Eagles mailbag: Will Eagles take a swing at WRs in free agency?

[time2rock]

Eagles mailbag: Will Eagles take a swing at WRs in free agency?

 

We answered the first batch of your mailbag questions to kick off the weekend.

Thanks for all your great question. My apologies if I didn’t get to yours.

Let’s wrap up the mailbag today with plenty more:

It really is a shame for the Eagles that Calvin Ridley got suspended because he would have been a nice fit. And since they were going to trade for him, they weren’t going to have to compete money-wise with other teams on the open market. The problem with going big in free agency on a receiver is the price. We just saw the Chargers lock up Mike Williams on a massive $60 million contract. He would have been my top pick in free agency but that price is scary.

Still, the Eagles should be in on some of these free agent receivers. There are some good ones available, including Allen Robinson, Christian Kirk, D.J. Chark and others. Robinson might be the most expensive of the bunch because of his track record. Yes, he had a down season in 2021 but that Bears offense was a complete mess. Robinson would be an ideal complement to Devonta Smith. But someone like Chark (6-4, 200) would work because he’s had one big season and a lot of potential. Chark is still just 25 and could grow into a top role here in Philly across from Smith. He might be my personal pick.

And if the Eagles swing and miss at the top guys, they can sign a slot receiver like JuJu Smith-Schuster (they had interest last year) or bring in Sirianni’s favorite player Zach Pascal. Pascal wouldn’t be a splash move but he would at least add a veteran presence and do things exactly the way Sirianni wants.

In any case, after watching this offense in 2021, the Eagles need a veteran receiver. They might not break the bank but I’d be really surprised if they don’t sign at least one vet. And signing an experienced received does not preclude them from drafting a receiver in Day 1 or 2.

The Eagles have more pressing needs this offseason but tight end is definitely a sneaky need for them. After the Eagles traded Zach Ertz, undrafted rookie Jack Stoll played a ton and did a nice job as a blocking tight end. But he caught just four passes for 22 yards all season. Even conceding that the Eagles weren’t working to throw him the ball, that’s a pretty low number for a team that was in 12 personnel more than most NFL teams (25%) last year. The Eagles like Tyree Jackson but he tore his ACL late last season so he won’t be ready for a while.

With Goedert already on a big deal, it’s hard to imagine the Eagles spending major money on a free agent. The Patriots signed two pricey free agent tight ends last year but that’s rare. If you’re looking for one option on the free agent market, pending Colts free agent Mo Alie-Cox makes a ton of sense. The former VCU basketball player became a legitimate NFL tight end in Indianapolis under now-Eagles TEs coach Jason Michal and Alie-Cox also has familiarity with Nick Sirianni. He’s also still just 28 and learning the game.

But if the Eagles want to go to the draft, this is a pretty good class for tight ends. I doubt there will be one to go in the first round — there’s no Kyle Pitts this year — but I expect many to go in the mid rounds this season. The Eagles will have their choice of some pretty good ones from Rounds 3-6. Some of my favorite mid-round options include Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert, UCLA’s Greg Dulcich and Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar.

The Eagles have a stable of young and cheap cornerbacks: Zech McPhearson, Josiah Scott, Tay Gowan, Kary Vincent Jr. and Mac McCain. But none of them should prevent the Eagles from drafting a cornerback in the first round or in Day 1 or 2.

By the time the draft gets here, I’d bet on Sauce Gardner from Cincinnati being the top cornerback selected. For a long time, people thought it would be Derek Stingley — and maybe it will be — but some teams will be scared off by the last two years. Stingley was incredible as a freshman but there’s a gamble in selecting him after the last couple of seasons, playing  a total of 10 games. He’s someone who could start to slide; if he does, the Eagles should keep an eye on him.

If you’re looking for a cornerback in the Eagles’ range at 15, 16 and 19, there are a few options. The best of the bunch might be Andrew Booth from Clemson but Washington’s Trent McDuffie has become a much more popular option recently.

You can’t punish him for the schedule. There’s no grading on a curve for an entire NFL season. If he has one great game against a pushover team, maybe you take it with a grain of salt. But if we’re talking about the body of work over a 17-game schedule, you have to take it as that.

