May 23, 2017
The Eagles open OTAs on Tuesday, and there's plenty to follow as well get our first look at the veterans (including several new additions).
It's only open to the media for one day, you can expect a lot coming in the next 24 hours. But in the meantime, here's a look at what they're saying about the Eagles:
Still, if Pederson will be judged not only by Wentz's growth but also by the production of the new weapons, let's honestly consider the weapons.
No one was more surprised than Roseman that he was able to sign free-agent receiver Alshon Jeffery for a base salary of $9.5 million. There's a reason Jeffery took a $5 million pay cut from 2016. Nobody thought he was worth it…
To his credit, [Torrey] Smith has averaged a little more than six touchdowns in his six seasons . . . but, to his detriment, has caught more than 50 passes just once. He has 53 catches since 2014.
Nelson Agholor has 59. [philly.com]
Carson Wentz is the quarterback of the future, so the Eagles were wise to go get him some weapons. Landing Alshon Jeffery on a one-year prove-it deal is huge. So is getting Torrey Smith, a receiver who was stuck on a horrible San Francisco team, which hid his talents.
Don't overlook the signing of Chris Long and the drafting of Sidney Jones, who will be hurt at the beginning of the year, but could display his first-round talent once he makes his way back. [cbssports.com]
Running back: LeGarrette Blount signed with the Eagles to likely be their 2017 version of Ryan Mathews. He’s a veteran stop-gap option who can handle a bulk of carries for Philadelphia. Despite adding Blount, however, the Eagles are still expected to mix other running backs into the rotation. Darren Sproles obviously has nothing left to prove at age 34, but the likes of Wendell Smallwood and 2016 fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey will be battling for playing time behind Blount. [bleedinggreennation.com]
@DZangaroCSN @CSNPhilly Do you expect Doug to continue making gutsy calls this year or play it more conservative?
— Winkyface ;) (@Tyahla23) May 19, 2017
I think Pederson will continue to be aggressive. I guess the real question is, how much? At times last season, Pederson pretty much admitted he was being so aggressive because the Eagles weren't really playing for much, so maybe he'll reel it in a little bit this season. But I think if Pederson really is aggressive by nature, he's going to continue that.
It's funny you ask this now because I actually thought about some of those gutsy play calls when the team signed LeGarrette Blount last week. The Eagles weren't great in short-yardage situations in 2016, but Blount is very good in those same spots. Maybe Blount will be able to bail out his head coach this season. [csnphilly.com]
The Eagles' major offseason splash came at wide receiver, where they found much-needed help with a former Pro Bowler who has the potential to be one of the NFL's top receivers. But Jeffery only signed a one-year deal in part because he hasn't recorded a 1,000-yard season since 2014 and he missed 11 games in the last two years. A fresh start in Philadelphia with Wentz offers Jeffery a chance to show that he's the game-changing player from three years ago, and he can finally run routes against defensive backs this week. [philly.com]
Since the end of the season, the Eagles have made a concerted effort to upgrade the pass-catchers at Carson Wentz's disposal, bringing in Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith to join Matthews out wide. But there was plenty of movement at the position elsewhere in the NFC, with Terrell Pryor, DeSean Jackson, Brandon Marshall and Pierre Garcon all landing with new teams within the conference.
That got me wondering: how do the Eagles' stack up now? [philly.com]
Spoiler alert: The Eagles are last in the NFC East. But you’ll have to click to see where they rank among the rest of the NFC.
Can you spot it?
Looking fly, @mackhollins ✅
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 21, 2017
(Photo: Ben Liebenberg/NFL) pic.twitter.com/GZ7coHpbEy
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