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Eagles' West Coast Offense experts weigh in on Sean Mannion's verison
Sean Mannion is blending elements from several versions of the West Coast Offense to build a system tailored to the Eagles’ personnel
Sean Mannion
QB · FA · 31 yrs · exp 9 · Oregon State
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One reason each NFC team could disappoint its fan base: Are expectations too high for Rams?
Training camp is over and the NFL season is finally here. Hopes are high around the league. Every team is envisioning the upcoming season going as well as possible, hoping everything they did during the offseason to improve works out perfectly and takes them to the promised land. Of course, we know that that's not always how things go. Things do not always work out perfectly. Sometimes, the opposite happens. Their moves don't work out as well as they hoped and for one reason or another, teams disappoint. That's what we're here to talk about today. We're going to envision a scenario where each team in the league disappoints and try to pinpoint the reason behind that disappointment, if it happens. We're starting with the NFC, and my colleague Jordan Dajani will handle the AFC on Thursday. Without further ado, we present one reason each NFC team could disappoint its fan base this season... After trading Micah Parsons almost exactly a year ago, the Dallas pass rush wasn't much to write home about in 2025. The Cowboys added Rashan Gary , Von Miller and Malachi Lawrence this time around, but they still don't have a top-flight edge rusher who can definitively test tackles the way Parsons could. While the defense should be better this year, it might not reach above-average if the Cowboys can't consistently get after the quarterback. The Giants feel good about their head coaching change with John Harbaugh replacing Brian Daboll. But I don't think they should feel quite as good about the staff they've assembled to run the offense. Matt Nagy, Greg Roman and Brian Callahan aren't the type of murderer's row you'd like to have putting your players in position to succeed. Things were reportedly a bit rocky during camp, and that could carry over to the regular season. Everyone expects things to be better for Philly on offense after the Eagles replaced Kevin Patullo with Sean Mannion. And it could hardly be worse than it was for much of last year, when things got pretty ugly at times. But what if it just doesn't take as well as we think it could? What if the loss of legendary offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland matters more than the hopeful upgrade from Patullo to Mannion? What if the line's injury issues don't get solved? Things might not improve as much as is hoped. With Laremy Tunsil going down and probably missing the entire season, things look rough in front of Jayden Daniels . The Commanders even signed D.J. Humphries just in case things don't work out with Brandon Coleman at left tackle. If they can't keep Daniels upright for the full season, things could spiral in Washington. The Bears were counting on better health and a big free-agent signing to improve their defensive backfield this season. It doesn't look like they're getting either. Coby Bryant is out for the foreseeable future. Kyler Gordon is without a timetable to return. Even Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson have been banged up recently. It's going to be a pretty big mess on the back end in Chicago, and that could undermine the defense. Go ahead and look at the depth chart for the Lions ' defensive backfield. It's pretty ugly, especially with both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch on the physically unable to perform list. They're likely starting Avonte Maddox and Chuck Clark at safety. It's Rock Ya-Sin and D.J. Reed at corner. There's just not a lot of high-level talent, and they're going to need the pass rush (where Aidan Hutchinson still needs some help) to really step up and carry the load. Without Micah Parsons, the Packers need Lukas Van Ness to really tap into his full potential. But there's not much in the way of depth on the edge beyond Van Ness, and the Packers will be desperately awaiting Parsons' return, which will hopefully come sometime in October. If he needs to ramp up from there, though, or isn't at full strength for a while, they could struggle to get after the passer all season. The Vikings have been a fast and ferocious defense under Brian Flores. [... truncated ...]
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Sean Mannion talks Eagles backup quarterback battle and more
Eagles OC talks battle for QB2, the run game improvements, and the OL development under new OL coach Chris Kuper
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Sean Mannion talks about what the Eagles need to do better on offense
The Eagles OC recaps the first preseson game, and what he’s seen from some of the younger offensive players
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The important lesson Nick Sirianni is implementing from 2021 preseason
Sean Mannion will get to call plays on Saturday night, just don't expect the Eagles to show all their cards
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NFL offseason power rankings: No. 9 Eagles traded A.J. Brown, but are they clear of the drama?
