Dallas Cowboys Are Coming to Oxnard, CA: Fan's Look (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

As a football fan, I think one of the best experiences to really get close to the team is an NFL training camp visit. It's a great chance to actually interact with the players in a much less high-pressure environment than found during the regular season. For fans of the Dallas Cowboys, especially those living in Southern California, all it takes is a trip to Oxnard to visit the 2012 Dallas Cowboys Training Camp.

Beyond the Shutdown 50: Juron Criner, WR, Oakland Raiders (Shutdown Corner)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Now that the 2012 NFL draft is in the can, it's time to take the Shutdown 50 scouting format forward and get a closer look at some of the surprising and fascinating selections from this year's draft -- the guys we missed in the original 50, but who could be impact players now or down the road. Our next entry: Arizona receiver Juron Criner, selected by the Oakland Raiders with the 33rd pick in the fifth round (168th overall). Overview: While most of the talk about Pac-12 passing attacks in 2011 focused on the offenses led by Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley, the Arizona passing  game has been one of the more productive in the nation in recent seasons -- and receiver Juron Criner may be the primary reason for that. If you're in the group who believes that former Arizona and current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles hurt that aerial attack as much as he helped it with his inaccuracy and questionable decision-making, Criner stands out in sharper relief. After catching 7 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman, Criner moves up to 45/582/9 in 2009, and made a name for himself in 2010, when he caught 82 passes for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. He repeated that touchdown figure last year, and the rest of the numbers almost matched up (75 for 926). Criner further set himself on the radar with an exciting week at the Senior Bowl. From our own Mike Tanier's report : Criner has probably helped his stock more than any other player during Senior Bowl practices this week ... [he] does not have breakaway speed, but he appears to have the rest of the package. "I'm very agile for a man my size," Criner said after Thursday's practice. That agility was evident earlier in the week, when he made smooth cuts and adjusted to poorly thrown balls in live practices. Criner has also been demonstrating good hands and pass-catching technique, and he looks more fluid and comfortable running routes than some of the other big receivers on the South squad. Janoris Jenkins (CB, North Alabama), the likely first-round pick who transferred from Florida because of personal issues, singled Criner out as the hardest South receiver to cover this week during his Thursday press conference. "He's kinda got ball skills," Jenkins said. "If you hit his hand, he'll catch it. And he's tall." So, there's that. When he's thrown to by good quarterbacks, Juron Criner tends to make plays. And even when he's thrown to by quarterbacks who couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat, he's going to do some interesting things. Now a proud member of the Oakland Raiders, Criner has a shot at doing what Tennessee wideout Denarius Moore did in 2011 -- come out of nowhere as a late-round pick and impress the NFL. Moore went off the hook in a relative sense in his rookie campaign, catching 33 passes for 618 yards and five touchdowns. Could Criner be the next guy on the Raiders' late-draft boards to flash that same kind of long-term potential? Strengths: Shows an impressive burst for an alleged "possession receiver" -- Criner gets up to speed quickly off the line and in end-arounds. Fires upfield with an impressive second gear. Good catch radius and fine hands in space -- Criner often contorted his body to make catches when Foles was throwing with questionable accuracy. Will adjust his body to catch deep balls without losing too much speed after he's already beaten the corner or safety down the seam. Made a lot of catches despite the fact that Foles was clearly targeting him as the first read, which allowed opponents to time their jumps on the ball. Will fight to get through contact before he's wrapped up and occasionally gets free to make a big play. Senior Bowl performances showed what he could do when targeted by quarterbacks with a clue, as has his brief performances in Raiders minicamp. Frequently listed as a possession receiver, but he's got more downfield speed than the title might imply. Weaknesses: Tends to lose control of the ball when contact is coming -- doesn't have alligator arms, per se, but has trouble bringing the ball in and securing it when a defender is bearing down on him. Will lose the ball too often upon contact, leading to fumbles and incompletions. Not an especially physical player when fighting for balls with defenders in short spaces.

Eagles 2010 Draft Class Faces Make It Or Break It Year

Source: Bleeding Green Nation by JasonB

If year 2 is an NFL player's "leap year" where he makes his biggest jump in terms of understanding the game and being physically able to play it, year 3 is really his "make it or break it" year. By year 3, he may be still be seen as a young player, but he's approaching veteran status. He may still be learning the game, but learning ceases to be an excuse for him. And while there may be plenty of examples of players who earn starting jobs later in their career, most of the best have locked down a starting spot by their third year.

