Eagles News: “The thinnest roster the Eagles have had” in years

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

Mailbag: How many current Eagles players are locks for the 53-man roster? - PhillyVoice
So if I’m projecting clear-cut roster-worthy players, whether that be a result of actual quality play, recent draft status, contract status, or potential, I only got to 34 players. Rodney McLeod will likely start the season on the PUP list, but won’t count toward the initial 53, and of course we omitted Zach Ertz, who is likely a goner. The Eagles are going to have to fill in the rest with draft picks, undrafted free agents, and then fringe roster guys like J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, John Hightower, Matt Pryor, Hassan Ridgeway, Genard Avery, Shaun Bradley, and others. This is the thinnest roster the Eagles have had that I can remember since I began covering the team full-time in 2013.

Ranking all 32 NFL rosters ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft - PFF
26. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. There’s rightful concern with the current outlook of the Eagles roster at the most important positions on the field. They arguably have the worst offensive skill position group in the league, and their crop of cornerbacks outside of Darius Slay needs help. When looking at the three most important positions on the field — quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback — Philadelphia’s 2020 WAR generated comes in at -0.2 WAR. That’s the worst in the entire NFL by 0.7.

Podcast: Eagles mailbag, press conference takeaways, and NFL Draft trade scenarios - BGN
The penultimate BGN Radio podcast episode prior to the 2021 NFL Draft is here! Jimmy Kempski and I will be back early next week to break down our final Eagles seven-round mock drafts. In the meantime, we got together some listener mailbag questions.

Eye on the Enemy #51: Could Howie Roseman Take an Offensive Lineman at 12? - BGN Radio
On Episode 51 of Eye on the Enemy, host John Stolnis gets you ready for the NFL Draft and wonders if GM Howie Roseman is going to surprise us all once again. Why moving from No. 6 to No. 12 doesn’t mean the tank job against Washington was for naught.. Who does Vegas think the Birds are going to take in the first round? John’s Mock Draft through pick No. 12... could the Eagles really take an offensive lineman? Nick Sirianni’s news conference was nothing to lose sleep over... yet.

Lessons learned from the Eagles’ drafting of Shareef Miller vs. Josh Sweat - Inquirer
“Me and my grandpop watched the Eagles games every day,” he said during the NFL combine. “When the Eagles won the Super Bowl, we cried.” Some Eagles staffers believed that his story appealed to owner Jeffrey Lurie and that it played a role in his inclusion on the draft board and ultimate selection. A few decision makers argued against more because of his local ties, but Roseman countered that the Eagles needed defensive ends, always a priority position, and Miller was worth the price. “It’s those types of things that make you scratch your head,” a team source said. [BLG Note: WTF?]

2021 NFL draft guides for all 32 teams: Needs, prospect fits and more - ESPN+
Jalen Hurts may not have been a top-tier prospect, but Football Outsiders’ QBASE projection system liked him more than his eventual draft position because of his college experience and efficiency, and his -17.6% rookie passing DVOA rate was comparable to those of recent early first-round quarterbacks in their freshman seasons such as Joe Burrow (-7.3%), Tua Tagovailoa (-8.5%), Kyler Murray (-3.1%) and Daniel Jones (-19.2%). And possibly more important for the 2021 Eagles, Hurts has the elusiveness to extend plays like Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson do behind bad pass-protecting lines in Seattle (30.4% pressure rate, 28th) and Houston (29.6%, 26th) in case the Eagles’ line (31.5%, 32nd) fails to rebound.

Were Eagles talking indirectly about DeVonta Smith this week? - NBCSP
During the Eagles’ pre-draft availability earlier this week, Howie Roseman was asked about a receiver who might be an outlier when it comes to height or weight. The Eagles’ general manager said the Eagles’ won’t “discriminate based on any of those things.” “Good players come in all shapes and sizes,” Roseman said. I wonder who we could be talking about … Because there just happens to be a very talented sub-170-pound receiver who might end up being a very good value fit for the Eagles when they’re on the clock at No. 12 in less than a week. While DeVonta Smith’s name was never spoken by anyone during the nearly 40-minute press conference on Wednesday, he had to be front of mind for everyone as Roseman answered that question.

The Giants & Eagles picking right behind the Cowboys adds an interesting wrinkle to the trade-down scenario - Blogging The Boys
We are under a week away from the 2021 NFL Draft and no one can be sure what the Dallas Cowboys are thinking. Will they trade down and try to secure more picks in an effort to fortify their roster, or will they keep the 10th pick and take the best player on their board? Many would like for them to stay at 10 and take the best player available but we continue to hear that it’s a possibility they trade back. If they choose that route they are moving away from a top 10 talent in the draft, and they will likely drop behind their NFC counterparts as the New York Giants have the 11th pick and the Philadelphia Eagles have the 12th pick. If a team trades up with Dallas, it’s likely because they want a quarterback. That would push one other position player down the board for either the Giants or Eagles to draft. Of course, there is a scenario where the Eagles want a quarterback and trade up themselves with Dallas, something we discussed here. If the Cowboys do drop out of pick 10 (or even if they don’t), let’s take a look at what the Giants and Eagles might need in the draft.

2021 NFL Draft: Broncos, Ravens, Vikings among teams most likely to trade up or down in first round - CBS Sports
Most likely to move up or down: Philadelphia Eagles (No. 12). GM Howie Roseman already dropped from No. 6, but if there’s one personnel chief never content to sit still, it’s him. The Eagles have a long history of moving in the first round. If Kyle Pitts or a top QB slides, or they want to ensure they get the best WR or CB, they have an extra third to jump up. They might also be able to “settle” for a CB or pass rusher later by dropping a few spots.

Film Room: Examining how Jordan Howard’s power will help the Eagles offense - PE.com
Find out Jordan Howard adds to the Eagles offense in this edition of Film Room, presented by Lincoln Financial Group.

Would Panthers draft a quarterback and trade Sam Darnold? - PFT
Candidates for a pre-May 3 Darnold trade, based on how the board falls, could be the Patriots, the Steelers (who need a successor to Ben Roethlisberger), the Texans (depending on the Deshaun Watson situation), the Eagles (with them, who knows?), Washington, the Bears, and maybe even the Seahawks (depending on the still-simmering Russell Wilson situation).

Mock draft tracker: Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith top choices for Giants - Big Blue View
As we get down to the mock draft nitty-gritty, with less than a week to go before the 2021 NFL Draft, the clear impression in the draft community is that the best play for the New York Giants at No. 11 is to select a wide receiver. Of the 74 mock drafts in this week’s tracker, 30 (40.5 percent) have the Giants selecting either of the two Alabama wide receivers, Jaylen Waddle or DeVonta Smith. Waddle was selected 16 times (21.6 percent) and Smith 14 times (18.9 percent). Offensive lineman Rashawn Slater and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons were each chosen in 13 mock drafts (17.6 percent).

Thor500: Nystrom’s BIG NFL Draft Board - NBC Sports Edge
[BLG Note: DeVonta Smith checks in at No. 6 overall.]

Kyle Pitts is the NFL Draft star perfect for modern football - SB Nation
Florida’s Kyle Pitts could be the first tight end in NFL history to be selected in the top five of the draft. His unnatural speed, size, and skill is perfectly suited for the slot position in modern football — and he creates mismatch nightmares so profound he could easily be the first receiver taken in the 2021 NFL Draft. Considering the Covid-shaken, fractured college football season it’s forgivable if you’ve slept on Pitts up to this point, but it’s time to wake up and take notice of a player you might be hearing about for the next decade, and a player you should be jumping for joy over if your team selects him.

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