Eagles News: D.J. Chark among Philadelphia’s free agent options

[time2rock]

Eagles News: D.J. Chark among Philadelphia’s free agent options

By Brandon Lee Gowton@BrandonGowton  

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Three free agents who make sense for the Eagles, version 1.0 - PhillyVoice
D.J. Chark: In May of last offseason (long after the meaty part of free agency concluded), the Eagles hired former Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell to a "personnel executive” position, and his influence was clear, with the Birds’ trades for QB Gardner Minshew and CB Josiah Scott. The Jaguars free agent who I think makes sense for the Eagles this offseason is Chark, a 6’4, 198-pound former Pro Bowl receiver who Caldwell selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In addition to his large catch radius, Chark is an impressive athlete who ran a 4.34 40 and posted a 40” vertical jump at the 2018 Combine. Chark has down-the-field big play ability and is also a threat in the red zone. A highlight reel from 2020, working with a combination of Minshew and other quarterbacks like Jake Luton and Mike Glennon. So why would Chark only be sort of a medium-priced free agent? After his Pro Bowl season in 2019, his numbers fell off a bit in 2020 while working with some bad quarterbacks, followed by a 2021 season during which he missed 13 games with a broken ankle. Chark would be a nice complement to DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins.

Top NFL free agents for 2022: Ranking the best 50 players potentially on the market this offseason - ESPN+
22. DJ Chark Jr., WR. 2021 team: Jacksonville Jaguars | Age entering 2022 season: 25. A fractured ankle ended Chark’s 2021 season after four games, but the injury occurred early enough that he is expected to be at full strength by training camp at the latest. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2019 with career-highs in receiving yardage (1,008) and touchdowns (eight). We should grade any Jaguars free agent — especially in the passing game — on a statistical curve. It should also be pointed out that Chark has never played a 16- (or 17) game season in four years with the Jaguars.

11 Eagles defensive coordinator candidates if Jonathan Gannon isn’t back - BGN
The Eagles hired Wilson, previously the New York Jets’ defensive passing game coordinator, to be their defensive backs coach last year. Wilson oversaw a position group that included a Pro Bowl resurgence from Darius Slay, a career season from Avonte Maddox, and solid contribution from Steve Nelson. Rookie cornerback Zech McPhearson also showed intriguing potential in training camp. [...] If the Doug Pederson era was any indication, the Eagles seem prefer internal promotions as opposed to often making outside hires. The idea that the in-house answer is always best can be frustrating/troubling. But, in this case, Wilson should be considered a reasonable candidate. At the very least, he’s deserving of an interview.

The Eagles plan on Jalen Hurts as their QB in 2022, but what are their other options? - The Athletic
My view: If the Eagles can land Wilson (who also has a no-trade clause), they should do what it takes to get him. That’s not a slight on Hurts as much as an indication of how an eight-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl ring could alter the trajectory of the franchise. It could be similar to Peyton Manning going to Denver in 2013, when he took over a team that made the postseason with Tim Tebow the previous year and invigorated the offense. Any Eagles fans who watched the Bills-Chiefs game on Sunday night must have been left thinking, how can we get one of those guys? There’s more demand than supply, but Wilson would give the Eagles a better chance of winning one of those games.

Eagles mailbag: Picking 2 free agents for the Birds - NBCSP
Offense: WR Mike Williams. The Eagles are looking for the right complement for DeVonta Smith and Williams (6-4, 220) might be it. The former No. 7 overall pick is coming off his best NFL season in 2021; he had 76/1,146/9 with the Chargers this season. Williams is huge but is also a great deep threat, averaging 16.1 yards per catch during his career, including 20.4 back in 2019. And he already knows Nick Sirianni from the 2017 season, Williams’ first in the NFL and Sirianni’s last with the Chargers as their receivers coach.

2022 Houston Texans Head Coaching Search: Who’s Your Favorite Candidate? - Battle Red Blog
So far, Houston has completed interviews with Lombardi, Hines Ward, Josh McCown, Brian Flores, and Jonathan Gannon. They also reportedly want to speak with Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. I’m nixing some of these names because they are seemingly mere conversations; it never hurts to interview. Below is a list of reasonable Texans head coaching candidates. Answer the poll below, and let us know who you want to be the next head coach of the Houston Texans. [BLG Note: Gannon comes out third in this poll, behind Brian Flores and DeMeco Ryans.]

