Around the NFL: Only Commies like Carson.

[AZ_Eaglesfan]

Anyone heard about Zach Cunningham? He is going to wavers for super cheap... I heard he is a solid player. For a team that needs LB 's bad I hope we at least take a look at him. Apparently his cap number this year would be around 200k and he has no guarantees in 2021... Sounds like a guy who we could take a shot on and not feel bad about it if he sucks.

No idea how well he fits in the scheme as I would never subject myself to Houston Texans football if I had to. 

Edit: Looking into it more he seems like a run stuffer only and bad in coverage... ya we probs don't need that too much.

Edited December 8, 2021 by AZ_Eaglesfan

[TheRealMcCoy]

WTH... Sweat and Barnett in the elite range of pass rush win rate??

But, it does make sense they are near the bottom in terms of double teams.

Niners gotta get Bosa some help on the other side lol.

[Danger]

what that shows me is that the opposing offenses are focusing on Cox and Hargrave.

[Kiltman]

7 minutes ago, Danger said:

what that shows me is that the opposing offenses are focusing on Cox and Hargrave.

And that perhaps drafting edge rushers who lack elite speed isn’t so great all the time…Howie, pls. Just one guy who can seal the deal.

[TheRealMcCoy]

8 minutes ago, Danger said:

what that shows me is that the opposing offenses are focusing on Cox and Hargrave.

Couldn't find an updated one for DT, but found this one from a few weeks ago he posted.

Hargrave somewhat above average for doubles while Cox was just average at best.

Kinda odd cause last year Cox was 2nd behind Donald for doubles.

[TheRealMcCoy]

Justin Jefferson is 2nd in the league in yards.

If he got as many targets as Kupp so far this year he would likely be 1st too lol.

Edit: Was bored at a commercial and decided to look up how Jefferson was seen as a HS recruit and he was ranked 2,164th nationally for all positions and the 308th WR. Just for comparisons sake DeVonta Smith and Jalen Reagor were in that  same class and DeVonta was 62nd nationally and 9th at WR, while Jalen was ranked 96th nationally and 13th at WR. Really surprised me how low Jefferson was ranked having gone to LSU and made a pretty big impact his sophomore year. Thought he would be in the top 20 or so at the very least and not like outside the top 300 at his position.

Edited December 10, 2021 by TheRealMcCoy

[TheRealMcCoy]

Peaked my curiosity enough to do a bit more digging. 

Seems like the recruiting sites have already wrote on this subject:

Quote

 

Chase kept pushing LSU away until the school finally won him over at the last moment. He ranked as a five-star recruit and explored all of his options. Jefferson had almost none. Despite his famous last name and close proximity to LSU’s campus, he was an afterthought as a prospect. The 247Sports Composite pegged Jefferson as the No. 2,164 player in the country for the 2017 class. Rivals stuck a two-star label on him. ESPN didn’t even bother to rank him.

“I like my ranking,” Jefferson said. “I like that I was a two-star and under the radar. It just makes me more eager to do what I do.”

Recruiting rankings mean little once you arrive at college. Yet in some ways they mean everything. That label – that unwanted stigma – has clung to Jefferson like an unshakeable odor. It’s ingrained in who he is and what he’s become: A potential first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

 

Quote

 

But how did Jeffeson go so unnoticed? How did the recruiting industry miss so badly?

Let 247Sports explain.

247Sports Director of Scouting Barton Simmons doesn’t really remember Jefferson from high school. There’s a reason for that.

Few colleges were aware of his existence.

Destrehan High School head coach Stephen Robicheaux certainly knew the name when Jefferson arrived in his program. Robicheaux coached Jordan nearly a decade prior. His two years away from Destrehan coincided with Rickey’s upperclassman tenure. But Robicheaux had little doubt the youngest Jefferson would be a football standout.

Justin entered high school skinny, almost stick-like. The athleticism dripped off his frame, though. Justin started as a QB like Jordan did. Robicheaux moved Justin to receiver after his freshman season. “The rest was history,” Robicheaux said.

Well, not quite.

Justin Jefferson’s recruitment is a bit of a mystery, even to those who were in the thick of it. Destrehan High School is a powerhouse in Louisiana, and Justin played for a particularly gifted team with plenty of exposure. His teammate and fellow wide receiver, Michael Young, signed with Notre Dame that cycle.

Production wasn’t an issue either. Jefferson posted 44 catches for 956 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior. He might’ve broken out a little later than some prospects during the 2017 cycle, but not so late to the point he should've been ignored.

The theories as to why Jefferson never blew up are many:

“I was undersized in high school,” Jefferson said. “I was 175. But I don’t really know. I had pretty good film.”

“Two things,” Robicheaux said. “One. He needed one more class to be eligible. Two. Everybody that came around the school thought he was going to LSU.”

Jefferson was a bit small. But that’s never stopped schools from offering elite athletes before. Jefferson did need another class – there was always the threat of JUCO – but that’s never stopped schools from offering grade risks. Hell, Jefferson’s only other P-5 offers were Northwestern and Tulane, not exactly easy schools to get into. Jefferson also cautions it wasn’t always LSU or bust for him. He would’ve considered other programs.

Either way, he was largely ignored in recruiting circles. Sonny Shipp, who helps rank players in Louisiana for 247Sports, said the Top247 put a three-star ranking on Jefferson before his senior season. 247Sports is the only recruiting vehicle to rank Jefferson higher than a two-star.

“From the industry perspective, it’s important to remember our goal is to evaluate and rank FBS prospects,” Simmons said. “Within that process, if a kid is not being offered by colleges, be that for grades, off the field or him not being good enough, we’re rarely going to take the time to dig into what he is as a prospect. I kind of remember the name Justin Jefferson, because he was Jordan Jefferson’s younger brother. But because he was a guy with almost no recruiting interest to speak of, he was just a guy, at least from my vantage point, that we never dug into.”

LSU never forgot about Jefferson.

Ed Orgeron told Robicheaux that Jefferson would always have a scholarship if he graduated and qualified for LSU admission. Jefferson knew throughout his senior year that there was at least one spot open to him.

“Coach O was diligent,” Robicheaux said. “They stuck with him.

LSU saw something in Jefferson. Robicheaux attended one of Jefferson’s first practices in Baton Rouge. LSU passing game coordinator and long-time NFL assistant Jerry Sullivan walked by and told Robicheaux: “This kid is going to be in the NFL.”

Even Robicheaux balked a little at that assertion. Jefferson had been a great high school receiver. But that skinny kid in the NFL?

“Sure enough, he predicted it,” Robicheaux said.

***

The wait seemed to take forever. Maybe it did in a high school senior’s mind. Jefferson couldn’t sign on National Signing Day like his friends. He needed an English course to qualify, and it’d be a down-to-the-wire waiting act in the summer to see if he’d play for LSU in 2017 or attend junior college.

It took months and tested nerves, but Jefferson qualified. He and his parents cried when they got the news.

“We were just so happy to be a part of LSU,” Jefferson said.

LSU is thrilled to have him. Jefferson tore apart Oklahoma (14 catches, 227 yards, 4 TDs) in the playoff semifinals. Jefferson hopes to put on a similar display in the national championship, which will take place some 30 minutes from home – Jefferson expects his family and friends to be there in the dozens.

After that … maybe the NFL. The junior will have a decision to make about his future. NFL teams are already sniffing around Destrehan High School as part of their background check process.

Whether it happens in a few months or a year, Jefferson’s NFL Draft story will inevitably mention his recruiting ranking: How he conquered the odds. How recruiting rankings aren’t emblematic of what a player can be. That’s true in some aspects – though recruiting rankings correlate strongly to draft success – so let’s answer that question now.

Looking back, what did the recruiting industry miss in one of this decade’s odder recruiting stories?

“We obviously missed,” Simmons said. “We missed because our process didn’t allow us to understand his situation appropriately. We didn’t know he was a guy who could get qualified, and was a guy that was so good that it was worth a higher ranking even with a grade risk. Our process certainly failed on Justin Jefferson, but he is an example of the type of player that can fall through the cracks.”

 

Then there was this from Rivals who didn't even bother to rank him:

Quote

 

"It wasn’t just academics with Jefferson it was about a lack of great speed at the time and separation. However, a low two-star was way too low and that’s a huge miss. He wasn’t a take for anyone and LSU went on him late but his skill level probably should have been in the mid-three-star range.

"He was someone we didn’t expect to be a part of any FBS class that year and someone perhaps we’d re-rank as a JUCO. Now he could be a first-rounder. He’s developed very well and has gone from a 4.8 kid to a sub 4.5. Impressive."

 

 

[TheRealMcCoy]

Eagles have the 9th best point differential this season at +46.

Teams ahead of them: 

1.) Patriots - +150

2.) Bills - +140

3.) Cards - +118

4.) Bucs - +107

5.) Colts - +88

6.) Cowboys - +86

7.) Rams - +66

8.) Bengals - +64

Teams below them:

10.) Chiefs - +44

11.) Packers - +41

12. 49ers - +25

13.) Ravens - +22

[TheRealMcCoy]

Damn RIP

Only 33...

[TheRealMcCoy]

MIcah Parsons is ridiculous man.

I love DeVonta, but he's the best pick of any of the NFC East teams.

[TheRealMcCoy]

I hate Corey Clement being on the Giants and now Cowboys. What’s next? Football team?

[aussie_eagle]

Really need Cincinnati to beat the 49ers. As 49ers have tiebreaker over Eagles, can't see Eagles jumping over them if they win today, which means only 7th playoff seed is any chance

[EagleBlueDon]

1 hour ago, aussie_eagle said:

Really need Cincinnati to beat the 49ers. As 49ers have tiebreaker over Eagles, can't see Eagles jumping over them if they win today, which means only 7th playoff seed is any chance

They still have Falcons, Titans and Rams. Just gotta hope the Rams play their starters week 18. Could easily see them losing to the Titans and Falcons.

[aussie_eagle]

8 minutes ago, EagleBlueDon said:

They still have Falcons, Titans and Rams. Just gotta hope the Rams play their starters week 18. Could easily see them losing to the Titans and Falcons.

Eagles wont win out though. I see Eagles splitting with Washington, beating Giants and then probably win vs Dallas as Dallas will rest their starters. That would put them 9-8 and 49ers will beat Falcons and Texans to put them on 9 wins minimum and they have tiebreak over Eagles

[TheRealMcCoy]

Rasul Douglas with back to back games with a pick 6. Really a shame we quit on both him and Sidney Jones at the same time when Schwartz wasn’t really doing them any favors with how he plays his defense. Not that either of them are great corners, but I just don’t think we gave them a fair shake.