Eagles 2020-2021 Season

[xogfog]

Yes, Jefferson is the better receiver, without question. Did you see the video of the Vikings war room laughing when the Eagles took Reagor? I'm not saying Reagor will be a flop, but Jefferson dominated against better competition in college, anyone could see he was the better receiver, but I think Howie was trying to replace Desean thinking Reagor might be a better deep ball threat and he over thought it and outsmarted himself. Reagor is having a bit of a lost season in terms of being injured a couple times and not getting work in with Wentz, I think his confidence has suffered a little too.

[xogfog]

In addition, the Eagles had plenty of ammo to trade up and grab C.D. Lamb too, but weren't aggressive to address the team's biggest need.

[gmwannabe]

I did not see that video. i would like to take a look at it. it sounds like the Viking's scouts had more vision to see that he could play the outside and not just the slot. Reagor seems ok though. injuries set him behind. hopefully, he can have the same career as Jerry Rice. i think we would take that.
gm

[allentown]

Lane Johnson out for the season, will have another surgery on his ankle "the inside of his ankle collapsed" -- a pessimistic reading between the lines wonders if this is career ending. From SB Nation, reporting on a video statement from Johnson this morning.

Lane Johnson is out for the rest of the Eagles’ 2020 season

And here is a less alarming article in PhillySports:

Lane Johnson out for the season with another ankle injury

[xogfog]

Here is more ammo for the Fire Howie camp from Reuben Frank's latest 10 random Eagles observations:

"In 2013, the Eagles drafted Lane Johnson and Zach Ertz. Since then, Howie Roseman’s drafts have landed the Eagles exactly one Pro Bowl player, and that’s Carson Wentz. The only defensive player Roseman has ever drafted who’s made a Pro Bowl is Fletcher Cox, the 12th pick in the 2012 draft. One defensive Pro Bowler in nine drafts (not counting this year). He’s never found a defensive Pro Bowler after the 12th pick overall. Wentz is also the only Pro Bowler Roseman has drafted who’ll be in his 20s on opening day next year. It’s not just J.J. Arcega-Whiteside instead of D.J. Metcalf. This has been happening for years. Scrounging up functional starters from the late rounds or the practice squad or the waiver wire is fine. But you need stars to win big. Studs. Elite players. And Howie’s failure to deliver star power to this roster has made it virtually impossible for the Eagles to compete on a regular basis with the NFL’s best teams. Maybe Miles Sanders or Dallas Goedert becomes a full-fledged star, but right now there isn’t a single elite player in his 20s on this roster, and that’s a damning indictment of Roseman’s draft record. Every GM has misses. Every GM has big misses. But you can’t afford to have the big misses without the big hits. Doug Pederson has been awful. Wentz has been terrible. But when you look at the Eagles’ decline, it all starts in the GM’s office."

[zambonir]

Sources: Hurts getting first team reps at QB

[xogfog]

Whatever is wrong with Wentz, I'm sure it can be fixed. I just can't believe the player we are seeing today is what he really is, the track record before this year was no indication that he would end up playing this bad. Why Doug is not tailoring the game plan to his strengths, like called roll outs, running the ball more from under center so that play action is more effective, etc..., I don't know. His confidence is obviously shaken and Doug should be doing what he can to build his confidence up by giving him easy plays to make, but he doesn't. So, if they are trying to light a fire under him by giving Hurts 1st team reps, going into a week playing a team that is terrible against the pass, maybe that will work to push Wentz, but only if they help him succeed with the game plan.

[bkeich]

I honestly think most of what is “wrong” with Wentz is OL and WR/TE weaknesses. He clearly is under incredible rush pressure, and even when he isn’t he seems to be expecting (reacting) to it. Add that to the fact that Ertz has been terrible, the WR can’t get open and everything is more or less impossible this year.

I would never really question Pederson’s play design after the run that resulted in a SB win (he took a clearly mediocre QB and made him the best around), but this year he seems to have no answers. Maybe he just doesn’t have the talent, the OL disaster was probably not survivable. I don’t understand why they aren’t utilizing Sanders, Scott and other RB in the passing game, but maybe that is such an obvious move that the defenses are taking it away. We just don’t have enough healthy quality players on offense I fear. With a laughably bad OL it probably isn’t possible for anyone to look good.

Our backup OL seems to be better at rush offense than pass, which is easy to understand (simpler techniques) and frankly we are so often behind in games that runs are almost surprise plays that the defenses aren’t keying on. Still, we can run the ball and then pass off that, I wish they would.

Get me Brooks, Dillard and Johnson back and add some quality backups and I suspect the WR and QB issues go away.

[allentown]

I think one has to question Pederson's play design and play calling, although I agree that the lack of talent and aging of our highest paid receivers and linemen (D as well as O) is the major problem. I think Pederson has been more than a tad stubborn in not adapting his play calling to reflect what his team is able to do. Pederson's offensive approach had great initial success, but the league has adapted and worse, adapted just as his team's talent was declining. Pederson needs a counter-adaptation. The major problem is the GM/scouts for the bad drafts and FA signings which have left us both short on talent and in awful cap shape.

