Thanks to my connections, I was able to see our hated rivals from the City of Brotherly Hate on two occasions while visiting family back in South Jersey. I will give my opinion on what I saw and compare that to our team.
I want to add that I do not know, other than what a few of you have posted, of how our team runs training camp day to day.
Also, to the 70 or so resident Eagle fans here, chime in with anything you think I am off on with regard to your team.
***I will start by saying that Nick Sirianni looks like the biggest ****** bag in the NFL.***
Offense:
QB: Jalen Hurts. I have been seeing a lot of posters saying that Hurts can't throw the ball. Do yourself a favor and put down the syringe full of hopium. Hurts has improved every year in the league and can throw the ball. He makes quick decisions and obviously works hard at his craft--there is no way a person playing QB in the NFL improves the way he did without being a dedicated, hard worker. Built like a MMA heavyweight fighter, and according to a report down to 7.3% body fat, he uncorked a few throws that went 60 yards in the air. I really, really hope that the Hurts we saw in the Super Bowl doesn't get better. I have to concede that he is better than Dak for that offense and probably better overall.
WR group: Just as our receivers were beating the DB's a lot in practice, the same goes for the Eagles. A.J. Brown is strong as hell and seems to win almost every contested ball thrown his way. I don't know how he does it, but toothpick-built skinny-*** Da'Vonte Smith has an insane catch radius and holds on to the ball no matter what. Both Brown and Smith run crisp routes and contest everything. The #3, Watkins, is probably the fastest but has hands of stone too many times. The others are Jags but with decent speed and all seem to be good route runners, something the coaches must be pounding into the players. Verdict: without doubt, Hurts is helped more by his top receivers than Dak is by his. No Dak haters, I'm making any excuse here, I'm telling it like it is. Our receiving group might be deeper, but looking at #1 and #2, I give the Eagles a small edge.
TE: No need to harp on this. Goedart is a top-5 TE, equally good at receiving and blocking. It's easy to see why they let Ertz go. His backups are nothing to write home about in the pass-catching department, but seem to be good blockers.
RT: No one gets past Lane Johnson. Him and Trent Williams are the fabled "S" Tier tackles in the NFL. Every defender rushing him just gets manhandled. He is left on an island more than any tackle I've seen and he just doesn't get beat. We know how good he is, so I'll move on.
RG: A position in flux, but right now I'd say Cam Jurgens will be the starter. He has talent and has shown plenty of potential. Tyler Steen looks a bit unpolished, but he is a rookie and it's hard to stand out among so many good vet linemen. The RG position will not be weak, but compared to the rest of the line it is the weakest link. Seamalo, now in Pittsburg (?) was the weakest link last year too, though a good player.
C: Kelce will be in the HoF. He is the most overall athletic center I have ever seen play the game, going back to the mid-60's. Same deal as Johnson: we know how good he is, with the question of whether of not age will finally catch up with him.
LG: I was praying that Landon Dickerson would fall to us, giving us a 1-2 punch of Micah and Dickerson in the 2021 draft. Alas, the Eagles got him, and he seems to be avoiding the injury bug that hit him in college. He was supposed to be Kelce's replacement but was so good at guard that they kept him there. Even though he is tall for a guard, he stays low and doesn't give up leverage. Mauls in the run game and is a fine pass blocker. At 330+, he doesn't get pushed around.
LT: Jordan Mailata is a great example of how hard work (and a having the best O-line coach in the NFL) can make a dream come true. It helps being 6'8", 365, although by his own admission he is most comfortable playing at 380 and tries to stay at that weight. He is probably the biggest success story of the NFL's International Pathway Program. Another run game mauler and very good in pass protection. The scary part? He is still learning. Oh, and he is probably the best singer in the NFL. I couldn't believe that was him on The Masked Singer.
Backups: Losing Dillard, who turned into a better than average swing player, hurts their depth. The current RG's should be good enough to replace Seumalo. Jack Driscoll will be the swing I think, and he is an above-average Jag at best. None of the centers backing up Kelce are anywhere near his talent. This one guy named Toth looks horrid. Is Jurgens still working out at center too?? They had Opa last year and he is like Driscoll. The other guy they signed, Kelly, is about the same. All the backups on the O-line were getting beat up by the Eagles D line--as it should be I suppose.
