Who are YOUR guys in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft ? Not the consensus #1’s but the players from college teams you watch or guys you studied and have an affinity for. Read more
A look at the analytics of punting - what makes a good punter, does it make sense to draft a punter and where, and what the Eagles should do in the 2022 draft. Spoiler - there is a Punt God this year but it's not who you think... it's Penn State's Jordan Stout. Read more
As opined during the Championship Games, a QB is only as good as their third receiver. JJAW, Reagor and Ward should not be filling that role going into 2022. Read more
As the Eagles season ends, a look back at what I got right in 2021, and what I got wrong (and really, really wrong as in Reagor...). And some quick thoughts moving forward. Read more
“I talked to the Eagles pre-draft and before the draft I already had all my Eagles stuff ready to go. And I was set to come play for the Philadelphia Eagles. And then the Cardinals took me a pick before the Eagles.” Read more
The Tigers ended their historic season with a 13–1 record, scoring 671 points while only allowing 112. The dominance culminated with 2 state titles in one calendar year. An amazing feat. Read more
I hope you have enjoyed reading (as much as we have researching and writing) about their journeys, families, and all of the challenges we all overcome in life that makes each of us special. Read more
There aren’t charts, metrics, or game tapes that can measure a persons drive or their passion to succeed. You may say that determining ones desire is unquantifiable. Read more
During the spring when Slay first met with the new coaching staff, he expressed his desire to be the guy, to be the number one cornerback. Slay, never one to shy away from competition, wanted to travel with the opposing teams number one receiver. “Of course, for me being a competitor, that’s what I want to do. (Gannon) knows that too. We’ll see when the season comes up though.” Read more
Some quick thoughts on the two Jalens and what I've been wrong on. Time to call it on Reagor. Hurts is more complicated but is clearly not progressing at the pace needed. Read more
Slay now has 3 touchdowns on the season(he had one in his NFL career prior to this incredible run). To put that in perspective, that's more than George Kittle, Darren Waller, and Keenan Allen to name a few. Read more
Punt God, Midnight Oil, 80’s Music, and Prospects Close To Your Heart
From singing Midnight Oil to watching film breakdown on a “Punt God”, it’s been a busy start to the offseason.
Who are YOUR guys in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft ? Not the consensus #1’s but the players from college teams you watch or guys you studied and have an affinity for. We all know the Eagles would love to have Kyle Hamilton, Hutchinson, Thibodeaux etc, but without trading up, that is probably not realistic. I will show you mine, if you show me yours.
Behold, the best of the rest!
Positional breakdown:
Center:
Cam Jurgens- Every time I watched Jurgens I saw a little touch of Jason Kelce in him. So I asked a scout if I was crazy or if that style of play was really there. He confirmed that if I am crazy it wasn’t because of that. Cam definitely has some of those same qualities. He would be a lot of fun to have around.
Literally, first play. Cam Jurgens gets 40+ yards downfield and will not stop hitting the defender. pic.twitter.com/5Fi5bKsnJw
James Empey- The BYU center is 6’4 300lbs and very technically sound. Most scouts have stated he’d be perfect in an RPO heavy, style offense. His father also played OL and is currently an offensive line coach, also at BYU. James is very active in his community. This past season he was a semi finalist for the prestigious Wuerffel Trophy, college football’s top community service award.
Cole Strange- Cole can play Center or Guard and claims to have taken practice reps at every position along the line. He would fit perfectly into an immediate backup role while receiving tutelage under Stoutland. At 6’5 300lbs he is a mauler and a fast study. He never played OL until college. Cole would be a great player for now and the future.
Wide Receiver:
Treylon Burks- I have him over every other WR in draft. He is WR1. Burks is 6’3, 225, with humongous hands. He is also very physical. He would be a difference maker at the position. If the Birds take a receiver in the first, my choice is him.
Again, Georgia can't tackle Burks once momentum is established. He's the Juggernaut of WRs. pic.twitter.com/sluTbhJ60g
Erik Ezukanma- Another big receiver. 6’3 220. Long, long arms. A big bodied pass catcher who is also great at getting yards after the catch. He often catches the ball with his hands at the high point (like Quez) and is good at winning 50/50 balls. I would love to see him and Goedert in the red zone together.
Charleston Rambo- A very good route runner with strong hands and elite speed. Not very big, but makes catches in traffic by utilizing those strong hands and getting vertical. Rambo is a lot more powerful than his frame suggests. (Side note: wouldn’t it just be cool to have an Eagles jersey with Rambo?)
Running Back:
Brian Robinson- He is a physical, aggressive runner who finishes off runs by lowering his shoulder and plowing ahead for more yards. At 6’1 225, he takes a licking and keeps on ticking, like the energizer bunny.
Brian Robinson leaving a trail of bodies on this run
Also love how he steps over the trash at the line of scrimmage and it doesn’t slow him down or alter his path
Jerome Ford- The first thing I noticed is his speed. He doesn’t lose much of it it when makes cuts either. He is a threat to take it to the house everytime he touches the ball.
Hassan Haskins- Hassan is a bruiser, who would seemingly pair well with Miles and Gainwell. He runs over defensive backs with ease. Fun guy to watch.
Safety:
Jaquan Brisker- Unlike some others on my list, Brisker isn’t a gamble on potential, he has already shown the goods. He is as fundamentally sound as it gets. A jack of all trades type of S, he can cover a lot of positions for you when needed. Jaquan also demonstrates amazing situational awareness. He will walk right onto the field with a starting job for some lucky NFL team.
Jalen Pitre- Similiar to Brisker, he could be utlized in a Malcolm Jenkins type of role. He played a hybrid role at Baylor between LB, CB, S, and even Edge. I absolutely love his game and upside. A tough guy who would give the Eagles a much needed boost in that area.
IQ and instincts through the roof on Jalen Pitre. Love this play. Explain why in the clip. Controlled chaos. pic.twitter.com/YYD2N8Fjta
Bryan Cook- There is a reason Cincinnati had such a great season, and Cook is one of the reasons why. He needs to sure up his tackling, but he is a punishing hitter. He has elite speed and playmaking ability, but needs to be more consistent overall. I have seen him mocked to go as high as round one, and all the way down to the seventh. A true wild card in the draft.
Nick Cross- A potential later round option, Nick can flat out run. The former track star has amazing closing speed and a very high upside. Give him a look, he could be a player too many are sleeping on.
Cornerback
Kaiir Elam- He’s big, strong and physical. Will work well in a man scheme. Having Slay and Elam together would change things on this defense in a hurry. A probable first rounder.
Trent McDuffie- If not for his size, would likely be in the discussion for one of the top couple corners in the draft. He is quick, twitchy and has hops! Check out his High School vertical leaps. A very high ceiling.
Trent McDuffie is an impressive watch. VERY AWARE of the whole field. Speed, agility impressive. pic.twitter.com/XILk1meNIp
Tariq Woolen- A long, tall, physical corner. 6’4 205. The athletic upside is off the charts. He will fall in the draft a tad due to the fact he is a converted receiver and somewhat new to the position. He has a few things to learn, and will need some coaching up, but will pay BIG dividends to whoever drafts him.
Linebacker:
Channing Tindall- Channing has good range, good speed and is never afraid to mix it up. The Eagles need linebackers. If they are adamant about not selecting one in the first couple rounds. Channing is very much in play in round 3.
When watching Channing Tindall over several games, his open field tackling was top notch. Square shoulders, breaks down naturally and here, a forced fumble. pic.twitter.com/RVyipsZpKT
Quay Walker- A one year starter who posseses good size, athletic ability and (I know I am starting to sound like a broken record) another player with a high ceiling. He is very aggressive when he gets his hands on opposing players and will take on linemen without a thought.
Defensive End:
David Ojabo- While not a finished product, he is already extremely athletic. He remind me a little of another freakish athelte. The Freak himself. Javon Kearse. Ojabo is still learning the game of football. He isn’t Mailata green, but he does have some things to learn. His journey from Nigeria, to Scotland, to playing on an NFL team is quite a read. Check him out!
Myjai Sanders- Sanders is approx 6’5 260 and plays like it. He tackles well, and is blessed with a long frame that he uses to his advantage. A lot of untapped potential here. He would be great to add to the new core of fastballs DC Jonathan Gannon could use as part of his front four.
Talked about this play before. Myjai Sanders running over Tyler Smith. No hands. Three plays. On Play 9 of the game. pic.twitter.com/PcxB4l2ZXr
Trevon Walker- He is ranked very high on a lot of lists, but he might be my favorite at the position. Like Ojabo, he is still doing some on the job training. He has superior talent and traits and I love to gamble on high ceilings. His celing is very high. Picture The Burj Khalifa in Dubai. That high!
I only watched the college All 22 on positions I thought the Eagles had an above average chance of drafting. I may have wasted my time with center if Kelce comes back, but I learned a lot about the position and it was fun. What a violent hand to hand combat battle that occurs on every snap.
Also, I must confess, I don’t watch tape on punters like @GregHartPA , as he opined “I can picture how miserable you would be just holding a stopwatch, looking up into the sun, counting “One Mississippi…”
It is not my cup of tea, but his story on punters and value is fantastic! Truly the best piece you will read on special teams all season. His case to draft “Punt God” Jordan Stout is truly compelling.
Penn State kicker Jordan Stout drilled a 57-yard FG to close out the half 🤯
Lastly, I don’t burn the midnight oil like @mattalkire posting clips all hours of the night (including during the AFC and NFC Championships games),nor did I like the band Midnight Oil back in the 80’s. Though that one song, Beds are Burning, was pretty catchy.
