Eagles 2020-2021 Season

[zambonir]

Somehow I missed this. So Dorsey was already involved in drafting Reagor and Hurts.

Eagles hired John Dorsey as a consultant before 2020 draft - ProFootballTalk

[gmwannabe]

arm strength, arm strength, arm strength. Zamby is correct. on that 4th and 4 play, watkins made a real nice move in the end zone and hurts short hopped him with about a 20 yard throw. if it would have worked, they had a chance to win. Also, on that completion to Reager early in the game he underthrew him and had to catch it behind him. Reagor had his man beat. maybe he is too fast. Hurts is exciting, but i wouldn't anoint him yet. and who knows if Wentz is cooked. i don't see that it is that wrong to replace hurts (with a QB rating of 25) with sudfeld. they didn't have much of a chance with either.
gm

[bigegypt0417]

It's hard to say they tried to win when they pulled their starting QB for the entirety of the 4th quarter...you don't really need to be a member of the press to see how his own players reacted to move.

[jimbomill]

Hurts was 7/20 with a QB Rating under 30. His last pass on that 4th down came up pitifully short. He deserved to be taken out. If it was Wentz with that performance, he'd be excoriated. The bigger problem was that Sudfield was even worse.

[phillychuck]

Hurts wasn't pulled due to performance, even given how poorly he performed. Pederson warned the press before the game he was going to give Sudfeld some time in the second half. The Eagles have no obligation to do anything during the game that is not in the best interests of the franchise--thus lots of teams with their positions locked up rested starters yesterday. It was in the Eagles' best interest to protect Hurts in this game and to give Sudfeld a look. The end. Reporters actually argued that it was stupid to play Hurts at all behind the makeshift O-line. I was rooting for the Giants to win the division at this point, but they had plenty of opportunity during the season to take the result out of the hands of the Eagles.

Given how poorly Hurts played, you can argue that Sudfeld was the better option (before seeing him actually play even worse).

[xogfog]

I don't know what all the fervor is about, The Eagles were dangerously close to winning that game and losing the 6th pick in the draft. They sat a ton of starters, why are they upset they pulled Hurts, when not doing so could have a. won the game and dropped in the draft, b, Hurt his trade value by letting him look bad if he continued as he was playing.

What people should be really upset about is Howie apparently coming back...

[allentown]

Double yes on Howie. He was the guy who made the two bad decisions on WR, plus a lot of other bad draft decisions.

Hurts has proven there's a place for him on this Eagles team. His running ability is plus plus. Not at all sure that his place is as the starting QB. What his QB rating of 25 this week, plus last week's difficulties show at a minimum is that it is impossible to evaluate either Wentz or Hurts, given the state of this season's receivers and OL. At worst, it says he isn't a good enough passer to be a starting NFL QB, although he may only need better support around him and another year of coaching to look like a staring NFL QB. He can be better used as a gadget guy, while he learns. He can play quarters or whole games at judicious moments in 2021.

So much question about both QBs. The Eagles have to keep both and learn what they have next season. Don't draft a QB this year.

[flyers19rw]

There's a lot going on with the Eagles that we don't know about which is probably very troubling. Do Doug and Roseman see eye to eye? Sure doesn't look like it. That's a problem which needs to be fixed by Lurie. The media flow right now is that Doug is safe for next year. Unless his situation with the GM is fixed, I can see him telling Lurie "thanks but bye" after Tuesday's tete a tete. There are other places that would snap him up PDQ.
When there is a QB controversy, teams usually end up with a split locker room. That's an intolerable situation. One of them has to go; probably Wentz. Then his side the locker room needs to be farmed out as well. A lot of work to be done. It'll be interesting how it all plays out. I'm prepared for some surprises.

[allentown]

Roseman seems to be the guy whom Lurie enjoys talking to. That seems to be what keeps saving his job. I don't know how big Wentz's side of the locker room is. Certainly Ertz, but he is destined to be gone. He was a nonentity this season. Kelce, who has been very good. From the side-line shots, you could tell how angry he was when Sudfeld came in. I don't think any of the WR are Wentz fans, because so many of his throws were to TEs and RBs. Like TO, Jefferies is a guy who hasn't accepted that he's aging and not the threat he used to be. Easier to just blame Wentz. I agree with those who saw him as the source of last year's anti-Wentz leaks.

[zambonir]

Double yes on Howie. He was the guy who made the two bad decisions on WR, plus a lot of other bad draft decisions.

Clearly Howie should go. Clearly Howie won't go.

I think too much is made of the WR drafts specifically though. Nobody was smart enough to take Metcalf before 64 and JJAW might have still gone before then too. And somehow both our primary draft guys from each of those years got themselves better jobs

I also reckon that if Jefferson and Reagor switched places we might still be having the same conversation, which is a whole other problem.

Now that it is out there I imagine the Wentz/Pederson thing isn't new. They've had small issues every year since 2018. Carson's health kept him from thriving and Pederson seems to do better with other QBs (and/or Carson refuses to follow Pederson's game plans).

They won't draft a QB at 6 - or even keep the pick, possibly - but they will certainly draft a QB somewhere in the first three rounds, and then sign a vet to back up Hurt. Between the actual talent level of the team and the additional cap problem trading Wentz will create, it will be a treading water season.

[phillychuck]

Did anyone notice Hurts using the audible "kill, kill" like Wentz does in many games last night as much as I did? It sure seems like they had better have some different audibles drawn up--whenever they "kill" a play it seems to max out at about 1/2 yard gained...