After the 2022 season, Hurts will have just one year remaining on his rookie contract and isn’t even eligible for a contract extension until next offseason. In 2023, his base salary is still a very manageable $1.3+ million. Typically, you’re right, quarterbacks don’t want to enter a lame duck season.

All last season, I heard people tell me that the decision about Hurts would be an easy one after watching him for an entire year. Well … that didn’t happen. The Eagles find themselves in this weird middle ground. And unless Hurts really proves himself as a franchise quarterback (which is possible) in 2022, then I can’t see them forking over a mega contract to lock him in before they have to. But if he does enough to show them that he’s their guy, then they might be aggressive to get the deal done early; that’s a typical Eagles move.

It seems unlikely. Heck, there’s not even a guarantee the Eagles will make three first-round selections this year. Howie Roseman will probably be fielding calls to pick up future draft picks. But if there’s one spot where it’s kind of possible, it’s on the defensive line. I could envision a scenario where they draft a defensive tackle and a defensive end in the first round. Heck, that’s what NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah had them doing in his last mock draft. He had them taking Michigan edge rusher David Ojabo at 15 and Georgia DT Devonte Wyatt at 16. Doesn’t seem crazy to me.

For those who don’t remember, Raheem Mostert was with the Eagles back in 2015 as an undrafted free agent out of Purdue. The Eagles cut him and got him to their practice squad but then he was signed away and eventually went on to have some success with the 49ers. From 2018-2020, Mostert had 1,554 yards and averaged 5.7 yards per attempt. But now Mostert is 29 and coming off a knee cartilage injury. Early word is that he’s expected to be able to play in 2022.

First off, NBC Sports Bay Area reported that the 49ers might bring him back for 2022 to continue to play in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. And even if they don’t, he’s not the ideal complement to Miles Sanders. Mostert is a one-cut, speedy runner. So many of his yards in San Francisco came before contact. The Eagles need to try to replace Jordan Howard with someone who can gain tough yards and fill in if Sanders misses some time.

Hmm, good question. Adding Wentz definitely makes Washington better than they were with Taylor Heinicke. The now-Commanders finished with a 7-10 record last year. The Eagles went 9-8 but weren’t trying to win the last game of the regular season.

No NFC East team has repeated as division champions since the Eagles from 2001-04. So it’s been a very long time. Still, the Cowboys are the team to beat.

Right now, here’s how NBC Sports betting partner PointsBet has the division odds:

Cowboys: -135

Eagles: +350

Commanders: +350

Giants: +1000

I’d still have the Eagles above the Commanders but the Wentz trade definitely closed the gap a little bit. As much as Wentz’s career has tanked in recent seasons, he’s still at least an average quarterback and Washington didn’t have that last season.

Rutgers receiver Bo Melton did grow up in South Jersey and went to Cedar Creek. Not sure if he grew up as an Eagles fan, but he has been gaining steam in the pre-draft process.

If only there was someone chronicling his journey to the NFL. Oh, wait! I am. Check it out here.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-mailbag-will-eagles-take-swing-wrs-free-agency?fbclid=IwAR0wPmx6eUZR43vnLATcmpehOqsEMffwWoUd012eXvN5JerCnuWckMaSXiY

[Wormlegs]

Chark got a 1 year 10 million dollar deal. Would anyone of you have given up that price for him to come here? I sure would have LOL

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Wormlegs said:

Chark got a 1 year 10 million dollar deal. Would anyone of you have given up that price for him to come here? I sure would have LOL

That is about right, what is sad is he took a 1 year prove it deal with Jared Goff.  If the Eagles had real interest, that is not a good look for Jalen Hurts.

[Wormlegs]

34 minutes ago, downundermike said:

That is about right, what is sad is he took a 1 year prove it deal with Jared Goff.  If the Eagles had real interest, that is not a good look for Jalen Hurts.

