Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images Could the Rams add another FSU defender to their defensive line? The NFL Combine got going without missing a beat on Wednesday. While Wednesday is technically day three of the Combine, it is the first day the media gets to talk with the draft prospects as edge rushers, linebackers, and defensive linemen made their way through the media room. After all, we’re here for the players! The athletic tests won’t take place until tomorrow, but in the middle of all of the Matthew Stafford talk, NFL draft prospects got their opportunity to sell themselves to teams in front of the media. Wednesday in particular was a big day when it comes to Rams draft interest. The Rams may not need a top edge rusher, but adding a speed guy behind Jared Verse and Byron Young could be beneficial. The Rams need a linebacker to replace Christian Rozeboom and it wouldn’t hurt to add some defensive line depth. Last year, the Los Angeles Rams doubled up on Florida State defenders, drafting Jared Verse and Braden Fiske in the first two rounds. It’s possible that they could add a third in the 2025 NFL Draft. Joshua Farmer played at Florida State last year and could be available on day three. Farmer talked about players that he models his game after as well, mentioning both Kobie Turner and Fiske. He also mentioned that he and Fiske are pretty close. Said Farmer, “I like Kobie Turner, my teammate Braden Fiske…twitchy guys, not the biggest guys on the field. I talk to Fiske every week. He’s texted me twice since I’ve been here just telling me how important this week is and everything, giving me some tips. Fiske is my guy. We’re really close.” FSUs Joshua Farmer mentioned a couple of Rams DL. Kobie Turner is a player he likes to watch along with Braden Fiske. Said him and Fiske are tight and they’ve been texting this week. pic.twitter.com/zMjDzWv2tN — Blaine Grisak (@bgrisakTST) February 26, 2025 After being high on Verse and Fiske last season, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rams have already done quite a bit of work on Farmer. He has great length which helps him out in the run game. Matt Holder of Bleacher Report noted, “Farmer stands out the most as a run defender. When he shoots his hands straight from the ground, he’s hard to move with one-on-one blocks and has plenty of upper-body strength to lock out offensive linemen and take advantage of those long arms.” At 6’2, 314-pounds, Farmer is similarly sized as Neville Gallimore who is one of the defensive lineman that the Rams may need to replace this offseason. As shown with Wisconsin offensive linemen, when the Rams find a particular pipeline of talent, they have no issue going back to it. The linebackers came through the media room as well on Wednesday. Minnesota’s Cody Lindenberg gave a great answer on his film preparation and called himself a “film junkie.” Lindenberg was a player that impressed in Mobile as well at the Senior Bowl. With that being said, the more metaphorical dates I go on with Jeffrey Bassa, the more I fall head over heels. This is the linebacker that the Rams should want in the draft. Similarly to the 2025 class, the 2018 NFL Draft was light at the linebacker position. Somehow, Fred Warner was overlooked and fell to the third round. Some of the questions about Warner in 2018 are the same that people are having of Bassa. However, this is a player that embraces the role of the ‘green dot’ on a defense and is someone teams should want in the middle of their defense. Said Bassa, “It takes a lot of poise, a lot of confidence to make sure that your defense is right on the line. You want to make sure you’re getting the call correctly and know what everybody’s assignment is so you know if a DB or D-lineman doesn’t know if they’re in the right gap or right alignment, you have to have poise to make sure that they’re right and they know the coverage adjustment. You have to be able to know the whole defense. But then you also need a guy who, let’s say there’s an explosive play, you need a guy that can keep the defense poised and calm — not being in the huddle going crazy. You have to keep the defense level headed and in control.” Oregon’s Jeffrey Bassa remains one of my favorite LB prospects for the Rams. He talked about the responsibility he takes on when wearing the Green Dot. Says he models parts of his game after Fred Warner. pic.twitter.com/WYpcxVjoSF — Blaine Grisak (@bgrisakTST) February 26, 2025 Bassa is simply a player that embraces the role of being the leader and quarterback of a defense. That’s exactly the type of player that the Rams need in their back seven after trading Ernest Jones last offseason. Again, while the Rams may not need an edge, it shouldn’t be ruled out as a position they consider on draft day. Nick Hampton hasn’t necessarily worked out and the Rams could use some more depth behind Verse and Young. The Rams tend to like players with some versatility. One of the more versatile defensive linemen and edge players in the draft is Elijah Roberts from SMU. Roberts talked about his ability to win from multiple positions, “Inside, things happen a lot faster. Guys don’t really want to be in space on the inside. That’s kind of where I feel like I have an advantage. I can line up a little wide and make them kick out. It just comes from me playing ‘end’ a lot and knowing pass rush angles. On edge there is a lot more space out there, but guys kind of want to run past dudes. It definitely taught me the importance of having a power rush and having power moves in your game.” Roberts
This defensive line prospect gave a shoutout to Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske
Report: “There’s a very good chance” Trey Hendrickson is traded if no extension happens
Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images It could happen. Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson wants and deserves a new contract. In today’s market, he could demand as much as $30 million per year after leading the NFL in sacks with 17.5. NFL insider Tony Pauline reported on Wednesday that the Bengals would be willing to trade Hendrickson if no long-term deal can be reached. “Sources tell me that if the Bengals can’t meet his asking price, there’s a very good chance the team will part ways with Hendrickson and trade him,” Pauline wrote. Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin spoke about Hendrickson on Tuesday and expressed his desire to reach a long-term extension. “We are trying actively to get a deal done with Trey,” Tobin said while later adding, “We’re not there yet.” We could expect to see movement on new contracts in the coming weeks. The combine is usually when team executives meet, player’s agents pick up talks, and offseasons start to come in to shape. Who Dey Nation is waiting patiently as the Bengals look to get news deals for their stars.
Scouting Combine Interviews: Smael Mondon Jr
Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images Smael (pronounced Smile) Mondon Jr is a linebacker from the vaunted Georgia Defense that has produced a lot of pro talent. After waiting his turn and overcoming injury, he made a big impact in 2024. Could he be a target for the Colts in the draft? Q: What has your experience been so far at the Combine? Smael: “It has been a great experience so far, got to meet different players from around the country. We will see how the draft process goes, as before you could only really see (this event) on TV but now you get to see what goes on behind the scenes. It’s been great” Q: What have you been doing to help prepare you for the Combine? Smael: “The biggest thing has been probably interviews and getting used to it. Kind of getting the type of things they are going to ask you.” Q: At the Senior Bowl you told us you were trying to show coaches and scouts more of what you could do after a smaller sample size in college, how did you feel that experience proved yourself to evaluators? Smael: “I feel like I had a really good Senior Bowl, I was able to do a lot of things: show my versatility, rush the passer, cover the back out of the backfield, and play the run. So I felt I did pretty good.” Q: What was special about growing up at Georgia and getting to stay there to play for the Georgia Bulldogs? Smael: “It was real special for sure, was my dream growing up. To be able to grow up and do that and play between the hedges was great.” Q: Have you talked to any former Georgia teammates who are in the league about the pre-draft process and get their advice on this journey leading to the draft? Smael: “Yeah I talked to a lot of them. Quay (Walker) was a big help, Nakobe (Dean), Nolan (Smith), just a couple of them boys who was there for my freshman year. They gave me a lot of good advice.” Q: At the Senior Bowl you told us you wanted to show teams you were healthy, do you feel you accomplished that? Is that something you addressed in interviews with teams? Smael: “Yeah I feel I did a good job showing that by the way I was covering that I was healthy. That I was moving well.” Q: What sets you apart the most from this Linebacker Class? Smael: Smael Mondon, LB Georgia on what sets him apart in this draft class. #NFLCombine @AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/v2COcu68Pf — Travis May (@FF_TravisM) February 26, 2025 Q: With those injuries in your history are you running a full workout of drills and testing tomorrow to help prove you are recovered and back to full speed? Smael: “Yeah I’ve been healthy since I came back so there isn’t any injury concerns (going forward).” Q: How often were you playing through injury this past season and in your career? Smael: “Not too often, I missed like 3 games down in the middle (of the 2024 season), but in the first couple games of the season and when I came back for the Tennessee game I was fully healthy. Q: Who was the best Georgia player you played against? Smael: “It’s been a lot, but off the top of my head probably Brock Bowers.” Q: You said previously that you don’t try to model your game after any one player, but pick small things off of other players including Fred Warner. Are there specific aspects of your game you try to model after his? “I try to play my own game of course, but with Fred Warner I feel something we have in common is in the pass game and in pass coverage.”
Silver and Black Pride’s Pick’em competition final standings
Brock Bowers high-fives Raiders fans | Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images Come see where you finished in our season-long pick’em competition Apologies for the delay as we’re a couple of weeks removed from the Super Bowl. But without further ado, we have our final Silver and Black Pride Pick’em competition standings which come with a first since I’ve been running the competition with a tie for first place! To get things started, let’s take a look at how our writers fard through the regular season and Super Bowl. Final Writers Standings Ray Aspuria 205-79 (72%) Matt Holder 200-85 (70%) Bill Williamson 199-86 (69%) If you’ve been following the competition closely this season, you know Ray locked up the writers’ crown a few weeks ago. However, the battle for second place was up for grabs and going against the grain worked out for me as being the only writer to take the Eagles gave me the edge over Bill! All-in-all, this was one of the stiffest competitions we’ve had in the last few years. Final Community Standings t-1. Bodega Bay Raider 207-78 t-1. Running With the Night 207-78 3. The Assassin 205-80 4. Kid Dynamite 204-81 5. Roosky Raiders 203-82 6. dafe2cat 202-83 7. DARTH RAIDER 201-84 t-8. NC Hell Razors 200-85 t-8. Gabe’s pickems 200-85 t-10. Kaneohe raiderdogs 199-86 t-10. Raider Nation 199-86 t-12. Gunslinger 198-87 t-12. Mooniac 198-87 t-12. Redlady 198-87 As mentioned above, we had our first tie for first place in the history of the competition! Both Bodega Bay Raider and Running With the Night missed their Super Bowl pick, so we were robbed of a dramatic ending at the top of the stands and they’ll have to share the title. Meanwhile, Ray would come in third with a half-game advantage over The Assassin for third place overall. I always knew that conveniently “forgotten” pick by Ray in the middle of the season would pop up again. Thank you all for a great season and I look forward to competing against you all next year!
Report: Jonah Jackson could be traded just 1 year after leaving Lions
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Former Pro Bowl Lions guard Jonah Jackson could be on the trading block just a year after he left Detroit in free agency. Last year, the Detroit Lions made a difficult decision to let former Pro Bowl guard Jonah Jackson leave in free agency. He would end up signing a massive three-year, $51 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams while the Lions filled his spot on the roster with veteran Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler on a modest, one-year contract for $7 million. Now, the Rams may want out of Jackson’s contract just a single year into it. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Rams have given Jackson permission to seek a trade. [Note: Fowler incorrectly calls him Jonah Williams in the tweet, but he’s clearly referencing Jackson] The 2024 season was a disaster for Jackson. First, he suffered an offseason injury that caused him to miss most of training camp. And while he was able to get back on the field in time for the season opener, he was eventually benched. They tried to move him around—repping him at center, occasionally—but it was clear it wasn’t working out in Los Angeles. He ended up starting just four games for the Rams. Jackson still has $11.3 million in guarantees left in his contract, and $8.5 million more becomes guaranteed on the third league day of 2025. So if the Rams were to trade him before that date, that extra guaranteed money would travel with the acquiring team, saving Los Angeles $3.3 million in cap space this year. But if they can’t trade him by then, he’d cost more to trade or cut than to keep. So that third league day (March 15) is likely a strict deadline for a potential trade. If the Rams can’t get it done, don’t be surprised if they just end up cutting the 28-year-old offensive lineman. It’s unclear what the future holds for the Lions at interior offensive line. Zeitler, 34, could be headed for free agency, Graham Glasgow is a potential cap casualty, and 2024 rookie Christian Mahogany looked the part in limited starts next year. Could a reunion with Jackson—on a much cheaper deal—be possible after just one season away?
NFL Combine Day 1 media recap: Takeaways from linebacker pressers
What’s new at Pride of Detroit Direct? If you want more Lions coverage, our newsletter is the answer for you. There, we have weekly columns, deep analytical dives, and exclusive podcasts to offer comprehensive coverage of free agency, the draft, and everything in between as we prepare of a momentous 2025 Detroit Lions season.
Things the Eagles did this week to make me proud, Pt. 1
Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for TIME From community awards to championing the women in the organization, there was a lot to be proud of from the Eagles this week. Just because the offseason is among us, and the Eagles aren’t practicing or playing, that doesn’t mean that players, coaches, and front office staff aren’t still making fans proud off the field. This week, Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni championed their women colleagues at the NFL Combine, Jalen Hurts was honored for his work in the community, and Jeff Stoutland gave thanks to the years he had coaching Jason Peters. Here are some things the Eagles did off the field this week that made me proud to be a fan. If the team did something to impress you lately, share some of the good vibes in the comments! Jalen Hurts receives community honor The Eagles’ QB was back in Philly earlier this week to receive Citizen of the Year for all the work he’s done in the community and the efforts he’s made specifically to uplift the youth through education efforts and mentorship with patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. And finally our Citizen of the Year: Super Bowl MVP @JalenHurts who champions women, loves to do good for Philly kids and is an all around model citizen. @Eagles @JalenHurtsFound pic.twitter.com/rkajnJPY4p — The Philadelphia Citizen (@thephilacitizen) February 26, 2025 “The city of Philadelphia has been great to me. I’ve given it my heart and my soul daily. This holds a special place in my heart. That pursuit to uplift those around us and create opportunities continues.” “I think that’s a quality that oozes throughout the city of Philadelphia:… pic.twitter.com/zqbFe3KPEr — John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 26, 2025 Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni join panel at the NFL’s Women’s Forum One of the newer annual parts of the combine in Indianapolis is the NFL Women’s Forum, and this year several Eagles were part of a panel titled, “Super Bowl LIX Leaders: Advancing the Ball.” At the NFL Women’s Forum: – Ameena Soliman (pro scout) – Autumn Lockwood (associate performance coach)– Howie Roseman– Nick Sirianni The panel: Super Bowl LIX Leaders: Advancing the Ball pic.twitter.com/8xksOPkBUH — Zach Berman (@ZBerm) February 26, 2025 Zach Berman reported that at one point Sirianni was looking at his phone, and it turned out the head coach wanted to note a Martin Luther King Jr. quote he felt was reflective of the conversation. “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’” Jason Peters is retiring and he deserves his flowers The Bodyguard spent an incredible 19 seasons in the NFL, and will retire one of the best offensive tackles to ever play the game. Howie Roseman noted that Peters is a no-brainer first-ballot Hall of Famer, and Jeff Stoutland made sure to pay respect to his former player. Every once in a blue moon, a player like Jason Peters comes around. I’m blessed to have coached him. His combination of powerful run blocking and quickness in pass protection is unusual. Not only was he physically gifted, but his instincts were unmatched. Jason, thank you for… pic.twitter.com/tWpZJ3Tx7V — Jeff Stoutland (@CoachStoutland) February 26, 2025 Jahan Dotson visited his former high school View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dayvon Reimert (@shotbydayvon) Cooper DeJean still support Iowa WBB Super Bowl champion Cooper DeJean sitting courtside for Iowa women’s basketball vs. UCLA pic.twitter.com/8flryeBILd — espnW (@espnW) February 23, 2025 Darius Slay gets key to his hometown and celebration Slay was awarded the key to the city in his hometown of Brunswick, Georgia in a day full of celebration for the 12-year player. The veteran CB got emotional speaking to the crowd, and was also part of a second Super Bowl parade put on in his honor. Darius Slay received a Key to the City in his hometown of Brunswick, Georgia today. Congratulations, @bigplay24slay! pic.twitter.com/XpKqQcTKEE — Word On The Birds (@WordOnTheBirds) February 22, 2025 Brunswick showed out for our Super Bowl Champion @bigplay24slay! Appreciate all you do for the city! #WickMade pic.twitter.com/J06XWnAWAA — Taylor Hinson (@jtaylorhinson) February 22, 2025
Eagles fall to 22nd in newest NFLPA Report Card rankings
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Apparently the Super Bowl champions are a bottom third organization in the NFL?????? It is once again that time of year, folks, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Report Card is out! The third annual survey asked players on each team to, anonymously, rank their current organization in 11 different categories. Per the NFLPA: THE SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED FROM AUGUST 26 TO NOVEMBER 20, 2024. ARTEMIS STRATEGY GROUP CONDUCTED THE CENSUS SURVEY ONLINE AND PROVIDED ACCESS TO EVERY PLAYER WHO WAS ON A 2024 NFL ROSTER AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY. A TOTAL OF 1,695 PLAYERS COMPLETED THE SURVEY THIS YEAR. The Philadelphia Eagles, who you may remember as the current Super Bowl champions, fared quite well in this evaluation last year, finishing fourth in the league. The year before, the first year the NFLPA conducted this exciting (???) endeavor, the Birds were 14th. Not entirely sure what happened this year, but the Eagles PLUMMETED to 22nd out of 32 NFL teams once all of the results were tabulated. Here are the categories with weighted percentages, the grades the Eagles received, and their league wide rank: Treatment of Families (6%): C-, 27th Nutritionist/Dietician (6%): B-, 28th Food/Dining Area (9%): A-, 7th Locker Room (9%): D+, 25th Training Room (9%): B-, 19th Training Staff (9%): B+, 9th Weight Room (9%): B, 21st Strength Coaches (9%): B, 28th Team Travel (9%): F, 30th Head Coach (10%): A-, 18th Ownership (15%): B, 16th A failing grade for “team travel” is pretty brutal with “players feel[ing] that their team’s travel schedule is not very efficient” and also that “they should get first class seats on team flights instead of the coaching staff.” I guess travelling to Brazil to open the season wasn’t as much fun as I imagined? Important to note: The NFLPA player poll for the #Eagles was conducted during training camp, before management addressed specific player concerns, and before the Eagles would have one of the best seasons in franchise history. https://t.co/x8kUSVJOKM — Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) February 26, 2025 However, despite the overall low grades the organization earned, the players are confident things can turn around quickly and gave three examples: providing childcare on game days (like most NFL teams do) prioritizing first-class seating for players instead of coaches staggering lunch times to avoid overcrowding in the cafeteria Despite the issues of the team cafeteria being too busy, the Eagles players were extremely satisfied with the taste and freshness of the team’s food, ranking 6th and 5th in the NFL respectively. Head coach Nick Sirianni got an A- which, due to grade inflation smdh, was 18th in the league. The players (93% of them) think he is “efficient with their time” and that he is “moderately receptive to locker room feedback on the team’s needs.” Now, I’ve said a lot of things about Sirianni in the past (who can say if they were good or bad) but I’d argue that he was more than “moderately receptive” to making changes after the disastrous way last season ended. Difference in NFLPA Team Report Card GPA from last year Most improved: ChargersMost declined: Eagles (hah) https://t.co/ejvk6Xz4OZ pic.twitter.com/hToAJVxYan — Doug Analytics (@Doug_Analytics) February 26, 2025 While the Birds scores on this report card fell, it doesn’t sound like the players are worried things will get worse. When asked what Philly currently does best, the players said that “team leadership listens to their feedback and prioritizes improvements.” And because what would this post be without hating on some other teams, let’s see who ranked worst in all of the categories! Treatment of Families (6%): F-, Cincinnati Bengals Nutritionist/Dietician (6%): F, Cincinnati Bengals Food/Dining Area (9%): C, Cincinnati Bengals Locker Room (9%): F-, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns Training Room (9%): D-, Arizona Cardinals Training Staff (9%): C-, Cleveland Browns Weight Room (9%): F, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots Strength Coaches (9%): C-, Pittsburgh Steelers Team Travel (9%): F-, Buffalo Bills Head Coach (10%): C, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars (Chicago and Jacksonville fired their head coaches) Ownership (15%): F, New York Jets (lmaoooooo) Based on my amateur opinion it would appear that working for the Bengals (24th overall), Browns (30th), Cardinals (32nd), or Patriots (31st) is probably a struggle! You may think your team has it bad, unless you are a Cardinals fan, but at least they didn’t have to put out a statement after the release of these grades like Arizona did! The Arizona Cardinals statement following release of NFLPA Team Report card: pic.twitter.com/x6SOaS3MTC — Bo Brack (@BoBrack) February 26, 2025 And lastly, because I believe in transparency, and I gloated last year when the Eagles were the best in the division, here are the overall rankings of the four NFC East teams complete with Super Bowls won this calendar year. Dallas Cowboys, 10th, zero Washington Commanders, 11th, zero New York Giants, 20th, zero Philadelphia Eagles, 22nd, one I never know how far into my rambling posts BLG reads before sighing exasperatedly and posting them, but if you’ve made it this far…I rate working at Bleeding Green Nation as an A++.
Howard Cross III would ‘love’ to follow his father to New York Giants
Howard Cross III at the Combine. | Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images Defensive linemen take center stage at Combine If the New York do not select a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025, edge defender Abdul Carter of Penn State and defensive tackle Mason Graham of Michigan could be in play. Both were in demand on Wednesday as defensive linemen and linebackers spoke to media at the NFL Combine. The question with Carter The Giants already have edge defenders Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns. Would there by enough snaps for Carter for the Giants to justify taking him at No. 3? Carter said he would be ready to prove his worth. “My goal is to come in and be the guy,” Carter said. “If I go to a team that already got established, I want to earn my spot anyway, so I want to come in and compete right away.” Carter, who some have ranked as the top prospect in the draft, wasn’t shy about saying that “I want to be the No. 1 pick.” That, of course, means he would not be a Giant. “I feel like I’m the best player in the country and the best player should be selected No. 1,” Carter said. ‘I’m a dominant player’ The image below from the great Mina Kimes tells you what people think of Mason Graham, the 6-foot-3, 320-pound Michigan defensive tackle: Every day until the draft I will do my best to post a comp on here. This is Michigan DT Mason Graham. — Mina Kimes (@minakimes.bsky.social) 2025-02-25T23:41:30.202Z What does Graham think of himself? “I feel like I affect every snap, run or pass,” Graham said. “I feel like I’m a dominant player, one of the most dominant players in this class.’ What does he do best? “I just feel like physicality, you know, doing your job every play,” Graham said. “Us as D-linemen, we’re told to do the same thing playing throughout, maybe like 70 snaps a game. So, I mean, do the same thing over and over again is probably the hardest part, and I feel like, you know, D-linemen, I pride myself on doing that.” All in the family Howard Cross II played tight end for the Giants for 13 seasons, and has a Super Bowl ring to show for it. Now, his son, Notre Dame defensive tackle Howard Cross III, is draft eligible. The idea of playing for his father’s team, his hometown team, has the Paramus, N.J. native thinking. “It’s just like a legacy thing. I think it would be kind of cool. I would definitely be cracking jokes and stuff like that,” Cross said on Wednesday. “If I ever got a chance I think it would be really cool. I’m not going to lie to you.” Cross was born after his father’s playing career had concluded. The Giants, though, were always front and center. “I can’t be in a Giants household and start rooting for the Eagles. If I said the words J-E-T-S I would have gotten kicked out,” Cross said. “But it’s also Jersey. Jersey is a small area. It’s either the blue or the green so I was in a blue area, solidly Giants stuff everywhere you go. I was indoctrinated with the Giants.” Cross, a smaller defensive lineman at 6-foot, 285 pounds, is expected to be a Day 3 selection. “I’ve told teams, and I’ll tell anybody, I will do any position that helps the team win,” Cross said. “I want to be great at whatever position it is. If that’s being a shield on punt I’ll be an All-Pro on shields. That’s the mindset I have. So versatility. I feel like I can do anything.” Cross knows what he can’t be. “I am not going to have the same game as Dexter Lawrence or someone like that. I have a different thing going on. It’s speed and versatility and skill, that’s kind of my thing,” he said “I’m a nerd, so I look at it like Superman and Batman. Batman doesn’t have a lot of powers, he doesn’t do a lot of stuff, but he knows how to get around people. I’m a film guru. I sit down and I’ll watch film for an extremely long period of time, maybe even longer than I should, but I look and read and do everything I can to make sure I do everything I can to beat you. Obviously Dexter Lawrence is probably one of the strongest people in the league, so I think I would complement that well.” We’ll see if he gets the chance. ‘Ladies first’ In a handful of the early mock drafts I have done, I have selected Maryland defensive tackle Jordan Phillips for the Giants at some point around Round 4. So, of course I wanted to stop by Phillips’ podium on Wednesday to hear the young man talk. I wasn’t disappointed. This is a gracious, well-spoken young man who would have made his mother proud had she heard him on Wednesday. When two reporters, a man and women, simultaneously asked Phillips questions, he said this: “I apologize, sir. Ladies first.” He took the question from the female reporter, then graciously responded to the man’s question. Phillips wouldn’t mind playing next to Dexter Lawrence. Maryland DT Jordan Phillips on the idea of pairing with Dexter Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/6kYIGMWIdG — Big Blue View (@bigblueview) February 26, 2025 Phillips also said this: “Transparacy. Leadership. Accountability. I plan on earning my teammates’ trust, and I plan on doing that by working hard and proving myself every day, and being productive on the field.” Mountain of a man Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, the other half of a tremendous tandem with Graham, is a 6-foot-3, 340-pound mountain of a man. Grant is built like Giants star Dexter Lawrence, and hopes to play like Lawrence and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Vita Vea. Those are players he called “bulldozers” on Wednesday. Grant, as you might expect, said “my
What could Howie Roseman’s “different” offseason for the Eagles look like?
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images It sounds like the Eagles’ roster will be constructed a bit differently this spring. Last off-season, Howie Roseman pulled off perhaps the best free agent signing in both Philadelphia sports and NFL history in signing Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million contract, landed free agent bust Bryce Huff with a three-year, $51 million contract, inked C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a three-year deal and added Zack Baun on a one-year pact. He also traded away Haason Reddick to the Jets, and had one of the best drafts in franchise history, too. In short, Roseman was busy. He made big moves from the start of free agency and never really stopped until Opening Day, picking up Jahan Dotson in training camp, too. On Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Roseman addressed the media and talked a bit about this upcoming off-season. In short, Howie sought to tamp down on expectations the team would be big spenders in free agency or on the trade market fresh off the team’s second Super Bowl victory. “We have challenges because we have a lot of good players and we have long-term contracts with a lot of our players who are in their prime,” Roseman said. “My expectations aren’t that we’re going to have to lose a lot of players and that means that there are excuses for next season. It’s just, it’s going to look different.” How could this off-season look “different?” First, it would make sense if the team’s top priority is to retain as many of their own free agents as make sense. Chief among them, it appears, according to the Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun will be a top priority. The Eagles have made re-signing Zack Baun a priority ahead of free agency, NFL sources said… … “Obviously a phenomenal season — first-team All-Pro, top-five defensive player of the year. Tremendous person, tremendous character,” Roseman said of Baun on Tuesday. “Made a huge difference during the regular season, made a huge difference during the playoffs, made a huge difference in the Super Bowl. “And so, those are guys that you obviously want to keep. There’s no doubt about it, we’ll make a concerted effort to try to keep him here. But … obviously he has an opportunity to hit free agency.” Re-signing Baun should be the team’s No. 1 priority this off-season for a number of reasons. First, Nakobe Dean’s knee injury could sideline him for a majority of the 2025 season, and while Oren Burks performed heroically in his absence, making him the No. 1 linebacker on the depth chart is no way to begin a title defense. Second, Baun’s impact on the field cannot be overstated. The Eagles have not had a linebacker play like this since the glory days of Jeremiah Trotter, Sr., and we saw the impact he had in virtually every game this season. He’s a perfect fit for Vic Fangio’s scheme. The Eagles need him. Third, if you watched any of the NFL Films Mic’d Up or other behind the scenes footage of this team throughout the season, it became clear Baun was an unquestioned team leader inside the locker room. These kinds of players don’t grow on trees. Of course, Milton Williams is a 25-year-old pass rushing tackle on the rise. All things being equal, he may have the most value of any pending free agent. Josh Sweat is a 27-year-old edge rusher who is streaky, but had a solid season and performed his best in the Super Bowl. Becton proved to be one of the best offensive guards in the league, and we all know how much the league values great offensive line play. The Eagles would love to keep them all, but Roseman made clear that simply won’t be possible. Unlike previous off-seasons where it appeared Roseman had money flowing from his pockets to scatter across the roster, those previous decisions will also prevent him from signing external free agents. The team would also like to spend some money giving players like center Cam Jugens the extensions they need/deserve. “It’s probably not going to look like maybe the [way] conventional wisdom thinks it should look,” Roseman said of this impending off-season. “When I look at some of the decisions that we have to do, we’re going to have to trade off in some other areas.” Most Eagles fans are salivating at the thought of the team adding a stud edge rusher like Cleveland’s Myles Garrett in a trade, but how realistic is that? It depends. Roseman was asked about the possibility, but refused to speculate. “Anytime that you’re talking about giving up a high pick and a lot of money for a player, it’s also got to fit where you are as a team,” he said. “It’s got to fit where you are from a cap perspective, all those things have to match up. And so we look at all those. “There’s a lot of attractive items out there, you know, and we spend a lot of time talking about every position and every good player, and we’re selfish. We want everyone, but at the end of the day, it’s just not the position we’re in right now.” The cost would be steep, likely at least one first-round draft pick and possibly two, given how late in the first round the Eagles are likely to draft over the next couple years. Add on a restructured contract that would almost certainly be required, and it’s tough to see how it happens. No one manipulates the cap better than Roseman and the Eagles, but the piper must be paid at some point, and it appears some of that money may be due right now. That seems to be Roseman’s message. They cannot retain everyone. Investments made in previous off-seasons necessitate a tit-for-tat approach to this off-season. The Eagles have a budget, and although the salary cap is increasing next year, the Eagles have only about $18
