June 06, 2017
Over at Sports Illustrated, Chris Burke listed eight NFL general managers who could be on the hot seat if their respective teams fail to meet expectations in 2017. Unsurprisingly, Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman made that list:
This off-season, the focus was on providing Wentz more help. Enter Jeffery, Smith, running back LeGarrette Blount and rookies Donnel Pumphrey and Mack Hollins. The weapons are available to help accelerate Wentz’s maturation. Will it all click? Did Roseman do enough to upgrade the defense? If this season devolves into another sub-.500 letdown, odds are someone—be it Roseman or coach Doug Pederson—will have to answer for the failure.
It’s a question that I’m sure Jeffrey Lurie doesn’t want to answer, but if the Eagles fail to improve on last year’s 7-9 record against the 2017 schedule, you would figure that Burke is correct in stating that a prominent Eagles job could be on the line.
Roseman’s job status is a particularly interesting subject just because his tenure has been so unusual. He has been here forever but it’s also only Roseman’s second season running the Eagles again after Chip Kelly wrestled personnel control away from him.
It seems like Roseman has Lurie’s trust, but it’s anyone’s guess how the longtime Eagles owner would react to another losing season.
1. Practice notes: Carson Wentz has been up and down at the Eagles OTAs open to the media, while rookie receiver Shelton Gibson has mostly been down.
2. Slot spot: With the Eagles’ crowded backfield, rookie Donnel Pumphrey is getting a lot of work at slot receiver.
3. QB Coaching: Frank Reich didn’t seem too bothered about Wentz working on his mechanics outside of the NovaCare Complex, so we can probably put that one to bed.
4. Receiving corps: Using some quotes from Reich, we reset the Eagles depth chart at receiver.
5. Return of the Mac? The Eagles bringing back Jeremy Maclin into the nest is pretty unrealistic with their salary cap position, but not impossible. That’s too bad, as J-Mac was personally one of my favorite Eagles.
6. Mailbag: Why wouldn’t the Eagles just cut Torrey Smith to re-sign Maclinho?
7. Gotta run: Eagles ground game should be helped by upgrades at wide receiver.
Biggest upcoming roster decision for all 32 NFL teams: Field Yates, ESPN Insider
Yates believes that for Howie Roseman and the front office, the biggest Eagles roster decision is figuring out Carson Wentz’s weapons for the long term:
Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith were among the early additions through free agency, while Philly recently acquired LeGarrette Blount on a one-year deal. Jeffery's contract is also for only one year, while Smith's contract is a year-to-year proposition. Plus, Jordan Matthews enters the final year of his rookie contract. The takeaway? While the Eagles' offense should be much better this season, it's incumbent upon general manager Howie Roseman to identify which of Wentz's weapons are integral parts of the future beyond 2017 and get them locked into deals.
Week 3 OTA Roundup: Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
Lawlor talks about the Eagles quarterback’s inconsistency during practices:
It would be great if Wentz looked like Tom Brady out there, just throwing perfect pass after perfect pass. That’s just not reality. He’s a young player adjusting to new receivers and working on his mechanics. There are going to be ups and downs. This is the time of year for him to work through those issues. It is good that Wentz does seem to make a highlight play or two at every practice. The talent is there.
Where does Carson Wentz need to improve to take the next step in 2017?
— NFL (@NFL) June 6, 2017
(via @NFLTotalAccess) pic.twitter.com/rYTa1UtOs5
Eagles' Chris Long tries to troll Fletcher Cox over angry tweets: Les Bowen, Philadelphia Daily News
Now, this was some pretty funny social media work from the Eagles’ new defensive end:
Sign him to a 10 year deal @Eagles pic.twitter.com/w3IWNwTXHg
— John Barchard (@JohnBarchard) June 4, 2017
"I texted him right after, I was like, 'Man Delta's really out of line for that.' He was like, 'It was a fake account, it wasn't Delta.' I was like, 'Oh, really?’”
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
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