Posts Tagged ‘Ryan Waterman’

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2016 NFL Draft: Grading Each Eagles Draft Pick

May 2nd, 2016 by Ryan Waterman | Comments Off on 2016 NFL Draft: Grading Each Eagles Draft Pick | Filed in Eagles, Football, General, NFL, Sports, TalkSportsPhilly
Source: PhiladelphiaEagles.com

Source: PhiladelphiaEagles.com

Three days of the NFL Draft has come and gone. Our Philadelphia Eagles held seven selections over the three-day event, with their first pick being second overall. They made shockwaves by moving from 13th overall to eighth in a trade with Miami. Then, last week they made a blockbuster with Cleveland to jump up to second overall. As always with the NFL Draft, some picks are no-brainers, others are decent picks, and there are picks that leave you questioning the selection. In this post, I am going to analyze the Eagles draft picks, and will grade them based on my thoughts.

First Round (2nd Overall): Carson Wentz/QB- North Dakota State

I love this pick, absolutely love it. The Eagles believe Wentz is their franchise quarterback, and so do I. He’s got all the skills, and his intangibles are fantastic. He’s drawn many comparisons to Andrew Luck, and I for one feel comfortable with that comparison. With this selection, the Eagles found themselves their quarterback for the next 10-12 years. Hopefully, a Super Bowl will find itself into that time frame, as well.

GRADE: A+

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BREAKING: Eagles Select Carson Wentz 2nd Overall

April 29th, 2016 by Ryan Waterman | Comments Off on BREAKING: Eagles Select Carson Wentz 2nd Overall | Filed in Football, General, NFL
Source: Michael Chang/Getty Images North America

Source: Michael Chang/Getty Images North America

The wait is finally over….

“With the 2nd Pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select…..Carson Wentz, Quarterback, North Dakota State.”

That’s right folks, the Eagles have landed their next franchise quarterback. Unlike the selection of Donovan McNabb in 1999, this selection was met by a round of cheers.

The Birds believe that this selection has brought them their new franchise quarterback. Wentz really burst onto the scene in a big way this winter. Back when the season began in September, the North Dakota State product was viewed as a third, maybe even a fourth-round selection. However, a strong finish to the season (including a Division II National Title), and a strong performance in the pre-draft workouts have seen his stock skyrocket.

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Report: Eagles to Explore Re-Acquiring a Familiar Name

February 8th, 2016 by Ryan Waterman | Comments Off on Report: Eagles to Explore Re-Acquiring a Familiar Name | Filed in Eagles, Football, General, NFL

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Super Bowl Sunday is usually a very quiet day, that is filled with six hours of pregame shows, that preview the upcoming battle between the league’s two best teams. This year’s Super Bowl Sunday has a bit more buzz, than years past.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news this morning, that the Philadelphia Eagles do not plan to franchise tag quarterback Sam Bradford, but “still have some interest” in re-signing him. This is not so breaking news if you’re an Eagles fan, as this has long been a topic of discussion. In the event of a possible Franchise Tag for Sam Bradford, his 2016 salary would be pretty close to $20 million. For the past eight weeks, the hot topic in Philadelphia has been “Is Sam Bradford worth the money?”

Bradford was acquired by the Eagles back in March of 2015, in exchange for Nick Foles. The move was immediately met with a boatload of criticism, primarily because of Bradford’s track record of injuries. He was just coming off of a second ACL tear in the same knee, and the Eagles pretty much banked their future on him. Initially, the Birds were disappointed with Bradford’s slow start. He looked uncomfortable in the pocket, and subsequently, made some very questionable decisions. Despite the rocky start, he finished strong down the stretch. The former Oklahoma Sooner finished the year 3,725 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.

Over his final five games, Bradford completed roughly two-thirds of his passes for over 1,400 yards. He also threw for 8 TDs with only 4 interceptions. These stats brought to mind the immediate question, about whether Bradford could put forth these numbers in a full season. Speculation immediately began, that the team would franchise Bradford, as a way to give him one more season without a long-term financial commitment.  After this report, it certainly looks as if Bradford won’t be back in 2017, unless he takes a pay cut.

