Do the Eagles need to get younger?
I’ve seen this topic floating around on social media, which I think is just a byproduct of the Eagles bringing back 32 year old DeSean Jackson and 37 year old Jason Peters for the 2019 season and perhaps beyond.
Tack on the extensions for 31 year old Jason Kelce, 30 year old Brandon Graham, and the one-year deal for 31 year old Andrew Sendejo, and the intensity of that “narrative” amplifies.
Is Howie Roseman putting too much trust in guys who are getting up there in age?
My gut tells me no, I don’t think so, since the Super Bowl winning team got contributions from 32 year old Chris Long, 31 year old LeGarrette Blount, and 30 year old Malcolm Jenkins.
But I thought it might be a good idea to go down the list and see who exactly Howie is targeting, then determine if we can draw any conclusions. I cobbled together free agents, trades, and players who were extended while still under contract (like Isaac Seumalo, but not Rodney McLeod, since he didn’t get additional years, just a re-work.) I did not include fringe guys who bounced to and from the practice squad, or who never had much of a chance to make the roster in the first place.
I also didn’t include the draft, or undrafted free agent rookies, because obviously all of those former college players are bringing up your bottom end age number. You’re naturally getting younger through the draft, which adds balance to your free agent pursuits and probably justifies the targeting of affordable veterans on shorter deals, which has been the Eagles’ strategy for some time now.
This exercise identifies the player, his age, and how they were acquired:
Josh Innes was let go by Houston’s SportsTalk 790 about a week ago.
The former 94 WIP host explained on Twitter that his show was axed for “budget reasons,” though he did have a couple of previous run ins during his tenure there, including a confrontation with another radio host at Super Bowl 52 and a conflict with another 790 host that resulted in that dude’s firing. The Texans also pulled his credential back in 2017.
Anyway, there’s an article from the Houston Chronicle featuring a few quotes from a podcast Josh recorded in his underwear after he was axed.
From the Chronicle:
Innes said he was informed – along with his co-worker and fiancée Jill Osterman and producer Jim Mudd – that they needed to meet after his Wednesday show. He said the meeting was “quick and painless” and the group was told their forced exit was a business decision.
“I hate to say it is what it is, but that’s the reality of it,” said Innes, who occasionally will do podcasts until he finds his next gig. “I’m not going to sit here and dump on them. I had an opportunity here, it ultimately did not fail in my opinion. We had good sponsors, great listeners, fun moments … And it’s their sandbox. They can do what they want to do. It wasn’t, I guess, a perfect match.”
….
Innes also ranted about the Houston Chronicle, taking umbrage with the headline about his departure: Josh Innes’ hyped Houston return ends in failure.
“I think we were successful,” Innes said. “Did everything succeed? No. Was it as big as I wanted it to be? No. But we put forth a lot of energy. We put forth a lot of money. We gave away a lot of tickets … They gave us an opportunity, it was what it was. I don’t view it as a failure.”
Sounds a bit like Josh’s Philly tenure.
Sports Betting Updates
The Hawk will never die, but the head basketball coaching position is now vacant.
Saint Joe’s is moving on from Phil Martelli after 24 seasons, the rumors confirmed by a Tuesday morning press release from Athletic Director Jill Bodensteiner:
Bodensteiner is “new” to St. Joe’s, having been in place for nine months now. When she was hired, some assumed Martelli’s job might be under more scrutiny than it had been under Don DiJulia, who previously held the role for something like 750 years (it was actually 35).
Good God almighty.
Get a load of this:
BREAKING: Star center fielder Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels are finalizing a record-breaking 12-year contract worth more than $430 million, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Details: https://t.co/bROnnC11Uh
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 19, 2019
!!!!
Writes Passan at ESPN:
The 27-year-old Trout, who has won two American League MVP awards and finished second four times, will receive an average of nearly $36 million a year, topping Zack Greinke‘s previous record average of $34.4 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The $430 million-plus total is more than 30 percent larger than the $330 million deal Bryce Harper signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on March 2 and bests boxer Canelo Alvarez’s deal with DAZN by more than $65 million.
Not only is this deal bigger than Harper’s, it basically obliterates it. It pulverizes the Harper deal into dust. Trout was set to become a free agent in 2020, when we had hoped he’d he return home to finish out his career alongside Bryce in a Phils jersey.
I guess this will not be the case.
Gotta admit, I didn’t know Kristine Leahy had her own show. I remember she was Colin Cowherd’s co-host for a while, then she just sort of disappeared from the program.
Her gig is called “Fair Game with Kristine Leahy” and it’s a 30 minute, single-guest interview format. This week she had on Celtics point guard Terry Rozier, and asked about Joel Embiid:
Transcription after the jump:
Who would’ve thought we’d still be mentioning Carlos Santana a few months after he was traded?
And better yet, who would’ve thought we’d be mentioning Fortnite?
To catch you up: Carlos Santana swung a bat at a TV during the Phillies’ last series of the season against the Braves because some players were playing the video game during the baseball game.
First off, good for him. That game sucks. I played the game when the craze first began to see how it was. I wasn’t good, I stopped playing, it was a very good decision. It’s a poison for people in their 20s that play sports. Plus, the Wings had a Fortnite Night a couple weeks ago and I bet a good chunk of people went to the game just to play Fortnite.
Anyway, Kapler said he’ll have stricter guidelines for players in the clubhouse during games. This whole incident doesn’t surprise me because who would want to watch 162 games of baseball from start to finish? Plus, the clubhouse is only a short walk away from the dugout.
Meanwhile, Bryce Harper, who got his first two Spring Training hits as a Phillie, dropped a new trailer for MLB: The Show 19, which is a video game. Fitting. We’ve entered the last week of Spring Training by the way.
The Roundup: Continue Reading
Andrew Sendejo, the Vikings’ safety who got absolutely destroyed by LeGarrette Blount in the NFC Championship Game, is now an Eagle:
Roster Move: #Eagles and S Andrew Sendejo have agreed to terms on a one-year contract.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/gTwGkEvCX6
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 18, 2019
Sendejo is 31 years old and played only five games last year due to a groin injury.
But he’s a veteran, a depth piece behind Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod and his presence there also helps Avonte Maddox remain at cornerback should the Eagles again find themselves down a few bodies in the secondary. I don’t know how much of an upgrade he is over Corey Graham, if at all, but we’ll see how he looks this summer. Sendejo had 77 tackles and a pair of interceptions just a season ago.
Here’s the team press release, after the jump:
How much would you pay for Tom Brady’s autograph?
$300?
$500?
$750?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Go higher.
Tom is doing a private signing session at the end of March and TMZ Sports says they acquired the pricing sheet for his signature, which starts at a very modest $1,049.
More on prices:
A Patriots mini-helmet in 2017 was $900 … now, it will run you $1,079.
There’s a deal on jerseys — in 2017, Tom would sign your uni for $1,200. Now, he’ll do it for $1,099.
And, if you’re an artist who’s created an original Tom Brady painting, TB12 will sign it for $2,199!
The session is being held by New England Picture by way of Tri-Star — which has held several Brady signings in the past.
One of the interesting notes … the public is NOT allowed to attend the signing. Meaning you have to submit your items beforehand and you’ll get ’em back after the event is over.
Wow, sounds like a deal!
