Eagles // NFL – 97.5 The Fanatic: Recent Episodes

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97.5 The Fanatic entertains and informs with great star interviews and passionate caller discussions.

There is a strong case to put Lane Johnson among the greatest Eagles of All-Time. Not only was he part of both Eagles Super Bowl wins, but he is one...

The post Eagles Legend Teases Retirment Plans appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It was never a real question of whether the Eagles would extend Jalen Carter. There were some trade rumors at one point, but nothing of substance. We knew they were...

The post Eagles Give Pro-Bowl DT Jalen Carter A Massive Extension appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles training camp is just over a month away. The NFL released the report date for all 32 teams, and here is a look at what the schedule looks like...

The post Eagles Training Camp Schedule Announced appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Has anyone ever gone from hated to beloved faster than Howie Roseman? At one point, some Eagles fans were ready to fire Howie. Now, those same Eagles fans are ready...

The post 11 Of The Best Trades Howie Roseman Has Ever Made appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last season, we celebrated the 20th birthday of Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles played their first game there in August of 2023. Since then, it has been their home, and...

The post The 13 Greatest Moments In Lincoln Financial Field History appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Conversations about the wide receiver position have dominated the offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles. While the A.J. Brown trade is officially in the rearview (finally), a stockpile of intriguing additions leaves...

The post A.J. Brown Trade Opens Door For New-Look Eagles Wide Receiver Group appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Conversations about the wide receiver position have dominated the offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles. While the A.J. Brown trade is officially in the rearview (finally), a stockpile of intriguing additions...

The post Envisioning A Role For Dontayvion Wicks In Eagles Offense appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles finally have closure after a much-maligned wide receiver saga. Jalen Hurts will immediately look to four-time 1000-yard receiver DeVonta Smith as a top option following the departure...

The post How Does A.J. Brown Trade Impact DeVonta Smith, Role With Eagles? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The departure of A.J. Brown inevitably creates question marks for the Philadelphia Eagles in the wide receiver room. Jalen Hurts will immediately look to four-time 1000-yard receiver DeVonta Smith as...

The post Can Eagles Expect Makai Lemon to Duplicate A.J. Brown’s Production? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The story that dominated the Eagles’ offseason finally has its conclusion. After months of speculation, the Eagles finally traded their star WR AJ Brown to the Patriots. They are getting...

The post Eagles Trade AJ Brown To Patriots For 1st And 5th Round Pick appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

While the NFL world awaits news on A.J. Brown, the Philadelphia Eagles shifted their focus to another wide receiver. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles will sign Samori Toure...

The post Eagles Sign Wide Receiver Samori Toure appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

USA Today confirmed something we all already knew. When it comes to Football Towns, Philadelphia is just a step above the rest. The 2026 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards...

The post Philadelphia Named The Nation’s Best NFL City By USA Today appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Ticketmaster have announced a multi-year extension through 2030, naming Ticketmaster the Exclusive Ticketing Partner of the Eagles. According to a Philadelphia Eagles news announcement, the extended...

The post Eagles Extend Ticketmaster Deal Through 2030 as Exclusive Ticketing Partner appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles’ schedule is out. We have known who they will play since the season ended. But now we finally know when for each game. The Eagles have 9 home...

The post Eagles Full Schedule For The 2026 to 2027 Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles and TrueFan Travel announced a multi-year partnership to boost the travel experience for Eagles fans beginning with the 2026 NFL season. As part of the agreement, TrueFan...

The post Eagles Name TrueFan Travel as Official Fan Travel Partner for 2026 Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles Autism Foundation has announced that the ninth annual Eagles Autism Challenge, held on Saturday, May 9, has raised more than $16 million. According to a Philadelphia Eagles news...

The post Eagles Autism Challenge Raises Record $16M appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Thanksgiving Football in Dallas is a long-standing NFL tradition. This year, that tradition will include the Eagles. The official NFL Schedule release is not until Thursday Night. But as per...

The post Eagles Will Play In Dallas On Thanksgiving This Year appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nick Foles won the first-ever Super Bowl in Eagles history. Even if the rest of his career did not go as smoothly, that feat alone earned Foles the right to...

The post Makai Lemon Gets Permison From Nick Foles To Wear 9 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Let me start this by saying, Jeff Stoutland is a legend. The Eagles would not have two Super Bowls without him. The success of the O-Line has played a massive...

The post Jeff Stoutland Can’t Avoid Blame For The Eagles 2025 Collapse appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After trading up in the first round and trading some picks to the Vikings for Jonathan Greenard, the Eagles’ stockpile of day 3 picks was pretty barren. They entered the...

The post Eagles Draft Day 3 Tracker- Every Pick And UDFA appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Everyone knew the Eagles would land an OT in this draft. It was a matter of when, not if. In the first two rounds, they opted for a WR and...

The post Eagles Draft Massive 6 Foot 9 Tackle Out Of Miami appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

For years, the Eagles have needed to take a TE. In the past two off-seasons, it felt like Dallas Goedert would leave, only for the two sides to agree to...

The post Eagles Select Eli Stowers In the 2nd Round appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Howie Roseman is always reliable to make big trades in the draft. Not just to move up or move down, though he does that too. But more often than not,...

The post Eagles Land EDGE Jonathan Greenard In Big Draft Night Trade appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With AJ Brown rumors swirling, and a trade likely coming post June 1st, the Eagles had a big need at WR. So what did they do? They traded up with...

The post Eagles Trade Up To Select USC WR Makai Lemon appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The most important question for the Eagles this offseason has been what will happen with AJ Brown. The rumor mill has been churning for months, connecting him to trades. Adam...

The post Adam Schefter Thinks Eagles Will Get A 1st Round Pick For AJ Brown appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In recent years, Howie Roseman has nailed the draft. This year’s draft in particular could be extra important, not just for this year, but for the next 10. They need...

The post Eagles Final Mock Draft Round- Looking For The Next Elite RT appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every year, I undergo a process that mostly only shows how little of a social life I have. For the past several years, I have simulated the Eagles’ draft thousands...

The post 1000 Simulations Of The Eagles 1st Round Draft Pick appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles made a trade involving a WR, but it is not the one everyone is waiting for. They sent a 2026 5th-round pick and a 2027 7th-round pick to...

The post Eagles Trade For WR Dontayvion Wicks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Fans of Abbott Elementary got a surprise during the Season 5 finale on Wednesday, April 22, when the doubleheader featured special guest star Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith. Smith appears in...

The post DeVonta Smith Appears in ‘Abbott Elementary’ appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles off-season has been dominated by the AJ Brown conversation. Will he be traded? Does he want to be traded? If he is traded, what will the Eagles get...

The post Derrick Gunn Throws Cold Water On AJ Brown Trade Rumors appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles made a mistake last year when they let Fred Johnson leave. It quickly became apparent that they did not have enough depth behind their starting O-Line. They wound...

The post Eagles Bring Back Fred Johnson As Swing Tackle appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are about 1 month away from the draft. Free agency is mostly wrapped up. The Eagles may still make moves here and there, but for the most part, the...

The post Eagles Mock Draft Roundup-3.0- The Next Lane Johnson appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After losing one safety, Reed Blankenship, in free agency, the Eagles are now down another Safety. They have traded Sydney Brown to the Atlanta Falcons. They sent Brown, picks No....

The post Eagles Trade Safety Sydney Brown, Sign 2 Safeties appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

NFL Free Agency is here! What will the Eagles do? Could AJ Brown be on the move? Will they extend any of their young players on defense? Keep track of...

The post Eagles Free Agency Tracker: Every Signing, Trade, and Rumors appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles made a trade on Wednesday, but not the one people were waiting for. They are sending a 2027 7th-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for veteran...

The post Eagles Trade For Veteran Quarterback Andy Dalton appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have been looking for a WR3 ever since they first acquired AJ Brown. They tried Quez Watkins, then they traded for Jahan Dotson. There were just never enough...

The post Eagles Sign Hollywood Brown To 1-Year Deal appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will host an invite-only youth flag football tournament in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, this June. Mark your calendars. The Saquon Barkley Alpha Invitational hits Whitehall High...

The post Saquon Barkley Launches Flag Football Tournament in Whitehall appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Darius Slay may be among the most underappreciated athletes in Eagles history. He joined the Eagles in 2020 and, for 5 years, locked down the Eagles CB1 role. Now, 1...

The post Former Eagle CB Darius Slay Calls It A Career appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have seen a lot of players walk away in free agency this year. But at least one player is staying put. After moving back the deadline on his...

The post Dallas Goedert Returns To Eagles On 1-Year Deal appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The first day of free agency saw the Eagles lose several key pieces of their defense. The next day, they added Riq Woolen as their CB2 to make. On Thursday,...

The post Eagles Strengthen Depth of Defense With 2 More Moves appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have spent most of the offseason so far seeing their free agents walk out the door. But they just ensured one will be sticking around for the next...

The post Eagles Re-Sign Punter Braden Mann To 4-Year Deal appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL offseason began slowly with A.J. Brown trade rumors moving at a snail’s pace. The beginning of the new league year has exploded the news cycle. The Philadelphia Eagles...

The post Another Layer to Nolan Smith Trade Rumors appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles had been fairly quiet over the first 24 hours in free agency. They saw staples of their defense last year like Reed Blankenship, Nakobe Dean, and Jaelan Phillips...

The post Eagles Bolster Secondary By Signing CB Riq Woolen appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

NFL free agency hadn’t even begun by the time the Philadelphia Eagles (reportedly) lost three key starters on defense. Their defense hit its stride in the second half of the...

The post An Awkward Point of View on Depleted Eagles Defense appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

For 4th staright off-season, the Eagles will see several starters on their defense depart. Go back to post 2022, and the Eagles lost both starting Safeties, both starting Linebackers, and...

The post Eagles Lose 2 More Key Defensive Starters In Free Agency appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In the few days before NFL Free Agency started, reports suggested that bringing back Jaelan Phillips was a high priority for the Eagles. The two sides did not reach a...

The post Jaelan Phillips Leaves Eagles To Sign With Panthers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL League Year may not have started yet, but the Eagles already checked off one major item on their to-do list. They re-signed DT Jordan Davis to a 3-year...

The post Eagles Make Jordan Davis The Highest Paid NT In NFL History appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

A South Philadelphia individual who attempted to sell more than $200,000 worth of memorabilia after forging Jason Kelce signatures in 2024 will not have to serve a jail sentence. Action...

The post South Philly Man Sentenced for Forging Jason Kelce Signatures appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

“Help Shape the Future Eagles Stadium Experience!” That was the subject line of an email the Philadelphia Eagles sent on July 24, 2025, detailing how the Eagles are considering changes...

The post Eagles Weigh Stadium Options Ahead of 2032 Lease Expiration appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL owners recently scored a victory over the NFLPA when it was ruled they could not release the Team report Cards. Turns out, it got leaked anyway, and Kalyn...

The post Nick Sirianni Gets An A In Leaked NFLPA Report Card appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The failure to build an effective passing attack has dominated conversations about the Philadelphia Eagles and their inconsistent offense in recent seasons. Sean Mannion hopes to more effectively utilize the...

The post Eagles Indicate Unexpected Focus of the Sean Mannion Offense appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is NFL Combine time. The Combine might not carry as much weight as many like to think in who gets drafted where, but it does mark the start of...

The post Eagles Mock Draft Roundup 2.0- The Future Lane Johnson? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

One of the major stories last off-season was the NFL’s attempt to ban the Tush Push. Roger Goodel made it his personal mission. Coaches like Sean McDermott called it a...

The post Tush Push Not Expected To Be Banned This Off-Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

First, Jeff McLane reported some good news that Lane Johnson is returning for the 2026 season. Now, Derrick Gunn has more good Eagles news. He reported that Landon Dickerson will...

The post Landon Dickerson Intends To Play In 2026 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The status of Lane Johnson was a giant question mark hanging over the Eagles’ heads this offseason. The All-Pro RT missed the last 8 games last season, including a playoff...

The post Lane Johnson Will Return In 2026 For 14th Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Going into the off-season, some considered it a foregone conclusion that the Eagles would move on from star WR AJ Brown. Brown did not hide his dissatisfaction last season, and...

The post AJ Brown Might Remain An Eagle After All appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

2025 did not go the way anyone hoped with the Eagles. After winning the Super Bowl, people saw them as a team that could be the next Chiefs and dominate...

The post Stop Blaming Nick Sirianni For Every Thing Wrong With The Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Mock draft season is here! The Super Bowl is over, and the NFL Combine is a couple of weeks away. It will be a draft that has Eagles fans far...

The post Eagles Mock Draft Roundup 1.0- What Do Eagles Do With Pick 23 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When the Eagles first drafted Landon Dickerson, no one denied his talent. The big knock was how many injuries he dealt with in College, including 2 torn ACLs. Through his...

The post Landon Dickerson Is Mulling An Early Retirment appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have had 3 different head coaches and 7 Offensive Coordinators since 2013. They went from Chip Kelly, to Doug Pederson to Nick Sirianni. But throughout that time, there...

The post Jeff Stoutland Won’t Return As The Eagles O-Line Coach appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nick Foles earned his status as a folk hero with an MVP effort for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. However, his unlikely journey wasn’t as smooth as other...

The post 9 Nick Foles Memories That Defined a Philadelphia Eagles Legend appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Who are the best football players of all time from the Philadelphia area? We put together a roster made entirely of players from the Philly area. Here is how it...

The post The All-Time Roster Of NFL Players From the Philadelphia Area appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Super Bowl 59 is something Eagles fans are never going to forget. It was full of unforgettable plays on offense and defense. But which plays were the most unforgettable? Which...

The post 7 Plays From Super Bowl 59 Eagles Fans Won’t Forget anytime Soon appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL combine is the part of the pre-draft process that fans pay the most attention to. But a part of that process that is arguably more important took place...

The post 4 Senior Bowl Standouts Worth Watching For The Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After a long and sometimes exhausting search, the Eagles finally have their Offensive Coordinator. They hired Packers QB Coach Sean Mannion, making him their 5th Offensive Coordinator in as many...

The post Eagles Hire Packers QB Coach Sean Mannion As Their Next OC appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There is little doubt as to what the most iconic play in Eagles history is. “The Philly Special” has a special place in the hearts of Philly fans. It is...

The post ‘The Philly Special’ Is Getting The ESPN ’30 For 30′ Treatment appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The AFC Championship game kicked off a classic argument among Football fans. Should NFL Stadiums have roofs? The Patriots and Broncos played an ugly game in a blizzard where neither...

The post Eagles Fans Should Prepare For The Next Stadium To Have A Roof appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In general, we want sports to be played on as even a playing field as possible. Mother nature does not always let that happen though. Occasionally she has different plans...

The post 10 Great Bad Weather Games From Philadelphia Sports History appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles’ next OC will be their 5th in as many seasons. Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore took head coaching jobs, and Brian Johnson and Kevin Patullo were replaced after...

The post Eagles Cant Worry About Longevity In Search For New OC appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Kevin Patullo era is over in Philly. The disaster that was the Eagles’ offense can’t be blamed solely on Kevin Patullo, but he does deserve a lot of the...

The post Evaluating 6 Candidates Who Could Be The Eagles Next OC appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The decision to hire Kevin Patullo as the offensive coordinator may go down as one of the worst decisions in recent Eagles history. The Pass Game Coordinator had no experience...

The post Kevin Patullo Out As Eagles Offensive Coordinator appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The ball hit the ground on a fourth-and-11 throw by Jalen Hurts. The Philadelphia Eagles lost in the NFC Wild Card Round with a lackluster offensive performance that appropriately characterized...

The post Nick Sirianni’s Lack of Offensive Input Was Root of 2025 Disappointment appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Frustrated fans of the Philadelphia Eagles shook their heads at one key moment of a disappointing playoff loss against the San Francisco 49ers. A.J. Brown dropped a third-down pass in...

The post Don’t Blindly Accept Eagles’ ‘Culture’ Nick Sirianni Has Built appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When the Eagles hoisted the Lombardi Trophy last year, it felt like the start of something special. Like just maybe this could be the start of the Eagles dynasty that...

The post Eagles Season Fizzles Out With 1 Final Lackluster Performance appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The playoffs are finally here. The Eagles host the 49ers this Sunday at 4:30, with everything on the line. Two teams that have a decent amount of bad blood. The...

The post 4 Matchups The Eagles Need To Win Vs The 49ers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The controversy swirled around Nick Sirianni and his decision to rest starters in Week 18. While the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t land their ideal seeding preference, they did draw an NFC...

The post Eagles Facing Worst Defense in the NFL Playoffs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Birds are back in the playoffs, and that means the Eagles Road to Victory Bus Tour is hitting the streets just in time for the NFC Wild Card Round....

The post Eagles Road to Victory Bus Tour: Wild Card Hype Rolling Through Philly and South Jersey appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Philly fans can hold a grudge. If you show us love, we will shower you with more love than any other fan base. But likewise, if you wrong us, we...

The post The 11 Biggest Villains in Philadelphia Sports History appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We will need to wait a few months for dates and times, but we know the who and where for the Eagles’ schedule next season. Now that the division standings...

The post Eagles Opponents Set For 2026 Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Monday morning quarterback debate has an inevitable focus. Nick Sirianni rested Jalen Hurts and most other key starters in a decision that ultimately cost the Philadelphia Eagles in a...

The post Second-Team Eagles Deserve As Much Blame As Nick Sirianni appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With the 2 seed on the line, the Eagles made a controversial decision to sit their starters. Turns out that because of the Bears’ loss, a win would have given...

The post The Eagles Made The Right Decision Resting Their Starters appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles had a difficult choice to make this past week. Should they prioritize rest or playing for the 2 seed? Nick Sirianni chose rest, and whether you agree with...

The post Eagles Will Host 49ers Next Sunday at 4:30 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Usually, I write an article about important matchups the Eagles need to win. But since the Eagles are resting their starters, that feels somewhat pointless. So instead, let’s look at...

The post 5 Eagles Backups Worth Watching On Sunday appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Just one more came until the playoffs for the Eagles. They already clinched the NFC East a while ago, and have no chance to move into the 1 seed. But...

The post A Guide To The Possible Eagles Playoff Scenarios appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Assigning blame to a coaching staff – or individuals on a coaching staff – is a subjective conversation that has swirled around the Philadelphia Eagles this season. Howie Roseman has...

The post Offensive Struggles Against Bills Are An Indictment on Eagles Coaching Staff appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The tone of conversations can’t shift in other cities quite like it can in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Eagles slipped into a three-game losing streak in Weeks 12-14 that sent shockwaves...

The post Eagles Invalidated Wins Against Raiders, Commanders appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles’ defense is elite. The unit has carried this team to an 11-5 record and has them in position for either the 2 or 3 seed. There is a...

The post Mitchell And DeJean Are The NFLs Best CB Duo appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The defending champions (somehow) sit fourth in Super Bowl odds. It’s been a tumultuous ride for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025. However, their victory against the Buffalo Bills in Week...

The post Eagles Leaning Heavily On Flawed Super Bowl Blueprint appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles defense is used to this by now. Most of the season has been the same story. The offense either takes off in the first half or the second...

The post Eagles Defense Proves They Can Beat Any Team In Any Building appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles look to move up in the playoff seedings in the NFC as they travel to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. EST.

The post Philadelphia Eagles vs Buffalo Bills: Odds, Spread and Total appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles won the last 2 games, and did so in a fairly dominant fashion. It is a great start to changing the narrative on a season that looked ready...

The post 3 Matchups The Eagles Need To Win vs The Bills appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The actual Pro Bowl itself has become an afterthought in the NFL. They don’t even play a real game anymore; it is 7 on 7 Flag Football, along with a...

The post 5 Eagles Named To Initial NFC Pro Bowl Roster appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Of the various Georgia Bulldogs on the Eagles’ defense, Jordan Davis has perhaps been the least celebrated before this season. Until 2025, he had mostly been a rotational DT, limited...

The post Jordan Davis Has Earned Himself A Massive Payday appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have been without arguably their best players on both sides of the ball the past few weeks. Lane Johnson missed the last 5 games with a foot injury....

The post Lane Johnson And Jalen Carter Expected To Play Vs Bills appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Unlike the NBA, the NFL has not regularly had games on Christmas throughout its history. As a result, most teams do not have an extensive record of playing on the...

The post The Eagles’ Perfect Record On Christmas appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

No one will deny that the Eagles’ season has been rocky. Between the offensive struggles on the field and some drama off of it, they have been a bit of...

The post Eagles Are Looking More Like Their Former Selves appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Was this a get-right performance for the Philadelphia Eagles, or merely a dominant showing against one of the NFL’s worst teams? That question will loom large all week as the...

The post Get-Right Game or Simply the Raiders? Eagles Dominate in 31–0 Shutout appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Las Vegas Raiders look to end a seven-game losing streak and try to mess up the Philadelphia Eagles' playoff seeding. These teams will battle it out Sunday at 1p.

The post Las Vegas Raiders vs Philadelphia Eagles: Odds, Spread, and Total appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Comparisons to the disastrous 2023 season are swirling. The Philadelphia Eagles have shown concerning volatility during a three-game losing streak that’s eerily similar to the characteristics of a team that...

The post Eagles-Raiders Matchup Has A Dooming Parallel From 2023 Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

A loss on Monday Night Football in December on the West Coast is just the latest example. The 2025 Philadelphia Eagles have shown eerie similarities to the 2023 team that...

The post Nick Sirianni Is Validating Comparisons Between 2023 & 2025 Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Is there a place lower than rock bottom? How do you go from winning the Super Bowl in convincing fashion and unseating a dynasty, to this? The Eagles somehow reached...

The post Week 15 Eagles Power Rankings Roundup- A New Low appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jalen Hurts gets a lot of crap for his passing stats. If you compare him to other QBs by yards or passing TDs, he does not quite stack up. But those numbers are misleading. The context they leave out is how little the Eagles actually throw the ball. They had the fewest passing attempts in the NFL.

There are a few reasons for that. For one, the Eagles led late in a lot of games, making them run the ball even more late in games. But they also had the best running game in the NFL, which Hurts is part of, and they quite smartly decided to stick with running the ball until someone stopped it. The Passing Game looked pretty good in the Super Bowl when the Chiefs forced them to throw.

But look past those counting stats. Look at the metrics that are measured by attempt, and you see a different story unfold. Namely, a pretty efficient passing game and an elite ability to throw the ball deep.

One of The Best Deep Passing Teams Pro Football Focus recently did a whole piece on the best deep passing teams in the league. Now I do not put much stock in PFF’s grades. There is no clear explanation of how those grades are even measured. But the site itself has some really interesting stats. Namely, they measure yards per attempt, yards per route run, and EPA. You can even put in filters and measure stats on throws of over 20 yards down the field.

The Eagles had the highest EPA Per Play on passes 20 yards down the field in the league. EPA stands for expected points added. It is designed to measure how well a team performs compared to their expectation on a play-by-play basis. The Eagles’ EPA Per Play on deep passes was .941. Over .1 points higher than the next best team.

If EPA is too nerdy of a stat for you, how about completion rate? Hurts led the NFL in completion rate on those deep passes (49.1%). Despite having the 5th fewest attempts for qualified QBs, he had the 3rd most TDs on those throws with 9. He threw just 3 interceptions on those deep passes, 2 of which came in the 1st two weeks.

Great Deep Passes By Jalen HurtsMaybe you dont like stats at all. You might prefer to go by the eye test. Well then, just watch this throw, and tell me he doesn’t throw a great deep ball.

AJ BROWN. THREE FIRST HALF TOUCHDOWNS.

: #PITvsPHI on CBS
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/kHi66m0LGX pic.twitter.com/Ih3iKlG2D1

— NFL (@NFL) October 30, 2022

That one is from 3 years ago. If you want a more recent example, check out this TD from the Super Bowl.

JALEN TO DEVONTA DEEP TOUCHDOWN!

: #SBLIX on FOX
: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/OTFwM3v8Fb

— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025

How about this one?

They may have lost but this Jalen Hurts deep ball to AJ Brown was awesome!#SBLVII pic.twitter.com/MCJj3ZB3Ni

— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) February 13, 2023

Or this one?

JALEN HURTS TO AJ BROWN ON 4TH DOWN. 41-YARD TD.

: #PHIvsNYG on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/H2S70NsOda

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

Are the WRs making great catches on some of these balls? Yes. But Hurts has the touch to put the ball where his WR can make the play. He has that connection with Brown and Smith where he can throw it up to them, where only they can go and get it. That is not just good WR play, it is good QB play.

Hurts Is An Elite Deep Ball QBDoes Jalen Hurts have flaws as a QB? Of course. Every QB does. Sometimes he holds the ball too long and takes bad sacks. Sometimes he is too quick to leave the pocket.

But when he does stay in the pocket, he is an elite pocket passer. When he uncorks a deep ball, almost no QB throws a better ball. The stats back that up, and so does the eye test.

The post Jalen Hurts Throws 1 Of The Best Deep Balls In The NFL appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Saquon Barkley was arguably the best player in the league last season. He even came close to breaking a decades-old rushing record. All while helping the Eagles hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

But with those great heights comes the risk of a great fall. History is not exactly kind to RBs as they age, especially not to RBs with high workloads like Barkley. He carried the ball a staggering 345 times. Barkley is well aware of those concerns, though, and is taking a “smarter’ approach to how he prepares for the season.

“Everyone I trust told me basically to sit my ass down for a little bit,” Saquon Barkley said, via Tim McManus of of ESPN. “You’ve just got to be smarter, right? You have your moments where you go in there and you grind, you push it. But the majority of those days is just mobility, conditioning, doing all the things to get your body in shape to perform at a high level. It was a lot of workload [last year], but my body feels great, so that’s the most important thing.”

Just last year, we saw 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey go through a similar situation. CMC was coming off a career year. He helped carry his team to the Super Bowl, though the 49ers lost, unlike the Eagles. And like Barkley, it was also a career high in carries for one season.

Things did not go well for McCaffrey. He played in just 4 games. From the very start, nagging injuries plagued his season. An achilles injury caused him to miss the start of the season. When he eventually returned, it was not long until a PCL injury ended his season. The exact outcome Barkley is looking to avoid.

Like McCaffrey, Barkley has a not-so-great history with injuries. His injury history is not quite so bad, but he certainly had his share of problems with the Giants. With the Eagles, even while his workload went up, he stayed healthy.

The O-Line keeping him clean helped. He led all RBs with 3.8 yards before contact. But he still took a lot of hits. Keeping Saquon Barkley healthy and effective is a huge priority for the Eagles.

Barkley seems to know what he is doing. mainly, taking it a bit easier than he is used to. Will this approach pay off? We won’t know until the games start. At the very least, it is something Saquon Barkley and the Eagles are keenly aware of, and they have a plan to prevent the workload from hurting him.

The post Saquon Barkley Taking ‘Smarter’ Approach Amid Workload Concerns appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Coming off a Super Bowl win, there is very little to complain about in Eagles right now. Yet they will be the first ones to tell you they need to keep improving. Apathy is the death of progress, and despite winning it all, there is still work to do.

The Eagles had a busy off-season, with more departures than arrivals. Several key figures from the championship team are no longer here. Milton Williams, Darius Slay, Josh Sweat, Mekhi Becton, Isaiah Rodgers, Oren Burks, Fred Johnson, CJ Gardner Johnson, just to name a few. But unlike in 2023, when they say this many departures, they have the young talent to perhaps make up for it.

Still, there are question marks. They will once again have to rely on some unproven players if they are going to reach the heights they did last season. So as we head into the Summer, let’s look at the biggest question marks still hanging over the Eagles’ heads.

Who Will Be CB3? Quinyon Mitchell has the CB1 role set in stone. He was tremendous in his rookie season and arguably should have won Defensive Rookie of the Year. With any player coming off a great rookie season, you always wonder if they can replicate that success once the league has more tape on them, but Mitchell is not a question mark. Neither is Cooper DeJean in the nickel.

The question comes when you look at the 3rd corner spot. Kelee Ringo is the leader in the clubhouse. People gushed about him at Mini Camp, but he was great in OTAs/ mini-camp last year, too. Physically, he fits the mold of a modern NFL CB. But we have not seen him do that, nor have the Eagles given him much chance to play CB.

They need someone to step up and be at least serviceable there. We saw early last season how 1 weak link, Avonte Maddox, brought the defense down early in the season. Once Cooper DeJean got the call, they became the best defense in the league.

Whether it be Ringo, Adoree Jackson, Eli Ricks, or an outside hire, whoever plays across from Q has to be solid. If you have one great corner and 1 bad one, teams will happily ignore Q/Coop and target the weak link.

We won’t know if whoever wins that job is up for the role until games are played. We have seen corners look great in practice, then get picked apart in the game. We have also seen Patrick Robinson look terrible in camp, and then become a star when the games are played. But the fate of the Eagles’ defense being great again could ride on whoever wins that job being at the very least passable.

Do They Have O-Line Depth?Some people list Tyler Steen as a question mark at RG. I don’t. We have already seen him in that role, and he was solid, and at times better than solid. There was very little drop off, if any at all, when he filled in for Becton. Steen will be the only change to the starting offense, and I have no concern that he will plug in and, at worst, be passable.

O-line depth is a question though. Fred Johnson played a lot last year, filling in for Lane Johnson or Jordan Mailata. He was a step down, but he held down the fort vs some tough matchups. They might need someone to do that again, but with Fred gone, the question is who?

The Eagles added 2 OTs in the draft, and another as a UDFA. All 3 have high uspides, especially Rutgers LT Hollin Pierce, who is massive. But putting in a rookie tackle to protect Jalen Hurts is going to come with risk. All of their options are unproven. That does not mean they are bad, just that they have not proven anything at this level.

Can Saquon Barkley Stay Healthy Again?Saquon had one of the greatest single seasons ever with the Eagles last year. But he touched the ball a lot. History is not exactly kind to RBs with workloads like that. He stayed healthy, but has had nagging injury issues in the past. So the question becomes, will he stay healthy again, and if he does, will he be that great again?

There is a lot of room between what Saquon did last year and him having a season like Christian McCaffrey did last season. Expecting Saquon to get that many carries again and another 2000-yard season is probably unreasonable. They might need to go a bit easier on him, mix in the backups a little more, and throw a bit more.

We saw in the Super Bowl, if you force the Eagles to throw, they can do so at a very high level. But they might need to do that more often next season. Not just to keep defenses on their toes, but to protect your most important asset in Saquon Barkley.

How Ready Is Drew Mukuba To Start?The Eagles were spoiled last year by how quickly their rookies adjusted, and blossomed into stars. That is not always the case. A look at Nolan Smith shows that sometimes very talented players need time.

Drew Mukuba is talented. He is also very smart. But Safety is a position where that NFL adjustment can be hard. Especially in the Vic Fangio scheme that asks a lot out of the safeties. So is Mukuba ready to step in and start right away.

They might need him to be. Sydney Brown is not a fit for that cover safety role Mukuba is being asked to fill. Short of signing Justin Simmons, Mukuba is pretty much the only option to replace what CJ Gardner Johnson was doing for them in coverage. I think he is up for the challenge, but that does not mean he will be up for it week 1. There could be an adjustment period. He deserves some slack to learn the league. The question is do the Eagles have the depth to deal with it if he is not ready right away?

The post The 4 Biggest Eagles Question Marks Heading Into The Summer appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Howie Roseman has done as good of a job as one can expect filling in the many holes created this off-season by departing veterans in free agency. But CB is still a position where, despite a surplus of young talent, they could use a veteran addition. Enter Jaire Alexander.

The Packers released the 2-time Pro Bowler earlier this week. It ended a 7-year run where Alexander became a staple of the Packers’ defense. With the Eagles having a slight need at corner, people immediately asked if he might end up in Philly.

Is Jaire Alexander Still A Top CB? Anytime someone is let go, traded away, etc, the first thing you need to ask is why. Why is their old team willing to move on from them?

In Alexander’s case, injuries play a big factor. After making the Pro Bowl in 2022, he played in only 14 games combined over the last 2 seasons. Back and shoulder issues limited him in 2023. A knee injury sidelined him last season.

But last season, he still played well when healthy. In 2024, he held opposing QBs to a passer rating of just 79.9. The 3rd lowest mark of his 7-year career, with only the 2 Pro Bowl Seasons topping it. He did allow 2 TDS, but also came away with 2 picks and 3 PBUs, and allowed only 14 total catches in 7 games.

Alexander is a guy who still has something to offer. There is just a clear injury risk. So whether he is worth signing or not comes down to how much he ends up costing.

Does Jaire Alexander Have Interest In the Eagles?Whether or not the Eagles have interest in him is a different question. But Jermey Fowler from ESPN joined Kincade and Salciunas and explained why he thinks Alexander has interest in the Eagles.

“Talking to people that have been around him or close to him, they believe loyalty is important to him, connection is important to him. That’s why I do have the Eagles on my radar with defensive backs coach, Christian Parker, who was with him in Green Bay. They had successful… pic.twitter.com/6LPI9WAtW2

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) June 12, 2025

Christian Parker spent two years coaching Alexander as the Packers’ Defensive Quality Control Coach. If Alexander is looking to take a prove-it deal, the Eagles would make sense for him. He would be playing with two other high-level corners, taking pressure off him, and we just saw two departing Eagles corners, Slay and Rodgers, get deals elsewhere.

Do the Eagles Have Interest In Him? It makes sense for Alexander, but does it make sense for the Eagles? Fowler also weighed in on that conversation.

“I do sense that they are pretty happy with the CB room, and they like how [Kelee] and [Adoree’] Jackson have done so far. I think they are pretty comfortable right now. This is not a situation where they have to press for Jaire Alexander. It would be more just about fit and is… pic.twitter.com/3Jp8bIET7Z

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) June 12, 2025

Eagles don’t feel like they need to make a move. If they were desperate, they might have already made an offer. But that does not mean they have no interest. It just gives them leverage in negotiating any deal. They feel comfortable waiting and seeing.

It is worth mentioning that while they might say they feel good about Kelee Ringo, their actions last year might show something different. Ringo hardly saw the field on defense. Only coming in when the benches were cleared for the most part. He was 5th on the depth chart and relegated mostly to Special Teams.

At least for now, they are acting like a team that is not desperate to add at CB. But where there is smoke, there is fire. And the longer Alexander waits to sign anywhere, the more it means he is not getting the offers he wants. If he waits long enough, maybe he takes a team-friendly deal somewhere he knows he could thrive, and then try to cash in next season.

If that happens, the Eagles make a ton of sense. Players taking prove-it deals here have done well for themselves. Alexander is only 28. He has the ability to take a risk on a 1-year deal, and bet on himself. A full healthy season, playing a Pro Bowl Level again, could net him a much sweeter contract next off-season than he may get this off-season.

Don’t expect anything soon, but the Eagles are certainly a team to watch for Alexander. Especially if he is still free agent by the time training camp rolls around .

The post Is Jaire Alexander A Realistic Option For The Eagles? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In terms of market size, Philadelphia pales in size to New York and LA. But what we lack in sheer volume, we make up for tenfold in passion. Philadelphia might have a third of the TVs as New York has, but we can push merchandise sales like no other market. Case in point, Saquon Barkley leading the NFL in merch sales, with Jalen Hurts coming in 3rd.

Saquon Barkley claimed the retail crown atop the NFLPA’s Year-End Top 50 Player Sales List, becoming the first running back since 2017 to finish No. 1.

The top 10 players among all officially licensed product sold, per the NFLPA:

Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
2.… pic.twitter.com/him77NdJvJ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 11, 2025

Barkley led all RBs with 2005 yards last season. Enough to make him a finalist for MVP, and enough to win NFL Offensive Player Of The Year.

The calendar year for sales is measured from March 1st, 2024, to February 28th, 2025. Saquon only signed with the Eagles on March 13th, 2024, so he had 12 fewer days to push Jerseys than Patrick Mahomes, who finished second after leading the league last season.

It is also worth noting that after Saquon, there are then 5 QBs before you see another non-QB. Mahomes, Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Josh Allen, and CJ Stroud. And none of the other 4 QBS shared the spotlight with a teammate, cracking the top 10.

Winning a Super Bowl certainly helps. It is a whole new crop of jerseys being pushed out. You not only need the standard Saquon Barkley or Jalen Hurts jersey, but you also need a Kelly Green Jersey with the Super Bowl patch, on top of the normal Kelly Green jersey you already owned.

While Jersey Sales make up a large portion of these sales, the rankings also include products like decals, bobbleheads, helmets, backpacks, and other forms of apparel. Wall Decals of Barkley’s reverse hurdle certainly helped pump up his merchandise sales. Only official NFL Merchandise counts towards the numbers, no knockoffs included.

Barkley is the 1st RB top top this list since Ezekiel Elliot topped the list in 2017. Just the latest effort by Saquon to destroy the narrative that RBs don’t matter.

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Saquon Barkley has had an outstanding 2024 season with the Philadelphia Eagles, which has caused excitement as well as trepidation among fans and fantasy analysts.

Barkley rushed for a combined 2,504 yards—including playoffs—while surpassing Terrell Davis’s long-held single-season rushing record. After this performance, he was awarded the award for Offensive Player of the Year and is now well-regarded as one of the best backs in the league.

However, his 436 carries over the season — a number only matched by DeMarco Murray in 2014 — have raised red flags. Historically, running backs who exceed 400 touches in a season often struggle to replicate their success. Murray, for instance, fell from a top-tier RB2 to RB15 the year after his high-volume season, a pattern that has also played out with others.

Barkley, who signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal with the Eagles after six seasons with the New York Giants, was later rewarded with a two-year, $41 million extension following the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. Despite the chance to break Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season rushing record, the Eagles chose to rest Barkley in Week 18 to ensure his readiness for the playoffs.

Saquon Barkley: A Risky Fantasy Option In 2025Looking to the future, analysts predict Barkley’s total career touches will come close to 2,000 as he enters the 2025 season, making him a risky option in fantasy football.

Many fantasy football analysts warn against drafting Barkley in the first round. For example, Barkley was 27 years old and has a lot more wear and tear on his body than Gibbs or Robinson. In dynasty leagues, it may be time to trade Barkley while his value remains high. Investing in his backups — rookie Will Shipley and veteran AJ Dillon — is also advised.

Barkley appeared on Chris Long’s Green Light podcast, where he was asked whether he’d retire at his peak or keep playing until he physically couldn’t — and his response might not be what fantasy managers, or anyone else, were hoping to hear. Barkley’s taking a low-key approach. “I’ll probably [be] one of those guys that it would be out of nowhere,” Barkley said. “I’ll probably just wake up one day, whether it’s next year or two years or four years, and just be like, ‘yeah, it’s over.'”

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Jason Kelce is bringing his popular Beer Bowl and celebrity bartending fundraiser back to Sea Isle City for 2025.

On an episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Kelce announced the official dates for the two events, which will take place on Wednesday, June 25, and Thursday, June 26.

“For those of you who don’t know what Beer Bowl is, every year, me, the Eagles Autism Foundation, and a bunch of Eagles go and do an event down at the Shore,” Kelce said on his podcast New Heights. “On Wednesday, we do a guest bartending event. We started doing an event on Thursday called Beer Bowl, which has been associated with this podcast. We’ve went back and forth on it, and we decided let’s do it again.”

Before the Beer Bowl, Kelce will be joined by past and present Philadelphia Eagles players and other famous comrades as they take on the roles of celebrity bartenders on Wednesday, June 25, at the Ocean Drive.

Although no announcement has been made regarding ticket availability for either event, fans will still be able to participate in the Beer Bowl. Several will be selected to compete in drinking games for a $50,000 cash prize.

A venue has not been announced, but last year’s Beer Bowl occurred at the Yacht Club of Sea Isle City. The Inquirer reported it did not receive confirmation whether the site would host this year’s event.

Kelce said he’s looking for would-be contestants.

“We need teams to be submitted,” Kelce said. “We need 92 percenters to send us your team submission videos. We are solely judging these based on team names, costumes, and, most importantly, just the vibe. Drinking ability is part of the vibe. But listen, if you’re funny, charismatic, energetic, that’s what we’re looking for.”

To apply for Beer Bowl III, fans need to post their videos on social media and tag @NewHeightShow with #BeerBowl. The deadline to submit a video is June 18, when teams who are invited to attend will be announced and informed about what games they’ll be competing in.

Kelce also announced that he and his bud, Beau Allen, will be participating this year.

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Philadelphia is set for a historic college football event this fall as Lincoln Financial Field welcomes two NFL legends back to the city, this time on the sidelines. On October 30, 2025, Michael Vick will lead the Norfolk State Spartans against DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Hornets in a highly anticipated HBCU matchup.

This college football season marks the head coaching debuts for both Vick and Jackson. The two former Eagles stars, who thrilled fans as teammates from 2009 to 2013, are now bringing their talents and leadership to the college ranks, shining a national spotlight on HBCU football.

According to the Philadelphia Eagles website, Vick said, “This is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to play in a world-class venue on a world-class stage. Coach Jackson and I made so many unforgettable memories together at Lincoln Financial Field – this stadium holds special meaning in my NFL career. I am thrilled to be a part of this historic moment and want to thank the Philadelphia Eagles, Norfolk State, and Delaware State for their collaboration to make this happen.”

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) moved this marquee game to the Eagles’ home stadium to accommodate the tremendous fan interest and provide student-athletes with a professional-level experience. Tickets for this historic matchup go on sale June 17, giving fans the chance to see two storied HBCU programs and their celebrity coaches in action.

This event is more than just a football game—it’s a celebration of HBCU culture, athletic excellence, and the enduring impact of Jackson and Vick in Philadelphia. With both programs gaining national attention thanks to their high-profile hires, the October showdown is expected to draw a packed house and create unforgettable memories for players, alumni, and fans alike.

Don’t miss your chance to witness HBCU football history at Lincoln Financial Field this October!

The post Lincoln Financial Field to Host HBCU Showdown: Vick’s Norfolk State vs. Jackson’s Delaware State appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans will have to wait a little longer to see their team receive its Super Bowl LIX championship rings. EJ Smith from The Inquirer reports that sources have said the Philadelphia Eagles have postponed their much-anticipated Super Bowl ring ceremony, originally set for this Friday, June 7, 2025, due to the extra time needed to complete the intricate, personalized designs for each player.

After their thrilling 40-22 victory over Kansas City, the Eagles were eager to celebrate with their new rings. However, the ring makers have requested additional time to ensure every detail is perfect, especially since each ring will feature custom touches unique to every player.

Players were fitted for their rings shortly after the February win, with test rings used to guarantee the perfect fit. This is only the second time in franchise history that the Eagles will receive Super Bowl rings, following their 2018 triumph over New England. Those rings were famous for their dazzling display of over 200 diamonds, and insiders hint that the new design will be even more spectacular.

The team plans to hold a private Super Bowl ring ceremony, similar to the one in 2018, where players and staff can celebrate together before the rings are revealed to the public through team photos and social media. Many players had hoped to show off their new jewelry at upcoming summer events, but the delay means the wait continues.

Despite the setback, all other team activities will go on as scheduled. The Eagles have not yet announced a new date for the ring ceremony, but fans can be sure that when the moment finally arrives, it will be worth the anticipation. The delay only adds to the excitement following their unforgettable Super Bowl victory and the citywide celebrations that followed.

The post Report: Eagles’ Super Bowl Ring Ceremony Delayed Due To Production Time appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans are buzzing after Saquon Barkley, the NFL’s highest-paid running back, hinted at the possibility of early retirement, just months after signing a historic contract with Philadelphia. Barkley’s two-year, $41.2 million extension, signed in March 2025, made headlines for its $36 million fully guaranteed and set a new standard for running back salaries.

At the time of signing, Saquon Barkley expressed his commitment to the team, saying, “I want to be here for a very long time.” The deal, which averages over $20 million per year, could also include up to $15 million in incentives and performance bonuses. This contract followed his first year with the Eagles, where the 28-year-old running back shattered Terrell Davis’s single-season rushing record, finishing with 2,005 yards in the regular season and an additional 499 yards in the playoffs, totaling an incredible 2,504 yards.

In a recent appearance on the Greenlight podcast, which was recorded at Geno’s Steaks (or Steakquons at the time), Barkley said, “I’ll probably be one of those guys that it’ll be out of nowhere. I’ll probably just wake up one day, whether it’s in the next year or 2 years and just be like, ‘Yeah it’s over.”

BREAKING: #EAGLES STAR SAQUON BARKLEY SAYS HE COULD RETIRE NEXT YEAR

“I'll probably be one of those guys that it'll be out of nowhere. I'll probably just wake up one day, whether it's next year or 2 years & just be like, 'Yeah it's over” – Like Barry Sanders

(Via @greenlight) pic.twitter.com/l7jWGzHBjk

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) June 4, 2025

Barkley’s performance was instrumental in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX victory over Kansas City. However, his recent comments about possibly stepping away from football have raised concerns about the team’s investment and future plans. With 87% of the contract guaranteed, the Eagles face significant salary cap implications if Barkley retires early.

For now, fans and analysts alike are left to wonder: Will Philadelphia’s star running back play out his full contract, or will his record-setting contract be followed by an early exit from the game, a la Barry Sanders?

The post Saquon Barkley, NFL’s Highest-Paid Running Back, Raises Retirement Questions appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Saquon Barkley is gracing the cover of Madden 26. A well-deserved honor for him after his historic season, which ended with a Super Bowl parade. But there is a potential downside. The Madden Curse.

For those unfamiliar, the Madden Curse is the superstition that Madden Cover Athletes always get injured, or just have a terrible season. But is there any truth to those fears, or is it just a silly superstition?

It goes back to the second-ever cover athlete. Daunte Culpepper. After throwing for 33 TDs and nearly 4000 yards the year before, he missed parts of 6 games, and coughed up 16 fumbles. It started a fumbling problem in his career that never went away.

That was only the start, though. Here are some of the other Madden Cover Athletes and how the “curse”, impacted them.

The History Of The Madden Curse* 2003- Marshall Faulk- Fell short of 1000 yards after 5 straight 1000-yard seasons, never reached 1000 again. * 2004- Mike Vick- Fractured his fibula a few weeks after the release, played in only 5 games * 2006- Donovan McNabb- Battled multiple injuries, played in only 9 games, and had a very public feud with Terrell Owens * 2007- Shaun Alexander- Broke his foot, played in only 10 games, missed 1000 yards for 1st time in 5 years, never reached 1000 again * 2008- Vince Young- Picked off 17 times with only 9 TDs before getting benched * 2009- Brett Favre- forced his way out of Green Bay, threw league-leading 22 picks with the Jets’ * 2010- Troy Polamalu- missed 11 games with MCL injury * 2012- Peyton Hillis- missed 6 games, never reached 1000 yards again after his breakout campaign the previous year. * 2017- Rob Gronkowski- battled various injuries, started only 6 games * 2025- Christian McCaffrey- Played in only 4 Games

What you will notice is that there are a lot of gaps. The original cover athlete, Eddie George, had one of his best seasons after gracing the cover. Ray Lewis missed only 1 game. It got Troy Polamalu, but the man he shared the cover with, Larry Fitzgerald, was fine. Recently, it took years off until McCaffrey.

Also, some of those are not exactly curses. Hillis might have just been a bad player. He is not the first player to have one great year, then fall off. The same goes for Vince Young.

Football is a physical sport. There are a lot of injuries. It was weird that for nearly a decade every cover athlete suffered an injury. Looking back, and looking at how the next decade went, it is hard to put much stock into that.

What we can put stock into is that Saquon Barkley carried the ball a lot last year. Injuries marred Saquon’s time with the Giants, but he managed a healthy season. History is not kind to RBs coming off seasons like that. If anything does happen, or if he just gets beaten up, it will be less so the “Madden Curse” and more that RB is a tough position that wears players down.

But some guys avoid that. Derrick Henry has shouldered workloads like that for a long time, and hasn’t slowed down. Maybe Saquon Barkley can avoid that slump, too. But if he doesn’t, it won’t be because of the Madden Curse. That is not a thing.

The post Is The Madden Curse Real, Or Will Saquon Barkley Be Fine? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We have a Madden 26 cover, and it might be the best cover of all time. Saquon Barkley is the cover athlete. We knew there was only one moment the cover could highlight. The iconic reverse hurdle from the Jaguars game.

Saquon Barkley and his hurdle grace the cover of Madden 26 @EAMaddenNFL pic.twitter.com/13v5alJK6S

— ESPN (@espn) June 2, 2025

It might be the best single highlight of the season. There are bigger moments. The long run in the snow vs the Rams sticks out. But Saquon Barkley hitting someone with a spin move, and then leaping over a would-be tackle backwards, is one of the most impressive things we have seen on a Football field.

“Saquon’s reverse hurdle was one of the rare, defining moments in NFL history that would have once been described as ‘something out of a video game,'” said Evan Dexter, VP, Franchise Strategy & Marketing, EA SPORTS Madden NFL. “Now, it’s a display of the athleticism and creativity of one of football’s most electrifying athletes. Madden NFL 26 will deliver the most real NFL experience we’ve ever built so that players can experience more of the unreal moments that Saquon put on display all season long. The full reveal is this Wednesday – don’t miss what’s next.”

Saquon Barkley Is Racking Up the HardwareIt is the latest in a long list of honors for Saquon. AP Offensive Player of the Year. Finalist for MVP. Rushing Champion. Super Bowl Champion. He broke Terrell Davis’s Single-Season + Playoffs Rushing Record.

Now, Madden Cover athlete. Add in being in the 99 club for Madden this year, as announced alongside the release of this cover. He is the 3rd Eagle to ever join the 99 club. David Akers and Brian Dawkins have done so previously.

Barkley came up just shy of breaking the All-Time Rushing record. If he played the final week, he likely would have broken it. But the team sat him to preserve him for the playoffs, a decision that clearly panned out.

Barkley is the first Eagle to grace the cover of Madden since Donovan McNabb got the honor on Madden 06. Madden 26 releases on August 14th, but is available for pre-order today.

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There have been a lot of players on the Philadelphia Eagles throughout the years. They have been around for over 90 years, and teams have 53 players, plus the practice squad. Not to mention guys who were here in training camp but got cut. Most of the names that have come and gone have been unremarkable. Others, like Brian Dawkins and Reggie White, are legendary players no one will soon forget. But some others are very well known, just not for the Eagles. And those are the names we are going to talk about here.

I am talking about the names if I threw them out, many people would ask “Wait, he played for the Eagles?” From guys who came here late in their careers but were washed up. To guys who started their careers here but got cut or traded before they could break out. These 10 players failed to make much of an impact here. Even if they went on to make an impact elsewhere.

I will get this name out of the way. Frank Gore did not make the list. I know every comment under the article will say Frank Gore. We all know and love the joke. But since he never actually was an Eagle, he doesn’t qualify. Every guy on the list at the very least were in Eagles training camp. I also left off names like Nnamdi Asomugha and Demarco Murray. They were such big busts as free agents that even if they were not here very long, no Eagles fans have forgotten about their time here.

The guys who made the list range from two Hall of Fame Coaches, a couple of former Pro Bowl Linemen who sputtered out in Philly, and even a now-famous actor.

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Here are 10 people you may have forgotten once played for the Philadelphia Eagles:Danny Amendola(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)Tom Brady made so many dudes like Amendola into stars. Julian Edelman and Wes Welker also fit the bill. But do you remember Amendola’s cup of coffee with the Eagles? I was before Brady made people know his name. He caught passes in the preseason from Kevin Kolb, A.J. Feeley, Mike Vick, and here is a name for you, Adam DiMichele.

He was a star in New England, but it feels unlikely he would have been that here. At best he would have been what he was with the Rams, which is an okay slot WR.

Haloti Ngata(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)For years Haloti Ngata was a stud NT for a great Ravens defense. He made 5 All-Star teams, 2 All-Pros, and won a Super Bowl. Then late in his career, he signed on with the Eagles who were coming off the Super Bowl win. It did not work out here. He played one season, barely made an impact, and retired afterward.

He is an All-Time Raven. Not quite Hall of Fame worthy, but is already in their Ring of Honor. But no one besides Eagles fans will ever remember his stint with the Eagles.

John Madden (Photo by Robert B. Stanton/NFLPhotoLibrary)John Madden was mostly known as a Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster. But did you know he started his NFL career with the Eagles. They drafted him in the 21st round of the 1958 draft. But a injury in training camp ended his playing career before he ever played a regular season game.

He turned to coaching and now is one of the most legendary figures in NFL history. His name is synonymous with Football thanks to his legendary career, and the video game series being named after him. But it all started with him being drafted as an Eagle.

Mike Ditka(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)Another guy more known as a legendary coach. But unlike Madden, he also had a great playing career. He made 2 First team All-Pros, and 3 2nd teams, while winning a Super Bowl with the Cowboys. But he did not make much noise In Philly as a player.

After the Eagles traded a 4th round pick to the Bears for him, he had two of his worst statistical seasons. In both seasons another TE on the roster, first Jim Kelly and then Fred Hill, outperformed him. The Eagles traded him to Dallas for WR Dave McDaniels, who they later flipped for a 7th round pick, and Ditka’s unremarkable stint with the Eagles came to an end.

Tim Tebow (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)This one most people probably remember because of the mania that always followed Tebow. But even then his time here was so short an unremarkable some people may have forgotten about it. He spent a pre-season here trying to outduel Matt Barkley for the 3rd QB spot. He did not win the job, and was cut before the regular season.

Terry Crews (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)This one is cheating a bit because no one thinks of Terry Crews as a football player. But he spent a ton of time on various teams, with just 3 tackles across 32 games. And his final spot was with the Eagles, but he never played in a game here. His time spent with the Eagles was bleak enough for him to call it a career, and eventually find far more success as an actor on shows like Everybody Hates Chris and Brooklyn 99.

“For two weeks, I stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street from Veterans Stadium. I just remember it was Christmas Day. It was the saddest thing ever, that Holiday Inn. I was eating old sausage and two little pancakes. It was so sad,”- Terry Crews told The Philadelphia Inquirer

Raheem Mostert (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)After 9 seasons in the NFL, Mostert had his first 1000-yard season last year. But he started out with the Eagles. They signed him as an Undrafted free agent back in 2015. And that year, he was the Pre-Season standout. His 351 total yards led all players in yards from scrimmage. But alas, he did not make the final cut. Chip Kelly kept Demarco Murray, Darren Sproles, Ryan Matthews, and Kenjon Barner instead.

He landed on the Eagles practice squad. From there bounced around between several teams, but finally found a long-term home with the Niners, for whom he had several solid seasons. But he has played his best Football in the last 2 seasons with the Dolphins.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)When talking about big-name corners who sucked for the Eagles during the “Dream team” era, most people talk about Nnamdi Asomugha. But DRC was a huge disappointment as well. The Eagles sent the Cardinals Kevin Kolb for DRC and an 2nd round pick. And he got here, and just did not live up to the hype.

He was far from the worst player on that “Dream Team.” But he did not play as well here as he did for th Cardinals. His 2nd season here, the last season for Andy Reid in Philly, went a bit better. But still, the Eagles thought they were getting a elite CB duo. Instead, the team imploded and brought an end to the Andy Reid era.

Mike Wallace (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Wallace was supposed to be the Torrey Smith replacement coming off the Super Bowl. He had 1,800 combined yards the prior two seasons. At the time, it felt like the perfect fit. He never caught a ball for them. He suffered a fractured fibula in week 2. He never played for the Eagles, or anyone else, ever again.

And his absence could be felt the rest of the year. The sorely missed having a deep threat. Torrewy Smith may not have been the most productive player in 2017. But the threat of him alone was enough to open things up. And the 2018 Eagles just lacked that all season long.

Ryan Kerrigan (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)Kerrigan was a force for Washington. Nearly 100 sacks in 10 seasons. No one expected that guy when he came to the Eagles. But we maybe expected more than 3 tackles in 16 games. Kerrigan was not just some guy on the end of the bench. He played a lot of snaps for the Eagles in 2021. But he had just 3 tackles and no sacks in the regular season.

He did manage 1.5 sacks in the playoffs. But he was a complete no show the rest of the season. There were thimes that seaosn i forgot he was on the team. So a fan forgetting he ever played here, would be enitrly understandable.

The post Cup Of Coffee: 10 People You May Forget Played For the Philadelphia Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When Saquon Barkley signed with the Eagles, we knew they were getting a very good player. What we did not know at the time was how good. We did not know that he would flirt with history, and eventually do something only 8 other players have ever done and that no Eagles RB has ever done.

He came out of the gates on fire. A 3 TD debut against the Packers down in Brazil. Including 109 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards. But that was just the start. He went on to smash personal records, both single-game and single-season, smash the Eagles single-season and single-game rushing record, and as mentioned, become only the 9th player in NFL history to rush for 2000 yards.

Related: Saquon Barkley Hits 2000, And Eagles Clinch The 2-Seed

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)He even flirted with breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. 101 yards shy with a game to go. The Eagles decided to prioritize rest and health over the record, and he never got the chance to break it. But it was indisputably a tremendous debut season.

Where does it rank among the All-Time best seasons by Eagles players though? Is it the best of all time, or or there Eagles who have put together even better seasons?

They have been around for a long time. They have existed since 1933. They only recently started winning, but have done a lot of winning to make up for lost time (2 Super Bowls now). But even when they were losing, the team has had some amazing players. But what were the best seasons by those players in franchise history?

Keep in mind I am 31. I tried to take players that came from before my time into account, but obviously, my knowledge base is mostly 2000 until now, when I was old enough to truly appreciate and remember what I was watching. So there may be a slightly modern bias.

Here are the 13 Greatest Seasons By Eagles Players: 13) Steve Van Buren- 1945This one is tough. I don’t know how to rank it because I genuinely have no one I can talk to in my life who was old enough to not only witness it but remember it. But on paper, it is tough to argue with.

Van Buren led the NFL in rushing yards, rushing TDs, yards per game, kick return average, kick return TDs, and all-purpose yards. He carried the team on his back to make the Eagles the league’s highest-scoring offense. They did not win it all that year. But we aren’t going by team performance, we are going by individual performance. And what Steve Van Buren did that season was special.

Steve Van Buren is one of the 12 RBs selected to the #NFL100 All-Time Team!

5x All-Pro
2x NFL Champion
4x Rushing Title Winner pic.twitter.com/FvojbTNMJ3

— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2019

12) Chuck Bednarik- 1953Another old-school player I have no frame of reference for. I am sure someone will give me grief for not ranking this, or Van Buren higher, but again, I didn’t see it, and apart from a few callers to the station, I don’t know many people who did witness it. Still, Bednarik deserves love. He had 10 takeaways in 12 games this season. 4 fumbles and 6 interceptions. That alone is worthy of a spot on this list.

Chuck Bednarik will forever be known as one of the hardest hitters in football history, as well as a two-time NFL Champion with the @Eagles.

On the eight-year anniversary of Bednarik's passing, we celebrate his legacy. #HOFForever pic.twitter.com/lZkqVddNHe

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) March 22, 2023

11) Donovan McNabb-2004We will get to what TO did this season in a bit, but it was special for McNabb too. 3,875 yards, 31 TDS, only 8 picks, and 3 rushing TDs. Also remember, he did not have TO for the playoff run. TO broke his leg and didn’t return to the Super Bowl. So McNabb had to help carry the team to get over that NFC Championship game hump without his star WR.

He led them to wins over the Vikings and Falcons, that Falcons game coming in biting cold, and threw 4 TDs and no picks in those 2 games. It all came off the wheels a bit in the Super Bowl, which kept him from climbing higher on this list. But it was still a special season by the best QB in Eagles history.

Oh, and McNabb had one of the best single-game performances ever for the Eagles, throwing for 464 yards and 5 TDs.

12/5/04 – The pure dominance of the 2004 Philadelphia Eagles on full display.

Donovan McNabb finished with 464 yards and threw 5 TDs before halftime. Brian Westbrook and Terrell Owens combined for 317 rec yards and 4 TDs.

47-17 final over GB. Total annihilation #TBT pic.twitter.com/xzf4FNM8ab

— Eagles Fan Central (@PhilaFanCentral) June 11, 2020

10) Eric Allen – 1993It can be hard to judge defensive players if you don’t see them play. Especially from the ’90s and earlier when we didn’t have stats available that track yards given up when targeted the way we do now. Also, I was just recently born when Eric Allen played out this season, so I can’t go off my memory either.

But I can ask people who did watch Eric Allen, and shutdown is the word that goes around. But even if you weren’t around to watch him play, like in my case, the few stats we do have tell a convincing story. 6 interceptions. He turned 4 of them into a pick 6. 4 TDs by a defensive player is crazy. Most defensive players hope they get 1 in their career. 4 in a single season is hard to imagine, but he pulled it off.

Add in what everyone says about him being a shutdown corner, I had to get Eric Allen on the list.

2025 is the year for Eric Allen & the stats speak for themselves.@ProFootballHOF, it's time. pic.twitter.com/rQmW9qkH87

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 1, 2025

9) Carson Wentz-2017The Wentz era did not go as well as we all thought it would. He barely got into his 2nd contract before he was being traded off the team. But let’s not forget how well it started to earn him that 2nd contract.

33 TDs and 3,296 yards in 13 games. He had the Eagles playing better than any team in the league. And he didn’t exactly have tons of help at WR. Zack Ertz was great of course, and Alshon Jeffrey and Nelson Agholor both had solid seasons, but it is not like he was throwing to AJ Brown and Devonta Smith like Hurts does, or to Terrell Owens like McNabb did for 1 season. He was going to win MVP that season if he did not tear his ACL.

Also, credit to him for tearing his ACL and staying on the field to throw a go-ahead TD in that game.

Reminder: Carson Wentz broke the Eagles single-season franchise record for TD passes on a torn ACL. pic.twitter.com/1jiXkojnur

— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) February 19, 2021

8) Jalen Hurts- 2022Much like Carson Wentz, Hurts should have won MVP this season. Had he not missed two games, maybe he would have. But a late injury kept him out for 2 games.

If anything that made his case stronger though. Because while we heard all season any QB could win with this Eagles team, it turned out that was not the case. They went 0-2 without him, despite being 14-1 when he played. There was a lot of talent around him sure, we will talk about one of those players soon, but there is no denying how special Hurts was.

Nearly 4500 total yards, over 30 total TDs, all top go with just 6 interceptions. Hurts was fantastic that season. Then he went on to be tremendous in the Super Bowl. He played better than Mahomes did, his defense just let him down. But with the game on the line, and his team down 8 points, he put together a game-tying drive, scoring the TD and the 2-point conversion himself. He had 370 total yards and 4 total TDs.

It's too easy for @JalenHurts.

Third TD of the night.

: #SBLVII on FOX
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/d8gBDzRt2m pic.twitter.com/rzcK3UEfve

— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023

7) Terrell Owens- 2004The TO era in Philly is the biggest waste of potential ever. He should have stayed an Eagle for the rest of his career, and gone on to help the Eagles to their 1st ever Super Bowl, and maybe even help Donovan McNabb put together a Hall of Fame Case. Instead, it went up in smoke after one magical season. But what a season it was.

1200 yards in just 14 games. he took what was a very good team, and made it special. I don’t think the stats even do it justice. And then to break his leg, but come back early to play in the Super Bowl, and then catch 9 passes for 122 yards, he had to place highly on this list.

If only he and McNabb could put their differences aside, and if only Joe Banner didn’t foolishly let his star WR walk, maybe we could have gotten more of this, and perhaps better than this. Instead, everyone involved acted like fools, especially Joe Banner, and the Eagles had to wait 13 years to finally win it all.

“I’m on half a leg and they can’t stop me.”

The time @terrellowens played in the Super Bowl seven weeks after breaking his leg… and caught nine passes for 122 yards.

(Super Bowl XXXIX: Feb. 6, 2005) @Eagles pic.twitter.com/qY5oNHiI2p

— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) February 1, 2019

6) Nick Foles -201327 TDs, 2 interceptions, in 10 starts. That is hard to beat. I originally had it ranked 10th, but I just kept moving it up the list when I thought about it more. Throw in the 7 TD game, and it had to rank top 5.

Some people may turn more to what he did in 2017, and winning the Super Bowl. But that was 2 great performances, not a great season. In 2013 he was great all around. From when he took over, to the end of the season. It’s a season that literally got some of his gear into the Hall Of Fame, with him tying Peyton Manning’s single-game TD record.

That time Nick Foles threw an NFL record-tying 7 TDs in one game @NickFoles | @Eagles pic.twitter.com/hM7cV06Hd8

— NFL (@NFL) July 18, 2024

5) AJ Brown-2022TO is only the second-highest WR on this list. Why? Because AJ Brown had an even better season in 2022. 1,496 yards and 11 TDs. A new single-season record, one he almost broke the following season. Brown was a force all season long. No one could cover him. The highlight was a 3 TD game vs the Steelers where he racked up 156 yards on 6 catches.

The like TO, it carried over into the Super Bowl. He made a big play early in the game to put the Eagles ahead. He finished the game with 96 yards and a TD.

WHAT AN ADJUSTMENT. HURTS TO BROWN 45-YARD TOUCHDOWN!

: #SBLVII on FOX
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/d8gBDzRt2m pic.twitter.com/GXlAfMTESc

— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023

4) LeSean McCoy- 2013It was LeSean McCoy who set the Eagles record that Saquon broke this season. 1607 yards and 9 TDs just on the ground. You can add 539 yards and 2 TDs through the air on top of that. His 2,146 Scrimmage Yards that season led the league. 5.1 yards per carry.

I didn’t think we would ever see a better season by an RB for the Eagles. Certainly not in the modern era. Saquon eventually eclipsed him, but let’s not forget just how great Shady was.

In that season, McCoy had the legendary Snow Bowl game, which is still one of the greatest single-game performances by an Eagles player.

Sunday Flashback: @Eagles RB LeSean McCoy goes for 217 yards and 2 TD in the SNOW vs Detroit on 12/8/13. pic.twitter.com/OKxBclo5W7

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 22, 2014

3) Lane Johnson- 2022You don’t often see Offensive Line make these kinds of lists. But I had to get Lane Johnson in here. The question was where. Looking at his seasons, 2022 stood out to me. Not only did he give up 0 sacks like he usually does, but he gave up just 9 pressures total, and never let anyone hit Jalen Hurts. In that run to the Super Bowl, Hurts never had to worry about his right side. No one was getting through Lane.

But let’s not forget what he went on to do in the playoffs. He had a tear in his abdomen, and never missed a snap in the 3 games. Yet he kept playing at a high level. He faced down Nick Bosa of the Niners, one of the better pass rushers in the league, and shut him down.

It’s the perfect encapsulation of who Lane has been his entire time in Philly. Tough. He was playing with an injury that would have most of us on bed rest. Yet not only did he play, he played at the highest level an OT can play at.

Lane Johnson did not allow a single QB hit on 614 pass-blocking snaps this year

No. 9 on PFF's 101 best players from the 2022 season pic.twitter.com/4qT3TIDRBf

— PFF (@PFF) February 23, 2023

2) Reggie White- 1987It is hard to match what Reggie White did back in 1987. He had 21 sacks. Which is a great number for someone who plays a full season. But 1987 was a strike-shortened season. 1 week was canceled completely, and 3 more featured replacement players. So by the end of the season, White had played just 12 games.

12 games. He got 21 sacks in 12 games. In a 16-game season, that would be 28 sacks. The record is 22.5 by Michael Strahan, and he did that in 16 games. TJ Watt recently tied that record, and he did so in 15 games. White had several fewer games and nearly matched what those 2 did. Oh, and he also played great run defense, forced 4 fumbles, and scored a 70-yard TD.

When I originally wrote this listicle before the playoffs, I put Reggie at 1. But after the Eagles won the Super Bowl, it fell to 2.

T.J. Watt needs 1.0 sack to tie Michael Strahan's single-season record and he has 21.5 sacks in 14 games this season.

That's currently the 2nd-most sacks per game in a season since sacks became official in 1982, trailing only Reggie White (21 sacks in 12 games played in 1987). pic.twitter.com/1HInnsj0Nq

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 6, 2022

2) Saquon Barkley- 2024The 2000-yard regular season was enough to make the case to put him at 1. When I wrote this listicle back in early January, I originally put him at 2 behind Reggie White. But his performance in the playoffs lifted it to 1. Yea he didn’t do much in the Super Bowl, but Saquon is the reason he got there.

2 big runs in the game vs the Rams. 3 TDS, including a long one on the first play of the game, vs the Commanders. He went on to break Terrel Davis’ record for rushing yards in a full season. He could have broken Eric Dickerson’s record had he played the final week, but he had bigger things on his mind.

Not only was it a legendary season, one of the best ever by a RB, but it also ended in a parade. For that reason, Saquon takes 1st place. Oh and he also did this, which is one of the craziest things I have ever seen on a Football field.

SAQUON JUST HIT A REVERSE HURDLE

OMG.

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/uZ11M3qA59

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 3, 2024

The post The 13 Greatest Single Season Performances By Eagles Players appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jalen Hurts loves to say “Job’s not done.” Well for now it is. There will eventually be more work to do. They can start to have dreams of starting a dynasty. But for now, we can celebrate. The 2024 Eagles are Super Bowl Champions.

It was one of the most special seasons any Philly sports teams have ever had. As a city, we are used to being underdogs. We are used to having to scratch and claw. The first Super Bowl the Eagles won, they were the ultimate underdogs. They had a backup QB playing, along with several other backups, and they were facing down Tom Brady. The team literally wore underdog masks.

That was not the case this time. They might have been slight underdogs on the betting line, and people in the media picked the Chiefs to win. But everyone paying attention knew how good this team was, and they went out and proved it.

It was an absolute rout of the Chiefs to stop the 3-peat ensued. They made Patrick Mahomes have the worst game of his career. Jalen Hurts picked apart Spags’ defense. By the 3rd quarter, the Chiefs were crying uncle, and fans were leaving their homes early to make sure they could get to Broad Street to celebrate.

Related: The Real Reason the Eagles Won Super Bowl LIX

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)We are not going to forget this anytime soon. It might go down as the greatest season in Philly Sports history. The biggest competition would be the 83 Sixers, but a lot of current fans, myself included, were not alive to witness that.

Now that it is over, we are about to parade down Broad Street again. But before we do that, let’s look back on the magical season that it was. The biggest moments, the eye-popping plays, and the times we started to learn that this team was destined for greatness.

Here Are The 11 Greatest Moments Of The Eagles 2024-2025 Season:12) AJ Brown Goes Deep To End The Game Eagles- Browns was close at the end. They were up just 4 points with under 2 to go. If they had to punt, things feasibly could have gone sideways. The Eagles did something some might call ill-advised, they took a deep shot. Traditional thought says you should run it there, run the clock, and force the Browns to use their final timeout. Or at least if you are going to throw it, go with something safe. Instead, they went deep, but it worked.

HURTS DEEP TO BROWN.

Clutch deep ball connection.

: #CLEvsPHI on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/zMI5ASMBmH

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

The perfect throw, the perfect catch, the perfect way to end the game. It was a good reminder that Hurts and Brown have an amazing deep-ball connection. Did going for that make sense in that moment? Not really. If it had failed, there would have been loads of complaints, but the fact it worked, and sealed the win, made it an amazing moment worthy of this list.

11) Nakobe Dean Saves The Day The Eagles completely outplayed the Jacksonville Jaguars. But some questionable decisions by Nick Sirianni, and an incredibly questionable fumble return for a TD, made it a 1 score game at the end. The Jaguars moved down the field to the 14-yard line and were a TD away from erasing the Eagles’ lead. But then Nakobe Dean did this.

Nakobe Dean intercepts Lawrence in the end zone! First career INT#JAXvsPHI pic.twitter.com/RtANcTJs77

— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024

At this point, it was not yet completely clear how great the Eagles were. If this game had gone sideways, things could have played out much differently. But the Eagle survived, thanks to Nakobe Dean making an incredible play on the ball in the End Zone.

10) Dallas Goedert Goes For 61 YardsThe Saints game was a bit of a mess. The defense played great, and the offense moved the ball, but the Eagles still trailed 12-7 late because Nick Sirianni routinely left points on the board, Jake Elliott missed a FG, and Jalen Hurts turned it over twice in or near FG range. Meaning that at the end of the game, with under 2 minutes to go, the Eagles needed a TD. Dallas Goedert did not score that TD, but he did set it up by doing this.

GOEDERT GETS 61 YARDS ON 3RD & 16!

: #PHIvsNO on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/EBe8TFImy9

— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024

Saquon Barkley ran it in the very next play and then got a 2 point conversion for good measure after that. By the way, it didn’t crack this list, but shout out to Reed Blankenship who truly sealed the win with a pick 2 plays later.

9) Saquon Breaks 2000 Yards This whole list could have been Saquon moments. But I had to include some other players, so I cut it down to just 4 Saquon moments. The first of which is him breaking 2000. Should this be higher?

Maybe, considering only 8 other players have ever done it. But 4 of the 5 plays ahead of this were playoff moments, which makes them better, and the other is perhaps the greatest thing I have ever seen on a Football field, so Saquon making history somehow only came in 6th place. If you think that is crazy, I kind of agree with you, but I am stubborn enough to stick with it.

HISTORY

2K RUSHING YARDS FOR SAQUON BARKLEY

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/bPbrB0Gfhf

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 29, 2024

8) Saquon Dashes Through The SnowThere are so many long Saquon runs that it is hard to decide which ones to pick. Given the time and moment, and the pure esthetic of the field being coated in snow, I went with this one.

SAQUON BARKLEY 78 YARDS GOOOOODBYE!

: #LARvsPHI on NBC
: Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/88LvtJoEFa

— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2025

At the time we thought it was the end of the game. Things got a bit tight from there, and we will get to a play that followed a bit later, but this run was a thing of beauty, it was true art. It also did end up being vital for the win given the Eagles only won by 6 points.

7) Dallas Goedert’s Double Stiff ArmWe have the Double Doink, but what about the Double Stuff arm? Dallas Goedert made Carrington Valentine his little brother when the Packers came to Philly for the Wild Card game.

BEEP BEEP DALLAS GOEDERT COMIN' THROUGH @goedert33 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/IPBaiA61Az

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 12, 2025

First, he ran through him to break the initial tackle. Then he threw one stiff arm, only to throw another. The second one didn’t even feel necessary, it was just mean. But you have to respect it. It was an exclamation point run, that put an exclamation point on that game.

6) Cooper DeJean Lays Out Derrick HenryFew people are harder to tackle in the open field than Derrick Henry. The only RB that might surpass him in that regard is on the Eagles. It would be even harder if you are a rookie corner, a position not exactly known for their tackling ability.

So when Cooper DeJean and Derrick Henry met in the open field this season, most people expected DeJean to be left looking like Wile E Coyote after a run-in with the Roadrunner. That was not the case. In fact in this case it was Derrick Henry laid out on his back.

Cooper DeJean takes down Derrick Henry

: #PHIvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/Lwq9S0PfZo

— NFL (@NFL) December 2, 2024

Henry has 50 lbs on DeJean. This shouldn’t have been how that interaction ended. But here we are.

When I think of this season, this memory comes up a ton in my mind. It is an “I Am Here” moment. It was DeJean declaring he is not just some rookie cornerback, he is the real deal. Mind you, it didn’t make the list, but he did this same thing to Ja’Marr Chase earlier in the season too.

The guy just has a knack for making open-field tackles. I know the song says “Cooper DeJean is not a safety” but he sure does hit like one.

5) Saquon Opens Up The Game With A 60 Yard TDI had to be something to do with the amazing 55-23 win that sent them to the Super Bowl. The question is which play. One of the 3 fumbles? The game-sealing pick? 1 of Jalen Hurts 4 TDs?

To me, one play described the whole game. Even though it took place quite early, and things were still quite close for a bit afterward, the Saquon Barkey 60-yard TD really defined the difference between the Eagles and the Commanders in an instant.

SAQUON BARKLEY 60 YARD TD ON THE EAGLES FIRST PLAY

UNREAL.

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/z1nwtMZhDP

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 26, 2025

The Commanders opened the game fighting tough and nail for every yard. They eventually got into the Red Zone, only to settle for a FG despite multiple 3rd Down conversions, and 2 4th down conversions. They did all of that, and then in a blink of an eye it was erased by Saquon Barkley just casually running for 60 yards on the Eagles’ first offensive play of a game.

It set the tone for the whole game and made it clear these teams were just in different weight classes. One team was ready for the moment, and was team was not.

4) Jalen Carter Blows Up The Rams Hopes And DreamsThe Divisional Round Game was coming down to the wire. The Rams were moving the ball with ease in the snow. Even after the Saquon run we already talked about, the Eagles playoff life was on the line with the Rams in the Red Zone down 6 late in the game. The defense looked tired, and the snowy field clearly was hurting the ability to play the level of D they had all season long. That was when Jalen Carter put the team on his back.

JALEN CARTER SACK!

: #LARvsPHI on NBC
: Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/xbICRDUTHw

— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2025

He was not done there though. That set up 4th and long. But the Rams could certainly have converted that, and there were WRs open. But Jalen Carter stepped up again, putting pressure on Matthew Stafford, forcing the errant through, and effectively ending the game.

The Eagles went out on the field, knelt down, and advanced to the NFC Championship game. But who knows if that would have happened, or if the Eagles would even be Super Bowl-bound if Jalen Carter didn’t take over on those 2 final plays.

3) Devonta Smith Puts The Nail In The Coffin The game was over at this point, which kept this play from being 1 or 2. But this was the moment everyone knew without a doubt that the Eagles were winning the Super Bowl. The defense had just forced a turnover on downs. The Eagles were up 27-0. People assumed the Eagles would run the clock out. Instead, they went for the dagger.

On the first play of the drive, Hurts threw a dot deep downfield to Devonta Smith. In an instant, the Eagles were up 34-0, and celebrations began. Any hope of a miracle comeback was dashed in an instant. 27-0 was a mountain to climb. 34-0 was impossible.

a HOME COOKED 6-for-6 special @DeVontaSmith_6 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/Bp5EVx3Q8l

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 10, 2025

2) Saquon Barkley’s Backwards HurdleI still don’t understand how Saquon Barkley pulled this off. A juke, into a spin move, into a backward hurdle, sticking the landing, then picking up several more yards. It is one of the most eye-popping plays in NFL history.

SAQUON BARKLEY IS NOT OF THIS WORLD.

: #JAXvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/UtCENDw6no

— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

The image of him leaping over Jarrian Jones is now iconic. People have put it on shirts, I have it hanging up in my room. It is a singular moment that is hard to beat, just because it is probably the most impressive feat any of us have ever seen on a Football field. There was a time when normal hurdles were shocking, but they have almost become commonplace in the modern NFL. But Saquon found a way to make it interesting again.

1) The Birthday Boy Gets A Pick 6I can not speak for others, but I don’t think I am alone in saying this. The Cooper DeJean pick 6 is what I will think of when I look back on the Super Bowl and this season. It is the Philly Special, and it is Matt Stairs ripping one into the night.

COOOOOOP

pic.twitter.com/p5rBsiuCmM

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) February 10, 2025

10-0 was not exactly a comfortable lead. Patrick Mahomes had been down 10 in every single Super Bowl he ever won including 57 vs the Eagles. 17-0 is a different animal. Cooper DeJean getting his first-ever interception, on his Birthday, and in the Super Bowl, was great enough. But for him to then return that for a pick 6… it was when I realized this was real. The Eagles were winning this game.

It was preceded by the D-Line getting back-to-back sacks. Mahomes looked rattled. The DeJean pick proved it. The normally calm Mahomes was nowhere to be found. The Mahomes that was out there, had no hope of erasing a 17-0 deficit. This was not the man who had magic running through his veins. He was a nervous wreck who was hearing footsteps and seeing ghosts.

The DeJean pick 6 will go down as one of the most memorable Eagles plays ever. It passes up the Patrick Robinson pick 6. It passes the many memorable Eric Allen pick 6s. Because while those were great, Dejean did his in the Super Bowl. Cooper DeJean can coast off that play with the fans in Philly for the rest of his life. In 9 months there will be a lot of babies being born who are named Cooper.

The post The 12 Best Moments of the Eagles 2024 Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Bryce Huff era in Philadelphia is over after 1 season. Adam Schefter has reported that the Eagles and the 49ers are close to finalizing a deal that will send the Edge Rusher to San Francisco, bringing back a mid-round pick and some cap relief for the Eagles.

ESPN sources: 49ers and Eagles are working to finalize a trade that will send edge rusher Bryce Huff to San Francisco for a mid-round pick. The trade cannot and would not be processed until after June 1. But both sides are working to make it happen, and Huff already has reworked… pic.twitter.com/FJeGc9Cfwx

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 30, 2025

Huff signed with the Eagles last offseason. He was their most expensive offseason addition, getting a 3-year, $51 million contract. He didn’t come close to living up to that. After racking up 10 sacks for the Jets the previous year, he managed just 2.5 for the Eagles.

In fact, he hardly saw the field. An injury saw him miss 5 games. Even before and after that, his snap count dwindled with each passing week. Huff was already a rotational player when with the Jets. He lost snaps with the Eagles, and in the playoffs, he was out of their rotation entirely. He was inactive for the Super Bowl.

The 5th-year player was just never a fit for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme. He struggled to find his place on the Eagles’ defense, and saw Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt take snaps away from him, even with a not very deep rotation on the Edge.

Huff was rumored to be on the trade block, but there was not much smoke before this news broke. Now he reunites with his former Head Coach, who is now back with the 49ers as the DC. Meanwhile, the Eagles get out from under his big contract and get a pick back in return. Win-win for Bryce Huff and the Eagles.

It does leave the Eagles a bit lacking in Edge Depth. But Huff may not have factored in to that anyway if last year was any indication. They currently have Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari, Josh Uche, and rookie Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.

As Schefter reported, the Bryce Huff trade can’t actually be finalized until after June 1st.

Per Field Yates, the Eagles save $7.95 million in cash and a whopping $15 million in cap space for 2025.

The post Report: Eagles Trade Bryce Huff To The 49ers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles saw a lot of talent walk out the door this offseason. Some, they let go because they were free agents and would cost too much. See Josh Sweat and Milton Williams. Some places they wanted to get younger, see Darius Slay. Others they intentionally moved off from, like CJ Gardner Johnson.

The Eagles are still very talented, but those holes still need to be filled by someone. Either players who were here last season, or new arrivals via draft or free agency. With their limited resources in free agency, Howie arguably did as good of a job as you can expect. It is hard to replace that much talent in one off-season.

Still, if the Eagles are going to get back to the heights, they need some guys to step up.

Nolan Smith And Jalyx HuntNolan Smith has already taken a massive step. After a rough start to his career, he came back with a vengeance. He racked up 6.5 sacks after the bye week, then added 4 more in the playoffs.

Now he is the guy off the Edge. Sweat is gone, Graham is gone, and Huff might as well be gone with how little impact he had last season. It is Smith and Jalyx Hunt. And Smith needs to be the main guy.

The depth behind them is not ideal. Azeez Ojulari is a solid rotational pass rusher, and Antwaun Powell-Ryland is an interesting rookie. But unless Huff has a surprising bounce-back year, a lot of pressure is on Smith and Hunt to step up, play a ton of snaps, and be good vs both the run and the pass. Smith played great last year, and Hunt showed a ton of promise. But now the heat gets turned up on both of them.

Kelee Ringo Or Eli RicksThe Eagles not only parted ways with Darius Slay, but they also saw their primary backup CB walk in free agency. No Slay, no Isaiah Rodgers. Leaving them looking for a new 3rd cornerback.

Quinyon Mitchell will also be outside. Cooper Dejean will play outside when they only have 2 corners on the field, but they usually operate out of the nickel. Meaning someone else is going to need to step up. Right now, the options are Kelee Ringo or Adoree’ Jackson, with Eli Ricks as the wild card.

One of them needs to step up. Having a corner as good as Q does not mean much if the QB can just pick on the other guy across the field. Ringo has mostly only played special teams. He only saw the field on defense when they emptied the bench. Jackson is a journeyman. Ricks played 9 snaps last year, but played over 200 snaps in his rookie season.

To me, the fact that the Eagles kept Eli Ricks on the 53-man roster all last season, despite him being inactive most weeks, is interesting. Ringo contributed to special teams, so keeping him around had value even if he only played a few snaps on defense. But Ricks gave them nothing, and they kept him anyway. It tells me they like his upside as a corner.

Whoever it is, one of them needs to be a least passable. Expecting them to be as good as Slay is unfair. But can they not be a problem? Can they be good enough that teams can’t pick on them all game long? That is what matters. The term Cs get degrees fits here. Go out there and get a passing grade. If they get an F, it could be a problem.

Tyler SteenI don’t think Green will swoop in and steal the job from Steen like Mekhi Becton did last year. So Steen needing to step up.

His job is easier than some of the other guys on this list. Of everyone we will talk about, he has the least pressure. He will be the 5th-best player on that line. He gets top play between Lane Johnson and Cam Jurgens. Jeff Stoutland is designing the blocking scheme.

You can’t just put anyone in that spot like some fans think. The player does need to be good. But we have seen Steen in that role, and at worst, he was fine. You can make an argument that he is not a big step down from Becton. Still, the O-Line is a vital part of this team. So he needs him to step up and get the job done.

Drew Mukuba The rookie with the honor of having the most pressure in year 1 is Drew Mukuba. Jihaad Campbell has the built-in injury excuse, and there are other LBs who can step up if he has a learning curve. But Mukuba kind of needs to be the starting Free Safety day 1.

Sydney Brown has a skill set. But it is not the same skillset CJ Gardner Johnson brought to the table. Same with Reed Blankenship. They needed a true cover Safety. Someone they can trust to drop back deep in coverage, and hold down the fort. Mukuba was that guy in college. He was a playmaking safety who excelled when asked to drop back.

Unfortunately, with the Eagles not having another guy like that, Mukuba does not get much of an adjustment period, unless they sign Justin Simmons. He needs to step in right away and fill that role.

Is it fair to him? No. Safeties already have a bit of a curve, and Vic Fangio’s system can be hard to grasp. Luckily, one of Mukuba’s best assets is his brain, and he should be able to pick up the concepts quicker than most. But the Eagles are relying on him to do just that.

The post 6 Young Eagles Players Under Pressure To Step Up Next Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Judging how a team looks overall at OTAs can be hard. Even judging individual players is tough. We all remember people saying Jordan Matthews looked like Megatron in his first camp experience. He was decidedly not that good with the Eagles.

That does not mean you can’t learn anything from OTAs. Last season we saw a lot of little tidbits that carried into the season. Mekhi Becton getting reps at RG led to him playing there. Jalen Hurts under center became a thing in the regular season on some plays. How players look is not as important as how they are used.

With that said, what are the big storylines worth watching in OTAs this year? We have that covered for you.

Who Gets Reps at the 3rd Corner Spot?As of right now, the Eagles have no clear options at that 3rd corner spot. We know Quinyon Mitchell has one side locked down. Cooper DeJean is at the nickel. But who will replace Darius Slay?

The leader in the clubhouse is 3rd-year player Kelee Ringo. They have not exactly given him ringing endorsements when asked about him though. They also brought in veteran Adoree Jackson. Eli Ricks, who they kept on the roster all last season despite never playing, is a wild card option.

Again, how each of them looks is not as important here. Obviously, if one of them plays great, it gives them a leg up, but that does not translate to Training Camp Success, or more importantly, regular season success. Patrick Robinson had an awful camp, but then was a key figure of their 1st Super Bowl win. What could be important is how they are used. We assume Ringo gets the most time with the 1s, but maybe they try out some other guys there.

That could give us our first strong clue of which way they are leaning. Remember, Becton getting a lot of time at RG in OTAs is what clued people into him eventually winning the job. Even though everyone went into the off-season assuming it would be Tyler Steen.

The Young Offensive LinemenThe Eagles were busy adding young talent along the line in the Summer. They drafted 3, Drew Kendall, Myles Hinton, and Cam Williams. Then they signed the massive man out of Rutgers, Hollin Pierce, as a UDFA.

Kendall, a center in College, is looking to win the job as Cam Jurgens’ backup, and does not have much competition. But the 3 tackles are interesting. There is no job as a starting tackle. They could audition for one down the line whenever Lane Johnson retires, but no one is really thinking about that yet in OTAS. But with Fred Johnson gone, there is a job open as this team’s swing tackle.

Fred Johnson saw the field for the Eagles a lot last year. Once when Lane Johnson got a concussion, and again for several weeks when Jordan Mailata missed time. He went up against some great pass rushers such as Trey Hendrickson, Brian Burns, Micah Parsons, and Travon Walker. Johnson held up as well as you could hope for a backup against elite edge rushers. Could that be Pierce, Hinton, or Williams this year?

Pierce in particular is interesting. The man is 6ft 8, just shy of 350 lbs, and has one of the longest wingspans ever measured in the NFL for an Offensive Lineman. A lot of people who cover the team have him pegged as the UDFA with the best shot at making the team. They apparently gave him some looks at Guard in mini-camp, which is also interesting. Maybe keep an eye on that to see if that continues.

I doubt he could fight for the job at RG, but if he does have that extra versatility, it makes it even more likely he could win not just a spot on this team, but a role as one of the first guys off the bench.

How Healthy Is Jihaad Campbell, And What Unit Does He Work With?With the Eagles’ 1st overall pick recovering from shoulder surgery, he might never get on the field at OTAs. That does not mean we can’t learn anything from him though. We still might get a better idea of exactly how healthy he is. More importantly, we will see which unit they have him work with.

At mini-camp, even though he was sidelined, he worked with the Off-Ball Linebackers. That makes sense given he played off-ball linebacker with Alabama. But the Eagles talked about him as an Edge Rusher too. Does he spend any time with that unit? What unit he goes through workouts with will be a strong indication of where he ends up once healthy enough to truly practice and play.

New, OC, New Offense?There is a new man behind the clipboard for the Eagles. With Kellen Moore down in New Orleans, Kevin Patullo is the new OC for the Eagles.

This time last year we saw a vastly different Eagles offense. That tempered down a bit in the regular season. The offense was still different, but not 95% new like Jalen Hurts put it in OTAs. Turns out they focused on learning new things in OTAs, to get the players more up to speed, but did not overhaul the whole offense.

Still, it gave us insight into some new wrinkles into the Eagles offense. Motion, Hurts under center, etc. This year should give us similar insights. Will they run back the same scheme, or switch things up? It is worth following what they do, because it could carry over to the season.

The post 4 Eagles Storylines Fans Need To Follow At OTAs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni will never be satisfied. That is not just a play on Hamilton lyrics, it is accurate to those two men. They got a Lombardi Trophy. The two of them got to parade down Broad Street. They can forevermore call themselves champions. 30 years from now, they can still rock that Super Bowl Ring proudly. But 1 is not enough for them.

They both spoke this week, and the message was clear: they want another one. Sirianni talked about how he instantly turned the page to the next season after winning. Both Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown echoed similar sentiments. The message from the Eagles is very clear. They are not content with just 1 ring.

The question becomes, how do they go about repeating, and then going on to create a dynasty? To answer that question, both Nick Sirtianni and Jalen Hurts sought out experts on the subjects.

Sirianni reached out to coaches with multiple rings. He mentioned Nick Saban, 7 rings, Dawn Staley, 2 rings, and Geno Auriemma, 12 rings.

Jalen Hurts went straight to Michael Jordan, with whom he is now partnered through the Jordan brand.

“As competitive as he is, it would be unwise of me not to seek knowledge from him and lean on someone like that, so it’s something that I value a lot. One of the biggest things is taking it one day at a time. We have these goals and big dreams of things we want to accomplish, but ultimately, it’s a journey. So take it day by day. Like I said earlier, being able to decode, detect, and correct, and pretty much just refine. Refine the things that I need to so I can be at my best when needed.”

Running it back can be hard. Building a dynasty, even harder. It is something Philly has not really experienced. The Flyers won it twice back in the 70s. Eagles fans have now witnessed two Super Bowls within 8 years, but with very different teams. Villanova won in 2016 and 2018. You could technically go all the way back to the 1910s when the Philadelphia Athletics had a dynasty. But there have been few teams that got to the promised land twice.

That is not a uniquely Philly issue. Many cities have never seen a repeat, let alone a dynasty. Winning it all is hard. Winning it twice is even harder. Doing that 3 times? It takes a special combination of players and coaches. Only 6 teams have accomplished it in the Super Bowl era.

Will Sirianni and Hurts be the first Philly team to accomplish that? With the cast around them, they have a good chance. The core group that led the Eagles to such a dominant win are still here, and will be for a couple more years at least.

They have the right attitude. Hurts and Sirianni will do things the right way. This team will not rest on their laurels. No fire was lost since they hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the 1st time. If any team in Philly history is going to give us our first dynasty, betting on Hurts and Sirianni makes sense.

The post Hurts and Sirianni Consult Experts On How To Build A Dynasty appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

For the existence of HBO’s Hard Knocks, the Eagles have avoided getting the call to be featured. That will finally change this season. While the Pre-Season edition will cover the Bills, the In-Season Edition will feature the Eagles. They will not be alone, though. The In-Season Hard Knocks will follow the entire NFC East.

Hard Knocks: In Season returns with the NFC East!

Coming this December on @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/XB9va3Gt3Y

— NFL (@NFL) May 21, 2025

Coming this December, we will get a behind the scenes look at the season’s of the Eagles, the Commanders, the Giants, and the Cowboys.

This is the 2nd year In-Season hard Knocks followed an entire division. Last year it followed the AFC North. So it seems the Division spotlight will become a trend.

The storylines are endless. Can the Eagles repeat as champions? How will Jayden Daniels follow up his Rookie of the Year campaign? Cowboys, good or bad, are always a great source of drama. Then you have the Giants, with a coach/GM both fighting for their lives.

It will be interesting to see how the Eagles handle it. They are one of the most fickle teams in the league when it comes to not wanting people to know what they do. Nick Sirianni routinely refuses to divulge even the most basic of information. The team won’t even disclose the contract details of Nick Sirianni. So, how will they respond to having cameras in their meetings and in their faces during the season?

It certainly does not seem like something Jalen Hurts, a person private by nature, will be a big fan of. But it will be a great chance for fans to get a peek behind the scenes of their favorite team. And it should help provide us with ample storylines late in the season.

Also, the Giants embarrassed themselves a year ago when they featured on Off-Season Hard Knocks. So much so that it killed the format after 1 year. It will be interesting to see how it goes for them this time around.

The post Eagles And NFC East Will Feature On In Season Hard Knocks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Rejoice Eagles fans, the Tush Push lives to see another season. After delaying the vote, and there being a full media blitz by the NFl to try and ban it, the Packers Proposal to ban the Push Play did not pass at the Owners Meetings.

BREAKING: The Packers' proposal to ban the tush push did not receive the required 75% support from the NFL's owners to pass, per source.

The tush push remains alive. pic.twitter.com/CVEhTjUuAO

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) May 21, 2025

Back in the March meetings, the vote was 16-16 to ban the Tush Push. They gained 6 more votes by the time of the Owner’s meetings. But that is not enough. They needed 24 votes to ban the Tush Push. They only got 22. Two short.

Roger Goodell wanted the play banned. He actively campaigned for that result. He failed. In the end, sanity and reason prevailed. The Eagles will not be punished for being better than everyone at a play. The league could not conspire to take away something only 1 team is able to do.

Another Win For The EaglesJeffrey Lurie made one last impassioned defense of the play. He spoke for half an hour and told fellow owners that voting to ban the play would be in the face of player safety, citing the evidence showing it is one of the safest plays in the league. Jason Kelce followed that up by disproving the lies that the Tush Push is why he retired. It was enough to convince 9 other teams to back them up.

Adam Schefter shared the teams that voted against banning the Tush Push.

NFL needed 24 votes today to ban the Tush Push, but got only 22. Here are the 10 teams that voted against the Tush Push ban, per sources:

Eagles
Ravens
Browns
Lions
Jaguars
Dolphins
Patriots
Saints
Jets
Titans

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 21, 2025

The Eagles’ Twitter account celebrated with a post that could easily be interpreted as a shot at the Packers.

pic.twitter.com/bQh1wDWhTN

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 21, 2025

We will likely go through this again next season. The NFL will not drop this. But for at least another year, the Eagles will keep pushing that tush.

The post The Tush Push Lives To See Another Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

One thing hanging over the Eagles heads this off-season was the status of Nick Sirianni. Why was he not signed to an extension yet? Jeffrey Lurie hinted there could be news soon back during the League Meetings. But a month later, there was still no news. Today it finally broke. Nick Sirianni and the Eagles agreed a multiyear extension.

We’ve agreed on a multi-year extension with Head Coach Nick Sirianni pic.twitter.com/K094MmJ0fR

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 19, 2025

Nick Sirianni will go into his 5th season with the Eagles. In that time, he won 2 division titles, two NFC Championships, a Super Bowl, and went 48-20. It has not always looked pretty. 2023 was a disaster. It left many fans wanting him fired. Even into week 5, many people around the city were out on Nick.

But now, antics and all, he has the city in the palm of his hands. He is already the most successful head coach in Eagles history. The only coach to get to 2 Super Bowls. He has one of the best records in NFL history through 4 seasons. The track record is impossible to argue with. All the guy does is win.

This article will be updated when more details about the deal come out.

The post Nick Sirianni And Eagles Agree To Multi-Year Extension appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The conversation that dominated the off-season. To ban the Tush Push, or not to ban the Tush Push. We thought the NFL would decide this issue back in April at the League Meetings. When they could not get enough votes, the league tabled it. But with the Owners meeting this week, we will finally learn the fate of he Eagles infamous play.

The Owners meet this Tuesday and Wednesday. They will vote on a number of things, including a radical change to the playoff format. But the thing Eagles fans will be watching closely is the fate of the Tush Push. The Packers resubmitted their proposal to ban pushing. Here is the language teams will vote on.

As the fate of the tush push is set to be voted on over the next two days in Minneapolis, members of the Eagles continue to call around the league discussing why the play in its current form should not be banned, per sources.

Here is the language of Green Bay's proposal: pic.twitter.com/UKeIyxqZQj

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) May 19, 2025

The reasoning is the funniest part. Player safety? There is not a single bit of data that suggests this play is dangerous. Based purely on the data, it is one of the safest plays in the league. There were 0 recorded injuries from the play last season. The Eagles ran it more than anyone and were one of the healthiest teams in the league.

Pace of play? QB Spikes slow down the pace of play way more than the Tush Push. Normal QB Sneaks have the same impact on the pace of play. Endless commercial breaks, including now sometimes in a split screen in between plays, impact the pace of play more.

It is the lying that really annoys me. If they came out and said, “We can’t stop this play, so we want to ban it,” I would respect it more. The NFL has never done anything solely for player safety. They needed to be sued to take concussions seriously.

All indications point them banning the Tush Push. It is what the league itself wants. They were 8 vote shorts back in April. So the question becomes, did they do enough to convince 8 teams to change their vote?

Adam Schefter told us he expects it to be banned.

“I believe the Tush Push will be outlawed in the NFL. I haven’t heard or seen anything that will change my mind about that. I still think that will be the case. The play will not be in existence in the 2025 season.”- Adam Schefter

The good news is, the Eagles will be fine either way. Even without being able to push, their QB Sneak should still be very successful. They did not win a Super Bowl by being good at QB Sneaks. The Tush Push was an advantage, but not what made them so dominant.

We will learn the fate of the Tush either on Tuesday or Wednesday. The Eagles are doing their part to try and sway teams. Will it be enough? Indications point to a ban. But we have not heard from any team switching their vote yet. So there may be hope for the Tush Push to see 2026.

The post Fate of Eagles Tush Push Will Be Decided This Week appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles lost a few key players in their scouting department over the last week. Brandon Hunt and Anthony Patch went to Las Vegas. Jordan Dizon went back to Denver. They needed an influx of talent into that department, and they got just that with a familiar face returning. Joe Douglas, previously the Jets GM, will rejoin the Eagles staff in a Senior Scouting Role. Jeff McLane broke the news Monday morning.

Douglas served as the Eagles’ VP of Player Personnel between 2016 and 2019, before taking the job with the Jets. He helped build the Eagles’ first Super Bowl team.

He was a key figure in the 2018 draft that landed players like Dallas Goedert, Josh Sweat, Avone Maddox, and of course, Jordan Mailata. Douglas also oversaw the free agent class before the Super Bowl season that landed players like Alshon Jeffrey, LaGarrette Blount, Chris Long, and Patrick Robinson.

Joe Douglas Had A Rough Time With The JetsHis time with the Jets did not go as well. They failed to make the playoffs in all 6 years of his tenure. Part of that was them never finding the guy at QB. The Zack Wilson pick turned into a bust, and the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers was an even bigger bust.

But outside of QB, he had some successful picks. Will McDonald is turning into a solid pass rusher. Sauce Gardner is one of the better corners in the league. Garrett Wilson has upside through the roof. Breece Hall is a solid back with upside. He clearly stills has a touch as a scout, he just couldn’t put it all together.

The good news here is that will not be his job here. Douglass is not coming in to replace Howie. He is becoming a cog in a very efficient machine.

The one thing he is undeniably good at is scouting. His job now is to be a scout. Find and evaluate talent. They needed to replace the scouts they lost, and did so by bringing in one of the most well-respected talent evaluators in the sport.

The reunion just makes sense. They needed more senior scouts. He has a pre-existing relationship here. And, he is one of the most accomplished and respected names on the market.

We talk about how talented the Eagles’ roster is. That is only possible because they are a factory of talent behind the scenes. People love to poach from the Eagles’ staff for front office roles. Joe Douglas was an example of that when he went to the Jets. Now they bring him back to replace more names who jumped into bigger jobs in other organizations.

The post Joe Douglas Back With Eagles In Senior Scouting Role appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When the Eagles signed Jalen Hurts to a new contract 2 years ago, they made him the highest-paid QB in the league. Some people scoffed at that. But Howie Roseman knew what he was doing.

Since Hurts signed the 5-year $255 million deal, 9 Qbs were paid more than him. The 49ers just made that 10, officially pushing Jalen Hurts outside of the top 10 highest-paid Qbs by AAV. Brock Purdy got his payday, scoring a 5-year $265 million deal. And it looks like he will likely make every penny of that because of how the guarantees are structured.

There's a rolling guarantee structure on the $181 million injury guarantee, which means he's virtually assured to get most (if not all) of it. https://t.co/75yjXaXKLq

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 16, 2025

Is Jalen Hurts the best QB in the league? Maybe not. He is the 2nd most successful QB of the past 3 seasons, though. Based on what QBs get paid, they are not paying him to be the best QB. They are not even paying him to be one of the best QBs. He can be middle of the pack and earn his contract relative to other QBs. And we already know he is much better than middle of the pack.

If you go by counting stats, Hurts does not stick out. But the Eagles don’t throw it much. That is not because they don’t trust Hurts, any more than it is about them not trusting AJ Brown or Devonta Smith. It is about them just being able to run the ball on anybody. They had an RB break 2000 yards. Of course they kept handing it off.

You would think defenses would sell out to stop the run. They rarely did. Which tells you how much teams respect the Eagles passing game. But in the occasions they did sell out, Hurts stepped up.

The two glaring examples are the Steelers game and of course the Super Bowl. He threw a combined 4 TDs and over 500 yards in those two games. That is despite that starters coming off the field early in the Super Bowl, and them running out the last 10 minutes of the clock vs the Steelers.

You look deeper at the stats, it tells the story of a top NFL QB. Yes, the passing yards were low, but with 8 yards per attempt, he was 4th in the NFL. His Passer Rating (104.7) was 5th in the NFL. Hurts delivered in his limited attempts.

This is also the guy who outdueled Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl twice. The first time, his defense let him down. But the second time, he became only the 2nd active QB to beat Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. Something Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen repeatedly fail to do.

In a league with so many QBs unproven in the playoffs. The Eagles have a guy they know can handle the pressure. A guy who shines the brightest when the lights come on. And compared to other QBs, they have him at a discount.

Howie Roseman signed Jalen Hurts before other teams signed their man. It might have looked like an overpay at the time, but he understood that every new QB resets the market. So Howie set the market first, and watched every other team have to beat it. Just another reason the Eagles continue to be one of the leagues best run organization.

The post Jalen Hurts Contract Looks Even Better After Brock Purdy’s Deal appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles’ schedule is tough. We knew that before the order of games came out. Winning your division means you get three extra games against fellow division winners. Eagles also have games vs the NFC North and the AFC West. Arguably, the two toughest divisions in the league next year.

But now that we know the order of the games, did it make things any tougher for the Eagles? Let’s take a deep dive into the schedule to find out. Do they have a rest advantage again like last year? Is there a gauntlet like there was in 2023? Is the travel particularly challenging?

Here are 6 takeaways from the Eagles’ official schedule.

1) A Tough Road To JanuaryThis part we already knew. The Eagles play 9 teams that made the postseason last year. They play the Commanders twice. If you look at projected win totals, they play 7 of the top 10 teams. 1 of the teams they don’t play is themselves. If you expand it to the top 12, they play 9 of the 12. Expand it to the top 14; they play 10 of the 14. 7 of those 10 are on the road.

That doesn’t even include 2 games vs the Cowboys, who could be better. Or a game vs the Bears, who could be much better.

2) No Real GauntletLooking at that information, we would have assumed there would be another gauntlet. We were kind of wrong.

Going from at the Chiefs in week 2, to home vs the Rams, to down in Tampa, to back home for the Broncos is tough. Bills sandwiched between two games vs the Commanders is tough. But neither are a true gauntlet like they had in 2023. You could even argue that Washington, @ Rams, into @ Ravens from last season was a tougher gauntlet.

It actually spreads out fairly well. At least as well as you could hope. When you have that many tough games, this is the best result for avoiding a really tough stretch.

3) No Back-To-Back Home GamesKeeping those tough road games split up has a downside. It means they have no back-to-back home games. The closest they get is having the bye week after a home game. Apart from that, they are on the road every other week.

4) Travel Itself Is Not That BadLast year, the Eagles were lucky enough to never have to get on a plane after week 12. In fact, after the trip to LA in week 12, the next time they got on a plane was to go to the Super Bowl in New Orleans. This year they are not quite that lucky, but still dont have too difficult a travel schedule.

The toughest trip travel-wise is out to LA to face the Chargers on Monday Night. They have extra rest going into that game, with the Black Friday game the week before. The following game is on a slightly shorter rest, going from Monday night into Sunday.

After that game, they have 2 road trips. One to Buffalo, and one to Washington. The Washington trip is easy. Buffalo is slightly harder, and it being late December in Buffalo could cause all types of travel issues. But it is not a long road trip, at least. You just have to worry about bad weather impacting the flight.

But there are not multiple West Coast trips, or a long, extended road trip. There are no international games. They make out pretty well, and they won’t spend too long in the charter planes Eagles players said were too small for them.

5) Eagles Have A Rest Advantage This SeasonThere is only one game this season where the Eagles are at a significant rest disadvantage. They play the Vikings coming off their bye week. But the Eagles themselves will be on extra rest, they play on Thursday the week before. And the Vikings go into their bye week having played two straight games overseas.

Outside of that, the Eagles either have the rest advantage themselves, or both teams have equal rest, in all but 2 of the other games. Both examples are from the Eagles coming off Monday Night Football, and thus having 1 less day.

But they themselves get an extra day vs the Chiefs, an extra day vs the Broncos, they get +7 days of rest vs the Packers, an extra day vs the Cowboys, and an extra day vs the Bills. Overall, their rest differential is +8.

6) Weird Divisional ScheduleOne thing I do not like in this schedule is that the Eagles play the Giants twice in 3 weeks, and the Commanders twice in 3 weeks. I am not sure if that hurts them anymore than it hurts the other team; it is just weird.

We don’t see the Commanders at all until late December, then see them twice in the last 3 weeks. There is a good chance they will see them in the playoffs too. One of those games should have come earlier in the season.

The post 6 Big Takaways From The Eagles Tough Schedule in 2025 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We have the Eagles Schedule. After a couple of days of chasing leaks, we finally have the official schedule from the league.

Here is the Eagles Schedule For The 2025-2026 Season* Week 1: Thursday, September 4th – vs. Dallas Cowboys (TNF) 8:20 pm * Week 2: Sunday, September 14th – @ Kansas City Chiefs – 4:25 pm * Week 3: Sunday, September 21st – vs. Los Angeles Rams – 1:00 pm * Week 4: Sunday, September 28th – @Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1:00 pm * Week 5: Sunday, October 5th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:00 pm * Week 6: Thursday, October 9th – @ New York Giants (TNF) – 8:15 pm * Week 7: – Sunday, Oct 19th @ Minnesota Vikings – 1:00 pm * Week 8: Sunday, October 26th – vs. New York Giants – 1:00 pm * Week 9: BYE WEEK * Week 10: Monday, November 10th – @ Green Bay Packers (MNF) – 8:20 pm * Week 11: Sunday, November 17th – vs. Detroit Lions (SNF) – 8:20 pm * Week 12: Sunday, November 24th- @ Dallas Cowboys – 4:25 pm * Week 13: Friday, November – vs. Chicago Bears (Black Friday) – 3:00 pm * Week 14: Monday, December 8th – @ Los Angeles Chargers (MNF) – 8:15 pm * Week 15: Sunday, December 14th – vs. Las Vegas Raiders – 1:00 pm * Week 16: Saturday, December 20th – @ Washington Commanders – 4:30 pm or 8:00 pm * Week 17: Sunday, December 28th – @ Buffalo Bills – 4:25 pm * Week 18: TBD – Washington Commanders – TBD

One thing immediately noticeable is the lack of back-to-back home games. They have back-to-back road games twice. They are traveling every other week, with the bye week in week 9 leading to a week 10 home game being the lone exception.

Another big surprise is the number of 1pm games. 6 of them. people expected they would constantly be in Primetime, or at least the 4:25 slot. But they actually get a decent number of 1 o’clock starts.

This also confirms the Eagles avoided a Christmas Day game. The only holiday they play on is Black Friday, which is barely a Holiday. So you can make your holiday plans, and not worry about that one family member who lies to turn the volume down on the TV. Or worse, ask for Christmas music to be put on instead.

Obviously, it is a tough schedule. We knew that coming in. 11 games against playoff teams. But they managed to avoid a real gauntlet. Weeks 2 through 5 is tough. But given how tough their schedule is, they made out well with how the toughest games are spread out.

2025: An Eagles Schedule Release@Ticketmaster | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/SDfQHNwEW0

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 15, 2025

The post The Eagles Full Schedule For The 2025-2026 Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The official NFL Schedule release is Wednesday night. But as we all know, the games come out in drips and drabs long before the schedule actually comes out. Whether through actual leaks or “leaks” put out by the NFL themselves, we get an idea of what the Eagles’ schedule will look like long before we get the full schedule.

So, what Eagles games do we know about so far? We will keep track of all the “leaks” as they come out right here.

Week 1: Eagles vs Cowboys, Thursday, September 4th, at 8:20 pm on NBCWe knew the date and time for this game the second the Eagles lifted the Lombardi trophy. The Super Bowl winner always kicks off the season on Thursday night. We just didn’t know who. Turns out, it is a heated rivalry game to open up the season. The hated Dallas Cowboys will travel up to Philly and watch the Eagles hang their banner.

EAGLES VS. COWBOYS TO KICK OFF THE 2025 SEASON #Kickoff2025 pic.twitter.com/PEHaVYvlxB

— NFL (@NFL) May 12, 2025

Week 2: Eagles at Chiefs: Sunday, September 14th, at 4:25 on FoxThe Super Bowl rematch comes early. After hosting the Cowboys in week 1, they head out to Kansas City to play in the Fox Game of the Week.

The Eagles will be coming off a Thursday Night Game, the Chiefs off a Friday Night game. So it is a slight rest advantage, but not as big of one as you would usually get off a Thursday Night game.

Sources: The Super Bowl rematch between the #Eagles and #Chiefs is set for Week 2 in Kansas City, with kickoff at 4:25 PM ET on FOX. pic.twitter.com/tKtsqioxcp

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 14, 2025

Week 6: Eagles at Giants, Thursday, October 9th, at 8:25 on PrimeAnother Division game confirmed. And another Thursday Night game. Week 6, Eagles head up to the Meadowlands.

With 2 Thursday night Games, this also means no Christmas game for the Birds. Teams can only play 2 TNF games, or 3 if you are flexed. Since no one is getting flexed into Christmas, Eagles fans should be able to make their Christmas plans without worrying about fitting the Eagles game in.

Week 10: Eagles at Packers, Monday, November 10th, at 8:15 pm on ABC/ESPNWe know the Eagles are going to play a lot of prime-time Games, even not counting the season opener. One for sure will be taking on the Packers, in Green Bay, on Monday Night Football.

It is not Green Bay in the dead of Winter. November is usually somewhat chilly, but not the frigid tundra Lambeau Field is known for being. Still, Green Bay tends to have a great home-field advantage. They are 31-11 at home over the last 5 seasons.

The Eagles beat the Packers twice last season. Once in Brazil, and then again in the playoffs at home. It marked 3 straight wins for the Eagles over the Packers dating back to 2022. Before that, the Eagles lost at Lambeau in 2020, but beat the Packers out there in 2019.

DEFENDING CHAMPS IN LAMBEAU UNDER THE LIGHTS

Eagles-Packers | Nov. 10 | ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN DEPORTES pic.twitter.com/go6F7SmzIS

— ESPN (@espn) May 13, 2025

Week 13: Eagles vs Bears, Black Friday, November 28th, at 3 pm, on PrimeThe Eagles will not play on Thanksgiving this year, but they will play on Black Friday. It is the 3rd straight year the NFL held a game on Black Friday, as they continue to claim more and more Holidays as their own. They stole Black Friday from the NHL, and Christmas from the NBA. They are officially the school bully who steals everyone’s lunch money, but no one can stop them because they are bigger than everyone else in the school.

Eagles-Bears was teased as a potential for Opening Night. Instead, they get them on a midday Black Friday game. Bears are a team that is hard to predict. Last season was clearly a big disappointment. But with Ben Johnson as the coach, and some new toys on offense, it is easy to see year 2 going much better for Caleb Williams.

The day after Thanksgiving: Bears vs. Eagles. pic.twitter.com/IpGHkz2U2o

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2025

Week 16: Eagles at Commanders, Saturday, December 20th, Time TBD, on FoxThere is no official kickoff time for this game yet, but we know they are game 1 of a Saturday Double-Header, leading into Packers-Bears, also on Fox. A safe guess would be a 4 pm start, giving time for a short post-game show/ pre-game show, before Packers-Bears kicks off at 8:20ish.

Eagles-Commanders will be one of the most important games of the season, as the two tussle for control of the NFC East.

An interesting wrinkle is this game is the week before Christmas, which is on a Thursday this year. Some believe the Eagles are on Saturday, so they could also play on Christmas. But the one Christmas game announced so far features none of the teams playing on this Saturday. Chiefs-Broncos will be the Christmas night game. So I am not sure how much you can read into the Eagles playing on that Saturday.

We’re bringing the heat in Week 16 with a can't-miss doubleheader!

Catch an NFC East clash as the @Eagles take on the @Commanders, followed by an NFC North battle between the @packers and @ChicagoBears!

Saturday, December 20th on FOX pic.twitter.com/R56I4gsHLI

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 12, 2025

Full ScheduleNo more digging for leaks. The Eagles’ full schedule is out.

Week 1: Thursday, September 4th – vs. Dallas Cowboys (TNF) 8:20 pm
Week 2: Sunday, September 14th – @ Kansas City Chiefs – 4:25 pm
Week 3: Sunday, September 21st – vs. Los Angeles Rams – 1:00 pm
Week 4: Sunday, September 28th – @Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1:00 pm
Week 5: Sunday, October 5th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:00 pm
Week 6: Thursday, October 9th – @ New York Giants (TNF) – 8:15 pm
Week 7: – Sunday, Oct 19th @ Minnesota Vikings – 1:00 pm
Week 8: Sunday, October 26th – vs. New York Giants – 1:00 pm
Week 9: BYE WEEK
Week 10: Monday, November 10th – @ Green Bay Packers (MNF) – 8:20 pm
Week 11: Sunday, November 17th – vs. Detroit Lions (SNF) – 8:20 pm
Week 12: Sunday, November 24th- @ Dallas Cowboys – 4:25 pm
Week 13: Friday, November – vs. Chicago Bears (Black Friday) – 3:00 pm
Week 14: Monday, December 8th – @ Los Angeles Chargers (MNF) – 8:15 pm
Week 15: Sunday, December 14th – vs. Las Vegas Raiders – 1:00 pm
Week 16: Saturday, December 20th – @ Washington Commanders – 4:30 pm or 8:00 pm
Week 17: Sunday, December 28th – @ Buffalo Bills – 4:25 pm
Week 18: TBD – Washington Commanders – TBD

2025: An Eagles Schedule Release@Ticketmaster | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/SDfQHNwEW0

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 15, 2025

The post Eagles Schedule: Keeping Track of Every Leak And Announcement appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL Schedule Release is on Wednesday, but we already know then when and where for one Eagles game. The hated Dallas Cowboys will come to Lincoln Financial Field on September 4th to kick off the NFL Season. Mike Tirico made the announcement this morning on The Today Show.

EAGLES VS. COWBOYS TO KICK OFF THE 2025 SEASON #Kickoff2025 pic.twitter.com/PEHaVYvlxB

— NFL (@NFL) May 12, 2025

This means the Cowboys, and every Cowboys fan, will have to watch the Eagles raise the banner. Something they have not done themselves in the lifespan of any player on the Eagles’ defense.

The Cowboys did not get much attention when we considered who the Eagles might play on Opening Night. The Lions and the Bears are the popular picks. The NFL hasn’t scheduled many rivalry games for Opening Night. The Packers vs the Bears in 2019 was the last example. Before that, you would have to go back to 2012 for Cowboys vs Giants. But Eagles-Cowboys games always draw big ratings. So it is not too surprising that this is the route they would go.

Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts have not actually faced off against each other that often. Dak missed both Eagles games last season. Hurts missed the 2nd Cowboys game last season. In 2023, they both played both games and split the series. Then in 2022, Dak missed the first game, and Hurts missed the 2nd. In 2021, Hurts sat out the final game, but Dak beat him in the 1st. They didn’t face each other in Hurts’ rookie season.

Since the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts, the two teams are 5-5. The Eagles are 4-3 in games started by Jalen Hurts.

The full schedule comes out Wednesday night. As usual, there will be leaks before then. But for now, we know who they play Opening Night. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are coming up to Philly to watch us celebrate winning a Super Bowl. Something they have not done since before Google was founded.

The post Eagles Will Host The Dallas Cowboys In The Season Opener appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles’ tush Push got a stay of execution back at the League Meetings. The league did not yet have the votes to ban it. But as Roger Goodel has made clear, the league wants it banned. So they tabled the vote. The league will likely vote on it again at the Spring meets on May 20th or 21st. The word is that day will mark the death of the Tush Push.

The writing was on the wall when the vote was tabled. The league only did that because they wanted to win more votes. And usually, if the Commissioner wants something, it gets done.

In fact NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined Kincade and Salciunas this morning, and made it pretty plain that he thinks there will be no Tush push in 2025.

“I believe the Tush Push will be outlawed in the NFL. I haven’t heard or seen anything that will change my mind about that. I still think that will be the case. The play will not be in existence in the 2025 season.”- Adam Schefter

Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press echoed a similar sentiment when he joined The Afternoon Show last week. Pretty much everyone in the know thinks the play is going to be banned.

What will that ban look like? That is the real question. The Packers have proposed banning all pushing. You would no longer see dogpiles after a catch, trying to fight for a few extra yards. That would at least feel less targeted.

Because right now, the whole thing seems directed solely at the Eagles. They have a play that they run better than anyone else, that no one can stop, and people want to ban it. It reeks of jealousy. So any rule that was only about pushing on the QB Sneak would feel petty on the rest of the league’s part.

A rule that affects the whole league, where you just say you can not push a ball carrier, would at least feel more fair. It is still nonsense, and there is no real merit for the change, but at least it is not only affecting the Eagles.

It may not be right, it may not be fair, but Eagles fans should brace themselves for the death of the Tush Push. The good news is the Eagles are also very good at running the traditional QB sneak, which, as of now, no one is trying to ban. So it should not impact the Eagles too much. It is just a bit absurd that we have to hear people around the NFL lie about injury concerns, looking at you, Sean McDermott, when there is literally no data to back it up.

I would respect it more if the people trying to ban it just came out and said “We can’t stop it, so we want to ban it.” Just admit the real reason, and it would be less annoying. They lying and the hypocrisy, looking at you Sean McDermott, is the part that truly gets under my skin.

The Eagles will be fine. They did not win because of the Tush push. The Eagles were arguably better at it 2 years ago when their season imploded. They won because they have a star-studded offense and a great young defense.

Maybe next year the league will just try to ban Jalen Carter, because having him in the line isn’t fair. Saquon Barkley runs up the middle, banned. AJ Brown slant routes, banned. Eventually if the league whines enough about how good the Eagles are, they might be able to actually stop them.

The post The Eagles Tush Push Could Be In It’s Final Days appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The draft is over, and the Eagles added 10 new rookies, along with Undrafted Free Agents and camp invites. When will we first get to see them? When will we see the rest of the roster? The Eagles have announced their plans for Rookie Mini Camp, OTAs, and Mandatory Mini-Camp. See the dates for all 3 events below.

Rookie Mini-Camp May 2nd and May 3rdRookie Mini-Camp is the first chance to see rookies in action. Drafted players, Undrafted Free Agents, and invited tryout players participate in noncontact drills. It is a chance for those rookies to work out for their new coaches, and to get a jumpstart on learning the playbook.

The Eagles camp takes place from May 2nd to May 3rd.

In attendance should be all 10 draft picks, all 9 UDFAs, and these non-rostered mini-camp invitees.

DB Isaiah Greene- Campbell
WR- Ife Adeyi- Sam Houston State
P- Kai Kroeger- South Carolina
DB- Nic Toomer- Indiana
WR- Darius Lassiter- BYU
TE- Maliq Carr- Houston
LB- Joseph Vaughn- UCLA

OTAs- May 27 to June 5thNot so voluntary off-season workouts. Attendance is not mandatory. Yet, players skipping OTAs always feels like a big story. Teams use OTAs for conditioning and for teaching. A mid-off-season ramp-up, so when actual Training Camp starts, players are more ready physically and mentally. A chance to freshen up on the playbook and take part in non-contact drills.

Teams can hold a maximum of 10 OTAs. The Eagles will hold 6 this year. May 27th, May 28th, May 30th, June 2nd, June 3rd, and June 5th.

Mandatory Mini-CampMandatory Mini-Camp, as the name suggests, is the first part of the off-season program players under contract are required to take part in. Teams are permitted one mandatory mini-camp. Eagles will hold theirs on June 10th.

The post Eagles Release Schedule For Rookie Mini-Camp, OTAs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The draft is over. On paper, it looks like Howie did it again. The Eagles added a versatile defender in Jihaad Campbell who could see time both on the Edge and at Inside Linebacker. Then they grabbed a Safety who could push for the starting job in Andrew Mukuba. They added Ty Robinson to their rotation at DT. Then they also added a nickel corner, LB, C, Edge, and 3 potential RTs to develop behind Lane Johnson.

As many needs as they had, Howie Roseman seems to have done a great job filling them. But that does not mean they are done. They still have some holes, and Howie is not one to sit on his hands.

So, where should the Eagles direct their attention now that the draft is over? Here is a look at their biggest needs post-draft.

Tight EndThis is the biggest question the Eagles need to answer. What to do with Dallas Goedert. Not only did he not get traded during the draft, the Eagles did not add a young TE either in the draft or as a UDFA.

The current situation is untenable. They can’t rely on the Tight Ends they have behind Goedert. None of them are starting-caliber players. But they also can’t keep Goedert on his current contract. They don’t want to take the lofty cap hit, and he does not want to play for no guaranteed money.

They could renegotiate, the way the Eagles did with Josh Sweat last season. That is the best-case scenario. But you can imagine Goedert might not be keen to take a pay cut right after he played a big role in winning a Super Bowl. They might need to move on.

If they do, the only real fix would be trading for a veteran. Michal Mayer is buried behind Brock Bowers on the Raiders’ depth chart. But he showed promise in his rookie season before Bowers came in and stole the spotlight. Mayer still has 2 years on his rookie contract, is a solid pass-catching option, and can block. He is a downgrade from Goedert, but still a capable starter.

Beautiful block by #Raiders TE Michael Mayer on Josh Jacobs 63 yard TD run. He helps Miller first which allows him to seal off the DE, then Mayer climbs up to the S and seals him outwards. pic.twitter.com/LJePDW0WOE

— Sanjit T. (@Sanjit__T) November 28, 2023

Cole Kmet, now buried behind Colston Loveland on the Bears’ depth chart, is also an option. We do not know what Ben Johnson plans out there in Chicago. He may want to use two TEs. But maybe he is available. The problem there is he is not much cheaper than Goedert. Kmet carries a $11 million cap hit and then has an out in his contract. If that option is picked up, he would have two more seasons with $11 million cap hits. Though if the Bears just cut him, which is possible, the Eagles could pick him up at much lower cost.

Mayer is the best option if they can’t work it out with Goedert.

CornerbackI find it hard to believe they will go into the season with no competition for Kelee Ringo’s spot as the other outside starter. They showed very little faith in him last season and have not given ringing endorsements when asked about him.

By all accounts, he fits the mold of what you want in a starting corner. He is big and fast. But I have heard too many people I trust also call him stiff, and cast doubt that he will hold up as a starter. If it is Ringo, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean out there, teams are going to pick on Ringo. At the very least they need to bring in someone to compete with him.

The problem is who. Eagles fans are excited about the idea of Asante Samuel jr. But the young corner is not his dad, at least not early in his career. There is a reason he is still unsigned. There are injury red flags, and even when healthy, he has not exactly played great. QBs has a passer rating over 90 when targeting him in each of the past two seasons. He has upside, but injuries have limited him, and it’s an injury that has plagued him for a while.

I think a reunion with Rasul Douglas could make more sense. Douglas grew into a solid NFL corner after leaving Philly, and is known to be a ballhawk. At 29, the length of the contract would be the big factor. How much he costs will also be a big factor. Eagles can’t afford to pay him long term, or even too much money short term. But the player fit makes sense if they can work out a contract.

I also like Shaquill Griffin. He is a bit of a journeyman and has hopped around between a ton of teams. Griffin is coming off a strong season with the Vikings, where he held QBs to a passer rating under 80, and came away with a couple of picks. He should not break the bank or get anything long-term, but he would be a nice efficient band-aid.

Shaquill Griffin with the end zone INT!

: #HOUvsCIN on CBS
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kECSNGbyLL pic.twitter.com/RfZ3GoDdj9

— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023

SafetyAndrew Mukuba was a great get in round 2. He could very well fill the hole left by CJ Gardner Johnson as the rangy playmaking Safety. Something neither Sydney Brown nor Reed Blankenship can provide, with both of them being more of Strong Safeties.

But Mukuba is also a rookie. Eagles fans were spoiled by how well Mitchell and DeJean played in year 1. That is not always the case. Sometimes, even great players have an adjustment period. See Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, and Nakobe Dean. I love the pick, but they might not want to tell on Mukuba being a great Free Safety for them in year 1.

Is Justin Simmons still on the table? He outright said he wants to play here and has a connection to Vic Fangio. If you could get him on a 1-year deal, it could be the perfect move still. Let Mukuba learn behind a savvy vet and grow without the pressure of having to immediately be an impact starter on a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Julian Blackmon would also make sense. He is a solid, not great option at Free Safety. He won’t elevate the defense, but he won’t hurt the team either.

They could also just trust Mukuba. Again, I love the Mukuba pick and think he will be the long term answer at FS. This is not a glaring need, I just think it would be ideal to not throw the rookie into the deep end.

Long SnapperNobody gives the long snapper much thought, but it could be a need. After letting longtime snapper Rick Lovato go, the Eagles currently have a 34-year-old Charley Hughlett as their long-snapper. They might still look to bring in someone younger.

The post Re-Evaluating The Eagles Needs After The Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The draft is behind us. Did the Eagles do it again? They have nailed their picks in each of the past few years. But what does the National media think of the Eagles’ draft this time? Here is a roundup of what a lot of the big names and outlets thought of the Eagles’ draft haul.

ESPN- Mel Kiper- A-

“Campbell can be a chess piece for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, getting a handful of snaps on the edge per game. This pick tells me there’s some concern about the knee injury Nakobe Dean suffered in January, so Campbell could help fill that void. He’s a really solid player.”

Kiper went on to explain that he liked a lot of their day 2 and 3 picks too. He noted Cameron Williams could be a steal, and that ty Robinson will fir in well in the Eagles front 7 rotation. He closed off his thoughts by saying “Roseman has done it again.”

NBC Sports- Connor Rogers- B+

“Nobody swoops in on value in the first round like Howie Roseman and that’s exactly what happened when Jihaad Campbell’s mini-slide began. I’m more excited in the short term about Andrew Mukuba in this defense. He’s a highly intelligent safety with tremendous range. When that pass rush gets home, he’s going to make some quarterbacks pay.”

Rogers also loved grabbing new offensive tackles for Stoutland to mold, and called Ty Robinson a “sledgehammer.”

NFL.com- Chad Reuter- A-

“Robinson’s a nice fit at 5-technique for the Eagles, bringing power and straight-line speed to the position left behind by Milton Williams. Roseman worked the phones to add Day 3 picks for more defensive depth in McWilliams, Mondon and Powell-Ryland.”

Reuter did note that no offensive skill players were taken. Which is interesting given how much we talked about Tight Ends. But Tight Ends went off the board early in round 1, and before the Eagles came up on day 2.

Would they have wanted Mason Taylor? Maybe. We will never truly know. But it complicates things with Dallas Goedert, because now that they didn’t land a rookie, they have very little behind him if they choose to move on.

Yahoo Sports- Nate Tice and Charles McDonald- B

“Andrew Mukuba can potentially fill a big need at safety on the back end. His addition creates a really talented, young defensive back trio with Quinyon Mitchell and Super Bowl star Cooper DeJean.”

They lost a lot of playmaking when they traded CJ Gardner-Johnson. But Mukuba grabbed 5 picks and 6 PBUs last season. If he works out, the Eagles have a very young and very talented trio in their defensive backfield.

Pro Football Focus- A

“Ranked 93rd on the PFF Big Board, Williams might be one of Day 3’s biggest steals. He earned an 84.0 grade on zone blocks last season and could become Philadelphia’s long-term answer at right tackle once future Hall-of-Famer Lane Johnson retires.”

There are people who said that if Williams went back to school, he might have been a day 2 pick next season, maybe even day 1. We don’t know if that is true, but people are very high on his upside. They also got the massive Myles Hinton, and the even more massive Hollin Pierce. Eagles are collecting big OTs, and seeing which one of them sticks.

CBS Sports- Chris Trapasso- B+

“Robinson is a no-nonsense, thick and athletic rusher inside, and McWilliams a super-chippy and sudden cornerback with some Avonte Maddox to his game. As per usual, some of my favorite Roseman picks occured later, especially the three-pick stretch of Hinton, Williams, and Powell-Ryland. The two blockers have plus starter upside, and Powell-Ryland would’ve probably been a Day 2 pick if he had longer arms.”

The Eagles day 3 haul is getting a lot of praise. Everyone seems to be high on Robinson, and they all love the addition on O-Line. Day 3 can make or break GMs. Finding diamonds in the rough can be a huge difference maker. See Jason Kelce and Jordan Mailata for how big it can be when you nail one of these picks. Howie has a chance to hit the lottery again.

CBS Sports- Pete Prisco- B+

“They went defense with their first five picks to fortify a unit that suffered some losses in free agency and has some injury issues. First-round linebacker Jihaad Campbell was the best off-ball linebacker in this draft. I like quarterback Kyle McCord in the sixth. They added a bunch of other talented players. Howie Roseman had another good draft.”

Prisco has gotten a reputation for being a bit of an Eagles hater. But even he had to give the Eagles props. The Eagles needed to fortify their defense, and they got 3 players who can contribute next season, 2 of which should be starters.

The post Eagles Draft Grade Round-Up: A Great Haul Of Players appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With Milton Williams leaving in FA, DT became a major need for the Eagles. They had some solid depth behind Jalen Carter, like Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo, but they badly needed another body. So in the 4th round, after trading out of their 3rd round pick, they grabbed the athletic Ty Robinson out of Nebraska.

Could he turn into another draft steal for Howie Roseman? Here are 6 things every Eagles fan should know about him.

Major Combine StandoutRobinson really made his mark at the NFL Combine, ranking in the top 4 among DTs in nearly every drill.

40-yard-dash- 4.83 (1st among DTS)
10-yard-split- 1.71 (3rd)
Vertical- 33.5″ (4th)
Broad- 9’11” (2nd)
3-cone drill- 7.58 (3rd)
Shuttle- 4.5 (3rd)
Bench Press- 28 (3rd)

Those are some impressive numbers, especially for a DT. He might be slightly smaller than your average DT, but he more than makes up for it with athleticism and a tenacity to get after the ball.

Ty Robinson registers a 4.83u 40 at 6'5" and 288 pounds

: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/IwvDRYFvhx

— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025

Production Matches The TraitsBut Robinson is no workout warrior. His athleticism is backed up by what he did on the field at Nebraska. This past season, he racked up 7.5 sacks, 42 pressures, 25 hurries, 11 QB hits, 12.5 tackles for a loss, batted down 4 passes, and had 28 stops. Robinson was a force on the Nebraska D-Line.

The sacks were new for him this year, he had only 6 total in the prior 4 years at Nebraska. But the actual pass production was not so new. He had 20 hurries in 2023, 16 in 2022, and 13 in 2021. He also had 16 QB hits over those 3 seasons, and 41 run stops.

His final year was by far his best season, but he was a solid DT for the Cornhuskers for 3 years before he burst out as a true force on the line.

Single Digit NumberFor those unaware of the tradition Matt Rhule has at Nebraska, single-digit jersey numbers are reserved for those he and his coaching staff deem the toughest.

“What we decided was 0 through 9 would go to the nine or 10 toughest guys on the team. When I say ‘toughest’, we define that for the guys. Really the guys who best exemplify what it means to be a Cornhusker, to be accountable, to be dependable, to be tough, hardworking, competitive every single day. As we get into training camp, the players will vote on it, and we hope it becomes a tradition. As we have embraced all the great traditions that are here, hopefully this will be something new that people will get in to.”- Matt Rhule

Ty Robinson is one of the players who was given that honor. This past season was the 2nd season he wore a single-digit number.

Useful On Offense Too?Travis Hunter rightfully got a ton of love for being a rare 2-way player in this draft, and rightfully so. But while Robinson might not play every snap the way Hunter does, he got some looks on offense too, and the results speak for themselves.

Nebraska liked to use Robinson as a fullback and lead blocker in the Red Zone. They did so 8 times, and according to Robinson, they scored on 7 of those attempts.

Eagles already have Ben Van Summeren in the role of fullback, but maybe they will have something up their sleeves with Robinson too.

High Praise From Matt RhuleThe single-digit number is not the only honor bestowed on Robinson by Nebraska coach Matt Rhule. There was a great relationship there. One that kept Robinson at Nebraska when he could have entered the draft or sought more NIL money elsewhere. Rhule actually told Robinson to leave for the draft a year ago. But Robinson stuck around.

Rhule clearly appreciated it. He said this when asked about Robinson’s return before the season.

“I just think the world of him, honestly. I just think the absolute world of him. Guys like Ty Robinson are why guys like me coach. Just that daily interaction, that daily relationship, and the great thing about Ty is he lets me be me.”- Matt Rhule

Rhule went on to note that no one practices harder than Robinson. He thinks those practice habits will help him carry over his success to the NFL.

The post Ty Robinson: 6 Things To Know About Eagles New DT appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Safety was a massive need for the Eagles. The trade of CJ Gardner-Johnson left them without a proper Free Safety. Both Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown are more Strong Safeties, not exactly suited for the deep coverage role, or for lining up vs high priority targets. The Eagles might have fixed that problem though. They took Andrew Mukuba in round 2. Here are 5 things fans should know about the Eagles’ newest Safety.

Eye For The BallWith CJGJ gone, the Eagles needed someone to replace his playmaking in the defensive backfield. His 6 interceptions and 6 PBUs last season both ranked in the top 5 among DBs.

Luckily, that is exactly what Mukuba should bring to this Eagles defense. The Longhorns’ Safety had 5 interceptions, and 6 PBUs last season, and his forced incompletion rate of 26.1% was among the best in the Nation. He also allowed only 74 yards last season and 0 TDs.

Craig Way’s call of Andrew Mukuba’s game winning interception #HookEm pic.twitter.com/igjguXemCn

— HornSports (@HornSports) January 2, 2025

Has A Ton Of RangePart of what makes him so effective in coverage is his range. The guy flies around the field. He ran an impressive 4.45 40 time, and that speed shows up on the field when he is wearing pads.

Don’t let the low RAS score that is going around Twitter fool you. The guy is an athlete. His In-game Athleticism Score was a 93.2 out of 100. IGA claims to rate players on game performance as compared to RAS, which measures Combine and Pro Day performances.

According to IGA, Mukuba hit a max speed of 20.7 mph and had a closing time of 1.2 seconds. The score puts him in elite company for the position. And it is far more in line with what you see when you watch him play than his RAS score.

The Eagles just got a tone-setter in Andrew Mukuba.

His 93.2 IGA Score® ranks in the 93rd percentile for In-Game Athleticism — with verified closing speed and range that shows up when the play breaks down.

IGA Score®: 93.2 (93rd percentile)

Versatile safety who plays… https://t.co/8UCws4bZUP pic.twitter.com/tVhcU9egIK

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) April 26, 2025

No Penalties In CoverageWhen you talk about how physical he is, you might assume that led to penalties. But he got called for 0 penalties last year. No holding calls, no pass interference calls. He managed to hold QBs to a passer rating under 20 without ever getting grabby.

Mind you, he played 712 total snaps last season. 401 in pass coverage. And he was involved in plays all the time. Yet he still played clean and efficient, while dominating.

Might Be Small, But He Hits Like He Is BigOne complaint people have about Andrew Mukuba is his size. At 5’11, 180 lbs, he is smaller than your average Safety. But when you watch him play, he does not play like someone who is too small. He had some great tackles in his time at Texas.

GREAT TACKLE FROM ANDREW MUKUBA pic.twitter.com/TfrIdxH3gz

— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) September 7, 2024

There was a slight issue with missed tackles last year. His missed tackle rate was middling at best. Some of that may be him trying to hit guys too hard. But you can teach a guy proper tackling technique. What you can’t teach is his range or his instincts. Watch Texas play, and it felt like you always saw his number around the ball carrier.

Because his greatest asset is not his speed, it is his mind. Mukuba is a bright player who understands the game, knows his assignment, and puts himself in the right position to make a play.

Owes A Lot To His MomMost of us owe a ton to our mothers. A lot of people have stories of times our moms made sacrifices to make sure we were able to lead better lives. But Mukuba’s mom deserves special props for what she went through to make sure she could take care of her children.

When Andrew Mukuba was 9, he and his family had to flee Zimbabwe, then under the control of an oppressive regime. They moved to Austin, Texas, where his mother supported a family of 6 on the salary of a hotel housekeeper. Mukuba recognizes everything she did for him. A big part of what motivates him is being able to pay her back for all the sacrifices she made for him and his siblings.

“I love her so much and I have a lot of respect for her and everything she does. Everything I do is about her. It makes me go harder because I owe a lot for what she did for the whole family.” – Andrew Mukuba to The Greenville News

High-Character PlayerThat upbringing has led to Makuba growing into a mature and determined man. More than just raising Mukuba’s ability as a player, his former coach Steve Sarkisian gushed about the man Makuba was in his time at Texas.

“What a great addition to our program, Andrew was. Not just as a player, but as a leader, a teammate and a tremendous example of hard work and dedication. He just puts his head down, gives it all he’s got all of the time and is an incredible teammate. He was a really good football player for us this year who helped us win a lot of games, made big plays and always stepped up when he was needed.”- Steve Sarkisian per Sports Illustrated

Sarkisian also noted Mukuba’s great practice habits. He said those habits led to his positive performance at Texas, and thinks that will continue to lead to success in the pros.

The post Andrew Mukuba- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Safety appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The later in the draft you go, the lower the chance you make the Eagles roster becomes. It gets even lower from those who go undrafted and have to sign as an UDFA.

But we have seen players break through and make the team. Reed Blankenship was a UDFA, made the team his rookie season, and started games by year 2. Eli Ricks and Josh Jobe both made the team as UDFAs and saw playing time. Ricks has even stuck around, granted as a bottom-of-the-roster guy. Ben VanSumeran made it as a UDFA even more recently, and a couple of UDFAs from last season are still in the organization, even if they are not on the actual roster.

Before them, players like Hollis Thomas, TJ Edwards, Jamaal Jackson, Andre Waters, Quinten Mikell, and Herm Edwards started as undrafted free agents.

This year, with the Eagles drafting 10 players, it becomes even harder for UDFAs to break through. But they still signed a handful of players who will try to achieve their NFL dreams despite never hearing their name called. Here are some thoughts on every UDFA signed by the Eagles.

OT- Hollin Pierce- RutgersMy favorite player in this UDFA class, and a guy I would have been happy with them drafting as early as the 4th round. Pierce has freakish traits. 6ft8, over 340 lbs, and some of the longest arms ever measured at the NFL combine. He also moves well for a man that massive.

Pierce fell because he is still very raw. He did not play much Football in High School, showing up to Rutgers as a 400lb walk-on. But Rutgers kicked him into shape, and after a red-shirt season, he turned into a 4-year starter who held down the fort on the left side of the Scarlet Knights’ Line.

He needs some work, but there is no better place for an O-Line with freaky traits to work on his game. If anyone can get the best out of Pierce, it is Jeff Stoutland.

The Eagles invested a lot of guaranteed money into Pierce for a UDFA. That has historically not been a guarantee that someone makes the team. Doing so will be an uphill battle considering the Eagles drafted two Tackles in the 6th round, instead of him. But the money is a sign they like what they see, and want to get him into camp and see what Stoutland can do with him.

He might end up on the practice squad, where, as long as he goes unclaimed, he can get seasoning. But whether it is on the practice squad or as the last guy on the 53-man roster, I think he is the type of player the Eagles will want to hold onto.

Hollin Pierce signed with the Eagles—the kings of offensive line development.

What is Philly working with? A 6’8, 341lb MONSTER with 37” arms who has started 50 career games at Rutgers.

Yeah… the Eagles know what they’re doing. pic.twitter.com/7T9n4285xi

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) April 26, 2025

WR- Taylor Morin- Wake ForestWR is a tricky position to make for the Eagles. 3 players, AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson. After that, there are the two 2nd year players, Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson. Neither showed enough to lock in spots, but Eagles still like both players.

They could feasibly keep 6 WRs, but someone would have to really shine for that to happen. So, to make the roster, a WR is likely going to have to unseat one of Smith or Wilson. The best way to do that is by contributing on Special Teams. That is exactly what Morin can do.

He put up solid production in College. But more importantly, he was one of the better Punt Returners in that nation. He averaged 17 yards per return. Cooper DeJean did a good job in that role last season, but I hate using him there given how vital he is to the defense. I would much rather have a specialist in that role. If Morin shows up to camp and impresses as a return man, he could easily become the next Britian Covey. So I actually like Morin’s chances to make it.

Keep on running, @taylormorin20 https://t.co/D5oQ2cy3Xm pic.twitter.com/SBDA4LVpGZ

— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) August 30, 2024

RB- Montrell Johnson- FloridaSaquon Barkley obviously has the starting job at RB locked up. Behind him the Eagles have Will Shipley and AJ Dillon. On paper, it is hard to see any rookie RB crack the team.

But I don’t think Dillon is a lock to make it. He is coming off a season-ending neck injury. There is no guarantee he comes back looking like he did before the injury. He has less than $200k in guaranteed. He can be unseated by another back if his camp is underwhelming, or another back blows them away.

Johnson put up solid production in the past 3 seasons at Florida. Over 2000 yards, 21 TDs, and over 5 yards per carry. He brings the boom with a violent physical running style. Basically he looks like a younger AJ Dillon, without the neck injury baggage.

I am not saying it is likely. But I won’t be shocked if Johnson, or another back, steals a spot from Dillon.

RB- ShunDerrick Powell- Central ArkansasPowell is the anti-Montrell Johnson. Where Johnson brings a boom stick, Powell works in space. He is a tiny 5ft7. But he put up huge numbers in both the run and passing game. 1,334 yards, 14 TDs, and over 8 yards per carry. But it can be hard to judge a small school back on production alone.

His size limits his upside in the NFL, but small backs have made a big impact before. Just look at Darren Sproles. Powell brings a different dimension than Johnson or Dillon can. If he keeps producing, he, like Johnson, could unseat Johnson.

The size makes it slightly less likely for him. But the upside feels worth a chance in camp. Side note, what a name. Worthy of a Key And Peele sketch.

ShunDerrick Powell is the KING of advanced RB metrics:

4.8 yards after contact/rush (1st in class)
0.42 missed tackles forced/rush (1st in class)
21.6% explosive run rate (1st in class)

Adjust for competition level, but good players play good.

Just watch the tape: pic.twitter.com/u7p0QK8EcB

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 16, 2025

DB- Brandon Johnson- OregonJohnson played mostly nickel corner for Oregon, but many are listing him as a safety. That might be because of how physical he played as a tackler. He racked up 45 with the Ducks last year, and it was a similar case in his 3 years at Duke.

Either at Safety or CB, it is going to be hard for Johnson to crack the team. After drafting Andrew Makuba, depth is not as much of an issue at Safety, and they already have 2024 UDFA Andre Sam waiting in the wings to try and earn a spot..

At CB depth is less of an issue. They have Keele Ringo, Eli Ricks, and Adoree Jackson to fill out the roster. They also drafted Mac McWilliams. They can use another starter caliber corner to play with DeJean and Mitchell, but that is not Johnson. If he made the team it would be as depth, and there is not much need for another depth piece in the secondary.

Like Peirce, he got a lofty guarantee for a UDFA. Again, that has historically not made players more or less likely to stick around, but it is a sign the Eagles like him enough to make sure they get him in camp.

S- Maxen Hook- ToledoLike with Johnson, Hook has an uphill climb to make the roster. He would have to unseat Tristain McCollum, who the Eagle liked enough to play over Sydney Brown last season. He would also have to beat out Andre Sam.

But I do find Hook more intriguing than Johnson, at least. The production at Toledo was impressive. He forced an incompletion on over 20% of the targets against him, and came away with 2 picks.

Plus, while this may not be important to his place on the team, he was very good friends with fellow Toledo alum Quinyon Mitchell.

Maxen Hook interception! pic.twitter.com/fG2Nx8dhY3

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 3, 2023

LB- Lance Dixon-ToledoPhilly is Georgia North, but it is also becoming Toldeo East. Quinyon, Hook, Dixon, and LB Dallas Gant are all currently in the organization.

Dixon kind of reminds me of the Ben VanSumeran signing, in that he has athletic traits worth developing. Will he make the team as a linebacker? Likely not. The Eagles already have Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, Jermiiah Trotter Jr, and drafted Smael Mondon. There is also Jihaad Campbell, who could be both an inside or outside linebacker.

But Dixon has good size, and is fast. Might be worth stashing on the practice squad to see if they can eventually find a role for him like they did with Van Sumeren.

CB- BJ Mayes-Texas A&MWe already talked about the uphill climb a corner has to make this roster as a UDFA. Mayes would have to really impress in camp. He is not especially strong or especially fast. He made his mark being a smart corner, but he may be outmatched by the size and speed of NFL corners.

Maybe he makes it onto the practice squad. But I would be shocked if he pushed for an actual spot.

WR- Darius Cooper- Tarleton StateSuper productive FCS WR. 1,449 yards and 14 TDs last season. But was he someone overlooked by FBS schools, or is his production just because of weak competition?

He does have some traits that are interesting. I have obviously not watched many Tarleton State games, I don’t even know if I could watch them if I wanted to. A look at his highlights shows him high-pointing a lot of balls and making catches in traffic. The highlight reels are all I have to go off here, and they are not the best way to scout a player. But there seem to be some interesting traits worth taking a shot on.

Unlike Morin, he does not have much special teams experience. Making his path to cracking the roster very difficult. He would have to really impress in camp. But if he does well enough, he could easily earn a practice squad spot. Eagles seem to like storing WRs with fun traits there.

Tarleton State WR Darius Cooper – 6'0" 190lbs

76 receptions for 1,449 yards and 14 TDs in 2024.

Strong hands in contest/at the catch point. Good contact balance and upfield burst, becoming dangerous after the catch. Future RedZone Threat?

2025 #NFL Draft Prospect https://t.co/pc2kHMvzH7 pic.twitter.com/5mpyW0nBBm

— Colton Edwards (@coltonedwardsFB) January 4, 2025

The post Eagles UDFA Tracker- Thoughts On Every Move appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We knew DT was a need for the Eagles. They did not get one on days 1 or, but they finally grabbed one with their 1st pick on day 3, and they got a freak athlete. Ty Robinson from Nebraska.

Eagles grab one of the most athletic DTs in the draft by selecting Ty Robinson.

Dylan Widger-Imagn Images pic.twitter.com/Y0N48sDXez

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 26, 2025

Robinson put on a show at the NFL Combine. He ranked highly among Defensive Tackles in nearly every drill.

40-yard-dash- 4.83 (1st among DTS)
10-yard-split- 1.71 (3rd)
Vertical- 33.5″ (4th)
Broad- 9’11” (2nd)
3-cone drill- 7.58 (3rd)
Shuttle- 4.5 (3rd)
Bench Press- 28 (3rd)

He is not just traits, though. He put up numbers in his final year at Nebraska: 6 sacks. 25 tackles, a pass rush win rate of 10.45, and a run stop win rate of 8.1%.

He also had the respect of his locker room. Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule, formerly of Temple, has a tradition where single-digit jersey numbers are reserved for the toughest players on his team. Robinson was one of the players given that honor.

“What we decided was 0 through 9 would go to the nine or 10 toughest guys on the team. When I say ‘toughest’, we define that for the guys. Really the guys who best exemplify what it means to be a Cornhusker, to be accountable, to be dependable, to be tough, hardworking, competitive every single day. As we get into training camp, the players will vote on it, and we hope it becomes a tradition. As we have embraced all the great traditions that are here, hopefully this will be something new that people will get in to.”- Matt Rhule

He is smaller than your average DT. But like we hear with Andrew Mukuba, he plays bigger than his size would suggest.

On paper, it is another great pick for the Eagles. Like with any pick, you have to see how it works out. But the Eagles got a guy with freaky traits and great production, who established himself as a team leader.

All of that for a 4th-round pick. Hard to complain about what Howie did at pick 111.

The post Eagles Draft Freak Athlete Ty Robinson In 4th Round appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Few teams have been better at drafting over the past few years than the Eagles. Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean, Jalyx Hunt, Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper Dejean. These are just a few of the many picks the Eagles have nailed.

Will that continue in the 2025 draft, though? Can they continue to grab high-end players? Keep track of who they picked, and if they nailed those picks here

Round 1, Pick 31: LB/EDGE- Jihaad Campbell- AlabamaThe consensus is in, and the Eagles nailed this pick. They got a player almost everyone had as a borderline top 10 talent at pick 31. Nearly everyone gave the Eagles praise, and there was an overwhelming sense of “Howie has done it again.” The only question is how they will use him.

Throughout the process, he was listed as an inside linebacker. So when the Eagles took him, the immediate thought was, wow, the Eagles finally took a linebacker in round 1. But that might not be how the Eagles view him. They touted his pass rushing abilities after the pick, and every Eagles reporter seemed to agree they might try him out as an Edge Rusher.

Campbell started his career as a Defensive End before moving to Outside Linebacker and then eventually inside, where he had his best season. But there is a skillset there. If he is going to stay outside, he would likely need to bulk up. But there is no reason he can’t be used in multiple roles.

The Eagles use a hybrid front. They dont fall into the category of a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense. He can be inside in some looks, outside in others. Just using him as either an off-ball linebacker or as an Edge Rusher would not be the best use of his skill set. Because he is a great rusher, but he is also great in coverage. Campbell himself told reporters that he can do whatever the Eagles need him to do.

“I like being a football player. I like being an absolute baller, a dude that can do everything.”

– Jihaad Campbell on playing Edge vs playing Linebacker

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 25, 2025

They did give up a 5th round pick to move up and grab him. It was just one spot, and it might have been unnecessary. But if there is a player you love that much, giving up a 5th is worth the peace of mind to make sure you get him.

Grade- A+

Round 2, Pick 64: S- Andrew Mukuba- TexasMukuba is a player I love, simply because the person I trust on the draft more than anyone in this city, Andrew DiCecco, has been talking him up since the start of the draft process.

Like CJGJ, he is a playmaking safety with a knack for big hits and interceptions. Mukuba might be small, but he plays bigger than he looks. He was one of the best cover safeties in the nation in his lone year at Texas. Mukuba gave up 0 TDs, under 100 yards, and a completion rate of under 50% last season. He also racked up 5 picks and 6 deflections.

With CJ gone, the Eagles needed a cover safety with a knack for getting his hands on the ball. There is arguably no better safety in this draft for that need short of Malaki Starks.

They took him over Kevin Winston of Penn State, and Xavier Watts of Notre Dame. Two players local fans were drooling over given those schools big following in the Philly area. So he will be compared to them for his entire career. But as someone who has no bias for either of those schools, I like the choice the Eagles made.

Grade- A

Round 4, Pick 111: DT- Ty Robinson- NebraskaOn day 3, I want upside. Guys with the ability to turn into steals. Ty Robinson has freaky athletic traits and had one of the most impressive showings of any DT at the combine.

40-yard-dash- 4.83 (1st among DTS)
10-yard-split- 1.71 (3rd)
Vertical- 33.5″ (4th)
Broad- 9’11” (2nd)
3-cone drill- 7.58 (3rd)
Shuttle- 4.5 (3rd)
Bench Press- 28 (3rd)

Nebraska gave him a single-digit jersey in each of the past 2 seasons. If you don’t know, that is an honor Matt Rhule reserves for only those he deems the toughest on the team.

The floor seems pretty low here, but the ceiling is very high. A guy who can move like he does has a chance to be a difference maker. At the very least, they got a solid rotational piece on the DT and addressed a major need. I love this pick.

Bonus points because trading back into the top of the 4th round gave them future ammunition in this draft, and in next year’s draft.

Grade- A+

Philadelphia Selects Nebraska DL Ty Robinson 111th Overall

11 QB Hits in 2024 (1st Among DTs) pic.twitter.com/mwUzEbSCEu

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 26, 2025

Round 5, Pick 145: CB Mac McWilliams- UCFCB was a sneaky need for the Eagles. After many trade-downs, they finally took one. Mac McWilliams from UCF. I will be honest and say this is the first guy they picked whom I had no real knowledge of before the pick. So I will defer to the expert Andrew DiCecco, who called him a depth guy.

McWilliams can push the back-end of the depth chart guys. Eli Ricks, Kelee Ringo, Adoree Jackson. He had solid production at UCF, but he does not project as a starter caliber player, at least not right now.

They did need depth. But McWilliams may never develop into more than a backup.

Grade- C

Round 5, Pick 161: Smael Mondon Jr- GeorgiaThe Georgia to Philly pipeline continues. The Eagles keep loading up on Bulldogs, now adding Smael Mondon Jr to the mix at LB.

Andrew DiCecco on our draft special was a big fan of the pick, saying he brings great range and sideline-to-sideline speed. He called him a good replacement for Oren Burks, who was the primary backup LB last year

Looking at his stats, he hardly ever missed tackles. He boasts great speed for the LB position, and obviously has more than proven he can stand up in the brightest of lights, being a leader on one of the best defenses in the league. The Eagles continue to shop in the right places, getting a solid pick with some decent upside.

It is another thing that suggests the Eagles do not plan to use Jihaad Campbell as your traditional off-ball linebacker.

Grade- B+

Round 5, pick 168: C Drew Kendall- Boston CollegeEagles needed a backup center. They got a solid option in Drew Kendall. He held up well under center at Boston College, giving up just 2 sacks in over 800 pass blocking snaps in the past 2 seasons. Last season he allowed only 5 total pressures.

Obviously, with the deal Cam Jurgens got, and how good he has played, there is no real chance at him becoming a starter here. but they had no depth behind Jurgens, hence why Landon Dickerson had to slide to center at one point last season. Now they should have someone they can trust to fill in.

Grade- B

Round 6, Pick 181: QB Kyle McCord, SyracuseThe Eagles are going to take a flyer on a QB every couple of years. Some work out, like Tanner McKee did. Others fall on their face, like Clayton Thorson, or Carson Strong back in the day as a UDFA. They did it again with Kyle McCord.

McCord never really worked out at Ohio State, but he was great for Syracuse last year. 4,779 yards and 34 TDs. he had one of the best ratings in the nation vs the blitz, and threw arguably the best deep ball in the nation. He actually led the nation with 41 completions of at least 20 yards.

Philadelphia Selects Syracuse QB Kyle McCord 181st Overall

41 Completions on 20+ Yard Throws in 2024 (1st Among QBs)

: https://t.co/vTraFmhtTJ pic.twitter.com/ObibcFj4di

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 26, 2025

It is a solid gamble on a kid with upside. Worst case, you wasted a 6th-round pick. Best case, he grows behind Tanner McKee, and then in 2 years, when McKee is a free agent, you have a cheap option behind him to be the main backup. With Hurts’ money about to kick in, you need to have cheap but good options as the backup QB. Eagles are securing their future in that department.

He is also another local kid, growing p in Mt Laurel NJ.

Grade- B+

Round 6, Pick 191: T Myles Hinton, MichiganThe Eagles love freakishly big Offensive Linemen, and at 6ft7, Hinton fits the mold. he was an anchor on what has been an impressive O-Line for multiple years. And he specifically comes from a team that like the Eagles, prefer to pound the rock.

The Eagles need to start thinking about the future at RT. Taking several tackles with high upside makes a ton of sense. They did exactly that with Hinton.

Many 6th-round picks will never see the field. You might as well take someone with massive upside, and that is exactly what they did here.

Grade- A

Round 6, Pick 207: T Cameron Williams, TexasWhat is better than one high upside tackle? 2. Is there space for both of them? Maybe, maybe not. But they had an excess of 6th-round picks, so why not over-invest in what they consider the most important position outside of QB?

Williams is another large man at 6 ft 6. He has only 1 year of starting experience. But at his size, and with how he moves, he could grow into a starter either at RT or even Guard. He is less refined than Hinton, but perhaps has a higher ceiling. Some draft experts had a top 100 grade on him.

Give Stoutland all the Tackles with freaky traits he can get his hands on. Surely he can get one of them to pan out.

Grade- A+

Round 6, Pick 209: EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia TechThis is a guy I really liked coming into the draft. You dont often get guys who put up 16 sacks in a season in the 6th round. But that is exactly what happened here.

He lacks elite tools, is a bit small, has short arms, and struggled vs the run in college. Those are all reasons not to invest significant draft capital in him. But the Eagles invested a late 6th-round pick into him. At that point, it is worth taking a big swing. And Powell-Ryland has big upside given his crazy production at Virginia Tech.

Grade- B

The post Grading All 10 Picks In The Eagles 2025 Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Following the trade of CJ Gardner-Johnson, Safety quickly became a massive need for the Eagles. They did not really have anyone on the roster to be that coverage safety. Former 3rd-round pick Sydney Brown is more of a Strong Safety, like Reed Blankenship. Well, they found their apparent answer in the draft, taking Andrew Mukuba out of Texas.

With the 64th overall pick, the Eagles get their CJ Gardner Johnson replacement, taking Andrew Mukyba out of Texas. He had 5 interceptions last season.

-Dale Zanine-Imagn Images pic.twitter.com/gx4VY5Ou7W

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 26, 2025

The Eagles lost a lot of ball skills in their secondary when CJGJ went to Houston. Luckily, that is what Andrew Mukuba specializes in. He racked up 5 interceptions to go with 6 pass deflections last year. His forced incompletion rate of 26.1% was among the best in the nation. QBs had a passer rating of just 12.1 against him, and they completed under 50% of their passes.

He first 3 seasons at Clemson saw little production. But the transfer to Texas and into the SEC unlocked his game in a big way.

Mukuba was one of the best cover corners in the nation this past year. He allowed just 74 yards over 400 coverage snaps and never allowed a TD. He did all of that and got called for 0 penalties. The Eagles are getting a polished cover safety.

One thing he does have to work on is tackling. His missed tackle rate of 14.4% is middling. At 6ft 190, he lacks the ideal size for a safety, but he plays bigger than he looks. Still, the missed tackle rate is concerning.

This continues a trend of the Eagles investing in defensive players from the SEC. Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, 1st round pick Jihad Campbell, and now Mukuba.

Our resident draft expert, Andrew DiCecco, talked about Andrew Mukuba to the Eagles going back to the start of the draft process. So credit to him for being on this before anyone else.

The post Eagles Draft Andrew Mukuba In The 2nd Round appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Day 1 is in the books, and the Eagles scored Jihaad Campbell. Who will they add on night 2? Are they going to make a big move up? here are some names that could be of interest to the Eagles.

TE- Mason Taylor- LSUThe NFL Draft saw two Tight Ends go off the board fairly early. But TE3 in the draft will have to wait until tonight. Could the wait end with the Eagles? It is very unlikely he lasts until pick 64. So this would be a definite trade-up situation.

Trading up might be worth it. In Taylor the Eagles would get a TE with a penchant for big catches in big moments. It was Taylor who caught a late TD pass to put LSU ahead of Bama, and also Taylor who later caught the game-winning 2-point conversion when that game went to OT. Taylor is also a 1st down machine, converting 1st downs on nearly 2/3rds of his catches last season.

What a moment.

Jayden Daniels Mason Taylor in OT to beat Bama @LSUfootball pic.twitter.com/w61IrkrpOB

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 5, 2024

If they can’t get Taylor, Elijah Arroyo would be a great get, too. He burst onto the scene last year for Miami with 7 TDS on 35 catches. There is also the super productive Harold Fannin out of Bowling Green. The Eagles just happened to have hired his head coach, Scot Loeffler, to be their new QB Coach.

S- Andrew Mukuba- TexasFrom a player they would definitely have to trade up for, to someone that they might be able to get if they don’t move up, at least not too far. According to most boards, Mukuba is the 3rd best Safety left on the board behind Nick Emmanwori and Xavier Watts. Emmanwori is more of a SS though though. Watts would be a great get, but he may not last very long tonight.

Mukuba could be the better fit anyway. He is almost a full year younger, and was elite in pass coverage. Mukuba held opposing QBs to a passer rating of 12.1, and had a forced completion rate of 26.1%. Compare that to the completion rate against him of 43.4%. All of that goes with 5 interceptions, and 8 pass deflections.

He needs to be a cleaner tackler. But what the Eagles need at safety is a guy who can drop back in coverage. Mukbua is the best safety available for that need.

CB- Trey Amos-Ole MissCB is an underrated need for the Eagles. They lost Slay and Isaiah Rodgers. Is Kelee Ringo ready to step up behind them? The Eagles themselves did not give him a ringing endorsement. But imagine having a trio of young, talented corners for the next 3 seasons.

Enter Trey Amos. Amos made the jump from the Sun Belt to the SEC, and got better. Usually a good sign a player can handle the jump to the NFL. He held QBs to a passer rating of 54.5 last year with Ole Miss. He also allowed only 2 TDs and 280 yards, and came away with 3 picks.

Shavon Revel Jr would be nice too. But you already took 1 injury risk with Jihaad Campbell, and Revel is coming off a torn ACL. He is also a year older than Amos.

Edge-Donovan Ezeiruaku- Boston CollegeLike with Taylor, getting Ezieruaku would likely require a major trade-up. The Eagles pulled it off last year to get Cooper DeJean. If a player they have a 1st round grade drops, they have proven they can and will make bold moves to go up and get them.

Ezeiruaku, like Campbell, is another local kid. But more important than that is he is a talented local kid. He racked up 16.5 sacks last year, the 2nd most in this draft class, and boasts a ton of different pass rush moves, including the Ghost Rush that made Von Miller so dangerous in his prime.

Donovan Ezeiruaku supercut

The bend and pass rush bag is DISGUSTING pic.twitter.com/fmwSfFncOH

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 17, 2025

DT- TJ Sanders- South CarolinaThere was a lot of buzz that the Eagles wanted a DT. To be fair, that is always the buzz. But they flew off the board in this draft. Luckily, it is a very deep class, and there should be some great names available in rounds 2 or 3.

TJ Sanders is a name that sticks out. He is someone who can produce both against the run, and as a pass rusher. Sanders made 16.5 tackles for loss and brought down the QB 4.5 times. He also added 33 pressures. He has the ideal size and athleticism to hopefully replace some of what Milton Williams gave them.

Alfred Collins from Texas is also interesting. Right now, he is more of a run-stuffer, but he has pass rush upside that could be tapped into. Sanders is more ready to help as a pass rusher right now though.

EDGE- Nic Scourton- Texas A&MScourton is a victim of this draft being insanely deep at Edge Rusher. In any other year, he may have gone round 1. he has great traits.

There are still a lot of Edge Rushers available. We already mentioned Ezieruaku, but there is also Mike Green who might be off the Eagles board because of Domestic Violence allegations. Scourton could be a guy who keeps slipping, right into the Eagles hands.

His production was not through the roof at Texas A&M. But it was solid, and Texas A&M do not exactly let their Edge Rushers get after the QB. He has the skills to do so though and he showed he can be a run stopper too.

Nic Scourton is well-rounded edge prospect.

He’s 6’4, 285lbs yet moves incredibly well and is known for his signature spin move. He’s also one of the better run defenders in this class.

78 pressures and 12 sacks in the last 2 seasons at Purdue and Texas A&M. Top 50 player. pic.twitter.com/FNFSnptJWC

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 9, 2025

OT-Aireontae Ersery- MinnesotaEagles love their big O-Linemen. Ersery fits that mold. At 6ft6 330lbs, he cuts an imposing figure. He production matches the traits too. He gave up just 3 sacks, and QBs the last 2 seasons as the Gophers LT.

Ersery could move inside to RG for a the time being, and then move out to Tackle whenever Lane hangs up the cleats.Is that the best use of resources in a draft where you need to add talent to replace lost players on defense? Maybe not. They don’t even really need a RG, Steen played pretty well last year when his name was called.

But the Eagles have proven that investing in o-Line long term is the smart move. Even if it is not the best thing for them right now, it might be what is best foir the future. So you can’t rule it out.

The post The 7 Best Options For The Eagles On Day 2 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans had to wait 3 and a half hours into the draft, but it was worth it. It looks like the Eagles got another steal. The Eagles gave up pick 164 to move up from 32 to 31, and with the 31st pick, they took Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell.

What makes him such a good pick? Why did he fall? And could the Eagles have plans for him beyond being an off-ball LB? Here are 6 things Eagles fans should know about Jihaad Campbell.

Big Time Production and TraitsGetting a productive player is obviously ideal. Getting a guy who was productive for Alabama is even better. Campbell was tremendous for Bama last season. His 119 sacks led the team. He also led the team with 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Campbell boasts an elite missed tackle rate of just 5.9% and racked up 30 stops when dropping back in coverage.

He can do everything you want from a linebacker. Good vs the run, vs the pass, and as an extra rusher. He is the type of linebacker you notice at every level, and you notice getting involved in seemingly every play. His natural athleticism allows him to be all over the place and to make up for any mistakes.

Even while dealing with the labrum, he ran a 4.51 40 (3rd best for LBs), and had the 2nd best Broad Jump at 10’7″. He got a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) score of 9.88 out of 10, the 41st best of any Linebacker since 1987.

Fell Way Below His Pre-Draft RankingsHere is a look at where people had Jihaad Campbell on their draft boards.

Daniel Jeremiah: 12th
PFF: 13th
The Ringer: 11th
Todd McShay: 11th
Andrew DiCecco: 10th

Mel Kiper was the lowest on him, ranking him 21st. But even Kiper said Campbell has everything you want in a linebacker. The point is, few people saw him lasting until the end of the 1st round.

It is a similar story. Eagles grab a player way below where media big boards ranked them. Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean. All fell right into their laps. So far, all of them have lived up to the media hype. Will Campbell be the next guy to do that? For now, he is at least another apparent steal compared to his pre-draft rankings.

NFC exec on Jihaad Campbell: "One of the top 10 players in the draft, without question."

His overall medical profile coming out of Alabama was an issue for some teams. Could miss time in 2025 coming off shoulder surgery. But this is tremendous value at 31.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 25, 2025

Shoulder ConcernsWhy did he fall? The torn labrum likely played a part. And it was not the only injury red flag. There are concerns about his other shoulder and his knee.

Clearly, the Eagles looked at those and were comfortable with him. Nakobe Dean had a similar red flag in his draft, which caused him to fall to round 3, where the Eagles eventually scooped him up. Those red flags never materialized into anything. Spending a 1st on a guy with injury red flags is far riskier than spending a 3rd. But the talent might be worth whatever risk he provides.

Plus, it sounds like he will be good to go by the start of training camp.

Bama LB Jihaad Campbell, a top-15 talent in the 2025 NFL Draft who will be in Green Bay, visited #Cowboys and #Falcons, among others.

Recovering from a torn labrum, Campbell got word from respected Dr. Lyle Cain that he should be ready for training camp. He is already running. pic.twitter.com/RjOSDQvyeC

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 22, 2025

Eagles Wanted Him BadlyWhenever a team picks someone, they will say he is who they wanted all along. With the Eagles, there is reason to believe it. After pick 20, there was consistent reporting the Eagles were trying hard to trade up. Specially they tried to trade up to pick 22. That trade never materialized.

But there are multiple reports, not only from the Eagles, that Jihaad Campbell was the guy the Eagles were so desperate to trade up for. The Eagles say they had a top 10 grade on him.

From our NFL Draft coverage: The #Eagles tried multiple times to trade up for #Bama LB Jihaad Campbell, thinking they had a deal with the #Chargers before LAC picked. Now, they get him at 31. pic.twitter.com/caIAYVEpxy

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2025

Maybe Not Just a LinebackerThe Eagles haven’t drafted a linebacker in the first round 1 since 1979. However, this might not be the drastic change that people initially thought it was. Because while he played inside linebacker at Bama, he has experience playing on the line, and at outside linebacker. And according to some reports, it was Cambell’s ability to rush the passer that had them drooling at the concept of drafting Campbell.

So maybe they have grander plans for their first round pick than just being an inside linebacker. Or maybe seeing how much of a difference Zack Baun made last season changed their perspective on inside linebackers. But given Campbell’s success last year as a blitzer, and Baun’s own success as a blitzer last season, you should expect the Eagles to use him in creative ways.

His former coach, Nick Saban, is one person who thinks Campbell could be an Edge Rusher.

“He has tremendous range, speed, he can play in or out. He never played behind the line before we moved him two years ago because of injuries, but he’s developed into a first-round inside guy. He could be an edge rusher.”

Howie Roseman himself told us that he might not solely be used off the ball.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman on Jihaad Campbell: “He can play off the ball or as an edge rusher. … a guy who can affect the quarterback, a guy who can affect the passing game.” pic.twitter.com/t47OXgcjMN

— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) April 25, 2025

Local KidBeing local is like the cherry on top of the sundae. You are not going to take someone just because they are from the area. But it is nice when the best player available happens to have grown up a short drive from where you play on Sunday.

Jihaad Campbell grew up in Erial, NJ, a short 20-minute drive from Lincoln Financial Field. As you would imagine, his whole family rooted for the Eagles.

“My grandfather, way back to the Randall Cunningham days, he always watched the Eagles. He always loved the Eagles. My pops, my mom, my two brothers — my whole family.”- Jihaad Campbell

I’ll ignore the way back to the Randall Cunningham days, because it makes me feel old that the 90s is now considered way back. But Campbell’s family bleeds green the way all of us do. Now he gets to play for the team he grew up rooting for. That is cool.

The post Jihaad Campbell- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Pick appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles never draft linebackers in the 1st, just like they never draft Cornerbacks, they never pay Linebackers, and they invest in running backs. Howie Roseman is a changed man. He broke three of those trends in the past year, and just broke another. Because with the 31st overall pick, after trading up with the Chiefs, the Eagles took LB Jihaad Campbell.

With the 31st overall pick, the Eagles select LB Jihaad Campbell from Alabama #Eagles pic.twitter.com/CZcfzKbhLc

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 25, 2025

Jihaad Campbell was seen as one of the best players in this draft. Our own Andrew DiCecco had him 10th on his big board. He is good at everything you want linebackers to be good at. Great vs both the pass and the run, and he can even blitz with 5 sacks last season.

But inside linebacker is not a prime position, and there are some concerns with his shoulder. Those two factors once again saw the Eagles grab a player way below their projected draft slot. It was Jalen Carter in 2023, Quinyon Mitchell last year, and now Jihaad Campbell.

It gives the Eagles an elite duo at LB, after already signing Zack Baun to a massive extension. Both will be here for the next 3 seasons, with Campbell being here for up to 5 years before hitting free agency. And all it cost them to move up was 1 of their 4 5th-round picks.

It is the first time the Eagles spent a 1st on an inside Linebacker, since 1979. Howie told people though things would look different this offseason, and this is certainly different.

Jihaad Campbell was a steal at pick 31. @AndrewDiCecco and @TyJohnsonNews react to the pick. pic.twitter.com/CfoPerudsv

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 25, 2025

The Eagles have picks 64 and 96 on day 3. They will still be looking for defensive linemen and a Tight End.

Was LB their biggest need? Unclear. Nakobe Dean’s injury throws it up into the air. But now they leave no doubt who the two starting linebackers will be.

The post Eagles Trade Up To Select Jihaad Campbell appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In the past few drafts, we had a slightly clearer picture of who the Eagles might take with their 1st round pick. Not only were they higher in the draft, thus having a smaller pool to pick from, but their needs were more specific. But this year, at pick 32, there are far more options, and they have far more needs.

Do they get a DT to pair with Jalen Carter? An edge rusher to join the rotation with Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith? A 3rd cornerback to pair with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean? Do they grab a safety to replace CJ Gardner-Johnson? Or do they look to the offensive side and get the Dallas Goedert replacement? Let’s look at one option at each possible position of need.

Here are 7 Great Options Who Could Be There At Pick 32 For The EaglesDT- Walter Nolen- Ole MissThere are people who say Walter Nolen will go in the top 15. But he has also shown up at 32 in a ton of mock drafts for the Eagles.

We don’t know if he will be there. There are incredibly vague character concerns that reek of teams trying to get him to fall. But if he is there, it is hard to think of a more perfect guy to pair up with Jalen Carter. Nolen was the Carter on that Ole Miss defense. Eating up double teams so that his team could make the tackle or get the stop. This is what his teammate, Jared Ivey, said about Nolen.

“He is a really disruptive guy. A lot of times, it will be plays where he is not making the tackle, but he is making the play, and really shaking things up and moving the Line of scrimmage to give other guys opportunities to make plays. When he does his job, we are hard to stop.”

If he came here, though, there is no chance teams would double-team him over Carter. So Nolen would finally get the chance to go 1 on 1 vs his guy. Given how productive he was at Ole Miss while getting extra attention, seeing him face single coverage should be fun.

Nolen is a former number 1 overall prospect. The talent is there. If teams want to pass on him for whatever reason, the Eagles could reap the rewards. Just like they have with Jalen Carter.

ED- Donovan Ezeiruaku- Boston CollegeOnly 1 edge rusher in this draft had more production than Ezeiruaku. His 16.5 sacks are 2nd in the class, and his 60 QB hits lead the class. He also racked up 30 run stops, which is 2nd in the class. If you worried about him doing this at a Non-Power 5 School, he brought that same ability to the Senior Bowl and stood out among his peers.

The traits are also there. Ezeiruaku finished top 5 among Edge Rushers in every drill he ran at the combine. He also possesses a crazy utility belt worth of pass rush moves, including the ghost rush.

Couldn’t have been more impressed with ED Donovan Ezeiruaku during his podium session. Great clip here of him breaking down the “why” of a ghost pass rush move

Said his mentality is what separates him in a great edge rush class — I believe it pic.twitter.com/UExo4dIYDB

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) February 26, 2025

C- Shavon Revel Jr- East CarolinaWithout a doubt the best story in the draft. Revel was academically ineligible to play, and doing 10-hour shifts at an Amazon warehouse. But after one of those shifts, he and his dad made the long drive so he could try out at East Carolina. He blew them away. They told him that if he got his GPA up and became eligible, they had a spot for him. It was all he needed to hear. He got the 2.5 GPA, enrolled at Eastern Carolina, and now might go in the 1st round of the draft.

You don’t draft players because of how inspiring their story is. Luckily, he is also very good at Football. After tearing his ACL early last season, he could not compete in any drills at the Combine or his Pro Day. But you don’t need him to do drills to know how well the guy moves. Revel glides around the field with ease. He has elite traits to go with his elite production. If you can overlook him being slightly older at 24 and his iffy injury history, he is the perfect CB prospect.

TE- Mason Taylor- LSUTyler Warren won’t be there at pick 32. Neither will Colston Loveland most likely. But this is one of the best TE classes in a while. So there is a 3rd TE many have a 1st round grade on, Mason Taylor.

Mason, the son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, is paving his own path to greatness. The production was not crazy at LSU, but that is partially due to how many great WRs he has shared the field with there. What Taylor gave LSU was a reliable target who was always there to help Garrett Nussmier, or Jayden Daniels before him. 37 of his 55 catches were for a 1st down. No wonder scouts are comparing him to Zach Ertz.

Taylor has a knack for showing up in big moments. In a crucial game vs Alabama in 2023, he not only caught a go-ahead TD late in the 4th quarter, he later caught the game-winning 2-pt conversion in Ot after Alabama tied it up.

S- Malaki Starks- GeorgiaOf the guys on this list, Starks might be the least likely to still be there. Do not let his underwhelming numbers in the combine drills fool you. Put this guy on a football field, and he can fly. If you look beyond the drill numbers and look at what he did in the on-field workouts, he had one of the most impressive days at the combine.

Georgia safety Malaki Starks recorded the fastest top speed among safeties in five different drills.

Short Shuttle: 15.24 mph
W Drill: 17.92 mph
Gauntlet Drill: 18.39 mph
Line Drill: 18.66 mph
Teryl Austin Drill: 18.74 mph

: https://t.co/p64vRez1Gn pic.twitter.com/ZC0UQ9ezoI

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 1, 2025

Strarks is everything you want in a Safety, and like Malcolm Jenkins used to do, he can fill any role. Need him to drop back into deep coverage? He did that at Georgia. Need him to step up into the box? He did that at Georgia. Need him to slide over into the Nickel? He did that too.

Starks is also a human highlight reel, known for making acrobatic plays on the ball. Not to mention he might be one of the best dudes in the draft. If the Eagles somehow snagged him, it would be like hitting the lottery.

OT- Josh Connerly- OregonIs OT an immediate need? No. But you can never rule it out with the Eagles. They very well might think this is the time to draft the eventual Lane Johnson replacement.

Josh Conerly Jr is the name to know if they go down that road. The Oregon Tackle allowed just 2 sacks in over 1000 pass blocking snaps at Oregon. He went viral at the combine for getting run over, but outside of that one play a lot of scouts thought he was the best OT there.

OG- Grey Zabel- North Dakota StateZabel played a lot of tackle in college, but most believe he will make the move to G in the NFL. Luckily, he already has a ton of experience there too. In fact he has played all over the line, even at center. Which makes him a very interesting prospect for the Eagles.

He stole the show at the Senior Bowl, with executives voting him the Practice Player Of The Week.

𝑩𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮: North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel was named @seniorbowl Overall Practice Player-of-Week today in poll of NFL executives from all 32 teams. #BestoftheBest #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/giG6kRtLyp

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_Sooners) February 1, 2025

Zabel is one of the best athletes in the draft. He put on a show at the combine, and that athleticism showed up on the field too. They could draft him, and he would slot right into the RG spot.

The post 7 Great Fits For The Eagles At Pick 32 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is draft week. The 1st round starts on Thursday Night, we get rounds 2 and 3 on Friday night, followed by rounds 4-7 on Saturday. The draft is the Eagles chance for a much-needed infusion of talent. Especially after they saw so much talent leave in the off-season.

As it stands, the Eagles have 8 picks.

Round 1 (Pick 32)
Round 2 (Pick 64)
Round 3 (Pick 96)
Round 4 (Pick 134)
Round 5, (Pick 161) (from Houston)
Round 5, (Pick 164) (from Cleveland)
Round 5, (Pick 165) (from Washington)
Round 5, Pick (168)

Obviously they might not make all of those picks. They might give some up to trade up, or they might get some more because they trade down. They also have a projected 11 picks in 2026 that can be traded, including 3 3rd-round picks. 4 of those are comp picks that are not official yet, but the other 7 picks can be traded.

Who will the Eagles take? Here is a handy draft guide for some of the names being attached to the Birds

Players Eagles Fans Should KnowEdge RushersDonovan Ezeiruaku- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

James Pearce Jr.- 6 Things To Know

Nic Scourton- 6 Things To Know

Shemar Stewart- 6 Things To Know

Mike Green- 5 Things To Know

Defensive TacklesWalter Nolen- 6 Things To Know

Derrick Harmon- 5 Things To Know

Defensive BacksMalaki Starks- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

Shavon Revel Jr- 6 Things To Know

Offensive LineGrey Zabel- 6 Things To Know

Josh Conerly- 6 Things To Know

Tight EndMason Taylor- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

Colston Loveland- 5 Things To Know

Mock Drafts Computer Simulated Eagles Mock Drafts- 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0

Eagles Mock Draft- The All Physical Freaks Edition

More Draft ContentEagles Draft Preview- 6 Potential Day 3 Steals

Redrafting Every Eagles 1st Round Pick In Howie Roseman Era

What Picks Do The Eagles Have In 2025 NFL Draft?

The post The Eagles 2025 NFL Draft Guide appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Usually, a team’s head of security is not a fan favorite. Dom Disandro has become a bit of a cult hero in Philadelphia thugh. Lovingly called Big Dom, he has become as recognizable of a face as there is in the franchise. But his true value is never greater than at this time of the year. That is not me saying that. Howie Roseman gave Big Dom a ton of credit for the work he does in draft prep.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that he’s the best in the National Football League, and in my opinion all of sports, at what he does. His ability to not only gather information but have a feel for people. And then we just have to make judgments. In those situations, those are a little more subjective, and that’s based on all the information we get.”- Howie Roseman

The Eagles have not only done a good job getting great players in the draft, but there have been few to no off-field issues with the players they drafted. The team has not had a player suspended since 2020. If you believe what Roseman says, Big Dom plays a massive part in that.

Big Dom has been with the Eagles since 1999 as the Assistant to the Chief Security Officer Butch Buchanico. In 2011, he took over the role of Chief Security Officer when Buchanico retired. He has added multiple titles to his name since, including Senior Advisor to the General Manager. More recently, the Eagles named him Director of Gameday Coaching Operations (Nick Sirianni Wrangler).

The Eagles added that final title following Big Dom’s own suspension after he had an on-field confrontation with 49ers Linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Greenlaw made a dirty hit on Devonta Smith, and Big Dom stepped in. Part of that suspension was because he “had no game day duties”, and hence should not have been involved in what happened on the sideline. Now that he is “Director of Gameday operations,” he has cause to be on the sideline and next to Nick Sirianni.

Between doing security for the Eagles, wrangling Nick Sirianni on the sideline, and looking intimidating as he walks behind newly acquired players, the most important thing he does is vet draft prospects. Eagles have done a better job than anyone at avoiding the character flaw landmines that are in the draft. Credit for that goes to the big man himself, Big Dom.

The post Big Dom: The Eagles Secret Weapon In Draft Prep appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After following Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown’s stolen Mercedes from Haddonfield into Camden, New Jersey, police caught 25-year-old Luis Segarra early Monday.

Security cameras caught sight of the car near Louis and Morton streets. The case got attention when Brown posted online, “Just bring the whip back. I won’t press charges,” according to 6ABC.

When the thief dumped the Mercedes by a construction site, officers watched from afar. A quick foot chase led to Segarra’s arrest on Mt. Ephriam’s 1500 block.

Camden County Police Deputy Chief Janell Simpson told 6ABC, “There is no indication that Segarra knew the car belonged to A.J. Brown.”

Local resident Bonita Banks-Goodman saw it all happen. “I was scared by the heavy police presence including stun guns and state troopers during the arrest,” she said.

The Mercedes was returned to Brown without any damage. Officials haven’t said what charges Segarra faces yet.

Since the stolen car crossed state lines, police used advanced tracking tools and camera systems to find their suspect.

State troopers helped Camden County police make the arrest. Nobody got hurt during the incident – not the officers or the suspect.

Brown’s social media message spread quickly, getting thousands of views within hours of the theft.

Since joining the Eagles in 2019, Brown has become a star. His $100 million contract extension in 2022 puts him among the NFL’s top-paid receivers.

The city’s camera network and quick police response made finding the car possible. These security systems help cops fight crime throughout Camden.

The post Police Track Stolen Mercedes from Eagles’ Brown to Camden Arrest appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are on a draft hot streak. Look up and down the roster, and you will see a lot of players drafted in the last 4 drafts that played key roles in winning the Super Bowl. Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. Jordan Davis and Cam Jurgens. Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and Milton Williams. Especially on days 1 and 2 of the draft, the Eagles seem to be batting near 1.000.

They will try to continue that hot streak this weekend. Despite all the success they have had, they need help. Going back to back is tough, partly because we saw the Eagles free agents like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Mekhi Becton, Isaiah Rodgers, and Darius Slay get poached.

They need reinforcements, and the draft is the place they need to get them. But where specifically do they need the help? Do they need to focus on offense or defense? The Defensive Line, or the Defensive Backfield? Tight End or O-Line? The Eagles have 8 picks, but it might not be enough to fill every hole they currently have. So let’s look at each position to determine where they need the most help.

Honorable Mention- LSThe Eagles intentionally parted ways with long-time Long Snapper Rick Lovato. Apparently there were some snaps they were not very happy with. They signed Charley Hughlet to replace him, but he is older than Lovato.

They won’t draft a long snapper, but they very well might sign one as a UDFA. Andrew DiCecco was at the Rutgers Pro Day, and reported that the Eagles invited Rutgers long snapper Austin Riggs to their Local Pro Day. It is a name to keep an eye on.

Rutgers long snapper Austin Riggs tells me he’ll be attending the #Eagles’ local pro day in April. Riggs was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) March 12, 2025

Not A Need- QBWith Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee to back him up, they don’t need a QB at all. Hurts just became 1 of only 2 active QBs to beat Patrick Mahomes in a playoff game. McKee looked more than good enough to be the backup when he filled in. They even moved Kenny Pickett because they trust McKee enough.

Could they keep the “QB factory” going and get a day 3 QB? You would never rule it out. Maybe they use one of those 5th-round picks to take a flier on someone whose skillset they like. Quinn Ewers would be an interesting name if he is there in round 5. He has arm talent, but needs a lot of seasoning. It is not a need though.

Some Depth Wouldn’t Hurt – RB, WR, LBThe Eagles have Saquon Barkley. So any other RB on the team is not going to touch the ball very much. They already have Will Shipley and AJ Dillon behind him. That said, Barkley’s crazy amount of carries last year, on top of his injury history, is a bit concerning, and Dillon is coming off a neck injury.

This is a very good RB draft. On day 3, there are going to be players who, in a normal year, would go on day 2. Grabbing an extra back for Saquon insurance is not the worst idea. Kyle Monangai is a favorite of mine, but Damien Martinez would also make sense.

The same goes for WR. Do they need another WR? No. I still think they can use Jahan Dotson better as the 3rd option, and Ainias Smith has potential out of the slot. But if you can get Tez Johnson or Isaac TeSlaa on day 3, why not?

Isaac TeSlaa is a WR prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.93 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 29 out of 3815 WR from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/XPPBcSQUss pic.twitter.com/zfM6I0D3e8

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 12, 2025

The Eagles already went out of character by paying a LB, Zack Baun, big money. Nakobe Dean is on the last year of his deal. Behind them, they have Jeremiah Trotter Jr, who mostly played Special Teams in his rookie season. I have a hard time seeing them invest more than a 5th round pick in another LB. Jack Kiser out of Notre Dame would make sense.

Need Depth- OT, OGThe Eagles have the 5 starters on the O-Line. 3 of them, Cam Jurgens, Landon Dickerson, and Jordan Mailata, are under contract for at least 4 more seasons, 5 for Jurgens. Lane Johnson claims he wants to play 2 more years, but they do have to start thinking about the RT of the future. Tyler Steen played well in relief last year, and has 2 more seasons on his rookie deal.

They don’t need a starter. They might draft a RG to take Steen’s place, but it is not a pressing need. What they do need is depth. All of these starters have gotten banged up and missed games here and there. Someone like Connor Colby could be the backup for Steen and Dickeron, and maybe even eventually push Steen for a job. Someone like Hollin Pierce could be your swing tackle, and eventually slide in at RT when Lane retires.

Very Shaky- S, CBI cannot say I trust Kelee Ringo or Sydney Brown to be starters. The Eagles told you last season they didn’t trust either of them. But as the roster stands, they would both start if the season started today.

Even if you have faith in Sydney Brown, he is not the CJGJ replacement at free safety. His style is far more similar to what Reed Blankenship already provides. They need a safety who can drop back deep into coverage, and that does not fit the skillset of Brown or Blankenship. Malaki Starks would be a great addition, but that might be too rich for the Eagles. Xavier Watts or Andre Mukuba however could be there at pick 64, and could instantly step into that Free Safety role. They could also still sign Justin Simmons.

Meanwhile, Ringo has the tools you want for a corner. He is big, and has decent speed. But the Eagles do not sound in love with him, and even with some injuries last year, he only saw the field in blowouts. CB is a sneaky big need. Would they spend another high pick on a corner? Maybe not, but it would not be shocking if they pounced on a Shavon Revel Jr at pick 32. The athletically gifted Darien Porter would make sense as a late day 2 or day 3 pick, as would Jacob Parish.

Must Draft- DT, DE, TENolan Smith was great in his 2nd season, and Jalyx Hunt showed great promise. But behind those two, the only other DE you can trust is Azeez Ojulari, who only has a 1-year deal. The Eagles were a little lucky to get away with as little depth as they had at DE last season. If there are any injuries, they would be in deep trouble. They also need another premiere guy regardless, which would let Hunt be a rotation guy again.

DE would make a ton of sense in the 1st round, and names like Donovan Ezeiruaku or James Pearce would be great fits.

Likewise, DT is a major need. Jalen Carter is a stud, but behind him is more questionable. Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo are nice rotation pieces, but you need someone to replace Milton Williams. Walter Nolen or Derrick Harmon would be ideal players to snag at 32, and could create an elite tandem with Carter.

Walter Nolen is a DOMINANT run defender and flashes excellence as a pass rusher

Nolen posted 72 stops while only missing 5 tackles in his college career. He’s also posted 67 pressures and 14 total sacks.

He’s a player I expect to see go in round 1. pic.twitter.com/zFe3kTfOMj

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 30, 2025

Then there is TE. They currently have Dallas Goedert, but it does not sound like that will be the case for much longer. The cap hit is too big, and he wants more guaranteed money. A trade, or even a release, seems inevitable. If and when that happens, they have next to nothing behind him. Grant Calcaterra has had chances to be the guy with Goedert out, and did not step up.

Would they spend a 1st round pick on a TE? Maybe, but unlikely given the likelihood there will be a quality Edge or DT available. But the Eagles need to add a starting worthy TE at some point in this draft. Mason Taylor makes a ton of sense as a fit, but you would likely need to take him at 32. If they wait until rounds 2 or 3, Harold Fannin JR would be an interesting addition. As would Gunnar Helm.

The post Ranking The Eagles Biggest Needs In The NFL Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have seen a lot of talent leave in free agency this offseason. But now, they have kept someone from ever hitting it. Cam Jurgens was going into the last year of his rookie contract. Instead, he will stay under center through the 2029 season after signing a 4-year, $68 million extension. The deal makes him the 2nd highest paid Center in the NFL.

Gettin' Jurgy With It

We’ve agreed to terms with Cam Jurgens on a four-year contract extension through 2029.@Toyota | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/fPDQua7WTT

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 21, 2025

The Eagles drafted Cam Jurgens in the 2nd round of the 2022 draft. Jason Kelce handpicked him to be his successor. Jurgens sat on the bench in his rookie season, as Kelce and co made it to the Super Bowl before losing to the Chiefs. Kelce returned the next season, so Jurgens took up residence next to the all-time great Eagles center at RG. But with Kelce retired, Jurgens finally took over center last season.

He didn’t skip a beat. Jurgens held down the fort at center nearly as well as Kelce did. He even battled through a back injury that required surgery to help the Eagles win the second Super Bowl in franchise history. They rewarded Jurgens with a massive extension.

Cam Jurgens Extension Locks Down Eagles O-LineThe entire left side of the Eagles O-Line is now under contract for the next 4 seasons. Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson signed extensions last offseason that will keep them in Philly through at least 2028. Jurgens contract keeps him here through 2029.

The right side of the Eagles line is less clear. Lane Johnson says he wants to play for 2 more seasons, but at 34 years old, it is unclear if that will happen. He was still an All-Pro RT last season, and he told reporters it was the best he felt in a while.

RG is a bigger question mark. Tyler Steen is expected to get the job, and he played well while filling in for Mekhi Becton last season, but we have not seen him as a starter. They also acquired Kenyon Green in a trade, but with the Texans he was among the worst guards in the league. Steen has 2 more years under contract, and this is a contract year for Green.

The Eagles continue to prove they invest whatever it takes in their O-Line. Mailata, Dickerson, Johnson, and now Cam Jurgens are all among the highest-paid players at their position. Cap Space is tight, but the Eagles don’t mind paying to keep their O-Line together. Given how important the Linemen were in winning the Super Bowl last season, they clearly have the right idea.

The post Cam Jurgens Signs 4-Year $68 Million Extension With Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Draft week is here. A night that has gone very well for the Eagles recently. Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Jalyx Hunt last. Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Moro Ojomo, Tanner McKee, and Tyler Steen in 2023. Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens, and Nakobe Dean in 2022. Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and Milton Williams in 2021. And even though people hated it at the time, Jalen Hurts from 2020 is now one of the best picks in Eagles history.

Howie Roseman is on an all-time heater. Granted, this heater is coming off an all-time cold streak in the draft, but whatever change Howie made is working.

Now, coming off the Eagles 2nd Super Bowl victory, they have a chance to do something only 9 teams in NFL history have done, win 2 Super Bowls in a row.

But to do that, they will need to nail this draft. With Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Darius Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, Oren Burks, Mekhi Becton, CJ Gardner Johnson, and likely Dallas Goedert off the roster, they badly need an infusion of talent, and the draft is the perfect place for the Eagles to get that talent.

The Eagles Have 8 Draft Picks To Do That With* Round 1 (Pick 32) * Round 2 (Pick 64) * Round 3 (Pick 96) * Round 4 (Pick 134) * Round 5, (Pick 161) (from Houston) * Round 5, (Pick 164) (from Cleveland) * Round 5, (Pick 165) (from Washington) * Round 5, Pick (168)

They also have a lot of picks in 2026 they could use to possibly trade up in this draft if they want. Including a projected 3 picks in the 3rd round.

After their losses in free agency, they are projected to get 4 compensatory picks. They can’t trade those comp picks because they don’t actually own them yet. But their eventual existence does make parting with other picks, including either of the other 2 3rd-round picks they own, easier.

The draft kicks off at 8 pm on Thursday night.

The post What Picks Do The Eagles Have In 2025 NFL Draft? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

For the past few years, I have done an experiment that mostly shows just how depressing my social life is. I simulate the Eagles 1st round pick 10,000 times. And with the draft coming up on Thursday, it was time to empty my already empty social calendar again, roll up my sleeves, and dive into the experiment again.

Using 3 different Mock Draft tools, Pro Football Focus, Pro Football Network, and ESPN, I ran simulations for the Eagles draft 10,000 times, 3,333 per tool, with one extra thrown in there. The process takes me over 12 hours over the course of a month and change, plus a couple of more hours breaking down the data and writing this article.

The thing is, it has been shockingly accurate. In 2022, it projected Jordan Davis to the Eagles after 1000 simulations. Unfortunately that article has been lost somewhere in the ether. It exists nowhere on the front end or backend of our website anymore. In 2023, it mocked Jalen Carter to the Eagles. Last year, it mocked Cooper DeJean to the Eagles, who eventually ended up an Eagle, but in round 2 instead.

Coincidence? Probably. But the fact it picked a player they drafted in all 3 years is worth noting.

So who will the simulation pick this time? Here are how the simulations panned out.

Pro Football Network

| Pro Football Network | | Player | Times Drafted | | ED-Donovan Ezeiruaku- BC | 429 | | OG- Grey Zabel- ND State | 368 | | DT- Derrick Harmon- Oregon | 379 | | DT- Walter Nolen- Ole Moss | 362 | | DT- Tyleik Williams- Ohio State | 261 | | LB- Jihad Campbell- Bama | 238 | | ED- Mike Green- Marshall | 219 | | ED- Nic Scourton- Texas A&M | 198 | | OG- Donovan Jackson- Ohio State | 179 | | OT- Cameron Williams- Texas | 156 | | ED- James Pearce- Tennessee | 145 | | TE- Colston Loveland- Michigan | 123 | | LB- Jalon Walker- Georgia | 103 | | S- Malaki Starks- Georgia | 97 | | WR- Tetairoa McMillan- Arizona | 41 | | S- Xavier Watts- Notre Dame | 29 | | WR- Luther Burden III- Missouri | 7 |

Here are some notes from the PFN simulations:* D-Line showed up more than anything. 1,993 of the picks were on the D-Line, 991 Edge rushers, and 1,002 DTS * AT 703, O Line was the 2nd most popular posistion * LBs showed up 341 times * Safeties showed up 126 times * It projected the Eagles to trade out of the 1st round 178 times * They traded up 236 times * PFN was the only of the 3 sites that picked a LB for the Eagles (Jalon Walker and Jihad Campbell showed up 341 times) * PFN was also the only of the 3 sites to mock Tetairoa McMillan to them * Pro Football Network has been the most accurate of the 3 sites. It nailed the Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter picks, mocked Cooper Dejean the most times, and it even predicted the Eagles would draft Nolan Smith with their other 1st round pick in 2023.

Pro Football Focus

| PFF | | Player | Times Drafted | | DT- Derrick Harmon- Oregon | 451 | | ED-Donovan Ezeiruaku- BC | 432 | | DT- Walter Nolen- Ole Miss | 469 | | DT- Darius Alexander-Toledo | 387 | | OT- Josh Connerly Jr- Oregon | 378 | | ED- Nic Scourton- Texas A&M | 287 | | OG- Grey Zabel- ND State | 232 | | CB- Maxwell Hairston- Kentucky | 176 | | ED- James Pearce- Tennessee | 143 | | Dt- TJ Sanders- South Carolina | 129 | | TE- Colston Loveland- Michigan | 139 | | WR- Jayden Higgens- Arizona | 27 | | Cb- Azareye’h Thomas- FSU | 17 | | WR- Luther Burden III- Missouri | 9 | | RB- Omarion Hampton- UNC | 6 | | S- Malaki Starks- Georgia | 51 |

Here are some notes from the PFF simulations:* Once again, D-Line was by far the most popular pick, 1,436 DTs, and 862 Edge Rushers, for 2,298 total. Over a 3rd of the picks were Defensive Linemen. * O-Linemen showed up 610 times, but only 2 different O-Linemen showed up, the fewest of any of the sites * PFF had the fewest unique predictions overall, with 16 different players showing up. * PFF has been the least accurate of the 3 sites. Getting the pick wrong in each of the last 3 drafts, and not mocking Jalen Carter to the Eagles at all in 2023 * PFF was the only site that mocked Jayden Higgins to the Eagles

ESPN

| ESPN | | Player | Times Drafted | | S- Malaki Starks- Georgia | 370 | | ED- Donovan Ezeiruaku | 369 | | OG- Grey Zabel- NDSU | 262 | | CB- Azareye’h Thomas- FSU | 250 | | CB- Trey Amos- CB- Ole Miss | 201 | | ED- James Pearce Jr.- Tenn | 191 | | WR- Emeka Egbuka- Ohio State | 161 | | CB- Maxwell Hairston- Kentucky | 151 | | OG- Donovan Jackson- Ohio State | 150 | | S- Nick Emmanwori- South Carolina | 147 | | OG- Tyler Booker- Bama | 142 | | DT-Walter Nolen- Ole Miss | 134 | | OT- Josh Conerly Jr.- Oregon | 123 | | OT- Josh Simmons- Ohio State | 111 | | CB- Benjamin Morrison- Kentucky | 91 | | DT- Darius Alexander- Toldeo | 86 | | WR- Luther Burden III Missouri | 81 | | ED- Mike Green- Marshall | 81 | | DT- Keneth Grant- Michigan | 67 | | DT- Omarr Norman-Lott- Tennessee | 61 | | ED- Shemar Stewart- Texas A&M | 40 | | CB- Shavon Revel Jr.- East Carolina | 33 | | RB- Omarion Hampton- UNC | 31 |

Here are some notes from the PFF simulations:* Malaki Starks showed up only 148 times total on the other 2 sites, but was the most popular pick for ESPN * Stark’s 370 picks by ESPN is more than the rest of the Safeties combined in the total 10,000 simulations (324) * ESPN had the most unique players drafted with 23 * ESPN was the only site that mocked Trey Amos, Nick Emmanwori, Tyler Booker, Josh Simmons, Benjamin Morrison, Kenneth Grant, Omarr Norman-Lott, and Shavon Revel Jr to the Eagles * Defensive Linemen showed up only 995 times, by far the least of the 3 sites.

Full Results

| ED- Donovan Ezeiruaku- BC | 1230 | | DT-Walter Nolen- Ole Miss | 965 | | OG- Grey Zabel- NDSU | 862 | | DT- Derrick Harmon- Oregon | 830 | | S- Malaki Starks- Georgia | 518 | | OT- Josh Connerly Jr- Oregon | 501 | | ED- Nic Scourton- Texas A&M | 485 | | ED- James Pearce- Tennessee | 479 | | DT- Darius Alexander-Toledo | 473 | | OG- Donovan Jackson- Ohio State | 329 | | CB- Maxwell Hairston- Kentucky | 327 | | ED- Mike Green- Marshall | 300 | | Cb- Azareye’h Thomas- FSU | 267 | | TE- Colston Loveland- Michigan | 262 | | DT- Tyleik Williams- Ohio State | 261 | | LB- Jihad Campbell- Bama | 238 | | CB- Trey Amos- CB | 201 | | WR- Emeka Egbuka- Ohio State | 161 | | OT- Cameron Williams- Texas | 156 | | S- Nick Emmanwori- South Carolina | 147 | | OG- Tyler Booker- Bama | 142 | | Dt- TJ Sanders- South Carolina | 129 | | OT- Josh Simmons- Ohio State | 111 | | LB- Jalon Walker- Georgia | 103 | | WR- Luther Burden III- Missouri | 97 | | CB- Benjamin Morrison- Kentucky | 91 | | DT- Keneth Grant- Michigan | 67 | | DT- Omarr Norman-Lott- Tennessee | 61 | | WR- Tetairoa McMillan- Arizona | 41 | | ED- Shemar Stewart- Texas A&M | 40 | | RB- Omarion Hampton- UNC | 37 | | CB- Shavon Revel Jr.- East Carolina | 33 | | S- Xavier Watts- Notre Dame | 29 | | WR- Jayden Higgens- Arizona | 27 |

Donovan Ezeiruaku was either 1st or 2nd on all 3 sites, and hence showed up almost 300 more times than anyone else
Despite Ezeiruaku showing up the most, DT was the most common pick, with 2,786 DTs being taken compared to 2,534 Edge Rushers.
D-Linemen in general were picked 5,320 times, making up 53.2% of the total selections
O-Linemen were 2nd, with 1,333 Guards, and 768 tackles, being taken for a total of 2,101 picks (21%)
Of the positions that had at least a single pick, RB was the least common selection, showing up only 37 times.
TE showed up 262 times, and Colston Loveland was the only TE taken.
Donovan Ezeiruaku, Grey Zabel, Walter Nolen, James Pearce, Malaki Starks, and Luther Burden III showed up at least once on all 3 sites.

So if you believe the last 3 of these simulations getting the pick right is not a coincidence, Ezeiruaku will be the pick.

It makes a ton of sense for the Eagles. They need an edge rusher, and Ezeiruaku might be the best available when the Eagles are on the board.

After Mike Green, he’s the most productive Edge in the draft. Ezeiruaku racked up 16 sacks and 60 pressures last season. The traits are there, too, suggesting the production is no fluke. Plus, he is a local kid, hailing from Williamstown, NJ.

One of my favorite stories about him comes from when he was playing peewee sports. He started out playing Basketball. But because of how aggressive he was, the coach suggested Football might be the better sport for him.

“I was really aggressive playing basketball, and he recommended to my dad that I should try out football because of how aggressive I was.”– Donovan Ezeiruaku

Something tells me Eagles fans would love him. He also used to try and coach up his teammates in Peewee Football. Imagine seeing a 9-year-old taking another kids aside to try and coach him up. That was Donovan.

If this simulation comes true like the last 3 came true, it will be a tremendous 1st night for the Eagles.

The post We Simulated The Eagles First Round Pick 10,000 Times appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Howie Roseman has been the Eagles GM for 14 seasons. Most of that span was a roller coaster ride. Fans have called for his head multiple times. But now, he is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, a 2 time Super Bowl champion, and maybe one of the most popular men in the city.

The draft, more than anything, was once a source of fans’ ire towards him. Right now, he is on a crazy hot streak with his picks, specifically in the 1st round. But that has not always been the case. So ahead of this draft, I thought it might be fun to look back at his picks and do a redraft with the power of hindsight.

I went back through every pick in the Howie Roseman era. Some in fairness to him, may not have been his picks. It is murky who was running the show in the Chip Kelly years and in the Andy Reid years. Still, he took over for Joe Banner in 2010. So every pick from then on was included.

2010- Pick 13They Took- Brandon GrahamThey Take- Brandon GrahamFor a long time, the Eagles got flak for this pick. Everyone thought they should have taken Earl Thomas instead. And for the first several years after the draft, having Earl Thomas probably would have been better for them. But over a decade later, it is clear they made the right pick. The forced fumble in the Super Bowl alone makes him worth the pick. But he is also near the top in sacks in franchise history and has played more games in an Eagles jersey than any other player.

2011- Pick 23They Took- Danny WatkinsThey Take- Cameron JordanLiterally anybody else would have been an acceptable answer here. Danny Watkins is one of the biggest busts in Eagles’ history. The only thing that keeps him from taking that crown is that he was picked 23rd overall.

It just so happens that the very next pick after him is one of the better edge rushers from the past decade. Cameron Jordan went on to have 6 double-digit sack seasons. Danny Watkins didn’t even last 6 total seasons in the NFL.

2012- Pick 12They Took- Fletcher CoxThey Take- Fletcher CoxThere was no hand-wringing about this one. Cox is a borderline Hall of Famer. He is one of the greatest Eagles players of this century. There was no one taken after him I even considered taking instead.

2013- Pick 4They Took- Lane JohnsonThey Take- Lane JohnsonAnother one that is not even in question. Not just because Lane Johnson turned into one of the best Tackles in Football, but also because pretty much no one else in that first round turned into a good player. Only 4 players from that 1st round are left standing. Of them, D’Andre Hopkins is the only player close to being of Lane’s caliber.

2014- Pick 26They Took- Marcus SmithThey Take- Davante AdamsMarcus Smith was a complete bust for them. They spent the 26th pick on him hoping he would be their next great pass rusher. He finished his career with 6.5 sacks. 4 of which came with the Eagles. Instead, they now get one of the best WRs from the past 10 years. I also considered Joel Bitonio, who is one of the best Offensive Guards in that same time. But with how much the Eagles struggled at WR in the next 6 years after this pick, I want the elite WR if I can get him.

2015- Pick 20They Took- Nelson AgholorThey Take- Landon CollinsLooking at the players taken around Agholor, Landon Collins is who I went with. He was discussed as an option for the Eagles at the time. He went on to be one of the better Box Safeties in the league for several years. Agholor has had an okay career but never lived up to the 1st round billing. To be fair, we can’t blame Howie for this one. It was all Chip Kelly.

2016- Pick 2They Took- Carson WentzThey Take- Carson WentzDid the player himself work out? It’s debatable. He was not the next franchise QB. But do they win the Super Bowl if they never drafted him? I don’t think so. So while there are definitely better players selected after him, I can’t justify taking anyone else. We would never have had a Super Bowl parade if it weren’t for Wentz.

2017- Pick 14They Took- Derek BarnettThey Take- Marlon HumphreyBarnett did not pan out at all. His rookie season was promising, and he recovered the fumble in the Super Bowl. But he did more bad than good for them in his time wearing Midnight Green. Instead, the Eagles end up with an All-Pro Cornerback. Humphrey has been a cornerstone of the Ravens’ defense since this draft. The Eagles, meanwhile, struggled to find corners in he draft before and after this season, only finally breaking that curse last season with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean.

2018- No Pick2019- Pick 22They Took- Andre DillardThey Take- AJ BrownDillard barely ever played for the Eagles. Jordan Mailata wound up stealing his spot. So clearly this one is getting redrafted. But for who? There were a lot of options, but I went with someone they would later acquire in a trade. AJ Brown.

Brown wound up going early in the 2nd round, but he was talked about as a late 1st round type of player. Instead of struggling at WR for years after this, they would have had AJ Brown for his full career, and would have given Wentz, who was still the franchise guy at the time, something to actually work with.

2020- Pick 21They Took- Jalen ReagorThey Take- Justin JeffersonThis one is obvious. Not only was the guy they took a major bust but perhaps the best WR in the NFL went a pick after Reagor. It was a bad pick at the time. Now it is one of the worst misses in franchise history. It eventually worked out for the Eagles because they ended up with an elite duo of AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. But in this case, they have Justin Jefferson and AJ Brown, and will be able to use that 1st round pick they eventually trade for Brown on something else.

2021- Pick 10They Took- Devonta SmithThey Take- Micah ParsonsThis has nothing to do with Smith. He was and still is a great pick. But in this case, the Eagles would already have AJ Brown and Justin Jefferson. So they don’t really need another WR, no matter how good he is. Would the Cowboys have made that trade if they thought the Eagles would take Parsons? Probably not. But let’s just have some fun and pretend the Eagles did land one of the best defenders of this generation.

2022- Pick 13They Took- Jordan DavisThey Take- Kyle HamiltonJordan Davis is very good at what he does. In terms of run-stopping Nose Tackles, he is great. That said, Kyle Hamilton is clearly the best player 3 years in. That is nothing against Davis, just an acknowledgment of how good Hamilton has been for the Ravens.

2022- Pick 18They Traded It For- AJ BrownThey Take- Trent McDuffieIn this case, the Eagles already have AJ Brown. So now they can use this pick instead of trading it. They land one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL. Trent McDuffie could have been the Chiefs MVP in Super Bowl 58. He kept them in that game until Mahomes turned it on.

Eagles get an All-Pro corner, and end up with AJ Brown anyway, best of both worlds.

2023- Pick 9They Took- Jalen CarterThey Take- Jalen CarterJalen Carter is one of the best defensive players in the league. His stats, while good, don’t show half of how good he really is. The guy opens up so much for this defense, letting everyone around him put up stats thanks to how much opposing defenses have to focus on Carter. It was absolutely the right pick at the time, and with hindsight it only looks better.

2023- Pick 31They Took- Nolan SmithThey Take- Nolan SmithA year ago, this did not look like the right pick. Let that be a lesson on being patient. Smith was a key figure on the Eagles defense last season.

He got out of the gates slowly. But after 4 games, he took off. In his next 16 games he racked up 10.5 sacks, including 4 in the playoffs. Now, with Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat gone, he is their primary Edge Rusher. They would be lost had they drafted anyone else besides him at 31.

2024- Pick 22They Took- Quinyon MitchellThey Take- Quinyon Mitchell Would they need Q considering they would already have Humphrey and McDuffie? Maybe not. But unlike with the Smith-Parsons situation, there was no player as good as Q drafted after him that was a good fit. Q is by far the best player taken in his vicinity. So now the Eagles just have 3 All-Pro Caliber Corners.

This would mean they don’t take DeJean in the 2nd round, but we are not redrafting the 2nd round here, so I don’t have to open that can of worms. Or maybe they take him anyway, and unlike what the song says, Cooper Dejean would be a safety.

The post Redrafting Every Eagles 1st Round Pick In Howie Roseman Era appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Two days and 3 rounds are in the books of the 2025 draft. So far, the Eagles have made 2 picks. Jihaad Campbell in round 1, and Andrew Mukuba in round 2. They had a 3rd round pick, but traded out of it twice. They now have picks 111, 130, 161, 165, 168, and 191.

A lot of the focus leading up to the draft is on the 1st round, and maybe a bit on rounds 2 and 3. But as we know well in this city, there are great players to be found on day 3 (rounds 4-7). Future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce was a 6th-round pick. The Eagles found All-Pro LT Jordan Mailata in the 7th. They drafted Brent Celek in the 5th.

To borrow an old-fashioned and now somewhat obsolete idiom, ‘there be gold in them hills’. It is not always the Eagles finding it, but in every draft, there are a handful of golden nuggets ready to be plucked from the river bed.

So, who could that be this year? Which players going on that Saturday could end up being starters, All-Pros, or maybe even Hall of Famers? If I could predict that with perfect accuracy, I would not be writing this piece; I would be running some team’s draft. But still, let’s try to pick through the muck to see if we can strike gold.

Here Are 7 Potential Steals On Day 3OT- Hollin Pierce- RutgersMaybe this is my Rutgers bias showing. Maybe I have spent so much time watching the Scarlet Knights be just ok that when someone is slightly better than ok shows up, I get too excited. But I think Hollin Pierce will be a star at some point.

We talk a lot about how massive the Eagles’ line is with guys like Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Lane Johnson. Well, Hollin Pierce would fit right in. The 4-year starter checks in at 6ft 8 and 341 lbs, and that is him slimmed down. He was carrying over 400 lbs when he showed up at Rutgers, before slimming down to the sleek 341 he weighed in at the Combine.

But he is not just big. Even while playing in the BIG10, and going up against Big 10 Pass Rushers, he gave up only 5 sacks and 70 pressures over 4 seasons. He played the first 2 seasons at RT, before sliding over to the Left side in 20-23 and 2024.

The scary part is he still has room to grow. In terms of experience, he is still learning. He didn’t start playing football until late into high school, having played mostly soccer and basketball before that. There is still a rawness to his game that can be honed by the master of the craft, Jeff Stoutland.

Stick this guy behind Lane for 2 years, you might have your RT of the future.

Hollin Pierce is 6’8, 341lbs with 37” arms…

Utterly insane that he moves this well at that size. Started 50 games of OT at Rutgers after joining the program as a walk-on.

I have a 3rd round grade on him pic.twitter.com/hDRVPtMtkl

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 14, 2025

DT- Aeneas Peebles- Virginia TechI am no scout, so maybe I am missing something. But I am curious how a DT with 9 sacks and 70 pressures over the past 2 seasons, to go with the best pass rush win rate for any DT who played at least 50% of the snaps, is not going until day 3. The only downside is that at 6ft, he is a bit small. But when he wins as often as he does, and moves as well as he does, it feels like you can overlook him being a bit short.

He is very similar to Milton Williams coming out of College. He has the production, he has the athleticism, but he is just a bit small. And like they capitalized on getting Williams in round 3, they could get another steal with Peebles in rounds 4, 5, or 6.

Virginia Tech’s Aeneas Peebles is one of the most unique DTs in the NFL Draft

ONLY Defensive Tackle with 90+ pass rush grades in each of the past two seasons pic.twitter.com/AdyJyEJI3T

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 16, 2025

WR- Tez Johnson- OregonThe Eagles have been looking for a Slot WR for a while now. They tried out a lot of different options, so far, none have panned out. But maybe Tez Johnson would change that.

He is not the fastest guy out there, and certainly not the biggest. But Tez just has an insane knack for getting open. His separation rate was in the 99th percentile. He may not have elite traits, but the guy runs a route better than anyone, and would have defenders in knots trying to track him. Even at the Senior Bowl, he was making some of the best corners in the draft at times look silly.

The Eagles have lacked that steady slot presence. Now, with Dallas Goedert likely going, the Eagles need someone like that who just gets open even more. No WR in this draft gets open better than Tez did in the Slot. He was a super high target player at Oregon. Not because they force-fed him the ball, but just because he was always open. Hence why he has nearly 3000 yards and 24 TDs over the past 3 seasons.

EDGE- David Walker- Central ArkansasIf you go to an FCS school, you won’t get the attention players from FBS schools get. The lights aren’t as bright, and the competition is not as good. If you are undersized and go to an FCS school, your chances of getting noticed are even slimmer. But the 6ft 260 lb David Walker has still made a name for himself. How? By just producing.

He might be small for an Edge Rusher, but Walker can get after the QB. In the last 3 seasons, Walkers racked up 31 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 63 tackles for a loss.

Was that just him beating up on weak competition? Could be, but he also showed up at the Senior Bowl vs the best competition. He got the chance to play vs FBS tackles, and he won more often than not. If he is being overlooked because of his size and where he played, there might be a team that makes out like bandits on day 3.

David Walker from FCS school Central Arkansas did exactly what small school players have to do at the Senior Bowl: Kick ass and standout against competition they haven’t played against. Showed off his power all week. pic.twitter.com/FvPVhvk0Kd

— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) January 30, 2025

RB- Kyle Monangai- RutgersAgain, this could be my Scarlet bias showing. But I think Monangai will be a stud. Not only was he super productive vs Big 10 defenses, but he did something better than any RB in the conference: break tackles and make people miss.

According to PFF, he had 139 Missed Tackles Forced since 2023. The next best RB in the Big 10 had 91. He also racked up over 2,500 yards and 22 TDs in that time. He averaged around 5.1 yards per carry, despite defenses hyper-focusing on stopping him, with Rutgers pass game not offering much of a threat.

Eagles obvioulsy have Saquon. But Saquon had an absurd amount of carries last year, before you add on playing 4 extra games. He stayed healthy, but he has a history of being banged up. They might not get so lucky with his health again, and even if they do, you might want to go a bit easier on him throughout the season. Having another dynamic RB behind him would be a luxury worth having.

TE- Gunnar Helm- TexasThe Eagles still need a TE. The best ones all flew off the board before the Eagles’ pick. We don’t know what the Eagles would have done if they were available, but if they do still plan to move Goedert, they need to get a TE on day 3.

Helm is the best available. He broke records at Texas for Tight Ends. he had 786 yards and 7 TDs this past season. He is not the most athletic TE out there, but he has good hands, runs good routes, and has a knack for getting open. He put up good production playing in the SEC, and that has to mean something.

DT- Ty Robinson- NebraskaRobinson is one of the most athletic DTs in the draft. Here are his results from the combine.

40-yard-dash- 4.83 (1st)
10-yard-split- 1.71 (3rd)
Vertical- 33.5″ (4th)
Broad- 9’11” (2nd)
3-cone drill- 7.58 (3rd)
Shuttle- 4.5 (3rd)
Bench Press- 28 (3rd)

He also had 7 sacks, a run stop rate of 8.1%, and a pass rush win rate of 10.45. All elite among DTs.

So why is he a day 3 player? He is older, turning 24 in May. But the upside is there. For a day 3 pick, he is hard to argue against.

The post Eagles Draft Preview- 7 Potential Day 3 Steals appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Athleticism is not everything. We have seen great athletes turn into busts, and mediocre athletes turn into Hall of Famers. You can have the all the tools, but if you don’t know how to use them, that old water heater is not getting fixed. That said, when you see someone who can do crazy things on a Football field, it is hard to not get excited about them. The lure of a freakish athlete is something everyone gets excited about come draft time. So I wanted to try putting together a Eagles mock draft composed solely of elite physical athletes, to see how it comes out.

Round 1, Pick 32: EDGE Shemar Stewart- Texas A&MStewart might not even be an option for the Eagles at 32 after the show he put on at the NFL Combine. The production was never there in college. But like Nolan Smith two drafts ago, his tools make you forgive the lack of college production

Relative Athletic Score (RAS), measures a player’s athleticism, taking into account their size, their drill performances, their measurements, etc. Stewart scored a 10 out of 10. According to their metrics, he is the most athletic EDGE to ever enter the draft.

He had the 3rd fastest 40 at DE (4.59), 2nd fastest 10-yard split (1.58), 2nd highest Vertical (40″), and the Longest Broad (10’11”). All while coming in at 6ft5 and 269 lbs.

Shemar Stewart is a DE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 10.00 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1 out of 2012 DE from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/ACSFv0wnnK pic.twitter.com/g4DbViX3qJ

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 31, 2025

Round 2, Pick 64: SS Nick Emmanwori, South CarolinaStewart was not the only player to score a perfect 10 out of 10 RAS. Nick Emmanwori also got the 10, giving him the best RAS for any Safety since 1987. He had the 2nd fastest 40 for Safeties (4.38), the fastest 10-yard split (1.49), the highest Vertical (43″), the longest Broad Jump (11’6″), and the most reps on the Bench Press (20). All while coming in at 6ft 3, 220 Lbs.

Is he the best fit for the Eagles? No. He is more of a SS, and what the Eagles need is a FS to replace CJGJ. But this mock draft is not about getting great fits. It is about getting freak athletes. And no Safety in this draft is as athletic as Emmanwori.

Round 3, Pick 96: CB Darien Porter- Iowa StateWhat Porter lacks in experience or college production he makes up for with a freakish mix of size and speed. He stands at 6ft 3, but moves like a much smaller corner. He did not get a RAS of 10 like the last 2 picks, but at 9.99, he still has the highest RAS of any corner in the draft, the 3rd highest overall, and the 5th highest for any corner since 1987.

He had the 2nd fastest 40 for a CB (4.30), the fastest 10-yard split (1.49), the 9th highest Vertical (36.5″), the 2nd longest Broad Jump (10’11”), the fastest 3-cone drill (6.71), fastest 2-yard shuttle (4.04), and the 4th most reps on the Bench Press (15).

Darien Porter is a CB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.99 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 5 out of 2752 CB from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/1fGY0XW9w5 pic.twitter.com/liTOyXZT2p

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 3, 2025

Round 4, Pick 134: WR Isaac TeSlaa- Arkansas6ft 3, 214 lbs, with a 4.43 40 time. That is good, but not great speed for a WR. At his size though, it stands out. What also stands out is that he had the 4th best Vertical (39.5″), 6th best Broad Jump (10’9″), the best 20-yard shuttle (4.05), and the 3rd most reps on the Bench (17) for WRs at the combine. His RAS of 9.93 is the 11th-best score for any WR since 1987.

The college production was not great. But a guy that size, who moves that well…

A 4th round pick might be worth rolling the dice on him.

Round 5: Pick 161: OT Hollin Pierce, RutgersPierce is not going to wow any with his pure raw athleticism. What makes him a physical freak, and qualifies him for this mock draft, is the sheer size of the man. 6ft8, 341 lbs, with a 88.25 inch wingspan. He showed up to Rutgers over 400 lbs before slimming down to the agile 341 lbs man who was measured at the combine.

Despite all that mass, he actually moves quite well. He may not beat anyone in a footrace, but his lateral movement is impressive, and he was technically sound enough to give up just 1 sack and commit just 2 penalties last season playing in the BIG 10.

Imagine enrolling that guy in Stoutland U. Give him 2 years in this system, learning behind Lane Johnson, he could be your RT of the future.

Just because it's hilarious…
OT Hollin Pierce Combine measurements

HT: 6083 (97th percentile)
WT: 341 (95th percentile)
Arms: 36 (94th percentile)
Wingspan: 88 1/4 (99th percentile)

Second longest wingspan of any tackle prospect since 1999

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 2, 2025

Round 5, Pick 164: DT Ty Robinson- NebraskaThe Eagles aren’t leaving this draft without a DT. In this case, they did not get one of the big names in the early rounds. But they do get the most athletic DT in the draft in round 5.

Robinson scored an RAS of 9.89. 1st among DTs in this draft, and the 24th-best for any DT since 1987. He actually ran the 1st and 4th fastest 40-yard dash times for DTs at the combine, 4.83 and 4.89. His 1.71 10-Yard Split is 3rd in the DT class, his 33.5″ Vertical is 4th, his 9’11” Broad Jump is 2nd, and he was 3rd in both the 3-cone drill (3.58) and 20-yard shuttle (4.5). Meanwhile, he also finished 2nd at the Bench Press with 28 reps.

He is fast, and he is strong. Throw in solid college production, 6 sacks last season, he could be a steal in the 5th round.

Round 5, Pick 165: OG Connor Colby IowaA 6ft5 monster who has the agility to make blocks downfield and outside the hashes. I think Stoutland would like this pick. Colby got an RAS of 9.5. The 5th best for any OG in this class, and the 85th best out 1,730 OGs since 1987.

His 5.11 40 time was 6th for OGs, the 1.78 10-Yard Split was 4th, his 9’2″ Broad Jump was 4th, 7.78 3-Cone Drill was 4th, and his 4.63 20-yard shuttle was 2nd. If you want a pulling guard, Colby could be the guy you want. His lateral quickness is off the charts for a guy going in round 5.

Round 5, Pick 168: LB Brandon George- PittBased on projections, will not be drafted. So taking him in the 5th is maybe a reach for this mock draft. But in terms of athletes, he is one of the best in the draft. His RAS score of 9.98 trailed only 3 players in this draft, who just so happen to be the first 3 players taken in this mock draft.

George was not even invited to the combine. But if he were there, he would have turned heads based on his Pro Day performance. His Bench Press (28), Vertical (42″), 3-Cone drill, and 20-yard shuttle all would have been the best for Linebackers. And even while checking in at 6ft3 and 246lbs, he still ran a solid 4.63 40-yard dash.

Brandon George is a LB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.98 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 7 out of 3182 LB from 1987 to 2025.

Official with updates from earlier. https://t.co/rWu4gpMR9P pic.twitter.com/rD3ScIJ5aN

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 2, 2025

The post Eagles Mock Draft- The All Physical Freaks Edition appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

You would not think Cornerback would be a big need for the Eagles a year after they struck gold twice in the last draft with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Yet, here we are. Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers aren’t here anymore. Leaving Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks as their only options as the other outside corner. Leaving many to think the Eagles might dip back into the cornerback well this draft. If they do, Shavon Revel Jr is a name Eagles fans will want to know. Especially since his story sounds like something out of a movie script.

Here Are 6 Things You Should Know About Shavon Revel JRHas Every Trait You Want In An NFL CBShavon Revel JR is pretty much the model you would base the ideal CB on. 6ft2, 190 lbs, with speed to boot.

Revel did not participate in the NFL Combine drills, nor did he do drills at the ECU Pro Day. He is still recovering from a torn ACL and could not participate. But he did run a 4.4 40-yard Dash at an ECU Tryout. That speed is clear when you watch him. A common word scouts use to describe him is explosive. His speed allows him to make up more mistakes.

Shavon Revel Jr. is someone that needs to be talked about more:

• Elite speed/athleticism
• True perimeter defender
• Physical, instinctive, tough
• CB3/26th (via @scoutdnfl)

If he could test at the combine, he’d have a Quinyon Mitchell type performance… pic.twitter.com/hUK1JTYnCY

— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) February 27, 2025

Elite ProductionAthleticism is one thing, but you need to know how to use that athleticism too. But Revel has shown in his limited college experience that he does not just have the tools, he knows how to use them. In 2023 he held opposing QBs to a 45.2% completion rate and a passer rating of only 62.6. He allowed only 19 catches for 250 yards. He came away with just 1 interception but did have 12 pass breakups.

His forced incompletion rate of 26% in 2023 ranked just behind Quinyon Mitchell.

Has A History Of Season-Ending InjuriesHow did he follow up that 2023 season? It looked like he was going to play even better. In 3 games he held QBs to a rating of 48.8 and a completion rate of 38.1%. He also doubled his interceptions from 2023 in a quarter of the games, to go along with 2 PBUs.

But then it all ended. A torn ACL ended his season before it got going. As mentioned, that torn ACL kept him from doing any drills in the combine or the ECU Pro Day. Which is a shame for him, because those chances to show off his athleticism likely would have skyrocketed his stock.

Unfortunately, the torn ACL is not the only time injuries plagued his career. He fractured his skull in a car crash his sophomore year of high school. A broken collarbone ended his junior season of high school. Then a hand injury limited him throughout his 1st season at ECU.

A lot of that is bad luck. But the injury history needs to be something any team interested in him considers

Is Already 24Most prospects going into the draft are 20 or 21 years old. Shavon Revel meanwhile just turned 24. He is only 4 days younger than Jalen Carter, who will be going into his 3rd NFL season. He is older than every corner currently on the Eagles roster besides Adoree Jackson. Mitchell, DeJean, and Ringo are 22, and Eli Ricks is 23.

Cornerback is already a position thought to have a shorter shelf life. The position is so reliant on being an elite athlete, it is hard to maintain that once you hit 30. Some CBs buck that trend, see Darius Slay. But others like James Bradberry can go from an All-Pro to being unplayable in one off-season.

Revel will hit 30 sooner than the Eagles’ current options at corner will. So the question is if his high upside is worth a potentially shorter shelf life.

The fact he has sustained so many major injuries does not inspire confidence he would be the type of CB to buck the trend and maintain elite athleticism into his mid-30s. He is going to be 29 by the time he hits free agency, 28 if he is not a 1st round pick. It is something you have to consider when evaluating him.

An Inspiring BackstoryESPN recently wrote an article about how Revel became a star in East Carolina. It is well worth a read, and feels like something that is Revel succeeds in his NFL dreams could one day be a really sappy sports movie.

Revel was a high school two-way standout. As we discussed earlier, he was an elite athlete. Someone like that should have been swimming in D1 offers. But he had none. He was not academically eligible, and thus could not go to a D1 school. He had to enroll at DIII Louisberg. He sat out the 2020 season because of the pandemic and played in only 6 games in 2021.

But Revel got a lifeline. After getting off a 10-hour shift at Amazon, he and his dad took a 2-hour trip to East Carolina to try out. Despite being “tired as hell” he blew East Carolina away.

“We didn’t know much about him, really nothing, but were like, ‘Holy smokes!’ when we saw him run and work out in some of the position drills… You just don’t see that kind of speed, with his cutting ability, at his size and his length.”- said ECU coach Blake Harrell

They were ready to make him an offer. But they told him first, he still needed to get his grades up. That was all Revel needed to hear. He promised he would get his grades up to at least a 2.5 GPA, and he kept that promise. Making him once again academically eligible, and letting him enroll at ECU

The best backstory in the 2025 NFL Draft?

East Carolina's Shavon Revel, says @dpbrugler.

His journey involves overnight Amazon shifts and injury — but he's on the cusp of the NFL pic.twitter.com/YL93izpHsg

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 12, 2025

Stayed Loyal To ECUShavon Revel Jr had a lot of chances to move to a higher-profile school. Even before he got to ECU. After he turned heads at the ECU camp, he was getting other D1 offers. Especially in the NIL Era, Revel had a big chance to cash in, and no one could have blamed him. There were 6 figure NIL offers to play for some of the biggest schools in the NCAA.

He listened to those offers, but he decided to stay at the school that gave him the chance to play D1 Football when no one else would.

“I kept going back to ECU believing in me in the first place. Those other schools offering me all that money weren’t there when I needed somebody to give me a chance. I was going to be true to myself. They weren’t going to buy me.”- Shavon Revel Jr

Quinyon Mitchell did the same thing at Toledo. No one could reasonably blame a young college athlete for taking the money. That type of deal could be life-changing before you ever make it to the NFL. Most of us would jump at the chance to go to a new job if we were getting a pay jump that massive.

But there is something to be said for the loyalty both Revel and Mitchell showed. And if he stuck at ECU because they were the ones who gave him the chance to play in College, maybe whatever team that drafts him will also have an easier time resigning him 4-5 years from now.

The post Shavon Revel Jr- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We know when the NFL schedule will drop, sort of. The NFL has provided us with a 3-day window when they will release next year’s schedule. May 13, 14, or 15th. Mike North, the NFL’s VP Of Broadcast Planning, announced the tentative window on the ‘It’s Always Gameday In Buffalo’ Podcast.

“No set date because, really, you never know. If by some miracle, we’re done on May 7 and we present one to the boss and the commissioner says, ‘Hey, this is perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing, guys.’ We’re done. Pencils down. If so, probably no reason to sit on it.”

Eagles Have A Tough Road AheadWhatever the final schedule is, we know it is going to be tough for the Eagles. We may not know the when, but we do know the who and where for all 17 games on the Eagles schedule.

Obviously 2 games (Home and Away) vs each of their division rivals. But they also play the Bucs, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings, and Bills on the road, and Bears, Lions, Broncos, Rams, and Raiders at home. That is 10 games vs playoffs teams, with 7 coming on the road.

That said, it is not always accurate to judge NFL teams by how they performed the prior season. A lot can change in one off-season. But there is not much reason to expect any of those tough road teams to take a step back as of now. In fact some of the teams have if anything improved, and that is before we get to the draft. As good as the Lions were last year, they may be even tougher next year with the injured plays they are getting back.

That is the price of a 1st place season in the NFL though. They share that schedule, with the exception of 3 games, with their fellow NFC East Rivals. But while the Commanders get the Dolphins Falcons, and Seahawks, the Eagles get the Bills, Bucs, and Rams. The Eagles road to repeating is going to be tougher, and that is not even taking into account the talent they lost this off-season.

But on either May 13th, 14th, or 15th, we will find out exactly what that road will look like. And then we can play John Kincade’s favorite game, predicting Ws and Ls.

The post NFL Gives Us A Window For Schedule Release appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every monday, for the past 7 weeks, we have been letting a computer do an Eagles mock draft, and reacting to the results. With the actual draft a week and change away, we will do one final one, and then have something special for the Monday before the draft. So what happened in Computer Mock Draft 7.0? Find out below.

Round 1, Pick 32: DT Walter Nolen- Ole MissThe 2nd time Walter Nolen has shown up here. He has also shown up in a lot of writer’s Mock Drafts, including Andrew DiCecco’s Mock Draft 1.0.

He makes a ton of sense. In terms of upside, it is hard to argue with Nolen. He entered college as not only the top DT in the nation but on many rankings the top recruit period, with some places putting him above Travis Hunter. His high school coach said this about him.

“Usually you just dont see guys that are that big, that are that quick and athletic. That is what really sets them apart… he just moves like a Linebacker or a Safety, and he happens to be 6ft5 and 300+ pounds”

It took him a bit to live up to that, but after transferring to Ole Miss for his Junior season, he took off. 6.5 sacks, 35 pressures, and was top 5 in run stops. He was also a finalist for the Outland trophy.

Having him next to Jalen Carter for at least the next 3 seasons would be a lot of fun for Eagles fans. Nolen could be much better than the 32 draft slot implies.

Round 2, Pick 64: S Xavier Watts- Notre DameThe Eagles need a safety. Getting Malaki Starks would be great, but the Eagles have never spent a 1st on a Safety, and they would likely have to trade up for him. A more realistic option is Xavier Watts. I’ll let our resident draft expert Andrew DiCecco explain why he would be a good pick.

The Eagles need a safety, and Xavier Watts could be the right fit. pic.twitter.com/uaNFWZWhXs

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 12, 2025

Round 3, Pick 96: TE Gunnar Helm- TexasDallas Goedert being traded, or perhaps even cut, seems like a foregone conclusion. His cap hit is too big, so unless they renegotiate, they will move on. And once they do, the Eagles become the thinnest team at TE perhaps in the entire league.

Enter Gunnar Helm. With 786 yards and 7 TDs, he is one of the more productive TEs in this draft. His combine performance was disappointing, but that is not all his fault after he hurt his ankle running the 40 and was limited the rest of the day. But he was a reliable target for Quinn Ewers at Texas, and like Goedert, he made a name for himself racking up yards after the catch. his 420 YAC only trailed Tyler Warren.

Round 4, Pick 134: EDGE Sai’von Jones- LSUA 6ft5 280 Edge Rusher who can move like Jones does is certainly an appealing prospect. Jones didn’t light the world on fire at LSU, but he put up decent production and has the kind of traits that could mark him as an ascending player. I like looking for players on day 3 who can outperform their draft slot, and Jones certainly fits that bill.

Round 5, Pick 161: RB Kyle Monangai- RutgersMonangai appeared in Mock Draft 6.0 as well. I have a Rutgers bias, being a Scarlet Knight myself. But RB is a sneaky need, and Monangai would be a great pick. The guy is a bowling bowl, who has 139 broken tackles since 2023, 40 more than anyone else in the BIG 10.

Watching him at Rutgers was a pleasure, even if the team itself has not always been one. Having him be the guy behind Saquon Barkley would be a luxury, and it would give the Eagles much-needed depth, and perhaps give Barkley a few more plays off after he had an absurd amount of carries last year.

Kyle Monangai is such a special talent. #WinningWednesday x @RFootball pic.twitter.com/wSKiBQ2xNh

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) April 10, 2024

Round 5, Pick 164: EDGE Antwuan Powell-Ryland- Virginia TechAnother guy who appeared now in both mock draft 7.0 and 6.0. This time they get him 30 picks later. Powell-Ryland was a super productive pass rusher at Virginia Tech. He has some work to do as a run stopper, but in the 5th round, getting a guy with his upside as a pass rusher is a big win.

Round 5, Pick 165: OG Connor Colby- IowaIt took until the final 2 picks, but the Eagles finally got an Offensive Lineman in this draft. Colby is a Stotuland-style player. Big, quick, and smart. He was a 4-year starter at Iowa and moved all around the line. The Eagles need some depth on the line, and Colby gives them someone they can use in multiple spots.

Round 5, Pick 168: C Jake Majors- TexasThe Eagles need center depth. Last year they had to move Landon Dickerson over to center at one point, which weakened two spots on their line instead of just 1. They need to give Cam Jurgens a true backup. Majors held down center at Texas for multiple seasons, is smart, and moves well.

Would he be ready to be the backup in year 1? Maybe, maybe not. But at pick 168, it is worth taking the chance.

Full Mock Draft 7.0* Round 1, Pick 32: DT Walter Nolen- Ole Miss * Round 2, Pick 64: S Xavier Watts- Notre Dame * Round 3, Pick 96: TE Gunnar Helm- Texas * Round 4, Pick 134: EDGE Sai’von Jones- LSU * Round 5, Pick 161: RB Kyle Monangai- Rutgers * Round 5, Pick 164: EDGE Antwuan Powell-Ryland- Virginia Tech * Round 5, Pick 165: OG Connor Colby- Iowa * Round 5, Pick 168: C Jake Majors- Texas

The Other Computer Mock Drafts- 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0The post Computer Mock Draft 7.0- One Final Eagles Simulation appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Edge Rusher is sure to be a need heading into the draft for the Eagles. They lost Josh Sweat to free agency, and Brandon Graham to retirement, leaving them with very little depth behind Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. But should the Eagles take a look at James Pearce Jr in the draft?

Here Are 6 Things Eagles Fans Should Know About James Pearce Jr.:Sack Machine In The SECIn 2023, no one in the SEC had more sacks than James Pearce. His 13 sacks tied him for the conference lead, and only 5 players in all all the NCAA topped what he did in the SEC. He also had the 3rd most pressures in the SEC and the best pass Rush Win Rate.

How did he follow that up in 2024? With 8 Sacks (10th), 55 Pressures (2nd), and a 23.3% Pass Rush Win rate (1st). More sacks and a better Pass Rush Win Rate than the consensus best Edge Rusher in this draft, Abdul Carter.

Even in the SEC, he dominated. And he did so across multiple seasons. There is no doubt that he can hold up against good competition.

James Pearce Jr in 2024:

23.3% pressure rate | 1st among all FBS edge defenders pic.twitter.com/4zqcXCyGjx

— PFF (@PFF) April 9, 2025

Impressed At The CombineNo edge Rusher at the combine ran a faster 40 time than James Pearce. 4.5 on his 1st attempt, 4.47 on his 2nd. His 10-yard split was 1.58 on the first run, and 1.56 on the second. He matched that with a 4.47 at his Pro Day. The next-best Edge Rusher ran a 4.56.

Pearce can move. The explosiveness people see on the field showed up at the Combine too. The measurements left something to be desired. He is a bit small with shorter arms than you would hope for. But no one can doubt how well he moves on the field.

Really wanted to see James Pearce Jr. match the explosives and how he wins with on tape with his Combine numbers

1.58 10-yard (91st percentile)
4.50 40-yard (96th percentile)

That’ll do it! pic.twitter.com/VOlTXsFP0U

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) February 27, 2025

Played His Best vs. The Best CompetitionPlaying in the SEC, you get the chance to play some tough teams. This season Tennessee played Bama, Georgia, and in the playoffs, they took on the eventual champions Ohio State.

How did James Pearce fare vs them? Well vs Bama he took over the game. 10 pressures, 1.5 sacks, 3 run stops, and an insane 28.1% pass-rush win rate. He was getting pressure on Jalen Milroe on over 1/4 of the pass rush snaps he took. Then even though his team dropped the ball vs Ohio State, he still got 3 pressures, 3 hurries, and a couple of run stops. Bama, Georgia, and Ohio State were 3 of his highest-rated games of the season

James Pearce Jr. vs. Alabama:

10 Pressures
1.5 Sacks
3 Run Stops
28.1% Pass-Rush Win Rate

Enjoy some All-22 highlights below… pic.twitter.com/CfnSkzEYNc

— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) February 16, 2025

Was Considered A Top 5 Pick 1 Year AgoGo back 1 year ago, when the 2024 NFL Draft ended, and people were putting out their 1st 2025 Mock Drafts. Those are always called the Way Too Early Mock Draft, and they are called that for a reason. They are lacking a whole year of data. But in those Way too early Mock Drafts, Pearce was projected to go far earlier than he is going now.

Sports Illustrated had him going 9th back in September. Bleacher Report had him going 2nd back in July. Field Yates for ESPN had him as the 2nd overall pick back in August. Jordan Reid for ESPNN had him going 4th overall in May 2024.

1 Year Ago today, James Pearce was often considered a better draft prospect than Abdul Carter, Mason Graham, and Travis Hunter. Even the people who had those players higher had Pearce in that conversation. What changed in a year? Slightly lower counting stats play a part. But there are also now some vague character concerns being thrown about.

Faced Maturity QuestionsIt is important to put any character concerns in context during draft season. There are a lot of rumors that float around, and not all of them hold water. Sometimes vague complaints are just a team hoping they can get a guy to fall in the draft.

But Pearce, like Walter Nolen, has been someone targeted by “maturity” questions. To the point he had to address them when he spoke to the media at the Combine.

“They want to know the type of person that I am. They want to know that from me. They ask everybody else, but they want to know from me, too. I’m a great guy. I’m a great teammate and a great player. I’m a people person. I’ve got a good heart.”

Now obviously he is not going to come out and say that he is immature, or that he doesn’t work hard enough, etc. But maybe what his thread coach had to say will hold more water.

“When a young man comes into our building, they are at varying levels of maturity. It’s our job to accelerate them as fast as we can. James has done a really good job. His football understanding grew really quickly. Developing as a man and as a person, he has done a really good job continuing that too.”- Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel

Anytime character concerns are this vague, I am always dubious. Especially when they only start to come out this close to the draft. It reeks of people hoping he falls in the draft.

Stat Chaser?The one thing that may be there, is he might be too interested in team accolades. Tennessee’s Legendary DL Coach Rodney Garner was asked about James Pearce back in October, and while he did not say that Pearce is not enough of a team player, the way he answered the question could be interpreted as him suggesting James Pearce needs to be more of a team player.

“It is not always about stats. It is making sure we are doing everything within the system, within the scheme. Making sure we are executing at a high level. Like I tell the guys all the time, anytime he can put aside our personal goals, and put the team goals first, there are going to be rewards individually… I am just trying to stress that team concept, and doing things as a team, and not for individuals. But he is progressing, making strides, and heading in the right direction.“

You could easily listen to that and take away that Pearce has at times been too concerned with his stats, and not with what is best for the team. But you always have to keep in mind he is 21. If the height of his character concerns is that he is sometimes a bit selfish, is that the end of the world? He is not the first 21 year old to have a selfish streak if that is the case.

There are players in this draft with actual character concerns. Domestic violence accusations, sexual assault allegations. James Pearce wanting to get sacks too much doesn’t seem like that big of a deal in the face of those real issues. And Garner said that Pearce is making strides in that area already.

The talent level is potentially elite. Teams just have to decide for themselves if they think he will keep maturing, or if those slightly selfish actions will carry over. If you decide you like his character, he could be a steal at the end of the 1st round.

The post James Pearce Jr.- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The departure of Josh Sweat, and the retirement of Brandon Graham, has left the Eagles a bit thin at Edge Rusher. After Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, there is little depth there, unless Bryce Huff bounces back after a disappointing 1st season in Midnight Green. But is Nic Scourton the answer in the draft? Let’s get to know the Texas A&M Edge Defender a bit better.

Here Are 6 Things You Should Know About Nic ScourtonExplosive AthleteScourton did not participate in any of the actual drills at the Combine or the Texas A&M Pro Day. That was on purpose. He did not see those drills as important to his case.

“I think people focus on the wrong things, you know, focusing on 40-yard dash times for a d-lineman, I just don’t think that’s important. I think what’s important is the tape and going out there and competing and working out for coaches you might play for before the draft.”– Nic Scourton

But he did take place in the on-field workouts, and that is where he turned some heads. Scourton slimmed down a bit from the 280 lb playing weight he carried throughout the season. And he looked explosive and fluid out there running through plays for the scouts and coaches in attendance.

Texas A&M edge Nic Scourton doing some field work with a Kansas City Chiefs staffer.

The rep got a loud buzz from those in attendance: pic.twitter.com/lh2nKd058R

— Tony Catalina (@Tony_Catalina) March 27, 2025

Not doing those drills has kept his name from trending. That may or may not impact media big boards. We never got the chance to overreact to a great 40-time. So unlike his teammate Shemar Stewart, he never caught media attention. But apparently, those at his Pro Day took note.

Got To The QB Less After TransferScourton had a monster year in 2023 with Purdue. 10 Sacks, 42 pressures, and a sparkling pass rush win rate of 21.2%. After the 2023 season, he looked like one of the best Pass Rushers in this class.

After that, he transferred to Texas A&M. If you were just looking at those raw stats, you might think his production took a dip now that he was in the SEC. The sacks were cut in half, down from 10 to 5. His Pass Rush Win rate fell to 17%. He also had 6 fewer pressures despite playing in 1 extra game.

On the surface, that looks like regression. But there is more to the story. One, he was still pretty productive. It was not the monster season he had in 2023, but he was still a high-impact player, who led Texas A&M in all of those stats. but two, as we discussed in the Shemar Stewart profile, Texas A&M’s scheme keeps their Edge Rushers from getting after the QB at will.

Both Scourton and Stewart had better production than the stats show. But they were not used as downhill pass rushers who focus on getting to the QB. Instead, there was a large focus on stopping the run. And that is something Scouton excelled at.

Related: Shemar Stewart- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

One Of The Youngest Guys In The DraftThere will be 257 players drafted this year, and then an extra 100 or so who are signed as Undrafted Free Agents. of those 350-400 players who land on a team, only 1 will be younger than Scourton, RB Dylan Sampson.

Scourton, at just 20.6 years old, is the second youngest player in this draft. He is one of just 10 draft-eligible players who are 20 years old.

Texas A&M ED Nic Scourton vs LSU

Continues to check boxes at 282 lbs and will be just 20 years old next April.

7 pressures, six hurries & a sack in a game scouts had circled for the Purdue transfer. pic.twitter.com/2ludzEZQNj

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) October 27, 2024

Draws Comparisons To George KarlaftisIf you want a current player to compare Scourton to, look no further than another former Purdue Boilermaker, George Karlaftis. That is a name that constantly comes up in scouting reports, and not just because of where they went to school.

Both guys are larger-sized Edge Rushers, with high motors, who use a variety of force-based moves to beat their blocker. One AFC Scout even made the comparison when talking to Lance Zierlein.

“He plays his tail off and he’s always in the middle of everything. He’s a force player like George Karlaftis was coming out, but Scourton has a little more rush.”

Teams Chose To Double Team His Teammate InsteadYou can always tell which players an offense fears the most by how they choose to block. For instance, watch an Eagles game, and see how many times Jalen Carter gets double-teamed, vs his teammates.

Well if you watch Texas A&M play, it became clear who the player people feared was. Shemar Stewart got the bulk of the double teams as an Edge Rusher, leaving Scourton to go 1 on 1 with his blocker more often than not.

That is not a knock on Scourton per se. Just like pointing out Carter gets the most double teams was not a knock of Milton Williams, Nolan Smith, or Josh Sweat. But it is worth noting.

That said, it is also worth noting that if Scourton shared a line with Jalen Carter, he would continue to not face any double teams.

A Leader On And Off The FieldThe Eagles love targeting guys who were leaders for their teams in college. Having that extra trait where you can be the locker room guy is like the cherry on top for them. Scourton definitely fits the bill.

Even though he spent just one season at Texas A&M, he quickly established himself as a team leader.

“He’s a relentless-effort guy. He plays extremely hard. He’s really physical. He’s a great leader. He’s everything you want an Aggie to be,”- Texas A&M Head Coach Mike Elko

His character and leadership led to him being a finalist for the Lott Impact Trophy, given every year to the Top Defensive Player who embodies the character of Ronnie Lott. Impact stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

Scourton would fit right into the culture of the Eagles locker room.

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It is Mock Draft Monday! Meaning it is time for Computer Mock Draft 6.0, where we let the computer decide who the Eagles take, and react to the projected picks.

With Josh Sweat and Milton Williams walking in free agency, plus Brandon Graham retiring, D-Line is a major need in this draft for the Eagles. It is also a good draft to need D-Linemen, with both Edge and DT touting deep classes this year. Will they load up on D-Line? In Computer Mock Draft 6.0, that is exactly what the computer thinks they will do.

I let Pro Football Networks Draft Simulator make all of the Eagle’s picks. And it went D-Line heavy this time around.

Here Is Computer Mock Draft 6.0Round 1, Pick 32: EDGE Donovan Ezeiraku- Boston CollegeEzeiraku is becoming a popular pick in these simulations. This is the 6th mock draft, and it is the 3rd time Ezeiraku showed up.

He is the 2nd most productive Edge Rusher in the draft, was a Senior Bowl standout, is a local kid, and is a great culture fit. It is very easy to see him in Eagles Green.

Cool thing to note with him. When he was a kid, he started out playing basketball. But his coach told him he might be a better fit for football because he was a bit too aggressive to play basketball. He was also as a kid coaching up his teammates on the sideline. Something tells me Eagles fans would love him.

Related: Donovan Ezeiruaku- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

Round 2, Pick 64: DT Alfred Collins- TexasCollins is a big man with some big upside. He stands at 6ft 6 and weighs over 330 lbs. And the power in that frame is evident when you watch him play.

Right now, he is more of a gap plugger. Eagles already have that in Jordan Davis. So if that is all he will be, it is maybe not the best fit. But there are people who think his upside is more than that. One NFL Personnel Director told NFL, “He’s a legit specimen. With the right coaching he could end up taking off and becoming the best interior player in this class.”

Clint Hurtt has done great work here already. Maybe he is the right D-Line Coach to get the most out of Collins.

Round 3, Pick 96: DB Jordan Hancock, Ohio StateHancock mostly played in the slot at Ohio State but also spent some time in the box, and some time as the deep safety. He was solid in run defense but left something to be desired in the pass game. NFl.com described his ceiling as a solid backup. If that is the case, you can do much better at the back end of the 3rd round.

Round 4, Pick 134: EDGE Antwuan Powell-Ryland- Virginia TechYou can never have too many Edge Rushers. The Eagles already added Ezeiraku in the draft, but it doesn’t hurt to add even more depth to go with Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Azeez Ojulari.

Like Ezeiraku, Powell-Ryland was very productive in college. He racked up 24 sacks over the past 2 seasons. He had 48 pressures this past season, giving him 128 combined pressures over 3 seasons, and 29 combined sacks.

The run game leaves a little to be desired, and his arms are a bit short, but on day 3, you are not getting a perfect prospect. And in Powell-Ryland, you at least get someone with high upside in one area.

Round 5, Pick 161: WR Isaac TeSlaa- ArkansasTeSlaa was not super productive in College. But what has teams taking note of him is his athleticism. He put on one of the most impressive showings for a WR ever at the Combine. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and ran the fastest 20-yard Shuttle for a WR at 4.05 secs. His performance earned him a Relative Athletic Score of 9.97. The 11th-best score for any WR since 1987.

And while the production was not great, he had 0 drops in College, had a contested catch rate of 54%, and spent most of his time in the slot, which is exactly what the Eagles are looking for. TeSlaa could be a steal in round 5.

Isaac TeSlaa is a WR prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.97 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 11 out of 3441 WR from 1987 to 2025.

Splits projected, times unofficial.https://t.co/ZeBq0A5q6I pic.twitter.com/Lsue3G6W2w

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 2, 2025

Round 5, Pick 164: RB Kyle Monangai- RutgersI am biased as a big Rutgers fan, but I would love this pick. Monangai is a fantastic running back. There was a point when people saw him as a 2nd round pick. For whatever reason he is now a day 3 pick. But in the past 2 seasons, while playing in the Big 10, he racked up 2,442 yards, 21 TDs, and averaged about 5.1 yards per carry.

He is also a master of breaking tackles. Watching him run over would-be tacklers was a joy the past few seasons at Rutgers.

Kyle Monangai: 139 Missed Tackles Forced Since 2023

The Next Closest Big Ten Running Back had 91@RFootball pic.twitter.com/6yPi1ywAZk

— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 15, 2025

Round 5, Pick 165: DT Aeneas Peebles- Virginia TechPeebles is one of my favorite sleeper picks in this draft. He is slightly undersized, which is why you are getting him in the 5th round. But he has 98 pressures and 14 sacks as an interior rusher in his college career. He has a good tool belt of pass-rush moves and has a great motor to go with surprising quickness.

Virginia Tech DL Aeneas Peebles lacks ideal size, but he’s a havoc-causing interior rusher (25 pressures in 2024).

Hits a spin zone and swallows up Cam Ward here pic.twitter.com/mEWin7qnSp

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 10, 2025

Round 5, Pick 168: LB Jack Kiser- Notre DameLike Ezeiraku, Kiser is becoming a mainstay in these simulations. This is the 3rd time he showed up for the Eagles in 6 mock drafts.

With Oren Burks gone, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr likely stepping into that role as the main backup LB, the Eagles could use the depth. Kiser has a lot of similarities to Trotter Jr in that he is an exceptionally smart LB that maybe leaves something to be desired in the size and athleticism department.

But he has special team experience, and is ually in the right place to make a play. He maybe lacks the high upside of some of these other day 3 picks in this mock draft, but the floor is pretty high here. A solid addition to round out the draft.

Full Mock Draft Round 1, Pick 32: EDGE Donovan Ezeiraku- Boston College * Round 2, Pick 64: DT Alfred Collins- Texas * Round 3, Pick 96: CB Jordan Hancock, Ohio State * Round 4, Pick 134: EDGE Antwuan Powell-Ryland- Virginia Tech * Round 5, Pick 161: WR Isaac TeSlaa- Arkansas * Round 5, Pick 164: RB Kyle Monangai- Rutgers * Round 5, Pick 165: DT Aeneas Peebles- Virgina Tech * Round 5, Pick 168: LB Jack Kiser- Notre Dame*

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Tight End is going to be an Eagles need. Dallas Goedert is still on the team for now, but you only have to listen to what the Eagles are saying to realize that is going to change. The Eagles seem destined to part ways with their long-time TE, making TE one of their biggest needs. Will Mason Taylor out of LSU be the answer?

Here Are 6 Things You Should Know About Mason Taylor:Set Records At LSUMason Taylor set records at LSU in back-to-back weeks this season. A week after he set a new Receptions record for LSU TEs at 99, he set the new record for yards at 999. He finished his Tigers career with 129 receptions, 1308 yards, and 6 TDs.

He got there by just being a consistent presence for LSU, especially in his senior year. He quickly became Garrett Nussmier’s go-to guy, and the LSU QB sang his praises 4 games into the season.

“He’s a huge part of our offense. Mason’s a guy that does things right all the time. When you have a guy like that, you trust him and he delivers all the time. He’s an unbelievable talent, he has true passion for his teammates and he doesn’t want to let us down. He constantly delivers and that’s a guy who’s a very special player.”

Football Is In His VeinsLegacy is not everything. There are great players with no family history in the NFL, there are bad players whose family has a long history in the NFL (see Casey Matthews). But it is worth pointing out who Mason Taylor’s dad is. The great Jason Taylor.

Mason Taylor, son of HOFer @JasonTaylor, ran a picturesque gauntlet drill

: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/U7wrIBpMFH

— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2025

For those unaware, Jason Taylor is a Hall of Fame Defensive End who spent most of his career in Miami, racking up 139.5 sacks, 29 Forced Fumbles and holds the All-Time Record with 6 fumbles returned for a TD.

But Mason is not looking to coast off his fathers very accomplished coattails. He saw the hard work his father put in, how rewarding that work is, and is willing to follow his father’s example and earn his own path to NFL greatness.

“He has been the work growing up, and he has seen the fruit of that labor. He is a self starter, a tireless worker, he has a very focused mind, and he understands what it takes.”– Jason Taylor

Impressed At Pro Day And CombineTaylor did not do any of the athletic testing at the NFL Combine. But he did leave his mark on the on-field drills. That was enough to earn some high praise. ESPN’s Matt Miller said “Mason Taylor is clearly in a different tier than the other tight ends working out.”

Daniel Jeremiah had similar praise, saying “Everything he does is smooth and natural, he’s polished as a route runner, understands how to work back to the quarterback, tracks it well.”

But while he impressed in those workouts, his Pro Day was even more impressive. He ran a 4.64 40 yard dash, which would have been the 2nd fastest 40 for a TE at the combine. He also had 28 reps on the bench press, which again, would have been 2nd among TEs at the Combine.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid called it “One of the most impressive pro days I’ve seen so far.”

1st Down MachineTaylor had 55 catches in 2024. But what is remarkable is how many of those were for a 1st down. 37 of his 55 catches were for a 1st.

He was a safety blanket for LSU Qbs? In a bind and need a conversion, throw it to Taylor. Taylor draws a lot of comparisons to Zack Ertz, and this is one way they are alike. In the same way, Eagles QBs used to rely on Ertz in tough 3rd down conversions, it felt like Taylor was always there to convert the 1st down.

Related: Colston Loveland- 5 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

Comes Up Big In Big MomentsSomething that Goedert became known for was showing up in big moments. That catch and run vs the Saints earlier this year. the double stiff arm vs the Packers. Goedert was at his best when they needed him to be.

Mason Taylor may have that in his game too. His most iconic moment in college came in his freshman year. It was OT vs Bama. Instead of LSU kicking the Extra Point to tie the game, and force another OT, they went for the win. Who came up clutch to convert the 2-point conversion? None other than Mason Taylor courtesy of a Jayden Daniels pass.

But while that was the biggest moment in that game for Taylor, it was not the only moment. He also scored a go ahead TD, in traffic, late in the 4th quarter. Not a bad day for a Freshman vs a top 10 seeded Alabama.

Has More To OfferA consistent thing you will hear about Mason Taylor is that we have not seen everything he has to offer. Scouts and draft experts often bring up that he was either not used in the best way at LSU, or that he maybe didn’t get as many targets as he deserved considering the WRs he had to share the field with.

In 2022 and 2023 he was sharing targets with Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, both 1st round picks. LSU also saw Kayshon Boutte turn into a 6th round pick. This past season he shared the field with 2 former 4 star WRs in Aaron Anderson and Kyren Lacy.

His head coach Brian Kelly acknowledged this himself while heaping praise on Taylor.

“I’ve got a lot of tight ends in the league and think I have a good sense of what a tight end looks like. He’s an NFL tight end, he’s an elite player. The problem he’s had is three first-round draft picks around him on offense. Call it what you want but you tend to get overshadowed a little bit. I didn’t want him to get overshadowed. I wanted to make sure that he got out here, how important he is to our success on offense. He’s an outstanding football player, he’s a great leader on our team, a three-year starter.”

But more than having to share targets with a very talented and very deep WR group, LSU also did not make the best use of his skill set. Taylor is praised for his athletics, his route running, and his fluidity. And yet he only got 28 targets beyond 10 yards downfield, as opposed to 51 targets shorter than 10 yards. But most scouts believe he could be very effective running intermediate routes or even deep routes.

The post Mason Taylor- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Roger Goodell has his eyes set on banning the Tush Push. We learned yesterday that the NFL was tabling the matter until the May meetings. Reportedly it only had 16 of the needed 24 votes to pass the new rule banning it. But tabling it is all because Goodell is hoping that with a extra month, he can convince more owners to ban it.

Adam Schefter joined Kincade and Salciunas to discuss the future of the Tush Push and made it clear that the Eagles play is still in danger of being banned.

“It is definitely tracking to be banned right now if you just listen to the language used by Roger Goodell. The commissioner usually gets what he wants.”

– @AdamSchefter says the tush push is gaining momentum to be banned.

(via Kincade & Salciunas)

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/DGNodAZlo5

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 2, 2025

Will Roger Goodell Get His Way?In a heated discussion with John and Andrew, he went on to explain why Goodell is so deadset on banning the play.

“[Roger Goodell] is going to massage it and he’s going to work the owners, and he’s going to get the votes he needs. He works for the owners, and his job is to represent what he feels is best for the league. I’m just telling you, I don’t think he wants the play in there… The commissioner, to me, doesn’t seem like he wants the tush push. I think he and others think it’s a boring play. I think they think it’s just a boring play that doesn’t belong in the game.”

He used the new kickoff rules as an example. The coaches did not like the idea of changing to this new kickoff format. But they were changed anyway.

We have seen a lot of coaches who don’t want the Tush push banned. But the Commissioner and half the owners do want it changed. Schefter is confident Goodell will get what he wants, and by the May meetings, he will get the 8 more votes he needs.

Former NFL Exec Andrew Brandt is less confident in that. He joined The Best Show Ever on Monday before the vote was originally set to take place, and called out the NFL for what he called a “discriminatory proposal.”

After the vote was tabled, he took to Twitter to acknowledge that this is because the league wants it banned, and is trying to buy time to gain more votes. But unlike Schefter, he doesn’t think the league will get to 24.

When a proposal is tabled, it usually means the Commissioner wants it to happen, but doesn't have the votes…yet.
I still don't think they'll find 24 votes to ban.#TushPush

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) April 1, 2025

It is a silly proposal, with no basis in fact. There is no injury data to back up it being dangerous. Only 1 team runs it well, so you can’t say it is unfair. The league just does not like the way it looks. If they were honest about that, they may actually get more votes. Instead, they hide behind arguments that make no sense.

Related: Jason Kelce Shuts Down Arguments For Banning The Tush Push

But logic or no logic, the NFL is deadset on banning it. If they can convince 8 of the 16 teams currently against banning it, they will get their way.

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The Tush Push lives to see another day, but it is not out of the water yet. The matter has been tabled for now, as the proposal did not have the 24 votes it would need to pass the League meetings. But the matter could still be voted on later this offseason.

Sources: There were 16 teams who were in favor of banning the tush push. That’s 8 short of the amount needed for the proposal to pass. https://t.co/sIQMwEusKj

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 1, 2025

According to Schultz half the Owners, 16, would have voted to ban it. 8 votes short of what the measure would need for it to pass. But instead of it being formally voted down, they chose to table it until a later date.

Tush Push Vote TabledWhat this means is we get another couple of months of bickering in league circles. The people trying to ban it, like the Packers, and Bills Coach Sean McDermott, will have more time to try and convince other teams to pass a rule that is specifically targeting the Eagles.

Related: Jason Kelce Shuts Down Arguments For Banning The Tush Push

But to quote a line from Hamilton, “You don’t have the votes.” For as much whining as the other side did, for all the lying about being concerned for player safety, for all the meaningless talk of it not being a “football play,” there are enough people against it that if they voted on it it would not pass.

So instead of accepting defeat, and realizing how silly it is to ban a play just because 1 team is good at it, the people on the other side of the debate are doing what the most annoying kids playing backyard sports do when they are losing, whining about it, and holding up everyone else.

Other proposals were put up and passed the vote. For instance, the Eagle’s proposal to let both teams have the ball in OT during the regular season passed. The proposal to let objective calls on penalties be reviewed passed. The Lions’ proposal to eliminate automatic 1st Downs on Defensive Holding did not pass. Notice the Lions did not table it because they could not handle not getting their way, they moved on.

But the anti-Tush Push brigade couldn’t handle losing, so now they are delaying the vote, to try and do it later in May. They hope that if they whine and dine enough people, they can convince other teams to be as petty as they are.

Again, there is no good argument for banning it. People cite injury concerns, but there is literally no data to back that concern up. There were 0 injuries sustained on the play last year. Also if they were so concerned for player safety, the league would not be pushing for an 18-game schedule, and they would not be changing kickoff rules to promote more kick returns, which is shown to be one of the more dangerous plays.

The only reason to ban the Tush Push is to try and hurt the Eagles. Luckily for now, at least 7 other teams agree with that. We will see if any of the people on the Eagles side can be swayed by the pettiness of the Bills, Packers, and Rams. But for the time being, the Tush Push lives.

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One of the biggest topics this off-season has been whether the Eagles Tush push be banned. Last year the discussion never got off the ground. But after it helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl, suddenly a lot of people around the NFL are keen on banning the play.

Call it cowardice, jealousy, hypocrisy. All of those adjectives are accurate for the people trying to ban the play. As we have discussed, none of the arguments in favor of banning it make any sense. It is not dangerous, as shown by there being 0 injuries recorded during the play, and it is a skill play, as shown by the fact only the Eagles and Bills ran it well.

Yet, there seems to be momentum to ban the play. A lot of people around the NFL are making those terrible arguments in favor of banning it.

In order for it to be banned, 24 of the 32 teams will have to vote to ban it. We know there is at least 1 vote against banning it, the Eagles. We know Bills coach Sean McDermott, the biggest hypocrite in the league right now, is in favor of banning it and is on the competition committee.

Why is Buffalo Bills HC Sean McDermott against the tush push? Some of his answers from this morning @WKBW pic.twitter.com/TEKF8LjTd9

— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) March 31, 2025

Again, he cites injury concerns, but his team ran it the 2nd most times last season. Not the QB Sneak the second most times, because sometimes they do a normal Sneak, but the actual push play. This begs the question of why he let his team do something he thinks is dangerous enough to be banned.

Related: Sean McDermott Has Worst Take On The Tush Push Yet

We also know the Packers, who submitted the proposal to ban it because they can’t stop it so they would rather ban it, are also going to vote to ban it. So the question becomes, are there 22 other votes in the NFL to ban the play?

Tush Push Being Debated In NFL CirclesAccording to an ESPN report, it has been a hotly debated topic. They added that Howie Roseman had an animated discussion with Sean McVay and Sean McDermott (both of whom are on the competition committee) at these meetings. And every single person there has been asked by the media to weigh in on the debate.

The ESPN report also showed the Tush Push has more defenders than we might see in the public discourse. Maybe because they don’t want to put their name on something when they are calling out the people trying to ban it.

One team told ESPN that they don’t think the Packers aren’t being honest about why they want it banned, and would therefore not vote to ban it. An NFL Coach told ESPN that the proposal is motivated by pettiness because some clubs don’t have a QB capable of running it. One Club Executive said it reeked of jealousy and called it weak.

“It’s punishing a team who became excellent at executing the play. In 2022, when Philadelphia was the only team doing it, there was a concern that it made the game less compelling because fourth-and-short was no longer in doubt. Then other teams copied it, and they can’t do it as well.“

Ultimately it will be up to the Owners. They vote on it Tuesday morning. If 24 of the 32 Owners want to ban it it will be banned. It is a very small margin, and the Eagles seem to have at least some allies on the matter.

For the fact that there is no injury data, and it would be a rule mostly only targeting 1 or 2 teams, it is hard to see it passing. People can whine as much as they want, say it is not pretty, and point to the disaster sequence in the NFC Championship game where the Commanders deliberately slowed the game down by going offside, but none of that is a good reason to ban it.

Until there is any proof behind the play being dangerous, or until it becomes a play every team can run and it makes short-yardage plays around the league automatic, there is no factual basis behind banning it. It is just pettiness and jealousy from teams who can’t run it themselves.

Expect the Tush Push to stay, and expect us to be back here next year with teams trying to ban it.

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It is another Mock Draft Monday, meaning it is time for another computer-simulated mock draft. We let the computer make all the picks for the Eagles, and we react to the picks. Who did the Eagles end up with in Computer Mock Draft 5.0? Was there another trade-up? Did they continue to target defensive linemen?

Here Is Computer Mock Draft 5.0TRADE Round 1, Pick 31: EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku- Boston CollegeEagles traded up 1 spot with their 1st round pick. They sent a 2026 5th Round Pick to the Commanders, who had already traded down with the Chiefs, to move up 1 spot, and get an Edge Rusher out of Boston College.

Ezeiruaku already appeared in Mock Draft 2.0, and we also previewed him as a prospect in a full breakdown. But what you need to know about him is that he had great production in College, 16.5 sacks last season, possessed elite traits, and has a utility belt full of pass rush moves that would make Batman jealous. He is also a local kid, hailing from South Jersey.

They only gave up a future 5th-round pick, and they got a very good prospect. If Howie does this on draft night, fans should be very happy. He is maybe a bit small, but he has a freakishly long wingspan that helps make up for it.

Related: Donovan Ezeiruaku- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

Round 2, Pick 64: RB TreVeyon Henderson- Ohio StateRB is a sneaky need for the Eagles. Yes they have Saquon, but he got a lot of carries last year. While he stayed healthy, he has a history of missing games. Counting on him for that many carries, and 20+ games again seems risky. AJ Dillon off a neck injury, plus Will Shipley in his 2nd year, is maybe not ideal depth.

Henderson put up big numbers for Ohio State. He was never a bell cow back, but was productive in the 10 carries he averaged per game. Getting someone who has proven they can be productive with limited carries makes sense.

That said, while Henderson is a good player, and they could use RB depth, a 2nd round pick is maybe a bit rich. There are other interesting backs who will be available on day 3, the Eagles have bigger needs, and there are still other interesting prospects available at pick 64. So not a bad pick, but maybe not the best use of resources.

Round 3, Pick 96: CB Dorian Strong- Virginia TechCB is another sneaky need. Obviously you have Quinyon locking down 1 side of the field for at least 4 more years. Cooper DeJean will either cover the slot or move to the other side of the field. But that 3rd corner spot is a question. People are high on Kelee Ringo, but he has not proven anything at the NFL level. Having insurance policies would make sense.

Is Strong the right insurance policy? He was very good at VT, giving up only 2 TDs and under 500 yards in 800+ coverage snaps the past 2 seasons. He also came away with 5 picks. He took a small step back last year but in 2023 he allowed a passer rating of 11.8. By the way, his stepback was allowing a passer rating of 61.6.

Strong has the makings of a future starter. In the short term, he would provide much-needed depth.

Round 4, Pick 134: OG Miles Frazier- LSUFrazier is a sleeper pick I love in this draft. He gave up 0 sacks last season in the SEC. He also gave up only 1 QB hit, 13 pressures, and 12 QB hurries. This comes after he gave up 1 sack, 1 QB Hit, 6 pressures, and 4 hurries in 2023. He is also 6ft6, and a decent athlete for his size.

Plus, he was a Senior Bowl Standout. He could be a starter. Maybe not year 1, but year 2? He has that type of upside. This would be a great get for Stoutland U in round 4.

Every Miles Frazier 1-on-1 from the Senior Bowl – extremely underrated player pic.twitter.com/S6Ghas8vIc

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) January 30, 2025

Round 5, Pick 161: OG Garrett Dellinger- LSUEagles double dip on the LSU O-Line. Dellinger had one of the best RAS scores for any OG in this draft. His score of 9.76 out of 10 is 2nd in the draft class. He is more of a run blocker than a pass blocker, but there is no better team to land with for him than the Eagles if that is the case.

Still, taking two guards does not make a ton of sense. And while he is a great athlete for a OG, Frazier has the higher upside of the LSU guards.

Round 5, Pick 164: OT Jalen Rivers- MiamiIt is not beyond possibility for the Eagles to go heavy on the O-Line. But 3 of them with your 1st 3 day 3 picks seems far-fetched even for the Eagles.

Rivers is a big guy. But a word that kept coming up in the scouting reports about him is stiff. Eagles like their O-Linemen to move well. Rivers doesn’t. he is more of an old-school big guy who just beats you with raw power. And he could do that well in the NFL. But the Eagles zone blocking scheme may not be the best fit for him to do that.

Round 5, Pick 165: LB Jack Kiser- Notre DameThe second time Kiser has appeared in one of these computer mock drafts. Maybe the computer knows something…

Here is what I wrote when he landed with the Eagles in Mock Draft 1.0.

“As part of the Notre Dame defense that helped them get all the way to the National Championship game, Kiser played at a pretty high level. He is a smart instinctual player, though not the most explosive athlete. He kind of fits a similar mold Jeremiah Trotter Jr fit last season. The fact he is experienced on Special Teams is a plus too since he likely would not see the field much on defense in year 1. But he has the upside to be a solid piece.”

Round 5, Pick 168: CB Zah Frazier- UTSAIs CB enough of a need to double dip on them in this draft? It would be tough for two rookie corners to make the team. The Eagles already have Mitchell, DeJean, Ringo, and Eli Ricks. The Eagles like Ricks enough to have kept him despite being mostly inactive all last season. Add on Strong who would be a lock to make it as the 3rd round pick, and it would leave Frazier fighting for a 6th spot that might not exist.

If you are going to take another corner, they better have a high upside. Luckily, Frazier does. He is tall, fast, quick, and athletic. He is still raw and has technique stuff to work on. But he is the ideal day 3 pick. Someone from a small school, who could be flying under the radar. Some scouts think Frazier could grow into an NFL starter.

The Full Mock Draft* Round 1, Pick 32: EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku- Boston College * Round 2, Pick 64: RB TreVeyon Henderson- Ohio State * Round 3, Pick 96: CB Dorian Strong- Virginia Tech * Round 4, Pick 134: OG Miles Frazier- LSU * Round 5, Pick 161: OG Garrett Dellinger- LSU * Round 5, Pick 164: OT Jalen Rivers- Miami * Round 5, Pick 165: LB Jack Kiser- Notre Dame * Round 5, Pick 168: CB Zah Frazier- UTSA

Mock Draft Simulated By Pro Football Network

Inline Post: The 9 Numbers The Eagles Have Retired, And Who Might Be Next
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With the Eagles, we know they love drafting 2 positions. We have already looked at several defensive linemen that could be on their radar. But let’s switch to the other side. because while OT is not an immediate need, they could start shopping for a Lane Johnson replacement. Could Josh Conerly Jr. from Oregon be the guy?

Here Are 6 Things To Know About Josh Conerly Jr. Great College ProductionProduction is a funny word for Offensive Linemen. Usually, it’s about how much stats you accumulate, but with OL, it is about how many stats you don’t accumulate, or better yet how much you stop defenders from racking up sacks.

Conelry played over 1000 pash rush snaps in the past 2 years for Oregon. He gave up only 2 sacks in that time. He also allowed only 4 QB Hits and only 20 Hurries. This past season he gave up just 9 pressures in 14 games

Oregon OT Josh Conerly Jr Since 2023:

1,007 Pass Block Snaps
2 Sacks Allowed
83.1 Pass Block Grade@oregonfootball pic.twitter.com/A5OGjMLLex

— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 15, 2025

Multi-Sport AthleteBefore he was protecting the blindside at Oregon, Conerly also played on the hardwood. He was a 5-Star Recruit as an OT, but he also made some noise for Rainer Beach’s Basketball team.

Offensive Linemen need quick hands. And in a high school basketball game, he flashed those quick hands. Things were tight for Rainer Beach in an elimination game at the Hardwood Classic. The other school went on an 8-0 run to make it a 1 point game late. They needed someone to make a play on defense, and Conerly made a couple. He quickly racked up 2 steals and 6 points to boost Rainer Beach to a 15-0 run, and seal the win for his team.

“It’s funny how sometimes big things happen in small packages and sometimes small things come in big packages — and big Josh, those back-to-back steals built us back.”- Rainer Beach Coach Mike Bethea

Impressive Showing At The CombineWe know the Eagles love their offensive linemen to be freak athletes. Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, and Lane Johnson are all known for their explosive athleticism relative to their position. Conerly fits that bill.

Conerly started out as an RB, which shows in how well he moves. He ran a 5.05 40 as a 311lb man, was the fastest Offensive Lineman in the 10-yard split with a time of 1.71 seconds, and had the 3rd highest Vertical Jump at 34.5 inches.

He earned a RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 8.69 out of 10, putting him in the top 15% of all OTs measured since 1379.

Got Blown Up At The Senior BowlConerly Jr was on the wrong side of a viral moment at the Senior Bowl. Marshall Edge Rusher Mike Green ran right over him twice. And while everyone was sharing that clip and praising Green, it had Connerly’s name trending for the wrong reasons.

Whew, Marshall EDGE Mike Green bulldozes Oregon OT Josh Conerly #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/dy1dUstQko

— Kevin Knight (@FalcoholicKevin) January 29, 2025

Still Stole The Show At The Senior Bowl Despite One Viral MomentThat said, those were a couple of reps from a week of practice. While this part did not go viral, Conerly actually got a heap of praise for his performance at the Senior Bowl. One anonymous scout said that Conerly was the best OL at the Senior Bowl.

“Conerly was the best offensive lineman out here. He carried himself like a pro. That’s a player ready to play on Sunday.”

Also, when D-Linemen and LBs got a chance to vote on who the best Ol at the Combine was, Josh Conerly won the vote. So don’t let 1 viral moment fool you. Conerly thrived at the Senior Bowl.

Takes Accountability And Learns Conerly has 1 very bad day in 2023 vs Texas Tech. He did not give up any sacks, but he did get called for 3 False Starts. Oregon had 14 pre-snap penalties on offense in total that day. Something Texas Tech was doing had Oregon off their game, and Conerly was their number 1 victim. All 3 of his False Starts eventually led to Punts.

Dan Lanning tried to give his players an out by claiming some of it was on him for not helping the team adjust to the cadence of the defense. It was also Conerly’s first road start as a College athlete. But Conerly was not going to use any excuses. When he spoke after the game, he took full responsibility.

“That was all me and just my anxiety being too high. I just really have to take a deep breath and calm down. That’s something I just have to clean up by myself. That’s not on anybody else but me. I just really have to calm down and play my game and not think too much.”

All 3 penalties took place in the first 32 minutes of play. After that, he did not commit another penalty. More than that, he has cut down on his penalties since. Last season in 14 games he committed only 4.

“Once I really noticed how much it was costing us, like every time I had a false start we had to punt on that drive, so how negatively I was affecting those drives I had to really get myself together. I did take ownership for it and apologized to all the guys. Being the left tackle and being a starter like that, I have to hold myself to a higher standard and I can’t have such costly penalties like that.”

That type of attitude can carry you a long way. He realized there was a problem with his game, took the blame, and fixed it. Every one of these players in the draft will at some point mess up in the NFL. No one is perfect. But Conerly has the right attitude to deal with those mistakes, fix the problem, and make sure they never become a pattern.

It is that type of attitude that helped Jalen Hurts grow into a Super Bowl MVP after a shaky first season as a starter. Conerly seems to have the same mindset.

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The Eagles having needs at Edge Rusher and DT was expected. One position that looked secure though was Safety. But with CJ Gardner Johnson now in Houston, suddenly Safety is another need going into the draft. And if they are going to draft a Safety, why not shop at Georgia? Enter Malaki Starks.

6 Things You Should Know About Malaki StarksElite AthleteMalaki Starks did not put on the most impressive performance in the combine drills. His 40-time and 10-yard Split were mid-table for Safeties, and his cone drill and shuttle performances were the worst for Safeties who tested.

Don’t let that fool you, because where Starks shined was in the on-field workouts. There is an easy athleticism to the way he moves around the field. Put the 40-time aside, and look at how he actually moves, and what he did in the workouts, it becomes clear he is the fastest safety in the draft.

Georgia safety Malaki Starks recorded the fastest top speed among safeties in five different drills.

Short Shuttle: 15.24 mph
W Drill: 17.92 mph
Gauntlet Drill: 18.39 mph
Line Drill: 18.66 mph
Teryl Austin Drill: 18.74 mph

: https://t.co/p64vRez1Gn pic.twitter.com/ZC0UQ9ezoI

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 1, 2025

Watch the game tape, the speed is even more clear. Fluid is the word people like to use. He zooms around the field with ease, effortlessly keeping up with receivers.

High School Track StarIf you need further proof, go back to his time in High School. While at Jefferson High, he won the State Championship in the Long Jump, got a top 5 finish in the 100-meter dash with a blazing time of 10.55, finished as the runner-up in the 4X100, and was a region champ in all 4 events, plus the 200.

All those accomplishments were enough for him to be named the Blitz Track And Field Athlete of The Year.

Starter Since Freshman YearYou dont expect a freshman to join a team coming off a National Championship, and become one of their best players. But that is exactly what Starks did. He wasted no time after showing up in Athens, leading the entire championship defense with 847 snaps, on the way to winning a 2nd Championship.

By his standards, the freshman year was his worst season at Georgia. Compared to other safeties, he was still great. He was 5th in the SEC with 8 combined interceptions and forced incompletions. He also had 68 tackles and earned 1st-Team Freshman All-American honors.

His teammate Kamari Lassiter praised Starks for coming in not only ready to play but ready to learn.

“He’s a young guy, but he’s very talented. He’s like a sponge. He wants to soak up everything that he can learn to become a better player.”

Can Fill A Lot of RolesNeed someone to drop back deep? Starks has nearly 1200 snaps as the deep safety? Need someone to step up into the box? He did that over 550 times. If you need your Safety to move into the slot for a play, he did that over 600 times. Starks wore a lot of shoes, and all of them fit.

Eagles used to love using Malcolm Jenkins in several different roles, because he more than anyone in the league was capable of that. Since Jenkins left, they have not had someone capable of that. CJ could be a box safety and a free safety, but not so much a true slot guy. Reed Blankenship is mostly just a Box Safety and lacks the range to be a true Free Safety or a slot corner. Sydney Brown is also more of a box safety guy.

Starks could change that. He could fit every role they need him to. Cooper DeJean mostly plays in the slot, but if he has to come off the field, or they need to move him outside, Starks is someone who could step up in the slot like Jenkins used to do.

Human Highlight ReelThat athleticism shows up on the field. That was no more evident than in a play he made against Clemson back in August. A play Kirby Smart called one of the best plays he has ever seen.

Malaki Starks, my goodness

pic.twitter.com/8vPCJm8DlA

— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 31, 2024

“I do think the play I saw him make today may be one of the best defensive football plays I’ve ever seen live in person. I’ve seen a lot of them on TV, but that one he twisted and contorted his body and how he can find the ability to go find that ball and get it, it’s pretty.”

But that was not the 1st time he left his coach and teammates stunned. Back when he was a freshman, he had a similar acrobatic interception against Oregon.

A TRUE FRESHMAN @StarksMalaki!#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/zg3DFkovcX

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 3, 2022

Wants To Be A Role Model On And Off The FieldThe football field is not the only place Starks strives for greatness though. He also strives to be great off the field. And one of the places he does that is by giving back to the community.

Starks was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. An honor he shares with with fellow Georgia alum Nakobe Dean, who was named to the team back in 2021. Every year the American Football Coaches Association honors 11 players for their work giving back to the Community.

For Starks, it was in large part due to his work with the Wilderness Works Football Camp. Starks helped host 30 Atlanta area kids and assisted in donating $10,000 to local schools. He has also worked with Dicks Sporting Goods to get various kids $300 Gift Cards during the holiday season, among several other projects.

Starks joined ESPN to talk about some of his community service projects and stressed how important it is to give back now that he has the opportunity to.

“A big thing my parents taught me, is if and when god blesses you with the ability to give back, it is a responsibility of yours to do that. be a role model, be someone people can look up to… Some of the work that I have done has helped me just as much as it has helped other people… It is not about where you start, it is about where you finish.“

Starks is a special player on the field but is also a special player off of it. Howie Roseman loves to talk about how they like adding good people to the locker room. Starks certainly fits the bill.

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It is Mock Draft Monday, which means it is time for another computer-simulated Eagles draft. I let the computer pick the players, and we look at the results. In Mock Draft 4.0, the computer has the Eagles moving around a ton, and predicted Howie to make some questionable decisions.

Computer-Simulated Mock Draft 4.0Round 1, Pick 32- DT- Walter Nolen- Ole MissMilton Williams is gone, and the Eagles could use another DT. Jordan Davis is not a 3-down player, and while Moro Ojomo has showed promise, who knows if he is ready for a full time role.

Enter Walter Nolen. A highly touted prospect out of Ole Miss. Many sites had him as the top recruit in his High School Class a few years ago. It took him a while to get going, but after transferring from Texas A&M to Ole Miss, his production took off.

We have a full breakdown of him as a prospect below.

Related: Walter Nolen- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

Nolen would be a great get at 32. Many people believe he is the 2nd best DT in the draft. There are vague talks of “character concerns,” but unless someone can come out with concrete examples of him causing problems, I have to discount those reports. They reek of teams trying to push a narrative hoping they can get a guy to fall in the draft.

TRADE Round 2, Pick 44- OG- Donovan Jackson- Ohio StateThe Eagles took a big swing in round 2. They combined picks 64, 96, and 134, their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round picks, to move up to pick 44 (with the Cowboys), and get their future RG, Donovan Jackson out of Ohio State.

Would that be worth it? Well, he is a good prospect. He gave up only 5 sacks and 8 QB hits over the last 3 seasons at Ohio State. But giving up a 2nd, a 3rd, and a 4th round pick for a RG, when you already have a couple of options on the roster, and he is not the best OG in the draft, seems like too much.

If they took him at pick 64, it would be a great pick, but giving up this much to get him would be a head shaker for Howie Roseman. Especially with so many needs heading into the draft. Jackson better end up being an All-Pro RG if this were to happen.

Ohio State LT Donovan Jackson This Post Season:

99 Pass Block Snaps
2 Pressures Allowed
86.8 Pass Block Grade@OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/J9NhIyxusA

— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 16, 2025

TRADE Round 4- Pick 132- EDGE- Tyler Baron- MiamiEagles traded up again. If they didn’t, they would not have been on the clock again until round 5. Instead, they package 2 of their 4 5th-round picks (161 and 165) and they land Tyler Baron out of Miami.

One thing Baron offers that the Eagles tend to love is positional versatility. He moved inside and out on Miami’s line. Thus far in his young career, he is more of a steady presence than a disruptive force. He has nice size and is relatively athletic. He flashed major upside in a dominant performance vs Florida A&M, but he was closer to average for most of the season.

Miami EDGE Tyler Baron in Week 2:

3.0 Sacks
5 QB Pressures
41% Win Rate
90.8 Pass Rush Grade@CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/N0VGR4ni1q

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 8, 2024

Round 5- Pick 164- CB Upton Stout- Western KentuckyStout is undersized even by nickel corner standards. He plays bigger than his 5’8 frame suggests he could, but that aggressiveness can get him in trouble too. Combine being undersized, coming from a small school, with having some technique issues, and it is tough to project him into the NFL.

But a true nickel corner could be a real need. It is unclear right not if the Eagles plan to keep Cooper DeJean inside. If they want to move him outside, they need nickel corner depth. If that is the plan, drafting Stout makes more sense.

Round 5- Pick 168- EDGE Kaimon Rucker- UNCRucker is a slightly undersized Edge Rusher with adequate production at UNC. Like Stout, scouts seem to have a hard time projecting him into the NFL.

At UNC he was decent getting after the passer, but struggled vs the run. You can’t expect perfect prospects on day 3, but you probably want someone with more upside than Rucker seems to offer. Especially when you have already given up so much draft capital in this draft, you want to come away with guys who have a chance to outperform their draft slot. Does Rucker have that chance to do that? Scouts don;t seem to think so.

Full Mock Draft Round 1, Pick 32- DT- Walter Nolen- Ole Miss * Round 2, Pick 44- OG- Donovan Jackson- Ohio State * Round 4- Pick 132- EDGE- Tyler Barron- Miami * Round 5- Pick 164- CB Upton Stout- Western Kentucky * Round 5- Pick 168- EDGE Kaimon Rucker- UNC*

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With just 4 Edge Rushers currently on the Eagles roster, including Bryce Huff and the recently signed Josh Uche, the Eagles could certainly use some help at Edge Rusher in the draft. Is Mike Green out of Marshall the right fit? Or will off-the-field concerns take him off the Eagles’ board entirely?

Here Are 5 Things You Should Know About Mike GreenThe Most Productive Edge Rusher In CollegeNo one had more sacks than Mike Green last year. He got to the QB 17 times. He also racked up 59 QB pressures, 32 Hurries, and a shiny Pass Rush Win Rate of 20.2%. But it was not just as a pass rusher, he also led all Edge Defenders with 32 stops and 42 tackles.

All of this is a continuation of 2023, where he put up similar production, albiet in a smaller role. He played 341 snaps, compared to 719 this past season, but still racked up 6 sacks, 21 Hurries, 30 pressures, and 26 stops.

PFF has him graded as the best run defender among the Edge Rushers in this draft, and the 4th best pass rusher, behind Abdul Carter, Josaiah Stewart, and Princely Umanmielen.

Only Had Success After He Transferred To A Smaller SchoolHaving success at a small school is one thing to be concerned about. At Marshall, he very rarely faced Offensive Linemen with NFL potential. But we have seen players come from small schools and kill it in the NFL, see Quinyon Mitchell last year.

But another thing to consider is the fact Mike Green did not start at a small school. He started at Virginia. Virginia is not exactly Georgia, Alabama, or Ohio State, but it is a Power 5 School, and he had offers from other Power 5 Schools.

As we will discuss, there were other reasons for him transferring. However, he did not transfer to another Power 5 school, and it was not until he got to Marshall that he became the player he is now. He was an okay recruit going into college, hardly saw the field in his 1 year at Virginia, and only became a star when he got to that small school

That makes him slightly different than a Quinyon Mitchell. Does it mean he can’t work? Of course not. But it is something to consider.

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)Made A Big Impression At The Senior Bowl That said, one good way to judge a small school prospect is based on what they do at the Senior Bowl. And few people made as big of an impression there as Mike Green. Not just because his speed off the Edge was clear, but because of one viral moment that put him on everyone’s radar.

Mike Green from Marshall just killed a man pic.twitter.com/haPwjla8T7

— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) January 29, 2025

That is not some no-name OT he just ran over. Josh Connerly could be a 1st round pick himself. But he got bulldozed by a small school prospect.

Green also flashed that he has multiple ways to win, speed, power, and finesse. If a team is worried about whether he can hang with tougher competition, his performance at the Senior Bowl is something that could assuage those fears.

Related: Walter Nolen- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect

Accused Twice Of Sexual AssaultThere is something about Mike Green that is impossible to ignore. He has been accused twice of sexual assault. Once while in High School, and once while he was in Virginia. An accusation that led to him transferring from Virginia to Marshall.

Green maintains his innocence on both counts. Neither accusation led to charges. Nonetheless, they exist. Green had a chance to address the accusations at the NFL Combine.

“There’s accusations out there. I’ve never been questioned. I’ve never been asked. You know what I’m saying? Like, nobody ever asked me a question about what happened before I departed from Virginia. It was just accusations that caused me to leave from there.”

So do the accusations have any merit? That is what teams will have to decide. The fact is the accusations are there. Every team will have to consider them when deciding whether or not to put him on their boards. If teams find they have any merit, or that Green has character concerns, he might be someone you remove from your board no matter how good you think he is.

This is not like the “character concerns” people have about Walter Nolen. These concerns can be defined. Someone is going to take a chance on him. Eagles just have to ask themselves if they want to be the team that takes that chance.

Eagles Take These Things More Serious Than Other TeamsWe know that some teams will overlook accusations like that for a talented player. Fresh off over a dozen accusations, the Browns mortgaged their future by not only giving up a haul of picks for Deshaun Watson but giving him a fully guaranteed contract. The Cowboys signed Greg Hardy when there were photos of what he allegedly did to his ex-girlfriend.

But the Eagles, at least until now, have been a team that claims to care about this and have mostly backed it up. They have usually not been a team that overlooks sexual assault allegations.

Howie Roseman spoke about this two weeks ago on The McShay Show, hosted by Todd McShay.

“We have some objective things that I can’t even overrule. For one, violence against women. I won’t even watch them, I don’t want to talk about it. It is a dealbreaker for us. So I can’t go, he is really good and he did it 10 years ago, and he learned from it. It just doesn’t work for us.

I have 4 kids. I want them to be able to walk into the locker room and for me to not have to go skip over that locker.”

That is pretty definitive. Like he said, he can’t even overrule that. Which tells you it comes from the owner. Eagles do not want to associate themselves with domestic violence. So if they look into Green, and find there is any validity to the accusations, it sounds like he is completely off the board.

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The Tush Push has been a big topic of conversation this off-season. It was reported about a month ago that the Packers were submitting a plan to ban the Eagles iconic play. Now that proposal is official. With League meetings just over a week away, the Packers proposal is now public.

Packers officially are proposing to ban the Tush Push. pic.twitter.com/IX6RImu5tv

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2025

The wording here is very specific. Pushing players would only be banned specifically when the QB, or another player, is under center and does a QB sneak. Pushing at any other point would still be legal. So if an RB gets stuffed, Linemen can still pile up behind him and push.

So the Packers only issue, is that they are upset they can’t run it well, or stop it well. It is the equivalent of stealing the ball and going home because you lost and are a poor sport.

No Good Arguments For Banning The Tush PushThere has still yet to be a single convincing argument in favor of banning it. Injuries? The NFL reported that there were no injuries from the play last season. It is about as dangerous as a QB Kneel. Lack of skill? That is just insulting to the Offensive Linemen. If there was no skill involved, more teams than just the Eagles would spam it on every play where there is 1 yard to gain.

Related: Jason Kelce Shuts Down Arguments For Banning The Tush Push

The worst argument is that it is not a football play. That means absolutely nothing. It is just saying that you don’t like it, but can’t actually communicate a reason it is bad.

Banning a play because 1 team is really good at running it would be incredibly soft of the league. The Packers should be ashamed of themselves for even submitting the proposal.

Instead of trying to ban plays, do what the Eagles did, and invest in the O-Line. Get 5 really big, really skilled guys up front, have your QB hit the weight room, and then maybe you too can make 1-yard situations automatic. Until then, stop running to the league to try and stop a play because you can’t stop it yourselves.

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The Eagles have been around for a long time. They were founded in 1933, making them the 8th oldest team in the NFL. Some of those teams older than them either moved or changed their name at that time, while the Eagles have always been the Eagles, except for one year in the 40s when they merged with the Steelers to become the Steagles.

Throughout those 80+ years of existence, things have not always been great. In the 40s they were a near dynasty, winning two National Championships at the end of the decade. Then in 1960, they took down the juggernaut that was Vince Lombardi’s Packers. But once the Super Bowl era started, the Eagles winning ways ended for a long time. It took until 1980 for them to make a Super Bowl, and until 2017 to win one. The Andy Reid era featured a ton of wins, just not in the most important game of the year.

But despite the lack of Super Bowl Rings until recently, there have still been a lot of great players to come through Philly. Some All-Time great players. The likes of Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Brian Dawkins, and more. In fact, the Eagles have sent 25 players to the Hall of Fame.

But there is an honor even more rare, saved for only the greatest players in franchise history. Having your Jersey retired.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)So far only 9 players have been given that honor. But are there more on the way? Let’s first look at the 9 guys whose Jersey numbers have already been retired. And then let’s look at the cases of more guys who may have a shot at one day seeing their numbers up there among the other greats in team history.

Related: Brandon Graham Retires After 15 Years With The Eagles

Here are the Eagles who have already had their numbers retired:#5- Donovan McNabb (QB, 1999–2009)McNabb’s legacy in Philly is complicated. It is a shame he never quite gelled with the fans. He is the greatest QB in Eagles history. So he deserved to have his number retired. But he is barely part of the team anymore. You don’t see him still doing things in the city like Brian Dawkins and other Eagles legends do. He just never got over getting booed, and fans never got over him not getting over it. It sucks that this is the case. But despite all of that, retiring his number 5 was still the right choice.

15- Steve Van Buren (RB, 1944–1951)Van Buren was a massive part of the Eagles’ two NFL Championships in the 40s. He was a 5-time All-Pro, a Hall of Famer, and the Eagles’ All-Time leading rusher for a long time. He still holds the record for rushing touchdowns. Until Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy came around, he was pretty much the consensus greatest Eagles RB ever. It’s hard to compare guys from different eras, but based purely on accomplishments, Van Buren still has a very strong case.

20- Brian Dawkins (S, 1996–2008)The favorite Eagle of most people my age. Brian Dawkins was with the Eagles for over a decade. He is one of the greatest Safeties of all time and has a case to be the greatest Eagle of all time. Once he went into the Hall of Fame it was an obvious move to take 20 out of circulation. Outside of Reggie White, no one on this list is more deserving of the honor than Weapon X.

40- Tom Brookshier (DB, 1953, 1956–1961)Brookshier’s career was shorter than it should have been. Injuries ended it early, and he also missed two seasons to serve in the Military. But he was a two-time Pro Bowler, part of the Championship team that beat the Packers in 1960. What really sealed his place is what he did post-career. He was part of the Eagles’ local broadcast team until the NFL did away with local teams, and then moved into being one of the premier broadcasters forming a legendary broadcast duo with Pat Summerall.

44 – Pete Retzlaff (TE/WR, 1956–1966)When Pistol Pete retired, he led the Eagles in receptions and receiving yards. He is still 2nd in yards and 3rd in receptions. What’s weird is the guy who passed him in both stats, Harold Carmichael, has not only not had his number 17 retired, but it’s been worn by multiple people since, including Nakobe Dean right now. But even if Carmichael got snubbed, it’s hard to argue against Retzlaff.

60 – Chuck Bednarik (C/LB, 1949–1962)For a long time, Bednarik was the greatest Eagles of all time. People who watched him play may still argue his case. 10 All-Pros, 2 National Championships, and an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Concrete Charlie was a legend. His crushing hit on Frank Gifford is still among the greatest moments in NFL History.

70 – Al Wistert (OT, 1943–1951)Weistert is 4 time All-Pro, and is an Eagles Hall of Famer. But not an NFL Hall of Famer. He was another part of the Eagles team in the 40s that won multiple NFL Championships. He spent all 9 years of his career with the Eagles, including one year when they merged with the Steelers to become the Steagles.

92 -Reggie White (DE, 1985–1992)Reggie White is not just the greatest Eagle ever, he is one of the best players in NFL history period. White is two sacks short of Bruce Smith for the most in NFL History. Recently there was a graphic showing that TJ Watt passed his brother JJ on the list of most sacks in a player’s first 100 games. What stood out to me though was that White was number one with 105, 17 more than TJ at 2. White is a legend.

99 – Jerome Brown (DT, 1987–1991)Jerome Brown’s jersey retirement was not the glorious celebration it should have been. Instead, it was a ceremony mixed with grief after he passed away way too young, still in the prime of his career. In an ideal world, Jerome Brown would have been coming here as a 50-year-old man and Philly would be celebrating his long and successful career. Regardless, Brown is worthy of the honor.

People Whose Numbers Could Be RetiredNow let’s look at 8 guys who have a case for it. These are either guys still on the team, or guys whose number has not been worn since they left the Eagles. Meaning there could be a chance the Eagles are planning on retiring their number. Harold Carmichael would be on here, but enough people have worn #17 that it seems they have no plans of retiring the number.

Too SoonThere are some active guys who could make a case but are too young to have a real case yet. Jalen Carter’s 98, Jordan Mailata’s 68, Quinyon Mitchell’s 27, or Cooper DeJean’s 33. Devonta Smith has also started to make a strong case for his number 6, though he might have a hard time as long as he is overshadowed by AJ Brown. After how great those guys have been early in their careers, you could see them having great long careers here that end in the Hall of Fame, and having their number retired. But for now, it is too soon to tell.

https://x.com/NFL/status/1881116826991505893 #1- Jalen HurtsHe has now won a Super Bowl here, and Super Bowl MVP. He made it to another Super Bowl. He is still very young. If he wins again, he is probably a Hall of Famer. He can easily supplant McNabb as the Eagles’ greatest QB of all time and could become the greatest Eagle period. The national media might still doubt him, but Eagles fans know the guy as a flat-out winner who always gets the job done. It is very easy to see his number 1 hanging in the rafters one day in the future.

If they retired McNabb’s number, and have protected Randall Cunningham’s number all this time, they have to retire Hurts number too.

https://x.com/brgridiron/status/1888775053136842940 #9- Nick Foles He won the Eagles their first Super Bowl. Was he a great QB? No. Was his career mostly just two great runs, surrounded by mediocre play? Sure. Would he be the worst player to ever have his number retired? Maybe. But he was Super Bowl MVP for the Eagles first Super Bowl. That alone could be enough to retire his number 9.

https://x.com/Eagles/status/970426158582874112 #11- AJ BrownThere is a very good chance that AJ Brown holds every Eagles WR record by the end of his career. If he plays out the rest of his contract here, that is exactly what he is on pace to do. And if that happens, and if he helps the team win any more Super Bowls, he should not only going to get his number retired, but he will make the Hall of Fame. With that said, Carmichael is in the Hall of Fame and owns the Eagles WR records, and like I already said, his number 17 is currently being worn by Nakobe Deann and was worn by Alshon Jeffrey, Nelson Agholor, and 3 other players.

https://x.com/NFL/status/1832239775866351636 #12- Randall Cunningham It feels like if they were going to retire his number, they would have by now. With that said, his number 12 has been untouched since he left Philly. So clearly there is some consideration, and deservedly so. Cunningham’s time here will forever be a missed opportunity. So much talent, but a Head Coach completely incapable of utilizing it. At the very least they should keep his number 12 untouched for as long as possible.

Photo By Stephen Dunn /Getty Images Photo By Stephen Dunn /Getty Images#25- LeSean McCoy Like Randall, no one has worn McCoy’s 25 since he left Philly. McCoy is the Eagles’ most productive RB ever, though Saquon Barkley could have something to say about that. Being the best to ever do it at a position is worthy of consideration for a Jersey retirement, but Saquon could hurt his case by proving himself to be the Eagles’ greatest back ever. 25 was also the number of another Eagles legend, Tommy McDonald. Like with Randall, Shady may not get his number officially retired. But they should keep it out of circulation as long as they can.

https://x.com/PHLEaglesNation/status/1255561892074004480 #26 Saquon BarkleySaquon Barkley just had one of the best seasons by a RB ever and helped his team win the Super Bowl. He has only been here 1 year, but Nick Foles entire argument relies on 1 year. So if people are going to say Foles could have his number retired, Saquon could as well. And after signing a big extension, he will get the chance to replicate last season and push himself into the pantheon of the greatest Eagles players ever.

https://x.com/NFL/status/1881111388715659282 #55- Brandon Graham Some of the guys from that 2017 Super Bowl team are locks, like Kelce. Johnson, and Peters. Graham is harder because he is probably not a Hall of Famer. But still, Graham has been an integral part of the Eagles for a long time, is the Eagles’ all-time leader in games played, and is 3rd on their Sacks list.

Oh, and he forced the fumble that helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. You can’t retire everyone’s number. But he is at the very least deserving of a mention. And his number 55 should be protected as long as possible if it is not retired.

https://x.com/KevG163/status/1754308027354603621 #62- Jason Kelce This one is a no-brainer. He is the greatest Center in Eagles history, a lock for the Hall Of Fame, and one of the most popular players in the city. Not to mention he is one of the main faces form the Eagles first ever Super Bowl. It is just a matter of when and not if. Like with most guys, they will probably wait until he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)#65- Lane Johnson Lane is going to be a Hall of Famer, he won 2 Super Bowls here, and will get a chance at more. Like Kelce he should be a no-brainer. Being on the Super Bowl Winning team is worthy of there being multiple numbers retired from that one team. Being on both Super Bowl teams makes the case even stronger. And Lane is a big reason why they won both.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)#71- Jason Peters Like Kelce, Peters is a lock for the Hall of Fame. That is a good start. He was on the Super Bowl-winning team, though he was injured and did not play. He protected the Eagles’ blind side for 11 years, though most Eagles fans wish that reign ended two years earlier. He is not as sure of a yes as Kelce is. Him holding on a bit too long hurt his reputation with Eagles fans a bit. But even considering that, Peters is probably the best player the Eagles had that whole era. No one should wear 71 again.

(Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)#91- Fletcher Cox Cox gets a bit disrespected. The guy is a Hall of Famer and became one of the Eagles’ most important leaders later in his career. In his prime, he was one of the best in the whole league. Even later in his career, he was a solid player. If he gets into the Hall, and he should, he should also see his number 91 taken out of circulation for good.

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Brandon Graham has played his final game for the Eagles. Coming into the season Graham said that this would be his final year. It was looking like he would go out with a bang, having a resurgent year. But it tragically went awry when he tore his tricep against the Rams. He, and most others, assumed his season was finished. But it turns out he had 1 game left in him.

Graham got to play a small part in the Eagles 2nd ever Super Bowl win. 13 snaps, and 1 pressure. Not exactly the impact he had in the 1st Super Bowl, but it was still cool to see him out there 1 more time. Especially since that game is going to lead to a parade down Broad Street.

Still, it is all a little bittersweet. Because now we know that parade very well may be the last thing he ever does as an Eagle. Brandon Graham addressed the media today at noon, and announced he was hanging up his cleats, and officially calling it a career after 15 years as an Eagle.

He currently is the All-Time Leader for games played in an Eagles jersey. His 206 games are 13 more than Jason Kelce played. He is also 3rd All-Time on the Eagles sacks list. A half of a sack ahead of Clyde Simmons, 8.5 behind Trent Cole, and 47.5 behind Reggie White (No one is ever touching what Reggie did.)

Graham is an All-Time Eagles great. To honor one of our most beloved players, let’s take a moment to appreciate one of the most beloved played in Eagles history.

Here Are Some Of The Reasons We Love Brandon Graham Among The All-Time Eagles Pass Rushers

Brandon Graham just moved into 3rd place on the Eagles' all-time sacks list (76.5) @brandongraham55 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/TDg5bI0NC3

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 25, 2024

I already mentioned that Graham passed Clyde Simmons, and currently has a half-sack lead for 3rd place all the time. What I did not say was he took that lead in the same game he tore his tricep.

The Rams game was shaking out to be his best game of the season, and one of his best games in a while. 4 pressures, 2 QB hits, a sack, and 2 Run Stops. He was taking over the game before he had to come out with the injury. It turns out that sack will be his last in an Eagles jersey. But for a brief moment, we got a reminder of how great Brandon Graham was.

It was just one of many for BG. He had a 3 sack game against the Jets. He had a 2.5 sack day against Carson Wentz when Wentz was the Commander’s QB. BG had so many big moments for the Eagles, and we will get to the most iconic one in a bit.

Tough As NailsHe tore his triceps in the Rams game. But what we did not know until a month after the Super Bowl, was he retore it in said Super Bowl. Philly loves toughness, and it does not get much tougher than what BG did. Coming back way too early, reinjuring yourself on the way to helping your team win it all, and then not even telling anyone about it.

Related: Brandon Graham Retore His Tricep In The Super Bowl

All The Trash Talk

Not BG trash talking the whole O-Line @brandongraham55 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/rBajJOAsNu

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 15, 2024

When Graham was not sacking QBs, he was most certainly running his mouth. Often times he talked trash in the midst of sacking a QB. No one talks trash like BG. O-Linemen all have stories of BG talking trash. Andrew Whitworth once said this about BG.

“He’ll walk out and say ‘whoa that belly bro. You ate way too much at team dinner.” He’s going to immediately create a mental thing–oh I need to re-fix my jersey…he knows exactly how to get under your skin”- Andrew Whitworth on This Is Football

BG is a character. His big personality is a big reason why people love him so much. Things got off to a rocky start with him and the city. But he eventually won everyone over.

The Strip SackBut of course, the moment everyone will remember Brandon Graham for is the Strip Sack. Eagles were only up 5. Tom Brady had the ball with just over 2 minutes left and 1 timeout. Not exactly an incident where you feel 100% comfortable. The defense had struggled all game. Brady had over 460 passing yards and 3 TDs. But when the team needed a play the most, BG came through.

SUPERBOWL LII

The #Eagles and #Patriots combine for the most net offensive yards ever in an #NFL game (1,151).

But with Tom Brady down 5, looking to drive the Pats for the winning score, Philly's Brandon Graham strip-sacks him with 2:09 left to ice it.pic.twitter.com/EN3PnPBdgz

— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) February 5, 2024

It is easily up there with the top 5 plays of all time alongside the Philly Special. It is the type of play that even decades later, people will bring up, or go back and watch. It is like “Stairs rips one into the night”, the AI stepover, or “Dr.J rocks the baby”.

It cemented him in Eagles lore forever. He might not ever go into the Hall of Fame. He might not have his number retired. But Brandon Graham will forever be an Eagles legend. What a way to go out for one of the most beloved Eagles of all time.

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All good things must come to an end. Last season we said goodbye to two Eagles legends in Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox. Now we say goodbye to another one. Brandon Graham announced today that after 15 seasons, 206 games, and 2 Super Bowls with the Eagles, he is calling it a career. He held a press conference at Noon to make it official.

BREAKING

Brandon Graham has announced he is retiring from the NFL.

He is the Eagles All-Time Leader in games played (206) and is 3rd on the Eagles All-Time Sacks list (76.5)

(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/MU9EGWlN8v

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 18, 2025

Teary-Eyed Brandon Graham Addresses the MediaThe first thing Graham did when he walked into the media room is he made sure he hugged every single person in the room. He even doubled back a couple times when he realized he skipped over people. Then, he sat down at a table, between two Lombardi Trophies, and addressed the media while fighting back tears.

“I gave everything I had. I have no regrets. 15 years ago, I walked into this city as a young man with dreams. Big dreams, a little bit of nervousness, and a whole lot of fire in my heart. I had no idea what this journey would bring, how many times I would be tested, how much I would grow, and I surely didn’t know how deeply I would fall in love with these fans, this team, and this city.”

he ran through the long list of people he had to thank. From Jeffrey Lurie, to Andy Reid, Big Dom, Nick Sirianni, Lane Johnson, Jason Peters, Trent Cole, the fans, just to name a few. Eventually, he got to announcing his decision.

“E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles! Fly Eagles Fly. My last one. B.G. out, baby!”

Brandon Graham’s Many AccomplishmentsGraham is the all-time leader in games played for the Eagles. He is 13 ahead of Jason Kelce. The closest active player is Lane Johnson at 158. He would have to play 3 more seasons to pass BG. No other active player is close.

He also is 3rd on the All-Time sacks list for the Eagles. He finished with 76.5 sacks, .5 sacks ahead of Clyde Simmons, and 9 behind Trent Cole. Reggie White is way ahead of everyone with 124.

And of course, he is responsible for one of the greatest plays in Eagles history. The strip sack. The Eagles were up by only 5, and Tom Brady had the ball in a 2-minute warning. Not exactly where you want to be vs the best QB of all time. But who stepped up? Brandon Graham. Eagles needed a play, and he provided, not only getting to Tom Brady, but knocking the ball out of hands, so Derek Barnett could recover.

SUPERBOWL LII

The #Eagles and #Patriots combine for the most net offensive yards ever in an #NFL game (1,151).

But with Tom Brady down 5, looking to drive the Pats for the winning score, Philly's Brandon Graham strip-sacks him with 2:09 left to ice it.pic.twitter.com/EN3PnPBdgz

— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) February 5, 2024

It set up an FG that put them up 8, followed by a failed Hail Mary by the Patriots, that gave the Eagles their first-ever Super Bowl.

For that alone, Brandon Graham is forever an Eagles legend. But add on everything else he did, his huge personality, his work in the community, and you have one of the greatest Eagles of all time. So thank you, Brandon Graham. Thank you for the great play, the iconic moments, the endless trash talk, and for one hell of a career. Congrats on your retirement, it is well-earned.

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The Eagles have not exactly made a splash to this point in the off-season. They hardly caused a dribble. But they made their first real mark in the off-season by signing EDGE Azeez Ojulari to a 1-year $4 million dollar deal. He spent the last 4 seasons with the Giants racking up 22 sacks in 46 games. Jeremy Fowler was the first to report the deal.

Source: Pass rusher Azeez Ojulari is signing with the #Eagles on a one-year, $4M deal.

Ojulari, who had 6.0 sacks last year, stays in NFC East with the Super Bowl champion. pic.twitter.com/pF0fqVZt4R

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 17, 2025

It is not the big splash some fans are still waiting for. That might never happen given the Eagles cap situation. But of all the bargain bin shopping the Eagles have done this offseason, Ojulari is the first guy who has a track record and is not coming off a down year or a major injury.

Azeez Ojulari Has A Track RecordThe former-round pick out of Georgia is coming off a 6 sack season with 22 pressures. He had 8 sacks in his rookie season. A shoulder injury limited him in 2022 and 2023, but he was a player the Giants still value. They tried to keep him, but he ended up following in Saquon Barkley’s footsteps to leave for Philadelphia.

Is he going to be a star or replace Josh Sweat? Probably not. But can he contribute as part of a rotation? Absolutely. Which is more you can say for any of the other players the Eagles signed on defense this off-season so far. Other moves include Josh Uche, who has not made an impact since 2022. Ojulari is a guy you saw contribute last season.

He joins an EDGE Rusher group that includes Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Bryce Huff, and Josh Uche. Still a bit thin, unless Bryce Huff lives up to his $17 million AAV contract. But they do now have 3 guys, Hunt, Smith, and Ojulari, who you can count on to give you something, with Smith having the chance to be a star.

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Milton Williams is gone. Will the Eagles look to the draft to replace him? If so, a DT from Oregon from Oregon could be of interest to them. Will Derrick Harmon be the pick at 32?

Here are 5 Things You Should Know About Derrick HarmonLead All DTs In PressuresHarmon only had 5 sacks, outside the top 10 for DTs in this class. But Eagles fans know well that getting the QB down is not the only way DTs can impact the game, and what Harmon did do was lead the draft class in pressures, and he did so by a wide margin.

Harmon had 55 pressures. 2nd place for DTs in this draft had 44. Harmon also leads the draft class with 43 Hurries, 9 more than the guy in 2nd place. His Pass Rush Win Rate of 17.6% is 3rd in the draft class.

Watching Oregon 3T Derrick Harmon (#55). Pass rush productivity is obvious (led FBS in pressures) but I’ve been impressed by how he holds his ground vs doubles despite playing a little high. Very complete player. pic.twitter.com/DCojAnl5Hm

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 7, 2025

Missed Tackles An IssueWinning against your blocker is obviously important. But then you still need to finish the play. That is the area Derrick Harmon needs to improve.

Harmon missed 12 tackles, good for a missed tackle rate of 26.7%. Both are in the bottom 5 for qualified players. There were 4 games where he missed multiple tackles.

Part of the reason he had only 5 sacks, despite leading the nation in pressures, was that he struggled to finish plays. He consistently puts himself in the right position to make plays both against the pass and vs the run, but if he can’t finish vs College Players, how will he fare vs NFL players? It’s an issue he has to fix if he is going to live up to the hype.

Good Speed For A Big ManDerrick Harmon is not lacking in size. He is 6ft5 and 313 lbs. But for a man that size, he can move. Harmon was one of the standouts at the recent NFL combine, clocking in at 4.97 seconds on the 40-yard rush, and 1.74 on the 10-yard split.

Between the measurables and the performance at the drills, he drew a pretty impressive comparison to a current NFL superstar.

Derrick Harmon is in the company of a 3x Super Bowl champ

: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/DXsnCIbSQG

— NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025

Rose Up For The Biggest GamesYou can judge players by how they perform when the lights shine the brightest. You could argue the 2 biggest games Oregon played last year were the 2 games vs Ohio State (the eventual Champions). His team won 1 of them, and kind of got embarrassed in the other one. But how did he fare in those games?

Between both games, Harmon totaled 6 pressures, 5 QB Hits, 4 stops, and 1 forced fumble. By PFF’s grading system, the first game was his best game of the season, and the playoff game was his 3rd best game.

The guys he was battling with in the Ohio State games are guys he could feasibly be lined up against in the NFL too. Being able to win vs them is a good sign of what he can do at the next level.

What NFL.com Said About Him“Position-versatile building block that makes moving the football a much tougher task. Harmon is wide, long and naturally powerful at the point of attack. He can create traffic jams inside as a two-gapper or stunt and power his way into the backfield. He’s unlikely to be a primary sack man, but he can be part of a swarm unit that batters the pocket.”

The good thing is with the Eagles, he would not have to be the primary sack guy. He would be playing next to Jalen Carter. Like Milton Williams did last year, Harmon would get the benefit of single coverage the majority of the time. As we have been, when Harmon is single-covered, he wins a lot.

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It is another Mock Draft Monday, which means it is time for another computer-simulated mock draft. We are onto Mock Draft 3.0. The first time it had them sticking at pick 32 and picking up the most productive Edge Rusher in the draft. In 20, they traded down and got the 2nd most productive Edge Rusher in the draft. Will Mock Draft 3.0 keep the pattern going and get the 3rd most productive Edge Rusher?

Related: Computer Mock Draft 2.0- Eagles Trade Down, Get An EDGE

Here is The Computer Simulated Mock Draft 3.0TRADE Round 2, Pick 49- EDGE- Landon Jackson- ArkansasAnother trade down. The Eagles moved down from pick 32 to pick 49. A big move down letting the Bengals trade up to get DT Kenneth Grant out of Michigan. What do the Eagles get back? Picks 49, 81, and 119. A 2nd, a 3rd, and a 4th.

They use pick 49 to get yet another Edge Rusher. They did not keep the pattern going and got the 3rd most productive Edge Rusher. But they did get one of the most athletic players in this draft.

Here are Landon Jackson’s Results At The Combine

40 Yard Dash- 4.68 secs (8th among EDGEs)
10- Yard Split- 1.65 Secs (10th)
Vertical Jump- 40.5″ (1st)
Broad Jump- 10’9″ (2nd)

His estimated Athleticism Score of 86 was the 2nd best among all Edge Defenders in the draft. Mind you he did all of that at 6ft6, 270 lbs. He was not as productive as a few other guys in this draft, but he did have 6.5 sacks and a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss. He has the traits and the motor to be a top-end Edge Defender, but he has some technique things he needs to work out.

That said he has high upside and could thrive if given more of a chance to get after the QB.

When Landon Jackson lined up as a wide 9 rusher at the Senior Bowl you saw some of his potential shine through. Mostly asked to play 4i at Arkansas where he didn't see this many opportunities to rush from these angles pic.twitter.com/7VIUjYKVKa

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 9, 2025

Round 2, Pick 64- WR- Tre Harris, Ole MissIs WR a big enough need to justify spending a 2nd round pick on? Maybe if it is for the right player. Would Tre Harris be the right player? Unclear.

Harris is a solid WR prospect. He has size, decent speed, and put up good numbers in the SEC. But like the Ole Miss WR the Eagles already have on the roster, AJ Brown, Harris operates out of the X role. If they are going to add a WR, it should be someone who can operate in the slot, which is the one thing they are missing. They could also get a Z type, and use Devonta Smith more out of the slot. But Harris does not bring enough to the table that the Eagles don’t already have.

So I would not love this pick, even if he is a decent player. Mason Taylor was still on the board, and he is a good player, and a great fit, with the Eagles’ future at TE very much up in the air.

Related: Computer Mock Draft 1.0- Eagles Grab A High Upside DE

Round 3, Pick 81- OT Hollin Pierce- RutgersHollin Pierce fits the mold of a Jeff Stoutland player. By that I mean he is freakishly big, even by Eagles standards, and moves well. The Rutgers tackle checks in at 6ft8, 341 lbs, with a massive wingspan of 88.25 inches.

Just because it's hilarious…
OT Hollin Pierce Combine measurements

HT: 6083 (97th percentile)
WT: 341 (95th percentile)
Arms: 36 (94th percentile)
Wingspan: 88 1/4 (99th percentile)

Second longest wingspan of any tackle prospect since 1999

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) March 2, 2025

Pierce is still a bit raw. He walked onto Rutgers a few years ago, back when he checked in at around 450 lbs. But he has started 50 of 51 games for Rutgers since 201, gave up just 5 sacks, and was called for only 11 penalties. Enroll this man in Stoutland University, and the Eagles might have found their eventual Lane Johnson replacement. In the meantime, they would have one hell of a swing tackle.

Round 3- Pick 96- CB Zy Alexander- LSUAfter cutting Darius Slay, the Eagles could use some CB depth. Enter Zy Alexander. The LSU corner tends to be very sticky, rarely allowing WRs to create too much separation. He does not have the elite athleticism or traits to be an elite corner. But at the end of the 3rd round, you are not exactly looking for elite. Alexander projects as a solid backup, and maybe a solid starter.

Round 4, Pick 119- OT Ozzy Trapilo- Boston CollegeUsing both picks acquired in the trade down out of the 1st to get Tackles? Sure, why not?

Trapilo is another massive man, standing at 6ft8. But he is a bit leaner than Pierce at 309 lbs. It is actually the 2nd time the computer mocked him to the Eagles, with him showing up in Mock Draft 2.0 too. But with the Pierce selection in round 3, there are maybe better uses of this pick than another project at OT.

Round 4, Pick 134- CB Jacob Parrish- Kansas StateParrish is one of the more athletic corners in the draft, finishing top 5 in the 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, Vertical Jump, and Broad Jump for corners. Whether or not the Eagles view Cooper DeJean long-term as a slot corner or not is unclear, but even if he is sticking inside, having some depth there is a need. And getting a freaky athlete like Parrish offers the kind of upside you want in a day 3 pick.

Athleticism scores for DBs are now official. Four earned elite 90+ scores:

CB Darien Porter (@CycloneFB): 93
CB Caleb Ransaw (@GreenWaveFB): 92
DS Nick Emmanwori (@GamecockFB): 91
CB Jacob Parrish (@KStateFB): 90

: https://t.co/p64vRez1Gn
: Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/QsboOA5JzI

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 1, 2025

Round 5, Pick 161- CB Nohl Williams- California3 corners? 3? CB depth is a need, but not that big of a need. The Eagles obviously have DeJean and Mitchell, but also Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks. Add on the 2 corners they took ahead of Nohl Williams, and Adoree Jackson who they just signed, and going with a 3rd CB seems like a waste of resources.

That said, he is a press corner, unlike the other 2 guys, and he had 7 interceptions and 3 TDs last season. So he is an intriguing prospect.

Round 5, Pick 164- EDGE Jah Joyner- MinnesotaJoyner does not have particularly impressive traits, nor was he productive in college. On day 3, I tend to want high-upside guys. Either small school prospects that are getting overlooked, or guys with freaky traits that just haven’t put it together yet. Joyner is neither. He is a jack of all trades and a master of none.

Round 5, Pick 165- OG Connor Colby- IowaInterior depth could be an issue. They did trade for Kenyon Green and drafted Trevor Keegan last year. But neither have proven they can effectively fill in at the NFL Level. As an impending rookie, Colby has also not proven anything of course. That said, he was the picture of stability for Iowa the last several years. He held up well at Guard for them and is a solid athlete, but the upside is limited according to Scouts.

Round 5, Pick 168- DT- Aeneas Peebles- Virginia TechFinally, a guy with the chance to outplay his draft slot. He is undersized for a DT, which is why he is going in the 5th round here. But he makes up for that with motor, quickness, and a large utility belt of pass-rush tools.

Scouts worry how he would hold up vs NFL Double Teams. But playing next to Jalen Carter, there is no chance he would ever be double-teamed in Philly. He is not a year-1 impact guy, but you can’t expect to get a year-1 impact guy in round 5.

He could, like Moro Ojomo last year, turn into a solid rotation piece with a little bit of patience though. Maybe more than that further down the road. Peebles showed off at the Senior Bowl and has some major upside for a day 3 pick. A solid selection to round out the draft.

Virginia Tech DL Aeneas Peebles lacks ideal size, but he’s a havoc-causing interior rusher (25 pressures in 2024).

Hits a spin zone and swallows up Cam Ward here pic.twitter.com/mEWin7qnSp

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 10, 2025

Full Mock Draft * Round 2, Pick 49- EDGE- Landon Jackson- Alabama * Round 2, Pick 64- WR- Tre Harris, Ole Miss * Round 3, Pick 81- OT Hollin Pierce- Rutgers * Round 3- Pick 96- CB Zy Alexander- LSU * Round 4, Pick 119- OT Ozzy Trapilo- Boston College * Round 4, Pick 134- CB Jacob Parrish- Kansas State * Round 5, Pick 161- CB Nohl Williams- California * Round 5, Pick 164- EDGE Jah Joyner- Minnesota * Round 5, Pick 165- OG Connor Colby- Iowa * Round 5, Pick 168- DT- Aeneas Peebles- Virginia Tech

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every Weekday Inline Post: 5 NFL Combine Winners Eagles Fans Should Take Note Of
Post ID: 566511 (show description: no)The post Computer Mock Draft 3.0- Eagles Get A Massive Haul Of Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Hot off their Super Bowl LIX win, the Philadelphia Eagles are selling pieces of history. Eagles fans can grab authentic stadium confetti for $59.99, while pieces of game-day turf go for $129.99.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with the Philadelphia Eagles to bring fans closer to the team in a way that’s never been done before,” said Aniefre Essien, CMO of The Realest, to 6abc.

Each clear, beer-can-sized container holds confetti picked right from the Caesars Superdome floor. No other venue matches its Super Bowl legacy – it’s hosted seven championship games, putting it in a league of its own.

Named ‘South Philly Bonsai,’ the grass pieces have their own story. Cut from midfield after the NFC Championship victory over the Commanders on February 3, 2025, these living samples come sealed in glass with authentication markers.

Eagles fans’ excitement tells the story. Recently, playoff snow from the Rams game sold out within two hours.

This is the Eagles’ second NFL championship since their 2018 Super Bowl LII win. Their home field uses real grass, which sets it apart from other venues. This fact makes these clippings truly unique.

Through careful verification, The Realest ensures everything’s authentic. Buyers receive documentation like papers and stamps that verify each item’s authenticity.

While the city still celebrates their victory, these souvenirs add more excitement to the festivities. They join jerseys, hats, and other championship merchandise selling quickly everywhere.

Teams keep finding creative ways to connect with their devoted fans. These keepsakes resonate with those who couldn’t be there but want to own a piece of Eagles history.

The post Eagles Fans: Own Super Bowl LIX Confetti and ‘South Philly Bonsai’ Grass in Exclusive Memorabilia Sale appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles shocked everyone on Tuesday by parting ways with Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, to get back Offensive Guard Kenyon Green, and a swap of picks in the 2026 draft. Let’s put the part where they lost a talented safety who was a spark plug for the defense aside though, and solely look at the acquisition of Kenyon Green.

Green was great at Texas A&M, hence why the Texans made him the 15th overall pick as a Guard. If teams are spending a premium pick on an Offensive Lineman, it is usually for a Tackle. But Green was good enough to be worth that cost as a Guard. The problem is it did not pay off for the Texans.

Since joining Houston, he has been one of the worst guards in the league. He held onto his job for 3 years, so that is saying something, but he struggled the whole time. PFF grades are not the most reliable things, but he was the worst guard during his rookie season, missed 2023 with a shoulder injury, and was the 4th worst-graded guard last year.

(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)Will Kenyon Green Thrive At Stoudland University?The argument people in favor of the move are making is that now he is enrolling in Stoutland U. The guy who took an apparent bust in Mekhi Becton and made him a star again. If anyone can turn Green’s career around, it would be Jeff Stoutland.

I would counter that if he can do that for Green, he could also do that with Tyler Steen, Trevor Keegan, or whatever OG is currently in the NFL bargain bin. But Green is here now.

My real problem is, say he does turn Green into a star. Say Green is just as good this year as Becton was last year. He is in the last year of his deal. So a year from now, he will get paid by another team, and you are right back to square one.

Becton was great because he came out of nowhere, and cost nothing. The Eagles had to give up a defensive starter to get Green. He is not out of the bargain bin, this trade made the Eagles’ defense worse.

If they got back a multi-year starter at OG who didn’t cost much against the cap, maybe that would be worth it. But Green is a reclamation project, who in the best case scenario, is here for one year. And that is the best case. He may be the backup to Steen. There is no guarantee he just magically gets better here. Stoutland is a great coach, but he can’t just make anyone into a star. If he could, the Eagles could just mix and match UDFAs every year.

If Stoutland was actually able to just do what some fans think he can do, they would not have needed to pay Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mialiata the massive contracts they gave them. They would not be about to give Cam Jurgens an extension. Stoudland gets the most he can out of players, but the players still need to have that ceiling.

Maybe Kenyon Green has that ceiling. But it was a high price to pay for a project that will only be here for one season.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post The 1 Big Problem With The Eagles Trading For Kenyon Green appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We knew the Eagles would lose players like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, and Mekhi Becton. They were pending free agents and as we saw yesterday, Sweat and Williams got massive contracts from other teams. But CJ Gardner Johnson was not a name fans expected to see leave. He still had 2 years under contract, and was a key part of the Super Bowl win.

Howie Roseman shocked everyone this morning though by trading him to the Texans. The Eagles will get back Texans OG Kenyon Green, and swap of picks with the Eagles getting a 2026 5th-round pick, and the Texans getting a 2026 6th-round pick. The deal was first reported by Adam Schefter and DJ Bien-aime from ESPN.

Another Texans trade: Houston is acquiring veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson from the Eagles in exchange for former first-round pick Kenyon Green, per @Djbienaime and me. Trade includes a pick swap with the Eagles getting a 2026 5th-round pick and the Texans getting a 2026 6th. pic.twitter.com/15iPCdXmGA

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2025

CJ Gardner Johnson Out Of Philly Once AgainThe Eagles only just signed him a 3-year deal about a year ago today. This came after they let him walk in free agency to the Lions the year prior. It marks 4 straight off-seasons where he changed teams, twice by trade, and twice by free agency.

CJ Gardner Johnson had 6 interceptions in both seasons he played in Philly. Not to mention making multiple big plays in the run game in short-yardage situations. Many credited him with bringing a toughness back to the Eagles defense that they lacked in 2023. That could have also been the hiring of Vic Fangio, but it is undeniable that Gardner-Johnson brought a lot of energy to the field.

That cost him sometimes, like when he was tossed from the 2nd Commanders game. That said, the same game showed how much he brought to the defense when it imploded without him.

His passion also led to him having a very public spat with Darius Slay, who is currently a free agent but could return to Philly. And it could play into why he was moved yet again despite playing well.

Kenyon Green, who the Eagles get back, will presumably replace Mekhi Becton. He was drafted 15th overall back in 2022 but has yet to live up to that potential. But we saw Jeff Stoutland take a former 1st round pick and transform him into a star last year with Becton. Stoutland likely scouted him back in that draft and perhaps saw something he liked.

The Eagles defense has now lost Sweat, Williams, Isaiah Rodgers, Oren Burks, CJ Gardner Johnson, and potentially Slay. The depth behind those guys is fairly limited. There is a whole off-season left, including the draft. But Howie will have to get creative to keep the number 1 defense from last season among the elite units in the NFL.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Eagles Send CJ Gardner Johnson To Texans in Surprise Trade appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles Free Agency is upon us. After making several big moves last off-season, they are a bit more cap-strung this off-season. They may not be able to make another Saquon Barkley sized splash, or Bryce Huff style splash for that matter. That move may not have panned out, but it was big at the time. On top of that, they have a ton of pending free agents who may walk.

But few GMs can get as creative with the cap as Howie Roseman. Will he pull another rabbit out of his hat? Can he effectively replace the players they lose?

Here is Every Eagles Free Agency Move, With Grades: Extending Saquon Barkley

Eagles are rewarding Saquon Barkley with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, per sources. The deal makes Barkley the NFL’s first $20 million+ per-year running back. Barkley also has the ability to earn an… pic.twitter.com/h5iEf5IWe2

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2025

The Eagles first move came before free agency began. After Saquon ran for over 2000 yards, and continued that success into the playoffs on the way to helping the team win the Super Bowl, the Eagles rewarded Saquon with an extension that will make him, the highest-paid RB ever.

First off, it is good business to take care of your star player like that. but it also helped clear up some cap space this season by converting that money into a bonus. They keep the best RB in the NFL happy, and they give themselves a bit more wiggle room. Perfect move, nothing to complain about.

Grade-A

Related: Eagles Make Saquon Barkley Richest RB Ever With 2-Year Extension

Re-Singing Zack Baun

BREAKING

The Eagles are signing All-Pro LB Zack Baun to a 3-year $51 Million deal, making him one of the highest-paid Lbs in the NFL. The deal was first reported by Adam Schefter. #eagles #NFL #football

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/Rv1brJazwz

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 5, 2025

They followed up paying their best player on offense by making sure one of their best players on defense stuck around. Baun was set to hit free agency. The Eagles made sure that did not happen by giving him a massive new contract for a LB.

Baun was the glue of the Eagles defense last year. Under Vic Fangio, he turned into the best LB in the country, leading all LBs in stops, tackles, forced fumbles, and interceptions. Of all their free agents, he was priority number 1, and they got the job done. It cost more than people thought it would, but with how he played last year, he is worth it.

Grade- A

Related: Eagles and Zack Baun Agree To 3-Year $51 Million Deal

Milton Williams Head To The PatriotsThis is not a deal the Eagles made, but rather one they didn’t, and likely couldn’t make. Milton Williams was a big part of their D-Line last year. But that great season earned him a big payday elsewhere. Williams got $26 million per year from the Patriots. A number too big for the Eagles to match.

The test here for the Eagles will be how they replace him. Is Jordan Davis ready for a larger role? is Moro Ojomo? Will they sign someone to fill in, or rely on the draft? We can’t judge the Eagles letting him leave until we see how they go about replacing him.

The good thing for the Eagles, a deal that big could net them a 3rd round compensatory pick.

Isaiah Rodgers To The VikingsOf the Eagles FAs, Rodgers felt like someone they could keep, especially with Slay getting released. But closer to the start of Legal Tampering, it became clear his market was blowing up. Now we know for sure he won’t be back. Rodgers is heading to Minnesota on a 2-year $15 million deal.

Former Eagles CB Isaiah Rodgers reached agreement on a 2-year $15 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings. The deal includes $8M fully guaranteed. The deal was negotiated by Bryan Gavin and Ed Wasielewski of EMG Sports.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2025

The Eagles have some questions at cornerback. We know Quinyon M Mitchell and Cooper Dejean will star. But will Coop be inside our outside? And who will be that 3rd corner? It could be Kelee Ringo, but he has not yet proven he can start at the NFL level.

Like with Willimas, how they go about replacing Rodgers will decide if they made the right move. But unlike Williams, they might have been able to match this. We won’t know if they made the right move until we see the opening-day roster, and see how that 3rd corner looks. But it would have been nice to have some security in Isaiah Rodgers.

Josh Sweat Reunites With Jonathan Gannon

The #AZCardinals are signing #Eagles edge Josh Sweat on a 4-year deal worth $76.4M, including $41M guaranteed. Deal negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/C6W6aiZ8CC

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2025

Another domino falls. Josh Sweat is on his way out as well, with him getting 4-years $76 million from the Cardinals. It leaves the Eagles with just 3 players, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Bryce Huff, at EDGE.

Again, the Eagles could not match this. But we can judge them by how they replace Sweat. They will likely need another Vet, and a draft pick. They already lacked depth at DE, and now they have lost Sweat, and will likely loss BG to retirement. Not to mention Nolan Smith is recovering from a major injury.

Oren Burks To The BengalsWhen Nakobe Dean went down, Burks filled right in. The recovery timetable for Dean is unclear, and he might not be ready right to start the season and might need an adjustment period even once cleared. it would have been nice to have Burks as an insurance policy, especially at 2 years and $5 million.

But that said, the Bengals may give Burks the chance to start. An opportunity he would not get here. So even if the Eagles did match this offer, he may have still gone to the Bengals. But it is another hit to the depth of the Eagles defense, which is currently taking on water fast.

Eagles Trade Kenny Pickett To Browns

TRADE: Eagles trading Kenny Pickett to the Browns for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/vC10Qu4yMx

— NFL (@NFL) March 10, 2025

The Tanner McKee era is here. the Eagles ship out Kenny Pickett, who they acquired to be the backup last year, get back a 5th-round pick, and get a new 3rd-string QB with upside in Dorian Thompson-Robinson. They now have 4 5th round picks in this draft.

There is nothing to dislike about this move. McKee was ready to become the 2nd string guy anyway, and they arguably got more back for Pickett than they originally gave up. A year ago they traded a 3rd for him but got back a 4. Now they get a th and a Qb with upside for Pickett, and save roughly $2.6 million against the cap.

Grade- A

CJ Garnder Johnson is Out Again

Another Texans trade: Houston is acquiring veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson from the Eagles in exchange for former first-round pick Kenyon Green, per @Djbienaime and me. Trade includes a pick swap with the Eagles getting a 2026 5th-round pick and the Texans getting a 2026 6th. pic.twitter.com/15iPCdXmGA

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2025

CJGJ can’t stay in one place. He gets traded to the Eagles, leaves in free agency the next off-season, then returns the following off-season and now gets traded again.

This one is confusing right now. With Becton leaving, you could argue they needed a new RG, but Kenyon Green has not exactly outperformed Tyler Steen to this point, he has just played for. he was a 1st round pick in 2022, so he has upside, and Jeff Stoutland is the master at reclamation projects. But the Eagles are now down another major player from their defense, with Sweat, Williams, Oren Burks, Rodgers, and maybe Slay all leaving.

The return does not seem worth losing an important piece of the defense. But maybe there is something they know that we don’t. Unless this leads to something else though, this is a puzzling move.

Grade- D

Cutting Darus SlaySlay is one of the most underappreciated Eagles of this era. Not only did he play at an exceptional level, but he was a leader and mentor to the Eagles young DBs. But he is also 34. Eagles chose to continue the youth movement and save some money, by cutting ties with Slay. He eventually signed with the Steelers.

Again, whether or not this works out depends on who they replace him with, and how that player plays. Could it be Kelee Ringo? Maybe, but they better hope he is ready to start if so, either that or bring in a backup that makes sense.

Losing Kenny GainwellSpeaking of underappreciated, Gainwell was great as the eagles backup last year in the rare occasions his name was called. Barkley as the workhorse back took on the bulk of the carries, but Gainwell made several key plays throughout the year, both as a runner and a pass catcher. Still, Gainwell chose to go elsewhere for more money and likely a bigger role.

Eagles sign AJ Dillon

Eagles signing RB AJ Dillon to one-year deal. (via @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/tSr99G5egj

— NFL (@NFL) March 12, 2025

To replace Gainwell, the Eagles brought in the big bruising back AJ Dillon. Dillon is coming off an injury but is only 26, clocks in at 247 pounds, and claims he can squat over 700 lbs. between Hurts, barkley, and now Dylan, the Eagles have serious leg power. Leg Day is a way of life in the Eagles’ weight room.

Dillon won’t cost much (likely won’t even count against the compensatory pick formula), and gives the Eagles a bulldozer as Barkley’s backup. It is likely they will need to lean on the backup RB more next season given how many carries Barkley got in 2024. Dillon to go with the change of pace back Will Shipley is a solid crew behind Barkley, and he comes cheap.

Grade- A

Eagles Bring In Josh Uche

Pass-rush help for Philadelphia: Eagles reached agreement today on a one-year deal with former Chiefs free-agent LB Joshua Uche, who now will try to help replace Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham. Deal negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln. pic.twitter.com/wKGH2MHJGw

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2025

The Eagles will need to shop in the bargain bin. When you are doing that, you look for the hidden gem, and Uche does have that potential. He has only 5 sacks in the last 2 seasons, but he had 11.5 with the Patriots in 2022.

The former-round pick has an upside. He was great in his final year at Michigan and flashed that potential in 2022. Even last year, while his production was down, he had a 17.2% pass rush win rate which is solid. He also plays special teams, which they might need help at if Sydney Brown and Kelee Ringo are going to be pulled off special teams to be the starters on defense.

That said he has struggled against the run, and his snaps have plummeted. Uche has never played more than 40% of the snaps in the season/ Right now he is a pass-rush specialist, and not much else. He is another Bryce Huff, just much less expensive.

But maybe Fangio can get more out of him. At the cost, there is no risk. They just can’t go into the season banking on him to be productive, because he hasn’t been for the last 2 seasons.

Grade- B

The post Eagles Free Agency Tracker- Grading Every Move Made In 2025 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There are 2 positions the Eagles love to draft most often, O-Line, and D-Line. Last week I wrote about 2 D-Linemen, Walter Nolen, and Shemar Stewart. This week, let’s look at an O-Linemen that could interest the Eagles at pick 32, or in the 2nd round if they trade back—the versatile Grey Zabel out of North Dakota State.

6 Things You Should Know About Grey ZabelGreat Numbers In Both Pass And Run Block SetsZabel has played in 44 games and 1,044 Pass Block Snaps over the last 3 seasons. In that same time, he has given up only 4 sacks, 6 QB Hits, and 26 pressures. But scouts think he is an even better run blocker. They note he plays with a nastiness in the run game that would certainly fit in on the Eagles line.

Played All 5 PositionsOver the last 3 seasons, Zabel has taken snaps at all 5 positions along the line. He spent this last season exclusively playing LT. But in 2023 he split time mostly between LG and RT, and in 2022 he split time between 4 spots.

His O-Line Coach At NDSU, Dan Larson. praises Zabel for putting in the work to be able to play everywhere.

“He’s a guy that’s worked really hard at understanding what goes on at every position. I think that’s things he’s watched upperclassmen do throughout the course of the year. Whatever spot we have to put him in, I wasn’t going to be too concerned about it.”

Many scouts doubt he has the arm length to stick at Tackle in the NFL. But regardless of where teams think he fits, that kind of versatility has clear value to NFL teams, and Zabel has played everywhere. We saw that kind of versatility come in handy for the Eagles when Landon Dickerson had to play a half at center last year, and Zabel would be another guy they could move around if need be.

Elite Athlete At OLZabel skipped many of the tests at the combine. But the ones he did take part in, he excelled at. His 36 1/2″ Vertical was not only the best result for Offensive Linemen at this combine, it was the 3rd highest for any Offensive Lineman since 2003.

North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel

The former Bison just posted the 3rd highest vertical jump for an offensive line since 2003, tying Tampa Bay offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs https://t.co/bv3ZMIxfPn

— Zach McKinnell (@zachmckinnell) March 2, 2025

Meanwhile, his 26 reps on the bench press were 9th among all OLs. He also earned an estimated Athleticism score of 89, the 2nd highest for any Offensive Lineman in this draft. And if you believe what scouts have to say, that athleticism shows on the field.

Between his on-field production and his athleticism score, his Next Gen Stats Score Breakdown was number 1 overall among OL.

Stayed Loyal TO NDSU Despite Better NIL Offers At Bigger SchoolsThe College landscape has changed a lot in the past few years. NIL has changed the game and has given players the chance to turn their talents into money before they ever make it to the pros. But that does make it harder for small schools like NDSU to keep high-level players like Grey Zabel. Yet he stuck around, despite getting offers for as much as 6 figures to go elsewhere. Why? He explained his decision to stay when asked by the media at the Combine.

“It was a hard decision, but at the end of the day, it was a super easy decision to decide to stay at North Dakota State and play my final year there because of the culture, the relationships you make, the locker room that you established and played with the past four years. You don’t want to leave those guys or leave that program, you want to stick where you started, stay home, and in the end, win the last game of the season.”

Quinyon Mitchell had a similar story last year. He had solid offers to transfer to a school like Alabama. Something that would not only have put more money in his pocket but likely improved his chances of going high in the draft. Both guys chose to stay at the Colleges that recruited them.

You can’t blame players who take the money. Any of us would leave our job if another company was willing to double, triple, or even quadruple our salary in some cases. But there is something admirable to seeing players like Q, and now Zabel, sticking it out where they started. It suggests maybe you will have an easier time retaining them 4 or 5 years down the road when they hit free agency.

Stood Out At The Senior BowlWhen a player comes from a smaller school, like NDSU is, it can be hard to judge him. He is not competing with a lot of the guys going at the top of the draft. But at the Senior Bowl, he got the chance to do just that, and Zabel did not disappoint. In fact, according to NFL Executives in attendance, he was the most impressive player there during Practice.

𝑩𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮: North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel was named @seniorbowl Overall Practice Player-of-Week today in poll of NFL executives from all 32 teams. #BestoftheBest #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/giG6kRtLyp

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_Sooners) February 1, 2025

Brian Baldinger was one of the people who watched him at the Senior Bowl, and he sang Zabel’s praises later on NFL Network.

“The guy lined up at every position, he really wanted to show everybody he could play center, guard, or tackle, and nobody beat him. He was unbelievable at the Senior Bowl.”

He would not be the first O-Linemen to come out of NDSU. Cody Mauch has been a starting guard for the Bucs for 2 years now, and despite playing the 5th most snaps for a Guard last year, allowed just 2 sacks and committed only 2 penalties. So it would not be unusual for an NDSU O-Lineman to make it to the NFL

Zabel Is Used To WinningZabel has been winning championships all his life. While at Pierre T.F. Riggs for his High School Ball, he won 3 straight South Dakota Football High School Titles. NDSU won 2 MVF championships, and 2 FCS Championships. He has played more seasons where his team won the highest title they can win, than seasons where his team losses in the end.

Not winning in his sophomore or junior year of College started to weigh on him. The guy had been winning championships every year of his life. The last time he didn’t win he was a freshman in high school. And that was part of the reason he did return, because he knew he could win with NDSU. He described losing in those 2 years as an “emptiness that you want to fill immediately.”

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Last week we ran the simulated mock draft 1.0, where I just let the computer simulate the Eagles draft. It is something I will do every Monday between here and the draft. Last time it saw the Eagles taking Mike Green, the EDGE out of Marshall with some off-the-field issues.

Related: Computer Mock Draft 1.0- Eagles Grab A High Upside DE

I am using Pro Football Network’s Mock Draft Tool for the experiment. Mostly because it is the only one that allows you to run a Mock Draft without picking a team.

Who did the Eagles get this time? Here are the results.

Computer Mock Draft 2.0TRADE Round 2, Pick 35: EDGE- Donovan Ezeiruaku- Boston CollegeThere are a lot of people who think the Eagles simply won’t pick in the 1st round this year because they will trade out to add some draft capital. Talent-wise, who you get at pick 32 is similar to who you could get at the start of the 2nd Round. But the big benefit to them being a 1st round pick is that 5th-year option. Teams are willing to pay a premium for it.

So in this case, the Eagles cashed in, and traded down with the Titans, who gave the Eagles pick 35, and pick 119 in the 4th round. And at 35 the Eagles took the productive EDGE Rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku out of Boston College.

Ezeiruaku is among the most productive players in this draft. He had 16.5 sacks last season, a pass Rush Win rate of 18.2%, and a Run Stop Win rate of 10.1%, all elite among Edge Rushers in this draft. He is also one of the best athletes in the class, topping all EDGEs at the Combine with a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.19 seconds. He is a bit shorter than your average Edge Rusher, but he has the wingspan to make up for it.

He is projected to go in the 1st round, so snagging him in the 2nd, and adding an extra 4th round pick, would at least on paper be a big win for Howie.

Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku Last Season:

16.5 Sacks
20 QB Hits
60 QB Pressures
90.5 Pass Rush Grade@BCFootball pic.twitter.com/JcREv0Ubsl

— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 5, 2025

Round 2, Pick 64: TE- Harold Fannin Jr.- Bowling GreenA 2nd straight time where the computer mocked a TE to the Eagles in the 2nd round. Last time they went with the Combine winner, Terrence Ferguson. This time they went with the guy who had the most college production.

Harold Fannin led all TEs this past season in Catches (117), yards (1,555), and TDs (10). That production won him The MAC MVP. He broke pretty much every Bowling Green Record and several FBS records. But before you think it was just the MAC, two of his best performances came vs Penn State (137 yards and a TD) and Texas A&M (145 yards and a TD).

So will that insane production translate to the NFL? He is a reliable pass catcher, and his above-average speed and quickness make him a threat after the catch. He could be a top TE when it comes to production. But some scouts wonder if his average size and strength could hinder him when it comes to contested catches, and as a blocker. It is hard to argue with the production though.

There Goes That MAN!!!

Harold Fannin Jr. goes 59 yards on the record-breaking touchdown. The junior now holds the BGSU record for receiving TDs by a tight end with 11

BGSU leads, 21-17.

ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/D8nkVocCZk

— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) September 28, 2024

TRADE Round 3, Pick 80: LB Barrett Carter- ClemsonThe Eagles gained an extra 4th on day 1, and now they use another 4th to trade up on day 2. The Eagles sent the Colts Picks 96 and Pick 129 to get up to 80 and take Barrett Carter, who also showed up on Mock Draft 1.0.

In that case, they took him at pick 64. This time he falls to 80, and the Eagles pull the trigger to go up and get him. Since 1.0, the Eagles have re-signed Baun. but LB could still be a need with Dean recovering from injury and on the last year of his deal.

Here is what I wrote about Carter as a player last time.

“Barrett Carter looked destined to become the best LB in college. He followed up a great Sophomore Year with an ok Junior year and took another step back in 2024. But the traits that made him once so highly regarded are there. He still projects to be a solid starting LB in the NFL.”

Round 4, Pick 199: OT Ozzy Trapilo- Boston CollegeBoston College is not usually a school a team will double dip from in the draft, but in this case, the Eagles land two BC Eagles.

Trapilo is a 3-year start at BC. He played 647 snaps at LT in 2022, and since then has 1,536 snaps at RT. In the past 2 years, he gave up just 2 sacks, 4 QB hits, and 26 pressures. All fewer than the totals he gave up in 2022 as the LT.

Trapilo would fit in well in Philly, and not just because he is already an Eagle. Like many of the Eagles current O-Linemen, he is a massive man, standing at 6ft8. But while he is tall, he could stand to add some mass, weighing in at just 309 LBs.

He is the type of guy with the tools you would like to see Jeff Stoutland work with. But he is definitely a project.

Ozzy Trapilo is a OT prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 8.70 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 183 out of 1395 OT from 1987 to 2025.

Splits projected, times unofficial. Vert pending pro day.https://t.co/hgU4M7TE80 pic.twitter.com/64CWGHgMA7

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 3, 2025

Round 5, Pick 162: OG- Jonah Monheim- USCJonah Monheim has something the Eagles love, versatility. He split 1000 snaps between RT and RG in 2022, spent most of 2023 over at LT, and then moved to center in 2024. In over 1600 pass block snaps between the 3 years and 4 positions, he allowed only 2 sacks.

That is the good part. But his lack of size and length has scouts doubting his upside. He is an above-average athlete for the position, but maybe not a good enough one to make up for holes elsewhere in his game.

Round 5, Pick 166: EDGE- Oluwafemi Oladejo- UCLAOluwafemi Oladejo started his College career with Cal where he played inside Linebacker. The transfer to UCLA eventually came with a change to EDGE that unlocked his potential. He is definitely a developmental pick and still needs to hone his instincts off the EDGE, but he has the tools and the build to turn into a good Edge Rusher if he lands in the right spot.

His great performance at the Senior Bowl likely caught the attention of many scouts around the league.

2nd sack of the game for Oluwafemi Oladejo! @UCLAFootball

: @SeniorBowl on NFL Network
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/MQB9fK8cRE

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 1, 2025

Round 5, Pick 169: OT- Jack Nelson- WisconsinThe Eagles value O-Line more than anyone, but even they probably won’t spend 3 of their 4 day 3 picks on the position. They are returning at least 4 of their 5 starters, and still have Trevor Keegan who they drafted last year and clearly liked enough to keep around despite being inactive nearly every week.

That said, Nelson is an intriguing prospect. He is another giant standing at 6ft7 and was one of the best pass blockers in the Nation last year with a Pass Rush win rate of 95.7%. But like the other two Offensive Linemen projected in this Mock, scouts think he needs to get stronger. Not exactly the thing you want to hear about an Offensive Lineman, let alone 3 separate ones acquired in the same draft.

Full Draft* Round 2, Pick 35- EDGE- Donovan Ezeiruaku- Boston College * Round 2, Pick 64: TE- Harold Fannin Jr.- Bowling Green * Round 3, Pick 80: LB Barrett Carter- Clemson * Round 4, Pick 199: OT Ozzy Trapilo- Boston College * Round 5, Pick 162: OG- Jonah Monheim- USC * Round 5, Pick 166: EDGE- Oluwafemi Oladejo- UCLA * Round 5, Pick 169: OT- Jack Nelson- Wisconsin

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One of the biggest debates this NFL off-season is whether or not the Eagles infamous Tush Push should be banned. They have dominated short-yardage situations in the last several years. But now there is suddenly a push to ban the iconic play. But one person not in favor of a ban is Jason Kelce.

Few players in the league have more experience with the play than the Eagles’ former Center. He was heavily involved in it up until last year when he retired, and he thinks the arguments in favor of banning it are just weird.

On his podcast with his brother Travis “New Heights,” he broke down each of the arguments people make to ban it, explaining why none of them hold any water.

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)“The Tush Push Is Not a Football Play”Firstly, Kelce addressed the most popular thing used against the Tush Push. people who say it is “Not a football play”

“I don’t know what’s more of a football play, I really don’t. What represents football? Physicality, toughness, will. We’re going to fight for half a yard. You know what’s coming, we know what’s coming. We’re just going to bulldoze against each other like machines made of meat. It’s like completely about football.”

And he is right. What is more Football than our big guys vs your big guys, whoever is stronger wins.

“The Play Is Dangerous”This is one recently reignited by Bills head Coach Sean McDermott, even though his team runs the play the 2nd most in the league. Here is what Jason Kelce said.

“Do guys get hurt on it sometimes, yes, but so does every other play that you run in the NFL. Typically it’s more of a grueling play. The plays where you get hurt are usually these high-impact collisions or somebody gets landed up on wrong or twisted, and that just doesn’t happen much on that play because everybody’s just nose-diving forward, trying to get as low as possible and push for a yard.”

Anyone who has run the play will tell you it is not a fun play to run. You certainly get beat up. But as Troy Vincent pointed out, the NFL has recorded no injuries being sustained on the play. As much as the Eagles and the Bills ran it last year, there were still 0 injuries.

“The Play is Unfair” Finally, Kelce addressed complaints that the play is “unfair.”

“It doesn’t feel like teams across the league are as good as the Eagles are at it, so it feels weird to try and ban this play for an advantage that it seems like really just one team majorly has, in my opinion. Like if it’s an unfair advantage, do we ban Saquon Barkley from running with the football because that seems like an unfair advantage to me, you know what I mean?”

Why can’t other teams run it? That is always my thing. If it is so unfair, and so impossible to stop, why isn’t every single 1-yard situation automatic around the league the way it is with the Eagles?

It would be like banning 3s because Steph Curry is too good at shooting them or banning steals in baseball back in the day when Rickey Henderson just took every bag he wanted. If every team can exploit something, it is a problem. If only 1 team is good at something, that is not unfair, that is just one team being better than other teams.

You can watch the full conversation in the latest episode of New Heights below. The Tush Push conversation begins at 41:10.

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Zack Baun shocked everyone last year by going from a rotational Edge Rusher to arguably the bets LB in the league with the Eagles. He just got his reward for that great play. Baun and the Eagles have agreed to a 3-year $51 million deal that makes him one of the highest-paid LBs in the league. Adam Schefter was the first to report.

BREAKING

The Eagles are signing All-Pro LB Zack Baun to a 3-year $51 Million deal, making him one of the highest-paid Lbs in the NFL. The deal was first reported by Adam Schefter. #eagles #NFL #football

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/Rv1brJazwz

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 5, 2025

It is the first big news of a player returning to Philly so far this off-season. They released Darius Slay and James Bradberry, and signed Saquon Barkley to an extension, but now Baun signing back on with the Eagles ensures they keep at least 1 of their many free agents.

Zack Baun’s All-Pro Season(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Baun led all LBs with 69 Stops, was 2nd with 111 tackles, 6th with 4 sacks, and 1st with 5 forced fumbles. That great play continued into the playoffs and of course the Super Bowl. He was 1 of 2 players to pick off Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.

LB had been a bit of a black hole for the Eagles. They had the worst group in the league last year after Howie Roseman let both TJ Edwards and Kyzir White walk in free agency. The plan to replace them with guys off the street went sideways fast, and it tanked the Eagles’ chances of having a viable defense. It seems Howie learned his lesson because this time he did not let the star LB walk in free agency.

Keeping the rest of the free agents will be much harder. Baun broke the bank for a LB, but Josh Sweat and Milton Williams will likely get even more. Too much for the Eagles to match with their current cap space. They opened up some money by releasing Slay and Bradberry, and by extending Barkley, but still likely not enough to fit those guys in, and maintain the flexibility the team needs.

But at least we know their All-Pro LB is not going anywhere. The star of the Eagles defense is locked in here for 3 more seasons.

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Brandon Graham coming back from a torn tricep to play in the Super Bowl, in what could be his final game ever, was a big enough story at the time. But there was a twist to that story that not many people knew until this morning when Derrick Gunn casually broke the news in an interview with Kincade and Salciunas. He retore that tricep while playing in the Super Bowl.

BREAKING : While appearing on Kincade & Salciunas, @RealDGunn reports that Brandon Graham re-tore his triceps in Super Bowl LIX.

Emilee Chinn/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/0lzLyQctQZ

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 5, 2025

Somehow this significant piece of news had been kept under wraps for the past month. We learned about Nolan Smith tearing his tricep, we heard about Cam Jurgens getting surgery for a back injury he had been playing through.

But the fact BG retore the tricep that had kept him out since the Rams game somehow flew under the radar until Derrick Gunn broke the news to us, who apparently saw him with his arm in a sleeve at a Sixers game, and asked about it.

“The ligament he tore, he retore it. He was sitting courtside at a Sixers a few weeks ago, and I said what is this, he told me he retore it and had another surgery on it… Think about how soon he came back when this was supposed to be a 4-6 month rehab and look how quickly he came back to get his moment in the sun… I don’t know how much that is going to weigh into making his decision.”

Will Brandon Graham Retire? How will that factor into the decision to retire or not? Derrick Gunn doesn’t know yet. He told us that BG does not even know what his choice will be yet. He said BG still feels good, but also he is 37, has accomplished everything a player can hope to accomplish in his career, and is now of course coming off 2 major surgeries.

Whatever his decision is, this is just another chapter in the story of an Eagles legend. BG battled back from injury to help the Eagles win a Super Bowl and re-injured himself in the process. No one can ever doubt BG left everything out on that field.

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Darius Slay is an Eagles player no more. The team has cut ties with the 6-time Pro-Bowler. He still could come back on a smaller deal, but the Super Bowl is likely the last game he ever played in an Eagles jersey.

His time here does not get the appreciation it deserves. Even at 34, he was still playing as well as any cornerback in the league. But more than just being a very good corner, he became a team leader. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean both sing his praises for helping them adjust to the pros. And you can’t find a teammate who has a negative word to say about him.

Related: Eagles Release Darius Slay, Cutting Ties With 6-Time Pro Bowler

He even took it a step further and embraced the city. He and his wife Jennifer put more work into being part of this community than most players who have moved here. They put that extra work in for fan outreach.

For whatever reason though, there was a section of Philly fans who did not buy in. There were people this season who were still acting like he was not a great player.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Which got me thinking, who are some other underappreciated athletes currently playing in Philly? Guys whose production far outweighs the love they get from fans. In some cases, fans might even put those guys down despite them playing so well.

This is not a list of athletes who are not appreciated by the national media, it is the guys we dont appreciate enough in our own city. Someone like Jalen Hurts would have been eligible for this list even a month ago, but the Super Bowl win at least convinced people in Philly that he is great. The National media still hasn’t figured that out.

Here Are 6 Philadelphia Athletes Who Like Darius Slay Deserve More Love From Philly Fans:Aaron NolaHere are some quick facts about Aaron Nola

No one has pitched more innings in the past 5 seasons than him (850)
He is 4th all-time in Phillies history with 1,779 Ks, and will move into 2nd place with 98 more Ks
His 1.14 WHIP is 6th all-time for Phillies pitchers with at least 100 starts
Has the 6th most starts in Phillies history, and will move into 3rd with 33 more

Aaron Nola is one of the best Phillies pitchers ever. Obviously, he can’t touch the likes of Steve Carlton or Roy Halladay, but compare him to anyone else from the modern era and he stacks up well. In terms of homegrown pitchers, it’s Cole Hamels, and then it’s Aaron Nola.

He had some issues in 2021 and 2023 where his ERA ballooned over 4. But in every other year, he has been an ideal 2nd Ace behind Zack Wheeler, and no pitcher can be counted on just to go out there and pitch innings more than him. The guy is always healthy, and even when he struggles, he always battles to make sure the bullpen gets a break.

https://x.com/MLBNetwork/status/1896292425951273273 Joel EmbiidThis season has been a disaster. Every Sixers fan has the right to be frustrated. But we do not appreciate just how great Embiid has been in his time here. While it has not led to rings, he has given us a lot to root for and made Pro Basketball worth watching in Philly for the first time since AI.

Embiid is going to be a Hall of Famer. There is a case to be made he should have won MVP 3 times, and he did win it once. If Jonathan Kurminga hadn’t fallen on his knee last season, he would have won a 2nd with how great he looked in the 2023-2024 season. Even with that injury, he battled through it, and put up a great performance vs the Knicks in the playoffs, even if the team overall let the city down.

Embiid is one of the most talented athletes to ever step foot in Philly. Not just for Basketball players, athletes period. The injuries are disappointing, and maybe there is more he could have done. But don’t let them drown out just how special he has been. If he retired right now, he would lead all players in NBA history with the most points per minute in his career. And he did that while playing elite defense.

https://x.com/hoopshype/status/1895853143247962246 Matvei MichkovThis one is cheating a bit, but let me explain. The people who watch the Flyers love him. But hockey in general is a bit underappreciated by Philadelphia. So maybe some people just don’t know yet that we have a special talent brewing in our city.

Michkov just turned 20 back in December. But he is already flashing the talent that has many people dubbing him the most talented Flyers player since Lindros. He has the 2nd most points on the team despite having the 7th most minutes played for skaters. He has looked like a rookie at times, but it is abundantly clear how special this kid is.

Even if you are not a hockey fan, give Michkov a chance to make you one. It has been a while since Philly had a hockey player this special.

https://x.com/HockeyDaily365/status/1896030737280979141 Kyle SchwarberThis list is going to be Phillies-heavy, but that is because they are the most underappreciated team here. A couple of disappointing finishes in a row have soured people on the team a bit, but this team is still very talented, and Schwarber does not get the appreciation he deserves.

He is one of 6 Phillies hitters to hit 40 HRs in a single season. He is 1 of 5 to do it twice. His 131 Hrs over the last 3 seasons is the 2nd biggest number over any 3 years for a player in Phillies history. Ryan Howard (who if we were doing an all-time list of under-appreciated Phillies athletes would make the list) hit 153 in a 3-year period. Schwarber also just set the record for lead-off Rrs in a season.

But people do appreciate Schwarber’s power. The problem is people look at his low BA and think he is less valuable because of that. But he has the 3rd best OBP in that 3-year span too. Harper is 1st, and Brandon Marsh is surprisingly 2nd, albiet in nearly 160 fewer games than Schwarber. He also leads the team in RBIs and Runs since getting here. He has 318 Runs in that time, and only 131 came from HRs, so it seems to be he does a bit more than just hit HRs.

https://x.com/DylanFMackinnon/status/1896995529504313657 Jose Alvarado Alvarado can be a bit wild. But no Phillies bullpen pitcher has been more reliable than him. Since figuring out whatever he figured out in 2022, Alvarado has an ERA of 3.16. It took a dive last year amid injuries and family issues, but for the most part, he has been fantastic for them.

He was great for the 2022 run, dominant in the 2023 run, then hit a small snag last season. Suddenly a few fans have no faith in him. But take his overall performance from the past 3 seasons and you will see a guy who is pretty damn good. Is he a closer? Maybe not. But is he a great setup man, with the type of stuff that can get anyone out? Absolutely.

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Saquon Barkley not only earned his original contract with his 2000-yard season, he earned a new one. The Eagles just rewarded him with a 2-year extension worth $41.2 million, which will make him the first RB to ever be paid more than $20 million per-year. Adam Schefter was the first to report the new deal.

Eagles are rewarding Saquon Barkley with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, per sources. The deal makes Barkley the NFL’s first $20 million+ per-year running back. Barkley also has the ability to earn an… pic.twitter.com/h5iEf5IWe2

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2025

Barkley had one of the best seasons for an RB ever. Had the team not made the decision to sit him for rest in the final week, he likely would have broken Eric Dickerson’s 40-year-old single-season rushing record. But Barkley did go on to break the record for most yards in a regular+post-season. After rushing for 2005 yards and 13 TDs in the regular season, he added 499 yards and 5 TDs in the post-season.

That included two long TD runs vs the Rams, and 1 long TD run vs the Commanders to open up the Commanders game that set the tone for what turned into a blowout.

SAQUON ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

: #WASvsPHI on FOX
: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/26534Ls9Mx

— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2025

He was less effective in the Super Bowl, but that was because the Chiefs sold out so hard to stop the run that Jalen Hurts was able to easily tear apart what had been a very good Chiefs secondary before that game.

He is not only one of the greatest free-agent acquisitions in Eagles history, but he is one of the greatest in sports history period. There are a lot of reasons the Eagles won it all, but Saquon Barkley without a doubt tops the list. And if you win a Super Bowl for your team, that itself is worth whatever money your team decides to pay you.

Is Saquon Barkley Deal About Moving Money Around?(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Obviously this deal represents a well-deserved reward for Barkley. But with Howie Roseman, you know it is always about more than that.

We don’t have the official breakdown of the deal yet. But it will undoubtedly move money further down the road, and open up some cap space for this season. Making it more possible to not just keep their own free agents like Zack Baun, but maybe chase after new players to join the team.

Related: Eagles Release Darius Slay, Cutting Ties With 6-Time Pro Bowler

We will more once the official details come out, but this deal will likely be very good for not just Saquon, but for the Eagles as a team.

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Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman could once again be looking at the Peach State for picks in the NFL Draft. The University of Georgia has been good to Roseman. He’s made five selections from the University of Georgia during the 2022 and 2023 drafts.

This year, the Bulldogs will send 17 of their players into the draft, but about half are unlikely to get drafted, according to Ed Kracz of Sports Illustrated. Kracz identified seven from the Bulldogs team that should get drafted.

Safety Malaki Starks
Linebacker Jason Walker
Edge Mykel Williams
Offensive lineman Tate Ratledge
Center Jared Wilson
Linebacker Smael Mondon
Running back Trevor Etienne

The Eagles may be able to pick up some of them in the final round on the second and third days of the draft, given that the team enters the draft at No. 32. AtoZSports.com noted that Walker, Williams, and Starks are likely to go well before the final pick on the first day. Roseman may have to trade up if he wants to poach one during the first round.

Last month, Roseman spoke to USA Today about what makes players from Georgia’s team so attractive from a drafting perspective.

“These Georgia guys had chemistry, and it really helped that you don’t have all these guys from different schools who don’t have relationships,” he said. “They already had that created — obviously from a historically great defense — and it just kind of worked out that they were able to play together.”

The Eagles have six former Bulldogs on their defense: Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean, Nolan Smith, Jordan Davis, Kelee Ringo, and Lewis Cline. All six were part of Georgia’s 2021 National Championship run — and all six are now Super Bowl champions.

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Football can be a cold business. After Darius Slay helped the Eagles win their 2nd ever Super Bowl, his time in the city of Philadelphia has come to an end. The Eagles have cut ties with the 6-time Pro Bowler according to Adam Schefter.

Eagles are releasing six-time Pro-Bowl CB Darius Slay, per sources.

If he is designated a post-June 1 release, the Eagles will save $4.3 million against the cap. pic.twitter.com/tUq4ScIK79

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2025

The move does not come as a shock. With Slay turning 34 back in January, the Eagles being deep at Cornerback, and him counting for $13.7 million against the cap in 2025, many predicted the Eagles would release Slay. Today’s news just confirms it. The cut has a post-June 7th designation, meaning the Eagles will save an estimated $4.3 million in cap space this season.

Slay said he wants to play 1 more season. If not with the Eagles, ideally with the Lions. He could still sign back on a smaller deal with the Eagles, but now it looks like it will be Lions Slay ends his career with, assuming they want to sign him.

What is The Eagles’ Plan After Darius Slay? What the Eagles plan to do at the other outside corner spot is unclear. They could move Cooper DeJean out there. He was fantastic as a slot corner last year. Some scouts did not believe he could play outside coming into the pros, but others believed he could play anywhere.

They could also re-sign Isaiah Rodgers and play him outside where he gave them quality reps this season, and keep Dejean inside at the slot where we already now he plays at a high level. They also still have Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks.

We will get a better sense of their plan once free agency starts, and then after the draft. But Darius Slay’s time in Philly seems to have come to an end.

Slay first came to Philly in a trade back in 2020 for a 3rd and 5th-round pick. he has been nothing short of fantastic since. Slay brought stability to what had been a trouble position for the Eagles for a long time. Some of the pieces still struggled around him, but the Eagles knew they had at least 1 reliable corner every season while Slay was here.

Even at 34 this past season, he still played at a high level. But he is a bit of a unicorn still playing that well at 34 as a corner. With the Eagles youth movement at corner, they felt it was time to move on.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has debuted some new merchandise featuring a now-famous scene of him from the Eagles’ run to a Super Bowl LIX victory.

Brown posted a picture of an “A.J. Brown Book Club” T-shirt on his Instagram account. The T-shirt and hoodies containing the graphic are available on Brown’s website.

AJ Brown is releasing “A.J Brown Book Club” t-shirts

: IG/1k_alwaysopen | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/GEsWTwLl1s

— The Philly Times (@the_phi_times) February 26, 2025

The graphic takes its inspiration from a video freeze-frame from the Eagles’ 22-10 win over the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round. In the clip, Brown can be seen reading a book on the sideline. In a post-game interview, Brown explained why he cracked open a book during the game.

“Man, it gives me a sense of peace,” Brown said. “That’s a book that I bring every single game. My teammates call it ‘the recipe.’ It’s the first time I heard that y’all got me on camera, but it’s not the first game. It’s got a lot of points in there. It’s a lot of mental game, a lot of mental parts about it, and, you know, for me this game is mental.”

AJ Brown is reading a book on the sideline?

FOX pic.twitter.com/jQGv8smD9N

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 13, 2025

Brown also turned to the same book, “Inner Excellence” by Jim Murphy, after he scored a touchdown during the second quarter of Philadelphia’s 40-22 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bleacher Report revealed that Brown decided to release a T-shirt design to pay tribute to his love for the game and his love for embracing potential through the power of reading.

Brown isn’t the only NFL personality getting in on the apparel and trademark game. When Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was cut on the forehead after a beer can hit him during the Eagles Super Bowl parade, he turned his now-famous phrase spoken at a post-parade news conference, “I bleed for this city,” into a trademark application. Saquon Barkley also filed a trademark for the now-famous phrase “Shayshawn Barkley” — and he’s planning to use it on shirts, shorts, sweatpants, hoodies, jackets, hats, and footwear.

Inline Post: Super Bowl Commercials: 10 Best of 2025
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We are firmly in Mock Draft season. But instead of doing my own Eagles mock draft, I wanted to try something different. So I let the computer make the picks. I pulled up an NFL Draft Simulator, in this case Pro Football Network, and set it to auto-pick the entire draft.

I will do the same thing every Monday between now and the draft. I will also put out the usual article simulating the Eagles’ first-round Pick, which has correctly picked a player that the Eagles have drafted for four straight years now.

But who does the computer have the Eagles in the 1st edition of this mock draft?

Here Is The Computer Generated Eagles Mock Draft 1.0Round 1, Pick 32: ED- Mike Green- MarshallThe Eagles get their Edge Rusher, and he is an incredibly productive one. 17 Sacks last season at Marshall, a 20.2% Pressure rate, and a 9.4% Run Stop Rate. In terms of talent, he would be a great pick-up. And if you are worried about the school he played at, he impressed at the Senior Bowl too, showing he can hang with players from bigger schools.

The one big problem with Green is off the field. He has faced two different accusations of Sexual Assault. One back in High School, and one while he was at Virginia. Neither materialized into charges, but the accusations are there and can’t be ignored. Teams will have to do their own homework, and if those accusations are legitimate, he might be someone you need to take off your board entirely.

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)Round 2, Pick 64: LB- Barrett Carter- ClemsonEven if the Eagles re-sign Zack Baun, which sounds like the plan, LB could still be a need. Nakobe Dean has been great when healthy, but he has not always been healthy, and he is going into the last year of his deal. There is very little depth behind Baun and Dean.

Enter Barrett Carter. A couple of years ago Barrett Carter looked destined to become the best LB in college. He followed up a great Sophomore Year with an ok Junior year and took another step back in 2024. But the traits that made him once so highly regarded are there. He still projects to be a solid starting LB in the NFL.

Round 3, Pick 96: OG- Dylan Fairchild- GeorgiaThe Eagles have Georgia guys all over their D-Line, why not add them on the O-Line too? Dylan Fairchild has 1,440 snaps for Georgia over the past 3 years. Most came at LG, but he did play 134 at RG, so he has some versatility. Fairchild also fits the Eagles mold in that he is an elite athlete for his position.

In his 837 Pass Block Snaps, he gave up only 1 sack. Pass Blocking will not be an issue for him. Run Blocking is a work in progress. So maybe going to the most run-heavy team in the league is not the best fit, but he has the traits to be much better, and the Eagles are the best place to learn with Jeff Stoutland here, and a lot of great players around him.

Round 4, Pick 129: ED- Antwuan Powell-Ryland- Virginia TechThe computer has the Eagles doubling up on Edge Rushers in this draft. First Mike Green, and now Powell-Ryland. Like Green, Powell-Ryland certainly does lack for production. He has 24 sacks in the past 2 seasons over 25 games and had a shiny Pass Rush Win Rate of 16.9% this past season.

Powell-Ryland is one of the better athletes among Edge Rushers in this draft. He had the 10th-best 40 time, 9th-best 10-yard Split, 5th-best Vertical, and 5th-best Broad Jump. He could stand to add some strength, and he isn’t as good against the run as he is against the pass, but you aren’t getting the perfect prospect at the end of the 4th round, you are looking for guys with tools you can hone. Powell-Ryland has those tools.

Round 5, Pick 162: RB- Damien Martinez- Miami With Kenny Gainwell a free agent, and Will Shipley being the only guy left behind Saquon Barkley, it would make some sense for the Eagles to add another RB, and Damien Martinez would be a great get in round 5.

In 3 seasons, 2 at Oregon State and 1 at Miami, Martinez racked up 3,173 yards, 26 TDs, and averaged 6.1 yards per carry. He did not offer much as a pass catcher, but the Eagles have not exactly used their RBs much as pass catchers anyway.

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Round 5, Pick 166: LB Jack Kiser- Notre Dame The computer not only double dips on Edge Rushers, it double dips on LBs. It would be unprecedented for the Eagles, but not without merit, and Kiser would certainly be a nice get in the 5th round.

As part of the Notre Dame defense that helped them get all the way to the National Championship game, Kiser played at a pretty high level. He is a smart instinctual player, though not the most explosive athlete. He kind of fits a similar mold Jeremiah Trotter Jr fit last season. The fact he is experienced on Special Teams is a plus too since he likely would not see the field much on defense in year 1. But he has the upside to be a solid piece.

Round 5, Pick 169: CB Jacob Parrish- Kansas StatePFN did not have the Eagles with the 169th pick for some reason. But the player they mocked to the Steelers there makes some sense for the Eagles, so I just went with him.

The Eagles released Slay. That does not make them needy for a CB, but they love to have depth there, so why not take a late flier on another DB? Parrish has been very solid as a Zone Corner for K-State, is solid vs the run, and flashed some playmaking ability in 2023. In terms of upside in the 5th round, he is a guy you could see becoming more than the round would suggest he is. Not a bad pick to round out the draft.

Full Mock Draft

Pick 32- Edge- Mike Green- Marshall

Pick 64- LB- Barrett Carter- Clemson

Pick 96- OG- Dylan Fairchild- Georgia

Pick 129: ED- Antwuan Powell-Ryland- Virginia Tech

Pick 162: RB- Damien Martinez- Miami

Pick 166: LB Jack Kiser- Notre Dame

Round 5, Pick 169: CB Jacob Parrish- Kansas State

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The NFL Combine is over. We are just under 2 months from the NFL draft. An event that in recent years has gone very well for the Eagles. Last year they added Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Before that it was Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens and Nakobe Dean, and then Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and Milton Williams.

What the Eagles draft night needs are will be will likely change a lot over these next several weeks. Legal Tampering and later NFL Free Agency could sort out some of those needs, or see new ones emerge.

Will they bring back All-Pro LB Zack Baun? If not, suddenly LB becomes a need. But if he does walk, maybe they use that money to instead fill the need at EDGE or DT.

What about the need to find Lane Johnson’s eventual replacement? Or with Dallas Goedert going into his final year, do they get his eventual replacement at TE? Will they find the next Milton Williams or Josh Sweat?

Related: 6 Defensive Tackles Worth Watching For Eagles In The Draft

Winning the Super Bowl does not mean they can rest on their laurels. Howie Roseman has a lot of work to do if the Eagles are going to run it back. Only 9 teams have ever managed to win back-to-back Super Bowls. Two teams, the Patriots and the Chiefs, managed to do it this century.

Can Philly become the 10th? If so, continuing to draft well will be important. The Eagles would not have won this past one if it had not been for the rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. with a few key names walking in free agency, they may need that again unless Howie has something up his sleeve.

We got a good look at some of the guys who might be the next Eagle at the combine this past week. Which ones stood out the most?

Here are 5 NFL Combine Standouts Eagles Fans Should Take Note Of:TE- Terrence Ferguson- OregonAs stated, The Eagles need to start thinking about the future at TE. Dallas Goedert is going into the final year of his deal. With so much money already invested in the offense, it is easy to see him becoming a cap casualty. The draft might be where they find the next guy.

In terms of Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which takes the player’s height, size, measurables, and drill performances into account, Ferguson got a 9.91 out of 10. The only area he was scored lowly was his weight. he is only 245 lbs, which is sleight for a TE. But his drill performances were all elite

40 Yard Dash- 4.63 secs (1st)
10-yard Split- 1.55 Secs (1st)
Vertical- 39″ (1st)
Broad- 10’6″ (1st)

He has been a projected day-2 pick. This performance could shoot him up the boards, but there are concerns outside of his athleticism. He is not the best blocker yet (his low weight could play a part in that). His production was also not the best for this TE group. He only had the 7th most yards, 10th most catches, and is outside the top 30 for TDs with only 3 this past year. He is more of a project.

But the Eagles do have time to work on a project. They have Dallas Goedert for another year. So if Ferguson is still there at pick 64, or falls enough where they could trade up for him, he could make sense for them, where a team looking for someone to step up right away may be looking for a pro-ready prospect.

https://x.com/NFL/status/1895633312791601288 DT- Derrick Harmon- OregonHarmon was considered a borderline 1st round playing going into the combine. But between his measurements and his performance, he gave himself a much better chance to hear his name called on day 1 of the draft.

To start, he checked in at 6ft4, 314 LBs, with a wingspan of 34 and 3/8 inches. But then he ran a 4.95 40-yard dash. Put all that together with his elite college production, it is hard to see why he is not a more highly regarded prospect. He led all DTs in this draft with 55 pressures this past season.

https://x.com/NFL/status/1895236371117375760 DE- Shemar Stewart- Texas A&MNo one did more for their stock than Shemar Stewart. People who had him on their radar before the Combine anticipated a big performance, and Stewart did not disappoint. He put on one of the best performances we have ever seen for an Edge Rusher. His RAS was 9.9. The 3rd highest score between 1985 and 2025 for an Edge Rusher.

https://x.com/MathBomb/status/1895249253628576179 * 40 Yard Dash – 4.59 (4th) * 10-Yard Split- 1.58 (3rd) * Vertical- 40″ (2nd) * Broad- 10’11” (1st)

Mind you, he did that as someone who is 6ft5 and 267 LBs.

The question people will have is his poor college production. the tape and underlying stats suggest he is better than the stats show, but there is a concern if he can turn his elite athleticism into real on-the-field production.

He might have also might have put himself out of the Eagles’ range with his combine performance. But if the production issues cause him to tumble on draft night, he is a name worth monitoring for the Eagles.

OT- Hollin Pierce- RutgersThis is not a name to look out for on day 1, or even day 2. But we know the Eagles have found diamonds in the rough along the O-Line in the past. Jordan Mailata and Jason Kelce were both day 3 picks who turned into starters. Could Hollin Pierce from Rutgers be the next?

We know the Eagles love their freakishly big Offensive Linemen. Well, Hollin Pierce fits that bill. He is among the biggest OTs ever measured at the combine, with an elite wingspan to go with it.

https://x.com/TampaBayTre/status/1896229410782785686 He has some techniques to work on. But who better to coach up someone with his type of freaky measurables than Jeff Stotuland? He actually has some really good hand technique already, and almost never gets called for a penalty. He needs to learn to use his feet better. But for a day 3 project, to groom behind Lane Johnson for a couple of years, it seems like a match made in heaven.

DT- Darius Alexander- ToledoThe Eagles took one Toledo Senior Bowl Standout, so why not another? Alexander did a lot for his draft stock at Mobile, he helped it even more at the Combine. He showed he has an elite combo of speed and power that could make him a force at the next level.

40 Yard Dash- 4.95 (5th)
10-yard Split- 1.72 (4th)
3-Cone Drill- 7.6 (4th)
Bench Press- 28 reps (2nd)

Like Quinyon Mitchell did, he will get knocked for playing in the MAC. But also like Mitchell, he showed he can hang with players from bigger conferences when he dominated the Senior Bowl. he has the size, power, and long arms you want in a DT. His production at Toledo against the run and the pass was great. If teams overlook him like they overlooked Quinyon, it could once again be to the Eagles’ benefit.

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Even last year, Edge Rusher depth was an issue for the Eagles. Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith were both playing a massive amount of snaps along the way. Josh Sweat likely leaving makes the need for another Edge even greater. Could Shemar Stewart out of Texas A&M be the answer?

Here Are 5 Things You Should Know About Shemar Stewart1) Dominated The Combine If anyone was going to raise their draft stock at the Combine, it was Shemar Stewart. He did not disappoint.

Here are some of his results from the combine.* 40 Yard Dash- 4.49 (4th Best Among DL) * 10-Yard Split- 1.58 (3rd Best) * Verticle Jump- 40″ (2nd Best) * Broad Jump- 10′ 11″ (Best)

He tweaked his hamstring during the 40, so he did not get to compete in the 3 cone or shuttle drills. But based on all available information he would have crushed those drills too.

Mind you, he put up these numbers while being 6ft5 and 267 pounds. He is 1 inch taller and 5 lbs lighter than former Aggie Myles Garrett and put up better numbers at the combine than him. He was 281 Lbs at the Senior Bowl, but clearly slimmed down for the Combine. His combination of size, speed, and athleticism, gave him the 3rd best Relative Atheltic Score (RAS) for a DL in NFL History.

RAS looks to take all of a player’s measurables (height, weight, wingspan, hand size, drill performances) and boil them down to a score that falls between 0 and 10. Stewart got a 9.9.

Shemar Stewart is a DE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.99 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 3 out of 1802 DE from 1987 to 2025.

Splits projected, Times unofficial.https://t.co/r9HXsXwSH4 pic.twitter.com/V2jH2WF8EJ

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 27, 2025

2) Production Does Not Match The AbilityStewart is freaky big, freaky strong, and freaky fast. But does any of that matter if you do not get results? In 3 years at Texas A&M, he only accumulated 4.5 sacks and 12 Tackles For Loss. Poor production for someone who could be a 1st Round Pick.

But Stewart would not be the 1st player to be drafted high without much stats to back it up. Travon Walker had 9.5 sacks and 13 Tackles For Loss in 3 seasons, and he went 1st overall. Nolan Smith racked up only 11.5 sacks in 4 seasons. Both players have become productive since, though both had disappointing rookie seasons.

NFL teams are constantly projecting player’s traits into the NFL. Just because you are not productive in College, does not mean you can’t later become productive. And the raw stats do not always reflect true production on the field.

3) College Play Was Better Than The Stats ShowSo the raw stats were not impressive. But Eagles fans just watched Jalen Carter be far more productive than his stats suggest, though his stats were still impressive. The point is, just because you don’t finish plays, does not mean you did not impact plays. And Stewart did manage to impact plays despite his poor raw production.

His Pass Rush Win rate of 13.2% actually falls on the lower end of what the average 1st Round Defensive Lineman offers. It is slightly below average, but it is not unusual for someone who goes in the 1st round. He is also 6th in Hurries Per Pass Rush.

Stewart had a chance to address the low production while at the Combine and gave a pretty reasonable answer.

“I wasn’t a sack-chasing warrior. I just wanted to become the best player for my team. Sometimes the stats don’t show that. It’s more individual. Sometimes I have the play dead to rights and couldn’t finish or get there in time. Also, teams were not going to pass the ball against us. We had a stacked D-line and everybody knew better.”

All fair, and it does speak to him being a good teammate, who is more than just a stat chaser.

If you actually go and watch him play, there was explosiveness there. His explosiveness is not empty calories. it is just a matter of finding ways to hone it, and turning it into real production.

Shemar Stewart is not just a guy who is big. This guy has LEGIT explosiveness to his game and is twitchy for having played at 285 pounds. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/X2F2j1Ycaa

— Sanjit T. (@Sanjit__T) February 28, 2025

4) Showed Up Strong At the Senior BowlWe know the Eagles love using the Senior Bowl to evaluate prospects. Quinyon Mitchell stole the show last year, and they took him. This year it was Shemar Stewart wowing scouts in Mobile.

Here is what Jeremy Fowler, who was at the Senior Bowl, wrote about Stewart’s performance there.

Out of all the first-round talents in Mobile, Stewart received the most “wow” responses. His burst for a 281-pounder is impressive.

“He stamped himself as the best player,” an NFL personnel evaluator said.

This further lends itself to the idea that his low stats do not reflect his true ability. he is not just one of those WRs who can run really fast so people overvalue him. He is not John Ross. He flashed real potential as an Edge Defender. And that was evident at the Senior Bowl.

5) Might Have Worked His Way Out Of The Eagles RangeThe problem might be that his great Combine and Senior Bowl performance could have killed the Eagles chances to land him. When the draft process started, he was projected to be a late 1st, early 2nd round pick. But it is easy to see him shooting up draft boards. teams could easily fall in love with the traits.

The same was thought of Nolan Smith a couple of years ago, and he still obviously fell to pick 31. He also had a knock of being undersized and unproductive over his head though. Travon Walker shot all the way up to the 1st overall pick in his draft after it became clear how great his traits were.

All that said, no one thought Quinyon Mitchell would be there for the Eagles last year, and he was. Jalen Carter somehow fell into the laps too. The Eagles just have a knack for players falling to them. So maybe that happens again. If the Eagles want him, they will just have to hope the lack of production hurts him on draft night.

6) Made A Promise To Teams That Pass Over HimSo what does Stewart think of the fact teams might overlook him because the stats were not there in College? He gave them a quite clear message when he spoke to the media.

“If you don’t pick me, just know I’m bringing hell to your city.”– Shemar Stewart

Texas A&M DL Shemar Stewart: “If you don’t pick me, just know I’m going to bring hell to your city.” Good prospect with a great personality.

— Alain Poupart (@PoupartNFL) February 26, 2025

You have to love that attitude. Sports history is full of examples where great players hold a grudge like that.

Stewart is known for his big personality. It was one of the things Jimbo Fisher praised about him when Stewart first committed to Texas A&M.

“And on top of that, he’s a better person than he is player. I mean, great fun to be around, great personality, very intelligent young man. Has got a great future ahead of him.”

It tracks with the quote I used from him earlier in the article where he wanted to be a team player, and not just someone who chases personal stats.

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Milton Williams is gone. Which means the Eagles will be looking to add a DT. Given their limited cap space and their recent track record in the draft, they might look towards a rookie to fill in the Milton Williams-sized hole. One player they may be looking at is Walter Nolen out of Ole Miss.

Here Are 6 Things Eagles Fans Should Know About Walter Nolen1) A Top Recruit Coming Out Of High SchoolWalter Nolen is no stranger to being a highly coveted prospect. In fact, going into the draft as a late-round pick is a step down from when he was entering college. Coming out of Powell High School, he was the consensus top DT in the nation. ESPN and USA Today ranked him as the top recruit period, and Rivals and 247 Sports ranked him 2, with Travis Hunter taking the number 1 spot.

There was good reason for that. In his Senior Year, he racked up 17 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, and 27 QB Hurries.

This is what his coach at Powell High School, Matt Lowe, said about him back when he was being highly recruited.

“Usually you just dont see guys that are that big, that are that quick and athletic. That is what really sets them apart… he just moves like a Linebacker or a Safety, and he happens to be 6ft5 and 300+ pounds”

2) A Great Junior SeasonWalter Nolen spent his first 2 years at Texas A&M. In those 2 years, he racked up 32 pressures, 21 hurries, 3 QB Hits, 1 batted ball, and 5 sacks. Not a bad production for a College DT, but not eye-popping either. Especially for a guy who was the number 1 recruit in the nation.

It was when he transferred to Ole Miss for his Junior Year though that things kicked into high gear. This past season he outpaced the combined totals from his 1st two years combined. He had 35 pressures, 25 hurries, 4 QB hits, 2 batted balls, and 6.5 sacks.

OleMiss DL Walter Nolen was in the backfield often against South Carolina yesterday. Winning one on one pass rush reps, stacking and shedding as a run defender. Picked up 2 sacks too, showing a relentless pursuit to the QB. pic.twitter.com/FNZltLj7rA

— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) October 6, 2024

But that is just the pass rush. He also played incredibly well in the run game. Among draft-eligible DTs, he had the 5th most Run Stops, the 6th best run stop rate, and the 5th lowest missed tackle rate for players with at least 20 tackles. He also had 14.5 tackles for loss, was an Outland Trophy finalist, and was a consensus All-American.

3) Helped Anchor An Elite DefenseAs Eagles fans know with Jalen Carter, being a great DT is not just about the stats you put up, but also about helping your teammates as well. There were games where Carter had little statistical production, but where his dominance led to wins for his teammates.

The same went for Walter Nolen at Ole Miss. The Rebels defense had a historic season with 52 combined sacks and 120 tackles for loss. His consistent disruption in the backfield played a big part in that.

His teammate DE Jared Ivey, who is also projected to be a late-round draft selection and has been connected to the Eagles, said this about Nolen back in October after Ole Miss’s win over South Carolina.

“He is a really disruptive guy. A lot of times, it will be plays where he is not making the tackle, but he is making the play, and really shaking things up and moving the Line of scimmage to give other guys opprtunitues to make plays. When he does his job, we are hard to stop.”

Walter Nolen has reportedly been “unblockable” early on into Senior Bowl practices.

Nolen has reportedly been “drawing”Aaron Donald and Ed Oliver comparisons, due to his dominant power and elite athleticism.

Many NFL scouts reportedly believe Nolen’s abilities are “up there”… pic.twitter.com/EcUMbirc9W

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) January 29, 2025

4) Character ConcernsThere are a lot of vague talks around Walter Nolen about character concerns. They have followed him going back to his High School Days, throughout his time at Texas A&M, and to Ole Miss. There are little to no hard examples given, but it is out there, and enough for some teams to have reportedly already taken him off their boards.

It is hard to know what to think about this when the accusations are this vague. But one thing that should not be held against him is how often he changed schools. He played at 3 different High Schools, in addition to the IMG where he never played. Then of course he played at two different Colleges. Some people use that as evidence he wears out his welcome at places.

But the High School moves were reportedly because his family moved for work. He only left Texas A&M after they fired Jimbo Fisher. Could there have been off-the-field issues at each of those stops? Sure. But there is no reporting available backing that up.

There are players in this draft who face real accusations of real wrongdoing. But everything surrounding Nolen is vague. Every article that talks about it says character concerns with no examples of ways he has caused problems, or what those problems even are.

There were similar vague complaints about Micah Parsons out of Penn State. It feels like the type of thing scouts just put out there hoping a guy will fall. Unless there is more concrete info on what those “character concerns,” are, I can’t put much stock into those complaints.

It is also important to note all of these players are still young men, and some immaturity is to be expected. People can mature, and people can grow up.

Good coaching, like any player drafted to the Eagles would get from people like Vic Fangio or Clint Hurt, would help. He also would have Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter to lean on who had similar accusations of poor work ethic thrown at them out of college. They did not seem to be an issue at all this year for the Eagles.

By the way, if there are effort concerns, you don’t see it much in the game. As Devin Jackson noted in the Tweet earlier in this article, his QB pursuit can be relentless.

5) Compares Himself To Aaron DonaldWalter Nolen is certainly not short on confidence. He referred to himself as the next Aaron Donald at the Senior Bowl.

“I’m the next Aaron Donald, man… I feel like I can do it all. Aaron Donald did it all at the highest level. I’m a younger, upcoming version of Aaron Donald. I just can’t wait to show everybody that when I get this opportunity I’m being blessed with.”

Nolen actually got a chance to talk to Donald at the NFL Combine.

Nothing like getting a special message from your role model @WalterNolen4 | @AaronDonald97 pic.twitter.com/0ruuq8vVtD

— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) February 27, 2025

“I heard you said you’re the next Aaron Donald, man. So keep doing your thing, man. Hopefully you have a long career, a better career than what I had. I’ll be looking out for you, I’ll be watching for you and see how this thing turns out for you.”

You have to love the confidence. He has a lot he needs to do to back it up.

6) Drawing Comparisons To A Familiar FaceThe guy the Eagles would be trying to replace is Milton Williams. So why not replace him with a similar player?

PFF did a whole piece giving comps for players in this draft to NFL players. Milton Williams was the comp for Nolen. And it makes sense. Both have similar builds and similar explosive traits. Williams shot onto the scene with his elite performance at his Pro Day. Nolen did not test at the combine, but when he does test at the Ole Miss Pro Day, you will likely see similar results given what he has shown on the field.

The post Walter Nolen- 6 Things To Know About Eagles Draft Prospect appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles have taken a tumble in the team’s NFL Players Association (NFLPA) report cards. The Eagles dropped from fourth in 2024 to 22nd in 2025 in the league’s annual survey of 32 teams. This year’s report was based on surveying 1,695 players this past season. The NFLPA broke the report card down into different categories.

Below are some of the Eagles scores in several categories: Treatment of Families: C- in 2025; C in 2024 * Food and Dining Area: A- in 2025; A in 2024 * Locker Room: D+ in 2025; B- in 2024 * Strength Coaches: B in 2025; A- in 2024 * Team Travel: F in 2025; C in 2024 * Ownership:* B in 2025; A in 2024

The NFLPA commented on the Eagles 2025 report card: “There are many seemingly low-cost improvements the team could make that would quickly improve the players’ experience. Players identify three easy fixes: providing child care on game days (like most NFL teams do), prioritizing first-class seating for players instead of coaches, and staggering lunch times to avoid overcrowding in the cafeteria. Currently, players wait in long lines and are unable to find places to sit and eat because the business staff takes up most of the space.”

It is important to realize these grades came before this season. So instead of coming off this Super Bowl run, it came off the disaster that was the 2023-2024 season. The better grades from the year before came when the Eagles made it all the way to the Super Bowl and lost. So when these grades come out next year, as a reaction to this past season, you might be a better response.

Still, there are things the Eagles could clearly improve on. For one, more comfortable seating on the plane. Unlike many teams, the Eagles do not have a team plane. They charter flights. The planes they charter are still nice, but still not spacy enough for Football players.

Imagine how uncomfortable you are in coach. Now imagine being 6 ft8 like Jordan Mailata is. The NFLPA suggested letting players have First Class Seats, but there is not enough space there for every player. Lurie getting an Eagles plane, like other teams have, and remodeling it to have bigger seats, with more space for the players, might be a better plan.

Then there is the daycare thing. The Eagles are one of just three teams who do not offer daycare for their players. That seems like an easy fix. It might be only a handful of players who use it, and they might make enough money to pay for their own daycare, but it would be a small touch that shows the team cares about its players. Nearly every other in the league already offers it.

Other issues are more complicated to fix. The Novacare Complex is outdated at this point, compared to other teams with newer and nicer practice facilities. It is outdated from the facilities a lot of these players use in College. The Georgia boys saw a massive downgrade from what they got in College.

Eventually, the team will have to build a new facility to keep up with the times. We are already hearing rumblings of a new stadium too. This is likely when they could improve the poor grade for the Locker Room, and the middling grade for things like the Weight Room. A new facility, or at least a major overhaul of the Novcare, could come before that.

Just winning it all this year will likely lead to better grades next year. But there are still things the Eagles can do to improve the player experience. Starting with providing daycare, and fixing the team flight issues.

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Everyone in the NFL is talking about the Tush Push. Ever since the Packers proposed for the play to be banned, every single coach was asked about it at the Combine, and every single person in the NFL Media has weighed in. There have been a lot of bad arguments against the Tush Push, but one that keeps coming up is that the play is dangerous.

Here is the thing though, whether or not it is dangerous is not a subjective question. We can debate if it is “boring,” if it is a “football play,” or if it requires skill. The people who want to ban the Tush Push are wrong in those cases, but those are opinion-based questions. But there are cold hard facts at play when it comes to whether it is dangerous or not, and the facts are not on the side of people who want to ban it.

No Injuries During The Tush PushEagles great, and Executive Vice President Of Football Operations for the NFL Troy Vincent shared the data. In all the times teams ran the play this past season, and both the Eagles and the Bills ran it a lot, there were no recorded injuries. Zero. Zilch, None.

The league’s internal data on the tush push revealed there was a 0% injury rate on what is known as the Tush Push. There’s concern over the “potential” for injury, but to date, there have been no reported injuries from that play.

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 26, 2025

Do you know how rare that is? It is the NFL. It is an inherently dangerous sport. Routine plays like the HB Dive, or a WR Curl route both result in injuries all the time. But despite the Eagles spamming the play every time they only had 1 yard to gain, there were no injuries.

The Tush Push is as safe as a QB Kneel or a Spike. People claim it is dangerous, but it is factually one of the safest plays to run in the sport.

Will this stop people from complaining? Of course not. They will go back to their other complaints that make no sense. But the one factor in this debate that is in any way objective, firmly backs up that the Tush Push should not be banned.

We can now safely discount anyone claiming the play is dangerous, looking at you Sean McDermott, because they have nothing of worth to add to the conversation. This is not a difference of opinion, they are just wrong. The Tush Push is not any more dangerous than any other play teams run, and in fact, the data shows it is safer.

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We have been inundated with bad Tush Push takes all year. Honestly, we have been dealing with them for years now. But Sean McDermott just took the prize for the worst take. Not only did it make him look dumb, but it kind of made him look like a bad person.

Bills HC Sean McDermott "Not in Love" with Eagles Tush Push

“There has always been an injury risk with that play & I’ve expressed that opinion for the last couple of years… the techniques used with that play have been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the… pic.twitter.com/UcUsBrOyoT

— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) February 25, 2025

No Proof The Tush Push Is DangerousFirst, let’s get this out of the way: the Tush push is not a dangerous play. We have three years of the Eagles spamming that play call every 3rd and 1, 4th and 1, or every goal-line play, and there is no data to suggest it is dangerous.

If it was any more dangerous than your average run up the middle, there would be some data to back it up. The Eagles O-Linemen would have missed significant time. Jalen Hurts would have missed time. Players defending it would have been injured. None of that has happened. In fact, the Eagles have been one of the healthiest teams for the past 3 seasons.

So right off the bat, Sean McDermott is just wrong. But that is not what makes this take so bad. Because the question becomes, if he truly thinks it is such a dangerous play to the point that it needs to be banned, why does his team run it so much?

Sean McDermott Is A HypocriteThe Eagles run the play more than anyone. But the Bills come in as a close second. They ran their version of the Tush Push, sometimes called the Snow Plow, 26 times between the regular season and the playoffs. They converted 23 of them but were stopped twice vs the Chiefs.

So why did McDermott try to get his players hurt 26 times? He does not call the plays on offense, but surely if he thought a play was dangerous, he could tell Joe Brady to stop running it. Brady is not the Jim Washburn of Offensive Coordinators who overrules what his Head Coach wants. McDermott gave full approval to run a play he thinks is incredibly dangerous 26 times.

So either he is lying, and doesn’t think it is dangerous, or he genuinely thinks it is dangerous, and still lets his players run it nearly twice a game. Either way, not a great look for Sean McDermott.

Sirianni is on record saying he does not think it is any more dangerous than your average plays.

“We’ve looked into it too. There weren’t a lot of injuries there. I think its a little made up, to be honest. The numbers will tell the truth.. But I can’t remember 1 injury we had, and we run it more than anyone else.”

So for Sirianni, it makes sense to run it as much as it does. But if McDermott truly believes that it is a dangerous play, it calls his ethics as a coach into question.

Is he trying to get his players hurt? Does he just not care about their safety enough? The truth is that it is in no way a dangerous play, but he thinks it is one. So either he is a liar, or he is someone who does not care about his players’ health. Whichever he is, a truly embarrassing moment for the Bills Head Coach.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts received the city’s highest honor for his dedication to helping local communities. At a ceremony celebrating outstanding residents, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro handed the quarterback the Philadelphia Citizen of the Year award.

“What I strive to do is just serve, mentor, progress, give people opportunities that they don’t even know that they have,” said Hurts to CBS News Philadelphia.

Through his foundation, Hurts addressed crucial community needs across the city. He helped install air conditioning in hot classrooms and supported important youth programs. His “Carry the Difference” project provided needed supplies to students in struggling schools.

The event also recognized other local heroes. Young philanthropist Declan Cassidy, aged 15, earned Youth Citizen honors after his “Socks for the Streets” initiative gave out 80,000 pairs to homeless individuals.

“If you want create change in the community, you have to work hard, follow your dreams and know that every little bit counts,” said Cassidy to CBS News Philadelphia.

Two community leaders, Larry Magid and Judith M. von Seldeneck, got the Lifetime Achievement award from former Governor Ed Rendell for their lasting contributions.

While similar to the ESPYs in format, this celebration highlighted local heroes – from committed block captains to pioneering medical staff and motivating teachers.

As the first-ever Philadelphia Citizen of the Year Awards, the event aims to recognize residents who make their communities better through service and commitment.

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Myles Garrett has requested a trade. The Browns thus far claim they will not grant that request, but that could easily change. The best pass rusher in the league could be on the market, and the Eagles are one team that has come up in those rumors. Well if the rumor mill for Garrett to Philly was smoldering before, Jeremy Fowler just threw gasoline to turn it into an inferno.

Myles Garrett rumors to Philly just got much more interesting.pic.twitter.com/qU0dh4TLCK

— Dylan MacKinnon (@DylanFMackinnon) February 25, 2025

“I am connecting some dots here, but this is a conversation people in the league have had. The Philadelphia Eagles will be one of the most aggressive teams on the trade market. They would not want to see him go to the Commanders for example. If that were to gain traction, Howie Roseman would likely step in and try to make a deal the Browns couldn’t refuse.”

He did make sure to add that the Browns are still telling teams they have no interest in making a trade. But it sounds like if that changes, the Eagles will be very aggressive. Not just to acquire an elite talent like Garrett for themselves, but to make sure their closest rival in the division can’t get him.

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)Can Eagles Pull Off A Myles Garrett Trade?Making the deal for Garrett would be complicated. One you are likely giving up two 1st round picks. Two, he is going to want an extension that makes him the highest-paid Edge Rusher in the league, which would put him in the $30 million + range. But if anyone is capable of making the money work, it is Howie Roseman, and the Eagles have several years of players like Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Nolan Smith for cheap which makes it easier to pay a guy like Garrett.

All of this is still rumor mill stuff. There is little hard reporting suggesting Myles Garrett will be traded, or that if he is that it will be to the Eagles. But there is a lot of smoke there. Fowler just kicked that rumor mill into high gear.

Related: Myles Garrett To The Eagles? Will They Pull Off A Huge Trade?

It is no longer fan delusions of wanting your team to acquire the shiny new toy. People in the National media, trusted people, are fanning the flames. It sounded far-fetched last season when the Eagles were connected to Saquon Barkley, and those rumors proved to be true. So maybe there is a real fire behind all of this smoke.

Garrett Would Give The Eagles The Best D-Line In The LeagueMyles Garrett has the 2nd most sacks in the league since he entered the league. Only TJ Watt has more. Garrett has reached double-digit sacks in 7 straight seasons and has 60 in the last 4 seasons. Even in his rookie year, he reached 7 despite missing 5 games. He is a destructive force rushing the passer and is damn good at stuffing the run too.

The Eagles already have one elite player on this line in Jalen Carter. Add on Myles Garrett, and throw in the young guys like Moro Ojomo, Nolan Smith, Jordan Davis, and Jalyx Hunt, and this defense could actually improve after being the best in the league last season. You would not even need another top DT to replace Milton Williams. You could put anyone between Carter and Garrett and they are going to produce.

Again, this still just rumors. But Jeremy Fowler saying this shows that there is a real chance the Eagles end up with Garrett.

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Another off-season and the Eagles Tush Push play is once again on the chopping block. The league will soon meet to vote on new rules for next season. One of the rule changes that the Competition Committee will vote on, is whether or not to ban the Tush Push. The Packers are the team proposing the change.

The Green Bay Packers are the team that submitted a proposal to the NFL’s competition committee to ban the tush push, per sources.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) February 24, 2025

Packers Crying Over The Tush PushFor the past several years, the Eagles have been near automatic when running the play. 3rd and 1, 4th and 1, or goal line plays, almost always get converted. There has been grumbling from some pouty media members, looking at you Joe Schad, but no real progress to the play being banned.

But now there will be a vote. Thanks the Packers, and thanks specifically to their Team President Mark Murphy, who said this about the play.

“I am not a fan of this play. There is no skill involved and it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less. I would like to see the league prohibit pushing or aiding the runner.”

The thing is, if there is no skill, why can’t more teams run it? Why are the Eagles the only team who spam the play as much as they do? Why isnt every play at the 1-yard line turned into a TD? The truth is it is a skill play, and the Eagles have the most skill. Their elite O-Line, and their elite QB, make the play work. Murphy saying it is not a skill play, is him insulting Offensive Linemen.

Opponents of the Tush Push claim there is no skill involved, yet only one team has shown to have the skill to perfect it.

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) February 24, 2025

Mark Murphy, and the entire Packers organization, are embarrassing themselves with this proposal. It is not a serious attempt to make the league better, it is them whining about getting beat by a play they can’t run themselves.

The Packers should worry more about joining the big leagues and being able to beat the best teams around the league, something they could not do last season, and worry less about crying about a play that they can’t run or stop.

This is what it looks like when the Packers try to run it.

Maybe the Packers should worry about themselves first pic.twitter.com/Neq0YIEEmg

— Philly Nation (@Philly__Nation) February 24, 2025

Ryan Clark put it better than anyone else has when he joined NFL Live. The push to ban the Tush Push is soft. it is the product of people upset they can’t run the play to perfection like the Eagles do, so they want it banned because they aren’t physical enough to stop it.

"It's dumb and it's soft."@realrclark25 on the proposal of banning the tush push. pic.twitter.com/kVwlbm4Drs

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 24, 2025

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It is Combine Week in the NFL. Which means it is no longer too early to talk about the draft. We already looked at some Defensive Tackles in this draft who make sense for the Eagles, but what about the Edge Rushers?

Josh Sweat might be leaving in free agency, and Brandon Graham is considering retirement. Edge Rusher would be a need for depth even with those two guys, but if they leave, Edge Rusher immediately becomes the biggest need for this team. Unless you are banking on Bryce Huff to bounce back, it would leave you with just Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt.

Howie has drafted an Edge Rusher 3 times in the 1st round since 2010. he has taken 17 total in that time between all 7 rounds, though many never played for the team. You know he loves to draft Edge Rushers. Will he add another one this year? If so, here are some names to know.

Here Are 5 Edge Rushers Worth Keeping An Eye On For The EaglesMike Green- MarshallNo player in this draft was as productive off the Edge as Mike Green. He has 17 sacks and 59 pressures. His 20.2% pass rush win rate and 9.4% Run Stop Win rate both ranked in the top 1% of Edge Rushers.

You watch him play, and he is like the Energizer Bunny. The dude never stops working, pursing every play until it is over. And he is usually involced in the end of that play, using his explosive traits and a large tool belt full of moves, highlighted by his spin move, to beat his man.

The issue is going to be where he played. Conference USA is not exactly the SEC. So was he a product of his competition, or can he play at that level vs any competiiton? Well Marshall did play Ohio State this season. And while the team got their asses kicked, he did come away with a sack. And during Senior Bowl practice, he ran right over Josh Connerly from Oregon, who is himself a highly touted prospect.

Mike Green from Marshall just killed a man pic.twitter.com/haPwjla8T7

— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) January 29, 2025

Mykel Williams- GeorgiaThe Eagles already have a trifecta of Georgia Linemen, why not make it a quadrella. In Williams the Eagles would get the chance to buy low on a guy with elite tools. He was very limited by an injury this past season. So the production was not where you would hope it would be. But when healthy Williams is a game changer.

His long arms make it hard for O-Linemen to get any leverage. He has the size and strength lets him overpower some linemen, and his quickness and bend lets him go around others. He could do with adding some more tools to his pass rush game, but he already has a bull rush that will let him win at any level.

The effort is always there, and even while banged up, he was still a monster vs the run. Get him healthy, and coach him up, he could be great against the pass too.

(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)Shemar Stewart- Texas A&MLast year, Quinyon Mitchell was the best player at the Senior Bowl, and the Eagles took him. This year, Shemar Stewart had the best performance at the Senior Bowl for a defensive player. Afterward, one NFL Scout told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that “he stamped himself as the best player.” Fowler also noted that Stewart had the most “Wow” responses at the Senior Bowl.

Stewart is a boom-or-bust prospect. The traits are great, but the production is nearly non-existent. A lot of Draft Experts are comparing him to Travon Walker, who obviously went 1st overall a few years ago, above Aidan Hutchinson. Walker was also a highly touted recruit, who had very little measurable production at Georgia. But after an underwhelming rookie season, he has 20.5 sacks over his last 2 seasons.

The difference is at least right now, Shemar Stewart is not at the top of the draft. Most people have him projected to go around where the Eagles pick. So he might be more comparable to Nolan Smith. A former 5-star recruit, who possesses elite traits, but never turned those traits into production. We saw Nolan Smith, like Walker, struggle during his rookie season. But also like Walker, he came on strong in year 2.

Stewart is a risk. But if you are looking for bang for your buck, you could be getting a top 10 pick caliber player at pick 32. The question is does a player with traits like him keep rising up the draft board? The Combine could rocket im up the draft board.

How Shemar Stewart’s measurements at the Senior Bowl compare to DL prospects since 1999, via @mockdraftable

• 90th percentile in height (6’5 1/8”)
• 92nd percentile in wingspan (83 1/2”)
• 80th percentile in arm length (34 1/4”) https://t.co/vOkRTYIuyD pic.twitter.com/uBjvFvk5sp

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) January 29, 2025

James Pearce Jr- TennesseeThe Eagles love their undersized Edge Rushers, and have gotten great production out of them. Nolan Smith showed that this year, and Pearce fits that mold. He is 6ft 5, but only 245 lbs, making him quite slender for your average Edge Rusher.

But that has not stopped him from being productive in the SEC. He had 21 sacks over the last two seasons, and was 4th this past season in pass Rush Win Rate. He was going against some of the best Offensive Linmen in College, and winning regulalrly. So the same way you did not worry about Devonta Smith’s size so much because he proved he could win in the SEC, you don’t have to worry as much about Pearce because he did this against future NFL Linemen.

ESPN’s Matt Miller wrote about Pearce, and he talked to an NFL Scout who had high praise for Pearce.

“Following his breakout 2023 season, one scout told me Pearce would’ve been the top defensive player taken in the 2024 class. His lean frame won’t be a fit for every team, but his speed-rush skills are special.”

His size currenly has him low on Media Big Boards. Does that reflect what NFL teams think? If so, it could benefefit the Eagles. Nolan Smith fell to 31 because of his size, and Pearce could fall into their laps too.

Donovan Ezeiruaku- Boston CollegeWe have talked a lot oabout Senior Bowl standouts, and Ezeiruaku is another guy who showed he can hang with top competition. he popped every day, showcasing how he can use his length and athleticism to beat almost anyone.

He might be slightly shorter than your average EDGE, but his wingspan is elite. That extra reach helps help get quick wins against his blocker.

We already know this, but holy moly Donovan Ezeiruaku’s arm length is downright freaky and productive (16.5 sacks in 2024).

I accidentally used the word “obnoxious” when describing his length to him in Mobile lol.pic.twitter.com/03YwzxvKB7

— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) February 14, 2025

He accumaled 14 sacks and 60 pressures this past season, to go along with 60 Run Stops. Put his production, his traits, and how he flashed at the Senior Bowl together, he is another potential steal at pick 32 if teams overlook him because of where he played.

Jack Sawyer- Ohio State(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)You can’t really go wrong taking Edge Rushers from Ohio State. And while Sawyer is not getting the hype the Bosa brothers or Chase Young did coming into the NFL, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Sawyer had the 2nd most pressures of any Edge Rushers going into the draft, Abdul Carter was the guy who had more. His 64 pressures turned into 10 sacks. It was a follow up to his 8 sack season in 2023. He also deflected 7 passes.

He lacks the elite athleticsm some guys on this list have. But he makes up for it with a endless motor, and a refined set of pass rush moves. We also know Eagles love drafting guys who were leaders in College, and Sawyer became one of the biggest voices over his 4 years as a Buckeye. They also love taking guys with championship pedigree, something he clearly now has.

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We knew the Eagles struck gold when Quinyon Mitchell fell to them on draft night. It did not seem likely the Senior Bowl standout would be there for them, but the board that night could not have broken better for the Eagles. Offensive players kept getting picked, and the top defenders kept falling. By the time the Eagles were up at pick 22, they had their choice of corner, and they wisely took Mitchell.

Everyone thought it was an HR pick. But what we did not know, is how good it would be year 1. It is reasonable to give an adjustment period to any rookie, especially a rookie corner. Few come into the NFL and immediately live up to being a 1st round draft pick. But Mitchell is not only doing that, he is already establishing himself as 1 of the best corners in the league.

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Quinyon Mitchell Is Shutting Down Elite WRsLook no further than the Thursday Night game vs the Commanders if you need proof of that. Terry McLaurin looked like a top 5 WR. His 711 yards put him 3rd in the league, and his 6 TDs put him 4th. Well on Thursday night he had just 1 catch for 10 yards, and it did not come against Mitchell.

Mitchell held him to 0 targets in his 20 snaps lined up against McLaurin. Not 0 catches, 0 targets. Daniels couldn’t even try to get the ball to McLaurin. He obviously wanted to. McLaurin is the rookie’s number 1 option. But Mitchell’s coverage was just too sticky, and he hung around right in the hip of McLaurin all night long.

Dave Zangaro from NBC Sports Philly joined The Best Show Ever the next day and talked to Ricky and Tyrone about 1 particular play where Mitchell’s coverage on McLaurin stuck out.

“The one play that really stood out to me was to go and find the Brandon Graham stack because Jayden Daniels wanted so badly to throw that football to Terry McLaurin and he just couldn’t. Quinyon Mitchell just stayed in his hip the entire way through a double move. He’s unbelievable right now. He’s is putting these good receivers in torture chambers for entire football games.”

But this was nothing new for Mitchell. He has been battling elite WRs all year long, and doing the same thing. He has not allowed more than 25 yards in a game since the week 5 bye. He gave up just 1 catch for 5 yards to Cee Dee Lamb, 2 catches for 16 yards to Ja’Marr Chase, 1 catch for 10 yards to Amari Cooper, 2 catches for 19 yards to Mike Evans, and 1 catch for 5 yards to Drake London.

Per Next Gen Stats, he is allowing .5 yards per coverage snap, the 2nd best number among qualified corners in the league.

Is He The Defensive Rookie Of The Year?(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)So you would think he would be in the DROY conversation. Thursday night did help his case. He went from +1600 to win it, to +300, the 2nd best odds as of writing this piece. But Jared Verse of the Rams is still the favorite at -250.

Mitchell’s problem is going to be that all of these awards are stat-based, and he just doesn’t have the stats. 0 interceptions in 10 games. But that is not because Mitchell is lacking in some skill, teams are just paying him the ultimate respect you can pay to a corner, they aren’t targeting him.

He has been targeted a grand total of 18 times since the bye week. Again, that is while often being lined up against very good WRs. He drew McLaurin for most of the night, and they just didn’t look his way.

It is impossible to get an interception if they don’t throw it your way. That is why Darrelle Revis, despite being one of the best Corners of his generation, does not have big interception numbers. There comes a point where you are so good, that you don’t get interceptions.

Mitchell is at that point as a rookie. He is too good for his own good. It might keep him from earning the hardware, while Verse is able to rack up sacks, 4.5 so far.

That is nothing against Verse. He is having a great rookie season. There are things he does that do not show up in the stat sheet either. But he plays a position where if you play great, the stats come. Mitchell is playing one where the better you are, the fewer stats you have.

DROY or not, he is a star. Even in year 1, he is looking like 1 of the best corners in the league. Eagles fans have waited decades to have another young elite corner. Now they have 2.

We didn’t even talk about Cooper DeJean, who has arguably made his own case to be in the DROY conversation. Dejean has been starting in the slot the last 6 games, and gave up only 161 yards in that time. His highlight came when he tracked down Ja’Marr Chase behind the LOS to get a stop on 4th down. But even with as great as DeJean has been, Mitchell stands out.

Where once there was Revis Island, there is now Quinyonomo Bay. Put whoever you want on his side of the field, they are not even seeing the ball. He has some of the best WRs in the league out there doing cardio. Now the rest of the league finally got to take notice of him playing on the National Stage.

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Saquon Barkley has turned into one of the best signings in recent Eagles history. I will admit I was skeptical that signing a RB was worth it, but anyone actually watching the games can see how much of a difference he has made for the Eagles.

Barkley is averaging 134 yards per game, 5.8 yards per carry, and even with the Tush Push taking away goal-line carries for him, he has 8 TDs in 10 games. The only offensive player in the league who has arguably done more than him this season is Derrick Henry. He added another 140 yards and 2 TDs against the Commanders on Thursday Night, and after the game, Eagles fans loudly chanted “Thank You Giants,” for letting one of the best players in the league come down the Turnpike.

In the aftermath of that though, there is someone who has been completely embarrassing themselves. Shaun Morash, who co-hosts the Drive Time slot for WFAN in New York, evidently saw that clip, and went into a full-blown hissy fit on Twitter, starting with this Tweet.

Shaun Morash on X (formerly Twitter): “Eagles fans high fiving each other about a running back they paid a ton for, a running back they’ll never win a Super Bowl with. All while the Giants found a better one in the 5th round of a draft making an eighth of the money.It’s gotta be brutal being a Philly lunk head / X”Eagles fans high fiving each other about a running back they paid a ton for, a running back they’ll never win a Super Bowl with.

Yea, what a bunch of weirdos Philly fans are Shaun. High-fiving because they won a division game to get to 8-2? It is so brutal being an Eagles fan. Being competitive nearly every year is such a drag. I would much rather be out of it by November each and every season.

What is probably throwing Shaun off is that his Giants have won about 8 games in the last 8 years, so he might forget what it is like to actually have fun watching Football.

If that was the end of it, it would have been fine enough. He was angry that the best offensive player in the NFC was on his team but is now on his divisional rival. If the tables were turned, some of us might be bitter as well. But he kept doubling down.

Tyrone Tracy Better Than Saquon Barkley?He tried to actually argue Tyrone Tracy is a better running back than Saquon. Never mind the fact that Saquon averages almost an extra yard per carry, and doubles up Tracy in almost every counting stat.

Tracy is a good back. But only the most depraved of Giants fans would actually try to say Tracy is better than Saquon. No one living in the real world agrees with you, Shaun.

And the Giants improved their run game as a result https://t.co/OFJOwhSP0O

— Shaun Morash (@ShaunMorash) November 15, 2024

No, you didn’t. Barkley is clearly better. It is not even close. You and Tyrone Tracy’s family are the only people on this planet who think he is better than Saquon.

The Temper Tantrum Continues

Shaun Morash on X (formerly Twitter): “I see there is a lot of rubbish and clowns in my TL this morning again desperately trying to dunk on the Giants for Saquon.I guess we forget Saquon being injured and missing multiple games every year? It’s good business to pay that player at that position?Come on now / X”I see there is a lot of rubbish and clowns in my TL this morning again desperately trying to dunk on the Giants for Saquon.I guess we forget Saquon being injured and missing multiple games every year? It’s good business to pay that player at that position?Come on now

Seems like a pretty good decision so far Shaun. The Eagles are 8-2, and he is the MVP of the offense so far. How is your offense doing led by the $40 million man Daniel Jones? Oh, they average the least points per game while the Eagles average the 7th most? Fun.

Saquon was Why The Giants O-Line Sucked?

Shaun Morash on X (formerly Twitter): “Thanks to not paying Saquon / X”Thanks to not paying Saquon

Weird. The Eagles paid Saquon, and have a great O-Line. How did they pull that off? So the whole reason why the Giants Line sucked for the last decade was Saquon Barkley? It had nothing to do with their multiple bad picks? Wasting top 10 picks on Evan Neal had nothing to do with that? Spending 6 years hoping Daniel Jones would magically learn to throw football has nothing to do with that?

Eagles found a way to pay Saquon, pay their QB, pay their WRs, pay their TE, and pay their O-Line. Meanwhile, the Giants have none of that. Maybe it has something to do with the way the Eagles handle the cap, which Shaun repeatedly claims is dumb.

Shaun Doesnt Understand How The NFL Salary Cap Works

Because the Eagles dumbly kicked cap hits down the road

— Shaun Morash (@ShaunMorash) November 15, 2024

Yes, how dumb. Saquon’s cap hit never rises above $9.1 million. What an idiot Howie Roseman is.

There is a void year that would cost them $19 million against the cap, which is what Shaun is so hung up on. But there is also just a $4.9 million dead cap hit. That $19 million will never actually be on the cap. They will either resign him, and change the cap numbers anyway, or move on, and take a $4.9 million cap hit.

Clearly what they should have done is let him be a $47 million cap hit the way Daniel Jones is. And even if they cut him, he will be a $22 million dead cap hit next season.

Once they move on, like they should have a long time ago from Jones, he will count for more against the Giants cap in a year he doesn’t play than Saquon will in his 3 seasons combined. Saquon is a $3.8 million cap hit this year, $5.6 next year, and $9.1 year 3. Even if you throw in the dead cap hit in 2027, that still only comes out to $23.4 million. Just slightly more than Jones will cost the Giants next year to play for another team.

What the Eagles do is they give players massive signing bonuses, then spread that bonus out into the future. It allows them to keep their cap flexible now and spread it out over multiple years. As long as the cap keeps going up every year, they will continue to have flexibility. It is why they were able to extend their QB, both WRS, plus their LT and LG this offseason.

Anyone who is not a Giants homer praises Howie Roseman and Jeff Lurie for exploiting this loophole in the cap. But if you are Shaun, doing something that smart is dumb. You should just give a terrible QB $40 million and actually have it cost you that much against the cap every year. Now that is smart.

Giants Exciting Future?

Shaun Morash on X (formerly Twitter): “If you follow football you know they aren’t winning a SB with Sirianni so who cares? The Giants are hopefully about to be in position to take a swing at a franchise QB. That’s exciting man / X”If you follow football you know they aren’t winning a SB with Sirianni so who cares? The Giants are hopefully about to be in position to take a swing at a franchise QB. That’s exciting man

Now it is just sad. It’s not like the Giants have already had 7 top-10 picks in the last 12 years. But clearly this will be the one where they turn it around… right?

Last year was the better QB draft. They tried, oh they tried so hard to get a QB. We saw on Hard Knocks that they wanted to get one of those top QBs. But they struck out.

What makes you think this time will go better? They are not even a lock to get a top 5 pick with how many 2 and 3-win teams there are right now. Or that whoever you pick will pan out given the Giant’s track record. Once upon a time, Daniel Jones was that savior. We saw how that worked out.

2027 Is What Matters

Shaun Morash on X (formerly Twitter): “Now do the games started and compare their 2027 cap hits / X”Now do the games started and compare their 2027 cap hits

You know you are down bad when you have 2027 on your mind. The Eagles could win a Super Bowl by then thanks to Saquon, but this dude will be bragging about how his RB costs less in 2027, so his team is winning.

Also as we already noted, Barkley won’t cost that much in 2027. Shaun just doesn’t understand how to use Spotrac.

But we should be nice to Shaun. He hasn’t seen competitive Football in over a decade. The Giants are one of the worst-run organizations in the league. His team is the laughingstock of the league, while the Eagles are Super Bowl contenders. That must be tough for him. Especially since Saquon Barkley is this good.

I will credit him for one thing though. He is not just some hypocrite he turned on Saquon when he left. Go back and you will see this guy was a Saquon hater even when he was the Giants’ best player.

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Last week, after the Eagles crushed the Cowboys, we talked about how it was time to buy into the Eagles as the real deal. If you didn’t buy it then, you will certainly have to now. While the Cowboys were a weak opponent, the Commanders are not. And they fairly easily beat who going into the week everyone claimed was the Eagles toughest test yet.

Related: It’s Officially Time to Stop Doubting The Philadelphia Eagles

The game looked ugly for 3 quarters. The Eagles offense had a hard time getting going. Jake Elliott seems to have developed the yips. The refs missed multiple face masks and extended a Commanders drive with a phantom Pass Interference Call on Cooper DeJean.

But in the end, they pulled it together. They beat the Commanders, took a multi-game lead in the division, and improved to 8-2. The defense shut down what had been one of the most dominant offenses in the league. The offense scored 26 points despite the Elliott misses and the slow start. And they have now won 6 straight games, and have yet to lose a game where AJ Brown plays.

It is time to admit it. This team is very good. Not just in the mix good, but a true contender, up there with any other team in the league. You can no longer hide behind the argument that they haven’t played anyone. They faced the test the Commanders offered and passed it with flying colors.

Still don’t believe? Well this article is for you. Because these numbers will change your mind. Well 6 of them will. 1 of the 6 numbers is a real concern for them. But outside that one thing, there is a lot to love about this Eagles team.

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Coming into the week the Eagles were 7-2, on a 5-game winning streak, and were playing top-5 Football on both sides of the ball. But the quality of their opponents kept many, both within the city and outside it, from buying in. All 5 teams they beat had losing records. And even if you go by the eye test, only the Bengals are a tough team despite the record.

But the Commanders are not an easy opponent. 7-3, and led by one of the most exciting young players in the NFL. Going into the game everyone agreed this was a step up in competition, and a chance to really prove themselves. Well now that the Eagles beat them fairly easily, it was a 16-point game before a garbage time TD, those still doubting them are going to have a hard time making that argument.

The game was ugly at times. The offense sputtered its way through 3 quarters. But then closed the game out with 3 straight TD drives, 2 coming on long runs by Saquon Barkley. Hurts struggled in the 1st half, but settled down to lead his team to the win. They scored 26 points, and that was with Jake Elliott missing 2 easy FGs and an Extra point.

By the end of the game, they outscored the Commanders 434 to 264.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Eagles Defense Proves It Is The Real DealBut the offense was not the story of the game. The Commanders’ defense is vulnerable, despite their record. What fans should really be excited about is this defense. Jayden Daniels was 4th in QBR coming into the game. He couldn’t do anything against this Eagles defense. Terry McLaurin was playing like a top 5 WR. Quinyon Mitchell shut him down. McLaurin finished with just 1 catch for 10 yards. That catch did not come against Mitchell.

This defense has been one of the best in the league since the bye week. You might not be impressed by them shutting down the Jags, Giants, Browns, and Cowboys. But you should be impressed by what they did do Washington and the Bengals, 2 of the better offenses in the league.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1857271244015751341This young defense is the real deal. You can pair them with one of the most talented offenses in the league. An offense that had only 3 points at half, left 7 points on the board, and still scored 26 points and racked up 435 yards. That should have been a complete rout if Elliott didn’t have the yips.

There is nothing to hide behind now for the doubters. No holes to poke in this team. They are the real deal. They went up against one of the better teams in the NFC and won convincingly. This defense man handled one of the better offenses in the league.

They are 8-2, have a 1.5-game lead in the NFC, and are 3-0 in the division. They are the only team top 10 in both team offense and team defense. They have two wins over potential playoff teams. The Eagles are a very good team, and fans should get used to no longer being underdogs.

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This is a fantastic spot to be in if you are the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles. Our own Ricky Bottalico made a very interesting observation on Tuesday afternoon’s Best Show Ever. He asked whether this year’s version of the Eagles could just be the opposite of the 2023 scenario that played out.

Last year the team was 8-1 at this same point but the talk was dominated by how much they were not playing up to standard and just surviving. We all know after the 10-1 start that the collapse was easier to see coming in retrospect.

This year’s 7-2 start is impressive in the turnaround after the bye week. The 2-2 start was clumsy and seemed to perpetuate doubts. The 5 game winning streak has seen Jalen Hurts emerge again as a top QB performer and their young defense is making waves. They are on a roll but have they played their best yet? I don’t think they have. I’m going to go out on a limb and tell you that you are going to see them do that in tonight’s matchup!

The Eagles offense is going to storm out tonightI love this matchup. I love the Eagles’ wide receivers up against the Washington cornerbacks. The vertical passing game is always something that the Eagles prefer, but tonight’s game is one where it should be the primary push.

I’m not advocating for the Birds to put Saquon Barkley on the shelf but there should be plenty of big plays to be made. Yards after catch should also be available. The Commanders don’t tackle exceptionally well and they will be without their new acquisition Marshawn Lattimore. An aggressive attack should be the word of the day.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Washington loves to shorten up the game under Dan QuinnMaximizing the potential of every possession is vitally important. Dan Quinn knows that his young team has not been in a game of this magnitude. I observed him in situations like this during his time in Atlanta. He understands how difficult it is to come away with a victory in Philadelphia.

In his career he is 0-3 in Philadelphia but every one of those contests has been a tight contest. Most won’t forget those battles in the 2017 Divisional Playoff Game and then the home opener the next season. Those games both ended with Quinn’s team knocking on the door in the red zone with a chance to win the game.

Quinn likes to coach his team into a 4th quarter scenario where they can grab a win when an underdog. An early lead would help to negate that game plan.

The Eagles defense is up to the challenge (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Jayden Daniels has been a rising star from his first game this September. He plays within himself and is not making many risky throws. Brian Robinson Jr. is expected to return at running back so the Commanders may be more likely to lean on him to run clock and move the chains.

Remember that even if the head coach is different I’m sure that Quinn understands that the last few seasons Washington managed to play the Eagles toe to toe till the finish in three of the four matchups. The Eagles linebackers will need to do well in pass coverage underneath and Terry McLaurin will challenge the Eagles corners. This will be the first epic challenge for Quinyon Mitchell within the division in a big game. If he plays well I don’t see a path to victory for the Commanders.

My CallThe Birds have played in many big games over the last three seasons. Washington doesn’t have this type of experience. The Birds have been waiting to have everything click in a performance and tonight will be that night. The Eagles defense will frustrate the Commanders young QB and create a few more turnovers.

The offense will be the star of the show as they will put points up early and often. By Friday morning it will be hard for even their most vocal critics to doubt the Eagles have the pedigree of a team that could play a second game in New Orleans this season.

EAGLES 34 COMMANDERS 17

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The Eagles get their toughest test in a while with the Commanders coming to town this week. They have done what they are supposed to do and beat up teams with losing records the past 5 weeks. But in the Commanders, they get a 7-3 team, who have been making noise this season behind the performance of Rookie QB Jayden Daniels.

Now to say they have only beaten bad teams is a bit misleading. The Bengals record is bad, but they have one of the best offenses in the league, have played 2 very close games with the Ravens, and kept it close with the Chiefs too. The Eagles blew them out and held Joe Burrow to only 17 points. Also, the Giants and Browns both ranked highly in team defense at the time the Eagles played them

There are always things you can take away from a win over a poor opponent. Just because their record is bad does not mean that team doesn’t do anything well. They did better against those bad teams than any other team who has played them. Also beating up on teams with bad records is not something they did at any point last year.

Related: 6 Promising Numbers From Eagles Blowout Win In Dallas

Commanders Offer A Real Test For The Eagles(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)But in the Commanders, they get a real test. Well, at least the defense will. The Commanders are tied for 3rd in points per game and are 4th in yards per game. It will be hard to still deny this defense is legit if they slow this team down.

But on the other hand, the Commanders defense is vulnerable. They are near the middle of the pack in both yards and points allowed per game, and as we will get into, there are matchups the Eagles can easily exploit there.

This is easily the most important game they have played so far. Not just because it is a chance to prove themselves on the National Stage, but because it will have huge implications for who wins the NFC East. If they beat the Commanders, they are up 1.5 games and have a win over them. If they lose, they are back .5 a game, and the Commanders have that edge on the tiebreaker. It won’t seal it either way, but whoever wins this game will have a massive advantage the rest of the way.

But who needs to step up in order to go into Friday with the win? What matchups can the Eagles exploit?

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The Eagles 2023 season is a dark cloud that hangs over the franchise even a year later. The city saw a team start 10-1, only to win 1 more game the rest of the year, before being thoroughly crushed in the playoffs by a mediocre Bucs team.

So it is easy to understand why some fans would be a bit slow to get excited about a 7-2 start. We saw them start this well only a year ago, and it all started falling apart at around this same time. But those fears, while understandable, are unfounded. Because this 2024 Eagles team has very little in common with that 2023 team, apart from the good record over the first 10 or so weeks.

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)The 2023 Eagles Did Not Beat Up Bad Teams I have seen a few people say that the Eagles schedule has been too easy, and we saw last year what happens when the schedule gets harder. But I think we remember a different 2023 season. They went 4-2 in that “Gauntlet” everyone was worried about. They beat the Chiefs, Bills, and Dolphins, and split with the Cowboys.

Before the season if you were told they would go 4-2 in that stretch, people would have thought they would win it all. But then dropped the last 2 games of that gauntlet, and they kept losing. They let Drew Lock and the Seahawks beat them. They let a 4 win Cardinals team beat them. They let the Giants with a backup QB beat them. They lost to the Jets earlier in the year.

There was no beating up on bad teams going on last year. They actually had an impressive strength of schedule and beat some very good teams. But every game was a struggle no matter who they played.

This year, the schedule is much easier, at least on paper. Their hardest game so far was week 1 vs the Packers, which they won. But they haven’t played a team with a winning record since the bye week. The difference is they are beating these teams up. The Browns game was close, but they blew out the Giants, Bengals, and Cowboys, and should have blown out the Jags if Sirianni just took the points, and there was not a bogus “fumble” return for a TD.

They have a point differential of +82 in this span. So far this year they have the 4th best point differential in the league. Even when they were 10-1 last year, their point differential was middle of the pack.

The two seasons are not alike in how they played out to this point at all. In fact, they have more in common with 2022 and 2017. In those seasons, the Eagles had what people called an easy schedule. But they kept beating those “easy teams” on the road to the Super Bowl.

The Talent Is Better(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Do you know what else makes this different? Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper Dejean, Zack Baun, a healthy Nakobe Dean, and a more seasoned Jalen Carter. The leap from James Bradberry and whoever they ran out in the slot last season, to Mitchell and DeJean, is astronomical. The gap between the linebackers last year, and this year, is astronomical.

Last year, the 6 guys who had snaps at LB combined for 67 stops over 17 games. A stop is any play in the run game that is considered a win for the defense, meaning you stopped them either for no gain, or a minimal gain. This year Dean and Baun have already reached 67 stops in just 9 games. Baun alone is on track to pass all of the Eagles linebackers from last year.

Mitchell and DeJean have given up for just 176 yards combined over the last 5 games. 35.6 yards per game, and no TDS allowed. There were weeks where Bradberry and the slot corner combined for that in 1 game, let alone across 5 games.

The Eagles Linebackers and Secondary were both among the worst units in the league last year. Now they are among the best. And before you bring up the opponent, James Bradberry alone gave up 112 yards against Drew Lock at one point last year, including getting beat for the game-winning TD.

The Eagles defense got younger, faster, and better. Swapping out Haason Reddick for Bryce Huff hurt a bit, they are worse on the Edge this year. But every other part of the defense got better. I didn’t even have to mention the difference Saquon Barkley makes on offense, but that is pretty significant too.

The Coaches Are BetterI think Sean Desai and Brian Johnson got a bit of a raw deal last year. Desai had a terrible roster, and Johnson had Sirianni’s playbook to work with. I don’t think it is fair to blame everything on them.

But the leap from two inexperienced guys, to two Coordinators proven at this level, is pretty evident. Especially on defense. There were times last year when it looked like the defense had no clue what to do. That is poor coaching. Changing coordinators mid-season only made it worse. Now they have Vic Fangiom one of the most experienced and respected D Coordinators in the league.

The players are always in the right spot, they don’t bite on every single fake, they don’t look baffled by motion, and they finish their tackles. What we are witnessing is a well-coached defensive unit. The talent makes a massive difference and is probably more important than the jump in coaching, but that talent is also better coached than they were last year.

As for Kellen Moore, he implemented some things that actually brought the Eagles’ offense into this century. They aren’t using motion as much as Moore did in past stops, but they are using it way more than Sirianni ever allowed.

Better Doesn’t Guarantee SuccessNone of this is to say the Eagles are going to win it all, or even make the Super Bowl. There are other good teams, even if it feels like there are fewer good teams than usual. The Lions will be a tough out. The 49ers, despite their rocky start, could be a tough out now that CMC is back. If they make it to the Super Bowl, the Chiefs, Ravens, Bills, or whoever makes it out of the AFC, will all be tough outs.

Winning is hard. Only 1 team can do it. The point is that they are in that mix though. They were not last year. Even when they were beating the Chiefs, they did not have the feel of a Super Bowl team. This team does. They are contenders, and Tyrone Johnson talked about them being contenders this week on The Best Show Ever.

97.5 The Fanatic on X (formerly Twitter): “It is safe to say it now, the Eagles are contenders.@TyJohnsonNews pic.twitter.com/h0hzOaE5Rd / X”It is safe to say it now, the Eagles are contenders.@TyJohnsonNews pic.twitter.com/h0hzOaE5Rd

If it doesn’t happen this year, the good news is that their core, outside of Lane Johnson, is not only young but locked up long-term. The offensive group of Hurts, Barkley, Brown, and Smith have at least 2 more years left. Hurts, Brown, and Smith are here until at least 2028. The left side of the line is here for the foreseeable future. And Carter, Mitchell, and DeJean all have at least 3 more years after this. This team is not going anywhere.

But before we even think about the bright future, we should acknowledge the present is pretty bright too. Stop worrying about another Eagles collapse, and enjoy the rise. Because this team has very little in common with the one we saw last season.

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All the Eagles have done since their early bye week is win. In those 5 wins, they have risen to 6th in scoring on both offense and defense, and 2nd in yards allowed. Yet, in the weekly power rankings, they have yet to get the respect. Will the 5th straight win that made them 7-2 change that? Find out in the Week 11 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up.

Week 11 Eagles Power RankingsESPN- 6 (Previously 9)“Barkley has been the offensive engine for the Eagles. He ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards (991) and rushing yards per game (110.1), trailing only the Ravens’ Derrick Henry… Safe to say, Barkley has been well worth the three-year, $38 million investment the Eagles made in the offseason.“

Barkley and Henry have done serious damage to the narrative that RBs don’t matter. Both guys went to a new team, and transformed that offense, and the offense they left behind has gotten even worse than they were. The stats don’t do justice to how much of a difference Barkley makes vs D’Andre Swift last year.

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)USA Today- 5 (Previously 10)“QB Jalen Hurts has caught fire simultaneously with a team back atop the NFC East. His lowest passer rating during Philly’s five-game win streak is 115.0, a stretch during which Hurts became the first quarterback ever to rush for at least 10 TDs in four seasons (all consecutively incidentally).“

Hurts has been fantastic in this stretch. The raw numbers dont do it justice. For 1, in 3 of these games, they took their foot off the gas in the 4th quarter, with him being able to rest the full 4th quarter in two of them. But he is just playing smart efficient Football. Even the 1 interception was not a bad decision by him, just a great play by the defense.

Yahoo Sports- 5 (Previously 6)“The Eagles let the Cowboys hang around for a while, but then cruised to a 34-6 win. If they beat the Commanders on Thursday night, they’ll be up a game and a half in the NFC East, and they seem to be getting better as the season goes on.”

5-6 seems more than fair for the Eagles. At least so far no one has put the Vikings or Packers over them like they did last week.

The Eagles are improving as they go too. It is important to remember in that ugly 3 game stretch heading into the Bye, they had no AJ Brown, and in the Bucs game, they also had no Devonta Smith and Lane Johnson. Find me the team where you can take away the top 2 passing weapons and the best Tackle, and they still look good.

CBS Sports- 6 (Previously 9)“They have righted things in a big way. Their game Thursday with the Commanders is a big one in terms of division race. They are playing a lot better.”

Other than some head coach blunders, what is there to complain about with this team the past 5 weeks? That Hurts had one half where he was taking too many sacks? The defense has played out of its mind, and the Eagles are scoring as many points as any other team.

Sirianni’s bad in-game decisions in the Browns and Jags game aside (he also made some great in-game decisions vs the Giants), this team has played near-perfect football the past 5 games.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Sports Illustrated- 6 (Previously 9)“Credit to Nick Sirianni for staying the course. An interception and a fumble in the first half against Dallas didn’t lead to some kind of spiral. This team is playing a more steady brand of football… This is the most maligned 7–2 team I can remember in recent history. But, remove Philadelphia from the storm and you have one of the best clubs in football over the last five weeks.”

I think that is a good point about Sirianni. We give him a ton of grief, often deserved. But last year this team crumbled when they saw trouble. What we are seeing this year is a more resilent team. They didnt let the sturggles early derail them, and they didnt let some hiccups early against the Cowboys do so either. That starts with the Head Coach.

NFL.com- 5 (Previously 7)“Given how last year unfolded, when Philly went from a 10-1 start to losing a road wild-card game, it’s a bit foolish to look too far ahead, especially with more tough remaining opponents than easy ones. But for those who care to look beyond the records, this team feels a whole lot more steady and secure than its 2023 version.”

Eagles fans can’t live in fear of the shadow of 2023 for the rest of time. Just because they had a good record last year and it fell apart, does not mean it will happen again. Other than having a good record, the two teams have very little in common.

They weren’t beating up on bad teams last year, they were sneaking by good and bad teams alike. They beat the Chiefs, Bills, Dolphins, and Cowboys last year, all playoff teams, then lost to the Jets, Giants (with a backup QB), Cardinals, and Seahawks (with a backup QB).

This team is not doing that. They are demolishing the teams in front of them. It is way more similar to how the 2017 and 2022 seasons went, than it is to 2023.

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A little over a month ago, as the Eagles were coming off the bye and a close win over the Browns, there was panic around the city. The head coach was a “clown” according to multiple talking heads in the National Media, and the offense was underperforming. Now they are 7-2, with 5 straight wins. They sit atop the NFC East, and the top seed in the NFC is in arms reach. They are also top 10 in both offense and defense.

Yes, it was the Cowboys. Yes, the Cowboys are terrible. Yes, it was Cooper Rush and later Trey Lance. Yes, all of the teams they have beaten in these 5 weeks have had losing records. Those are all important bits of context.

Related: Eagles Roll Over Cowboys To Take Over 1st Place In NFC East

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)But don’t let that context distract you from the reality of how good this team has looked. Even against losing teams, there are so many takeaways from those 5 games that tell the story of a team ready to contend. They are doing things we saw them do in 2022, but never saw last season. There might still be lingering doubt because of the 2023 season, but this team is not like that team.

For one, they did not beat up on bad teams last year. They lost to the Jets, Cardinals, Giants (with a backup), and Seahawks (with a backup), but then pulled out close wins over the Dolphins, Chiefs, Bills, and Cowboys. The comparison doesn’t fit. Last year’s team never beat up on the teams they were supposed to, and the defense or offense never looked like this.

So what should we take away from this team. Both in their win over the Cowboys and in the 4 wins prior to that. Just how real are the impressive numbers coming out of these games? Are they back to being a real contender?

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The Philadelphia Eagles made Sunday about as comfortable as they possibly could have in their matchup with the Dallas Cowboys and Cooper Rush. It was as much of a cakewalk against Dallas as we’ve seen in a long time, but was not unsurprising considering the skill discrepancy between the two sides. Today on Kincade And Salciunas, we talked about how good the defense has looked.

But all told the whole team was just awesome in their matchup with Dallas. It makes it even easier for me to track down the top takeaways from Nick Sirianni’s first win in Dallas since becoming the Eagles head coach.

Zack Baun needs to get paidDo it now, Howie. Baun had another incredibly impactful game for the Birds, forcing a fumble, recovering another, and just being an absolute menace play after play. For the Saints cast off, it’s a meteoric rise to pro-bowl-caliber linebacking. He’s still a rental based on his current contract status, but there are a lot of people, fans and media, that believe the Eagles should look into extending him ASAP. I have to say, I can’t disagree based on his performance.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)2. Jalen Hurts had an up-and-down dayUltimately, it was a productive afternoon for Hurts, who accounted for 4 total touchdowns in the victory, but the start of the game left a lot to be desired. He had 2 bad turnovers in the first half and held on to the ball for far too long in the pocket at points. And still, he looked darn good on some very tough throws, leading the Birds to a road win. There were more positives than negatives, but still a couple of things for Hurts to clean up in the future.

The Eagles set themselves up perfectly for ThursdayWin or lose, a big part of the narrative from this game was going to be how the Eagles set themselves up for a short-week matchup with the Washington Commanders. Well, they nailed the window they needed to. Not only did they win the game comfortably against Dallas, but they did so while getting a chance to rest starters late in the contest as well so that they could head into Thursday Night healthy. So, a win, and a great setup for another win? It was a fun afternoon down in Dallas.

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The Eagles have dug out of an early season NFC hole and now find themselves with three steps left to navigate the best possible path to winning a championship. At 7-2 after their dominant 34-6 win in Dallas the Eagles can focus on accomplishing a series of goals that can lead to a great January. The Eagles are currently 7th in PPG offensively and 5th in PPG defensively.

They appear to be trending towards elite status. Before we start focusing on the Commanders in this short week, here are the three things the Eagles can accomplish to host the NFC Title Game.

STEP 1: Distance yourself from the Commanders(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Philadelphia is currently sitting one-half game ahead of Washington in the NFC East. The Thursday Night matchup will prove critical in determining whether the Birds are going to return to the Division Champions perch or be battling it out for a potential wildcard berth.

It’s going to be a much easier ride if the Eagles find a way to win on Thursday. The Commanders have stacked a lot of wins against losing teams. If they were to come into Philadelphia and win it would give them a renewed sense of confidence. Worse yet, an Eagles loss would reinforce doubts of those who believe this team isn’t much better than last years version.

STEP 2: Secure a better record than the NFC South and NFC South ChampionsWhile Detroit sits at (8-1) atop the NFC, the Eagles currently have a 2 game lead on the Falcons (6-4) and the Cardinals (6-4) for the second best divisional record. Yes there is only one team that gets to enjoy the bye week but the second seed is incredibly valuable. Winning the 2 seed allows you to host the 2-7 wildcard weekend matchup and with a victory in that game you are guaranteed another home field edge on Divisional Weekend. This is the far more desirable path to take. It’s important to keep an eye on Atlanta as the Eagles must finish a game ahead of them due to their loss in Week Two at the Linc.

STEP 3: Become the Lion TamersUnfortunately, the long game is avoiding the Detroit Lions until the last possible moment. If the path to a Super Bowl berth is through a road game in Detroit, so be it. You worry about that when it happens. Until then the Birds can hope that someone steps up and knocks them down a few notches. Here are the most likely suspects!

The Lions will face the Packers (Home), Bills (Home), 49ers (Road) and the Vikings (Home) in four of their last five games. The Eagles final 5 is far more favorable with 4 of the 5 at home. If they can get a little assistance we could be sitting on pins and needles awaiting the results of their games to see whether a bye-week path is truly in the mix.

What’s the most likely Eagles outcome?(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)Based on everything that I’ve seen so far, I’d expect that the Eagles will take a couple of losses in their final 8 games. The optimistic view is that a 13-4 record would be fantastic and that should secure the second seed in the NFC easily. A split of the LA Rams and Baltimore Ravens games should set the Eagles up for an easy ride to the two seed. If they were to drop one other game I’m thinking that the two seed would be the best possible outcome.

Beat the Commanders and then the to do list becomes crystal clear. You can’t open the door for Washington to think the NFC East title is within their reach. The death blow to their swagger could occur on Thursday night and for the Eagles it might just be the springboard.

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After Jalen Hurts took 5 sacks in the 1st half, most of which were him holding it too long, there may have been some angst about this game. The Eagles got the ball back late in the 2nd half with just a 7-6 lead, and there was real concern about the direction this game was going. However, any concerns people had were quickly erased from there.

Hurts quickly took his team down the field to score TD before the half, and the Eagles never looked back. By the time the 4th quarter came around, the Eagles were resting their starters. A big deal for them, considering the quick turnaround they have against the Commanders this Thursday. They left Dallas with a easy 34-6 win.

Philadelphia Eagles on X (formerly Twitter): “We love a Dallas [Goedert] TD @goedert33 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/becsqOeOwv / X”We love a Dallas [Goedert] TD @goedert33 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/becsqOeOwv

Eagles Dominate Down In DallasIt was a complete and total beatdown. The Cowboys offense, led by Cooper Rush and later Trey Lance, had no chance against this young and dynamic Eagles defense. While the first half was a struggle, the Eagles offense eventually took over. They scored 34 points, and could have scored more had they played the starters in the 4th quarter.

Hurts had his issues early. The interception is hard to blame him for, Diggs just made a great play. But the fumble, and the other 4 sacks, were him holding the ball too long. But what we saw is him start slow, and bounce back. The rest of the game we saw him have better pocket awareness. When there was nothing there he was throwing it away. He spearheaded 4 TD drives, with him being involved in all 4 TDs.

This defense at one point had the fewest takeaways in the game. But now they have 3 straight weeks with multiple takeaways, including 4 forced fumbles and an interception today.

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)Moving Into 1st PlaceBut beating up the Cowboys was not the only thing that went well for the Eagles today. They also saw Washington lose in the 1 pm window. The Steelers came back late to hand the Commanders their 3rd loss of the season. Which means the Eagles now own sole possession of 1st place in the NFC East,

They will get a chance to expand on that lead this Thursday. It is a 2 horse race. It has been for a few weeks, but the Cowboys losing this poorly, and losing Dak Prescott for the season, puts the nail in their coffin. It is between the Eagles and Washington, and the Eagles can move into a multi-game lead if they win on Thursday.

Everything seems to be going well for the Eagles. Hurts, a slow start today aside, is playing the best football we have seen from him since 2022. The defense is clicking on all cylinders. And their schedule is very manageable.

At 7-2, they have control of their own future. Just keep winning, and you will win the NFC East. To get the number 1 overall seed, they would need the Lions to lose a couple more games. But despite the slow start to the season, no one can deny the Eagles are back among the elite teams in the NFC. They arent just beating teams, they are demolishing them.

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Saquon Barkley has been a revelation for the Eagles this season. Miles Sanders and D’Andre Swift did well for them in the past two seasons. But watching them, and now watching Barkley, you can just see the difference between a good RB, and a great one. Barkley just won his 3rd NFC Offensive Player Of The Week Award. In 3 of the 8 weeks he has played, he has been the best player in the NFC.

He is currently on track for 1,965 rushing yards, plus another 310 passing yards. He is also on track for 17 total TDs, a number that would be even higher if not for the Tush Push poaching goal-line opportunities from him.

In Barkley, the Eagles have a player who can change the game at any given moment. They have a guy who can do things like this.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1853191441843163479Obviously, fans went crazy about this play. We see plenty of players vault over tackles, but we never see someone do it backwards, and usually, there aren’t spin moves thrown in the mix on the same run.

Saquon Barkley Draws High Praise From His Own TeammatesBut it is not just fans blown away by this type of play. His own teammates were amazed by it too. Just look at how the bench reacted to it in real-time.

https://twitter.com/NFLUKIRE/status/1853793975838064780Several days later, they are still talking about it. And he is drawing some major praise from his teammates. Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever this week and talked to Tyrone and Ricky about just how much praise Barkley’s teammates are giving him.

“The buzz continues inside that locker room for the reverse hurdle that he pulled off. You know, Darius Slay today said, I’ve played with Megatron and I think that Barkley is the best player I’ve ever played with. You know, that’s the kind of praise that he’s getting internally. Dallas Goedert was just talking about how mesmerized he and everybody else was when he saw Saquon pull that off. And they were watching it in the team meeting this week and people just going crazy over it.

So, you know, that hasn’t gone away. Like the excitement over Barkley, over that play like it’s all still very palpable in that locker room.”

Comparisons to Megatron don’t come easy. Him retiring early, and being stuck in Detroit, may have led to him sliding under the radar a bit, but he might have been the best player in the league when he played. But according to Slay, Barkley might be even better.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Barkley has the most 10+ yard rushes with 23, is second for 20+ yard runs with 8, is 1st for 30+ yard runs with 6, and is 1st in 40+ yard runs with 4. He has added explosiveness to the Eagles running game. He is the true definition of a game-breaker. The great O-line helps. But Barkley with this O-line makes the Eagles as dangerous of a run team as there is in the league.

The only guy in the NFL putting up better numbers is Derrick Henry. Maybe those two will change the whole “RBs don’t matter” conversation around the league.

He has helped get the Eagles to 6-2. There are still questions about the coach, but the offense itself seems to be clicking on all cylinders. Saquon Barkley is a massive part of that. Just ask his teammates, they will tell you how amazing he has been.

You can watch the full conversation with Tim McManus below: Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Even Saquon Barkley’s Team Is Amazed By What He Is Doing appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is Dallas Week. Cowboys vs Eagles. Something you circle on the calendar every year, no matter how good or bad either of the teams are. Hating the Cowboys is as Philly as a cheesesteak, a soft pretzel, or a roast pork sandwich. Kids in Philly learn to hate the Cowboys as naturally as they breathe.

These are two teams going in different directions. The Eagles are not only playing well at 6-2, they are young and set up to be good for a while. The Cowboys meanwhile are 3-5 and don’t have a clear path to getting better. Their defense has been horrific, they can’t run the ball, and outside of throwing it to Cee Dee Lamb they have very little else going for them on offense.

They go down to Dallas as 7.5-point favorites as of the time this article was written. Vegas thinks this should be a blowout. Even in the Jerry Dome, they are projected to crush the Cowboys. Dak Prescott is out, and Cee Dee Lamb and Micah Parsons are banged up. Everything on paper screams this game should go well for the Eagles.

Still, we have learned to never take games for granted. They were projected to blow out the Browns and Jaguars too, and they both wound up being close. As bad as the Cowboys have been, and they have been horrible, you can’t take them for granted. Cooper Rush is actually 5-1 in his career.

Related: Eagles Survive Mistakes by Both Nick Sirianni And The Refs

So who needs to step up to make sure the Eagles take care of business? Which Eagles players could take advantage of this bad Cowboys team? Will Saquon Barkley have another great game? Does Jalen Hurts keep up his hot streak? Will the defense shut Dallas down?

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The Eagles are 6-2. Only 2 teams have an outright better record than them, with 2 other teams being a half-game ahead of them because they played 1 more game. They are the only team in the league who are top 10 in both offense and defense, where they are 6th in yards per game and 3rd in yards allowed per game. Jalen Hurts hasn’t turned the ball over in the last 4 games and is looking like he did in 2022.

On paper, there are a lot of good things happening with this football. And yet, there is a dark cloud looming over the city. Between the implosion last season and the baffling decisions of Nick Sirianni, many fans are having a hard time finding a reason to be positive.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)But put last year aside for a second, and leave Sirianni out of it. Every other part of this team is giving you a reason to be optimistic.

This young defense is playing way better than anyone could have expected. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean aren’t just good for rookies, they are good period. Jalen Carter has been a force in the middle of that line, racking up 6 pressures last week. They are getting consistent production out of Josh Sweat, and their LB group of Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean are consistently graded out as some of the best LBs in the league.

Then turn it to the offense. Saquon Barkley might be the Offensive Player of The Year. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are perhaps the best WR duo in the league. The offensive line, even while having to mix and match pieces, are still one of the best units in the league.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1853191441843163479Hurts leads the league in completions of at least 40 yards with 8, despite having the early bye week. Saquon Barkley leads RBs for runs of at least 40 yards with 4. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are tied for 4th for catches of at least 40 yards with 3. This offense is one of the most explosive offenses in the league, whether it is on the ground or through the air.

The talent on this team is very good, and they are clicking. The players played well enough vs Jacksonville to win 37-16. Is Nick Sirianni an issue? Sure. But don’t let him prevent you from celebrating how good everything else about this team looks.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The Best Show Ever Makes The Case For Being Positive About The EaglesThis is exactly what The Best Show ever talked about on Tuesday. They talked about how baffling Sirianni’s choices were on Monday. They are not ignoring that. But after a day where a win was treated like a loss, they wanted to bring some positivity back to the Eagles conversation.

“People are being stubborn at this point to be trying to look back to last year. I’m tired of hearing about it. How many weeks do you have to go through this year before it’s this year. It’s not last year anymore. I don’t understand the need to talk about last year anymore. when we’re eight games approaching the ninth game of the new year.

Now that we’re about halfway, can’t we just judge this team based on its own merits and stop being stubborn? I understand the part about the coach and that one I can’t fight you on, but there should be a lot of negativity when it comes to the players.

Through eight games, what we’re seeing is good football, and in a lot of spots, better football than we expected. Therefore, to me, we have to stop being stubborn. We have to fight back against being stubborn on this one, and just admit that this is a good football team.

Jalen Carter is developing and playing at a high level. He’s now beating double teams consistently. Well, that wasn’t happening last year.

I think that we’re being stubborn sometimes because I don’t know if that makes us more Philadelphia. Does it make us more Philadelphia to kind of be down to the dumps? A little bit negative, a chip on our shoulders? Is that like just part of being us to where we don’t even though things are good right now, we don’t want to act like it because, you know, we don’t want to get too high and we don’t want to be too excited.

We’d rather have an underdog mentality. We’ve had to have a chip on our shoulder and feel disrespected. When in actuality, when you have this many star players, like they’re 7.5 point favorites against Dallas right now on the road, like you’re not an underdog right now. You’ve got a bunch of good football players.“

So ignore the Nick Sirianni issue for a moment, forget about last season for a bit, and just look at the roster, and how it is playing. The players on the field are doing really good things right now. That is worth some positivity.

This Eagles team is good. The talent is delivering. And the talent is young and locked up here for the foreseeable future. The only key cogs that might not be here 2 years from now are Lane Johnson, Darius Slay, and Dallas Goedert. Even if this year is not the year, the future of this team is bright.

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I’m not a fan of the status quo. Patience is a virtue that I certainly need to pray to be bestowed upon me more at church. I do not know about you, but rolling it back or not addressing concerns sooner than later doesn’t thrill me. Whether it’s the Eagles, Phillies or 76ers currently I have seen a little too often that keeping the status quo is the strategy. It’s to varying degrees, but has it served us well? Let’s look at some examples and I believe I can make the case that you will have similar concerns.

The Eagles punted on the trade deadline yesterday Vic Fangio sat behind the microphone and told the media that he was very happy with what he has. He isn’t a fan of adding veteran pieces halfway into a season and trying to shoe horn them into the rotation. It’s weird how much I trust in his vision. I’m usually far more skeptical. The idea of not chasing a pass rusher may come back to haunt them but I wasn’t feeling that it was a necessity.

On the offensive side of the ball I felt differently. Saquon Barkley has been outstanding, but he is on pace for his largest workload ever. I’m not sure that is the best strategy for him or the Eagles. Rarely does a running back put together their best season at the age of 27, but Barkley is defying the odds. I don’t doubt that he can continue to put together an amazing season.

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)I’m just skeptical that he can sustain this level of production and be at his best in January. This team is rolling because of the balance of superstar options in the running and passing game. Finding a way to spell Saquon for considerable carries should be a top priority.

Can Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley carry the load if an injury were to occur? I’d suggest that a reinforcement was in order but the cost must have been considered too high. If the worst happens I’m going to tell you the price they weren’t willing to pay could seem cheap.

Dave Dombrowski sends a signal to not expect a ton of change You don’t have to read between the lines to know that Dave Dombrowski is faced with a considerable challenge. He is locked into some huge long term contracts with players heading towards the back end of their primes in Harper and Turner. He has a rotation that is contractually set with Wheeler, Nola and Sanchez locked in for the next three seasons.

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesThere isn’t a ton of flexibility. He also owns a roster that has seen declining post season success over the last three straight seasons. So what does he do? If the USA Today reports are true they are willing to part with Castellanos, Bohm or Marsh. Could it be a combination of the three?

If the Phillies continue with their plan of platooning outfielders they will not be up to the challenge of beating top competition when the October leaves fall. Without change that would mean that they believe they are like the Dodgers and can shake off postseason failures to finally win that championship. I’d rather see a more wholesale, aggressive makeover.

The 76ers doubled down on their count on Embiid strategy this off-seasonIt’s been a tumultuous start for the 76ers after a summer where Joel Embiid was injured in the post season and then participated in the Olympics. It brought him a personal accomplishment but the summer of rehab never happened. That has cost the 76ers a fast start in the 2024 season but it’s what they did with the rest of the roster that raises eyebrows.

They decided to once again get older and their bench is certainly not a group of youthful upstarts. The 76ers said we have a few more years of the Embiid prime and so they doubled down on surrounding him with veterans. They are hoping it works and I’m optimistic that it can bring them further than the second round. I’m also confident that if they don’t deliver it will lead to another shot at a “process”

CONCLUSION Standing pat is a bold strategy. It is one that every Philadelphia fan needs to completely buy into.

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The Eagles won their 4th straight game. They improved to 6-2. Only 4 teams have a better record than them, and 2 of those teams only do because they played 1 extra game. On paper, the Eagles are in great shape. But some awful decisions by Nick Sirianni, and last year’s collapse, still loom large over this team, raining on their parade. What do the National media think? Here is your Week 10 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Week 10 Eagles Power RankingsESPN- 9 (Previously 10)“Those games could very well determine the division winner with Washington (7-2) and Philadelphia (6-2) neck and neck right now. As it stands, the Commanders have a 50.6% chance of winning the NFC East compared to 48.2% for the Eagles, according to ESPN’s FPI.”

ESPN is still showing no love to the Eagles. They have the Packers above them. Even though the Eagles have a better record and point differential than them, and oh yeah, they already beat the Packers this season.

But yes, those Commanders games are absolutely the most important games left in the season. If either team wins both you can nearly guarantee that team wins the division.

NFL.com- 7 (Previously 10)“Don’t look now, but Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the Eagles’ offense have been cooking since their Week 5 bye. In the past four games, Hurts has completed 72.3 percent of his passes for 844 yards, six TDs, and no interceptions, also rushing for 159 yards and six more TDs.”

This offense has clicked on all cylinders with AJ Brown back in the mix. Now he did leave Sunday’s game, and his status for the Cowboys game is still up in the air, but it is clear that when this offense is healthy, they can put up big numbers. Hurts has been fantastic of late, and even without Brown in the 2nd half, he still looked good.

Also thank you to NFL.com for giving them a more reasonable ranking this week.

Yahoo Sports- 6 (Previously 8)“The Eagles are playing well. The second half vs. the Jaguars was concerning, with game management errors that allowed Jacksonville to stay in the game and almost win it. But a weird second half will keep the Eagles under the radar. Pretty soon, everyone will be talking about them.“

I had nothing negative to say about the talent on the field Sunday. Nick Sirianni is the lone question mark. he left 9 points on the field. If he takes just 4 of those, 1 of the Fgs, and kicks one of the extra points, the Eagles win by 2 scores and there is no stress on that final Jaguars drive.

But head coach aside, there is a lot to like about the direction of this team. The players themselves are clicking on all cylinders. they played well enough to win 37-16 if Sirianni takes the points and you discount the bogus fumble return for a TD.

USA Today- 9 (Previously 10)“With WR A.J. Brown’s knee apparently OK, they evaded a desperate plunge into the trade market to shore up a thin position on their depth chart – an especially fortuitous turn with Dallas and Washington next up on the schedule.“

As mentioned, Brown is vital to the success of their offense. So him avoiding a major injury is key. They are a bottom-10 offense with him off the field and a top-5 one when he is on it. The combination of him, Smith, Barkley, and Hurts, makes this an offense no one can stop.

CBS Sports- 9 (Previously 10)“They made it interesting against the Jaguars but found a way to hold on. Their game management leaves a lot to be desired.“

Yet another site with the Packers ranked above the Eagles. Can any of them explain why though? Jordan Love is struggling, while Hurts is playing like an elite QB. It just seems off to still give them more love than the Eagles when their Love is playing so poorly.

Sports Illustrated- 9 (Previously 10)“The Nick Sirianni-coaster remains a ride worth enjoying. Seeing both Doug Pederson and Sirianni on the field together Sunday, both feeling the same vitriol from their fan base despite inverse records, was a true Philadelphia oil painting in real life.”

Seriously, someone explain one thing the Packers do better than the Eagles of late. The Eagles are playing better defense, better offense, taking care of the ball, and winning more. And again, they beat the Packers when both teams were healthy.

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The Philadelphia Eagles won on Sunday, but it wasn’t the breeze that most people thought it would be. In fact, I wanted to let the discourse settle for a day before evaluating the game on Monday like usual. After a 22-0 start, numerous questionable decisions from Nick Sirianni made it a tight game against the lowly Jaguars. Unsurprisingly, we weren’t happy on Kincade And Salciunas yesterday.

Still, though, it was a win. And a pretty darn impressive one simply from a players perspective. Here are my top 3 NON-SIRIANNI takeaways (and yes, there should be valid concern about the head coach):

Saquon Barkley is not humanHe’s something greater than a human being. I mean the dude threw down a blind reverse hurdle like he was an Olympic ice dancer! Who does that?? Not to mention the 199 yards from scrimmage and 2 touchdowns. If there’s an MVP of this team at this point in the season, it’s Barkley for me.

NFL on X (formerly Twitter): “SAQUON BARKLEY IS NOT OF THIS WORLD.: #JAXvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/UtCENDw6no / X”SAQUON BARKLEY IS NOT OF THIS WORLD.: #JAXvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/UtCENDw6no

The linebackers showed outWhat an evening for Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean. Both tallied big interceptions in the game, Dean’s to seal a win for the Eagles. At a position that has been light on impact over the past couple of years (decades?) for the birds, these two have been a revelation this year. A lot of credit should also go to Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio.
The NFL Replay Official should be ashamedThis game had one of the most egregious missed calls I’ve ever seen in when a Saquon Barkley “fumble” was returned for a touchdown by Jacksonville. It seemed clear from replay that Barkley had been touched by a defender before contacting the ground, but some old forgotten nuance of the rule seemed to point towards that not being a good enough reason to overturn an 8 point swing in favor of the Jags.

I have seen a lot of football in my day, and I’ve never seen that call go that way. Yet it only took a millisecond to confirm? That was a complete miss by the replay official, and they’re lucky the Eagles still won the game.

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We got 2 weeks of easy wins in Philly. The Eagles crushed the Giants and Bengals. Fans and players could kick their feet up in the 4th quarter. They were rare stress-free wins, something we haven’t seen since 2022. That was not the case with the Jaguars. It looked like it might be at halftime, but the game came down to the final moments, with Nakobe Dean getting a pick in the end zone to seal the win.

Related: Eagles Survive Mistakes by Both Nick Sirianni And The Refs

The reason it was only a 5-point game comes down mostly to 2 things, Nick Sirianni, and the officials. The refs gifted the Jags 7 points that should have never existed. Saquon Barkley was clearly down, the review showed he was down, and showed a Jags player touched his shin before he went down, but somehow the refs ruled he went down on his own. The Jags defender getting a piece of his leg somehow had nothing to do with that.

That fumble turned into 7 the other way. Had it been ruled correctly, the Eagles would have won 28-16, and that final drive would be stress-free. We would still be complaining about Nick Sirianni today, but it would have been a convincing win.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)But there is nothing they can do about the refs making a blatant mistake. So let’s look at the stuff they can control.

What player stood out? How good has Jalen Hurts been? Is the Eagles young defense suddenly legit? How much did Nick Sirianni really hurt them this week? Are the Eagles in a good position to keep winning and take this division and maybe even the conference?

Let’s break down the good, and the bad, from the Eagles win on Sunday.

Here are 6 Numbers That Tell the Story of the Eagles Close Win Over The JaguarsThe post 6 Numbers That Tell The Story of Eagles Close Win Over Jags appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles treated us the past 2 weeks. They gave us easy wins where the city could kick their feet up and relax in the 4th quarter. After the 1st half, it looked like they were in line to do that again. But we were not so lucky. Between Nick Sirianni’s decision-making and 1 of the most blatant bad calls of all time by the refs, this game came down to the final minutes.

It was only a 5 point lead by the time the Jaguars got it back after a missed FG by Jake Elliott. There was 2:11 left on the clock, and they were moving the ball. They got all the way into the Red Zone. But then Nakobe Dean did what the defense struggled to do all year long, he made a play. Dean picked Lawrence off in the End Zone, and that was all she wrote. The Eagles won 28-23 to improve to 6-2.

Philadelphia Eagles on X (formerly Twitter): “THE interception.@NakobeDean | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/pPqfRO4Neh / X”THE interception.@NakobeDean | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/pPqfRO4Neh

Closer Than It Had To BeIt should not have been only a 5-point game. To start, Nick Sirianni left 9 points on the field. He passed up 2 FGs to go for it, with the team failing to convert, and he went for 3 2-point conversions, with the team failing to convert any of them.

Now if any of those had worked, it might be a different story. A few of them made sense at the moment. Going for it while up 12 to try to make it a 14-point game makes sense. But when you put it all together, considering that the game could have easily been 37-25, it does not reflect well on Sirianni.

It was also not the first game where this happened. Sirianni passed up several chances to take easy FGs vs the Saints too. They also won that game, but his choices made it closer than it had to be.

Then you add in the “fumble” return for a TD that the Jaguars got. Saquon was clearly down. A Jaguars defender clearly touched him. Yet even after a review, the refs somehow called it a fumble. It gave the Jags 7 points that should have never existed. If that call is made right, it is a 28-16 game. Even with the many Nick Sirianni mistakes, it would have been another comfortable win.

NFL on X (formerly Twitter): “Big turn of events in Philadelphia. A fumble returned by the Jags defense for a TOUCHDOWN.: #JAXvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/kQ4cyIEW55 / X”Big turn of events in Philadelphia. A fumble returned by the Jags defense for a TOUCHDOWN.: #JAXvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/kQ4cyIEW55

The Eagles Win Anyway Even with all of that considered, it is a win. The Eagles are 6-2. Only 5 teams have a better record. 1 of those, the Commanders, only have a better record because they have played 1 more game. The Eagles have won 4 games in a row and won those games by a combined 54 points.

Jalen Hurts had a 4th straight game without a turnover, and it was another efficient game through the air by him. He went 18/24 with 2 TDs, both of which were perfect passes. He looked dangerous on the ground again too.

They are in a good spot. That said, it is hard to shake the feeling this game was harder than it had to be. It might not be fair to say they should have had all 9 of those points. Often being aggressive is the right choice. The Eagles scored 3 extra TDs against the Giants because of Nick’s aggressive style. But if he kicks just 1 of those FGs, and takes 1 of those extra points, they win by 9 points.

Instead, it will be another week where the city celebrates a win, but questions if the head coach is good enough to win in the long run. If you make those mistakes against a better team, they might lose. But for now, the Eagles continue to win.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Eagles Survive Mistakes by Both Nick Sirianni And The Refs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Has anyone ever gone from hated to beloved faster than Howie Roseman? A few years ago, some Eagles fans were ready to drive him out of town. Now, those same Eagles fans are ready to erect a statue for him.

His time in Philly has been at times tumultuous. There have been some major draft busts like Jalen Reagor, Derek Barnett, Sidney Jones, JJ Arcega Whiteside, and Davion Taylor, just to name a few.

At one point during the Chip Kelly era, he was banished to a broom closet. Yet he managed to stick around. He managed to survive the demotion and a few major mistakes. He helped build the first-ever Eagles roster to win the Super Bowl. And now, he has this current team in a position to make it back and win it again.

His draft history is up and down. We mentioned the busts he has had over recent years. But lately, he has been way better in that aspect. Howie has drafted stars Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Jalen Carter, and now you can add Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean to that mix.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)It represents a change in philosophy where he has stopped trying to be the smartest man in the room, and he is just taking players everyone thinks are talented.

But drafting is just one way to add talent. You can also obviously sign or trade for players. And this week marks the trade deadline, the last chance for teams to add to their roster this season. Howie Roseman has been one to make a big splash. Will he this year? Maybe not, the eagles might be thinking smaller this time.

But ahead of the trade deadline, let’s take a look back at some of the great trades Howie has made with the Eagles.

Here are 11 of the Best Trades Howie Roseman Has Ever Made:The post 10 Of The Best Trades Howie Roseman Has Ever Made appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have been playing the best Football they have played in over a year these past few weeks. A 20-16 win over the Browns only looked close because of 1 mistake on Special Teams. Then they crushed the Giants 28-3. More recently, they beat the Bengals 37-17. All of that led up to a 3-game winning streak and a 5-2 record that has them among the top teams in the NFL.

Many people try to discount that by saying they haven’t played anyone. But going into the Bengals team all we heard about is how now they have to play a real team. So I don’t quite understand how they were now just another easy opponent. Vegas literally favored the Bengals coming into the game.

Related: Eagles Make A Strong Statement In Win Over The Bengals

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)So goalposts are constantly shifting. The people who say those things conveniently forget that the Eagles opened up the season beating the Packers. But we learned in 2022 that some people are never satisfied and doubted the Eagles the entire way, even though they came only a few points short in the Super Bowl.

Those doubters may get more ammunition this week. It is another weak opponent for the Eagles. The lowly Jaguars are coming to town, and they are a bit of a mess. Doug Pederson has been fighting for his job every week. They are currently 2-6.

They are also down several key figures. Both of their WRs, Brian Thomas Jr and Christian Kirk, are hurt. They just traded away their LT Cam Robinson. They might get Travis Ettiene back, who has battled a hamstring injury, but even with his return, this already struggling team is not coming to Philly at full strength. Meaning if they win big, they will get no credit, again.

So will the Eagles crush another team? Will it be their 3rd straight double-digit win? Let’s look at some Eagles who could be in for big days.

Here Are 8 Eagles Players In Store For Great Games Against The Jaguars:The post 8 Eagles In Line For Great Games Vs The Jaguars appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles were 10-1 at one point last year. They won just 1 game the rest of the year. So it would be understandable if Eagles fans suffered a little PTSD when it comes to good starts for their team.

That said, the Eagles are 5-2 to open this season. They have outscored their opponent 65-20 in the last 2 weeks. Were those great opponents? No, but the Bengals have a good offense, and the Giants have a good defense. Both of those teams have kept it close with most teams, but the Eagles ran right over them.

Yet still some fans and media seem slow to be positive about them. It has been less negative this week, but it still feels like there is a creeping doubt. Something keeping us from being truly positive about this team, and their chances to win something.

vAdam Schefter is Confused By Negativity Around EaglesAdam Schefter joined Kincade and Salciunas this morning and was a bit taken aback by the negativity he has seen around the team.

“I don’t know that there’s been a 5-2 team that’s gotten more negative attention and more negative conversation than the Eagles in recent memory. Like, 5-2 is pretty good, and it’s been a little bit bumpy, and I guess I can understand some of it, but 5-2 is where you want to be.… pic.twitter.com/AvPudIG5aG

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) October 30, 2024

I feel like it is the lingering pain of last season. But there is good reason to believe this is not like last year. Last year they never beat teams the way they just beat the Bengals and Giants. Every single one of those 10 wins over the first 11 games had to be scratched out. It was nothing but nail-biters. Eventually, things spiraled out of control.

But this is a different team. There is a lot of new talent in the building, Saquon Barkley, and Quinyon Mitchell/ Cooper DeJean on defense. They have two experienced coordinators in the building. Plus there is far more athletics and speed on the defensive side.

None of this is to say they are going to win a Super Bowl. But we shouldn’t be waiting for the other shoe to drop. This team is playing well right now. There is good reason to think they will keep playing well. The schedule is very manageable, with only 4 games left vs winning teams.

So enjoy the Eagles for now. If things go wrong, be negative then. But right now they are giving you no reason to be concerned. They are clicking on all cylinders, and that is worth being positive about.

Listen To The Full Conversation with Adam Schefter Below:Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Adam Schefter Shocked By Negativity Around 5-2 Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

For two weeks in a row, Eagles fans have been treated to easy wins. They beat the Giants by 25, and the Bengals by 20. It is something we have not seen in Philadelphia for a long time. Every win last season had to be sweated out. So getting Sundays where we can kick our feet up by 3 pm, was certainly nice. It led to not only a nice relaxing day but a relaxed week where we had no major concerns about the team.

But on The Best Show Ever this week, they talked about the concept of a “painful win”. Mostly about how Tyrone Johnson does not believe that is a thing. His take was that he has seen way too much losing in his life, to ever be in pain when our teams win.

He noted that maybe younger fans, who have been spoiled by the success of this century, can feel that way. But he will never take a win for granted, because he has seen just how bad losing can be.

Here Is What Tyrone Johnson Had To Say About The Concept Of A Win In Philadelphia Being Painful“I don’t ever find wins painful. I live in Philadelphia. I have not seen enough wins for them to start to be painful. I find that to be a very spoiled attitude. Where you can get victories in this city, with all the losses we’ve taken, and start to complain about, ‘Oh no, my baseball team keeps winning by 1.’ They have more losses than any other franchise in sports history. Now we want to complain about how they win?

I can’t do that. I can’t. It’s not in my DNA growing up here to have painful losses. I don’t have them, because I have seen too many real losses.”

Do you agree? Are you the type of fan who appreciates every win, even the “ugly” ones? Or does seeing your team barely win every week cause you pain? Thankfully we have not had to worry about it for a couple of weeks, with the Eagles crushing teams. But at some point, they are going to eke out a win again. How do you feel when we get those nail-biting games?

You can watch the full conversation about “painful wins” below:Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post There Is No Such Thing As A Painful Win In Philadelphia appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching. Teams have until 4 pm on Tuesday, November 5th, to make a trade. Many teams have already made splashes, with multiple big-name WRs changing teams, among other moves. But so far the Eagles have been quiet. We know Howie Roseman likes to stay busy, and likely has some plan. But what move will he make?

Fans have dreamed of some big splash to acquire an Edge Rusher like Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby. Those moves would be game-changers, giving the Eagles the elite Pass Rusher they have missed since trading away Hasson Reddick, but those dreams are probably not likely.

The Fanatic has had multiple guests on the air this week talking about the deadline. The message from all of them has led to a similar conclusion. When it comes to what the Eagles will do at this Trade Deadline, think small.

Don’t Expect the Big Splash From Eagles At Trade DeadlineOn Tuesday, EJ Smith joined The Best Show Ever. One of the things he talked to Tyrone and Ricky about was the poor track of Eagles’ deadline moves. Robert Quinn, Kevin Byard. Go back in time we can talk about Golden Tate.

Vic Fangio talked about it too. Integrating players mid-season is difficult. The Eagles have had several weeks and they still haven’t been able to integrate Jahan Dotson. Integrating players in the NFL is harder than in other leagues. Fangio said it is a bit easier in other places, but a lot of the time teams end up a bit disappointed by what they got.

Which is why EJ Smith thinks the Eagles should take a different approach this season.

“Don’t go for an aging veteran who’s on an expiring contract that you’re basically just renting for a playoff push. You Fangio talked earlier today about how if you are going to trade for somebody at the deadline, it sometimes makes more sense to trade for somebody who’s got a couple of years on their contract that you can see being a part of the defense for more than just these 7 or 8 games or whatever it might be for the Eagles.

Baron Browning is somebody who stands out to me because he’s an Edge Rusher for the Broncos who played for Vic Fangio. I know that the big-name guys like Myles Garrett and Max Crosby, your eyes would go up big if you if you could get those guys. But I don’t know if either of them are really going to get traded. And if they do, it’s going to be a really big price.“

Baron Browning might not be a name many fans recognize unless you watch the Broncos. He is a rotational Edge Rusher who has 9.5 sacks over his last 28 games. That might not be the move that gets fans excited, but maybe it is the type of move fans should expect.

(Photo by Gus Stark/Getty Images)Wednesday morning, Kincade and Salciunas had their usual conversation with NFL Insider Adam Schefter, who reflected a similar sentiment.

“I’m not expecting your usual big Eagle moves before the trade deadline. I don’t see the Eagles making a big move. Could I see them getting some kind of role-player? Yeah, for the right price, definitely. I could see something like that happening. But, you know, if you’re waiting for Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby, it ain’t happening.”

We have also had Jeff McLane, Tim McManus, Andrew DiCecco, and Dave Zangaro, among other names on the station in the past week. Everyone says the same thing. Don’t expect a big splash. Think small. Role players, rotational players, guys who can help on the margins of the roster. Edge Rusher comes up the most. So that is what you should look for. A guy who can take a dozen or so snaps per game, and maybe get you a few sacks.

Related: Edge Rusher Would Make Sense For Eagles At Trade Deadline

Making that big splash is a nice dream. But in this case, it is a pipe dream. There will be no Myles Garrett in an Eagles jersey. Whoever they do go out and acquire, likely is not going to be the type of player you buy a jersey for. But they could be someone who will be a contributor here for multiple years. That might be the better way to approach the deadline anyway, given how those splash moves have failed in the past.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post When It Comes To Eagles Trade Deadline Plans, Think Small appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Two consecutive convincing victories have renewed optimism for Philadelphia Eagles fans. Is a trip to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX in play?

Improvement from Jalen Hurts and a loaded cast of offensive firepower inspire confidence, but the head coach still doesn’t. Nick Sirianni built his fair share of doubters during a 2023 collapse, and plenty of Eagles fans and media hesitate to give him credit for much of anything.

Even during a three-game winning streak, Kellen Moore receives more accolades for efficient offensive game plans.

Conflict on The Mike Missanelli ShowThe Mike Missanelli Show has sparked an excellent contrast in points of view. Missanelli disagreed with the decision to retain Sirianni entering 2024 because of the head coach’s inability to respond to a brutal losing stretch last season.

Bill ~~Sirianni~~ Colarulo pushes back consistently against strong criticism of the his alleged cousin that comes from all angles throughout Philadelphia.

97.5 The Fanatic on X (formerly Twitter): “It’s Victory Monday!! @BillColarulo #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/uLtQYtkMmN / X”It’s Victory Monday!! @BillColarulo #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/uLtQYtkMmN

Colarulo continually raises an excellent point about the perception of the coaching staff.

Why does Kellen Moore receive the credit for game plans when the offense runs successfully while Nick Sirianni takes blame for the unit’s shortcomings?

The question touches on the subjective nature of evaluating football coaches. It also relates to a big-picture question about Sirianni’s degree of impact on the franchise’s ability to post an outstanding 39-19 record since he took over the sidelines from Doug Pederson in 2021.

The Good: Nick Sirianni in 2022Philadelphia seemed perfectly okay with Sirianni’s uncommon and sometimes bizarre temperament after two seasons. The Eagles exceeded expectations in 2021 and narrowly lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII after the 2022 season.

Winning tends to shape perception, but did the success have more to do with Sirianni’s strengths or a talented roster assembled by Howie Roseman?

Sirianni never proved himself as an offensive genius that NFL broadcasters gush over. He also didn’t have to.

The Eagles took what opposing defenses gave them. They proved themselves capable of alternating dominant performances through the air or on the ground on their way to finishing third in the NFL in offensive DVOA.

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesThe former Division III wide receiver wisely and humbly avoided overcoaching a team rolling on all cylinders. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that means he did nothing to contribute to a 14-3 season.

Plenty of tactically strong coaches can’t match Sirianni’s career record because they force players into predetermined systems too strongly with detrimental ego.

Instead, Sirianni’s emphasis on core principles of connectivity, competition, accountability, intelligence, and fundamentals resonated with his players.

Related Content: Have The Eagles Lost All of Their National Appeal?

Situational football became a key strength and substantiated the vague idea of culture. A victory in the NFC Championship Game provided the perfect microcosm when DeVonta Smith narrowly missed a key fourth-down catch in the first quarter.

The Eagles deliberately took advantage of the officials’ mistake to rule it a catch. They quickly ran another play before Kyle Shanahan could throw the challenge flag.

A coach with more apparent strengths in game preparation and intangibles had just outsmarted a coach lauded for his offensive scheme. The Eagles gained 29 yards in a key swing play that helped them to a victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

The Bad: Nick Sirianni in 2023Sirianni’s culture did nothing to stop the bleeding when adversity struck in 2023.

Fundamental mistakes proved the Eagles weren’t a disciplined team throughout the season. Repeated turnover issues belittled the coaching staff’s emphasis on ball control. The connectivity principle seemed hollow when Jalen Hurts lost continuity with his head coach.

Sirianni’s lack of innovative offensive concepts caught up to the Eagles when they lost six of their final seven games. Jeremy Fowler cited NFL scouts commenting on Philadelphia’s failure to maximize their talent.

“They kind of felt like the Eagles rolled the ball out last year (2023) like ‘Hey, what we do isn’t broken. Let’s not fix it. Let’s go after it.’ And because of the talent they had, (the Eagles thought) that they could just mow people over. That worked for a little bit, but teams adjust and evolve.” –Jeremy Fowler on Kincade & Salciunas

The decision to appoint Matt Patricia as the primary-decision-maker on defense after Week 14 also contradicted Sirianni’s supposed strength of coaching the coaches. Sean Desai hadn’t even lasted a full season as defensive coordinator, and the Eagles later fired Brian Johnson.

The move to Patricia complicated the defense when simplification might’ve benefitted the unit more. The offense conversely could’ve benefitted from new layers of creativity, as Rob Maaddi discussed with Kincade & Salciunas after a conversation with Jason Kelce.

Sirianni’s volatile personality hurt the team more than his sincerity helped it, particularly in the case of his poor reputation with NFL officiating crews.

The Ugly (& The Unknown): Nick Sirianni in 2024Jeffrey Lurie’s decision to retain Nick Sirianni entering 2024 came with unavoidable consequences. The additional decision to hire two new coordinators created the perception that Bill Colarulo has questioned.

The most passionate fans in professional sports won’t offer the benefit of the doubt to the head coach until there’s a Lombardi Trophy in his hands.

Any questionable behavior, especially a rash and immature argument with fans at Lincoln Financial Field, always held the potential to explode into a bigger story.

FOX Sports: NFL on X (formerly Twitter): “Eagles HC Nick Sirianni appears to have some words towards the crowd as the clocked ticked down in the Philly victory. pic.twitter.com/XILkMvVamD / X”Eagles HC Nick Sirianni appears to have some words towards the crowd as the clocked ticked down in the Philly victory. pic.twitter.com/XILkMvVamD

The emphasis on pre-snap motion and offensive plays under center during the recent winning streak since the Week 5 bye are two identifiable characteristics of past Kellen Moore offenses. The praise has poured in for the OC.

Where’s the credit for Sirianni? If his supposed strengths managing team culture and connectivity are legitimate, he’ll allow outsiders to credit Kellen Moore with his own focus solely on success.

“Nick has shown in his tenure with the Eagles that he’s going to do whatever he thinks is in the best interest of the Philadelphia Eagles… He doesn’t care about how other people perceive it. He doesn’t care about anything other than what’s in the best interest of the team… I think players respect the hell out of coaches that operate on that level and communicate things like that. He’s a very unselfish guy.” –Jason Kelce

His lack of ego helped the team when Shane Steichen took over play-calling in 2021 and when he let his players execute in 2022 without overstepping. He’s already shown similar humility in 2024 by blaming himself for poor game management decisions.

While his antics after the Cleveland Browns game certainly weren’t productive, they didn’t disrupt the team’s momentum. The door is still open for Super Bowl contention, and the Eagles have a roster capable of winning the ultimate prize.

Fans and media might quarrel over assigning credit if the Eagles continue to pick up steam in the second half of the season. They might focus too heavily on Sirianni’s references to his old high school coaches after a loss. They might even unreasonably criticize his personality.

However, Nick Sirianni himself should wonder about something much more important.

Are his strengths benefitting the Eagles in 2024 like they did in 2022? Or, are his weaknesses holding the team back like they did in 2023?

The post Nick Sirianni: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly & The Unknown appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

For the first time in over a year, there is real reason to feel good about the Eagles. 2 straight wins of 20 points or more. They have dominated two teams that despite bad records, have kept it close with everyone else in the league. But have they gotten the attention of the National Media? Here is your week 9 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up.

Week 9 Eagles Power RankingsESPN- 10- (Previously 11)“Barkley has been sensational. He is second to only the Ravens’ Derrick Henry in rushing yards (766) and rushing yards per game (109.4). Barkley has posted 100-plus scrimmage yards in six of the first seven games, becoming just the third Eagle ever to do so. Philadelphia has shifted to more of a run-heavy identity as a result of his success, helping it rip off three straight wins.”

The Barkley signing has been as good as you can possibly hope. He has changed the landscape of this offense. They were a good running team the last two years, but very reliant on the blocking working. While the O-Line is elite, no O-line is perfect. Now they have the great back to go along with the great line.

CBS Sports- 10 (Previously 11)“The Eagles looked good in blowing out the Bengals on the road. The offense is starting to click again. Watch out for them as they seem to be getting it right.”

The offense averages 29.75 points with AJ Brown. They average under 20 without him. This offense might have figured something out now that they are healthy. Having that extra threat takes this offense to a whole other level. These last two games were without Dallas Goedert, so they could still get even better.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)NFL.com- 10 (Previously 10)“Jalen Hurts had one of his cleanest games, and all the big-play weapons who were healthy shared the offensive load. When the Eagles play this type of three-phase football, they’re tough to beat.“

Hurts has looked like his old self. Not only is he protecting the Football, but he is still pushing it down the field. He has 4 TDs of at least 40 yards in the past 3 games, and 3 of those had 40+ Air Yards. You could argue no QB has looked as good as him since they came out of the bye week.

USA Today- 10 (Previously 11)“Maybe The City of Brotherly Love should start showing a little more to HC Nick Sirianni and Co. A coach once vilified, among other things, for refusing to run the ball oversees a team with the most rushes per game (34.3) in the league. Philly didn’t lose or turn the ball over once in October.“

Yep, credit to Sirianni. As frustrating as he has been, he seems to have gotten things under control. His decision-making has been great the past few weeks, going for it in good places, but also taking the points when it makes sense. We don’t know how much control he has over the offense, but he has either coached better or trusted his Coordinators more to run things. Either way, it reflects well on him.

Sports Illustrated- 10 (Previously 10)“This Cooper DeJean tackle on Ja’Marr Chase has powerful healing properties and, if the Eagles end up making a deep run to the postseason, we will run that ad nauseam.“

Cooper DeJean has been such a difference-maker so far. He is a massive upgrade over Avonte Maddox, who sadly due to multiple injuries has clearly lost a step. DeJean has been near perfect as the nickel cornerback so far, making key plays in every game, including this huge tackle that started the Eagles truly taking over the game.

Philadelphia Eagles on X (formerly Twitter): “THAT’S A BAD (DE)JAWN @cdejean23 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/ZlMCooglqv / X”THAT’S A BAD (DE)JAWN @cdejean23 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/ZlMCooglqv

Yahoo Sports- 8 (Previously 9)“Over the Bengals’ final four possessions Sunday, after they tied the game 17-17, Philadelphia allowed 36 yards and no points on 11 plays. The Eagles’ defense has been coming on strong the past couple of weeks.“

The most impressive thing about Fangio is his ability to adjust. They have been running his scheme for a while, but his proteges like Gannon and Desai seemed to struggle to adjust in game. That has not been an issue with Fangio. His defense got torn apart early, but then he adjusted, and the Eagles shut down the Bengals the rest of the way.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Week 9 Eagles Power Rankings Round Up- On The Rise appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Well, it feels like the Philadelphia Eagles are starting to hit their stride. After 3 straight victories culminated in a dominant win over the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday, Eagles fans seem to be breathing easier for the first time in a while. But has the season really gone as expected so far?

Clearly, there are things we missed with our preseason predictions on Kincade And Salciunas, but what have been the biggest surprises through the birds’ first 7 games?

The defense has played well above expectationsIt’s nearly unbelievable to see what a young, unproven Eagles defense has accomplished so far this season. They are currently 7th in the NFL in points per game allowed, and that number largely exists where it does because of young budding star players like Quinyon Mitchell, Jalen Carter, and even Nakobe Dean. If this keeps up? Well, Vic Fangio will get plenty of credit as well.
The offensive line depth has been impressiveIt wasn’t a huge conversation ahead of the season, but the depth chart looked light on the offensive line front if any of the starters were to go down. And now? Well, Fred Johnson has been a revelation filling in for Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, and Tyler Steen has been serviceable in relief of Mekhi Becton. The offensive line hasn’t lost a step due to injury, and that’s impressive. Chalk that one up to Jeff Stoutland University.
The Eagles are still starting slow on offenseOk, this has to be the most surprising stat of the season so far. I can’t even think of a close second. The Eagles STILL haven’t scored a point in the 1st quarter of any of their games this year. It’s unbelievable. On top of that, they’re 5-2?? In what world is that even possible? Now they did score on their first DRIVE against Cincinnati, but a faster start would be welcome for sure.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post CT’s Top 3: Philadelphia Eagles Surprises This Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles getting off the slow starts on offense has been a talking point all year long. 7 games in, they still have zero points. Not exactly a pretty stat. For most of the games, it is an accurate statement to say they started slow. After 6 games, they averaged just over 10 yards per drive in the first 2 drives of the game.

But because the Eagles technically did not score again in the 1st quarter vs the Bengals, there are still people talking about “slow starts.” This is despite the fact they did score points on their first drive and scored a TD on their 3rd drive. It just so happened their first drive carried over into the 2nd quarter because the Bengals first drive lasted 10 minutes. And their 3rd drive didn’t come until the end of the 2nd quarter.

It is hard to score when you don’t have the ball. Their first drive didn’t start until there were only 5 minutes to go in the quarter. They moved the ball, but because they were in no rush, the first quarter ended mid-drive.

Now you could still say they haven’t scored in the 1st quarter. but that would be ignoring all of the context of the game. The Bengals were having long extended drives. They were burning the clock. The Eagles only had 3 drives in the first half and scored on 2 of them. That is not a slow start.

The Best Show Ever Debunks Eagles Slow Start NonsenseSo when The Best Show Ever was hearing people complain about another “slow start” they couldn’t hold back. Tyrone, Ricky, and Sylvana explained just how little sense it makes to say the Eagles had another “slow start.”

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)“I’m done with the slow start thing. It’s not the offense’s fault. They scored their first drive. They didn’t get the ball…

It’s not Kellen Moore’s, Jalen Hurts’, Nick Sirianni’s, or any of those guys’ fault that the Bengals had the ball on a 17-play drive where they went five for five on third down. You notice as soon as they started giving the Eagles offense more opportunities, they were scoring. They still scored their first drive…

If that’s an 8-minute drive rather than a 10-minute drive… The Eagles would have scored in the first quarter. But since the drive lasted ten minutes, what are they supposed to do? What he’s supposed to do is go down the field and score. That’s what they did.”

You Can Watch The Full Conversation About the Eagles and Slow Starts on The Best Show Ever Below:Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Eagles “Slow Start” On Offense Not A Real Issue Vs Bengals appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles came into the game on a 2-game winning streak. Their last game was their best game in the past 2 years, crushing the Giants 28-3. But beating the Browns and Giants left some people unimpressed. Those are two bad teams. They may have good defenses, but their offenses are two of the worst in the league.

Maybe beating the Bengals will change that tune. Yes, their record is not very good, but they took the Ravens to OT, and kept things close with the Commanders and Chiefs. They came into week 8 having won 3 of their last 4 games.

Related: Eagles Make A Strong Statement In Win Over The Bengals

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)You can’t discount this win the same way people did the last two. The Eagles were betting underdogs. It was in hostile territory against a team desperate for a win. Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense tore apart the Ravens and Commander’s defense earlier this year. This was not an easy game, and this was an impressive win.

But how impressive? What should we take away from them putting up 37 points while holding the Bengals to just 17? Is this team ready to really compete, or are there still things to be concerned about? Is this defense legit? Is the offense finally living up to the hype?

With a day to think about it, let’s go over the game again. Fans have good reason to feel good about this team now. They are 5-2, with wins over the Packers and Bengals. Their only losses came with several key players missing. Now that they are healthy, they might be a team to watch.

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)Eagles fans have been through it, and have good reason to be skeptical. But here is why you should feel confident in the Eagles going forward.

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It was ten minutes into the Eagles game at Cincinnati and after a 17-play drive with numerous third down conversions, the Philadelphia Eagles found themselves down 7-0. Cue Eagles Twitter with the “this defense sucks”… ”this Eagles defense is atrocious” stuff you have come to expect after the collapse of the 2023 season.

In one way, it’s understandable that fans would suffer from some defensive PTSD. In another, it’s absolutely stupid to react this way and hopefully we can see this behavior take a lap. It’s fans and media alike who aren’t seeing what is right in front of their eyes. A little history lesson from a legendary Eagles Defensive Coordinator might be in order.

Jim Johnson loved the rope-a-dope to start a gameMany Eagles fans are not old enough to remember the approach that Jim Johnson took to the opening drive of a game. Unfortunately, there are too many that ARE old enough who should understand that the first defensive drive of the game may play out just like a crafty defensive coordinator wants it to.

Jim Johnson believed in not getting after quarterbacks on the first drive with the blitz. If he ever used it that was a special occasion. In fact, he would purposely play it softer. His philosophy was to see the offensive coordinator empty their bag and make them take as many plays as possible IF they were going to score.

Fast forward to Sunday and that “atrocious” 17-play touchdown drive which had various third-down opportunities to end. Was it a terrible drive? No. You don’t want to see a team score like that but there were plenty of chances to end it and Fangio was able to see the Bengals approach in various situations. From that point on they scored ten points. Advantage Fangio. Disadvantage, the prisoners of the moment.

The Eagles defense is 7th in points allowed per gameThe Eagles were 30th in points allowed last season. It was a complete disaster that deserved all the abuse and vitriol that this city could hand out. This team has shown you enough that all of the over-the-top, knee-jerk evaluations just sound so dumb.

I don’t remember anyone thinking that they could be a top-10 defense but yet they are. In fact, they have gotten younger and more dynamic. The Eagles are 8th in rushing yards allowed per game and 10th against the pass. They are 12th in sacks and they have averaged 12 points allowed in their three-game winning streak.

The young “Dawgs” on defense are looking a lot betterIt was a month ago that I was told by listeners that Nolan Smith was a bust. Now he has three consecutive games with a sack. Nakobe Dean looked lost when the season began and now he has become impactful at linebacker. Jordan Davis may be a one-trick pony of sorts, but his one trick consistently has had him as a top ten defender against the run. These Georgia players have earned the critique that they received but it is most certainly getting better.

vCan we please put the 2023 season behind us?It would be great if going forward that the “anti-defense” Eagles fans waited till they saw a little more of the game play out before they proclaim the unit as terrible. In fact, by every metric they aren’t.

It’s not last season and with Vic Fangio in charge they are deserving of your trust. The scheme is solid, the young players are coming of age and confidence is high. Will they continue to play at this kind of level? I doubt it. Are they awful and atrocious? Only if you aren’t watching with context.

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The start to the Eagles season was a bit uneven. They got an impressive win vs the Packers to open things up, but then blew a win the next week vs the Falcons. They followed up with the defense making a statement down in New Orleans, but then the Bucs embarrassed them the following week in Tampa. It was tough to tell who this team was heading into the bye week.

But coming out of the bye week, and getting healthy started to turn things around. Wins over the Browns and Giants were nice, but not enough to convince some fans that this team was back. But going into Cincinnati, and thumping a tough Bengals team, might do just that. They come back to Philly with a 37-17 win, and a 5-2 record.

The Eagles Offense Lives Up To The HypeThe offense clicked from start to finish. Yes, they technically didn’t score in the 1st quarter, but they did score on the first drive. Then they scored in all but 1 of their drives, including 4 TDs. They scored 37 points and finished with 397 yards.

The Jalen Hurts we saw in 2022 showed up. The actual passing number might not jump off the page, 236 yards and a passing TD. But just like he was last week, he was efficient with the ball and made the passing plays when he had to. On 20 pass attempts, he threw just 4 incompletions. He finished with 4 total TDs, including 2 Tush Push TDs. But the highlight for him, and the Eagles, was his deep TD to DeVonta Smith.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1850615989614055671People might say the Bengal defense sucks, and it does. But last week they did this to a stout Giants defense. They put 28 points on them despite pulling the starters in the 4th quarter. That’s now 2 straight games where this Eagles offense dominated.

The Defense Makes Plays When It Needs ToThe start of the game for the Eagles defense did not go well. Joe Burrow took them apart with 1000 cuts. Just moving down the field in chunks of 7 to 10 yards. He picked apart the zone defense with ease, taking up 10 minutes to score a TD on the opening drive.

But late in the game, when things were still close, they stepped up. First, it was a big 4th down stop in Bengals territory, thanks to a great tackle by Cooper Dejean. That set up a FG for the Eagles to go up 10.

https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/1850618190860103993Then, CJ Gardner Johnson picked off Burrow with the assistance of Isaiah Rodgers. That led to the Eagles 4th TD of the game, and pretty much ended the game. But even then the D wasn’t done. They put the nail in the coffin forcing a fumble to truly seal the win.

https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/1850623016004415729By the end, they held a dangerous Bengals offense to just 17 points. Getting stops when it counts is what great defenses do. The Eagles defense in the 2017 Super Bowl got torched all game. But in the biggest drive of the game, they forced a fumble. Meanwhile, the 2022 Eagles defense was among the best in the league all year long. But when it mattered, they couldn’t get a stop to save their lives in the Super Bowl.

It is not how you start, it is how you finish. In the moments when the game was on the line, this defense stepped up and made the plays. They might be young, but they are showing you can count on them when you need to. They have given up just 2 TDs now in the past 3 games.

Eagles Make A StatementThe Bengals at 3-5 may not look like an impressive win, but this team kept it close with some of the league’s elite teams. They took the Ravens to OT and only lost because of a missed FG. Their game with the Chiefs went down to the wire. The Bengals are a good team with a bad record, and the Eagles blew them out. A 20-point win.

Maybe those early struggles were them missing AJ Brown, and then later missing Devonta smith and Lane Johnson. Maybe this young defense needed some time to adjust to the league. Maybe the team needed time to learn Moore’s offense and Fangio’s defense. Maybe this team is better than we thought.

5-2, with wins over the Bengals and Packers, looks pretty good. Depending on what happens with the Commanders and Bears, they could be either leading the NFC East or down just .5 a game. There is good reason to be excited about what is happening with the Eagles.

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Suddenly the Eagles are 4-2, and coming off their best game of the season. A week after the panic of them barely beating the Browns, there is more to feel good about with the Eagles than there has been in nearly a year. The defense is clicking, and the offense just dropped 28 points on a top-10 defense, despite sitting their starters in the 4th quarter.

Related: 6 Numbers That Tell The Story Of The Eagles Crushing The Giants

Will those good vibes carry over into this weekend though? They are facing down the Bengals. If you look at their record, they do not look like a scary team. At 3-4, they have struggled to start the season. But what the record doesn’t tell you is how close they came to beating the Chiefs and Ravens.

The Bengals can be formidable, no matter what the record shows. Their defense is a bit of a mess, and they have no run game to speak of, but Joe Burrow can still put up crooked numbers. He is still throwing to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)The Eagles had bad opponents the last 2 weeks. The Browns and Giants both have good defenses, but they are also 2 of the worst offenses in the league. The Bengals can be beaten, clearly, but they won’t roll over quite as easily as these last two teams. The offense might have an easier time this weekend than they did the past 2 weeks, but the defense is going to be tested. Especially this young secondary.

So what do the Eagles need to do this weekend to get to 5-2? Which players need to step up the most to leave Cincinnati with a win? Can the D-Line keep up how they have played in the last two games?

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In recent weeks, the Eagles have now had 2 games flexed out of prime slots, to make way for different teams. This weekend’s game vs the Bengals was originally supposed to be a 4:25 game on CBS their prime slot, where they put their best game. They got flexed to 1 to make way for Bears vs Commanders. Now, a Jaguars game that was originally the Sunday night game, will be played at 4 PM two weeks from now.

It is a big change from last year, where they were constantly featured either in prime-time games or in either the CBS or Fox game of the week slot. They were getting either Network’s A-Team Broadcast nearly every week. The Eagles hardly ever played in the 1 pm window.

The ratings backed up the fact that people wanted to watch the Eagles. 4 of the 10 most watched games featured the Eagles. Even in week 17, when they were in a tailspin and were playing the lowly Giants, it drew massive ratings. They were media darlings. Now 1 year later they are getting bumped from key time slots 2 weeks in a row.

Photo By: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY SportsWhy Were The Eagles Flexed? So What happened? Kincade and Salciunas had Adam Schefter on the air and asked him that question. here is what Schefter said.

“Eagles vs Jacksonville is a function, I think, of the opponent. We’ve seen enough of the Jaguars in London in the last two weeks and I go okay I’m good right now. I think it’s a function of that. And the first time they were flexed out. I believe it was for Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels…

So I think the first time the Eagles are flexed out, it’s more to do with the fact that these two young quarterbacks are very appealing and the next time they’re flexed out. I think it has more to do with the Jaguars and I don’t think either time it has as much to do with the Eagles, but they’re caught up in it both times.“

Those two points are fair. The Jaguars are a bad team, and they replaced this weekend’s game with a battle of the exciting rookie QBs. But shouldn’t Hurts vs Burrow also be a big draw? That is why they planned it to be the main CBS game this weekend to begin with. But 7 weeks in they decided another game was better

Also, opponents didn’t matter last year with them. Eagles-Jets drew big numbers. Eagles-Giants was a top 10 watched game. Last year networks wanted them no matter who they played. So is it really just the opponent causing them to be flexed this year?

The truth is somewhere in between. Yes, there were better matchups, and the Eagles’ opponents are not big draws in these games anymore. But it also has to do with the Eagles not being as sexy as they once were.

They have 3 more Prime Time games coming up. The Thursday Night game vs the Commanders won’t be flexed. But the Sunday Night game the following week vs the Rams could be.

They also have 3 4:25 games that could be in danger of being moved to 1. It is the Steelers, Ravens, and Cowboys, so they probably won’t be moved. But clearly, the NFL does not value the Eagles the way they did last year.

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After getting only ugly wins all last year, and 3 so far this year, the Eagles finally had a pretty one. They went up to Met Life and put a thumping on the Giants. They beat them so badly that they got to pull their starters in the 4th quarter. Is the national media now high on them? Find out in the Week 8 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up.

(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)Week 8 Eagles Power RankingsESPN- 11 (Previously 13)“(DeJean) has been a difference-maker since becoming the starting nickel corner in Week 6. DeJean, 21, has posted 10 tackles, half a sack and two quarterback pressures in two games, helping to solidify a unit that has yielded nine points total in that span.”

It is the Browns and Giants, so we maybe can’t read too much about this. But the difference in how the Eagles’ defense has played since Cooper DeJean took over for Avonte Maddox is stark. In past weeks opposing teams attacked the middle of the field relentlessly, but DeJean has been near perfect in his two weeks as starters. Suddenly this looks like a formidable secondary.

NFL.com- 10 (Previously 12)“The Eagles’ pass rush also took batting practice on Daniel Jones and Drew Lock, racking up eight sacks and holding them to a net 43 passing yards. The Giants’ long gain on the day was 14 yards; Barkley alone had three runs longer than that.“

Again, it is the Browns and Giants, two bad O-Lines. So we can’t read too much into this. Still, they got to face some bad O-Lines earlier in the season and didn’t look like this. The D-Line took over in both games. Blowing up the run game, and getting pressure in the QBs face all game long. If they play half this well going forward, they are in good shape.

CBS Sports- 11 (Previously 15)“Eagles That Eagles team we saw against the Giants is the team we expected to see. They put to rest for a week all the talks that head coach Nick Sirianni is in trouble.”

I mean, for now sure, but his job is still very much on the line. He won’t be fired in season, but that was never likely to begin with. If they don’t win a playoff game, or win the division, he could still be gone. Sirianni earned himself a week off from the mud-slinging, but his seat is still very hot.

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)Sports Illustrated- 14 (Previously 13)“A thorough thrashing of the Giants could provide Nick Sirianni and the Eagles with the inverse of their momentum-sapping losses of a year ago that spurred an infamous losing streak and a prolonged period of sleepwalking. A stretch of winnable games upcoming with Cincinnati, Jacksonville and Dallas are the preamble to a clash with the Commanders on Nov. 14 that is, all of a sudden, circled on calendars.”

Dropping them a spot after that game seems weird. The reason they dropped is because the Seahawks jumped from 17 to 10 after beating up the Falcons, who the Eagles lost to. But the Seahawks lost to this Giants team that the Eagles just blew out. So why did the Seahawks jump 7 spots, but the Eagles fell 1?

Yahoo Sports- 9 (Previously 11)“Maybe it was just the Giants being awful, but this was finally a game in which the Eagles looked like a contender. The talent has always been there but the results haven’t. The defense in particular looked like it is starting to warm up to coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme, allowing just 119 yards and collecting eight sacks.“

The defense has been perfect the last two weeks. We will find out if it is just the bad opponent, or real improvement on Sunday vs the Bengals. Expecting them to be this good vs Joe Burrow is unrealistic, but if they can put together another good performance, we can start talking about this defense being the real deal.

USA Today- 11 (Previously 11)“Among the many things that went well in Saquon Barkley’s first visit to the Giants, he clocked 21.93 mph on his 55-yard run Sunday – the fastest this year by a running back, per Next Gen Stats.”

Saquon Barkley has been such a difference-maker. I was always against the idea of paying big money to a RB. But when they are this good, they can make a difference. His explosiveness is evident every week. At any point, he can break off a big run. He has 3 50+ yard runs, 4 40+ yard runs, and 7 20+ yards runs this season.

https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1848060374051946972Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Week 8 Eagles Power Rankings Round Up: A Dominant Win appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles badly needed a convincing win. It felt like for the past 365+ days, every Sunday, or sometimes Monday, Thursday, and 1 Friday, had been stressful, even when they won. They haven’t beaten up on any team in a long time. So for them to go up to North New Jersey, and beatdown the Giants, felt good.

Related: Saquon Barkley and The Eagles Run All Over The Giants

Yes, it is the Giants. But the Eagles haven’t beaten up a bad team in a while. They got the Giants twice last year, and only eked out 1 win, and lost the other. The Cardinals and Jets beat them last year. Just a week ago they snuck away with a win over the Browns. This was a new thing for this Eagles team. They faced down a bad opponent and crushed them the way they should.

A convincing 28-3 win was just what we all needed. The fact they could pull the starters in the 4th quarter was even better. For a week, everyone gets to feel good about the Eagles. It is a week with next to no negative storylines and only good vibes.

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)But what can we take away from it? Even if the opponent was poor, can we still take away good things? Are there things about the Giants that may be more impressive than you would think just looking at their record? Did Nick Sirianni redeem himself with some of his decision-making on Sunday?

Let’s break down some of the numbers. You might think this was “Just The Giants,” but that is not giving the Eagles enough credit. The Giants’ offense might stink, but their defense has ranked in the top 10 this season in most stats, and the Eagles’ offense scoring on them should not be discounted.

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Philadelphia Eagles fans who tuned into ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown welcomed a surprise into their living rooms.

Sal Paolantonio sat down with Saquon Barkley ahead of his return to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants, but ESPN also chose two more familiar voices to embody the feelings of Eagles fans reacting to one of the biggest storylines in NFL Week 7– John Kincade and Andrew Salciunas.

WATCH FULL SEGMENT: Kincade & Salciunas featured on Sunday NFL CountdownKincade & SalciunasESPN proudly displayed the 97.5 The Fanatic logo while Andrew set the stage for Barkley’s return to the Meadowlands.

“Kincade & Salciunas, 97.5 The Fanatic. It’s Eagles-Giants, Saquon Barkley versus his old squad, and oh by the way, the Giants fans were not happy with Saquon going to the Eagles. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the Saquon show this Sunday. The Giants literally said, ‘Oh, we’re not going to pay a running back that kind of money.’” -Andrew Salciunas

John added insight about the age-old contrast between New York and Philadelphia that characterizes the rivalries in two of the most prominent sports cities in the country.

“We closed the chapter. The glitz and the glamour of New York, that’s in the past. He’s embraced the grit and the grind that is Philadelphia, an absolute win for us.” -John Kincade

ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown used excellent looks at Eagles fans riding the Broad Street Line at the City Hall stop.

It smoothly complemented the now-infamous Hard Knocks footage of John Mara talking about his hesitancy to let Barkley sign with the rival Eagles.

Saquon BarkleyA big day for 97.5 The Fanatic went down smoothly when the Eagles crushed the Giants 28-3.

Barkley torched the Giants for 176 yards on the ground on only 17 carries.

He put the Eagles on the board in the second quarter with a 55-yard scamper through the New York secondary and a three-yard touchdown to seal the drive.

Kincade & Salciunas had plenty to say about what could be a turning point win for the 2024 season.

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When the potential of Saquon Barkley signing with the Eagles came up on the Giants off-season version of Hard Knocks, John Mara said he would have “a hard time sleeping” at night if that happened. How do you think the Giants Owner will sleep tonight? He just saw Saquon Barkley run all over his team, ending in a 28-3 Eagles win.

Barkley made it very clear that he had no extra motivation this week. Whether or not that is true doesn’t matter. What does matter is Barkley ran for 176 yards on 17 carries and a TD, over 10 yards a carry. He had runs of 55 yards, 41 yards, and 38 yards. All 3 eventually led to TDs.

NFL on X (formerly Twitter): “SAQUON. 55-YARD RUN.: #PHIvsNYG on FOX: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/x02woOkZaj / X”SAQUON. 55-YARD RUN.: #PHIvsNYG on FOX: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/x02woOkZaj

You might be saying it is just The Giants. Yes, the Giants are a bad team. But their defense has been good. They came into the game 10th in the league in points allowed per game and yards allowed per game. 28 is the most points any team scored against them this season.

They held the Bengals to 17 points a week ago. The Red Hot Commanders managed just 21 points against them. The Vikings are the only other team to also score 28. The Cowboys and Seahawks scored 20. Good offenses have had a tough time scoring on this team. But the Eagles made it look easy in the final 45 minutes.

Then there was Nick Sirianni. He has been under fire all season long. But he decided to go for it 3 times today. All 3 led to TDs. Two were scored on 4th down, another led to a TD a few plays later. Had he just played it safe, like many people want him to all the time, they would have been up 13-3. It would have wiped 3 TDs off the board, leading to 2 field goals and a punt instead.

Saquon Barkley Was Not The Only StarThe offense was not the only side who showed up. It might be the lowly Giants offense, but the Birds defense had its second straight great performance. They allowed just 3 points and 117 yards. Yes, the Giant’s offense is terrible, but that is still the lowest point and yard total of the season.

The D-Line got after Daniel Jones all game long. Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and Bryce Huff all got a sack. Nakobe Dean and Jalen Carter got 2 sacks. Later, when both teams unloaded their benches, Jalyx Hunt got the 1st sack of his career.

NFL on X (formerly Twitter): “Eagles have racked up 5 first half sacks!: #PHIvsNYG on FOX: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/xwhiLvCEfB / X”Eagles have racked up 5 first half sacks!: #PHIvsNYG on FOX: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/xwhiLvCEfB

Was it vs a banged-up Giants O-Line, that was not exactly playing well even when Andrew Thomas was healthy? Sure. But the Eagles had multiple chances vs banged-up O-Lines earlier in the week. It was a huge storyline going into the Falcons game. The Eagles failed to capitalize in those weeks. So seeing them exploit a bad O-line two weeks in a row, is a great sign for this defense.

A Complete PerformanceIt was the complete performance fans had been waiting for. Every part of the game clicked. The offense might have gotten off to another slow start, but then they scored 28 over the next 3 quarters. Jalen Hurts might have taken some ill-advised sacks early, but then he delivered a beautiful pass to AJ Brown to get the 2nd TD of the game.

Even the Special Team got in on it, with Cooper DeJean having a 28-yard punt return that set up a TD drive.

This is the type of win that can give you a reason to have hope. Even against a bad team, it is something you can build on. Eagles fans will be able to sleep well tonight. Something you can’t say for John Mara.

97.5 The Fanatic on X (formerly Twitter): “Sweet dreams Mr. Mara pic.twitter.com/3WHiObppbH / X”Sweet dreams Mr. Mara pic.twitter.com/3WHiObppbH

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Thanks to the Eagles collapse that began in early December of 2023 and the hangover that carried over into this early season, you can forgive fans who had lost faith. The great part about people losing faith in you is that the comeback to glory is even more rewarding. I’m not telling you that this Eagles team has figured it all out, but I most certainly see positives that make me believe that this team is turning the corner! Let’s review a few!

Jalen Hurts doesn’t turn the ball over for the second consecutive gameHe gets nothing but grief when he fails to perform, so his critics need to bring the same energy when he flips the script. Can we just start the games in the second quarters the rest of the year? Jalen looked shaky and was making poor decisions early on, but then the play-calling and his performance took off. He had some smart decisions throwing the ball and just the threat of him running it caused the Giants defense to be off balance.

Saquon Barkley is delivering what you paid him to doWhen I found out that the Eagles paid a running back top of market dollars it was in direct contradiction to what I prefer. The fact that it was Saquon Barkley made it easier to stomach. After watching yet another dominant effort in his Giants return I’m officially over my trepidation. He is a winner and more importantly sets a physical tone just like AJ Brown does in the passing game. The Eagles’ offensive line tries to be the leader, but this is now a star-laden offense.

(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)AJ Brown continues to dominate AJ Brown just shows up to work believing that he is going to impose his will on the opposition. Better yet, he makes Jalen Hurts believe in himself. The ultimate security blanket wears number 11 and Jalen has unbelievable chemistry with him. AJ is so steady and reliable. With him cooking the whole offensive playbook opens up. Devonta Smith needs more love going his way and I bet that gets corrected next weekend at the Bengals. Brown makes everyone else more dangerous.

The Fangio defense is on a serious roll The Giants offense was only scoring sixteen points a game coming in and Daniel Jones scares nobody, but giving up three points on the road is a true headline. The sack brigade was in full effect and Fangio terrorized the Giants all afternoon long. Just remember how putrid the Eagles’ defense looked last season in January to close out the year at Met Life. Today was a young, fresh defense truly coming of age.

https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/1848051690714333290Nick Sirianni didn’t make himself the story Nick Sirianni once again didn’t have his team prepared to start. They most certainly made the proper decisions to finish the Giants off. Nick and his staff had a tremendous day and his emotions were completely in check. Coming off of last week’s nonsense, I’ll take it.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Not “Just The Giants”: Why That Eagles Win Was Impressive appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles have their first divisional matchup of the year this weekend, which is wild considering how long this roller coaster start to the season has already felt. They’ll head up to MetLife Stadium Sunday to take on the New York Giants, and there is a bit of… dare I say confidence in the birds?

If you agree with what we said on Kincade And Salciunas this morning, I’m glad you’re feeling some positivity about the matchup. But do the big storylines back up that feeling? Here are my thoughts:

Saquon returns to NYThis is without a doubt the biggest storyline of this week’s matchup. Saquon Barkley playing against the Giants, as a division rival, following an offseason where they refused to pay him? Pure cinema. At least, we hope. Will this be a motivational point for the Eagles’ RB or an emotional distraction? We’ll find out on Sunday.
Can Sirianni chill??Nick Sirianni had a rough week at the office. Last weekend’s matchup with the Cleveland Browns saw him jaw with fans on the sideline, then apologize, then apologize some more. It was a tantrum that was deemed “embarrassing” by some members of the organization. So, is the much-maligned head coach going to learn from his mistakes? Or will we see more emotionally distracted (that’s becoming a theme) Sirianni on Sunday?

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)3. Can the Eagles block the Giants’ defensive front?Jordan Mailata suffered a leg injury against the Browns, but even if he was healthy for this Sunday, it would be a tall task for the Eagles’ offensive line to neutralize a defensive front that had the most sacks in the NFL coming into this week. If there’s anything that can wreck the Eagles’ offensive game plan, it’ll be their pass rush.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post CT’s Top 3 Biggest Storylines For Eagles Vs Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

One of the best parts of an NFL season in the life of a sports radio host in Philadelphia is that from Labor Day through at least early January the storylines write themselves. There aren’t needs to do many of the crutches that hosts who avoid show prep love to do in the off-season. Some of my favorites are of course, Mount Rushmore shows and the dreaded “Win-Loss” day after schedule release.

In print media the cycle is pretty relentless too. We refer to it in radio as “List season”. This is where every media outlet comes out with their lists of just about anything.

Now many of these can be creative, funny and interesting. Unfortunately, some are just a writer trying to meet a deadline with a creation of things that never deserve such attention. I’d love to hear about some that you love and hate. Here are a few of the lists I never need to see again!

The NFL Strength Of Schedule RankingThis is one of my favorite targets of slander. Why? First, the NFL SOS ranking list does not take into account anything but LAST season’s results! Each year about 35-40% of the playoff field changes in the NFL so the data is immediately skewed. Secondly, it does not take into account WHERE you play the opponent. Facing the Chiefs in your stadium is far easier than heading to Arrowhead! It’s a statistical folly that is disproved season after season.

Most Bandwagon Fan BaseI swear I get this one pitched to me from a media outlet every year. The reasoning is always skewed and the data could change from year to year. The typical one is based on social media content and that only accounts for about 25% of the population anyway.

Let’s do a list in early 2022, the Phillies fans weren’t very enthusiastic and involved then the miracle run happened. In 2024 the Mets had 4 sellouts and now you can’t get a seat in Queens! Memo to all writers, bandwagon fans exist everywhere. The 76ers were near dead last in attendance over many years now they constantly sell out. Teams CREATE bandwagon fans.

Best Ball Park Food(Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)I’m sorry INSERT RANDOM WRITER HERE, you didn’t try all that stadium food from every major league park. You didn’t roll into 30 stadiums and sample their entire menu. Most likely, you went and read what each stadium has and ranked them on the desirability of how that food sounds. I’m sorry, menus make food look great at even the most mediocre chain joints. Even if you did try some items in every stadium, your own preferences kept you from trying them all.

Here are a few ideas of sports lists that I’ve never seen that I think could be helpful!What is the best cheap seat section in each of the Philadelphia stadiums?I would love to see this list and I bet thousands of fans would bookmark it for buying seats affordably on the secondary market. Anyone want to do it?

What are the best parking lots for each team’s events?What lot gets you out of traffic after the game the quickest? Which one has the best tailgate vibes?

Where are the best spots to watch games when you can’t attend in person?The local bars where on a game night it feels like game night. What spots have an Eagles Gameday atmosphere that make road games feel like the Linc?

IF YOU WANT TO CREATE A LIST TO SHARE WITH ME, I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE IT WITH THE FANATIC AUDIENCE! PLEASE SEND IT ALONG TO ME (YOU WILL GET ALL OF THE CREDIT) AT JOHN.KINCADE@BBGI.com

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The Eagles offense has underperformed. There is no way around that. They are 18th in points per game. with this roster, that is not even close to good enough. An offense with Lane Johnson, AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert, Jalen Hurts, etc, should not be 18th. Even taking injuries into account, it is just not good enough.

Lane Johnson Has An Idea(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Well, Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever this week and was asked about the offense. He told us that he learned something from Lane Johnson, that might just be the key to getting this offense going.

“One thing that he said was that we need to snap the ball sooner. Basically saying that it is something that they’ve struggled with in practice and something that they’re emphasizing. One, because if you’re if you’re snapping the ball when the clock had zero, then the defensive line obviously knows when to get off. Right. We go now. And so that puts the offensive line at a disadvantage, but it also allows the defense to get set. So one big emphasis, it appears, is that they’re trying to fix that.”

All of that makes a lot of sense. If you watch them, it does feel like that play clock is winding down near 0 on a lot of plays. So as McManus mentioned, that is letting the defense not just get comfortable, but it is giving them a chance to jump the snap because they know when it is coming.

How do they go about fixing that? McManus expanded on this issue and talked about 3 factors he thinks play into getting the ball snapped quicker.

“One of them is that the play calls got to get in quicker. Two the players have to be more urgent to the line of scrimmage. And three, it falls on the quarterback.

Don’t wait to see what’s happening like fully with the defense. Like make an initial check and let’s go… I heard some of this feedback internally last year with Hurts. Where people are like he is waiting too long to get to this ball snapped. And if you’re doing that, then you’re allowing defenses to dictate to you a little bit.”

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)With the Eagles’ offense, it can sometimes be tough to tell whether something is a Sirianni problem, a Head Coach problem or a Jalen Hurts problem. But the way McManus describes it, makes me think it is a Hurts problem. It will be on him to make these adjustments and get that ball snapped sooner.

Lane Johnson was very forthright that he thinks that is part of the problem. We know they are working on it. Let’s see how it plays out on Sunday. Take note of when the ball is being snapped each play. That sounds like something worth keeping an eye on.

You can watch the full interview with Tim McManus below: Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Lane Johnson Knows What Eagles Offense Needs To Change appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles sit at 3-2. So on paper, they are in a decent spot. But the nature of that 3-2 start rightfully has people worried about how good this Eagles team actually is. And with the Commanders, and specifically, Jayden Daniels, looking so good out of the gate, the Eagles really need to figure things out fast.

Luckily, they get the Giants this week, who are not a good team. They are currently 2-4, with the wins coming against the Browns and the Seahawks. They are also 29th in points per game, and 20th in yards per game. On paper, they look like an easy opponent. That said, the Browns also looked easy on paper. And while the Eagles beat them, they did not exactly cover themselves in glory while doing so.

Related: Eagles Get The Week 6 Win, But Questions Linger On Offense

This team badly needs a get-right game. Not just a win, but a game where they finally click on all cylinders, and just steamroll a team. They used to do that to the Giants, but last year that was not the case. They squeaked out 1 win and lost the other game.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)This offense is too good to be playing like they are. The slow starts, 0 points in the first quarter so far this season, are killing them. They average 21.2 pts per game this season, but if they played like they did the rest of the game in the 1st quarter, that would be 28.3 pts per game. The difference between 18th in the league, and 5th.

But that is not the case, and they are in fact 18th in the league in scoring. The defense, despite some hiccups, has mostly been fine. The roster there is flawed, but they have played well enough to get by, with the Bucs game being the lone exception where the defense struggled.

The offense needs to drive this team though, and right now they are struggling. This needs to be the week they finally have that blowup game where they put up crooked numbers. For that to happen, they need these players to have big games.

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Nick Sirianni is under fire. Not just in Philly, but around the NFL. After his antics on the field, and in the post-game press conference this week, he became a national punching bag. People called him a fool, people called him a clown. Few people around the league have received more ridicule than Nick Sirianni this week.

"This dude is a straight clown, bro. I just don't have any respect for what this man is doing."@damienwoody weighs in on Nick Sirianni's postgame comments following the Eagles win vs. the Browns. pic.twitter.com/8qzyW5XM9n

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 14, 2024

That is obviously not a great thing. But could it be the kick this team needs? They have not played like a team on fire out of the gate. In fact, they played with some of the same lifelessness we saw last year. Not to say there is not any effort, but they are not living up to their potential. Maybe seeing their head coach drug through the mud will be the kick in the pants they need.

That is what Barrett Brooks thinks will happen. He joined The Best Show Ever on Monday and talked about how while it was not a great look for Sirianni, he thinks it is the type of thing that will get his players fired up.

“I know for a fact the first NFL coach I was under, Ray Rhodes, hated everybody. He gave two fluttering flies about anybody or anyone. He just cared about the people in that locker room. He didn’t care about anything else.

Right now, I think this team is going to circle the wagons around Nick Sirianni. And from this point on, that dog mentality is going to be something we’ll see a lot more of because of that. They’re going to play for that for Nick, best believe that they will play for Nick.“

Will Players Back Up Nick Sirianni?(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)We already saw some players do that. Brandon Graham stood up for his coach. His former player Jason Kelce stuck up for him. Even Jalen Hurts, whose relationship with Sirianni has been rocky, defended him.

We have also seen pro athletes use much dumber things as motivation. Anybody who followed Michael Jordan’s career knows he invented slights to get that extra motivation. Someone could just look at him and he would make up whole stories in his head to pretend that person had insulted him. To the point “and I took that personally” became a Michael Jordan meme off the back of the ‘Last Dance’ documentary.

A few years ago we saw DK Metcalf twist Jim Schwartz saying that he could be on Calvin Johnson’s level into an insult. We saw the Chiefs pretend like they were underdogs even though they were Super Bowl favorites. Athletes will do anything they can to motivate themselves.

So yeah, the Eagles player could absolutely twist this into a motivating factor. They could see their head coach being called a clown, and rally to support him. Despite the team’s struggles, he does seem to be loved by most of his players. It doesn’t excuse Nick Sirianni’s behavior, but it could turn out well for them.

We will see what kind of impact, if any, it has on them when they play the Giants this weekend. Hopefully, they show more life than they have over the first 5 games, because right now despite an ok 3-2 record, things do not look good for this team.

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The Eagles got a win on Sunday. So why does it feel like they lost? They turned in a lackluster performance vs maybe the worst team in the NFL, and the head coach became a national punching bag. So what are they saying about the Eagles around the NFL? Let’s find out in the Week 7 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Week 7 Eagles Power RankingsESPN- 13 (Previously 11)

“The Eagles are 3-2 and have looked perfectly ordinary despite boasting one of the better offensive rosters in the league… Maybe things will settle down as we get deeper into the season, but that’s hard to picture at the moment.”

It is hard to feel optimistic about this team right now. We saw them underperform all of last year, and now they have underperformed through the first 5 weeks. You can say the roster on defense is just flawed, but the defense has actually been fine. It is the offense that is underperforming, and on paper, they should be a top 5 offense in the league.

NFL.com- 12 (Previously 12)“They’re 3-2 now but have been outscored on the season, largely thanks to opponents’ 23-0 first-quarter scoring advantage. Yep, we’re five games in, and the Eagles haven’t scored in the first 15 minutes in any of them.”

More than that, they have barely moved the ball in the first quarter. In the first two drives of the game this year, they have just 140 yards. That is 14 yards per drive. They also have 4 turnovers on those drives. They have scored on two drives this year that started in the 1st but ended in the 2nd. But slow starts have been a problem in every game this season.

CBS- 15 (Previously 16)“They won a game against Cleveland, but it still doesn’t look right. The offense isn’t good, which remains a concern. Nick Sirianni needs to focus on coaching and not the fans.”

The offense still looks the same as last year. We were told Kellen Moore was bringing over his offense. But it looks more like Nick’s offense with a little bit of Moore thrown in. What happened to the 95% new offense? Why are they still doing the same things that failed last year?

The Athletic- 18 (Previously 18)

“The Eagles head coach showed up after the bye week with a shaved head, chirped at his home fans late in the game and then showed up for the postgame news conference with his three young children in tow. Sirianni doesn’t call the offense or defense for the Eagles, so if his only contribution is this kind of stuff, will Philly make a change?“

The Eagles aren’t going to fire him unless things completely collapse. But his job is absolutely on the line, and after his PR written apology, it is clear some people in that building are not happy with his antics. For a guy on the hot seat, it would do him well to start acting more like a professional, especially considering these antics were already a talking point before the season.

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)Sports Illustrated- 11 (Previously 10)

“Philly did enough to pick up a win over the Cleveland Browns, but the offense isn’t completely clicking just yet. The Eagles actually dropped from +1400 to +1500 in the latest Super Bowl odds.”

It is hard to see a Super Bowl in this team’s future right now. They have the talent to change that, but after watching them play 5 games, there is nothing from those games that screams Super Bowl for this team.

Yahoo Sports- 11 (Previously 9)

“If we believe fans on Reddit, via Eagles Nation, they were getting on Sirianni to run the ball more, Sirianni said they would and at the end he was telling the fans he did what he said. Seems innocuous. If that changes the perception of what happened.”

The content of why he was yelling is not that point. It is his continued unprofesional behavoir, that carried over into the press conference, and has followed him since he got here. When they were winning, people didn’t mind. But him acting like this when in charge of a underperfoming team is an awful look, and a distraction.

USA Today- 11 (Previously 9)

“Never a good sign when your head coach is becoming a chronic distraction, especially at a time when you’re struggling to beat, arguably, the worst team in the league. Worth monitoring, even though Philly isn’t scheduled to face an opponent currently with a winning record until Nov. 14.”

That is the lone bright spot. The have Giants, Jaguars, Bengals, Cowboys coming up. It is a good spot to get yourself right. That said, if they don’t right the ship vs these teams, it will tell you that something is very wrong.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.

The post Week 7 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up: Another Ugly Win appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nick Sirianni has an impressive resume. 37-19 over his first 4+ seasons, 3 playoff appearances, and a Super Bowl appearance. If you looked solely at resumes, you would call him an amazing head coach.

But there is a reason companies don’t hire based solely on resumes. Resumes get you the interview, but if you go into that interview and act like a fool, you aren’t getting the job no matter how impressive that resume is. And Nick Sirianni is that fool with a great resume right now. His overall track record may be impressive, but if you look a bit deeper it paints a worrying picture.

Nick Sirianni Is Hurting The Eagles(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Nick Sirianni is a problem for the Eagles. Sunday’s win over the Browns was evidence of that. Between yelling at fans, bringing his kids into the postgame press conference, and then getting pissy with reporters during that press conference, he embarrassed himself all day long. It also came out that he is still calling plays. Specifically, he called what was the worst play on offense all day long.

Now he is being clowned around the NFL today. The National Media ripped him for his antics all morning long, with Damien Woody going as far as to literally call him a clown on Get Up. It is bad when he has his kids on the podium, yet he, the grown adult, is the least mature person up there.

Get Up on X (formerly Twitter): “”This dude is a straight clown, bro. I just don’t have any respect for what this man is doing.”@damienwoody weighs in on Nick Sirianni’s postgame comments following the Eagles win vs. the Browns. pic.twitter.com/8qzyW5XM9n / X”“This dude is a straight clown, bro. I just don’t have any respect for what this man is doing.”@damienwoody weighs in on Nick Sirianni’s postgame comments following the Eagles win vs. the Browns. pic.twitter.com/8qzyW5XM9n

Nick Sirianni promised to be more mature this season. 5 games in, he already broke that promise. Is it tough to hear chants calling for you to be fired? I am sure it is. Does getting ripped every week wear on you? I would imagine it does. But you are a professional coach, deal with it. You are not the first coach to deal with this. Lots of coaches have, most don’t get into screaming matches with fans over it though.

Then there is the playcalling. We were told that it was Kellen Moore running the offense this year and that Nick Sirianni would act as the CEO head coach. But after 5 games, this offense looks like the Nick Sirianni offense of last year, with some Moore seasoning on top. Nick is still running the show, despite how bad that went for them last year. He can’t let it go. Nick feels the need to prove he can do it, but all he is proving is that he can’t do it.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Nick’s immaturity, and his ego, are holding this team back. They have the talent to be better, but the Captain has lost his mind and is steering them right into the iceberg. They might be 3-2, but they do not look like much better of a team than they did last year. If he doesn’t either step back, or step up, this team is going to sink again.

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Well, folks, it wasn’t pretty. The Eagles found a way to a 20-16 victory over the lowly Cleveland Browns yesterday, in a spot where they could ill afford to drop a game. And yet, the win didn’t quite feel like a win to a large portion of the fan base. Here’s what we had to say on Kincade And Salciunas earlier this morning:

Clearly Eagles fans are not in a great spot in spite of a win on Sunday, and I can’t say I blame anyone feeling that way.

Here are my big takeaways from the week 6 win:1. The slow starts are beyond concerningScoreboard operators must love the Eagles. They haven’t had to update their score in 5 straight 1st quarters. It was another scoreless first 15 minutes for the birds on Sunday, and the offense looked stuck in the mud. Whether you put more blame on the coaching staff or the players, neither group has been good to start games. It’s well past time for the Eagles to figure out how to produce early offense.

Nick Sirianni is in a really bad spot(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)It was the sideshow that nearly overshadowed the game. Nick Sirianni spent the final moments of the win chirping Eagles fans in the crowd and then conducted a rather contentious press conference that saw him hurl blame at media and fans alike. Add on the fact that the team isn’t playing all that well, and you have a coach who seems to be in a spiral right now. It will be difficult for him to pull out of this tailspin, even if the team continues to win.
Jalen Hurts played a clean gameIt’s easy to get lost in the negatives from yesterday, but I do want to highlight a positive from yesterday’s win. Jalen Hurts threw for 264 yards and 2 touchdowns, and more importantly, no turnovers. It’s easy to forget how big of a storyline turnovers have been for Hurts when we focus so much on the head coach, but this was a nice step for QB1. We’ll see if it continues next week against the Giants

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post CT’s Top 3: Storylines From The Philadelphia Eagles Week 6 Win appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles badly needed a win coming off the bye. After a 2-2 start, with the Commanders racing out of the gate, they needed to get back in the win column. In that respect, their week 6 game vs the Browns was a success. They got a 20-16 win. But if you were looking for a morale boost, the win may not provide that.

The defense played great. But it is the Browns, arguably the worst offense in the league. So getting pressure on DeShaun Watson and getting holding them to 16 points is not going to calm fears after this defense was picked apart by the Bucs their last time out.

The bigger issue is how the offense looked. The same Browns defense that was picked apart by the rookie Jayden Daniels last week, looked fairly stout against the Eagles. The Eagles were just 5-14 on 3rd down, with 2 of those coming on Tush Pushes. Otherwise, too many drives fizzled out, including that diaster to end the first half.

This team has yet to have that complete overall performance where you leave feeling good. They put up 34 on the Packers in week 1, but there were a lot of mistakes that had people worried. They completely imploded at the end of week 2. The offense was quiet in the week 3 win down in New Orleans, and then nothing worked at all in the week 4 loss in Tampa.

Now you get the Browns. A team they were favored by 9.5 points over. A team that had been a punching bag for most of the season so far. They got a 4-point win. Saquon Barkley was ineffective, and the offense managed just 20 points. It was their 5th straight game with 0 points in the first quarter.

The Good News(Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images)The good? AJ Brown is back and didn’t miss a beat. 116 yards, a TD, and got the impressive catch to seal the win at the end of the 4th quarter.

HURTS DEEP TO BROWN.

Clutch deep ball connection.

: #CLEvsPHI on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/zMI5ASMBmH

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

Elsewhere, Devonta Smith was quiet for most of the game, but then showed up with 1 big catch and run for a TD. Saquon Barkley was quiet today but had been arguably the best back in the NFL over his first 4 games. And for the 1st time all season, Jalen Hurts ended a game with 0 turnovers. He also delivered some impressive throws.

This offense has the pieces. But something is broken. It is like a really expensive watch, that has one malfunctioning gear that keeps the whole timepiece from operating the way it should.

What is that malfunctioning gear? Is it the continued influence of Nick Sirianni? Is it Kellen Moore? Is it Jalen Hurts? It may be a combo of the 3. But something is wrong, and it is holding what should be a top 5 offense back.

Still Time To Figure It Out(Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images)They are 3-2. In an NFC with a lot of struggling teams, they are still in the mix. The Commanders lost, putting them just .5 game ahead because of their extra game. They have not dug themselves into any kind of hole with their early struggles. But 5 games in, they should not look this rusty.

Something, whether it is the coaching, the QB, or something else, is holding this offense back. They are way too talented to look this average. And if they don’t figure it out, this team is never going to reach the heights they are aiming for.

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The Eagles have not exactly impressed through 4 games. The 2-2 record is not a killer, but they went into the bye looking as bad as they did last season vs the Bucs. But, with the Browns coming to town, they have a chance for a get-right game.

Few teams have been a bigger disaster than the Browns this year. DeShaun Watson, the first guy ever to get a fully guaranteed contract, looks like the worst quarterback in the league. The Browns are dead last averaging only 239 yards per game. They are 3rd to last with just 15.8 pts per game. In 5 games, the Browns offense has scored just 7 TDs.

Related: Week 6 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up- Coming Off The Bye

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)For now, they are sticking with DeShaun Watson, which is good for Philly. They desperately need the confidence boost, and playing an offense as anemic as this could be that chance. Then again, if they make this offense look good, you know there are major issues.

The Browns defense isn’t quite as much of a disaster but it is also not as good as people thought it would be. They rank just below the Eagles allowing 24.2 pts per game. They are also just outside the top 10 allowing 326 yards per game. The pass defense is decent, but you can run on them. They are one of the few defenses ranked below the Eagles in yards allowed per carry.

The Eagles are 9.5-point favorites as of Friday morning. And the line is moving in the Eagle’s direction. So Vegas thinks the Eagles will blow them out. Will they though? Do they finally have that full game in them where they just crush a team?

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It’s amazing that an Eagles win after a bye week with plenty of bizarre storylines to discuss but Nick Sirianni made himself the top talking point. First we get the shaved head pregame and then the screaming at opposing players during the game. Afterwards, he’s jawing at the fans in the stands and the postgame presser was the grand finale. I’ve lost all faith in the man and his ability to lead. If you don’t see that there is a leadership issue at the Novacare Complex I don’t know what you are watching.

Nick Sirianni can’t truly be trusted”We’ve got it, we will get it figured out” is no longer a valid answer. They were 10-1 last season and finished out 1-6. He doesn’t deserve our trust because he hasn’t earned it. He lost the benefit of the doubt with that finish in January and nothing seems to have improved. The Browns were an easy 5 foot two putt and they made it scary. His performance continues to be shaky as a leader. He isn’t composed on the sideline again and his maturity level is in question.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Then came the press conference What I saw and heard from Nick Sirianni post-game was a complete disaster. First he trots out his children to the podium and proceeds to use them as human shields. They were deflecting attention off of him and a performance that once again seems inadequate despite the win. He didn’t really answer questions, he just filibustered through rambling diatribes and proceeded to redirect questions at his own children. It was uncomfortable and unprofessional. It had to be alarming for Jeffrey Lurie and the Executive team.

Hey! I’ve seen THAT version of Jalen Hurts before!Thankfully it wasn’t all bad news! I thought Jalen Hurts played his best game vs the Browns. He had bigger numbers against the Packers but it was efficient and turnover free after a bumpy start. Hurts looked more decisive than ever when choosing to run the ball. I would consider that a very promising moment in what has been a shaky start to the season. Hopefully it’s just the start of something better and Hurts builds upon it.

Saquon was not a factor I’m floored that Saquon Barkley did not play a bigger part in the victory. He was effective early but the team seemed to get less impactful running the ball in the second half. That will need to change before the Giants game next weekend. If they end up losing Jordan Mailata for a considerable period of time it could impact both the passing and rushing attack.

AJ Brown is the straw that stirs the drink(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Welcome back AJ Brown. He just makes everyone else better! With him and Devonta Smith doing their thing the defenses should be softer for the running game to burn clock and give the defense a rest. Brown is unable to be stopped and his continued dominance will be essential. The absence of Dallas Goedert absolutely affected the Eagles’ game plan.

The youth on defense may be on a small improvement curveI loved what I continue to see from Quinyon Mitchell at corner and fellow rookie Cooper Dejean looked pretty comfortable out there in the slot. Giving up less than 20 points in any NFL game is a strong showing no matter who the opponent is. Losing Darius Slay could be a huge blow if it’s serious.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Nick Sirianni Has Completely Lost It But Eagles Find Way To Win appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles did not lose this weekend. Thank you bye week. Despite not playing, they actually had a great weekend. The teams they needed to lose may not have lost, but they are getting much-needed reinforcement. DeVonta Smith, AJ Brown, and Lane Johnson are back, and the practice window was opened for Sydney Brown. Did all of this help them in the Week 6 Eagles Power Rankings round-up?

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Week 6 Eagles Power RankingsESPN- 11 (Previously 13)

“Hurts scored the fifth-most fantasy points in 2023 (357) and was ranked second among quarterbacks behind Josh Allen. It has been a different story this season. Hurts is currently QB12 in average points per game (16.9).“

ESPN did a thing where they talked about the Fantasy surprise for all 32 teams in the rankings, which is why the entire entry was about Fantasy points. But it does speak to a larger point, Hurts has not been good enough. He has been without AJ brown, and missed Devonta Smith and Lane Johnson in week 4. Hopefully getting healthy improves Hurts performance going forward.

NFL.com- 11 (Previously 13)“The stagnant pass rush falls under a different category, but it remains a big worry. The NFC East might not be out of reach, but the Cowboys suddenly are back in business and the Commanders don’t appear to be going anywhere. There’s plenty of work to be done.”

The pass rush is by far the biggest concern for me. Gettting players back can realisticly fix many of the offensive issues. The secondary, outside of Maddox, has been good most weeks. The linebackers are passable. But they badly need Bryce Huff to give them something. Brandon Graham is playing good right now, but at 36, he can’t keep playing 60% of the snaps and keep this up.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)CBS Sports- 16 (Previously 16)

“They come off their bye in need of victory in the worst way to cool the heat on Nick Sirianni. Jalen Hurts needs to be better.”

We just saw the Jets fire their head coach 5 games into the season. Would the Eagles do something similar? I don’t know, but Nick is coaching for his career. If the Eagles don’t turn into a team that can at least contend for the Super Bowl, he will be gone. Just sneaking by is not going to cut it.

Yahoo Sports- 9 (Previously 9)“Philly’s next four games are vs. Browns, at Giants, at Bengals, vs. Jaguars. No NFL games are easy, but those are all winnable. If the Eagles, presumably more healthy off of the bye, struggle over the next four weeks then we’ll know something is wrong.”

Against 4 mediocre teams, they need to not just win these games, they need to dominate in a couple. The Browns offense sucks. If they make Deshaun Watson look good, or even decent, it will be incredibly troubling. Same goes for the Bengals defense.

The Athletic- 18 (Previously 20)“Why are the Eagles struggling? Maybe because what everyone thought in the preseason could be the best wide-receiving trio in the league has really just been one guy playing well... Jahan Dotson, acquired in a preseason trade, has only five catches in four games.”

They acquired Dotson not just the be the 3rd guy, but also to help fill in if they lost one of their main guys. Well, Brown missed 3 games, and Smith missed 1 and a 1/2th games. Yet Dotson is nowhere to be seen. That trade is looking like a complete bust, the latest of many moves by Howie that did not pan out.

(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)USA Today- 9 (Previously 9)

“They should be rested out of the bye, WRs A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion) due back Sunday. And for a team that also figuratively needs to get healthy, a date with Cleveland is made to order.“

If there was a positive note to leave it on, this is it. They are getting 3 great players back, and have what should be a get-well game on Sunday. Hopefully beating up on an awful Browns team sparks some life back into this team.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Week 6 Eagles Power Rankings Round Up- Coming Off The Bye appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Following the ugly loss down in Tampa Bay, Eagles fans are spiraling. At 2-2, people are shook, and ready to give up on the season. But this morning Adam Schefter may have given Eagles fans a reason for hope.

Adam Schefter Joins Kincade And SalciunasEvery Wednesday, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter joins Kincade and Salciunas to give his insight from the National level. And today he did give a genuine reason or hope. It is obvious, but also something Eagles fans maybe need to hear.

“It is 2-2. You start over. I presume when they come back, AJ Brown will be back, Devonta Smith will be back, and Lane Johnson will be back. Their guys are back. You would hope and think their brand of Football will be back, and they can start ripping off some wins and stacking them up, that is the hope.”

All of that is fair. They have only had AJ Brown in 1 game and scored 34 points. The hope people had for this team was based on the idea of having AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley all on 1 team. Losing 2 of those 3, plus Lane Johnson, is a massive hit. Having all of those guys back, and healthy, may change things, at least on 1 side of the ball.

(Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)That said, there are major concerns outside the loss of those 3. Say having them back fixes the offense, the defense will still be an issue. They are getting nothing from Bryce Huff and Nolan Smith. Jalen Carter is inconsistent. Jordan Davis has only shown up in 1 game. And the middle of their defense is still very soft.

Then you have the Head Coach, who seems lost. His QB does not seem to like or maybe even respect him. His in-game decision-making has left people baffled. And we are seeing the same worrying signs that sunk them last year.

Related: Nick Sirianni Is Still At The Wheel Of The Eagles Offense

Adam Schefter is right. Getting those guys will make a big difference. This offense should still put up big numbers. But will it be enough to make them a great team, that remains to be seen.

You can listen to Andrew and John’s full conversation with Adam Schefter below.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Adam Schefter Gives Eagles Fans A Reason To Have Hope appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last year exposed the Nick Sirianni offense. Brian Johnson might have been the fall guy who lost his job, but he was not the one in charge of that anemic Eagles offense in 2023. Nick Sirianni designed the plays, he made the game plan, and Brian Johnson just called plays he thought Nick Sirianni would like.

That part is not an opinion by the way. There is a lot of reporting going into that. Tim McManus said it multiple times on this station. He said this after the season ended about how the people who knew Brian Johnson told him that the Eagles offense looks nothing like what he would run if he had any power.

Tim McManus joined @975BestShowEver yesterday, and this is what he had to say when @TyJohnsonNews asked him about how much blame for the Eagles offense can be put on Brian Johnson. pic.twitter.com/O5ZXcjnzGO

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) Tim McManus joined @975BestShowEver yesterday, and this is what he had to say when @TyJohnsonNews asked him about how much blame for the Eagles offense can be put on Brian Johnson. pic.twitter.com/O5ZXcjnzGO

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 19, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2024Diana Russini later backed that claim up with a piece of her own in The Athletic that dived into the dynamic between Sirianni, Johnson, and Jalen Hurts. Other credible names like Andrew DiCecco and Jeff McLane shared the same sentiment. That was Nick Sirianni’s offense.

Related: Nick Sirianni Was The Real Problem, Not Brian Johnson

After it failed last season, we heard there were changes being made. They hired Kellen Moore and told us that it would be his offense. He would design the playbook and call the plays, with Sirianni becoming more of a CEO head coach. Sirianni was not supposed to have the same sway over the design of the offense that he had in his first 3 seasons here.

But 4 games in things look very similar to how they looked last year. There are some new things, but it has more in common with the offense we saw last year, than the Moore offenses we saw in Dallas/ LA.

Nick Sirianni Still Meddling In The OffenseIf you need any proof of that, just look at how little they are using motion. After 4 weeks, they are 19th in pre-snap motion. Last year in LA Moore was 9th.

Motion report through 4 weeks!

First number is motion at the snap, second number is all motion.

Data via ESPN's video tracking team. pic.twitter.com/rS8Y8g4DUm

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) Motion report through 4 weeks!

First number is motion at the snap, second number is all motion.

Data via ESPN's video tracking team. pic.twitter.com/rS8Y8g4DUm

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) October 1, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024Nick Sirianni has talked about “collaborative playcalling.” He said he is still calling some plays. Combine that, with the data about them not using as much pre-snap motion as we assumed they would given they hired an OC known for pre-snap motion. It is quite clear Sirianni still has his fingers all over this offense.

That is not to say let Moore off the hook. Brian Johnson didn’t get let off the hook. This is not to say let Jalen Hurts off the hook. Despite the uninspired play design, he should still be better. But Nick Sirianni is still holding back this offense.

(Photo by Wagner Meier/Getty Images)You hired Kellen Moore because he is supposed to be a great offensive mind. Give him the keys, and let him drive. No more “collaboration” when it comes to calling plays. No more calling plays here and there for Sirianni.

Maybe Moore isn’t as good as we thought. But let him prove that one way or the other. We saw what Sirinani is capable of, and it failed. But despite what we were told, Sirianni is clearly still a major influence over the way this Eagles offense is run. That is not a good thing, the struggles of the offense last year are proof of that.

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The Eagles off-season was consumed with talk about the relationship between Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni. Eventually, the two of them addressed it, and for a time, the story went away. But 4 games in, with a 2-2 record, the story has come back, with Jalen Hurts once again dodging a chance to defend his head coach.

Some people are upset at Jalen Hurts about this, including John Kincade and Bill Colarulo who both called out Hurts for not showing Sirianni enough grace, especially because Sirianni has at times gone out of his way to defend Hurts.

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Tyrone Doesnt Need Jalen Hurts To Be FakeBut Tyrone Johnson saw it a different way. Today on The Best Show Ever, he talked about why he doesn’t think Hurts needs to fake anything, and the real solution is just for the two of them to get on the same page.

“What I need is for Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni to have a good positive relationship. I don’t need Jalen Hurts to fake like he has a good positive relationship, I need it to be good and to be fixed. How about this? How about in real life, Nick and him actually get on the same page…

They’re very different people, but it would be nice if it was actually fixed rather than fake. I’ve had that before where it was like ‘fake like you are having fun Tyrone.’ Or you could set up a situation where I can actually have real fun. Wouldn’t that be better? Yeah, that would work a lot better. So that’s why I understand.”

They Don’t Need To Fake It, They Need To Do It

Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni not having a good relationship is a bad thing. But other than making all of us feel better, what would him giving fake answers accomplish? Tyrone pointed out earlier in the show that Hurts has not been disrespectful, he is just not going out of his way to give fake answers.

If there is a problem, they just need to fix it. Find a way to get on the same page. They don’t need to be friends, they just need to get along. But Hurts lying to us, or giving fake answers, won’t fix anything. And like Sylvana pointed out, if he did that, then people would just be upset about those fake answers.

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It seemed like the Eagles stock was on the rise after an impressive performance by their defense in week 3. But it was followed by an immediate collapse the following week. How far have they fallen after being embarrassed by the Bucs? Let’s check it out in the week 5 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up.

Week 5 Eagles Power RankingsESPN- 13 ( Previously 7)

“The Eagles signed Bryce Huff to a three-year, $51 million contract in free agency to be an impact three-down player, but he hasn’t been reliable against the run, in particular. Barring a significant uptick in play from Huff or 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith Jr., this unit could be an issue all season.“

Of all the roster concerns, this is the biggest one. The rest of the defense could be fine. The DTs are too inconsistent, but we have seen them play well. The linebackers are ok enough to get by if every thing else works. But Edge Rusher looks like a disaster. Bryce Huff and Nolan Smith are giving you nothing. If that doesn’t change, it is hard to see this defense being good enough to win anything.

NFL.com- 13 (Previously 5)

“Without Hurts displaying better ball security, a shorthanded Eagles squad isn’t going to win many games. This will be a frustrating bye week, but they’ll have the chance to get healthier and get back on track.”

Hurts has had a turnover problem for 21 games now. Since game 1 of last year he averages over a turnover per game, after protecting the ball better than anyone in 2022. His turnover in week 4 came at the worst time. They had a bit of momentum, they were driving with a chance to make it a 1 score game. Then he coughed it up, and they never had another chance to make it a game.

We have heard him say he needs to be smarter enough. he needs to stop saying it, and actually do it. Either that, or start playing so well that you can forgive the turnovers the way the Bills do with Josh Allen.

The Athletic- 20 (Previously 11)“First-round cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is one of the bright spots Eagles fans are holding on to after a frustrating start in Philadelphia. He has played 99 percent of the team’s snaps and is allowing a 47.1 percent completion percentage and 69.2 passer rating on balls thrown his way, according to Pro Football Reference.“

If you are looking for a bright spot, this is it. Mitchell is one of a small handful of defenders who has played well every week. You can’t say that about Jalen Carter, who has been inconsistent. Quinyon has flashed something evey single week. After years of wanting for a young star corner, they may have finally gotten one. It is too bad most of the rest of the defense looks this bad.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)USA Today- 11 (Previously 5)“A trio of inactive Pro Bowlers isn’t going to help the bottom line. Nor will QB Jalen Hurts’ now-chronic propensity for turnovers, which are now coming at nearly two per week. Early as it is, Philly’s Week 5 bye could be fortuitous.“

The offense gets a small pass for missing 3 All-Pro caliber players. Not a full one, Jalen Hurts alone should be good enough to compete. Other QBs do more with less than hurts had on Sunday. But missing those 3 guys is a tough test. And the early bye that looked like a negative when the schedule came out, suddenly is a blessing to get their star players healthy.

Yahoo Sports- 9 (Previously 7)“The Eagles looked like a team that knew their bye was coming up in a week. There were the offensive injuries, too. Not much changed: The Eagles still aren’t a great team yet, just a good one with some flaws. That’s most of the NFL going into October.”

It is a fair point that a lot of teams look like the Eagles right now. I do think as a fanbase we tend to hyper focus on the flaws of our team, and perhaps miss the bigger picture. My problem is the issues we are seeing sunk this team last year. Nothing seems to have changed. So it is a bit hard to give them the benefit of the doubt that they will work out of it, when they had all summer and couldn’t fix these problems.

Sports Illustrated- 13 (Previoulsy 9)“I hate to get caught up in the Jalen Hurts needs to do more because…money argument. Look at what the Browns are getting out of Deshaun Watson, the Bengals out of Joe Burrow (so far), the Jaguars out of Trevor Lawrence. You’re wagering on potential and Hurts still has his moments. He’s also missing throws and doesn’t seem in the flow of the scheme.“

Jalen Hurts is not the only quarterback who has failed to live up to his big contract. That much is true. But he needs to be better. Outside of the turnovers, I actually like a lot of what I saw from him in the first 3 games. But week 4 was unacceptable from him.

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)CBS Sports- 16 (Previously 7)“They have big problems. The injuries are one thing, but Jalen Hurts isn’t playing well and the defense is back to being bad. The heat is on Nick Sirianni.”

Nick looks lost. He looked lost last season too. 4 weeks in it looks like they made the wrong choice to bring him back. As of now, he has fixed none of the issues that caused the collapse in 2023. Lurie is not the type to fire people mid-season, but that may change if this gets ugly. Sirianni is coaching for his job every week at this point.

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Coming off an impressive, albiet ugly, win in New Orleans, it looked like the Eagles maybe figured something out. At least on defense. They shut down what had looked like the best offense in the league, and Jalen Carter looked like an All-Pro,

But in that game they lost Devonta Smith and Lane Johnson to concussions. Britain Covey sustained a shoulder injury that landed him on the IR. This on top of AJ Brown already being out with a hamstring injury. There was some thought that Lane and AJ would be able to go in week 4, but Brown was ruled out on Saturday, and Lane ruled out Sunday morning.

Related: New Year, Same Story For Eagles In Embarrasing Loss To Bucs

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Eagles Fall In Tampa BayThe players left, did not have enough in them to get the win down in Tampa. The Bucs, as they have done a few times now, dominated the Eagles. Baker Mayfield picked the defense apart, and Jalen Hurts and the offense could not keep up.

There was a point where it looked like they may pull back into it. They blocked a extra point, and returned it to score 2 points. it made it a two TD game, and the Eagles were driving. But then as Jalen Hurts has done multiple times this season he fumbled it. The Bucs turned that fumble into a FG, and that killed whatever meager hope they had. They went on to lose 33-16.

Now they go into the bye week 2-2. And it is very fair to question who they are. The defense has struggled in 3 out of 4 weeks. As has the offense. The offense at leats has an injury excuse, but the defense is healthy and playing this poorly.

What should we think about them? can they turn it around? Or are they still the same flawed team we saw last year?

Here Are 5 Numbers That Tell The Story of Their Loss in Tampa:The post 5 Numbers That Tell Story of The Bucs Crushing The Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Don’t just read the headline! Before you jump down my throat, I saw exactly what you saw in the first four games of the season! The Eagles managed to defeat the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints. They also found a way to blow what looked like a sure fire home opener win vs Atlanta and then the debacle in Tampa.

Will the REAL Philadelphia Eagles please stand up! Which team is going to be here for the long haul? The opportunistic defense that sealed the win in Brazil? The offense that misfired in Florida? The enthusiastic group that dominated the Saints? It’s been a mixed bag and my answer might shock you!

The Defense has certainly not been good enough! The Tampa Bay effort was unacceptable and the tackling was even worse. This is coming off a weekend where the defense under Vic Fangio was the star of the victory at New Orleans. It was shocking that they generated such little pass rush and the short passing game of Tampa dominated them. There have been good moments and bad moments through four weeks, but don’t just create a narrative that the defense is their biggest problem.

(Photo by Gus Stark/Getty Images)The Quarterback has consistently been the problem Don’t let Kellen Moore escape the war zone without catching a little shrapnel. His performance has certainly not gained much confidence as his plan looks quite pedestrian. The problem is that when your quarterback is consistently making poor decisions you won’t succeed.

As Tom Brady said on the broadcast AFTER his fumble “You have to have pocket awareness”. When you are being chased in the pocket and you escape the pressure you have to remember that the pursuer doesn’t just evaporate. His failure to recognize this cost them again. Hurts has been an issue for 21 games and it does not seem to be getting any better.

Nick Sirianni does not appear to be in controlIt’s been a long stretch where the Sirianni administration appears to be spiraling out of control. His ability to formulate a plan for success is definitely in question. He can’t articulate his strategies and comes with the tired response of “It’s on me”.

That only can be acceptable for so long. He was given some coordinators with a pedigree of success and the ride has still been very choppy. All the bumper sticker slogans you want to offer don’t make you a winning coach. He appears lost.

(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)The Eagles currently are like a game of CLUE that just startedThere are way too many suspects and far too many murder weapons to decipher who or what is to blame. The one thing that is clear is that they are a mess that somehow has managed to not sink their season. At 2-2 heading into the bye week, they should be getting healthier quickly and their schedule allows them plenty of opportunity to rebound.

The Eagles schedule is actually quite forgivingThey can certainly use some time off and the schedule the rest of the way isn’t looking that rugged. Even with the Commanders off to a great start you can’t be scared of them just yet, plus there are two games head to head later in the season. It’s way too early to sound the alarms, but I would suggest that you remember where to locate the button just in case!

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The Eagles were as bad as it gets at the end of the last season. Their defense couldn’t buy a stop, and the offense was turnover-prone and anemic. People hoped that a new year, with new weapons, and 2 new proven coordinators, would change the narrative. But now 4 games in, we are seeing the same story unfold. It came to a head in week 4 with an embarrassing loss to the Bucs.

The offense was stonewalled. When it looked like they may have a chance to turn the game around, Hurts had his 7th turnover of the season. Yes, they were without AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, and Lane Johnson. So there should be some rope given to them. But the absence of those 3 does not excuse how poorly the offense played, with it taking until the middle of the 2nd quarter for them to get into positive yardage.

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)The defense was just as bad. Early on, Baker Mayfield and the Bucs had their way with them. Dinking and dunking into the soft spots of the Eagles zone defense. Picking on Avonte Maddox, and matriculating their way down the field for 3 straight TDs to open the game. They allowed nearly 450 total yards and 4 TDs.

Believing that the problem was the two young coordinators looks silly now. The issues for the Eagles go deeper than that. They have a head coach in over his head and a QB who keeps coughing up the ball.

Is Howie Roseman The Problem For The Eagles? But the problem may go deeper than those two. Who put together this defense that still lacks top-end talent outside of a couple of players? Who hired the the head coach, and retained him after last year’s collapse. Who hired those coordinators last year, and replaced them with Moore and Fangio this year?

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)At some point, the target has to be put on the back of Howie Roseman. He is the common denominator with all of the Eagles’ problems. He added the players on defense like Bryce Huff and Nolan Smith who have contributed nothing. He picked this head coach who is way over his head. He picked this QB and paid him. Any problem you could possibly have with this team can be traced back to Howie.

Hard To See It Getting BetterThese aren’t problems that are just going to go away. We now have 21 games of Hurts turning it over too much. No light bulb is going to go off in the head of Nick Sirianni that fixes his issues as the coach. And 4 games in, it is hard to see Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff suddenly turning into good players.

Could they still win games and make the playoffs? Sure. The rest of the NFC East looks no better than the Eagles. Most of the NFC looks suspect. But is this team good enough to beat one of the real contenders in the NFL? After watching the last 4 games, it is very hard to argue they can.

It might be a new team, with a few new faces. But we are seeing the same team and the same problems we saw from this team last season. That is on Sirianni, it is on Hurts, it is on the rest of the roster. But more than anything, it is on the man in charge of it all, Howie Roseman.

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The Eagles head down to Tampa Bay to play the Bucs down a lot of players. Devonta Smith and Lane Johnson are in the concussion protocol. AJ Brown has missed two straight weeks with a hamstring injury, though he was a limited participant in Friday’s practice.

If the Eagles are going to go into the bye week with a 3-1 record, they are going to need some guys to step up. Even if AJ Brown can go, it will be difficult for them. Earlier in the week we talked about the guys they need great games from if they are going to leave Tampa with a W.

Related: 6 Eagles Players Who Need Great Games Vs The Bucs

The good news for the Eagles is the injury bug has bitten the Bucs too. Antoine Winfield JR has already been ruled out. I originally included him in this article, because top-level Safeties have hurt the Eagles all season long, with 3 of the 5 Jalen Hurts picks coming from a Safety. But on Friday he was listed as out, after already missing the past two weeks.

Their offensive line is riddled with injuries. Their WRs are battling injuries, but will likely play at least. Vita Vea is battling an injury but returned to practice this week.

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Still, they do have several players who could still cause the Eagles trouble. Especially with the Eagles’ own injuries looming so large. But who should the Eagles be the most worried about. which Bucs players could cause them the most grief in week 4?

There is also the factor of Todd Bowles seemingly having Hurts number. The numbers are not 100% accurate. 2 of Hurts 4 games game in the 2021 season before Hurts took a leap, and then everyone sucked in the playoff game last year. He was actually decent in the regular season game last year, so maybe we make too much of it.

But it is a pattern worth watching. A lot of that comes from Bowles blitzing so much and Hurts struggling vs the blitz in past years. But this year Hurts has been much better vs the blitz. That improvement will be put to the test in Tampa.

If the Eagles are going to win, they will need to account for these players. From a dominant run stuffer in the middle of the defense to a WR out of the slot who could exploit the biggest weakness of the Eagles, these players could cause them problems on Sunday.

Here Are 4 Bucs Players who Could Give the Eagles TroubleThe post 4 Bucs Players Who Could Give The Eagles Trouble appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When Brandon Graham re-signed with the Eagles, the thought was this would be his last year. His fellow Eagles veterans Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox called it a career, but Graham wanted to have 1 last go around. But he flat-out told us this would be his final year.

3 games in, and he is having a bit of a resurgent year. He is not racking up the stats, but he is probably their best Edge Rusher to this point, against the run and against the pass. He has 7 defensive pressures and 7 tackles. A big step up from the rest of the Edge Rushers. It led to him playing over 60% of the snaps in week 3.

Brandon Graham Teases A Return(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)That good play seems to have him feeling good. Because now he is less committed to retiring and is leaving the door open for another year. He talked to the media at his locker today and suggested he may return for go for a 16th year.

“Honestly, I’m going to stay ready just for one more year. Just in case if a situation popped up where it’s like, ‘OK, they need me.’ But right now I’m just trying to get through this year and enjoy it as much as I can.”

It is good to see him feeling good. But you do wonder if he is singing a different tune several weeks from now. At 36 years old, we can see if he can maintain the pace he is at. Fangio thinks he can, and talked about staggering those snaps so he stays fresh, but it feels like it will eventualy wear on him, we saw it wear on both Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick last year, and they arent 36.

For now, you have to love seeing Graham play well. Not just because it is good for the Eagles, but because Graham is an Eagles legend. He already has the record for most games played in franchise history, and he is 3 sacks away from moving into 3rd place on the All-Time Eagles sack list. He wont catch Trent Cole for 2nd place, and is miles away from Reggie White, but if he keeps playing this he should pass Clyder Simmons this season.

Photo By: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY SportsHe needs 12.5 to catch Cole. Maybe he does get that if he plays a 16th season. He certainly looks like a guy right now who can get 6 or so sacks this season. It is unlikley, but now that a 16th season is a possibility, it is not impossible.

We will see if he still feels this way in a month. But right now, Brandon Graham is at least teasing us that this may not be his final season after all.

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Three games into the season I’m 2-1 picking the outcome of the Eagles games and I’m an impressive 3-0 against the spread. My picks overall as offered on the Kincade and Salciunas show every Friday are 8-4 on the young season. I’d expect the floor to drop out soon, so stay with me while I’m hot!

Coming off of the battle in New Orleans, I believe that game has the feel of one that changes the direction of a season. Now for the part that will annoy you, it changed the season despite the outcome of this Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay. Win or lose, I am confident that things are rounding into shape. The most glaring issues feel better to me than they did 3 weeks ago!

The Pass Rush isn’t great, but I saw some flashesThe pass rush needs to be disruptive. Sacks are a very gaudy figure that many tout as the indicator of a great pass rush. I’d disagree slightly on that assessment. Yes, everyone loves to see you get the opposing QB on the ground, but being an annoyance and getting a QB off their spot or flushed from the pocket can be just as effective.

(Photo by Gus Stark/Getty Images)Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter need to find more Sundays like their visit to the Bayou. I think we just saw the beginning of the unleashing of the Dawgs! Mayfield can scramble, but he will be annoyed and hopefully forced into a turnover or two.

The Secondary is impressive!Dare I say that the secondary might be a team strength? It might be a tad premature, but the overhaul of this defense and its youth movement is off to a great start. We have now seen three games where the secondary played strong and gave their team a chance to win, against three quarterbacks that can throw the ball vertically. Mitchell has looked steady and Slay has been great.

I don’t think Baker Mayfield will be in a position to pick them apart. I do expect him to have the best passing day we have seen so far against the Birds.

Saquon can’t be stoppedThe Buccaneers rush defense is near the bottom of the league. Whether the Eagles will find similar success will depend on if Kellen Moore can scheme enough of the Dotson and Goedert opportunities open. I’m thinking we see more chances for Kenneth Gainwell to make an impact in the passing game this Sunday. Bottom line is that Tampa will be gashed in the running game by Barkley if enough respect can be demanded by the Eagles in the short and intermediate passing game.

(Photo by Gus Stark/Getty Images)I guaranteed a win IF this happensOn Thursdays show I made a bold statement. If the game ends before 4pm on Sunday, I guarantee that the Eagles have come out victorious. The running game bleeding clock and long, time of possession killing drives are my number one necessity to victory. One thing I know is that the Eagles offense has been able to create 7 minute plus drives frequently under Nick Sirianni. The shorter the game, the better chance the Birds fly into the bye week at 3-1.

My CallI’m expecting that the Eagles will manage to score more points this week than they have in the previous two weeks. I know that sounds crazy with all of the injuries they face, but Saquon will find his way to another 100 yard rushing day and soften things up for the short passing game to bleed clock and frustrate the Buccaneers. The defense will be fresher on the humid Florida stage and deliver their most sacks of the season and force at least one turnover.

I’ll say Eagles 27 – Buccaneers 17

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Sirianni and Hurts Can Guide Eagles To A Week 4 Win appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles managed to win in week 3. It was the 1st game this season where they were underdogs and the first game where they were in hostile territory. Very few people thought the Eagles could go down to New Orleans and win. The Saints offense was flying high, and the Eagles defense had been questionable at best.

Turns out, the defense gave one of the best performances we saw from any defense this season. They held a team averaging over 40 points per game to just 12. They held a team averaging over 400 yards per game to under 300. Jalen Carter was a monster, and Jordan Davis looked great too. It was a tremendous performance out of almost the whole defense, that helped them get to 2-1 despite the offense struggling to get on the scoreboard.

Related: Eagles Defense Makes A Statement In New Orleans

Eagles Win Comes With A Heavy Cost(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)But it all came at a cost. DeVonta Smith, Britain Covey, Lane Johnson, Mekhi Becton, and Darius Slay all left with injuries. Covey is already on the IR, and Smith and Johnson are recovering from concussions. All of that to go with AJ Brown already missing two games. Meaning the Eagles could be very thin in week 4. They thankfully have an early bye week, but they need to get their first, ideally as a 3-1 team.

But for them to do that? Who needs to step up? Which players are the most important for the Eagles to leave Tampa Bay with a win? Which still struggling players need to step up? Who needs to continue to play at a high level?

From Jalen Carter to Jahan Dotson, these players will need to show up in week 4 if they are going to have a 3-1 record going into the bye.

Here Are 6 Eagles Players Who Need To Be Great Vs The Bucs:The post 6 Eagles Players Who Need Great Games Vs The Bucs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There are few things more daunting than the Eagles injury report at the moment, but the looming matchup in Tampa Bay in advance of the bye week looks like a monumental challenge. If there already weren’t a lot of things stacked against them, the history between Jalen Hurts and Buccaneers Coach Todd Bowles could be the origin story of a Marvel villain. How the Eagles will navigate the injuries while trying to solve the puzzle that Bowles has been will be fascinating.

How will they cover for all of these injuries?The trip to New Orleans may have ended with a victory, but the injuries that occurred add to what was already a complicated situation. The Eagles have played the last two games without their star receiver AJ Brown and the results have been obvious. Brown unlocks the entire playbook for Kellen Moore and he still had the services of DeVonta Smith and Britain Covey to lean on.

This week will be a different story at Tampa. With Covey on IR and Smith recovering from a concussion they need other options to catch the ball. More Saquon in the slot could be an option and thankfully the Buccaneers rush defense has been problematic.

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Running the ball could be an issue with both Lane Johnson and Mekhi Becton potentially being missing on the right side of the offensive line. Having quality replacements is important and Tyler Steen and Fred Johnson did a fantastic job. Tampa Bay will be game-planning to exploit their inexperience so Moore will have to adjust his plans.

The troubling math when Jalen Hurts faces off with a Todd Bowles defenseJalen Hurts has faced off against Tampa in the regular season in 2021 and in 2023. In both of those years he ended up meeting them again in the playoffs. The bad news is that he has only managed to emerge victorious once. That 1-3 record is something that Hurts would like to improve on but it’s going to be tough. When raving a Bowles defense these are the ugly truths.

Hurts is 80/141 passing, translating to a 57% completion percentage that is below his career numbers. The Bowles defensive scheme has done a great job of showing one thing and then doing another. It has confused Hurts and caused him to turn the ball over repeatedly.

That is the next bad news. In those 4 career games Hurts has thrown 5 interceptions while passing for only 4 touchdowns. Worse yet, the passing yards he has accumulated have been mostly during garbage time. The team has fallen behind often and then against a soft defensive scheme Hurts has put up those empty-calorie yards.

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)What will Kellen manage to do?The Buccaneers poor rush defense creates a window of opportunity, but without the potential threat of top receivers to create balance it might be easier to defend the Eagles backs. If he can come up with a plan that brings the Eagles to a 3-1 record before the bye he will deserve the game ball. Jalen needs to be the reason his team has a chance to win, not the reason that they lose.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post This Matchup Never Seems To Favor Jalen Hurts appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Very few people predicted the Eagles defense to go down to New Orleans and shut down the hottest offense in the NFL. It turns out that is exactly what they did. The Georgia guys, Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis were fantastic. Not just rushing the passer, but against the run. After being the worst run defense in the league, they held Alvin Kamara to just 3.3 yards per carry.

But did that change how the NFL media views them? Or were the head coaching mistakes and Jalen Hurts turnovers enough to keep people down on the Eagles? Let’s take a look at the Week 4 Eagles Power Rankings.

(Photo by Gus Stark/Getty Images)The Week 4 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up: ESPN- 6 (Previously 6)

“Hurts has thrown four interceptions and been charged with three fumbles through three games. He has 12 turnovers in his past nine regular-season games, the most in the league, and has thrown an interception in seven straight, the most by an Eagles quarterback since Ty Detmer in 1996.”

The Hurts turnovers are a real issue. Not just the quanity of them, but where they come. 3 turnovers have come within field goal range, 2 in the red zone. He not only gave the ball away, but he took points off the board. If they get a Field Goal each of those times, they go from 12th in points overall, to 5th. If you do that, and Sirianni kicks those 3 field goals they would be 3rd in the NFL for points.

Now there is of course upside to going for it on 4th. And over the course of the season scoring a TD instead of a FG may make up for that difference.

— Dylan MacKinnon (@DylanFMackinnon) Now there is of course upside to going for it on 4th. And over the course of the season scoring a TD instead of a FG may make up for that difference.

— Dylan MacKinnon (@DylanFMackinnon) September 24, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024

NFL.com- 5 (Previously 6)

“I’m not sure what got into a run defense that was gashed in two straight games to open the season, but Vic Fangio’s front got the job done well against New Orleans. The Eagles also made life tough on Derek Carr and the Saints’ passing game, turning in one of the better all-around defensive performances in the Nick Sirianni era.”

Jalen Carter was fantastic. If they keep getting that guy every week, this defense will be fine. Maybe not as good as they were this week, but good enough for this team to win a lot of games. The Edge Rusher room still has a lot of questions, but the DTs answered the bell.

CBS- 7 (Previously 18)

“That late-game touchdown to beat the Saints really changes the dynamic of their season. At 2-1, they are good heading to Tampa. At 1-2, things would be a lot different.”

So in 3 weeks, the Eagles went from the top 10, to 18, and then back to the top 10. CBS changes its power rankings like Christian Bale changes his body weight between films. There is no way swings should be that drastic over 2 weeks. At some point, you need to stick to your guns and not drastically change your opinion after each game.

Yahoo Sports- 7 (Previously 8)“Saquon Barkley is going to have a massive season. His 65-yard touchdown run on Sunday was a major reason the Eagles escaped with a win in New Orleans. He scored the go-ahead TD later on too. Barkley is the new favorite to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year at BetMGM, and for good reason.”

Through 3 weeks, Saquon has arguably been the best offensive player in the league. One drop aside, he has done everything they could possibly hope for from him. The Eagles got by with mediocre running backs the past two years. Just look at what D’Andre Swift and Miles Sanders have done since leaving Philly if you need proof those guys are mediocre. Having a great RB takes the offense to another level.

Saquon Barkley in his first 3 games as an Eagle:

73 touches
404 total yards
5 total TDs pic.twitter.com/R8QATG4u2H

— PFF (@PFF) Saquon Barkley in his first 3 games as an Eagle:

73 touches
404 total yards
5 total TDs pic.twitter.com/R8QATG4u2H

— PFF (@PFF) September 22, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2024Sports Illustrated- 9 (Previously 10)“While they sort out their collective issues, thank goodness Jalen Carter is around. We don’t know ultimately how consistent Carter can be on a game-by-game basis, but his ability to destroy a game plan is incredibly useful for instilling fear in offensive coordinators everywhere.”

The consistency part is a great point. It is the one thing we still need to see Carter provide. Where was this guy in weeks 1 and 2? Where was he in the last 7 games last year? He has the talent to be great, but he needs to show it more consistently. If he figures that part out, we are talking about a guy who wins multiple Defensive Player Of The Year Awards.

Bleacher Report- 5 (Previously 9)

“It wasn’t just Barkley—despite all the injuries the Eagles piled up a whopping 460 yards of offense. Tight end Dallas Goedert had one of the best games of his career, catching 10 passes for 170 yards. Jalen Hurts threw for 311 yards despite all the injuries to his receivers.”

Dallas Goedert has taken heat for not living up to expectations, but he showed up big time when they needed him vs the Saints. The majority of his yards came after the catch too. He was 4 yards deep when he caught the 61-yard reception that set up the game-winning TD.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Week 4 Eagles Power Rankings Roundup- Defense Steps Up appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When the Saints scored a go-ahead TD with 4:38 left in the game, Eagles fans were likely thinking here we go again. A week after blowing a late lead the the Falcons, they did it again and were about to be 1-2. With no AJ Brown, no Lane Johnson, and no DeVonta Smith, could they actually go down the field and score a TD to reclaim the lead?

At the time on Twitter, fans did not seem confident. But that is exactly what they did. Hurts hit a wide-open Dallas Goedert in the flat, and he took off running for 61 yards. He was dragged down before he got into the End Zone, but Saquon eventually punched it in. On the following drive, Reed Blankenship picked off Carr, and that was all she wrote. The Eagles Wound up winning 15-12.

(Photo by Gus Stark/Getty Images)Related: Eagles Defense Makes A Statement In New Orleans

The 1st 3 games have not been pretty. Eagles fans will be justifiably mistrustful of ugly wins after last year, where they had 10 of them over the 1st 11 games. But 2-1 is 2-1. The Cowboys and Niners can’t say that. Both of those teams would have taken ugly wins this week as opposed to both of them dropping 2 games in a row.

Should we look at this as a positive, or should we be worried going forward? How good was this defense in week 3? Could this offense be playing better than the numbers show? Are they leaving too many points on the board? Is Jalen Carter finally living up to the hype? How impressive was Dallas Goedert? And is Bryce Huff already a bust of a signing?

Let’s break down the game. The good, the bad, and what we should take away going forward.

Here Are 5 Numbers That Tell The Story Of The Eagles Win Over The Saints:The post 5 Numbers That Tell The Story Of The Eagles Win Vs Saints appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

If you lost faith in the Eagles’ defense after the first 2 games, you could be forgiven. They may not have given up many points, but they were getting gashed all night long in both games. There was no pass rush to speak of, they were the worst run defense in the league, and there were far too many big plays. It came to a head when they let the Falcons easily go down the field for a game-winning TD at the end of the Monday Night game.

So with the hottest offense in the league on the docket in week 3, very few people expected them to figure things out. It turns out we all should have expected exactly that.

Eagles Defense Shuts Down The SaintsThe Saints came in averaging over 400 yards per game, and over 40 points per game. Today, they scored just 12 and gained just 219 yards.

Jalen Carter had his best game of the season. He did not get credited with a sack, but he was in Derek Carr’s face all game long, got 2 pass deflections, and had multiple tackles at the line or for a loss.

The linebackers were making plays all over the field. Jordan Davis got a sack and was dominant in the run game. The secondary shut down the Saints’ explosive passing attack, and as a team, they held Alvin Kamara to just 3.3 yards per carry.

They gave up 54 yards in the first drive and allowed a FG. From that point forward they gave up just 175 yards and a single TD. With that lone TD coming on a short field after a missed FG. Even after giving up that TD, they managed to stop the 2-point conversion to ensure the following Eagles TD won the game.

Reed Blankenship closed out the game with a big interception. Darius Slay had a key pass breakup. Quinyon Mitchell continued to look like a star at cornerback and almost came up with a pick 6.

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)A lot of these guys, Carter and Davis in particular, took a lot of heat all week. But they showed up today. That is the Jalen Carter people think can win DPOY one day. It is the guy who many thought should have been the 1st overall pick. If they keep getting him, and Jordan Davis looks this good next to him, this Defense can continue to make statements like they did today.

The Win Comes At A CostThe win came with its downsides though. Lane Johnson and DeVonta Smith left with concussions. Mekhi Becton and Britain Covey were also knocked out of the game. Fred Johnson and Tyler Steen filled in admirably along the line, but that is 3 big pieces of the offense they may be missing now in week 4, with AJ Brown already questionable for the Bucs game.

On defense, they lost Darius Slay. Saints Tackle Trevor Penning made a blatantly dirty play after the whistle, pushing Slay into the sideline. We don’t know if any of these injuries will carry into week 4, but they may actually end up being grateful for the early bye week with how beat up they already are.

The Dallas Goedert GameAnother guy who took a lot of heat this week was Dallas Goedert. He hardly had an impact in week 2 with AJ Brown out. Well, he heard what you said, and he took it personally.

10 Catches for 170 yards, a new career-high mark in both categories. That includes his 61-yard catch and run that got the Eagles down to the 4-yard line in that final drive, and set up the game-winning Saquon Barkley TD.

(Photo by Gus Stark/Getty Images)Speaking of Barkley, he added 2 more TDs to his Eagles resume, along with 147 yards on 17 carries. It puts him at 351 rushing yards on the season, 53 receiving yards, and 5 total TDs.

The Eagles offense moved the ball all game long. Some questionable decisions by Nick Sirianni, and a couple of bad turnovers by Jalen Hurts, kept them off the board for most of it. But they did get a big TD at the end of the game. Hurts, when he wasn’t turning it over, looked good.

They are still figuring this offense out, and are dealing with some key injuries. But the pieces, as long as they are healthy, are there, and we are seeing signs of a dangerous squad.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Eagles Defense Makes A Statement In New Orleans appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Go several years back, and Eagles fans would not have much nice to say about Howie Roseman. Even after the Super Bowl, there was a time when people wanted him fired. Draft picks like Jalen Reagor, JJ Arcega Whiteside, Davion Taylor, etc, had people sick of him.

But at some point, a switch flipped. Maybe it was the 2022 run to the Super Bowl. Maybe it was him changing his draft strategy, something we will talk about maybe not being as good as we thought. But now, it seems he can do no wrong. If you call him out or blame him for anything, you will be rushed by his defenders telling you how crazy you are for criticizing the “Best GM in the NFL.”

In his defense, there is a lot he does well. No one handles the cap better than him. By getting deals done early, and using a loophole that lets keep cap numbers low utilizing bonuses, he is able to cheat the cap system. Some of that is also Jeffrey Lurie being willing to pay out those bonuses to make that system work, but Howie deserves credit too.

He also has built an incredible offense. He drafted guys like DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Jordan Mailata, Cam Jurgens, and Jalen Hurts. He acquired AJ Brown via trade. He signed Saquon Barkley. Picked up Mekhi Becton as a reclamation project. And more importantly, signed most of these guys to deals that look better and better with each passing signing around the league.

Still, here we are in 2024, and the defense he built looks like a mess for the 2nd straight season. He picked these Edge Rushers. He didn’t want to pay the sure thing in Haason Reddick and decided to rely on his guys. Nolan Smith who he spent a 1st round pick on, Bryce Huff who he just signed, and Josh Sweat who he drafted back in 2018.

Howie Roseman Can’t Build a Defense? (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)It is a small sample size over 2 games, but so far it is a disaster. Sweat is doing a bit more, but not enough to be a starting Edge Rusher. The other two, Smith and Huff, are getting handled every single play. The Falcons put a TE on Huff, and Huff was getting pushed backward.

Then there are the guys inside. Jordan Davis, another 1st round pick, has been a no-show over 2 games. The Eagles have the worst run defense in the league, and a lot of that is on Davis and Carter getting no push on run downs.

This is the group Howie put together. He went cheap so he could build a high-powered offense. That can work, but to do so you need to nail your draft picks. It looks like he nailed it with Quinyon Mitchell. Despite a slow start, the Jalen Carter pick should still end up a great one. But Smith and Davis so far look like busts. Two 1st round picks, that have so far given you nothing.

His big free-agent moves on the defense this year have all floundered so far. CJ Gardner Johnson has that 1 big tackle on 4th down. But he has also been beaten deep multiple times and has missed multiple open-field tackles. Devin White can’t get on the field. Britian Covery has more tackles than Bryce Huff.

He traded away a guy with 4 straight seasons of double-digit sacks. Reddick wanted to be paid like an elite edge Rusher. The numbers suggest he deserves it. Howie didn’t want to pay him, and neither do the Jets. Fine. But you can’t trade away a sure thing like that and not replace him. So far, despite not playing in any of the Jets ‘ games, Reddick has as many sacks as all of the Eagles’ Edge Rushers combined and only 4 fewer tackles.

Is It The Coaches Fault? As Much as Sirianni Denies It, Howie Roseman Picked The CoordinatorsThey have had 4 different play callers on defense in that time. You could blame them. But if you do, you have to also remember who hired them. He also hired the head coach that many people in the city want fired. No matter who you blame for the defense being bad last year, and being bad again so far this year, it falls on Howie Roseman.

Were Sean Desai and Matt Patricia a disaster last year? Sure. Howie hired them. You could argue Vic Fangio could do more to get something out of the guys he has. Well, Howie hired him too. Howie and the Eagles are sticking by this defensive system. They hired Gannon who runs it, hired DeSai who runs it, and this year they got the creator of it in Fangio. If you hate it and want a more aggressive style of defense, you can blame Howie for that too.

He built an incredibly talented offense. Despite being a bit slow out of the gate, I trust them to turn it around. But right now it looks like he dropped the ball 2 years in a row on defense, and it is mostly because his talent evaluation on defense has been poor.

Bryce Huff, Nolan Smith, Jordan Davis. Howie put a ton of faith in these guys. Those 3 need to be good for this team to be good. So far it looks like trusting them was a mistake. would this team be better if they had Kyle Hamilton instead of Jordan Davis? Maybe Danielle Hunter instead of Bryce Huff? Joey Porter Jr or Brian Branch instead of Nolan Smith. Could be.

Is it too soon to give up on those guys? Sure. But have they given you any reason to hope they turn it around? No. Nolan Smith was never productive in College. He came into the league as a project. Bryce Huff is a former UDFA with 1 good season as a part-time player. Jordan Davis looked like this during his rookie season and the 2nd half of last year.

None of this is new. These are not pedigreed players suddenly struggling when they get to Philly. All of them had these knocks before Howie drafted or signed them. Howie took the risks anyway, and so far they have not paid off. If they don’t eventually pay off, it is not on Nick Sirianni, it is not on Vic Fangio, it is on Howie.

Howie Roseman might be Phialdelphia’s Golden Boy suddenly. But there is now a pattern of him failing to put together a good defense. He can’t keep leaking things to the media to put the blame on the head coaches he hires or the QBs he drafts and signs. Eventually, the blame has to fall on him.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Dont Let Howie Roseman Off The Hook For This Defense appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Week 2 was a bit of a mess for the Eagles. It should have ended in a win. The Falcons should have never even gotten the ball back. If Saquon catches that pass, the Eagles take a couple of knees and go into week 3 2-0. There would be issues, but they would have a win.

None of that happened. Saquon dropped it, the clock stopped, the Eagles kicked a FG, and they kicked it back to the Falcons with 1:39 left to go and a 6-point lead. Even that should have ended with a win. Just keep them out of the end zone. Instead, Kirk Cousins easily picked them apart, drove down the field, and scored the go-ahead TD with lots of time to spare. The clock stopping was barely a factor they scored so quickly.

KIRK FINDS DRAKE LONDON IN THE END ZONE WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT

FALCONS TAKE A ONE-POINT LEAD pic.twitter.com/47hDFw2RO1

— ESPN (@espn) KIRK FINDS DRAKE LONDON IN THE END ZONE WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT

FALCONS TAKE A ONE-POINT LEAD pic.twitter.com/47hDFw2RO1

— ESPN (@espn) September 17, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024Now instead of talking about an ugly win, it is an ugly loss dominating the conversation in Philly. And behind that loss, there are even bigger issues. Why was Kirk Cousins so comfortable in the pocket all game? Why did the Flacons gash the Eagles on the ground with such ease? Why did some of the key players on offense fail to step up with AJ Brown out?

Giving Some Eagles Players Their Kudos(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)There is a lot of blame to go around. But before we do get to the negatives that will dominate this list, Let’s give a few people some credit. DeVonta Smith did his thing. He was fantastic as the lone WR1. Despite drawing the toughest test from the Falcons defense, he had a great game, barring one drop that should have been a TD.

Speaking of one mistake, Saquon was still great outside of that 1 drop. He should not be let off the hook for it, because it is an easy catch that would have sealed the game. But he is at least doing his part for the offense.

Related: Saquon Barkley Needs To Catch That Ball… Period

Even Jalen Hurts deserves credit. Yes, he threw a pick to end the game. But otherwise, he did more than enough for them to win, and looked like 2022 Hurts on the ground. The O-Line is still good, Becton struggled a bit in week 2 but was fantastic in week 1. And then of course there is Quinyon Mitchell who more than looks the part of a star cornerback.

But now that we have given some kudos, let’s get to some guys they need more from. These players have to this point, been a disappointment. And if they do not give the Eagles more in week 3, we might be talking about a 1-2 Eagles team on Monday.

Here Are 6 Struggling Eagles Players That Need To Step Up Against The SaintsThe post 6 Struggling Eagles Players They Need More From In Week 3 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Monday Night Football turned into a disaster at Lincoln Financial Field. Jason Kelce, Nick Foles, and all the partying on Monday Night Countdown didn’t help the Philadelphia Eagles avoid handing a game away to the Atlanta Falcons.

Nick Sirianni and Kellen Moore inevitably have to face the fallout after a debatable decision to call a passing play to Saquon Barkley instead of a run play that would’ve kept the clock ticking after the two-minute warning.

However, critics of NFL play-callers too often singularly analyze decisions with the benefit of hindsight without considering the bigger picture of player execution and coaching strategy.

Sirianni, Moore & NFL Play-CallsSaquon Barkley dropped a third-and-3 pass that would’ve improved the Eagles to 2-0. Should the ball have been in the air in the first place though?

The coaches set an expectation for a prime playmaker in the top tier of his position group in the NFL to execute a play in a critical spot. Barkley didn’t do it.

When NFL coaches call plays, they must consider all possible outcomes. In this particular case, Sirianni (the head coach who took ownership of the decision) and Moore (the expected play-caller who isn’t innocent of offensive shortcomings) had a responsibility to consider a miscue like a dropped pass as one realistic scenario.

However, avoiding the simple screen pass on third-and-3 would’ve ignored the need to attack with confidence.

Instead, the coaching staff called a play with the expectation that a loaded offense with Jalen Hurts and his gifted running back could would move the chains and ice a Week 2 victory.

“It’s very easy to get on Nick Sirianni – and I am not saying it’s wrong. But football, it’s one of the reasons I believe this sport is as popular as it is, you’ve got situations where, basically, whatever the coach decides, if it works, he’s brilliant and bold and daring, and if… pic.twitter.com/wFziaC0fbt

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) “It’s very easy to get on Nick Sirianni – and I am not saying it’s wrong. But football, it’s one of the reasons I believe this sport is as popular as it is, you’ve got situations where, basically, whatever the coach decides, if it works, he’s brilliant and bold and daring, and if… pic.twitter.com/wFziaC0fbt

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) September 18, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2024Jeff McLane pointed out as a guest with Kincade & Salciunas the alternative possibility of a decision made with sights on four-down territory. A third down run could’ve inched the Eagles closer to a game-winning first down with a similarly aggressive strategy and set up for a potential tush push on fourth down.

The approach would’ve added a higher likelihood of a running clock, eliminated the chance for a dropped pass, and replaced it with a minimally lesser risk like a fumble or another miscue in the trenches.

However, too many critics on the airwaves of 97.5 The Fanatic and throughout NFL circles have second-guessed with the benefit of hindsight without properly considering additional factors. The mentality persists too often in collective football analysis.

Related Philadelphia Eagles Content: Nick Sirianni Has An Identity Crisis

Instead of using McLane’s big-picture mindset presenting a legitimate alternative, the criticism eliminates credit for the sound rationale that Nick Sirianni and Kellen Moore used.

The same screen pass from Hurts to Barkley had worked once earlier in the same game. The players directly involved are the ones the Eagles need to count on to win football games. The play itself unfolded successfully before the dropped pass. The coaches trusted playmakers with an aggressive strategy that superseded a conservative running play followed by a possible field goal.

A properly executed play would’ve moved the chains, kept the clock running, and eliminated the need for a suspect defense to step back onto the field against the Falcons. The Eagles needed a confident, aggressive strategy on offense.

Saquon Barkley simply didn’t capitalize on that vote of confidence. The result on its own doesn’t change the mentality of the initial decision.

The Philly Special: An Alternate UniverseEagles fans glorify the Philly Special as a gutsy play-call by Doug Pederson on the biggest stage in Super Bowl LII. The franchise’s only Super Bowl-winning head coach trusted his personnel to execute a trick play on fourth down from the 1-yard line.

However, an alternate history could’ve landed Pederson in a similar situation as Sirianni and Moore if a lack of execution made him look silly.

If Trey Burton and Corey Clement, players with significantly less impressive NFL track records than Saquon Barkley, had botched the play, imagine what the reaction would’ve been.

Eagles Fans: The Philly Special is the best play-call in franchise history.
Alternate Universe Eagles fans if there was a botched exchange: Why are you running a trick play at the goal line? Pound the ball with 247-pound LeGarrette Blount for the easy score and stay conservative.

— Colin Newby (@ToNewbyginnings) Eagles Fans: The Philly Special is the best play-call in franchise history.
Alternate Universe Eagles fans if there was a botched exchange: Why are you running a trick play at the goal line? Pound the ball with 247-pound LeGarrette Blount for the easy score and stay conservative.

— Colin Newby (@ToNewbyginnings) September 18, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2024Monday Night Football included plenty of similar instances judged differently because of their outcomes.

The Falcons aggressively stayed on the field for a fourth-and-4 late from their own 47-yard line late in the third quarter.

A converted pass from Kirk Cousins to Ray-Ray McCloud eliminated any criticism from the hindsight crowd. The drive resulted in a touchdown that put Atlanta ahead.

The Eagles then ran a tush push on fourth down on the ensuing drive. The conversion pushed that coaching decision to the backburner.

If critics want to condemn aggressive play-calls that show confidence in a team’s best offensive players, they must also acknowledge the merit of the intended aggressive play-calling strategy. Too often, a contrary, oversimplified mentality persists in NFL rhetoric.

“All I can do is go back and review those and say, ‘Did I like what we did here? Would we do it again or would we change directions next time?’ Everything is thought out of what we want to do, but that’s this game of football.” -Nick Sirianni

The post What Critics Don’t Consider About NFL Play-Calling appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Talk about a kick in the teeth. To go from having the ball, in the Red Zone, with the lead, and under 2 minutes to go, to losing, is about as painful as a regular season loss gets. The Eagles should have won this game. They should be 1 of 10 2-0 teams. Instead, they gave the Falcons the ball back, Kirk Cousins drove them down the field, and Drake London caught the game-winning TD.

KIRK FINDS DRAKE LONDON IN THE END ZONE WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT

FALCONS TAKE A ONE-POINT LEAD pic.twitter.com/47hDFw2RO1

— ESPN (@espn) KIRK FINDS DRAKE LONDON IN THE END ZONE WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT

FALCONS TAKE A ONE-POINT LEAD pic.twitter.com/47hDFw2RO1

— ESPN (@espn) September 17, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024Related: Eagles Let Easy Win Slip Through Their Fingers, Literally

The following day has led to a lot of debate about who and what is to blame. There was a questionable decision by the Eagles to throw the ball on 3rd and 3 stopping the clock. There was a drop by Saquon that would have gone for a 1st don and clinched the win. There was the coaches playing it safe, kicking the FG, and giving it back to the Falcons with the chance to take the lead. And there was of course the defense imploding on that final drive.

And that is just the final two minutes. It is not even mentioning the run defense getting gashed, the pass rush being ineffective, and the offense getting blanked in the 1st quarter yet again. The final 2 minutes are dominating the conversation, understandably, but their issues did not start after the 2-minute warning.

There is lots of blame to go around. But what are the real takeaways? What things do we need to actually worry about? Are there any positives from the loss? Let’s take a deeper dive into the game. the good, the bad, the really bad, and the things that should have us panicking two games into the season.

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There is a new thing circulating around the airwaves on 97.5 about what happened in the Eagles 22-21 loss to the Falcons. It is something that is disrespectful to the audience because it isn’t genuine. I think when we lie to the audience, we do them a gigantic disservice. It has boosted a fringe section of Eagles’ fans who think that Saquon Barkley walks on water because he attended Penn State. I apologize on behalf of my colleagues.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 16: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles is tackled by Jessie Bates III #3 and A.J. Terrell #24 of the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter in the game at Lincoln Financial Field on September 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Related: Eagles Let Easy Win Slip Through Their Fingers, Literally

On the 3rd and 3 play in the 4th quarter, Saquon Barkley had to catch the ball. Period. Saquon Barkley must catch the ball in that situation. Period. This should be obvious, and it is to every reasonable person. Why do you go sign a free-agent running back, if he can’t convert that easy play? That does not mean that Barkley is the only reason the Eagles lost to the Falcons. The defense that Howie Roseman built is horrible. It was a huge mistake to sign Bryce Huff. It does mean that if Barkley makes a very easy play, they win the game.

The job of a coach is to put their players in a position to succeed. Their job is not to play for them. I am not suggesting that Nick Sirianni did a good job coaching during the Monday night game. I don’t think Kellen Moore or Vic Fangio coached well either. I do know that it wouldn’t have mattered if Barkley made an easy catch.

The Play Was There, Saquon Barkley Just Dropped ItThe play that was drawn up got Barkley wide open. The pass from Hurts hit Barkley in both hands. It went off Barkley’s hands with room to get the first down and end the football game. Barkley failed when the Eagles needed him the most.

To suggest anything other than Barkley blew a chance to end the game is suggesting lies. Barkley has 7.75 very good quarters to start his Eagles’ career. He has looked explosive at times and was fully accountable after the loss. He also has led all running backs in the NFL in drops since the start of the 2021 season despite missing time with injuries. Even though Barkley can make big plays like he did against the Packers, he is mistake-prone as a receiver. The drop against the Falcons help cost the Eagles the game. That isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact.

(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)There are still 15 games left in the season. A lot can happen. The Saints in New Orleans won’t be easy. If the coaches put Saquon in a position to make a big play in the passing game again, I think he will deliver. He didn’t against the Falcons and it cost the Eagles the game.

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The biggest talking point throughout Philadelphia today has been whether or not the Eagles should have handed the football to Saquon Barkley instead of throwing it to him which led to an incompletion. Before I continue, let me get this out of the way, it was a perfectly drawn-up play. Whether you would have called a pass or a run in that spot is up to you. I also believe it is up to Nick Sirianni to decide if he wants to be aggressive or not on a consistent basis.

Being the Head Coach of an NFL team is hard. We have it easy. We get to react to every decision that is made. When a play does not go in our favor, we get to say how bad of a decision it was. You are only a smart decision-maker if it works. For many people, that seems to be the bottom line.

No Longer River Boat Sirianni?(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)What my problem is, is the identity of Nick Sirianni. In 2022, when Nick Sirianni was the next Bill Belichick, he was one of the more aggressive coaches in the NFL. The Eagles finished with the fourth most 4th down attempts in the NFL. Of the top four teams in the NFL in terms of 4th down attempts, they had the best conversion rate. No one questioned his decisions.

Then came the Super Bowl. The only questions we had, were why he didn’t continue being the aggressive head coach we saw all season. During the biggest game of his life, he went against everything he believed in during the season. He kicked field goals when he normally would have gone for a first down or a touchdown, and he punted when he normally would have let his offense make the play.

Since then, I think he has been spooked. Last season the Eagles dropped from number 4 in terms of attempts on fourth down, to 13th. What we saw in the Super Bowl was more consistent with what we saw last season. Someone who wasn’t as aggressive except for the tush push which were the majority of those attempts. In 2022, they didn’t rely on the tush push, they found multiple ways to secure first downs.

So far in this season, we have scratched our heads in both games. In week 1 against Green Bay, the Eagles and Saquon Barkley had their way with the Packers defense. Until the fourth quarter. When it was clear that they could run out the clock, they started to throw the football which eventually led to an interception. When they were 4th and goal on the Packers 3-yard line, they elected to kick a field goal which kept it at a one-score game.

As Much as Sirianni Denies It, Howie Roseman Picked The CoordinatorsIf you agreed with the notion of taking the points because Green Bay had to score a touchdown to win, congrats, it worked. If you feared your young inexperienced defense would not stop Jordan Love before he got hurt, I totally understood. Sirianni is smart, because they won which means he was right, but had Love stayed healthy and they moved downfield and scored, then what would we be saying?

Now to the biggest talking point of the day. The throw on third and 3 on the Falcons 10-yard line. My problem is not with the play call. If Barkley catches it, game over. Should the Eagles take into account a what if Barkley drops it scenario? Absolutely. But my biggest issue is the identity crisis.

If you watch the Ravens play football, you know what you are going to get from John Harbough. 4th down attempts, and instead of kicking extra points late in a game to tie it, he would rather go for 2 and the win. I HATE that style of thinking in most circumstances, but at least if I was a Ravens fan, I knew what was coming.

Doug Pederson in 2017 and 2018, you know what you were getting out of Riverboat Doug. Hell, Philly Philly will forever be considered the greatest play in Eagles franchise history. Don’t forget about Zach Ertz and his fourth-down catch either. Again, the point is, you knew what you were getting out of Pederson.

With Sirianni right now, I don’t know what I am getting. On one drive in the first half he elects to go for it on fourth down, the next he kicks the field goal. Both times the “analytics chart” said to go for it, he picks and chooses when to listen to it. Then in the fourth quarter, he makes the aggressive decision to throw on third and 3, but then is conservative and kicks the field goal on fourth down. If you were aggressive on 3rd, be aggressive on 4th. If you are aggressive all game, stay aggressive. He needs to figure out what he wants to do and stick with it.

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Week 1 was not pretty for the Eagles, but it was a win, and you will take that. Week 2 was a disaster where they literally let an easy win slip through their fingers. Now they head into week 3, and it is hard to determine what to think of this team. While we try to figure out our own thoughts, let’s see what the national media thinks about them in the Week 3 Eagles Power rankings Roundup.

Related: Eagles Let Easy Win Slip Through Their Fingers, Literally

The Week 3 Eagles Power Rankings RoundupESPN- 6 (Previously 5)

“Graham plans to retire after this season, but Philadelphia needs one more productive campaign out of him to bolster an edge rush group with some question marks.”

Brandon Graham is clearly not the guy he used to be. But sadly, he might be their best Edge rusher. I at least saw him get pressure a few times. Josh Sweat was a non factor, and Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff were somehow worse than non factors. Huff has slipped more times than he has pressured the QB. The pass rush is a major issue for this team.

NFL.com- 6 (Previously 4)

“Hurts’ heroic night goes down as a loss. He showed emotion. He took over at times with his legs. There were clutch, on-schedule throws most of the evening. But Hurts’ final desperation ball was picked in the waning seconds, and Lincoln Financial Field was church quiet.”

I can’t put too much blame on Hurts. Yes, that pick to end the game was bad, but for the majority of the game I actually really liked what we saw out of him. He had his legs back and he made some clutch throws. He put the team in a position to win, and the defense blew it.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)CBS Sports- 18 (Previously 8)“That was a big-time choke late by the Eagles and head coach Nick Sirianni. Why did he throw it late? Then they let Kirk Cousins go the distance in just under a minute for the game-winner?“

He threw it because if Saquon catches that the Eagles win. It is as simple as that. The second question is fair. Kirk Cousins and old an injured QB found it way too easy not to pick this defense apart on that final drive. Imagine what it will look like if they play a great QB.

USA Today- 9 (Previously 5)

“They looked more comfortable in South America than they did in South Philly given the ways HC Nick Sirianni’s decision-making, RB Saquon Barkley’s hands, the secondary’s general “coverage” and QB Jalen Hurts’ game-sealing interception produced a collective failure Monday night.”

The air was taken out of this fanbase last night. It should have been a celebration, instead, it felt like a funeral for the fans walking back to their cars after that game. To have the win within your fingertips, literally, and let it slip, is hard to handle. You would almost rather they have just gotten their teeth kicked in from the start.

Yahoo Sports -8 (Previously 7)

“The Eagles’ loss on Monday night brought up bad memories of blowing games late last season. Maybe the Eagles should have taken the points early instead of going for it on fourth-and-4 from the 9-yard line? Either way, the defense made it look way too easy for Kirk Cousins on that final drive.“

There are a lot of what ifs in this situation. But the Yahoo Sports writer is right, it comes down to that final drive on defense, that simply cannot happen. It can’t be that easy.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

New York Times- 11 (Previously 6)

“It’s a game of inches, right? If Saquon Barkley hadn’t dropped Jalen Hurts’ swing pass with 1:46 remaining, the Eagles would be 2-0. But now they have to try to shake off a painful loss before visiting a red-hot Saints team in New Orleans.“

The Saints look like the best team in Football right now. They tore apart the Panthers and Cowboys defense. With this defense being so out of sorts, they are not the team you want to see coming in. If their pass rush continues to get no pressure, it could be a long day on Sunday.

Bleacher Report- 9 (Previously 5)“After racing out to a 10-1 start last year, the Eagles collapsed, losing five of six before getting hammered in Tampa in the Wild Card round. The Philly team that somehow lost to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night looked a lot like that team.”

It is impossible to not draw that comparion. The shadow of the 2023 season is going to continue to loom over this team until they give us reason to forget it. And that defense at the end of the game looked exactly like the defense did last year.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.

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The win was in the palm of the Eagles’ hands. They led by 3, with under 2 minutes left, and were in the red zone. It felt like it was over, even though there was still time on the clock. Fate had something else in mind for the Eagles though, and they let what could have been an easy win slip right out of their hands.

It was literally in the palm of Saquon Barkley’s hands. Much will be made of the Eagles’ decision to throw it on 3rd and 3. The pass fell incomplete and the clock stopped, giving the Falcons just under 1:40 minutes to drive down the field and score a go-ahead TD, which they did.

But here is the thing, the play call worked. Barkley was open for an easy 1st down. If he holds onto that, it is game over, and we are talking about a win. It was a bold gambit, that should have worked. Instead, he dropped it, they settled for a FG, and the Falcons got it back with plenty of time left.

Saquon- I can complain and be upset about it or go back to the drawing board and do better next time. I let the team down I Gotta man up to it and do better next time.

— Michael Barkann (@MBarkannNBCS) Saquon- I can complain and be upset about it or go back to the drawing board and do better next time. I let the team down I Gotta man up to it and do better next time.

— Michael Barkann (@MBarkannNBCS) September 17, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024There will be, and should be, a lot of conversation about that sequence of events. Should they have just run the ball, and let the clock run? Is it instead Saquon’s fault for dropping it?

In my opinion, the clock stopping did not make much of a difference. The Falcons needed only 1:05 to get that TD. The defense completely disappeared. After doing well vs the pass all night, an aging and injured Kirk Cousins had his way, and effortlessly moved them down the field.

Eagles Face Many Key Questions After That LossWhy did they throw it? Probably because they wanted to just end it with a 1st down and not give the Falcons the chance to do the exact thing they did. It was risky, but it should have worked. It seems Eagles fans are most upset about that decision, but honestly, it is the least of their worries.

How much blame should Saquon get? It is undeniable the drop cost them. If he catches that, they win. It was a crucial mistake. But he was also great the rest of the game, and it was only 1 mistake. It just so happened to come at the worst possible time.

Should we put it on Jalen Hurts for that late interception? Maybe a bit. But despite the numbers, I thought he played pretty well throughout the game. I can only blame him so much.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The real problem is this defense. They were torn apart way too easily. They kept the score somewhat low and did get a key stop earlier in the quarter. But if you can’t trust your defense to keep a mediocre offense out of the endzone with 1:39 minutes to go and no timeouts, you have a problem.

The D-Line got no push all game long. Kirk Cousins, who can barely move right now, got to stand comfortably in the pocket for 4 quarters. Bryce Huff was a no-show again. Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith were no better. Jalen Carter did a bit more, but not consistently enough. Thomas Booker, a backup DT, was the star along that line, along with Milton Williams and BG. But 3 backups being your best players is not a great sign.

They were even less effective against the run. The Falcons easily ripped off long run after long run with little to no pushback from the Eagles D. They held strong in the Red Zone, until the end when the stakes were the highest. Ironically the pass D looked it’s worse when there was no threat by the Falcons to run the ball.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The biggest concern coming into this game was the Eagles D-Line. They did nothing in week 1 to quell those fears, and in week 2 the fears were proven right. If this team can’t find a way to pressure the QB, this defense could sink them, even if the offense lives up to its lofty hype.

This loss leaves us with a lot to think about. But while the last 2 minutes might dominate the conversation, the fuller picture is not any prettier. This defense, more specifically this D-Line, does not look good enough to play winning Football. All the talk about if they should have run the ball, or Saquon dropping it, pales in comparison to the threat this defense presents.

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Jalen Hurts is entering his fourth full season as the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. He is entering his third season where we have had debates locally and nationally on where he ranks among other quarterbacks in the NFL. No matter where you have him ranked, we all seem to agree that he is the franchise quarterback in Philadelphia.

One of the many benefits of doing this job is being able to get the pulse of the fanbase. There are some fans that believe Jalen Hurts is a top 5 quarterback. Heck, there was one caller into Kincade and Salciunas that told us he was the 3rd best QB in the league. Others have told us that he is outside of the top 10, but still believe that he can win.

However, for the first time in the Jalen Hurts era, it seems like the confidence in some fans is starting to wane. The 2023 season scarred a lot of people and no one knew exactly who to blame. When one person would try to blame Hurts, the next person would blame Sirianni. If someone tried to blame the defense, the next person would blame the offense. With all the uncertainty of what went wrong, I think a lot of people were willing to see what happened in the offseason.

That was when the Eagles hired “the savior” in Kellen Moore. Moore was brought in and immediately people thought the offense, and Jalen Hurts, would be fixed. In week 1 the offense put up points, but we saw two more careless interceptions by Hurts which were reminiscent of last season. Regardless of what you think about Hurts, those cannot continue to happen.

(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – SEPTEMBER 06: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks to pass during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Arena Corinthians on September 06, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Holding Jalen Hurts To A Higher StandardThat is why tonight is a statement game for Jalen Hurts. I told you before the season started that I was going to hold him to a higher standard. I was going to ignore what other quarterbacks were doing well or not so well and focus on what Hurts was doing. For me to have the same confidence as I did in 2022 with Hurts, I need to see him playing clean football again.

Tonight he will be without his best weapon. With AJ Brown out with his hamstring injury, many Eagles fans will go into this game with a built-in excuse for Hurts. Not me. Most teams don’t have their top wide receiver get hurt and have a top 15 receiver, top 10 tight end, and top 10 running back to turn to. Hurts has all that. The top quarterbacks in the league also uplift their play when times are tough.

I believe Hurts can do that, and I believe he will do it tonight. If he doesn’t, conversations on just how good he actually is will continue throughout the week on the station. You can bury your head in the sand all you want, but Hurts hasn’t put together a “great” game in some time now. Even without AJ Brown, he has enough to still do it.

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Warning! I don’t give a damn about style points when it comes to the Monday Night Football matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. There are many reasons to think the Eagles will live up to the pre-season hype after their impressive win over the Packers in Brazil. There are also many reasons for a more cautious approach to expectations. These are some of the reasons that I love the Eagles to come away victorious but would lean towards taking the 5.5 points with the Falcons.

No AJ Brown…no problem?(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)The loss of AJ Brown with hamstring tightness most certainly impacts the Eagles’ victory chances. They may have plenty of offensive weapons but without their largest, it could be more difficult sledding. Brown is the most likely player to receive two men in attention from the opposition so the Eagles become immediately easier to defend.

This may require them to lean on Saquon Barkley more and hopefully Dallas Goedert can step up and become more of an intermediate passing game threat. Davonta Smith will now become the primary focus and rookie Johnny Wilson is having hamstring issues so he probably won’t be a promising option.

Cousins isn’t usually ready for prime timeThough he always tends to light it up with huge passing yards performances, Kirk Cousins seems to be blinded by the bright lights of prime time games. His turnover numbers usually escalate and the Eagles young secondary should have opportunities to put their offense on a short field.

Cousins is still slowly recovering from last year’s Achilles injury but Atlanta says he is not suffering from any lingering effects. He was a sitting duck in the pocket last week vs the Steelers and the Eagles better be able to generate a pass rush against him.

The Falcons could be more dangerous than expectedThe embarrassment of losing at home to the Steelers and only scoring ten points was a topic of discussion all week long in Atlanta. Their offensive line did a horrendous job of protecting their quarterback. They were particularly vulnerable up the gut and that should suggest to us that Jalen Carter could have a very disruptive night.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The edge rushers should also find themselves with chances to affect the passing game. The Falcons have weapons but without time to execute they won’t have a good chance to succeed. Will we see Bryce Huff make an impact? This would be the game to do it while the Falcons get things figured out.

So what happens?If you are planning to build your same game parlay I would suggest starting with the Eagles money line. They should leave the Linc 2-0. What I wouldn’t do is lay 6.5 points to Atlanta. The Falcons should have a much better offensive plan after seeing all that went wrong the week before. I also don’t see the Eagles defense wreaking as much havoc as the Steelers did.

Devonta Smith enjoys a big night and Saquon Barkley accounts for another 100 yard plus night of offense. The Eagles secondary will be challenged and I expect a bumpy ride. I’ll figure they trail once or twice, but the Eagles prevail in a 27-23 victory.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post The Eagles Don’t Need Style Points Tonight, Just Win appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After a week 1 “home game” in Brazil, the Eagles come back to Philly to host the Falcons in their first actual home game of the season on Monday Night. While the Eagles will be looking to improve on what was a not so pretty win, the Falcons are trying to bounce bag from an ugly loss.

As fans, we tend to hyper focus on our teams issue’s, ignoring the context from the rest of the league. Jalen Hurts turnovers, the lack of a pass rush, the slow start in the game, the defense giving up too many big plays. Those are real issues, but the Falcons had it so much worse. They played an inferior opponent, Steelers instead of the Packers, at home, and they still struggled.

Related: 6 Eagles Players In Store For Great Games Vs The Falcons

There is something wrong with Kirk Cousins. He is not an elite QB, but he is usually more than capable of putting up big numbers. He couldn’t move in week 1 though. He was never a mobile QB, but he was a statue in that pocket, and a sitting duck for the Steelers pash rush. When he did get the ball off, he just couldn’t deliver the ball on target. Cousins looks injured.

(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)Cousins has weapons. Not as many weapons as Hurts, but they built a nice team around him. Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson. They should be able to put up numbers. But the O-Line got picked on, and Cousins had no answer for the rush.

Still, they will not just roll over for the Eagles. Like mentioned, there is some talent on that team. There are specifically some talented players in areas the Falcons could exploit the Eagles weaknesses. The Eagles are currently 6.5 point home favorites, and should be expected to win, but they still have to take care of their own business.

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Coming into the year, it looked like Quinyon Mitchell would be the Nickel Cornerback. The plan was for for him to play inside in the Nickel and Dime packages, and then move outside in the base packages. Isaiah Rodgers getting hurt changed that plan for week 1. Quinyon played outside as the CB2 across from Darius Slay all game long vs the Packers, with Avonte Maddox playing most of the snaps inside.

He looked the part. He made several impressive plays, including breaking up a would-be TD in the End Zone. Yes, he got beat a couple of times, growing pains are to be expected with a rookie. The important part was he looked like he belonged. He had the look and attitude of a star corner.

He allowed just 4 catches on 9 targets and had a passer rating allowed of 66.9. He also had a pass breakup on 3 of those 5 incompletions. The Packers tested him deep early, and the rookie did not blink.

Dropping a thread of Quinyon Mitchell's best plays for an all-22 review I have coming shortly, starting with his PBU against Christian Watson on the Packers' first drive.

"Slay told me pre-game that first drive, they were going to test me deep," Mitchell said postgame. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/nLochDZ0pK

— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) Dropping a thread of Quinyon Mitchell's best plays for an all-22 review I have coming shortly, starting with his PBU against Christian Watson on the Packers' first drive.

"Slay told me pre-game that first drive, they were going to test me deep," Mitchell said postgame. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/nLochDZ0pK

— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) September 10, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2024The question is, now that they have put him outside, and he looked so good, will the Eagles go back? We don’t know yet if Isaiah Rodgers will be back in week 2. But even if he is, will he regain his CB2 job?

Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever this week, and he told us that it will be hard for the Eagles to go back now after how good Quinyon Mitchell looked.

“I don’t know how you move him. Fangio wants to get the best three on the field, and that’s why he was saying maybe I have to play Quinyon Mitchell in the slot. But I mean, after watching him get challenged right out of the chute… It’s right to be very encouraged by what you see out of Mitchell. I don’t think there’s any doubt that he’s going to be on the field for every snap moving forward, barring injury. If I’m Fangio I keep him out there. I don’t know how you don’t.”

Do The Eagles Have Another Nickel Cornerback If Quinyon Mitchell Moves Outside? The one thing that might keep Mitchell from being the CB2 going forward, is that he is the Eagles best option inside. Avonte Maddox has been a very good Nickel Corner for them over the years, but not in week 1. The Packers picked on him all night. After him, they have Eli Ricks, who did not look great there last year, and Cooper DeJean, who is not yet ready to play.

Once DeJean is acclimated, it is easy to see him being the Nickel. That was the plan coming into camp before an injury derailed him. But Fangio has been clear that DeJean is not ready yet.

If they want to get their 3 best Corners on the field, it is Slay, Mitchell, and Rodgers. Rodgers does not have the inside-outside versatility that Mitchell does. Mitchell being so great could be what keeps him from being the other outside corner for the time being.

That is the end goal. They did not draft him to play inside, and now that we saw how good he is outside the cat is out of the bag.

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Until Cooper Dejean is ready to play inside, Mitchell might be the Nickel by default, provided Isaiah Rodgers is healthy. That said, they might just say screw it and keep him outside. Because he is that good, and Fangio thinks very highly of him. This is what Tim McManus said about how Fangio views Mitchell.

“We know that Fangio is not just throwing him out there to throw him out there. They spent that money on (Devin) White, and look what’s happening there. They spent a lot of money on Bryce Huff and he’s he shared snaps with with with BG and Nolan Smith. He’s not going to be one that is beholden to where you got picked or how much you’re making. It’s whether you can produce and the fact that he had enough confidence in him throughout the summer to not only elevate him up the depth chart but also play him in multiple positions, tells you a lot about Mitchell and just how high of a ceiling he has.”

Like McManus said earlier, I don’t see how you move him back. He was too good outside. I will get it if they do, because if the lack of depth at Nickel behind Quinyon Mitchell. But for me, I want my best two corners outside, and Mitchell is clearly one of your two best, and he might even be your best by the time the season is over.

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Week 1 is in the books. It was not pretty, but it was a win. Eagles fans may still have some lingering PTSD from all the “ugly wins” last year, but we should not overreact to 1 week. It was a tough trip, vs a good team, on a bad field. You take the win. Now they have the Falcons coming to town for the 1st real home game of the season.

Related: Eagles Win Sloppy Game On Back Of Saquon Barkley

If you thought the Eagles looked ugly, the Falcons were disgusting. They played a worse team, at home, and looked lost. They fell to a mediocre Steelers team with Justin Fields at QB. It’s not like the Steelers looked great, they were just better than the Falcons. With all that talent on offense the Falcons couldn’t even move the ball.

The Eagles also get some extra rest before the game. They played Friday and then won’t take the field again until the following Monday Night. A couple of extra days compared to the Steelers, though the crazy travel might even things out a bit.

There were good things to take away from game 1. The offense was not at its best, and they still scored 34 points. The defense gave up some big plays, but they held the Pakcers to being 1 of 4 in the Red Zone. New blood like Quinyon Mitchell and Zack Baun looked fantastic. And Saquon Barkley was as good as advertised.

(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)On paper, it is a game the Eagles should win. They are currently 6.5 home favorites, and that number is moving in the Eagles’ direction. Vegas money thinks the Eagles win.

Who needs to step up to make sure that happens though? Which players have the best matchups for Monday Night’s game? What areas can the Eagles take advantage of the most?

Here are 6 Eagles Players In Store For Big Games Against The Falcons:The post 6 Eagles Players In Store For Great Games Vs The Falcons appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Saquon Barkley was as good as advertised in week 1. Better even. In his debut game in an Eagles jersey, he racked up 109 yards on the ground, 23 more through the air, and added 3 TDs. it was a masterful performance to kick off his career in Philly. Clearly people around the NFL thought so too, because he was named the NFC Offensive Player of The Week.

Are you even surprised? @saquon has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the week! pic.twitter.com/wJM4tkTg1Z

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) Are you even surprised? @saquon has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the week! pic.twitter.com/wJM4tkTg1Z

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 11, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2024The award is not exactly surprising. When you score 3 TDs, it is usually a good sign you are going to win that award. Barkley is the only non-QB responsible for at least 3 TDs and is one of only 3 players with 2 rushing TDS. The other 2 are Josh Allen and Jayden Daniels.

Related: Eagles Win Sloppy Game On The Back Of Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley Is Back On Top The NFL It is the 4th time Barkley has won the award, the last coming early in the 2022 season. It must be nice for him to run behind an actual O-Line, with an actual QB to take some of the pressure off him. His production fell off later in his Giants career as injuries mounted, and teams basically put all of their defensive efforts into stopping him.

Now he gets a world-class O-line blocking for him, and he gets so many weapons around him it would be impossible for teams to key on him.

He might not get 3 TDs every week. In fact I would probably bet against that. But you can expect him to impact the game every week. Miles Sanders and D’Andre Swift were nice. Behind this line, they could put up good numbers. But in Barkley, you have a guy who can get yards on a poorly blocked play. He can break tackles. He takes them from an ok run game to a great one.

Not to mention the impact he can have in the passing game. That was an impressive catch by him for the Eagles 1st TD of the game.

HURTS TO SAQUON FOR THE @EAGLES FIRST TD!

: #GBvsPHI on Peacock pic.twitter.com/WeEql9w1Ed

— NFL (@NFL) HURTS TO SAQUON FOR THE @EAGLES FIRST TD!

: #GBvsPHI on Peacock pic.twitter.com/WeEql9w1Ed

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2024The other players of the week included Tyrique Stevenson for NFC Defensive Player of the Week, Joe Mixon for AFC Offensive Player of the Week, Gregory Rousseau for AFC Defensive Player of the Week, then Chris Boswell and Jake Moody for the Special Teams Players Of The Week.

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One week is in the books. All 4 NFC East teams have played, and they are a collective 2-2. The Giants embarrassed themselves vs the Vikings, the Commanders got blown out by the Bucs, the Eagles escaped Brazil with a win, and the Cowboys pummelled the Browns.

What does the NFC East look like after the 1st week of the season? Here is your week 2 NFC East Report.

New York Giants (0-1)The Vikings are not going to be a good team. They have Sam Darnold at QB. But they made the Giants look terrible. The only thing uglier than the Giants themselves on that field in week 1 was the jerseys they wore.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)This team is going to compete for the 1st overall pick. Daniel Jones is a joke. The only guy on that offense that maybe scares you is Malik Nabers. But Nabers relies on Jones to get him the ball. Devin Singletary is a fine back, but he is not a good enough back to put up stats with stacked boxes. Their defense is a bit better, but not good enough to make up for how bad their offense is.

The Giants are who we thought they were. They will get their “franchise QB” in the draft next year. Will that franchise QB save them? I don’t know if any of these guys are franchise changers. Shedeur Sanders is so talented, but we just saw him throw his O-line under the bus for Colarado’s performance vs Nebraska. Is that a guy who will come in and fix a franchise that hasn’t had good O-line Play in over a decade?

This week they get the Commanders. It should be a good chance for Washington to right their own ship.

Washington Commanders (0-1)I am far more willing to be generous to the Commanders for getting blown out in week 1 than the Bucs. For 1, they actually put up a fight. A 37-20 loss is not pretty, but it is better than 28-6. The Commanders showed some signs of life. And while Jayden Daniels was not great, he flashed a few times.

Also, this is a team with a new QB, a new coach, and a whole new team in charge behind the scenes. They may be on the right path, but it will still take a while.

They get the Giants in week 2. They go into the week 2.5-point home favorites. I think they cover that spread, and then some. The Commanders are figuring things out, but the Giants are a mess.

Dallas Cowboys (1-0)Credit to the Cowboys, they had perhaps the most impressive performance of all 32 teams in week 1. They demolished the Browns, a team many people had going to the playoffs. They got some help from Deshaun Watson being a terrible, but they also put up some points on what should be a great defense.

I stand by my claim they are a worse team than they were last year. They lost too much talent and didn’t replace it with much. But, what they showed is that they still have plenty of talent to spare. Micah Parsons has a case to be the best defender in the league, and Cee Dee Lamb is a top 5 WR. Dak Prescott, while he has his flaws, is a QB capable of putting up crooked numbers.

But they are also the Cowboys. Until proven otherwise, I can’t have faith that “this is their year,” like Cowboys fans say every year. They will get 11 or so wins, and they will lose in the playoffs.

They get the Saints in week 2 at home. The Saints looked great vs the Panthers in week 1, but the Panthers might be the 1 team worse than the Giants. I don’t believe in them much. The Cowboys are 6.5 home favorites. I hate to say it, but that is a Cowboys line. They win and cover to start 2-0.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)Week 1 was not easy, but they got the win. Given it was week 1, and the game was in Brazil, vs a tough Packers team, on a terrible field, I can forgive sloppiness. Fans should be very optimistic about this offense. They didn’t play their best and still put up 34 points on a good team. Hurts made some mistakes, but also made some great plays. Saquon was as good as advertised, and it is clear Brown and Smith are too much to handle for opposing defenses.

(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)Even the defense showed some promise. Them holding the Packers to 1 of 4 in The Red Zone is super impressive. Especially considering 2 of those Red Zone trips started in the Red Zone. But they did get burned for big plays several times. Still, I left the game feeling very hopeful for the secondary and even the linebackers.

The big concern is the Edge Rushers. Bryce Huff barely played, and did nothing when he did get on the field. Nolan Smith was a no-show. Brandon Graham was decent, but he can only play so many snaps. Josh Sweat was fine.

They need Huff to be great. They were relying on him to replace what Haason Reddick gave them. One week in, it does not look like he can do that. I can forgive one off week. Even Aaron Donald had bad weeks. But the Eagles playing him just in just 45% of the snaps is concerning. Because that tells me they don’t trust him.

They get the Falcons in week 2. The Falcons looked awful in week 1. Kirk Cousins is not the Kirk Cousins we are used to seeing. He looks injured. He can’t move in the pocket, and there were so many off-throws from him vs the Steelers. With the weapons they have, they mustered just 10 points vs the Steelers.

The Eagles are currently 6.5-point favorites, and it is moving in the Eagles’ direction. That is an Eagles line. They should get the win and start the season 2-0.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post The Week 2 NFC East Report: Giants Are As Bad As We Thought appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every player has bad weeks. you can take the greatest Football players of all time, and find weeks where they simply had no impact. Even Aaron Donald had games like that. So the fact Bryce Huff was bad in week 1, is not itself an indication he is a bust of a signing.

There is a bigger problem for him from that game though. Not having sacks or even pressures can be forgiven. My problem is the Eagles themselves showed they do not trust him.

Bryce Huff Still Not Ready To Play 3-Downs(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)He played only 45% of the snaps. The 4th most among the Eagles Edge Rushers. Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Nolan Smith all saw the field more than him. It was only by a few snaps in some cases, but they signed Huff to replace Haason Reddick. They paid him to be their best edge rusher and he remained a part-time player.

It was the biggest concern for him coming into the season. With the Jets, he was a part-time player and played just 42% of the snaps as a pass rush specialist. So people questioned if he could be a full-time player here. Those feelings were only spurred on when Vic Fangio told the media he was not ready to play 3-downs at that point.

“I do think he has the talent to do what we want him to do. It’s just he’s got to get familiar with doing it. So, it will be a work in progress. Does he look like he can do it today? No. I do think he eventually will.”

Huff went on to not have a great camp. We did not hear his name all too often. Now we get to game 1, and he is a part-time player, and the writing is on the wall. They still do not trust him to be an every-down player, at least not yet.

Bryce Huff Costs More Per Snap Than Some Elite Edge Rushers(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)They paid him about $17 million per season. Among pass rushers, he has the 17th-highest AAV. So he is not being paid to be an elite edge rusher. But he is getting paid to be a full-time star player. He is being paid to play a majority of the snaps.

At $17 million per year and 30 snaps in week 1, Huff got paid $33,333 per snap. For reference, Myles Garrett got paid $30,637 per snap. Going back to last year, Haason Reddick got paid $17,000 per snap. Even if Reddick made the type of money he wants, he would cost about $32k per snap.

By the way, he also got paid more per snap than Jalen Hurts, the most expensive man on the team. By extension, he got paid more per snap than everyone else on the offense, and more than everyone on the Eagles defense.

Nick Sirianni gave a long-winded answer when asked about the lack of snaps for Huff that made it sound like it was just the flow of the game. He compared it to a WR not getting a lot of targets on any given week. But that is different. That WR is still on the field, they just didn’t get targeted. This would be more like if out of nowhere AJ Brown only played 45% of the snaps. If that happened, and there was no injury, we would be asking some serious questions.

If the Eagles trusted Huff, he would be out there more. Even in 2022 where they had a heavy rotation, Reddick played over 70% of the snaps, and Josh Sweat played over 50%. Friday night, Sweat played over 60% of the snaps.

We will hear from Fangio on Wednesday. I am sure the reporters will ask him about it. Fangio to this point has been very honest with the media, so we might get a straight answer. I am very curious what he has to say, because judging by how they used him in week 1, they do not trust Bryce Huff yet.

Update: Vic Fangio was asked by reporters what Bryce Huff needs to do to earn more snaps. His answer was pretty blunt.

“Separate himself from the other guys.” — Vic Fangio on what Bryce Huff needs to do to earn more snaps

— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) “Separate himself from the other guys.” — Vic Fangio on what Bryce Huff needs to do to earn more snaps

— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) September 11, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2024Not a ringing endorsement. It confirms that the reason he got so few snaps was that Fangio does not trust Huff to get more snaps yet.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Eagles Are Showing You That They Don’t Trust Bryce Huff, Yet appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles left week 1 with a win. It was not pretty, but unlike 16 teams, they are 1-0. There were some things to be concerned about, but also plenty to be excited about. But how is the national media reacting to them beating the Packers? Let’s take a look at the week 2 Eagles power rankings.

Week 2 Eagles Power Rankings RoundupESPN-5 (Previously 5)“Barkley stole the show in Brazil, rushing for over 100 yards and scoring three times against the Packers — twice on the ground and once through the air. He became the second player in franchise history to score three touchdowns in his first game, joining Terrell Owens, who did it in 2004.”

We all thought Barkley would be good. I did not expect his impact to be this great in week 1 though. But having that monster of a RB, to go with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith is going to make this offense very dangerous. They didn’t even play that well as a unit, but they still scored 34 points.

(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)New York Times- 6 (Previously 10)“The New York Giants didn’t open the season until Sunday and somehow they got embarrassed on Friday night in South America. Former Giants running back Saquon Barkley saved Jalen Hurts from a tough day by scoring three touchdowns, two on the ground, to go with 109 yards rushing, and one through the air.”

The Giants’ off-season Hard Knocks was hilarious. Seeing Joe Schoen flounder about the Barkley situation was great. Friday night made it even funnier. I immediately thought of John Mara saying he will have trouble sleeping if he signs with the Eagles. Hope he had a good night of sleep on Friday.

CBS Sports- 8 (Previously 11)“The offense showed up in a big way against the Packers in Brazil, but the defense still had some issues. They have to cut down on the big plays.“

I went into the game more down on the defense than most. But I actually came away feeling a bit better about it, which is odd to say. They were certainly not perfect. The pass rush off the end is a big problem. But they got multiple big stops in crucial moments. Including holding them to a field goal of 3 of the 4 Red Zone trips.

Sports Illustrated- 5 (Previously 8)“The Eagles scored an absolute must-have victory in the toughest of spots—a slick field thousands of miles from home on a weird night followed by strange travel circumstances–-and for at least one week stiff-armed concerns that they were continuing an end-of-season freefall that nearly prompted a coaching change.”

The circumstances around the game make me a bit more likely to forgive the slopiness. It was a tough trip, against a good team, on a bad field, in week 1. To me, it did not feel like last year. One they were having fun, which was not the case for those ugly wins last year. But also there were really good takeaways. If those issues persist, it will be an issue. But I can’t overreact to slopiness in week 1.

NFL.com- 4 (Previously 5)“But with Baun, it was an even bigger surprise considering he’s playing a new position: off-the-ball linebacker. Baun did some of that in New Orleans, but his 15-tackle, two-sack performance showed that new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s instincts on Baun adapting roles proved correct.”

Barkley was not too surprising. but I was shocked by how good Baun looked. I did not buy it from the start when the Eagles were pumping up Baun as the best linebacker. How could a guy who was a rotational pass rusher with the Saints suddenly be a starting-caliber inside linebacker? But 1 week in, he was amazing.

(Photo by Wagner Meier/Getty Images)Yahoo Sports- 7 (Previously 8)“When the Eagles signed Saquon Barkley, it was surprising. Mostly because the Eagles have been one of the teams leading the charge in devaluing running backs, putting together RB rooms of cheap but effective options. Now we see why Philadelphia paid up. If what we saw in Week 1 is what we can expect from Barkley, that added dimension will change the Eagles’ offense.“

I was on that bandwagon saying RBs are not worth it. Maybe it needs to be adjusted to only elite RBs are worth it. Because McCaffrey is obviously worth it for the Niners, and it looks like Barkley is for the Eagles. If a RB can impact the game in both the run game and pass game, they can change an offense.

Bleacher Report- 5 (Previously 7)“Given the odd circumstances of Friday’s game, Week 1 went about as well as the Eagles could have hoped. Now it’s a matter of building on that offensive success in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons.”

Yep. Were there problems? Absolutely. But most of the 32 teams had problems in week 1. It was an odd game vs a tough team and they survived. As long as they improve on those mistakes, it will be fine. There were really positive signs to go with some of those issues.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Week 2 Eagles Power Rankings Roundup- Saquon Gives Eagles A Boost appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When the Eagles got back on the plane to come home from Brazil, they did so as a 1-0 team. It might not have been pretty, at times it was downright ugly, but they beat a team they will likely be battling with for seeding in the NFC. How much stock should we put into the Eagles win in Brazil though?

After what happened last season though, ugly wins are a bit of a sore subject. They won 10 games in ugly fashion last season, eventually going into the 12th game 10-1. Many predicted it would all fall apart, others, myself included, just said a win is all that matters. The people in the former category ended up being right. There was a sickness behind that ugliness, and it eventually hurt them.

Related: Eagles Win Sloppy Game On Back Of Saquon Barkley

(Photo by Wagner Meier/Getty Images)After starting 10-1, the Eagles finished 11-6. Then they got blown out by the Bucs in the playoffs. Nick Sirianni nearly lost his job. He kept it but with a lot of changes. He no longer ruins the offense, Kellen Moore does. Now the Eagles are running a whole new system, and Nick Sirianni is the “CEO Head Coach.”

So the ugliness of course has some people worried after the week 1 win. Can you blame them? We dealt with it last year and it went poorly. It is hard to have patience through more ugliness again this season. But is it the same kind of ugliness we saw last season?

Let’s take a deeper look at the game to see what the reasons for that ugliness were, and how they still managed to pull out the win. Should we be happy they got on that plane for the long flight back home as a 1-0 team? Or should we be worried that some of the issues that led to that ugliness will carry into the season, and eventually cost them wins down the road?

Here Are 7 Numbers That Tell The Story Of The Eagles Win In Brazil:The post 7 Numbers That Tell the Story of The Eagles Win In Brazil appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles started out the 2023 season with a 5-point win away from home in New England. We all know how last season ended. The 2024 season began with a 5 point win away from home in Brazil. That is where any similarities end. The Eagles 1-0 start has a different feel for so many reasons!

The Packers aren’t last year’s PatriotsThe Green Bay Packers were many NFL analysts surprise choice to win the NFC Championship and go to the Super Bowl. Mac Jones is not going to be confused with Jordan Love anytime soon. Traveling to South America for a game played on a makeshift skating rink isn’t like a quick jaunt to Foxboro. The Eagles faced a much more complete opponent and didn’t let any of the potential distractions cost them a win. That is a huge positive, especially after the collapse of 2023.

New additions made huge impacts(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)We can’t say enough about what Saquon Barkley did in his Eagles debut. It was a joy to watch. He was dominant and a versatile weapon in the running and passing game. Quinton Mitchell was put in a position to be challenged all night long and turned in a steady and successful performance. He looks like a player that was ready for the stage. The craziest impact came from linebacker Zack Baun. His debut after a summer of people (including myself) wondering what he was going to be was a huge lift.

The Eagles defense bailed out the offense earlyJalen Hurts ill-advised first interception of the season was followed by a fumbled snap caused by new center Sam Jurgens. That was a horrendous way to begin a season. It took them 17 minutes before generating a point. In the meantime, the defense held Green Bay to two field goals, and the impact of Vic Fangio was felt early. What last year might have unfolded as a bloody beat down, this group stood tall and capitalized on some self inflicted Packer wounds. If they let the early tsunami of errors get them down the Eagles fly back to Philly losers.

Some others made their presence knownMekhi Becton had a perfect debut at a position he has never played before. Jalen Carter was tough to control all night and faced a continual double team. Nakobe Dean just might be the type of player the Eagles thought was worthy of a third round selection.

Brown and Smith are a dynamic duoWhat team is equipped to cover the Eagles two ambitious and explosive wide receivers? AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are going to be monsters. The addition of Saquon Barkley showed you how much space can now be created for them both. Brown looking like a racehorse and Smith making continual catches in heavy traffic. It was a thing of beauty.

(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)That game is a coach’s dreamWinning when you don’t play your best is always a great teaching tool. The students will be feeling good and attentive to messaging. There are many things to clean up and it’s not an overreaction to say that Jalen Hurts might have the most to fix. The coaching staff should have plenty of players buying in to their messages and Nick Sirianni conducted himself like a calm adult. There are many potential issues, but remember that there won’t be many more talented teams capable of exploiting them.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post The Eagles Good Far Outwighs The Bad In Week 1 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It was not pretty. At times it was downright ugly. But the Eagles will get on the long flight back to Philly from Brazil as a 1-0 team. Thanks in large part to two guys getting their first snaps in an Eagles jersey, Saquon Barkley and Zack Baun.

The prize acquisition of the offseason not only racked up 132 total yards, he found the end zone 3 times. He accounted for 18 of their 34 points and 32% of their total yards.

For a bit, he was getting stuffed. But anyone who has watched Barkley play can tell you that if you give him enough carries, he will start getting chunks. He rattled off 50 in 4 carries at one point in the second half. He wound up averaging 4.5 yards per carry, and it was his 3rd TD in the 3rd Quarter that was the eventual game-winner. One hell of a first impression.

NFL on X (formerly Twitter): “SAQUON BARKLEY HAS THREE TDS IN HIS @EAGLES DEBUT.: #GBvsPHI on Peacock pic.twitter.com/WNuj78udYi / X”SAQUON BARKLEY HAS THREE TDS IN HIS @EAGLES DEBUT.: #GBvsPHI on Peacock pic.twitter.com/WNuj78udYi

Devonta Smith and AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith also showed up. Brown was the only Eagle besides Saquon to find the end zone on a deep TD to open up the 2nd Half. Smith was a key part of the final drive that sealed the win and finished with 7 catches. The two of them combined for 203 yards.

But the offense turned it over 3 times. A snap miscue on a Tush Push at the end of the game almost made it 4 times. Hurts threw 2 interceptions, and both were terrible decisions by him. They scored 34 points, and we saw glimpses of a great offense, but there were too many mistakes. Mistakes that could kill them later in the season if they continue.

Hurts needs to be better. He needs to make better choices with the ball. But we also saw signs that this offense can put up crooked numbers. And we saw the benefit of having a great RB.

(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)Eagles Defense Bends, But Doesn’t BreakOn defense, they at times looked lost. But despite getting torn apart on a few drives, they were 1-4 in Red Zone Defense and got several key stops that helped them win. They held the Pakcers to FG attempts after all 3 Eagles turnovers. Also, Quinyon Mitchell proved he belonged, despite getting beat once later in the game.

Then there was Zack Baun. If Saquon wasn’t the game MVP, it would be Baun. The guy with the least experience at Linebacker looked like the best player on the field. He had 15 tackles and 2 sacks. The 2nd sack ended the game. He was involved in plays all over the field, getting stops behind the line of scrimmage, and chasing down players downfield.

(Photo by Wagner Meier/Getty Images)The Edge Rushers… Well, we were worried about them going into week 1, and they gave us no reason to stop worrying. Any pressure came from the inside, or the linebackers. Their lack of success will be a story to watch. This defense needs to get pressure off the edge if it is going to be successful

Eagles Survive, Get On The Plane 1-0It was all far from perfect. There will be a ton to pick apart over the next 10 days while we wait to see them again. But they are 1-0, and got a win over a team they will be competing for seeding with in the NFC.

In a weird game, on an awful field, in week 1, you take the win. You survived, you learned, and you get a chance to get better. Eagles fans may think back to last year when the Eagles kept winning ugly and eventually, it blew up. But this is not that, yet. It is 1 game. Lots of teams will look ugly in week 1. The Chiefs and Ravens did not look crisp Thursday night.

The important thing is the sloppiness didn’t hurt them, yet. They won, and they stayed healthy. Two things the Packers can’t say. They lost, and Jordan Love got injured.

16 teams won’t be able to say that by the end of Monday. The Eagles can say it. So for now, be happy.

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Football is here. We got the first game last night, and then the Eagles season kicks off tonight vs the Packers. At the start of the season, nearly every team has a reason for optimism. You haven’t played any games, which means you haven’t lost any games. Even the Panthers can pretend they have a chance. Everyone starts the season 0-0. Technically, the NFL season could go anywhere.

But do the Eagles have a chance? Can they bounce back from losing 7 of the last 8, and get back to the Super Bowl? Will the issues that caused last season’s collapse plague them again? Will they look more like they did in 2022, or 2023?

The start of the season is the time to be bold. Make that crazy prediction. Go out on a limb. If in 18 weeks you were right, you can rub it in everyone’s faces. If you are wrong, only a few people are going to actually remember to call you out for it.

That is not to say make hot takes. There is a difference between being bold and being stupid. Saying that Zack Baun will win MVP is not bold, it is dumb. Saying that AJ Brown will be traded for Patrick Surtain is not bold, it is dumb. Luckily I have not seen anyone say that though.

Related: Jalen Hurts Showing Signs He Will Be Better Vs Blitz in 2024

Bold predictions need to be backed by some facts. They are things that can reasonably happen. The staff of 97.5 The Fanatic all shared their bold predictions about the Eagles before the season kicked off. Check them out below.

But here are some more bold predictions before the season kicks off tonight. From Jalen Carter winning some hardware, a rookie outperforming expectations, to Hurts getting back to his MVP form.

Here Are 6 Bold Predictions For the Eagles:The post Jalen Carter Wins DPOY? 6 Bold Predictions For The Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Earlier this week we learned Devin White was out and would not even travel with the team. Now a day before the game, they get more bad news. Projected starting Corner Isaiah Rodgers will miss week 1 with a hand injury. He was listed as limited for it going into the week, and now we know it will make him miss Friday Night’s game vs the Packers.

Eagles in their final injury report have ruled out CB Isaiah Rodgers (hand).

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) #Eagles in their final injury report have ruled out CB Isaiah Rodgers (hand).

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) September 5, 2024

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2024Eagles Injuries Stacking Up After Isaiah Rodgers News A week ago we would have marveled at how healthy the Eagles were going into the season. Now, they are still healthier than most, but the injuries are stacking up, and on the side of the ball they are already thin at.

(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)Devin White may not have started anyway. His injury was followed by news that Nakobe Dean beat him out from the Middle Linebacker Job anyway. It became a question what his role would be if healthy. But Rodgers was supposed to start opposite Slay, with Quinyon Mitchell starting inside.

Now, we will see how they handle it. Quinyon could move outside, with someone playing inside when they run the nickel. Mitchell split time inside and outside in camp, and was projected to play outside when the Eagles went with only 2 corners.

They could keep that plan, and start Kelee Ringo outside when in the Nickel. They could keep Mitchell outside all game and put Avonte Maddox at Nickel where he played the last few seasons. Eli Ricks could also get a look after getting a lot of snaps last year.

They have options, but it is not ideal to go into week 1 and already have the plans changing. Cooper DeJean is also an option, but Vic Fangio seemed to think he as still behind after missing 3 weeks in camp, so it is doubtful we see much of him yet.

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It has now been 20 years since an NFC East team repeated as division champs. The Eagles won it 4 times in a row from 2001 to 2004. Since then, the 4 NFC East have passed the baton between each other 19 times.

6 for the Eagles, 7 for the Cowboys, 3 for the Giants, and 3 for the Washington (insert name here). In that same time, Washington has 3 winning seasons, the Giants have 7, and the Eagles and the Cowboys each have 12. It is usually either the most competitive or the least competitive, without much wiggle room in between. The Giants and Washington have been pretty irrelevant for the last 10 years now, though Washington ditching Dan Synder could change that.

The point is that it is a hard division to predict. So what will we get this year?

Here Is Your Week 1 NFC East Report:New York Giants Vs Minnesota VikingsThe Giants are expected to be the punching bag of the NFC East. A role they are used to. They took a break to be decent in Brian Daboll’s first year. It looked like after years of complete disasters they had a competent GM and Coach combo. But as we learned from Hard Knocks, Joe Schoen is not the savior Giants fans hoped for.

They still have Daniel Jones. With a top 5 pick, people thought maybe they could get the franchise QB they severely lack. But 3 QBs went off the board before they picked at 5. Instead, they got Malik Nabers, who seems like an incredible talent at WR. Too bad the guy throwing to him sucks.

Their offseason was a disaster, with talent fleeing from the organization. Their GM made a fool of himself. And they look like competitors for the 1st overall pick, which could help solve their biggest problem.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The one thing they have going for themselves is an impressive D-Line. They added Brian Burns to go with Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Expect them to get after the QB. But they may not do much else right this season.

They get the Vikings to open the season. The Vikings did get who they hope will be their franchise QB. Too bad he injured himself in the Pre-Season and will have to wait until 2025 to debut. But they scrapped by a bit after Cousins got hurt last year. Sam Darnold isn’t good, but neither is Jones.

The Vikings enter the game as 1.5-point road favorites. That line tells you more about the Giants than it does the Vikings. Expect them to lose. Not just this week, but all season long.

Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay BucsThe Commanders (still a dumb name) have reason for hope for the 1st time in a while. A new owner, a whole new group of people in charge, and a promising young QB. Things might get better for them very soon.

I still think 2024 is too soon for the full turnaround though. Messes as big as Dan Synder made don’t get fixed overnight. Even Marie Condo couldn’t clean that up that fast. They are on the right track, but it might be another year until they are competitive.

(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)The O-line is still very shaky. As we saw with Bryce Young last year, bad O-lines and rookie O-lines are not a great combo. They also just got rid of one of Daniels’ weapons, Jahan Dotson.

Daniels will have brilliant moments this season. I think he will pan out well. But there will be growing pains and a Todd Bowles defense that loves to get after the QB feels like a place where those growing pains will happen.

The Bucs are 3-point home favorites, and that feels like a good bet.

Dallas Cowboys @ Cleveland BrownsThe Cowboys got worse this off-season. They had some talent to spare, but there is no denying it. Longtime LT Tryon Smith left for the Jets. Tony Pollard replaced Derrick Henry in Tennessee. Center Tyler Biadasz is in Washington. They also lost Dante Fowler (Commanders), Neville Gallimore (Dolphins), Noah Igbinoghene (Commanders), Johnathan Hankins (Seahawks), and Dorrance Armstrong (Commanders).

Who did they add? A washed-up Erik Kendricks, and their draft class. They came in with cap problems, and that was before signing Cee Dee Lamb, and they still need to sign Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott.

There is still talent there, but a lot less of it. The O-Line is vulnerable for the 1st time in a while. Their secondary is beat up with Daron Bland on the IR, and Trevon Diggs coming back from major surgery.

Maybe it is the Eagles homer in me, but it feels like a season that could go very awry for the “Boyz”. Not losing season awry. They will still compete for a playoff spot. But with a lame-duck coach, a lame-duck QB, and a lot less talent, they should take a step back.

(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)The Browns prove a very tough test in week 1. Despite mediocre QB play, they looked very good last year. Their defense is elite. The question is if DeShaun Watson, now healthy, lives up to the contract. if he does, they could make real noise. Even if he doesn’t, they won with an ancient Joe Flacco and PJ Walker last season

The Browns are 2.5-point home favorites, which is a tough line to read. Vegas is telling you it is a toss-up. But the Cowboys tend to lose week 1, going 4-6 in the last 10 years. So while I would sooner avoid betting on this game because of the line, I would lean Browns if I did.

Eagles vs Packers I tend to lean more optimistic going into an Eagles season. I admittedly overlooked some bad signs for them last year. So perhaps I am over-correcting this year by being a bit worried.

On one hand, the Eagles have the best offense on paper, perhaps in the entire league. With Kellen Moore now in charge, I fully expect the offense to be elite, though there could be growing pains with it being such a new offense. The weapons are just too good, and I am a full believer in Jalen Hurts.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)It is the defense that worries me. More specifically, the Edge Rushers. We can praise Howie all we want for foreseeing the Haason Reddick holdout and avoiding it. But if the Eagles did not adequately replace him, is it really a win?

None of their Edge Rushers are proven. Josh Sweat has 1 great season, Bryce Huff has never been a full-time player, Nolan Smith has never proven anything in the pros or college, and Brandon Graham is at the end of his career. Jalyx Hunt is interesting but is still a bit of a project. They lack both star power and depth.

The Fangio defense needs those guys up front, whether it is a 4 or 5-man rush, to get pressure. He does not blitz. It is a core principle of the system. And if these guys can’t win, the cornerbacks, even while being improved, will be hung out to dry.

Still, the offense is so good that they only need the defense to be okay. I think with Fangio, a great Interior Line, and a secondary with a high ceiling, they can accomplish okay, despite the lack of talent on the Edge.

The Packers prove a tough challenge to start the season. Few teams were better over the last half of last season. Meanwhile, no team was worse than the Eagles in that same time. But should we crown them after 8 good games? They should be formidable, but the Eagles have more talent, hence being 2.5-point favorites on the neutral field of Brazil.

It is a tough line to read like Cowboys-Browns, but I lean toward Eagles. That could be the Eagles fan in me though.

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Week 1 is here. This Friday, the Eagles open up their season vs the Green Bay Packers. A tough match-up right out of the gate. Green Bay is one of the few teams in the running for the top seed in the NFC, along with the Eagles, Lions, Niners, and maybe the Cowboys.

When we learned the Packers would get a home game vs the Packers, it felt like an advantage. But it was not meant to be. The Packers were selected to be the team the Eagles play in Brazil. It is still technically a “home” game. But it is a home game that takes place 4,754 miles away from Philly, in a foreign country, and in a different time zone. They have to travel nearly 10 hours via plane to this “home game”.

(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)But gripes about losing that home game aside, it is a tough matchup. Green Bay emerged as one of the best NFC teams last year, despite the slow start. They were on fire in the second half and eventually pummelled the Cowboys in the playoffs, but then blew a late lead to the Niners in the next round.

Now they are expected to carry that success into 2024. The Eagles are the first team in their way, whose season went the exact opposite direction as Green Bay last year. They started 10-1, then fell apart in the 2nd half, eventually getting blown out by the Bucs in the playoffs.

So what do the Eagles need to watch out for vs the Packers? Which players could give them a tough time? We already looked at the Eagles who might have big games vs the Packers, so now let’s look at some Green Bay players who could have big games vs the Eagles.

Here are 4 Packers Players Who Might Give The Eagles Trouble In Week 1The post 4 Packers Players Who May Give The Eagles Trouble appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Wait is almost over. Eagles football is back. This Friday, we finally get Eagles Football. The Eagles head down to Brazil, to open up their season vs the Packers.

Coming off a weird season where they started 10-1, but finished 1-7, including the playoff loss, it is hard to get a read on this team. Will they get back to dominating like they did in 2022, or will the struggles from last season carry over into the 2024?

We might not get the answer to that question week 1. Whether they win or lose, dominate or struggle, 1 game may not be enough to answer the burning questions heading into this season.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Related: Week 1 Eagles Power Rankings Roundup- A Fresh Slate

So much has changed. The defense looks completely different. Fletcher Cox and Haason Reddick are both gone, which will definitely hurt. Meanwhile CJ Gardner, and a promising rookie class are in. Quinyon Mitchell has upside through the roof. he should be a massive upgrade at Corner. Everyone expects Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis to take the next step.

But there are problems there too. Edge Rusher looks weaker than a year ago, with Haason Reddick now holding out in New York. Linebacker, while improved, is still a question mark. And as promising as the young guys are, none of them are proven in the NFL yet.

We might not know until late in the season if this team has fixed their problems. But they can make us feel a lot better at least in week 1.

Who needs to step up in order for them to beat the Packers? Which Eagles players are in store for massive week 1s? Will the Eagles leave Brazil with a week 1 victory? Leaving out the obvious of Jalen Hurts, let’s look at the Philly plays in store for massive games in Brazil.

Here are 5 Eagles Who Should Have Big Games Week 1 Vs The Packers:The post 5 Eagles Players In Store For Great Games Vs The Packers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Doing QB Rankings is hard. I am not going to deny that. No matter what you do, you are going to piss off a few fanbases. But there are some lists nearly every fanbase will agree are ridiculous. Sanjesh Singh of NBC Sports gave us just that.

I don’t know Sanjesh. I am sure he is a great guy. But as I read his Top 10 QB Rankings, which you can check out here, I was blown away. Let’s start with where he had Jalen Hurts.

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia EaglesAs far as where he fell, I am okay with 9. I would put Hurts higher, but debating over 6-10 is splitting hairs. After last season it is fair to put Jalen Hurts outside the elite QBs, but in that second tier. And credit to Sanjesh, in terms of National Guys, he has Hurts higher than most lists.

My only problem is with some of his reasons. He said Hurts needs to prove he can air it out when trailing. Something Hurts has done. Hurts was trailing in the Super Bowl and led a game-tying drive. They were trailing vs the Bills this year, and Hurts pulled them back into the game. Hurts has already proven he can air it out when asked to. That was not at all their problem last year.

Also knowing where he will go with this list, it is rich to knock Hurts for this but not who he has ranked 3rd.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Next Few Spots In His QB RankingsHe put Stafford at 8, which I disagree with. Stafford should be higher in my opinion. Until he proves otherwise, he is still in my top 5. But I am not too upset about that.

I strongly disagree with putting Jordan Love at 7 over Hurts. Love was great to close out last season, but it is one half of a season. If people are going to put Hurts down for having only 1 good year, then they can’t obsess over 1 good half season by Love.

Burrow at 6 is fine. Again, I would rank him higher, but it’s splitting hairs a bit. The problems start with who he has at 5.

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore RavensI’m sorry, what? There are 4 QBs better than Lamar?

Putting Lamar, a 2-time MVP winner, outside the top 3, is flat-out silly. The reasoning is that he has not proven it in the playoffs. Which fair enough. He does need to be better in the playoffs. But given the next few names on this list. Its a knock that falls kind of hollow.

If you are going to put so much on playoff success. Why is Hurts, who went to the Super Bowl and came closer to beating Mahomes than any other QB in the past two seasons, only at 9?

Josh Allen, Buffalo BillsYou can’t knock Lamar for the playoffs, then give me Josh Allen. Both guys lost to Mahomes, and both had bad games in those losses. Allen, like Lamar, has yet to prove anything in the playoffs. The big difference is Lamar has been better in the regular season and does not have the glaring flaw of too many turnovers.

Allen is a tremendous talent. But Lamar is simply better. You can make a strong case, especially by the standards this writer is using, that Jalen Hurts is better too.

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)Okay, this entire list is now null and void. There is no justifiable reason to put Purdy at 3. None. Will it surprise you the writer is out of the Bay Area? You can go to his Twitter and see him in a San Francisco Giants jersey

He has talked about other players disappearing in the playoffs. Meanwhile Purdy disappeared in the Super Bowl. He has talked about people being unproven, Purdy has 1 good season. And this writer didn’t mention it, but people knock Hurts all the time for having a great team around him, but meanwhile Purdy also has elite weapons, and unlike Hurts, has a great offensive scheme to go with it.

He talks about Hurts not proving he can throw his team back into games. But are we forgetting that the 49ers famously never come back in games they trail in the 4th quarter? It’s an issue that predates Purdy, but he certainly hasn’t improved upon it. Purdy’s ability to throw his team back into games is WAY more in question than Hurts who did it multiple times last season in a year people call a down year for him.

I am guilty of homerism when it comes to Hurts, which puts him a bit higher on my list than he likely deserves. But I am not this much of a homer where I put him in my top 3.

C.J. Stroud, Houston TexansI am a big Stroud fan. I can easily see him moving into the top 5 after this season. But with all the talk of other players being unproven, how do you put a guy who has played 1 season this high? Lamar has a lot to prove, but Stroud doesn’t?

There is no reason he should be over anyone on this list, yet, besides maybe Brock Purdy and Jordan Love who also are only 1 year wonders for now.

My Own QB RankingsIf I am going to rip a guy for his rankings, I need to be willing to make a fool of myself too. So here are my QB rankings, which I acknowledge could be just as bad as this writer. Like I said, QB Rankings are hard, and me ripping Sanjesh is all in good fun. It is the purpose of the lists. To cause debate and welcome outrage.

Also, I didn’t mention this, but credit to Sanjesh for having the guts to leave Herbert, Prescott, and Lawrence off the list as honorable mentions. Herbert and Lawrence are all upside, no proof. And Prescott, while he will be on my list, is actually what people accuse Lamar Jackson of being. A playoff choker. Just without as much regular season success.

10) Jordan Love
9) CJ Stroud
8) Dak Prescott
7) Aaron Rodgers
6) Jalen Hurts
5) Josh Allen
4) Joe Burrow
3) Matthew Stafford
2) Lamar Jackson
1) Patrick Mahomes

Love stays toward the bottom because I have not seen enough, though he was impressive to close out the season. The same goes with Stroud. Both seem to have bright futures, but the sample size is way too small to put them top 5.

Sanjesh has Rodgers 10, I put him a bit higher at 7. He was an MVP the last time we saw him, so maybe we both have him too low. My gut just said put him at 7 before Hurts though.

3 for Stafford might seem high, but we have seen him be great over a longer period, and he has led his team to a Super Bowl. That has to count for something. 2 and 1 I don’t think are even debatable.

Direct any hate for these Qb Rankings to me on Twitter @dylanfmackinnon.

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We are less than a week away from games that matter. This Friday, the Eagles will take the field in a real game for the 1st time this season. This week we found out what their 53-man roster will be. There have already been a few tweaks, and there should continue to be tweaks before Friday, but we have a general idea of what the Eagles will look like vs the Packers.

Offense Primed For Success This Season(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)On paper, they look much better than they did this time last year. The offense is mostly the same. You lost Jason Kelce, which is a big hit, but otherwise, every position either got better or stayed the same. Saquon Barkley over D’Andre Swift is an upgrade. Jahan Dotson over Quez Watkins is an upgrade. We will see about Mekhi Becton at RG, but Cam Jurgens should at least be solid sliding over to center.

Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever this week and had high praise for the Eagles offense.

“There’s certainly an outcome where they could be a top 3 offense, assuming that the front holds up. Obviously, the quarterback being a big part of that. And can he get back to that near MVP form. But I think there’s a lot to be excited about. It’s like a comet. Having AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith in their prime at the same time on the same team. And I think that Smith’s going to take another jump this year. I think they have a chance to be absolutely the best wide receiver corps in the NFL.”

Related: This Could Be The Best Offense In Eagles History

Did The Eagles Defense Get Better? On defense, they are completely overhauled. All new linebackers, a new safety, no Fletcher Cox, swapping in Bryce Huff for Haason Reddick, and a big youth movement at Cornerback.

Some of those changes are for the best, some they will miss, but at least on paper, they feel more talented than they were last year. That said, there are still major questions. They are relying on a lot of young and unproven players.

So what are the Eagles’ biggest strengths? What are their weaknesses? What groups will carry them, and what groups could drag them down? I went through all 11 position groups, QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DT, Edge, LB, CB, S, and ST, and ranked them from worst, to best. Here is what I came up with.

Here are the Eagles’ 11 Position Groups Ranked From Worst To Best:The post Ranking All 11 Eagles Position Groups From Worst To Best appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After weeks of people saying he might be cut, James Bradberry got the news that he was sticking with the team, at least out of camp. It may have more to do with what he is being paid than on merit, but he had kept his job. Just a couple of days later though, that good news was followed by bad news for him. The NFL Network reported that Bradberry hurt himself in practice, and could miss 6-8 weeks.

Eagles veteran DB James Bradberry suffered a lower leg injury during yesterday’s practice, sources tell me and @TomPelissero.

Although surgery is not required, the injury involves a tendon and recovery time for an injury of this nature is approximately 6-8 weeks. pic.twitter.com/GvIGxudgIr

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2024

A Gut Punch After James Bradberry Made The Roster(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)If all things were equal, and they just picked the 53 players with the best chance to help the Eagles going forward, Bradberry would not be here. But things are not equal. What a player is paid matters, especially in the case of James Bradberry.

His contract carries dead money. Meaning cutting him would cost them more than keeping him. If he is traded you can work around that cap hit, but no team seemed interested in acquiring his services, at least at the cost the Eagles asked for.

Howie Roseman was asked about keeping James Bradberry, and this is what he had to say.

“James always has had really good football instincts. When you see him play safety every day here and see his ability to diagnose his football instincts. I think for all of us, that’s a transition, that’s a different position than playing outside corner.“

“He’s got a skill set. It’s a long season. We already know that he’s had tremendous success in this league playing outside corner as well. With the goals that we have for this football team, having a veteran player like that on the roster that we know we can rely on when called upon, we felt like was important.”

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)So he made the team. But now because of the injury, he won’t get a chance to redeem himself for last year’s struggles for several weeks.

The injury is not expected to need surgery, but as Ian Rapoport pointed out, it is expected to keep him out for 6-8 weeks. Which will mean an IR stint.

For the Eagles, it lets them avoid cutting him without taking up a roster spot for as long as he is injured. but it also means they likely won’t be trading him anytime soon. Finding a trade partner for Bradberry was hard enough if he is healthy. With him on the shelf for several weeks, there will likely be no suitors.

But it will open up an extra spot on the 53-man roster once they put him on IR. Whoever that is, will likely help them more now than Bradberry, who is still learning how to play safety. But still, you never want to see guys get hurt, and you feel bad for Bradberry who everyone says is a great guy, who just so happens to be in a tough spot due to his diminishing skill set.

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Just because the 53-man roster is set, does not mean the Eagles work is done. Howie Roseman loves to say it is really a 70-man roster. What gets them to that number is the Eagles Practice Squad. With the new rules, the Eagles have 16 spots they can fill with players they couldn’t quite fit on the roster, plus one more player with an International Exemption. That gives them 17 extra spots in total.

Related: The Eagles Initial 53-Man Roster: Who Survived Cutdown Day?

The Importance Of The Practice SquadThe practice squad is more important than ever. The new rules let teams activate players off the practice squad on gameday, without taking up a spot on the 53-man roster. The catch is you can only do it 3 times before you have to sign them to the roster. But it gives them extra flexibility they never had in the past.

Last season, we saw the Eagles make good use of it. Punter Arryn Siposs was never on the 53-man roster. Yet he was their punter for the first 2 games before the Eagles found an upgrade in Braden Mann. They then used that same trick with Mann for a few weeks before adding him to the 53-man roster.

This year they won’t do that with the punter, with Mann making the roster outright. But they likely will still use that with other players. Maybe activate an extra Center on gameday since they don’t have a true backup center on the 53-man roster. Maybe bring up someone to help on Special Teams. Or maybe just for extra depth somewhere they are dealing with an injury.

So who made the Eagles Practice Squad this year? Did they load up at any specific position? Did they grab someone cut by another team to stash away?

Here are All 17 Players On The Eagles Practice Squad:The post Eagles Practice Squad Tracker- All 16 Players Who Made It appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After weeks of training camp, we finally have a 53-man roster, or at least the initial one. As we all know, this will likely not be the 53-man roster that takes the field next Friday when they open the season vs the Packers. The Eagles will scoop up players cut from other teams, or maybe even make another trade. Those moves are going to mean people who thought they made the roster, were cut, or traded.

But in general, we now know what the roster will look like to open this season. The various camp battles have been decided, and only the last few additions to the team are still in danger of being cut.

Related: Jahan Dotson Gives Eagles The WR3 They Were Looking For

The Best Show Ever talked to a former NFL Executive Andrew Brandt, who joined the show and explained that these final cuts, and the final additions, have far more to do with where the team feels it needs depth than it does the players themselves.

“Cutting the roster is much more about numbers and position groups than about players. The cutoffs always come down to, okay, we keep in 5 safeties or 9 linemen, or we keep in 6 wide receivers or 4 running backs. You know, these are the tough decisions. You can do everything right. But there may be an injury on the Line. So you got to go heavy there. There may be some kind of contract dispute on receivers. So you got to go heavy there. I mean these are all the things that people don’t know. They’re really going to the roster cut down.“

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Another wrinkle is the new practice squad rules, something we saw the Eagles take advantage of last year. Teams can now activate players off the practice squad for game time up to 3 times before they have to be signed to the actual roster. For example, the Eagles did not actually have a punter on their roster for several weeks last season, they just kept Arryn Siposs on the practice squad, and activated him on gameday.

They could do the same thing this season with someone like Josh Jobe, who is a Special Teams Ace but is not viable at his natural position of Cornerback. It is not a permanent solution, but it gives them extra flexibility for a few weeks.

So where did the Eagles decide they needed that extra depth? Which player did they stash on the roster, and who were they willing to let walk? Who will be on the team for week 1?

(This Article is Updated With the Latest Roster moves)

Here Is What the Eagles Initial 53-Man Roster Looks Like:

The post The Eagles Initial 53-Man Roster: Who Survived Cutdown Day? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

On Friday, The Eagles announced the 7 players who were named captains for the 2024 season. Players voted, and these 7 guys were selected to wear the “C” on their jersey this season. Here are The Eagles Captains this season.

Brandon Graham (6th Season)
Jalen Hurts (4th Season)
Lane Johnson (3rd Season)
Jake Elliott (3rd Season)
Darius Slay (3rd Season)
AJ Brown (2nd Season)
Jordan Mailata (1st Season)

Captains leading the way#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/tUoFcLAgo9

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 30, 2024

Fewer Eagles Captains Than Last SeasonIt is a change from last season, when they had 9 players. Two of those players, Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox, retired. 6 of them returned as captains this season. DeVonta Smith, a 1st time captain in 2023, was not elected captain in 2024.

There is also an imbalance between offense and defense. 4 Captains on 1 side, with only 2 on the other, plus Elliott on ST. The difference likely stems from the fact there are a lot fewer veterans returning on the defensive side. Most of the defense are 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year players, or new arrivals to the team. Graham and Slay are the only guys who are veterans and have been here for several seasons.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)We might eventually see guys like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, or Nakobe Dean on here, provided they play their way into being great players. But neither has seemingly earned that right yet.

Mailata is the lone newcomer. But seeing how he has talked all offseason, it is not a surprising addition. He has seemingly stepped into the massive shoes left behind by Kelce to be a leader along that Offensive Line. When the O-Line made mistakes early in camp, it was Mailata who held them accountable, making the unit run laps until Mekhi Becton puked.

Related: Jordan Mailata Stepping Into Leadership Vacuum Left By Kelce

It will also be Brandon Graham’s last season as an Eagles captain, with him planning to retire after the season. They brought him back more for leadership than anything he still does on the field, but he is by far the longest tenured Eagle.

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For years, Eagles fans have suffered from a lack of weapons in the passing game. There were exceptions. Terrell Owens for 1 year. Desean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and LeSean McCoy for a few years. But more often than not, the Eagles’ weapons, especially their WRs, were severely lacking.

For most of his career, Brian Westbrook was the only notable weapon Donovan McNabb had. They won a Super Bowl with Alshon Jeffrey, Nelson Agholor, and an aged Torrey Smith.

Eagles Skill Players As Good As They Have Ever Been(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)But those days are in the past. The Eagles do not only have a great skill group, they might have the best in the NFL. AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert, and now Jahan Dotson. Brown, Smith, and Goedert were hear the past 2 seasons. But even in those years, there was a glaring weakness at slot WR.

Not anymore. Jahan Dotson fills the final hole they had among their skill players on offense. And when Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever, he made a bold claim about this skill position group.

“I would say that this current skill position group is probably the best ever assembled in Philadelphia’s history. When you consider Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, and DeVonta Smith. Now they added Jahan Dotson to go with Dallas Goedert. I mean that’s as good as it’s ever gotten here.

He might be right. Think back, who is better than this group at least on paper. Jackson, Maclin, and McCoy? This year is better. The 90s had some solid groups, but they were never close to as productive as this. T.O was great, but he was stuck playing with the likes of FredEx and Todd Pinkston.

This team, on paper, has better skill players than any other team in NFL history, and maybe any team in recent history.

Even Before Dotson They Had a Strong CaseThey might have already been the best without Dotson. 2022 and 2023 are the only times in Eagles history two Eagles had at least 1000 yards receiving. But that 3rd WR left something to be desired in both years. Now they have everything. 2 great WRs, a solid 3rd option, a top 5 RB, and a TE poised to have the best year of his career with Kellen Moore in charge.

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)Tim McManus went on to discuss why Eagles fans should be excited about this offense.

“There’s certainly an outcome where they could be a top 3 offense, assuming that the front holds up. Obviously, the quarterback being a big part of that. And can he get back to that near MVP form. But I think there’s a lot to be excited about. It’s like a comet. Having AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith in their prime at the same time on the same team. And I think that Smith’s going to take another jump this year. I think they have a chance to be absolutely the best wide receiver corps in the NFL.”

Again, it is hard to argue with Tim. Hurts doesn’t even need to be great, though obviously that is the goal. Be solid, be efficient, make the right throws, and this could be the be both the best offense in the NFL, and also the best offense in Eagles history.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post This Could Be The Best Offense In Eagles History appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The first-ever NFL game in Brazil will also feature a first for the Eagles. A week ahead of the game vs the Packers, they revealed what jersey combo they will wear, and it is a combination we have never seen before. Black Helmet, with a white jersey, and black pants.

You’ve NEVER seen this combo before@FanDuel | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/LUf7ZH2JdU

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 30, 2024

It is a cool combination, but the lack of green is certainly going to fuel rumors the NFL has tried hard to deny. A couple of months ago a rumor went around the NFL media that people traveling to the game should avoid wearing green. Now, the Eagles reveal they won’t be wearing green.

Where The No Green Jerseys Rumor Came FromJosh Jacobs, who now plays for the Packers, went on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long. On the podcast, he said that the NFL told players not to wear green, and suggested that it was because of green being tied to one of the local gangs. The clip went viral, and people were quick to point out both teams wear Green as their primary color.

NFL players are being told not to wear green in Brazil for the Eagles vs Packers week 1 game

Full Josh Jacobs interview out now on @YouTubehttps://t.co/5Ri3uC6w0s pic.twitter.com/VmuivtC90l

— chris long (@JOEL9ONE) June 6, 2024

The NFL quickly went on the defensive, saying that the teams can wear green and that the no green thing stems from green usually being banned from the stadium because it is the color of the rival soccer club. They made it clear that the rule does not apply to the two teams, or to fans traveling to see the game. There is a similar unwritten rule about wearing red at Subaru Park.

Josh Jacobs later apologized, saying he was misinformed. But the “no green” rumor was already out there.

Related: Jalen Hurts Showing Signs He Will Be Better Vs Blitz in 2024

Unlike The Eagles, The Packers Are Wearing GreenThe immediate reaction of many when they saw the Eagles weren’t wearing was to assume that there is something to the no-green thing. But before you start overreacting, you should know that the Packers will be wearing their typical green jerseys.

Threads for Week 1 in Brazil#GBvsPHI pic.twitter.com/QUJ5gQ2K34

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 30, 2024

First off, can I say it is annoying the Packers will be wearing their home jersey in what is technically an away game for them? But that aside, it is quite clear the teams were not barred from wearing green. The Eagles just decided this was what they wanted to wear. It is a unique game, so they wanted a unique look.

And it is a good look. The NFL giving the team a 3rd option for helmet designs was for sure a good move. Now they can have the Green, the Black, and the Kelly Green helmets. Giving them way more options for combos. Last year they couldn’t have the black helmets, because they went with Kelly Green as their alternate instead. But they added the black helmets back into the mix this year.

So don’t read too much into the no-green thing. That is not to say there is nothing to worry about safety-wise. Sao Paulo is not Rio. It is not a typical tourist destination. As with any travel to a foreign country take precautions. Do the research and find out what areas to avoid. Traveling to any country can come with its perils. Just be smart, be safe, and travel in groups.

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There was initially excitement when the Eagles drafted Nolan Smith. He was a name people talked about the Eagles potentially taking with the 10th pick. So when he fell all the way to pick 30, people thought it was a steal. You got a guy at pick 30 that many people would have been happy with at 10. Surely Howie Roseman made out like a bandit, right?

A year later, that answer is not so clear. Nolan Smith was a major disappointment in year 1. Some will tell you that is because he didn’t get a chance to play. I am more inclined to believe it is because he couldn’t get on the field.

Yes, he was buried behind Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat, but we saw in 2022 that the Eagles are willing to rotate guys if they trust the players behind them. If the Eagles thought Smith could help, they would have found a way to sue him. With their pass rush struggling so much at the end of the year, if they thought he gave them a better chance, he would have been on the field.

Nolan Smith Has The Traits, But Not The Production(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Nolan Smith has elite athletic traits. It is why he was such a well-regarded recruit before he got to Georiga, and it is why scouts loved him so much before the draft. But even at Georgia, where he had a lot of talent around him, he was never productive. In 46 career games at Georgia, he had just 11.5 sacks.

The hope was that this year he would make the jump. That we would see him live up to the hype he came into the NFL with. That those athletic traits that had people excited about him would finally materialize into production. They pretty much need him to with Haason Reddick not being here anymore. But will he?

We have heard a lot about Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis looking great in camp. Bryce Huff seemed to struggle early but came on strong late. We have heard a lot about a lot of guys. But one name we have not heard much about is Nolan Smith, which is not exactly a good thing.

There are positions where your name not getting mentioned can be a good thing. Edge Rusher is not one of those positions. Anything you do well, whether it is getting after the QB, shutting down the run, or breaking up the pocket is going to get noticed. But we have hardly heard a peep out of Nolan Smith.

He had a sack against Drake Maye sure, but he also had a late hit in that same game. In game 3, he was a starter and out there for much of the game. But watching the game, you might not have even known, because he failed to generate much pressure or get noticed in any meaningful way. The fact he was even out there while many other notable players were not, is not a great sign of how the Eagles feel about him

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Players don’t become busts after 1 year, but you also expect a 1st round pick to contribute by year 2. And he does not look like a guy prepared to take that next step. He still looks like a guy with great speed, but who lacks the strength to beat his guy consistently.

Small Edge Rushers have worked in the past, but they have also failed. People like to compare him to Haason Reddick, who also started a bit slow. But Reddick had productive years in College. Smith hasn’t been productive since High School. People like to say Brandon Graham started slow, but Graham had two straight seasons with double-digit sacks to close out his college career.

I am not saying to give up on Nolan Smith. Maybe he figures it out. But the concern with him is that he lacks the strength to be a great Edge Rusher, and nothing we have seen this year, apart from him coming in a bit heavier, suggests his play strength is any better this season.

The Eagles Edge Rush room is a major concern after trading away Haason Reddick. They need Nolan Smith to be good. But right now, I can’t say I have much faith in that happening.

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You never really know how good a player is until they step on the field in a game. Being great in College, or in an NFL Training Camp, does not always mean you will be good in the NFL. So we still can’t say for sure that Quinyon Mitchell is going to live up to the hype. But everything we are hearing should have Eagles fans very excited for what is to come with him.

He came in and seemingly won the job in the slot. Mind you, that is not something he had done before. In College, he was an outside Corner. You can ask anyone around the NFL, moving inside is not a seamless transition. Vic Fangio often talks about it like it is a completely different position than cornerback. But Mitchell came in and ran away with it.

The Eagles have been searching for a great young corner for a while. They haven’t had it since the days of Lito Shepard and Sheldon Brown. For so long they relied on bringing in outside guys like Darius Slay, Asante Samuel, James Bradberry, Ronald Darby, etc. You’d have to actually go back to Lito Shepard to find the last CB the Eagles spent a 1st round pick on.

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Quinyon Mitchell Living Up To The HypeMitchell got to battle with AJ Brown and Devonta Smith in camp. Elite NFL Corners are going to struggle to do that. But from everything we heard out of camp, Mitchell didn’t back down. He held his own and went after them like you would want any great corner to do.

Dave Zangaro joined The Best Show Ever on Friday, and he talked about how impressed he has been with Mitchell in camp.

“He’s been everything as advertised. I know that there were still some people worried about the level of competition, I was so impressed by him. All training camp, aside from just the actual plays he made on the field, just his poise going up and battling against AJ Brown and Devonta Smith every day. Now those guys beat him. I mean, they beat everyone. They’re really good players. But I think what impressed me most about him was that he would get beat and still talk trash and still want to compete with them. I was so impressed by him.”

The way Mitchell battled with AJ Brown was certainly one of the big camp stories. Seeing a rookie be so confident against one of the best WRs in the NFL was impressive. It is excatly what you want. Corners can’t have long memories. Even when they get beat, and Mitchell will at some point get beat, they need to move on and be ready to fight the next time out.

Mitchell clearly has that. He obviously still has a ton to prove, but we now he has the right mind set to play corner.

Zangaro went on to explain that he doesn’t think Mitchell is going to leave the field very often.

“I don’t think going to leave the field as a rookie… I think he’s going to start in the base package outside and then bump inside in the nickel package. Which is a lot on the plate of anyone, especially a rookie. But they had that much confidence in him. And that’s not to say there won’t be some bumps and bruises along the way. I think any rookie cornerback is going to face some problems in that first season, but I have a ton of faith in him. I know that organization does. He’s going to play an awful lot.”

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)So yes, we have not seen him in a real game yet, so we can’t crown him yet. But the reporters present at training camp all gush about him, the Eagles themselves are showing you how much they believe in him, and he is already acting the part of a star corner.

Howie Roseman does not have the best history drafting defensive players, outside of Defensive Tackle. But from all available information, it seems he may have struck gold with Quinyon Mitchell.

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Last year the Eagles defense was a disaster. To be fair, the whole team was a disaster, but the defense was the worst part. Some of that was the lack of talent. Some of it was coaching. But overall, it was just not good enough, and by the season’s end, they were arguably the worst defense in the league.

Will The Eagles Defense Be Better This Year?(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)Will the Eagles defense be better this year? They certainly added more talent. CJ Gardner Johnson, Devin White, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean. They are also hoping guys like Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis take the next step. But they also lost Haason Reddick. It is a more talented defense, but we don’t know if it is talented enough to win anything.

Related: Nakobe Dean Should Win The 2nd Inside Linebacker Job

Can the new Defensive Coordinator, Vic Fangio, make the difference though? ESPN’s Adam Schefter joined Kincade and Salciunas this morning, and he seemed to think Fangio is enough to make up for some of the problems.

“I don’t know that they have as much defensive talent as they’ve had in other years. I think that the defensive talent is solid and I think they’re counting on Vic Fangio, to make sure that there are no issues, that everything gets ramped up and everything goes the way they want it to. But, you know, I don’t think it’s a given this defense is going come in and play lights out the way that some people think.

I just think the coaching change is going to be one big difference. I have come to expect that of Vic, because that’s, you know, to me the kind of coach he is and we’ll see if he can come through like I think he can.”

Schefter did not seem to think this Eagles defense would be over-the-top great. But he does seem to believe Vic Fangio will lend it some stability.

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)Can you win a Super Bowl without an elite defense? It is not unheard of. Defenses have won while being middle of the pack, but they are usually elite in some category. Maybe they give up 25 points per game, but they get a lot of takeaways, or they get to the QB a lot.

The Eagles defense in 2017 was not elite. In fact in that Super Bowl, they were kind of bad. But they made a play when it counted. Brandon Graham got the strip sack, and Derek Barnett fell on it. In 2022, the Eagles’ defense was great all season, but then it couldn’t get a single stop when it mattered.

Maybe having Vic Fangio, instead of Sean Desai, Matt Patricia, or Jonathan Gannon, can be the difference. A guy who is proven, the same way Jim Schwartz was proven back on that Super Bowl-winning team. They don’t have to be great all the time, they just have to be great when it matters. Having a solid coach can be the key to accomplishing that.

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A big problem with Nick Sirianni last year was his attitude on the sideline. He was often acting less like a coach, and more like a fan. Arguing with refs constantly, taunting fans, and other behavior that is not necessarily what you want out of your coach. It got to the point that a story came out that Nick Sirianni often needed Big Dom to rein him in on the sidelines.

Whether or not he would be mature on the sidelines was a big story this off-season. Especially now that he is the CEO type of head coach and far less involved in the offense.

When Nick Sirianni addressed the media before the final practice of Training Camp, he talked about those issues. He said that he read a book about leadership in the offseason, and took away a nugget of wisdom from it.

“If you want everyone around you to have accountability and you want yourself to have accountability. You fussing at the refs, it’s almost like, hey, this happened, so I’m going to blame that. When I think about me with a referee potentially on the sideline and I complain about a call, is that really sending the right message to the rest of the team as far as our accountability goes? Again, when something goes wrong, the answer should be how do we fix this and what are the solutions as opposed to looking for a scapegoat?”

A More Accountable Nick Sirianni?(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)This is not the first time we have heard Nick Sirianni talk about accountability this offseason. In his first press conference of Camp, he talked about how he can’t expect his players to be accountable if he himself is not accountable.

“If I’m not accountable for the things that I mess up, how am I going to expect them to be accountable to what they mess up… If you don’t have accountability, then you’re not going to get better because you’re not going to recognize the mistakes that you made. And so, that’s what we want from this team.”

But now we are getting real examples of how he plans to hold himself accountable. He is promising to make an effort to be more mature on the field. Not argue every call that doesn’t go their way. Not be constantly complaining about the refs.

Will he back that up? I guess we will find out. He did say that he won’t be perfect, which is fair enough. No one is perfect. Honestly, sometimes you should argue a call to defend your team. He just did it too much.

“I’m not going to be perfect. I already know that, but that’s definitely on my mind. I’m going to still be super energetic when we have good plays, because that’s one of the things that you love about football is, hey, when you make a play, I can’t wait to see what you guys do to celebrate with each other within the rules of the game. Be yourself. Have fun.”

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)I also don’t think he should have needed to read a book to learn that. Dont look for scapegots, and don’t act like a fool on the sideline, should have already been things he knew going into the job.

But at least he is acknowledging his faults, and promising to work on them. Doing is more important than saying. He needs to back it up with actions, and not just say the right things. But for now, when all we have is words and they haven’t played a real game yet, it is nice to at least see him say the right things.

Nick is not going to suddenly be stoic and calm on the sideline. He is not Rob Thomson. High energy is who he is, for better or worse. But he does need to be less volatile. Hopefully he backs it up when it counts.

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Going into camp, the most intriguing battle was who would become the starting Right Guard. Tyler Steen vs Mekhi Becton. The 2nd year guy who was drafted for this purpose last season, vs the former 11th overall pick who signed with the Eagles in the offseason.

Turns out it was not much of a battle at all. The Eagles have made no official call, but we can tell by the way they use both of them that they seem to have made their mind up. While Becton sat out the second Pre-Season game with the starters, Steen played until he had to leave with an ankle injury. The battle is over, Becton won, and he won it before Steen aggravated that injury.

But how did he win the job so quickly when everyone we talked to before the Pre-Season said Tyler Steen was the favorite? A lot of people acknowledged Becton was an interesting candidate, but in the same breath, they still predicted it would eventually be Tyler Steen. He trained there all last season and even started a game there. Becton was completely new to playing Guard.

What Makes Mekhi Becton Such A Good Fit At RG?(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)What happened in camp that turned things around so quickly that before the 2nd game, a decision had already been made? Well someone who knows a thing or two about playing Offensive Line, Barrett Brooks, joined The Best Show Ever on Monday. He shared his thoughts on the battle, and why he thinks Becton ran away with it.

“He’s just a bigger guy. It is harder to run around him. And when you’re in that Guard position, you need a guy in there that can virtually stop right there… I say it all the time. You’re fighting in a phone booth at the Guard position because it is the fast way to the quarterback. He’s big enough that he has that size to stop guys at the line of scrimmage.

You could tell he’s made that transition into from being a tackle, where you set back farther to being a guard and you set in the line of scrimmage. You can do that at Tackle. You can back up a little bit and then get the battle going. At Guard, you have got to fight right then and there, and I think he’s done a great job with being that guy to come in and learn.”

He went on to explain that he doesnt think Steen has quite learned how to be a guard yet. Barret told us that he is still setting like a tackle, and doesn’t yet have the core strength to be a guard.

Steen hasn’t neccesarilly struggled. Even with the ankle injury, he did some impressive things. In that 1st game we specifically saw him make some good run blocks. But pass rush is a different beast, and as Barrett Brooks explained, Mekhi Becton is just better equipped to be a great pass blocker. He is bigger, stronger, and faster.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Becton is a guy that was supposed to be an elite tackle. That never worked out. His Jets career was marred by injuries. He played only 48 snaps between 2021 and 2022. Last year he played 985 and struggled. But in his rookie season, he was tremdous. He allowed only 23 total pressures, and 7 sacks, in 412 pass block snaps.

Now he gets to play for the best Offensive Line Coach, Jeff Stoutland, in the league, and gets to play next to one of the best Tackles in the league, Lane Johnson. The traits that made him so highly regharded coming into the NFL are still there. Maybe a change of scenery, and a move inside will finally unlock them.

The Eagles seem to think so. They have pretty clearly signaled that he is going to be the starter week 1. His teammates along the line have had nothing for praiose with how quickly he has picked up playing guard.

In terms of talent and skill, Becton is one of the 5 best Offensive Linemen on this team. That is why many reporters thought he had a chance to win the job back at the start of camp, and it is why he won it only a few weeks into camp.

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Linebacker has been an issue for the Eagles more often than not. In 2022 they actually had a solid group between TJ Edwards and Kyzir White. But last year, and most years before 2022, it was a bit of a mess. Eagles fans have suffered though players like Nicholas Morrow and Nate Gerry being starting linebackers on this team.

Will 2024 be different? Well signing Devin White is a start. He is not the perfect player, but we at least know he is an elite athlete, and has a high ceiling.But who will be the 2nd inside linebacker is still a mystery. It is coming down to Nakobe Dean vs Zack Baun, and we have no clear answer about who will win the job.

In the end, it should be Nakobe Dean lining up next to Devin White in week 1. Here is why.

The Case For Nakobe Dean (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Last season, Dean was anointed the Eagles main inside linebacker before the season started. They gave him the coveted green dot. The season did not go his way though. He was injured early, and seemingly never recovered. He came back for a few weeks in the middle of the season, but he struggled, and then went back on the IR.

We still don’t know if he can play. He was a hell of a player at Georgia, but 2 years into his time in Philly we have no clue if he is an NFL linebacker.

This year he started camp down on the depth chart. They have given Baun the bulk of the 1st team snaps, and in the latest-season game Baun came out of the game with the starters, with Dean playing the bulk of the game.

But in the joint practice, which we know they value, the tables were turned. It was Dean playing with the 1st team. So which one should we read into? Maybe the answer is that they don’t even know yet. Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever last week and talked about how he doesn’t think it is a settled decision yet.

“Linebacker still feels like a work in progress… Fangio continues to look at different pairings… it signals to me that it is obviously not settled, and he doesn’t feel great, yet, about who that 1-2 is going to be.”

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)No one has run way with it yet, and they are running out of time. But my take on it is that one of these guys has played inside linebacker, the other is new to it, and wasn’t even that special of a player at his natural position of outside linebacker.

When the Eagles signed Baun, we assumed it was depth at Edge Rusher. He barley saw the field with the Saints in that role. Suddenly though, the Eagles were talking about him as an inside linebacker. He continued to be talked about as a serious contender for that job into camp, where he got 1st string snaps. he has not lost the job, but he also has not done enough to earn it yet.

It makes way more sense to go with the guy who not only has more upside, but also a higher floor. We know Dean knows how to play linebacker. Whether or not he has the physical traits to do so at this level remains to be seen. But at the College level, he was a great inside linebacker. And we know he is a smart player, and a hell of a leader.

RELATED: Nakobe Dean Has Makings Of A Great Leader, If He Can Play

Dean makes more sense. One because he is actually a linebacker. He knows how to play linebacker. He knows how to blitz from the inside. he knows how to read the run. He knows how to run a defense from the field, and has the making of a great field general. And he knows how to play with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Nolan Smith.

It was a good move to make Dean earn it this year after being anointed in 2023. But with him looking the part in the preseason games, and in practice, it should eventually be him on the field in week 1.

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We are just a few weeks away now from real Football that matters. Each team has 1 more preseason game, then an off week, and then we finally get real games. As the Super Bowl winner, the Chiefs kick things off on Thursday, September 5th against the Chiefs. But the next night, the Eagles will play the first-ever game in Brazil to open their own season against the Packers.

It is hard to get a read on what to expect from them this season. Their roster, or at least the offensive roster, is great on paper. But it was pretty damn good on paper last season too, and we all know how that went.

Related: 11 Winners And Losers Of Eagles Training Camp So Far

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)Will 2024 Be A Chance At Redemption? Have the issues that caused them to utterly collapse in 2023 gone? Will not having the expectations coming off that Super Bowl loss make things less tense for them? Will the changes on defense, including a new coordinator, fix the problems on that side of the ball?

We may not know that for a while. The Eagles started 10-1 last season before falling to pieces. But even in those first 11 games, something felt off. The offense wasn’t humming the way it did in 2022, and you could see the deficiencies on the defense. Before they started that losing streak, there were people already sounding the alarm bells. Once one Jenga block fell, the whole tower came crumbling down.

But it is a new season, with two new Coordinators, and new faces on the roster. Do all those changes have people around the NFL feeling better about this team? Let’s take a look around the NFL Media to see what they are saying heading into the season, with our first Eagles Power rankings Roundup of this season.

Here Is Your Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up:The post Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up: Preseason Edition appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There are many popular “conspiracy theories” in the world of sports. Some of them are entirely believable but you can’t prove them to be 100% true. My favorite is the idea that Michael Jordan did not really retire when he first left the Chicago Bulls.

In the midst of an investigation into his ties to illegal gambling operations in 1993, Michael Jordan decides to retire. His 18-month “retirement” seemed like a fake story when the NBA decided to not re-open the investigation into his gambling ties after his return. I completely buy into this theory.

There are other stories in sports that aren’t conspiracies, but they are repeated as fact without merit. These are a few of my favorites and I’d love to hear yours.

FALSE – It’s tough to beat a team three times in an NFL season The only time a team in the NFL can face the same opponent three times is if they are a divisional opponent and they both advance to the postseason. When that happens you will most certainly hear that “trying to beat a team three times in a season is very difficult”.

The fact is, that is a complete falsehood. In fact, when that scenario unfolded the team that was 2-0 in the regular season wins again in the playoffs almost 65% of the time. So why is it constantly repeated as a storyline? My best guess is lazy sports media members.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)FALSE – Most doubleheaders in baseball are splitI’ve heard people say that “it’s tough to sweep a doubleheader” or that “most doubleheaders are split”. Once again, it’s crazy how talking points like this ever get legs. As of 2024, the number of doubleheaders that end in a split is about 49%. MLB has been keeping data on this since 1961 and it’s amazing how even the statistic actually is. Next time you hear someone tell you this, ignore them!

FALSE – Load management in the NBA helps to prevent injuriesThe NBA has had an issue with fans being denied seeing the stars of the game not due to injury, but because of the perceived need for more rest. It is spun as a protection plan for the players but the science doesn’t back up the strategy.

The league and fans overwhelmingly hate the practice and it was studied independently to see whether load management truly cuts back on player injuries. The answer was an emphatic no! Teams were involved in providing the injury data and the league paid for it. Load management is a crock.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)What are some of your favorite of these non-conspiracy theories in sports? I bet there are many that I didn’t put at the top of my list. I’d love to hear yours. Feel free to share them with me at John.kincade@bbgi.com.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Disproving 3 Sports Myths That AREN’T Conspiracy Theories appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

A few weeks into training Camp, the various battles are becoming quite clear. Especially now that they have also played 2 pre-season games. The Eagles do not have to make their cuts just yet. But they likely have a very good idea of who they are keeping, and who they are going to move on from.

That also goes for some of the various battles for roles on the team. Nick Sirianni won’t say it, but by seeing how players are used in the games, and used in practice, we can tell where they are leaning at battles like Cornerback, Wide Receiver, Right Guard, linebacker, etc.

(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)If they are someone who barely played in that 2nd pre-season game, you can take that as your sign they are in a good spot. Meanwhile, if they are still out there in the 4th quarter, it may not mean great things for them when final decisions are made. Once you get to that final game, decisions have already likely been made.

The same goes for practice. Who is getting the bulk of the 1st team snaps at this point? Who is only playing with the 3rd stringers? That will tell you way more than looking at the “official depth chart” will. The coaches let us know which way they are leaning, without ever having to open their mouth.

Related: Is Mekhi Becton Running Away With The Right Guard Job?

Who has already won themselves a job? Which players could be on the outs with the team? Who already won their camp battle? And who will go into the final weeks of Eagles Training Camp fighting for their life? Lets look at the winners, and losers, so far at Eagles Training Camp, as we get closer to the eventual cutdown to 53 players.

(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)Here are 11 Winners and Losers From Eagles Training Camp So FarThe post 11 Winners And Losers Of Eagles Training Camp So Far appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

One of the biggest camp battles for the Eagles was who would be WR3. Even with having arguably the best duo at WR for the past two seasons, that 3rd guy has left much to be desired. Quez Watkins had every chance in the world to take that job and run with it, but he has more sour memories for fans here than he does positive ones.

So this off-season, they moved on. But did they find a proper replacement? They drafted a couple of guys, Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith, and also brought in a couple of veterans, Parris Campbell and John Ross. Wilson has shown a little something, but outside him, WR3 is still a mystery, and it’s unclear if, with such high expectations, they feel comfortable relying on a 6th-round rookie like Wilson.

The Eagles Might Look Outside For Their WR 3(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)When Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever this week, he suggested the Eagles might look outside the current roster for that WR3. He even gave them a place where he thinks they could go shopping.

“I think that they’re going to be looking, whether it’s cuts or trade, at bringing somebody else in. This isn’t reporting anything, but look at Houston as an example. The Texans have three top-end wide receivers. They got Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell. And they have three you know pretty decent receivers below that. Noah Brown, John Metchie, and Robert Woods. That’s the kind of situation to me that makes sense.”

Tim McManus made it clear that he is not reporting anything. He does not know about any talks between the two teams, at least not that he is telling us about. It is just a suggestion, but it is a suggestion that makes sense.

The Texans have a surplus there. They have WR depth for days. With Stephon Diggs, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins, they don’t need all 3 of those other guys. The Eagles have a severe lack of depth. If AJ Brown or Devonta Smith go down, there is no one you could feel good about filling in, even for a couple of weeks. Parris Campbell and John Ross were available and cheap for a reason, it has yet to work out anywhere else for them.

(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)You would not expect those other 3 to cost too much. Someone like Robert Woods is the type of guy you can trust to be the 3rd guy, but could also maybe step into a bigger role for a week or 2. You wouldn’t want him to be the guy, but they wouldn’t ask him to be the guy. He would come here and be the 5th option.

Noah Brown had 500+ yards in each of the past 2 seasons despite not being the main guy. John Metchie would be more of a gamble, his 2-year career has thus far been marred by injuries, but he could be a buy-low guy with a big payoff. He is only a few years removed from being a 2nd round pick. Robert Woods has around 500 yards in each of the past 2 seasons.

Howie Roseman loves making late training camp moves. If he sees a hole in the Eagles roster, he will try to plug it. He did that with CJ Gardner Johnson in 2022, and he did it with Ronald Darby in 2017. Maybe this year he does it on offense, and finally gets the true WR 3 they have been looking for the last several seasons.

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The Eagles’ plan at cornerback got thrown off right as Training Camp started. Cooper DeJean injured his hamstring while working out on his own. It meant that for the first 3 weeks of Camp, he never saw the field. But DeJean finally stepped onto the practice field. Today at the joint practice with the Patriots, he participated for the 1st time, but only in individual drills.

But after missing so much time, what role could he have? He is 3 weeks behind everyone else, and other guys have already done hard work to fight for the open jobs. Can he still carve out a role for himself to start the season in the time he has left?

Cooper DeJean’s Role In The Secondary(Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)There were many people that thought he might have a chance to win the Slot Cornerback job, with Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell outside. But in his absence, it seems Mitchell became the favorite for the slot, and either Isaiah Rodgers or Kelee Ringo will play outside.

It is hard to see DeJean starting now, at least to open the season. He will still have a role, provided he lives up to the hype. But he is behind the 8-ball, and today before practice Nick Sirianni talked about DeJean needing to catch up.

“He has to get caught up as far as getting his body ready to go, and he has to get caught up when he gets stream reps and development reps. every rep he gets he has to take advantage of.”

The Eagles are suddently deep at corner. Deep enough their 1st round pick Quinyon Mitchell may have to play the slot to open his career. But they will find a way to use Dejean.

One of the big selling points on him was how versatile he is. Wheter it is in the new Kick Return format, or as an extra corner, or even a safety, DeJean will find a role for himself. But the early absence might have cost him a chance to start right away.

We will see how long it takes Cooper DeJean to return to team practices, and if he can get on the field for he pre-season game. If he is as good as promised, they will find ways to use him.

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When the Eagles first traded Haason Reddick, the overwhelming response was, why? There were people who liked it, but at least from the people we heard respond to the move, it did not seem to be a popular trade among Eagles fans.

But now several months later, Haason Reddick is holding out from the Jets. He still does not have the new contract he wanted. It is the reason the Eagles traded him to begin with. He wanted a new deal, they didn’t want to give him the deal he wanted.

Reddick feels he is underpaid. Given he is the 19th highest-paid Edge Rusher, but has the 4th most sacks in the past 4 seasons, he might have a point. Only Reddick and Myles Garrett had double-digit sacks in each of their last 4 seasons. Right now, he is a bargain. But going into the final year of the deal, he wants a raise.

Now a few weeks into camp, he has requested a trade. The Jets say they do not intend to grant that request. Still, after they traded a conditional 3rd round pick for him, it is not the best of looks.

Does it redeem Howie Roseman though? Many people seem to think so, but I am not so sure.

The Problem With the Haason Reddick Trade(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The Jets being dumb and trading for a guy they knew wanted a new deal, but not giving it to him, is their fault. That does not change the original problem I had with the move. We knew he would hold out if he didn’t get the deal he wanted. Barrett Brooks said as much a few months ago on The Best Show Ever.

My issue was always that I thought it made the eagles worse. Reddick was the one sure thing they have at pass rusher. He is not a flawless player, but you can count on him to get after the QB. What they have left is a bunch of question marks.

I already said that Reddick had double-digit sacks in each of his last 4 seasons. Take the edge rushers they have left, and in that same time they have a combined 3 seasons of double-digit sacks. That is 13 seasons between Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, Brandon Graham, and Bryce Huff, compared to just 4 for Reddick. None of them have more than 1.

Josh Sweat, Bryce Huff, and Nolan Smith have 47.5 combined sacks over the last 4 seasons.

Haason Reddick alone has 50.5 in that same time.

9 combined seasons, vs 4.

Sweat and Huff each only have 1 double digit sack season. Reddick has 4.

Nolan Smith has 1 career sack.

— Dylan MacKinnon (@DylanFMackinnon) March 30, 2024

Huff has never been a full-time player and has 1 productive season. Sweat was great in 2022, but fell off with an increased snap count last season. Graham is 36. Smith has never been productive at any level. then there is Jalyx Hunt who is a complete wildcard.

If those guys can combine to make a productive edge rush room, the trade will look like a stroke of genius. But what if they don’t? What if Huff is exposed in a full-time role? What if the real Sweat is closer to what we saw last season? What if Nolan Smith doesn’t take the next step? There are so many unknowns with this Edge Rush room, and they got rid of the one known they had.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)It is possible that giving Reddick the deal he wanted would have been the best move. It would give them at least 1 sure thing. Would it have been an overpay? Maybe. its clear both the Eagles and the Jets don’t think he is worth what he is asking for. Maybe it would have hurt them in the long run. Maybe they wouldn’t have made 1 of the other moves they made if they resigned Reddick instead of signing Huff.

Being a GM is not an easy job. Howie Roseman had to balance what players he wanted to keep. He chose to move on from Reddick to make improvements elsewhere. It might be the right move. But if the Edge Rush room becomes an issue this season, and they aren’t getting consistent pressure, the Haason Reddick trade might become the shadow that hangs over the team.

So even with him holding out, and requesting a trade, I can’t say Howie made the right move. Because what happens with the Jets has nothing to do with my initial problems with the trade. I still have major concerns about what this Edge Rusher room will look like for them.

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When camp started, Johnny Wilson was by no means a lock to even make the roster. There were a lot of WRs battling for a few spots. We know AJ Brown and Devonta Smith were locks. Britian Covery is likely a lock too. That left 2, maybe 3, spots for a large handful of guys. So a 6th round pick was not guaranteed a spot.

But of the many WRs fighting for a spot, we have heard his name a lot. He impressed thus far in camp. The 6ft6 WR out of Florida State was quickly becoming the camp darling. He was the guy every fan suddenly loved.

Still, we have seen a lot of WRs have productive camps, just to eventually be relegated to the practice squad. Production is not always the thing that earns you a spot. But in the 1st preseason game, there was something he did, that I think will have coaches desperate to keep him around.

It was not what he did when he got targets, but what he did when he didn’t. On several occasions, Wilson had big blocks downfield to set up his teammates.

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)Johnny Wilson Earning Himself a Role With His BlockingAt the edges of the roster, the little things matter. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th WRs are not going to rack up huge targets unless someone gets hurt. They need to be capable of production, but they need to also do more than just catch the ball.

Wilson proved he can do that. Just look at this Will Shipley TD. Obviously Shipley comes away with the glory. But I think what will have the coaches most excited is the block by Wilson that set it up.

Will Shipley finds an opening and the @Eagles take the lead

: Stream #PHIvsBAL on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aX9ovd8Cls

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024

That was not the only example though. All game long if you followed him, you may have noticed him making key blocks. His blocks set up multiple successful WR screens. you will remember WR screens were not exactly a successful play for the Eagles last year. Part of that was poor coaching. It was also poor blocking.

Poor blocking does not look like it will be a problem for Wilson. He has the will to do the dirty work, and the frame to be very good at it. Even if you go back to his time in college, his blocking always stuck out.

Will Johnny Wilson Crack The Roster?(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)He has a chance to be WR3. But even if he doesn’t win that job, being a willing and capable blocker is the type of thing that will guarantee he has a job in some capacity. If you are going to keep a guy at the edge of the roster, none of them are going to be super productive. But if you can block, or contribute on Special Teams, you can still make an impact.

Johnny Wilson just showed the coaches he does not need the ball in his hand to help the team. Something tells me that is going to get him on the field this season, even if it is mostly as a blocker.

He could also be out there as the slot WR, which is still very much for grabs. At least so far, it sounds like he has been the most impressive WR of the bunch, with vets like Parris Campbell and John Ross not standing out yet. But even if Wilson doesn’t win that job, I think his blocking won him a spot on the 53-man roster.

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James Bradberry was an All-Pro caliber cornerback in 2022. He was part of arguably the best CB duo in the league, with him, Slay, and the rest of the Eagles’ secondary holding teams to the fewest passing yards per game in the NFL. Last season did not go so well.

The entire secondary was a mess, they went from allowing the fewest passing yards per game, to the 2nd most. Part of that was losing both starting safeties, and Avonte Maddox missing nearly the entire season. The guys who stuck around also just got worse. Especially James Bradberry, who was so bad he got benched and most people believed the Eagles would take a massive dead cap hit to move on from him.

That did not happen. James Bradberry is still here, for now. But not at corner. He is making the move to safety. A transition that is not exactly easy to make. Don’t take my word for it, his own Defensive Coordinator said as much at the start of training camp.

“The list of guys successfully transitioning from corner to safety is very small. There are guys who have done it, but it isn’t really what you want. We will see if he can do that. James has a good feel for football, very knowledgable. That will help him. He will still play some corner for us too.”

So how has he held up? Is he suceeding in doing what most cornerbacks can’t do? Lets see what his Defensive Coordinator had to see a few weeks later.

Vic Fangio Has High Praise For James Bradberry(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Vic Fangio did not mince words when originally asked about Bradberry moving to safety. As you saw from the above quote, he was setting expectations very low. But after the 1st Pre-Season game, he got another chance to weigh in.

“He’s doing pretty damn good there. He’s got a good feel for football, which has carried over to the safety position for him. I think he understands the game from a high level through his experience and through his intelligence, and it’s helped him in the transition to safety. He’s been doing a good job.”

Fangio is a guy who you can take at his word. He doesn’t sugarcoat things. There were other players that he noted need to work on things. He said that Baun did not look good at the start of the pre-season game. At the start of camp he straight up said Bryce Huff still had work to do before he would call him an every day player.

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)So when he says James Bradberry has looked good believe him. Fangio is not just saying that, he believes it. Also Safety is a place where they thye need the help. CJ Gardner-Johnson has one of the safety spots locked down. When he plays, he is very good. But he hasnt made it through either of the last 2 seasons healthy.

After him, no one else is a sure thing. Reed Blankenship struggled badly as a starter last season. Sydney Brown is hurt and still unproven. The rest of the guys arent even worth mentioning. There is a spot for someone to win, maybe even a starting spot. Perhaps Bradberry can save his career with this move, and even end up still in the starting lineup.

A few good weeks in camp and 1 good pre-season game does not mean he is a lock to be good in real games. But like Fangio said, Bradberry is a very smart player. He is a year removed froim being a 2nd Team All-Pro. Maybe he can still be a big part of this team, just at another position.

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Nick Foles is a legendary figure in Eagles history. Is he the greatest QB in franchise history? no. In fact, he spent more time as a backup here than he did as a starter. But he is the only QB to ever lead this team to a Super Bowl win. And he didn’t just tag along on a great team, he was the best player on that team in the NFC Championship Game and in the Super Bowl. He outdueled the greatest QB in NFL history to get this city a parade.

Now, he is calling it a career, and he is going to do it as an Eagle. Nick Foles announced that he will officially retire from the game this season. He will do so as an Eagle in a ceremony during the Eagles Home Opener this season against the Falcons on September 16th.

After much thought and prayer, I've decided to retire from the NFL. It's been an incredible 11-year journey filled with unforgettable moments and amazing people. From being drafted by the Eagles to winning the Super Bowl, every step has been a blessing.

I'm excited to spend more… pic.twitter.com/2uI5az5Eoc

— Nick Foles (@NickFoles) August 8, 2024

The Greatest Play In Eagles History The Eagles have been around for a long time, but for most of that time they had no Super Bowls. For decades it was the shadow hanging over the franchise. Nick Foles put that to an end though.

In doing so, he also had what most will agree is the greatest play in Eagles history, The Philly Special. They were up 15-12 in the 2nd quarter, but a drive had seemingly stalled in the Red Zone. It was 4th and goal. They could have kicked a FG, but then it would still be just a 1 TD game against Tom Brady. Not ideal.

Then Nick Foles said those immortal words, “You want Philly Philly?”

Doug Pederson did want Philly Philly. They went for it on 4th down and called one of the best trick plays in NFL history. Nick Foles motioned out to his right, Corey Clement took the direct snap, he handed it to Trey Burton, who found Nick Foles of all people in the end zone for the TD.

As No. 9 officially retires, a look back at a play that will forever live in football lore pic.twitter.com/wPVV9nTJhn

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 8, 2024

It was the perfect play. The type of highlight that will still get played a decade, and even 3 decades from now. When people put out their lists of the best plays in NFL history, it will always be in the mix to make the top 10.

Nick Foles Calls It A Career(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Outside of those two games, and one great season earlier in his career where he threw 27 TDs to just 2 interceptions, it never really worked out for Nick Foles as a starter. He was eventually replaced in Philly by Sam Bradford, which obviously did not go well here. With the Rams he never got going, he spent time as the backup in Kansas City, then returned here.

Even after the Super Bowl, and another Eagles playoff run where he filled in for Wentz, things didn’t work out for him in Jacksonville, Chicago, or Indy. There was magic when he was here though. I don’t know why it didn’t work out in other places. But in Philly, he was a legend.

He will always have the run in 2017. He will always have Philly-Philly. He will always have a 7 TD performance against the Raiders. He will always be the 1st QB in Eagles history to lead them to the promised land. And now, he will forever be an Eagle.

In the Eagles official press release, Nick Foles put out the following statement

“The City of Brotherly Love has always felt like home to me as an NFL player. Philadelphia is a city I truly love, and it has been an honor to wear the Eagles jersey. Thank you, Philadelphia, for embracing me and making me a part of your family forever. Your love and support have meant the world. Fly, Eagles, Fly!”

Congrats on the career Nick. We can’t wait to see you honored on September 16th.

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On the day the pre-season schedule begins I see no reason to hold this back any longer. If you’re going to be bold, you need to make sure that there are no crazy disclaimers. Let me just get this off my chest. Barring any catastrophic injury that we don’t see coming, the Philadelphia Eagles will once again be the top seed in the NFC.

I know that will sound aggressive and many will disagree, but allow me to make my case of why this team will once again have the ability to win two home games to get to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.

The 2024 Schedule is far more manageable than in 2023Last year we obsessed on “the gauntlet”. This year there is no gauntlet. The schedule is still challenging but it is hardly daunting. They should be able to pencil in at least 11 wins.

The Cowboys might have already “Cowboyed”(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)Dallas has its top three players on the roster all in a contract dispute. Every coach on the team is working under a one-year contract. This could be a highly motivated group or a distracted toxic stew. How do you expect the Cowboys to react? I’ve seen enough to know the answer.

Related: Why The Tim McManus Report Shows Eagles Will Be Just Fine

The SF 49ers are a team in turmoil The defending NFC Champions are trying to deal their top WR in Brandon Aiyuk right now. They had to let some depth talent walk while seeing their offensive line in flux due to more contract squabbles. Throw in the rumored “Super Bowl Hangover” which I don’t believe in and the 49ers will find it harder to navigate their schedule this time around.

The Detroit Lions aren’t sneaking up on anyone this timeLast year they were a feel-good, spunky story. This time around the Packers will be better and the Bears and Vikings look to be improving. They have a target on their backs. They should still be very good, but with expectations comes pressure. I’m calling for a slight step back.

The Packers are going to be dangerous but…It’s going to be a tough challenge to start the season in Brazil vs the upstart Packers. I’m still angry the Eagles most pivotal NFC “home game” will be played away from South Philly. A win in the opener will secure that tie-breaker and keep the Birds on path for home-field advantage. By the way, even if they lose the opener they will still win the top seed.

(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)The best team in the NFC South won’t be good enoughThe Falcons look like the best option to come out of the South. They should be improved, but are hardly a roster with pedigree. A win in Week 2 at home should set up a nice advantage if they load up the wins against the South’s weak sisters.

Most of all, the Eagles are a team that will play with a purpose Nick Sirianni has to prove that he is worthy of being the leader of this franchise long term. Kellen Moore wants to be a Head Coach and a great season would help that cause. Vic Fangio wants a crowning achievement before retirement. Jalen Hurts needs to show he deserves to be in the MVP conversation. These are worlds and collective ambitions colliding and it will all be to our benefit.

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There are so many different ways that we can consume the coverage wrapping up the 2023 Eagles season drama that was reported by Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. It was an intense and perplexing read but everything that you hear can always be deciphered in a variety of ways.

This morning as the report broke when “Kincade and Salciunas” was live on the air, many chose to see the report as a serious distraction. Listeners complained that this was “old news” and the Philly sports media was once again trying to distract from what has been a very positive summer camp. I tend to look at the story completely differently. It’s all about how you decide to take it.

Nick Sirianni was a very stubborn leader(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)Coach was depicted as feeling very empowered by the Eagles NFC Championship run and wanted to have a stronger hand in how the offense was executed. Shane Steichen had departed for Indianapolis and Sirianni thought that it was time he controlled more of the process. He wanted his vision to be realized and did not delegate enough control to his own choice of OC in Brian Johnson.

Jalen Hurts was insubordinate and divisiveJalen Hurts didn’t like meeting one on one with his Head Coach. He wasn’t seeing eye to eye with how the offense should be run. Instead of working together with his Head Coach, he shut down and they had to have an intermediary in the room with them at all times. Hurts chose to take the childish route and that rift cost them.

Nick Sirianni didn’t listen to his quarterbackTo think that Nick Sirianni didn’t want input from Hurts was a ridiculous decision. He thought he had a greater offensive acumen than a player who had just almost won an MVP award and played in huge contests throughout his college career. This strategy didn’t make any sense.

Jalen Hurts improvised and refused to accept the responsibility for his actions(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Hurts went off playbook but when things went sideways he refused to acknowledge his role in the Seattle debacle. That isn’t good for a leader and the team was rudderless down the disappointing 1-7 stretch that ended the 2023 season.

My Take On What The Tim McManus’s Report Means For EaglesSo how could I possibly have a positive view of everything that we learned about the disaster of last season? Here’s why I’m very confident in them going forward.

Nick Sirianni has accepted the arrival of two dominating personalities and approaches as his coordinators with class. He apologized to the organization for his failings of last season. He continued to point all the blame on himself. That is the mark of a true leader.

He has never chosen to finger point to the failings of others. He seems to have a re-energized plan. His ability to connect with players has never before been questioned. He’s making the effort to repair the one relationship that seems to have slipped through the cracks.

Everything that I’ve observed from his college years is that Jalen Hurts is an intense competitor. That has carried over to the pros. He works his backside off and is a true student of the game. I want my quarterback to be an intense guy. I want him to fight for what he thinks needs to be done. I believe he will use this failure of 2023 to his advantage. I expect him to never have issues like this again.

Bring on the 2024 season and let’s put all the nonsense of 2023 behind us!

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All off-season, and honestly near the end of the season, we knew there was something wrong between Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts. The Sirianni-Hurts drama overpowered off-season conversations, with little else going on in the Eagles world. We knew some of the story, but not the full story. Well now, thanks to a great ESPN story from Tim McManus and Jeremy Fowler, we know the full story, and it is a doozy.

If you have not checked it out, definitely read the full thing here. It is long, 10 pages long, but it is well worth your time. It is the clearest answer we have gotten yet about why the Eagles fell apart late In the season. It paints a full picture of how a Coach-Qb relationship became so fractured.

The summary is that there was a huge difference of opinion on how the offense should be run between the two men. Sirianni refused to change the offense, and Hurts went off script leading to more problems, like what happened at the end of the Seahawks game. Both men came away looking equally responsible for what was a disastrous 7 weeks.

Is The Sirianni-Hurts Drama In The Past?(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)We know what the problem was? But is it over with? Will the same issues creep up at the first sign of drama this season?

On Hurts’ end, he got what he wanted. The offense was changed, and he got a bit more power to change things at the line of scrimmage. So I am sure he is completely fine with things now. He might still hold a slight grudge over his long-time friend and mentor Brian Johnson getting the boot. But as long as he is okay with what Kellen Moore is doing, things on his end should be all good.

The question is about Nick Sirianni. He lost the battle. They stripped him of offensive play design. He is still the head coach, but he no longer has the final say of how the offense is run.

So far he has played the good soldier and handled losing play design powers well. Maybe that is genuine. He took accountability behind the scenes after the season according to the ESPN article. And when he talked to the media after the article dropped, he gave a surprisingly poignant statement.

“It starts with the humility to say I messed this up. I need to be better… If I am not accountable to the things I mess up, how am I going to expect them to be accountable for the things they mess up?”

Nick Sirianni is not known for being great in press conference. In fact his press conferences are usually full of long winded responses that don’t say anything. But that was actually a great answer. If he means it, it is a great sign.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)So hopefully it is in the past. But we really won’t know until something breaks, and we see how they handle adversity. Last season they were 10-1. It was not pretty, but they were winning. But the 1st time they hit adversity, everything fell apart. They went from a team that could beat the Chiefs, Dolphins, Bills, and Cowboys, to a team that couldn’t beat the Cardinals.

Saying the right things in training camp is easy. Nothing is going wrong yet. You judge a person by how they act when adversity strikes. Both Hurts and Sirianni handled it horribly last season. But people can grow. Hopefully, they both learned from their mistakes. As of now, it seems like they have.

Hopefully, that remains the case the first time things get tough this season. At some point, things are going to get tough. Every team has their speed bumps. That is when we separate great teams from good teams, and it is when we will learn if Hurts and Sirianni grew from this or not.

They don’t need to be friends. Teams have won Super Bowls when their coach and QB did not particularly like each other. They do need to be professionals though. Last year they were not professional. They let their pettiness boil over and impact the entire team. That can’t happen again.

Tim McManus did join The Best Show Ever later in the day, and explained how having Kellen Moore in charge of the offense could reduce some friction between Hurts and Sirianni.

Will the Sirianni-Hurts drama carry over into this season. @Tim_McManus told @975BestShowEver that having Moore in charge of the offense could take some friction out of their relationship.

"The move they made to have Moore in the middle as the guy who is in charge of things… pic.twitter.com/tUddW86dD9

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) August 7, 2024

The Tim McManus article ended on a positive note, and I will share the same quote they finished their article with here.

“Do I think they will go to dinner together? Hell no,” a team source said. “But it can be a good working professional relationship, and I don’t think it’s hatred.”

That is the best news to come out of the article. Hopefully it holds true.

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Tyler Steen went into camp the favorite to win the RG job. They drafted him in the 2023 draft with the intent of him eventually playing there. But now a few weeks into camp, his grip on that job might have already slipped. Mekhi Becton has been pushing for the job, and based on what we are hearing out of camp, he might be running away with it.

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)Mekhi Becton Outperforming Tyler Steen?Barrett Brooks joined The Best Show Ever this week and talked about what he has seen from the battle between Steen and Becton. According to him, Becton has been much better.

“I’ve seen the best production out of Mekhi Becton. He has played better than Steen in the practices I have seen. He has a stronger core. Guard is not like Tackle. Tackles you back up a bit, get some time, and then you fight. At guard you have to fight right then and there because the guy is right over top of you, and it is the shortest path to the QB.”

Brooks went on the explain that he has seen Steen be overpowered a few too many times inside, something that we also saw a bit in his limited chances last season. But he has seen Becton hold up really well in that role.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Becton may not have yet lived up to the hype of where he was drafted. But no one can argue with his size and strength. He was drafted 11th overall for a reason. The guy has a pedigree. He was supposed to be an elite Tackle in this league. It did not work out that way with the Jets. But the talent is still there. And the Eagles have the best guy in the NFL, Jeff Stoutland, to unlock Becton’s potential.

Brooks is not the only person with high praise of Becton though. Nearly everyone at Eagles Camp has said the same thing. Right now, Becton looks better. Lane Johnson also had some very high praise for Becton.

“He is all in. For him it is all about being comfortable… He definitly has come a long way since Spring. I have been impressed with him.”

And at the start of training camp Dave Zangaro talked to The Best Show Ever, and predicted this would happen.

“The one guy who is really intriguing is Mekhi Becton… if you’re trying to get your 5 best out there, he might have a claim to be one of your 5 best players… If Steen comes out and struggles early in camp, it will be in the back of my mind. Ultimately I think it will be Steen, but that is something I would watch early in camp.”

I wouldn’t say Steen has struggled. We have not heard many people saying he has been terrible. But it is quite clear the majority of people think Becton has played better so far. We will see if that carries into games. Maybe once they get on the field Steen looks much better. But from what we have seen so far, Becton might be running away with the job.

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We are only a few weeks away from real Eagles Football. They play their 1st Pre-Season game this weekend, and in exactly a month, 9/6, they will take on the Packers down in Brazil.

The Eagles are hoping for a much better result this season. In 2023 they started out 10-1. But then they went 1-7, including a blowout loss in the playoffs against the Bucs to end their season. They were a mess. Nick Sirianni was close to losing his job. He did lose play design responsibilities.

This off-season the Eagles brought in Kellen Moore to completely overhaul the offense. They also brought in Vic Fangio to stabilize the defense. Not to mention them having a very busy offseason that included adding Saquon Barkley, CJ Gardner Johnson, Bryce Huff, plus a draft that was very good on paper. Howie did a good job fixing what was a very flawed roster.

RELATED: Eagles Free Agency Tracker: Grading Every Move They Make

Will The Eagles Make Another Training Camp Move?(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)But are they done adding? Howie Roseman has made a name for himself with late camp moves. He traded for CJ Gardener Johnson just before the 2022 season started. He traded for Ronald Darby at about this time back in the Super Bowl season. Last season he brought in Zach Cunningham during camp.

This Eagles roster looks much better, at least on paper, than it did last season. But there are still holes. They still have areas where they could, and probably should, get better.

What should they add? Which players could fill those holes on the Eagles roster? What could be the latest training camp move by Howie Roseman? Here are some positions where the Eagles could still improve, along with some players who would make sense.

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Jalen Hurts Flag Football ambassador to the stars when it comes to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This will be the third time that LA has hosted the games, previously they hosted in 1932 and 1984. Originally we read this in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Jalen Hurts Flag FootballAccording to the Philadelphia Eagles website, our quarterback “put the world on notice” that men’s and women’s flag football is coming to the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028. This is going to be an incredible addition to the games.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 02: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles yells during pregame against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field on October 02, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Jalen Hurts Throws Shade: QB Cools Philly Schools with Huge Donation

Could Jalen Hurts be the quarterback for flag football for the United States in 2028? We think that’s a great idea. Let’s start by rooting for a healthy Jalen Hurts for our Philadelphia Eagles to start!

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Linebacker remains one of the biggest question marks for the Eagles. They signed Devin White in the off-season, and it is presumed he will be 1 of the starters. But the other spot is still up in the air between Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean. But based on what we are hearing from the Eagles, Baun might be in the lead. Which is backed up by the fact he is getting the majority of the 1st team snaps.

Zack Baun A Lock For the Starting Lineup?(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)When the Eagles signed Zack Baun, it was assumed he would be a rotational pass rusher, because that is what he was with the Saints. But then he was the 1st name Vic Fangio mentioned when asked about inside linebackers in his introductory press conference. An odd choice, given how he had never play inside before.

But then he got the snaps there in mini-camp. he continued to get those snaps in training camp. Leading to the conclusion, he might just be their 2nd guy after Devin White.

In his 2nd press conference during Training Camp, Fangio praised the versatility of Baun, saying they will use him inside and out. Devon White was also asked about Baun, and said this.

“Pure effort, pure heart.. sticking his head in on every play on downhill runs. He is just going out there and being relentless.”

So it is clear Baun is making an impression. It also helps that the guy he is fighting for that starting spot with is having a tough time.

Nakobe Dean Is Struggling?(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)There is a lot to like about Nakobe Dean. He has the makings of a great leader… if he can get on the field. That is where the problem comes in. Going into year 3 he has still never proven he can be a consistently on the field. He couldn’t get on the field year 1, and then battled injuries in year 2.

RELATED: Nakobe Dean Has Makings Of A Great Leader, If He Can Play

Eagles fans got a look at him in Open Practice, and he did not exactly shine. Something Fangio acknowledged. But Fangio also said he has looked good outside of that Open Practice. Given how honest Fangio has been in other areas, you can probably trust him when he says he has liked what he saw from Dean outside that Open Practice. Still, we have heard from reporters on the scene at Training Camp that he is struggling in coverage.

He is still 3rd on the depth chart based on the 1st teams snaps he is getting though. Unlike last season, the Eagles are not anointing him at the start of camp. If he is going to be the other starter, he has to earn it. So far, based on everything we have heard, Baun is ahead of him.

Dean has a few more weeks and 3 pre-season games to change the Eagles mind. Zack Baun certainly seems like the favorite right now.

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With how great AJ Brown is, Devonta Smith, a tremendous WR in his own right, flies a little under the radar. Despite being 2nd on the team in targets, he still put up 2,262 yards and 14 TDs over the last two seasons. Not many WR2s put up stats like that. He would be the best WR on most teams around the league.

(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)Will Devonta Smith Be Even Better This Season? The Eagles WR1, AJ Brown, has only praise for his fellow WR. Which is not surprising, the two Eagles WRs have always been supportive of each other, even if coexisting means they each might get fewer targets than the average WR1.

Brown was asked about how Smith looked before the Eagles Open Practice and had glowing praise for Smith.

“Nobody has been able to cover Devonta in camp.. I am expecting Smitty to take another jump. He definitely has all the tools. Sitting on the side watching him, I know how hard he works.”

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Could we see an even better Devonta Smith this season? With a new offense, its certainly possible he has his best season yet. Even with another star to share the ball with, Saquon Barkley, the Kellen Moore offense could open things up for him.

The Eagles had great WRs last year, but in terms of average separation, they were need the bottom of the league. That speaks to the scheme. They didn’t use motion, and didn’t scheme people open at all. It all relied on the Eagles receivers winning their matchups. Smith and Brown did that a lot, but it was rare they were running wide open like we see other top WRs do.

That may now happen. Kellen Moore is using a lot of motion, the same way he did in Dallas and in LA. They will also use short routes over the middle more. All of that should make things easier on both Brown and Smith.

Nick Sirianni also spoke before Open Practice, and shared a similar sentiment about Smith that Brown did.

“He looks super quick in and out of breaks. He works so hard about how to get in and out of breaks, because that’s where the game is won… He catches everything, right?.. The major requirement for the position is catch the football, right, and he does that at an extremely high level… He’s had really nice camp and he’s just going to continue to get better.”

The Eagles locked Smith up long-term this past offseason, along with AJ Brown. So 1 thing we know for a fact, is the Eagles are going to have an elite WR room for years to come. Something that is very unusual given how long the Eagles were thin at that position.

But there may still be untapped potential to Devonta Smith’s game. His stats say he is already a great WR, but his production the last two seasons might not be his ceiling. His teammates and coaches certainly think there is another level to his game. And even while sharing targets with another elite WR, we might see him put up his best season yet in 2024.

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Since Nick Sirianni got here, the starters have hardly seen the field in pre-season. Jalen hurts and a few other select guys haven’t seen it on the field at all. It is the way he runs things. He will tell you he gets more out of joint practices than he does a pre-season game. The Eagles philosophy is also to protect their star players from injury by holding them out of an exhibition game.

In 2022, it was seemingly the right thing to do. They were healthier than any team in the league. They had some bumps along the way but went into the Super Bowl with all 22 starters healthy. Last season things went less well. There was a complete collapse.

Some people will tell you that easy practices and lack of preseason snaps play a part. Whether that is true or not, we don’t know. But it led to some major changes, including Nick Sirianni being stripped of Offensive Play Design. The question is will they also change how they handle Pre-Season games?

They have already made some changes. They held a Mandatory Mini-Camp for the 1st time. Something that has already been credited for implementing the new offense so fast. But will they play the starters in the pre-season?

Nick Sirianni Gave No Clear Answers(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Before the Eagles open practice this week, Dave Uram of KYW News radio asked Nick Sirianni about playing the starters. In typical Sirianni fashion, he dodged the question. Here was the exchange.

Dave Uram: “You don’t have to make a decision yet about next Friday, but considering there is only one…“

Nick Sirianni: “Bob told me you were going to ask this question. I’m not ready yet.“

Dave Uram: “What do you think the likelihood is because there is only one joint practice that ones may play in these preseason games?“

Nick Sirianni “Yeah, that’s a good question. We’ll take it day by day and see where we are next week.“

So for now, we don’t know. We might not know until they play the first pre-season game next weekend. My guess, they still barely play, if at all.

Is that the worst thing in the world? I think it’s impact in both 2022 and 2023 was overblown. Staying so healthy in 2022 was more luck than it was anything to do with the pre-season. And the Eagles looking so out of sorts had nothing to do with the pre-season considering they got worse as the season went on.

The one thing I can say, is seeing guys get hurt in games that don’t matter sucks. We see a few big injuries every year in games that don’t matter. If it was up to me, I would let my starters get a few reps, and then sit them.

We will see what Nick Sirianni wantsa to do next week though.

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Jalen Hurts looked like an MVP in 2022. Last season was a slight regression. He was not terrible. After they beat the Bills to get to 10-1, he was the odds-on favorite to win MVP. But the final 6 games, plus the playoff loss, were ugly.

You’d think that collapse would damage Jalen Hurts’s reputation around the league. But according to NFL.com’s annual Top 100 Players list, he is still the 15th-best player in the league.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)How Did Jalen Hurts Land At 15?

The 1️⃣ you've been waiting for@JalenHurts | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/BBIJvUrcjW

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 1, 2024

The Top 100 is voted on every year by players around the league. I am not sure of the exact methodology, but NFL.com has random players vote to determine the top 100.

He is just a winner. It might look the prettiest, but he is just a winner.””- Jonathan Allen

Last season, after nearly winning the Super Bowl, Hurts was ranked the 3rd best. But after a down year, I expected a slight drop. I did not expect the drop to be this slight. At 15, the players still view him as one of the elite players. For bonus points, he was 1 spot ahead of Cowboys QB Dak Prescott.

RELATED: Jalen Hurts Earning Big Praise Early In Training Camp

It is in sharp contrast to the ESPN survey of NFL coaches, executives, and scouts that ranked Hurts outside the top 10 of QBs. They had him as an honorable mention. But the players poll here has him ahead of several QBs the ESPN survey had above him, including Prescott, Brock Purdy, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jordan Love.

“He is a baller man. I think a lot of people sleep on his ability to just ball”- Jordan Poyer

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

It may seem a bit crazy, but if you remember how great he was in the Super Bowl, it is not that insane. He was tremendous, nearly flawless, in the 2022 season, and then arguably played better than Mahomes in the Super Bowl. If his defense got a single stop in the 2nd half, he might already be a champion. He was also considered an MVP candidate until week 13 last season.

Hurts is still an incredible talent. He had a down year, but so did many other Eagles. With Kellen Moore in town, and perhaps the best-supporting cast in the NFL around him, he has a chance to be very special this season. Maybe this time next year he will be back in the top 10.

Other Eagles to appear so far in the Top 100 include Devonta Smith (90), Saquon Barkley (86), Lane Johnson (41), and AJ Brown (21). The top 10 has not been released yet.

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When the Eagles drafted Nakobe Dean, we heard nothing about great things about his leadership. He may not have been the most talented player on the field for that championship Georgia Defense, but he was the guy running the show. On a team with guys like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Travon Walker, and Nolan Smith, it was Dean who took the role of the on-field leader.

Now the Eagles find themselves in need of a leader on defense. Fletcher Cox is gone. Darius Slay is a captain, but it is hard for an outside CB to be the one calling the shots on the field. CJ Gardner Johnson has the energy, but is perhaps a bit too volatile to be the on-field leader.

They need someone to step into that role. To be the Green Dot player, being Vic Fangio’s eyes and voice on the field. Nakobe Dean is a great candidate for that, provided he actually plays.

Nakobe Dean Has Shades Of DeMeco RyansIn terms of being a leader, we have seen few LBs come through Philly as capable as DeMeco Ryans. There is a reason why he rose from being a player to a top coordinator to a head coach so quickly. The guy doesn’t just know football, he knows how to lead men.

When Tim McManus, who covered DeMeco Ryans when he was on the Eagles, joined The Best Show Ever this week, he drew comparisons between Nakobe Dean and DeMeco Ryans.

“I am always impressed when I walk away from talking with Dean. To me, he gives off DeMeco Ryans vibes. That is high praise. Ryans is as good of a leader as it gets. He continues to show that as a head coach. Every time I walk away from him, that is the type of feel I get.” – Tim McManus

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)That certainly is high praise, but it is backed up by everything we have heard about Dean before now. There is a reason they gave him the green dot last year before he ever stepped on the field.

But as McManus went on to point out, if he is going to live up to that high praise, he has to get on the field. You can’t be a team leader from the bench. no one is going to take a captain seriously, especially not a young one if he isn’t playing.

Ryans was not just a good leader, he was also a great player. An All-Pro caliber Linebacker. Something that is not a given yet with Dean.

Is Nakobe Dean Talented Enough (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)It has not worked out for Dean in his two years with the Eagles, yet. In his rookie season, he hardly saw the field. In year 2 he was anointed the starter at the start of camp, but injuries plagued him from week 1.

That brings us to year 3. He is no longer the anointed starter at linebacker. Zack Baun and Devin White are getting 1st team reps before him. Though the word is that he has looked very good in the reps he is getting.

Adam Caplan joined Kincade and Saclciunas and noted Dean looks great as a blitzer, and that he came into camp much bigger physically. Our Birds insider Andrew DiCecco has said the same thing on and off air. But it is just camp. He looked good in camp last year too.

RELATED: Jordan Davis Impressing Early in Camp, Praised By Fangio

We can’t blame Dean too much for his struggles last season. He got hurt in week 1, and even when he came back, he never looked right before going back on the IR. So maybe now that he is healthier and bigger, things will go better. He doesn’t need to even be as great of a player as Ryans was. He needs to be a good one though. Good enough to stay on the field.

Hopefully, he can emerge as a starting-caliber Linebacker. Because in terms of intangibles, he has everything you could ever want from a Middle linebacker. If he gets on the field, he could become a tremendous leader for this now very young defense.

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With cornerbacks and wide receivers, a little bit of an ego is a good thing. You want those guys to ooze confidence on the field. You don’t need them to be divas, but you want them to have swagger. Quinyon Mitchell has that swagger.

Quinyon Mitchell is a rookie. He isn’t even getting 1st team reps yet. But he looks like he belongs, and is acting like he belongs. That is why when he locked up AJ Brown the other day, he immediately started trash-talking. Mitchell is a rookie, Brown is one of the best WRs in the league. But Mitchell is not only not afraid to go against him, he will talk about it when he gets one over the Eagles’ star WR.

He went up against Brown in practice, beat him on a rep, and immediately started with the trash talk.

These Quinyon Mitchell vs. A.J. Brown matchups have been fun to watch. Mitchell does not back down. #Eagles

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) July 30, 2024

Quinyon Mitchell Relishes Chance To Battle With Brown(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

“Yeah, just every day I come out and I go against A.J., I just try to compete… I mean, he’s one of the best in the game, so I know I’m gonna get good work. So every chance I get to go against him, I’m just gonna compete and try to raise the bar.”

That is the exact attitude you want from a corner. Mitchell wants to go against the best players. He wants the chance to prove his own greatness. Thus far, he has not backed down from the challenges the Eagles WR corps present.

For now, he may have to settle for playing in the slot. That is where the Eagles have been putting him, and he has looked great there. A lot of teams do like to run their best guys out of the slot. Cee Dee Lamb played over half his snaps in the slot last season for the Cowboys. Mitchell will get the chance to battle top great WRs even in the slot. If he excels there, he is going to get the chance to move outside.

It is only training camp. But Quinyon Mitchell is so far showing the Eagles made a fantastic choice. Not just because of how he looks on the field, but because of how he acts on it. Mitchell may be soft spoken off of the field, but he has a swagger you love to see on it.

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For far too long, the NFL has stubbornly refused to join us in this century when it comes to their continued use of chain gangs. Despite having access to much better technology, they still measured first downs with a group of people holding two poles with a 10-yard chain.

So any time there is a close play, they needed to drag the chains onto the field to measure the distance as if it was still 1984. It does sometimes make for great drama, as they drag the chain over and everyone holds their breath. Then there is a small gap, the ref does the hand gesture to show there are a few inches between the ball and the pole, and the defense goes wild.

But is that little bit of theater worth measuring 1sts downs in such an archaic and inefficient way?

Are Chain Gangs Being Replaced? (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)Thankfully, chain gangs may soon be a thing of the past. The NFL is experimenting with “Hawkeye” technology during some preseason games that will be able to measure if the ball passed the line of scrimmage. If that process is smooth, we could eventually see it in games.

It is not new technology. Other sports have had similar tech for years now. Soccer has it to help them tell if a play was offside. Tennis uses the exact same Hawk-Eye technology to measure if a ball is out. As does cricket, badminton, and volleyball. The NFL has had access to this for years. They were just slow to catch up.

No, instead they kept using the new technology known as index cards. Yes, in case you forget, the NFL once actually used an index card to see if there was any space between the ball and the chain. That was not something that happened in the 80s, it happened in 2017 in a game between the Cowboys and Raiders.

Related: Jordan Davis Impressing Early in Camp, Praised By Fangio

The NFL Already Has The Technology (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)The NFL uses tech in other ways. They use GPS tracking to measure how fast players were on any given play. They already have chips in the ball to help spot the ball and to measure if it crossed the goal line. But for whatever reason, until now, they have refused to even consider ditching the chain gangs and go with something far easier, and far more accurate.

The way it works is officials can just place the ball, and the Hawk-Eye tech can instantly determine if it was far enough for a 1st down or not. No more lugging out the chains, and no more games being delayed because someone wrapped the chains too tightly and they can’t untangle them.

That is also a thing that happened. In the playoff game between the Eagles and Giants a couple of years ago, the first set of chains malfunctioned, and the backup set was wrapped so tightly that the game had to be delayed.

The 1st down chains were broken, so officials brought out the backup chains, and it took just a little bit to unravel them Ready to go now! pic.twitter.com/sSES5w4hri

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 22, 2023

For now, it is only a trial. They will use it in a few pre-season games, and we will see how it goes. We likely won’t see it in games until the 2025 season at the earliest, and even then it may at first be used in addition to chain gangs.

We aren’t done with them yet, but we are inching closer. Soon the NFL may actually act like we are in the year 2024, and not 1984.

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Contributor – Ryan Straub

It was a week ago today on July 23rd that the doors of the NovaCare complex opened up another Philadelphia Eagles season. After an extremely disappointing end to the season, in which it would be fair to call it a downright collapse, a great deal is being expected of the Eagles team this season.

As every training camp goes, fans are following closely along as they try to stay up to date on the position battles, scrimmages, and other bits and pieces that make the NFL season feel much closer than it really is. It is around this time of year where early questions will be answered.

Who will win the WR3 spot behind Brown and Smith? How do the offensive line and secondary look? And of course, how does Jalen Hurts and the new offense under Kellen Moore look? Head Coach Nick Sirianni touched on these concerns after practice on Monday. Here’s what he had to say.

WR3 Spot Up For GrabsWhen asked about his assessment of the wide receivers outside of A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, Sirianni said “Yeah, I’m really excited about this group. I really am. Without going into detail of all the guys, I think that everyone brings a little different skill set to the table that everybody can contribute to.”

“Parris [Campbell] has had success in this league through different things that he’s done. He has toughness. He has speed. John Ross has got excellent speed. Johnny Wilson, big, physical, can bring an element of toughness and blocking to the group.”

(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

A few other guys mentioned include Britain Covey, Ainas Smith, and Joe Ngata. As far as the entire WR room goes, Sirianni has high praise: “It’s a good group, one of the best groups I’ve had 1 through 13 in my time in the NFL, and they all bring different and I’ll be excited to see how that plays out as we go through the rest of camp.”

Different Faces on the Offensive Line, in the SecondaryWhen the Eagles line up on September 6th in Brazil for their season opener, it will be the first time since 2012 that Jason Kelce will not be under center. The general consensus is that Cam Jurgens, who has played as a Guard so far with the Eagles but was drafted as a Center, will fill that void. Sirianni is showing confidence in Jurgens:

“He played meaningful snaps, and he played some good football. […] We’re really excited about his progression, the things that he’s doing at practice, look forward to when the pads get on.”

Guard Tyler Steen went down with an injury which paved the way for Mekhi Becton to possibly get some time in at right guard next to Lane Johnson. Sirianni stated, “As bummed as we are that Tyler Steen is going to be out for a little bit, it gives other people opportunities to work, and Mekhi is going to be one of those guys.”

(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)Lastly, the secondary is an intriguing concept this summer. Top picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are two guys who will make an immediate impact and contribute, adding crucial depth. James Bradberry, coming off a sluggish season, has started camp practicing with the second team.

Sirainni emphasizes that this is a good thing: “The depth chart, he’s working with the twos right now, but that’s fluid. That can change, and you’re always going to need depth, and there’s always going to be competition. So, I’m excited for this opportunity for him. He’s handled it great, and he just wants to continue to contribute, and he still has the ability to do things at corner. That versatility will play well for us in the secondary.”

Checking In on Hurts & Co.The Quarterback and skill positions tend to be major talking points during training camp, but only when there are glaring issues. Since the Eagles hold the fortune of having a top-10 quarterback along with two elite Wide Receivers, and a solid Running Back and Tight End, there isn’t a whole lot that needs to be discussed. But people do it anyway and here we are.

Sirianni had this to say about Hurts: “I think he’s had a really good camp so far. I’m really excited for him to continue that. There’s ebbs and flows in camp and he’s been on the high end for the last four days, so really excited about him and how he’s looked so far.”

Another focus point that Sirianni has been trying to implement is utilizing the backfield more in the passing game. However, he doesn’t want this to be exclusively through check-downs: “We know we have the backs capable of being able to get the ball in the pass game. They’re going to get their touches in the run game. They’ll get their touches in the screen game but then being part of that pass game, and we’re looking forward to that with the guys that we have. The pass game offense is still going to run through DeVonta [Smith], A.J. [Brown], and Dallas [Goedert].”

“I know this is cliche, but there are only so many plays in a football game, and there is only one ball. But we do think we have the guys here in all those positions to contribute and help make plays.”

There will certainly be many more developments and questions answered over the next week and a half before the Eagles take on the Ravens in their first preseason game on August 9th.

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It is not often you get to replace a legend with someone hand-picked by that legend. That is exactly what happened with Cam Jurgens though. Kelce helped the Eagles find his replacement a couple of years ago, with them eventually settling on Cam Jurgens. He spent 1 year as Kelce’s backup, then played alongside him at RG last season. But now, with Kelce retired, it is Jurgens turn to start creating his own legacy.

The comparisons are inevitable. Everything Jurgens does is going to be compared to Kelce, for better or worse. But it is important we all understand before the season starts that he is not Jason Kelce.

That is not to say Jurgens won’t be great in his own right. People should be very optimistic about what he can do at Center. The point is we should not hold him to the Jason Kelce standard, because that is a standard that is next to impossible to live up to.

Cam Jurgens Does Not Need To Be Jason KelceKelce is the greatest center of his generation, and arguably the greatest center of All-Time. He was the 1st-Team All-Pro in 6 of his final 7 seasons. He changed the way the position is played, seeing the NFL shift to smaller agile centers. For years, he was nearly perfect, hardly ever giving up a sack.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)The Eagles do not need Jurgens to be that. They don’t need him to be the greatest center ever. Expecting that would be insanity. There will likely be speed bumps. There certainly were for Kelce early in his career. He did not come into the NFL and immediately become the greatest center. It took time. Jurgens deserves that same grace period.

Landon Dickerson talked about it himself. Noting that they don’t need Cam Jurgens to be Jason Kelce, they only need him to be Cam Jurgens.

“He will hear it from you guys all the time. You guys got used to that, and that will be your comparison… It is not trying to replace Kelce. Cam is going to make his own legacy, his own path, his own destiny. His name is not Kelce, he is not going to try and be 62. He is going to be Cam Jurgens.”

It is a sentiment I think everyone will agree with right now. The question becomes what happens when the games start if we don’t get perfect play from the center, the way we are used to. What if he does get beaten? Something we hardly ever saw happen to Kelce.

Jurgens, like any player, deserves the right to make mistakes. Obviously there is a limit. He can’t be getting beat consistently. But the expectation cannot be perfection, nor can it even be to be as great as Kelce.

The good news is, he seems to be settling in nicely. Here is what Dickerson said about how Jurgens has looked so far.

“Really smart guy, physical guy, strong guy. He moves well… I think he has done a tremendous job so far with clear communication, and setting the standard of how things are supposed to be done in the huddle.”

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Expectations for Jurgens should be high. He has the makings of a very good center. He fits the same mold Kelce did. He drew high praise when he was drafted and continues to draw that praise both from within and outside the organization.

Just please keep those expectations reasonable. There will be some bumps. That is okay. Let him be his own player. No one is Jason Kelce. As Dickerson said, he doesn’t need to be Kelce, he only needs to be Cam Jurgens.

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Jalen Hurts was as good as it gets in 2022. Had he not missed 2 games, he likely would have been MVP. You could make the case he should have won despite missing those games, given the Eagles went 0-2, and they went 14-1 in games he played.

2023 was a step back. Some of it was an injury limiting his mobility, and some of it was the predictable offense Nick Sirianni ran. Still, he needs to take accountability for the regression as well. There were too many turnovers, and he fell back into a few bad habits like holding the ball too long and bailing from the pocket early.

That brings us to 2024. Will he be closer to 2022, or 2023? He has a new Offensive Coordinator in Kellen Moore, who has brought in an entirely new offense that should make things easier for him. The cast around him also got even better, adding Saquon Barkley to a group that already included AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and an elite O-line. There should be no more excuses. It is on Jalen Hurts to lead this offense to being among the bets in the league.

How Has Jalen Hurts Looked In Training Camp?(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Training camp is not the same as a game. You can look great in practice, but be a disaster on the field. We won’t have real answers until they play games that count.

But in terms of what we have seen from Jalen Hurts, it has been as good as you can hope for. I am not at Eagles training camp, but I do get to talk to many reporters who go to training camp. I have heard the same thing from all of them. Outside of drops, the ball has hardly touched the ground. Hurts has thrown accurate, efficient passes, all over the field, and he looks comfortable in this new offense already.

That is a change from the Spring Mini Camp and OTAs, where many people in attendance noted that the offense was very much a work in progress. But Hurts had time to study the playbook, and to work out the kinks, and it seems he came into cap prepared to run the team.

Related: Jordan Mailata Stepping Into Leadership Vacuum Left By Kelce

EJ Smith joined The Best Show Ever on Monday, and he had some glowing praise for what he has seen from hurts so far.

“The first 3 practices, that is as good as I have seen an Eagles QB look in my 6 years covering the team. To say the ball didn’t touch the ground except for drops, would not be an exaggeration. It was sharp, it was on time. It stands in sharp contrast to everything we saw in the Spring. I definitely think he has a command of the offense.”

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)How he would pick up the offense was a copncern. A lot was made of Hurts having yet another offensive coordinator. The 4th one he has had in his time with the Eagles, and the 8th he has had going back to his time in college.

But it seems he has picked it up fast. Kellen Moore is known for helping QBs put up big numbers. They have the pieces to be an elite offense. It really all comes down to what Hurts does in the driver’s seat. So far, it is all good things.

Again, it is just camp. Hurts can’t even be hit yet. But him looking comofrtable running the new offense is still a great sign. Now we just have to see if that carries into the season.

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I am not the staunchest defender of Howie Roseman. I thought he deserved a lot more blame than he got for 2023. Nick Sirianni and the Coordinators took a lot of that blame from him, but I would remind you that it was Howie Roseman who hired all of them.

The point is, I am not one to pump Howie Roseman up for no reason. But there is something he does that I think is absolutely genius. He is routinely paying his players early. Sometimes it makes it look like he is overpaying guys, but it always benefits the Eagles in the end. Jordan Love becoming the highest-paid QB in the league is only the latest example of that.

Howie Roseman Got Ahead Of The Trend With Jalen Hurts(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)When Howie Roseman made Jalen Hurts the highest-paid player in NFL history, some questioned if it was wise. Hurts had struggled in his first two seasons, but then had 1 great year where he was arguably the MVP and had the Eagles on the verge of a Super Bowl.

Was he overpaying for 1 great year? Did Hurts deserve that much money? None of those questions matter much anymore. A little more than a year later he is no longer the highest paid, 2nd highest paid, or 5th highest paid QB. The Eagles beat the Ravens, Bengals, and Chargers that offseason to pay their QB. Hurts quickly tumbled down the rankings of highest-paid QBs. This offseason, even more QBs have been paid.

After both Tua Tagvailoa and Jordan Love got paid this week, he is down to the 8th highest-paid QB. With Dak Prescott still awaiting a contract, Hurts will eventually be 9th. Then you have all the other young QBs that will get deals over the next few years. Soon Hurts won’t even be in the top 10.

I would say even after last year he is still top 10. But a survey of coaches, execs, and scouts around the NFL put him at 13. That is basically what he is being paid like now, just a year into his deal. Hurts at worst is being paid his fair value. If he gets back to his 2022 form, he is suddenly a bargain. All because Howie Roseman did not play games, and just paid his player early.

More Than Just QBs(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)QBs are not the only position where Howie pulls off this move though. This off-season we also saw him make Landon Dickerson, AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, and Jordan Mailata among the highest-paid players at their position.

When Smith signed, it made him the 4th highest-paid WR in the league. But he doesn’t start costing that until 2026. He is already down to 8th though with Justin Jefferson, Jaylen Waddle, and Amon-Ra St Brown getting paid in the couple of months since the Eagles signed Smith. He could soon be out of the top 10. Brandon Aiyuk, Cee Dee Lamb, and Ja’Marr Chase are seeking extensions, and putting pressure on their teams to pay up.

AJ Brown is still the 2nd highest paid WR. Again, that will change. He is a top 5 WR, or at least close. But he could easily fall out of the top 5 within a year or two.

The same goes for Dickerson and Mailata. The Eagles routinely are the ones setting the market, then watching teams beat that market. Something we can not say for two of the Eagles’ biggest rivals in the NFC.

Cowboys and 49ers Feeling The Pain of Waiting(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)The Eagles started camp with no holdouts. All of their important players are there. We can not say the same for the 49ers and Cowboys.

Brandon Aiyuk is trying to force a trade. The 49ers don’t want to trade him, and he is still under contract and will eventually have to just suck it up and play. But having a disgruntled player around is not exactly the key to a well-functioning locker room. It is also not the best way to convince a player to stick around long-term. But unlike the Eagles, the 49ers did not just pay one of their best players early and keep him happy.

They also have LT Trent Williams holding out. Again, he will eventually report. But if it is not with a new contract, it will be another disgruntled superstar. The Eagles have their LT locked up long-term, even though he was not even due for a new contract yet.

The Cowboys have issues with 3 players. Dak Prescott, Cee Dee Lamb, and Micah Parsons all want new deals and are all putting pressure on the Cowboys in different ways. Dak and Micah are at camp, but still demanding a new deal. Lamb is holding out.

Lamb will eventually have to play. The fines for missing camp are one thing, and usually, the players who hold out get that money back. Holding out from games is something very few players ever do because the costs become real. But is that how you want to treat a guy though who should be a franchise cornerstone? Would it not be easier to just keep him happy?

Lamb, like Brown, is a top 5 WR. But Jerry Jones likes to play games and pinch pennies. He is more than willing to upset 3 franchise cornerstones to try and save a buck. The thing is, it won’t save him any money. History shows us the longer you wait, the more these guys will cost.

Jerry let every other team with a QB eligible for an extension beat him to the punch. Dak is not going to suddenly become less expensive. If Dak is in their future plans, he will now cost more than he would have had they paid him months ago. The same goes for Lamb and Parsons. Every other player that gets paid, makes their price go up.

Howie Roseman gets that. The 49ers and Cowboys don’t. Howie Roseman is consistently the one setting the market, those teams are stuck reacting to it.

That is something Howie deserves endless credit for. He has his flaws. We saw those flaws in full effect last season when he left the defense woefully undermanned. But Howie knows NFL Markets better than almost anyone.

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When The Eagles drafted Quinyon Mitchell, many automatically assumed he would be the other starter across from Darius Slay. That very well may still happen. But at least early in camp. He has not been playing with the 1s. Both Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers are getting more snaps with the 1s than him.

That could be Vic Fangio and the Eagles making a rookie earn it. By the end of camp, Quinyon Mitchell could be getting all the run with the 1s. But it could also be a sign of what we will see at the start of the season.

There is another way for Quinyon Mitchell to get on the field early though. Mitchell has reportedly been getting snaps in the slot. Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever this week and told us that could be a path to Mitchell getting extra playing time early.

"Quinyon Mitchel is getting played all over the place… what is really interesting is the slot component…He hasn't had a lot of wow moments, but he always looks steady… He hasn't looked lost at any time.

The slot might end up being the path to playing time early on here."… pic.twitter.com/KKxoYXRVdT

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) July 25, 2024

Quinyon Mitchell In The Slot?From what Tim told us, Mitchell is looking solid early in camp. Not many big moments, but he looks like he belongs. Tim noted that is what you want to see for a guy making a jump to the NFL from a weaker conference.

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)I would like to see Mitchell start opposite Slay. I think he is their most talented player. But they might try to slow play him in. If so, the slot would make sense. Especially given the injury to Cooper DeJean likely putting him behind the 8 ball to start the season in the slot.

Eventually, he will be that second corner. Well actually, he will eventually be the main cornerback. But at least for now, the Eagles aren’t just anointing him the guy. They want him to earn it. Earning it might mean starting the season in the slot, with either Ringo or Rodgers being the CB2.

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Jason Kelce left behind some massive shoes to fill as the Eagles leader. Luckily, Jordan Mailata has big feet. Not just in the literal sense, though that is also true. Mailata has been with this team for a while now. They drafted him in 2018, and he has been their starting LT since 2020. He has cachet on this team and on this O-Line.

When Jason Kelce retired, the Eagles didn’t just lose one of the best Centers in NFL history, they lost their leader. Not just along the Offensive Line, but the de facto leader of the entire team. But Mailata seems primed to fill that void and is already stepping up to be the new leader.

Jordan Mailata Stepping Into Jason Kelce’s Shoes(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)He has been learning from Kelce that whole time. Now he thinks he is more than ready to be the leader Kelce was. He started that early in camp when he held the team, including himself, accountable for pre-snap mistakes. After an “unacceptable” first day, he and Cam Jurgens made their fellow offensive linemen run gassers. Even driving Mekhi Becton to puke.

The next day, reporters asked him why he did that. This was his answer.

“Just trying to maintain the standard. Everyone thinks it’s a joke, but it is something that we live by. It is unacceptable that we had 3 false starts yesterday. Including myself on the very first play of practice. There needs to be discipline to uphold the standard.”

Little mistakes in camp are going to happen. They haven’t played football since January. There will be rust. But Mailata is nipping it in the bud now before it becomes a bigger issue. If you let it slide in camp, suddenly it carries over.

Reporters went on to ask him how comfortable he feels being a leader now that Jason Kelce is gone.

“I feel very comfortable doing that. Anytime we do something like that, it is from everything that I learned from Jason. When something is not good enough, we have to correct it. Today we had no pre-snap penalties, which is great. It is all about maintaining the standard, and the standard was there before we even came here.”

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Most people think Cam Jurgens will be at the very least dependable as the team’s new center. It will be a downgrade, you don’t lose a future Hall of famer and get better, but I have not seen many people worried that Jurgens will hurt them at center.

The concern was what happens as about the leadership? Who will take Kelce’s place in that regard? It seems Jordan Mailata is already answering that question.

“It’s natural. I have had the best examples in the room. I know what it should look like. When we fall short, we just need something to pick ourselves back up again.“

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The Eagles defense has a bit of a leadership vacuum. They brought back captains Darius Slay and Brandon Graham but lost Fletcher Cox, who for years has been the leader of that side of the ball. But a new leader might be emerging early in camp, and it is someone who was not ever here last season. Devin White.

Devin White Already Showing Leadership Traits (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)Devin White spoke to the media after Thursday’s practice. One of the things he talked about, was a group chat he started with Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown, two leaders on the offensive side of the ball, that he labeled “Accountability”.

“Me, Jalen, and AJ have a group chat, and I named it accountability. How can we pull one another up? What do you need from me? Just so we can be a better team, and those things don’t happen.”

Devin White was obviously not here last season for the Eagles downfall. But he had a sideline few of their lowest moment in the playoffs. But he told reporters that he does not want to talk about last year, because this team will be different. He credited that drive to be better with why he started the group chat.

“I started it on the way to get to Training Camp. I just sent them a picture an empty glass and before they texted back I said let’s pour into it every day. One day at a time. Then everyone chimed in and gave some food of knowledge.”

He picked Hurts and Brown because he was already friends with them. But I don’t think its a coincidence they are also two captains on this team.

White was a caprain himself in Tampa. Things obviously went south there because of some struggles on the field, but he is a guy who strives to be a leader. That is a trait he is already trying to bring to Philly as well.

Watch Bob Cooney live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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The big concern when the Eagles signed Bryce Huff early in the off-season was the fact he had never been an every-down player. He played fewer than 50% of the snaps with the Jets. He was one of the most efficient pass rushers in the league in those limited snaps, with a pass rush win rate of 22%, tied for 6th in the league. But it will be a different test doing it as the main guy on the team.

What kept him off the field was run-downs. The Jets hardly used him on potential run-downs, and he was not effective in those limited snaps. Now that he is being paid like a top Edge Rusher though, the expectation is that he will improve there.

Does his new DC, Vic Fangio think that will happen? Here is what he had to say on Thursday.

“Everybody thought he could… He is taking the challenge on very well. He has the talent to do what we want him to do, he just has to get familiar with doing it. Does it look like he could do it today? No. But I do think eventually he will.”

What To Take From Fangio’s Comments About Bryce Huff(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)Fangio is refreshingly honest. He will tell you what he thinks, for better or worse. It is why when he says Jordan Davis looks great, you believe him. but it also means if he doesnt think Bryce Huff is ready yet, you beleive him.

Related: Jordan Davis Impressing Early in Camp, Praised By Fangio

He did also say that he thinks Huff will get there, and that he has all he talent he needs. So I don’t think we should take the part about not being able to do it today out of context. It does tell us our concerns were at least somewhat justified though.

The Eagles have no sure thing at Edge Rusher. They traded the one guy you could count on, Haason Reddick, away. His continued contract disputes with the Jets may justify that trade, but that doesn’t change the fact they will miss his consistent production. Reddick had double digits sacks in the last 4 straight seasons. The Eagles current Edge rush room doesnt even have a combined 4 double digit sack seasons.

Huff has never done it as an everyday player. Sweat has only ever done it over a full season once. brandon Graham is on his last legs. And Nolan Smith flat out has never done it, in the pros or in College.

The Eagles edge rush room is all upside, but with loads of question marks. Huff is question number 1. They need him to replicate what Reddick gave them. As Fangio said, he has the talent. Wheter or not he can do it, and do it with an increased snap count, we won’t know that until the games start counting.

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A big story going into this season is the conditioning of Jordan Davis. In his rookie year he failed to make much of an impact, and eventually saw the Eagles sign Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh to supplant him. In year 2, he got much more playing time and looked great at first. We saw that playing time take it’s toll with him falling off a cliff late in the season.

So the question is, did he come to camp in better condition this year? Will Jordan Davis be able to hold up over a full season?

We may not know the real answer to that until December when we see how he holds up late into the season. But from what we can tell now, he is on the right track. That is not me saying that, his defensive coordinator is saying the same thing. Vic Fangio was asked about Davis and had nothing but praise for him and Jalen Carter.

“I thought they looked good… Jordan showed some good movement ability, and was able to bend his move in ways I haven’t seen before, so it is encouraging right now.”

How Much Weight Should We Put In Fangio’s Praise of Jordan Davis? (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Those are nice comments, but is it just a coach praising one of his players? With Vic Fangio we can probably take it at face value. Tim McManus joined us later in the same day, and explained why Fangio’s brutal honesty about other players, makes him more inclined to believe Fangio when he heaps praise on Jordan Davis.

“When he says something positive, you take it at face value. He doesn’t pump people up if they aren’t doing well. If they are, he will let you know about it, and I think you can accept that…. What I saw today was encouraging from Davis, there was one play where he flushed Hurts out, stayed stride for stride with him, and forced an incompletion.” -Tim McManus

McManus also told us about a play where David plugged the gap to stop Saquon Barkley in his tracks. Obviously there is no tackling, put he put himself in position to make a big play.

Trust What Vic Fangio SaysVic Fangio straight up told us that it is really hard for corners to transition to safety when asked about James Bradberry. When asked about Bryce Huff, he pretty much told us he is not ready yet to be an every down player. He did not nice up his comments about other players. While those comments might worry us about those other players, they should make us feel better about Jordan Davis.

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)Fangio is not someone who will lie to cover for a player. He was very honest with every question asked. So when he said Davis is bending well, and looks good, believe it.

Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter might be the most important players on this defense. Last year, when those two played well, the defense was actually getting by. It was not until they fell off a cliff that the defense fell apart.

If they can play like they did in the first 11 games last season, this will at the very least be a passable defense. The Eagles are relying on them a ton. So to hear Fangio be so postive about them, is a great sign.

Again, we need to see it over a full season. Doing it in camp is nice, but he did it in camp, and for 11 weeks last season. But we know what happened after that.

That said, they are doing the right things, and are on the right track. That is one of the best things we have seen so far in camp. Those two player will decide how good the Eagles defense is.

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Most people assumed James Bradberry would not be on the Eagles roster this season. He still might be cut at some point. But at the start of training camp, he is still here, and in a new role. New DC Vic Fangio is giving him a shot at safety. However Fangio also did warn us that it is not an easy transition, and for most players it does not work.

“The list of guys successfully transitioning from corner to safety is very small. There are guys who have done it, but it isn’t really what you want. We will see if he can do that. James has a good feel for football, very knowledgable. That will help him. He will still play some corner for us too.”

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Can James Bradberry Make The Change To Safety Under Vic Fangio?The potential switch may be more out of neccestiy than it is because they feel confident in him doing it. The corner room is very deep. Darius Slay, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Kelee Ringo are locks. Isaiah Rodgers is close to being a lock. That leaves two spots, with a lot of guys vying for them.

In 2022, Bradberry played at an All-Pro level. It led to him getting a big deal. Last year he struggled badly, especially later in the season. By the end of the year Kelee Ringo took his snaps, and Bradberry was relegated to the bench.

The amount of dead money he would carry if cut is keeping him alive though. It would cost them more money to move on from him. So at least in camp, there is no upside to releasing him. That may change though if there is another player they want to keep over him when cut day comes.

Safety is not quite so deep though. Especially with Sydney Brown likely to miss the start of the season. Someone like Bradberry, or even Avonte Maddox, could sneak onto the roster if they can also carry versatility at safety.

So the Eagles are giving him a shot there. As Vic Fangio said though, it is not an easy transition. But making that transition might be Bradberry’s best shot at making the roster.

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Yesterday, the Philadelphia Eagles opened training camp with a bang, not only holding their first practice but also holding multiple press conferences. Nick Sirianni, Howie Roseman, Jalen Hurts, and others took their turns to field questions from the media, some centered around football, some around relationships. Arguably the most anticipated answer of the day was what Jalen Hurts would have to say about the reports that his and Sirianni’s relationship was on the rocks, and while Hurts did his best to show his trust in his head coach with a couple of answers, there was another interesting theme that threaded through Hurts’ answers.

The Eagles QB, known for his strange Hurts-isms, actually seemed to respond with genuine answers that felt distinctly less canned than previous years. Maybe this is a sign of growth, or maybe this is a one-off, but either way, we talked on Kincade And Salciunas about how refreshing of a change it was.

So, if this is indeed the end of the Hurts-isms era, (it’s not) I figured it was a good time to take a look back at my favorite Hurts sayings of all time! (Also, I’m going from 3 to 1 today since this is a ranking)

The 3 Best Jalen Hurts-isms(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)3.) The Standard Is The StandardThis one is vintage Hurts. It’s got no frills, it’s functional, and it implies no emotion. A great Hurts-ism. Playing well? The standard is the standard, we have to keep playing to the standard. Playing poorly? It’s not just about winning or losing, it’s about playing to our standard. It’s a catch-all phrase to talk about the expectations for himself and the team, and it’s a great fit for the way Hurts approaches his work.

2.) Rent’s Due EverydayI love this one, mainly because I totally understand what it conveys, but it’s factually inaccurate unless your landlord absolutely STINKS.

Yes, in these instances, Hurts is talking about how you need to put in the work every day in order to reach the level you need to be to be a successful NFL player. But objectively rent is NOT due every day. I pay rent once a month, and even that feels excessive. Jalen Hurts is going to be the first man in history to accidentally pay off a 30-year mortgage in less than a year. Hey, better to be ahead of schedule than behind I guess!

1.) I had a purpose before everybody had an opinionOk, this one is just sick. I don’t know if it’s a Hurts original, I don’t know if he heard it or read it somewhere, but what I do know is that when he dropped this one in a Super Bowl press conference, I was sure the Eagles were winning it all.

Some of these might be overly repetitive, or bland, but certainly not this Hurts-ism. These are the types of lines that elite-level movie QBs drop before dominating the bad guys in the championship. Hopefully, we’ll get another great one-liner or two from Hurts throughout this season.

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With there being little on-the-field stuff to talk about, rumors of discontent between Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts have dominated Eagles off-season discussion. They stem from one of the last times Jalen Hurts spoke, where he kind of dodged a question that gave him a chance to compliment Nick Sirianni.

Since then there have been multiple reports, including a recent one by Dianna Russini, that said the relationship between Hurts and Sirianni was a “work in progress.”

Related: Nick Sirianni Was The Real Problem, Not Brian Johnson

Today they both spoke though, and it was the first question both of them were asked. Here is how they responded.

(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)Nick Sirianni Says His Relationship with Hurts Is GoodNick Sirianni was the first to speak, and thus he got the first chance to respond to these reports.

“Jalen and I’s relationship is good. Again, you just can judge it based on what your personal interactions are. So when you hear a report like that, you don’t put much stock into it, because quite frankly not everybody sees that. So I’m so excited for him and I to get into our fourth year together. We’ve done some pretty special things and I’m excited for him. He’s worked so hard at his game.”

And the very first question for Nick Sirianni at Eagles training camp is….. pic.twitter.com/b2Gx3b5IWo

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) July 24, 2024

So Nick is going with the narrative of the reports never being accurate. I don’t quite buy it. I appreciate him coming out and trying to put it to bed. I don’t buy that it is some insurmountable difference between the two men. But there is also way too much smoke for there to be no fire.

These are not no-name reporters putting out these stories. Dianna Russini is a trusted name. Tim McManus is one of the best guys on the Eagles beat. If they are reporting something, there is something there. Someone in the know gave them that information.

I am very confident that at some point, there was discord between Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts. That is not some media invention. You could see it play out on the field last season. The team was in turmoil. Losing tends to cause that. Winning can also cure that. But don’t tell us it is nothing. It was clearly something.

Jalen Hurts Stresses The Importance Of Being On The Same PageUp next was Hurts. I actually liked his answer a bit more. He stressed the importance of chemistry.

“We are in a good place. Anytime you have any frustration or adversity, it is supposed to test you. I think it is a matter of being on the same page… This team has made it happen before… It takes being together… talent wins you games, it will take you very far, but it doesn’t last. Teams win championships.”

“I trust Nick Sirianni to lead us in the right direction”

Jalen Hurts says everyone is hungry and they all need to communicate to get to where the Eagles need to go pic.twitter.com/z4kGUfxMtt

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) July 24, 2024

That for me is the thing. They don’t need to be best friends. It is okay if there was some turmoil, or if they need to work on their relationship. As long as they are on the same page when it counts, we are good.

Hurts seems to get that. Sirianni gets that. They might have to work on their relationship. But they have all summer to do that. As long as they are on the same page when it counts, it will be fine.

This is not the first time a coach and a player had a relationship problem. Very successful Coach and QB combos did not exactly love each other. As long as they put their differences aside, it won’t matter in the end.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Did Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts Put Rumors Of Discord To Bed? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It’s a big day for football fans in Philadelphia, and around the rest of the country. As of today, all NFL Training Camps have opened, including that of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Unsurprisingly, they are once again one of the most interesting teams in football, and there are storylines galore as they kick off their 2024-25 season. With changes to the coaching staff, the roster, and everything in between, there is plenty to break down when it comes to this year’s Eagles team. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined us on Kincade And Salciunas this morning and previewed camp with some of his thoughts and expectations:

As you can hear, there are a billion questions, and plenty of answers to be found over the coming weeks as the Eagles attack their task at hand at the NovaCare Complex.

Here are my top 3 storylines to keep an eye on as training camp unfolds:1.) Are Nick Sirianni And Jalen Hurts Cool?(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)This has been a budding narrative that has reached a fever pitch as camp starts for the Eagles. Over the offseason, Hurts has not been glowing in his comments about Head Coach Nick Sirianni, but he also has not said anything explicitly negative either. It feels like a cold front exists between two of the most important figures for the Eagles, and some early press conferences could do a lot to quell these concerns… or exacerbate them further. It’s certainly something worth keeping an eye on.

2.) How Are The New Offensive And Defensive Systems Implemented?With Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio joining the coaching staff ranks as Offensive and Defensive Coordinator respectively, there will be a learning curve for young and senior players alike this year. Rarely are these types of overhauls seamless, even if elements of their systems have existed in Philadelphia in previous years.

If this team is going to be great, though, it has to look pretty close to seamless when the team takes the field in Sao Paolo for their first regular season game. Both of these coordinators have been around the block, though, so my expectations for the implementation of their ideas on both sides of the ball are high.

3.) Who Wins The Two Big Position Battles?(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)While few positions are guaranteed in the NFL, the Eagles find themselves in a pretty comfortable spot with who will start where. There are, however, two positions that are clearly up for grabs.

The first is at Right Guard, a spot previously occupied by Cam Jurgens, who has since shifted over to Center to replace the retired Jason Kelce. It seems to be a two-man race between Tyler Steen, who has the early edge, and Mekhi Becton, the higher pedigree player.

The other major position battle will be at the starting Corner spot opposite Darius Slay, which could be filled by a bevy of players. Isaiah Rodgers, Kelee Ringo, and Quinyon Mitchell are all in the mix, and we will see if Cooper DeJean finds his way into the conversation once he returns from a hamstring injury that is keeping him off the field for a couple weeks to start camp. Oh, and don’t forget about James Bradberry, who remains on the roster in spite of an unproductive season last year. Let the drama ensue.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post CT’s Top 3: Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp Storylines appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Camp is here! The Philadelphia Eagles begin their journey through the 2024 NFL season this week as training camp begins. After a miserable end to last season, it seems like 90% of Eagles fans have put everything behind them and are ready to focus on the new year. As you should. Don’t let some miserable radio host bring you down with concerns that may carry over from the previous season.

It is a bit harder for me when I have to talk about the team every day and find different topics to discuss. I can’t just come on the radio every single day thinking about the good and ignoring the bad. Face it, the Eagles had a historic collapse last season. How can I not bring up the reasons why during the show? But some days, you just can’t do it anymore. Some days you just want to celebrate, look forward, and have some damn fun. This season should be nothing but fun.

Related: As Much as Sirianni Denies It, Howie Roseman Picked The Coordinators

What To Look Forward To At Eagles CampToday on the air, and in this article, I want to focus on the positives. Despite everything that happened last season, this team is built for success. The offense is stacked and is finally being run by a bright offensive mind in Kellen Moore. The defense, on paper, seems to have improved and the addition of Vic Fangio as the team’s defensive coordinator should be taken into account.

There are many things to look forward to when it comes to the 2024 regular season for the Eagles, but it all starts now. The journey to New Orleans starts with a good training camp. As much as I am excited to watch Saquon Barkley carve up defenses, I want to focus on what is in front of us.

Here Are The Top 5 Things I Am Most Excited To Follow During Eagles Camp:The post Top 5 Things I Am Most Excited To Watch During Eagles Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last Friday, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on her podcast that the relationship between Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts is a “work in progress.” We have heard reports like this from the local media since the season ended.

This isn’t news to us. The most alarming part is that it is still being worked on and training camp begins this week. Personally, I wish this was squashed already. With all that being said, there was something else that Russini said that we have not talked about.

Everybody has a belief that they feel strongly about but may not be able to back it up with clear evidence. While listening to the “Scoop City” Podcast with Dianna Russini and former Eagles quarterback Chase Daniel, Russini said something that confirmed what many of us believed. Nick Sirianni is still the Head Coach of the Philadelphia Eagles because he said “yes sir.”

Nick Sirianni Did Not Hire The Coordinators(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Russini said something we all know. Howie Roseman has his hands on everything when it comes to the Eagles. What she also said was something that Nick Sirianni has refuted multiple times (and yet I still don’t believe him). From the mouth of Sirianni, he picked Kellen Moore to be his Offensive Coordinator and Vic Fangio as his Defensive Coordinator. From the mouth of Dianna Russini, those were Howie Roseman hires.

VINDICATION!!! Did anyone really think that Nick Sirianni had the plan to hire Moore and Fangio? Does anyone still believe that he decided to demote Sean Desai and promote Matt Patricia? This is a Howie Roseman production and always has been.

As much as I agree with most of what Roseman does, this also tells me that the optics of firing a Head Coach who made the playoffs in all three seasons of his tenure were too bad to make that move. So why is Sirianni still here? Because he said yes to two great coordinators. Should that be why someone should keep their job? For Howie Roseman and the optics, it may have been.

Can I blame Sirianni? Absolutely not. I too would like to keep my job as the Head Coach of a team in the NFL. If agreeing to two top coordinators was what it took, sign me up. Just know, that if the season doesn’t start well, or if they fall short of expectations, we know who the first person will be out the door. This is not Nick Sirianni’s team.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post As Much as Sirianni Denies It, Howie Roseman Picked The Coordinators appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Today’s the day folks! The Philadelphia Eagles are reporting to Training Camp at the NovaCare Complex, with their first practice scheduled for tomorrow. It’s the unofficial, kind of official, start to football season, and with all of the questions surrounding this organization, it couldn’t have come soon enough.

While today is technically the start of camp, we still have one more day to wait for true Eagles news, so for one more taste of mid-summer content, today on Kincade And Salciunas we got into another couple of lists from the national media, ones that have the roster as high as #2 in the entire NFL.

It’s a fair question posed by Andrew Salciunas in that clip: how can this roster be so highly touted with so many questions on the defensive side of the ball? To highlight the fairness of his, and others’, concern about that unit of the team, let’s go through my biggest 3 questions on the Eagles defense right now.

Connors 3 Pressing Questions About the Eagles Defense1.) Can they generate any pass rush?(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)The calling card of the paramount example of what a Nick Sirianni-led football team was what the 2022 Eagles team was able to produce in getting after the quarterback. Securing a whopping 70 sacks as a team, (15 more than the next closest defense) that version of the birds wreaked havoc on the pocket like few others have.

While this year’s team will most likely not come close to equaling that level of production, they have questions to answer in the wake of Haason Reddick’s departure this offseason. Can Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and others on the edge get the job done? It will be a huge determining factor of success level.

2.) Who starts at CB2 opposite Darius Slay?There’s no doubt that “Big Play” Slay will be the top corner on the outside when the 2024 season starts for the Eagles, but there is plenty of question about who will start on the opposite side. The Eagles spent 2 premium picks in this year’s draft on defensive backs, selecting Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo (22 overall) and Cooper DeJean of Iowa (40 overall).

Mitchell seems to be a probable choice, but starting a rookie is a bold choice. Could it be James Bradberry, or Kelee Ringo, or Isaiah Rodgers? There are very few choices to rule out right now

3.) Can Nakobe Dean play at this level?(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The linebacker position is thin. That isn’t changing anytime soon, and Dean having a solid season probably won’t be enough to change it either. What it can do, though, is change the dynamic of the future of the position. The Eagles have been behind the 8 ball for years at linebacker, and Dean was supposed to remedy that when he was selected out of Georgia.

Unfortunately, injuries and slow development have hampered him from reaching those expectations. This certainly feels like a major campaign for Dean to determine his future with the team.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post CT’s Top 3: Most Pressing Questions For The Eagles Defense appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With football season (unofficially) beginning tomorrow, I’ll be starting a new daily Mon-Fri feature: CT’s Top 3. Each list will be based on a conversation we have on Kincade And Salciunas, and of course, our first edition is Eagles-centric. As the team prepares to report to training camp, there are still plenty of questions about the coaching staff, leading to an incredibly interesting relationship between Nick Sirianni and his new coordinators, Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio.

So, with a situation so unique, what are the biggest 3 questions Eagles fans should have ahead of the 2024 season when it comes to the coaching staff?

Connor’s 3 Big Questions About The Eagles Coaching Staff1.) How involved is Nick Sirianni going to be?This is easily the biggest question ahead of training camp for me when it comes to the Eagles. Sirianni has reportedly taken a step back in responsibility this season, but will he be able to give new Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore room to work, or will he attempt to continue an approach that did not pay dividends for the Eagles offense last season?

(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)2.) Does Vic Fangio’s system actually work?Shoutout to Ray Dunne on this one, but there should be a healthy amount of skepticism about the “Bend Don’t Break” defensive style after a rough year around the NFL in 2023 for Fangio disciples. Now, though, you have the man who pioneered the system. If there’s anyone who can prove this style of defense can still work, it’s the man who essentially created it.

If it doesn’t, then where does that leave the birds’ new defensive coordinator? Not in a great place, that’s for sure.

3.) Can Kellen Moore find 2022 Jalen Hurts?(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)There has been a lot of commentary about Moore’s track record at putting Quarterbacks in position to succeed in his offensive scheme, but this may be his most important task yet. No town is more scrutinizing of their QB than Philadelphia, and Jalen Hurts is at a career crossroads. Is he more the 2022, NFC winning, MVP-caliber player, or the good not great type of signal caller that we saw last year and in 2021? A lot of that answer will depend on what Moore does to put him in the best position to succeed.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post CT’s Top 3: Coaching Questions For The Philadelphia Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles finally report to training camp on Tuesday. They will have their 3rd offensive coordinator in 3 years in Kellen more. They will have their 4th defensive coordinator in 3 years in Vic Fangio. They have added Saquon Barkley, and it appears that the Eagles’ added a lot of young talent on the defense in the draft. The ultimate question is, did Howie Roseman do enough to make the Eagles Super Bowl contenders again?

On the one hand, this offense should be elite. Outside of slot WR and maybe #2 tight end, there is high end talent all over the place. They have the best WR tandem in the NFL, a new star RB, an excellent offensive line, and Jalen Hurts poised for a bounce back year. While there will likely be growing pains early in the season, there is no reason to believe this won’t be a top 3 offense in the game.

Do The Eagles Have A Good Enough Defense To Win A Super Bowl?(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)The defense is where the questions really lie. Roseman did a poor job last year with the defense and then this offseason got rid of their best pass rusher in Reddick. He the went defense heavy in the draft this year with CB Quinyon Mitchell, CB Cooper DeJean, edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, and LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

While it seems likely that Mitchell and DeJean will contribute early, Hunt is a developmental project who may not even dress for games early. Trotter Jr seems destined to be a special team’s player to start his career with a chance to grow into more. New lead pass rusher Bryce Huff had 10 sacks last year in limited snaps, but will he be better in a larger role? Nolan Smith Jr had 1 sack last year and will be relied on heavily in year 2.

Jalen Carter has hall of fame talent. He could be that good. Is he ready to take that step and show more of it for 17 games? Jordan Davis is now clearly the main run stopper with Fletcher Cox gone, is he ready to play with more consistency? Who will the starting linebackers be? Will they really go with Zack Baun as their top guy? Is Reed Blankenship a full-time starter at safety? If the answer to most of these questions is yes, things will be great. If the answer is no, things could be very tough again.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)So Are The Eagles Super Bowl Contenders?When you add it all up, I think the Eagles should win the division. I think the Eagles will win a playoff game this season. I also think there are too many question marks to call them Super Bowl contenders. With another year to build up the defense, the Eagles could then bring us another parade.

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People paying attention understood that the Eagles offense last season was the Nick Sirianni show. Brian Johnson might have been calling plays, but it was Sirianni’s playbook, his scheme, his design, and his vision leading the way. He was the one truly in charge of it, even if he was not calling plays on gameday.

When it all failed, a lot of fingers were pointed at Brian Johnson for failing as an offensive coordinator. Johnson was the ne who lost his job. Sirianni is still here even if he was stripped of some power.

It is true that he struggled to call plays out of the Nick Sirianni playbook. But it is important to remember that it was not his playbook. That is not my opinion, it is something Tim McManus reported when he came onto The Best Show Ever back in January.

Tim McManus joined @975BestShowEver yesterday, and this is what he had to say when @TyJohnsonNews asked him about how much blame for the Eagles offense can be put on Brian Johnson. pic.twitter.com/O5ZXcjnzGO

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 19, 2024

“All Lurie has to do is pick up the phone and call people who know Brian Johnson. The response from those people will be that is not Brian Johnson’s offense. You can see the confliction play out on the field because you can tell it is not what he would be calling in that situation. That is not Brian Johnson’s offense.”

-Tim McManus

I don’t think it can much clearer than that. We can debate if Johnson did a good enough job with the playbook he was given. The Eagles offense underperformed last year given the talent they have, and he cannot be let fully off the hook for that. We also can’t let the players themselves off the hook.

But every piece of information that has come out paints the picture of Nick Sirianni being the real problem with the offensive scheme. Recently, thanks to a story by Dianna Russini, we were reminded of that fact.

Dianna Russini Reports Shows Nick Sirianni To Blame

What’s going on between Eagles HC Nick Sirianni and QB Jalen Hurts?
More on Scoop Cityhttps://t.co/1pjPog6AzB pic.twitter.com/9qmd2CgZxf

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) July 19, 2024

This weeks Dianna Russini from The Athletic became the latest reporter to dive into the odd dynamic in the Eagles Offensive Room last season. She wrote an article exploring the conflict. It is worth checking out the full thing. But here is a quick snippet.

“According to a few people in Philadelphia, while Johnson was the OC, it was 100 percent Sirianni’s offense you were watching last season, and Sirianni wanted to do it his way. That meant a conservative, run-first approach, especially when they got near the red zone. And last year, opposing defenses were ready for it. Johnson wasn’t calling his own plays. He was solely focused on giving Sirianni the offense that Sirianni wanted to run.”

Now we have Tim McManus, Dianna Russini, and Andrew DiCecco, all having said the same thing. The offense was Nick Sirianni’s. He ran the show, Brian Johnson just got to call plays.

Is it fair to throw so much blame on the head of Johnson for a offense he had no say in the design of? I know in our industry that if our boss told us the topics we had to talk about every day, it would be much harder to do a show everyday. It likely applies to most jobs. If you have no creative freedom, it is hard to function at your peak.

I still see people putting blame on Brian Johnson. Our morning show does it all the time. John Kincade and I have gotten into heated debates about it.

But maybe now that yet another respected NFL journalist has weighed in, and backed up the idea that Nick Sirianni was the architect of that underperforming Eagles offense, we can all come to an agreement.

vWhatever you think of Brian Johnson’s situational play calling, the blame can not be placed on him for the Eagles offense looking stale last season. He had no control of it. Too many respected reporters are saying this for anyone to reasonably argue against that concept.

That does not mean Brian Johnson is a good offensive coordinator. We would have to see what his playbook looks like if he ever gets a chance to call plays again. Holding last season against him would be unfair though. The blame for that lays at the feet of Nick Sirianni.

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The post Nick Sirianni Was The Real Problem, Not Brian Johnson appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every year in Eagles camp, there is some random player who wins the hearts and minds of Eagles fans. Someone who goes from a relative unknown to everyone’s favorite player. They smash onto the scene in camp and in preseason games and have fans frothing at the mouth to make the final 53-man roster.

The truth is that player usually does not make the roster, or really ever make it in the NFL. There are outliers, but often times that player who comes out of nowhere in Eagles camp doesn’t end up going anywhere.

The Past Eagles Camp Heros(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)I am talking about guys like Paul Turner, Rasheed Bailey, Tyree Jackson, and Dane Evans. Often times it is skill players. It is hard for Offensive Linemen to stand out too much. It has happened.

Jordan Mailata is the rare example of that type of guy working out. Alex Villeneuve was a darling as a Lineman, got cut, and made it elsewhere. So sometimes it pans out, and fans were right to fall in love.

Related: Eagles 53-Man Roster Projection Following Mini-Camp

But the vast majority of the guys we fell in love with were WRs, or pass rushers. Those are the guys who have the chance to stand out in camp, or in preseason games by putting up big numbers.

Someone in the second half of preseason games has to get targets. Getting a chance to play against 2nd string, or 3rd string corners or Linemen, might give those players a chance to beat up on their peers a bit. It is why Paul Turner, who never did much in the NFL, was so explosive in Eagles camp.

But who will be that guy this year? Which guy on the fringes of the Eagles roster are fans going to swoon for? Which players can be the standouts at Eagles camp? Whose name will have Eagles fans upset when they inevitably miss the cut?

Here are 7 Names That Could Be This Year’s Eagles Camp Hero:The post Who Will Be The Eagles Camp Darling? 7 Likely Candidates appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles training camp is just around the corner. Players report on Tuesday. There are lots of interesting battles to watch, like who will be the 3rd WR, who will be the second Safety, or which of the hundreds of corners will make the team. But the one that is most likely to have a big impact on the team, and the one I am most interested in following, is who will be the Right Guard.

Cam Jurgens filled that role last year. With Jason Kelce retiring, Jurgens will slide over to his natural position at center. It leaves a hole at RG. One likely to be filled by 2nd-year player Tyler Steen. But there is another name worth keeping an eye on, Mekhi Becton.

Could Mekhi Becton Steal A Job At Eagles Training Camp?(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)We have not seen much from Becton yet. He did spend a little bit of time at LG in Mini-Camp. He even drew some praise from his teammates.

Lane Johnson said Mekhi Becton has been playing guard at times.

Said he’s having one of the best offseasons here. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/TGx5Uf8QzQ

— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) June 4, 2024

Becton is also a former 11th overall pick, so he comes in with a pedigree. It never quite worked with the Jets, but Jeff Stoutland saw something he liked, enough for the Eagles to scoop him up in the off-season.

Dave Zangaro from NBC Sports Philly joined The Best Show Ever on Wednesday, and he singled out this battle as one he is interested in following.

Who will be the Eagles Starter at Right Guard? @DZangaroNBCS says that while Tyler Steen is the favorite, there is another name to watch for in training camp.

“They drafted (Steen) for a reason. Stoutland is high on him. I think it is his job to lose, but if he struggles, one… pic.twitter.com/KbSM7jwWJe

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) July 17, 2024

“The one guy who is really intriguing is Mekhi Becton… if you’re trying to get your 5 best out there, he might have a claim to be one of your 5 best players… If Steen comes out and struggles early in camp, it will be in the back of my mind. Ultimately I think it will be Steen, but that is something I would watch early in camp.”

Tyler Steen did not play much last year. He was inactive for most weeks, but he got the start in week 9 against the Cowboys. It did not go well.

Steen allowed a pressure of 6 of his 32-pass block snaps, and a hurry on 5 more. He was getting beat 33% of the time. As a run blocker, he performed better. But still, the rookie left a lot to be desired. He is just a rookie, and we shouldn’t make judgments because of 1 bad game, but it did show he has stuff to work on.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Does it leave him vulnerable? I would say mostly say no. As Dave mentioned, they drafted Steen for a reason, and Stotutland praised him this offseason.

But they do have a really good second option now. Becton has all the traits you want in an Offensive Lineman. He has been a Tackle, but the Eagles seem to believe he is capable of sliding inside. They wouldn’t have played him inside at Mini-Camp if they didn’t.

As Dave Zangaro said, it is Tyler Steen’s job to lose. But if he struggles, and Becton impresses, that could change quickly.

Becton had a tremendous rookie season in 2020. Injuries have plagued him since, but with the help of the best O-Line coach in the league, maybe he can regain that rookie form here.

It is something to keep an eye on at Eagles Training Camp. Right Guard is a big question mark for them right now. Steen has upside, and there is good reason to be excited about him too. But don’t be surprised if Becton swoops in and steals the job.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post The Most Intriguing Battle At Eagles Training Camp This Year appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

One of my favorite parts of the off-season version of Hard Knocks with the Giants has been watching the behind-the-scenes of the Saquon Barkley deal. It is been pure comedy to see how it all unfolded on their side.

As we all know by now, Saquon left New York to come to the Eagles. We did not know how it went on the Giants’ side though. Did they actually make him a fair offer? How did they take the news? What was their reasoning for letting him walk?

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Hards Knocks Exposes Giants’ IneptitudeIn each episode of Hard Knocks, we got a snippet of the story. Well this week, we finally got to free agency and got to see them react to the news of Saquon Barkley not only signing elsewhere but with the Eagles. The results were as amazing as you would predict. They seemed devasted but were trying so hard to hide it. You can catch a snippet of it below.

Giants reaction to the news that RB Saquon Barkley was signing with the #Eagles. (Via: @StreamOnMax) pic.twitter.com/tU7hDN2TZP

— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhiferNFL) July 17, 2024

Something tells me, “We’re going to be fine,” are words that will follow Giants GM Joe Schoen. But that is just one of the highlights of the clip. I also love Schoen’s “I am trying to prepare myself mentally” quote.

It also shatters the myth Giants fans love to run with that the Giants gave him a similar offer. We see the Giants get the chance to match it and refuse. Then they go on to talk about how the deal was just too rich for them. Saquon didn’t betray the Giants, they didn’t offer him a competitive contract.

I also love the images of them just watching the reports in silence, almost wallowing in the news. Followed by the counter punch of Safety Xavier McKinney leaving too. It is a fantastic television. If you have not been watching Hard Knocks, I suggest every Eagles fan do so. It is better than any comedy you can see in theaters so far this year.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)The Giants used to be a proud franchise. There was a time you could call them one of the best run teams in the league. But for the past decade-plus, after their last Super Bowl win in 2012, they have been a disaster. In that time they are 61-100.

They hoped they were getting away from that when they fired David Gettleman, but the Joe Schoen era is not off to a much better start. Paying Daniel Jones, but letting guys like Saquon Barkley and Xavier Mckinney walk, likely will come back to haunt Joe.

New episodes of Hard Knocks drop every Tuesday on MAX. The Saquon Barkley stuff is now over for the show, but I am still very much enjoying watching just how inept our rivals are.

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The first practice of Training Camp 2024 is one week away for the Philadelphia Eagles. I’m sure that Nick Sirianni has lost countless hours of sleep deciding on the bumper sticker slogan that will launch camp. What will be on the tee shirt that sets the tone for this year? If it sounds like I’m mocking him, you couldn’t be more off base.

Yes, that kind of stuff does little for me but I’ve seen first hand how players rally around it. It is more of a positive than anything negative that is created by a few snickers on sports radio. If there is anything I know that Nick Sirianni seems to do well it is to create a positive working environment. His “branding” of this upcoming season is actually very important. I don’t know what Nick has cooked up, but I have a critical piece of advice.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 01: Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts during the game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on October 01, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Close the door on the 2023 seasonThe collapse was epic after what was a glorious, yet imperfect, start to the 2023 season. I don’t need to recount the collapse to you and I can state logically that he doesn’t need to recount it to them. Whatever was the reason for last years disgraceful finish, it was either already fired or has been articulated.

There are no secrets within the walls of Novacare. We may not know exactly what happened but the players do. The new faces don’t care and the fan base just demands that it be fixed. There is no need to relitigate that event.

How does he do it?If Nick Sirianni wants to change the trajectory of his coaching career it should start with strong direction. I watched Dan Quinn and the 2017 Atlanta Falcons grapple all season under the weight of their own 28-3 Super Bowl collapse. They found themselves addressing the motivation to respond to that loss all through the season and before their two playoff games.

You face a weight of expectation but add in a dose of history and it can cause a team to drown under the pressure. There should be an edict from Day One that no one on the team is going to address the collapse of the previous season. It’s a new day, we have turned the page and it won’t be a part of their 2024 story.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 05: Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts in the game against the Dallas Cowboys in the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on November 05, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I’ve got confidence he can pull this offNick knows what he needs to do. I just don’t know how he is going to present it. Resist the urge to mock. I’m hoping that this part of his job description, his leadership, can now truly become a strength. If you have a suggestion keep it to yourself. Nick is truly in charge.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Nick Sirianni Needs To Close This Door Once And For All appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Contributor – Ryan Straub

Philadelphia is beginning to gain a reputation as a city whose sports teams fall just short of their goals. Close but no cigar. Can’t get over the hump. Good, but not great. Whatever phrase you so choose to use, it’s admittedly fair to use for Philadelphia.

Losing the Super Bowl, World Series, and MLS Cup all in one year is just as impressive and difficult to do as winning all three. We all know the Sixers’ recent track history, and the Flyers have lost all six Stanley Cups they’ve been to since winning back-to-back cups 50 years ago in 1974 and 1975.

Despite the constant disappointment, media scrutiny, and social media trolls, Philadelphia remains a hotbed for free-agent acquisitions and a desired destination for players looking to be traded. This is mostly due to the fact that the teams are almost always competitive and have a real shot at winning. This summer specifically has seen Philadelphia add exciting talent for all four major sports teams.

Eagles: Saquon Barkley(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)The Eagles scored a touchdown in free agency when they signed Barkley to a three-year contract worth $37.75 million, taking him through his age-29 season. From a pure talent perspective, Barkley is the epitome of speed, agility, and athleticism. When healthy, he’s undoubtedly a top-10 running back in the league.

The Pennsylvania native and former Nittany Lion has made himself very familiar to Eagles fans, rushing for 615 yards and 7 touchdowns while averaging 27.8 receiving yards in 9 career games against the Eagles.

Barkley has been very vocal about critics who point out his injury history, saying “That’s BS. “Marcus Allen played until he was 36, 37 years old. Some of the greats that I admire and I look up and study, they played well into their 30s. […] Don’t tell me how long I can play.” Many fans are thrilled about Barkley’s addition to an already-elite offense.

Sixers: Paul GeorgeMuch like Barkley being signed to star alongside Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, George was brought in to coexist with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. He was signed to a four-year, $212 million contract after a year-long plan set forth by Daryl Morey and the front office to use their max contract slot on the former Clipper.

Related: Paul George And The Sixers Agree To 4-Year Max Contract

George averaged 22.6 points per game on 47.1% shooting from the field last season for Los Angeles. His performance in the first round against the eventual Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks raised some questions, and rightfully so. As the main option with Kawhi Leonard sidelined, his average took a dip to just 19.5 points per game on only 41.1% from the field.

While criticizing George’s playoff performances in the past certainly is fair, it doesn’t take away from the fact that he does fit extremely well and will mold nicely with the rest of the roster. It wouldn’t be a hot take to say that this can be the best signing of the Embiid era and that it could be the one to propel them into a deeper playoff run than usual.

Flyers: Matvei MichkovIt was well agreed upon that the Flyers got an absolute steal at No. 7 in the 2023 NHL Draft when they took Russian forward Matvei Mitchkov. He was regarded as a top prospect for the 2023 NHL draft even before he shocked rivals at the IIHF U18 World Championship, where he won MVP in 2021 and put on one of the best age-16 performances ever.

Concerns over his KHL contract and inquiries about when he would join the NHL dropped him off some boards as his draft got closer. On July 1, the Flyers signed the now 19-year-old right winger to a three-year entry-level contract. Mitchkov was widely regarded as the best prospect outside of the NHL.

Last season, Michkov played just one game for SKA Saint Petersburg before being sent on loan to HC Sochi. His 19 goals led the team and his 41 points were good for second. Coming off a season in which the Flyers overachieved so much to the point that they were still in the playoff hunt on the final day of the season, Mitchkov appears to be the perfect guy to center their continued rebuild around.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)Phillies: TBD?The Phillies headed into this year’s all-star break boasting the best record in Major League Baseball at 62-34, also holding an 8.5-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East. Fans are already ecstatic enough, but a midseason acquisition at the trade deadline may be the cherry on top as the team aims for another deep run into October.

The Phillies’ biggest need as we near the deadline is to figure out what in the world their Centerfield plan is. Johan Rojas struggles at the plate and Christian Pache is a decent fourth outfielder but shouldn’t start as much as he does. Some potential names include Luis Robert from the Chicago White Sox and Jazz Chisolm Jr. from the Miami Marlins, although it’s reported the Phillies are not interested in Chisolm. Another possibility could be Oakland’s Brent Rooker, who is outstanding at the plate but is not the most reliable outfield glove, mostly DH-ing this season.

Regardless, expect the Phillies to be active at the deadline as they might decide going all-in on this season is the best plan of action. They could be the latest of Philadelphia teams to continue the trend of adding a star player this summer.

Watch Bob Cooney live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The post Philadelphia Has Surplus of New Stars, Are Phillies Next? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN is currently in the midst of ranking the top 100 of the 21st century so far. Not just in the 4 main sports, but of all sports across the world. American Football, Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Cricket, Track, etc. Also not just from men’s sports, but women’s too.

It is quite the undertaking, comparing athletes from dozens of different sports, all across the world. It is leading to some interesting results too. You can check out the full list as it is revealed here.

With any list like this, my first instinct is to check which of our players will be on the list. Philly may have only won 2 championships in the 21st century so far, but we have seen a lot of good players. Bryce Harper, Brian Dawkins, Joel Embiid, Allen Iverson, Jason Kelce, Roy Halladay. We have seen our share of superstars that could earn a place here. Championships aside, it is a good time to be a Philly fan.

Related: Philadelphia Is Primed For Its Best Sports Year Since 1980

So if you are curious about which Philly athletes cracked the Top 100 of the 21st Century, keep reading to find out.

(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)ESPN’s Methodology To Rank The Top 100 Of The 21st CenturyIt was not just a group of ESPN writers picking which athletes they liked. They were a lot more in-depth than that. They started by asking experts from each sport to rank the players from those sports to get a baseline pool of players for which to build this list.

Once they had a list of about 262 people, according to them, they then set up thousands of randomized head-to-head matchups, that they had those same experts vote on. Eventually, it led to this list.

Only accomplishments from the 21st century were counted. So if a player had great seasons in the 90s, it did not matter to this list. Only the things they did from January 1st, 2000 onward counted. So you may see some All-Time greats rank lower than you would think because many of the great things they did happened in the 20th century.

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)Here Are All The Philly Athletes Who Appeared On the Top 100 Of The 21st Century List:The post Every Philly Athlete On ESPN’s Top 100 Of The 21st Century appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

A year ago, Jalen Hurts was ranked amongst the best QBs in the league. A 1-7 stretch, including an embarrassing playoff exit, can change a lot though. ESPN recently polled a group of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, and had them rank 11 different positions into a top 10. The QB one recently came out, and there was a notable omission, Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles QB came in 6th last season after his MVP-worthy campaign that had the Eagles in the Super Bowl. His down year last season though, which saw him rank near the top of the league in turnovers, pushed him outside of the top 10, and into the honorable mentions.

Why Did Jalen Hurts Fall Outside The Top 10?Jeremy Fowler, who was the main architect behind the survey, joined Get Up and tried to explain the big fall for Jalen Hurts.

"Even though [Jalen Hurts is] very good, he's never really going to be a top-five quarterback in the eyes of a lot of evaluators."

—@JFowlerESPN on how NFL evaluators view Jalen Hurts pic.twitter.com/pxKONkJatR

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 15, 2024

“The Eagles can downplay whatever knee issues he was dealing with in-season… but they felt like he just wasn’t moving the same, couldn’t do that dual-threat ability that he’s so good at with the offense. And then Nick Sirianni’s attack with Philly last year was just not very good. They were in a situation where they kind of rolled the ball out, tried to do what they did the year before, teams adjusted, the Eagles didn’t evolve, and so Hurts was in a position where he wasn’t highlighted.”

-Jeremy Fowler on ESPN’s Get Up

The injury part should be clear to whoever watched him last season. He did not have the same mobility he had in 2022. he still was deadly on the Tush Push, but the read Option was nowhere near as effective because he was not the same threat to run. Hurts just lacked the burst that made him so deadly on those plays in 2022.

But as Fowler also mentioned, the problem went beyond even that. That offense he was running, was very stale. Nick Sirianni put his QB in a bad position. Case in point is the lack of a plan against the blitz. Teams would blitz like crazy, but Sirianni’s offense kept calling for these long-developing plays that are obviously not blitz-beaters.

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)There weren’t enough quick dump-offs or plays over the middle of the field. The Eagles WRs, despite being among the most talented in the league, ranked near the bottom of the league in average separation per route. That was coaching.

While other teams schemed their WRs open, the Eagles relied far too much on their talent beating the other teams’ talent. It sometimes worked because the Eagles’ offense had a lot of talent. But there are a lot of talented defenses too. Sometimes great players need help from the scheme, and they just did not get it last year.

That doesn’t take Jalen Hurts off the hook. he had his own issues last year, and regressed in areas, often being too quick to bail out of the pocket, or not being fast enough to move off his first read. But Sirianni did not help him when he struggled.

Justin Herbert gets the benefit of the doubt due to bad coaching. It seems Jalen Hurts does not get that same treatment.

Is It A Fair Ranking For Jalen Hurts? For me, it reeks of recency bias. There are QBs above him that have yet to do anything noteworthy in the NFL. Jalen Hurts struggled last year, but he is still better than Jared Goff and Dak Prescott. We have seen Prescott put up impressive numbers in the regular season just to fold in the playoffs too many times now for us to still say he is the better QB.

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Hurts has a lot to prove. The actual analysis of Hurts in the piece makes sense. We will see what he looks like this year when hopefully healthier, and with Kellen Moore running the offense instead of Nick Sirianni.

What gets me is the bias behind leaving him out. Several people surveyed told Fowler that Hurts will never be a top 5 QB, despite the fact we saw him be the 2nd best QB in the NFL in 2022.

Is he coming off a down year? Sure. Did he deserve to fall down the rankings a bit? Yes. But the statement that he can’t be in that top class is ridiculous. We saw Hurts go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, and arguably play better. Hurts was fantastic in that Super Bowl and over that entire season.

What other QBs in the NFL can we say performed like that in the Super Bowl? Brock Purdy was fine in his 1st Super Bowl appearance. He is not why they lost, but he also did nothing special to help them win. Jared Goff was a complete non-factor the 1 time he made the Super Bowl. Justin Herbert still has yet to make an impact in the playoffs. Playoff struggles have plagued Lamar Jackson.

WHAT AN ADJUSTMENT. HURTS TO BROWN 45-YARD TOUCHDOWN!

: #SBLVII on FOX
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/d8gBDzRt2m pic.twitter.com/GXlAfMTESc

— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023

Jalen Hurts has gotten there and played out of his mind. That should be worth something. But it is clear that because he doesn’t fit the perfect mold of an NFL QB, certain people around the NFL will never give him credit. It is on Hurts to step up and prove them wrong this year.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Jalen Hurts Left Out Of Top 10 QBs In Poll Of NFL Execs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

During the mandatory Eagles mini-camp in early June, the players on the offensive side of the ball got their first glimpse of the Kellen Moore playbook. They had gotten to study it before convening, but this was the beginning of the implementation.

Jalen Hurts when quizzed was somewhat enthusiastic but commented once again about how this was different. He has certainly faced a lot of change in his college and professional career, but as they say “change can be a good thing”. Should we expect this to be a learning curve season? Should Jalen be expected to slowly grow in this offense? If history is any indicator, if Jalen Hurts struggles in this transition that will be completely on him. In other words, there should not be any excuses!

Here is how other “first-time” Quarterbacks in a Kellen Moore system handled the transition to his offense. It will tell you that there should be no reason to expect anything but huge success. This isn’t a Brian Johnson experiment. This is a proven system with tangible results.

How did Dak Prescott do in his first season under Kellen Moore?(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)The comparison to Dak Prescott is actually a completely logical and fair analysis. Kellen Moore became Dak’s offensive coordinator after his third full season as a starting quarterback. That is exactly where Jalen Hurts is in his professional career. It’s an apples-to-apples comparison.

Let’s look at that 2019 seasonDak Prescott had his best season in every statistical category in Year 4 as a starter in Dallas under Moore. Here are some of the statistical highlights.

Career Highs were set in the followingPassing yards 4,902 (up over 1,000 from his previous best season)

Touchdowns 30 (up 8 from his previous career high of 22)

Passed for 45 more first downs than his previous best

Yards per attempt 8.4 (up 1 from his previous best)

Yards per game 306 (up 64 per game from his previous best)

How did Justin Herbert do in his transition season under Kellen Moore?Herbert did not require a long build-up period to passing game success.

Here are some of the highlights.Herbert passed for over 3,100 yards in 12 starts 20 TDs 6 INT’s

Herbert passed for an average of 315 yards in his first 3 games / 6 TD’s 0 INT’s

(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)Kellen Moore should see improvements immediately with Jalen HurtsTwo other starting quarterbacks had no issue grasping and executing the new concepts immediately. There should be nothing keeping Jalen Hurts, with a superior situation, from doing the same. If it doesn’t happen or he struggles the questions should be directed at Hurts.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post The New Kellen Moore Offense Can’t Be An Excuse for Hurts appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are now less than 2 weeks away from Eagles’ training camp and I am not feeling the usual excitement. Everyone is excited for the season of course. The Eagles have new coaches, a new powerful offense, and youth on defense. I am speaking solely about training camp. 1 generation ago, the start of camp was like a holiday. People scheduled their summer vacations around it and made the pilgrimage to Lehigh. That era is over, and it feels like little by little the anticipation has dropped off.

Again, I am not suggesting that Eagles’ fans aren’t as passionate as they used to be. The Super Bowl win did calm some for a few years, but last year’s collapse has the fire burning as hot as it has ever been. This is about the fact that there is nothing to experience with training camp anymore.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Eagles Training Camp Is No Longer An ExperienceThe Eagles have taken training camp away from the fans and with that interest seems to be waning. Interest in the games have not dropped yet, but the training camp excitement seems to have died completely. What the Eagles do isn’t the norm across the NFL either. Many NFL teams still think that fans should have access to training camp.

The Eagles will do 1 open practice this year that isn’t really even a practice. Meanwhile, the closest team to our south, the Baltimore Ravens, will have 20 open practices this year. Doug Pederson who used to have 2 or 1 open when he coached here, will have 15 open practices this year with the Jaguars. They even allow the fans to watch their two open intersquad practices with the Bucs. I would imagine that those fans are counting the days to camp the way that we used to.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Jeff Lurie has proven to be a very good owner in his time in Philadelphia. He isn’t perfect though and while the JJ Arcega-Whiteside pick he made was poor, taking training camp from the fans is far worse. I am likely being too “get off my lawn” right now, but it bothers me this time of year. The plan is soon for Julian Lurie to take over operations. I hope the first thing he does is inject fun back into Eagles training camp for the fans.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Eagles Training Camp Is Not As Exciting As It Used To Be appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Today on the show we were excited that the Eagles are now just 16 days from their first practice. At the risk of annoying Ray Dunne, it’s also now just 60 days until the opener in Brazil. I proposed a challenge in favor of the 16 days.

Here is the premise.The NFL has decided to expand by two more teams. In order to stock their rosters, the league will hold an expansion draft. Every team will be allowed to protect 16 players from their roster. It’s up to Howie Roseman to create his list of protected players. I asked Kevin Cooney (who was in for Andrew Salciunas) and Brendan Gunn to come up with their lists. I made mine and we compared our lists and saw how many of the players we had in common.

At first pass, we agreed on thirteen of the names!

Eight of those names we agreed on came from the offensive side of the ball The consensus was that the Eagles choices on the offensive side of the ball were easy selections. There were no arguments as to who should be protected. A few easy observations;

The Eagles are enjoying arguably the best offensive talent ever in offensive franchise history. They are also very youthful. Only one of these talents is over the age of 30. They should be good for years to come.

JALEN HURTS
AJ BROWN
DEVONTA SMITH
SAQUON BARKLEY
DALLAS GOEDERT
LANE JOHNSON
JORDAN MAILATA
LANDON DICKERSON

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)One came from the special teams sideProtecting a kicker may seem crazy, but protecting a weapon is not. “Jake the Make” has done an amazing job of being clutch and dependable on the routine tasks. It is worth securing.

JAKE ELLIOT

Four of the names came from the defensive side of the ballOnly four players are from the defensive side, but only one of those is over the age of 30. The building block talents are younger and fresh.

JALEN CARTER
DARIUS SLAY
CJ GARDNER JOHNSON
QUINYON MITCHELL (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Related: Vic Fangio Needs Good Players, Does He Have Enough?

The debate ensued as to who the other three players would beAfter much discussion, we selected these three players for the final spots in the Sweet 16. I was shocked that it took a vote to secure Jordan Davis a spot. Cooper DeJean was considered too valuable a prospect to risk. Bryce Huff was the last choice. He was also the only true pass rusher to grab a spot.

JORDAN DAVIS
COOPER DEJEAN
BRYCE HUFF Were we off base? Who would you have taken? Let us know!
John.Kincade@bbgi.com

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Last season marked the long-awaited return of the Kelly Green Jerseys. The season itself may not have gone to plan, but you won’t find many people who didn’t love the Kelly Green Jerseys.

The moment they went on sale, they flew off the shelves. Making it hard for fans who didn’t wait in line the first day to even get one. And while the season itself was a disappointment, they did have two of their most impressive wins, over the Dolphins and Bills, while wearing them.

Well, they are back for 2024, and now we know exactly which games they will be rocking the Kelly greens in.

Eagles Announce The Dates They Will Wear Kelly Green Jerseys

Save the dates @FanDuel | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/tXT4jONRf8

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) June 28, 2024

First up, will be the Week 9 game vs the Jaguars, which is a Thursday Night game. It is also a homecoming for Doug Pederson, who obviously is the only Eagles coach to ever win the Super Bowl.

But the bigger story is the Cowboys game. Cowboys coming to the Linc is one of the biggest games every single season. So saving the 2nd Kelly Green game, for them, makes sense. That game takes place in week 17 on Dec 29th at 4:25 pm.

Related:The 2024 Eagles Schedule- Can They Bounce Back?

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)That 2nd Cowboys game could be huge. Every Cowboys game is, but a division game, that late in the season, it is quite reasonable to assume that game decides who wins the NFC East. A good sign for the Eagles, who are so far undefeated while wearing them.

So get your Kelly Green Jerseys ready. The Eagles will be breaking them out on November 3rd vs the Jaguars, and December 29th vs the Cowboys.

Watch Bob Cooney live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The post Eagles Will Wear Kelly Green Jerseys For These 2 Games appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

I will admit to not being as high on Howie Roseman as many Eagles fans. He is a very good GM, but I do think he has some flaws that get ignored by fans. There is something he is better at though than any GM in the league. That thing looks even better when you look at the Cowboys. The recent massive deal signed by Trevor Lawrence exposes it even more.

Trevor Lawrence just became the richest player in the NFL, at least on a per-year basis. He is far from the best player in the NFL, but because he is the latest QB to be paid, he is also the richest.

That is how it works. The newest guy up for his contract gets paid the most. Howie Roseman understands that, and gets contracts done early. The Cowboys? not so much.

Related: The Top 11 Most Impactful Free Agent Signings Made By Howie Roseman

Howie Roseman Sets The Market(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The Cowboys, are consistently behind the 8-ball when it comes to extending their own players. Dak Prescott, Cee Dee Lamb, and Micah Parsons are all awaiting an extension. They are also all understandably unhappy that they have not been paid yet.

But really, they should be happy. They are going to be paid more now. The problem for the Cowboys is the more they wait, the more those prices go up. Meanwhile, Howie Roseman has spent the last two offseasons locking his players up early.

He sets the market. Howie doesn’t let other teams set it for him. He signed DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown earlier than he had to. Neither were going to be free agents. Both WRs had two more years under contract, including the 5th year option for Smith. He could have used the franchise tag to make it 3 years for 1 of them. But he paid them early.

What happened after he did that? Other WRs signed even bigger deals. AJ Brown held the record for highest-paid WR for a whole month before Justin Jefferson broke it.

The Devonta Smith deal looks more and more like a bargain with every subsequent WR. Smith became the 4th highest-paid WR when he signed that deal. He is already down to 8th. Once JaMarr Chase and Cee Dee Lamb get paid, he will likely be 10th. By the end of the deal, he very well could be outside the top 20.

Jalen Hurts signed the biggest contract in NFL history when they extended him before last season. Is he the best QB in the league? No. So at the time, you could have said it was an overpay. He is now down to 6th. That could become 8th or even 9th once Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa, and Dak get paid. By the end of his deal, he will be outside of the top 10.

He set the market with Landon Dickerson too. The $21 million AAV leads all Guards. But with how much of it is tied into bonuses, he is actually only 7th. As more guards get paid, it will fall even more. Jordan Mailata is currently 4th among Left Tackles, but you know future LTs will push him down that list.

Howie Roseman is consistently ahead of the curve, while the Cowboys are always behind it. Credit needs to go to Jeffrey Lurie too. He is the one willing to pay for it. Jerry Jones is cheap and wants to string his best players along. But it only ends up costing him more. We saw it with Zeke, and we saw it with Dak the first time.

The Cowboys Don’t Follow The Lead Of Howie Roseman(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)Yet here are the Cowboys, dragging their feet with all of their star players. Cee Dee Lamb is going to get paid. He will be paid more than they would have had to pay if they took care of the deal last year when he was first eligible. He will also be paid more than he would be if they paid him at the start of this offseason.

The same goes for Dak. Now maybe they actually plan on moving on from DAk. It wouldn’t be the worst idea given his playoff performance. The problem is they are not exactly in a good spot to replace him. They are cap strung, and are never bad enough to have a prime pick to get a good QB.

Dak, as flawed as he is, might be their best option. But because Jerry Jones is pinching pennies, they are going to end up paying him more if they want to keep him.

Also, unlike Jeff Lurie, Jerry is not willing to give huge bonuses up front to soften the cap hit. So when Dak gets $56 million per year, it might actually cost them $56 million against the cap. The Hurts cap hit meanwhile doesn’t get crazy until 2027. Even then, it is $41 million, which likely won’t even be a top-10 cap hit that season.

Next, we will see it with Lamb, Parsons, and Dak. They will either lose those players or pay them more than the original asking price. Whenever Dak signs, it has to beat the Trevor Lawrence deal, because Dak is better than Lawrence. When Lamb signs, he might have to beat the Brown deal. Lamb isn’t better than Brown, they are probably close to even. But Lamb will be paid like he is better.

So thank you Howie Roseman, and Jeffrey Lurie, for consistently doing these things the right way. Not only for taking care of their players before it comes to them holding out but for actually saving money in the long run by doing so.

Also thank you Jerry Jones for being so cheap. Year after year he proves he has no clue how to operate a team in the cap era. There is a reason the Cowboys have been irrelevant for most of the cap era. There is also a reason why despite there being only 1 Super Bowl, the Eagles have mostly been a successful team.

Jeffrey Lurie, and by extension Howie Rosman, get it. Jerry Jones does not.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Howie Roseman’s Biggest Strength Is The Cowboys Weakness appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Mini Camp is over for the Eagles. We have a month and a change before we actually get to training camp. Which means it is time for a way too early Eagles 53-man roster projection.

The roster going into camp could still change. We are all waiting to see what they do with James Bradberry. Will they cut him? Trade him? Could he still actually make the Eagles 53-Man Roster? Will they add anyone else? Maybe a linebacker?

Howie has made a name for himself with late additions. James Bradberry was originally a late summer addition. They traded for CJ Gardner Johnson late into training camp. Last year they added Zach Cunningham at the start of camp.

The current 90 players, won’t be the same group they have going into Pre-Season. Something is going to change.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)A Tradition Of Way Too Early ProjectionsBut with that said, it is tradition to take a way too early, half-blind guess, at the eventual Eagles 53-man roster. If I am wrong, no one is going to remember a article from June. If somehow this is mostly accurate, I will be able to point to it and impress people (no one would actually be impressed).

At least 40 of the spots are near locks. There are only so many spots actually up for grabs. The Eagles had a lot of draft picks, were busy in free agency, and already had a crowded roster, at least on offense.

That doesn’t mean the roster is great, just that there are a lot of players they are locked into long-term.

Who will make it on the final roster though? Will there be any surprise cuts, or surprise players with the team in Brazil for week 1?

(Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)(Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)Like the mock draft, it is just a fun exercise. It lets us take a look at what this team might look at it, and lets us take account of what holes they may still have.

Here is my best, probably mostly wrong, Eagles 53-man roster projection:The post Eagles 53-Man Roster Projection Following Mini-Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Despite James Franklin’s big mouth, the Eagles will not face a penalty in connection to the NFL’s tampering investigation into the Saquon Barkley signing. The NFL opened an investigation into both that signing and the Falcons signing of Kirk Cousins. While they did find evidence to punish the Falcons, the Eagles will not face any penalty. Tim McManus provided the full NFL statement below.

The NFL did not find sufficient evidence that the Eagles tampered during lead-up to signing Saquon Barkley.

The statement: pic.twitter.com/oyG8nN5NIB

— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) June 13, 2024

The tampering investigation stemmed from comments made by Penn State head coach James Franklin. Franklin tried his best to throw the Eagles under the bus when he said Howie Roseman spoke to Saquon Barkley. Per NFL rules, team officials are not allowed to talk to the players themselves during Legal Tampering, only agents.

Penn State coach James Franklin says Saquon Barkley told him Howie Roseman‘s first sales pitch to Saquon in free agency was coming back home to PA pic.twitter.com/kxCq6SckVl

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) March 13, 2024

Related: James Franklin And His Big Mouth Might Get The Eagles In Trouble

Tampering Investigation Concludes With No Penalty(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)Thankfully, nothing will come from it. Franklin is still worthy of scorn for saying it in the first place, but it won’t lead to a loss of any picks or a fine.

The Falcons meanwhile forfeited their 5th round pick and were fined $250,000. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot was additionally fined $50,000.

Former NFL Executive Andrew Brandt predicted the Eagles would not be penalized back when the tampering investigation first started. He joined The Best Show Ever and explained that if they did punish the Eagles, they would have to punish every team, because every team “tampers” according to the rules.

“If the NFL is really going to get into that, they can find that with every team. There will always be cover. If it is teams talking to agents before the Legal Tampering period, you could always talk about something else. Unless someone is going to turn you in. But who has the motivation to turn you in? It will never be the player, the team, or the agent. It might be a competing agent, that’s a cutthroat industry. But that is so rare.”

– Andrew Brandt

Related: Former NFL Exec Explains Why Eagles Won’t Be Punished For “Tampering”

The Falcons likely got in trouble because it was the player himself who spilled the beans. In the Eagles case, it was someone who is not even part of either team or the NFL. it was a former coach of Saquon Barkley.

Barkley in his press conference explained it away by saying Franklin misspoke and meant that Howie said those things to his agent, which is allowed. Is that true? Who knows. Howie could have spoken directly to Saquon, but there is no evidence of it, so it doesn’t matter.

The Eagles’ draft picks are safe. A huge relief given just a couple of years ago the Dolphins were docked a 1st round pick for Tampering with Tom Brady. That incident took it a bit further because the Dolphins tampered when he was still actively playing for the Bucs, and there was evidence. But losing a draft pick was a concern.

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Howie Roseman did add a lot of draft picks for the 2025 draft by moving picks he had in 2024. There was speculation he was doing that to brace for any punishment stemming from this investigation. Now he gets to keep all of those picks.

So James Franklin is off the hook. Instead of answering to a bunch of angry Eagles fans, he only has to answer to angry Penn State fans upset he still can’t get over the hill of beating Ohio State or Michigan.

Even the Falcons got off a bit easy in the tampering investigation too, with it being only a 5th. Some speculated it could be a day 2 pick or even a 1st rounder. So a 5th round pick, with Kirk Cousins literally just admitting there was tampering, is likely a relief for them too.

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The Eagles get to play the second-place schedule this time around in 2024. Though many consider that a huge advantage I’m not sure that they have an edge due to the game in Brazil to start and the Bengals and Ravens games being on the road. I’ve written about it before and it remains a dark horse storyline to watch.

Early on this upcoming season, the Eagles have reason for concern with the way the schedule makers set things up. Can they handle the challenge?

First Issue: The Boys are in BrazilInstead of getting to ease into a season, the NFL feels the need to try and “build their brand” in a country that hasn’t truly shown any great desire to adopt it. Don’t get me started on the city they chose, one where the country puts out warnings on safety for foreign travelers.

It’s the problem of trying to incorporate a brand new offensive and defensive scheme while in a disrupted environment. They won’t truly have any dry runs because they don’t tend to use their starters in the preseason games. I could imagine a long flight and a new plan being one toxic cocktail.

Second Issue: The Packers may be the young NFC contender this year(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)Last season the Detroit Lions stormed onto the scene as the young, upstart team to make a move in the NFC. Over the last 8 games in the 2023 season the Packers followed a very similar script. Like Detroit the season before Green Bay appears to be trending towards contending for NFC supremacy.

This is a game where the Eagles would have truly benefitted from home-field advantage at the Linc. Instead, Jeff Lurie volunteered them for a neutral site game where that advantage is lost. You could argue that the Eagles most dangerous “home” opponent gets a free pass from the hysteria of South Philly scrutiny.

Related: Ranking all 17 Games on the Eagles Schedule in 2024

Third Issue: The Eagles offense may need time to warm upHow will Jalen Hurts handle running the new Kellen Moore offense in an unfamiliar setting? The terminology and plan are quite counter to the junior high level expertise displayed by Brian Johnson in 2023.

Will it be easy to comprehend and more importantly implement? Hurts has complained in the past about how hard it is to deal with new coordinators year after year. How quickly he can escalate the learning curve will have a lot to say about their chances in September.

Fourth Issue: The Falcons have all the weapons to confound a young defense(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)If Vic Fangio’s defense isn’t ready for prime time early, we are going to learn that quickly. They get the Friday night marquee in Brazil followed by a home debut in Philadelphia on a Monday night vs the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta is loaded with offensive talent and will provide a critical challenge to the Eagles young secondary. Kirk Cousins has won and lost in his career vs Philadelphia, but always throws for a lot of yardage against the Eagles.

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Earlier this week at the Eagles mandatory minicamp, Nick Sirianni couldn’t help trolling Giants fans. We have seen that Sirianni, unlike almost all other head coaches in pro sports, engage with opposing fans a lot in the last three years.

We have loved it when the Eagles are winning, but not liked it as much when they are losing. I want to try to be consistent, so do we like that Sirianni is a troll or not? I want you to decide.

Nick Sirianni The Troll(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)I can see both sides of the argument. On the positive side, Nick Sirianni appears to be a natural troll. People do their best work when they are being themselves. Sirianni is a different individual. He may be a weird guy, but he is also very intense. Intensity can boil over from time to time and that is okay.

Eagles’ fans travel well, so I am sure he gets swept up in the emotion on the road when he sees us jawing back and forth with the opposition. We talk a lot of trash, so it makes sense to a point that our coach would as well. Plus, despite the collapse, he had made the postseason the last three years. He has been a successful troll.

Should Head Coaches Act That Way?The flip side of the argument is that should any head coach waste his energy on trolling period. Coaching 53 adult men, and a large staff is a full-time job. NFL head coaches miss family time, they sleep in their offices. (why don’t these offices have beds, btw)

If the job is that all consuming, should you be trolling at all? How does it help anything? What other successful head coach is doing that? Andy Reid doesn’t do that. Phil Jackson didn’t do that.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)While he has been successful, he hasn’t won a Super Bowl yet. He meanders often and appears unfocused at times. He is supposed to be a leader, can a guy be a great leader if he is allowing what fans say to move him in any way?

So, what do you think? Should Nick Sirianni be trolling or not? Do we like it or dislike it? Is it a waste of energy, or is it just letting off steam?

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On the Best Show Ever, Ricky Bo compared this Eagles offense to the Greatest Show on Turf offense that the Rams had in the early 2000s. That offense features Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, and in the Super Bowl winning year Az-Zahir Hakim. We don’t know will emerge as the #3 WR, but the comparison is easy to imagine with the other guys.

I think the tandem of AJ Brown & Devonta Smith will be even better in every category this year than Bruce and Holt ever were. That is a big ask, but I think they do it.

(Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)(Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)Can AJ Brown and Devonta Smith Beat The Greatest Show On Turf? The Rams won a Super Bowl and got to another one during their run. Their best year for offensive production was the year 2000 though. Torry Holt had 82 receptions for 1635 yards & 6 receiving touchdowns. That same year Isaac Bruce had 87 catches for 1471 yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. Combined that is 169 receptions, for 3,106 yards and 15 touchdowns.

That team only made the Wild Card round of the playoffs and didn’t win a playoff game due to a costly fumble by Az-Zahir Hakim, and 3 Warner interceptions.

Last season AJ Brown and Devonta Smith combined for 187 receptions, 2522 yards, and 14 touchdowns. They did that for an offense that was terrible down the stretch and with Jalen Hurts not being at his best. They also lost in the wild card round as we all know. In 2022, they combined for 183 receptions, 2692 yards, and 18 touchdowns when they made the Super Bowl.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Giving all the facts, I think the only question about them is related to yards and the winning. The Eagles have a new offensive coordinator that should inject life, and Hurts is poised for a bounce-back year. Saquon Barkley’s presence will help them the same way Marshall Faulk helped Holt and Bruce. Swift had a good year last year, but he doesn’t scare defensive coordinators the way Barkley does.

AJ Brown and Devonta Smith will not only beat the best year of the greatest show on turf, but they will be the best duo in the NFL for the next 4 years.

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As the Eagles begin their 1st mandatory minicamp in years, Eagles’ fans are hopeful that the offense bounces back under new OC Kellen Moore after a terrible finish to the 2023 season. Brian Johnson is gone, and Nick Sirianni who was the architect of the offense has lost power over the offense. Kellen Moore steps into the job with a fully loaded offense.

Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley is the best group of the talent in the NFL. The offensive line has 3 Pro Bowl-caliber guys & Jurgens should flourish in his natural center position. Almost every offensive coordinator in the NFL would want Moore’s job.

Kellen Moore Can Save Nick Sirianni(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)There is pressure on a lot of people in 2024. I have spoken about how much pressure is on Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni. Sirianni is coaching for his job & while Hurts’ situation isn’t nearly as dire, some fans are calling his 2022 campaign a fluke. Kellen Moore is the key to saving Sirianni, and to Hurts returning to top form.

Moore has vowed to bring more diversity to the offense. Jalen Hurts may take snaps under center on a regular basis for the 1st time since high school. The motion that Sirianni hated will be a big part of what they do.

Eagles Failed To Adjust Last year (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Defensive coordinators are very smart in the NFL. They adjusted and the Eagles’ failed to adjust back. The runs that Hurts took for 20+ yards in 2022, went for 3 in 2023. The RPO action that was dominant during the Super Bowl run, was snuffed in the backfield last season. This is an opportunity to have a clean slate with the best set of weapons in franchise history.

Will Kellen Moore live up to the billing? He must know that a great year here means the Birds can win the Super Bowl. He also knows that he will be a head coach this time next year with a top 3 offense.

I take points off for coaching the Cowboys because I worry about former Cowboys coming here, but he did do a good job for the brief time he had Justin Herbert in LA. The hard work for them began today at the NovaCare complex. There is pressure on everyone, but Moore is the key to the whole thing.

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The Eagles Defense was terrible in 2023. Whether you blame the roster or the coaching, it ranked near the bottom of the league in every important category. One Eagles legend thinks that will change in 2024 though. Brian Dawkins sat down with Mid-Days with Bob Cooney and told us why he thinks this defense will be vastly improved.

Vic Fangio Will Make The Eagles Defense More Disciplined(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

“If (Vic Fangio’s) last couple of stops are any indication of what to expect, this should be a vastly improved defense. Number 1, discipline. It should be a much more disciplined, technique-sound, tackling team because his teams are that… You can pretty much guarantee he will be on their behind about certain things… all of those things we were cringing about last year, we won’t be seeing a lot of that this year.”

-Brian Dawkins on Mid-Days With Bob Cooney

"In my opinion, you just had too many cooks in the doggone kitchen, on both offense & defense… When you look at Vic Fangio, if his last couple stops are any indication of what to expect, this should be a vastly improved defense."

-Eagles Legend Brian Dawkins

: Tim… pic.twitter.com/hsDoBcGXtj

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) June 3, 2024

I don’t think you can blame everything on the coordinators last year. The talent on the defense just wasn’t good enough. But there were too many simple things, even mediocre players shouldn’t be doing. Missed tackles after missed tackles. Being out of position. Confusion on the field.

Those things, at the very least, will be fixed according to Brian Dawkins. Thanks in large part to Vic Fangio. He is going to make sure the players at least get those little things right.

Fangio raises the floor of the defense. What will the ceiling be? That part will depend on how the new players do. Do Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean step up in year 1? Does Bryce Huff hold up in a larger role? Are the linebackers good enough? Will Josh Sweat bounce back? Do Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis last for a full season?

There are real questions surrounding the Eagles defense. Look around, and there are very few sure things. But one sure thing is Vic Fangio.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Jonathan Gannon was unproven. Sean Desai was unproven. Fangio has been there though. We have seen him coach quality defenses for a long time in this league. Even if you don’t like his style of defense, we know that it can work in the NFL.

The Eagles may or may not have an elite defense in 2024. But we should feel confident they won’t have one of the worst ones either. Even with the question marks hanging over the Eagles defense, they should at the very least be middle of the pack.

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I had the pleasure of hanging out with some former NFL greats at the Brian Dawkins “Driving Impact Foundation Golf Tournament” at the beautiful Penn Oaks Golf Club on Monday afternoon. It was a great day for a fantastic cause and the conversations around the course were fantastic. Throughout the course of the day I had the opportunity to discuss my career with the ex-players. I took the time to ask them what they thought when they listen to sports talk radio.

They had far different opinions from when they were playing and what they think about it today after their careers. Some have even dipped their toes in the media pool. I wanted to share the prevailing opinions that were shared (without direct attribution) on sports radio from an athletes perspective.

What do they (or did they) like the BEST about sports talk radio?This one had a very consistent answer. They loved getting to know what the fan base was thinking and feeling when the team was on a roll. The front runner aspect of listening was clear. When things are going good the players told me they were far more likely to tune in. They loved hearing the passion of the fans and how excited the city would be getting after every win.

A few players even said that it helped to fire them up and to understand the mentality of the city. It was clear that those who had played for the Eagles loved this fan base and are appreciative of it still today.

What do they (or did they) like the LEAST about sports talk radio? There were a few answers offered but the one that got the most traction was when they heard a host or caller start referencing how they had “played the game”. The chuckles that happened when they heard a host or caller talk about their understanding of the game from their playing days in high school or childhood caused many to roll their eyes.

I asked one player if they understood why we or callers might be prone to do that and they did. They just wondered whether we all realized how completely different it is to play the game at the highest level. I asked if there are things in common and the overwhelming answer was in broad terms yes, but in reality it’s not comparable.

(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)What do they think of sports talk radio hosts?This was one of the most humorous responses that I received. The prevailing response was “who is this guy that is criticizing me?” asking what their qualifications are to do it.

This one I completely understood. I would believe anyone who is a professional in their field would find it frustrating to hear others discussing their field of expertise as if they truly understood it. They sized up hosts by their commentary and most importantly level of vitriol. The players found it outrageous with the amount of name calling and what they perceived to be personal attacks from hosts.

One thing was clear. The hosts they felt were the most outrageous rarely showed their faces in clubhouses or at press conferences.

Do they listen to sports talk radio today?I was surprised to hear how many players still listen to sports talk radio today. I was happy to hear that most feel that the quality of the product has greatly improved in recent years. The thing they liked the most was hearing ex-players or current players interacting with hosts.

The thing they liked the least was hearing the same callers over and over on a daily basis. Im thrilled that our show doesn’t cater to that as I find it tiresome myself at times as a fan of the industry.

SummaryI learned a lot about my field and how it is perceived and consumed by players in a very relaxed setting. It is a great honor to get to do this job. With that honor comes responsibility. It’s clear that the players feel they don’t see enough of that from my industry. That needs to change.

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The Phillies have been very good this year. They have the 2nd best record in baseball, just a half-game behind the Yankees who played 1 more game than them. They rank near the top of the league in nearly every category.

Their starting rotation is not only the best in baseball, they go deeper into games than any other rotation. Their bullpen has been among the best in baseball after a shaky first week. They are also 1st in the league at 313 runs.

But no team is perfect. Like any team in any sport, they have a few flaws. Taijuan Walker has been bad. Their OF is not giving them consistent production. Those are two issues they need to eventually address. But unlike most teams, they have earned the right to be patient.

The Phillies Don’t Need To RushIf Taijuan Walker continues to pitch to an ERA over 6, he needs to be pulled. That may not happen this week. Ranger Suarez took a hit off his pitching hand and might miss a start or two. Meaning the guy who would have replaced Walker, Spencer Turnbull, will instead fill in for Ranger.

(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)So we might see Walker for 1 or 2 more starts at least. Fans likely won’t be happy to see him, especially if he continues to struggle. But given how well they have played, try to have some patience. Even if he keeps pitching once Ranger Suarez is back, have patience.

Does Spencer Turnbull deserve to be in the rotation over him? Probably. But they also need to protect Turnbull. He has thrown 80 combined innings in the last 3 seasons. He is already at 44 in 2024. they cant just keep putting them out there for 20 more starts, and expect his arm to hold up.

We are going to see more Taijuan Walker. Getting angry about that is pointless. This is a very good team. if your biggest issue is your 5th best starter, you don’t have a real problem.

The same goes for the outfield. I would like to see them add a good OF bat before the deadline. But despite their OF not giving them production, and despite not having trea Turner, they are still putting up more runs than any other team.

Have Some PatienceWe are not a patient fanbase. The Phillies have earned our patience though. Their few flaws are not as bad as the flaws on the 29 other teams. Even if Walker keeps pitching, or their OF keeps struggling at the plate, they will be fine for now.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Give them time. They don’t need to rush to make any moves or big decisions. Walker won’t be pitching in the playoffs. Is him making 6 or 7 more starts and going to kill them? No.

For the first time in our history as a fanbase, let’s just relax, and see what happens. We do not need to be our usual impatient selves. The Phillies deserve our patience.

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I have said many times that Nick Sirianni did a very poor job in 2023. He is the main reason the Eagles collapsed and then couldn’t pull the nose up. All the heat he has taken about last year is fair. The Eagles have zero path to the heights we all expect if he doesn’t do better in 2024.

I do think the rhetoric is going too far now though now that OTAs have begun. Sirianni has a chance to turn things around, and I am willing to give him the chance.

Nick Sirianni Was Not The Only Problem(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Nick Sirianni was not the only guy to have a bad year last year. In fact, he may not have had the worst season. Howie Roseman was horrible in 2023. The defense was bad because of bad players that he picked. Bringing back James Bradberry was a horrible decision. Letting TJ Edwards leave was a terrible move.

While Sirianni takes the heat for it, Howie is the one who made the decision to fire Sean Desai. The defense got significantly worse after Roseman hired Matt Patricia even though the schedule got easier. We all knew it then, and we know it now. Yet, we have forgiven Howie for his many failures. Why can’t we give Sirianni a shot?

Jalen Hurts took a step back in 2023. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t at the MVP level he was in 2022. He went from 6 interceptions to 15. Remember when he and AJ Brown freelanced at the end of the Seattle game? His perfect leadership record up to that point took a hit. The cliches he normally used stopped working. He also couldn’t lead them out of the issues, just like Sirianni. We all believe in Hurts still, as we should.

(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)I am not saying that Nick Sirianni is going to bounce back. He didn’t do a good job last year and will have to adjust to being the CEO coach. He deserves an open mind though. He has the same chance to bounce back as Howie and Hurts has. I am rooting for him, and you should be too.

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Howie Roseman has at times been the most popular man in Philly but has also been among the most hated. It is the definition of a love-hate relationship. When Doug Pederson was fired, many fans in the city wanted him gone.

But at some point in the 3 years that followed, his reputation took a 180. Winning the Super Bowl in 2017 was not enough to make him untouchable, but getting back in 2022 seemed to make a lot of people view him as the best GM ever.

I genuinely had someone get mad at me because I said I didn’t think he was the best GM in the league. i didn’t call him bad, I even said he was one of the best. But because I didn’t put him number 1, someone got mad at me.

The Great Things Howie Roseman Has DoneWith Howie, especially lately, there has been way more good than bad. Even in the draft, which used to be his biggest weakness, he has gotten better. Howie ditched the smartest guy in the room thing and just started taking the best players, often from good schools.

It landed the Eagles players like Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and Jalen Carter. He also has made big splashed, like trading for AJ Brown, or signing Saquon Barkley. And even a move he was ripped for at the time, drafting Jalen hurts, turned out great for the team.

Last year, I put together this list of the best trades Howie Roseman has ever made. More recently, Andrew Salciunas did a list of the most impactful signings Howie ever made.

Howie also deserves credit for how the Eagles manage the cap. Eagles are constantly singing their own players early. It not only avoids holdouts like we are seeing in Dallas, but it ensures they pay less over the long haul.

Howie also manipulates the cap in a way that lets them fit more good players on the roster. Credit for that also goes to lurie, who is willing to pay the signing bonuses up from to make that cap hack work. But it is Howie who gets it done.

So before we continue, let me make this clear. Howie Roseman is a good GM. A great one even. but with that said, he has made a lot of awful moves over the years.

With the Great, Comes A Lot of MistakesObviously, with Howie Roseman, there is more good than bad.

But it has not always been pretty. Since we have given the good sign of the coin a lot of love, I figured why not look at some of the bad.

It is hard to judge things that took place during the Chiip Kelly era, because we don’t know how much say Howie had in those decisions. We know the last season was all Chip kelly, so Howie is off the hook for Marcus Smith. But did he have a say in Nelson Agholor? Should he get credit for Lane Johnson?

I left those off. I mostly kept it to things from 2016, when he regained power, until now.

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When reviewing the Eagles 2024 schedule there was something that I especially enjoyed about it. I always look first after the reveal of the schedule if there is a gauntlet of games awaiting them. At first glance, I didn’t feel that the Eagles had one of those stretches.

Las Vegas clearly believes that I was mistaken. Our friends at @betonline on X have unveiled their lines for all 17 games and they believe that the Eagles have a very difficult five-week stretch. Remember, these are pre-season projections on what they expect to happen. A slow start, key injury, or an unsuspected rise by an opponent could change all of these by the times the games are played.

First, The Good News(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The Eagles begin the 2024 season with four NFC games in the month of September. Only one of those games will be played at Lincoln Financial Field despite the Eagles technically being the home team in Sao Paolo against the Green Bay Packers. The Birds are considered to be the favorite in all of these matchups.

Week 1: Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles -1½

Week 2: Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles -3½

Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ New Orleans Saints

Week 4: Philadelphia Eagles -2 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After the bye week the Eagles will see another couple of games where they will be favored.

Week 6: Cleveland Browns @ Philadelphia Eagles -3

Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles -4½ @ New York Giants

Here Is The GauntletAfter the first six games where they are favored, the Eagles once again will face a stretch that could be considered a gauntlet. If they have taken care of their business in the first six games this series will be able to clarify whether they are truly Super Bowl contenders.

Week 8: Philadelphia Eagles +3 @ Cincinnati Bengals

Week 9: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Philadelphia Eagles -4

Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles +2 @ Dallas Cowboys

Week 11: Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles -6½

Week 12: Philadelphia Eagles +½ @ Los Angeles Rams

Week 13: Philadelphia Eagles +4 @ Baltimore Ravens

The Eagles find themselves underdogs in four of the six matchups. You have two games against AFC Super Bowl contenders at Cincinnati and Baltimore sandwiching this stretch. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson will present supreme challenges for Vic Fangio and his defense.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Thankfully they have the first six games to work out the kinks. In between the Birds go to Dallas as a dog and then come home for their first look at the Washington Commanders on a short week Thursday night matchup. The opponents don’t look that dangerous but the scheduling could prove cumbersome.

The other two games are a home Sunday night game vs Doug Pederson and the Jaguars and a Sunday night showdown in Los Angeles against the Rams high-flying offense.

The Schedule After The Gauntlet Doesn’t Look ToughThe final five games will give the Eagles the opportunity to secure the top seed if they have survived the gauntlet. Four of those games will be played at Lincoln Financial Field. Their only road trip after December 1st will be a short visit to Landover, Maryland to face the Commanders in the rematch.

Last season we all looked at the schedule and thought the end of the season would be easy. It most certainly wasn’t. This certainly looks easily navigable.

Week 14: Carolina Panthers @ Philadelphia Eagles -7½

Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles -3½

Week 16: Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ Washington Commanders

Week 17: Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles -2

Week 18: New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles -5½

It may seem way too early to look at this stuff, but the schedule once again looks favorable for the Eagles to have a chance to return to the Super Bowl stage.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post The Eagles Have A 2024 “Gauntlet” After All appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

I get it. You see your favorite radio host walking down the street and all you want to do is run over to them, say hi, get a picture taken, and maybe even an autograph… that is a joke people. That however is the reality for athletes across the country especially in a crazy sports town like Philadelphia.

Here are the common stories you hear from run-ins with athletes from the fan’s perspective. Either the athlete is super cool with it, stops and takes the picture, and maybe even talks to you for a few minutes. Other times the athlete says “not today” because they may be in a public area and would rather not get swarmed by hundreds of more requests.

When you hear about the run-ins, I feel like we normally hear positive stories. Even if the athlete doesn’t stop for long, just the quick fist pound is enough to make an impact on someone’s life. I still talk about the time Nick Foles gave me a fist pound at Fan Fest last year. I haven’t washed my hand since. But if Foles decided to leave me hanging… I would not turn into a monster.

Jason and Kylie Kelce Have An Unfortunate Run-in(Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Prime Video)(Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Prime Video)What happened in Margate this weekend is inexcusable. Jason Kelce and his wife Kylie were walking into a restaurant for dinner and someone recognized them. At this point, it is hard to not recognize the famous couple, especially down the shore where they walk around as if they were you and me. But here is the deal, they aren’t you and me. No one is running up to us for pictures.

If someone, by all reports, respectfully turns you down for a photo because they are trying to spend quality time as husband and wife, calmly say that you understand and let them go on their way.

DO NOT do what the woman did by confronting them and then threatening that they would “never be allowed back in this town ever again.”

Imagine telling Kylie Kelce you’ll never be allowed in this town again because she won’t take a picture with you…

(IG/wttwpodcast) pic.twitter.com/g3egG1k9D6

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) May 28, 2024

We love that the Kelce family lives a public life down the Jersey Shore. That is why we say, “Jason Kelce is one of us!” While that may be true, the bigger they become, and the more run-ins like this could change how comfortable they are walking around in public.

I am already excited for this person to be outed. I am excited for the pre-written apology. I am excited for her to blame the alcohol that got the best of her. We have all been there, I get it, but feeling a sense of entitlement that you have the right to a selfie to put on your confrontational Facebook? That is something I cannot relate to.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia. The post Can We Please Be Normal? The Kylie Kelce Incident Is Inexcusable appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

While there are many clubs in the world, from the night club to the rotary club, to the billy club, to the turkey club, Club Tyrone is one for sports guys who don’t get the credit they deserve. Club Tyrone is about people who are underdogs but shouldn’t be.

Some (me) have said that being named to this club is right up there with winning a Nobel Prize or Pulitizer. Many times, people don’t get the love and shine that they deserve despite excellence. The Club Tyrone system is to find a guy who isn’t being talked about that is capable of great things.

When those players perform, customers get specials at Club Tyrone. Once a guy is in, he’s in unless he does something negative/illegal off the field. I have also banned some guys from Club Tyrone in the past.

People Banned From Club Tyrone(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Odubel Herrera was banned after his domestic violence case.

Furkan Korkmaz was banned when he stopped getting better & asked for a trade. I also had to hold him responsible for being the 26th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft & Pascal Siakam being the 27th pick. Imagine the Sixers’ fate if Colangelo doesn’t make that mistake. (The Sixers also drafted Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot 24th overall that year).

Jalen Reagor was banned because Howie should have drafted Jefferson. He also seemed to let the pressure get to him. We can’t have that at Club Tyrone.

The Criteria(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)I am always looking for suggestions to add to the club, but they must follow a certain criteria. They must be underrated in some way, but still good in their role. Bryce Harper for example wouldn’t be eligible because he isn’t underrated. They can’t be afraid of the moment.

While the club has had many hits, there have been misses over the years. This current crop is the strongest in history.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayHere Are The 11 Current Members Of Club TyroneThe post The Club Tyrone Roster: 11 Current Members In The Exclusive Club appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In Philly, we tend to love the underdog. It starts with Rocky, but it carried into the actual teams in our city. We might love Bryce Harper, but the loudest cheer often goes to the guy who comes off the bench and delivers a big hit. But who are the best Phillies Bench players in franchise history?

What Makes A Great Bench Player?(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)Obviously if you are coming off the bench, you are not exactly an All-Star type player. If you were, you would be a starter.

Now in the modern era, with no DH, the role of the bench player has shrunk. Once you get to the playoffs, those bench bats, apart from guys in a platoon, shrink to barely anything. But playing in the NL, with no DH, for over 100 years, left a lot of room for big pinch hits moments.

As a bench player, you don’t need to put up huge numbers. You just need to show up when it counts. As you will see, many of the guys who made this list, did just that.

Others came off the bench to give you a great glove. Some were just great clubhouse guys who brought great vibes to the team.

The Best Phillies Best Bench Players(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)So who are the best Phillies bench players? That is what we are here to determine. We went position by position, and picked the best Phillies for each one.

Who is the best backup catcher in Phillies history? Which backup centerfielder made the list?

Bench player can be a fairly general term. Some player starting coming off the bench, but eventually earned a more full time job. Some guys can come off the bench, but really be part of a platoon and still get a lot of playing time.

I tried to keep it to actual bench players, but obviously in some cases the lines get murky, and you could argue these guys are more than just a bench player.

More Phillies All-Time Lineups* The All-Time Roster of Homegrown Phillies Players * 8 Philadelphia Phillies Who Were Good, That We May Forget

Here Is The All-Time Lineup Of Phillies Bench Players:The post The All-Time Lineup Of Phillies Bench Players appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

As one WR retires, the Eagles replace him with another former 1st-round pick. Devante Parker is out, but in comes John Ross. Adam Schefter broke the news that the Eagles were signing WR John Ross on Thursday.

Eagles signed WR John Ross to a one-year deal. pic.twitter.com/7QfabCZMVz

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 23, 2024

The Quick Rise And Fall Of John RossJohn Ross wowed people at the NFL Combine in 2017 by running a record 4.22 40-yard dash. the problem was he hurt himself running it. Injuries would become a trend for his whole career.

Ross has played only 37 games in 5 seasons in the NFL. He also has only 957 career yards. The career, even when healthy, never lived up to being the 9th overall pick.

Ross spent his first 4 seasons with the Bengals. In 2021 he spent one season with the Giants. Since then, he has been out of the league. But he recently worked out with the Eagles, and they liked what they saw enough to give him a shot in camp.

He is a long shot to make the actual roster though. Between the injuries and lack of production, there is a reason he hasn’t played since 2021. Making the team will be an uphill battle. Even with the Eagles’ backup WR spots being up for grabs, he will likely be at the very back of the Camp depth chart there until he proves otherwise.

Eagles Collecting Former Top 10 PicksBut he is yet another former top-10 pick that the Eagles added this offseason. Saquon Barkley is the one that stands out the most. But Devin White was also a former top-10 pick, even if he is more of a reclamation project whereas Saquon Barkley was a big splash.

Now you can add John Ross to that. But if White is a reclamation project, Ross is a lottery ticket. Cheap, but very unlikely to turn into anything. He will attend camp, and they will see what they have. But it has been a long time since he ran that 40, and his elite speed never led to anything before now. So don’t expect that to change now,

Watch Bob Cooney live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The post Eagles Sign John Ross, Continue To Collect Former Top 10 Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last year, the Eagles defense was pretty terrible. They were near the bottom of the league in nearly every category. Especially over the last 6 games where they couldn’t even stop the Giants or Cardinals.

This off-season, they made some improvements. It started with signing CJ Gardner-Johnson and Bryce Huff. But they also went defense-heavy in the draft, taking Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean.

That said, the Eagles defense is still full of question marks. They may be younger, and more athletic, but they are counting on a lot of unproven players to take a big leap if they are going to get back to being a Super Bowl-worthy defense.

No Sure Thing At Edge Rusher (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Let’s start with the Edge-Rusher room. The Eagles had perhaps the most consistent edge rusher from the last 4 seasons. Hasson Reddick had 4 straight seasons with at least 10 sacks, but they traded him away.

The guys left on the roster, have 3 combined seasons of double-digit sacks. One is Brandon Graham, and at 35 it is unlikely he will repeat that. The other two are Josh Sweat and Bryce Huff.

Josh Sweat fell off sharply in the 2nd half. He was very productive in the first several games through, ranking near the top of the league in Pressure Rate. Was his drop off due to fatigue with 250 more snaps in 2023 than he had in 2024? Or was it him getting overexposed?

For Bryce Huff, it was his only truly productive season. He was at the top of the league in pressure rate. many think that his sack numbers will only go up as he plays more snaps. We saw that is not always true with Sweat though. Sweat got more snaps, and his sacks went down.

Huff will have to prove he is 1) more than just a flash in the pan, and 2) can hold up in a full-time role.

Then there is Nolan Smith who has a huge upside but has never been productive in college or in the pros.

Eagles Defense Is Relying On YouthJalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper Dejean, Kelee Ringo and eventually Sydeny Brown. A lot of 1st, or 2nd-year players, are going to play big roles on the Eagles defense.

There is a lot of upside there, but none of them are proven NFL Stars yet.

Carter looked like one early his rookie season, but both him and Davis hit a wall. Will they hold up over a full season this time?

Mitchell and DeJean look like great players, but they are rookies. We have seen rookie corners come in and be stars right away recently. We have also seen many great players have growing pains in year 1. Those were great picks, but because of the position the Eagles are in, they are going to be relying heavily on rookie corners next season.

Then there is Dean. I loved him coming out of College. But because of injuries, we have yet to see him do it at this level. Linebacker in general has no sure answers. Devin White is a former top 5 pick, but there is a reason he was available for cheap.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)The Eagles Defense Has Huge Upside, But A Lot of QuestionsThis Eagles defense could be great. If they are, the Eagles will be in an amazing spot with a lot of young players on rookie contracts.

But they are taking a big risk relying on that youth. They invested heavily on the offensive side of the ball. To compensate for that, they had to with a lot of youth/inexperience on defense.

Having Vic Fangio will help, and there is certainly more talent there now. But if you look around the Eagles’ defense, players we can say are sure things are few and far between.

The Eagles defense is going to be better in 2024. It would be hard to be any worse. Fangio gives them a higher floor too, but whether or not they will be good, or just middle of the pack is up in the air. There are questions about this Eagles defense we might not know the answer to until late next season.

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First of all, I would like to credit Robert Mays (@robertmays on X) who hosts the Football Show on The Athletic for some fantastic analysis that depicts how bad things got for the Eagles offense last season. It will leave you wondering whether Brian Johnson was not ready for prime time as a coordinator OR if Jalen Hurts was figured out by opposing defensive coordinators. I’ll let the facts set up the discussion.

Jalen Hurts Was Blitzed On An Obscene Percentage Of His SnapsWhat does that tell you? There was either little respect for Hurts’ ability to beat the blitz or the offensive play design under Brian Johnson was completely inept. The truth probably falls somewhere in the middle.

Hurts was blitzed on third down a ridiculous 44.6% of the time. Thats a crazy number. How crazy? The gap between Hurts and the number two quarterback in blitz percentage is the same as the gap between the number two quarterback and the 18th quarterback!

One thing is factual. They never were able to adjust to what opposing defenses were throwing at them and the blitz percentage was higher as the season went along. Opposing defensive coordinators saw things on tape and just doubled down on attacking Hurts, believing that was the most effective strategy to defeat them.

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)How Can Kellen Moore Help Fix This?Thankfully, Kellen Moore has an excellent reputation for being at the top of his field in addressing handling the opposition blitz. For example, he has shown that with Dak Prescott in Dallas and with Justin Herbert in Los Angeles that his offenses are outstanding at picking up a blitz.

In 2022, Dak Prescott was number one against the blitz and in 2023 Justin Herbert was 6th against the blitz. In his seasons as an offensive coordinator, Moore’s offenses average out as Top 5 against the blitz.

There is enough data to show that his plan is usually highly successful against the blitz, so Jalen Hurts should have no excuses to thrive against it. He has a superior offensive line to both of Moore’s previous teams and arguably better offensive talent surrounding him.

So Many Things Will Be Revealed By The Kellen Moore HireIf we see a reemergence of the talents of Jalen Hurts and he returns to MVP form then we will have received a complete referendum on how ineffective Brian Johnson was at developing an offensive scheme. If Hurts doesn’t thrive under Moore and his system, there will be many that justifiably will be wondering if Jalen has regressed.

Either way, Moore has the proven pedigree and it’s up to Hurts to deliver.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Here Is What I’m Expecting To HappenJalen Hurts will return to his previous MVP contender form. The Eagles will be a top-ten offense when facing the blitz. Kellen Moore will help the Eagles create a top-three scoring offense. Nick Sirianni will benefit from the addition of Moore and the Eagles will win the NFC East once again. Moore will be one of the top head coaching candidates this upcoming off-season.

The Eagles better cash in on this one-time chance to win with Kellen Moore in-house.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post Can Kellen Moore Fix THIS For Jalen Hurts? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There is this new lazy take coming from national media frauds that Jalen Hurts will somehow hold the Eagles back. There are some questions about Jalen Hurts right now, but we should be wary of the messengers, especially former fraud Eagles’ players who have an axe to grind.

I feel very confident that Hurts will be excellent in 2024. Right now, people are saying the Eagles will be successful because of the offense, by the end of the year, they will be saying it is because of Hurts.

Jalen Hurts In 2023(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Last year the Eagles’ offense was not as good as it should have been, and Jalen Hurts does deserve some blame for that. He threw 15 interceptions in the 17 games, after throwing 15 total in his previous 30 starts.

Despite throwing the ball 78 more passes in 2023 compared to 2022, he threw just 1 more TD pass. Hurts was still a force in the red zone rushing. Yes, he wasn’t as good in between the 20’s, but that is much more on Nick Sirianni than him.

The fumbles are on Hurts though, and the 9 fumbles to go with the 15 interceptions were too many. He is aware of that and will tighten it up because this is what he does. He works on his weaknesses. While those who defend Sirianni will use the fact he has been in the playoffs the last 3 years, they ignore it with Hurts.

He Will Be Better In 2024Looking ahead to 2024, Hurts & the Eagles will have their 3rd offensive coordinator in 3 years. There will be a learning curve early. They also added Saquon Barkley, which will take some pressure off Hurts, if he is used properly.

He has the best WR tandem in the NFL with AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. He will not have to work as hard to make both guys happy with touches because both got paid in the offseason. This sets up for Hurts to have his best year.

The Eagles’ single-season franchise record for passing yards is still held by Carson Wentz with 4,039 yards. (Wentz did that with his top WR being Alshon Jeffrey with 490 yards, not bad) I think Hurts will smash that record and throw a career-high 4,300 yards. I think he also sets a career-high with 30 TD passes as well.

His rushing TDs will drop with Saquon here, but that won’t matter because the Eagles will win the division. Jalen Hurts is not the problem with Eagles (duh), & he will make the haters mad in January.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Jalen Hurts Won’t Be An Issue in 2024 For The Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles schedule is out. From week 1 to week 18, we know who, when, and where they will be playing. it could still change a bit if the NFL flexes games., but for the most part, we know the details about all 17 of their games.

In the past, the schedule makers have not been too kind to them. That took the form of a crazy gauntlet last season where they played the Cowboys twice, the Bills, the Dolphins, the Chiefs, the 49ers, and the Seahawks. Luckily they avoided that this year.

But tough stretches were not the only ways they inconvenienced the Eagles. There were rough road trips, difficult travel, and huge rest disadvantages, just to name a few things. Did they manage to avoid that this season?

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Here is the Eagles Schedule for 2024

| Week 1- Friday, September 6 | Green Bay Packers (Brazil) | 8:15 p.m. | Peacock | | Week 2- Monday, September 16 | Atlanta Falcons | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN | | Week 3: Sunday, September 22 | at New Orleans Saints | 1:00 p.m. | FOX | | Week 4: Sunday, September 29 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1:00 p.m. | FOX | | Week 5: BYE | | Week 6: Sunday, October 13 | Cleveland Browns | 1:00 p.m. | FOX | | Week 7: Sunday, October 20 | at New York Giants | 1:00 p.m. | FOX | | Week 8: Sunday, October 27 | at Cincinnati Bengals | 4:25 p.m. | CBS | | Week 9: Sunday, November 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 8:20 p.m. | NBC | | Week 10: Sunday, November 10 | at Dallas Cowboys | 4:25 p.m. | CBS | | Week 11: Thursday, November 14 | Washington Commanders | 8:15 p.m. | Prime Video | | Week 12: Sunday, November 24 | at Los Angeles Rams | 8:20 p.m. | NBC | | Week 13: Sunday, December 1 | at Baltimore Ravens | 4:25 p.m. | CBS | | Week 14: Sunday, December 8 | Carolina Panthers | 1:00 p.m. | FOX | | Week 15: Sunday, December 15 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 4:25 p.m. | FOX | | Week 16: Sunday, December 22 | at Washington Commanders | 1:00 p.m. | FOX | | Week 17: Sunday December 29 | Dallas Cowboys | 4:25 p.m. | FOX | | Week 18: Sunday, January 5th | New York Giants | TBD | TBD |

per Eagles Website (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Is this Schedule easier than last year? Did they get an advantage when it comes to rest for the first time in years? How much do they have to travel this season?

Here are 9 Numbers You Should Know About The Eagles ScheduleThe post Is The Eagles Schedule Favorable? 9 Numbers You Need To Know appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles won 11 games last season, but it didn’t feel like it with the epic collapse after the 10-1 start. This year, I have them winning 11, but they will close the year much better than they did last season. Doing the early W’s and L’s is fun this early, and obviously things are subject to change.

Here Are Tyrone’s Predictions for All 17 Eagles GamesWeek 1vs the Packers in Brazil (0-1) (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)The Eagles have their 3rd OC in 3 years and their 4th DC in 3 years. The Packers are the team with better continuity & I think they edge the Eagles in a close one.

Week 2 vs the Falcons on MNF (1-1) Kirk Cousins isn’t beating them in Philadelphia in a prime-time game.

Week 3 at the Saints (2-1) People think the Saints have a great home-field advantage, but the data says otherwise. The Eagles offense hangs 35 on them in the dome.

Week 4 at the Bucs (3-1) This is a revenge game after being eliminated by them in the playoffs last season.

Week 5 Bye This early bye will lead to an extra loss later in the year when they are playing 13 straight weeks.

Week 6 vs the Browns (3-2) The Browns end up focusing on what the Eagles have done offensively to start the year. The Browns defense slows them down for the 1st time.

Week 7 at the Giants (4-2) (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)(Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)Saquon may have 300 total yards in his 1st game back there. The Eagles will win by 21 or more.

Week 8 at the Bengals (4-3) It is not always who you play, it is when you play them. The Eagles come down off the high of a division win and lose on the road.

Week 9 vs the Jaguars (5-3) Doug Pederson returns to Philadelphia again and loses again. I don’t think Pederson survives the year down in Jacksonville and this loss helps end his tenure.

Week 10 at the Cowboys (5-4) I think the Eagles are going 5-1 in the division this year, this is the only loss. On the road at Dallas is never easy.

Week 11 vs the Commanders (6-4) Yes, it is a short week, but the game is at home and the Commanders are not that good. The game will be close, but the Eagles will win.

Week 12 at the Rams (6-5) The Rams have a future hall of fame QB, and the Eagles have a ton of questions on the defensive side of the ball. This game is a coin flip, but I have the Birds losing.

Week 13 at the Ravens (6-6) (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)Another elite QB against a very young Eagles defense. I do think they will figure it out, but not this week. This will be the fatigue loss from the early bye.

Week 14 vs the Panthers (7-6) The Panthers are likely the worst team in football again. The Eagles take their frustrations from back-to-back losses out on them.

Week 15 vs the Steelers (8-6) I don’t care about Tomlin’s over .500 streak. The Steelers will play hard down the stretch, but who will be the QB? The Eagles win.

Week 16 at the Commanders (9-6) The Eagles’ young defense will be dialed in by this time behind Fangio. Mitchell, DeJean, and Trotter Jr will all be starting as well. With the young athletic players flying around they win.

Week 17 vs the Cowboys (10-6) The Cowboys will fire Mike McCarthy after this game. He will have to take his own flight back to Dallas. This will be the sweetest victory of the season.

Week 18 vs the Giants (11-6) Unlike last year, the Giants will be ready to board the plane for vacation as the Eagles are peaking at the right time. This will cap 5 straight wins to close the season.

This will be a rollercoaster season, a good start, a dip in the middle, and a great close to the season. The Eagles will win the NFC East and win a home game in the playoffs.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Predicting all 17 Eagles Games: How Many Wins Will They Get? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Happy holiday! The NFL schedule has been released. We have known for a while now who the Eagles would be playing in the 2024 season, but now we know the dates and times. We now can determine which spots are good, which spots are bad, and of course the dreaded trap games. Whether you are like my partner John Kincade and think that doing wins and losses is “lazy radio”, there isn’t a single sports fan who doesn’t do it on their own time.

After you make your prediction, you will text your friends and family to make sure it is on the record. You will call your favorite radio show and utter the words “you heard it hear first.” We will also find out some important answers:

Who will be the member of the Fanatic who has the Eagles winning 14 games? Who will be the first caller who predicts a perfect season including a Super Bowl win? Who will be the “Negadelphian” who has the Eagles finishing below 500?

(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)What The Eagles Schedule Release Means For UsThe schedule release isn’t just about determining the record of your favorite team, it is also a chance to start planning road trips, tailgates, or the big family get-together.

Will that family get-together be for a divisional rival? Or will it be for some of the nationally anticipated games between two potential Super Bowl opponents? Either way, the schedule release gives us a ton to be excited about.

This bit of content is not about wins and losses, this is about my own personal likes and dislikes of the Eagles schedule. I will tell you about the games I am most excited for, and the games I am least excited about.

Some games will be rated highly on my list for the quarterback battle, whereas some games may be low on the list because of the opponent or the field of play… Let me know what you think!

Here Are The Best And Worst Games On The Eagles Schedule:The post Ranking all 17 Games on the Eagles Schedule in 2024 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The 2024 Eagles Schedule is out. We have known who they would play since the end of the season. We also knew where they would play each team. They even gave us the week 1 opponent already with that game taking place in Brazil. But now we finally know the full 2024 Eagles Scheule.

Will They Avoid A Gauntlet In The 2024 Eagles Schedule?Last year the Eagles got the short end of the stick when it came to the schedule. They wound up with a brutal gauntlet in the middle. Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs, Bills, 49ers, Cowboys, Seahawks, all in quick succession.

The baffling part is they survived that period. They won the first 4 of those games, including a Commanders game in the middle of all that. They started the season 10-1, even if those 10 wins were shaky.

Even after closing out that gauntlet going 0-3, they were still in decent shape to win the division, with an “easy: final 3 games. Two vs the Giants, and 1 vs the Cardinals. But they went 1-2, lost the division, and then got blown out by a mediocre Bucs team in the playoffs.

It turns out the schedule was not their problem, they were their own problem. Their defense collapsed onto itself, and the offense went stale.

Will This Season Be Better? They hope a busy offseason and two new coordinators will right that ship. They are certainly a much better team on paper. Howie Roseman gets high grades for his offseason but championships aren’t won on paper.

They will likely be relying on a lot of inexperienced or unproven players on defense again. If those young guys, like Quinyon Mitchell, Nolan Smith, Cooper DeJean, and Nakobe Dean, step up, it could be a completely different defense. But we might not know until the games started being played.

Some games still do not have times announced, and those could always be subject to change with how the NFL loves flexing games.

Here is The 2024 Eagles Schedule:The post The 2024 Eagles Schedule- Can They Bounce Back? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Philadelphia sports fans are rightfully frustrated about the lack of championships in the city. Philadelphia is the only major city with 0 dynasties. New York, Chicago, LA, Houston, & Boston have all had 1 or more in their histories.

With disappointment, blame naturally follows. How we meter out the blame is where things can get difficult and some people in media miss the mark.

Winning Championships Is HardWinning is hard to do, and to do so regularly you need very good ownership, a very good front office, great players, a good coach, and then good luck. Every champion has had the benefit of luck in addition to having to do everything correctly.

Every part is vital. When we really think about, how many times in Philadelphia have we have checked every box? It is a given that you need great players, but great players never win alone.

That isn’t just in Philadelphia, that is everywhere. Lebron James didn’t win in Cleveland for example the 1st time due to a petty owner, & bad management. He took the blame, as superstars do, but it was an organizational failure.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Find a person who is blindly ripping superstars & nobody else, and you will also find a person who isn’t looking at the big picture. It is never that simple.

Are Our Teams Doing It Right?Look at Philadelphia sports right now. You can’t control luck but have the 4 major teams done all they can to win?

The Sixers have a good owner, they have 2 great players, and the coach is good, but they had bad injury luck. The Flyers don’t have the great players. The Phillies check every box, and now they just need things to break their way.

The Eagles have the ownership, they have the front office, they have great players, but is Nick Sirianni a great coach? We will find out at the end of this season. It will not be solely on Jalen Hurts, even though the QB is the face of the franchise.

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)It Takes Everyone In The Organization to Win ChampionshipsNone of this is to take accountably away from the star players. They are the ones who must perform. They play the games. You can’t work around a Tobias Harris. At the same time, winning is hard, and you need everyone in the organization pulling in the right direction.

Somebody paid Tobias, and they are just as responsible. We see the players out there every game, but a lot happens before they take the field. The best organization wins championships, not just the best players.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Winning Championships Requires More Than Just Good Players appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When new Eagles Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio was asked at his introductory press conference what his system needs to work, he was very blunt. Fangio said he needs good players.

"Good players."

-Vic Fangio on what it takes to make his system work.

-Matthew Stockman/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/Pv3CoCOVwU

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) May 9, 2024

It is hard to argue with the guy. You can have the best scheme in the world, but if you don’t have good players, it won’t work. We saw that last year.

The 2023 Eagles Are Proof Of What Vic Fangio SaidThe 2023 Eagles roster, on defense, was terrible. They lacked talent at every position except the D-Line. Even there the talent they did have fell off a cliff in the second half of the season. The Coordinators, Sean Desai and Matt Patricia, took a lot of the blame for it. They deserved a lot of it, but in fairness to them, they didn’t exactly have a ton to work with.

The 2022 Eagles defense was overflowing with talent. But 5 starters left in free agency. Including both Safeties, both Linebackers and their best Defensive Tackle.

Howie Roseman did a good job replacing Javon Hargrave by drafting Jalen Carter. He really dropped the ball at Safety and Linebacker though. He went for cheap and inexperienced players for the most part, and it blew up in his face.

Even when he tried to right the ship by trading for Kevin Byard, it didn’t work. The same goes for bringing in Shaq Leonard. It was clear those two former All-Pros just were not the players they used to be.

Will it Be Different in 2024 With Vic Fangio?(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)Vic Fangio will help stabilize things a bit. He is a proven DC who has had success with multiple teams. But like he said, he can only do so much. If the talent isn’t there, the defense will still be bad.

Did Howie Roseman do enough so far to give Fangio the good players he needs? Or will it be another season where they struggle due to a lack of talent?

Here Is Where they Stand At Every Position On DefenseThe post Vic Fangio Needs Good Players, Does He Have Enough? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This week it was exciting to hear new Eagles Coordinators Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore speak for the 1st time at the NovaCare complex.

On paper, Howie Roseman has had an excellent offseason. While the loss of Haason Reddick could be costly, we won’t be worried about it if Bryce Huff becomes a quality full-time player. Howie added Saquon Barkley to the offense and a slew of young athletic pieces to the defense in the draft.

CJ Gardner Johnson is back as well. It is hard to rely on rookies, but I find it hard to believe that 2 of Mitchell, DeJean, Hunt, & Trotter Jr don’t end up making an impact in year one. They don’t need to be instant All-Pros to be upgrades.

Both Moore and Fangio will have new pieces to play with to help erase last year’s historic collapse.

None of it will matter though if Nick Sirianni isn’t better though.

The Nick Sirianni Factor(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)The Eagles were the 1st team ever to start 10-1 and not win 12 games. It is even worse than other collapses because the Eagles had 17 games to do it and the previous teams only had 16. When adversity hit, he did a terrible job leading.

Yes, there were personnel and play-calling issues, but they still should have been able to put wins together with the schedule they had. The team got worse down the stretch as the schedule got easier.

They managed to lose to Drew Lock, yes, Drew Lock, a Giants team that needed to lose for draft position, and the Cardinals who were horrible. You guys know all of this already, of course, so I apologize for the reminder.

Can Nick Sirianni Lead The Eagles Through Tough Times?Sirianni’s fertilizer speech was ridiculed locally & nationally, but it turned out to be the right message at the right time.

Last year, he couldn’t find a similar refrain. With him shifting his role to the CEO-type coach this year, him finding the pulse of the team will be more important than ever. Both Super Bowl participants hit adversity last year and managed to rally.

As talented as I think the Eagles will be in 2024, I know there will be tough moments. Injuries happen, young players make mistakes, and new coaches can lead to miscommunication early in the season. Will Nick Sirianni be ready to rise to the occasion like he did in 2021, or will be fold like he did in 2023?

The answer to that question will tell us how excited we really can be about the 2024 season.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post The Eagles Can’t Work Around Nick Sirianni appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

One of the benefits of not winning your division in 2023 is to have a slightly easier schedule in 2024. After the Eagles 10-1 start followed by an epic collapse, you look for silver linings wherever you can find them.

I keep hearing how the Cowboys “have to play a first-place schedule”. While that is technically true the reality is that I find the Eagles schedule more difficult. Let me try and convince you.

Dont Ever Buy Into The Strength Of Schedule StatYou may hear people tout who has the toughest schedule in the pre-season. It’s calculated off of last year’s winning percentage.

Since about 40% of the playoff field turns over every season, the statistic isn’t based on trends. More importantly, where you play the opponent isn’t taken into consideration. Is it harder to win on the road? Of course it is! The statistic does not see winning on the road being more difficult than winning at home.

What Games Are Exactly The Same? (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)Both teams will face the Giants and the Commanders at home and on the road. They also have their annual home and home series. So 6 of their 17 games are exactly the same.

VERDICT – EVEN

NFC South OpponentsThe toughest place to play in the NFC South is typically New Orleans. The Eagles are visiting the Bayou while the Cowboys host the Saints. The next most difficult venue is in Tampa Bay. Once again, the Eagles go to Tampa and Dallas hosts them. Carolina and Atlanta are visiting Philadelphia and Dallas travels to them.

ADVANTAGE – COWBOYS

NFC South OpponentsThis one breaks the Eagles’ way. While the Eagles visit Los Angeles to play the Rams, the Cowboys travel to San Francisco for a showdown with the 49ers.

ADVANTAGE – EAGLES

NFC North OpponentsThe Cowboys will have a difficult home game vs the Detroit Lions while the Eagles host Green Bay. The problem is that Dallas will actually play this game at home while the Eagles have to go to Brazil.

ADVANTAGE – Cowboys

Each Team Faces The AFC North, But It Is Not The SameThey share the four opponents in common but it’s not the same. The Eagles get the short end of the stick here.

While the Eagles face Pittsburgh and Cleveland at Lincoln Financial Field, the Cowboys travel to them. The Cowboys get to host the Ravens and Bengals, while the Eagles travel to them. Facing the two best teams in that division on the road is harder than hosting them.

ADVANTAGE – COWBOYS

17th Game Bonus AFC OpponentDallas is hosting the Houston Texans while the Eagles have the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Linc.

ADVANTAGE – EAGLES

Eagles vs Cowboys Schedule Summary(6) DIVISIONAL MATCHUPS – EVEN

(4) NFC SOUTH MATCHUPS – COWBOYS

(4) AFC NORTH MATCHUPS – COWBOYS

(1) NFC NORTH MATCHUP – COWBOYS

(1) AFC SOUTH MATCHUPS – EAGLES

(1) AFC EXTRA GAME – EAGLES

Though everyone will try and convince you they do, it’s actually the Cowboys that have the easier schedule. They get nine home games instead of eight for the Birds and the Cowboys get better home opposition advantage.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post It’s a Myth…Eagles Have A Tougher Schedule Than The Cowboys appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Whether it was Fletcher Cox speaking in veiled dialogue, AJ Brown using social media to stir the pot or the latest musings from Kenneth Gainwell on a podcast the 2023 Eagles season could be defined as one messy car crash. Why we can’t get a straight answer out of the organization as to what actually caused it all remains a mystery. They want us to just turn the page and I’m willing to comply.

The off-season roster additions and replacements intrigue me. The draft picks can be described as electric. The Eagles have turned over roughly a third of their roster in response to the epic collapse.

Despite all of these factors, I still am not believing that the players will be the biggest reason for optimism as we head into training camp this summer. The men who can change the energy in a positive direction, Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio, will speak for the first time on Thursday.

Kellen Moore Gets The Keys To The Sports Car(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)The biggest challenge for Kellen Moore is going to be utilizing all of their offensive firepower and attempting to keep all of the stars happy. Imagine trying to divvy up the snaps between his two star wide receivers, a high priced dynamic running back and a quarterback who likes to have design runs in the game plan.

It seems as if that’s juggling act would keep even the brightest offensive minds up at night.

I’m looking for these answers from Kellen Moore.What do you see in Jalen Hurts that is different from the quarterbacks you have designed offenses around in the past?

Your offense has been accused of being too “pass happy” in the past. How do you see your offense finding the proper balance?

Finding your wide receivers opportunities in space is a hallmark of your past offenses. What needs to happen for that to unfold here? Is it all play design?

Will Dallas Goedert see himself in an expanded role in the offense? What do you see as the role of the tight end in your scheme?

Nick Sirianni has referred to the offense as a collaboration of ideas. Is that what you believe this will be? How has your offense evolved under previous head coaches?

Vic Fangio Gets The Salvage Job For The Eagles(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)Vic Fangio arrives and is expected to put out a dumpster fire. A defense that was in the top third of the NFL and played in Super Bowl 57 completely collapsed last season under Sean Desai and Matt Patricia.

What would I most like to hear from Fangio? How about these answers?How do you see the pass rush rotations developing in the absence of the sack leader from the last 2 seasons Hasson Reddick?

How will the young corners be used and counted on? Are the starting corner jobs already penciled in on your mental depth chart?

Do you have the linebacker skill set you need to run your system?

Is James Bradberry going to be a part of the plan?

How does this job stack up against challenges you have faced in the past? Does it remind you or contain similarities to any of them?

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.The post 10 Questions I Want Kellen Moore And Vic Fangio To Answer appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Adam Schefter was recently on the Kincade and Salcuinus show lauding owner Jeffrey Lurie. Lurie has now been the owner of the Eagles for 30 years. Conventional wisdom is that he is amongst the best owners in the NFL.

Jeffrey Lurie's willingness to spend is key to the Eagles success, says @AdamSchefter.

“It starts with the top at ownership, it just does. There are certain very strong owners who are willing to do what it takes to spend, and I certainly include Jeffrey Lurie in that group.” pic.twitter.com/O8PMfI4Z7v

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) May 8, 2024

Does The Track Record Back Up Jeffrey Lurie?In those 30 years, the Eagles have been in the postseason 18 times. They have won 10 division tiles. They have been to 3 Super Bowls winning 1.

There is no doubt that he is a good owner, but is he great one? Lurie does deserve credit for the job that he has done, but if we are going to give him credit for team success, he had to take blame for the failures. He deserves credit for hiring Howie Roseman, but he is also responsible for the moves that Howie has made.

Despite his public statements, Lurie was the main reason that the Eagles drafted J. J. Arcega-Whiteside, which was terrible but was also the driving force behind finding an insurance QB for Carson Wentz which turned into Jalen Hurts.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Comparing Jeffrey Lurie To Other OwnersDuring Lurie’s tenure, we know that the Patriots have been the gold standard, but the Eagles don’t rank as high as we realize when it comes to winning. The Packers, Broncos, Ravens, Rams, Buccaneers, Steelers, Giants, and Chiefs have won multiple Super Bowls since Lurie took over.

When the Eagles beat the Patriots, Doug Pederson said that it was “the new norm”. He was gone in two years.

Nick Sirianni was able to quickly get them back to the Super Bowl, but unfortunately, as we know they blew a 10-point halftime lead aided by a terrible penalty call on James Bradberry. Last year things looked great at 10-1, but we know how the season ended.

Again, if he gets credit for the good things that happen, he must get blame for the bad things.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)I think Lurie is a good NFL owner, but he falls short of great. He has been here for a long time, and the Eagles are consistent contenders, but he must take a hit for only getting to the mountaintop once when so many other teams (37.5% of the league) have been there more times.

The Eagles seem poised to have a big year, and if we have another parade down Broad Street then Jeffrey Lurie would ascend to great, but for now, I can’t say it.

Listen To Or Watch ‘The Best Show Ever?’ Live On The 97.5 The Fanatic And On NBC Sports Philly From 2 To 6 p.m. every WeekdayThe post Is Jeffrey Lurie 1 Of The Best Owners In The NFL? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is a new season for the Eagles, which also means new jersey numbers. Not just for all the free agents, and draft picks, who will be wearing an Eagles jersey for the first time. But also some guys who were here last year will be rocking a new number. Either by choice or in some cases because their original number was taken.

A Lot Of New Faces Means New Jersey Numbers TooThe Eagles signed 9 players in Free Agency so far. They also signed a bunch of future deals, 7 UDFAs, and drafted 8 players.

Many of the guys getting new numbers won’t make the team. But when it gets cut down to a 53-man roster, there are going to be many new faces still there.

For starters, guys like Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, Devin White, and CJ Gardner Johnson will for sure be there. As will most of the draft picks like Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper Dejean, Jalyx Hunt, among others.

Barely Enough Jersey Numbers To Go AroundThe Eagles will go into camp with a 90-man roster. That eventually gets cut down to 53, but to start camp they will barely have enough numbers to go around.

The NFL making 0 an eligible number and loosening the restrictions on who can wear what jersey numbers, makes it a bit easier to hand out numbers. But they still have to occasionally double some up at the start of camp.

Not to mention that that 9 numbers have been retired by the Eagles, and a half dozen more are unofficially retired having not been worn in years. We know Kelce’s 62 will eventually be retired, and no one has touched 25 since LeSean McCoy, 12 since Randall Cunningham, or 9 since Nick Foles.

But the numbers that are available, have now been given out.

Here Are The New Jersey Numbers For The Eagles in 2024:(Will be updated with jersey Numbers for drafted players)

The post The New Jersey Numbers For The Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The draft is over, and the Eagles came away with quite the haul. Between landing Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in rounds 1 and 2, and getting some nice players on day 3, Howie did very well, at least on paper.

Of course, we know we can’t truly judge these picks until we have seen them in action. There are always picks that look great at the time but turn into busts. There are also head-scratchers, that become some of the best picks. On paper though, he had a great draft. But in getting good players, did he address their biggest needs heading into the draft?

The Eagles Biggest Needs Going Into The DraftBefore round 1, we talked about what the Eagles biggest needs were.

Starting with them badly needing to reshape their cornerback room. Darius Slay was the only corner you could say with confidence is an NFL starter. They had a few young guys with upside. Kelee Ringo, Eli Ricks, and then there is the wildcard Isaiah Rodgers. But I would have been nervous if they went into the season banking on one of them to start.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN – APRIL 25: Quinyon Mitchell celebrates with fans after being selected 22nd overall by the Philadelphia Eagles during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza on April 25, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.

After that Linebacker and Safety were both needs too. Plus edge Rusher after trading Haason Reddick.

On offense, we went into the draft needing the future replacement for Lane Johnson, competition for Tyler Steen at RG, and depth all along the line. The departures of Jack Driscoll and Sua Opeta left them wanting for depth. And Matthew Hennesy was the only off-season addition addressing that need.

They also needed TE depth, RB depth, and a slot WR.

They needed a lot. That tends to be the case when you have a disaster season like 2023. Addressing all of those needs in the draft was never feasible. But they did address as many of them as they could.

I would say Howie did a great job of balancing needs, without reaching, for the most part. But let’s take a closer look at what he did during the draft, and if it filled some of their holes.

The Draft Haul* CB-Quinyon Mitchell * DB- Cooper DeJean * EDGE- Jalyx Hunt * RB-Will Shipley * WR- Ainais Smith * LB- Jeremiah Trotter Jr * WR- Johnny Wilson * OG-Trevor Keegan * C-Dylan McMahon

Did these players address their needs? Do they still have some work to do between now and the start of the season to address any of these needs?

Let’s Revisit The Eagles Needs After The Draft:The post Reassessing The Eagles Needs After the 2024 NFL Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We put a bow on the 2024 Eagles Draft yesterday evening and by almost every review metric available, they had one of the best weekends in the NFL. What’s important now is to take a stand and stay true to your convictions. If you are not a fan of this Eagles draft or in particular one or two of the choices, speak now or forever hold your peace! I’ll get it started and I would welcome your input.

No, we can’t wait till three seasons out to have an opinion on Eagles draft picks. It is important to look back and admit where our analysis was off base though!

Here Are My Current Thoughts On The Eagles DraftLove me some Quinyon MitchellGreat value, great athlete, superior selection. I’m still dumbfounded that it happened.

Can’t believe that they landed Cooper DeJean for so many reasons I didn’t expect DeJean to be there at 40 and I also didn’t think the Eagles would double up with their first 2 picks in the secondary. I fully endorse this move and am thrilled they shocked us all.

Count me as a “not very informed” Jaylex Hunt skeptic I don’t know much about him, but I’m always skeptical of the guy coming out of nowhere to climb draft boards. Develop him and be patient.

I can’t wait to see Will Shipley behind this offensive line Count me as one who couldn’t believe that Shipley lasted until the 4th round. He’s smart (a 4.0 degree earner in six semesters at Clemson is impressive) and can run between the tackles or take it around the edge. It really means to me that Kenny Gainwell will get the wheels broken off of him this year and a new contract won’t be coming. Love the pick!

Ainias Smith might be the “steal” of the whole classI enjoy watching SEC Football and if you watched Texas A&M games you saw flashes of brilliance from Smith with the ball in his hands. He’s a dynamic playmaker from the slot and can be used on special teams as a return man. I don’t know much about his blocking ability, but he can be electric in space.

Trotter Jr. was drafted at the perfect spot for a low-risk, feel-good storyWhen I heard people calling for a Trotter Jr. pick on Friday I cringed. He is a nice player, but not nearly as decorated or skilled as a guy they already have in Nakobe Dean. A third-day selection in Round 5 was perfect value. Over-drafting a player because of his last name would have been dumb.

Trevor Keegan just looks like an Eagle If Central Casting needed to pick an Eagles offensive lineman, he fits the part. I can’t tell you I’ve ever focused on his play, but I love the run-heavy system he played in and he scores out as a value selection.

Watch Kincade & Salciunas on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page for discussion about the latest breaking sports news in Philadelphia.

Eagles 2024 UDFA Tracker: Can They Find A Diamond In The Rough?The post Save this post, No 20/20 Eagles Draft Hindsight allowed appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Just because the draft has ended, does not mean the work is over. There are hundreds of players who never heard their names called, who will still have a shot with an NFL team. We are in UDFA time now.

Undrafted Free Agency is sometimes where you find real diamonds in the rough. Most guys will never see an NFL roster. But there is great talent to be found there if you know where to look. Kurt Warner was a UDFA. Wes Welker went undrafted. Warren Moon started as an Undrafted Free Agent. You can get a Hall of Famer if you are lucky. Short of that, you can find solid starters too. That said, most guys will be cut by the end of camp.

Some Notable UDFA Eagles:MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Corey Clement #30 of the Philadelphia Eagles catches a touchdown pass against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

More recently, we saw Corey Clement go from Undrafted Free Agent to Super Bowl hero in his first season. His career spun out from there, but without his toe-tapping TD, the Eagles might have never had a parade.

Jamaal Jackson went undrafted in 2003, and went on to be the Eagles starting center for parts of 5 seasons.

TJ Edwards turned into their best LB not too long after being signed as a UDFA.

Not to mention names like Andre Watters, Herman Edwards, and Chad Lewis.

Last year the Eagles relied on many UDFAs. it didn’t go great. But it is hard to blame them for not being perfect in their 1st or 2nd seasons. Reed Blankenship and Eli Ricks may till have roles with the Eagles going forward. The fact the Eagles had to rely on them is more a problem with roster construction than it is a statement on the future of those two players.

Which UDFAs did the Eagles Sign This Year?So who are the Eagles bringing in this year? Can any of them crack the roster. Did they find one of those diamonds in the rough?

In his post-draft press conference, Howie Roseman confirmed this would be a small UDFA class.

One, they had a lot of draft picks, but they also signed a few players to future contracts, like Julian Okwara and Darian Kinnard, whom they view in a similar way to UDFAs. There was not much space left on the 90-man roster, so they weren’t able to be as busy in UDFA as they usually are.

But they did make some signings. And some might have a chance at making the roster.

You can check out what they did in the actual draft here, and then you can keep scrolling to see which UDFAs they sign

Here is Every UDFA The Eagles Have Signed So Far:The post Eagles 2024 UDFA Tracker: Can They Find A Diamond In The Rough? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. finally came off the board in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. His father spent eight seasons in three stints with the Philadelphia Eagles. His hometown team is the perfect fit, right?

Jeremiah Trotter (Twice)The Eagles picked Trotter (Sr.) with the 72nd-overall pick in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He developed into a four-time Pro Bowler and an anchor of the great Jim Johnson defenses during the Andy Reid era.

When the fearsome linebacker shut down opposing running attacks, he threw down the axe with his signature celebration to drive crowds at Veterans Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field wild. The Eagles might’ve never made the Super Bowl after the 2004 season if they hadn’t inserted Trotter for Mark Simoneau midseason.

Philadelphia is home to the most passionate fan base in the NFL. The outrageous depths of the emotion toward the Eagles characterizes the organization’s DNA.

Even Howie Roseman can’t ignore the incredible respect the organization has for someone who helped the beloved hometown team through a legendary era.

“I’m biased towards our hometown players. I’m biased towards the people who have legacy with this franchise, so I think that’s hard. And I think that’s why, coach (Nick Sirianni) talked about getting a lot of the information and trying to get myself out of that moment and just trying to make the best decision for the Philadelphia Eagles and not making an emotional decision.” -Howie Roseman

Jeremiah Trotter Jr.The Eagles selected Jeremiah Trotter Jr. with the 155th-overall in the fifth round in 2024. The NFL has tweaked the draft to add compensatory picks and expand rounds since 1998.

NFL franchises made more than twice as many picks before Jr. came off the board than they did in 1998 when Sr. came off the board. Roseman and the Eagles waited to select a player who slipped down the board from his original projections in the earlier rounds. Emotion did not push them to reach on this draft pick.

Bill Colarulo spoke on 97.5 The Fanatic on Thursday about how Trotter Jr. fits the profile of Nakobe Dean more than he fits the profile of Trotter Sr.

Modern NFL defenses also don’t feature linebackers the same way they did from 1998-2009 during Trotter Sr.’s career.

The Eagles emphasize the defensive tackle position heavily. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis will play an exponentially bigger role in Philadelphia’s run defense than Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in upcoming seasons.

An Unfortunate ParallelThe Eagles drafted Casey Mathews out of the University of Oregon in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. His brother Clay Matthews had recently earned a Pro Bowl nod in his rookie season with the Green Bay Packers in 2009. He established his reputation as one of the best upcoming defensive players in the NFL with an All-Pro season in 2010.

Clay’s younger brother joined a group of linebackers leaning on Jamar Chaney, Brian Rolle, and Akeem Jordan. He struggled in three starts during his rookie season in a role he wasn’t fit to play.

Casey Matthews made 11 starts in his fourth NFL season in 2014 under Chip Kelly. The ex-Oregon coach seemed to use too much emotion in his hopes to help a foreigner Duck to succeed.

Eagles fans quickly criticized the obvious truth that Casey Matthews was never good enough to be an NFL starter. If the Eagles drafted a linebacker in the fourth round whose brother wasn’t an All-Pro, the scrutiny would have been completely different.

The worst thing for Casey Matthews’ career in Philadelphia was his last name.

Is Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Doomed?A player’s name shouldn’t define his NFL career. However, it completely changes the perception of a fan base.

Whether Eagles fans realize it or not, their collective perception affects the makeup of the team.

They’re perfectly permitted to get excited for the legacy of a player they loved 20 years ago. They should cheer the St. Joe’s Prep alum when he comes out of the tunnel at the Linc. They should hope he throws down the axe to pay homage to his father.

However, the most passionate NFL fan base shouldn’t confuse Jeremiah Trotter Jr. for Jeremiah Trotter Sr. in a way that ignores the small investment the Eagles spent on their fifth-round pick.

“This is the best atmosphere in the National Football League, and I think that they know that when you win, it’s like nothing else that you experience that. But it’s different versus people who haven’t experienced that before.” -Howie Roseman

Eagles draft Jeremiah Trotter Jr., son of ex Eagle Jeremiah Trotter. His son does the axe swing like his father. pic.twitter.com/cWKP0KuZpa

— Eric Asselin (@EricAsselin74) April 27, 2024

Watch Kincade & Salciunas On The 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube Page For Discussion About The Latest Breaking Sports News In Philadelphia.

Grading Every Pick And Draft Day Move By The EaglesThe post Is Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s Name The Worst Part About The Pick? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL Draft is far and away one of my favorite sports events of the year. As a league, there is a lot of things they do that I don’t think. but more than any other league, they have nailed the annual draft. Making it an exciting event. It’s the best sports event that does not include an actual game.

Who will my team pick? Where will this guy go? Which team is going to mortgage their future for a QB who wasn’t even that good in college? It is theater. But I love it.

Howie’s Newfound Draft SuccessBut it has not always been a fun night for Eagles fans. Howie Roseman has done better recently. But there was a time when we dreaded what he would do this year. Picks like Jalen Reagor, JJ Arcega Whiteside, Davion Taylor, and Andre Dillard made us hesitant to get excited about any player they took.

But then things turned for the better. In recent years he added players like Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Jalen Carter, and Cam Jurgens. All who appeared poised to be starters for a long time.

CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 29: DeVonta Smith poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell onstage after being selected 10th by the Philadelphia Eagles during round one of the 2021 NFL Draft at the Great Lakes Science Center on April 29, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Eagles Had Some Major Needs Entering The DraftSo how will he do this year? Howie had some work to do. They entered the draft with their offense in decent shape. They had locked up most of their best players on that side of the ball before the draft. Landon Dickerson, Jalen Hurts, Jordan Mailata, and Devonta Smith all got long-term extensions. And just before day 1 of the draft kicked off, they extended AJ brown as well.

But the defense? That was very much still a work in progress. Their defense was among the worst in the league in 2023. While Vic Fangio will steady things a bit, more than anything they needed talent.

Outside the defensive line, there was very little talent on this defense. They spent all offseason adding offensive talent like Saquon Barkley. But they were relying on the draft to fix their defense. Did they do that?

Here Are The Grades For Every Eagles Pick In the 2024 Draft:The post Grading Every Pick And Draft Day Move By The Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Day 3 of the draft is here. The Eagles spent the first two days rebuilding their defense. In particular, their secondary. They not only saw Quinyon Mitchell fall into their laps at pick 22, but then when Cooper DeJean was falling on day 2, they moved up to grab him as well.

Thats two Cornerbacks, with a 1st round grade, the Eagles took with their first two picks. It is reminiscent of 2002 when they drafted Lito Shepard, Michael Lewis, and Sheldon Brown with their first 3 picks. And now Mitchell and DeJean have a chance to be the Shepard and Brown of the modern era.

A Long Wait For Their Next PickIt was a while though until they made their next selection. Pick 53 turned into pick 78 when they traded up for Cooper Dejean. But that eventually turned into pick 86 when they traded down with the Texans to add a 4th round pick. Then that turned into pick 94 when they added a 3rd 4th round pick.

They did finally make that pick, and took a guy not many fans knew before draft night. Edge Rusher Jalyx Hunt out of Houston Christian. Someone Howie Roseman describes as having “freaky tools”.

97.5 The Fanatic on Twitter: “”He has freaky tools in his body. He is an explosive guy. This is a perfect developmental guy for us. These guys are hard to find.”-Howie Roseman on Jalyx Hunt / Twitter”“He has freaky tools in his body. He is an explosive guy. This is a perfect developmental guy for us. These guys are hard to find.”-Howie Roseman on Jalyx Hunt

On to Day 3 Of The DraftWhich brings us to day 3. Thanks to Howie trading down multiple times, they now have ALOT of picks today.

4th round – No. 120
4th Round- No. 123
4th Round- No. 132
5th round – No. 152
5th round- No. 171
5th round- No. 172
6th round – No. 210

It is hard to see them taking a player with all of these picks. Don’t be surprised if they package some together to trade up. They could also turn them into future picks. Or, they can do what they did last year, and trade them away for current players, see D’Andre Swift last year.

But if they do keep the picks, who might they take with them? There are many interesting names left on the board. Another Rugby player from overseas, a Center who broke a record set by Jason Kelce, and a linebacker with a legacy connection to the Eagles.

Here are 11 Players the Eagles Could Draft on Day 3:The post 11 Players The Eagles Should Target On Day 3 Of The Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans came into the draft hoping the Eagles would come away with one of the top corners. They did that by adding Quinyon Mitchell on day 1. But Howie was not done there. Because he shocked us even more on day 2 by trading up and grabbing Cooper Dejean as well.

Philadelphia Eagles on Twitter: “.@brandongraham55’s pick announcement for @cdejean23 was immaculate pic.twitter.com/JPbPafn1D0 / Twitter”@brandongraham55’s pick announcement for @cdejean23 was immaculate pic.twitter.com/JPbPafn1D0

The Eagles secondary was in shambles by the end of 2023. They were among the worst in the league in every pass defense category. Their secondary was made of aging veterans, UDFAs, and day 3 picks. It badly needed an infusion of not just talent, but youth.

Well check and check. Eagles fans would have been happy with DeJean or Mitchell in the 1st round. They got both.

They Have Options On How To Use Cooper DeJeanQuinyon Mitchell played some slot CB in college, but he is going to be an outside corner for the Eagles. He is a near-lock to be the 2nd starter alongside Darius Slay.

With Dejean they have options though. He can play outside, inside, and Safety. The latter may be what makes the most sense. They added CJ Gardner Johnson to take up one of the Safety spots, but the other starter is a question mark.

Reed Blankenship struggled in his 2nd season. Sydney Brown will miss the start of the season. Beyond them, there is not much else. Add on the fact that new DC Vic Fangio loves using 3 Safety packages, he can definitely get on the field as a Safety year 1.

A Much Different SecondaryWe might see 4 different starters in the secondary this year. Quinyon Mitchell replaces James Bradberry. CJGJ replaces one of the Safeties. Cooper Dejean might replace the other Safety. And it is no lock yet that Avonte Maddox is in the slot. That could even be Cooper DeJean.

It was a badly needed transformation. They went from having one of the worst in the league, to adding 3 dynamic playmakers. A weakness could flip into one of their strengths, provided the two rookies live up to their hype.

Big Ten Network on Twitter: “Week 2: INTWeek 3: INTWeek 4: Pick-6Cooper DeJean (@cdejean23) continues to play takeaway. The @HawkeyeFootball DB’s latest highlight is the 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤. @OldTrapper pic.twitter.com/TCFBGhepRK / Twitter”Week 2: INTWeek 3: INTWeek 4: Pick-6Cooper DeJean (@cdejean23) continues to play takeaway. The @HawkeyeFootball DB’s latest highlight is the 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤. @OldTrapper pic.twitter.com/TCFBGhepRK

Deja VuWe all know by this point that the Eagles hadn’t drafted a CB in the 1st round since 2002 when they took Lito Shepard. That changed this year.

But oddly enough that same year, they started with two 2nd round picks, just like this year. And in the draft, they used 1 of those 2nd round picks to take Sheldon Brown, creating one of the best CB duos the Eagles ever had.

It seems history repeats itself. We do not yet know if Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean will be as great as Shepard and Brown. But they used this draft to reshape their secondary, just like that Eagles team did.

In 2002 the Eagles already had a prolific CB duo in Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor. The Eagles are a year removed from Darius Slay and James Bradberry making up a fairly elite CB duo.

Both pairs of corners were aging though, and we saw last year age take its toll on Bradberry. Slay could see a similar drop at some point, though he still played at a high-level last year.

In 2002 the Eagles saw the writing on the wall and brought in two young corners to eventually replace their aging stars. The Eagles might have just been a year late of doing the same thing, but better late than never.

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The 9 Best Reactions To The Eagles Landing Quinyon MitchellThe post Eagles Add Cooper DeJean in 2nd Round To Completely Reshape Secondary appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It would be hard for the draft to go any better for the Eagles on day 1. Quinyon Mitchell was a guy we had dreams of the Eagles trading up for. Turns out, they didn’t have to. Quinyon fell right into their lap at pick 22, and they walked away not only addressing their biggest need, but getting one of the best players in the draft.

Philadelphia Eagles on Twitter: “.@QuinyonMitchell, you are a Philadelphia Eagle pic.twitter.com/lZdcINYWsW / Twitter”@QuinyonMitchell, you are a Philadelphia Eagle pic.twitter.com/lZdcINYWsW

A Run On QBs Helps The EaglesNothing makes NFL teams more desperate than needing a QB. 6 went in the first 12 picks.

We figured Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye would all go early. JJ McCarthy was a late riser too, though he wound up falling to 10 for the Vikings. But two other teams decide to go reaching.

The Falcons, despite just handing Kirk Cousins a massive contract, drafted Michael Pennix Jr. They could have fortified the defense, got him another WR, or given him better protection up front. Instead, they used the 8th overall pick to draft his competition.

Later Bo Nix went off the board to the QB-hungry Broncos. Making 6 Qbs taken in the first 12 picks.

All 12 of those picks were offensive players. 6 QBs, 3 WRs, and 3 OTs. It was about that time you started to dream that maybe one of the top corners would fall to the Eagles. Especially when picks 13 and 14 were also on the offensive side.

Quinyon Mitchell Falls Into Their LapPick after pick went by, and the corners were still there. By the time the Eagles were on the board at pick 22, both Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold were there for them. They went for the blazing speedster over the multiyear standout from Alabama. It would be hard to argue with either pick though.

Obviously with such a turn of events, it set Eagles’ Twitter on fire. But what were the best reactions to the pick?

Here Are The 9 Best Reactions To The Eagles Landing Quinyon MitchellThe post The 9 Best Reactions To The Eagles Landing Quinyon Mitchell appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Well that couldn’t have gone better for the Eagles. We assumed for the Eagles to land someone like Quinyon Mitchell, they would have to trade up. Turns out all they had to do was be patient, and let him fall right into their laps.

You got the sense early on things were breaking their way. Offensive player after offensive player came off the board, including 6 QBs in the first 12 picks. A defensive player didn’t come off the board until pick 15. And it was about that time you got the sense things were breaking perfectly for the Eagles.

Pick after pick, and both Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold remained on the board. Before you knew it, it was pick 22, and both guys were there for them to pick between. They chose to go with the blazing speedster in Quinyon Mitchell.

Eagles Get Their Speedy Corner in Quinyon MitchellMitchell is fast. Not just normal fast, but among the fastest players in the league. At the combine, he ran a 4.33 40.

NFL on Twitter: “The @Eagles just drafted a corner with 4.33 speed @QuinyonMitchell#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/O5XPprYWA7 / Twitter”The @Eagles just drafted a corner with 4.33 speed @QuinyonMitchell#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/O5XPprYWA7

More Than Just Elite SpeedBut he is more than just a fast 40-time. Mitchell gave up 0 TDs in 2o23. QBs throwing his way completed only 43.5% of their passes. And well his interceptions fell off last year, he got 3 picks in 2022.

He is versatile too. Scouts believe he can play zone and man at an elite level.

Howie Breaks 20-Year TrendThe last time the Eagles took a corner in the 1st round was in 2002 with Lito Shepard. The last time they spent a day 1 or 2 pick on one was Sidney Jones in 2017. But Quinyon Mitchell was too good to pass up.

Howie might have wanted an OT in this draft first. We will never know. But OTs went flying off the board. Letting the corners fall right into his lap. Mitchell doesn’t only address their biggest need, he was the best player available. The best of both worlds for the Eagles.

It was the perfect result for the Eagles. Howie deserves credit for staying patient and getting a guy many people thought they would have no chance at, or would have to give up significant assets to trade up for.

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5 Things To Know About Quinyon Mitchell- Eagles Prospect PreviewThe post Draft Breaks Perfectly For The Eagles, Letting Quinyon Mitchell Fall To 22 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Offensive Line is always going to be a need for the Eagles. And this year Offensive Tackle, specifically Right tackle, sticks out as something the Eagles will target in one of the earlier rounds.

Lane Johnson will be 34 when the season starts. They do have to start thinking about who will eventually replace him. He has said he has two good years left in him. Howie has talked about how he likes the draft guys ahead of time, so they can learn from the best before they take the field. They also need depth behind him in case he gets hurt.

Is it their biggest need? I don’t think so. And if they spent a 1st on someone who would sit behind him for 2 seasons as a redshirt, I would be pretty disappointed. Planning ahead is smart, but in the 1st round, you can find guys capable of starting and contributing right away. And this team has so many immediate needs that it feels like a poor use of resources.

Howie Roseman Loves Drafting Offensive Line:That said, Offensive Tackle is definitely in play. The only position Howie has drafted more than O-Line is D-Line. Lane Johnson, Andre Dillard, Landon Dickerson, Jordan Mailata, Cam Jurgens, Danny Watkins, and Jason Kelece, among many other names, have all been drafted since Howie was named GM. Obviously with varying degrees of success.

Plus that future RT could maybe play RG for a couple of seasons, before eventually replacing Lane Johnson. Tyler Steen is promising, but not exactly a sure thing. they may look at him more as a backup, or swing guy.

You Can Check Out More Draft Content Below:* 7-Round Eagles Mock Draft- How The Next 3 Days Might Go * Tyrone Johnson Mock Draft 3.0- Howie Sticks To What He Knows * We Simulated The Eagles Draft 10,000 Times, Here Are The Results

So What Offensive Tackles Should We Look Out For In The Draft? Here Are 7 Names to Keep An Eye On:The post 7 Offensive Tackles To Keep An Eye On For The Eagles In The Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is draft day. The biggest sports day of the year, that doesn’t involve an actual game. 32 picks, followed by 225 for picks over the following two days. As of now, the Eagles own 8 of those picks. One 1st, Two 2nds, a 4th, three 5ths, and a 6th.

Here Are All The Picks The Eagles Have This Year:* Round 1: No. 22 * Round 2: No. 50 * Round 2: No. 53 * Round 4: No. 120 * Round 5: No. 161 * Round 5: No. 171 * Round 5: No. 172 * Round 6: No. 210

This is the Eagles. It is Howie Roseman. We know they won’t make all those picks in all those spots. He will trade up from a few, he will trade down from a few.

There are many possibilities for the Eagles in the 1st round. But my most confident prediction for that pick is it won’t be at pick 22.

That said, in this mock draft, I will not be making any trades. Mock drafts are hard enough when you are only predicting players. If you try predicting trades, trade compensations, it is even more of a crap shoot.

I will predict all 8 picks. If I am lucky, I will get 1 right. If I get 2 right, I might go buy some lottery tickets on Sunday.

We all know the drill here. Mock drafts are mostly wrong. But there are still thousands of them because we still love them.

Picking specific players for specific teams is incredibly difficult. But I still find it fascinating to read about the players and read about what types of players a team might be targeting.

After spending WAY too much time reading about the draft, reading about the players, and obsessing over it, I wanted to take my chance at a 7-round Eagles Mock Draft.

Check Out More Eagles Mock Draft Content Below:* We Simulated The Eagles Draft 10,000 Times, Here Are The Results * The Eagles Mock Draft Roundup, Who Every Expert Has Them Picking at 22 * Tyrone Johnson Mock Draft 3.0- Howie Sticks To What He Knows

Here Is My 7 Round Eagles Mock Draft:The post 7-Round Eagles Mock Draft- How The Next 3 Days Might Go appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This is a very important draft for the Eagles. Howie has mostly done a good job in the offseason, apart from giving Haason Reddick. But if the Eagles are going to be competitive this season, they need to nail the draft. Which is why they can’t just go with the generic “Best Player Available,” it needs to be the best player who helps them right now.

There is so much talk about taking the future replacement for Lane Johnson. And that is a need they need to think about. But Lane has at least 2 years left in him, maybe more. Anyone they draft to replace him could be waiting for 2 seasons before they play a snap at RT. That is not a luxury they have with their 1st round pick this year.

There is this narrative that the Eagles need to think of the future and not just the present. It’s true, you don’t draft someone specifically to help you next year. But that doesn’t mean you throw the next two years out the window.

The Eagles Could Play That RT At RGIf they take someone who can play RG for 2 years, and then slide to RT whenever Lane retires, awesome. In that case, it would be a player who helps them now, and in the future.

A player like JC Latham would be perfect for that. He played guard his first season at Bama, before sliding over to Tackle. A player like Amarius Mims, who has no experience at guard, and by most accounts is not a good fit at guard, would not be ideal.

They cannot draft someone, who might redshirt for the next two seasons. At least not with their 1st round pick. 2nd round? That is a different conversation. But they have too many needs to take someone who wont play until 2026 at the earliest.

There is also the question of if a RG is the best value, now or long term. Is the jump from Tyler Steen, to whoever they draft larger than the jump from whoever they have at Corner, to who they might draft? Which pick would improve you the most? I don’t think its a RG.

They Have Major Needs NowThe defense is still full of holes. They have 1 starting-caliber corner, 1 healthy starting-caliber safety, and only question marks at linebacker. Those needs don’t necessarily have to be addressed with a 1st round pick, but it is the best option. especially at corner when you have a great draft for corners, with at least 5 guys having 1st round grades.

If they trade up for Terrion Arnold or Quinyon Mitchell, that person can potentially help you win next season, and 8 years from now. They will fill a need, and be among the best players available.

The Next Two Years Is Their Best Window To WinThe Eagles have a lot of good young players to build around long-term on offense. Devonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Jordan Mailata, and Jalen Hurts are all here until for several years into the future.

With that said, the next two years are still their best chance. Not their only chance, but their best one.

AJ Brown technically has 3-years left on his deal. But after this season, the cap number skyrockets. Jalen Hurts cap number skyrockets after the 2025 season. Dallas Goedert has only 2 years left on his deal. Saquon Barkley is pretty much on a 2-year deal, even though there is an option for a 3rd, and Lane Johnson has said he has 2 good years left.

The time to win is now. Take advantage of Hurts still being relatively affordable. Take advantage of having a future Hall of Famer at RT. And take advantage of having Saquon Barkley. Their offense is pretty much guaranteed to be elite for the next two seasons. Now is the time to win something. But their defense needs to be better if they are going to do that.

The 1st round pick should reflect that. Don’t lose sight of the future, but also don’t obsess so much over it you don’t help yourself in the present.

We saw the difference a top Corner can make with trent McDuffie and the Chiefs. We saw the difference good linebackers can make with both the Chiefs and the Niners.

Use this pick to maximize your chance to win right now. You can always address the future of RT in the 2nd round.

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We Simulated The Eagles Draft 10,000 Times, Here Are The ResultsThe post The Eagles Need To Draft A Player Who Helps Them Now, Not Just in 3 Years appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Earlier this week, the Eagles paced Nakobe Dean on the IR. But the hits keep coming. In the most recent injury report, the Eagles listed 3 more players as out. […]

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Week 1 is behind us. It was ugly, the Eagles won anyway, and now just a few days later, they have to take the field again. The Vikings are coming […]

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The Mayor of Flavortown, Guy Fieri, has teamed up with the Philadelphia Eagles to launch some tasty t-shirts. The NFL Guy Fieri Flavortown collection has taken over Lids.com and is […]

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There was so much to dissect after the Eagles’ season-opening 25-20 win over the Patriots up in Foxborough, that many of us throughout the Delaware Valley feel like we are […]

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Pennsylvania State Police have announced that they’ve captured escaped prisoner Danelo Calvacante. The fugitive had been on the loose since August 31 after his escape from Chester County Prison in […]

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We have our answer for how the Eagles will replace Nakobe Dean while he recovers from a foot injury. They have signed Nicholas Morrow to the 53-man roster. To make […]

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One week down, and the Eagles are 1-0. That is the good news. The bad news is how that first win looked. Jalen Hurts had his worst game in a […]

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The Philadelphia Eagles under Nick Sirianni are now 3-0 in NFL Week 1 games. The win over the New England Patriots wasn’t big on style points, but it sets them […]

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The Eagles started week 1 with a win. It was ugly. There was a lot to be unhappy about. But they won. And that is really what matters most, even […]

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Well, they won. That is the most important thing. The Chiefs, Bengals, Vikings, and Chargers would gladly trade places with the Eagles right now. Because as bad as it looked, […]

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The Philadelphia Eagles could potentially insert three Week 2 starters who didn’t start in Week 1. They will play their home opener for the 2023 NFL season at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings.

The defending NFC champs defeated the New England Patriots 25-20 in Foxborough in Week 1.

Philadelphia Eagles Defeat New England PatriotsDespite an underwhelming performance, especially on offense, the Eagles snuck away with a victory. Jalen Hurts threw for only 170 yards. He also fumbled at a key moment in the game during the fourth quarter. The turnover gave the Patriots life when the visitors should’ve won the game easily.

Nick Sirianni showed no signs of panic during his postgame press conference after defeating Bill Belichick and the Patriots. He improved his record to 3-0 in season openers as a head coach.

Dallas Goedert and newcomer D’Andre Swift figure to be a bigger part of the offense in Week 2. Neither player made a significant impact in the season-opening victory.

Philadelphia Eagles Projected Week 2 StartersThe Eagles could potentially use three new starters in Week 2. While many people expected Swift as the primary running back, Kenny Gainwell got the start. He shouldered a heavy workload, going against the expectations of the “running back by committee” approach.

The status of Nakobe Dean is in question. If he can’t go, the Eagles will likely move Christian Elliss into the starting lineup. He is the only other linebacker on the active roster. Nicholas Morrow might be a candidate to elevate from the practice squad.

There were questions heading into Week 1 about the safety position. While the overwhelming majority expected Reed Blankenship to start, the second spot was between Justin Evans and Terrell Edmunds. Evans started and played almost the entire game, with minimal snaps for Edmunds.

Injury news will trickle out as the week moves along. The quick turnaround forces Nick Sirianni to decide his Week 2 starters quickly.

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New coordinators are always a point of focus for an NFL team and for their fan base early on in a season. As important as players and head coaches are, offensive and defensive coordinators play a huge role in the success or failure of a football team over the course of the season. Part of the drawback of a successful season, like the Eagles had last year, is that other organizations will seek to poach coordinators from winning teams to elevate to a head coaching position, which can leave you in a search for replacements for pretty good coaches. Well, the Eagles lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators this offseason with Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon moving into head coaching roles with other teams. Enter (OC) Brian Johnson and (DC) Sean Desai. Though both came in as well spoken of coaches, there were questions all offseason about their ability to step into their new roles with the Birds. Well, on Sunday in New England, neither of the Eagles’ new hires had an outstanding start to their tenure.

Of course, the Eagles still won the game, so we’re not talking worst case scenario. Both Johnson and Desai did enough to emerge with a road victory, and that deserves complimenting. The process of getting there, though, was not pretty. Let’s start with the offensive side of the ball. Brian Johnson’s play calling seemed far too conservative at times, with minimal opportunities for big plays, something that was a huge asset for the Eagles last season. He also underutilized two major parts of the offense in new running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Dallas Goedert, who both were nearly invisible in the game. Maybe the most dangerous trend in Johnson’s play calling, though, was the usage of Jalen Hurts in the running game. Hurts took some hard hits during designed QB runs, including one that resulted in a costly fumble late in the game that gave the Patriots a chance to steal victory. The most important thing to the Eagles besides winning football games is the health of their newly paid quarterback, and it’s hard to see his health sustaining a season’s worth of hits like he took on Sunday. Of the two new coordinators, Johnson has the most to work on to improve his impact on the team.

Sean Desai was better, but there were still some major defensive struggles. Can you really be critical of a defense that had a pick 6 and a forced fumble to start off the game? Well, yeah. Welcome to Philadelphia Mr. Desai. When Mac Jones throws for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns, that’s not a good day at the office. In fairness to Desai, the linebackers and safeties he has at his disposal are not of the same quality as the ones Jonathan Gannon had last year, but the pass rush might be more talented. 2 sacks in the game, and both coming late in the contest, is not acceptable though. Say what you want about the condition of the field in Foxborough, but getting to the QB is going to be the saving grace of this Eagles defense. Desai needs to find a way to scheme pressure better in the coming weeks, or a lot of pressure is going to be placed on the Birds’ offense to outgun teams.

Again, at the end of the day it was a victory, and on the road. That’s not easy to do in the NFL. These complaints are coming from a much better place considering that, but corrections still need to be made. The Minnesota Vikings come to the Linc on a short week for a Thursday Night Football showdown, and both coordinators will have to show a step in the right direction in order to inspire confidence from the fan base. If this team is truly going to be a Super Bowl contender this season, both Johnson and Desai will have to be a big part of the positives going forward.

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There was a lot of talk about the Philadelphia Eagles running back room during the NFL preseason. The “running back by committee” moniker seemed like the likeliest approach. However, Kenny Gainwell took the ball in Week 1 against the New England Patriots without much of a committee behind him.

Kenny GainwellThe era of Brian Johnson as the new offensive coordinator and play-caller started with an unexpected strategy. Gainwell took the ball an astounding eight times on the first drive.

According to The Ringer, he played 38 offensive snaps. Offseason acquisition D’Andre Swift, who many people considered the starting back, played only 17 snaps. Boston Scott rotated minimally, and Rashaad Penny sat as a healthy scratch.

“You’re supposed to have a running back room by committee. It was Gainwell… What’s the point of getting D’Andre Swift if you’re never going to use him? I’ve never thought that Gainwell was a number one back. He performed pretty well that first drive, so it’s hard to argue with it, but then afterwards, they kept going to him as if he was Brian Westbrook.” -Pat Egan on The John Kincade Show

Gainwell finished the game with 14 carries for 54 yards and four catches for 20 yards. The early reliance on the third-year back from Memphis didn’t continue entirely in the context of the offensive strategy after the first drive. However, it’s clear who Nick Sirianni trusted as the lead back out of the gates.

Swift carried once for three yards, and he caught one pass for no gain. Scott also finished with two touches.

Bo Wulf summarized the preseason feeling about Swift, Gainwell, and the running back room as a guest on The Best Show Ever.

“I think they want him (Swift) to be the guy who’s going to bring some explosiveness to the offense and add that dynamic of a receiver out of the backfield that they did not have last season, but I think Week 1 you might see the Eagles sort of go back to Mr. Reliable, and that’s Kenny Gainwell…Kenny Gainwell is the guy that they trust in two-minute drills and in tight-game situations and in the red zone.” -Bo Wulf

Gainwell also surprisingly outsnapped Miles Sanders in Super Bowl LVII. The decision by Sirianni was related to Sanders fumbling on the first play from scrimmage. The trust in Gainwell outweighed the potential explosive ability of Sanders.

Running Back By CommitteeGainwell provided a solid option out of the backfield in Foxborough on Sunday. However, a sluggish offense that netted two total yards in their final five drives of the first half could’ve used a change of pace.

The reliance doesn’t have to continue moving forward. The Eagles have a quick turnaround before their home opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. Fresh legs from Swift, Scott, or even Penny could add a different element to Sirianni and Johnson’s attack.

“I don’t ever want to come out a game where D’Andre Swift has only two touches either.” -Nick Sirianni

The acknowledgment could point to a tweaked game plan in future games. Dallas Goedert similarly wasn’t involved in the offense, which isn’t a trend that’s likely to continue.

A disappointing offensive performance in Week 1 was ultimately good enough for a road victory against a team led by one of the best football coaches in the game’s history. The Eagles are 1-0, but the coaching staff must address a real head-scratcher if they want to regain a rhythm as one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL.

Watch The John Kincade Show live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.

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It was not the well-oiled machine we saw last season. At times it was downright ugly. The offense got stagnant, and the defense was being picked on over the middle of the field. But the Eagles still escaped week 1 with a 25-20 win over the Patriots.

With a banged-up Patriots O-line, you would have assumed the Eagles’ prolific group of Pass Rushers would get after Mac Jones all day. They did not. You would have assumed the best WR duo in the league could put up big numbers on a Patriots Secondary that were near the bottom of the league in TDs allowed last season. They didn’t quite do that either. The rust on both sides of the field was evident. And fans were left frustrated by some conservative play calling on offense.

The Eagles actually got off to a hot start. Two turnovers in the first quarter helped the Eagles build up a 16-0 lead. But then the wheels came off. The Patriots put up 14 unanswered points, and the Eagles had 3 straight 3-and-outs. The second half went better. They put together 3 drives ending in field goals and built up a 12-point lead again.

But then things got messy when they almost let the Patriots back in it again. They let the Patriots go down for a quick touchdown to make it a 5 point game. Then Jalen Hurts coughed it up the next drive, giving the Patriots a chance to go ahead late. Thankfully the defense got the stop. And then they got another stop when the Eagles offense couldn’t run out the clock. They got their first 2 sacks of the game, including the first of Jalen Carter’s career, and sealed the win.

…It is not what we wanted to see. But it is a win. And you may remember week 1 last season where we left panicked about the defense. By week 2 everyone had settled in and we never really got concerned about the team again. Many of the top teams, like the Bengals and Chiefs, didn’t get a win in week 1. They would much prefer to be in the Eagles situation right now. Not many teams besides the 49ers are leaving week 1 feeling great about how they played. They got the win, you can focus on looking better next game.

They don’t have much time to figure things out though. The Eagles next play on Thursday Night when the Vikings come to town, who did not escape week 1 with a win.

You may also enjoy:Is This Eagles Roster Better Than The Super Bowl Roster? Let's Find OutJust under a week until the Eagles finally take the field in a real game. We have almost made it. Fans have survived the offseason. They survived having to watch the Chiefs get all the deserved love for winning the Super Bowl. Survived the long 7 months from the end of the Super Bowl, to the start of the season. And we survived the dreck that is the NFL Pre-season. Soon, we will finally see this Eagles roster in action.

But will this roster do as well as they did last year? There has been some trepidation from fans and hosts alike in the last few weeks. Maybe that is just our natural inclination to be worried. Enough has gone wrong in Philly sports, especially the last couple of years, that it is understandable to be slow to be optimistic. And there are some question marks on the team entering this year. How will they replace losing all of their starting Safeties and Linebackers? Can the RB room reproduce what Miles Sanders gave them last year? And does the team suddenly have depth issues on the Offensive Line?

This still is a very good roster though. They bring back most of the same players on offense and have some new exciting faces on defense. But are they good enough to do what last year’s team did? Or are those concerns people keep bringing up enough to hurt them? Let’s look at each position group, and see how this new Eagles roster stacks up to the one that made the Super Bowl last season.

The post Eagles Escape Week 1 With an Ugly Win Over the Patriots appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Just a few more hours and we will have Eagles Football. Later today they finally take the field, when they take on the Patriots in New England at 4:25. The start of what will hopefully be just as good of a season for the Eagles as last year was. Only this time they will try for a happier ending. But before they can get there, they need to win week 1. And as Nick Sirianni loves to say over and over again, this team takes everything one week at a time.

The Eagles were 3.5-point favorites to open the week. That grew to 4-point favorites by Friday, when this article was written. But will they start out the season on a high note? Yesterday we already talked about some of the Patriots players who could give the Eagles a hard time. They have their work cut out for them containing Rhamondre Stevenson, are facing one of the best pass-rushing teams in the NFL besides themselves, and feature a prolific return man threat.

But now that we have discussed the areas of concern, we can get to the matchups that are very favorable to the Eagles. To start, the Patriots’ offense, despite a dangerous back like Stenson, has struggled to score the last two years. They finished 17th in the NFL last year with 21.4 points per game. Since Mac Jones joined the team, they are 0-11 when they allow 25 points or more. So a high-powered offensive game would very much benefit the Eagles.

But can the Eagles put up big numbers like that, while also keeping the Patriots off the board? Will they leave week 1 with a win, or are they on upset alert? Let’s find out.

Here are 3 matchups that suggest the Eagles should have a big advantage over the Patriots in today’s game:The post 3 Matchups The Eagles Can Take Advantage of Against The Patriots appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is finally week 1. Which means we are just a couple of days away from Eagles football. They head up to Foxborough and will take on the New England Patriots to open the season.

This is not the same Patriots team they saw in the Super Bowl though, obviously. To start, Tom Brady has not been there for several years now. And it has shown. They are 25-25 in 3 seasons since Brady left. In two of those seasons, they had a losing record, including 8- 9 last year. They did make the Wild Card round in Mac Jones rookie season, but otherwise, it has been ugly since Brady’s departure.

But it is still Bill Belichick. And despite the recent struggles, most still regard him as the best Coach in NFL history. So as long as he is there, you can not overlook the Patriots. They also made a significant upgrade at Offensive Coordinator, trading in Matthew Patricia, who for some reason was put in charge of the offense last year, for Bill O’Brien. And while O’Brien did not fare well as a head coach, he has a good track record calling plays in both College and the NFL.

But besides the coaching staff, are there any hurdles the Eagles have to worry about in week 1? They get to let their prolific pass rush go up against a banged-up Patriots O-Line. QBs have a recent history of success running against Belichick’s defense. And Devonta Smith and AJ Brown will get to give Christian Gonzalez. But there are some areas where the Patriots can give the Eagles some trouble. And a few of the Patriots’ strengths, could be well suited to attack weaknesses on the Eagles. So before Sunday’s game, let’s look at what those are.

Here are 4 Patriots players who could give the Eagles some trouble in week 1:The post 4 Patriots Players Who Could Give the Eagles Trouble on Sunday appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The John Kincade Show hosts its First Friday broadcast in front of a live audience every month. The September First Football Friday featured Philadelphia Eagles beat reporters Tim McManus and Geoff Mosher along with a rowdy cast of characters to get ready for a Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots.

Eagles Fans Fired Up for 2023Football Fridays on 97.5 The Fanatic will feature top guests and analysis throughout the 2023 NFL season. John Kincade, Bob Cooney, Pat Egan, and Connor Thomas brought in the right guests to fire up a crowd for Week 1.

Vince Rizzuto of Philly Sports Trips joined to talk about plans for road trips in 2023, highlighted by 97.5 The Fanatic’s trip to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game on September 25. “The Philly Sports Guy” did what he does best, firing up the crowd with a booming E-A-G-L-E-S early on a Friday morning.

Tailgate DJ EROCK also woke up bright and early to join the festivities. Andrew Salciunas even jumped in to talk about a feud with Ray Dunne on The Anthony Gargano Show.

Eagles Beat ReportersTim McManus, who covers the Eagles for ESPN, spoke about his recent story on Jalen Carter. The ninth-overall pick once threw a “knockout punch” at former teammate Quay Walker while the two were members of the Georgia Bulldogs in 2020.

Carter’s past doesn’t mean he’s not ready for an NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“You have to build up a rapport with him (Carter), a trust level with him in order for him to kind of get on board with what you’re doing. Once you get him to that place, according to some people close to him, then you have him.” -McManus

Geoff Mosher of Inside the Birds talked about an offensive attack with the potential to set the league on fire. He mentioned tremendous respect for Nick Sirianni.

“Whatever they’ve got for you, the Eagles have a way to counterpunch. Not a lot of teams are that offensively balanced…The Eagles, I think offensively, are as complete as any team I’ve seen in quite a while.” -Mosher

He also broke down the potential strengths and weaknesses of Nakobe Dean as a starting linebacker. His comparison of Nick Sirianni to Doug Pederson also offered insight that fans can’t miss.

The post First Football Friday: Eagles Beat Reporters Share Inside Look at Nick Sirianni, Jalen Carter [VIDEO] appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We all know that when it comes to work ethic, Jalen Hurts stands out. More than anything since Hurts came to Philly, we have constantly heard about how hard he works. Whether it is putting extra hours in the film room, or on the practice field, few guys work harder than Jalen Hurts. But apparently, that is now rubbing off on his teammates.

Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever this week, and talked about how Jalen Hurts is noticing his teammates now putting in that extra work as well:

“Hurts talked about the ways he has seen his teammates take on personality, but also his work habits. He is seeing guys showing up to the facility earlier now than he has seen previously, and leaving later. Getting extra work in, whether it is in the film room or weight room. There is no doubt that he is a culture setter. He has these very specific and high standards that he sets for himself, and he holds everybody else to that same standard…It all comes from the top, that is how cultures are set. I think Sirianni does a really nice job of setting the tone. But really the best lockerrooms are the ones that are player-driven. And as we know there are a really strong nucleus right now of leaders that help everybody else understand the right way to do things. And Jalen Hurts is example number 1 of that.”Jalen Hurts’ standard is a hard one to live up to. But apparently, his teammates are trying now. And if you were worried that becoming one of the best-paid players in league history would change Hurts at all, don’t. BecauseTim McManus also discusses that, and how one of his teammates thinks it made Hurts even more focused.

“Also when I was speaking to Britain Covey recently, he noticed most of the time when guys get paid, it is an ‘I reached it’ type of feeling. They feel like they can loosen the grip… He said the exact opposite happened with Hurts. The day after he got his big payday he was in there extraordinarily early, and was just right back to work.”Eagles are very lucky to have a guy like Hurts, in more ways than one. Not only is he supremely talented, but he also is one of the best locker-room guys period. A big reason people are so confident in the Eagles is the steadiness Jalen Hurts brings. And if that mentality starts to rub off on his teammates? Even better.

You can listen to the full conversation with Tim McManus below:You may also enjoy:The 6 Performances That Show Jalen Hurts is Worth Every PennyJalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles’ Qb for a while. Coming off his MVP-caliber season, he signed a 5-year extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. While that is a title that may not last long, considering Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also in line for new contracts, it puts him in that top tier of QBs, which is exactly where he belongs. As expensive as he will be going forward, Jalen Hurts is worth every penny.

Hurts was the runner-up MVP. You could argue he played even better than the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles lost just two games he played in last season. Yes, one of those was the Super Bowl, but it is hard to blame him for that given how well he played. And contrary to what some people say, he is not just a running QB. He developed into a hell of a pocket QB, with a QB rating over 100 in the pocket last season. Hurts threw 22 TDs with just 6 interceptions playing in the pocket last season. Yes, he can kill you with his legs. But he is just as capable of killing teams with his arm too.

And off the field, it is hard to find a player more beloved than him. AJ Brown came out in the offseason and said if the Eagles didn’t pay Hurts, he would follow him wherever he goes. Ndamukong Suh went on the Rich Eisen show to gush about Hurts. You won’t find a single guy Hurts plays with who has anything short of glowing praise.

Jalen Hurts is a star. And as much as this deal will cost, he is worth it. In case you forgot that fact, let’s look back at some of his best performances from this past year.

Here are the 5 performances from last season that show Jalen Hurts is worth every penny…The post Jalen Hurts Is Setting a Standard His Teammates Are Now Following appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Is there a more hated face for Eagles fans in the NFL right now than Jonathan Gannon? First, his defense crapped out in the Super Bowl, failing to get any stops in the second half. Then to make it worse, it came out around draft time he was talking to the Cardinals about taking their head coach job while he was supposed to be preparing for the Super Bowl. A guy Eagles fans already hated for his soft defensive scheme, became public enemy number one.

But now he is piling on. Jonathan Gannon recently sat down with Zak Keefer of The Athletic for an interview. In that interview, they got into the debacle that was his Super Bowl defense. He continued to avoid taking any blame for it.

““I’m the reason we lost the Super Bowl,” he says, mimicking the criticism.”

I mean, is he the only reason they lost? No. But he is probably suspect number 1 for it. You can’t blame the offense, they put up the most points by a Super Bowl loser ever. The defense getting no stops, and some bad special teams play, is why they lost. If it was a few scattered bad performances by the defense, you could put the blame on the players, and not the coach. But it was the whole defense. That tells you it was bad coaching. They could not get a good pass rush because of the bad field, and Gannon couldn’t adjust. It was an issue we saw all season, Gannon struggling to adjust to things on the fly.

Gannon threw his own players under the bus a bit too. Suggesting the Kadarius Toney TD was something where the play should have been covered. He was at least humble enough to say the Skyy Moore TD later in the game was on the play call. How kind of him to take the blame for one single play.

…Another baffling part of the interview was Jonathan Gannon saying that he was surprised by how good of a head coach Nick Sirianni became. On the surface, that seems like a nice thing to say. But it is also a backhanded compliment. It is Gannon saying he did not have much faith in Sirianni before, which makes it odd that he took a job as his defensive coordinator.

That may just be another example of Gannon being a weirdo who does not understand how to interact with people, see his “hype speech” for further proof of that. He may not realize that what he said could be considered an insult too. But either way, it is a strange thing to say.

Cardinals’ HC Jonathan Gannon tries to set the tone for the season in the latest episode of #CardsFlightPlan, “Coach and the Coordinators”.

Now available on Cardinals YouTube channel: https://t.co/c6IWkLjvlw pic.twitter.com/sXbislaAFv

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2023

Everything this guy says or does just makes him easier to dislike. We haven’t even mentioned him taking a random potshot at the Philly media. He was unlikable when he was DC here, despite his defense’s success on the field. He became insufferable when his defense cost the team the Super Bowl. And since he became the Head Coach of the Cardinals, he has become the type of guy many Eagles fans will actively root against. These most recent comments have only made Eagles fans hate him more.

You may also enjoy:Is This Eagles Roster Better Than The Super Bowl Roster? Let's Find OutJust under a week until the Eagles finally take the field in a real game. We have almost made it. Fans have survived the offseason. They survived having to watch the Chiefs get all the deserved love for winning the Super Bowl. Survived the long 7 months from the end of the Super Bowl, to the start of the season. And we survived the dreck that is the NFL Pre-season. Soon, we will finally see this Eagles roster in action.

But will this roster do as well as they did last year? There has been some trepidation from fans and hosts alike in the last few weeks. Maybe that is just our natural inclination to be worried. Enough has gone wrong in Philly sports, especially the last couple of years, that it is understandable to be slow to be optimistic. And there are some question marks on the team entering this year. How will they replace losing all of their starting Safeties and Linebackers? Can the RB room reproduce what Miles Sanders gave them last year? And does the team suddenly have depth issues on the Offensive Line?

This still is a very good roster though. They bring back most of the same players on offense and have some new exciting faces on defense. But are they good enough to do what last year’s team did? Or are those concerns people keep bringing up enough to hurt them? Let’s look at each position group, and see how this new Eagles roster stacks up to the one that made the Super Bowl last season.

The post Jonathan Gannon Jokingly Takes Responsibility For Eagles Loss appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. Every day on The Anthony Gargano Show, they dive into the Vault to grab Audio relevant to the day. Today that included a few things that happened on this day in history, but also a lot of NFL sounds with it being week 1. So he went back and got some Chiefs and Lions highlights with them playing the first game of the season, some Eagles highlights, and more.

Here is the full lineup from today’s Audio Vault:* Michael Spinks beats Steffen Tangstad by TKO on this day in 1986 * Cal Ripken Jr. Break Lou Gehrig’s Consecutive Game Record on this day in 1995 * Dante Hall’s Punt Return * Torrance Small TD Highlight in honor of his Birthday * With it being 4 days from the start of the Eagles’ season, they played Johns Clayton announcing the Eagles’ trade of Kevin Kolb, who wore the number 4 * Jake Elliotts’s record-breaking FG vs the Giants in honor of him also wearing the number 4

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below:You may also enjoy:Week 1 Power Rankings Round Up- Are the Eagles Due for Regression?Week 1 is finally here. On Thursday, we get the first real NFL game of the season. Then Sunday, the Eagles take the field for the first time when they head up to New England to take on the Patriots. Our first chance to see if this team can match what it did last year. Will Jalen Hurts look like an MVP again? Can the defense be as dominant as it was last year? We start to get answers to those questions, and more, Sunday at 4:30.

Most Eagles fans are probably fairly confident in this team. But how does the National Media view this team? Do they think there will be a regression? Or are they with us and already have the Eagles penciled into the Super Bowl again?

The week 1 power rankings are out. And while in the grand scheme of things, power rankings mean nothing, lots of people still check them out every week. There is a reason every single website does Power Rankings, people read them. We love to say we don’t care what the National Media thinks. But we do. Even if we only want something to complain about and want a reason to make ourselves out to be Under Dogs.

So what does the National Media think of this Eagles team heading into week 1? What issues do some of them foresee for the Eagles? Let’s check out what many of these Websites are saying about the Birds.

Here is where all of the National Websites ranked the Eagles in the Week 1 Power Rankings:The post 4 Days Until the Eagles Season Begins, and More in Today’s Vault appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every one knows that it is tough to repeat. It is common knowledge that there is a thing called the Super Bowl hangover. Teams that make the Super Bowl, tend to struggle the next season, whether they won or lost the game. Play those extra games, and later into the season, is tough to bounce back from. And it is hard to come back from the emotional high of either winning or losing the Super Bowl. We mostly consider that as a fact. And so many people this offseason have said the Eagles need to beware the Super Bowl hangover.

There is one problem with all of that, it isn’t true. It is a myth. There is no Super Bowl hangover, at least not for the losing team. Its one of those fake facts people just accept because they have been told it is true enough. Like how if you drop a penny from the Empire State Building, it can kill someone, or that you can see the Great Wall of China from Space. None of these things are real.

I went back through the last 10 Super Bowl losers. The reality of what they all did the next season, should make Eagles fans worried about a hangover feel better. Because while some teams did fall off, most continued to play well. The vast majority made it back to the playoffs. Several made it back to their Conference Championship game. One team even won the Super Bowl the next year. And this Eagles team is way more similar to the teams that carried over their success than the ones who did not.

So let’s bust this myth. Here is what the last 10 teams that lost the Super Bowl got up to the following season:The post The Super Bowl Hangover For The Losing Team Is a Myth appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The ability to determine whether NFL teams will meet expectations or fall short of them is the challenge of placing preseason prop bets. I found some wagers I thought looked tasty. NFL Over/Under bets are also a popular choice. Here is what I decided to do on the BetParx app.

Philadelphia Eagles SelectionsThe 2022 season was exceptional, but are they prepared to follow it up?

Early-Season Prediction Bets * Eagles start 2023 season 5-0 * Eagles as last undefeated NFL team

The early schedule for the Eagles once again is hardly rugged. I’ll take a chance they can navigate this path. They are at the New England Patriots, home against the Minnesota Vikings, at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, home against the Washington Commanders, and on the road against the Los Angeles Rams.

The last undefeated bet goes along with the 5-0 start. I hope they can keep it rolling to be the last undefeated team standing.

Season Win Total Wagers* Eagles to win exactly 12 games * Eagles over 11.5 wins

I believe the Eagles will be a 12-win team. However, I could be talked into a 13-win season, so betting the over 11.5 wins was a no-brainer for me. I took a flyer on the exact win total being 12 as the odds were solid.

Eagles Individual Accomplishment Picks* Jalen Hurts to win MVP * Jalen Carter to win Defensive Rookie of the Year

If he didn’t get injured in Chicago last season, I believe Jalen Hurts would’ve won the MVP Award. I hope he locks it down this time around.

Jalen Carter should get plenty of opportunities to showcase his skills. I’m bullish on his chances for DROY.

Eagles Postseason Outlook * Eagles to win NFC Championship * Eagles to win Super Bowl LVIII

These are optimistic choices, but they can hardly be called “homerism.” The Philadelphia Eagles have the best odds to win the NFC, and they are one of the top favorites to win it all. The odds won’t help you get rich, but these might be solid picks.

NFL Team Over/Under WagersI have never placed as many Season Win Total Over/Under wagers, but I always use my free bets for those. Here are the wagers I went with for the season.

Washington Commanders- Over 6.5 wins
New Orleans Saints- Over 9.5 wins
Los Angeles Rams- Under 5.5 wins
Jacksonville Jaguars- Over 10.5 wins
Indianapolis Colts- Under 6.5 wins
Green Bay Packers- Over 8.5 wins
New England Patriots- Under 7.5 wins
Cincinnati Bengals- Over 11.5 wins

Wager responsibility. Must be 21 or older in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Maryland. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-Gambler.

NFL Power Rankings 2023: Season PreviewThe post NFL Over/Under Wagers and Prop Bets for the 2023 Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last week, The Best Show Ever? and our fine listeners put together their ultimate Eagles Fantasy Football Teams. The teams were picked solely by Tyrone and Jen (Ricky was on vaction) and the listeners and viewers of the program.

Here is the listener’s team (in the order in which they were picked):

Brian Dawkins
Lane Johnson
Brandon Graham
LeSean McCoy
Terrell Owens
Randall Cunningham
David Akers
Chuck Bednarick
Wilbert Montgomery
Tom Dempsey
DeSean Jackson
Trent Cole
Nick Foles
Andre Waters
Fletcher Cox
Cris Carter
Jeremiah Trotter
Brian Mitchell
Haason Reddick
Michael Lewis
Vince Papale
Ben Hawkins
Keith Jackson
Tommy McDonald
Ricky Watters
Brent Celek
William Perry
Pete Pihos

And The Best Show Ever? team:

Reggie White
Brian Westbrook
Harold Carmichael
Jalen Hurts
Donovan McNabb
Jason Kelce
Clyde Simmons
Jon Runyan
Eric Allen
Zach Ertz
Jason Peters
Mike Quick
Malcolm Jenkins
Steve Van Buren
Jerome Brown
Seth Joyner
AJ Brown
Darius Slay
Troy Vincent
Asante Samuel
Wes Hopkins
Tra Thomas
Art Monk
Jake Elliott
Brandon Brooks
Dallas Goedert
Ron Jaworski
DeVonta Smith

Which fantasy team is better?

The post The Best Show Ever? And The Listener’s All Time Eagles Fantasy Football Teams appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Week 1 is finally here. On Thursday, we get the first real NFL game of the season. Then Sunday, the Eagles take the field for the first time when they head up to New England to take on the Patriots. Our first chance to see if this team can match what it did last year. Will Jalen Hurts look like an MVP again? Can the defense be as dominant as it was last year? We start to get answers to those questions, and more, Sunday at 4:30.

Most Eagles fans are probably fairly confident in this team. But how does the National Media view this team? Do they think there will be a regression? Or are they with us and already have the Eagles penciled into the Super Bowl again?

The week 1 power rankings are out. And while in the grand scheme of things, power rankings mean nothing, lots of people still check them out every week. There is a reason every single website does Power Rankings, people read them. We love to say we don’t care what the National Media thinks. But we do. Even if we only want something to complain about and want a reason to make ourselves out to be Under Dogs.

So what does the National Media think of this Eagles team heading into week 1? What issues do some of them foresee for the Eagles? Let’s check out what many of these Websites are saying about the Birds.

Here is where all of the National Websites ranked the Eagles in the Week 1 Power Rankings:The post Week 1 Power Rankings Round Up- Are the Eagles Due for Regression? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After having a week off, Andrew Salciunas is back. which means he is back in charge of the Audio Vault. Every day on The Anthony Gargano Show, they dive into the Vault to pull about Audio relevant to the day. And with it being the start of week 1 in the NFL, that means a lot of Football in today’s Vault. From Jerry Rice setting an NFL record

Here is the full lineup from The Audio Vault today:* On this day In 1994, Jerry Rice set a new TD record * Earl Winfield became the first CFL player to score a TD in 3 different ways on this day in 1988 * A young Muhammad Ali beats Ziggy Pietrzykowski To win Gold at the 1960 Olympics * McNabb’s 14-Second Scramble to Hit Freddie Mitchell for a 60-yard-catch * McNabb leads Syracuse to a game-winning drive

You can listen to the Full Audio Vault below:You may also enjoy:9 Things You Need To Know Before Going To A Philadelphia Eagles GameIf you’re lucky enough to land tickets, there are things you need to know before going to a Philadelphia Eagles game.

A home game starts with a ride to the stadium, whether it’s in a car or on Septa. It includes the tailgate, the game itself, and the camaraderie of over 67,000 of your best friends in Philadelphia.

Games at Lincoln Financial FieldLincoln Financial Field opened in 2003. It quickly became a staple of the South Philadelphia sports complex when it replaced the old Veterans Stadium.

The gameday experience at the Linc is one of the best of any NFL stadium. The Eagles have played 20 seasons there. The building has hosted four NFC Championship Games, and the Eagles have clinched all three of their Super Bowl appearances during that time span at home.

They are also 8-4 in the 12 playoff games in the Linc’s history. From the 4th & 26 game against the Packers to the unforgettable victory over the Vikings to clinch a spot in Super Bowl LII to last season’s slaughter of the 49ers, Eagles fans have their share of memories at the Linc.

Getting Ready for 2023A gameday experience includes more than just the game. Swoop, the cheerleaders, the food and drinks, and the whole atmosphere of the stadium also make an Eagles game an excellent experience.

Whether it’s your first or your 100th trip down to the Linc, things are always changing at the stadium.

Get ready to slap five, scream E-A-G-L-E-S, and see Jalen Hurts and the Birds in action by giving yourself a refresher.

Here are 9 things you need to know before going to a Philadelphia Eagles game.The post Football is Finally Back, And More in Today’s Audio Vault appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles season is finally here. In under a week, they will be traveling to New England to take on the Patriots. We have already learned who has made their 53-man roster. Shortly after that, they started to put together their practice squad. But now, 5 days before game 1, they have announced their team captains.

Offense:* Jalen Hurts (2nd Time Captain) * Devonta Smith (1st Time) * AJ Brown (1st Time) * Lane Johnson (2nd Time) * Jason Kelce (6th time)

Defense* Fletcher Cox (6th Time) * Brandon Graham (5th Time) * Darius Slay (2nd Time)

Special Teams* Jake Elliott (2nd Time)

Hurts, Johnson, Kelce, Cox, Graham, Slay, and Elliott were all Captains last season too. But both Smith and Brown will wear the C for the first time this season. And clearly for AJ Brown, getting named Team Captain means a lot.

“It meant everything to me just to get the respect from your peers, your teammates, to know that you’re being watched and they value what you say and how you go about your day. For them to pick me as a captain tells me that they trust me. That means a lot to me.”

It will be just his second season with the team, but clearly Brown made quite the impact with his teammates in that one season. And not just because he led the team with 1,496 yards. As for Smith, Brown called him out as a guy who leads by example, not words. Brown said he is the guy who “just lines up and goes to work.”

Cox and Kelce are the longest-tenured team captains, with both of them going into the 6th season as Captains. They have been leaders on the team longer than most of the guys on the roster have even been here. Graham is now going into his 5th season as captain. And now Hurts, Johnson, Slay, and Elliott are team captains for the 2nd time.

Here is a look at their full roster:Meet The 53-Man Roster For Your 2023-2024 EaglesAfter several weeks of training camp, and 3 pre-season games, the offseason is finally over. The deadline has passed. Every team’s 53-man roster has been revealed. Now we all know this is not official. Every year there are a few guys who “make the team” and then get cut shortly after when the Eagles claim someone cut by another team. So by week 1, there will be some different faces here than there is right now. But for the most part, the guys who made this original 53-man roster will be the ones on the team when they take on the Patriots on September 10th.

And clearly, there are some things that will change here. Notably the lack of a punter, and there being just 4 WRs. A guy like Britian Covey could come back just before week 1 to fill the role of return man. They did the same thing with him last year. And the Eagles are already working out punters to replace Arryn Siposs. At least one of the guys currently on the 53-man roster will be cut once they sign a punter.

Most of the roster is no surprise. There was not quite as much room for competition as usual. Especially on offense. Tanner McKee settled the QB3 competition early in camp. There was little room for competition at RB and TE. WR5 was maybe up for grabs, but will keep just 4 for now. But there were a few jobs open to competition at backup along the O-Line, and there were roles up for grabs, cut for the most part, we knew which guys would be on the roster. The defense was more interesting though. There were depth spots open for competition at pretty much every position and there were even starter spots open at both Linebacker and Safety.

So who made it? Let’s take a look at your 2023-2024 Philadelphia Eagles:The post Eagles Name Team Captains For the 2023-2024 Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

If you’re lucky enough to land tickets, there are things you need to know before going to a Philadelphia Eagles game.

A home game starts with a ride to the stadium, whether it’s in a car or on Septa. It includes the tailgate, the game itself, and the camaraderie of over 67,000 of your best friends in Philadelphia.

Games at Lincoln Financial FieldLincoln Financial Field opened in 2003. It quickly became a staple of the South Philadelphia sports complex when it replaced the old Veterans Stadium.

The gameday experience at the Linc is one of the best of any NFL stadium. The Eagles have played 20 seasons there. The building has hosted four NFC Championship Games, and the Eagles have clinched all three of their Super Bowl appearances during that time span at home.

They are also 8-4 in the 12 playoff games in the Linc’s history. From the 4th & 26 game against the Packers to the unforgettable victory over the Vikings to clinch a spot in Super Bowl LII to last season’s slaughter of the 49ers, Eagles fans have their share of memories at the Linc.

Getting Ready for 2023A gameday experience includes more than just the game. Swoop, the cheerleaders, the food and drinks, and the whole atmosphere of the stadium also make an Eagles game an excellent experience.

Whether it’s your first or your 100th trip down to the Linc, things are always changing at the stadium.

Get ready to slap five, scream E-A-G-L-E-S, and see Jalen Hurts and the Birds in action by giving yourself a refresher.

Here are 9 things you need to know before going to a Philadelphia Eagles game.The post 9 Things You Need To Know Before Going To A Philadelphia Eagles Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The New England Patriots are a premium brand, and it is always just assumed that they will be a huge threat. Bill Belichick and company have taken a huge hit since Tom Brady exited the building. Here are some things to make you feel better as we start the first Philadelphia Eagles game week of 2023!

1. Foxborough is no longer a house of horrors!Since Tom Brady left, the Patriots have been very mediocre 18-15 at Gillette Stadium. They are 13-12 the last three seasons. This isn’t an intimidating place to play. Don’t let people fool you into thinking the Eagles are walking into a minefield here.

2. Nick Sirianni knows how to win on the road. The Eagles are 13-4 in road games under the Sirianni regime. Last season, they were 7-1 and unbeaten with Jalen Hurts under center. They have most certainly looked focused and ready in every hostile environment.

3. The New England Patriots have lost their home opener the last two seasons.Don’t be scared of being there for the home opener. The Patriots lost in lopsided fashion to the Baltimore Ravens 37-26 in 2022. They lost a heartbreaker to the Miami Dolphins 17-16 in 2021.

4. The slow starts at home post-Brady seem to last a while.The Patriots have a very mediocre record in their first four home games in the previous three seasons. They started out 2-2 at home in 2020 and 1-3 in 2021 and 2022. That’s a 4-8 mark in the first half of their home schedule in a three-season sample size. They lost their first four home games in 2021!

5. The Eagles franchise has a winning record against the Patriots. The Birds have a record of 7-6 all-time vs. New England. A few of the veterans like Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham have experience winning the biggest game in franchise history against them too! This isn’t a Brady-era threat.

6. The Patriots are expected to be quite average.The New England over/under projected betting win total is 7.5.

The Patriots are projected to finish last in the AFC East, which may be the best division in the NFL. Buffalo, Miami and the offseason darling New York Jets all have higher projected win totals.

I’ve already placed my UNDER 7.5 wins bet on the BetParx App!

It’s Patriots Week… pic.twitter.com/KTs2c7NgWi

— Kendall Beck (@KBeckEagles) September 4, 2023

Watch The John Kincade Show live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.

Philadelphia Eagles Projected 2023 Week 1 StartersThe post Prepare for New England Patriots Hype, And Ignore It appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Just under a week until the Eagles finally take the field in a real game. We have almost made it. Fans have survived the offseason. They survived having to watch the Chiefs get all the deserved love for winning the Super Bowl. Survived the long 7 months from the end of the Super Bowl, to the start of the season. And we survived the dreck that is the NFL Pre-season. Soon, we will finally see this Eagles roster in action.

But will this roster do as well as they did last year? There has been some trepidation from fans and hosts alike in the last few weeks. Maybe that is just our natural inclination to be worried. Enough has gone wrong in Philly sports, especially the last couple of years, that it is understandable to be slow to be optimistic. And there are some question marks on the team entering this year. How will they replace losing all of their starting Safeties and Linebackers? Can the RB room reproduce what Miles Sanders gave them last year? And does the team suddenly have depth issues on the Offensive Line?

This still is a very good roster though. They bring back most of the same players on offense and have some new exciting faces on defense. But are they good enough to do what last year’s team did? Or are those concerns people keep bringing up enough to hurt them? Let’s look at each position group, and see how this new Eagles roster stacks up to the one that made the Super Bowl last season.

The post Is This Eagles Roster Better Than The Super Bowl Roster? Let’s Find Out appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The monotonous preseason chatter is finally behind us. The NFL regular season will finally begin on Thursday, Sept. 7 when the Detroit Lions visit the Kansas City Chiefs. Study the NFL Preseason Power Rankings from 97.5 The Fanatic before kickoff.

Philadelphia Eagles OutlookThe top spot didn’t go to the defending Super Bowl champions. Full-season projections determine the preseason rankings. While performance during the 2022 season plays a major factor in projections, it doesn’t fully determine it.

Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles enter the season enter the season in the top spot after a heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Their free agent losses won’t weigh on them as long as younger players are able to fulfill expectations set by an organization with a strong track record of evaluating talent.

The AFC is the stronger conference, especially at the quarterback position. The Eagles could see an easier road back to the Super Bowl out of the NFC. The Dallas Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers, and the rest of the field will certainly have a thing or two to say about that.

NFL Preseason Power Rankings: Week 1 OutlookThe Chiefs will raise another banner at Arrowhead Stadium against a team desperate to be taken seriously in the NFL landscape once again.

The first Monday Night Football matchup of the season will feature a similar dynamic. The Buffalo Bills have made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons and five of the past six. Meanwhile, the New York Jets look to break through into contention.

Best Matchup- 1 pm Game WaveThe best Sunday on the sports calendar will feature two historic franchises clashing when the San Francisco 49ers visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening wave of games.

Best Matchup- 4 pm Game WaveThe Miami Dolphins visit the Los Angeles Chargers in a battle of teams looking to join the top powers of the AFC.

The post NFL Power Rankings 2023: Season Preview appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

James Harden does not want to win. That is not me saying that, it is apparently what Harden wants. Rachel Nichols went on Undisputed on Fox Sports and said the reason Harden wants out of Philly is that he wants to be the main guy on a team again. According to her, he is sick of playing second fiddle to Joel Embiid and wants to go somewhere he can lead the show.

Rachel Nichols says James Harden wants to be the No. 1 option on a team again

“He thinks he should be leading the show. The reason why he wanted out of Philadelphia in the first place is that it's the Joel Embiid show right now.”

(Via @undisputed / h/t @ClutchPoints ) pic.twitter.com/en8A9t4FjX

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 31, 2023

…It does track with some of what we were hearing directly after the season. One of the things we heard about James Harden at the start of free agency is that he wanted the ball more. He wants to go back to playing his style where it’s constant ISO. And if he wasn’t happy with how little Doc Rivers let him do that, he certainly would not be happy under Nick Nurse. One of the biggest things Nurse emphasizes is the importance of team ball. The Sixers should feature a lot more passing and far less Iso next season.

What does not make sense is why the Clippers then? Does he think he will be the guy on a team that includes Paul George and Kawhi Leonard? Is his hope that they will both be injured enough he gets to be the guy when they go out? Nothing Harden has done all season has made sense. He said he didn’t want to play here, and yet he opted in. Now he says he wants to be the guy, but will only go to the Clippers?

I don’t doubt what Rachel Nichols said, She is known for having a good relationship with a lot of players. And Harden prioritizing looking good over winning tracks with what we know about him. But if it is true, Harden should adjust his trade demand. Let the Sixers move him to some bottom-market team that may actually have something to offer besides aging vets like the Clippers are offering.

You may also enjoy:14 Times James Harden Looked Awful in the PlayoffsThe Sixers have a very tough decision to make. Resign James Harden, and get stuck with him for 4 years at max money when he is already 33. Or they can let him walk, and be left with no 2nd star, no starting PG, and no cap space to find another one. James Harden opting out of his contract really put them in an impossible position.

None of this may have mattered if he played even okay in game 6 or game 7. But instead, he was a disaster. Just like he was a disaster in games 2 and 3. As great as he was in games 1 and 4, and he is the main reason they won those two games, he is just as responsible for the Sixers 4 losses. That is not to say Joel Embiid is off the hook. Embiid was terrible too, especially in game 7. but he is still under contract, and still young enough to say he can correct his playoff issues. But James Harden is 33. And as the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Is this really the guy the Sixers want to tie their future to? If they sign him to a 4-year deal, it would mean he is Embiid’s running mate for the rest of his prime.

Yes not signing him is not a great option either. But that doesn’t mean re-signing him is a good one. James Harden has proven time and time again that he will not step up when it matters most. Is that going to change when he turns 34 in August? Or when he is 37 at the end of this deal? Will he all of a sudden not lose his legs in the playoffs like he did the past two seasons?

Before the Sixers rush into resigning James Harden, lets first look at Harden’s long history of coming up short when the games matter most:The post James Harden Wants To Be The Main Guy On A Team Again appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jordan Davis had a pretty underwhelming rookie season in Philadelphia. He was by no means bad, but he was not on the field that much due to a very deep rotation at DT. The first-round pick showed a ton as a run stuffer but did not offer much in the way of a pass rush. He came into camp this year though slimmed down, with better conditioning. And the Eagles are expecting big things out of him.

Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever on Wednesday and spoke about the Eagles’ high expectations for Jordan Davis this upcoming season:“We have been seeing pretty consistently that Jordan Davis has been paired with Fletcher Cox as the starting DT. That is significant. We know that Javon Hargrave last season had 11 sacks. He was a big part of what they were doing. They were hoping Jordan Davis would be able to take a step forward. And the way that Cox is talking about him recently is that he is a 3-down Defensive Tackle now. They are showing through their words and their actions by pairing him with Cox that they feel he is in line for a big role, and they are hoping for big contributions.

When you are looking at if this defense can sustain the success from last year, don’t look any further than number 90. He is going to be a big key to whether can sustain what they have been doing.”

Eagles fans have not gotten to see it much. Jordan Davis barely played in the preseason, with under 20 total snaps between the 3 games. But that helps show the confidence the Eagles have in him. We saw other guys who did not quite have their role secured play far more snaps. But they treated Davis like any other starter.

There is still a deep rotation at DT. So Davis is going to have to prove it on the field if he wants to max out his playing time. We saw last year that the Eagles are more than willing to make mid-season moves to fill in holes, And Linval Joseph, who took playing time from Jordan Davis last season, is still out there. Davis will have to contribute in both the pass rush and as a run stuffer if he is going to stay on the field for all 3 downs.

But every indication suggests the Eagles think he will do just that. Will he be an 11-sack guy like Hargrave? Probably not. But can he be disruptive enough to help his teammates rack up big sack numbers? That is what the Eagles were planning on when they drafted him. And it seems like they feel pretty good he will be that guy this year.

You can listen to the full conversation with Tim McManus below:Here is a look at who should be starting for the Eagles week 1:Philadelphia Eagles Projected 2023 Week 1 StartersPhiladelphia Eagles projected Week 1 starters include three newcomers on defense, one on offense, and three younger players stepping into starting roles for the first time.

The defending NFC champs will travel to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots to kick off the 2023 NFL season.

2023 Philadelphia EaglesJalen Hurts returns as the starting quarterback after a breakout season landed him second in MVP voting behind only Patrick Mahomes. Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback signed a lucrative $255 million contract extension this offseason.

Nick Sirianni will enter his third season as head coach. He inherited a 4-11-1 team and took them to the playoffs with a 9-8 record in 2021. The drastic improvement continued in his second season on the sidelines at Lincoln Financial Field when the Eagles finished 14-3.

General manager Howie Roseman has built a reputation as one of the best executives in the NFL. He also continued to stock the cupboard with talent in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the selection of University of Georgia standouts Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith.

Philadelphia Eagles Projected Week 1 StartersHurts leads an offensive attack that finished third in the NFL in points scored in 2022. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert also return as his three strongest weapons in the passing game. Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson have at least one more run together as the anchors of a stout offensive line.

Philadelphia native D’Andre Swift will likely join the starting lineup in Week 1 as the only newcomer. Cam Jurgens will move into a starting role as the right guard.

On defense, veterans Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham hope to bring the city another moment of glory before the end of their respective careers in midnight green. Second-year players Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship will both play full-time starting roles for the first time. Carter, Terrell Edmunds, and Zach Cunningham will likely crack the starting lineup on opening day.

The defense under new coordinator Sean Desai will feature multiple packages and rotating personnel. One look will be a traditional 4-3 base.

The post The Eagles Expect Big Things From Jordan Davis This Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Cut Down day has passed. Teams have trimmed their rosters down to 53, even if we all know none of these rosters are final. And all of the players waived […]

The post Everyone The Eagles Have Signed To Their Practice Squad appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Philadelphia fans do not have the best history of pronouncing players’ names correctly. Every day we get phone calls from fans calling Nick Castellanos Castalano. Before him, people loved to […]

The post How To Pronounce Albert Okwuegbunam, New Eagles TE appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

NFL Cut down day is here. For many, it is the day their dream to make an NFL roster is made. But for many others, it is the day their […]

The post Tracking Every Player Cut By The Eagles Before The Deadline appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Lane Johnson stood about a foot taller than him in the huddle. Jason Peters outweighed him by about 150 pounds. Darren Sproles never really looked like an NFL running back, […]

The post Darren Sproles Shares Underdog Message at Fan Fest 2023 [VIDEO] appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nick Foles fired up the crowd at Xfinity Live for Fan Fest 2023 in a way that nobody else could. The Super Bowl LII MVP spoke on the 97.5 The […]

The post Nick Foles Drops Hilarious Teaser for Philadelphia Eagles Fans [VIDEO] appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The final game of the pre-season is finally in the books for the Eagles. They fell to the Colts, meaning they finished the Pre-Season without a win, not that the […]

The post Who Stood Out Most In the Pre-Season- Eagles Stock Report appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony Gargano Made the Case For Going After Jonathan Taylor in his Opening Diatribe This Morning: “I want to talk about something today. The Jonathan Taylor thing. The reports are […]

The post Anthony Gargano Makes The Case For Going After Jonathan Taylor appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nick Sirianni is just beginning his duties for the 2023 NFL Season, but he has already accomplished one of his goals. Now, this is not a goal that he has […]

The post Nick Sirianni Has Accomplished His Biggest Preseason Goal appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In just a couple of weeks, we will get real Football back. No more pre-season games with 3rd stringers. An actual Football game with consequences. The season kicks off on […]

The post Eagles Pre-Season Power Rankings Round Up appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

A few weeks ago, we learned that our own Jason Kelce was getting the documentary treatment. Amazon Prime announced the upcoming feature-length movie, Kelce, chronicling Jason Kelce’s season last year, […]

The post Check Out the First Trailer For ‘Kelce’ From Amazon Prime appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what they found in the Audio Vault on The Anthony Gargano Show today. Every day they dive into the Vault to pull out audio relevant to the day. Ray […]

The post Looking Back At When Andrew Luck Shocked the NFL World By Retiring appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Ever since the Eagles drafted Sydney Brown, Eagles fans have had a level of hype about him. If you watch his tape at Illinois, it is hard not to be […]

The post Sydney Brown Could Start The Season As Red Zone Specialist appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Adam Schefter joined The John Kincade Show for his weekly Wednesday appearance. He spoke about the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFC favorite, and their approach to the preseason. When asked to […]

The post Adam Schefter Names Biggest NFC Threats to Philadelphia Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Today’s joint practice between the Eagles and the Colts got a bit chippy. Multiple fights were breaking out throughout the day. First AJ Brown took offense to a late hit […]

The post Jason Kelce Admits Fault For Hit That Started a Brawl With the Colts appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Pre-Season is almost over. The Eagles have one more game vs the Colts this Thursday. And then by next Tuesday at 4 pm, rosters have to be cut down to […]

The post Revisiting Every Eagles Roster Battle Now That Pre-Season Is Almost Over appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

At the end of the week, NFL teams start to make their final cuts. Very soon we will know what the Eagles 53-Man Roster will look like this season. By […]

The post Final Predictions For Who Will Make The Eagles 53-Man Roster appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It’s tough to find a person with a bad thing to say about Brandon Graham. Philadelphia Eagles fans adore the franchise legend who set a career-high in sacks for the […]

The post Brandon Graham Mulling Retirement After the 2023 Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Darren Sproles didn’t look like an NFL star. Despite an outstanding college career at Kansas State, a 5-foot-6 running back doesn’t project well at the professional level. The San Diego […]

The post 5 Best Darren Sproles Highlights with Philadelphia Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles came into Camp set at most positions. Even at positions like RB where we did not know who would take the lead role, we knew it would be […]

The post Eagles May Have Their Answers At Linebacker and Safety appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Two pre-season games are in the books. Meaning just one more fake game, until we get to see the Eagles play for real. Still no sightings from any of the […]

The post Mariota In Danger of Losing Job? Eagles Stock Report After 2nd Preseason Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. Every day on The Anthony Gargano Show Andrew goes back in the Vault to find audio relevant to the day. […]

The post Do The Deal! Looking Back at Marcus Mariota Mania appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony Gargano Talked About How Bad Marcus Mariota Looked Last Night in His Opening Diatribe This Morning: “Mariota stinks. Let’s get that out of the way. Put Jalen in bubble […]

The post Marcus Mariota Has Anthony Gargano Concerned About Backup QB appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles had been blessed at this point to have gotten through camp without any significant injuries to important players. That luck ran out this week. Haason Reddick injured his […]

The post Haason Reddick Needs Surgery On His Injured Thumb, Should Be Ready Week 1 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The time of the year has come. We all look forward to Eagles training camp in the middle of the summer. From those who want to say goodbye to the […]

The post Eagles Starting To Get Answers To Big Training Camp Questions appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The hype for Jalen Carter has been real in Philadelphia every since the Eagles drafted him. You could argue it was starting to ramp up even before the draft as […]

The post Jalen Carter is Getting Better As They Get Deeper In Training Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

One week of Pre-Season is in the books. We barely saw any starters in game 1 vs the Ravens at all. And that is a trend Eagles fans should probably […]

The post Eagles Stock Report After Week 1 of the Pre-Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed Marcus Mariota to a one-year, $5 million contract in March. The decision to bring in a veteran behind Jalen Hurts made sense, especially considering Mariota’s athleticism […]

The post Is Marcus Mariota A Concern As Backup Quarterback? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nick Foles will forever be a hero in Philadelphia. He is the guy who helped us get our first-ever Lombardi Trophy. Because of him, we got to have a parade […]

The post Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles Joins The Anthony Gargano Show appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

I’m mad at you Nick Sirianni. I don’t know you personally and there’s little doubt in my mind that you don’t have any idea of who I am. But you […]

The post There’s Nothing To See In This Preseason, Thanks, Nick Sirianni appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Sean Desai will begin his first season as the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. The idea of a replacement for Jonathan Gannon might make some fans happy […]

The post Evaluating Sean Desai as a Replacement for Jonathan Gannon appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Tonight is the Eagles’ first Pre-Season game. At 7 pm, they take the field against the Ravens. it will be the first real look for Eagles fans at this team, […]

The post 8 Players To Watch In the Eagles First Pre-Season Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Preseason games are the ultimate tease of the NFL season. We have all learned over the years that training camp is a wash when it comes to learning about a […]

The post Starters Shouldn’t Play A Snap In Any Philadelphia Eagles Preseason Games appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jalen Hurts came into last season with a lot of questions over his head. His 2021 season had flashes, but there were issues with consistency. But he answered all of […]

The post No One Should Question Jalen Hurts Ability To Throw The Ball Anymore appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Derek Barnett has never lived up to being a first-round pick during his time in Philly. His rookie year showed promise with 5 sacks, as well as a key sack […]

The post Derek Barnett Is Still Doing Dumb Things At Eagles Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jalen Hurts certainly earned himself a lot of admirers last season, but Chris Jones and Patrick Mahomes might be the most notable ones. The two Kansas City Chiefs stars spoke […]

The post The Highest Praise Jalen Hurts Could’ve Received appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL Top 100 list is an inexact science. Every year, the NFL puts together a survey of current players as to who the top players in the league were […]

The post Jalen Hurts Named #3 Player In The NFL Top 100 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

You will not want to miss Fan Fest this year. Not only is it the first Fan Fest to ever feature Live National Recording Artists including Rae Sremmurd and Fall […]

The post Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles Is Coming To Philadelphia Fan Fest appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Football is so close. The Open Practice over the weekend is a true sign of that. This week the Eagles will play their first Pre-Season game. Then in just a […]

The post 8 Things We Learned From the Eagles Open Practice on Sunday appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Haason Reddick led a ferocious, record-setting pass rush for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. The three-year, $45 million contract he signed in free agency last offseason turned into an incredible […]

The post Haason Reddick Contract Question Has Simple Solution appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles revealed the 33 members of the 2023 Eagles Cheerleader roster. The announcement came with a series of epic photo shoots. One of which shows off the Kelly […]

The post G-O B-I-R-D-S! Meet the 2023 Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

One of the big battles in Eagles Training Camp is at RB. Not necessarily to see who makes the roster, those 4 guys are pretty much set in stone. But […]

The post D’Andre Swift Has Stood Out Amongst The RBs at Eagles Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Two-time (and soon to be three-time) cancer survivor John Kincade shaved his head earlier this week after four rounds of a 12-round chemotherapy regimen. The First Friday Broadcast for The […]

The post Pat Egan, Connor Thomas Shave Heads in Solidarity with John Kincade [VIDEO] appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last night Anthony Gargano was in his element. Football was back. The first pre-season game of the year took place. Jets vs Browns in the annual Hall of Fame game. […]

The post Was The Hall of Fame Game Worth Watching? Anthony and Andrew Debate appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

If you attend a Philadelphia Eagles home game in 2023, you’ll get an NFL pregame fan experience among the league’s best. Bookies.com ranked Lincoln Financial Field eighth on their list […]

The post Philadelphia Eagles Ranked on List of Best NFL Pregame Fan Experiences appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Super Bowl performance aside, the Eagles defense was very good last year. They gave up the least passing yards per game, had the most sacks, and were top 5 […]

The post Can The Eagles Defense Be As Good As Last Year? Tim McManus Weighs In appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

During training camp, I love scouring gambling websites and shows to gain insight into NFL betting trends. It helps me prepare for preseason wagers and put together a game plan […]

The post 7 Eye-Opening NFL Betting Trends You Need To Know appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

National media members never fail to rile up the local fan base when they criticize the treatment of Donovan McNabb and other star Philadelphia athletes. The brutal, unforgiving attitude in […]

The post 11 Philadelphia Athletes With Complicated Legacies appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what was brewing with Jen Scordo today. Every day on The Best Show Ever? Jen Scordo shares a few recent weird and interesting news stories. Today that includes Eagles […]

The post What’s Brewing With Jen And Kelly Green Eagles Jerseys! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The other day, I went through notes that I kept during my years at ESPN Radio and when I worked with Fox NFL Analyst and three-time Super Bowl champion Mark […]

The post When Mark Schlereth Shared Advice With John Kincade appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Philadelphia Eagles fans will finally have the opportunity to buy newly-made Eagles Kelly Green gear starting at 9 am on Monday, July 31. The team’s official website hyped up the […]

The post The Real Reason Philadelphia Eagles Fans Love Kelly Green appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles made quite a splash on night one of the NFL Draft this year. Not only did they snag who many are calling the steal of the draft in […]

The post The Georgia Boys Are Impressing Early in Eagles Training Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles ran through the NFC last year. They looked primed at one point to clinch the whole conference 3 weeks early until an injury to Jalen Hurts cost them […]

The post Randy Moss Sees The Eagles As NFC Favorites Again appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans have wanted Kelly Green Jerseys badly. And that has been the case for a while. Every year, we have begged the team to wear them as their alternate. […]

The post Eagles Finally Announce When Kelly Green Jerseys Will Go On Sale appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

If you know Anthony Gargano, you know he is restless waiting for some Football. He starts thinking about the next Football season precisely an hour after the Super Bowl ends. […]

The post Zach Berman Discusses The Eagles New Coordinators and More With Anthony Gargano appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts brought the 2022 Eagles within sight of the team’s second Super Bowl parade down Broad Street. Ultimately falling short to MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and […]

The post Jalen Hurts: The Leader The Eagles Need appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are now a few days into Eagles Training Camp. It opened up on Tuesday, and they had their first practice on Wednesday. And you can already see storylines starting […]

The post 8 Biggest Takeaways From the First Few Days At Eagles Training Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what they found in The Audio Vault today. Every day on The Anthony Gargano Show they dive into the Vault to pull out Audio relevant to the day. That […]

The post Jim Johnson, DeMeco Ryans, and More in Today’s Vault appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Before we gear up for Philly Sports during the month of August at the Fanatic, we’ll enjoy one of our favorite events of the year. Monday, July 31 is our […]

The post John Kincade’s 3 Philly Sports Questions For August appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman met with the media yesterday for their first press conference of Eagles training camp. As you would expect, there weren’t many groundbreaking quotes from the […]

The post “The Goal Right Now Isn’t The Super Bowl” Says Nick Sirianni appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Bouncing back from a Super Bowl loss can be hard. Doing so after a win can even be harder. We saw that with the Rams last year. They went from Super Bowl winners, to out of the playoffs. It puts a target on your back and can take a toll on the bodies of players […]

The post Nick Sirianni Rips Into His Players In First Training Camp Practice appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Football is back. Well almost. We have a month and change of training camp/ pre-season before the Eagles start their season traveling up to Foxborough to play the Patriots. The Eagles finally get a chance to bounce back from the heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl. And we can start to see how this new […]

The post Assessing the Eagles Biggest Needs At The Start of Training Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Adam Schefter joined The John Kincade Show to talk about the start of NFL training camps, the sale of the Washington Commanders, and some breaking news about Andrew Thomas of the New York Giants. Andrew Thomas Signs Extension The premiere NFL insider broke news live on the airwaves of 97.5 The Fanatic. Andrew Thomas has […]

The post Adam Schefter Breaks News About NFC East Rival on “The John Kincade Show” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

NFL Insider Adam Schefter joins the John Kincade Show every Wednesday for his weekly insight (8:20 am on Wednesday mornings.) Eagles fans are pumped as the team kicks off training camp 2023. But the Eagles are always looking to add to the current roster. Last season Howie Roseman added CJ Gardner-Johnson right before the season […]

The post Adam Schefter Discusses The One Position He Could See The Eagles Adding appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Super Bowl or bust. That’s almost a curse when it comes to the NFL. Having expectations that lofty on the day that the Eagles take their first training camp practice might seem crazy. Or, to some, it might seem perfectly reasonable. After all, they are the defending NFC Champions, in a conference that did not […]

The post It’s Super Bowl Or Bust For The Philadelphia Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every year the NFL releases its own list of the Top 100 players in the league, as voted on by the players themselves. And it is that time of the year again. On Monday, 7/25, they released the first 10. And now they will release another 10 names every weekday. The top 10 will be […]

The post Where Every Eagles Player Falls On the NFL Top 100 Players List appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Keep an eye on Jeremy Chinn of the Carolina Panthers as a candidate to land with the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2023 NFL season begins. The safety position looks thin. Reed Blankenship, Terrell Edmunds, and Sydney Brown will all compete for starting roles, but will Howie Roseman feel comfortable entering the season with serious question […]

The post Philadelphia Eagles Trade Targets: Safety Jeremy Chinn appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

As the Eagles approach the beginning of training camp practice this Wednesday, there has been about as much talk on this team as there has been about the terrific play of Trea Turner. Perhaps that is a good thing as they enter the season as heavy favorites, not only in the NFC East but the […]

The post It’s Okay To Have Questions About The Eagles For This Coming Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles training camp is a very interesting time of year for Philly fans, as the city prepares for another season. There’s a lot that we think we know heading into the team’s first action of the year, and there’s a lot still to find out. The roster looks strong, and the defending NFC Champions seem […]

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Budda Baker is the apple of the eye for fans of the Philadelphia Eagles as training camp begins. Adam Schefter reported that the five-time Pro Bowler will report to training camp for the Arizona Cardinals despite disagreements with the team over his contract situation. However, Baker’s social media activity suggests he has his sight set […]

The post Budda Baker’s Unexpected Social Media Tease For The Philadelphia Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Training Camp is almost here. Which means, more importantly, the actual season is almost here. Training Camp is one of those things you look forward to until it arrives, and then you realize what you were actually looking forward to is the season itself. Camp itself is more like when you are at a restaurant, […]

The post 53-Man Roster Predictions Before The Eagles Start Training Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade The Eagles crafted an amazing 2022 season that ended in a disappointing loss in Super Bowl 57 in Arizona. Despite the loss, if you’re like me, most of your thoughts about last year are positive. There is so much to love about last season and more importantly their future! I wrote yesterday […]

The post 2022 Fan Hangover is giving the Phillies a relative pass on hard critique appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jalen Hurts took a larger jump last season than any QB in recent memory. He went from a guy people left out of the top 20 QBs in the league, to the runner up at MVP. Usually when there is that big of a climb, you would expect a slight return to the norm, right? […]

The post Don’t Expect Jalen Hurts To Take A Step Back This Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There’s obviously so much buzz and hype going into the new NFL season. The Eagles, I believe, are the team to beat. Now, ESPN has released a list of its power rankings for the NFL teams in 2023, and they have the Eagles in an interesting spot. Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl, again? First […]

The post Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl? New Ranking Has Them Winning appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have the best starting 5 on the offensive line. And it’s not really close. Two All-Pros in Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson. Two guys who have the potential to be All-Pros at some point in Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata. Then it will be either Cam Jurgens or Tyler Steen at RG, both […]

The post With Dennis Kelly, The Eagles Biggest Strength Gets Even Better appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade The steroids in my cancer treatments have me a bit on edge. Sleep deprivation is real and can lead to a lot of moments where doubt sets in. No, not doubts about my recovery but doubts about my beloved sports teams! Here’s a few things that are bothering me that may seem […]

The post I’ve got “Invasive Thoughts” about all the Philly teams appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Training camp is finally here. Which means real football is almost here too. This Tuesday, the Eagles report. We are just over 50 days until they take the field for the first time on the path to getting back to the Super Bowl, and hopefully, this time, win it. But before we get there, they […]

The post 8 Returning Eagles Whose Jobs are On the Line In Training Camp appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

NFL running backs don’t have the financial value that they used to have. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard made headlines when they failed to sign long-term contracts with their respective teams before the July 17 deadline. Pollard has accepted the $10.09 million franchise tender for 2023, but Barkley and Jacobs still have uncertain […]

The post Adam Schefter: NFL Running Backs Aren’t Innocent Victims of a Bad Market appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

What did Andrew Salciunas find in The Audio Vault today? Every day on The Anthony Gargano Show, they dive into the Vault to pull out audio relevant to the day. That may be famous birthdays, things that happened on this day in history, or more. Today they looked back at the debut of a American […]

The post The NFL In Europe, Stuart Scott, and More in Today’s Vault appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Training camp is back. On Tuesday, the Eagles report to camp. Meaning we are just several weeks away from the first kickoff of the season. Soon enough, Jalen Hurts will be taking the field, throwing bombs to AJ Brown, and pissing off opposing defenses by converting every single 3rd and 1. But before that can […]

The post Can We Not Complain About How Little Work the Eagles Do at Training Camp? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The possibility of Philadelphia Eagles regression candidates needs acknowledgment. A 14-3 record and an appearance in the Super Bowl isn’t exactly easy to recreate. Adam Schefter spoke on The John Kincade Show about the adversity that NFL teams inevitably face over the course of a long, demanding schedule. “You just don’t know what goes wrong. […]

The post Cooney’s Corner: Which Philadelphia Eagles Are Due For Regression in 2023? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The best shot at a Super Bowl? That might sound crazy for a team that just signed a young franchise QB that everyone seems to be high on. And even outside of Jalen Hurts, there’s no denying that the Eagles’ roster is stacked. The defending NFC Champions stacked the offensive side of the ball this […]

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The Philadelphia Eagles are almost ready to begin training camp at the Nova Care Complex. The city of Philadelphia has the luxury of a baseball team in contention for the World Series once again in 2023. Are the Phillies actually overshadowing the Eagles less than half a year after an appearance in Super Bowl LVII […]

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by John Kincade The life of a Philly sports fan can be both mentally and physically exhausting. On the physical side, I’m thinking of my friends who get up at dawn on a Sunday to secure that perfect spot for their Eagles tailgate and then continuing the party after a 1pm game to avoid sitting […]

The post Do you need a short break from Philly sports this week? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

James Harden trade rumors, Philadelphia Eagles offseason storylines, and the mystery of Matvei Michkov dominated the conversation on First Friday with The John Kincade Show. On the First Friday of every month, John Kincade, Bob Cooney, and Pat Egan invite a live audience to interact with them at our Bala Cynwyd studios. Local beat writers […]

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by John Kincade First of all there aren’t really any spoilers involved in this missive so I’m not ruining the ending of a show you should have finished weeks ago! Watching the MAX series Succession which I thought was brilliant in its casting, length of series and character development it got me thinking. First, why […]

The post When real life Succession hits Philly Sports! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Devon Allen is a former two time Olympic track star, so obviously he’s fast. But he claims, he’s the fastest person in the NFL. Allen told TMZ that he’s the fastest player in the NFL, faster than Tyreek Hill, DK Metcalf and Jayden Waddle. Allen told TMZ over the holiday weekend, “I definitely am [the […]

The post Eagles WR Devon Allen Says He’s The Fastest In The NFL appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jordan Mailata brings a commanding presence as a key cog for the best offensive line in football. A 6-foot-8, 365-pound mammoth with incredible athleticism is bound to succeed in the NFL. However, Mailata doesn’t stop there with qualities women would find attractive. It’s so true that Andrew Salciunas warned his male listening base to hide […]

The post Hide This Jordan Mailata Video From Your Wives And Girlfriends appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With Anthony in Italy for a few weeks, Andrew Salciunas slid into the host’s chair, with Jamie Lynch co-hosting with him. That meant Ray Dunne was in charge of The Audio Vault. Every day on The Anthony Gargano show they dive into the Vault to pull out stuff relevant to the day. That may be […]

The post AJ Brown’s Birthday, Cy Young’s Perfect Game, All In Today’s Vault appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It has been nearly 20 years since there was a repeat winner in the NFC East. The last time that happened, was the Eagles during the McNabb and Reid era. But since 2005 there has been a new winner of the NFC East every year. Since then the Eagles have won 6 times, 2006, 2010, […]

The post Ranking The Position Groups of Each NFC East Team appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There are few things more hated in Philadelphia than the Cowboys. The Penguins and Celtics are certainly up there with them. But there is something special about the Cowboys’ hate that makes it feel different. Maybe it is the fact our city is infested with local Cowboys fans. Mind you these people usually have no […]

The post 7 Things That Happened Since the Cowboys Last Won A Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Some guys we will never forget playing in Philadelphia. Brian Dawkins, Allen Iverson, Jimmy Rollins, and Eric Lindros. These names will be remembered by Philadelphians, even if they were too young to ever see them play. Hell, I know the name Chuck Bednarik, and he retired 30 years before I was born. But that is […]

The post 7 Athletes You May Have Forgotten Played In Philadelphia appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles have wrapped up OTAs, and The John Kincade Show is measuring their level of confidence in Eagles position groups entering the 2023 season. The “Cooney’s Corner” segment included a breakdown of each expected starter. “So I wanted to go through the roster to you and find out where your trust comes from and […]

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In Anthony’s Opening Diatribe this morning, he spoke about how he thinks the Eagles are set up to avoid a Super Bowl hangover: “I did a national hit yesterday. We were talking about the Eagles, and they kept talking about the Super Bowl hangover. When I look at the Eagles, I think they freshened up […]

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The leap Jalen Hurts took last year was unprecedented. He went from a guy who at times struggled to make throws in 2021, to being one of the best QBS in the league last year. And not just because of his running ability. A lot of the stats show he was one of the best […]

The post Jalen Hurts Could Have An Even Higher Level to His Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. Every day on The Anthony Gargano Show Andrew pulls some audio relevant to the day. That may be famous birthdays or events that took place on this day in history. And today in history, something very important happened in the NFL. The NFL-AFL merger was announced. Which also meant the birth of something else. The Super Bowl. And because of that, Andrew dedicated today’s Vault to the greatest Super Bowls of all time.

A couple of years back, the NFL itself put together its own list of the greatest Super Bowls ever. It came out a few years back, so the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl did not make the list. But they ranked all the Super Bowls that had taken place at that point and time. And Andrew grabbed a play from each of them, to play in the Vault today.

Anthony of course had his opinions. Notably, he did not agree at all with Super Bowl ranked 10th. but you can listen to all the plays, and Anthony’s reaction to each of them below.

Here is the lineup from the Vault today:10) Super Bowl 38- Patriots Beat the Panthers

9) Super Bowl 14- Bradshaw to Lynn Swann

8) Super Bowl 52- You Want Philly Philly?

7) Super Bowl 23- Montana to

6) Super Bowl 3- Joe Namath Guaren

5) Super Bowl 25- Scott Norwood’s Kick is No Good

4) Super Bowl 51- Patriots’ Historic Comeback vs the Falcons

3) Super Bowl 49 – Why didn’t the Seahawks Run it?

2) Super Bowl 42- The Helmet Catch

1) Super Bowl – Bradshaw Beats the Cowboys

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below:You may also enjoy:Audio Vault- Ryan Howard Hits A 3rd Deck HRSee what Andrew Salciunas found in The Audio Vault today. Every day on The Anthony Gargano Show, Andrew dives into the Vault to pull out some Audio relevant to the day. It may be famous birthdays, things that happened on this day in history, or more. Today that included a massive HR by Ryan Howard, Mike Schmidt retiring, Albert Bell turning Baseball into a contact sport, a Mike Tyson Fight, and the debut of Barry Bonds.

What audio did Andrew play for each of those things? Here is the lineup from today’s Vault, and you can listen to the full thing at the bottom of the article.The post Audio Vault: The Greatest Super Bowls of All Time appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Chris Simms has created a reputation for being a Jalen Hurts hater. Throughout his whole MVP-caliber season, and the run to Super Bowl, Chris Simms was being a downer on Jalen Hurts. He said ridiculous things like saying Daniel Jones is as good as Jalen Hurts. No matter how good Jalen Hurts looked, he would be there putting Hurts down. Saying asinine things like that Jalen Hurts is not that good of a thrower.

Pretty much everyone else has acknowledged that Jalen Hurts took a HUGE step and became a great thrower last year. Going into last season, saying he struggled with accuracy or deep balls may have been fair. But that was not the case last year. He was 5th last season in deep ball completion percentage. We saw him deliver so many balls to AJ Brown, in good coverage, to a place where only Brown could make the play. Yes, Brown made great catches. But it was the great throws by Hurts that made those great catches possible.

Well, Chris Simms is at it again. He put out his annual top 40 Qb list. Now Jalen Hurts came in at 7. Which on its surface is fair enough. He put Lamar Jackson and Trevor Lawrence over him, which is crazy. But he still has him as one of the best QBS in the league.

It was what he said about Hurts though that makes him still look foolish. Simms couldn’t help but get a dig in while pretending to praise Hurts.

“There is a reason they were trying to trade for Russell Wilson last year. It is why I had him low last year… He is a great runner… But the throwing is still, yes, there is more meat on the bone. There are still a lot of throws where he misses throws.”

Really Chris? Did you miss the Super Bowl? Or the whole season? Was this throw missed?

DIME CITY from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith for 6⃣ pic.twitter.com/IO61hIpwB0

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) December 11, 2022

How about this one?

Hurts to Brown for 68 yards! @Eagles

: #PHIvsCHI on FOX
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/mzMHAEtgdH pic.twitter.com/0mx6FRfFdT

— NFL (@NFL) December 18, 2022

Or this one?

Jalen Hurts leads the NFL this year with 13 – 20+ yard TDs

AJ Brown’s 45 yard TD is the longest scoring play in an Eagles Super Bowl.

pic.twitter.com/PBZvVE9uRF

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 13, 2023

That is just the tip of the iceberg. He made throws like that all season long. Maybe you should try actually watching games Chris Simms

Now to Simm’s credit, he did have some good things to say about Hurts. He acknowledged how he is the ultimate baller and a great team leader. Simms also noted that Hurts makes the right decision almost every time. But why is he still sticking to the false narrative that he is inaccurate? We know that is not true. Everyone who watched Hurts play, saw him make these great throws.

No, he doesn’t have Patrick Mahomes’ arm. But no one does. He doesn’t “miss throws” though. There is no tape, or stats, that back that opinion up. The numbers say he is one of the best pocket passers and deep ball passers in the league.

The fact he is praising Hurts, just to keep needling in by saying crap like “he doesn’t have an elite arm” or “can’t make all of the throws,” almost makes it more annoying. He can’t go 3 sentences without reminding us that he doesn’t think Hurts is good at throwing the football.

“His flaw, again, was shown in the Super Bowl. You could play Aaron Rodgers the way the Chiefs played him. Where they just sell out for the run…”

Welp, that seals it. There is zero chance Phil Simm’s son actually watched the Super Bowl. He is acting like Hurts struggled to throw the ball. Meanwhile, he put up one of the best performances from the losing Qb in the Super Bowl ever. He is the youngest QB to have a completion rate of over 70%. The highest QB rating by a QB under 25 in the Super Bowl ever. His 87 pass attempts in the playoffs without an Interception is an Eagles record. He threw for over 300 yards and threw no interceptions in the Super Bowl.

Hurts was elite in that game. Not just as a runner, but as a passer. So what the hell is Phil Simm’s son talking about?

I guess he at least made some progress and acknowledged some of the good things about Hurts. But even though Simms claimed he is not too prideful to admit when he is wrong, that is clearly the case here. We all remember his meltdown when ESPN made fun of his awful take. He acted like a child told he can’t get any candy at the grocery store. A full blown temper tantrum on his own show.

And now he is still sticking to his guns and refusing to admit Hurts is a great thrower. We really shouldn’t be giving this dude attention. But man I can’t help but be annoyed every time the NFL’s most notable case of nepotism opens his mouth.

The 6 Performances That Show Jalen Hurts is Worth Every PennyJalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles’ Qb for a while. Coming off his MVP-caliber season, he signed a 5-year extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. While that is a title that may not last long, considering Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also in line for new contracts, it puts him in that top tier of QBs, which is exactly where he belongs. As expensive as he will be going forward, Jalen Hurts is worth every penny.

Hurts was the runner-up MVP. You could argue he played even better than the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles lost just two games he played in last season. Yes, one of those was the Super Bowl, but it is hard to blame him for that given how well he played. And contrary to what some people say, he is not just a running QB. He developed into a hell of a pocket QB, with a QB rating over 100 in the pocket last season. Hurts threw 22 TDs with just 6 interceptions playing in the pocket last season. Yes, he can kill you with his legs. But he is just as capable of killing teams with his arm too.

And off the field, it is hard to find a player more beloved than him. AJ Brown came out in the offseason and said if the Eagles didn’t pay Hurts, he would follow him wherever he goes. Ndamukong Suh went on the Rich Eisen show to gush about Hurts. You won’t find a single guy Hurts plays with who has anything short of glowing praise.

Jalen Hurts is a star. And as much as this deal will cost, he is worth it. In case you forgot that fact, let’s look back at some of his best performances from this past year.

Here are the 5 performances from last season that show Jalen Hurts is worth every penny…The post Chris Simms Is Still Stubbornly Hating on Jalen Hurts appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

100 Days to wait

Friday, June 2nd marked 100 days until the Eagles will kick off their 2023 season. Last week I aligned with Jamie Lynch in stating the a “Super Bowl or Bust” expectation is logical and fair. There was a great discussion on Cuz Radio between Anthony and Choonis where they chided that mentality. I don’t understand how you can have anything BUT that expectation. Here’s why;

– You have the top returning QB in the conference. A strong MVP candidate that hasn’t even entered his prime. A born leader that is on top of every analysts list. Other than Dak Prescott I can’t think of a QB that could even be logically discussed as a true option to supplant him. If QB is the most important position in the NFL then the Eagles have a huge advantage over everyone else.

– The Eagles have a very favorable early schedule. The success of last season was built on a foundation of the (8-0) start. There is a great opportunity to build up the wins before the gauntlet comes in late November. On the other hand, the Cowboys and the Giants both have many potholes in their path before Halloween. The Cowboys must play 3 of the Eagles hardest home opponents on the road; the 49ers, Bills and Dolphins. The Giants have to face the 49ers on the road on a short week, the Bills and Jets all before mid-October.

– The Eagles defense has to add a lot of new, young faces. They are looking to get a big return on the infusion of talent from the Athens pipeline. A lighter early season schedule allows them to get their feet under them before the stiffer challenges of the back end of the schedule.

– Nick Sirianni is the only coach in NFL history to win 5 more games than the previous season in his first 2 years. He won’t be able to complete that feat again this year, but he has shown a continual ability to tweak and improve. That will be very important as the Eagles now have a target on their back.

Phillies need to set a more intermediate goal

Thankfully despite starting tonight’s home stand 5 games under .500 the Phillies are not buried in the wild card race. Arizona, Pittsburgh and Miami are currently sitting in the wild card spots. That gives you reason for optimism. Being 4.5 games out of a wildcard berth is not ideal, but there is plenty of time to stabilize. I believe that a logical goal would be to climb into third place in the East before the 4th of July. The Marlins are bound to cool off a bit and the Mets are struggling. The time is now to make a statement that the season is far from over. Let’s see if they deliver.

Are we still debating The Process?

After yet another 76ers crash and burn post season, the one thing I didn’t think would still be debated is whether “The Process” worked. Spoiler Alert, it has been an abject failure. It produced no fruit. It didn’t create any playoff success. Will the last one off this sinking opinion ship please set off a signal flare?

The post Weekend Thoughts to challenge you this Monday! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Phillies didn’t get a chance to spend Memorial Day Weekend down the shore or by the pool; they had obligations in Atlanta with a daunting 4 game series against the NL East leading Braves on the schedule. With the way the Phils’ season has started, there weren’t exactly grand expectations for their first series with the Braves, and yet, there was still some cautious optimism that the guys could figure something out and compete with one of the better teams in baseball right now. Well, it wasn’t anything that should blow current expectations out of the water, but Rob Thomson’s squad showed some very encouraging signs over the 4 games against the Braves. Consistency is still a question, but the biggest thing to take away from this most recent series? The Phillies can absolutely play with the top level competition in baseball.

Ending the 4-game series in an even split, the Phillies were able to take the middle 2 games to even give themselves a look at a series win this past Sunday. Unfortunately, Spencer Strider was dominant in that game, but the Phils came out of their series in Atlanta looking like they still have the ceiling we thought they had. Neither of the wins were blowouts, and Sunday’s game was hugely in favor of the Braves with an 11-4 final, but Thursday’s 8-5 loss was a tight game most of the way. They were high-intensity contests with some of the best baseball players on the planet right now showing up in a big early-season series, and the Phillies weren’t outmatched. It should be encouraging for this fan base to see their time rise to the moment despite some early struggles this year.

Not only did the team show some flashes of high-level baseball, but some individual players did as well. Taijuan Walker had an opportunity to make up for his early season shortcomings, and went out and threw 6.2 innings of 3 run ball. He surrendered 10 hits, but danced out of danger against a tough Braves lineup, giving the Phils the chance to win 6-4. Zack Wheeler threw an absolute gem on Saturday going 8 shutout innings and allowing only 3 hits. It was the best start of the season for anyone in a Phillies uniform, and it was a much-needed breakthrough for Wheeler. The offense wasn’t exceptional, but averaging nearly 8 hits a game over 4 games in Atlanta shows that they weren’t totally dormant either. No individuals stood out at the plate for the series, but guys stepped up at different points, showing the power of this lineup when the Phillies get it firing on all cylinders.

Again, it wasn’t a series win, and there’s still plenty of work to be done. The Phils are 25-28, good for 4th in the NL East, a 6.5 game deficit, and a 2.5 game deficit for an NL Wild Card spot. It’s too early to worry about the standings, but it’s not an encouraging spot to be in. While this series against Atlanta might have shown Philly’s ceiling, it also is a reminder of how much better this team should be on a consistent basis. With 3 games each against the Mets and Nationals upcoming, the Phillies can still make inroads in the NL East, and they’ll need to sooner rather than later. But at least we saw that this team can still compete with top level opposition. With their expectations this season, they’ll certainly have to.

The post The Phillies Had An Encouraging Series In Atlanta appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

What a glorious Tuesday it is. I can’t say that I’ve ever uttered those words after a Memorial Day Weekend before returning to work! Two weeks outside of my colon cancer surgery I’m ready to get behind the microphone again. What awaits me is a 6 month challenge. I’m inviting you to take the journey along with us.

It will be my agenda to keep my life running as normal as possible. My treatment is going to require me to miss work from time to time. I want the show to be as positive and comfortable as possible. For transparency I want to share with you what the coming months are going to entail.

My recovery from colon cancer surgery went very well. I was a model patient and rested and recovered fairly quickly. The last few days brought walks of better than 2 miles in a local park and afternoon naps. My energy is strong and my soreness in the abdomen area is minimal. I was approved to drive again and it all feels good.

On Tuesday, June 6th I’ll be having my port installed via a minor surgical procedure.

I’ll be starting a 12 round chemotherapy beginning on Wednesday, June 14th. Every other Wednesday will bring a chemo treatment after I do the show. Each treatment will include me bringing a to-go bag of medicine with me that will stay attached through mid day on Fridays. I’ll go in after the show to have it disconnected. Those weekends are expected to be my “worst” days. I’ll rest and recover at home and I’m told the off weeks will hopefully bring me feelings of normalcy. If all goes according to plan I won’t be having to miss too much work during my protocol. My 12th treatment would culminate the week before Thanksgiving. It sounds so far away, but I’m going to take it one week at a time and battle through. I’m told the effects will be cumulative, but if I rest, hydrate and do what I’m told that things will go well.

There is a chance that I will begin to lose my hair during the chemotherapy. For me this won’t be a very welcome event if it happens. I’ll worry about it when it happens, but my barber Michael has already assured me he can give me a great look to carry me through! I do wonder that if I start wearing hats to work, how will anyone tell me and Bob apart?

I wanted to take the time to thank all of my friends, family, co-workers and listeners that reached out to offer their moral support. It matters. For me, prayers matter. I’m a believer. If you offered them, I assure you that I felt them. I’m so challenged to get back to normalcy with our show on a daily basis. We have the Nick Nurse hiring, the Phillies attempting to have another summer turnaround and of course the NFC Champion Eagles to look forward to. I want to be here to talk about all of it.

Thank you and I appreciate all of the love and support!

The post I’m back…but the fight is just beginning appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

On paper, we should be in a very good period of Philadelphia Sports. There is seemingly more talent than ever across most of the teams, Flyers excluded. The Eagles? Stacked? The Phillies? Stacked? The Sixers? Well, we thought they were great. And yet, we feel awful. The Phillies are scuffling out of the gate. The Sixers just had their 5th second round exit. The Flyers are a joke. Though the Eagles, even if they lost the Super Bowl, still give us a lot of hope.

There are 3 guys in Philadelphia who have either won their league’s MVP or who have been in that conversation at least. Joel Embiid and Bryce Harper won it. Jalen Hurts was in the running before his late-season injury. You can add Trea Turner to that conversation since he had MVP hype coming into the season. And around those guys, are a lot of other guys with either star-level talent or at least that potential for it.

Philadelphia has the star talent now, apart from the Flyers. Even the Union has star talent. But it has not led to hardware though. Some of those stars have come up small. Others played great, and their team just came up short around them. We have now seen the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, and Union all come up short when it matters. Eagles Phillies and Union in their championship game. And the Sixers didn’t even make it that far. Despite the Talent, none of them have given us a parade, yet.

So which stars have earned our trust? Which ones still have to prove themselves when it matters most? Let’s look at all the Star talent we have in Philly, and if they have lived up to that billing so far.

Here are the Philadelphia Stars That Have, and Have Not Proven themselves:The post 7 Philadelphia Athletes Who Have Proven Themselves, And 7 Who Haven’t appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We’ve made it to the official start of Summer around these parts, Memorial Day Weekend. This is the time of year that folks take off for the shore, hitting beaches from Wildwood up to Long Branch. Maybe you’re a backyard pool BBQ type of person instead, or maybe you’re up to something in between. Whatever it is, though, just remember that athletes are people too. There are certainly some current Philly athletes that will feel right at home during MDW celebrations, so here are the top 10 that would be most likely to crash your BBQ or pool party this weekend!

The post The Top 10 Current Philly Athletes That Would Crash Your Memorial Day BBQ appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL is at it again. Doing dumb things that hurt everyone else, because they want to make more money. Thursday Night Football sucked last year. There were very few actually entertaining games. So instead of looking within themselves and wondering if making players play on 3-days of rest is the reason it is so bad, they are trying something to just force better teams to have to play in it. The NFL has approved the ability to Flex Thursday Night Games in weeks 14-17. They did say they have to give 28 days notice though.

The NFL will always do what makes it money. Play safety or fan experience be damned. And the idea of flexing Thursday Night Football games is bad for everyone by the people at the top. Going to an NFL game is not some casual thing like going to a baseball game. Especially if you are traveling. In week 15 for instance, the Eagles play in Seattle. Say an Eagles fan wanted to go to that game. They need to book a flight, a hotel, and perhaps a rental car, and may be planning a ton of other stuff in Seattle that weekend. Now you can’t do any of that, because it might switch to a Thursday game a month before the game takes place.

Switching that game to Thursday Night Football won’t just ruin travel arrangements, it may rob someone of a chance to go to that game, to begin with. Teams that have planned their rest schedule all season intending on playing on a Sunday, will suddenly be blindsided with another Thursday game.

But it is not the only dumb rule in sports. The sports world is full of dumb rules. So in honor of the NFL’s latest stupid idea, let’s look at some of the dumbest rules in sports.

The post 12 Dumb Rules in Sports, Like Flexing Thursday Night Football appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship Game after the 2022 season.

The crowd at Lincoln Financial Field didn’t have too much stress to handle during the second half.

A ferocious attack by the Philadelphia defensive line led to injuries for quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson.

The Eagles led by two touchdowns when an injured Purdy replaced Johnson in the third quarter. The 49ers didn’t have a quarterback healthy enough to pose a legitimate threat in the passing game.

49ers Fail To Move OnIt’s common for NFL fan bases to harp on losses with disappointment and desperation to find a reason (or an excuse) for failure.

It’s not common for prominent NFL players to complain as much as the 49ers did after losing the NFC Championship Game.

Brandon Aiyuk, Jimmie Ward, and Robbie Gould all showed bad sportsmanship by speaking publicly with a tone that attempted to cheapen the accomplishments of the Eagles.

Deebo Samuel perpetuated the sour grapes attitude on May 5 during an interview with Complex Sports.

“We lost because we played with 10 people,” Samuel said. “ I ain’t going to keep going on about what could’ve happened and what would’ve happened but yeah, it would’ve definitely been a different outcome (if healthy).”

New NFL RulesThe NFL thankfully decided not to outlaw the “tush push” that helped the Eagles convert 36 of 39 sneaks for first downs during the 2022 season, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

However, the league has decided to grant a rule change largely as a reactionary move after the situation that occurred during the NFC Championship Game.

The NFL approved the use of a gameday roster spot on an emergency third QB.

That QB can enter the game if 2 QBs are injured/disqualified. If an injured QB is cleared to return, the emergency QB must be removed.

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) May 22, 2023

The rule doesn’t help or hurt any NFL team more than another. However, the rule perpetuates five examples of flawed logic suggesting that the 49ers were somehow cheated in an illegitimate NFC Championship Game loss.

The post 5 Myths About 49ers Quarterback Injury Complaints appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Philadelphia sports has had a very interesting past decade or so, to put it lightly. While there was a Super Bowl victory and a lot of playoff appearances mixed in, there were also a bunch of absolutely heartbreaking losses that broke this fan base since 2010. With a new crop to select from after a year stretch that saw multiple championship losses and another Sixers 2nd round exit, it’s time to take a fun trip down memory lane and reevaluate the worst of the worst. So, here we go; the worst Philadelphia sports losses since 2010. Trust me, there were plenty to pick from.

The post Top 10 Most Heartbreaking Philadelphia Sports Losses Since 2010 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (8:20 am on Wednesdays) to discuss all things NFL. This was the first time the guys were able to talk to Schefty since the NFL released its 2023 schedule. Schefter had some interesting insights as it turns out the NFL didn’t have just one schedule it relied on, but they actually had two.

“I had Mike North [NFL VP Of Broadcast Planning]… He and the rest of the schedule makers presented 2 different schedules to Roger Goodell last Monday… For whatever reason they picked the schedule that they released. So I didn’t realize they had 2 full schedules they presented. ”

The other big story around the NFL had to do with the sale of the Washington Commanders to Sixers owner Josh Harris. It doesn’t sound like Josh Harris had a coupon.

“You have the sale of the Commanders going on which obviously involves Philly to some extent with Josh Harris buying that team, it sounds like that sale is on track to happening, a record price for a North American team, $6.5 billion.”

The guys also talked plenty of basketball since Schefter is a HUGE hoops head. So they discussed the Sixers collapse, as well as the NBA draft lottery.

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW

More Philly Sports:Embiid Didnt Show Up When it Mattered, Here are 12 Guys Who DidThe Sixers have been knocked out in the 2nd round again. But this one hurts more than any of the other ones. Against the Raptors in 2018, you could argue they just ran into a great team and gave them a fight. The Hawks series had the Ben Simmons excuse. Embiid was badly injured in 2022 against the Heat. But this year? To go out like that with so little fight? It was embarrassing. Joel Embiid is a great player. But when the lights shined the brightest he came up small. Embiid did not show up when the Sixers need him too the most.

Just 15 points. The least ever by a player in a game 7 the year they won MVP. Old Man Al Horford locked him up. And Embiid showed no fight in trying to overcome his struggles. James Harden sucked too for what it’s worth. The former MVP looked like he did in games 2 and 3. A Nonfactor. Too scared to shoot, and missed everything when he actually tried to shoot.

The Sixers superstars did not show up. But instead of focusing on how awful they were, let’s bring some joy to our lives instead. Because there actually have been Philadelphia Athletes who showed up when it mattered. Guys who when their teams needed them, they came up big to get the team a win. Who when the lights shined the brightest, they looked their best.

Embiid and Harden failed us. But these 12 guys did not. Of course, there are more than 12. People who were left off the list were not left off because I don’t think they played well. These are just 12 of the first guys who came to my mind who showed up for their teams in the playoffs or even their respective championships when it mattered most.

The post Adam Schefter: “NFL Had 2 Full Schedules They Presented” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last season, the Eagles had a pretty historic roster. Before the season, and then throughout it, Howie Roseman seemed to patch every single hole. They needed a Cornerback to play alongside Slay. Bring in James Bradberry. Needed a Safety. So they made a trade for CJ Gardner Johnson. Needed Defensive Tackle Depth? They added Linval Jospeh and Ndamukong Suh. It was nearly the perfect roster, with no holes. It’s why they had such a historic season, losing just 3 games in the regular season, with two of those losses coming without Jalen Hurts. They came up short in the Super Bowl. But the Eagles’ roster was about as good as we have ever seen.

It is why going into the off-season, a lot of people were nervous. The Eagles had the perfect depth chart, and couldn’t get it done. And chances seemed pretty low that Howie could put together a team that good again. It looked like they may lose most of their secondary, as well as their best interior pass rusher. And some of that did happen. Javon Hargrave walked to get a massive deal in San Francisco. CJ Gardner-Johnson waited too long and ended up settling for a small deal with the Lions. But Howie did hold onto James Bradberry. Something no one thought would happen.

But then they kept adding. On paper, they knocked the draft out of the park. They brought in some key free agents too. Which begs the question. Did Howie Roseman somehow put together an even better roster than last season? It is strange to say, and we need to see them prove it on the field first. But he just may have done it. Let’s go position by position, to see if this Eagles roster is better, on paper of course, than last year’s.

The post Is This Eagles Roster Even Better Than Last Year? Lets Find Out appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Sixers have been knocked out in the 2nd round again. But this one hurts more than any of the other ones. Against the Raptors in 2018, you could argue they just ran into a great team and gave them a fight. The Hawks series had the Ben Simmons excuse. Embiid was badly injured in 2022 against the Heat. But this year? To go out like that with so little fight? It was embarrassing. Joel Embiid is a great player. But when the lights shined the brightest he came up small. Embiid did not show up when the Sixers need him too the most.

Just 15 points. The least ever by a player in a game 7 the year they won MVP. Old Man Al Horford locked him up. And Embiid showed no fight in trying to overcome his struggles. James Harden sucked too for what it’s worth. The former MVP looked like he did in games 2 and 3. A Nonfactor. Too scared to shoot, and missed everything when he actually tried to shoot.

The Sixers superstars did not show up. But instead of focusing on how awful they were, let’s bring some joy to our lives instead. Because there actually have been Philadelphia Athletes who showed up when it mattered. Guys who when their teams needed them, they came up big to get the team a win. Who when the lights shined the brightest, they looked their best.

Embiid and Harden failed us. But these 12 guys did not. Of course, there are more than 12. People who were left off the list were not left off because I don’t think they played well. These are just 12 of the first guys who came to my mind who showed up for their teams in the playoffs or even their respective championships when it mattered most.

The post Embiid Didnt Show Up When it Mattered, Here are 12 Guys Who Did appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The players on the field have the actual Super Bowl. But the social media teams, they have the schedule reveal. The time of the year when the social media team tries to pull out all the stops to put out the best piece of social media content. Yea, they could just throw up a graphic with all the games on it and the team logo. But that is boring. Instead, they all put out schedule reveal videos. And at least some of them are good at it. Yesterday was their day.

Every NFL team’s social media team puts out something. Some are fantastic, others at least try, and at least one team this year seemingly didn’t even do that. There were teams using AI. Teams using cute dogs or kids. Funny skits, and not so funny skits. Songs, animation, and more. But who did the best job? Who did the worst? Did the Eagles social media team do a good job? What about our NFC East Rivals? From the laugh out loud funny videos, to the ones that dragged on way to long. Lets look at the best, and the worst, schedule reveal videos from NFL Teams this year. I picked my 10 favorites, and the 10 I liked the least. Let’s see which Social Media team won their version of the Super Bowl.

Here are the best, and worst, NFL Schedule Videos from yesterday:The post The 10 Best and Worst Schedule Reveal Videos In the NFL appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles Schedule is out. It starts with them traveling to New England to face the Patriots, and it ends yet again with a game vs the Giants. After multiple days of navigating “leaks” we no longer have to guess which piece of info is real or not, we just know. You can even go to the Eagles themselves to see what their schedule will look like. They put it out themselves, with help from all the team dogs, and a little assist from one Phillies dog.

Team dog Reggie Dawg Mentality@Ticketmaster | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/wKS4HkAYNP

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) May 12, 2023

Adorable.

But now we go from guessing what the the schedule will look like, to endlessly breaking down each game. In the next few days, there will be a many an Eagles fan and media members going game by game to break downs wins and losses. Even if it annoys certain people at this station.

That is not what we are here to do today though. Instead, I want to look at the nature of the schedule itself. Do the Eagles have any schedule advantages? Disadvantages. How often are the Eagles playing in prime time? Is it really as tough of a schedule as people say it is? I went through some of the nitty gritty details of the Eagles’ Schedule, to come away with some interesting takeaways.

The post 19 Interesting Takeaways From the Eagles Schedule Next Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After free agency, the NFL draft, and some new NFL rules changes, there are a lot of new faces in the Eagles locker room. And those new faces will be wearing new jersey numbers. And the Eagles recently announced what those numbers will be.

The Eagles had a pretty busy off-season. Lots of guys leaving, and similarly many new guys coming in. Before the draft they added names like Rashaad Penny, Terrell Edmunds, Olamide Zaccheaus, Nicholas Morrow, Greedy Williams, and Marcus Mariota, among others. Then in the draft, they added Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Tyler Steen, Sydney Brown, Kelee Ringo, Tannker McKee, and Moro Ojomo. Plus there were Undrafted Free Agents like Eli Ricks and Ty Zentner. Not to mention the day 3 trade for D’Andre Swift.

And now, even more numbers are open to players, specifically the number 0. Which new Eagle grabbed the number 0? Which Eagles players are switching numbers? And what number will all of these new additions be wearing?

The Eagles finally released info on everyone’s new jersey numbers. From the drafted players, to veteran additions, to guys already on the team who wanted to change their number up. You can find out who is wearing what number below.

[Source: Philadelphia Eagles]

The post The New Jersey Numbers This Season For Eagles Players appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It did not take long for Jalen Carter to ink his rookie deal. He becomes the first of the first-round picks to get it out of the way. He signed his rookie deal with the Eagles. All rookie deals are for 4 years, with a 5th-year option. In Carter’s case, he gets 4 years fully guaranteed at $21.8 million.

Eagles’ DT Jalen Carter is now the first 2024 1st-round pick to reach agreement, landing a 4-year, fully-guaranteed $21,806,184 deal, per source. Deal negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus, Ryan Matha and Jason Rosenhaus with Eagles officials Howie Roseman, Jake Rosenberg, Bryce Johnston. pic.twitter.com/JqejghYuWC

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 4, 2023

Not a surprise. It was something that was inevitable because pretty much every first-round pick eventually signs it. But it is something good to get out of the way so we don’t need to deal with the drama of waiting it out. And with the situation Carter is dealing with off the field, it’s best to avoid any and all signs of drama. It lets them just get to work.

Carter fell to pick 9 after a situation involving a teammate and another Georgia staffer getting into a deadly crash. The driver of the other car was reportedly drunk, and he and Carter were racing. It’s important to note that Carter did not cause the crash, nor was he ever charged with a DUI. But he did get charged with several misdemeanors surrounding the crash. He settled the case before the draft started. But it was still enough to turn some teams off on him. And so the man who many expected to be the first non-QB off the board fell to the Eagles at 9.

The talented player will be an Eagle for at least 4 years. The Eagles hope their veteran leadership, along with his former Georgia teammates on the team, can help keep him from any future off-the-field troubles.

Twitter Reactions: Eagles 1st Round NFL Draft PicksLast night, the 1st Round of the NFL Draft saw the Philadelphia Eagles take 2 Georgia Bulldogs in Jalen Carter at #9 overall and Nolan Smith at #30 overall. Both of those players were heralded as top-level defensive prospects, and the birds seem to have gotten both of them at outstanding value. So, how did Philadelphia Eagles Twitter feel about Howie Roseman’s work in bringing a couple new Eagles into the nest? Let’s take a look.

The post Jalen Carter Signs His Rookie Deal With The Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In Philadelphia, we can love harder than anyone. Yea, there will always be some people who just hate everything. But for the most part, Philly fans are not as tough as our reputation suggests. If someone plays hard, and keeps it honest with us, we will forgive a lot of faults. Yea, there were times when fans got on Jimmy Rollins. Now that he is no longer on the field though, fans have nothing but love for him. And you don’t even need to be a great on the field as Jimmy was. Fans still have a love affair with TJ McConnell. But with all that said, when you get on the fan’s bad side, man we can hate with a passion. There have been many people in Philly sports that quickly turned into villains. The most recent man to land on that hate list is Jonathan Gannon.

Gannon is public enemy number 1 after he lied to our faces about taking interviews while preparing for the Super Bowl. It doesn’t help that he was already disliked for how crappy a job he did. And his heel turn into a villain had me thinking, who are the greatest beloved Philly sports figures who turned into villains?

Now to be eligible for the list, you had to at some point as least be tolerated by Eagles fans. So clowns like Orlando Scandrick who showed up, sucked for a few games, and then started bad-mouthing everyone in the Eagles organization, don’t count. That guy was never important enough to love and now is too irrelevant to truly hate. No, this list is for people who at some point, were supposed to be important or well-liked people here. But whose actions in games, or off the field/court turned them into villains.

Here are 9 people in Philly Sports who became villains:The post 9 Philadelphia Athletes And Coaches Who Became Villains Like Jonathan Gannon appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Mr. Philadelphia lost a bet and the reaction from Jason Kelce’s daughter is the cutest thing you’ll see all day.

Jason Kelce embodies the spirit of Philadelphia. He’s been with the Philadelphia Eagles since his rookie year in 2011. He’s the first rookie to start all 16 games at center. He tore is ACL and MCL that following year and still came back for the 2013 season, starting all 16 games, and was honored with the Ed Block Courage Award. You can’t hold this guy down. It’s not possible. If you look up the word Grit in the dictionary, you’ll see his picture. Okay, maybe not. But the rest of that is true.

We’ll never forget Kelce, dressed as a Mummer, addressing the world at the Eagles’ Super Bowl Parade. He passionately defended his teammates, his coaches, and the entire Eagles staff and compared Eagles fans to hungry dogs who “for 52 years have been starved of this championship.” (see the video below)

But that was 2018. Let’s fast forward to 2022 when Jason Kelce and his brother Travis of the Kansas City Chiefs are getting closer and closer to both teams headed to the playoffs. They were on their podcast making a for who would go further in the playoffs. We all know that both teams ended up facing each other in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs won, so Travis won the bet. As the loser, Jason had to shave his head … and that leads us to the video of his little girl Wyatt seeing Daddy’s bald head for the first time, and her reaction is priceless.

See all the videos below!

Jason Kelce’s Daughter Reacts to His Bald Head.

The post “Your Brain Is Gone!” Jason Kelce’s Daughter Reacts to His Bald Head appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade show for his weekly hit (Wednesday at 8:20am) to discuss all things NFL. It was a great interview because its the first time the guys talked to Schefter post NFL draft when Howie Roseman and the Eagles stole the show. But in the 3rd round the Eagles moved up with the Cardinals via a pick swap because of a tampering scandal revolving around Jonathan Gannon getting hired in Arizona.

We’ll start out with the actual draft. The Eagles took Jalen Carter at pick 9 but it turns out the team wasnt sold on Carter until the actual day of the draft.

“When you start, you start with Jalen Carter, and the interesting part is that I don’t really think – and they went back and forth on him, back and forth on him for a long time. It was not like it was a a slam dunk decision, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re going to take Jalen Carter.’ But What was key, was the day of the draft, that Thursday, Jalen Carter got on the phone with Nick Sirianni and other Eagles officials and told them how much he wanted to be there and how important it was and what kind of version of Jalen Carter they would be getting. And I believe that the call he made that day, in addition to the way the board fell, were instrumental in him winding up there.”

But the big nugget from the interview revolved around the tampering case with Gannon and the Cardinals. Jamie Lynched asked Schefter if there are some annoyed employees in the Novacare complex about how Gannon handled his business and Schefter thinks its the case.

“The interesting part about it would be this, I think it impacted a lot of peoples’ lives. Vic Fangio, for example, probably would not have taken the Dolphins defensive coordinator job and would be the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia today if everything was on the up and up. And so, it didn’t just impact the Cardinals and their job with Jonathan Gannon, it impacted others as well,” Schefter told the guys. “I think everybody knows – in any line of work – if they’re on an expiring contract or they’re under consideration, they still have responsibilities to their employer to finish the job the right way… In this particular case, I just think the Eagles weren’t comfortable with the information that they learned Jeffrey [Lurie] brought it up to Michael Bidwill, and this is where the organizations wound up.”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW:7 Most Surprising Moments Of My Lifetime In Philadelphia SportsLast night is why we watch sports. You have pride in your team, but you never know what will happen. Sports are the greatest reality TV night in and night out. Last night, we got to witness something truly special. Not just a shocking win in Boston, but a game from James Harden that we have not seen since he wore a Rockets uniform. As I drove home from my friend’s house last night, I was thinking of some of the other surprising moments in my lifetime when it comes to Philadelphia sports. The Harden performance definitely makes the list.

Check out the others as well:The post Adam Schefter Discusses The Jonathan Gannon Tampering & It Sounds Like Gannon Made Some Enemies In Novacare appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

97.5 The Fanatic was the exclusive radio partner for Stoltzfus Structures Brian Dawkins Driving Impact Celebrity Golf Tournament Presented by E & E Contracting.

The station broadcasted live from 6am-6pm at the Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester on Tuesday, May 2.

After the Philadelphia Eagles continued to make offseason splashes in Kansas City at the 2023 NFL Draft, some franchise legends gathered back together to celebrate the Birds and raise money for a great cause.

Brian Westbrook, Jevon Kearse, Brent Celek, Tra Thomas, Hollis Thomas, and Ron Jaworski highlighted a long list of current and former Eagles who attended the event.

The Goat, @BrianDawkins, is live right now with @975BestShowEver pic.twitter.com/MihnQ9K67L

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) May 2, 2023

The John Kincade Show, The Anthony Gargano Show, and The Best Show Ever enjoyed a day at the golf course that benefitted Dawkins’ efforts to bring inspiration, education, and resources to youth and families in need.

It turned into a memorable afternoon full of some friendly competition and memories of the great teams in franchise history, just like Dawkins expected.

“When you’ve been in a locker room, and you get all those guys back together, the jokesters come out. The teasing just comes out…I love seeing the smiles on cats’ faces when we get back together.” -Dawkins

The Best Show Ever hosted an impressive list of local legends at The Brian Dawkins Driving Impact Celebrity Golf Tournament. Eddie George, Trent Cole, Jevon Kearse, Mark McMillian, and David Akers all joined to discuss the event and the high opinion they have of the guest of honor and his efforts in the community.

Brian Dawkins was the Fanatic’s final guest of the day.

“Ultimately, it’s about those transformative… situations that we can put young adults in to teach them some things, and young single parents as well and blessing them with some of the resources they need to do some great things.”

Donate today to help the efforts of The Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation.

The post Brian Dawkins Driving Impact Celebrity Golf Tournament [GALLERY] appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Best Show Ever Got to hit the road! But not just to get some much-needed fresh air. Though getting out of the windowless studio was nice. They also got to attend the Brian Dawkins Driving Impact Charity Golf Classic. The annual Celebrity Golf Event is hosted by the Eagles Hall of Famer. All in the name of raising money for Brian Dawkins’ Charity, The Impact Foundation, which serves underprivileged youth in need. Here is the summary of the Charity from the foundation’s website.

“Since 2019, the Impact Foundation has been working to inspire, educate and support young people to retain the drive and passion to succeed. These positive experiences start a ripple effect, impacting families and communities and ultimately change all our lives for the better.

The Driving Impact Tournament engages celebrities, supporters, and community sponsors in a fun way, while also spreading the word about the incredible support that the Foundation provides. If you’d like to learn more about the Brian Dawkins Impact Foundation or are interested in donating to the cause, please visit the Foundation’s website.”**

The Best Show Ever broadcasted live from the event. And there were some very special guests. Not just Eagles legends, but some NFL Legends in general, as well as stars from other sports. It was a jam-packed show full of great guests. If you missed it, don’t worry, you can still listen to every guest they talked to right here. Here is the full lists of guests they had on the air, as well as the podcasts for those interviews.

The post All The Best Show Ever Guests At Brian Dawkins Impact Classic appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When Joel Embiid first sprain his knee, there was some optimism that he would be ready by Game 1. That optimism doubled when the Hawks forced a game 6 vs the Celtics, giving Embiid more time to rest. But as Game 1 got closer, the news on Embiid did not get much better. He was listed as doubtful, and Doc Rivers was not the beacon of optimism when asked about his status. So now, just a few hours away, The Best Show Ever talked to Rich Hofmann of The Athletic to see what he knew about Embiid’s status. The news was not good.

"I do not think he's going to play tonight, we'll see for Wednesday, it's a fluid thing, there's still a lot of uncertainty"
– @rich_hofmann on Joel Embiid

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) May 1, 2023

Joel Embiid participated in the morning shootaround but did not seem to be doing too much more work than that. So the Sixers as of now will be without the MVP in game 1. The good news is that Rich seemed much higher on Embiid’s chances to play Wednesday. Rich noted that with this injury, two days could actually make a difference. But even that is not a lock.

So can the Sixers compete in this series if they are without Embiid for some of the games? On that, Rich Hofmann did think they had at least a chance.

"The Sixers are 12-5 without Joel Embiid, Doc has been pretty good shorthanded"
– @rich_hofmann on Doc Rivers

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) May 1, 2023

The Celtics have not been playing their best ball, and we have seen this Sixers team win without Embiid this season. Including in Game 4 vs the Nets. But the Celtics are a much better team. Winning without Embiid would mean Harden figuring out his issues from 2, and Maxey figuring out his issues vs the Celtics.

Paul Reed will in all likelihood start and get the majority of the minutes at Center. The Sixers go into the game as double-digit underdogs. Tip-off tonight is 7:30 pm in Boston. You can follow the game, with Tom McGinnis on the call, right here on The Fanatic. TNT has the coverage on the tv side.

You can listen to the full interview with Rich Hofmann below…7 Things to know about this Celtics-76ers seriesThe Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers do battle in Game 1 of their second-round NBA playoff series on Monday night at TD Garden. The Celtics won the season series 3-1 in the regular season, but now, both teams sit at 0-0.

Here are seven things to know about the series for Celtics and 76ers fans…

The post Rich Hofmann- Not Looking Good For Joel Embiid to Play Tonight appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Howie, you are awesome. What a weekend for Eagles fans. Not just a great draft, adding Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Kelee Ringo, among other names, but they also added D’Andre Swift via trade. NFL writers and reporters are pretty unanimously saying the Eagles had one of the best drafts if not the best draft in the NFL. The holes they had coming into the draft, were pretty much all addressed. And the 53-man roster is looking pretty damn good.

They need more depth at DT, they added Carter and Moro Ojomo. Edge Rusher was a slight need, they got Nolan Smith. Needed a safety, they got Sydney Brown. Swift filled their needs at RB, and Ty Ventner their needs at Punter. I posted an article about the Eagles needs before Day 2 of the draft. Over the next two days, they addressed 5 of those 7 holes, with a backup TE and Linebacker being the only holes they didn’t fill. And even those are not pressing needs.

So just what could this Eagles 53-Man roster look like come September? I tried to fill out all 53 spots, and spoiler alert, it’s a very good roster. So good that there were more than 53 guys I would have wanted to hang onto it. Usually, it is the opposite, and you are looking for a handful of guys you don’t really want to fill out the final few spots.

Here is what the Eagles’ 53-Man roster might look like:The post The Potential 53 Man Roster for the Philadelphia Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Amongst all the hoopla of the NFL Draft, Howie Roseman once again decided that he was going to use draft capital to acquire a veteran talent who could make a big impact. Last season it was AJ Brown and this time around it is Deandre Swift returning home to Philadelphia. Every father in Philadelphia with a teenage daughter might get the joke. With apologies to Taylor Swift, the Eagles fan base is going to have its own version of the Swifties!

It was easy to see why Howie Roseman decided to make this move. He saw a BLANK SPACE in the running back room and didn’t want to be picking through the dumpster cuts in AUGUST to fill out his roster. As he looked to BEGIN AGAIN on crafting a championship caliber roster he saw DAYLIGHT and the opportunity to grab a player in the final year of his rookie deal. He looked at the running backs in the draft and had an EPIPHANY that for this roster with championship aspirations that this was the END GAME. Let’s be honest, this team needing another offensive weapon is the definition of CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS. Trying to stop this Eagles offense is going be like DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS. While that will bring HAPPINESS to Eagles fans and they may be looking at this roster as the fulfillment of their WILDEST DREAMS, without results it will just be another WOULD’VE, COULD’VE, SHOULD’VE season.

The Eagles are going to have huge expectations this year and the stink of the Super Bowl defeat is something they are going to have to learn to SHAKE IT OFF. IF THIS WAS A MOVIE the team will not be HAUNTED by the past and will FOREVER AND ALWAYS look back fondly on 2022and be FEARLESS in 2023. Howie Roseman is going to tell Nick Sirianni DON’T BLAME ME if this team falls short of expectations. Let’s go BACK TO DECEMBER and we know ALL TOO WELL that the Eagles had some emerging issues. LONG STORY SHORT the Eagles started to turn the ball over a lot and the injury to Jalen Hurts proved he wasn’t SUPERMAN. THE MOMENT I KNEW that they had a chance to win the NFC was when they got to 8-0 and they found CLOSURE that Sunday afternoon in January vs the 49ers. With the draft results the Eagles may just have a chance to get to FIFTEEN wins this season. The potential leaves you BREATHLESS. When they play the Chiefs later this season they will write a new chapter in the LOVE STORY between this city and its football team and this year they may be THE ONE.

This season we may be THE LUCKY ONE and considering the Joel Embiid injury situation you may be asking why THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS.

Based on his recent draft day trades, next year Howie is going to need a GETAWAY CAR because there is bound to be BAD BLOOD with other General Managers.

Tune in every day to The John Kincade Show, because YOU BELONG WITH ME.

The post Eagles Fans – Are you ready to become Swifties? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL Draft is over. The Eagles got quite a haul over the last several days. First, they took DT Jalen Carter, giving up a 4th round pick next year to get him. Then at the back of the first round, they reunited Jalen Carter with Edge Nolan Smith. The next day, they took OG Tyler Steen and S Sydney Brown. On day 3 they shocked us all by trading a 3rd round pick next year, to get to the top of the 4th to get yet another Georgia Bulldog, CB Kelee Ringo. They added D’Andre Swift via a trade. They went on to select Tanner McKee, and DT Moro Ojomo to round out their draft. But their work is not done. As now we get into the time period where they can sign UDFAs.

Just because someone is undrafted, does not mean someone is not good enough to make the team. We have seen in this city that even rookie UDFAs can make an impact. On the Super Bowl team, Corey Clement may have been their best RB. Last year Safety Reed Blankenship stepped in pretty well when CJ Gardner Johnson was injured. He may even be the starting Safety next year.

Besides Reed Blankenship, 3 other UDFAs made the roster last year. Britain Covey served as the return specialist. Josh Jobe as a backup corner, but did not see the field very much. Josh Sills made it as a backup Guard but is dealing with an upcoming trial after he was charged with rape late last season. So not exactly a guy who we want to celebrate making the roster. He is currently on the exempt list.

According to Dave Zangaro, there are 12 potential spots for UDFAs

By my count, the Eagles have 12 spots open for UDFAs.

— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) April 29, 2023

So some of the names we hear joining the Eagles as UDFAs over the next 24 hours could not only make the team, they could make an impact on it this year. And you can keep track of all the names signing with the Eagles, along with learning a little bit about them, right here.

Here are the UDFAs confirmed to have signed with the Eagles:The post Tracking all the UDFAs who Sign with the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles finished out their draft by adding to the same position they started with. Another defensive tackle. This time selecting the DT from Texas, Moro Ojomo, with the 249th pick of the draft.

With their final pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, The Eagles Select Texas DT Moro Ojomo. pic.twitter.com/bbzNLxmK0t

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 29, 2023

He closes out a draft class that includes Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Tyler Steen, Sydney Brown, Kelee Ringo and Tanner McKee. On top of those draft selections, the Eagles also traded for D’Andre Swift during the draft.

The 6 foot 3 tackle moved from Nigeria to The United States when he was 7. Eventually, he found his way to Texas, where he became a standout player in High School, he rose to being a 3-star recruit, receiving offers from Schools like Texas A&M and Alabama. But he chose Texas, spending all 4 of his college seasons there. In that time he got 5 sacks and 93 total tackles.

Despite the low production, it was a surprise more many that Moro Ojomo fell the way to the 7th round. Most mock drafts had him going in the 4th round, with some putting him all the way up in the 3rd. Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings put up in his top 75 players in the draft. This is what he wrote about Ojomo before the draft.

“With his blend of explosiveness, power, leverage, knock-back force, and urgency, Ojomo can be a tremendous rotational add right away. He’s scheme and alignment-versatile, and with some development, has the potential to be an impact starter at 3-tech, with the flexibility to sway up and down the front.”

What is unclear of what type of playing time he could get here if any at all. The Eagles at DT already have Fletcher Cox, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Marlon Tuipulotu, and Kentivius Street. Some scouts think he has the versatility to maybe slide outside. But even if that is true, the Eagles have Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and Haason Reddick off the edge.

Moro Ojomo should get a chance to compete for a spot with guys like Street and Tuipulotu. But he is by no means guaranteed a spot. If he is as good as some of the draft writers think he is though, he may just beat those guys out.

The 7 Holes The Eagles Could Still Address After the First RoundHowie Roseman did not just hit an HR in the first round. It was a Kyle Schwarber-esque moonshot. Landing both Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. Howie earned himself a long leash worth of goodwill from Eagles fans. Both Edge Rush and Interior Rush were needed for them coming into this draft, and they land two guys who many draft experts thought they may take at 10. But the work is not done. This is a very good roster, but there are some holes.

Even if those holes are very small. Howie has 4 more picks as of now, along with a ton of UDFAs he can sign after the draft. The good news is many of these holes, are not all that big. There are not many glaring issues on this team, and most of them are depth issues.

But just because there are not major needs on this team, does not mean there are no holes to fill. There are positions where they could get better, or deeper. So as we go into day 2 of the draft, let’s take a look at some of the holes the Eagles still have to fill. The places they could upgrade a starter, or maybe just add someone to strengthen the rotation, or maybe just get some depth in case of injury.

Here are 7 holes the Eagles should look to fill on days 2 and 3 of the draft:The post Eagles Select DT Moro Ojomo From Texas with 249th Pick appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With pick number 188, the Eagled selected Stanford QB Tanner McKee. Shortly afterward, they traded pick 191 to Tampa Bay for a 2024 5th-round pick. So they won’t be on the clock again until later in the 7th round.

With the 188th Overall pick, the Eagles Selected Stanford QB Tanner McKee pic.twitter.com/5X6jMaveBN

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 29, 2023

Tanner McKee spent all 3 of his college seasons at Stanford but only started for two of them. Last year he gained 2,947 yards through the air with 13 TD passes. Underwhelming numbers. But the important context is the team as a whole was not very good, and he was under almost constant pressure from opposing defensive lines.

Physically, he is like the anti-Jalen Hurts. He is very big, 6ft6 and 231lbs. But he is also slow and does not move well in the pocket. But what standouts out is his arm. When given a clean pocket, he showed the ability to sling it to almost anywhere on the field. Very much like Carson Strong from last year, who also ended up in Eagles camp. But unlike Strong, McKee has no medical red flags coming into the draft. So he stands a better chance to stick around the team.

The farthest career throw from Tanner McKee

~ 53 yards

(2020 vs. Oregon) pic.twitter.com/bSKeL8E4WN

— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) January 17, 2023

Tanner McKee joins a QB room already including Hurts, who obviously isn’t going to be supplanted as the starter, and Marcus Mariota. Its doubtful he sees anytime as a starter this year, provided he makes the team. If Hurts were to miss anytime, Mariota would be the obvious fill-in. Not just because he has NFL experience and has won games at that level, but because he is a much more natural fit in the Eagles scheme. Whereas McKee trying to run a Jalen Hurts offense would not be very pretty.

But he could beat out Ian Book to be the 3rd Qb on the roster. The Eagles clearly didn’t trust Book enough to back up Hurts, since they brought Mariota in.

7 Players The Eagles Could Target on Day 3 of the DraftYou could say Days 1 and 2 went pretty well for the Eagles. In the first round, they landed Jalen Carter and his College teammate Nolan Smith. Two guys who were projected to possibly be top 10 picks. They followed that up the next day by making two 3rd-round picks in a row. First Tyler Steen, an Offensive Lineman from Alabama expected to compete for the RG job. Then, Sydney Brown, a hard-hitting Safety, who was the leader of one of the best defenses in the nation at Illinois. No, we wait to see what they will do on day 3.

The downside, it will take a while for them to be on the clock in day 3. They came into the draft with just two 7th-round picks on this day. They added another 7th, and a 6th, trading down from their 2nd-round pick. But still, they don’t pick until 188. Day 3 starts with the Bears and pick 103. So 85 selections have to be made until they are up with the 11th pick in the 6th round.

But even with those late picks, the Eagles have occasionally struck gold. Jason Kelce was a 6th-round pick. Jordan Mailata a 7th-round pick. Two Super Bowl contributors, Beau Allen, and Jalen Mills, were 7th-round picks. Even if it’s not a star like Kelce or Mialata, you can at the least find solid role players like Allen.

So what players could they be looking at in the 6th and 7th round? We obviously don’t know who will be there. But based on draft grades, we can guess that these are names that could still be available when the Eagles are finally on the clock today.

The post Eagles Select Stanford QB Tanner McKee with Pick 188 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Today is the final day of the NFL Draft. Before the start of round 1, the Eagles had no picks in rounds 4, 5, and 6, and had two in round 7. That has since changed and we saw that early this morning. After a day-two trade that landed Howie Roseman and the Eagles a 6th-round pick, Roseman traded a third-round pick in next year’s draft to land a 4th-round pick today.

That led to the Eagles selecting their 3rd Georgia Bulldog in this draft alone. This comes off of last year’s draft where the Eagles selected Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean out of the same University. Over the last 3 drafts now, the plan has been simple. Draft good players from successful programs, and the majority of those are from the SEC.

Not taking a shot at Howie Roseman here because he has done a tremendous job cleaning up the mess left by Carson Wentz, but… WE TOLD YOU SO!!! Sometimes it is good not to overthink it. As of the end of last season, here are the 7 college football programs with the most players in the NFL and who the Eagles have from those schools.

The post Howie Roseman is Keeping it S(EC)imple In the NFL Draft, Finally appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Howie must have invested money in Georgia. Because he has gone out and brought yet another former Bulldog to the Eagles. This time trading for Lions RB D’Andre Swift. The Eagles gave up one of their 7th-round picks this season, along with a 2025 4th-round pick, to bring the speedy RB to Philly.

Howie is not done with acquiring former Georgia Bulldogs. The Eagles acquire RB D'Andre Swift from the Lions for a 2023 7th-round pick and a 2025 4th Round Pick. pic.twitter.com/4ypMTCODog

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 29, 2023

Today was expected to be a quiet day for the Eagles. They entered the day with no picks until the 6th round. But they changed that right away at the start of day 3 by making a move to get pick 105 and select Georgia CB Kelee Ringo. Now they surprised us again by making a trade for D’Andre Swift.

D’andre Swift is going into his 4th season in the NFL after the Lions took in the 2nd round in 2020. His career thus far has been hampered by injuries, but he flashed major potential when healthy. To this point in his career, he has gained 1,680 yards on the ground, at a pace of 4.6 yards per carry. He also has 1,198 yards through the air for 25 total TDs. Eagles fans saw it with their own eyes when in week 1 last season he put up 175 total yards plus a TD on us.

He began to lose carries last season as Jamaal Williams broke out for 1,066 yards and a league-leading 17 TDs. After Williams left in free agency, it seemed he might get back to being the lead back. But then the Lions signed David Montgomery and drafted Jahmyr Gibbs, spelling the end of his time in Detroit. Lo and behold, he ends up in Philly.

That is now 4 former Georgia players he has added in the past few days alone. Add in Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean from last year, and you can spot a pattern. He joins a RB room with a lot of faces, but no clear number 1 guy. They will give Kenny Gainwell a chance as the lead back. But they also brought in Rashaad Penny and resigned Boston Scott. Now they add Swift to that mix. If Swift lives up to his potential, he very well could suplant the other 3 as the lead guy. But at the very least, he should be a nice addition to the rotation.

Swift is in the final year of his rookie deal.

The post Eagles Trade For D’Andre Swift, Acquiring Yet Another Bulldog appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

If you didn’t turn on the draft at the start, because the Eagles didn’t pick until 188, you missed out on some fireworks. The Eagles traded next year’s 3rd round pick, to get Pick 105 this year. With that pick, they continued the Georgia to Philly connection, taking Cornerback Kelee Ringo.

pic.twitter.com/YlogD9LXVy

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 29, 2023

Kelee Ringo was a guy many fans would have been happy with at pick 31. If the Eagles picked him within the 2nd round instead of trading him down, fans would have been ecstatic. And if it was with either of their nearly 3rd round picks, fans would have loved it even more. Instead, they get him with what cost them next year’s 3rd round pick. That should be a pick late in the 3rd next year.

That now makes 5 Georgia players drafted by the Eagles in the past two drafts. Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Ringo this year. Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean last year.

At 6 foot 2, and 207lbs, Kelee Ringo has elite size for a corner. But he is fast too. His 40 time was 4.36, the 4th fastest time among corners. He hauled in 2 interceptions this past year, to go with 7 deflections. In both of his past seasons, his passer rating against was under 70. All while taking part in an elite defense that helped carry the Bulldogs to 2 straight National Championships. It was his pick 6 that helped seal that first one.

GEORGIA PICK-SIX TO SEAL THE WIN! #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/MHlE9MMZHI

— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2022

Kelee Ringo was going in the late first to early 2nd round in most mock drafts. So why did he fall? Who knows. There are some knocks on him like there are on every player, but he still seemed well-regarded by most scouts. Maybe there is some medical red flags still from the Torn Labrum that made him miss his freshman season. But from the outside, there is no clear explanation for his fall all the way to the start of the 4th round.

The Eagles will take it though. Last year they landed fellow Bulldog Nakobe Dean because of a similar baffling fall in the draft. Ringo may not see a ton of playing time this year with an already crowded CB roon. But worst case he is stashed to develop behind Slay and Bradberry, who are both over 30.

7 Players The Eagles Could Target on Day 3 of the DraftYou could say Days 1 and 2 went pretty well for the Eagles. In the first round, they landed Jalen Carter and his College teammate Nolan Smith. Two guys who were projected to possibly be top 10 picks. They followed that up the next day by making two 3rd-round picks in a row. First Tyler Steen, an Offensive Lineman from Alabama expected to compete for the RG job. Then, Sydney Brown, a hard-hitting Safety, who was the leader of one of the best defenses in the nation at Illinois. No, we wait to see what they will do on day 3.

The downside, it will take a while for them to be on the clock in day 3. They came into the draft with just two 7th-round picks on this day. They added another 7th, and a 6th, trading down from their 2nd-round pick. But still, they don’t pick until 188. Day 3 starts with the Bears and pick 103. So 85 selections have to be made until they are up with the 11th pick in the 6th round.

But even with those late picks, the Eagles have occasionally struck gold. Jason Kelce was a 6th-round pick. Jordan Mailata a 7th-round pick. Two Super Bowl contributors, Beau Allen, and Jalen Mills, were 7th-round picks. Even if it’s not a star like Kelce or Mialata, you can at the least find solid role players like Allen.

So what players could they be looking at in the 6th and 7th round? We obviously don’t know who will be there. But based on draft grades, we can guess that these are names that could still be available when the Eagles are finally on the clock today.

The post Eagles Take Georgia CB Kelee Ringo After Trading Into 4th Round appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

You could say Days 1 and 2 went pretty well for the Eagles. In the first round, they landed Jalen Carter and his College teammate Nolan Smith. Two guys who were projected to possibly be top 10 picks. They followed that up the next day by making two 3rd-round picks in a row. First Tyler Steen, an Offensive Lineman from Alabama expected to compete for the RG job. Then, Sydney Brown, a hard-hitting Safety, who was the leader of one of the best defenses in the nation at Illinois. No, we wait to see what they will do on day 3.

The downside, it will take a while for them to be on the clock in day 3. They came into the draft with just two 7th-round picks on this day. They added another 7th, and a 6th, trading down from their 2nd-round pick. But still, they don’t pick until 188. Day 3 starts with the Bears and pick 103. So 85 selections have to be made until they are up with the 11th pick in the 6th round.

But even with those late picks, the Eagles have occasionally struck gold. Jason Kelce was a 6th-round pick. Jordan Mailata a 7th-round pick. Two Super Bowl contributors, Beau Allen, and Jalen Mills, were 7th-round picks. Even if it’s not a star like Kelce or Mialata, you can at the least find solid role players like Allen.

So what players could they be looking at in the 6th and 7th round? We obviously don’t know who will be there. But based on draft grades, we can guess that these are names that could still be available when the Eagles are finally on the clock today.

The post 7 Players The Eagles Could Target on Day 3 of the Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After making us wait two hours, and a little bit longer, the Eagles got their whole day 2 out of the way in one fell swoop. They selected Alabama Offensive Lineman Tyler Steen, followed immediately by Illinois Safety Sydney Brown.

Eagles make both of their Day 2 picks back to back, landing a Safety from Illinois, and an O-Lineman from Alabama. pic.twitter.com/I7OXcjTaub

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 29, 2023

Steen started his career as DT at Vanderbilt. But after playing just 4 games there, he made the switch to playing Right Tackle and started all 4 games there the next season. The following year he swapped over to the left side and started all 12 games there for them. But last year he transferred to Alabama where he continued to start at LT and earned All-SEC honors giving up just 2 sacks in 13 starts. Expect him to serve as a swing backup tackle for the Eagles this season. They lost Andre Dillard this off-season, and lack backups capable of playing Tackle besides Jack Driscoll. He could slide over to RG in the future as well.

As for Sydney Brown, he was a leader in the secondary at Illinois and a serious playmaker. 6 interceptions and 9 pass deflections this past season, both numbers near the top of the league. And what Eagles fans will really love, is that scouts say he is a hard-hitting Safety. He was the leader of a defense that ranked 1st in points allowed (12.3) and second in yards allowed per game (263.8). Brown also has special teams experience. He could have a chance to compete for a starting rule over Reed Blankenship or Terrell Edmunds.

RD 3 | PK 66 – Eagles: Sydney Brown S, Illinois

Brown earned the highest athleticism score (89) among safeties in this year's draft class. His 10-foot-10 broad jump, 40 1/2-inch vertical and 23 bench reps all rank in the top 10% of safeties since 2003. pic.twitter.com/ius41qnZ36

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 29, 2023

The Eagles were originally supposed to pick at 62 and 66. But they traded back to 65, in exchange for a 6th and 7th-round pick. After these two picks, the Eagles are not on the clock again until that 188th pick they received for the trade back. Many expected another trade back, but evidently, Howie and Co liked these two players too much to risk that.

They join a draft class that already included Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith.

The 7 Holes The Eagles Could Still Address After the First RoundHowie Roseman did not just hit an HR in the first round. It was a Kyle Schwarber-esque moonshot. Landing both Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. Howie earned himself a long leash worth of goodwill from Eagles fans. Both Edge Rush and Interior Rush were needed for them coming into this draft, and they land two guys who many draft experts thought they may take at 10. But the work is not done. This is a very good roster, but there are some holes.

Even if those holes are very small. Howie has 4 more picks as of now, along with a ton of UDFAs he can sign after the draft. The good news is many of these holes, are not all that big. There are not many glaring issues on this team, and most of them are depth issues.

But just because there are not major needs on this team, does not mean there are no holes to fill. There are positions where they could get better, or deeper. So as we go into day 2 of the draft, let’s take a look at some of the holes the Eagles still have to fill. The places they could upgrade a starter, or maybe just add someone to strengthen the rotation, or maybe just get some depth in case of injury.

Here are 7 holes the Eagles should look to fill on days 2 and 3 of the draft:The post Eagles Select OT Tyler Steen and S Sydney Brown in 3rd Round appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Howie Roseman did not just hit an HR in the first round. It was a Kyle Schwarber-esque moonshot. Landing both Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. Howie earned himself a long leash worth of goodwill from Eagles fans. Both Edge Rush and Interior Rush were needed for them coming into this draft, and they land two guys who many draft experts thought they may take at 10. But the work is not done. This is a very good roster, but there are some holes.

Even if those holes are very small. Howie has 4 more picks as of now, along with a ton of UDFAs he can sign after the draft. The good news is many of these holes, are not all that big. There are not many glaring issues on this team, and most of them are depth issues.

But just because there are not major needs on this team, does not mean there are no holes to fill. There are positions where they could get better, or deeper. So as we go into day 2 of the draft, let’s take a look at some of the holes the Eagles still have to fill. The places they could upgrade a starter, or maybe just add someone to strengthen the rotation, or maybe just get some depth in case of injury.

Here are 7 holes the Eagles should look to fill on days 2 and 3 of the draft:The post The 7 Holes The Eagles Could Still Address After the First Round appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciuans found in the Audio Vault today. Every day Andrew dives into the Vault to play audio relevant to the day. And on the day after a great first round by the Eagles, he dedicated this Vault to the selection of Jalen Carter.

Everything seemed to break the Eagles’ way last night. We sat there and worried that each pick would be Carter. But team after team passed on him. Letting him fall all the way to 9. The Eagles then made the move, giving up just a future 4th round pick to jump up one spot and take the guy everyone knew they wanted all along.

Off-the-field issues aside, it is hard to be happier with how it turned out for the Eagles. Many draft experts and Scouts considered Jalen Carter to be the most talented player in the draft. Legal trouble stemming from a crash that took the lives of two other people in the Georgia program made him fall. But Eagles evidently felt comfortable that they could work with him and keep him out of future trouble. And if they are right about that, they may have gotten the steal of the draft.

So today, Andrew and Anthony relived how Jalen Carter came to be an Eagle. The reaction to the pick. A Cowboys player being upset by it, and more. Relive the pick with Anthony and Andrew below.

Here is what they played in the Audio Vault today:The post Audio Vault- Jalen Carter Falls Into the Eagles Lap appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

As mentioned yesterday, Howie Roseman and the drafting staff for the Eagles had a blueprint laid out in front of them for the opening night that was easy on the eyes. A team coming off a Super Bowl appearance with an elite offense. A defense that had holes but still multiple starters from a record-setting season. And a head coach that seems to have his team performing as one. Add to that the 10th overall pick and 30th on the first night and it seemed hard not to improve the Eagles in some way.

And they sure did. As we know, Jalen Carter was touted by many experts as the top talent in the draft. His fall came mostly from off-the-field problems that we’ve discussed. It only cost the Eagles a fourth-round pick to move up to No. 9 to ensure they landed him. In getting Nolan Smith at 30, it was another semi-shocker that the edge rusher was still there.

…While getting those two former Georgia stars is the big story, the side story has to be the patience Howie Roseman showed in being able to seemingly shore up a defensive line that was depleted by losing Javon Hargrave to free agency. While the popular pick among fans would have been to move up and grab running back Bijon Robinson, Howie waited. And looked what happened.

Then as the 30th pick approached and Smith, who many had predicted to go to the Eagles with the 10th pick, was still available. Many urged a move-up trade to land him, but Howie waited and was rewarded.

Patience doesn’t seem to be a virtue that Howie possesses. At least not in these eyes. I don’t say that in a bad way at all. He is always eager to improve the team, to get out in front of situations. Sitting silent or standing pat are never words I attach to the general manager.

But patient, because of Thursday night, is a label Howie has earned well in my book.

You May Also Like:Last Night Shows Why You Shouldn't Read Mock DraftsIf you ever listened to the show and the topic of Mock Drafts comes up, I always rip them and tell you to stop wasting your time. Want to read them the week or day of the draft? Go for it. I do too. But I never get excited over them because they NEVER go the way these analysts predict.

0% chance any pundit thought the Texans would trade up to the 3rd overall pick after already drafting 2nd. It seemed like 97.5% of mock drafts had Jalen Carter going 5th overall to the Seahawks. The one that made me laugh the most was the climb of Will Levis in everyone’s mock draft for him only to sit there waiting and waiting and waiting to only find out he would not be drafted on day one.

Mock drafts are a joke ESPECIALLY “version 1.0” which comes out in January before the playoffs are even over. Here are the final mock drafts from some of the top draft analysts.

Let’s see just how close they came to getting the Eagles’ picks right:The post Patience Was A Virtue For Howie Roseman On Thursday Night appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

If you ever listened to the show and the topic of Mock Drafts comes up, I always rip them and tell you to stop wasting your time. Want to read them the week or day of the draft? Go for it. I do too. But I never get excited over them because they NEVER go the way these analysts predict.

0% chance any pundit thought the Texans would trade up to the 3rd overall pick after already drafting 2nd. It seemed like 97.5% of mock drafts had Jalen Carter going 5th overall to the Seahawks. The one that made me laugh the most was the climb of Will Levis in everyone’s mock draft for him only to sit there waiting and waiting and waiting to only find out he would not be drafted on day one.

Mock drafts are a joke ESPECIALLY “version 1.0” which comes out in January before the playoffs are even over. Here are the final mock drafts from some of the top draft analysts.

Let’s see just how close they came to getting the Eagles’ picks right:The post Last Night Shows Why You Shouldn’t Read Mock Drafts appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles move up in the 3rd round of the draft and they gave up nothing to do it. (Well, some would argue they gave up the guy who cost the team a Lombardi trophy but thats another post for another time.) The NFL investigated a complaint made by the Eagles over the Arizona Cardinals hiring of then Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. The Eagles felt like the Cardinals tampered and it turns out the NFL agreed.

The league announced that the two teams would swap third round picks. So the Eagles now move from pick 94 to pick 66. All because the Cardinals couldn’t WAIT to hire the mastermind of the “leave a guy wide open to walk into the endzone” defense. (Kidding JG. I actually liked your defense apart from the final game.)

Moving up 28 spots in the draft is no small feat. The Eagles will draft at 62 in the second round and then 4 picks later they’ll now be on the clock again. The Eagles could use one of these selections to possibly move down in the draft and recoup some assets because they do not have another pick until round 7. But if they use both of these picks at where they are slated then it could be a very quiet Saturday at Novacare.

Either way, we will keep you updated on all the moves the Eagles make to bolster the roster for the 2023 season.

You May Also Like:Day 2: Best Players Available For The Eagles In The NFL DraftWhat a Thursday night for the Eagles! Howie Roseman had a near flawless draft as he took who many think is the best player in the draft, Jalen Carter. Roseman was able to trade up 1 pick, giving up a 4th rounder for next season, to acquire the Georgia Bulldog. But Howie wasnt done. The Eagles also owned the #30 pick in the draft, their own, and Howie grabbed ANOTHER Georgia Bulldog as edge rusher Nolan Smith fell to them.

So how will Howie Roseman and the Eagles front office follow up their incredible first round? The Eagles will have two picks on Friday. Their first will come with the 62nd overall pick in round 2. Their next pick will be just a few picks later when they draft at 66 after an NFL investigation deemed that the Arizona Cardinals tampered in the hiring of Jonathan Gannon.

So here are some players that the Eagles could target Friday night. It’s in no particular order and the rankings listed are from NFL.com and ESPN.

The post Philadelphia Eagles Move Up To Pick 66 Thanks To Jonathan Gannon appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles certainly made a splash on Thursday night as the NFL kicked off the first round of the NFL draft. The team snagged Defensive linemen Jalen Carter with the 9th overall pick (after trading up) and then grabbed his Georgia teammate Nolan Smith with the 30th overall pick. Many draft analysts were floored that the Eagles managed to steal two of the top ranked players and only had to give up a 2024 4th round pick to do so.

You can add The Athletic’s Zach Berman to the list of folks who was shocked;

“The fact that they landed Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, I would not have guessed that was a possibility. If you had told me a few months ago that they would get Jalen Carter, I would’ve said how many 1st round picks did they need to give up, because you’re talking about that kind of talent… For them to be able to land Carter and land Smith… the night could not have gone better.”

Many fans thought the Eagles would trade out of their 30th overall pick and try to recoup some assets and acquire some middle round picks. But they didnt. After edge rusher Nolan Smith fell to the Eagles, they pounced to take him. So why did he fall to the 30th overall pick? Zach weighed in.

“The body type is not for everybody, in that you’re looking at a sub-240 pound edge rusher, but the speed is out of this world… The size and the lack of prolific college production, you need to wrap your head around someone who’s never had more than 3 or 4 sacks in a season. But, if you just look at the track record of Georgia front 7 players, they’ve never had a double digit sack player under Kirby Smart, so some of that is schematic.”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW:

The post Zach Berman Discusses The Eagles First Round of the 2023 Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

What a Thursday night for the Eagles! Howie Roseman had a near flawless draft as he took who many think is the best player in the draft, Jalen Carter. Roseman was able to trade up 1 pick, giving up a 4th rounder for next season, to acquire the Georgia Bulldog. But Howie wasnt done. The Eagles also owned the #30 pick in the draft, their own, and Howie grabbed ANOTHER Georgia Bulldog as edge rusher Nolan Smith fell to them.

So how will Howie Roseman and the Eagles front office follow up their incredible first round? The Eagles will have two picks on Friday. Their first will come with the 62nd overall pick in round 2. Their next pick will be just a few picks later when they draft at 66 after an NFL investigation deemed that the Arizona Cardinals tampered in the hiring of Jonathan Gannon.

So here are some players that the Eagles could target Friday night. Its in no particular order and the rankings listed are from NFL.Com and ESPN.

The post Day 2: Best Players Available For The Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last night, the 1st Round of the NFL Draft saw the Philadelphia Eagles take 2 Georgia Bulldogs in Jalen Carter at #9 overall and Nolan Smith at #30 overall. Both of those players were heralded as top-level defensive prospects, and the birds seem to have gotten both of them at outstanding value. So, how did Philadelphia Eagles Twitter feel about Howie Roseman’s work in bringing a couple new Eagles into the nest? Let’s take a look.

The post Check Out Twitter’s Reaction To The Eagles’ 1st Round Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

It was disappointing to me that on the night Jalen Carter became a Philadelphia Eagle after a trade up from the 10th spot to 9 that the man was already being amateur psycho analyzed by a local Philly media member. I know, why am I surprised? It’s 2023 and clicks are the agenda. Too many media members want to make themselves part of the story, even on the biggest night for an NFL Draft pick. Instead of asking a question, Reuben Frank decided to offer an opinion and a huge reach on his part regarding how “remorseful” Jalen Carter was on his introductory Zoom call with the media. Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni sprung to his defense, not only because they are far more informed on Carter and his situation but they chose to show a little compassion.

A few things to clarify…

Jalen Carter absolutely showed poor judgement racing through the streets of Athens on the night after celebrating the Georgia Bulldogs National Championship parade. It was reckless and dangerous activity. It was also criminal. He was charged with 2 misdemeanors for speeding and racing. That was verified by street video and he received a year of probation. Howie Roseman described it as a tragic night and that is hard to argue. It was easily avoidable. Speeding and reckless driving isn’t an uncommon occurrence for many young men. There are huge things that need to be discussed.

The incident is completely documented. Jalen Carter did not cause the accident. His car didn’t run the other off the road or make a maneuver that caused the accident. The Athens DA not only fully investigated the incident but the video was there for anyone to review it. The driver of the car that crashed was doing 104 MPH and was intoxicated more than twice the legal limit. She lost her life in the crash that included hitting 2 power poles and several trees. There is an active wrongful death lawsuit going on and he is not even the focus of it.

Jalen Carter was NOT the cause of the accident and came upon it after the fact. He rushed towards the victims to try and assist. He was NOT drinking alcohol or under the influence and interacted with numerous members of law enforcement on the scene and cooperated with the investigation after the fact.

I can safely say from my 20+ years being no more than peripheral around the Georgia Football program, but having contacts throughout my phone and years of personal relationships surrounding it, that Jalen Carter was NEVER portrayed as someone who “lacked remorse”. In fact, I was told by many around the story that there were concerns about how he was very remorseful and how he would be able to overcome that.

The Eagles have great relationships within the Georgia program at the Coaching Staff and Administration level. I assure you that they have done their complete due diligence on Jalen Carter. It’s something that many in the local media might want to do before offering their own psychoanalysis on whether a young man is “remorseful enough” on a Zoom call.

I’ll discuss this at length on air today and will be joined by my former radio partner of more than 20 years, National Champion QB Buck Belue who actually covers the program and knows about the young man and his situation.

Welcome to Philadelphia Jalen. Believe it or not a lot of us in the media probably made some bad decisions ourselves when we were young men. You should expect harsh critique if your performance on the field ends up being a disappointment. Most of us don’t assume to judge whether you are remorseful or not, especially when we don’t know you and obviously haven’t done enough research on your situation.

The post Before offering an opinion on the “character” of Jalen Carter do your homework! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles are quickly becoming “Georgia North” as the team selected Georgia defensive end Nolan Smith with the 30th overall pick. Smith becomes the second Georgia Bulldog to go to the Eagles in the first round after Howie Roseman traded up to pick 9 to take Defensive linemen Jalen Carter.

This certainly seems like a steal at pick 30. Many analysts had Smith going WAYYY earlier in the draft, and some thought the Eagles could take Smith at pick 30. NFL Network’s NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah had Smith’s player comparison being Haason Reddick. Smith had 3 sacks in 2022 but did miss the last 7 games with an injury.

Howie Roseman has now taken Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith in back to back drafts. All players were key pieces in Georgia’s National Championship winning team.

For our pre-draft player breakdown click below!

5 Things to Know About DE- Nolan Smith- Eagles Prospect Profile

Every Fanatic Host's Dream Pick For The Eagles TonightThe draft is finally here. At around 8 pm tonight, the Panthers are on the clock. The Eagles are on the clock at some point after that. It depends on much time they waste. And they certainly love to pad time at the draft. The rumors about who the Eagles will pick are all over the place. Some say Howie Roseman is in love with Jalen Carter. Others say it is OT Paris Johnson he wants to go up and draft. There are draft experts who say the Eagles will take Bijan Robinson and others who say there is no chance he takes him. It feels like 20 different names have been attached to the Eagles at pick 10.

The truth is likely no one truly knows. So let’s focus less on what Howie will do, and more on what we want him to do. I asked every host at the Fanatic, on all the main weekday shows, along with their producers, what name would excite them the most to hear called by the Eagles tonight. The player where if you hear “The Philadelphia Eagles select ____” they would be the most happy with.

That was the question I asked every regular host at the station. Along with some other staffers who happened to be at the station at the time.

Who do our hosts want the Eagles to pick tonight? Here are their answers:The post Philadelphia Eagles Select Nolan Smith With The 30th Overall Pick appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up 1 spot with the Chicago Bears to select Jalen Carter with the 9th overall pick. The Eagles traded pick 10 and a 4th round pick for next season in order to get Carter.

Carter was the #1 player on many scouts and analysts draft boards. Carter was a force at Georgia and joins an Eagles defensive line with his former college teammate Jordan Davis. The Eagles drafted Davis last year with their first round pick, before making a splash by trading for AJ Brown. Carter does come with some baggage and off the field issues but the Eagles, and Howie Roseman clearly thought Carter was worth the risk. The Eagles will pick again at pick 30.

For more info on Carter check out our pre-draft breakdown on the newest Eagle

5 Things to Know About DT Jalen Carter- Eagles Prospect Profile

Every Fanatic Host's Dream Pick For The Eagles TonightThe draft is finally here. At around 8 pm tonight, the Panthers are on the clock. The Eagles are on the clock at some point after that. It depends on much time they waste. And they certainly love to pad time at the draft. The rumors about who the Eagles will pick are all over the place. Some say Howie Roseman is in love with Jalen Carter. Others say it is OT Paris Johnson he wants to go up and draft. There are draft experts who say the Eagles will take Bijan Robinson and others who say there is no chance he takes him. It feels like 20 different names have been attached to the Eagles at pick 10.

The truth is likely no one truly knows. So let’s focus less on what Howie will do, and more on what we want him to do. I asked every host at the Fanatic, on all the main weekday shows, along with their producers, what name would excite them the most to hear called by the Eagles tonight. The player where if you hear “The Philadelphia Eagles select ____” they would be the most happy with.

That was the question I asked every regular host at the station. Along with some other staffers who happened to be at the station at the time.

Who do our hosts want the Eagles to pick tonight? Here are their answers:The post Philadelphia Eagles Trade Up, Take Jalen Carter With Pick 9 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Tonight is the draft. After months of speculation and debating over who the eagles will pick, we will finally get an answer. But who will that be? Is Howie Roseman going to trade up to get a player he wants? Stand pat? Maybe even trade down? Are they targeting Defensive Linemen, Offensive Linemen, Corners, or maybe a certain RB Eagles fans are obsessed with? To get some insight into those questions, The Best Show Ever talked one more time to Tim McManus before the start of the draft.

One of the first things they asked him about is what he thinks Howie Roseman will try and do tonight…

“The best way to answer that, is to walk away with a blue chip player. The general consensus is that there is not a lot of them in this draft. Which means, if he sits at 10, he could watch those players come and go, and not have as many great options as he would like… We know that he has done this in the past. I believe that Roseman is looking up in this draft to take one of those blue-chip prospects. The one that jumps out as a good potential fit here is Jalen Carter.”

The question with Jalen Carter though, is the off the field stuff. He settled his legal issues, but that does not mean they wont impact his draft stock, or if a teams wants him in their building or not. But Tim went on to say that the Eagles are in a unique position to better deal with those issues.

The Eagles have some things going for them that other organizations who are considering drafting Carter do not. One is a veteran group, especially on the defensive side of the ball, led by Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox. A lot of strong leaders in the locker room. That helps set the tempo, and allows other guys to follow that. And they also have Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean who played with him.

So that seems like distinct possibility. Jalen Carter could slip, and if he slips, the Eagles could pounce. They are always of the mindset, and Roseman has talked about this, that you want to walk a way with a unique player. I have it in my mind, in order to guarantee that, you may have to move up a couple of spots.

Later in the interview, Tim McManus talked about the chances they draft Tim McManus, what they would do if they cant get one of those blue chip guys, trading out of 30, and more. You can listen to everything Tim McManus had to say below…

Every Fanatic Host's Dream Pick For The Eagles TonightThe draft is finally here. At around 8 pm tonight, the Panthers are on the clock. The Eagles are on the clock at some point after that. It depends on much time they waste. And they certainly love to pad time at the draft. The rumors about who the Eagles will pick are all over the place. Some say Howie Roseman is in love with Jalen Carter. Others say it is OT Paris Johnson he wants to go up and draft. There are draft experts who say the Eagles will take Bijan Robinson and others who say there is no chance he takes him. It feels like 20 different names have been attached to the Eagles at pick 10.

The truth is likely no one truly knows. So let’s focus less on what Howie will do, and more on what we want him to do. I asked every host at the Fanatic, on all the main weekday shows, along with their producers, what name would excite them the most to hear called by the Eagles tonight. The player where if you hear “The Philadelphia Eagles select ____” they would be the most happy with.

That was the question I asked every regular host at the station. Along with some other staffers who happened to be at the station at the time.

Who do our hosts want the Eagles to pick tonight? Here are their answers:The post Tim McManus Thinks Howie Roseman Will Look To Move Up appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Merry Christmas to the geeks and nerds of the football world.

The NFL Draft is a spectacle all to its own. With winners and losers somehow assigned just hours following the selections. Who’s a surefire bust? Who reached? Why is this player falling?

It’s a sports media phenomenon and, frankly, allows for too much time before it. The week leading up to it was filled with reports that confirm just about every single possibility known to man. By the time the draft begins, some analysts and scouts are leaking reports suggest that this isn’t even a good draft and you should just see next year’s!

It all happens like clockwork.

Nevertheless, there are two selections to be made by the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday evening (for now) and 31 selections total to be made. Here’s six thoughts about this draft.

The post Six Thoughts on Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The draft is finally here. At around 8 pm tonight, the Panthers are on the clock. The Eagles are on the clock at some point after that. It depends on much time they waste. And they certainly love to pad time at the draft. The rumors about who the Eagles will pick are all over the place. Some say Howie Roseman is in love with Jalen Carter. Others say it is OT Paris Johnson he wants to go up and draft. There are draft experts who say the Eagles will take Bijan Robinson and others who say there is no chance he takes him. It feels like 20 different names have been attached to the Eagles at pick 10.

The truth is likely no one truly knows. So let’s focus less on what Howie will do, and more on what we want him to do. I asked every host at the Fanatic, on all the main weekday shows, along with their producers, what name would excite them the most to hear called by the Eagles tonight. The player where if you hear “The Philadelphia Eagles select ____” they would be the most happy with.

That was the question I asked every regular host at the station. Along with some other staffers who happened to be at the station at the time.

Who do our hosts want the Eagles to pick tonight? Here are their answers:The post Every Fanatic Host’s Dream Pick For The Eagles Tonight appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. Every day Andrew dives into the Vault to pull out Audio relevant to the day. And with the first round of the NFL draft taking place tonight, Andrew decided to look back on some NFL Draft memories for the Eagles and their fans. Specifically the good memories.

We all know there have been some bad ones. Every Eagles fan will tell you about the horrors of taking Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson or taking Marcus Smith, Danny Watkins, etc. But now is not a time to wallow on bad memories from the past. Things are good in Philly. The Eagles were in the Super Bowl last year. They lost, but they were a great team and brought a lot of those guys back. We have our franchise QB, and he just got locked up for 5 more years. This is a very good team. And despite the shaky history overall, the last few drafts have been much better for us.

So what Andrew did was he pulled up 5 good memories for us in the draft. The times we can look back on fondly, whether it be because of the player the Eagles go, or something else that happened. Even if they did not feel like they would be good memories at the time.

Here are 5 draft moments, worth remembering:The post Audio Vault- 5 Great NFL Draft Memories for the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It’s understandable that the horrors of draft days past still haunt Eagles fans. One of the most talked about non-sporting sports events takes place tonight as the NFL draft will kick off with round 1. Ghosts of recent first-round failures such as Jalen Reagor, Andre Dillard, Derreck Barnett, Marcus Smith, Danny Watkins, and so on and so forth. But while those thoughts can be overriding others, try not to forget that the opening round of the draft has also brought the team Fletcher Cox and Lane Johnson and DeVonta Smith and, well, OK, maybe more bad than good.

So that brings us to Thursday night. A year after participating in the title game, the Eagles have not one but two attempts in the first round to improve a team that posted 14 wins a season ago and two playoff wins before falling to Kansas City in the Super Bowl.

At picks 10 and 30, which many believe may change via trades, I’m here to make a proclamation that the Eagles and Howie Roseman can do no wrong tonight. That’s right. My feeling is that no matter what kind of moves Roseman decides to make and where the team winds up choosing one or two players on draft opening night, it would be really difficult for Howie and company to screw this one up.

…There are a few reasons for my gushiness. Much of it has to do with the team that is already assembled. Yes, the defense has some holes to fill, but that. besides the money hocus pocus, is a strength of Roseman. Whether it be a late signing of a vet to fill a spot, a trade, or whatever. The confidence is there it will be done. And with this offense, still fully equipped the way it was a season ago, sans Miles Sanders, and perhaps adding other pieces tonight, outscoring teams just may be the best part of their defense.

Trade up for a Jalen Carter? Not sure many would have a problem with that, in spite of the off-field red flags. He’s still rated the top player overall in this draft by many. Stay at 10 and take best available? Sure, hard to argue that’s a bad move. Move back from 10, pick up some assets, and maybe take that Bijan guy that has been all the talk? This may be the best-case scenario.

Short of just taking someone that completely fails at the NFL level, the blueprint of what Howie does seems to be just about fail proof.

We Simulated the Eagles Draft 1000 Times, Here are the ResultsLast year, out of both boredom and the lack of a thriving social life, I simulated the Eagles draft 1000 times. Turns out that in the past calendar year, not much has changed. I am still a huge draft geek, and I still have way too much time on my hands. So I did it again. Using mock draft simulators, I ran the draft 1000 times, to see who the computer had the Eagles draft.

Last year the results were surprisingly accurate. It could not have predicted they would trade their second first-round pick for AJ Brown. But between the two picks, Jordan Davis was the most common player selected. Davis led all players, getting selected 329 total times. 252 at pick 15, and 76 at pick 18. The Eagles ended up trading up to 13 to take him. Nakobe Dean was selected 195 total times, the 4th most of any player. He ended up falling to the Eagles in the 3rd round.

This year, I changed it up a little and used 3 different draft simulators. Last year I ran all 1000 simulations through Pro Football Focus’s mock draft tool. This year I used that again, but also Pro Football Network, and ESPN’s new draft tool. Doing 333 on each, and then one extra on Pro Football Network to get an even 1000.

It is important to note these are not my picks. I simulated the first round, letting the computer make each pick. My only part in it was keeping track of the results. Two of the three sites did not simulate trades. Will the simulations be as accurate as they were last year? Let’s see what the results were.

The post The Blueprint Seems Fail Proof, Eagles Just Need To Make Right Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is that time of the year! NFL (mock) draft season! The draft will go down April 27th-29th LIVE from Kansas City Missouri. The three day event should see Howie Roseman and the Eagles be very active as the team has two first round picks (pick 10 and pick 30) but hold only 5 picks total. Howie could trade down to recoup some picks. He could trade up to grab a player he targeted. He could trade a first round pick for a current stud player who is in a contract battle with his current team, like he did last year with AJ Brown.

The beauty of Howie Roseman is he works in the shadows. Last season no one saw him snagging AJ Brown for one of the team’s first round picks. But he did. He was able to get Brown, and pay him. Something the Titans were not willing to do. They then used the pick they got from the Eagles to draft Treylon Burks. A player who scouts said “Could be AJ Brown.” AJ Brown proceeded to have the best season of any wide receiver to wear an Eagles uniform.

So what about this season?

Our own NFL Draft expert Jamie “The Bro” Lynch is BACK! He is in “the lab” (as the kids say) and has been crunching the numbers. Making phone calls. Watching the tape. Jamie will give you a mock of the top 10 picks, ending with the Eagles drafting 10th overall. “I cant do picks 1-30….I don’t have the stamina,” Jamie told us. “Low motor.”

We kicked it off 3 weeks ago with Jamie Lynch’s Mock Draft 2.0, because I just forgot to include the 1.0. We then improved on it with Mock Draft 3.0. And Jamie got wild with his Mock Draft 4.0. But last week we really improved on it with his Mock Draft 5.0. And Believe it or not, I think we’ve improved on THAT with this weeks 6.0. Make sure to tweet Jamie your thoughts about his picks on twitter @JeLynchJr

The post Jamie Lynch’s NFL Mock Draft 6.0 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With the draft nearly 24 hours away, much of the talk in this city is surrounding what the Eagles will do. A large camp of fans want the Eagles to grab Bijan Robinson either at 10. Maybe later if they trade down. Others are dead set against drafting a RB, and want the Eagles to grab a player to bolster the defense. The defensive player whose name comes up the most, is Georgia’s Jalen Carter. A player whose talent is undeniable. But whose draft status is up in the air given legal troubles off the field. The other issue is that despite those issues, he may not make it to the eagles at 10.

But provided the Eagles are comfortable with him as a person, he is a player absolutely worth trading up for. There are not many elite D-Line prospects in the draft. There are many promising ones. But none who feel like as sure of a thing talent wise as Jalen Carter. The only other guys in that category are Tyree Wilson, and Will Anderson. Finding elite pass rushers is hard. It is even harder to find someone as gifted as him among Interior Linemen. After losing Javon Hargrave, there is a need for a pass rushing Defensive Tackle. Jalen Carter would be that for the Eagles.

Dave Zangaro joined The Best Show Ever this week, and he said that Jalen carter is the type of player he could see Howie Roseman trading up for.

“With Howie it starts with aggressiveness. We saw him in the last two drafts trade up to get his guys. It doesn’t mean that is what is going to happen. But I think it is first on his mind. A trade up is definitely possible… It depends on what players are there… The guy who stands out the most for me in a trade up situation is Jalen Carter… If he checks out (as far as character concerns go), he is a player who is worthy of a trade up. He is a special talent. That type of player at that position is harder to find than a really good edge rusher. So he would be at the top of the list.

Dave also went on to say how the Eagles could later use pick 30 to trade back and recoup whatever they had to trade away to move up and get him.

Players like Carter are not common. He could be a cornerstone for the eagles at one of the most valuable positions apart from QB. And as long as the Eagles can clear him from the off the field concerns, he is exactly the type of player worth giving up assets to trade up for.

You can listen to the full conversation with Dave Zangaro below…5 Things to Know About DT Jalen Carter- Eagles Prospect ProfileIs Jalen Carter now a possibility for the Eagles? And if so, should they take him? One month ago, Jalen Carter falling to the Eagles was something not even worth considering. Some had him going as high as the first overall pick. And noone had him falling past pick 5. But legal troubles are putting his place as a top 5 pick in question. Suddenly the Georgia DT is falling in mock drafts and some places have him ending up in Philly. Would that be the right move for the eagles though?

And the Eagles could certainly use some help at DT. Javon Hargrave is likely leaving in free agency. Fletcher Cox could be gone too. And even if Cox returns, the Eagles can’t rely on him to play a major role at his age. Even last year, Cox played far fewer snaps than ever. Leaving the Eagles with just Jordan Davis and Milton Williams at DT. And while they both have flashed talent; they alone are not enough to carry the interior of the defensive line.

We know the Eagles love to take defensive linemen. Five of their last 12 first-round picks were Defensive Linemen. Two of those, Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis, were Tackles. And off-field issues aside, the agreement among everyone previewing the draft is that Jalen Carter is the best defensive lineman available. In fact, many will say he is the best player period.

Jalen Carter’s talent is undeniable. But should off-the-field troubles keep him off the board? Or is he too good for the Eagles to pass on? It is something the Eagles at least have to consider. Even if the result is that they need to take him off their board entirely. So what exactly are the legal troubles he is facing?

The post Jalen Carter Is The Type of Player Worth Trading Up For appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL draft is almost upon us. Tomorrow night at around 8 pm, the Panthers will be on the clock. Then an hour plus after that, it will be our Eagles on the clock. In anticipation of that, The Anthony Gargano Show held its own mock draft. And joining Anthony Gargano and Andrew Salciunas in the mock draft was Philly’s own Kevin Negandhi from ESPN.

Across two segments and an hour of time, they took turns making picks for each team. Starting with Kevin taking the first overall pick, Anthony the 2nd pick, and Andrew at 3. They just repeated that pattern until the first round was over. Starting with the Carolina Panthers, until Kevin Negandhi made the Eagles pick at 30.

For the sake of brevity, they did not allow any trades. Doing so would have made the mock draft take too long, and make things too complicated. So they kept things simple by just mWho did they have at each pick? Which players fell their way? Did Anthony get his way with the Eagles landing Bijan Robinson? And how many Qbs did they have going in the top 10?

Here are the results from The Anthony Gargano Show Mock Darft, featuring Kevin Negandhi:The post The Anthony Gargano Show Mock Draft With Kevin Negandhi appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL draft is on Thursday. With it comes a lot of breakdowns of prospects from people you didn’t even know existed. As soon as the Eagles take whomever, your social media feed will be filled with scouting reports from people who either have credibility or are attempting to get credibility. Because of this, you have to take scouting reports with a grain of salt. But it got us wondering on the John Kincade Show, what would our draft profiles look like?

So we decided to do something bold and have “fun”. We decided to create draft profiles for everyone on the show. John Kincade, Bob Cooney, Pat Egan, Eric Camille, Connor Thomas. Here are the profiles Bob Cooney wrote for his coworkers. Everyone on the show did their own draft profiles, so I encourage you to listen to the full show podcast to hear each person on the show’s breakdown of their co-workers. For those that heed this advice, the profiles were done at 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30.

So here is the breakdown of how draftable the members of the John Kincade show are:The post Bob Cooney – Draft Profile For His 4 Coworkers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL draft is one of the most exciting times of the year for sports fans. The 3 day event sees teams pick their future while also wheeling and dealing in an attempt to add talent. Its something that the Eagles, and GM Howie Roseman has been very good at. Last season Howie Roseman nabbed Jordan Davis AND AJ Brown in about a 30 minute stretch. Could Eagles fans see a similar fleece job this year? It is possible since the Eagles have the #10 and the #30 picks in the draft. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesdays at 8:20) to discuss what the Eagles COULD do on Thursday night.

“I think the Eagles are always open to trading back, no matter what the scenario is. If there’s a guy there that they love, that they’re hoping is there at 10, then of course they won’t [trade back], but do I think, in this draft, the Eagles would be open and would like to trade back? I do.”

But the draft is always full of questions. The Panthers traded up for the #1 pick and we still dont know who the Panthers are taking. But whats the BIG question in Schefty’s eyes? Well its not at the #1 overall pick…

“I think the number one question right now is what is Houston doing at 2. That seems to be the source of some mystery. They could go QB, but there has been an awful lot of conversation in the building about going defense and taking Tyree Wilson or Will Anderson”

For the full interview click below and keep it on the Fanatic for all draft coverage! Devon Givens and Tyrone Johnson will be hosting our draft night special and will bring you all the action, including what the Eagles do.

Related:John Kincade Show NFL Draft ProfilesThe NFL draft is on Thursday and with it comes a lot of breakdowns of prospects from people you didn’t even know existed. As soon as the Eagles take whomever, your social media feed will be filled with scouting reports from people who either have credibility, or are attempting to get credibility. Because of this, you have to take scouting reports with a grain of salt. But it got us wondering on the John Kincade Show, what would our draft profiles look like?

So we decided to do something bold and have “fun”. We decided to create draft profiles for everyone on the show (John Kincade, Bob Cooney, Pat Egan, Eric Camille, Connor Thomas.) Now I (Pat) created all the profiles for the show EXCEPT the one for me. The “Pat Egan” draft profile was done by Bob Cooney. But everyone on the show did their own draft profiles, so I encourage you to listen to the full show podcast to hear each person on the shows breakdown of their co-workers. For those that heed this advice, the profiles were done at 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30.

So here is the breakdown of how draftable the members of the John Kincade show are.

The post Adam Schefter Discusses What The Eagles Could Do In The Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL draft is on Thursday and with it comes a lot of breakdowns of prospects from people you didnt even know existed. As soon as the Eagles take whomever, your social media feed will be filled with scouting reports from people who either have credibility, or are attempting to get credibility. Because of this, you have to take scouting reports with a grain of salt. But it got us wondering on the John Kincade Show, what would our draft profiles look like?

So we decided to do something bold and have “fun”. We decided to create draft profiles for everyone on the show (John Kincade, Bob Cooney, Pat Egan, Eric Camille, Connor Thomas.) Now I (Pat) created all the profiles for the show EXCEPT the one for me. The “Pat Egan” draft profile was done by Bob Cooney. But everyone on the show did their own draft profiles, so I encourage you to listen to the full show podcast to hear each person on the shows breakdown of their co-workers. For those that heed this advice, the profiles were done at 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30.

So here is the breakdown of how draftable the members of the John Kincade show are.

The post John Kincade Show NFL Draft Profiles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

There are so many different variables in play as to what the Eagles will do with the 10th and 30th picks in the first round of the NFL Draft. I’ve been studying hard, making calls and will now attempt to read the tea leaves from what I have gathered. Knowing how Howie Roseman works I might be way off. I’m pretty confident that I’ve potentially cracked the code. Think of this as a working flow chart. Here is my best assessment;

The post I believe you will see THIS HAPPEN during the Eagles 1st Round Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Just one more day until the day. Will it be Will Anderson who has his name called by the Eagles tomorrow night?

Most people in the know, are looking at the defensive line for the Eagles at pick 10. The names continually coming up are Jalen Carter, Lukas Van Ness, Nolan Smith, and other premiere pass rushers. But there is one guy we have yet to talk about. Mostly because it seemed so unlikely he would be available for them. But with the draft nearly upon, maybe it is worth taking a look at Will Anderson.

The consensus among every NFL reporter who has come onto our station is that there are 3 elite pass-rush prospects in this draft. Jalen Carter, who we already discussed. Tyree Wilson. And then Will Anderson. We know well that Howie loves a defensive lineman. If he can get his hands on one of those 3 guys, it is hard to see him being able to resist taking them. The common thought has been that neither Will Anderson or Tyree Wilson would be. But now it is sounding like he may actually have a chance of being an option for them. Perhaps not at 10. But with a possible run on QBs and other non-QBs rising up the draft board, could he fall into trade-up range for the Eagles?

Let’s get to know the Alabama Edge-Rusher a little better. How productive was he in college? What do current NFL coaches think of him? Will his size be a concern in the NFL? And do the Eagles really have a shot at landing the guy who was once seen as the number one prospect in the draft?

Here are 5 Things You Should Know About Will Anderson:The post 5 Things to Know About Will Anderson- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There is a significant portion of the Eagles fan base all in on the Eagles taking Texas RB Bijan Robinson in the first round. Whether it be at pick 10, or from them trading down to later in the 1st. There is another portion of the Eagles fanbase dead set against taking any RB that high, no matter how high. It has been a point of debate for weeks now.

So what side will get their way? EJ Smith from the Philly Inquirer joined The Best Show Ever earlier today. And Bijan Robinson fans just will not be happy to hear his thoughts.

“I would be shocked if it happened... Bijan is a really special player. He would add another dimension to an already special offense… But when you look at team success, when teams use assets like that on the RB position, there is not a strong track record. And an important thing to remember is when you draft an RB that early, you are paying them pretty good money. So you are not getting great positional value or great contract value.

I would never say never. The Eagles do like to think outside the box. But while I think he is a great prospect; I think the Eagles will address a more premium position with that pick at 10.”

Which all sounds very familiar. It is what everyone close to the team has been saying all along. That even with how good of an RB Bijan Robinson is, it is not something the Eagles would do. it is just not a position most teams value high enough to invest a top 10 pick in or the money a top 10 pick would earn. It is why they let Miles Sanders leave in free agency. And it is why so many RBs this offseason have struggled to get big paydays.

EJ Smith also discussed what he thinks the Eagles will do if landing Jalen Carter is a realistic possibility and more.

You can listen to the full interview with EJ Smith below…5 Things to Know About RB Bijan Robinson- Eagles Prospect ProfileWould the Eagles actually consider Bijan Robinson at pick 10? There certainly seems to be a ton of Mock Drafters saying so. And not just random dudes with blogs. Some of the big names in draft coverage are connecting the Eagles to Bijan Robinson. Both Dane Brugler from The Athletic and Todd McShay from ESPN selected Bijan for the Eagles at 10.

Miles Sanders is going to leave in free agency. So RB is a need, even if the Eagles are confident in Kenny Gainwell stepping into a larger role. But big enough of a need for them to break tradition and modern NFL thought and spend a top-10 pick on an RB? Probably not.

Especially considering the long grocery list of other needs the Eagles have. Adam Schefter’s reporting on The John Kincade Show suggests the Eagles could be losing nearly all their big-name free agents. The Eagles’ defense will need a massive overhaul, and much of that will have to come in the draft. A great RB would be a luxury. But when you are already budgeting to make sure you get all the essentials like bread and eggs at the grocery store, it is not necessarily wise to also buy a prime rib.

But enough people are connecting the Texas RB and the Eagles, that he is at least worth looking at. And man is this guy fun to watch. Is Bijan Robinson really the game-breaking RB so many think he will be in the NFL? Good enough to be worth using a top-10 pick on? Or are these supposed draft experts just making a pick that there is no chance of actually happening? Since his name keeps coming up, let’s get to know him better.

Here are 5 things you should know about Texas RB Bijan Robinson. The post EJ Smith- Would Be Shocked If they Took Bijan Robinson appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in The Audio Vault today. Every day Andrew takes a deep dive into the vault to pull out Audio relevant to the day. And with it being NFL draft time, that has meant looking back at past drafts. Today they looked back at the 2009 NFL Draft, along with the drafts from 2019 and 1994, some Bachelorettes being upset about the location of the draft in 2019, and a GM being very upset with one Mel Kiper Jr in 94.

Here is what he played in the Audio Vault today.* Bill Tobin Goes Off on Mel Kiper after Mel Criticizes the Colt’s Selection * Lead up to the 2009 NFL Draft * Jeremy Maclin drafted by the Eagles in Round 1 * Eagles take LeSean McCoy in the 2nd round * 2019 NFL Draft Intro * A couple of women are very upset that the draft is in Nashville and ruining their Bachelorette Party * The Phanatic hits a woman in the face with a hotdog

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below…5 Things to Know About OL Paris Johnson- Eagles Prospect ProfileThe draft is now just a couple of days away. And could it be Paris Johnson Jr whose name gets called when the Eagles are on the board at pick 10?

Even when it is not a need, O-Line is never off the board for Howie Roseman. Two years in a row Howie spent his 2nd round pick on what he thought would be their future center if Jason Kelce retired. First, it was Landon Dickerson. He ended up playing his rookie year when Isaac Seumalo got hurt. But the plan was for him to ride the bench all season long. Last season it was Cam Jurgens. And he did sit for pretty much his whole rookie season. Apart from some snaps filling in for Kelce here and there.

So even though the Eagles have both Tackles spots wrapped up for at least two years, their LG in Dickerson, and Jason Kelce returned, O-Line could very much be on the table at pick 10. Whether it is getting the eventual replacement for Lane Johnson, or someone to play RG this season and sit Cam Jurgens again.

We took a look at Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski earlier in the draft process. But now let’s get to know another of the top OL prospects a little bit better. Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. Will Johnson even be there at pick 10? Would he be the right fit at RG for the near future? And does what Paris Johnson brings to the team off the field make him even more valuable?

Here are 5 Things you should know about Paris Johnson Jr:The post The Audio Vault: The 2009 NFL Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The draft is now just a couple of days away. On Thursday night, we will learn who the newest Eagles will be. So just who will that be? Jeff McLane joined The Anthony Gargano today to discuss the Eagles Draft.

There seems to be a lot of differing opinions about what the Eagles will and should do. Some are all on board for the Eagles taking an Rb at 10. Some are dead set against. There are people who want the Eagles to trade up and go after one of the top guys in the draft. Others want them to trade down and acquire more picks. There are a ton of different names that could be the Eagles guy at 10. So Jeff McLane discussed some of those, and what he thinks the Eagles may do at 10 and 30.

Are the Eagles more inclined to trade up or down from their current picks? Would they actually take Bijan Robinson? Could they go OL at pick 10? Jeff McLane discussed that and more.

Here is some of what he had to say about the Eagles Draft:The post 6 Things Jeff McLane Said About the Eagles Draft To Anthony Gargano appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The draft is now just a couple of days away. And could it be Paris Johnson Jr whose name gets called when the Eagles are on the board at pick 10?

Even when it is not a need, O-Line is never off the board for Howie Roseman. Two years in a row Howie spent his 2nd round pick on what he thought would be their future center if Jason Kelce retired. First, it was Landon Dickerson. He ended up playing his rookie year when Isaac Seumalo got hurt. But the plan was for him to ride the bench all season long. Last season it was Cam Jurgens. And he did sit for pretty much his whole rookie season. Apart from some snaps filling in for Kelce here and there.

So even though the Eagles have both Tackles spots wrapped up for at least two years, their LG in Dickerson, and Jason Kelce returned, O-Line could very much be on the table at pick 10. Whether it is getting the eventual replacement for Lane Johnson, or someone to play RG this season and sit Cam Jurgens again.

We took a look at Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski earlier in the draft process. But now let’s get to know another of the top OL prospects a little bit better. Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. Will Johnson even be there at pick 10? Would he be the right fit at RG for the near future? And does what Paris Johnson brings to the team off the field make him even more valuable?

Here are 5 Things you should know about Paris Johnson Jr:The post 5 Things to Know About OL Paris Johnson- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

I love the NFL Draft and every year the anticipation seems to get larger. It certainly helps that the Eagles are one of the elite NFL franchises and have a chance to build a run of seasons with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. These are some of my random observations as we count down to the Draft.

1. A lot of locals that comment on the draft don’t watch much college football

The more I observe interactions on a lot of the college talent, even from premium programs, I can tell that the fan hasn’t watched a lot of college football. I hear a lot of analyst talking points regurgitated as if they were original thought. This is one of the best NFL fan bases in the country but it’s clear that Saturdays must be being used for other things.

2. Best player available is never a bad strategy over drafting for need

I would be very happy with the Eagles going with the best player available strategy. I don’t see a lot of desperate need.

3. Howie Roseman still has a very poor record of first round draft picks

Yes, DeVonta Smith was a fine selection. Truth is that the vast majority of the first round picks in the past decade have not been good or the selection has not been impactful.

4. Why not build up the Eagles offense into a juggernaut?

I’d be fine if 2 of the first 3 picks in this years Draft were on the offensive side and skill position players. Why not make the offense even more stout and out score people while the defense grows and evolves?

5. Will Fletcher Cox deal end up being a mistake for the 2023 Eagles?

I’m wondering if this is a question that we will be asking during the season. I wasn’t a supporter of bring back Cox, especially after bring back Brandon Graham. Leadership is important, but that $10M meant they couldn’t or wouldn’t pay CJ Gardner Johnson.

6. I’m expecting a cornerback to be added despite bringing back Slay and Bradberry

In the first 3 rounds the Eagles will draft a cornerback to be groomed under the veterans and provide athletic depth

7. How will the Eagles address beefing up the linebacker position?

I’m confused as to their lack of attention to the position. A veteran after the draft may be the answer.

8. The Eagles will not draft at 10 and 30

I do not believe that the Eagles will draft at 10, I expect movement up a few spots or back a bit. I also believe they will trade out of 30 and into the early part of Round 2.

9. Why not draft the running back of your dreams?

Bijan Robinson would be a huge addition to the roster. I roll my eyes at anyone who believes that it would be a bad idea. I just can’t use the 10th pick on him. Trade back a bit, grab some additional picks and I would love it.

10. I don’t see a trade for a player like Derrick Henry

There isn’t a reason to pay to bring in a $10M plus high mileage running back and give him a new contract. Grab a low mileage cheap model.

The post My Top 10 Eagles Draft Week Observations appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles own two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft thanks to the shrewd maneuvering of general manager Howie Roseman and the mistakes of the New Orleans Saints.

The draft will take place in Kansas City, MO from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29, but months of speculation and rumors lead us up to one of the most important three-day windows on the NFL calendar.

Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer spoke on the The Anthony Gargano Show about the lure of the draft that captivates fans every year.

“I get why fans love it because there’s the optimism of the new players that come in without any marks, typically, against them. I feel like that’s the main thing, and you feel like you can get instant help, or especially in the first couple rounds, you get players who can come in and contribute right away.”

McLane put it pretty simply: “A lot of people like to play GM.”

The long-time Eagles beat writer certainly knows his audience. However, one thing sometimes gets lost among all the smoke screens that appear in the news cycle every April:

The Eagles’ draft history tells you a lot more about their interests than any draft rumors do.

The positional priorities of former head coach Andy Reid have carried into the era of Howie Roseman. The Eagles have shown a rigid commitment to building successful rosters based on what’s worked in the past, and their preferences are never more obvious than at the NFL Draft.

When you think about the appeal of drafting an exciting running back like Bijan Robinson with the 10th-overall pick versus the boring decision to look at an offensive linemen, consider 11 revealing trends in franchise history.

The post 11 Clear Trends in Recent Eagles Draft History appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Could Iowa State’s Will McDonald end up as the Eagles pick at 30?

We are in the final days before the draft. On Thursday, the draft will kick off. The Eagles have two picks in the first round alone. So it could be a busy day one for them. There is some thought they may trade down from 30 into the second round to pick up more day 2 and 3 picks. But whether they are picking early in the 2nd, or at 30, there is one name to keep an eye on. Will McDonald, an edge rusher out of Iowa State.

His name came up at pick 30 more than anyone else in our recent experiment where we simulated the draft 1000 times. Will McDonald was the pick 125 times. The only player in triple digits, and 40 more than the next guy. So if the computer seems to think he will end up an Eagle, it may be worth getting to know him more. Especially considering Edge Rusher is a position many have high on the list of Eagles needs given Brandon Graham’s age.

What has him in line to maybe break a 50-year-long drought? Are his speed and agility enough to overcome concerns about his size and strength? What record did he break in college that was set by Von Miller?

Here are 5 things you should know about Will McDonald…The post 5 Things to Know About Will McDonald- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas played in the Audio vault today. Every day Andrew dives into the Vault to pull out Audio relevant to the day. Lately, as we count down to the draft, that has meant looking at past drafts from Eagles and NFL history. And today that continued that trend by looking at the 1994, and 2004 drafts, which both kicked off on this day in history.

Here is what Andrew played in today’s draft* Produced Intro for the 1994 NFL Draft * Chris Berman’s Intro to the 1994 Draft * Lead Up to Eagles Pick * Eagles Select Bernard Williams * 2004 Intro to the Draft * Chris Berman’s Intro to the 2004 Draft * Eagles Trade up to Select Shawn Andrews

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below…You may also enjoy:We Simulated the Eagles Draft 1000 Times, Here are the ResultsLast year, out of both boredom and the lack of a thriving social life, I simulated the Eagles draft 1000 times. Turns out that in the past calendar year, not much has changed. I am still a huge draft geek, and I still have way too much time on my hands. So I did it again. Using mock draft simulators, I ran the draft 1000 times, to see who the computer had the Eagles draft.

Last year the results were surprisingly accurate. It could not have predicted they would trade their second first-round pick for AJ Brown. But between the two picks, Jordan Davis was the most common player selected. Davis led all players, getting selected 329 total times. 252 at pick 15, and 76 at pick 18. The Eagles ended up trading up to 13 to take him. Nakobe Dean was selected 195 total times, the 4th most of any player. He ended up falling to the Eagles in the 3rd round.

This year, I changed it up a little and used 3 different draft simulators. Last year I ran all 1000 simulations through Pro Football Focus’s mock draft tool. This year I used that again, but also Pro Football Network, and ESPN’s new draft tool. Doing 333 on each, and then one extra on Pro Football Network to get an even 1000.

It is important to note these are not my picks. I simulated the first round, letting the computer make each pick. My only part in it was keeping track of the results. Two of the three sites did not simulate trades. Will the simulations be as accurate as they were last year? Let’s see what the results were.

The post The Audio Vault- 2004 and 1994 NFL Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last year, out of both boredom and the lack of a thriving social life, I simulated the Eagles draft 1000 times. Turns out that in the past calendar year, not much has changed. I am still a huge draft geek, and I still have way too much time on my hands. So I did it again. Using mock draft simulators, I ran the draft 1000 times, to see who the computer had the Eagles draft.

Last year the results were surprisingly accurate. It could not have predicted they would trade their second first-round pick for AJ Brown. But between the two picks, Jordan Davis was the most common player selected. Davis led all players, getting selected 329 total times. 252 at pick 15, and 76 at pick 18. The Eagles ended up trading up to 13 to take him. Nakobe Dean was selected 195 total times, the 4th most of any player. He ended up falling to the Eagles in the 3rd round.

This year, I changed it up a little and used 3 different draft simulators. Last year I ran all 1000 simulations through Pro Football Focus’s mock draft tool. This year I used that again, but also Pro Football Network, and ESPN’s new draft tool. Doing 333 on each, and then one extra on Pro Football Network to get an even 1000.

It is important to note these are not my picks. I simulated the first round, letting the computer make each pick. My only part in it was keeping track of the results. Two of the three sites did not simulate trades. Will the simulations be as accurate as they were last year? Let’s see what the results were.

The post We Simulated the Eagles Draft 1000 Times, Here are the Results appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Could Howie Roseman be prepared to steal another star from Tennessee? According to one NFL analyst that IS whats happening. Former Packer Akbar Gbajabiamila tweeted out late Friday night “BREAKING: Move out the way, Derrick Henry is headed to the Eagles”

BREAKING: Move out the way, Derrick Henry (@KingHenry_2) is headed to The @Eagles pic.twitter.com/RQCfURvmn8

— Akbar Gbajabiamila (@Akbar_Gbaja) April 22, 2023

But before you go buying your Derrick Henry Eagles jersey here is some food for thought. Gbajabiamila is not known for breaking news. He does serve as an analyst for the NFL Network but his primary job is as host of the NBC show “America Ninja Warrior.” BUT where it gets interesting is Gbajabiamila shares an agency with Henry. So maybe he would have more inside info than others.

The other thing that gives this some credence is the fact that the tweet is so matter of fact. Its not Gbajabiamila speculating a move. Its Gbajabiamila saying it with his chest. All of this is to say, take it with a grain of salt until someone like Adam Schefter tweets it out.

But MAN would this be incredible. Adding Derrick Henry to this offense would be hell for opposing defenses. “King Henry” has led the league in carries 3 times during his career but hes still extremely productive. He rushed for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns behind an offensive line that isnt anywhere near the caliber of the Eagles. He comes with a $16 million dollar cap hit and is a free agent after this season.

Jamie Lynch's NFL Mock Draft 5.0It is that time of the year! NFL (mock) draft season! The draft will go down April 27th-29th LIVE from Kansas City Missouri. The three day event should see Howie Roseman and the Eagles be very active as the team has two first round picks (pick 10 and pick 30) but hold only 5 picks total. Howie could trade down to recoup some picks. He could trade up to grab a player he targeted. He could trade a first round pick for a current stud player who is in a contract battle with his current team, like he did last year with AJ Brown.

The beauty of Howie Roseman is he works in the shadows. Last season no one saw him snagging AJ Brown for one of the team’s first round picks. But he did. He was able to get Brown, and pay him. Something the Titans were not willing to do. They then used the pick they got from the Eagles to draft Treylon Burks. A player who scouts said “Could be AJ Brown.” AJ Brown proceeded to have the best season of any wide receiver to wear an Eagles uniform.

So what about this season?

Our own NFL Draft expert Jamie “The Bro” Lynch is BACK! He is in “the lab” (as the kids say) and has been crunching the numbers. Making phone calls. Watching the tape. Jamie will give you a mock of the top 10 picks, ending with the Eagles drafting 10th overall. “I cant do picks 1-30….I don’t have the stamina,” Jamie told us. “Low motor.”

We kicked it off 3 weeks ago with Jamie Lynch’s Mock Draft 2.0, because I just forgot to include the 1.0. We then improved on it with Mock Draft 3.0. And last week Jamie debuted his Mock Draft 4.0. And Believe it or not, I think we’ve improved on THAT with this weeks 4.0. Make sure to tweet Jamie your thoughts about his picks on twitter @JeLynchJr

The post Coud Derrick Henry Be Heading To The Eagles? One NFL Analyst Says Its DONE appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jonathan Gannon’s defense was good last year. Well, until it mattered most. Despite leading the league in sacks, they got none in the Super Bowl. Even though they were near the top of the league in points allowed, they couldn’t get a single stop in the second half of the game. Despite the Eagles’ offense putting up 35 points, the Eagles still lost. And it was because the defense did not do its part. You might be asking why we are now relitigating something from months ago. Well, it is because Jonathan Gannon had something to say about Eagles fans and media.

Here is what Jonathan Gannon said when speaking to Arizona Media at the Cardinals’ new uniform unveiling

Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon talking about his comfortability with the media, but mentions how difficult it could be in Philadelphia.

Mentions how they were 9-0 and people wanted him fired.

"If you want to come call the defense, have at it."pic.twitter.com/Gl4K7wwKSH

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 21, 2023

Jonathan Gannon claims people wanted him fired when they were 9-0. The Eagles never actually were 9-0. They lost their 9th game. But I’ll just assume that was a slip of the tongue, and he meant either 8-0, or 9-1. Wouldnt be the first mistake Gannon ever made, or the worst. Weirdly enough, I went back to both press conferences, and not one media member said the words “Coach, we want you fired,” as he claims.

Were some Eagles fans over-critical of him? Sure. But many media members also carried water for him when it was not warranted. After how bad his defense looked the year prior, everyone made excuses for him saying how it wasn’t his fault, and that he just didn’t have the talent. The next year he went from an under-talented roster to one of the most talented defenses in franchise history. And surprise, the defense played better. Well, except for when it mattered most. Even after the awful job he did in the Super Bowl, there were many media members defending him.

He also said that if we want to come call the defense, we could, see if we do any better. Not sure about doing better, but I am pretty sure literally anyone could coach the defense to getting no stops in the 2nd half of the Super Bowl. That is as bad as a defense can do. I know I would be a disaster as a defensive coordinator. But even I could get zero stops against the Chiefs. So could all of you.

The truth is Jonathan Gannon does deserve credit for the Eagles’ defense last year. But his smarmy response here will have Eagles fans rooting against him if they weren’t already. For the guy whose game plan cost the Eagles the Super Bowl to start throwing stones back at us, is just pathetic. Good luck in Arizona dude. With the state of that roster, you are going to need it. And we know he has a hard time doing anything worthwhile unless he has a roster stacked with talented players. But at least he won’t have mean Eagles fans or media members to deal with. And he certainly wont have to worry about his defense under performing in the Super Bowl again.

A Guide To 12 Players the Eagles Might Draft Next WeekWe are just a week away from the NFL Draft. You can tell we are close to the draft because all of a sudden random smoke screens are coming out from teams trying to make players fall. As has been the case the past several years, Philly fans haven’t been as draft obsessed as they usually are. Seven years ago all of March and April would be dominated by draft talk. I remember in 2015 how all anyone talked about was Marcus Mariota and Do The Deal. Now? It is certainly still there, but Sixers and Phillies being relevant has put draft talk more in the background than ever before.

But that talk should start to pick up now that we are within that last week before the First Round kicks off. And it is a good thing to know a little bit about the potential players who could end up in an Eagles Jersey. So here is a guide to some of the players the Eagles might draft, with full write-ups on 5 things you should know about each one of them.

Is Jalen Carter the right guy for the Eagles? Should they be looking at a Cornerback like Devon Witherspoon instead? Is Bijan Robinson good enough to justify drafting an RB in the first round? We looked at 12 different players with a chance to go at either pick 10 or pick 30.

Here are some of the names you should watch out for next week…The post Jonathan Gannon, Who Lost the Super Bowl, Rips Eagles Fans appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Brian Dawkins joined The John Kincade Show to talk about his upcoming charity golf event, the Jalen Hurts contract extension, and the Philadelphia Eagles offseason.

The Stoltzfus Structures Brian Dawkins Driving Impact Celebrity Golf Tournament will take place at Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester on May 2.

Tickets are sold out, but there is still room available at the soirée (which Dawkins said is just a fancy word for get-together) at the golf club on May 1.

Dawkins Talks Jalen HurtsDawkins talked about the growth of Hurts after the quarterback signed a contract that makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

“I just saw the fighter in him. I saw the maturity in him all the way coming from losing his job at Alabama, being able to pick himself up, go to another place, come in second in the Heisman (voting), and (he) constantly got better.” -Brian Dawkins

He spoke with admiration for Hurts for overcoming criticism about his accuracy as a passer and his ability to play a traditional quarterback role.

After teammates and players around the league went out of their way to congratulate Hurts this week, Dawkins called it a testament to a “mentally tough dude” and how quickly he’s risen as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL after facing so much adversity.

"I saw the fighter in him….I didn't expect him to get this good this fast, but I'm doggone glad he did" –@BrianDawkins on @JalenHurts progression

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) April 21, 2023

Eagles OffseasonThe Eagles need to avoid a Super Bowl hangover. They became the first team since the 1994 San Francisco 49ers to lose their offensive and defensive coordinators to NFL head coaching jobs after a Super Bowl appearance. They’ll have to adjust to the losses of key contributors like Javon Hargrave, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, T.J. Edwards, Isaac Seumalo, and Miles Sanders.

Dawkins talked about how the 2023 Eagles have to acknowledge and accept the challenges and avoid complacency.

“It is going to be a big deal. It’s going to take a whole lot more effort to have a new group of guys to kind of come together to bond like this past year’s team did. It’s not going to be as easy as some people say.” -Dawkins

He pointed to the classic example of how Dan Marino reached the Super Bowl in his second season but never made it back. Even with Hall of Fame talent, there are no guarantees in the NFL.

The nine-time Pro Bowler also gave a vote of confidence for the 2023 season based on Nick Sirianni and his ability to communicate with athletes in the modern day with attention to psychology and emotional intelligence.

Brian Dawkins Driving Impact Celebrity Golf Tournament97.5 The Fanatic will broadcast live from 6am-6pm at the Penn Oaks Golf Club as the only radio partner for Stoltzfus Structures Brian Dawkins Driving Impact Celebrity Golf Tournament Presented by E & E Contracting.

Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham, Brian Westbrook, Brent Celek, Tra Thomas, Harold Carmichael, and Ron Jaworski highlight a long list of current and former Eagles who will attend the event.

Dawkins even teased a repeat of his Bob Marley performance at last year’s soirée.

“When you’ve been in a locker room, and you get all those guys back together, the jokesters come out. The teasing just comes out…I love seeing the smiles on cats’ faces when we get back together.” -Dawkins

Watch the full interview below, and tune into The John Kincade Show on weekdays from 6am-10am.

You Might Also Like:A Guide To 12 Players the Eagles Might Draft Next WeekThe post Brian Dawkins Talks Eagles, Jalen Hurts, Celebrity Golf Event appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is that time of the year! NFL (mock) draft season! The draft will go down April 27th-29th LIVE from Kansas City Missouri. The three day event should see Howie Roseman and the Eagles be very active as the team has two first round picks (pick 10 and pick 30) but hold only 5 picks total. Howie could trade down to recoup some picks. He could trade up to grab a player he targeted. He could trade a first round pick for a current stud player who is in a contract battle with his current team, like he did last year with AJ Brown.

The beauty of Howie Roseman is he works in the shadows. Last season no one saw him snagging AJ Brown for one of the team’s first round picks. But he did. He was able to get Brown, and pay him. Something the Titans were not willing to do. They then used the pick they got from the Eagles to draft Treylon Burks. A player who scouts said “Could be AJ Brown.” AJ Brown proceeded to have the best season of any wide receiver to wear an Eagles uniform.

So what about this season?

Our own NFL Draft expert Jamie “The Bro” Lynch is BACK! He is in “the lab” (as the kids say) and has been crunching the numbers. Making phone calls. Watching the tape. Jamie will give you a mock of the top 10 picks, ending with the Eagles drafting 10th overall. “I cant do picks 1-30….I don’t have the stamina,” Jamie told us. “Low motor.”

We kicked it off 3 weeks ago with Jamie Lynch’s Mock Draft 2.0, because I just forgot to include the 1.0. We then improved on it with Mock Draft 3.0. And last week Jamie debuted his Mock Draft 4.0. And Believe it or not, I think we’ve improved on THAT with this weeks 4.0. Make sure to tweet Jamie your thoughts about his picks on twitter @JeLynchJr

The post Jamie Lynch’s NFL Mock Draft 5.0 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are just a week away from the NFL Draft. You can tell we are close to the draft because all of a sudden random smoke screens are coming out from teams trying to make players fall. As has been the case the past several years, Philly fans haven’t been as draft obsessed as they usually are. Six years ago all of March and April would be dominated by draft talk. I remember in 2015 how all anyone talked about was Marcus Mariota and Do The Deal. Now? It is certainly still there, but Sixers and Phillies being relevant has put draft talk more in the background than ever before.

But that talk should start to pick up now that we are within that last week before the First Round kicks off. And it is a good thing to know a little bit about the potential players who could end up in an Eagles Jersey. So here is a guide to some of the players the Eagles might draft, with full write-ups on 5 things you should know about each one of them.

Is Jalen Carter the right guy for the Eagles? Should they be looking at a Cornerback like Devon Witherspoon instead? Is Bijan Robinson good enough to justify drafting an RB in the first round?

Here are some of the names you should watch out for next week…The post A Guide To 12 Players the Eagles Might Draft Next Week appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. Every day Andrew dives into the Audio Vault to pull out Audio Relevant to the day. Things that happened on this day in history, famous Birthdays, etc. Today that includes what happened in the 1996 draft, Michael Jordan breaking an NBA record, and more.

Here is what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today…* Michael Jordan scores 63 points to break an NBA Record * Intro to the 1996 NFL Draft * The Analysis Before the Eagles Pick * Eagles Selection of Jermane Mayberry in 1996 NFL Draft * The Brian Dawkins Selection * And More from the 1996 Draft

You can listen to the full Audio Vault…You may also enjoy:5 Things to Know About Adetomiwa Adebawore- NFL Draft ProfileCould Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore be the Eagles’ pick at 30? The Eagles have two picks in the first round.

Given The Eagles’ history, it feels safe to say one of them will be spent on a lineman. Maybe even both. Outside of taking WRs in the first round in two recent years, they have taken an O-Lineman or D-Lineman in the draft nearly every year under Howie Roseman. And with the Eagles having some needs along both lines, it makes sense for them to look at the D-Line at either pick 10 or pick 30. Even if they trade out of pick 30, the 2nd round pick they got back could very well be a defensive lineman.

Javon Hargrave, Linval Joseph, and Ndamukong Suh all leaving. On the edge, Brandon Graham is getting older. They don’t have much depth outside of him, Josh Sweat, and Hasson Reddick. Besides, you can never have too much depth along the defensive line.

There is one guy that could fit either of those needs. Adetomiwa Adebawore out of Northwestern. We have already discussed other options on the D Line like Jalen Carter, Myles Murphy, Lukas Van Ness, Nolan Smith, and Bryan Bresee. But let’s look at one more defensive lineman that could end up an Eagle before the draft.

Could Adetomiwa Adebawore be the pick at 30? Does his freaky athleticism suggest he could be more productive in the NFL?

Here are 5 things you should know about Adetomiwa AdebaworeThe post The Audio Vault- 1996 NFL Draft, and Jordan Scoring 63 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles came to agreement on his much anticipated contract extension. Hurts is now locked into Philly for the next 5 seasons and a nice $255 million dollar deal. On the surface Hurts will be bringing home the most money out of any player in the NFL. But the deal is actually much better for the Eagles and building a team and we broke that down after the details came out.

Just How Good Is The Hurts Contract? Lets Compare!

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesdays at 8:20) to discuss the Eagles & Hurts' decision to make this relationship long term. But who won? Lots of times with contracts in sports we need to immediately deem a winner and loser. But Schefter says that is NOT the case this time.

“Both sides can declare a victory… The Eagles lock up their QB for the next 6 years at very friendly cap numbers for the next 4 years… Jalen Hurts, for his part, puts $179.3 million guaranteed in his pocket”

Schefter was then questioned whether or not the Eagles are locking up Hurts' too soon. Hurts' was runner up in the MVP voting this season and took a leap that many Eagles fans did not see coming. But it is just one season. And the last time the Eagles locked up a quarterback long term they ended up trading him 2 years later. So did the Eagles make a move too soon?

“I think people have seen enough in the kind of player and person that he is, that I don’t believe that’s an issue. They’ve seen enough in the time that they’ve had him to make in the first player in Eagles history to get a no trade clause… they saw enough to give him the richest contract in franchise history… I don’t think anybody doubts Jalen Hurts is the guy for them moving forward”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW

The 6 Performances That Show Jalen Hurts is Worth Every PennyJalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles’ Qb for a while. Coming off his MVP-caliber season, he signed a 5-year extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. While that is a title that may not last long, considering Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also in line for new contracts, it puts him in that top tier of QBs, which is exactly where he belongs. As expensive as he will be going forward, Jalen Hurts is worth every penny.

Hurts was the runner-up MVP. You could argue he played even better than the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles lost just two games he played in last season. Yes, one of those was the Super Bowl, but it is hard to blame him for that given how well he played. And contrary to what some people say, he is not just a running QB. He developed into a hell of a pocket QB, with a QB rating over 100 in the pocket last season. Hurts threw 22 TDs with just 6 interceptions playing in the pocket last season. Yes, he can kill you with his legs. But he is just as capable of killing teams with his arm too.

And off the field, it is hard to find a player more beloved than him. AJ Brown came out in the offseason and said if the Eagles didn’t pay Hurts, he would follow him wherever he goes. Ndamukong Suh went on the Rich Eisen show to gush about Hurts. You won’t find a single guy Hurts plays with who has anything short of glowing praise.

Jalen Hurts is a star. And as much as this deal will cost, he is worth it. In case you forgot that fact, let’s look back at some of his best performances from this past year.

Here are the 5 performances from last season that show Jalen Hurts is worth every penny…The post Adam Schefter: “Both Sides Can Declare Victory On Hurts’ Contract” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Quez Watkins was a bit disappointing last season. He had just 33 catches for 354 yards and 3 TDs. He also had several drops and mistakes in key moments. All of which just so happened to come in the two losses they had with Jalen Hurts playing. After his disappointing performance in the Super Bowl, many fans wanted to Eagles fans to find a new option in the slot for the 2023 season. And now the Eagles have done just that. They brought in Olamide Zaccheaus, who spent his last 4 seasons with the Falcons.

Former Falcons’ WR Olamide Zaccheaus is signing with the Eagles, per the Katz Brothers.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 19, 2023

Olamide Zaccheaus did not make much of an impact in his first two seasons. Between 2019 and 2020 he had just 23 catches for 289 yards and two TDS. But in his past two seasons, he has broken out a little bit. Last season was a career year for him, racking up 533 yards on 40 catches with 3 TDs.

Nothing that will land him on a Pro Bowl team. But a more successful season than Quez Watkins had, despite having a much worse Qb situation than Quez. Granted he also had less competition. He had 13.3 yards per target, thanks to 9 catches of 20 yards or more.

Nicknamed Oz, Zaccheaus is a local kid, who grew up in Plainfield, NJ, and played his high school ball at St Joe’s Prep. He spent his College years at Virginia, racking up 250 receptions for 2,753 yards and 22 touchdowns in his time there. Like Quez Watkins, he is a speedster. At Virginia, he spent time at both WR and RB. But at 5 ft 8, he lacks the ideal size for an NFL WR. it hasn’t impacted him too much though, as he put together two productive seasons in a row with the Falcons.

With the Eagles already have AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert, there will likely not be many targets to go around. So Olamide Zaccheaus and Quez Watkins will be competing for targets.

You May Also Like:The 6 Performances That Show Jalen Hurts is Worth Every PennyJalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles’ Qb for a while. Coming off his MVP-caliber season, he signed a 5-year extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. While that is a title that may not last long, considering Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also in line for new contracts, it puts him in that top tier of QBs, which is exactly where he belongs. As expensive as he will be going forward, Jalen Hurts is worth every penny.

Hurts was the runner-up MVP. You could argue he played even better than the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles lost just two games he played in last season. Yes, one of those was the Super Bowl, but it is hard to blame him for that given how well he played. And contrary to what some people say, he is not just a running QB. He developed into a hell of a pocket QB, with a QB rating over 100 in the pocket last season. Hurts threw 22 TDs with just 6 interceptions playing in the pocket last season. Yes, he can kill you with his legs. But he is just as capable of killing teams with his arm too.

And off the field, it is hard to find a player more beloved than him. AJ Brown came out in the offseason and said if the Eagles didn’t pay Hurts, he would follow him wherever he goes. Ndamukong Suh went on the Rich Eisen show to gush about Hurts. You won’t find a single guy Hurts plays with who has anything short of glowing praise.

Jalen Hurts is a star. And as much as this deal will cost, he is worth it. In case you forgot that fact, let’s look back at some of his best performances from this past year.

Here are the 5 performances from last season that show Jalen Hurts is worth every penny…The post In Olamide Zaccheaus The Eagles Find Competition For Watkins appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. Every day Andrew dives into the Vault to pick out some audio relevant to the day. That may be famous things that happened on this day in history, famous birthdays, etc. And on this day in history, the 1997 NFL draft kicked off with its first round. So Andrew played us some highlights from that draft, including a very bad pick the eagles made in that draft.

Here is what was in The Audio Vault today:* The Bullets outscore the 76ers 18-0 in the final 3:49 to complete a comeback win in the playoffs * Sixers and Pistons Break Out Into a Fight in 1990 Playoffs * Produced Intro for the 1997 NFL Draft * Orlando Pace goes 1st overall in the 1997 Draft * At pick 25, the Eagles select Jon Harris out of Virginia

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below…You may also enjoy:The 6 Performances That Show Jalen Hurts is Worth Every PennyJalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles’ Qb for a while. Coming off his MVP-caliber season, he signed a 5-year extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. While that is a title that may not last long, considering Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also in line for new contracts, it puts him in that top tier of QBs, which is exactly where he belongs. As expensive as he will be going forward, Jalen Hurts is worth every penny.

Hurts was the runner-up MVP. You could argue he played even better than the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles lost just two games he played in last season. Yes, one of those was the Super Bowl, but it is hard to blame him for that given how well he played. And contrary to what some people say, he is not just a running QB. He developed into a hell of a pocket QB, with a QB rating over 100 in the pocket last season. Hurts threw 22 TDs with just 6 interceptions playing in the pocket last season. Yes, he can kill you with his legs. But he is just as capable of killing teams with his arm too.

And off the field, it is hard to find a player more beloved than him. AJ Brown came out in the offseason and said if the Eagles didn’t pay Hurts, he would follow him wherever he goes. Ndamukong Suh went on the Rich Eisen show to gush about Hurts. You won’t find a single guy Hurts plays with who has anything short of glowing praise.

Jalen Hurts is a star. And as much as this deal will cost, he is worth it. In case you forgot that fact, let’s look back at some of his best performances from this past year.

Here are the 5 performances from last season that show Jalen Hurts is worth every penny…The post The Audio Vault- The 1997 NFL Draft appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Could Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore be the Eagles’ pick at 30? The Eagles have two picks in the first round.

Given The Eagles’ history, it feels safe to say one of them will be spent on a lineman. Maybe even both. Outside of taking WRs in the first round in two recent years, they have taken an O-Lineman or D-Lineman in the draft nearly every year under Howie Roseman. And with the Eagles having some needs along both lines, it makes sense for them to look at the D-Line at either pick 10 or pick 30. Even if they trade out of pick 30, the 2nd round pick they got back could very well be a defensive lineman.

Javon Hargrave, Linval Joseph, and Ndamukong Suh all leaving. On the edge, Brandon Graham is getting older. They don’t have much depth outside of him, Josh Sweat, and Hasson Reddick. Besides, you can never have too much depth along the defensive line.

There is one guy that could fit either of those needs. Adetomiwa Adebawore out of Northwestern. We have already discussed other options on the D Line like Jalen Carter, Myles Murphy, Lukas Van Ness, Nolan Smith, and Bryan Bresee. But let’s look at one more defensive lineman that could end up an Eagle before the draft.

Could Adetomiwa Adebawore be the pick at 30? Does his freaky athleticism suggest he could be more productive in the NFL?

Here are 5 things you should know about Adetomiwa AdebaworeThe post 5 Things to Know About Adetomiwa Adebawore- NFL Draft Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

If you are a loyal listener to the John Kincade Show you know that our Friends at Philly Sports Trips do a fantastic job of taking us on road trips during the season. We had our inaugural road game trip in 2021 to Las Vegas and in 2022 we made our second trip to Arizona. Both of those excursions were a load of fun and first class all the way. We also visited Las Vegas again for the 2022 NFL Draft. That was the night that delivered Jordan Davis and AJ Brown via trade. Every trip is eventful and it’s got me thinking already about where our third annual trip will be. There are a few black out weekends that will need to be avoided around holidays but here is how I’ve got things ranked 3 weeks with odds before the 2023 schedule release;

TOP SEED

AT TAMPA BAY – -220

We always like to have our road game trips double as vacations for our listeners. That entails choosing a location that provides beautiful weather consistently. Around our live broadcasts we love co-hosting a golf outing for our traveling party too. Philly Sports Trips knows how to check all those boxes. Plus, Tampa Joe’s is an amazing spot full of Philly transplants to host our Friday and Monday broadcasts and Saturday Pep Rally. Pat Egan had one of the greatest dessert experiences of his life at Berns Steak House too. It all adds up to an odds on favorite for our 2023 selection. Throw in that we could broadcast in Florida in the same time zone and it’s a no brainer.

AT LOS ANGELES RAMS – +150

Positives? The Eagles fans will absolutely have an opportunity to take over SOFI Stadium. The weather should be amazing and the Rams are going to be terrible. Finding quality golf and some sight seeing options would not be an issue. Negatives? It’s once again in the Western Time Zone and broadcasting at 3am is far more cumbersome.

AT SEATTLE – +170

One of the greatest road game stadium experiences is in Seattle. The tourist area options yo get out and eat and drink are numerous. A golf outing is most likely out of the question.

AT KANSAS CITY – +190

The Super Bowl rematch could be an intriguing pick in the minds of some, but that would be the football purist. Arrowhead is most certainly amazing. First of all, it won’t be a stadium takeover like in other cities. Secondly, you are visiting Kansas City. It’s not exactly a tourist destination. Depending on the scheduled game date, the golf outing may also not be an option. You go to KC to eat and drink. There will also be far fewer Eagles fans traveling there for the game. It’s a complete business trip.

OTHER THOUGHTS

I did the bus trip last year to Washington for the Commanders game. It was outstanding. If the date works I’m not missing that one.

The two visits to North Jersey for the Giants and Jets road games are perfect first trip options if you haven’t joined us before.

The weekend in Boston for the Patriots game is intriguing as I’d love to see the Eagles dominate them in Foxboro.

What games are you considering?

The post Start Dreaming Now About 2023 Eagles Travel appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After waiting nearly until the draft, the Eagles finally got the deal done with Jalen Hurts. And man did Hurts get his money. They have him a 5-year extension making him the highest-paid player in NFL History, at least until the next QB steals that title. But was paying Hurts that much the right move? That is what Bo Wulf from The Athletic joined The Best Show Ever to discuss.

One of the things that Bo Wulf talked about was if it was an overpay or not. And Wulf made sure to point out that while it is a lot of money, it is the going rate for top QBs.

“I know that there is a lot made of how that one you pay a QB a lot of money, it will be harder to build a competitive around him. I will tell you what is a lot harder. They are trying to field a competitive roster without a good Quarterback. it is the cost of doing business. And they were smart to get it done before the Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert extensions. That will probably save them some money on the backend.”

The Eagles just lost the Super Bowl to a team who already paid their QB. Are the Chiefs regretting paying Patrick Mahomes? Well, Jalen Hurts went toe to toe with Mahomes and may have played even better than him. Will the contract potentially prevent them from bringing in other players in the future? Maybe. But if they didn’t pay Hurts, they would eventually lose him. They had to pay him this much to keep him. And they are much better off with him, than without,

Bo Wulf also got into how the Eagles were happy to sign this deal, and how they were not looking to get one over Hurts or get him to sign a deal where they were the clear winners.

“This was not the kind of situation where you are trying to win this deal. This is Jalen Hurt’s team. They are in business together for a long time now. It made a lot of sense for both sides. To get it done without acrimony, where it makes sense for both sides.”

And from the information Adam Schefter put out on the cap hit it will carry, the Eagles did make out pretty well. Jalen Hurts get’s his money, but the Eagles are left with some space to maneuver at least in the early years of the deal.

You can listen to the full conversation with Bo Wulf here…You may also enjoy:The 6 Performances That Show Jalen Hurts is Worth Every PennyJalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles’ Qb for a while. Coming off his MVP-caliber season, he signed a 5-year extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. While that is a title that may not last long, considering Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also in line for new contracts, it puts him in that top tier of QBs, which is exactly where he belongs. As expensive as he will be going forward, Jalen Hurts is worth every penny.

Hurts was the runner-up MVP. You could argue he played even better than the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles lost just two games he played in last season. Yes, one of those was the Super Bowl, but it is hard to blame him for that given how well he played. And contrary to what some people say, he is not just a running QB. He developed into a hell of a pocket QB, with a QB rating over 100 in the pocket last season. Hurts threw 22 TDs with just 6 interceptions playing in the pocket last season. Yes, he can kill you with his legs. But he is just as capable of killing teams with his arm too.

And off the field, it is hard to find a player more beloved than him. AJ Brown came out in the offseason and said if the Eagles didn’t pay Hurts, he would follow him wherever he goes. Ndamukong Suh went on the Rich Eisen show to gush about Hurts. You won’t find a single guy Hurts plays with who has anything short of glowing praise.

Jalen Hurts is a star. And as much as this deal will cost, he is worth it. In case you forgot that fact, let’s look back at some of his best performances from this past year.

Here are the 5 performances from last season that show Jalen Hurts is worth every penny…The post Bo Wulf- The Hurts Deal “Makes Sense For Both Sides” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We knew it was coming but we just didnt know what it would look like. But news broke on Monday that the Eagles were extending Jalen Hurts for 5 seasons at a $255 million dollar price tag. His $51 million dollar average annual salary is the highest in all of football. His cap hit though is a different story…

Just How Good Is The Hurts Contract? Lets Compare!

Zach Berman from The Athletic joined the John Kincade Show on Tuesday morning to discuss the extension and what he thought of it. One thing that may have come as a surprise to Eagles fans was the fact that Jalen Hurts didnt wait. Hold out to see what others like Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert would get. Instead Hurts was the first one to "blink" but for $255 million I suppose its understandable. Zach discussed the decision to sign in April over waiting a few months.

“I think it’s a credit to Jalen and the Eagles that they didn’t wait for the market to get set elsewhere… Jalen found a number that he was clearly happy with, and the Eagles weren’t looking for a discount… I thought June was a more likely time, but like I said, both sides wanted to get this done and they were willing to compromise.”

The extension was only for 5 years which also may come as a surprise to Eagles fans. Bob Cooney questioned if it may be because Hurts' playing style is a physical one. The fear that he may break down quicker than traditional pocket passers would lead the Eagles to give him 5 years and then reassess. Zach Berman didn't feel that way though.

“I can’t speak for Howie Roseman or Jeffrey Lurie, but I think they would’ve loved to do a 10 year deal, because often times longer deals in the NFL benefit the team side more than the player side… I hear what you’re saying in terms of playing style, but I don’t think the Eagles are concerned about that… I think they’re paying for the full Jalen Hurts experience.”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW!

Jamie Lynch's NFL Mock Draft 4.0It is that time of the year! NFL (mock) draft season! The draft will go down April 27th-29th LIVE from Kansas City Missouri. The three day event should see Howie Roseman and the Eagles be very active as the team has two first round picks (pick 10 and pick 30) but hold only 5 picks total. Howie could trade down to recoup some picks. He could trade up to grab a player he targeted. He could trade a first round pick for a current stud player who is in a contract battle with his current team, like he did last year with AJ Brown.

The beauty of Howie Roseman is he works in the shadows. Last season no one saw him snagging AJ Brown for one of the team’s first round picks. But he did. He was able to get Brown, and pay him. Something the Titans were not willing to do. They then used the pick they got from the Eagles to draft Treylon Burks. A player who scouts said “Could be AJ Brown.” AJ Brown proceeded to have the best season of any wide receiver to wear an Eagles uniform.

So what about this season?

Our own NFL Draft expert Jamie “The Bro” Lynch is BACK! He is in “the lab” (as the kids say) and has been crunching the numbers. Making phone calls. Watching the tape. Jamie will give you a mock of the top 10 picks, ending with the Eagles drafting 10th overall. “I cant do picks 1-30….I don’t have the stamina,” Jamie told us. “Low motor.”

We kicked it off 2 weeks ago with Jamie Lynch’s Mock Draft 2.0, because I just forgot to include the 1.0. Last week we improved on it with Mock Draft 3.0. And Believe it or not, I think we’ve improved on THAT with this weeks 4.0. Make sure to tweet Jamie your thoughts about his picks on twitter @JeLynchJr

The post Berman: “Eagles Didnt Wait For The Market To Be Set Elsewhere” In Jalen Hurts Extension appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jalen Hurts has cashed IN. The Eagles quarterback signed a massive contract with the Eagles for $255 million over the next 5 years. The Eagles QB becomes “the highest paid QB in football” if you look at average annual salary. He will make, on average, $51 million. But the contract details were interesting.

In 2023 Jalen Hurts’ cap hit is $6.15 million.

In 2024 Jalen Hurts’ cap hit is $13.56 million

In 2025 Jalen Hurts’ cap hit is $21.77 million

In 2026 Jalen Hurts’ cap hit is $31.77 million

On the surface that certainly seems like Howie Roseman once again pulled a Houdini act with the cap. But is it as good as Eagles fans think? Lets take a look at how it ranks among the highest paid QB’s in the game. Because at the end of the day if you are an Eagles fan all you care about is the cap hit. The rest of it is just what Jeffrey Lurie has to pay. The cap hit is what allows you to build a team.

So I took a look at the top 11 quarterbacks in the league. Once I reached Jared Goff I decided to stop. The top 11 is the total value of the contract. So Patrick Mahomes $450 million dollar deal is #1, and so on. I then looked at the players average cap hit over the next 4 seasons (because we know those current numbers thanks to Adam Schefter)

Some of the quarterbacks have an out before the 4 years is up. So in that situation I just averaged out until the “out” hit. So here are the average cap hits for top 11 QB’s in football and where Jalen Hurts ranks.

The post Just How Good Is The Hurts Contract? Lets Compare! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Today was a momentous day for the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL, and of course, Jalen Hurts. The Eagles signed Hurts to a 5-year contract extension for 255 million where just under 180 of it is fully guaranteed. As of today, Hurts is the highest-paid player in the history of the NFL. If you asked me this on Draft Day, heck, if you asked me this before the start of the 2022 season, I would have said that there was a 0% chance this would happen.

You all know the story of Hurts at this point. Taken over by Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama, finished his college career with Oklahoma, and was considered a mid-round pick by analysts that cover the NFL Draft.

I still remember where I was watching that 2020 draft. Like most of us, at my house because we were in the thick of Covid. Remember the weird Roger Goodell draft setup he had in his basement? In the second round, he announced that the Eagles selected Jalen Hurts. I was in shock.

It had nothing to do with Hurts himself, it had everything to do with the other players on the board that could have filled positions of need. Carson Wentz just came off of a season where he threw for 4,000 yards, and not one wide receiver had over 500. The closest receiver to the 500 mark was Greg Ward. The defense was in desperate need of a corner of safety, and there were multiple options to chose from. The Eagles selected Hurts. A backup quarterback who some thought would go in the 3rd or 4th round.

—I understood what the Eagles mindset was. They wanted a cheap option to back up Wentz in case he was injured again. They didn’t want to pay a veteran backup 10 million dollars, and they didn’t want to be stuck with a player who was one bad hamstring away from retirement (Josh McCown). But this could have been done later in the draft, no? Don’t get it twisted, the Eagles did not plan on Carson Wentz having a meltdown and Jalen Hurts becoming the runner-up for MVP.

Fast forward to his first full season as a starter. A one-read quarterback who was quick to tuck and run. On the other hand, a damn good leader, someone who the locker room (which is way more important than some dude on the radio) adored, and the hardest worker on the entire team. But was it enough?

There were reports after reports after reports of the Eagles trying to trade up in the NFL Draft. The Eagles were tied to Zach Wilson. There were reports that the Eagles were in on another Wilson, Russell Wilson. When it comes to both of those players, thank GOD they are not here. What I got out of it ultimately, the Eagles weren’t totally in love with Hurts and thought there were better options out there, I felt the same.

—There are two giant misnomers when it comes to sports radio in Philadelphia. A lot of people think we like it when the teams lose. The other, we would rather be right than wrong. It may have been like this years ago, but I can promise you, that isn’t the case. When the teams are good, more people listen. Do you think anyone listened to sports radio in August when the Phillies weren’t making a playoff push? Last year, you did. Yeah sure, the Eagles lose and the following Monday, ratings are good. But do you want to hear negativity for a full week? No. Tuesdays then suck.

But if they win, not only are the hosts happy, you are happy and are more inclined to listen. When it comes to wanting to be right more than wrong. Sometimes that is true, like how I told everyone the Phillies would make the playoffs last year. But when it comes to something that is negative, I WANT to be wrong, because if I am, that means the opposite happened and things are good.

—The 2022-23 season was the best Eagles season I have ever witnessed. The 2017 team won the Super Bowl and were great from start to finish, but this team last year was different. There was no stopping them. It was total dominance almost every week of the season. If Jalen Hurts doesn’t make the leap that he did from year one to year 2, they probably still make the playoffs, but they aren’t a force in the NFC. If Jalen Hurts doesn’t make the leap that he did, the Eagles package their two first-round picks to move up in the draft. Hurts proved me and a LOT of Eagles fans wrong. And I couldn’t be happier.

Congrats on the new contract, congrats on making history, and Go Birds.

You may also enjoy:The 6 Performances That Show Jalen Hurts is Worth Every PennyJalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles’ Qb for a while. Coming off his MVP-caliber season, he signed a 5-year extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. While that is a title that may not last long, considering Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also in line for new contracts, it puts him in that top tier of QBs, which is exactly where he belongs. As expensive as he will be going forward, Jalen Hurts is worth every penny.

Hurts was the runner-up MVP. You could argue he played even better than the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles lost just two games he played in last season. Yes one of those was the Super Bowl, but it is hard to blame him for that given how well he played. And contrary to what some people say, he is not just a running QB. He developed into a hell of a pocket QB, with a QB rating over 100 in the pocket last season. Hurts threw 22 TDs with just 6 interceptions playing in the pocket last season. Yes, he can kill you with his legs. But he is just as capable of killing teams with his arm too.

And off the field, it is hard to find a player more beloved than him. AJ Brown came out in the offseason and said if the Eagles didn’t pay Hurts, he would follow him wherever he goes. Ndamukong Suh went on the Rich Eisen show to gush about Hurts. You won’t find a single guy Hurts plays with who has anything short of glowing praise.

Jalen Hurts is a star. And as much as this deal will cost, he is worth it. In case you forgot that fact, let’s look back at some of his best performances from this past year.

Here are the 5 performances from last season that show Jalen Hurts is worth every penny…The post I am Happy To Be Wrong About Jalen Hurts appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jalen Hurts is going to be the Eagles’ Qb for a while. Coming off his MVP-caliber season, he signed a 5-year extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. While that is a title that may not last long, considering Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also in line for new contracts, it puts him in that top tier of QBs, which is exactly where he belongs. As expensive as he will be going forward, Jalen Hurts is worth every penny.

Hurts was the runner-up MVP. You could argue he played even better than the Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles lost just two games he played in last season. Yes one of those was the Super Bowl, but it is hard to blame him for that given how well he played. And contrary to what some people say, he is not just a running QB. He developed into a hell of a pocket QB, with a QB rating over 100 in the pocket last season. Hurts threw 22 TDs with just 6 interceptions playing in the pocket last season. Yes, he can kill you with his legs. But he is just as capable of killing teams with his arm too.

And off the field, it is hard to find a player more beloved than him. AJ Brown came out in the offseason and said if the Eagles didn’t pay Hurts, he would follow him wherever he goes. Ndamukong Suh went on the Rich Eisen show to gush about Hurts. You won’t find a single guy Hurts plays with who has anything short of glowing praise.

Jalen Hurts is a star. And as much as this deal will cost, he is worth it. In case you forgot that fact, let’s look back at some of his best performances from this past year.

Here are the 5 performances from last season that show Jalen Hurts is worth every penny…The post The 6 Performances That Show Jalen Hurts is Worth Every Penny appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The news we have all been waiting for this off-season is Jalen Hurts signing with the Eagles. We knew it was coming, and we knew it would be for a lot of money. Both of those things came out to be very true. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have finally agreed to a deal, and it is a big one. Per Ian Rapoport, the Eagles and Hurts agreed to a 5-year extension, worth $255 Million, with $179.3 of that guaranteed. Making him the highest-paid player in NFL History.

[Source: Ian Rapoport]

The #Eagles and Jalen Hurts agreed to terms on a 5-year, $255M contract extension that makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history, sources tell me and @TomPelissero.@AgentNicoleLynn did the deal, which includes $179.304M in guarantees and a no-trade clause. pic.twitter.com/UNzVumGgoA

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 17, 2023

That is a per-year average of $51 million. $35.8 of which will be guaranteed. How that money will be split up between the 5 years is not yet known. Knowing Howie, there will be dummy years pushing some of that money into the future past those 5 seasons.

Though as we know, every time one player becomes the highest paid anything, it is not long until someone tops it. Being the first team to pay their QB is likely a good thing for the Eagles, even if it seems like a lot of money now. Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are also up for an extension, and they could each easily top this figure. We have also seen what happens if you put the deal off like the Ravens did with Lamar Jackson.

Jalen Hurts played like an MVP last season. He may have even won it had he not gotten hurt late in the season. You could argue he outplayed Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, even though the Eagles lost. And now the Eagles will have him around, leading their team, for a long time. It will just cost them a lot to keep him here. No matter what cap tricks Howie pulls out, there is no hiding that much money. With how he played last season though, and how beloved he is by his teammates, it is worth it.

You May Also Enjoy:5 Things to Know About RB Jahmyr Gibbs- Eagles Prospect ProfileCould Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs hear his name called by the Eagles on draft night?

Most of the talk when it comes to mocking a running back to the Eagles has centered on Bijan Robinson. And for pretty good reason. Robinson is one of the best running backs coming out of college in a few years. We already talked about how good he could be in our prior draft profile of him. But there are some who think Jahymr Gibbs could not only be the better fit in Philly, but the better RB overall.

The Eagles lost Miles Sanders. While they did bring in Rashaad Penny, still have Kenny Gainwell, and resigned Boston Scott, none of those 3 have shown yet they can be the every down back. Penny is too injury prone to rely on him. And Scott and Gainwell have only ever been part of a rotation. So the Eagles could very well still be looking to add another RB. That could come via the draft. If Bijan is too costly for their tastes, Gibbs could be the next best thing.

So what has people saying Gibbs is the better option for the Eagles? Would they be able to get him without spending the 10th overall pick like they may have to for Bijan? And what does Gibbs actually do better than Robinson? Let’s get to know the potential Eagles draft pick a little better.

Here are 5 things you should know about RB Jahmyr Gibbs: The post The Eagles Make Jalen Hurts Highest Paid Player In NFL History appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is that time of the year! NFL (mock) draft season! The draft will go down April 27th-29th LIVE from Kansas City Missouri. The three day event should see Howie Roseman and the Eagles be very active as the team has two first round picks (pick 10 and pick 30) but hold only 5 picks total. Howie could trade down to recoup some picks. He could trade up to grab a player he targeted. He could trade a first round pick for a current stud player who is in a contract battle with his current team, like he did last year with AJ Brown.

The beauty of Howie Roseman is he works in the shadows. Last season no one saw him snagging AJ Brown for one of the team’s first round picks. But he did. He was able to get Brown, and pay him. Something the Titans were not willing to do. They then used the pick they got from the Eagles to draft Treylon Burks. A player who scouts said “Could be AJ Brown.” AJ Brown proceeded to have the best season of any wide receiver to wear an Eagles uniform.

So what about this season?

Our own NFL Draft expert Jamie “The Bro” Lynch is BACK! He is in “the lab” (as the kids say) and has been crunching the numbers. Making phone calls. Watching the tape. Jamie will give you a mock of the top 10 picks, ending with the Eagles drafting 10th overall. “I cant do picks 1-30….I dont have the stamina,” Jamie told us. “Low motor.”

We kicked it off 2 weeks ago with Jamie Lynch’s Mock Draft 2.0, because I just forgot to include the 1.0. Last week we improved on it with Mock Draft 3.0. And Believe it or not, I think weve improved on THAT with this weeks 4.0. Make sure to tweet Jamie your thoughts about his picks on twitter @JeLynchJr

The post Jamie Lynch’s NFL Mock Draft 4.0 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Could Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs hear his name called by the Eagles on draft night?

Most of the talk when it comes to mocking a running back to the Eagles has centered on Bijan Robinson. And for pretty good reason. Robinson is one of the best running backs coming out of college in a few years. We already talked about how good he could be in our prior draft profile of him. But there are some who think Jahymr Gibbs could not only be the better fit in Philly but the better RB overall.

The Eagles lost Miles Sanders. While they did bring in Rashaad Penny, still have Kenny Gainwell, and resigned Boston Scott, none of those 3 have shown yet they can be the every down back. So the Eagles could very well still be looking to add another RB. And that could come via the draft. And if Bijan is too costly for their tastes, Gibbs could be the next best thing.

So what has people saying Gibbs is the better option for the Eagles? Would they be able to get him without spending the 10th overall pick like they may have to for Bijan? And what does Gibbs actually do better than Robinson? Let’s get to know the potential Eagles draft pick a little better.

Here are 5 things you should know about RB Jahmyr Gibbs: The post 5 Things to Know About RB Jahmyr Gibbs- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Will Cam Jurgens be ready to switch positions and step in for Isaac Seumolu as the starting right guard in 2023?

Nick Sirianni addressed the notion of the 2022 second-round pick as the favorite to land the job.

“We’ll always see what we can do to play the best five that we have right there. Cam had a really good year of sitting behind one of the best players in franchise history (and) one of the best centers in the history of this game.” -Nick Sirianni

The leadership of Jason Kelce is invaluable to the Philadelphia Eagles, and Jurgens can benefit from the presence of Kelce as much any member of the defending NFC champions.

“Cam will just continue to learn from him (Kelce), and sure, we’ll see what’s the best situation for Cam and for the team. We have a lot of confidence in Cam, and we’re excited that he can play multiple positions.” -Sirianni

Eagles Offensive LineIt’s a luxury for any player to step in between legends like Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson every game. It unquestionably helped Seumolu on his path to signing a three-year, $24 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The favorable position at right guard should factor into the optimistic evaluation of a young, talented player like Jurgens moving to a less familiar position.

However, the dependability that Seumolu provided shouldn’t just be throw out the window. He played over 90% of the offensive snaps in four consecutive seasons to end his tenure in Philadelphia.

While analysts have constantly lauded the Eagles for their dominance along the offensive line in recent seasons, that high level of play has only happened when the best linemen are on the field.

Injuries destroyed the line most obviously in 2020 in a 4-11-1 season. The continuity of a healthy offensive line has been the foundation of some of the best performances from the Eagles in the last two seasons, and the dependability of Seumolu was a big part of that.

What should be expected from a replacement player?

Cam JurgensJurgens has the athleticism to be effective in open space, which can translate well to the guard position for a lineman who can pull on running plays and block defenders at the second level.

He caught the eyes of Philadelphia Eagles fans with an excellent performance during the 2022 preseason. However, the health of the veteran offensive linemen kept him off the field during most of the regular season and the playoffs.

Cam Jurgens in the open field is a sight to behold pic.twitter.com/bT6xGYjheE

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 21, 2022

The power of a freight train with Johnson and Jurgens on the right side and Kelce in the middle is even scarier than the dominant offensive line in 2022.

Howie Roseman took input from Kelce when evaluating Jurgens before the 2022 NFL Draft. He trusted the future Hall of Fame center enough to spend a second-round pick on a player expected to contribute very minimally during his rookie season.

Roseman has historically prioritized two particular strengths of offensive linemen in the draft. He typically looks at raw athleticism and the versatility to play multiple positions.

Jurgens checks the first box with excellent athleticism as a former tight end, and the Eagles wouldn’t have used a premium pick on a player they considered limited exclusively to the center position with Kelce coming off an All-Pro season in 2021.

The former Nebraska Cornhuskers star will need some offseason work at Jeff Stoutland University, but he’s lucky to have one of the best position coaches in the NFL in addition to the veteran leaders Kelce and Johnson.

“Whatever the coaches want me to do, that’s my mindset. I just want to keep getting better, improving my technique and my game all around. I understand what they mean when they say players improve the most from their first season to their second season.” –Cam Jurgens (PhiladelphiaEagles.com)

Jurgens: Starting Guard in 2023?Sirianni isn’t going to hand out starting spots to players with hardly any experience at a new position months before training camp.

“We still have a lot of things to go through before we have to make any decisions…We’ll see where we go with him (Jurgens), but (we’re) excited that he’s on our team and excited that he adds major depth to our team.”-Sirianni

The Eagles didn’t rely on rookies often on their way to an appearance in Super Bowl LVII. Undrafted free agent Reed Blankenship stunningly played more playoff snaps on offense or defense than any other rookie.

However, Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean will see an opportunity to play bigger roles on defense in 2023.

On the offensive side, it sure looks like Cam Jurgens will have his chance to show the NFL the tools that enamored Kelce and the Eagles with a breakout season in 2023.

You Might Also Like:Jamie Lynch's NFL Mock Draft 3.0The post Imagine Cam Jurgens Between Jason Kelce And Lane Johnson appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Travis and Jason Kelce’s mom makes it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame!

Donna Kelce got a lot of attention in January and February of 2023 because, for the first time in history, brothers faced each other in the Super Bowl. Sure, other brothers like Peyton and Eli Manning have appeared and even won Super Bowl rings, but they never faced each other in the same game like the Kelce boys, Jason (Philadelphia Eagles) and Travis (Kansas City Chiefs) this past season.

As if the entertaining brothers weren’t enough to keep an eye on, their mom Donna Kelce proved to be more than a shrinking violet. Much more! Mama Kelce seemed to enjoy the attention she received from the media; and not just in her sons’ team cities of Philadelphia and Kansas City. Donna became American’s Mom because of her quick wit and enthusiasm.

Donna Kelce’s media savvy paid off. Not only is she a national treasure in the hearts of sports fans across the country, but she is now memorialized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yes, Jason Kelce’s mom is a hall of famer! The dual jersey Mama Kelce wore to the Super Bowl, as well as her Eagles and Chiefs sneakers are currently on display. Check them out …

The post Jason Kelce’s Mom Makes It Into the Pro Football Hall of Fame appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is that time of the year! NFL (mock) draft season! The draft will go down April 27th-29th LIVE from Kansas City Missouri. The three day event should see Howie Roseman and the Eagles be very active as the team has two first round picks (pick 10 and pick 30) but hold only 5 picks total. Howie could trade down to recoup some picks. He could trade up to grab a player he targeted. He could trade a first round pick for a current stud player who is in a contract battle with his current team, like he did last year with AJ Brown.

The beauty of Howie Roseman is he works in the shadows. Last season no one saw him snagging AJ Brown for one of the team’s first round picks. But he did. He was able to get Brown, and pay him. Something the Titans were not willing to do. They then used the pick they got from the Eagles to draft Treylon Burks. A player who scouts said “Could be AJ Brown.” AJ Brown proceeded to have the best season of any wide receiver to wear an Eagles uniform.

So what about this season?

Our own NFL Draft expert Jamie “The Bro” Lynch is BACK! He is in “the lab” (as the kids say) and has been crunching the numbers. Making phone calls. Watching the tape. Jamie will give you a mock of the top 10 picks, ending with the Eagles drafting 10th overall. “I cant do picks 1-30….I dont have the stamina,” Jamie told us. “Low motor.”

We kicked it off last week with Jamie Lynch’s Mock Draft 2.0, because I just forgot to include the 1.0. This week is 3.0 Make sure to tweet Jamie your thoughts about his picks on twitter @JeLynchJr

The post Jamie Lynch’s NFL Mock Draft 3.0 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Could Peter Skoronski be a guy the Eagles have their sights on at pick 10?

If Eagles fans got their way, the Eagles would be taking either a defensive lineman or a cornerback. DL in particular is a much larger need, and the Eagles are in desperate need of young corners. But this is Howie Roseman we are talking about. As long as he has a first-round pick, there is a chance that pick will be spent on an offensive lineman. Even when there is not an immediate need along the O-Line.

Sometimes that works out. Landon Dickerson was not expected to see the field much during his rookie year after the Eagles spent a 2nd round pick on him. But an injury to Isaac Seumalo opened up a spot for him. He played so well that he became the permanent Left Guard. Last year they spent their second-round pick on Cam Jurgens even though Jason Kelce was returning another season. A few years before that, they spent a first on Andre Dillard even though Jason Peters was still on the team.

Offensive line not being an immediate need has never stopped Howie from taking an Offensive lineman. So even though there may be more immediate needs, no one should be surprised if at pick 10 it is an OT or OG coming off the board. Even with Lane Johnson still being the best OT arguably in the league.

And if they are going to go Offensive Line at pick 10, Peter Skoronski is certainly a name worth considering. The Northwestern OT is considered one of the best Offensive Linemen in the draft. But is he good enough to justify the pick at 10? Would he be a better option at RG than Cam Jurgens?

Here are 5 things worth knowing about Peter Skoronski: The post 5 Things to Know About Peter Skoronski- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Love him or hate him, you have to give Donovan McNabb major props. The former Philadelphia Eagles QB McNabb stuns Make A Wish kid he met 17-years ago. Check out the story …

For the most part, Charlie Peńa was a normal kid. Growing up in New York he dreamed of becoming a football player, as many kids do. But there are a couple big things that set Charlie apart from other kids. One is that this New Yorker was a staunch Philadelphia Eagles fan. The other is that Charlie was born with Sickle Cell Anemia. The side effects of SCA prevented Charlie from doing a lot of the things other kids do, but when he was 12-years old Make A Wish give Charlie the awesome opportunity to fulfill his dream job, plus a little extra. Charlie not only got to spend the day at Eagles mini-camp, but he was handed the whistle and play cards, and this Make A Wish kid became Coach Charlie.

Charlie (the kid) finds out:What a thrill!!!!

Coach Charlie in Action:But that was 17-years ago. Let’s fast forward to last weekend when Charlie, now 29-years-old, a husband and #girldad, was in attendance at a fundraiser for the Make A Wish Foundation. According to Fox Bangor, Charlie was interviewed about his time as Eagles coach. That’s when he got the second Eagles-related thrill of his life. The quarterback of the 2006 Eagles team, the team he coached, Donovan McNabb surprised Charlie by walking out on stage while he was talking about his experience.

What did Charlie do? Probably what each of us would have. He said, “No way, Bro!” The two shared a hug on stage and McNabb told him how proud he is of him. Later that night the QB talked about how important it is to be a role model and example for young fans everywhere.

Well played.

McNabb stuns Make A Wish kid

The post Former Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb Stuns Make A Wish Kid 17-Years Later appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

On Sundays show, producer Matt Minarik posed a great question to me.

“Do you think it’s more likely that Howie Roseman drafts a running back or cornerback in the first round?”

With Bijan Robinson and a few top-tier options available near the top of the draft, the question is an interesting one. The Eagles have not taken a cornerback in the first round since Lito Sheppard in 2002 and have not taken a running back in the first round since Keith Byars in 1986. Basically, Howie Roseman was in elementary school when the Eagles last selected a running back in the first round.I don’t see that changing this season. While Robinson certainly has a lot of talent, this is not an Eagles move.

Drafting a running back would be spending premium capital on a position that they do not believe in investing into, putting too much into a player that they would likely not offer a second contract to, and investing in something that they don’t believe is at the cutting edge of the NFL.

I don’t think they’ll draft either position, but here’s the case for cornerback over running back, through the eyes of Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles.

You may also enjoy:Exclusive Courtside Photos From The 2023 Fanatic Knockout TournamentThe annual Fanatic Knockout Tournament never fails to bring us a great time at a Philadelphia 76ers game, interaction with some of our regular listeners, and fierce rivalries between hosts looking for bragging rights over the next year.

The Sixers took down the Dallas Mavericks 116-108, and Ryan from Collegeville took home the Knockout trophy after an intense game on the court at the Wells Fargo Center after the game.

All listeners who participated enjoyed a night at the Sixers-Mavs game on us and a fun time on the floor in a solid round of a game that brings (sometimes unexpected) intensity every time. Luckily, there were no schoolyard moves when a player chucks an opponent’s ball away to play illegal defense.

Tyrone Johnson worked the mic, and Connor Thomas was the last member of the Fanatic staff standing.

Tom Alvord, the station’s defending champ from 2022, elected for some load management by producing the Sixers game back at the station in a selfless effort.

How will the conversation between Connor and Tom play out to open their Sunday morning show?

The Fanatic Knockout Tournament was presented by Ferguson HVAC – your Delaware Valley Trane Heating & Air Conditioning Distributor. Visit Trane.com to find a Trane HVAC dealer near you.

The post Sundays w Ray – Eagles More Likely to Draft CB or RB at 10 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Yesterday during the show with Cuz, we had a caller call in to talk about the NFL Draft. He gave his hottest prospects in the early and late rounds. As he told us the names, he gave comparisons to players that are on or have played for the Eagles. What shocked me, even though it shouldn’t after being at the station for almost 10 years, is that he got the prospect’s names right, but not the player from the Eagles. He mentioned “Dallas Go-Dart” followed by “Day-Zean Jacksons” and lastly, the faith he had in “Harry Roseman.”

Fast forward to the Phillies game where I was excited to see the regular season debut for Taijuan Walker. Full disclosure, I was one of many Phillies fans to say his first name wrong. If it wasn’t for John Kincade making the point over and over and over again that it is pronounced like the country of Taiwan, I would probably still be making the mistake by calling him “Tay-Juan.”

With those names in mind, it made me think of the 5 players that we never seemed to be able to get a grip on when it came to the pronunciation of their names:

Everyone Ends with an S This one is the most boring of them all, but man do we do it all the time. See above with “Day-Zean Jacksons”. A lot of last names end with the letter s. Mine does, Devon’s does, and apparently, everybody who has played in Philadelphia. It is almost a gift when a player has a last name that ends with an s because we won’t be making that mistake. But unfortunately, that is not the case for a player like “Alshon Jefferies.”

Jim Thome I like to be as transparent as possible. I still mess this one up. Like my college roommate who bullied me into saying water and not wooder, I still get tweets and emails that it is pronounced “Toe-Mee” and not “Toe-May”. Little Choonis was 9 years old when the Phillies acquired the power-hitting first baseman. I was still struggling to count to 10 let alone pronouncing his last name correctly so cut me some slack. Every once in a while, a strong “wooder” still slips.

Jalen Reagor To this day I think it goes 50/50 in terms of Eagles fans saying his name right or not. In defense of those who do not say it right, the guy did absolutely nothing during his time in Philadelphia and still seems to not know how to play football. He isn’t relevant enough for us to fix the way we say his last name. But for the sake of this story, IT IS “RAY-GOR” NOT “REE-GUR”!!! Usually you just let it go when someone says a name wrong, but when a collective group of fans never seem to get it right, I have to ask why?

Kevin Kolb Look, I get it. It isn’t spelled the same way as “Corn on the Cob”, but when we are talking about the future franchise quarterback, we got to get this one right quickly. Thank God Jalen Hurts has a simple last name because that made a lot of things easier.

Roy Halladay We have two members of the Baseball Hall of Fame here. Jim Thome and Roy Halladay. Two guys that have been retired for quite some time now. And yet, we still can’t seem to get it right. I see why we get this one wrong. Just look at the spelling and you are going to immediately lead with “Hall”. But like the pitcher himself, his name throws you a nasty curveball that we still can’t hit.

You may also enjoy:The Audio Vault- 7 Great Debuts By Philadelphia AthletesSee what Andrew Salciunas found in The Audio Vault today! Every day Andrew dives deep into the Vault to pull out audio relevant to the day to play for Anthony Gargano. And after we saw the much-anticipated debut of Trea Turner yesterday, Andrew dedicated today’s Vault to other great debuts in Philadelphia sports history. The times we couldn’t wait to see someone play, and it more than lived up to the hype. He pulled 7 great debuts, plus what Trea Turner did yesterday.

Trea Turner’s debut did not go quite as planned sadly. Phillies coughed up a 5-0 lead in the 4th inning. 9 total runs crossed the plate for the Rangers that inning. 5 courtesy of Aaron Nola. The Phillies were never able to claw back and ended up losing on Opening Day. But for Trea Turner it went somewhat well. He was responsible for 1 of the 7 runs the Phillies scored when his triple drove Brandon Marsh in.

Trea Turner's first regular-season hit as a Philadelphia Phillie: an RBI triple pic.twitter.com/JRGLbsjugE

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 30, 2023

Nothing earth-shattering. But enough to get us excited about what Trea Turner can do in the next 161 games. Phillies may have lost, but Trea at least looked the part in his first game.

But there are 7 great debuts that Andrew found in the Vault to play for us today. The times when guys came in right away, and made a splash.

Here is what Andrew used in the Audio Vault today…The post The 5 Names Philadelphia Fans Always Pronounced Wrong appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Despite the Phillies horrible start which currently sits at (0-4) and seeing losses in three professional championship chances in the last 6 months, those who live along the Philly Main Line have something to brag about!

I was watching the national news and they unveiled rankings from NICHE and their 2023 “Best Places to Live in America”. I was fascinated with how neighborhoods along Route 30 in Delco, Montgomery and Chester County dominated the rankings. From the time I leave my home every day to go to the station in Bala Cynwyd I pass through four of the Top 9 communities in the NICHE rankings. So often when depicted in the national media or in television and movies, the Philadelphia area gets a cartoonish depiction. These rankings tell a much different story.

Chesterbrook was named the top place to live in America. The area falling on both sides of 202 and adjacent to Malvern took the top spot for the third time. Ardmore grabbed the third position, Penn Wynne was 5th and Devon placed 9th. That’s an incredible showing and I was interested in finding out what all of these communities has in common.

The NICHE rankings consider 17,932 communities across America. They base their analysis on the following criteria; Affordability, Local Housing Market, Neighborhood Diversity, Area Public Schools and Walkability.

I look at all of those neighborhoods and would add the following;

– Access to public transportation to take you into the city of Philadelphia for those who want to work in a big city but don’t prefer living in it.

– The private grade and high schools are among the best in the nation.

– There are Universities within a short drive of all of these communities for students to pursue undergraduate degrees and adults to continue their education towards advanced degrees.

I host a sports radio show for a living and I actually wonder how much or if the sports crazed community we live in has anything to do with these rankings. In the past year we have seen at a fever pitch the recovery of our neighborhoods from the Covid lockdowns as people returned to a more normal life. That also collided with a renaissance in Philly sports success. We saw a Conference Title in the NFL, MLB and MLS. That was an unprecedented performance even without one of those campaigns ending in a parade. The sense of civic pride that surrounded those events was clearly palpable. I know after living in Atlanta for 25 years that a big population city does not translate to it being a passionate pro sports town. Unlike Atlanta, Philadelphia has a huge generational fan base advantage. You feel it everywhere you go. My wife continually is now adding to her Philly sports gear because she sees it everywhere you go. A fan base being depicted as wearing their “hearts on their sleeves” could not apply more accurately to our local area. It creates conversation among complete strangers and a commonality of joy that unites.

I didn’t need NICHE to tell me that I was once again living in one of the best places in America. I always knew it.

You can read the full NICHE article here https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/search/best-places-to-live/

The post The Philly Main Line dominates “Best Place to Live” Rankings. Does Sports Fandom play a part? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

At the start of the draft process, Jalen Carter being there for the Eagles at 10 was not even a thought. But unfortunately, Carter found himself in some legal trouble. That legal trouble was settled with him pleading no contest. But while he won’t face jail time, how it will affect his draft stock remains to be seen. There are reportedly already teams that have taken him off the board. But he is now beginning to meet with teams who are still interested in him. And the first team he met with, is the Philadelphia Eagles.

[Source: Adam Schefter]

Georgia DT Jalen Carter is visiting the Bears today. It is his second visit, with him already having visited the Eagles. Carter’s agent Drew Rosenhaus said he is declining visit requests for any team drafting outside the top 10 picks. “I’m confident Jalen will go in the top 10,”…

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2023

As a player-team fit, Jalen Carter and the Eagles make a ton of sense. The Eagles love drafting linemen on either side of the line. And Carter is probably the most highly regarded defensive lineman in the draft. The question will just be if they are willing to take him after the legal troubles. Whether or not this is a one-time incident or something indicative of a larger issue is something hard for us to know without talking to him. Luckily the Eagles have talked to him.

For what it is worth, his teammates and coaches have been very supportive of him. When Todd McShay talked about there being “character issues” before Carter was even charged with anything, they came to his defense quickly. One coach even shared a story about how Carter helped a walk-on pay for his meals after the school could not cover them. That does not mean there are no issues with Carter. The situation he was involved with is serious and worth considering when taking him. But it is worth knowing there are two sides to the coin here and there are good things about his character too.

We won’t know how the Eagles view him until draft night. But with his draft stock reportedly falling, he is absolutely a name to watch for them at pick 10.

You can learn more about Jalen Carter below…5 Things to Know About DT Jalen Carter- Eagles Prospect ProfileIs Jalen Carter now a possibility for the Eagles? And if so, should they take him? One month ago, Jalen Carter falling to the Eagles was something not even worth considering. Some had him going as high as the first overall pick. And noone had him falling past pick 5. But legal troubles are putting his place as a top 5 pick in question. Suddenly the Georgia DT is falling in mock drafts and some places have him ending up in Philly. Would that be the right move for the eagles though?

And the Eagles could certainly use some help at DT. Javon Hargrave is likely leaving in free agency. Fletcher Cox could be gone too. And even if Cox returns, the Eagles can’t rely on him to play a major role at his age. Even last year, Cox played far fewer snaps than ever. Leaving the Eagles with just Jordan Davis and Milton Williams at DT. And while they both have flashed talent; they alone are not enough to carry the interior of the defensive line.

We know the Eagles love to take defensive linemen. Five of their last 12 first-round picks were Defensive Linemen. Two of those, Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis, were Tackles. And off-field issues aside, the agreement among everyone previewing the draft is that Jalen Carter is the best defensive lineman available. In fact, many will say he is the best player period.

Jalen Carter’s talent is undeniable. But should off-the-field troubles keep him off the board? Or is he too good for the Eagles to pass on? It is something the Eagles at least have to consider. Even if the result is that they need to take him off their board entirely. So what exactly are the legal troubles he is facing?

The post Jalen Carter Visits With The Eagles, Still Thinks He Will Go Top 10 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Yes, this weekend absolutely sucked in Philadelphia sports. They don’t get much worse. The discussion now will turn onto how much credence you put into what you saw. Your eyes told you one thing, your heart maybe another, but the reality is you’re in danger of making a grand pronouncement you could later regret. What should you believe and what is fake? Let’s discuss.

PHILLIES GET SWEPT IN TEXAS

1.85% of the regular season has been completed. I’ve already been flooded with the “last year was a fluke”, “this team has sucked the life out of me” tweets. I’m out on all of that nonsense. I’m completely in agreement that the performance was sub par and certainly a huge disappointment. I’m not going to read much more into it than that. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few legitimate concerns;

NOLA

Aaron looked completely spooked once the Rangers got their first rally mounted down 5-0. Every concern about whether he would handle the pitch clock pressure well was answered. That was just one test though. I’m not going to pronounce that he can’t handle it or say that he’s ill equipped to adjust. I know that flies in direct contradiction to the Twitter culture. Check back with me after a few weeks of starts.

Am I concerned about his debut? I’m always a bit put off by it. Nola is so erratic and it’s been his career calling card. The dramatic starts against the Astros to clinch the division, vs the Cardinals in Game 2 and vs the Braves in Game 3 were also just as important to remember.

BLAMING THE UMPIRE IN A 16-3 LOSS IS LAME

Let’s agree to not give CB any more attention than he desires. We all believe he stinks. What I refuse to do is try to do some quantum physics that would be required to claim he was the reason they lost by 13 runs. It’s weak, it’s dumb and I won’t engage. It’s like believing a holding call lost Super Bowl 57. Did it contribute to that brutal defeat? Yes! Did it cause the fumble return for a touchdown and the horrible punt return coverage that lead to first and goal late in the game? Nope.

76ers LOSE IN MILWAUKEE

The Sixers ended the season series 2-2 with the Bucks and despite the lackluster showing on Sunday night, I believe they would have every opportunity to win a playoff series vs the Bucks. As they look secure in the 3 seed and the Bucks are set in the top seed, they won’t potentially meet until the Conference Finals. Handicapping that future series is foolish considering we haven’t seen the 76ers advance to that round since 2001. Coming off a terrible loss to the Celtics I fully expected the Bucks to show up in a foul mood. That was a terrible spot. I’m not too concerned. Unless we find out that James Harden won’t physically be up to the challenge, I’m expecting the Celtics to be the hurdle they must overcome in Round 2. They get one last chance to beat Boston on Tuesday night as they are currently (0-3) vs the Celtics this season.

Summary

I don’t watch less than 2% of a movie and walk out in disgust thinking I know the conclusion. I don’t read 2% of a book and describe the work as awful. I am one of those boring people that lets things breathe. In my opinion, a baseball season deserves at least 50 games to create an opinion. Last season the Phillies were 21-29 after 50 games. What was your opinion of them then? I thought so. If there was ever a lesson in taking a deep breath and learning from it that was the 2022 season.

Jamie Lynch's Mock Draft 2.0It is that time of the year! NFL (mock) draft season! The draft will go down April 27th-29th LIVE from Kansas City Missouri. The three day event should see Howie Roseman and the Eagles be very active as the team has two first round picks (pick 10 and pick 30) but hold only 5 picks total. Howie could trade down to recoup some picks. He could trade up to grab a player he targeted. He could trade a first round pick for a current stud player who is in a contract battle with his current team, like he did last year with AJ Brown.

The beauty of Howie Roseman is he works in the shadows. Last season no one saw him snagging AJ Brown for one of the team’s first round picks. But he did. He was able to get Brown, and pay him. Something the Titans were not willing to do. They then used the pick they got from the Eagles to draft Treylon Burks. A player who scouts said “Could be AJ Brown.” AJ Brown proceeded to have the best season of any wide receiver to wear an Eagles uniform.

So what about this season?

Our own NFL Draft expert Jamie “The Bro” Lynch is BACK! He is in “the lab” (as the kids say) and has been crunching the numbers. Making phone calls. Watching the tape. Jamie will give you a mock of the top 10 picks, ending with the Eagles drafting 10th overall. “I cant do picks 1-30….I dont have the stamina,” Jamie told us. “Low motor.”

We kick it off with Jamie Lynch’s Mock Draft 2.0, because I just forgot to include the 1.0. But the 1.0 is yesterday’s news anyway and no one cares about it. 2.0 is where its at. Make sure to tweet Jamie your thoughts about his picks on twitter @JeLynchJr

The post Only the foolish will take this past weekend as a statement appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is that time of the year! NFL (mock) draft season! The draft will go down April 27th-29th LIVE from Kansas City Missouri. The three day event should see Howie Roseman and the Eagles be very active as the team has two first round picks (pick 10 and pick 30) but hold only 5 picks total. Howie could trade down to recoup some picks. He could trade up to grab a player he targeted. He could trade a first round pick for a current stud player who is in a contract battle with his current team, like he did last year with AJ Brown.

The beauty of Howie Roseman is he works in the shadows. Last season no one saw him snagging AJ Brown for one of the team’s first round picks. But he did. He was able to get Brown, and pay him. Something the Titans were not willing to do. They then used the pick they got from the Eagles to draft Treylon Burks. A player who scouts said “Could be AJ Brown.” AJ Brown proceeded to have the best season of any wide receiver to wear an Eagles uniform.

So what about this season?

Our own NFL Draft expert Jamie “The Bro” Lynch is BACK! He is in “the lab” (as the kids say) and has been crunching the numbers. Making phone calls. Watching the tape. Jamie will give you a mock of the top 10 picks, ending with the Eagles drafting 10th overall. “I cant do picks 1-30….I dont have the stamina,” Jamie told us. “Low motor.”

We kick it off with Jamie Lynch’s Mock Draft 2.0, because I just forgot to include the 1.0. But the 1.0 is yesterday’s news anyway and no one cares about it. 2.0 is where its at. Make sure to tweet Jamie your thoughts about his picks on twitter @JeLynchJr

The post Jamie Lynch’s Mock Draft 2.0 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Will Lukas Van Ness hear his name called by the Eagles on draft night? The edge rusher from Iowa is certainly a name to keep an eye on.

We know the Eagles love drafting linemen. Whether it comes on offense or defense. Last year they took DT Jordan Davis out of Georgia in the first and then Center Cam Jurgens from Nebraska in the second round. In the prior draft, they may have taken Devonta Smith in the first round, but in the next two rounds, they took Landon Dickerson and Milton Williams. And in 2019 their first-round pick was Andre Dillard. Overall, they have taken either an offensive or defensive lineman in one of the first two rounds of 10 of the last 13 drafts.

They are pretty set in terms of starters on the offensive line. That certainly does not preclude them from taking an offensive lineman. In fact, neither Dickerson, Jurgens, nor Dillard were picks that filled immediate needs. Two of them barely played their rookie season, and Dickerson only did because of an injury. But a defensive lineman could certainly be defined as a more immediate need. They lost Javon Hargrave to free agency. And while they brought both Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham back, both are on one-year deals and are getting older.

So could Lukas Van Ness from Iowa be the answer for the Eagles at DL? We already looked at other options along the defensive line. Namely Jalen Carter, Myles Murphy, and Bryan Bresee. But none of them were quite as productive as Van Ness in College. And none have as cool of a nickname as he does either? Does all of that mean he is a better pick than they would be though?

Here are 5 things you should know about Lukas Van Ness. The post 5 Things to Know About EDGE Lukas Van Ness- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today! Every day Andrew dives deep into the vault, to pull out interesting audio to play for Anthony Gargano. Including famous birthdays, notable events from this day in history, and more. Today, that meant celebrating several notable birthdays from today. Including Randall Cunningham, Quentin Tarantino, and Buster Posey. Here is everything he found in the Audio Vault today:

Happy Birthday Randall CunninghamThe former Eagles Qb turned 60 today! Randall could be one of the most athletic guys to ever play the game. He did things that made no sense on the Football field. He was once asked why he thinks he can fly. His response was that he is an Eagle. To celebrate Randall Cunningham’s birthday, Andrew played notable examples of Randall making magic work on the Football field, including avoiding a Carl Banks tackle to throw a TD, and also him booming a punt downfield.

Happy Birthday Buster PoseyYesterday was Buster Posey’s birthday. And while he was a very good catcher, his biggest mark on the game was not a positive thing for him. It was because of Posey getting injured when run over at the plate that the rules about running over catchers changed. So Andrew played that unfortunate moment that ended Posey’s season in the Vault today.

Happy Birthday Quentin TarintinoIt is also the birthday of director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino has directed multiple classics. But perhaps none more beloved than Pulp Fiction. And when you think Pulp Fiction, you think of the scene with Samuel L Jackson asking what Marsellus Wallace looks like, while quoting Bible scripture. And Andrew played a radio-safe version of that scene in today’s Vault.

You can listen to the full Audio Vault segment below…And you may also enjoy:The Audio Vault- 6 One of a Kind Sports AccomplishmentsSee what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. Every day Andrew takes a deep dive into our Audio Vault to pull out audio relevant to the day or recent events. It could be famous Birthdays, important events today in Sports or World History, or other relevant topics. But today he switched it up a little bit. Because recently he was made aware of an interesting stat about Kyle Schwarber. And that got him thinking of other one-of-a-kind Sports accomplishments. The things that have literally only been done once in Sports history, for better or worse.

Who is the only player to hit home runs in every round of the Playoffs in both conferences? Who is the only player to have a triple-double not including points? What is the only time a player won Super Bowl MVP for what they did on Special Teams? What Qb put up big numbers despite no help from his WRs? And who hit two grand slams in a single inning? Learn all of that, and more, in today’s Audio Vault. You can see what made the list below. Then you can listen to the full segment at the bottom of the page.

Here are all of the one of a kind sports accomplishments Andrew found in The Audio Vault today…The post The Audio Vault- Randall Cunningham and Other Famous Birthdays appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The John Kincade Show got some great following from funeral homes in Delco on Friday morning.

Comedian Peggy O’Leary joined the show just five days ahead of her show at Helium Comedy Club in Fishtown on Wednesday, March 29.

She talked about her career as a stand-up comedian, life as a passionate Philadelphia Eagles fan, and her Delco roots.

Peggy O’Leary and the Kennedys of DelcoOf course, John Kincade couldn’t help himself from gushing about another Cardinal O’Hara alum on the show. Peggy grew up in Holy Cross parish in Springfield (Cross is boss), and her family owns O’Leary Funeral Home across the street.

“You’ve got to know your parish in Delco.” -John Kincade

Peggy O’Leary uses self-deprecating humor from her life as an Irish Catholic from a family with six children, a former 250-pound girl in grade school, and a cheerleader from Delaware County’s best Catholic high school.

Peggy couldn’t resist the constant shout outs to her “Mom-Mom (Mumum),” Holy Cross, and O’Hara.

“It’s why I am who I am…We come from a crazy stock, and I’m like 1/10 of it.”

Die Hard Eagles FanIt wasn’t exactly shocking when the loud blonde girl from the Philadelphia area talked about annoying people from different parts of the country as a big Eagles fan.

“I love the Eagles, and I moved to New York, so that was a big thing. I couldn’t wait to go to a Giants bar and get in a fight with a Giants fan. That was like my main goal.”

Peggy talked about her dream of being a tough center like Jason Kelce, but Pat Egan sees her more in the vein of Becky “The Icebox” O’Shea from Little Giants.

One of her most interesting topics was how most men love constantly to challenge her knowledge of football.

“Ask some drunk guy at Barnaby’s right now what stats they have. They don’t have it. They call into radio stations and yell about people, sure, but I had to learn more about football.”

She’s got a point.

Tickets are on sale for Peggy O’Leary’s stand-up show at Helium Comedy Club.

Watch the full interview on YouTube.

You Might Also Like:7 Things People Who've Moved Out Of This Area Miss About PhiladelphiaThe post Delco Comedian Peggy O’Leary Joined “The John Kincade Show” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles Push Play is not going anywhere. Despite a ton of talk this offseason that it would be banned, it will be sticking around for at least one more season. There is no rule proposal by the Competition Committee to ban the play. Meaning next season the Eagles Qb sneak will once again be unstoppable.

The idea behind the push play is you don’t just sneak the ball, but line up players behind the Qb to help push him in. Pushing other offensive players used to be banned outright. But in 2005 the NFL changed the rule. Still, until now, you didn’t see it used quite like the Eagles did. The Eagles ran 41 QB sneaks last season. They converted 90.5 % of them. It was especially deadly in the red zone. Hurts ran for 13 TDs, and several came off these QB sneaks.

Jalen and the endzone meet again#PHIvsAZ | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/M3HR7n1Xxa

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 9, 2022

Good. If it is an “unskilled” play like some claim it is, why didn’t every other team do it? It just seems another way to out some great offensive line play as less skillfully. The Bills, Ravens, and Bengals also did forms of the play. But no one else had the success the Eagles had. Maybe that will change this year. But as long it is just the Eagles doing this at this level, it is hard to call it unskilled.

It is surprising that it is not even on the docket to be voted on. There was such a big deal made of it this off-season. But apparently, it wasn’t that important to the NFL owners and rule makers. We will see if it gets revisited next off-season. For now, we have another season where 3rd/4th and 1 will be automatic for the Eagles.

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post The NFL is Not Banning The Eagles QB Sneak Push Play appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After bringing back Darius Slay, Jason Kelce, and James Bradberry, the next biggest thing on the Eagles’ agenda was restructuring Lane Johnson’s contract. The All-Pro RT was due to cost them $24 million against the cap this season. The largest number on the team. To bring that number down, and create some more room this offseason, the Eagles signed Lane Johnson to a 1-year extension. It will keep him on the team through the 2026 season. With the extension, Lane gets another $33.445 million, $30 million of which is guaranteed. In return, the Eagles save $9.2 million in cap space.

[Source: ESPN]

Eagles are giving All-Pro RT Lane Johnson a one-year, $33.445 million contract extension, including $30 million guaranteed, per source. He’s now under contract through 2026. Johnson hasn’t surrendered a sack the past two seasons, even playing last postseason with a torn adductor.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 24, 2023

It is a big number for a Tackle. But one Lane wholly deserves. Lane Johnson hasn’t given up a sack going back to 2020. He hardly even gave up any pressures. And in the playoffs, he continued to dominate despite playing with a torn adductor. He faced off with stars like Chris Jones and Joey Bosa. Yet he continued to dominate. Back in December, Nick Sirianni called Lane Johnson the best Tackle in the game. And it is hard to argue with him. When you literally never give up sacks, who could be any better?

It is important to not that the extra season will not literally pay him $30 million. That number can be spread across multiple years, including dummy years after the end of the contract. But it does keep Lane around a little bit longer. And it does give the Eagles more room to make moves this off-season. The Eagles already made their moves at cornerback and linebacker. But they will likely need to bring another Safety at some point too. Plus it certainly would not hurt to find an upgrade over Quez Watkins in the slot.

Lane Johnson, 32, has made four Pro Bowls, and two All-Pro teams with the Eagles. He will have a chance to make many more as he will be here for several more seasons.

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Eagles Give Lane Johnson a 1-Year Extension, Save $9.2 Mil in Cap appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When the Dallas Cowboys released longtime running back Ezekiel Elliott earlier this month, Philadelphia Eagles fans seemed happy about the decision that their rivals were losing a key piece of the offense. Never did they give any thought to adding him to the squad – NEVER!!!

Well… the time has come for the thought bubble to appear of Eagles fans heads. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the seven-year veteran has narrowed down his choices of teams to join. The Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and, yes, the Eagles. Birds’ fans are now left to decide if they want Ezekiel Elliott to choose the team and ignore the many years of sports hatred for the Cowboys’ best player, or accept him for what he is as a decent running back who can help win the Super Bowl. Some advice – ignore the what logo was on his helmet if you like the player.

…Ask yourself… can he still play? What would he add to the running back room? Can I put all of the Cowboys issues aside and root for who’s wearing the uniform, not the name on the back of the jersey? Is he better than any of the backs already on the roster? Does this take away from free agent pickup Rashaad Penny?

If you trust Howie Roseman, let the man cook. He has done a nice job in free agency and trades in the past + this offseason. Bringing in former Dallas players that have failed to help in the past has nothing to do with Elliott helping this particular group. Whatever it takes to get this team and city another championship should be welcome. Even if he played for the most disliked division rival. Roseman has struck gold before by bringing in players that seem to be on their last leg with another team. Some trust might have to be there if mutual interest lives between the two parties.

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Devon Givens- If It Helps the Eagles, Sign Ezekiel Elliott appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Of all the current Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott may be the most hated by Eagles fans. Whether it is his crop tops, his behavior off the field, or let’s face it, his overall success, he is not a popular man in Philly. But Eagles fans may soon have to swallow their hate because the rumor is there is a chance he could land in Philly. Adam Schefter reported that Zeke has narrowed his options down to 3 teams in free agency. And one of them is the Eagles.

Zeke has narrowed down his options about where to play to the Eagles, Jets and Bengals, sources told @AdamSchefter

Where should he play next year? pic.twitter.com/UxTdOrFb2K

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 23, 2023

The Cowboys cut Elliott this off-season. Ending his 7-season long career in Dallas. And for what it is worth, the 27-year-old RB did have 876 yards last season, with 12 TDS. But he also averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. At this point in his career, he is not an every down back. There is a reason the Cowboys chose Tony Pollard over him. But as a goal line or short yardage back, he still does have something to offer.

The history of bringing in former Cowboys to Philly is not a bright one though. Past examples include Demarco Murray, Orlando Scandrick, Felix Jones, and Miles Austin. All of them being disastrous signings for the Eagles. They also already have Kenny Gainwell, Rashaad Penny, and Boston Scott under contract. That said, they do not have significant money tied into any of them. Still, RB isn’t the most pressing of needs. Especially with how good the Eagles’ O-Line is. With limited space, there may be better places to spend that cap space.

It is also important to note there is not yet any indication the Eagles are interested in him. We only know that he is interested in them. And he may have only named the eagles to spite his former team. Though one current Eagles player at least has expressed interest in playing with Elliott.

@EzekielElliott

— Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) March 23, 2023

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Ezekiel Elliott Expresses Interest in Playing with the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. Every day Andrew takes a deep dive into our Audio Vault to pull out audio relevant to the day or recent events. It could be famous Birthdays, important events today in Sports or World History, or other relevant topics. But today he switched it up a little bit. Because recently he was made aware of an interesting stat about Kyle Schwarber. And that got him thinking of other one-of-a-kind Sports accomplishments. The things that have literally only been done once in Sports history, for better or worse.

Who is the only player to hit home runs in every round of the Playoffs in both conferences? Who is the only player to have a triple-double not including points? What is the only time a player won Super Bowl MVP for what they did on Special Teams? What Qb put up big numbers despite no help from his WRs? And who hit two grand slams in a single inning? Learn all of that, and more, in today’s Audio Vault. You can see what made the list below. Then you can listen to the full segment at the bottom of the page.

Here are all of the one of a kind sports accomplishments Andrew found in The Audio Vault today…The post The Audio Vault- 6 One of a Kind Sports Accomplishments appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today. With Anthony Gargano out, Andrew moved over to the host’s chair. This meant Ray Dunne took over the Producer role today and was put in charge of The Vault. And with CJ Gardner-Johnson leaving, and talking some trash while doing so (but then deleting it late), he wanted to look at the best times Pro-Athletes returned to Philly after they left to play for another team.

Here are the player returns Ray Dunne played in The Vault today…* TO’s First Game Back in Philly * Ben Simmons Comes Back to Philly and Gives Everyone Free Chicken by Missing Free Throws * Desean Jackson’s First Game back In Philly, including a brawl between the two teams * Allen Iverson Gets Huge Ovation from Sixers fans in first game back * Jayson Werth Gets Mostly Cheers From Phillies fans

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below…And if you liked this, you may also enjoy…The Audio Vault-10 Best Moments From The Phillies 2022 Post-SeasonSee what Andrew Salciunas found in The Audio Vault today. Andrew and Anthony Gargano are live from Clearwater this week. So all week they are celebrating the Phillies in The Audio Vault. Yesterday he played the best moments from the Phillies’ regular season last year. And today they moved on to the Phillies’ magical Post-Season run.

It was the run no one saw coming. As they talked about in yesterday’s Vault, the Phillies limped into the playoffs. But then something clicked. They beat the Cardinals, the Braves, and then the Padres to get all the way to the World Series. And while the run sadly ended there, it was still a great ride. they lost just two games combined between those 3 series and none at home. The fans showed up, and the team gave them a show. Big comebacks, bat spikes, massive Hrs. We had missed Phillies post-season baseball for over a decade. But they more than made up for that lost time.

But what were the best moments? Andrew made his list. And since he is in Clearwater, he asked Dylan MacKinnon to help pull them from the Vault so they could play them for you all today. Join Andrew and Anthony below as the relived the best moments from the Phillies 2022 Post-season.

The post The Audio Vault- 5 Infamous Times Players Returned to Philly appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Is Clemson’s Myles Murphy the right fit for the Eagles on draft night?

After an eventful start to free agency, the Eagles’ needs look far different. At the start of free agency, Cornerback was by far their most pressing need. It looked like James Bradberry was leaving, and Darius Slay was in the last year of his deal. Now? They have both under contract for the next 3 years. With their ages, I would not define Cornerback as a non-need. They should still try and bringing in a young corner to develop behind them. But they are not looking for a player who can step in and start right away. Giving them far more options on draft night.

