4 hours ago, Know Life said:

I’ve been dry-brining my turkey for a couple of years now, which requires a 24-hour process. It’s much easier, and since I love crispy skin on my turkey, I’ve found this to be the best method.

Here’s the recipe:

- 4 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 small lemons)

I usually coat the turkey with unsalted butter before applying the rub, and I also put some under the skin for added flavor.

If you try this method, let me know how it turns out.

  I prefer a wet brine but similar mixture of spices. Try adding some bay leaves and juniper berries.  I prefer peppercorns in a brine to ground pepper and I bruise the sage leaves and just throw in sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Those three grow in m garden year round. Never sugar in a brine for me. I do use in some rubs, marinades and sauces but not in a brine. I mix the ingredients into about a gallon of boiling water and let it steep.  Cool overnight and drop in my spatchcocked turkey and the back, neck and giblets (the later three go into making a broth on Thanksgiving.). 

I tried dry brine but thought it dried out the bird too much and I got crap for gravy.  

11 minutes ago, BigEFly said:

  I prefer a wet brine but similar mixture of spices. Try adding some bay leaves and juniper berries.  I prefer peppercorns in a brine to ground pepper and I bruise the sage leaves and just throw in sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Those three grow in m garden year round. Never sugar in a brine for me. I do use in some rubs, marinades and sauces but not in a brine. I mix the ingredients into about a gallon of boiling water and let it steep.  Cool overnight and drop in my spatchcocked turkey and the back, neck and giblets (the later three go into making a broth on Thanksgiving.). 

I tried dry brine but thought it dried out the bird too much and I got crap for gravy.  

That's unfortunate. My experience with dry-brining has been great so far. I should mention that it's best to leave the turkey uncovered. While 24 hours is effective, you can extend it up to 72 hours for even better results.

And yeah, a dry-brined turkey retains moisture, which usually means it won't produce a lot of pan drippings for gravy.

1 hour ago, Miami said:

As Adam Sandler would say, not too shabby.  But we need to see more.  #26 has been so good that teams will shift the burden to Hurts.  Will be watching.

That is an interesting take.  How do opposing teams shift the burden to Hurts?

2 hours ago, Saltpeter said:

Ehhhhhhhh on Sweat. I think you taye the productive season and run 

 

2 hours ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Agreed. It’s also kind of a weird situation when you shopped him and made him take a pay cut to stay on the team. Sweat seems to have taken it in stride but when he and his agent get to the negation table it could be tricky. 

 

1 hour ago, Arsenal79 said:

If we don’t resign Sweat we need to sign a replacement starting EDGE.  No way we go into next year with only Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt and Bryce Huff as our top 3.

Exactly.

And there’s also the issue that there is more risk in free agency than in re-signing your own player. We see what happened with Huff, even though his play improved, he’s still been disappointing.

The way I see it, we should re-sign Sweat (assuming the money and terms are reasonable) and draft at least one player in the top 100 or so.

We need to get younger and cheaper on the edge. So ideally you get Sweat for 2 years and draft one guy in the top 2 rounds and another in third through fifth rounds (assuming Graham is gone).

9 hours ago, ToastJenkins said:

Anyone got a good turkey brine recipe?

Roast Turkey for Thanksgiving                                                                                      

Inspired by San Francisco Chronicle article, Wednesday, November 24, 1999

THE BEST WAY to prepare a 12- to 16-pound unstuffed turkey is to brine it using the following Chez Panisse recipe for 12 to 24 hours, then rinse and dry it well. 

BRINE INGREDIENTS:

·       2 ½ gallons cold water

·       2 cups kosher salt

·       1 cup sugar

·       8 bay leaves, torn into pieces

·       2 bunches fresh thyme, or 8 tablespoons dried

·       2 whole heads of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

·       10 whole allspice berries, crushed

·       8 juniper berries, smashed

INSTRUCTIONS:

·       To prepare to brine the turkey in a 20 inch by 13 inch picnic cooler, stack three frozen blue ice "bricks” against one end of the ice chest.  Then place a one-gallon milk container of frozen water up against the stacked "bricks.”  Line the remaining portion of the ice chest with a double-thickness of "13 gallon capacity" white Glad trash bags.  The remaining portion should be just big enough to fit the turkey in snugly.

