What They’re Saying About the Eagles


Here’s a roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles this week.

Mike Tanier of Sports On Earth takes Howie Roseman’s job for a moment and outlines what the Birds should do this offseason:

With their receiver situation settled, the Eagles can invest money and cap space on an instant-impact veteran. And why not weaken a division foe in the process? Brian Orakpo would be a terrifying addition to Bill Davis’ scheme: a pure 3-4 outside rusher to join Connor Barwin and Trent Cole in a versatile linebacker rotation. Imagine all three of them on the field on a third-and-10 situation: instant Romo blooper reel!

Connor Barwin wrote a terrific piece for The MMQB about locker-room culture in the NFL:

What we end up with in the NFL is a room full of 65 of the most athletic, driven, and—let’s face it—reckless men in the country. Not many sane, rational individuals would voluntarily choose to play a game that threatens to take years off your life, possibly lead to CTE, and leave your joints feeling like rusty bicycle chains. What you do have, however, is one of the most diverse melting pots in the world. “Parks and Rec” has nothing on the character ensemble I work with every day. Cowboys from Texas locker next to rappers from L.A., guys blasting “Yeezus” on the stereo across from guys talking about Jesus with the chaplain, married guys with three kids next to married guys with three girlfriends.

Evan Silva of Rotoworld has the Eagles going with Minnesota defensive lineman Ra’Shede Hageman in the first round:

An edge-setting five technique at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds with nearly 34-inch arms, Hageman fits the Eagles’ profile with a prototypical build. Snap-to-snap consistency concerns may keep Hageman out of the top-20 selections, but he would add high-ceiling talent to an Eagles defensive front seven that should be the cream of the crop in the NFC East this season. After locking up Riley Cooper, Jason Kelce, Jeremy Maclin, and Jason Peters, look for the Eagles to attack defense in the draft.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has the Eagles taking Michigan State CB Darqueze Dennard at No. 22:

Dennard had an average combine workout, but he’s very consistent on tape.

Marc Sessler of NFL.com sees the Eagles as a potential surprise team in free agency:

With the “Dream Team” debacle deep in the rearview mirror, general manager Howie Roseman might be willing to pull the trigger to help Chip Kelly add more Kelly-esque athletes. More than $20 million under the cap, Philly remains one of the NFL’s more intriguing outposts from a team-building perspective.

Chris Burke of SI.com has the Eagles taking Louisville safety Calvin Pryor in the first round:

I realize “debaclefest” is not a word, but the Eagles’ current situation at safety is a debaclefest. They may get the expected rookie-year-to-Year-2 bump from Earl Wolff, but the need is there for another playmaker. Say hello to Pryor, whose smash-mouth style would make him an instant favorite in Philadelphia.

Greg A. Bedard of The MMQB thinks Malcolm Jenkins would make sense for the Eagles:

Hasn’t quite lived up to being the 14th overall pick in 2009. He’s been a solid, versatile player but hasn’t stood out in any facet of the game. Potential is still there. Best fit: Eagles. They have to get more dynamic in the back end.

ESPN analyst Louis Riddick with a couple interesting notes on Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley: