Jalen Hurts – Posidelphia

Eagles Season in Review

It was a great season. The Eagles were predicted to win 6.5 games this year. Many expected even fewer wins. The team was coming off a 4 win season. They had a new coach and new Quarterback who had a lot of questions surrounding his ability. In the end, the Birds won 9 games, made the playoffs, and did this will starting a youth movement that has a ton of great players under 25 years old. Some of my favorite moments or accomplishments from the season are below.

Game 1: A blowout
The expectations were low until the Eagles came out and beat the Falcons 32-6. Jalen Hurts threw for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns. Miles Sanders ran for 74 yards, and Devonta Smith had 6 catches for 71 yards. The defense was dominant and the offense was both creative and fast. It was a near perfect start to the season. Fans went from expecting 6 wins to 10 or 11. All was good. Unfortunately, it was one of the only positive games during the start of the season. Teams did not know what to expect from Sirianni and Gannon and they used that to their advantage. Once teams were able to watch film the season got much tougher.

Youth Movement
The Birds won the Super Bowl just a few years ago, but they had gotten old. They had no starts 25 or younger and the team was not winning. It was time for a big draft and a need to develop a new foundation that can carry the team into the next big run. They were able to accomplish that this season in a big way.

Jalen Hurts is a 23 year old quarterback with special legs that is improving almost every game. He is a natural leader who helped carry this team into the playoffs this season. There is no game too big for him and he has shown that he can be a very solid starting quarterback. Now the question becomes can he become an elite quarterback that allows the Birds to be in the playoffs every year.

Devonta Smith set the the Eagles rookie receiving yards record this season. He showed the route running and hands that make it appear that he can be an elite receiver for the foreseeable future. The Eagles got it right with this first round pick.

Jordan Mailata is a special player who should be a perennial pro bowler and maybe much more. He is still learning the game and is already playing at a Pro Bowl level. He is big, fast, and has incredibly light feet. There is no limit to how good he can be. On one play this year, Jordan pushed a D-linement down with one hand an another one down with his other had. That just doesn’t happen. Mailata reminds me of the movie “The Blind Side”.

The Blind Side

Miles Sanders is another player who is often forgotten as a potential elite player. When healthy, he averages over 5 yards per carry which is amazing. With this line and a healthy season, it would not be a surprise to see him run for over 1500 yards. Reuben Frank talks about this is in season wrap-up (see number 4).

We also had a great draft bringing in a number of players that have already shown they can start and potentially do even more. Landon Dickerson is already an above average guard in the NFL. He could easily become a regular pro bowler. Milton Williams has incredible athleticism and has already shown that he can play both tackle and end. He gets better every game. Kenny Gainwell has shown very impressive flashes and should be the #2 running back on this team next year.

Overcoming Adversity
The Eagles were in a big hole, sitting at 2-6 and it looked like all was done. They held together through a combination of positive coaching, great veterans, and confident younger players. The team got on a run and won seven of the last 9 to finish the season at 9-8 and make the playoffs. This showed a lot about Sirianni’s ability to keep the team together and to change the way he ran the offense. A season like this says a lot more about this coach and this team than a season with less adversity.

Exciting Future
You cannot help but be excited for the future of this team. They have a creative young coach who knows how to connect with players. They have a nucleus of young and up and coming players who are good enough (with a little more help in this years draft) to compete for championships. Best of all, you look around the division and things look very promising. The Giants are a reminder as to how hard it can be to rebuild a team. It has been years and there is no end to the losing insight. The Redskins are only marginally better and have an owner that cannot do anything right. The Cowboys are the class of the division, but they continue to show that they cannot win the big ones and their Dak Prescott’s big salary is about to kick in. Things are about to get a lot harder for them.

This is likely my last Eagles article until the draft. Let’s hope they can have a second successful draft and build out the rest of this team. Fly Eagles Fly!!

Eagles Positives – Week Ending 1/22/2022

The season is now over, but it was a good one that deserves to be appreciated. The articles below are all about the success of the season or the excitement about a draft where we have 3 first round picks.

