April 13, 2025
We're in a little bit of a dead period in between free agency and the draft, so let's take some questions. This will be Part I of a two-part mailbag. As always, thank you for doing half the work for me.
Question from @HipsterEagle: You have alluded to it several times throughout many of your posts, but how do you think the Eagles actually rank the importance of each position?
I'll put them in tiers. (And to be clear, this is not anything from the team. It's just my perception after covering the team for 12 years.)
Tier 1:
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Question from @Andy-124 (via Bluesky): Will this finally be the year a team repeats as NFCE champs?
It's been over 20 years.
Pro-football-reference keeps a record of preseason Super Bowl odds for past seasons. The following reigning NFC East champs had the best Super Bowl odds among the NFC East teams before the season began:
None of them won the NFC East, obviously.
Spoiler: The Eagles will be favored to win the NFC East again in 2025 when the preseason rolls around. Presently, the only team in the NFL that has better odds to win their division is the Bills, which makes sense since they play in the trash AFC East.
So do I think the Eagles will win the NFC East again? Yeah, but I'm pretty sure I also thought that in 2023, 2018, 2014, 2007, and 2005.
Question from @BigWins: How likely is it that the Eagles double dip on the D-line the first three rounds, similar to CB last year? Great year to possibly add an EDGE and iDL.
So I think what you're asking is whether two of their first three picks will be defensive linemen?
The last time they did that was longer ago than I would have imagined, in 2012, when they took Fletcher Cox in Round 1, and Vinny Curry in Round 2.
But, a week ago I ranked the team's positional needs in the 2025 draft, and had iDL No. 1, and EDGE No. 2. Add in that it's a relatively strong draft at both spots, and put me down for a greater than 50-50 chance that they double-dip in the first three rounds.
Question from @ScooterMcGilli1: If EDGE, DT, and OT are all graded equally and available at 32, which position would eagles take given that scenario?
I'd go:
As noted above, I think the interior of their D-line is their biggest need, and iDLs are in extremely high demand these days, as evidenced by the absurd contract received by Milton Williams. You can either draft them, or wildly overpay for them in free agency.
And then I'll take EDGE over OT, as they have similar importance but EDGE is the more immediate need.
Question from @tcflou (via Bluesky): Who are your top iDL and EDGE prospects you think are Eagles targets and we need to keep an eye on in the draft? I know you did the 5 players to watch series, but I’m too lazy to comb thru all of them.
• Walter Nolen, iDL, Ole Miss: Nolen had 4 sacks for Texas A&M last season before transferring to Ole Miss. He had 6.5 sacks in 2024. His career production has not always matched up with his potential, as he was the No. 1 recruit in the nation (via ESPN) coming out of high school. Still, he has raw power, he is obviously gifted, and his production improved throughout his college career.
• James Pearce, EDGE, Tennessee: Pearce is a classic speed rusher with a quick get-off who can accelerate around the edge, beat offensive tackles with inside counters, or convert speed-to-power. He also dropped into coverage on occasion in Tennessee's defense and did not look out of place. He gives the Eagles what they thought they were getting in Bryce Huff.
• Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M: Scourton is an agile player with some effective pass rush moves, notably his inside and outside spins. He is also a tough defender against the run, with the motor and hustle to chase down runs from the backside. He makes sense as a Brandon Graham successor who would primarily play on the edge but has some iDL versatility.
• Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas: Jackson is a high ceiling type of prospect with an impressive blend of size and athleticism, but who is a bit of a late bloomer and needs more development. In 2023, he had 44 tackles (13.5 for loss) and 6.5 sacks. In 2024, he had 49 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He's primarily an edge defender, but he can also play inside. Plays hard, good motor.
• Shemar Turner, DL, Texas A&M: Turner is an athletic iDL prospect who had 33 tackles (11 for loss), 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles in 2023. He plays with aggression (maybe a little too much aggression) and lines up all over the defensive line.
Question from seang215 (via Bluesky): The Kenyon Green addition feels odd given his contract. He's entering his fourth year, and if he plays well as a starter, would they really offer the 5th year, or extend him? Not keeping Mekhi Becton was about cost/cash, so extending/giving the fifth-year option to Green kind of negates that, no?
OK, so, just to clear up any misunderstandings about the fifth year option, in Green's case for 2026, the Eagles have to exercise that by early May this offseason. They will definitely not do that, which means that barring some unlikely contract extension, Green will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Green was the 15th overall pick in 2022. He struggled as a rookie, and missed the entire 2023 season with a torn labrum. A shoulder injury caused him to miss five games in 2024, and he was also benched at one point, only getting his job back because his replacement got hurt. So why trade for him?
That said, obviously C.J. Gardner-Johnson is a far better player, and the Texans got the better of that deal, in my opinion.
The Eagles are well aware of that, I imagine. From their perspective, I wouldn't really even think about that trade as a trade. Think of it more like the Eagles were moving on from CJGJ, and Green represented someone decent-ish in return, even if not equal value.
Question from @zteutsch (via Bluesky): I am still wrapping my head around what kinds of players thrive in the Fangio system. Can you walk us through DE/OLB/EDGE? What's the assignment? What's the prototype? Do Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith fit the profile?
If you can't play the run, you're not going to play. Ask Bryce Huff about that.
But also, just generally speaking, Fangio values versatility, really at all levels of the defense. On the EDGE, you need to be able to affect the quarterback as a pass rusher and do your job in the run game, obviously, but if you can play inside some (like BG), or drop into coverage on occasion (like Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are capable of), then you're going to be a player he likes.
Question from @JustEaglesStuff: In your opinion who starts at RG Week 1? Tyler Steen, Kenyon Green, vet not on the roster (Jedrick Wills, Shaq Mason, etc), or a rookie?
If they select a lineman in Round 1, it'll be that guy. And if they add a legit vet after the draft — Wills is the top choice in that scenario (profiled here) — then I like that guy's chances.
If they don't select an offensive lineman very early, then I like Steen's chances of beating out Green.
Give me 40% Steen, 25% rookie, 15% legit vet added after the draft, 10% Green, and 10% someone who doesn't fall into any of the buckets you presented.
Question from @__lilryan: You won’t answer anyway.
Yes I will. Boom, answered.
Question from @shawnandgus90 (via Threads): Are the Eagles oblivious to the damage visiting the White House will do to their image?
Jeffrey Lurie was asked about the White House invite at the owners meetings.
"We just felt this is a time honored tradition being invited by the White House," he said. "So there was no reticence whatsoever. To be celebrated at the White House is a good thing. There were special circumstances back then that were very different, and so this was kind of an obvious choice and look forward to it.
"When you grow up and you hear about, ‘Oh, the championship team got to go to the White House,’ that's what this is. And so we didn't have that opportunity and now we do. I think we're all looking forward to it."
When asked what he would say to the fans who take offense to embracing the current president, Lurie said, "This is really just an invitation from the White House. That's all this is, and we're not politicizing it in any way."
It felt like an intentional choice by Lurie not to mention the president by name. Lurie also noted that it's an optional event that Eagles players can choose to attend, or not.
That's really not any different from when the Eagles won the Super Bowl the last time. The Eagles accepted the invite, but the vast majority of players did not want to visit, and fearing embarrassment, Trump "disinvited" them, lol. Don't want to come to my party? Oh yeah well you're not invited!
So, I dunno, we'll see what happens this time.
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