Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/14/23.

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Top 101 NFL free agents of 2023: Orlando Brown, Odell Beckham among best available - NFL.com
3) Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. NFL general managers probably won’t value an undersized slot corner/safety this highly, but I do! Gardner-Johnson is a dog, nipping at the heels of opponents. His versatility makes him ideal for this pass-happy era, and he can still deliver big hits. 4) James Bradberry. Now famous for his costly penalty in Super Bowl LVII, Bradberry showed in Philadelphia he’s still a top-20 NFL cornerback. After signing a one-year prove-it deal last offseason, he proved it.

NFL free Agency rumors tracker: News, signings, trades, updates, and more - BGN
Our 2023 NFL free agency tracker is officially here! We’ll be keeping tabs on all the rumors, reports, trades, news, signings, etc. that are relevant to the Philadelphia Eagles over the next few weeks in this space here at Bleeding Green Nation.

Mailbag: Should the Eagles be content with an average defense and go all-in on offense? - PhillyVoice
If Bijan Robinson is there at pick 30, then sure, go get that guy. But at 10, no way. While he may be a player who can be impactful in the short term, there’s just no justification for drafting a running back that high when the long-term positional value is so obviously poor. In regard to replicating other teams’ successes, I love the following answer from Howie Roseman. There are so many different ways to win in the NFL, and the truly elite franchises are the ones that find their own path. As Roseman notes, if you’re trying to be some other team, you’re going to be a step behind. (Also, you can try to replicate the Chiefs all you want, but there’s only one Patrick Mahomes.) But even if we’re looking at the most recent game result (which, again, I don’t think is good way to formulate an offseason plan), the defense is what failed them in the Super Bowl. The Eagles hadn’t faced a top tier quarterback all season and when tasked with trying to slow down Mahomes and Andy Reid, Jonathan Gannon and the Eagles defense failed pretty miserably, looking completely helpless in the second half. The Eagles’ offense is already pretty loaded and often looked unstoppable in 2022. Assuming Jason Kelce decides to continue to play, the offense will be returning almost everyone. There’s room for improvement at slot receiver and running back, but I would be shocked if the team made an offensive skill position selection at pick No. 10.

Going…Going… - Iggles Blitz
Some people are talking about the loss of Hargrave and Edwards and pointing at Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean as their replacements. Not true. Davis will play NT, taking over for Linval Joseph. Dean is going to play WLB, replacing Kyzir White. The Eagles need a DT and a MLB. There were some DL I had interest in. Unfortunately Zach Allen and DeMarcus Walker have signed elsewhere. Both are 6-4, 280 and pass rushers. The Eagles have Milton Williams with a similar size and skillset already in place. Maybe they want to add a bigger DL to help with run D. Or they might want another pass rusher and just be waiting for the draft. It is hard to read them with no moves to study. No FA visits. No hard FA rumors. The word of the week is patience. Howie Roseman doesn’t have the resources to do what he wants. He has to react to the market and look for the right opportunities. I’m sure he’s as miserable as Eagles fans right now. You hate building a great team only to see them picked off one by one. It is especially frustrating to lose Hargrave to the Niners. Their DL is absolutely loaded right now.

Cam Jurgens is on guard with Jason Kelce returning as the Eagles’ center - Inquirer
But the agreement reached Monday will cost somewhere in the $14 million range next season and it will delay Jurgens’ ascent. If he can transition into playing guard without there being a major downgrade, then the decision to select him without there being an immediate need won’t look as bad. If Jurgens struggles to the point of having to be benched — and it’s not like there’s never been precedent in this regard (see: Seumalo, 2017) — then it could be three seasons before he yields significant payback. He never played guard prior to the NFL and lined up there for just one snap last season vs. the Bears. The 6-foot-3, 303-pound Jurgens also doesn’t have prototypical size for the position. He cross-trained at both spots during the regular season, but whenever left guard Landon Dickerson needed a spell, it was Andre Dillard who got the nod.

Eagles propose 4th-and-20 onside kick alternative - PFT
Per the proposal, teams would have a 4th-and-20 from their own 20-yard-line and would need to convert it to keep the ball. A defensive stop would give the other team the ball at the point the play ends and teams would not be able to opt for a kickoff if they commit a penalty on their initial try. [BLG Note: The Eagles had previously proposed 4th-and-15 from the 25-yard line. Maybe a more challenging situation has a better chance to pass?]

Bengals players try to recruit C.J. Gardner-Johnson after losing Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell - Cincy Jungle
NFL free agency is off and running and another high-profile player is being linked to the Cincinnati Bengals. With Vonn Bell joining the Carolina Panthers and Jessie Bates III heading to the Atlanta Falcons, the Bengals will be without their two starting safeties from the last three seasons. Luckily for the Bengals, they have free agent recruiting extraordinaire Mike Hilton on the team, urging Eagles free agent safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to come to The Queen City.

49ers sign former Eagles DT Javon Hargrave to a four-year contract worth $84 million and $40 million guaranteed at the signing - Niners Nation
Finally, some news! According to Adam Schefter, the 49ers signed former Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million deal that includes $40 million guaranteed at the signing. The 49ers were spending the highest average cap dollars on their defensive line before they signed Hargrave. This is a team recognizing its strength and building on that. It’s also the Niners remembering the last thing they saw. Hargrave was a menace against the 49ers offensive line during the NFC Championship.

