Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 4/10/23.

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

The NFL Draft is 17 Days Away, and Memories of a Draft Past Show How Much Has Changed - FMIA
6. I think if I were Howie Roseman, I’d draft Bijan Robinson 10th overall, break the Eagles’ mold of always fortifying the two lines, and say to the world: Okay, you all try to stop Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Bijan Robinson—I know you can’t.

2023 NFL draft: A running back in Round 1? Why Bijan Robinson is risky - ESPN
What’s borne out in the numbers and the logic underpinning great football teams, though, is something fantasy football writer Jakob Sanderson brought up in a recent Twitter thread on this topic: Teams using a first-round pick on running backs aren’t necessarily spending all that much, but they’re incurring something even more expensive in terms of opportunity cost. Here’s how to contextualize that opportunity cost. Let’s say you’re going on your weekly run to a big-box store. As you walk into the store, an employee stops you and hands you a coupon. They tell you that you can take any item out of the store you want for free, but that there’s only about a 62% chance the item you grab will work as you hope and there won’t be any refunds offered. What would you grab? Probably something expensive, right? A television? A smartphone? A laptop? Even if you’re not directly in the market for one of those items, better to get it for free while you can as opposed to, say, a rotisserie chicken or a pair of jeans. Drafting a running back in the first round isn’t quite a $6 chicken, but maybe it’s more like a comfortable sweater or a hand vacuum. Is it useful? Sure. Will there be a time when you need those items? Of course. Is it the best use of a scarce resource like a 100% off anything coupon? No. As Sanderson pointed out in his thread, your best path to landing playoff-caliber players at the most impactful and expensive positions is by using first-round picks on those players. Look at the table above and the positions in which teams used premium assets to acquire their talent most often.

NFL Draft 2023 ‘The Beast’ Guide: Dane Brugler’s 401 scouting reports and 1,893 player rankings - The Athletic
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Texas, Bijan Robinson was the lead back in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s spread RPO offense, which utilizes both zone and gap principles. He became the first Longhorn to rush for more than 1,500 yards and post more than 300 receiving yards in a single season, and his 3,410 career rushing yards ranks fourth in school history behind Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson and Earl Campbell (all four-year players). With his natural ability to sort, cut and burst, Robinson has the instinctive feel and contact balance to set up defenders and force missed tackles (led the FBS with 104 forced missed tackles in 2022). He is a chore to bring down for defenders thanks to his natural run strength, although he does need to improve his nuance and finish as a pass blocker. Overall, Robinson is thecomplete package as both a runner and receiver with vision, instincts and elusive traits that will translate well to the NFL. He is one of the most talented players in the draft class.

NFL Mock Draft Simulation: Eagles take a running back at No. 30 - BGN
Pick 10: Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia. This is a favorite pick of mine. Nolan Smith makes a lot of sense as another piece in a very athletic Eagles front. He is fast as hell and could be moved around the formation to get favorable matchups. A rotation of Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Nolan Smith off the edge would be deadly.

Eagles’ loss in Super Bowl LVII played a part in Jason Kelce’s decision to return for 13th season - PFT
“Just by the calls you make. Just by the communication that you do. To do that well requires attention in the meeting rooms, requires film study, requires communication throughout the week. And all of that takes energy and effort. And all of that ultimately on some levels gets distracted from other areas of my life. You have to really think whether you’re willing to do that again. I was still in a position where I felt like for another year I wanted to do that. I do think losing the Super Bowl does play a factor, but I think ultimately, I still want to play football.”

