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The Philadelphia Eagles had the most well-built roster in football last year.
The Eagles' starting lineup was full of stars on both sides of the ball but even their depth should be acknowledged. Philadelphia really didn't have any holes and had capable depth at every important spot. Injuries obviously popped up, but the Eagles never were behind the eight ball, like some other teams.
Because the Eagles built up significant depth in the offseason, they never had to scramble or make any reactionary moves. There was a time late in the season when Jalen Hurts went down and Philadelphia never had to really worry and could take all of the appropriate time to get him right.
The reason for this was the fact that the Eagles had both Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee. Pickett was acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers before the season after starting for two seasons. He saw time in five games for the Eagles last year and made five starts. He was a capable backup but was traded to the Cleveland Browns this offseason.
Pickett opened up about his time in Philadelphia and had nothing but positive things to say.
"I'm extremely grateful for my time in Philly," Pickett said as transcribed by NFL.com's Kevin Patra. "I think I was just shown how it's supposed to be done, really, from the top down. So when you get a chance to see what it's supposed to look like and how it should look on a day-to-day basis, not just on Sundays. You know, I think it'll pay dividends for me in the future."
He's now in Cleveland competing with Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel for the team's starting job.
More must-reads:
- Kirk Cousins makes notable leadership move after Falcons practice
- Aging Zach Ertz still proving his value to Commanders
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Cowboys make questionable move amid Micah Parsons stalemate
The Dallas Cowboys extended one of their stars Sunday, just not the one fans wanted them to pay. At Cowboys training camp Saturday, Dallas fans serenaded owner Jerry Jones with "Pay Micah [Parsons]" chants. The EDGE, of course, is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract this season. Jones must not have been listening. He gave tight end Jake Ferguson a new contract instead. Dallas and the 26-year-old pass-catcher agreed to a four-year, $52M contract extension, via NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. This move seems head-scratching. Parsons has won the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned two first-team All-Pro nods since the Cowboys took him with pick No. 12 in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old EDGE also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Ferguson, meanwhile, is solid but not elite. In three seasons with the Cowboys, the 2022 fourth-round pick has made one Pro Bowl and has never finished with more than 761 receiving yards in a season. An extension for Parsons will devour future cap space. The Cowboys may be worried about that after giving quarterback Dak Prescott (four years, $240M) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136M) long-term deals in 2024. Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt signed a lucrative three-year, $123M extension on July 17, making him the league's highest-paid non-QB. Parsons could command a similar contract. If cap space is Dallas' primary concern, however, why would it extend Ferguson? He's now set to be the NFL's seventh-highest-paid TE. The Cowboys waited to extend Lamb and Prescott just before the start of the 2024 season. They may be doing the same with Parsons. The star defender has said, "Ownership is always gonna make [contract negotiations] drag out." Regardless, the Cowboys should've paid Parsons before Ferguson. That's a much bigger priority for the team.
Aaron Rodgers’ True Colors Revealed at Training Camp After Offering Olive Branch to Terry Bradshaw
Top moments from 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame inductions
The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class had its day in Cooperstown on Sunday. This year's class included Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, who were elected by the eligible voters from the Baseball Writer's Association of America, and Dave Parker and Dick Allen, who were elected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Here are some of the top highlights from Sunday's induction speeches. Dave Parker's son reads poem written by Hall of Fame father Parker's induction into the Hall of Fame was long overdue, and he sadly did not have the opportunity to enjoy the moment of seeing his name in the Hall of Fame as he died June 28. That left his speech in the hands of his son, Dave Parker II, who read a poem written by his dad. Parker spent the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was an MVP winner, two-time batting champion and World Series champion with the 1979 "We Are Family" team. Dick Allen's wife remembers his kindness Allen was the other veterans committee inductee, and his widow, Willa Allen, spent the majority of her speech remember the kindness of Allen off the field as much as his ability on the field. Allen is going into the Hall of Fame as a Phillie but won the 1972 American League MVP with the Chicago White Sox. He led the league in OPS four times and was the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year. A reminder that Billy Wagner wasn't naturally left-handed Being left-handed is a huge advantage (and money-maker) for pitchers, and Wagner was one of the most dominant left-handed relief pitchers to ever step onto a mound in the big leagues. But he wasn't always left-handed. Wagner was a natural-born right-handed person but taught himself how to throw left-handed after fracturing his right arm twice as a kid. It led to quite a career. Wagner made a name for himself with the Houston Astros but also spent years with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. CC Sabathia takes playful dig at Ichiro Sabathia accomplished a ton in his 19-year big league career. He won 251 games, won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, was the 2009 ALCS MVP and a World Series champion. He still has apparently not gotten over the one individual award he did not win — the 2001 American League Rookie of the Year Award, which went to fellow 2025 inductee Ichiro. Sabathia made sure to make a playful dig at that. Sabathia was the only American League rookie outside of Ichiro — who also won the American League MVP that year — to get a first-place vote. He received one. The others all went to Ichiro. Ichiro stole the show Ichiro stole 509 bases in his Hall of Fame career, and on Sunday, he added one more steal to his list of accomplishments by absolutely stealing the show at Cooperstown. He delivered two of the best lines of the day, first by calling out the one lone writer who did not vote for him, keeping him from being just the second unanimous Hall of Fame inductee ever (after Mariano Rivera). His best line of the day, however, might have been when he referenced his brief time as a member of the Miami Marlins toward the end of his career. Ichiro played 14 of his 19 seasons with the Seattle Mariners while also spending time with the Marlins and Yankees.
