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The DiCecco Daily: More Thoughts On Eagles Roster Structure, Defensively · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: What's going on? Everybody.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: Welcome into another episode of the check Odeli. It's Andrew
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: de Checko, Eagles beat reporter for Insidethebirds dot Com here, and.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: We're gonna continue with part two.
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: Of things I think about the Eagles in terms of
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: the roster structure. And it was really sparked by listening
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: to Jeff and Adam as they were running through their
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: early fifty three man roster projection. And I looked at
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: the offense yesterday and I went through different positions such
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: as tight end, I went through offensive line, quarterback, and
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: then we're gonna shift gears and look at the defense,
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: because there's three positions that as I lie awake at
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: nights sometimes I try to figure how each piece might
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: fit into the overall roster equation. And bear in mind
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: that I'm having these thoughts and trying to work it
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: out in my mind on July second, so a lot
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: can obviously change between now and then. But let's look
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: at defensive tackle, because defensive tackle is a very deep
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: position for the Philadelphia Eagles, and as always, the practice
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: squad factors very prominently into the discussion here. But let's
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: talk about what's assumed or what's pretty well concrete. That's
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Jomo, and Byron Young. Byron Young,
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: and I've written about this and I talked about it
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: here is a very undervalued or under the radar important
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: depth piece for this Philadelphia Eagles team. By the way,
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: Vic Vangeo seems to really like him, and when he
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: was pressed into service last year, I thought he did
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: some good things. He had two and a half sacks
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: in seventy four snaps in the three weeks that Jalen
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: Carter was shelved towards the back end of the season.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: There and in spring practices when Jalen Carter wasn't participating
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: in team drills, it was Byron Young who was assuming
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: those first team reps. So those top four I feel
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: really comfortable with, whether it's Ty Robinson, Gabe Hall, whomever.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: I assume that you need a fifth defensive tackle, and
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: whether or not that's Ty Robinson remains to be seen.
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: This is a really big off season for him, and
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: he didn't do all that much during the season. In
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: the eleven games in which he appeared, he played a
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: tick over one hundred snaps, and in training camp he
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: was largely invisible.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: We'll see how he.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: Rebounds in year two with a year in the system
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: and working with Clint Hurd and Vic Fangio. Sometimes that
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: familiarity can yield positive results and we'll have to wait
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: and see there. But regardless whether or not you have
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: Ty Robinson or Gabe Hall to Hey Kwon Gray, whoever,
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: I think you need a fifth tackle who can step
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: in and play if you need him to. The Eagles
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: have never shied away from providing depth there defensive tackle.
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: Then you have UAR Bernard and like Jordan Mailatta who
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: made the roster in twenty eighteen as a rookie despite
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: the understanding that he wasn't going to be in the
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: team's plans until further down the line once he developed
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: and became a pro ready player and was a little
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: bit more polished. I can see them doing something similar
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: with U R. Bernard keeping him on as the sixth
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: defensive tackle. Why well, he gets to be in meetings,
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: he gets to be on the practice field during the
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: season and get those crucial reps. That's the only way
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: that you can get better, That's the only way that
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: you can sort of work on your craft. There's always
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: so much you can do in the meeting room. And
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: let's not lose sight of the fact that the Eagles
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: when they added that extra seventh round pick, and Howie
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: Roseman said this after the draft, it was with U. R.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: Bernard in mind.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: So they went to certain lengths to make sure that
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: they acquired the player. And it was always understood that
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: he was going to be a little bit of a project,
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: not a little bit a considerable project that's going to
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: take some time to hone and develop skills. And the
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: only way to really realize your potential is through reps
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: and drilling it on the practice field, and having him
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: on the roster as the six defensive tackle would allow
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: him to do so. And I say that versus a
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: stint on injured reserve, like a stash away there that
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: you can't practice. But because he would be your six
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: defensive tackle, you need five that can play. And that's
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: where my mindset is. I don't know that you can
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: go with four or even five there oo or Bernard
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: seems to me like a pretty sure bet that he
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: would make the fifty three man roster. You don't want
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: to wave them, you don't want to expose them to waivers,
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: and I understand you may ask yourself, well, what's the difference.
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: He's never played football before. Why would a.
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: Team to the waiver wire and try to bring him in?
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: Because he's twenty one years old, because he has immense
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: athleticism and theoretical upside. There was a lot of buzz
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: about him after the pro day that he had where
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: he put up tremendous and eye popping numbers, and so,
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: as I've said before, all it takes is one team
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: to believe that they are the organization that wants to
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: take a chance and bring him in and be patient
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: as he develops, because it's almost like the will I
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: Wanka Golden Ticket if you have the right coaches in place.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: And I know that U. R.
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: Bernard, having listened to him when he met with us
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: prior to I think it was the final day of
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: mandatory minic camp final prior to the summer break, he's
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: committed and he's fully invested and determined to really see
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: this thing through. Clint Hurt same way, and so I
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: think you need to keep six and just operate under
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: the assumption that the Eagles are going to keep U. R.
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: Bernard on the fifty three Now, clearly.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: A lot can change, but that's sort of my rationale
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: right now as I talk myself through it, going through
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: various roster exercises during this downtime, and so that's where
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: I'm making my case for six defensive tackles. When it
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: comes to the edge rusher position, I know the guys.
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: I think both Jeff and Adam actually had four edge
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: rushers and then you. I think their thought process was,
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: you have someone on the practice squad that you can
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: elevate and Vic Fangio only operates with a three player
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: rotation there, so why would you need to carry five?
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: But I look at it this way, someone like an Ajpanessa,
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: who in my estimation, would be the clear cut fifth.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: And again we haven't seen him on the practice field yet,
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: we don't know what his health situation is.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: We don't know if he can.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: Get through a training camp because he does have an
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: injury history. But if your aj Apanessa and the Eagles
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: tell you we're going to go with four edge rushers,
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: and that would be Jonathan Gernard, Jay Loox, Hun Nolan
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: Smith and Arnold at Bacadie, and if you try to
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: get him on the practice squad, he could always say no,
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: I'm not doing that. There's another team out there, and
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: let's not forget that the Cleveland Browns were interested in
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: him in free agency.
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: He could just.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: Say, well, there's another team that now that they've seen
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: me in the preseason games and they know what my
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: health situation is, that they want to bring me onto
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: their active roster, so I'm going to go there. And
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: then where does that leave you, Well, then you have
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: Keyshawn James Nuby, who I think is sort of destined
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: for the practice squad. I just don't know how he's
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: going to be able to claw his way on the
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: fifty three unless he's something like a Patrick Johnson where
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: he thrives on special teams, and then you could sort
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: of justify that game day value.
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: You can always.
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: Elevate a player for a few weeks as well, if
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: you really need that fifth as rusher.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: But here's the thing.
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: If you foresee this player having a role all season long,
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: and I understand that three week elevation period that that
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: sort of buys you some time. But if you envision
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: a clear cut role for this player all season long,
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: then why play the practice squad game and risk losing
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: the player or anything like that.
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: So for me, I think you carry five.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: And also Ajpinessa offers positional versatility. You can kick him
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: inside and he's a good run defender, so he gives
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: you a different type of skill set. And I think
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: if you have the opportunity, you want to make sure
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: that you're well stocked there.
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: I at least believe in my estimation that edge rusher
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: is the deepest position for.
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: The Eagles, and I think that's why you carry you
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: carry five. And let's also and this is to a
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: lesser degree, let's also not lose sight of the fact
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: that no one Smith has battled injuries, and you know,
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: Jonathan Grenard's coming off a show, so you want to
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: make sure that you have options there too. If you
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: want to reduce snaps for certain players, if you want
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: to establish a role for another one, you want to
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: make sure that you have enough players there to really
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: balance out that room. And that's also me saying this
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: is also of the understanding that you can keep someone
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: like a Kishon James Nuby on the practice squad and
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: then all of a sudden you've expanded the group essentially
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: to six and he's developing behind the scenes on the
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: practice squad and then maybe you see what you have
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: next summer. Because I do think if you're comparing Kishon
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: James Newby, while we're on the subject, to someone like
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: an Antoine Powell Island, Kishon James Nuby is more athletic
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: than Powell Ryland. He, like Antoine Powell Ryland, was a
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: very productive college player.
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: He was in three different stops, and he's more of a.
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: Speed rusher and maybe that speed he can translate that
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: and harness it into special teams value.
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: But we'll have to wait and see on that.
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: But that's just me, you know, trying to make some
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: sense and get some clarity here with the edge position.
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: And I think if you.
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: Have the chance, if the roster works out a certain way,
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: you probably would want to keep five if you're the Eagles,
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: even knowing that Vic Fangiotypical adopts the three player rotation philosophy.
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: Finally we arrive at the cornerback position, another area that
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: I think the Eagles could stand to go heavier than
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: heavier than what they may have ordinarily have done. And
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: the reason for that is, and let's go through it.
