July 06, 2017
While Jordan Hicks rests up his hand (we’ll get to that later), the Eagles linebacker is receiving some deserved credit for his play. Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson wrote a recent piece titled “The secret superstars on every NFL roster,” and for the Eagles, that player was Hicks.
According to Monson, Hicks had the league’s lowest passer rating allowed (53.7) of all linebackers in 2016:
Hicks was arguably the league’s best coverage linebacker in 2016, and that continued a trend of impressive coverage grades since he entered the league. His play against the run has been less impressive, but in a passing league, his ability to make plays on the ball and limit the damage done in his coverage has been a big part of Philadelphia’s defense.
While any concrete news about Hicks’ hand is just a rumor at this point, it’s clear that NFL observers are starting to take notice of his consistent play in the middle of the Eagles defense.
The top pass rushers in the NFC East a season ago pic.twitter.com/oLH0eVF9yr
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 30, 2017
1. Preseason All-NFC East Offense: There are only two players on the Eagles roster that crack the first-team offense. One is Lane Johnson, and well, you’re going to have to click on that link to see the other.
2. Preseason All-NFC East Defense: The Birds make a little better showing on Kempski's defensive squad.
3. Eagles Mailbag: Kempski digs into his wealth of four-sport knowledge to determine which Philadelphia team has the best chance of winning a title next.
4. Trouble in Big D? In potential Cowboys news, a decision on an Ezekiel Elliott suspension has yet to come down from the NFL.
5. Cabana Boy Blues: In Eagles news, it appears as if Nigel Bradham will avoid jail time for his alleged assault in Miami last offseason. But will the NFL discipline him for it?
6. Crunching the numbers: A look at the effect that Jason Peters’ contract will have on the Eagles salary cap. By the way, JP is pretty old for a left tackle.
7. Hate Mail: Wrapping up one of the best content weeks of the year, Jimmy posts the most colorful responses to his Dumpster Fire series. Note: spelling and grammar are optional here.
8. Honeymoon gone wrong: Jimmy Kempski, breaking Eagles news and getting PhillyVoice on the bottom line:
The bottom line! @JimmyKempski pic.twitter.com/1JeBa2p6MD
— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) July 1, 2017
8. Eagles Chat: Man, there are a lot of Jordan Hicks jokes in here.
Who's the next Romo or Cutler -- in the broadcasting booth? ESPN.com
I bet Tim McManus didn’t have to comb the Eagles roster before coming up with the obvious choice: Malcolm Jenkins.
Jenkins has a future in broadcasting if that's the route he decides to go. He has been working on his craft, too, with appearances on ESPN and elsewhere. The proud owner of a designer men's suit store and bow tie line, Jenkins certainly has the wardrobe for television. All the ingredients are there; it's just a matter of whether he wants to delve into the media world along with all his other passions.
Ranking NFL's best one-year flier deals: Field Yates, ESPN Insider
Alshon Jeffery came in at No. 2, while LeGarrette Blount was seventh:
In Blount, an otherwise thin backfield found the player it can count on for goal-line, short-yardage and early-down work. He has second-level acceleration, and defenders don't enjoy tackling the physical finisher.
Do you want to see Zach Ertz and his wife/soccer star Julie naked? Well, that is what the link for.
Converted quarterback Ward tries to stick at wide receiver: Jake Lourim, Philadelphia Inquirer
I enjoyed watching Greg Ward play quarterback at the University of Houston, and now he’s trying to make the Eagles roster as a receiver. He didn’t look half-bad in the few spring practices I saw:
Ward may have an edge on them. He came to college as a wide receiver and caught 25 balls for 234 yards before he took over as the starting quarterback. In some ways, he never truly left his old position.
“I knew some of it,” Ward said, when he returned to the position with the Eagles. “It’s just getting back in the groove at receiver, just staying focused and working on it every single day like everything else.”
Gil Brandt's top NFL safeties of all time: NFL.com
Brian Dawkins outside of the Top-10? Blasphemy! Come on, Gil.
Evaluating Carson Wentz: The Importance of Consistency, Context, and Patience: Patrick Causey, Iggles Blitz
Some really good GIFs of Wentz’s throwing mechanics in this post:
As the season progressed and the losses piled up, Wentz seemed to lose his confidence and his mechanics got worse. Wentz’s footwork became sloppy and the constant barrage of pressure — real or imagined — led to a lot of unforced errors. Against the New York Giants, Wentz’s first interception was a text-book rookie mistake, as he abandoned a clean pocket, ran into pressure, and threw off his back foot.
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