What They’re Saying About the Eagles

Here’s what the media are saying as the combine continues and free agency speculation heats up.

Malcolm Jenkins told SiriusXM that the Eagles were “focused on all the wrong things” last season, per Matt Lombardo of NJ.com.

“I think our team was focused on all the wrong things,” Jenkins said during a radio interview on SiriusXM. “I think when you get so caught up sometimes in X’s and O’s, the tempo of your day and getting to all of this stuff, a lot of times you don’t just stop and pay attention to the small things; like, how tight is your locker room?

“I know on defense we were pretty tight. We’d go out every Thursday night for dinner and have fellowship. Our offense wasn’t quite the same. Those things, though, are important. They may sound very, very minute but those are the things you brush over if you’re going through the speed of the season and your routine, you forget about those things.”

The Eagles are one of the more likely landing spots for Robert Griffin III, writes NFL.com’s Marc Sessler.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday on NFL HQ that the embattled Redskins passer “really did impress some teams with the way he conducted himself during a difficult year” that saw RGIII sit the entire year as the team’s No. 3 quarterback.

The Redskins have until March 9 to cut RGIII. Once they do, he’s bound to draw interest.

“I’ll give you two big options right off the top,” Rapoport said on NFL Network. “The Kansas City Chiefs, who have Andy Reid, who has propped up quarterbacks for years. (Griffin) can learn to throw from the pocket under that system. Another potential name: the Philadelphia Eagles with one of Reid’s disciples, Doug Pederson. They’re looking for some quarterback depth there, especially if they don’t re-sign Sam Bradford.”

Joel Corry at CBS Sports explained how familiarity with former organizations could impact teams’ free agency plans, including the Eagles’ new potential Kansas City pipeline.

The focus has been on extending the contracts of core players (tight end Zach Ertz, safety Malcolm Jenkins, offensive tackle Lane Johnson, etc.) long before free agency becomes an issue. Quarterback Chase Daniel becomes a viable option if the Eagles decide Sam Bradford is too expensive. He was new head coach Doug Pederson’s backup signal caller for the three years he was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator.

The interior of the offensive line needs to be addressed as former head coach Chip Kelly released [Evan] Mathis last offseason because of a contract dispute. [Chiefs guard Jeff] Allen, whose rookie contract with the Chiefs is expiring, had his best NFL season in 2015.

The Eagles may make a splash in free agency at safety, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

I continue to hear Philly, Miami, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Oakland and Washington as the teams sniffing around the high-end safety market. I would not be surprised if Eric Weddle maintains his $8 million-per-year stature on the open market, especially if he ends up signing with one of those rebuilding teams with cap space to spare. I still have a hard time thinking the Chiefs don’t end up tagging Eric Berry and then getting something long-term done this summer, similar to the Justin Houston situation a year ago.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Burke re-picked the 2015 Draft, and he has the Eagles going — surprise — offensive lineman in the first round.

20. Philadelphia: Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State

(Original pick: Nelson Agholor, WR, USC)

Smith was the best rookie left tackle in 2015, and the Eagles would have loved to have him as their safety net, able to spell an injured and inconsistent Jason Peters for a year before taking his job.

Between Smith and right tackle Lane Johnson (with a new contract extension through 2021), Philadelphia could turn its focus elsewhere, more than content with its bookends.​

SB Nation’s Adam Stites has one player each team in the league should cut. For the Birds, it’s a veteran O-lineman.

Philadelphia Eagles: Jason Peters

Lane Johnson is likely the left tackle of the future for the Eagles. The question is just whether that future is now or something the team will continue to shelf. The 34-year-old Peters isn’t the player he once was and struggled with injuries in 2015, but is still a quality starter for Philadelphia.

A quality starter might not be enough to warrant keeping Peters on the roster, though, when the Eagles can save more than $8.7 million by designating the veteran offensive tackle as a post-June 1 cut.