So let's take a look at the

Whatever happened to Joe Banner

Source: Bleeding Green Nation by KJ Brophy

Whatever happened to Joe Banner

Interesting read

Philly vs. Boston Rundown

Source: Philly.com by Bob Vetrone Jr.

Howall the current Philadelphia teams have fared against their Boston counterpart.

Whatever Happened to Joe Banner?

Source: Philly.com by Les Bowen

The Eagles' president has been practically invisible during an offseason that has featured a distinct lack of strife in contract negotiations.

Whatever Happened to Joe Banner?

Source: Eagletarian by Les Bowen

The Eagles' president has been practically invisible during an offseason that has featured a distinct lack of strife in contract negotiations.

The Linc - Michael Vick Getting Hitched

Source: Bleeding Green Nation by JasonB

The 10 players your team can least afford to lose to injury, Eagles edition – Blogging the bEast
Pretty self explanatory

Michael Vick running hitch pattern | National Football Post
Michael Vick is ready for a hitch route. Not the pass pattern. The marriage pattern. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback will marry longtime fiancée Kijafa Frank on June

Eagles haven't significantly altered their approach to business, despite perceptions

Source: Philly.com

The dynamic may have shifted slightly, some tinkering may have been done, but the Eagles still conduct business as they always have.

Philadelphia Eagles Content to Build From Within

Source: Eagles Central by Carl Conrad

This offseason has been markedly different from last year for the Philadelphia Eagles.  Putting the obvious lockout related subjects aside, there are still some monumental differences in how the team handled itself last year and how the organization has gone about business this year.  The 2011 offseason saw the Eagles make huge moves in the free agent market, seemingly signing just about every big named free agent available, namely Nnamdi Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin and Vince Young, as well as trading for Dominique Rodgers-Cromatrie.  That strategy obviously did not work out in the Eagles favor, as they started the season 4-8 before winning their last 4 games.  Philadelphia had the talent to succeed last year, but in a significantly shortened offseason, it took longer than expected for the team to gel.   Blowing 4^th quarter leads and turning the ball over didn’t help a great deal, either.

This year, however, the Eagles have taken care of their own.  The team re-signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson, defensive end Trent Cole and offensive lineman Todd Herremans…all before giving LeSean McCoy a 5 year $45 million contract extension that guaranteed him almost $21 million.  These moves by Philly indicate that they very well may have learned from their mistakes.  It also shows that they are confident in the players on their roster and feel they will put the organization in a position to win a championship in the near future.  The biggest free agent signings the team made this year were linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who should make an immediate impact on a team that was desperate for a quality middle linebacker, and Demetress Bell, who was signed out of necessity when Jason Peters went down with an injury.  Those pickups are hardly the “fantasy football” approach that some members of the squad thought Philadelphia took last year.  In addition, the departure of Asante Samuel may be a blessing for the Eagles.  It will allow Cromartie to play outside opposite Asomugha, which is a position he is much more comfortable with than the nickel spot he was forced to play last year because of the presence of Samuel.

The Eagles also drafted well this year; better than they have for quite some time.  Granted, any talk of “how well a team has drafted” is pure speculation until the players take the field, but Philadelphia addressed some glaring deficiencies by picking up quality players in the draft who should be able to come in and compete right away.

Philly’s renewed dedication to building from within could very well pay immediate dividends for the organization, as they have the talent to compete with anyone in the NFC East and possibly the NFL.  The only questions are whether or not the team can continue to gel and build upon the 4 game winning streak that closed out last season and whether they did in fact pick up the correct pieces to fill the holes they had on defense last year.

Looking At The Leap Year Prospects Of The 2011 Eagles Draft Class (Part 2)

Source: Bleeding Green Nation by JasonB

Earlier, we looked at the "leap year" prospects of the first half of the 2011 draft class, so now we'll take a look at the rest.

Dion Lewis - RB - Lewis showed some flashes running the ball last year averaging 4.4 yards per carry, but the Eagles brought in some competition for him this season. But here's where the leap year guys should stand out. Dion Lewis should

Looking At The Leap Year Prospects Of The 2011 Eagles Draft Class (Part 1)

Source: Bleeding Green Nation by JasonB

An NFL player's second year is often referred to as his "leap year." He had his rookie year, he had a full offseason in an NFL training program, he knows the playbook and now its time to take a leap up. Players often advance more form year one to two more than any other year in their career.

For the draft class of 2011, the leap could be even more dramatic. Thanks to the lockout, these guys had virtually no offseason. That means no learning the playbook, no NFL training program and not even really any chance to get to know their teammates or coaches. So it's very possible that we could see a lot of these guys, here and around the NFL, take a big jump in year 2. Below we'll assess the prospects of each of the

How LeSean McCoy became Shady

Source: Bleeding Green Nation by rohan915

How LeSean McCoy became Shady

Interesting and fun video about Shady growing up

Asomugha: Keeping Asante could've worked

Source: Philly.com by Sheil Kapadia

Asomugha: Keeping Asante could've worked

Source: Moving the Chains by Sheil Kapadia

Michael Vick running hitch pattern (National Football Post)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Eagles QB getting married next month

Weekend mailbag: Beatty faces pressure

Source: NFC East Blog

Welcome to the weekend, and to the weekend mailbag, where I try to round up some of your more interesting questions from the week and answer them the best I can. We shall get right to it. Dave from Brookfield, Conn., would have picked left tackle Will Beatty for the New York Giants' entry in Friday's "Pressure Point" series. I went with Ahmad Bradshaw, as you can see if you click on that link. Dan Graziano: That's a great call, Dave, and probably a better one than Bradshaw.

Philadelphia Eagles: LeSean McCoy Gets Paid Because the Man Is Money

Source: Bleacher Report

LeSean McCoy became a rich man on Thursday, signing a five-year extension worth $45 million with $20.765 million guaranteed.  That averages out to be just over $1 million of guaranteed money per touchdown McCoy scored in 2011.

Simply put, McCoy got paid because the man is money.

In 2011, he put himself in the elite category by posting 1,309 yards rushing with 17 TDs and another 315 yards and three TDs receiving.  No other player in the NFL scored more touchdowns than McCoy last season.

When thinking of the best running backs in the NFL now, McCoy has elevated his status to being mentioned in the same breath as Adrian Peterson and Arian Foster. 

To look at it another way, if you're a fantasy football player, McCoy will likely be the second overall pick in most fantasy drafts this year (after Foster and because Peterson is coming off an injury).

Other things to consider about McCoy:

• He played in approximately 82 percent of the team's offensive snaps in 2011.
• He's durable; has not missed any time due to injury.
• He's reliable; only three lost fumbles in 801 touches (equates to one fumble every 267 touches).
• Led the league in broken tackles with 50 in 2011 (per Football Outsiders).
• Seventeen of his 20 TDs in 2011 came from within the red zone.
• Led the league last year with 14 runs of 20 yards or more.
• Accounted for nearly one-third (31 percent) of the Eagles' first downs in 2011.
• Had 84 rushing first downs last season, leading the league (in comparison, Foster was fifth with 58).

Andy Reid knows what he has in McCoy as evidenced by his sitting in on the negotiations to ensure a deal gets done.  Reid understands his importance to the offense and certainly doesn't want to take a chance of having his most valuable offensive player (besides Michael Vick) be distracted this year.

Reid also knows that the better McCoy produces, the better off Michael Vick will be.  Being able to run the ball effectively means defenses have to respect it and not play “kill the passer” because they don’t think you can (or will) run on them.

And run the Eagles will, or at least, they should.  Especially when you consider that McCoy has drawn comparisons to all-time great Barry Sanders last season.  In reference to his "cut-on-a-dime" ability and elusiveness, Miami Dolphins DE Jason Taylor stated the following:

"You hate to put him in the company of greatness but he's got a lot of Barry Sanders in him."

That's high praise coming from an accomplished and respected veteran NFL player.  Even analysts who were calling the Eagles games were starting to compare him to Sanders, consider this from an article written by Sam Donnellon of Philly.com:

"LeSean McCoy would stop in full stride, shift his body a foot or 2, then resume full speed as if someone hit the play button on their Tivo.

"Barry Sanders," an announcer would say..."

