The Linc – Eagles’ top bounce-back candidate
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By: Brandon Lee Gowton
Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 8/19/21.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
NFL bounce-back candidates: What went wrong for 32 players last season and their outlook for 2021 – ESPN+
Fletcher Cox, DI. PFF grade in 2020: 74.1. What went wrong: While Cox was effective for the Eagles in 2020 with the 26th-best PFF grade among interior defensive linemen, it wasn’t up to the dominant standards he has set for himself. He ranked sixth or better at his position in PFF grade in each of the five years leading up to last season. — PFF … Outlook for 2021: It’s hard to find a player on the Eagles who met his standards in 2020, and that includes Cox. There’s a fresh energy around the team, including on defense under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. While the scheme has changed, Cox’s role remains largely the same — to get into the backfield and create havoc. He has done plenty of that during training camp. — Tim McManus
The NFC East is winnable for the Eagles – BGN
The NFC East was the laughingstock of the NFL in 2020. The division sent a 7-9 Washington team to the postseason. Even an Eagles team that finished with 4-11-1 was in the mix as late as Week 16. For a group of teams that draws more national headlines than any other, no one could be less deserving. While it shouldn’t be as bad as it was last season, the NFC East still isn’t anywhere close to what it was in its early ‘90s heyday. It’s a winnable division and the Eagles will be the last team standing, hosting a home playoff game come Saturday.
NFC East Mixtape Vol.18: Things We Are Excited About – BGN Radio
On this week’s episode of the NFC East Mixtape, RJ Ochoa and Brandon Lee Gowton run through the most exciting things about the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants and Washington Football Team ahead of the 2021 season. What team has the most juice and what team is flat out boring?
Another Good Day – Iggles Blitz
I wish I could tell you he had a great day, but there were multiple drops as well. Ugh. The key is to focus on the positive…that Reagor can make special plays. That is an absolutely ridiculous catch. You’re either born with that ability or you aren’t. Thankfully he was. The coaches will continue to work with Reagor to clean up his mistakes. He’s got to be more consistent, the biggest challenge for all young players.
4 storylines to follow as Eagles host the Patriots – PE.com
1. The starters: To play or not to play? Head Coach Nick Sirianni hasn’t yet determined how he’s going to play this game after two days of joint practices with New England, and he certainly has options. The reps taken against New England at the NovaCare Complex were quality stuff, and Sirianni places high value on the sessions (there are two more days of joint practices next week against the Jets). If the starters play, they aren’t likely to go very long. You can include rookie wide receiver DeVonta Smith in the mix as well. He has worked hard to put himself in position to play in the preseason. The only question now seems to be whether Sirianni feels it is necessary to give Smith some reps in the preseason. Smith said he is ready to play if called upon.
Which Eagles have the most to gain and the most to lose against the Patriots? – The Athletic
As for who has the most to lose, two players come to mind. Both Nate Herbig and Greg Ward are considered roster locks by most people, but I’m not so sure. Ward serves as a great story of resilience, but his upside is limited and if the Eagles choose to keep J.J. Arcega-Whiteside as a big slot, that might squeeze out Ward. As for Herbig, the departure of Luke Juriga leaves Herbig as the nominal backup center, but Isaac Seumalo can play the position, as can Landon Dickerson, if he’s able to return before Week 1. Herbig had underwhelmed a bit over the past week-plus, and another poor performance against the Patriots would be concerning.
Eagles’ Alex Singleton has a ‘genuine’ love for a special group of athletes – NJ.com
Alex Singleton walked into William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia before he ever put on an Eagles uniform. The then-unknown linebacker was there to support the Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s annual Spring Games, the biggest event of its kind in the state. Singleton wasn’t a celebrity. He was just a former Canadian Football League standout still looking to make his mark, even on a practice squad, in the NFL. Yet, he felt compelled, before the offseason program began in 2019, to give back to his new city, even if his stay could have been short-lived. “Any city I go to, it’s kind of the first thing I want to do,” Singleton told NJ Advance Media. “I know, in my life, a lot of people know about the Special Olympics, but to just bring a bigger light to it, and for however long or short I’m in a city for, be able to give as much back as I can.”
Wawa, Philadelphia Eagles Team Up For Limited-Edition Swoop Shake; Proceeds Benefit Eagles Autism Challenge – CBS Philly
Wawa has teamed up with the Philadelphia Eagles for a sweet treat! Starting on Monday, you can scoop up a Swoop Shake in select Philadelphia Wawa stores. The proceeds from the drink will go towards the annual Eagles Autism Challenge event. The drink is made with vanilla soft-serve, mint flavor, whipped cream, and Eagles green sprinkles!
Mailbag: Do You Really Need a Mobile Quarterback to Win in the NFL? – Sports Illustrated
In fact, I was there the next day, and here’s what GM Chris Ballard had to say: “You know how you walk out on the field and you can feel a player? I remember Quenton Nelson coming out and I could feel Quenton. You can feel Carson. You can feel the power in his body. There’s nothing he can’t do athletically, or at the quarterback position, that all the great ones can do. That’s what’s got us really excited about him.” So I do think they felt good about him. And like I said, I considered that part of it. But Wentz didn’t play well last year, and it didn’t take long for injury issues to surface (whether the past is directly related to what happened with his foot or not), and so it’s probably a fair question to ask in the context of the possibility that Wentz misses time, or how the Colts’ 2022 draft-pick situation will be affected by his playing time (if Wentz plays 75% of the snaps, or 70% and Indy makes the playoffs, the Eagles get a first; if he doesn’t, it’s a second).
Patriots 53-man roster projection: Where does the team stand heading into the second preseason game? – Pats Pulpit
What used to be the strength of the Patriots’ defense now becomes one of the biggest question marks heading into the 2021 season. Stephon Gilmore is still on the physically unable to perform list (or holding out depending on who you are asking), the Patriots have a massive hole at their outside corner spot with J.C. Jackson presumably taking over the CB1 role. We have seen both Jalen Mills and Joejuan Williams taking outside corner snaps in practice, but both have struggled in limited action in camp and the first preseason game. If Gilmore does come back into the fold, the New England secondary would immediately return to its elite status with Jackson and Gilmore manning the outside and Jonathan Jones locking down the slot. Mills and Williams both bring versatility as well: they can play corner but also have the ability to chip in at safety. However, the success of this group relies on Stephon Gilmore’s outlook.
Bears training camp: As Chicago awaits his arrival, Jason Peters remains in a COVID-19 holding period – Windy City Gridiron
In a carryover protocol from last year, Peters, as a new acquisition, is currently in five-day isolation for COVID-19 quarantine. This is not a mandate that applies to vaccinated players, who can freely join any team they want without being in a bubble. While certainly still capable on some level as a seasoned pro, it speaks to how desperate the Bears were for offensive line help that they went out and signed Peters given his vaccination status, age, and waning health in recent campaigns. The mileage of an extended career as a big man has taken its toll as Peters has missed 11 games in the last two years with various ailments, and only a few seasons ago, tore both his ACL and MCL.
How Davis, Jenkins Can Get Saints Back to Playoffs – Football Outsiders
While most of the coffee-and-chicory talk in the French Quarter this offseason has focused on the duel between Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston to replace Drew Brees, it’s the changes on defense that may ultimately decide New Orleans’ fate in 2021. Salary cap issues cost the Saints several key defensive contributors, but they have retained stars such as Demario Davis and Malcolm Jenkins whose versatility may get them back to the postseason.
The Dan Quinn Effect is making the Cowboys optimistic about the 2021 defense – Blogging The Boys
We haven’t even reached game one of the 2021 NFL season yet, so the idea that Quinn’s impact will create another head coaching gig for him seems entirely premature. But if an assistant coach is creating so much excitement that people are already thinking crazy things, that’s got to be taken as a positive. Certainly Quinn’s hands-on style has endeared himself to the fans and to the players. The fact that he has yet to be a focus through two episodes of Hard Knocks is somewhat of a mystery. If any storyline seemed primed for exposure, it was Quinn’s. But as mentioned earlier, it isn’t just Quinn that has been a change for the defense, they swapped out a lot of the players. Sill, even with some of those new players, the Quinn Effect is in effect.
When will the Giants address the offensive line depth? – Big Blue View
Truth is, there isn’t a whole lot currently available on the street. Beyond the players we listed a few days ago, here are the interior offensive lineman who became free on Tuesday when teams trimmed their rosters from 90 to 85 players: Guard Bryce Hargrove, guard Gabe Cervenka, guard Cordel Iwaugwu, guard Jon Dietzen. I don’t know about you, but I hadn’t heard of any of those players until I read their names on the NFL’s transactions report.
Several WFT position battles that are likely to play out over the next few weeks – Hogs Haven
Steven Sims Jr vs. Dax Milne vs. Deandre Carter – The second WR battle is the “Battle of the Back-Up Slot WRs.” Given his performance in camp and connection to Fitzpatrick, I think Adam Humphries is fairly close to a sure thing – though, at some level, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him cut to keep two of these guys. Assuming Humphries sticks, however, the question is which of these three fills in behind him. Sims has had the most productive NFL season – though his 2020 was decidedly pedestrian. Milne is the biggest unknown, and is also under team control for 4 years. Carter appears to be the best punt returner, but he’s bounced around the league a lot in the past 3 seasons. The decision(s) made at this position will give important insight into how forward looking the team is really willing to be: Sims/Milne are potential future contributors. Humphries and Carter feel more “now” focused.
The NFL’s new taunting rules prove how little owners care about fans and athletes – SB Nation
Every year the NFL rules committee reviews, tweaks and augments elements of the game in an effort to mold football more to the league’s image. Inside of this exists the “points of emphasis” — new or existing rules the NFL is asking officials to pay greater attention to and enforce more stringently. This year’s point of emphasis is taunting, and the effect it has on the NFL could be the biggest, and most important in recent years. With each passing of new NFL rules there exists tweaks that definitely change things up, but historically it’s been the points of emphasis that have truly altered the game of football.
NFL Daily Kickoff, Thursday- Dak may not play til the opener + Justin Fields hurt – The SB Nation NFL Show
In today’s episode, Dak Prescott likely won’t play this week, Justin Fields misses practice, and Carson Wentz wants to step up his rehab.
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