Eagles 2024-2025 Season

[VoteForKalas]

Kelce was a 5th rd pick who is headed to the HOF once he is eligible. Stoutland was a big part of that which Kelce has admitted many times.

Mailata was a 7th rd pick from the International Player Pathway Program. He had never played American football; he was a rugby player, but Stoutland and the Eagles thought he had the mental strength, size and athleticism to play OT in the NFL. They were absolutely correct.

Jason Peters was a UDFA TE the Eagles traded for from Buffalo. Again, they believed he had the body type, skills and attitude to be a good OT. Again, they hit a HR as Peters is headed to the HOF as well.

So, yes, Stoutland has worked with high picks like Johnson (likely HOF), Dickerson, Becton etc., but he has also turned lesser prospects into stars as noted above.

He is one of only two NFL OL coaches since the 1970 merger to produce pro bowlers in 11 consecutive seasons with one team.

[zambonir]

In any case I think the Eagles' main play for this year is still to find another level in Green, plus what they already have and a draft pick as a back-up/alternative.

[LegoDoom]

Jason Peters was a UDFA TE the Eagles traded for from Buffalo. Again, they believed he had the body type, skills and attitude to be a good OT. Again, they hit a HR as Peters is headed to the HOF as well.

The Eagles gave up a 1st round pick for Peters, which I think I already stated.

My point is that it doesn't matter when Peters was drafted... he was a known commodity when the Eagles traded a 1st for him. But the Eagles surely didn't see the talent to draft him for OT.

[phillychuck]

The point here that a hall-of-fame tackle (who would have spent his entire career with the Bills if they were willing to pay him) was available initially as a UDFA. You can find good linemen throughout the draft, and the odds on a late first round pick aren't much better than a second day pick. And there are gems everywhere if you can pick them and coach them.

Again, my point in this discussion is you do not HAVE to spend premium resources on linemen if you have a good culture and a great coach (which is wheat the Eagles have). You do have to know how to spot potential outside of the obvious top players at a position.

[phillychuck]

Fun video of LIX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTXr12oty8E

[VoteForKalas]

Buffalo had him at TE, not OT

Don't you think a HOF LT who plays for your team for 10 years is worth a 1st rd pick?

Either way, Southland and the Eagles are the ones who taught and developed him at that position

[Docs]

Buffalo drafted/signed Peters as a TE, used him on special teams but they definitely moved him to LT before he came to the Eagles. He did lineman drills at the combine with the intention of being converted to tackle in the pros. He was a two time pro-bowler and two time second team all-pro when the Eagles acquired him. Definitely worth the first round pick, but also a proven player at the LT position.

[VoteForKalas]

I did not know that, Docs. Thank you.

[zambonir]

I think LD's desire was for the Eagles to keep Becton, and having not kept Becton, wants them to have an immediately ready replacement, not someone who takes a few years to develop (even if they end up as an All-Pro or Hall of Famer). To do that, you would have to give up a premium resource, as they had to for a player of Peters' caliber (or for AJ Brown). But obviously - at least for the moment - the Eagles figure that Becton was hardly an immediately ready player himself (to say the least), and they hope to repeat that with Green, or possibly Steen.

[phillychuck]

Steen was drafted to be the next lineman up when a hole developed and he's played well (not elite, but above average) when given the chance. As Howie said, it's time for some of the young guys to play, and maybe Steen is one of them. If the season started next weekend (which it doesn't), the Eagles would be a Super Bowl contender based on their present roster. The offense is elite, and the only defensive "holes" are rotational guys and safety if Brown can't figure out how to read plays rather than run everywhere at maximum speed.

Draft to come, and Howie has signed some crucial players in the past right up to the end of camp. We have a lot of picks coming, so that also opens the possibility of draft-day trades.

Football teams change a lot from season to season because of the cap and the insane aging curve for players. The Chiefs lost Justin Reid, Joe Thuney (a great guard but a problem in the Super Bowl when they played him at tackle), and DT Derrick Nnadi plus seven others already, 3 of whom played regularly. The 2025 Eagles won't be the same as the 2024 team--you don't "run it back" in the NFL. And you can't pay everybody, eve if you have Howie the cap wizard working for you.

[allentown]

I think LD's desire was for the Eagles to keep Becton, and having not kept Becton, wants them to have an immediately ready replacement, not someone who takes a few years to develop (even if they end up as an All-Pro or Hall of Famer).

I think that was everyone's desire, but with the NFL salary cap that just isn't possible. All Super Bowl teams lose talent the following year. Their free agents are almost all going to be overvalued by other teams -- they have the winner's aura and more importantly, they were surrounded by good players which cover some of their own weaknesses. They've also been coached well. The Eagle's job this off-season was to decide which of their players were easiest to replace and would save significant cap $. Becton played very well for them, but G is one of the easier positions to replace. Becton was a first-round pick, but that means nothing -- he was generally regarded as a bust when he joined the Eagles. He is a creation of Stoutland and the Eagles. They can do it again. Whoever replaces him will have a plus lineman to both his right and left and the premier running back and a highly mobile QB in back of him. Becton is a loss, but certainly not our biggest off-season loss. Both Williams and Sweat will be a bigger drag on the team's prospects this season. So will CJ. Like Becton, all 3 looked better than they actually are because of the guys playing around them.
It's going to be harder for Roseman going forward. We are going to lose more FA we 'need to' keep', cap space will still be tight, and after Howie's success, more GMs will go after the sort of bargains he's found and take a closer look at the sort of college players and programs from which Howie has snagged star-potential talent on the cheap.

[zambonir]

Stoutland! Though I hope McNeese State does well in the NCAA Tournament.

[LegoDoom]

Again, my point in this discussion is you do not HAVE to spend premium resources on linemen if you have a good culture and a great coach (which is wheat the Eagles have). You do have to know how to spot potential outside of the obvious top players at a position.

I don't think signing Becton would have been spending premium resources. He signed a 2 year deal and for all we know he could be cut next season (I haven't seen the contract details yet).

You can still draft a longshot and keep Becton for a year. Even if Kenyon Green has a great year, he'll need to be resigned next year, which he probably won't.

I understand the Mailata and Peters points, but they are very much outliers. It's like saying, don't worry, Antonio Gates was an UDFA and it's easy to find a HoF TE.

[zambonir]

Even if Kenyon Green has a great year, he'll need to be resigned next year, which he probably won't.

Eagles hold the option on him but even if he was an All-Pro it's probably too expensive, so yeah, the cycle continues. But that is the price of success. Clearly they have other things in mind for the resources that could have gone to Becton, just as they did for CJG.

[LegoDoom]

Don't they have to exercise that before the season?

[zambonir]

Yeah that is usually how that works isn't it? This Athletic story missed that:

Green is entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he flourishes, the Eagles are back where they began with Becton: extend Green, pick up his fifth-year option ($16.7 million) or let him walk.

Why the upcoming draft is crucial to the Eagles’ free agency strategy

[LegoDoom]

I'm almost positive that is right and the only reason why I insinuated he will be gone next year.

I guess I knew Becton was gone once they traded for Green, so I am just wasting words. I still like the idea of keeping that OL together. Steen, who is decent (but I don't think PFF likes) is probably not as good as they thought he would be. Still a good backup as he can play any OL position (although LT is a stretch).

[Docs]

Yes, they have to pick up the option between Jan 6, 2025 and May 1, 2025.

Cost:
Jordan Davis: 12,938,000
Kenyon Green: 16,685,000
Jahan Dotson: 16,817,000
Pickett: 22,117,000 (just throwing in for fun)

the 32nd pick in the draft is on the Eagles but not eligible for the option because he was already cut (Lewis Cine - S)

[LegoDoom]

I'm not sure they pay Jordan Davis, but maybe. The rest are a hard no.

[phillychuck]

They might try to renegotiate with Davis, although I don't know how they would navigate paying him what he thinks he's worth and the cap and 'dollars for production' issues. I honestly have no idea whether Davis is a really good run stopping DT that is just learning to get to the QB a bit, or if he's "just a guy".