1 minute ago, Swoop said:

I mean, I wasn't really saying he was, but Rodgers not being elite is a pretty horrible take.

Agree with that.

21 minutes ago, RememberTheKoy said:

So Joe Oatman is being moved to LB as well.  Looking more and more likely that we are headed towards some sort of hybrid defense with 3-4 looks

 

where did you see this?  The Ostman hype all began when he was training as the Joker.

1 hour ago, austinfan said:

Top ten is not elite, in fact I'd say guys like Dak, Watson, Wentz (before last season) are pretty fungible. That is, they'll put up good numbers, win with good teams, struggle to carry bad teams.

How many of those elite QBs can carry a 'bad' team?  
 

 

Answer:  None.   They can only elevate a 'bad' team so far.   They can elevate an above average team higher.  But, they can't block, catch, run and throw all on the same play.  They also don't play defense.  So, this notion that a truly elite QB can take a flaming pile of garbage and turn it into a perennial playoff team is just disingenuous.  All of the QBs you put on the list as 'elite' were guys who had very good supporting casts around them to do what they did.  Peyton?  Where is he without Marvin Harrison, Marshall Faulk, Reggie Wayne, Edge James, Dallas Clark, etc.?    Brees?  He also had some top talent around him when he won the whole thing.   Brady had some top talent on the OL that allowed him to sit back in the pocket like a statue and never needed to be 'elite' in terms of numbers, because the defense did the heavy lifting early in his career.   And the supporting cast he had in TB was pretty freaking amazing.   Hard to say that it was Brady alone that elevated that team.   He was a big cog in the wheel, but not the only cog.

18 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

I'd be happy 🤷‍♂️ I wanted Foles to do great after he left too

The Foles situation was very different, don't you think? I assume most of us wanted him to do great. He gave us our first SB, but he was never going to be the starter here. Carson was supposed to be an elite talent, so the best scenario for Foles was to thrive somewhere else and be a Philly legend for ever. 

As of Carson, it was disappointing that he wanted to leave after playing horribly. I don't think he handled the situation properly and became a big problem for the team. Personally, I just hope he plays 75% of the snaps and the Colts miss the playoffs in 2021. After that, I don't care if he becomes a HOF or is out of the league in 3 years. But I absolutely understand if someone doesn't want him to do well in Indy. 

34 minutes ago, garingovt2000 said:

Tebow signs with the Jags

The mad lads did it

26 minutes ago, RememberTheKoy said:

So Joe Oatman is being moved to LB as well.  Looking more and more likely that we are headed towards some sort of hybrid defense with 3-4 looks

 

Previously, Ostman was being experimented with in a Joker role.  Then he got injured. 

Then they traded for Avery, but he never took over that role although he seemed perfectly suited for it. Now,  he's transitioning to LB.

They drafted the other guy who is a DE/LB.

 

I think this defense will utilize a joker. Maybe we are just going to have an old school big slow SAM but that wouldn't make much sense in today's NFL.

 

3 minutes ago, 4for4EaglesNest said:

I think Smith is overrated.  But not because he played against the SEC.  But because he’s built like a middle schooler and will need a great qb (a la Marvin Harrison and Manning) to build a rapport with and to maximize on what strengths he does have.  He should be better than Reagor though.  Which was a horrific pick at the time.  

I think having concerns about his size is complete valid and logical. To say he's overrated because he played against top CBs and in the SEC is borderline....well I got banned for 2 weeks last time I used the term...

1 minute ago, HazletonEagle said:

Previously, Ostman was being experimented with in a Joker role.  Then he got injured. 

Then they traded for Avery, but he never took over that role although he seemed perfectly suited for it. Now,  he's transitioning to LB.

They drafted the other guy who is a DE/LB.

 

I think this defense will utilize a joker. Maybe we are just going to have an old school big slow SAM but that wouldn't make much sense in today's NFL.

 

I think the front 7 and possibly the safeties are going to be this collaboration of positionless players who just take advantage of matchups rather than putting players in to a base defense.

The draft supports this if you look at Williams as a hybrid D-Lineman.  Jackson is a tweener DE who could be a great rush player, same goes with Johnson.  Stevens is the S/LB.  Then you have last years draft picks.  Wallace is more like Stevens than his is a coverage safety and Taylor is just an athlete who doesn't know how to play LB.

Add to that Avery and now Ostman and you have this new group of hybrid players.  

Could be interesting.  Could be a disaster.  

Is Gannon a creative guy?  Does he have a mad scientist defensive mind hiding just waiting for the right opportunity to change the game?

3 minutes ago, TorontoEagle said:

I think having concerns about his size is complete valid and logical. To say he's overrated because he played against top CBs and in the SEC is borderline....well I got banned for 2 weeks last time I used the term...

Didn't you hear? SEC has like two good teams and the rest are equivalent to a community college in Vermont. Oh, and the top teams are only allowed one player on both offense and defense.

Smith is overrated because of idiots on Eagles twitter that think the offense is unstoppable now or that they will compete for the division in 2021

4 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Smith is overrated because of idiots on Eagles twitter that think the offense is unstoppable now or that they will compete for the division in 2021

I dont think he’s overrated but i do believe fans get wayyy to carried away when they like a draft before they even play a snap. In 2017 i heard was a good to great class because barnett broke Reggie white’s sack record so he’s going to be a stud DE, jones should’ve been a first round pick if not for the injury so he was going to just be great, douglas was a raw and could become a playmaker. And Mack hollins was overhyped by many. And people really liked the gibson pick (good late round flier but people still went overboard cause of his speeedzzzzz). I think the only player universally hated in that draft was pumphrey. So what I’m saying when fans generally like a draft they overhype it before any player does anything 

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

I dont think he’s overrated but i do believe fans get wayyy to carried away when they like a draft. 2017 i heard was a good to great class because barnett broke Reggie white’s sack record, jones should’ve been a first round pick if not for the injury, douglas was a raw and could become a playmaker. And Mack hollins was overhyped by many. And people really liked the gibson pick (good late round flier but people still went overboard cause of his speeedzzzzz). I think the only player universally hated in that draft was pumphrey. 

Nate Gerry, at the end of Day 3 at the time.

5 minutes ago, 4for4EaglesNest said:

I think Smith is overrated.  But not because he played against the SEC.  But because he’s built like a middle schooler and will need a great qb (a la Marvin Harrison and Manning) to build a rapport with and to maximize on what strengths he does have.  He should be better than Reagor though.  Which was a horrific pick at the time.  

I was team Smith being overrated the entire draft process.  I wanted nothing to do with him.  I just didn't know what he was and I thought there were better options available.  I still think that.  I also think trading down still could have been the best decision but here we are.  Smith is our guy.  I've watched countless tapes of his now just trying to figure him out.  I no longer care about his size.  He just gets it done.  

When you try to figure out how he does what he does at 166 I think it's important to notice his wingspan and hand size.  They are freakish for a 6' guy.  His wingspan is 78".  Kyle Pitts wingspan at 6-6 is 83".  He can reach and make unreal catches.  He uses every bit of his wingspan whether it's coming back to the ball with his hands extended on a curl or a slant, or making ridiculous catches like the one against LSU.  

I still can't describe what makes him so good, he just is.

47 minutes ago, RememberTheKoy said:

So Joe Oatman is being moved to LB as well.  Looking more and more likely that we are headed towards some sort of hybrid defense with 3-4 looks

 

Can't wait for the 9 million articles proclaiming some barely rosterable player the Eagles' version of Anthony Barr. 

23 minutes ago, beto_eagles said:

The Foles situation was very different, don't you think? I assume most of us wanted him to do great. He gave us our first SB, but he was never going to be the starter here. Carson was supposed to be an elite talent, so the best scenario for Foles was to thrive somewhere else and be a Philly legend for ever. 

As of Carson, it was disappointing that he wanted to leave after playing horribly. I don't think he handled the situation properly and became a big problem for the team. Personally, I just hope he plays 75% of the snaps and the Colts miss the playoffs in 2021. After that, I don't care if he becomes a HOF or is out of the league in 3 years. But I absolutely understand if someone doesn't want him to do well in Indy. 

I'm one of those that believe we never get to the SB if it wasn't for Wentz. Also hoping he plays like an MVP and gets Colts to the SB. Part because I want to stick it to Howie and because I like Wentz and think he was screwed over here. I don't want to bring in the Wentz haters though so I'll drop this

13 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Smith is overrated because of idiots on Eagles twitter that think the offense is unstoppable now or that they will compete for the division in 2021

Such an overused term "unstoppable" and every year defenses figure out how to stop "unstoppable" offenses. 

1 minute ago, greend said:

Such an overused term "unstoppable" and every year defenses figure out how to stop "unstoppable" offenses. 

