Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 3/19/25.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
BG Out, Baby – Iggles Blitz
Legend. Brandon Graham is a great story of perseverance. Things did not always go smoothly for him. He could have given up or gone elsewhere, but instead he fought through whatever came his way and carved out a spot for himself in Eagles history. In Philly history. BG is now a beloved figure in the city that was so tough on him for a long time. BG has a great smile and bigger than life personality. He is an easy player to love. One of the things that always stands out to me is how much joy he brings to those around him. He genuinely loves being part of a football team. He genuinely loves playing the game of football. You watch clips of him and can’t help but break out with a big smile.
Brandon Graham officially announces his retirement – BGN
Graham will undoubtedly end up in the Eagles Hall of Fame, and will wrap up his 15-year career with 487 total tackles, 76.5 regular season sacks, plus 5.5 postseason sacks, and nine all-time forced fumbles.
On retirement day, Brandon Graham gets the last laugh with the Eagles after 15 years – PHLY
You might have heard the laugh before you saw the man — on Tuesday, and for 15 years. To call it a laugh doesn’t do justice to Brandon Graham. It’s a cackle. A trademark. Play that sound for any teammate, any coach, any Eagles employee, and they could identify the person just by that sound. They would probably smile, too. Because you know Graham is — even on retirement day. “One more year,” he joked while dapping everyone in the auditorium. If only. There have been enough “one more year” decisions. He didn’t know if he would make it to Year 5. Year 10 was an achievement. But to last 15 years? That’s beyond anyone’s dreams. And to endure in a career that included a strip sack to win Philadelphia its first Super Bowl — perhaps the most famous play in franchise history — and to return from a season-ending injury to win a second Super Bowl, and then fade off in the sunset? That’s beyond anyone’s imagination. So, of course, he laughed. He cried. He smiled. He joked. He talked trash. He was self-deprecating. He was a teammate. He was a husband. He was a father. He was a son. He was a Philadelphian, all in one — a 10-minute speech, a 30-minute press conference. And now he’s retired.
Brandon Graham’s retirement speech, annotated and explained – Inquirer
After 15 seasons with the Eagles — more than any other player in franchise history — Brandon Graham hung up his cleats Tuesday. Here’s everything you might’ve missed from his announcement.
Thank You – Brandon Graham Officially Retires – PE.com
One of the franchise’s all-time greats both on and off the field, Brandon Graham announced his retirement on Tuesday. Relive the future Eagles Hall of Famer’s career through his perspective.
NFL mock draft 2025: Browns pair Abdul Carter with Myles Garrett, Titans take QB Cam Ward at No. 1 – SB Nation
32.) Philadelphia Eagles: EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee. Even after winning the Super Bowl, the Eagles’ luck continues to roll as they have one of the most athletically gifted edge rushers in the draft fall to them at No. 32. Pearce blazed a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash at 6’5 and 245 pounds. That’s special for a guy who will be chasing quarterbacks as a part of one of the top defenses in the NFL from this past season. At one point last year, Pearce was mocked as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. That’s how much hype this guy had after recording 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2023. Those numbers took a slight step back to 7.5 and 13, respectively, and scouts still feel like he needs to add mass and strength for the next level. Still, this is nonetheless another luxury pick for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Daniel Jeremiah 2025 NFL mock draft 3.0: Giants, Steelers, Titans pick QBs; Cowboys select WR – NFL.com
DL Shemar Stewart: Stewart has offered more disruption than production to this point in his career, but the Eagles made a similar move with Nolan Smith a couple years ago and it has paid off in a big way.
NFL free agency: Roster additions, cuts, remaining questions – ESPN
One thing we heard: It’s hard to ignore all the trade buzz surrounding veteran tight end Dallas Goedert. He is in the last year of his deal and carries a cap hit of around $12 million. Perhaps a team with playoff aspirations and cap room will strike a deal for the 30-year-old playmaker this offseason. Biggest remaining roster question: Safety. The decision to trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Texans puts the position in the spotlight. Former third-round selection Sydney Brown should get a chance to vie for the starting gig alongside Reed Blankenship, but it’s a good bet general manager Howie Roseman adds competition before the start of the season to have his bases covered. Defensive tackle and linebacker could use some additions as well.
Signs Point to Titans Likely Keeping NFL Draft’s No. 1 Pick – SI
From Jason Kroulik (@crowlick): Who has the best roster in the NFL after the first round of free agency? … Jason, let’s stick with the champs. The Philadelphia Eagles’ depth is apparent in their ability to absorb losses such as Josh Sweat (Arizona Cardinals), Milton Williams (Patriots), Darius Slay (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Mekhi Becton (Los Angeles Chargers). All are really good players, and Philly is prepared, from a roster standpoint, to fill the roles each of those guys held. Want to know how good teams stay good? They’re balanced enough to be able to address needs a year or two out, which gives them flexibility in whom they decide to pay, with the knowledge that, if you’re good enough, paying everyone’s not realistic. No one is in that spot to the degree that the Eagles are.
One positive takeaway for all 32 NFL teams following NFL free agency – PFF
Philadelphia Eagles: The coverage unit will be just fine. Philadelphia’s most notable move was retaining Zack Baun, the NFL’s highest-graded linebacker in 2024. That was primarily driven by his league-leading 90.9 PFF coverage grade. The Eagles also lost Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers in free agency but picked up Adoree’ Jackson, who could start comfortably in Vic Fangio’s defense. Jackson’s 82.6 zone PFF coverage grade ranked fifth among qualified cornerbacks last season.
Jaguars sign former Eagles OT Fred Johnson – Big Cat Country
At Florida, Johnson started four games at right tackle and 28 at right guard for the Gators. He now returns back home to an offensive tackle group that features Walker Little, Anton Harrison, Chuma Edoga, and Cole Van Lanen.
The 5 O’Clock Club: Commanders special teams excellence in 2024 – Hogs Haven
Overall, though, the consistently high level of Washington’s special teams play made them one of the most successful ST units in the NFL last season, and was a key part of the team’s overall success. This is a clear tribute to ST coordinator, Larry Izzo, and the commitment to excellence in this phase of the game from the GM and head coach. It’s easy to look at a roster spot taken up by a linebacker like Mykal Walker and wonder why he’s there, but his 14 special teams tackles (5th in the NFL in ‘24) are often invisible to anyone looking at the headline numbers in the box scores. Having players like Nick Bellore, Jeremy Reaves and Percy Butler back to help mold the next iteration of special teams play along with the coaching staff should contribute greatly to the quest to build on the team’s 2024 success in the coming season. Hopefully, it’ll be another awesome year.
Dallas Cowboys have done what we asked them to so far this offseason – Blogging The Boys
To sum up these thoughts that were rumbling through my brain on the plane ride home after I played numbers 6 and 7 at what I believe is the most beautiful golf course in the world and got destroyed in the process, the waters have certainly stabilized with the Dallas Cowboys (unlike the Pacific Ocean on the day I played Pebble). There is a huge difference between the waters having stabilized and the team being properly in a place to finally deliver the ring to Mordor relative to what the franchise has been enduring for so long – but I’ll be darned if I don’t feel as if they have been listening and have done just about everything that we wanted them to on a philosophical level. Is there more work to be done? You betcha. They burned up the benefit of the doubt over and over and over, but the 2025 iteration of the team has taken a baby step towards earning some trust back.
NFC East 2025 free agency grades: Dallas Cowboys edition – PhillyVoice
But the Cowboys’ additions and subtractions take a back seat to the bigger picture, which is that Jerry Jones and the gang seemingly have learned nothing from their botched “wait it out” contract negotiation strategies with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, as Micah Parsons still does not yet have a new deal. Parsons is scheduled to play on his fifth-year option at a little over $24 million. Last offseason, new deals for Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence pushed the quarterback market to a place where Prescott was able to cash in on a $60 million/year deal. Similarly, a deal for Justin Jefferson got done before Lamb’s new deal, before Lamb finally signed a four-year deal worth $34 million/year. This offseason, while Jones was twiddling his thumbs, Maxx Crosby signed a new deal worth $35.5 million/year, and Myles Garrett got a new deal worth $40 million/year, temporarily making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history. JaMarr Chase later topped Garrett’s deal when he signed a four-year deal worth $40.25 million/year. Those deals have no doubt raised the floor for a new Parsons deal. Grade: D.
Vikings won’t pursue Aaron Rodgers — what might that mean for the New York Giants? – Big Blue View
Russell Wilson quarterbacked the Steelers a year ago and is also a free agent of interest to the Giants. It seems right now that If Rodgers chooses the Steelers, or chooses not to play at all rather than join the Giants, the 37-year-old Wilson would be the Giants’ next logical target. Wilson visited the Giants last week. Wilson, though, has also received interest from the Cleveland Browns. What if the Giants lose out on both Rodgers and Wilson? The Giants have hosted both Joe Flacco and Jameis Winston for visits and were expected to hold a call with Mason Rudolph before he signed with the Steelers. The Giants are also likely to target a quarterback high in the draft. Whether one they want will be available at No. 3 is the question.
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