Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

The NFL’s best red-zone running backs in 2018 - PFF

JORDAN HOWARD, Philadephia Eagles (formerly with the CHICAGO BEARS) – 74.6 RED-ZONE GRADE. Jordan Howard had a relatively quiet year in Chicago, but he did help his team a ton in the red zone. On his 34 rushing attempts last season, Howard ran for a first down or a touchdown on 44% of his carries, which tied for third at the position. In addition to having a knack for moving the chains, Howard also averaged 2.09 yards after contact per attempt in the red zone, tying for 17th out of 66 qualifying running backs.

NFL Mock Draft 2019: Eagles land “the biggest steal” at No. 25 - BGN

Every year, the NFL team site writers here at SB Nation get together to do a mock draft. The setup is simple: each writer plays GM for their team and makes their first round pick. There are no trades. Last year I had the Philadelphia Eagles taking Connor Williams at No. 32. He obviously went to the Dallas Cowboys in the real draft at No. 50 overall so you can say I was guilty of reaching. I’m confident my selection in this year’s SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft is no reach. My first-round pick for the Eagles this year is ... Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson.

Predicting the Eagles’ 2019 Season - BGN Radio

John Stolnis and Brandon Lee Gowton break down the newly released Eagles’ 2019 schedule and give their predictions on how the season goes! PLUS Wentz’s contract and the heavy interest in drafting a WR all in a loaded show!Presented by SB Nation & Bleeding Green Nation.

Jay Glazer’s NFL mailbag: Pre-NFL draft edition - The Athletic

What is the real story with Carson Wentz? He had back issues and they kept playing him, they announce he has a fracture and don’t put him on IR, then Pederson says three months to heal, it’s now been four months and he’s still not cleared. Something stinks. —Michael T. — Nothing stinks. It’s more that Carson pushed last year not to be put on IR just in case something remarkable happened in his recovery. There’s always a give and take with a player but I think in this situation there’s nothing to rush him back to, they just started phase one of their OTAs. He’s going to have a full offseason with his team as “the guy,” there’s nothing that stinks in this situation.

Eagles 2019 NFL Draft preview: Linebacker - PhillyVoice

Alabama has had inside linebackers selected early in each of the last three drafts. Reggie Ragland went 41st overall in 2016, Reuben Foster slid to 31st in 2017, and Rashaan Evans went 21st in 2018. As such, like with other positions in Bama’s defense, younger players have to wait their turn to get on the field. As a freshman in 2016, Wilson’s impact was mainly felt on special teams, where he produced a lot of big hits on kick coverage. When he got his chance to start in 2017, he responded by intercepting four passes. In 2018, he had two picks, and was an enforcer at times (but a shaky tackler at other times) in the middle of Bama’s imposing defense. At one point, Wilson was thought of as a potential first round pick. Somewhere along the line, his stock fell, as many have concerns about his ability to read and react. I believe his ability in coverage alone should get him drafted in the second round.

Updated RB Thoughts - Iggles Blitz

I can say with one million percent certainty that the Eagles are probably likely to maybe draft a RB next week. But Tommy, how can you be so sure? You’ll just have to trust me on this. The Eagles have wanted to spend an early pick on a RB for the past few drafts, but things just didn’t work out for one reason or another. The RB position has been a mixture of one-year veterans, late round picks and UDFAs. It just might be time to change that. While you can bet Doug Pederson and Howie Roseman would love a RB, they aren’t going to force things. The value still has to work. So who will the Eagles take? I think we’ll all be surprised if they go for Josh Jacobs in the first round. It would be fun to see them add a major talent like that, but it doesn’t feel like a likely move. The Eagles addition of Jordan Howard give them a workhorse player. They can certainly still add Jacobs, but he’s not a necessity. My number two RB is Miles Sanders from Penn State. I thought he might be an option for the Eagles in the second round. Unfortunately, that doesn’t sound like it will be happening.

Eagles’ need for speed in today’s NFL could be found in draft - Inquirer

Pederson has been flippant this offseason when asked whether he felt the Eagles needed to add young speed on offense, particularly at running back. Jordan Howard, acquired in a trade last month, is still young at 24, but he’s neither fast, relatively speaking, nor particularly dangerous as a receiver. But, his addition doesn’t preclude the Eagles from expending a draft pick on a running back. If they’re open to the possibility of a Day 2 selection, Darrell Henderson could be the prospect who qualifies most as a dynamic running back. He’s not exactly a burner, but he ran a respectable 4.49 40-yard dash at the combine and, at 5-foot-8 and 208 pounds, had an elusiveness at Memphis that helped him average 8.9 yards per carry over his last two seasons.

Eagles NFL draft options at No. 25: Jerry Tillery - NBCSP

Jerry Tillery arrived at Notre Dame as an offensive lineman, and with his quickness and athleticism he probably would have been a pretty good one. But he moved to defense as a freshman, and the move certainly paid off. Tillery had some issues early in his career. He was suspended for the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State as a freshman for violating team rules and in a game against USC as a sophomore got into trouble for stepping on a player’s leg and kicking another player while he was on the ground. But he grew into a leader and one of the most dominating interior linemen in the country. Tillery blossomed as a junior with nine tackles for loss and 4 ½ sacks and earned All-America status this past year with 10 ½ TFLs and eight sacks. At 6-6, 295, Tillery is a force against the run but also a ferocious pass rusher. Tillery is still raw and prone to occasional technique breakdowns, but his upside is off the charts.

So You Drafted Penn State RB Miles Sanders... - Black Shoe Diaries

Sanders is a true all-purpose back, which should translate into a long NFL career (at least in terms of the running back position). He does about everything well- he has the speed to bounce it outside and breakaway when he has room to run. While he isn’t a pure power back, he can run between the tackles and pick up tough yardage when needed. He has excellent hands, and proved to be a force in the passing game. Any NFL offensive coordinator would be happy to have him, as he can be used in a variety of ways to find holes in the defense. One of his best assets is his vision, which helps him regularly elude would-be tacklers to pick up extra yardage. He’ll also never quit on a play and keep his legs churning, when combined with his ability, can result in plays like this.

Meet the Prospect: DT Dexter Lawrence - PE.com

Get to know Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence in the latest edition of Meet the Prospect.

Jags owner Shad Khan: ‘Our dream was to get Nick Foles’ - ESPN

“I can tell you this, categorically, that as soon as the season was over, our dream was to get Nick Foles for all the different reasons that have been elaborated before, and it happened,” Khan said Thursday after the franchise’s annual state of the franchise presentation. “I think that’s a critical part that we have addressed. ... Yes, we wanted to do whatever to get Nick here.” “Whatever” ended up being a four-year contract worth $91 million with $50.125 million guaranteed. It is the biggest contract and largest guarantee in franchise history, and when you factor in the $16.5 million in dead money after the team cut Bortles, it’s a huge chunk out of Khan’s wallet.

2019 NFL schedule release: Our probably dumb but maybe not dumb Jaguars win-loss predictions - Big Cat Country

Week 17: vs. Indianapolis Colts. Loss. The Colts will be competing for a division title and the Jaguars will be playing for pride — and we know how that typically works out. Record: 7-9.

Will the Giants select a quarterback in Round 1? Let’s read the tea leaves - Big Blue View

Are the New York Giants selecting a quarterback in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft or aren’t they? NFL insider Ian Rapoport said Thursday several people around the league are “convinced” the Giants will do that with their pick at No. 6, despite conventional wisdom indicating otherwise. During GM Dave Gettleman’s pre-draft press conference on Thursday, reporters probed ... and probed ... and probed for clues. Let’s look at what Gettleman said, and you can make up your own mind what you believe his intentions are.

Will Giants be able to fit Golden Tate into their offense better than the Eagles could? - NJ.com

“I have a lot of confidence in my ability and what I can bring to a team,” Tate said Thursday. “I think I’m in a better situation here, because I have an entire offseason to learn the offense. I’m not hitting the ground running in the middle of the week having to prepare to play Sunday. It’s kind of a different scenario this time around.”

On the third day after the schedule release, my hopes have risen after looking closely at the Redskins 2019 schedule - Hogs Haven

I don’t know what all this will mean in terms of wins & losses; I’d like to wait until at least a day or two after the draft to start making record predictions. It would be good to know who the starting quarterback will be, and if the Redskins will have a wide receiver or second starting safety ahead of training camp, but I can’t imagine how much more the schedule makers could have done for the Redskins in 2019. I like it. Definitely.

Trade Duke Johnson? Not according to John Dorsey - Dawgs By Nature

Dorsey admitted that he has not actually talked to Johnson and that the player has not attended any team functions in the Browns’ facility since last season. Dorsey did say that Kitchens has been in contact with Ms. Campbell on several occasions, mostly via text messages. Dorsey did mention that Hunt has been a mainstay at the facility in workouts. Johnson’s cap number is a mere $3.05 million for the 2019 season. If he is traded before June 1, the Browns will end up with $2.25 million of that in dead money. Essentially, the club would receive a $800,000 savings. However, if Dorsey trades Johnson after June 1, the dead money drops to $750,000 while the savings escalates to a receptive $2.3 million. The NFL trade deadline is always at the end of October. Hunt will be activated prior to the Week 9 game November 3 on the road against the Denver Broncos. Squeaky coincidence?

NFL Draft LB Rankings - Rotoworld

Mack Wilson is an interesting prospect. The pedigree, the physical package and the flashes all suggest a future star, but the warts in his game and disappointing athletic testing introduce risk into his profile. Risk that he could have potentially mitigated or eliminated by returning to campus to camp out with Nick Saban’s collection of film rat assistants over the summer. But to give the counter-point to the counter-point, Wilson proved from the jump in Tuscaloosa that he’s a superb special-teams contributor. He deserves a bit of a value bump from that, especially if you’re going to dock him for perhaps not being ready to challenge for a Pro Bowl berth at linebacker as a rookie, as both of the Devins could if they find the right situations. Consider him a medium-floor, high-ceiling prospect and earmark him to get plucked off the board early Friday evening.

Jeffery Simmons is the 2019 NFL Draft’s ultimate high-risk, high-reward player - SB Nation

Jeffery Simmons has a lot of good weapons to work with in his arsenal. He’s a big guy, listed at 6’4 and 300 pounds, and he’s powerful. His strength is readily apparent when you watch his tape. Simmons also uses his hands well, both when taking on blocks and when escaping off of them. In addition to his power, Simmons is also very athletic, and his lateral quickness is outstanding. He gets off the ball well and into the opposing backfield in a hurry on most plays. Simmons’ flashes are about as good as you will see from a defensive lineman coming out this year. When he was really on the details, he was tough as hell to block. Whether he was running through a blocker, or around them, Simmons made exceptional plays in the four games of his that I watched.

.@fduffy3 takes a look at Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence in the latest edition of Meet the Prospect. pic.twitter.com/wA0QAc7dEp — Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 19, 2019

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