April 09, 2017
The Eagles have been making headlines the last couple of days, but most recently, it hasn't been for the kind of news you'd expect this time of year.
Sure, there's still draft talk – three weeks from right now, it will all be over – but on Saturday, Eagles fans got some bad news regarding on of the team's defensive lineman. Injury news.
That's where we'll start in this edition of What They're Saying, before moving on to some cornerback talk that includes one who has yet to play an NFL snap and another who's arguably the best in the league – and how the Eagles can get him.
Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen suffered an upper body injury in the chest/pectoral area last week, according to sources. The injury is expected to require surgery.
The Eagles had no comment.
Allen’s injury occurred while he was working out on Thursday, so it happened after the Eagles acquired defensive tackle Tim Jernigan. [philly.com]
The Philadelphia Eagles will be without defensive tackle Beau Allen for quite some time.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Saturday that Allen suffered a pectoral injury and will be sidelined 4-6 months, according to a source informed of the situation. [nfl.com]
After running through various scenarios, this much seems clear: They'll have a chance at getting a real difference-maker at No. 14, almost regardless of how the first 13 picks play out. Here is one man's opinion on the top three options should they fall to the Eagles in Round 1…
Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
I had a similar experience with Davis as I did with Oakland Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack a few years back: I turned on the video and became instantly convinced he would be a star. Feel free to use this as ammo against me later, but I think Davis is the best receiver in this class by a pretty good margin. The NCAA's all-time leader in receiving yards (5,285), Davis caught 97 passes for 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns this past season. He has the size (6-foot-3, 209 pounds), the athleticism and the route-running precision necessary to do some special things in this league. While receiver is not as pressing a need after signing Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in free agency, neither is guaranteed to be with the team long-term. Regardless of the state of the position, teams that pass on Davis might end up kicking themselves. [espn.com]
The Eagles are hosting 2017 NFL Draft cornerback prospect Damontae Kazee on an official pre-draft visit, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Kazee is one of 30 prospects who will have met with the Eagles in Philadelphia leading up to this year’s draft. …
An older, smaller prospect; Kazee might get passed over by a lot of teams due to lack of measurables but they would be missing out on a contributor. Kazee was productive from year one in college and proved to be one of the most consistent playmakers in college football over the last four years totally 22 total turnovers during his time at San Diego Sate. Kazee is an average athlete with not so great size, but his instincts and technique should make him a playmaker at the next level, even in a smaller role. [bleedinggreennation.com]
There are several factors, though, that stand in the way of an Eagles-Sherman union. A big one is money. Per the NFLPA, the Eagles have under $2 million in salary cap space at the moment. That's a rather large issue, considering Sherman is set to make $11.4 million this season. (He's under contract for two more years, with a base salary of $11 million in 2018). Even if you package a player or two (Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks is on the block and would offer close two $2 million in relief, for example) or try to restructure Sherman's contract, it would be very difficult to make the math work, even for a front office that is very gifted at doing just that. [espn.com]
Former NFL executive and current ESPN analyst Joe Banner pointed to the Darrelle Revis trade in 2013 as a reasonable comparison. Revis was 27 at the time and netted the New York Jets a first-round pick in 2013 and a fourth-round pick in 2014 from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"I think the most they could reasonably expect to get is a one and maybe something else thrown in that's late," Banner said.
At 29, Sherman is still a premier cornerback. His contract (two years remaining at $11.431 million and $11 million) is reasonable when compared to his peers.
Even if a team was willing to match the Revis asking price, Banner said he didn't think the move made sense from the Seahawks' perspective. [espn.com]
While it would take some creative measures by the Eagles to fit Sherman under the salary cap, acquiring him would do wonders for their secondary. Giving up the No. 14 pick is probably not something the Eagles want to do, however.
Here is how the Eagles could acquire Sherman and still have a first-round pick in this month’s draft … [theeagleswire.usatoday.com]
Sorry, but you’re going to have to click to find out.
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