Eagles News: SEC head coach says Philadelphia “got a steal” in DeVonta Smith

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College coaches on surprises, best fits and value picks in the 2021 NFL draft - ESPN+
Coaches expected the SEC’s top three receiver prospects — Waddle, teammate DeVonta Smith and Chase — to go in the top 10. An SEC assistant said the Miami Dolphins would take Waddle or Smith, if available, and an SEC head coach said Philadelphia “got a steal in DeVonta,” likening the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner to former Eagles star DeSean Jackson. An SEC defensive coordinator added, “The Giants wanted DeVonta bad. They were pretty livid when Philly moved in front of them.” [...] Coaches expect Memphis’ Kenneth Gainwell, who opted out last season after piling up 2,069 all-purpose yards as a redshirt freshman in 2019, to succeed as a pro. The Eagles drafted Gainwell early in the fifth round. “I thought he would go a little higher than he did,” an AAC coach said. “He’s probably the best of those running backs that have come out of Memphis, and all of those guys have had pretty good careers. He’s uber-talented, very versatile. The best, most explosive, of those guys.”

What we learned about Eagles rookies, Part 1: Covering DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson’s cartwheels - The Athletic
During JaCoby Stevens’ interviews with teams leading up to the draft, the new Eagles linebacker/safety was often asked to identify his most difficult player to defend in 2020. The answer was easy. “DeVonta Smith, hands down,” Stevens said. It doesn’t take a long scan over Smith’s resume to realize the Heisman Trophy winner is special. But the perspective of a player who’s been on the other end of Smith’s exploits explains the type of player that the Eagles drafted. “Just because he can run every route,” Stevens said. “He makes every route look the same. We hear often he’s a quarterback at receiver. When he’s running the crossing routes at Alabama, he knows the holes and the gaps in the zone, and believe it or not, a lot of receivers don’t know that. So he knows when to sit down and when to idle his speed back to appear open for his quarterback.”

Overall rookie dynasty rankings for 2021 fantasy football - DraftKings Nation
DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles. I don’t know if Jalen Hurts is the guy to turn Smith into the player he’s destined to be, but Smith could surpass Chase sooner than later. I see him having a long and productive career no matter who his quarterback is.

2022 NFL Mock Draft: Way too early look ahead to next year - BGN
7. Philadelphia Eagles — Derek Stingley Jr, Cornerback, LSU: After missing out on the top defensive backs this year, the Eagles snag arguably the top defender in college football to boost their secondary.

Solak Show 005: Draft Class Recap - BGN Radio
On the latest episode of the Solak Show, Benjamin Solak grades the Eagles’ 2021 NFL Draft class and breaks down each pick. He analyzes why this is an extremely high risk class and why there’s red flags with Landon Dickerson and DeVonta Smith.

NFC East 2021 draft grades: Cowboys edition - PhillyVoice
Overcorrection: The Cowboys’ draft strategy seemed to be this simple: Problem: Our defense is trash. Solution: Let’s take defenders with our first half-dozen picks. That might make sense on the surface, but if you’re relying on rookies to immediately change the fortunes of your defense while passing on more talented players to fill needs, you’re doing it wrong. The draft should be about finding players who can help long-term, not whatever this was. Grade: C.

Anatomy of a Draft-Day Trade (and 4 Non-Trades) - The 33rd team
Overall, I don’t think anyone would be surprised if Horn, Surtain, Smith and Parsons all turn out to be successful players, but when you are looking at the value that these teams could have commanded, you are talking about the price paid for the likes of Jalen Ramsey and Laremy Tunsil. These guys are the absolute best in the league, outside of the quarterback position. These teams declined this type of compensation from Chicago for players that are completely speculative. I do not think this was a wise use of capital for Carolina, Denver, Philadelphia and Dallas, and it allowed the Giants to capitalize on a trade that could yield them a top 10 pick from Chicago in 2022.

How sure are we about Justin Fields? - Windy City Gridirion
This embed below is a quick clip from the SB Nation NFL Podcast when they were breaking down the NFC Draft classes, and with Fields being such a topical selection they spent some time discussing him being picked by the Bears. That segment was what motivated me to write this article. Bleeding Green Nation’s Brandon Lee Gowton has some concerns about Fields’ and the Bears, so give the 7 minute clip a him a listen as he, and Rob “Stats” Guerrera from Niners Nation and Blogging the Boys’ RJ Ochoa, all talk about Chicago’s new QB.

