3 minutes ago, just relax said:

Depends on how you define weakest.

Not as good of a player as Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, or Lane. I know you've been Becton's biggest advocate, but I'll continue to disagree on that. I think he's very good as a run blocker, solid(but flawed) as a pass blocker, and is a replaceable player. Not with anyone, but I'm confident they can find a good RG in the draft.

1 minute ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Time to re-visit the Spotrac Zack Baun Market Value estimate

2 years/19.5M

Kind of like the political polls. I knew the deal there. 😉

35 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

To be fair this change was recent. Howie was stuck in the ways of don't pay a RB or LB for a long time

Yes.  But showing a willingness to change has happened over the years.  And frankly, TJ Edwards wasn't the guy to change for at LB.  Baun is that guy.  Same at RB.  Lots of guys come and go at that position, including Sanders and Swift.  Barkley is THAT guy.  

20 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

My guess is Howie is seeing player pay inequities and sees that the RB and LB impact pay per contribution is better priced than DL right now. I expect a lot of young DL to balance cap

I saw a video on YouTube about 8 years ago showing that Howie had found pricing opportunity with the Safety market - leading us to signing Jenkins and McLeod.

7 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Not as good of a player as Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, or Lane. I know you've been Becton's biggest advocate, but I'll continue to disagree on that. I think he's very good as a run blocker, solid(but flawed) as a pass blocker, and is a replaceable player. Not with anyone, but I'm confident they can find a good RG in the draft.

Steen isn't chopped liver. Offense didn't really miss much with him in there. Work in progress. Remember when Brandon Brooks would leave the lineup and the drop off was instantaneous. Not the case here.  He can work cheap for 2 years and be solid. EOD, do you wanna pay 15M for one or 1.5M for another?

On 3/4/2025 at 10:04 AM, DrPhilly said:

Now is the time to get Baun signed.  Make it happen over the next 72hrs.

5 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Not as good of a player as Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, or Lane. I know you've been Becton's biggest advocate, but I'll continue to disagree on that. I think he's very good as a run blocker, solid(but flawed) as a pass blocker, and is a replaceable player. Not with anyone, but I'm confident they can find a good RG in the draft.

We disagree but, with a nod to @pgcd3 I won’t regurgitate my argument.

3 minutes ago, Connecticut Eagle said:

I saw a video on YouTube about 8 years ago showing that Howie had found pricing opportunity with the Safety market - leading us to signing Jenkins and McLeod.

8 years ago. Ancient times before the Eagles 2 Super Bowl Championships

Other things to accomplish before FA starts:

1. Extend Cam -- obviously this doesn't have to be done before FA, but I'm thinking Howie will want to know what his cap commitments are for Cam before FA begins. An extension should lower his $5.8mm cap number a little -- maybe by around $1mm. 

2. Figure out Goedert -- I just don't see any way we pay him $15.5mm in cash for 2025, but unlike Slay, I think an "extension" that lowers his cash payout this year, adds some BS years to the backend, is possible. According to Spotrac, his ~$14mm 2025 option bonus doesn't have to be exercised until the start of the 2025 regular season, so again, we could take our time. But I'd think we need clarity on whether he will be back. We can't make him a post June 1 cut since both slots were used on Slay and JB, but we could cut or trade him if he won't play ball.

3. Decide on Becton, Rodgers and Burks -- do you let them test the market or not? I think all 3 will test the market, but at least one and maybe 2 will be back. I'm starting to think they let Becton walk and maybe bring back big Fred as the swing tackle.

32 minutes ago, Connecticut Eagle said:

The Bald Eagle.  Love it!

 

I wondered if Baun would come in a little cheaper because he is a bit older and is a one-year wonder, but he was just too damn good to lose, and our LB room isn’t in good shape without him. 

3 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Not as good of a player as Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, or Lane. I know you've been Becton's biggest advocate, but I'll continue to disagree on that. I think he's very good as a run blocker, solid(but flawed) as a pass blocker, and is a replaceable player. Not with anyone, but I'm confident they can find a good RG in the draft.

First of all, I am Becton’s biggest advocate! 
 

But second of all, he only gave up one sack after the bye and was our most important run blocker on a run first team.

You can’t replace Becton. The dude is a unicorn with his length, girth, and movement skills. I would have more confidence in finding a similar replacement for Jurgens than I would Becton — and I think Jurgens is a hell of a player!

1 minute ago, jojodancer said:

Steen isn't chopped liver. Offense didn't really miss much with him in there. Work in progress. Remember when Brandon Brooks would leave the lineup and the drop off was instantaneous. Not the case here.  He can work cheap for 2 years and be solid.

He's not, but reading the tea leaves I don't think the coaches and/or front office likes him very much. He's never really been given a chance to start even last offseason when they had the perfect opportunity to. Becton started camp ahead of him almost immediately, playing a new position. So Steen didn't have any built up equity in the organization which should be a sign in and of itself. And they're currently meeting with lots of OL prospects and not just OT's as a future Lane replacement.

