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As we get nearer to coaching camp, I’m beginning to get very excited. I hope you guys are getting equipped for a brand new season too.
That is the second installment of this week’s mailbag. We answered the first round of your questions here, together with ones about John Hightower, DeVonta Smith and a pair worrisome positions.
Let’s get to the subsequent spherical as we speak:
In case you missed it, the Eagles are holding joint practices with the Patriots and Jets this summer time. They’ll host the Patriots Aug. 16-17 and can journey to north Jersey to apply with the Jets Aug. 24-25.
As for the query, I completely get your level. It does appear noteworthy that the Eagles will play the Jets in December and I’m certain each groups shall be conscious of that as they apply collectively that week. As these two groups put together to play one another later within the 12 months, they’ll actually attempt to glean any data they will from these two joint practices. However I wouldn’t be too anxious about that.
Whereas it’s not essentially ideally suited to apply and play a preseason recreation towards a staff you’re going to play throughout the common season, there’s nonetheless loads to be gained from these classes. Certain, when these two groups go into 11-on-11 conditions, they’re going to maintain it very vanilla and never give away any secrets and techniques. However that work continues to be beneficial, too, as a result of they’re nonetheless going close to full pace towards a unique opponent.
And a lot of apply isn’t 11-on-11 drills. There are numerous methods these joint practices are aggressive and worthwhile with out having to disclose any play calling secrets and techniques. Heck, simply take into consideration the work the Eagles’ inside will get going towards Quinnen Williams. Or the work Derek Barnett will get going through a large like Mekhi Becton.
A aspect word on these joint practices: Many coaches truly favor them to preseason video games in the case of evaluating their gamers. That’s to not say preseason video games are meaningless, however in practices, coaches can management the scenario. You need to see crimson zone work, put them within the crimson zone. You don’t have to attend for conditions like in a recreation.
If nothing else, it additionally breaks up the monotony of coaching camp. Camps are lengthy and exhausting, even within the fashionable NFL with out two-a-days. So simply the possibility to interrupt that up and pump some pleasure into the lengthy summer time is value it. And for a coach like Nick Sirianni who values competitors over nearly all the things, attending to face guys in a unique jersey was an apparent transfer.
It’s an attention-grabbing query and I suppose plenty of it actually hinges on what you take into account elite to be. What number of elite quarterbacks are there within the NFL? 5? Six? If I needed to listing the elite quarterbacks within the league proper now, I’d go along with Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson. (I’d prefer to see at the least yet another 12 months from Josh Allen earlier than I put him in that group.)
I’d quite have an elite quarterback even when it prices a ton. I believe having a man like Mahomes, Brady, Wilson or Rodgers — even at a better worth — finally provides you the most effective likelihood of successful a Tremendous Bowl. It’s additionally vital to keep in mind that even above-average quarterbacks make actually good cash. Jared Goff? $33.5M per 12 months. Kirk Cousins? $33M per 12 months. Matt Ryan? $30M per 12 months. I’d quite pay Wilson $35M, Watson $39M and even Mahomes $45M per season.
Final season, the ultimate 4 quarterbacks left within the playoffs have been Brady ($25M per season), Mahomes ($45M per season), Rodgers ($33.5M per season) and Allen ($5.3M). Clearly, Allen proper now’s the largest discount of the bunch. And making an attempt to win a Tremendous Bowl with a very good, younger and low-cost quarterback is a good possibility. It’s how the Seahawks received with Wilson and it was the template for the Eagles with Wentz in 2017. But when the choices are the 2 you’re giving me, I’ll completely take a high-paid elite QB.
For some context, the Eagles signed Patrick Robinson earlier than the 2017 season and through that coaching camp, he was terrible, at the least early on. He did get higher as camp went on nevertheless it was dangerous at first. The massive change for Robinson got here when the Eagles acquired Ronald Darby in a commerce. That compelled Robinson out of one of many starter jobs and with Ron Brooks out with harm, the Eagles put Robinson on the nickel and he ended up being an enormous motive the Eagles received the Tremendous Bowl. He had been taking part in out of place and as soon as he was on the nickel, he was impulsively an excellent participant.
So a number of candidates for that form of story — which is form of uncommon — for this season:
Avonte Maddox: I might see a really related scenario to the one with Robinson. If the Eagles present as much as coaching camp with their present roster, Maddox would be the Eagles’ CB2. I believe he’s clearly out of place as an out of doors nook. We’ve seen him line up as an out of doors CB, nickel CB and a security within the NFL. I’d firmly put outdoors CB as his worst place. However the Eagles haven’t adequately addressed the place, in order that they may be compelled to play him there for now. But when Howie Roseman goes out and brings in a cornerback throughout camp, that might permit Maddox to slip inside, which might assist him and the staff out a ton.
Milton Williams: A part of what makes it arduous to provide you with names is that the participant must be safe sufficient to probably battle throughout coaching camp and nonetheless make the roster. So Williams involves thoughts. He’s a third-round decide with nice athleticism, however he’s coming from a smaller program and studying a brand new protection. So perhaps there’s an opportunity his head shall be swimming an excessive amount of early to permit his uncooked athleticism to shine. However he’s additionally a third-round decide so he’s not in peril of shedding his job. On this hypothetical scenario, I might see the sport lastly slowing down for him throughout the season, which might permit him to make use of his very apparent athletic instruments.
Jalen Hurts: The word about joint practices received me fascinated about one thing. When the Eagles hosted the Ravens earlier than the 2019 season, I got here away from these classes fairly unimpressed by Lamar Jackson. Then he went out and received the MVP that season. What I spotted was that a lot of Jackson’s recreation is operating or creating together with his legs and he wasn’t capable of actually put that on show in a apply setting. I’m questioning if it is going to be the identical for Hurts this 12 months. The apply setting may not actually permit him to show his athletic presents.
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