What They’re Saying About the Eagles


Photo By Jeff Fusco

Photo By Jeff Fusco

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

Good write-up on Sam Bradford from Chris Wesseling of NFL.com in the “Making the Leap” series:

More excuses have been made for Bradford than any quarterback over the past half-decade. He’s cycled through three offensive coordinators, St. Louis’ schemes have lacked imagination, the offensive line was often in tatters, his receivers lacked any semblance of downfield playmaking ability and the running game failed to keep defenses honest.

There’s a measure of truth in all of that, but it speaks to Bradford’s tangible regression over five seasons that undrafted third-string quarterback Austin Davis completed at least 69 percent of his passes at greater than 7.5 yards per attempt in each of his first three NFL games — a feat Bradford has yet to accomplish over any three-game span in his career.

It’s maddening to watch Bradford’s tape because he’s such an enigma.

Andy Benoit of The MMQB ranks all 32 starting quarterbacks. He’s got Bradford 22nd, two spots ahead of Nick Foles:

He’s almost impossible to critique given his injury woes. But if healthy (huge if) he’s a snappy, accurate passer fit for a spread scheme.

Doug Farrar of SI.com thinks the Cowboys will miss DeMarco Murray more than most people think:

Yes, Murray benefited from stellar line play more than most backs in the league. And yes, there were times when Murray could have been more decisive to the hole, or used more of his power and speed to make things happen. But the best running backs are creators—that is to say, they make things happen in adverse situations based on their physical abilities and understanding of the system they’re in—and Murray is a creator. Randle, at his best to date, does not show that attribute. And McFadden hasn’t been able to average 3.5 yards per carry in any of his last three seasons. Both backs are better straight-line runners than anything else, which limits what Dallas can do.

Field Yates of ESPN.com looks at the plusses and minuses of the Rams potentially giving Nick Foles a new deal:

Rather than paying Foles $16 million per season on average (the rate for both Tannehill and Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton), an early deal could trigger an average closer to $12 million per season. And, as we all know, the real value of an NFL contract is rooted in the guarantees. The contract that Dalton signed (and Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers) is such that it gives the Bengals virtually year-to-year flexibility to re-evaluate the merits of it each season. An early deal for Foles could also turn into a team-friendly deal.

Ryan Mathews has gone from overrated to underrated, writes Chris Burke of SI.com:

Injuries prevented Mathews from reaching his full potential in San Diego, though he came close in 2011 (1,546 total yards) and ’13 (1,444 total yards, including 1,255 rushing). Philadelphia has DeMarco Murray to handle the bulk of run-game duties and Darren Sproles figures to remain a critical piece in the passing attack, meaning Mathews’ role will be more of the pick-and-choose variety.

While less snaps usually equals less production, that approach also should help keep Mathews on the field. So, too, will Chip Kelly’s reliance on sports science, which has helped keep the Eagles among the league’s healthiest teams the past two seasons.