Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 2/21/18.

Let's get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Orthopedic Surgeon: Carson Wentz’s Injury Is ‘Worrisome’ - CBS Philly
“This is an ACL plus 2,” Dr. Kelly told the 94WIP Morning Show on Tuesday. “This is an RG3 equivalent folks. This is worrisome. Now, his good news, he had a very good surgeon — Dr. James Bradley. He’s going to have good therapy virtue of NovaCare. He’s a man of faith, which is important to me too. This guy is an excellent patient. But I think his timeline is very, very optimistic.” [...] “This kid, God bless him, is probably going to be brace dependent – like Brady, like RG3 was – the rest of his career,” said Dr. Kelly. “This may be a blessing in disguise, maybe become more of a drop back quarterback that we all want him to be.”

Four things to know about new Eagles offensive coordinator Mike Groh - BGN
The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly promoting Mike Groh from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator. Here are some things to know about the new Eagles OC.

Kist And Solak Show Ep. 3 - The Eagles Need To Find a Linebacker - BGN Radio
Michael Kist & Benjamin Solak turn their heads to the defensive side of the ball for their draft preview, highlighting LB/S/EDGE fits. Have teams been taking advantage of Eagles LB depth? Is their a LB in 1st round that is a must have? All that and more as they explore the LB and Edge class of 2018

This is the year for the Eagles to play the ‘compensatory pick game’ - PhillyVoice
Again, to earn comp picks for the players noted above, the Eagles would also have to refrain from signing free agents away from other teams, which shouldn’t be a problem seeing as they have no money to do so anyway. What they can do to fill those holes is sign bargain bin players to veteran minimum deals, or wait for teams around the league to release players, as they wouldn’t count toward the comp pick formula. The Eagles currently have eight picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. If they play the “compensatory pick game,” they could be projected to have as many as 12 picks in 2019 after 2018 free agency shakes out.

Groh to OC - Iggles Blitz
This is a smart move. Groh had a hand in gameplanning last year so expanding that role should come naturally to him. He does have OC experience at the collegiate level. That was a decade ago and you can bet that Groh is much better prepared for the role at this stage in his career. He’s been part of some great coaching staffs, helping Alabama to win a national championship and also helping the Eagles to win the Super Bowl this past season. Groh could be a head coaching candidate down the road, but hopefully he can provide the Eagles some stability at OC for the next couple of years. Doug Pederson has some young coaches he is developing (most notably Press Taylor) and it would be good to give them time to grown into their roles.

Catching Up On Some Roster Additions - PE.com
As the Eagles were preparing to win Super Bowl LII, the personnel department was busy adding players to the roster, which expands to 90 players before the cutdown to the maximum of 53 players next season. Among the additions are some familiar names. Let’s take a look at the additions with the most recent being that of defensive tackle Winston Craig on February 20 …

What will it take for the Eagles to trade Nick Foles? - Inquirer
Howie Roseman is sure to get offers for Foles once the two-day tampering period (wink-wink) begins on March 5. It is likely those conversations will begin in earnest during the combine next week. Some of the trade compensation being tossed about in the media has been hyperbolic. Bill Polian was a Hall of Fame general manager. He knows more football than I could even imagine. But if Roseman were to turn down two first round draft picks and two second round picks — as Polian recently suggested — that would be a fireable offense. Foles obviously had a one of the great postseason runs in history. I don’t even think Wentz could have played at that level. But I sincerely doubt any team is willing to part with that much in trade compensation. I think the bar is likely a first-round pick — and I’m not even sure teams will offer than much.

Four Downs: NFC East - Football Outsiders
Your reigning Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, look well-prepared to defend their title, while Dallas, New York, and Washington are in dire need of defensive help. Plus: Each team’s impending free-agent losses, including the subject of the hottest bidding war ever.

Torrey Smith hopes to stay in Philly in 2018 - PFT
“It’s something that I’m probably anticipating, being back [in Philadelphia],” Smith said, via NFL.com. “I think both sides know that, but I also know it’s a business, as well. You understand that as a player, and you have to understand to protect yourself. I’d love to be back, and hopefully it works out that way. Anything else that happens, I’ll kind of deal with it.” Smith’s three-year deal doesn’t offer much in the way of job security. He has a non-guaranteed salary of $5 million, which makes it simple for the Eagles to move on without him and use that money to alleviate the cap pressure that they’re feeling after building a Super Bowl winner in 2017.

Eagles Stay or Go — De’Vante Bausby to Brandon Brooks - NBC Sports Philadelphia
Nigel Bradham is an unrestricted free agent and should be the Eagles’ top priority this offseason. It flew a little under the radar, but Bradham’s 2017 was a huge reason for the Eagles’ successful run to the Super Bowl. After Hicks went down, the Eagles relied on Bradham to make the defensive calls like a MIKE. He and Mychal Kendricks ended up being huge keys to the season. He’s still just 28 and it’ll be interesting to see how much he’ll demand. Either way, the Eagles have to try to bring him back, especially as Hicks recovers from his Achilles tear. And you better believe Jim Schwartz will make his case for keeping a guy who has played for him more than anyone on the team.

Your NFL Franchise-Tag Primer - The Ringer
The NFL’s upcoming free-agency bonanza doesn’t officially kick off until March 14, but Tuesday marks the start of an important 15-day period in which teams can designate upcoming free agents with franchise-player or transition tags. The decisions teams make on which players to tag—or not—could have a big impact on how the free-agency dominoes fall once the new league year begins. With franchise-tag action close on the horizon, here’s a primer on the types of designations teams can use, plus a look at the players most likely to be tagged.

The backup, the pastor, the coach: Frank Reich’s road to the Colts - IndyStar
He was the backup who became a folk hero, the jock who became a pastor, the pastor who became a 45-year-old intern, willing to scrub toilets if that’s what it took to scratch that football itch of his after eight years away from the game. Even as a second-stringer, he was respected enough to counsel Jim Kelly; even as an unproven position coach, he was sharp enough to tutor Peyton Manning; even after the Philadelphia Eagles were left for dead this fall, their star quarterback sidelined, he was shrewd enough to lift Nick Foles from stopgap into Patriots-slayer. All the while, lest we forget: He was overlooked enough to get passed over, and passed over, and passed over, for the head-coaching job he’s long craved.

More than a feel good story, UCF’s Shaquem Griffin is an excellent player - PFF
UCF’s Shaquem Griffin isn’t just one of the best stories in the entire 2018 NFL Draft, but what makes his story so compelling is that he can legitimately play, and isn’t just a compelling storyline with no substance. Griffin is the twin brother of Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin, and what makes him such a unique story is that he is missing his left hand, amputated at the age of four due to a prenatal condition that caused a fetal abnormality in that particular extremity. Since that point, he has gone through his entire football career with only one hand, but that didn’t stop him from being one of the more productive pass-rushers in college football while expanding his role to show more diverse skills both at UCF and then the Senior Bowl.

No, Lamar Jackson isn’t a damn wide receiver - SB Nation
Lamar Jackson could make a great receiver in the NFL. His explosiveness, cutting ability, and straight-line speed make him a perfect fit. Slot receiver, wildcat, returner, wherever. Unfortunately, I think it would be better for him if he switched positions and tried to play quarterback first. I mean, what better way to get the ball in his hands as often as possible? Hear me out: let him drop back and throw 25 to 30 times a game. Moving a college wide receiver to quarterback is unheard of, but I think Lama- *an assistant rushes from off camera to bring me a single piece of paper* I’m sorry, I’m being told Lamar Jackson is in fact already a quarterback.

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