The football season came to an end last night after the Eagles pounding KC. What is funny it seemed like every single expert predicted the Chiefs to win another Super Bowl. KC had Mahommes and that was going to be good enough to win it all. Who can blame them since KC was going for a three peat. I watched KC many times this year and I just never saw an elite team. They had a LG (Tuney) playing LT. Their interior OL is not very good. I believe KC was one of the worst teams covering spreads being favored as much as they were. The reality is the better team won.
That brings me to the Eagles. I am a Cowboys fan. I HATED the Eagles when Buddy Ryan was the coach. I pretty much hated the Eagles my entire life. You grow up a Cowboys fan and the Eagles, Redskins (now Commanders) and the Giants in that order, you hate them. For those who don't understand the history of the Eagles and Cowboys, Buddy Ryan put bounties out on Cowboys players. One Eagles defender had a towel with Cowboys jersey numbers on it to who they need to take out. They tried to hurt Troy Aikman every time they played the Eagles. It got so bad that the Eagles took Dallas kicker out. TOOK HIM OUT and ended his game. So the hate ran deep. I don't like to use the word HATE...But there was nothing as a Cowboy fan we would find redeeming about Philly. Not their fans, not their players, not their head coach. Now, I caught myself cheering for them last night. Their GM Howie Roseman is the best or one of the best in the business. He has now won Super Bowls with two different coaches and two different teams. He drafted and paid Carson Wentz and ton of money. He realized it was a mistake and drafted Jalen Hurts. He has made all the right moves.
Jalen Hurts -WOW. I remember watching him at Bama and he got benched for Tua in the National Title Game. Here is a guy who was recruited to Bama, had a ton of success and in the biggest game of his career got benched. The following year Tua is handed the starting job. What did Hurts do? He did not leave Alabama. No he stayed and when Tua went down it was Hurts who came in and won a big game. He is not the biggest QB. He does not have the best arm. He is a B+ QB in a league where the A-listers get most of the big wins and the most attention. Hurts did not play great early on. He had the pick which was not a good throw. He made some other decisions early on where you were like -WTF. As the game went on the settled in and played within the Eagles system. I was a fan of Jalen Hurts after how he handled himself at Bama. I am a bigger fan of his now. Not sure how many super bowls Hurts wins. I am not sure if he will ever be considered one of the best quarterbacks in Pro Football. That being said he seems like a great guy and someone that would be hard to root against.
Josh Sweat- I remember when FSU recruiting Josh. I was on campus inside the coaches office and Sweat was there with his family. Super nice family. He was so damn impressive physically. He looked like Clowney just a little shorter. Kid had super long arms and his build was that of a super star. I was thinking that this kid is going to be a star at FSU. He had a terrible injury the following season and FSU fans seem to only get a glimpse of his immense talent. Sweat should have been an all-time great at FSU. He never got that shot. He is now very good in the NFL and should get a big contract real soon. I am glad that he finally has reached his potential. FSU has put some serious talent at DE in the NFL. Sweat, Walker, Verse, Johnson....They have a story to sell.
Nick Siriana - Don't know where he will go down as a HC. He has now been to two Super Bowls and won one of them. What is crazy is before the season started there was talk of him being fired. Yeah. There was talk of him being fired as the HC of the Eagles. He now has a Title.
SCHEME - I wanted to bring this up because so many fans always talk on these message boards about SCHEME...Scheme this, scheme that....Last night the Eagles ran a straight 4 man front and did not blitz a single time. They were able to do so because their DL is in the best in pro football. These guys just flat out dominated in the playoffs and last night had one of the best performances ever for a defensive line. Scheme does not matter when you have elite players. It is when you don't have them you need to scheme things up. Sometimes you can even have a great scheme (KC) and the guys opposite you (Eagles) just have better players. Scheme last night just did not matter.
Saquon Barkley - I am so glad he won last night. He has been a great pro, never really said much on how he was treated by the Giants and wen to Philly and got a ring. By the way he also had one of the best seasons ever for a running back. He is now a first ballot hall of famer. I bring up Barkley because the first time I watched him was at Rutgers Summer Camp. Schiano landed his commitment after he put on an impressive performance. My buddy who covered Rutgers asked me what I thought, I said that Barkley kid is one of the best players here. He goes Rutgers right now is one of the only offers he has. He was committed till a week before NSD. Penn State had lost their top target. They bring him in the final weekend before NSD and Franklin pulls him to Penn State. He was a late take by Penn State and now is one of the best backs ever in pro football. I will say this about Schiano, he always had an eye for talent. I don't know many coaches who found more guys from Ray Rice to Barkely who were not heavily recruited that ended up All-Pro players in the NFL.
NFL Draft/HS Recruiting vs. NFL Free Agency /Portal Recruiting
Eagles
Draft
QB-Jalen Hurts (Round 2) (2020) Alabama
RB-Kenneth Gainwell (Round 5) 2021 (Memphis)
WR-Devonta Smith (Round 1) (2021) Alabama
TE-Dallas Goedert (Round 2) (2018) South Dakota
OL-Tyler Steen (Round 3) (2023) Alabama
OL-Cam Jurgens (Round 2) (2022) Nebraska
OL-Landon Dickerson (Round 2) (2021) Alabama
OL-Jordan Mailata (Round 7) (2018)
OL-Lane JOhnson (Round 1) (2013) Oklahoma
DL-Jalen Carter -(Round 1) (2023) Georgia
DL-Moro Ojomo (Round 7) (2023) Texas
DL-Milton Williams (Round 3) (2022) Louisiana Tech
DL-Josh Sweat (Round 4) (2018) FSU
DL-Jordan Davis (Round 1) (2022) Georgia
LB-Nolan Smith (Round 1) (2023) Georgia
DB-Cooper DeJean (Round 2) (2024) Iowa
DB-Quinyon Mitchell (Round 1) (2024) Toledo
Free Agency / Trade
RB-Saquon Barkely (From Giants)
LB-Zack Baun
DB-CJ Gardner
DB-Darius Slay
Ohio State
QB-WIll Howard (Portal)
RB-Trevion Henderson (Recruit)
RB-Quinshon Judkins (Portal)
WR-Carnell Tate (Recruit)
WR-Jeremiah Smith (Recruit)
WR-Emeka Egbuka (Recruit)
TE-Gee Scott (Recruit)
OL-Luke Montgomery (Recruit)
OL-Donovan Jackson (Recruit)
OL-Seth McGlaughlin (Recruit)
OL-Carson Hinzman (Recruit)
OL-Tegra Tshabola (Recruit)
DL-Jack Sawyer (Recruit)
DL-JT Tuimoloau (Recruit)
DL-Eddrick Houtson (Recruit)
DL-Tyleik Williams (Recruit)
LB-Cody Simon (Recruit)
LB-Sonny Styles (Recruit)
DB-Caleb Downs (Portal )
DB-Denzel Burke (Recruit)
DB-Davinson Igbinosun (Portal)
DB-Lathan Ransom (Recruit)
DB-Jordan Hancock (Recruit)
When you look at Ohio State and Philadelphia Eagles they built their teams through the draft and high school recruiting. Out of 22 starters for Ohio State 20 were players they recruited and developed through the high school ranks. So for all the money they spent it was done through HS players. Yes they added Judkins, Downs and Howard through the portal but they were more like icing on the cake. The Eagles built their team through the draft. Yes they brought in some players from other teams but they also were home grown. While the portal can fix problems, I still believe that HS recruiting is the way to consistently win ball games. We will see but the proof is still in the pudding.
Now FSU - lend me a HAND....Herb Hand. I have never met him. When FSU fired Atkins and his name popped up, I went and researched his name. I came away very impressed with his resume. Since he has come over to FSU, I have been even more impressed. He has changed the OL on the team and recruiting board for 2026 is quite impressive. FSU has guys that look like they belong. The fact that guys like Ben Mebenga are not only interested but will be coming back is impressive. He is one of the top offensive lineman in Georgia. I don't want to get ahead of myself but with Hand in charge of the OL, I am not concerned about that position anymore. I think FSU is in good shape.
Spring Football - To think the NFL just finished and we are just a few weeks away from college football starting back up is crazy. I remember the season would end and it would seem like forever for the college season to come back. Now with the portal, the HS recruiting and spring football there is no off-season anymore.
What I am looking for.....Keep TC healthy. Make sure Brock Glenn gets a ton of reps because I feel we are going to see him play next year. Reports from practice that the OL can actually move defenders off the ball and the run game is back. A couple of the receivers step up and you here names of who has stepped out and taken the lead. Want to hear who the pass rusher is on this team...Right now there does not seem to be one. The linebackers are getting better. Want to hear Lester name this spring. Guys like Cai Bates are taking the next step. This spring is huge for this program.
That brings me to the Eagles. I am a Cowboys fan. I HATED the Eagles when Buddy Ryan was the coach. I pretty much hated the Eagles my entire life. You grow up a Cowboys fan and the Eagles, Redskins (now Commanders) and the Giants in that order, you hate them. For those who don't understand the history of the Eagles and Cowboys, Buddy Ryan put bounties out on Cowboys players. One Eagles defender had a towel with Cowboys jersey numbers on it to who they need to take out. They tried to hurt Troy Aikman every time they played the Eagles. It got so bad that the Eagles took Dallas kicker out. TOOK HIM OUT and ended his game. So the hate ran deep. I don't like to use the word HATE...But there was nothing as a Cowboy fan we would find redeeming about Philly. Not their fans, not their players, not their head coach. Now, I caught myself cheering for them last night. Their GM Howie Roseman is the best or one of the best in the business. He has now won Super Bowls with two different coaches and two different teams. He drafted and paid Carson Wentz and ton of money. He realized it was a mistake and drafted Jalen Hurts. He has made all the right moves.
Jalen Hurts -WOW. I remember watching him at Bama and he got benched for Tua in the National Title Game. Here is a guy who was recruited to Bama, had a ton of success and in the biggest game of his career got benched. The following year Tua is handed the starting job. What did Hurts do? He did not leave Alabama. No he stayed and when Tua went down it was Hurts who came in and won a big game. He is not the biggest QB. He does not have the best arm. He is a B+ QB in a league where the A-listers get most of the big wins and the most attention. Hurts did not play great early on. He had the pick which was not a good throw. He made some other decisions early on where you were like -WTF. As the game went on the settled in and played within the Eagles system. I was a fan of Jalen Hurts after how he handled himself at Bama. I am a bigger fan of his now. Not sure how many super bowls Hurts wins. I am not sure if he will ever be considered one of the best quarterbacks in Pro Football. That being said he seems like a great guy and someone that would be hard to root against.
Josh Sweat- I remember when FSU recruiting Josh. I was on campus inside the coaches office and Sweat was there with his family. Super nice family. He was so damn impressive physically. He looked like Clowney just a little shorter. Kid had super long arms and his build was that of a super star. I was thinking that this kid is going to be a star at FSU. He had a terrible injury the following season and FSU fans seem to only get a glimpse of his immense talent. Sweat should have been an all-time great at FSU. He never got that shot. He is now very good in the NFL and should get a big contract real soon. I am glad that he finally has reached his potential. FSU has put some serious talent at DE in the NFL. Sweat, Walker, Verse, Johnson....They have a story to sell.
Nick Siriana - Don't know where he will go down as a HC. He has now been to two Super Bowls and won one of them. What is crazy is before the season started there was talk of him being fired. Yeah. There was talk of him being fired as the HC of the Eagles. He now has a Title.
SCHEME - I wanted to bring this up because so many fans always talk on these message boards about SCHEME...Scheme this, scheme that....Last night the Eagles ran a straight 4 man front and did not blitz a single time. They were able to do so because their DL is in the best in pro football. These guys just flat out dominated in the playoffs and last night had one of the best performances ever for a defensive line. Scheme does not matter when you have elite players. It is when you don't have them you need to scheme things up. Sometimes you can even have a great scheme (KC) and the guys opposite you (Eagles) just have better players. Scheme last night just did not matter.
Saquon Barkley - I am so glad he won last night. He has been a great pro, never really said much on how he was treated by the Giants and wen to Philly and got a ring. By the way he also had one of the best seasons ever for a running back. He is now a first ballot hall of famer. I bring up Barkley because the first time I watched him was at Rutgers Summer Camp. Schiano landed his commitment after he put on an impressive performance. My buddy who covered Rutgers asked me what I thought, I said that Barkley kid is one of the best players here. He goes Rutgers right now is one of the only offers he has. He was committed till a week before NSD. Penn State had lost their top target. They bring him in the final weekend before NSD and Franklin pulls him to Penn State. He was a late take by Penn State and now is one of the best backs ever in pro football. I will say this about Schiano, he always had an eye for talent. I don't know many coaches who found more guys from Ray Rice to Barkely who were not heavily recruited that ended up All-Pro players in the NFL.
