Eagles News: Jonathan Gannon says “we’re not going to box ourselves into one scheme”

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Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon: We won’t box ourselves into one scheme - PFT
Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon worked under coaches like Jerry Gray, Mike Zimmer, and Matt Eberflus before getting his current job and it sounds like they’ll all have some influence on how the defense looks in Philadelphia this season. Gannon held a press conference on Thursday and faced questions about the kind of scheme that he’s going to run in his first season with the team. Gannon said “we’re not going to box ourselves into one scheme” and explained that having a fuller sense of what works best with this roster will be significant to planning for the season. “Every player you have is different, and it’s our job to say, hey, this is what works for you,” Gannon said. “You can do that. That’s what I love about our staff. We’re not hardheaded; it’s my way or the highway. That’s not what this is about. It’s about serving the players and getting them to hit their ceiling.”

A formula for the defense: Jonathan Gannon’s ‘HITS Principle’ - PE.com
Hustle. Intensity. Takeaways. Smart. Jonathan Gannon calls it the “HITS Principle” and says this Eagles defense will use those core values to “hold our hat on” as the team moves into a new era on that side of the football. No matter who is on the field in a defense that is changing by the day, it seems, the “HITS Principle” is what Gannon is preaching to his players. As we all wonder just how the X’s and O’s will look for Gannon’s defense, his message has been in the “how,” not the “what.” “The main thing for us is it’s not what we play, it’s how we play it,” Gannon said on Thursday in his first press conference since being named the team’s defensive coordinator after serving as the Colts’ defensive backs/cornerbacks coach from 2018-20. “If you ask our players that, they know that from the jump as far as, we’re going to run to the ball, we’re going to outhit people, we’re going to take it away, and we’re going to be smart.

At the Podium: Eagles Veterans and coaching staff presser - BGN Radio
On Thursday afternoon the Eagles’ veterans and coaching staff took to the podium to speak with the media. Hear from Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox and Miles Sanders followed by Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen and Special Teams Coordinator Michael Clay.

5 things to know about new Eagles cornerback Josiah Scott - BGN
Entering the league, Scott was well-regarded for his technique and fundamentals as a cornerback. He was a ballhawk in college, and he also played in a variety of coverage techniques that likely helped him adjust to the NFL. He also has good speed with a 4.42-second 40-yard dash time. As I mentioned, he has experience playing outside in college and inside in the NFL, so he has some versatility there. While he is small, he is very much a willing tackler and isn’t afraid to get physical. Scott is also an instinctive player and a competitor through and through. Even though Scott didn’t play much on special teams for the Jaguars last year, he should have some appeal there for the Eagles.

Mailbag: How High Is Daniel Jones’s Ceiling? - Sports Illustrated
One reason why is that it wouldn’t be smart for new Houston GM Nick Caserio, a smart guy, to move a 25-year-old franchise quarterback without getting franchise-changing value for him. And trading him now seems like it’d be selling low, and timing is really less relevant with the draft in the rearview mirror. But once there’s clarity on the legal situation and the league takes whatever action it will? At that point, I’d think the market for Watson could heat up, and that’ll naturally mean stronger offers coming down the pike. The Dolphins are one team I’d keep an eye on here, because they have a 22-year-old quarterback they can offer and three first-round picks in the next two years. The Eagles would be another, given the capital they have in next year’s draft alone. And, of course, the Panthers and Broncos kept their options open by not taking QBs at No. 8 or No. 9.

Kerrigan explains why he joined Eagles in 1st Philly interview - NBCSP
Kerrigan, 32, was a guest on the latest episode of Takeoff with John Clark for his first interview with Philadelphia media since agreeing to terms with the Eagles earlier this week. Why did Kerrigan join the Eagles? 1. He likes the scheme. 2. He feels wanted here. “I just felt like this was the scheme defensively that I fit in the best of the teams that I was looking at,” Kerrigan said in the lengthy interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “And Coach (Jonathan) Gannon I think is a really bright young mind as a defensive coordinator and he’s a guy that I feel like I’m going to be able to learn a lot of ball from. I know he’s going to put myself and all the other guys in positions that we can be successful.”

Ranking the NFL’s most vulnerable division winners from 2020: From iffy Seahawks to secure Chiefs - CBS Sports
3. Washington Football Team (NFC East). There’s a case to be made they belong as favorites to repeat in the East, considering they won it in 2020 despite a QB carousel headlined by an overly conservative Alex Smith and added some intriguing pieces this offseason (Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Jamin Davis, William Jackson III). But new QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is nearing 39 and hasn’t played a full year since 2015. He’s fun, yes, and gives them a higher ceiling, but he’s also rarely been a steady winner. Even tougher is the history of the division, which hasn’t seen a repeat champ since the Eagles went four straight from 2001-2004. The Eagles, Cowboys and Giants are also all improved.

Is Wentz the Answer for Colts? Can Titans Find Targets for Tannehill? - Football Outsiders
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. Biggest Need: Quarterback This was slated to be left tackle, but then the Colts went out and signed Eric Fisher, closing up one of their few remaining holes. We’re not believers in the idea of a Carson Wentz comeback—he led the NFL in adjusted interceptions in 2020—but we must admit that it could happen and that the supporting cast around him now looks quite strong, if maybe not quite what it was in Philadelphia’s best days. But this is more about the complete unknowns behind Wentz at backup quarterback. Neither Jacob Eason nor Sam Ehlinger has gotten a chance to show us anything. The Colts just happen to be in the exact position where a steady backup could be the difference between them winning 17-10 or losing 20-17 after a few bad interceptions. Even having to beat out someone such as Nick Mullens or Robert Griffin III in training camp might give us a little more confidence going forward in the youngsters that the Colts have stacked under Wentz.

Report: Colts Free Agent OT Le’Raven Clark Signing with the Eagles - Stampede Blue
The writing for a potential Clark return in Indianapolis has been on the wall for a while now. There hadn’t been much noise on the Colts being interested in re-signing him, and he visited the Buffalo Bills in early April on a free agent visit. Meanwhile, the Colts already signed a pair of veteran offensive tackles: Sam Tevi and Julie’n Davenport earlier this offseason. From being a raw, long-armed developmental offensive tackle prospect out of Texas Tech, Clark developed into a decent backup offensive tackle at times for Indianapolis. That being said, the Colts were ready to move on in a different direction entirely, and we wish Clark well in ‘The City of Brotherly Love’.

Buffalo Bills sign DT Treyvon Hester - Buffalo Rumblings
Listed at 6’2” and 304 lbs, Hester played for three different teams in his first three years as a pro. He appeared in 41 games, starting two of them, and playing a handful of snaps per game on defense and special teams. For his career, he recorded 40 tackles and two sacks, with a forced fumble and four tackles for loss. Hester landed on the COVID-19 reserve list in the summer of 2020, and ultimately didn’t make any game appearances that year. He spent the later part of the year on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad.

PFF’s starting quarterback rankings show how friendly the 2021 Cowboys schedule is on paper - Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys play just three quarterbacks that PFF has inside of their top 10 this season. What’s more is that, again, according to PFF’s rankings, from Thanksgiving on (the period that we analyzed last week) six of the seven quarterbacks that they are facing are in the bottom half with the only one above it being Derek Carr. Now maybe you feel like this ranking isn’t fair as Kyler Murray is at 17 and Justin Herbert is at 15. Ultimately, though, while there is some legitimate potential plus/minus to consider here the general idea still stands which is that the Cowboys defense (which needs all of the help it can get) is facing some not-so-scary foes in 2021.

An attempt to dissect the Morgan Moses situation - Hogs Haven
At the end of the day, saving $7.5M is saving $7.5M, and that move is reason alone for Washington to have moved Moses. Will that money be used to extend Jon Allen? That doesn’t seem right, since an Allen extension could easily be structured to save the team money in 2021. There are still a ton of solid free agents floating around out there, whose cost is dropping with each passing day. Perhaps they’re targeting one or two more depth signings, guys who could be brought in on 1-year deals and parlayed into comp pick capital next year. In any case, this is a team that is going to need to be very frugal with its finances in the next couple of years if it wants to retain some of its young talent. Personally, I’d love to see these saving plowed back into extending a few guys, like Logan Thomas, Cornelius Lucas, and maybe even JD McKissic, before the season starts.

2022 NFL draft rankings: Top 25 prospects, best by position in Mel Kiper’s Big Board, including Kayvon Thibodeaux, Derek Stingley, Spencer Rattler - ESPN+
3. Spencer Rattler, QB1, Oklahoma. Rattler doesn’t have a huge frame, but he does have an elite arm. His arm talent is unbelievable — he can throw 50-yard strikes with a flick of the wrist. He got off to a bumpy start last season, even getting benched for a couple of series against Texas before leading a comeback win, but in his final seven games he had 15 touchdown passes and only two interceptions while averaging 9.8 yards per attempt. Rattler showed that he can go through progressions, and he can maneuver the pocket to escape pressure. There’s a reason he’s the early favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Look Ahead #37: Six things we’re 100% sure will happen this year - The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera and RJ Ochoa make six predictions about things that will happen this season in the NFL. The one team in the NFC destined for failure. One blockbuster trade guaranteed to happen before the season starts. The new coach who will win the most games. Why RJ is writing off an entire AFC division. The best and worst coaches of the year.

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