Yeah that is pretty weird to consider. I wouldn't say that the Lions are a better team than Philly on paper as of today. Maybe Chark didnt like Howie lmfao

[time2rock]

1 hour ago, downundermike said:

That is about right, what is sad is he took a 1 year prove it deal with Jared Goff.  If the Eagles had real interest, that is not a good look for Jalen Hurts.

Not sure why that needs to be connected to Hurts.  There are a lot of reasons why Chark could have chosen Detroit.  My guess is, we are waiting on the initial frenzy to die down before making a move on a WR, so we may not have made an offer yet (or if we did our offer was lower).  

[ManchesterEagle]

4 hours ago, time2rock said:

Not sure why that needs to be connected to Hurts.  There are a lot of reasons why Chark could have chosen Detroit.  My guess is, we are waiting on the initial frenzy to die down before making a move on a WR, so we may not have made an offer yet (or if we did our offer was lower).  

Yeah exactly - this has nothing to do with Hurts.

10 million is a big cap hit for one year. I've not seen the details of the Reddick contract yet, but I bet the cap hit this year is only around the 5/6 million mark. Eagles still need a starting safety, a starting corner and ideally a WR and LB from free agency. We may end up with someone like Pascal, but I don't blame them for not jumping in so far. Kirk got crazy money.

[time2rock]

21 minutes ago, ManchesterEagle said:

Yeah exactly - this has nothing to do with Hurts.

10 million is a big cap hit for one year. I've not seen the details of the Reddick contract yet, but I bet the cap hit this year is only around the 5/6 million mark. Eagles still need a starting safety, a starting corner and ideally a WR and LB from free agency. We may end up with someone like Pascal, but I don't blame them for not jumping in so far. Kirk got crazy money.

Some people around here will use anything to take a swing at Hurts.

OMG gas prices are closing in on $4.50/gallon ... I blame Hurts!! 

 

[ManchesterEagle]

4 minutes ago, time2rock said:

Some people around here will use anything to take a swing at Hurts.

OMG gas prices are closing in on $4.50/gallon ... I blame Hurts!! 

 

Come on now - gas prices are totally down to Hurts. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

So for me at this point their failure to bring in a good WR is a problem. They've tried and so far they've failed. Now that's not necessarily their fault I mean Kirk got a huge contract which is crazy. They were serious about Ridley but he got banned. Some of the guys who were potentially going to be FAs were signed or tagged. So it isn't their fault but ultimately this is a real problem. 

Howie is bad at drafting overall and especially at the skills positions. They also have invested so many premium picks at the position over the last few years and are still in a hole.

If they don't add a really good big bodied WR and Quez is their #2 then next year is going to be rough I think. The offense is going to regress because teams will look to stop the run and we all know what happens with this QB.

[time2rock]

3 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

So for me at this point their failure to bring in a good WR is a problem. They've tried and so far they've failed. Now that's not necessarily their fault I mean Kirk got a huge contract which is crazy. They were serious about Ridley but he got banned. Some of the guys who were potentially going to be FAs were signed or tagged. So it isn't their fault but ultimately this is a real problem. 

Howie is bad at drafting overall and especially at the skills positions. They also have invested so many premium picks at the position over the last few years and are still in a hole.

If they don't add a really good big bodied WR and Quez is their #2 then next year is going to be rough I think. The offense is going to regress because teams will look to stop the run and we all know what happens with this QB.

Still out there:  Robinson, OBJ, Landry, Smith-Schuster, etc.  And obviously no one knows who might be available via trade (Howie was obviously exploring that route too ... Ridley).  The new league year starts TODAY.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

2 hours ago, time2rock said:

Still out there:  Robinson, OBJ, Landry, Smith-Schuster, etc.  And obviously no one knows who might be available via trade (Howie was obviously exploring that route too ... Ridley).  The new league year starts TODAY.  

I'm not arguing that bud but the options are dwindling. From reports he's tried to bring in a few and so far he's not managed it for whatever reason. 

[time2rock]

26 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I'm not arguing that bud but the options are dwindling. From reports he's tried to bring in a few and so far he's not managed it for whatever reason. 

This is why (was just about to post it).  

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/nfl-free-agency-2022-wide-receiver-contracts-keeping-howie-roseman-sideline

[UK_EaglesFan89]

4 minutes ago, time2rock said:

This is why (was just about to post it).  

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/nfl-free-agency-2022-wide-receiver-contracts-keeping-howie-roseman-sideline

But you get what you pay for and what Howie can't do is not address the position.

[time2rock]

1 minute ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

But you get what you pay for and what Howie can't do is not address the position.

He also can't afford to overpay considering our cap situation and the need to address S too (and sign 10 draft picks).  Otherwise he will be forced to restructure more veteran contracts and then that leads to a lot of criticism for kicking the can down the road.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

30 minutes ago, time2rock said:

He also can't afford to overpay considering our cap situation and the need to address S too (and sign 10 draft picks).  Otherwise he will be forced to restructure more veteran contracts and then that leads to a lot of criticism for kicking the can down the road.  

Sort of supports my general point that Howie is not a good GM.

[Rob331]

32 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Sort of supports my general point that Howie is not a good GM.

C'mon man. It's too easy to knock Howie. The $'s being spent on wide receivers is higher than anyone predicted and therwill be several disappointed teams when they don't pay up to their salaries. At this point, Howie is doing the right thing by waiting the market out.

I agree with criticism about drafting JJAW, Dillard, and Reagor, but show me a GM who hasn't whiffed on draft picks. Let's look at this year's situation. We started with $24M which was in the middle of the league. Kelce's $15M will cost $6.5 this year after Howie did his magic. Likewise Riddick's $15M - probably around $5M. Then there's $9M for our draft picks and who can complain about that. Herbig and Ward cost about $2M, and you can argue about paying Ward but not Herbig. Total of all that is $22.5. . All that doesn't make the GM who took us to playoffs in 4 of the last 5 years with one Super Bowl a bad GM. 

Look for a couple of re-structures and/or trades and then a couple of edge of the radar signings. My guess Edmunds or Kearse at safety and Pascal at WR.

It would be a big surprise and a great signing if he got either Schuster or Landry.  

I miss seeing your thoughts on the mock draft forum. I'm sure your brother-in-law Ray 75 misses you liking his thoughts too. (LOL)

[Ray75]

5 minutes ago, Rob331 said:

C'mon man. It's too easy to knock Howie. The $'s being spent on wide receivers is higher than anyone predicted and therwill be several disappointed teams when they don't pay up to their salaries. At this point, Howie is doing the right thing by waiting the market out.

I agree with criticism about drafting JJAW, Dillard, and Reagor, but show me a GM who hasn't whiffed on draft picks. Let's look at this year's situation. We started with $24M which was in the middle of the league. Kelce's $15M will cost $6.5 this year after Howie did his magic. Likewise Riddick's $15M - probably around $5M. Then there's $9M for our draft picks and who can complain about that. Herbig and Ward cost about $2M, and you can argue about paying Ward but not Herbig. Total of all that is $22.5. . All that doesn't make the GM who took us to playoffs in 4 of the last 5 years with one Super Bowl a bad GM. 

Look for a couple of re-structures and/or trades and then a couple of edge of the radar signings. My guess Edmunds or Kearse at safety and Pascal at WR.

It would be a big surprise and a great signing if he got either Schuster or Landry.  

I miss seeing your thoughts on the mock draft forum. I'm sure your brother-in-law Ray 75 misses you liking his thoughts too. (LOL)

100 % agree, brother! 😂

[time2rock]

What we need to realize is that the rebuild of this team is going to take more than just this upcoming offseason ... this is going to take 2-3 years (minimal ... hitting on the high picks this year will go a LONG way to getting there sooner).  We aren't going to fill every hole with ideal prospects before the 2022 season starts, there will still be some band aids at certain positions ... WR may just end up being one of those positions.  It would present a much larger problem in building this team if we hitched ourselves to a WR on a huge contract and he severely underperformed. 