”How can we dance when our Earth is turning, how do we sleep while our beds are burning?”
Ok, maybe I did like Midnight Oil more than I remembered.
But I digress.
Who are the players that are “Your Guys” in the draft. The ones you dont see mocked very often, or atleast not as high as the draftniks rank them. I would love to add more names to my list, so please share your thoughts.
As always, thanks for reading.
Follow me @PhlEagleNews
David
2/15/22
Drafting a Punter Makes Analytical Sense… And Yes, This Year There is a Punt God
The Eagles should draft a punter in 2022. And no, it shouldn’t be Matt Araiza… the punter to take this year is the real Punt God, Penn State’s Jordan Stout.
I’m definitely at odds with a lot of the analytics community who would jokingly not even roster punters. NFL coaches famously way over-punt – while coaches are getting better (more aggressive) on 4th down decisions each year, NextGenStats’ 4th down go-or-kick model shows that coaches still only make the right decision to go for it on 4th down 53% of the time. While I absolutely agree that teams punt way too often, I am definitely pro-punter and wanted to dig into the analytics of punting ahead of the draft. (If you are here just for Jordan Stout, you can skip ahead to it here).
Credit to the following sources of data I used for this post:
Puntalytics who runs puntR and has the best punting analytics and thinking right now
PFF punter data
NFLfastR for play-by-play data
First, how to value punts
The go-to metric for football analytics is Expected Points Added (EPA) which does not work for punting. As a reminder, EPA compares the actual play value vs. what historical value (points) was generated from that field position, down, and distance. So much of the expected value of a punt lies on the decision to punt before the punter even walks on the field and less on what the punter actually does.
Puntalytics does really nice work on adjusting EPA for punters to eliminate the impact that the decision to punt has. They normalized EPA for punters by comparing what EPA the punt generated vs. the average of all punts from that field position which gives a relative value of how the punter performed vs. other all other similar punts. For this analysis below, EPA+ (similar to baseball’s OPS+) shows the EPA the punter generated vs. what was expected for a punt from that field location.
As an example, in the Rams / Cardinals NFC Wildcard Game, the Rams up 14-0 punted midway through the 2nd quarter on 4th-and-4 from the Cardinals 44 yard line. On a borderline decision where the data leaned towards going for it, Hekker lofted a punt that was downed at the Cardinal 1.
Looking back at all punts over the past 20 years, the average EPA for a punt from the opponent’s 44 yard line is -0.213, one of the worst projected EPA plays. Hekker’s punt generated an EPA of 0.123 for the play, roughly equal to the EPA generated on the average NFL pass. But comparing to the expected EPA for a punt from the 44, Hekker generated an EPA+ of 0.337, a top 3rd percentile punt in that game situation over the past 20 years.
Next, what makes a great punter
Like everything, there is a lot that goes into what makes a great player. But the best punts as measured by punter EPA+ come down primarily to two things: distance of the punt and hang time. Below shows punter EPA+ vs. a composite of punt distance and hang time for the NFL 2021 season (I have eliminated any punt plays that resulted in a fumble or had a penalty as both greatly skew EPA value data).
To the right of the chart are punters that punt far with better hang time, to the left are punters with shorter punts and worse hang time. The correlation with EPA+ is good with an R2 of 0.51 and the outliers are largely explained by blocked punts. Above the size of the circle reflects number of blocked punts with Bailey, Charlton, Edwards, Colquitt, Long, Haack, Mann, Way, Bojorquez and Cooke all having one or more blocked punts. Blocks could be the punter’s fault but are usually more affected by the protection and snap.
(For us Eagles fans, Siposs is in the bottom left quadrant with a -0.205 EPA+… more on Siposs later)
Below is the data for each punter above. The top ten punters have an average composite hang time (HT) and punt distance (DIST) of 180.9 with Bryan Anger at the top with a 202 composite.
Do you draft punters? And where?
Yes, you should draft a punter in the second half of day 3 if you need one.
Last year during the draft I posted some of this data which compares the value of punters drafted vs. expected value from that pick location. Punters clearly have less value than positional players, but they don’t have zero value. And as rounds progress, the value of positional players drops significantly – the chance of getting even a league average player after the 3rd round is pretty low and by the 5th round, the chance of a drafting a league average player is below 20%.
Below shows the 33 punters drafted since 2004 with their career value as measured by AV (Approximate Value) compared to the average value generated by all players taken at that pick location. Above the centerline, the player selected exceeded the average player drafted in their pick location.
Around pick 160, near the middle of the 5th round, is where punters on average begin to consistently exceed the value of other positional players. In the 6th and 7th rounds, punters and kickers are actually the only positions with a positive expected value. The reason is simple – you are drafting P1 in those rounds vs. WR20 or OL30.
Drafting punters earlier than the 5th has not worked out, no matter how great you feel about the player. Nine punters have been drafted before pick 160 and Dickson is the only one that clearly exceeded expected value.
Why the Eagles should draft Penn State’s Jordan Stout
Siposs was bad in his first season with the Eagles, ranking 25th out of 27 punters in the NFL with an EPA+ of -0.205. Neither his average distance (27th in the league) nor his hang time (17th in the league) were good. And this isn’t new – he was exactly the same at Auburn with an ok 4.24 average hang time and a terrible average distance of 38.8 yards. Using the same hang time and distance composite metric above, Siposs had a composite of 164.5 at Auburn, almost identical to his 163.9 pro composite. For fun, if you project his pro EPA+ from his college composite using the regression line (EPA+ = 0.01 * DISTHTCOMP -1.88), he would have projected to a -0.23 pro EPA+, again almost exactly his pro number. Siposs is what he is.
Matt Araiza has all the press right now with his well-shared 80+ yard punts and and many are talking drafting him high, wondering if he can go late day 2 or very early day 3. Araiza is good for sure, but when you look at the top 2022 draft-eligible punters using the same data as above, he is not the best punter in this draft class. Jordan Stout is.
Araiza gets the highlights, but his approach of just kicking as far as possible to push the receiving team back without regard for hang time allows almost a third of his punts to be returned with an average return of 10.5 yards, 8th worst among 2022 punters. Could he adjust his kicks for more loft? Sure. Rutgers’ Korsak is also highly thought of but he has a really concerning hang time that will not work in the NFL. But not talked about enough is the real punt god in the 2022 draft, Jordan Stout.
Stout is clearly the most draftable punter this year.
He is the only college punter that projects to a positive EPA+ in the pros. His projected 0.064 EPA+ would have been 2nd in the NFL in 2021.
He is the only college punter with both pro-ready hang time and distance metrics – 4.34 seconds, best in the country, on 44.63 yards.
He has a quick, short pro delivery and had none of his 100 punt attempts blocked in college.
And he was the top-rated punter in college for coffin corner punts in 2021.
And Stout isn’t just the best punter in the 2022 draft class, he is the top college punter over the past 5 seasons when looking at hang time and distance (Stout in the top left corner below).
His career stats are nuts, but he showed even more at the Senior Bowl, averaging a 50.5 yard net and a 4.59 second hang time. And there isn’t a better punter at placing the ball and making returns difficult. Here he is from the Senior Bowl earning his coffin corner award with a 59-yard un-returnable punt:
Kicking into the wind, Jordan Stout drops it perfectly into the corner with a huge punt for the National Team pic.twitter.com/rz3lS21ZcD
And another near-60 yard punt from the Senior Bowl showing his distance, placement, and over 4.8 second hang time giving the ball enough hang to allow his coverage to be there on the returner.
Stout also kicks, going 34/36 on extra points, 16/23 on field goals in his senior season, and led the nation in kickoff touchback percentage at 90.32%. To be clear – I’m not recommending the Eagles roster only Stout, the days of a player that punts and kicks are gone. But Elliott has missed playing time each of the past two seasons, leading to the glorious two kickoff attempts by Kamu Gruiger-Hill (and I’m not being sarcastic – Kamu did awesome). It is, however, a nice bonus to have somebody that can actually be a backup kicker. Here he is from 57 against my alma mater and setting a PSU record:
Penn State kicker Jordan Stout drilled a 57-yard FG to close out the half 🤯
The Eagles have picks 161, 165, 192, and 204 in the 2022 draft and I would use any of those on Stout. Where will he go? No idea. If I had to guess, I’d say the 6th and wouldn’t make it to the 7th. Pre-draft projections have him in the 7th but since 2015, the top picks used on punters were 191, 110, 149, 179, and 165.
Do the Eagles need a punter? Absolutely. Will Howie draft him (or any punter)? I really doubt it – Howie has his philosophy on positional value. For as much criticism as Howie gets for missing on top picks, he has been very good in late rounds – the Eagles are 9th in the league since 2010 in actual vs. expected value for picks in rounds 5 through 7. But even with this outperformance, the Eagles have had 5 hits (Kelce, Mailata, Jalen Mills, Beau Allen, and Jordan Poyer) and a couple potentials (Quez, Shaun Bradley, maybe Tarron Jackson) out of 33 picks. They are one of the better teams in the league and their hit rate is between 15% or at tops 25% if the recent picks work out. If you would rather take a chance on another Kelce or Mailata, that is fine, I wouldn’t argue. But Stout is special and worthy of a pick especially when you need a punter.
