave bye-bye? - Inquirer
If the Eagles were in better cap shape, they might consider letting Barnett play this year for $10 million, then make a decision on his future next year when his contract is up, much like they did two years ago with their 2015 first-round pick, wide receiver Nelson Agholor. But they aren’t in good cap shape, and really can’t afford to be having Barnett taking up such a large percentage (approximately 6%) of their cap room. He had just 5 ½ sacks last year and was rated 36th out of 121 edge rushers in pass-rush productivity by Pro Football Focus. According to two league sources familiar with the situation, the Eagles have had discussions with Barnett’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, about an extension, which would seem to indicate that their preference is to keep him.
The Final Four: Which pass-catcher should the Eagles draft at No. 6? - BGN
If the Eagles ride with Jalen Hurts, the question should immediately be “What help are they getting him at No. 6 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft?” This draft has some very talented pass catchers and four of them will be within reach. Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Kyle Pitts, and Jaylen Waddle are widely considered the best receiving threats in the class. Let’s get into the weeds, trait by trait, and see who should be the top pick for Philadelphia.
Top-6 Big Boards and Exclusive Rights - BGN Radio
Eagles contract restructures, ERFA tenderings, Marcus Mariota rumor, Mac Jones at No. 6?!, top 6 Eagles big board, some Sixers talk, and more.
Looking for Money - Iggles Blitz
The Eagles are still very dysfunctional. The firing of the coaching staff and trading of Wentz are odd moves for a team that had been so successful in recent years. Moving on from Wentz and Doug Pederson might help settle things down. And you can bet Kelce and BG do think about their legacy.
Jason Kelce makes it official: He’s back for 2021 - PE.com
“I’m really fired up to be able to come back and play for the Eagles again,” Kelce said in a telephone interview on Friday morning. “I’ve always said I’m playing until I’m not and I still have a very strong desire to play the game of football. I still want to do it. I still want to be around the guys. I want to be around the building, around the coaches. I still enjoy that aspect of it and I’m not ready to stop doing it yet. I’m excited with a lot of the energy going around right now and, also, I didn’t want to end my career on a season like we had last year. It wouldn’t feel right. I want to leave the Eagles knowing that I left it in good hands.”
Carson Wentz is leaving Philly, but his foundation isn’t - NBCSP
Carson Wentz is going to Indianapolis. His food truck isn’t. The AO1 Foundation’s Thy Kingdom Crumb food truck has been around since June of 2018 and although Wentz is now the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts following a trade last month, the AO1 Foundation plans to keep Thy Kingdom Crumb in the Delaware Valley for “years to come.” “We care about the people in this region,” said Zach Wentz, the Executive Director of the AO1 Foundation and Carson’s older brother. “They’re a big part of our life, big part of where we are today. And we plan on [continuing] to serve the people in this area.” Speaking to NBC Sports Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon, Zach Wentz said he knows some people were wondering whether the entire foundation, food truck and all, would be leaving town along with Carson this offseason. But as an Instagram post from AO1 said after the trade, despite Carson’s departure, there’s a “renewed commitment to serving people in the Delaware Valley.”
Big Blue View mailbag: Draft, free agency, Jason Garrett, Daniel Jones, more - Big Blue View
Jason, many fans don’t want to hear it but you are absolutely right about all of the challenges last season posed for teams like the Giants — young teams with new head coaches and coordinators who were installing new systems without practice time or personal contact with players until August. The year was also going to favor established teams or veteran quarterbacks. Mark Schofield, quarterback trainer Tony Racioppi and I had this discussion on a ‘Valentine’s Views’ podcast. The continuity gives Jones his best chance. Here is what Racioppi, admittedly a friend of Garrett’s since childhood, said: “People ask if Jason should be back. Absolutely I think Jason should be back. Listen, this year if they struggle big time or Daniel doesn’t play great or he plays the same or maybe he gets a little worse, OK, that’s a conversation to have next year,” Racioppi said.
The Bears Are Stuck in the Middle of the NFL’s Offseason of Quarterback Movement - The Ringer
Still, the Bears have to do something. The only quarterback on their roster now is Nick Foles, who was awful last year. He ranked 32nd in ESPN’s total quarterback rating (43.2 out of 100), just behind San Francisco backup Nick Mullens. (Maybe the Niners would trade Mullens for Foles?) He was even worse than Trubisky, which is saying something. (Nagy’s play-calling certainly didn’t help either.) But cutting Foles wouldn’t save the Bears any cap space. He is worth keeping on the roster—just not as the starter. The only option worse than starting Foles would be bringing back Trubisky in free agency. Trubisky’s contract expired at the end of last season, but at his press conference this week Pace did not rule out re-signing him. This is the NFL version of breaking up with a toxic ex, but leaving a shirt at their place just in case you want to see them again. It’s not a good idea. Pace should block Trubisky’s number in his phone to remove all temptation.
Replacing Players With Cheaper Talent in 2021 - Over The Cap
One thing that teams that do look to go cheap should consider is signing multiple veterans if they can. When we are talking about contracts in the sub $2 million a year range they often come with almost no guarantee. The player pool that we looked at for veteran players has an average contract value of $1.5 million with about $360,000 in guarantees. So you can sign two or three players and likely have the total cost come out to around $2.1 million even if you had to cut two of them and pay their guarantee but avoid their salary. That is well worth it if you are cutting a player who will cost you $5+ million. While this is going to be a big topic of discussion in the next week or two as teams gear up for free agency the reality is teams should be looking at things like this as ways to kind of game the salary cap. We talk of taking multiple stabs at it in the draft but there are ways to do that in free agency as well. It requires a sales job in free agency (players do want a chance to play and when you try to sign three cheap linebackers it may make linebacker 3 think twice before signing), but there are many avenues to finding production at much more affordable costs and maybe teams being forced to look at that this year will lead to some changes in the future.
NFL hires Maia Chaka as league’s first Black woman on-field official - ESPN
The NFL has hired Maia Chaka as a game official for the 2021 season, making her the first Black woman to join the league’s on-field officiating staff. Chaka will join Sarah Thomas as the only women to officiate an NFL game. Thomas was hired in 2015 and was part of the crew that worked Super Bowl LV last month. The NFL announced Chaka’s hiring Friday morning during a segment on the “Today” show. In a statement released by the league, Chaka said: “I am honored to be selected as an NFL official. But this moment is bigger than a personal accomplishment. It is an accomplishment for all women, my community, and my culture.”
How elite athletes have struggled with the long-term effects of Covid - SB Nation
Covid does not discriminate. Even elite athletes competing at the highest levels of their sports are susceptible to the virus’s long-term effects. It’s been nearly a year since Covid changed everyday life as we know it. People have committed to slowing the virus’s spread by staying home, socially distancing, and wearing masks as vaccinations have slowly been rolled out. While progress has been made, there is still so much we don’t know about this virus. Across multiple leagues, stories of athletes diagnosed with Covid have circulated, and everyone’s recovery has been different. Often, the road back to 100 percent isn’t a straight line. From struggles with conditioning to discovering after-effects that threaten to derail promising young careers, Covid has wreaked havoc on athletes amateur, professional, and otherwise. These are the struggles certain athletes have had coming back from a positive test.
2021 NFL Draft Special #3: Setting the Board w/Sports Info Solutions - The SB Nation NFL Show
Kyle Posey is joined by Nate Cooper and John Todd of Sports Info Solutions to dig deep into every position in the upcoming NFL Draft!
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