Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 4/2/24.

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2024 NFL Draft: Best, worst NFL teams at drafting in the first round since 2014 - PFF
WORST: Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were the toughest team to put on this list, in part because their drafting overall has been very good, and also because they look to be rescuing things with their drafts over the past few years. But specifically focusing on first-round selections over the past decade, they have made some errors. Jalen Reagor was a poor selection, made to look even worse by the fact that the pick made immediately afterward was Justin Jefferson — arguably the game’s best receiver. Carson Wentz ultimately failed to work out as the team’s future quarterback, while Derek Barnett and Andre Dillard were each surpassed by other players on the roster. The Eagles have been excellent at repairing the damage done by misses in the first round, but that doesn’t absolve them of those misses in the first place.

Mailbag: Howie Roseman’s three best and three worst moves - PhillyVoice
While we’re at it, let’s do his three worst moves, too. 1) Drafting Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson: Self-explanatory, right? 2) Alshon Jeffery’s contract extension: Just before the start of the 2019 season, the Eagles made a weird “reward doesn’t come close to matching the risk” error of guaranteeing Jeffery’s 2020 salary in exchange for a small pay cut. It was a puzzling move at the time, and it turned out to be disastrous, as Jeffery proceeded to have the “bad year trifecta.” He had a down year as a player on the field, both in the stat sheet and on the “eye test.” He anonymously criticized Carson Wentz (in two straight seasons, actually) to then ESPN reporter Josina Anderson, and while those criticisms may have been valid, they were harmful to the team. And then in December of the 2019 season, Jeffery suffered a Lisfranc injury, had surgery, and missed the first eight games of the 2020 regular season. After his return, Jeffery had six catches in seven games. He then never played again. 3) Danny Watkins: Forget that he hated football and wanted to hang out in the firehouse. He was f****** 26 years old!!! (In fairness, Andy Reid had his fingerprints on that one, too.)

NFL Mock Draft 2024: Eagles 7-round simulation, Version 10.0 - BGN
Round 1, Pick 22 - Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State. Chop Robinson’s absurd athleticism makes him hard to resist at this point in the draft. Even if he is a project player, Philly could be a great place to develop him. Also with the way Penn State has historically used their defensive players, Robinson could actually make a quicker impact in the NFL than most think.

The Reed Option - Iggles Blitz
For the Eagles defense to get better, an infusion of talent was needed. The team added Bryce Huff, Zach Baun, Devin White, Oren Burks, CJGJ and Tyler Hall. That’s a mixture of starters and role players. This can’t all be about new guys, though. The defense also needs returning players to play better in 2024. Arguably the key player for that is Reed Blankenship. He started four games as a rookie and showed a lot of promise, helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl. Blankenship started 15 games last year, leading the team in tackles (113) and INTs (3). There were times when he looked very good. But there were also more than a few plays that he would like to have back, as Nick Sirianni likes to say. Blankenship is a work in progress. Safety is a position where it can take a few years to get going. You need a good knowledge of what the offense is trying to do. You need to know your scheme and what all the guys in the back seven are doing. Then just go execute at a high level. Sounds easy, right? I think Blankenship getting a new position coach and new defensive coordinator will help. His mistakes were more mental than physical. Blankenship is a good tackler. He can hit and is a physical player. He has good ball skills and has shown the ability to jump routes.

2024 NFL draft team needs: Depth chart holes, prospect fits - ESPN+
Top three needs: CB, OT, LB. The Eagles have to decide whether to bring back veteran corner James Bradberry, who had a rough 2023. Either way, they need a youth infusion. Darius Slay is 33, Bradberry is 30, and the secondary moved a beat too slow last season. The Eagles need offensive line depth and have to start putting a succession plan in place for stalwart right tackle Lane Johnson. Ideally, they’d find someone who can compete for the vacant right guard spot for this season and kick outside once Johnson retires — OT feels like a decent bet for Philly’s first-round pick. Linebacker was a mess last season, and while the additions of Devin White and Oren Burks provide some hope, they need to continue to invest in the position — something they’ve been reluctant to do recently.

Haason Reddick bids farewell to Philadelphia - PFT
“Philadelphia, saying ‘thank you’ is not enough to express my gratitude for the love and support you showed me in my time as an Eagle,” Reddick wrote. “Bird gang, it was an honor to play for you, as your love for the game and your city is a feat to behold. To my teammates, brothers forever. New challenges and teams will never sever the bond of friendship on and off the field. To the Eagles organization, thank you for the opportunity to play in my home city. This was a dream for any kid growing up in Camden. To my family, you are the backbone of my life. Without you, I would have never been able to achieve my dreams. New York and Gang Green, I’m excited for the next step in this journey. I cannot wait to get to work!”

