The Linc - Someone placed a million dollar bet on the Eagles to win the Super Bowl

Feb 4, 2023 - 5:23 PM

Philadelphia Eagles" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1xihU8D1cW0CBrO_UiC5V6Pyw1o=/0x13:7742x4368/1920x1080/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71940686/1458308275.0.jpg" />

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

The first million-dollar bet for Super Bowl LVII has landed - PFT
Via David Purdum of ESPN.com, the first reported seven-figure Super Bowl wager for next Sunday’s Eagles-Chiefs game has been made. Someone has bet $1 million on the Eagles straight up with BetMGM, at -125 odds. The bet will pay, if Philly wins, $800,000. And if the Chiefs win, a million bucks is gone forever.

Eagles, Jeff Stoutland agree to contract extension - BGN
The Philadelphia Eagles and run game coordinator/offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland “agreed in principle” to a contract extension, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Stoutland, 60, was said to have drawn interest “from multiple teams for offensive coordinator positions this [NFL hiring] cycle.” Perhaps former Eagles offensive coordinator and new Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich was among those trying to recruit him. The Eagles must be overjoyed to retain Stoutland’s services. He’s done an excellent job with Philadelphia’s offensive line since originally joining the team in 2013. The Eagles have consistently had some of the league’s best blocking units under his tutelage.

Super Bowl draft: Ranking the best players from Eagles vs. Chiefs - BGN Radio
The Eagles are going to the Super Bowl! Brandon Lee Gowton and Jimmy Kempski look ahead to the big game by running through the key players on each roster. Interact with us on Twitter: @BrandonGowton, @JimmyKempski, @BGN_Radio, @BleedingGreen Use discount code BGN15 at RighteousFelon.com for 15% off your order! Looking for Super Bowl tickets? Ticket IQ has zero fees and will save you thousands compared to StubHub. Use promo code ‘SB300’ for $300 off your SBLVII order.

Mailbag: Could the Eagles or Chiefs become the NFL’s next dynasty? - PhillyVoice
The only players still on the roster from the last Super Bowl were Kelce, Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Isaac Seumalo, Jake Elliott, Rick Lovato, and Derek Barnett (who is on IR and won’t play). And then there’s Greg Ward, who was on the practice squad for the last Super Bowl, played in games in 2019, 2020, and 2021, and is back on the practice squad in 2022. I would rank the players most likely to retire in the following order: Jason Kelce: He’s still the best in the world at what he does, and has shown no signs of regression. If anything, he keeps getting better. It’s hard to walk away from that.

Lack of Respect - Iggles Blitz
I do get where some people aren’t going to like Sirianni. He’s got a goofy personality and that will bother some. He’s fiery and opinionated. That will bother some. His sideline celebrations and antics will turn off some. I’m fine with people not liking him. I’ve hated plenty of coaches. Does anyone really like Bill Belichick? Is he a genius and amazingly good coach? Absolutely. I hated Jimmy Johnson with a passion. But I sure respected how good he was. On a side note…when is Mike McCarthy going to get a contract extension? He deserves a lifetime contract. Maybe longer.

Super Bowl LVII’s top 10 game-planning nightmares: How do you cover Travis Kelce? Stop A.J. Brown? - NFL.com
I’m not a doctor, and I’m not going to speculate on the current state of Mahomes’ right ankle — or what his health percentage could be by kickoff on Super Bowl Sunday. Here’s what I do know: Patrick Mahomes is the biggest nightmare to game plan against in the NFL today. Why? Well ... The MVP front-runner is a unicorn at the position as an elite thrower with exceptional improvisational skills. Mahomes dazzles as a gunslinger from inside or outside of the pocket, displaying pinpoint accuracy on off-platform throws while releasing the ball from various arm angles. As an elusive playmaker with A+ arm talent, the veteran is nearly impossible to defend with conventional tactics. Opponents must find a way to keep Mahomes confined to the pocket with a disciplined pass rush that requires defenders to stay on their tracks while avoiding running past the depth of the quarterback’s drop. If Jonathan Gannon’s defense can clog Mahomes’ escape lanes while dropping seven and eight defenders into coverage, the five-star passer will be forced to play a dink-and-dunk game that will challenge his patience as a playmaker. Given how turnovers often coincide with poor decisions and uncertainty, Philadelphia needs to win with four and blanket Kansas City’s aerial attack with seven defenders in coverage.

Patrick Mahomes: Historic matchup vs. Jalen Hurts ‘special’ - ESPN
Since then, six Black quarterbacks have started in the Super Bowl, including Mahomes twice, but never two in the same game. “I think it’s history,’’ Hurts said Thursday in Philadelphia. “I think it’s something worthy of being noted. It’s come a long way. I think there’s only been seven African American quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl. To be the first in something is pretty cool, so I know it will be a good one. “I think anyone like Mike Vick, Cam [Newton], Randall Cunningham, McNabb, all those type of guys are guys that a lot of young kids looked up to, a lot of young Black kids as well, Steve McNair, all of those guys.” Mahomes said he did not aggravate his high ankle sprain in the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game victory against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. He was scheduled to be a full practice participant Thursday as the Chiefs began preparations for the Super Bowl. He said he was experiencing general soreness from what he called a physical game but added, “Other than that, I feel I’m in a good spot.’’ Hurts also has been battling an injury, as he suffered an SC joint sprain in his right shoulder on Dec. 18 against the Chicago Bears. He returned for the Eagles’ season finale and the postseason. “I’m getting there. I made it clear this whole time it’s been something I’ve been dealing with,” he said, adding that it’s getting better “with time.”

The Super Bowl veterans plan to ‘love every minute of it’ - PE.com
“I feel like the first time I didn’t document it as well as I would have liked as far as pictures and memories. It was a quick week,” Johnson said. “The second time around my goal is to put as much work in and as much focus in as I can and at the same time enjoy it. I feel like Friday will be our day to enjoy it with our families, so as long as they’re having fun and everybody else is good, that is what the Super Bowl is about.” Johnson has had a different perspective, of course, given his return from the groin/abdominal injury that threatened his season. He’s “more thankful” to be in this position, and it is one to be appreciated. “I’m cherishing every bit of it,” Cox said. All of these players have been instrumental in the building of the Eagles through the 2010s and into the 2020s. They have transcended generations of coaching staffs and players here and they have been together through all of the ups and the downs. When Head Coach Nick Sirianni speaks of the veteran leadership that has helped him guide the team and direct the locker room, he means Cox and Kelce and Johnson and Graham and Seumalo and Elliott and Lovato. Institutional knowledge has its esteemed place even in this new-ideas-are-the-best-ideas world.

Why the Philadelphia Eagles O-Line is NFL’s Best - Football Outsiders
The Philadelphia Eagles are heading back to the Super Bowl after beating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game last Sunday. The story of the game was the injuries to San Francisco’s only two healthy quarterbacks that turned the contest into a blowout in the second half. Without a functioning quarterback, San Francisco was never going to be able to compete with Philadelphia, but watching the game back, I think the 49ers might have been in trouble no matter who they had under center. I, along with anyone that has been watching, have been singing the Eagles’ offensive line’s praises all season. Considering the defense they were up against, Sunday’s championship performance was another really impressive display. They consistently gave Jalen Hurts plenty of time to throw (he was sacked just once). And while the running stats weren’t gaudy, they did a nice job picking up consistent gains with their backs when they needed them. The guy I want to highlight first didn’t play the best game of anyone up front for Philadelphia. In fact, he may have played the worst if you graded pass or fail on every play. Still, considering what he’s dealing with (torn groin) and who he was matched up with primarily (Nick Bosa), Lane Johnson’s play may have been the most impressive performance on all of championship Sunday. Outside of a really bad back or neck issue maybe, I cannot think of an injury that would be harder to pass-block with than a torn groin. Not only does pass-blocking demand a ton of lateral movement, but it’s lateral movement while a 280-pound man is pushing on you. Take this play.

It’s scary to make a prediction about Eagles-Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, but here goes: The winner will be ... - Inquirer
So here we are, five years later, and at their core, the Eagles’ opponents in both of these Super Bowls are the same: two top-heavy teams, each with an all-time great coach, an all-time great quarterback, and an all-time great tight end. Belichick, Tom Brady, and Rob Gronkowski then; Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce now.The biggest difference this time around is in the Eagles. Their roster is deeper and, top to bottom, more talented than the 2017-18 team’s — and the 2022-23 Chiefs’. Their offensive and defensive lines are among the best in the NFL, if not the best. They’re as healthy as a team can be at this time of year. It’s a scary thing, to offer a Big Take a week before the Big Game … Ah, the hell with it. Let’s swing for the fences. Eagles 38, Chiefs 24.

Memories from Super Bowl LII on the 5-year anniversary - NBCSP
2. It’s hard to describe the media crush at a Super Bowl. Usually, there’s enough going on that the media is dispersed, with 50 interviews going on at once. But post-game in the MVP interview room, it’s insane. I was on Nick Foles duty after the game, and I squeezed into a not-big-enough interview room near the Eagles’ locker room to see what Nick had to say after his historic performance. I had a few questions for Nick, but at a Super Bowl, you don’t just ask questions, you have to raise your hand and hope an NFL PR person calls on you. Now, there were about 200 media jammed into that room, and they don’t take many questions. It might have been seven or eight that night. But I kept raising my hand and trying to make eye contact with the PR person. Finally, the guy says, “OK, last question … Reuben Frank.” My lucky day! So I asked Nick something or other, and he looks over at me and says this: “Hey, Roob, thanks for coming.” He had just won a Super Bowl. He had been named MVP. He had one of the greatest performances in history and capped one of the most improbable stories ever. And standing there in front of this massive media throng, he just couldn’t help being himself.