The next book A.J. Brown reads on the sideline might be one about all the drama surrounding the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles . There are enough stories for it. What happened with the Eagles last season really wasn't new. In 2023, after a Super Bowl appearance, the Eagles took a step back and underachieved despite a loaded roster. The drama might have been amplified that season, and last season as well. It's Philly after all. But the bottom line was a team that was dominant on its way to the Super Bowl LIX title looked last season like it wanted nothing to do with each other. The Eagles were talented enough to win 11 games and a division title, but there was a predictable flameout in the playoffs for a club that was clearly underachieving. Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now! The two biggest subtractions were Brown, who everyone knew was on his way out by the time last season ended, and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who wore the majority of the criticism for a stale and ineffective offense. Trading a player like Brown doesn't make Philadelphia better on paper, but it was a move with chemistry in mind. The last time the Eagles were coming off a miserable finish to a season, they rebounded to win a Super Bowl. There's enough talent on hand where that's a realistic goal this time around as well. Jalen Hurts always seems to be doubted, but he's a Super Bowl MVP and also played better than anyone else in Super Bowl LVII, which the Eagles lost to the Chiefs. The issues with the downturn in production for him, Saquon Barkley and the offense as a whole might be largely related to the play-calling. When ESPN's Dan Orlovsky shredded the Eagles for running the same unimaginative plays with the season on the line in the playoff loss to the 49ers , it summed up all of the Eagles' fans complaints about Patullo. Maybe Sean Mannion, a 34-year-old fast riser who will be a first-time coordinator this season, will fix some of those woes. He'll have a scheme that is expected to be a huge change for Hurts, putting him under center far more often than he's ever done. The defense, which was arguably the NFL's best in 2024, was still very good last season. The roster as a whole is still one of the NFL's best. It's everything else that needs to improve. Some comments from Hurts in 2022 are instructive four years later. "When you're playing a team sport, it's not all about X's and O's," Hurts said, according to the team's site . "A lot of it is ball, but the other part of it is getting to know that person, being on the same page with that person, knowing how that person thinks, and just getting to know him thoroughly." It's not always easy to figure that out, and it's not like Brown was the only reason for the discord. Hurts' role in the offense's deterioration, and particularly his reluctance to adapt his game to playing more under center, was detailed in an ESPN story this offseason. That story also discussed tension between Hurts and coaches, and also between Hurts and teammates like Brown. Again, it's nothing new in Philly. There were similar stories of despair during the 2024 offseason . That Eagles team won 16 of its last 17 games on its way to a championship. Doing it again in 2026 would make for a heck of a story, not that Philadelphia ever lacks content when it comes to the Eagles. The headline of the offseason was a trade that everyone knew was happening for months. Finally, on June 1, the Eagles officially traded A.J. Brown to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The Eagles got four fantastic seasons from Brown, including a Super Bowl title, then traded him for close to the same picks they gave up to get him (in 2022 Philadelphia traded a first- and third-round pick to Tennessee for Brown). Not bad. It also leaves a hole in the offense, but the Eagles prepared for that. They drafted Makai Lemon in the first round, trading ahead of the Steelers to ste [... truncated ...]
