The Linc – Nick Foles had the best reaction to Tom Brady’s retirement

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 2/2/22.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

[BLG Note: BDN from the top rope. Tom Brady was willing to shake hands on Super Bowl media night but not later that week after he was beaten by Foles.]

Eagles All-22 Film Review: DeVonta Smith is a pretty special player – BGN
That does not mean Smith cannot be an elite producer in any offense. The Eagles coaching staff MUST start to treat Smith like a legitimate WR1. There is no way he should be getting 10 targets in a game… just once! All season! He needs to be moved around the formation more and not just stuck out wide. He should be moved into the slot, put in motion and used out of the backfield. Just because you find ways to create matchups for someone and to get them off press coverage does not mean they are not an elite talent. It is just smart to utilise a player like Smith in a variety of ways. I would love the Eagles to target a big bodied ‘X’ receiver in FA so Smith can be used in different ways and will not have to face consistent press coverage. Seriously, if the Eagles do not target Smith and utilise him in different ways next year, I will be very mad. If the Eagles staff does commit to targeting him more like a number 1 receiver, I think he could end up in the top 5-10 for yards as early as next season.

The QB Factory Reboot #46: What to know about 2022 Senior Bowl QBs – BGN Radio
Raichele Privette and Mark Schofield break down the strengths and weaknesses for each of the 2022 senior bowl QBs and share their thoughts on who they’re most excited to see.

Senior Bowl practice notes, Day 1 – PhillyVoice
Kenny Pickett, Pitt: Pickett made the fewest mistakes of the quarterbacks today. Generally speaking, he threw on time and with accuracy, but there’s very little wow factor here. I remember watching Carson Wentz in 2016 or Justin Herbert in 2020 and being immediately impressed by their arm talent. They easily stood out from the rest of the quarterbacks those years, and went from question marks to a likely very high picks. Pickett was solid, but I don’t see him wowing anyone with his physical skills. He basically hit a safe 3-iron down the fairway on Day 1.

Senior Bowl – Day 1 – Iggles Blitz
Let’s talk about the QBs. Kenny Pickett is coming off an amazing senior season. I was curious to see how he would look in an all star game setting. Pickett got off to a solid start. He threw the ball well, showing good velocity and accuracy. There is no “wow” factor with him. He’s just a solid QB. Pickett looked comfortable running an NFL offense, which isn’t true for all prospects. Pickett did the little things well and that won’t go unnoticed by NFL coaches. Pickett’s crazy senior year reminds me a bit of Joe Burrow and the way he went from so-so prospect to superstar. Burrow is more naturally gifted and did more amazing things in his final season, but there are definite similarities.

Julian Lurie’s presence at the Senior Bowl further indicates an increased role with the Eagles – Inquirer
Julian Lurie continues to take a more active role with the Eagles. The owner’s son attended Senior Bowl practices Tuesday at Hancock Whitney Stadium with other members of the Eagles organization. Lurie watched the second session on the field with other select team personnel, specifically general manager Howie Roseman and coach Nick Sirianni. The 26-year-old doesn’t have an official role with the Eagles, but his presence has grown over the last year. Lurie was part of interviewing coaching candidates last offseason and attended both home and away games for the first time. He was here not to scout prospects but to observe the team’s pre-draft process, a team source said. Jeffrey Lurie has owned the Eagles since 1994. But the 70-year-old, who has previously attended various Senior Bowls, will likely someday cede control to his son. Julian Lurie’s increased involvement is in preparation for that eventuality, the source said.

2022 Senior Bowl Day 1 standouts: Jermaine Johnson II makes money – NFL.com
Jermaine Johnson II, DE, Florida State. After transferring from Georgia to Florida State prior to the 2021 season, Johnson made an immediate impact as a run defender, but it was obvious that he was still developing as a pass rusher. In Tuesday’s practice, Johnson clearly showed that he has been putting in work on his pass rush during his preparation for the Senior Bowl. He attacked with a rip-and-run move, a bull rush, an inside spin move and even the always challenging outside spin move. Johnson’s spins were fluid and fast, and they looked translatable to the next level. I had a first-round grade on Johnson entering this week, and with more flashes like the ones we saw on Tuesday, I certainly won’t be alone in that projection. He made money on Tuesday.

Evaluating which NFL teams are best set up for the 2022 offseason – PFF
The best place to start is by looking at the two variables that matter the most in the offseason: draft capital and effective cap space. Effective cap space is better at measuring cap space than regular cap space since it takes into account that a team must have 53 players on its roster. Plotting these variables together can give us a pretty solid idea of which teams look the best in each area. For example, thanks to a masterful trade down by then-general manager Dave Gettleman last year, the New York Giants currently have the second-most draft capital entering the offseason, despite not looking so good with their cap space situation. The Miami Dolphins have the most cap space in the NFL, thanks in part to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s rookie deal. However, they have below-average draft capital, partly due to them trading one of their first-round picks to the Philadelphia Eagles for the sixth overall pick last year.

Washington officially changes name to Commanders – Hogs Haven
For the last few months there have been consistent rumors that the new name was going to be Commanders. The team wanted a military connection and they got it with this name. It’s not a name the fans were calling for, but it’s what they are getting. To some fans this is the final straw that will allow them to cut ties to the organization that they don’t recognize anymore. To other fans this is just the next step in the team’s history and they just want to win, or they want to see the new uniforms, or they just don’t care about the name of the team. There is a place for all of that here, and people shouldn’t attack anyone for their reaction to this change. I don’t like the name choice, but I am still a fan of the team, and I’ll continue to follow and discuss them with everyone here.

Brian Flores suing NFL, Giants over hiring practices – Big Blue View
Brian Flores is suing the National Football League and the New York Giants, Here is the text Flores allegedly got from Bill Belichick: “Sorry – I fucked this up. I double checked and misread the text. I think they are naming Brian Daboll. I’m sorry about that. BB.” — The lawsuit alleges that Belichick sent this to Flores three days before Flores interviewed with the Giants. The lawsuit states, in part: “.. last week, Defendant New York Football Giants, Inc. (the “Giants” or “New York Giants”) had an opportunity to move a step in the right direction, if even only one. The Giants had the chance to hire Mr. Flores, an eminently qualified Black man, to be the first black head coach in the Giants’ nearly 100-year history.

Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow proved that Dak Prescott can be a Super Bowl quarterback – Blogging The Boys
After the most recent playoff loss, some Dallas Cowboys fans have speculated that Dak Prescott might not be good enough to win a Super Bowl. These concerns are valid given Prescott’s 1-3 record in the postseason. However, what Sunday proved is that Prescott is good enough to at least reach the big game. With Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow set to face off in Super Bowl LVI, why are we hesitant to believe Prescott can’t be in a similar position?

The 4 most explosive allegations from Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL – SB Nation
When the Dolphins fired Brian Flores earlier this year, it was a huge surprise. Flores had Miami moving in the right direction, and while they weren’t a playoff team yet, the building blocks were there. It raised a ton of questions at the time, but it was widely assumed Flores would quickly find a new team. Now with coach vacancies starting to fill, Flores remains without a job — and he believes he knows why. Flores filed a lawsuit Tuesday that names the National Football League, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Broncos and the remaining 29 teams, alleging widespread racial prejudice, discrimination, and use of the “Rooney Rule,” to string along minority candidates teams never considered hiring. There’s a lot to dig through in the 58 page filing, but here are the most explosive elements of the lawsuit.

Off Day Debrief #74: Ross Tucker joins the show as Super Bowl LVI is set! – The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera and Brandon Lee Gowton react to the two conference championship games we saw on Sunday, and Westwood One’s Ross Tucker helps us break down Chiefs Bengals. Ross was stunned that Cincinnati came back to win (4:27). How Ross knew that Joe Burrow is the goods (5:05). Behind the scenes look at the coaches after the Chiefs failed to score before halftime (7:08). BLG says no one deserved to win the NFC title game (17:26). The 49ers offense died in the fourth quarter (19:05). MVPs of the Week (25:44). LVPs of the Week (31:35).

…

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

BGN Cameo: Click here for a personalized video message