Reporter details Red Sox's updated stance on trading star outfielder
Not too many MLB players have found themselves in and out of trade rumors over the last several years more than Red Sox OF Jarren Duran. Before a career year in 2024, there were plenty of questions about Duran’s future in Boston. However, a 21-home run, 75-RBI season while hitting .285 and winning the All-Star Game MVP appeared to have quieted any concerns. But in 2025, the 28-year-old has yet again found himself right in the thick of trade speculation. The Red Sox sat three games below .500 on June 1, which had them tracking towards selling at the deadline (July 31, 6 p.m. ET), and that was only magnified by trading superstar DH/1B Rafael Devers to San Francisco two weeks later. The focus seemingly had shifted towards the future in Boston, but the future has come up and sparked the big club, which has gone 19-14 since the trade and now occupies the second wild-card spot in the American League. Duran’s name has continued to be floated in rumors even during this hot stretch, but on Monday, we received some clarity on the situation. Rob Bradford of WEEI shared the latest on Duran in an article posted on Monday morning on X (formerly Twitter). “Multiple major league sources said that the Red Sox are no longer entertaining the idea of trading Jarren Duran, which is an obvious step in the right direction in the eyes of this current clubhouse,” Bradford wrote. Much like his team, Duran has been heating up of late, and he's up to nine HRs and 55 RBI while slashing a .259 average. The contact and speed have been on full display in July, while the power has also surfaced, adding another element to his game. One of the main reasons for the buzz around a Duran trade was the emergence of the Red Sox's top prospect, OF Roman Anthony. His tremendous play since being called up created a logjam in the outfield with Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela already there. However, Boston has realized it can find ways to get all four of them consistent at-bats and playing time, particularly by giving Rafaela reps at second base. While trading Duran could bring back a haul in return or a very good major league starting pitcher, keeping him is the right call. This young Red Sox team needs his skill set and leadership now and moving forward, and with a playoff berth for the first time since 2021 in sight, it's not the time to be selling impactful big league players.
Yankees named ‘dark horse’ for MacKenzie Gore trade on 1 condition
The New York Yankees have already made a couple of intriguing acquisitions of late, but they could still do more as the 2025 MLB trade deadline approaches. One name that has floated on the rumor mill about New York is Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore. If the Nats are to become players ahead of the deadline, it’s not because they’re buyers, considering their place in the standings. Down at the bottom of the National League East Division standings, Washington has some intriguing assets for teams like the Yankees to aim for, including Gore, who just earned his first MLB All-Star nod. The Yankees, on the other hand, are said to be on the prowl for pitching help in their rotation, with MacKenzie potentially a target for the Bronx Bombers, according to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. However, the Nationals might only budge if New York includes a top prospect in a trade package. Wrote McDaniel: “The New York Yankees are also shopping for a starting pitcher and have some young position players of interest to rivals, but they aren’t keen on including either of their top prospects, George Lombard Jr. or Spencer Jones. If they change that stance, they could be a dark horse fit with the Nats on Gore.” The 26-year-old MacKenzie is an enticing trade prospect for the Yankees (and other teams) for at least a couple of intriguing reasons. For one, he is still just 26 years old. Moreover, the left-handed pitcher is a controllable asset for years to come, as he is arbitration-eligible over the course of the next two seasons. He avoided arbitration for the 2025 MLB season when he signed just a $2.89 million contract for a year with the Nationals last January. So far this season, MacKenzie has a 4-10 record with a 3.52 ERA through 21 starts and 117 2/3 innings. He could be someone the Yankees need in order to shore up the depth of their rotation beyond the top two guys in Max Fried and Carlos Rodon and especially with Luis Gil on the 60-day injured list. This year, the Yankees are just 17th in the big leagues with a starting pitching ERA of 4.00, while the same group’s 4.01 FIP is only the middle of the road in the MLB at 15th overall.
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