Episode 36: Free Agency Continues, Eagles Bold Strategy

Nick and Ev give an update on NFL Free Agency on day two of NFL Free Agency and discuss the Eagles bold approach so far. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the season episode thirty-six. Uh we got Nick in his new beautiful office. That's a new site, Nick. That looks good, man. Looks great.

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Appreciate it. Yeah. You know, a little swag, a little bit different than the other home office. This is uh cozy. Looks beautiful. You know, actually displaying some stuff.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

Uh reminder on YouTube to hit subscribe and if you listen on Apple, Spotify, wherever we get your podcast, uh hit five stars. We really appreciate it. Um this is episode 36. We are here to talk about some free agency moves, uh, general and then specific to the Eagles. Um as everybody knows, or may or may not know, the league year starts tomorrow, March 11th at 4 p.m. Uh, I believe that's Eastern time. Uh who cares though? Uh I just know it's tomorrow. And what it's become, like Adam Schefter joked about it on ESPN the other day, and he was right. He goes, you know, free agency really is supposed to start when the new league year begins, which is tomorrow. He goes, it almost feels like now free agency ends because now we're in that like legal tampering period. And by the way, during the legal new the new legal tampering period, Nick, teams can actually talk directly to five free agents now, not just through their agents. They can actually zoom or visit with them directly, which is a new development and probably has impacted some guys' decisions to be able to talk to guys face to face and make early decisions on that stuff. So um there's been a lot of action so far um in free agency, and we haven't even gotten to the new league year yet. That's what's crazy. It's like a frenzy out there with big names going in all different directions. Um so nonetheless, let's get to it. So these are Nick what I've tabbed as like kind of your top free agent move so far. We talked about Kenneth Walker, just under 15 million bucks a year. Um, Super Bowl MVP going to the Chiefs. The Chiefs desperately needed to kind of retool offensively. Um some new coaches, obviously, Eric Bienemy comes back. They're trying to recreate some success they had with him a while ago, and they desperately need to run the ball more consistently and get explosive runs. Kenneth Walker ends up in Kansas City, coming from Seattle.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

This one, this one surprises me. Um, just knowing Andy Reid and knowing his philosophy, he very seldom invests in a running back just because of what we talked about on the last episode where they touch the ball so many times, giving them a bunch of guaranteed money per year is something that's never really been a part of the philosophy. Um, he had the Sean McCoy in Philly. Obviously, I know a lot of people that listen to the show will probably pinpoint that, but that's just sort of been a philosophy thing. But they know they got to help Patrick Mahomes out. They got to be able to run the ball. Um, they want to be able to hit, you know, some play action shot shots. And, you know, will he be will Kenneth Walker be able to catch out of the backfield? We know, you know, Chris Collinsworth in the Super Bowl. I mean, this guy's a Super Bowl MVP and he drops like one pass and he starts dogging them about his hands, man.

SPEAKER_01 2:50

It's like he said he can't catch and he can't protect. He hit him on both of them.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