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: I'm not slotting any player into nickel or corner. I'm
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: just strictly looking at the cornerback situation, and so you
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: have Quinna Mitchell, Cooper, Dejen riek One, Jonathan Jones, and
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: Keeley Ringo. I think Ringo's spot is pretty secure because
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: he gives you tremendous special teams value, but I also
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: don't think that he should be viewed as a cornerback.
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: So in theory, you only have four playable corners, and
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: because of that, I think you need to go a
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: little heavier there. Now, whether that's at mac McWilliams, who
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: gives you inside outside versatility, or whether that's Ambry Thomas,
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: who's a bit of a long shot.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: Like his size there a six for one.
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: Hundred and ninety pounds, thought he did some quality things
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: during the spring practices.
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: He was on the practice squad last year.
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: Maybe it's Jacorean Bennett, but I knowing that Ringo is
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: essentially a special team's only player, and I kind of
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: liken that to Matthew Slater, who's a wide receiver by
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: trade for the Patriots, but really a tremendous All Star
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: caliber gunner.
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: And maybe a Brian Brayman or a Chris Maragos.
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: They were listed as a linebacker in safety respectively, but
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: they were never and Maragos had to play very sparingly
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: at safety. You don't want them to do that, and
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: so it's tough to go into a season with only
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: four playable guys there at that position.
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: And so knowing that, I would.
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: Characterize Keithley Ringo as the sixth corner for for this exercise,
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: and then maybe it's a mac McWilliams and you like
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: his versatility, or Jacoreyan Bennett, who gives you a little
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: bit more secure if you know Jonathan Jones, or there's
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: an injury arises, you know that Jacoreyan Bennett has started
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: in this league and he can, at least in theory,
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: give you more productive snaps than a Kille Ringo can,
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: because I do believe that, at least as it pertains
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: to Vic Vangio and probably the Eagles or would be
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: an agreement.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: I would imagine they've seen enough.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: They've given Kelley Ringo enough opportunities, and he never really
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: sees that it didn't come together for him at corner.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: There are certain challenges that I think were revealed and
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: then pretty evident when you watch him play straight line.
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: Speed is never going to be a question with him.
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: He's you know, if you're looking at at it in
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: those terms, he's one of the fastest players on the Eagles.
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: But there's other elements that I think he's grappled with
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: throughout his career, transitioning, the stiffness in his hips, locating
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: the football and things like that, and because of that,
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: he's become virtually unplayable there.
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: So I think you need to guard against.
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: That and go a little heavier while maybe even keeping
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: another corner on the practice squad, a developmental player, a
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: younger player who maybe isn't quite ready yet, but later
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: in the season sometimes attrition tends to take shape, or
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: you have things well at hand and you want to
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: elevate a player from the practice squad. They did that
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: with Brandon Johnson last year for a few weeks. They've
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: done it with Andre sam at safety, so there's an
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: avenue to do that as well.
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: So I think they go six corners.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: I think they go five edge rushers, and I think
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: they go six defensive tackles, And that's kind of what
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: I You know, if you've read my fifty three man
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: roster projection my way too early one, that's how I
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: mapped it out initially, so.
• 13:42
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  Speaker 2: There's obviously a lot that happens between now and then.
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: Things can change, injuries arise, and maybe the Eagles are
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: because they prove to be deeper at some of those
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: positions than what I'm at least estimating right now.
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: But that's just kind of the way that I'm seeing it.
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: And I have to tip my cap to Jeff and
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: Adam for the topic here, because they make compelling cases.
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: And I mean, there's really no way of knowing which
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: way the Eagles will end up leaning until late August
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: when these roster decisions are determined. But yeah, it'll be
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: fun to monitor and see how they decide to invest
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: the how to structure their roster. But this is just
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: a thought that crossed my mind here as we sit
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: on July second, we still have about a month until
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: training camp, which feels like it feels like it may
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: as well be two months. But I'm very much looking
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: forward to things. And once you get past your life fourth,
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: things tend to ramp up a little bit.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: Weeks tend to go by fast.
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: And I understand for those listening you don't want the
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: summer to fly by because this is your downtime. But
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: for me, I am clamoring to get back to covering
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: Eagles football. The training camp aspect is my favorite of
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: favorite part of the NFL calendar. And that's where you
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: get to see a team come together and how the
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: pieces fit together. But that's gonna do it for this
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: episode of The Checho Daily. I'm Andrew de Checo. Stay
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: hydrated out there. It's a heat wave. But that's gonna
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: do it for this episode, and I will catch you
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: all on the next one.