And one of the options Howie Roseman will likely be most intrigued by is another defensive lineman. Howie loves to add depth to the line, on both sides of the ball. We have seen year after year he does not mind using high picks on defensive or offensive line depth. Last year he took Jordan Davis who they didn’t expect to start, and then Cam Jurgens in the second round. The year before they selected Landon Dickerson in the 2nd round, and Milton Williams in the 3rd. A few years back now, they selected Andre Dillard despite OT not being an immediate need. The chances they select an Offensive or defensive lineman seem pretty high.

And one that could very well be on Howie’s radar is Myles Murphy out of Clemson. With the Eagles bringing back their corners, he is a name you suddenly see appearing on Eagles mock drafts. Many rate him as one of the top-edge rushers in this draft behind Will Anderson. His athletic ability is off the charts. But should he be the Eagles pick at 10?

Let’s get to know the Clemson defensive end a little better. Here are 5 things you should know about Myles Murphy. The post 5 Things to Know About DE Myles Murphy- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles entered free agency with a bunch of veterans who were ready to test the market. They decided to bring back veterans like Brandon Graham, Jason Kelce, James Bradberry, while restructuring Darius Slay’s contract. But the one position that Howie Roseman seemed to neglect is safety.

Many fans (myself included) thought that the Eagles top priority was to bring back safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. Acquired from the Saints right before the season, the Eagles transitioned the former cornerback to the safety spot and he fit in beautifully. But he also overplayed his hand and mishandled his market. The Eagles reportedly came to him early in free agency and offered him a multi-year deal, he declined, and when he realized that the market wasnt what he thought it would be the Eagles had moved on.

So what are the Eagles going to do? The idea that the Eagles are going to go into next season with a safety combo of Justin Evans and “Ed” Reid Blankenship is naive. The Eagles will either address the safety position in the draft or via a trade (because the good safeties are off the board in free agency.) Howie Roseman absolutely loves to make trades. Out of every GM in football, Howie looks to trade more than anyone else.

So lets take a look at some players that fit the mold of a CJ Gardner-Johnson. Not the playstyle, but the contract status. The Saints traded CJ Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles because they could not agree on a contract extension. They elected to get a draft pick from the Eagles than a lower compensatory pick if he left in free agency. There are those players every single year that become available. Howie has done great work taking advantage of other teams cap issues.

So here are 5 players that might interest Howie Roseman and the Eagles via the trade route.

The post 5 Trade Targets That Could Interest The Eagles At Safety appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans got a crappy start to the week when news came out Sunday night that the Lions were signing CJ Gardner-Johnson to a 1 year deal for as much as $8 million dollars. While it hurt to see a priority leave, it hurt even worse when Eagles fans saw the price the Lions paid, because it didnt seem like that much.

Zach Berman from The Athletic joined the John Kincade Show on Tuesday morning to discuss the decision to move on from CJ Gardner-Johnson, what the Eagles mindset was, and what they could still do in free agency.

“They went into free agency prepared to lose players, and I think they let the market come to them, especially in Bradberry’s case… I think going into free agency, if you had told me that they would keep Slay and Bradberry, I think most fans would’ve taken that… Given all of the possibilities that could’ve occurred, it hasn’t been a bad outcome for the Eagles.”

Its not like the Eagles have not made a flurry of moves. They worked quickly to replace CJ Gardner-Johnson by signing Justin Evans. They also brought in Nick Morrow Tuesday. Their biggest moves have been bringing back players from last year’s team. They have resigned a slew of vets including Fletcher Cox, Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham, and James Bradberry. So what was their gameplan?

“They went into free agency prepared to lose players, and I think they let the market come to them, especially in Bradberry’s case… I think going into free agency, if you had told me that they would keep Slay and Bradberry, I think most fans would’ve taken that… Given all of the possibilities that could’ve occurred, it hasn’t been a bad outcome for the Eagles.”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW!

8 Baseball Movies That Flew Under Your RadarMovies are cool. They can be a much needed distraction from the pain sports can bring. Like when Jose Alvarado gives up a homerun that still hasn’t landed yet, a movie can be a nice change of pace. Baseball season is right around the corner and there are plenty of movies to get you in the mood for 162! The classic baseball movies are known, and can probably be recited chapter and verse by big seam heads. Field of Dreams, The Sandlot, The Natural, Bull Durham, and so on and so on. They are all great in their own right and doing a top list of those movies is a waste of our time.

So lets take a look at some deep cuts. Some baseball movies that may have avoided your radar. These are just based on my opinion, so take that for what its worth. Some of these you may have heard of. A few of them you may have even seen. But hopefully this list will give you some suggestions on films you may have missed.

So while you wait for Trea Turner’s first official at-bat as a Phillie, and as you wait for the first Kyle Schwarber home run of the season, here are 8 movies to get you through the waiting game of meaningful baseball.

The post VIDEO: Zach Berman Breaks Down The Eagles Decision To Move On From CJ Gardner-Johnson appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

JAMES HARDEN PLEASE BE HEALTHY

There are only 11 games left in the regular season. The 76ers are currently even in the loss column with the Celtics so the 2 seed in the East is very much up for grabs. That is what makes what happened Monday night vs the Bulls so frustrating. For one thing the loss dropped them back even in the loss column, but James Harden being injured is a greater concern. All season long he has been battling a foot injury and it appears that he tweaked his Achilles. Doc Rivers was very coy and we will find out later today if he is going to help them get revenge on the Bulls tonight. He shot 2/14 from the floor and had only 5 points. It was a terrible game. Even a mediocre game would have been enough to win that game. That loss could be the difference between a Home Game 7 being in Boston or Philadelphia. I can’t take another Spring of wondering what if? Harden has to be ready go.

HOWIE ROSEMAN HAS TO JUMP START THE YOUTH MOVEMENT

The Eagles have two picks in the first round in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. They will enjoy having 3 picks in the first 2 rounds the next 2 drafts. Since Howie Roseman decided to get the veteran gang back together again, the ability to draft their replacements is immediate. They will have one of the oldest starting cornerback duos in the NFL. They need a youngster in that room. They will have to add a few more edge rushers. A starting running back is definitely on the shopping list in case Penny doesn’t rebound from his injury history. This draft and last years that brought Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean to town will be as big a chapter in “The Story of Howie” as his Super Bowl berths. This is about sustaining. You can’t have a young franchise QB signed to a big money deal and then collapse.

THE PHILLIES HAVE TO COME TOGETHER QUICKLY

The World Baseball Classic is finally over and some fans enjoyed it. The majority of those fans were outside of the United States. It grew its audience internationally but hardly moved the needle among USA Baseball fans. I watched the highlights of most games to be completely honest, but when I was watching I was holding my breath. The fear of injury for the Phillies players was enough to take away from my enjoyment. I understand that the players care about the event and celebrate the competition. I feel about it like I do the Eagles pre-season. I’m just hoping that there won’t be an injury. It was great seeing Trea Turner thrive and dominate, but I’m a fan of my team. They will now have 6 days to come together as a team and attempt to gel. A slow start won’t keep them from a post season berth as last season proved, but the divisional race was over before it ever began. If you want a packed house all summer and a chance to break the Braves NL East Division domination streak, how you play early will matter. If this team is in great position BEFORE Bryce Harper returns it’s going to be a wild ride!

The post Random Thoughts as Philly Sports is on “slight” edge appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

CJ Gardner Johnson is gone. He has signed with the Detroit Lions. But he got just a one-year, $8 million deal. Leaving many to wonder why the Eagles would not give him that. Was there bad blood between the two sides? Or did they just not value him very highly? Earlier today, Jeff McLane from the Philly Inquirer joined the Anthony Gargano Show. He tried to explain why the Eagles may have passed on him, and why there was not more interest in him on the free-agent market.

"The Eagles viewed him as a guy that once he got a huge contract, how was he going to behave?" – @Jeff_McLane on C.J. Gardner-Johnson

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 21, 2023

"The fact the Saints dealt him for a 5th-round pick makes you wonder." – @Jeff_McLane on C.J. Gardner-Johnson's off the field character

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 21, 2023

CJ Gardner-Johnson has been on a bit of a tirade all off-season on Twitter. He would tweet something, then delete it, then tweet something else, but then delete it again. He has always had a reputation as someone who speaks his mind. And we saw his agency do the same when after there was much criticism of them for the deal they got CJ, they took to Twitter to defend themselves. He had a reputation in New Orleans for getting in trouble for instigating and taunting on the field. But he never caused any issues we know of while in Philly.

On the field, he was an incredibly important player for the Eagles. He was leading the league in interceptions before he got hurt. And was more than willing to make big hits or come up and play the run. Until they make a replacement move, if they do, we will not know if it was the right move to let him walk. But at least according to Jeff McLane, it may have had something to do with concerns over CJ Gardner-Johnson’s maturity.

"I don't want to say this was the right move because I don't know." – @Jeff_McLane on the Eagles letting Gardner-Johnson walk

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 21, 2023

You can listen to the full conversation with Jeff McLane below…Follow the latest Eagles free agency news below…Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Jeff McLane On Why The Eagles Didn’t Bring Back CJ Gardner-Johnson appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles lost both of their starting linebackers in Free Agency. TJ Edwards signed with the Bears. And then Kyzir White joined Jonathan Gannon in Arizona. The plan was always to give Nakobe Dean a larger role this season. Dean was a star at Georgia and should fill in very nicely. But that still left them in need of another linebacker. Well, now we have an answer for who that will be. Because the Eagles just made a nice low-risk signing by bringing in former Bears Linebacker Nicholas Morrow.

We’ve agreed to terms with LB Nicholas Morrow on a one-year deal.@toyota | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/21WPcBLHsq

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 21, 2023

Nicholas Morrow led the Bears with 116 tackles last season. His coverage snaps left a little to be desired, but that could have been because he was still recovering from an ankle injury that cost him the entirety of 2021. In 2020 he performed very well in coverage, holding opposing players to just 4.5 yards per target. Morrow also racked up 3 sacks that season, and an interception.

He is a converted Safety, which we know the Eagles love at Linebacker. Morrow started his career with the Raiders as a Safety, but they quickly converted him to linebacker, and in 2020 he broke out at the position, and resigned with the Raiders in the offseason, before suffering an ankle injury. After missing 2021 he signed with the Bears and had a solid season. Now the Eagles hope he will refind his 2020 form.

Morrow should be expected to slot right into Kyzir White’s spot as the other starter. Like with White, he is on just a one-year deal and should make for a solid low-risk addition.

Keep track of the latest news in Eagles Free Agency below…Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Eagles Make Low Risk Signing By Bringing in Linebacker Nicholas Morrow appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Philadelphia Eagles worked quickly to fill one of their two open spots. With Marcus Epps leaving in free agency and signing with the Vikings, and CJ Gardner-Johnson leaving on Sunday and signing with the Lions, the Eagles were left with two HUGE holes in their secondary. Last years secondary was arguably the best in franchise history, but it was put together last minute. Epps was picked up off the waiver wire and developed into a steady starter. CJ Gardner-Johnson was acquired last minute in a deal with the New Orleans Saints. So its not insane to think that the Eagles could improve on last years group with some savvy moves.

One of those moves might just be the signing of Justin Evans. The Eagles are signing Evans to a 1 year contract according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The #Eagles are signing former #Bucs and #Saints free agent safety Justin Evans, per me and @MikeGarafolo. Evans helps fill a void at safety.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 20, 2023

Evans is a former 2nd round pick by the Tampa Bay Bucs. He spent last year with the New Orleans Saints, ironically replacing CJ Gardner-Johnson. Evans is just 27 years old and was very reliable until an achilles injury took him out in 2019. He will look for a fresh start in Philly.

Right now it appears like Evans is nothing more than some organizational depth. A tough player to count on when he played just 39% of snaps for the Saints last season. The Eagles will likely look to add more safety depth during the draft and also look to pounce on a team that did not pick up a players option, much like they did last season when the Saints made CJ Gardner-Johnson available.

Howie usually flourishes in the second wave of free agency. In the last few years Howie has been able to sign key contributors after the initial rush of free agency opening. We will keep you updated on all the Eagles moves as they happen.

8 Baseball Movies That Flew Under Your RadarMovies are cool. They can be a much needed distraction from the pain sports can bring. Like when Jose Alvarado gives up a homerun that still hasn’t landed yet, a movie can be a nice change of pace. Baseball season is right around the corner and there are plenty of movies to get you in the mood for 162! The classic baseball movies are known, and can probably be recited chapter and verse by big seam heads. Field of Dreams, The Sandlot, The Natural, Bull Durham, and so on and so on. They are all great in their own right and doing a top list of those movies is a waste of our time.

So lets take a look at some deep cuts. Some baseball movies that may have avoided your radar. These are just based on my opinion, so take that for what its worth. Some of these you may have heard of. A few of them you may have even seen. But hopefully this list will give you some suggestions on films you may have missed.

So while you wait for Trea Turner’s first official at-bat as a Phillie, and as you wait for the first Kyle Schwarber home run of the season, here are 8 movies to get you through the waiting game of meaningful baseball.

The post Eagles Sign Justin Evans To Replace CJ Gardner-Johnson appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

I had a listener this morning send me an email informing me that I was being premature in my critique of the recent events of the Eagles off season. I will quote his critique exactly. “You can’t criticize Howie Roseman for his moves so far in the free agency period because we don’t know how this is all going to work out! You need to just relax!” I informed Steven that though I completely agree with him that it’s too early to judge the final product, you can’t wait to offer an opinion on what happens in the process. The only reason you would be completely supportive of every decision is if you were on the team payroll. My opinion clearly was stated. I would give this off season no better than a rating of good. I disagree with a few of the choices. That doesn’t mean that I won’t give the overall off season plan a far better review. I’m hoping that will be the case. Here are my current issues;

THE SUNSHINE BOYS WERE ALL RETAINED

I’m never going to embrace as a good thing giving out contracts to players towards the end of their careers. The Eagles have fallen prey to nostalgia tours in the past. They are dangerously close to doing that once again. The choices of some of who were retained seems to have a fondness towards celebrating past accomplishments.

BRANDON GRAHAM – at $6M he may end up being a huge bargain. Having him end his career as the all time games played leader for the Eagles is worth the investment. He’s a fantastic leader and team community ambassador. That said, he had his career year last year. To say that was the anomaly is not an exaggeration. What are the odds he repeats it?
Verdict: I would have made that investment.

JASON KELCE – at $14M retaining the best center in football was certainly a market value signing. He was at the top of his game last year and various analysts believed he had his best season last year. Like with Graham, what are the odds he repeats that? An incredible force of nature, he may be the most beloved Eagle ever.
Verdict: I would have loved to have seen him lower his asking price as it’s his last season, but he offered no hometown discount. The Eagles could have used one. I still would have made that investment.

FLETCHER COX – at $10M this was the most shocking signing of them all. I don’t believe the Jets had a blank check offer waiting for him. The Eagles believed it was necessary to bring him back at a big number.
Verdict: I would never have made this investment.

CORNERBACKS – The decision to retain both Darius Slay and James Bradberry gives the Eagles one of the best but oldest starting cornerback duos in the NFL. Though that was an effective plan this season, both players will not be ascending as they head deeper into their 30’s.
Verdict: I would have decided to move on from one of the cornerbacks and drafted a replacement for the other.

I’ll give a final judgment on this off season once the roster is finalized. Right now, I would have gone in a younger direction. Here is hoping that age won’t become the factor that holds the Eagles back from a return visit to the Super Bowl in the 2023 season!

The post Beware judging the Eagles meal before it’s fully cooked appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The hope all offseason was that CJ Gardner Johnson would return to the Eagles. We now know that is not happening. Gardner-Johnson is signing a 1-Year, $8 million deal. And now the focus turns to how they replace him. There is the draft, but the Eagles are not exactly known for investing high draft assets into Safeties. They could turn to in-house options. But those are… well they aren’t great. Reed Blankenship filled in admirably. But if you are going into a season with an undrafted player in his second season as your best safety, there will be a lot of nerves. And there is no one after him you could even consider trusting as a starter.

More than likely, they will be bringing in another veteran to play alongside Blankenship. The good news is, given what CJ Gardner Johnson and other top Safties in this season’s free-agent class are getting, it shouldn’t cost too much. The Safety market has not struck gold this offseason. Bad if you are a Safety looking to get a new deal. But it is great if you are a team looking to add a quality Safety to your squad.

And there are still some good options out there. Either via free agency or a trade. Here are some Safeties they can bring in.

[Source: Spotrac]The post 7 Safeties That Would Make Sense For The Eagles To Bring in appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans held out hope all along that CJ Gardner Johnson could still return to Philly. Even after Howie resigned James Bradberry, and gave Darius Slay an extension. But it turns out the CJ Gardner-Johnson era in Philly lasts just one season. Because he is signing with the Detroit Lions. The surprising part is what he got paid. We knew the Safety market was grim. But CJ Gardner Johnson got just a one-year deal worth up to $8 million. Far less than anyone expected.

[Source: Adam Schefter]

Lions are giving him a one-year deal worth up to $8 million, per source. https://t.co/tkAOtdJOV3

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 20, 2023

The question for Eagles fans will be, why didn’t the Eagles match that? We may not get an answer any time soon though. Well with CJ being CJ, he may just tweet out an answer at any moment. Perhaps he felt slighted by the Eagles. Or maybe Howie just did not want to spend any money on Safety. Whatever it is, CJ Gardner-Johnson is gone. Leaving the Eagles with more question marks than answers at the position. They had already lost their other starting Safety Marcus Epps to the Las Vegas Raiders. And now CJ departs as well.

Reed Blankenship is the obvious choice to fill one of the spots. The Eagles reportedly think very highly of the former undrafted rookie. And he filled in well considering when Gardner-Johnson was out. But is he good enough to trust as your best Safety? The Eagles may have to find out. And their options at the second Safety spot are even thinner. It is doubtful Howie Roseman is finished. They have some draft capital. And if this is what CJ Gardner-Johnson is getting paid, there will be other cheap dependable options out there.

Even still, Safety will have question marks going into the season. Granted there were question marks going into this past season as well. Marcus Epps was unproven, and they didn’t land CJ Gardner Johnson for a 5gth and 6th round pick until late in pre-season. We will have to see if Howie has any similar moves up his sleeve this off-season.

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post CJ Gardner Johnson Signs With Detroit, Leaving Eagles Bare at Safety appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

One of the under the radar moves that hasn’t made the splashiest of free agency headlines this week was the departure of Gardner Minshew to the Indianapolis Colts and in his place Marcus Mariota arriving to replace him in Philadelphia. Backup quarterbacks are sometimes thought of as not important to the championship picture, but in reality the Eagles truly need to get this one right. In my opinion, this is one decision where Howie Roseman got it wrong.
I’ve got a few reasons for you to consider my point of view;

THE EAGLES NEED A RELIABLE BACKUP

In both of his seasons as the Eagles starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts has been injured in December. He missed one start in December of the 2021 season. In 2022 he missed two starts. Gardner Minshew stepped in both times and the Eagles passing attack was still able to generate offense through the air. Mariota has not been effective when asked to serve as a backup quarterback. One guy has performed well in this role, another hasn’t.

THE EAGLES PASSING OFFENSE WON’T BE BETTER WITH MARIOTA

For their careers, here are the comparative numbers as passers;

Mariota 2,095 attempts 62.6% 15,656 yards 92 touchdowns / 54 interceptions

Minshew 933 attempts. 62.8% 6,632 yards 44 touchdowns / 15 interceptions

Marcus Mariota has never been an effective passer. He can get yards but has a history of terrible decision making. He has lost every opportunity to start because of that flaw. Minshew protects the football and the Eagles are a team with features a dynamic passing attack. One of the best offensive lines in football can pass protect which gives the better passer a huge opportunity. That man is certainly Minshew.

CONTINUITY MATTERS

Minshew has been a reliable teammate and has fit in well here under Nick Sirianni. Marcus Mariota will now join his 4th NFL franchise after being the second selection in the draft. It will be his third franchise in 3 seasons. The most dependable thing about Mariota at this point is that he will be moving on again soon. When given the opportunity to start he hasn’t been able to secure the confidence of his team to start. How could anyone argue that Mariota is a more competent solution? He’s not.

ONE GUY COSTS $1.5M LESS

Gardner Minshew will serve as the Indianapolis Colts backup quarterback for $3.5M. The Eagles will now pay Marcus Mariota 30% more to serve as theirs. Savings of $1.5M matters in a year where you are having to pay premium prices to secure some of your veteran contracts. Why the Eagles want to pay more for the less talented passer confuses me. I know that Mariota can run the football more effectively but the Eagles are built to throw the football. It’s not 1980.

MARIOTA JUST WALKED OUT ON HIS LAST TEAM

When informed that the Falcons were going to give Desmond Ridder a look, instead of agreeing to backup and mentor the young starter for the remainder of the season, Mariota decided to have surgery for a minor injury immediately that he was playing through. Imagine if Doug Pederson did that after the Eagles decided to start Donovan McNabb? What if Wentz walked out immediately when Hurts got his start?

Howie Roseman has had an excellent off-season. It seems like a minor detail but it could end up being a huge decision. I’m hoping it won’t cost the team when it counts in 2023.

The post For 30% Less and these other reasons – I’ll take Minshew over Mariota anytime! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The John Kincade Show hit the bar early on St. Patrick’s Day. They hosted their live broadcast at the Irish Horne in Richboro, PA.

Some Fanatic listeners walked through the door as soon as the clock hit 6am to enjoy a few Bud Lights and some Irish breakfast.

John Kincade, Bob Cooney, Pat Egan, and special guest Jamie Lynch discussed the latest news about the Philadelphia Eagles in NFL free agency, the first day of the NCAA Tournament, and the holiday celebrations. Danny Briere, the interim general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, even joined the show to discuss his plan for the future.

Listeners enjoyed special giveaways from Steven Singer Jewelers and 97.5 The Fanatic’s “4 for 4 Leaf Clover” t-shirts to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Philadelphia sports.

The gear was all green, and the Bud Lights were flowing at the Irish Horne!

The post The John Kincade Show at the Irish Horne appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The John Kincade Show discussed the blizzard of Philadelphia Eagles news in NFL free agency during the St. Patrick’s Day broadcast from the Irish Horne in Richboro.

Howie Roseman is the architect of two Super Bowl rosters with two different head coaches and two different quarterbacks. He’s trying desperately to keep up the shrewd roster management.

John brought up Roseman’s approach to a long list of free agents in a little exercise by asking the guys to rank the Eagles starters in 2022 based on order of importance (1:08:32 on YouTube video below).

“Did Howie actually address the priority guys? -John Kincade

Eagles OffenseThe positional priority quickly became clear.

“Howie properly prioritized Jason Kelce over… going after Miles Sanders.” -Kincade

The decision to let Sanders walk away lines up with the diminishing value of NFL running backs. It should be no surprise that the Eagles, who always prioritize the trenches, locked up a dominant offensive lineman with five first-team All-Pro selections in his last six seasons.

Pat Egan questioned how Miles Sanders rushed for 1269 yards in 2022 but somehow qualifies as the 10th most important player on his unit.

Jalen Hurts (QB)
Lane Johnson (RT)
Jason Kelce (C)
A.J. Brown (WR)
DeVonta Smith (WR)
Jordan Mailata (LT)
Landon Dickerson (LG)
Dallas Goedert (TE)
Isaac Seumalo (RG)
Miles Sanders (RB)
Quez Watkins (WR)

It’s easy to see the value of quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and wide receivers in the eyes of the Philadelphia Eagles when you look at the full list of 11.

Eagles DefenseDefense was a little tougher, especially with so many rotating packages and snap distributions.

Haason Reddick unsurprisingly topped the list in the same exercise on defense (2:07:35). John and Pat were bound to gush over a former Temple Owl coming off a 16-sack regular season.

The bottom of the defensive list told us more about Howie Roseman’s offseason. Everyone knew to expect some losses in free agency. No teams reach the Super Bowl without the rest of the NFL watching their players and jumping on an opportunity steal a few.

The Eagles lost solid contributors in T.J. Edwards, Marcus Epps, and Kyzir White. However, they took care of more important priorities at cornerback and on the defensive line.

Haason Reddick
Javon Hargrave
Darius Slay
Josh Sweat
C.J. Gardner-Johnson
James Bradberry
Fletcher Cox
Brandon Graham
T.J. Edwards
Marcus Epps
Kyzir White

Javon Hargrave will be the toughest free agent loss that the Eagles will need to compensate for, but the depth of the defensive line in 2022 was arguably the team’s biggest strength before an underwhelming performance in the Super Bowl.

Expect the Eagles to add a defensive tackle with one of their two first-round picks to satisfy one priority that Howie Roseman openly admitted on the first day of training camp in 2022.

“I think you’ve seen over the last few years an increased emphasis from us as a front office in interior pass rushers.” -Howie Roseman

With the fate of most of Philadelphia’s key free agents now settled, one major puzzle piece is still left on the board. Will the salary cap wizard figure out a way to bring back C.J. Gardner-Johnson?

An extension for Jalen Hurts is looming, but The John Kincade Show can’t help but praise Howie for the maneuvering he’s done during the first week of NFL free agency.

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe post Ranking the 22 Eagles Starters and Howie Roseman’s Priority Positions appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony Gargano wondered what would have happened if the Eagles did the deal for Marcus Mariota back in 2015 in his Opening Diatribe this morning…

“The Eagles signed Marcus Mariota. I want to go back in time. Marcus Mariota, if we remember, was one of the original white whales. We were all freaking out in that draft in 2015. Chip Kelly was in need of a Qb. It had become obvious Nick Foles was not the answer. There was a lot of talk he would be reunited with Marcus Mariota, his Qb at Oregon. And we had this fever. The Mariota fever. It is a lesson in how things work out. We wanted it so badly. We wanted Marcus Mariota. He would run Chip’s system. Do the Deal! It was wild. There was a lot of talk that Mariota would be the new Eagle. It would be this unstoppable offense. But it turned out there was no deal…

The Titans took Mariota with the 2nd overall pick. And he turns out to be a bust. The fact that he comes here as the backup is fine. But we thought he would be a great arm. He was mobile. There was a lot of thought that Mariota would be the answer. Not the case… That was the year that spelled the end for Chip Kelly.

In comes Doug, and in comes Carson. Howie gets reinstated… And I want to play the What If game. What if the Eagles would have made that trade for Marcus Mariota? Certainly, Chip Kelly is not fired. As much of a pain in the ass as he was. There is no way Jeffrey Lurie would have fired him. Then what happens? There is no Super Bowl! Who knows the depth of what they have to dig out of? They would have been stuck with Mariota, who turned out to be a flop.”

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- What If the Eagles Made the Deal For Mariota appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

8 Years after Philadelphia was clamoring for Chip Kelly to “Do The Deal” the Eagles finally “Do The Deal” and sign Marcus Mariota to a 1 year contract for $5 million dollars with a chance to get up to $8. This per ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter

Former Falcons’ QB Marcus Mariota reached agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, $5 million deal worth up to $8 million, per source. Mariota is expected to be the Eagles’ No. 2 QB this season. pic.twitter.com/pBYEOxiMPk

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2023

Since getting drafted by the Titans 2nd overall in the 2015 draft, Mariota has proven to be just what the Eagles are signing him for; a backup. Mariota bounced around from the Titans, to the Raiders, and last year playing with the Falcons. But the Falcons signed Mariota to be a starting quarterback as they were waiting to usher in the Desmond Ridder era in Atlanta, the Eagles are signing him to hold a clipboard as Jalen Hurts balls out.

Mariota quit on the Falcons last year. Walking away after he was benched for the aforementioned Ridder. But in his career he has completed 63% of his passes in his career. He is more fitted for the Eagles offense than last years backup (Gardner Minshew) who signed with the Colts last season.

Mariota was a very good backup for the Raiders, and filled in admirably when called upon after injuries racked up for Derek Carr. It seems like when his role is to be a backup, he is a model citizen. But last season was not a good look for Mariota who failed to click in Arthur Smith’s offense which was weird since he played under Smith in Tennessee. Now Mariota will roll into Brian Johnson’s offense, which should not differ too much from last years offense run by Shane Steichen

This is also a HUGE day for Sal Paolantonio. It only took 8 years but the Eagles did it! They hashtagged, Did The Deal and Mariota is an Eagle. Thankfully though they didnt have to give up a ton of draft picks to get him.

The post Eagles “Do The Deal” And Sign Marcus Mariota appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last night the word came down that Darius Slay was staying in Philly. Just a day earlier, that did not seem to be the case. The Eagles had resigned Bradberry. And earlier in the day, they had reportedly released Slay. But that just seemed to be a way to move money around and sign him to a reworked deal, because Slay is staying in Philly. And now we know more details of how. Slay and the Eagles agreed to a two-year extension that will keep him in Philly through 2025.

Numbers are in on Darius Slay’s expected extension: Slay agreed to a three-year, $42 million extension that includes $23 million fully guaranteed. The extension was confirmed and negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2023

That $42 million may seem like a large number. Over 3 seasons, that averages to $14 million per year. But it is important to know that does not necessarily mean they will take a $14 million cap hit every year. When they first traded for him, they agreed to a 3-year extension worth $50 million. But in the 3 seasons he played for the Eagles, the total cap hit was around $20 million. The Eagles love to use cap tricks to push the cap hit forward. Which is why Slay was set to carry a cap hit of $29 million this season. They very well could do the same thing again, and load up the largest cap hits on the back end of the contract.

All we know is that this deal clears up cap space for know for the Eagles. And it gives Slay what he wanted too. A longer contract. The true details of the trade, we might not know right away. All we do know is that this means the Eagles are keeping their elite CB duo together. Slay, Bradberry, and Avonte Maddux are a big reason why the Eagles gave up the least passing yards per game last season.

Darius Slay has been a staple for Philly both on and off the field. He and his wife have truly embraced the city, with the city embracing him back. Slay, Bravberry, and all these other players figuring out ways to stay here, just goes to show the narrative that Philly fans are awful falls flat. If it were true, you wouldn’t see guys go out of their way to stick around like they have this off-season. The Slays made it clear they wanted to stay here. Now they get to, for another 3 seasons. And he will be alongside James Bradberry for the duration of that deal. Pretty nice knowing you shouldn’t need an outside corner for a couple of years.

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Darius Slay and Eagles Agree to 2-Year Extension Worth Up To $42 Million appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Free agency turned around quite quickly for the Eagles. They went from potentially losing James Bradberry, Darius Slay, and CJ Gardner Johnson, to keeping Bradberry and Slay, and still being in on CJ. Quite a change from expectations before the off-season started. And there could still be more on the way. So how did Howie Roseman pull it off? To discuss that, James Palmer from The NFL Network joined The Best Show Ever.

Here is what James Palmer had to say about if Eagles could still bring CJ Gardner Johnson back…

“I think the effort is still there. I don’t think the door has been closed. There are teams that have safety needs that haven’t been filled… If (Howie) finds a way to bring CJ too, it is pretty remarkable. But at the same time, you have to start turning that roster over. And they have a lot of picks. It’s great they brought back these pro bowlers. But they are all 30 or older. You have to make sure you start restocking.

James Palmer also discussed how they pulled off bringing Darius Slay back, the non existent market for running backs, and more. You can listen to the full conversation with James Palmer below…And you can track all the latest moves in Eagles Free Agency below…Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post James Palmer Breaks Down What The Eagles Are Doing in Free Agency appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This free agency period for the Eagles has not gone like any of us thought it would. And that is a very good thing. At one point it looked like the Eagles could lose almost all of their starting defense. Now? James Bradberry is back. Darius Slay is reportedly staying in Philly. And the Eagles are still in on CJ Gardner-Johnson. What a turnaround by Howie Roseman and the Eagles’ front office. They aren’t done yet, but it has been quite the change in tone just over a couple of days. And to discuss everything going down with this team in the offseason, Zach Berman joined The Anthony Gargano Show. He discussed the latest in Eagles Free Agency and more.

"We'll see the number C.J. comes in at, but I certainly wouldn't rule it out." – @ZBerm on the possibility of @CGJXXIII returning to the Eagles

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 16, 2023

"I think Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams will be your top three, so we'll see after that." – @ZBerm on the Eagles bringing in another veteran DT like Ndamukong Suh this offseason

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 16, 2023

You can listen to Anthony’s full conversation with Zach Berman here…And if you enjoyed this, you may also like…Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Zach Berman Discusses the Latest in Eagles Free Agency appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

By the end of last season, Gardner Minshew was not the most popular man in Philadelphia. His performance filling in for Jalen Hurts for a couple of games late in the season left a lot to be desired. And to make it worse it almost cost the Eagles the 1 seed. He was decent vs the Cowboys, but a disaster vs the Saints. Of the many Eagles free agents, he was not one most Eagles fans were too keen on hanging onto. And it looks like they may get their way. Because the latest news is that Gardner Minshew could land with the Colts, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic.

Hearing Colts are looking into free agent QB Gardner Minshew. With the Shane Steichen connection — they were together in Philly the last two years, with Minshew making four starts — it makes sense.

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 16, 2023

Indianapolis seems to have a thing for taking people from Philly. First, it was former Eagles Offensive Coordinator Frank Reich. They hired him as their head coach. Then a few years later, they traded for former Eagles Qb Carson Wentz. A year later they signed another former Eagles Qb, Nick Foles. This offseason they hired another former Eagles Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen. And now they may be taking one of our former QBs again.

Gardner Minshew spent the last two seasons with the Eagles. He has been Jalen Hurts backup for as long as Hurts has been the starter. But the Eagles may need to find a replacement. Ian Book is currently the next man up on the roster. But it feels unlikely the Eagles would go into the season with a backup who has no experience. Howie Roseman has shown time and time again that he highly values having a dependable backup QB. Whether it was Nick Foles, drafting Jalen Hurts behind Carson Wentz, Joe Flacco, or Gardner Minshew.

Expect the Eagles to bring someone else in behind Jalen Hurts. Names that could make sense include Marcus Mariota, Chase Daniel, and Teddy Bridgewater, among other names. Especially with a QB like Jalen Hurts who runs the ball a lot making him an injury risk.

You can track everything going on in Eagles Free Agency below…Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post The Colts Are Interested in Former Eagles QB Gardner Minshew appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans got quite a shock when the news broke that Darius Slay would be cut. But it appears the reactions thinking he was gone were a bit hasty. Because now we know Darius Slay is staying in Philly. The two sides are expected to agree to a reworked deal.

With the move, the Eagles retain the CB room that gave up the least passing yards per game last season. James Bradberry was a 2nd Team All-Pro. Slay made the Pro Bowl and was named to the new Players Union All-Pro Team. They easily made for the best CB tandem in the league. But the common consensus was the Eagles would be able to hold on to both of them. At first it was assumed Bradberry would leave. When they resigned him it looked like it would be Slay who was gone. Now we know the Eagles somehow managed to hold on to both.

…Where that leaves the Eagles in the CJ Gardner Johnson market? Who knows? One would think it would put them out of it. But we all thought they were out on both Bradberry and Slay at one point. Howie Roseman works in mysterious ways. The market for corners does not appear to be what Bradberry or Slay thought it would be. The Eagles were clear all along that they wanted to stay in on both players and let them go out and see if they could get better deals elsewhere. But the better deals never game. The Eagles seem to be using the same strategy with CJ. If another team blows him away, he will likely be gone. But if no other team wants to break the bank for a Safety, he could always return.

But whether they resign CJ or not, retaining both Bradberry and Slay is a massive move by Howie. The CB duo, along with Avonte Maddox, is a big reason why the team put up historic sack names. Some of those were just the Eagles rushers winning off the snap. But a lot of them were coverage snaps too.

The defense once thought to be in danger of losing most of its players, is coming together. Cornerback is no longer an immediate need. they retain Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham to give the D-Line some consistency. Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis are expected to be able to step into larger roles. There are still holes. But not nearly as many as first thought. And the Eagles have two first-round picks to start filling those remaining holes in.

UpdatePer Jeff McLane, the new deal will contain no new money, and open up some cap space for the Eagles.

Darius Slay’s reworked deal isn’t expected to include new money and should help clear salary cap space for the #Eagles this season, a source said. https://t.co/aDtyR2EK6m

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) March 16, 2023

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Darius Slay Staying in Philly, Expected To Agree to Reworked Deal appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans got quite the shock last Friday when the news came out that the Eagles gave Darius Slay permission to seek a trade. But even with that news, the word was he could still return. But now we know that will not be happening. The Eagles have released Darius Slay after they were unable to work out a trade or come to an agreement on a new contract for the Pro Bowl Cornerback,

[Source: Adam Schefter]

Breaking: The Eagles plan to release CB Darius Slay, sources tell @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/2m6YNL591l

— ESPN (@espn) March 15, 2023

Many figured something was up when the Eagles brought back James Bradberry. And now we know that Bradberry was brought back in place of retaining Darius Slay. Slay apparently was asking for a new 3-year deal. But the Eagles were not willing to give him that. So instead he will be released, and free to seek that deal elsewhere. According to Jeff McLane, the deal will count as a post-June 1st release. Per Spotrac, that means they will save $16,856,000 towards the cap this year. But it will count as a $12,010,000 dead cap hit in 2024. If they counted it as a Pre 6/1 release, the Eagles would take a dead cap hit of $21,265,000, and save $4,846,000.

Slay originally joined the Eagles back in 2020. They gave up a 3rd and 5th round pick for him, before signing him to a 3-year extension. This was supposed to be his final year of the deal, and the first year he carried a significant cap hit. but the Eagles were not willing to have him for such a large hit (over $26 million) and Darius Slay was not willing to play on an expiring deal. The two sides could not agree on a new deal, so he is not out of Philly.

The deal frees up money for them to now potentially bring back CJ Gardner-Johnson. So the Eagles now go from potentially losing both Bradberry and Gardner-Johnson to keeping both and losing Slay.

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Eagles Release Darius Slay After They Were Unable to Trade Him appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Howie Roseman looked like he was facing a dire situation with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 when expected franchise quarterback Carson Wentz requested a trade.

Limited draft capital, a tight salary cap situation, a successful head coach who burned out quickly, and an aging roster three years removed from Super Bowl LII convinced the fan base that Roseman had doomed the Eagles.

All he did in response was build arguably the deepest and most talented roster in franchise history to take the Eagles back to the Super Bowl after the 2022 season.

However, with a mass exodus of key contributors, where is the level of trust in Howie Roseman?

The Howie Roseman Sins of the PastBob Cooney spoke on The John Kincade Show about his confidence level in Howie Roseman.

“He’s had bad drafts. He’s had really good drafts. It’s the ups and downs of being a GM. He has taken two totally different teams with two different coaches to Super Bowls in just a five-year span.” -Cooney

Bad drafts in 2019 and 2020 played a major factor in the organization’s downward spiral, but there’s a key difference between Roseman’s situation then and his situation now.

“What Howie I don’t think did have then, what he does have now, is great draft capital. He kind of has a safety net here, John, he doesn’t just have to rely on free agency. He doesn’t just have to rely on the team that he has built now.” -Cooney

The Eagles own two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including the 10th-overall selection.

A pick swap with the New Orleans Saints set them up with an extra second-rounder in 2024. High-priced free agents leaving the team this offseason will also stock the Eagles with compensatory picks in the middle and late rounds next year.

Infamous mistakes with some of the few premium picks the Eagles had in 2019 and 2020 set the Eagles back and damaged the level of trust the fan base has in the Philadelphia GM. Picking wide receivers J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (second round in 2019) and Jalen Reagor (first-round in 2020) will stick in the memories of some fans.

Cooney mentioned mistakes that media and fans should be “close to erasing on Howie’s resume” after the resurrection of the franchise under head coach Nick Sirianni and a second Super Bowl appearance in Roseman’s tenure.

However, are you ready to forget the sins of the past with an attitude of confidence in Howie Roseman to execute with his draft capital to restock the roster with replacements for such a high number of key losses?

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe post Are Eagles’ fans ready to forgive Howie Roseman’s sins of the past? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesday at 8:20am) to break down the latest with Eagles free agency. The Eagles were not very active in the first day (Monday) as they watched some key contributors signed elsewhere. Like Javon Hargrave who signed a large contract with the 49ers. Marcus Epps who signed a nice contract with the Vikings. And TJ Edwards who signed a big money contract with his hometown team, the Chicago Bears.

Tuesday the Eagles were way more active. They resigned James Bradberry to a 3 year contract, as well as bringing back backup running back Boston Scott. But they also signed running back Rashaad Penny to a 1 year contract in a “prove it” deal. But there are still some key pieces from the 2022 run that are still on the street waiting to be signed. The main one being safety CJ Gardner-Johnson and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.

“Fletcher Cox is still out there, I think we’ll get something from him today,” Schefter told the group. “Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is still out there, my guess is we’ll get something from him soon. You can’t be a free agent and have it go past 4pm on Wednesday and think you’ll get the price you want.”

The tone in Schefty’s voice led many on the Kincade show to believe that Fletcher Cox would be returning, and CJ Gardner Johnson has not gotten the price on the open market that he thought he would get.

But the draft is a little over a month away. How will having two first round picks effect what the team does in the draft? Schefter weighed in.

“I don’t believe that free agency impacts what they do in the draft,” Schefter said. “I still think they’re going for the best player, the best defensive player, certain positions they love – edge rushers, corners – and we’ll see who’s available at 10.”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW

The post VIDEO: Adam Schefter Gives The Latest On Gardner-Johnson, Cox & The Rest of Free Agency appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

The good news is that it isn’t all bad news. The departures are most certainly grabbing the headlines. Let’s roll back the calendar just 31 days and see everything that has changed from Super Bowl Sunday.
The Eagles have officially lost; 1 starting defensive tackle, 2 starting linebackers and 1 starting safety. That is now 4 of the starting 11 on defense and counting. They will have to replace 36.3% of their starting defense and that number could be climbing soon.

The Eagles await word on Chauncey Gardner Johnson and his status. It’s probably a good thing that he hasn’t already been lured away. It’s obvious that a huge, big money knock your socks off offer didn’t come his way. He knows that won’t be coming from the Eagles so this lull in activity has to be a positive. As we heard this weekend the Eagles gave Darius Slay the opportunity to shop for a trade partner. Reportedly they didn’t agree on a moving forward strategy. Howie Roseman wants to re-adjust his contract while Slay publicly is campaigning for a new deal. Either way, Slay can’t play under the terms of his current contract. Roseman needs to shuffle money in order to make some more moves. We have no word on the status of Fletcher Cox who could return on a team friendly deal.

The Eagles know that the linebacker room is relatively empty now and the much criticized Nakobe Dean appears to have a golden opportunity to play significant snaps this season. To say that there is a lot of doubt about what Dean brings to the table is an understatement and that concern is legitimate. One thing is clear, letting your 2 starting linebackers leave tells me that Howie believes he can replace that production with Dean. I don’t know whether that is a good plan or not, but I’ll trust he has a better gauge on that than I do. Losing Javon Hargrove to the 49ers is a huge departure. I’m skeptical that we won’t see a drop off from the 2022 production that Hargrove provided by inserting Jordan Davis. Once again, it’s clear the Eagles organization thinks he’s up to the challenge unless we see another starter signed in free agency which isn’t likely.

I’m a bit baffled that we haven’t heard anything about a Jalen Hurts extension. There has been no news leaking on progress at all. Having that deal secured would be a great step in allowing the Eagles to watch a long term plan fall into place. Until it is done, other holes can’t be filled because of the indecision. My biggest concern is that the Hurts camp has either not been pleased with what is being offered OR they want to wait out Lamar Jackson or Justin Herbert signing their new deals to insure he gets more. Either scenario doesn’t work well for the 2023 Eagles.

Having Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce back for one last ride is great from a leadership standpoint, but it’s $20M off the payroll flexibility index. The deal with James Bradberry is solid in that it’s only $20M in guaranteed cash. I’m surprised that Howie Roseman got him back at that figure. A failure to secure a deal with CJ Gardner Johnson would be a huge blow to defensive continuity.

Hold your breath Eagles fans, it’s about to get dangerous. 4 down, how many more to go?

The post Eagles free agency is still quite muddled appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In the midst of all the free agency hoopla on Tuesday, AJ Brown had a field day on Twitter with his takes on the world of fruits and vegetables.

No, seriously.

The reason why I took everyone down a fruit and vegetables rabbit hole is because everyone needs to relax. We’re going to be fine lol. Everybody so anxious about what’s about to happened and I made you all think about fruit lol . Perspective people, perspective lmao pic.twitter.com/fE9zuc6JgD

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

As a man who just went grocery shopping for the first time in nearly a month and a half, I am uniquely qualified to weigh in on these takes and give validity to WR1’s feeling on nature’s glorious gifts to our diet.

Grapefruit >>>oranges

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

Staying true to takesmith form, Brown fired away on his hottest take right from the start.

Oranges are a jack-of-all-trades fruit. Makes for tremendous juice, pairs well with certain alcoholic beverages and is a solid individual performer.

Frankly, you can put the orange into any situation and it’s a home run choice.

He quickly learned that by simply contrasting this top tier talent, he created an awful situation for his take on grapefruit.

People don’t really like grapefruits?

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

The truth is, I think people tolerate the grapefruit. The name is misleading, it is nothing like the grape.

On its own, it’s bitter and isn’t something that I would eat by itself. Think of this like the Kirk Cousins of fruits. It’s had some success and some will overrate it, but will never be trusted in the big situations and needs a lot of help around it.

Watermelon is trash . It doesn’t even have a taste fr

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

This brings me to Brown’s most egregious take.

Watermelon is an ELITE summer food.

The refreshment of a cold piece of watermelon while out in the hot sun is unmatched. Brown’s take mentions the lack of taste, but fails to acknowledge the advantage that creates for the watermelon in its best use.

Certainly a system fruit, but tremendous in its system.

Pineapples are okay . Strawberries are mid lol

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

Brown is underplaying both here, but it’s a fair assessment.

The pineapple is better in theory than in practice. Too much variance in its performance.

Prime pineapple goes toe-to-toe with any of the fruits out there, but that doesn’t happen nearly enough. There is nothing worse than biting into the dried out pineapple and the overly soaked pineapple is also a disaster.

Pineapple drinks are great, the juice alone doesn’t quite hold up. Good as a mix, good when perfectly ripe as a fruit, but just not everyday consistency.

Strawberries are a solid role playing fruit. Perfect in a bowl, solid as an artificial flavor.

It’s a good fruit, better than mid, but I’m not going to war over the strawberry.

Grapes are my fav besides black berries

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

Slightly higher on grapes than I am, but the black berries conversation is what I’m here for.

As I have grown up, I have found a greater appreciation for the raspberry and black berry. The two of them are elite tier fruits. Becoming older is realizing they should be the first fruits you snag out of a fruit bowl.

In addition to that, they are underrated artificial flavor fruits which makes them solid plays in today’s modern game.

They do enough as a standalone fruit to keep them at the top.

Mangoes straight

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

Mangoes are nature’s greatest gift to humanity. Debate a wall.

I’m a green type of guy https://t.co/XcLlyPdVho

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

This feels like a pandering move to me.

Red apples are the superior apple. They have better branding, being the default apple that appears when you search about the fruit on the web.

Answering green in this scenario is only to let us know that he bleeds green in every facet of life.

Personally, I’m a Phillies red type of apple.

Broccoli goes with every meal.

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

Correct. No notes. Just a great take.

Broccolini ,Spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, brussels sprouts ,corn, green beans , greens,cabbage>>> zucchini, squash, carrots cucumber

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

Another electric job of delivering a take.

Much like the orange before it, carrots and cucumbers are headliners that take a backseat in this tweet.

Brown could have just praised some of the non-heavy hitters in the vegetable community.

A simple “people really sleep on cauliflower” would not have nearly done the damage that this take did.

The correct “cucumber is a system vegetable” take would have done just fine.

But no, as a true showman, Brown took aim at a number of the big time veggies.

And yes, he has a point. He unfairly takes a shot at zucchini, an objectively good vegetable, but does heap the proper praise upon spinach, corn and green beans.

Brussel sprouts are hitting their cultural prime right now, they have become a staple in delicious meals and are ready to make a run in the coming years to the top of the vegetable game.

Carrots catch a stray here that seems undeserved. Solid snacking fruit, lots of great uses and one of the sole vegetables to have their own juice.

Now go grocery shopping and stop eating fast food

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) March 14, 2023

Overall, a lot of good, thought-provoking conversation created here by AJ Brown. I would love to hit the grocery store with him to get a bigger grasp of his takes on food.

Plus, I need his take on the self checkout set up.

Need to know how AJ Brown feels about those self checkout machines yelling at you https://t.co/fYZsXOy6xT

— Ray Dunne (@RayDunne975) March 14, 2023

I love self check out at the grocery store because the computer yells at you every five seconds that you’re saving money and then it charges you all of your life savings

— Ray Dunne (@RayDunne975) March 14, 2023

PLACE THE ITEM IN THE BAGGING AREA https://t.co/Lb64mBjo6N

— Tyler Zulli (@TylerZulli) March 14, 2023

The post Tackling AJ Brown’s Seven Food Takes on Tuesday appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The consensus coming into the off-season was that there was no way the Eagles could hold onto James Bradberry. He played too well and would be too expensive. Let this be a listen for you boys and girls, never count Howie Roseman out. Because the Eagles All-Pro Cornerback is returning to don the Midnight Green Jerseys. He and the Eagles agreed to a 3-year extension worth up to $44 million. $20 million of which is guaranteed. First reported by Adam Schefter.

It is huge shocking news given that he was often dubbed the least likely of the Eagles’ free agents to return. Everyone believed he was out of the Eagles’ price range. But over the past week, things did seem to shift. Once Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade, many speculated that could put the Eagles back in the James Bradberry market. But it was still a massive longshot. James Bradberry talked about how important it was for him to get paid as a top corner. And it never felt like the Eagles could give him that money. But the two sides figured out a way to make it happen.

James Bradberry released a statement of why he chose to return to Philly, through Josina Anderson.

CB James Bradberry to me on why he returned to Philly: pic.twitter.com/wu2ZSCoaCh

— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 14, 2023

James Bradberry signed with the Eagles last off-season on a year-one prove-it deal. And he definitely proved it. He was named to the Second Team All-Pro roster. And while Darius Slay felt like the bigger name coming into the season, it was Bradberry who ranked at the top of the league in lowest passer rating against. He had 3 interceptions and was 3rd in the league with 17 pass deflections.

What happens next is unclear. Darius Slay is still on the trade market, and CJ Gardner-Johnson is still a free agent. We will await to see what impact this move has on those players returning. The initial talk is that this doesn’t mean they are out of bringing those guys back. But for now, the Eagles made sure they kept at least one piece from the Star-Studded secondary from last season.

Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post James Bradberry Back With the Eagles on a 3-Year Deal appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles’ free agency has not been off to the hottest of starts. As expected, many of their big-name free agents are signing elsewhere. Javon Hargrave is heading to the 49ers. Marcus Epps went to Vegas. And both of their Linebackers signed elsewhere. We are still waiting on word of James Bradberry and CJ Gardner Johnson. But the consensus has been that they may be gone too. But when Bo Wulf from The Athletic joined The Best Show Ever, he said it is probably too early to be concerned about the Eagles’ offseason.

“It is too early to be concerned. You sort of have to let things play out. We learned that lesson last off-season when they found James Bradberry in May to fill-in opposite Darius Slay. We do need to be a little bit patient.”

With that said, he did not hold back that things will be different. He ran through the different positions on defense. And while he thought things could be okay eventually at linebacker, CB, and DT because of Howie’s history at those positions, he was not sure how they would go about fixing Safety.

“Safety is the one where I am curious to see what they are going to do. Because if CJ Gardner Johnson doesn’t come back, you have got Reed Blankenship in-house. He looked like he could be an ok player as an undrafted rookie, but you are not going to rely on just him. There are plenty of veteran safeties still available. That market has been slow to develop so far. They will have options… I think right now, I would say a better chance that (Gardner-Johnson) doesn’t return.. but I dont feel super confident about that.”

Bo Wulf also went on to suggest that the Eagles could pivot to focusing on having a great offense, and hope that can overcome any faults of the defense. But we knew coming into this offseason, with so many defensive free agents, that they would not be able to retain all of them. And this is now two Eagles reporters suggesting that patience will be required with the Eagles this off-season.

You can listen to the full interview with Bo Wulf below…And if you enjoyed this, you may also like:Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Bo Wulf- “It’s Too Early to Be Concerned” About Eagles Free Agency appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have been mostly quiet thus far in the Legal Tampering period. Their only moves were resigning veterans Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce. Meanwhile, they saw TJ Edwards, Marcus Epps, Andre Dillard, and Javon Hargrave all walk in free agency. but they finally made a splash, not a large one, but a small one, by bringing in RB Rashaad Penny. They agreed to a one-year deal with the 27-year-old RB, per Ian Rappoport.

Rashaad Penny had been with the Seahawks since they drafted him in 2018. They spent the 27th overall pick on him. In those 5 seasons, he gained 1.918 yards and scored 14 total TDs. When healthy he has performed very well. The problem has been staying on the field. In 2019 he tore his ACL in week 14. He didn’t return until December in 2020. In 2021 he landed back on the injured reserve for a few weeks, But once returned he did have the best season of his career, gaining 749 yards on 119 carries, with 6 TDs. But then this past season he only played five games before suffering a broken fibula that ended his season.

But whenever he is on the field, you can see why he was once a first-overall pick. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 2021, and 6.1 before getting hurt in 2022. His 346 yards in 5 games last year would be 1,176 over a full season. Health will always be a question for him until he can get through a full season. But there is no denying his ability when he is on the field.

Rashaad Penny has been one of the more explosive running backs in the NFL over the last two seasons when healthy.

Penny has averaged the most yards after contact (4.6) and rushing yards over expected (+1.8) among RB since 2021 (min. 100 carries).@pennyhendrixx | @Eagles https://t.co/OWHOzTZd9M pic.twitter.com/1L1oJY7p0h

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 14, 2023

Penny joins an RB room that is currently pretty shallow. Both Miles Sanders and Boston Scott are free agents. It is expected that Miles Sanders will not be returning, and this move pretty much confirms that. Boston Scott could still come back on another small deal. Penny will have the chance to take the reigns of the RB position. But he will have to compete with Kenny Gainwell who came on strong in the playoffs.

If you enjoyed this, you may also like:Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Rashaad Penny Signs One-Year Deal with The Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

I’m here for you, Eagles fans. I know the past couple of days haven’t been the best. Kind of takes you back to being a young kid again and you weren’t picked at the playground to play in the game while the other kids were having fun doing so. Like going to the dance and the girls came over to grab a hand to take onto the dance floor and your’s remained in your pocket and you acted like all was good.

That’s how it feels right now as teams around the NFL made a run on free agents yesterday, plucking a handful of Eagles from the nest while other FAs on the team wait to see where they are going to land. Will C.J. Gardner-Johnson return to solidify the secondary? Does Fletcher Cox take a team-friendly deal? Is James Bradberry too expensive? Miles Sanders? So many questions and such worries. Understandable. But I’m here to ease your concerns. For now.

I don’t know who will be the fill-in for Epps. Maybe it’s undrafted, Reed Blankenship, who did some nice things while filling in last season, but is still unknown. But so was the sixth-round pick Epps before last season. And while he played well last season, he seems to have gotten better since the Super Bowl loss.

…T.J. Edwards had the best season of his career and was vital to the defensive calls for the Birds. But again, it wasn’t expected from him, also an undrafted player. In Nakobe Dean, you have a third-round pick who it has to be expected to be at least as good as Edwards moving forward, and likely even better.

The Javon Hargrave move hurts more because of where he went than actually losing him. San Francisco has a formidable defense and Hargrave solidifies that. But he is 30 and before two seasons ago, had a combined 19 sacks in five years. It’s now up to Milton Williams, a third-round pick and just 23, to justify his high draft status and make people forget about Hargrave.

The first move may be restructuring. Lane Johnson and Darius Slay count $31 million against the cap. Keep an eye on that.

And remember this. Starters from this past season in Kyzir White (March 21), A.J. Brown (April 28th), Bradberry (May 13th) and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (August 30th) all were gotten later in the offseason than where we are now. Just saying

If you enjoyed this, you may also like…Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Bob Cooney- Don’t Panic Yet, Eagles Fans appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Is Jalen Carter now a possibility for the Eagles? And if so, should they take him? One month ago, Jalen Carter falling to the Eagles was something not even worth considering. Some had him going as high as the first overall pick. And noone had him falling past pick 5. But legal troubles are putting his place as a top 5 pick in question. Suddenly the Georgia DT is falling in mock drafts and some places have him ending up in Philly. Would that be the right move for the eagles though?

And the Eagles could certainly use some help at DT. Javon Hargrave is likely leaving in free agency. Fletcher Cox could be gone too. And even if Cox returns, the Eagles can’t rely on him to play a major role at his age. Even last year, Cox played far fewer snaps than ever. Leaving the Eagles with just Jordan Davis and Milton Williams at DT. And while they both have flashed talent; they alone are not enough to carry the interior of the defensive line.

We know the Eagles love to take defensive linemen. Five of their last 12 first-round picks were Defensive Linemen. Two of those, Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis, were Tackles. And off-field issues aside, the agreement among everyone previewing the draft is that Jalen Carter is the best defensive lineman available. In fact, many will say he is the best player period.

Jalen Carter’s talent is undeniable. But should off-the-field troubles keep him off the board? Or is he too good for the Eagles to pass on? It is something the Eagles at least have to consider. Even if the result is that they need to take him off their board entirely. So what exactly are the legal troubles he is facing?

The post 5 Things to Know About DT Jalen Carter- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL’s Legal Tampering Period of free agency began on Monday, and the Philadelphia Eagles took some immediate hits to their defense. Javon Hargrave was given a monster contract by the San Francisco 49ers, TJ Edwards was signed by the Chicago Bears, and Marcus Epps is heading to Vegas on a new deal with the Raiders. That’s 3 starters gone in the first 24 hours of free agency, and the birds are poised to lose even more with Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, and Kyzir White all still being free agents this offseason. Add in Darius Slay potentially leaving via trade, and that leaves the Eagles’ defense with a chance to be pretty darn thin for the 2023-24 season. Or does it?

The birds have a lot they need to take care of, but when you look at the players that they lost on the opening day of NFL free agency, you could argue that a solid replacement option for each of them already exists in house. Let’s start with Hargrave; you drafted Jordan Davis in the 1st round last year for a reason. He doesn’t quite rush the passer like Hargrave did this past season, but he is an incredibly talented young interior lineman. As far as TJ Edwards is concerned, Nakobe Dean now looks to slot into that role next season, and the 3rd round pick from last year showed some nice flashes this past season. A couple plays does not equal a season of games started, but Dean came out of Georgia last year as one of the more interesting defensive prospects. Marcus Epps came into last year as a major question mark, and he spent all of 2022-23 showing he had a good answer to those questions. Now, as he takes off for Las Vegas on a new deal, Reed Blankenship could very well get an opportunity to be the next version of Epps. Blankenship played well in relief of the injured Gardner-Johnson last season, so it’s not the most outlandish thought.

Yes, I know. These are not equal replacements to the players that the Eagles are losing, but it’s better than having no playable options. Each of those 3 players showed flashes of ability this past season, and fit positionally with the players the birds have lost so far. It’s unrealistic to expect them to equal the output of Hargrave, Edwards, or Epps, but with the strength of the Eagles offense, they don’t necessarily have to. The hope, regardless of who the Eagles retain or bring in, is that Jalen Hurts is enough of an elite-level QB to help the offense overcome a retooling of the defense. That being said, though, it doesn’t hurt that the Eagles have a couple of ready replacements already in house as they attempt to make the defensive retooling as smooth as possible.

The post The Eagles Have A Lot Of In-House Answers For Free Agency appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It would be understandable for fans to be a little bit worried as they watch Eagles free agents sign elsewhere. Yes, they brought Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce back. But they also already lost Javon Hargrave, and TJ Edwards. And James Bradberry, CJ Gardner-Johnson, and many others could still leave. Does Howie Roseman deserve some patience as he tries to work through a difficult free agency period though? Tim McManus from ESPN joined The Best Show Ever earlier today and suggested some patience might be required this off-season.

“Probably people in Philadelphia will be freaking out after the first wave. You are going to lose so many key guys from that Super Bowl run. But I don’t think Howie Roseman will leave this thing bare. Look at Hargrave as an example. The first time he signed here it was to a very reasonable contract. Now that thing has ballooned. The Eagles will be living in the more reasonable contract range. Looking for veterans at a discount, or guys who didn’t cash in on the first wave of this free agency frenzy. There is going to have to be some patience here.”

He was also sure to add that the defense will look much less talented than it was last year. Which was always to be expected. The Eagles built a super team last year by making a ton of one-year deals. It let them build the most talented roster we have seen in a long time. But it also meant that they were going to have many free agents. And with the Jalen Hurts extension coming, they would never be able to keep them all.

But Howie Roseman has shown he can get creative. And he is usually very busy in the 2nd round of free agency as Tim McManus mentioned. So before panicking, it may be best to wait and see what happens. Early free agency will look ugly. They will lose more players than they keep or acquire. But Howie won’t just leave the cupboards completely bare. And as the offseason continues, we could see some smart moves to try and make up for the talent they are unfortunately losing. There are always some players who don’t like the offers they are getting and will take a one-year prove-it deal. Don’t count Howie Roseman out yet.

You can listen to the full conversation with Tim McManus below…And if you liked this, you may also enjoy:Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency NewsThe Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Tim McManus- “Howie Roseman is Not Going to Leave This Thing Bare” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With 19 total players set to hit the free agent market for the Philadelphia Eagles, you’d expect to lose a few on the open market. Then there becomes the order in which you believed a certain player should be back over others. And for many, that top player was defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, a key anchor to their defense. He’s now gone.

Hargrave, 30, has agreed to a four-year deal worth $84 million with he 49ers. Including $40M in guaranteed money according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The seven-year veteran had the best season of his career. 11 total sacks while helping to anchor the middle of the defensive line. One of the best fronts in the NFL. Four players registered over 10 sacks on the campaign. Not only will Hargrave be a big loss for the Birds but he now joins the defense that was ranked at the top of the league all season in the 49ers. Making them a much better unit. They’re also the team that Philadelphia knocked out in the NFC Championship game for the right to play in the Super Bowl. Tough blow.

Fellow starter and long-time Eagles DT Fletcher Cox is also a free agent. So are late-season additions Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh. Last year’s first-round pick Jordan Davis will now be looked at as a player to take the next jump with Hargrave moving on. Will he be ready for such an increase in workload after being a sparingly used player? The same can question can be asked for 2021 third-round draft selection Milton Williams.

…San Francisco spent a lot of money to acquire Hargrave. One could see why the Eagles didn’t want to spend that high on one player. Even after being so productive in an Eagles uniform. But with as much emphasis on building in the trenches on both sides of the ball, it just seemed like they could be headed in the direction of coming to an agreement. Now, the Birds have to find a way to keep a few of the other players on the defensive side of the ball while looking to add to the depth that made them so much of a problem a season ago.

The post Eagles Lose A Key Defensive Anchor On The First Day Of Free Agency appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have a lot of free agents this off-season. Many of which are on their defense. A defense that was near the top of the league in every stat last season, could be looking very different in the next one. James Bradberry, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Kyzir White, TJ Edwards, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Miles Sanders, and Isaac Seumalo, among other names. Then there is the news that Darius Slay was given permission to seek a trade. Not to mention we are awaiting to see whether Jason Kelce will retire or not. Meaning it could be a very busy free agency period for the Eagles. Even if the business is us watching all of the Eagles players go elsewhere.

The rumors have not been good for the Eagles. Multiple NFL insiders have suggested that nearly all of them could be heading elsewhere. So where will these Free agents land? Will any of them return to Philly? Or will the Eagles roster be left with more holes than a Shia Lebeauf movie? Legal Tampering has begun. Meaning we are starting to learn the news for the big names connected to the Eagles. Follow along here to see all the Eagles’ free agency news. From the players who return, the players who leave, and the new names heading the Philly.

The post Tracking All The Eagles Free Agency News appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Ever since the heartbreak of the Super Bowl loss, the next shoe we have been waiting to see drop is Jason Kelce’s plans for the future. For the past several off-seasons, he has mulled retirement. But every time he has come back and still played like the best Center in the league. And now we know he will be returning for at least one more season. Jason Kelce announced today that he is not quite done playing Football in a statement that in typical Kelce fashion, is NSFW.

Given how great he played last season, it is easy to understand why he chose to return. Kelce made his 5th All pro team in 12 seasons. Once again he went an entire season without giving up a sack. And all season we saw him, in vintage Kelce fashion, making blocks downfield. He is more than capable of coming back and making it 6 times he has been named a First-Team All-Pro.

…Kelce was never a hyped prospect, even coming out of High School. He received no D-1 Scholarships. Leading him to a difficult decision. Accept a scholarship to a D-2 school, or bet on himself and try to walk on at a D-1 University. He chose to bet on himself. But even that was difficult. He went to Cincinnati and didn’t really have a position. In high school, he played Running Back and Linebacker, but he was not really a fit at either position in College. But eventually, they decided on making him an offensive lineman.

In three years between playing guard and center, he made a couple All-Big 10 teams and got an honorable mention as an All-American. That was not enough to make him a highly-rated prospect going into the draft though. His small size for a center was a big knock on him, causing him to last all the way to the 6th round. Eagles fans will be forever thankful for that though. Because under Howard Mudd, and then later Jeff Stoutland he developed into one of the best centers of all time.

Jason Kelce has changed the way his position is played. More and more we see Centers that are smaller and get out and move downfield. Kelce’s handpicked replacement fits that mold too. He helped the Eagles find Cam Jurgens, who will eventually replace him at center. But for now, expect Jurgens to kick out to Right Guard to fill in for Isaac Seumalo who is likely to leave in free agency.

He is already set to go down as one of the most popular players in Eagles history. And now he gets a chance to add on to his Eagles legacy and Hall of Fame resume.

The Eagles Off-Season Needs on OffenseWelp, a great season ended in tragedy. This Eagles team looked elite all season. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. And they were still in the game until the final moments. They came that close just to fall 3 points short. And now, we turn our eyes to the Off-Season. Bouncing back from losing in the Super Bowl can be tough. But not impossible. The Patriots came right back from losing to the Eagles to win it the next year. The Bengals lost to the Rams, and then made it to the AFC Championship game the next season. But making that return starts with having a great off-season. Let’s look at what the Eagles need to do, starting on the offense.

The Eagles are in a unique position of having nearly their entire offensive core locked up. Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson, and Dallas Goedert are all returning for at least the next two years. The people who may be leaving are Isaac Seumalo, Miles Sanders, and Jason Kelce. Seumalo and Sanders are free agents who may be too pricey to hold onto. And Jason Kelce is of course mulling his retirement. Beyond those 3 though, they are in a great position to run back the offense that was 2nd in scoring and went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

So what do the Eagles need to do to maintain having the elite offense they had this year? Let’s look at each position, and if they will need to improve it or address it in the offseason. What positions could the Eagles address in Free Agency or the Draft? Are there players at those positions that would make sense for them? Here are the Eagles’ off-season needs on the offensive side of the ball.

The post Jason Kelce Returning For Another Season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

76ers Math is looking difficult for climbing

Bob Cooney is a wise man. He has said over the past few weeks that he believed that the NBA Champion was going to come out of the Eastern Conference. I’m always cautious because I wonder if in pro sports when one conference is especially rugged as the Eastern Conference is this season that the Western Champions may have a chance to arrive at the Finals more refreshed and unscathed. After observing the last few weeks it’s clear that the East has at least 3 teams that are far better than anything that the West has to offer. Memphis losing Ja Morant to his own brand of self destruction certainly helps make that more of a reality. The 76ers already have 45 wins and are quickly approaching securing the 3 seed at worst in the Eastern Conference. Can they climb up higher? That doesn’t look as promising.

The final 15 games for the 76ers include only 5 home games and 7 of the next 8 on the road. They depart now for the next 3 games with winnable contests at Cleveland, Charlotte and Indiana. If the 76ers were able to keep this 5 game winning streak going things could get interesting. They trail the Boston Celtics by 1.5 games but only by one game in the loss column. Due to the fact Boston is (3-0) against the 76ers in the season series they must end with a better record than Boston to secure the 2 seed. Boston in their final 14 games has only 6 home games and now have a 5 game road trip ahead of them. The Celtics will face Houston, Minnesota, Portland, Utah and Sacramento. Should the 76ers find themselves even with the Celtics after that trip things could get interesting. Whatever the outcome of these road trips, the 2 teams will meet one final time on April 4th in Philadelphia.

The way the 76ers have played on the road I’m not overly concerned that they will be ok in critical road games come playoff time. They are playing such an entertaining brand of basketball right now.

Eagles Free Agency

The new NFL 2023 season will officially begin this week. Today starts the official legal tampering period. Teams will begin to work out the parameters of deals with free agents and the Eagles roster has the chance to look drastically different. Even worse, it has the chance to look very talent thin. We spent 2022 bragging on the Eagles roster depth, but it will be a monumental task keeping this team from sliding in the NFL Hierarchy.

The return of Brandon Graham is a nice side dish, but a rotational player well into his 30’s is hardly a roster making difference maker. The Eagles better be blessed with some divine intervention to avoid the bottom falling out on the defensive side of the ball. If not, they will hope to see their offense bridge the gap. I’ve got every confidence that they are up to the challenge of elevating their production. Things are about to get a little tense and very interesting.

The post Math has the 76ers seeding up in the air; Eagles Free Agency begins appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

I thought that the honeymoon period of Super Bowl 57 would have lasted much longer than just 4 short weeks. It’s incredible to think that just 28 days ago the game hadn’t even kicked off yet. The dreams and ambitions of the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles would play out in a drama none of us will soon forget. I remember the last time. When the Eagles lost Super Bowl 39 in Jacksonville it was an excruciating 24-21 defeat. The missed opportunities stacked upon each other. Donovan McNabb throwing all of those interceptions. The Eagles made mistakes while the Patriots didn’t. It all seems eerily familiar. The Chiefs made no mistakes while the Eagles made several. This loss was different. That 2004 team never blew a ten point halftime lead. They weren’t tied within the last minute of the game. This loss was far less predictable. That team had a great season, but they were not nearly as dominant. This win seemed inevitable, yet for a variety of circumstances it didn’t materialize.

The number one thing that I kept hearing for the 2 weeks leading up to the Super Bowl was that this was just the beginning. Fans repeated it over and over. The Eagles had arrived in 2022 ahead of schedule and that this was just the start of an incredible run of opportunity. I’m not mocking anyone that thought that. I was one of the people who perpetuated that belief. Now I have reason to believe that the foundation of that incredible run needs to be re-examined. Could it all have been built on shifting sands?

We said over and over that the Eagles had built the best roster in the NFL and that it was young and sustainable. Ask yourself, if you take away Bradbury, CJ Gardner Johnson, Javon Hargrave, potentially Darius Slay and 2 starting linebackers from the depth chart there isn’t any reason to be overly confident moving forward. There is a chance a few of those faces return, but replacing the others isn’t going to be easy. It’s completely crazy to think that the new players will provide the same results.

Well maybe the offense will be better next year? Could that be true? Absolutely. It doesn’t take a lot of dreaming to think that could happen. You could replace Miles Sanders and an offensive line starter and still see improvement as players build on past success. The offense might be able to do that. The defense most certainly won’t get that chance.

Throw in the departure of both coordinators, two other position coaches on the defensive side and the locker room publicly campaigning for the in-house candidate to be promoted to DC could prove quite problematic. You can’t just assume that everything will be just as successful moving forward.

Is this all gloom and doom? No way! Jalen Hurts and the foundation players of this offense should create nothing less than huge expectations. Rebuilding the defense is going to be an amazing undertaking.

One thing I do know, I underestimated the amount of change that was coming and what it would mean to my own confidence level. Things are going to look hugely different in 2023. I can’t wait to see Howie’s plan come into focus. He’s proved that nagging doubts can be disproven before. Good Luck Howie! We’re counting on you.

The post Do you still believe that Super Bowl 57 was still the start of a huge Eagles run? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Earlier today Eagles fans got quite a shock when it was reported that Darius Slay was being given permission to seek a trade. Fans hoped he would be the one carryover from last season’s secondary. But now the Eagles could be losing him as well as James Bradberry and CJ Gardner-Johnson. Maybe not. EJ Smith joined The Best Show Ever earlier today to discuss the news. And while it certainly could mean Darius Slay is leaving, EJ Smith pumped the brakes on the notion that this means it is a foregone conclusion that he is gone.

“In this case, I do think the Eagles want to bring him back. This is a matter of the cap number is humungous for next year. Both sides agree the deal needs to be reworked. It is just a matter of how they are going to do it. And if they can find a ground that both sides are happy with.”

So what is the disagreement? EJ Smith said that the Eagles want to convert some of his money into a signing bonus. Which is usually something both sides are amenable to. For the player, they get their money early. But for the team, it allows them to lessen a cap hit for this season.

Howie and the Eagles love to pull this cap trick specifically. It allows the cap hit to be spread over multiple years. It is why the Eagles still have a cap hit from players like Brandon Brooks. The idea is that the cap will go up in the future, so it is easier to handle that cap hit in the next couple of years than it is to take it all on now. Darius Slay has a cap hit of over $26 million. You could see why the Eagles would want to lower it.

But what Slay wants is a longer deal. Slay is getting older, and he is running out of chances to cash in on his prime. So as of now, the two sides do not agree on how to move forward. But despite that, EJ Smith still seemed hopeful they could work something out.

“I’m not sure how it will play out. Usually, in these situations, I would say it’s a foregone conclusion the player would be gone. But I do think that this one isn’t over yet.”

Darius Slay will see what other teams are interested in doing. But if he finds the other teams won’t give him the deal he wants, he still could return to the Eagles. While it is certainly a perilous situation, and him being traded is possible. It is not over yet, at least according to EJ Smith.

You can listen to the full interview with EJ Smith below…And if you enjoyed this, you may also like…5 Things to Know About DE- Nolan Smith- Eagles Prospect ProfileWill Nolan Smith end up in Midnight Green on draft night? While a defensive end is perhaps not the biggest need for the Eagles you can never rule it out. Last week we looked at Clemson Interior Linaman Bryan Bresee. You can check out his prospect profile here. We know the Eagles love spending first-round picks on the guys in the trenches. Whether it is on offense or defense. In fact, 8 of their last 12 first-round picks were spent on an offensive or defensive lineman. Five on Defensive Ends or Defensive Tackles, and 3 on Offensive Tackles or Guards. That trend continued last year with Georgia’s Jordan Davis.

But this year it could be a different Georgian defender on the Eagles radar. A certain edge rusher who made quite a name for himself this past week at the NFL Combine. The Eagles already added two Bulldogs to their defense in last year’s draft. Will they continue to poach from the back-to-back National Champions? Like his former teammate Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith had a big day at the combine. There are certain to be a lot of eyeballs on Nolan Smith now. He put up big numbers at the combine.

His Senior season at Georgia was ended early after a pectoral tear. So we did not get to see him play in the National Championship game again. But he is clearly healthy now. And with the Eagles’ love for adding pass rushers early in the draft, Nolan Smith is a name Eagles fans have to watch. Just how much of an athletic freak is he? Will he even be there for the Eagles after his Combine performance? Does that athleticism actually show up on tape? Let’s get to know the former number 1 recruit in college a little better. Here are 5 things you should know about DE Nolan Smith.

The post EJ Smith- It’s Not Over Yet With Darius Slay and the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Things certainly look bleak for the start of the Eagles’ free agency. We knew they would lose a lot of pieces from their defense this off-season. But now it seems like they could be losing nearly everyone. James Bradberry was always going to leave. He played too well last season and will be getting a major payday from somebody. And it never seemed likely they would keep both Kyzir White and TJ Edwards. While the Eagles would love to keep Javon Hargrave, he could be too expensive too. And now, Darius Slay could also be out the door. On the surface, things seem grim. And you can see Eagles fans already panicking. But after what we saw him do last season, Howie Roseman has earned the benefit of the doubt.

Remember heading into the draft last season. the only notable move Howie Roseman had made so far was bringing in Haason Reddick. Eagles fans were already convinced that it would be a bad off-season. But then he traded for AJ Brown. Then he signed James Bradberry. Closer to the season he traded for CJ Gardner-Johnson. And in season, he added Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph. Howie did a very good job last year, even when going into the offseason it seemed like there could be trouble.

There is a certain amount of patience that Howie Roseman has earned at this point. His tenure as GM has at times been frustrating. But it has also been some of the most successful years in franchise history. He was the GM that got the Eagles their first Lombardi trophy. Not Joe “I let Brain Dawkins and Terrell Owens Leave” Banner. Not anyone in the Buddy Ryan era. Howie. Then 5 years later, despite changing QBs, the Coach, and most of the roster, he got them back there.

It feels to me, he has earned some benefit of the doubt. Howie Roseman may be kind of annoying, and he has had his low points. But more often than not, he gets the job done. Now if they go into the season with some random cheap free agent and Zech McPhearson at the outside corner, have at him. I am not saying have blind faith in Howie. But give him a chance at least to work out of this conundrum. See what he does in the draft. Let’s see if these guys we think are leaving, actually leave. And let’s see if he has another surprise trade up his belt.

Let’s at least wait for the offseason to be over before we criticize his offseason. As much grief as we give him, and it is sometimes deserved, he has done a damn good job as GM. He deserves the benefit of the doubt.

If you liked this, you may also enjoy:5 Things to Know About RB Bijan Robinson- Eagles Prospect ProfileWould the Eagles actually consider Bijan Robinson at pick 10? There certainly seems to be a ton of Mock Drafters saying so. And not just random dudes with blogs. Some of the big names in draft coverage are connecting the Eagles to Bijan Robinson. Both Dane Brugler from The Athletic and Todd McShay from ESPN selected Bijan for the Eagles at 10.

Miles Sanders is going to leave in free agency. So RB is a need, even if the Eagles are confident in Kenny Gainwell stepping into a larger role. But big enough of a need for them to break tradition and modern NFL thought and spend a top-10 pick on an RB? Probably not.

Especially considering the long grocery list of other needs the Eagles have. Adam Schefter’s reporting on The John Kincade Show suggests the Eagles could be losing nearly all their big-name free agents. The Eagles’ defense will need a massive overhaul, and much of that will have to come in the draft. A great RB would be a luxury. But when you are already budgeting to make sure you get all the essentials like bread and eggs at the grocery store, it is not necessarily wise to also buy a prime rib.

But enough people are connecting the Texas RB and the Eagles, that he is at least worth looking at. And man is this guy fun to watch. Is Bijan Robinson really the game-breaking RB so many think he will be in the NFL? Good enough to be worth using a top-10 pick on? Or are these supposed draft experts just making a pick that there is no chance of actually happening? Since his name keeps coming up, let’s get to know him better.

Here are 5 things you should know about Texas RB Bijan Robinson. The post Howie Roseman Has Earned The Benefit Of The Doubt appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

While Darius Slay may be leaving, along with a lot of the Eagles’ free agents, one popular Eagles player is confirmed to be returning. Brandon Graham and the Eagles agreed to a one-year deal, that could be worth up to $6 million, per Tim McManus. Brandon Graham is coming off of a career year. He racked up a career-best 11 sacks, despite playing fewer snaps than ever. He helped the Eagles get back to the 2nd Super Bowl in his time on the team.

Graham is the longest-tenured member of the Eagles. He was drafted by the Eagles back in 2010. He did not start off as popular as he is now. For years Eagles fans were upset the team drafted him over Safety Earl Thomas. But sometime between then, and getting a strip sack to help seal the Super Bowl win, Brandon Graham became one of the most popular Eagles in the city. He has played 178 games for the Eagles. The current franchise leader in games played is David Akers with 188. So as long as Graham stays healthy, he could finish next season as the franchise’s All-Time leader in games played.

H is also currently 4th all times in sacks for the Eagles with 70. He is 6 behind Clyde Simmons, 15.5 behind Trent Cole, and 50 behind Reggie White. So while he could end up 3rd all-time, it will be a bit hard to catch Cole. And impossible to catch White.

Graham told McManus why he decided to stay with the Eagles.

“I definitely don’t want to miss out on this championship that we’re about to make a run for,” Graham told ESPN.

Now Eagles will focus their attention to trying to work out Jalen Hurt’s extension, deciding what other free agents they can bring back, and figuring out what is going on with Darius Slay.

[Source: ESPN]

If you liked this, you may also enjoy:5 Things to Know About RB Bijan Robinson- Eagles Prospect ProfileWould the Eagles actually consider Bijan Robinson at pick 10? There certainly seems to be a ton of Mock Drafters saying so. And not just random dudes with blogs. Some of the big names in draft coverage are connecting the Eagles to Bijan Robinson. Both Dane Brugler from The Athletic and Todd McShay from ESPN selected Bijan for the Eagles at 10.

Miles Sanders is going to leave in free agency. So RB is a need, even if the Eagles are confident in Kenny Gainwell stepping into a larger role. But big enough of a need for them to break tradition and modern NFL thought and spend a top-10 pick on an RB? Probably not.

Especially considering the long grocery list of other needs the Eagles have. Adam Schefter’s reporting on The John Kincade Show suggests the Eagles could be losing nearly all their big-name free agents. The Eagles’ defense will need a massive overhaul, and much of that will have to come in the draft. A great RB would be a luxury. But when you are already budgeting to make sure you get all the essentials like bread and eggs at the grocery store, it is not necessarily wise to also buy a prime rib.

But enough people are connecting the Texas RB and the Eagles, that he is at least worth looking at. And man is this guy fun to watch. Is Bijan Robinson really the game-breaking RB so many think he will be in the NFL? Good enough to be worth using a top-10 pick on? Or are these supposed draft experts just making a pick that there is no chance of actually happening? Since his name keeps coming up, let’s get to know him better.

Here are 5 things you should know about Texas RB Bijan Robinson. The post Brandon Graham Staying with the Eagles on One-Year Deal appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Lately, there has been a lot of reporting that the Eagles would be losing most of their marquee Free Agents. But when it rains, it pours. Because now it appears premier CB Darius Slay could also be leaving. the Eagles have given his agent permission to seek a trade, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini. This means with James Bradberry, CJ Gardner Johnson, and Marcus Epps all free agents, the Eagles could have a near completely different starting secondary going into next season.

The Philadelphia Eagles have allowed Darius Slay's agent Drew Rosenhaus to seek a trade, per sources. The Eagles are still hopeful to find a solution where Slay remains an Eagle.

— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 10, 2023

Darius Slay is heading into the final year of his contract with the Eagles. He is owed $17 million and will carry a cap hit of $26.1 million. A trade before 6/1 would carry a Dead Cap Hit of $21,265,000, for a cap savings of $4,846,000. A post-6/1 trade would save them $16,856,000 on the 2023 cap. But that would come with a dead cap hit of $12,010,000 in 2024.

Why Slay wants to be traded now is not yet known. Slay was a big proponent of promoting Dennard Wilson. But the Eagles chose to hire Sean Desai instead. Afterward, the Eagles and Wilson “parted ways” but there was some reporting that he was actually fired. That very well could be playing a part in why Slay wants to leave. It could also just be a ploy to get a new deal by either the Eagles or Slay. The Eagles are hopeful they can work something out for him to return.

What comes next for them?Slay started off last season red hot. He was quickly racking up interceptions, and shutting down opposing WRs. But his play fell off later in the season. After racking up 3 interceptions in the first 5 games, he had 0 the rest of the way. And he also started to be picked on a bit. Slay was part of a secondary and defense that got 0 stops in the second half vs the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Still, losing him would deal a big blow to the Eagles’ defensive talent. They already had some major holes to fill with limited cap space, and now this will be one more. As much as they struggled in the Super Bowl, the secondary was a strength of the defense all year long. They were at the top of the league in both passing yards and interceptions. The hope was that Slay would provide some consistency, but now he could be gone too.

What type of capital Slay would bring back in a trade is unclear. The Eagles have 4 picks on day 1 and 2 of the draft. But they have just two 7th round picks on day 3. But whatever picks they get back may need to go towards finding his replacement. Because the Eagles could have two cornerback and two safeties to replace.

The post Darius Slay Given Permission To Seek a Trade From Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony Gargano Weighed Whether or not the Eagles Should Consider Jalen Carter if He Falls to 10 in his Opening Diatribe this Morning…

“I want to start with the draft. I love the draft… And I just saw the latest mock. I told you before about this website the 33rd team. It’s a really great website. It has a lot of inside football. A lot of ex-coaches and personnel guys. So I think it is really plugged in. They did their mock draft 4.0. And I will read you the top 10…

Colts Take Anthony Richardson

CJ Stroud is number 2

Raiders take Bryce young number 3

The Bears get Will Anderson

Seahawks take Tyree Wilson

Carolina takes Will Levis

Arizona takes Christian Gonzalez

Falcons take the best OT in the draft, Broderick Jones

The Lions take Devon Witherspoon

Now, whose name didn’t I say? You guys who are draft people know I did not mention Jalen Carter. And this is not some dude in his basement coming up with this draft. These are NFL people on this website. They have the eagles taking Jalen Carter. Jalen Carter drifts, and the Eagles select him.

The little blurb is “Jalen Carter drops but the Eagles can’t let him get by this pick. Howie Roseman reunites Carter with Jordan Davis on the Eagles defensive line, and the rich get richer.”

The Jalen Carter issue is, do you take him? His talent is ridiculous. But this is something that you have to weigh. What happened in that horrible night was just awful. The dragging racing event that took the life of two people. It is just an awful situation. Now he says he will be exonerated. I don’t know the details. But this is the great conundrum that teams face. And this is why they have big-time security people. You see Big Dom next to Nick Sirianni. He heads up the Eagles’ security staff, he is not just there to be a bodyguard. He’s there for everything from background checks to stuff that happens and people get in trouble…

The question to you guys is, where does morality stop? In this case, if Carter drifts to 10, do you take him? DT will likely be a need. What do you do? It is hard when we don’t have all the facts. I always feel uncomfortable making a sweeping judgment when we don’t have the facts. However, that was a beyond reckless decision. It is inexcusable. But what do you do if he is sitting there?”

You can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…If you enjoyed this, you may also like…5 Things to Know About DE- Nolan Smith- Eagles Prospect ProfileWill Nolan Smith end up in Midnight Green on draft night? While a defensive end is perhaps not the biggest need for the Eagles you can never rule it out. Last week we looked at Clemson Interior Linaman Bryan Bresee. You can check out his prospect profile here. We know the Eagles love spending first-round picks on the guys in the trenches. Whether it is on offense or defense. In fact, 8 of their last 12 first-round picks were spent on an offensive or defensive lineman. Five on Defensive Ends or Defensive Tackles, and 3 on Offensive Tackles or Guards. That trend continued last year with Georgia’s Jordan Davis.

But this year it could be a different Georgian defender on the Eagles radar. A certain edge rusher who made quite a name for himself this past week at the NFL Combine. The Eagles already added two Bulldogs to their defense in last year’s draft. Will they continue to poach from the back-to-back National Champions? Like his former teammate Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith had a big day at the combine. There are certain to be a lot of eyeballs on Nolan Smith now. He put up big numbers at the combine.

His Senior season at Georgia was ended early after a pectoral tear. So we did not get to see him play in the National Championship game again. But he is clearly healthy now. And with the Eagles’ love for adding pass rushers early in the draft, Nolan Smith is a name Eagles fans have to watch. Just how much of an athletic freak is he? Will he even be there for the Eagles after his Combine performance? Does that athleticism actually show up on tape? Let’s get to know the former number 1 recruit in college a little better. Here are 5 things you should know about DE Nolan Smith.

The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Would You Take Jalen Carter If He Falls? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Would the Eagles actually consider Bijan Robinson at pick 10? There certainly seems to be a ton of Mock Drafters saying so. And not just random dudes with blogs. Some of the big names in draft coverage are connecting the Eagles to Bijan Robinson. Both Dane Brugler from The Athletic and Todd McShay from ESPN selected Bijan for the Eagles at 10.

Miles Sanders is going to leave in free agency. So RB is a need, even if the Eagles are confident in Kenny Gainwell stepping into a larger role. But big enough of a need for them to break tradition and modern NFL thought and spend a top-10 pick on an RB? Probably not.

Especially considering the long grocery list of other needs the Eagles have. Adam Schefter’s reporting on The John Kincade Show suggests the Eagles could be losing nearly all their big-name free agents. The Eagles’ defense will need a massive overhaul, and much of that will have to come in the draft. A great RB would be a luxury. But when you are already budgeting to make sure you get all the essentials like bread and eggs at the grocery store, it is not necessarily wise to also buy a prime rib.

But enough people are connecting the Texas RB and the Eagles, that he is at least worth looking at. And man is this guy fun to watch. Is Bijan Robinson really the game-breaking RB so many think he will be in the NFL? Good enough to be worth using a top-10 pick on? Or are these supposed draft experts just making a pick that there is no chance of actually happening? Since his name keeps coming up, let’s get to know him better.

Here are 5 things you should know about Texas RB Bijan Robinson. The post 5 Things to Know About RB Bijan Robinson- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

HOWIE ROSEMAN HAS US ALL ON PINS AND NEEDLES

We are past the franchise tag designation period and now we all await next Wednesday when free agency begins for the 2023 NFL season. Unlike other years when we were all anticipating Howie delivering a present under the tree, this year we worry about what talent is walking out the door. Could the Eagles really lose a starting Cornerback, Safety and Defensive Tackle in one fell swoop from a team that won the NFC and just fell short in the Super Bowl? It certainly appears that Bradbury, Gardner Johnson and Hargrave are all one foot out of the door already. That certainly stinks, but the Eagles have 3 picks in the first 2 rounds where they could re-stock those shelves. Unfortunately they also could lose depth rotation veterans like Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and linebackers like TJ Edwards. It’s going to be a completely different looking defense even if Howie manages to pull a rabbit out of his hat to bring back a few key players. That’s a scary proposition. The good news? The Eagles already have their own first round pick, 2 second round picks and their own third round pick. If they allow Bradbury, Hargrave and CJGJ to all walk they should add 3 additional third round picks to next years draft haul. It would give Howie monumental flexibility.

THE PHILLIES ARE PREDICTED TO FINISH THIRD ONCE AGAIN

USA Today came out with their MLB Insiders Panel votes and there is good news and bad news. On the good news side, their six insiders project the Phillies to have 92 wins. They also have them finishing third in the NL East and qualifying for the playoffs as the third wildcard. By their projections the Phillies would once again face the Cardinals on the road in the best of 3 series. That would seem a bit disappointing, but they showed last season that all they needed to do was get in.

THE 76ERS ARE DEFINITELY BETTER THAN LAST SEASON

By the end of the month of February the 76ers already had secured their 24th win at home. That is the same amount they won the entire regular season last year. They are also ahead of last years win pace. The 76ers won 51 games last year and already have 43 with 17 games to play. It’s even more impressive when you realize that last year the Eastern Conference was much more difficult to navigate. Last year the Top seed Miami had 53 wins and the 10th seed Charlotte had 43 wins. This year the East may have the top 3 seeds with more wins than Miami had last year. The 76ers once again will boast an impressive road record. This team is certainly battle tested.

FRIDAY LIVE BROADCAST RETURNS ON MARCH 10TH

Our Open House Broadcast Week was so successful we are bringing it back on Friday 3/10. The listeners scooped up the tickets quickly and we will have a special announcement tomorrow about how you can join us in studio every month!

The post March Madness isn’t just about College Basketball appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony Gargano talked about having patience with Howie Roseman in his Opening Diatribe this morning…

“I want to start with the Chauncey Gardner Johnson deal going on right now. In case you missed it, he put out a farewell type of video on Instagram. Everyone takes it as if he is out. This is it, this is his farewell to Philadelphia. Now that may be true. But, if you look at the comments, and see what is being said about Howie Roseman, we need to discuss this. One of the things Im interested in is how we view Howie…

One, free agency, won’t begin until March 15th. The legal tampering period is March 13th. Obviously, this is a negotiation ploy by CJ. But the alarming thing to me is the response of sound the alarms. After Howie built a Super Bowl team. He redid a team that won the Super Bowl and got back to the Super Bowl 5 years later. I mean, I think we have to show some latitude. The guy knows what he is doing.

I am not saying you have to carry water for him… But there has to be some perspective. One of the things we know is last year Howie was patient. All of his moves were really good and were marked with patience. Bradberry. The deal that got CJ was really good. One of the things I know he likes to employ is the idea of patience. I love Gardner-Johnson, but there is a cost involved. As much as we love safety, it is not as important as D Tackle or Edge. I want him back… but you have to see what the market bears.

Does Howie get any kind of latitude? Because apparently not. Free agency hasn’t even started, and the catcalls are already out after a Super Bowl run. I think we have to slow our roll a little bit. And I am not telling you that you have to accept every move he does. But I think he has earned the right where you at least wait and see after the finished product. Not a week and a half before the start of free agency.”

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…If you liked this, you may also enjoy:Jeff McLane On What Free Agents Will Be Back For The EaglesLast season the Eagles had one of the best rosters in recent history. Not just for the Eagles, but for the entire NFL. It is why they went on such a dominant run to the Super Bowl. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. Their offense was near unstoppable, and their defense put up historic sack numbers. Despite not blitzing at a high rate. Sadly, that did not equate to a Super Bowl. the defense came up short in the Super Bowl vs the Chiefs. They couldn’t even get a single stop in the second half. And now they enter the offseason with a ton of important free agents. Putting them in a tough position if they want to carry over this season’s success.

The Eagles have a ton of players entering free agency. Most of them are on the defensive side of the ball. Names like Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, CJ Gardner-Johnson, Fletcher Cox, TJ Edwards, Kyzir White, Marcus Epps, and James Bradberry. Just to name a few. The Eagles defense was so good because they made some smart 1-year prove-it signings with guys to bolster the roster. The upside is it let them create a stacked team. But we are living the downside right now. Because after great seasons, those guys are all free agents. And it could mean the defense looks very different next year.

And to discuss which of those free agents could return, and which may be wearing another jersey soon, Jeff McLane from the Philly Inquirer joined The Anthony Gargano Show. He broke down the Eagles’ chances to resign some of those guys, as well as discussing which guys are pretty much already out the door. Anthony asked him player by player to see what McLane’s thoughts were on each name.

Here is what Jeff McLane had to say.The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- We Need To Have Patience with Howie appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show to discuss all the goings on with the Philadelphia Eagles. Schefter joins the show every Wednesday for a weekly hit (8:20am) and mainly discussed the Eagles free agency and the struggle that the team, and Howie Roseman may face.

The Eagles have some top talent poised to become free agents next week. They include Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, CJ Gardner Johnson, Brandon Graham, Marcus Epps, TJ Edwards, James Bradberry and others. So how many are gone? What will the Eagles do with the positions that are left vacant? Why didn’t the Eagles use the franchise tag on any of them? Adam Schefter answered all those questions.

“No surprise that they didn’t use their franchise tag,” Schefter told the guy. “I don’t think that they ever planned to do that… They’re in a situation where this team is going to have to be constructed differently. They had Jalen Hurts on a rookie contract. That deal is going to get done, I believe… You can’t afford the same number of players you did when he was on his rookie deal.”

With the Eagles poised to lose a lot of key contributors Schefter was asked how the Eagles would rebuild.

“The good part to this, is that when they lose the defensive talent that they inevitably will, they’ll get back picks… Then you start to draft good replacement players on rookie contracts… I’m sure there will be some free agent bargains hanging around that they can add as well.”

For the full interview on Eagles free agency click below and make sure to tune in next week when Schefter joins the show AFTER the legal tampering period has kicked off. So we will have a better idea of who is staying and who is going from Philly.

The post VIDEO: Eagles Poised To Lose MANY Big Contributors According To Adam Schefter appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last season the Eagles had one of the best rosters in recent history. Not just for the Eagles, but for the entire NFL. It is why they went on such a dominant run to the Super Bowl. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. Their offense was near unstoppable, and their defense put up historic sack numbers. Despite not blitzing at a high rate. Sadly, that did not equate to a Super Bowl. the defense came up short in the Super Bowl vs the Chiefs. They couldn’t even get a single stop in the second half. And now they enter the offseason with a ton of important free agents. Putting them in a tough position if they want to carry over this season’s success.

The Eagles have a ton of players entering free agency. Most of them are on the defensive side of the ball. Names like Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, CJ Gardner-Johnson, Fletcher Cox, TJ Edwards, Kyzir White, Marcus Epps, and James Bradberry. Just to name a few. The Eagles defense was so good because they made some smart 1-year prove-it signings with guys to bolster the roster. The upside is it let them create a stacked team. But we are living the downside right now. Because after great seasons, those guys are all free agents. And it could mean the defense looks very different next year.

And to discuss which of those free agents could return, and which may be wearing another jersey soon, Jeff McLane from the Philly Inquirer joined The Anthony Gargano Show. He broke down the Eagles’ chances to resign some of those guys, as well as discussing which guys are pretty much already out the door. Anthony asked him player by player to see what McLane’s thoughts were on each name.

Here is what Jeff McLane had to say.The post Jeff McLane on What Free Agents Will be Back For the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Will Nolan Smith end up in Midnight Green on draft night? While a defensive end is perhaps not the biggest need for the Eagles you can never rule it out. Last week we looked at Clemson Interior Linaman Bryan Bresee. You can check out his prospect profile here. We know the Eagles love spending first-round picks on the guys in the trenches. Whether it is on offense or defense. In fact, 8 of their last 12 first-round picks were spent on an offensive or defensive lineman. Five on Defensive Ends or Defensive Tackles, and 3 on Offensive Tackles or Guards. That trend continued last year with Georgia’s Jordan Davis.

But this year it could be a different Georgian defender on the Eagles radar. A certain edge rusher who made quite a name for himself this past week at the NFL Combine. The Eagles already added two Bulldogs to their defense in last year’s draft. Will they continue to poach from the back-to-back National Champions? Like his former teammate Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith had a big day at the combine. There are certain to be a lot of eyeballs on Nolan Smith now. He put up big numbers at the combine.

His Senior season at Georgia was ended early after a pectoral tear. So we did not get to see him play in the National Championship game again. But he is clearly healthy now. And with the Eagles’ love for adding pass rushers early in the draft, Nolan Smith is a name Eagles fans have to watch. Just how much of an athletic freak is he? Will he even be there for the Eagles after his Combine performance? Does that athleticism actually show up on tape? Let’s get to know the former number 1 recruit in college a little better. Here are 5 things you should know about DE Nolan Smith.

The post 5 Things to Know About DE- Nolan Smith- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Here are ten opinions that I’ve jotted down over the course of the last month that I believe will create a lot of discord. It’s ok to disagree because you may think these are way off base AND with my track record you might just be right.

The post TEN RANDOM PHILLY SPORTS OPINIONS SURE TO BE QUESTIONED appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles give their team more undying passion than any other NFL franchise can claim, but they’re not known as the most positive group.

Don’t you remember what Jason Kelce said on that momentous day in February 2018?

“Everybody wonders why we’re so mean. Everybody wonders why the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t the nicest fans.”

However, BetWay Insider ranked the Eagles 9th among NFL franchises with the highest percentage of positive social media commentary.

The study used Linkfluence, a social listening tool, to gather mentions from social media platforms. They found that 13.9% of mentions about the Eagles were positive. The real shocker is the time span. The study only includes data from June 2021 through June 2022.

Yes, that means the positive sentiment didn’t even include reactions during a 14-3 regular season in 2022 and an appearance in Super Bowl LVII. Are the days of “Negadelphia” over?

The Eagles made solid progress during their first season under head coach Nick Sirianni in 2021. However, it wasn’t one of their most memorably positive seasons in recent history (especially at the beginning).

The data also includes a large chunk of an outstanding 2022 offseason that included the signings of Haason Reddick and James Bradberry, a trade for A.J. Brown, and an NFL Draft graded positively in most immediate reactions.

Eagles Fans vs. Other NFL Fan BasesThe Chicago Bears ranked first on the list, as 22.9% of their social media mentions were positive. The Windy City must breed some positivity because the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Cubs also ranked first in their respective leagues.

The New York Giants and the New York Jets both surprisingly ranked ahead of the Eagles. Maybe a sense of false confidence from a city whose two teams have combined for one playoff appearance since 2017?

Philadelphia sports fans have a unique type of passion you will never find in another professional sports market. They demand the best from their teams. While the low points get the most attention, Philadelphia certainly knows how to celebrate winners.

Stay or Go: Eagles EditionThe post Surprising Study Ranks Eagles Fans Among Most Positive in NFL appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Over the weekend Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was the host for Saturday Night Live. If you missed it, its understandable because I too didn’t want to watch the Super Bowl winning tight end after his team beat the Eagles last month. But one thing is clear, the Kelce’s are hilarious.

If you haven’t checked out their podcast, its a treat. The brothers certainly have chemistry and they also have the charisma for a solid career after their playing days. Jason is already a Philadelphia treasure but Travis attempted to become a national treasure (shout out to Nick Cage) on Saturday.

Its quite hard to jump into SNL when youre not an actor. While most of the time the jokes are written for the hosts, the execution is key. There have been many celebrities host SNL and fall flat. Travis Kelce shined but I think a large part of it was the tutelage of his older brother.

If you missed any of the skits, here are some of the best!

The post Jason Kelce Joined Travis On SNL & Here Are The Skits! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in the Audio Vault today! Today, the vault featured some of the best moments from some of the most disappointing players in recent Philly Sports history. The False Messiahs. The guys we got excited about, just to eventually have our hearts broken. And there have been a lot of them.

Over the last decade, our 4 teams have had a lot of high picks. The Sixers went through the whole process. The Eagles traded up to take a certain QB second overall. The Phillies were bad for a while and had a lot of high picks. And with all those high picks, come players with high expectations. And with those high expectations, comes a lot of fan excitement. There have been multiple players for each team that were dubbed as the saviors of their franchise. Turns out, they were false messiahs.

These are the guys you may have once seen Jerseys of everywhere. Who maybe even came onto the scene at first and blew us away. But in the end, left us with nothing but broken hearts and bad memories. Philly fans love harder than anyone. And when the people we love let us down, the fall is as hard as the love was.

It is relevant right now because we are falling in love with a young player today. Andrew Painter is the top pitching prospect in the MLB and is on track to make the Phillies roster at just 19 years old. But our history with hyped prospects has some fans maybe a little slow to fall in love again.

So Andrew picked 7 of the prominent false messiahs in recent Philly sports history. And for the Vault today, he played the high moments for each of them. The time that had us perhaps the most excited for their future. See who those players are below, and then you can listen back to the segment to hear Andrew and Anythony’s reaction to each name.

The post The Audio Vault- The 7 Recent False Messiahs of Philly Sports appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Will Illinois’s Devon Witherspoon hear his name called by the Eagles on draft night? Cornerback is a popular position to mock to the Eagles. And it is an obvious need for them. James Bradberry is pretty much already gone. While they could still resign him, that has seemed unlikely from the jump. After an All-Pro season, he will be in high demand and will be out of the Eagles’ price range. Outside him, the Eagles have Darius Slay, who has just one year left on his deal and is getting older. They also have Avonte Maddox, who has played great in the slot, but struggled when asked to play outside before. And not much of note after them.

We already discussed Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter Jr as fits for the Eagles. But now let’s look at Devon Witherspoon.

The Eagles will be looking at corner on draft night. It has been a while since they took a cornerback in the first round of the draft though. The last time that happened was in 2002 with Lito Shepard. Is Devon Witherspoon the man to break that trend though? If you look at mock drafts, many writers certainly think so. Early on in the offseason, he is easily the most popular name coming up for the Eagles at pick 10.

Would that be a good move for them though? Will Witherspoon’s dominance in college carry over to the NFL? Or was he taking advantage of poor competition at WR in the Big 10 West? He will certainly be a name to watch closely as we approach the draft. And if you were not locked into Illinois football this season, you may be looking to learn more about the potential future Eagle. So here are 5 things you should know about Devon Witherspoon before the draft.

The post 5 Things to Know About Devon Witherspoon- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles finally hired a defensive coordinator. Sean Desai is leaving Seattle, to take the job in Philly. He previously spent a year as the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. But after the Bears fired Matt Nagy, he was not retained and has been a defensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks since. But what can Eagles fans expect from their new DC? Will it be more of the same from Desai that we got from Gannon? Or does Desai bring new wrinkles to the Vic Fangio style of defense? Jeff McLane joined The Anthony Gargano Show to discuss just that.

Here is what McLane’s thoughts were on the hire of Sean Desai…

“Yeah, I’ve heard some good things too… As Nick said himself, just a super high football IQ, very detailed, very good in terms of communicating his desires. Now, this may be troublesome for Eagles fans, but I mean his scheme isn’t very much different than (Gannon’s). When he was a defensive coordinator with the Bears two years ago, he blitzed at about similar rate to (Gannon). He’s going to play a lot of these coverages that you’re trying to entice teams to run the ball, and not give up the explosive play.

I would say that one thing that was a little different, I thought he had a little more exotic pass rushes. Whether it’s four standing up guys, or overloading, or just doing things a little different than I thought Jonathan Gannon did in that regard. But again, you know, it comes down to players. It comes down to executing. As you and I have talked about many times, Jonathan’s problem wasn’t really the scheme whether you hated it or loved it. The bigger problem I thought was just situationally in certain calls is when he just was not next level. And Desai may be that guy.”

You can listen to Anthony’s full conversation with Jeff McLane below…If you enjoyed this, you may also like:5 Things to Know About DT Bryan Bresee- Eagles Prospect ProfileIs Clemson’s Bryan Bresee a possibility for the Eagles in the first round? We started our draft previews last week with two cornerbacks, Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter Jr. . But we know well as Eagles fans that they love to take Defensive and Offensive Linemen early in the draft. And with the Eagles potentially losing Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Linval Joseph, and Ndamukong Suh this offseason, DT could certainly be what they are looking for in the first round.

They took Jordan Davis in the 1st round last year, and they took Milton Williams in the 3rd round two years ago. But as we saw this season, having a deep rotation on the D-Line is something the team highly values. Even if those two are primed to take a big step forward, and they bring back Hargrave, they could still be looking at DT in the draft.

And if you are looking at DT, Bryan Bresee is the name to watch at pick 10. The Clemson product is getting major hype approaching the draft. And a great combine performance could even put him out of reach for the Eagles. But if he is there at 10, should the Eagles grab him? Is there reason to be concerned about the history of injuries? And does his athletic profile suggest greater production in the NFL than he ever had at Clemson? Here are 5 things you should know about potential Eagles draft pick Bryan Bresee.

The post Jeff McLane Discusses What Fans Can Expect from New DC Sean Desai appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles finally have a new Defensive Coordinator. After Jonathan Gannon left, a parade of different candidates came through to interview to replace him. But the Eagles have landed on Former Bears DC, and current Seahawks assistant Sean Desai. Seahawks Coach Pete Caroll broke the news himself while talking to reporters.

Sean Desai is no stranger to Philly. He spent several years here coaching Temples Defense and Special Teams. Then he spent a year as The Director of Football Operations at Miami. After that a year as the Runningback coach and Special Teams Coordinator at Boston College. All before heading to Chicago for several years. He started there as a Defensive Quality Control Coach. Spent a season as the Safeties Coach. And he spent one season as the Bears DC. The Bears did not retain him though after firing Head Coach Matt Nagy. He has been in Seattle since then.

What it will mean for the Eagles’ defense remains to be seen. Like Gannon, Desai comes from the Vic Fangio coaching tree. He served as a defensive assistant under Fangio for years in Chicago. When Fangio left to coach the Broncos, it was Desai that took over for him. But that does not mean it will be the exact same style as either Gannon or Fangio. Fangio and Gannon each had their own quirks in the system. We have not gotten much of a look at what type of defense Desai will run, because his first stint as a DC was short-lived.

He takes over for a defense losing much of the talent that made it so special last season. So it may be tough for him to match the production of Gannon’s defense, even if he does a better job calling plays. Eagles fans will certainly be happy to have a new voice at DC. Fans never quite took to the conservative style of Gannon. Gannon’s defenses struggled against nearly every good Qb they faced. That was more clear than ever in the Super Bowl where the defense failed to get a single stop in the second half vs the Chiefs.

Desai will get a chance at correcting that trend. In his one stint as DC, the Bears gave up the 6th least yards in the league, were 13th in Defensive DVOA, but also were 22nd in points allowed. So it will be interesting what he brings to the table as the Eagles DC. His first job will be helping them select who in the draft and Free Agency they bring in the replace the outgoing talent.

If you enjoyed this, you may also like…5 Things to Know About DT Bryan Bresee- Eagles Prospect ProfileIs Clemson’s Bryan Bresee a possibility for the Eagles in the first round? We started our draft previews last week with two cornerbacks, Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter Jr. . But we know well as Eagles fans that they love to take Defensive and Offensive Linemen early in the draft. And with the Eagles potentially losing Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Linval Joseph, and Ndamukong Suh this offseason, DT could certainly be what they are looking for in the first round.

They took Jordan Davis in the 1st round last year, and they took Milton Williams in the 3rd round two years ago. But as we saw this season, having a deep rotation on the D-Line is something the team highly values. Even if those two are primed to take a big step forward, and they bring back Hargrave, they could still be looking at DT in the draft.

And if you are looking at DT, Bryan Bresee is the name to watch at pick 10. The Clemson product is getting major hype approaching the draft. And a great combine performance could even put him out of reach for the Eagles. But if he is there at 10, should the Eagles grab him? Is there reason to be concerned about the history of injuries? And does his athletic profile suggest greater production in the NFL than he ever had at Clemson? Here are 5 things you should know about potential Eagles draft pick Bryan Bresee.

The post Sean Desai Named New Eagles Defensive Coordinator, Per Pete Carroll appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This was a move that was just a matter of “when” not “if”. The Eagles will officially hire quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson as the teams new offensive coordinator. This per ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter per his twitter account.

Eagles are promoting their QB coach Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator to replace new Colts’ HC Shane Steichen, per sources. Johnson had multiple opportunities for other OC jobs, but he ultimately stays with the Eagles. pic.twitter.com/C49iquEkfu

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2023

Johnson was a fast rising assistant with the Eagles. Initially hired from the University of Florida where he served as the Gators offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Nick Sirianni brought Johnson in to be the teams quarterbacks coach and work with young QB Jalen Hurts. Johnson has a history with Hurts, having played for Hurts’ father in Texas. So there was definitely familiarity between the two. While the first season was up and down, Hurts’ game seemed to improve when Johnson moved to the sideline. He played a big role in Hurts’ MVP like season which resulted in a trip to the Super Bowl last season.

The Eagles are now looking for a defensive coordinator after Jonathan Gannon was hired by the Arizona Cardinals to be their new head coach. The Eagles are in the second round of interviews and recently interviewed Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai who has local ties being a Temple University product.

The Eagles will likely want to have their defensive coordinator in place for the upcoming NFL combine, especially considering the team holds two first round picks including the 10th pick in the upcoming draft. The Eagles already saw two of their targets leave for other teams as Vic Fangio took the job in Miami. (although to be fair, there wasnt an opening in Novacare when Fangio took the gig.) and Vance Joseph did the rare move of taking a coordinator job in the same place you were once a head coach.

Keep it locked to the Fanatic as we will keep you updated on all the Eagles offseason moves. Coaches and players alike.

Flyers Trade Targets Ahead of the DeadlineThe NHL trade deadline has already picked up with moves like Timo Meier to the Devils, and Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers. The Flyers will also look to be active participants in the action and they have some moveable pieces that can get them assets for the future.

Last year the Flyers shipped off captain Claude Giroux to the Panthers for a bevy of picks and Owen Tippett. The Flyers currently have a 1st round pick, two 3rd round picks (Rangers and Panthers), two 4th round rounders (their own and the Oilers), and then their own picks in round 5, 6, and 7. They’ll look to recoup some of the picks they gave up in trades for Tony DeAngelo.

Here are some of the key pieces that could be on the move by Friday’s 3pm deadline.

The post Eagles Officially Promote Brian Johnson To Offensive Coordinator appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles had an outstanding regular season, a strong postseason despite a disappointing end in Super Bowl 57, and are now poised for a productive offseason. Over the past year, the franchise has been run as well as any in professional sports, and it’s a very welcome thing in Philadelphia. Now, though, as the team attempts to maintain success following a Super Bowl appearance, Howie Roseman and company have an interesting set of options when it comes to handling the upcoming NFL Draft. With so many free agents, and a couple of aging veterans still under contract, the draft is a super important part of this offseason for the Eagles’ front office if they’re going to keep this team near the top of the NFL.

The way I see it, there are 3 general strategies in the draft that could be chosen to help reach that goal. I’ll call them the Eagles approach, the kind of Eagles approach, and the non-Eagles approach. There have been certain pillars of the Eagles’ draft strategy and team building under Howie Roseman that have served the team well during the past couple of seasons. The Eagles approach to roster creation has always revolved around the trenches; the offensive and defensive lines are of paramount need. This has been a proven strategy in Philly, and top lines on either side of the ball were major reasons why the team went to the Super Bowl this past season. With so many of those players available to be brought back though, would it be wise to keep drafting at those same positions, especially as high as 10th overall? It’s a fair question, and one that will need to be answered ahead of late April.

Let’s move on to the kind of Eagles approach. If you can say that there is a secondary goal of Howie Roseman year in and year out behind building strong lines, it wouldn’t be crazy to say it is stockpiling draft assets to create team flexibility. While the lines are more important to this front office than draft picks, they still love to build up their pick portfolio when preparing to bring in new talent. So, with that in mind, the kind of Eagles approach would be to move on from the #10 overall pick in favor of multiple picks later in the draft or in future drafts. With a lot of free agents, and a chance that the team pays Jalen Hurts a king’s ransom this offseason, maybe grabbing a collection of mid-round picks would be more beneficial to sustaining the Eagles’ success than drafting a singular offensive tackle or edge rusher at 10. It would be less like Howie, but could certainly be argued that it’s the right approach.

The final strategy that could be employed is the non-Eagles approach. This is the one that fans clamor for year in and year out to little or no avail. It’s the most exciting potentially, but it’s also the most volatile when it comes to sustained success in the NFL. It would be drafting an exciting, athletic skill position player at #10 overall, a WR, or Corner, or RB (hello, Bijan Robinson). Don’t hold your breath, folks. The Eagles have rarely drafted players like that in the 1st round of the draft under Howie Roseman, and when they have, they have gotten burned by it. I know Robinson, or another exciting guy who touches the ball on offense or makes big plays on defense might be intriguing, but it would be very uncharacteristic of the Eagles to pick one of them. Howie Roseman’s track record says that sticking to his guns is probably the smart play for this offseason, and every offseason.

The post Should The Eagles Stick To Their Draft Strategy Guns? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Is Clemson’s Bryan Bresee a possibility for the Eagles in the first round? We started our draft previews last week with two cornerbacks, Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter Jr. . But we know well as Eagles fans that they love to take Defensive and Offensive Linemen early in the draft. And with the Eagles potentially losing Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Linval Joseph, and Ndamukong Suh this offseason, DT could certainly be what they are looking for in the first round.

They took Jordan Davis in the 1st round last year, and they took Milton Williams in the 3rd round two years ago. But as we saw this season, having a deep rotation on the D-Line is something the team highly values. Even if those two are primed to take a big step forward, and they bring back Hargrave, they could still be looking at DT in the draft.

And if you are looking at DT, Bryan Bresee is the name to watch at pick 10. The Clemson product is getting major hype approaching the draft. And a great combine performance could even put him out of reach for the Eagles. But if he is there at 10, should the Eagles grab him? Is there reason to be concerned about the history of injuries? And does his athletic profile suggest greater production in the NFL than he ever had at Clemson? Here are 5 things you should know about potential Eagles draft pick Bryan Bresee.

The post 5 Things to Know About DT Bryan Bresee- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Ir was April 24th, 2020 and the Eagles were about to announce their second round pick. Many fans were clammoring for the team to fix the sins of their past. Picks of J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Jalen Reagor could have been fixed. A corner back to play opposite of Darius Slay to make up for the Sidney Jones pick. In many fans eyes the one position the Eagles didnt need was quarterback. He was 10 months removed from signing a $100 million dollar contract and had solidified himself as the franchise QB.

So color us surprised when with the 53rd pick the Philadelphia Eagles selected QB Jalen Hurts.

via GIPHY

Yea…..

It was a pick that was ripped and ridiculed because, if all went well you would never see Hurts on the field. But all did not go well. Carson Wentz couldnt handle the fact that the organization did not have the faith in him that they once did. He cracked and crumbled under the pressure, looking like a shell of the QB we saw in 2017. He zigged when he should have zagged. He zagged when he should have zigged. His turnovers went way up and his pocket awareness was non-existent.

Just 21 months after he signed a $100 million dollar extension, Carson Wentz was gone. Traded to Indianapolis for a 3rd round pick and an eventual 1st round pick. The Eagles made a few trades so ultimately here is what the Eagles got for Carson Wentz.

DeVonta Smith
AJ Brown
Keyron Johnson
10th pick in the 2023 draft
2023 2nd round pick.

The 3rd round draft choice was used in a package to draft DeVonta Smith. The 1st round pick by the Colts was used to acquire assets that ultimately netted them AJ Brown and Keyron Johnson and future picks. Its quite a haul when you look at what transpired after the trade.

The Colts traded Wentz after just one season to the Washington Commanders for a 2nd and 7th round pick. The Commanders have no moved on after one season with Wentz netting them nothing more than laughing and pointing from the rest of the league.

Wentz’ career legitimately might be over. Hard to imagine, after what weve seen over the last three seasons, that a team will give him a starting job in the NFL. Howie Roseman turned garbage into gold and it could set the Eagles up for many years of success.

Flyers Trade Targets Ahead of the DeadlineThe NHL trade deadline has already picked up with moves like Timo Meier to the Devils, and Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers. The Flyers will also look to be active participants in the action and they have some moveable pieces that can get them assets for the future.

Last year the Flyers shipped off captain Claude Giroux to the Panthers for a bevy of picks and Owen Tippett. The Flyers currently have a 1st round pick, two 3rd round picks (Rangers and Panthers), two 4th round rounders (their own and the Oilers), and then their own picks in round 5, 6, and 7. They’ll look to recoup some of the picks they gave up in trades for Tony DeAngelo.

Here are some of the key pieces that could be on the move by Friday’s 3pm deadline.

The post Howie’s Wise Decision Highlighted After Carson Wentz’s Release appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Could Joey Porter be the name the Eagles call on draft night? As discussed earlier in the week, the Eagles need some cornerback help this offseason. The duo of James Bradberry and Darius Slay was great in 2022. But James Bradberry is a free agent, and Darius Slay has just one year left on his deal. The Eagles could really benefit from bringing in a young corner that they know they will have for 4-5 seasons on a rookie deal. And that has been on the wish list for Eagles fans for years now.

For various reasons, that never quite happened. It is hard to complain because the Eagles still had good picks in the last couple of drafts instead of a corner. But they probably need to come out of this draft with one. This draft is too deep at corner, and their need is too big, for them not to land one. We have already looked at Christian Gonzalez from Oregon. But now let’s get to know another option for the Eagles, who local fans may already be familiar with. Joey Porter Jr from Penn State.

The Penn State product is in that top class of cornerbacks this year. He is big, physical, and is one of 5 guys who could be the first CB off the board. But is Joey Porter Jr. a good fit for the Eagles? Will his name be called on draft night? Or is he someone the Eagles should avoid? Here are 5 things you should know about him.

The post 5 Things to Know About CB Joey Porter Jr- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

76ers don’t have a path to a championship without a move up

The 76ers have 25 games left down the stretch in order to track down better seeding in the Eastern Conference. Hearing discussion this week on The Fanatic it seems as if the listeners are resolved to finishing behind the Bucks and the Celtics. I don’t believe that there is a path to the championship IF the 76ers have to get by both the Bucks and Celtics. I’m not being fatalistic, but the terrain to navigate in the East is brutal. I don’t believe there is reason to believe that you beat both those teams unless they can secure home court through at least two rounds.

These first 6 games after the break will tell us a lot about where this team is heading. Now that the rumors of a James Harden return to Houston are picking up, the clock ticks louder each day. This team not only has expectations, it has a deadline. Without a championship run this year, I’m not sure where anyone could predict one coming in the near future.

The Eagles have their next important season ahead this next month

The Eagles are coming the longest season they have played in 5 seasons. It’s even one week later than the year of their Super Bowl title. That puts them up against it while trying to address a series of issues. When Nick Sirianni lost both of his coordinators, the opportunity to replace them became more of a challenge. The top candidates were already flooding towards the open jobs that were filled throughout the playoffs. The Eagles must find their replacements amongst the leftovers.

Then the free agency tag must be applied by next week and it is expected to be used on Chauncey Gardner Johnson IF they don’t come to an agreement before then. If they can lock him down before hand they could decide to tag another position which would help secure a stronger roster. Free Agency starts right after that and you never know what target Howie has that we aren’t expecting.

It’s difficult to turn the page after an amazing run. The Eagles have a lot of items on the shopping list and the pickings appear quite thin.

The Phillies 2023 season commences in Clearwater

There are so many reasons to be excited about the Phillies upcoming season. Much like the Eagles challenge, the Phillies had to create new buzz and fill the holes on their roster. They have completely bolstered their bullpen, added a quality 3rd/4th starter and signed one of the top free agents in years to play shortstop. The Phillies have done everything ho show the Braves and Mets that they aren’t just playing for a wildcard berth. It’s so refreshing to sense that excitement.

Open House Week

It has been a star studded, energized week during our live broadcasts in Open House Week. The show has been full of unexpected moments and great interactions with our listeners. We thank everyone for listening everyday and hope that the live studio broadcasts are something you will be able to work into your future schedules!

The post Random Thoughts during our Open House Week appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL Season is kicking off. It may be the longest offseason of any of the major sports. But it is also the busiest. Few sports can generate such constant coverage when games aren’t even being played than the NFL. Free Agency, the combine, the draft, and more. It can be a lot to keep track of. So here are 9 key dates you need to know to follow a busy 2023 offseason for the NFL.

The post The 9 Key Dates To Know For a Busy 2023 Eagles Offseason appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

If you aren’t checking out The Best Show Ever afternoons on The Fanatic you are missing out on some interesting debates. I love hearing the give and take interspersed with a couple of laughs. Then, the the topic came up. The topic that causes me to yell back at the radio like a madman while I sat in traffic on West Chester Pike. Don’t get that crew ever started on “load management”. It’s going to raise your blood pressure!

I wanted to address a few of the comments heard on the Tuesday edition of BSE and then respond…

If the fans want the players to take the regular season seriously, THEY have to take the regular season seriously! Tyrone Johnson

I was floored to hear Tyrone Johnson take this point of view. Wait, the fans have to take the regular season seriously? Why should they? The players are now routinely picking and choosing when they want to play or the organization decides to impose vacation days on them. I think the latter is bogus. You think the stars of yesteryear would have let the Coach tell them when they were playing? Jordan, Kobe, Kareem? Hell no! They were competitors and not desiring to promote a personal brand over the shield. When fans don’t know night to night who is deciding to play, why should they devote a focused energy?

If you’re a real fan, you are there every night! Ricky Botallico

I had to pull out my ear buds to make sure I heard that one right! The Phillies in their last championship run routinely had their biggest stars playing 155+. The biggest names played almost every game. Now we get told how grueling a major league schedule is. I don’t understand. Aren’t todays players supposed to be the best conditioned athletes ever? Then why can’t they play even close to the frequency of a star in Ricky’s era? It’s odd to me. The fans can’t be all in when the players aren’t.

My Point of View

First, I can’t wait till the next All Star Day to debate this with the crew live! Secondly, it’s the leagues themselves that are to blame for the fans not taking the regular seasons as seriously today.
There used to be a 48 team NCAA Tourney, then there were 64, now they hold amateur night play in games to allow 68 teams in.
The BCS Title Game became a 4 team playoff and now is expanding to 12 teams! It’s completely absurd. The semifinal games in the CF Playoff history average a margin of defeat of 3 scores! That is with 1 facing 4 and 2 facing 3. They now are going to have more garbage matchups!
The NBA, the kings of telling their regular season ticket buying public that they don’t matter, allow 20 teams in the playoffs! It’s a joke. You do t even have to be mediocre to be invited so of course the playoffs are what the fans focus on. Fog the mirror and you play in the post season.
Baseball just expanded to 12 teams and the NFL to 14!
It’s the corporate greed that has told fans, that tourney at the end is what really matters! Stop blaming the fans for things that are out of their control.

Join the Best Show Ever on weekday afternoons! I promise that they will elicit quite a reaction and some fine entertainment!

The post The Best Show Ever misses the mark on the Load Management discussion! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Will Christian Gonzalez hear his name be called by the Eagles on draft night? With James Bradberry a Free Agent, and Darius Slay going into the last year of his deal, there is little doubt that the Eagles have a massive need at Cornerback. It is a need you could say they have had going into the draft for the past several years.

But it never quite worked out for them to land one. It is hard to argue with who the Eagles picked instead. They got Devonta Smith and Landon Dickerson two years ago, and then Jordan Davis and Cam Jurgens last year. But it will be a disappointment if they come away without a Corner again. This draft is too deep at Cornerback for them to come away empty-handed yet again. And one CB Eagles fans should really keep their eyes on is Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez.

The Oregon cornerback was not on many draft boards before the season. But his great play this past year has him flying up into the first round. But would he be a good fit in Philly? Should the Eagles be concerned by the history of Pac 12 cornerbacks in the NFL? Or is he so good he can buck that trend? Here are 5 things to know about potential Eagles prospect Christian Gonzalez.

The post 5 Things to Know About Christian Gonzalez- Eagles Prospect Profile appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In his Opening Diatribe this morning, Anthony Gargano discussed why he is still annoyed at Jonathan Gannon…

“I’ve got a couple of things I need to get off my chest. One, and we talked about it during the morning show, is about Jonathan Gannon. I need to stop looking at social media when it comes to Arizona. Because every time I see a clip of him, Im annoyed. Listen, I know the dude has to put on a face. He is the new coach of the Cardinals, and he has to do his thing. I don’t want to make it personal, but I am so annoyed by how he coached that game.

He just coached a scared terrible game. And this is what really bugs me… I understand he had a lot of success running that defense. But when they faced good quarterbacks, they got riddled. That is a truism. When you are facing good Qbs, he did not do well. It is one thing to rack up all those sacks when you face subpar O-Lines…

I always like to look at it from a game standpoint. And I understand what Gannon has to do. But watching that game over, looking at the way he coached it, I am so supremely annoyed by what he did. He coached scared. And I don’t care whatever spin doctors will try to tell me otherwise. Including Nick Sirianni, who I love. I don’t want to hear it. He is now in Arizona, so you don’t need to defend that weak ass defense. That Soft Zone lost the Super Bowl. You can give me all you want about the field or the call. But what ultimately lost the Super Bowl was Andy Reid owned Gannon, and the defense was soft. Gannon lost the Super Bowl. And that was my ultimate takeaway from rewatching the game.”

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The Eagles Off-Season Needs on DefenseWelp, a great season ended in tragedy. This Eagles team looked elite all season. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. And they were still in the game until the final moments. They came that close just to fall 3 points short. And now, we turn our eyes to the Off-Season. Bouncing back from losing in the Super Bowl can be tough. But not impossible. The Patriots came right back from losing to the Eagles to win it the next year. The Bengals lost to the Rams, and then made it to the AFC Championship game the next season. But making that return starts with having a great off-season. Earlier in the week we looked at the offense. But now let’s check out their needs on defense.

The Eagles’ defense was good all year. Until the Super Bowl. They struggled mightily vs the Chiefs’ offense. They couldn’t get a single stop in the 2nd Half. The Prolific pass rush disappeared. And the great secondary was getting fooled by the Chiefs’ scheme, leaving Chiefs players wide open.

Unlike the offense, the Eagles have a lot of Free Agents on Defense. Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, TJ Edwards, Kyzir White, CJ Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, and Marcus Epps could all leave. Surely they will resign some of them. But there are going to be holes to fill with Free Agents and draft picks. Luckily, the Eagles have two first-round draft picks. But they also lack very many day 3 picks. It will be the type of year they need to hit on those early picks if this defense is going to carry over to next season.

So what do the Eagles need to do to fix the holes in their defense? Which of their free agents do they need to bring back? Who should they be looking at in the draft? Here is a rundown of the Eagles’ needs on defense.

The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Still Annoyed by Gannon appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

If you’re new to the show we are most certainly very happy to have you joining us! If you are a loyal listener since the start in 2021 you already understand that we have our own unique approach and quirks. I like to believe that ANY show on radio or television is an acquired taste. Some TV shows grab you by the lapels and demand your attention from the jump, but a daily radio show has to create memorable moments and earn your business on a daily basis to start, until you are willing to make a long term commitment. We are hoping that new listeners will be drawn to make us their top choice every morning. Having done this job for over three decades I certainly understand that sports radio listeners tend to wander. They sample various stations offerings and the trick is to get as much of your ear as possible. Here are a few things to familiarize with our show;

I act as the ring leader and tend to be the one who takes the most shrapnel. I set up most of the main discussion points each hour and we discuss them amongst ourselves before we open up the discussion to callers. We don’t have nearly as much caller interaction as any show you’ve ever sampled in local sports radio. We don’t have callers joining us multiple times a week and never do the “open phones” style of show. We hit multiple topics in an hour. We don’t set up a topic at 6am and ride it through the next 4 hours. The good thing for listeners is that if you don’t like what you are hearing you can expect the discussion to change gears quickly. Don’t worry, we are always talking about the most topical things in Philly sports but find a laundry list of different ways to discuss it.

I’m blessed to work with some interesting cast mates. Bob Cooney is a veteran of Philadelphia Sports coverage from his days with The Fanatic and previously with the Daily News. He’s an incredible analyst and one of the most reasonable sports minds I’ve ever known. Bob keeps me in check, often! Pat Egan is the little brother everyone has or might wish they didn’t. He is always there with a great passion for sports and a wise crack to lighten the mood. Connor Thomas is the host of the “Locked on Phillies” podcast and is the Swiss Army knife for the show. You never know what strange subject he will be getting into. Mike Ciaverelli is known as “Heavy Chevy” and he doesn’t have an ounce of fat on him. Don’t ask. The nickname works. He is your You Tube Director. He directs our TV broadcast every day on The Fanatic You Tube Channel. Subscribe and be a part of the action daily. You can go back and watch anything you wish after the fact as each show is there each day with 24/7 access. Eric Camille is “Coach”, obsessed with soccer and the guy who tries to produce and herd cats every morning. Pray for him.

It’s our intention to engage you in discussion and debate, entertain you as we bring you into our work and home lives and to make sure you come away daily with a laugh and a smile. We’re different. Thank you for trying us out. If you’re a longtime loyal listener, you know what to expect and we thank you for being an early adopter!

The post A Users Guide to The John Kincade Show appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

You have that favorite restaurant with the entree you can’t get enough of.

You own a pair of jeans you definitely could get rid of but they feel better than wearing your sweats.

You’ve got a local bar where you know all the staff and they always clean their taps. The company and the laughs are top notch.

We all fall into routines and have had businesses that EARNED our loyalty. I understand and embrace those same behaviors. It’s hard to make a change when you felt you were valued and got a solid return on your time investment. Then a window of opportunity presents itself. It’s an open playing field. You’re looking to replace that special security blanket in your life that kept you engaged for so long. That time is now. It’s time to wander, sample and realize the options available. It’s also a perfect time for you to start a relationship all over again.

Mornings in Philadelphia Radio have had a seismic event. The most dominant talent in the sports radio format has decided to ride off to many a Sea Isle sunsets. I want to make you an offer. I want to present an opportunity and ask for your business. I don’t want you to just stop in from time to time, we’ve got a seat with your name on it.

Here are The Top 10 Reasons You Need A New Sports Radio Morning Routine

This is being forced on you. It’s open season for ears that haven’t chosen to seek out much new content in three decades. You need a plan, you must check out your options.
You’re not your Dad. You don’t prefer the same old way of doing things that he does. You like to have someone impress you, keep things fresh, try different things and work to keep you happy.
You like podcasts more than traditional radio. You want to be able to check in and check out knowing that every segment will be engaging and valuable. It won’t be the same old segments at the same old times delivered in the same old way.
You prefer to laugh. You don’t want the typical firing squad approach of old school Philly sports radio. You aren’t checking in for stand up but want the conversations to engage and entertain.
You’ve heard the same ten callers on the same shows calling in to the same hosts multiple times in the same week. It’s not 2003. Evolve, please. Again, you don’t need to think you are car pooling with your Dad and he’s controlling the radio.
You don’t want the tired old, Deliver a rant, put up a poll question, throw out the phone number and do the same old format show after show.
You want energy and passion, without the hot takes. Inflammatory radio for the sake of generating callers as content would get you a failing grade in broadcasting schools. You want to be woken up and listen in a friendly environment.
You watch You Tube. You like being able to watch a broadcast as much as you like listening to one. You may want to consume the content in off hours. You like flexibility. You can watch and listen to a morning show in the afternoon, because it’s content you desire.
You want to listen to a show where the hosts seek out opportunities to engage with you. I’m not talking about shaking hands with you at a remote broadcast where the hosts have to be there. Every hear of radio show hosts scheduling meet and greet happy hours and coming to your neighborhood in the evening to seek you out? Yeah, I hadn’t either. How about being invited in to the studio to watch a broadcast, get fed and win prizes? I know, pretty unique. We’ve got you covered.
You have been unsatisfied for a while, but didn’t want to feel like you were cheating. Old habits are hard to break. New habits though are easy to form.

The John Kincade Show wants to meet you and desires your business.

Beginning Monday, 2/20/23 we start our first Open House Week with live broadcasts in front of our listeners. There will be plenty of guests dropping by and entertaining conversations. We will have some of our normal shenanigans and a few new twists as well. It will be a good chance to listen in and find out what our show is all about.

I look forward to having you join us every weekday morning from 6-10am. No team will out work us in creating a different, non- typical cookie cutter sports radio broadcast.

Give us a listen and create a new habit. I dare you!

The post The Top 10 Reasons You Need To Change Your Morning Sports Radio Routine appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have requested permission from the Seahawks to interview Sean Desai for their defensive coordinator vacancy, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.

Desai has Philadelphia ties he coached at Temple under Al Golden from 2006 through 2010 and after nine seasons in various roles under three head coaches with the Bears, he spent this last season as assistant head coach and defensive assistant under Pete Carroll in Seattle.

DeSai, 39, is the second outside coach that’s emerged this week as a candidate to replace Jonathan Gannon, who is the new head coach of the Cards. The Eagles reportedly are interested in meeting with Vance Joseph, who was released earlier Friday from his contract as the Cards defensive coordinator.

Desai followed Golden to Miami in 2011 and after one year as assistant director of football operations he returned to coaching in 2012 at Boston College under Frank Spaziani as running backs coach and special teams coordinator.

In 2013, Marc Trestman brought Desai to the Bears as a defensive quality control coach and when John Fox was hired in 2015 he kept Desai in the same role. One-time Eagles training camp quarterback Matt Nagy replaced Fox in 2018 and also kept Desai, promoting him to safeties coach in 2019.

Desai has an unusual background. He’s the only person of Indian descent to ever serve as an NFL coordinator. He graduated from Boston University in 2004 with degrees in philosophy and political science, then earned his masters in higher education from Columbia in 2005. During his stint coaching at Temple, he earned his doctorate in educational administration.

The Eagles ranked 2nd in the NFL in defense this past year and 1st in pass defense.

Stay or Go: Eagles EditionUnfortunately the Eagles are in the offseason. While its tough to move on, we have to. We need to focus on the offseason because the Eagles got a late start. The good news is the Eagles have Howard “Howie” Roseman running the show. When it comes to contracts and free agents Howie always has the ability to find some cap space.

So lets take a look at the impending Eagles free agents and play some stay or go.

The post Eagles request permission to interview Seahawks’ Sean Desai; report appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Unfortunately the Eagles are in the offseason. While its tough to move on, we have to. We need to focus on the offseason because the Eagles got a late start. The good news is the Eagles have Howard “Howie” Roseman running the show. When it comes to contracts and free agents Howie always has the ability to find some cap space.

So lets take a look at the impending Eagles free agents and play some stay or go.

The post Stay or Go: Eagles Edition appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

I want to start by saying thank you to every single person who read anything I wrote this season. I want to thank the PhillyVoice, Evan Macy, and Shamus Clancy for the opportunity.

The Eagles blew a 10-point halftime lead in the Super Bowl to fall 38-35 to the Chiefs. They became the first team in NFL history to score 35 points or more in the Super Bowl and lose. Jalen Hurts is the first quarterback in NFL history to be responsible for four touchdowns and also lose the Super Bowl. The most talented Eagles team in franchise history was unable to close the deal.

The second-half defense and special teams were as poor as we have ever seen. The pass rush that was so fearsome completely disappeared. Unfortunately, they also made more mistakes than the Chiefs and you can’t make mistakes in the biggest games. The Isaac Seumalo false start that made a third and one a third and six, for example, seemed like an annoyance until Jalen Hurts’ fumble on the next play. That fumble doesn’t happen if they are doing a QB sneak. Hurts knows that was a killer mistake, but what led to it is just as frustrating for me.

Quez Watkins completed his extremely disappointing season with a game-altering drop that would have, at worst, put the Eagles at the six-yard line or best case would have been a touchdown. The Eagles lost two games all year that Hurts started and Quez was a big part of why they lost both. Remember that open field fumble against Washington when he was tackled by the legs? Instead, the Eagles kicked a field goal on the drive after his drop, costing them both precious time on the clock and four points. Arryn Siposs and the punt team came up very short, too. The Eagles allowed the refs to do the final punch in the gut. Yes, it was a horrendous call, but the Eagles could and should have eliminated the refs from the game.

My question for all of us now: how should we react to this?

Most of us are sad that we aren’t at a parade, but what is the next step when the sadness begins to fade? If it ever fades? The Eagles were favored in the game, had a double-digit lead, and lost. Yes, they lost to a Hall of Fame coach and quarterback, but the Chiefs had those same credentials when the Eagles were up 24-14. In the underdog era we would just take it as a great year maybe, but is that how we should continue to operate? Should we demand more? What should our expectations be in the city going forward with the Eagles and the other teams?

The Phillies were up 2-1 in the World Series and got no-hit at home the next game. The Union were up a goal and a man in extra time and lost in the MLS Cup. Andy Reid’s era was the best run in Eagles history, but it was riddled with near misses. There is no reward for near misses, only sports pain and I don’t want to feel this sports pain again.

Things were lined up very well this year for a Super Bowl win. I don’t think they could have been lined up any better. This season the Eagles had amazing injury luck, a great mix of veterans, guys in their prime, and youth. They have now lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators. I wish Shane Steichen well with the Colts. Johnathan Gannon… well, Gannon left us with a parting gift to remind us who he really is on his way to Arizona.

I think they’ll be fine, but there could be growing pains with new people.

Hurts was incredible this year, but his burden will likely only grow from here. With the number of free agents they have, the roster will likely be less complete meaning he will need to be better. Is it fair to ask the guy who had over 370 total yards and four total touchdowns in the Super Bowl to do even more? We know that the Eagles hit bottom shortly after the 2018 Super Bowl victory. The Eagles were 6-10 the year after Reid and Donovan McNabb lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Do we demand an actual “new normal” this time? Should we be thankful for the fun ride this season?

I say that we have to fundamentally change how we treat our teams because we know our worth.

Philadelphia fans are the best fans in the world, and we should have the best teams in the world as well. Not second best. That doesn’t mean that we should not appreciate the fact that the Eagles are a very well-run organization. It means acknowledging that they should have won this game. Close isn’t good enough for us anymore. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t appreciate the Sixers are in the playoffs every year. It means demanding a championship that people under 50 can remember. The same goes for the Phillies and the Union. We know things could be worse, but we still must demand better.

Finish the deal.

This city is the biggest city in the country that has zero dynasties. The fans deserve it. I hope the Flyers can join the conversation at some point, too. The truth of the matter is that we should always demand more when our teams don’t play their best and the Eagles didn’t play their best game on Sunday. The horrible call and horrible field are just icing on the inedible cake. The Eagles didn’t give us four quarters of quality when they needed to. It is very hard for teams to win championships. It is just as hard for fans to watch teams lose them.

The post Tyrone Johnson: What kind of fans do we want to be? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

No matter the outcome, stores have to be prepared for both teams before the end of the Super Bowl. Which means there is a ton of Super Bowl-winning Eagles gear floating around.

What happens to the thousands and thousands of worthless t-shirts, hats, hoodies, etc?

According to Good 360.org, the gear will be distributed to places like Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia to people in need of clothing. And it’s not just Super Bowl gear. The NFC and AFC losing team’s gear will also be donated to those in need.

It seems very weird that someone somewhere in the world will be wearing a Super Bowl-winning Eagles t-shirt, but I’m very happy that the gear doesn’t end up in a trashcan and that it can help someone in need.

According to Good 360, the distribution process is pretty simple,

“After the Super Bowl, the NFL sends details about the products to Good360. At that time, Good360 notifies their nonprofit partners that identify need for that particular type of product. As a next step, the items are shipped and stored within Good360’s facilities until there is enough product to fill a container. At that point the product is shipped overseas and distributed to people in need.”

The post What Happens to All the Super Bowl Winning Gear? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Welp, a great season ended in tragedy. This Eagles team looked elite all season. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. And they were still in the game until the final moments. They came that close just to fall 3 points short. And now, we turn our eyes to the Off-Season. Bouncing back from losing in the Super Bowl can be tough. But not impossible. The Patriots came right back from losing to the Eagles to win it the next year. The Bengals lost to the Rams, and then made it to the AFC Championship game the next season. But making that return starts with having a great off-season. Earlier in the week we looked at the offense. But now let’s check out their needs on defense.

The Eagles’ defense was good all year. Until the Super Bowl. They struggled mightily vs the Chiefs’ offense. They couldn’t get a single stop in the 2nd Half. The Prolific pass rush disappeared. And the great secondary was getting fooled by the Chiefs’ scheme, leaving Chiefs players wide open.

Unlike the offense, the Eagles have a lot of Free Agents on Defense. Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, TJ Edwards, Kyzir White, CJ Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, and Marcus Epps could all leave. Surely they will resign some of them. But there are going to be holes to fill with Free Agents and draft picks. Luckily, the Eagles have two first-round draft picks. But they also lack very many day 3 picks. It will be the type of year they need to hit on those early picks if this defense is going to carry over to next season.

So what do the Eagles need to do to fix the holes in their defense? Which of their free agents do they need to bring back? Who should they be looking at in the draft? Here is a rundown of the Eagles’ needs on defense.

The post The Eagles Off-Season Needs on Defense appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Just a few weeks ago Eagles fans were united in their disdain for the fans of the San Francisco 49ers. The whining that came from the 49ers roster and their fan base after the NFC Championship game was equal portions laughable and pathetic. Knowing Brock Purdy out of the game was clearly not the reason the Eagles cruised to a 31-7 victory. The 49ers defense was porous, their offensive line couldn’t protect and their defense got torched. Instead of just taking their loss and accepting the part they played in it, 49ers players, fans and media tried spinning a tale. The message was that if Purdy played, the Eagles were going down. It’s ridiculous and the mocking that came from Philadelphia was very deserved.

‘Then fast forward to this week in Philadelphia. I’m flat out disappointed. You can’t one week claim that sour grapes from a losing team is unacceptable then embrace full whiner mode afterwards. As I sit and do my next days show prep I will listen to the Fanatic on the app or in the afternoons on the TV simulcast. I started taking notes. There were periods where strings of 5 callers in a row were doing the “I know we lost…but” routine. It’s just as dumb as the fans of the 49ers a few weeks back. It sucks, but it’s true.

The Eagles lost the Super Bowl. We are all so unhappy with the outcome. Unfortunately, when you are just a slim one point favorite against the NFL MVP and the best coach in the game your margin for error is slim. Fact, you can’t have an unforced error and fumble the football directly leading to 7 points when you have a 7 point lead and are driving for another score. That play coming after an unforced error by a false start on an easily convertible 3rd and 1.

In the 4th quarter of a critical sequence your punter can’t deliver a terrible effort and then your special teams can’t allow a 65 yard punt return putting the Chiefs offense on the 4 yard line. The Chiefs offense with first and goal within the 5 scored on every sequence but one in the regular season. They are a machine. You can’t play sloppy and expect to dodge the bullet too often vs Patrick Mahomes.

Those 2 sequences alone led to a gift touchdown and at the very least an easy FG attempt if the Chiefs hadn’t scored a touchdown. That’s a minimum of 10 less points. The Eagles COULD have won 35-28. Fact is, they didn’t.

One thing our fan base has never been is excuse makers. The coaches and players of the Eagles alike told the world, they lost this game. A poor decision to throw a flag within the 2 minute warning after not having any holding calls all game didn’t. The Eagles let what was within their control, slip out of it. Trying to blame the Defrnsive Coordinator or the officials is pretty weak sauce. Players make plays. Unfortunately leading directly to ten points that decided the Super Bowl, sometimes they don’t.

The post Enough of the sour grapes, we are not San Francisco appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

All Eagles season, Tim McManus has joined The Best Show Ever once a week to give out a Mid-Week Report. And now that the season is over, he joined us one more time for a season wrap-up. Tim discussed what went wrong in the Super Bowl, the Eagles’ plans to replace both Coordinators, and their other off-season plans. Here is some of what Tim had to say.

On Brian Johnson Replacing Shane Steichen

“Brian Johnson, I think very highly of, and it looks like he is the one who is going to be promoted to OC. He has a really tight relationship with Jalen Hurts. It dates all the way back to when Hurts was a kid. The trust there is really strong… The philosophy is already intact. Johnson was one of the hottest names out there. I kept getting calls from people asking what I think of Brian Johnson. I got a very strong sense that he was in demand… It’s kind of a win that the eagles get to hold onto him. But Steichen did a great job here. Anytime you are removing talent from the coaching staff, that is tough to rebuild. That is going to be the charge of Sirianni and Howie Roseman in these next few weeks.”

On is Dennard Wilson Will Be the Next DC

“I’m not ready to put him as a favorite. They are going through that process right now. He is definitely the internal option. Really well respected within the building. And I think that he is an ascending coach who will be in that spot before long. Do the Eagles just elevate him and keep that continuity from a defensive system standpoint? I think that is a possible outcome here for sure.

But I think they will also be going through some interviews and seeing what they get. A couple of guys that have been mentioned have been Panther Linebackers coach Peter Hansen. Sean Desai, he’s a Vic Fangio disciple. Coached at Temple and Played at Temple. Was the Bears DC for a spell. Vance Joseph just lost his job in Arizona. He is a well-known, well-regarded defensive coach as well.

It doesn’t feel like a done deal one way or the other. But people in the building would be pretty happy, especially in that defensive backs room, if Dennard Wilson is promoted.”

And you can listen to the full interview with Tim McManus below…The Eagles Off-Season Needs on OffenseWelp, a great season ended in tragedy. This Eagles team looked elite all season. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. And they were still in the game until the final moments. They came that close just to fall 3 points short. And now, we turn our eyes to the Off-Season. Bouncing back from losing in the Super Bowl can be tough. But not impossible. The Patriots came right back from losing to the Eagles to win it the next year. The Bengals lost to the Rams, and then made it to the AFC Championship game the next season. But making that return starts with having a great off-season. Let’s look at what the Eagles need to do, starting on the offense.

The Eagles are in a unique position of having nearly their entire offensive core locked up. Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson, and Dallas Goedert are all returning for at least the next two years. The people who may be leaving are Isaac Seumalo, Miles Sanders, and Jason Kelce. Seumalo and Sanders are free agents who may be too pricey to hold onto. And Jason Kelce is of course mulling his retirement. Beyond those 3 though, they are in a great position to run back the offense that was 2nd in scoring and went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

So what do the Eagles need to do to maintain having the elite offense they had this year? Let’s look at each position, and if they will need to improve it or address it in the offseason. What positions could the Eagles address in Free Agency or the Draft? Are there players at those positions that would make sense for them? Here are the Eagles’ off-season needs on the offensive side of the ball.

The post Tim McManus Talks Filling The Eagles Open Coordinator Jobs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

During the grieving process, there are a number of steps that one goes through. As we all continue to mourn the loss of this Eagles season, I would imagine that most people have made their way past denial and onto the angry part of things.

That’s where I find myself today, angry over this lost opportunity. Thus, what better thing to do than to list out those who angered up the most during this wonderful ride of a season?

(This is a trick question, there are a lot of better things to do. I just don’t have the resources or the maturity to do those things.)

In the world of 97.5 The Fanatic, top five lists typically belong to our digital content king Dylan MacKinnon. Nevertheless, here’s my crack at the five enemies we made in Philadelphia along this road to the Super Bowl…

City of San Francisco

Forty-niners? More like the forty-whiners, am I right? (Crowd boos at an awful joke)

The fanbase of the San Francisco 49ers are continuing to throw themselves the most ridiculous of pity parties and continue to take every possible shot at Eagles fans as they can. Midnight struck for the NFL’s Cinderella story in the form of the Eagles’ pass rush.

Make no mistake, they were dealt with a tough hand, but it’s all about how you respond. The two week media tour that 49ers’ players took to try to discredit the Eagles was truly unfortunate to watch. Like a buddy at the bar who lost the woman of his dreams, but keeps calling her number at 2AM.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk believes that San Francisco was the best team in the NFL this season, despite losing 31-7 in the NFCC to the #Eagles

“We have, hands down, the best football team in the league. Hands down."

"I'm not going even going to argue with anyone." pic.twitter.com/Ed2aHuULVx

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 5, 2023

Carl Cheffers

The Philadelphia Eagles did not lose because of the refs. Blaming them makes me no better than No. 5 on this list.

However, the fact that I now know the names of the officials from the Super Bowl is not optimal. I will always be of the thought that you don’t leave your fate in the hands of the officials, but I will never forget the hopeless feeling of watching that penalty.

Oh, and I will keep a mental note of this…

Carl Cheffers will be the head referee for the Super Bowl:

-The #Eagles are 6-8 in games refereed by Cheffers. That record includes a divisional-round loss to the New Orleans #Saints during the 2018 playoffs.

-The #Chiefs are 16-7 in the 23 games refereed by Cheffers.… https://t.co/FjjJrO0FDj pic.twitter.com/9zgsz4rvlk

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) February 12, 2023

JuJu Smith-Schuster

There was no one that had given JuJu Smith-Schuster a second thought in the immediate aftermath of the Super Bowl. Despite being the wide receiver that James Bradberry held, I didn’t really think that Smith-Schuster had been anything too special.

He had a fine game (7 catches, 53 yards) and had a disgustingly bad take on cheesesteaks during the week leading up to the game, but otherwise didn’t offer very much.

And then, he got after it on Twitter.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody pic.twitter.com/skXuZVgrYR

— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) February 14, 2023

Enter AJ Brown.

First off congratulations. Y’all deserve it .This is lame. You was on the way out the league before mahomes resurrected your career on your 1 year deal Tik-Tok boy . He admitted that he grabbed you but don’t act like your like that or ever was. But congratulations again! https://t.co/Z3SpMXnP4K

— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) February 14, 2023

As of the writing of this article, a successful ratio from AJ Brown. Good work.

Chris Simms

Must I say anymore about this guy?

His schtick all season long was to discredit Jalen Hurts. Even as he appeared entirely wrong about Hurts and stood just days away from watching him in the Super Bowl, he fired off one more shot.

“Playing QB for the Eagles right now is set up to be one of the easier QB jobs in the sport”

-Chris Simms admits he was wrong about Jalen Hurts but says Jalen is not top 10 passer in NFL

Pod with @CSimmsQB on Jalen & Eagles fans in his mentionshttps://t.co/2DH3zYwU54 pic.twitter.com/B6Kgo8bRu3

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 8, 2023

Jalen Hurts in Super Bowl 57: 27-38, 304 passing yards, 70 rushing yards, 4 total TDs

“The Sodfather”

Once again, the Eagles lost the game on their own. There will be no blaming people other than the ones who did not get their job done on the field.

However, you can’t have an awesome nickname like “The Sodfather” and screw up the biggest sporting event of the year. This isn’t forgetting to water your neighbors’ plants while they are away for the weekend, this is the Super Bowl.

This man dedicated his life to this beautiful game and was given more money than most people will see in their lifetime to put together the field.

AND IT WAS ATROCIOUS!

The NFL has spent two years preparing the grass for tonight's field at the Super Bowl.

The grass was grown at a local sod farm in Phoenix.

It was installed two weeks ago, and the field has been rolled out each morning for daily sunshine.

Total cost = $800,000 pic.twitter.com/Um8zZala2O

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) February 12, 2023

Two years spent on this only to end up with the world’s best athletes looking like they were on skates.

The real Super Bowl MVP tonight is George Toma.

He is 94 years old and has been a groundskeeper for the Athletics, Royals, and Chiefs.

He has prepared fields for 37 Pro Bowls, several World Series, and EVERY SINGLE SUPER BOWL IN HISTORY.

His nickname? "The Sodfather" pic.twitter.com/9460UCsZe4

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) February 12, 2023

Enjoyed catching up with the Sodfather, as George Toma told me and @TomPelissero this will be his last Super Bowl. “I’m 94, you know.” Major respect to the world’s expert on grass. pic.twitter.com/EFkMG0gNLV

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 12, 2023

The Sodfather had a worse final season than Tom Brady.

Honorable MentionsKelly Clarkson: She wrote “Since U Been Gone” which is a certified banger, but her disaster of an attempt at a joke at the Eagles’ expense was unfortunate.

pic.twitter.com/UtpgsyQiH5

— Haley Taylor (@Haleytsimon) February 10, 2023

I was nice this time around, don’t do it again.

Julian Love: Who can forget this talking point?

Some interesting Nick Sirianni comments from Giants safety Julian Love on GMFB this morning. pic.twitter.com/xdxeKGjuhD

— Bob Wankel (@BobWankelCB) February 2, 2023

Love has since deleted his quote tweet of what he said about Sirianni and then retweeted James Bradberry’s tweet on Tuesday afternoon about being an All-Pro.

So…

He gets a pass for now.

The post Ray’s Ramblings: The Five Enemies We Made Along The Way appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are down both of their Coordinators. And to discuss what their plans may be to replace them. Jeff McLane joined the Anthony Gargano show. Are there certain names to watch for at DC? Is Brian Johnson a lock at OC? Jeff McLane discussed that and more. See what he had to say below.

On if Gus Bradley could be an option for the Eagles at Defensive Coordinator…

“Internally, Dennard Wilson would be the guy. I don’t know if that is where they want to go. I have heard good things about him. And that would allow them to keep the scheme, and you have some players who are scheme-specific, primarily Jordan Davis… The Gus (Bradley) thing is interesting. That is a different scheme. he is from the Pete Carrol school. A lot of Cover 3. 4-3 Under. So you are changing things. It is not going to the wide 9. But you would have to change things up a little bit.

The Eagles have 7 starters who are going to be free agents, so you could certainly cater what you do in terms of personnel in terms of the scheme. But the problem is you just expended a first-round pick on Jordan Davis. I don’t know if he is the type of guy who can play in that scheme… The one thing we know he can do is lineup over the center and be an NT. The other stuff he can’t do very well right now.”

On Brian Johnson as the next Offensive Coordinator

“That one is written in stone. I don’t think he technically called plays in his previous stops. So it will be a question for Nick if he wants to go back to doing that, or if he hands it to Brian. My guess is he keeps it the way it is because it has worked so well since they made that change. It frees up Nick to do other things, be more involved in the defense, and certainly in terms of game management. He has been one of the best game managers since that switch.

But you are talking about a different play caller, and that opens another can of worms. I know Brian Johnson is highly regarded. My guess is if Jalen Hurts continues to play this well, it could be almost a one-and-done with brian… This is what happens when you have a successful team. You start losing coaches.”

And you can listen to the full interview with Jeff McLane below…The Eagles Off-Season Needs on OffenseWelp, a great season ended in tragedy. This Eagles team looked elite all season. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. And they were still in the game until the final moments. They came that close just to fall 3 points short. And now, we turn our eyes to the Off-Season. Bouncing back from losing in the Super Bowl can be tough. But not impossible. The Patriots came right back from losing to the Eagles to win it the next year. The Bengals lost to the Rams, and then made it to the AFC Championship game the next season. But making that return starts with having a great off-season. Let’s look at what the Eagles need to do, starting on the offense.

The Eagles are in a unique position of having nearly their entire offensive core locked up. Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson, and Dallas Goedert are all returning for at least the next two years. The people who may be leaving are Isaac Seumalo, Miles Sanders, and Jason Kelce. Seumalo and Sanders are free agents who may be too pricey to hold onto. And Jason Kelce is of course mulling his retirement. Beyond those 3 though, they are in a great position to run back the offense that was 2nd in scoring and went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

So what do the Eagles need to do to maintain having the elite offense they had this year? Let’s look at each position, and if they will need to improve it or address it in the offseason. What positions could the Eagles address in Free Agency or the Draft? Are there players at those positions that would make sense for them? Here are the Eagles’ off-season needs on the offensive side of the ball.

The post Jeff McLane on The Eagles Plans to Replace Their Coordinators appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In his Opening Diatribe this Morning, Anthony Discussed Why Jonathan Gannon Leaving is Good News…

It started yesterday with the hire of Jonathan Gannon. That was good news. A little bit of change at DC might not be a bad thing. I know there are a lot of people in the media saying “Oh my god, can the Eagles survive without Jonathan Gannon? It could be the end of the world. He was such a great coach.”

The shame of it is he didn’t take the job earlier. Because maybe you would have had Vic Fangio. Because I know he really wanted to come to the Eagles. Now you are a bit scrambling, there are not a ton of candidates out there.

Look, I don’t think Gannon was a bad coach. He frustrated me with his defensive beliefs and how he called the game. When you are a young coach, and you are going up a Andy Reid, you will take your lumps sometimes. They scored two TDs on that same motion play, and that was already on tape from Jacksonville. Where it looks like he will take that route across the field, and he doesn’t. It is tough to stop a team 2nd and goal from the 3. But it is fair to point out that criticism that you failed in that spot for walk-in TDs. You didn’t adjust in the second half.

But nobody can convince me that he called a good game in the second half… I thought Andy Reid took his lunch, despite having the ball 12 fewer minutes. Gannon is one of the reasons they lost the game. As great of a year as the Eagles’ defense had, they did feast a lot against bad QBs… Over the two years, he was Defensive Coordinator, they got riddled more than once.

I don’t think it’s a death knell that the Eagles lost Jonathan Gannon… You lost both Coordinators. Brian Johnson is the OC, we know that. I love Brian Johnson, he is a really sharp dude. He knows Jalen really well. That is going to be seamless. And you have got Nick, it is a Sirianni production. The greatest compliment you can give a head coach is that after two years they are poaching his assistants. That is pretty impressive. He already has a tree that is bearing fruit.

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe Below…The Eagles Off-Season Needs on OffenseWelp, a great season ended in tragedy. This Eagles team looked elite all season. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. And they were still in the game until the final moments. They came that close just to fall 3 points short. And now, we turn our eyes to the Off-Season. Bouncing back from losing in the Super Bowl can be tough. But not impossible. The Patriots came right back from losing to the Eagles to win it the next year. The Bengals lost to the Rams, and then made it to the AFC Championship game the next season. But making that return starts with having a great off-season. Let’s look at what the Eagles need to do, starting on the offense.

The Eagles are in a unique position of having nearly their entire offensive core locked up. Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson, and Dallas Goedert are all returning for at least the next two years. The people who may be leaving are Isaac Seumalo, Miles Sanders, and Jason Kelce. Seumalo and Sanders are free agents who may be too pricey to hold onto. And Jason Kelce is of course mulling his retirement. Beyond those 3 though, they are in a great position to run back the offense that was 2nd in scoring and went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

So what do the Eagles need to do to maintain having the elite offense they had this year? Let’s look at each position, and if they will need to improve it or address it in the offseason. What positions could the Eagles address in Free Agency or the Draft? Are there players at those positions that would make sense for them? Here are the Eagles’ off-season needs on the offensive side of the ball.

The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Gannon Leaving is Good News appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesday’s at 8:10am) to give his thoughts on the aftermath of Super Bowl 57. Unfortunately the Eagles not only lost the game, but lost their two coordinators. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen is now the Colts head coach, and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is now the Cardinals head coach. So who will be their replacements?

“The offensive coordinator is going to be Brian Johnson, that I don’t think there’s any question there. That you can take to the bank basically… The question will be the defensive coordinator and who that will be, and that’s not as clear cut as the offensive coordinator.”

The other big question is what will the Eagles do with Jalen Hurts. Hurts is up for an extension and how long will the Eagles wait? What will it cost?

“If I were the Eagles Id want to do the deal sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t want to wait for anyone else. $45 (million) would be a starting point for him.”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW

The Eagles Off-Season Needs on OffenseWelp, a great season ended in tragedy. This Eagles team looked elite all season. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. And they were still in the game until the final moments. They came that close just to fall 3 points short. And now, we turn our eyes to the Off-Season. Bouncing back from losing in the Super Bowl can be tough. But not impossible. The Patriots came right back from losing to the Eagles to win it the next year. The Bengals lost to the Rams, and then made it to the AFC Championship game the next season. But making that return starts with having a great off-season. Let’s look at what the Eagles need to do, starting on the offense.

The Eagles are in a unique position of having nearly their entire offensive core locked up. Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson, and Dallas Goedert are all returning for at least the next two years. The people who may be leaving are Isaac Seumalo, Miles Sanders, and Jason Kelce. Seumalo and Sanders are free agents who may be too pricey to hold onto. And Jason Kelce is of course mulling his retirement. Beyond those 3 though, they are in a great position to run back the offense that was 2nd in scoring and went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

So what do the Eagles need to do to maintain having the elite offense they had this year? Let’s look at each position, and if they will need to improve it or address it in the offseason. What positions could the Eagles address in Free Agency or the Draft? Are there players at those positions that would make sense for them? Here are the Eagles’ off-season needs on the offensive side of the ball.

The post VIDEO: Adam Schefter On Who The Eagles Will Hire As OC, & Jalen Hurts’ Contract appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

The social media generation has created a lot of cultural phenomenon moments, from stupid dances, viral rant videos and candid moments people just felt they needed to share. Sometimes it’s like watching Americas Funniest Home Videos with the subjects actually trying to get noticed. Let me see what I can do that is so dumb I’ll get noticed. Unfortunately the age of Twitter brought the birth of the “hot take” media. Quality content and adult debate and conversation instead has evolved into oddly childish exchanges. If people buy it and seek it out then that says more about them than it does the content producer.

The Eagles lost the Super Bowl. Oh yeah, they lost it. They had the game under control, let it slip away, bounced back and let it get away from them once again. It was a very entertaining watch, except for the car crash finish. Chiefs fans are going to always have that golden moment in their back pocket should they interact with any Eagles fan. Deservedly so. Their team earned it and my team didn’t. What is odd is when teams fan bases with absolutely zero pedigree try to dance as if they won something by another team losing. It’s odd to me.

I have a rule that I’ve always tried to live by. If my team wasn’t good enough to compete on the highest stages, I try to sit out any spiking the football when another team loses. Regular seasons? Completely fair game, unless the opposing team or fan base kicked the backside of my team that year and said “you go sit down”. It seems logical. I also don’t believe in History Channel sports fandom. Recent success and moments are worthy of chest thumping, but if you have to go back decades to brag it’s better to just stay away from those conversations.

I see social media from the “Forty Whiners” media outlets still somehow clinging to a belief after a 31-7 ass whooping that they would have somehow won the NFC Title Game if Brock Purdy was not knocked out of the game. Yes, that Purdy. The 3rd string rookie 7th round puck who despite being very impressive was only playing because the 49ers had already so poorly defended their QB’s that the first 2 options were out injured. Then the 4th strong QB got knocked out too. A porous offensive line got dominated all day long but 49ers fans start celebrating after 2 weeks of crying in delusion after an Eagles loss. You got beaten, you couldn’t even compete. I’m glad you found the energy to celebrate something I guess.

I saw Dallas Cowboys fans dancing on the Eagles grave. Yep, those Cowboys fans. The ones that haven’t seen an NFC Title Game in 28 years! I saw Falcons fans, who unlike the Cowboys don’t even have VHS tapes to remember when they were good, celebrating as if they have hand in this conversation.

I love sports fandom and rivalries. I spike the football EVERY time I have the advantage. When my team sucks, I choose to sit out the piling on. The big loser energy fan bases may very well be a contributor to their own demise. Instead of holding their teams responsible and demanding better, they choose to focus on celebrating Super Bowl losses of the actual achievers. Having seen some of these fan bases up close and personal, I still never grasp it. I’d rather focus on holding my underachieving team accountable than look at someone else who is having great success stumble. That’s just me. Then again, I’m not “compensating” for anything.

Thanks for the TED Talk. Now back to the local public scourging of Jonathan Gannon

The post The Big Loser Energy of the Also Rans appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles lost the Super Bowl. And then over the next two days, both their Offensive Coordinator and Defensive Coordinator took jobs elsewhere. So where do the Eagles go from here? EJ Smith from the Philly Inquirer joined us to discuss the options to replace both coordinators, to review the loss, their priority-free agents, and more. Here is what EJ Smith had to say.

On Who Might Replace Jonathan Gannon

“When you talk to members of the Eagles’ secondary, they really do talk about how impressive Dennard Wilson is… He’s an ambitious guy. He didn’t make any bones about it during training camp, he wants to be a head coach, he wants to be a defensive coordinator. He has aspirations to ascend through the coaching ranks. I think the Eagles are probably even more prepared to replace Gannon than they are with Steichen. Gannon was really deep into the Houston Texans Head Coaching vacancy last year. They kind of vetted their options then. I could see Dennard Wilson being the leading internal candidate…

When your offense and defense are top 5 in the league, it is kind of easy to look within with your coaching promotions… They have some really effective internal candidates for these jobs.”

On What Free Agent is Most Important For Them To Resign…

“The history of the Eagles would suggest Javon Hargrave will be the top priority. I am curious to see what he gets. There are teams that need DT help, with a lot of cap space. Chicago Bears come to mind. If his market starts to get competitive, it may be hard for the Eagles to justify signing him. His age is a factor there. Maybe it will scare some teams off, or maybe it will factor more in for the Eagles. But Javon Hargrave is the guy I would initially say they will value highly.

But I’ll be honest, CJ Gardner Johnson and the role he plays on the backend, I think that is invaluable… If his market isn’t as robust as the Safety market was last year, or even if it is, I can see them making an effort to bring him back… Watching this team all year, and seeing how important Gardner Johnons is to the versatility that the Eagles have on the backend, I think he will be a priority for them.”

Listen to the full interview below…The Eagles Off-Season Needs on OffenseWelp, a great season ended in tragedy. This Eagles team looked elite all season. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. And they were still in the game until the final moments. They came that close just to fall 3 points short. And now, we turn our eyes to the Off-Season. Bouncing back from losing in the Super Bowl can be tough. But not impossible. The Patriots came right back from losing to the Eagles to win it the next year. The Bengals lost to the Rams, and then made it to the AFC Championship game the next season. But making that return starts with having a great off-season. Let’s look at what the Eagles need to do, starting on the offense.

The Eagles are in a unique position of having nearly their entire offensive core locked up. Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson, and Dallas Goedert are all returning for at least the next two years. The people who may be leaving are Isaac Seumalo, Miles Sanders, and Jason Kelce. Seumalo and Sanders are free agents who may be too pricey to hold onto. And Jason Kelce is of course mulling his retirement. Beyond those 3 though, they are in a great position to run back the offense that was 2nd in scoring and went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

So what do the Eagles need to do to maintain having the elite offense they had this year? Let’s look at each position, and if they will need to improve it or address it in the offseason. What positions could the Eagles address in Free Agency or the Draft? Are there players at those positions that would make sense for them? Here are the Eagles’ off-season needs on the offensive side of the ball.

The post EJ Smith Discusses What the Eagles Next Move Is appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles fans got their wish. Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon is finalizing a deal to be the next Head Coach of the Arizona Cardinals. This now means that both the Eagles’ offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator are leaving to coach another team. Though Eagles fans’ feelings are probably a bit different. Shane Steichen they will be sad to see go. Jonathan Gannon… not so much.

It should be said, that under Gannon the Eagles’ defense was very productive this season. Well, at least until the Super Bowl. They lead the league in sacks, were up there in takeaways, and gave up the second least points per game. But, none of that mattered in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs picked apart the Eagles’ defense, with guys running wide-open on seemingly every play. They got 0 stops in the 2nd half. And in the end, it was them who gave up the final drive that let the Chiefs take the lead. There were 0 sacks, and 0 takeaways from them in that final game. And most Eagles fans put the blame squarely on Jonathan Gannon.

Eagles fans were never happy with Gannon’s scheme, even when it worked. People who came up watching the aggressive Buddy Ryan and then Jim Johnson defenses were taken aback by Gannon’s scheme. It revolved around avoiding big plays but was very soft underneath. The results vs bad and average offenses were fantastic. But we saw in both seasons that good Qbs were often very capable of finding the holes in his zone.

His players have a different view of him than fans though. Haason Reddick spoke about wanting Gannon to stay. Which makes some sense, given he had the best season of his career under Gannon.

“He lets his players be who they are at the end of the day, and if he decides to leave, whoever’s getting him I think they have a great head coach and someone the players will really take to. So, we’ll see what happens. Hopefully he doesn’t go, but that’s for my own selfish reasons.”- Haason Reddick

There is not an immediately obvious in-house candidate to replace like there is with Steichen. We know already it will be Brian Johnson taking over for the Eagles on offense. But we don’t know who that will be on defense. Denard Wilson is probably the in-house name with the most traction. He filled the role of DB coach and Defensive Passing Game Coordinator last year and is known to be well-respected around the team and the league. There were rumors the Eagles eyed Vic Fangio, who spent time as a consultant with the team this year, as a potential replacement. But he has already accepted a DC job elsewhere.

Next year’s defense will likely not be as talented as this one. Having Hurts on a rookie deal allowed them to pour more money into the defense as usual. But that is changing, and many of their key players are free agents. They will not be able to keep them all, so at least talent-wise, it may be a step back. But it could possibly be a better-coached defense. As good as Gannon did during the year, his defense completely fell apart in the Super Bowl. They couldn’t make a single play when called upon.

Now we will see if his coaching style was really what held the defense back. The Eagles likely knew he was leaving, and already have a plan for his replacement. We do not have a clear idea of who that is yet, but it shouldn’t take too long for them to make a replacement hire. And whoever that is, will have a lot of pressure on them to outperform Gannon despite having less talent on the roster.

5 Reasons Why The Eagles Lost The Super BowlIt sucked. There is no other way to put it. The Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in a late LATE field goal which forced the Eagles to try a desperation heave. While the team led 24-14 at the half, the team choked in the second half and finished with a final score of 38-35. So lets talk about SOME of the reasons why the Eagles lost.

The post Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon Finalizing Deal to Coach Cardinals appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Devon Givens shared 4 things that contributed to the Eagles’ loss in the Super Bowl.

1) The Collapse on DefenseThey gave up just seven points to Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs offense in the first half. But the defense was left in the locker room at halftime. Jonathan Gannon picked the worst time to not make the necessary adjustments against the Andy Reid / Eric Bienemy playcalling. Mahomes was able to put 24 points on the board in the second half after being down 10 at the half and all you wanted to see from the Eagles’ defense was to get one stop. Just one. But it never came. Brutal.

2) The Hurts FumbleQuarterback Jalen Hurts was spectacular and had his coming out party on the biggest stage against the Chiefs. Unfortunately, the one blemish was his unforced fumble at midfield on 3rd & 5 that allowed the Chiefs’ Nick Bolton to return the ball for a touchdown, tying the score at 14-14. Hurts’ ball handling had been great all season without losing any fumbles.

That one on Sunday night was the only turnover by either team. It ended up being crucial based on how the game played out. Tough time to lose the ball and give up free points. On 3rd & 1, right guard Isaac Seumalo was called for a false start, pushing the Eagles back five yards and definitely changing the play-calling options on third and long versus a shorter distance. Hurts did make up for it by driving the Eagles downfield for a score on the next series to lead, 21-14.

3) A Bad Punt, and Bad Punt CoverageBirds punter Aaron Siposs returned for the Super Bowl after missing time due to injury. And while he punted well early in the game his fourth-quarter punt was bad. it was a low line drive brutal 38-yard kick that allowed Kadarius Toney to return the football to the Philadelphia five-yard line after KC had just scored a TD for their first lead of the game, 28-27. Momentum had officially shifted at this point.

4) The Holding CallThis play will forever be one of the things Eagles and football fans alike will remember this game for. It was 3rd & 8, the Chiefs had the ball on the 15-yard line and Mahomes throws the ball incomplete to Juju Smith-Schuster in the endzone. But, while being defended by corner James Bradberry, the official threw a late flag on Bradberry for a hold that was controversial. A ticky-tack call. Let them play with just 1:54 left on the game clock with the score tied at 35-35. Let the players decide the game. Before that flag, only eight combined penalties had been accessed on the night. Don’t call that in that spot. Rough.

The post Four Things That Contributed To The Eagles Loss In The Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In his Opening Diatribe this morning, Anthony wondered if it is possible to feel worse today than he did yesterday…

“Is it possible to feel worse? I get the feeling we are all in the Post-Super Bowl malaise. A day after sleeping on it. We all watched the game Sunday night. Then we don’t sleep, and we react to it yesterday. And a day later after a good night’s sleep, I woke up and I kind of feel worse. If that makes any sense. Im laughing because it is something called gallows humor. We laugh so we don’t cry.

I still don’t know how they didn’t win the game. Play that game over, I keep thinking back, they outplayed Kansas City. They did. They were the better team. It sounds stupid, I grant you, but they were the better team. Quite frankly, I can’t believe we are sitting here, and there is going to be no parade. I can’t believe they lost the game. I’m not blaming anything, other than I feel the universe conspired against us. If you replay that game, I think 7 out of 10 times the outcome is different… You have the Hurts fumble. They overcame it. But without that fumble, they are going to score on that drive. You were at midfield, and the way the field was tipping, I really believe they score. Instead of having the 10-point lead, they could have maybe had a larger lead at halftime. That is entirely possible.

But that doesn’t change the second half. The Chiefs were amazing offensively in the second half. It is one of those games that is haunting. I feel haunted by it…

Someone said that that game was worse than Tampa. And it was. The game itself was more insidious than the Tampa game. There were so many ways they should have won… In this game, the Eagles outplayed the Chiefs. The only thing about Tampa that was worse, was that we hadn’t won the Super Bowl. The only thing that is standing in the way of this loss being the worst in the history of Philadelphia, is that we won it in 2018. If we had not won it in 2018, I would fear for the sanity of Philadelphia. That game was torturous.”

And you can listen to his Opening Diatribe from this morning below…Live Updates: Super Bowl LVII- Eagles vs ChiefsIt all comes down to this. The Eagles went 14-3 in the regular season before steamrolling through both the Giants and 49ers, to make it here. Eagles vs Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Will the Eagles win their Second Super Bowl in team history? Will we get to parade down Broad Street again? Or will The Chiefs pull it out instead? Follow along here for live updates, pregame news, scores, big plays, and more.

The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Is It Possible to Feel Worse? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Sun came up on Monday in Philadelphia.

If it hadn’t, it likely would have been the second biggest story in town.

The day that followed the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35 was an incredibly unspectacular close to a remarkable run. In an alternate reality, Monday would have provided the electric follow-up to a Super Bowl victory.

On this afternoon, there was a deafening silence about the city. The type of quiet where you become keenly aware of what’s wrong with the car passing you, ponder what exactly they are building in that construction space down the street and try to guess the dull sound of music coming from an empty bar.

If the two weeks leading up to the game seemed to take forever, the city seemed a step slower in the aftershock of the loss. Still sporting their green, Philadelphians went back to reality and relinquished the center of the sports universe to another town once again.

—

On nearly every residential block, there were remnants of some shenanigans from the prior night. Pick a case of your favorite light beer, there was an empty box of it awaiting to be picked up by a trash truck. Plastic bins with green icing lining the bottom of it depicted an Eagles cake that was hopefully devoured at halftime while things were still going sweet.

In the Northern Liberties and Fishtown neighborhoods, popular lunch spots seemed slower than usual. People walked alone or in twos, with little pep in their step and a hydrating drink that suggested they may have indulged a little too much the night before.

The supermarkets were still feeling the impact of the game in their sections with alcohol and snacks, with one particular location having entirely barren in the corn chip aisle. The same store also was missing a considerable draw for patrons just a day earlier.

Where before it was ripe with Eagles balloons, the store had replaced them all with Valentine’s Day themed ones, save for one small section. As if watching the game wasn’t enough, there were Chiefs-themed balloons staring at customers as they made their way through the checkout.

Further down the street, one man moved quickly, both in pacing and in shifting his attire to a Philadelphia Phillies sweatshirt, as he attempted to catch the subway.

On Frankford and Girard, a number of Philadelphians found themselves in green once again as they waited in line for cheesesteaks. Two men stopped one another, gave a side shrug and began talking about a defense they once believed in.

Across the street, a family of Philadelphia 76ers’ fans posed in front of a mural of a former Sixer known most for his defense. The group’s shirts suggested they had begun to shift focus from football to basketball, as many in the sports world will do in the next few days.

Along the Delaware River, an Eagles flag flew with fervor in the wind. It had the energy that so many Philadelphians had felt in the build up to the Super Bowl.

In that moment, it was pushed along by the wind as time will push along the road of fandom. As the flag would come to a seemingly lifeless halt, there would be some sort of enthusiastic swoosh of energy that kept it up.

In Old City, a mailman jumped out of his van just as Anthony Gargano let out a defeated sigh on his radio. The man was commiserating in a very Philadelphian way, agonizing over the loss by listening to sports talk radio.

Talking it out over the phone was the solution of a man in Chinatown, who paced back and forth in an Eagles jacket, waving his arms to the heavens.

A man emerged from Reading Terminal Market in an Eagles sweatshirt, took a long drag of his cigarette and slumped his shoulders in silence.

Green ruled the day inside of the market. Hats, jerseys and scarves.

A man in a black “It’s A Philly Thing” shirt sat at the bar, slowly enjoying a cold one. He slumped back into his chair, placing his head on his arm and looking upward in wonderment.

At a few nearby hotels, visits to town were all but over. Suitcases were loaded into ride share cars and passengers hopped in, their taste of home had a bitter end to it.

The show was finished. There would be no parade in those streets and the premium they paid to be close to City Hall in case of a massive postgame celebration was for nothing. Nearby, stacked barricades show the unfinished preparation for a party never fully executed.

The Ben Franklin Parkway, once a runway for the most joyous celebration in the town’s sports history, was nothing more than a road littered with some rogue green confetti and plastic cups with a tiny bit of green jello shot still remaining in them.

While Eagles gear was evident all across the city, the largest collection of fans gathered closest to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Maybe as a sanctuary in the wake of Sunday’s struggle or maybe because they knew there would be no bigger gathering here by the end of the week.

A man stood in front of Rocky in an Eagles sweatshirt and offered a “Go Eagles” to a group of strangers in an array of Philadelphia sports attire. They gave him a fist pump and he reminded them that, “We still fly high” before asking if they needed a picture taken.

Some ran up the steps, some made new friends and others stared up at the building. As if Jason Kelce was on a podium once again, giving one more electrifying speech.

Two women clad in Eagles gear sat in Eakins Oval before finally standing up and turning back towards the museum one more time. One remarked that the weather was at least nice on this otherwise terrible day.

The Sun came up again in Philadelphia.

One day closer to another Eagles season and one day closer to being amongst football’s elite towns of champions.

The post Scenes Following the Eagles’ Super Bowl Loss appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With the season officially over, the Eagles coaching staff is getting gutted. Lets start off with what we already knew. The Indianapolis Colts officially announced the hiring of Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen.

We got our guy. pic.twitter.com/xZJXgfavFY

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) February 14, 2023

For anyone hoping that maybe Steichen could stay because after all, the Colts found themselves in this situation before and they had to look elsewhere, (If you dont know what im talking about I am referring to the time that the Colts hired that snake Josh McDaniels only to see him run back to ~~daddy~~ Bill Belichick. This resulted in the Colts having to pivot and go to another candidate, Eagles then OC Frank Reich.) that is HIGHLY unlikely to happen.

The Eagles will now look to replace Steichen and the internal candidate that should be elevated is QB’s coach Brian Johnson. Johnson worked with Jalen Hurts since he was a college athlete and was hired because of his familiarity with the franchise QB. Johnson, along with the offseason work Hurts did with Tom House, led Hurts to have an MVP type season.

5 Reasons Why The Eagles Lost The Super BowlIt sucked. There is no other way to put it. The Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in a late LATE field goal which forced the Eagles to try a desperation heave. While the team led 24-14 at the half, the team choked in the second half and finished with a final score of 38-35. So lets talk about SOME of the reasons why the Eagles lost.

The post Shane Steichen Hired By Colts. appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Welp, a great season ended in tragedy. This Eagles team looked elite all season. They were top 5 on both sides of the ball. And they were still in the game until the final moments. They came that close just to fall 3 points short. And now, we turn our eyes to the Off-Season. Bouncing back from losing in the Super Bowl can be tough. But not impossible. The Patriots came right back from losing to the Eagles to win it the next year. The Bengals lost to the Rams, and then made it to the AFC Championship game the next season. But making that return starts with having a great off-season. Let’s look at what the Eagles need to do, starting on the offense.

The Eagles are in a unique position of having nearly their entire offensive core locked up. Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson, and Dallas Goedert are all returning for at least the next two years. The people who may be leaving are Isaac Seumalo, Miles Sanders, and Jason Kelce. Seumalo and Sanders are free agents who may be too pricey to hold onto. And Jason Kelce is of course mulling his retirement. Beyond those 3 though, they are in a great position to run back the offense that was 2nd in scoring and went toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

So what do the Eagles need to do to maintain having the elite offense they had this year? Let’s look at each position, and if they will need to improve it or address it in the offseason. What positions could the Eagles address in Free Agency or the Draft? Are there players at those positions that would make sense for them? Here are the Eagles’ off-season needs on the offensive side of the ball.

The post The Eagles Off-Season Needs on Offense appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This weekend, the Philadelphia Eagles fell in Super Bowl 57 to the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 38-35. It was a painful loss, from a 10-point blown halftime lead, to an absentee run game, to an inability to stop Patrick Mahomes, and even to an awful playing surface and a poor job of officiating in the biggest moment of the game. What made the game hurt even more, though, was what led up to it. The 2023 Eagles were the greatest team we had ever seen play football in this city, and they have spent the past 5 months rampaging through the rest of the NFL. They were an absolute juggernaut, poised to hoist the franchise’s second Lombardi and cement Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni as the next great QB-Coach duo in the league. And then, in just a half of football, it was all gone. Vanished into thin air, with a feeling of “Damn, all that for nothing.” First of all, if you’re feeling that way, you’re not alone. Secondly, know that this is a temporary feeling, and with time, it’s likely that we will be able to appreciate how special this year was. But finally, and most importantly, we have to know that this is the price of sports success.

Nick Sirianni talked all year long about climbing a mountain as an analogy for the Eagles’ season, and how the team needs to take everything step by step. Well, when you get closer and closer to the top of the mountain, the path becomes much more treacherous. On top of that, you have much further to fall. It’s true on Everest, and it’s true in sports. The Eagles got as close to the peak as you can get without summitting the mountain, and so they had a long, long way to fall when they came up short. That extends to us as fans of the team, and it’s something that we need to get used to. This Philadelphia Eagles core is far from done. Jalen Hurts proved Sunday that he is the real deal, Nick Sirianni is a great leader, and you have the best General Manager in football (and possibly sports in general) running the roster construction. There are no guarantees that this team will be back, but they are as well set up as any team in the NFC to have sustained success. On top of that, the Phillies and the Sixers are both still in legitimate championship windows. This will not be the last time we feel this way.

Ask any sports fan who has had the benefit of living through a dynasty. Ask a Boston fan. Ask a New York Yankees fan. If you know anyone over the age of 60 who is a Cowboys fan you can ask them. With higher expectations come higher stakes and higher levels of disappointment when seasons end in failure. You think there were any Houston Texans fans sobbing at the end of the season? I wrote a similar article to this one when the Phillies fell to the Houston Astros in the World Series back in early November, and that loss pales in comparison to what we witnessed this past Sunday. If we’re lucky, I’ll be writing another one of these later this summer following an outstanding playoff run by the Sixers that lead them to the NBA Finals. And over the next couple of years, hopefully there will even be a couple of celebratory ones following championships. But, as we continue this new level of winning in this generation of Philly sports, we have to be prepared to pay this type of heartbreak as the price of success.

Power Ranking The Top 10 Philly Athletes Right NowIt’s been a bit of a slow week in Philly sports with the Eagles doing their pre-Super Bowl week prep, the Sixers in a bit of a lull in their schedule, and the Flyers heading into the NHL All-Star break. The news cycle will pick back up when the Eagles take off for Glendale, Arizona next week, but in the meantime, let’s add the latest installment to a classic sports conversation: who are the top 10 athletes in the city right now? Sorry, Union fans, I am not well versed enough with the team to rank them among the big 4 teams, no disrespect meant. Flyers fans, I’m not sorry. We both know no one on that team right now is top 10 in the city.

The post This Is The Price Of Success appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

The Penalty Call on James Bradbury might be his final memory

The penalty call that allowed the KC Chiefs to run out the clock in the Super Bowl against James Bradbury will forever be a part of Eagles lore. The chatter from many on social media was that the Eagles were denied the chance to tie the game because of the controversial call. I look at it in a different way.

The Eagles had 58 minutes to capitalize on various opportunities to secure that victory. It’s hard to take any issue with the Eagles offensive performance. When you score 35 points that should be enough to claim a title. They did stall out, scoring only 11 points in the second half. The defense on the other hand never responded. Every drive ending in points for the Chiefs. They are now only the second team ever to blow a 10 point lead at halftime. James Bradbury was a huge part of why the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl. He was impactful early, but became just a steady performer after the halfway point of the season. He wasn’t really a difference maker but his talent will be missed if they don’t bring him back which isn’t expected.

The Brain Drain begins at the Novacare Complex

Shane Steichen appears to be the choice of the Indianapolis Colts to take over as their Head Coach. After the Eagles won Super Bowl 52 the Colts hired away the Eagles Offensive Coordinator Frank Reich. The Colts obviously are hoping that this time will be more successful. There are reports that Jonathan Gannon could be emerging as the top candidate for the Cardinals Head Coaching job. Who will emerge as the favorites to fill those roles is yet to be determined. Nick Sirianni will most likely chose an internal candidate to promote to offensive coordinator if Steichen departs. A defensive coordinator would be a more difficult position to determine the eventual outcome if replacement is needed.

Getting Back Next Year Won’t Be That Easy

The idea that the Eagles will get back to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas next season with an attempt to avenge the loss to the Chiefs sounds easier than it will actually be to accomplish. In fact, history would tell you that the odds are stacked against them. The only team in recent history to ever get back to the attempt to win the Super Bowl after losing the year before is the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 53, after losing to the Eagles the year before. The last team to accomplish the return trip was the Bills in Super Bowl 28. They lost that opportunity.

A lot of things work against you in an attempt to get back. The Bengals had to play a stacked schedule in 2022 after cruising to the Super Bowl on a last place schedule in 2021. They started slowly and then found their stride later in the season, but fell short at Kansas City in the AFC Title Game. This was a huge missed opportunity. The odds that the Eagles will be able to grab the top seed in the NFC are probably slim. The schedule will be tougher and the target will be clearly on their backs.

The post Random Thoughts Cleaning Up After Super Bowl 57 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony Gargano Talked About the Eagles’ Tough Loss Last Night in his Opening Diatribe…

It was a tough one last night. They played a hell of a game. This was not something where they were run off the field. It was just so tantalizingly close. That second half was a kick in the stones. It was a gut punch in every facet. You get a 10-point lead at halftime, you have to finish the deal. Ultimately, you cant give Patrick Mahomes short fields. And the defensive coordinator has to come up with an answer. You have to change things, have to do something to slow them down…

The Eagles were so good offensively with controlling the ball. We talked about time of possession, and how huge it would be. To keep Mahomes on the sideline. They held the ball for 35:47. You are talking about almost a 12-minute advantage. They had the ball basically another quarter. That is a huge advantage. You can t lose when you hold the ball that long. That is where the defensive coordinator has to change things up. You have to get a stop.

Jalen played his heart out. You throw for 300 yards and rush for 3 scores. That is one of those epic performances in those Super Bowls. He was tremendous. But you have to get off the field. And the biggest worry I had coming into the game was could they stop Mahomes. In the second half, they couldn’t get out of their own way. Nary a sack…

What a gut-wrenching one. After going through the Phillies, and the Union. Now the Birds losing in the championship game is just tough…

However, the Eagles are a really good team… The Eagles went toe to toe with the Chiefs. They could have and should have won. They are there. And they aren’t going anywhere… The chances are they are going to be there. They are set up for the future. And the same thing goes for the Phillies.

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…Live Updates: Super Bowl LVII- Eagles vs ChiefsIt all comes down to this. The Eagles went 14-3 in the regular season before steamrolling through both the Giants and 49ers, to make it here. Eagles vs Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Will the Eagles win their Second Super Bowl in team history? Will we get to parade down Broad Street again? Or will The Chiefs pull it out instead? Follow along here for live updates, pregame news, scores, big plays, and more.

The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- That was a Tough One appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Zach Berman from The Athletic has joined the John Kincade show after every game this Eagles season to discuss his takeaways from the game. This season its been a lot of positive talk. The Eagles wrapped up the regular season 14-3 and then dominated their opponents in a way to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately they fell short losing to the Chiefs 38-35.

Zach was asked if there was anything he thinks the Eagles should have done differently;

“I think they should have gone for it instead of punting the ball on the 4th and 3 in the 2nd half… I thought that this was a game where you needed to be aggressive… The reality is that the Eagles were not stopping Mahomes, and I think you have to go for it there despite being on your own side of the field.”

There was an interesting holding call late in the game that seemed to cost the Eagles an opportunity to tie the game late. Many are speculating if the call should have been made or not and Zach gave his thoughts;

“James Bradberry stood by his locker and took every single question… He admitted to tugging the jersey. It’s a really tough call in that spot. By the letter of the law, that’s holding, and I don’t think you can knock the call based on that, but on a 3rd and 8 in the Super Bowl, I think that’s a situation where you let it go a bit.”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW

5 Reasons Why The Eagles Lost The Super BowlIt sucked. There is no other way to put it. The Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in a late LATE field goal which forced the Eagles to try a desperation heave. While the team led 24-14 at the half, the team choked in the second half and finished with a final score of 38-35. So lets talk about SOME of the reasons why the Eagles lost.

The post VIDEO: Zach Berman Discusses The Eagles Losing Super Bowl 57 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It sucked. There is no other way to put it. The Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in a late LATE field goal which forced the Eagles to try a desperation heave. While the team led 24-14 at the half, the team choked in the second half and finished with a final score of 38-35. So lets talk about SOME of the reasons why the Eagles lost.

The post 5 Reasons Why The Eagles Lost The Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Dear National Football League,

I would like to be the first to congratulate you on your big day. Your league was on display worldwide, on the biggest stage in North American sports, and you gave a true representation of what your league is. Where do I even start? Let’s start with the field the game was played on. Tahoma 31 grass. How cool is it that you spent 2 years and $800,000 developing a new type of grass just for this game?? That’s awesome. Don’t mind the fact that it was the worst possible surface to play one of the great Super Bowls ever on. Don’t mind that both teams came out after the game and said it was completely unacceptable to play on a playing surface like that. Don’t mind that Haason Reddick, one of the great defensive stars in your league, called it “The worst field I ever played on”. Oh, and definitely don’t mind that every single person watching that game, regardless of rooting interest, watch you create a field so devoid of grip that players with the best footwear on the planet couldn’t complete a kickoff or a touchdown celebration without falling over. Forget all that, congrats on developing new grass.

Now, let’s go to your employees. Or, should I say, your contractors. Congratulations on getting the most out of part time employees. I understand how difficult it can be sometimes to get the best work out of folks who aren’t full time employees. No, I’m not talking about the stadium ushers, the food vendors, or the halftime performers. I’m talking about the NFL referees that are tasked with officiating, and in some cases deciding, one of the most wagered on sporting events on the planet. They might not have been good all year long, but man did they just do their best work in the biggest spot. With two incredible quarterbacks and two outstanding teams in the heat of battle, fighting for the right to hoist your Lombardi Trophy, your referees decided that rather than giving one of your superstars a chance to put together one of the most exciting sequences in your sport – a game winning, last minute drive – they would call a ticky tack penalty that would’ve been suspect in Week 1, much more so in the DAMN SUPER BOWL. What exciting ending did it lead to? Patrick Mahomes slowly walking backwards as time drained off the clock, setting up a nail biting 27 yard field goal. Absolutely electric. If you ever do decide to start holding your officials accountable (I know, you won’t), this Super Bowl’s crew would be a great place to begin.

Finally, congratulations to your commissioner, Roger Goodell. You have a real trifecta with that guy, let me tell you. He’s unlikable, ineffective at his job, and uncaring about the issues facing the sport he gets paid MILLIONS to try and keep the integrity of the game intact. Outstanding work by your boy Roger. Earlier this week, he told the fans of your sport that “When you look at officiating, I don’t think it’s ever been better.” Well either you’ve just had the largest drop off in one week of the quality of a product in recorded human history, or you straight up have no idea what the hell you’re talking about. I’m voting for the latter. On the biggest stage, NFL, you have once again spit in the face of your fans and consumers, to the point where I’m not sure why anybody would ever trust your product again. Bad field. Bad refs. Bad leadership. That’s what you do best. So again, congratulations on your big night. Hope you enjoyed it. God knows your fans didn’t.

Sincerely,
Connor Thomas

The post An Open Letter To The NFL appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

It’s going to be a long time before you feel OK about how things turned out on Sunday in SB57. It’s the seasons where you actually accomplish something that hurt and matter the most when they don’t end in a championship. The 2022 season will go down as one of “what might have been” instead of a championship. The mistakes made and the decisions that caused some head scratching moments will forever become part of the collective scar of the fan base. A chance to elevate league wide status with another Lombardi trophy didn’t materialize. They have nobody to blame but themselves.

If you believe that the questionable call that extended the Chiefs final scoring drive was the reason the Eagles lost the game, I’m going to have to vehemently disagree. Was it a contributing factor? Sure. Does blaming that completely ignore everything that happened in that disastrous second half? Yep.

The Eagles did uncharacteristic things in the Super Bowl that they hadn’t done all season. They had unforced errors, including a terrible turnover that led to a Chiefs touchdown from Jalen Hurts. My lasting memory of the game though will be that Jalen Hurts answered every possible question about whether he was ready for the big stage. He was absolutely the best quarterback on the field. He threw for 300 yards and rushed for another 70. He showed poise and confidence. It was eye popping. Sign the man and know that you have an answer at quarterback for a generation of fans to enjoy in the future.

The field conditions were atrocious. Before people start using that as an excuse remember that both teams played on it. The turf was more like a skating rink and was instrumental in many critical plays. That can’t happen for a multi-billion industry. The NFL should be pissed that it’s biggest showcase was affected by something so avoidable.

Jonathan Gannon had a poor second half. There is no debating it. The adjustments made by the Chiefs after halftime were never answered. Coaches weren’t the reason you lost that game. Whether it was a fumble that led to a gift TD or numerous clock violations, the team looked shaky. The overwhelming factor was your best weapon on defense, your pass rush, was completely invisible. They never got Patrick Mahomes down on the ground, let alone pressure him hardly at all. They couldn’t collapse the pocket and when they did they gave him running lanes that led to big conversions.

I know you won’t want to hear this today and I get it. Remember, the 1980 and 2004 Eagles teams are considered historic and are celebrated in this city decades later. After the losses in Super Bowls 15 and 39 there was a lot of complaining and anger. It’s expected and I would dare to say cathartic. It takes time for the temperature to die down and for reflection to begin. Nobody wants to reflect on the accomplishments today, but we will and we will find reasons to be proud.

Silver linings will come, but not today.

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It was a great season, with an ugly ending. The Chiefs high powered offense was just too much for the Eagles to handle. Jalen Hurts played out of his mind. But the Eagles got precisely 0 stops in the second half, letting the Chiefs come back to win it. This is an Eagles team set up to be good for a while. But that won’t keep this one from hurting. We will remember the way they fell short to the Chiefs for a while.

The shame of it is, it was a waste of an MVP performance by Jalen Hurts. 4 total TDs, 3 with his legs, plus a late 2pt conversation to tie it up. Maybe if he got one last chance he would have had even more magic up his sleeves too. So many big-time throws when the Eagles needed it most. He balled out. But his defense let him down. After being so good all year, the Eagles’ defense cost them this game. The team that led the league in sacks, and came close to setting the record, got 0 sacks. The team that was near the top in takeaways, forced none. And the team that gave up the 2nd least points of the season gave up 38.

The story for the next week, other than the bad play of the defense, will be a very weak holding call on James Bradberry. It is not the reason the Eagles lost. But it was still a horrible decision by the ref. Bradberry barely touched the WR. But the flag was thrown. And if the defense made stops earlier in that drive it would not have come down to that.

They come up short. It is a loss that will hurt for a long time. They could have won this game. They should have won this game. When your QB balls out like that, you need to win. But the defense just couldn’t get it done. Too many wide-open players, too many missed tackles, and too few plays made. It was an awesome season. But the ending sucked.

The good news is they have a franchise QB. They can get back here. But that won’t make these next few weeks hurt less. Watching the Phillies, the Union, and the Eagles all make it to the final game, just to blow it, is not something any of us will get over anytime soon. Our teams keep falling short when it matters most. And this Eagles’ loss, with how great they played all season, will hurt the most.

Live Updates: Super Bowl LVII- Eagles vs ChiefsIt all comes down to this. The Eagles went 14-3 in the regular season before steamrolling through both the Giants and 49ers, to make it here. Eagles vs Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Will the Eagles win their Second Super Bowl in team history? Will we get to parade down Broad Street again? Or will The Chiefs pull it out instead? Follow along here for live updates, pregame news, scores, big plays, and more.

The post Eagles Fall Short To Chiefs In Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We have all of the field level photos from Super Bowl LVII. Two teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, will do their best to exert their will at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Who will come out on top after 60 minutes, only time will tell.

See our LIVE updates blog here. The post Super Bowl LVII Field Level Photos appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It all comes down to this. The Eagles went 14-3 in the regular season before steamrolling through both the Giants and 49ers, to make it here. Eagles vs Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Will the Eagles win their Second Super Bowl in team history? Will we get to parade down Broad Street again? Or will The Chiefs pull it out instead? Follow along here for live updates, pregame news, scores, big plays, and more.

The post Live Updates: Super Bowl LVII- Eagles vs Chiefs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Couldnt wait to do predictions for this one. The big question is….is anyone at the Fanatic picking the Chiefs? Well lets find out.

The post Super Bowl 57: Eagles vs. Chiefs Staff Predictions appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In just over 48 hours, Super Bowl LVII will be kicking off. And get some insight into how the game will play out, The Best Show Ever talked to Dave Zangaro, who covers the Eagles for NBC Sports Philly. How will this game play out? What matchups can the Eagles exploit? Dave Zangaro discussed all that and more about Super Bowl LVII. Here is what he had to say.

On what team has the better roster

“I think the Eagles are the better team. If you play that game where you go position by position I think there is more talent on the Eagles roster. And I think Mahomes is the better Qb. I don’t think that is a knock on Jalen Hurts. Mahomes has proven it year after year. He won the MVP. And he is great. But I don’t know if the gap between them is big enough to overcome the gap in overall roster talent. And the Eagles are the more talented team. Stopping Mahomes is daunting… But the Eagles have a lot of great players… If you were putting a list together of the top 10-15 players, you would end up with more Eagles. And that really matters in the Super Bowl.”

On how the Chiefs may attack the Eagles’ Defense

“I think it is getting their players the ball in rhythm and creating after the catch. Which is something they have done all year. That isn’t something they are just trying to attack against the Eagles. It is just something they have done really well all year. That is what makes them impressive… What they have done so well is just being efficient. The league has really changed the way they play Patrick Mahomes. The scary thing about it is it hasn’t really mattered. He has been really effective with the receivers they have.

The plan Gannon had against the Chiefs last year, I don’t think it will be that dissimilar from that. The difference is the Eagles have more talent. And they especially have more talent up front. That is really what this game can come down to. If they can make Mahomes uncomfortable. Make him make some bad throws… force him into bad plays, that’s really the key””

On How the Chiefs Can Go About Stopping the Eagles’ Offense

“It is tough. I have a lot of respect for Steve Spagnolo, but I don’t know… They are really balanced. That is what makes them incredibly difficult to defend. The Chiefs had the number 1 offense in the league. The Eagles are right there behind them. I would argue that they have a more balanced offense, and it starts with that offensive line. They don’t give up anything. They are so good in the run game. They’ll move people out of the way, and they can move this defensive line. Chris Jones is good, he is great in fact. But the Eagles’ offensive line has an advantage there.

And I think those corners are susceptible as well. Snead is a really good player. But they have two other rookies starting. If it is Jaylen Watson vs Devonta Smith, I’m taking that matchup 10 out of 10 times. That could be a huge matchup.”

And you can listen to the full discussion with Dave Zangaro about Super Bowl LVII belowWho Has the Better Roster- Special Teams EditionThe Super Bowl gets closer and closer. And what better way to pass the time than to break down the matchup endlessly? On Tuesday we took a look at both teams’ offenses, and it came up Eagles, with them winning 6 out of 9 matchups. Yesterday we looked at the defenses, and the Eagles won 4 out of the 5 matchups. But what about Special Teams? It is perhaps the least important of the 3 units. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. And it may be the Eagles’ one weak link. So let’s see who has the edge on Special Teams.

The post Dave Zangaro Joins Us To Preview Super Bowl LVII appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nick Sirianni is a big part of the reason the Eagles find themselves in the Super Bowl. Even if he did get snubbed for Coach of the Year for a guy he beat 3 times this season. He has gone from a bit of a punchline to a coach about to see his team play on the biggest stage. And Matt Breen from The Philadelphia Inquirer recently wrote an interesting piece about what shaped Nick Sirianni into the coach he is today. He joined The Best Show Ever today to discuss Sirianni, the job he has done this season, and more. See what Matt Breen had to say below.

On if Nick Sirianni thinks he is a better coach than Andy Reid

“You have to think like that. You can’t go in there and bend the knee to Andy Reid… I don’t think Doug Pederson bowed to Bill Belichick. Obviously, Belichick is a better coach than Pederson is. But is that going to do you any good if you go into the Super Bowl thinking that? No. Nick Sirianni is the same way. He respects Andy Reid. We all can agree Andy has had a Hall of Fame career. But if you are going to go in there thinking he is a better head coach than me, that is not going to do you any good.

Nick Sirianni seems to be a very confident coach. He believes in what he does. And has taken the right steps to get to where he is. He didn’t cut any corners. There were no shortcuts to this spot for him. I think he is ready for it.”

On using being fired by Andy Reid as fuel

“Andy Reid fired Nick Sirianni. And he allowed a little bit of a view into how he feels about that when he said when the Chargers beat the Chiefs when he was an assistant coach there, how much it meant to him… Let’s go back to the Colts game, and the way Nick Sirianni reacted, saying this is for Frank Reich. He uses this as fuel. That is going to fuel him on Sunday that he is going against the guy who fired him. Right or wrong. Coaches have a right to have new assistants. But he uses that as a bit of an edge.”

Listen to the full interview with Matt Breen belowWho Has The Better Roster- Offense EditionWe are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Let’s find out, starting today with the offense.

The post Matt Breen Joins to Discusses Nick Sirianni’s Road to the Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Super Bowl LVII is just a couple of days away. And to preview the game, Zach Berman from The Athletic joined Anthony Gargano. What are his final thoughts on the game? Are there matchups he thinks the Eagles will take advantage of? How does he see this game playing out? Zach Berman discussed that and more about Super Bowl LVII. See what he had to say below.

On the Eagles’ Offense vs the Chiefs’ Defense

“I start with the line of scrimmage. The Eagles have the overall advantage, their offensive line vs the Chiefs’ defensive front. That said… Chris Jones, it is like watching Aaron Donald out there. That’s high praise, but he is that type of player. He can wreck a game plan. That is what you need to worry about. Where is Chris Jones? If he lines up over Isaac Seumalo for instance, that could be a challenge for the Eagles. But I think the Eagles have an advantage on the edge too. Their WRs match up well vs these corners. And they have the advantage at the line of scrimmage running the ball. But, between Chris Jones and Frank Clark, the Chiefs can get to you. That should be a concern… These guys can play. The line of scrimmage is where the Eagles need to win this game.”

On the Eagles’ Defense vs the Chiefs’ Offense

“(Kelce) is going to be such a challenge. But what worries me from the Eagles’ perspective is Jerick McKinnon out of the backfield… If McKinnon can stretch the field there, sideline to sideline, that is really going to put strain… Andy loves throwing to those backs. McKinnon has been a big-play receiver out of the backfield. And I really think Andy is going to have some things up his sleeve outside of Kelce. You know going into the game you have to worry about Kelce. But when you look at these Chiefs’ weapons, there are a handful of players they can use around the formation, that would worry me because Mahomes can get the ball to all of them.”

And you can listen to the full interview about Super Bowl LVII with Zach Berman below…Who Has The Better Roster- Offense EditionWe are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Let’s find out, starting today with the offense.

The post Zach Berman Previews Super Bowl LVII appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 5 years ago in 2018. And today Anthony Gargano talked to one of the members of that team, Torrey Smith. Smith had some key moments along the road to the Eagles Super Bowl, including a catch of the knee of Keanu Neal vs the Falcons. He talked to Anthony about his memories of that team, his love of Philly his thoughts on the current team, and how he thinks this Super Bowl will go. Here is what Torrey Smith had to say.

On What Makes Philly Fans Different

“The passion. I have had an opportunity to play for one of the larger fanbases in the 49ers. Everywhere you go across the country you are going to see 49ers fans. But larger doesn’t mean more passionate. That is not a knock to the 49er fanbase. It is not a knock to the Ravens. Those are great fanbases. But Philadelphia is different. I tell people that, and they ask what I mean. Everyone is all in. The majority of the people are cheering for the Eagles. When I was getting an Uber, and the Uber is listening to sports radio, that to me made me realize this is a completely different space.”

On What He Thinks of Jalen Hurts

“I am extremely proud of Jalen Hurts. I don’t think it is any secret that I have been a fan of Jalen ever since he is in college. When I watched him lose his starting spot, and handle it with grace. I want my son to be like that… But Jalen is a special cat. He has been there before and dealt with adversity. To watch him develop as a passer? He has always been a great leader, and he has really taken that next step. e did everything he needed to do to lead this time. To watch him in this position, it is unbelievable to watch.”

On the Match Up To Watch in This Game

“To me, the biggest matchup of this game is the defensive line of the Eagles, vs the offensive line of the Chiefs. The Eagles’ defense has been awesome. People cry and complain that they don’t blitz enough. You don’t have to blitz when you can rush 4. If they are able to take advantage, and able to get pressure with 4, that is going to be the difference in this game. If they aren’t, it is going to be a long game. Patrick Mahomes is able to make magic when he has time.

We saw this first hand vs the Bucs… And with the Eagles’ secondary, which is the best secondary that he has seen overall, if you are able to rush 4, I really like their chances there.”

You can listen to the full interview with Torrey Smith below…Who Has The Better Roster: Defense EditionWe are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Yesterday we looked at the two offenses. And now today, we will look at the defense of both teams, and who has the better players. Let’s see how they stack up.

The post Torrey Smith Joins Anthony Gargano To Preview the Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

All week, Anthony has been traveling out West to get to Arizona with Casey Boy, Jackie Bam Bam, and Kyle Maack. He finally arrived and was live from Radio Row. See him recap the experience, and talk about how special this game will be for all of us from his Openign Diatribe this morning…

“We have arrived. Super Bowl Football Friday. We are live from Arizona, the site of the Super Bowl. Super Bowl 57. Eagles and Chiefs. I can’t believe we are here man. This is pretty awesome, pretty momentous. It has been incredible. I have to give you the scene here. We are live at Media Row. All the Philly people are taking over. Jackie Bam Bam is in his Mummers Outfit. It’s a Carson Wentz Dress. My man Kyle from WMMR is wearing an Eagles Bird Suit. Jen Frederick from Fox 29 has her Eagles Satin Jacket. We are taking over, we are making spectacles of ourselves.

But the story is not here in Arizona. Even though the game will take place here Sunday. The story is in Philadelphia where all of you guys are. That is what all this stuff means.

It has been a long week. We drove out from Philadelphia on Monday morning. And we were in a dozen states. But you know what? I missed you guys all week. It’s going to be a momentous day on Sunday, as the Eagles go for two. Isnt that amazing? Two. Five years ago the new norm as Doug said it. It is turning out that way. Except Doug is in Jacksonville, and Wentz is at his last spot in Washington. Jalen is the Qb. Kelce is still there, Lane is still there, and the new norm is here. It’s arrived.

I just feel it. I have run into Philadelphia people throughout this country. On this whole ride out west. From the dank east and Mid-west, through the arid desert of western Texas and Arizona. We have encountered Eagles fans everywhere we went. It has been amazing.

This morning we went on a mission. Me, Casey Boy, Jackie Bam Bam, and Kyle drove across the country. The mission was to plant all things Philadelphia around the stadium. Early this morning we were at State Farm Stadium. We were skulking around the Stadium planting things like loved ones’ deceased ashes, Wild Wood Sand, and Schuylkill River Water that was blessed by a priest. All kinds of little mementos. it has been an incredible journey.

Sunday when you guys gather with your families, that is what it is going to be man. That is the beauty of this experience.

You can listen to the full Opening Diatribe below…Who Has The Better Roster: Defense EditionWe are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Yesterday we looked at the two offenses. And now today, we will look at the defense of both teams, and who has the better players. Let’s see how they stack up.

The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- He Made it to Arizona appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We find ourselves in a strange position as Philly fans. Usually, when our teams are in their championship, we are the underdog. And usually, we like it that way. The Phillies were certainly that vs the Astros. It didn’t work out well for us. Five years ago, the Eagles were the underdog vs the Patriots, and that did work out for us. But this year is different. For once, our team is the favorite. For once we are not David, we are Goliath.

Even the national media clowns putting us down, are complimenting us by doing so. Phill Simm’s son has been incredibly disrespectful towards Jalen Hurts, saying he has not been impressive. But even in that case, his whole point is that this Eagles team is so good, any QB could win with them. He is wrong about Hurts, but even that disrespect comes with a compliment to this team.

While we have been hyper-focused on the weirdos and losers trying to find ways to put the Eagles or their players down, we have missed that those people are a minority. It’s just 49ers players upset that they lost, and analysts whose opinions no one respected to begin with. The real consensus is that this team is good. Really good. They are favorites over a team as good as the Chiefs for a reason. ESPN gathered the predictions of 71 experts who cover the league. 45 picked the Eagles to win. Some by as much as double digits. They are playing the second-best team in the league, but nearly two-thirds of NFL experts still think they will win.

This team put up historic pass rush numbers. The Eagles have proven they can run on any defense no matter how good. They have lost just one game this season with Jalen Hurts in at QB. And they beat both of their playoff opponents so far by over 20 points. This is just a damn good team.

So for us, it is time to drop the underdog routine. It was fun in 2018, and fun when the Phillies were on their run back in October. But do you know what is more fun? Having your team be that Goliath. Being the monster everyone else is chasing after. Watching your team crush every other team in their path. I don’t want to be the scrappy boxer that beats someone out of their weight class. I want to be Muhammad Ali. To be the greatest that ever has been or ever will be. I don’t want to be the 2017 Eagles anymore. I want to be the Patriots. The team so good that championship parades become almost mundane. They might have lost that year to the Eagles, but they have 6 other rings to make themselves feel better.

So no more dog masks, no more comparisons to Rocky, and no more “No one likes us we don’t care.” This team is great and has the chance to be special. They can be that villain that every other fan hates. And not for the reason they usually don’t like us. But because they are sick of seeing us be so good every year.

There is a very good team between them and the start of that journey to greatness. The Chiefs have been there before and are already on their own journey to true greatness. But our team is better. And they are better in nearly every day apart from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. This Eagles team is one of the deepest most talented teams in recent memory. Let’s embrace that, rather than looking for reasons to feel disrespected. Let’s go into this game knowing we are going to win because the Eagles are just that good.

Being Rocky is fun. But spoiler alert, in the first movie, Rocky loses. I don’t want to be Rocky anymore. I don’t want to be David. The Eagles aren’t David, they are Goliath. But this time David isn’t upsetting Goliath in a fight. Goliath is going to step on David. Not because David isn’t good. But because Goliath is that much better.

See more on Eagles vs Chiefs Below…Who Has The Better Roster- Offense EditionWe are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Let’s find out, starting today with the offense.

The post It’s Time For Eagles Fans to Embrace Being Goliath appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The John Kincade Show was LIVE in Phoenix for “Radio Row”. The guys were joined by a slew of guests in the 3 days of broadcasting which included former NFL GM Thomas Dimitroff, NFL Insider Adam Caplan, and the Sports Doc David Chao. Check out all the sights from an awesome time.

The post John Kincade Show LIVE From Super Bowl 57 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The entire Delaware Valley is getting into the Eagles spirit and that was VERY evident at Bethel Springs Elementary School. The kids and faculty got ready for the Big Game by not only throwing a pep rally, but also holding a cheesesteak eating competition. The Fanatic was there, as was Bob Kelly from Fox 29!

Check out these rabid Birds fans who just cant wait for Sunday!

The post 97.5 The Fanatic and Fox 29 At Bethel Springs Elementary Eagles Pep Rally appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We get to watch Eagles games all season. So we know how good they are. But we don’t get to watch the Chiefs as much, so it can be tougher for Philly fans to be as invested in the strengths and weaknesses of the Eagles’ Super Bowl opponent. That is why The Best Show Ever talked to Aaron Ladd, who covers the Chiefs for KSHV 41, Kansas City’s NBC Affiliate. He gave us some insight into this upcoming super Bowl from the Chiefs’ side. here is some of what Aaron Ladd had to say.

On the Battle of the Chiefs O-Line vs the Eagles D-Line

“There is definitely some past trauma from the last time they were in the Super Bowl, as far as the offensive line is concerned. Patrick Mahomes running around for his life in Tampa. Since then a completely new unit. Creed Humphrey and Tre Smith coming through the draft. Joe Thuney coming in from New England to bring in some of that winning culture. Orlandi Brown. And then Andrew Wiley is the lone returner from that game. It’s going to be decided in the trenches… I think whoever wins that battle wins the game.”

On the Chiefs Young Secondary

“They don’t like to be called rookies. They’re playing into week 23 of the NFL Season. The only way to get the experience is to have the experience. They are going to have to step up in a big moment. And they did exactly that last game in the AFC Championship game. No 1 corner for Kansas City Sneed goes down. At that point, you have 4 rookies on the field vs one of the best WR groups in the league… Its going to be a stiff challenge this week too.. but it will just have to be trial by fire.”

On the Importance of Chris Jones Getting to Jalen Hurts for Them

“He is going to have to be the difference-maker for Kansas City. That is what made Joe Burrow so uncomfortable. He had 6 dropbacks in his 8 plays and was sacked 3 times… He doesn’t have to have sacks to impact the plays for Kansas City. Whether it is pressure, or moving Jalen Hurts off his spot… if I had to circle a unit for Kansas City’s defense it is the D-Line. They are going to have to get pressure on Jalen Hurts and make him uncomfortable.”

You can listen to the full interview with Aaron Ladd hereWho Has The Better Roster- Offense EditionWe are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Let’s find out, starting today with the offense.

The post Aaron Ladd Breaks Down the Game From the Chiefs Side appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

As an Eagles fan in his 50’s, born and bred in a family of “long suffering” Delco Birds fanatics, I’m finally ready to bury that belief that when a huge opportunity is there for the raking that the team will fall short. The doomsday beliefs of our Eagles fan ancestors are about to be buried and my hope is permanently. 2017 was a gift from the Gods, while I believe 2022 will be the one we remember as our team finally ascending to a throne. It’s a perch I don’t expect them to vacate easily either.

The feeling of confidence that I have going into this game is not one of bravado, it’s been earned. The Eagles made me believe in them. The team that turned around a 2-5 start to make the playoffs at 9-8 was a spunky cute story. The backside whipping that they took from the Buccaneers was almost expected. What followed was an aggressive off season that demanded we sit up and take notice. The signing of Haason Reddick was a splash but didn’t truly move the needle. The draft night acquisition of AJ Brown was an earthquake of excitement that once again jolted the excitement level. Yet the nagging doubts about whether Jalen Hurts was truly “the guy” remained. The bolstering of the secondary with the signing of James Bradbury and the trade for CJ Gardner Johnson seemed unbelievable!

The Eagles told us all that they were all in on making something big happen in 2022. When the season started I had predicted a 12-5 record with a playoff victory. I didn’t call for a trip to the Super Bowl, because I didn’t believe they were ready to make that jump. It wasn’t until they raced off to a 6-0 start that a return trip to Arizona this season seemed viable. It took some convincing and they continued to do it.

The 13-1 record was gaudy and the injury to Jalen Hurts brought back memories of the Carson Wentz injury. The team showed resolve and toughness and secured the top seed and after 2 playoff game laughers, the ultimate prize awaits them. I expect it to be happening. Why? It’s because they answered all my doubts.

I’m tired of the boring sob stories from seasons past. I choose to focus on this season, as no other outcomes have anything to do with this team! They have been the best since the start, leading wire to wire. They are better on both lines of scrimmage. The pass defense which you need to defeat a guy like Patrick Mahomes they most certainly have in place. There are no further reasons for doubt.

I expect a dominant effort on Sunday. The Eagles defensive front to dominate the KC offensive line. Throw in a Mahomes INT for good measure and chill the champagne. The Eagles, who gave delivered all season, are worth believing in. A second Super Bowl title in a short time should forever eradicate “long suffering” from Eagles fans vernacular. They proved it, they earned it and they deserve it.

The post It’s time we put “long suffering” to bed permanently! The Eagles will deliver! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In case you missed it, Bryan Cranston joined The Best Show Ever on Tuesday and made his Super Bowl prediction on the show live!

Bryan Cranston aka Walter White picked the Eagles of course! And the national media picked up on it! He’s from California and admittedly a Rams fan, but on Sunday, he’ll be rooting for the Eagles.

“I’m feeling very green,” Cranston said. “I don’t have a dog in this race, I want to see a good game… if I were to pick a winner though, it would be the Eagles.”

Cranston joined The Best Show Ever to promote Big Brothers and Big Sisters and a Super Bowl sweepstakes.

Steve Baldwin from Puyallup, Washington was the big winner, he gets a full ride to the Super Bowl and he gets to hang out with Walter White!

SOURCE: CBSNews.com

Who Has The Better Roster: Defense EditionWe are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Yesterday we looked at the two offenses. And now today, we will look at the defense of both teams, and who has the better players. Let’s see how they stack up.

The post Bryan Cranston Joins The Best Show Ever With A Super Bowl Prediction appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Former Eagles player and NFL Analyst Herm Edwards joined us today to preview the Super Bowl. He discussed the key to the Eagles winning, the Eagles team unity, and talked about how he didn’t think the 49ers game was fair. See what Herm Edwards had to say here.

On Eagles Playing Complimentary Football

“The thing that I look at when I watch when I watch this team play is it is very united. This team plays together as a team. It is complimentary Football. They have some ingredients that winning teams have. That is they run the football, and they can knock the Quarterback down. That is important, especially when you have a lead. It is a well-coached team, they have camaraderie, and that is why they went 14-3.”

On The 49ers Game Not Being Fair

“The game against the 49ers wasn’t fair. I’m gonna give them credit, they did what they needed to do. but when you are playing against a team that basically can’t throw the ball over 5 yards in the 3rd quarter, you kind of know what is going to happen.”

On the Key to the Eagles’ Beating the Chiefs

“It is not even Patrick Mahomes. Dont worry about him. Cover the guy he likes to throw it to. You have to get Kelce. Are you willing to rush 3 guys, and the defensive end he is lined up on hit him, and then late rush? Or are you just going to let him run free? Because if you let that Tight End run without hitting him, guys, you are going to be in a lot of 2nd and 3s. And you don’t want to be in 2nd and 3s. Because you know what it going to happen. They are going to convert, and they are going to keep the ball.”

Listen to the full interview with Herm Edwards here…Who Has the Better Roster- Special Teams EditionThe Super Bowl gets closer and closer. And what better way to pass the time than to break down the matchup endlessly? On Tuesday we took a look at both teams’ offenses, and it came up Eagles, with them winning 6 out of 9 matchups. Yesterday we looked at the defenses, and the Eagles won 4 out of the 5 matchups. But what about Special Teams? It is perhaps the least important of the 3 units. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. And it may be the Eagles’ one weak link. So let’s see who has the edge on Special Teams.

The post Herm Edwards On the Key to Beating the Chiefs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

By Ricky BottalicoWhen you think about the Super Bowl, this upcoming Sunday, who will be the next M.V.P? Following this Eagles team all season long, it may not be just one player. The Trenches, the blood and guts of a football team are what stick out as most impactful.

Offensively, the Eagles have the #1 pass block, the # 3 run block and are ranked #1 overall This all starts with Jason Kelce, the leader of the line. Kelce has been relatively healthy all season long and has shown his value throughout every play. Notable, Kelce while still blocking another player has thrown down a defender with one arm.

Lane Johnson, while playing injured, has not allowed a sack and most impressively a quarterback hit all season.

Across the board, Landon Dickerson, Isaac Seumalo, and Jordan Mailata have been solid standouts. When you look at this O line, appreciate what this team has. There is strength, size, smarts, and leadership. Know that when Kenny Gainwell ends up in the end zone, those holes were opened up by a great line. When Hurts goes untouched, yeah, it’s these guys!

Defensively the trenches are big, strong, and fast! The D has come up with 70 sacks this season and is a mile in front of the second-place Chiefs (55). The middle of the line was stitched up mid-season, with the two additions of Suh and Joseph. Additionally, credit is due to Howie Roseman, as he saw a game in which Fletcher Cox was exhausted and went out and made the necessary moves.

What I’ll be keyed in on the most Sunday, will be how the Chiefs try to stop Haason Reddick. Reddick has been nothing short of a mainstay in opposing backfields (you would think, priority #1 for a double team). Two guys may be able to slow Reddick a little, but what that does is open up the rest of the D to attack Patrick Mahomes. Especially Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham, who have been dominant this year too.

When you look at this Super Bowl, there are so many big-name players that could put up points, but in my eyes, APPRECIATE THE TRENCHES!

The post Ricky Bo: The Trenches Are The MVP of This Eagles Team appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are now just days away from their Super Bowl matchup with the Chiefs. The game is always enough, but there is even more to it this year. The storylines are as good as any in Super Bowl history.

When has there been a head coach vs. his former team, plus brother vs brother, plus two quarterbacks 27 years old or younger in the same game?

Clearly that is a rhetorical question, but wow. Then you add in that this is the first time two Black quarterbacks have faced off. It feels appropriate that the Eagles have one of the QBs, considering the history from Randall Cunningham to Rodney Pete (who won a playoff game & is forgotten) to Donovan McNabb to Michael Vick to Jalen Hurts.

The teams also had identical 14-3 records. Add it all up and you have the perfect setup for a special game. In addition to that both Jason and Travis Kelce are headed to the Hall of Fame, and both already have championships.

ADI am struggling to type because I so amped up. The last Super Bowl was a magic carpet ride, but this one could be even sweeter because the Eagles are better in a lot of areas.

Andy Reid coached the Eagles for 14 years as I am sure you have heard and read 100 times this week and there are still Reid players on the roster. Brandon Graham, Jason Kelce, and Fletcher Cox, all contributors, are still on the team. Andy has been better in Kansas City than he ever was in Philadelphia, making his third Super Bowl appearance with the Chiefs (1-1). I do wonder what those Eagles teams would have done if you replaced Donovan McNabb who was a borderline Hall of Famer with Patrick Mahomes, who has already done enough to qualify at just 27 in my opinion.

Opposing him is Nick Sirianni who after a tough opening press conference has had an incredible start to his career. Sirianni is part of why I am so confident about the Eagles. Nobody in the world will care less about Reid’s resume than Sirianni will. I believe that if he was hooked up to a polygraph, he truly believes he is a better coach than Andy.

We know he is still bothered by the fact that he wasn’t retained by Reid years ago as well. Remember, his now wife is from Kansas City. Her parents lived within 30 minutes of the stadium. You think it was easy for him to move at that point? It has worked out well, but there is no way a competitive guy like Sirianni isn’t extra motivated.

I love the killer instinct he has that the locker room buys into. Add that he almost always pushes the right buttons and that bolsters that belief that much more. Look at the Eagles’ slaughter of the 49ers. While 49ers players are crying about the loss, it should be noted that Sirianni dominated media darling Kyle Shanahan. The lack of accountability both in the game and after from the 49ers highlights that.

Drawing up pretty plays isn’t enough. Sirianni is only in year two, but there is something different about him and it goes beyond just strategy. We saw Doug Pederson stare down Bill Belichick, and I think we see a repeat on Sunday.

When it comes to the players, the Eagles clearly have the edge. The Chiefs are better than the Giants and 49ers, but they don’t have a more complete roster than the Eagles do. Even if you believe the Chiefs have the QB advantage with Mahomes over Jalen Hurts, the Eagles still have the edge overall.

Nobody outside of Chris Simms thinks that Hurts can’t also have a huge game. Travis Kelce is the best tight end in football, but Dallas Goedert isn’t a slouch. Chris Jones is an excellent defensive tackle, the best in the game this year. Javon Hargrave is damn good too though, and who knows what his numbers would look like if there weren’t so many double digit sack guys on his defensive line. I know these players don’t play against one another directly, this is just to highlight that the Chiefs talent advantage in the few spots that they may have, is not that large.

When I look at the actual matchups, I like the Eagles’ defenses chances against Mahomes and Kelce even more. Those guys are great, but they have not faced a defensive front nearly as good as the Eagles.

As far as getting to the quarterback, the best defensive fronts they have faced this season are the Buccaneers and the Seahawks. They each generated 45 sacks this year and both teams are about as mediocre as they come. The Eagles defense meanwhile generated 70 sacks, the third most in NFL history.

Nothing the Chiefs have seen in their 19 games can prepare them for what they will see on Sunday. The other weapons on KC are decent, but not scary. Jones has not seen an offensive line like this one either. This is the best offensive line in decades. Great players make plays, but the Eagles have great players available to block. He has to win a lot for the Chiefs to win and nobody wins often against this offensive line.

I have been alive for three Eagles’ Super Bowl appearances now and I feel better about this one than the other two by a wide margin. The Eagles are the best team in football, and I can’t wait to see all of you at the parade next week.

The post Eagles confidence should be sky high heading into Super Bow LVII appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Super Bowl gets closer and closer. And what better way to pass the time than to break down the matchup endlessly? On Tuesday we took a look at both teams’ offenses, and it came up Eagles, with them winning 6 out of 9 matchups. Yesterday we looked at the defenses, and the Eagles won 4 out of the 5 matchups. But what about Special Teams? It is perhaps the least important of the 3 units. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. And it may be the Eagles’ one weak link. So let’s see who has the edge on Special Teams.

The post Who Has the Better Roster- Special Teams Edition appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We have come to our final Mid-Week Report with Tim McManus. Because there is only one game left to play. So this time it is the Mid-Week Report, Super Bowl edition. What are Tim McManus’s final thoughts about this matchup? What are the storylines heading into this game? Which matchups could be the most important on game day? Here is what Tim McManus had to say.

On the Eagles Pass Rush vs Chiefs O-Line

“You’re going right to the heart of the matter for this matchup to me, and that is the offensive line for Kansas City vs the defensive pass rush for Philadelphia. We know how good Kansas City’s offense is, and we know how good Patrick Mahomes is. The one thing I was a little bit surprised to see, was that statistically, this has been the best pass-rush group on the offensive line in the entire NFL. They are number 1 in pass-rush protection. Which means that it is good on good. Mahomes has been protected better than anyone else in the NFL.

Then here comes to 70-sack Philadelphia Eagles’ defense. Sometimes I feel we gloss over that fact. 70 sacks in the regular season. The 3rd most ever. And we know the way that they took over that game again the 49ers. More specifically we know how Haason Reddick took that game over… We also know that Mahomes is hobbled. So they are going to have to figure out ways to get the ball out of the hands of Mahomes. Find ways to move him a little bit to make sure it is not just a straight pass rush coming at him in the middle of the pocket.

But we also know Andy Reid is very good at play design. This offense has been the very best offense in the NFL… So yea, that matchup is the most important one in this game.”

And you can listen to the full Super Bowl Edition of his Mid-Week Report here…The post Tim McManus Mid-Week Report- Super Bowl Edition appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There is one man who was on both the Eagles and the Chiefs Super Bowl teams. Stefan Wisniewski played Left Guard for the Eagles in the 2018 Super Bowl, and then two years later, suited up for the Chiefs for their Super Bowl. As someone who has played for both teams, and has former teammates still on both teams, he is in a unique position to break down the game. And he joined The Anthony Gargano show, with Andrew Salciuanas and Jamie Lynch filling in, to share his thoughts on the game, how great the Eagles’ O-Line is, and more. Here is what Stefan Wisniewski had to say.

On the Eagles’ Current Offensive Line

“I know these guys personally. So when I watch them, I know how they prepare, and I know how Stoutland gets everyone coordinated. Just the level of detail they put into it, is a different level. Both in the run game and pass game. If you watch a double-team block, they are hip to hip, there is no space. Those D Linmen have nowhere to go. He is either getting run over, or he is going to fall down. The precision, the study of the defense. They know exactly what the defense is going to do.

And just the diversity of the run game too. They run inside, they run outside. They’ve got QB reads, they have gives, and they have RPOs. It is kind of exhausting to think about trying to stop it. No one really has. When you put together the level of precision with the talent on the line, and then you throw in Hurts… Man I would not want to try and stop that run game. Let alone the play action where you have AJ brown and Devonta Smith running out there. It is an impressive group.”

Stefan Wisniewski also discussed what makes Jeff Stoutland so special, shared his general thoughts on the game, and more. You can listen to his full interview below…The post Stefan Wisniewski Previews The Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Yesterday we looked at the two offenses. And now today, we will look at the defense of both teams, and who has the better players. Let’s see how they stack up.

The post Who Has The Better Roster: Defense Edition appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Casey Boy from The Preston and Steve show is on the road again. But this time he is bringing Anthony Gargano along with him. They are heading out west to make it to Arizona for the Big Game! Casey, Anthony, Jackie Bam Bam, and Kyle Maack are hopping in a car, to cross the country and bring some Philly Brotherly Love to all their stops. Those stops include the other Philadelphia’s on the U.S.A map, as well as Kansas City. With the goal being to not only get them to the game but to show us Phil;y fans aren’t as bad and mean as we are portrayed.

Follow along here to see what a bunch of radio DJs will get up to when crammed in a car to travel across the country.

The post Travel Log: Cuz and Casey’s Big Game Adventure appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Say his name. Bryan Cranston, yes that Bryan Cranston, joined The Best Show Ever earlier today. Bryan is the iconic actor who played characters like Walter White, Tim Whatley, Hal Wilkerson, and more. He joined the show to promote The Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America and to share a chance for you to win Super Bowl tickets by donating at least $5 here. He shared how you can enter for a chance to win, talked a little about her Big Game, the iconic characters from his career, and more. Oh and by the way, while he says he has no dog in this game, he did say if he was betting on the game, his money would be on the Eagles.

You can listen to that full interview below

The post Bryan Cranston Joined The Best Show Ever appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

My guess is we are over Tennessee about now and we still have 3.5 hours until we see a touchdown in Phoenix. The anticipation level is quite high and the flight is pretty full. Lots of Eagles gear on display and at Gate A13 they blared the Eagles flight song over the speakers to get the travelers ready to revel. It was a perfect send off with everyone smiling and happy anticipating a fantastic week. I’ve got a lot of things racing through my head.

– After visiting Arizona earlier this season it’s such an amazing feeling to be going back! The October trip ended in victory when the Cardinals missed a game tying field goal as time ran out. It was very exciting. I want no such excitement on Sunday evening. If the Eagles are either waiting to kick or awaiting the outcome of one at the buzzer I’m most likely puking!

– Much like the Eagles playoff games vs the Giants and the 49ers there has been very little betting line movement. Rarely do you see 3 critical games where the line after 12 hours holds so firmly. That concerns me just a little. Everything I look at tells me the Eagles are the superior team. The current 1.5 point line in favor of Philly shows them very little respect. It could also be the immense respect that gamblers have for Patrick Mahomes. I believe the line should be at least Eagles -3.5

– I was informed today that Radio Row has been renamed “Media Row” in some publication by the Arizona Host Committee. There are as many podcasts as there are radio stations represented this time around. It shows you the ever evolving face of media. On demand programming matters. Thankfully between our app, website and You Tube we give you many ways to consume the daily content.

– The feeling I have as we departed Philadelphia was one of great confidence. After watching and then hearing much of the Media Night coverage I’m more convinced than ever that one of my fears won’t be realized. The Eagles don’t have the look of a young team that is just excited to be there. There were smiles and laughing, but there was a business like approach to media night that impressed me. Jalen Hurts is completely at ease and in charge. Nick Sirianni was ready for his close up and shared a stage with Andy Reid acting every bit his peer. I know, it doesn’t mean anything once the game kicks off but I have seen teams wide eyed at these events. It rarely turned out well.

– The storyline that keeps coming to my mind is one of “ball control”. The idea that keeping the ball away from the opponent is almost as important as scoring on every possession. Trying to limit the possessions of KC is easily one of the best strategies and the Eagles offense has the expertise and recent success to rely on it to work. If Patrick doesn’t have the ball he can’t beat you with it!

– Please join us the rest of the week from Phoenix! I wish we could have taken you along with us!

The post Wheels Up to Arizona – Some parting thoughts! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Dave Zangaro, who joins the Best Show Ever every Friday, was at Super Bowl Opening Night last night and did his best reporting as always. But there was a fun twist! C.J. Gardner-Johnson decided to flip the script and grabbed the microphone and camera from Dave Zangaro and did the interview himself. And it was hilarious! Watch below!

CJGJ interviewed me last night. pic.twitter.com/ZtfM30Edfc

— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) February 7, 2023

The post C.J. Gardner-Johnson Turns The Table on Dave Zangaro (VIDEO) appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are getting closer and closer to kickoff for the Eagles- Chiefs Super Bowl. But what team has the matchup advantage? Over the next few days, we will be going roster spot by roster spot, to see which team is better. Do the Eagles have the better roster heading into this Super Bowl? Let’s find out, starting today with the offense.

The post Who Has The Better Roster- Offense Edition appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Yesterday on The Best Show Ever, we asked you all a question. What assistant coach made the most impact this season? Here are the results.

Which Eagles assistant coach has made the biggest impact this season?

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) February 6, 2023

Jeff Stoutland and his new contract extension won with 59.8% of votesI’m not surprised as this is the best offensive line in football. They continue to dominate year after year while young talent steps in to produce regularly. The left side of Jason Kelce pancakes the opposition consistently. It’s scary to think about their future. It’s been YEARS since Lane Johnson allowed a sack. Stoutland is by far one of the most popular coaches on staff. The ironic part is, when comparing this year to other years, it feels like the least amount of juggling Stoutland had to do with players. Which raises the question… did he make the most impact THIS season?

Finishing second was Jonathan Gannon with 18.5% votesThat feels like a nice finish for JG knowing how many fans hate his style. Some voters said they chose a different coach because they credit the talent on defense more than Gannon. That’s super unfair considering the defensive coordinator’s job is to put these players in a position to succeed and that’s what his unit has done all year. Good for Gannon! I’ve personally turned the corner on his frustrating ways we’ve seen. I’m currently watching quarterbacks run for their life basically every snap.

In third place, Shane Steichen.This offense is so layered with so many threats. Is Jalen Hurts going to run? Is it a handoff to Sanders? Goodluck stopping Kelce! Is that AJ Brown I see on the outside with a favorable matchup? Pick your poison. That’s the statement I believe every defensive coordinator says when trying to come up with a game plan to “stop” the Eagles. There is no stopping them and teams clearly struggle to slow anything down. Steichen has improved everything since receiving play-calling duties.

Brian Johnson came last with 4.2%I’m not surprised Brian Johnson finished last just based on how much coordinators are talked about. Let’s not act like Jalen Hurts’ improvement happened overnight though. Johnson played high school football for Hurts’ dad and even tried recruiting Jalen to Mississippi State. There’s a true relationship and bond they have which is hard to replicate organically. Hurts went from Todd Bowles showing the NFL world his glaring flaws to MVP candidate in the Super Bowl. We talked about John DeFilippo nonstop when Carson Wentz was balling out. The same applies here. I think Johnson is going to climb the ranks quickly.

The post Poll of The Day: What assistant coach made the most impact this season? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Jawn the Road Again! Anthony Gargano, Casey Boy, Jackie Bam Bam, and Kyle Maack are in a car heading out to Arizona for the Big Game. They are bringing Philly across the country to show we aren’t the evil mean fans many in the National Media want to depict us as. It is Day 2 of the trip. Stop 1 was in Philadelphia, Missouri

Check out what the crew got up to out there on day 2 of their trip.

Stop #1: Philadelphia, Illinois#CaseysBigGameAdventure pic.twitter.com/8QztM6KVdT

— The Preston & Steve Show (@PrestonSteve933) February 7, 2023

The post Cuz and Casey’s Big Game Adventure Day 2: Photo Gallery appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Monday night, the circus that surrounds the Super Bowl got started out in Arizona as a bevy of media members got there first crack at the Eagles and Chiefs coaches and players during “Opening Night”. Normally this is a time for some weird and wacky soundbites to come out based on out-of-left-field questions from media members that don’t normally cover the NFL, but this year, it seemed to be a particularly strange night for questions. They ranged from idiotic, to crazy, to down right uncomfortable, and frankly, the NFL needs to find a better way to control the content on this night for years going forward.

Listen, I’m not anti-fun. I love a good “Is the Super Bowl a must win?” question as much as the next guy. That being said, though, there’s a line where it goes from a funny question or two because of the limelight of the big game, and making a mockery of the time of players and coaches preparing for the biggest moments of their professional careers. I mean, we had media members asking Nick Sirianni if the Steelers were playing the Eagles who he would be rooting for. The coach of the Eagles, of course, said shortly that he would be rooting for the team that he coaches. Even that dumb question, though, was better than the person who asked Sirianni who on the team he would not let date his daughter. Sirianni took that time to remind everyone that his daughter is FIVE YEARS OLD. What in the world are we doing here people??

I get that people go into that event with a plan to try and make headlines, but what happened this year felt like it crossed the line into sideshow territory. Maybe it’s because I’m so focused on the Eagles being in the big game this year, but it really irked me how many ridiculous questions were tossed out. The NFL would do well to limit the lines of questioning a little bit better for next year’s Super Bowl, not strictly to football questions, but to ones that actually make some kind of logical sense. Oh well, at least it’s over with for this year. One day closer to Super Sunday.

The post Super Bowl Opening Night Needs To Clean It Up appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Listeners to sports radio all over the country have been hearing about “Radio Row” on their favorite stations for close to 30 years. It began in the hotel of the lobby of the media hotel with Radio stations having tables set up in a side conference room broadcasting back to as few as ten cities. It was only the major markets, most national outlets and the participating teams local broadcast stations. Then the NFL saw the opportunity to advance this into something bigger. They set it up at the Media Center in the host city and it grew to over 100 stations by the late 90’s. It peaked to over 150 stations in the mid 2000’s and became more of a circus that about football.

Television and Movie stars learned they had free publicity waiting for them and all they needed to do was show up. Stations love sitting down with stars, comedians and retired athletes to get a few minutes of air time. It took on a life of its own and became a fixture every season. Let me take you behind the scenes;

This will be my 17th Radio Row. In all honesty, I haven’t missed going to do my show from one of them for a long time. I’m thrilled to be there because the Eagles are in the game. If your local team is playing, a radio station needs boots on the ground. For a Rams-Patriots Super Bowl nobody in Philadelphia truly cared enough to have round the clock “breaking it down” coverage.

The key is to find balance. A show on Radio Row has the chance to sound different, looser, less organized. That can be a great thing for the listeners but a difficult course to navigate. You are live on the air and a publicist walks by wanting your attention as they offer you an unscheduled chance to jump in with Terry Bradshaw. Your focus is challenged the entire time. There are people walking around, sometimes brushing right up against your table. It’s my nightmare.

The ad agencies learned that attaching big name sports analysts and TV stars to product promotion was a winning combination. What the problem was is that the guests are obsessed with promoting who is paying them to do these interviews and the stations couldn’t care less. We want to talk about the game and they want to get paid. It’s a lethal combination that makes many of the conversations feel rushed or surface level interesting.

The value of Radio Row has diminished and the audience back home is more interested in hearing from one of their favorite shows and being taken behind the scenes. Less promotional interviews and more of the activities we experienced cause many interesting discussions. We packed our bags but we are most interested in taking you along with us. We will focus on the game itself and all the mayhem that the invasion of Phoenix by Eagles fans brings. We hope you will enjoy our coverage and we will get through this endless countdown towards Sunday at 6:30pm!

The post The truth behind “Super Bowl Radio Row” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Super Bowl is getting closer and closer. Eagles-Chiefs is set to kick off at 6:30 pm on Sunday night. And to get some insight into that game, The Best Show Ever talked to EJ Smith from the Philly Inquirer. Who has the better roster? What matchups favor the Eagles? Ej Smith discussed that and more, as he previewed the Eagles-Chiefs game. Here is what EJ had to say.

On which team has the coaching advantage

“You have to give it to Andy Reid. I think that he is one of, if not the best coach in the history of the league. To see what Andy Reid is doing right now… you are seeing Andy get those results that he didn’t get earlier in his career. As far as offensive coaches go, he is right up there at the top. It is not a slight to Nick Sirianni or Shane Steichen. They are good coaches too. What they have done with Jalen Hurts and this offense this year has been remarkable… But the Chiefs do have the advantage at Qb and Head Coach.

Now if you want to put game management in there, now we can start to have a conversation about who you would rather have. But as far as offensive playcalling, it is really hard to beat Andy Reid. He has been this good for this long for a reason.”

On which team has the better roster

“I think it’s the Eagles. If they have proven anything this season, it is that they are the most complete team in the NFL this year. This is the best roster that I have covered. I know there is a lot of talk about the 2017 team vs this team. This year’s team has the edge in talent. If you look across the board they have matchup advantages at multiple spots. If you look at the players on the Chiefs who are real difference-makers… the Eagles have the talent to combat those players.

They have CJ Gardner-Johnson who I think could handle Travis Kelce in some situations. They’ve got the interior offensive line to handle Chris Jones. And they have the secondary and the pass rush to deal with Patrick Mahomes. Look, Mahomes is the great equalizer. He is the epitome of you can’t hope to stop him, you can only hope to contain him.

So I think the Eagles do have the talent advantage, a pretty distinct one. If you are rooting for the Eagles, that is what you feel good about. You have got matchup advantages at multiple spots.”

Listen to the full conversation with EJ Smith about the Eagles-Chiefs game below…The post EJ Smith Previews The Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

One of the heroes of the Philly Special in the Eagles’ last Super Bowl was Trey Burton. Nick Foles may have caught the TD pass, but it was Burton who threw it. And as we prepare for the next Eagles Super Bowl, Andrew Salciunas and Jamie Lynch flashed back to the last one first to talk to Trey Burton. They discussed that iconic play, the Eagles’ chances this year vs the Chiefs, if he thinks Jason Kelce will retire, and the disrespect that has been directed at the Eagles recently. See what Trey Burton had to say here.

On Lane Johnson

“What is really impressive about Lane is every single week he plays against the best player on the defensive side of the ball. He is going to have to go up against Frank Clark. If you see Frank in person, you ask where the hell they made this guy at. He’s just so athletic, explosive, and violent. Lane always has his hands full, and it seems like every week he still comes out and does his job at the highest level possible.”

On Nick Sirianni

“Man, can we talk about the job Nick Sirianni has done? All that crap you guys gave him on day one from his press conference. Look at what he has done for this organization. The trust he has gotten from the fans, and from high up to Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman. I haven’t heard one bad thing about him or the staff he has brought. they have done such a phenomenal job of turning this team around. it has been really fun to watch.”

On if he thinks Jason Kelce will retire

"I think we just enjoy this game. Just win, baby. That's all that matters." – Trey Burton on Jason Kelce potentially returning next season

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) February 6, 2023

And on the stress of heading into the Super Bowl and how to deal with it

"No matter how many times someone tells you what to expect, it is still really hard to do it." – @TreyBurton8 on Super Bowl week leading up to the game for the players

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) February 6, 2023

Listen to the full interview with Trey Burton below…The post Super Bowl Hero Trey Burton Discusses Eagles vs Chiefs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Just a few more days until the Super Bowl. Eagles vs Chiefs. The Chiefs are easily the best team the Eagles have faced all year, But you can also say the same for the Chiefs. It is 1-seed vs 1-seed. The two leading candidates for MVP square off. And it is a game full of storylines such as Andy Reid facing his former team, and the Kelce brothers being the first siblings to play each other in a Super Bowl. But what are the Eagles’ chances to actually win this one? Here are 5 numbers that will have you liking the Eagles’ chances in the Super Bowl.

14.8%A big reason why the Chief’s defense was so effective against the Bengals is that their D Line was able to beat up the Bengals’ already beat-up O-Line. Chris Jones in particular ate the Bengals’ lunch money all game long. But they will not be facing the Bengals’ O-Line again. Now they have to square off with the Eagles. Who in case you haven’t been paying attention, has the best Offensive Line in the league. The Eagles faced off with another formidable pass rush in the 49ers and shut them down. They have up just 4 pressures on 27 pass-blocking snaps. That is a pressure rate of 14.8%. Frank Clark and Chris Jones will have a much harder job taking over the game this time.

42%The Eagles have the O Line to stifle the Chiefs’ pass rush, but do the Chiefs? The Eagles defensive front feasts on opposing QBs, leading the league in sacks by a large margin. They got after the 49ers Qbs on 61.9% of passing snaps. And this Chiefs’ O-Line can be beaten. The Bengals pressured Patrick Mahomes on 42% of dropbacks. If that is what the Bengals are doing, imagine what Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Javon Hargrave can do. Patrick Mahomes is already dealing with a bad ankle. If they can make him run for his life, it could be a recipe for success for the Eagles.

9And to really harp on that point, Haason Reddick is going to be lining up against RT Andrew Wylie for the most part. Wylie has given up the 3rd most sacks in the NFL this season with 9 sacks allowed. Reddick meanwhile has racked up the most sacks in the league (including playoffs) with 19.5. Either Reddick will be beating Wylie all game long, or the Chiefs will have to give him help. Either way, the Eagles win. Because if they have to give Wylie help, that either means they have one less guy running routes, or another one of the Eagles’ prolific pass rushers is going to now have an easier matchup.

148There is one other thing the Eagles do, that no one can stop. Run the ball. The Eagles faced off with the so-called best run defense in the league against the 49ers. They put up 148 yards, and TDs on the ground against them. The Chiefs have a decent run defense too. But if the 49ers and their elite front 7 couldn’t stop the Eagles, what chance do the Chiefs stand? The Eagles are undefeated when they eclipse 100 rushing yards. And if the Chiefs decide to stack the box to take away the run, well then you are leaving Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, and Dallas Goedert in one on one matchups vs young inexperienced defensive backs, so the Eagles will take that too. And even with a stacked box, they can still probably run the ball.

9-1There is this narrative that the Eagles have had an easy road here. And that narrative is absolute BS. The truth is the Eagles are 9-1 vs winning teams this season. The Eagles played in the hardest division in the NFL and still had the best record in the League. They beat the Cowboys, the 49ers, the Jaguars, the Vikings, the Steelers, and the Giants 3 times. They also beat the Commanders and Packers who just missed having a winning record.

The Eagles did not have an easy schedule. The Eagles arguably have a had one of the toughest schedules. Only two teams have had more than 9 wins in a single season vs winning teams. The 2003 and 2004 Patriots teams. If the Eagles win on Sunday, they will be 10-1 vs winning teams across their 20 games. And the one loss came without Jalen Hurts. Dont let anyone tell you the Eagles had an easy road.

The post 5 Numbers That Tell The Story of How the Eagles Can Beat the Chiefs appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Over the years I’ve usually just followed people that I personally know on social media OR media members that I use to keep on top of the things I need to know to do my job. I try to be very attentive and interact daily with people who are kind enough to follow me. Sometimes I even follow with those who choose to hate follow! Whatever the reasoning, followers are sometimes a great source of feedback, difference of opinion discussions and life insights I may never have considered. Since I leave my Twitter DM’s open a follow isn’t important. When frequent knowledge and insights are impressive, I’ll throw a follow back. One of those followers is a funny, rabid Philly sports fan named TOOTTHEBARBER on Twitter.

You hear me use the expression “don’t take the cheese” from internet trolls. They thrive on trying to get your goat. I’ve got a pretty good talent for trying to engage with trolls on Twitter with humor. I’ve found myself the last week getting pulled into the “Bitter Betty” discussions of the 49ers fans lamenting their loss in the NFC Title Game. Strangely they believe that if Brock Purdy hadn’t been injured the 31-7 blowout would have swung in the opposite direction. I don’t believe in such nonsense. The 49ers were abused and weren’t ready to block either the Eagles offensive or defensive lines. Their fans are in denial and are trying to excuse make their way out of embarrassment. It’s got to stop.

The Cowboys fans who haven’t even been to a Championship Game in 28 seasons continue to try and rain on the Eagles fans fun too. Instead of worrying about what a fan base that hasn’t seen an NFC Title Game since Bill Clinton was President has to say, we need to focus on the fact our team has gifted us with seven trips in 21 seasons. This is our third Super Bowl opportunity so joy should be the word, not dealing with the underachievers.

I saw @TOOTTHEBARBER tweet this;

Yo Eagles fans let’s not debate with no other fanbase starting tomorrow unless it’s a Chiefs fan. Let’s enjoy the moment this week and talk about our team relentlessly #FlyEaglesFly

I always like to give proper credit to my inspiration and I’m actually embarrassed I didn’t come up with it. The real answer may be that I let some of these fools distract me from the joy of the week! I’ll follow a wise listener and learn and start Super Bowl Week the right way. We are now T-minus 7 days to kickoff and I vow;

Do not let fans of teams not good enough to get to the Super Bowl invade our joy and enthusiasm.

Let fans of teams that couldn’t achieve not take away from our teams achievement.

We are going to celebrate an amazing week and not let anything distract from it!

By the way, he had another great observation. Chiefs fans seem very cool and chill. They aren’t into trolling and seem to just enjoy loving their team. I’ll try and learn from them!

Super Bowl Week has arrived! Let’s enjoy it together, with no trolls along for the ride!

The post A Wise Barber is worth listening to during SB57 Week! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

All season we have heard rumors that either Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen or Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon would leave the Eagles in the offseason. But there is an assistant coach on this team that is perhaps even more vital to their success. Jeff Stoutland. And while rumors swirled that Steichen and Gannon would get head coach jobs, the greater danger was perhaps that someone would make Stoutland an offensive coordinator. But thankfully, we now know that will not happen. Jeff Stoutland has signed an extension with the Eagles. Meaning he will continue to be their Offensive Line Coach and run game coordinator.

Enough cannot be said about the impact Stoutland has on this team. Part of the reason their O Line is so good is the talent they have. Would Jordan Mailata have gone from a guy who had never played Football to a guy with All-Pro consideration under another O-Line Coach? There is no way to actually know. But there is no denying Stoutland had a massive role to play in his development.

And his players will give him full credit. Earlier in the week, Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever, and he had this to say about Jeff Stoutland.

“Surveying the locker room after the game, a lot of it comes down to Jeff Stoutland. Who we all know is one of the best offensive line coaches in the game. Talking with Jordan Mailata, he likened it to a game of chess… For a while the Niners got a bead on what the Eagles were doing. But Stoutland was able to make the proper adjustments. The way that Mailata put it, once they won that game of chess, once Stoutland figured out what was happening, that is when they took over. And you see the results.

4 TDs on the ground. They are setting record with their ground production this year… Obviously they are a roster that is loaded with talent. But they also have really good coaches. And that was on display this weekend.”

The 60-year-old has been with the Eagles dating back to 2013 and the Chip Kelly era. He has outlasted two head coaches. Stoutland has been here for most of Jason Kelce’s career, and all of the rest of the Eagle’s O Lineman’s careers. He has had a hand in making both Kelce and Lane Johnson All-Pros, and we will see if guys like Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens ever get that honor.

And he is not just an O-Line coach. Since 2018 he has also operated as the Eagles’ run game coordinator. You may have noticed during that time this Eagles team has been pretty good at running the ball.

The details of the deal are not yet public. But it is a commitment by him to stick around at least for now. Stoutland could have easily taken a coordinator job with how well-respected he is around the league. But he chose to stay here. In a little over a week, he has a chance to win his second Super Bowl as an Eagles assistant coach. The Eagles O-Line had a large part to play in winning that first one. If they win this one, that will still be the case. The Eagles win by beating people down on both sides of the ball. And that starts along the Offensive Line.

Eagles fans have a lot to be thankful for. Jeff Stoutland sticking around is just another example of that.

The post Jeff Stoutland Signs Extension with the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We have a bit more than a week left until it is game time. But this weekend we have to deal with the bye week. And in anticipation of the game, The best Show Ever talked to Dave Zangaro from NBC Sports Philly. Should we be concerned about Avonte Maddox? Will Jason Kelce retire after the game? See what Dave Zangaro had to say when he joined us below.

On the Health of Avonte Maddox

“He is still dealing with the same injury he has been dealing with since Christmas Eve. I was told it was more precautionary, just trying to keep it stable. Didn’t make sense for him to practice this week. Still trending toward him being able to play… The expectation is for them to have all 22 of their starters. That doesn’t mean they will all be 100%… But all things considered, having 22 of your starters in the Super Bowl is pretty insane. It doesn’t happen very often.”

On if Winning the Super Bowl Will Impact Whether Jason Kelce Retires

“He said he doesn’t think it will. I don’t know if he can know that though until he can go through it. I understand his answer is that he just wants to play until he no longer wants to play. And everyone he has talked to has said you’ll know when it is over. I don’t know if it is that simple. We have seen so many guys retire and then decide to come back because they miss elements of playing NFL football. I think human nature may take over. If they win this game there is an appeal to going out on top. I don’t want to speak for him, but I think that is human nature in some ways.”

You can listen to the full Dave Zangaro interview below…The post Dave Zangaro Joins The Best Show Ever During the Bye Week appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

On Thursday night the NBA announced the All-Star reserves for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game set to be played on Sunday, February 19th in Salt Lake City, Utah. As expected, Sixers center Joel Embiid made it as an Eastern Conference reserve. But he’ll be going alone because his point guard, James Harden, didn’t make the cut as one of the seven reserves. This is the sixth consecutive appearance for Embiid, his first as a non-starter.

Harden, a 10-time All-Star, certainly had the numbers to be selected for his 11th appearance while helping lead Philadelphia to a 33-17 record — third in the East standings. But playing in just 34 games of the team’s possible 50 games likely played a part in him being left off the team. The 76ers’ point guard is averaging 21 points, 11 assists and six rebounds per game. His 11 assists lead the league but he has not played in enough games to qualify as the league leader.

Here is the full list of the 14 players selected by the coaches for the game, except for Harden since he wasn’t named a reserve:East Reserves (No James Harden)* Joel Embiid * Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) * DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls) * Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) * Julius Randle (New York Knicks) * Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) * Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)

West Reserves* Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies) * Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings) * Damian Lillard (Portland Trailblazers) * Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) * Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz) * Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers) * Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)

A few notable names that were left off besides Harden in the East* Jalen Brunson (Knicks) * Jimmy Butler (Heat) * Trae Young (Hawks) * Pascal Siakam (Raptors)

And a few in the West that were also deserving –* De’Aaron Fox (Kings) * Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) * Aaron Gordon (Denver Nuggets).

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla will coach Team Giannis (Antetokounmpo). While Nuggets coach Michael Malone will coach team LeBron (James). Giannis and LeBron are the captains and will conduct the draft from the pool of players on gameday shortly before tipoff.

The post Embiid Selected For Sixth All-Star Game; Teammate Harden Left Off appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are near the end of the Eagles Bye Week. But there is still a week and change to wait until we get to the Super Bowl. And to pass the time, Anthony Gargano talked to Zach Berman from The Athletic to review the last two games and preview the upcoming Eagles-Chiefs game. What did Berman think of the Eagles’ victory over the Niners? Can they replicate that vs the Chiefs?

On the Eagles’ Blueprint to Victory

“Even if Purdy didn’t leave that game, I don’t think the Niners were going to keep that game close. When I saw the way that game was going, I think the Eagles were going to get to Purdy through that game. You saw they got to Josh Johnson. The pass rush was going to be like that… What you have seen in both games is the formula the Eagles have. Pass early, take a lead, and then run late. 28-0 at halftime against the Niners, 21-7 against the Niners, that’s hard to replicate. But what you can replicate is that blueprint that they used.”

On How to Attack the Chief’s Defense…

“The Chiefs have been susceptible to WRs this year. You have Aj Brown, you have Devonta Smith… And this is the challenge of playing the Eagles’ offense. The weapons that they have. You can force Jalen to pass the ball. But Brown can beat man coverage. Smith can beat man coverage. And we all know what Goedert can do… The Chiefs’ defense this year has been more focused on stopping the big play… That is the trend around the NFL. You are seeing that with the Chiefs’ defense. I’m curious if the Eagles can get those explosive plays against the Chiefs defense. When you have AJ, Devonta, and Jalen, that is such a big part of what they do, especially early in games. Shane Steichen likes to stretch the defense early in games.”

Listen to the full conversation with Zach Berman below…The post Zach Berman Talks Super Bowl With Anthony Gargano appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Today Andrew and Anthony continued their run through the Eagles’ last Super Bowl run in the Audio Vault with the 2017-2018 NFC Championship Game win over the Vikings. And as we all remember, it was a blowout. While the Falcons game the week earlier went down to the wire, this one got out of hand fast. It ended up 38-7.

The only sweat was on the first drive of the game,e. The Vikings picked the Eagles apart to get on the board first. At that point, Eagles fans may have been worried. But that did not last long. On the Vikings’ next drive, Patrick Robinson played hero. He picked it off and then ran all over the field to take it back for a TD. And from there, the Eagles dominated. The Vikings never scored again. And the Eagles moved on to the Super Bowl, which we will get to next week.

Relive that great win over the Vikings with Anthony and Andrew in today’s Audio Vault. The best sounds of the game. The Touchdowns, the big stops, and the moments the Eagles walked onto the field as winners knowing they would play in the Super Bowl.

Here is the lineup from today’s Audio Vault:* Opening Kickoff with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman * Highlight Reel of Viking’s First Drive that ended in a Kyle Rudolph TD to put them up 7-0 * Patrick Robinson Pick 6 to get the Eagles on the board, 7-7 * The Eagles force a punt on the next Vikings Drive * LeGarrette Blount runs over Andrew Sendejo on his way to a TD, Eagles up 14-7 * Derek Barnett gets to Case Keenum to force a fumble, Eagles recover * Alshon Jeffrey’s TD Catch puts the Eagles up 21-7 * Eagles draw up a flea flicker and Nick Foles finds Torrey Smith for another TD, 31-7 Eagles * The final call of the game

Listen to the full Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- Eagles Crush the Vikings in NFC Championship Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles Offensive Line is the best in football. They have proven that all year long. And who better to talk to about them than a future Hall of Fame Offensive Tackle? Joe Thomas from the NFL Network joined The Anthony Gargano to discuss this Eagles O-Line, stopping Chris Jones, Lane Johnson battling through an injury, and more. Here is what Joe Thomas had to say.

On How Good the Eagles’ O-Line is

“I said before the season that they are the best offensive line in football, and they made me look smart all season long. Because they played like it. They have done a great job staying healthy. Which is always a big issue on the offensive line. You are always going to lose guys throughout the season. But keeping those guys who are your core together. And when you do have the replacement come in, making sure you don’t miss a beat. Especially with communication. That is so important upfront. Getting those guys on the same page.”

On Stopping Chris Jones

“Philly has got an advantage on both the offensive and defensive lines. But the one guy who can be the equalizer is Chris Jones. He will be up for defensive player of the year. And he really ran rough shot over the Bengals in the AFC Championship game. Being able to stop him, and being able to communicate where he lines up, is going to be a huge part of slowing him down and giving them the opportunity to run their normal offense in a normal down and distance.

Chirs Jones has been unblockable for most of his career… His biggest weapon is he will line up over the center, over the guard, and they pick and chose opportunities to line him up over the Tackle. But that is almost when he is the most dangerous to me. As a Tackle, I remember lining up and you are seeing a speed guy all day long. So you are getting Fastball, Fastball, Fastball. And then all of a sudden you get a change up, and you aren’t ready for it… You dont know how to handle that transition from dealing with a guy who is fast but not strong, to dealing with a guy who is pretty quick, pretty fast, and super strong.

But thankfully, the elixer for the Eagles is Lane Johnson, the best Right Tackle in Football. I think he will be able to handle him. It will be interesting to see that cat-and-mouse game, and how it unfolds.”

You can listen to the full interview with Joe Thomas belowThe post Joe Thomas Joins Anthony to Discuss the Eagles O-Line appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

No doubt it was a good year for the NFC East. Obviously, the Philadelphia Eagles are in preparation for the Super Bowl. The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants both nabbed wild card berths and won their first postseason games. However, loser energy radiated all across the division’s landscape at the expense of the Eagles on both Wednesday and Thursday. Over two weeks after the Cowboys and Giants were eliminated, one owner showed his foolishness and one defensive back took a wild shot at the Eagles’ head coach. Let’s recap a dumb 24 hours in the NFC East.

Jerry Jones Is A FoolDallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is no stranger to looking like an absolute fool in front of reporters.

In fact, if his teams were half as good at winning football games as Jones is at drawing attention for ridiculous statements, he’d be regarded as a football mastermind and not a lackluster owner.

On Wednesday, Jones indirectly took aim at the Eagles by lumping Howie Roseman’s roster construction strategy with the Los Angeles Rams’ “f them picks” strategy from a year ago.

“Anybody who thinks I won’t take a chance, has misread the tea leaves. But I do think longer term,” Jones said. “And I’m real hesitant to bet it all for a year. There’s a lot of things that can happen for that year. In essence, we’re seeing a couple of teams that have had some real success putting it all out there and paying for it later, in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sharing his thoughts with reporters today at the Senior Bowl on how the Eagles and Rams turned being aggressive in the offseason into Super Bowl berths the last two seasons: pic.twitter.com/CoPanaV3PQ

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 2, 2023

Essentially, Jones is attempting to foreshadow the Eagles falling from grace after their successful season.

He fails to acknowledge that the Eagles capitalized on having a franchise quarterback on a rookie deal, have built and developed their team in the trenches, paid pass catchers instead of burning money by signing an overrated running back to an extension, have multiple first round picks in this season’s draft and have been opportunistic to add big time talents at discounts when things go awry with other teams.

The Rams will end up going seven straight seasons without a first round pick, made their first pick of the 2022 draft in the 3rd round, will have only two picks in the draft’s first 150 picks in 2023, are financially tied to an aging quarterback until at least 2025 and have $255 million dollars in cap allocations to an aging roster in 2024.

Putting the two teams in the same conversation is the signal of two things to me:1. The Cowboys are run by someone who doesn’t quite know how to build a roster. 2. Jerry Jones is admitting that he just kind of hopes that the roster he puts together has everything break its way instead of taking the risks necessary to better it.

Basically, Jones does not understand winning. That’s perfectly okay with me.

Julian Love Is SaltyLess than two weeks after the Eagles dismantled the Giants in a game where Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni out-coached Giants’ head coach Brian Daboll, New York Giants defensive back Julian Love made his way onto NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.

Love was asked about Sirianni’s antics on the sideline. Which included staring down the camera in celebration during the blowout 38-7 win.

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all,” Love responded. “He’s in for a free ride right now. You guys can coach this team.”

Giants Safety Julian Love says #Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is "In for a free ride right now."

"You guys can coach this team"

Says he doesn't like his antics. pic.twitter.com/2PP4DYX2XP

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 2, 2023

One can understand why he doesn’t like someone else celebrating his team’s failures.

Especially when his failure directly contributed to making Nick Sirianni look smart in the Eagles’ first drubbing of the Giants this season.

No alligator arms here. DeVonta Smith catches the fade and runs it in for the TD pic.twitter.com/WSBBrOVJXO

— Laurie Fitzpatrick (@LaurieFitzptrck) December 11, 2022

Through two seasons in Philadelphia, Nick Sirianni is 23-11 in the regular season and has won a conference championship. In fact, Sirianni has as many winning seasons in his first two seasons as Eagles’ head coach as the Giants have in their last decade.

The Eagles are talented, sure, but not at the expense of how impactful their head coach is.

As most things are, this is best summed up by Brandon Graham’s reaction to it:

“A lot of people just mad because of what happened this season and I understand. It definitely carried no weight because coach proved himself each and every day and if you’re not in here, you wouldn’t really know that. It’s just all lip service.”

The post Lots of Loser Energy in the NFC East Today appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Over the course of the NFL season, many experts, pundits, and opinionmakers have had a really tough time giving credit to the Philadelphia Eagles. And now that they are playing in the final game of the campaign. With the right to hoist the Lombardi trophy on the line. Nothing much has changed. Here’s an unpopular opinion in regard to what these outsiders have to say… Who cares? Let them!

Sure, it could all be because of the hate that’s regularly directed toward the city of Philadelphia, its teams, and its fanbase. Whatever the excuse is for that collection of people, it shouldn’t concern you as a fan. You know who you are as fans.

Let them all the outsiders band together and wallow in their own misery while the Eagles and others stand up at the end with the trophy of their respective sport. The Birds are good, maybe even great. So are the Phillies. And, we’ll find out soon enough what the 76ers have as they make another run as a championship contender. You know the Sixers/Joel Embiid haters will be in full force once the playoffs and award season roll around.

February 12th in Arizona has a chance to be a special day and a possible glimpse of what your team’s future will be as they play for a second Super Bowl victory. So, let Giants safety Julian Love say what he wants about head coach Nick Sirianni while on a football show discussing the Bowl. Because his team failed at their job. It’s cool to look nice and throw jabs on tv since his offseason has started.Remind Chris Simms how wrong he is on social media. Allow him to look foolish in front of a national audience like he has. All because he can’t admit that he was wrong about Jalen Hurts. Imagine standing on that after his great season.

On Thursday during his media availability, Eagles veteran defensive end Brandon Graham said it best when it comes to Love’s comments.

“People always got something to say when they at home, they got some stuff to think about… It definitely carried no weight cause coach prove himself each and every day.”

The post Let the Outsiders Talk, Our Team is In the Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are the favorites against Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LVII. They are favored for good reason because they are the better team. We will talk more about the Chiefs next week when both teams arrive in Arizona.

The Eagles are not only the best team in the NFL, but they are also the best team in the history of the franchise. I don’t think that it is very close.

No disrespect to the 1960 league-champion Eagles, but we know that that team would lose 75-0 against this team. The only teams that could possibly compare is the 2004 team that lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl and the 2017 team that beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. (Man did Tom Brady have a long, great run).

Just look position by position and it becomes clear that this team would be 10-point favorites against either of the more modern Eagles teams. This exercise is not to diss those other teams, it is to uplift this one — a team that is historically excellent.

Look at the ’04 team for example. Brian Westbrook would start over Miles Sanders due to his overall versatility.

• You can make an argument that McNabb could start over Hurts, but that isn’t a given and you trust Hurts’ mental makeup over basically everyone else’s.

• Terrell Owens is Terrell Owens, but when you add Todd Pinkston, you would much rather have the pairing of AJ Brown and Devonta Smith.

• Tra Thomas would likely get the nod over Jordan Mailata, but that also isn’t a lock.

When you look at the other side of the ball, only Brian Dawkins would start on this team.

• Dawkins is better than Marcus Epps. (No disrespect, the guy is a hall of famer) The other 10 starters for that team would be backups.

• Corey Simon would be in the rotation along with Jevon Kearse, but starters like Derrick Burgess, Mark Simoneau, and Dhani Jones would likely not even dress on this team.

• Some of you may be thinking about right tackle Jon Runyan, but unfortunately for him, Lane Johnson is one of the best players in all of football. Impactful starters on that team would basically be Jack Driscoll on this one. When you look at the 22 starters, it is clear this team is historically good.

When you compare the 2017 team that won the Super Bowl in 2018, you get the same thing. This Eagles team has a gigantic advantage at QB, RB, and WR. Yes, Nick Foles was magical during the NFC title game and the Super Bowl. I am including the games when he took over for Carson Wentz before that too.

• Alshon Jeffery had 9 TDs that year before he became the locker room snitch, but both A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith are light years better.

• You can make an argument for Zach Ertz over Dallas Goedert, but Goedert is the much better blocker.

• Mailata is better than Big V (remember Jason Peters got hurt the Super Bowl year), and Landon Dickerson is better than Steve Wisniewski.

• Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson were on that team and have had zero drop-off.

• Brandon Brooks would likely start over Isaac Seumalo.

• Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox were obviously on both teams with Graham being better now than ever while Cox isn’t as good. That is more than balanced by the fact that Josh Sweat is much better than Vinny Curry and Javon Hargrave is much better than Timmy Jernigan.

• There was nobody resembling Haason Reddick on that team. That man is a game wrecker.

• In the back seven, only Malcolm Jenkins would start over Epps. (Not picking on him, because Jenkins was incredible here)

This Eagles team is way better than a team that won 13 games and the Super Bowl. We don’t know the outcome of next Sunday’s game yet, but they would tattoo that Patriots team if they got the shot. Brady wouldn’t throw for 505 yards on this defense.

When you add in the magic, I still give the edge to this team because they aren’t reliant on the magic. This team creates its own magic. Hurts is now 16-1 on the season. That is magical. He is a pure winner.

The Eagles didn’t need magic against the Giants like the 2017 team did with the Falcons. They just destroyed them. The Eagles didn’t need magic to beat the 49ers. They took out both quarterbacks. Injuries are bad, but with national media saying the 49ers “lost” their QBs, it should be noted that they didn’t lose them. The Eagles were un-block able and physically removed them from the game.

Doug Pederson did a hell of a job in 2017, but Nick Sirianni has been even better. Again, this is the best team in Eagle’s history. The best team in the city’s history is likely the 82-83 Sixers led by the late Moses Malone and known Embiid hater, Julius Erving. The Eagles are one game away from passing them too. We will be talking about this team for a very long time so enjoy every moment from now until kickoff next Sunday.

The post Tyrone Johnson: This is the best Eagles team of all time appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There’s An Eagles Themed Pop-Up Bar in The City!

You may know this pop-up bar as Tinsel, the Christmas-themed bar that opens each season in Center City, but they’ve changed their tune for the Eagles and the Big Game!

Tinsel Takes Flight will be open and ready for you and your friends to cheer on the Birds on Feb 12th! The bar has switched from Christmas decorations to a complete setup of Eagles memorabilia, sports murals and selfie setups.

They’ll have special sports-themed cocktails and the game on all tv’s.

Visit Tinsel Takes Flight at 116 S. 12th Street.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnmliPZDN6r/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The post There’s An Eagles Themed Pop-Up Bar in The City! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Over the next week, leading up until this Super Bowl, Andrew, and Anthony are reliving the Eagles’ last Super Bowl run. Starting today with the 2017 Divisional Round win over the Falcons. It was a game where the Eagles did not look anywhere near as good as they would go on to look in the following two games. The game was sloppy. The Eagles needed a decent amount of luck to get past the Falcons. And Nick Foles did not look like a guy who would go on to win Super Bowl MVP. It was a tight game that ended in an incredibly stressful goal-line stand by the Eagles to advance.

But the Eagles pulled out the win. And they played the best, and most tense moments from that 2017 divisional round win today in the Audio Vault.

Here is the lineup from today’s Vault:* Opening Kickoff with Al Michaels and Chris Collingsworth Discussing Eagles Fans * Jay Ajayi fumbles the ball early in the game on an HB Draw, setting the Falcons up for an FG, Falcons up 3-0 * Eagles Get Defensive Stop on 3rd Down, still 3-0 Falcons * LeGarrette Blount gets the Eagles on the board with a rushing TD, but Jake Elliott misses the extra point, Eagles go up 6-3 * Matt Ryan takes the lead back by hitting D’Vonta Freeman for a TD, the Eagles down 10-6 * Deflected pass off Keanu Neal’s knee lands in Torrey Smith’s hands to give the Eagles a big play * Alshon Jeffrey’s catch leaves 1 second on the clock to set the Eagles up for a FG before Half- Eagles are down 10-9 * Nigel Bradham gets a sack to get the Falcons off the field * Foles and Jeffrey find their connection, and the Eagles have a drive that ends in another FG, the Eagles up 12-10 * The Eagles get 4 straight stops in the Red Zone to hold onto 15-10 lead for the win

You can listen to the full Audio Vault from today below…The post The Audio Vault- Eagles Beat the Falcons in 2017 Divisional Round appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

On Tuesday, we had a very interesting Twitter poll on The Best Show Ever. We asked who was Howie Roseman’s best acquisition this season. And I was stunned by how one-sided the results were.

Who was Howie Roseman's best acquisition this season?

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 31, 2023

Let’s start here: There isn’t even enough space to put all of the options in this poll. Credit to Howie Roseman for making that many impact moves! Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph have been extremely important to cleaning up this defensive line. Against the 49ers, Suh wreaked havoc and Joseph picked up the football on Sirianni’s challenge making sure it was Eagles’ possession.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson and James Bradberry receiving such few votes probably make sense when thinking about of A.J. Brown and Haason Reddick, but it’s amazing when realizing how incredible they’ve been. Bradberry will get a massive off-season contract and Gardner-Johnson finished tied for first in interceptions while only playing 12 games!

To be clear there’s really no WRONG answer and I understand there are many layers to this hypothetical. My personal opinion is A.J. Brown was the most important acquisition.

The Eagles’ defense finished with 70 sacks. If you removed Reddick and replaced him with another player who might have recorded six sacks in the offseason, they’ll still be leading the entire NFL with 60. Five more than the next team. Taking A.J. Brown off this roster would change everything Nick Sirianni wants to do as an offensive game plan. Number one corners are now covering DeVonta Smith instead. Adding just any wide receiver in the offseason would be more of a hit to the offensive unit.

The post Poll: Who was Howie Roseman’s Best Acquisition this Season? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It’s been a bit of a slow week in Philly sports with the Eagles doing their pre-Super Bowl week prep, the Sixers in a bit of a lull in their schedule, and the Flyers heading into the NHL All-Star break. The news cycle will pick back up when the Eagles take off for Glendale, Arizona next week, but in the meantime, let’s add the latest installment to a classic sports conversation: who are the top 10 athletes in the city right now? Sorry, Union fans, I am not well versed enough with the team to rank them among the big 4 teams, no disrespect meant. Flyers fans, I’m not sorry. We both know no one on that team right now is top 10 in the city.

The post Power Ranking The Top 10 Philly Athletes Right Now appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

TWO GREAT OFFENSES – ONE GREAT DEFENSE

The Super Bowl matchup with the KC Chiefs has an intriguing matchup between two very prolific offenses and one spectacular defense. It’s not hard to figure out which team has that defense. The Eagles are clearly superior and that edge may be exactly what they need to get past Patrick Mahomes.

The Eagles and their 70+ sacks have a chance to set the all time sack mark if they manage to get Patrick Mahomes to the ground 5 times. That is easier said than done, even with Mahomes hampered by a bum ankle. He was troubled by it in the Bengals game but was still mobile enough to orchestrate a last second drive to win the game.

The Eagles gashed the 49ers, the 2nd best run defense in the NFL, for 148 yards. They ran between the tackles and around the edge and managed to neutralize Nick Bosa with a tremendous offensive plan. The Chiefs have an issue here because they were 19th against the run. They also have an inexperienced secondary that isn’t completely healthy. The hallmark of their attack has been the ability to dominate through the air one week and then employing a heavy rushing attack the next.

The Eagles had a late season three week offensive run when they showed immense balance. The Packers, Titans and Giants games in early December showcased everything that this offense can be when it is clicking. They will need that type of attack to keep the Chiefs defense off balance. Chewing up clock by running the football might be another great strategy to employ. Limiting the possessions for Patrick Mahomes is a great recipe for success.

TEN POINTS = 3 LOSSES

The Chiefs were beaten 3 times this season. They lost an early season game to the Colts in Indianapolis. Then they were defeated by both the Bills and the Bengals. It was the 3rd consecutive loss to the Bengals which was then broken in the AFC Championship Game. You can look at their resume 2 ways. On one hand, the Chiefs lost to the two best teams in the NFL that they faced in the regular season. On the other hand, the Chiefs lost the three games by a collective ten points. That’s a pretty amazing mark. They had 9 wins by one score and 3 losses by one score. The Chiefs know how to play tight games and managed to win 75% of them.

27-27-2

Good News! The Eagles are the betting favorites in the Super Bowl. The bad news is that the favorites are rarely as impressive as we expect them to be. The betting favorite is a dead even 27-27-2 in the 56 Super Bowls already played. This is different than any regular season mark. The favorites have a far better winning percentage in regular season games. We already know that the Chiefs play tight games, the Eagles have played less of those. It would benefit the Birds to get ahead of the Chiefs early. If they are in obvious passing downs, the Eagles pass rush might be the huge difference maker!

The post Random Thoughts on Super Bowl 57 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

As he does every week during the Eagles season, Tim McManus joined The Best Show ever for his Eagle’s Mid-Week Report. It is the bye week for the Super Bowl. What did he think of their performance vs the 49ers? What made the difference in them starting to beat up the Niners defense on the ground? Here is Tim McManus’s Mid-Week report during the bye week.

On His Thoughts of the Performance vs the 49ers

“Domination. And unexpected domination. Because San Francisco was coming in on a heater. They had won 12 straight. Were playing lights out defensively. And even though it was Brock Purdy under center, they showed they were able to keep it up and humming. Then the come into the Linc and get throttled. So it was an impressive showing no doubt. Haason Reddick was the star of the show. What he has done is just incredible… He just went in there and he wrecked that game. 2 sacks, 3 Qb pressures, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble. That was just in the first half.

The offensive and defensive line continue to be the story of this team. They are able to assert their dominance against just about anybody. And we saw that even against one of the best defenses in the Niners. About as impressive of a win as I have seen from this group.”

On the difference Jeff Stoutland made in the game vs the Niners

“Surveying the locker room after the game, a lot of it comes down to Jeff Stoutland. Who we all know is one of the best offensive line coaches in the game. Talking with Jordan Mailata, he likened it to a game of chess… For a while the Niners got a bead on what the Eagles were doing. But Stoutland was able to make the proper adjustments. The way that Mailata put it, once they won that game of chess, once Stoutland figured out what was happening, that is when they took over. And you see the results.

4 TDs on the ground. They are setting record with their ground production this year… Obviously they are a roster that is loaded with talent. But they also have really good coaches. And that was on display this weekend.”

You can listen to Tim McManus’s Full Mid-Week Report below…The post Tim McManus Mid-Week Report- Super Bowl Bye Week appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Michael Vick knows a thing or two about playing under center for the Eagles. He spent multiple seasons here as the QB. And in one of those seasons, he put together an MVP-Caliber performance similar to what Jalen Hurts did this year. Earlier today Michael Vick joined the Anthony Gargano Show to discuss the Eagles being in the Super Bowl, how impressed he is by Jalen Hurts, his time in Philly, and more. Here is what Michael Vick had to say.

On Being Impressed by Jalen Hurts

“Jalen makes me want to go back and do it all over again. If I do it again, I am going to do it just like this. I’m going to keep my head down, work as hard as I can, make my teammates better, and be the best teammate I can be. I am going to do everything right while I have everything in the palm of my hands. He just greets you with confidence and leadership. It’s funny. As I watch him and his maturation process. I know his story, his dad was a coach and coached him. I prat that I am able to do the same thing for my son, and he turns out like Jalen Hurts.”

On Playing in Philly

“It was a warm embrace from the beginning. The cherry on top was that my wife is from Philadelphia. She had the chance to enjoy the moment just like I did… Instantly I fell in love with the city, the people, the restaurants, and everything the City of Brotherly Love had to offer. I look at it as my second/third home, I love coming there.”

On Playing for Andy Reid

“His door was always open. As long as you treated him with respect, he will give you the same. He didn’t take anything less than that. When coaches can differentiate between being your friend, your coach, your mentor, and your role model. When they can compartmentalize that, and put it all together, those are the ones that get the most out of their players and win on a consistent basis.”

Listen to the full Michael Vick interview below…The post Michael Vick Hopes His Son Can Turn Out like Jalen Hurts appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2017-2018 season when they won their first Super Bowl. Obviously, this current team has not finished the job just yet. But is it a more talented team anyway? Both teams were the number 1 seed, but this team had the better overall record. And obviously, both teams made it to the Super Bowl. They even both blew out their opponent in the NFC Championship game to get there. But who is better? I went position by position, comparing the two teams, to find out who is the better team.

Which team had the better QB? Who got after the QB better? Did one of them have better WRs? Even though that 2017 team won the Super Bowl, you will be surprised by how many positions this team has the advantage at. As good as that 2017 team was, this team is that much better. Does that mean they are going to win? No. Because the team they are facing may be better than the Patriots team the 2017 faced. And I doubt Andy Reid will randomly bench his best cornerback before the game. But this team is still better on paper.

You don’t need to take my word for it. Let’s lay it out position by position, comparing the two squads. You will see that this team passes the Super Bowl one at nearly every position.

The post Who is Better? -Comparing This Team To The 2017 Team appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

By Ricky BottalicoSome players have the ability to bring you back in time. Haason Reddick is just that for me. He is able to get around or through offensive linemen like a hot knife through butter. On any given play, you will find him mulling around in the opposing team’s backfield, giving them fits!

Reddick has me thinking of a player from the past. The one player that I recall watching as a kid was Lawrence Taylor. Same type of mindset. Always trying to disrupt the opponent’s playcalling. Taylor was a player that would have opponents game planning for him, personally. You always wanted to know where he was lined up defensively and had to plan accordingly. Both players are physically strong, agile and their quickness off the ball is insane. Taylor was feared back in the day and this season I think Reddick should be feared also.

A look at the numbers for Reddick this regular season: 16 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries. The postseason has been really impressive also. Another 3.5 sacks, along with a forced fumble. The numbers are great, and they are telling. But more importantly, Reddick’s presence on the field has all of us noticing how special he is.

I know that defense is made up of 11 players, and each player is a cog in that machine. But Reddick has really impressed me on a weekly basis. You can see the intensity and the desire to be the best. He has shown that his contract has become almost a bargain, and that quite simply in my eyes……………………… (Haason Reddick is a BEAST!)

The post Haason Reddick Reminds Me Of Lawrence Taylor appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show to discuss, what else? the SUPER BOWL! If youve been living under a rock, the Eagles are going. Its an exciting time here in Philadelphia, especially considering the games havent been close. The Eagles have outscored their opponents 69-14 in their two playoff games and just beat down “the best defense in football.”

“Listen [the Eagles are] so strong in the trenches… they’ve added playmakers at the right spots at the right times,” Schefter told the group. “And it’s a team that has played great and the playoff schedule shifted perfectly for them. They were the best team in football this year.”

Schefter went on to break down the Super Bowl matchup, as well as break some news on Tom Brady. Check out the full interview below

The post VIDEO: Adam Schefter: “Eagles Were the Best Team In Football All Year” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every wednesday ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joins the John Kincade Show to discuss all things NFL. In the middle of the call he broke some news, BIG NEWS. Tom Brady is retiring from the NFL.

This announcement comes exactly one year after the future Hall of Famer announced his retirement the first time. Ultimately Brady decided to return for his 23rd season. Brady looked uncharateric in his final season. He threw for 4,694 yards with 25 touchdowns and 9 interceptions but he finally seemed to look his age. He also dealt with personal matters through the season that could have hindered his performance.

Brady, a 6th round pick in the 2000 draft, rose to prominence in the 2002 season when then Patriots starter Drew Bledsoe was knocked out of a game against the Jets. Brady took over and led the Patriots on a Super Bowl run. He went on to win 7 Super Bowls. It wouldve been 8 but Brandon Graham strip sacked him in 2018 and it led to the Eagles upsetting the Patriots 41-33.

He is a 1st ballot Hall of Famer, arguably the greatest of all time.

Question of the Day-What Were You Most Wrong About With the EaglesThe Eagles are in the Super Bowl. And if you had told us that would be the case 6 months ago, it probably would have been a bit surprising. But from early in the season, it became clear this team was special. They crushed both teams in their path in the playoffs. Not because they were lucky, but because they were just that good. But, we did not know they were this good before the season. Most of us saw a much-improved team, but not the best team in the league. And we were wrong. Which is why the question of the day today on The Best Show Ever was, what were you the most wrong about when it comes to this Eagles team?

Maybe it is Jalen Hurts. There were a lot of Eagles fans not too confident in him coming into the season. Many of us at the station were guilty of it. Several people were even heavy on the train to make a trade for Russell Wilson. But Jalen Hurts didn’t just improve, he turned into a Super Star. He is an MVP finalist. While the award will likely go to Patrick Mahomes, especially after Jalen Hurts missed time with an injured shoulder, it is still quite the feat considering where he was coming from.

Or perhaps it was Jonathan Gannon. Besides Hurts no one on this team faced more questions coming into the year. But with a new defense, stacked with talent, he turned a struggling defense into one of the best in the league. Though in his case, there are still many doubters who think the defense is good in spite of him.

Here are the answers we got from you on Twitter…The post Tom Brady Retires From The NFL appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

The Eagles have been dominating the NFL for the 2022 regular season and that momentum has carried over into the playoffs. After scoring 38 and 31 points respectively while only allowing 14 points in total this team has been on an impressive rampage. There are some that still don’t want to give them their due, but I assure you it’s just a consistent pattern of moving the goalposts on this impressive group. To counter those that will attempt to tell you why the Eagles being favorites in this game is a mistake, I’ve got a few early tid bits to shut down the trolls.

THE EAGLES DEFENSIVE FRONT DOMINATES

It doesn’t matter who the opponent is and whether they have an impressive offensive line of their own, the Eagles consistently win the battle at the point of attack. Here’s the better news, the Kansas City Chiefs don’t do as good a job of protecting their QB pocket as the SF 49ers did. The Eagles blew through the San Francisco offensive line like a hot knife through butter. When the Chiefs offensive line has an unfavorable matchup it curtails the success of Patrick Mahomes to improvise and create his magic. The Chiefs have the more accomplished QB, but the Eagles should have the QB in the far cleaner pocket.

DON’T SWEAT OUT THE COIN TOSS

Melvin in the Analytics Department is not going to enjoy this message. The coin toss means little to the Eagles. When Jalen Hurts starts in the 2022 season the Eagles were presented the ball 5 times when the coin toss winner chose to defer. It blew up in their face every single time. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense was 5 for 5 in scoring touchdowns when receiving the opening kickoff. The team was 6 for 6 in scoring drives to start the game when receiving the ball when you include the field goal they scored vs Dallas on Christmas Eve.

HEALTH MATTERS

It has been said that the key to winning a Super Bowl is being healthy at the end of the season. Of course this point runs completely contrary to the Eagles only Super Bowl Championship team who were ravaged by injuries. So it’s important yo take nothing for granted when evaluating an opponent. The Eagles still should start all of their 22 regulars vs the Chiefs. Meanwhile, Kansas City is very banged up in their receiving corps and has some other regulars dinged up. It’s all hands on deck in a Super Bowl, but this is an advantage.

EAGLES HOLDING AS A FAVORITE

The Eagles opened as an underdog in Super Bowl 57. The Eagles then ballooned to a 2.5 point favorite. Now the money has moved in favor of Kansas City as the Eagles open this morning as a 1.5 point favorite. The line in the NFC Title Game hovered under 3 points all week until the morning of the game. The Eagles still won by 24 points.

We are now 11.5 days until kickoff. I’m looking forward to a restful weekend before our Super Bowl coverage commences in Arizona next week!

The post There are many good omens heading into Super Bowl 57 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are in the Super Bowl. And if you had told us that would be the case 6 months ago, it probably would have been a bit surprising. But from early in the season, it became clear this team was special. They crushed both teams in their path in the playoffs. Not because they were lucky, but because they were just that good. But, we did not know they were this good before the season. Most of us saw a much-improved team, but not the best team in the league. And we were wrong. Which is why the question of the day today on The Best Show Ever was, what were you the most wrong about when it comes to this Eagles team?

Maybe it is Jalen Hurts. There were a lot of Eagles fans not too confident in him coming into the season. Many of us at the station were guilty of it. Several people were even heavy on the train to make a trade for Russell Wilson. But Jalen Hurts didn’t just improve, he turned into a Super Star. He is an MVP finalist. While the award will likely go to Patrick Mahomes, especially after Jalen Hurts missed time with an injured shoulder, it is still quite the feat considering where he was coming from.

Or perhaps it was Jonathan Gannon. Besides Hurts no one on this team faced more questions coming into the year. But with a new defense, stacked with talent, he turned a struggling defense into one of the best in the league. Though in his case, there are still many doubters who think the defense is good in spite of him.

Here are the answers we got from you on Twitter…The post Question of the Day-What Were You Most Wrong About With the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Best Show Ever just got a little bit better. Because we have launched our very own Tik Tok. Want to see behind-the-scenes content of Tyrone, Ricky, Hunter, and Jen? They will update the TikTok multiple times per week. Check out our first post, where we find out who on the show belongs to Club Tyrone, below.

@thebestshowever975 You can join Club Tik Tok #fyp #philly #philadelphia #flyeaglesfly #sportstiktok #phillytok #radio #sportstiktok #mlb #hockey #baseball #basketball

♬ Startup (60 seconds) – TimTaj

The post The Best Show Ever Launches Its Own TikTok appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are back in the Super Bowl. An incredible season continues after they beat the 49ers 31-7 on Sunday. And to break down this run to the Super Bowl, their chances to win it, and more, Anthony Gargano talked to Jeff McLane from the Philly Inquirer. How did they get here? Jeff McLane talks about the Eagles’ offseason moves that go them to this point, a few moves they didn’t make, and the line swinging the Eagles way after it originally favored the Chiefs. Here is what Jeff McLane had to say.

On The Betting Line Swinging the Eagles Way

“I thought the Chiefs would be favored. But it went the other way. I guess the Mahomes mobility factor, the fact that he is not going to be 100%. I don’t think Hurts is 100% either. So that kind of evens out. And the Eagles have a stronger defense than the Chiefs. They are a little stronger on both lines. The Chiefs have a much stronger O-line than they did two years ago. And the strength of their defense is their D Line with Chris Jones and Frank Clark. But I don’t think their defense is as strong talent-wise as the Eagles… It’s not all about the QBS. But Mahomes has won a Super Bowl. he has been there down that. I would give them the edge there. Not taking anything away from Jalen, but Mahomes may end up the best Qb of all time.

To me, it is probably a toss-up… The Eagles have great corners, and Mahomes can only extend plays for so long. He is not 100% on that ankle. They will get to him. Haason Reddick is playing as well as any edge rusher in the league right now. He outplayed Nick Bosa on Sunday. So I think that is probably what the bettors are looking at it…”

On The Transformation of Jalen Hurts and the Eagles not Trading For Russel Willson

"If you are looking at the team, and what changed — more than anything, Jalen Hurts." – @Jeff_McLane on how the Eagles got to this point this season

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 31, 2023

"Ultimately, sometimes the moves you don't make are the best moves." – @Jeff_McLane on the Eagles not trading for Russell Wilson in the off-season

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 31, 2023

You can listen to the full conversation with Jeff McLane below…The post Jeff McLane Joins Anthony to Discuss The Eagles Making the Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

People were high on the Eagles coming into the season. But no one had them being this good. Or did they? This morning Andrew Salciunas gave Anthony Gargano his dues. Because way back in June, after the draft and free agency, Anthony ran through the Eagles’ schedule. And his predictions, though they seemed hyperbolic at the time, were very accurate.

Among his predictions was that they would start 9-0, and wind up going 14-3. He was close. They did go 14-3, but they only went 8-0, losing their ninth game. But he ran through ball 17 games and got nearly all of his predictions right. He thought their first loss would be vs the Colts, it ended up being a week earlier against the Washington Commanders, and the Eagles beat the Colts the next week. And of course, he could not have predicted Gardner Minshew having to come in for two weeks.

But for preseason predictions, several months before the season, and before the final roster was even constructed, Anthony was surprisingly accurate. He even got some predictions outside the Eagles right, such as predicting that Brian Daboll would have the Giants playing above their talent level.

And now with the Eagles in the Super Bowl, and having the great season Anthony predicted several months ago when he admittedly was drinking the green kool-aid one morning, Andrew replayed all these predictions in The Audio Vault today. Anthony didn’t even fully believe it himself at the time. He said it back then. Anthony had just been making a point of how great this Eagles team could be. But since his wild hyperbolic predictions ended up being true, why not give him his dues? So that is what Andrew did this morning in the Audio Vault.

You can hear his full predictions from back then in the Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- Anthony’s Pre Season Eagles Predictions appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony Gargano discussed his impatience for the Super Bowl in his Opening Diatribe this morning…

“I dont know about you guys, but I could do without today. I could fast forward to Wednesday. Because Wednesday is the middle of the first week. Next thing you know it is Thursday, and then Football Friday. Then the team leaves, I think the team leaves on Sunday. Next thing you know it is Super Bowl week. But this is the tough part. Because we wait… I just want to think about the game man. Yesterday I said I want to enjoy all two weeks of it, like an idiot. And now I’m like, can I fast forward a little bit of it? Because I am dying to get to it.

I am dying to get to this game. I think this could be one of these epic Super Bowls. The Eagles win 33-30 or 33-31. Something crazy. I just feel like it is going to be a great game. It has been such a weird year. A glorious year, but a strange one. The Eagles haven’t been involved in a lot of close games. There are only a handful of games that were close all year long. Which is wild. When you think about the playoffs, it is a rarity that the playoffs are like this. 38-7, 31-7. That is incredible when you think about it. They just rolled the Giants. The second half was a party. And then on Sunday, the second half was a party. Everybody knew the outcome.

But I do not understand this Niners whining going on. It makes no sense to me. I get if you are Niners fan you are upset you lost your starting QB. But what are you going to do? That is the game. They are crying about officials. What are you talking about? You got routed…

What an amazing couple of weeks man. That sets us up for the Super Bowl. It is an incredible time.”

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Ready to Fast Forward to the Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Luckily you may have made the decision to mortgage a little of your financial future in order to attend the Super Bowl in Arizona. There are a few things you need to know, some are specific to this trip and some are relevant every year. I’ve been to 16 Super Bowls and there are some insider tips that should assist you.

BUYING TICKETS

If you are traveling to Arizona and do NOT yet have tickets I would advise you to not purchase tickets now. The worst time to purchase game tickets is Monday thru Wednesday right after the Super Bowl matchup is announced. That is when the secondary market tickets are the highest. I can assure you that the price of tickets will actually go down, especially in the last 48 hours. I know, it’s a poker game that many are not willing to play. The last 48 hours prior to kickoff is actually the best time to buy. The secondary market ticket holders do not want to get stuck holding tickets. They will look to move them more aggressively closer to kickoff. Bide your time and save a few dollars.

DINNER RESERVATIONS

If you are looking to get in the hot restaurant in Phoenix or Scottsdale next week you are most likely already too late to grab a table. That might not be true, so get on your search for dinner spots now. If you are looking to eat at chain restaurants or smaller local spots you will find more availability. Get on to Open Table or make phone calls now. Later dinner times are usually more open. If you have a hotel reservation and they offer concierge service you can call them now to grab yourself a reservation.

RADIO ROW

Years ago they began selling day passes for the public to visit Radio Row. That is where we will be broadcasting from on Wednesday 2/8 through Friday 2/10. It sounds like a great idea, to be able to mix and mingle with the stars of sports and entertainment who are there being interviewed. It rarely materializes. They place the public behind blockades and you view everything from distance. The opportunity to grab a selfie or autograph is very rare. I believe it’s not worth your time or money.

THE BIG PARTIES

Most of the big corporate or celebrity hosted parties sound amazing, but for the general public they don’t become the experience many expect. At the huge parties they are segregated into different levels of access. You may see a great celebrity guest list, but I assure you that they will be behind velvet ropes. You will maybe see them on a stage, introducing a musical act or interacting via a microphone. You won’t be sharing a personal conversation with the stars and the crowds can be stifling. If you are not into large gatherings, take a pass. Shaq’s Funhouse is a great event, but think of it as a concert with good food and drink. It’s wild, fun but crowded.

NEED ANY OTHER INFO?

Feel free to reach out personally at John.Kincade@bbgi.com

The post Super Bowl Trip Tips you need to know! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are going to the Super Bowl. But how did they get there? EJ Smith joined The Best Show Ever to break down the win over the Niners, react to the criticism that the Eagles had an easy road here, and to discuss the gutsy performance by Lane Johnson. Here is what EJ Smith had to say when he joined us earlier today.

On the talk that the Eagles’ schedule to the playoffs has been too easy

“I don’t think the Eagles need to apologize for who’s been on their schedule. Especially yesterday. The Eagles defensive line wrecked that game from the beginning to the end. It didn’t really matter which QB was back there. The reason both of them got hurt was because they were getting consistent pressure. They were physical once they got to the QB. They weren’t dirty, they just played a really physical game. And that has been the Eagles’ story all season. They are a team that is built to get a lead early and protect the lead. The defensive line literally wrecked the 49ers’ game by knocking out their QB. Obviously, you don’t want to see anybody get hurt. But playing a physical game and affecting the QB like that is part of their game plan.

No, the Eagles have not faced a Patrick Mahomes or a Joe Burrow in the playoffs. But they don’t need to apologize for that. They got the number 1 seed for a reason. You play who is in front of you. It is not something you need to make excuses for.”

On How Jalen Hurts played

“I think he played well enough. He didn’t play his best game. There were a couple of pockets that he left early. And felt like there were a few miscues. Especially the deep pass to AJ Brown. That is the big one, especially in the playoffs. Missed opportunities like that can come back to bite you. It is tough to nitpick his performance when they won 31-7. He did what he needed to do early in the game. Playoff games hinge on a couple of plays most of the time. The Eagles winning in blowouts isn’t exactly the formula most teams have.

He had a couple of plays like the pass to Devotna Smith and the QB sneak deep in their own territory. Those are plays he made that really changed the game. On the flip side, against the Chiefs are they going to need to hit AJ Brown when he is open? Of course they are. Those are plays you need to have in high-leverage games. But I think he was good enough. Maybe not his best day passing. But he played well enough to win the game handily.”

On Lane Johnson playing at a high level through the injury

“The biggest surprise to me is the way Lane Johnson played against Nick Bosa. That was a real wild card going in. Obviously he is dealing with a groin injury. He looked good against the Giants. But Nick Bosa is one of the best in the NFL at what he does. That is a humungous test for a guy going through anything. Even if Lane Johnson is healthy, that is a matchup everyone is going to be watching. Lane Johnson, impacted by that injury, still held up incredibly well against Bosa. Bosa is the type of guy who can ruin a game plan.

The team counts on the tackles to win one on one matchups. They don’t want to send chip help, or max protect. They want those guys to stay on an island and win those blocks. And Lane Johnson even with that injury was able to do it.”

And you can listen to the full conversation with EJ Smith below…The post EJ Smith Discusses The Eagles Making it to The Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles blew the 49ers out in the NFC Championship game to advance to the Super Bowl. You would think that would result in the Eagles having praise heaped on them. But instead, many around the NFL decided to find ways to discredit the Eagles. They point straight toward the 49ers’ injuries at QB. To be fair, by the end of the game, the Niners literally did not have any player capable of throwing the ball by the end of the game. But that should not mean we don’t treat 31-7 as anything else except the incredibly impressive win that it was.

I mean they won the NFC Championship game. That should be a reason for celebration and praise. But as per usual with Philly, people do not want to give it to us. So it falls on us to point out how impressive it was. Here are 5 numbers that tell the story of just how impressive the NFC Championship win was.

31The first number is not something you had to dig too deep for. It is literally just what they scored. They put up 31 points on the 49ers. You can attribute holding the Niners to 7 points to Brock Purdy being hurt. But the QB being hurt has nothing to do with how the Eagles dominated the 49ers’ vaunted defense. A 49ers defense that allowed just 16.3 points per game in the season. Who held the Cowboys’ 4th ranked offense to just 12 points a week earlier? You can’t discount that part. The Eagles dropping 31 on the NFL’s best defense is all Eagles.

4All season the 49ers’ defense allowed just 11 rushing Tds in 17 games. That is .65 rushing TDs a game. Well, the Eagles scored 4 rushing TDs on them. All week all we heard was how hard it would be to run on the Niners. And for a bit it was hard. But then the Eagles adjusted, started running to the weak side, and they were running all over this Niners team. This team can run on anybody. If the 49ers can’t stop them, who can? Miles Sanders got 2, Boston Scott got one, and then Jalen Hurts snuck one in for good measure. As long as the Eagles have this offensive line, there is no one stopping them from running the ball. And again Brock Purdy getting hurt had nothing to do with this. That is just the Eagles run game being amazing.

3.8%The performance from Lane Johnson this postseason is nothing short of incredible. He is playing with a torn abductor. I feel the need to remind you because watching him play, you very easily could have forgotten. It started with the Giants and Kayvon Thibodeaux and carried into yesterday vs Nick Bosa. In 53 pass-blocking snaps this postseason, he was allowed a pressure on just 2 of them. A Pressure rate of 3.8%. That would be a ridiculous performance from a healthy player facing average pass rushers. But for an injured Lane Johnson to shut down both Thibodeaux and Nick Bosa is incredible. The type of performance that cements him as a Hall of Famer. And he will need another performance like that in the Super Bowl, with a matchup vs Chris Jones on the horizon.

61.9%The defensive line deserves its praise as well. While the Eagles’ O line protected their QB, the 49er’s defense could not. The Eagles D Line got pressure on either Brock Purdy or Josh Johnson on 61.9% of all pass-blocking snaps. The highest number by the Eagles in a playoff game in the statcast era They were swarming all game long. They only got 3 sacks because the 49ers literally stopped throwing the ball. But they were in the QBs face nearly every snap. Haason Reddick was a beast, getting two of those sacks, one of which forced a fumble. And for what it is worth, the Chiefs’ O Line gave up pressures on 42% of pass rush snaps. Sure does seem like the Eagles’ D Line vs the Chiefs’ O Line is a matchup they can win.

0Jalen Hurts did not have his best game. He missed a couple of throws and had only 50 passing yards after the first quarter. But you know what was impressive about his performance? He turned it over 0 times. The 49ers came into the game 2nd in the league in takeaways with 30. But Jalen Hurts did not cough the ball up. All season he has done a fantastic job of protecting the ball. History will show the team that protects the ball better, tends to win.

The post 5 Numbers That Tell The Story of the Eagles NFC Championship Victory appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In case you missed it yesterday, the Eagles are going to the Super Bowl. They beat down the San Francisco 49ers. A 31-7 blowout. The Eagles’ defense was swarming, and the Eagles’ offense ran all over the vaunted Niners’ Run D. It was a weird game that left the Niners with no one who could actually throw the ball. But that should not discredit what the Eagles pulled off. They went up against what was touted as the best defense in the league and put up 31 points on them. There was a party all night in Philly. Fans stormed the streets to celebrate the Eagles heading back to the Super Bowl. But why should the party not continue into today? Andrew Salciunas pulled the best moments from that game, to replay for us today. The TDs, the sacks, the turnovers, and more. Hear those moments again, along with Anthony and Andrew’s reactions, as they continued to relive the NFC Championship victory to head back to the Super Bowl.

Here is the lineup from the Audio Vault today* Devonta Smith’s “Catch” on 4th Down during the first drive of the game to set up the Eagles’ first TD * Miles Sanders walks into the endzone untouched to put the Eagles up 7-0 * Haason Reddick Sacks Brock Purdy * Reddick gets to Purdy again, forcing a fumble, and injuring him * Miles Sanders gets his second Rushing TD to make it 14-7 * Haason Reddick recovers fumbled Josh Johnson snap to set the Eagles up in their own Red Zone * Boston Scott puts the Eagles up 21-7 before Half Time * Jalen Hurts Sneaks it into the End Zone to make it 28-7 * Eagles’ Defense Smothers the 49ers on two 4th Down attempts * Jalen Hurts sings the Fight Song with Eagles Fans after the game

You can relive the Eagles’ victory with Anthony and Andrew in the Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- Relive the Eagles win over the Niners appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are back in the Super Bowl, and Anthony Gargano reacted in his Opening Diatribe this morning…

“What an amazing time yesterday at Lincoln Financial Field, before the greatest fans in the world. The Eagles are going back to the Super Bowl! Let’s discuss this in 3 prongs.

First, let us pay tribute to the players. Led by Haason reddick. From Camden NJ… He is the beast of all beasts. He led the defense in what was the Body Bag Game 2.0. Who would have thought that in an NFC Championship game against the Vaunted Niners’ defense, it would be the Eagles that would be the Body Bag game warriors that they were yesterday? The game was not a game yesterday after Reddick put Brock Purdy out. That was it. Josh Johnson did not have a prayer. Purdy couldn’t sling his arm back. The game was over in that first series on defense. After the Eagles go down yet again and get 7. Including 4 rushing TDs against that Vaunted Niner’s defense that you couldn’t run the ball on…

This group, that went 14-3 during the regular season. Led by a QB who is as genuine as you can be. Who is the ultimate team guy. It is pretty awesome that in a city that is always about the collective, he would be the guy who would lead us to the next Super Bowl.

That line has carried this team. Led by Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, the veteran warriors. It is amazing what that line has done. That game was close. The 49ers’ defense was playing well. But this was a stroke of genius by Nick Sirianni and Shane Steichen. They ran to the weak side, and they had incredible success with Kelce, Dickerson, and Mailata opening up holes…

That D-Line was just relentless. The back end played great, everybody played great. It just was a party. An NFC Championship game party. Two routs. How about this season? They go 14-3 and then rout the Giants in the divisional round, and Rout the Niners in the Conference Championship game. Are you kidding me with this team?

The second would be Jeffrey Lurie, who is the best owner in all of the NFL… He has taken this team to relevancy. Look, they had their moments in the 70s and ’80s when they went to the Super Bowl. But they have had amazing sustained success under Jeffrey Lurie. And what more could you say about Howie Roseman being the great architect of this team?… Look what he added. He makes the draft day trade for AJ Brown… You get Reddick who becomes a star… And when they showed that they needed some depth in the middle, Howie goes and gets Suh and Joseph to bolster the middle. He goes and gets James Bradberry to play opposite Slay, which was a work of genius. One move after the other, and they all work magically…

And then of course the 3rd group is this fan base… We know who we are. We know how special we are as a collective… That is what this whole thing is. As you see the shots on Broad Street last night, you see it packed from the Linc to North Philly. It is just an incredible city, with incredible people. Last night showed the love that we have. And it was a sign to the rest of the country and the world, about what it is like to love unconditionally…

Their smiles which are unfiltered. Their joy which is unadulterated. When I see them sing, dance, chant, and hug each other. I am most proud of that. What it is is a chance to connect with each other… That is the greater message here. That is the beauty. It is not just football, not just fandom, it supersedes all of that. It is a show of what we can be when it is organic and pure.

And what better team to do this with? Nick Sirianni said that this is a team glued together by love. I love the Ted Lasso thing he has going on. He made it a point to point out the love that those players have for one another. That is why you see this response. It was like that for the Phillies. We saw that party happen and everyone jumped on it. And you see it with this football team.

Yea it is not over. It will be a great Super Bowl. Eagles vs Chiefs. And the Eagles are now the favorite. They opened as an underdog, and it immediately flipped to the Eagles, which is a good sign. They have every chance to win that Super Bowl.”

You can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- The Eagles are Back in the Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

When youre New York City, and you have two football teams and neither are very good, you tend to look elsewhere. You want to feel like a winner and honestly who could blame ~~those losers~~ them. While it wasnt a surprise to us that they jumped on the best team in football’s bandwagon, it was a BIG surprise to some in the city. A rude wakeup call that its the Eagles who run New York.

The Empire State building was lit up in green and white and it wasnt for the Jets, it was for the Birds.

Fly @Eagles Fly! We’re going Green and White in honor of the Eagles NFC Championship Victory. pic.twitter.com/RNiwbCIkt7

— Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) January 29, 2023

As you can probably imagine, the Jets and Giants fans didnt take this well. They took to twitter and blasted the empire state building with tweets that I cant really put in this post (but theyre BAD.) The building tried to do a mea culpa by donning the building in Chiefs colors but the damage was done.

Today's cover: The Empire State Building lights up in the colors of the Eagles and the Chiefs after their Conference Championship wins https://t.co/Dy17bZpe24 pic.twitter.com/8BU6nCvayi

— New York Post (@nypost) January 30, 2023

I think New York should just embrace this. Soak it in and join us in our trip to the Super Bowl. Dont be bitter that you have two teams and zero shot of winning a damn thing.

The post New York City Finally Admits They’re Eagles Fans appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Grease the poles! Our Philadelphia Eagles are back in the Super Bowl. They faced off against the best defense in the league, and they did not blink. By the second half, it was not even close. They took a 21-7 lead into halftime and turned it into a 31-7 win. And now in two weeks time, they will be taking the field in Arizona to try to bring this city its second Lombardi trophy in franchise history.

It was close for most of the first half. The Eagles’ offense went right down the field to make it 7-0. But then the 49ers D buckled down and gave up just 11 yards on the next 3 drives. The 49ers’ offense could never get it going though. Outside one Christain Mccaffery TD where he had to break 4 tackles, the 49ers’ offense was shut down. They could not contain Haason Reddick. He had two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery by halftime.

The Eagles got a TD late in the half. It looked like they would go into the locker room up 14-7. But a Josh Johnson fumble gave the Eagles one more chance to score before halftime, and they took it. And after that, the 49ers never got back into it. The Eagles did catch several breaks. Brock Purdy went out early with an elbow injury. Josh Johnson came in for him but went out with a concussion. So Purdy had to come back in, but he literally could not throw the ball. Meaning the 49ers had to try and come back from down 21 points, with a quarter left to play, with only runs. That was never going to happen.

But the Eagles putting up 4 rushing touchdowns against the best rush defense in the league had nothing to do with Purdy being hurt. That was just the Eagles’ run game being impossible to stop. So much credit has to go to this O Line. They went up against what the national media dubbed the best front 7 in the league, and they didn’t blink. They fought for every yard they got. And they came out on top. this team can run on anybody.

This team has been the best team in Football all season. They proved it in the regular season, they proved it last week, and they proved it again vs the 49ers. The 49ers are a great team. But the Eagles are better. And now they will get one more chance to prove they are the best team two weeks from now in the Super Bowl. Enjoy it Philly fans. Something special is happening.

The post The Eagles Are Going Back to the Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

1 down, 2 more to go. The Eagles have advanced to the NFC Championship round and will face the 49ers on Sunday

We were doing staff predictions but we stopped because quite frankly everyone was picking the Eagles every week. So we decided to pick things back up for the playoffs where the real drama begins!

Here is how our staff sees the Eagles vs. the 49ers game playing out.

The post Staff Predictions: NFC Championship Round Eagles vs. 49ers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Just 3 more games left in the Football season! The two conference championship games, and the Superbowl two weeks from now. Which also means there are just 3 more games for The Best Show Ever crew to pick. Hunter Brody is holding onto a very tight lead over Jen Scordo after the divisional-round picks. Just one game difference between them.

Hunter had a large lead for most of the season. But a 1-3 performance last week, along with Jen Scordo going 3-1, closed the gap. Leaving her with a chance to pass, or at least tie Hunter heading into the Superbowl. The big difference was Hunter took the Bills and Cowboys to cover last week, while Jen took the Bengals and 49ers. Everyone else, is out of contention for the top place. Ricky is way out of contention. But Dylan and Tyrone are in a close battle for third place.

Here is where all of our records stand going into Divisional Round…

Tyrone Johnson- (19-24)
Ricky Bottalico- (15-28)
Hunter Brody- (24-19)
Jen Scordo- (23-20)
Dylan MacKinnon- (20-22-1)

And here are our Conference Championship Round picksTyrone’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -3 vs the San Francisco 49ers * Kansas City Chiefs -1 vs the Cincinnati Bengals

Hunter’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -3 vs the San Francisco 49ers * Kansas City Chiefs -1 vs the Cincinnati Bengals

Ricky’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -3 vs the San Francisco 49ers * Kansas City Chiefs -1 vs the Cincinnati Bengals

Jen’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -3 vs the San Francisco 49ers * Cincinnati Bengals +1 at the Kansas City Chiefs

Dylan’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -3 vs the San Francisco 49ers * Cincinnati Bengals +1 at the Kansas City Chiefs

The post The Best Show Ever- Conference Championship Round Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are set to face off with the 49ers in the NFC Championship game on Sunday. And to preview that game, The Best Show Ever talked to Dave Zangaro from NBC Sports Philly. How does the Eagles O Line matchup vs the 49ers’ defensive front? Can they run on this elite run-stopping team? How healthy are the Eagles heading into Sunday? Dave Zangaro discussed that and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On the Eagles Being Fully Healthy

“All 22 are going to play in this game. They have everyone including Lane Johnson and Avonte Maddox. Which is crazy. The only significant injuries they have had this year that are season-enders are Derek Barnett early in the season. Since then it has been pretty light. It is remarkable. They are going to enter the NFC Championship game with all of their opening-day starters. And getting Avonte Maddox back is nice. Especially for a team that targets the middle of the field as much as the 49ers do.”

On The Eagles O-Line vs the 49ers Defensive Front

“They have an advantage there. It is the way they built this team. And the way they have tried to build this team for the last two decades. You build in the trenches. You feel good about this Offensive line vs pretty much any unit in the NFL. They have 3 pro bowlers and two alternates. It doesn’t get much better than the 5 that they have out there starting. Lane Johnson is dealing with something, but you couldn’t really tell last week. He played at a really high level.

Nick Bosa is great. But he is one player on that line. They are going to try and move him around and test Lane Johnson early to see if that is the matchup they want. Maybe flip him to the other side on Mailata. And look there are probably going to be times when he wins the pass rush. He is the defensive player of the year probably. So it is going to happen. But throughout the course of the game, I think they have that advantage. They can hold up in pass protection. I even think they have a chance to run on them. The 49ers are a really good run defense. But I will take my chances with this O Line vs any unit in the league, and that includes the 49ers.”

Listen to the full conversation with Dave Zangaro below…The post Dave Zangaro Previews Eagles vs 49ers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have been without starting slot cornerback Avonte Maddox since he suffered a toe injury in the second Cowboys game several weeks ago. And without him on the field, there have been some issues at that position. Josiah Scott struggled to fill in for him. And last week they moved CJ Gardner Johnson from Safety into the slot, letting Reed Blankenship fill in for him at Safety. Gardner-Johnson played very well at slot corner, but Reed did get picked on a little early before settling in. Though now it looks like Avonte Maddox will be good to go on Sunday vs the 49ers.

Friday injury report #SFvsPHI pic.twitter.com/cmLOLiwSRu

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 27, 2023

He was a full participant at practice today. And even better, he did not appear on the injury report. Which means barring some setback he will be back on the field for the NFC Championship game. And with the 49ers being a team that loves to operate over the middle of the field, his return could not come at a better time. A lot of their offense takes place in that part of the field. Plus guys like Deebo Smauel and George Kittle are very dangerous after the catch. So having their top slot defensive back on the field again to patrol that part of the field can only help.

In fact, it was good news abound on the Eagles’ injury report. All 22 starters appear ready to play for the Eagles. Lane Johnson is still nursing the injury that will require surgery in the off-season. But as we saw last week, he is still more than capable of playing at a high level with it. Lane was a full participant and did not appear on the injury report. TJ Edwards was listed as a limited participant, but all signs point to him being ready to play as well.

Injuries plagued this team over the final weeks of the season. But the injury luck seems to have picked back up for them. They will go into this conference championship game as healthy as any team could ever hope to be.

The post Avonte Maddox Looks Good To Go On Sunday appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are getting closer and closer to kickoff on Sunday. The 49ers come to town for the NFC Championship game. And to preview that game, Zach Berman from The Atheltic joined the Anthony Gargano Show. What are the keys to the Eagles getting the win? Could Avonte Maddox be back on the field? Zach Berman discussed that and more. Here is what he had to say.

On the key to stopping the 49ers’ offense

“That is going to be the key to this game in terms of the Eagles’ defense. Getting them into 3rd and medium or 3rd and long. If San Francisco is living in 3rd and short, they are so good in the middle of the field and with the running game, that they can make that work. If you get them in the 3rd and medium, and it is more of a dropback game for Brock Purdy, the Eagle’s pass rush then gets after you.

I frankly think that more of a concern than San Francisco’s running is their play-action game and the way they use the middle of the field. That is where the Eagles are vulnerable and where San Fransico can get them. The way the Eagles need to combat that, is they need to get San Francisco into 3rd and 7, 3rd and 8. That is a totally different world to live in for them.”

On if Avonte Maddox could play this week

“Avonte was back at practice yesterday for the first. Watching him, he looked fine. I spoke to him yesterday, and he said he needed to see how these next two days go. But he felt good at practice. He is progressing. I can frankly see him out there. That would be huge for the Eagles. The question is how do they deploy him? Gardner-Johnson played well in the slot. And if you remember, when CJ first went down, they played Avonte at safety, and he looked good there. So there are different possibilities the Eagles can try.”

Listen to the full conversation with Zach Berman below…The post Zach Berman Previews Eagles-49ers, and if Avonte Maddox Could Play appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In his Opening Diatribe today, Anthony Gargano discusses how this team has not needed any luck, they are just this good…

“A while back, I ran into this dude at Wawa who was a creep. He was ripping me about being a homer for the Eagles. Lo and behold, who do I run into this morning? And I didn’t say nothing, I just stared at him. That empty stare. And then I just smiled. He went, “I gotta give it to you Cuz, this team is going to the Superbowl. Go Birds.” And I was like, the hell with it, go birds buddy.

I wanted to punch this guy in the face the last time we met. His whole attitude, you want to talk about a 180? Do you know what my take was? Good, let’s get everyone on board. There is none of the naysaying, none of the fatalism that has been in this town forever. That Phatalism, spelled with a ph, has been a disease rampant in this town.

I don’t want to hear that it is warranted because we have gone through all this stuff. So what? There is no reason not to believe that this team will be in the Superbowl. They will win on Sunday, and we will celebrate for two weeks leading into the biggest game of them all. We will get another Super Bowl appearance, and hopefully another parade.

I have heard the sentiment that 2018 was for the whole town of Philly. But most particularly for the long-suffering fans. Those that are up in age and have been through it for so long. That Superbowl was dedicated to them. It was almost a gift from the universe for those people. There was divine intervention. Because we remember how lucky that run was. The interesting thing about this run is there is no luck. They are just good. Obviously, that team was different. They lost Wentz, Foles came in, but they were lucky. They were lucky in a million different ways.

The difference today with this team, they are not lucky, they are just good. They are just excellent. They’re a good Football team… They didn’t get lucky. They’re facing the Niners. The best team they could face is San Francisco, and they are facing them. They go 14-3, with no luck involved. In fact, luck was on the other side. 14-3 is well-earned, it is accurate. This team is about quality, and this team is just freaking good.

So when they get to the Superbowl, and I mean when they get there, it will be warranted and earned. This victory will be for the rest of us. If the last one was for all the old-timers, then this one will be for us.”

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- No Luck is Involved With This Team appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are just a few days away from the NFC Championship game. On Sunday the Eagles host the 49ers. And James Palmer from the NFL Network joined The Best Show Ever earlier today to preview the game. What are the matchups the Eagles can exploit? How does he think the game will go? Will this Philly crowd intimidate Brock Purdy? James Palmer discussed that and more. Here is what he had to say.

On if the Philly crowd will intimidate Brock Purdy

“I saw him come in on Thursday night in Seattle. If you want to talk about hostile environments, Seattle is right up there. Him going in there on a Thursday night, and it not phasing him… I know Philly is going to be rowdy. I don’t think that part is going to phase him all that much. But I do think the communication between him and Kyle Shanahan is really important. Kyle is one of the best coaches in terms of the way he communicates in-game through the headset with his QB. He is really good at setting his QB up for success. So if Brock Purdy can’t hear him, that would play a little bit of a part.”

On how Brock Purdy handles the pass rush

“I saw a guy who was almost a little overconfident with some of the stuff he was trying to do in the backfield. Spin away from this guy and try to make a play. I look at this Eagles pass rush. If you think you can spin away from Haason Reddick, 9 times out of 10 somebody like Javon Hargrave is coming from the other side or up the middle and might decapitate him. I think he shouldn’t think about messing around behind the line of scrimmage against this Eagles team.”

On the Eagles’ Defensive Front

“15 sacks better than anybody else in football… That defensive line is so talented and so deep, and that is a big part of why they have success. What did Brandon Graham play last week, 12 snaps? He is 34 and is able to be effective because these guys get to be fresh. They get to rotate in. You talk to offensive linemen around the league. They will tell you the worst thing is when you break the huddle, turn around and there is a new group of guys there… These guys just keep coming at you up front for Philly…

Because they are so deep, because they are so talented, and because of the veterans that are a part of it too. Veterans know how to make big plays in big games. And there are guys on this Eagles team that have played in huge games. That front is a massive advantage. A lot of teams around the league look at what Philly has built up front, and believe that is how you make long postseason runs.”

You can listen to the full conversation with James Palmer below…The post NFL Network’s James Palmer Previews Eagle vs 49ers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Kevin Negandhi represents Philly every day when he anchors Sportscenter. And to discuss his beloved Eagles, he joined The Anthony Gargano Show. What does he think the keys to the Eagles winning are? Are there matchups he thinks the Eagles can exploit? Here is what Kevin Negandhi had to say about the upcoming Eagles-Niners NFC Championship game.

His Response To Anthony Saying He feels good about the Eagles in this game…

“It is weird, but I kinda get where you are going with feeling great about the game. One of the reasons why is after watching what that Cowboys defense did. If they had better QB play, a number 2 WR, and Pollard is playing… Listen that Qb looked scared there. 75 sacks in 18 games. Just think about that. If we can get into that backfield with this secondary…

I’m concerned about two big things. The quick pass, specifically to Deebo and DMC on screens, to get the ball out of Purdy’s hands because of the rush. And Kittle across the middle. Those are the two big things. I will counteract on the other side though, the 49ers’ secondary is average. CeeDee Lamb had 9 catches. If they had another WR that Dak actually trusted, completely different ballgame.”

Keys to Beating the 49ers

“The bottom line is can you pressure the rookie QB? In the end, he is still a rookie in this environment. If you look at who the 49ers have faced when he has played, they haven’t played a lot of tough teams. The 49ers gave up 34 points to the Raiders with Jarrett Stidham. So the Eagles have places where they can exploit and attack.

And don’t forget the strength is our offensive line. They have to dominate the same way they did in the opening drive vs the Giants. Like you and I talked about last week. I want to punch you in the face in the opening drive. It set the tone the rest of the day that you ain’t going to do jack against us. And I want to see something similar this week.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Kevin Negandhi below…The post Kevin Negandhi Previews Eagles vs 49ers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciuans found in the Audio Vault today. They went down memory lane with Kobe Bryant on the anniversary of his passing, celebrated Vince Carter’s Birthday, and went back to a Nick Foles moment that birthed many sound drops used at this station. Here is the lineup from the Audio Vault today.

Kobe Bryant Celebrates the Eagles SuperbowlSadly on this day in 2020, we lost Kobe Bryant. Despite spending his pro career in Los Angeles, Kobe was Philly through and through. he played his Highschool ball at Lower Merion. And like any Eagles fan, he lost his mind when the Eagles won the Superbowl. One of the best reaction videos to the Eagles winning was Kobe in his Eagles jersey, with his young daughter in his arms, celebrating the victory as many of us did. You can hear the panic in his voice as Tom Brady uncorked the Hail Mary attempt, and then the elation after it hit the ground and we knew the Eagles won. And Andrew pulled that audio for the Audio Vault today.

Audio of Kobe Celebrating the Eagles Superbowl
And then Kobe talking about his reaction later

Nick Foles wins Pro Bowl MVP in 2014On this day in 2014, Nick Foles won the Pro Bowl MVP. He would of course go on to accomplish much greater things in his second stint with the Eagles. But that 2014 Pro Bowl MVP moment, gave this radio station a ton. Namely, multiple sound drops. “How’s Everyone doing?”, “Let’s make some noise”. And listening back to it may have given us a new one too. “Am I speaking or no?”.

Happy Birthday Vince CarterToday is Vince Carter’s birthday! The king of the dunk was a human highlight reel, rattling off amazing dunks seemingly every night. And in honor of it being his birthday, Andrew played an iconic moment from his career related to the Sixers, and also a notable dunk titled The Dunk of Death.

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- Remembering Kobe Bryant appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In His Opening Diatribe this morning, Anthony Gargano discussed how the Philly crowd can make a difference on Sunday…

“( Cue Eagles Fight Song). That is right. The sweet sounds of the fight song, that will be heard over and over again on Sunday. That Fight Song, sung by that crowd, 70,000 strong, will be a big deal on Sunday… That crowd is going to play a big role in the game.

We have seen this before with Philadelphia crowds. Most recently with the Phillies. Go back to the curious case of Spencer Strider. He was the prized rookie for the Braves, who has a big arm. That Friday afternoon, the series was 1-1. They didn’t think he would be ready to go. But they decided to start him. In the first inning, he was money, he looked filthy. And then there was the Stott at bat. The crowd was raucous. And much like CC Sabathia facing Myers in 08, which set up the Victorino Slam, the crowd was going wild. And you can see it got to him.

What it does is it throws you off. Your adrenaline pops. Now you are overthrowing. It is why you can’t get overly amped if you are a pitcher or a QB. I’m not saying that Purdy is going to completely melt. The moment is not going to be too big for him… However, the crowd can make a big difference. They can make it hard for him to hear the play. They can make it hard for him to think. That 70,000 loud, leather lungs, coming at him. That can throw him off a tick. In that sort of environment, the adrenaline is rolling, all of the sudden you sail one into the arms of CJ. A little bit of an overthrow to Deebo Samuel, and the next thing you know it is in the safeties’ arms cradled for an interception.”

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- That Crowd Can Make a Difference appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesdays at 8:10am) to discuss all things NFL. But this week there was one topic and one topic only; the NFC Championship game. Sunday at 3pm the Eagles and 49ers will battle it out to see who heads to Glendale for Super Bowl 57.

With the game being in Philadelphia, it gives the Eagles an added advantage to be playing at home and playing in front of their home fans. The home field advantage could prove to be a big deal in this game and Schefty agrees:

“I think if they played this game 10 times in Philly, Philly would win more than half of them, but this is just one game.”

These two teams are very similar when it comes to their defense. Both teams have arguably the best defense in the league. But when you look at the strength of schedule Schefter likes the Eagles schedule and opponents that they faced over the 49ers schedule.

“If you look at their schedule, they have not beat a lot of tough teams, and Dallas might’ve been the toughest team they’ve played… The Eagles have played a tougher schedule.”

FOR THE FULL VIDEO CLICK BELOW:

The post VIDEO: Adam Schefter Weighs In On The Eagles 49ers NFC Championship Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

The Eagles are now the favorites against the fieldThe Eagles on Wednesday became the Vegas Super Bowl favorite vs any opponents left in the playoff field. The Eagles are favored vs the 49ers and would be slight favorites over the Chiefs or the Bengals. It’s amazing how the national discussion on the Eagles has changed. Jalen Hurts is getting more attention and the Eagles path appears to be clearing a bit.

That doesn’t mean they are getting any respect
Nick Sirianni didn’t show up as a finalist for the NFL Coach of the Year. It’s crazy to me that he didn’t find his way into the Top 3 candidates. Nick was (4-0) vs the other finalists. They beat Brian Daboll (3-0) and Doug Pederson (1-0). Whether he just got the most out of a loaded roster seems to be the rationale, but I’ll say this. Brian Daboll had a Giants team with a pre-season Vegas over/under of 7.5 wins. They won 9. Nick Sirianni had a team with a pre-season Vegas over under of 9.5 wins and they won 14. I don’t know how that wouldn’t be considered a larger accomplishment, especially with the 2 head yo head dominations when both teams were playing their regulars.

The fact that Haasann Reddick isn’t a finalist for the defensive player of the year makes zero sense. He was arguably the most statistically impactful defensive player in the league. The Comeback Player of the Year should have included the Eagles Brandon Graham. Once again, I’m baffled as to why he didn’t make the finalists.

It makes me wonder what the writers are actually watching. I’ve always advocated that players, coaches and front office execs should be the ones who determine these awards. The fact that the Eagles have nobody in the mix for these honors AND they are the best team in the league just appears to be part of an agenda.

Attack their biggest weakness…
The 49ers average allowing less than 17 points per game. On paper that seems incredibly daunting. As I handicap this matchup I don’t see it that way. I look at what the 49ers do not do well and what the strength of the Eagles offense is. That tells me that most of the opposition for SF wasn’t able to exploit their biggest weakness. The 49ers can’t cover the big play down field. Their zone has been exploited consistently on throws better than 25 yards and they have allowed more plays of 50+ yards than any team in the league. You know who the best team in the league us at throws over 25+ yards? Yep, that’s the Eagles. The Eagles will attack that softness, early and often.

BOLD PREDICTIONRemember that less than 17 points per game that the 49ers allow? I’ll shout my shot right now. The Eagles will score 17 points before halftime. The aggressive approach that we have seen from them in various home games this year will be employed again. A lot less of the running attack than against the Giants. You can’t attempt 44 rushes against the 49ers UNLESS you get out to a huge lead. I don’t see that happening.

The post Random Thoughts for NFC Title Game Week appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This Sunday, it is Eagles vs Niners in the NFC Championship Game. They have been the best teams in the NFC all season. And at 3 pm on Sunday they will square off at the Linc. Earlier today, Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever to preview the game. What are the matchups to watch? Where can the Eagles find some advantages to exploit? Could they be getting Avonte Maddox back? Here is what Tim McManus had to say about the Eagles vs Niners game.

On if there is a chance with Avonte Maddox can play

“It seems like there is a decent amount of optimism about it. The practice report just came out, and he was a limited participant, him and Lane Johnson. Those were the only two names on the practice report. Good news for an Eagles team that has played all the way up into the Championship round here, and have done so with a pretty healthy roster. Maddox has been sidelined for the last several weeks. It was just a couple of weeks ago when we see him in the locker room with a walking boot. But here he is getting ready to try and play in this game. So there is a decent chance they have all hands on deck for this game.”

On the Eagles WRs vs the Niners Secondary

“I think you are identifying the area to attack what is a really good Niners defense. I have immense respect for Demeco Ryans. I covered him here. They called him Mufasa. And he lived up to it. Just one of the top leaders of men I have been around… Sirianni was talking about him earlier in the week. He said one of the qualities you look for in a godd coach is whether the players go all out. And he said this 49ers team, it shows up on tape, just sell out physically for this guy. So that is what you are going up against.

But there is some vulnerability in the back end. They have been susceptible to explosive plays. If you are searching for advantageous matchups here, it exists in the defensive backs for the Niners, and the wide receivers for the Eagles. This has a chance to be a pretty big Devonta Smith game. If he goes up against Lenior… I think that is an advantage. And of course, you know AJ Brown is hungry to get the football… That is the way to attack this team. I think we we will see a heavier dose of the passing game, relative to last week.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Tim McManus about the Eagles vs Niners game below…The post Tim McManus Previews Eagles vs Niners appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles will face off with the Niners on Sunday in the NFC Championship round. And on the call for the game is Kevin Burkhardt from Fox. He joined The Anthony Gargano Show earlier today to preview the game. What are his thoughts on the Eagles? The matchups to watch? Here is what Kevin Burkhardt had to say when he joined Anthony.

On why many in the national media were down on the Eagles coming into the playoffs…

“People forgot how good they were before Hurts got injured… I think the last month skewed how people felt about Philadelphia. And I think there is a part where people feel they haven’t had the toughest of schedules. And to a degree, they didn’t have a schedule that was crazy difficult. But the reality is, they lost one game with Jalen Hurts. I don’t know what else you are supposed to do. To me, they are a great team, and it is going to be a great game on Sunday.”

On Brock Purdy vs the Eagles’ pass rush

“I know obviously, it is tough to play in Philly, and that will be a challenge. But I think the pressure on him from the pass rush will be the challenge. I thought Dallas’ speed on defense gave them a lot of trouble. Because the Niners had been running all over people and doing what they want. And Philly is similar. With their pass rushers they have plenty of speed, and their back end is better too.”

On the Eagles Run Game vs Niners Run D

“To me, the matchup I am dying to see is the Eagles and Jalen Hurts and all these run options they have vs that number 1 Run D. I think the beauty of the Eagles before Hurts got injured was they could beat you any way they wanted. If they wanted to run for 300 yards and Hurts runs for 150, they could do it. If they wanted to throw for 300 yards and get AJ Brown 3 TDs, they could do it. I am fascinated to see which way they choose this week. The Niners are great against the run. But I don’t think they have faced a running team like this.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Kevin Burkhardt here…The post Kevin Burkhardt Joins Anthony to Preview Eagles-49ers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony Gargano was fired up about Nick Sirianni being snubbed for Coach of the Year this morning, here is what he said in his Opening Diatribe…

“I am freaking pissed off. I am so pissed off today. I’m tired of it. What am I talking about? I am tired of the disrespect that this town gets on a daily basis. Over and over again the slights happen. You tell me how in the world is Nick Sirianni not a finalist for coach of the year? They go 14-3, and two of the losses are with the backup Qb. Are you for real?

Listen I think Brian Daboll is a good coach. They had a nice year. But better than the Eagles? We all love Dougie P. He has Trevor freaking Lawrence. Look at the talent on that team. Are you crazy? How in the world can you pick Doug Pederson over Nick Sirianni? The coup de grace is Shanahan. He is the third finalist. Siriannio presided over the best team in football. Who had them as the best team in football? Nobody did. None of the pundits did. Go back to before the season. What were the expectations before the season? All you heard was Cowboys.

Under Sirianni’s tutelage, Jalen Hurts has become an MVP candidate. Obviously, he gets the lion’s share of the credit. But the coach has something to do with it. He built the scheme around him.

They weren’t the lock one seed going in. They were a borderline playoff team going in for most of the NFL. And he is not a Coach of the Year finalist? That is absurd. That’s anti-Philadelphia. I don’t want to hear anybody likes us we don’t care. I do care, and Im pissed off. This is why I want to secede. I want to become our own little country. They stole the capital from us, so bleep you we are out…”

And you can listen to Anthony’s full Diatribe below…

There has been a lot of disrespect shown toward Philly recently and @AnthonyLGargano is NOT happy about it! Here was his rant from this morning on @975Middays pic.twitter.com/8z3N2K1cCR

— 975TheFanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 25, 2023

The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Nick Sirianni Snubbed for Coach of the Year appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is Eagles vs Niners on Sunday. And with the 49ers being one of the better teams in the league, it would make sense to have some reservations about this game. But while the Niners are a great team, so are the Eagles. And there are some matchups that favor them vs the 49ers. Here are 5 numbers that show that the Eagles can beat the Niners.

114.8The 49ers’ defense is very good. You could argue as a complete unit, they are the best defense in the NFL. And the fact they gave up the least yards per game reflects that. But there is one area where they are weak. And it is an area the Eagles can exploit. They struggle vs outside WRs. Over the last 5 games, they have allowed Cee Dee Lamb to get 117 yards, DK Metcalf to get 136 yards and two touchdowns, Davante Adams to get 153 yards and two touchdowns, Terry McLaurin to get 91 yards and a TD, plus AJ Green to get 77 and a TD. That is an average of 114.8 yards per game, plus 1.2 Tds per game, to the opposing team’s top WR.

Well, the Eagles have AJ Brown on one side, and Devonta Smith on the other. One of them is due for a very big game. Both eclipsed 100o yards this season. And both are capable of having that huge 100+ yard game with multiple scores. It is the 49ers’ biggest weakness, and the Eagles are the perfect team to exploit it with perhaps the best WR duo in the league.

26Nick Bosa may be the best defensive player on the field next week. I say may because I am not convinced Haason Reddick is not in fact better. But for the sake of the argument, let’s give it to Bosa. He has 18.5 of the 49ers’ 44 sacks. Meanwhile, Reddick had 16. The difference is Bosa accounted for 42% of his team’s sacks. While Reddick only accounted for 22.9%. You could argue Bosa is better than Reddick. But as a whole unit, the Eagles’ pass rush far outweighs the 49ers. They had 26 more sacks, and they were spread out amongst more players.

No one else on the 49ers had more than 5 sacks. The Eagles had 5 guys with more than 5 sacks and 4 in double digits. This is one of the deepest pass rush units in NFL history. While the 49ers’ pass rush is one-dimensional. Bosa will be rushing against Lane Johnson. While the 49ers have Trent Williams who may take care of Josh Sweat, who is blocking Reddick, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, and Fletcher Cox?

27.2%In that same vein, The Eagles also have an advantage along the Offensive Line. Vs the Cowboys, the 49ers gave up a pressure rate of 27.2%. On nearly a third of his dropbacks, Brock Purdy was under pressure. Meanwhile, the Eagles offensive line allowed just one pressure on 26 dropbacks. A pressure rate of just 3.9%. The second-lowest pressure rate allowed in a playoff game ever. So what we have is a 49ers O Line that can be a little bit suspect outside of Trent Williams, who is brilliant. The Eagles have two first-team All-Pros, Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson who could easily be future All-Pros, and Isaac Seumalo who while not a star is a solid player stuck between two All-Pros.

So the Eagles not only have the better D-Line, they have the better O-Line. The cliche is that football, especially playoff football, is won in the trenches. If that is true, the Eagles will win this game.

33.3%The question becomes how well Brock Purdy handles pressure. During the regular season, the Niners did not face many teams capable of creating a consistent pass rush. But that was not the case vs the Cowboys. The Cowboys have one of the better pass-rush units in the league and were able to get after Purdy. We already mentioned they got pressure on him 27.2 % of the time. And when under pressure, Purdy struggled mightily. He completed just 33.3% of his passes when under pressure. And what do the Eagles do better than anyone? Generate pressure. They lead the league in sacks, and they don’t need to blitz to do it. Keep an eye on how Purdy responds while doing pressure from Reddick and Sweat at each end. Because he seemed to struggle with it against the Cowboys.

2This Eagles offense is elite. They have scored at least 20 points in all except 2 games. And one of those games was without Jalen Hurts. The Niners meanwhile have failed to score 20 5 times. Including last week vs the Cowboys. Both of these offenses are great. But one is nearly impossible to stop. The other is just kind of hard to stop. The Eagles’ offense is when healthy, as dangerous as any in recent memory. They have the best O line, the best Wr group, one of the best Qbs, and one of the best TEs. They have shown time after time that you should not doubt them.

The post 5 Numbers That Show That The Eagles Can Beat The Niners appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This isnt Taylor Swift tickets. Im not a teenybopper looking to sing “you belong with me” at the top of my lungs….ok maybe I am. But I am also an eclectic guy who has no problem signing “bad blood” while finishing it with a “Go Birds.” But “Bad Blood” is exactly what Philadelphian’s have after trying to secure tickets to the NFC Championship game for this Sunday.

This was, and has been a problem all season long. Its just heightened because of the importance of the game. 2 tickets to the NFC Divisional round in the 200 level cost the consumer $1108.00. Not horrible. But thats when those scumbags jump in with their “service fees.” The fees were $353.43 for this transaction bringing the total to $1461.43. At a per ticket price of $554, that means that you paid 32% of an extra ticket that you never received because they charged you a fee for taking your credit card. So those tickets that appeared to be $554 not became $732.22 with the fees PER TICKET.

via GIPHY

Fast forward to Monday when tickets for the NFC Championship game went on sale and fans were greeted to a horrendous customer experience. You got to wait in an online cue with 2000+ people. By the time you got to the front and found tickets that’s when they hit you with fees. Ticketmaster banking that fans would panic and pay not wanting to miss the opportunity/waste their time and walk away considering some waited 2 hours for the opportunity to buy tickets.

Most fans, when finally getting in found out that the only tickets available were from re-sellers. Who boosted the price. Its leaving many fans to question if any tickets were actually made available at 10am and who got them. Right now the 2 cheapest tickets on Ticketmaster will cost you a total of $1626.55. Costing $813.28 a ticket despite the ticket being posted at $660 each. Ticketmaster cashing in on a $306.55 “service fee” for the buyer, and hitting the seller with a fee as well.

We have bigger problems in this country than ticket conglomerates charging a ridiculous price for fees, but something needs to be done. Ticketmaster pays to be the official ticketing partner of the NFL and theyre recouping a lot of that money via these B.S. fees. But its gotten to be too much.

Can we go back to the days of camping outside the stadium to get tickets? At least there was a sense of community when that took place. Lets get back to the good ol days!

The post Ticketmaster Needs To Be Charged On War Crimes appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Last week we went through people using recency bias to convince themselves that the Giants were actually a competitive challenge to the Eagles. Despite all of the data that was available, including our own exercise where we determined no more than 4 Giants would start for the Eagles, people thought the Giants wildcard weekend win was a statement. It actually was, the statement is trust what we know. The Eagles ARE that good.

The two best teams over the course of the NFL season will square off on Sunday. That sounds daunting and the 49ers are well coached on both sides of the ball. So what should you believe could be the difference? Oh, I’ve got quite a few.

Brock Purdy is just getting started in his NFL career and he’s never faced a challenge like this one. Dallas was a very impressive competitor, but that game saw the score tied at 9 in the 4th quarter. The Dallas defense is solid, but it managed to frustrate and shut down Purdy as a passer consistently. The completion chart shows you everything. Purdy can’t go to his left, or couldn’t vs Dallas, to complete a pass. He was a check down Charlie and completed just a handful of passes over 15 yards. He needs time to let a play develop and Dallas didn’t let him. The Eagles defense is far more menacing and they should be able to make Purdy have to adjust his game to beat them.

This will also be just the 3rd start of his career on the road. Previously he played at Seattle and Las Vegas this season and snuck past the Seahawks and edged the Raiders in overtime. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but also isn’t incredibly mobile. If the Eagles crowd can cause some tension and the defense can pen him in the sacks should pile up.

The 49ers Number One defensive statistics were accumulated by facing a terrible division. In comparison, the Eagles did give up 4 more points per game, but they faced the top division in football that was one Week 17 win by the Commanders away from sending all 4 teams to the playoffs. The 49ers defense plays a lot of zone, the most in the league and had 44 sacks. The Eagles got critiqued for playing “too much zone” and still managed 70 sacks.

Last week nobody wanted to believe the Eagles were ready for the challenge last weekend despite their amazing regular season numbers. The way they stumbled down the stretch caused a lot of people to doubt they were prepared for a post season test. They took the test and scored an A+. Nothing could have been more impressive. They were fired out of a cannon and kept the intensity up for four quarters. They even managed to empty the benches a bit which could prove advantageous this Sunday. The 49ers are good but the Eagles have been great. SF lost at Chicago, Denver and Atlanta already this year. It’s time to not over think this. Don’t doubt the Eagles can deliver.

The post Trust your own eyes…the Eagles are that good appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With much of the attention in the city of Philadelphia surrounding the Eagles as they are on the doorstep of their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in five years – the 76ers have quietly found their way back at the top of the Eastern Conference. Albeit the two seed behind the conference-leading Boston Celtics.

The Sixers were 12-12 and sitting in no man’s land with many wondering if this team would be any different than the squads from previous years. And the fan base had every right to be concerned. But jumping the gun then just didn’t seem like the right approach at that time even with the early disappointment. Since the tough start that saw them without the starting backcourt of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey for a month each, Philadelphia has shown exactly why they were looked at as a possible representative for the East in the NBA Finals.

Their record now stands at 30-16 heading into tomorrow’s showdown with Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets. At The Center, they sport a record of 17-7 and had a stretch of 11 straight wins at home. Thanks to the just completed undefeated 5-0 road trip out West, the 76ers are now four games over .500 on the road with a 13-9 record. Considering where they were… really impressive stuff. Let’s not overlook the fact that they have won 18 of the last 22 games played.

There is plenty of basketball left to play and a trade deadline in 16 days that could help add to the roster or simply stay put with what they have because the front office likes this particular group. While the Eagles have picked up where the Phillies left off as a team positioning themselves for a right to play in their sport’s respect championship – the Sixers have paid attention and are on a good path to try to make 3 for 3 with a visit to the title round.

The post Sixers Have Quietly Joined The Conversation appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles will face the 49ers on Sunday with a chance to advance to the Superbowl on the line. And to discuss his team, the upcoming game, and more, Nakobe Dean joined The Best Show Ever. What are the Eagles’ rookie linebacker’s thoughts on his coach, his rookie season, his QB, and dropping to the 3rd round in the draft? Here is what Nakobe Dean had to say.

On what it is like to have Nick Sirianni as a coach

“He is what you all see. When you all see him getting intense, he can be intense. He can be goofy. He’s the ultimate players’ coach… He listens to what we have to say. No matter what. When it comes to practice, how the scheme will be. You can tell he listens to the players and the leaders on this team. He is going to coach how he coaches. He’s going to bring that intensity to the head coach position. And I just love that.”

On what makes this defense work so well

“I see a group of guys who have come in and bought in. Bought into everything that JG and all the defensive coaches have tried to install in us. That dog mentality. We all work together and do our job. If the team has success, then we all have success. You don’t see too many people being selfish. we have great vets and great leaders on that defense. It goes hand in hand with helping being as dominant as we have been this season.”

On playing in front of the Philly crowd

“They always told me playoff football is different when you get to the Linc. I already knew our fans are crazy. How they travel. The beginning and middle of the season felt like every game was a home game no matter if it was here or away. The passion that Philly fans come to the game with, I love it. i expect more if not the same from them this weekend.”

You can listen to their full conversation with Nakobe Dean below…The post Nakobe Dean Discusses His Teams Playoff Run appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There are a lot of dumb people out there. And it is probably better to just ignore them, and avoid feeding the trolls. But sometimes someone says something so mind-numbingly stupid, that you have to respond. And that is what happened with Craig Carton. The radio and tv host said that Jalen Hurts is the worst QB left standing in the playoffs.

Saying Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes are better than Hurts is fair enough. Both of those guys have proven it in the playoffs, with one making a Super Bowl, and the other winning one. What is not fair though, is saying that a rookie undrafted QB like Brock Purdy is better than a guy who will get MVP votes. Craig Carton saw Hurts throw it all over his Giants in the first quarter, and earlier in the season too. He should know better.

But that is not even the worst part. Carton’s reasoning for what he said is which cements the fact that he does not know a single thing about football. On his Fox Sports show, he said that Jalen Hurts threw for only 150 yards. And to him, that means he did not have a good game.

.@craigcartonlive wants us to slow down on the Jalen Hurts-Michael Jordan comparisons

"Jalen Hurts threw for 150 yards. So before we anoint him as the greatest quarterback in history, he threw for 150 yards!" pic.twitter.com/TmzkbNvTUn

— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) January 23, 2023

Ok. There is a difference of opinion, and there is just not knowing how the game of football works. The very important context Carton is leaving out, is that the Eagles stopped throwing the ball. Why? Because they were up 21-0 in a blink of an eye. He threw all over the Giants on the first two drives. He went 7-7, with 80 yards and two toucdowns. Everyone saw how good his arm looked on those two drives.

Anyone who has ever seen a football game knows what happened after that. The Eagles started running the ball nearly every play to run the clock. They threw the ball just 8 times in the second half. Because why would you throw it? If you throw it, you risk stopping the clock. You have a 28-0 lead. The only thing you want to do in that situation is keep the clock running. Literally everyone who understands football knows that. The only person who would question that strategy is someone who has never watched a game and is just looking at the box score.

But Craig Carton has never even seen a football let alone an actual game. So he thought he was onto something when he said Jalen threw for only 150 yards in the game. This whole take is an admission that he does not know football. So henceforth, no one should take a single thing he has to say about the game seriously. Of course, most of us were already doing that.

Craig Carton thinks Jalen Hurts is a fraud. To be fair, he is an expert on the subject of fraud.

The post Craig Carton Admits He Knows Literally Nothing About Football appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are getting set to take on the 49ers in the NFC Championship game on Sunday. And to preview that game, Jeff McLane joined The Anthony Gargano Show. How do the two teams match up? Are the 49ers as scary as people are making them out to be? Where can the Eagles create some matchup advantages? Jeff McLane discussed that and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On The 49ers’ Secondary

“They have given up some explosive plays. And if the Eagles can hit one or two of those early that could help them get in the lead. For any team you want to do that, but for the Eagles, it plays to their advantage because of their run game. Lenoir is a guy you can probably attack. They have really good safeties and a good slot in Jimmie Ward… But if you can give Jalen time, that may be where they are their weakest… No team is perfect, and there could be opportunities (for AJ Brown and Devonta Smith).”

On Where the Eagles Matchup Best vs the 49ers

“The middle of that offensive line is their weak spot. And I have to think the Eagles have an advantage there. That is one that can really tip the scales in their favor, with Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox.”

On Brock Purdy vs this Eagles Pass Rush

“I think for the most part he carried himself well. He finished better than he started. Dallas is a very good front. But the Eagles have more depth… He had happy feet a little bit. And we know the Eagles have the best pass rush in the NFL. Haason Reddick was a beast Saturday night. Probably the best defensive player on the field. He has been like that for weeks. Just constantly getting after the Qb. And you have Sweaty on the other side.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Jeff McLane below…The post Jeff McLane Joins Anthony to Discuss The Eagles vs 49ers Matchup appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With the Eagles’ playoff run staying alive, Andrew Salciuans continued his trip through past Eagles’ playoff runs in The Audio Vault. Last week they went through the 4 runs in the NFC Championship game under Andry Reid in the early 2000s. But they would make the NFC Championship game one more time with Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. In 2008. And they replayed the sounds of that Playoff run in today’s Audio Vault.

2008 Wild Card Game vs The VikingsThe 2008 run started with a Wild Card win over the Vikings. The Eagles had to claw into the playoffs as the Wild Card and went into the playoffs on fire after tearing apart the Cowboys in the final week. They were road favorites traveling to Minnesota. And they did not disappoint. They beat the Vikings 26-14 off 4 David Akers field goals, a Brian Westbrook TD, and an Asante Samuel pick-6 off Tavaris Jackson. Here is what Andrew found in the Vault from this game.

Joe Buck’s Intro to the Game
Asante Samuel 44 yard Pick 6 off of Tavaris Jackson
Brian Westbrook goes 71 yards on a Screen Pass for a TD to ice the game

2008 Divisional Round Game vs the GiantsMuch like this year, the Eagles ran into the Giants in the divisional round in 2008. But unlike this year, the Eagles were the road team and underdog. But unlike the Giants this year, the Eagles managed to pull off the upset. They beat the Giants 23-11, holding the Giants to no touchdowns, and just 3 field goals plus a Safety. The Eagles meanwhile saw both Mcnabb and Brent Celek find the end zone, plus several Akers field goals. Here is what Andrew found in the Audio Vault from this game.

Joe Buck’s Intro to the Game
Brent Celek’s 1-yard TD to make it 20-11 in the 4th Quarter

The Cardinals Eliminate the Eagles in the NFC Championship GameBut like in 3 of the 4 NFC Championships before this, the NFC Championship ended in heartbreak. Kurt Warner’s Cardinals beat the Eagles 32-25. Thanks in large part to Larry Fitzgerald scoring 3 TDs against us, all in the first half. The Eagles led the game late into the 4th after a DeSean Jackson 62-yard TD. But the Cardinals scored with under 3 minutes to score, and the Eagles could not come back. Here is what Andrew grabbed from the Audio Vault for this game.

Intro to the Game
One of Larry Fitzgerald’s TDs

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- Eagles 2008 Playoffs Run appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Anthony Gargano had to say in his Opening Diatribe this morning below about people still doubting the Eagles…

So I do a lot of these hits from around the country. I was talking to a buddy of mine from Fox off the air before the show. He goes, “you know your boys arent so good. Just take off the Eagles goggles. I cant believe your a fanboy.”

I go dude Im not a fanboy… They destroyed the Giants. That was the 3rd time they met. If anybody was going to know you, its the Giants. And the Eagles destroyed them. It was a first round knockout. That should tell you how good they are. He Said “they have been fortunate with how they have caught teams. They aren’t that good, and this is the week they will be exposed.”

Im trying not to get angry. I have known the guy for a long time and I dont want to get nasty with him. But thats ridicoulous. the D Line is great. San Fran’s D Line is incredible too. They may have the best player in Bosa. But if you look at the collection of players on the Eagles’ defensive front, I’d go Eagles all day. They are deeper at tackle and end. Look at the year Reddick has had. Nobody else gives Haason Redick the time of day. And he has had this amazing season…. This whole D Line is really good.

And look at their secondary. I think the Eagles secondary is better than the Niners secondary… Especially now that they have CJ Gardner Johnson back. And thats just the defense. On offense, is the strongest part of this team.

For the life of me, I just dont understand how everybody beleives that they aren’t that good… When they were rolling I was talking about how this could be the most domiant Eagles team that I have seen offensivly…. AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Dallas Goiedert, Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, and that line? How is that not the best offense in the history of this team?…

I don’t think they are going to lose. But even if they do, it doesnt change how I feel. When they are healthy, they are a great team. There is a reason why they were 13-1 before Hurts got hurt. But I want to look at it with you huys as objectivly as possible. Because I couldnt take it. I was actually getting angry.”

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe here…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- People Are Still Doubting the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Stop me if you heard this one before: Chris Simms is spewing more garbage about Jalen Hurts’ ability to play the quarterback position. Chris Simms, who somehow gets paid to talk about sports for a living, has gained notoriety in the Philadelphia area recently for some totally asinine comments about Jalen Hurts’ value to this year’s Eagles team. Simms, who ahead of this season ranked Hurts as the 25th best QB in football behind names like Zach Wilson, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan, clearly has some type of unfounded vendetta against the Eagles’ signal caller, and it has led to some very misguided “analysis” over the course of this season. Earlier this year, Simms actually said the following when Jalen Hurts was injured and replaced by Gardner Minshew for a couple of games:

“They have the best O-Line in football, 2nd best WR duo, a great TE… There’s just no way he’s more valuable than Mahomes, Allen, or Burrow. No way. If Minshew is in, the Eagles are still damn good, I’m sorry.”

At the time, Hurts was the odds on favorite to win NFL MVP, and the Minshew led Eagles went on to lose their next 2 games before Hurts led them to victory in his Week 18 return. 0-1 Mr. Simms. You would think that he would learn from stupidity of the past, but no! Chris Simms instead got upset at people in Philly for calling him out about his completely wrong take. Just watch this video of him losing it on air:

Chris Simms is now mad as hell for getting called out about all that shit he talked on Jalen Hurts pic.twitter.com/SdqgnUzugf

— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) January 3, 2023

First of all, dude, grow up. Don’t get upset because people are not letting you get away with being totally wrong about one of the best players in football this year and refusing to admit you are wrong. Simms sounded completely unprofessional in his ranting against ESPN, and he probably should’ve just stopped talking about Hurts altogether at that point. Shockingly, though, he didn’t learn his lesson then either. Check out this clip following the Eagles’ win over the Giants this weekend:

Chris Simms saying Daniel Jones is a better passer and really close to as good as a runner as Jalen Hurts. pic.twitter.com/yzimFhrGCZ

— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) January 24, 2023

Ok, it’s clear at this point he’s just trolling. Daniel Jones equal to Jalen Hurts? That man either doesn’t know football, or is intentionally saying stupid stuff for attention. I believe it’s the latter, and for that reason, I am never mentioning his name again on air or in writing after this article. Don’t take the bait. Chris Simms (last mention ever) doesn’t deserve an ounce of your attention ever again.

The post Chris Simms Continues To Make Stupid Jalen Hurts Comments appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

One of the great perks of this job and doing it for the past 3 decades has been getting to puck the brain of some legendary sports figures. After their active playing or coaching careers are over, sometimes you even get the chance to become friends. One of those figures for me was Coach Dan Reeves, who as a player and coach appeared in numerous Super Bowls. While living in Atlanta I got to cover him as the Head Coach and then after retirement he became an analyst for Westwood One and joined me weekly on our radio show. It was like a Masters Class on understanding the mindset of an NFL player and coach. He was generous with his time and wisdom. The best times I got to learn the most were on the golf course. He was a relentless competitor and one of the wisest and kindest men I’ve ever known.

I was thinking a lot about Dan last week as the Eagles were preparing to face the Giants in the Divisional Playoff Round. Coach always referred to them on air as “YOUR Eagles” and he gave me a cheat sheet for handicapping a playoff showdown. I’ll never forget him telling me that when previewing a matchup, think of what would be said AFTER that game by both locker rooms. He always leaned on backing the team that would after the game not be satisfied publicly with being shown the door. I used that in my analysis of the Eagles – Giants game. I figured that if the Giants lost they would after the game speak of the pride they had in making the playoffs and winning a game under first year Coach Brian Daboll. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be upset, but they would find the silver lining. By the way, that is exactly what happened after their 38-7 defeat.

The Eagles on the other hand would never have been able to speak of finding a silver lining in a defeat. They had talked about that last year when they lost at Tampa Bay. It wouldn’t fly this time around. Instead they felt the pressure to perform and deliver as a top seed in the NFC. Using the Reeves theory, the Eagles were the more desperate team and needed it more. Of course this rule wouldn’t ever play out 100%, but I’ve used it for years and it played out this time around.

So what does this mean about the Eagles matchup with the 49ers? It’s pretty complicated. The 49ers played in the NFC Title Game and lost last season. The Eagles now are at home and a slight favorite to win. So following the Reeves theory who should be expected to win?

The 49ers are back in the title game BUT they are starting a rookie QB on the road as an underdog. They most certainly would be able to use the “we have a bright future” talking points about a loss. The Eagles are now the Super Bowl favorites and it would be a bigger disappointment and missed opportunity for them. I think the answer is clear, Dan Reeves would tell me that “YOUR Eagles are going to the Super Bowl”!

The post A playoff lesson I learned from an NFL legend and friend appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles dominated the Giants. beat them 38-7. The game was never close, and the Eagles strolled into the NFC Championship Game. What went so well for the Eagles? EJ Smith from the Philly Inquirer joined The Best Show Ever to break down the win, preview Sunday’s game vs the Niners, and more. Here is what EJ Smith had to say.

On if how much they dominated the Giants surprised him…

“I was surprised. I wrote that I expected the game to be a knockout drag-out division round-type game… But the Eagles just outclassed the Giants. I knew that the Eagles had a stark talent advantage. But we have seen teams have that talent advantage in the playoffs but it still be a close game… The Eagles were a sleeping giant there for a little bit. We saw them wake up in the divisional round. It reaffirms what we expected from this team.”

On the Eagles’ Offensive Line

“The whole offensive line has been dealing with injuries. They are a tough group and an incredibly talented group. But the way that they beat up the Giants’ defensive line, was one of the biggest surprises for me. Dexter Lawrence is legitimately one of the best Nost Tackles in the league. Not only against the run but especially against the pass… Jason Kelce had the highlight block with the one-arm pancake… It’s a testament to what the Eagles have done for a long time. Building through the trenches. That is the type of stuff that shows up in playoff football. And it definitely showed up against the Giants.”

On Jalen Hurts elite decision-making…

“The thing that surprised me the most this season is the decision-making. We knew he was s a great athlete. We knew he was making strides as a passer… Eagles fans should not take that for granted with Jalen Hurts. He is ruthlessly efficient with the football in a way that a lot of Qbs arent. You don’t see him make too many mistakes. He is very consistent with his decision-making…

It’s something that does not necessarily show up on the stat sheet as much as rushing yards or passing yards. It is not something that can viral on Twitter the way that Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes can with deep passes… But with Jalen, the decision-making is kind of one of those things you can count on him a lot more to not make those catastrophic decisions… You look at what makes teams make it to this part of the season, that’s a big part of it… As good as Josh Allen was, the turnovers and decision-making in general ended up being his undoing.”

You can listen to the full conversation with EJ Smith below…The post EJ Smith Breaks Down the Eagles Win Over the Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In a dominant performance over the New York Giants on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles reminded football fans and critics alike, why and how they became the #1 seed in the NFC with the best record in the entire NFL.

The Eagles absolutely destroyed the visiting Giants on Saturday night. Putting on a full clinic from beginning to end. Sending a message that they are in fact back! After the struggles through the final three weeks of the campaign that saw the Birds go 1-2 during that stretch without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts and his protection at right tackle Lane Johnson – questions were answered of if they would be able pick up where they left off before the injuries took over. Now, New York may not have been on the same level as the next opponent in the San Francisco 49ers. But, they were the next team up to at least show us what we needed to see from a healthy Philadelphia team.

The Eagles won this game by controlling the lines of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. And I mean controlled! 268 yards on the ground from the rushing attack. Led by Kenneth Gainwell’s 112 yards and a touchdown. Miles Sanders carried the ball 17 times for 90 yards. And Jalen Hurts was enough of a threat as a runner to put pressure on the Giants’ defense by picking up 34 yards on nine carries. A small total of yards but again it’s the threat of his runs. The Giant killer, Boston Scott, was at it again with a rushing TD and 32 yards on six carries. Hurts didn’t have to do much by airing it out through the air. Again, simply showing the threat of it being a possibility. The offense was dynamic again.

The defensive line was also dominant by not allowing New York to get comfortable with anything. Daniel Jones looked like the old version of himself. They took Saqoun Barkley out of the game. And the wide receivers looking again like the 4th and 5th stringers they are. It was a nice run by the Giants, but they just aren’t ready. They’ll get there. As for the Eagles, we’ll see how ready they are next Sunday as they host the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game for the right to play in the Super Bowl. These are no doubt the two best teams in the conference. Should be a great game with both teams at full strength.

The post Eagles Show Their Dominance; Back In The NFC Title Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles put a beat down against the Giants on Saturday. Dominated both sides of the ball. They got to Daniel Jones 5 times, scored 5 touchdowns, and took a 28-point lead into halftime. The game was never even close. And that beat down ended in a 38-7 win, that advanced the Eagles to the NFC Championship game, where they will host the 49ers. But while we wait for that game on Sunday, it may be nice to relive the beatdown first. And that is what Andrew and Anthony did in the Audio Vault today. They played all the best moments from the game. The touchdowns, the sacks, the interception, and more. Hear those moments again, and Anthony and Andrew’s thoughts on each play, from today’s Audio Vault.

Here is the lineup from today’s Audio Vault* Dallas Goedert’s one-handed catch and run puts the Eagles up 7-0 * Haason Reddick gets back-to-back sacks to force a turnover on downs * Devonta Smith Scores a Touchdown to put the Eagles up 14-0 * James Bradberry picks off his former team * Giants Slayer Boston Scott Makes it 21-0 * Jalen Hurts does it himself to make it 28-0 * Brandon Graham sacks Daniel Jones * Kenny Gainwell’s long run makes it 38-7

And to close out the Audio Vault, Andrew of course had to give out a shoutout to his alma mater. The Temple Owls beat the No 1 ranked Houston Cougars, in a one-point game, on the road Sunday. So Andrew also pulled the final call from that game for the Audio Vault today as well.

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- Reliving the Eagles Beat Down of the Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFC Title Game Goes Through Philly, and Anthony discussed that in his Opening Diatribe this morning…

“An Amazing game on Saturday Night at Lincoln Financial Field. On the anniversary of the NFC Title Victory over the Vikings. The same score. On a Saturday night win over the Giants. The NFC Title game goes through Philadelphia, Sunday at 3 o’clock, against Purdy and the Niners… It was a party right from the first possession. Where the Eagles went down the field, 8 plays 75 yards… The Eagles take the 7-0 lead. Right off the bat, they flexed. And then it was about how badly they harassed Daniel Jones… Next thing you know it is 21-0.

Did you expect the show to start any other way? GO BIRDS!!! pic.twitter.com/5jyxN9T8bB

— The Anthony Gargano Show (@975Middays) January 23, 2023

It was not even a sweat. The Birds just flexed their dominance. You have a couple of key injured guys who deserve so much praise. Lane Johnson is tremendous, just a freaking warrior. Jalen Hurts just played his ass off again. If there was any bit of rust… well they were tremendous Saturday.

Two wins from another parade. Obviously, it is not going to be easy. But I still keep going back to this. The Niners team is good, but they are not an unbeatable inpenatratable team. From the beginning, I said they are the biggest threat in the NFC. So they are good, but the Eagles should be able to win this game…

They should be able to exploit the Niners’ secondary. The Niners’ defense is really good. Their front 7 can create a lot of havoc. But where the Eagles have the advantage, is the Eagles’ receivers, vs the Niners’ secondary. I think you can make plays on that Niners secondary. They are tough to run against. But I’m expecting Jalen to be able to get the ball down the field.

And on defense, this Eagles front gets after you. Howie may have saved the season. I think Howie solidified what we think should be a Superbowl run when he got Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh to solidify the front. I feel much better going into this game with Jordan Davis back, and obviously Suh and Joseph. That is a stroke of genius, that will ensure the Super Bowl for us.”

You can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- The NFC Title Game Goes Through Philly appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

A perfect weekend for the Philadelphia Eagles got even better with a Sunday that truly provided a cherry on top. Ice cream pun, check. After the birds’ 38-7 evisceration of the New York Giants on Saturday night, Philly got to kick their collective feet up and watch the action in the other half of the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday night. The matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers was expected to be a tight contest, and it lived up to the billing. It was a beat down, grind out game between two quality football teams, but at the end of the day, the Eagles got what every fan should have been rooting for: the Dallas Cowboys were eliminated. Oh, how sweet it is.

I understand that some fans were looking to face Dallas in the NFC Championship game, and I think those fans are nuts. Dallas losing is always the goal. That is woven in the fabric of being a Philadelphia Eagles fan. The Eagles winning is paramount, but the secondary celebration of every season is the day that the Dallas Cowboys are eliminated from Super Bowl contention. Sad Jerry Jones, apologizing to his jorts wearing, Lakers and Yankees and Alabama Crimson Tide rooting, senseless America’s Team claiming fan base, just warms my heart every single year. If you are a true Eagles fan, do not lie to me and say you didn’t enjoy watching the Dallas Cowboys’ season end last night.

How it happened made it even better. Let’s start with Captain Choke. Dak Prescott looked lost on Sunday night against San Fran’s vaunted defense. He finished with 206 yards through the air, 2 interceptions, and 1 measly touchdown. When his team needed him most, Prescott was the QB he has been all year when healthy: the NFL’s leader in throwing interceptions. Dallas fed Zeke! They fed him 10 times, to the tune of 26 yards and 0 TDs. Mr. System and Team Micah Parsons? 1 tackle and 0 sacks for the guy who felt the need to focus on the Eagles’ QB more than his own team’s problems. Everything that we spent all year criticizing the Cowboys on came to fruition on the playoff stage, and now, they can go ahead and book those tee times.

Well, maybe they won’t have to book tee times after all. If you’re a member of the Dallas Cowboys, you could have a standing tee time set for NFC Championship weekend since 1996 and you won’t have missed a single one. That was the last time the Cowboys advanced past the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Since then, the Philadelphia Eagles have gone to the NFC Championship game (or further, more on that in a second) 7 times counting this season. The Cowboys’ most recent Super Bowl is still on VCR. The Eagles’ is not yet 5 years old, and they have a real chance at adding another one this year. So, for the last time in the 2022-23 season, goodnight, Dallas. Sleep tight knowing that you have been a loser organization for a generation, and it doesn’t seem that that’s ending any time soon.

The post Goodnight, Dallas appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Emphatic! Decisive! Dominant! I’ve run out of descriptive words to discuss the utter dominance that was on display Saturday night at the Linc as the Eagles dismantled the hapless NY Giants. It seemed logical to many that the Giants were a legitimate opponent to give the Eagles a run in their Divisional Round matchup. I just never saw it. I didn’t get why the Giants were all of a sudden the media darlings. It was explained to me that the reason was all of the question marks surrounding the Eagles. Well, the question marks are now exclamation points. The Eagles we saw playing most of the season reappeared at the best possible moment. It’s bad news for everyone else.

How would Jalen Hurts shoulder respond after he looked rather ordinary vs the Giants in Week 18? Well, that was obviously an over discussed point of contention leading up to this game. Nobody knows what kind of pain that Hurts is playing with. What we now know is that he’s looking as good as new. Hurts delivered early on a deep pass to DeVonta Smith and then used his arm and feet to punish the Giants all night long. The ball had zip, he had 6 design runs in the first half of action, it was a thing of beauty. Shane Steichen had an outstanding plan for Hurts and they delivered. To lead a playoff game 28-0 at halftime is absurd. It was because of the aggressiveness of the game plan. Bravo for believing in your guys and letting them determine the outcome.

The 28 first half points were ridiculous, but the goose egg posted on the Giants side of the scoreboard was just as impressive. The defense was flying all over the place. They were aggressive and just soft enough. They battered Daniel Jones, caused a critical interception and denied the running game. It was almost unfair. Nick Sirianni had fun afterwards mocking the sports radio mob that constantly attacks Jonathan Gannon. He had the last laugh and helped pen this victory story.

Lane Johnson looked like Lane Johnson. He was crazy good and showed no ill effects of his injury. The rest and rehabilitation certainly has proven effective. He was perfect on the night not allowing a pressure, a sack or even Jalen Hurts breaking a sweat. That was one of the biggest concerns going into the game and now it shouldn’t even get discussed.

The Eagles played a complete game. They toyed with the Giants in the second half and managed to eventually wait them out and even created a score differential in their favor in the second half. It was a jaw dropping performance. It’s hard to imagine that any opponent from this point forward could be handled as easily as the Giants were. They were clearly not ready for the big stage. The best part of it all is that none of that will matter. We learned that if the Eagles bring their A game they are once again dominant. Nobody will be able to shut them down. Limit mistakes, run the ball and play defense. This team has every reason to expect an upcoming trip back to Arizona.

The post The Eagles Saturday Night answered a lot of questions! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Well, that was fun. Despite all the handwringing coming into the game about how the Giants were the hot hand and the Eagles being rusty, it was the Eagles who beat up the Giants. The Eagles came out and dominated from start to finish. They beat them 38-7, to advance to the NFC Championship. How did it all go down? Here are 5 numbers that tell the story of how the Eagles beat up the Giants.

0Beyond all the scoring, this number may be the one that means the most to the Eagles going forward. Lane Johnson gave up 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, and 0 Qb pressures. He went up against an impressive rookie pass rusher in Kayvon Thibodeaux and dominated. Usually, that would be a given. After all Lane Johnson is the best RT in the NFL, gave up 0 sacks all year, and was named to the First Team All-Pro Team. But given Lane Johnson is playing with a torn abductor, and missed the last two games, there was some reason to be worried.

But Lane Johnson is as tough as they come. He didn’t just battle through the injury, he thrived. The health of Lane is so important for the Eagles going forward. And it looks like he is still ready to play at a very high level. It also should be mentioned that Jason Kelce also put up 0s across the board despite blocking All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence. in fact the Eagles allowed just one QB pressure all night. You could put a brick wall in front of Jalen Hurts and it might not block as well as the Eagles’ Offensive Line does.

7Speaking of players who are supposed to be injured, but still played well, what a night from Jalen Hurts. So much for the shoulder bothering him. The final stat line does not look too impressive. But that is only because they were able to stop throwing it in the 2nd quarter. That first-quarter performance was all we needed to see he is back to MVP form. He completed all 7 of his passing attempts in the opening quarter, and two of those went for a TD. He would later add a rushing TD of his own, to finish with 3 touchdowns. I don’t think we need to worry about the shoulder sprain hampering him. He looked as good as ever. Oh, and he is now 15-1 on the season. We are still waiting for that apology Chirs Simms. Admitting you are wrong is not that hard. Most Eagles fans did it for Hurts many weeks ago.

2.75It was another quiet game for Saqoun Barkley. All we heard all week was that Saqoun was back. And he did dominate in Minnesota. But this Eagles’ defensive line is far better than what he saw vs the Vikings. Outside of the one 39-yard run he broke on their lone TD drive, Barkley was a non-factor. On his other 8 rushes, he gained just 22 yards. That is 2.75 per carry. And he is not the first elite RB this Eagles defense has removed from the game. Since they acquired Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh, they have shut down Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, and Barkley now tice. Good luck trying to run on this team. Your running back is going to get beat up.

16.7James Bradberry was ready to face his former team. Not only did he pick off Daniel Jones, but he also shut down his man all game. He allowed just 2 catches, for 6 yards. One of those catches would have been for a first down, but a nice hit by Bradberry caused a bobble, and Bradberry took him down before the line to gain. Daniel Jones’ passer rating when throwing toward Bradberry was 16.7. He could have spiked the ball every play, and it would have resulted in a better rating. The second-team All-Pro has been key to the Eagles’ success all year. And in a game that featured both Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat creating havoc all night, Bradberry may have been the Eagles’ best player on defense.

80%All year the Eagles were impossible to stop in the red zone. And that was certainly the case again last night. They scored a TD on 4 of 5 trips to the red zone (80%). The one they settled for an FG, was at the end of the game when they had already burnt 8 minutes off the clock. Its not like they were going full-throttle to score there. The performance from the offense was near perfect. They were explosive when they had to be. And they were able to get long drives when they needed that. The cliche of the Eagles season has been they can beat you in so many ways. And that was on full display. Once they get in the red zone, they are nearly impossible to stop. Trying to prevent Jalen Hurts from running, while also keeping an eye on the RB, and covering Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, and Dallas Goedert is a tough task. Not many teams have figured out how to do it. And in the red zone, failing to do just one of those 6 things means a TD.

The post 5 Numbers That Tell The Story of How The Eagles Beat Up The Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Based on the way many people, including the National Media, have talked the last couple of weeks, you would have thought the Eagles were in trouble. Turns out the rumors of their demise were greatly exaggerated. Because on Saturday night when they took the field vs the Giants, the Eagles looked like they had all season. Elite. This one was never even close. They kicked the Giant’s ass. Beating them down to the tune of 38-7. It turns out this Eagles team is still really good.

They started fast, and never looked back. They scored a TD on 4 of their 5 first-half drives. And on the other side, they forced three 3 and outs, got an interception, and a turnover on downs. Hurts’s arm got them out to an early lead, and then the run game took over for the most part. It was utter domination for the first half of the game. They took a 28-0 lead into the locker room at the half.

The Giants moved the ball a bit more in the second half. And the Eagles’ offense slowed down a bit too. But it didn’t matter. The Eagles had built themselves such a massive cushion, the Giants couldn’t come back. Jonathan Gannon’s soft zone worked to treat, letting the Giants bleed their own clock down. And then in the 4th quarter, the Giants made the baffling choice to punt it away down 21 with 12 minutes to go. The Eagles capitalized on that cowardly mistake and put the game away. They manufactured an 8-minute-long drive that ended in a field goal. It left just 5:16 on the clock. Nowhere near enough for the Giants to even attempt a comeback.

So why were people concerned again? Because they did not look good with Gardner Minshew at QB? Or because in week 18 they looked shaky with a very vanilla gameplan? It all seems so silly now. And it was always silly. This team has looked elite all year. Of course they would shift it back into gear for the playoffs. This team is overflowing with talent on both sides of the field. When they are playing at the top of the game, there is no good way to stop this offense. And despite the hate Gannon gets, his defense is at the top of every defensive stat you would care about.

They will await with the 49ers or the Cowboys next Sunday at 3 pm in Philly. Hopefully, people have learned their lesson and won’t be panicking all week again. They have proven time and time again that they are really good. Doubt them at your own peril.

The post Turns Out The Eagles Are Still Really Good appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Its FINALLY here! The Playoffs!!!

We were doing staff predictions but we stopped because quite frankly everyone was picking the Eagles every week. So we decided to pick things back up for the playoffs where the real drama begins!

Here is how our staff sees the Eagles vs. the Giants game playing out.

The post Staff Predictions: NFC Divisional Round Eagles vs. Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

And then there were 8 teams remaining. We are into the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Only the Eagles, Giants, Cowboys, 49ers, Chiefs, Bills, Jaguars, and Bengals remain. But it also means The Best Show Evers picks competition continues. They have 7 more games to pick. Beginning with the 4 games in the divisional round.

Hunter Brody held onto his lead through the Wild Card Round, despite going 3-3. it was not a great week for any of them. Hunter, Jen Scordo, and Dylan Mackinnon faired the best, all going 3-3 since they had the same 6 picks. Ricky went 2-4 and is not officially out of contention for first place. Tyrone meanwhile may have missed his chance to sneak into first, going 1-5 after getting within a couple of games of Hunter. But with 7 games left, it could still technically be anyone’s game, besides Ricky. Even Dylan at 6 games under .500 can still win if he wins out and Hunter loses out, though that feels highly unlikely. More likely, it is between Jen and Hunter now. Hunter has the 3 game lead, but can he hold onto it?

Here is where all of our records stand going into Divisional Round…

Tyrone Johnson- (18-21)
Ricky Bottalico- (12-26)
Hunter Brody- (23-16)
Jen Scordo- (20-19)
Dylan MacKinnon- (16-22-1)

And here are our Divisional Round picksTyrone’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -7.5 vs the New York Giants * Kansas City Chiefs -9 vs the Jacksonville Jaguars * Buffalo Bills -5.5 vs the Cincinnati Bengals * Dallas Cowboys +4 at the San Francisco 49ers

Hunter’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -7.5 vs the New York Giants * Dallas Cowboys +4 at the San Francisco 49ers * Kansas City Chiefs -9 vs the Jacksonville Jaguars * Buffalo Bills -5.5 vs the Cincinnati Bengals

Ricky’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -7.5 vs the New York Giants * San Francisco 49ers -4 vs the Dallas Cowboys * Kansas City Chiefs -9 vs the Jacksonville Jaguars * Cincinnati Bengals +5.5 vs the Buffalo Bills

Jen’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -7.5 vs the New York Giants * San Francisco 49ers -4 vs the Dallas Cowboys * Kansas City Chiefs -9 vs the Jacksonville Jaguars * Cincinnati Bengals +5.5 vs the Buffalo Bills

Dylan’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -7.5 vs the New York Giants * Jacksonville Jaguars +9 at the Kansas City Chiefs * Cincinnati Bengals +5.5 vs the Buffalo Bills * San Francisco 49ers -4 vs the Dallas Cowboys

The post The Best Show Ever- Divisional Round Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

On Saturday night the Eagles face the Giants at home in the Divisional Round. And to get a preview of that game, The Best Show Ever talked to Dave Zangaro from NBC Sports Philly. What is the Eagles’ mentality heading into this week? Does he see any scenario where they lose this game? Dave discussed that and more. Here is what he had to say about Saturday Night’s game.

On the team’s mentality heading into Saturday night…

“I thought the whole team looked locked in this week. And it’s not like it is that different from any other week. For the rest of us, it’s different. It is a playoff game, we are all excited. But so much of their messaging within the building was there is a reason we are in this position. There is maybe a little bit of added focus. But for the most part, it was status quo there this week. They are just trying to handle their business the way they have all year. I think that is a really good thing. They have so much experience on this team. Most of these guys were there last year. Obviously, that didn’t end well, and it left a bad taste in their mouths. It’s kind of the same thing we have seen from them all year. And based on how this year has gone, that is a good thing.”

On if he thinks Dallas Goedert is in line for a big game…

“We have seen all year the Giant’s struggle vs tight ends. Their linebackers are not great in coverage. If the Giants want to try and have those linebackers cover Dallas Goedert, it will be a long night for them. And that is the beauty of this game for the Eagles. They will have answers no matter how the Giants want to play this defensively… In week 14 when they played, it was a lot of blitzing Jalen Hurts and playing man coverage behind that. In that game, Hurts killed the blitz…

If you are the Eagles in this game, you feel good with whatever they throw at you. If they play it like they did in week 14, you feel good about AJ Brown and Devonta Smith winning on the outside. And if they play it like they did last week, Dallas Goedert could have a huge game in the middle of the field. As long as the Eagles are ready for both, they have the answers.”

You can listen to the full conversation below…The post Dave Zangaro Previews Saturday Night’s Game vs The Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are closing in on the kickoff for the Eagles-Giants game. Tomorrow night at 8:15, the Eagles’ playoff run begins. And to get some last-minute insight on that Eagles-Giants game, Anthony Gargano spoke to Zach Berman from The Athletic. How healthy is Jalen Hurts? What are his thoughts on the matchup in this Eagles-Giants game? Here is what Zach Berman had to say.

On the Health of Jalen Hurts

“It seems obvious to say he is two weeks healthier than the last time he played, but it is relevant to say too. I wouldn’t be worried about the shoulder. Obviously, there is a pain threshold Jalen will need to have. But I think you are going to see Jalen Hurts play like Jalen Hurts. I don’t think there will be the same restrictions you saw in the last game. He is more than a month past the injury now. The health is an excuse in that he is dealing with something. But I don’t think he is dealing with something that is going to prohibit him or the Eagles from playing the way they want.”

On the Eagles’ Defensive Gameplan

“I think this is one of those games where you know you have the advantage at corner. This is why you have two All-Pro caliber corners. You can trust your guys in man coverage. The Giants’ recipe will be to try and make this an ugly game. A 4th quarter game. So the Eagles can’t allow the Giants to sustain drives. They cant allow those easy completions. And can’t allow Daniel Jones to run the ball for 6 yards on 3rd and 4. That is going to be such a critical component of this game. This is one of those games where Gannon needs to say we have Darius Slay and James Bradberry, lets’s trust Darius Slay and James Bradberry.”

You can listen to the full conversation below…The post Zach Berman Discusses Eagles-Giants With Anthony Gargano appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas found in The Audio Vault today! They continued their journey through past playoff runs. Today, it was the 2006 run, which was the Jeff Garcia year where McNabb tore his ACL in a week 11 loss to the Titans. But Garcia came in and helped carry the Eagles to the playoffs by going 5-1 over the last 6 games to win the NFC East. That playoff won started with a Wild Card matchup vs the Giants. Here is the lineup from today’s Vault.

Eagles topple the Giants in 2006 Wild Card RoundBy this point, Jeff Garcia has a Philly folk hero. And that continued into the Wild Card round. Garcia and the Eagles beat the Giants in a narrow 23-20 game. Westbrook got the Eagles’ scoring started with a 49-yard TD run that tied the game 7-7. Garcia would later hit Stallworth on a 28-yard pass to make it 17-10. They would later make it a 20-10 lead. But then Eli Manning and the Giants came back, and it was tied 20-20 with 4 minutes to go. But the Eagles came back out onto the field, drove down the field, ran the entire clock down, and David Akers kicked the game-winning FG to send the Eagles to the next round. Andrew grabbed the into to the game, the TDs by Westbrook and Stallworth, and Akers game-winning FG out of the Audio Vault for us today.

Saints End the Eagles 2006 Playoff RunThe Jeff Garcia story did not end in glory though. The Eagles 6 game winning streak came to an end with a 27-24 Eagles victory. One of the things the game is now known for was the crushing hit by Sheldon Brown on Reggie Bush. And the Eagles also had two long TD in the game. In the second quarter, Garcia hit Stallworth for a 75-yard TD to make it 7-6, and later in the 3rd quarter, Westbrook broke free for a 62-yard TD run that made it 21-13. But they could not hold the lead, and the miracle run was ended. And Andrew grabbed the two long TDs, the Sheldon Brown hit, and the Dick Stockton intro to the game for the Audio Vault today.

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- Eagles’ 2006 Playoff Run appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See Anthony’s Prediction for Saturday Night’s Game from his Opening Diatribe this morning…

“As we inch towards kickoff, I still think it is the same type of vibe. I still think when I match up this game, the Eagles are just a better team. They are much healthier than they were. When they are right, the Giants cannot beat the,m. That is not a slight on them. I don’t think the Giants are ready yet. They eclipsed what was expected of them… The Giants are probably feeling good. And they should. They have accomplished something. When they lose, they will go good season. they will feel good about the year.

But this Eagles team, I think it’s poised. They have a huge advantage defensively. I still don’t know how the Giants are going to have sustained drives. The drives that they did so well again the Vikings, I don’t know how they do that against the Eagles. The Eagles are so good up front. The D line is so much better than Minnesota’s. They are going to play a 5-man front. They will collapse, they know it is about stopping Barkley. And every which way I do it, it comes up Eagles.

They may not cover. Though I think they will. It is funny, I went from they are going to win and it will be a little bit of a sweat, to not even feeling that. It is going to be double digits. Maybe 10 pts. It is not going to be 48-22. I think it will be a lower-scoring game. The Giants will try to take the air out of the ball. Which will run clock. The Eagles are up at halftime 10-3, but then go on to win it 24-13, something like that. Maybe they do get the cover.”

And you can listen to the full Opening Diatribe and his prediction for the game below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- His Prediction for The Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

I’ve heard every stupid boogie man scenario thrown out there this week as we prepare for the Eagles and Giants in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game. Let me give you a rundown and my rebuttal.

What if the Eagles play like they did vs the Commanders in the first loss of the season?

Ok, I’ll play along. What if they play like they did in the ONLY loss of the season when Jalen Hurts started a game? Considering that they went 14-1 in his starts, why would any logical fan be focusing on the one loss instead of the 14 wins? For many in my industry it’s called a “hot take” contrarian opinion or struggling to create interesting content. Instead of wondering could the Eagles play like they did in one loss, instead of focusing on their 14 wins with Hurts, what if the Giants play like they did in their 7 losses?

Did you see what the Giants did against the Vikings? Wow!

Yes, I saw the Giants in a one score game almost all day Sunday at Minnesota. Is that supposed to impress me? Let’s be logical here. The Vikings had one of the least impressive defenses of the winning teams in football. They already have fired their defensive coordinator because of it. You know who looked BETTER than the Giants did against the Vikings just in the past few months? The Cowboys, the Lions and the Packers. Those 3 teams blew the Vikings out. Let’s stop creating a storyline based on someone beating up on a weak sister team.

The Giants are coming in red hot!

The Giants started out 6-1 and were the most talked about story in the NFL. They proceeded to finish out the regular season 3-6-1. They have 3 wins in the last 2 calendar months. Spin it any way you like it if it helps you sleep at night, but the Giants are NOT red hot. The Eagles started 8-0 and finished 6-3. That is what being hot means. I don’t know where this hot narrative is coming from, but again I will blame laziness.

The top seeded teams lost both Divisional Playoff Games last year!

Yes, the Packers and the Titans were the first top seeds in the only one bye team era and they lost. They lost to the 49ers and the Bengals. The 49ers lost the NFC Title Game the next week but they had been to the Super Bowl just a couple of years earlier vs the Bucs. They had playoff pedigree. They were in the Final 4 teams twice in the past 3 seasons. That is NOT the Giants. They won their first playoff game last weekend in 3,000+ days. Pedigree and the recent Giants don’t belong in the same sentence.

FINAL SUMMARY

I guarantee you that the same people that this week are creating the nightmare scenarios of how the Giants are very dangerous will be the ones who pivot to trying to scare you about the Cowboys and 49ers next week. It’s what they do. Any picking of the Giants this week is clearly not based in facts, so it’s based in “look at me”.

Enjoy the game everybody! Join us for pregame on Saturday at 5pm.

The post Stop Worrying – Start Believing – The Eagles will fly Saturday Night appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what was brewing with Jen Scordo today! Every day on The Best SHow Ever Jen shares 3 recent weird and interesting news stories. Including one today about a man who was given a bag of cash in place of his Mcdonalds order. here are her stories from today.

Taco Bell’s Ultimate Game Day BoxIf you are looking for some game day food on Saturday night for the Eagles-Gaints game, Taco Bell could have the thing for you. They are putting out an Ultimate Game Day Box for the playoffs. The box includes their Mexican Pizza, four Crunchy Tacos, and eight Chicken Wings with a side of two Spicy Ranch dipping sauces. I never really think of Taco bell when I want pizza and wings. But hey, if you are a Taco Bell fan this may be the deal for you. The box costs $22.

Taco Bell Is Launching the Ultimate Game Day BoxTaco Bell is known for introducing innovative menu items (cue the nacho fries or the chain’s breakfast lineup) as well as bringing back fan favorites every so often to keep the cult following alive and hungry. Now, just in time for football Sundays and the height of the NHL season, the chain is re-launching the epic crispy chicken wings in a whole new way.

Man Gets Bag of Cash Instead of Drive-Thru Order From McDonaldsA man got something a little bit more valuable than his Sausage McMuffin when he went through the McDonalds Drive Thru. Instead, they handed him a bag full of cash. Over $1000 in cash. Luckily for the Mcdonalds’ employees, they made the mistake with a good samaritan. After posting a video online about the mistake, he did return the cash to the Mcdonalds’. The employees were understandably over the moon. it is not the first time a mistake like this has been made at a Mcdonalds’. A similar story came out where the same thing happened to a woman. Maybe Mcdonalds’ should stop storing cash in takeout bags.

Man goes to McDonald’s drive-thru for sausage McMuffin and gets handed bag of cashOne lad got more than he bargained for during a recent trip to McDonald’s. Like many of us, Josiah Vargas was driving round when he got a little peckish, so decided to treat himself to a cheeky Maccies, and he headed to a nearby drive-thru.

Scientists Develop Alarm To Keep You From DayDreamingThere are a lot of people who have a hard time focusing because their mind tends to wander and think about other things. But there soon may be a product that helps them prevent that. Scientists are developing a type of alarm that will signal you when your mind begins to wander. The drawback is for it to work it requires an electrode to be attached to your head that can scan your brain activity to detect when your mind begins to wander. I think I would prefer to occasionally have my mind wander than have some device attached to my brain.

Electronic ALARM sounds whenever it detects daydreamingScientists can identify when you lose concentration based on your brain activity They developed an electronic alarm that sounds each time this happens People given this treatment daydream significantly less often, study suggests Daydreamers who are easily distracted could soon have a solution to stop their minds wandering.

The post What’s Brewing With Jen- McDonalds Accidentally Gives Man Bag of Cash appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are getting closer and closer to the Eagles-Giants game on Saturday night. While we know what to expect from our team, we have not been able to follow the Giants as closely. So who better to get some insight into the opponent than a reporter who has been covering the Giants all season? The Best Show Ever talked to Jordan Raanan from ESPN. What do we need to know about this Giants team before they face off with our Eagles? Here is some of what Jordan Raanan had to say.

On What The Giants Have to Do To Win This Game

“I don’t know if they can get into a shootout with the Eagles. They will need to keep it low scoring. I know this hasn’t been their recipe for the past few weeks. But it would have to be run Saqoun and get a huge monster effort from him. Saquon Barkley actually hasn’t had 20 carries in any of his last 8 games. The Giants have really turned to Daniel Jones. He’s been their best offesnive player in the second half of the season. But I do think in order for them to win this game, they would have to get some turnovers, play significantly better against the run, and have their offensive line have their best game of the season. Because they have to slow it down in order to beat the Eagles.”

On The Giants’ Secondary vs the Eagles’ Wide Receivers

“Yes, it is definitely a concern. But, while I know the Eagles didn’t have Dallas Goedert in that game where they put up 48, the Giants also did not have their top cornerback Adoree’ Jackson. And they didn’t have Xavier McKinney. That is half of their secondary that was out… They were really beat up at that time. Their defense is in significantly better shape this time around… Are these ideal matchups for them? Probably not. Though Adoree Jackson did just do an excellent job of helping limit Justin Jefferson. But still, Adoree Jackson vs AJ Brown. Fabian Moreau or rookie Cordale Flott vs Devonta Smith. These aren’t matchups that favor the Giants.

And if you flip it over on the side, it is the same thing. Isaiah Hodgins and Darius Slayton vs Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Those are not matchups where you look at the Giants and say they are good matchups. They are going to have their work cut out for them both passing the ball and stopping the pass in this game.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Jordan Raanan below…The post Giants Reporter Jordan Raanan Previews The Eagles-Giants Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After the best regular season in franchise history and the first-round bye, the Eagles are now in full-on prep mode for the Giants at home at the Linc Saturday night. 19 weeks of appetizer all for the main course to finally begin.

Jalen Hurts isn’t even on the injury report anymore and Lane Johnson is going to attempt to play. Outside of Avonte Maddox, the Eagles have all their starters available. The atmosphere will be electric, but most of all, it will be fun. It doesn’t get better than this entering the playoffs. There are some who are concerned about the Giants due to the Eagles’ Week 18 performance when they were as vanilla as possible and never trailed against the Giants’ backups. I counter with the fact the Eagles earned the bye for the chance to play a team like the Giants: well-coached, but flawed. The Seahawks were never realistic, and the Cowboys would be a tougher matchup.

Speaking of the Cowboys, however, I was pondering what the most fun path through the Super Bowl would be and unfortunately it includes them.

We know Step 1 on the journey will be an NFC East team. The division that used to be called the “NFC Least” has three teams left in the playoffs. I expect the Eagles to win and cover, although I don’t care how they do it. Just win the game. I have searched for a worry, and I can’t find one. After that is could be very interesting. Dallas are underdogs against the 49ers Sunday. This is a possible conundrum if you are looking at this purely from a “fan fun” perspective.

We all hate the Cowboys, as we should. Whenever they lose, it’s a great day for the nation. On the other hand, an Eagles vs, Cowboys NFC Championship Game is much more fun than Eagles vs 49ers. No disrespect to Brock Purdy, but after an Eagles victory, the national media would use him being a third-stringer as the excuse to not give the Eagles credit.

I have never and will never root for the Cowboys, Celtics, Mets, Rangers etc., and I will not start now. Speaking purely from a fun perspective, it would bring more enjoyment to the fanbase if the Cowboys were the opponent. Dallas fans would have to be silent for a long time when the Eagles beat them with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. No more Dak Prescott is an elite QB talk, no more Ezekiel Elliott “feed me” mess in a half shirt, and more Jerry Jones red-faced with tears streaming down his face in his suite. It would be glorious sending all of them back to their ’90s VHS tapes again.

After that would be the Super Bowl and there are a bunch of fun options, but which would be the most fun? Obviously, of the four choices, the Bengals are fourth. Outside of Joe Burrow being in the same draft as Jalen Hurts, and Jamar Chase vs Devonta Smith, there isn’t a whole lot there. Again, this is just speaking about fun and Cincinnati just doesn’t cut it.

Next would likely be the Bills. The NFC’s best fans vs the AFC’s best fans. Sean McDermott vs the team where he started his NFL coaching career as an assistant and later defensive coordinator. The Damar Hamlin situation has grabbed the nation (thank God he is doing so well) and they are generally a likeable bunch. In another year this would be amazing, but there are still two options that would be even more fun.

Next would be Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Reid obviously was here 14 years and made five NFC title games, including four in a row with a single Super Bowl appearance against the cheating Patriots (I’m not still bitter). The storylines would be plentiful of course for the fans and it would put former Eagles like Brian Westbrook, for example, in a bind where they must choose between their coach and their former franchise. I think the vast majority of Eagles fans root for Andy when he is not facing the Eagles. So many fans would have stories about the Reid era while we talk for two weeks about how the Eagles can defeat them. Jalen Hurts’ resume would instantly be legendary if he was to beat the Giants, Cowboys, and then Mahomes in a single playoff run. If Nick Sirianni was able to out-duel Reid in a Super Bowl after the best regular season in team history, including any year that Reid ever had, he would be a “made man” in Year 2. Where this loses some steam compared to the No. 1 team is that the Eagles had two head coaches between Reid and Sirianni.

ADThe Super Bowl opponent that would be the most fun, though is also the least likely, the Jacksonville Jaguars. The only coach to win the Super Bowl with the Eagles vs. the coach that replaced him and immediately did even better (in the regular season). While there are a lot of new players on the roster, a ton of players who were coached by Doug Pederson and then Sirianni, including three starters on the offensive line and the current franchise quarterback. They would cut to the statue every single day on every national show. We would get to relive the 2018 Super Bowl constantly while we prepare for another one. The whole situation would seem like a movie and best of all the Eagles who blow them out.

Add it all up and Giants-Cowboys-Jaguars is the most fun Eagles’ fan scenario followed by Giants-Cowboys-Chiefs. Who knows how this all plays out. As long as the Eagles are hoisting the trophy, I am extremely happy. At the same time if the Eagles are going to win their second Super Bowl in five years, why not do it in the grandest way possible? It all starts Saturday night and I can’t wait.

The post The most fun Super Bowl path includes the Cowboys and Doug Pederson appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Former Giants QB Eli Manning (10-21 against the Eagles in his career) joined The Anthony Gargano Show to preview Saturday Night’s game between the Eagles and his Giants. Does he like his Giants in the matchup? He shared his thoughts on the game. And he also dicussed his history with the Eagles. The reception he has gotten when he visited Philly in the past. And about the Manning Cast. Here is what Eli Manning had to say with Anthony Gargano.

His thoughts on the matchup…

“There was a time where the Eagles were playing the best football of maybe anyone in the NFL. Jalen was playing great. They could run the ball. Defense was doing a good job getting sacks and getting turovers. It was tough. They were getting leads on people and getting sacks on the quarterback. That is a great way to play football. But then Jalen got hurt. They’re still very talented. Can still go out and score and win. But there is a little uncertainity.

And that is all the Giants are looking for. Because now they are hitting their stride. They were playing well early, werent playing well in the middle, but now they are playing their best football.. That is the way it can go. Giants can continue to play well, and maybe catch Philly when they arent playing their best football like they were earlier in the year.

(Jalen) hasnt played whole lot of football latley. He has missed some time. Came back the last game. Still has a little bit of an injury. When a player sits out for a little bit you hope he is rusty.”

On Giants Offense Facing a Tougher Test this week than they did vs Minnesota

“(Minnesota’s) defense is not the strongest. Philly’s defense has two great corners on the outside. They can play man, they can be physical, they can get the pass rush. They’re tough. They are tough on defense no doubt.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Eli Manning, who threw 34 interceptions and got sacked 62 times against the Eagles, below…The post Eli Manning Joins Anthony Gargano to Discuss Eagles vs Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas Found in The Audio Vault Today! They continued their trip through past Eagles playoff runs, this time running through the 2004-2005 run, where the Eagles finally broke through the NFC Championship game curse to meet the Patriots in the Superbowl.

The Eagles Beat the Vikings in the 2004-2005 NFC Divisional RoundThis was the year the Eagles finally broke the trend and made it all the way to the Superbowl. And it all started with the Divisional Round win over the Vikings. Despite no Terrell Owens, the Eagles’ offense still put up numbers, with McNabb throwing two TDs for and 286 yards. it included some iconic moments, like Freddie Mitchell somehow catching an LJ Smith fumble in the end zone for a TD. And Andrew grabbed that play, a couple of other highlights, and the Joe Buck into to the game out of the Audio Vault today.

The Eagles beat the Falcons the Next Week To Finally Make The SuperbowlEagles fans were used to playing in the NFC Championship game at this point. We had the scars to prove it. They were coming off 3 straight NFC Championships, and 3 straight losses. But against Mike Vick and the Falcons, they finally broke through. It was a bitterly cold game, that was played on the back of a major snowstorm. But while the weather clearly hurt the Falcons, the Eagles thrived. They won 27-10. And from this game, Andrew grabbed the Dorsey Levens TD, and a postgame interview between Terry Bradshaw and Brian Dawkins.

Eagles Fall to the Patriots in the 2004-2005 SuperbowlUnfortunately, the Eagles ran into a dynasty in the Superbowl. Even though Terrell Owens returned to player d a great game despite the injury, the Eagles still lost to the Patriots by a final of 24-21. it was the Patriots’ 3rd Superbowl in 4 years. But the Eagles did have the initial lead. Andrew pulled that LJ Smith TD that gave Eagles fans false hope out of the Audio Vault today, as well as the introduction to the game. It also sent Anthony off on a rant about how those cheating Patriots somehow got away with Spy Gate.

You can listen to the full Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- Eagles 2004-2005 Playoff Run appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See why Anthony is feeling more confident in an Eagles win from his Opening Diatribe this morning…

“I was doing a lot of National stuff yesterday, talking about the Birds. I am getting the same kind of response, which is are the Eagles for real? They were asking about what is the mood in the city. And I said come Saturday night, it is going to be rabid. Because this is what we do in Philadelphia. January NFL Playoffs are basically a yearly occurrence in this town. Sans for a couple of seasons over the last 25 years, this is a town that understands January football. And you look at this team, and as the game gets closer I grow more confident.

Instead of the other way where you start to get a little nervous, and a little worried. I keep going back to this. I keep going back to Daniel Jones and the Giants’ offense and how good they looked vs Minnesota. And I think it distorts the whole picture. It distorts the vision of how good the Giants’ offense is. At the suggestion of my cousin, I went back and watched the 48-22 game. In that game, they got to Daniel Jones. The Eagles front harassed Daniel Jones. Their offense went down the field, and in the blink of an eye, it was 21 to nothing. They couldn’t come back. The game was out of hand. And you saw it was garbage time when they were scoring to make it 22.

I don’t see why they should lose this game. Now I don’t think they will win 48-22. And they may not be up 21-0 in the 2nd quarter like they were in December. But I have to tell you, I don’t see it. Daniel Jones is still the same QB. Just because he played well again that Vikings, doesn’t mean he has transformed into Eli Manning.”

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Growing More Confident in an Eagles Win appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

As I type this, it’s Thursday morning just before 6am. No, I haven’t had my coffee. But that doesn’t matter; I’m still absolutely fired up. Why? Because there is absolutely no way that the Giants hang with the Eagles on Sunday. I know it’s the playoffs, and I know it’s a divisional opponent, and I know they just took down the 13 win Vikings last weekend on the road. None of that matters when they walk into Lincoln Financial Field Saturday to play the top seeded birds. When you look at the two rosters, you’d be hard pressed to find a single spot where the Giants are clearly better than the Eagles. Philly is better in just about every facet of the game, and that puts them in prime position to move on to the NFC Championship Game. Don’t worry, though. This isn’t just a gut feel thing. The numbers tell you the same thing as the eye test.

Let’s start with the seeding. In the history of 1 seeded NFL teams playing 6 seeds, David has only knocked off Goliath a total of 6 times since the playoffs expanded back in 1990. It’s an absolute rarity, one that you rightfully shouldn’t be expecting on Sunday. In fact, 1 seeds more often lose in the Super Bowl (29.0% of the time) than lose in the Divisional round (25.8% of the time). The birds are almost 2 times more likely to make it to the Super Bowl than they are to lose in the Divisional Round, regardless of opponent. Historically, 1 seeds are juggernauts when it comes to their first playoff games, and that should inspire even more confidence when it comes to Saturday night’s matchup with New York.

Ok, so the numbers look good overall, but any given Sunday, right? Maybe this Giants team is not your typical 6 seed? Not so fast there my friend. The numbers on this year’s Giants team’s performance should push you even further towards confidence for Jalen Hurts and company. First of all, the Eagles have already downed the Giants twice this year, and statistically, that makes them more likely to win against New York again (despite the common saying that it’s tough to beat a team 3 times in a year, which is a misnomer). But even outside of the head to head matchups between these two sides, the numbers look favorable for Philly. The Giants have the 15th ranked pass defense in football, and the 27th ranked rushing defense. They are mediocre at best on the defensive side of the ball, and the offense isn’t much better. New York is the 27th ranked passing offense in the NFL this season, and but the 4th best rushing offense. Ok, so they can run the ball. They’re bad at just about everything else, making them 1 dimensional. 1 dimensional teams do not have extended playoff success in the modern NFL.

Maybe the most comforting stat of all, though, is the Giants’ point differential this season. They are at a cool -6 point differential, which normally indicates just about a .500 team. Oh wait, that’s right! At 9-7, that is what the New York Giants are. They are mediocre, and they are playing well, but the Cinderella story does not hold up when that glass slipper gets smashed by a better team. The Philadelphia Eagles are the better team. There’s no reason to be afraid of the New York Giants whatsoever. The birds are winning this game, and the numbers should give you all the confidence you need.

The post The Giants Have No Business Staying With The Eagles On Saturday appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

At work? At home? On the go? Not too worry! You can watch the John Kincade Show LIVE on YouTube

The post Watch The John Kincade Show LIVE on YouTube 1/19/2023 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We are finally going to get an Eagles playoff game. They are all set to square off with the New York Giants on Saturday Night in their first playoff game after securing the bye week. And to preview this playoff matchup, Tim McManus joined The Best Show Ever. What are his thoughts on the game? How healthy will some of the banged-up Eagles be? Tim discussed that and more. Here is what he had to say.

Updates of the Various Injured Eagles

“We know about the scary scene with Josh Sweat a few weeks ago. He is now a full participant, and in line to play again the Giants on Saturday. With a lot of the pieces (returning), it is almost a fully healthy squad. Avonte Maddox does not look like he is going to play in this game. But most of the other guys are. You are right to point to the big two. Jalen Hurts and Lane Johnson. Lane Johnson did go through today’s practice. He was listed as limited participant with that groin injury. But he was out there, and passed the biggest test of the week today. And Jalen Hurts was not listed on the injury report”

On His Thoughts on The Eagles Drawing The Giants as their Matchup

“They basically got the best draw possible. Outside of Tampa coming here. It was definitely the better of the scenarios. If Minnesota would have beaten New York, and Dallas came here, that is a worse matchup for me. It doesn’t mean I think that the Giants are a team you can just roll your helmets out and beat. They are playing a higher brand of Football over the last quarter of the season… But considering you could have gone Cowboys then San Fran, they got a pretty good break.”

On How Gannon Will Approach Defending the Giants

“There is a lot of agita in the Philadelphia area when it comes to Gannon. Most of it is misplaced, and maybe a hangover from his first year. If you look across the board, the job he has done has been excellent for the most part. But there have been times when maybe he is not aggressive as he needs to be. Or he falls into old tendencies. And that can get the Eagles in trouble.

For this one, the focus is going to be making sure Daniel Jones stays in the pocket and has to beat you from there. I honestly don’t think he is going to overload the defensive players in this game… I think they are going to play to the strengths of this team, and not try to reinvent the wheel. We know that Gannon does like to play zone predominantly. That is to make sure the defensive backs have their eyes on the Qb so they can get some turnovers. And we know he doesn’t like to have the deep ball beat him. I don’t think those are things that will suddenly change in this playoff game.

This is also a team that led the league in sacks. Almost broke the NFL record. All while generating what was for most of the year the most turnovers in the league… Gannon has had a good beat on how to take care of opponents this year. 14 wins speaks to that. And I’m confident he is going to have a good gameplan for the Giants.”

And you can listen to the full conversation below…The post Tim McManus Previews Eagles Vs Giants Playoff Matchup appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Eagles legend and former NFL Head Coach Herm Edwards joined The Anthony Gargano Show earlier today to discuss the Eagles-Giants game. What does he think of Jalen Hurts? How does he think Saturday’s game will go? What are his thoughts on the other games in the Divisional round? Herm Edwards discussed all that and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On The Emergence of Jalen Hurts

“He had a special season. If he doesn’t get hurt, he is in the running to be MVP. The running skills, we knew that was there. But passing the ball. Not just down the field, but his accuracy, and having command of the football. It helps to have Brown. They have a nice receiving core. But I just think it is a well-scripted offense for his skillset… He is a nightmare for defenses. Because he is the dual QB. College Football all of a sudden is in the NFL.”

On How the Giants’ Offense Will Attack the Eagles

“You shouldn’t be able to (run against the Eagles). I think what they will do is try to exploit the inside of their defense, as far as throwing the football. They are going to attack the safeties. The corners are legit, the corners can play well. But it’s the safeties. They will try to get them on some matchups they think they can take advantage of. And every defense has what they have. When you look at Philly, that is where they can be a little vulnerable.”

On How He Think The Game Will Go

“The Eagles have the better team, they have beaten this team twice. They just can’t go to sleep and think it’s going to be a layup. Because it is not. It is a divisional game and division games are always funny. You are not going to win the game in the first quarter. It might get into the 4th quarter before you put them away. But you have to keep running your offense. Dont give them extra possessions… They are going to try to run the ball and slow the game down… They want to get into 3rd and 3s. So they can manage the game. They want this to be a slow slugfest. Because if Philly gets out to a lead, it is over.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Herm Edwards here…The post Herm Edwards Joins Anthony to Discuss Eagles-Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciunas Found in the Audio Vault today. They continued going through past Eagles playoff games, today running through the games in the 2003-2004 season.

The Eagles Beat the Packers in the 2003-2004 Divisional RoundThe Eagles started their 2003-2004 playoff run in a historic fashion. With a comeback win over the Packers. It is a game probably now best known for 4th and 26 which they played in the Vault last week on its anniversary. They were down 14-0 at one point. And later they were down 17-14 with one drive to come back. But they converted a 4th and 26, kicked the game-tying field goal, and later a game-winning one in OT. And from this game, Andrew pulled the Joe Buck preview of the game before it started, and then the Brian Dawkins pick in OT that set up the game-winning field goal.

Eagles Fall to Panthers in 200-3-2004 NFC Championship GameIt was the Eagles’ third time in the NFC Championship. And as we all know, it did not go much better than their first or second tries vs the Rams. If the Rams and Bucs one hurt, this one killed us. At least the last time they were playing a good Rams team with a hall of fame Qb in Kurt Warner. With the Bucs, they lost to a historic defense. This time they lost to Jake Delhomme. And it was an ugly game. They lost 14-3, with Mcnabb throwing 3 picks. Delhomme threw for just 101 yards, and nearly a quarter of them came on one TD pass to Muhsin Muhammad. Andrew grabbed that TD, and the introduction to the game, out of the Audio Vault for us today.

Other Stuff in the VaultAndrew also got a few things that happened on this day in history for the Vault too. Including the NHL All-Star Game taking place at the Spectrum in 1992, and Titanic winning Best Picture at the Golden Globes. So Andrew got the very cool Philly themed into to that All-Star Game, and then a scene from Titanic where Rose lets Jack die for no reason even though there was plenty of room on the floating debris for both of them.

Listen to the full Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- The 2003-2004 Eagles Playoff Run appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony was feeling Optimistic In His Opening Diatribe this morning…(Cue Both the Eagles And Sixers Songs at The Same Time)I gotta tell you. I am double excited today. Eagles and Sixers. They are finally doing exactly what I wanted them to do. How good is it bringing Maxey off the bench? For two years I have been asking for it. I even brought it up to Doc. Yo Doc, what do you think about bringing Maxey off the bench? They look so good. They are playing well. Come on man, this is it. This is the year they make the run. we get a double-double. I feel great today. This may be the most optimistic I have felt about the state of Philadelphia sports, 4 for 4, in a long time.

Listen, we have had the Eagles run and knew this was something. But now we actually know the opponent. And we feel better about the state of Jalen yesterday. Sirrianni talked about it, he said he is going full practice. That made you feel good. The Phillies with all the signings they made. This has been great off-season for the Phillies. And then the Sixers are back! LFG! The Sixers are Back. 4 for 4 heaven baby. We have a game Saturday night against the Giants. It is going to be incredible. They aren’t losing. I don’t even have any sort of fear…

(Cue the We Ain’t Losing Sound Drop repeatedly)I did the Keyshawn and Max morning show this morning on ESPN. I have been going at it with Keyshawn for years. “Aw, aren’t you worried?” I don’t have any worries. You guys have been counting this team out for years. You have no respect. This team is good. 14-3. Despite the coach ordering Pizza Hut.

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Most Optimistic I Have Felt In A Long Time appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesdays at 8:10) and discussed the Eagles and Giants Saturday night showdown. This will be the third time this season that the two teams have played each other, but the first playoff game between the two since 2009. While the Eagles havent looked right the past few weeks of the season, the Giants are coming off a really nice win against the Vikings in Wild Card Weekend.

So what Eagles team are we getting? The team that was 13-1 at one point, or the team that struggled in the last month of the season? Adam Schefter weighed in;

“Momentum is a real thing in football; when you’re rolling you’re rolling, just like the middle of the year the Eagles were rolling… Are they going to be able to just recapture that magic right away on Saturday, or is it going to take a little bit of time? And we’re not going to know until we see it, and they’re not going to know.”

The fact is though, the NFC picture has THREE teams left from the NFC East. Impressive indeed and its something Schefter and the rest of the league have noticed.

“It’s pretty simple: there are 3 really good teams [in the NFC], and the Giants are an upstart team. I think they’re dangerous on Saturday, I do. Are they as good as the Eagles? No they’re not. Does that mean that the Eagles are going to win the game? No.”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK THE VIDEO BELOW

The post VIDEO: Adam Schefter Weighs In On What Eagles Team We Can Expect Saturday appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Eagles vs Giants Build-up

The most interesting part of the early week coverage of the Eagles Divisional Playoff Weekend is that Jalen Hurts has now been completely removed from the Injury Report. I find the decision to do so fascinating and I will also acknowledge that I thoroughly expected more gamesmanship from the Eagles coaching staff. The chess game of whether a player is truly ready to go has been a part of the post season drama cross all professional sports. Nick Sirianni obviously believes that is no longer necessary. Is it a message from Jalen Hurts that he prefers that he take the reins off and let him run the offense just as he did pre-injury? I’m not sure what the agenda behind it was and it is possible that they believe that the shoulder injury has completely healed. It’s great news for Eagles fans as they approach this big game. Yesterday I was advocating that in the first offensive series the Eagles needed to call at least one design run yo show the Giants that Hurts means business and is back. It appears Hurts and the Eagles coaching staff didn’t want to wait until Saturday night. It’s impressive and bold. That is exactly what Hurts has been during his Eagles career and what the Eagles need their game plan to be on Saturday.

The Giants are NOT a hot team on a roll

One of the false narratives being trotted out this week other than the “it’s hard to beat a team 3x in a season” is that the Giants are a team that is on a roll coming into this playoff game. The Giants started out 6-1 and since then stumbled to a 3-6-1 finish. They weren’t a hot team, they in fact blew a tire and were riding on their rims across the finish line. They looked great on Sunday beating a Vikings team that has fallen apart after starting the season on a rampage. They were blown out by the Cowboys, Lions and Packers down the stretch. They were the only 13 win team to ever have a negative point differential. There is little comparison between the Eagles and the Vikings.

The Cowboys got a gift and took advantage of it

By the NFL awarding all division winners a home game and one of the top 4 seeds, the 12 win Cowboys dropped all the way to the 5th seed and had to travel to Tampa Bay to play the 4th seeded Tampa Bay Bucs. They were the champions of the NFC South but only had an (8-9) record. Let’s make that (8-10) after the listless performance they put out on the field on Monday night.

The Cowboys faced the weakest opponent in the playoff field based on record. It has created yet another buzz that the Cowboys are “back”. I’ll feel confident in this. Dallas rarely puts together a string of fantastic outings. They did look impressive in victory, but the 49ers will be the real test. It gives them a chance to gain revenge for last years home wildcard loss. If they win this game, that will be one dangerous opponent rolling into South Philly should the Eagles defeat the Giants.

The post Random Thoughts during Divisional Playoff Weekend appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what was Brewing with Jen Scordo today! Every day on The Best Show Ever, Jen shares 3 recent weird and interesting news stories. Today that included one about a new way to divert lightning. A 4-year-old who swallowed something he shouldn’t. And a 10-year-old who impressed the internet with his interview skills. Here are here stories from today.

Using Lasers To Divert LightningScience is cool. Lightning strikes can do severe damage. While it is rare, people so get struck by lightning, and occasionally they die. But a more common issue, that can impact millions of lives, is when lightning strikes power stations. A lightning strike in the wrong place can cause widespread power outages. But now we have a way to avoid that. By shooting lasers into the sky to divert the lightning strikes. The lasers apparently charge the air, making it more conductive to electricity. And since lightning will follow the path of least resistance, the lightning will follow the path of the laser, diverting it from hitting the power station.

Car-sized LASER could divert lightning away from airportsScientists tested a powerful car-size laser during a thunderstorm in Switzerland The powerful laser was aimed at the sky, creating a virtual lightning rod It could divert lightning away from power stations airports and launchpads Blasting the sky with a giant laser could divert lightning away from airports and nuclear power stations.

4-Year-Old Discovered to Have Magnetic Bracelet in IntestinesA 4-year-old was recently admitted to the hospital after he was experiencing pain and vomiting. Doctors first diagnosed him with appendicitis and performed surgery to remove his appendix. But that did not make the pain or the illness go away. That is when they performed an ultrasound and discovered the real culprit. There was a magnetic bracelet lodged in the boy’s intestines. Doctors performed emergency surgery on his intestines to remove the bracelet and repair the holes they dug in it. He thankfully recovered soon after.

4-year-old in severe pain discovers magnetic bracelet in stomachIt was a real stick-to-your-ribs meal. Doctors were flabbergasted after discovering that a four-year-old’s “colicky” pain turned out to be caused by a magnetic bracelet that he’d swallowed. “We present a case of a 4-year-old boy who ingested multiple magnetic beads,” reads the alarming case study, which is slated to be published in February 2023 in the “Journal Of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports.”

10-Year-Old Impresses The Internet With His Interview with Davante AdamsThis kid may have a future in the industry. Jeremiah Fennell took the internet by storm when he interviewed Raiders WR Davante Adams after their final game.

“When you’re very passionate with your job, you really take it seriously. So I’m always preparing for my interviews, and I’ve always tried to practice it, get it right the first time,”- Fennell said about his interview.

You can watch his interview with Adams below.

Our newest (and cutest) reporter on the job with @tae15adams 🫡

: IG/jeremiahoneandfive pic.twitter.com/vZEYavX5cQ

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 11, 2023

You can listen to the full segment below…The post What’s Brewing With Jen- Diverting Lightning With Lasers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are getting set to face the Giants in the playoffs. How can we expect the match-up to go? Is there any reason to be nervous? To get some insight, The Best Show Ever talked to Jimmy Kempski from The Philly Voice. What are the keys to the Eagles winning? How do Jalen Hurts and Lane Johnson feel going into the week of practice? Jimmy Kempski discussed that and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On the Matchup vs the Giants

“What team out there would you rather play than a Giants team that they have won 24 of the last 30 matchups against? They have a 9-game home winning streak against this team. They blew them out earlier in the year 48-22… I mean, if their path to the Super Bowl is Daniel Jones, and then next week presumably Brock Purdy, sign up for that all day. This Giants team has some talented players. But if you could handpick an ideal matchup for the second round I don’t know if you could be happier with the matchup that they have. Could they lose? Absolutely. But to be nervous about this team in particular? There is no question in my mind the Giants are the worst team left in the playoffs, and the Eagles get to play them.”

On the Health of Jalen Hurts

“He is not going to be 100% for the game. To be determined how close he can get. In the last game, we saw a player who was not very close to being 100%. His throwing was s a little off. They were very conservative in terms of putting him in harm’s way. If he could be anywhere near the player he was for the Eagles in the first 3 months of the year, they should have no problem with the Giants… If he can’t take a hit, without that shoulder being affected… then that is troublesome. We will see. I’m not a doctor. Only he can really know how he feels. He is going to say he feels fine. But we won’t know that until Saturday.”

On the Status Of Lane Johnson

“His life is going to suck through this injury. I have never had a sports hernia before. But my understanding is they are really difficult to play with. Very painful. He will be able to play, it is just pain management… We have seen in the past players play with it. Desean Jackson opted not to have surgery and play with it and then was very quickly out. We will see how that goes. He was encouraged by the way he responded when he first practiced with it. That is an encouraging sign. He is a very honest person. So when he says he is encouraged, you can take his word for it.

But we won’t know until he is on the field and is blocking NFL edge rushers. This is an opponent in the Giants where they don’t have great rushers… It is the next round where they will need Lane Johnson to be at the top of his game. Whether they face the Cowboys and Parsons, or the 49ers and Bosa. He is going to get a premier edge rusher in the NFC Championship should they get that far. His ability to play at a high level is a little bit less concerning in this matchup than it will be a week from now.”

Listen to the full conversation with Jimmy Kempski below…The post Jimmy Kempski Previews Eagles vs Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles will face off with the Giants this Saturday. And to preview that playoff matchup, Jeff McLane from the Philly Inquirer joined The Anthony Gargano show. Jeff and Anthony discussed the ideal game plan for the Eagles to beat the Giants.

On the Eagles’ Defense vs the Giants’ Offense

“The Eagles’ defense, and that defensive front, have shown they can get home. And they can get home against this Giants offensive line. Which is fine, better than it normally has been. It is still not a strength. That is where I think the scales will tip in favor of the Eagles. Does Jonathan (Gannon) need to switch things up? We will see. In that first game, they were able to take the run game away. But Saquon was a game-time decision that game. He did play, but he clearly was not the guy we are used to seeing… Now he looks like the Saqoun of old.

And with Saquon not being much of a threat they couldn’t get that zone read going with Daniel Jones. That was effective vs the Vikings. So the Eagles are going to have to be prepared for that. They see it every week with Jalen Hurts. So they know how to stop that…

His Thoughts of The Matchup Overall

“Ultimately the two matchups where the Eagles have the decided advantage are the Eagles’ D Line vs the Giants’ O Line and the Eagles’ skill players vs the Defensive Backs of the Giants. Andrew Thomas is good at the LT spot, but the other guys are either average or below average. And the Eagles have such great depth there. They are going to have Josh Sweat back. They can just throw competent pass rushers in waves at you. And your best pass rusher Hasson Reddick can beat Andrew Thomas… I’m predicting the Eagles win. I don’t know if I will pick that they cover.”

You can listen to his full conversation with Jeff McLaneThe post Jeff McLane Previews the Eagles Matchup with the Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciuans found in the Audio Vault today. Including some moments from the Eagles run to the 2001- 2002 NFC Championship game, Muhamad Ali’s Birthday, and more. Here is the lineup from the Audio Vault today.

The Eagles beat the Bears in 2002In the 2001-2002 season, the Eagles ran into the Bears in the playoffs. They were looking to make their first NFC Championship game under Andy Reid. They would go on to win the game 33-19 thanks in part to 2 passing touchdowns, plus a rushing TD by Donovan McNabb. And Andrew pulled multiple highlights from that game, and the intro to the game with Dick Stockton out of the Vault today.

Eagles Fall to the Rams In Their First NFC Championship Game Under Andy ReidAs we all know, the Eagles made 4 straight NFC Championship games under Andy Reid. And that started in 2002 vs the Rams. The Eagles could not get it done though. they fell to the Rams 29-24. McNabb was held under 200 passing yards. At one point they took the lead on a Todd Pinkston TD at the end of the first half. But the Rams took over in the second half. McNabb did put them in striking distance with a rushing TD to make it a 5-point game with a little over 2 minutes to go. But they could not pull it out. The Rams went on to win. From this game, Andrew pulled the Pat Summerall and John Madden narrated intro to the game, and the Todd Pinkston TD for the Audio Vault today.

Happy Birthday Muhamad AliToday would have been Muhamad Ali’s birthday if he was still with us. The Greatest truly lived up to his nickname, and many would still say he was the greatest boxer ever. And to celebrate Ali’s memory, Andrew pulled the Audio of Ali knocking out George Forman for The Audio Vault today.

Happy Birthday Jermey RoenickAnd today is also the birthday of Flyers legend Jeremy Roenick. And what better Roenick moment to pull for the Audio Vault, than his goal in 2004 that sent the Flyers to the eastern Conference Finals.

You can listen to the Full Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- Eagles 2001-2002 Run to the NFC Championship appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Here is Anthony’s Opening Diatribe, where he discussed how he would go about beating the Giants…

“I think the Eagles will win on Saturday Night. It will be a bit of a sweat, but I think they win. The Giants will try to shorten the game. I look at Brian Daboll. He is a smart football mind. What he is going to try and do is not get big chunk plays. He’s looking to possess the football. He is not stupid, he knows the Eagles’ offense, he saw it up close when the Eagles put up 48 on him. And he knows the best way to be in the game, is to keep the Eagles’ offense off the field. So I am fully expecting him to try and shorten the game. He will run it and go with a lot of short throws. He is going to want high-percentage throws.

The onus is on Jonathan Gannon. How do you stop the Giants? You start with crowding the line of scrimmage. Put the game on Daniel Jones’ shoulder. That means you play press man… I want to play man all day. No free releases, and no cheap yards. Daboll is going to want to get cheap yards. That is what they did against Minnesota. Now Minnesota’s defense is tragically bad. So they had their way. They held the ball for 8 extra minutes. That is a big deal. Every second they had the ball, Jefferson didn’t.

If you are playing off, the Qb is going to see that, and they will get quick hitters. That is why you can’t play off the ball. Put the game on Jones’ arms. Make them beat you down the field. You have two great corners. It is going to be 33 degrees Saturday night. You want to make sure you put the game on his arm. So to win the game he will have to throw the ball down the field. I will take my chances with that every day of the week.

Especially early, you have to be aggressive defensively. You jump out early, they can’t come back. This Giants team is not a team that is built for a comeback… They don’t have the big strike capability. They have to plod down the field. And that is all they did against Minnesota, against a really bad defense. The Eagles defense is good. Their personnel is excellent. Light years better than Minnesota. So it is a Gannon game for me.”

And you can listen to Anthony’s full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- How You Beat The Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL Wild Card weekend is officially over, and the Philadelphia Eagles have their Divisional Round opponent locked in for Saturday night. For the 3rd time this season, it will be a matchup with the New York Giants, who took down the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday on the road, and will attempt to replicate that feat at Lincoln Financial Field less than a week later. We already know they have their work cut out for them, and that’s good news for the Eagles, who are heavily favored to knock off NY and move on to the NFC Championship game. This isn’t about one playoff game, though. The goal is always a championship, and we know very well in this city how much of a toll coming up just short can take on a fan base. If you’ve ever talked to any sports fan over the age of 45, you have undoubtedly heard the expression “defense wins championships”. Well, I’m here to tell you that that expression is no longer true, and it’s a very good thing for the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the modern NFL, quarterbacks win championships. It’s just the nature of the game, and it’s why it is the most premium position in sports. Now, your initial refute if you’re one of the defense believers may be to tell me to look at the first round of this year’s playoff games. Prescott beat Brady. Lawrence beat Herbert. Purdy beat Smith. You could argue that in half of the wild card games, the lesser QB won. Now, go back and read the first sentence of this paragraph again. Quarterbacks win CHAMPIONSHIPS. There are times when lesser QBs win playoff games, maybe even a couple playoff games, but when you look at the Super Bowl winners of the past 10 years, they are made up of the elite QBs of this era. Just take a peek at the list:

2022 – Matthew Stafford

2021 – Tom Brady

2020 – Patrick Mahomes

2019 – Tom Brady

2018 – Nick Foles

2017 – Tom Brady

2016 – Peyton Manning

2015 – Tom Brady

2014 – Russell Wilson

2013 – Joe Flacco

There are 2 anomalies on that list, in Nick Foles and Joe Flacco. The others are all either lock hall of famers, or players who have an argument that they should be in the conversation for Canton. Stafford and Wilson are the 2 on the outside looking in of enshrinement, but they have both been top tier starting QBs at points in their career, specifically in years where their teams took home a Lombardi. Now, let’s take a look at the defensive rankings of those champions, using yards per game and points per game allowed during their Super Bowl season:

2022 Rams – 17th in YPG, 15th in PPG

2021 Buccaneers – 6th in YPG, 8th in PPG

2020 Chiefs – 17th in YPG, 7th in PPG

2019 Patriots – 21st in YPG, 7th in PPG

2018 Eagles – 4th in YPG, 4th in PPG

2017 Patriots – 12th in YPG, 1st in PPG

2016 Broncos – 1st in YPG, 4th in PPG

2015 Patriots – 13th in YPG, 8th in PPG

2014 Seahawks – 1st in YPG, 1st in PPG

2013 Ravens – 17th in YPG, 13th in PPG

The 3 biggest outliers? The Eagles in 2018, the Broncos in 2016, and the Seahawks in 2014. Well, those teams were QB’d by Nick Foles, a washed Peyton Manning, and a Russell Wilson that we’ve seen look completely lost in Denver this season. As with every rule, there are exceptions, but largely Super Bowl winning teams over the past decade have been average defensively, and elite at the QB position. Even for those top defensive teams, Nick Foles had to have one of the great Super Bowl offensive performances of all time, Peyton Manning was the ultimate game manager, and Russell Wilson had a 123.1 passer rating on the way to 43 points in the Super Bowl.

So, what does this mean for the 2022-23 Eagles? Well, it means they have a better shot than anyone in their conference, and as good as the top AFC teams. If you ranked out the remaining QBs in the NFC, Hurts would undoubtedly top Prescott, Jones, and Purdy. In the AFC, I would put him above Lawrence, and on the same tier, at least this season, as Allen, Mahomes, and Burrow. Hurts still has to prove he can do it on a playoff stage, but after the regular season that he put together this season, the Philadelphia Eagles are as well poised to win it all as anybody, and it’s not because of their defense. QBs win championships, and Philly very well might have the best one.

The post Quarterbacks Win Championships appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

The Eagles finally learned their first round opponent late on Sunday afternoon. The Giants going to Minnesota and winning sends them to Philadelphia on Saturday night for the Divisional Round Playoff. It will be the third matchup for the two teams this season. What that third matchup means should give Eagles fans more confidence. Unfortunately too many of our listeners and callers seem spooked by the proposition of facing the Giants. It annoys me to no end. Please, low me to explain.

Here are the facts for you. In the NFL Playoffs since the league expanded to 32 teams the home team wins 59% of the time. So let me help you feel better about it. When a team won both regular season games and hosts the playoff game they have won 68% of the time. You are much more likely to win a home playoff game AFTER beating a team twice in the regular season than if you hadn’t. So the ridiculous “it’s hard to beat a team 3 times in a season” caller needs to be stopped immediately.

The trepidation for many going into the game seems to focus on the health of Jalen Hurts and Lane Johnson. That is fully understandable and is at least based in logic. We learned that the Johnson injury was not as severe as initially reported so that is fantastic news. How he plays through pain and if that affects his performance is yet to be seen. Thankfully the Giants are not a team with a ferocious pass rush so Lane will have a week to get back in the swing of things before a potential NFC Title Game. The Hurts injury is what it is. He is going to have to play through pain and manage it. What he can’t do is be operating in a severely limited game plan or turning the ball over. The Eagles need to have a crisp, efficient and balanced game plan.

The Giants are a nice upstart story and a team that I have a lot of respect for. Brian Daboll looks like a home run hire and there are similarities between last years Eagles and his squad. His team won a playoff game and was the 6 seed so he actually had a superior rookie campaign to Nick Sirianni. Expect the Eagles rivalry with the Giants to heat up over the next few years. This game is being played this year and that should be great news for the Eagles.

The Eagles are touchdown plus favorites and playing at home after a bye week. Those are huge advantages. When Jalen Hurts started the Eagles were 14-1. The Eagles faced the Giants in December when both teams were still playing for something unlike the Week 18 meeting. That game was a complete domination. The Eagles wide receivers ran wild and Dallas Goedert didn’t even play. The Giants have trouble covering receivers, let along a huge tight end target.

in summary, it’s Tuesday but it should be considered a No Excuses Week. Don’t spin it any other way. The Eagles should be heavy favorites and they should win this game. Don’t spin this game any other way. If you don’t believe in the Eagles chances, you watched this season and were not convinced. I was. I refuse to buy into these boogie man scenarios. The better and far more talented team should win. If they don’t, it was a huge failure.

The post For Eagles it should be “No Excuses Week” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Giants are coming to town on Saturday night to face the Eagles. And as Philly fans, we have a natural instinct to worry. But I am here to ease your fears. Because while nothing is guaranteed, there is a good reason to be confident heading into this matchup. Several of them in fact. On paper, the Eagles are the far superior team. And here are 5 numbers that show it.

.933The end of the Eagles’ season was a bit sketchy. They lost two of their last 3. But it is important to remember just how dominant they are with Jalen Hurts under center. The Eagles went 14-3. But two of those losses came with Gardner Minshew at QB. Meaning when Jalen Hurts plays, they are 14-1. That is a .933 winning percentage.

When Hurts plays, this is easily one of the best teams in the league. They are 3rd in total yards, and 3rd in total points. Even with those two Minshew games. The playoffs are a different beast. But if you are worried about how they played at the end of the year, don’t be. That was two games without Hurts and 1 game where they didn’t let Hurts use his legs. But on Saturday night they will have Hurts, and he will be using his legs. The way they played in the first 14 games should be given far more weight than those final 3.

156.5Both of these teams are top 5 in rushing yards. The Eagles average 147.6 yards per game, and the Giants 148.2. The difference though lies within the two teams’ rush defenses. The Eagles give up 121.6 yards per game on the ground, 16th in the league. The Giants meanwhile give up 144.2 yards per game on the ground, 27th in the league. At one point the Eagles’ run defense was a major problem. But since they added Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Sug, and especially with Jordan Davis back on the field, they have been somewhat dominant. In those 8 games, they gave up just 118.1 rushing yards per game, and only 77 per game to running backs. The Eagles now sport a solid to great run defense.

The Giants meanwhile, have continued to struggle against the run. In the final 8 games of the season, they gave up an average of 156.5 yards per game on the ground. That includes 137.5 to running backs. And the last time these two teams faced off at full strength, the Eagles put up 253 rushing yards on them. Both of these teams will be looking to run the ball on Saturday night. But only one of them is prepared to defend that. And it is not the Giants.

.625There is a myth that it is hard to beat teams 3 times in one season. But like most myths, there is very little to no evidence to back it up. Since 1970, there have been 24 instances where a team that swept the regular season series faced off with that team in the playoffs. The team that went 0-2 won only 9 times. That is a 14-9 record (.625). And when the team that went 2-0 is playing at home, it is even better. Those teams are 14-5. Not only is it not that difficult to beat a team 3 times in one season, but the opposite is true. It is difficult for a team that went 0-2 in the regular season to get the win.

49The Giants have been far more impressive than anyone would have thought. But there is one thing they have been bad at for a decade and are still bad at. protecting their QB. The Giants gave up 49 sacks this season, 5th most in the NFL. The Eagles meanwhile lead the league in sacks with 69, which is top 5 all-time for a single-season sack total. The last time the Eagles faced Daniel Jones they sacked him 7 times. The Eagles should be able to get after him all game. They do have to be careful because as we saw vs the Vikings, Jones can run a bit. But the matchup of the Eagles’ D-Line vs the Giants’ O-Line is an obvious advantage to the Eagles. Andrew Thomas is great for them, but he can only block 1 man. And there will be 3 other pass rushers with double-digit sacks that the Giants have to contend with.

+139The Eagles in the regular season had a point differential of +133. The Giants were -6. A total differential of +139. The Eagles are a much better team. The Giants have been a scrappy impressive team. They held their own this year despite how poorly managed the former regime was. Brian Daboll should probably be the coach of the year for what he did with this roster. Their future looks bright. But talent-wise, they do not stack up.

Could they upset the Eagles? Sure. Anything could happen. But the Eagles are 7-point favorites for a reason. They are better at nearly every aspect of the game. Their Qb is better, their WRs are better. their TE is better, their O-Line is much better, and their defense is better. They scored 112 more points than the Giants and gave up 27 fewer points. The Eagles’ biggest obstacle in this game is themselves. If they don’t make dumb mistakes and shoot themselves in the foot, they should win this game.

The post 5 Numbers To Make You Feel Confident About the Eagles vs the Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Andrew Salciuans found in The Audio Vault today. Including a couple of notable games from Eagles playoff history, and a clip the honor the anniversary of Jaws (The Novel) being published. Here is the lineup from today’s Vault.

The Eagles Beat The Bucs in 2000In 2000, the Eagles broke through to make the playoffs for the first time under Andy Reid. And they got off to a good start, beating the Tampa Bay Bucs in the Wild Card round. It was a cold blistery day at Veteran’s Stadium, and Tampa clearly did not cope with the chill. The Eagles won 21-3, on the back of two passing touchdowns, and a rushing Td by Donovan McNabb. Tampa hit an FG on their opening drive, but then did nothing else the rest of the game. And Andrew got the open by Pat Summerall and John Madden, plus the Mcnabb rushing TD, out of the Audio Vault today.

Giants Beat The Eagles The Next WeekUnfortunately, their first playoff run did not last much longer. They squared off with their rival Giants the next week. The Giants were the NFC East winners that year and played like it. They beat the Eagles 20-10 and would go on to beat the Vikings the following week to make it to the Super Bowl. Thought the Ravens would crush them in the Super Bowl. From this game, Andrew got a very cool produced open for the game, and also a McNabb interception.

Jaws is PublishedOn this day in 1974, Jaws (The Book) was published. it would go on to inspire one of the All-Time classic films, directed by Stephen Speilberg. And in honor of the book being published on this day, Andrew pulled one of the most famous scenes from the film, Quint’s speech.

You can listen to the full Audio Vault Below…The post The Audio Vault- Jaws is Published appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Anthony Gargano’s Initial Thoughts on the Matchup with the Giants Are from his Opening Diatribe this morning…

“Giants week! We got an opponent. Full disclosure, I wanted the Cowboys. But the Giants are the next best thing.

Minnesota is a paper tiger, we knew they were a paper tiger. I did think Minnesota would win the game because I thought they would have enough offensively to get things done. Now I did not expect the Giants to put up that many points. The Vikings’ defense blows, but that was a great game plan they had yesterday.

My first blush is that this is a Gannon game. Because the Eagles should match up. Obviously what Daboll is going to want to do is control the ball and control the clock. The Birds are light years better than Minnesota defensively. It is one thing to have your way with the Vikings. They had their way in the secondary, they had receivers running wide-open. That won’t happen against the Birds.

They are not going to have success throwing the ball down the field as they did against Minnesota. The Eagles are too good. Their pass rush is much better, and their secondary is miles better. It is going to come down to the run game. You got the big hogs that you went out and got, Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh. That 5 man front will work. You have to get off the field. Against the Giants, I can’t have easy throws for 5 yards. I can’t have them move the sticks to start the game. I need them up on the line of scrimmage. You have to make it difficult for Jones. Daboll is going to want to run it, and have quick throws. If you are playing off the line of scrimmage, he will take that, I know I would.

The way to stay in the game with the Eagles is to limit their drives. And the way to limit their drives is to possess the ball. Which means taking whatever they can. I expect the Eagles to win, but the game could get scary. Not scary like you are going to lose, but scary as in it can get tight.”

The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Anthony’s Thoughts on The Giants Matchup appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

I wanted to offer a little assistance to the local fan base as this week many of us will have to navigate some Giants fans this week. This isn’t another one of those trite columns where one city makes fun of the other. I love New York City and visit often and I also truly respect the Giants franchise and their storied history in the modern era. The venom I feel at times towards Cowboys “Walmart Fans” who couldn’t find Dallas on a map doesn’t exist with the Giants. That doesn’t mean you don’t need to come equipped with some facts to quiet down the mouthiest of Giants fans. Please, allow me to assist.

3,632 days

That is the amount of days between the Giants Super Bowl win in early 2012 and yesterdays upset win over the Vikings. As you could go back and read I expected the Giants to dispatch of the Vikings so it wasn’t exactly an upset. In the same period of time that passed between the Giants playoff wins the Eagles have appeared in 8 playoff games, winning four of them.

12-28

That is the record between the 2 teams over the last 20 years, The Eagles have won 70% of the meetings. It hasn’t truly looked like a rivalry in a long time.

2-11

The last 13 meetings have even been more lopsided. The Eagles have won 85% of the more recent meetings.

Ask yourself what unit or position group of the Giants is better than the Eagles?

The answer is simple, nowhere. The Eagles are better on both lines of scrimmage. Few of the Giants players could crack the starting 22 of the Eagles.

This Year with both teams trying to win

The Giants circled the early December showdown vs the Eagles as a referendum on their legitimacy. I’ve seen better legitimacy claims on The Maury Povich Show. The Eagles dominated the Giants on their home field and terrorized Daniel Jones. Unlike the Vikings, the Eagles tossed the Giants offensive line aside like rag dolls. If they hadn’t called off the dogs they might have scored 60.

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO HEAR ALL WEEK…

Remember what we did those years with Eli Manning!

Sorry to break it to you, but even the dramatically mediocre Eli Manning who managed to win 2 Super Bowl titles was dominated by the Eagles. Daniel Jones has taken huge strides and is deserving of more respect. Yesterday was praise worthy but Saturday night might be cringe worthy.

Week 18 gave us a blue print!

Stop the nonsense. The Eagles obviously played a completely different game plan than the one them employee when trouncing the Giants earlier. Just refer back to the game both teams attacked with full vigor. It was over before it started.

We know how to win championships, it’s what we do!

Expect a heavy dose of this as Giants fans get out their DVD’s and try to convince themselves that this team resembles those teams. Don’t ruin it for them. Nod a lot and convince them that their past playoff wins matter. Humor them. Fact is, no one on this team has anything to do with accomplishments of the past.

Enjoy the fun of the build up and respect your opponent. Just understand that you have the advantage in the matchup. With that advantage comes great Eagles expectations! We will get to that tomorrow!

The post A Guide To Dealing With Giants Fans This Week appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The regular season is over. But The Best Show Ever is not done making picks yet. Hunter may have had the best regular season picking these games, but he will have to protect that record throughout the playoffs. From now on all 5 of them will be picking every NFL Playoff game. Starting with the Wild Card picks this week.

Hunter is by far the leader in the clubhouse coming into the playoffs. But Tyrone and Jen are not too far behind with both managing to be over .500. Dylan and Ricky meanwhile are just hoping to get back to .500 by the end of the playoffs. But with 13 more games to pick from now to the Super Bowl,

Here is where all of our records stand going into Wild Card Weekend…

Tyrone Johnson- (17-16)
Ricky Bottalico- (10-22)
Hunter Brody- (20-13)
Jen Scordo- (17-16)
Dylan MacKinnon- (13-19-1)

And here are our Wild Card picksTyrone’s Picks* Seattle Seahawks +9.5 vs the 49ers * LA Chargers -2 vs Jacksonville Jaguars * Buffalo Bills -13.5 over the Miami Dolphins * New York Giants +2.5 vs the Minnesota Vikings * Cincinnati Bengals -8.5 over the Baltimore Ravens * Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2.5 over the Dallas Cowboys

Hunter’s Picks* Buffalo Bills -13.5 over The Miami Dolphins * New York Giants +3 over the Minnesota Vikings * Jacksonville Jaguars +2 over the Los Angeles Chargers * Cincinnati Bengals -8.5 over the Baltimore Ravens * San Francisco 49ers -9 over the Seattle Seahawks * Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2.5 over the Dallas Cowboys

Ricky’s Picks* Seattle Seahawks +9.5 over the San Francisco 49ers * LA Chargers -2 vs Jacksonville Jaguars * Buffalo Bills -13.5 over the Miami Dolphins * New York Giants +2.5 vs the Minnesota Vikings * Baltimore Ravens +8.5 over the Bengals * Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2.5 over the Dallas Cowboys

Jen’s Picks* Buffalo Bills -13.5 over The Miami Dolphins * New York Giants +3 over the Minnesota Vikings * Jacksonville Jaguars +2 over the Los Angeles Chargers * Cincinnati Bengals -8.5 over the Baltimore Ravens * San Francisco 49ers -9 over the Seattle Seahawks * Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2.5 over the Dallas Cowboys

Dylan’s Picks* Buffalo Bills -13.5 over The Miami Dolphins * New York Giants +3 over the Minnesota Vikings * Jacksonville Jaguars +2 over the Los Angeles Chargers * Cincinnati Bengals -8.5 over the Baltimore Ravens * San Francisco 49ers -9 over the Seattle Seahawks * Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2.5 over the Dallas Cowboys

The post The Best Show Ever- Wild Card Weekend Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every year the Associated Press votes to decide which players make the All-Pro teams. Now as we head into the Wild Card weekend, the AP has released the First and Second Team All-Pro teams. And there are several Eagles across both teams. Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson both made the First-team. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, Haason Reddick, and James Bradberry all made the second team

The Associated Press 2022 NFL All-Pro Team First Team: pic.twitter.com/xJEVWCHTjJ

— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) January 13, 2023

It is Jason Kelce’s 5th time as the First Team All-Pro Center. Only 7 other Centers have been the first team All-Pro in at least 5 seasons, and they are all in the Hall of Fame so far. He has allowed just one sack in the last two seasons and hasn’t allowed a single one this season. This is Lane Johnson’s first time on the 1st team. It is his second time being named an All-Pro. Last year he made the second team. Like Kelce, he has yet to allow a single sack this season. He made the first team despite missing the last two games, which tells you just how good he was in the other 15 games. This is the first time either Hurts, Brown, Bradberry, or Reddick have made an All-Pro Team.

Reddick’s 16 sacks put him in a tie for 2nd for the league lead. Bradberry is 2nd in the NFL with a QB Rating against of 51.6. Brown broke the Eagles record for receiving yards and is the first Eagles WR to receive All-Pro honors since Terrell Owens. And Hurts was near the top of the league with 35 total TDs before getting hurt, and his 14 wins make him the 2nd youngest Qb to ever win 14 games.

Missing from the list, are Eagles CB Darius Slay, and DT Javon Hargrave. Slay started out the season exceptionally strong, but some inconsistent play down the stretch probably killed his hopes to make the team. Hargrave meanwhile is a victim of a very deep position. But he was 3rd among DTs with 11 sacks. You could easily make the argument he deserved a spot on the second or even the first team.

Obviously, the only thing that really matters is a Super Bowl. It is still nice to see the Eagles players honored though.

The post Several Eagles Named To The All-Pro Roster appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are on a bye week. Which is much needed as several key guys recover from injuries. And to get an update on those injuries, as well as other Eagles news, Anthony Gargano talked to Zach Berman from The Athletic. What is the latest on Lane Johnson? How has Jalen Hurts looked in practice? And what does he think of the Eagles’ chances sv the rest of the NFC?

Update on Injured Eagles

“Jalen threw a little more than yesterday. I can’t tell you how much, but it was more than yesterday. Nothing I would be worried about there. The best sign for Eagles fans today was that Lane Johnson was in uniform. He was doing the most work he has done since he suffered that injury on Christmas Eve. And then Aj Brown was back out there as well. He wasn’t in uniform yesterday. But he was out there todayThe two guys who weren’t practicing were Avonte Maddox and Robert Quinn.”

Health is the biggest thing that can derail this team. Lane Johnson in particular. He is so valuable. The type sof things you can do with this offense when he is on the field and you feel confident having him on an island on that right side is signifigant. The fact that he was practicing, and is on track to play next week should be the best news of the weekend for Eagles fans.”

Jalen throwing more than he did yesterday, was a good sign. He said yesterday, he came back so they could win that game, so he could get this week of rest. So much of this nis about him getting right for next week. Even if he will be playing through pain, I still think they will be using him the way we are used to seeing Jalen Hurtsd. So I wouldnt worry too much there.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Zach Berman Below…The post Zach Berman Shares Some Good Lane Johnson And Jalen Hurts News appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Former Player And Current NFL Analyst For CBS Charles Davis joined Anthony Gargano to preview Wild Card weekend, and share his thoughts on the Eagles. What does Charles Davis think of this Eagles offense? He discussed that and more. Here is some of what Charles had to say.

On His Thoughts About Jalen Hurts’ Health

“Jalen Hurts’ shoulder, the interesting part for me was hearing him talk about how happy he was to earn the extra week. Which made me wonder how much he made with pain last week. Did they rush back because it was so important to get the number 1 seed? During the game, you didn’t see him make a throw and then grimace or go down and clutch his shoulder. We knew the Eagles would be careful in terms of running him… The one thing Nick Sirianni and Shane Steichen have done well, is they use him on protected runs. Very rarely do you see Hurts out there on a naked bootleg. Where he is out there by himself. There is usually… someone who is in front of him and protects him… But let’s face it guys, you can protect your Qb all you want. At some point, if he is going to move around as he does, a big hit is almost inevitable.”

On How Great The Eagles Were in The Regular Season

“Can I put it as well as I can, using the words of someone I think everyone would respect? How about Don “Wink” Martindale? The defensive coordinator for the Giants. We know how great of a coordinator he has been. Do you know what he told me before the game with Philadelphia? He said, “Hey man, you know when they crank it on high, good luck with that.” And that is coming from Wink. Who lacks zero confidence. Wink thinks he can stop anybody, anyplace, at any time… That was respect for what you are dealing with. When they are going, and they decide they want to score some points, good luck with that. And he is right. I dont think I can put it any better than that.”

Listen to the full conversation with Charles Davis below…\The post Charles Davis Talks Eagles And Wild Card Weekend With Anthony appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony Gargano Discussed His Fear of San Francisco In His Opening Diatribe This Morning…

I was talking to my cousin last night. He had me fired up. I have to admit, this week I have been a little tepid. Like I do think they are going to win the opening game. But I am a tad fearful of San Francisco. I have been fearful of San Francisco all year, to be honest with you. There is something about the matchup I am not in love with. That doesn’t mean I don’t think they can beat with San Francisco. I just am a little fearful. Especially if Jalen’s should is not right.

So he and I were talking. He goes San Francisco is good, but stop. You are still looking at a kid who was Mr.Irrelavnt. Is Brock Purdy really going to beat you? It is one thing to play well in the regular season as a game manager. But you know better than anyone that come playoff time it is a different beast. He is telling me, I don’t get your fear. And it kind of gave me a different way of looking at it. I felt better talking to my cousin about it. All Week long I had this fear. But I woke up today and I felt pretty confident. I felt like it could be Buffalo- Eagles Superbowl. Which would be the perfect matchup.

Kansas City vs Eagles would be great too. But there was a headline on ESPN. The headline was “If You Love Buffalo, Buffalo Will Love You Back”. And that is Philadelphia. That is Philadelphia to a tee. If you love Philadelphia, Philadelphia will love you back. And I would love to see Eagles-Bills. That would be an awesome Super Bowl.

All I keep thinking about is the road to the Superbowl. I want Eagles-Cowboys. I want the Cowboys, I want to start the playoffs Eagles-Cowboys at the Linc. And then if it is San Fran so be it. Bleep Brock Purdy. That is my playoff wish.

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- I Have Been Fearful About San Francisco appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

The Super Wild Card Weekend features 6 games and with the Eagles holding the top seed in the NFC every one of these games is completely worth investing in to pre-scout the teams standing in the Eagles way. I do wish we would see people get a dose of common sense. No Eagles fan should be wishing for a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round. There are 2 other options that are easier that could end up in their path. The Seahawks and the Giants are both the best interest choices for Eagles fans to advance. Why choose the more difficult path when the Birds are a wounded animal? I’ll be on underdog alert all weekend and Eagles fans with common sense are free to join me!

Here is how I see the games this weekend playing out…we will save the Cowboys and Bucs for Monday!

Seahawks at 49ers

The 49ers have been the hottest team heading down the stretch in the NFC. It’s obvious that they are potentially the biggest hurdle for the Eagles to maneuver. How great would it be if the Seahawks did that for them? The 2 teams played a very tough game around a month ago but the 49ers win both games they played this season. A reminder, before you say it, it isn’t “hard” to beat a team 3x in a season. The team that wins the season series 2-0 is actually more likely to win the third matchup than lose it. I don’t see any help for Philly coming here.

49ers 27 Seahawks 13

Chargers at Jaguars

I’ll be rooting for Doug Pederson to defeat the Chargers because I will always root for him unless he plays the Eagles AND because I believe the Chargers are the more dangerous team to face the Eagles down the road. Jax is a live home dog and I’m betting them.

Jaguars 24 Chargers 20

Dolphins at Bills

This is the blood bath of the weekend. The Bills are going to maul the Dolphins. I have little interest in watching this one. This is when you schedule your weekend nap.

Bills 37 Dolphins 10

Giants at Vikings

This is the most interesting and exciting game for me this weekend. I’m calling for the second upset of the weekend here. The Giants played the Vikings to 24-24 with less than a minute to play on Christmas Eve. A long field goal sent them to defeat but they moved the ball for over 450 yards of offense. The Giants are scrappy and the Vikings have a negative point differential. I’ll take a flier on the Giants to keep their surprising season alive.

Giants 31 Vikings 28

Ravens at Bengals

The Ravens won’t have their QB and they won’t have a chance. The Bengals will do enough to get in and get out quickly against the limping Ravens.

Bengals 27 Ravens 13

If Seattle wins we all have Saturday night plans. The same plan goes into effect if the 49ers win and the Giants defeat the Vikings. If not, the Eagles will awake Monday knowing that the Cowboys game at Tampa will determine their Divisional Round opponent that they will meet on Sunday 1/22.

The post How I see Super Wildcard Weekend going appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With a five-game road trip on the horizon, tonight, the 76ers will take the floor one last time at home before spending nine days out west. The Sixers are 10-games over .500 at 25-15 after a commanding, 147-116, win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. This evening they host the 18-23 Oklahoma City Thunder. They look to add to their 17-6 home record. The Thunder 5-14 away from Oklahoma.

In the win over Detroit, Philadelphia shot 60 percent from the field while holding the Pistons to just 40 percent shooting on the evening. Six players posted in double-figures for the Sixers. Led by All-Star center Joel Embiid’s 36 points and 11 rebounds, done in just 24 minutes of work. The points and assists were both game-highs for the big fella.

James Harden finished with his second consecutive triple-double of 16 points, 12 boards, and 15 assists in 26 minutes. This was the 72nd triple-double of his career. The eighth most in NBA history. Tremendous work by setting the pace of the game, controlling the floor, and dictating how the game would eventually play out. Embiid and Harden really have a good thing going as they try to work the pick-and-roll/pick-and-pop to perfection. A developing aspect of the game to monitor. As a team, the Sixers dominated on the glass, 55-26 with 10 on the offensive end. Also, 36 assists on 54 made baskets.

On New Year’s Eve in Oklahoma City, the 76ers dominated the Thunder on their home floor, 115-96. Four players scored in double-digits on that Saturday for Philadelphia. Led by Harris’s 23 on 10 for 17 shooting in a starring role. He also grabbed nine rebounds and handed out four assists in 31 minutes. Milton returned to his hometown of Oklahoma to drop 18 with four boards and seven assists as a starter that night. De’Anthony Melton netted 16, picked up seven rebounds, and shared three dimes while sharing the backcourt with Milton. Embiid recorded a triple-double of his own in this contest with 16 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, and 10 assists as he found another way to dominate in this one. His fifth career triple-double. Josh Giddey paced the Thunder with 20 points and nine boards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 14.

The Thunder will be playing the second game of a four-game road trip, dropping the first one in a close contest, 112-111. OKC led with less than a minute and a half to play after an Aaron Wiggins basket with the score, 111-106. The Thunder missed two shots from the floor, two free throws and turned the ball over one time during that stretch as they suffered their 14th loss on the road. A tough defeat for sure. Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 for OKC to lead them in scoring, Giddey had a triple-double posting 18 points, 15 boards, and 10 assists. Three other players scored in double-figures in the lost.

The post Game Preview- Sixers vs Thunder appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Yesterday they could not take a dive into the Audio Vault, because it was All-Star Day. But yesterday marked the anniversary of a lot of big NFL and Eagles playoff moments. So even though it is a day late, Andrew grabbed those moments out of The Audio Vault yesterday and played them for us today. Here is the lineup of great Eagles and NFL moments that had their anniversary yesterday, including the famous 4th and 26 play.

Wilbert MontgomeryYesterday, in 1981, the Eagles beat the Cowboys in the NFC Championship game. And it all started with a 42-yard TD run by Wilbert Montgomery. The Eagles went on to win 20-7, to advance to the Superbowl. Of course, that ended in disappointment with a 27-10 loss to the Raiders. But the win over the Cowboys is obviously still a great memory, especially for Anthony who was in attendance.

4th and 26Yesterday also marked the anniversary of the 4th and 26 play. Donovan McNabb and The Eagles were backed up in a 4th and 26 situation after a penalty and a long sack. It was the 4th quarter, with under 2 to go, and they trailed by 3. Mcnabb dropped back and released a deep slant pass to Freddie Mitchell, who caught it with just enough yard to convert the 1st down. They went on to kick a game-tying field goal to force OT and then hit another FG in OT to win the game. Like with the Wilbert Montgomery play, this season for the eagles ended in disappointment with a loss to the Panthers in the NFC Championship. But every Eagles fan still knows what you mean when you say 4th and 26.

Other Great NFL Playoff Moments Taht Happened YesterdayThat was it for the great Eagles playoffs moments that had their anniversaries yesterday. But there were a couple of notable NFL moments too that had nothing to do with the Eagles. Including the Music City Miracle. And also Tebowmania where Tim Tebow and the Broncos beat the Steelers in the Playoffs on the first play of OT when he found Demaryius Thomas on a slant, who did the rest of the work dodging tackles to take it to the house.

Listen to the full Audio Vault below…The post The Audio Vault- 4th and 26 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have completed the best regular season in franchise history with a 14-3 record. Jalen Hurts was an incredible 14-1 as a starter. While Patrick Mahomes will likely win league MVP due to another 5,000-yard passing season, I still believe Hurts is the real MVP.

There were franchise records set all over the place. AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, the offense, the defensive line. It has never been as good going into the playoffs as it is right now. Most fans expected the Eagles to be good, and many thought they would win the division. Not many expected the Eagles to win an NFC East that boasts three playoff teams and is the best division football. Don’t feel bad though, many others were far more wrong than you or I.

I picked the Eagles to win the division, but with 10-11 wins. I thought Hurts would improve, but I didn’t think he would play with an MVP caliber. Johnathan Gannon has been much better than I expected as well. I do all of this to point at myself as we search for those who were far more wrong than I.

Yahoo! Sports predicted that the Eagles would finish 2nd in the NFC East to the Cowboys with a 9-8 record. That included losses to the Vikings, Cardinals, Texans, Colts, and Packers. Some of this is understandable, but three losses in four games to the Texans, Colts, and Packers? That was never going to happen and that isn’t hindsight.

You should be feeling better already and this is just an appetizer.

The Sporting News had the Eagles 2nd to the Cowboys at 10-7 with Dallas finishing 11-6. They got it right about Hurts having everything he needed to take a step. Where they were most wrong though, other than about the division was when they said this about the Eagles defense that led the NFL in sacks — with 15 more than any other team.

“The defensive potential is more solid than spectacular.”

Tell that to the best defensive line in 40 years and the best outside corner pairing in franchise history.

At Sports Illustrated, only one of their experts picked the Eagles to be a top two seed. That was the great former NFL executive and local product Andrew Brandt. That is balanced by the fact that Michael Rosenberg picked the Eagles to miss the playoffs altogether with both the Cowboys and Giants finishing ahead of them in the standings.

While he was correct that the Giants would be better than expected, he was either misinformed or a hater when it comes to the Eagles. Rosenberg also had Russell Wilson as his league MVP, but let’s stay focused.

The analytical community were also very wrong about the Eagles. In the preseason, FiveThirtyEight had the following NFC teams ranked above the Eagles. The Packers, Rams, 49ers, and Cowboys. So, in real life the Eagles finished 1st, but the computers had them as the 5th seed. Again, many of us got the win total wrong, but what is what the obsession with the Cowboys? Machines should not be as annoying as the local Cowboys fans. These computers didn’t even exist in 1995, why are they so excited about the VHS era?

As I combed through all the preseason projections, the person who was most wrong about the Eagles in the entire country was Chris Simms from NBC Sports. He had Hurts ranked 25th at his position in the NFL coming into the season. That was one year after not having him in his top 40. Some that were ranked ahead of Hurts included Zach Wilson at 22, Daniel Jones at 21, Jimmy Garoppolo at 20, Carson Wentz at 19, Mac Jones at 18, Baker Mayfield at 17, Matt Ryan at 14, Kyler Murray at 12, and Dak Prescott at 9.

I am being generous only pointing these terrible mistakes out. I feel guilty writing about him because he is far more troll than man but come on! Carson Wentz? Baker Mayfield? Zach Wilson? This wasn’t just very wrong, but it is downright disrespectful. Nobody in the Philadelphia area or the country was as wrong as the lesser Simms. When you add in the fact that he also said that the Eagles would be good with Gardner Minshew when hating on Hurts’ MVP candidacy, we have a new full-fledged villain.

The bandwagon should be open to everyone in the area so don’t worry if you were wrong about the Eagles this season. A lot of “experts” were far worse.

The post Tyrone Johnson: Who was the most wrong about the Eagles? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In his Opening Diatribe this morning, Anthony Gargano discussed the hold football has on him…

“We get ready to head into to the NFL Playoffs. The Super Wildcard weekend. And today is an ode to the NFL Playoffs. The NFL playoffs are fantastic. they really are. But I hate this time of the year. it is despicable. I hate everything about it. Because each week it whittles down the number of Football games that we see. This is a great weekend. But this is how sick and twisted I am. And I think I need help. Because I look at it and I go, it’s going to be great because we get two games on Saturday, three games on Sunday, and one game on Monday. But then boom. Then it is the divisional road, which will be good, but it’s only 4 games. Then it is the conference championship games. And then it is singular, the Super Bowl. I wanted to take part of the show and figure out what is the hold that football has on us. Why do I feel this way?

Listen I love sports. Obviously Basketball. We always talk basketball. Hockey, I love the Flyers they win again last night. That was a good win over Washington. And Washington makes a furious comeback, makes it 4-3, and they hold them off… Baseball we are nuts because we are back. The baseball renaissance is back here… And I have even been watching a ton of soccer… But I don’t know what it is. What is the hold that Football has on us? Another reason I am depressed is because college football is over. And this is the problem, with Football we have to wait so long before it comes back…”

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- The Hold Football Has On Us appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This is a repeat of a Week 16 thriller between the two teams in which the host Vikings won on a 61-yard, end-of-the-game field goal by Greg Joseph for a 27-24 win in a game that saw a little bit of everything, from good and bad. Pretty typical of a Vikings game throughout this season.

In that first meeting, both quarterbacks had very good games with the Giants’ Daniel Jones throwing for a season-high 334 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Kirk Cousins threw for 299 and three TD’s.

But injury could play a big part in how those two perform this weekend. Cornerback Adoree Jackson might be back for the Giants after spraining an MCL in week 11. His experience would no doubt be nice to have, but if the knee is fully healed, he could be a liability. Safety Xavier McKinney is back from a hand injury. That could bode well for the Giants who watched Justin Jefferson go for 12 catches for 133 yards and a TD and tight end T.J. Hockenson grab 13 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

But the offensive line for the Vikings is hurting as they will most likely be starting their third-string center, Chris Reed, as starter Garrett Bradbury is nursing a bad back. Also, right tackle Brian O’Neill is out after tearing his Achilles’ a couple of weeks ago. That should bode well for a Giants defensive line that features the disruptive play of both Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Lawrence.

Defensively, Giants DC Wink Martindale loves, loves, loves to blitz and he did so on 52 percent of the time when Cousins dropped back to pass in the first outing. They didn’t force a turnover, and the fact that the Vikings forced two and blocked a punt weighed heavily in them coming out with the win.

Jones has been hot of late, completing 71 percent of his passes the past two games and the Giants offense has to feel good against Minnesota as they went for 445 total yards in their first meeting. Expect a lot of action for running back Saquon Barkley, who should be pretty busy not only running the football against a Vikings defense that has allowed 139 rushing yards a game over the last six weeks, but also catching the ball out of the backfield (10 targets in the first game).

An intangible here as two first-year head coaches head into their initial playoff game: Giants coach Brian Daboll has been an assistant in 30 playoff games with the Patriots and Bills. In those games his teams have gone 23-7 and won 5 Super Bowls.

Another: The Vikings are 11-0 in one-score games this season, while the Giants are 8-3-1.

Many like the Giants in this one to pick up the upset. Totally could happen, but I think the big play players from the Vikings shine a little more.

I’ll go 38-28

The post Bob Cooney- Giants-Vikings Preview appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There was a lot of talk coming out of the Giants game about how much pain Jalen Hurts’ was in. And that sparked concerns that he may not be at 100% even a couple of weeks later when the Eagles play their first playoff game. So to get some insight on Jalen Hurts’ recovery, and the Eagles’ overall approach to these playoffs, The Best Show Ever talked to Tim McManus. Should we be concerned for Hurts? How much weight should we put on the Eagles’ end-of-regular-season struggles? And just how good was this team in the regular season? They discussed that and more. Here is some of what Tim McManus had to say.

On How Great This Team Was This Regular Season

“It is good to put the big picture point in perspective as the Eagles head into the playoffs as the number 1 seed. With the best record that they have ever had. Coming close to breaking the All-Time sacks record, and breaking their own. With AJ Brown and Devonta Smith doing things at WR that has never been done before. And an MVP candidate in Jalen Hurts. The Eagles are in as good of shape as they have ever been in terms of what they accomplished in the regular season.”

On The Recovery of Jalen Hurts’ Shoulder Sprain

“I think the Eagles believe structurally that the shoulder is fine, and he is not at risk of further injury. But that does not mean he isn’t playing through pain. When you hear the candid comments from Hurts saying how much it took for him to get ready for that game… It is not what Eagles fans want to hear. His understanding is he is going to be playing through pain the rest of the way. Given the comments, there is a possibility that the shoulder is not going to be all the way right…

So how much does that affect him?… Because I think they are going to go no holds barred in the playoffs. Hurts is going to have to absorb more contact against some nasty defenses… Before Hurts got injured it felt very realistic that they would plow through the NFC. And it is still possible. But there are just more questions because of the health status of the QB.”

And you can listen to the full conversation with Tim McManus below…The post Tim McManus Discusses Jalen Hurts’ Recovery appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

For the first time ever, the players are selecting their own All-Pro team. For years the AP was the lone selector of All-Pro. But now the Player’s Association is joining the fray. The players voted on their own All-Pro team. And they selected 3 Eagles to the inaugural Players All-Pro Team. Jason Kelce at center. Lane Johnson at Left Tackle. And finally, Darius Slay at Cornerback. There is no second-team All-Pro in the players association list.

Here is the inaugural Players’ All-Pro Team, via the NFL Players Association: pic.twitter.com/KyeqjecgEG

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2023

The way voting worked, is players could not vote for themselves or for teammates. Additionally, they only voted for the positions they play in, or the ones they line up against. So offensive linemen voted on other offensive linemen, as well as defensive linemen. Cornerbacks voted on fellow corners and wide receivers. Etc.

San Francisco led all team’s with 4 selections. Though that is a bit slanted because one of their 4 players selected was their Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, and most teams don’t even carry a fullback anymore. Their other 3 do seem fair though. Left Tackle Trent Williams, Edge Rusher Nick Bosa, and Off-Ball Lineback. Kansas City had 3 like the Eagles did. And no one can really argue with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce being named the first-team QB and Tight End. Their third player was Punter Tommy Townsend. And to be honest, I have not paid enough attention to the Chiefs’ Punter to weigh in on whether that is fair or not.

Jason Kelce has been named to 4 All-Pro teams. And given that he is the lone offensive lineman to play all 17 games and give up 0 sacks this season, a 5th may very well be in his future. He can now also add one Player’s Association to his ever-growing Hall of Fame resume. Lane Johnson has finally started to get the respect he deserves lately. Last year he was named an All-Pro finally. Like Jason Kelce, he has an ongoing streak of games without allowing a sack. Though he did miss the last 3 games which may hurt his case to make the AP All-Pro Team. And Darius Slay has been near the top of QB rating against all season.

Hasson Reddick missing out is a disappointment. But to be fair it is a very tough position to crack through, with there being several elite players and only two slots. Also weird to see Aaron Donald make it. There is no argument against him being an All-Time great, but he missed so many games this season. Jalen Hurts may have had a case, but missing two games probably ended his chances. Especially with Patrick Mahomes being equally great to him.

The Eagles got a ton of love in the All-Star voting, and now in the player’s All-Pro Team. If that trend continues, they should get love from the AP All-Pro team as well.

The post Three Eagles Named to Player Association’s All-Pro Team appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

NICK LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BACK

Nick Sirianni met with the media on Tuesday afternoon and inadvertently let us behind the curtain on the status going forward of Quarterback Jalen Hurts. He said that “we knew he couldn’t aggravate his injury any more by playing on Sunday” vs the Giants. I talked with an orthopedic surgeon yesterday afternoon and he read the tea leaves. What he told me was excellent news. In his opinion without knowing any inside information on the specific Hurts injury was that we should be very optimistic. He explained that IF the Eagles truly knew that Hurts couldn’t aggravate his injury any more by playing that it rules out that a hairline bone fracture or a tear of a muscle was keeping him out. Those two injuries could absolutely be re-aggravated. That leaves a severe bone bruise or similar injury as the most likely culprits that had Hurts miss the Dallas and Saints games.

My next question was what did that mean going forward and how much did having to play him on Sunday potentially complicate his status. I was assured that IF the facts are as presented yesterday the issue is just pain tolerance. We all know that Hurts is a tough guy and he was probably playing through considerable stiffness and soreness on Sunday. There is nothing that indicates playing Sunday will set him back and it might actually accelerate his getting back to normal. More rest, stimulus and heat therapy could be in order. Whether he meant to do it or not, Nick should have us all sleeping a little better tonight.

EAGLES COACHING STAFF IS ABOUT TO GET RAIDED

Yesterday on The Fanatic Anthony Gargano had an outstanding conversation with Jeff MacLane on the Eagles and the status of the 2 coordinators. Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen are both hot commodities with each having numerous NFL teams interested in hiring them. They are in the mix for various jobs and that could leave two major issues for the Eagles. One, having distracted coordinators heading into the playoff matchups. I understand both of these men are professionals and are expected to do their best. It is human nature that both would find themselves with split attentions, trying to put together a staff in case they are hired and concerns about relocation. All of these things clouding your mind while you are trying to win an NFC Title is troubling.

If either does get hired at seasons end it also then tests the ability of Nick Sirianni to recruit a top talent to replace them. Vic Fangio is out there and would be an excellent selection, but the problem is Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan will both be shopping for new defensive coordinators next season. Does Sirianni have the clout to out maneuver either of those established Super Bowl coaches to land his guy? I’m skeptical. My guess is he would probably want to stay in house on offense but that would leave him with a coordinator who has never called plays in the past.

With success comes issues and these are the NFL’s “rich person problems”.

The post Nick Sirianni tells us all we need to know about Jalen Hurts status appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Should we be concerned about Jalen Hurts’ shoulder? Is there any team of the 4 possible Eagles opponents in the next round we should fear most? What is the status of the other injured Eagles players? Jeff McLane from the Philly Inquirer joined Anthony Gargano to discuss that and more. Here is some of what Jeff McLane had to say.

On the health of Jalen Hurts’ shoulder

“I think there has to be some level of concern. Nick Sirianni came out and said he was hurting bad. And Jalen [pretty much confirmed all of that. Look he was good enough to play and finish the game. He was good enough to win the game. Was he the Jalen Hurts we knew prior to the shoulder sprain? No. But he now has a couple of weeks here. They got that first-round bye. Which is pivotal for him and for several players to rest weary bones. In the case of Lane Johnson give him a little bit more time from that groin injury. Avonte Maddox for his injury. But in terms of the QB, it is something that you still have to wonder how much is it going to affect him. And how much is it going to affect the Eagles and what they can do?”

On What Team, If Any, He Would Fear Most In the Next Round

“The Cowboys are a little bit schizophrenic, but they would probably be the team I fear the most out of the 4 possible teams they could face. And of course, they beat them. But that was without Jalen Hurts, and at home for the Cowboys. The Eagles would be favored. And if they play they way they are capable of playing, I think they would beat them. But… if Dak is throwing like he did against that secondary month ago… then that brings into play the possibility of an upset. But I think all things being equal, those are teams they should beat, and maybe even-handedly.”

Listen to the full interview with Jeff McLane below…The post Jeff McLane Discusses The Health of Jalen Hurts’ Shoulder appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Over the weekend, the Phillies went out and acquired an All-Star Closer. Gregory Soto. Two straight years of being named an ALL-Star. A Sub 3.5 ERA both years. It was undoubtedly a good trade. Is he guaranteed to be a star here? No. Relief Pitchers can be a crap shoot and look great one year then be unreliable the next. But he is a talented left whose fastball can reach 100 mph. All you can do as a team is acquire as many talented bullpen arms as possible and hope that they all pan out. But for some reason, certain Phillies fans were upset. Why, because they had to give up Matt Vierling and Nick Maton. Two average role players.

Why as a fanbase, do we have such a love affair with these types of players? To the point where we get overly attached to them and treat their loss as if we are losing star players? I liked Vierling and Maton. They were solid players off the bench and could fill in when needed. But if you can give up two guys, who if all goes right will never see the field in the playoffs, for an All-Star, you do it no questions asked. But after the trade, there were Phillies fans who were acting like the Phillies gave up too much.

Vierling went 2-13 in the playoffs. Maton went 0 for 1. Did they help the Phillies get there by filling in for injured players occasionally? Sure. They were not without value. But they are also easily replaceable. The MLB is chock full of average 4th outfielders and Utility infielders. In fact, the Phillies already have a Utility infielder in Edmundo Sosa who contributed more in the playoffs. And they added Jake Cave to take Matt Vierling’s place.

Remember Tony Bradley? He played 20 games at Center for the Sixers and started a few with Embiid out. He filled in admirably. But when the Sixers had a chance to trade him for George Hill, they did. Because George Hill had a chance to actually contribute in the playoffs, and Tony Bradley was your third, maybe 4th center. Now the George Hill trade did not end up working out, but the idea was still a good one. And you did not give up too much to get him. But we took so many calls from Sixers fans acting like Bradley was a massive loss. A guy who can barely get on the court now. We still sometimes take calls from people saying we should have never traded him.

More recently Sixers fans are obsessed with the loss of Isaiah Joe. A week ago he had a game where he scored 21 against the Celtics. Sixers fans freaked out. “See, he could be doing that for us, if only Doc played him.” What they miss is all the games surrounding that. In the 5 games leading up to the Celtics one, Joe scored 23 total points. He had one game where he scored 0 points in 12 minutes.

Can Joe shoot a bit? Yea. So like Furkan Korkmaz, he will have the occasional game where he puts up some points. But he is still playing only 13.5 minutes per game after averaging 11.1 with the Sixers. The Sixers are full up in the backcourt. With the addition of DeAnthony Melton, the emergence of Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle as the defensive specialist, and of course James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, there would be no playing time here for Joe. Especially in the playoffs.