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Eagles News: Brandon Graham discusses potential return timeline
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links … Brandon Graham Sets Deadline For Eagles Return, But Does Philly Still Need Him? – SI “I don’t want the team’s gonna do, but I don’t want to go halfway through the season like I did last year (before returning),” he said on GMFB. “I would love to start in the beginning if I can, but if training camp doesn’t happen, I think I’ll probably wrap it up after that.” So, if the Eagles want him, it sounds like they will have to get him back in the next month or so. He may not be willing to return if an injury or ineffective play by any of their defensive linemen prompts another October call. “I’m taking my time, honestly,” he said. “This is it. If it’s this year or if this is it, I’m just really enjoying my kids right now, working out, golfing every day, trying to just enjoy the time that I’m getting right now.” Eagles schedule preview: Commanders – BGN The question for this team: Are they actually better? In 2024 the Commanders were coming off a 4-13 season and overturned their roster. Adam Peters and Dan Quinn brought in mostly middling, aging, culture changing guys of the scrap heap. In 2026 the Commanders are coming off a 5-12 season and overturned their roster. Adam Peters and Dan Quinn brought in mostly middling guys off the scrap heap. Kliff Kingsbury was also sacrificed. Mailbag: Is the historically great Eagles OL becoming increasingly precarious? – PhillyVoice Question from @abrad45: What are your expectations for Sean Mannion’s offense? When should we expect the players to have a feel for it? Are we likely to drop any early games (partially) due to offensive miscues? On the one hand, yeah, I do think that there could be some growing pains with the new offense where it looks sluggish at times. Part of the appeal of this offense is that run/pass plays are designed to look the same. When teams like the Rams or 49ers are running it efficiently the opposing defense is late to recognize what is happening, and that little one second edge is really meaningful. But, like anything, it also take a whole lot of reps to get the timing right. On the other hand, the Eagles’ defense is going to have the advantage of being in Year 3 of Vic Fangio’s tenure. We’ve seen the defense come out a little slow the last two seasons, but become a well-oiled machine by the end of the season. I don’t think we’ll see those growing pains on that side of the ball this year. Before They Were Birds – Iggles Blitz My Comments – Everyone liked Baun. They just weren’t sure what to do with him. DJ, who had him as the #34 overall prospect, thought Nwosu was a good comp. He’s been more of an edge rusher in his career, as was Baun in New Orleans . Kiper, as mentioned above, had him going in the first round. Tony Pauline had him as an OLB and #49 overall. It really is crazy that Vic Fangio put him at ILB and turned Baun into a star. The 3 biggest concerns about Eagles entering 2026 season – NBCSP What if Sean Mannion doesn’t work? The Eagles took a big swing this offseason when they hired Sean Mannion as their new OC. Mannion was just 33 when the Eagles hired him and he has been coaching just two years in the NFL. But Mannion played for nine seasons in the league as a backup QB and was preparing for his next job as a coach the whole time. The Eagles went through an exhaustive search this offseason, interviewing 17 candidates, before landing on Mannion. There’s a lot of excitement about the changes coming to the Eagles’ offense, but no one really knows how it’s going to work. Mannion is going to run a version of the Shanahan offense, which will be a pretty significant departure from what the Eagles have done the first five years under head coach Nick Sirianni. While Jalen Hurts has had to play under a bunch of different offensive coordinators, there are going to be more differences in this scheme than he has seen before. The Eagles are going to blend some old with some new but we’re going to see more under-cen [... truncated ...]
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Eagles News: Multiple outlets rank Philadelphia’s offensive line second-best in the NFL
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links … Up Front – Iggles Blitz That is three independent sources who have the Eagles rated as the #2 OL in the league heading into 2026. The Eagles have the best OT duo in the league. Tyler Steen is a player on the rise. Dickerson and Jurgens are Pro Bowlers when healthy. That’s a really talented group. And the depth is good, with Fred Johnson and rookie Markell Bell as the OTs. Interior depth is unproven, but Drew Kendall looked promising in limited action last year. Veteran Michael Jordan has more experience than talent and will have to earn a roster spot with a strong summer. Rookie Micah Morris has NFL size, athleticism and ability. He’s got to show he can put all of that together on a consistent basis. I’m also curious to see what Willie Lampkin and Myles Hinton do this summer. If the line is healthy, the run game should work and the overall offense should be fine. The Packers were seventh in the league in rushing attempts last year so Sean Mannion comes from a team that wanted to run the ball and did just that. With this OL and Saquon Barkley , expect the Eagles to once again be a running team. That worked pretty well in 2024 so I certainly won’t object. Eagles have 2 of ESPN’s Top 10 ranked defensive tackles in 2026 – BGN As ESPN continues to reveal their Top 10 lists for each position, the Eagles are quickly racking up nods as one of the best rosters in the league. They’ve already claimed one of the top running backs (Saquon Barkley), and two of the top cornerbacks ( Quinyon Mitchell , Cooper DeJean , plus votes for Riq Woolen ), and now add two of the best defensive tackles ( Jalen Carter , Jordan Davis ) to the list. None of the Eagles edge rushers made the Top 10 of their position, and among tight ends, Dallas Goedert did earn some Top 10 votes but ultimately not enough to be ranked. Here’s a look at what they said about the Eagles’ dominant interior defenders. Things to watch for at Eagles training camp: Linebacker edition – PhillyVoice When training camp began in 2025, Dean was on the PUP list and, as noted above, it wasn’t expected that Campbell would be ready to participate until August. As such, Jeremiah Trotter was in line to get all the first-team reps, at least initially in camp. But, with Campbell unexpectedly ready on Day 1 of camp, Trotter had to wait his turn some more. In his two training camps with the Eagles, Trotter has looked like a tough, smart, instinctive linebacker, even if he is lacking in size and ideal athleticism. He began the regular season as the first off-ball linebacker off the bench, but was never needed. And then after Dean was ready to return from his injury, Trotter was buried on the depth chart behind Baun, Dean, and Campbell. Still, Trotter has quietly done his job as a core special teamer, and in 2025 he led the team in special teams tackles. With Dean signing in free agency with the Raiders, Trotter will be the first linebacker off the bench should Baun or Campbell go down. Trotter did get first-team reps with Campbell missing spring practices, and he played well, as he was consistently in the right place against the run and pass. Eagles 2026 Training Camp Position Preview: Offensive Line – PhiladelphiaEagles.com How will the veteran offensive linemen look in the new system under coach Chris Kuper? … How involved will rookie Markel Bell be in the rotation? … There are eight pure tackles on the roster not named Lane Johnson or Jordan Mailata – who will emerge as the rotational pieces? … How will the 2025 draft picks (Kendall, Hinton, Williams) progress in their second year? How are Super Bowl-level NFL rosters built at each position? – ESPN I also tried to toe the line between how a roster was constructed during the offseason and how it played out in reality during the season. All general managers would love to have their team stay healthy and play as they planned all season, but the NFL doesn’t work that way. If a player was on [... truncated ...]
QB · PHI
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17 IDKs from the Eagles’ spring practices
The Philadelphia Eagles officially wrapped up their spring workout program earlier this month . Now we’ll take a look at the winners , losers , and I don’t knows (t0day’s focus) that stood out from four media-attended practices. Disclaimer: These were non-contact drills (no pads) and four practices is a pretty small sample size. There’s still plenty of time for players to change their outlook — for better or for worse — over the course of training camp and preseason games. For historical context, here’s a look at the “ IDKs ” from this time last year. There are reasons to be encouraged about the Eagles’ new offensive coordinator. Everyone he works with seems to think he’s a pretty smart guy; Jordan Mailata went as far to call him an “ evil genius .” Mannion had some good things to say during his sole spring press conference . There are signs that Mannion is going to help truly evolve the Eagles’ offense. We saw a lot of under-center looks, play-action, motion, etc. during spring practices. Is Mannion definitely going to help the offense be significantly better in 2026? I do think it’s possible. But I don’t know that I feel confident about it at this point in time. I’m more in the camp of keeping an open mind. Vic Fangio got the better of Mannion in these spring practices. Does that matter much? Maybe not. It’s probably unfair to expect an offense undergoing schematic changes to be firing on all cylinders in OTAs. Especially when it’s going up against a defense entering Year 3 under one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL. Based on what we saw, though, I do think it’s fair to suggest the offense is a work in progress and could take some time to click. Fortunately, there’s still an entire training camp to help work out the kinks. Let’s get the disclaimers out of the way: Hurts is adjusting to (yet another) new offensive coordinator/play-caller. Hurts is going up against a high-quality defense. Hurts didn’t have some of his top receivers in spring practices. DeVonta Smith missed the last day of minicamp, Makai Lemon missed three of four spring practices due to a hamstring injury, and Dontayvion Wicks missed the first media-attended OTA practice. All of this acknowledged, I don’t think Hurts had a sharp spring. I don’t think he looked terrible. He was somewhere between those two extremes, hence the “IDK” placement. It’s good that Hurts seems to be embracing the changes, based on what he’s said and what’s been reported. I’d also argue that it’s good that he’s in a spot where questions have been raised about his future in Philly . He tends to thrive when the pressure is on and his back is perceived to be against the wall. I think Hurts could have a good year. But, as is the case with the offense as a whole, it might not be about instant success as much as there’s a build over the course of the season. I promise I’m not trying to make a mountain of a mole hill … but this Sirianni quote from his final spring press conference just does not sit well with me (bold emphasis mine): Q. You’ve preached since you got him about the importance of winning the turnover battle and protecting the football. Do you have to loosen that at all given that QB Jalen Hurts’ is going to be learning a new offense and there may be some sloppiness and some growing pains early on. Do you have to kind of tolerate maybe the possibility of some more turnovers to get him to where he needs to be? Nick Sirianni: You’re speaking of just interceptions, right? Because I think fumbles are a different story. Fumbles [have] a fundamental approach to it. I don’t look at fumbles the exact same way as interceptions. Interceptions are happening with decision-making as he goes through reads and stuff like that. So fumbles, never will I ever budge on that because that’s something that’s the backbone of what we do fundamentally. I say to the guys an awful lot that this program and everything we’re built on is built off fundamentals and the most importa [... truncated ...]
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Eagles News: Jalen Hurts among NFL MVP dark horse candidates
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links … NFL MVP dark horses: Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence among top nine candidates in 2026 – NFL.com 6) JALEN HURTS. Philly’s offense went out with a whimper in the second half of last season, with Hurts posting a net negative on dropbacks in Expected Points Added (-11.1) during his final nine games of 2025, including the Eagles’ playoff loss, per Next Gen Stats. The vibes were even worse than those numbers. Given the scrutiny attached to playing quarterback for the Eagles, Hurts will either enter next offseason with questions about his future with the team or be riding high after returning to something resembling the form that made him the MVP runner-up in 2022 and the Super Bowl LIX MVP. The latter of the two scenarios seems well within reach. Hurts is getting something of a fresh start in 2026, with former NFL QB Sean Mannion replacing Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator after Patullo’s rough lone season as the play-caller. A.J. Brown was shipped to the Patriots after he and Hurts grew apart, according to Brown. The receiving corps has a much different look, with Hollywood Brown , Dontayvion Wicks and first-round pick Makai Lemon arriving this offseason. Second-round selection Eli Stowers gives the offense a freak athlete at tight end. The offensive line remains one of the league’s best. I don’t know if we’ll see peak Saquon Barkley again, but he still ranked 10th in rushing yards (1,140) even while taking a big step back with the rest of the offense last season. The ingredients are there for Hurts to roar back on a contending team. He’ll have to be much better than the version of him we saw for much of last season, though, in an offense that will have him lining up under center more often. Inside Parks Frazier’s quarterback room – PhiladelphiaEagles.com He is directly in the bloodlines of the quarterback – the pulse, the veins, the heartbeat. That is, essentially, the job description for Parks Frazier, the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach after spending 2025 as the offensive passing game coordinator. He is the direct contact for Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee , Andy Dalton and Cole Payton, the four men who are, together, the Eagles’ quarterback room. “From the quarterback perspective, again, it’s just trying to take one of the hardest positions in sports and make it as simple as possible,” Frazier said. ”So you try to chunk things together. You try to make it where guys can play fast even though there’s a lot going on. So that’s been the biggest thing I learned from those guys is just, you know, you see it from the outside and you see all the motions, you see all the different plays, but how do you take that and you package it together to make it simple for the quarterback on the player, so they can go out there and play fast?” Play fast. Play with purpose. Make the right decisions using great fundamentals. Frazier spent the spring furthering his relationships with Hurts and McKee, and also building trust and the foundation with Dalton and Payton. Brendan Sorsby to the Eagles, or the NFL at all, is now looking pretty unlikely – BGN So much for rumors of the Philadelphia Eagles taking a flier on Brendan Sorsby. The NFL officially announced they will NOT be holding a Supplemental Draft this year, which leaves the embattled quarterback — who was already denied NCAA eligibility aftter gambling on his own team — without a path to the top professional football league in 2026. Four Pillars – Iggles Blitz Lurie learned valuable lessons from Rhodes tenure. You cannot sustain success by focusing on veteran players, especially ones at the end of their careers. You must draft and develop. You need a pipeline of young talent. You also need a strong connection between the Personnel Dept and the coaching staff. They must work together to build the right roster. The Eagles would make some hires that led to them being that kind of team and guess what…sustained success became a thing. It also helpe [... truncated ...]