In Roob’s Observations: What everybody’s getting wrong about Gannon – The title of this article is about Gannon. The meat of the article is about much more. Roob reminds everyone that most young quarterbacks struggle in the playoffs. He talks about the potential of Miles Sanders and Highlights an exciting nucleus of players including: Smith, Hurts, Watkins, Sanders, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Josh Sweat, Kenny Gainwell, Milton Williams and Jack Driscoll.
Eagles mailbag: Can Mailata turn into a Pro Bowler? – Dave Zangaro says that Mailata is already ready to be a Pro Bowler. The sky is the limit for this kid.
Sirianni on luring Kelce back: ‘I sent him two kegs of beer’ – I love this. Sirianni just gets his team and shows that he has really connected with them.
Building around a budding young core is a critical goal this offseason – You can always count on Dave Spadaro to write a positive article and this one is great. He is super excited about the youth on this team and he should be.
Eagles players laud Nick Sirianni’s first year, talk confidence in Jalen Hurts – This team is connected and excited about the future. It is fun to see that.

Eagles Positives – Week ending 1/15/2022

It’s a playoff week. There are plenty of fun articles talking about the Eagles and all that they have accomplished. Some of my favorites are below.

Eagles will continue to rely on impressive rookie class in playoffs – Just one more reminder of how good of a class this has been.
10 reasons to believe Eagles can beat Buccaneers – The Eagles are both healthier and a different team since the last time these two teams played. The Bucs should be favored, but this could be a lot closer game than last time.
From butt of jokes to playoffs, no one is laughing at Sirianni anymore – Sirianni has the best record of any first year coach. He is the only one that made the playoffs.
Eagles rookie seems to be peaking for playoff run – Milton Williams was the Eagles third selection in this past draft. He is an amazing athlete and can play both tackle and edge rusher. Williams is just another example of what a great draft the Eagles had this year.
In Roob’s Observations, a lot to like about the Eagles’ mentality – Nick Sirianni is confident and has instilled that same confidence in the team. He is not just happy to be in the playoffs. He and the rest of the team expect much more. Win or lose, this is what you want out of your team.
Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson receive All-Pro recognition – We knew Kelce was going to get this. It is nice to see Lane getting his recognition as well. Lane has been incredible and was overlooked for the Pro Bowl. He deserves this.

Eagles Positives – Week ending 1/8/2022

The Eagles are in the playoffs and rising a three game win streak. It was pretty easy to find positive articles this week. My favorites for the week are below.

Roob’s Observations: How a clever compromise helped Nick Sirianni win over his players – The best leaders are great listeners. Great coaches connect with their players to get the best out of them. Sirianni has shown both traits this year. It is a good sign for the future.
‘Get freaky’ — Mariucci thinks Hurts is no doubt Eagles’ franchise QB – Hurts has played well. I am not as confident he is the long term answer as Mariucci is, but he is much more knowledgeable than I am, so I like what I see.
Eagles fans should be thankful to have Jeffrey Lurie as an owner – This is my favorite article of the week. It is easy to poke at owners and complain about what they do. Lurie’s success is easily quantifiable. Roob’s best quote is “Only the Patriots, Packers, Steelers and Colts have had more winning seasons than the Eagles since 1995, and all were led by at least one Hall of Fame quarterback.”
Greg Ward epitomizes the Eagles’ team-first mentality – Greg Ward is a team first player. Players like Ward fill in the gaps, do what the team needs, and keep things positive. He is one of many unsung heroes on this years squad.

Eagles Positives – Week ending 01/01/2022

Positive news articles about the Birds for the week ending 1/1/2022.