·       Put the five dry brine ingredients in a large 8-quart pot along with 1 cup kosher salt and ½ cup sugar in one gallon of the cold water.  Stir for a minute or two until the sugar and salt fully dissolve. 

·       Place the rinsed turkey inside the garbage bags in the ice chest, and pour the brine mixture over the turkey in the bag.

·       Refill the pot with the remaining 1½ gallons of cold water.  Add the remaining 1 cup kosher salt and ½ cup sugar.  Stir until dissolved and pour over turkey.  The important thing is to have enough brine to completely cover the turkey.

·       Pull the white bag top ends over the edge of the picnic cooler and put the cover on so it pinches/traps the bag edges so they cannot slip down into chest.  The bird will happily -- and safely -- brine away.  All that extra space freed up in the refrigerator will make the cook happy, too.

·       Before roasting, remove the bird from the brine.  Drain, rinse well, and pat dry.

 

 

5 hours ago, Know Life said:

I’ve been dry-brining my turkey for a couple of years now, which requires a 24-hour process. It’s much easier, and since I love crispy skin on my turkey, I’ve found this to be the best method.

Here’s the recipe:

- 4 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 small lemons)

I usually coat the turkey with unsalted butter before applying the rub, and I also put some under the skin for added flavor.

If you try this method, let me know how it turns out.

I too like a crispy skin and have had no problem at all getting that crispy skin with wet brine I posted above.  I have found that the key to getting a crispy skin is:

(1) to use a V-rack equipped roasting pan so that the bird is completely surrounded with air.  Whatever size pan you use, most of the turkey should be above the sides of the pan to assure even cooking and browning. 

(2) to spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter mixed with snipped chives and lemon zest under the skin of the turkey and another 2 tablespoons over the skin, then sprinkle 1½ teaspoons of ground black pepper over the buttered skin and in the cavity, and

(3)  Cover the turkey's breast tightly with aluminum foil and place in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Roast the turkey 60 minutes, then remove the foil and immediately baste with a mixture of ½ cup turkey stock and ¼ cup apple cider.  The basting mixture gives the turkey great skin, a richer, complex flavor, and should help deglaze the roasting pan and provide additional pan drippings.

 

 

9 hours ago, twistr said:

Harris a 3-4 OLB, so he'll work as an edge here.

Okay nice thank you! Do you like the move much?

7 hours ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

Nah, Vic has stated before that Baun is a linebacker not an edge

Okay great! I only ask because sometimes teams have to adapt and adjust when injuries etc happen. But Baun is so key at LB that it’s just a move they shouldn’t look to make. So it’s great to hear that very likely they won’t.

7 hours ago, BigEFly said:

  I prefer a wet brine but similar mixture of spices. Try adding some bay leaves and juniper berries.  I prefer peppercorns in a brine to ground pepper and I bruise the sage leaves and just throw in sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Those three grow in m garden year round. Never sugar in a brine for me. I do use in some rubs, marinades and sauces but not in a brine. I mix the ingredients into about a gallon of boiling water and let it steep.  Cool overnight and drop in my spatchcocked turkey and the back, neck and giblets (the later three go into making a broth on Thanksgiving.). 

I tried dry brine but thought it dried out the bird too much and I got crap for gravy.  

I brine every year, 2 gallons water, 2 cups brown sugar, 3 cups Apple Cider, 1 1/2 cups kosher salt, pepper corns, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary (fresh) and 3 oranges peeled (using the peels, not the oranges).  Same thing, boil on Tuesday allowing to cool, drop Turkey in it on Wednesday to brine for 24 hours...pull out Turkey, stuff it and toss in the oven.  I don't baste, I don't look at it while it's cooking, I do not open the oven.  I have a MEATER thermometer that I put into the turkey, it goes right to my phone.  The turkey every year since doing this has been nothing short of amazing. 

11 hours ago, Wentz_Era said:

This is a funny question…he’s a HOF’r but he’s the Eli Manning of Trent Dilfers in my head.  Mainly because I hate the turds so much…but I do think he’s a bit overrated in where he’s placed within the list of all time QB’s.

 

11 hours ago, bpac55 said:

Wild to think about Aikman. He won the MVP with 15 TDs. That's insane. His highest TD season was with 23.

 

Three SBs is a pretty good report card for a QB.  One can argue for results from QBs like Marino or Lamar but in the end of the day the #1 priority for the QB is to win and to do that with the resources available.  If that means throwing 35x a game then that is what is needed.  Of course not all QBs can do it that way but there are many many examples of QBs that can throw really well but can't win SBs.  Other characteristics, e.g. leadership, late game heroics, avoiding turnovers, etc. are also very important.  Hurts isn't the best at pure pocket passing and hitting timing patterns but he is excellent at many other key items for a QB.  Note: He does throw a great deep ball so he does have some serious throwing ability for some types of passes.

Regarding Aikman, I was thinking a bit about what the Eagles were doing since the bye (and back in '22) and how they were a bit of a throw back and the 90s Cowboys came to mind.  I've also heard some other people talk about it as well.  They compare pretty favorably.  Smith/Irvin/Harper/Novacek vs. Barkley/Brown/Smith/Goedert, two great OLs, volume of rushing attempts, ball control, excellent D, awesome leader at QB, etc.

 

@mattwill Add some of your thoughts here.

 

4 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Okay great! I only ask because sometimes teams have to adapt and adjust when injuries etc happen. But Baun is so key at LB that it’s just a move they shouldn’t look to make. So it’s great to hear that very likely they won’t.

He has lined up on the edge occasionally and I expect that to happen a bit more going forward.  Not to worry though, Baun will no doubt remain an inside LB for the most part.

11 hours ago, Arsenal79 said:

I'd say the priority is to resign both Josh Sweat and Zach Baun.  Then comes Milton Williams and Mekhi Becton.  So hopefully we have room to resign Williams.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/_/year/2025/team/phi/sort/contract_value

 

Milton and Mekhi are both young enough to sign to market value 3yr contracts spread over 5 years with the intention to extend them later. I feel like that allows Howie to get a 40% discount up front on the cap. Of course, he risks jamming up the cap if they don’t turn into long-term pieces.  
 

Maybe Howie takes out insurance on Sweat as an aging player, not sure how that works.

7 hours ago, Aerolithe_Lion said:

 

The iso shots and focusing on Becton in this video were illuminating.    Also, interesting to note that on both of the long runs, Goedert got a little tug and could have been called for a hold.  Nice that the refs didn't because they were really minor, but definitely might have helped to boost him.

I worry Howie prioritizes Becton/Sweat over Baun. The dropoff from Becton to Steen or Sweat to Hunt/RD1 pick is just steeper than Baun to any other LB we can find.

 

Just now, RLC said:

I worry Howie prioritizes Becton/Sweat over Baun. The dropoff from Becton to Steen or Sweat to Hunt/RD1 pick is just steeper than Baun to any other LB we can find.

Prioritizing Becton makes sense, even with Steen waiting in the wings.  Depth on the OL is something that we have become very accustomed to as Eagles fans, but it is not the norm across the league.  And injuries on the OL are inevitable, they will happen, so you need (ideally) 7 competent OL.  And having some positional flexibility with Johnson fast approaching retirement is exceedingly important.

Prioritizing Sweat does not.  His knees are a time bomb.   They have been fortunate with him so far, but as the years and snaps pile up, that will become less likely.  