QB · LV
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How Chris Kuper knew Sean Mannion was destined to be a coach
How Chris Kuper knew Sean Mannion was destined to be a coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia Chris Kuper didn’t spend a ton of time with Sean Mannion when the two were in Minnesota together. He didn’t need to. Even their minimal interactions showed Kuper that Mannion would be a fast-rising coach before too long. A few years later, Kuper and Mannion have been reunited on the Eagles’ staff. “Sean’s one of those guys that surprised me,” said Kuper, who is now serving as the offensive line coach under Mannion in Philly. “Because there’s not a ton of interaction with the backup quarterback, but he would ask me some protection questions to really get in front of them for Kirk (Cousins) because he knew that Kirk was going to ask him. So then you start to see like, ‘All right, this guy’s a high level backup in terms of knowing what the role is.’ “There’s other backups that maybe thinking they’re going to compete for the job, which Sean was that guy back when he started out. He really fell into a role and then he maximized that role. And so I saw a little bit of evolution of like, ‘Holy smokes, that’s what a backup quarterback is doing for a starter.’” Mannion, 34, had a bunch of stops in his nine-year NFL playing career before he was hired by Matt LaFleur to join the Packers’ staff the last two years. Mannion was an offensive assistant in 2024 and a quarterbacks coach in 2025 before getting hired away by the Eagles as offensive coordinator. During his time in the NFL, Mannion has been around a bunch of great coaches like LaFleur, Sean McVay, Kevin O’Connell, Dave Canales, Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak and more. And the whole time, he was thinking and collecting for the day he’d run his own offense. “I mean, Sean has his own playbook while he was a backup quarterback in Minnesota,” Kuper said. Like an actual book? “He had a true binder full of plays that he was kind of deciding whether his offense was going to be a part of this or not,” Kuper said. “And he’s evolved from there. So yeah, I figured he had an inkling that maybe it might be something he wants to do. Now we’re seeing it here.” There are obviously certain staples of this brand of offense and we can expect to see them in Philly this season. But the Eagles have different players than the Packers or the 49ers or the Rams. And Mannion is a different coach than LaFleur or Shanahan or McVay or anyone else who runs this system. So it’s going to be fun to see what he comes up with in 2026. “This is football,” Kuper said. “I can call it an apple and someone else can call it an orange. We might be running the same thing, saying it a different way. But if you cut on the tape, there’s no sound on the tape. So you cut on the tape, it looks the same. Just a different way of presenting it. So again, for us, it’s learning his verbiage too, the way that he wants to call things and the way that he wants to run, throw the ball, protect, all those things.” The Eagles didn’t just hire Mannion and force the rest of their coaches on him. Mannion got to pick some of his staff, including run game coordinator Ryan Mahaffey and Kuper. Kuper has familiarity with this scheme as well as familiarity with Mannion. While Kuper always thought Mannion would make a good coach one day, he’s getting to see it for himself this spring. And there are things he just couldn’t see a few years ago. “I really love his demeanor,” Kuper said. “And then the thing that I didn’t get to see, because I was a coach and he was a backup quarterback, is his ability to lead. And lead men and lead coaches. He hasn’t been doing this a long time, but he’s an organized person, he knows what he wants and he’s very clear and concise. So the job description, is very black and white, which is what we all want. That’s what the players want, so that we can present them with something that is black and white.”