Report: Chicago Bears to sign linebacker T.J. Edwards - Windy City Gridiron
Edwards, who grew up in Lindenhurst, Illinois, and was a star quarterback for Lakes High School, changed to the defensive side of the ball at the University of Wisconsin, where he was named to the First-team All-Big Ten Team twice. The Eagles signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and he played in all 16 games as a rookie, with 4 starts. In the last three years, he has started 43 of the 45 games he’s played in, and 2022 was his best statistical season yet with 159 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 7 passes defended, a fumble recovery, and 2 sacks. The 26-year-old Edwards (6’1”, 242 pounds) has the skill set to play any of the Bears’ linebacker spots, but most of his time with the Eagles was spent in the middle.

Raiders sign Marcus Epps, Brandon Facyson - Silver And Black Pride
He will start, probably alongside 2021 second-round pick Tre’von Moehrig, who struggled in his first season in Patrick Graham’s defense after having a good rookie season. The team could also bring back Duron Harmon, who was solid on a one-year contract last year.

Tennessee Titans sign Andre Dillard - Music City Miracles
Dillard was a guy we spent a lot of time talking about at last year’s NFL trade deadline. He was a backup for the Eagles but was certainly better than Dennis Daley. Jon Robinson didn’t pull the trigger then. Ran Carthon did today. Dillard was the 22nd overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of Washington State. He started four games for the Eagles as a rookie. He looked like the odds on favorite to win the starting left tackle job in 2022 but was forced to miss the season with an injury. He has mostly been a backup since then. This is a really good signing for the Titans.

Broncos reportedly re-sign ILB Alex Singleton to three-year, $18 million contract - Mile High Report
Singleton, 29, is coming off one of his best seasons in the NFL. It was a sluggish start to the season, but he seemed to take flight after dropping a near-NFL record 21 combined tackles with 19 solo against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6. He went on to be the teams leading tackler and dropped another 20 combined tackles against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15. [BLG Note: Congrats to the former Eagles LB, who had previously earned just $3 million total in his NFL career.]

Cowboys free agency 2023: Guard Connor McGovern leaving for 3-year deal, $23M with Buffalo Bills - Blogging The Boys
It never seemed likely that the Cowboys would bring back Connor McGovern and a $23M deal is certainly beyond their price point. While McGovern was a fine option for the team at left guard, especially after Dallas let Connor Williams walk in free agency to the Miami Dolphins a year ago, their priorities simply lie elsewhere. As far as what the offensive line could look like in 2023, the Cowboys have acted as if Tyron Smith will be returning which would theoretically kick Tyler Smith inside to guard.

New York Giants sign linebacker Bobby Okereke - Big Blue View
The Giants had a revolving door of linebackers in 2022. Blake Martinez was cut before the season began. Tae Crowder and Austin Calitro began the season, but did not finish it as Giants. Rookie Micah McFadden was in and out of the lineup. Stop-gap veterans Jaylon Smith and Jarrad Davis were added during the season. Through it all, it was apparent the Giants needed to upgrade the inside linebacker position. Giants fans watched on Monday, the first day of the negotiating window, as potential targets kept coming off the board. Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards both signed with the Chicago Bears, Germain Pratt returned to the Cincinnati Bengals and David Long Jr. agreed to a deal with the Tennessee Titans. And, yes, if you were wondering, Okereke is the linebacker who was on the end of a Daniel Jones’ shoulder/forearm after a late hit against the quarterback in last season’s Giants-Colts game.

Washington Roster Updates: Eric Bieniemy gets former Chiefs RT; Andrew Wylie agrees to 3-year deal - Hogs Haven
The Washington Commanders aren’t done signing offensive linemen! New Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy has been added coaches to his staff and has already got two new offensive linemen at the start of the NFL’s legal tampering period. Washington reportedly signed Giants C/G Nick Gates, and have also agreed to terms with Kansas City Chiefs RT Andrew Wylie. He reportedly agreed to a 3-year, $24 million contract to join his former OC in Washington.

Austin Ekeler asking permission to seek trade after extension talks stall - Bolts From The Blue
Following the 2019 season, the Chargers wisely signed Ekeler to a contract that he’s vastly outperformed over the past two seasons. After playing for $4,250,000 and $5,500,000 during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, respectively, Ekeler is set to play on a salary of just $6,250,000 in 2023. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t want to be the NFL biggest bargain after scoring 38 touchdowns over the past two seasons. For context, the next closest player in that span has just 26 touchdowns. Ekeler wants to get paid like the player he’s become and I can’t say I blame him, even if parting ways will be incredibly unfortunate.

NFL Free Agency 2023: Tracking every signing during the tampering period - DraftKings Nation
We track all the deals that are agreed to before 2023 NFL free agency officially starts.

NFL mock draft 2023: Updated first-round projection after Bears-Panthers trade - SB Nation
Of course, a lot has changed since our most recent mock draft, namely the team at the top of the draft board. As expected, the Chicago Bears traded out of the first-overall spot, in a deal with the Carolina Panthers. What could they do with the first pick in the draft? Select a quarterback. But which one? Let’s dive into that, and more, with this pre-free agency mock draft. We’ll take a look at the updated first round, and make some picks for teams without a first-round selection. Something for everyone.

Monday Football Monday #128: It will be the Justin Fields show in Chicago this season, Dolphins win trade + Where will Jimmy G land? - The SB Nation NFL Show
Ahead of NFL free agency unofficially starting, RJ Ochoa and Pete Sweeney discuss the latest news in the league including Jalen Ramsey to Miami, the blockbuster trade between the Bears and Panthers and they each predict where Jimmy G will land.

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