And that's just when he's taking hand-offs from Vick.  When you add in McCoy’s reliability as a check-down receiver, he is truly an invaluable weapon for the offense.

McCoy is also only 23 years old (will turn 24 in July) so the Eagles now have him locked up through all of his prime years as a player.  He is a young, budding star and has his best years are still ahead of him. 

He'll be worth every last penny of his new $45 million contract.

McCoy's extension has also culminated a damn near picture-perfect offseason orchestrated brilliantly by the Eagles front office.

Read more Philadelphia Eagles news on BleacherReport.com

Asomugha says Samuel could have fit on Eagles' D

Source: NFL.com by Sessler, Marc

Asante Samuel appeared to be the odd man out on the Eagles' defense entering this offseason and was dealt to the Atlanta Falcons, but Nnamdi Asomugha said the cornerback could have found his place this year if he remained in Philadelphia.

Raiders Should Drop McClain After Conviction: Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

There's no denying it, the Oakland Raiders have a bad reputation. Starting with the hardcore teams of the 1970s with guys like Jack Tatum (aka The Assassin) and George Atkinson, I think some of that reputation may have been well-deserved.

The Linc - Is Matt Forte Worth LeSean McCoy Money?

Source: Bleeding Green Nation by JasonB

What's Up With Former Eagles QB Donovan McNabb? - SB Nation Philly
Donovan McNabb has been in the news a lot recently. He remains unemployed, but is doing some training. Is there hope left for him? What's holding him back?

Is Matt Forte worth as much as LeSean McCoy? | National Football Post
Does Matt Forte deserve to be paid the same amount of money as

Raiders Players Train Local High School Ballers: Fan's View (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

I think it was a week of contrasts for the Oakland Raiders in terms of contributions to society. Raiders linebacker Rolondo McClain was sentenced to 180 days in jail after a conviction on four charges, including reckless endangerment, third-degree assault, menacing and discharging a firearm. McClain and an accomplice apparently beat up another guy in Alabama in November 2011, for which he was convicted, and as was recorded in a recently released cel phone video of the incident.

Bill Walsh, former Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach, dies

Source: NFL.com by NFL.com

Paul Domowitch: Concussion suits a real headache for NFL

Source: Philly.com

With each passing day, the list of plaintiffs filing concussion lawsuits against the NFL grows. At last check, more than 2,100 former players have filed suit against the league in 74 separate lawsuits, most of which have been consolidated in federal court in Philadelphia. By the end of the summer, the number of plaintiffs could exceed 3,000.

Philadelphia Eagles Extending LeSean McCoy’s Contract Continues An Outstanding Offseason

Source: Eagles Central by Frank Benditt III

The Philadelphia Eagles have made a distinct philosophy shift this offseason by securing key members on their current roster.  The latest was the much deserved contract extension of pro-bowl halfback LeSean McCoy.  LeSean McCoy now joins wide receiver DeSean Jackson, offensive tackle Todd Herremans, offensive guard Evan Mathis, and defensive end Trent Cole as the fifth player to sign sizable contract extensions.

McCoy’s five year extension is worth $45 million, including $20,765,000 guaranteed.  Entering the last year of his four year rookie contract, McCoy was slated to earn $615,00. The new deal positions McCoy as the third highest paid running back in the NFL behind Minnesota Vikings Adrian Peterson and Tennessee Titans Chris Johnson.

During the 2011 campaign, McCoy compiled 1309 rushing yards on 4.8 yards per carry, along with 17 rushing touchdowns.  McCoy also caught 48 balls for 315 yards with three touchdowns.   Last season, LeSean McCoy eclipsed the Philadelphia Eagles single season touchdown record with a total of 20.  In fact, McCoy is the only player in NFL history with 3,000 rushing yards, 150 catches and a 4.8 rushing average in his first three seasons.

In the modern NFL, running backs typically have a short shelf life.  LeSean McCoy is young enough (24 years old entering the 2012 season) to produce at a high level for the duration of the four year extension.   More importantly, LeSean will continue to make the Eagles a more balanced offense.

The decision to ink LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson,  Todd Herremans, Evan Mathis and Trent Cole has provided me with a new found optimism in the Eagles front office to “do the right thing”.  That statement, alone, shocks me.

contact:  frank-benditt@comcast.

Colts claim OG Taylor off waivers (Pro Football Weekly)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Colts have signed their third former Eagles offensive guard, claiming Zane Taylor off waivers from Philadelphia on Friday.

10 Best Offensive Line Units from the 2011 Season

Source: Bleacher Report

Get ready NFL fans! Using a unique combination of several sources and statistical information, I was able to generate a very thorough scoring system in order to determine the best and worst offensive line units in the NFL for the 2011 season.

The total ranking of each offensive line was accomplished by ranking and adding together numerous key statistics as well as factoring in individual productivity and success.  The elements that have been considered for the total scoring system are:

• —Sacks allowed

• —QB hits allowed

• —Total rush yards

• —Average yards per carry

• —Negative play to big play ratio (total rushing plays for a loss of yards vs. total rushing plays of 10-plus yards)

• —NFL.com's power percentage average. (Percentage of rushes on third or fourth down with two or fewer yards to go that achieved a first down or TD. Also includes rushes on 1st-and-goal and 2nd-and-goal from the opponent's 2-yard line or closer.)

• —Individual player production created from combining profootballfocus.com, Matt Miller's Bleacher Report rankings of the top offensive linemen in the NFL and Pat Kirwan's article "Protect and Serve: NFL's Best O-linemen Come in All Forms"—which took opinions from three NFL offensive line coaches to go along with his own. 

All of these individual elements were brought together with a formula adding greater weight to more applicable categories to create a total score for each team's offensive line unit.  And so, I bring to you the 10 best offensive lines in the NFL from the 2011 season.

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Michael Vick set to tie the knot

Source: NFL.com by Sessler, Marc

Michael Vick will be officially off the market come June 30; on that day, the Eagles QB will tie the knot with fiancée Kijafa Frink in Miami, according to the New York Post.

Yeremiah Bell signs with New York Jets

Source: NFL.com by Rapoport, Ian

Michael Vick puts a ring on it

Source: NFL.com by Sessler, Marc

Michael Vick is off the market: the Eagles QB has decided, as Beyonce would say, to "put a ring on it." According to the New York Post, Vick will marry fiancée Kijafa Frink in Miami at the end of June.

NFL: Packers waiting before retiring Favre's jersey (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Green Bay Packers will wait at least another season to hold a ceremony to retire Brett Favre's No. 4.

Colts claim Taylor, waive Murphy (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Indianapolis Colts claimed offensive guard Zane Taylor off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles and waived offensive guard Matt Murphy on Friday.

Previewing Eagles Quarterbacks as OTAs Begin: A Fan's Look (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles will hold their first round of OTAs starting on May 22. While certain players might not be participating, this is still the first chance for the entire 2012 team to work out together. As the 2011 season turned into a disaster, we heard a lot about how the Eagles didn't have a full offseason to get ready. In light of that excuse, I would like to think that the team would take OTAs seriously. With that in mind, here is a look at how the quarterbacks stand as the team begins OTAs.

Indianapolis dabbles with changing of guard (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indianapolis Colts are making a change at guard.

A Look at LeSean McCoy’s Mind-Boggling Numbers

Source: Inside the Iggles by Bob Wankel

By now, we all … [visit site to read more]

What Oddsmakers Think Will Happen to Cowboys, Giants, Eagles & Redskins in 2012

Source: Bleacher Report

Are the Philadelphia Eagles a 13 or 14-win team? Based on the wildly early point spreads released from Las Vegas oddsmakers, Philadelphia is supposed to run away with the NFC East in 2012.

The argument is often made that when it comes to betting on NFL football, you can't beat Las Vegas oddsmakers. Regardless of whether gambling on NFL games is a fool's strategy for financial success, a hell of a lot of Americans do it.

And that's why every year at this time, Cantor Gaming releases point spreads for all 240 games played from Week 1 through Week 16.

The spreads, which were released last week, can obviously give us a nice indication of what some of the smartest people in the sports world think will happen to our favorite teams. Now, Week 17 isn't publicly handicapped yet, but we can comb through the first 16 weeks to determine just what Vegas is expecting from the four teams in the NFC East.

* In Week 17, the Redskins host the Cowboys and the Giants host the Eagles.

 

 

Dallas Cowboys

 

The oddsmakers believe Dallas will lose its first two games, in New York against the Giants and in Seattle. It's also interesting to see that they have the Cowboys down as a one-point underdog at Carolina in Week 7. They also have the 'Boys as one-point 'dogs in back-to-back games against Philadelphia (at home) and Cincinnati (on the road). And then again they're a one-point 'dog against the Saints in Week 16.

 

Projected record headed into Week 17: 6-9. Ten of those games fall within a field goal in either direction.

 

My take: This is low. The Cowboys are better than 6-10 or 7-9. That said, their schedule doesn't do them any favors this year. It'll be interesting to see if they play as many close games as they're projected to play.

 

 

New York Giants

 

The defending champions are supposed to win their first two games, but it's a pick'em in Carolina Week 3. The only road game they're favored to win all season? Week 13 in Washington.

 

Projected record headed into Week 17: 7-6-2. Obviously they won't tie twice, but even if you give them victories in those two pick'ems, the oddsmakers aren't confident that the G-men will build off of their Super Bowl season.

 

My take: Honestly, I still see the Giants as a nine or 10-win team. Still, you'd think the Super Bowl winners would get more love away from home.

 

 

Philadelphia Eagles

 

The oddsmakers have the Eagles doing the opposite of what they did last September and starting fast with wins in six of their first seven games. Their Week 5 matchup with the Steelers is a toss-up, but they've been made a one-point 'dog. 

 

Projected record headed into Week 17: 13-2. And only two wins and three losses that fall within three points.

 

My take: Philadelphia might have the most talented roster in the league, and oddsmakers can't really project intangible stuff that could interfere with such a run. I'm assuming these lines are set with the presumption that everyone stays healthy. That won't be easy for the Eagles, who led the NFC in adjusted games lost in 2011.

 

 

Washington Redskins

 

Despite the tumult in New Orleans, the oddsmakers have Robert Griffin III and Co. as a 9.5-point underdog on the road against the Saints in Week 1. They're not favored to win until they host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. 

 

Projected record headed into Week 17: 4-10-1. So if they follow that path, win their Week 2 pick'em with St. Louis and beat the Cowboys at home in the finale, they'll improve by one game in RG3's first year.

 

My take: While Philly is too high and Dallas and the Giants are probably a little low, this isn't far off. The Redskins are probably still a year away from competing for the playoffs.

This obviously isn't a perfect science. Broad season-long predictions aren't necessarily going to match up with game-by-game point spreads, and sometimes numbers are manipulated by oddsmakers to get the public betting in one spot or another. The latest future odds for Super Bowl XLVII have the Eagles only barely ahead of the Giants. Plus, they aren't always right. They're just right more often than most of us are.

Still, it's fun to take a glimpse at what the Vegas folk believe might go down in 2013.

Read more Philadelphia Eagles news on BleacherReport.com

Jets sign veteran S Bell (Pro Football Weekly)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Jets added another safety this offseason, signing veteran Yeremiah Bell on Friday. Pro Football Talk first reported the signing.

Pasquarelli: Pittsburgh completes overdue overhaul of O-line (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger now 30, and the team's most valuable player sacked an average of 43.5 times over the last six seasons -- including 40 or more sacks in all but one of those campaigns, and coming off an ankle injury last year -- Pittsburgh has drastically retooled its blocking unit.

McCoy's deal, gets attention of franchised Forte, Rice (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The five-year, $45 million extension signed by Philadelphia tailback LeSean McCoy on Thursday -- with the raw numbers provided by "a league source" otherwise known as agent Drew Rosenhaus, seeming to check out as accurate -- merited considerable attention.

Ravens undecided on docking Suggs' pay (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Unlike the Philadelphia Eagles, who reportedly have decided to dock offensive tackle Jason Peters for his offseason Achilles ruptures -- technically regarded as non-football injuries -- Baltimore officials have made no decision about adjusting the salary of linebacker Terrell Suggs, who is due a salary of $4.9 million and roster bonus of $4.6 million for 2012.

Free Agent S Yeremiah Bell Chooses New York Jets Over Philadelphia Eagles

Source: Eagles Central by Bryn Swartz

Free agent safety Yeremiah Bell has chosen the New York Jets over the Philadelphia Eagles, despite both teams offering him exactly the same amount of money.

Bell signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Jets, which includes $1.1 million fully guaranteed base salart, a $200,000 signing bonus, and a $100,000 workout bonus.

The 34-year old Bell also visited with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans this offseason.

I am personally very surprised that Bell turned down the Eagles. He would have a very good chance to start (likely over Kurt Coleman, not Nate Allen). He also played from 2008 to 2011 with Todd Bowles, who was Miami’s secondary coach and assistant head coach (and interim head coach for the final three games of the 2011 season). Bowles left after the 2011 season to become the secondary coach for the Eagles, so the fact that Bell didn’t follow Bowles to Philadelphia suggests to me that they must not have had the best relationship.

Bell turning down the Eagles also just about guarantees that the Eagles will head into the 2012 season with the exact same group of safeties that they had in the 2011 season: Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman, and Jaiquawn Jarrett.

I have faith in Allen turning into an above average starter. He struggled last year because he wasn’t fully recovered from his patellar tendon in December of 2010, but he has a bright future.

I’m not too sure about Coleman, who also enters his third year in the league, as well as second-year man Jaiquawn Jarrett, who really didn’t show a lot last year.

Hankerson among breakout candidates

Source: NFC East Blog

The 2012 draft is so last month, and the 2013 draft is too far away to comprehend, so our draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. is thinking back to the 2011 draft and has come up with some players he thinks could break out in their second NFL seasons. It's an Insider piece, so only those of you with Insider access can read it. But that's OK, because I like you guys better anyway. Just please don't tell the others. I don't want anyone to get upset. Anyway, Mel has three players on his list from the NFC East, and they are.

LeSean McCoy Fulfills A Life Long Dream With Long Term Deal

Source: Bleeding Green Nation by JasonB

LeSean McCoy was all smiles as he met the media last night, the Eagles Pro Bowl RB had just put pen to paper on a brand new 5-year extension that will pay him $45 million and keep him in green through the 2017 season. For the kid from Harrisburg, its the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

"I love this team, and I'm kind of a hometown kid from Harrisburg which is like an hour and a half away." McCoy said.

"The biggest thing is that my whole life, I've always thought about being a professional football player and working hard to this point where I sign a major contract to be

Is Matt Forte worth as much as LeSean McCoy? (National Football Post)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Chicago running back deserves a new contract, but should he be paid as much as the Philadelphia Pro Bowler?

Bell chooses Jets over Eagles

Source: Philly.com by Jeff McLane

Yeremiah Bell made his choice and it was not the Eagles. The free agent safety signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets, an NFL confirmed, after he narrowed his choices down to two teams.

Bell choosing Jets over Eagles

Source: Philly.com by Jeff McLane

Yeremiah Bell made his choice and it was not the Eagles. The free agent safety signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets, an NFL confirmed, after he narrowed his choices down to two teams.

LeSean McCoy Gets Paid!

Source: Eagles Gab by Troy Ballard

Shady Gets Paid!

Time to celebrate a 100% successful off-season, Philadelphia!

The elephant in the room — LeSean McCoy’s expiring contract — has been rectified by a whopping five-year $45 million deal, with at least $20,765,000 guaranteed. This move will lock Shady with the Eagles through 2017, and if there was any doubt before it’s gone now — McCoy is the Eagles’ offensive cornerstone. The idea of losing McCoy after this season to a contract hold-out, or worse yet free agency, was something that wasn’t going to fly.

So, Philly paid Shady what he deserved.

Following a record shattering season in 2011, McCoy proved that he can be that premiere back the Eagles have been missing since the early days of Brian Westbrook. The sick cut-backs, smooth jukes, and break-away speed helped carry Shady to his new contract — one that will likely last the remainder of his career.

The question now becomes this — do the Eagles use McCoy more or less now that he has signed a new contract, and with that, does Philadelphia have the depth behind him to cut him breaks in games?

Really, it all boils down to how Dion Lewis, Chris Polk, and Bryce Brown perform. If any of those three can contribute a decent amount, I would expect Shady’s overall carry numbers to drop as the Eagles will try and keep him fresh through the entire season. However, if none of the above mentioned running backs are consistent, expect McCoy’s carries to sky-rocket compared to last season.

Either way, this contract extension is huge for the Eagles — it marks a new generation and the potential for losing McCoy is no longer an issue!