Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
Mailbag: Could the Eagles trade up from Round 2 into Round 1? – PhillyVoice
Question from Deathorglory: What’s the deal with Zach Ertz? He’s not really going to be on the team, is he? … My understanding for months now is that Ertz is as good as gone. I haven’t heard anything in regard to changes on that front, so my assumption is that he remains as good as gone. One possibility is that the Eagles could be waiting until June 1 to move on from Ertz. If they cut or traded him now, he would count for $7,769,500 in dead money against the cap, with $4,952,000 in savings. Since the Eagles already used both of their two allotted June 1 designations on Alshon Jeffery and Malik Jackson, they would have to actually wait until June 1 to get the benefit of a June 1 release/trade with a third player. If they cut or traded Ertz after June 1, the dead money hit in 2021 would be $4,221,500, with $3,548,000 in dead money kicked into 2022. They would have an immediate savings of $8,500,000 instead of $4,952,000. Tl;dr on that last paragraph: They’d have an extra $3.5 million or so to work with this offseason. That extra $3.5 million on its own would be right around what the Eagles would need to sign all their rookie draft picks. If all they received were crappy offers from other teams around the league for Ertz (which would make sense), the Eagles are better off just waiting to move on from him until after June 1.
NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Three-way tie for the Eagles’ first-round pick – BGN
This is the third week in a row where Smith, Waddle, and Horn are the most popular options at No. 12. Two weeks go, it was Wadle first, Horn second, and Smith third. Last week, it was Waddle first, Smith second, and Horn third. This week, they’re all tied for the top spot.
Eagles Mock 1.0 – Iggles Blitz
I’ve talked a lot about my love for Smith in the past few months. He is small at just 170, but he is tough. Smith will block. He will play on special teams. As a receiver, he is a smart, polished player. The Eagles drafted fast guys last year. Now they add someone who knows how to run routes and get open. Smith has elite body control, the most important trait for receivers. He can play in the slot or outside. Smith is the kind of guy you want on a team that is rebuilding. Smart. Tough. Dedicated.
20 QB Decisions Shaping This NFL Offseason, Draft Like No Other – FMIA
Decision 9: Colts. Philip Rivers out, Carson Wentz in. Philadelphia, barring an upset that would land Deshaun Watson in Philadelphia, commits to Jalen Hurts as its 2021 quarterback. The Eagles will have at least two first-round picks in a more certain draft (2022) and could have a third if Wentz plays 75 percent of the Colts’ offensive snaps in 2021, which seems likely. Decision 10: Eagles. Carson Wentz out, Jalen Hurts in.
How New Chargers Coach Brandon Staley Is Building Team Culture Virtually – MMQB
My thinking is still in the same place it’s been regarding Deshaun Watson. And that is pretty much here: I can’t in good conscience have a take on all the information that’s surfaced over the last week (from lawyers Tony Buzbee and Rusty Hardin) without either indicting Watson or failing to take the women’s allegations seriously enough, both of which are unfair. But I do know this: Some teams that were lining up for Watson in February have (for now) removed themselves from the mix altogether, and that’s in part because they can’t go forward with such a pursuit without clarity on the situation. And while Watson’s got problems bigger than football right now, the fact that it could be a while before we get clarity on his situation makes where Watson will be in the fall of 2021 impossible to predict.
Projecting the 2021 NFL draft’s top pass rushers: What to expect from Phillips, Rousseau, Paye and more – ESPN+
He really needed to stand out to make up for this lack of sack production, but his workouts were not quite good enough. Paye had a 4.52-second 40-yard dash, which is definitely great for a 261-pound player. However, his vertical leap and broad jump scores were only slightly above average. The 40-yard dash, vertical leap and broad jump all equally correlate to success at the NFL level, so when you average the three numbers together, you have an above average workout, but not an exceptional one. Paye has enough going for him that it would not be surprising to see him succeed. However, his SackSEER profile suggests that he is somewhat more likely to bust than the typical first-round prospect.
NFL Draft Rumor: Washington may “unload all their picks” for Trey Lance – The Falcoholic
When the San Francisco 49ers first traded up to the third overall pick a few weeks back, some initially thought the lack of additional quarterbacks would hurt the Falcons. However, we believed it increased the value. There was no more uncertainty at the 4th pick, and if any team desired to “get their guy,” they have to trade with the Falcons. Any other spot risks getting jumped, especially by the desperate Carolina Panthers. The only question is if a team liked their guy enough to trade substantial draft capital. For instance, the Dallas Cowboys are rumored to be considering a trade up for Pitts. Now Washington Football Team, nearly Panthers-level desperate for a quarterback, is considering a trade as well, per Michael Lombardi (via Burgundy Blog).
The Cowboys problems may not be something free agency or the draft can fix – Blogging The Boys
It’s not totally out of line to cite McCarthy as a possible problem. There were certainly questionable decisions made during games in 2020, and he was responsible for bringing in Mike Nolan to overhaul the defense. That mess went sideways quick and the team never seemed to really adjust. Then there is the fact that the Green Bay Packers became significantly better once they moved on from McCarthy as his final season there were not of high quality. You throw all this stuff into the mix, including the idea that McCarthy should have done more with the Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers era, and the doubt is real.
How do voidable year contracts work, and why has the NFL embraced them this year? – Hogs Haven
Voidable years have been talked about a lot with recent NFL free agent signings. Some fans have reacted as if teams are “cheating” by using them, but voidable year contracts have been around a long time, and they are even discussed in many provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. They offer teams a method to help make it possible to sign veteran players to relatively high-dollar contracts in years when the team faces a (usually unexpected) tight salary cap situation. Voidable year contracts come with caveats, but they also offer a powerful tool for teams trying to add talent to a roster. The team will eventually have to pay the piper, but structuring the contract can delay the inevitable cap hit, allowing a team to ‘squeeze’ a contract in that they might not have been able to manage otherwise. Because most NFL teams are run like well organized businesses and not like a teenager running wild with dad’s credit card, the large delayed cap hit can be planned for and managed effectively. It’s a basic part of what NFL teams do — Salary Management 101.
NFL Daily Kickoff, Monday – Are the Packers in… Jeopardy? – The SB Nation NFL Show
Aaron Rodgers is hosting Jeopardy! right now, but the Green Bay Packers still have to figure out what they are going to do about the MVP’s contract. Also, the NFL saw one of its fastest players in recent memory retire and the Cleveland Browns might be loading up on defense. Check out the latest episode of NFL Daily Kickoff as we catch you up on it all.
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