The Linc – Can Howie Roseman find a hit in the 20s?

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 1/8/22.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Hurts’ future and evaluation of ‘21 draft class in Eagles mailbag – NBCSP
Of course, the top picks are probably going to be what really matters and it looks like the Eagles nailed them. DeVonta Smith has star potential and Landon Dickerson has the potential to be a cornerstone of the offensive line. Even third-round pick Milton Williams has had really strong flashes that make you think he has starter potential. It’s not really fair to judge a draft class too early but the early returns on this one are good. But does that make us feel any better about Howie Roseman going into this next draft? Good question. We all know that Roseman has his strengths and draft talent evaluation hasn’t always been at the top of that list. The best pick the Eagles are going to get in this first round is going to come from Miami; it’s No. 14 right now. And it seems likely that the Eagles’ own pick and the one from the Colts are going to come in the 20s. As a reminder, the Eagles have drafted four players in the 20s under Roseman’s watch: Jalen Reagor, Andre Dillard, Marcus Smith and Danny Watkins. So … yeah. That’s a pretty shaky track record in that range where the Eagles will likely have two of their picks and that’s concerning.

Jason Kelce can keep his streak going with Eagles activating him from COVID list – BGN
The Eagles activated Kelce from reserve/COVID-19 on Friday. The other 11 players who went on the list on Monday still remain. Kelce’s activation is significant because his absence would’ve snapped his consecutive regular-season game, which is currently at 121. It’s the longest active streak among NFL centers. Another reason for Kelce to make an appearance is that it will give him the third-most games (159) played by an offensive lineman in Eagles franchise history, only behind Chuck Bednarik (169) and Tra Thomas (166).

Eye On the Enemy #80: Eagles-Dallas Week 18 preview with RJ Ochoa + Thoughts on playing starters – BGN Radio
John Stolnis chats with RJ Ochoa from Blogging the Boys about the issues the Cowboys are dealing with heading into this week and how confident they are about their team. They also shared their thoughts on the wisdom of playing starters and potential NFC playoff match-ups as well. In addition, John talks about how the Eagles’ player development staff and coaches deserve a ton of credit for getting this team to the postseason in a rebuilding year.

Tank to bank: In one year, the Eagles go from ignominy to NFL darlings – Inquirer
Whatever the opinion of the Eagles’ apparent gamesmanship, it’s just another example of how they plow as deep as possible in trying to gain any competitive edge. It’s a template they’ve long followed during Lurie’s ownership, one initially established by former team president Joe Banner. Sixteen playoff appearances in 27 years, fourth behind only the Patriots (21 times), Packers (20), and Colts (18) over that same span, doesn’t happen by accident. Especially considering that the Eagles, unlike those other three teams, didn’t have a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback. There have been slips-up along the way, of course. The lone title looks more like an outlier with each passing year. Pederson handled last season’s finale clumsily, but senior leadership at the least knew of his plans.

Chasing a dream: The ‘craziest underdog’ Cameron Malveaux gets another chance Saturday night – PE.com
His is a story of perseverance and responsibility, of chasing a dream and not stopping. Defensive end Cameron Malveaux has been in the NFL since 2017, when he played in four games with Miami and registered a quarterback sack and three tackles for loss in 107 defensive snaps. Now, Malveaux is seeing meaningful reps for the Eagles at a time of need for the position and is bringing energy and production. The journey he’s taken from Miami to Philadelphia is one to note for a man with a family and a goal. And he wasn’t about to let a series of moves – Malveaux spent time with six teams before becoming an Eagle in 2021 – stop his desire. “I think the main thing is just trying to stay resilient,” said Malveaux, signed to the Eagles’ practice squad on September 29 and elevated to the gameday roster to play 39 snaps against the Giants and 5 last Sunday at Washington. “I’ve had to stay at a lot of practices and do a lot of extra work when I’m not going to play, so I had to stay mentally tough from that standpoint. I’m thankful for that journey because it made me tough. It made me very mentally strong to deal with a lot of things. I’m thankful for that process. It made me who I am. I’m just a hard worker. Whenever I’m tunnel-visioned and focused on something, I never give up on it.”

Eagles fans will face parking gridlock for Saturday’s game vs. Cowboys – NJ.com
Patience is a virtue. And that virtue will be tested by Eagles fans on Saturday. Philadelphia is hosting the Dallas Cowboys in a prime-time showdown at Lincoln Financial Field, with kickoff slated for 8:15 p.m. ET. The only problem is the Philadelphia Flyers are hosting the San Jose Sharks across the street at the Wells Fargo Center, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. ET. So fans of both teams are being encouraged to arrive early and/or take public transportation to Saturday’s games.

Week 18 NFL game picks: Chargers edge Raiders to punch playoff ticket; Seahawks upset Cardinals – NFL.com
Like a lot of games this week, this prediction is largely about who wants to win. Even before the Eagles opened the week by putting a dozen players on the COVID-19 list, including many starters, I was operating under the assumption they would rest their starters. And while they have one of the best backup quarterbacks in Gardner Minshew, my other assumption is that the Cowboys will want to wipe the stink of their recent offensive showings and give themselves a chance at more home playoff games.

Cowboys will not have Trevon Diggs or Anthony Brown against the Eagles – Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys will be undermanned in their regular season finale in Philadelphia against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. Earlier this week Anthony Brown was placed on the COVID list. On Saturday it was reported Trevon Diggs would also miss the game with illness. (Tony Pollard and Jayron Kearse will also be out while Donovan Wilson is still questionable).

Big Blue View mailbag: Giants’ biggest question is, what happens now? – Big Blue View
Douglas, I think that “2022 is a lost cause” attitude is a bunch of nonsense. There aren’t enough game-changing players, but “devoid of talent” is way too harsh. The Giants look a lot different if Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley play 17 games. If Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney, Nick Gates, Shane Lemieux and Darius Slayton are healthy all year. If Blake Martinez, Jabrill Peppers, Adoree’ Jackson and Aaron Robinson play a full season. That is a lot of key players to lose. The Giants have a lot of decisions to make on veteran players to keep or cut due to their salary cap situation. I do not, though, think a complete tear down is what is needed. I think there are some solid pieces to build with, but not enough. I think you want to keep adding bricks, and I think the Giants need a few of those bricks to turn into game-changers. That, as I think about it, is an argument in favor of keeping Joe Judge. You bring in a new GM and new coach, and you will get a complete tear down. You can probably count on waving goodbye over the next couple of years to just about everyone except Andrew Thomas and Xavier McKinney. I just don’t think that’s necessary.

NFL Reacts #22: confirmed starters, and week 18 Pick 3 – The SB Nation NFL Show
Welcome to another edition of NFL Reacts! Stephen Serda and Kate Magdziuk are discussing which teams you can trust in week 18. Several teams claim to be playing their starters with little to no playoff implications, so we need to figure out who’s telling the truth. Also, there are a few games with huge playoff implications that can be cornerstones in your daily lineups.

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