Haason Reddick on Eagles: ‘Sometimes hard decisions have to be made’ - NBCSP
The Eagles on Friday shipped two-time Pro Bowler Haason Reddick to the Jets for a 2026 draft pick. At his introductory press conference in North Jersey, Reddick seemed excited for the next chapter in his career. “I believe I have a lot left in the tank. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here,” Reddick said to Jets reporters. “That’s pretty much that. I feel like when I don’t have anymore left to give, I’ll retire. Until that point, I’m going to try to play my best ball. “As far as the Eagles go, though, it wasn’t about what he has left in the tank or anything like that. It’s a business and sometimes hard decisions have to be made, even if you don’t like them.”

The Jets traded for Haason Reddick. What did PFF think of his 2023 performance? - Gang Green Nation
Of note, he was rather well rounded. That is first supported by his overall grade, which ranked 43 among edge rushers. Beyond that, he ranked 50th among edge rushers in run defense and 35th in pass defense. Perhaps most impressively, he did that while logging the 14th most snaps among edge rushers, showing both an ability to stay on the field and to be productive when on there. For reference, the Jets did not play their edge rushers nearly this much last season. Their highest snap count came from Jermaine Johnson who logged only 748 snaps, which is about 20% less than Reddick. This is because the Jets’ defense is largely built on the premise of a defensive line rotation so that players remain fresh and can perform at their best. With that in mind, perhaps playing fewer snaps will allow Reddick to perform even better next season as it pertains to PFF grades.

Eagles Autism Foundation shines a light on autism acceptance during TODAY Show takeover - PE.com
As an NBC producer counted down from five, a roar from the crowd and the sound of the Eagles Drumline could be heard on live television and in Rockefeller Center – one of the largest TODAY Show takeovers was underway. To kick off Autism Acceptance Month, the Eagles Autism Foundation participated in a TODAY Show takeover in New York City to promote autism acceptance and the organization’s All Abilities Clinics. “One of the most important things is to show that you can create accessibility to families and not put limits on people,” said Ryan Hammond, Executive Director of the Eagles Autism Foundation. “Presenting support, proactive resources, and a trained staff can really change someone’s life.” Kylie Kelce, Senior Event Consultant for the Eagles Autism Foundation, joined Hammond for live hits with TODAY Show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb during the hour-long takeover.

Report: Chiefs signing Carson Wentz to one-year contract - Arrowhead Pride
Wentz, 31, first entered the league as the second-overall pick out of North Dakota State made by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 237-pound Wentz served Philadelphia as its franchise quarterback from 2016-20, as he compiled a 35-32-1 record. Wentz was putting together an MVP-caliber season for the Eagles in 2017 when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 14, ending his year. As the story goes, another familiar face to the Chiefs, Nick Foles, would go on to lead Philadelphia to a Super Bowl championship.

Cowboys free agents: 2 big reasons why the Cowboys should not re-sign Ezekiel Elliott - Blogging The Boys
When you watch Elliott play, you can see the lack of consistent explosiveness. Furthermore, elusiveness has also been a point of discussion. According to playerprofiler.com, the stats don’t reflect well for Elliott. In 2023, he had a juke rate of 15.3% (#42), just one breakaway run, and perhaps most damning, and expected points added of -55.3 (150th), and last year with the New England Patriots, Elliott had his worst production per carry with a mere 3.5 yards per rush. The lack of explosiveness, elusiveness, and speed make Elliott an unappealing option.

Could Drake Maye fall to the Giants ... and would that be good for Maye? - Big Blue View
As J.J. McCarthy rises in the eyes of the NFL Draft community, logically another quarterback has to fall. That quarterback could be Drake Maye of North Carolina. In a new mock draft from Ian Valentino of 33rd Team, McCarthy went No. 3 to the Minnesota Vikings in a trade up with the New England Patriots, following Caleb Williams at No. 1 to the Chicago Bears and Jayden Daniels No. 2 to the Washington Commanders. That left Maye for the New York Giants at No. 6.

Washington Commanders Free Agency: Jeff Driskel adds QB depth on a 1-year deal - Hogs Haven
As Washington’s new general manager Adam Peters looks to flesh out the roster, he’s decided to bring in another QB to compete at the back of that group. Jeff Driskel joins his sixth NFL team in seven years to - presumably - challenge Jake Fromm for the role of QB3. Driskel was selected in the 6th round of the 2016 draft by the San Francisco 49ers - that was before Adam Peters arrived - but was waived before the 2016 season began. He was then claimed off waivers by the Bengals. He’s started 12 games in his six year career as a back-up for the Bengals, Lions, Broncos, Texans, and Browns.

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