Exploring QB scenarios for Washington in 2022 - Hogs Haven
A couple of weeks ago, this seemed like a plausibly painless scenario to pick up a veteran option who might be a bridge QB for a freshly drafted rookie. As of now, it feels like a more expensive Alex Smith 2.0 deal. Having made it at least to the Conference Championship, Garoppolo’s price continues to climb, from a Day 2 pick, most likely, to a first rounder. For all Jimmy G’s doubters, and they are legion, I imagine his price would be the #11 overall pick from Washington, buttressed on the back-end with an immediate 2 to 3 year extension. Garoppolo’s current contract only pays him $27M in 2022. Having nabbed Trent Williams from Washington at a bargain basement price a couple of years ago, is Kyle Shanahan ready to do the Andy Reid double-dip in 2022? Re-couping value on Garoppolo now, after having traded away their 2022 first rounder for Trey Lance last year, could be a coup for Shanahan, Lynch, and the SF front office, which looks potentially to be on the verge of a minor dynasty, if Lance can do what Shanny needs him to. I’m told Martin Mayhew has connections.

Dan Quinn update: Bears want second interview with Cowboys defensive coordinator - Blogging The Boys
If it isn’t incredibly obvious by now, Dan Quinn is a really popular guy in our present moment. It seems that just about every team with a head coach vacancy has him at the top of their list, including the Chicago Bears. The Bears haven’t released a set of finalists or anything but they are bringing Quinn back for a second interview which obviously means they are impressed. Former Cowboys staffer and current Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus also had a second interview with the Bears.

Giants head coaching search: Brian Daboll to get second interview on Tuesday - Big Blue View
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen wasted no time taking advantage of the Buffalo Bills’ stunning loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, reportedly scheduling a second interview on Tuesdeay with Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for the team’s head-coaching job. Daboll interviewed with Schoen and co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch on Friday evening, Schoen’s first day on the job.

The Bills and Chiefs Just Showed That With QBs, "Good Enough” Is No Longer Good Enough - The Ringer
Like, imagine being a Patriots fan watching Sunday night’s game. You just saw Mac Jones put together a fairly impressive rookie campaign. If Ja’Marr Chase didn’t exist, Jones would be the overwhelming favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. But it’s hard to get excited about the next decade knowing that he’ll have to compete with Allen for the division every year. When those two matched up this season, it looked like they were playing two different positions.

Tom Brady hinted at retirement with an ominous quote on a podcast - SB Nation
Brady is still playing an incredibly high level, of course. He led the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. He’s one of the leading candidates to win MVP. Those quotes from Brady about his family sure sound like a guy who is thinking about walking away, though. This really might be it. NFL insider Ian Rapoport added fuel to the fire, saying: "Tom Brady is going to take a step back, take some time, talk to his family, and figure out does he still want to play football.”

Monday Football Monday #72: Super stars showed up, Rodgers chokes + Stafford -Kupp is a dynamic duo - The SB Nation NFL Show
RJ Ochoa and Pete Sweeney recap all of the chaos and thrill from the greatest playoff weekend ever including the 49ers who still own Aaron Rodgers, the Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp dynamic duo and all of the super stars that completely balled out.

https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2022/1/25/22900544/eagles-news-d-j-chark-among-philadelphia-free-agent-options-wide-receiver-nfl-football-wr

[time2rock]

I like Chark quite a bit for us.  He and Robinson would likely be my top 2 (realistic) targets.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

4 hours ago, time2rock said:

I like Chark quite a bit for us.  He and Robinson would likely be my top 2 (realistic) targets.  

But is Chark going to be that bigger more physical back that we need?

[time2rock]

2 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

But is Chark going to be that bigger more physical back that we need?

He's a WR not a RB.  And he has good size for a WR ... 6'4" 210lbs.  Not only big but fast ... he notched one of the fastest 40 times at the combine in '18.  The issue with him is he is coming off an injury (fractured ankle) suffered in late September.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Just now, time2rock said:

He's a WR not a RB.  And he has good size for a WR ... 6'4" 210lbs.  Not only big but fast ... he notched one of the fastest 40 times at the combine in '18.  The issue with him is he is coming off an injury (fractured ankle) suffered in late September.  

Sorry I meant receiver I didn't mean RB. If he can complement Smith then I'm all for it as I don't think he's going to be hugely expensive. 

[time2rock]

40 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Sorry I meant receiver I didn't mean RB. If he can complement Smith then I'm all for it as I don't think he's going to be hugely expensive. 

They are projecting he'll be paid somewhere around $10-11M/year.

For comparison purposes, Robinson was paid $17.9M in 2021.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

2 hours ago, time2rock said:

They are projecting he'll be paid somewhere around $10-11M/year.

For comparison purposes, Robinson was paid $17.9M in 2021.  

Ok so that's the kind of deal we could swing I think. 

[eagle45]

Absolutely loved Chark in the draft.  A WR corps of Smith, Chark, and Watkins could be special, IMO.

Should we discuss the elephant in the room of "what's the point" of having 3 quality WRs, all of whom do their best work downfield?

 

Robby Anderson is an interesting comp for Chark.  Chark is the more explosive athlete, but both are leggy, fast, tall, downfield receivers who wallowed away without good QB play in the first stage of their career.  Chark is 2 years younger, does not quite have the established limitations Anderson had...but also does not have as much established production.  

Should be a similar contract.  

[eagle45]

His throwing mechanics are at least as good as Hurts, maybe he could pitch in at QB.

[time2rock]

9 hours ago, eagle45 said:

Robby Anderson is an interesting comp for Chark.  Chark is the more explosive athlete, but both are leggy, fast, tall, downfield receivers who wallowed away without good QB play in the first stage of their career.  Chark is 2 years younger, does not quite have the established limitations Anderson had...but also does not have as much established production.  

Should be a similar contract.  

He did log 73 catches for 1008 yards and 8 TDs in his 2nd year and followed that up with 53 catches for 706 yards and 5 TDs (in 13 games) in year 3.  Pretty good for "wallowing away".  

[nipples]

Like I said in the other thread, he’ll probably be looking for a one-year "prove it” deal since his value will be low after last season’s injury. Not sure it makes sense to bring in a deep threat on a one year deal with a QB who can’t throw deep. 

[nipples]

10 hours ago, eagle45 said:

Absolutely loved Chark in the draft.  A WR corps of Smith, Chark, and Watkins could be special, IMO.

Should we discuss the elephant in the room of "what's the point" of having 3 quality WRs, all of whom do their best work downfield? 

Exactly. There is no point in having both Chark and Quez with Hurts at QB. If they’re serious about rolling with him going forward, they’d be wise to instead bring in a WR (or two) who do their best work in the short-intermediate range. 

[time2rock]

Hurts either proves in 2022 (if given the opportunity ... I don't think that is even close to a given) that he can improve parts of his game (such as being able to throw deep/accurately) OR he ends up not showing enough and merely serves as a bridge QB for the 2022 season.  So IMO limiting your options based only on current limitations seems somewhat shortsighted.  

[nipples]

45 minutes ago, time2rock said:

Hurts either proves in 2022 (if given the opportunity ... I don't think that is even close to a given) that he can improve parts of his game (such as being able to throw deep/accurately) OR he ends up not showing enough and merely serves as a bridge QB for the 2022 season.  So IMO limiting your options based only on current limitations seems somewhat shortsighted.  

I agree if you can get a guy on a multi-year deal, sure. If they can get Chark for 2-3 years at the right price then I’m all for it.

But I just think his particular situation screams one-year deal. Looking at it from his perspective, he’s a former 1000 yard receiver,  that essentially missed all of last year due to injury. His value right now is nowhere near what it could be. I think he opts for a one-year contract, and that’s where I’m not sure that it makes sense for the Eagles. Or for Chark, for that matter. Why do a one year contract as a deep threat for a team with a QB who can’t throw deep?

[birdman#12]

Chark had 2 good seasons with Minshew chucking him the ball......he'd be a good pickup.

It'll be interesting to see the training camp "competition"  between Hurts and Minshew.  Minshew is a better passer but never had the opportunity to play with a very good line and a  great running game.....

Once again, the 2 teams going to the super bowl have pocket passers.....with little no running ability.   I wonder if the eagles are so committed to a "dual threat" QB that they don't even give Minshew a shot at starting.

[time2rock]

2 minutes ago, nipples said:

I agree if you can get a guy on a multi-year deal, sure. If they can get Chark for 2-3 years at the right price then I’m all for it.

But I just think his particular situation screams one-year deal. Looking at it from his perspective, he’s a former 1000 yard receiver,  that essentially missed all of last year due to injury. His value right now is nowhere near what it could be. I think he opts for a one-year contract, and that’s where I’m not sure that it makes sense for the Eagles. Or for Chark, for that matter. Why do a one year contract as a deep threat for a team with a QB who can’t throw deep?

I wouldn't want to sign him for just a 1 year deal either - I agree that doesn't make much sense.  I am hoping to add young talent in free agency that could be part of the future core here - not these 1 year signings on aging vets that have little left in the tank like Kerrigan.  

[nipples]

5 minutes ago, time2rock said:

I wouldn't want to sign him for just a 1 year deal either - I agree that doesn't make much sense.  I am hoping to add young talent in free agency that could be part of the future core here - not these 1 year signings on aging vets that have little left in the tank like Kerrigan.  

Yeah that’s where I was coming from. I wouldn’t avoid a deep threat WR if it’s a multi-year contract. Just don’t see Chark agreeing to that coming off a season ruined by injury. I think he goes the Alshon route with the one-year deal to try to up his value. 

[time2rock]

24 minutes ago, nipples said:

Yeah that’s where I was coming from. I wouldn’t avoid a deep threat WR if it’s a multi-year contract. Just don’t see Chark agreeing to that coming off a season ruined by injury. I think he goes the Alshon route with the one-year deal to try to up his value. 

I suppose a 1 year deal initially doesn't exactly mean we couldn't eventually come to an agreement on a multi year contract.  May actually make some sense for us as our cap situation is still a bit weak due to all the dead money (Jeffery, Malik Jackson, Brooks, Ertz, Flacco, Wilson, McLeod, Barnett, Nelson, Harris, Kerrigan).  Sign him to somewhat of a team friendly 1 year deal which allows us to see where he is at following the injury and how well he gels with the others ... if all goes well, sign him to a new deal when the cap should be in a better spot (obviously depending on what moves Howie makes that could further F it up haha!).  

[nipples]

34 minutes ago, time2rock said:

I suppose a 1 year deal initially doesn't exactly mean we couldn't eventually come to an agreement on a multi year contract.  May actually make some sense for us as our cap situation is still a bit weak due to all the dead money (Jeffery, Malik Jackson, Brooks, Ertz, Flacco, Wilson, McLeod, Barnett, Nelson, Harris, Kerrigan).  Sign him to somewhat of a team friendly 1 year deal which allows us to see where he is at following the injury and how well he gels with the others ... if all goes well, sign him to a new deal when the cap should be in a better spot (obviously depending on what moves Howie makes that could further F it up haha!).  

Possibly, just think it will be tough to even gauge exactly what he is with Hurts at QB. I know if I were Chark, I’d be looking for a one year contract with a team who has a QB that can actually throw the deep ball. That’s his best bet to get a good contract next offseason. 

[EaglesAddict]

I'd be fine if Chark was our main FA WR addition as the presumed WR2.  My only concern are his injuries...dude has missed a game or more in every year.  He's had 3 ankle injuries, including the major one last year, since 2019 that has caused him to miss time.  He's cresting the "is he made of glass?" realm.

I'm good with Chark, ARob, Mike W, or Chris Godwin.  Hell, I'd be okay with JuJu too.  We just need a proven 2nd WR who can make consistent plays and defenses have to pay attention to.

[time2rock]

31 minutes ago, nipples said:

Possibly, just think it will be tough to even gauge exactly what he is with Hurts at QB. I know if I were Chark, I’d be looking for a one year contract with a team who has a QB that can actually throw the deep ball. That’s his best bet to get a good contract next offseason. 

All good points.  We are in kind of a tough spot.  Need more from the QB ... hard to tell if those are skills the current QB can develop enough to lead this team to deep playoff runs against the better teams.  If not then we obviously need another.  But there also aren't really any good/realistic options to do so this year - the draft class seems underwhelming and coughing up a boatload of high picks for a vet whose best days are behind them doesn't seem wise.  You'd have to agree to a new contact that likely pays in the neighborhood of $40M/year for a QB you likely can expect to be no better than 10-15 in a couple of years.  Sucks being in this spot the year we have the ammo to make a move for a top QB prospect like Burrow.