The Linc – Nick Sirianni places middle of the pack in NFL head coach rankings

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 4/10/22.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

NFL Coach Rankings 2022 – NBC Sports Edge
15. Nick Sirianni, Eagles. Sometimes it is better to know what you’re not than what you are. By Week 6, Nick Sirianni knew the Eagles were not a passing team. That’s when a rookie head coach, who to that point was most famous for his ability to talk in baffling circles, took decisive action. An offense that had been the league’s most pass happy became the most run heavy. By far. The Eagles’ pass rate plummeted from 63 percent in games 1-5 to 42 percent for weeks 7-18. The adjustment not only saved the Eagles’ season, it made them a playoff team. “Playoff team” in this case being a loose term. Make the postseason though the Eagles did, they did so by beating quite literally the worst teams in the league. Philly’s nine victories were comprised of the Falcons, Panthers, Lions, Broncos, Saints, Jets, Football Team and Giants. Beating the teams you are supposed to is a critical first step for any head coach, but Sirianni still has a ways to go. That he is on his way at all is a surprise after his cringe-inducing press conferences and awful first six games.

Ray Didinger’s five NFL Draft sleepers for the Eagles – BGN
Christian Watson, North Dakota State, WR, 6’4,” 210 pounds. “I first took notice of him last year when I was looking at film of Trey Lance. I kept noticing this real tall receiver catching everything. I took note of him and filed it away, thinking, let’s see what he looks like the next year with a different quarterback. He was still good. He came into my purview as a sleeper, so I’m going to keep him there, but he is rising. From an Eagles’ standpoint, I like him. I think the Eagles still need a receiver. Watson is very good. He’s 6-4, 210 and he returned kicks in college. He runs better than you would think, like a 4.47. He’s a big guy, with a small-man’s quickness. He reminds me of Jordy Nelson. He had another real good year at North Dakota State, and he got invited to the Senior Bowl. Down in Mobile, I wanted to see how he would do against the better Division I corners than he did at the (FCS) level. The fact of the matter is he was beating the top cover guys as badly as he was beating the defensive backs at North Dakota State. I think he’s legit.”

Eagles player review: Jack Anderson edition – PhillyVoice
While I don’t think that he will be competing for a starting job or anything like that, I was mostly encouraged by Anderson’s performance in this game. He looked like a playable interior lineman both at RG and C. Granted, this game didn’t mean a whole lot to the Cowboys, so it was a vanilla game plan, but he read stunts and blitzes with relative ease nevertheless. I was impressed with the way Anderson moved to center in-game after Brett Toth tore an ACL. He snapped the ball with no issues both in shotgun and when Gardner Minshew was under center, which might not sound like a big deal, but for a guy who started solely at RG in college, it’s noteworthy. He seems to have put in the work to be able to snap accurately and consistently, and it showed when his number was called.

In Roob’s Observations, an underrated area the Eagles have to improve – NBCSP
4. That said, all these picks also give Roseman the flexibility to trade up if it makes sense. And I think it will make sense. I figure guys like Jermaine Johnson, Jordan Davis and Garrett Wilson are really good candidates for a trade-up. If they slip out of the top 10, don’t be surprised if Howie starts working the phones trying to move up a few spots to snag one of them. That extra 3rd-round pick in this year’s draft the Eagles got in the Saints trade could come in handy. That 3 and maybe one of the Eagles’ 5th-round picks could probably get the Eagles in range to strike. I just don’t see Howie sitting at 15 and waiting around if he can move up for a top-10 type of talent.

Five most difficult 2022 NFL Draft prospects to evaluate; three quarterbacks in make-or-break year – NFL.com
It is hard to ignore the rare gifts displayed by the former five-star recruit during his time at Oregon. Kayvon Thibodeaux is a disruptive force off the edge, with his exceptional first-step quickness and snap-count anticipation creating problems for offensive tackles. The 6-foot-4, 254-pounder burst onto the scene with a nine-sack freshman campaign. And he continued to tease evaluators with his natural skills as an explosive speed rusher with cat-like quickness and acceleration. Despite possessing the raw tools to be a dominant edge rusher in the league for the next decade, Thibodeaux has faced persistent questions about his motor and love of the game. Evaluators have suggested that his film features too many “loafs” and low-effort plays for an elite player, and some wonder if his burgeoning off-field endeavors have impacted his focus on the game. While it is not uncommon for prized prospects to show some complacency or caution in their final college seasons, the questions surrounding Thibodeaux’s effort and energy have overshadowed a game that could pop in the NFL.

Matt Corral should be Washington’s Plan B – Hogs Haven
In the 15-minute video posted above, Simms sings Corral’s praises, acknowledging that he still needs to polish his skills, and could use some time on the bench before moving into a starting NFL role. When pressed for recent comps, in terms of ceiling, he offers Tua Tagovailoa, and says Corral is worth a top 10 pick. That assessment, plus what I see of Corral’s arm strength, release velocity, and athleticism on tape are good enough for me. This is not an appeal for just any back-up QB in the draft, it’s a defense of picking Corral specifically. If Wentz flames out in 2022 for one reason or another, Corral is a legitimate Plan B for the future. If Wentz leads the team to (recently) unprecedented success over the next few years, Corral is a potential trade asset. In any case, going into 2022 without a legitimate back-up plan in place at QB would be a nearly unforgivable failing by the front office. Matt Corral would be a very wise hedge against risk.

Cowboys offseason goes just like they told us it would, and has in the past – Blogging The Boys
This was all quite predictable. The unusually high number of free agents from last season’s roster pointed towards the large number of re-signings. While we were all terribly disappointed in the way things ended, it must be remembered that they had a 12-5 regular-season record. That argued strongly for bringing back a lot of the old band. The biggest failure of the offseason was not getting the desired deal done with Randy Gregory. That in turn drove a couple of moves, re-signing Dorance Armstrong and adding Dante Fowler, that may have not happened had Gregory been retained. The rest of things were strictly according to the Stephen Jones playbook, which has long been open for anyone to view. And if you haven’t been paying attention in the past, he is continually reciting from it just to drive things home. That includes the outdated view of the salary cap as a serious limitation on what can be done in free agency. It makes for an unexciting time before the draft rivets us and we have some shiny new players to get the blood pumping. Assuming Will McClay does his usual excellent job, we will start to convince ourselves that the team is ready to make some noise this year. We will also start convincing ourselves that players like Kelvin Joseph and Jabril Cox are more assured to step up than we really have evidence for. They both have a lot of potential, but that needs to be proven on the field.

Ed’s mock draft 6.0: Let’s go all six rounds for the Giants – Big Blue View
The first four picks went Kayvon Thibodeaux (Jacksonville Jaguars), Kyle Hamilton (Detroit Lions), Aidan Hutchinson (Houston Texans), Ikem Ekwonu (New York Jets). Whatever you think of that, those are the players who were off the board. Evan Neal is a plug and play starter at right tackle, and along with Ekwonu one of the two offensive linemen you would really hope the Giants would have a chance to select in this draft.

Dwayne Haskins killed in South Florida Saturday after being struck by a vehicle – Behind The Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers and NFL community as a whole now mourns the loss of former first round pick, and Ohio State standout, Dwayne Haskins who was reportedly been killed after being hit by a vehicle in Florida on Saturday morning. He was 24 years old. This per Adam Schefter of ESPN, which was confirmed by Haskin’s agent, Cedric Saunders.

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