Eagles News: Nick Sirianni was one the NFL’s most aggressive head coaches in 2021

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Staley Leads NFL in Re-Calibrated Aggressiveness Index - Football Outsiders
Here are the full Aggressiveness Index results for 2021, based on the new AI baselines representing 2018-2021. The identity of the most aggressive head coach in the league will not surprise you. [BLG Note: The top six: 1) Brandon Staley, 2) Kliff Kingsbury, 3) Kevin Stefanski, 4) Dan Campbell, 5) Matt LaFleur, and 6) Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.]

NFL Combine 2022: How Eagles’ Nick Sirianni impressed his former boss last season- NJ.com
“He is a great coach and has a great offensive mind,” Reich said. “He has a great ability to connect with players but still have a conviction and belief about what’s right and what’s wrong and how you are going to win. He did a great job, and the testament to that is he got off to a slow start and was still able to keep things under control and get it turned around.” Reich said the two remain close, texting each other once a week and having a phone conversation about once a month. While Reich has been the mentor to Sirianni, he says that it is not all about Sirianni taking the lessons Reich has taught him. Instead, Reich said their talks had been a factual exchange that has benefitted both men. “It’s a two-way street,” Reich said. “I’ve learned a lot. I coached with Nick for six years. He’s a good football coach and a good person. We had a lot of great offensive sessions talking about how to attack defenses and what do you do in the passing game. I think that would that’s been a two-way street. I really respect Nick in that regard.”

Russell Wilson rumors: He doesn’t want to play on the east coast - BGN
While Wilson was responding specifically to a question about joining the Commanders, he did also say, “I love the East Coast, but I think the West Coast is better for me right now.” Folks, I’m sorry to say, the Eagles are on the East Coast. Last year, Wilson reportedly listed four teams to whom he’d be willing to accept a trade: Chicago, Las Vegas, Dallas and New Orleans, although he later denied he had submitted any destinations and affirmed his commitment to the city of Seattle, much like he did this morning. Wilson is a savvy guy and understands how to play the game. We hear athletes say things all the time and then the opposite happens. And the Eagles could look like a stronger Super Bowl contender as free agency begins, too. Still, it’s not a great sign that Wilson is on the record as saying he doesn’t want to move across the country.

NFC East Mixtape Vol.46: Just Riffin’ Baby! - BGN Radio
Brandon Lee Gowton and RJ Ochoa get together to discuss the latest buzz surrounding the NFC East. Cowboys are much better with Amari Cooper and DeMarcus Lawrence then without, Russell Wilson made it clear that he is not going to Washington, if Saquon is not a Giant next year he is a what? and the time to get Russell Wilson is now.

2022 NFL Combine notes: Carson Wentz, Dak Prescott, Saquon Barkley, and Russell Wilson - PhillyVoice
During his interview at the podium at the Combine, Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said that Dak Prescott had surgery to “clean up” his left shoulder. Prior to the 2021 season, Prescott missed a big chunk of training camp and the preseason while resting his ailing right shoulder, which became a main storyline on HBO’s Hard Knocks. On its own, the “clean up” procedure probably isn’t a big deal, but it’s worth noting that Prescott’s injury history continues to grow. Prescott played through an injured shoulder against the Eagles in 2019 and did not look right in a Week 16 game the Eagles won that ultimately decided the division. In 2020, he suffered a gruesome ankle injury that ended his season and required multiple surgeries.

Why stars are aligning for Philadelphia Eagles to draft an impact pass-rusher - ESPN
The Eagles finished second-to-last in the NFL last season with 29 sacks. Those stats speak to a number of things, like the declining play of Fletcher Cox, who is poised to make $15 million this season and was the subject of trade talks prior to November’s deadline, as well as the soft coverage defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon deployed in the back end, allowing quarterbacks to get the ball out quickly. But the lack of firepower off the edge really hurt them. Barnett and Ryan Kerrigan are likely on their way out, Graham is on his way back in, and the Eagles could very well bolster the position around he and Sweat by way of the draft and free agency. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert has six pass-rushers in the top 20 of his ranking of top free agents. Philadelphia ranks 13th in cap space with an estimated $22.7 million, but with holes at corner, safety, receiver and linebacker, those resources need to be spread out. What makes the most sense is to sign a mid-level defensive end in free agency, then pounce on a legit difference-maker in the first round come April.