NFL Draft/HS Recruiting vs. NFL Free Agency /Portal Recruiting
Eagles
Draft
QB-Jalen Hurts (Round 2) (2020) Alabama
RB-Kenneth Gainwell (Round 5) 2021 (Memphis)
WR-Devonta Smith (Round 1) (2021) Alabama
TE-Dallas Goedert (Round 2) (2018) South Dakota
OL-Tyler Steen (Round 3) (2023) Alabama
OL-Cam Jurgens (Round 2) (2022) Nebraska
OL-Landon Dickerson (Round 2) (2021) Alabama
OL-Jordan Mailata (Round 7) (2018)
OL-Lane JOhnson (Round 1) (2013) Oklahoma
DL-Jalen Carter -(Round 1) (2023) Georgia
DL-Moro Ojomo (Round 7) (2023) Texas
DL-Milton Williams (Round 3) (2022) Louisiana Tech
DL-Josh Sweat (Round 4) (2018) FSU
DL-Jordan Davis (Round 1) (2022) Georgia
LB-Nolan Smith (Round 1) (2023) Georgia
DB-Cooper DeJean (Round 2) (2024) Iowa
DB-Quinyon Mitchell (Round 1) (2024) Toledo
Free Agency / Trade
RB-Saquon Barkely (From Giants)
LB-Zack Baun
DB-CJ Gardner
DB-Darius Slay
Ohio State
QB-WIll Howard (Portal)
RB-Trevion Henderson (Recruit)
RB-Quinshon Judkins (Portal)
WR-Carnell Tate (Recruit)
WR-Jeremiah Smith (Recruit)
WR-Emeka Egbuka (Recruit)
TE-Gee Scott (Recruit)
OL-Luke Montgomery (Recruit)
OL-Donovan Jackson (Recruit)
OL-Seth McGlaughlin (Recruit)
OL-Carson Hinzman (Recruit)
OL-Tegra Tshabola (Recruit)
DL-Jack Sawyer (Recruit)
DL-JT Tuimoloau (Recruit)
DL-Eddrick Houtson (Recruit)
DL-Tyleik Williams (Recruit)
LB-Cody Simon (Recruit)
LB-Sonny Styles (Recruit)
DB-Caleb Downs (Portal )
DB-Denzel Burke (Recruit)
DB-Davinson Igbinosun (Portal)
DB-Lathan Ransom (Recruit)
DB-Jordan Hancock (Recruit)
When you look at Ohio State and Philadelphia Eagles they built their teams through the draft and high school recruiting. Out of 22 starters for Ohio State 20 were players they recruited and developed through the high school ranks. So for all the money they spent it was done through HS players. Yes they added Judkins, Downs and Howard through the portal but they were more like icing on the cake. The Eagles built their team through the draft. Yes they brought in some players from other teams but they also were home grown. While the portal can fix problems, I still believe that HS recruiting is the way to consistently win ball games. We will see but the proof is still in the pudding.
Now FSU - lend me a HAND....Herb Hand. I have never met him. When FSU fired Atkins and his name popped up, I went and researched his name. I came away very impressed with his resume. Since he has come over to FSU, I have been even more impressed. He has changed the OL on the team and recruiting board for 2026 is quite impressive. FSU has guys that look like they belong. The fact that guys like Ben Mebenga are not only interested but will be coming back is impressive. He is one of the top offensive lineman in Georgia. I don't want to get ahead of myself but with Hand in charge of the OL, I am not concerned about that position anymore. I think FSU is in good shape.
Spring Football - To think the NFL just finished and we are just a few weeks away from college football starting back up is crazy. I remember the season would end and it would seem like forever for the college season to come back. Now with the portal, the HS recruiting and spring football there is no off-season anymore.
What I am looking for.....Keep TC healthy. Make sure Brock Glenn gets a ton of reps because I feel we are going to see him play next year. Reports from practice that the OL can actually move defenders off the ball and the run game is back. A couple of the receivers step up and you here names of who has stepped out and taken the lead. Want to hear who the pass rusher is on this team...Right now there does not seem to be one. The linebackers are getting better. Want to hear Lester name this spring. Guys like Cai Bates are taking the next step. This spring is huge for this program.
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