May 11, 2017
On Day 2 of the NFL Draft, there was a good solid amount of downtime between when the Eagles selected one cornerback in Round 2 (Sidney Jones) and another in Round 3 (Rasul Douglas).
(Drew Pearson and Eagles fans owned that downtime, by the way.)
That is because the Birds traded back 25 spots in the third round with the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan. And on NFL.com’s Move The Sticks podcast, Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks believe the Eagles are trending up and that Jernigan could be a force next year (via Eagles.com):
“The interesting move in this division that I don’t think anybody is really talking about, Timmy Jernigan going from the Ravens to the Eagles,” Jeremiah said. “This Eagles defensive scheme with Jim Schwartz fits him beautifully. I think this is somebody as an interior player next to Fletcher Cox, he’s going to step his game up. He could get like a sneaky nine or 10 sacks in this defense next year.”
“Yeah, I love this defense,” said Brooks. “I love what Philadelphia is putting together. I think the pieces of the puzzle match the way that Jim Schwartz wants to play and this is a team that can get after you in a variety of ways, whether it’s plus one (a blitz), they can do that and because they can get after it with so many different disguises, that’s going to be a tough team.”
Jernigan is in the final year of his contract, but he was a productive player in Baltimore, registering five sacks last year. The Eagles are going to need their defensive line to really get after opposing quarterbacks next season to help their cornerbacks, and Jernigan will be a big part of that.
1. Sammy Sleeves Redux: Setting the record straight on a very average quarterback’s very average time in Philadelphia.
2. Eagles Chat: “What are the odds of Jordan Matthews getting an extension at some point?” is one of the many questions Jimmy tackles.
3. Holdout! Brandon Graham isn’t happy with his contract. Or he isn’t. Whatever.
4. Mailbag: Shouldn't Rasul Douglas be one of the Eagles' starting corners?
NFC East Reset: Eagles, Giants, Skins go the Cowboys way to maximize QBs: Jared Dubin, CBS Sports
Dubin wrote about the Eagles surrounding Carson Wentz with some more weapons:
This offseason, the Eagles did everything they could to make their offense more Wentz-friendly. The offensive line that protected him so well will return intact, and Pederson seems likely to run the same offense that has been putting Andy Reid's quarterbacks in position to succeed for years on end -- the same one the Eagles ran last season. This time around, Wentz will have some better options to get the ball to.
Predicting every NFL team's 2017 record: Jonathan Jones, Sports Illustrated
Jones has the Eagles final record at 7-9:
The Eagles play 13 games against teams with reasonable playoff aspirations. They also get the unenviable trip out west, where they face the Seahawks and then stay to play the Rams in L.A. the next week. I believe the arrow is pointing up for Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz, but this is a really tough schedule.
In and Out: Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
Super in-depth piece from Lawlor here.
2017 All-Rookie Team predictions: Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
Just like we talked about yesterday, Derek Barnett cracks the list at defensive end:
The crafty pass rusher falls into a "Wide-9" scheme that is a perfect fit for his skills. Barnett could lead all rookies in sacks as an exceptional hand-to-hand combat specialist.
25 undrafted free agents to watch from 2017 NFL draft: Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN Insider
[Kiper Voice] “ToddToddToddToddToddTodd, even though the Eagles have a million centers, that Tyler Orlosky is one to watch”:
Orlosky (6-3, 298) started 42 games in his career at West Virginia. He was my third-ranked center.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
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