Stout will be drafted though and whoever drafts him is getting a top-tier pro punter. Maybe Stout won’t match Randall’s 91-yard punt, but he has the ability to be the best punter in franchise history. And the Eagles should take him.
2022 Philadelphia Eagles Free Agent Wish List
The Eagles are heading into the 2022 NFL Draft loaded with ten picks, including 3 first rounders for the first time in franchise history. Even with that embarrassment of riches, every hole on the roster can not be filled during the draft.
Positions that could be addressed via free agency or trade: Wide Receiver, Safety, Edge Rusher, Cornerback, or Linebacker.
Howie Roseman will look into every available free agent, but I would pay particular attention to wide receiver and safety. Both positions have young ascending players who seemingly fit into what the Eagles like to do.
The wide receiver position is the most pressing need on offense. Whether you are a Jalen Hurts fan, or are in the camp that desires a veteran QB like Russell Wilson, the team needs more wide outs. DeVonta Smith is a future number one receiver. After his rookie season, there aren’t many people who can argue that. Quez Watkins has proven to be deserving of a starting role as well, but might be best as a 3rd WR. The Eagles will be looking at a veteran wideout to pair with their two very young starters. As opined during the Championship Games, a QB is only as good as their third receiver. JJAW, Reagor and Ward should not be filling that role going into 2022.
Wide Receivers (6)
Chris Godwin: If they’re willing to take the injury risk, Penn St and Middleton, DE native Chris Godwin is available. He has great hands and body control. Chris had 82 receptions through week 15, when he was injured(torn ACL MCL). He is versatile and wins 50/50 balls. With DeVonta occupying the X, Godwin would compliment him by working out of the Z. The negative, aside from the injury risk, is his inability to to fight off press man coverage consistently. Godwin will probably command a 3 year 50 million dollar deal or even a 4/65.
Mike Williams: Another name to look out for. He isn’t the quickest player, but he does have the size the Eagles are missing from the wide receiver core. He would be a good red zone threat to pair with Dallas Goedert. His injury history makes it hard to project his value. He played well in 2021, but most guys do in a contract year. The Eagles will have interest, but at what cost. He could get anywhere from a 3–5 year contract worth 50–70 million.
Allen Robinson: Robinson has some of the traits another former Bear who came to Philadelphia displayed. He has great hands, and has demonstrated his ability to win 50/50 balls time and time again. He does not have explosive speed, but with Quez, that may not be an issue depending on the role he will play. His injury history is a concern and will probably cost him in free agency. His market could be in the 3 year range. Most projections show 10–14 million a year. A three year deal with only 2 of it guaranteed would be ideal for Philly. My concern with Allen is: I read his lack of production was caused due to “He never played with a good QB”. After two years of watching Jalen Reagor, that isn’t exactly encouraging. Not that I am comparing them in any way. Robinson has been far superior.
DJ Clark: The Jaguars drafted DJ in the 2nd round of the 2018 draft out of LSU. His 2019 campaign was fantatsic. He brought in 73 catches for 1008 yards and 8 touchdowns. Everything you want from a 2nd round pick. He was limited to 12 games and 700 yards in 2020 and only played in 4 games in 2021. Coming off a fractured ankle that he suffered in week 4, he should be healthy for the spring. He turns 26 in September, so there is reason to believe he could rekindle some of that 2019 magic again. One to watch.
Michael Gallup: He would be an upgrade, but I don’t know if he has the attributes, or the drop rate, that the Eagles want to invest 40–50 million in. He will probably get a 4 year deal with 30 million guaranteed. At 25 years old, he will surely have a healthy market.
OBJ: Long shot, but who knows. He will be available, and would be a clear upgrade at the position.
The cost to acquire one of the veteran receivers will not come cheap. They need someone experienced in the room. At what cost, remains to be seen. Howie and the Eagles will need to determine a value to place on that. Drafting another WR in the first could happen again well.
Safties (3)
Justin Reid: The 24 year old Houston Texan becomes an unrestricted free agent when the new year begins in March. The 3rd round pick out of Stanford has played in 57 games and been the mainstay in the Texans defense. The safety has 315 tackles and 7 interceptions since coming into the league and at 24 year old would be a long term solution to one of the biggest needs on the team. With Anthony Harris and Rodney McLeood not under contract for 2022, the Eagles could have two new starters at the position next season.
Marcus Williams: The Saints free safety is reaching what should be the prime of his career, at 26 years old. If the Eagles are willing to spend some money at the position, he is likely one of the safer bets as he hasn’t been injured in his NFL career. He may never get over being the player exposed in the playoff game that sent the Vikings to Philly (on the Eagles way to their first Super Bowl win) but he will command a 4 or 5 year contract worth 15 million a year.
Jess Bates III: Like Marcus Williams, injury will not be a concern with Bates. He is likely to be franchised by the Bengals if a long term deal is not worked out, but he is someone to monitor if he hits the market.
Edge (1) I think they are going to draft one, possibly two Edge rushers in April. If they wanted to the route of free agency, there is one who I would think is a good option.
Emmanuel Ogbah: He will probably command a 3 year 50 million dollar contract, but appears to be an ascending player. He is good against the run and has been improving his pressures every year in the league. I do not think the Eagles would get into this price range, but Howie does like gambling on players with upside, and Ogbah does seem to be on the rise.
***Two possible trade options at the position, interestingly, are from the same team. The Packers Za’Darius Smith andPreston Smith are both free agents in 2023, and would not have more value in a trade than they do now. A third round pick might get a deal done for one of them, if Howie has interest.
Cornerbacks: (1) The Eagles probably draft a corner in the first round (Kaiir or Gardner) but if they look into free agency, look no further than JC Jackson.
JC Jackson: If the Eagles want to invest at corner in the open market, JC is the best available. He has proven to be able to handle any assignment. He can play man, zone, and has elite coverage skills. He rarely gets beat deep, and if a ball comes his way he has as good a shot at catching it as the receiver he’s covering. JC will cash in this offseason with a lucrative contract in the 4 to 5 year range averaging upwards of 20 million a year. At 26 years old he has a lot of good years ahead of him and he would be a dream to pair with Slay while they develop the younger corners already on the roster.
Linebackers (2)
De’Vondre Campbell: The Green Bay Packer LB had a nice season. He proved to be durable, good against the run, and solid tackler. The decision every GM has to make is if they believe he can do it again. Nearing 30 years of age, his best football could be behind him. There will be teams willing to take a chance on the veteran this offseason. He could land a two year deal worth between 12–15 million.
Leighton Vander Esch: Eagles fans know him well. The Dallas Cowboy linebacker has had his share of injuries and would seemingly be a stretch for an Eagles team looking to avoid players with the injury bug. Even still, he would be an upgrade to what the Eagles have had, and might be worth a look. I would not expect a lucrative long term would be needed to acquire his services.
In addition to the possibility of moving one or more of their 10 draft picks, the Eagles could look into dealing OT Andre Dillard. They have no shot at recouping a first rounder back, but he has proven to be a solid back up at left tackle. He could start at LT on a lot of NFL teams and would probably net a 4th rounder back in a deal. A player for player swap could also be explored.
As always, Thank You for reading!
David 2/4/22
Follow me at @PHLEagleNews
State of the Philadelphia Eagles, Off Season 2022
Who is on the roster, who will be, and the projected player allocation for each position.
The Eagles go into the off season, coming fresh off a playoff appearance, and loaded with 3 first round picks. A very unique position to be in.
All 11 starters at seasons end were brought in via their own draft picks. Hurts, Sanders, DeVonta, Reagor, Quez, Goedert, Lane, Kelce, Mailata, Dickerson and Opeta (signed UFA). The Eagles will probably go with a defensive heavy draft in April, as well as trading or signing one or two defensive free agents.
(3) QB- Jalen Hurts, Gardner Minshew and Reid Sinnett
Howie, seemingly, committed to Hurts for the 2022 season during the end of season press conference. Unless they get an offer for Minshew that they can’t refuse, I would expect all 3 to remain on the roster. *I would never discount Howie drafting a QB. If there is one in this draft who they really like, it is a real possibility. In any round. Including first.*
(4) RB- Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Jason Huntley and a draft pick.
Boston Scott is a restricted free agent, but I would expect him to be back. If the Eagles take a running back in the draft, Huntley probably goes back to the practice squad.
(5) WR- DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Jalen Reagor, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside and one via free agency or trade.
Greg Ward, like Scott, is a restricted free agent that I believe will be back with the Birds for 2022. Reagor might not see much playing time unless he comes into camp as a new man, but he will probably be one of the 5 wideouts on the roster. I expect the fifth to come via free agency. Can never rule out another draft pick, or trade, with Howie though. If they do not go the route of acquiring a veteran, I’d love to see Erik Ezukanma on this roster. (probable rd 3 pick)
(3) TE- Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Tyree Jackson, a FA or a mid round draft pick for a pass catching tight end
Tyree will start the season on I.R. He is rehabbing from a torn ACL after being injured in the last regular season against Dallas. He may be on I.R. all season.
(10) OL- Jason Kelce, Landon Dickerson,Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Isaac Seumalo, Andre Dillard, Jack Driscoll, Sua Opeta, Jack Anderson and draft pick.
The Eagles could use one of their 3 first round picks on a long term Jason Kelce replacement, (Tyler Linderbaum) or at the very least a later round pick for someone to learn and develope under Jason and Coach Stoutland (if Kelce comes back another year). Later round options Cam Jurgens (who has a little Jason Kelce in him when you watch him play) possible 3rd rounder, and James Empey (4th/5th)
(5) DE Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, and Tarron Jackson
The Eagles will probably use one of the first round picks on a DE, and add another via draft or free agency. The Eagles love building through the lines, and I expect that trend to continue. Draft probables: David Ojabo and George Karlaftis
(5) LB- TJ Edwards, Davion Taylor, Shaun Bradley, a draft pick, and one free agent.
It is hard to imagine the Eagles using more than one draft pick on a LB. If they don’t retain restricted free agent Alex Singleton or free agent Genard Avery, it would make sense they sign someone else. This position needs a huge upgrade, and the team knows it. Cuuld this be the year they finally use a first round pick to address line backer? Maybe not, but a high pick is needed.
(5) S- Marcus Epps, K’Von Wallace, and 3 TBD
A lot of holes at this position. Re-signing McLeod on a one year deal makes a lot of sense. A high caliber S via trade does too. Justin Reid is a very popular target. A late round draft pick will likely be used as well.
(6) CB- Big Play Slay, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Tay Gowan, Kary Vincent Jr, and for the first time since 2002 (Lito Sheppard), a first round pick on a corner?
With 3 first round picks, the Eagles will have the ammo,and high end talent available, to draft a game changing corner to pair with Slay. Draft Probables: Kaiir Elam, Ahmad Sauce Gardner, or Andrew Booth Jr.
(1) LS- Rick Lovato
(1) K- Jake Elliott
(1) P- Undrafted free agent to compete (with the hope) to beat out Siposs.
So to recap:
9 draft picks: (if they use them all)
2 DE, 1 CB, 1 S, 1 LB, 1 C, 1 TE, 1 RB, 1 DT or WR
Free Agency or trade:
Safety- Justin Reid or Marcus Williams
Wide Receiver- Mike Williams or Juju Smith-Schuster
Linebacker- Alexander Johnson as a stop gap. Hasson Reddick will probaby be too rich for the Eagles, but Leighton Vander Esch would probably cost half of that. A 3 year deal for 24-27 million would probably get that done.
With 3 First Round Picks, the 2022 NFL Draft Takes Centerstage
After the brutal way the Eagles were bounced from the playoffs, and the poor play from QB Jalen Hurts, fans will cry for a QB this offseason. I do not believe this to be an option. Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman indicated as much in the year end press conference on Jan 19,2022. That is not to say if their phone rings offering DeShaun Watson or Russell Wilson, etc, that they won’t listen. They would.
Despite fans wanting the DC to be fired (He might just be leaving the Eagles on his own accord).There is a reason Jonathan Gannon has four Head Coaching interviews lined up. He designed, what he believed to be, the best schemes to mask the deficiencies of the personnel. Obviously other franchises agreed.
There needs to be an overhaul to most of the defensive positions. The needs are dire enough that two or all three of the first round picks should be used on the defensive side of the ball. Many rounds thereafter as well.
I am only listing the positions I believe the Eagles would draft in the first round. As such; OL (outside of C) TE, RB and ST are not going to be on here. The positions listed are Edge, C, LB, CB, S, WR, QB, and DT. They allocate 23 of the 32 first round selections.
First Round Grades:
Edge (6)
1- Kayvon Thibodeaux
2- Aidan Hutchinson
3- Trayvon Walker, more from Matt Alkire
Travon Walker – In-Depth Look – Jetro Lot Yesterday, it happened. Travon Walker and Lewis Cine finally declared for the NFL Draft and many of us let out a sigh…jetrolot.com
4- Jermaine Johnson
5- George Karlaftis
6- David Ojabo
***If they draft 2 DE’s in the first couple rounds— Myjai Sanders (rd 2)
LB (2)
1- Nakobe Dean
2- Devin Lloyd
***If they pass on a 1st rd LB — Damone Clark (rd 2)
CB (5)
1- Derek Stingley Jr.
2- Kaiir Elam
3- Ahmad Gardner
4- Andrew Booth Jr
5- Trent McDuffie
***Sleeper- Roger McCreary (rd 2)
S (2)
1- Kyle Hamilton (would require trading up)
2- Daxton Hill
***Probable round 2 options — Lewis Cine and Jaquan Brisker
C (1)
1- Tyler Linderbaum
***Others of interest, Alec Lindstrom and Cam Jurgens (who has a little Jason Kelce in him when you watch him play) both possible 3rd rounders and James Empey (4th/5th)
WR (6)
1- Treylon Burks
2- Garrett Wilson
3- Jameson Williams
4- Chris Olave
5- Jahan Dotson
6- Drake London
**One of my favorite mid round wide outs, Erik Ezukanma (projected 3rd/4th round) Big bodied (6’3 220) pass catcher. Catches with his hands(like Quez)
DT (2)
1- Jordan Davis
2- Logan Hall
3- Devonte Wyatt
*DT Phidarian Mathis (possible 2nd rd) 6’4 315 could be another option. Would the Eagles draft a DT using a first or second round pick with Fletcher Cox, Hargrave and Milton Williams in the fold? If they wanted to wait until the second round Phidarian could come right in and play. He offers a pass rush from the middle as well.
QB (3)
1- Malik Willis has the strongest arm. He’s first. My favorite since August.
2- Carson Strong is right there with Willis, some may prefer his style of play.
3- Sam Howell, has a better arm than Pickett. After discussing Jalen Hurts’ arm strength all season, I would rather not have another QB on the team with that trait in question.
4- Kenny Pickett, see above. Known for his accuracy and football acumen. Small hands.
My first round, Eagles only, mock (assuming they use all 3 picks-which would surprise me. I expect one to get pushed into 2023 for QB-Hurts ins)
15- Tyler Linderbaum
16- David Ojabo (or another Edge that falls Karlaftis?)
19- Kaiir Elam
I hated not taking Dean in the first. But if Kaiir is still there pairing a corner with Slay was just too much to pass up. Nakobe Dean is the odd man out, but first at bat if any of the others are taken. Absolutely love him! Who knew having three first round picks would still cause such difficult decisions. Good luck Howie!
As always, Thank You for reading
Follow me @PHLEagleNews
David
1/20/2022
*I am not a scout. I have compiled my list by watching film (all 22 college), talking to scouts, and speaking with coaches and other team personnel. Texas Tech and Souhern Miss have both gone above and beyond any assistance I ever expected. I appreciate them both greatly. Most of the other schools that the players on this list attended also gave me more time than I deserve. If you school is on here, I Thank You for all of your assistance as well.*
Immediate Post-Season Thoughts on the Eagles
It’s been a bit since I have written, primarily because life got really busy and partly because I didn’t have much to write. I felt like everybody (including me) was just continually writing and overreacting on the same things like Hurts’ week-to-week progress.
I always feel like I am more negative when the fanbase in general is positive (like during the second-half run that got them in the playoffs) and more positive after disastrous games. I always have had a contrarian leaning – not an intentional “hot take” approach, but one that tries to look at the broader context. For example, the end of season win streak was awesome as a fan but I did not take that as a sign the Eagles had improved.
Now that the season is officially over, I wanted to write some end of season thoughts including what I was right on, what I was REALLY wrong on, and where I am going into the offseason.
What I was right and wrong on
The Eagles would exceed their expected win total
I had the Eagles easily above the preseason 6.5 win projection at 9 wins for a few reasons:
They had one of the easier 2021 schedules
The OL would be healthier and better.
Hurts would be a top half of the league QB.
Devonta would exceed expectations.
The DL would be good but down from 2020 and the secondary would be slightly better than 2020.
The Eagles being over their preseason line was one of the teams I felt most strongly about as 2020 had such bad injury luck that would almost certainly not repeat, horrendous QB play from Wentz that Hurts could exceed even without being great, and an improved roster in several areas (Devonta, Nelson).
The Eagles OL would be healthier and better
The OL was historically injured in 2020, something that was just not likely to repeat. This one did pan out – the Eagles were 2nd in run block win rate and 3rd in pass block win rate this season. While they did lose some starters early (Brooks and Seumalo), the difference was they largely were able to replace both with steady starters (Landon and Herbig/Driscoll) unlike 2020 when it was a week-to-week revolving door.
Hurts would be a top half of the league QB
My view on Hurts is complicated, with some things I was right on and others not. I expected a good floor due to his running value and thought his CPOE would rebound from near worst in the league to closer to what he showed in college which was very high. My biggest concern was his turnovers and decision-making which he absolutely improved on.
Hurts continues to generate big plays, 9th in the league in explosive plays behind Mahomes, Brady, Carr, Allen, Herbert, Burrow, Cousins, and Stafford – good company. And like last year, he is near the top of the league in average depth of target, ranking 4th at 8.8 yards per attempt.
His accuracy got better with a 0.1 CPOE in 2021 vs. -8.3 last year. And through the second half win streak, optimism ran high. But in my last couple of posts, I showed that he has a concerning lack of progression in the 1-10 yard range with a CPOE of -5.49. He again struggled in this range in the playoff loss to Tampa. The issues many point out – timing and being slightly late and missing receivers – are what is killing him here. Extremely likable guy, but this is the highest volume part of passing offenses and he has to correct it. I’ll get into my thoughts for next year in the next post, but right now the Eagles have a middle of the league QB.
Devonta would exceed expectations and “hit the over”
He did. Devonta tied with Dallas Goedert for team lead with 26 explosive receptions and had the highest ADOT on the team (13.69 yards per attempt). And even doing so, it felt like he could have done much, much more as he was often not targeted or missed.
The DL would be slightly down and Gannon would improve the secondary
Both of these panned out although the secondary wasn’t for the reasons I thought. The DL was supposed to be the Eagles best unit and it was a bit of a disappointment. I wrote before the season that I thought the Eagles had a concerning run defense trend which continued, with the Eagles ranked 26th in the league vs. the run this season. And while Gannon’s soft coverage was infuriating, the secondary did step up this year. I thought it would be due to Gannon’s scheme but it was in spite of it – Slay having a great year, Maddox back in the slot, and Nelson being better than what we put out there last year for the third corner were really the drivers.
Reagor would take a step up
Jeez could I have been more wrong? I wrote that he had the raw traits of separation and YAC and expected a season 2 step up to be an actual WR2. It looked like he actively tried to prove me and other supporters wrong. The preseason videos of Sirianni personally showing receivers how he wanted them running routes made us all think it would help and it didn’t. He got worse in every part of the game. When you aren’t sure if they are better off with him or JJAW on the field, you have hit a dark place.
Looking towards 2022…
I’ll go into my thoughts here in more detail in the next post but some quick thoughts:
I still think investment in the OL, corner/safety, and DL are top priorities in free agency and the draft. Early year mocks where we were all taking Aidan and Hamilton and Stingley look cute now.
As much as we all are grabbing pitchforks to chase Reagor out of town, he isn’t going anywhere. It would be an $8M dead cap hit, he isn’t tradable, and are there 5 better WRs on the roster?
But, the Eagles will unfortunately need to invest again in receiver because Reagor cannot be counted on to even be a WR2.
I will never be surprised in Howie goes after a QB (particularly Russ) but fully expect Hurts to be the starter in 2022. I do think Howie will – and I would do the same – look to move one of the picks for more capital in 2023… I think the chances of the Eagles using all three 1sts is almost zero.
The staff was overmatched and didn’t practice what they said about catering to the players strengths this year. It was such an inexperienced staff with basically every coach elevated into a role they did not hold previously and they must be better next year. If any coaches are poached away, they would be incredibly wrong to not bring in somebody with more experience.
I really thought Kelce was retiring last year and would expect it this season (but hopefully will be wrong again). If he does retire, it has implications for the line moving forward but more importantly, we will lose what I earlier called the conscience of the Eagles. Not looking forward to the day he does finally retire.
Thanks for the read, sorry for taking a bit of time between posts. But a good year for the Birds.
Tay Gowan’s Unique Journey to the Philadelphia Eagles
Tay Gowan has had a whirlwind of a year. It started off in April anxiously awaiting the 2021 NFL Draft. Then he was selected by the Arizona Cardinals. Six months later Gowan was dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles (the team he believed was drafting him)from Arizona in the exchange that sent Super Bowl hero Zach Ertz to the Cardinals. Tragically, he also lost a former teammate(UCF) and friend, Otis “Juice” Anderson Jr. Tonight he will be playing in a national televised matchup between his Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
”After sitting out the 2020 collegiate season due to covid, in large part to protect his family and new born daughter, he knew and assumed the risks associated with opting out. However unfair it turned out to be. And still, he chose family first. “Going through my 2019 season, I dominated, and I knew that the 2020 season would have put me either in the first or second round based off my 2019 season. I think it hurt my draft stock, but I think it was also a part of my journey and a part of my story when I get to tell it to other kids and relate my message and relate my journey,”
His journey to the Eagles has been a unique one. Tay spent the beginning of the season on the Arizona Cardinals active roster practicing against DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green and others. He was preparing and learning a lot. The expectation was to be utilizing those skills with the Cardinals. Until he got the news he was being traded to Philadelphia. Not many players are drafted and dealt away during their rookie season. Much less to the team they believed they were destined to be with.
“I talked to the Eagles pre-draft and before the draft I already had all my Eagles stuff ready to go. And I was set to come play for the Philadelphia Eagles. And then the Cardinals took me a pick before the Eagles.”
Gowan was so sure he was going to be an Eagle, that pre draft he had forged a relationship with Philadelphia cornerback Darius Slay “ I was talking to him pre-draft, letting him know I’m coming to the Eagles so I need to you help me out, be my big bro in my corner. Even having that relationship coming out, that all worked out.”
His perseverance and being an inspiration to others has become a hallmark of his story. The hard work and dedication to the game he loves has allowed him to overcome every obstacle in his way to becoming an NFL player. Tonight he will have his opportunity to shine.
David
Thank You for reading
Oscar Smith Tigers Roar Their Way To Win 2 State Titles In One Calendar Year
The Oscar Smith Tigers football program did something no team in VHSL (Virginia High School League) history had ever done. Win two Virginia State football championship titles in the same calendar year. The Tigers defeated James Madison High School 42–17 in the 2021 state championship to capture the first back-to-back championship in the school’s program.
Head Coach Chris Scott had stated that 2021 was a “two-fer year” and with the win, his statement proved to be prophetic.
Oscar Smith, and their high potent big-play offense, came into the championship averaging 52.4 points per game. And they didn’t disappoint. Madison’s defense gave up 42 points after not surrendering more than 21 in a game all season.
One of the senior captains for the James Madison Warhawks, LB Ryan Salvosa, stated “They didn’t try to trick us, I tip my hat to them, because they ran it right down our throat, which no one had ever done to us before.”
Tigers running back Kevin King led the way, rushing for 290 yards and 3 TDs. King had an amazing game despite suffering an early injury.
Coach Chris Scott stated “We were a little worried because he actually dislocated his finger on the first series. He got that thing put back in and told me he might not be able to catch”
But he sure could run. He scored his 3 touchdowns from 33, 57, and 96 yards out.
The Tigers, led by team captains Ethan Vasko, Sherrod Covil, Maarten Woudsma and Kevon King, ran for 381 total yards while surrendering only 17 points on defense.
Prior to the season there were some skeptics who questioned the validity of the 2020 championship, since it was delayed and not played until May of 2021 due to COVID. But after the dominating victory, nobody is questioning that now.
Tigers QB Ethan Vasko “Last year we dominated everyone and we earned it, this year we did the same thing. So we deserve both of them, man. We came out here, we worked, and we played great!”
DB Sherrod Covil, a Clemson commit who had 17 pass breaks ups to go along with his 6 interceptions (he also rushed for 260 yards and 5 TDs during the season) “Back to back! We had to shut up the haters and we did. We ran it back to back, and we are ready to do it again next year.”
Kelvon Bethea, who led the team with 18 sacks during the season stated “This is not a COVID ring, this is a real one! This is very satisfying. We feel like we shut up all the haters. We blocked out all of the negative energy and came out here and played Oscar Smith football.”
The Tigers ended their historic season with a 13–1 record, scoring 671 points while only allowing 112. The dominance culminated with 2 state titles in one calendar year. An amazing feat. The entire program deserves a lot of credit for their sustained success. Congratulations to the entire coaching staff, players, and school administrators.
Thank you to Sabrina Bankes for keeping me informed with the team throughout the season. I met her while doing a story on former Tiger, and current Philadelphia Eagle, DE Josh Sweat. Her enthusiasm and updates kept me interested in the team all year. And like she said “We are going for number 3 in 2022”
After this year, nobody is going to doubt them.
Oscar Smith is currently raising money for their program to help with costs associated commemorating their historic achievement with a state championship ring. Any contribution is greatly appreciated.
I wanted to thank each and every one of you who have read the stories, interacted on twitter, retweeted, shared and commented this year. Greg and I started this website to offer, what we hoped would be, different content than what is typically (over) done. Greg focuses on analtyics, and has a background in economics, statistics, and techonolgy. He wrote many insighful pieces this season that logically explained what the data tells us regarding players. I focused more on biographical stories. I have a background in sports photography and during that time I tried to show a part of each players personality through my pictures. Each player has such an amazing story, and I have always been fascinated to learn their indiviual journey. I tried using some of those same skills when I turned to journalism to give insight into the players I write about. I hope you have enjoyed reading (as much as we have researching and writing) about their journeys, families, and all of the challenges we all overcome in life that makes each of us special. We look forward to releasing more content in 2022. The growing number of followers on twitter and the higher traffic to the website has invigorated us. Thank you again, and we wish you all a safe, healthy, and happy Holiday season.
There aren’t charts, metrics, or game tapes that can measure a persons drive or their passion to succeed. You may say that determining ones desire is unquantifiable.
The challenges of having many opportunities available while being raised in a small town are sometimes slim. Leaving college for academic reasons and having to make your way back is very humbling. It takes determination and the acceptance of a difficult situation. Declaring for the NFL draft while playing at a smaller school and having limited exposure of being noticed is also hard. All are formidable obstacles to overcome, but not insurmountable. Just ask Quez, who is living up to the meaning of his name “Self possessed, with purpose, self reliable, responsible”.
Quez is from from Athens, Alabama. A small town with approximately 21,000 people. He has stated how that molded his desire to succeed “I put a whole lot of pressure on myself, coming from where I’m coming from, a small city, not a lot of opportunities. So, for me to have this opportunity, it’s great. I know all my people back home are counting on me.” And he learned from his previous life experiences how to succeed when facing adversity.
