The Eagles released tight end Brent Celek on Tuesday, saying goodbye to the team’s longest-tenured player after 11 seasons, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Celek, 33, is one of the best tight ends in Eagles history. But his production has waned in recent seasons and the Eagles will save $4 million in salary cap space by releasing him.
A 2007 fifth-round pick, Celek played all but one game during his 11-year career. His 175 regular-season games rank fourth in franchise history, behind David Akers, Brian Dawkins, and Harold Carmichael. He had 398 catches for 4,998 yards and 31 touchdowns. The receptions rank fourth in franchise history, and the yardage ranks eighth.
Celek finished with only 13 catches for 130 yards and one touchdown last season. He was used mostly as a blocking tight end. His best season came in 2009, when he finished with 76 catches for 971 yards and eight touchdowns.
Despite boasting a cap number that remains above the league’s ceiling, the Eagles general manager’s only significant cut so far will be when the team officially trades expendable wide receiver Torrey Smith. Meanwhile, Roseman is expected to add Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett when that trade becomes official later this week, and, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Eagles are also working to retain cornerback Patrick Robinson, with the expectation that they get something done before the tampering window starts later today.
Robinson played on a one-year, $775,000 deal this past season and thoroughly outplayed that contract, logging four regular-season interceptions, 18 regular-season pass breakups, and a pick-six in the NFC Championship Game that kicked off the avalanche of points Philly dumped on the Vikings.
While cuts have to come somewhere along the line for the Eagles between now and the new league year Wednesday, per Rapoport, it looks like Robinson won’t be one of them.
The Seahawks have traded three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett and a 2018 seventh-round draft pick of the Eagles for a 2018 fifth-round pick and wide receiver Marcus Johnson according to Adam Schefter ESPN.
Rumors of Bennett being on the trade block gathered steam this week. Now 32, Bennett tallied 8.5 sacks while remaining an every-down player in 2017, but battled through a number of injuries and the Seahawks have also reportedly tired of his vocalness in the locker room. He signed a four-year, $39 million” extension last December but had told the media after the end of the season that he expected to be released as the team goes in a younger, cheaper direction.
This is clearty a coup for the Super Bowl champion Eagles. The rich just keep getting richer as aggressive Philly GM Howie Roseman adds to an already stacked defensive line-and it is another sign that the Legion of Boom is dissolving.
“Yeah, I wanna play,” the Eagles tight end said Tuesday via text message.
Celek, the longest-tenured Eagle, finally won a Super Bowl in his 11th season last month. He said last year that he would wait until after the season to make a decision on his future. The 33-year-old Celek, who has one year left on his contract, also said that he expects to remain with the Eagles.
He is slated to earn $4 million in base salary in 2018. The Eagles would be on the hook for only $1 million of Celek’s $5 million salary-cap number if they were to release him. Celek signed a three-year, $12 million contract before the 2016 season, but he took a pay cut in 2017 when he agreed to a restructured deal. It is possible that the Eagles, who are currently $10 million or so over the cap, will ask him to take less once again.
Coach Doug Pederson understands he can’t keep everyone from his Super Bowl LII roster, but the Eagles have no intention of parting with their premium quarterback insurance, Chris Wesseling of NFL.com reports.
While Philadelphia has fielded calls from teams interested in trading for backup quarterback Nick Foles, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday’s edition of NFL Total Access that the Eagles are asking for a first-round draft pick “at the very least.”
“They really do not seem intent on trading Foles,” Rapoport explained, adding that the team’s brass wants to hold onto Foles to guard against any potential hiccups in Carson Wentz’s recovery from reconstructive knee surgery.
Between Wentz and Foles, Pederson has the Super Bowl MVP and a 2017 regular-season MVP candidate under contract for less than $15 million next season.
He could be this season’s Kordell Stewart, a player who can play both quarterback, and at a moment’s notice shift to being a wide receiver.
He’s Lamar Jackson, who just wrapped up a solid college career that saw him throw 9043 yards in three college seasons with 69 touchdowns, and he’s ready to make an impact on the team that drafts him come late April.
Jackson is a possible game breaker of a player, but at what position and how long he’ll have to be developed are two big questions about him, and if a team is patient, they may get a player that could stretch the field either under center or lined out wide.
Here’s our report on Jackson, a player to watch in this seasons draft.
In speaking with a general manager from an AFC team, they said that Jackson is the most dynamic player in the 2018 NFL Draft. With amazing running ability, speed, and a powerful arm, Jackson is a rare talent who possesses a phenomenal skill set. While he made highlight-reel plays on a routine basis, some in the media have criticized him to the point that he may not be a high first-rounder and could slip to the middle or back portion of the first round. Some analysts have even suggested Jackson should move to another position. However in speaking with team sources, multiple top executives and scouts think that Jackson is being undervalued and definitely can stay as a quarterback in the NFL.
