EMB Blog: 2021 Training Camp / Preseason

[Utebird]

2 minutes ago, greend said:

Plus some places are even dropping back on drug testing (weed) requirements.

Yeah I was wondering about that, with all the new weed laws are employers still doing piss tests?

I always thought piss tests for weed were stupid anyway, I mean why not monitor an employee's alcohol consumption?

[BigEFly]

22 minutes ago, Freshmilk said:

A Barnett trade would be a surprise.  He is overpaid, but he is a decent 3rd/4th DE.  But I suppose having Williams lining at DE could be a clue that they are trying to trade him

The Eagles drafted two DEs, a DT and a rush linebacker and signed a DT and DE in free agency. Paying a second level rotational DE $10 million is not cost effective. 

[dawkdaballhawk]

2 minutes ago, Utebird said:

Yeah I was wondering about that, with all the new weed laws are employers still doing piss tests?

I always thought piss tests for weed were stupid anyway, I mean why not monitor an employee's alcohol consumption?

Weed was illegal. But alcohol is legal. They can both cause impairments on the job.  It really shouldn't be compared to vaccinations, as they aren't even close to the same thing.

[greend]

4 minutes ago, Utebird said:

Yeah I was wondering about that, with all the new weed laws are employers still doing piss tests?

I always thought piss tests for weed were stupid anyway, I mean why not monitor an employee's alcohol consumption?

Certain jobs will probably always be drug tested (being around dangerous equipment that sort of thing).

[SNOORDA]

11 hours ago, Saltpeter said:

Can't believe I'm defending Joe freaking Judge, but Benjamin looks like a moron here. If the team tells you to come to camp at 251 lbs, you don't show up to camp at 268, no matter how in shape you think you are. Pretty basic.

More importantly it looks like drama day one in a team in our division not named the eagles. Which is always a plus

[BigEFly]

20 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

They are very very thin at DE.  Graham has a year left.  I doubt he's back for 2022.  Kerrigan is a Chris Long level deal, but likely not going to play at the level Chris Long did.  And beside them is Barnett, Sweat and Williams.    Barnett is a FA at the end of the year, and because of that, and his current price tag, I can't see a team trading for him and giving much of value back.   Yes, he's still young for a 5th year player, but they'd either be trading for a rental, or they'd be forced to give him a new deal immediately.  Neither prospect seems to mean that the team trading for him would be willing to pay much, and there's not much there at the DE position to incentivize a trade from the Eagles' perspective.  Sweat has talent, but a lingering question about durability.  Williams is a giant question mark.  Graham and Kerrigan are band-aids.  There's just not much in the cupboard at DE to make a trade attractive unless a team drastically overpays... which I just can't see happening.

What would it take to trade Barnett before the season?  and what might a team actually offer?

I agree that return on the trade might not be very good, maybe even a Randall Cobb level deal (sixth rounder but the team retained $3 million of his $10 million salary obligation)  But right now Barnett is a lame duck and if Sweat starts, expendable.  It also clears a spot for Tarron Jackson or Patrick Johnson.  Howie tried to extend Barnett and obviously, the asking price was too much so he seems headed to free agency anyway. Him starting camp at the 2s sends a message.  The Eagles will diminish your free agency value because we don’t see you at the same value as your agent was pushing for.  If it doesn’t knock the number down including this year’s salary on an extension, then I could easily see him being traded for peanuts to get the cap relief.  Would you rather trade Barnett for a sixth and lose his $10 million dollar cap hit or Ertz for a sixth losing his $8 million salary but because of void years only saving about $5 million on the cap?  Howie, the accountant, may see more value in trading Barnett than Ertz.

[NCiggles]

Just now, greend said:

Plus some places are even dropping back on drug testing (weed) requirements.

Some co-workers would be more bearable if they made weed mandatory. 

1 minute ago, BigEFly said:

Many large companies are self insured to at least a certain level.  They hire the United Healthcare, Aetna and Cigna organizations to administer their claims, including providing networks.  So savings on healthcare go right to the bottom line.  Legislation against requiring vaccines might be seen as being anti-business and that can be bad for attracting and keeping employers.  

It's going to be interesting.  On the workers' comp side of things, employers that have admitted Covid claims are requiring vaccines.  For the most part, these are Nursing Homes, but there are also a fair amount of law enforcement and correction officers that have cases where they are being denied.  There's also states that passed laws presumptively giving 1st responders including law enforcement workers' comp benefits.  I think you could see state agencies and law enforcement agencies requiring vaccines. I mean Sheriffs are there whole issue and certainly a county could want to require it for employees but a Sheriff may not.   Police unions will likely want to push back.  The hospital and nursing home lobby is going want to allow employers to require it.  I think the business chamber and builders groups may also be at odds.  

[Mike030270]

No matter if you think he's a crybaby or what. It's refreshing to hear a QB be so open and honest and just not care

 

[LeanMeanGM]

 

 

[Texas Eagle]

Brooks is on his last legs (no pun intended)

[LeanMeanGM]

 

[Guest justrelax]

1 hour ago, Iggles_Phan said:

If I was a teammate choosing not to be vaccinated, I would ignore Graham's statement, and I'd be pleased with Carson supporting my right to choose for myself.  

You keep focusing on the 'equivocating' answer as if what is said to the press is what is important to the team, or that what is said to the press is the same message as to the team.   I guess everything really was Andy's fault during his time here.  We were really 'fine there' at the WR position.  You are conflating public messaging and private messaging.  Personally, I prefer when teams keep their business behind closed doors.  

That's simply not true and you know it. We all want to know pretty much everything. We b!itch and moan about injuries without comment, or who made disparaging comments about whom. We parse comments endlessly. We criticize baselessly - and we all do - and question a player's heart or grit or dedication.

As far as the vaccination business goes, I don't think in this setting it is purely personal choice. We already know players who are unvaccinated and test positive will cause games to be cancelled. With tha cancellation comes the loss of game checks so my choice to forego vaccination may well cost you  and all your teammates money.

[greend]

13 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

Some co-workers would be more bearable if they made weed mandatory. 

It's going to be interesting.  On the workers' comp side of things, employers that have admitted Covid claims are requiring vaccines.  For the most part, these are Nursing Homes, but there are also a fair amount of law enforcement and correction officers that have cases where they are being denied.  There's also states that passed laws presumptively giving 1st responders including law enforcement workers' comp benefits.  I think you could see state agencies and law enforcement agencies requiring vaccines. I mean Sheriffs are there whole issue and certainly a county could want to require it for employees but a Sheriff may not.   Police unions will likely want to push back.  The hospital and nursing home lobby is going want to allow employers to require it.  I think the business chamber and builders groups may also be at odds.  

Very true

[Texas Eagle]

3 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

 

Wonder if Dickerson would be playing any RG if he wasn’t hurt. Also would like to see Awosika get some reps early this camp. Both players are probably LG if anything, however.

[LeanMeanGM]

1 minute ago, eaglesflyers#1 said:

Wonder if Dickerson would be playing any RG if he wasn’t hurt. Also would like to see Awosika get some reps early this camp. Both players are probably LG if anything, however.

Since Seumalo is out I think it would be Dickerson at LG and Herbig at RG

[greend]

5 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

 

I would definitely give a helmet to Fulgham if they are short on helmets take JJAWs away

[dawkdaballhawk]

9 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

No matter if you think he's a crybaby or what. It's refreshing to hear a QB be so open and honest and just not care

 

"I have a big competitive hole in my body that I need to fill"

[Texas Eagle]

 

[LeanMeanGM]

 

[Iggles_Phan]

14 minutes ago, BigEFly said:

I agree that return on the trade might not be very good, maybe even a Randall Cobb level deal (sixth rounder but the team retained $3 million of his $10 million salary obligation) But right now Barnett is a lame duck and if Sweat starts, expendable.  It also clears a spot for Tarron Jackson or Patrick Johnson.  Howie tried to extend Barnett and obviously, the asking price was too much so he seems headed to free agency anyway. Him starting camp at the 2s sends a message.  The Eagles will diminish your free agency value because we don’t see you at the same value as your agent was pushing for.  If it doesn’t knock the number down including this year’s salary on an extension, then I could easily see him being traded for peanuts to get the cap relief.  Would you rather trade Barnett for a sixth and lose his $10 million dollar cap hit or Ertz for a sixth losing his $8 million salary but because of void years only saving about $5 million on the cap?  Howie, the accountant, may see more value in trading Barnett than Ertz.

Trading Barnett for peanuts and a bit of cap relief is a message that the Eagles aren't looking to win in 2021.  Granted, I don't think they are capable of it, but I just don't see them making that move.  Ertz being moved would be in line with moving on from expensive players who want out.  So, that sends a different message.  

In all though, I'd love to free up the cap space by moving both Ertz and Barnett... and help to deal with some of the dead money that has already been accumulated on the 2022 cap.  As for return... 2 mid-level picks would be fine by me.  But, if they are dealing Barnett for a 6th, I'd hope that they don't eat any salary on the backend.  I'd even trade him for a 2023 6th if it means that they get free of that cap number.   

All in all, I see 2021 as a season to learn about Hurts and not hurt the cap any worse.  I don't see them winning more than about 6 games, and I don't see Ertz as a big contributor to Hurts' development.  I guess it depends on if they will run a lot of 12 personnel or not.  Otherwise, he's just an expensive insurance policy for Goedert.   But I don't see the Eagles making that type of statement to the locker room by trading Barnett for very little.

 

[BigEFly]

5 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

Some co-workers would be more bearable if they made weed mandatory. 

It's going to be interesting.  On the workers' comp side of things, employers that have admitted Covid claims are requiring vaccines.  For the most part, these are Nursing Homes, but there are also a fair amount of law enforcement and correction officers that have cases where they are being denied.  There's also states that passed laws presumptively giving 1st responders including law enforcement workers' comp benefits.  I think you could see state agencies and law enforcement agencies requiring vaccines. I mean Sheriffs are there whole issue and certainly a county could want to require it for employees but a Sheriff may not.   Police unions will likely want to push back.  The hospital and nursing home lobby is going want to allow employers to require it.  I think the business chamber and builders groups may also be at odds.  

It will be interesting.  The states most likely to be pushing legislation are also most likely to be right to work states and the idea of limiting what employers can bargain for with individuals kind of runs contrary to those laws.  (Yes, I know they are more about not needing to be in a union, but the base, so as not to run afoul of Taft-Hartley, is the right to bargain individually.). NYC’s police union is already pushing back against Deblasio’s vaccine mandate.  Given my experience with the City in liability cases, I suspect NYC is self insured. 

it has been decades since I did any worker’s comp. Used to be that most disease claims were not worker’s comp because they were viewed as Acts of God and there had to be something within employment that placed a person outside of a normal person’s risk.  Needle **** for blood borne pathogens for example.  Worse case I saw was a man that was a building inspector that had to go into an abandoned hotel where the broken windows on the top floor had basically turned the floor into a rookery for pigeons.  He had no respirator or even a mask, breathed in the pigeon poop and got meningitis resulting in a brain injury.  The comp board rules Act of God, upheld all the way to the state Supreme Court.  They cited to histoplasmosis cases as precedent.  I always thought the got that one wrong but I can see many Covid comp cases going down the same path.  Now, that said, with the protocols in place with professional teams, there is a snowball’s chance that any pro player’s Covid case would survive a worker’s comp challenge. 

[LeanMeanGM]

 

 

[greend]

8 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

 

"got past Steven Nelson".

 

Only the names have changed

[Mike030270]

18 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

 

Didn't know Pryor was still here

[Texas Eagle]

Tyree Jackson looks to be the early nasty Nate 

Just now, Mike030270 said:

Didn't know Pryor was still here

Wish he wasn’t