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Football at Four: What Will it Take for Eagles to Make a Deep Playoff Run? · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Adam Kaplin's here on a Friday edition of Football at four.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: We'll take a look at some of the things the
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Eagles need to do. Yesterday we had a mailbag addition
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: for Andrew to check out when one of the questions
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: was is there a legitimate challenger in the NFC East.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: For the Philadelphia Eagles? Is it Dallas?
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Is it Washington? Is it the Giants? And are the
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Eagles a playoff team? I mean, first off, to get
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: to the playoffs, you know, winning your division is one
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: way to get there. So what will it take for
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: the Eagles to not only make the playoffs but make
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: a deep playoff run? We talked about on Monday show.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Some of the actual teams right now ahead of Philadelphia,
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: who are ahead of the Birds, and what will it
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: take for the Eagles to make a deep playoff run.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: Let's bring in Adam Kaplan for today's Football at four
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: on a Friday.
• 0:48
  Speaker 3: What's up, Adam, Michael Gail, good to be back with
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: you on Football at four. So, yeah, so we've got
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: done Otah and the Eagles are done their offseason. They
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: were one of the first teams done with their offseason.
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: That's kind of what it's like every year, some teams
• 1:04
  Speaker 3: are actually going to work next week. Mike. It's kind
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: of funny how the Eagles are done their off season
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: almost two weeks before some team. So we'll see what happens,
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: Mike as they head into training camp where they make
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: any more roster moves. That made some small moves lately.
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: But when we put together a list, it's not a
• 1:20
  Speaker 3: top ten. It's just that what we look at is
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: the top things that have to happen. Everybody could have
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: their own list or put them in order, but we're
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: going to get started, Mike, with what I believe is
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: the number one issue. It's not Jalen hurts as much
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: people want to say that. Certainly in our top five,
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: it's obvious. But Mike, their run game must dominate it,
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: and it's got to start with the offensive lineup. Like
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: we've said on Inside of the Berth for months, nobody
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: saw this coming, that they had maybe the most dominant
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: offensive line in NFL history from a run game standpoint.
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: Two years ago. Well, they had a major drop off.
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: They were mostly awful again. Who could have seen that coming? Well,
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: they broke down physically. Cam Jurgen's talked about Mike as
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: you know recently, how much he's how better he's feeling,
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: how much the therapy that he got overseas did for him.
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: Hopefully Landon Dickerson feel in the same way after his therapy.
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: So they've got to come out and dominate. This is
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: not going to be a high volume passing offense no
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: matter what. They don't want to do that. They got
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: to help Sakuon Barkley out. The thing is they were
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: really good in pass protection. They were not That was
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: not a problem. Is this run game they were terrible
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: because physically they couldn't block. They just couldn't do it.
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: Jurgens could barely bend down, as Greg co Sel told
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: us from his tape study. So hopefully they will dominate.
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: That's that's my number one reason, Mike, to be honest.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: With you, So the offensive line dominates the run game.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: I agree with you. I think they got to get
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: back to that offensive line. I mean that offensive line
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: was a major problem and that would add the layer
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: that they didn't have last year running the football. But
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: what about hurts his role in this offense this season?
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: So when they dropped back, Look, he's not going to
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: have a j Brown. He's going to have had DeVante Smith,
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: who's still terrific. He'll be that our number one pass target.
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: As we talkked about, he's still going toa have Dallas Goddard.
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: It's a big deal. Goddard still played very well last season.
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: But they got to use Goddard more, not just use
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: him in the red zone. They got to where he
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: was great. They got to use him outside the twenties more.
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: And he'll have an opportunity there because aj Brown will
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: not be dominating past targets anymore because he's not there.
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: He's been traded as we expected all off season, so
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: that's been done. But Hurts, they're running a true West
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: Coast offense. This is an offense, Mike, as I told
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: you in February, is all about timing and the rhythm.
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: Hurts has not played in timing offense here. The offense
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: that we reported at the time that Nick Sergiani came
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: in with wasn't a West Coast offense, but it was
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: more timing based. They had to scale things back a
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: little bit because Hurts was not throwing the ball in time.
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: So those problems with it. But as we've also isolated
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: watched last season, there were some timing throws which were fantastic.
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: Now he's got to do it, Mike on a full
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: time basis. That's my number two reason or my number
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: two thing here for them to make a deep playoff
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: run which must consistently deliver the ball in time.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: This is an interesting one. You got a new offensive
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: coordinator here, and I would imagine that you know, you
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: can't fire the offensive coordinator again.
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: Can you, right? I mean, you always have to have
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: buy in here.
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: Two out of the last three years the OCI was fired.
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: I mean, let's Brian Johnson didn't work out. He got
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: caught between Syriani and Hurts in twenty three. Kella Moore. Look,
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: Kella Moore got covered up because the running game was
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: the best in NFL history. Okay, the passing game wasn't
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: very good save three or four games. So to me,
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: it's not just Hurts buying in. It's the entire offense.
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: I've talked to some agents who had players and offense.
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: There's not a great buy in from Kevin Patulo. Unfortunately, overall,
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: it's got it. There's got to be a buy in
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: with a first time play caller and Sean Manny and
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: that's that's We'll see a lot of veterans here on
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: this offense. Here, we'll see the structure of the scheme
• 4:55
  Speaker 3: and the game plan Mike, from week to week. They've
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: got to buy in the in the game plan and
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: that it's got to happen.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: Well, it isn't that like crazy to think though? Like,
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: what if the offense doesn't go well? I mean, do
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: you legitimately say this guy could be a one and done.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: Like, let's just like the offense looked like it did
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: last year. You know, let's just go down that road
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: and say, Mike, I mean, they're.
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: Not running next scheme so that you brought this up
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: to me, I remember this. We you and I talked
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: about this. What will they do if it doesn't work? Well,
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: trum mannion only he only knows the scheme. He doesn't
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: know Siriani's offense. That's a completely different scheme. It's just
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: it wouldn't work. There's really no turning back. Look, the
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: only thing you can do, let's say it hurts is
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: the issue, Like you have to identify, well, what's the problem.
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: If Hurts is not throwing on time, You're you're gonna
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: you're gonna try to hide him you're gonna run. You're
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: gonna basically not let him drop back more than twenty
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: times a game. You're gonna you're just gonna not let
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: him throw enough if he's the problem. If he's fine,
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: but they can't run the football and they're pass protecting. Well,
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: this part we've not talked about for as you mentioned this.
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: Now you're make me think about it. They don't want
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: to be a PAS team. But let's say, by the way,
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: let's say that Saquon Barklay the regression last season wasn't
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: just it was his numbers. Drop off had to happen anyway,
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: because no one's gonna is going to duplicate that. But
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: it was everything we were told and we saw it
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: was because the offensive line. Well, let's say at twenty
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: nine years old, which he turned in February, that he
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: drops off, he doesn't look like the same player. They
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: have to throw the ball more. Well, that's not like that. Now,
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: now it becomes do they have a good enough past
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: Starker group, which Mike I believe, I'll still say this,
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: What's Smith with Makay Lemon, with Don Tavian, what's Hollywood Brown?
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: God Heard? And Eli Stowers a little, he's going to play.
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: They're fine. Then on have a j Brown. They're on
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: that physical presence, but they're going to be fine. It's
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: can they scheme well enough? Can they get by and
• 6:47
  Speaker 3: Mike and can the quarterback play on time? If they do,
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: this offense is gonna be way better.
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: People think, well, and the one thing that you're liking
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: so far, you know Jalen Hurts saying, hey, he likes
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: the fact of the wise. You know, I'm getting answers
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: for the wise. It seems like he would ask questions
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: last year Adam and just not really like the answers
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: he was getting.
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: Mike when he throws on time. I'll continue to point
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: at that Charger game. I know he had four turnovers,
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: still one play in an NFL record, But if you
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: isolate throws, particularly the one was he just threw like
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: a madman across to the I think it was to
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: the right slot to Devonte Smith. We were like, how
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: the hell did he do that? Like, that's the hurts
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: you need. Just be decisive. He could make just about
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: every throw. That's not the problem. Just be decisive.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: Adam kaplan football at four here on a Friday last year,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: Game one you had a problem at corner. Now I
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: don't know if it was as bad as the whole season,
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: but are they better consistently there?
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: Well, look at Doriy Jackson did a yeoman's job. To
• 7:48
  Speaker 3: this day we would do the inside the Tape show
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: with Jeff and I and Greg co Sell were like,
• 7:52
  Speaker 3: why aren't teams throwing at Dory Jackson Moore? I don't
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: understand it. We would just didn't understand why that didn't
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: happen more. He probably would have done a way worse,
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: but they'd target as much as we thought. But look,
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: Treek Wallan's way, Mortality's way younger, he's more explosive for
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: athletic taller, obviously a tallest corn in the National Football
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: League at six four one tenth of an inch. I
• 8:10
  Speaker 3: believe this is combind not in front of me, but
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: if I recall quickly some years ago, that's what it was.
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: So now he's got to play consistently. Well, Mike, you
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: can't have you just can't have enough. Listen, folks, we
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: know where the ball's gonna go. It's gonna go there.
• 8:23
  Speaker 3: It's not going to goat Quinnon, It's going to go
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: out at Riek Wollan. Greek Wallan is on a one
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: year deal, a proved deal, a rich twelve million dollar deal,
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: but a one year deal. He needs to play consistently
• 8:33
  Speaker 3: well because you don't want to have to bench. And
• 8:35
  Speaker 3: and god to Jonathan Jones, who turns thirty thirty three
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: this fall. You could play nickel or corner. He's look
• 8:41
  Speaker 3: Keith near the end, he's a He could be fine
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: as a third corner. You don't want him playing Mike
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: a lot and Riek Wallan. Look, he's kind of one
• 8:49
  Speaker 3: of the keys to this defense. Let's be honest about it.
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and I think uh people are excited to
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: see what he brings to the table based on what
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: you had, you know, last year, and of course you
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: had Darius Slay the year before and you end up
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: winning a Super Bowl.
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: Had two great quarters over there.
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: What a trade that was? You have to get them
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: from the trade? Yeah?
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. We We did a mailbag question. This was one
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: of the questions. It was who's the second option behind Smith?
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: Is that to be determined?
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: It's a great question. My money's going to be Mackay Lemon.
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: I know he missed over two weeks of practice doing
• 9:26
  Speaker 3: the Hampshire. Probably he'll be fine by training camp.
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: Hate that. I hate that.
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: I know it's not good. I mean it's it's from
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: the mental look. He took mental metal refs. But he's
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: got to learn two positions, the slot position in the
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: move position, which is the Z. He'll play mostly inside,
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: but he'll play some some movement. Here's a rookie. You
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: need all those reps. He needs to be on the field.
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: I still believe it's going to be Lemon, third guy probably,
• 9:52
  Speaker 3: third passing option probably will be Goddar. A little bit
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: of wis a little bit of Hollywood Brown can't. I'm
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: really interested to see because Mike Hurtz loved the deep ball.
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: For whatever reason, Hollywood Brown did not connect well other
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: than he was hurt with Patrick Mahomes. I don't quite
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: understand that. I know he's had the number of injuries
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: Hollywood Brown in his career. It's not like he's thirty
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: five years old. He could still run. I'm very interested
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: to see because he's making five million. They guaranteed all
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: of the five million. They clearly think his tape show
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: that he could still play at a high level. It's
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: going to be to finish the soft mic. It's going
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: to be a receiver, a pass target by committee after
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: DeVante Smith. Like some weeks, Witch could have a great game.
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: Another game, it could be got her. You know that.
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: And we still think that Kyle, at least I do.
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: I don't know what Jeff thinks. I think when Kaylev
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: will be the number two pass target some around sixty
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: some around three and a half four catches a game.
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: I think that's realistic because look, Mike, they haven't had
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: a slot receiver in years, but the West Coast offense
• 10:52
  Speaker 3: always has a slot now in San Francisco doesn't play
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: a lot of twelve eleven personnel, but they have a
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: slot receiver. But a lot of off a lot of
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: westcas officers used the slot, and I like makaile lemon.
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: All right, let's go to the other side of the
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: ball there, and you got Gernard you think he's going
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: to be probably your guy. You got Dayalen Carter. You
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: know you got some push up the middle. But do
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: they have a second quality past rusher.
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I am. Jackson has been my guy number fifty
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: eight when Trent calls old number. He's been my guy
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: since SAT drafted in twenty four We got on him
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: about a month for the draft. We knew who he
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: wasn't because he was the sener Bawl, but we started
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: to get intel that he was going to go in
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: the third round and that's where he went. We didn't
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: know that he was going to draft him, be honest,
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: we didn't know that they were early on him. But
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: he's a guy we love. For the draft, we got
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: Greg co Sol on him. Greg and actually not watched
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: tape of him until like a week and a half
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: for the draft because Greg usually doesn't do guys who
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: unless you're told, you think, oh that a very very
• 11:52
  Speaker 3: small school, a former safety. I went to a very
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: small school, Houston Christian. You know, he transfer from Cordell
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: and then he became an ant rusher at Huston Christian.
• 12:02
  Speaker 3: He's he's he's my key's a year, had a schedule.
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: I believe he's gonna beat out Nolan Smith for that
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: ed thrusher position opposite Grenard Mike and I am super
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: high on Jalen Jylex Sun. He'll be their number two
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: pass rusher he needs to be. And you know the
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: good thing is they've got really good depth at edge.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: Uh Yeah, I like Jylex Hunt. We'll see when he
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: ends up.
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: Remember I was thinking about this as we were talking
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: about wide receivers and defensive ends, but more receivers. It
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: was like, they can't be good until their third year.
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: Remember that.
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: It was like, now it's the third year wide receiver.
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: Now that's all changed.
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: Fantasy that that was? That was that, by the way,
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: that was a complete complete fallacy, like it's yes, years
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: two to from three for any NFL players. Big. But
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: the one more thing I did want to add before
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: we get out of here, we need to learn we
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: didn't mention Chris Cooper the offensive line coach. What the
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: only thing that Jeff Stallin did not do well enough
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: in the recent years because he obviously he was elite.
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: There was a Hall of fame for offensive line coach
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: or coaches in general. There you be in it. Certainly
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: will be an Eagles Hall of Fame someday. But they
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: need to do a better job of developing their interior
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: and their offensive line. Mic think about it. Brett Toath
• 13:15
  Speaker 3: was kind of like a shocker, like he'd that once
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: great game it gets a Giants he started phenomenal. Who knew, well,
• 13:21
  Speaker 3: they don't have Brett Toath anymore. He's with the Niners
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: now I know that we've talked about for a couple
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: of months. They love Drew Kendall. He's put on massive
• 13:28
  Speaker 3: bulk on his frame, which kind of surprised like he
• 13:32
  Speaker 3: looked much bigger physically than almost look a dad Pete
• 13:35
  Speaker 3: if you were follow the NFL former Jet and Seahawk.
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: But he's their top into your alignment. But again he
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: needs to prove himself. They still need to develop these
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: these these young linemen MIC and that's what Chris Cooper,
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: a former NFL offensive lineman's got to do. For many
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: things he's got to do. That's one from developed these
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: offensive young offensive linemen.
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: Well, I know you mentioned it last week. You put
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: it on the radar.
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: About five weeks away from a training camp for the
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: Philadelphia Eagles, and every Friday when we have Adam on,
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: we are getting closer. We are getting closer trading camp.
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: All right, man, have a good weekend football for everybody.
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: We're talking football every day at four o'clock right here
• 14:16
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• 14:19
  Speaker 1: It's one of the joys that we get every day
• 14:21
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