All anyone in the media has talked about this offseason with the Philadelphia Eagles is how much the defense has lost and how young they are.
Just on the defensive side of the ball alone, the Eagles lost Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, and Oren Burks. That's a combination of great depth players and veteran starters who came into their own.
Those losses led CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin to raise a red flag about the number of players the Eagles lost on defense.
"Vic Fangio was the perfect man to oversee the Eagles defense in 2024, bringing discipline and tenacity back to a unit that had become practically lifeless. Now he'll be charged with defending the Birds' crown while likely overseeing new starters at every level of the lineup. Returning youngsters like Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith Jr. and Quinyon Mitchell should keep the unit abuzz, but Fangio may need veteran Band-Aids like Azeez Ojulari and Adoree' Jackson to help keep the ship afloat early on. It's just the cost of fielding a championship roster."
The fixation on the defense has some validity to it, but at the same time, it's worth noting that many players from last year's defense are returning. This defense ranked first in total defense and was the only unit in the NFL to allow an average of less than 300 yards per game.
Philadelphia has consistently done a good job of finding replacements for those who leave, primarily due to the efforts of general manager Howie Roseman in the draft. The Eagles have nine projected starters on defense who the team has drafted since 2020, except Zack Baun and Reed Blankenship.
There might be a question about who will start at safety on defense, but outside of that, there's enough talent to make the Eagles solid. There's one other concern that isn't being brought up at all that should be.
What about kicker Jake Elliott?
Here's a guy who missed a career-high eight field goals last year and made just 77.8% of his field goals, the worst since 2020. Elliott did bounce back in the postseason as he made 10 of 11 field goals.
There is still one problem with Elliott: he can't hit from 50-plus yards. Including postseason, Elliott made just two of nine field goals from over 50 yards in 2024.
Interestingly, it isn't being evaluated as thoroughly as it should be. Granted, defense is always a more critical unit from special teams, but never underestimate the power that kickers can have on a game. One miss at the end of the game can cost their team a win.
People can also point towards having a new offensive coordinator in Kevin Patullo as a concern and whether he can replicate the success of last year. It's just getting tiring to read the same old concerns about the defense.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has everything under control and has just as good of a defense as he did in 2024. This defense will be fine.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers, in back-to-back offseasons, traded away a talented wide receiver. Heading into the 2024 NFL season, the team made the surprising decision to move on from Diontae Johnson, sending him to the Carolina Panthers. It was a bold move that left questions about depth behind George Pickens, but the Steelers appeared to have a long-term plan in mind. This week, fans got a clearer picture. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky had told Louis Riddick a story and Riddick exposed it on Get Up on Wednesday and shared a never-before-told story about Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s relationship with Pickens. According to Riddick, Tomlin once passionately defended his coaching approach to Orlovsky when questioned about how he handled Pickens, offering a glimpse into the challenges the Steelers faced behind closed doors. "I sat in a TV production meeting where Mike Tomlin chastised Dan Orlovsky for asking about George Pickens and why George Pickens wasn't maybe being reprimanded a little bit harsher," Riddick said. "And Mike in no uncertain terms, said, 'Look, you don't give up on talent like this at this point.' So trust me, he knew what he had on his hands, too. As far as the upside of this young man." While the full story behind Pickens’ departure may never be known, it’s becoming increasingly clear that off-field concerns weighed heavily on Tomlin’s mind. The Steelers knew Pickens was a rare talent, and that’s why Tomlin didn’t punish him as much as he probably could have. It wasn’t because he thought Pickens was good enough to get away with it, but because his coaching style is different for every player. In Tomlin’s mind, he still had faith that Pickens would mature, but it appears that growth just didn’t happen fast enough. "We were all, were like, whoa," Riddick said of the panels reaction to Tomlin's secret comments in that production meeting. "Mike was not playing around. He was like, 'Y'all know how this business works now.'" Riddick described the moment as tense, and as the quotes are now being shared, Steelers fans are likely picturing exactly how that meeting went down. Tomlin is known for being a direct, no-nonsense leader. If something bothers him, he speaks up, and it appears he did not appreciate being questioned by Orlovsky about his coaching style when it came to Pickens. Steelers Fans Starting To Understand More Details Behind The George Pickens Trade According to Riddick, Tomlin firmly defended his approach during the exchange. He explained that his coaching style depends on the individual player, and with Pickens, he chose to be patient rather than overly critical. Tomlin believed Pickens could grow with time and guidance. In his mind, treating every player the same does not always produce the best results, and he trusted that Pickens would eventually mature. Despite Tomlin’s belief in his potential, that growth never fully happened. As a result, the Steelers chose to make a change. With Pickens now gone and Metcalf brought in to lead the wide receiver room, Pittsburgh is turning the page. Still, the story behind Pickens’ exit is one that will stick with fans, especially as more behind-the-scenes details continue to surface.