I do think Howie is doing the right thing here in waiting until the market settles a bit and prices to come down before jumping in.  Kirk with 4 x 100 yards games in his career and 700 yds/season getting $18M/year ... are you kidding me???  There are probably players that will be available (either expecting to be released or via trade) that none of us know about but you can bet Howie is doing his due diligence on.  And if we end up not adding more of a top talent there this year, then so be it, so long as other areas of the roster are addressed to minimize the holes going into 2023.  

[dawkins4prez]

2 hours ago, time2rock said:

What we need to realize is that the rebuild of this team is going to take more than just this upcoming offseason ... this is going to take 2-3 years (minimal ... hitting on the high picks this year will go a LONG way to getting there sooner).  We aren't going to fill every hole with ideal prospects before the 2022 season starts, there will still be some band aids at certain positions ... WR may just end up being one of those positions.  It would present a much larger problem in building this team if we hitched ourselves to a WR on a huge contract and he severely underperformed. 

I do think Howie is doing the right thing here in waiting until the market settles a bit and prices to come down before jumping in.  Kirk with 4 x 100 yards games in his career and 700 yds/season getting $18M/year ... are you kidding me???  There are probably players that will be available (either expecting to be released or via trade) that none of us know about but you can bet Howie is doing his due diligence on.  And if we end up not adding more of a top talent there this year, then so be it, so long as other areas of the roster are addressed to minimize the holes going into 2023.  

I actually think this team is in better position to compete than they were headed into the 2017 offseason.  And yeah agree with WR market.  F'ing Jax and Kirk contract just wrecked market for everyone.  It'll take a bit for agents to realize that contract was an anomaly and not the new benchmark.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

3 hours ago, Rob331 said:

C'mon man. It's too easy to knock Howie. The $'s being spent on wide receivers is higher than anyone predicted and therwill be several disappointed teams when they don't pay up to their salaries. At this point, Howie is doing the right thing by waiting the market out.

I agree with criticism about drafting JJAW, Dillard, and Reagor, but show me a GM who hasn't whiffed on draft picks. Let's look at this year's situation. We started with $24M which was in the middle of the league. Kelce's $15M will cost $6.5 this year after Howie did his magic. Likewise Riddick's $15M - probably around $5M. Then there's $9M for our draft picks and who can complain about that. Herbig and Ward cost about $2M, and you can argue about paying Ward but not Herbig. Total of all that is $22.5. . All that doesn't make the GM who took us to playoffs in 4 of the last 5 years with one Super Bowl a bad GM. 

Look for a couple of re-structures and/or trades and then a couple of edge of the radar signings. My guess Edmunds or Kearse at safety and Pascal at WR.

It would be a big surprise and a great signing if he got either Schuster or Landry.  

I miss seeing your thoughts on the mock draft forum. I'm sure your brother-in-law Ray 75 misses you liking his thoughts too. (LOL)

It's easy to knock Howie because he's built a roster that isn't all that great. A roster with not a lot of cap space overall despite being an average roster. I mean I don't really know what you want me to say here?

He's whiffed on JJAW and Reagor. Dillard looks to be a disappointment. Barnett has been a disappointment. He misses on a lot of premium picks. That's why this roster is where it is. 

Sure give him credit for some of his trade backs etc. Give him credit for what he got for Wentz sure. But overall he's not a good GM. Bar the one year he's built average roster after average roster. 

[Rob331]

21 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

It's easy to knock Howie because he's built a roster that isn't all that great. A roster with not a lot of cap space overall despite being an average roster. I mean I don't really know what you want me to say here?

He's whiffed on JJAW and Reagor. Dillard looks to be a disappointment. Barnett has been a disappointment. He misses on a lot of premium picks. That's why this roster is where it is. 

Sure give him credit for some of his trade backs etc. Give him credit for what he got for Wentz sure. But overall he's not a good GM. Bar the one year he's built average roster after average roster. 

Well, my friend, we just look at this differently. They did make the playoffs last year and he's collected 3 #1's to improve the team and take another step forward this year. There are ups and downs in this league - just ask the Steelers who have a highly rated GM but are in much the same position as the Eagles. 

There's a reasonable position to take both pro and con, I just prefer to view the glass as half full.