29 minutes ago, wussbasket said:

To be fair, Dell, Downs, and Achane are all smaller than DeVonta Smith and have durability concerns. They already drafted Carter, so didn't need Young. Spears apparently has Ajayi type knees. Under Howie they will always build from the inside out, and I'm completely fine with taking OL in the 2nd day and essentially redshirting them.

Also, it wasn't a strong OL draft class. If Steen was worth the 3rd round pick, then great. There were just a lot of great players available at positions of need as well. 

I have confidence in Steen, and Stoutland molding him.

I dont know if he will be a swing tackle, or a RG. I suspect he will have competition for the RG spot next season.

However, this year It may be a case where later in the year he supplants Opeta. Maybe they just feel Opeta has the mental advantage, with his experience here, for now. As the season wears on, it may eventually make more sense to get Steen out there when he is more prepared. Maybe nothing due to skill at all. Its crazy that people are already doubting him 7 games in to his rookie season.

 

4 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

When I said I was disappointed Steen isn't at the point where they felt he could compete for playing time I wasn't suggesting the pick was bad.  We'll see how he does next season

Building on your point above, the situation that the Eagles have with Opeta has its own unique attributes ... the most important of whioch is that he is a UFA at the end of this season. 

In that context his first three years 2020, 2021, and 2022 show us a NFL Backup.  In 2020 he was active for 8 games with only 2 starts, both against the Giants.  After November 22nd he did not play again for the rest of the season.  In 2021 he was active and played for only 10 of the 17 games with 2 starts of which one was the meaningless final game of the season.  In 2022 he was active for only 8 of the 17 games with no starts.  On the face of that, he is a backup pure and simple. 

2023 has seen him take a step forward enough that two possible avenues are open come this Offseason. (1) He could continue to put together solid stats (and starts) and earn a Free Agency starting OG contract offer similar to, but probably a bit less than Seumalo got this past spring, or (2) he will stamp himself as a solid backup, but not good enough to be a starter in the eyes of NFL GMs.

It is in the Eagles' and Howie's best interests to increase the opportunities Opeta has to make it clear whether he has progressed to the level of (1).  If he has, they win on two levels.  First, they are getting starter-level play from him on the field.  Second, they increase his value in the Comp Pick formula when another team signs him to a starter contract.  If he has not progressed to the level of "full time starter" he will probably be a very economical long-term backup for the Eagles.

There aren't any similar looming decisions with respect to Steen.  So he can wait, just as Jurgens did a year ago. 

Friday evening Game Score Predictions update

32 predictions recorded, all form an Eagles win.  Average predicted score is Eagles 3 Commies 15

A list of the predictions is presented below, sorted alphabetically by the name of the predictor.  If you don't see your name there, then I haven't yet recorded a prediction for you.  As Smoky Bear often says "Only YOU can prevent missing predictions!" 

 

In case anyone missed it, here's a link to last week's results

 

@mattwill

Eagles 41

Skins 10

 

Reddick 2.5 sacks 

Breer says Eagles shopping Barnett. Also could be suitors for Surtain, Jewell or Hicks.

Quote

 

Want a surprise seller? My understanding is the Eagles are open to deal edge rusher Derek Barnett, who could be a decent addition to someone’s defensive end rotation.

Of course, Philly GM Howie Roseman could also keep buying after landing Titans safety Kevin Byard this week. A big swing (Surtain?) is possible, as is the idea that Philly could add an off-ball linebacker such as a Jewell or Hicks (who happens to be a former Eagle).

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/10/27/trade-deadline-buyers-sellers-updates-vikings-broncos-patriots-tip-sheet

 

@mattwill

DC 34

Eagles 26

Hurts fumble 

We’ve been open to trading Barnett since training camp. No one wants him. 

27 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Breer says Eagles shopping Barnett. Also could be suitors for Surtain, Jewell or Hicks.

I don’t understand why we’d shop Barnett.  He’s unexplosive and has zero upside, but is refined and can eat some quality snaps.  That was the rap on him when he was drafted, but I digress.

We need the aforementioned description more than anyone else.  The DT rotation may be great and Smith may be massive upside depth to Reddick, but we have nothing behind Sweat.  Bash Barnett the pick…but Barnett the backup RDE is a meaningful piece on this team.  I don’t see why we’d trade him.

I can't see the front office giving up multiple 1st's for anyone right now so I can't see a Surtain coming here. They will need those picks and the long term rookie contracts that come with it. Surtain is going to require a new contract as well. We have to extend our own guys and there's quite a few. I'd be extremely happy with CB Kenny Moore. Locks up our slot CB spot and the secondary will be drastically improved with Byard & Moore. I'd also be fine with a Hicks or Jewell at LB. I would think you could get Jewell rather cheap. 

5 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I don’t understand why we’d shop Barnett.  He’s unexplosive and has zero upside, but is refined and can eat some quality snaps.  That was the rap on him when he was drafted, but I digress.

We need the aforementioned description more than anyone else.  The DT rotation may be great and Smith may be massive upside depth to Reddick, but we have nothing behind Sweat.  Bash Barnett the pick…but Barnett the backup RDE is a meaningful piece on this team.  I don’t see why we’d trade him.

Barnett gives you the furthest thing from quality snaps. 

4 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

Barnett gives you the furthest thing from quality snaps. 

Describe the characteristics of a quality snap for the down and distance snaps that Barnett is on the field for.

With that request stated, I think your expectations are more than likely unrealistic.

To draw a parallel, do you have the same expectations for a Tui or Street snap as you have for a Carter/Davis/Cox/Williams DT snap?

Ill tell you one guy who was on the free agent for a really long time, who I asked for over and over again and Howie ignored me.

Leonard Floyd. 

Before this offseason he averaged over 9 sacks per year over the previous 3 years. Hadnt missed a single game in the past 5 seasons. He is the picture of health, and consistency. Left on the free agent market for months for reasons unknown he landed in Buffalo and already has 6.5 sacks this season.

Adding him to this DL would have been scary. It was such an obvious move. He wasnt signed till june. For 1 year with 7M guaranteed. 

I have no idea why the league has slept on this guy. We missed a big opportunity there. 

Wish we could trade for him but Buffalo is obviously in the mix...

1 minute ago, mattwill said:

Describe the characteristics of a quality snap for the down and distance snaps that Barnett is on the field for.

not getting pancaked or losing contain on every single play.

@mattwill

Eagles 41

WTF 24

2 hours ago, ManuManu said:

Don’t apologize to me. Get a billboard in the capital of Europe and apologize to all the very normal and not weird Europeans.  

Who even knows what 'normal' is anymore?  

Yeah love surtain but if that’s the case don’t see anyone making that deal. Well maybe the rams lol

 

24 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

Barnett gives you the furthest thing from quality snaps. 

I sympathize with anyone who is highly critical of Barnett.  But I don’t think there are any practice squad DEs that could approach his level of play or reliability.  

1 minute ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Yeah love surtain but if that’s the case don’t see anyone making that deal. Well maybe the rams lol

 

I don’t study film on players, but I was under the impression that Surtain, while well regarded, is not held in the same esteem as a young Ramsey.  Am I wrong?

18 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

Who even knows what 'normal' is anymore?  

Normal is so 2019. We’re in the New Norm now. 

4 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I don’t study film on players, but I was under the impression that Surtain, while well regarded, is not held in the same esteem as a young Ramsey.  Am I wrong?

Idk there’s a lot of people who think he’s a top 5 corner and he’s only 23. I think his ability (very good corner), age and ability to get even better is likely the reason why people think so highly of him/in that breathe.  

1 minute ago, eagle45 said:

I don’t study film on players, but I was under the impression that Surtain, while well regarded, is not held in the same esteem as a young Ramsey.  Am I wrong?

He’s arguably already the best CB in the NFL and only 23. I’d say he’s basically the same level as prime Ramsey, but Ramsey has always been the more attention seeking of the two. 

Yeah no one is giving up a 1st for jeudy. He has durability concerns and really hasn’t been worth the value where the broncos took him in the first round. Granted some is on the Qb play 

 

41 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

not getting pancaked or losing contain on every single play.

When you say ‘OR’ do you mean he gets pancaked, but it’s to the edge angle of the field, so he’s technically held his contain on the play?