The Vancouver Canucks have a major need down the middle this season, and according to Rick Dhaliwal, the team remain in contact with the top remaining free agent. Free agency in the NHL this off-season came and went fairly quickly, and while most of the big names are off the board, there are still some intriguing names remaining to all 32 teams. Perhaps the biggest of those names is former Carolina Hurricanes centre Jack Roslovic, and according to Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal, he remains in contact with the Vancouver Canucks as training camp approaches. It's unclear just how close the two parties could potentially be getting to a deal, but according to Cam Robinson, the players camp is looking for a multi-year deal with an asking price at just over $3 million per season. Given that the Canucks currently have Aatu Raty slated to play the third line this season, they have a clear need down the middle, and after tallying 22 goals and 39 points a season ago in a similar role with Carolina, he'd be the perfect addition for their middle-six. At 28-years of age with over 500 NHL games under his belt thus far, Roslovic fits the age range for what the Canucks should be seeking as well, and if they're willing to meet his price, there's no reason for a deal not to get done here. Ultimately, Roslovic is the top remaining centre in free agency, so any team out there looking for help could fit him in at 2-3 years for a $3 million salary cap hit, but as of right now, all signs point to him playing a key role with Vancouver in 2025/26.
Toronto Blue Jays fans don't have much to complain about. Despite losing 5-4 on Tuesday to the New York Yankees, their team leads the AL East by three games heading into play Wednesday against the Yankees. But not everything is perfect north of the U.S. border. Keegan Matheson, Blue Jays reporter for MLB.com, echoed that sentiment during Tuesday night's loss to New York in a post shared on X. "The #BlueJays need more from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and I don't understand why that's only being whispered instead of said out loud," Matheson wrote. Matheson has been beating this drum recently, and he's spot-on. Guerrero Jr., who signed a 14-year, $500M extension in April, hasn't produced superstar numbers. Through 99 games, Vladdy has a .283 average, 13 HRs and 48 RBI. Per ESPN, the 26-year-old is on pace for 21 HRs and 77 RBI, which would by far his lowest full-season totals in those categories since his rookie season in 2019. Although they have one of MLB's best records, the Blue Jays (59-42) lack pop in the lineup. Toronto ranks 20th in the majors in home runs with 105. If Vladdy finds his power stroke and turn it on in the final months of the regular season, the Blue Jays will go from being a playoff contender to a threat to win the World Series. If he doesn't, the Blue Jays aren't getting their money's worth.
While rookie Jaxson Dart appears to be the quarterback of the future for the New York Giants, the signal caller of the present looks set to be veteran Russell Wilson. As Giants training camp for the 2025 season began this week, head coach Brian Daboll said Russ will be QB1 to start the year. "These guys will be out here competing, but Russ is our starter," Daboll said. Wilson, who recently said he wanted to play at least five more seasons, is entering his 14th campaign and is with his third new team in as many years. Which brings us to today's quiz. To go along with his Super Bowl title, Wilson has also accumulated 46,135 passing yards and 350 touchdowns. With that being said, can you name the NFL quarterbacks who have the most games with at least four passing touchdowns without an interception? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!