10 moves that helped the Eagles turn their season around – Reuben Frank talks about the changes that the Eagles made that have helped fuel this seasons turnaround.
Slay praises position coach, thinks he deserves a DC job – The cornerbacks are playing much better this season. They are more talented, but it sounds like their coach, Dennard Wilson, is also making a difference.
Hurts soaking up knowledge from 2 worthwhile sources – Good franchises surround their young players with people that help them get better. There is a reason teams like the Eagles nearly always win while teams like the Washington Football Team never seem to get it right.
Fixing the Giants: How much change does ownership have an appetite for? – This is a negative article about the Giants. They are a mess and I include it as a contrast to the Eagles situation. Read the article and you will feel a lot better about the Eagles.
Why Eagles’ Lane Johnson says Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson have become ‘a serious problem’ for defenses – Mailata and Dickerson have the potential to be dominant in the coming years. They are big, fast, and mean on the field. It is great to have the left side of the line set for the foreseeable future.
Can Hurts take lessons from playing with ankle injury? – Hurts has been playing with a bad ankle. This has limited his best trait which is his running. It is forcing him to improve in other areas, which could be a good thing long term.

The Best Eagles Draft Picks in the Last 5 Years

The Eagles have had a number of questionable recent draft picks. It seems like that is all we hear about. I thought I would recap the top 10 draft picks of the past 5 years. It is a solid list with a ton of potential.

Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

#10 Quez Watkins. Quez is a sixth-round pick who is extremely fast and has shown an ability not only to get open deep, but to pull down catches in traffic. His teammates regularly talk about how good he looks in practice. His stats this year were good, but not great. As Jalen Hurts starts to see the field better, Quez should see more catches.

#9 Miles Sanders. Miles has incredible talent. He averages over 5 yards per carry for his career and has shown the ability to gain yards in traffic and break long runs. If he were able to stay healthy, he would be much higher on this list. As it is, I have put him at #8 because I think there is a good chance that the Eagles do not resign him and he will have played less than three seasons with the Birds.

#8 Isaac Seumalo. Seumalo has been a multi-year starter and a solid if unspectacular guard. Any time you draft a lineman in the third round that is a multi-year starter on a very good offensive line, you have done well. Landon Dickerson is likely a better guard at this point, but Seumalo can move to center to keep the line intact for the coming years.

#7 Josh Sweat. Josh Sweat was a fourth-round pick back in 2018. He was highly rated coming out of high school, but had a couple of injuries while at Florida St. He has had 6 sacks each of the past two seasons and seems to be getting better every season.

#6 Landon Dickerson. Landon Dickerson is only in his first season, but he is a second-round pick who looks like a complete steal. Dickerson is a mountain of a man whose move into the starting line-up has been one of the keys to this year’s incredible rushing totals. Dickerson and Mailata should make the left side of the Eagles line dominant for years. He has the potential to be a regular pro bowler for years.

#5 Jalen Hurts. In his first full season as a starter, Jalen Hurts has proven himself to be a quality starter in the NFL. We do not yet know if he can be the franchise quarterback that the team is looking for or he would be higher up on this list. As is, Jalen is a great leader and person who makes plays with both his arm and his legs. Jalen continues to get better each game. For now, his legs are his greatest weapon and teams need to game plan how to stop him from running. His 10 rushing touchdowns is an Eagles record and there are two games left in the season.

#4 Carson Wentz. Carson Wentz did not finish the season in 2017, but his play is the reason we were the #1 seed and eventual super bowl champion. When he was at his best, Carson was one of the most exciting quarterbacks this franchise has ever had. Unfortunately, we all know what happened. Carson struggled in 2020 and then asked to leave the team because he was going to have to compete for his job. I hated including him on this list, but it would not be a real list if we ignored what he accomplished while he was an Eagle.

#3 Dallas Goedert. Dallas Goedert is finally getting his turn as the number one tight end and he is making the best of it. Goedert has always been a great blocker and he has shown glimpses of being an elite receiver as well. Since Ertz was traded, Goedert has been special. He has two games with over 100 receiving yards and has shown an ability to break tackles and get extra yardage.

#2 DeVonta Smith. DeVonta Smith is still in his first year, but his potential is off the charts. It seems like every game he makes an incredible catch showing body control that is just amazing. Merill Reese was asked about DeVonta early in the year. He described him as different and special. Merrill has been around this team for over 30 years. When he says a player is special, that says something. Chad OchoCinco has followed him for years thinks he the It factor.

