Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/14/24.

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

Eagles deny violating tampering rule with Saquon Barkley - ESPN
Said Franklin: “For him now to come back and be able to play within the state, in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things that Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch to him was not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that but obviously the connection with Penn State and the fan base as well.” Teams are not allowed to talk directly to players during the negotiating window unless the player represents himself. An Eagles spokesperson said that all recruiting done by the team is facilitated through the agent. The NFL declined to comment on whether it is investigating possible impermissible contact. An Eagles spokesperson said he was unaware of any communication from the league to the team on the subject as of Wednesday evening. The New York Giants have not reached out to the league about the matter, according to a source

Eagles jerseys will now feature the new wordmark instead of the old one - BGN
Hey, remember when the Philadelphia Eagles changed their wordmark back in June 2022? After playing two more seasons with the old wordmark, it looks like the change has finally been reflected on their jerseys for 2024 and beyond.

On the Shane Page #22: Initial thoughts on the Eagles free Agency moves - BGN Radio
Shane Haff and Jonny Page discuss what they like and don’t like about the Eagles recent free agency moves.

Who is left for the Eagles to sign at linebacker? - PhillyVoice
Jerome Baker: Baker is probably the most obvious name that makes sense for the Eagles, since he played for Vic Fangio in Miami last season. He’s a good coverage linebacker with experience (94 games played, 82 starts) who just turned 27 in December. However, the Dolphins released Baker a week ago, thus giving him a head start on free agency, and the Eagles haven’t shown any reported interest to date.

Eagles have a backup quarterback problem. Justin Fields might be the resolution - Yahoo! Sports
When you factor in the penchant of Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to be involved in practically everything during the offseason — not to mention his ability to seize upside at a reasonable price — there is some traction to be had between the Bears and Eagles. Not just because Fields has starting experience that would be valuable in the event of an injury to Hurts, but also because he fits Philadelphia’s run-heavy RPO packages, which could take advantage of Fields’ strongest asset as a scrambler. He could also offer new Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore the ability to design a few change of pace running snaps, taking some of the wear and tear off of Hurts. For a one-year look, it makes a lot of sense. Even Fields’ salary is relatively cheap among quality backups, at just over $3.2 million in base money and a roster bonus that kicks in at the start of training camp. And all of this is built around the additional dimension of Fields still potentially being a trade asset prior to the 2024 deadline. Roseman is no stranger to being an active buyer at the deadline, but there’s a savvy sell that comes to mind: His September 2016 trade of Sam Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings for a first-round pick. That deal came together after the Vikings lost starter Teddy Bridgewater to a preseason practice injury, opening a lane for the Eagles to deal Bradford, who at the time was a bridge starter in front of then-rookie Carson Wentz.

Eagles and CJGJ deserve credit for letting bygones be bygones - NBCSP
The Eagles will welcome back that type of playmaking ability on the back end of their defense. There’s a real chance Gardner-Johnson’s best days at the safety position are ahead of him and there’s still a chance the Eagles can utilize his versatility as well. The reason Gardner-Johnson is back with the Eagles is because of his play on the field. But it’s going to be fun to see his personality back on the sideline and in the locker room too. Gardner-Johnson is a unique guy with a mercurial persona as this profile from early in the 2022 season explained.

Spadaro: The Eagles’ plan comes to life as free agency is underway! - PE.com
The Eagles put together a blueprint for what they wanted to do in the early stages of this offseason and they’ve been on point. There are, no doubt, twists and turns ahead as the weeks and months pass – and there is a long, long way to go building the roster to match Roseman’s vision – but the team is off to a great, great start. Roseman’s ability to gauge the market and to have multiple plans in place, combined with the understanding from the coaching staff of what the schemes demand from the players, has long been part of the secret sauce around here. The Eagles addressed positions to upgrade and they brought in players who possess the skill set required to excel.

Seven teams propose trade deadline be pushed back; 12 rule proposals in play at Annual League Meeting - NFL.com
Notable among the proposals was to shift the trade deadline, which currently takes place on the Tuesday following Week 8. The Pittsburgh Steelers have proposed moving the deadline to Week 9, while six other teams — the Browns, Lions, Jets, Eagles, 49ers and Commanders — have taken it a step further and are looking to shift the deadline to the Tuesday following the NFL’s Week 10 games.

NFL will consider proposal to show tenths of seconds on stadium scoreboard clocks - PFT
For the second consecutive offseason, the Eagles have asked the other NFL teams to consider a proposal to show tenths of seconds on game clocks. Philadelphia proposed new language in the NFL’s timing rules that says, stadium clocks “will count down in one second increments except in the last 60 seconds of the 2nd and 4th quarter, when the clocks will transition to a countdown in tenths of seconds.”

5 NFL teams who improved in free agency the most, and 2 teams who did not - SB Nation
Uhhh...have the Cowboys figured out that free agency started? All of their moves seem to go against the “all-in” mantra that Jerry Jones said before the window opened. What has “all-in” looked like? Well, here goes: Re-signing long snapper Trent Sieg, Letting LT Tyron Smith walk without a true succession plan, Not extending QB Dak Prescott to create more cap to... Give WR CeeDee Lamb a new contract. CB Stephon Gilmore is also a free agent, yet the Cowboys have been oddly quiet. Letting RB Tony Pollard walk might be good for them, but there’s no viable replacement plan at this moment outside of the draft. Even then, there are holes at LB still, and the free agent market at linebacker is quickly fizzling out. I’m just confused by the plan and vision in Dallas, and we might not be able to find out until free agency ends.

Cowboys free agency: Mike Zimmer steals linebacker Eric Kendricks from 49ers - Blogging The Boys
As noted the Cowboys did this with a bit of style which Adam Schefter referenced in his tweet. Over 12 hours prior to the Kendrick-to-Dallas news it was reported that he was set to join the San Francisco 49ers. He changed his mind and that will obviously not be happening. Our friends at Niners Nation thought that Kendricks would serve as a bridge to Dre Greenlaw’s return (remember that he was hurt in the Super Bowl), clearly they will have to figure out other options. It was thought that Kendricks would be joining another former coach in Brandon Staley who obviously ran the Chargers last year and is now on San Francisco’s staff.

The Giants’ quarterback soap opera continues to spin - Big Blue View
Breer referenced “massive investment in the premium positions.” The Giants check that box, especially on both lines. Breer’s thinking is that the Giants are now “in position to go and support a young quarterback.” Which leads back to the draft. “They are one of the teams that inquired with teams in the top three about a move up. Doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen, but they’ve inquired about doing that. I think they’re looking at all of their options at quarterback now, and I think that if the right opportunity comes along they are in position to take the young quarterback now.” Exactly. The Giants have done their due diligence on the potential of trading up, which is what they are supposed to do. It would be malpractice if they didn’t. Whether they make that move up or not, we will know in about six weeks.

Washington Commanders Free Agency: LB Bobby Wagner signs with Commanders on 1-year deal - Hogs Haven
Ian Rappaport reported that former Seahawks All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner is signing a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders. Dan Quinn, the head coach of the Commanders, was at one time the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks. He and Wagner have a long history. The 33-year-old Wagner had a career-high 183 tackles in 2023, and has, in fact, led the NFL in tackles in 3 different seasons. His addition to the linebacker group that also includes 2021 first round pick Jamin Davis and recently-signed former Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu elevates the middle of the Commanders defense to a level it likely hasn’t reached since the retirement of London Fletcher about a decade ago.

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