Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 6/12/23.

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

Reason for optimism for all 32 NFL teams: Sean Payton brings winning ways to Broncos, Kenny Pickett set to take next step - PFF
Philadelphia Eagles: Everything. The Eagles were one of the most dominant and most balanced teams in the NFL last season. They lost T.J. Edwards and C.J. Gardner-Johnson this offseason, but they had Nakobe Dean waiting in the wings while adding a strong rookie class to contribute in 2023, as well. They have an MVP-caliber quarterback, a dominant passing attack, a great offensive line, a fierce pass rush and a strong secondary. It’s all there for another Super Bowl run.

Eagles tickets for single games and one open training camp practice go on sale June 13 - BGN
Philadelphia Eagles tickets for all 11 home games (two preseason, nine regular season) AND one open training camp practices at Lincoln Financial Field in 2023 will go on sale TOMORROW, Tuesday, June 13 starting at 10:00 AM Eastern, according to an official team announcement.

Mailbag: What would the 2022 Eagles have looked like if they traded for Russell Wilson? - PhillyVoice
Because I’m petty, I will first note that the Eagles’ attempts to trade for Russell Wilson (and Deshaun Watson for that matter) — and their inability to do so because neither quarterback would waive their no-trade clauses to come to Philly — are not revelatory. That has been reportedly locally here for well over a year now. The new reporting is that the Eagles and Seahawks essentially agreed to the terms of a trade, but Wilson killed the deal.

Eagles Notebook - Iggles Blitz
If Elliss were to become a solid starter, you could go old school for a comparison. Quintin Mikell was signed as a UDFA in 2003. He was a STer as a rookie. He got mixed in on defense the next couple of years, but was primarily a STer. He played more on defense in 2006 and even started a game. Mikell then started for the Eagles for the next 4 years. Elliss was signed by the Vikings as a UDFA in 2021. They cut him and the Eagles signed him. He bounced on and off the practice squad for most of the year. Elliss played in one game. He really struggled in the 2022 preseason and got cut. He was signed to the practice squad for most of the year, but did get elevated for multiple games. The Eagles finally added him to the roster in December. Elliss played in 6 games and really made an impact on STs. Now Elliss is pushing for more than just a roster spot. He wants playing time. He wants a chance to start.

Roob’s 10 Observations: Is DeVonta Smith really a top-10 receiver? - NBCSP
1. There’s been a lot of conversation the last couple weeks about whether DeVonta Smith is a top-10 receiver. I sure can’t name 10 WRs I’d rather have. Here’s what I liked most about Smith’s season in 2022: He came up huge late in the season for a team trying to lock up No. 1 seed, earn a bye and make it to a Super Bowl. It wasn’t just about the numbers for Smith. Every snap mattered, every catch mattered. Overall, Smith finished eighth in the NFL among WRs with 1,196 yards, but over the last eight weeks — the most important games of the year — he had 715 yards, and only A.J. Brown, Justin Jefferson and Davante Adams had more. And only Mike Quick in 1995 (772) and Irving Fryar in 1996 (721) have ever had more for the Eagles the last eight weeks of a season. Then he added 197 yards in three playoff games — including one where the Eagles barely threw the ball — and that’s fifth-most by an Eagle in any postseason. And he became the seventh-youngest player in NFL history with a 100-yard game in a Super Bowl. How many players in NFL history have had 1,196 yards in the regular season and a 100-yard Super Bowl before their 25th birthday? Just one. DeVonta. I don’t care about meaningless yards on a bad team that throws all the time because they’re down 30 points. I do care about big plays in high-leverage moments for a team chasing a championship, and Smith delivered just about every chance he got. No way there are 10 WRs better than Smith.

Ndamukong Suh’s bright broadcasting future, good and bad of Fox’s Belmont coverage and more: Media Circus - The Athletic
Ndamukong Suh might not be the first NFL player that comes to mind when thinking about future broadcasters, but the Hall of Famer-to-be is someone to keep an eye on in his post-playing career. Suh has met with NBC Sports officials about broadcasting possibilities and was one of 24 players selected by the NFL to participate in the 2023 Broadcast and Media Boot Camp, a three-day media workshop that connects players interested in broadcasting with people in the industry. When Suh was a guest analyst on “NFL Live” last summer, he impressed ESPN executives with how he answered questions. One ESPN executive this week called him “super impressive.” Steve Wyche, the chief national reporter for NFL Network, was an instructor for the Broadcast and Media Boot Camp and spent multiple sessions with Suh.

Patriots reportedly work out veteran offensive tackle D.J. Fluker ahead of mandatory minicamp - Pats Pulpit
After spending the 2022 season without a new team, Fluker is now attempting a comeback. He worked out at the Alabama Pro Day in March, and was also brought in by the Philadelphia Eagles recently.

Elijah Riley’s versatility is his answer to making the Steelers 53-man roster - Behind The Steel Curtain
However, per that same source, it isn’t just Riley’s ball skills and quick reaction time which has gotten the staff’s attention, it’s also his versatility. Riley, a safety by nature, is expected to compete for the slot cornerback role during run downs, and still be able to shift into a box safety look at times to help complement the defense. In other words, he is proving he can equate in two positions of need while only taking up one roster spot. This would allow the Steelers to keep an extra player at another position which they deem to be more important from a depth perspective. Does this mean Riley is a lock to make the 53-man roster? Absolutely not, but he very well has become a player who might went from been considered a long shot to make the roster, to someone with a legitimate shot at filling some defensive needs for the Steelers in 2023.

How power in the trenches could be the real difference maker this time for the Cowboys - Blogging The Boys
One thing that tends to show up more times than not is the Cowboys being overpowered in the trenches. We remember things like the Rams’ rushing attack steamrolling the Cowboys’ run defense to the tune of 273 rushing yards. We may also remember the Cowboys quarterbacks under duress quite often as in most of those games they were on the losing side of the sack differential. And in some cases, both happened like in 2021 against the 49ers when Dak Prescott was sacked five times and SF reeled off 169 rushing yards. Whether it’s insufficient protection from the offensive line or the inability to stop the opposing team from running the ball, these deficiencies have come home to roost for this Cowboys team during the playoffs.

Sam Howell has been developing good chemistry with Tight Ends and Jahan Dotson in practice. - Hogs Haven
Commanders insider John Keim of ESPN joined the Trap or Dive Podcast and discussed the connections that Sam Howell has been developing during Washington’s practice sessions. “I think the biggest thing is the tight ends,” Keim began. “I know that’s not receivers, but the tight end usage has been heavy. Now, my thing is, which it’s great to get the tight ends involved, but when you’re getting the tight ends involved, it means the receivers aren’t as involved. Those [wide receivers] are still your playmakers. I think there is a good connection with Sam and Logan Thomas. The receivers, there’s certainly Jahan Dotson, a guy that you see he has looked for a lot. I’ll be curious to see how he develops with Terry. In the Dallas game, his first throw and touchdown were to Terry, and he had a deep one to him, too. But, I think in practice, the tight ends have jumped out, and he looks for Jahan a lot.”

Saquon Barkley’s ‘sit out the season’ threat rings hollow - Big Blue View
Nonsense. That’s a hollow threat. Barkley isn’t walking away from $10.1 million, which is what he would make playing the 2023 season on the franchise tag. Nor is he going to risk basically destroying his long-term earning potential and damaging his career the way Le’Veon Bell did by sitting out the 2018 season in a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Saquon Barkley to skip New York Giants minicamp this week as he awaits a new deal - SB Nation
Barkley’s statement reflects the current market for the running back position. The value of a franchise tag for a running back for the 2023 league year is $10,091,000, which is below every other position in the league but for special-teams players. In today’s NFL, running backs are seeing the value of their position pushed further down the table, and Barkley does not have to look too far in the past to see how teams are handling the position. Just last Friday the Minnesota Vikings released Dalvin Cook, who was set for a big payday under his current contact. Cook was due $10.4 million in base salary this season, $11.9 million in 2024 and $12.9 million in 2025, per Spotrac.

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