Eagles News: Philadelphia’s secret superstar

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One ‘secret superstar’ for all 32 NFL teams entering the 2022 season - PFF
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: LB T.J. Edwards. Edwards may be one of the best underdog stories in the NFL. A player who has consistently graded well at every level PFF measures, Edwards has marginal physical tools and so had to earn his way to playing time — undrafted, on special teams and in the preseason. Since assuming a starting job, however, he has been the best Eagles linebacker in some time (an admittedly low bar to clear), earning a 75.5 PFF grade overall in 2021 — higher than perennial All-Pros Bobby Wagner (71.8) and Lavonte David (72.3).

Eagles All-22 Film Review: Evaluating T.J. Edwards and Davion Taylor - BGN
TJ Edwards is somebody I was completely wrong about. I saw the ability to play the run but I thought he was simply too limited athletically to hold up as a starting linebacker. But he has proven to be an average/good starting linebacker which is very impressive for a UDFA. I still don’t think he’s a great fit for the modern pass-happy NFL but you still need good quality linebackers who can play the run. I expect TJ Edwards to play less snaps next year but I still expect him to have a key role on base downs. I imagine Kyzir White and Nakobe Dean to play a lot in nickel but I wouldn’t count out TJ Edwards, I think he will continue to play quite a big role for the Eagles in 2022.

NFL training camp: Ten most important position battles to track in 2022 - NFL.com
Nakobe Dean vs. T.J. Edwards vs. Kyzir White vs. Davion Taylor. The entire Eagles linebacking corps could be determined by how ready Dean is to step in and where the staff determines his best spot to be. The rookie, who fell to the Eagles in the third round of the draft amid medical concerns, worked at the middle and weak linebacker spots during spring workouts. If Dean earns reps at middle linebacker, that could push Edwards, who stabilized the spot last season. Philly could also use Dean next to Edwards even after signing White this offseason. There is no question that the Eagles’ linebacking corps looks significantly upgraded on paper after years of issues. How the playing time shakes out will come down to Dean.

The QB Factory Reboot #57: Is Tier 3 accurate for Jalen Hurts? + Thoughts on Top Gun Maverick - BGN Radio
Raichele Privette and Mark Schofield are back and better after taking a mini hiatus for the summer. The two recap their summers so far, share their thoughts on Top Gun Maverick and discuss whether or not Tier 3 is an accurate placement for Jalen Hurts in The Athletic’s Mike Sando’s “QB Tiers column.”

The Eagles’ over-under trend that’s impossible to explain - NBCSP
The last six times their over-under win total was set at 9½ or higher, the Eagles failed to reach that projected total. And three of those six seasons they actually finished with a losing record. Going all the way back to 2005, the Eagles have hit the over only once in eight times it’s been set at 9½ wins or higher. That was 2009, when the Vegas win projection was 9½ wins, and they went 11-5. Here’s a look at every year since 2005 the Eagles have been projected to win 9½ or more games, along with their actual win total.

Some Hurts Talk - Iggles Blitz
The Eagles must have a more consistent passing attack. You can’t live on big plays and play-action passes. DeVonta Smith is an excellent route-runner and has pretty good chemistry with Hurts. AJ Brown is a big, physical receiver who doesn’t have to be open to be open, if that makes sense. He and Hurts are old friends so I don’t think trust will be an issue at all. Hurts must get the ball to these two quickly so they can make plays for him. Nick Sirianni is a big believer in yards after the catch, an area where the Eagles struggled last year. They were 22nd in the league last year, almost 1000 yards behind the league-leading Chiefs. YAC comes from a QB making a quick decision and then throwing an accurate pass. If the receiver can catch the ball on the run, you have a chance for a big play. If the receiver has to slow down or adjust to the ball, the defense has an easier time getting to them and limiting the play. Brown should be a big help in this area.

Spadaro: 12 questions to answer as Eagles Training Camp opens - PE.com
5. In his second season in the offense, what kind of strides has QB Jalen Hurts made? A big question, for sure. And we aren’t going to know the full extent of it until the regular season, of course, but keep in mind that for the first time since high school Jalen Hurts is playing a second straight season with the same offensive coordinator. So, he knows the offense. He knows where to go with the football. He knows the coaches and their expectations. There’s just a different level of comfort and confidence when you’re doing it a second time, right? Hurts was dynamic in his first full season as a starter in 2021, so the natural expectation is that he takes a big step forward in ‘22. The Eagles have a complete offense as it looks on paper with a running game that led the league last season and a wide receiver corps that is deep and very, very talented. The offensive line is great, as we all know. Hurts knows he has areas to improve upon and both he and the coaches have been open acknowledging that. All eyes are on Hurts, but isn’t that the case always with a starting quarterback? He thrives in the spotlight and so this is going to be a summer in which Hurts hopes to really take his game to a new level.

Eagles training camp roster: What to know about all 46 players on defense, special teams - The Athletic
Josh Sweat is coming off his best season, a 7.5-sack year that rewarded the Eagles for signing him to an extension in September. Relative to, say, Jordan Mailata’s extension, Sweat’s deal is much closer to market value than a decided steal for the team. According to Over The Cap, Sweat’s total guaranteed money ranks 34th among all edge rushers. His 14 quarterback hits, including sacks, tied for 55th at the position, per TruMedia. The eye test tells us Sweat was a little better than that, and the quickness with which opposing quarterbacks got rid of the ball against the Eagles affects his raw numbers, but Sweat is not quite a game-changer yet.

Dan Snyder Is Sailing Away From Consequences That Might Never Come - The Ringer
After avoiding a subpoena while on his mega-yacht, Snyder will finally meet with Congress this week about the Commanders’ toxic workplace culture. But it’s a jury of his fellow owners who could determine what will come next—and what kind of precedent that would set.

5 things we want to see from the Dallas Cowboys in training camp - Blogging The Boys
Finally use Tony Pollard to his full potential. To say Tony Pollard has been underutilized in his first three years with the Dallas Cowboys is an understatement. Yes, we all know he’s playing second fiddle behind Ezekiel Elliott in the running game, but even that’s no excuse for not increasing his workload after the way he’s performed when given the opportunity. It’s time for that to change. Entering a contract year, the Cowboys have one last chance to finally utilize No. 20 to his full potential. Pollard is a versatile playmaker whether it’s as a runner or receiver out of the backfield, and its way past time to use him as such. He should see a significant increase in touches in 2022 and hopefully we start seeing that happen in training camp.

Giants place Azeez Ojulari on Non-Football Injury list, add four to PUP list - Big Blue View
The Giants also added second-year EDGE Azeez Ojulari to the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list with a hamstring injury. Pat Leonard of the New York Post reports that Ojulari suffered the injury recently but is expected to recover with rest. As we always note, hamstring injuries can be notoriously tricky and the Giants would be well-served by not rushing Ojulari back onto the field.

Doug Pederson treats Jaguars players like adults - Big Cat Country
When a new coach comes in for their first year with a team and begins to show what kind of leader and communicator they are, players take notice. Some like it. Some don’t. A few could be indifferent. But they take stock of that new coach’s similarities and differences from the old coach the same way any of us would do if we got a new boss or our departments promoted someone new to lead. Count Josh Allen as someone who likes what his new coach is bringing to the table. In just the first week of training camp, Josh Allen commented on how he’s feeling going into his fourth season with the team. It’s been a whirlwind for the defender, now on his third head coach in just a short time in the NFL but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the differences between Doug Pederson and his predecessors... with Josh Allen pointing out that the most impactful thing that’s changed is the professionalism that the new Jaguars head coach brings to the locker room.

Saints bring in RB Jordan Howard for a try out - Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints are bringing in veteran RB Jordan Howard for a tryout. Howard spent last season with the Eagles, where he had 406 yards and three touchdowns. Howard will join the USFL’s offensive player of the year and former Saint Darius Victor for a tryout this week. At 27 years old, Howard still has some left in the tank and has proven in the right systems that he can be successful as a rotational back. [BLG Note: The Saints signed veteran RB Malcolm Brown, perhaps indicating they’re passing on JoHo.]

Jets Sign Rashard Davis - Gang Green Nation
Davis has bounced around professional football since signing with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of James Madison in 2017. He had multiple stints on Philadelphia’s practice squad that year and earned a Super Bowl ring as a practice squader. He also spent time with the Raiders, Chiefs, and Titans before moving to the CFL and then the USFL. He was also selected in the XFL Draft in 2020 but chose not to play in that league. The Jets aren’t really in the market for a starting return man since they gave Braxton Berrios a lucrative contract extension in the offseason. They might be seeking a backup they can stash on the practice squad and activate for a game in the event Berrios gets injured. Davis would fit that mold.

The Kyler Murray ‘study clause’ is a distraction of the Cardinals’ making - SB Nation
Last week Kyler Murray became one of the NFL’s highest paid quarterbacks when he inked a 5 year, $230M contract. It was a vote of confidence, a sign of faith, proof positive that the Cardinals believed their guy was destined to lead their franchise into the future. Now, days later, that’s all gone — replaced in the conversation by a worrying, and frankly insulting caveat to the deal. The “Independent Study Addendum” was obtained by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, and it ostensibly says that the quarterback has to do his homework during the season, or the team has the right to put the contract into a default state, which Murray would need to rectify or the deal would become void.

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