Much of the anticipation for the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles season has to do with an upgrade in offensive weapons around second-year quarterback Carson Wentz, specifically deep-ball threat Alshon Jeffery. Considering how poor Wentz’s weapons were his rookie season, there’s certainly nowhere to go but up.
Well, all four ESPN NFC East reporters believe that Jeffery is the best addition to any team in the division’s roster. Here is what Giants reporter Jordan Ranaan had to say about Jeffery:
When healthy, he's a Pro Bowl player. He’s a difference-maker who had more than 1,400 receiving yards in his second professional season. That is Odell Beckham-esque production. Jeffery can make a significant impact on the Eagles' offense this season because he's immediately their No. 1 receiver. He's immediately Wentz's go-to guy. Philadelphia didn’t have a strong presence at wide receiver last season.
Speaking of Jeffery, I think he’ll be pretty decent on jump balls:
Eagles news and coverage at PhillyVoice
1. Eagles Training Camp Previews: Jimmy sizes up the Eagles depth chart and how the quarterbacks (Carson Wentz needs to work on accuracy!), running backs (a trickier group to forecast) and wide receiver (better, but ...) stack up going into the NFL preseason.
2. Bright future: The Eagles moved up five spots in ESPN’s future NFL power rankings but are still behind the Giants and Cowboys. Wentz probably had a little something to do with that.
3. Camp Fargo: The Eagles schedule is already underway, but the receivers are working out where “there ain’t no rap stations” according to Jordan Matthews.
4. Mailbag: “Who do the Eagles match up favorably (and unfavorably) with in the NFC East?” Well, considering all of the other teams have pretty solid receivers…
5. Eagles chat: Jimmy doesn’t believe the Eagles offensive line is the best in the NFL, but it’s close.
6. Cowboys in trouble: In some Cowboys news, a couple of players on the Dallas roster are in trouble (OK, not really for Dak). This is my shocked face.
7. All-NFC East Teams: Offense and Defense. The Eagles roster fares quite a bit better on the defensive side of the ball, which is interesting considering all of the moves they made to improve on offense this offseason.
Other Eagles news, notes and analysis from around the web
How All 32 NFL Teams Handle Analytics: Albert Breer, The MMQB
From a few weeks ago, I thought this was pretty solid info on where each team stands in the somewhat unknown field of football analytics. The Eagles have always been pretty progressive in this regard:
Philly has been allocating resources to analytics going back to when Jeff Lurie bought the team and hired Joe Banner in the mid-1990s. Football chief Howie Roseman is considered a believer, and he trusts Alec Halaby in this area implicitly. Halaby oversees a staff that includes analysts Ryan Paganetti, TJ Paganetti and Taylor Rajack; And coach Doug Pederson’s background with Andy Reid underscores where he stands.
Grymes on the Rise: Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
I am admittedly the furthest thing from a football scout, but in the limited practice I have watched over the past few years, Aaron Grymes is the player on the Eagles roster who usually was surprisingly competent. Lawlor writes about him potentially winning the nickel back spot in training camp:
Grymes has the right attitude for a player in his position. He’s got to be willing to do whatever it takes to make the team and he can’t relax because of a good play or a good practice. He’s got to stack good practices on good practices and show the team he can play consistently well.
Ranking divisions by quarterback: Adam Schein, NFL.com
Schein ranks the quartet of NFC quarterbacks second among all eight divisions, behind the loaded NFC South:
Dak was absolutely fantastic in Year 1, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and guiding Dallas to the playoffs. And the best is yet to come. I still think Wentz is going to be a star. Last year was about a learning curve. Now, with Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in the fold, Wentz's development will really kick into gear. Eli Manning is Eli Manning. The two-time Super Bowl MVP is tough and clutch and still great. And Cousins has become a big-time, reliable starter in Washington.
25 NFL predictions through 2020: Dan Graziano, ESPN
Graziano believes the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, not Wentz, will be the best quarterback from the 2016 draft:
This is partly because of the team around him, including a top running back and a great, young offensive line. But people around the league are convinced Prescott is legit and can avoid a sophomore slump. Carson Wentz is a favorite, as well, though most people need to see more before being sure about his long-range prospects. And no one has any idea what to make of Jared Goff and his marriage with a new coaching staff that didn't draft him.
Players react strongly to Gil Brandt's 'all-time greatest' lists: Gil Brandt, NFL.com
We wrote about Brandt’s snub of Brian Dawkins here, but Asante wasn’t happy either!
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