Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports Philadelphia Eagles Reporter

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Call 562-314-4603 for details. Dave, thank you for taking the time to hop on. Really appreciate it. Yeah, no problem. How you doing? I'm amazing.

Thank you so much. Well, we know the move about Saquon. We know about Bryce. What are your overall thoughts on what the Eagles have done so far?

And then some of their other moves as well. Some big contracts with someone like Landon Dickerson. Sure. It's been a busy day here in Philly. I'll start with the Saquon deal. A little bit of a surprise. I mean, not with Saquon in particular.

There was a lot of smoke around that. But certainly a departure from Howie Roseman paying a running back to this level is something he's never done as a general manager. Give out a big contract like this to a running back. The last time the Eagles gave out a significant deal to a running back was 2015 to DeMarco Murray. And that was Chip Kelly in charge of personnel back then.

So a real significant departure. But Howie's always kind of warned that even though their philosophy seems to be to go the cheap route with running backs, it was about players and was about the right player. And if he found a player he thought was special enough, he would do that. And the example has always kind of been Christian McCaffrey back in 2017. The Eagles would have been willing to draft him if he fell to them at 14 and ultimately didn't.

And they never drafted him. And they've gone this bargain bin route at running backs. And they clearly viewed Saquon as the type of player worthy of this contract and able to change an offense with the new offensive coordinator and Kellen Moore. Now they have to get the most out of Saquon. You know, they haven't really thrown to their running backs very much the last few seasons. And if they don't do that with Saquon Barkley, then they're not really utilizing him to his full skill set. So it's going to be imperative that they kind of build a lot of the offense around getting him the football, which is a good thing. But also, I mean, they have a lot of skill position guys that need to get the football too as well. So kind of a rich problem to have, but certainly a good one on the offensive side. And then Bryce Huff on defense. We kind of know their situation at the Edgerusher spot. Excuse me, Hassan Redick and Josh Sweat, both available for trade.

And if they were going to trade one or both of them, they certainly needed a contingency plan. And Bryce Huff is a pretty good one. Twenty five year old Edgerusher coming off a 10 sacks season. The analytics kind of dive deeper into his effectiveness as a pass rusher.

The only question I have with Huff is how will he perform when he's asked to take a larger percentage of the snaps is something he hasn't really done with the Jets. And now that you're paying him the way the Eagles are, you would assume he's going to have to play more. Dave Zangaro is here with us.

The JR Sport re-show on CBS Sports Radio. Dave covers all things Eagles for NBC Sports. Billy, when you think about this team and how they ended last season and how they move forward, you mentioned Kellen Moore. They bring in Vic Fangio. They've added Saquon. How are Eagles fans feeling about a potential bounce back? Do you think they're primed for a bounce back?

Yeah, I think they're talented, certainly on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, we don't know exactly what it's going to look like yet, but, you know, they need more talent there. And I think just having a veteran defensive coordinator and Vic Fangio is going to steady that side of the football. Because by the end of last year, they were a complete mess. I mean, any team that demotes their defensive coordinator during a season and goes to Matt Patricia, like things aren't going very well.

So I think the addition of Vic Fangio just gives some stability on that side of the football. And I think ultimately, like if they can get to league average on defense, they should have enough offensive firepower to carry this team. And it looks like that's kind of the way they're going right now with this roster. But that's not to say they can be done on defense. I mean, they have some significant holes still to fill at linebacker, at safety. Their cornerbacks are old.

So they do need to retool on that side of the ball. But on offense, I mean, this is looking pretty good, even with the significant loss of Jason Kelce, which, you know, it's going to be really tough to replace him. They still have some really good skill players on that side of the ball. Their offensive line should still be good. And if everything works around him, I think Jalen Hurst can be a really effective quarterback. Oh, without a shadow of a doubt, Dave Zangaros here with us, coming via NBC Sports, Philly. When you think about the rest of this offseason, what could it look like for the Philadelphia Eagles from the draft and the rest of free agency?

What might take place? Yeah, it's going to still be a pretty busy offseason. This is day one of free agency, and they're clearly not done. Like I mentioned, they have some notable and glaring holes on defense that they have to fill. I mean, they really don't have much in the way of safety or linebacker right now. Their cornerback situation is not ideal for the long term. And then something's got to give with these edge rushers.

I would assume that once they bring in Bryce Huff, it becomes even more likely that either Josh Sweat or Osan Redick get traded. And then, you know, they do have some good draft capital this year, and it's about trying to build this team long term while also maximizing this window that they feel like they have open, because they fired both coordinators brought in in this veteran experience with Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore, and they kept the head coach. So, you know, his leash is going to be a little shorter this year.

But the way they look at this is they have a team that should be able to compete in 2024. Well, Dave, that was going to be my next question when it comes down to Nick Sirianni, how short is that leash? What does he need to do to keep his job? Yeah, it's a good question. I don't know if we can put numbers on it because, you know, the way things ended last year, if you were to look back and say, hey, they win double digits, double digit games, they get to the playoffs after a Super Bowl appearance, you say, well, of course he's back.

But then there was a question about that because of how things ended. So I think context of the numbers is important, but I think he just has to show he has control of the team. I think he has to show that he can coexist with these coordinators and make sure everything works.

I think the leash is certainly shorter, but they like Nick Sirianni. They would have fired him if they didn't because they certainly had a reason to. They fired their other two coordinators because of the way things ended last year. So I think the leash is shorter, but I also think this team has enough talent to make sure he sticks around after the 24th season.

But we'll see. I mean, I think everything is in play and it has to be after the way things ended this past year. Dave Zangara here with us from NBC Sports Philly. Well, we know Nick Sirianni, the leash is short and we know Philly fans can be quite enthusiastic and outspoken about the squad.

What is the overall temperature given the moves that have taken place today? I think today there's been some excitement, but also a little hand wringing about some of those glaring holes that I mentioned earlier on defense. I think sometimes people forget the free agency is longer than one day and there's a bunch of time to fix some of these spots. And the good thing about Howie Roseman, the general manager, is that he doesn't view free agency as like a two week window. He calls it the roster building phase of the off season and it goes right up to the start of the season. And then he's even willing to make trades during the year.

We saw them after the draft last year go out and trade for DeAndre Swift, who played a really big role on the team. So that's always kind of my caution to Eagles fans that get really nervous when they want a free agency, when they look at linebacker and they're like, well, there's no one there. Yeah, but there's a long time to go in this off season. And look, once we get to opening day, if there's still a linebacker there, yeah, then then it's time to panic.

But there's still plenty of time to build this. So Dave, they'll be back in contention at the top of the NFC, right? I mean, I think at the very least, they should be in contention in that division. I think that division is still winnable.

I think it's still them, the Cowboys at the top, and I see no reason why they can't compete there, especially like I mentioned, their talent on offense should be able to carry them. Now, there certainly are questions because we haven't seen what the offensive scheme is going to look like. They're trying to blend what Kellen Moore brings and when Nick Sirianni has already done.

And and that is a little tricky. I think there's definitely some some room for disaster there, so to speak. But I kind of do believe in the talent they have on offense, and I think that can carry them quite a bit this year.

And final question for you, Dave, how long before AJ Brown pitches a fit, given the fact that there's another dude to share the ball with? Yeah, I think it's a misconception about AJ Brown, honestly, like, yeah, he wants the football and he's emotional on the sideline. But from everything I know about AJ, he hasn't really been a problem from like a diva perspective. People think he's a diva.

And, you know, there's not really a ton of evidence to back it. I know there are some scenes of him blowing up on the sideline, but he gets along really well with his teammates. He was one of the guys really publicly backing the head coach last year when things were spiraling. So, yeah, certainly he always wants the football. He has a sign above his locker in the Novocare complex that says always open, and he believes it and he does want the football.

But I also don't think it's fair to say he's caused problems because of it yet. If he does, I'll be the first one to say it, but I haven't seen it yet. OK, Dave Zangaro, where can people follow you and all your great work with NBC Sports Philly?

Yeah, on the website, NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and on Twitter at DZangaroMBCS. Well, thanks, Dave, appreciate the time and let's see what the team does the rest of the year. OK, talk soon. All right. Take care.

Thanks. Old Man Winter here. If I had it my way, it would stay winter all year long. Short days, wind chill, black ice and a good polar vortex.

Heaven. Wait, is it getting warm in here? Your cold snap is over, Old Man Winter. Spring has arrived.

Spring. Spring is here, which means it's the perfect time to get away in the Hyundai you've always wanted. Visit the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event, where you can get great deals on all of our award winning Hyundai models like the tech filled Tucson and Kona, as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's best warranty and three years or thirty six thousand miles of complementary maintenance.

But hurry in. These deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Now get zero percent APR or up to fifteen hundred bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson. Now, during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event, offers end soon. Call 562-314-4603 for details. Hey, I don't want to be a pest.

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