August 04, 2016
The Bennett brothers, Michael (Seattle) and Martellus (New England), are two pretty interesting guys. You can read all about them in Mina Kimes' recent article for ESPN The Magazine.
At one point in the article, Kimes asked the Bennetts to share their takes on various NFL figures. They didn't hold back at all. Martellus strongly criticized Jay Cutler, his QB for three years in Chicago, and when Sam Bradford came up, they both brought heavy sarcasm:
SAM BRADFORD
(Both smirk.)
Michael: "The greatest quarterback in the NFL."
Martellus: "Vicious. Competitive."
Michael: "A real Joe Montana."
Michael Bennett has criticized Bradford in the past, specifically when he held out this offseason. The Eagles visit Seattle in Week 11, and if Bradford is still the starter at that point of the season, the Seahawks defensive end will get another shot at him.
1. TACKLING! I’m not so sure that more physical practices automatically make for a better defense, but it’s definitely more fun to observe.
2. 5 weighs in: And Donovan McNabb’s verdict was heard loud and clear. He thinks the Eagles are being dumb with their quarterbacks.
3. Training camp notes: Strong performances by Vinny Curry and Trey Burton are cool, but the real story here is the return of Spider 2 Y Banana. Jon Gruden is going to be pumped when Week 2 in Chicago rolls around.
4. Time to shine: With much of the backfield on the shelf, Kenjon Barner is getting a very good opportunity this training camp.
5. Defense helping offense: The Eagles are running a different defensive scheme this season, which could help the offense get more familiar with their opponents.
Triplets rankings: Dave Dameshek, NFL.com
Dameshek ranked each team’s quarterback, top running back, and top receiver. Sam Bradford, Ryan Mathews, and Jordan Matthews were all the way down at 30, only ahead of Denver and Cleveland:
As much as some analysts attempt to reduce football to a math equation, the game is still played by human beings. And I simply can't imagine things going well so long as Bradford is under center (while No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz watches from the sidelines). Bradford has proven to be fragile both physically and emotionally, so it seems unlikely that he's going to be a rock-solid field general in his seventh season with his replacement waiting in the wings. Speaking of injuries, Mathews has had a lot of 'em. But last year, he did look very good when on the field. The Matthews with two Ts in his surname has a knack for catching TDs, but he needs help from Nelson Agholor this year.
Ranking every single NFL team's backup quarterback situation: Will Brinson, CBS Sports
Carson Wentz and Chase Daniel came in at No. 8:
If this list were based on how much backups were being paid, the Eagles would be No. 1 by a longshot. After investing big money into Sam Bradford this offseason, the team also gave Daniel a large contract to be the primary backup and then went out and drafted Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick. If the rookie plays, things have gone very south. But Daniel is a good, if overpaid, option behind Bradford, a player with a history of not staying healthy. Daniel's knowledge of Doug Pederson's offense is a huge plus obviously.
Projecting future Hall of Famers for all 32 NFL teams: Bill Barnwell, ESPN
The other day we talked about former players’ chances of making the HOF, and Barnwell had a creative tweak for it. Of the Eagles, Barnwell estimated that Fletcher Cox has a 1-10 percent chance and Jason Peters is 50/50:
Jason Peters had a case as the best non-Joe Thomas left tackle in football for a while there; he slipped some last season, and this is probably his last year in Philadelphia, but Peters has made it to eight Pro Bowls and has been a first-team All-Pro twice by the age of 33. He's probably one additional good season away from the Hall.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