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Reports: Sixers, Clippers “Discussing” Blake Griffin Deal

February 6th, 2016 by Ryan Waterman | Comments Off on Reports: Sixers, Clippers “Discussing” Blake Griffin Deal | Filed in Basketball, General, NBA, Sixers

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Once upon a time, Scott O’ Neil was quoted as saying that the Sixers were “a year away” from being players for top free agents. The main reason behind the statement, is because of the Sixers lack of a winning record. While that statement made by O’Neil is true, there’s another way for the Sixers to acquire a household name.

That other way, as Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio notes, is via trade. Amico is reporting that Sixers have “discussed” a possible trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for superstar big man Blake Griffin. It was also noted that the Nuggets have discussed Griffin with the Clippers, but Dan Woike of the OC Register later noted that nothing much came of those talks.

Since coming on board, Jerry Colangelo has seemed to change the Sixers rebuilding plans a bit. The team seems to have become more comfortable with moving some young assets for established talent, if the opportunity presents itself. Well, it looks as if the Sixers want to capitalize on this opportunity.

By acquiring Blake Griffin, the Sixers would land that “household” name that they’ve been searching for. That player to put butts in the seats, and attract those marquee free-agents. While the former Oklahoma Sooner is out of commission for another month (at least…), he’s a game-changer when he’s on the court. He’s a safe bet for at least 15 points and 10 boards on a nightly basis. The big man has averaged 23.2 points per game, and 8.7 rebounds per game this season, before breaking his hand.

It’s not known what the Clippers seek in return, but the price is bound to be high. Rumors have spread about the price tag including Jahlil Okafor, Dario Saric, and the Lakers 2016 top-3 protected first-round draft pick. However, my own speculation leads me to believe that the organization would be more inclined to move Nerlens Noel over Okafor, as Okafor has (in my opinion..) proven to be more of a complete player than Noel. I’m not saying that Noel isn’t a good player, because he’s proved that he can be great. Personally, I just believe Okafor has a better chance at becoming an elite player, as opposed to Noel.

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Examining 5 Potential Trade Scenarios for Kam Chancellor

February 3rd, 2016 by Ryan Waterman | Comments Off on Examining 5 Potential Trade Scenarios for Kam Chancellor | Filed in Eagles, Football, General, NFL

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Every offseason, it seems like a major superstar becomes available via trade. Most recently, those stars have ranged from Jimmy Graham to Brandon Marshall. This year, there figures to be a number of stars discussed in trade talks. However, it’s almost a certainty that one man is going to be traded. That man’s name is Kam Chancellor, and he is an all-pro safety for the Seattle Seahawks. Chancellor enrolled at Virginia Tech as a quarterback, before enduring a change to cornerback. He eventually settled in at safety, and the rest is history. In his six seasons in the NFL, Chancellor has tallied almost 500 total tackles, a pair of sacks, 10 interceptions, and nine forced fumbles.

Quickly ascending to superstar status, Chancellor has solidified himself as an elite NFL safety. With that said, he’s been long-linked to trade rumors. The rumors have only become more frequent, since his holdout at the start of this season. While many teams have been linked to Chancellor at one point or another, there’s been one team who’s constantly appeared in rumors, the Philadelphia Eagles. In this article, we will take a look at five potential scenarios that could land Kam Chancellor in “Midnight Green.”  Without further delay, let’s get started…

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1.) Jason Peters and a 2016 3rd Round Pick

This deal makes the most sense for both sides, hands down. Seattle figures to lose Russell Okung to Free Agency this year. By losing Okung, the Seahawks are not only taking a major blow to their offensive line stability, but they’re also taking a major blow to their veteran presence. The acquisition of Peters would be beneficial for the Seahawks, as it would restore stability among their offensive lineman, while keeping the veteran presence in the locker room. For the Eagles, this deal almost makes too much sense. Moving Peters helps them shed his horrendous cap hit for the 2016 season, while beefing up their defensive secondary with the acquisition of one of the league’s best safeties. The third-round pick helps offset the salary difference between Peters and Chancellor, further enticing the Seahawks to take the deal.