It's like, I mean, he's the guy, the guy played outstanding in the playoffs, had a career year, career playoffs, set records. Um, with the, you know, that's something that he'll he knows will probably be a flaw in his game. They're paying him a lot of money. Obviously, I haven't dove into like that kind of technique with him. I wonder if Chris had. Um, that was a surprise comment during the Super Bowl. But at the same time, this was a surprise um from the Chiefs to invest in a running back like this, but I like it. I like it because it helps Pat and takes the pressure off Pat. So I really like it, but it's a surprise.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Well, they also let Pacheco walk in free agency, which is a which is worthy of note as well. I that's not surprising given you chase Kenneth Walker letting him walk. Let me give you a few more and you point to me what you think is the most before we get to the Eagles, you point to me what you think is sort of the biggest move and how much it will impact the team. So Mike Evans lands with the 49ers. Uh Mike Evans, obviously highly productive throughout his career. He's 33 years old now. He's had some hamstring issues, not the same player he was even three years ago. But the Niners see the most loaded boxes of any team in football because they run the ball so well and the way Kyle Shanahan schemes. So what does that mean? One-on-ones on the outside. And I would argue, especially last year, there was no receiver that really scared you. Now I know Mike Evans is 33, but when you play a team that is has scheme like Kyle Shanahan does and runs the ball as well as Kyle does, and you see loaded boxes, I think it 63% of the time they saw a heavy box. Right now, they may change when you have Mike Evans on the outside, meaning more guys in the box to stop the run, but it might not. And so when you have Mike on the outside, you might loosen up the box and make running easier. So that's the first one. Malik Willis, Dolphins. Malik threw like 60 passes this year. He's going into his fifth year in the NFL and signed a three-year 67.5 million dollar deal. I don't know that I've seen anyone like just not really play much and do much through your first four years just sporadically, and all of a sudden become something special. I know Sam Darnell was giving people hope, right, based on what he did, but Sam was a top 10 pick. So Malik going to the Dolphins is interesting because he did look good in relief when he was when he was with the Packers, and Jeff Hafley, their new head coach, looks at Malik and goes, I saw that guy every day in practice. He was he was tough to stop. I'm gonna give him a shot. So he signs a big deal there. Couple more for you. Jalen Watson, the other really good corner for the Chiefs, opposite Trent McDuffie, he goes to the Rams. So the Rams are loading up on secondary players. Be able to play more man-to-man. They got exposed in the playoffs against the Seahawks, and I think Les Sneed, their GM, knows that, and he thought we need to address this. Trent McDuffie was a huge signing for them, trade and sign, and now Jalen Watson comes in free agency. That's a big one. Lastly, Kobe Bryant for the Bears. I think this one's interesting. The Bears were opportunistic, took the ball away a bunch last year, but they had holes on defense. And they go get Kobe Bryant, who is very, very versatile. He's played some safety in Seattle's defense. He's played some corner, he can play nickel. There's a bunch of things this dude can do. And they go shore up kind of a gap in what they have the Bears do in Dennis Allen's scheme and bring in Kobe Bryant. So of those four, which one like jumps out to you the most as the biggest signing of free agency so far?

SPEAKER_00 6:05

I mean, I mean, I have thoughts on all of them, honestly, but I'd say the biggest signing that impacts, I mean, you got Matthew Stafford's, you know, window closing. When's he gonna stop playing, right? Adding another corner, enhancing that defense um helps him out. So I like that. I really like the Mike Evans signing. I mean, the guy's one of the greatest receivers in NFL history. He has all the Tampa Bay Buccaneers records. Um, I think he's tied with Jerry Rice for 11,000 yard seasons in a row. Um, it's ironic he's going to play for the San Francisco 49ers. I think it's awesome. I think that's gonna help the philosophy of Kyle Shanahan's offense where it's it's it's from the run game. They're gonna do jet motions, they're gonna do run, they're gonna use Christian McCaffrey and use the running backs. Christian McCaffrey can catch out the backfield, and they're gonna run play action. Why do you do that? Because when you can run the ball really well, it loads the box. And if you don't, all our listeners, and when we get comments all the time, they like how we describe the game. We try to really make it simple. It just means they're adding another player in the box, you know, tackle to tackle to stop the run. There's more bodies in there to help you stopping the run with your fits, it's more concentrated. But what that means is you have a safety and corners really on an island. There's more air in the secondary. That's why play action is great because you're gonna show run fake, the linebackers and the safety who's in the box are gonna come down because they they are playing the run. And then they're taught if it's passed, they're gonna turn and get to their zones. If it's zone, if it's manned, they're on their man, but there's air behind them. That's why you see these, you know, 16 to 18 yard in routes, these, you know, bang eight posts, all these different things. Mike Evans is one of the best to ever do those routes and do those things. So if he stays healthy, it's gonna be huge for them. My biggest worry is is their training facility an issue? I know that's something that's been talked about. You know, I know they have all the you know, they're all they're in Northern California, they got all the recovery devices you can think of in there, but you know, I'm just being funny, but I I do love I do love that. Um, obviously Malik Willis. Uh you know what? Halfly Jeff Halfley has seen him run scout team. He put, I mean, dude made a lot of money throwing 60 balls in you know the game, and he he played his best ball at the right time. Hopefully it works out. You know, it's a three-year deal.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

It's one of those things where they can get out at the end.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