Although Pederson and Wentz's fortunes now seemed joined at the hip, Wentz wasn't really the ideal QB for Pederson. Far too much draft capital expended to get him and he is far too undisciplined for Pederson, who needs a QB who plays within his system. He could win with Foles. He could have won with a follow-on QB he signed as a FA, and had other good players in lieu of all the draft capital expended on Wentz. Wentz had a lot of talent, but seems not recovered from his injuries, mental and physical. But, Wentz is an expensive race horse and Pederson only needs a work horse, which would be much cheaper.

Roseman needs to go and some of Pederson's coaches seem to have outlived their usefulness. I suspect Roseman, with his close ties to Lurie, will stay, while Pederson, his staff, and, if tradeable, Wentz are gone during the coming off-season. I think that is the wrong choice, but...

[VoteForKalas]

I'd disagree, bkeich.

There have been more sacks because Wentz is holding the ball too long and not trusting what he sees from the defense.

There have been numerous times when WR/TE have been open and Wentz flat out does not see them or throws so inaccurately it is either intercepted or is incomplete.

There have been more turnovers (which has been a common trend for Wentz most of his career) due to his poor ball protection, inaccuracy and hesitation in the pocket.

A franchise QB does should not need to be surrounded by all-stars at every position to be successful. They make lemonade out of lemons. Wentz has really regressed from his 2017 form, but we also have to remember that is the only time he has shown that level of performance in his career. He has had some other good streaks, but mostly has been inconsistent or injured or both.

The coaching is not working either and that is not on Wentz. Pederson is so fixated on making his system work (just like Schwartz & the D), that he has stopped innovating and taking risks. In 2017, the RPOs, other creative play calling and being willing to go for it on 4th down made that season. We should remember that, beyond 2017, Pederson has led the team to 7, 9,9 and now 3 wins.

[allentown]

Pederson has led the team to 7, 9,9 and now 3 wins.

This year may well end at more than 3 wins. My hope is that we stay at 3, both to force organizational change and to get better draft picks, but we could easily have more than 3 wins and, in any case, not fair to compare full seasons to a partial seasons. Any way you slice it, the Eagles are a badly flawed, failing organization at present. The Eagles championship is looking like 1993 Phillies.

[zambonir]

Or at least the '80 Phillies, without the '83 payoff.

Everyone's to blame really. Wentz is not what he was, whether that's injuries, ability, coaching or the talent not being what was hoped. Hardly the first top-end QB to possibly fail, and actually still more successful than most.

Doug just hasn't been nearly as good at his job (including doing both jobs) through the coaching turnover, and with the roster he's had. He also lost control of his own staff from both Howie and Lurie, not just last year but with the way they handled DeFelippo (never mind whether he would have been the difference, ditto Reich).

And yeah, Howie probably isn't going anywhere. But I doubt Wentz is either.

[gmwannabe]

Seahawks know that the eagles do not have any offense. They'll go for fourth and short everytime. Eagles D will have a lot to say about that.
gm

[Patchmk88]

The offense is a clown show. From the playcalling, to the quartback, and the offensive line, oh and don’t forget about the crappy receivers.

[Patchmk88]

Time for Pederson to go

[zambonir]

Wentz looks like he could throw Wilson over his shoulder, for all the good it does him.

Firing Pederson will probably go the same way firing Kapler did. But it's gotta play out I guess.

Draft pick should be pretty safe at this point. That Giants loss was the end, now they'll be lucky to win two more games. Zero or one would be better.

[zambonir]

Pretty funny, NFL and Seattle Twitter is reallly worked up about how much ESPN talked Eagles, instead of the good team. Sounds like us talking about the Yankees or the Cowboys.

[BostonRoss]

If Doug is fired, who would be the analogy in MLB. Maybe Bob Brenly?

[zambonir]

I think it happens pretty often in most sports, particularly hockey and basketball. If nothing else you get fired for winning a championship and then not meeting that standard again, even if the team is still good. Or you wrung everything you could out of a team and your time is up.

Charlie only lasted 1 1/2 seasons after what was probably his best Phillies team, though it cratered in the playoffs. None of the Stanley Cup-winning coaches between 2011 and 2018 are still with the teams they won with, and the '19 and '20 guys could easily follow if they don't stay at the top.

But in the NFL winning the Super Bowl seems to provide a great deal of job security. Tomlin and Payton are still where they are 10-11 years after winning. Guys like Coughlin and McCarthy kept their jobs just as long. Harbaugh is no less ensconced than Carroll and Belichick (for now). Kubiak the only short-lived one but he retired.

[BostonRoss]

I was thinking of someone who won once and then went away. I don't think Charlie is like that since he was a consistent winner until the very end. I agree with you that football seems to be different. Usually winning a Super Bowl keeps you in your job for a while, and if it doesn't you find another job quickly.