Answer:

1 minute ago, bpac55 said:

I think the front 7 and possibly the safeties are going to be this collaboration of positionless players who just take advantage of matchups rather than putting players in to a base defense.

The draft supports this if you look at Williams as a hybrid D-Lineman.  Jackson is a tweener DE who could be a great rush player, same goes with Johnson.  Stevens is the S/LB.  Then you have last years draft picks.  Wallace is more like Stevens than his is a coverage safety and Taylor is just an athlete who doesn't know how to play LB.

Add to that Avery and now Ostman and you have this new group of hybrid players.  

Could be interesting.  Could be a disaster.  

Is Gannon a creative guy?  Does he have a mad scientist defensive mind hiding just waiting for the right opportunity to change the game?

I'm all for throwing everything against a wall to see what sticks on defense until they figure out a QB/OL/weapons...since that's what takes real time to build and mold.

So that's fine, but most likely...disaster.  You can't just have a positionless sludge of a back 7.  What sounds like great flexibility turns into a reverse matchup nightmare where offenses just pick you apart.  You end up with no one up front who can shed a block or tackle and no one deep in the secondary who can hang with a WR.

One player like Stevens who transitions between two levels of the defense is fine.  But that means we don't need more of them.

Wallace is a defensive back.  He better be able to cover WRs...otherwise he's a liability.  Milton Williams, a favorite of mine, needs to develop into a terror rushing the QB.  Otherwise, he's useless too.  In this passing NFL, no one needs a 285lb run stopping DE, nor does anyone need a light in the pants 285lb DT unless he's a relentless interior pass rush presence.  Johnson is like Avery...DE turned LB.  If they can't diagnose a play and take a good angle, then they are useless too.

Versatility is nice for seldom used backups, but at some point, you need people who can fill a role and play.  Someone has to reliably pressure the QB, someone has to hang with WRs on every play, someone has to take angles to the play and make tackles around the LOS.  Too many tweeners leaves you with 0 players who can do any of those things.

4 minutes ago, greend said:

Such an overused term "unstoppable" and every year defenses figure out how to stop "unstoppable" offenses. 

I mean I'm excited about Smith. I was on the fence about him leading up to the draft, mainly because of his size. But he has stayed healthy so far, so who knows.

But as a prospect, he completely dominated last year, beyond just Jordan Matthews type stat padding. He looked like one of the best players in the league, if not the best. For the first time in a long time, he's a first round pick that we have, where everything about his profile suggests he should succeed at the NFL level, even with his limitations. Again, I completely understand being concerned about his size, it's logical and valid. But everything else about him screams out great prospect. So sue me if I'm excited for that guy to be on our team. I feel like we haven't had a prospect like this since, Lane? Even then, maybe going back to Cox? 

23 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Smith is overrated because of idiots on Eagles twitter that think the offense is unstoppable now or that they will compete for the division in 2021

The Eagles ended up 4-11-1 last season  and WERE in competition to win the division up until losing game 15.   Is it that shocking that some think they could compete for the division this upcoming season?

Just now, PhillyMG said:

The Eagles ended up 4-11-1 last season  and WERE in competition to win the division up until losing game 15.   Is it that shocking that some think they could compete for the division this upcoming season?

Yes

1 hour ago, RememberTheKoy said:

So Joe Oatman is being moved to LB as well.  Looking more and more likely that we are headed towards some sort of hybrid defense with 3-4 looks

 

I'm not saying they won't do that, but after how excruciatingly basic their defense has been since firing Mcdermott for being exceedingly complex.....I'll believe it when I see it.

LB has obviously been neglected.  They added to the DL with Williams and Tarron Jackson.  With Ostman and Avery, they may just be rolling over some tweener DE talent for a salvage attempt at LB since it was either that or a 1-way trip off the roster.

20 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Nate Gerry, at the end of Day 3 at the time.

I didn’t hate Gerry. I also didn’t expect him to be more than a special teams player though. 

41 minutes ago, 4for4EaglesNest said:

I think Smith is overrated.  But not because he played against the SEC.  But because he’s built like a middle schooler and will need a great qb (a la Marvin Harrison and Manning) to build a rapport with and to maximize on what strengths he does have.  He should be better than Reagor though.  Which was a horrific pick at the time.  

He had 3 QBs throwing him the ball, none of which were that great, and he dominated the SEC. Also size is an old school mentality for the WR position. Today it’s all about speed & separation.