They can get out. Exactly. So, you know, I I wish the best for the young guy. I think he, you know, he's waited, you know, he had to go through what he went through in Tennessee, revitalized his career in Green Bay. I think that's fantastic. And then obviously, um Kobe Bryant. You know, you had mentioned it. Um, Dennis Allen needs to be more versatile, man to man. I mean, they know for their D their defense needs to pick up, their offense is gonna keep getting better. Um, you know, that's just me going through them all, but I love the Mike Evans signing because I love Mike Evans, I think he's outstanding, but also the Rams, I think it's smart, man. Let's enhance that defense, let's enhance that secondary. And you know what's great about those guys is during OTAs and training camp, those two new corners are gonna go against the best quarterback in the NFL this last season, and they're gonna make each other better. The Rams are gonna be even better, and we talked about last episode enhancing their special teams coach. They're gonna be a dangerous team going into this preseason. You know, we'll do a preseason show down the road, but right now, I love the Rams, man. They were great last year and they're just getting better every single day.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

No question. All right, so free agency as it relates to the Eagles, mainly because um, well, let's put it this way the Eagles on Monday had about$12.5 million of free cap space. So we knew that there would be moves prior to free agency, there would, or I should say, lack thereof of moves, meaning like letting guys walk to open up um some cap space. You know they didn't have a ton of it, right? So in anticipating the draft and anticipating free agency, we knew certain guys would have to go. So some of these are not that much of a surprise, but nonetheless, it's still is interesting to point out what they've done so far. So the biggest move so far for the Eagles, without question, is extending Jordan Davis. This was big. Three years, 78 million. That's their big nose tackle, big stud, right? What's fun what's interesting about this though is he really became like a consistent force this past season. He played 686 snaps this year. That's 298 more than last year. Okay, so he's gotten himself in shape, he's gotten more consistent, he cares more about his fitness and nutrition, all these things we've heard about from the coaching staff.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

Wasn't it from like Peloton too?

SPEAKER_01 10:40

I think that's one of the things he's working on, right? You know the more you lose the bike. I think the bike, yeah, yeah. All right. When you can keep that big body in shape like that, though, you give yourself a chance to stay on the field more. So arguably, when you become the highest paid nose tackle, well, the most guaranteed money for nose tackle in NFL history, a lot of it is really looking forward to what they feel like he's ultimately capable of, because I don't think we've seen it yet. He's done some good things, but I don't think we've seen like his ceiling yet. And so I think some of this is just based on potential. The coaches are really excited about where he was at last year and where he's going. He's still young. Like if it were only based on what he had done so far, I don't think he fetches this kind of deal, but nonetheless, they feel good about where things are going. So that's the biggest move. But here's what's really interesting is what's leaving on the defensive side of the ball. Again, some of this is expected because of cap space and also getting ready for guys like Cooper Dejean and Quinyon Mitchell, who are eligible for new deals next year. They've let guys like this walk. N'Kobe Dean, gone. Now, N'Kobe Dean missed 12 games in 2023 with foot issues. Um he had a breakout season in 2024, but then he tore us the teller tendon in the playoffs that year at the end of the 2024 season. So he's been hampered by injury a little bit. Favorite in the locker room, leader, really good player when healthy, but they had to let him walk. He signed with the Raiders for three years, 36 million. Okay. That's one body that leaves. Now, they also drafted Jihad Campbell because they thought, you know, they weren't, they weren't totally sure. This was last year, they weren't totally sure how things would fare with N'Kobe Dean and all that. So I think they're prepared to replace him an inside backer with Jahad Campbell, who could also play outside. But some of that is something to keep in mind. Reed Blankenship, this is a captain on the defense last year. He goes to the Texans three years, 24 and a half, or a little over 24 and a half million. Um, that's not crazy money. I think it's something the Eagles probably could have afforded. Um but I think it's a place they just wanted to elect to save money, right? So does you know maybe Michael Carter the second steps in, maybe Cooper Dejean plays some safety. I know he's played some nickel, he's played outside, he can pretty much play everywhere. Um, but I think a lot of what they do to replace Reed falls on Adori, Adory Jackson's like their second corner. His contract is up. So it may depend on what they do at corner two on how they address the safety and corner situation. I think that's to be determined. They they have a they have a hole to fill there they have to work with. The other big one that left is Jalen Phillips. Now, this one has a lot of strings attached to it because Carolina ends up paying a price that's too high. Howie was not going to go pay nearly 30 million bucks a year for Jalen Phillips. No way. Right? I mean, think about what Howie's done in the past with pass rushers. Hassan Reddick, like 15 a year. Josh Sweat, like 13.3 a year. That was back in 2021, Reddick was in 2022. So I think Howie knew, like, if he comes and plays for us, I think he was there for like eight games. If he comes and plays for us, and and by the way, the Eagles gave up a third round pick to get him, if he comes and plays for us, we'll get good play out of him. And if we lose him because we're not willing to pay 25 or more a year, which they're not, then the hope is they can get a compensatory pick for him. And I won't go into all the details about how that works, but comp picks basically it's how you net out after free agency. So if you lose Jalen Phillips, he goes and signs a big deal with Carolina, and you don't go sign a big free agent at that position in free agency, then technically you you have a net negative at that position. And in 2027, so in next year's draft, you could be given a compensatory pick for it. It hasn't been determined yet. They won't know for they just recently found out what their comps are comp picks are in this draft this year. They've got like three or four of them. So something to keep in mind. But Jalen Phillips walking, um somewhat of a big deal because they have to address edge rusher, right? Like, if I look at what they have right now, it's basically Nolan Smith and Jalex Hunt. Those are their two main edge rushers, right? They don't have a ton of depth at that position and Howie wasn't willing to pay up for it. So on defense, those three names walk out. And I don't think they're a huge surprise, but it's still notable that three like starters that had a when they were on the field had a pretty good big effect of what had going on or out the door for a defense that was pretty damn good for the most part last year.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Yeah, I mean the defense was outstanding. I think most Eagles fans right now would they might be freaking out a little bit. I mean, those are some important players that were on defense. Like, what are they doing? What's how he doing?

SPEAKER_01 15:02

But does this surprise you?

SPEAKER_00 15:03

You really take a step back. What's that?

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Does this surprise you what Howie's doing with these guys?

SPEAKER_00 15:07

No, that's what I'm gonna get to. So that's probably fan's initial reaction when those names go across the ticker or those alerts are on your phone or whatever. It's like, no, you can't like these are some of the fan favorites, these are some of the young kids' favorites. You know, they've been a part of the Eagles, they they've been leaders on the Eagles defense. It's it's really hard to replace leaders. But I'll say this this doesn't surprise me with Howie. Um, he's foreshadowing, he's preparing for the Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeGene. I mean, those are two guys that he's gonna want to retain. He wants to keep the cap space. He's also really the Eagles historically are also very good at drafting. You know, there's a lot of teams out there that don't draft really well. Howie, Howie and his team there with the Philadelphia Eagles do a great job of drafting. So they have all this mapped out, compensatory picks, preparing for the draft, who they're gonna go to. Maybe they like an edge rusher in the draft, whoever it may be. Trust me, this guy, he's got plans. I mean, this was a great defense last year. Um, when I first saw all these news, when all the news about this, when you sent it to me, I was sort of surprised because I'm like, man, we talked about it and followed it every every week last year. Defense was solid. They did a great job all year. Like, that's something you want to keep the infrastructure up, which they're trying to, um, you know, with Jordan Davis and whatnot. But you're I was just surprised because like you're really trying to enhance the offense. A young play caller, Sean Mannion, and everything. Obviously, they're gonna do that in the draft as well, but they must have a plan with the draft or what they're doing because those are gonna be big shoes to feel. Not maybe not just from a, I think what people don't realize, not just from a player standpoint on the field, but a leadership standpoint in the locker room. They have uh sweat equity there. They they've they've worked, they they've led, they've you know been out there practicing, they've played in the games, they've played in the link, they know how to play in front of the fans. It's hard to play in Philly. Not everyone's built to play in Philly. It takes a unique individual to coach and play in Philly. We've talked about it over and over again. But Howie Roseman's been one of the top GMs in the NFL for a long time. You know he's got a plan, you know he's ready to go, and you know he's ready to shock the world. He's super aggressive and he's not afraid to do these things, and that's what makes him great. So the draft will be really fun to watch. What they continue to do in free agency will be great. But you know, all those Eagles fans out there that are worried by losing those guys, Howie's got a plan, I guarantee you.

SPEAKER_01 17:19

All right, let me ask you this then. Because there has been some discussion about Jalen Carter, because you extend Jordan, you extend Jordan Davis, like I just said, big number for Nose Tackle, right? You're about a year away from Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean being eligible for extensions. Those are young guys. When you draft well, these are these are your problems. They're positive problems to have, right?

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Yeah, it's great.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Because you gotta extend your own, right? But Jalen's also one of your own. And he heads into the last year of his rookie deal. Now, granted, there's a fifth-year option available if they decide to exercise it, but he heads into the last year of his rookie deal. And there are some people, there's some chatter out there being like, if you move now to extend him, you probably could get maybe a hair of a discount, possibly, right? You're early movers tend to get because there's some risk associated with that on both sides, right? Um, and the other option, I'll just throw it out there, the other option is to trade him. The other option is to, like you're doing with AJ Brown, float it out there like, hey, I saw Baltimore just gave two first round picks for uh Max Crosby, right? Jalen's a game changer as an interior defensive lineman, right? Pass rusher and a run stopper. That's very rare at that position to be able to do both of them very well like he does. So the other option is to say, is to start to float it out there. That hey, Jalen Carter, because of like other extension options we have, and Jalen, like, you know, I know people will point to oh, you spit on a guy. I I don't know. I'm not pro I'm not you know hinting that there's character issues there, but are there maturity issues, possibly? Right? So with Jalen Carter, it becomes do we start to float out to teams? Hey, you want to give us first two first rounders or a first and a second, Jalen Carter might be available too.

unknown 18:52

Right?

SPEAKER_01 18:52

I mean, we don't we know how he's always open for business. Everyone's got a price tag, right? Now, I'm not saying he would trade Jalen Carter, but you have to wonder with where things are right now, if that's crossing his mind. Um because again, 2026 is the final year of his deal. This defense is already gonna look a little bit different next year, could be for the better. We'll see what they end up getting if they end up getting anything in free agency, free agency and then through the draft. But with what Jalen probably would command in free agency, my sense is you got to do something with him soon. I wouldn't let him get to the end of this end of the fourth year into his fifth year option, because then he could really sit tight and say, I'm not doing anything, right? Then it puts the Eagles in a little bit of a tough spot. They can move now or they can start to float out trading him. What would you do with Jalen Carter right now?

SPEAKER_00 19:36

I mean, watching him last year, there there was a major difference when he was playing and not playing, right?

SPEAKER_01 19:41

Yeah, he missed some time, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:42

I I think it's as simple as that. I think that when you have a player that can be a game changer that causes so much stress on the opposing offense, um, that's someone you want, you know, on your team playing. Now the question is what number is he demanding? Is it something that Howie's willing to pay right now?

SPEAKER_01 20:00

Um and if not, he's gonna want more than Jordan Davis. I'll tell you exactly.

SPEAKER_00 20:04

Exactly. So I mean, Howie leaves everything on the table. If someone comes in with two first round picks and whatever, I mean, everything's on the table right now. But if I'm them and they they like what they see within the facility, once again, the character we're not in the facility. You you want you're gonna pay a guy, you want some strong character because you want him to be there, you want him to impact the team in a positive way in the locker room, um, obviously practice all the different things, and obviously in the game, but all those things matter. And so they're weighing all those things. My guess is they would want to they want to sign them. I mean, you said it best, like and also like if I'm him, I want to sign the deal right now, too. I mean, you never know when you go out there um what's gonna happen. Um, if you can sign a deal that's like a great deal, that's like fair market value deal right now before you play a full another full season um with a team that drafted you, that's a that's a and you love it there, that's a great scenario for you. How about this for for everyone?

SPEAKER_01 21:04

One thing we have not heard is that they're actively in negotiations for an extension. We have not heard that. Okay. So if they go into this season and he's not and he's playing under the final year of his rookie deal, again, I know there's a fifth round op or fifth round option, fifth year option, I should say. If they go into this season and we've heard nothing about active negotiations for an extension, the Eagles have not tried to extend him, what does that tell us? Right? Like, why wouldn't, if this is like a guy, a guy you drafted, right, at a very key position that is a true difference maker, and there's no intentional effort to to re-sign this guy before the start of this season. So let's just say but like by the end of training camp, what does that tell us? Anything? Do we read into that too much? Like, why would you not want to re sign this guy early?

