Eagles News: T.O. says Jalen Hurts is going to lead Philadelphia to winning the NFC East

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CHAD JOHNSON: Will the Cowboys make the playoffs? They’ve got all that firepower on offense, why wouldn’t they?

TERRELL OWENS: I’ll say yes.

CHAD JOHNSON: Will they win the NFC East?

TERRELL OWENS: No.

CHAD JOHNSON: What? They don’t have any competition.

TERRELL OWENS: Eagles. The Eagles, they’ve got Jalen Hurts. He’s always going to put them in contention.

CHAD JOHNSON: Wait a minute. The new coach says Jalen Hurts has to compete for the starting job. Do they have faith in him?

TERRELL OWENS: I have faith in him. He’s a competitor. I know what he’s made of.

Eagles Rookie Profile: 6 things to know about DeVonta Smith - BGN
Ruggs always got all the hype for his speed, but Smith hung in there with him all the time. He’s got great top-end striding speed, but even better, can accelerate to the top speed without wasting a step (a by-product of not having to exert a whole bunch of extra force to speed up a 200-pound frame). He’s a slick route-runner, and that translates to his ability to make guys miss in the open field. He’s light but has never shied away from launching shoulder-first into defenders to get an extra yard or two on every catch. Combine that speed, route-running, and YAC ability, and you can see how he’s made a career of turning routine slants into huge plays. On top of that, he’s always had phenomenal hands, whether it’s making tough, contested catches or just making the routine ones, and he’s got that natural feel for jumping over and around defenders to pull in catches without ever getting bodied out. When he came to Alabama with Ruggs and Jeudy, the general consensus on each of them was that Ruggs was the speed guy, Jeudy was the route-runner, and Smith had the best hands.

NFC East Mixtape Vol.4: 2021 Schedule release + record predictions - BGN Radio
Let the countdown begin! Brandon Lee Gowton and RJ Ochoa analyze the 2021 NFL schedules for each team in the division, debate who has the tougher schedule and make record predictions.

The NFL jammed two thirds of NFC East common games into the final five weeks of the season - Blogging The Boys
There are 12 composite games played within the NFC East every year and a staggering 8 of them take place over the final five weeks of the season. This means that only 4 NFC East contest happen between Weeks 1 through 12 which runs all the way into early December. That is insanity. In trying to think of why the league would schedule things this way BLG and I were both stumped. Obviously the NFC East brings in great ratings for the league, but why risk all of these games at the end like this? It is possible, speaking in the sense that anything is possible here, that one team could run away with the division up through Thanksgiving and then a majority of games that take place between teams out of major markets are significantly less relevant.

Mindset - Iggles Blitz
Coaching was a major issue. Coaches were forced on the offensive side of the ball and there were too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak. Coaches already on the staff weren’t thrilled about the outsiders joining them and that led to some issues. The group didn’t work well together and they didn’t do a good job of getting the most out of the players. There were just some odd issues last year. Nate Herbig played well, but got benched for a couple of games. We were told it was performance-based, but it sure didn’t look that way to us on the outside. Felt like he was being punished for something. Will Parks couldn’t get on the field and then got cut. Travis Fulgham was the most productive receiver in the league for a month and then disappeared. I’d love to know the full story behind that.

Smith better than advertised in Roob’s 10 observations from rookie camp - NBCSP
9. One of those interesting young receivers is undrafted Florida rookie Trevon Grimes, who is huge. He stands 6-4, 225 and with his big Afro looks about 6-7. Sirianni mentioned how well Grimes seemed to move at 6-4, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he turns into a training camp star. He played in the shadow of Terry McLaurin at Ohio State and then Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney at Florida, but he still found a way to pile up nearly 1,500 receiving yards as a collegian. Can’t wait to watch him in action.

In his element, Nick Sirianni orchestrates his first practice as Eagles head coach - PE.com
On what Dickerson, coming off a torn ACL suffered at Alabama last December, can do in this camp on the field: “For him this weekend is just the walkthroughs, being involved in the walkthroughs, learning the offense. So a lot of the goals we just talked about with everybody else, obviously he can’t do them at the same speed. Not going to set a timetable on Landon and his return, but he is working hard. We’ve got a great training staff and great strength staff that are working hard with him to get him ready to go as soon as he’s able to.”

