Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 2/20/20.

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Cowboys News: Byron Jones with an NFC East rival would be a nightmare for Dallas fans - Blogging The Boys
While the Cowboys keep themselves busy trying to get deals in place for Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, the likelihood of moving on from top cornerback Byron Jones becomes more likely each day. But Jones could receive a huge payday while staying in the NFC East.

Cowboys’ Byron Jones likely to command $16M per year; Eagles, Giants are expected suitors - CBS Sports
If Jones isn’t returning to Dallas, then where could he be headed? It’s entirely possible, if not likely, he lands with the rival Philadelphia Eagles. They won’t be the only team after him, but among potential suitors, they would not mind outbidding others to fill a desperate need for long-term CB help. They’ve been fans of his makeup since the 2015 draft. They have more money to spend than in years past, entering free agency with a projected $42.3 million in 2020 cap space, and are expected to part ways with impending free agent CB Ronald Darby. The Cowboys, meanwhile, won’t let the “who” wants Jones sway them one way or another in their own financial decision.

10 predictions for the Eagles’ 2020 offseason - BGN
Eagles Sign CB Byron Jones. The Eagles aren’t going to be able to draft an immediate starter at cornerback. Anyone they get will likely start the season as a back-up, so if they do spend big in free agency on a player this year, Dallas’ cornerback Byron Jones is the best option. Now there’s no doubt the five-year vet is going to cost a bunch of cash ($16 million a year?), and lots of teams will be in the bidding. It’s also true that, like many of the corners that have worn Eagles green the last few years, Jones hasn’t created turnovers. Incredibly, he has just two INTs in his career, none the last two seasons. But he’s also given up just five touchdowns the last two years and the lack of INTs feels like more of a weird aberration than an inability to haul in the football. He’s also allowed a QBR of just 84.7 and 87.7, well worth whatever big money deal Roseman wants to throw at him. This is going to be the Eagles’ big-money free agent this offseason.

How the Eagles can fix cornerback: Free agents, trade options and the draft - The Athletic
Jones (6-foot, 205 pounds) has a rare combination of size, athleticism and proven production. He was in at least the 71st percentile in every measurement tracked at the combine, according to Mock Draftable, and his vertical jump and broad jump were off the charts. As a pro, he’s played multiple positions and in both man coverage and zone coverage. With a background at safety, he’s also covered tight ends and top receivers as a shutdown cornerback on the outside. His off-field character is well regarded — he earned the nickname “Senator” while at UConn — and the Eagles were interested in him in the first round of the 2015 draft (albeit under the Chip Kelly/Ed Marynowitz administration). Jones lacks the interception production (only two in his career), but he makes up for it with coverage and tackling. But here’s the rub: Sheil wrote that it “would be no surprise to see Jones become the highest-paid corner in the NFL at $16 million or $17 million per season.” It’s up for debate whether the Eagles would even be willing to pay that type of price or whether Jones merits that type of deal. (Then again, Jalen Ramsey’s next contract will trump it.)

NFL execs discuss the most captivating free agents - ESPN+
Logan Ryan played out his three-year, $30 million deal with Tennessee at just the right time. Tennessee would like to keep him, but he’ll probably cost more this time around. Ryan is basically a hybrid corner-safety-linebacker for the Titans, doing everything from rushing the passer off the edge to dropping into a zone. He’s only 28, despite going into his third NFL contract. It helps that the cornerback pool lacks major star power, and the Philadelphia Eagles must address the position. They weren’t willing to give up multiple first-round picks for Jalen Ramsey, but they might pay up for Ryan in order to improve while preserving draft capital.

2020 NFL head coach power rankings - PhillyVoice
5. Doug Pederson, Eagles. Pederson led the Eagles to a Super Bowl title in 2017 and to a wild card appearance in 2018, but his best coaching performance may have been this past season, when he coached a group of practice squad players to four-straight wins and an NFC East title. Just once, it’d be nice to see what he could do with a healthy squad.

NFL trade rumors: Why Stefon Diggs makes sense for the Eagles - NBCSP
This is the big question. I think we all agree that Diggs is a good player and the Eagles would love to have him. But what would they have to give up in a trade? Well, the Vikings are going to start any negotiation with a first-round pick at minimum. They should. All those reasons I listed above are reasons why they should have teams lining up for Diggs. It’ll be interesting to see just how bad things really are between Diggs and the Vikings, though. There was definitely frustration during the 2019 season but he finished out the year. Is it bad enough that it’s an untenable situation? If so, then the Vikings would lose some leverage.

Trading Stefon Diggs would be idiotic and we’re all dumber for knowing this opinion exists - Daily Norseman
RAWR RAWR RAWR BUT DIGGS IS A MALCONTENT AND A CANCER AND POISON AND A DIVA AND LITERALLY THE WORST PERSON EVER AND NEEDS TO GO RAWR RAWR RAWR! Yeah, whatever. So was Adrian Peterson in the 2014-15 off-season, when both Peterson and his agent demanded he be traded. And my God were most folks bending their morals into a freaking Simone Biles floor routine to justify keeping Peterson after all the garbage that went down. All Diggs does is tweet, not beat his kid to the point he’s criminally charged, but Diggs needs to go, while a good chunk of you were cool with keeping Peterson? Huh, cool story. Oh, what did Mike Zimmer do when Peterson wanted to be traded? He famously said Peterson would either play for the Vikings, or he wouldn’t play. Because he knew Peterson was a critical part of the Vikings offense, and from a football perspective, trading him would be stupid. Peterson played, and led the NFL in rushing in 2015. So no, the Vikings aren’t trading Stefon Diggs.

Henry Ruggs favored to run fastest Combine 40 - PFT
With the NFL moving Scouting Combine workouts into prime time, the league is hoping for increased interest — which of course comes with betting on the Combine. Some sports books have started taking bets on the player who will run the fastest 40-yard dash, and the favorite is Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III.

Jason Witten wants to keep playing, knows he might have to leave Dallas - Big Blue View
That somewhere else could be with the New York Giants. With former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett joining New York as an offensive coordinator, there are already-established ties to Witten in the organization. The Giants have nothing to lose by signing Garrett as the future Hall of Famer would provide a veteran presence in the Giants locker room that has been led by Evan Engram, who suffers from his fair share of injuries. Kaden Smith, Rhett Ellison and Scott Simonson also saw some snaps for the Giants this past season, but none has proven to be a consistent weapon at the tight end position. [BLG Note: “Nothing to lose” except the cap space and roster spot the Giants would be spending on a washed 38-year-old tight end!]

AD is back! Redskins exercise club option for Adrian Peterson - Hogs Haven
Was there ever any doubt? The Redskins have exercised their club option on Adrian Peterson’s contract, meaning he will return for a 3rd season in Washington. The Redskins get their most consistent RB over the last two seasons back for $3 million in 2020. [BLG Note: Peterson turns 35 next month,]

The NFL’s proposed playoff format for the new CBA, explained - SB Nation
The current NFL collective bargaining agreement is set to expire after the 2020 season, but negotiations on a new one between the league and the NFL Players Association are ongoing. Along with guidelines for compensation, player safety, and other notable issues, the NFL is working on changes to its schedule, including unexpected tweaks to the current postseason format. Under the current proposal, which owners are “pushing for,” the playoff field would be expanded to seven teams from each conference, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. In addition to that, only one team from each conference would receive a first-round bye. The league is also expected to switch to a 17-game regular season, while eliminating one of the preseason games, something that has been talked about for a few years now. We’ll run through what the changes mean and when they might be enacted.

Report: XFL ratings take expected hit in Week 2 - DraftKings Nation
The XFL is likely going to last through the first season, but long-term sustainability remains uncertain. From a ratings perspective, Week 2 is a better benchmark than Week 1. The Week 1 novelty is gone, and now we’ll see who sticks around to watch this league with any consistency. If we see another 34 percent decline, the league could be in trouble. But if the decline is more limited, it could bode well. The original XFL fell apart in a hurry with its ratings setting records for historic lows. The current iteration of the XFL has ten more weeks of regular season and playoff games to show it can carry into a second season. How Week 3 ratings compare to Week 2 could tell us a lot.

From the Bleachers #17: Bring the XFL to Philadelphia! - BGN Radio
Shamus Clancy makes the case for bringing the XFL to Philadelphia! We want to hear from you: What would you name your XFL Philadelphia franchise? Who would your coaches be?

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