Where are they now? QB Koy Detmer - PE.com
Detmer is now literally following in his dad’s footsteps. Sonny, a longtime head coach at Somerset (Texas) High School, passed in September 2020. In January, Koy was named as his successor. “I started in 2009 at Somerset and was here for six and a half years coaching under him. We had a lot of success and I learned a lot,” Koy says. “I was then able to have an opportunity to go (be the head coach at) Mission Heights, where I graduated high school from. We had some success and got things going down there over the past five years, and that was a lot of fun. And now I have the opportunity to be back here at Somerset. So it’s gone full circle.” This fall will be special for Detmer. Not only will he be in his first season as Somerset’s head coach, but he’ll also be coaching his youngest son, Koal, who will be a senior quarterback.

2022 NFL Draft: Compensatory pick projections for every team - NFL.com
Teams projected to not receive any compensatory picks: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Football Team.

NFC East Review: Evaluating the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2021 draft class - Big Blue View
Smith has the potential to turn around the Eagles’ receiving corps. He led the NCAA in receptions (117), receiving yards (1,856) and receiving TDs (23) last season. He may be small at 166 pounds but his explosiveness on the field is enough to render that number insignificant. Selecting Smith was not just an investment in the Eagles’ receiving corps but an investment in Jalen Hurts himself, who is about to enter a tryout year. Smith will be reuniting with his former Alabama quarterback in Hurts, with whom he recorded 12 receptions, 207 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

The Cowboys should look to move Leighton Vander Esch now - Blogging The Boys
When the Dallas Cowboys drafted not one, but two linebackers in the 2021 NFL Draft, they started the clock on when they would be able to either sign Leighton Vander Esch to a long-term deal or trade him. On Monday the organization decided not to pick up LVE’s fifth-year option which now really leaves the Cowboys with one smart option. They need to try and find a trade partner and deal LVE before he steps foot on the field for the Cowboys again. Many are assuming that both he and Jaylon Smith could be moved, but as of right now the Cowboys are on the hook for Smith’s guaranteed salary of $9.8 million for 2021.

Washington will host LT Charles Leno Jr. for a free agent visit on Monday - Hogs Haven
The Washington Football Team will host veteran free agent LT Charles Leno for a visit next Monday. He was released by the Chicago Bears 3 days ago. They drafted a LT and a guard in this year’s draft, and saved $9 million by cutting the veteran. Washington already has a few options in-house at left tackle, so this could just be a visit to see where Leno is mentally and physically in case he is available later if an injury comes up. Sam Cosmi was drafted in the 2nd round this year, and Ron Rivera said he will be thrown into the left tackle mix right away.

2021 Free Agency Cost-Benefit Analysis - Football Outsiders
Nor would I pay Nelson Agholor $11 million a year to see if one year as a deep threat in Las Vegas makes up for multiple years of stone hands in Philadelphia. [...] John Johnson was the best safety available, and his value is still being decreased due to his 2019 shoulder injury. With no signs of that being a long-term issue, bumping him up close to $9 million makes sense. That still leaves a premium Cleveland paid for him to outbid the Jags, Eagles, Lions, and Rams, but making him the second-highest-paid strong safety in the league isn’t an insane idea.

Saints sign three free agents ahead of rookie minicamps - Canal Street Chronicles
The Saints aren’t done, they also signed former Detroit Lions defensive tackle Albert Huggins. He finished the season with the Detroit Lines where he appeared in one game. He also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles where he played four games and had three total tackles in 2019. He then hopped around to the Houston Texans, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and now the New Orleans Saints. He has mostly been a training camp body and good depth. Noteworthy is that he is a two-time college football national champion with the Clemson Tigers in 2016 and 2018.

We’re in Uncharted Territory With the Aaron Rodgers–Packers Standoff - The Ringer
A fractured relationship between a front office and the reigning MVP will have extraordinary implications for the NFL.

The Look Ahead #35: Could Aaron Rodgers end up in Denver + Other troublesome QB situations - The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera & RJ Ochoa take a look at the chances Aaron Rodgers winds up in Denver with Mile High Report’s Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann. Later, we look at the QB situations in New England, New Orleans, and Philadelphia and wonder how fast they could become a problem. What is the percentage chance Rodgers ends up with the Broncos? Did Denver intentionally pass on a QB because they were betting on getting Aaron? What would you be willing to give up to get Rodgers on the team? Why New England could face a problem they haven’t had in twenty years Are the Saints better off going with Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston? Who is the best available QB right now (not counting Rodgers)?

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