On 7/17/2025 at 8:20 PM, GreenbleedinNC said:

So 90 to 53 means we can stash 37 on the PS? Interesting. If we cut them why would they need to use a waiver?

All look to be available and clearing waivers…all as an option. Quality players…don’t clear waivers not making any of the 32 teams rosters.

On 7/17/2025 at 7:41 PM, mattwill said:

You aren’t thinking like Fangio. He always wants the advantage of surprise over the opposing OC and QB. Zone makes it very easy to disguise which players are going to do what, as well as where the seams in the zones are. Matchup Zone gives Fangio the best of both worlds. Q shadowing the opposing #1 receiver and the other six mixing and matching zones.

DeJean’s pick six was a perfect example of how zone supports read-and-react freelancing when the opposing O doesn’t send out enough receivers to "fill up” the Eagles zones. In many ways Baun’s INT was the same. Read the QBs eyes and, absent a receiver in your zone, make a play on the ball.

Surprise comes by switching things up and disguising…Man and Zone

On 7/17/2025 at 7:54 PM, Crazy Legs said:

Two tight Ends were off the board after pick #14...too much of a reach. If either made it to #32, we quite possibly may have grabbed one. Then again, two more went by pick #50, so I guess it wasn't at the top of the priority list this year.

There should be a few prospects on day 2 next season, but none that appear ready to step into the lineup immediately.

Yes…those top two look to be great prospects. Think the others drafted a little high.

On 7/17/2025 at 8:32 PM, mattwill said:

Something I didn’t realize. Pretty amazing!

Is 30 attempts a lot in the modern game?

Not really surprising when looking at the record... 2022 and 2024 we didn't give up a lot of points. Even 2023...we started 10-1.

7 hours ago, cunninghamtheman said:

All look to be available and clearing waivers…all as an option. Quality players…don’t clear waivers not making any of the 32 teams rosters.

Correct, only time a quality player clears waivers is when the current contract is too high and nobody wants it.

11 hours ago, GreenbleedinNC said:

Saw that. Solid praise.

7 hours ago, cunninghamtheman said:

All look to be available and clearing waivers…all as an option. Quality players…don’t clear waivers not making any of the 32 teams rosters.

Your point is valid as far as it goes. There are two factors you have omitted though. (1) young players, especially Day Three draftees and UDFAs often need a red shirt year on some team’s Practice Squad, and (2) waiver claimed players have a steep learning curve with the claiming team … one that a player who went through OTAs and TC and Preseason games doesn’t have.

7 hours ago, cunninghamtheman said:

Surprise comes by switching things up and disguising…Man and Zone

Less disguise in Man as soon as the O sends someone in motion. If the player is followed by a defender, you have Man. If not followed then Zone … but which zone variant? Lots of different zone deployments that are easy to disguise from one another.

JMO

7 hours ago, cunninghamtheman said:

Something I didn’t realize. Pretty amazing!

When I saw that it surprised me and made me smile.

1 hour ago, mattwill said:

When I saw that it surprised me and made me smile.

What's so amazing? Don't all but the Bengals have superior defenses as well as incredible receivers and OL?

Where do Purdy, Prescott, Mathews, ETAL fall on that list?

12 hours ago, GreenbleedinNC said:

retractable wings. I think this is a first?

Every year they try to outdo the last years ring

I think they're gonna have to go some to outdo this one

27 minutes ago, GreenbleedinNC said:

Or simply showing the look and saying" you can't beat me because we execute"

That is definitely a thing, but forcing the Offense to deal with uncertainty is a plus.

On 7/18/2025 at 11:15 AM, mattwill said:

I’m not sure about Ham’s bolded prediction. It would not surprise me at all if Goedert is with the 2026 Eagles. The reason is simple. Howie will recognize that he can’t find a TE who can both pass catch and inline block like Goedert can, and simultaneously Goedert will find out that the other 31 teams aren’t willing to pay him for his blocking prowess and that they can easily find pass catching TEs who are cheaper than Goedert is. So Howie will match the best offer Goedert gets and he will sign once again with the Eagles.