But the other day I mentioned Joe as one of these average role players we got too attached to, and my mentions were swarmed by people telling me how great he is. Yes, a player averaging 7 pts a game is “great”. A guy who can still barely get on the court is “great.” Could Joe turn into a quality bench guy still? Yes. His shooting ability will probably keep him on teams as at the very least a reserve guard. But it seems Sixers fans think he is so much more than he is.

Remember how upset some people were to lose Tony Bradley? Or recently Isaiah Joe? And now Maton and Vierling?

The same people will complain about Embiid and Harper, yet think these dudes are indispensable.

— Dylan MacKinnon (@DylanFMackinnon) January 7, 2023

Matt Vierling and Nick Maton were nice players to have. They fit the culture of the locker room and did their jobs well enough when called upon. But they were not going to make a difference to if this team succeeded in the playoffs or not.

The Phillies got a very talented bullpen arm, as well as a bench bat that could very easily be the next Nick Maton. They won that deal, and it is not even close. Even if Gregory Soto has a down year, it was still a good trade, because the logic of the deal checks out. He is a talented arm capable of coming in during the 9th inning. The Phillies now have a plethora of that type of player. Are there question marks on some of them? Sure. But that is nearly everybody’s bullpen. There are a handful of relief pitchers you can trust from year to year. The rest is just hoping the talent pans out. And the Phillies at the very least, have a lot of arm talent in their bullpen now.

Liking these types of role players makes sense. This is the city of underdogs. We like rooting for the little guy. But the obsession some fans have goes beyond that. To the point, some fans would rather have role players like Nick Maton than an All-Star like Gregory Soto. Liking them is not the problem. But making them more than they are, is one. We can like a guy like Matt Vierling, but still understand his value to them the team is easily replaceable. Especially if you can flip him for an All-Star.

The post Why Are We Overly Attached To Average Role Players? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is BACK!!!

Fanatic All-Star Day 2023 comes your way Wednesday January 11th for an Eagles playoff themed All-Star day. We’ve done these in the past and they are some of the best days on the station. Its a hodgepodge of shows with hosts joining those that they sometimes don’t even see!

While everyone will be focused on the Eagles playoff run, the shows will also have fun with some off-topic talk thanks to the “topic wheel.” A creatively named wheel, that you spin, that has topics on it. But the topics can be “turn to the person left to you and tell them what you dont like about them.” It can be awkward, it can be funny, but it will be entertaining!

Ive stalled long enough. Below is the Fanatic All Star Day Schedule

The post Fanatic All-Star Day Schedule Release appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Eagles got the job done. The Super Bowl will now run through the city of Philadelphia as the Birds clinched the #1 seed in the NFC. And while that is the #1 priority, the added bonus of not having to play Wild Card Weekend might be a “1b”.

The Eagles enter the playoffs banged up. Not that this wasn’t expected, because its the NFL were talking about here, but for a team that was incredibly healthy for the majority of the season its a hurdle they havent had to leap over. Suddenly the Eagles are dealing with injuries to slot corner Avonte Maddox, right tackle Lane Johnson, and most importantly quarterback Jalen Hurts. Those three players are some of the most important players to this team and three guys you want 100% healthy heading into the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Eagles you aren’t getting it.

The Eagles will at least have Hurts and Johnson back for the game. The status of Avonte Maddox is up in the air and there’s a pretty good chance that he wont be available unless you advance deep into the playoffs. What will help the Eagles and their chances is the week off. At this point in the season getting added rest is such an advantage and its one that only two teams get in the NFL. While the Eagles future opponent is playing a hard fought game, the Eagles will be kicking back on the couch watching Netflix.

For Hurts, the rest is incredibly important. Whether it was rust, or dealing with the soldier injury, Hurts didn’t like right in the game against the Giants. For a quarterback who’s mechanics were a big reason for his success its important that he isnt dealing with a shoulder injury and having to overcompensate for pain which will likely result in his mechanics being off. Nick Sirianni talked about the fact that Hurts’ was fighting it a bit as the game went on, and that would seem to pass the eye test. Getting Hurts some added rest will hopefully see Hurts’ return to form.

The coaches also need this break. While a lot will be put on the players because ultimately they are the ones executing the game plan. the game plan itself hasn’t been good for about a month. The fact that Nick Sirianni and his staff don’t have to worry about creating a game plan this week, and can instead comb over film from this season and figure out what worked, and what didn’t, as they watch Wild Card Weekend out of the corner of their eye.

The Eagles reached an unprecedented 14-3 record this season. But to act like the Eagles of December and January were the same as the Eagles we saw in September and October would be ridiculous. The Eagles are the favorite to win the NFC, but that doesnt mean they dont need a break.

Fanatic All-Star Day Schedule ReleaseIt is BACK!!!

Fanatic All-Star Day 2023 comes your way Wednesday January 11th for an Eagles playoff themed All-Star day. We’ve done these in the past and they are some of the best days on the station. Its a hodgepodge of shows with hosts joining those that they sometimes don’t even see!

While everyone will be focused on the Eagles playoff run, the shows will also have fun with some off-topic talk thanks to the “topic wheel.” A creatively named wheel, that you spin, that has topics on it. But the topics can be “turn to the person left to you and tell them what you dont like about them.” It can be awkward, it can be funny, but it will be entertaining!

Ive stalled long enough. Below is the Fanatic All Star Day Schedule

The post The Eagles NEEDED This First Round Bye. appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

That’s right folks, it’s playoff time in the NFL, and the Philadelphia Eagles sit atop everybody in the NFC as the #1 seed in the conference after their 14-3 regular season. It was about as close to a perfect regular season as we may ever see here in Philly, and now, the birds are perched and waiting to see who will travel into Lincoln Financial Field for a Divisional Round matchup. The Eagles have already guaranteed themselves a week of rest and home field advantage throughout the playoffs by locking up the top seed, but now we have the opportunity to get a little greedy. What is the perfect path for the Philadelphia Eagles as they try to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018, and how realistic is it that that path actually happens to be the one the birds get to take?

Now let’s not get caught up in all that false bravado of “we’ll take on anybody, no worries”. Sure, the Eagles are the top seed, and that means that in theory they should be favored in any matchup they run into in the playoffs. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t root for what would be the easiest path to success. Remember the 2017 run? Sure, it was magical, but the Eagles got a much more preferable set of opponents than what they could’ve run into. The Atlanta Falcons went on the road to Los Angeles and knocked off the Rams, who were a better team, to assure the Eagles wouldn’t have to play them in the Divisional Round. Then, of course, you have the Minneapolis Miracle, which cleared New Orleans out of the way in favor of the Case Keenum-led Vikings. The Saints will tell you that they would’ve beat the Eagles in that NFC Championship, which is inaccurate, but they very well may have put up a better fight than 38-7. I’m not saying the Eagles won the Super Bowl because of things breaking their way opponent-wise, but it certainly didn’t hurt to see some of the tougher teams in the conference go down before facing Philly.

Ok, so now that we’re in agreement that the easier path can make a difference for a team’s championship potential, what is that path this year for the Eagles? And can that be a realistic option? Well, let’s look at the Wild Card round. The Eagles will play the lowest remaining seed, so they only have 4 options of who they could play: Tampa Bay, Dallas, New York, or Seattle. Now let’s eliminate one option for reality’s sake: the Seattle Seahawks ARE NOT going into San Francisco and beating the 49ers. While the Seahawks are probably the weakest team, it’s not realistic to expect Seattle to move on. Out of the other 3, I’d say the most preferable by a mile would be the New York Giants. They have to travel to Minnesota in the Wild Card round, but some people (myself included) see the Vikings as a paper tiger, possibly set for a 1st round exit. The Dallas-Tampa Bay winner is going to have either a better roster in the Cowboys’ case, or the all-time greatest QB and player in NFL history in the Buccaneers’ case. Yeah, I’ll take the Giants over both of those.

Let’s say the Eagles take care of business over the Giants, and it’s NFC Championship time. This next one might sound nonsensical at first, but hear me out. If the options are Tampa, Dallas, or San Francisco, I’m pulling for the 49ers. I know your initial thought: “But they’re the hottest team in the conference and have a ridiculously talented roster!!”. Yes, but they have the least proven QB. I don’t want any piece of Tom Brady in any circumstance, and while Dak Prescott is imploding before our eyes this season, the Cowboys are a team that is familiar with the Eagles, and has the confidence that they can score on this defense. The 49ers are a new opponent, and they’re playing with Brock Purdy under center. In the modern NFL, QBs win playoff games, and Purdy is the least proven of the options. So the ideal path is NYG, SF, and then whoever comes out of the AFC. That will most likely be either Kansas City or Buffalo, and flip a coin there. I’ll lean KC because Buffalo seems like a team of destiny this season, but that’s not really based in logical thinking. There you have it, though. In my mind, that’s your ideal (realistic) path to the Super Bowl for the 2022-23 Philadelphia Eagles.

The post The Eagles’ Perfect Playoff Path appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Your Eagles tailgate Divisional Weekend Playoff plans

The Eagles relax, self scout and wait this weekend as 6 NFC teams battle it out to fill out the Divisional Playoff bracket for January 21st and 22nd. The top seed gives them the advantage of recuperation of strength but doesn’t allow them to start game planning against one specific target. They could play the Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants or Seahawks. The latest formula from ESPN makes it easy to understand.

If you are looking for a Saturday Eagles game then you have a distinct rooting interest. A Saturday game also tells you that the first playoff game should be an easier path. Here are the options;

IF the Seahawks upset the 49ers the Eagles will host them on Saturday 1/21

IF the 49ers defeat the Seahawks and then the Giants defeat the Vikings the Eagles will host them on Saturday 1/21

IF the 49ers and Vikings win they will play on Saturday 1/21

To summarize the situation, the Eagles will play on Saturday if they face the Seahawks or Giants and Sunday if they face the Bucs or Cowboys they will play on Sunday 1/22

————————————————————————————————————————

The Saturday prime time game is the best option for the Eagles. It allows an extra night of rest before the NFC Titoe Game on January 29th. It also would mean the lesser competition. Is it time for the NFL to consider reworking the playoff format yet again? The Buccaneers getting to host a game with an (8-9) record over a Cowboys team with a (12-5) record makes no sense. Why not give every division an auto bid but the teams are seeded by final record?

The NFC Standings would be;

Eagles
49ers
Cowboys
Vikings
Giants
Seahawks
Buccaneers

The NFL likes to tweak things to create the optimal format. That is a strength of their league. This would be well worth investigating.

————————————————————————————————————————

Last night showed you that Howie Roseman needs to keep shopping in the SEC Aisle

We have discussed it many times on the John Kincade Show. A 65-7 blowout victory by Georgia over TCU in the National Championship Game again proves a few points. TCU has 22 4 or 5 star talent players on their roster. Georgia has 60+. When NFL teams are looking for talent they would be best to focus on shopping in the aisles where the top talent resides. Even more importantly, not only are the SEC rosters more talented, the competition the players face on a weekly basis is far more challenging. That prepares those players to compete at the highest level. It appears that Howie Roseman has figured that out the last 3 NFL drafts. Here is hoping that it continues.

One other thing, the blowout finale reinforces the fact that people always WANTED the College Football Playoff expanded but we never NEEDED it expanded. The average margin of victory in the CF semifinal games is greater than 3 scores. It’s always been about fan bases wanting participation trophies. We all love more games, but pretending that we need them to determine a champion is just idiotic.

The post When will the Eagles play? It’s slightly complicated appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Should we be concerned about the health of Jalen Hurts’ shoulder? Or is two weeks enough for it to fully heal to where he is comfortable playing his brand of Football? Jimmy Kempski from The Philly Voice joined the show to discuss that, and more. He also got into how great this team has been, the AJ Brown Devonta Smith duo, and if Lane Johnson really will be able to play through his injury. Here is some of what Jimmy Kempski had to say.

On How Great of a Season This Team Had

“They broke their record for most wins in a season with 14. They broke a record for most points scored in a season with 477… AJ Brown breaks the team’s single-season yards record. Devonta Smith breaks the team record for most receptions in a season by a WR. First team in NFL history to have 4 guys with double-digit sacks. They had 70 sacks on the season which is a crazy number of sacks. The NFL record is 72 by the 84 Bears.

The stuff they did this year was insane. When they got rolling this year it almost got boring. They were just beating teams very easily during the middle stretch of the season… Certainly, when you look at this team, it is hard not to be impressed by what they accomplished.”

On the Health of Jalen Hurts’ Shoulder

“I thought he was affected while throwing the ball. His accuracy wasn’t as crisp as we have seen the rest of the season. He didn’t make too many throws that needed a lot of velocity in the intermediate area of the field. When he did throw a couple of deep balls, I didn’t think he threw them with as much power as we saw throughout the year. And obviously, as a runner, they didn’t use him that way. Nor should they have… It wasn’t the same player that we have seen throughout the year.

Nick Sirianni did acknowledge that he was hurting. Not totally unexpected with that injury. He will have 2 weeks between now and when they play. I imagine he will be significantly further along by the time they play again. So we may look back at this time and laugh at our level of concern. But certainly, he would not have played had they not needed this game. He was hurting in that game and was not the same player we has seen all year.”

Listen to the full conversation with Jimmy Kempski below…The post Jimmy Kempski On The Health of Jalen Hurts’ Shoulder appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles did what they were supposed to do. In their 22-16 win over the New York Giants at Lincon Financial Field, the team finally secured the elusive number one seed in the NFC Playoffs and the NFC East crown. Now the road to the Super Bowl will have to go through Philadelphia.

It wasn’t the prettiest, but they were able to secure what they’ve worked so hard for all season. Finishing with a conference-best 14-3 record and a bye week. For the first time in two weeks, the Birds took the field with MVP candidate Jalen Hurts back at the quarterback position. He completed 20 of his 35 pass attempts, throwing for 229 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He played the entire game when most thought the Eagles would be able to make quick work of the Giants who ran out a full complement of backups since they had already clinched their playoff spot as the sixth seed. New York put up a good fight and head coach Nick Sirianni never felt comfortable enough with their lead to remove the Pro Bowl QB.

As expected, Hurts was a little rusty for his first action. If the gameplan was to make sure he didn’t take any unnecessary hits while out there making plays – they succeeded. Careful on his own decisions to run, no designed play calls by the coaching staff for him to use his legs out of the pocket. Smart move. Unfortunately, he had to be out there because of the two failed attempts to lock in the top seed in the two weeks prior. It played out the way it did… no need to complain about it now. It’s done.

And now the planning begins. Philadelphia has the luxury of having the first week of the postseason off with time to plan for their next opponent. But most importantly, they’ll also be able to rest their leader, get left tackle Lane Johnson ready to play in two weeks. And hope the same can be said for slot corner Avonte Maddox. This is what they’ve worked so hard for. It’s now time to capitalize on a great season and prepare for a championship run.

The post Eagles Get Their QB Back; Now Prep For Title Run appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Anthony Gargano said about his concerns for Jalen Hurts’ Shoulder in his Opening Diatribe This Morning…

It is a playoff Monday. Your birds finish up 14-3. And while they limped in… we have to celebrate this team. At 14-3, they are the number 1 seed in the NFC. A very impressive season. An amazing season. And who knows, if Hurts doesn’t get Hurt, who knows what happens. It could be 16-1.

A very interesting fun season. The Eagles get the one seed. I don’t want to say in an ugly fashion, but it was not good. It was not a good game yesterday. Clearly, Jalen Hurts was hurting. Sirianni said after the game that Jalen’s shoulder was bothering him, and he was in serious pain. And you could see it. He had a couple of deep balls to AJ brown, but he was not himself. And to boot, they had to deal with no Lane Johnson. There was a lot of pressure in his face.

They did not call the run. Which I have to stop right here. I get you want to see him throw. However, how about the backs? I don’t understand it. What did Miles Sanders do to offend them? He had 11 carries yesterday. Is he dinged up? there was nothing said about it afterward. Most of them were in the first half, and he ran well. He had a couple of carries in the second half and that was it. I don’t understand that. I thought the playcalling was quizzical to be kind.

Look, I know you don’t want to run the RPOs. I don’t blame you. You cant run the RPOS. But you do have a running back. The other thing is Boston Scott had 9 carries. And he ran well, so it is not like I can complaining about it. I just don’t understand the Sanders thing. And I don’t understand why they like running Boston Scott over Miles Sanders. it’s odd.

Jalen looked like a guy playing in pain. I have two major concerns, and it is Jalen’s shoulder and Lane Johnson. And that is the shame of it. If they were healthy it would just be win two games and you are in.

Listen to his full opening Diatribe Below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Worried About Jalen Hurts’ Shoulder appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

It’s important in life to acknowledge the accomplishments and goals that are reached. We are in an era where almost every coach and player coming out of college football has the attitude of “never being satisfied”. They don’t celebrate wins and most weeks even feel dissatisfied with performances. I understand striving for excellence, but the inability to enjoy victory is one of the worst trends in sports. So please allow me to break from the Eagles talking points and acknowledge what a (14-3) record means. It should be celebrated and we have every reason to be thrilled.

The Eagles took a base of a (9-8) inaugural season under Nick Sirianni and a disappointing playoff loss in Tampa as marching orders to take it to the next level. They delivered against that mandate in glorious fashion. Anyone speaking before the season would have taken a (14-3) mark as an A+ performance. Let’s not get bogged down in how the cake was actually made. Do you want to be playing better football down the stretch? Sure. Do you wish that this team was healthier heading into the playoffs? Absolutely. Should you be feeling bummed about the last month? Ridiculous.

We don’t celebrate championships often in this city and though a division title is hardly a chest pounding accomplishment, it represents further progress. Last year it was an unexpected 7th seed wildcard berth and now they enjoy a week off as the wildcard teams beat each other up. Let’s review all the reasons you should be focused on pride over recent frustrations.

The Eagles had a (4-1) record vs NFC Playoff teams while grabbing the division crown in the best division in football. They also defeated the only AFC Playoff team they faced in Jacksonville. That (5-1) mark is certainly an impressive accomplishment.

The Eagles offense averaged 28.1 points scored per game. That mark was best in the NFC and third overall in the NFL. Their passing attack was 9th overall and the rushing game was 5th in the NFL. That is fantastic balance.

The Eagles defense allowed an average of 20.2 point per game. That was good for 3rd best in the NFC and 7th overall in the NFL. They were the NFC’s top passing defense at 179 yards allowed per game while their defense was 16th against the run. They had 27 takeaways. That included 17 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries.

AJ Brown had 88 receptions for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns. DeVonta Smith had 95 receptions for 1,196 yards and 7 touchdowns. That is such impressive passing game production and two great players complimenting each other. Miles Sanders rushed for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The MVP worthy season of Jalen Hurts can’t be over stated. He passed for 3,701 yards in 15 games with 22 touchdowns against just 6 interceptions. He added an impressive 760 yards on the ground and an additional 13 touchdowns. That is an incredible 35 touchdown vs 6 interception season.

There will be plenty of time to break down their chances in the playoffs. If they can clean up some of the sloppy offensive line play of late and the additional 2 weeks of rest gives Jalen Hurts the time he needs to fully heal we have every reason to be confident. Hopefully Lane Johnson will be productive through pain as he is greatly missed.

If you are surrounded by negative Eagles fans after a season like this distance yourself. It was far better than any of us ever expected and we have the easiest path in the NFC to the Super Bowl. Let’s enjoy the ride. This team deserves praise and positive energy, not a bunch of critique on style points.

The post The 2022 Eagles – They’re real and they’re spectacular appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles are officially the one seed in the NFC. They will have a bye week for the Wild Card Round, and then have home field for the next two games provided they keep advancing. Was it a pretty win over the Giants? No. But does it really matter? Also no. What is important is they clinched the top seed. And even if that took longer than perhaps we all wanted, it is a reason to celebrate. But for some reason, there is a lot of angst among Eagles fans following the game.

This team has lost one game with Jalen Hurts under center all year. In those games, they average 28.9 pts per game. Only the Chiefs score more points per game. The defense has held the opposing offense under 20 pts in 11 out of 17 games. This is a very good team, on both sides of the field. One may even call them elite.

Did the offense look good today? Not really. But you all do realize they were not running their usual offense right? They took almost all chances of Hurts running out of the game. That means no RPOs or RPRs, no QB draws, and nothing that puts Hurts in harms way. That makes up a lot of what makes this offense special. While he has been amazing throwing the ball this year, he is still not the atypical 3 step-drop and pass QB. His legs are a massive part of the reason this offense works as well as it does.

They were not trying to put up a ton of points today. They were running the most vanilla offense they have run all year. The goal was to win and keep everyone healthy. And they accomplished that goal. Judging them based on this game, and not the overwhelming evidence from the other 14 games Jalen Hurts played in, seems like a massive overreaction.

If they come out in the Divisional Round, and look that flat on offense, then be upset. But we should be nothing but happy right now. This has been among the best regular seasons we have ever seen from an Eagles team. Are there flaws? Of course. But name a single team this season where there are no flaws. This team has as good of a chance as anyone to win it all. And now we know the road to the Super Bowl comes through Philly.

So get excited. Stop panicking that they didn’t look as great as you hoped in today’s game. Focus more on how great this season has been. Is it a guarantee it will carry over into the playoffs? No. We have never seen Jalen Hurts succeed in the playoffs yet. So there are some question marks. But the evidence in front of us tells us this is an elite team. And if you are worried about them backing into the one seed, I direct you back to how poorly they were playing at the end of the regular season in 2017. Played very poorly in the final couple of games. But then even with Nick Foles in, the offense exploded in the playoffs.

This team can win it all. So can we stop panicking and enjoy the ride?

The post The Eagles Clinch The Top Seed in The NFC appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Each week on “The Best Show Ever?” they each make two picks from College or the NFL. Tyrone Johnson, Ricky Bottalico, Hunter Brody, Jen Scordo, and Dylan MacKinnon compete to see who can make the best picks and have the best record by year’s end. And now it is time for their week 18 picks. This week, with many of the NFL games being con competitive with many teams resting their starters, and the National Championship game taking place on Monday, the rule was they had to pick the National Championship game and one NFL game.

Last week went good for most of them. Hunter went 3-0, increasing his already significant lead a little more. Jen went 2-1 to get over .500 for the first time in weeks. Tyrone also went 2-1, but is still a little under .500. Meanwhile, Dylan and Ricky continued to struggle. Ricky went 0-2, and Dylan 0-2. Dylan picked the Bengals to beat the Bills, but since that game was canceled they are deeming it a tie.

Here is where all of our records stand after 17 weeks…

Tyrone Johnson- (15-16)
Ricky Bottalico- (9-22)
Hunter Brody- (19-12)
Jen Scordo- (16-15)
Dylan MacKinnon- (12-18-1)

And here are our week 18 picksTyrone’s Picks* Georgia -12.5 vs TCU * Buffalo Bills -7 vs New England Patriots

Hunter’s Picks* TCU +12.5 vs Georgia * Detroit Lions +4.5 vs Green Bay Packers

Ricky’s Picks* Not in Today to make picks

Jen’s Picks* TCU +12.5 vs Georgia * Pittsburgh Steelers -2.5 vs Cleveland Browns

Dylan’s Picks* Georgia -12.5 over TCU * Jacksonville Jaguars -6.5 vs the Tennesee Titans

The post “The Best Show Ever?”- Week 18 Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Dave Zangaro had to say when he joined “The Best Show Ever?” earlier today. Can this Eagles defense stack up against the good Qbs they will face in the playoffs? Are AJ Brown and Devonta Smith the best Wr duo Dave has covered in Philly? Dave Zangaro discusses all of that and more. Here is what he had to say.

On The Fear of This Eagles Defense vs Good QBs

“The fear here is those flaws will show themselves in the playoffs when you have to face good qbs. Qbs like Dak Prescott. We saw what he did against them a couple of weeks ago. That is a legitimate fear. Now it is hard to argue with the results. They had a pretty good game against the Saints… The numbers looked good, and I thought overall they played well. But to let Andy Dalton come out and complete the first 13 passes of that game is pretty ridiculous. It shouldn’t happen.

Getting CJ Gardner Johnson back, if that happens, will help. They are still going to miss Avonte Maddox. The middle of the field has been very susceptible to good QBs.If you look at the Eagles, they have Darius Slay on one side, and James Bradberry on the other, you are probably going to try and find the matchups over the middle. And that has been one of their biggest problems on defense.”

On If AJ Brown and Devonta Smith Are The Best WR Duo He Has Covered

“Oh yea, they are fantastic. AJ Brown for much of this season got all of the shine. And he deserves it. But Devonta Smith the last month has been spectacular. Not just the numbers have been there, but the amazing catches in clutch moments. He is a legitimate number 1 WR in this league. The Eagles are so fortunate to have him as their number 2. They are just so good. And it forces teams to figure out ways to cover them. You can’t double them both. And not many teams are like the Eagles and have two top-notch corners to match up with them.

You feel pretty good going into any game that those matchups are going to be favorable. And the great thing with Hurts this year is his trust in those two players. if they are in man coverage, he is going to give them an opportunity to make plays. And they have rewarded him so much this year.”

You can listen to the full conversation below…The post Dave Zangaro Discusses If The Eagles Defense Can Handle Great QBS appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Will Jalen Hurts be good to go on Sunday? What does having him back to for the morale of the offense? What is the Eagles’ mentality heading into this game? James Palmer from the NFL Network joined “The Best Show Ever?” to discuss all that and more. Here is some of what James Palmer had to say.

On The Eagles’ Mindset Heading Into Sunday’s Game

“I can tell that one message has been driven into them. Not that they have over the last couple of weeks blown opportunities to lock up this number 1 seed. He has changed their thinking into going we are going into the last week with the chance to be the number 1 team in the NFC. What an opportunity. What a spin job by Nick Sirianni to have that mindset. But that is what they are preaching heading into this game on Sunday.”

On How Healthy Jalen Hurts Is Going Into This Game

“From talking to guys in the locker room today, I think he might be a little healthier than everyone is leading on. I know Nick has said they want to see the rehab. But when you talk to all the guys around him, there is no way they would put him out in this game if it wasn’t in a position where is it not in a position where it is not going to be reinjured. Or where he couldn’t protect himself. Obviously, you want the number 1 seed. But also if you are reinjuring Jalen Hurts and going with Gardner Minshew in the playoffs, then your chances no matter what your seed is are not good.

Do I think they call the game a little differently? Yea of course. And they would be smart to do that. But I do think he is a little bit healthier than we all think. And that is just my opinion from guys around him who have been watching him the last couple of weeks.”

On the Impact Hurts Has In The Huddle

“There is just a different feel when (Hurts) is playing, compared to when he is not playing. Dallas Goedert said it to me best, you just look into his eyes, and there is no thought that he will not succeed. And that spreads throughout the whole offensive huddle. That is what has been kind of missing the last couple of weeks. This locker room is different in the way that it operates.”

You can listen to the full interview with James Palmer below…The post James Palmer Talks Eagles Mentality Heading Into The Giants Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It seems like Jalen Hurts will be back on Sunday. But will he be at 100%? Will the Eagles limit what he is allowed to do, or let him play like he has all year? Zach Berman from The Athletic joined The Anthony Gargano Show to discuss how the Eagles will approach utilizing their Star Qb vs the Giants.

On What To Expect From Jalen Hurts on Sunday…

“I think he’s playing. I understand that Nick is keeping this close to his vest. He wants to see how today’s practice goes. But I think Jalen is playing. It has been trending in that direction. Speaking to guys yesterday, they were impressed with how he looked. They were operating under the assumption he will be out there Sunday… As far as how the offense will look, that is a different question. Do you have fewer designed QB runs?…

That is the nature of playing the position. You are open to getting hit. And you have to be comfortable that the shoulder can withstand a hit. I would imagine fewer designed runs. Maybe even fewer RPOs. Trust him in the passing game, trust him as a decision-maker. Those are things he can do well. And you hope you can build a big enough lead that you don’t need his legs. But a big part of Jalen being on the field is that he can run. And Jalen has to be smart with it. there are times when he is moving in the pocket, and he sees a lane. He can take that lane and he can run out of bounds or slide. But if there are those 50-50 plays, you don’t have to run into contact. It is incumbent on him to play smart.”

You can listen to the Full Conversation Between Zach Berman and Anthony Gargano Below…The post Zach Berman on What We Can Expect From Jalen Hurts on Sunday appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles have not looked like a juggernaut the last three weeks and now need to win Sunday against the Giants to clinch the division and the first-round bye.

They struggled against the Bears in victory with Jalen Hurts spraining his shoulder. After that, the Eagles had an understandable loss without Hurts to the Cowboys. They also lost Lane Johnson to a core muscle tear late in that game. Sunday against the Saints was a disaster, as they fell 20-10 in a terrible effort. Gardner Minshew was very poor and quieted people like me who thought he could be a serviceable starter in the right situation.

As an aside, how ridiculous does Chris Simms look for saying that Hurts isn’t the MVP because the Eagles would be good with Minshew? On Sunday they were very bad in large part because of Minshew and, as a former quarterback, he should be smart enough to know that that position isn’t swappable. I look forward to his apology in February.

In the last couple weeks, Johnathan Gannon’s worst impulses have risen to the surface as well unfortunately. Gannon, as we have seen in the past, is naturally a very passive coach. He assumes that if his defense keeps players in front of them, the opposing quarterbacks will eventually make a mistake. He doesn’t believe that you have to force those mistakes. That of course is poppycock, and it has shown the last two weeks.

Dak Prescott was perfect against Gannon’s zone defense on Christmas Eve. I could almost tolerate that because Avonte Maddox got hurt in game and Josiah Scott really struggled in relief. On Sunday, Gannon was horrible in the first half. Andy Dalton didn’t have an incompletion until he threw an interception late in the second quarter and completed 81.8 percent of his passes overall. That isn’t tolerable. Gannon adjusted in the second half and the Eagles defense was much better, despite the loss.

So we went over the bad news, but the Eagles are still very much on track to achieve all the lofty standards they will be held to going forward. The most obvious reason is that it looks like Jalen Hurts will be back on Sunday. Hurts is the league MVP and the last two weeks should have shown the world that this is the case. He is dynamic both as a player and a leader. The Eagles were flat last Sunday, they would not have been if Hurts was playing.

He is also cerebral. Too many times the last few games, Minshew has forced the ball to Quez Watkins in spots that he shouldn’t. Hurts knows that A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert are all far better options across the middle and won’t put Watkins and others in a position to fail. Or more specifically in Watkins’ case, have the ball ripped away from him from physically stronger defenders.

The offensive line wasn’t great on Sunday either, but a lot of those struggles were due to Minshew as well. Jack Driscoll especially was victimized by Minshew’s bad pocket awareness. Jalen Hurts solves that, and Driscoll will only get better the more he has to play. Lane Johnson being able to effectively return is the ultimate hope, but Driscoll with more reps and a mobile quarterback will make the entire line look better. The offense is built to do RPOs, and zone reads. With Hurts out, the defense was able to key on the running backs every time. With him back, they will have to pick their poison once again, and we have seen how lethal it can be. Again, Jalen Hurts is the league MVP, he covers up a lot and makes everyone better. The Eagles are still elite, they just need the right guy under center to reach their full potential.

And then there is Johnathan Gannon. I am going to believe that he has finally learned his lesson. The Eagles have four players with 11 sacks for more. Josh Sweat and his 11 sacks are back at the training facility and should be back for the postseason. Both Robert Quinn and C.J. Gardner-Johnson both have their 21-day practice windows open to return. With Avonte Maddox’s health in question, Gardner-Johnson is an even more vital piece than he was before he lacerated his kidney. Robert Quinn wasn’t productive, but he also wasn’t healthy. Quinn will be another weapon at Gannon’s disposal up front. This defense has the potential to be elite again in the postseason. Everything is going to be just fine as soon as Jalen Hurts takes the field on Sunday.

The post Eagles Small Setback Will Lead to Big Comeback appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what was found in The Audio Vault today on The Anthony Gargano Show. Andre Salciunas had the day off, so he have Ray Dunne the keys to the Vault. What did Ray find in there today? Here is the lineup from today’s Audio Vault, including some famous TV show debuts, a couple of famous Birthdays, and the anniversary of The Double Doink.

Wheel of Fortune DebutsOn this day in 1975, Wheel of Fortune Debuted. The show is still on to this day, it is among the longest-running game show on American television. And Ray went way back to its first season to pull the intro from an early episode, back when Chuck Woolery was still the host. And then he also pulled the audio of Pat Sajak being introduced as the host in 1981.

School House Rock DebutsToday in 1973, School House Rock debuted on TV. The iconic tv show taught children history, language, civics, and math through music. And it is something till this day that many schools will still use to help teach kids even though it has been off the air for years. So Ray pulled it’s the original theme song to play for us today.

Happy Birthday Kate McKinnonToday is Kate McKinnon’s Birthday. Kate is a longtime SNL Cast member but recently left to focus more on acting. And there is one sketch she did on SNL that hits very close to home. In the sketch, she parodied Mare of Easttown and the Delco accent. So Ray played a bit of that sketch for us today.

Happy Birthday Asante SamuelAnd today is also the birthday of former Eagles corner Asante Samuel. Asante was the definition of a boom or bust corner. He made a living jumping routes, and more often than not it paid off for his team. he spent 4 seasons with the Eagles, and racked up 23 interceptions in that time. Two of those went for a TD, and he had 6 pick sixes total in his career. So Ray put together a montage of Asante pick 6s for The Vault today.

The Double DoinkOn this day in 2019, the double doink happened. The Eagles came back to take the lead vs the Bears in the wildcard round of the playoffs. But the Bears drove down the field, to set up a chance at a game-winning FG. But former eagle Cody Parkey could not get it done. His kick bounced off the field goalpost twice, and out, to seal the Eagles’ win. Ray grabbed the go-ahead TD by Golden Tate, and the titular Fg attempt, for the Vault today.

Jeff Garcia Beats The Giants In the PlayoffsAnd tomorrow marks the date when Jeff Garcia led the Eagles to a playoff victory over the Giants in the playoffs in 2006. With the Eagles playing the Giants this weekend, Ray felt it appropriate to grab a montage of the Eagles’ win in that game.

And you can listen to the full Audio Vault Below…The post The Audio Vault- The Double Doink appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles need to win on Sunday to secure the top seed in the NFC, securing home field and a bye week. And to do that, they will need to get through the New York Giants. But it is looking like that will be a bit easier. As the reports coming from Giants media members is that the Giants will be resting their starters.

The #Giants and Brian Daboll have kept their cards close to the vest all week but yes, the expectation is key players will be sitting against the #Eagles Sunday. https://t.co/EkxfCKRFJG

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 6, 2023

The Giants secured their playoff spot last week. There is nothing for them to gain, or lose, by playing to win in this one. The assumption had been that they would rest their starters. But Brian Daboll is a first-year Head Coach. So there was not much to go on with how he would approach this situation. And he was not exactly forthcoming with information during the week on what his plan is.

But now we know that the plan is to rest key starters. Which is probably the right choice for them. And it obviously is hugely beneficial to the Eagles who need this game. While they already showed they can beat the Giants starters handily earlier in the season, playing the backups should make it much easier to get the win. The Eagles being 14-point favorites reflects that.

What will be interesting is to see how the Giants’ media reacts. We saw how upset they were a few seasons ago when it was the Eagles pulling their starters. Will they give Daboll the same amount of heat for damaging the “integrity of the game” as they did Doug Pederson when he pulled his starters from a meaningless game? And before they say that it is different because the Giants are resting for the playoffs, why would it be okay for a player whose team is already eliminated to suffer a major injury?

In both cases, it was a meaningless game for the team resting their starters. And in both cases the game did have playoff implications for the other team. Why should a team that is eliminated go all out to beat the other team to protect “the integrity of the game” but not a team that is still alive?

This is not at all a slight towards Daboll who is doing what is right for his team. It is only a dig at the over-dramatic Giants media members who acted like what Doug Pederson did was the worst thing a coach has ever done.

The post The Giants Are Expected To Rest Their Starters In Sunday’s Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

It’s been a weird week as the Eagles prepare for the final regular season game against the NY Giants. When the Eagles walked off the field in Chicago at (13-1) nobody could have ever expected that we would be asked to sweat out one more game in Week 18 to decide their playoff fate. More importantly, a win gives you the one seed and a loss sends you to Tampa Bay again on wildcard weekend the to face the Buccaneers like last year. It would be a huge disappointment and one of the greatest collapses in NFL history. I understand the angst but without context the story is completely different.

Jalen Hurts is returning and things are going to look to return to normalcy. Now we are left to discuss whether Jalen could have returned last weekend against the Saints and the Eagles chose to sit him out as a precaution. Did the Eagles decide they were good enough to beat New Orleans without Hurts and could afford to give him another week of rest? The speculation is definitely there. Before the Saints game Adam Schefter tweeted that Jalen Hurts is “expected to be available next Sunday vs the Giants”. That told me, reading between the lines, that he COULD have played in the game last Sunday. Our own Tim McManus has reported that his belief was that the injury to Hurts shoulder “was not serious”. It might have been a game of poker that the Eagles lost. We shall see Sunday if they pay the price.

I look at it this way, with Jalen Hurts the Eagles were (13-1) and rampaging through the NFC. Without him they looked disorganized and out of sync. The unforced errors and mental lapses could have been a side product of the team taking a nonchalant attitude towards the Saints game. They lacked energy and focus. They better find it on Sunday against a Giants team that is not expected to play its starters and already is locked into the NFC 6 seed.

A piece of fan analysis from me, if you are worried about the outcome of Sundays game with Jalen Hurts as 14 point favorites you never believed in them in the first place. Stop with the nonsense of saying how tortured Eagles fans have been and that is why you have doubts. We saw a Super Bowl parade 5 years ago and have been to the playoffs 3 of the other 4 seasons. There is every reason to believe in the Birds, significantly more than any other team in the NFC East. If you don’t think that the Eagles can win this game you never believed in the first place.

The Eagles and this coaching staff deserve my confidence with their starting QB and they most certainly have earned that. I’m expecting a solid, decisive, quick hit response to put this game away quickly. You hope that Jalen Hurts won’t display a lot of rust and that the loss of Lane Johnson won’t prove detrimental.

If you allowed yourself to dream of a Super Bowl parade a few weeks ago feel free to dream it again. You don’t have to be scared. Trust is earned and if you don’t feel the Eagles have earned it, you never trusted them in the first place.

The post If you’re worried about the Eagles Sunday you never believed at all appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In his Opening Diatribe this morning Anthony discussed how our attitude is a bit off right now…

Yesterday we were talking a lot about how we are a little bit off-kilter. We are tepid about the Eagles. Which to me is ludicrous. We are heading into the final week, playoffs are around the corner, big game, and I didn’t get one Eagles chant. We are tepid. Yesterday VG, a fine caller, and friend of the program said “I’m out on the Sixers”. You are out on the Sixers? How can you be out on a team that is a title contender? They may not be a favorite, but they are a contender. And last night was a good win without the big fella. So our attitude is weirdly off.

We are kind of in a weird state. And we were talking about why. People were like yea I don’t know, the Sixers second-round thing. And that makes sense. But there is something deeper. I think we lack trust. It goes back to Wentz and Simmons quite frankly. And I get it, being scarred after looking at that face for all of those years. My pal said, “Well you’re more patient.”

And I am patient. But I am also realistic. I understand fandom, but I can easily put on my analyst hat, and take off my fandom hat. So that bleeds in, and I am more patient. Like I look at this Eagles season and I don’t say Super Bowl or bust. Do I want them to win the Super Bowl? That goes without saying. But it is a rarity that when you have a new build, you win it in the second year. Look at the Bills. The Bills have had a methodical build…

If you win Sunday, you get home-field advantage, they have a really good chance to get there. Which is a great thing… But there is a realistic approach where this is Sirianni’s 2nd year. he is a young coach, so you are going to make mistakes like last week. Mistakes with a backup Qb make sense to me when you have a young coach.

But to me, it is about trust. We don’t trust right now. We don’t trust what we are seeing. The Eagles are a good team. An excellent team. They are a team that is going to be contending for a number of years…

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe about the fan’s attitude problem below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Our Attitude Is Off Right Now appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Will Jalen Hurts play this Sunday vs the Giants? What went wrong against the Saints? Tim McManus discussed that and more when he joined “The Best Show Ever?” earlier today. Here is some of what he had to say.

On if Jalen Hurts Will Play on Sunday vs the Giants

“I think he is going to play. Signs are pointing in that direction. He was a participant in the walkthrough today. That is the first time since he got hurt that he took part… The feeling I have gotten within the organization was they never really viewed this as a major injury. But they didn’t want to do anything that would further delay the healing of that throwing shoulder. And now it suggests they feel he is in a good spot where he can go out. The hope is to not further injure it and be able to play at a high level. So I think Hurts is going to be under center vs New York.”

On What Went Wrong vs The Saints

“One is just the play of Minshew in particular. My reaction is there were 4 turnovers in the Dallas game. And it felt like an overcorrection to me. Where Minshew was a little bit gun-shy when it came to letting it rip downfield. You saw all of those sacks piling up very quickly, and him not being able to release it on time. He was playing a very good pass defense. The message had to be driven home that we need to protect the football. And I think hesitancy crept in from there. And that was the major reason he was not playing at even the level he was playing at a week ago.

I also think the coaching staff had probably their worst day of the year. The offensive play-callers let Minshew down. The game plan just wasn’t right. It was known going in this was a defense that was susceptible to the ground game. Whereas they are the second-best pass defense in the NFL. The game plan didn’t really reflect that.

And the 3rd thing was the team was flat. Fletcher Cox today said he thought the Saints came out with more energy than they did. Bradberry said the team was looking too far ahead over the last several weeks. These little bits of information… paint the picture of a team that wasn’t as focused in as they needed to be in each of the last two weeks.”

Listen to Tim McManus’ Full Midweek Report Ahead of the Giants game below…The post Tim McManus Think Jalen Hurts Will Play vs The Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In his Opening Diatribe this morning, Anthony discussed why the Eagles Panic is being overblown…

There seems to be mass panic in the streets. While I can’t promise you they will get to the Super Bowl. I think the panic is overdone. We are talking about two losses with a backup Qb. And not just the backup Qb. There has been an array of injuries. You play a 17-game schedule, they have been pretty lucky throughout, it kind of caught up to them.

You saw how much this missed Lane on Sunday. They have missed Chauncey Gardner Johnson. You have had some spotty guys going into that lineup. So you can explain it. You are not going to win every game. I didn’t get the whole idea of “oh my god, is this team a paper tiger,” that came out of these losses. It doesn’t change the fact that they have been utterly dominant at times during this season.

The Lane Johnson injury is a serious deal. But they have depth, and Lane is going to give it a go. They have a lot of promise. I still think this is a very good team. You take care of business on Sunday vs a Giants team that is not going to be playing their starters the whole game… The Eagles are going to win the game. I feel pretty confident in saying that.

You have to win two games to get to the Super Bowl. I can’t sit here and say they are a lock. Could they lose to San Francisco in a tough game? Yea. They could lose a game. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are a really good team. And I feel like the fanbase needs a guarantee. A promise they will get there. And all I can give you is the odds. The odds are they are a really good team. When Jalen Hurts has been the Qb, they lost 1 time. And that was a fluky loss, where two turnovers and a missed facemask caused the loss to Washington.

So I think this team deserves a little bit more of a benefit of the doubt.

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe-The Eagles Panic is Over Done appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

The 2017 Eagles won a Super Bowl partly because of the fact that the seas parted and the opponents that stood in their way were easier than what could have been. A championship is usually crafted by equal parts talent, health and luck. The path in front of a championship team can be rugged or get unexpectedly opportunistic. The Eagles in 2017 could have faced the Rams and the Saints to get to Minneapolis for Super Bowl 52. Instead the Rams got upset by the Falcons at home which led to them coming into Philadelphia. Then the Vikings upset the Saints on the last play of the game in the Minneapolis miracle to have them as a surprise NFC Title Game opponent. In each of those games the change of opponent changed the probability of victory for the Eagles. It worked out to their obvious favor. Looking ahead I’m hoping we get similar good fortune in 2023.

I’m going to work on the assumption that the Eagles can get their starting quarterback back on Sunday and defeat the NY Giants in a game where they have nothing to play for. The Giants are locked into the 6 seed and will face the Minnesota Vikings in the wildcard round IF the 49ers win on Sunday. I’m figuring that the Giants will choose not to risk their stars and the Eagles grab the one seed and a 2 week rest.

If the Cowboys do in fact end up as the 5 seed they will head to Tampa Bay on wildcard weekend. ESPN is guaranteed to have a 4-5 matchup for the Monday Night Football wildcard game. The AFC 4-5 game will feature either the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Tennessee Titans hosting a game. I’m figuring ESPN pushes hard to get Brady vs the Boys so that would guarantee the Eagles playing on Sunday 1/22.

The worst possible combination of playoff opposition in the NFC would be the Cowboys followed by the 49ers. First of all the familiarity with Dallas makes it a less comfortable matchup. Dak Prescott has a history of winning when he faces the Eagles. It’s not going to be popular with the boisterous Eagles fan that says “bring on Dallas” but I’d love to see Tampa rolling into South Philly on a short week. Two teams would have a chance to keep the 49ers from visiting the Linc if you advance past the divisional round. It could be Green Bay, Detroit or Seattle facing the 49ers in round one. The Packers obviously would love to get revenge on the 49ers for upsetting them at home last year and I would like their chances. I don’t see Minnesota beating them but the Giants could upset them.

The physicality of facing the Cowboys and 49ers in successive weeks could be a lethal combination. Both of those teams love to hit the opposing quarterbacks too. Coming off a shoulder injury I’m not sure that Hurts taking hits is the recipe to win a championship in February.

I am still very bullish on their chances. I just prefer the easier path. Take care of business vs the Giants and then let’s see if someone else can help make the road to Arizona smoother.

The post The potential Cowboys – 49ers playoff combo looks potentially lethal appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL League Office has not showered itself in glory lately. In fact, it is very rare one can say that the NFL league office does anything well outside of drawing huge ratings. It is by far the most popular sport in the country. But other than that, there is not much nice you can say about them.

Roger Goodell may be the most hated of all the league commissioners. And that is saying something. Hockey fans hate Gary Bettman, but the sport itself is not popular enough for the hate toward him to come close to what Goodell gets. Rob Manfred has quickly made himself the enemy of every baseball fan. And Adam Silver is the lone commissioner that might actually have some fans. But none of them can touch the level to which people despise Roger Goodell.

And for good reason. The NFL is a bad PR machine. When is the last time they handled a tough situation well? And that was on full display Monday night when they fumbled the handling of a terrifying situation with Bills Safety Damar Hamlin. Hamlin collapsed on the field after taking a hit to the chest. Paramedics had to immediately administer CPR and other life-saving measures with Hamlin in Cardiac Arrest. After saving his life, they eventually transported Hamlin to the hospital, but the Bills and Bengals players were left on the field, with many in tears, not knowing if they would have to play on.

They eventually canceled the game. But only after the two head coaches forced the game to be canceled. There is inconsistent reporting out there. And the NFL will tell you that they never intended to restart the game. But other reports say they did want to restart it. And if you were following along to what happened live, it certainly seemed like the NFL’s plans were to make them play on.

The shocking part, this does not even crack the Top 5 of the worst things the NFL has done. So what are? Here is my list of the worst things the NFL has ever done. Keep in mind they have done a lot of messed up stuff. If something didn’t make the list, it may not be me saying it isn’t that bad. I may have just forgotten because there is just such a wide pool of examples to pull from. It is possible something awful fell through the cracks.

The post The Worst Things The NFL Has Ever Done appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last night was one of the scarier situations we have witnessed on a Football field, at least in recent memory. Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics had to perform live-saving measures like CPR right on the field in front of his teammates, an audience of 60,000 plus people, and a national TV Audience. And in the aftermath there has been a ton of talk of how the NFL handled it, Should they have called the game earlier? And have they reacted properly in the aftermath? Former NFL Executive Andrew Brandt joined “The Best Show Ever?” how the NFL handled the Hamlin situation.

On If The NFL Should Have Postponed Game Sooner

“If you know me, I don’t defend the NFL often, but I am here. I do think there is a lot more that goes into it than people realize. It is not just, he just suffered cardiac arrest, we can’t play. It is talking to the coaches, to the officials, and to the facility people at the stadium. And then you are now going to now dump 60,000 onto the streets of Cincinnati with no planning to do so before. You planned to do that at 11 at night. Not 9 at night. There is a lot of coordination that goes into it.

Now I don’t know exactly what went on. And I don’t know if these reports that they were actually going to play the game (are true). But this is not something you do without coordination with local and regional authorities. When you put on a game in the NFL you are having a cocktail party for 70,000 people. It is a big job.”

On Roger Goodell Not Speaking Publicly About This Yet

“It is a totally different situation, but I was saying this loud and front and center with Ray Rice in 2014. We didn’t see him for 10 days. There was a real leadership void. And we needed to see him last night. I know Troy has a leadership role… But it’s his game. He is the leader. And I am a little surprised he hasn’t even spoken today…

We needed a voice. That is where leadership comes in. You know me I am a big Sixers fan. I have seen Adam Silver step up in these moments. And I have seen Adam Silver show humanity, and open himself up. Roger is very corporate. And very unrevealing. I don’t know this for sure, but the way I see it, his bosses want him to be that way. I think his bosses, the Owners, want him to lack vulnerability in his public approach. Because I have seen Roger get a little more human… And I just don’t know if it has gotten to the point where the money is so big that he just becomes a little more corporate.”

Listen to their full conversation below…The post Andrew Brandt Reacts To How The NFL Handled The Damar Hamlin Injury appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last night was one of the scariest moments in sports history. Bills Safety Damar Hamlin went down on the field, reportedly going into cardiac arrest. Paramedics had to perform life-saving measures such as CPR when he was not breathing on his own. Thankfully his life was saved in the moment, but he was then taken to the hospital. After a long wait, the NFL finally decided to postpone the game. But in the meantime that left everyone in Limbo having to react to what they just witnessed despite a lack of information. And part of the crew having to deal with that was Adam Schefter. And to discuss what happened, he joined Anthony Gargano earlier today.

What went through his mind as part of the crew on ESPN trying to react to the situation despite not knowing what was happening with Hamlin? He and Anthony discussed what happened. And here is some of what Adam Schefter had to say.

“The most important thing, the only thing that really matters, is Damar Hamlin right now. Everybody who watched that last night felt horrible and sickened. It was just brutal to watch. You just hope that he is okay. I don’t know what to say. You never imagine a scenario like that. You hope there is never anything like it again. When we first came on you are talking. You know how dire it is. Initially, we said we haven’t seen anything like this… The thing about last night was it is 2023. The day and age of social media. In prime time. Everybody was watching… The stage it was on made it feel different to me. This one just hit differently.

And we live things today, for better or worse, in real-time. We all want everything right away. We want to know what is happening with Hamlin right away. And we don’t know… We are just waiting for an update and you want to get good news. And there were no answers.”

And you can listen to their full conversation below…The post Adam Schefter Joined Anthony To Discuss The Damar Hamlin Situation appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Anthony addressed the scary scene in last night’s game concerning Damar Hamlin in his opening diatribe this morning…

It is tough today to come in with all the smiles and the happiness when you see someone just fall like that last night. When you see someone go through that situation live on television. it was tough. It was really really difficult. And our prays go out to Damar Hamlin. We were talking about this all night last night. I know Johnny and Bobby were talking about it this morning. The whole sports world is gripped by it.

We saw someone have to be revived on the field. it was an awful situation. It is a reminder about life, and how perilous it is. We sit here today, and you have to thank your blessings. Just an awful situation. 24 years old and you are playing football. And it just is an oddity of a hit in the right spot of the chest. The next thing you know there is an ambulance on the field. he gets up, and the way he fell was chilling. It was absolutely chilling. His mom, god bless her, having to deal with that situation. Being in an ambulance and having to wonder if he is going to make it or not, he had to be revived on the field. It was just an awful situation.

And it is a stark reminder of how tenuous life is. It happens in the middle of a Football game where the whole country is watching. It was ABC. The game of the Week. Bengals vs the Bills. A showdown in the AFC… This is where there are wake-up calls. And I think the whole nation got one last night. I’ll tell you one thing, it was just lovely what happened later that night when you know Damar Hamlin had his toyy drive. he had a go fund me. And that charity where the goal was $2,500, is now well over $3 million. That is the outpouring of people around the country who along with prayers, donated. That shows our empathy. Shows what we are capable of. We always have to keep that in the front lobe of how we live our lives…

You can listen to his full conversation about the Damar Hamlin incident below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Reacting To Scary Damar Hamlin Incident appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

What a year 2022 was for Philadelphia Sports! The Eagles had an improbable end to 2021 and started 2022 with a playoff game! The Sixers finally traded Ben Simmons and got James Harden BACK. The Phillies had an unbelievable run to the World Series! The Union were a few minutes away from an MLS cup. The Flyers…..tried….but while it didnt end in a championship, it was a fun year.

So what is there to look forward to in 2023? Here are some key dates. And just some key time frames. Some of these dates arent set yet, so I had to simply give you the month. But its set to be a busy year in Philly sports.

The post What To Look Forward To In Philly Sports Come 2023 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

EAGLES STUMBLING AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME

If you were told that the Eagles would follow up last years (9-8) regular season and playoff loss at Tampa with a (13-3) start and a chance to clinch the top seed in the final week all of us would have applauded. Instead we have a team that started out (13-1) and saw their starting QB get injured in that game. They have stumbled in Dallas and now at home vs the Saints. The way you get to the point matters and concern is large in Eagles country.

Nick Sirianni claims he doesn’t get too high after the wins or too low after the losses. Watching him address the media after the loss on Sunday and yesterday after a night to sleep on it was troubling to me. He has the look of a guy feeling the heat. He doesn’t appear comfortable and the happy go lucky approach seems to be missing. At times of stress you look to your leader for a sense of calm, I’m not seeing it.

A win on Sunday isn’t going to tell me much about whether the Eagles are real or not. It will tell me about their potential resilience. The deer in the headlights look isn’t a good one. I didn’t see any kids at the post game presser and the answers provided little insight. This is the biggest test of the Sirianni tenure. If the Eagles were to lose the top seed, they will have completed one of the greatest choke jobs in Philly sports history.

FINALLY HEALTHY THE 76ers START TO MAKE THEIR MOVE

After starting (12-12) and finding themselves as the 10 seed, the 76ers have managed to get healthier and are making a run up the Eastern Conference standings. A (10-2) run has them now in the 5 seed but just a game out of the 3 seed in the East. A season that has looked very disjointed now appears poised to lead to another impressive regular season standing. The goal of course should be a conference title, but a top 2 seed would guarantee home court in the first 2 series which could be critical. We have definitely seen that health is truly what is most important. The 76ers have a lot to prove but they won’t prove anything until May.

WINNING WHEN YOU DON’T WANT IT

The Flyers have finally decided to play some solid hockey. All it took was a 2,800 mile plane trip. They are now undefeated post Christmas after sweeping a California road trip for the first time in franchise history! They beat LA, Anaheim and San Jose. That’s very praise worthy unless you are dreaming about them getting the opportunity to draft Connor Bedard next summer. That’s the thing about bad teams, the players don’t want to be bad. They try to do things to right the ship. While we root for better draft position, they fight for jobs. John Tortorella has done an impressive job. It’s clear the the Flyers finally gave an adult in charge.

The post Random Thoughts as 2023 dawns appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Yesterday the Eagles lost, ending the season and eliminating them from playoff contention. Wait, no that is not right. But surely it cost them the 1 seed. Nope, that didn’t happen either. But still looking so bad vs a mediocre team with their starting QB is a reason to be concerned. Wait, Jalen Hurts was out.

So wait, why are so many people acting like the sky is falling? Yea it was an ugly loss, and it puts them in a must-win position vs the Giants. That is not ideal. But did you all drink so much over New Year’s that you forgot how great this team looks with Jalen Hurts healthy? 10 points against the Saints is incredibly ugly. But it was with Gardner Minshew at QB. And Minshew was the main reason they could not move the ball. His final numbers looked decent, but those are inflated by the long AJ Brown TD where Brown did almost all of the work. He was incredibly inaccurate all day and even some of the receptions were off-target.

This is still an elite team. The full collection of their games proves that. And yet all yesterday I saw usually smart Football minds freaking out. One guy even said that the Eagles would have no chance to win in Tampa. What are we doing here? If you are panicking, I am going to give you 5 reasons to relax. Here are 5 numbers that show why you should still be confident in the Eagles.

29.4The Chiefs currently lead the league with 29.1 points per game. Well with Jalen Hurts at QB, the Eagles averaged 29.4 points per game. The Eagles are among the elite offenses when they have their MVP candidate QB in. This is an elite offense. With Jalen Hurts they have scored at least 20 points in all except one game. That matches the Chiefs and the Colts. You can’t judge this offense by how badly Minshew played because Minshew won’t be playing in the playoffs, and likely won’t be playing this week.

Minshew being in there changed the Eagles’ entire offense. He is not only a worse Qb than Hurts, he is not a threat in the run game. there were so many times yesterday where a play failed, but Minshew had space where he could have run. If Hurts was in those drives would have been extended because he could have just run for the first. There were times when Minshew threw it behind someone, where Hurts would have hit them in strife and let them run after the catch. There is nothing you can take from the performance of the offense yesterday because it was sabotaged by a terrible Qb performance. Could the game plan have been better? Yes. But the gameplan works great with Hurts so what is there to worry about?

302.6The defense takes a ton of heat. And I agree there are things Jonathan Gannon does that I find incredibly annoying. But the numbers will show that this is one of the elite defenses in the NFL. They give up just 302.6 total yards per game. That is the lowest number in the whole NFL. Even lower than the 49ers who many would argue is the best defense in the whole league. And that is with this team having a lot of games where they were way ahead and the other team was airing it out to try and catch up.

I think at times the Gannon defense is too soft. There are games where you can say the defense did not play well. But when a team is 1st in yards per game, and 8th in points allowed per game, you have to give the defense some credit. The middle of the field with Avonte Maddox and CJ Gardner-Johnson out is concerning. I do not trust Josiah Scott or Reed Blankenship even a little bit. But CJGJ may be back soon. And even without them, they have still played well.

They gave up only 13 points vs the Saints. Yea that opening drive was a mess. But we have seen this defense is capable of starting slow and eventually buckling down. Are they as shutdown as the Niners? Probably not. But they are still a damn good defense.

4.3Oh, and did I mention how good this defense is at getting to the QB? They average 4.3 sacks per game. Their 68 sacks puts them in the top 5 all-time in total sacks by one team in a single season. They get after the Qb better than anyone. And they have 5 guys who contribute to that. One of them, Josh Sweat, went down yesterday with a scary neck injury. But it seems like he may actually be okay to play in the playoffs.

Haason Reddick leads the way with 16 sacks. But Sweat, Javon Hargrave, and Brandon Graham are all also in double digits. And Fletcher Cox is not too far behind at 7 sacks, with Milton Williams also making some noise with 4 sacks. And the production is picking up at the end of the year.

72.2%Even with Gardner Minshew hurting the numbers in the past two weeks, the Eagles are still the best red zone offense in the league. They score a TD 72.2% of the time they get into the Red Zone. And that is in large part due to the Eagles’ run game being impossible to stop in the Red Zone. They have 31 rushing Touchdowns. Hurts accounts for 13 of those, and Miles Sanders accounts for 11. There are only 9 players with double-digit rushing touchdowns, and the Eagles have two of them. In the Red Zone, you have to cover a Jalen Hurts run, the RB, Devonta Smith, and AJ Brown, plus Dallas Goedert. And if one guy misses his assignment, or gets beat, the Eagles are probably scoring. Oh, and the Eagles also have zero red zone turnovers this year, not counting turnovers on downs.

1Losing two games in a row is a bit of a gut punch. But it is worth remembering the Eagles still have just 1 loss when Jalen Hurts is playing. I can’t blame Minshew solely for the Cowboys’ loss, though Hurts would have played better than him. But we can blame Minshew for the Saints’ loss. I don’t think it is controversial to say that if Hurts played they would have won at least one of these games. Which would put them at just two losses. No other team has less than 3.

The Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, 49ers, and Cowboys all have multiple ugly losses. We over-focus on our own teams because it is what we pay the most attention to obviously. But if we broaden our perspective every single team has weeks like the Eagles had. And the Chiefs had Patrick Mahomes when they lost to the Colts. So I’m not going to overreact to one, or even two losses when the Eagles shave their backup QB in.

The post 5 Numbers That Show You Should Still Be Confident In the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Yesterday, the Eagles played one of the worst games in the Nick Sirianni era. They got absolutely worked by the New Orleans Saints, scoring a total of only 10 points in the game, and failing to take advantage of a sub-.500 team. The game plan was nonsensical, the execution was nearly as bad, and Philadelphia Eagles fans are now left to sweat it out in Week 18 as their once juggernaut team has to battle with the New York Giants for a final chance to lock up the top seed in the NFC and an NFC East title before heading into the playoffs. This is about as bad of a scenario as the Eagles could have seen themselves in when it came to the last 3 weeks of the season, but it’s not time for anyone to be hitting the panic button yet.

Two things can be true: the Philadelphia Eagles played a god awful game yesterday, created by one of the most blatantly ignorant game plans that I’ve ever seen by a competent NFL coaching staff, but they are still a 13-3 football team, tied for the best record in the NFL with the inside track to the top seed in their conference. It’s perfectly fine to be upset about Sunday’s performance against New Orleans, in fact you should take a look in the mirror and reevaluate your fandom if this game did not make you significantly upset with the Eagles’ effort. Where some folks may find themselves going too far is when you take the emotion from the birds’ 3rd loss of the year and channel it into thinking that this season is over now. While the Eagles are currently on a slide, and there should be a lot of concern with the current state of the team, they have built up enough equity over the rest of the season to still hold our trust.

Think about what the Eagles are currently playing without. Their starting slot corner is injured, the NFL leader in interceptions that plays safety for you is also hurt, the NFL record holder for most games and pass snaps without a sack allowed is hurt too, and, oh yeah, the MVP of the damn league and your starting QB has been out. Those are a couple of pretty big pieces, and while that’s not an anomaly when you look around the league – plenty of teams are experiencing major injuries to key players right now – it certainly can explain why the Eagles have faltered a bit down the stretch here. The good news? Jalen Hurts will be back this year, as will Lane Johnson, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, and possibly even Avonte Maddox as well. This team healthy is still arguably the most talented roster in football, in spite of how they’ve looked without those key players. That’s not the only reason why the panic reason should remain un-pressed, though.

Super Bowl winning teams almost always have weird slip ups. Let’s just look at the last 5 NFL champions. Last year, the Los Angeles Rams got smoked 31-10 by the 3rd place in their division 49ers in Week 10. In the 2020-21 season, the Buccaneers got demolished by their division rival Saints, 38-3 in Week 9. The Super Bowl Champ Chiefs lost back to back games to the Colts and the Texans in the 2019-20 season. The 2018-19 season saw the eventual champ Patriots lose back to back games to the Lions and the Jaguars. And when the Eagles won in 2017-18, they had an eerily similar score in Week 12 against the Seahawks, falling 24-10. This type of thing is annoying, and every single one of those losses are different, but the point remains: teams that win the Super Bowl still have slip ups. Has it been a fun couple of weeks for the Philadelphia Eagles? No. But is the season now over? Absolutely not. Hold off on the panic button, the birds still have a really good shot at this thing.

The post It’s Not Time For The Eagles Panic Button Yet appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Nick Sirianni and his staff have done an amazing job of getting the Eagles to a (13-3) record which puts them on the precipice of clinching the top seed in the NFC. If they had won their last 2 games to put themselves into this position we would be celebrating them as amazing upstarts coming off last years (9-9) season. Instead, we have the city of angst and there are fans lining the bridges ready to exit the bandwagon. I completely understand the urge, but I tell you that the reaction is completely premature and must be reflected on in context.

This all goes back to the Chicago game. A spot where many local media members like myself completely questioned the decision to put Jalen Hurts health at risk. The injury to Hurts changed the complete dynamic of this stretch run. It would have been wonderful to have a healthy Jalen roll into Dallas on Christmas Eve to close out the top seed. Instead they were underdogs and almost still pulled off the win with their backup QB. Going into the game on Sunday the Eagles had every reason to think it would be an extension of a New Years party. Instead what happened was a disgraceful, listless effort that puts them behind the 8 ball. Blame that on the coaching staff.

Despite incredible second season success, it’s always been my belief that this coaching staff wants to win by throwing the football. They don’t want to rely on the running game like they did last season to secure the 7 seed in the NFC after turning around from a disappointing (2-5) start. They want to be a vertical offense and the success of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith certainly benefits from that vision. The problem is that caused them to make many puzzling choices.

Going up against the Chicago Bears and their porous run defense the wisdom was to line up behind the best offensive line in football and punish the Bears. Instead they were pass happy on a very windy day and barely survived a team that has been out of the playoff race since October. Instead of a traditional rushing attack they ran their QB and put his health at risk, over and over. We all know what happened then. That was completely the fault of the plan they designed.

Fast forward to Sunday. Instead of lining up and running the ball, the Eagles attempted just 2 rushes with their Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders. They decided that instead of putting their chances squarely on the shoulders of their strength that Gardner Minshew was the superior option. Spoiler Alert…he wasn’t.

It’s a delicate balance, celebrate 13 wins but scratch your head at decisions this staff continues to make. Yes, the opening 9 minute drive by the Saints that put them down 7-o sucked, but the Eagles defense gave up just 13 points. An NFL team would have lost just once in 7 weeks giving up 13 points. Place the blame where it belongs, on a horrible offensive game plan. Now a win is required in Week 18 and Jalen Hurts must return. I’m optimistic about their chances, a bit pissed off, but still optimistic. How about you?

I’d love to hear from you at john.kincade@bbgi.com

The post The Eagles Sunday loss falls squarely on the coaching staff appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Each week on “The Best Show Ever?” they each make two picks from College or the NFL. Tyrone Johnson, Ricky Bottalico, Hunter Brody, Jen Scordo, and Dylan MacKinnon compete to see who can make the best picks and have the best record by year’s end. And now it is time for their week 17 picks.

Last week there were no picks because most of the show was off for Christmas break. But the week 15 picks did not change the standings too much. Everyone except Dylan went 1-1 with their picks, and Dylan made it two weeks in a row where he went 2-0. But even still he is under .500. So Hunter stayed in first, with Tyrone and Jen following close behind, and Dylan and Ricky trying to dig out of a hole.

But this week there is a slight twist. With the College Football Playoffs upon us, each member of the show had to pick both of those games this week, along with one other pick of their choice.

Here is where all of our records stand after 16 weeks… Tyrone Johnson- (13-15) * Ricky Bottalico- (9-19) * Hunter Brody- (16-12) * Jen Scordo- (14-14) * Dylan MacKinnon- (12-16)*

And here are our week 17 picksTyrone’s Picks* Ohio State +6.5 vs Georgia * Michigan -8 vs TCU * Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3.5 vs Carolina Panthers

Hunter’s Picks* Ohio State +6.5 vs Georgia * TCU +8 vs Michigan * Cleveland Browns +2 at Washington Commanders

Ricky’s Picks* Georiga -6.5 vs Ohio State * Michigan -8 vs TCU * Philadelphia Eagles -5.5 vs New Orleans Saints

Jen’s Picks* ~~The~~ Ohio State +6.5 vs Georgia * Michigan -8 vs TCU * Jacksonville Jaguars -4 vs Houston Texans

Dylan’s Picks* Georiga -6.5 vs Ohio State * Michigan -8 vs TCU * Cincinnati Bengals +1 vs Buffalo Bills

The post “The Best Show Ever?”- Week 17 Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles play the Saints on Sunday with a chance to wrap up the one seed in the NFC. But perhaps more importantly they are dealing with injuries to several key players. And to get an update on those injuries, and a preview for Sunday’s game vs the Saints, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Dave Zangaro. What is the latest on Jalen Hurts? When can CJ Gardner-Johnson return? Can Lane Johnson really play through his torn abdomen? Dave discussed all of that and more. Here is some of what Dave Zangaro had to say.

On Jalen Hurts Shoulder Injury…

“When it comes to an injury like this, I think the fear of him injuring it worse is the guiding factor. As far as next week that’s in play if they can’t pull it out this week. Then there is a ton of pressure on that week 18 game to try and win one and get home-field advantage. He’s trending the right way. That was the big takeaway from seeing him at practice. I thought it was a long shot that he would play this week anyway. But seeing him out there, seeing him progress, and seeing him look good throwing the football. It makes you feel that if they need him next week he will be available.

More importantly, once they get to the playoffs he will be good to go. Because I still think they can win on Sunday with Garnder Minshew and lock up that number 1 seed. And then you are really jus trying to stay healthy until you get to the divisional round games.”

On the Eagles Matchup vs the Saints Defense…

“Last year the Saints were so good at stopping the run. And then they played the Eagles and they ran all over them. Of course in that game, they had Hurts and Lane Johnson. And they won’t have either in this one. I think it will be a balanced offense in this game. There are a few areas that trouble you a little bit. One of them is Cam Jordan coming off the edge and going against Jack Driscoll. They might have to help him out here and there… They have been really good against the Tight Ends… But just about every game they go into the Eagles are going to feel like they have an advantage with their receivers against the other team’s cornerbacks… So I still feel like that is a pretty big advantage.”

And you can listen to the full interview below…The post Dave Zangaro Previews Eagles vs Saints appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

There are just 2 more games left in the regular season. But the injuries are starting to pile up for the Eagles. And to get some insight into which Eagles will be ready to go in week 17 vs the Saints, and for what to watch in the Saints game, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Tim McManus. Here is some of what Tim McManus had to say in his Week 17 Mid-Week Report.

On Jalen Hurts Status For Week 17 and Going Forward…

“I was there when he took the field. It was the first time we have seen him on the practice field since he injured his right shoulder against the Bears… He was taking part in individual drills. Going through with some light throwing. Short throws and intermediatew throws. Had a little bit of velocity. When you are looking at it big picture, that is good news for Eagles fans. Because if this was a serious injury, you don’t have your Qb out there throwing passes this shortly removed from when he injured himself…

Taking the temperature of the locker room, I think the expectation in there is that Garnder Minshew is going to be the QB barring a change. That still seems to be the general pulse there… But obviously encouraging news that Hurts is making progress from the shoulder injury.”

On News Lane Will Try To Play through Injury in Playoffs

“I guess we are going to find out. It doesn’t seem all that likely to me… That injury just doesn’t seem like one you would be able to push through successfully. Can a torn lower abdomen really sustain having that anchor? Having to move like you have to move? Absorbing all the impact that you have to in order to stave off a defensive end? I just don’t know if it is humanely possible. But he is going to give it a go. I have my doubts as to what that is going to look like. We know Johnson is a real tough dude… But it seems like a massive feat to be able to do not just for one game but a sustained playoff run.”

Listen to the full interview with Tim McManus here…The post Tim McManus Mid-Week Report- Week 17 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

2022 was a wild year for the city of Philadelphia, for better or worse. Two teams made their respective Championship, though they each fell short. The Eagles have had one of the best regular seasons in franchise history. There have been massive trades made by our teams. People lost their jobs. There were moments of pure joy and moments of absolute heartbreak. And we saw a once proud Flyers franchise fall to perhaps its lowest place in franchise history. But what were the biggest single moments in Philly Sports this year?

I put together a list of the biggest moments this calendar year in Philly Sports. And to be clear, these are just singular moments. The Phillies World Series run is not a moment. There are moments in that run that made this list, but the run as a whole is not eligible. Likewise, the Eagle’s regular season is not a moment. We are talking about singular moments. One pass, one move by the front office, one swing of the bat. Things that could be captured in a headline.

There are of course a couple of more days in 2022. But it’s doubtful there will be any major moments in a regular season Flyers or Sixers season. Unless the Sixers randomly decide to fire Doc Rivers off the back of an 8-game winning streak, there will be no Earth-shattering moments in Philly Sports before the ball drops in Times Square.

And biggest moment does not mean only good moments. While there was a lot to cheer about this season, there was also heartbreak. This list will be mostly positive, but there are some moments that we do not look back on with fondness. It would not be a Philly sports year if there was not a roller coaster of emotion. But without further ado here are the 10 biggest moments from Philly sports in 2022. Starting with the honorable, and dishonorable mentions.

The post The Biggest Philly Sports Moments of 2022 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL has a dark cloud looming over it. It is by far the most successful sports industry in the country. An average NFL game sometimes outperforms playoff games in other sports. But even with that said, there is an issue that is hard to stomach. Head injuries and concussions. The revelation about just how serious these head injuries are came to light nearly 10 years ago when Junior Seau passed away and a post-mortem brain scan showed the severity of the trauma.

You would think that after all of those studies about CTE, and the long-term damage concussions can have the NFL would take the issue a bit more seriously. But the events surrounding Tua Tagovailoa this season show that they are not treating the problem with the severity it merits. We all know what happened to Tua earlier in the season. First, he took a hard hit back in week 3 against the Bills. He was wobbly after getting up, making many presume that he had a concussion. He reportedly passed concussion protocols and was allowed to return to finish the game. But then a few days later on Thursday Night Football, he took another big hit. And this time he did not get up.

It was one of the scariest moments on a Football Field in recent memory. Tua laid there motionless on the field, with his hands locked in a position that is according to medical experts a sure sign of brain trauma. And for the following week it the way the Dolphins and the NFL handled it was a big topic of conversation. There was talk of protocols having to change. But nothing ever did. Because here we are again with Tua suffering at his least second concussion of the season, if not the 3rd since we still don’t know what happened in the Bills game.

And to make it worse, they allowed Tua to stay in the game. At this point, many assume the concussion happened on this play in the 2nd quarter.

This would seem to be the play on which Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa was injured, when his head bangs the ground. pic.twitter.com/zCQXadHm2r

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 26, 2022

We can’t say for a fact he was allowed to play with a concussion earlier in the year. He showed many of the signs of being concussed in the Bills game. But Tua never got officially diagnosed with a concussion. This case does not have that lack of clarity though. He suffered a concussion in the game, yet stayed in the game. The NFL has doctors not affiliated with either team for this exact purpose. So a non-bias party can be the one to determine if a player is cleared to play. A player will lie so they can go back in. We know that Coaches are at times willing to make players play even if it’s not safe. But a non-team doctor theoretically should have none of those biases.

And yet, here we are. Once again a concussed player was allowed to stay in the game. And to make it worse it was a player who already had a concussion this season. This is not an ankle injury or some sore muscles that will heal. The brain doesn’t work like that. Repeated brain trauma is dangerous. And if Tua took another bad hit while he was already concussed the consequences would have been severe. We know the science at this point. And we have seen way too many former players suffer from the aftereffects of these repeated brain injuries.

Obviously, we can’t legislate all hits out of the league. It’s a contact sport. Even with all the penalties for hits to the head, there will occasionally be tackles that cause head injuries. This example was not even a hit to the head. It was a fairly normal tackle, but Tua’s head smacked into the ground. And we also know that it can be the repeated light contact, such as linemen colliding on every play, that leads to long-term brain trauma. There will always be some risk to playing Football.

But we can be smarter. We can protect players from themselves. The NFL, and these coaching staffs, need to do their part to protect these players. The Dolphins and the NFL let Tua down. Hopefully, it won’t have long-lasting effects on his health. But this many head injuries within a few months span is dangerous. And him continuing to play this past week even after suffering the concussion shows a blatant lack of concern for his health.

There were no consequences for when this happened back in Week 4. There should be now. For Mike McDaniels, for the doctor assigned to this game whose job is the prevent his from happening, and for the Dolphins as a whole. It needs to be made clear that showing this little concern for head injuries will not be allowed. The NFL itself needs to be held accountable as well. But we know by now Roger Goodell and the NFL owners won’t take responsibility for anything they do wrong. That may fall on someone in congress calling for a hearing on how the NFL handles head injuries.

We can hold the Dolphins accountable though. They already lost this year’s first-round pick for their conspiracy to commit collusion. So take next year’s first-round pick too. Drop the hammer. Do something. Show that failure to protect players will have dire consequences. Because if this is just brushed under the rug again, there will be no reason for any team to take head injuries seriously unless the people in charge just genuinely care about player health. But that is sadly not always the case.

The NFL seems like an unkillable juggernaut right now. But so have other sports in the past. Boxing was once king, now most people know next to nothing about modern boxers. Baseball was at one point America’s Pastime. Now it is at best the 3rd most popular sport. There is no such thing as being too big to fail. If parents don’t let their kids play Football to protect them, then the future generations of Football players may not be as elite as they are now.

Football will eventually fall as the number one sport. It may not be anytime soon, but it is going to happen as people and generations change. If the NFL refuses to take this issue as seriously as it merits, that could happen sooner than it has to. But more importantly, these are human beings. We should want to prevent future cases like Junior Seau. Learn from our mistakes. And we should not want to see someone like Tua struggling with CTE 20 years from now because he had too many head injuries in one season. The NFL Claims it is all about player safety. But apart from penalizing certain types of hits, they have yet to show they actually care.

The post The NFL Is Still Not Taking Concussions Seriously Enough appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles will be facing their rival Cowboys this week without starting QB Jalen Hurts. He sprained his shoulder in last week’s game vs the Bears. And while the Eagles pretended he might be able to play, we learned that was not in the cards. So what can we expect in this game with Minshew in for Hurts? Do the Eagles still stand a chance vs the Cowboys? “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Dave Zangaro from NBC Sports Philly to get the scoop on this game.

Was he still optimistic about their chances in their game? What type of game plan will they go with having Minshew at QB? Here is some of what Dave Zangaro had to say.

On The Eagles Approach to This Game Without Hurts and With The Results Not Meaning as Much…

“They are approaching it in the same way they have approached every game this year. It’s really been one of the most impressive things about this team. They’re focused week in and week out. They are actually doing the things most teams talk about. Every team says they have to focus each week, and they have to take it one game at a time. You won’t find a team that says anything different. But the Eagles have actually done it this year.

It comes down to leadership, with the head coach and the Qb. Obviously, the QB isn’t playing this week. But they have a pretty good backup. One of the best backups in the league. And it could be a good game. I think they can stick tough with Dallas, and have a chance to win it.”

On the Eagles vs Cowboys Rosters

“Just look at their roster. Jalen is one of 8 pro bowlers on this roster, and they could have more. It’s just a more talented roster. That is not to say Dallas doesn’t have good players. They certainly do. Dallas has some stars in their own right. But they have also been hit by injuries harder than the Eagles. Look at their CB position, they have lost two starters for a year. Their line has been a little banged up. And they are going to be without their starting middle linebacker in this game.”

On What To Expect from Gardner Minshew

“Yea they are going to miss Jalen Hurts, no doubt. But Gardner Minshew is a solid player in this league. The thing you like about Minshew is he is not going to try to do too much. He has 41 TDS and 12 interceptions in his career. He takes care of the football and he can run the offense efficiently. They have enough weapons outside of him to make it work. He has a good offensive line. They still have AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. They’re getting Dallas Goedert back. He just has to not make mistakes, run the offense efficiently, and the Eagles have a shot to win this.”

And you can listen to the full conversation with Dave Zangaro below…The post Dave Zangaro Previews Eagles vs Cowboys appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Happy Holidays everyone, it’s once again Dallas Week.

I, like all Philadelphia fans, am very happy that we dodged a bullet with the Jalen Hurts injury. It is not long term it appears, and he was able to finish the victory in Chicago that got the Eagles to 13-1 and one game away from clinching home field.

How many of us have heard the excuses from the Cowboys fans who unfortunately walk among us that the Eagles only won the first meeting because “they played a backup quarterback?” They have been holding on to that despite the fact they have in-house issues with their own team that they should be worried about. Those issues showed up again last week when they blew a big lead to the Jaguars, making the game this week less meaningful.

I wrongly assumed that these “fans” would humble themselves this holiday season, but I forgot that I wasn’t dealing with normal humans. They have instead doubled down on nonsense. Local Cowboys fans are puffing out their chests because Hurts sustained a sprained shoulder.

ADWell Cowboys fans, Gardner Minshew will be the starting QB Christmas Eve in Dallas against the Cowboys. That means that using your own “logic,” you are destined to beat the Eagles. They have Dak Prescott back and the Eagles are now playing their backup QB. The problem is, the Cowboys this season have lost to teams far worse than the Eagles — even without the league MVP Hurts.

The Cowboys have lost to the wretched Buccaneers this year. They may win the weak NFC South, but I am sure Tom Brady wishes he would have walked away when Giselle tried to force him to. The Cowboys have lost to the same Packers team that the Eagles scored 40 points on. And of course, they lost to Doug Pederson and the Jaguars in overtime last week on a Dak pick-six.

The Eagles officially have eight Pro Bowl players, Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, A.J. Brown, Miles Sanders, Landon Dickerson, Haason Reddick, and Darius Slay. Javon Hargrave was a big snub and James Bradberry has a strong argument. It is criminal that C.J. Gardner-Johnson was left off the ballot despite still leading the NFL in interceptions. Dallas Goedert was a lock before missing five games due to his shoulder. The Birds have 12 pro bowl caliber players on the roster and it backs up their 13-1 record.

The Eagles are the superior team. Of course, Hurts makes a huge difference, but the Eagles are talented up and down the roster. If the Cowboys fans would just say that, it would be easier for them to deal with. Instead, they almost gloat that they get a chance to face the Eagles without their QB.

That is why the Cowboys are my least favorite team in all of sports and why we all need the Eagles to ruin their Christmas. Their fans are never realistic and are always annoying. You would think the yearly humiliation would make them more bearable, but nope.

Think about what it takes to be a local Cowboys fan. You have to live and work around a bunch of people and actively root against them all the time. You are the type of person that intentionally takes the opposite side in every argument, no matter how preposterous just to have a “balanced argument.”

AD(Example: I know a person in real life that suggested Bobby Brown was really the king of R&B and dismissed Luther Vandross.)

These people live in our town. They are the ones who drive too slow in the left lane. They have a Cowboys jersey, a Lakers jersey, a Yankees jersey, a Duke jersey, and a Notre Dame jersey all framed in their house.

If the Cowboys lose to the Eagles Saturday without Hurts, it will be the final time we should have to hear from these people. I recognize that the fans will fight harder than their team ever does, but this should be the end for a long while.

ESPN has been hyping them all year despite the evidence being counter to their narrative. Let’s see the “real” Cowboys Saturday, because if they don’t win in this situation, Nick Sirianni and the Eagles are going to own them for a very long time.

The post This Time, Cowboys Fans Have No Excuse appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It seems like it will be Gardner Minshew at Qb for the Eagles on Saturday in Dallas. Jalen Hurts is dealing with a sprained shoulder. And while no one on the team has ruled out him playing, it is very unlikely that he will actually suit up. We have not seen much of Miinshew this year yet, with him only seeing the field in a few games where the Eagles pulled their starters. So what can we expect from him if he does suit up on Saturday? Tim McManus talked to some of his Eagles teammates after practice, and he joined “The Best Show Ever?” to share what they had to say.

On how Gardner Minshew looked at Practice

“The report was very encouraging about what Gardner Minshew did.. When I asked Dallas Goedert about it, he said I don’t know if the ball hit the ground the entire day. The consensus was he was balling out. The play of the game they told me was on a pressure from the defense, he stepped back, and threw a dime to one of the tight ends. So an encouraging start for Minshew. It has obviously been a turbulent week for him. Now he is possibly thrown in the starter’s spot. But he performed well today according to his teammates.”

Tim McManus also discussed the return of Dallas Goedert, what type of gameplan the Eagles might run on offense, and the impact Minshew has in that locker room. You can listen to the full interview with Tim McManus below. And to hear more from Tim McManus, join “The Best Show Ever?” every Wednesday when he joins us for his Mid-week report.

Listen to the Full Interview With Tim McManus here…The post Tim McManus Discusses How Gardner Minshew Has Looked in Practice appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

I’ve watched every daytime soap opera that had ever been broadcast in my lifetime. I’ve seen all of the Fast and the Furious movies, so I have seen bad acting. The performance from Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts is going to be the best game of poker ever OR laughable. We will find out on Saturday afternoon. Is Jalen playing or not? Is the decision really hanging in the balance or not? Let’s try and read between the lines…

Yesterday on The John Kincade Show I discussed that a well placed source had told me that IF the Cowboys game outcome would have determined if the 2022 Eagles go to the playoffs or not he would have played. It was also the assumption that the team would instead start Gardner Minshew and give him some time to heal. Then we were joined by Adam Schefter and he reported almost the exact same message. His expectation was that this was not a long term situation and that the team would protect Hurts with a week of rest. It all makes sense.

Then Nick Sirianni addressed the media and made it out as if the starting QB against the Dallas Cowboys was up for grabs. They would monitor the situation and make a decision later in the week. He spoke of how Hurts is a “quick healer” and that “his body isn’t like everyone else’s”. The water was muddied. Now you are left trying to figure out whether Hurts is starting the game or not after Jalen took to the podium. Jalen wants to start against Dallas and he spoke of preparing for battle. So what do you believe?

I’ll go out on a limb and call complete gamesmanship on the part of the Eagles, Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts. It’s my belief that Gardner Minshew will be the starter this weekend in Dallas. I expect the team to say Saturday morning that though he is “very close to action” they will out of caution give him 8 more days of rest before the Saints game. I’ve seen many press conferences about injury and my belief is that they want the Cowboys defensive staff having to prepare all week long for both QB options. That seems like a very smart strategy.

I want to applaud the Eagles if that is the plan. With a 3 game lead over the Cowboys and needing only one victory to claim the top seed in the NFC, I would never play Jalen Hurts this weekend. 5 days rest as opposed to 13 on a shoulder strain is a huge difference. Let him get rested, healed up and ready to deliver a first round bye by beating the Saints at home on New Years Day. It would be reckless to not make sure that your ultimate weapon is ready to deliver at peak performance in January. I also like the idea of him not having 34 days of inaction as opposed to 20 before their first playoff game.

It’s a lose lose situation for Dallas. Don’t let them get another look at Hurts and potentially demoralize them with a loss at home to the Eagles backup QB. Santa, you know what this Eagles fan base wants for Christmas! You can deliver that gift in February, Christmas Eve isn’t nearly as important.

The post Reading between the lines of the Hurts injury status appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It looks like the Eagles will have Gardner Minshew at QB on Saturday after Jalen Hurts sprained his shoulder. And to get an idea of what the offense may look like with Minshew, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Ej Smith from the Philly Inquirer. What changes will the eagles coaching staff have to make to fit Minshew’s skillset? And when Hurts does come back, should they scale back the number of times Hurts runs the ball? EJ Smith discussed that and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On Differences Between Jalen Hurts and Gardner Minshew…

“I think the biggest difference between the two is obviously the athleticism factor. But if you are talking about the passing game, Jalen has been really good on deep passes this year… Gardner Minshew is really adept at the underneath stuff. Throwing with timing and anticipation on shorter routes. He is not quite as good with the deep stuff as Jalen. I talked about the average depth of target… Jalen has typically been toward the top in that metric. He is not afraid to take shots downfield… Gardner typically in his career is in the bottom third of the league. He is a guy who definitely targets underneath routes more than Jalen does.”

On If They Should Stop letting Jalen Hurts Run As Much

“People talk about the rushing attempts. Jalen has had 17 rushing attempts in 3 games. He took some hard shots. It is hard to see a Qb get hit… But this is Jalen’s game… The reason Jalen is effective as he is not only because of the strides that he made as a passer. But because of what he can do on the ground. He is dynamic because of his athleticism. You can’t take that part of him away. You’d rather get 8 years of MVP-level play with a guy who can run it as well as he can throw it. Rather than try to string out 11 years and try to turn him into a pocket passer. I don’t know if Jalen can be dominant that way without his legs.”

Listen to the full interview below…The post EJ Smith Previews How Eagles Offense Will Look With Gardner Minshew appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

We got some tough news yesterday that Jalen Hurts has suffered a sprained shoulder. What does that mean for the rest of his season? How long will he be out? To get that information, Anthony Gargano talked to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. They discussed the injury, when he could be back, and more. Here is what Jeff McLane had to say.

On Jalen Hurts Injury

“They have probably dodged a bullet. it doesn’t sound season-ending. At least that is what we are being told. It is going to be something they have to juggle here… I was told he is probably out for 2 weeks. Now that estimation may be based on how the Eagles see this playing out. Based on the analytics they have a 99% chance of getting that one seed. A lot would have to happen for them to not get that first-round bye. And I’m sure they are looking at that and saying we don’t need to press this…

I don’t think there is any chance he plays against the Cowboys. And if they win it means he is not going to play for the rest of the regular season. They would have a first-round bye. And that means he doesn’t play until Jan 21st, the divisional round of the playoffs. Which is a little over a month after he suffered the injury. Taht would be how I think things will play out.”

On If They Are Exposing Jalen Hurts to Too Many Hits

“It is absolutely a fair question. Jalen’s ability to run has made this one of the best offenses in the NFL. He is integral to the success of this team. But, you can also say that under the circumstances maybe they should have dialed it back a little bit. Both can be true. We can look at this with some nuance here.”

Listen to the Full Conversation with Jeff McLane below…The post Jeff McLane Joins Anthony To Discuss the Jalen Hurts Injury appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is a foregone conclusion at this point the Eagles will be number 1 on all these rankings. Being the best team in the NFL feels a little less satisfying now though after we got the Jalen Hurts news. Thankfully it is just a sprain, and he will be back soon. But while it is not a death blow, it still feels like a bit of a gut punch. Still, it is good to see what the National media has to say about our team. Even if we know where the Eagles are ranked, and we have more on our minds at the moment. So here is the Eagles’ power rankings round-up, heading into week 16.

ESPN- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

Pleasant surprise: RB Miles Sanders

There was no doubt Sanders was gifted and capable of a big season, but the production — north of 1,000 rushing yards already with double-digit touchdowns — has been a big bonus for this offense, especially after he was kept out of the end zone for the entire 2022 season. He’s matured as a runner and has run more physical through contact. That, plus good health, has allowed him to thrive behind one of the best offensive lines in football and alongside Jalen Hurts.

We all knew Miles Sanders was capable of this. The flashes were there. But he never put it fully together, whether because of injuries, on-field mistakes, or at times trying to do too much. But Sanders really figured it all this season. He is hitting the holes hard. We don’t get as many big breakout touchdowns as we used to. But the tradeoff is we get far more production overall. He has been among the best backs in the NFL this year. And after failing to find the endzone all of last year, he has found it 11 times so far this year.

NFL.com- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

Sometimes it’s just about taking care of business. The Bears put up more of a fight than expected but were still no match for a Philadelphia team that made the big plays when necessary in a 25-20 win at Soldier Field. Jalen Hurts threw two interceptions in a game for the first time this season, but otherwise kept his MVP credentials legitimate with three rushing touchdowns — moving within one ground score of Cam Newton’s single-season NFL record for QBs. On Monday, it was learned that Hurts suffered a shoulder sprain that could keep him out of the lineup for the Week 16 showdown with the Cowboys. Philly is now tasked with managing Hurts’ health while attempting to lock up the top seed in the NFC. A delicate dance, for sure.

The Hurts injury is a bummer. Not just because it will keep him out most likely vs the Cowboys. But because it could derail a very real MVP campaign for him. Obviously winning it all is the most important thing. But it would have been cool to see all of Hurts’ hard work this past offseason pay off by being named the best player in the NFL.

Yahoo Sports- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

We’ll assume for now Jalen Hurts will be back for the playoffs from a shoulder injury. Philadelphia isn’t in real danger of losing the No. 1 seed, considering they have a three-game lead over the Cowboys and a two-game lead over Minnesota with the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand. That would give Hurts four weeks off before the Eagles’ first playoff game, if it’s needed. Even if we assume Hurts will be healthy, going nearly five full weeks between games and then being thrown into the playoffs isn’t ideal. We’ll see where it goes, but it’s not good news for Philadelphia’s Super Bowl hopes.

Yea the Eagles should still get the top seed. But it is also true how any interruption to this team that has been playing so well is a reason to be concerned. The Eagles were playing their best football at the right time. Now we have to worry about rust setting in on Hurts. It is not the end of the world. But it is something to keep in mind.

The Ringer- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

The Eagles won their 13th game of the season Sunday, but it may have come at a cost. Jalen Hurts’s upcoming availability is in doubt after he reportedly suffered a sprained right shoulder against the Bears. Initial reporting described this as a short-term injury, but as of this writing, it is unclear whether he’ll be able to play against Dallas this week. The home Cowboys opened as a 1.5-point favorite but the line shifted on Monday to -6 after news of Hurts’s injury. The Eagles are still the favorites to win the NFC (+160) and need only one more win in the next three weeks to secure the top seed in the conference and a first-round bye. As long as Hurts is healthy enough to start when the postseason comes, the Eagles will remain atop this list.

The good news is the Eagles need just one more win, or losses by the Cowboys and Vikings. Even if Hurts does not play again until the postseason, they should still be the top seed. Gardener Minshew can handle winning one game. And even if they don’t, the Cowboys and Vikings have been shaky enough that they may lose another anyway.

The Athletic- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

Well, well, well. Just as it seemed the Eagles were about to waltz to the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a potential three-week mini-vacation ahead of the divisional round, all of a sudden the season has some drama. Which, underneath the anxiety over Jalen Hurts’ shoulder sprain, is probably what makes Eagles fans more comfortable anyway. We’re talking about an injury to the quarterback’s throwing shoulder, so nothing is guaranteed, even if Hurts completed 6 of 9 passes for 102 yards, including a 68-yarder to A.J. Brown, in the fourth quarter of the win over the Bears after he suffered the injury. But with just one win needed (or one loss by each of the Cowboys, Vikings and Niners) for the top seed, Gardner Minshew has a chance to play hero while also auditioning for a role elsewhere as a pending free agent.

Nothing can ever be easy for us. Like I just said, and like all of these authors of these power rankings said, they should still get the one seed. But there just had to be some drama in what was before now the most drama-free season in Eagles’ history.

Sports Illustrated- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

There is something quite beautiful about the fact that the Eagles have not played the Chiefs, Bengals, Bills or 49ers this season. While I am not saying they have had a soft schedule by any means, how they stack up against any potential Super Bowl or conference title-game opponent is still a bit of a mystery, which makes the second round of the postseason awfully fun. I’m assuming they will play it smart with Jalen Hurts and preserve his injured upper body for the postseason.

Yea I am not worried about the Eagles stacking up against any of those teams. The only reason you would need to see them actually play them to know if they are as good is if you haven’t actually watched them play. They have more than proven themselves in the regular season. Only Hurts throwing shoulder not being at 100% could derail them.

Average Ranking- 1Even with the Hurts injury, the Eagles are still the best team. And if they can pull off a win over the Cowboys, they can really go into cruise mode over the final two games. The only concern is the Hurts injury. Hopefully, he fully recovers, and is ready to go for the playoffs. But there is little doubt at this point that they are good enough to win it all as long as they are healthy.

The post The Eagles Power Rankings Round Up Heading Into Week 16 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Anthony Gargano Had to Say About The Jalen Hurts Injury and Thing Never Being Easy for us In Philadelphia in his Opening Diatribe This Morning…

It is never easy in Philadelphia. Let that be our tenet. For some reason, it can never be easy. It can never be worry free in Philadelphia. We somehow have a lot in life where we have to trudge up the mountain. Even when it looks like the terrain is flat and easy, all of the sudden, a sloping mountain with rough terrain appears in the distance. That’s the story with Jalen Hurts. The fact of the matter is he is not going to play again until the playoffs.

When the playoffs come, you just have to hope he is healthy enough to play and is not rusty. It is not Wentz, where he is done. But whatever it is… it’s serious. It is a little bit more serious than he is questionable for the week. he is not playing Saturday. And he is not going to play for the rest of the regular season. He will heal up, and he is a gamer. Hopefully, it will all be taken care of and he will be playing int he playoffs.

They say it is not a collarbone. But if I am the Eagles, I want to make sure I couch this thing. I have to get behind the story. it is not a coincidence yesterday’s news conference was canceled… You don’t want to give your opponents any type of opening. You hit them with a sprain it covers stuff. And you don’t want mass hysteria…

This is not a death nail. This is not a funeral. But this is a tougher road… It is another hurdle now that you have to get over. And that brings me back to my overall theme, which is it is never easy in Philadelphia.

Listen to the full Opening Diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- It is Never Easy In Philadelphia appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

It’s not 20/20 hindsight when you talked about it all season long and we’re tweeting about it during the game before the Jalen Hurts shoulder injury happened. It’s not second guessing when you wonder why the star running back who had a monster game the week before didn’t get a touch until 6 minutes before halftime on Sunday. It’s common sense to wonder why as a coaching staff you decided to put the star asset at risk so often when it was not necessary to defeat a 3 win football team. All of the questions, griping and anger is well earned by Shane Steichen and Nick Sirianni. It’s the first time in 2022 where they seem to have lost their way. That is why they deserve the heat, temporarily, but also deserve your support. Hopefully this is just a bump in the road and a valuable lesson for the future.

Let us get a few points straight on the situation;

– A well placed source has told me the following. There is absolutely no reason to assume that Jalen Hurts is done for the regular season based on his shoulder strain. Any reporting or assumptions to the contrary are not based in fact. That does not mean that if presented with the opportunity to rest him for the final 2 games if they defeat Dallas is an option that they won’t take it.
– I was also told that IF the Dallas game was necessary to clinch the playoffs, division title or the top seed in the NFC that he would have been under strong consideration to play while still a bit banged up.

Here is what annoys me most about the Hurts injury. It was completely avoidable. The Eagles have the best run blocking offensive line in the NFL, yet they refused to employ it against the Bears who were one of the worst teams against the run in the league. It was brutally cold and windy. You had the physical advantage. You decided to go with a riskier game plan of deep passing on a windy day and riskier RPO’s for your QB. Fir those that say, it’s on Hurts in those RPO situations to not run the ball as much I offer you this. It’s the coaches that call the RPO to begin with. They didn’t have to. They chose to. It was tactical arrogance and it cost them a valuable asset.

Do you know how many teams needed to go heavy RPO vs the Bears in order to defeat them? The answer is NONE of the previous ten teams that beat them. The coaching staff will need to answer for why they felt the best solution to winning was the most dangerous.

So in summary, I believe it is VERY likely if they lose at Dallas that Jalen Hurts will start the January 1st game vs the Saints. If they defeat Dallas behind Gardner Minshew they will then decide how much if any playing time they want to get Jalen in the final 2 games. Thankfully the 13-1 record gives them breathing room. Unfortunately instead of cruising into the playoffs the Eagles coaching staff created their own adversity. That is certainly an odd choice and worthy of any critique coming their way. Just remember, those same coaches have led them to a 13-1 mark and deserve a lot of praise for that. Everybody breathe and enjoy the holiday. Rest up Jalen, we need you in January!

The post The Coaching Staff Jalen Hurts Malpractice has jeopardized the entire season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles beat the Bears on Sunday, getting them just one win away from the top seed in the NFC East. And to break down the game, Bo Wulf from The Athletic joined “The Best Show Ever?”. What stood out to him? Bo Wulf discusses Hurts being banged up, the Eagles’ pass rush, and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On Eagles Pass Rush

“On defense, that Bears offensive line is bad. Justin Fields has gotten sacked a ton all year long. But still, if you are thinking of how this team could win in the playoffs, that pass rush is a big part of it. They lead the league in sacks. Haason Reddick had 2, Josh Sweat had 2, and Javon Hargrave had 2. Those guys and the ability that they have to rotate fresh legs out there are going to make a difference in the playoffs.

Reddick has been awesome. He has been for the defense what AJ Brown has been for the offense. He’s been the missing piece. The ability he has to get to the Qb and attract attention from opposing offensive gameplans. Also opens up 1 on 1 opportunities for guys like Josh Sweat on the other side. I think he has been everything the Eagles could have hoped for and more.”

On Impact of AJ Brown

“He has been so good. This game was another example of the ways he helps Jalen Hurts. Obviously Hurts has made his own leap. But to have a guy like AJ Brown who can win downfield, just like Devonta Smith can, but also those slants… It is such an easy money play for them to go to. And AJ Brown is so good at that. Last year Jalen Hurts was not as willing to throw the ball over the middle of the field. He has been much more willing to do that this year. Aj brown plays a large part in that. He raises the ceiling of this offense.”

Listen to the full conversation with Bo Wulf below…The post Bo Wulf Discusses What Stood Out in Win Over The Bears appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Some rumors, and the Vegas line for the Eagles game swinging wildly, set Eagles Twitter into panic Monday afternoon. But you can dial back the panic a little bit. Because the truth is far less dire than many online initially feared. After the Bears game, where Jalen Hurts took some hard hits, he got X-Rays on his shoulder. There was no broken collar bone as many wildly speculated. Instead, he has a sprained shoulder and could miss 1-2 weeks.

It's a shoulder sprain for Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, source says.

— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) December 19, 2022

This does put his status for Saturday’s game in jeopardy. Adam Schefter reported that there is a chance Jalen Hurts will not play and that Gardner Minshew will start for the Eagles. A sprained shoulder has a usual recovery time of 1-2 weeks, so it is not a long-term issue. But it seems like he may miss some time.

Thankfully the Eagles do have some room to work with. After their win over the Bears, and the Cowboys’ loss in Jacksonville, the Eagles’ magic number is 1. One win over these final 3 games, or 1 Cowboys loss, will clinch the NFC East for them. And then they would need just one win or 1 Vikings loss to clinch the top seed in the NFC. The Eagles play the Cowboys in Dallas on Saturday and then come home to face the Saints and Giants in the final two weeks.

Not the best of news, but also not quite as bad as many seemed to think it would be once the Vegas lines started shifting suddenly. Even if it keeps him out of some regular season games, it would not impact his status for the playoffs. Especially considering the Eagles seem likely to have a first-round bye week. It could impact Jalen Hurts’ status as the MVP favorite of course, but his health for the playoffs is far more important than that.

The post Jalen Hurts Has A Sprained Shoulder, Could Miss Time appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It was not pretty, but as the cliche goes, a win is a win. The Eagles pulled out a win over the Bears in Chicago on Sunday. They trailed at times and the offense never really got fully going. But by the end of the game, they led the Bears 25-20 and improved to 13-1. How did they pull out the win? What have the Eagles been doing so well this season to get them to 13-1? Here are 5 numbers that help tell that story.

30The Eagles dont just lead the league in sacks with 55, but also in 3rd down sacks. Jonathan Gannon takes a lot of heat for “not being aggressive enough.” And I am just as guilty of that complaint at times. But when 3rd down and especially third and long is when Gannon likes to get aggressive. After 4 more on Sunday, the Eagles now have 30 3rd down sacks. 54.5% of their sacks this season have come on first down.

Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, and Fletcher Cox can get after the QB. Two of them, Reddick and Hargrave, are already at double-digit sacks. Another two, Graham and Sweat, are very close to double-digits. The Eagles haven’t had a single player with double digits sacks since Cox in 2018. Now they may have 4. Which would be the most any team has ever had. The Eagles’ deep rotation of rushers not only makes them dangerous game to game. But it means their top guys will be fresher in the playoffs because they don’t need to play every snap.

Eagles sacks:

Haason Reddick: 12
Javon Hargrave: 10
Josh Sweat: 9.5
Brandon Graham: 8.5

No NFL team has ever had four players collect 10 sacks each in a single season.

— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) December 18, 2022

172.4The Eagles have the best secondary in the league. Well, at least the best Cornerbacks. And that is not an exaggeration. They gave up just 152 yards through the air vs the Bears. And you may say that it’s the Bears and they have no one for Justin Fields to throw to. But this is nothing new. They give up just 172.4 passing yards per game. Which is tops in the whole NFL. And per Reuben Frank, they are the only team that has not given up 250 yards to any opposing QB all year. The run defense has been hit or miss at times, though they have improved a lot there of late. But you can’t question how good this secondary is. Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, and CJ Gardner-Johnson once he is healthy make for a fantastic group.

8.2The Eagles are just 11th in passing yards. If you were to only look at that, you would say they do not have one of the best passing attacks in the NFL. But what that completely ignores is context. Like how they are just 26th in passing attempts. Most weeks, this is still a run-first team. And they spend so much time ahead of teams, that they end up not passing all that much. But we saw Sunday that when they need to pass, they can do say at a high level. They are 2nd in the NFL at 8.2 passing yards per attempt. If they threw it more, there is little doubt they’d be up there in pure passing stats with the Bills, Chiefs, and Dolphins.

But unlike those teams, they don’t need to sling it up and down the field. And while there were some mistakes this week vs the Bears, 2 interceptions, they still managed to pick apart the Bears’ secondary for the most part. Devonta Smith and AJ Brown both went off. And they each did it mostly on deep shots, with them both averaging over 20 yards per catch.

35Jalen Hurts is 2nd in the NFL in rushing touchdowns. Not among QBs, among all NFL players. Only Jamaal Williams has run into the endzone more times than he has. He scored 3 more times on Sunday, to give him 13 on the season. And no one has more than 12 receiving touchdowns. Hurts has a real chance to have the most touchdowns of anyone in the NFL, excluding passing touchdowns. But if you do factor those in, his 22 passing touchdowns gives him 35 total. Only Mahomes (38), Joe Burrow (36), and Josh Allen (36) have more. Hurts is among the elite of the elite when it comes to producing scores for his team. Not bad for a guy who is a “system Qb.”

MVP chants for Jalen Hurts leaving Soldier Field

Jalen has 35 total TDs this year

That matches Eagles great Randall Cunningham for most in a season in Eagles history

He is youngest QB in NFL history to lead his team to 13-1 start pic.twitter.com/Cktc1YEyki

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) December 18, 2022

1The Eagles’ magic number is down to 1. 1 more win, or Cowboys and Vikings loss, and they have the number 1 seed locked up. The Cowboys at 10-4 would need to rely on having the tiebreaker over the Eagles even if they win out and the Eagles lose out. The Eagles already have the tiebreaker over the Vikings, so the Vikings need to have a better record, and with 3 losses they can only do that by once again the Eagles losing out, and them winning out. Basically, they just need to beat either the Cowboys, Saints, or Giants to clinch this thing. It would take a Mets-level regular season collapse for the Eagles to lose the first-round bye and home field throughout at this point. You can probably go ahead and make your plans for the first weekend of the NFL playoffs, it doesn’t look like the Eagles will be playing.

The post The 5 Numbers That Tell The Story of the Eagles Win Over The Bears appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Anthony said about the Eagles being immune to trap games in his Opening Diatribe this morning…

Those E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles with another amazing win. They have all but clinched everything. Home field throughout. Obviously the NFC East. One more win, or win more loss by the Cowboys, and it is over. They are an amazing team. And they are immune to the NFL trap. I have never seen anything like it. We have seen teams like the Chiefs and the Bills, the NFL’s elites, and they’ve lost games. They have struggled with games. The Eagles don’t lose.

Yesterday was a tough spot. You’re on the road, in the middle of 3 straight road games. You have a division rival coming up next week for everything. You’re facing a team that is going to go balls to the wall, and who has nothing to lose. That is going to run the ball and kill the clock on you. They are immune to all of that. Yea the game was a little close, but let’s face it, that game was never in peril.

I have to admit when the Eagles win, and we watch Jacksonville comeback and the Cowboys lose, part of me was bummed out. I actually wanted them to win, because I wanted next week to mean something. And having the cushion, where it would kind of take a miracle for the Eagles to not get the 1 seed, it is easy to risk it. The game this week, Christmas eve day, that we have been looking forward to, doesn’t mean anything. In fact, you are probably best served to show nothing.

The next you would have to play the Cowboys would be in the playoffs. You don’t want to show them anything. You don’t want to put anything on tape. It would be nice to beat them. But if you lose there are no ramifications. I would rather lose to them and show them nothing. This way when I play them in the playoffs, if they get there, I have surprise tactics.

Listen to his full opening diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Eagles are Immune to the Trap Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Savor it, enjoy it, even when the game looks a lot uglier than many of the other wins in the collection! This 2022 Eagles team is special. They bend, occasionally, and don’t break. They dominate others into submission. They believe. They stay poised and confident that they will find a way. I’m just a little pissed that I didn’t see it coming. This is one of the greatest rides of our collective Eagles fandom and thankfully it’s just getting started.

Jalen Hurts was far from excellent, but maybe that is where the beauty of his versatility shines through. On a day where he threw 2 interceptions and allowed a less than mediocre Bears team to hang around, Hurts did enough when called upon to secure a critical 13th victory. It’s a win that leaves them in an enviable position and complete control of the NFC. You see, other teams that chased them like the Cowboys and the Vikings didn’t find ways to stare defeat in the face and come away with victories. In fact, no other team in the entire NFL hasn’t found a way to 3 defeats through 14 games except for the Eagles. It’s a statement. Like the way Jalen Hurts took it upon himself to get into the end zone three times yesterday when other parts of their game were not working. Oh yeah, on his bad day he still found a way to pass for 315 yards as he helped to move AJ Brown over 1,200 receiving yards and DeVonta Smith over 900 yards. This passing attack is crazy good. Most days the rushing attack can’t be stopped, but yesterday the Bears did a better job than any opponent in 2022. Winners win and Hurts did just enough.

Now they have the luxury of knowing that a win in any of their final 3 games; at Dallas and home vs the Saints and the Giants and they will be the top seed in the NFC. Two home game victories standing between them and a trip back to Arizona to try and win Super Bowl 57. It won’t be easy, but the NFC field is flawed. Each of the other contenders showing warts that can be exposed or the lack of a killer instinct when pushed up against the wall. The Eagles have all of those qualities. It’s a different path to victory every week, but the ending of the story has been mostly the same.

The Eagles COULD have lost in Chicago, but they didn’t. The game resembled their only loss of the season vs the Commanders. I’m ready to say that when and if the Eagles lose in the playoffs it will be because of self inflicted wounds. They rarely are stoppable, but they’ve shown that they can beat themselves. I don’t believe that anyone is good enough to defeat them if they play a clean game. Without the Eagles turning over the ball or poor decision making, nobody is beating this team. It’s a strange reality, but tell me I’m wrong. You can’t, at least not based on the games we have seen.

Will they close it all out in Dallas they will make Christmas Day the start of 4 weeks of rest and meaningless football. That concerns me, but I have zero interest in worrying about that today!

The post Lucky 13 has the 2022 Eagles one step away from the NFC Penthouse appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Each week on “The Best Show Ever?” they each make two picks from College or the NFL. Tyrone Johnson, Ricky Bottalico, Hunter Brody, Jen Scordo, and Dylan MacKinnon compete to see who can make the best picks and have the best record by year’s end. And now it is time for their week 15 picks.

Last Week Hunter further cemented his place at the top. He had another 2-0 week, correctly picking both the Lions to cover vs the Vikings at home, and the Bengals to cover vs the Browns. Dylan also went 2-0, to begin to pull himself out of the hole. He picked the Eagles and Lions to both cover. And the Lions were a popular pick, as Jen also picked them. But she did lose one with her pick for the Dolphins to cover the line vs the Chargers. Meanwhile, Ricky went against all 3 of them, picking the Vikings to get an upset win. But he did make up one win by picking the Eagles to cover vs the Giants. Meanwhile, it was a bad week for Tyrone, who went 2-0 after just getting to .500. He picked the Dolphins and Navy, who were both favorites in their games but lost.

Time is running out for them, and Hunter has built himself a nice lead. But all it takes is one 0-2 week, and a 2-0 week by Jen, and could be back in a tie for first. And then there is always the playoffs where they will have to pick every game each week which gives a ton of chance to either dig out of or into a hole.

Here is where all of our records stand after 14 weeks… Tyrone Johnson- (12-14) * Ricky Bottalico- (8-18) * Hunter Brody- (15-11) * Jen Scordo- (13-13) * Dylan MacKinnon- (10-16)*

And here are our week 15 picksTyrone’s Picks* Oregon State -10 vs Florida * Kansas City Chiefs -14 at Houston Texans

Hunter’s Picks* Detroit Lions -1 at the New York Jets * New England Patriots +.5 at Las Vegas Raiders

Ricky’s Picks* Minnesota Vikings -3.5 vs the Indianapolis Colts * Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jen’s Picks* Oregon State -10 vs Florida * Dallas Cowboys -4 vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Dylan’s Picks* Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers * Detroit Lions -1 at the New York Jets

The post “The Best Show Ever?”- Week 15 Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles travel to Chicago this weekend to play the Bears to try and improve to 13-1. And to preview that game, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Dave Zangaro from NBC Sports Philly. What can we expect from this matchup vs the Bears? Does Justin Fields pose a threat to this Eagles’ defense? Dave discussed all that, and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On Eagles Run Defense vs Justin Fields

“Certainly, the Eagles run defense is what you have to worry about. The Bears don’t have a ton of other offensive weapons. And Fields is really dynamic. He is a good passer too, he just doesn’t have a ton of guys to throw the football to right now. But him as a rusher is electric. And he is probably going to break some on Sunday. He does it to everyone. They need to be disciplined in the rush lanes when they go after him. They kind of got a little bit of a test last week vs Daniel Jones. He is not Justin Fields, but he does run quite a bit.

You can’t free lance, you have to do what your job is at the play, and try to keep him in the pocket as much as you can. If he breaks, it takes good tackling and good angles to make sure you get him down.”

On What Has Changed With The Defense In Recent Weeks

“I think some of it was schematic. Gannon truly had to figure out what they had. Some of it was tackling. They didn’t tackle well earlier in the season. And some of that was not wrapping up, and some of it was poor angles. And I think some of the pass rushers are coming on, and some of that was health related… Now that they have such a deep rotation, not only are those guys not injured, but they are fresher. We are seeing that in the second half of games. They are getting up on teams, and they are able to hunt in the second half when they get into those known pass situations… If you do that, you have this 9-man pass rush rotation that can absolutely hunt. And that is what we have seen lately.”

And you can listen to the full interview below…The post Dave Zangaro Previews This Sunday’s Eagles Vs Bears Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles travel to Chicago to take on the Bears this weekend. And to preview that game, Zach Berman from The Athletic joined The Anthony Gargano Show. They discussed the latest updates on the injured Eagles, and Zach Berman gave his preview for the game itself. Here is what he had to say.

On Some People Calling Jalen Hurts a “System QB”

“I think that when you talk about Jalen, obviously he is in a system that is built around him. He has got great wide receivers. One of the best offensive lines in the league. But he is the engine. You can’t take him out of the equation. If you talk about Patrick Mahomes. The fact that Andy Reid is the coach certainly helps. But it has helps to have that right arm on his shoulder.”

On the Various Eagles’ Injuries This Week

“My sense is you will see Goedert back this week. They have that spot on the 53 waiting for him. He was at practice yesterday, he was out there today. Doesn’t sound like there has been any hiccups. My guess is Goedert gets activated tommorow. It does not sound as good for Reed Blankenship. I would look out for Kvon Wallace, Andre Chachere maybe a possible call up for Anthony Harris. And then at punter they will have Brett Kern out there. And then there is nothing worry about with Lane Johnson.”

On Sunday’s Game vs the Bears

“The Eagles are such a superior roster. The only way I see this game staying close… is if (The Bears) are controlling the clock. If Justin Fields can break out a few runs. And then if the Eagles have some uncharacteristic turnovers. Which was similar to what happend in that Washington game when they lost. Otherwise I dont see a way the Eagles lose this game, or the Bears even keep it close. The Eagles have such an advantage on both lines of scrimmage. And they have an adavantage at the skill spots.

The thing you worry about when you play the Bears is Justin Fields running around. But I dont think they have defensivly what it takes. Especially on the defensive front. And then they dont have the skill guys or the offensive line. I give the Eagles a huge edge here. I would be surprised if this game is within single digits.”

You can listen to the full interview with Zach Berman below…The post Zach Berman Previews the Eagles-Bears Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

If you’ve been listening to The John Kincade Show every morning this week, the fact that I’m feeling this way shouldn’t be news to you. I’ve been heralding this game all week as a perfect storm of a trap game considering the looming Dallas game, Chicago coming off a bye, the Eagles coming off a near-perfect game in New Jersey against the Giants, and the Bears being a sneaky good team for what their record is. Now, say what you want about trap games, I will say that the 2022 Eagles have looked trap game proof through their first 13 games this year. They’re sitting near perfect, and their 1 loss so far this season came in a primetime divisional game, hardly one that was lost due to oversight of their opponent. That being said, though, as you look at the numbers, the Bears become a bit more interesting of an opponent.

There are a couple of things that point towards Chicago being tougher than you would expect, but the number 1 reason is their #1. Justin Fields is a difference maker at the NFL level, and while he’s still a very raw talent, he’s capable of wreaking some havoc over the course of a game. The Eagles had trouble containing Kyler Murray in Arizona, and Ryan Tannehill had a couple big run opportunities in the Tennessee game, which means that the only 2 bona fide running QBs the birds have seen this year have had individual success against Philly. I don’t think Justin Fields is enough on his own to win this game for Chicago, but he’s absolutely not a write off. The reason the Chicago Bears are 3-10 is due more to the fact that the organization is still in the process of giving Fields weapons than Fields’ play himself. He’ll certainly be the top guy to try and take away come Sunday.

Outside of Justin Fields, and perhaps David Montgomery, there isn’t much to laud the Bears about on offense, but as a team, their stats are interesting, if still underwhelming. You’d be hard pressed to find a team statistic in which the Bears are top third or even top half of the league, but you’re also not going to find many in the bottom 5 to 7 of NFL teams. The Bears are currently the 2nd worst team in football by record, but they’re not the 2nd worst team in football statistically, and that, to me, points towards a team that could potentially be overlooked. Take a peek at what happened between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings this past week. The Lions are better than their record shows, but they’re a young team who is still trying to figure out how to win. Imagine the Bears as Detroit Lions lite. They’re not as good as their divisional counterparts, but it’s a similar type of situation. The bottom line of all of this is the Eagles are better than the Vikings, and the Bears are worse than the Lions, so this should result in a win for Philly. I do think the Eagles ultimately win this game; my only point is that the Bears still have claws. This shouldn’t be a loss, but it will be a tougher game than a lot of people I think are giving Chicago credit for.

The post Don’t Overlook The Chicago Bears appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is week 15, which means for many of us, the Fantasy Playoffs have begun. So for some of you, your season is already over and there is more to saving your Fantasy season. But for the rest of us, it is now must win time. And to make sure you stay alive in your league’s playoffs, you could use some help from a Fantasy Football Expert. Enter Eric Karabell.

Every week ESPN Fantasy Expert Eric Karabell joins “The Best Show Ever?” to dish out some Fantasy Advice before the Thursday game when the week officially starts. It is your chance to get your burning fantasy questions answered. Are you unsure of who to put into the final flex spot? Do you have two QBs and don’t know which one is the better play? And there are a lot of players on bye weeks, so maybe you need advice on who to replace your starters with from your team’s bench.

Reach out to us each Thursday, and we will ask him your questions when he joins us at 4 pm. And then tune in to hear what his advice is. If you miss it live, you can come back here to listen to it after the fact.

Here is what Eric Karabell Had To Say For Week 15…The post Eric Karabell Dishes Out Fantasy Advice For Week 15 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles play the Bears on Sunday. And to get some insight into that matchup, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to ex-NFL Coach and Analyst for NBC Sports Chicago Dave Wannstedt. Dave discussed what we can expect from the Bears, the play of Justin Fields, and the issues with the Bears’ defense. Here is what Dave Wannstedt had to say.

On His Take on This Bears Team

“I really like where the Bears are at. Even though with 3 wins that doesn’t make much sense. But when you look at this team compared to the last several, this hasn’t been a team that beats themselves as much. You look at the turnovers, at penalties, the big plays. They haven’t given up much of that. They just haven’t been good enough.

The one thing I do know is going to happen, the Eagles will find out about their run defense. The Beras are one of the better teams in the NFL at running the football. Is Justin Fields part of that? Yes he is. How much will he be this week? We don’t know. He is practicing, he is going to start. I don’t think he will be like he was earlier in the year where he was the main guy. They will get him 8 to 10 carries. But they are going to run the ball. Because their passing game protection wise is concerning.”

On The Bears Defense

“Up front is their issue. If you look at their secondary… you’ve got 4 high draft-pick players . That is the strength of the Bears’ defense. Unfortunately, they have a very difficult time getting to the passer. I think they have had 1 sack in the last 6 games. Earlier in the year, when they wanted to bring pressure, they would blitz. They would bring a safety or a linebacker… Whether they do that? I dont know. They have gotten away from that the past few weeks.

The Bears’ defense is right now a bend but don’t break defense, because they don’t have good enough players in the front 7. The backend is pretty good. You watch how those guys covered the Packers, there weren’t a whole lot of open WRs.”

Listen to the full conversation with Dave Wannstedt below…The post Dave Wannstedt Joins The Show to Preview Eagles vs Bears appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every week Tim McManus joins “The Best Show Ever?” for his Mid-Week Report. What did he say today in this week’s mid-week report? They got into if this is the best Eagles team he has covered, gave an injury update, and previewed this Sunday’s game vs the Bears. Here is some of what Tim McManus had to say.

On if This is The Best Eagles Team He Has Covered

“Yes… Because they can do it in all sorts of ways on both sides of the ball… In terms of overall offensive performance, they are number 2 in the NFL, and in terms of overall defensive performance, they are number 1… They are just at the top of the world. We know that offensively it is not this one-dimensional thing. Who are we going up against? What is their weakness? Okay, we’ve got an answer for that. And I can’t say I have ever covered a team that has that in their arsenal. Where they can be whoever they want, whenever they want, and dominate the opponent doing it.

And then defensively… if you look at what they are doing, they are right at the top of the league in performance and production. So yea, MVP Candidate, best O-line in football, running game. They have to do it. There is still a lot of regular season left and the playoffs. A lot of hurdles to get over. But yea, this is the best team that I have seen.”

On If There Is A Good Way To Defend This Offense

It’s the big problem that they have. Before it was maybe just blitz Hurts. Because if you looked at the numbers over the first 4 weeks, he had 0 TDs and one interception against the blitz. From week 5 on he blew up against the blitz. He was crushing it. 9 TDs and 0 interceptions. There is really not an answer… There is never a disadvantage on the outside when you have AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. They will always look at that as an advantage no matter what CB tandem you go up against… There are just too many problems for teams to properly account for.

I don’t know what you would do. I guess sit back and spy Hurts. Try to keep the big play off of you. But then you are getting sliced up underneath. That is probably the best way to reduce the damage. But there is no great way to stop this offense.

Listen to his full Mid-Week Report Below…The post Tim McManus Mid-Week Report Before Bears Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See why Anthony Said Jalen Hurts Will Go Down as the Most Accomplished Eagles QB in His Opening Diatribe This Morning…

I heard Tyrone talking about 5. The best QB to ever play here, talent-wise not accomplishments, was Randall Cunningham. He had the best skills of any Qb. Now Andy was the best coach in Eagles history. And Andy helped 5 become the most accomplished Qb in Eagles history. He wasn’t the greatest Qb skill-wise, but he was easily the most accomplished.

And I could probably argue that 5 when it comes to skill, pure natural skill, was 3rd. Behind Randall, and Mike Vick. We forget about how ridiculously talented Mike Vick was. And I still think if Andy had him early on, he becomes one of the greatest QBs ever.

Now 5 was terrific too in his own right. But he had flaws, which I still contend is why they didn’t win the Super Bowl. He was good enough to get them there. But he didn’t have the I hate to lose gene. You saw the hate-to-lose gene the other night with Brady. If you watched the Brady- Saints game. It was the tale of two Bradys. The one Tom who’s losing 16-3 has that face. That nasty face. His lips are pursed, he’s mad. And I respect that. He hates to lose.

And I feel like Jalen has that in him. He has the it factor. I believe he has it. He has a tenacious way about him. Like what he did over the offseason. Work, work, work, work, work. And it dawned on me. He has got the it factor. If you know him, it is clear.

Interestingly, 5 was a physical specimen. Strong, big arm, and he could throw it a mile. He didn’t have the touch but had a monster arm. Was a big-time runner because he was so strong… He was a great athlete. But it came easy to him. He was a great athlete, but I know he wasn’t the best worker. Jalen, nothing came easy to him. And Jalen is a tireless worker…

I feel like, Jalen Hurts will go down as the most accomplished Qb in Eagles History, surpassing Mcnabb. He is not the most elite Qb, he is not Randall and he is not Vick. But he will go down as the most accomplished Qb in Eagles history…

And listen to the full Opening Diatribe Below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Hurts Will Be Most Accomplished Eagles QB appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

With injuries piling up for the Philadelphia Eagles at the free safety position, they’ve decided to look for help in an old friend. They signed free agent safety Anthony Harris.

Harris spent the last two seasons with the Eagles before the organization. But they decided to make a change at the position by completing a trade with the New Orleans Saints for Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Gardner-Johnson has been fantastic for the Bird. He leads the team with six interceptions. But he went down with an injury in a November win vs the Green Bay Packers. His backup, rookie Reed Blankenship, stepped in as the starter in the team’s two wins over Tennessee and New York. But he suffered a minor knee injury against the Giants, forcing him to leave the game. With Gardner-Johnson still out for two more games and Blankenship unavailable for this weekend’s clash with the Chicago Bears, Harris’s experience in this defense was needed.

Anthony Harris signed with the Denver Broncos practice squad after the Eagles released him. Eventually, they bumped him up to the 53-man roster. But the Broncos released him last week. Allowing him to be available for the Birds to sign him to the practice squad for now. Harris is familiar with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s scheme. He should fit right in offering a little more versatility to what Gannon may want to do with his defense.

So much has gone well for Philadelphia this season, more recently, clinching the first playoff berth in the NFL Playoffs after their win over New York on Sunday afternoon. If there is one thing that has some Eagles fans concerned this late in the season it’s possible injuries. The Birds have had a few at important positions, safety and punter, and having someone like Harris available is crucial at this time. He will not come in and be a savior but possibly a steadying presence over backup K’Von Wallace. We’ll see if this move helps the Eagles for what they need in the moment.

The post Eagles Bring Back Anthony Harris For Safety Help appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

At this point I am going to assume you heard the bulletin board material that Cowboys LB Micah Parsons gave to the Eagles on the Von Miller Podcast. BUT if you havent, here it is;

“Is it Hurts or the team?”

“It’s system and team”

-Cowboys DE Micah Parsons not believing in Jalen Hurts MVP?

Eagles-Cowboys in 10 days

VonCast pic.twitter.com/AkSCjIMXNl

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) December 14, 2022

Its a fair question. The Eagles have an intact offensive line heading into week 15 of the season. They have one of the most productive running backs in the league this season. They have arguably the best 1-2 punch at wide receiver in the league. Dallas Goedert is a top 5 (maybe top 3) tight end in the league. So questioning if its the weapons, or if its Hurts, it fair. But allow me to answer Micah’s question.

“Is it Hurts? Or the team?”#Eagles fans, enjoying a 12-1 season, reading Micah Parsons thought provoking question pic.twitter.com/t5a3BQDQQI

— Pat Egan (@Pat_Egan) December 14, 2022

At this point, I could not care LESS if its Jalen Hurts, or the scheme, or the weapons, or the weather, or the fact they changed the “Eagles” script. The Eagles are 12-1 and the best team in the NFL. So all I care about is that whatever the reason, it continues.

Eagles fans, desperate for some drama in a pretty easy year, might latch onto this snippet from a podcast no one knew existed 24 hours ago. But at the end of the day what does it really matter? December 24th is shaping up to be a “win and get the #1 seed” type game for the Eagles. So if the team wants to use this clip as bulletin board material then have at it. But to me, its a whole lot of nothing.

The post Who Cares What Micah Parsons Has To Say? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

JEFF LURIE DESERVES A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE

When taking over an NFL franchise, many owners are more worried about making their mark and being heard from than hiring the right people, showing patience and letting them get the job done. Jeff Lurie breaks that mold. He hasn’t fallen into the cliche of the rich guy who wants to be the Coach or the GM. While we all praise Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts for this huge 2022 turnaround of fortune, remember the owner who picked the Coach. Yes, he doesn’t find the candidates necessarily himself but he is heavily involved in the selection process. Time after time Jeff Lurie knows how to identify a winner. Even Chip Kelly won 20 games in his first 2 seasons! This man hired Andy Reid when no other team even had interviewed him for a Head Coaching position. He took Doug Pederson when everyone around the NFL had huge doubts about whether he was ready. Now Nick Sirianni is his latest obscure rock star. It’s amazing. The eye for talent is impressive and Lurie deserves a round of applause for it. Oh, good job not firing Howie Roseman either when most radio hosts and callers had their pitchforks out for him. That patience has most certainly paid off!

NONSENSE TALKING POINTS NO LONGER APPLY TO THE EAGLES

I know it’s easy to slide back into old habits. It happens. Complacency sets in. There isn’t much of a reason to believe though that old habits apply to the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles. The chatter this week of a “trap game” is an insult to the body of work that Nick Sirianni has provided this city. The last thing we need to do is waste time wondering if a Sirianni team is going to show up to play. Why in the world would anyone be making that assertion? I went over the 31 games in the tenure of Nick Sirianni and I found 1 game where they were “not ready to play”. That game occurred more than a year ago when they faced the Giants in NJ. Yes, they lost a game as a favorite this year to the Commanders on MNF but it was errors during the game that caused the result. They actually came out ready to play and then mistakes caused the result to slip away. Trap games apply to immature teams and I know that this one could come back to haunt me, but the idea that the Eagles would overlook the Bears makes no sense to me.

THANK YOU FOR 500 SHOWS

We are just getting started but on Thursday we will celebrate our 500th edition of the JK Show. We have obviously weathered a huge loss in our show family this year but we appreciate that you continue to support us! This has been a very exciting Fall with the Phillies World Series run and the end of this Eagles season could be another unforgettable chapter in Philly sports. Thank you for taking the ride with us. If you are in the Broomall area join us at PJ Whelihans in Lawrence Park for a Happy Hour on Thursday 12/15 from 5-7pm.

The post Jeff Lurie deserves a round of applause for this 2022 Eagles team too! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Should Jalen Hurts be the MVP of the NFL this year? EJ Smith from the Philadelphia Inquirer joined “The Best Show Ever?” to discuss Hurt’s case for the year-end award. How does he stack up vs Pat Mahomes, Josh Allen, and the other elite NFL Qbs? They talked about that and more. Here is what EJ Smith had to say.

On Jalen Hurts Case for MVP

“There are a lot of things that go into it. The narrative is definitely a part of it. Statistics are a part of it. And I think highlight plays, big moments, are also a part of it. He checks a lot of those boxes. Whether it is the performances on Monday Night Football. Or the performances on Sunday Night even. He has had big-time performances on primetime.

His numbers do compare favorably to some of those guys like the Lamar Jackson season, and the Cam Newton season. I think the Cam Newton season is the one that you point to. Obviously Jalen and Cam play pretty similarly. Both were powerful runners who figured out how to do it from the pocket. Historically, I think this is the closest an Eagles QB has been to MVP in recent memory. I looked at the stats compared to Carson Wentz. Through 13 games, I think Hurts has played at a higher level than that.”

On Hurts Off-season Work Ethic

“When you talk to his high school coaches, he was the last guy out of the building even then… He gets it from his dad who is wired the same way. He put in a lot of work with different QB gurus trying to improve his throwing motion. And he talked about having the ability to be in the same system two years in a row. Something that we have never seen from him. it was high school the last time he had the same play-caller. I didn’t know how much value to put into that. But when you talk to anyone who coached Jalen… they all talk about how much time he spends trying to understand the offense. That time has paid off this year in a way that we haven’t seen with him before because we just haven’t been able to see it.”

And you can listen to the full conversation with EJ Smith below…The post EJ Smith Discusses The MVP Case For Jalen Hurts appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles continue to dominate teams. And to discuss this team, their potential, and some recent moves, Anthony Gargano talked to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He broke down what makes this Eagles offense so special, gave some injury reports, and more. Here is what Jeff McLane had to say.

On The Success Of The Offense

“The offense has been clicking. When you play at this high of a level, and you are successful with certain plays, you can start building off those plays. That is why you are seeing so many permutations of Qb draws, or typical pass plays where you have a hook and a curl. You can do different things to dress them up because now teams don’t know what is coming. Even the QB sneak we saw them brilliantly call that fake speed sneak. They just kicked it out to Miles, complete blockage on that side, and he picked up 15 yards.

When the offense is humming like this you can keep building off of those successful plays… It’s amazing what you can do with an offense when it is performing this well. You haven’t seen a defense, besides from that Colts game, at any point shut down this offense, or even slow it down.”

On the Eagles’ Ability To Match Run-Stopping Defenses

“The Titans had an extra guy down in the box… And the Eagles had trouble running the ball. But they were like fine, we are going to throw the ball on you now because we have the advantage on the outside. A lot of teams don’t have the CB play to match that. And that’s been the big difference this year. That is what the Eagles spent all offseason trying to correct. As we saw in the playoff game last year, if you throw an extra man in the box, you can stop even the best run offense in the NFL.

Now that Jalen Hurts has taken his game to the next level, and you bring in AJ Brown, you now have a dynamic passing attack. Week after week Jalen is stacking these great passing performances, you see how confident he is. He had remarkable elite throws into little tiny windows… Jalen is now clicking. You have an offense that can gash you in a myriad of ways.”

Listen to the full conversation with Jeff McLane below…The post Jeff McLane Discusses The Eagles After Their Blowout Of The Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Another week, another blowout win. The Eagles are hitting their stride at the right time. But what do the writers around the NFL think of them? Here is the power ranking roundup for them heading into Week 15.

ESPN- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

“It’s been a special year for the Eagles on both sides of the ball. The offense has set a team record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 27, while Jalen Hurts ranks first in quarterback rating (108.4) and fourth in completion rate (68%) to pace the air attack. The defense is tops against the pass (178.7 yards per game) and takeaways (24). It’s been an adventure on special teams, but even that unit seems pointed in the right direction”

It was the topic of conversation the other day on “The Best Show Ever?”, is this the best Eagles team ever? Obviously, they have to actually win something, but on paper and in the regular season, they might be. They are putting up historic numbers on both sides of the ball. This team has the chance to be very special.

NFL.com- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

“The punishing versatility of the Eagles’ offense is a sight to behold. Nick Sirianni’s team did whatever it wanted against an overmatched Giants defense, piling up 253 yards on the ground and 217 through the air in a 48-22 wipeout of Big Blue at the Meadowlands. Jalen Hurts’ magnificent season — he’s up to 32 total touchdowns against just five turnovers — is worthy of NFL MVP honors, but a stellar year from Miles Sanders shouldn’t be overlooked. The running back scored twice and set a career high with 144 ground yards against New York, and he’s over 1,000 yards rushing with four games to play. The Eagles are going to beat you when they have the ball — it’s just a matter of how they choose to do it.”

How do you stop this offense? If you scheme to stop the run, it will leave AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert all in one on one coverage that they will eventually win. If you sell out to stop the pass, they are going to run for 200 yards on you. They can beat Zone, they can beat man to man. If you blitz, Hurts can beat you with his legs. And if you don’t it will give these WRs too much time to get open. There might not be a flaw in this offense.

USA Today- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

“A team brimming with stars – and possibly the MVP given how well QB Jalen Hurts is playing – is also home to one of the league’s more underappreciated talents. LB Haason Reddick, who happens to be a Temple product, made a little history Sunday by becoming the first player to record double-digit sacks in three consecutive seasons while playing for three different teams. Rest easy, Philly fans, he’s not going anywhere for a minute, currently under contract through the 2024 season.”

There is so much talent on this team, that a player like Reddick can go under the radar. He is the Eagle’s best pass rusher in a long time. When is the last time they had someone this productive rushing off the edge? Trent Cole? Jason Babin had a ton of sacks, but he wasn’t exactly a great player. Brandon Graham has been an amazing DE for them, but he is still looking for his first 10-sack season. Though he may get that this year. In an offseason full of amazing moves, the Reddick one somehow went underappreciated.

Yahoo Sports- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

“The Eagles might be peaking. Also, tight end Dallas Goedert could return from injury as soon as this week. Safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and pass rusher Robert Quinn are eligible to return before the end of the season as well. This has the look of a dream season.”

Please don’t use the word dream season. Those scars never healed right.

The Ringer- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

“The Eagles can do whatever they want right now. They have the best record in the NFL and, somehow, they are getting better every week. The Eagles have scored at least 35 points in each of their last three games, and now lead the league in total points (386) and point differential (138) and have a clear path to the no. 1 seed in the NFC.”

It’s a good time to be hitting your stride. Week 15 and they are playing their best ball. And they are doing this vs winning teams, even if the Titans and Giants haven’t looked great recently. They have the best offense in the league, and the most productive defenses in terms of sacks and takeaways.

The Athletic- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

“The Eagles, who became the first team to clinch its spot in the playoffs with a blowout win over the Giants, are in an interesting phase of their roster life cycle. This season has felt ahead of schedule, but the offseason promises significant change with nine starters scheduled for free agency, including seven on defense. Add on the expectation of coaching staff turnover and the possibility of a long-term contract for MVP front-runner Jalen Hurts, and there’s an under-the-surface concern that this is not a season to be wasted.

Darius Slay and James Bradberry have been perhaps the league’s best cornerback tandem. But Bradberry is scheduled for free agency and might want to cash in on the full benefits of open bidding after the Giants did him dirty last offseason by waiting until May to release him. Slay will be 32 in January, so Philadelphia will presumably be in the market for someone a touch younger to pair him with. Sutton will be 28 in the offseason and has been more dependably healthy than other pending cornerback free agents such as Jamel Dean and Emmanuel Moseley.”

Obviously, there is something to build on even if they don’t win this year. But this may well be their best chance to win. The offense will mostly stay the same, with Hurts, Brown, Smith, most of the O Line, and Goedert locked up long-term. But they are losing some pieces on the defense. James Bradberry will likely be elsewhere next year. CJ Gardner Johnson could be as well. Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are getting older. Now is the time to strike and win it all.

Average Ranking – 1Once again, everyone had them at the top. And there is really no argument to be made for anyone else. Going into week 15, they lead the league in scoring, and not only are they the only 1-loss team but even if they lose this week they would be the only 2-loss team. And The Eagles have the most sacks, and the most takeaways. There is no debate to be had, they are the best team in the league. Its just a matter now of if they can get it done.

The post The Eagles Power Rankings Round Up Going Into Week 15 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See why Anthony Thinks The Eagles Are 12-1 In His Opening Diatribe From This Morning…

Isnt it great? 12-1. In this magical Eagles season ride. I’m curious as to where you are at with the success of this team. This year has been such a wild year. The MVP is Jalen, right? The whole thing starts and ends with Jalen Hurts becoming not just a quality starter, but a very good one. Just taking it to the next level, honing his skills, and becoming a legitimate Qb. Not just an effective runner, but now a thrower too. Obviously, if you are going to go MVPs, he’s there. Because he was the biggest question mark coming in. But this team even is exceeding expectations everywhere else.

So what is the reason? Why are they 12-1? I had somebody tell me yesterday, this whole thing is all about the offensive and defensive lines. I agree that the line play has been ridiculous. This is Howie’s belief system. Howie’s belief is that you always fortify the front. Build an O-Line and a D-Line. And he has done that. In every draft, he is adding to the line, on both sides of the ball. Is that the cheat code to Football?

You could have great QB play, and it will get you so far. Like Joe Burrow last year was so ridiculously good, that he overcame their lack of O-Line play. Which is a rarity. They were able to get to the Superbowl. But ultimately they couldn’t win it because the line finally gave in. The Chiefs, when they lost all their guys on the line, all of a sudden it was Mahomes is having a down year. They figured out how to play Mahomes. No they didn’t! They were able to get pressure on him because their o line was breaking down.

It is why the Buccaneers are done, and why the Rams died early. It always goes back to the front. And that is a true tenet of Football. Therefore, Howie Roseman would be the key to this thing, other than Hurts.

And listen to his full Opening Diatribe Below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Why Are They 12-1 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles’ blowout win over the Giants Sunday did not come without its drawbacks. Namely the loss of their punter Arryn Siposs. Late in the 2nd quarter while backed up in their own end zone, Arryn Siposs had one of his punts blocked. Instead of letting the Giants fall on it for a TD, Siposs tried to do something productive. He scooped up the loose ball and tried to run it for a first down. Unfortunately, he stepped out of bounds, And even more unfortunately he took a hit afterward and had to leave the game. He is now out indefinitely with what is being called a lower leg injury. But the Eagles already have his replacement. They signed former Pro Bowl Punter Brett Kern.

Eagles are signing former Titans’ Pro-Bowl punter Brett Kern to replace punter and holder Arryn Siposs, who is out indefinitely after getting hurt Sunday, per league source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 12, 2022

Brett Kern has been punting in the NFL since 2004. After being Toldeo’s Punter for multiple years, he entered the NFL, starting his career with the Broncos. He spent only a year and a half in Denver before they waived him. He signed with the Titans shortly after that and spent the next 13 seasons with them. In that time he averaged 45.9 yards per punt, made three Pro Bowls, and led the league in yards per punt once. He was also first 1st team All-Pro one season and 2nd team All-Pro in another season.

The 36-year-old Brett Kern spent the last two seasons battling injuries, and multiple stints on the Covid list. His average yards per punt fell under 46.0 for the first time in years. Eventually, the Titans replaced him with undrafted rookie Ryan Stonehouse. And he had been a free agent until the Eagles scooped him up today.

It is still unclear how long Arryn Siposs will be out, or even the full extent of his injury. But clearly, it will be bad enough to keep him out of Sunday’s game. Until then, Brett Kern will fill in for him. Siposs had not exactly played great this season. He was 25th in the NFL with average yards per punt of 45.6. And in 44 chances he had only pinned the other team behind the 20 16 times. But that also has more to do with the Eagles’ punt coverage team not playing great either.

The post Eagles Sign Former Pro Bowl Punter Brett Kern appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles continue to play at a high level. But is this the best Eagles team we have ever seen? Barrett Brooks thinks it could be. He joined “The Best Show Ever?” earlier today to break down the win, and what he loves about this Eagles team. What makes Jalen Hurts so special? Is Jonathan Gannon redeeming himself after last year? Barrett Brooks discussed that and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On This Being Perhaps the Best Eagles Team He Has Seen…

“This may be the best team I have ever seen wear the Eagles uniform. They are so balanced. They bring everything to the table, they don’t lack anything. The way they play, it is unbelievable how easy it is for him to execute. That is the biggest thing right there. Offensively, pick your poison as a defensive coordinator. How are you going to stop them? Are you gonna stop the run? The pass? Qb? The RBs? Tight End? The WRS? What do you do to stop this offense? And by the way, this is the best offensive line in the NFL. It is hard to get a beat on what you can do to stop this offense.

And on defense, they are built well in the trenches now. They can stop the run and the pass with the guys outside. The only thing we lack right now is another safety.”

On What Makes Jalen Hurts Special…

“He forces himself to go out and be the most prepared athlete on the field. We all know that the Qb position is the number one position in sports. He takes that personally. He understands that where he goes is where his team goes. So he is going to be the first one in and the last one to leave. He is going to watch every piece of film. And he works his butt off to go out and be fundamentally sound… He has become a savant of the game. Understanding what he needs to be to make this team successful. That is the best thing that he brings to the game.”

On Jonathan Gannon’s Performance This Year…

“I enjoy that he takes the pieces he has on that team, and places them where they need to be. Everybody wants him to blitz. Well, he is not a guy who conceptually blitzes. But he blitzes enough… And they are always blitzes you will see at the beginning of the games. Just to figure out what he can do to fluster whoever is under center…

If you take away last year, the numbers that he is producing right now, are some of the best in the Eagles’ history… But we can’t get past what we saw last year. Gannon has been a great coordinator this year. He is using the pieces that Howie Roseman got him. And now he can stop the run. That is the only thing they really couldn’t do. Now they can stop the run consistently. And he has found a way to hide the Safety position with CJ Gardner Johnson out.”

Listen to the full conversation with Barrett Brooks below…The post Barrett Brooks Thinks This May Be The Best Eagles Team He Has Seen appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The rumors of the Eagles’ demise after their loss vs Washington, and some close wins around it were greatly exaggerated. Because now they are back to demolishing teams. They crush the Giants in the Meadowlands yesterday. Put up 48 points, vs the Giants’ 22. How did they pull off such a convincing win? Here are the 5 numbers that tell the story of their win in the Meadowlands.

3.4The Eagles had a stretch where they really struggled to stop the run. To the point where pundits all over the place were claiming that the book was out how to beat the Eagles. Turns out those thoughts were a bit premature. Because in these last two games, and even in the Colts game, this run defense has been so much better. They for the most part shut down Jonathan Taylor. And they completely shut down Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. That is 3 of the best RBs in the league. The Giants running backs averaged just 3.4 yards per carry against the Eagles. Daniel Jones, and later Tyrod Taylor, has some success running on broken plays. But on designed runs, the Eagles shut down the usually dangerous Giants run game. It seems that the book on how to beat the Eagles may need to go back to the editor’s table.

10The number 10 came up a lot this week. AJ Brown, Miles Sanders, and Jalen Hurts all scored their 10th TD this week. This is the first time the Eagles have ever had 3 different players all score 10 TDs. The Eagles have had good, even great, offenses in the past. But I can’t say if they have ever had an offense with this many options. Even the combination of LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin wasn’t this potent. And that doesn’t even include the 18 TDs from 6 other players including Devonta Smith with 5, Quez Watkins and Kenny Gainwell each with 4, and Dallas Goedert with 3. Oh and Miles Sanders and AJ Brown both reached 1000 yards, the first RB and WR to do that since Maclin and McCoy both did so in 2014.

30.8The Eagles Defensive Line had their way all day. 7 sacks, 12 QB hits, and even more pressures. The Eagles hit Daniel Jones or Tyrod Taylor on 30.8% of the Giants’ passing downs. Nearly a 1/3rd of the time, they got to them. Jonathan Gannon takes a lot of flak, occasionally warranted, for not being aggressive enough. But what we have seen is that he actually likes to dial up pressure on 3rd and 4th downs. And it works really well. This defense leads the league in sacks now with 49. Only the Cowboys with 48 are within 10 sacks of them.

73.91%The Eagles’ offense is nearly impossible to stop in the red zone. They score a TD 73.91% of the time they get there. That is 2nd in the NFL. And the reason why is this rushing attack. Once you get in the red zone, defending the Eagles’ read-option run attack is nearly impossible. Teams have to defend Miles Sanders, Jalen Hurts, and several dangerous options at WR/TE and have no room for error. Oh, and they have the best run-blocking offensive line in the game. When the Eagles get into the Red Zone, chances are they are finding the end zone.

3The Eagles are getting closer and closer to clinching the top seed. With 4 games left, their magic number to clinch it is 3. And it is just 2 to clinch a better seed than the Vikings. If they beat the Bears, and then the Cowboys, they clinch the top seed. Even if the Cowboys beat them, it would then take just 2 combined Eagles wins and Cowboys losses to clinch it. And we saw this week that the ESPN darling Cowboys are vulnerable even with Dak back at QB. The Eagles control their destiny, and there could be a bye week and home field in the playoffs under the tree for us after Christmas eve.

The post The 5 Numbers That Tell The Story of the Eagles Beat the Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See Why Anthony Gargano Said the Eagles Are Among the NFL Elite In His Opening Diatribe this Morning…

Are you kidding me? Oh my god! on a rainy December afternoon in North Jersey, the 2022 Eagles solidified themselves among the NFL elite. Not just among the NFC, but the AFC too. They show you yet again another different way of winning. this time a methodical, almost machine-like Victory. Relentless, unstoppable. they showed you that they are as good, if not better, than the Chiefs, the Bills, and any other elites in the NFL. They are right now, as we speak, here in December, the best team in all of Football.

They are better than KC. Better than Buffalo. They are the best team in the league. In a game that they should have struggled in by the ebb and flow theory. And yet, they rolled. it wasn’t even close from the beginning. they were unstoppable. I know the Giants are on a downturn. They are early in their rebuild. But let’s face it, that was s beatdown at Giants Stadium.

Jalen Hurts continues his transformation from suspect prospect to MVP. Never have we seen in any sport such a meteoric rise. From a guy that we had lots of questions about, to a guy who not only answered those questions, not only a top 12 QB but a top 3-4 Qb… He is right there, he is in the mix. He’s a contemporary of Mahomes and Allen. it’s amazing the transformation. Throwing pillows and dimes. running that offense perfectly, making all the right decisions.

That offensive line might be the best I have ever seen. And to watch Jalen sit back, make his progressions, check 1-2-3, and use his check downs. He just was masterful. And then when he wants to run, he is unstoppable. This dominance of this offense, and without Goedert mind you…

What we have seen from this offense is methodical, it’s dominant, it’s one of the greatest offenses an Eagles team has had… Elite offensive display. And this is not a mirage. It is real.

And you can listen to his full opening diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Eagles Are Among the NFL Elite appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Zach Berman from The Athletic joins the John Kincade Show at 8:10am after every Eagles game to give his insight into what he saw. At 12-1 Zach can firmly say he saw a really good football team. One of the best in the league in fact. For the second straight week the Eagles were able to get their second stringers into the game late because the win was firmly in hand. The Eagles dominated their divisional opponent New York Giants 48-22 and it wasnt even that close.

One of the biggest reasons why is because of MVP candidate Jalen Hurts.

“The variable that jumps out to me when I look at this team, is there are certain teams in the league like the Kansas City Chiefs or the Buffalo Bills where you say ‘As long as they have Patrick Mahomes’ or ‘As long as they have Josh Allen’. We’re getting to the point with the Eagles where you say ‘As long as they have Jalen Hurts’… It’s a credit to his development and where this offense is right now.”

Believe it or not though, Zach thinks the Eagles can actually reach a higher level of play.

“Nick Sirianni said last year year that his teams always peak late in the season. You go back to Indianapolis that was the case, some other stops… I don’t know if they’re peaking yet, but they do have another gear to go when you consider they’ve done this the past three games without Dallas Goedert, without Chauncey Gardner-Johnson… I know postseason is a one game season, but I do think they have another gear to go.”

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The post VIDEO: Zach Berman “I Do Think They Have Another Gear” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

By Bob Cooney

Championship depravation is a real thing here in Philadelphia, as we know all too well. Since 1980, and yes that is long before many of you listening and a few who work here were even born, Philadelphia has won just four titles in the four major professional sports. Take it a step further. In May of 2023, it may be just two titles in the past 40 years.

That, of course, could change due to this year’s terrific version of the Philadelphia Eagles, who improved to 12-1 yesterday with a thorough 48-22 thrashing of the New York Giants. Whether this season turns into the organization’s second Super Bowl victory in five seasons remains to be seen, but I can say this with a pretty good amount of confidence: We are witnessing one of, if not the, best regular season performances in our lifetimes.

Let’s take a look at the competition for that honor, and remember, we are talking regular seasons. And we will go back to 1980, because, quite frankly, who remembers much before then.

The 1979-80 Flyers set an North American professional pro sports record by going unbeaten in 35 straight games (25-0-10), which is pretty cool and led to a Finals loss to the New York Islanders.

The 1980 Eagles started the season 11-1 with a dominant defense that allowed just 11.8 points in those first 12 games, but ultimately lost in the Super Bowl to the Raiders.

After acquiring center Moses Malone before the 1982-83 seasons, the Sixers started that campaign 34-5 in rolling to an NBA title. That regular season ended 65-17, and that team is mentioned among the best of all time. There’s also the 48-16 start by the Allen Iverson-led team of 2001, and the 13-1 beginning of the 2004 Eagles. You can’t forget the 2011 Phillies who finished with 102 wins and had four starting pitchers (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Vance Worley) go 61-26.

And now there is this Eagles team that has a defense that has quietly become the most efficient in the league and an offense that, if looking at just the past three games, is unstoppable to the tune of 41 points a game.

For fear of disappointment, we rarely allow ourselves as followers of Philadelphia professional sports to dream of impeccable seasons, and the previous few examples show us why. So don’t deprive yourself of this special season, one of the most special of my lifetime.

The post Cooney’s Column: Its Time To Enjoy This Eagles Run Because It Doesnt Happen Often appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Eagles beat the brakes off of the New York Giants in the Meadowlands with a commanding 48-22 victory. Pretty much every single player wearing midnight green had an exceptional individual game, and that normally means a good team result is to follow. Some games, though, not every single player is playing at their best. That’s when you need a transcendent player to rise to the occasion. Jalen Hurts has been a part of both of those types of games this season, and has excelled in both scenarios. When the Eagles are going at their best, it’s because Hurts is lighting the world on fire from the QB position. When the Eagles are at their worst, they’re winning tight games because when the chips are down, #1 just refuses to allow this team to lose football games. He has already been in the conversation for MVP for months now, but the past couple weeks have cemented where he stands in that race; it’s right on his jersey every Sunday.

Just look at the past 2 weeks of Eagles’ offensive production. It’s rare for any team to gain 450+ yards on offense and score 5+ touchdowns at any point in a season. The Eagles and Jalen Hurts have done that in BACK TO BACK WEEKS! That’s mind blowing proficiency on the offensive side of the ball. On top of the heater the birds have been on, they’re 12-1, the best team in football. If you view MVP as an award for the best player on the best team, that’s a point in favor of Mr. Hurts. Wait, but what about Hurts’ individual accomplishments Connor? I’m glad you asked! Hurts leads the NFL in passer rating at 108.4, TD/INT ratio, is 6th in rushing TDs IN THE ENTIRE LEAGUE, and obviously 1st for QBs, and is top 5 in numerous other stats. The individual numbers are unreal to go along with the best record in football and the versatile way the Eagles offense is getting the job done.

So then who am I trying to convince? Seems pretty clear cut, right? Well, not as much as it probably should be. The modern NFL revolves around the passing game, and the MVP normally goes to the best passing QB. Hurts is only 10th in the NFL in passing yards this season, and with Patrick Mahomes currently leading the league in that category, some still believe that he deserves to take home his 2nd MVP award this season. To those people, let me just say this: you are absolutely mistaken. Passing yards are cool, but MVP does not stand for Most Valuable Passer. It stands for Most Valuable Player, of course, and no one player has been more valuable than Jalen Hurts this season. There are still 4 more weeks to go of the regular season, but short of a complete collapse, the award should still belong to the Eagles signal caller. He has created the most total offense of any one player, and for the best team in football. This is about as cut and dry as it gets, and with a couple more weeks of this type of play, the Eagles will have their first NFL MVP in franchise history.

The post Jalen Hurts Is Absolutely The NFL MVP appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Coach Nick Sirianni is quick to remind us that the only game that matters is the next one. At (12-1) it’s hard not to at least peak a bit at what this edition of the Eagles has already accomplished. The first thing of course is the second season under Sirianni with the Eagles playing January football. The playoffs are what the entire regular season is supposed to be about. You play for seeding and hope to create the easiest path to a Super Bowl that you can. The Eagles will be huge favorites over the Bears, Saints and Giants. Win those 3 and no one can grab the top seed from you. Beat the Bears and you clinch the NFC top seed with a win over Dallas!

AJ Brown was a huge off-season grab for Howie Roseman. How much that move was going to pay off for the franchise was a major question. After 13 games, Brown has already made a huge impact. He already has ten touchdowns and has accumulated 1,020 yards. Much was made of his relationship with Jalen Hurts. The chemistry between these two players is undeniable. With 65 receptions as the top receiving option with opposing defenses trying to shut him down, he has proven to be a great value.

His receiving partner Devonta Smith has proven to be almost as deadly. He has accumulated 775 receiving yards of his own and has accounted for 5 receiving touchdowns. Smith has actually caught 66 balls, one more than Brown on the season. They are the perfect compliment to each other. When coverage converges on one, the other has the space to create. Just imagine what happens when Dallas Goedert returns next weekend in Chicago.

Let’s celebrate the amazing season that running back Miles Sanders has put together. In a contract year, after much critique it was up to Sanders to define his next pay day. He will most certainly be getting a solid next contract from someone after this showing. He has rushed for 1,066 yards thru his 13 starts and accounted for 11 rushing touchdowns. Sanders continues to impress and has proven to be reliable and a work horse. He is used in high leverage situations and his blocking has been nothing short of outstanding.

The Eagles offense has scored 123 points in their last 3 games, but the defense has most certainly made their own impact. They have allowed just 65 points in the last 3 contests, many of those points scored in garbage time. Their pass defense is the best in the NFL. Their secondary is deadly and able to play man coverage allowing Jonathan Gannon to unleash the dogs on opposing quarterbacks. They have already sacked the quarterback 49 times, which is the best mark in the NFL. Their 24 takeaways also leads the league with an NFL best +14 margin.

It’s not even worth saying that the Eagles can’t afford a let down game. Fact is they have now set themselves up to have one they can afford to drop. Something tells me that they won’t be thinking like that at all. Bury the Bears, beat the Cowboys and then try and navigate what to do so you don’t lost your edge. It’s going to be a special January thanks to a lot of outstanding individual and team performances!

The post Its not too early to acknowledge some great 2022 Eagles milestones! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

At some point we just have to admit it. It’s only been 13 games, but it somehow doesn’t feel at all premature. They keep giving us evidence, but the skeptical part of all of our Philadelphia sports brains wants to come up with boogey man scenarios. It’s about time we all took a long look in the mirror and said, stop it! This is the greatest Eagles team that we have ever seen, whether you want to admit it or not.

The 2017 Eagles team is the only one that ever gave us a parade, but they weren’t as dominant as this crew. That team got cruising on offense and by the 13th game they had an 11-2 mark and lost their starting QB due to a season ending knee injury. We all know how Nick Foles came around after a few poor efforts and wrote the greatest ending we ever saw. That team didn’t have balance. They weren’t able to just dominate with the passing game one week and the running game the next. They needed balance within the game to succeed. This team could telegraph their plays and most weeks it wouldn’t matter. They can dominate on defense too. They take away the ball, they shut down passing attacks. It’s outrageous!

The 2004 Eagles were the last team in franchise history that was (12-1). That team didn’t play in the toughest division through 13 weeks in the history of the NFL either. They were a very balanced team, but the depth on offense was most certainly not like this year. Terrell Owens wasn’t backed up with a DeVonta Smith. The Eagles passing attack was great, but it wasn’t like this.

Jalen Hurts most importantly is having a better season than any Eagles QB has ever had. Period. To be fair, he also has an embarrassment of riches on the offensive side of the ball more than any other Eagles season. It doesn’t change the fact that Hurts is incredible between the ears. It is a skill set that Donovan McNabb rarely displayed over the course of an entire season. Jalen Hurts should be the MVP as long as he closes the deal and secures the top seed in the NFC.

The math is easy. If the Eagles beat the Bears next weekend in Chicago, the CHRISTMAS EVE CLINCHER is now in play. Due to the Vikings loss at Detroit, the Eagles now have a 2 game lead over Dallas in the NFC East and over Minnesota in the overall NFC Standings. They have already beaten both teams and they hold the tie-breaker currently, so unless they trip up in the Windy City it could be the best Christmas ever!

The 2 game lead over Dallas also means that if they beat the Bears next Sunday, even a loss at Dallas won’t kill them. They would just have to beat the Saints and Giants at home to secure the East and home field throughout. It’s on to Chicago and the greatest Eagles season we have ever witnessed continues. Let’s all enjoy the ride!

The post The Christmas Eve Clincher is now officially in play! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Dont look now, but the Eagles are hitting their stride. And that is saying something for a team with only 1 loss in 13 games. After crushing the Titans last year, they steamrolled the Giants in this one. They scored the first 3 touchdowns of the game, and never looked back after that. They are making everything look easy right now. Another big day by both Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts carried them to an easy 48-22 victory.

Two weeks ago they ran all over the Packers. Last week they threw all over the Titans. And this week they did both. 200 yards both through the air and on the ground. They had their way early throwing the ball, and then ran it down their throats the rest of the game, eventually racking up 4 rushing Touchdowns to go with their 2 passing touchdowns. It is a cliche, but this team really can beat you in so many different ways. You would be hard-pressed to find a flaw in this offense. They run it at an elite level. And when asked to, they can also throw it at an elite level. Even with one of their best weapons, Dallas Goedert, out, they still made it look easy versus this aggressive Giants defense. And Goedert is due back next week.

And don’t forget the defense, who held the Giants under 200 passing yards. They stuffed Saquon Barkley the same way they did Derrick Henry the week before. Barkley failed to even reach 30 yards. The Eagles’ biggest weakness is suddenly looking like a strength with Jordan Davis back in the fold. Losing another Safety, Reed Blankenship, leaves another hole in the middle of their defense, but having Avonte Maddox makes up for some of that. And they continue to haunt opposing Qb’s nightmares. Another 7 sacks for them today, including 3 by Brandon Graham. Dont let the 22 points fool you, They shut the Giants down. 1 TD came after a blocked punt gave the Giants a very short field. Another came at the end of the game with the backups in.

It was also a day of many milestones for the Birds. Sanders ran for 144 yards, and two touchdowns, becoming the first Eagles RB to reach 1000 yards since LeSean McCoy. AJ Brown had 70 yards and a TD to become the first 1000-yard WR since Jeremy Maclin. And those two, plus Jalen Hurts each got their 10th TD of the season, marking the first time the Eagles have ever had 3 10 TD scorers in a single season. Not to mention that Jalen Hurts became the first QB in NFL history to rush for 10 TDs in consecutive seasons.

It was nearly a perfect day for the Eagles. The Cowboys trailed the Texans until the last minute of the game. But they ended up pulling out the win. But they still benefited from a Vikings loss, and are one step closer to wrapping up the 1 seed in the NFC. Their magic number vs the Vikings is down to 2, and 3 vs the Cowboys. They next play Justin Fields and the Bears, who are coming off their bye week. Win that one, and they will have a chance to clinch the top seed in the NFC with a win on Christmas Eve over the Cowboys.

The post Eagles Make It Look Easy Again in Win Over Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles face off with the Giants this Sunday. And to get the scoop on what to expect, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Dave Zangaro from NBC Sports Philly? What challenges do they pose to Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense? How should they go about attacking the Giants offense? Dave Zangaro discusses that and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On Jalen Hurts vs the Blitz Heavy Giants Defense…

“The one I am most intrquied by is how Jalen Hurts deals with the Wink Martindale defense, which is super blitz heavy. A year ago if you asked me about the Eagles playing a team that blitzes as much as the Giants do, it would be a real concern. But he has come so far in the last year understanding how to beat a blitz. And understanding that he can live in there. He is a much better pocket passer than he was last year… I think they’ve evolved. They will be able to figure out different ways to get the most out of their defense Eeven when the pressure is there. And it is going to be there on Sunday. There is no hiding what this defense does.”

On Eagles Defense vs Giants Offense…

“Saquon is questionable. Even if he plays you have to wonder how effective he will be. The tricky part of the Giants Offense is actually Daniels Jones being a Runner. He has 544 yards this year. And look, he is not Jalen Hurts or Lamar Jackson. But he changes the numbers defensivly a little bit. You have to be aware he has that ability. That should be in the back of your mind… I have to give that coaching staff a ton of credit. They are doing it without much talent at all. They have really one WR in Darius Slayton. The rest of that offense is maximizing Daniel Jones, and getting a lot out of Saquon Barkley. So just keep an eye on Daniel Jones, and make sure he doesnt beat them with his legs.”

Listen to the full discussion with Dave Zangaro below…The post Dave Zangaro Previews Eagles vs Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Each week on “The Best Show Ever?” they each make two picks from College or the NFL. Tyrone Johnson, Ricky Bottalico, Hunter Brody, Jen Scordo, and Dylan MacKinnon compete to see who can make the best picks and have the best record by year’s end. Last week everybody, besides Dylan, went 1-1. Tyrone nailed his pick for Georgia to cover the -17.5 line vs LSU, but his Ravens pick fell short with them only winning by 1. Hunter correctly picked Utah to upset USC, but his Commanders -2 pick failed with them tying the Giants. Ricky won one pick with the Vikings beating the Jets, but also had USC covering the line. Jen correctly picked Troy -8.5. but also had TCU -2.5 and they were upset by Kansas State. And then finally Dylan lost both of his picks, with both USC and the Kansas City Chiefs being upset. But he gets a chance to make up for that with his week 14 picks.

Here is where all of our records stand after 13 weeks… Tyrone Johnson- (12-12) * Ricky Bottalico- (7-17) * Hunter Brody- (13-11) * Jen Scordo- (12-12) * Dylan MacKinnon- (8-16)*

And here are our week 14 picksTyrone’s Picks* Navy -2.5 vs Army * Miami Dolphins -3 at Los Angeles Chargers

Hunter’s Picks* Detroit Lions -2 vs the Minnesota Vikings * Cincinnati Bengals -5.5 vs the Cleveland Browns

Ricky’s Picks* Minnesota Vikings +2 at the Detroit Lions * Philadelphia Eagles -7 at the New York Giants

Jen’s Picks* Detroit Lions -2 vs the Minnesota Vikings * Miami Dolphins -3 at Los Angeles Chargers

Dylan’s Picks* Philadelphia Eagles -7 at the New York Giants * Detroit Lions -2 vs the Minnesota Vikings

The post “The Best Show Ever?”- Week 14 Picks appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles face off with their NFC East rival Giants this Sunday in the Meadowlands. And to get some insight into the matchup, Anthony Gargano talked to Zach Berman of The Athletic. What matchups favor the Eagles? How should the Eagles attack the Giants’ defense? And how should they defend the Giants’ offense? Zach Berman discusses that and more. Here is some of what he had to say.

On Matchup Favoring the Eagles…

“The Eagles have such an advantage. Especially on the outside of both lines of scrimmage. With the Eagles WRs against the Giants Corners, and the Eagles Corners against the Giants WRs. It’s going to be hard for the Giants to move the ball through the air. And the Eagles should be able to move the ball, I’d say without a problem, against this Giants secondary. Adoree’ Jackson is going to be out. The Giants aren’t going to be able to keep pace with the Eagles…. Going into the Packers game, you thought they could run on the Packers. Going into the Titans game you thought they could throw on the Titans. And going into the Giants game you can run and throw…”

On Jalen Hurts vs the Giants’ defense…

“The thing to watch is the Giants like to blitz. But Jalen has handled the blitz decently. The teams that have had the most success have blitzed them. But if you are blitzing, and keep man coverage, Jalen is going to run all day. The Giants like to blitz, but they blitz in man. And if you blitz in man you are very vulnerable to a QB who can escape the pocket… What they should be focusing on is blitz beaters.”

On Gameplan for Eagles Defense…

“The key for the Eagles will be getting pressure on (Daniel Jones). Because I don’t think the Giants have the Wide Receivers or the Tight Ends to threaten the Eagles’ secondary. Where I think the Eagles are vulnerable is in the middle of the field. If they can get after the Giants, then there will not be enough time, and it is going to be a blowout. I don’t really see a pass at the Giants winning the game unless weather neutralizes the field.”

Listen to the full conversation with Zach Berman below…The post Zach Berman Previews Eagles vs Giants appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Last Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles had arguably their most complete win of the campaign in a dominant performance over the Tennessee Titans. Improving to a league-best record of 11-1. The game plan that they put together should stay the same as they get ready to face the New York Giants.

As the Eagles get ready to face their division rival Giants on the road Sunday, a similar approach could lead them to win number 12. Like the Titans, the G-Men boast a ball control offense led by talented running back Saquon Barkley. Similar to the Titans’ Derrick Henry. New York has a quarterback in Daniel Jones whom they simply ask not to make mistakes and make the right plays when they have the ball. Again, just like the Titans’ Ryan Tannehill. And wide receivers that you really don’t expect to beat you.

So, for Philadelphia, the way to beat New York needs to start by shutting down the run game and force Jones to beat you with his arm. But watch out for his ability to run out of the pocket and make plays that could hurt you. The Eagles’ defenders need to hold contain on the edges. If they do these things, a similar result should be the outcome by the game’s end.

Defensively, the Giants had shown signs of being frisky and causing problems for the opposition. They are doing their part to help the offense stay in the game. Last week the defense did just enough not to lose the game against a hot Washington Commanders team. Instead, they went to overtime. Resulting in a tie that could eventually help them in the end as far as playoff picture goes in the NFC. New York gives up 21 points per game and will let you rack up on yards at 359.8 per. The Birds should be able to have a good day offensively.

The Giants have a surprising 7-4-1 record under new head coach Brian Daboll. But after starting 7-2, they’ve started to go backwards over the latter part of the campaign. They lost two in a row before tying with the Commanders last weekend at home. Philadelphia looks to extend their division rival’s losing ways.

The post Eagles Gameplan VS Giants Should Look Similar To The Titans Win appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Santa Claus takes care of the toys for the kids, but the adults many times are just fending for themselves. Giving gifts many years though can be a complicated affair. Finding the right present for someone on your shopping list can take various web searches and picking the brain of others to narrow down the target. Not this year, as long as you have a Philly sports fan on your shopping list! The possibilities are endless.

I’m thinking about those (11-1) Philadelphia Eagles who are charging towards the playoffs with the potential of gaining the top seed. Earlier this year at Rally House I picked up an Eagles jersey at one of our remote broadcasts. I only had a Zach Ertz jersey and was looking to update to the current roster. Think of all the choices! I went with AJ Brown in the black jersey. I’ve never owned one before and many guys of my generation have gravitated away from the black option. You have new players like Jordan Davis who should be stalwarts for a while. Hasson Reddick has finally found himself a permanent type landing spot and he wears a cool number. The Jalen Hurts Number One truly seems like the safest choice if you are making a long term investment. He’s a rising star and is about to get paid. Nobody is going to dislike that selection!

As long as we are talking jerseys, I know the Phillies merchandise hasn’t been the hottest seller these past few holiday seasons, but after this year you might want to think ahead. Grabbing a Bryce Harper model would thrill any Phillies fan, but now you could also pull the trigger on a Trae Turner jersey. Either one is the long term play and will help get you through the cold winter ahead before the 2023 season dawns.

What about tickets being the choice this year? I’m always the guy who would prefer going to an event over a thing. Lifetime memories are worth more to me than something I might end up throwing away in a few years. The Phillies should be the hot ticket in town next season. What about a small ticket plan? How about just grabbing tickets to an individual game on the secondary market? Opening Day would be a great idea.

Im not short changing the 76ers, but the team hasn’t really nudged either of the other teams out of the headlines and who do you invest in long term other than Tyrese Maxey? That jersey would always be a hit but Christmas 2022 won’t be remembered for the basketball team.

Smaller items? How about a 2022 Phillies NL Champions license plate frame? I asked Santa Claus for one. I love the Tervis Tumblers and use one every morning. I love getting new ones from my favorite sports teams. They are functional and a great value.

The big splurge? Get on that secondary market and try yo secure Eagles playoff tickets once they clinch a berth. I promise you that if you want to create Christmas energy, a few weeks of anticipation looking ahead to that first home playoff game would be wild!

Botyom line? Get moving on this! You have 16 days left!

The post Christmas Shopping for Philly sports has just gotten more complicated appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

How sweet is this holiday season for Philadelphia fans? The Phillies are making big moves and the Eagles started the month of December in an amazing way.

For a brief moment on Wednesday, December 7, Philadelphia fans were upset because one person, literally one person, floated a rumor that the Eagles were a team to watch as Odell Beckham Jr. looks to join an NFL roster. Big names get clicks, so the bait was thrown out there. Instantly, there was concern about the locker room dynamic and how he would fit on the roster. Nick Sirianni is never brief or direct when answering questions, but he said in his own way the Eagles were fine at wide receiver. He also said that backup wideouts must play special teams here. That effectively killed the chances that OBJ would come to Philadelphia. While I didn’t believe the rumor, I do think the fans who were bothered by it got it right in one important way: the Eagles don’t need more than they currently have to win the Super Bowl.

The Eagles are 11-1 and just throttled a Titans team that many fans feared going into the game. The game showcased that the Eagles are who we thought they were, and as they get healthier, they are equipped, as is, to make the Super Bowl run that has become mandatory. Jordan Davis returned last week. Avonte Maddox returned to the practice field this week, and Dallas Goedert has basically already announced he is returning next week from his shoulder injury.

That is a lot of quality to be adding to a team that has found a way to win without those pieces. OBJ is also not needed here because the Eagles have A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. Both had over 100 yards last week. With Goedert out, Quez Watkins has stepped up and shown a lot of improvement (and has participated in practice this week after an AC joint sprain). As Sirianni alluded to, they don’t need a guy who hasn’t played football all year to help punt and kick coverage. He wouldn’t fit because the Eagles are that good. Compare that to last year’s Super Bowl-winning Rams who badly needed to add him, and you see how good the Eagles are this year. They are much better this year, than last year’s champs.

Jalen Hurts is the back-to-back NFC Offensive Player of the Week and he won those awards playing two completely different styles. I marvel at how he continues to evolve. Who else in the league can say they have a weapon that resembles him? Not many. Miles Sanders has a very good chance of going over 1,000 yards for the first in his career time this week against the Giants. He is playing with the consistency that we have all wanted to go with his big play ability. And look at this team’s defense. Derrick Henry is a certified beast, and the Eagles completely contained him. His longest run was six yards. They have the personnel to stop the run when they need to, and Johnathan Gannon decides to scheme to do so.

Even special teams finally showed improvement with Britain Covey having his three longest punt returns of his career all happening against the Titans. I wrote last week and have been saying on the radio that the best football for the Eagles is still ahead of them. We just got a taste of that. They will have a chance to show that again against the Giants this week and humble a well-coached, but undertalented limited team. They get to head out to snowy Chicago and handle business and then on Christmas Eve the Eagles will get to sweep the Cowboys out in Dallas. ESPN can make up phony metrics all they want to pretend the Eagles aren’t the best team in the NFC, but hot takes don’t win football games. Good players do and the Eagles have all the good players they need to win the Super Bowl.

The post Eagles Have Everything They Need to Win the Super Bowl appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is week 14, which means for many of us, it is the last week before Fantasy Football playoffs. This is your last chance to climb into a playoff spot. Or if you are already in it, you just need to hold on for one more week. Either way, time is running out on the regular season for your Fantasy Football league. And to make sure you are playing in your playoffs, you could use some help from a Fantasy Football Expert. Enter Eric Karabell.

Every week ESPN Fantasy Expert Eric Karabell joins “The Best Show Ever?” to dish out some Fantasy Advice before the Thursday game when the week officially starts. It is your chance to get your burning fantasy questions answered. Are you unsure of who to put into the final flex spot? Do you have two QBs and don’t know which one is the better play? And there are a lot of players on bye weeks, so maybe you need advice on who to replace your starters with from your team’s bench.

Reach out to us each Thursday, and we will ask him your questions when he joins us at 4 pm. And then tune in to hear what his advice is. If you miss it live, you can come back here to listen to it after the fact.

Here is what Karabell had to say for week 14.The post Eric Karabell Dishes Out Fantasy Football Advice For Week 14 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Do the Philadelphia Eagles need Odell Beckham junior? No, they don’t. But following the report from Pro Football Talk of any possible interest between the two sides… you do it.

Yes, Beckham, who is said to have recovered from the ACL tear that has caused him to miss the first 13 weeks of the season, would come with some baggage. However, when you’re looking to do what the Eagles are trying to do, which is to win a Super Bowl, and one of the more talented offensive players in the league today is available and can help — there is no downside. While the wide receiver room is very talented and if you include one of the top tight ends in the NFL in Dallas Goedert with that group, the skill players are very strong.

But as much as you may like Quez Watkins, Beckham is a better player. Imagine defenses trying to cover A.J. Brown, Davonta Smith, Beckham, Watkins, and Goedert. You cannot. The other part about this possible interest is the leadership group of the Philadelphia Eagles. Players and staff. They all seem to have a good thing going that could absorb such a strong personality, especially if he’s focused on winning.

Let’s flashback to 2017 when the Eagles were running through the NFC before the trade deadline. GM Howie Roseman made a deal to acquire Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi. Adding to the running back room with LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement, essentially replacing the injured Darren Sproles with Ajayi. When the deal was announced, many stories out of Miami reported that some teammates and members of the Dolphins organization were unhappy with Ajayi’s behavior and no longer wanted him to be a part of the team.

Once with Philadelphia during their playoff and Super Bowl run, there was never a peep about those concerns coming from the entire Eagles organization. So, if that is a tipping point as an Eagles fan, think back to how Ajayi and linebacker Nigel Bradham — who also had a bit of a checkered past — fit in with the Birds on their way to a championship.

If Beckham were to join the Eagles, they would have to find a way to spread the ball around to so many talented players. Worry about that later. If you can bring him in based off what he says and the already rostered player’s belief that this could work… it’s a no-brainer. The Super Bowl champion has already visited with his former team the New York Giants… plus, the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys. There was the belief that the Cowboys were the leaders to sign the talented free agent, but some concerns with his physical and the length of the contract seem to have gotten in the way of a possible partnership. Leaving the Eagles and others an opening to swoop (no pun intended) in.

Beckham didn’t ruin the Los Angeles Rams last season when he joined them late in the campaign as they eventually hoisted the Lombardi trophy. Sure, the Birds should be able to win it without him, but if there is an opportunity to add another potential Batman to the mix — why wouldn’t you?

The post Should The Eagles Add The Controversial Beckham To The Mix? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

See what Anthony had to say about Appreciating the Eagles in his Opening Diatribe this morning…

The main theme of today is appreciation. Appreciating the little things. And it has to do with the Eagles. We are kind of in the same mode of its party time. Honestly, I don’t want to do anything but eat and drink and watch sports. And this Eagles team, they’re 11-1, and they’re playing great football. And even for me who went into the season calling it the gravy year. Whatever happens, happens. You know they are going to be good. But there are no expectations. And they have made an incredible leap into being one of the elites of the NFC.

Coming into the year, I thought it would take another year before they were in the elite of the elites. We thought they would be good. One day I was drinking the green Kool-Aid and had them going 14-3. This was in the summer. And for weeks after I’m going, I must be insane. What’s wrong with me? Every week thereafter Howie Makes another signing and fortifies the defense. And when you look around the landscape of the NFL, it is hard not to zero in on the Eagles for the Superbowl.

You look at San Francisco. Losing Jimmy G is a death blow. And it’s not that Jimmy G is that good. But Jimmy G has been through those wars. Jimmy G beat the Packers. He didn’t play especially well on that day. But he is used to it. Whereas Brock purdy, Mr. Irrelevant, that’s a dramatic step-down. All along I went that is the team that scares me the most. That was a team that I had circled. And in one fell swoop, Garropolo is out…

And then you look around everywhere else. I marvel at Brady sometimes… But I don’t fear Tampa. Brady or no Brady… Eagles- Tampa, it’s the reverse of last year. Seattle? I can’t fear that team. Minnesota? Do I fear Minnesota? They’re good. But their defense is a paper tire. I look at the Giants. We have them on Sunday. And it could be close. Eagles-Giants games are always maddeningly close. But in a playoff situation, I don’t dear the Giants.

And then there is the Cowboys. They are the hype machine. Cowboys sell… But it is all a product of they get a lot of attention. So they get overhyped. But the Eagles are better. How many times are Dak and that Dallas team going to get high expectations, and then melt under the spotlight? Now it is going to be different? I don’t think so.

So I come to you today, and I ask you, are we taking the Eagles for granted?

And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe about Appreciating the Eagles below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- We Should be Appreciating the Eagles appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles had a statement win over the Titans on Sunday. And surely after the National Media spent all week talking about how difficult the game would be for the Eagles, they would then be praising them for tackling that challenge in such a dominating fashion. Well, let’s check out this week’s power rankings to find out. Here is the round-up of where the Eagles placed in the power rankings going into week 14.

ESPN- 1 – (Last Week- 2)

“We’re No. 1 in … turnover margin.

The Eagles are an NFL-best 13-plus in that department — a major reason they have the league’s best record. The defense is top in takeaways with 23, while the offense has turned the ball over just nine times, which ranks second. Quarterback Jalen Hurts deserves much of the credit, having thrown three interceptions to 20 touchdowns on the year”

It’s an obvious statement, but teams who get takeaways, and limit their own takeaways, win games. And the Eagles continue to do both things very well even this late into the season. No CJ Gardner Johnson, who led the league in Interceptions before his injury, hurts that for now. But they are still a defense capable of creating a turnover at any point.

NFL.com- 1 -(Last Week- 1)

“The Eagles continue to prove themselves to be a tier above nearly every team in football. On Sunday, they took the Titans apart at the Linc, outgaining the AFC South leaders by nearly 250 yards in a 35-10 laugher. A.J. Brown went full Jefferson-against-Lincoln High mode in his Titans revenge game, piling up 119 yards and two touchdowns before telling reporters how personal this matchup truly was against his former team. “It’s been personal since the trade,” he said. “I was just trying to keep it down. That’s where I wanted to be. Things just didn’t work out. It was like here, we don’t want you anymore.” Tennessee’s big loss is Philly’s massive gain.”

Thank you Titans for AJ Brown. The Eagles’ recent history at WR is bleak. There was Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson in the late 2000s, and early 2010s, one great year of Terrell Owens, and then mostly a bunch of crap. But the years of Greg Ward, Nelson Agholor, Dorial Green-Beckham, and Josh Huff are over. The era of AJ Brown and Devonta Smith is here. And you know what? This era is pretty great.

Yahoo Sports- 1 – (Last Week- 2)

“The Eagles aren’t losing many games in which A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith each go for 100 yards, like they did Sunday. The Eagles can win in many ways, and the run defense looked fixed with rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis back on Sunday.”

Someone said the Eagles can win in many ways. Take a drink. But while it may be a cliche. It is a true cliche. One week after putting up nearly 400 yards on the ground to beat the Packers, they put up nearly 400 through the air to beat the Titans. If there is a weakness in a defense, this team has a way to attack it.

The Athletic- 1 – (Last Week- 2)

“The stakes at this point for the Eagles are clear: No. 1 seed or bust. They hold a one-game edge over the Vikings with a tiebreaker in hand thanks to their head-to-head victory. The Cowboys loom two games behind, with all eyes on the Dec. 24 showdown in Arlington, Texas. The difference between the prospect of having to win two home games to make the Super Bowl instead of potentially having to win three straight road games is obvious. Win on the road against Dallas and Philadelphia might be in a position to really take it easy on its veteran starters down the stretch. Right now, Mock projects the Eagles with a 78.9 percent chance of earning the NFC’s bye.”

Yep, the expectations have been reset. At the beginning of the season just the chance to be the top seed would feel like enough. But with how good this team has played, anything less than the top seed would be a disappointment. They control their destiny. Win the games, and you get home-field. I have all the confidence that they will get it done.

The Ringer- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

“The Eagles out-bullied one of the biggest bullies in the league on Sunday. A.J. Brown literally ran through a Titans defender’s face en route to his first of two touchdowns in the 35-10 win over his former team. Tennessee managed to slow the Philadelphia run game down, but simply had no answers for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ passing attack. Hurts only had 12 yards rushing but put together one of his best performances of the year, going 29-of-39 for 380 passing yards and three touchdowns. No one is beating the Eagles if Hurts plays the way he did against Tennessee into February.”

I think Hurts showing off his arm was all it took to finally convince these people that the Eagles are serious. We of course knew that. Despite the low stats some weeks, we saw Hurts making these type of throws every week. But against the Titans the passing stats matched the great play. And now you can see everyone else taking notice too. Hurts is the MVP to this point.

USA Today- 1 – (Last Week- 1)

“Their 11-1 record remains the league’s best, but Philadelphia must now maintain its pace despite going on the road for the next three weeks – a trip that will conclude in Dallas for perhaps the league’s most-anticipated matchup of the season. QB Jalen Hurts can also further fuel his billowing MVP campaign. Quite surprisingly the NFL’s third-rated passer (108.3), Hurts needs one more rushing TD to become the first quarterback with at least 10 in successive years.”

The schedule makers were unkind when they have the Eagles on a late 3-game road trip. But they have been very good on the road this year. And they are running into the Giants as they begin to unravel, and not the force that was the early season Giants. The Cowboys will of course be a tough matchup, but as we saw this week, the Eagles handle tough tests well.

Average Ranking – 1There was no argument to be made for anyone else to be number 1. Even with the injury bug finally biting them, they are still playing at a high level. And they are close to getting Avonte Maddox, and Dallas Goedert back. They are the best team in both the NFC, and the NFL right now.

The post Eagles Power Rankings Round Up Going Into Week 14 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

For the last month all football fans have heard is the Odell Beckham Jr “sweepstakes” is down to the Giants and the Cowboys. But there might be a third team that has entered the mix…the Philadelphia Eagles. According the Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk, dont ignore the Birds when it comes to Beckham

Last year, when the OBJ free-agency sputtered, we said, "Watch the Rams." As this year's OBJ free-agency sputters, I'll say this: Watch the Eagles.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 7, 2022

Florio did nail Beckham to the Rams last season. And with the Cowboys suddenly being lukewarm when it comes to Beckham, could the Eagles swoop in? The Eagles have roughly $6 million dollars left in remaining cap space according to Spotrac. They also suddenly have a need due to Quez Watkins shoulder injury. The Eagles restructerd contracts before the season for this very reason. To give them cap flexibility to go out and address injuries.

The Eagles did it when they signed Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph. Coud OBJ be next? Howie loves a splash and at this point, could it hurt? If youre Odell Beckham Jr. who would you rather go to? The Giants, the Cowboys, or the 11-1 Eagles? Choice seems obvious to me but what do I know?

The post Could The Eagles Be In The Market For Odell Beckham Jr? appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles will take on the Giants this Sunday in a pivotal NFC East showdown. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show to discuss the game and more with the guys. The Giants are a surprising 7-4-1 after a 20-20 tie aginst the Washington Commanders. But many fans (mysefl included) dont really fear the Giants. So what does Schefty think?

“They got out to the quick start, in part because of the schedule and in part because they played well and they were coached well, but now we’re into December, now there’s a longer body of work. They’re a good team, but they’re a flawed team, and they’re not a great team, and this is the type of game that Philadelphia should handle and take care of business.”

One player the Giants are looking to add is former franchise mainstay Odell Beckham Jr. The saga seems like its been going on for 84 years but its really only been a few weeks. The two teams mentioned are the Giants and the Cowboys. So whats the latest?

“It’s not totally over. I still think Dallas is there, but they seem to have some concerns there, some questions there, about when he’s going to be ready. So even if he does end up in Dallas… when is it realistic for Odell Beckham to come back and be Odell Beckham? I don’t know that he’s going to get there during this regular season.”

FOR THE FULL VIDEO CLICK BELOW

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Jalen Hurts continues to build a resume for the NFL MVP as he was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. If you watched the game then this isnt a shock at all. Hurts was 29-of-39 for 380 yards and three touchdowns and simply looked like he was playing Madden on “rookie mode.” The numbers would have been bigger had Eagles coach Nick Sirianni not sat the starters for the majority of the 4th quarter.

Hurts has taken a metoric leap in year 3 and is a real MVP candidate. This tweet from unanimously well liked Tom Alvord says it all.

Jalen Hurts among QBs this year:

Total TDs: 4th
Comp%: T-3rd
Yards/Att: 2nd
Rating: 3rd
QBR: 4th
Int%: 2nd
Pass Yards: 9th
Rush Yards: 3rd
Rush TDs: 1st

MVP. pic.twitter.com/UBdFtYYf4i

— Tom Alvord (@TAlvord975) December 6, 2022

This is the second straight week that Hurts was named the offensive player of the week. He was also named the NFC player of the month for September. Just give the man the award now.

The post Jalen Hurts Named NFC Player of the Week appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

With just 5 games to go in the regular season, the Eagles have one of the clearest paths to the post season that we have ever experienced. Win on Sunday and the Eagles will grab at least a wildcard spot and considering it will be their 12th win it won’t be any lower than the 5th seed. Win 4 of their last 5, in any order and the top seed in the NFC is secured. The strange thing is that even at (11-1) they still can’t afford a slip up this weekend in New York or the following weekend in Chicago. You would expect that losing just once in 12 games would give you more breathing room, but there is no current room for error. Look no further than last year to understand what issues could arise vs the Giants.

Last season the Giants finished out their 2021 campaign under Joe Judge before his firing with a (1-7) mark. They collapsed. Their only victory came at the expense of the Eagles and Jalen Hurts. It was also arguably the worst performance of his career. Jalen was just 14 of 31 passing and threw 3 interceptions. It was a terrible day against a team that had nothing going for them under a Coach on a death march. Fast forward to 2022, No more Joe Judge as they have moved on to Brian Dabol and the team has played a much more competent and inspired brand of football. They are (7-4-1) but have spring a leak after an impressive (6-1) start. They played Washington to a 20-20 tie last Sunday and don’t resemble the team that was on the Eagles tail for the first 2 months.

Jalen Hurts looks nothing like the quarterback that played in that game this season. In fact, the 3 interceptions he has thrown in 12 games this year matches his atrocious effort that afternoon. As a guy who is known for being detail oriented, I’m guessing this game is one that he has had circled on his calendar. That loss was one that could have cost the Eagles last years playoff berth. The Giants kept the best parts of their roster and jettisoned the guys who were holding them back. Last year the Eagles got ambushed, that can’t happen this time around.

MILESTONES

– In their 13th game the Eagles will have 2 players looking to hit milestones. AJ Brown needs just 50 yards receiving to reach the 1,000 yard mark on the season. Miles Sanders is just 76 yards short of the 1,000 yard mark himself. As we reflect on the improvement of Hurts it’s important to acknowledge that Sanders has taken his game to a completely different level and that the addition of Brown has created one of the most dynamic passing attacks in the league. The Eagles offense will be asked again to spark them in a critical road battle.

– The Eagles defense has been doing their part in raising their top seed chances. In their last 7 games the Eagles have allowed just one touchdown in the second half of those contests. They have put together a unit that seems to be coming into their own at the most critical time of the season.

The post The Eagles can clinch a playoff berth OR open the door to trouble this weekend appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This is a glorious sports week in the Philadelphia area, particularly when it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles. An 11-1 record. An offense that appears to be able to gather a tremendous amount of yardage, and points, in any style they so choose. A defense that was presented a physical challenge this weekend by the running game of the Tennessee Titans and back Derrick Henry, and answered that challenge as easily and thoroughly as Nick Sirianni answers questions at a press conference.

And speaking of the coaching staff, theirs was a performance as dominating as anyone who donned a uniform Sunday, from Sirianni to Shane Steichen to Jonathon Gannon and even special teams coordinator Michael Clay.

Not a single gripe today, right? Well, not so fast.

As dominating and fun as Sunday’s win was, it was almost ruined. It was almost attempted to be taken away, and not by the players so much in the home uniforms.

Sunday’s performance by the officiating crew rivaled that of the offensive performance by the Titans. Yes, the Eagles offensive line was sloppy, more jittery before the snap of the football than a child in church during a long sermon. And many of those penalties were correctly called. But there’s doing your job and then overly trying to do your job.

It became very obvious after the early miscues, by both teams, that referee Shawn Smith’s crew saw an opportunity to make themselves a more important part of the game. The problem I have, and this is only me speaking, is how these officials don’t see the need to back off from overtaking a game. Again, sloppy play deserved penalties in the first half. But then making calls that were phantom calls, to say the least, isn’t good for the game. A Jason Kelce hold, a supposed bad hit on Jalen Hurts on a scramble, other holds, don’t allow the players to be their best because it puts doubt in their minds how they are supposed to play.

Is it a coincidence that there were only six penalties in the second half as opposed to 13 in the first? I don’t think so. At least they realized their poor showing at the half and let the game play out more in the second. Shame they didn’t go into the game with that thought process.

The post Hey Refs, Lets The Players Play appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Athletic’s Zach Berman was on the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (8:10am after Eagles games) to comment on the Eagles improving to 11-1. It is the first time the Eagles have improved to 11-1 since the 2004 season, a season that ended with a Super Bowl loss. After 4 straight weeks of mediocre play (3-1 in that stretch) the Eagles imposed their will against the Titans, winning 35-10 in a game that was never really THAT close.

Zach commented on the performance

“To go from the way they played against Green Bay, running the ball for 350+ yards, to the way they played yesterday, that really speaks well, not just to the way the Eagles are playing now, but what they can do in the postseason… Unless they turn the ball over, they’re a really hard team to stop.”

So where do the Eagles rank amongst the rest of the NFL?

“They’ve beaten decent teams. They beat Minnesota. I mean, Tennessee held Kansas City to 20 points, held Cincinnati to 20 points, and the Eagles put up 5 touchdowns easily. There’s a lack of great teams in the NFL this year, particularly in the NFC, that it’s very real to call the Eagles a heavyweight, and a legitimate Super Bowl contender.”

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK BELOW

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See what Anthony had to say about the Eagles’ Great Air Attack vs the Titans In His Opening Diatribe this Morning…

Yesterday the Eagles won a different way. They didn’t need to be the tank. That wasn’t the ground attack, led by the tanks, rolling up 350. Yesterday was the airforce. it was an air attack. Jalen, oh my god. The 2nd TD to AJ Brown was one of the greatest throws I have seen. You talk about dropping it in the bucket? That was a beauty. And AJ Brown has got some strong man hands. Taht throw was eye-poppingly p[perfect. I didn’t think he could make throws like that. That throw was a beauty. My god.

What a day. Birds rout the Titans. I thought that game was going to be close. I thought they would win by a field goal. it would be tight. they went nope. There is no let up in us. And they win with an air attack and great defense. Bottling up King Henry. Stuffing King Henry. Forcing the ball into the hands of Ryan Tannehill. And then the front just takes over. BG looking like a spry fella… They played really well man. To a man to a coach. It was a great win. Burks going out helped them a little bit. But that is not going to matter. they were just a handful. And they showed you that they can win in a couple of different ways.

And now it is crystallized. Because now I can say and then there was two. I thought all along there were 3 teams that could make the Super Bowl in the NFC. The Eagles being number 1, the Niners being a close second, and the Cowboys as the 3rd team. Well, the Niners losing Jimmy G yesterday eliminated them. I can’t see Brock Purdy going on the road and winning in a stressful situation. He doesn’t have the arm down the field. If he does god bless him. But I don’t see it. I think that knocks them out. It is down to the Eagles vs the Cowboys.

Is Dallas going to come in here and win? I say no… Birds should be in the Super Bowl.

And you can listen to his full opening diatribe below…The post Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- Eagles Win With The Air Attack appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Wow. That was the general reaction from the Philadelphia Eagles’ fan base following the team’s 35-10, blowout, dominant win over the Tennessee Titans. Besides some weird penalties from the offensive line in the 1st half, it was a near perfect win for the birds, including monster days from Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, the special teams, and the run defense. All of those guys were huge factors in the win; I mean, you kind of have to have an ensemble performance in order to win a game by the margin that the Eagles did on Sunday, but there’s one unit that seems to not be getting quite the applause they deserve. The defensive line was a huge factor in stopping the run, but the pressure they generated yesterday on Ryan Tannehill should not go unheralded, especially considering some early critiques about the birds’ defense.

Jonathan Gannon has had a really good couple of weeks since his struggles scheme-wise against the Washington Commanders in the birds’ only loss of the season, but there is still one thing that he just refuses to do: bring consistent pressure via additional rushers. That’s not inherently a bad thing, it’s simply Gannon’s style, and to be fair, it has been largely successful this season. I wish he blitzed more, just like every angry Eagles fan dad around the Delaware Valley shouts at their TV every Sunday, but as an exceptional college coach not in this year’s CFP once said “I’m not going to, so quit asking”. Well, if Jonny G isn’t going to bring the blitz, the responsibility falls on the front 4 to get home if the Eagles’ defense is going to be able to consistently put pressure on opposing QBs. Well, yesterday, they did just that, and they’re set up to continue this production for the rest of the season too.

Just check out the final stats for your defensive line. Josh Sweat had 2 sacks and 3 QB hits, Javon Hargrave had a sack, Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox each got a sack of their own, and Haason Reddick, who only had 1 sack, had 4 QB hits. That’s what we call dominating. The Tennessee Titans are a really good rushing team, and some teams may be forced to play conservatively in the rush to not allow a back like Derek Henry to get into the 2nd level. Not those Eagles, and certainly not the defensive line. They got after Ryan Tannehill all day long, even leading to him being slightly hobbled by the time he was replaced by Malik Willis in the 4th quarter of the game. It wasn’t a subtle performance, but with the offensive explosion and the focus on the run game, the defensive line was somewhat overshadowed in what was one of their best pass rush performances of the year. Well, not on my watch. With some big games upcoming still, it’s encouraging to see just how well that unit is playing right now.

The post The Unsung Heroes Of The Eagles’ Blowout Win appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade

Where do you even begin to list the amazing things that we saw about the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles when they faced the Tennessee Titans on Sunday? When both sides of the ball are clicking, it’s pretty beautiful to watch.

Jalen Hurts – His confidence exudes week after week. His coolness in the pocket makes everyone around him better. Jalen Hurts is putting together an amazing season. He now has 20 touchdowns and 3 interceptions and has passed for over 2,500 yards. His completion percentage is over 68% and has improved by more than 6% over last season. Almost every category is headed towards a career high and his MVP status after the Chiefs loss has risen.

AJ Brown – Watching AJ Brown inflict his own level of punishment on the Titans for dealing him away was a thing of beauty. That’s if you consider violence beautiful. Brown was a man on a mission and Jalen Hurts was more than willing to assist. Contested balls were all going his way and despite the Titans attempting specifically to stop him from beating them he thrived. He has a chance to go over 1,o00 yards on Sunday afternoon at the Giants.

Devonta Smith – While everyone was focusing on Brown vs the State of Tennessee, Devonta Smith just quietly went about his business and pushed himself over the 700 yard receiving mark on the season. The Eagles speak of having two number one receivers and Smith makes a strong case for himself. He’s on pace to also set career highs in many categories and consistently makes teams pay for their lack of attention.

The Eagles Defense – The Eagles are now 2nd in the NFL in sacks with 42, boast one of the best pass defenses and have created the most turnovers. They are in points allowed per game at 18.8. They are in a word, dominant. The detractors will still continue to whine weekly about Jonathan Gannon but in a results business this is the best Eagles defense in a generation.

Nothing else broke the Eagles way yesterday, though the unfortunate broken foot of Jimmy Garoppolo might have permanently derailed the 2022 chances of the 49ers. The Vikings survived the Jets which keeps them just a game behind the Eagles in the NFC Standings. The Eagles still hold the tie-breaker so without 2 losses in their last 5 games the Vikings can’t catch them.

That is the math going forward for everyone in the NFC. Their Magic Number is 4. If the Eagles win 4 of their last 5 games in any order they will secure the top seed which gains them the bye and home field advantage throughout. The Cowboys will be rooting heavily for the Giants on Sunday because they know that if they go 5-0 the rest of the way and the Eagles lose to NY they could win the NFC East. It’s not over yet.

It’s a day to celebrate and reflect. It’s an unbelievable pattern of growth for this Eagles team. Now they know exactly what needs to be done. It can be as simple as beating the Giants twice, the Saints and the Bears. Clear vision is a beautiful thing, let’s watch it all play out and hopefully share some holiday joy!

The post The 11-1 Eagles wanted to make a statement and they made many! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles got back to blowing teams out from beginning to end this week. They won 35-10 in a game that got so lopsided, they were able to take Jalen Hurts out. But how did they beat the Titans so thoroughly? What made a game that was supposed to be a tough test for the Eagles an easy win? Let’s take a look at 5 numbers that tell the story of this victory vs the Titans.

10All 3 of Jalen Hurts’ touchdowns traveled 20 or more yards through the air today. He had just 3 of all last season. That gives him a total of 10 this season now. The biggest question coming into the year was his arm strength. Well, he sure has put those doubts to bed. We have seen him deliver beautiful deep balls all season, and today was no different. He even had another beautiful pass deep to Brown that got taken away because Brown’s foot was out of bounds. But the pass was still great, and they just connected in the end zone again the next play. But the best one came on Brown’s 2nd TD. Brown will get much of the credit for the play he made. But Hurts placed it beautifully. And we continue to see them connect no matter how great the coverage is.

That's our A.J, that's our A.J#ProBowlVote @1kalwaysopen_
#TENvsPHI | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/65Tkqyp8VJ

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 4, 2022

2.7All week we heard about how badly Derrick Henry would treat the Eagles’ run defense. Eric Karabell even predicted on The Best Show Ever that Henry would rack up 100 yards and a TD. But he came up about 70 yards and 1 TD short of that. Henry amassed just 30 yards on the ground on 11 carries. 2.7 yards per attempt. He was a non-factor. The much-maligned Eagles run defense didn’t just contain him, they removed him from the game. The return of Jordan Davis surely helped there. But they also just tackled much better. Oh, and it is worth mentioning that Nakobe Dean came in at one point for the injured Kyzir White. And despite not seeing the field for much of the game, or the season for that matter, he racked up 6 tackles to lead the Eagles. And on his first play, he drew a holding call and still made the tackle on Henry.

5The Eagles got after Ryan Tannehill to the tune of 6 sacks. 5 of those came on third down. The Eagles came into the week leading the league with 18 third-down sacks. And they decided to build on that vs the Titans. They can get after it on third down. And the big difference for them was getting into 3rd and longs. The great play vs the run plays into that. They stuffed them on first and second. Forced them to have to throw it on 3rd. And then they bullied the Titans’ O line. They are 2nd overall in the league with 42 sacks. But when they know the other team is throwing and can make a statement to end a drive, that is when they really get after it.

28.2The Eagles’ offense is elite. They now have 338 points on the season. 28.2 per game. Only the Chiefs score more often. That’s right, The Eagles score more than the all-mighty Bills who we constantly hear are the elite of the elite. And the Bills are as good as everyone says. But the point is the Eagles are in that same category. And for good measure, they have also given up just 226 points. 18.8 pts per game. They have the 2nd best point differential in the league. And before anyone says they haven’t played anyone, let’s take a look if that is actually true. .

.800The common thing to say is the Eagles have not played anyone. But after beating the Titans today, the Eagles have played 5 teams with winning records, also including the Vikings, the Cowboys, and the Commanders twice. They are 4-1 in those games (.800). Let’s look at where the other elite teams are vs winning teams.

Eagles- 4-1

Bills – 3-3

Chiefs- 2-2

Vikings- 4-2

Cowboys- 5-1

Dolphins- 2-4

49ers- 2-1

Bengals- 4-2

If the Eagles haven’t beaten anyone and have a cakewalk schedule, then pretty much every team has as well. Beating the Vikings, Titans, and Cowboys is as impressive of wins as any team has. You can’t say the Eagles have an easy schedule and leave out the context of the Cowboys, Bills, 49ers, and Chiefs also having mostly easy schedules. The difference is they beat the Colts, unlike the Chiefs. And they beat the Packers, unlike the Cowboys. The only other one of these teams that has not dropped a game to a losing team is the Bills. And they have 3 losses to winning teams. The Eagles’ “easy schedule” is a lie.

Oh and if we go by these teams’ records vs each other…

There are 8 teams with 8 wins or more. Only 1 is undefeated in games vs the other 8 win teams.

Eagles- 2-0
Bills- 1-2
Chiefs- 1-2
Cowboys- 2-1
Vikings- 2-2
Cowboys- 2-1
Dolphins- 1-3
49ers- 1-1
Bengals- 2-1

Dont let anyone tell you the Eagles have a cakewalk schedule.

— Dylan MacKinnon (@DylanFMackinnon) December 5, 2022

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Coming into the week everyone said the Titans would test the Eagles. Well someone forgot to tell them that. Because they came out and made a big statement vs a Titans team that won 7 of their last 9 games coming into today. And they made it look easy. Winning 35-10 in a game the Titans pretty much never had a chance in. Every single facet of the game looked good for the Eagles. Even the Specials team, who haven’t looked good in a single game this year.

It was supposed to be a big game vs Derrick Henry vs a struggling Eagles run defense. He barely had an impact in the game. The Eagles D Line smothered him every time he touched the ball. On 11 carries he gained just 30 yards. And his longest game of the day was for 6. He rushed for 0 first downs. Oh, and they got to Ryan Tannehill 6 times for good measure.

The Titans were supposed to stuff up the Eagles’ run attack. But the Eagles never even really tried to run. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ passing attack had their way in the air all game long. Hurts threw for 380 yards and two TDs. That is the great thing about this Eagles team. They can win in so many different ways. It’s almost a cliche to say at this point. But sometimes cliches exist because they ring true. And this is one of those cases.

Last week they exploited a matchup vs the Packers’ run defense. The passing numbers weren’t super impressive. But they didn’t have to be, because they could do whatever they want on the ground. And this week it was the Titans’ pass defense they knew they could exploit. So they attacked them through the air. This Eagles offense is built to attack any weakness a defense may have. We saw it last week and saw it again vs the Titans.

And AJ Brown got his revenge. Two long touchdowns from the former Titan. One came where he basically trucked the corner to have an easy stroll into the endzone. The other came when he Mossed the corner despite nearly perfect coverage. He finished the game with 119 yards, for 2 touchdowns on 8 catches. Devonta Smith added 102 yards and a TD on 5 catches.

You can already hear people around the NFL changing their tune. The Titans were supposed to be a test for the Eagles. But they passed that test with flying colors. And now you know they will say that the Titans aren’t actually that good. But they can’t change the narrative after the game. This was a statement by the Eagles. A statement by the offense, and the defense. The past few weeks made people forget how great this team is. But today they reminded everyone they are among the elite offenses in the NFL. And the defense is nothing to scoff at either.

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The Eagles face a tough test this Sunday in the Titans. And to get some insight into that game, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Dave Zangaro from NBC Sports Philly. What impact will the return of Jordan Davis have? How should the On How the Eagles Will Go About Slowing Down Derrick Henry “Look […]

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Every Friday, Zach Berman from The Athletic joins The Anthony Gargano Show to preview that weekend’s Eagles game. What did Zach Berman have to say about the matchup vs the Titans? Will Jordan Davis be able to go? And what is going through AJ Brown’s head as he prepares to play his former team? Here […]

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See what Anthony Gargano Had to Say In His Opening Diatribe This Morning Below… We are just a couple of days away from a fun game. Eagles and Titans. The AJ Brown redemption game. I don’t even understand why the Titans would trade AJ Brown. Why in the world would you trade him? You saw […]

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This Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles (10-1) will host the Tennessee Titans (7-4) before hitting the road for three consecutive road games. And this matchup may very well be the toughest test of their remaining schedule of six games. Focusing on what’s directly in front of you is key for the Eagles going forward in their […]

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by John Kincade Yesterday in the crossover at the end of the show Anthony and Bob offered their opinion on a way that I always view a sports season. It gave me reason to re-think how I look at a season. I’m not sure it will change my opinion, but it is certainly an interesting […]

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The Eagles play the Titans on Sunday. And to get some insight into them, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Turron Davenport who covers the Titans for ESPN. What can the Eagles expect from their AFC opponent? Will the Titans be able to stop the Eagles’ dangerous run game, and vice versa? Turron discusses that […]

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It is week 13, and only a few more weeks until we are in the Fantasy Football playoffs. This is your last chance to climb into a playoff spot. Or if you are already in it, you just need to hold on for a few more weeks. Either way, time is running out on the […]

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Here is what Anthony had to say in his Opening Diatribe this morning… I dont have any expectations. Even now. I said before the season, it is a season for me sans expectations. Obviously, there is a threshold I would like to see them get to. I think they are good enough to get to […]

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We’re heading in to Week 13 of the NFL Season, and the Philadelphia Eagles are rolling in with a 10-1 record, the best in the NFC and in all of football for that matter. It’s a great position to be in, and when you consider it historically, it looks even better. Since this offseason started […]

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ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesdays at 8:10am) to talk about the 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles defense didnt exactly “WOW” viewers on Sunday Night Football against the Packers, the offense seemed to be able to do whatever it wanted against Green Bay. The Eagles […]

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The 10-1 Eagles are squaring off with the Titans at home this Sunday. And to preview that game, and more, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Tim McManus to get his Mid-Week Report. They break down the match-up vs the Titans, discuss recent criticisms of Jonathan Gannon, the return of Jordan Davis, and more. Here […]

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Another key defender will miss time for the Philadelphia Eagles because of injury. Eagles starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a lacerated kidney in the first quarter of the Birds’ Sunday night win over the Green Bay Packers. He will be out indefinitely, according to multiple sources. Yet another blow to Philadelphia’s defense as their depth […]

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by John Kincade TITANS LOOK LIKE A HARDER OPPONENT THAN THEY ARE The Titans roll into South Philly with a (7-4) record and a back in Derrick Henry that strikes fear in their opponents. Yes, the Eagles should respect Henry and his considerable skill set but don’t fear the Titans. Let’s dive a little deeper […]

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After a couple of tough weeks in a row, the Eagles finally got back to looking like a great team. Yes, the Packers put up 33 points on them. But the Eagles put up 40. And they had their way on the ground on the game all night. So after the national media started to […]

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by John Kincade It’s hard to believe that with 6 games left to play that the Eagles have playoff clinching scenarios in play as they prepare for their first December game. It will also be their LAST home game in December. The Titans game will be the last Linc showdown until the final 2 home […]

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After the Eagles 40-33 win over the Packers, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Jimmy Kempski from the Philly Voice. What did he see while covering the game? Here is some of what Jimmy Kempski had to say when he joined us earlier today. On The Progression of Jalen Hurts into a Star Player… “He […]

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The Eagles beat the Packers 40-33 to get to 10-1. How did the Eagles pull it out? What stood out on the offense? How did the defense look? Here are 5 numbers that tell the story of the Eagles’ Sunday Night win. 8.16 The Eagles dominated on the ground all game. By the end, they […]

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After struggling against the Colts last week, the Eagle’s offense got back on track. In a win over Green Bay, they put up 40 points and 363 yards on the ground. Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders both set career highs. And Jalen Hurts broke Mike Vick’s franchise record for single-game rushing yards by a QB. […]

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See what Anthony Gargano had to say about Jalen Hurts in his opening diatribe this morning… Without Goedert, I was wondering could the offense generate enough. Jalen Hurts. It should be Hurt’s appreciation day. He rushes for 157 yards. Are you kidding me? 17 carries. He averaged 9.2 yards every time he carried the ball. […]

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“Ok dont worry about it man, enjoy the win.” It was a line uttered by former Eagles coach Andy Reid who found out the hard way that Mike Schmidt’s “experience the thrill of victory and the agony of reading about it the next day.” is a very real thing. Only in Philadelphia can we have a 10-1 football […]

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by John Kincade It’s NOT thinking a win is a loss. It’s NOT sounding the red alert either. What it is continues to be a genuine feeling of concern and it’s not getting quieter, it’s getting louder. The voice in my head saying, this team doesn’t look like the one that rampaged to a 7-0 […]

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The Eagles escaped Indy with a close win. And Tim McManus joined “The Best Show Ever?” to discuss that victory. What should we take from their performance in Indy? How did the two new DTs play? Tim McManus discussed that and more. You can see some of what he had to say below… On How […]

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It is week 12, and only a few more weeks until we are in the Fantasy Football playoffs. This is your last chance to climb into a playoff spot. Or if you are already in it, you just need to hold on for a few more weeks. Either way, time is running out on the […]

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ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show to discuss the 9-1 Eagles. While the Eagles still hold the best record in the NFL, they have sputtered the past 3 weeks. They suffered their first loss to Washington, and then followed it up by having to come back in the 4th quarter against […]

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! In Philadelphia we tend to be a tad bit negative when it comes to sports. Weve all been called “negadelphian” at one time or another. We dont have a trophy case thats chock full of titles. BUT that doesnt mean it isnt a great time to step back and realize how lucky […]

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by John Kincade Some Eye-Opening Eagles Numbers – We know that the Eagles offense at times this season has been historic and at other times anemic. How strange has it actually been? They are the highest scoring 2nd quarter team in NFL history through 11 weeks. They also have put up ZERO points in 15 […]

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The Eagles beat the Colts, even if it was a little ugly. And to talk about that ugly win, Jeff McLane from the Philly Inquirer joined The Anthony Gargano Show. Here is some of what Jeff McLane had to say. On If There is Something to Be Said For Winning Even When You Dont Play […]

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The Eagles got back in the win column this week. But it wasn’t exactly pretty. That is now 3 somewhat ugly games in a row by them. But they are still 9-1, the only 1 loss team in the NFL. Only 1 loss, going into week 12. That should be a pretty big deal. But […]

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See what Anthony Gargano had to say about the myth of negedelphia in his opening diatribe this morning… Today we discuss something I brought up on the show yesterday. it’s my theory that Negedelphia does not exist. That is a made-up place. There is no such thing as Negedelphia. That is what I* truly believe. […]

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by John Kincade There is nothing like a Monday after a loss. Sometimes a Monday after an unimpressive win delivers the same results. The use of selective hearing is in full effect. Anthony Gargano and Tom Alvord got into a very thoughtful discussion of whether “Negadelphia” was a thing on his Monday broadcast from Chickies. […]

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It wasn’t a pretty one but they found a way to get it done behind their defense and quarterback Jalen Hurts to improve to 9-1 on the season. And, the way things played out… they needed every second of the 60-minute game. The Birds trailed by as much as 10 points heading into the fourth […]

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The Eagles pulled out an ugly win over the Colts. But an ugly win is always better than a loss. It is not college. There are no style points, and there is no committee deciding which team is best. A win is a win. And they pulled one out with a late game-winning drive to […]

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Yesterday we saw Jalen Hurts lead one of the best drives of his young career. The Eagles were down 6 points late to the Colts. The offense had been stagnant nearly all game. But in the 4th quarter when they needed two scores to come from behind, he made the magic happen. He opened the […]

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See what Anthony had to say about the win over the Colts in his Opening Diatribe this morning… Even though it was a slog, we get to celebrate an Eagles win over the Colts. You saw right away the impact of Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh as run stuffers. This is why you have to […]

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by John Kincade The end result tells the story of a hard fought, 17-16 victory. The Eagles never led until inside the two minute morning. The Colts were a 4-5-1 team playing their hearts out for new Coach Jeff Saturday, but the Birds found a way to survive a less than stellar effort fraught with […]

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Each week on “The Best Show Ever?” they each make two picks from College or the NFL. Tyrone Johnson, Ricky Bottalico, Hunter Brody, Jen Scordo, and Dylan MacKinnon compete to see who can make the best picks, and have the best record by year’s end. And it has not gone well for all of them […]

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After struggling against the run for a few weeks in a row, Howie had seen enough. He went out and added Linval Joseph, and Ndamukong Suh to the Defensive Line. And to break down what those guys bring to the Eagles, and how they can fix that problem, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Barrett […]

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See what Anthony Gargano had to say about the recent moves from Howie Roseman in his Opening Diatribe this morning… “We must laud Howie Roseman. Howie, Howie Howie. When he signs Ndamukong Suh, I actually him. Here is the thing. I don’t know what Suh or Linval Joseph have left. But all I know is […]

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It’s mid-November, which means the year 2022 is coming to a close soon. There’s one man in Philadelphia who will certainly look back on his calendar year fondly. Howie Roseman has had a banner 2022 season, putting together a near perfect offseason with the acquisitions of AJ Brown, Kyzir White, Haason Reddick, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, James […]

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by John Kincade After a week of fans being split on who to blame as their undefeated football team finally lost a game, one thought keeps rattling about my mind. Don’t forget who you are. I believe that on Monday night the Eagles lost their identity. I think panic set in a bit on the […]

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It is week 11, and only a few more weeks until we are in the Fantasy Football playoffs. This is your last chance to climb into a playoff spot. Or if you are already in it, you just need to hold on for a few more weeks. Either way, time is running out on the […]

The post Eric Karabell Dishes Out Week 11 Fantasy Football Advice appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

For weeks now, I have been lauding the play and demeanor of Jalen Hurts. He should still be the leader for NFL MVP. After the loss on Monday night to the Commanders, we get a chance for Nick Sirianni’s mettle to finally be tested. Adversity almost always leads to opportunity. I think the Eagles will […]

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The Eagles’ run defense has been a little bit exposed of late. And with injuries to DT Jordan Davis and Marlon Tuipulotu, they needed some reinforcements at the interior of the defensive line. They already added Linval Joseph, but it seems they weren’t done there. Because now they have also signed Ndamukong Suh according to […]

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It looks like Buffalo is going to get hit by a massive snowstorm. Like several feet of snow massive. The forecast is putting into question if the Bills’ home game vs the Browns can even be played. The game may be able to physically be played in the snow, but the safety issues it could […]

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After 8 straight wins, the Eagles finally lost. And to make it worse, they are without Dallas Goedert, Avotne Maddox, and Jordan Davis who are all currently on the IR. And Tim McManus joined “The Best Show Ever?” for his Mid-Week report to discuss those injuries, their struggles against the run, and more. Here is […]

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See what Anthony Gargano had to say in his opening diatribe this morning… The Eagles are going to be fun. We have some good games coming up. I’m happy with the way the schedule lines up. Because the schedule will dictate a lot of what we know about them. Do I think they are good? […]

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The Eagles finally lost. And did that cause writers around the NFL to overreact? Or did the reputation they have already built carry them through one bad game? Let’s take a look at where the various outlets ranked the Eagles going into week 11. ESPN- Ranking- 2 (Last Week- 1) With Hurts eligible for a […]

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Take your thoughts back to just five years ago. It was the middle of a glorious year, of course, for the Philadelphia Eagles, which ended in the team’s first-ever and only Super Bowl victory. The quarterback for that team was Carson Wentz, and after nine games the Eagles were 8-1, just like this year. And […]

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ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesdays at 8:10am) on the heels of the Eagles first loss of the season. Schefter was in town with ESPN so he saw the Birds fall live, and he had some interesting takeaways from the game. “If Quez Watkins holds on […]

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There has been an interesting phenomenon going on around the Philadelphia sports scene as of late. I believe it’s called “winning”. Despite neither the Phillies nor the Union bringing home a championship, and the Eagles surrendering their undefeated season on Monday night, the last month or so of Philly sports has been incredibly successful in […]

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by John Kincade EAGLES over statements were running rampant The Eagles drop to (8-1) and the sky was falling in typical Philly sports radio fashion. Thankfully we avoided that on our show. The unexpected loss to the Commanders and the upset of the Bills by the Vikings has removed all wiggle room at the top […]

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Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is expected to be out for an extended period of time after suffering a shoulder injury in Monday night’s loss to the Washington Commanders. This is a huge blow to the Eagles’ offense as Goedert – looked at as one of the top tight end’s in the game – […]

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The Eagles lost their first game of the season. And to break it down, Jeff Mclane joined The Anthony Gargano Show. What went wrong? How much is on Jonathan Gannon? Jeff McLane discussed that and more. Here is some of what he had to say. On Jonathan Gannon’s Scheme vs Washington “They only averaged 3.1 […]

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Well, it had to end at some point. After winning 8 straight games to open the season, the Eagles finally lost. The Commanders beat them 32-21. The old Dolphins players can pop the champagne. It’s not the end of the world. The Eagles are still the one seed. But it is hard to feel good, […]

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This city loves being the underdog. Philadelphians find strength in people doubting them. We would have rooted for the Phillies no matter what, of course, but the national pundits picking against the Phillies added to it. It’s not enough for us for our teams to go out there and win. We need that extra oomph […]

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See what Anthony Gargano had to say in his Opening Diatribe below… Last night I did NFL Sirius Radio. I’m talking to the host. This is the 2nd time in less than a week I get the “So are the Eagles for real?”. Look I don’t think you need to be John Madden, to tell […]

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Sports evoke interesting emotions in the people who follow them, and therefore, sometimes make very interesting societal and psychological studies. In non-academic terms, sports make people act weird sometimes. Something we’ve experienced a lot of recently in Philly is the fun part of sports: winning. But as the Phillies season came to an end in […]

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by John Kincade Carson Wentz returns on Monday night to Lincoln Financial Field. He will be on the sideline, not the starting QB for the Commanders. It is his first return visit since his departure from the Eagles in early 2021. The road that led him to Indianapolis was filled with potholes and the Colts […]

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ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesday at 8:10am). The Eagles are flying high with the NFL’s ONLY undefeated record at 8-0. Things are going great and one of the reasons is because of the Eagles coaching staff which happens to be the youngest in the league. […]

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We are beyond the point of asking if the Eagles are the best team in the NFC. That is clear by now. Not only are they the only undefeated team, but they have wins over the next two best teams in the league. But could they be the best team in the NFL as a […]

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See what Anthony Gargano Had to Say About the Eagles’ lack of drama in his Opening Diatribe This Morning… Automatically, I go back to the Eagles. The last couple of weeks there was no drama. We had the bye week, and then we had the Steelers. You knew the Birds were going to stomp that […]

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It’s Tuesday, November 8th. Midterm election day. It’s a time for us to exercise one of our most sacred rights as U.S. Citizens, and also time for those annoying political campaign ads to end. In Philly, you can argue we care as much about our sports as our politics, though, and sometimes those roads intersect. […]

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by John Kincade I’ve been lobbying my pastor to change the early Christmas Eve vigil from 4pm to 3pm so as to not conflict with the Eagles battle with Dallas. I’ve done the math, I’ve been wasting my time. I can assure you that the NFC East will be well in hand by then. The […]

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by John Kincade Phillies 2022 Obituary I know there are going to be fans expressing anger, outrage and extreme disappointment. I understand their knee jerk reaction to pain. What I don’t understand is the complete lack of perspective IF these feelings last more than a few more hours. My favorite word in the English language […]

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The Eagles are out to their best start in franchise history. They are now 8-0 after beating the Texans on Thursday Night. Even if many in the Philadelphia area did not see the win since we were busy watching the Phillies fall behind 3-2 instead. But what you missed was a win, even if it […]

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The Eagles are 8-0 for the first time in franchise history. Because the NFL ruined its 16-game season with a 17th game that no fans asked for, basically they are at the halfway point of the season to reach a perfect 8-0. Take a moment to breathe that in, the air smells delicious. 8-0. The […]

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For the first time in franchise history, the Philadelphia Eagles are 8-0 as they remain undefeated after defeating the Houston Texans, 29-17, in a hard-fought game on Thursday night in Houston. While most Philadelphia sports fans dedicated most of their attention to the World Series in South Philly with the hometown Phillies hosting the Houston […]

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The Athletic’s Zach Berman joined the John Kincade Show after every Eagles game to discuss his takeaways. The Eagles remain as the NFL’s only unbeaten team after beating the Texans 29-17 on Thursday Night Football. Most of the Delaware Valley’s focus was on the Phillies Astros game 5, so the “Berman Breakdown” was much needed. […]

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While we are all wrapped up with the Phillies, the Eagles do play a game tonight. And to preview that game vs the Texans, “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Tim McManus. See what Tim had to say about the matchup vs the Texans below. On Jalen Hurts Growth This Year “The question was would […]

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The NFL Trade Deadline has come and passed. Did it change the state of the NFC? Did any teams get good enough to launch themselves back into the NFC race against the Eagles? Let’s explore that, and more, in this week’s State of the NFC. 16) Detroit Lions (1-6) (Last Week- 15) The Lions have […]

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With how great the Phillies are, your Fantasy team may be on the back burner. But Football is still being played even if we are a bit distracted by the World Series in Philly. We are at week 9, and we are all running out of time to secure our playoff spots. But there still […]

The post Eric Karabell Dishes Out Fantasy Football Advice for Week 9 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The NFL trade deadline came and went at 4:00 PM ET. Even with all of the moves that went down in the league – the Philadelphia Eagles are still the best team in the NFC. Of course, there is an argument that the Eagles — the only remaining undefeated team in Pro Football at 7-0 […]

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With the rain postponement of Game 3 of the World Series last night, an already incredibly busy week in Philadelphia sports just got more incredibly busy. Of course the Fall Classic is still ongoing, but the birds play a rare Thursday night game, the Sixers and Flyers are both in action, and the Union will […]

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It feels like we have been saying this a lot lately, but what a weekend for Philadelphia. All of our teams were playing, and for the most part, they all played well. The Phillies took 1 of 2 in Houston. The Eagles rolled over the Steelers, The Union advanced to the MLS Cup. Tyrese Maxey […]

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After beating the Steelers, the Eagles are now 7-0. The best the Eagles have ever started a season, tied with the 2004 season. And this season does have some similarities with that one. To start, both the 2004 team and this once brought in a true Number 1 wideout in the offseason. Back then they […]

The post The 5 Numbers That Tell The Story Of The Eagles Win vs the Steelers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Well, this weekend went about as expected on the gridiron. The juggernaut Philadelphia Eagles took care of business at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers, beating them 35-13 in an easy 7th straight victory. While the Eagles winning has become expected at this point in the season, the way they go about their business is always […]

The post Breaking Down AJ Brown And Jalen Hurts’ Career Days appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade Imagine the last 13 Octobers and then contemplate the excitement we are all going to be feeling the next 3 nights when the Phillies take on the Astros in the 2022 World Series. That alone makes this one of the best times we all could ever remember. It’s been awhile since we […]

The post The Amazing October run is going to roll right into November! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Its FINALLY here! The Eagles season is upon us and that means a new season of score predictions. The staff goes head to head to prove which member of the staff REALLY knows football. Because picking the scores correctly is the ultimate sign of knowledge…..everyone knows that….anyway… The Eagles welcome in the Pittsburgh Steelers and […]

The post Staff Predictions: Week 8 Eagles vs. Steelers appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

In 2017, general manager Howie Roseman recognized that the Philadelphia Eagles we short on talent at the cornerback position. He made a move to acquire Ronald Darby from the Buffalo Bills in August before the season kicked off to bolster the group. Later that same year when the Eagles appeared to be trending in the […]

The post The Eagles Defense Just Got Better appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade You can’t turn on the radio, TV or visit a website in Philadelphia without being bombarded with “RED OCTOBER”! It’s a beautiful thing isn’t it? The joy being felt all over the area is amazing. It’s unifying. It’s hopeful. There almost isn’t any space for anything else to breathe! Enter Howie Roseman…he […]

The post With Phillies in spotlight, Howie and the Eagles go all in! appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It may be the bye week for the Eagles, but it is not the bye week for your team. We head into week 7 of both the NFL season and your team’s season. We are getting into the middle of the Fantasy Football season. But there is still time to screw up or save, your […]

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by John Kincade The Phillies winning the opener in the NLCS last night in San Diego has helped poor more gasoline on the fire of excitement. So much so that they are even managing to over shadow the best Eagles start in 18 seasons. If I had told you just 16 days ago that the […]

The post Random Thoughts on a crazy sports week in Philly appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show (8:10am every Wednesday) to talk all things NFL. “Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia” has never been more accurate with the Phillies in the NLCS, the Union being the best team in the Eastern Conference, and the Eagles being the remaining undefeated team at 6-0. When […]

The post VIDEO: Adam Schefter Talks Top Teams In The NFC appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

After 6 weeks, the tiers in the NFC are starting to become very clear. There are the basement dwellers, think Panthers. There are the teams like the Packers who are massive disappointments. And then at the top, there are the Eagles, who are in a tier of their own. They have been for a while […]

The post The State of the NFC After Week 6- Eagles in a Tier of Their Own appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every day on “The Best Show Ever?” we ask the question of the day. And today our question was with the Eagles going into the bye week undefeated at 6-0, what will their final record be? The Eagles stayed undefeated on Sunday night by beating the Dallas Cowboys. While it was not necessarily pretty, it […]

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6-0. That is the first number that matters the most. The Eagles head into their bye week the lone undefeated team in the NFL after a tough but impressive win over the rival Cowboys. Only two other teams in the NFC have 5 wins, and most of their supposed toughest competition in the NFC are […]

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by John Kincade There are so many reasons to smile as your work week begins, knowing that your Eagles don’t have anything to work on. The bye week is here, injuries can mend and a mental break is available. The NFL schedule is in many ways a battle of attrition and this team has made […]

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When Jalen Hurts found Devonta Smith in the back of the endzone to put the Eagles, you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief around Philly. It put the Eagles up 26-17, and the drive ran over 7 minutes off the clock. After starting out by going up 20-0, the Dallas Cowboys scored the […]

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Its FINALLY here! The Eagles season is upon us and that means a new season of score predictions. The staff goes head to head to prove which member of the staff REALLY knows football. Because picking the scores correctly is the ultimate sign of knowledge…..everyone knows that….anyway… We took off last week because it was […]

The post Staff Predictions: Week 6 Eagles vs. Cowboys appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is Dallas week! The Eagles face the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, at home, this weekend. And to preview the game, Anthony Gargano talked to Zach Berman from The Athletic. What will Jalen Hurts face against this Cowboys Defense? What is the best way to attack the Cowboys’ offense? Anthony and Zach talked about […]

The post Zach Berman Previews the Eagles Cowboys SNF Game appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

I am not one to shy away from admitting when I am wrong. But this case seems particularly egregious. Over the off-season, there were rumors that The Eagles were in on a possible Russell Wilson trade. And I, along with many others, was fully on board with trading for the former Seahawks QB. And why […]

The post I Was Incredibly Wrong to Want The Eagles To Trade For Russell Wilson appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nick Sirianni spoke to the media ahead of Sunday’s game. he talked about the team’s identity, on some rookies not getting any playing time, the various Eagles injuries, and defending Kyler Murray. Here is some of what Coach Sirianni had to say… On What He Says to Rookies Who Arent Getting Much Playing Time Yet… […]

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by John Kincade Enjoy this weekend because they don’t come around often! You made it. Your patience has paid off. It took 11 years, but you will have the chance to enjoy Phillies post season baseball this weekend. Think of the run from 2007-2011 and I bet you can remember the counts of specific big […]

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If vibes around the Eagles were high entering week 4, they are even higher leaving it. Going into Week 5, the Eagles are the last remaining undefeated team. And while the win over the Jaguars was not as perfect as the wins over the Vikings and the Commanders, that maybe makes people feel better. The […]

The post The Eagles Power Rankings Round Up- Week 5 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It has only been 4 weeks of the NFL 2022-23 season, and the Eagles have already taken home 4 NFC Player Of The Week awards. Every single week, a different Eagle has stepped up, and this week, Haason Reddick becomes the latest honoree. Reddick, who had 4 Tackles, 2 Forced Fumbles, 2 Fumble Recoveries, and […]

The post Haason Reddick Wins The Eagles 4th Straight Player Of The Week Honors appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

THIS JUST IN! The Eagles are 4-0. The last remaining unbeaten team in the NFL is right here in the city of Philadelphia. Led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles are enjoying their first 4-0 start since the 2004 team that eventually lost in the Super Bowl. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade […]

The post VIDEO: Adam Schefter “You Have A Chance For A Magical Season.” appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by John Kincade Random Thoughts The Phillies facing the Cardinals in a best of 3 is so much better than the previous single elimination wild card format. I heard many asking Phillies players “what was different about this year”? “Why do you think this year you made it”? I know we all feel very good […]

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Going into Sunday afternoon’s game, the Philadelphia Eagles boasted one of the top rushing attacks in the National Football League. Their opponent – the Jacksonville Jaguars – came into town with the number one rush defense in the league. They were giving up just 55 yards per game. Something had to give. And give it […]

The post Miles Sanders And The Running Game Shined Vs Jacksonville appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

And then there was one. The Eagles are the last undefeated team in the NFL. So spoiler alert for this list, but the Eagles are still at the top. I have had them at the top the past 2 weeks, but now more than ever, there is little doubt they belong at the top. But […]

The post The State of The NFC After Week 4- Eagles Are Still At The Top appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The definition of the word special is as follows: Better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual. When it comes to the Philadelphia sports world right now, does that word come to mind towards anyone or any team? Here’s the best part of that question – I think we can all agree that there […]

The post Bob Cooney- This is a special, special time for Philadelphia Sports appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Its FINALLY here! The Eagles season is upon us and that means a new season of score predictions. The staff goes head to head to prove which member of the staff REALLY knows football. Because picking the scores correctly is the ultimate sign of knowledge…..everyone knows that….anyway… Jamie Lynch was champion last year. “The Bro” […]

The post Staff Predictions: Week 4 Eagles vs. Jaguars appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Every day on “The Best Show Ever?” they ask the question of the day. And today that question was about how the NFL and the Miami Dolphins handled the Tua Tagovailoa situation. For those unfamiliar, Tua suffered what appeared to be a head injury in Sunday’s game vs the Buffalo Bills. But he stayed in […]

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Ahead of the Eagles game vs the Jaguars on Sunday, we got the unfortunate news that Avonte Maddox will be out with an ankle injury. So to get the scoop on what the Eagles will do to fill that hole, as well as other Eagles topics, Dave Zangaro joined The Best Show Ever. Here is […]

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With Doug Pederson returning on Sunday, Andrew saw fit to dedicate this vault to the former Eagles coach. He grabbed the best, and some of the worst, moments from Doug Pederson’s time in Philly. From them winning the Super Bowl, to him claiming it was our new norm, which we now know was not true. […]

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The Jaguars and Doug Pederson come to town on Sunday. And to preview that game, Anthony Gargano talked to Zach Berman from The Athletic. What are the matchups to watch? Can the Eagles’ front 4 replicate their performance in Washington? See what Zach Berman had to say below… On His Feel For Sunday’s Game in […]

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Every Monday & Friday on the John Kincade Show, I take a look at the NFC East’s game ahead and results of the weekend. So, with no further ado, here’s the reach around! (Lines courtesy of Draft Kings Sportsbook) Jax @ Phl -6.5 & O/U 45.5 – Jalen Hurts returns back home as the NFL’s […]

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In 2009, I was asked to take over the Sixers beat for the legendary Phil Jasner. Once I agreed to do so, I got a call from Phil in which we talked for two hours, with him wonderfully explaining to me the nuances of covering a beat – from what hotels and restaurants he frequented […]

The post Injuries, Especially When it Comes to the Head, are a Dicey Subject appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

A free frosty? IN THIS ECONOMY?! Who says no to that?! A few years back the Sixers and Wendy’s came to a partnership where if an opposing player missed both free throws in a certain quarter. When the opposing player misses the first free throw the fans in attendance go nuts because they can all […]

The post Philadelphia Eagles Adopt The Frostee Freeze Out appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Well the month of September hasn’t been fun for Phillies fans. The team is once again collapsing after it seemed like they were a shoe in to sneak into the postseason. The last time the Phillies made the postseason Charlie Manuel was the teams manager. Charlie knows a thing or two about what it takes […]

The post VIDEO: Phillies Legend Charlie Manuel Discusses The Ongoing Phillies Collapse appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

It is not just week 4 in the NFL season, but it is week 4 for you and your fantasy team. Are you in a situation where you have dug an early hole and need to get out of it? Or maybe you have started fast and want to continue that. Either way, it is […]

The post Eric Karabell Joins Us To Give Out Some Week 4 Fantasy Advice appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Eagles season begins this weekend. And “The Best Show Ever?” talked to Tim McManus to get some answers to the burning questions before game 1. What is up with Miles Sanders’ injury? Will the Eagles be at a disadvantage because of how they handled practice if the preseason? What kind of offense will the […]

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Nick Sirianni’s mission objective during training camp and the preseason besides making his football team better was to get to week one with no injured players. Well, the Eagles released their first injury report of the season today prior to the Detroit game and well, look for yourself… Wednesday injury report. pic.twitter.com/KexgUFlouv — Philadelphia Eagles […]

The post The Eagles Escape The Preseason Unscatched appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

The major concern for many Eagles fans the past few weeks has been the status of Miles Sanders. The team insisted he was fine all along. But when it had been 3 weeks with 0 practices, it is reasonable to doubt what the Eagles were telling us. But now, with game 1 just a few […]

The post Miles Sanders Back At Practice Mile Ahead of Game 1 appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

NFL Insider Adam Schefter joined the John Kincade Show for his weekly hit (Wednesdays at 8:10am) to give his insight and opinion on the Eagles and all things NFL heading into week 1. It feels like forever since we have had NFL football and it all starts Thursday night! The Eagles though will kick it […]

The post VIDEO: Do The Eagles Belong In The Upper-Echelon of The NFC? Adam Schefter Weighs In appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

Hot dogs, beer, and football. Nothing goes better with a crisp Autumn Sunday (or Saturday, or Friday….or just any day really.) But if you go to an Eagles game you notice that the price of these items is a bit costly. We’ve told you about the cost of a beer at every NFL stadium. But, […]

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I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for the unanimous sources articles and 5 NFC executives agreed to spill the tea as long as you keep their names out’cha mouth! The Athletic recently did this story as five “executives” ranked what they believed to be the pecking order of the NFC this year and yes, of […]

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The wait is finally almost over. On Sunday the Eagles’ season kicks off in Detroit. It’s Eagles vs Lions. The much-hyped 2022 Eagles season is upon us. But what should we expect from game 1? Will this season begin with a blowout like last year with the Falcons? Should we be concerned about a start […]

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by John Kincade Another Eagles season dawns this Sunday and last year we were all wondering if they would turn around a (4-11-1) team into a respectable operation. Total disclosure here? I was a doubter. I thought the coach was a bit of an unproven reach, the QB was a giant question mark and the […]

The post The Top 10 Things I expect to see in the 2022 Eagles season appeared first on 97.5 The Fanatic.

by Matt Minarik There is a good chance you’re wondering from the title of this post what the heck I’m talking about, but it is possible that all of us Eagles fans are actually Steelers fans. Well, not the current Steelers but the Steelers of the past. I’m talking World War II era, around the […]

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Miles Sanders has barely practiced since hurting his hamstring early in training camp. That led to various rumors that the Eagles were in the RB market. And even though Sanders returned to practice today, the Eagles did end up adding an RB to the 53 Man roster. They signed Trey Sermon, who the 49ers waived […]

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