Defense:
D Ends: Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Janarious Robinson (excuse spelling errors please). Old Man Graham still has some gas in the tank, but in reality, I think this is his last year. Sweat looks like he can take the next step and be Graham, but he doesn’t have the experienced moves of the old vet. Barnett looks like he gives a **** this year (contract year??) and was putting on the moves, though getting stoned by the likes of their tackles. Robinson is a rookie and plays fast but doesn’t have the strength at the point of attack yet. Looks more to be a technique issue. Overall, I like our ends more.
D Tackles: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Fletcher Cox, Milton Williams, a few other Jags. I believe that Jordan Davis is the key. Last year, before the high ankle sprain that took him down, the Eagles D was not bad in the middle. When he went down, the situational short yardage plays that define a run D went down the toilet. If Davis can’t take the next step, that run D will be bad. Davis looks great in the power game, but a speedy, technical center like Kelce is the worst matchup for him, as when Kelce gets the jump on him at the point of attack, Kelce wins. From what I see, Davis is not expected to be counted on for pass rushing duties. Jalen Carter looks like the hype could be real and is going toe to toe with all comers. Cox is the savvy vet looking for one more ring, and while no longer has the quick burst, is still physically powerful enough to hold off linemen. Williams is a nice rotational player who doesn’t make flashy plays but also doesn’t make mistakes. The rest of their linemen look meh.
SAM: Hassan Reddick, Nolan Smith, and Jags. Looks like the two best LB’s on the Eagles play the same position—for now. Reddick needs no introduction, we know what he is. The rook, Nolan Smith is turning heads with a non-stop motor and willingness to take on all comers. Hard to believe he fell to the Eagles. Explosive on the pass rush and a very willing tackler. He is someone to keep an eye on.
LB: Nakobe Dean, Nick Morrow, and a load of Jags. Dean has been injured, and they are counting on him a lot this year. I understand he has been calling defensive signals. Morrow is a solid, if unspectacular, vet. The rest is about as average as one can get. This is not a good group IMO and is the weakest part of their defense.
CB: Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Kelee Ringo, Greedy Williams, a few other guys that don’t stand out. Slay and Bradberry are who we know: Pro Bowl-level vets who have been doing it for years. Slay is getting long in the tooth but still plays at a high level. Bradberry looks much better in the Eagles system than he did in the Giant defense that saw his role change the last year he played there. The rookies are playing like rookies, getting beat by Brown and Smith. Their corners are not afraid of contact. The rest are Jags.
S: Reed Blankenship, Terrell Edmunds, K’von Wallace, Justin Evans, Jags. Edmunds is playing like he did for the Steelers: solid, gets the job done, won’t be making the Pro Bowl anytime soon. Blankenship looks like he started off where he left off last season, something that probably makes Eagle fans happy. This very physical player will make plays. No one else really stood out. Depth looks to be thin back there.
Kicker: Jake Elliott. One of the unsung heroes of this team. He is 68-69% from 50+ for his career and has never missed a kick in the playoffs. I wish we had him. I saw him boom a few 60-yarders warming up.
Punter: I don’t know who the punter will be. The guy they had last year (Siposs?) didn’t have a good year, and they brought in competition for his spot. Any Eagle fan fill in the blank here.
Return: Looks like they are trying out multiple guys. I saw Boston Scott, Gainwell, and a few others returning punts and kicks. What ever happened to that speedy sprinter, Devon Allen?
Final thoughts:
I like the way Cox, Graham, Kelce, and Johnson always seem to be talking and showing things to the rookies. It is easy to see that they are the leaders of the squad. They are like having extra coaches on the field. Hurts looks like the ultimate cheerleader/motivator on the field. I have to say that I believe their offense will be more effective in the long run, while I like our defense and its big play ability better. They don’t have a Micah Parsons to create mass havoc and panic on every play. We don’t have a Lane Johnson that can consistently shut down any pass rusher in the league and be equally good run blocking. Our punt team is better, their kicker is better. Can’t get a handle on the return team. I have a sneaky suspicion that both teams will end up with the same record, and tiebreakers will determine the division winner.
I’m picking us to take the division like I did last year. I hope I’m not wrong like I was last year.