Everything they've done as an organization tells you they don't view Steen as a starter unless they absolutely have to.

8 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Time to re-visit the Spotrac Zack Baun Market Value estimate

2 years/19.5M

Curious how much more he would’ve gotten in FA. I’d think the price had to be close to what he felt he’d get in FA and rather come back here. But who really knows cause all it takes is one team to just offer something ridiculous and structured in a way we didn’t like 

1 minute ago, ManuManu said:

I wondered if Baun would come in a little cheaper because he is a bit older and is a one-year wonder, but he was just too damn good to lose, and our LB room isn’t in good shape without him. 

Any thought of letting Baun walk died when Dean's injury happened, IMO.

1 minute ago, vikas83 said:

Other things to accomplish before FA starts:

1. Extend Cam -- obviously this doesn't have to be done before FA, but I'm thinking Howie will want to know what his cap commitments are for Cam before FA begins. An extension should lower his $5.8mm cap number a little -- maybe by around $1mm. 

2. Figure out Goedert -- I just don't see any way we pay him $15.5mm in cash for 2025, but unlike Slay, I think an "extension" that lowers his cash payout this year, adds some BS years to the backend, is possible. According to Spotrac, his ~$14mm 2025 option bonus doesn't have to be exercised until the start of the 2025 regular season, so again, we could take our time. But I'd think we need clarity on whether he will be back. We can't make him a post June 1 cut since both slots were used on Slay and JB, but we could cut or trade him if he won't play ball.

3. Decide on Becton, Rodgers and Burks -- do you let them test the market or not? I think all 3 will test the market, but at least one and maybe 2 will be back. I'm starting to think they let Becton walk and maybe bring back big Fred as the swing tackle.

Extend Blankenship?

2 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

Other things to accomplish before FA starts:

1. Extend Cam -- obviously this doesn't have to be done before FA, but I'm thinking Howie will want to know what his cap commitments are for Cam before FA begins. An extension should lower his $5.8mm cap number a little -- maybe by around $1mm. 

2. Figure out Goedert -- I just don't see any way we pay him $15.5mm in cash for 2025, but unlike Slay, I think an "extension" that lowers his cash payout this year, adds some BS years to the backend, is possible. According to Spotrac, his ~$14mm 2025 option bonus doesn't have to be exercised until the start of the 2025 regular season, so again, we could take our time. But I'd think we need clarity on whether he will be back. We can't make him a post June 1 cut since both slots were used on Slay and JB, but we could cut or trade him if he won't play ball.

3. Decide on Becton, Rodgers and Burks -- do you let them test the market or not? I think all 3 will test the market, but at least one and maybe 2 will be back. I'm starting to think they let Becton walk and maybe bring back big Fred as the swing tackle.

Have you done a pro forma on what a Becton contract would look like cap wise?

Howie gave Baun basically the same exact deal he gave Huff 

Just now, Connecticut Eagle said:

Extend Blankenship?

Not sure that will be big $$ enough to necessitate getting done before FA starts, but it should get done before camp.

5 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

He's not, but reading the tea leaves I don't think the coaches and/or front office likes him very much. He's never really been given a chance to start even last offseason when they had the perfect opportunity to. Becton started camp ahead of him almost immediately, playing a new position. So Steen didn't have any built up equity in the organization which should be a sign in and of itself. And they're currently meeting with lots of OL prospects and not just OT's as a future Lane replacement.

Everything they've done as an organization tells you they don't view Steen as a starter unless they absolutely have to.

But Steen had an ankle injury setback and then Becton didn’t let go. When he filled in he showed some good signs and offense still scored plenty of points. Did not give up any sacks. Had a few bad penalties which you expect early on from a young guy. Steen also has only been playing guard for a couple of years.

While I’m fighting the Blog today, I’ll just say there’s almost no possible way Baun can replicate his 2024 season. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He doesn’t have to either to justify the contract. 

1 minute ago, vikas83 said:

Any thought of letting Baun walk died when Dean's injury happened, IMO.

Off topic but the time to sign Dean is now. Gives him some security going forward and you get him for less than it would’ve cost coming off the injury. 

1 minute ago, vikas83 said:

Any thought of letting Baun walk died when Dean's injury happened, IMO.

Yup. The domino that kept Baun here in my view.

2 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

Any thought of letting Baun walk died when Dean's injury happened, IMO.

Yeah, I always thought he was a lock to come back, at least 99 percent because his fit here is too seamless, but it got bumped to 100 percent once Dean was out. 

2 minutes ago, Parrot Head said:

Have you done a pro forma on what a Becton contract would look like cap wise?

I'm making this up, but here is 3 years/$57mm with $38mm guaranteed.