Jackson broke into the starting lineup as a freshman and completed 56 percent of his passes for 3,543 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. That season, he also ran for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. In 2016, Jackson set college football on fire while winning the Heisman Trophy. The sophomore was a massive point-producer for the Cardinals. Jackson completed 56 percent of his passes for 3,543 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the year. He also ran for 21 touchdowns and 1,571 yards while averaging six yards per carry.
Jackson’s 2017 was comparable to his Heisman winning season although he wasn’t even invited to New York as a finalist for the sham award, which effectively excludes linemen and defensive players. In 2017, Jackson completed 59 percent of his passes for 3,660 yards with 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry on the ground on his way to 1,601 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns.
Sources from around the league acknowledged that Jackson was a one-man team. Louisville did not have a good running game and fielded a bad offensive line that allowed steady heat on Jackson. Poor receivers consistently dropped well-thrown passes, and that kept Jackson from completing 60 percent of his passes. While a poor supporting cast is used to help justify some of the underwhelming numbers for Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, the same benefit of the doubt doesn’t seem to get extended to Jackson.
Of the top quarterback prospects for the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson has the most athletic ability and dual-threat danger to give defenses huge problems. He has elite arm strength with a powerful gun that can make devastating throws. Jackson’s arm is so strong that he can make throws off platform that other quarterback can only make after having set their feet. With just a flick of the wrist, the ball explodes out of Jackson’s hands, and he can beat good coverage with perfect throws that very few quarterbacks can make. Jackson also hangs tough in the pocket while staring down the barrel to deliver passes while under the pass rush. He showed good field vision to work through progressions with pocket presence and patience to let routes develop. Jackson can buy time with his feet, and so many of his highlights are dominated by runs, but Jackson has a devastating arm to hurt defenses downfield. He also has run a complicated college offense under Bobby Petrino, displaying full command for the system.
What I liked: Jackson primarily aligns in the shotgun/pistol, but he does take some snaps from under center. He shows quick feet in his drop and has an explosive/snap delivery. He can generate plenty of velocity without incorporating much of his lower half. He flashes the ability to accurately drive the ball into tight windows.
He has tremendous upside as a passer but his ability to make plays with his legs is what makes him special. He has Mike Vick-type explosiveness when he takes off on designed QB runs or scrambles. He gets up to top speed immediately and destroys pursuit angles from opposing safeties. He isn’t quite as shifty as Vick, but he is just as fast in a straight line.
Where he needs to improve: Jackson has a ways to go to develop into a consistently accurate passer. He has a bad habit of locking out his front leg, screwing himself into the ground and falling off throws. This dramatically affects his ball placement and touch. He flashes the ability to work to Nos. 2-3 in his progression, but usually if No. 1 isn’t there, he looks to run. In his defense, the pass protection at Louisville was terrible at times (see Houston game).
The other major concern about Jackson is his thin frame. He is very wiry and he’ll need to add some bulk to withstand a 16-game schedule at the next level. The same things were said about Deshaun Watson early in his college career. He packed on plenty of bulk before leaving Clemson and hopefully Jackson will do the same.
Biggest takeaway: I don’t use the Mike Vick comparison lightly. Vick is the most explosive quarterback to ever play the position. Jackson has that type of dynamic speed. However, Vick was a more polished passer and Jackson has some mechanical improvements that need to be made before he’ll be capable of matching Vick’s professional success. If Jackson can clean some of these issues up, watch out!
I can’t wait to see him play … Clemson on Sept. 16. Jackson put on an impressive display against the Tigers last fall, but Louisville came up a little short against the eventual national champions. This time, Jackson gets to play the Tigers at home. Last year, a highly rated Florida State squad came to Louisville and got thrashed. That was probably the moment that won Jackson the Heisman Trophy. If he leads his team to a win over Clemson this year, his campaign for a second consecutive Heisman would receive a huge jolt.
First, I’d like to thank you for actually opening this article and beginning to read, rather than seeing the headline and angrily quote-tweeting “yur an moran” along with the link.
Let’s proceed.
The 2018 quarterback class got tons of hype this past offseason, with the likes of UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold, Wyoming’s Josh Allen and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph all getting top-10 projections from many outlets and analysts.
Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield has even shot up the invisible in-season draft board on his way to winning this year’s Heisman Trophy.
The four names I mentioned before have all shown flashes of brilliance this season, but have also provided far more head-scratching moments than many expected. From questionable decision-making and costly turnovers to injuries and inconsistency across the board, the flaws of this year’s top passers have been more evident than their strengths in 2017.
But while Rosen and Darnold continue to dominate the talk of who should go No. 1 overall, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson has been quietly putting together another fantastic season, showing the kind of marked improvement as a passer that should have him firmly planted in that conversation.
Instead, we’ve been forced to endure the tired but unsurprising barrage of “he’ll have to move to wide receiver at the next level” takes. Nobody’s talking about the athletic, talented but raw Allen needing to switch positions at the next level, but Jackson? Oh, definitely.
Before we go any further, let me make this clear: Lamar has flaws. Ugly ones, at times. He’s inconsistent, can be wildly inaccurate, and makes some head-scratching throws. Hell, he’s thrown two odious interceptions against Mississippi State in the TaxSlayer Bowl since I started writing this.
You feel more comfortable drafting the Blaine Gabberts, Christian Ponders, EJ Manuels, Brady Quinns, J.P. Losmans, Kyle Bollers, Joey Harringtons, Patrick Ramseys, JaMarcus Russells, Tim Couches, Akili Smiths, Ryan Leafs, Jason Campbells, Cade McNowns and Jim Druckenmillers?
Knock yourself out.
I’d rather ride or die with a player who could break the mold and become something the league has never seen before.
Again, he’s not perfect. He still needs refinement, and he’ll have bumps along the way. There’s plenty of “boom-or-bust” to his game, but he’s absolutely no more of a risky pick than any other quarterback in this class.
I’m not saying he will be a first-round pick. I’m not saying he’ll be an immediate NFL star, the next Deshaun Watson or a 10-time Pro Bowler who revolutionizes the position. I’m just saying he’s capable of everything we’re projecting for Rosen, Darnold and the rest of the bunch, if not just a little bit more.
Lamar Jackson is one of the most electrifying play makers in this years draft. Not only is he a solid passer, but he has no problem beating you with his legs. In his previous two years where he had more control of the offense, he passed for 7,203 yards with 57 touchdowns along with 19 interceptions, while running for 3,172 yards and 39 touchdowns. His running ability is likely more responsible for his hype rather than his passing ability.
However, if he wants to adapt to the NFL, Jackson will have to earn to survive without his legs as often. In his sophomore year of college, Jackson had 260 rushing attempts, his junior year he had 232 attempts. In the NFL, he will never see that many attempts, and never should. He has a special talent with running the ball, he has the speed and the elusiveness. This skill should definitely still get put to use, it just needs to be turned down multiple notches.
As said earlier, his running ability has probably accounted for more of his hype than his actual passing has. However this isn’t a fair claim. Lamar has nice velocity on his delivery that can get the ball into a tight window. He has very good accuracy on his short to mid-depth passes, but struggles with his deep ball at times. His on target down the field passes will be some of the most well placed throws you’ll see. His off the target passes downfield are usually barely off but still inconsistent nonetheless.
As far as his skills in the pocket, you’ve of course got the good and you got the bad. On one hand, he has a very good sense for when the pass rush is getting to close, and he’ll either get the ball off right then and there, or he will take off. On the other hand he could use some improvement on his footwork. When dropping back, his feet seem to move slightly slower than you would like, which is the cause for his inaccurate passes. On top of footwork, I noticed whenever he would decide to bolt out of the pocket and run, he would stumble out of his break. As a runner his feet are fine, but while working in the pocket it needs improvement.
Jackson is by no means a finished project and will probably take a season or two to achieve what he is capable of. But it is promising seeing how dynamic of a player he is even with his flaws. If he were thrown into a starter role, I see his rookie year being one of those seasons where certain games he will light up the scoreboard, but then a week later he struggles heavily.
Free agent tight end Trey Burton turned down a contract offer from the Eagles he “didn’t consider serious” according to Matt Lombardo of the Newark Star-Ledger.
Burton is considered one of the top free agent tight ends available despite being a backup his first four seasons in the NFL. Originally an undrafted free agent out of Florida, the 6’3″, 235-lb. Burton has flashed ability whenever given the opportunity in Philly. In the two games Zach Ertz missed in 2017, Burton totalled 112 yards and three touchdown and he threw the infamous “Philly Special” to quarterback Nick Foles in Super Bowl LII. The Eagles would love to keep him but are $7 million over the salary cap and simply don’t have enough available funds.
Burton is likely looking at Jared Cook money-around $5 million per year-in his new destination. The 26-year-old is just entering his prime and seems ready to be an NFL starter for any number of TE-needy teams.
February 21st, 2018 Chet Cashley Posted in Injuries, News
The consensus timetable for the return of Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 14, has the MVP candidate on track for a potential Week One appearance in 2018, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports reports.
One orthopedic surgeon, however, thinks an Opening Day return is “very, very optimistic” and that Philadelphia has reason to worry about its quarterback’s knee.
Joining Angelo Cataldi on SportsRadio 94 WIP this week, Dr. John Kelly, a professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery at Penn Medicine (University of Pennsylvania), said Wentz’s injury is actually “an RG3 equivalent” — a reference to the battered former Washington Redskins quarterback, Robert Griffin III, whose career lasted all of five seasons.
“This is an ACL, plus at least two ligaments,” Kelly said. “This is an RG3 equivalent, folks. This is worrisome … That’s a long rehab. And if it were my patient, it would take nine, 10, 11 months.”
The surgeon then went on to say, at least from his perspective, that it’s “absolutely” too optimistic to expect Wentz back on the field for the Eagles’ Sept. 6 opener. In his eyes, the two-year veteran would need a minimum of nine months of rehabilitation to start playing — with a knee brace, no less. And that kind of time frame suggests Wentz wouldn’t be available until mid- to late-September at the earliest.
March 13th, 2018 
Landis Andrews 
Posted in 
