March 24, 2017
While I’m not sure if it was the best story on the Internet on Thursday, an article that appeared on The MMQB titled “24 Hours ... With Adam Schefter” was my personal favorite going away. For the piece, Tim Rohan trailed Schefter, the best at breaking NFL news, on his biggest day of the year: the first day of NFL free agency.
There were a bunch of interesting nuggets in the story, such as:
• Adrian Wojnarowski, probably Schefter’s only equal in terms of newsbreaking in any sport, emailed Schefter some encouragement during the day.
• As a form of motivation, one of Schefter’s bosses assigns points to each potential free agent scoop and keeps score among all the NFL reporters who break where those players land. Unsurprisingly, Schefter always blows away the competition.
The whole thing is worth reading, but our site has an audience of Eagles fans. With that in mind, Rohan’s entry from 11:09 a.m. on that first day of free agency should be of interest to our readers. New Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery, maybe the biggest free agent on the market, gave Schefter a buzz, looking for some info:
In the middle of Schefter’s flurry of calls, Alshon Jeffery (49 Markman points) rings him, wanting to know how much money the other free-agent receivers are making. Players sometimes contact Schefter with questions like this because he likely has that information even if he hasn’t reported it, as is the case here. Indeed, as they talk Schefter receives a text saying that Torrey Smith will be signing with the Eagles.
Schefter goes through the contract numbers on Smith, Jackson and Pierre Garçon, slowly, so Jeffery can apparently write them down. “It’s all about the guarantee, Alshon,” Schefter says. “It’s all about the guarantee … Your average per year could be $100 million. It doesn’t matter. If they’re going to guarantee you the majority of the contract, that’s what you want.”
Now that’s power. I also love the idea of Schefter coaching up Jeffery on what a guaranteed contract is, as if he doesn’t have an agent. And as someone who put Schefter on text alert that same day, this seemed perfectly believable. If I had his number, I would call him too.
One problem: Jeffery seemed to deny the conversation taking place on Twitter late Thursday night.
Let me set the record straight! I NEVER sought advice from media before I decided to sign my contract with the Eagles. The lies people tell!
— Alshon Jeffery (@TheWorldof_AJ) March 23, 2017
Drama! Maybe Jeffery is differentiating between “getting information” and “seeking advice.” I find it hard to believe that both Schefter and Sports Illustrated would totally fabricate that story, though.
Regardless, Jeffery landed in Philly and local fans rely on Schefter for Eagles news like fans of the other 31 teams.
Biggest remaining roster hole for each NFC team entering 2017 NFL Draft: Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
Unsurprisingly, Prisco says the Eagles’ biggest need is cornerback:
They need to find a top-level cover player who can emerge as the No. 1 corner. They would start Jalen Mills and Ron Brooks if the season started today. That’s not good enough. Luckily for them, this is a deep draft for corners. They should be able to get a quality corner with pick No. 14.
Committee to recommend NFL hire full-time officials for 2017 season: Kevin Seifert, ESPN
Dave Fipp is at it again!
The Philadelphia Eagles are proposing a rule change that would prohibit players from jumping over the line of scrimmage to block a field goal or extra point. Currently, players can do it as long as they do not materially come into contact with an opponent while jumping. The rule is difficult to officiate, and the strategy can be dangerous from a safety standpoint.
Roger Goodell wants to put a suspected Cowboys fan in charge of all NFL replays: Brandon Lee Gowton, Bleeding Green Nation
Funny headline, but yeah, Goodell wants NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino in charge of final decisions on every replay from New York. My concern would be how difficult it would be for one man to make a final decision when there can be nine simultaneous games going on at once:
This news has to be concerning for Philadelphia Eagles fans. It’s not about the new system so much as it is who’s in charge of it. Blandino’s reputation is questionable. He was once spotted partying on a Dallas Cowboys party bus. He also celebrated a Dez Bryant touchdown during last year’s first Eagles-Cowboys game. You can try explaining these incidents away, but it’s still hard to feel great about Blandino being in charge.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann.
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