[allentown]

Yes. For a stretch seemed like he was doing it every second or third play. Unlike other teams' QBs, I did not hear him calling an alternate play. Maybe there is only one. Same with Wentz. The difference from other teams is strange. You would think if the QB didn't like what he saw, he'd choose the best among several alternate plays to counter what he saw. It's been all year, but an exceptionally large number of "kill,kills" last night. It does seem like the defense knows what the alternate play is. They certainly are ready for it., whereas our D often isn't when the QB kills a play.

The cheapest and surely the best backup QB for 2021 is Wentz or Hurts. No added cost. In fact, keeping Wentz saves cap. I suspect to get down to cap that Ertz and Kelce are both gone. That may not even be enough savings -- probably isn't. Probably a couple of defensive linemen also gone.

[bkeich]

Eagles restructured the deals of Jeffries and Malik Jackson with the obvious intend of releasing them in June.

Odd that not DJax also. I hope they aren’t thinking of keeping him

[allentown]

The Inquirer writers really piling on over Pederson putting Sudfeld in the game. Are they trying to get Pederson fired? I doubt the tank was his decision. I doubt they can get Roseman fired. Par for the course for Marcus Hayes. But McLane as well. Pity for the Giants? At 6-10 their getting into playoffs would have been a joke. I do feel for the Eagles players, who won't be back next season and wanted to go out with a win. But... last week was the game that counted and the team and coaches were flat in that game. Winning that game would have made this a meaningful game for the Eagles. The team is better off with the 6th pick. And they should pick 6th. Given Roseman's draft record, trading for two later-in-round first rounders is likely to yield nothing, very unlikely to yield two good starters. Howie is less likely to mess up at #6 than at #9. Using Sudfeld very likely saved Hurtz from head-hunting.

On the bright side, Doug accepting the order to tank means he really wants to stay in Philly.

I think both of our QBs are with the team next year. Wentz would be a give-away f tor essentially nothing and Hurts is the current bright shiny object -- they are Howie's draft legacy. He knows how bad he looks if he gives Wentz away, his one pick who really shone enough to be recognized as one of best in league, if only fleetingly. Rebuilding Wentz back to a plus QB also seals Pederson's reputation. He has the perfect excuse for this year: the owner made him change offensive coaches (whisper: to avoid blaming Howie for the sorry state of the team). Much of this is on Lurie.

[bkeich]

So, in my opinion the biggest problem this team has is bad drafting from the last few years, but it is encouraging that they brought in a consultant for the last draft. Hopefully they keep doing that, maybe even having a drafting position in the front office.

Last years draft looks "better". Reagor played ok, Jefferson would have been better, but it isn't as bad as other 1st round picks. Hurts was a quality 2nd round pick with a high end of Russell Wilson. Taylor is a project, but looked ok when he played, or at least very athletic. Driscoll wasn't great, clearly overmatched , but for a 4th round rookie he did well.

It is hopeful that maybe we are already solving this problem. Unfortunately, we are probably not going to be ant better than average because of the failures in the 2 previous drafts. Aging team is because the cheap guys we should have on the team can't play.

Just like Andy Reid needed help in time management in a game Howie is not a good drafted. He has done well in FA (generally) and he is possibly the best in the league at salary cap manipulation, just needs help with the draft. Hopefully he accepts that

[allentown]

,PFF says neither Wentz nor Hurts has what it takes and that Eagles need to trade up in draft to get one of top QBs. I wouldn't do that. That's how we wasted too many assets on Wentz and we have too many holes. Besides, Pederson does as well with a system QB. So has Dallas. Let Wentz and Hurtz compete for job, while working to fix Wentz and develop Hurtz. Put Roseman's 'QB factory' to the test. We'll have primo draft position next season.

PFF says Eagles should trade up for a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft

[bkeich]

The best fix for Wentz is a healthy OL. For 4 seasons the only question about him really was his ability to stay on the field, when on it he performed. He didn’t suddenly forget how to play, he just isn’t ultra-mobile like Hurts and he got to where he was seeing pressure when it wasn’t even there yet.

Brooks healthy, Dillard healthy and guys like Herbig (who I think was a tremendously lucky find) as depth /backup and (incredibly sadly) JP as a fan instead of a LT and many things are fixed.

If we give Stoutland even moderate talent I am confident we will not have the complete disaster we saw this year.

I hope Kelce comes back, but If he doesn’t Isaac S is waiting to shift over and I really think that Herbig and Maliata can be very good, maybe not great, OG in this league.

Maliata is a FA after next season, I hope he plays a lot in 2021, they need to understand what he is and is not. His physical gifts are incredible, to be playing in the NFL after as little time on the field as he has had is impressive.

[allentown]

Need to give Mailata a contract extension.

[phillychuck]

Herbig graded out nearly perfectly on PFF in his snaps w/r to pass protection. I think he was rated the #7 guard in all of the NFL. Not a road-grader run blocker, but he is a borderline all-pro given enough snaps. What a great find! Howie is very good in the later rounds of the draft and with unsigned FAs. Maybe he should turn over rounds 1-3 to a personnel guy or just take the consensus best player available there, then use his skills in rounds 4 --> onward.

https://twitter.com/thomasrp93/status/1346581554374586372?s=21

[bkeich]

Yea, I saw Herbig’s grade in the Washington Game, it honestly matched (ok, exceeded) my observation during the year. Didn’t seem like his guy caused us much trouble and there often seemed to be a running hole near him.

Hopefully the “consultant” kinda does exactly what we hope. I am encouraged that it started last year. No problem to admit that Howie is not perfect in all phrases of his job, after all Andy Reid has won a lot of football games and a ring and he can’t figure out how / when to call a timeout to save his life. Very good coach but he would suck at Madden