15 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

The biggest problem the Eagles have is that they are too good.

The Eagles simply assembled too much talent to not have a net reduction in talent over the next season.

If you include Dean’s injury and assume they’ll sign Baun, they’ll have 4 new defensive starters next year.  

I agree but I also think people are a little skewed by the fact that the soon-to-be free agents had their best game of the season in the Super Bowl.  Sweat was hot and cold all year. Williams was good but not nearly as good as the final game. Baun was the one who played at a top level all year. 

3 hours ago, Iggles_Phan said:

Anticipating a blow out in the Super Bowl borders on arrogance.  I thought the team was better than KC, but we've seen better teams lose in the Super Bowl.  For that matter, I thought the 2022 Eagles were better than the 2022 Chiefs, and the Eagles lost that one.   IMO, the 1980 Eagles were better than the 1980 Raiders, but had their butts handed to them.  

Then I was arrogant, but exceedingly accurate.

We didn't have Wilbert for 1980 SB.  That was huge blow for us.

17 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

There 10000000000000% were multiple "Super Bowlzzzzzzz" posts in reaction to the Baun signing.

F it, I'm having a s*** day.  Lets take a look back:

It’s Now Time to Get LB Zack Baun Re-Signed!  (Title changed was his original signing thread).  Lots of "who is this guy", only two positive comments.

 

@Cloviseagle was ahead of the curve: Think we got a diamond in Baun...

 

and not much in this one, but an article how we were going to use him

7 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I’m conflicted about the Phillies.  On one hand, I’m grateful that they are one of the small, small handful of franchises in all of MLB that is truly committed to winning with a competitive payroll (3rd highest in MLB?).

On the other, I’m frustrated they did nothing at the deadline, did nothing in the offseason (let’s not pretend it was anything more than nothing).  Their foundation of stars are still really good…but it’s almost unquestionable that all of their best bats besides Bohm and Stott are in the downslope.  And Bohm and Stott…they are NOT going to be the franchise cornerstones to make up for prime Harper, Turner, JT, etc.  And given their ages, it’s only reasonable to brace for  Wheeler and Nola falling back.  While they may be younger, are Ranger and Sanchez ever going to be better than last year?

 

I admire the effort and the players…but baring that 1% luck that they all get perfectly and sustainably hot through the entire playoffs, I just think this group already hit its ceiling.  I don’t think it’s happening without a reset.

I’d like to see Bohm come out swinging for the fences this year.  He said he’s held back in order to be "more productive” in terms of batting average etc.  But I think he’s capable of hitting 30+ HR’s if he’s willing to take a little drop in BA. 

1 hour ago, vikas83 said:

My biggest question on the Chiefs going forward is...did the Eagles beating them down completely remove their mystique. They've basically been banking on luck and teams like Baltimore and Buffalo beating themselves. Those teams go into playoff games against the Chiefs and seem to just be waiting for disaster. Now that they not only lost, but got crushed, will Allen and Lamar finally break through?

Yes. And it's going to mess with KC's heads. Now they will face media questions and fan concern about focusing on 3peat, Kelce doing too much off the field and phoning it in, he should retire. Mahomes isn't in the the GOAT conversation anymore the same way he was before. The O line was exposed. Reid was unprepared and didn't adjust. They really thought all they had to do was focus on stopping Barkley. Reid refused to make changes on the O line (like the Winston Justice game) or run the ball early...they got Eagles Andy Reid coaching in that game.

Now the Bills, Ravens and Bengals smell blood in the water. Load up D line, punish and abuse them, pressure Mahomes. Of course, the Chiefs coaches will take the offseason to review film and learn from their mistakes as well. So we'll see. 

But teams might stop taking the Eagles for granted. If and when they lose certain free agents, next year they'll underestimate us again saying the defense lose key players. I think the Eagles team remains focused and hungry.

13 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

 

 

Clearly, he doesn't want to be here and wants to be traded. Has anyone checked his social media profile pictures lately???

@UK_EaglesFan89 

Concerns about Williams leaving, let's look at the DT snap counts in the last 3 years. Going 3 years because in 2022 Super Bowl the starting DTs were Hargrave and Cox.

2022 DT Snaps:

2023 DT Snaps:

2024 DT Snaps:

 

So Williams leaves in free agency, expect to see Ojomo's snaps increase, perhaps Jordan Davis a slight increase (he won't take on much more given his conditioning) and you add a DT in the draft or free agency to fill in the rotation. Not saying Ojomo will be as good as Williams or replace his full snap count, but that the D line shifts as it always has to spread the snaps around.

So cap increases by $20 million for 2025?

For those concerned about promoting from within about Patullo:

Word is Sirianni wanted Patullo in 2023, but Howie and Lurie were the ones who wanted Brian Johnson.

Sirianni's last pick for OC was Steichen and that worked out well, so maybe Sirianni has a good eye for these things, we'll see.

37 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

I agree but I also think people are a little skewed by the fact that the soon-to-be free agents had their best game of the season in the Super Bowl.  Sweat was hot and cold all year. Williams was good but not nearly as good as the final game. Baun was the one who played at a top level all year. 

I think the problem is people are maybe too over confident here that you could lose at least 4 starters in the defense and still be a top defense. I am not assuming this at all. They are gonna have to replace them and add depth as well. This was a well oiled machine with top notch athleticism and communication by the end of the year. It will suffer significantly if you lose Graham, Slay, Williams and Sweat. Not even counting a most likely a year without a fully recovered Dean.  And I'm counting in Baun. Lets hope. 🤞 On top of it, will be a pretty young defense if all that happens. Also, dont wanna put all my eggs in Hunt, who didnt play much til end of year and Ojomo, who played well but still not that proven in my mind as a starter. A lot of promise there. No doubt. Howie has to pay some peeps to ensure this ride continues!

1 hour ago, NCiggles said:

There were 2 ideas Moore brought that I thought were good.  He made good use of motion.  He also had them pass from under center formations.  Patullo had a role in developing the passing options from the RPO game.  I would like them to get more creative on the offensive side of the ball.  I am not sure that Patullo does that for them.  

I would like to see them play from under center far more than they did this past year.   Not only was the running game strong from under center, but they seemed to be really good passing the ball off play action from under center as well.

1 hour ago, Saltpeter said:

Agreed, not very realistic given all the other money allocated to offense, Jurgens' upcoming extension, and Carter's looming mega deal.

I do wonder, since Huff is coming off the books (either this year or, likely, next), they'll be cheap at edge and in the secondary. Making a huge move for an edge seems like something they'd give real thought to.

Can't think of a better fit if the Eagles were going to make a move than Walker. Georgia connection, can set the edge, is somehow useful as a dropper despite his size. I'd be fascinated to hear Fangio's opinion of Walker vs. Garrett for his defense.

(Doubt Jags would be interested for reasonable compensation)

It is my opinion that any big move for an Edge will come in the Draft rather than elsewhere.  There are several really interesting Edges in this Draft as well as the DT Walter Nolen.  Howie may need to trade up slightly to get the one he wants.

Alex Van Pelt could be a good choice for QB coach.

52 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

There 10000000000000% were multiple "Super Bowlzzzzzzz" posts in reaction to the Baun signing.

And they were OH SO RIGHT!!!   

50 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

The biggest problem the Eagles have is that they are too good.

I’ve dreamed about reading something like this on here since I joined the boards back in 2006. 

 

38 minutes ago, NOTW said:

 Reid was unprepared and didn't adjust

Meh, one time thing.  I give him a pass TBH.

41 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I’m conflicted about the Phillies.  On one hand, I’m grateful that they are one of the small, small handful of franchises in all of MLB that is truly committed to winning with a competitive payroll (3rd highest in MLB?).

On the other, I’m frustrated they did nothing at the deadline, did nothing in the offseason (let’s not pretend it was anything more than nothing).  Their foundation of stars are still really good…but it’s almost unquestionable that all of their best bats besides Bohm and Stott are in the downslope.  And Bohm and Stott…they are NOT going to be the franchise cornerstones to make up for prime Harper, Turner, JT, etc.  And given their ages, it’s only reasonable to brace for  Wheeler and Nola falling back.  While they may be younger, are Ranger and Sanchez ever going to be better than last year?

 

I admire the effort and the players…but baring that 1% luck that they all get perfectly and sustainably hot through the entire playoffs, I just think this group already hit its ceiling.  I don’t think it’s happening without a reset.

On the pitching front, they are bringing Painter along slowly, but hopefully he fills in when Wheeler and Nola start to tail off.   And the move for Jesus Luzardo is made with an eye to the immediate future.  He's the #5 this year, but with the chance to move up in the rotation pretty quickly.  