NFC Roster Reset: Conference hierarchy heading into 2023 NFL Draft - NFL.com
The Eagles deserve hearty praise for the way they’ve kept a championship roster relatively intact following the narrow Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. They’ll continue to build around MVP runner-up Jalen Hurts — and they’ve continued to build behind him, too, with the addition of Marcus Mariota. Oh, and they have two first-round picks, including one at No. 10 overall. How does Howie Roseman do it? He might be the most resourceful GM in the league today, and he is a master at manipulating the draft, most often to the Eagles’ good fortune. Did Philly benefit from the absence of a devastating injury last season? Absolutely. But it’s hard to make the case for them not having one of the three best rosters in the NFC — and arguably the NFL as a whole — right now. The 49ers could also offer a pretty good debate on that subject. Unlike the Eagles, they were smacked hard by the injury bug last season, losing all three starting quarterbacks to season-ending injuries, plus other key contributors along the way.

How Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker can help the Eagles even though they will not take him - NJ.com
The increased interest in Hooker could bode well for the Eagles’ prospects for picking up extra draft picks. The Eagles currently have six draft picks going into the draft. Even though they have four selections in the top 100 (10th, 30th, 62nd, and 94th overall), they do not have a selection in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds. Smith stated that he expected Hooker to be taken in the late first round or early second round, which would place the Eagles in a position for a team that is looking for a quarterback to start in two or three years to make a deal to move up to 30 and take him. There are a few teams that could fit that description that are picking early in the second round, including the Seattle Seahawks.

Gauging who is under the most pressure for the Cowboys heading into 2023 - Blogging The Boys
Dak Prescott 50%. Quarterback Dak Prescott is undeniably under more pressure than anyone associated with this franchise. Caught in between an ownership group that hasn’t extended a new contract and a rabid fanbase that wants results right now, Prescott is under the microscope more than he ever has been. The fans are starving for success and Prescott is who they are counting on to deliver it. Everyone understands it’s a team sport and teams win championships, not individuals. Yet, unfair as it seems, heavy is the head the wears the crown in Dallas, but Prescott is thought by some to be unworthy of wielding the scepter. The advanced analytics, which are in his favor, won’t suffice for the growing legion of his detractors. Of course, he deserves credit for beating the Buccaneers and effectively sending Brady into a rocking chair, but that’s not enough to satiate a fanbase longing for something beyond the divisional round. A turnover plagued year was brushed aside until his two interceptions against the 49ers in the postseason. Granted the team was lacking playmaking help at wide receiver; the team has addressed that issue and acquired Brandin Cooks for minimal draft capital. You can argue that Dak now has enough weapons to perhaps play his best football yet. Say what you will about diminishing returns from the recently released Ezekiel Elliott, but with him no longer there the Cowboys are truly buying into a new identity with Prescott firmly at the helm. It’s Prescott’s time to be the head chef of this offense with the new ingredients he’s been given to work with, but the heat coming his way is scorching if the team can’t yield different results.

2023 NFL free agency: Odell Beckham signs with Baltimore Ravens - Big Blue View
Odell Beckham Jr. is signing a one-year, $18 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens, per a report from Ian Rapoport. Beckham’s free agency was one of the simmering storylines of the 2023 off season. The All-Pro receiver had entertained interest from multiple teams. There was, of course interest in a reunion with the New York Giants dating back to before the 2022 trade deadline. The Giants still need to add a number one receiver and there was hope that Beckham could fill that role and provide a veteran presence. Beckham has also drawn interest from the Los Angeles Rams, with whom he got a Super Bowl ring, the Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Jets.

Texas Tech pass rusher Tyree Wilson has the highest upside of any defender in the 2023 NFL Draft - SB Nation
It seems like a foregone conclusion that a run on quarterbacks will happen early in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts all have selections within the first four picks, and all three teams are in need of a long-term answer at quarterback. The Arizona Cardinals currently hold the No. 3 selection, but teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons — along with dark horses like the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, and Tennessee Titans — could present an offer to acquire that selection. Regardless of when the consensus four top quarterbacks get picked, it seems likely the first non-quarterback selected this year will be an edge rusher. Alabama’s Will Anderson has a more substantial collegiate resume, but one could argue that it’s Tyree Wilson of Texas Tech who has the highest ceiling of any defender in the 2023 draft.

...

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen

BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta

BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton

BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio