Football at Four: An Inside Look at Free Agency/Draft Needs for the Eagles

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Right now the madness of football free agency begins

with the legal tampering period on Monday.

And we're going to take a look at some of the Eagles needs

free agency draft Monday.

It all begins.

They could have some new bodies in here.

Adam Kaplan from the inside of the birds podcast,

taking a look at free agency.

We know there's a lot of smoke around AJ Brown today.

And who knows by the end of this conversation, Adam,

he might be gone.

Who knows, right?

Yeah, so Mike, even if AJ Brown is on the roster,

remember he's on a contract for a while.

They still have a debt this you would receive.

John Dotson, his contract's up.

He was their third receiver.

Dallas Cooper was a great story.

His hope I'm sure is that he could compete for the number

three job.

So the number three job is open right now.

Johnny Wilson come off the major injury.

Major knee injury.

Remember, Mike, they missed him as a blocking receiver.

That's really all that he's done here.

He's really good at it.

They missed him last season.

There's no question about it.

Brent Covey just a slot receiver and a special team

returner.

So depth is an issue at receiver.

It's not a major knee, but it's a knee.

Now, another knee, Michael Offense,

they've got to address the depth on their offensive line.

Brent Cove's contract is up.

He had that one great start.

The second game against the Giants.

Drew Kennell's got some upside as a center.

He's not.

The way he was explaining to me by someone

who turned a scouting report on him

coming out of Boston College.

Probably not physical enough for big enough

to play guard at this level consistently if he had to,

but certainly projects to be a center.

They need a veteran center guard, Mike.

A particularly guard.

As a backup, they also need a backup left or right tackle.

Like combo guard, like Fred Johnson.

If not Fred Johnson, Mike, somebody else, they can get,

they don't have to have the guy until training camp.

So it's not like a knee they have to fill now.

But at some point, they're going to need it.

Ted N is a major knee.

Obviously, if Dallas Goddard is back,

that won't preclude them from drafting a Ted N

in the first round.

I'll have no impact on Goddard coming back.

Remember when the Eagle shocked us and took Goddard

in the second round in 2018.

Zach Hertz was only 27 years old.

Let's not forget about that.

Honestly, at some point, they've got to get Lane Johnson's

replacement.

It could obviously be in the first round.

And that guy might have to play left tackle as well.

Because right now, they don't know who their backup left

tackle would be.

So right now, Mike, those would be the needs on offense.

Well, obviously a lot of that resolves around what AJ Brown

and these, you know, they want this resolved in the next

couple of days, I guess, before we're right when free agency

begins so that they can kind of map out what to do next.

So this thing could happen imminently or not at all, right?

Well, here's the thing.

If they trade AJ, but let's say by Wednesday he's moved,

they're going to have a general idea.

They'll be, trust me on this one.

They'll be adding a veteran.

One way or the other via trade or free agency.

And then they could draft AJ's long-term replacement

in the draft.

I mean, they could do that.

They could select that guy then.

But they're going to want to add a veteran.

Yeah, and that with the doors opening on Monday, half way,

and then fully on Wednesday afternoon,

they're going to want to know kind of what the receiver position

looks like.

And remember, if they trade AJ Brown,

they free up $29 million in cash.

Cash is King of the National Football League.

That's a major deal there.

Let me move that cash.

A lot of teams bailing out.

It looks like the Patriots, maybe the chargers,

looks like the Rams kicked the tires.

They're out.

Who knows?

This AJ Brown thing seems to be ramping up

on the Friday before the start of the new league year.

Which starts next week, Adam.

We looked at some needs on offense.

A defense, it seems like a jigsaw puzzle.

Who stays?

Who goes?

And if who goes, then you need replacements.

So the defense is something to definitely keep an eye on, right?

Yeah, so defensive line wise, they're really good in terms

of their three starters.

Oh, Jomo, Fano, you risk contract.

Davis is trying to get an extension on Jalen Carter, right?

So the issue is that edge.

They have camels up.

Excuse me, Phillips is up, not camel.

Shot camels in a second year.

And they have to figure out a full time

where he's going to line up.

But Phillips, his contract's up, Mike.

And right now, it's Jalexon, who they love.

And Noah Smith, who kind of regressed,

be honest with it, he's a good run defender,

but he was hurt last season.

So he's been hurt the last two seasons.

So you worry about that.

Edge is a major concern right now.

Going forward, particularly if they cannot reach an agreement

by Monday with Jalen Phillips.

If they can, they're going to have to do something.

And it could be significant.

And then the other needs are, Mike,

other than edge right now corner,

is a major need obstacle in your mental.

Right now, we feel like it's going to be another year

of Cuperd to Jean at Nickel now.

The difference between last year and our reporting,

when we put it out on all of our platforms

that they were going to, they were pretty confident

that he would only, he would play Nickel

and then base, he'd play on the outside.

This year, it's a little bit more open,

potentially moving them more to corner.

But right now, it looks like Nickel.

So right corner is open, Mike.

Right corner is open, even if a George Jackson resign.

That's not going to stop them

from adding a legitimate piece at right corner.

That's a problem.

Seat yaps of macubre is a problem.

Like a chip contract's up, so it's marks steps.

Seated brown will only play on special teams

based on the way that he's been used.

So safety is also an issue.

Mike, quite frankly,

depth at corner and safety is a problem.

They've got a lot of needs, Mike, on defense.

Yeah, and we talked to Andrew yesterday

about obviously read blank and chip

played for Christian Parker.

There would be some ties to Dallas there.

But if you lost read blank and chip,

we talked about this when you were on Tuesday.

You really have Andrew McCuba

who obviously health is an issue there.

You might have to find multiple safeties.

Honestly, right now at safety, it's McCuba and nobody

because again, City Brown, I always say coaches

let you know what they think the player

by how many snaps a guy plays at certain position.

Seated brown will only play on defense

if absolutely necessary.

So that kind of tells you where Vic Fangio is.

He doesn't believe in him to be a starter.

And you know, you don't typically don't rotate at safety.

So they've got a safety problem.

Mike, they've got a depth problem on defense.

The edge right now, right corner, strong safety,

strong safety, more or less, they need to,

it is a problem, even if McCuba Dean leaves,

which is highly probable.

And by the way, we fully expect someone who's played

in the Fangio defense to go to Dallas,

whether it's blank and chip, whether it's D.

I mean, we probably like this, right?

I put this, we talked about this Jeff and I did.

Literally that the second Christian Parker got the job.

Our next show, he said, do not be surprised

if Dean or blank and chip signs there.

Now, both signing there, I know that the Cowboys

are looking into Vic of Fitzpatrick

and they have liked him for a while.

But this always happens when coaches,

new coordinators come in.

They want their guys who understand

they often through defense, whatever side of the football

they're on.

And in this case, it's defense with Christian Parker.

What do you make Adam of some reports of Dallas

being involved in Max Crosby and then possibly, you know,

because if you're involved in Max Crosby

or possibly, try to worry about them looking at Jalen Phillips?

Well, look, if, if, and yeah, Jerry Jones,

and this is one of the few times that I believe him,

he, you know, he talks a lot.

No, he did, he did a lot at the start of last season

that Quintet Williams trade, of course, he gave up a lot.

But he has made it pretty clear

that they're going to, they have for many years.

They, they, Jerry was in the mid to late 2000,

is like, like before, you go max 15, 16 years,

like, that was really when they were at big,

frequent spenders, but they've kind of changed it up.

But I, I do believe him that they're going to do something

significant, whether it's Henderson,

Trey Henderson, whether it's Max Crosby, that trade,

and they're going to do something

because they, they cannot compete defensively.

They're so in discipline, that's the thing, man,

Mike, they just, they have talent.

They just don't play together as a unit.

Donovan has Rock who is having surgery on something.

So that's concern.

Their edge rush group is not very good.

Clionist contracts up, valorist contracts is up.

They have a lot of work to do

and they were terrible in the secondary last season.

Yeah, well, and obviously Christian Parker,

the new coordinate over there, he's probably

going to want to get guys he's familiar with.

So I would imagine that all three Eagles free agents,

if you're an Eagles fan, you should be on pretty high alert

that Dallas could be kicking the tires on the Kobe.

I know yesterday we had Q Myers on from ESPN radio.

He's a Raider follows the Raiders out there

and he said, we would love the Kobe Dean there.

I got to imagine Dean is going to be

an interesting commodity on the market.

I'm very intrigued to see what kind of market blanket ship has.

Jeff and I talked about him on Wednesday

because Adam, you were at the Super Bowl.

We got a chance to talk to Reed.

You could see it in his face that he does not want to leave here,

but I think he does understand that there's almost no way

he can come back if he gets an offer and that offer,

I don't know, do you think there's going to be an offer

out there much like Jeff compared it to kind of like TJ Edwards?

Yeah, honestly, I would agree.

I would be the only agent we really know

because that person is a good singer.

And remember, black and ship changed agencies

as O'Jomo has recently.

As the Kobe Dean has done in the last year.

So these guys are going to look to get paid.

Now, the thing about Dean is, it's kind of like the tape is great,

but he's got this inter-history that he's overcome,

which has been incredible, kind of a medical marvel.

But overall, in jail and Phillips,

you mentioned Dallas or wherever.

I mean, if his deal is not done by Monday,

coming back to the Eagles, the chances

are that he'd leave.

I, the Eagles know this, that whatever they do an edge,

it's probably going to be significant.

And that one, their number one goal is to get Phillips done,

but if it's not,

Domino effect.

Yeah, absolutely.

How he's very aggressive.

I know that they're cash-bend.

They like it to be similar to last year.

A little bit, we reported this last year,

they're going to have a significantly low cash-bend.

This is just because they spent a ton on extensions

the last two years.

And now it's really Mike.

It's a couple of two or three extensions

and just resigning some key for agents.

But that's how we set the combine.

You cannot resound everyone.

You just, you can't keep everybody, it's impossible.

No, and as we've talked about on football four all week long,

it looks like the priority would be jail in Phillips,

but what is everybody else's priority around you?

That could kind of derail your priority.

Yeah, and look, again, if I think it's 12 noon Eastern,

is when you could start agreeing to deals,

but you can't sign them and they could up by the way,

there are a lot of players, a lot of backup.

I call it the door's half open.

And by the way, those deals were agreed upon

in Indianapolis most likely.

Yeah, and actually, I remember I put this out

and I was not yelled at because when I put stuff out

this funeral ball about a team shopping player,

I usually get yelled at, but I put out at the 2009 funeral ball.

I think it was that the Eagles were shopping with now.

They were looking to see who was interested

and that turned out to be true.

They went up trading them.

So watch later back in May.

But the bottom line is, yeah, most of the stuff,

the talk start hard.

Yeah, the Marco Murray trade, I remember,

when the Eagles traded them to the Titans that,

that mostly got done at the combine

and then the Eagles tried to get A.G. Brown at that combine

and it didn't work, John Robinson,

no, you could check back with me down the line,

but we're trying to get his contract done

and they went up not getting done

and how he stayed on it and the guy's man doing the draft.

Adam Kaplan, football fore on Tuesday, you are back

when we speak on Tuesday,

will we be talking about some players

out of the Eagles nest?

Oh, yeah, for sure.

And maybe some coming, but there are a lot of,

Mike, it's hard to land off enough time,

but just understand this and the folks understand this,

a little bit stronger here.

It's about cash, Ben.

If Phillips works, walks away,

that means they're gonna have more money to spend.

If they re-sign them, that's pretty much

gonna crush their budget.

And they have, but they budgeted for a couple extensions,

two to three of them, plus bringing Phillips back.

If Jalen Phillips leaves,

they're gonna have money to spend

and how he will always spend money

that they've allocated to keep an eye on that.

All right, we'll see what happens, A.J. Brown.

Could be here, could be gone.

That's another one.

Yep, that would free up money, Mike.

That would free up money.

Oh, well, real quick, last one, Dallas Goddard.

That's it, because last year,

it seems like we were like, he's out, they bring him back.

Yeah.

He was out.

Let's put it this way.

He was pretty much out.

I mean, this thing moved at the combine, we were told,

we put it out, no one said we weren't right.

They were looking to move him hard,

and then they couldn't get a deal done with another team,

and they told Dallas for you to come back.

We have to cut your pay by $5.25 million.

He agreed to it.

He loved being an eagle, but I'll leave you with this.

It sounds like they're going to let him just say, hey, look,

go get your deal, see what's out there,

and let us keep us in the loop,

and see if we could work something out.

That's how he's done that for years with guys.

TG Edwards, we put it out at the time

that highly unlikely he'd come back,

but they want to know what's out there for him,

and they thought it wasn't great money,

they just weren't going to match it,

but there's a lot of going on here, Mike,

with a surprise, and it's very interesting.

Well, look forward to talking to you on Tuesday,

because we'll probably have things about Fitz, who's here,

who's gone football at four, of course,

every day, four o'clock, and the Inside the Birds podcast,

which you can get on all podcasting platforms

as you covered for all of the Eagles offices

and leading you up to the draft right here on football at four.

Thanks, Adam.

Thank you.

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