Eagles News: PFF says Philadelphia has one of the NFL’s worst receiving corps

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Ranking all 32 NFL receiving corps ahead of the 2021 season - PFF
30th — Eagles wide receivers have ranked last in receiving grade in each of the last two years, so there’s plenty of room to improve for this unit. They’ve now spent back-to-back first-round selections on receivers, putting the pressure on Jalen Reagor and DeVonta Smith. Reagor graded at 64.0 overall as a rookie in 2020, picking up 396 yards on 31 catches. It was a slow start, but he has the explosiveness to develop as an outside vertical threat. Smith is a better all-around receiver, and that was on display in one of the best seasons in college football history. He can separate to all levels of the field and is dangerous with the ball in his hands, so look for Smith to develop as the high-volume threat in this offense. One of the bright sides of last season’s struggles was the emergence of Travis Fulgham, who had bounced around with several teams before posting an impressive 71.2 overall grade and leading the Eagles with 539 receiving yards. Beyond that top three, Greg Ward may have a role in the possession game, as he’s averaged 8.3 yards per reception in his career. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside has disappointed as a former second-rounder with just 26 career targets. And 2020 fifth-rounder John Hightower adds another speed component.

Eye on the Enemy #55: A glimpse at the Eagles’ first four opponents of 2021 - BGN Radio
This week on Eye on the Enemy, John Stolnis breaks down the Eagles’ first four opponents of 2021... the Falcons, 49ers, Cowboys and Chiefs... what key additions they made this off-season, key departures, draft picks... and where the teams stand as they head into training camp later this summer.

Eagles rookie NFL player comparisons: Landon Dickerson - PhillyVoice
Anyway, the similarities in terms of play style, and ability to execute blocks in the run game are there between Jensen and Dickerson. However, Dickerson will likely be a better pass protector out of the box than Jensen was in 2020. ProFootballFocus had Jensen down for four sacks allowed, and when I watched all of Tom Brady’s sacks in 2020 (there were only 21 of them), I would agree that four were on Jensen, a very high number for a center, especially when you’re playing in front of a quarterback who knows how to avoid sacks like Brady. According to his bio on Alabama’s website, Dickerson did not allow any sacks (727 total snaps) in 2020, and he only allowed one sack and four QB hurries in 2019. If Dickerson can stay healthy — and certainly, that is a big “if” — Jensen is his floor.

Ranking the running back groups in the NFC East - Big Blue View
While Washington might not have the strongest running back room in the division, the Eagles are farther behind. Their running back group is led by Miles Sanders who remains inconsistent. In his rookie season, Sanders earned a 59.1 rushing grade per PFF despite running behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in football. Then, this past season, Sanders improved his rushing grade to 75.3 but he disintegrated in the passing game, recording eight drops, which was tied for the most at the position. Sanders does not have much competition to challenge him as Boston Scott, Jordan Howard and newly-acquired Kerryon Johnson have not yet proven to be explosive in the backfield. It is important to note though that while the Eagles likely have the weakest running back room in the division, they also have one of the most mobile quarterbacks. Jalen Hurts played in 15 games last season, but started only four, and still finished third on the team in rushing yards with 354. The Eagles will certainly get help in the rushing game from Hurts, but they still lack a true weapon in the backfield.

How good do the Colts need Carson Wentz to be? - Stampede Blue
Wentz has been in the league for 5 years and in only one of those seasons (limited to 13 games) did he have better efficiency than Philip Rivers did last year. If I were a betting man, I would wager Wentz fails to eclipse Rivers efficiency in 2021 and as such, I think the offense takes a step back. Hopefully, I am wrong, but I can almost guarantee that IF the 2021 Colts offense matches or exceeds their 2020 scoring, it will be because Wentz improves his efficiency to be a top 10 QB, NOT because he was just “OK”.

Dallas vs. Washington: Previewing the Cowboys’ toughest NFC East matchup - Blogging The Boys
But unlike other years in which every team posed a legitimate threat to play January football, this year’s NFC East roundtable is split in two in terms of projected competitiveness. And despite boasting three teams (Dallas, Philly, New York) in the top 10 of the NFL’s easiest schedules, two of those three (Philly, New York) have been predicted to end the campaign near the bottom of the league’s power rankings. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are expected by many to emerge atop the foursome at the season’s close, and the team’s offseason activities headlined by Dak Prescott’s gargantuan new contract, have only solidified those stakeholder’s opinions further. But another emerging contender has reared its ugly head as a potential nightmarish contender to crush Dallas’ playoff dreams. Washington represents the antagonist in the Cowboys’ unwritten playoff novel, and its gnarly defensive front anchors a unit many expect to be a dominant force next season.

Seven players who won’t start Week One but will have a huge impact on WFT success in 2021 and beyond - Hogs Haven
Shaka Toney was drafted in the 7th round out of Penn State. He is a slightly undersized defensive end who will probably see the field as a situational pass rusher, likely picking up some of the snaps that went to Ryan Kerrigan last year. But, as Mark Tyler and KS4GM have argued repeatedly, Toney has the athletic profile of an off-the-ball linebacker, and Jack Del Rio has already confirmed that Toney will get cross-trained with snaps at that position.

Six intriguing NFL storylines to follow at mandatory minicamps - NFL.com
6) The state of the vaccine: When the NFL overhauled its COVID protocols for vaccinated players — no more masking or daily testing, no restrictions on travel, no more social distancing with vaccinated teammates, no quarantine necessary even if a player comes in contact with someone who has COVID — it intentionally created a powerful incentive for them to get vaccinated. Considering that if a player gets a two-dose vaccine, it will take more than a month for him to be fully vaccinated, minicamps will be an interesting marker for how many will be vaccinated by the time training camp begins.

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