What They’re Saying About the Eagles

Here’s a roundup of what they’re saying about the Eagles this week.

Pro Football Focus recently profiled Brandon Graham.

Despite rushing the passer only just more than 200 times (t-83rd most among edge rushers) Graham’s 45 total pressures tied him for 33rd-most among edge rushers and in terms of outside pressure his 20 total pressures put him in the Top 30. Simply put, no edge rusher generated more pressure from such precious few opportunities as Graham managed.

His solid conversion rate had him inside the league’s Top 30 and his five sacks to the outside of opposing pass rushers was Top 15. Whichever way you slice it Graham was a simply terrifying prospect for tackles to block when he was looking to beat you to the edge and he was doing his work almost exclusively against tackles as well. Of his total pressures 10 were uncharged but of the remaining 35 that were assigned to an offensive player, 32 were charged to tackles. This wasn’t a situational pass rusher profiting from favorable matchups, this was a situational pass rusher just demolishing everybody he faced.

It’s official: everyone on the planet has now weighed in on the Eagles’ quarterback competition. Snoop Dogg (I refuse to call him Snoop Lion — when the hell did that happen anyway?) and DeSean Jackson were together for Snoop’s “Family Fun Minicamp” recently. The NFL Network asked Jackson who the Eagles’ starter would be Week 1. Snoop jumped in front of the camera.

“Vick. Vick. Vick. It better be Vick!”

Jackson didn’t get caught up in the moment.

“Having a new coach Chip Kelly coming in, he’s kind of kept everything open,” said Jackson. “I was with the twos, I was with the threes, so it’s hard to really tell. He’s coming from college and he doesn’t care who you are, he wants you to work hard, so you’ve just got to understand that. Honestly during minicamp it was real even — Nick Foles and Mike Vick taking snaps with the ones — so really man I don’t know. I still haven’t heard who the quarterback is.”

Mike Freeman of CBS Sports reviews the DeSean Jackson documentary.

I’ve been critical of Philadelphia wide receiver DeSean Jackson in the past. I’ve called him one of the 50 biggest jerks in sports. He preens too much. He’s lost the football due to premature celebration en route to scoring a touchdown. Twice. He has, at times, been a clown on the field.

Yet there has always been this other side of Jackson–dedicated and big-brained. The word dedicated is what applies most to Jackson and that is word many would not use to describe him. Until now.

Derrick Gunn weighs in as well.

Seeing DeSean grow up right before your eyes gives you better insight into who he is today. You learn how he became a gifted speed merchant and why he plays with a chip on his shoulder. Whether you’re a fan of him or not, you will appreciate this human interest voyage.

 NFL Mocks predicts Jeremy Maclin will be reunited with Andy Reid next season.

There is no shortage of teams that would love to have him, including the Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions.  However, one location that makes more sense than any other is the Kansas City Chiefs. Their head coach Andy Reid was the one who drafted Maclin back in 2009.  He knows what the young receiver can do for his team and for quarterback Alex Smith. Kansas City already has a go-to guy in Dwayne Bowe but the fight for the second spot is anything but a clear picture with Jonathan Baldwin, Donnie Avery and Dexter McCluster.  If Jeremy Maclin finds he doesn’t fit the Kelly offense in Philadelphia, Reid should welcome him with open arms to Arrowhead Stadium and the new Chiefs.

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