Baun just makes sense to prioritize, not just because of how truly great he's been, but perhaps more importantly, how poor the team has been in finding and acquiring a player like that.  Take advantage of finally hitting on one, and don't let him get away.

 

Williams is the wild card, IMO.  What will they do with him?  He's stepped up in recent weeks.   I prioritize him over Jordan Davis.

We’re going to need JD this weekend, the ravens have their own 380lb RG to deal with.

IMO, the best thing to do is get cut/trade Slay/Goedert in the off-season to make room for Baun/Milton. 

Both Slay/Goedert are hurt all the time, past their primes and are no longer essential to their units. It doesn't free up cap space for 2025, but it helps us in 2026 when the bigger cap numbers of Baun/Milton would kick in. 

How much insurance do you think Howie had on Graham?

11 hours ago, Mike31mt said:

Graham will come back to make the game sealing strip sack on Jared Goff in the NFCCG in his hometown.  

Adam Devine is a treasure. I tried getting my wife, who's a big Pitch Perfect fan, to watch Workaholics but she just couldn't get into it. Women, amirite?

37 minutes ago, RLC said:

I worry Howie prioritizes Becton/Sweat over Baun. The dropoff from Becton to Steen or Sweat to Hunt/RD1 pick is just steeper than Baun to any other LB we can find.

 

I loved the Sweat draft pick, loved his extension, loved the player.  But it’s time.  They will not get their money’s worth on his next extension.  He’s good, but hes the type you replace at this point.  Hes got good football in front of him, but not his best football.

Those are the toughest decisions…players that are still good, but their best is behind them.  

8 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I loved the Sweat draft pick, loved his extension, loved the player.  But it’s time.  They will not get their money’s worth on his next extension.  He’s good, but hes the type you replace at this point.  Hes got good football in front of him, but not his best football.

Those are the toughest decisions…players that are still good, but their best is behind them.  

Why are you so sure he is on the decline now? People said that about Graham and Cox, yet they played very well late in their careers. If you have a younger, cheaper prospect with projected upside, you can move on from a player. But when you don't have anything to replace him with, that just makes no sense --- unless you simply can't afford to keep him at market value. 

2 minutes ago, brkmsn said:

Why are you so sure he is on the decline now? People said that about Graham and Cox, yet they played very well late in their careers. If you have a younger, cheaper prospect with projected upside, you can move on from a player. But when you don't have anything to replace him with, that just makes no sense --- unless you simply can't afford to keep him at market value. 

Josh Sweat is already playing on borrowed time with his knee. Getting away from him 1-year too early instead of getting trapped in a contract is the smart decision. His knee isn't a typical ACL repair. Once that knee goes, it's gone. He's put together a hell of a career considering what many thought. Hell, maybe he proves everyone wrong and plays 5 more strong years, but at 28, I just don't see it happening. 

If they get 110 games and nearly 50 sacks out of a 4th round pick on a rebuilt knee, that's great. 

2 hours ago, DrPhilly said:

ball control

That is the biggest comparison in my opinion. I actually thought about the early 90's Cowboys watching the Eagles play a couple of weeks ago...I think it was the game Barkley had the reverse hurdle. I made a comment a couple of weeks here ago stating all the Eagles need to do is run the ball and control the game in response to a comment regarding offense DVOA concerns. Big plays and turnovers will come when the other teams begin pressing to push the ball down the field to try and stay in the game. That's an issue a ball control team causes, pressure, which in turn gets teams out of their gameplan and creates TOs, another similarity to those Cowboys teams.

My prediction at the beginning of the year for the Eagles was 14-3 or 13-4, in the NFC CG, likley in the SB. Now that they are rolling it's possible they finish 15-2 and HF through the playoffs. If I were picking the NFC CG right now it's DET vs PHI. It all comes down to HF advantage...I don't think DET can play in the elements and win @ PHI.

You guys have a lot to be excited about right now.