Chad Johnson “f-cking loves” DeVonta Smith and believes he has the “IT” factor to be special @ochocinco.https://t.co/FDTsAQRLnv
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) March 22, 2021

#1 Jordan Mailata. A seventh-round pick who had never played football before. A freak athlete with incredible size, strength, and quick feet. Jordan Mailata has the potential to be the best left tackle in Eagles history. Other players watch him and marvel at what he can do. He is still learning, but he gets better every game. We often talk about Howie’s bad first round picks. We need to also give him credit for picking Jordan Mailata. Mailata has the potential to be the best value draft pick in Eagles franchise history. The Eagles go from Tra Thomas to Jason Peters to Jordan Mailata. That could be 30 years of dominant left tackles. We may not be a quarterback factory, but we are certainly a left tackle factory.

Over 500!

The Eagles are now over .500 for the first time since the start of the season when we were 1-0. They already have 8 wins with two games remaining in the season. We all thought this was going to be a rebuilding year and the Birds are now on pace, not only to exceed expectations from before the season, but also to make the playoffs. All of this from a team with a new head coach, defensive coordinator, and what is really a first-year quarterback. It is time to give some credit to a number of people that deserve it.

Nick Sirianni is a first-time head coach who many of us had never heard of. He was the offensive coordinator under Frank Reich and a surprising pick from Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman. Sirianni started slow with a horrible press conference to begin the season along with being way to pass happy at the beginning of the year. He has turned it around in a way that is very encouraging. Sirianni did some self evaluation and realized that the team would be better off running the ball. Now the Eagles have the #1 running team in the NFL and a 6-2 record in their most recent games. The Eagles are likely not a Superbowl team at this point, but they have a young coach who connects well with his players (they never gave up on him) and has shown that he can adjust to the talents of his team. This is a rare trait and one that should have Eagles fans excited for the coming years.

Howie Roseman has had an up and down tenure as a GM. He made a number of great moves to help the Birds win their first Superbowl back in 2017. He then had a series of horrible free agency and draft choices that were responsible for a 4 win season in 2020. While I am still not sold on his draft selections, he has been much better recently. Sometimes it takes a 4 win season to re-evaluate what you are doing. This year’s draft is looking excellent so far.

DeVonta Smith – The best wide-receiver on the roster since DeSean Jackson. Has the potential to be a regular probowl receiver.
Landon Dickerson – One of the best second round picks in the entire draft. He has the potential to be an all-pro guard for many years.
Milton Williams – A defensive tackle with a crazy draft measurables that were comparable to Aaron Donald. He is not likely to be Aaron Donald, but he sure seems like a solid starter and great d-linemen for a number of years to come.
Kenneth Gainwell – A very solid running back with great hands. He has not been getting a lot of time lately, but that is likely more because of the new offensive approach then limitations.
Tarron Jackson – A sixth round defensive end from Coastal Carolina. Tarron is outplaying his 6th round draft position. He is a rotational player who is getting better each game and has a sack and 14 tackles to his name. Check out Bleeding Green Nations write-up on him in the Washington Game (bleedinggreennation.com/2021/12/22/22849652/eagles-rookie-report-card-win-washington-devonta-smith-kenneth-gainwell-tarron-jackson-football-team).

Howie still has a way to go, but this year has to be viewed as a positive change from some of the more recent draft classes. Also, he has set us up with three first round picks for next year.

Lastly, Jalen Hurts has shown both promise and progress as a quarterback prospect. He is a second-year player who is really in his first year given the mess that was 2020. As a runner, Hurts is elite. He already has 10 rushing touchdowns with two games remaining. The all-time record is held by Cam Newton at 14 touchdowns. While unlikely, that number is within reach. He remains up and down as a passer, but he has been good enough to lead the team to 7 of their 8 wins. Hurts does not have an elite arm, but he has made all of the throws you need from a quarterback. His biggest limitation is the way he sees the field. This is concerning, but it also is something that is pretty common among young quarterbacks who are still getting used to the NFL. We do not yet know if Hurts can carry the team in the playoffs, but he has shown that he can be a very solid starter and maybe much more.

The most important areas for success in the NFL are coaching, QB play, and the front office. I would say that all three are trending positive at the moment.