And as for the position players... the hope is for guys like Aiden Miller, Justin Crawford and Eduardo Tait to step up.  Tait is still a few years away, but Crawford and to a slightly lesser extent Miller are on the cusp of the majors.  Any significant injury to an outfielder likely brings Crawford up this year.   I'm not sure if Miller gets a quick call up with an injury to an infielder, but its very possible if he is hot in the spring that he could fit that role if the injury comes in July.

 

But, for 2025... yeah, there's not a lot to be positive about until they make a move at the trade deadline... if they do.  They really tried to move Bohm and got no takers.  I wonder if they'd move him at the deadline if he's playing well and they could bring back a vet in a different move, like Nolan Arenado.  Just a thought based on what I thought they were going to do in the offseason.  They still might... but have to wait for the right moment... and the right deal.

31 minutes ago, NOTW said:

Concerns about Williams leaving, let's look at the DT snap counts in the last 3 years. Going 3 years because in 2022 Super Bowl the starting DTs were Hargrave and Cox.

2022 DT Snaps:

2023 DT Snaps:

2024 DT Snaps:

 

So Williams leaves in free agency, expect to see Ojomo's snaps increase, perhaps Jordan Davis a slight increase (he won't take on much more given his conditioning) and you add a DT in the draft or free agency to fill in the rotation. Not saying Ojomo will be as good as Williams or replace his full snap count, but that the D line shifts as it always has to spread the snaps around.

Is it reasonable to just accept that Jordan Davis will never be able to increase his snap count?  I wish he'd just spend an offseason with Lane Johnson and do something to shock his cardio.  He at least proved this season he is a monster whenever he is in, and he continued that through the SB.  

48 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

Honestly, with what the Dodgers are doing, I'm really not excited at all for baseball season. They just seem inevitable. 

Sure.  But, watching winning baseball, even if it ends abruptly in October is better than being a Pirates fan!   They've been over 0.500 4 times since Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds left - that's over 30 years ago!

 

I enjoy being able to turn on a game and the Phillies having a better than 50-50 shot at winning.  It makes for a much more enjoyable summer... and makes taking in a game at the ball park that much more fun... and worth the crazy prices.

Eagles have several needs in this draft.

DE/Edge (2 of them would be good), LB, TE.

And could use depth at RB, WR, offensive line and another defensive back or 2 to add to the mix.

Then people want to liberally use a high pick on a defensive tackle, just because it's DT heavy and favorable. If you can sign Williams for 3/63 or 4/84 you do it.  I'm not sure that's the final price, but he's a top prize in this market.

Then we focus on other needs after that. This may also put Howie in a place of leverage in the draft and being able to trade down for extra picks and hold another masterclass.

52 minutes ago, Freshmilk said:

Then I was arrogant, but exceedingly accurate.

We didn't have Wilbert for 1980 SB.  That was huge blow for us.

   16 carries, 6 receptions in the game.   What am I forgetting?

4 hours ago, pgcd3 said:

Howie's challenge this offseason will be to figure out how to do something that makes the team better. Right now we're all in a mode of it not getting that much worse (coaching departures & projected FA losses). He usually pulls some rabbit out of the hat.

That’s going to be pretty difficult.

I’d say the best opportunity for that is going to be from a Baun type signing. Obviously expecting an all-pro to get conjured from a STer is unlikely, but a cheap way to add a quality starter could likely come from a player who was miscast on another team. There will be opportunities at CB, LB, and DL. Possibly RB and TE as well.

Improvement is also likely from young player development, as we witnessed with Nolan Smith. Do Mitchell, DeJean and Hunt all take another step? The rookies were great, but getting more turnovers from the corners would be an improvement, and obviously Hunt seems to have a lot of potential which he will need to fulfill.

Could Ringo put it all together? There is a world where he’s a really good player and suddenly our secondary is scary for the next 8 years. Or how about Trotter stepping up? Maybe Shipley or Wilson take a big step and become dependable role players? Heck, maybe Huff can contribute?

We aren’t going to be able to bring in a bunch of stars, so I’m hoping more for players already on the roster to improve than new additions to make the kind of impact that Barkley, Baun and Becton did. Hmmm, maybe look for guys who have a last name that starts with a "B” if we want a star…

1 hour ago, mattwill said:

With my family health problems in a better place I thought about taking predictions in the Playoffs, but like you I looked at their record since I stopped taking predictions and decided not to tamper with what was working so well.

Is that going to apply to next year too?

Berman said on PHLY today that Seumalo could get cut by the Steelers. Is that rumored? Mentioned him as a Becton replacement if he leaves.