NFL Betting 2021: Stretches that will decide each NFL team’s win total bets - PFF
Weeks 4-6: The Eagles are one of only two teams that play both Super Bowl 55 participants in a three-week stretch. Thankfully, both matchups are at home, but the Eagles must travel to Carolina before a short week against the Buccaneers on Thursday night. Outside of this small stretch, the Eagles have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, with the majority of their matchups having a below-league average ELO ranking.

Giants to host former Eagles RB Corey Clement for tryout this weekend - Big Blue View
Clement has struggled to remain healthy and become a full participant in the Eagles’ offense since signing with Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Clement played in all 16 games as a rookie, carrying the ball 74 times for 321 yards and 4 touchdowns that year, including a rushing touchdown in the Super Bowl. All of those numbers have proven to, thus far, be high water marks for his career, as he hasn’t played a full season and has only scored three touchdowns since that rookie campaign. Clement only ran the ball three times in two games against the Giants in 2020, but one of those carries — his lone rushing attempt in the Eagles’ 27-17 loss in Week 10 — was also Clement’s only touchdown of the season. As Raanan writes, the Giants could still use some depth in their backfield, with sixth-round rookie Gary Brightwell, Sandro Platzgummer, Jordan Chunn and Taquan Mizzell fighting for a spot on the roster. The Giants could well be interested i

Washington Roster Moves: FS Bobby McCain signs 1-year deal - Hogs Haven
Washington has added another veteran cap casualty in May who could end up starting Week 1. Charles Leno and Bobby McCain both had visits with the team on Monday, and now both are signed to 1-year deals with the team. Leno’s deal is worth $5 million. We haven’t seen details on McCain contract, but he reportedly wanted more than what he was initially offered. Playing in this defense is likely a ticket to a bigger payday next season which was likely how he was sold on coming here. McCain steps into a good situation here, but the team still has a lot of moving parts at safety. Starting SS Landon Collins tore his Achilles in October and is coming along in his recovery, but how much will he play to start the season? Kamren Curl was a revelation when he started after Collins went down, and Jack Del Rio has said there is a place for him in this defense. Troy Apke started at FS last season, but will be fighting for a roster spot this year after being replaced for performance. Deshazor Everrett played well until his season ended with a shoulder injury. Jeremy Reaves was up next and both will return to fight for a spot.

2021 NFC win total projections: Can Washington repeat in NFC East? - NFL.com
Weeks 6 (vs. Chiefs) and 7 (at Packers) do not look like a fun part of Washington’s schedule, as long as Rodgers remains on the Packers. Still, while some project the Cowboys to win the NFC East with Dak Prescott’s return to health, my models like Washington. The Football Team’s strength on defense, especially up front, can make up for the average offensive projection, whereas the Cowboys’ offense will have a bigger challenge carrying the defense.

2021 NFL Draft Special #11: Rookie WR Projections, Fits & Philosophy w/Nate Tice - The SB Nation NFL Show
Michael Kist is joined by Nate Tice to breakdown the WR class after the conclusion of the 2021 NFL Draft, including discussions on valuation theory, scheme fits, projections and much more! [BLG Note: Some good DeVonta Smith discussion in here!]

Fully vaccinated NFL players, staff can shed masks at team facilities - ESPN
Fully vaccinated NFL players and staff will no longer be required to wear masks at team facilities, the league informed clubs in a memo Friday. The policy change is effective immediately. The NFL’s health and safety department made the decision after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its COVID-19 mask guidelines for the United States on Thursday. People are considered fully vaccinated if 14 days have passed since their second shot of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines or their single shot from Johnson & Johnson.

The CDC embraces the power of the vaccines - Vox
But on Thursday, the CDC leaped ahead of the criticisms — announcing that it no longer recommends the vaccinated mask up, even in most indoor settings. The agency named a few specific exceptions for health care settings, public transportation, prisons, jails, and homeless shelters. And people should continue to follow local and state laws. But the overall message was unambiguous: Vaccinated Americans can start getting back to normal. “The science is clear: If you are fully vaccinated, you are protected, and you can start doing the things that you stopped doing because of the pandemic,” the CDC said in a statement.

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