Latest / Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast / ITB: Going Inside Eagles Depth Chart On Defense After Busy Offseason Moves

Transcript

ITB: Going Inside Eagles Depth Chart On Defense After Busy Offseason Moves · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

0:09
Speaker 1: Inside the Birds is back. What's going on? Everybody is
0:15
Speaker 1: Jeff Mosher, Adam Kappen. We're gonna finish off our two
0:18
Speaker 1: part podcast series, our depth Chart Review, Outlook, whatever you
0:23
Speaker 1: want to call it. We've been examining going inside the
0:26
Speaker 1: Eagles depth chart. We did offense in our last podcast.
0:29
Speaker 1: We're gonna do defense, which is convenient, Adam, because since
0:32
Speaker 1: our last podcast, the Eagles did add another player on defense,
0:35
Speaker 1: and we'll.
0:36
Speaker 2: We'll talk about it.
0:38
Speaker 1: This is gonna be a different sort of tone from
0:40
Speaker 1: us because offensively, while there were some additions, right the
0:44
Speaker 1: depth chart is not going to look too differently depending
0:47
Speaker 1: on what happens with the AJ Brown situation, but wide
0:50
Speaker 1: receiver and then a few backup tight ends that we
0:53
Speaker 1: talked about. The offense is largely the same. The defense
0:56
Speaker 1: has some changes and some questions. And I think when
0:59
Speaker 1: we talked about the purpose of this podcast now is
1:04
Speaker 1: what did the team look like at the end of
1:05
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five. What does it look like right now
1:09
Speaker 1: as to see where they're going to go forward. You
1:12
Speaker 1: can certainly look at a lot of positions on defense
1:14
Speaker 1: and say right now you are not as good as
1:16
Speaker 1: you were at the end of twenty twenty five and
1:18
Speaker 1: you didn't even win a first round playoff game, So
1:21
Speaker 1: this will be a fun exercise.
1:22
Speaker 2: It's the quality of the player. And we have intel
1:24
Speaker 2: on Joe tryon Shriyinka, who we have not talked about.
1:27
Speaker 2: In Chandler Martin, we have a lot on because front
1:30
Speaker 2: of our show, Ryan Silverfield was his head coach at Memphis,
1:33
Speaker 2: so I've known about Chandler Martin. In fact, I remember
1:35
Speaker 2: asking him because I was a big fan of the
1:37
Speaker 2: Chandler Martin what We'll get to him in a minute,
1:39
Speaker 2: but unfortunately wasn't drafted. But more on him when we
1:42
Speaker 2: get the linebacker. But it just shows you a cornerback.
1:45
Speaker 2: They have so many players, but it's the quality opposite Mitchell,
1:48
Speaker 2: and it's the questions one year deals regression. Like with Ringo,
1:54
Speaker 2: he wasn't who they thought he was as a corner
1:56
Speaker 2: He's excellent special teams player. Mac McWilliams didn't get don't
1:59
Speaker 2: really get on the field old then you got the
2:02
Speaker 2: fashionation with the forty nine ers, Abry Thomas Tree, Castro Fields.
2:05
Speaker 2: It's just it's interesting on your point, as we go
2:09
Speaker 2: inside this thing, there's some interesting players and you're you're
2:13
Speaker 2: hoping for the vehicles. It doesn't come down to this
2:15
Speaker 2: than them playing. But yet this is what player development
2:19
Speaker 2: is on the off season, to see if these guys
2:20
Speaker 2: get develop his quality backups there you go, all right.
2:24
Speaker 1: While we're doing this podcast series, of course, we've also
2:26
Speaker 1: been dropping the intel with Greg Cosel where he's going
2:29
Speaker 1: through every NFL draft position by position, and we are
2:34
Speaker 1: he is breaking down all the top prospects and more
2:38
Speaker 1: of each position. I believe at the time people are
2:41
Speaker 1: listening to this, we've done quarterback, running back, wide receiver,
2:44
Speaker 1: tight end will drop Thursday of no offensive line will drop.
2:49
Speaker 1: Then after that yep, and then we'll get to the defense.
2:52
Speaker 1: So make sure you're checking out all the great breakdowns
2:56
Speaker 1: that tape breakdown, all tape aval that Greg is giving
2:59
Speaker 1: because gonna wind up drafting a bunch of the guys
3:01
Speaker 1: that he's he's pretty much breaking down so many guys
3:04
Speaker 1: for us on this platform.
3:06
Speaker 2: We used to just do like the top guys.
3:08
Speaker 1: Now we do almost ten to fifteen per position that
3:11
Speaker 1: the Eagles are gonna wind up taking some guy that
3:14
Speaker 1: Greg has broken down, so you can get the early
3:16
Speaker 1: intel on him just by listening to our show, and
3:20
Speaker 1: then of course for our Patreon folks, we're gonna start
3:22
Speaker 1: doing the ask Greg Cosell live streams with him very
3:26
Speaker 1: soon on the Patreon. You just go to our patreon
3:29
Speaker 1: dot com slash inside the Birch channel and get all
3:32
Speaker 1: the information to find out when the next ones are
3:35
Speaker 1: going to be so excited for that to begin. All right,
3:39
Speaker 1: let's let's get into the defense, Adam, and we will.
3:42
Speaker 2: We'll start up front.
3:43
Speaker 1: And this is where you say, you know, there's just
3:47
Speaker 1: not a lot of change. There's a lot that need
3:48
Speaker 1: to be If you go to the interior defensive line,
3:51
Speaker 1: it's a it's a probably maybe the best top four
3:55
Speaker 1: in the NFL with who the Eagles have.
3:57
Speaker 2: Well tough, Yeah, it's tough. Talked about detach the top,
4:00
Speaker 2: it's it's the three yeah, right, and then Byron Young.
4:04
Speaker 2: But I know what you're saying, he actually was a
4:06
Speaker 2: good Yeah the Raiders. How the hell do you cut
4:10
Speaker 2: a third round pick after one year? I know, schemes
4:14
Speaker 2: changed because they had so much, so many front offs
4:16
Speaker 2: changes and coaching changes, but the guy was a good
4:19
Speaker 2: football player. When you're not going to give this guy
4:21
Speaker 2: a chance, I don't know. I was just it's just ridiculous.
4:24
Speaker 2: But anyway, he got caught up in it and he
4:26
Speaker 2: did a really good job on into the coaching with
4:28
Speaker 2: Clint Hurt. Having Clint Hurt really helps. Yep, Davis has
4:32
Speaker 2: been extended. They're working on Carter's deal. Oh Jonas impossibility
4:36
Speaker 2: to get extended. They're in great shape here. And we
4:38
Speaker 2: talked about Taekwon Graham when he the Eagles brought him in,
4:41
Speaker 2: the Falcons moved on from him. He's the guy who
4:45
Speaker 2: could be who could push Ty Robinson. Robinson I get
4:49
Speaker 2: was the fourth front pick. He just didn't he wasn't ready,
4:52
Speaker 2: very raw player, needs a lot of work, but high upside.
4:55
Speaker 2: He needs to be better. But they're really in good shape.
4:58
Speaker 2: There's not much to add here. You You everybody knows
5:00
Speaker 2: about these players. With Taekwon Graham is a guy who's
5:04
Speaker 2: had playing time for the Facults, who could push Robinson.
5:08
Speaker 2: That that could happen. That that's and actually that would
5:10
Speaker 2: be a good thing, quite frankly, because he needs to
5:12
Speaker 2: develop correct. It's funny how things change now.
5:16
Speaker 1: I mean, this is a big year, as you're mentioning
5:18
Speaker 1: for Ty Robinson's second year was a pick has some
5:22
Speaker 1: really good athletic attributes to him. But at this time
5:25
Speaker 1: last year, I remember thinking, look, we did the show
5:29
Speaker 1: and thinking that Gabe Hall, with a strong training camp,
5:32
Speaker 1: could maybe you know, make the team and make some No,
5:34
Speaker 1: and he did. He had a good training camp. Gabe
5:36
Speaker 1: Hall in his second year at a Baylor right, he
5:39
Speaker 1: was an underrafted free agent. He had a whole lot
5:41
Speaker 1: of athletics.
5:42
Speaker 2: I'm sorry, we need to add him, Yes, I forgot.
5:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, no, we can mention him, but on this
5:47
Speaker 1: list now, my point is, I mean he could have
5:49
Speaker 1: another good camp and just not make it because of
5:53
Speaker 1: how strong they are with the top three, and then
5:55
Speaker 1: your your fourth is going to be a younger Robinson
5:58
Speaker 1: four or five. You know they like to go deep
6:00
Speaker 1: TT but it would be tough for somebody to be
6:03
Speaker 1: your six DT on this team.
6:04
Speaker 2: It is. And you know the thing with Hall is
6:06
Speaker 2: because he's not he's got like he's kind of like
6:11
Speaker 2: Jalen Phillips, and what you look for in a de
6:13
Speaker 2: tackle Jalen Phillips is what you look for in an
6:16
Speaker 2: edge because it's the size. It's perfect size. Gabaul's got
6:20
Speaker 2: perfect size for defensive tackle, unbelievable length. As you mentioned,
6:26
Speaker 2: he had an excellent training camp, but Ty Robinson was drafted.
6:30
Speaker 2: Hall was not, and he was on the practice squad
6:32
Speaker 2: and now he's back. So it's actually it. So it's one, two, three, four, five, six,
6:36
Speaker 2: seven guys for probably five spots, right, And I mean, yeah,
6:42
Speaker 2: it's Hall and Graham pushing Ty Robinson? Could they I
6:45
Speaker 2: don't see them pushing him off the roster. He's a
6:47
Speaker 2: draft bick. Howie typically just not cut his draft picks.
6:49
Speaker 2: But the guy's got to show something. He's got to
6:52
Speaker 2: be better. And Gabe Hall, man, I know he wasn't drafted,
6:56
Speaker 2: but he did. The light went on for him last summer,
6:59
Speaker 2: no question about it.
7:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, and outside of corner back, I mean, this is
7:04
Speaker 1: probably the strongest, deepest position that the Eagles have on
7:09
Speaker 1: defense and maybe and maybe on the team. I mean
7:11
Speaker 1: they're they're pretty good at running back to you, pretty
7:13
Speaker 1: good wide receiver. But they're top heavy. We said they're
7:16
Speaker 1: top heavy. This is a nice deep group of linemen.
7:20
Speaker 1: So this is where the Eagles build their foundation of
7:22
Speaker 1: their defense and they've done a very good job with it.
7:25
Speaker 2: And they're young, which I that is it's three point.
7:28
Speaker 2: Remember we said this two years ago. The Eagles were
7:30
Speaker 2: the only NFL team to not have a vested veteran
7:34
Speaker 2: at a position d tackle. Every other team at least
7:38
Speaker 2: had one guy. Yep, that's you know, typically you don't
7:40
Speaker 2: see that. That's sometimes it's risky. You don't know how
7:43
Speaker 2: the young guys are going to handle it. And I'll
7:45
Speaker 2: say it again, having Clint Hurt helped and those guys
7:47
Speaker 2: have taken to his coaching and it's it's it's I
7:50
Speaker 2: don't disagree with you. It might be the deepest position
7:53
Speaker 2: on both sides of the football, no doubt about it.
7:55
Speaker 1: All Right, Then you go to edge Adam, and that's
7:57
Speaker 1: where the difference between the end of last year and
8:00
Speaker 1: now is striking, because they don't have a guy in
8:05
Speaker 1: Jalen Phillips, who they were prepared to offer north of
8:07
Speaker 1: twenty million twenty five million of right.
8:10
Speaker 2: Got outbid by the Panthers.
8:11
Speaker 1: And now right now, and again we'll make this point
8:15
Speaker 1: that the offseason is long. It goes all the way
8:17
Speaker 1: up until the first game. There's always a move that
8:20
Speaker 1: how he makes. But right now, instead of having a
8:23
Speaker 1: starter a three a dual threat, meaning he run defending
8:27
Speaker 1: pass rushing, occasional coverage, dropping edge in Phillips. You've got
8:33
Speaker 1: Jelex Hunt and Nolan Smith, who would be your top
8:35
Speaker 1: two guys right now, with Arnold Ebiquetty as your your
8:40
Speaker 1: top DPR. And that's that's not what this team is
8:43
Speaker 1: a customed to. It's not horrible, but it's not what
8:45
Speaker 1: this team is customed to see.
8:47
Speaker 2: Try on Shayanka. He could challenge Epihetty for that because
8:50
Speaker 2: typically teams will dress four edges and Vic only likes
8:55
Speaker 2: to play three. That's just the way he is. He
8:57
Speaker 2: did it with the Niners. Yep, that's fine, that's his
9:00
Speaker 2: thing and you can't argue against it. It works. And
9:03
Speaker 2: who was a Ramirez is there? But so Joe trim Shchenko,
9:06
Speaker 2: we have not talked about him. He got off to
9:09
Speaker 2: a really good start with the Bucks. Then he progressively regressed.
9:13
Speaker 2: It just got worse and worse and worse. They wound
9:15
Speaker 2: up not bringing them back. He went to the Browns
9:16
Speaker 2: and to the Bears. So he right now would be
9:20
Speaker 2: the fourth. But look, he could push Ebichetti to be
9:23
Speaker 2: the designating pass rusher, which means DPR. It's a coaching term.
9:27
Speaker 2: But yeah, he's kind of falling up. But the guy
9:29
Speaker 2: was though he was a thirty second pick in the
9:31
Speaker 2: twenty one draft. Like, he was a guy that was
9:34
Speaker 2: highly thought of. I don't Cosell loved him because of
9:36
Speaker 2: the size and explosion, yes, but he just kind of
9:40
Speaker 2: lost it. So again, how he's bringing in guys who
9:44
Speaker 2: who have the pedigree of talent, Like the guy was
9:48
Speaker 2: a first round pick. Okay, he was the last pick
9:50
Speaker 2: in the draft in twenty one, but they're salent there. Yeah,
9:53
Speaker 2: Ebichhetty is a guy that Egles liked for that the
9:56
Speaker 2: draft that he was in. So you hope and obviously
9:59
Speaker 2: to p if they make a trade for Grenard or
10:02
Speaker 2: they draft a edge in the first couple of rounds,
10:05
Speaker 2: these guys may it's not like that try on Tranka
10:08
Speaker 2: may not even make the team. Kenny, Well, that's a
10:10
Speaker 2: lot because the money they're paying, how it does not
10:12
Speaker 2: cut guys with guaranteed money. It's it's got to be
10:14
Speaker 2: so bad where it's it's very rare that he does.
10:19
Speaker 2: So this is interesting. You want to talk about competition
10:23
Speaker 2: and penning. Obviously, again, what they do if they add
10:25
Speaker 2: a significant edge, but the last spot, the last spot
10:29
Speaker 2: at edge, they actually if they got that guy, this
10:32
Speaker 2: room could be very, very deep.
10:34
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't think Tryon has a whole lot of
10:38
Speaker 1: special teams.
10:40
Speaker 2: I'll check on that, but I didn't.
10:42
Speaker 1: I don't recall him being And then usually if you're
10:44
Speaker 1: talking about a fifth guy, right, and we're going on
10:47
Speaker 1: to the assumption that you will still add to this position,
10:50
Speaker 1: then you don't you got to do some kind of
10:52
Speaker 1: special team.
10:53
Speaker 2: So it's going to be an.
10:54
Speaker 1: Uphill climb for him if they wind up adding another
10:56
Speaker 1: starting caliber edge. And even if they don't buy the
11:00
Speaker 1: because even your fourth guy could use that, it would
11:02
Speaker 1: help because if not, then you're just inactive. If they
11:05
Speaker 1: don't think you're gonna help special teams and you're not
11:07
Speaker 1: gonna play a significant part of the rotation, then you'll
11:11
Speaker 1: be inactive.
11:12
Speaker 2: So he actually has played, he's played over his career
11:15
Speaker 2: for four hundred and forty seven snaps on special teams.
11:19
Speaker 1: Okay, so out, Yeah, that's not bad. A couple of
11:22
Speaker 1: hundred snaps out a year, I guess.
11:24
Speaker 2: Now, Remember he was traded last year at the trade deadline,
11:28
Speaker 2: and he he played twenty two percent of the staff
11:31
Speaker 2: for the Bears, only six percent. He just was a
11:34
Speaker 2: complete non factor with the Browns. Right, Just concerning and
11:37
Speaker 2: then he's still though. The thing is, despite him moving
11:40
Speaker 2: on from from the Bucks, his snap counts forty nine
11:44
Speaker 2: seventy five year two fifty one fifty five percent. So
11:47
Speaker 2: he was a meaningful He had meaningful snap for the Bucks.
11:50
Speaker 2: He just was not a factor.
11:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, so he'll be it'll be an interesting camp for him,
11:55
Speaker 1: and with Jose Ramirez coming in, he's an interesting guy.
11:58
Speaker 1: We've talked about him where you're just hoping to see
12:01
Speaker 1: some upside and see what he can do. Uh with
12:03
Speaker 1: the Eagle he was in Canada last year?
12:05
Speaker 2: Was that Yes? Yeah, he was a mac player, the
12:08
Speaker 2: differentive player of the year. But you try on because
12:10
Speaker 2: another guy's got good size. Yeah yeah, I mean to me,
12:15
Speaker 2: it's more of a pre could he could he be
12:16
Speaker 2: a guy who like makes your practice squad better because
12:20
Speaker 2: there's some upside and he too was drafted by the Bucks.
12:23
Speaker 1: Right right, So there you go. That's the that's the
12:26
Speaker 1: edge depth and situation right now. Refresh my memory that
12:29
Speaker 1: when's the deadline to pick up a fifth year option
12:31
Speaker 1: on a player?
12:32
Speaker 2: Is that coming May second? Yeah? May second? Yeah, so
12:34
Speaker 2: that is coming up.
12:35
Speaker 1: I would think the Eagles will do that with Nolan
12:37
Speaker 1: Smith by themselves, the history of.
12:39
Speaker 2: Doing it right. They have a history, and it's it's interesting.
12:46
Speaker 2: Well that's why they put it after the draft that
12:49
Speaker 2: the NFL because clubs want to know they go to
12:53
Speaker 2: the do they want to say if they filled that
12:54
Speaker 2: spot right? You know? Because if they if they let's
12:57
Speaker 2: say they select an answer in the first round, right,
13:00
Speaker 2: well then you've got that Edge and Hunt and Smith.
13:05
Speaker 2: I know the draft is about the future, but picking
13:07
Speaker 2: up that fifth year option, maybe that changes the paradigm
13:11
Speaker 2: a little bit if they select that guy in the
13:12
Speaker 2: first round.
13:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think they do it anyway, only because I
13:16
Speaker 1: don't know when the NFL changes, but they have a
13:19
Speaker 1: tiered system now for the fifth year option where it's
13:22
Speaker 1: much less expensive if the guy hasn't reached certain benchmarks
13:25
Speaker 1: like the one.
13:26
Speaker 2: For general guarantee.
13:27
Speaker 1: Though it is, but it's it's a reasonable number. And
13:30
Speaker 1: it's not like Nolan Smith doesn't play. He's gonna play
13:32
Speaker 1: play right.
13:33
Speaker 2: But if he's going to be the third edge, you
13:36
Speaker 2: know it, I'll be it'll be interesting to see if
13:40
Speaker 2: if we know how badly they want to address it.
13:42
Speaker 2: They want that upgrade, they want that number one guy.
13:44
Speaker 2: They have plenty of death now they could they even
13:46
Speaker 2: if they didn't draft anyone or trade for anyone. They're
13:49
Speaker 2: they're okay for the season. But it's not about just
13:51
Speaker 2: being okay with that high end guy, which is why
13:54
Speaker 2: they wanted Jalen Phillips back. Correct.
13:57
Speaker 1: All right, let's move to off ball linebacker, another really
14:00
Speaker 1: strong position for the Eagles, and and it's amazing to
14:03
Speaker 1: have a two or three year run here where we're
14:05
Speaker 1: talking about off ball linebacker for the Eagles being one
14:08
Speaker 1: of the team's strengths and deepest positions.
14:12
Speaker 2: Zach Bonn comes back. Now.
14:13
Speaker 1: Jahad Campbell is interesting. He'll obviously take Nikobe Deane's place,
14:17
Speaker 1: but he's also coming off a shoulder procedure, another one
14:21
Speaker 1: like he was at this time last year, so he
14:24
Speaker 1: did beat the odds. He was back for camp last year,
14:27
Speaker 1: got off to a really good start while Nikobe Dean
14:29
Speaker 1: was coming back. The only the only thing you say
14:32
Speaker 1: about this Adam is that as talented and as athletic
14:37
Speaker 1: as Jahad is, and they'll be fine with him and bond.
14:39
Speaker 1: Nikobe certainly brought the defense to another level with just
14:44
Speaker 1: how much how smart he was, how much of a
14:46
Speaker 1: leader he was, how good of a down hill blitzing
14:49
Speaker 1: linebacker he was, and and Jahad Campbell has still learning.
14:53
Speaker 1: It's still learning that. I think Campbell actually has more
14:57
Speaker 1: range and is faster. But what Kobe Dean brought to
15:00
Speaker 1: the offense defense when he came back last year is hard.
15:03
Speaker 2: To replace his ability. Dean's ability to process information, diagnose,
15:11
Speaker 2: make the tackle or blow a play up or another thing.
15:14
Speaker 2: Unbelievable Blitzer like phenomenal blitzer, fantastic. I remember two years ago,
15:21
Speaker 2: I think whatever it was two or three years ago,
15:23
Speaker 2: but when he had put on a lot of masks
15:26
Speaker 2: on his upper body because remember we said that yes,
15:28
Speaker 2: he didn't miss playing. He didn't miss any games at Georgia,
15:30
Speaker 2: but clubs were concerned about his body type and he
15:35
Speaker 2: looked like a different player, like he put on so
15:37
Speaker 2: much size. And then I remember one practice like he
15:39
Speaker 2: just was blowing plays up where they had to stop.
15:41
Speaker 2: They're like, okay, well he's plays up. It is you're
15:47
Speaker 2: not going to replace him. But the upside of Campbell
15:49
Speaker 2: now that you get concerned that this we believe he's
15:52
Speaker 2: had both shoulders done. In terms of surgery, Fando said
15:56
Speaker 2: he won't be ready to lease the start of training
15:57
Speaker 2: camp If then it could be longer. Now they're going
16:00
Speaker 2: to get a much better look at Smile Mandon. They
16:04
Speaker 2: kind of know about Trotter, who's a quality backup chance
16:06
Speaker 2: Campbell's got good sized Bobby King, their linebackers coach with
16:09
Speaker 2: him and the Titans, and Chaerlor Martin Chayler. Martin's problem
16:13
Speaker 2: was really small round five to eleven. He was a
16:16
Speaker 2: tackling machine, smart player, high character, small and not that
16:21
Speaker 2: Butcher Nacobe is if you're small, you're just probably not
16:25
Speaker 2: gonna get drifted. He didn't, and then he tours a
16:26
Speaker 2: cl late last season. So to me, he's another guy
16:30
Speaker 2: that you hope when, if, if, and when he gets
16:32
Speaker 2: on the field, we'll learn more about that. We'll look
16:35
Speaker 2: in at exactly when they think he'll be well, is
16:38
Speaker 2: it going to be like late to mid July, is
16:40
Speaker 2: it mid to late August. We'll find out. But he's
16:44
Speaker 2: a he's a guy that could potentially upgrade your roster
16:46
Speaker 2: for special teams. He's got some quickness, yeah, very quickness,
16:51
Speaker 2: but uh, he's small. But the hope is, hey, maybe
16:53
Speaker 2: he could be in your practice squad and have to
16:56
Speaker 2: help the competition for it. Like with Campbell for sure.
16:59
Speaker 1: And I think in this team there's room for a
17:01
Speaker 1: fifth off ball linebacker if that guy is a real
17:04
Speaker 1: special team's stand out. You know, they've done that in
17:07
Speaker 1: the past. Remember when Van Sumer was a linebacker, they
17:09
Speaker 1: kept it right.
17:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, he was so explosive. He was a big time
17:14
Speaker 2: special teams player. Yep, that's right. Yeah.
17:16
Speaker 1: And so even last year, right they had bond to
17:18
Speaker 1: Kobe Campbell. That's three Trotter four, Mandan five. So they'll
17:22
Speaker 1: keep a fifth here as long as that fifth guy
17:25
Speaker 1: is going to contribute on on special teams. And but
17:28
Speaker 1: this is a this is a good depth chart here
17:30
Speaker 1: to the point where we're talking about Campbell.
17:32
Speaker 2: Campbell was the guy that you know, I know, Tim mcmannis.
17:35
Speaker 1: Andrew Dicheco wrote about this last year. He's the guy that,
17:39
Speaker 1: uh the Athletic did too, that all the Scout team
17:42
Speaker 1: offensive players would credit saying like that, that guy's a
17:45
Speaker 1: beast right there. He is just an animal on the
17:48
Speaker 1: Scout team. He always love having those guys. So that's Campbell.
17:51
Speaker 1: And as you said, Martin was known as a tackling machine.
17:53
Speaker 2: So good spot for them.
17:55
Speaker 1: He goes remember last year when they were a little
17:58
Speaker 1: short on bodies like around the because they didn't have
18:01
Speaker 1: Mondan yet. And we said, man, they got to add
18:03
Speaker 1: people because Kobe's hurt. You got to be able to
18:06
Speaker 1: have like guys to line up for your fourth, third,
18:08
Speaker 1: and fourth teams in camp. And then they wound up
18:11
Speaker 1: just picking up a few extra guys on the rookie
18:13
Speaker 1: free agent market.
18:14
Speaker 2: Well, and this is a huge offseason for London. It
18:17
Speaker 2: really is. In fact, with with Jihad Campbell not able
18:21
Speaker 2: to practice, he might see some first team reps like
18:25
Speaker 2: they may may give him a shot at it, so
18:27
Speaker 2: that this is this is good because he's got length. Yes,
18:30
Speaker 2: he's a special teams player, but he's he's got more
18:33
Speaker 2: talent than that just to be a special teams player.
18:35
Speaker 2: So I'm interesting to see if he could kind of
18:37
Speaker 2: take the next step.
18:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, So in general, with this step started off ball
18:41
Speaker 1: linebacker round him, I think it's it's very good, and
18:44
Speaker 1: we're comparing it to the end of last season. I
18:46
Speaker 1: just think the only thing that's going to be difficult
18:48
Speaker 1: to make up for, and you can't do this with
18:50
Speaker 1: a personnel move, is just what Nikobe Dean gave you
18:55
Speaker 1: on almost an intangible but tangible also because he was
18:58
Speaker 1: a really good player, a big time certainly tangible and
19:01
Speaker 1: intangible that Campbell just can't have yet because a he's
19:04
Speaker 1: coming back from an injury and b just hasn't played.
19:07
Speaker 2: The position as long as Nikobe he was an edge rusher.
19:10
Speaker 1: He's he's still just I don't want to say new
19:12
Speaker 1: to inside linebacker about the linebacker, but he's developing there.
19:15
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. The thing before we move on the leadership thing.
19:20
Speaker 2: Leadership is interesting when you talk to players, players will
19:23
Speaker 2: tell you that you're not a leader if you're not
19:24
Speaker 2: a good football player, Like you can't just be a
19:26
Speaker 2: leader with being a backup. Correct. Yeah, Dean was not
19:30
Speaker 2: only a stud player, he became a big time leader
19:34
Speaker 2: and performer. And it in our nine years of doing
19:38
Speaker 2: the show, I've never seen a player come back from
19:40
Speaker 2: devastating injuries like you have trimp Teller Tenant, which is
19:44
Speaker 2: one of the worst the injuries you could have. One
19:46
Speaker 2: of the worst foot injuries is this front rupture of
19:51
Speaker 2: the midfoot. I just it's a medical marvel man. He's
19:55
Speaker 2: done things that no one thought anyone could do, not
19:57
Speaker 2: only come back to be able to play, but to
19:58
Speaker 2: be able to play an elite level. Never seen anything
20:01
Speaker 2: like it. To be honest with me, I'm gonna root
20:03
Speaker 2: for that guy. Man. I hope he does really well
20:04
Speaker 2: for the Raiders. Man. Yeah. Yeah, and he didn't go
20:07
Speaker 2: to the Cowboys, he spurred that, which is hilarious. Yes
20:10
Speaker 2: it is. That's the chapter. All right, let's get to
20:13
Speaker 2: the secondary.
20:15
Speaker 1: I've got egg in my face because all off season,
20:17
Speaker 1: if I was doing a radio interview, and I think
20:20
Speaker 1: we've talked about on this show too, we get asked
20:23
Speaker 1: about Reid Blankenship, like, oh, what are the Eagles gonna
20:25
Speaker 1: do to replace him? If they don't resign him, they
20:27
Speaker 1: have to resign him, And I would say, listen, he
20:29
Speaker 1: was a great story. What he brought to the team
20:32
Speaker 1: was fantastic. But it's not like read blanket Ship is
20:35
Speaker 1: an irreplaceable player. You can you can find a good
20:39
Speaker 1: safety to start. But as we sit here and talk
20:42
Speaker 1: about this, they have not replaced him yet. So they've
20:45
Speaker 1: signed guys, but they don't have a true starter next
20:50
Speaker 1: to Andrew Andrew mccouba, who will enter a year two, who,
20:54
Speaker 1: by the way, is still developing himself and missed a
20:55
Speaker 1: lot of time last year.
20:56
Speaker 2: Yes, it's that's it Seemcuba missed the chuck of the season,
21:00
Speaker 2: so he's got a He's obviously starting, but he's got
21:04
Speaker 2: to develop. So this is a big off season for
21:06
Speaker 2: him and in year two in the scheme, Marcus EPs
21:09
Speaker 2: ideally like him as your third safety and then Michael Carter.
21:12
Speaker 2: As we noted at the time of the trade and
21:14
Speaker 2: Eagles would later confirm this is that Carter will be
21:17
Speaker 2: cross traded safety. Now that that's definitely gonna happen, He's
21:20
Speaker 2: either gonna mean nickel or safety or both. This season.
21:22
Speaker 2: Andre sam is more of a four safety. Brandon Johnson
21:25
Speaker 2: can plee a nickel or safety. They need a starter
21:29
Speaker 2: ops the COOLBA that like if they didn't how he
21:31
Speaker 2: admitted to the reporters when he talked to them that
21:34
Speaker 2: they're going to add something. How they do it remains
21:36
Speaker 2: to be seen. And there's still a lot. That's one
21:38
Speaker 2: of the few veteran positions out there in free agency.
21:41
Speaker 2: That's plentiful. There are plenty of guys you could look
21:43
Speaker 2: at if they can't get the guy in the draft.
21:45
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would say it's plentiful. It's got guys who
21:47
Speaker 1: can even come.
21:48
Speaker 2: In and start. They're just not going to allow you
21:50
Speaker 2: like you're not going to be well. I mean, let's
21:52
Speaker 2: say let's say they got Kyle Duggar. He's still out there, correct,
21:56
Speaker 2: Oh he is, and he's a guy's career is just
21:58
Speaker 2: to scratch your head, what has happened to this guy? Like,
22:00
Speaker 2: but I know this before in the Patriots, like nine
22:02
Speaker 2: months after they signed to an extension and it was
22:06
Speaker 2: the same personnel executive, Eliot Wolf. Then they wanted to
22:09
Speaker 2: trade him. Yeah, really odd, and then the Steelers didn't
22:13
Speaker 2: bring him back. Donovan Wilson's out there, Jimmy Woods had
22:15
Speaker 2: too many injuries. He could play Nicol as well, Taylor Rapp,
22:18
Speaker 2: Harrison Smith is probably gonna be a Hall of Famer.
22:20
Speaker 2: He goes to him very well. Obviously went after in
22:23
Speaker 2: the championship game in twenty seventeen to employers near the ends.
22:27
Speaker 2: Avery Woods as well traveled. Rayshawn Jenkins is more of
22:29
Speaker 2: a box safety.
22:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, none of these guys are gonna are gonna inspire
22:33
Speaker 1: holdover for.
22:34
Speaker 2: One year to get you out a tough spot, but
22:35
Speaker 2: they need to start long term. Absolutely do.
22:39
Speaker 1: I think Michael Carter is an interesting especially if things
22:42
Speaker 1: don't change Muchael Michael Carter will be a very very
22:45
Speaker 1: interesting name to watch. He's really a nicol, Like we said,
22:49
Speaker 1: probably that's where his best, but he does have that
22:51
Speaker 1: safety experience as you mentioned in college and right now,
22:55
Speaker 1: I mean I almost think right now you'd want to
22:57
Speaker 1: go with Carter over Apps just because he's younger. He's
23:00
Speaker 1: a good athlete and maybe if you gave me last yeah, yeah,
23:05
Speaker 1: maybe there's something there with him, but that is that.
23:07
Speaker 1: And obviously Andre Sam who he's always been impressive when
23:11
Speaker 1: he's in campin OT's but he's an older guy. When
23:14
Speaker 1: they signed him out of what was it LSU as
23:16
Speaker 1: a rookie for agent a couple of years ago, he
23:18
Speaker 1: was already I think twenty two or twenty three.
23:22
Speaker 2: Who was older than that? He is actually twenty ha
23:26
Speaker 2: been twenty seven?
23:27
Speaker 1: Wow, yeah twenty seven now, right, so he was like
23:30
Speaker 1: twenty five when they signed him.
23:31
Speaker 2: I don't even know he said it. I just looked
23:33
Speaker 2: it up.
23:33
Speaker 1: But yeah, yeah, that's just amazing that he was probably
23:36
Speaker 1: around twenty five when they signed him.
23:38
Speaker 2: So look, this is his third year you know, on
23:40
Speaker 2: and off the practice squad. But they liked the guy
23:44
Speaker 2: to bring him back, and you know, they know the
23:46
Speaker 2: player very well, but again he's a backup safety. He
23:48
Speaker 2: does not project to be a starter. So it's there
23:51
Speaker 2: are so many more questions on this defense, and it's
23:54
Speaker 2: it's really the it's quite frankly, it's mostly on the
23:59
Speaker 2: back end. You've got the the edge upgrade. They're good
24:03
Speaker 2: at ILB H. Safety's opposite mccooba, and mccooba's got to develop.
24:08
Speaker 2: But safety opposite mccouba. They mid starter, They'll be okay
24:12
Speaker 2: for depth, it's just a start dat an upgrade and
24:17
Speaker 2: we're gonna get the corner of second. Corners are fascinating one.
24:20
Speaker 2: They have a lot of players, but a ton of questions.
24:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, And I'm trying to think, are they in
24:25
Speaker 1: better shape at corners since the end?
24:26
Speaker 2: I think I think they would be. Yeah, they are.
24:30
Speaker 2: Because I'm saying I'm not saying for the future, no no, yeah, no,
24:33
Speaker 2: no no.
24:34
Speaker 1: Yeah, Req Willan should be an upgrade over a Dory
24:37
Speaker 1: Jackson measurable.
24:39
Speaker 2: That's what I'm saying. He better be. You just just
24:41
Speaker 2: want to make sure it's it's manifested.
24:44
Speaker 1: I gotta tell you though, you know how sometimes Nick
24:46
Speaker 1: Sirianni starts blabbering and just talking and talking, and he
24:49
Speaker 1: winds up saying things that it's like you read it
24:52
Speaker 1: or you hear it, and you say, are you really
24:54
Speaker 1: thinking about what you're saying?
24:56
Speaker 2: Because he was asked a great question.
24:58
Speaker 1: I think it was Elliot's what parks you asked him
25:01
Speaker 1: about the way requalans How he's known for playing with
25:04
Speaker 1: an edge and an attitude and how do you get
25:07
Speaker 1: him to dial that down but also keep him competitive?
25:11
Speaker 2: Right? And Nick goes on and on.
25:12
Speaker 1: I love edgy players. We're an edgy football team. That's
25:17
Speaker 1: a great thing. Football's fun. I want my players to
25:19
Speaker 1: have personality. I want my play and all this like
25:22
Speaker 1: blah blah blah. It's great to have an edge. Okay, well,
25:26
Speaker 1: you know, let's look at the facts, all right. Riqualan
25:30
Speaker 1: led the Seahawks last year in penalties. All right, Let's
25:34
Speaker 1: let's let's also look at other facts. The Eagles, even
25:36
Speaker 1: without requal And, were eighth last year in penalties for
25:41
Speaker 1: the second straight year and third in accepted penalty yards
25:45
Speaker 1: against them.
25:46
Speaker 2: So they're a highly penalized team.
25:49
Speaker 1: And they had several incidents last year where their emotions
25:52
Speaker 1: got the best of them, Jial and Carter spitting on
25:54
Speaker 1: Dak Prescott Sirianni and AJ Brown on the sideline. Darius
25:58
Speaker 1: Cooper had a beautiful hatch in that season finale down
26:02
Speaker 1: to the goal line and taunts and then they get
26:05
Speaker 1: backed up and McKeith throws an interception.
26:07
Speaker 2: They probably would have won that game, yeah, and probably probably.
26:10
Speaker 1: So it's great that you think your edgy and your
26:12
Speaker 1: team player, But what happens when it's costing you on
26:15
Speaker 1: the football. I didn't even go back two years ago
26:17
Speaker 1: when Carter's getting into it with the Saints at the
26:20
Speaker 1: Dome and had to be pulled away. And there have
26:22
Speaker 1: been other and Nick Sirianni himself has had some issues
26:25
Speaker 1: with his So it's great to say all these things.
26:28
Speaker 1: But guess what team had the second most taunting penalties
26:32
Speaker 1: in the NFL last year? What team do you think
26:34
Speaker 1: had the second most, second most?
26:37
Speaker 2: Well, you.
26:39
Speaker 1: Go ahead, the Eagles, all right, guess what team had
26:44
Speaker 1: the most?
26:45
Speaker 2: That surprises me that because obviously you're asked me, and
26:49
Speaker 2: this is an Eagles show. Maybe so I figured it
26:51
Speaker 2: would be the Eagles, but I would not have believed that.
26:55
Speaker 2: I don't remember that many of them had.
26:57
Speaker 1: The second most taunt get but guess who led the
27:00
Speaker 1: NFL and taunting penalties?
27:03
Speaker 2: Which team gets in the Steelers, I don't know, the Seahawks,
27:08
Speaker 2: do you know? You know why?
27:10
Speaker 1: It's because Riek Woolan had at least three of them.
27:14
Speaker 1: So if you took Riek Wooland off the Seahawks and
27:17
Speaker 1: put him on the Eagles, which you did, then the
27:20
Speaker 1: Eagles would have the most taunting penalties in the league.
27:22
Speaker 1: So what was all these things about how great it
27:24
Speaker 1: is to play with an edge? And the issue I
27:26
Speaker 1: had with what Nick Siri Shurianni said is that he
27:29
Speaker 1: said it's his job to set the standard to make
27:32
Speaker 1: sure the players are educated on what's reasonable and how
27:36
Speaker 1: how not to play and how to play. Well, if
27:38
Speaker 1: that's your job, you're not doing a very good job
27:39
Speaker 1: of it.
27:40
Speaker 2: And we criticized this season. That's one of Nick's faults
27:45
Speaker 2: is there's certain penalties that could they would continue to
27:49
Speaker 2: have mm hmm, okay, taunt it, whatever the case may be,
27:52
Speaker 2: and they would keep happening. Well, there's just saying coaching,
27:54
Speaker 2: you if it's happening, you're allowing it. I got them
27:57
Speaker 2: from coaches many years ago, and I believe that if
27:59
Speaker 2: drives coaches up a wall and it keeps happening. You
28:01
Speaker 2: think you're drilling it in them, Well, you're clearly not
28:04
Speaker 2: reaching them, right, And that's that's on Nick. Like that's
28:07
Speaker 2: as great as a coaching he is. He's one of
28:09
Speaker 2: the top three. We we we all have our little
28:11
Speaker 2: criticisms of them, which are very valid because it's if
28:14
Speaker 2: the fact, it's the fact. But he's got to be
28:16
Speaker 2: better with some of those things.
28:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree, And I just think his messaging sometimes
28:21
Speaker 1: is like I'm just saying what's on the top of
28:23
Speaker 1: my mind and not really thinking about what I'm saying.
28:25
Speaker 1: I mean, you're your top ten in the NFL and
28:27
Speaker 1: penalties two straight years and you're saying it's your job
28:31
Speaker 1: to set the standard. Well, you haven't set a very
28:32
Speaker 1: good standard then. Yeah, Like I think that that perfect
28:35
Speaker 1: quote you had some if you're if you're if it's happening,
28:37
Speaker 1: you're enabling it and you're not.
28:39
Speaker 2: Hey, yeah, now if you as we finish off cornerback
28:43
Speaker 2: Wollan's your starter, that's happening. Jones right now is your
28:47
Speaker 2: third Jakurine Bennett, you want to talk about a big
28:50
Speaker 2: off season huge, it's Yeah, he's certainly not guaranteed to
28:54
Speaker 2: make it. Mac McWilliams, who could also play Nickel. Ringo
28:57
Speaker 2: is only a special teams player. Thomas again the X
29:02
Speaker 2: forty nine before forty nine tandem. Yahah here we go
29:05
Speaker 2: Tree Caster Fields is back. JT. Gray's only special teams
29:09
Speaker 2: Ringo and Ringo and and J. G. Grant on an Island.
29:12
Speaker 2: Great special teams players, but they're not gonna play on
29:13
Speaker 2: defense less there's emergency, right. Yeah. By the way, you
29:16
Speaker 2: don't want that to happen, like you just do not
29:18
Speaker 2: you know, you're it's what was the line about Toad
29:22
Speaker 2: sixty or five years ago on our show gets the
29:23
Speaker 2: Ravens or something.
29:24
Speaker 1: If he gets into the team, you're in trouble. Into
29:26
Speaker 1: the game, you're in trouble.
29:27
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, they have enough guys, but it's
29:30
Speaker 2: not good enough opposite Mitchell for the long term, long term,
29:34
Speaker 2: all right. So that that's a that's a good top
29:37
Speaker 2: three though with with obviously.
29:38
Speaker 1: With Mitchell and Wolan and Jonathan well if Jonathan Jones
29:41
Speaker 1: to Coryan Bentt or however that that situation shakes itself out, uh,
29:44
Speaker 1: and then you go to Nicol and you know you've
29:46
Speaker 1: got Cooper who's gonna play both Nicol and mostly I
29:49
Speaker 1: think he's still going to be the outside corner with
29:52
Speaker 1: Wolan coming in only for Nickel, because that's the what
29:55
Speaker 1: That's what Seattle did with Wollan.
29:56
Speaker 2: They didn't want him inside. Yeah, yeah, so that that'd
30:00
Speaker 2: be interesting. Joe. Joe played outside of Nickel, didn't he.
30:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, Job played outside and and and uh, Wolan played outside,
30:09
Speaker 1: and Witherspoon would go inside for side.
30:11
Speaker 2: Which is kind of the way the team saw. But
30:13
Speaker 2: I got to tell you that this Josh Job story
30:15
Speaker 2: good for him to get some cash.
30:16
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I thought he'd get more, to be honest
30:18
Speaker 1: with you, But I mean, still good for him anyway.
30:20
Speaker 2: But he's a beauty is and I had the holder
30:22
Speaker 2: like blanket ship. Yep. Either either you get it with
30:27
Speaker 2: him or you don't. And he and Joe's not a
30:29
Speaker 2: great athlete, reads not a great athlete, but they're tough
30:32
Speaker 2: minded football players and good for them. If on drafted
30:36
Speaker 2: free agent's amazing.
30:37
Speaker 1: And as we mentioned, the gene at Nicol, so he'll
30:40
Speaker 1: probably he'll he'll stay there, I imagine, I mean that
30:42
Speaker 1: that can change.
30:43
Speaker 2: But as.
30:45
Speaker 1: Yeah, Michael Carter will be in the mix to be
30:48
Speaker 1: a backup. I liked what I saw from Brandon Johnson.
30:51
Speaker 1: It's a little on the short side, but good player,
30:54
Speaker 1: smart player. I think he came out of Oregon. I
30:56
Speaker 1: think there's another Duke slash Oregon guy either way. I
30:59
Speaker 1: know his last year was with Oregon and he started,
31:01
Speaker 1: as we talked about in a recent podcast, in that
31:04
Speaker 1: season finale when they were resting starters, they started Brandon
31:08
Speaker 1: Johnson at safety. So he's another guy who kind of
31:10
Speaker 1: get cross trained and looked at multiple positions.
31:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's he's he's an interesting player, man. Yeah, Brandon Johnson,
31:19
Speaker 2: he kind of pushed a little bit, you know in
31:22
Speaker 2: training camp. He opens some eyes and he's another undrafted
31:26
Speaker 2: free agent guy who's gonna probably have a chance.
31:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, this is a big year, Adam from mac McWilliams.
31:30
Speaker 1: The second year, you know, being a draft pick and
31:33
Speaker 1: you know you can play multiple positions, but you also
31:36
Speaker 1: got other guys who can who might be ahead of
31:37
Speaker 1: you now on the depth chart.
31:39
Speaker 2: So he's got to bridge the gap there. Yeah. He
31:43
Speaker 2: h something happened late in training camp or early season
31:48
Speaker 2: where Vic vic Fangio got down on him. You know
31:51
Speaker 2: how it is. Once he's like any any corterna offensive
31:54
Speaker 2: defense one once in the down on you, it's hard
31:56
Speaker 2: to get all that out of that. I don't want
31:58
Speaker 2: to call it a doghouse, because he didn't nothing wrong
32:00
Speaker 2: off the field, right, but it just he coaches tell
32:03
Speaker 2: you what they think. They don't play the play, they
32:05
Speaker 2: don't guess when the guy dosn't play, they're telling you
32:09
Speaker 2: they don't want the guy in the field. Right. He
32:11
Speaker 2: hasn't performed at a certain level, but he's got talent, feisty, physical, tough,
32:17
Speaker 2: Let's see, you're you're absolutely right. This is a huge
32:19
Speaker 2: offseason for him because he's another guy at some point.
32:24
Speaker 2: And we've even got the draft that you got to
32:25
Speaker 2: earn your way on the roster, and we know how
32:27
Speaker 2: he does not typically cut his draft picks, even how
32:29
Speaker 2: low they are. M He likes to keep until the
32:32
Speaker 2: final year at least. But he's not guaranteed a roster
32:36
Speaker 2: spot because we expect him to add to that room. Yeah.
32:38
Speaker 1: Sure, kind to earn the trust. That is the first thing.
32:41
Speaker 1: I gotta have the coaches trust you. So that's a
32:43
Speaker 1: look at the defensive depth chart. That's going to complete
32:46
Speaker 1: our depth chart outlook series.
32:48
Speaker 2: I enjoyed it.
32:49
Speaker 1: I thought it was a good way to talk about
32:51
Speaker 1: see where the team's at right now, and by the
32:53
Speaker 1: time you guys hear from us next there maybe some
32:55
Speaker 1: some even more news to go through it and will
32:58
Speaker 1: always keep you entertained and formed. And again make sure
33:01
Speaker 1: you're checking out the Intel of Greg Cosell and all
33:03
Speaker 1: those great NFL Draft prospect breakdowns. That's gonna do it
33:07
Speaker 1: for this episode of Inside the Birds, the leading podcast
33:10
Speaker 1: in Eagles Intel, and as always, we thank you for
33:13
Speaker 1: flying with us Inside the Bird