Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/4/20.

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Berry: 20(ish) things I learned at the 2020 NFL combine - ESPN
17. I would not count on Miles Sanders becoming a stand-alone fantasy star this year. Philly still wants a RBBC this season and one of its coaches noted the Eagles really missed Jordan Howard down the stretch last season.

Todd McShay’s third mock draft has a new first round wide receiver pick for the Eagles - BGN
On the bright side, this description makes me think Jefferson could kind of be Carson Wentz’s wide receiver version of Zach Ertz. That’s to say, a reliable go-to target. Such a player would be even more useful in the intermediate passing game if there’s a player to actually take the top off the defense and open up room underneath. Jefferson has some level of explosive ability himself but it’s not his calling card. In terms of how realistic the pick is, I think Jefferson will be on the Eagles’ radar (note: the team did use one of their 45 Combine interviews on him). He checks a number of boxes, including their affinity for college production. Jefferson logged 165 receptions for 2,415 yards (14.6 average) and a whopping 24 touchdowns in his final two years at LSU.

The Kist & Solak Show #175: “Andrue Dillargence” & Combine Takeaways - BGN Radio
Michael Kist & Benjamin Solak analyze the LB market, the chances of drafting an LB, plus thoughts on what “old” really means in the NFL, the Darius Slay trade possibility, Breshad Perriman and more! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Ruggsmania - Iggles Blitz
I would be fine with the Eagles taking Ruggs at pick 21, but I would not trade up for him. The smarter move would be taking a different receiver (or other position). As much as the Eagles needed speed last year, they needed someone who could consistently get open and someone who could consistently catch the ball. A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel were great rookie receivers last year. They ran 4.49 and 4.48. I am strongly against the Eagles trading up for anyone. They need all 10 picks. They need an infusion of youth on this roster.

Best-Ball QB Tiers - Rotoworld
Carson Wentz (QB8) — Incredibly small sample size, but the 27-year-old’s lone performance with DeSean Jackson last year resulted in a season-high 25 fantasy points and 8.03 yards per attempt. Philadelphia will undoubtedly make a concerted effort in free agency to ensure Wentz isn’t hung out to dry with Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, and Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band in December again.

Evan Silva’s Top 150 for 2020 - Establish The Run
129. Carson Wentz (QB9) — Showed ability to elevate teammates in ’19. Now needs better ones.

‘It was tough as sh**’: How Eagles’ Lane Johnson established his work ethic as gravedigger in Texas - NJ.com
The lessons from that summer job have stayed with Johnson, he says: the work ethic, the ability to do several different jobs, simply pitching in as part of a team. When he arrived at Oklahoma after transferring from Kilgore community college in East Texas, he was a sophomore quarterback, but the Sooners used him at tight end and defensive end, before he finally settled in at offensive tackle. Johnson needed to dump his ego and be patient during those times. He drew on his days as a low-ranking jack-of-all-trades at the funeral home. “There’s nothing more humbling than [digging graves],” Johnson said. “It’s not fun at all, but at the same time, it was a job for me, and I enjoyed it.”

The 100 best available NFL free agents remaining in 2020 - PFF
9. CB BYRON JONES. A move to cornerback rejuvenated Jones’ career in 2018, as he showed that he could play single coverage on the outside at a high level. He finished with the 14th-best coverage grade among corners in 2018 (80.4) before dropping to 21st in 2019 (74.8), but those are extremely valuable numbers as he hits the open market. Many will point to Jones not picking off a pass over the last two years, but his 74.1 coverage grade in single coverage is 11th-best during that time, and he has also shown the ability to match up against tight ends when called upon. Jones brings youth and coverage ability to the open market, making him the top defensive free agent heading into the offseason.

Byron Jones is about to be a rarity among recent Dallas Cowboys first round picks - Blogging The Boys
Assuming that Jones does leave, then he will be the first Cowboys first-round pick of the decade to play out his rookie contract with the team and not play on a second deal with the franchise. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it. The Cowboys have managed to draft enough talent year in and year out to justify giving them all second contracts, except for Charlton. For what it’s worth, Jones is certainly worth another deal, in this case, too worth it. It took a decade for the dollars and cents of it all to finally reach a tipping point for Dallas, and Jones is the first of the group to truly “get away” in free agency.

The Risers and Sliders at the 2020 NFL Combine - The Ringer
WR Justin Jefferson, LSU. Another receiver with a shot at the first round, Jefferson cemented his spot among this class’s top pass catchers with an impressive 4.43-second 40-yard dash, a 37.5-inch vert, and a 10-foot-6-inch broad jump. The 40 time in particular gives the former LSU star the chance to come off the board on Day 1; while Jefferson’s college production was unquestioned (he caught a college-football-best 111 passes and 18 touchdowns in 2019), scouts had some concerns about the his overall speed. A 4.6-second 40 or worse would likely have been enough to make Jefferson drop a little, but the 6-foot-1, 202-pound pass catcher put those concerns to rest.

2020 NFL Draft prospect profile: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU - Big Blue View
The New York Giants have a lot of needs on the defensive side of the ball. And despite investing heavily in the defensive secondary over the last two years, one of their needs is to improve their pass coverage. The Giants struggled to generate pressure with their front four, and when they were forced to blitz to create pressure, their secondary struggled to hold up and quarterbacks actually performed better. TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney is both athletic and versatile, playing inside and outside, in man coverage and in zone schemes. But more importantly, he brings an aggressive “dog” attitude with him to the defensive secondary. But despite those traits, he could be a sleeper in a deceptively deep cornerback class.

Should the Jacksonville Jaguars trade Yannick Ngakoue if it means they can get rid of Nick Foles too? - Big Cat Country
What do you think? Would getting rid of Foles and that contract be worth giving Ngakoue his wish of playing elsewhere? Or should we do everything we can to offload Foles without having to give up talent at a premium position? Personally, I think a trade deal can be struck with Foles and a Day 2 draft pick. I think giving up Ngakoue is a bit too much for the benefit of getting rid of Foles.

Report: Broncos kicking the tires on free agent running backs - Mile High Report
[BLG Note: Jordan Howard among players mentioned here.]

OBJ will reportedly be a part of Browns uniform unveiling - Dawgs By Nature
“As the Cleveland Browns get set to unveil some new uniforms in April, they’ve done some of the shoots - very confidential, hopefully for them, nothing leaks. Among the players very, very involved in their uniform reveal is Odell Beckham Jr. So if you wondered if this organization is planning to have him for 2020, the answer very clearly is yes.”

The 2020 NFL Draft is so stacked, your team might land a franchise tackle without even trying - SB Nation
This year’s NFL Scouting Combine was a testament to how deep the rookie crop of offensive linemen will be. Mekhi Becton and Tristan Wirfs each set records while cementing their place in the first half of April’s draft. Behind them, other college standouts like Jedrick Wills, Austin Jackson, and Andrew Thomas acquitted themselves well. That’s not surprising. SB Nation draft expert Dan Kadar put all five of those tackles in the top 18 of his last pre-combine mock draft and six in the first round total. His first post-combine mock projects seven tackles taken in the first 27 picks. The question now is how much those monster performances in Indianapolis will change how the first round plays out.

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