Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 8/15/23.

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

Who are the NFL’s top players 25 and under? League coaches, execs rank Herbert, Parsons and others - The Athletic
8. QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles, age: 24 (8/7/98). The 2020 second-round pick made a massive leap in 2022, putting up MVP-caliber numbers both as a passer and ball carrier while helping lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. He translated that success into a massive, $255-million contract extension. [...] 18. WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles, age: 24 (11/14/98). This talented, young speedster/pass catcher factors greatly in the success of Hurts and the Eagles’ offense. Smith last season followed up a 64-catch, 916-yard rookie campaign with 95 receptions for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns. He probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a member of this new wave of game-breaking wideouts.

Eagles-Browns practice notes: Some good, some bad - BGN
DeVonta was tough for the Browns to cover at this time last year. As detailed in the preceding Hurts section, he was a problem for them again today. Pretty good player! Spoiler alert: He’s getting my MVP point for this corresponding BGN Radio practice recap podcast episode. [...] Sydney Brown took some first-team safety reps. It wasn’t the entire first-team since Derek Barnett was at defensive end and Nicholas Morrow and Christian Elliss were the linebackers. Still, it’s a good opportunity for Brown to slowly but surely move up the depth chart.

FROM THE SB NATION NFL SHOW: Jason Kelce has a new documentary - BGN Radio
The SB Nation NFL Show’s Monday Football Monday crew reacts to the news that Jason Kelce will be the subject of a football documentary on Netflix.

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Recap: Day 13 - Welcome to Philly - Dawgs By Nature
3. Browns’ Defense Making an Impression: There was no tackling permitted, but early reports were giving credit to the Browns’ defense, particularly up front, for winning the battle against the Eagles’ offense. That was a sharp contrast from a year ago.

A look at all of Tanner McKee’s throws in the Eagles’ first Preseason game - PhillyVoice
McKee has already achieved the floor expectation, which was to beat out Ian Book for the No. 3 quarterback job. He has made this team. Looking forward, if he can continue to play like this, McKee can maybe be an extremely cheap primary backup to Jalen Hurts in 2024, 2025, and 2026. Or perhaps even better for the Eagles, they could potentially maximize their return on investment via trade at some point along the way.

NFL Preseason Week 1: Every team’s highest-graded player, including Jordan Addison and Jack Campbell - PFF
Philadelphia Eagles: CB Eli Ricks (96.7, 21 snaps). Ricks was up for the challenge in his NFL preseason debut. The undrafted Georgia product finished with a pick-six and a pass breakup on the outside, in the end allowing one catch for seven yards on four targets.

2023 NFL Preseason Week 1 rookie grades: Anthony Richardson has ups and downs in debut - NFL.com
Kelee Ringo has something to prove as a rookie, after he surprisingly fell to the fourth round of the draft in April. He started the Eagles’ 20-19 loss to the Ravens, charged with covering Baltimore first-rounder Zay Flowers, among others, on the right side of the defense. He stayed with his man down the sideline without a problem, varying whether or not he put a hand on the receiver off the line. Drawn away from the outside while in man coverage late in the first quarter, Ringo hustled back and avoided a block to stop a run before it hit the red zone. Veteran Devin Duvernay scored late that drive, though, as Ringo played inside leverage, making himself susceptible to the back-shoulder throw. Ringo made a third-down stop two drives later, halting quickly with the receiver and getting his off hand out to knock down the (admittedly late) throw.

Jordan Davis explains the biggest difference for him in Year 2 - NBCSP
There was no pause, no hesitation. Jordan Davis didn’t need to think about his answer when asked about the biggest difference going into Year 2 of his NFL career. “Confidence,” Davis blurted out. “I’d say confidence.” Davis, 23, was starting to build up that confidence last season as a rookie but then he suffered a high ankle sprain against the Steelers and it took a long time for that to heal and even longer for him to feel like himself again. “Obviously, I made it this far for a reason but it’s just one of those things where you keep second-guessing yourself,” Davis said. “And especially after the injury, I was always second-guessing myself. But now going into this role, being in a more leadership role, I’m starting to gain more confidence for me, myself and everybody else.” Davis was a first-round pick last year but explained to NBC Sports Philadelphia in September about his long battle with his confidence. Even though he was one of the best players in the nation at Georgia, Davis has had his issues for years and even speaks with a therapist to help him deal with them.

Spadaro: Cam Jurgens takes another step forward in quest to secure starting role - PE.com
There is just something special when joint practices are held and in today’s NFL, the value is measured in the same category as a game repetition, so having the Cleveland Browns at the NovaCare Complex on Monday carried some weight. And with that in mind, watching the trenches was a treat, because there aren’t many better testing grounds for the Eagles’ offensive line than what Cleveland brings to the table with end Myles Garrett and tackle Dalvin Tomlinson as every-snap threats. “It was fun to go against somebody besides ourselves,” right guard Cam Jurgens said. “Like, it felt good to block somebody I haven’t seen the last three weeks, so it was fun.” Jurgens didn’t play in Saturday’s preseason game in Baltimore, something he says could be an indication of the coaches “having a little bit of faith in me,” but he’s taking nothing for granted. The goal, Jurgens said, is to chip away at the little things and have the position figured out in time for the regular season. That’s why working against the likes of Tomlinson, a 325-pounder who plays with force, is so valuable. “I need to be consistent and keep getting better,” Jurgens said. “They’re a good group out there, too. They’re going to be a good team.”

Why NFL players were drawn to jersey No. 0 after its return - ESPN
D’Andre Swift, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: “This is the first year players are allowed to wear that number, so it’s kind of cool to be the first person to put it on, especially being from here,” said Swift, who grew up a fan of his hometown Eagles.

BREAKING: Dallas Cowboys, Zack Martin reach new deal, holdout over - Blogging The Boys
This seems like a win-win for everyone involved. Zack Martin is now making more money and being paid near the top of the market as far as interior linemen in the NFL are concerned, meanwhile the Cowboys did not have to break the bank to get it done. All told this always seemed like the most logical conclusion to Martin’s holdout saga. It is over. We made it.

Takeaways from New York Giants practice on Monday - Big Blue View
I did not count his exact completions/attempts, but this did not seem like a great day for Jones. He threw a pick 6 during a two-minute drill, with safety Dane Belton undercutting a route by Darius Slayton. It felt like there were more incompletions and off-target throws than we have usually seen from Jones this summer.

Three Washington players who locked up roster spots against the Browns - Hogs Haven
Chris Rodriguez. Admittedly, this is a bit of a cheat. There’s never really been much of a question as to whether the 2023 6th rounder out of Kentucky was going to make the team. That said, with Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson established and clearly ahead of him on the provisional depth chart going into the pre-season, I think there was a lack of clarity around how many snaps Rodriguez might have coming to him in 2023. I’ve been long on Rodriguez this offseason, and Friday against the Browns, the bruising back lived up to that optimism. Of the three backs certain to make the roster, Rodriguez (74.4) had the highest PFF score of the group, with Robinson (69.2) and Antonio Gibson (62.8) looking less impressive against Cleveland. In 12 snaps, Rodriguez had 5 carries for 39 yards, averaging over 7 yards per carry.

Patriots signing former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to reported one-year deal - Pats Pulpit
Gillette Stadium will mark the next stop for Ezekiel Elliott. The former Dallas Cowboys running back is set to sign with the New England Patriots on a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, as reported Monday by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Elliott, 28, had been hosted by the Patriots on a free-agent visit as training camp got underway in July. [BLG Note: The Eagles will see Zeke in Week 1.]

Steelers sign 2 CBs, work out 2 others ahead of Week 2 preseason - Behind The Steel Curtain
The Steelers front office has stayed busy this preseason. Per NFL insider Aaron Wilson, Pittsburgh has signed CB Nevelle Clarke. The team also announced the signing of CB Lavert Hill. CBs Duke Dawson and Isaiah Dunn were waived to make room for Clarke and Hill. Dawson was given an injury designation after his knee injury against Tampa Bay on August 11. [BLG Note: Hill is a former Eagle.]

Vikings sign OT Chim Okorafor, waive OL Jacky Chen - Daily Norseman
Okorafor comes from another small school, Benedictine College of the NAIA. Okorafor was initially signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent but was waived by them about a week ago. He was an all-NAIA performer for Benedictine College, and they were the fourth team that he played for during his college career along with Riverside City College (2019), Missouri Southern (2020), and Pittsburg State (2021).

6 NFL rookies who stood out in preseason Week 1 - SB Nation
Deuce Vaughn, RB, Dallas Cowboys. The Diminutive Dynamo in Dallas destroyed defenders in the Cowboys loss to the Jaguars. Vaughn carried the ball for 50 yards and a TD on eight carries, while also adding in a reception. Vaughn routinely made would be tacklers miss and turned small gains into explosives. Vaughn is going to be a factor in the Cowboys offense that’s looking to create more explosive plays. He’s a walking big play, and despite being 5’5, Vaughn is compactly built and doesn’t take many massive hits. With Tony Pollard entrenching himself as RB1, Vaughn has a very good chance to be the next guy up in the Cowboys RB room.

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