The Linc – Eagles’ most improved player in 2023

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 2/2/24.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Most improved player for all 32 NFL teams after the 2023 regular season – PFF
Eagles’ Jordan Mailata becomes an elite left tackle: He surged to an 80.0-plus PFF grade in 2023 after recording a 76.5 mark in 2022. […] Philadelphia’s left tackle developed into one of the NFL’s elite players at the position in 2023, as he earned an 83.2 pass-blocking grade and 83.0 run-blocking grade during the regular season.

Dan Quinn to the Commanders could be good news for the Eagles – BGN
As you can see, Quinn helped the Cowboys get pretty good results on defense. He was undoubtedly aided by star talent that remains in Dallas. But he also oversaw the development of some of those players. It remains to be seen who the Cowboys will hire to replace Quinn. Former Eagles defender and current Cowboys assistant Al Harris seems to be getting some consideration. Ron Rivera, who interviewed for the Eagles’ DC opening before Philly hired Vic Fangio, is also reportedly in the mix. Regardless of who they pick, there’s a decent chance it’s going to be a downgrade from Quinn. The Cowboys could also be in jeopardy of losing some key assistants to Washington.

On the Shane Page #16: Vic Fangio 101 – BGN Radio
Jonny Page and Shane Haff dive into what you need to know about the Eagles new defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. They discuss his history, tentpoles of his system and myths, and the overall basics of a few of his favorite coverages.

Senior Bowl practice notes, Day 2 – PhillyVoice
At linebacker, North Carolina’s Cedric Gray did some good things. He had a really nice pass breakup on a two-way route by SDSU RB Isaiah Davis. Tough route to cover in 1-on-1’s, and he did it well. Gray put up monster stats over the last three seasons, racking up 365 tackles (29 for loss), 8.5 sacks, 5 INTs, 13 PBUs, and 5 FFs. His athleticism is obvious, and spoiler, he’s going to test well at the Combine. I was encouraged by what I saw from him in coverage, which was an obvious disaster area for the 2023 Eagles. The best linebacker this week, however was probably NC State’s Payton Wilson. He’s a complete player. He has size (6’4, 234), he can cover, he played the run really well this week, and his production in 2023 (138 tackles, 17.5 for loss, 6 sacks, 3 INTs, 6 PBUs, 1 FF) was outstanding. But as noted in yesterday’s notes, he’s going to be a very polarizing player because of his age (24 in April) and injury history. If Wilson were to fall to the end of the third round, by all means go get that guy. But I think someone will gamble on him earlier than that.

More Senior Bowl Talk – Iggles Blitz
Players from medium and small schools come to Mobile hoping to show they are just as good or even better than stars from the SEC, Big Ten or whatever other conference still exists. This doesn’t guarantee NFL success, but it sure helps their draft status. CB Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo did a great job of taking advantage of the Senior Bowl. He showed he can cover anyone. Take the logos off his helmet and uniform and you’d think he was an All American from Alabama. Mitchell is showing great coverage ability. He can press and run with the receiver. He’s got the body control to mirror and stay right with them. Mitchell has the speed and size to handle NFL receivers. Mitchell made an impressive INT down the field on Wednesday. He doesn’t just cover well, he has terrific ball skills and can make plays. Mitchell will be a first round pick. Does he crack the Top 20?

2024 NFL Draft: Six prospects who stood out in East-West Shrine Bowl – NFL.com
1) Frank Gore Jr., RB, Southern Miss (5-foot-7 1/8, 199 pounds). The son of the NFL’s third-place all-time leading rusher won the game’s Offensive Most Valuable Player award, rushing for 48 of his 87 yards on a score after cutting back left off outside zone. He saw the open field on that play and took the angle from the safety and outside linebacker squeezing inside. He had two more first-down runs for the West team in the second quarter on zone plays (getting coached by his dad on the sideline in between) and also showed toughness, picking up six yards on an inside run without a lot of room. Gore isn’t the biggest or fastest back in the draft, but he showed scouts he’ll be an effective one in the NFL.

What Kelee Ringo wants to work on after promising rookie season – NBCSP
And he thinks there’s a chance for a bigger role. “Yessir,” Ringo said. “Most definitely.” What does Ringo want to improve most this offseason? “I would say my mental game,” he answered. “Just have the game slow down even more than it has been.” Ringo said he wants to spend a good bit of time this offseason studying his reps and going over coverages. The Eagles have a new defensive coordinator in 2024 so he’ll have a newish scheme to learn as well.

Suspended NFL player Isaiah Rodgers Sr. says bets were made for others – ESPN
Rodgers also said he understands the inevitable questions that will arise when people consider the reasons behind his suspension — like whether he ever altered the outcome of a game because of a bet. “I studied too hard and too long and worked too hard to even get to this position to go out there and say, ‘I’m going to make this guy catch the ball and score a touchdown on me just for $25, $50 bets.’ Nah, that’s not even the type of person I am.” In August, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Rodgers and placed him on the reserve/suspended list. He won’t be eligible to apply for reinstatement by the league until after the Super Bowl.

Eagles Autism Foundation contributes $6.2 million to fund 34 research and community projects – PE.com
The Eagles Autism Foundation has announced that 34 projects specializing in cutting-edge autism research and care will receive $6.2 million in funding. The grants are a direct result of the proceeds raised by participants from the 2023 Eagles Autism Challenge, in addition to other foundation-related fundraising initiatives throughout the year.

Replacing Dan Quinn comes with issues for the Cowboys – Blogging The Boys
There is a strong potential that McCarthy and the management are going to have to build an entirely new defensive staff. Whoever gets the DC job may only do so with the freedom to rebuild his own staff. All the various considerations come into play there. Further, Quinn getting the final head coach opening in the NFL puts Dallas behind the curve. A lot of good coaching talent has already been snatched up by the other teams with defensive openings, up and down the staff. While it is for different reasons, it puts the team in a similar situation as they have faced so often in free agency, where they are having to work with a pool of candidates that has already been picked over. Things are developing quickly, and some of these questions may already be answered before this is published. In the long run, replacing Quinn was probably going to be necessary. The timing, however, is unfortunate. It was out of the team’s control. But it comes with a lot of issues that they are now forced to address. Those may wind up very difficult to handle.

Mock draft tracker: Malik Nabers overwhelming choice for Giants at No. 6 – Big Blue View
LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers remains the consensus choice for the New York Giants at No. 6 in the 2024 NFL Draft, with 57.5% (23) of the 40 mocks featured this week giving Nabers to the Giants.

Washington Commanders Coaching Tracker: Dan Quinn needs to hire new coordinators and has to ace the OC pick – Hogs Haven
There have already been several names linked to Quinn, both from his previous attempts to get another head coaching job, and this year’s round of rumors and reports. Quinn is expected to bring some coaches with him from the Dallas Cowboys, and current DBs coach Joe Whitt has been reported to be his choice for DC in Washington. He is currently the Cowboys passing game coordinator/secondary coach, and is expected to join Quinn’s staff when the hiring becomes official. The offensive coordinator job is considered the most important in Quinn’s new coaching staff. Eric Bieniemy is still under contract with the Commanders for another year, and he received an interview for head coach. He is expected to be replaced after an disappointing season that saw first-year starting QB show promise, but nose-dive in the most pass-happy offense in the NFL. Washington has the #2 pick in this year’s draft, and is expected to draft a new QB. Quinn will need to hit on the OC hire, and develop the QBs on the roster.

The Commanders have screwed up their head coaching search in spectacular fashion – SB Nation
Make no mistake: Hiring Adam Peters from the 49ers was still a stroke of brilliance. He’s absolutely the right general manager to lead an organization into the future — but Peters might have made his first major mistake less than a month into his tenure by not locking up a coach when he had the chance, instead holding out for Johnson and praying he’d come to Washington. Whatever happens next will be mediocre. We won’t see the dawning of an exciting new era as many hoped, and instead expectation will be measured. It didn’t have to be like this, but it’s the situation the team now finds itself in, because they really blew it.

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