EMB Blog: 2022 Off-Season

[BigEFly]

14 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

My feeling on CB is just let the young guys battle it out. Let's see if someone emerges. I don't see a great reason to go with a declining vet. On S I just don't see the internal prospects that would keep you from signing a Mathieu.  Even if a guy emerges he could take Harris spot 

These three CB UDFAs have one thing in common, they are all lightweights. 176 and 182 at six foot is too light for the NFL and it isn’t like Clemson and Alabama don’t have top notch weight room programs.  Heck, one of the knocks on Gowan was being 186 at 6’1”.   Now, Gowan has had a year in the NFL.  I won’t be surprised if he is in the 190s. (UCF isn’t Alabama or Clemson plus the year off for Covid.)  Contrast those guys to Vincent, who is a couple of inches shorter and 189.   

Blankenship is a heady downhill S.  Little slow.  I am wondering if Gannon likes downhill Ss or that is the luck of the draw.  (More and more college Ss are that.  Not a lot of 4.4 Ss, much less 4.3 Ss in college.  Have that speed and they play CB unless they are too stiff to do so.). 

[Freshmilk]

35 minutes ago, bpac55 said:

If the Eagles are 100% committed to Hurts, that means they have to build the offense to fit his skillset.  Perry would make the most logical sense in that if Hurts goes down, he could come in and run the same offense.

I think it's a mistake to build around Hurts skillset because that skillset is running.  

Of course.

[austinfan]

2 hours ago, Connecticut Eagle said:

I also aligns with Gannon reshaping the nature of the defense.  They focused on transforming the front seven.

Reddick, White, Davis, Dean, Johnson, Ellis.

It will look more like a 3-4 / 5-2 when not in nickel.

Or 4-3 under, with an "elephant" at RDE, you can move Riddick to the LOS as a stand up DE. Or Sweat there.

Graham/Williams, Davis/Elliss, Cox/Hargrave.

More options for Gannon, he doesn't have to be wed to any front, and can matchup against different teams.

[pgcd3]

Let's face it Gannon probably won't be here in a year. 

[RememberTheKoy]

19 minutes ago, D-Shiznit said:

The Eagles will reportedly give him snaps at RG. With his size, athleticism, and now supposedly added strength, it will be interesting to watch.

 

Doubt it works out.  He doesn't have the necessary toughness to play inside.  

[RLC]

Is there a team better suited for Strong?

- Top 5 OL to off-set his lack of mobility
- Running game so he doesn't have to carry the load
- WRs who can run that can take advantage of his arm
- Same offensive system that Philip Rivers used (see the Chargers with Sirianni/Steichen).
- We run the sail concept all the time

[Desertbirds]

43 minutes ago, BigEFly said:

May not be "we” much longer for Wallace.  He has to step up and also show that he can be available this year.  He should challenge both Epps and Harris for a starting position. Schwartz said two years to develop. Wallace is now into year three. 

So, still basically a rookie.

[austinfan]

1 minute ago, RememberTheKoy said:

 

Doubt it works out.  He doesn't have the necessary toughness to play inside.  

Don't think it was about toughness (Macho Macho man), but about body build - if that post is for real, he's added 20-25 lbs of muscle while cutting body fat - and that is more of a OG body - tall lean guys have problems getting leverage inside.

[Ace Nova]

 

[Infam]

25 minutes ago, D-Shiznit said:

The Eagles will reportedly give him snaps at RG. With his size, athleticism, and now supposedly added strength, it will be interesting to watch.

If we only get peanuts from the other teams for him I‘m all for trying that.

Imagine Dillard plays well at RG and Jjaw at TE.. 😄

[pgcd3]

I think Howie will unload several guys during camp for picks in 2023 & 2024.  Mostly late picks of course

[Vortex]

[The Blackfish]

28 minutes ago, Alphagrand said:

It might move me into the Sweet 16 ….

I was thinking more in terms of playing style, stature and throwing motion, though.  It is a tiny bit curious that the Eagles would bring in a UFDA QB (and pay top $) to a guy much more in the Philip Rivers mold than a QB in the dual threat mold. 

I know what you meant, Newman wasn’t great at Wake Forest, but when he transferred to Georgia, then opted out due to Covid, it killed any chances he had of being drafted.  I think he’s in the CFL now.       

 Btw, have you seen what’s going with Picketts old number 1, Jordan Addison?   I know it’s the NIL money but I wonder if Slovis transferring to Pitt helped make the decision. 
 

 
 

 

 

[RLC]

Nooooooo

[pgcd3]

 

[Swoop]

Guys, per Schefter:

After failing to land a safety during the draft, the Saints now are expected to re-visit their talks with free-agent Pro-Bowl safety Tyrann Mathieu and make an aggressive push to try to add him to their roster, per sources. Mathieu was born and raised in New Orleans.

[pgcd3]

I wonder if any of the Eagles young CBs are candidates to convert to safety

[garingovt2000]

4 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

 

If they land him it hurts us more ways than one

[Sack that QB]

He’s not going to sign with the saints, they’re terrible

[RememberTheKoy]

20 minutes ago, austinfan said:

Don't think it was about toughness (Macho Macho man), but about body build - if that post is for real, he's added 20-25 lbs of muscle while cutting body fat - and that is more of a OG body - tall lean guys have problems getting leverage inside.

 

Was always about toughness.  From getting too emotional in camp to needing Howie and others to baby him on the sideline to just flat out getting destroyed when taking on rushers going right at him with power moves or Dillard needing to blow someone up in the running game. 

[LeanMeanGM]

 

[austinfan]

20 minutes ago, Ace Nova said:

The RB probably went back to the bench and said "you expected me to block that?"

That quickness is amazing, he just blew past the center, checked to see if the RB had the ball, threw him aside and on to Burrow.

 

[Outlaw]

4 hours ago, RLC said:

 

Projected 2022 Depth Chart – Game 1

Offense (25)
QB(3): Hurts, Minshew, Strong
RB(4): Sanders, Scott, Gainwell, Brooks
TE(3): Goedert, Stoll, Calcaterra
WR(5): Smith, Brown, Watkins, Pascal, Reagor/Ward/Covey
OL(10) Mailata, Dickerson, Kelce, Seumalo, Johnson
Jurgens, Herbig, Dillard, Driscoll, Clark,

Defense (25)
DE(4): Sweat, Barnett, Graham, Williams
DT(4): Cox, Hargrave, Davis, Ellis
ILB(2): White, Edwards
OLB(5): Reddick, Dean, Taylor, Kyron Johnson, Bradley/Patrick Johnson
S(4): Harris, Epps, Chachere, Wallace,
CB(6): Slay, Maddox, McPhearson, 3 of Scott/Goodrich/Blackwell/Vincent/Gowan/Jobe

Specialists (3)
K: Elliott
P: Siposs
LS: Lovato

---

Going through this, some things stand out

1) The depth on the OL is incredible for 2022. 2023 will lose 3 guys (Kelce, Seumalo, Herbig), so I could see more focus on OL next year, especially if Lane's play slips this year.
2) Kennedy Brooks is going to make the roster as #4 because there's no competition, he offers something different than the other 3 backs and he got a good guarantee. Ironically, he profiles as Wayne Gallman. https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/kennedy-brooks/ . That's a good outcome for RB #4 and a UDFA.
3) Reagor is not a lock to make the team if he's not a PR...but none of us want him returning anyway
4) We have a good top 7 on the DL, but there's no quality in terms of 8-10. This makes sense given how we want more 3-4 looks. There are more competent LBs who can rush the passer (Reddick, Johnson and to a lesser extent Dean) than we're used to. I put Williams at DE, because he's going to play a bunch of 5Tech IMO.
5) We have lots of DB depth, but no starters. If we sign a veteran DB, I hope there's limited guaranteed money because there are enough bodies to hopefully have one guy pop. The CB vs. WR battles in training camp are going to be fun.
6) Really wish we could have drafted a punter.
7) Get ready for us to draft RB, QB, CB and DL in 2023.

 

A couple tweaks: 

I have Blankenship making the team and Vincent playing more S than CB. Bye Wallace. 

Dean plays ILB more than OLB. White plays more OLB.

Siposs gets replaced. Possibly by Koch if the Ravens stick with Stout.

I could see another vet CB2 getting signed. Giving McPhearson, Gowan and Jobe/Goodrich more time to develop. 
 

So much versatility on defense at LB and DL! I love it. 

[HazletonEagle]

19 minutes ago, Vortex said:

 

He knows his protections abs offense at Nevada.  He does a ton presnap.

[Diehardfan]

3 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

 

There goes a high pick