Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 5/9/23.

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

2023 NFL best UDFA fits: One undrafted prospect to watch on each roster - The Athletic
Philadelphia Eagles: Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama. The Eagles are perpetually in a position to roll the dice on unproven players with unquestionable talent. That is Eli “Pick Six” Ricks. He looked like a future superstar at LSU as a true freshman in 2020 … and pretty much disappeared after that, even after his transfer to Alabama last season. At 6-2, 188 pounds and with nearly 33-inch arms, Ricks is worth the shot Philadelphia’s taking to see if the burgeoning star might reappear.

2023 NFL Draft Preview: Eli Ricks — The tempting enigma at corner - Roll Bama Roll
His intriguing talent and playmaking ability will get him a look. Teams can never have too many DBs. But his lack of elite athleticism likely will sideline him as a starter. Ricks best projects as a rotational DB, perhaps even a move to safety — something that will disguise his lack of speed and allow him to do what he does best: make plays in the air. Ricks is probably a late middle-rounder, though some have projected him as high as a Third. So, even his draft projections are a mystery. It will be interesting to see how Ricks is used as a pro. He has a specific skillset that will require landing with the right scheme and playing under a coordinator that understands how to leverage his talents while minimizing mismatches against his speed.

Eagles Film Review: Tyler Steen could reasonably be a Week 1 starter - BGN
I think there is a reasonably good chance he will start Week 1 at guard. If I had to bet on one of Steen and Cam Jurgens, I think I would give the edge to Steen because of his size. I do not think he is perfect by any means, but I think he should end up a solid pick at the start of the 3rd round. Who doesn’t trust Jeff Stoutland to develop an athletic offensive lineman?

Tyler Steen Update - Iggles Blitz
There is obviously risk in drafting a LT and moving him to RG. The Eagles see this as a calculated risk. Steen has the size, strength, athleticism and skill to be a good starting OG in the NFL. He lacks experience, but it helps that he has the best teacher in the league, a Mr. Jeff Stoutland. Steen has played right and left sides so moving won’t be overwhelming to him like it was to Andre Dillard early on. Steen’s father is a retired marine so I’m guessing he can handle tough coaching from Stoutland. Steen initially went to Vanderbilt so I’m guessing he’s smart and can handle the mental challenges of life in the NFL. If Steen does work out, the Eagles could have an outstanding young core of Mailata-Dickerson-Jurgens-Steen. They’ll go looking for the RT of the future next April. The best way for Jalen Hurts to earn his mega-deal is to keep him healthy and give him time to make plays. Adding a player like Steen will help Hurts to keep making plays.

What We Learned About Every NFC Team This NFL Offseason - The Ringer
The Eagles used void years at the end of Hurts’s contract. That keeps the cap hits in the short term relatively low so that they can build out the rest of the roster, but it sets up potential challenges down the road if things don’t work out with Hurts. “This kind of sets up for him to dictate when he gets another extension,” Fitzgerald said. “It just doesn’t leave you that kind of flexibility. It’s almost like you’re buying into a guy for 10 years. If you’re gonna buy into him for 10 years, figure out a way to just do a 10-year contract. Have it in today’s dollars, rather than have five years at the top of the market now and then, three or four years from now, having to go back and be at the top of the market again.” Hurts is set up to succeed in 2023—the Eagles return nine of 11 starters on offense—but the team’s depth will likely be tested more than it was last year. The Eagles were the third-healthiest team in the NFL in 2022, according to Football Outsiders’ AGL metric. They also had the league’s easiest schedule.

Favorite 2023 NFL Draft picks for every team: Deuce Vaughn, Christian Gonzalez and more - PFF
Philadelphia Eagles: S Sydney Brown, Round 3, Pick 66. After losing the versatile C.J. Gardner-Johnson this offseason, the Eagles needed a versatile defender who could play in the slot, at the linebacker level and as a strong safety. That’s Sydney Brown, and his high-flying play style will also fit perfectly in Philadelphia.

2023 NFL draft: Debating best picks, head-scratchers, top classes - ESPN
What was your favorite pick of the draft? — Miller: Defensive tackle Jalen Carter to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 9. Carter is potentially the best overall talent in the ‘23 draft class and lands in an environment where he has known leaders — and former teammates at Georgia — around him in defensive tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean. Carter can learn behind Fletcher Cox and is in the best-case situation for unleashing his immense potential.

2023 NFL Draft class rankings: Eagles, Texans, Colts, Seahawks top the board with grades in the ‘A’ range - NFL.com
The rich got richer, for sure. But the thing with the Jalen Carter pick — the centerpiece of a strong draft class, but a prospect with well-documented character concerns — is that the Eagles built the perfect environment in which he can thrive. They assembled a veteran-laden D-line over time, already arguably the best in the NFL, and have a bevy of Carter’s college teammates on the roster (including two added during this year’s draft). They also have no shot to land Carter if GM Howie Roseman didn’t make a savvy pre-draft trade a year earlier. Carter might be the best player in this draft; Philadelphia got him with the ninth pick (after a trade up from No. 10) and is a successful enough franchise to be able to survive Carter busting for non-football reasons. One of those other Bulldogs the Eagles nabbed: Nolan Smith. Had he gone to another team in the top 15 or 20 picks, I wouldn’t have liked it nearly as much. But scooping him up at the bottom of Round 1 and knowing he doesn’t have to be a 50-snaps-per-game player immediately ups the appeal a notch or two. Even if his smaller size poses some issues, the explosive Smith has time to grow into a starting role. Tyler Steen actually has a chance to start in Year 1 if he can make the transition to guard and beat out Cam Jurgens. If not, Steen has extensive OT experience and could make for a quality four-position reserve. Sydney Brown, snatched up one pick after Steen, might be in a similar spot at safety. He has Reed Blankenship and Terrell Edmunds ahead of him on the depth chart. At the very least, the rookie figures to man the third safety role and play special teams. Was Kelee Ringo worth trading a 2024 third-rounder to land? Time will tell, but like with Carter, Philly’s roster strength and quality asset management allow this franchise to take smart, calculated gambles on prospects with elite physical traits. Style-wise, Tanner McKee feels like a strange fit, given the quarterbacks the Eagles already have, but who are we to doubt this team’s approach when it’s clearly firing on all cylinders? I thought Moro Ojomo would have gone 80-to-100 picks earlier. He’s now a cheap insurance policy for Carter, which makes it all the better. Sending a fourth-rounder two years from now to the Lions for RB D’Andre Swift was the cherry on top of a stellar draft haul.

ICYMI: 5 Eagles news and notes, plus some power rankings fun - PE.com
1. Just so you know, the Eagles are still in Phase One of their offseason program. Technically, the team is in its third week of the program, which would constitute Phase Two, but the Eagles are keeping things the same this week as Phase One conditions. Here is the explanation of Phases One and Two of the NFL offseason: Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and physical rehabilitation only. Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual or group instruction and drills, as well as “perfect play drills,” and drills and plays with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players, conducted at a walkthrough pace. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.

An argument for letting Micah Parsons continue playing some linebacker for the Cowboys - Blogging The Boys
We all know Micah Parsons is a weapon. Wherever he is lined up, offenses are certainly aware of number 11. With the news this week that Parsons is readying for a full-time switch to defensive end, the Cowboys shouldn’t fully end his time playing linebacker. They should keep giving offensive coordinators the massive task of trying to figure out how to stop Parsons from wreaking havoc at multiple defensive spots.

Giants 2023 schedule rumors: Giants-Jets in MNF opener? - Big Blue View
It’s a given that whenever the Giants face Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets during the 2023 season that the game will be in a nationally-televised window. The NFL would be foolish not to do that, and when it comes to money the NFL is not foolish. NFL insider Brian Baldinger said on his podcast that he has heard Giants-Jets will be the Week 1 Monday Night Football matchup. With Rodgers now at quarterback, the Jets are likely to be featured frequently in national and prime time spots.

The 5 O’Clock Club: The Commanders may be fielding a young and durable OL in Week 1 - Hogs Haven
I feel like this sort of relatively youthful lineup, where the oldest player has a history as something of an ‘iron man’, gives the team an advantage with respect to the chances that the OL stays healthy all year — and we saw from the Riggo’s Rag article quoted above how significant that can be. The interior would be inexperienced, starting a rookie center and left & right guards in their 2nd & 3rd seasons, respectively, but the line would be anchored by veteran tackles, and would provide a strong foundation for the seasons beyond 2023.

Brett Favre reportedly sought Trump White House help to promote concussion drug - SB Nation
The center of the Brett Favre welfare scandal in Mississippi has been the speaking money paid to him by the state, and how funds were re-routed from the needy into the pockets of some of the state’s most-wealthy residents. However, a side story to the entire scandal has been “Prevacus,” an experimental concussion drug which Favre was instrumental in garnering support for — and now it involves the Trump White House.

Monday Football Monday #136: 10 NFL games we’re looking forward to this season - The SB Nation NFL Show
RJ Ochoa and Jeremy Reisman preview the 10 games they are most looking forward to in the 2023 NFL season.

...

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

BGN Cameo: Request a video message