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Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/4/22.
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Best NFL team fits for top 2022 NFL Draft prospects: Kyle Hamilton to the Baltimore Ravens, Skyy Moore to the Dallas Cowboys and more – PFF
10. WR DRAKE LONDON, USC: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. The Eagles receiving corps already has two nice pieces in DeVonta Smith and deep-threat Quez Watkins. It’s important for teams to have three viable receiving targets and since the Eagles’ receiving room is notably lacking in talent, any of the draft’s top receivers would reasonably work for Philly. However, once the Eagles likely cut JJ Arcega-Whiteside, the largest receiver they’ll have on roster will be John Hightower or Watkins — both of whom are listed at 6-foot-2 and less than 195 pounds. Enter London, who is listed at 6-foot-5, 209 pounds and was an accomplished route runner during his time at Southern Cal. He is a surprising yards-after-catch (YAC) threat, forcing 0.19 missed tackles per touch, which ranked 48th amongst the 214 FBS wide receivers that have been drafted since 2015. Additionally, nearly a third of his targets came 11-plus yards downfield, which implies that he can win down the field and at the catch point. Regardless of what the Eagles do at quarterback this offseason, London would be a great addition to their receiving corps.
Eagles All-22 Film Review: There is upside with Quez Watkins – BGN
Obviously it is impossible to predict, but I think Quez Watkins has the talent to be a 600-900 yard receiver if the offense threw the ball more and gave him more opportunities. He really is seriously fast and has really good hands. There is always a place for a player with his skill set in the NFL right now. Regardless of your opinion on his upside, there is absolutely no doubt that he was an absolutely fantastic pick in the 6th round just 2 years ago. I preferred him coming out to John Hightower due to his hands and game breaking speed that showed up on tape more often than it did with Hightower. I hope he gets more opportunities next year and I do think there is upside with Quez Watkins that we have not seen yet due to the quarterback and identity of the offense this past season.
At the Podium: Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni at 2022 NFL Combine – BGN Radio
Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni speak with the media at 2022 NFL Combine about various topics affecting the Eagles.
10 takeaways from Howie Roseman’s and Nick Sirianni’s NFL Combine press conferences – PhillyVoice
#JimmySays: So, again, the Eagles can say Hurts is their starter, but it really doesn’t mean much. If there are opportunities to upgrade on Hurts, the Eagles are going to explore those avenues.
Roseman’s not-so-subtle message about Dillard – NBCSP
Howie Roseman sent a message to the rest of the league on Wednesday. You want Andre Dillard? Roseman’s phone is on. The former first-round pick is about to enter the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and obviously doesn’t have a starting job after getting beat out by Jordan Mailata last summer. But Dillard is still just 26 and at the very least still has the ability to be a starting tackle in the NFL. “It’s hard to find offensive linemen who can move and who can bend,” Roseman said. “The amazing thing is Andre is working out every day right now. I’m not allowed to really talk to him about anything, but you can see, he looks great. Upper body, lower body, he’s really determined. He wants to play.” We already know, barring injury, that Dillard won’t play here.
Dallas Cowboys free agency rumors: “It would be an upset if Amari Cooper returns” – Blogging The Boys
The 2022 NFL Combine is underway in Indianapolis and it tends to breed storylines given all of the networking that happens among league dignitaries. A report emerged late on Thursday night from The Dallas Morning News that chatter from Indy is that the Cowboys’ wide receiver trio of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb have likely played their last game together and “it would be an upset if Amari Cooper returns” to the team.
Giants reportedly ask Sterling Shepard to take pay cut – Big Blue View
New York Giants veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard is reportedly the latest victim in a series of salary cap moves by the team this week. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports that the Giants have asked Shepard to take a pay cut and return on a shortened one-year contract next season. The new salary would reportedly be close to the league minimum of $1.035 million, which is a significant cut from his base salary of $8.475 million. Shepard still has two years remaining on his contract but this deal would wipe out the final year, allowing Shepard to hit the free agency market sooner.
Martin Mayhew Combine Presser: We appreciate what Taylor Heinicke did last year, but we’re looking to upgrade at QB – Hogs Haven
Washington Commanders GM Martin Mayhew spoke to the media today during Day 2 of Head Coach/GM interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine. Ron Rivera spoke yesterday, and they both have been consistent in their message since the end of the season. Washington needs to upgrade at QB this season. Mayhew made a point to praise Taylor Heinicke for stepping up last year after starter Ryan Fitzpatrick was lost for the season during the first game. Heinicke has a place on the team, but if they want to take the next step they need to upgrade at the most important position in sports.
NFL’s Gregg Rosenthal Believes Colts Must ‘Move off’ QB Carson Wentz – Stampede Blue
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal wrote a piece (found here) highlighting one thing each team in the AFC ‘must do’ to have a shot a making next year’s Super Bowl. For the Indianapolis Colts, that one ‘must’ is having to move on from QB Carson Wentz. Rosenthal’s piece was put together prior to any reports of Wentz either being traded or released before March 18, but since then, the Colts’ intentions have been made clear and it’s very likely they’ll have a different starting QB under center for a fifth consecutive season under coach Frank Reich.
Seahawks have essentially invited other teams to make an offer for Russell Wilson – PFT
Speaking at the Scouting Combine, Carroll told reporters as to Wilson, “We have no intention of making any move there.” If Wilson were untouchable, Carroll would have used broader language. By saying “no intention,” Carroll necessarily implied that intentions could change. That someone could make them an offer they wouldn’t refuse. Obviously, Wilson could refuse it; he has a no-trade clause. But with the Seahawks surely realizing that they’re one year away from the next effort by Wilson to get a new contract (Wilson also pushes for a new deal with one year left on his current one), the Seahawks have to decide whether to move him now, or whether to kick the can. Could they get more now? Probably. Next year, whoever trades for him would have to sign him to a new deal. A 2022 trade possibly would (or could) be accomplished without a long-term extension. The more a team has to pay the player as he walks through the door, the less the team will be inclined to give up in order to get him from his current team.
2022 NFL Scouting Combine winners and losers, Day 1: Chris Olave, Malik Willis impress – NFL.com
Treylon Burks. Burks’ 4.55-second 40 time is just fine for a 225-pound receiver. His 32-inch vertical and 10-foot-2 broad jump were not exceptional, though, even for a player his size. Burks was inconsistent during his drill work, sometimes looking smooth catching passes but appearing too linear in his movements at other times. With impressive performances happening all around him, Burks’ outing was not what he needed to secure the top receiver spot in the draft.
NFL Draft 2022: How Thursday night’s Combine performances could impact the Eagles | 5 observations – NJ.com
Small school wide receivers become intriguing Day 2 and Day 3. While most of the attention does go to the bigger schools and college football, there were some players who came from smaller schools who did impress. Skyy Moore from Western Michigan looked very fluid running his routes Thursday and ran a decent 40-yard dash time (4.41 seconds). Memphis’ Calvin Austin III ran a 4.32 40-yard time and also impressed with some of the catches he made. Finally, Christian Watson from North Dakota State showed some physical attributes and speed that make him an intriguing prospect. Watson still has to work out some of the finer details of his route running, but it could be valuable to a team if coached up right.
Three Takeaways From the NFL Combine – The Ringer
1. The quarterback market should be slow. At the start of the 2021 offseason, one of the biggest story lines was the expectation that several quarterbacks would change teams. Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Cam Newton, and Teddy Bridgewater were among the names with the potential to switch teams. Not all of them did—players like Stafford, Darnold, and Wentz did change teams, but others like Rodgers and Garoppolo stayed put. This year, fewer passers are expected to move. Players like Kirk Cousins, who once might have looked like a candidate for a trade or even a release, seem more likely to stay where they are. The Vikings signaled their commitment to Cousins when they hired Kevin O’Connell, Cousins’s former quarterbacks coach in Washington, to be their head coach. O’Connell and new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah reinforced that view this week.
Jameson Williams: The Draft’s Top Big-Play Threat – Football Outsiders
The 2020 Ohio State roster had more wide receiver talent than the Buckeyes knew what to do with. This year’s draft prospects, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, are the obvious names, but the Buckeyes also have another first-round receiver on the way for 2023 in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Behind all of them was Jameson Williams, a four-star vertical threat who got lost in the shuffle when Olave and Wilson won starting jobs as outside receivers early on in their careers. Williams then transferred to Alabama for the 2021 season, which is a funny thought on its own considering how much wide receiver talent Alabama has produced recently. The Crimson Tide receiver room was not as stacked as usual this year, though, giving Williams a chance to shine as brightly as the Buckeyes teammates he left behind. He took that chance and ran with it, all the way to the first round. Speed is the natural starting point with Williams. With or without the ball, Williams plays at a different pace than everyone else around him. He stretches the defense thin by nature of being on the field while also being a threat to take one to the house any time he touches the ball. It is not by chance that Williams’ 15 touchdowns last season were scored from an average of 47.6 yards out.
Malik Willis did a random act of kindness before the NFL Draft Combine – SB Nation
There are going to be mountains of criticism and critiques as we lead up to the draft, with the minutia of prospects picked apart ad nauseam. However, everything is pointing to Malik Willis being a good dude. Willis was spotted on the sidewalk of Indianapolis talking to a person who was sitting on a milk crate and asking passers by for money. The Liberty QB didn’t open up his wallet, but instead cracked open his suitcase to hand over clothes to help the needy individual.
The Look Ahead #79: The “I don’t believe you” episode, NFL Combine edition – The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera and RJ Ochoa react to multiple statement from around the NFL Combine, and decide whether what coaches and GMs are saying is credible. Are the Packers telling the truth about Aaron Rodgers? (2:55). Is Tom Brady really retired or does he like keeping us guessing? (10:13). Why do people thinks Mitchell Trubisky can be a starting quarterback again? (16:41). Washington doesn’t deserve credit for checking on every available quarterback (24:57). Is everything really good between Russell Wilson and the Seahawks? (30:25). The Dolphins say they’re out on Deshaun Watson (37:29).
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