SPEAKER_00 21:51

No, I mean that that's the that's a great point. I I'd be shocked. Like, there's something going on then. Uh I I would think negotiations are yeah, I I think negotiations have to Already be going on with a player like that. Um, you know, you could uh the safe thing is activate the fifth year option and work on negotiations behind the scene, you know, going into off-season training, going in the training camp, your agents. I mean, there's gonna be a lot of back and forths. I mean, it's gonna be a large deal. So there's gonna be a lot of you know, particulars within the the deal that they're gonna have to go through, and obviously the number amount and really it's the guarantees, right? Like all these inflated numbers, hey, so-and-so got a$200 million deal. Hey,$115.25 is guaranteed, it's a$115 million deal because you're either gonna play out the deal or they're gonna restruct, you're gonna get be let go, or they're gonna restructure it to sign you to a new deal. So you just look at the guaranteed number.

unknown 22:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:42

With that being said, like I'd be shocked. I mean, maybe it's one of those things where like, hey, we have a lot of free agency right now. We're maybe they told us agents, hey, we have free agency going on right now. We have the NFL draft. Hey, get your plan together. Let's talk after the draft. Let's focus if we're focusing on all this right now. We want to get a deal done with them, um, but we got to wait till we focus, we do these things later because they don't want to miss what's right in front of them. I mean, the draft is huge for the eagle for everyone, but the Eagles do a great job drafting. And right now it's free agency, so they got to really focus on that part right now and then get to the next part. So my guess is all their energy is going in to execute those at the best of their ability. And then after that, they'll focus on what they have there and keeping those guys within the locker room. That would be what I would do because he's a game changer and get it done. Because if you're telling him that you're gonna let him play on his last year of his rookie deal, um, you know, he's gonna hit that free agent market and he's just gonna want to go sign elsewhere. It's gonna be tough because he's gonna demand that if he plays well.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

Uh, reminder on AJ Brown, which has been a topic of discussion since early last season, um, there's still speculation as to whether or not he'll be traded. The Eagles have thrown out like, nah, we want a first and probably a second round pick to make that happen. Not sure anybody will do it. We'll see. Um, but here's the thing to keep in mind with AJ, because it's the only thing the they're the trade compensation is not the only thing affecting this deal. If they do it before June 1st, like a pre-June 1 designated trade, they would absorb a$72.5 million cap hit to let him walk. That is massive, right? So it's complicated, is the point. The timing of it, uh, possibly restructuring all these different things are very complicated as it relates to him going somewhere else, right? If it if he were to target somewhere else he really wanted to go and that team really wanted him, maybe he would be flexible with the Eagles to restructure things. I I don't know. But it's complicated. With that kind of cap hit and dead money, Howie has not made a living taking on that kind of dead money hit on his payroll, right? So does AJ Brown get moved? I think it's still very possible, but it becomes very complicated with the cap hit. And also to keep in mind regarding the Eagles' moves for the draft, right? So as a result of what they've done in the past and being shrewd with playing chess and all this stuff with draft with uh compensatory compensatory picks and all that, the Eagles in the upcoming 2026 draft have nine draft picks. Okay. Their first round pick is their own pick, their second round pick is their own pick. Third round was a trade from the Jets, third round, uh, other third rounder is a compensatory pick, fourth rounder their own pick, another fourth rounder compensatory pick, fifth rounder from the Falcons through a trade, fifth rounder compensatory pick, sixth rounder compensatory pick. They have four comp picks in this upcoming draft, and they may get another one next year for Jalen Phillips, depending on how this whole thing plays out. So it's like that's a part of the system with Howie that you know, many teams you go into a draft, there's not much to speak for with regarding comp picks. And so he'll get guys, he'll get the most out of them. They end up walking, and he gets something for them. Um that obviously is part of his plan. So the Eagles are they're shaking things up. I know some of this is expected. The defense is gonna look different. We'll see what they do offensively as well, if AJ Brown was in the mix uh and what things shake up for Jalen Carter. But Nick, I think you feel like if you're telling Eagles fans as they as they move these chess pieces around, they bring in a new offensive coordinator, um, they let Jeff Stoutland walk, who end up you know deciding on his own to walk. And we're gonna have Jeff on later this month, by the way, on the show. What's your message to Eagles fans with regard to Howie Roseman and how he's gonna handle this between now and the and let's just say even the end of the draft, so all the way through free agency and the draft?

SPEAKER_00 26:15

Yeah, I mean, obviously he's really strategic. As it pertains to like the AJ Brown, I mean, I uh the more I think about it and the cap hit and everything, I mean, it seems like you know, him and Jalen Hurts are on good standing. That's really important, first and foremost, right? If he loves his quarterback, they have a great relationship, that's important. They got really a whole new offensive staff. Um, something that you know, my guess is they probably instantly had a conversation with him, how they're gonna utilize him, how he's gonna be a part of the offense. Because it seems like a lot of his frustration stemmed from the scheme last year, how they were doing things, frustration. I mean, the statistics show, I mean, we we laughed about it, you know, the Packers were like the least amount throwing hitch routes, and the you know, Eagles were one of the top that threw hitch routes, and that hitch routes are great, but you don't want to be the top, you want to have more dynamic routes. So the more I think about it, I'd be surprised if he's not a Philadelphia Eagle next year. Um, I don't think people are gonna give up those kind of picks. He's an outstanding player, but Howie knows that he's not just gonna let him walk. He'd have to get what he wants for him, or he's gonna be an Eagle. And he's he and AJ Brown's a competitor. He's gonna want to go out there and play and figure it out and with the new staff. But, you know, for Eagles fans, I mean, they they've seen Howie enough. They know how he works. I think you gotta let the chef cook, man. You gotta trust him. You go to a restaurant, you go to this fine restaurant, are you telling the chef how to cook? No, you gotta let him do his thing. You gotta let him do the ingredients, all the different things with the meat, whatever it may be. That's what Howie's doing. They're shaking it up. And that's the thing you have to respect and love about the Eagles, man. There's no complacency. There's no complacency with the fan base. The fan base is tough, but you know, they're fair. They're gonna keep you honest, they're gonna tell you how you're doing, they're gonna cheer the loudest. But they're also, if you start struggling, they're gonna get on you, they're gonna boot you a little bit. You you gotta love playing there. But to do that, Mr. Louie, Howie, they're trying to put together the best team this next season to go win a Super Bowl. There's other teams out there that are planning, you know, they got this four-year plan. I I've been with coaches like we I had a four-year plan, and listen, the Rams, the Eagles, they're on like a we gotta win now. Even the Chiefs, they're shaking it up. Like these teams know, like, let's just build it every year. Let's go all in, let's find a way to win right now because if you have a bad year, there's no guarantee on the future. You might be fired. Like, we gotta win now, and we gotta figure out how to do that. Um, you know, the Eagles are gonna be strategic. They're also gonna be strategic with who they don't draft. Who are these free agents? I mean, we're looking right here, you know. Reed Blankenship, who means who meant a lot to the Philadelphia Eagles, had a great Philadelphia Eagle career. Um, undrafted, four-year starter, captain, all these things. Awesome for him. And that's the thing that people don't realize too, you know, how he's probably looking at Reed excited for him, but also realizing like with what he has coming down the pipeline next year, he can't really afford him, you know, three-year$24.75 million dollar deal. But man, how cool is that for Reed to go down to the Houston Texans um and get an opportunity to play in that defense and be a leader in there and get paid as a as a free agent. I mean, you know what it's like to be an undrafted free agent. It's a it's a tough road, man. It is a grind. Um, when I when we did the Philly uh the 30 for 30 Philly special, um, Corey Klamat, Trey Burton, both undrafted free agents. You know, talking about you know that grind, the uphill battle, what it is, uh, I'm excited for guys like him that you know get this opportunity and you know how he's gonna be looking at that. So I'd say Eagles fans, just take a breath, let the chef cook, and let's see what happens.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

Uh, let me ask you one more thing before we sign off. Let's go to the offensive side of the ball real quick, and we can talk about more about this on another episode, too. But if you're Jalen Hurts and you're assessing what you feel like you need the most on offense, um, I think obviously maybe trying to re-sign Dallas Goddard, who's set to be a free agent, is key. That may or may not happen. I think they make an effort to do it. We'll see. Because I think they need an op my answer is I think they need a legit option in the middle of the field to own the middle of the field.

