I knocked out the first group of your questions in Friday's mailbag.
Let's not waste time today:
Will the eagles be able to divide plays on offense somewhat evenly? e.g. Goedert already got few balls last year, now with howard at rb and desean in the mix, it'll be hard to get everybody involved and halfway happy.β der_nasse_aal (@cwiehn70) April 5, 2019
As far as problems go, count this one as a good one to have. While in Phoenix last month at the owners meetings, I wrote about this in depth and that was before the trade to get Jordan Howard.
Now, the Eagles have Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Nelson Agholor, Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Howard. And one football. It'll be up to Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz to spread the ball around. If the Eagles are winning, everyone will buy in and the egos will be kept in check. The problem might come if things aren't going well and certain players feel they are being underutilized. But the Eagles shouldn't complain about a surplus of guys who deserve the ball.
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Where do you consider RB among the team's needs after trading for Jordan Howard?β Matt Gregan (@GreganSportsPhi) April 5, 2019
It's still a draft need, just much less pressing now. If I'm weighing this with importance of position, it's behind defensive line and offensive line, but ahead of linebacker. I still don't think the Eagles value that position as much as some fans do.
1. DL
2. OL
3. RB
4. LB
5. S
Remember, Howard has just one year left on his rookie contract and will be a free agent after the season. So trading for him shouldn't drastically change the Eagles' plan in the draft. If there's a RB in the second round and the Eagles have him ranked as their top player on the board, they should take him and not think twice about Howard.
Who are your top 3 running backs in this draftβ α΄Ία΅α΅ α΄Έα΅Κ·Κ³α΅βΏαΆα΅ (@Larry_Pell) April 5, 2019
1. Josh Jacobs
2. David Montgomery
3. Miles Sanders
The thing all these guys have in common is their futures as true, three-down backs because of their ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. The Eagles don't seem to care about the do-it-all nature of some running backs, as evidenced by some of their recent moves. But if I were using a first- or second-round pick on a running back, I would need to know they have the ceiling to be an every-down back. All three of these guys will be gone by the end of the second round.
Will the Eagles need to list Doug on the OTA injury reports because of his leg? Do you see him ready for the start of camp or will he be on PUP and Swartz will be running the show?β Kevin Rogers (@KARogers77) April 5, 2019
As Pederson would say, this is a lower-body injury. The Eagles' head coach had surgery on his ankle to prevent an Achilles tear. Basically, he had a bone spur that was rubbing into his tendon and they had to shave it down to make sure the Achilles didn't rupture. He's stuck with that walking boot for a total of 10 weeks, but said he'll be fine for OTAs. He better make sure to stay out of the way, though. As much as Pederson wants to be involved, he might need to take a little step back to keep out of harm's way.
Have you ever tried kicking a football through the uprights?β Jeffrey Branch (@PhillyFlash59) April 5, 2019
I have! A few years ago at the Eagles' media field goal challenge. I didn't win, but that wasn't my goal. My goal was to not make too much of a fool of myself and β¦ mission accomplished. I made my first really short field goal, but missed the next one in a respectable manner. I left the NovaCare Complex that day with my dignity intact.
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.
