Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/27/24.

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

ESPN pursuing Jason Kelce in latest ‘Monday Night Football’ pregame shake-up: Sources - The Athletic
ESPN is planning another “Monday Night Football” pregame shake-up, according to executives with knowledge of the network’s plans. A year after a complete makeover of the set under the stewardship of Scott Van Pelt, Robert Griffin III’s spot is in jeopardy, while the network is aggressively pursuing retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce for Monday nights. ESPN is not alone in going after Kelce as NBC, CBS and Amazon Prime Video all have interest.

Eagles Film Review: Kenny Pickett, Zack Baun, and other new players - BGN
It’s worth remembering that Pickett did receive AP Offensive Rookie of the Year votes in 2022 and didn’t play badly. Last year, he completed 62.0% of his passes, for 2,070 yards, and six touchdowns to four interceptions. Throwing 4 interceptions in 12 games is pretty good, but just 6 touchdowns is pretty terrible. Pickett now has 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2 seasons. This play sort of sums up the issues with Pickett in the NFL. It’s great that he can get off his primary read and get to the backside, but it takes him too long which means he misses an easy throw. He needs to be coached to speed up his processing speed and hopefully, Kellen Moore can help him do that.

NFC East Mixtape Vol.157: Headlines from Orlando meetings - BGN Radio
RJ Ochoa and Brandon Lee Gowton share their thoughts on the headlines and rule changes that have come about from the first few days of the 2024 NFL Annual meeting.

Seven takeaways from Jeffrey Lurie’s ‘State of the Eagles’ address - PhillyVoice
3) Is Sirianni on the hot seat going forward? “Every coach is in a high pressure situation,” Lurie said. “Nick has had a pretty spectacular first three seasons and he has shown all the ingredients to having outstanding success, so I’m just looking forward. There’s no coach that’s not feeling pressure to perform. That’s the way it is in the National Football League.” #JimmySays: Lurie acknowledged that there was a decision to be made on whether he was retained or not, so yes, quite clearly he’s on the hot seat.

Nick & Jeff Talk - Iggles Blitz
Lurie expressed genuine disappointment in how the 2023 season ended. That sounds obvious, but it was important to hear him say it and not just gloss over that trainwreck of a finish. Lurie focused on positives, as anyone would. He talked about the success the Eagles have had with Sirianni and Jalen Hurts and wanting to get back to the level of the 2022 season. He was asked about why he brought Sirianni back. Lurie talked about Nick’s honest evaluation and desire to fix things. I know a lot of people questioned whether Sirianni would make changes, but at his core, I see him as ultra-competitive. That means you do whatever it takes to win. Give up play-calling? Fine. Fire a young coach you like? Fine. Go get me the best guys out there. Lurie talked about how Sirianni was pushing for Kellen Moore from the start of the coaching search. That’s important. You need Sirianni to fully buy into the new coach and to embrace changes to the playbook. It sounds like that is happening. Lurie said the addition of Moore can make the Eagles offense more dynamic and innovative. That would be better than what we saw the final six weeks.

Everything we heard and buzz from 2024 NFL owners meetings - ESPN
General manager Howie Roseman said the depreciated running back market factored into the Eagles’ decision to go against their normal practices to sign Saquon Barkley to a sizable contract. “Has the pendulum swung so far at this position? I mean, the guy touches the ball 300 times a year, hopefully, there’s not a lot of other skill position players that are touching the ball that many times and having that effect,” Roseman said. Add that the Eagles view Barkley as a “special” player and person, and there’s the reason for the move. Coach Nick Sirianni said he isn’t worried about Barkley fitting in the new scheme that Siriani and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore are putting together. He called having multiple playmakers, such as Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, a “good problem to have” but acknowledged a team-first mindset is going to be required for the inevitable stretches when a high-profile player won’t be getting the touches he desires.

7 takeaways from Jeffrey Lurie’s State of the Eagles address - PE.com
On the addition of running back Saquon Barkley. “With Saquon, one of the things we always talk about, whether it was LeSean McCoy, Brian Westbrook, is the value of a running back is it’s not even the word of the title ‘running back.’ You have to be a great passing attack running back as well,” Lurie said. “For us it’s got to be multifunctional. “And he exhibited a very special skill set both in the running and the passing game that we think certainly can be maximized by being on a team with better skill positions, quarterback, offensive line. So, it was a strategy to go. “I know people think, well, we don’t spend on the running back position. That’s never really been the case. We would do it very carefully. So, LeSean McCoy, Brian Westbrook, those are instances of players that are really multipurpose running backs that improve the passing attack, improve the running attack.

2024 NFL Draft: Updated needs for all 32 NFL teams after free agency - PFF
The team signed DeVante Parker in free agency, but he is coming off a career-worst season and struggles to separate downfield. They should aim to add a legitimate threat alongside A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. For the first time in more than a decade, the Eagles also have a hole at center. They could slide Cam Jurgens into that spot and find a right guard, but if Philadelphia sees a scenario where Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson falls to them, they could be tempted to take him.

Bucky Brooks 2024 NFL mock draft 3.0: Patriots select J.J. McCarthy; Vikings land Drake Maye - NFL.com
Kool-Aid McKinstry: The Eagles need to improve on the island. New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme requires corners to read routes and tackle well on the perimeter. McKinstry might lack elite athleticism, but he plays like a 10-year veteran outside the numbers.

Jeffrey Lurie, at least, seems to get it - Les Bowen’s Jawn
Lurie said examining why the Eagles just kept getting worse, instead of snapping back to form, “was a key focal point of the analysis.” Maybe you’re thinking, yeah, no kidding, we figured that. But juxtaposed with Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman this offseason, Lurie stands out. All we have gotten from those two is blah-blah-blah like “the end of the season didn’t go the way we wanted.” No acknowledgement of the scope of the disaster, or that moving on from it might be a wee bit complicated. Lurie can ramble on a bit, and his professorial demeanor occasionally causes him to drift toward locutions the likes of “in any losing streak, it’s multi-factoral.” But sometimes, you walk away from hearing him with a sense that you know how he actually feels about something, not just what he thinks he should project to the public.

Browns, Eagles Brazil game update plus game will be on streaming service - Dawgs By Nature
The NFL schedule is not coming out anytime soon but the Cleveland Browns and their fans are anxious to find out whether the team will start the year out of the country. Early in February, we shared that the Browns made sense as the opponent for the Philadelphia Eagles to open the NFL season in Brazil. Later, Peter King shared that Cleveland made “the most sense” as the international matchup for Philadelphia. Thankfully for Browns fans, unlike the Eagles, they won’t be giving up one of their home games for 2024. At the owners’ meeting, Roger Goodell shared that there should be more clarity soon on what team will make the trip to Brazil with Cleveland as one of the options.

Nick Sirianni won’t commit to Cam Jurgens as Eagles’ opening-day starting center - NBCSP
Maybe this is just Nick Sirianni being Nick Sirianni and not wanting to give anything away in the name of his beloved “competitive advantage.” Or maybe it’s more than that. Sirianni on Tuesday declined to name Cam Jurgens as the Eagles’ starting center in 2024 and replacement for Jason Kelce, the future Hall of Famer who announced his retirement last month. “I don’t have to make that decision anywhere near for a long, long time,” Sirianni said at the coaches’ breakfast at the NFL owners meetings Tuesday in Orlando. And so we’ll see. We’ve got a lot of time. We’ve got walk-throughs to go through, we’ve got training camp, we’ve got OTAs, as far as what that looks like. Cam’s gotten a ton of reps. If it is Cam, he’s got a ton of reps doing that, too. Jason didn’t take every snap at center last year in practice, so I’m really confident that he can do it. But we’ll see what happens.”

Packers are one of two finalist teams to play week 1 game against Eagles in Brazil - Acme Packing Company
It is possible that the Packers could know their first opponent of the 2024 season much earlier than the announcement date of the NFL’s entire schedule. Team president Mark Murphy, when speaking to reporters on Tuesday, revealed that the Packers are one of two finalist teams to play a week one game in Brazil, along with the Cleveland Browns. Either the Browns or Packers will travel to face the Philadelphia Eagles, who have already been announced as the home team for that game. This contest will take place on Friday, September 6 in Sao Paulo’s Corinthians Arena, which has a listed seating capacity of just under 50,000 fans. Additionally, although the league has not yet revealed the Eagles’ opponents, the NFL did announce earlier on Tuesday that the game will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform.

Cowboys free agent rumor: Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook are names to look out for - Blogging The Boys
Ezekiel Elliott playing for the Cowboys again has been a fan topic since he was released a year ago. But as Dallas looks to fill its roster with low-cost veterans, the idea is now getting some traction in the media. Another veteran running back, Dalvin Cook, is also being mentioned given his own link to the organization. Zeke, of course, has the stronger tie after playing in Dallas from 2016-2022. He was released last year in a cap-clearing measure, with his days as an All-Pro RB seemingly behind him. Elliott spent 2023 in New England and was a serviceable part of their rotation, but hardly the superstar we once knew.

‘Very passionate’ Brian Daboll addresses sideline demeanor, aims to evolve - Big Blue View
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll knows that his sideline demeanor, particularly with assistant coaches, assistant coaches has drawn a ton of scrutiny this offseason. Does he think that needs to change? “Every year, there’s a self evaluation process that goes on. I’m a very passionate person. But yeah, there are times where I wish handled things a little bit differently, certainly. So you continue to grow. You continue to evolve. That’s what I try to do every year,” Daboll said Tuesday morning at NFL league meetings. I’m passionate about winning. I’m passionate about our team. When we lose, I’m very passionate. So my focus always is: What can I do better? How can I be a better coach? How can I be a better leader?”

Don’t Panic, Commanders Fans, Hit Rates for QBs at Pick #2 Could Have Been Higher - Hogs Haven
Many Hogs Haven readers appear to have been as surprised as I was by that result. The comments section revealed a variety of reactions, and coping mechanisms, which should come as little surprise in a fanbase that has just endured 24 years of hopelessness in the hands of an inept, meddling owner. A few thoughtful readers pointed out a very real cause for hope, despite the dismal recent results. While teams picking 2nd and 3rd all struck out, teams drafting from pick number 5 through 12 hit on a rather remarkable 78% of their picks. That almost certainly means that quality starting QBs that other teams had high on their boards would have been available when the teams picking 2nd and 3rd were on the podium. Clearly the issue was not with the availability of quality starters at pick #2, but rather with the decision making of the teams doing the picking.

NFL mock draft 2024: 2-round projection after free agency frenzy - SB Nation
The first wave of NFL free agency has come and gone, and with it we get a better glimpse of what the vision is for NFL teams going into the draft. Player acquisition isn’t only about finding talent, of course, but the formatting of these players into what the goal is for the 2024 season. With most of the big name guys out the way, the attention turns to the 2024 NFL Draft, which is in a little over a month. Pro Days are beginning to get wrapped up, big boards are being finalized and most importantly, mock drafts are being done. This mock draft is a special one, because it not only involves trades, but there are now TWO (2) ROUNDS for your viewing pleasure. New faces in new places, plus some trades to shake things up. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

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