Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 4/25/23.

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2023 NFL Draft Week Rumors Monday - Walter Football
Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles moved up in the first round to select Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, and if the Eagles could have their way, they would do that again to reunite Davis with his former teammate Jalen Carter. NFL team sources have told WalterFootball.com that Philadelphia has made calls to see what it would take for teams to move down to the 10th-overall pick. Given the cost of trading in the top 10, the Eagles are not looking to move into the top five. Their calls have focused on the teams in the back half of the first round. Of course for a trade to happen, Carter would have to slip past No. 5 in the 2023 NFL Draft. The only top-five-picking team that looks like a possibility for Carter is the Seahawks with the fifth selection. Detroit, Las Vegas and Atlanta are not going to take Carter because of his poor character and work-ethic issues not meshing well with their team cultures. The Bears could easily take Carter if he got to the No. 9 pick, so the Eagles would want to jump them. Among that trio at No. 6-8, the Raiders and Falcons are probably the most likely trade-down partners. Both Las Vegas and Atlanta could use more draft picks, so a trade is possible. The Seahawks are the key to the situation, and if they pass on Carter, then he has a real shot to join Davis in Philadelphia. Sources say that if the Eagles don’t land Carter, Iowa defensive end Lukas Van Ness is one of the top candidates for them. They want, and need, more youth on their defensive line, and Van Ness would be a great scheme fit. There has been some hype that Philadelphia might take Texas superstar running back Bijan Robinson, but sources say the franchise are more likely to take a defensive lineman. Everybody around the league loves Robinson, but the value teams place on running backs will cause some teams to take lesser players over Robinson because those players play a more in-demand position. If the Eagles don’t take Carter, it sounds like Van Ness is a top target for them.

Lying Season - Iggles Blitz
Charlie is a grinder. I would tend to believe this stuff since he’s not going on TV and saying this. He also doesn’t have a gazillion followers. That still doesn’t mean the stuff is true, but I give it more validation than other reports/rumors. I can see Howie being willing to trade up for Carter. Howie loves premium talent and Carter certainly is that. I’ve talked for a while now about Van Ness and how the Eagles could have interest in him. I know some of you hate the idea of taking him, but Van Ness is big, athletic and a gifted pass rusher. He would make a lot of sense. You might have to learn to love him. There are still a couple of days to go so be prepared for more rumors that involve or affect the Eagles.

Bleeding Green Nation’s final SB Nation mock draft pick makes Eagles’ WR corps even more dangerous - BGN
My pick for the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 10 overall in the annual SB Nation NFL writers mock draft was a combination of what I think the team will do and what I would prefer them to do. I’m taking a different approach with the Birds’ second first-round pick. This selection is more about having fun than it is necessarily trying to be incredibly predictive. And so with the No. 30 overall selection, the Eagles select ... Jalin Hyatt, wide receiver, Tennessee. The Eagles’ ‘need’ at this position is nuanced. On one hand, they have two excellent starters in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. On the other hand, there just isn’t much in the way of reliable depth behind them. Let’s not sugarcoat this: Quez Watkins failed to prove himself as a trustworthy option last season. He was very detrimental to the team’s chances of winning in three out of their four total losses. And in the one loss where he wasn’t responsible for an obviously awful play, he saw one target and didn’t log a catch.

At the Podium: Jalen Hurts on his new deal + being in Philly longterm - BGN Radio
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts spoke with the Philly media for the first time since agreeing to a 5-yr contract extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid player and is at the podium with a presser that’s locked loaded and ready for you.