Eagles mailbag: How much is too much for Russell Wilson? - NBCSP
So what would it take? Well, it probably starts with two first-round picks and that wouldn’t be enough, but the Eagles shouldn’t trade away all three of their first-round picks in 2022. So two first-round picks another high pick next year and/or the year after and a player or two, possibly including Hurts. That seems like a reasonable price for a player like Wilson. The other obvious hurdle is the no-trade clause in Wilson’s contract. He would need to be OK with coming to Philly and it’s unclear if he would be. None of this is to say that Hurts doesn’t deserve to be the starter next year. He was good enough and showed enough improvement in 2021 to make me think that he should be the starter in 2022. And I wouldn’t toss him aside for a draft pick or for a quarterback that might be slightly better and without the upside. The only way Hurts isn’t the starter in 2022, in my eyes, is if the Eagles land a superstar quarterback. And Wilson qualifies as that.

Best offensive linemen available in the 2022 NFL Draft and free agency - PFF
BEST OL AVAILABLE IN TRADES: Andre Dillard, Philadelphia Eagles ... Tytus Howard, Houston Texans ... Garrett Bradbury, Minnesota Vikings ... Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans. Andre Dillard has underperformed for Philadelphia and lost his job to Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player and seventh-round draft pick a few years ago. Mailata is now a top left tackle in the NFL, leaving Dillard to sit on the bench with little chance of proving he can develop past his early struggles. A team in need of a left tackle solution may take a shot on Dillard’s upside.

2022 NFL Scouting Combine Preview: Safety - PE.com
Jaquan Brisker, Penn State – In Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freak List,” Brisker was an afterthought as the No. 76 player on the list of 100, but his numbers are absolutely eye-popping. At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Feldman reported a time of 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a 3.98 in the short shuttle, and a 38.5-inch vertical leap. Those are astounding numbers for any safety, much less one of Brisker’s size. We’ll see if that follows through in Indy, but if there’s one thing we’ve seen from Penn Staters in recent trips to this event ... they do not disappoint on the track.

Trading Carson Wentz away and getting an upgrade will be extremely difficult - Stampede Blue
It’s why I believe if the Colts offered a 2022 2nd round pick, 2023 1st round pick, and a 2023 4th round pick, that would get the Falcons to the table and could get them to pull the trigger. It would give them 4 picks in the top 60 in the next two drafts. The Colts don’t have leverage, which is why they would have to give up another 1st round pick to get a quarterback. If Ryan wanted out, and the Colts played their cards a bit better with Wentz (like the Rams did with Goff), then they would probably be able to keep their 1st rounder, but that isn’t the case. The reality of this is the Colts can go far with Matt Ryan as their quarterback, whereas we saw with Carson Wentz that they can’t. The other side of this is that when Wentz’s confidence is shattered, he’s one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL, as seen by his last season in Philadelphia. What the Colts’ brass are putting out there isn’t going to do anything but hurt Wentz’ confidence, which is just another reason they have to be all in on getting rid of him. This could be an atrocious season if Wentz plays terribly, and it could put Ballard and Reich on the hot seat. It’s for those reasons why I do believe Wentz is gone, but the options are very, very limited, and the Colts will need to overpay to move him.

Concern with Carson Wentz, absolute comfort with Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes: NFL Quarterback Angst Index - The Athletic
1. Indianapolis Colts. It’s a different level of angst when the team owner punctuates a foreboding social-media rant by looking into the camera on the tarmac near his private jet and declaring in his most serious voice that what happened last season was “unacceptable, and it will not stand.” Jim Irsay runs hot anyway. He’s been overheated lately. All signs point to a quarterback change, but it’s not clear how much the team can upgrade from Carson Wentz. Having sent the team’s 2022 first-round pick to Philadelphia in the Wentz trade doesn’t help matters.

Jaguars put a pause on search for EVP, Will make additions to front office - Big Cat Country
As of today, Khan does not feel the need to ruffle up the direction the franchise appears to be headed, adding another layer on top of what the team already has. Essentially, the cards will play out however they do, but for now, Khan is willing to take a chance and allow Pederson to lead the team as he has done in the past with the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles.

Stephen Jones’ initial comments from the NFL Combine are rather discouraging - Blogging The Boys
Elliott played most of the season with a torn PCL which is certainly admirable, but not the flex for the team that Stephen Jones thinks it is. The Cowboys literally used an injured Elliott more than Tony Pollard when the latter is arguably the better runner even when both are fully healthy. Jones’ comments about Elliott are completely different from what he had to say about Cooper and Lawrence, despite them being larger contributors to the team’s cause. He allowed ambiguity around Cooper and Lawrence to fester while outright guaranteeing that Elliott would return. Obviously Zeke’s cap number is what it is (another Stephen specialty), but if the team really wanted to move on in the name of improving the team then they could. It is difficult to trust that the Cowboys are headed in the right direction at the moment. They seem set to part ways with players who could significantly help their chances of winning which would not exactly send the message that their top priority is winning.

Ron Rivera speaks at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine - Hogs Haven
Ron Rivera spoke to the media on the first day of Head Coach/GM interviews at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. GM Martin Mayhew is scheduled to step up to the podium to answer questions tomorrow afternoon. Washington has already started interviewing prospects, and will speak to most of the players in attendance. They have obviously been putting a lot of work into the QB class this year (and every other QB option out there). Rivera took questions about a wide range of topics including Montez Sweat’s 5th year option, the importance of OTAs (Chase Young), Pete Hoener’s retirement/Juan Castillo’s hiring, and more. The focus for the media and the Washington Commanders remains on their search for a franchise QB. Rivera was asked about this year’s prospects and the interview process. He was also asked the big question, “How much is too much to get your franchise QB?”

GM Joe Schoen: Giants’ work is just getting started - Big Blue View
Schoen said he is “open for business” when it comes to discussing anything and everything that will help the Giants get under the cap now and put them in a better position for the future. That would include the possibility of trading running back Saquon Barkley. “I’m open to everything. Whether it’s trading player for player, I’ll listen to anybody. I’m not going to say we’re open for business on the entire roster but if anybody’s going to call and they’re interested in any of our players I’ll certainly listen.”

Russell Wilson trade? Jameis Winston to Steelers? Nine things I want to see during the 2022 NFL offseason - NFL.com
2) Giants trade Saquon Barkley. Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll taking over as the Giants’ new general manager and head coach, respectively, is the best news this franchise has had in a decade. Hyperbole? Well, considering Big Blue played in one postseason game in that span — a 38-13 loss to the Packers — you can’t really say I’m exaggerating. The Dave Gettleman era mercifully came to an end in January, but the former general manager’s fingerprints remain all over this highly flawed roster. And nothing represents his dated approach to team-building more emphatically than when he inexplicably spent the No. 2 overall pick on a running back. Barkley can’t stay healthy and he just isn’t the dynamic threat he used to be. He represents the past, something this proud franchise needs to move beyond. Who cares about what you get back in return? Saquon’s a sunk cost. Just turn the page.

Thoughts on Kyler Murray and the Cardinals - Over The Cap
I would not expect much to happen in the next few weeks with this. Arizona will downplay it even if the noise grows louder and louder. While I think Murray has leverage to get a deal done by the summer, I don’t think there is any reason for them to do a deal now. While the Cardinals cap situation is really poor and the roster needs major tweaking this is not like the Packers and Rodgers where Rodgers has a cap hit of $46+ million. Murray is a minor blip on their salary cap. Going public this early also puts pressure on Arizona and sometimes front offices do not want to look like they are being forced into something. It can make them want to wait just to show that things will get done on their terms rather than the players terms.

6 ways the NFL Scouting Combine could impact the draft - SB Nation
Will a quarterback rise to the top? I’ll admit, this probably isn’t a question we’ll really get answered. While on-field performance at the combine tends to be important for receivers and cornerbacks, it’s less of an emphasis for other positions, especially quarterback. When it comes to quarterbacks, everything important will happen away from the cameras. The interview process is where a team can fall in love with a prospect, and that’s going to have to happen in order for a passer to be taken early this year. Whether it’s Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis or Matt Corral, there are significant concerns about each of these players at the next level. Whether it’s maturity or lack of production, there’s no quarterback in the 2022 class who is a slam dunk. That could really make these combine interviews critical. It’s also vital as a fan to take anything that leaks from these interviews with a grain of salt. It’s been shown time and time again that teams are willing to throw players under the bus, or attempt to hurt their draft stock in order to manipulate their potential to select a player. Remember when “a source” from the combine in 2011 said Cam Newton couldn’t diagnose a play on the white board? He went No. 1 overall and thew for over 4,000 yards his rookie year. So scrutinize what you hear, but also pay attention to the general hype coming out of the process. It’s how we could see a player jump rounds in the draft, just as Mac Jones did in 2021 when he was seen as a fringe 2nd or 3rd rounder before interviews during his pro day (there was no combine in 2021 due to Covid) cemented him as a high draft pick.

Off Day Debrief #78: Top NFL Combine storylines - The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera and Brandon Lee Gowton look at the top storylines and people related to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Will we get an Aaron Rodgers decision this week? (5:42). Will Howie Roseman and the Eagles use their first round picks to swing a blockbuster trade? (9:31). What do the Seahawks do with Russell Wilson? (15:39). Who will be the first QB off the board? (22:37). Who is the top non-QB trade target? (30:58).

Sixers’ Joel Embiid holding steady as betting favorite for MVP - Liberty Ballers
The MVP candidacy of Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid has been gaining steam ever since he returned from COVID in late November. While he was an excellent player prior to that three-week absence, his scoring has exploded over the past three months as he’s regained the offensive form of last year, when he finished second in MVP voting.

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