Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 12/18/20.

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Orlovsky: ‘Built up animosity’ between Carson Wentz and the Eagles - 94WIP
Speaking on the Pat McAfee show, Orlovsky says there’s a lot of “built up animosity” between Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles’ organization. “I like playing of the game of like, the unrealistic stuff. Let’s say he can’t be in Philly, I know the money and the picks and all of that stuff,” Orlovsky said. “I can 100 percent see him in Indy at the top of the list.” “A lot of people think there’s a lot of built up animosity between him and the organization in Philly. I think a lot of people think he misses Frank Reich as a human more than just a play caller. I think a lot of people feel that Carson Wentz feels betrayed and the only person in the NFL that he trusts is Frank Reich.”

Report: Jeffrey Lurie hasn’t even considered firing Howie Roseman - BGN
“One thing that definitely isn’t hanging in the balance, though, much to the chagrin of many Eagles fans, is the future of the general manager, Howie Roseman. Sources close to owner Jeffrey Lurie said that while no decision has been reached on whether Pederson will be back for a sixth season, Roseman’s return never has been in doubt. In fact, it’s not even something Lurie has contemplated.” Fantastic. What ill-advised acquisition can fans look forward to next? Who’s going to be the next obvious superstar that the Eagles pass on in the NFL Draft in favor of a player that might be out of the league in a few seasons? The reality is that if Roseman held the answers, the Eagles wouldn’t be in the mess they’re in right now.

We Feelin’ A Run? + NFL Picks! - BGN Radio
Jimmy Kempski and Brandon Lee Gowton analyze all the angles and possibilities of the Eagles main players (Wentz, Pederson, Howie), make their NFC East Picks and preview the Eagles-Saints! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Mailbag: Eagles’ biggest draft needs? Carson Wentz salvageable? Josh Sweat is good? - PhillyVoice
I think the question going forward is whether Sweat can be a guy who plays a Brandon Graham-like workload. Over the last four years, Graham has been around the 70 percent neighborhood in defensive snaps played. Of course, Graham is an elite run defender, so that makes sense.Sweat has an extensive injury history, so there’s some debate over whether giving him that kind of workload is even a good idea. Is he a guy who can flourish with an increased snap count, or is he better when he can come in fresh and be something of a change-of-pace rusher who beats offensive tackles with speed? I don’t know the answer to that, but in order to be a consistent 10-sack guy, he’s going to have to play a lot of snaps.

Good Times, Bad Times - Iggles Blitz
Coaches and organizations that embrace risk are going to be better off than those who cling to comfort. It is tough to walk away from a player like Peters, but it has to be done. You’re clinging to past glory. That’s not how you win games in the NFL. That doesn’t mean getting rid of every veteran and loading up on youth. You must choose players who continue to perform at a high level and who can help maintain the winning culture. We don’t know the ins and outs of the Jeffery/Fulgham situation. Maybe Fulgham has some issues that the coaches are trying to deal with and benching him is the right thing to do. This is where you have to trust the coaches. That’s where their track record of embracing veterans becomes problematic. Are they sending a message to a young player they want to develop or simply going with the guy who helped them win a Super Bowl?

Kelce gives Pederson his strongest endorsement yet - NBCSP
But on Wednesday, one of the all-time greats in the organization, Jason Kelce, gave Pederson his strongest endorsement to date. “Doug, obviously, you saw it last week, I mean, we’re 3-8-1 and guys are still going out there and giving him everything they got,” Kelce said. “I think a great head coach is a guy that is a great motivator. I mean, is it important to be a genius? It helps, I guess. Is it important to be a big rah-rah guy? It helps. But the most important thing is, does this guy relate to people and does he motivate people? And does he get the most out of people, players, the coaches under him, everybody. I know that Doug built an environment that empowers individuals, empowers players, empowers his coaches underneath him to be the best that they can be. In my opinion, that’s the best quality/trait we can have in a leader, and it’s a lot harder to find than I think is often credited.”

NFL’s best and worst potential head-coaching openings: Where do the Eagles, Jets and Chargers rank? - ESPN+
6th out of 9 potential openings. As I wrote about Monday, though, even getting the Eagles under the 2021 cap will be an arduous endeavor. This roster is seriously flawed; now imagine it after letting safety Jalen Mills and offensive lineman Jason Peters leave and cutting tight end Zach Ertz, wideouts DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery and several other players without having any money to sign replacements. With more favorable cap situations, some teams might consider moving on from oft-injured players such as right tackle Lane Johnson and safety Rodney McLeod this offseason. Instead, the Eagles will be relying on them to return and stay healthy. Next season will likely be a retooling year for Philly, if not a straight year of rebuilding. The good news is that Jeffrey Lurie has generally been one of the NFL’s most patient team owners, with the short tenures of Ray Rhodes (as coach) and Chip Kelly (as football czar) as exceptions. If this job comes available, the new Eagles coach should get a few years to reshape the roster. Unless the Eagles have given up on their franchise quarterback, though, he’ll probably need to believe he can fix Wentz, and then actually pull it off.

Evans: Fantasy Football Passing Report ahead of NFL Week 15 - PFF
Jalen Hurts sparked new life into the Eagles offense, but I have a hard time trusting the passing options. Expect the Eagles to lean on Hurts’ rushing ability along with Miles Sanders. Dallas Goedert is my preferred option if targeting the passing game. He leads the Eagles in targets seemingly every week yet is priced down at $3,900.

2020 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight ends for Week 15 - Fake Teams
8) Dallas Goedert @ ARI. He’s still the lead guy in Philly, amassing 13 targets over the last two weeks (compared to seven for Zach Ertz).

The 2020 NFL RedZone Rankings - The Ringer
16. Philadelphia Eagles. Last year, I wrote of the Eagles: “Not just bad, boring.” They are still bad, but they are no longer boring. There are two Eagles teams. One can be described thusly: “Jalen Hurts is what Sean Payton thinks Taysom Hill is.” The other can be described with this: “How bad is Carson Wentz’s 2020 falloff? He’s currently second only to the 2015 Ghost of Peyton Manning in the biggest dropoff in DYAR from his previous three seasons’ average. He’d have to hit -1,535 passing DYAR to pass Manning.” The Wentz version would be in contention for dead last on this list. The Hurts version is too new to make declarations about, but it exhibits some competence. Pro Football Focus’s Seth Galina made the case this week that the Eagles improved across the board with Hurts as the starter. The Hurts-led version of the Eagles is clearly better and has a very high watchability ceiling.

NFL Picks: Predicting Week 15 against the spread - The Athletic
Eagles at Cardinals (-6.5). What stood out the most with Jalen Hurts in his first start was his poise. This is admittedly random, but he became the second quarterback in the last five years to produce 100+ rushing yards in a game without taking a sack. Hurts’ short-pass accuracy was very good and resulted in the Eagles setting a season-high for yards after the catch. For the most part, Hurts avoided negative plays and knew when to throw the ball away. The Eagles’ biggest issue this week is they’re banged-up in the secondary. That could mean big trouble against DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals currently occupy the last playoff spot in the NFC. They win, but the Eagles keep it close. The pick: Eagles (+6.5)

Giving back helps Rodney McLeod heal from ACL injury - PE.com
Those first few days after the knee injury that ended his 2020 season, safety Rodney McLeod admits, “it crushed my heart, spirits, and was hard to face reality.” McLeod has gotten better mentally since suffering a torn left ACL in Sunday’s win over New Orleans at Lincoln Financial Field, and it has helped him that his work in the community has provided the proper perspective. McLeod, the Eagles’ Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee, has always been a huge giver to those in need. His work since joining the Eagles in 2016 has been impressive – everything from football camps, to a student health program, to the Ronald McDonald House, to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, to the Eagles Autism Foundation, as well as various NFL activities. He and wife Erika have gone far beyond those programs with the formation of their Change Our Future Foundation, and what’s happened here is that as McLeod has spent his time this week giving back to the community, he’s helped heal a heart broken by an injury that will require months of rehabilitation, something McLeod is familiar with having torn his right ACL in 2018.

Kevon Seymour was out of the NFL and working at an auto customizing shop. Now he’s an Eagles corner. - Inquirer
Jeremy Logsdon, owner of an auto customizing shop in Charlotte, N.C., was home wrapping Christmas presents Sunday, with the Saints-Eagles game on TV in the background. Logsdon heard a familiar name. Kevon Seymour, signed to the Eagles’ practice squad on Dec. 2, and then called up to play against New Orleans, made a special-teams tackle. As the game went on, injuries dictated that Seymour’s first Eagles game — also his first NFL game since 2017 — would include 35 snaps at cornerback. “To hear his name on the national stage again was really exciting,” Logsdon said. He said the gift-wrapping took a backseat for a while. “It was nice to be able to watch, and see him back doing what he loves, man; he was so passionate.”

Arizona Cardinals Thursday injury report upgrades De’Vondre Campbell and Dre Kirkpatrick, but problems persist - Revenge Of The Birds
On the offense, Chase Edmonds and Justin Pugh remain sidelined with injuries, but the concern may be DeAndre Hopkins who was again a did not practice for a non-injury related issue. The thing is, we saw Hopkins had his lowest snap percentage of the season against the Giants, and we know he’s been dealing with ailing injuries, so it may be just overall fatigue, but who knows.

Giants’ James Bradberry placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list - Big Blue View
As if things weren’t already complicated enough for the New York Giants with the injuries to Daniel Jones and the positive COVID-19 test for offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, the team’s defense ha now been dealt a huge blow in advance of Sunday night’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Giants star cornerback James Bradberry has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He was deemed to be a high-risk close contact of an individual who has tested positive. That contact did not occur at the Giants facility and the positive individual is not a member of the organization. Bradberry will remain isolated from the team and continue to participate in meetings remotely. If he continues to test negatively and has no symptoms, he would come off the reserve list on Monday.

Three unexpected moves for the Cowboys to make - Blogging The Boys
Cut Jaylon Smith. This may not be as much of a stretch as the rest, since there are others who have floated this idea. His play has not been great this season. At times, “mystifying” is very applicable. It’s hard to know what is going on with him; he is no longer just having poor results individually, he has reached the point of dragging down the players around him on the field. He is a great individual and seems to be a leader in the locker room, but he is certainly not carrying his part of the load. It is time for the team to admit it and move on.

Louis Riddick’s time on MNF proves that he’s ready to be a GM - SB Nation
ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Louis Riddick could be making a jump from broadcasting, back into the game itself. On Wednesday it was reported that both the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions has set up interviews with Riddick, with both potentially interested in hiring him for their vacant GM positions. As an analyst, Riddick has been one of the best parts of Monday Night Football. His knowledge of players and systems shines every single week. To back that up he also has the experience as a former player, and NFL executive to get the job done. Selected in the 1991 NFL Draft, Riddick was a journeyman running back who played for five different teams over his eight year career. When he finally retired from football all together in 2001 the Washington Football Team hired Riddick as a pro scout, he then rose in executive ranks to director of pro player personnel with the organization, before moving to the Eagles in 2009 to take on similar roles.

Reasons not to trade for James Harden are silly and don’t really matter - Liberty Ballers
The Philadelphia 76ers should trade for James Harden. They should be willing to give up quite a bit for him. The arguments against trading for him focus on issues that I can’t bring myself to care about. I don’t care that Harden is 31 and Ben Simmons is only 24. Harden is far better now (and probably for at least the next two or three years) than Simmons will ever be. If the Sixers were title contenders this season and for the foreseeable future, then this would be a real debate. But they were the 6-seed in the Eastern Conference last year, and they’ll likely finish around fourth or fifth in the conference this year. Joel Embiid turns 27 this season and has a long history of injuries. The time to contend is now, and Harden takes the Sixers from a middle-of-the-pack playoff team to a true contender and a favorite in the East. [BLG Note: The Sixers need to do what it takes to pair Harden with Embiid.]

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