The Eagles’ Pattern That Says They Won’t Take This Top Prospect Thursday - SI
I said Monday morning that I doubt the Eagles take Bijan Robinson at No. 10. I feel that way because so much of their history says they won’t: Over Howie Roseman’s 23 drafts in Philadelphia, they’ve taken five backs in the top 100 picks, and none in the top 50. Since he became GM in 2010, there’s been one back taken in the top 100 by the Eagles—and Roseman just let that back, Miles Sanders, walk without incident in free agency. My gut tells me they’re going to stick to their guns on that. That said, over the weekend, I was told, and later confirmed, a story about them from 2017. The Eagles were prepared to take Christian McCaffrey with the 14th pick (the pick they got from the Vikings for Sam Bradford), had the ex–Stanford star fallen to them. McCaffrey didn’t, and Philadelphia wound up with Tennessee pass rusher Derek Barnett instead. The Eagles won the Super Bowl nine months later, Barnett was just O.K., and McCaffrey became, and remains, a big star in the pros. So why were the Eagles willing to break their pattern of passing on running backs for McCaffrey? My understanding is that it was because of the value he brought to the passing game: McCaffrey was considered a good enough receiver coming out of school to be a high draft pick purely as a slot. The question, to me, becomes whether you see Robinson that way. And I think, in the end, he’s not quite that as a pass catcher. “He’s an every-down grinder, really good in protection, too,” said one coach. “But you’re not gonna be calling plays for him in the pass game that aren’t screen or flat routes.” Which is to say he’s good in that area, like, say, Ezekiel Elliott was. Robinson’s just not special there, like McCaffrey was.

Mike Tanier’s Final Three-Round Mock Draft - Football Outsiders
18. Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson. 30. Clark Phillips, CB, Utah. 55. Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee. 62. Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M. 94. Christopher Smith, S, Georgia. It would not be an Eagles mock draft without some hypothetical Howie Wowie wheeling-dealing. If I didn’t mock Bijan Robinson to the Eagles OR have them trading down to add to their stockpile, there’s little chance I would make it out of my driveway alive this week. Bryan Bresee and Jordan Davis can keep Howie Roseman from calling in the Ndamukong Suh Brigade to save the run defense this year. Clark Phillips could shine as a nickel cornerback, while Christopher Smith is a future starter at free safety for a defense that increasingly has Georgia on its mind. Cedric Tillman is a well-built possession receiver coming off an injury-nerfed 2022 season, while Devon Achane is a Bijan-solation prize and system fit who can soak up Miles Sanders’ workload. Both add a little diversity to an offense that’s thin at the skill positions. Does this look like a Super Bowl runner-up reloading for another run to you? Because that’s what it’s supposed to look like.

NFC East roundtable: Are Eagles still the favorites? Should Cowboys draft Bijan Robinson? - The Athletic
The Eagles have lost a lot of talent — not just players but coaches, too — from their Super Bowl squad. Are they still the favorites to win the division? The conference? Standig: Yes, to both. Philly faced turnover but also retained key players, including its two starting corners. How the Eagles deploy two first-round picks could fill the holes created. Dallas also changed its offensive coordinator, and we know these Cowboys have struggled in the postseason. As for the NFC, it’s hard to even determine a credible challenger until we know what the 49ers do at quarterback. Wulf: I think they’re still division favorites, but there are plenty of reasons to expect a backslide. Setting aside the talent they lost in free agency, this was a team that was always likely headed for some regression in 2023 after it was so healthy — all 22 starters played in the Super Bowl — and benefitted from some turnover luck. I expect the defense, in particular, to struggle relative to last season, but the offense should remain elite. With arguably the best quarterback in the conference, the Eagles remain the team to beat.

With record-setting deal done, it’s back to work for Jalen Hurts - PE.com
“It’s an incredibly exciting day for the Philadelphia Eagles and our culture and our fans and with what we have to look forward to,” Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said. “It’s remarkable that somebody can combine the talent that Jalen has, the personal qualities, and the ability, at such a young age, to be a culture setter. Owning the team for all these years, it’s very special to have a young player have the qualities of Jalen. Today is his day, but I could tell you this any day if you’ve talked to me about this, I could have told you this the last few years. To be able to have the dynamic playmaking ability and the maturity and the passion for his craft at age 24 – pretty remarkable. That’s why we’re sitting here today. I’m very proud of this young man. He’s going to lead the way for many, many years to come in Philadelphia and for the Eagles and I couldn’t be happier. None of us could be any happier. This is the beginning of a career arc for a remarkable person and a remarkable player. The future? We don’t even know. The ceiling? There is no ceiling. It’s all there if we continue to surround Jalen. The culture is set – he sets the culture as well. Great coaching. Superb general manager. It’s all there for the taking, so with a little bit of luck, we’ll have a lot of these get-togethers and talk about how exciting it all is.” Then Lurie stepped down off the stage and took his seat in the front row, with Hurts next at the microphone. And after thanking so many who had helped him along the way, Hurts got down to business. He has football on his mind.

Myles Garrett hopes Browns can follow Eagles “recipe” for defensive line - PFT
If all goes as well as possible, Garrett hopes that the group will mimic the one that the Eagles had under Schwartz and continue to roll out under their current coaching staff. “Hope we can make this consistent, make this a group that can be feared because we’re going to be here for a long time, we’re going to be consistently good for a long time and I feel like the Eagles have kind of the recipe. . . . They have their guys who are mainstays and who’ve been there for a long time and they got some new additions here and there, but you have guys that you know, ‘Well, damn, we’re facing the Eagles defensive line, we got to buckle up, we got to get ready.’ I’m hoping that we can put that same fear into people,” Garrett said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

New York Giants sign DT A’Shawn Robinson - Big Blue View
Veteran defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, considered to be a quality run-stopper, is signing with the New York Giants. The Giants had Robinson in for a free-agent visit several weeks ago. NFL insider Ian Rapoport said Robinson’s deal is for one year and is worth up to $8 million. Ralph Vacchiano is reporting that the deal will pay Robinson about $4 million, plus the aforementioned incentives. A seven-year veteran, Robinson was No. 40 on The Athletic’s top 150 NFL free agents list entering the offseason. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic says: Robinson is one of the best run defenders in the NFL not named Aaron Donald. His 38 tackles on designed rush plays through Week 11 were tied for fourth-best among defensive linemen … with Donald. Robinson tore his meniscus in Week 11 and missed the rest of the season but is on track for a fully healthy offseason.

Mark Tyler’s Final Washington Commanders 2023 Mock Draft - Hogs Haven
In my final mock draft before the start of Thursday’s NFL Draft, I opted to use the new ESPN draft simulator. The top four quarterbacks went within the top 8 picks, with Will Levis being the last of the group to go eighth overall to the Falcons. Subsequently, a run on offensive tackle happened, and the top four, Skoronski, Wright, Johnson and Jones (in that order) went off the board by pick 14. This however, left some premium talent on the board at running back (Bijan Robinson), and corner (Joey Porter Jr.). I contemplated taking Porter at #16, but opted for a trade-back with the Jaguars, who came up from #24 to select the Penn State corner. In return for moving back eight spots and giving up a premium prospect, I was given Jacksonville’s first (#24) and second (#56) round picks. Using Rich Hill’s trade value chart, this represented a 305(pick 16)-335(pick 24 and 56) swing in the Commanders favor.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is officially the longest-tenured starting quarterback in the NFL - Blogging The Boys
But the Raiders released Carr earlier this offseason and now Rodgers is obviously gone. This means that no other starting quarterback in the NFL has held their post longer than Dak Prescott. So if you feel like things have changed a lot as of late, you are absolutely correct. If you want some more “I cannot believe this” context, then consider that next in line on the tenure list is Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs, although that one is sort of cheating. While the Chiefs drafted Mahomes in 2017 he did not become the full-time starter until one year later. Both Kirk Cousins and Josh Allen also took over their respective teams in 2018 so there some room for ambiguity there. Time moves fast.

Jerry Jones joked around and used his sinewy old man arms to throw Mike McCarthy under the bus - SB Nation
There’s never a dull moment in Jerry World, and the Cowboys owner didn’t disappoint in his pre-draft press conference on Monday. Naturally it was full of questions about what Dallas is looking for in the draft, whether they might trade picks, and their philosophy as a whole — but Jones closed things out with a real moment. Okay, let’s step back for a sec and acknowledge that Jones was joking around. It wasn’t designed to be a serious call out of Mike McCarthy, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at the exact moment his heart was ripped in two.

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