Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 5/7/25.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
Unsigned All-Pro safety Justin Simmons wants to join Eagles for 2025 NFL season, per report – CBS Sports
Justin Simmons said at the start of 2025 NFL free agency that the Philadelphia Eagles were high on his wish list of prospective teams. Months later, the All-Pro safety remains unsigned, but he’s apparently even more convicted about wanting to join the reigning Super Bowl champions for his 10th season. “He wants to come to Philadelphia,” NFL Media’s Brian Baldinger said of Simmons this week. “He wants to be there. … Just find him a house in South Jersey. He’s gonna be here.”
Best NFL team fits for notable remaining free agents: J.K. Dobbins to Bears? Justin Simmons to Eagles? – NFL.com
JUSTIN SIMMONS: This one makes too much sense. Simmons is a two-time Pro Bowler and four-time second-team All-Pro who played some of his best football for the Denver Broncos when current Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was that franchise’s head coach (2019-2021). The Eagles also have an opening at safety after trading C.J. Gardner-Johnson following last season’s Super Bowl win over Kansas City. Gardner-Johnson’s ballhawking skills were an essential part of Philadelphia’s stellar defense. Simmons could bring the same talents to the Eagles, as he’s familiar with Fangio’s system and known for taking the ball away (his 32 interceptions rank tied for fifth among active players). It’s fair to say Simmons declined some in his lone year in Atlanta last season. It’s also exciting to think about how he could bounce back in a secondary that includes Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean at cornerback and Reed Blankenship at safety.
Eagles Film Review: Andrew Mukuba should be able to seamlessly step in and replace C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s role – BGN
I think he will become the Eagles’ starting safety (unless a free agent is added) and beat out Sydney Brown. I think he will be significantly better in coverage than Brown. I think he will be outstanding in coverage, but he must change how he plays. I expect him to come downhill quickly in the run game, but he will have to learn to wrap up better and stop flying into offensive players as he did in college. He might need to become a bit more passive in the run game and try to slow down elite offensive players to enable other defenders to rally to the football, rather than charging into them head-on and making a highlight reel tackle for loss. I can’t see him hitting elite running backs in space like he did in college. I hope I am wrong! But I think he will have to adapt the way he plays, or he will miss too many tackles. He may also struggle with injuries.
Key intel on all 32 teams after the 2025 NFL draft: Buzz, fits – ESPN+
General manager Howie Roseman broke from precedent by drafting a true off-ball linebacker in the first round. Philadelphia hadn’t done so since Jerry Robinson in 1979, but Jihaad Campbell was too good to pass up. Several teams saw him as a top-10 talent but had concerns about his durability after multiple injuries in college. The selection of Campbell shows the Eagles are trusting defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and his staff to develop young players at all positions. Last season’s experience with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean should help the Eagles transition rookie defensive backs Andrew Mukuba and Mac McWilliams. Philadelphia will put them in positions to compete and let the results play out over time, not forcing them into specific roles too early. The Eagles love Mukuba’s instincts, field vision and ball awareness, along with McWilliams’ man coverage skills and physical playing style. With quarterback Kyle McCord in the sixth round, the Eagles had enough interest that Roseman called Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon personally to get the predraft lowdown on the prospect.
Closer Look – Kyle McCord – Iggles Blitz
The 2024 season featured some interesting games. McCord had a disastrous outing vs Pitt, throwing 5 INTs in a 41-13 loss. In the regular season finale, Syracuse fell behind Miami 21-0. McCord ended up out-dueling #1 overall pick Cam Ward and SU won the game 42-38. McCord was 26-36-380 with 3 TDs and no INTs. When studying QBs, I like to focus on decision-making, accuracy and footwork. McCord is good in all of those areas. That gives him a chance to succeed in the NFL. I think Nick Sirianni will be a fan of his aggressiveness. Think about Jalen Hurts throwing downfield to AJ Brown on 4th & 2. McCord has that kind of mindset. Can he make that throw in the NFL? We’ll find out this summer. McCord has a good chance to beat out DTR for the #3 QB job. DTR is a much better athlete, but hasn’t been a consistently good passer in the NFL. McCord is unproven, but showed the potential to be a good passer. One of the real issues for some college QBs is that they are scared to throw into coverage at the NFL level. McCord’s aggressive nature should keep that from being a problem. He just has to make those throws work.
Each word in Brandon Graham’s new children’s book is important to him: ‘They affected him in some way’ – Inquirer
T is for Two-time Super Bowl champion. F is for First-time children’s book author. Three months ago, Brandon Graham closed a major chapter of his life, hanging his game-worn Super Bowl LIX cleats on the shoulder of the Rocky statue and announcing his retirement from football. Over the previous decade and a half, Graham’s life has been consumed by the sport as he played in 206 regular-season games — the most by any Eagles player in franchise history. Now, after 15 seasons in Philadelphia, Graham is ready to start a new chapter of his life: retirement. But the former defensive end is already keeping himself busy without football, accepting fan-made awards, taking up hobbies like golf, and publishing his first children’s book. After a storybook ending to his Eagles career, Graham teamed up with former CBS 3 sports anchor Lesley Van Arsdall on a children’s book, BG’s ABCs: Tackling Football and Life, which is set to release on Friday.
Eagles A.J. Brown gets Philly ‘Changemaker’ award – NBC10
Mayor Cherelle Parker helped to honor Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown for his work with underserved communities throughout the city.
Josh Harris has delivered for Commanders fans…repeatedly – Hogs Haven
I think it’s fair to say that only the Philadelphia Eagles fans can argue that they’ve had a better run since January 2024 than Commanders fans.
BREAKING: Cowboys trading for Steelers WR George Pickens – Blogging The Boys
Pickens comes to Dallas with his fair share of off-the-field concerns, but if Brian Schottenheimer’s primary focus is to build a strong brotherhood and culture, then a change of scenery may do Pickens some real good. Not to mention, he will be lining up alongside one of the best receivers in the NFL, helping take some pressure off his shoulders to be the No. 1 option in Dallas’ offense. The front office covets their draft picks more than anything so giving up a third round pick makes you wonder if that means Pickens is a lock for the team’s long-term future, or if the two sides agreed to work towards an extension after the trade. By the way, David Mulugheta represents Pickens. That is the same agent who represents Micah Parsons, the one who Jerry Jones claimed to not know the name of. Still, it is a low-risk, high-reward type of move Jerry Jones has shown capable of making in recent history for a player on a one-year, prove-it deal (e.g., Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore). Even though Schottenheimer and the front office have praised their wide receivers behind Lamb, they could not go into 2025, hoping to see what would become of Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo.
What will the New York Giants’ Jaxson Dart development plan look like, and will it work? – Big Blue View
He won’t be QB3 for the Giants forever. Mahomes got to sit an entire year, aside from starting the season finale to get his feet wet. Allen, despite a planned redshirt year, was starting by Week 2 of his rookie season because nobody thought playing Nathan Peterman was tenable. Daniel Jones had replaced Eli Manning by Week 3 of his rookie season. Manning replaced Kurt Warner midseason in 2004 despite the Giants having a shot at making the playoffs. Maybe Dart’s time will come during the 2025 season. It probably will, considering that the Giants used three quarterbacks in 2023 and four in 2024. Maybe the Giants will be in playoff contention right down to the wire, and Dart won’t have to play as Wilson and Winston carry the Giants all the way through. Schoen and Daboll have their guy. They have taken their big swing at the quarterback position.
Packers, Giants players headline list of NFL veterans who could lose job to rookies – SB Nation
Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, New York Giants. The Giants did pick up the fifth-year option for Thibodeaux, but then drafted Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter 3rd overall. Although Carter did play off-ball at Penn State before moving to the defensive line full time, I think his best position is on the edge full time, which creates somewhat of a logjam at that position. They’re not going to take Brian Burns off the field and Carter is probably going to play a lot, so I wonder what the plan is for Thibodeaux. He hasn’t exactly been the player he was hoped for entering the draft, mixing stretches of brilliance with some really frustrating moments. That inconsistency could see him get his snaps cut short in 2025.
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