The Linc – A.J. Brown has more words for JuJu Smith-Schuster

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/2/23.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Eagles’ A.J. Brown apparently still has beef with Chiefs’ JuJu Smith-Schuster – PhillyVoice
Eagles wideout A.J. Brown is no doubt a better football player than his counterpart on the Chiefs, JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Kansas City’s pass catcher clearly has the upper hand, as he won a Super Bowl ring against Brown’s Birds back in February. The two apparently have some kind of feud going, at least according to a tweet from Brown — an image of something he direct messaged Smith-Schuster. The Tik Tok in question is rather intricate, with impersonations of Brown (referred to by a name that is not actually his, A.J. stands for Arthur Juan, not Aquarius Jefferson), Jalen Hurts and others. It is bizarre, with flashbacks and a crime scene spliced with James Bradberry’s hold in the Super Bowl. It’s hard to really even describe — watch it for yourself below, presented with comment from Darius Slay.

Should the Eagles have Georgia on their mind again? – BGN
In Ben Natan’s mock draft simulator linked above, he was in the enviable position of being able to draft two Bulldogs with Philadelphia’s first round picks. While he admits it is HIGHLY unlikely that DL Jalen Carter falls to No. 10…if he does the Eagles should be sprinting to the podium to select him. Pairing Carter with his former teammate Davis would set the Eagles up for success on the d-line for years to come. So, I wrote this before news that a warrant was being issued for Carter’s arrest in relation to a crash back in January that resulted in the death of a former teammate and an UGA staff member. I don’t want to make any assumptions before the legal process plays out, but were I in the Eagles front office, I would make sure to do my due diligence on this player.

Combine Notebook – Iggles Blitz
Very interesting. The Eagles normally do make deals during the season. They hate going into an offseason with a bunch of unknowns. Right now, the Eagles might be the league leaders in unknowns. They have a ton of free agents and only limited cap space to work with. I like the fact the Eagles were willing to embrace the unknowns so as not to mess with the chemistry on a special team. They didn’t win the Super Bowl, but that was still a special bunch. Roseman acknowledged there will be a lot of change. As much as he wants to keep everyone, it just can’t happen. He’s got to pick and choose who gets to stay. More appropriately, who gets an offer to stay. I’m sure the Eagles would love Javon Hargrave and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to be around for the future. Can they afford those guys? Roseman talked about paying Jalen Hurts big money and what a challenge that is. But as he pointed out, that’s a good problem to have. There are plenty of teams who would love to have to figure out how to pay their young, star QB.

Eagles Facing Major Overhaul on Defense – Football Outsiders
Biggest Need: Secondary. Hope you weren’t too attached to that defense, Philly fans, because most of it likely won’t be around next year! The Eagles had nine men play over 700 defensive snaps in 2022. Seven of those nine players are pending free agents. Philadelphia has over 7,000 total defensive snaps hitting free agency. So much of that defensive talent was built one one-year or expiring contracts, specifically in the secondary. 2023 pending free agents accounted for nine of Philadelphia’s 17 interceptions and 45 of their 85 passes defensed. Philadelphia built that dominant secondary on shrewd pickups from cap-clearing teams. The Eagles landed cornerback James Bradberry on a reasonable one-year, $7.3-million deal after he was released by the New York Giants. He then proceeded to lead all cornerbacks (min. 10 games) with a career-low 35.6% completion rate allowed; his 4.2 yards per target allowed was third-best among cornerbacks. Philadelphia landed C.J. Gardner-Johnson for a pair of future Day 3 draft picks from the New Orleans Saints, on the hook for a paltry $2.5 million. That’s a small price to pay for a league-leading six interceptions in 12 games. With $6 million in 2023 cap space and a lengthy list of positions to replace, Philadelphia likely won’t be in position to bring back either at their new premium price tags. Their next-best cornerback last season, Darius Slay, is also the team’s biggest cap hit in 2023 at $26.1 million. A post-June 1 cut frees up $17.5 million for a $8.6-million cap hit, but it makes defensive back an even more urgent fill for Philadelphia. Perhaps Howie Roseman can pull off more of his Executive of the Year magic, but any attempt to repeat as pass defense DVOA leaders will likely come with a new cast of characters.

2023 NFL free agency: Five players who should stay with current team, five who should hit open market – NFL.com
Javon Hargrave: Hargrave just enjoyed a career year, piling up 11 sacks while also being a key run-stuffer for a top-ranked defense. Time to hit the open market and cash in with the highest bidder, right? Well … The Eagles are about to run it back in the NFC. Have you seen the competition? Sure, the 49ers are legit, but the rest of the NFC is wide open. If the Eagles make a solid offer — and seeing how they’re fully in win-now mode, they should — I’d sign on the dotted line and continue to grow my legacy in Philadelphia.

2023 NFL mock draft: Mel Kiper’s first-round pick predictions – ESPN+
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO). Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern. Let’s keep a strength a strength for the Eagles. With right guard Isaac Seumalo a free agent and center Jason Kelce mulling retirement, why not take the best lineman in this class? Cam Jurgens, a second-round pick last year, likely would slot in Kelce’s place, while Skoronski could fill the void at right guard. Some teams believe Skoronski could be a better fit at guard than tackle, even though he started 33 games at left tackle in college. No matter where he plays, he should be an instant starter. We know general manager Howie Roseman appreciates the trenches, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the direction he goes. The other side of that, of course, is Roseman could target an edge rusher, particularly with Robert Quinn and Brandon Graham free agents. Roseman also has the No. 30 pick to add a player.

Eagles’ Autumn Lockwood among 6 female coaches at the NFL Women’s Forum discussing their experiences – Inquirer
The NFL Women’s Forum offered women an opportunity to learn from and connect with not only NFL coaches and general managers but other women currently coaching in the NFL as well. One woman participating in this initiative on Tuesday was Eagles strength and conditioning seasonal associate Autumn Lockwood, who was joined by five other coaches to discuss their experiences and hardships in breaking through the NFL barrier in front of 41 women seeking a seat at the table. Lockwood, who had yet to speak publicly since coming aboard the Eagles staff, revealed some of the challenges adjusting to the NFL as a first-year coach, prompted by a question by moderator MJ Acosta-Ruiz of the NFL Network. “The things that I’ve learned the most in my first year is definitely learning how to walk in and observe an already successful environment and then seeing where I can add value,” Lockwood said. “The importance of relationships, I think it’s super huge, and I knew they always mattered but you walk in some place and see a staff that’s already developed those relationships as a new girl … just making sure I’m open to learning everything.”

2023 NFL Scouting Combine Preview: Cornerback – PE.com
Christian Gonzalez (Oregon) – Listed at 6-foot-2, 201 pounds, Gonzalez made the most of his lone season in Eugene this fall, recording the first four interceptions of his career while being named First-Team All-Pac-12 after transferring from Colorado. The junior has all of the tools of a top-shelf cover corner in the NFL with his length, speed, quickness, and change of direction ability. The high school track star ran a 21.6 in the state championship 200-meter dash, but track stardom is in his blood. Both of his older sisters were All-American sprinters in college, with one of them running for Columbia in the Olympics. He’ll be ready for this event.

With ties to Mike McCarthy, free agent CB Kevin King could be an option for the Cowboys – Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys need two add some more cornerback help at some point this offseason. Kevin King was a former second-round pick (33rd overall) by Mike McCarthy as the then head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 2017. A reunion between the two could be mutually beneficial for both parties. It’s somewhat surprising Kevin King hasn’t really been linked more to the Dallas Cowboys due to his obvious connection with Mike McCarthy. What is surprising though is the fact he’s flying so far under the radar among the cornerbacks available in free agency this year that he’s been all but forgotten. There is a reason for that though.

Jeff Bezos and Josh Harris are the two finalists to buy the Washington Commanders; NFL owners will discuss Dan Snyder after new reports – Hogs Haven
The latest report from Front Office Sports’ A.J. Perez says that “Dan Snyder and Bank of America — the bank handling the sale — have narrowed its list of billionaires interested in the team down. A source told FOS that [there are] two finalists: Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.” This is big news as the sale is hopefully entering the final stages. This means that Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who reportedly placed a bid of more than $5.5 billion, is out of the running to purchase the Washington Commanders. When his name was noted, it was said that he was not considered a frontrunner to purchase the team, and his Casino ownership would be an issue.

New York Giants ranked as eighth-best NFL work place in NFLPA report card – Big Blue View
The New York Giants placed eighth among the 32 NFL teams in a National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) survey that resulted in working place “report cards” being issued for each franchise. The Giants graded highly in every category. The worst ranking the Giants received in the eight graded categories was for the team’s strength coaches, where the Giants finished No. 28. Still, they received a solid B+ grade from players.

Jalen Carter’s arrest warrant for reckless driving and racing, explained – SB Nation
Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter has been projected as one of the top players in the 2023 NFL Draft all season, and a possible candidate for No. 1 overall pick. However, that could all change with news breaking on Wednesday morning that a warrant is out for Carter’s arrest in Athens stemming for his role in a January car accident which left a Georgia staffer and player dead, with two others injured. Details are still emerging about Carter’s involvement, and it should be made very clear that the only information we have right now stems from police press releases, and a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

…

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen

BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta

BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton

BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio