What They’re Saying About the Eagles

Here’s a roundup of what the local and national media are saying about the Eagles.

The Eagles are close to a “huge deal” with Fletcher Cox, NJ.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks reports, but will it be worth it?

The Eagles clearly agree, as the two sides have been working on a contract for weeks, and the team has made it a priority to get the deal done. They will pay what it takes to get him, and that price tag could be big.

How big?

According to two different people familiar with the negotiations, Cox could end up with a deal that has over $50 million in guaranteed money, and one said the smart bet is to take the over. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Cox’s new deal have an average cap hit over $15 million.

PhillyVoice’s Jimmy Kempski critiques several mock drafts.

USA Today (Nate Davis)

13. Philadelphia Eagles – Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis: They’ve already been busy extending several players since the season ended. QB Sam Bradford isn’t one of them. Lynch is an intriguing prospect but could use the benefit of a redshirt year to adapt to the pro game. New coach Doug Pederson could help prepare Lynch in 2016 while Mark Sanchez holds down the fort.

Jimmy says: Well, even if you are on board with taking a step back to take two steps forward, as the above scenario suggests (I’m on that train, for the record), nobody wants to watch Mark Sanchez for a full season. The Eagles can save $3.5 million if they cut Sanchez. They should do that. He’ll be gone. Otherwise, atta boy on the Paxton Lynch pick, Nate. I had Lynch in my Eagles-only mock draft 2.0.

The Eagles rank 20th in ESPN’s “Way-Too-Early” NFL power rankings.

Why they’re here: A true mystery team going into 2016, the Eagles have in some ways returned to the Andy Reid era by hiring Doug Pederson as the head coach. But so much could look different in 2016.

What could change: New head coach. New offensive philosophy. A new defensive philosophy. A new QB if Sam Bradford doesn’t re-sign. A sign of optimism? Start on defense: In 2014 the Jim Schwartz-coached Bills defense was arguably the best in the NFL. Last year it fell off a cliff under Rex Ryan’s direction. Now Schwartz gets to work with a talented Eagles core. Don’t be surprised if they spike.

Could the Eagles reach Super Bowl LI next season? As far fetched as it seems now, CSN Philadelphia’s Andrew Kulp says it’s possible.

The Broncos won a world championship in a season when their starting quarterback missed six games, threw nearly twice as many interceptions as touchdowns and had a miserable 67.9 passer rating for the year. The Panthers got there going 17-2 when almost nobody had them pegged as a legitimate Super Bowl threat much less one of the best teams in the NFL, doing so with no wide receivers to speak of, after going 7-8-1 the previous season.

The Eagles shared more in common with these two teams then I initially realized. If the Broncos could get there the way they did, if the Panthers could get there the way they did, why not the Eagles?

It’s easy to say those two teams have far more talent overall, and that might be true. Then again, the Eagles have a whole offseason with free agency and the draft to fill a few holes and come back with a whole new look and attitude in 2016. To say with absolute certainty that the Eagles couldn’t somehow appear in the Super Bowl, I’m not sure that’s fair.

CSN Philly’s Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro delve into the future of each player on the Eagles’ roster, starting at the top of the alphabet.

Beau Allen

Roob: I don’t think Allen fits into Jim Schwartz’s 4-3 defense. Allen has been a pure 3-4 nose tackle since he got here and isn’t really a fit in a 4-3 defense. I’m sure they’ll bring him to camp and see what he can do, but I don’t think Allen can play defensive tackle effectively in a 4-3.

Verdict: GOES

Dave: Allen didn’t get a chance to play much until the end of the season when Bennie Logan got hurt and he looked OK. The real question is whether or not he can play tackle in a 4-3. I think he has a shot, and he’s cheap enough to find out.

Verdict: STAYS

The Daily News’ Sam Donellon wonders if Chip Kelly might seriously look at bringing Riley Cooper in out in San Francisco.

Here’s what I’m interested to see: Now that Riley Cooper has been released by the Eagles, is he, as that famous hippy song says, “Going to San Francisco?’’

Because if we take Chip Kelly at his word these past two seasons, Cooper was a productive player who simply didn’t register on the stat sheet.

Not when Nick Foles was throwing to him.

Not when Mark Sanchez was throwing to him.

Not when Sam Bradford was throwing to him.