SPEAKER_00 30:12

I agree.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

And stop taking shots on the outside. So if you're Jalen, what do you want on offense to shore things up offensively and improve for next year besides just a new offensive coordinator? What piece do you want on offense?

SPEAKER_00 30:23

I mean, first and foremost, you want a dynamic offensive line. And the biggest piece will all be who is replacing Jeff Stoutland and can they rise to the occasion? Because that's a hard piece as a coach. Now, as a player on the field, you know, the O-line, you can't do anything without the O-line. The O-line is the most important thing on the field to get it, keep an offense running. I don't care how great your quarterback is, I don't care if it's Matthew Stafford, I don't care if it's Josh Allen, I don't care if it's Jalen Hurts or whoever it may be, without an O-line, your offense ain't gonna move the ball. Without a D-line, your defense isn't gonna stop, stop the other offense. So you got to get the guys in the trenches. But if we're going from a skill set position, man, you got to get a great slot receiver. Um, you got to get a guy that understands how to read coverages, how to, I mean, a lot of the greatest slot receivers that I played with just from a field standpoint were ex like high school quarterbacks. You know, they were that athlete that could play receiver in high school, but their their their high school didn't have a quarterback, so they were the best player. So their coach is like, man, I need you touching the ball every play. Not only are you gonna run the Zoe Reed, but you can throw the ball a little bit too. They just have a feel, they have an understanding when to throttle through routes, when to whip out of routes, when to hit second windows, different speed variations, how to adjust uh based on the coverage. So they got to go out there and find a dynamic. You'd like a bigger body receiver. I mean, I love playing with Jason Avon. He was a he was a little bit taller slot, um, strong physical. Man, would catch anything. I remember there was one time, I mean, there's a couple times, but just the catches he would make one, you know, shoelace catch, the next catch he'll make versus cover zero versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he's one-handing it, falling down like this. And that's who you want. You want a guy you trust in the slot because that's who you're gonna utilize a lot on third down. You're gonna you're gonna trust that slot receiver. You're gonna try to find the outside receivers based on concepts, you're gonna try to take advantage of them. But a lot of times, if you progress through your concept, you're gonna find that slot receiver in the middle finding a hole to keep the chains going. And it's also gonna help you on first and second down. But I always loved having an outstanding slot receiver, specifically on third down. So I think Howie knows that they need to go out there and find it. So I don't know if that's someone in the draft, because if you draft someone, that's a rookie coming in that's learning the ropes of the NFL. Um, I would love for them to find someone that's established and knows how to play to fit in that position.

SPEAKER_01 32:42

Yeah, I think um that pass catcher over the middle of the field is really important. And Dallas Goddard's one of them. Um he's set to hit free agency. Over half the league is not in the market for a top-tier tight end because they already have one on their roster. Now, does that help the Eagles get him back? Possibly, if they really want him back. Um, but I've also heard names like the Eagles may pursue David Njoku, who's leaving the Browns after nine years. Um, I've even heard Zach Ertz thrown out there, coming back from an ACL, and apparently doesn't want to stop playing and may be available at a significant discount because he's late in his career coming off an injury. But he is he gonna be your number one guy at the tight end position? I don't know. So the Eagles are gonna have to go after that position, whether it's their own in Dallas Goddard or whether it's somebody else on the open market. That's a position they got to figure out because Dallas might be on his way out if another team steps up. So um a lot of moving parts, and it's gonna be a lot of fun to follow. We're gonna stay on top of it here on the season. Uh, I already mentioned we've got Jeff Stoutland coming on the show later this month. We'll keep you posted on the exact date. Um, and as always, we appreciate you listening. It's been episode 36 talking about the Eagles and free agency and some of their strategy. Uh, make sure and hit subscribe and check us out on Apple or Spotify. And if you can't hit five stars, we'd appreciate it. Thanks for listening.

SPEAKER_00 33:52

Have a great day.