As the calendar changes to July, there are two ways of looking at things: 1) I can’t believe 2020 is already half over, or 2) Dear Lord, 2020 is only halfway?
In most of the past few years, most of us would be taking the first one, but 2020 has been unlike any year that most can remember, and it seems almost endless. This time, most probably feel the latter.
Fortunately, later this month, we will get a boost when sports return despite a resurgent pandemic that again threatens to force us to return to our homes for an extended period of time. While the NFL is further from returning to game actions, training camps will still begin in a few weeks and could provide a much-needed distraction from constant reminders that something life-threatening might be lurking around the corner. corner.
For now, however, all we can do is hope and hope that we can recover declining COVID-19, both for the physical safety of everyone in the country, and also for sports to continue and at least have some sense of return normality.
Of course, the NFL is never lost when it comes to news and rumors, even at what is currently one of the slowest points on the sport’s schedule. And even during a pandemic-shortened low season, there are plenty of shots for everyone.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what they say about the Eagles …
Isaiah Crowell makes a lot of sense
Benjamin Solak | Bleeding Green Nation
As reported for much of the NFL offseason, the Eagles are looking for a veteran backup running back to complement Miles Sanders. Our own Jimmy Kempski recently looked at a trio of trading options at the position, but the Birds are more likely to target a free agent as there are several capable brokers left on the open market, including Devonta Freeman and LeSean McCoy.
But if the Eagles are looking for someone with a slightly different skill set than they already have (i.e., a power back), then neither Freeman nor McCoy really qualifies.
However, one guy who is is former Browns and Jets running back Isaiah Crowell, a guy Kempski considered a good fit more than two months ago and who remains unsigned after missing the entire 2019 season with a torn ACL. . Recently, Mike Kaye of NJ.com also listed Crowell as his top “bargain choice,” along with others like Theo Riddick.
Now Bleeding Green’s Benjamin Solak is getting on the Crowell train, and he believes that a low-risk signing like Crowell might be the Eagles’ safest bet:
Now neither Devonta Freeman nor LeSean McCoy are of that kind of devolution. But Isaiah Crowell does. He is a veteran, but still relatively young, and has been a quality power throughout his six-year NFL career. Originally drafted by the Browns in 2014, Crowell has never had a 1,000-yard season, but he also hasn’t pulled fewer than 600 yards in one season. In each of his past three seasons, Crowell has averaged over 4 yards / carry and over 11 attempts / game, while also offering a receiving option, with 44 goals per season.
Crowell was destined to join rookie Josh Jacobs in the Las Vegas backfield in 2019, but he tore through the Achilles during preseason training and never saw a snap. Of course, Jacobs ended up giving up his draft capital and turning big volume into a great rookie season, so the Raiders didn’t need Crowell back this year. He still sits in the free agent market, as many injured players have, waiting for a contract.
Crowell is good enough to be on the Eagles’ list above all players except Sanders, and take hints from RB2. Bring a set of skills that the Eagles’ room doesn’t have, but that the coaching staff has normally wanted in the building. With a late contract stemming from his injury, Crowell also represents a low-cost, low-risk option that, if unhealthy, won’t set the Eagles’ room far behind. [[[[bleedinggreennation.com]
Restart execution
Daniel Gallen | PennLive.com
Staying in the running position, Daniel Gallen of PennLive.com took a look at the current group of runners and exposed their strengths, weaknesses and more for the 2020 season. And he came out with the same understanding as many others: they need more.
Currently, the Eagles do not have a corridor of more than 25 years. Here’s a look at her depth chart as it stands now:
• Miles Sanders
• Boston Scott
• Corey Clement
• Elijah Holyfield
• Michael Warren
• Adrian Killins
And while their youth is a good thing in terms of trying to keep them all healthy, it would be nice to have a veteran presence in the room, not to mention a guy who is a more traditional north-south runner with some experience. Here’s a look at some of what Gallen said about the Bird racers:
Weaknesses
A year ago, the Eagles had Jordan Howard, Darren Sproles, Sanders, and Clement on their Week 1 roster. That’s a much more proven group than the Eagles entered training camp 2020 (though there were injury questions for Sproles and Clement a year ago). Are Sanders, Scott, and any combination of the other four running backs enough for the Eagles? Pederson has rotated runners frequently during his tenure, but Sanders could be online to receive a huge workload in 2020.
General thoughts
Sanders’ emergence last season was enough to make this position a strength, while Scott’s promotion from the practice team to the key player was one of the best stories on the list a year ago. But Clement enters the season with plenty to prove, and the Eagles may have to choose between a proven veteran and potential youngster for the final spot here. The addition of a LeSean McCoy or Devonta Freeman would be interesting, but right now, the future of this position depends on Sanders building in his rookie year. [[[[pennlive.com]
Stronger for the people behind
Dave Zangaro | NBC Sports Philadelphia
Since that NFL head coach rankings list came out earlier in the week, it seems like it’s been everything Eagles fans have been talking about. And not just fans, but also members of the media and former players.
Former Eagles linebacker and his FS1 linebacker Speak for yourself Emmanuel Acho never played for Pederson, but came to the defense of the Eagles coach during a recent segment.
After all, this is a head coach who has led the Eagles to three consecutive playoff spots despite serious injuries. And in 2017, he led them to the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory despite injuries to several key players, including Carson Wentz, who was likely the league’s MVP.
But it was still ninth on this list and former Eagle Emmanuel Acho had none of that in FS1’s Speak for Yourself.
Most of the things Acho says in the video are things Eagles fans already know. But these are things that he wanted the FS1 national audience to realize. Pederson really is one of the best coaches in the NFL and deserves to have his name closer to the top of the list. [[[[nbcsports.com]
Embrace the debate
Ryan Phillips | The big lead
Without real sports, the talk shows are running out of things to discuss (see previous section) and have now returned to the issues of several months ago, specifically the Eagles’ decision to recruit quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second draft round. .
Max Kellerman believes this created an instant QB controversy for the Birds, but Ryan Clark was there to put it back in its place in an extremely efficient way …
In Wednesday’s first take, the panel discussed the situation with the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback. Max Kellerman claimed that the team already had a quarterback controversy and that Jalen Hurts was recruited because the franchise is not selling at Carson Wentz. Ryan Clark closed it in an absolutely epic way.
Look at Clark’s answer:
It was a painstaking, thoughtful and informed takedown of the highest order. [[[[thebiglead.com]
Does he at least have a ring?
Kevin Kinkead | Crossing Broad
Previously, we reported on former Eagles running back and Super Bowl champion Jay Ajayi’s foray into electronic sports, where he represented the Philadelphia Union in a FIFA league called the eMLS Cup.
Saying that Ajayi had a bad season could be the understatement of all the underestimates.
He represented the Philadelphia Union in the “eMLS Cup,” which is a FIFA competition in which each team has a professional player vying for the title. The Union decided to clear everything and instead bring Ajayi as a clever publicity stunt, and he struggled over the course of 24 games, finishing with zero wins and 24 losses. He scored 17 goals and conceded 143, good for a -126 goal differential.
This weekend, the top half of the table was put in square brackets to fight for the top prize, and the bottom half participated in what was called a “last chance qualifier,” which gave them a chance to sneak in like a underdog. . [[[[crossingbroad.com]
Unfortunately, Ajayi lost that “last chance qualifier” game 3-0, dropping it to 0-25 on the season with a -129 goal differential. Yikes
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