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Philadelphia Eagles: 2016 Offseason Outlook

January 4th, 2016 by Ryan Waterman | Comments Off on Philadelphia Eagles: 2016 Offseason Outlook | Filed in Eagles, Football, General, NFL, TalkSportsPhilly

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A New Year is now upon us, and I would like to wish everyone a Happy 2016 on behalf of the staff here at TalkSportsPhilly.

Now that we’ve got that out-of-the-way, a once interesting off-season now seems all the more interesting.

In a bombshell announcement on Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Eagles announced that they have fired head coach Chip Kelly.  Kelly led the team to a 26-21 record in his almost three full seasons as head coach. Only one of those seasons saw a NFC East championship come back to the City of Brotherly Love.

There’s no secret when it comes to Chip Kelly.  He took the NFL by storm in his first season, winning the NFC East.  The following year, he led the team to a 10-6 season, but faltered down the stretch. Having faltered, the Eagles lost their grip on the NFC East and resulted in missing the playoffs.  For some reason, Chip was then given the keys to the ship. Jeffrey Lurie believed that it as a good idea to make Chip “the guy” and give him complete control. Well, the absolute power went to Kelly’s head.  He tore this team to shreds. As a result of the outgoing talent and influx of new players, this team has wound up at 6-9.

It took 16 weeks, but the Eagles are finally eliminated from the NFC East race. Having lost five of their last seven games, the Eagles have no-one to blame, but themselves for ending their own season. The team has dropped games this season, that they’ve had absolutely no business dropping.  As the season started, it was the offense that cost us games. Defensively, this team stood on its’ damn head to keep us afloat. Holding the Cowboys to a single offensive touchdown in their week 2 loss should’ve been enough for a win. Hell, holding the Falcons to 26 points during the opening game should’ve resulted in a win. But, the Eagles offense failed to live up to their potential, resulting in a pair of heart-breaking losses. As the season has advance, the offense has continued to struggle mightily, and as a result- the defense has seen frequent exhaustion. With the defense constantly on the field, they started burning out easily resulting in an increase in points allowed per game. To just get straight to my point, the Eagles have severely underachieved. Whatever the reason for the Eagles struggles is, it’s glaringly obvious that something has to change in the offseason.

That my dear readers, is why I am here. Through this article, I will layout the offseason that our Eagles face ahead.  Additionally, I will take a look at potential replacements for Chip Kelly, following his shocking departure.

So without further delay, let’s get right down to it.

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2015 Phillies Offseason Preview: Free Agent Pitchers

November 9th, 2015 by Ryan Waterman | Comments Off on 2015 Phillies Offseason Preview: Free Agent Pitchers | Filed in Baseball, General, MLB, Phillies, Sports

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An interesting off-season lies ahead…..

After one of the worst seasons in Phillies history, there has been a major overhaul in the front office. Andy McPhail has taken over as team president, Ruben Amaro is out as General Manager, and Matt Klentak is in. It’s a new era in Phillies baseball and there is a sudden buzz of excitement swarming over the Philadelphia baseball community.

Arguably the biggest buzz is surrounding the roster overhaul. This season saw the departures of two of the biggest stars that the Phillies have ever had, in Chase Utley and Cole Hamels. Both deals brought back a fair amount of talent, but that’s only part of the battle. There’s also the development of that talent, in addition to other youngsters, and any possible free agent additions that are brought in.

As demonstrated in other sports, not all free agent “splashes” turn out to be good ones. Hell, that’s even been prominent in baseball as of late (Hello, Pablo Sandoval!). So, while many fans are eager for the team to win sooner rather than later….they also need to understand that the Phils have to spend their money wisely. One wrong investment can set an organization back upwards of five years.

This off-season is arguably one of the more pivotal ones in this team’s history. Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins are gone and off of the payroll. Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz are the two lone Phillies originals from the ’08 World Series team left. The key to this off-season, is for the team to spend their money wisely, while focusing on the development of their prospects.

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