Watkins was a red shirt sophomore during the 2018 season where he amassed a team leading 72 receptions for 889 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. After his breakout season he had to leave Southern Miss during the spring semester to improve upon his academics. He enrolled in a junior college near Athens. “There was a perception out there, ‘Well, he got kicked out of school for academics, he must not be very smart, very bright.’ That’s not the case, the guy (Quez) and he’ll tell you this, he was lazy in the classroom”. Scotty Walden (2019 co-offensive coordinator at Southern Miss) in a Zoom interview with NBC. “For whatever reason, that just wasn’t his cup of tea. He didn’t wake up thinking about going to math class every day. That’s just not what fired Quez up. What fired him up was going out and catching post routes for touchdowns.” The reality of losing football hit home. And he started taking his courses more seriously.
“During that time I didn’t have nobody in my corner. (I) felt like I didn’t have nobody in my corner. So I had to grow up as a man and take care of my business” Quez did have one person in his corner. Walden stated that he didn’t recruit any other receivers and was confident Quez would re-enroll with a new found purpose. “It made me grow up” It made me more passionate about the game and love the game and not take anything for granted.” And the results were evident immediately. Watkins was now being seen walking around campus with a backpack, something he hadn’t been noticed doing before. In addition to taking his studies more serious, he was doing the same with his nutrition and hydration. Walden stated that Southern Miss requires their receivers to have water bottles with them at all time (something Quez hadn’t complied with in the past) but he was now.
“To me, that’s a change. That’s a big change,” Walden said. “That’s when I knew that this kid is coming back on a mission. He had the mindset that, ‘I’m not going to take it for granted. Because football was taken away from me and I didn’t know what I was going to do. I got it back now and I’m not going to let it slip out of my hands.” Quez agreed “It made me more passionate about the game and love the game and not take anything for granted.” And the results did not end with water, nutrition and good grades. The changes also carried over to the field.
The unquantifiable Quez had a game plan when he returned for his Junior season in 2019 and he was executing it to perfection. Quez had 1178 yards and six touchdowns. He was also a first team All Conference USA selection. “My goal was to put up the numbers that I did and leave early,” Watkins said. “After this season, I talked with both my parents, my coaches and everyone. I felt like I was ready to go and it was time for me to take my talents to the next level.” Watkins did indeed leave Southern Miss second all-time on the Golden Eagles’ receiving yards list with 2,404 yards (passing former Eagles WR Todd Pinkston). And declared for the NFL draft.
Watkins’ pro day came and went without much chatter, outside of draft circles. He ran a 4.35 in the 40 yard dash, second only to Henry Ruggs out of all the wide receivers in the 2020 draft. “It was good to size up and compare everyone, and see everybody live and in-person,I wanted to see If there was a big difference between them and me. I didn’t see that.” He didn’t feel that he was behind anyone despite coming from a smaller school “They were just at bigger schools, better opportunities and in better situations. I feel like I compare with anyone, it just made me more competitive. I know I’m equal to these guys,” Watkins said.
Quez said that he kept focused and to himself during his time at the combine, but he did make friends with a few of the receivers and also one QB. He made a real connection with current Eagles QB Jalen Hurts during workouts leading up to the combine in Indianapolis. Quez talked about their relationship “He’s a competitive guy and people doubt what he can do,” Watkins said. “It’s something we have in common. People doubt us and how we can perform. He went to Alabama and I’m from Alabama.” (Neither had any idea that both would be drafted by the Eagles and that a season later they would both be starting and still making that connection on the field.)“Honestly it was just crazy that we ended up at the same place. After I got drafted he texted me saying ‘Congrats, but the work is yet done. We still have a lot of work to do’. I talked to him to see if we could link back up and get more work in, and to just bond with him.”
When Quez was drafted in the 6th round of the 2020 draft, yet again, he and the selection went largely unnoticed. Nobody knew, outside of Southern Miss fans, the intangibles and deep play ability he was bringing to the Eagles. In fact, most beat writers didn’t even believe he would make the roster, much less become a significant part of the offensive play calling.
Quez recalled when Philadelphia made the pick that would make him an NFL player. “They called me and asked if I was ready to be an Eagle, and I am. I’m ready to show the world and show them that I can play ball and help this team win games. I really feel like God has a plan. You really can’t question his plan. I was trying to be patient and wait on a call. When it came, I knew it was for me. I feel like Philadelphia is somewhere I can succeed and really show my talent. I know how affectionate the organization is with their fans, I know how much involved they are and really everybody around Philadelphia,”
His rookie season results fluctuated, mainly due to playing time. He only had 119 snaps on offense. He was never targeted by Carson Wentz, and had only 20 of those 119 snaps during the first three months of the season. When Jalen Hurts took over versus the Saints in week 13, Quez started to make the most of his opportunities. Over the final four games of the season he was targeted 13 times, bringing in 7 receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown. He also excited the fan base with 2 of those receptions (one of those a 32 yd TD against the Cardinals) being over 30 yards, bringing some much needed big play ability to the offense. Watkins averaged a robust 17.7 yards per catch.
Extrapolating those statistics over a full season roughly translates to 35 receptions for 575 yards and 5 touchdowns. Not bad for a sixth round draft pick out of South Mississippi who was brought in with little to no fan fare. Assuming he could put up those numbers over the course of a season may be bit ambitious considering these numbers are based off such a small sample size, and likely as a 3rd or 4th receiver option. But Quez demonstrated a quick burst, good hands, and lots of confidence. Most of the offseason was spent with fans fantasizing about the potential of DeVonta Smith, rightly so, and Watkins was rarely being mentioned. He seemed to be the forgotten weapon. He attacked year two (with a full offseason)to not only stay on the roster, but to start. “This whole offseason I just made everything personal. Everything people said I couldn’t do. ‘I was only fast.’ I just made everything personal and put the work in.”
Once again, rarely reported, were the off season workouts he was doing with Brown’s TopShelf Performance. Their roster of NFL receivers includes a wideout you may have heard of, Calvin Ridley. Watkins spoke about what he was learning from TopShelf and Calvin “Really learning how to get in and out of my breaks, staying low, consistently staying low in and out of my routes, no matter what route it is. And just getting in and out as fast as possible.” Brown remembers when the training and hard work Quez was putting in, started showing. In July of 2021 Watkins and former first round pick Jerry Jeudy were competing with some NFL defensive backs who were also in the Atlanta area where they were training. Brown said “When we did those 1on 1’s and he embarrassed the DB’s, I said ‘Oh Yeah, you ready little bro’.
The results immediately showed on the field during the first pre season game where he had 79 yard TD reception against the Steelers. After his big pre season game against Pitt “One thing I was thinking about, though, as I walked up here was he (Watkins) isn’t a secret anymore,” Hurts said. “So, that’s unfortunate.”
It didnt take long for his big play ability to translate to the regular season either. In week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers Quez reeled in a 91 yd reception from Jalen Hurts(51 yards in the air), and per Next Gen Stats reached a top speed of 21.62 mph. The fastest in the NFL so far this season. Thorugh the first 10 games of the 2021 campaign, Quez has 28 receptions for 408 yards ( a 15.7 yard per catch average).
He is also starting to get more opportunities (has started to play more snaps than Reagor) and is getting open down the field on a consistent basis. His blazing speed and ball tracking ability is better than anyone the Eagles have had since DeSean Jackson. The future is bright.
Full circle. This offseason Quez went back to to his small home town where he hosted a football camp at his Athens High School. “Just being able to do this and have this type of impact on these kids, just to see these kids smile and have fun running around and stuff, that warms my heart, honestly. That’s really what I do it for. It really shocked me how many people came out. I’m really glad with how it turned out. I see all these kids screaming my name and standing up ready to ask me questions, it’s a great feeling.”
Once again, you can’t measure what’s in someones heart. So don’t be left wondering how you weren’t able to quantify how good number 16 was going to be. And like Quez has stated on his twitter page @Mronesx_
“Don’t be a fan later…”
As always, thanks for reading.
David
12–21–21
Follow me @PHLEagleNews
Always Smiling and Having Fun, Big Play Slay is a Vibe
During the spring when Slay first met with the new coaching staff, he expressed his desire to be the guy, to be the number one cornerback. Slay, never one to shy away from competition, wanted to travel with the opposing teams number one receiver. “Of course, for me being a competitor, that’s what I want to do. (Gannon) knows that too. We’ll see when the season comes up though.”
Thirteen weeks into the season Slay has shadowed the opposing teams number one receiver when asked or played the scheme defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has drawn up for the weekly game plan. And Slay has done both incredibly well.
Halloween; Slay versus his former team, the Detroit Lions. He has as a fumble recovery for a TD, his scoop and score was the 2nd touchdown of his career and his first of the season. Two weeks later , Slay took another fumble recovery for a TD. This time against the Broncos, which earned him the defensive player of the week award, after his 82 yd TD return in the Eagles 30–13 win. And, yet again, the following week, versus the Saints. Slay gets a pick six right before the half to extend the Eagles lead and insure another Eagles victory. Three touchdowns resulting in three wins.
He is in rare territory. Slay is only the second Eagles defender to score at least three touchdowns in a season, one behind former Eagles cornerback, the great Eric Allen (who had 4 in 1993).
Through the first 13 games of this 2021 season, Slay has 39 tackles, 7 PBU’s, 3 int’s, 2 fumble recoveries, and 3 td’s. Quite a resume’.
He is not only putting together a Pro Bowl season, he is also the Eagles nominee for the esteemed Art Rooney Sportsmanship of the year award. The work ethic, determination and positive attitude that he embodies is paying huge dividends for the Eagles. Just as it has for Slay his entire life.
Slay was born New Years day 1991 in Brunswick, Georgia. He attended Brunswick High where he was a two way star as both a RB and DB. He was named an All State defensive back, intercepting 6 passes and returning 2 for TD’s his senior year. He also rushed for 1300 yards and 15 TD’s that same season. While Slay was still in High School he also became a father at the age of 15. “I did freak out, of course”
Slay’s father was 14 and his mother, Stephanie Lowe, was 13 when she gave birth to Darius. His grandmother, Dorothy Walthour took care of him so his mother could finish school. And when Slay was contemplating quitting school so he could raise his son, his mother did the same. She wanted him to continue with school and his football.
Slay finished High School and went to Itawamba Community College, playing two seasons there before earning a scholarship to Mississippi State. Academics were important to Slay’s mother as she would remind him that only 1.6% of college players are drafted into the NFL. Slay, always confident, said he felt real good about that percentage and he worked as hard as he could to realize the dream.
Slay entered the NFL draft after his impressive 2012 season where he had 5 interceptions (one returned for a TD). He ended his senior year tied for the SEC league in interceptions and earned a position as second team All Sec. Big Play was rising up NFL draft boards. During the combine he impressed the scouts again, Slay was the fastest defensive back running a 4.36 forty.
The Detroit Lions selected him in round 2 with the 36th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. His son was with him when he was drafted “My son he don’t even know what’s going, ‘why daddy crying’ I gotta suck it up, I ain’t no punk in front of my son (laughing)”. His son, Darion, might not have understood what was going on the day his father was drafted, but he would play an instrumental role a few short years later.
During Slay’s first season in the NFL he regularly went against Wide Receiver great Calvin Johnson in practice. “My rookie year I didn’t make a play on him, he punished me everyday. But every time he caught the ball he coached me up” And the advice was helping. “My second year of OTA’s, Calvin ran an out and up on me, first week of practice. And I knocked it down. I had the high point attack on a 6’5 dude.” He started locking Johnson up in practice more often and gaining confidence. “If I’m doing this to one of the greatest receivers ever, this is going to be easy on Sunday.”
Slay quickly became one of the top corners in the league, also one of the most durable. He played in at least 13 games in all seven seasons for Detroit. He earned 3 consecutive pro bowls in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and his nickname. Slay credits his son Darion for pushing him “He’s (Darion) the one who made me Big Play Slay, He’s the one that really built all the confidence in me. When my son came here (to live with him), the first thing he said was ‘Dad, no touchdowns today’. He’s my drive, he’s the one pushing me” Sometimes even using tough love. ”Don’t get Mossed”(The definition of Mossed. A verb. The act of NFL star wide receiver Randy Moss making a spectacular catch and the defensive back covering him look foolish at the same time).
Getting “Mossed” rarely, if ever, happened. When the Lions made it known he was available via trade, Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman (with a long list of other suitors) made it known he was the exact player they (Eagles) were looking for. Philadelphia had previously discussed trading for Slay in 2019. And a year later the two sides finally worked it out. On March 20, 2020 Slay was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 3rd and 5th rd pick in the 2020 draft. Slay signed a 3 year 50 million deal following the trade.And the Eagles have been happy they’ve got him ever since.
Slay was eager to start work with his new team and joked about playing with one of his new teammates. Slay stated his best play in the NFL was intercepting former Philadelphia Eagles QB. “Carson Wentz pick, his first pick. I wish he could sign my ball (laughing)” Wentz has since moved on and Hurts has taken over the position, but Slay’s leadership has stayed the same.
His impact on the field has his team thriving during the chase for the playoffs, and his fun loving personality is contagious. He is always smiling and having fun and is revered on the field and in the locker room. Reminiscent of another former beloved Eagles defensive back, Brian Dawkins, Slay doesn’t use curse words to get his point across. He’s also a football junkie that is often seen spending extra time in the film room talking and teaching technique with younger players. Not limited to just the defensive backs, he also is chopping it up with the wide receivers, like DeVonta Smith. They have forged a great relationship, and a fun rivalry. DeVonta has stated he seeks advice from Slay regarding coverages and route running “It helps a lot, just knowing the things that I can do better. Knowing the things that I’m giving away. So him telling me just helps. Lets me know how to eliminate that, so I don’t give any tells” They’re also super competitive.
Slay always offers a smile while giving thoughtful answers to all of the questions he’s been asked since arriving in Philly. It is easy to see why he’s a fan favorite, and one of the medias as well. He seems to always be having a great time and living life to the fullest.
He and his wife, Jenn Williams Slay (An athlete in her own right. She played basketball for Southwestern Oklahoma St University) welcomed another child to their family in October. Slay loves growing up with the kids “I had more straight up parents when I was growing (up) I just understood them more.” And having a child at a young age has allowed Big Play to grow up with his children the same way he raised. And he wouldn’t want it any other way.
Slay celebrates one of his two interceptions against the Panthers by hushing the crowd and rocking the ball like a baby. Capping off a week in which newest family member, Desmond Demetrius was born.
“That’s why I’m so happy go lucky, I’m still a kid at heart, I go out there and have fun”
He is giving everyone in Philadelphia a lot to have fun about as well.
David
Follow me @PHLEagleNews
12–17–21
Cartwheels, Black Belts, Poets, and Overalls, Meet the eccentric and humble Landon Dickerson
When Landon Dickerson was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2021 NFL draft, a lot of fans bemoaned the fact the Eagles were taking “another injury guy”. Twelve weeks into the season, and dominating on the line wherever he’s asked to play, has most fans rethinking their earlier stance and deleting those old receipts.
The Eagles currently hold the number one overall ranked rushing yards per game average in the NFL, averaging 157.9 yards a game. (including 5 straight with over 175 yards). A lot of that has to do with Landon receiving A+ grades on a weekly basis for his run blocking. He has continued to develop and brings a fight to his opponent on every single play. His physicality and success as a run blocker has also carried over into his pass blocking, where he has become better and far more consistent. The left side of the Eagles offensive line, Mailata and Dickerson, are young, hungry, nasty, and absolutely mauling anyone in their way. And the best part is, they both love to line up and just beat the other man down snap after snap. Weighing in at a massive combined listed weight of 698 pounds, those beatdowns are happening early and often.
Landon’s physicality was noticed all the way back in high school when he refused to be bullied by anyone on the opposing defensive line. He came to battle every down, win or lose the previous play. A trait he has carried with him since he was very young.
Dickerson was born September 30, 1998 and grew up in Hickory, North Carolina. The same determination he uses to train he brings to the field every week. That attitude has always been a part of his personality. Landon earned a black belt at the age of 11, the youngest ever at the dojo he trained in. Martial arts wasn’t his only interest as a child, “I have a gymnastics background, so I did that for quite a few years. When I was younger I tumbled a lot.” which explains his now famous cartwheels video.
By the time he started playing High School Football for South Caldwell High, he was already being recognized as a top four star recruit. He was also formulating personality traits that have served him well ever since. While in high school, Landon stated that while studying Henry David Thoreau in English, he read the piece “Walking” and how the words spoke to him. Thoreau wrote “ Above all, we cannot afford not to live in the present” and Dickerson stated “His ideas really kind of appeal to me. He’s been an interest to me. I just try to put the past behind me, whether good or bad. You’ve got to just keep working and getting better every day”
After graduation Landon decided to play at Florida St, choosing them over Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Georgia and Auburn amongst others. He was named the starting right guard for the Seminoles as a true freshman during training camp. The first to do so for the school since 1982. He started seven games before suffering a season ending knee injury, an issue that would follow him throughout his collegiate career.
His sophomore season ended much the same, this time after four games due to another injury. Dickerson sustained an ankle injury two games into his third year and used a redshirt medical exemption. The injury label was starting to become a part of his reputation and he opted to go to Alabama as a graduate transfer (he already earned his undergraduate degree from Florida St) to play his final two seasons of NCAA eligibility.
Once at Alabama, just like his first year with FSU, Landon was named starting right guard for the Crimson Tide. Unlike at FSU, Dickerson was moved to center week five (he had never played center at any level) and played the final 9 games of the year there. He quickly excelled at the position and was named second team All Southeastern Conference.
Landon began his red shirt senior season as the starting center and after a very successful year dominating at the position, the injury bug hit again. He suffered ligament damage in his right knee during the SEC Championship game. His determination and dedication during rehab was rewarded when he dressed for the 2021 College Football Championship game. Despite suffering a season ending injury he entered the game during the final snap of Alabama’s National Championship victory over Ohio St.
Heading into the draft the biggest, and really only, concern was his extensive injury history. Dickerson would have been a first round pick, maybe even a top 15 selection, if not for his most recent injury. Landon still had plenty of supporters. Including Brian Baldinger, “He’s my favorite player in the draft. He’ll start the fight and finish the fight.”
Philadelphia was also enamored. Dickerson stated that he spoke to the Eagles a few times heading into the draft. “ We had good meetings throughout that (draft process) I love coach Stoutland, he has an Alabama background, great dude. I look forward to getting coached by him.” He also stated that his role with the team was never discussed. “ I have tape, I’ve started all 5 positions on the offensive line. My role is whatever coach thinks, whatever position I need to be in to make the team better” An attitude the Eagles loved.
The risk reward would prove to be too great for General Manager Howie Roseman and the Eagles to pass on. Philadelphia selected Dickerson with the 37th overall pick in round two of the 2021 NFL Draft. Roseman stated “(we) didnt think there was any chance” he would be available at 37. “ I think you understand there’s risk-reward in it. We rely on our medical staff to figure it out the best way to handle these, we also don’t want to be risk averse. We want to take chances”
With the Eagles recent history dealing with injuries, and having taken a similar risk in the 2017 draft with injured cornerback Sydney Jones, most fans, pundits and beat writers that follow the team were highly skeptical. Jones had a redshirt rookie season, and the risk didnt pay off. They seemingly overcorrected and didn’t draft DK Metcalf in 2019 due to medical concerns and selected JJ Arcega Whiteside. The Eagles, having been previously burned on both sides of the coin, had a slightly different approach and reasoning during the 21 draft. The difference this time was that the Eagles believed Dickerson (unlike Jones) would be able to play his rookie year. And play he has.
In addition to beating his opponents, he’s currently credited with the fifth highest run block win rate amongst all guards. His desire to get better is contagious and noticed by everyone in the locker room. Including his coaches. Sirianni on Dickerson “ I continue to see Landon get better, he cares, he’s tough, he’s physical, and he’s going to just keep getting better. Coach Stout is a great coach. If Landon comes in a day, he doesn’t feel like getting better that day. I promise you that Jeff Stoutland will make sure he’s feeling ready to get better that day.”
With Landon, working out and training isn’t something the Eagles will have to concern themselves with. During the pandemic Dickerson was so dedicated to training and his craft that he bought a bunch of gym equipment, turning his car port into a gym for for him and his then Alabama Crimson Tide teammates. He stated that the “gym” had a 300 gallon cold tub for recovery, jugs machine for the wideouts, a whiteboard with individual workouts for each player, recovery shakes, and that he provided sanitary services to prevent illness and ensure safety for everyone. “ I took a serious role in sanitary management, throughout that whole time we didn’t have one person contract covid or come to the house with covid.”
It’s easy to see how after only playing 2 seasons at Alabama he became a team and fan favorite. He has endeared himself to the Philadelphia faithful just as quickly. Whether it be sneaking out of the house to wear his overalls. Training hard to get ready to play for the 2021 season. Playing at level that makes everyone forget he is a rookie. Or instilling his dedication and work ethic to all of his teammates. Landon is winning over the fan base, the locker room, and every team he has faced.
Dickerson’s fiancé, Brooke Kuhlman stated she wondered why he left the house without saying bye.
2021 has been a year to remember for Dickerson. A college National Championship. Being selected in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL draft. Getting engaged this year to former beach volleyball player, Brooke Kuhlman. (She played for both FSU and Alabama like her fiancé.) And having a starting position on an offensive line that is dominating on a weekly basis. Throughout it all, his desire hasn’t changed one bit. “I am going to give everything to the city of Philly and my team. I m going to work everyday”
As always, Thank You for reading! And to everyone who assisted me, whether it was on the phone, email, or tweeting me back, much appreciation.
David
Follow me at @PHLEagleNews
I Try Not to Write Frustration Posts But…
I avoid the week-to-week swings and usually find myself being neither as high as Eagles Twitter is after a win nor as low as it is after a loss like yesterday. Any single game in any single week in the NFL yada yada… And I hate writing the same thing everybody else is posting, both of us have better things to do with our time.
And this isn’t really a frustration post, but is a “time to say I was wrong” post, specifically on Reagor. I always value player traits over short-term performance as players take time to develop and traits usually pan out. Reagor has them. So does Hurts. And while Reagor could still pan out (heck, anybody can), it is pretty clear that he is failing. Hurts continues to be more complicated as his floor is a good quarterback but that isn’t want the Eagles are shooting for.
Jalen Reagor
He is just shy of Instagram posting the picture of a cat hanging from a rope with “Hang in there!” with his tone deaf motivational posts. I never care what players post or don’t but seriously dude, stop. It’s bad it’s the ame thing I told my teenage daughters
Like everybody, I hated the pick of Reagor over Jefferson. I wrote in the Eagles history of WR draft analysis that Howie’s reasoning that Jefferson played the slot made no sense at all. That said, I believed in Reagor that he could be a good WR2 because of his traits – he does have speed and in his rookie season he showed an ability to separate. I watched every one of his targets and he did separate, his route running was rough but thought Sirianni would improve that, and despite the narrative Reagor had two drops in his rookie season (officially he had one drop but I thought there was a second he should have caught).
In his rookie season Reagor averaged 3.3 yards of separation on an average depth of target of 13.9 yards which was very good (stats from NextGenStats). The majority of WRs that averaged more separation than him were slot receivers (who will always skew high) – receivers around or above him in separation at that depth of target included Henry Ruggs, Marquise Brown, and Darnell Mooney. Like almost every receiver ever, he should have grown in his second season.
What happened? He has gotten worse in every way possible:
He got worse at separation, dropping to 2.6 yards from 3.3. How??!? Seriously. How.
He totaled 16.8 EPA last year in a partial year and somehow has dropped to NEGATIVE 12.8 EPA this year. A -29.6 swing in total EPA. How?!? There are only four WRs worse than him this year in cumulative EPA.
His punt returning has actually been the most valuable part of his game, ranking 22nd out of 47 kick returners and 32nd of 36 in punt returns by yards per return. These are both bad, but as I said, they are relatively his best value this year.
I will absolutely take the L here and it is clearly not reactionary – he needs to sit or go. And the Eagles will need to once again go back to the well to solve receiving either in the draft or free agency.
Jalen Hurts
I was optimistic on Hurts vs. expectations entering the season but still wondered how high he would rise to. His mobility alone gives him a middle of the league floor but the goal should always be to be a top 10 QB. My last couple of posts on Hurts and historical QB progression showed that:
QBs typically “are what they are” around 1,000 career passing attempts with few continuing to materially improve after that.
Hurts’ accuracy as measured by CPOE has improved from last year’s -8.3 to -0.9 this year. Big improvement but if he is to be the guy moving forward, he needs to be much better than that (top QBs will be near 4 or above).
Hurts has really struggled at the highest volume part of the passing game, the 1-10 yard range. Up to yesterday, he still only has 3 games where he had a positive CPOE in that range with the last two weeks again being really bad.
And his deep ball accuracy, a relative strength last year, has regressed and is also a negative CPOE.
Hurts has improved turnovers from last year greatly, yesterday’s three picks aside. But he is just not improving enough to be sure of him moving forward. Could he still? Sure, but as the season goes on it becomes more of a statistical outlier. Is he a great guy and a good leader? Yep, but that doesn’t help when he doesn’t see open receivers.
Hurts is the guy this year and any calls to bench him are silly. But at the end of the season, Howie will clearly see what his best option is moving forward. Would he draft one of the QBs this year? Depends what they think of Corral or maybe Pickett or Willis. But they will most likely have to move up to get who they want with where our picks are landing. Would he go after Wilson? I think absolutely but could he get him? Just my opinion, but I would expect the likelihood of scenarios to be:
Howie goes after Wilson
Howie trades down in the 1st for 2023 draft capital, Hurts gets another year
Howie drafts one of the 2022 QBs
Of course the above is all academic if Hurts either shows enough this year or buys another year because of his performance and lack of better options.
On the bright side…
The OL has been relatively healthier than last year, even with the Seumalo and Brooks injuries and the Eagles have better depth behind them with Landon and Driscoll in year 2. I showed the relationship before on OL health and offensive DVOA and the healthier line is paying off this year with the Eagles somehow sixth in offensive DVOA (11th pass and 3rd run).
A Promising, Auspicious Young Core?
All of these players are locked in, at least through the 2022 season.
Jalen Hurts – 23
Miles Sanders – 24
Kenneth Gainwell – 22
** Jordan Mailata – 24
Landon Dickerson – 23
Jack Anderson – 23
Nate Herbig – 23
DeVonta Smith – 23
Quez Watkins – 23
** Dallas Goedert – 26
Tyree Jackson – 24
Jack Stoll – 23
** Josh Sweat – 24
Milton Williams – 22
** TJ Edwards – 25
Davion Taylor – 23
** Avonte Maddox – 25
** Howie has done a really good job, recently, of signing these young core guys to team friendly extensions.
More impressive, is the fact that all current 11 offensive starters are homegrown draft picks.
Looking at this, I think it becomes clear what positions need to be addressed in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft. The Eagles, under Howie Roseman, have always prioritized the lines. It would be surprising to see less than 2 of their 4 top 40 picks not being used on the OL and DE. The cornerback position needs to be addressed in the top 40 as well. Your pick of linebacker or safety would presumably be one of the 4 too.
I have a fluid draft piece on the site where I update the top 32 prospects that I project to be round one talents.
But I am steadfast in the belief that the Eagles need to select 4 of these 5 positions (assuming they keep all 4 picks) with their first and second round draft capital.
DE
CB
S
OL
S
Big Play, Don’t Call Him Darius, Slay
Another week, another electrifying defensive performance from Big Play Slay. With his 51 yard pick 6, he became the first defensive player with TD’s in back to back weeks for the Eagles since Sheldon Brown in 2009.
Slay now has 3 touchdowns on the season(he had one in his NFL career prior to this incredible run). To put that in perspective, that’s more than George Kittle, Darren Waller, and Keenan Allen to name a few. He is in rare territory. Slay is only the second Eagles defender to score at least three touchdowns in a season. He is one behind Eric Allen, who had 4 in 1993, for tying the franchise record.
Slay is not only making his case for the Pro Bowl, but he has entered his name into the discussion for Defensive player of the year.
Enjoy his three highlight reel touchdowns.
Slay spent 7 seasons in Detroit, and this TD was special.