The same thing may happen to Calcaterra, whose blocking will continue to improve this year under Stoutland’s tutelage.

JMO

I think this will be Goedert’s last shot at signing for his best money left in his career. Nothing at the top of the TE food chain….but more than we should be willing to pay. We could just bring back Calc…real cheap. Rosie has thrown several darts at depth TE options trying to grab that diamond in the scrap yard.

On 7/19/2025 at 11:52 AM, mattwill said:

Less disguise in Man as soon as the O sends someone in motion. If the player is followed by a defender, you have Man. If not followed then Zone … but which zone variant? Lots of different zone deployments that are easy to disguise from one another.

JMO

Like I said….can have the mix also. Q could be moving with the number one WR…while the rest of the D is in Zone.

2 hours ago, GreenbleedinNC said:

Or simply showing the look and saying" you can't beat me because we execute"

That’s the toughest sledding hardest version

1 hour ago, cunninghamtheman said:

I think this will be Goedert’s last shot at signing for his best money left in his career. Nothing at the top of the TE food chain….but more than we should be willing to pay. We could just bring back Calc…real cheap. Rosie has thrown several darts at depth TE options trying to grab that diamond in the scrap yard.

The problem with the darts is that they are unknowns in the Eagles system. So if TE #1 is both receiving target #3/4 (shared with Saquon) AND an important inline blocker in running plays, that diamond becomes even harder to find, and paying Goedert a few more dollars likely ends up as a wise investment. It would be another example of risk mitigation by Howie.

1 hour ago, cunninghamtheman said:

That’s the toughest sledding hardest version

It is also the highest testosterone level version as well … with the intention of demoralizing the opponent.

1 hour ago, cunninghamtheman said:

Like I said….can have the mix also. Q could be moving with the number one WR…while the rest of the D is in Zone.

You are describing one of the many zone variants … referred to as Matchup Zone.

1 hour ago, mattwill said:

The problem with the darts is that they are unknowns in the Eagles system. So if TE #1 is both receiving target #3/4 (shared with Saquon) AND an important inline blocker in running plays, that diamond becomes even harder to find, and paying Goedert a few more dollars likely ends up as a wise investment. It would be another example of risk mitigation by Howie.

2 hours ago, cunninghamtheman said:

I think this will be Goedert’s last shot at signing for his best money left in his career. Nothing at the top of the TE food chain….but more than we should be willing to pay. We could just bring back Calc…real cheap. Rosie has thrown several darts at depth TE options trying to grab that diamond in the scrap yard.

Bottom line...the intrigue will carryover into the next offseason.

Rgardless, I think we will of necessity need to draft a tight end on day 2 to groom for the future.

10 minutes ago, Crazy Legs said:

Bottom line...the intrigue will carryover into the next offseason.

Rgardless, I think we will of necessity need to draft a tight end on day 2 to groom for the future.

Agreed on both points. The challenge in the Draft is finding a player who is both a plus receiver AND a (potentially) plus inline blocker. We may by necessity migrate away from a TE oriented Offensive scheme to an H-Back oriented scheme. If that happens, in a 2 TE set the non-motion TE could end up being a 6th O-Lineman.

Ham, given your obsession with Offense, what is your assessment of Lyle’s analysis in his tweet?

1 hour ago, mattwill said:

Agreed on both points. The challenge in the Draft is finding a player who is both a plus receiver AND a (potentially) plus inline blocker. We may by necessity migrate away from a TE oriented Offensive scheme to an H-Back oriented scheme. If that happens, in a 2 TE set the non-motion TE could end up being a 6th O-Lineman.

Here is someone to follow this season:

3 hours ago, GreenbleedinNC said:

Domnation,it gets into their heads if they can't answer the call

Sure any team that can just formate in a given game works. Hard to just only rely on that in the NFL. Held to have quality coaching to take it to much higher levels. Dominating versatility is much more unstoppable! Line up a punch your opponent with two jabs, hook them and upped cut. If you can come off the top ropes and land that finishing elbow? It’s over!(think Smitty Dagger SB)