Best fantasy football landing spots for 10 prospects in 2023 NFL Draft - PFF
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State to the Philadelphia Eagles (Pick No. 10 via New Orleans Saints). Speedy yet unproductive slot receiver Quez Watkins (55.7 PFF receiving grade, 0.83 yards per route run) is Philadelphia’s offensive weakness. He can be cut easily, saving Philadelphia $2,743,000 with just $42,415 in dead money next year. Smith-Njigba (55.3 PFF receiving grade, 83.0% slot-receiving snap rate) is coming off an injury-ruined junior-year campaign. If Smith-Njigba can pass his NFL scouting combine physical and return to his 2021 form, he would be a great option for general manager Howie Roseman. The table below ranks in parentheses Smith-Njigba’s 2021 receiving data among the 103 FBS slot receivers with at least 200 slot-receiving snaps in 2021-2022.

Cowboys need to go all in on free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason - Blogging The Boys
Odell Beckham Jr. is a realistic option for the Cowboys this offseason. Many fans want the Cowboys to pursue a big playmaker such as Arizona Cardinals WR Deandre Hopkins through a trade. But realistically, this is not something the Cowboys would be looking to do. Hopkins has a cap hit of $30.75 million in 2023 according to Spotrac.com. The front office typically does not like to invest this type of money in players they did not draft themselves, and Lamb is due for a contract extension in the near future. When considering the price tag of elite options they could trade for, as well as considering the lackluster field to choose from among upcoming free agents, Beckham is the best option for the Cowboys this offseason if they are looking to improve their wide receiver room. It also may be important to sign him because if the Cowboys do not, he could be making a reunion with the New York Giants, the team that drafted him. There has been mutual interest among both Beckham Jr. and the Giants in reaching a contract agreement. It would be wise for the Cowboys to not just make their own team better, but prevent a division rival from becoming stronger.

Giants position review, quarterback: Daniel Jones will get paid; then what will happen? - Big Blue View
The Giants appear to be negotiating first with running back Saquon Barkley, with Schoen saying at the Senior Bowl he has not started talks with Jones’ representatives yet. My read on that? The Giants would like to get a Barkley deal done, or know that is not going to happen on terms they are comfortable with, and keep the $32.416 million quarterback franchise tag as a tool to utilize in talks with Jones. That tag number is likely the low end of negotiations for Jones. There are 11 quarterbacks who make more than that $32.416 million average per year. The low end of that is Jared Goff ($33.5 million) and Kirk Cousins ($35 million). Next are Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford at $40 million. It isn’t hard to see Jones looking for more than Goff or Cousins. It isn’t hard to argue that he is as good or better than either. The way Prescott played in 2022, with 15 interceptions in 12 games and a two-interception performance in the playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers, it isn’t out of the question to believe Jones’ reps will begin negotiations somewhere in the $40+ million range. Contract structure — number of years, bonuses, incentives — are all going to be critical to ease the cap burden as much as possible. Jones, though, is going to be the Giants’ quarterback in 2023.

No More Re-Treads at Quarterback for Washington! - Hogs Haven
The move here has to be Sam Howell. Not only is Howell on an affordable rookie deal, but he’s intelligent, mobile, has a big arm and can throw accurately to all levels of the field. Behind a solid offensive line, and with the weapons Washington has at wide receiver and running back, Howell can be a great guy to develop for the nexr new head coach to take on. In this time of “what have you done for me lately”, the veteran re-tread route has not worked well for coach Rivera. If he tries it yet again in 2023, this fan base may run him out of town faster than Packers fans ran Dan Devine out of Green Bay.

Senior Bowl 2023: More standouts from Day 3 in Mobile - SB Nation
Keeping with the trend, Northwestern RB Evan Hull has been the best RB on the National team. He’s solidly built, with a thick lower body, but his ability to bounce off first contact and natural burst is going to get him on an NFL team. He’s been the best National team back in pass blocking and pass protection as well. This week has been very good to Hull, one that could see him go from UDFA to potential draft pick.

What We Learned From a Week at the Senior Bowl - The Ringer
The NFL’s love of corners is here to stay. One thing is clear: The top of the draft will be focused on the cornerback position. Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez and Illinois’s Devon Witherspoon—who accepted a Senior Bowl invite before backing out late—are the names regularly mentioned as options for teams with top-10 picks, like the Lions, Eagles, and Raiders. Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. should not be excluded from that bunch. We have seen two top-10 cornerbacks in consecutive drafts—Patrick Surtain II and Jaycee Horn in 2021 and Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner in 2022. I wager we’ll see two again in 2023.

New Skills Competition events at 2023 NFL Pro Bowl Games - DraftKings Nation
The NFL is trying to figure out the best way to show off its All-Stars. Previously, the Pro Bowl was a football game pitting the best of the NFC against the best of the AFC. Then, the NFL started throwing in fun little competitions. Now, there is no more full football game, but skills competition events spread out over two days culminating in three flag football games. The 2023 Pro Bowl Games will begin on Thursday, Feb. 2 and continue on Sunday, Feb 5.

...

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen

BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta

BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton

BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio