More Tweaking

[time2rock]

More Tweaking

Posted: February 22nd, 2024 | Author: Tommy Lawlor

This isn’t the time of year for big moves. Free agency hasn’t started. Trades can’t officially be made. Teams are figuring out how much cap space they have and trying to come up with a plan for free agency. And next week is the Scouting Combine in Indy.

Right now teams are making low-level moves to address depth on their rosters.

Some fans are frustrated and want the Eagles to "do something”. Well, this is what you do in late February. You see what guys are available who you might want to develop. You also look at your own roster to see if there are guys worth keeping around.

Okwuegbunam has NFL talent. No one questions that. We just haven’t seen much of it. He was a late addition to the Eagles last summer. Okwuegbunam played in four games and didn’t catch any passes. He does have 54 career catches so he’s been a productive role player in the past.

The Eagles traded for him because of his potential. Okwuegbunam is an athletic pass-catcher. He must improve as a blocker and STer if he wants to push for regular playing time with the Eagles.

Dallas Goedert is the #1 TE. Things are wide open after him. Jack Stoll has 26 starts in three years, but only 20 catches. He is primarily a blocker and STer. The Eagles could use an upgrade at #2 TE. Grant Calcaterra has shown some good flashes in two years, but we haven’t seen enough to think he’s ready to be a key player. Okwuegbunam has the potential to be a good backup. He just has to show he can do the dirty work on a consistent basis.

Kellen Moore used his backup TEs more than the Eagles so it will be interesting if his offense brings out the best in some of these guys. There is also the possibility of spending a pick on a TE. Goedert is getting older. I’m fine with taking a TE, but not too early.

*****

We got an interesting nugget from D-Gunn on Nick Sirianni and Big Dom.

That may sound crazy to some. How can an NFL coach need someone to keep his emotions in check during games? Shouldn’t a successful adult be able to do that on his own?

Football can be an emotional game. A football field isn’t a normal office. This isn’t accounting or insurance or logistics. I had a coach in high school who was the friendliest guy in the world, unless we were on the field. During games he was pure emotion and most of it was anger. We were a terrible team so that likely wasn’t his fault. He lived and died from play to play.

We know Sirianni is an emotional guy. That is a big strength and weakness at the same time. Emotion drives him. It also leads to him being petty and saying some dumb things. If Big Dom can help settle Sirianni down, that’s a good thing.

The Eagles had something that worked really well for 2022 and the first 11 games of 2023. They struggled after Big Dom’s suspension. That could be a coincidence or it could be proof that he did have an impact on Sirianni and helped the Eagles stay on the right side of emotion being good or bad.

*****

If you grew up in the 1980’s, you remember Alcoa.

Those were awesome pieces each week. As great as football is today, there are a lot of little things I miss from the old days. Fantastic Finishes is absolutely one of them. Watching football in the 80’s was about as good as sports could get, from the players to the broadcasters to the features like FF.

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