Eagles News: DeVonta Smith poised for fantasy football breakout?

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Finding 2022’s Fantasy Football Breakout Wide Receiver: DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles - PFF
For a modern offense, the Eagles were lighter in terms of passing, putting a cap on Smith’s ability to generate fantasy production, despite good efficiency at 1.7 yards per route run. The Eagles threw the fewest times of any NFL team in 2021, a number that will likely regress upwards some as quarterback Jalen Hurts matures this year. Smith’s most similar players were largely successful in their second seasons, with none of the disappointments, like Corey Coleman, Dede Westbrook and Titus Young, combining Smith’s profile of college and rookie production with his elite draft capital. PFF’s consensus fantasy rankings have Smith as WR32, slightly better than his current ADP in the PPR format FFPC’s best ball leagues (WR35), and PFF’s fantasy projections are more cautious at WR39. While the Eagles will likely throw more this season, their receiver room received one of the largest injections of talent this offseason with the addition of A.J. Brown, lowering the likely share of targets for Smith. We project Smith’s target share will be less than 20%.

Identifying the Next Breakout WR1: DeVonta Smith (2022 Fantasy Football) - FantasyPros
DeVonta Smith concluded his rookie campaign as the WR36 in weekly fantasy scoring. Smith was productive in yards per route run, ranking 30th (1.77) among all wideouts with 50 or more targets and third amongst rookies with 25 or more targets (per PFF). He surpassed fellow highly touted receivers Elijah Moore (1.75) and Jaylen Waddle (1.75) in this metric. With A.J. Brown in town, the Eagles could return to the pass-heavy ways from the beginning of 2021. If this happens, Smith’s low-end WR3 status from last season could be the floor if he can increase his touchdown output. Smith was the WR37 last year in receiving yards per game.

Philadelphia Eagles 2022 Fantasy Outlook: Growth for DeVonta Smith - SI
Fantasy outlook: Smith ranked 30th in wide receiver scoring (186.60) in PPR formats. The addition of A.J. Brown swings some coverage away from him, helping maintain his rookie floor in targets. His ADP (81) in the NFFC prices Smith as a backend WR3 (35th wide receiver). I see growth rather than regression in 2022, making him the more attractive Eagles’ wideout to own based on draft value. I will set his bar at 70 catches for 1,050 yards with a slight bump in scoring.

Which NFL team would you root for if the Eagles no longer existed? - BGN
Today’s Eagles Question of the Day is based on the premise of the latest episode of The NFC East Mixtape: Who’s your second favorite NFL team? If you reject that phrasing, well, let’s put it some other ways. Which team would you root for if the Eagles didn’t exist? (Cue: ‘Don’t put that evil on me, BLG!) Which team(s) do you have soft spots for? Which other teams do you maybe not root for but you respect them? Or at least not hate them as much as other teams? The answers to these questions obviously come down to personal preference but I wonder if there’s any kind of popular answer out there. Here are some teams that I would consider rooting for if the Eagles didn’t exist.

John Riggins, William Andrews, and 1980s Memories - Football Outsiders
Tony Franklin kicked barefoot. So the husky lad would kick barefoot. Franklin was the Philadelphia Eagles kicker. He blasted a 59-yard field goal in a win over the stinkin’ Cowboys as a rookie in 1979 and became a folk hero. He was the first of the barefooted kickers. Philly adores misfits. The Eagles, putrid for most of the previous generation, were contenders, and Franklin was one of the new faces who captured the imaginations of new fans. By 1982, it was becoming obvious that Franklin was not all that great. His field goal rates hovered around 66.7%, just below league average. Mark Moseley received (earned is too strong a word) an MVP award in 1982 for converting 95.2% of his field goals, going an unheard-of 15-of-15 within 40 yards. The best kickers of the era, like Eddie “Money” Murray, Jan Stenerud, and Nick Lowery, nailed over 70% of their attempts and were starting to make 40- or 45-yarders automatic. Franklin was not nearly in that class.

Who will be returning punts & kickoffs for the Commanders in 2022? - Hogs Haven
Goodbye DeAndre Carter. Honestly, I was expecting the team to re-sign Carter to a 2 or 3 year extension in March, but for reasons unknown, he was allowed to leave in free agency, signing with the Chargers, meaning that it’s back to the drawing board for the Commanders. [...] Alex Erickson is a 7th year return man who went undrafted in 2016 but has been active every regular season game over the past 6 seasons, accumulating 158 punt returns and 110 kick returns.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy may be around longer than you expect - Blogging The Boys
The hot seat just gets hotter for Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. Or at least that is the perception. He is already seen as a failure and the offseason moves (or lack thereof) are seen as a cunning plan to set the team up for Sean Payton to come in and replace him, or Dan Quinn to be promoted. Next year is seen as the most likely target, but odds are being given for McCarthy getting the old ax during this season as well. It is all balderdash. (That is not the word that first came to mind, but this is a family friendly site.) McCarthy has coached two years with the Cowboys. The first was clearly a disappointment with quarterback Dak Prescott out for much of the season. McCarthy also was working through the COVID precautions that really curtailed many normal activities. Last year, he led the team to a 12-5 record and the NFC East crown. It was an obvious improvement. So why are so many expecting things to go south for Dallas, leading McCarthy to be shown the door?

Better or worse? Giants’ linebackers - Big Blue View
I’m taking the two rookies over the three departing veterans. The rookies are hand-picked by this current defensive coordinator, and they’re not panic moves made by a desperate front office during the middle of the season due to injuries. The return of Martinez, Brown, and Coughlin helps the position immensely. Crowder has another year under his belt, which should only support his development. The Giants’ linebacking corps isn’t exactly a strength. Still, it has a proven leader who is a tackling machine, capable backups who thrive on special teams, and two youngsters who can develop and offer versatility. The position is in a better spot than it was a year ago.

NFL Daily Kickoff, Thursday - The Deshaun Watson Disciplinary Hearing continued Wednesday - The SB Nation NFL Show
On today’s episode, the disciplinary hearing between the NFL, NFLPA, and Deshaun Watson continued on Wednesday.

Philly’s Favorite Coffee Pop-Up Finds a Home - Eater
My favorite coffee makers in Philly. Give it a try!

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