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Nick Sirianni wouldn’t get into why Jalen Carter isn’t participating in team drills
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni declined to elaborate on why defensive tackle Jalen Carter was limited in mandatory minicamp, participating only in individual drills and not full team activities. Sirianni stated Carter has been working hard to be in the best position for training camp. The coach also commented on the developing trust between quarterback Jalen Hurts and new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, emphasizing their consistent work ethic and approach to building rapport
QB · PHI
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In Roob's Observations: Encouraging signs from a critical Eagles defensive back
In Roob's Observations: Encouraging signs from a critical Eagles defensive back originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia For the first time since last August, we had a chance on Wednesday to watch an entire Eagles practice, and it was certainly fascinating. A lot of this week’s observations come from that 90-minute indoor practice session, starting out with the latest on safety Drew Mukuba. We’ll also get into Jalen Hurts ’ revealing comments about Sean Mannion, the latest on Uar Bernard and a fun observation on Andrew Greenard. So welcome to our final Roob’s 10 Random Eagles Observations of May. The next one will be in June and that’s the month before training camp starts! ENCOURAGING SIGNS FROM MUKUBA: We didn’t know what Drew Mukuba’s status was until we walked into the Bubble Thursday afternoon. It’s only been six months since he suffered a broken ankle and fibula in a Week 12 game against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium and nobody knew if he’d be back in time for OTAs. But there he was looking fast, spry and healthy as the Eagles held their first OTA practice open to the media. This is huge both for Mukuba and for the Eagles. This is a 23-year-old kid who’s only played 11 NFL games and is being counted on to start this year. He needs the work. The less summer practice time he misses the better as he learns how to be an NFL safety and gets comfortable playing next to Marcus Epps , who replaced him last year when he got hurt. Mukuba got off to a bit of an inconsistent start as a rookie last year but was playing very good football before he got hurt. But there’s no Plan B this year. Reed Blankenship is gone, Sydney Brown is gone, and the Eagles are depending on Mukuba to play at a high level. There aren’t a ton of question marks on this defense or on this entire team, for that matter. Safety is one of them. Epps is a smart, solid veteran, and Mukuba is a promising 2nd-year pro. But they’re still unproven. Mukuba needs to tackle better and has to be more consistent in coverage. But he’s got a chance, and seeing him out there Thursday was an encouraging first step. HE SURE LOOKS LIKE A DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: And it was sure fun to see Uar Bernard for the first time. The 21-year-old Nigerian defensive tackle, with zero football background, participated in individual drills and certainly looked the part – big, strong and explosive, although he’s stiff moving around, which shouldn’t be surprising considering he has no idea what he’s doing. But there’s definitely something there with his physical traits, although who knows if he’ll ever be figure it all out enough to play on Sundays. Watching him you had to wonder what it felt like running around trying a sport he’s never participated in around guys who’ve been doing this their entire lives. Jordan Davis was effusive in his praise of Bernard, who the Eagles drafted in the seventh round: “Great guy. He’s really meshing into the room well. And not that we had any reservations or doubt that he would, but just seeing him flourish in the room and seeing him get connected with the guys. And especially because of Moro (Ojomo), obviously we all know that he’s Nigerian as well. And just having that connection in that room, probably paying dividends in itself. But just getting to know him, him getting to know us. understanding that he’s learning a new sport. I mean, when I started playing football in 10th grade, it was already hard enough, and I could just only imagine at his point in his career and coming into the highest level of learning in the NFL. So aside from that, day by day, he gets better and obviously we all know that’s not gonna happen overnight, but just seeing this progression and seeing him work and just understanding the type of humility that kid has. It’s just amazing. We’re excited.” JUST ONE IN 25 YEARS: Eighteen Eagles have had at least seven interceptions in a season a total of 23 times. None have done it in the last 15 years. Asante Samuel is the only Eagle in the [... truncated ...]
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Eagles star AJ Brown marries Kelsey Riley in lavish Laguna Beach wedding
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown married Kelsey Riley on May 16th. While the wedding was a personal milestone, Brown's professional life has seen some strain, including a public criticism of the Eagles' offense and a reported drop in target share. The Eagles are reportedly shopping Brown, with the Rams and Patriots showing interest
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The most compelling storylines from Rams 2026 schedule
The 2026 slate of games was finalized this week for the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are in the league’s full spotlight with seven primetime games, but the real story is whether the schedule helps launch a contender—or exposes one. What are the most compelling storylines from LA’s 2026 slate? Let’s preview some of the angles that will turn into headlines later in the year. The San Francisco 49ers upset the Rams at home on Thursday Night Football last season in part thanks to a high energy environment that favored the traveling team. These division rivals will clash on Thursday in the season opener in Melbourne, and it’s difficult to put aside the idea that LA asked for this international matchup in order to prevent San Francisco from turning SoFi Stadium into Levi’s South . 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said at the NFL league meetings that he’d like to see his team schedule a Monday night game in order for the league to make them whole after an opening week of burdensome travel. Instead, the NFL gave Shanahan the middle finger and asked the Rams to host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 2. San Francisco plays a day earlier and hosts the Miami Dolphins . We cannot ignore that the league did the Rams a favor to start the season. Will we look back and say it made a difference in the trajectory of these two rivals? LA travels to Philadelphia in Week 4. The Eagles have a familiar face at offensive coordinator in former Rams quarterback Sean Mannion. Mannion was drafted by Les Snead in the Jeff Fisher era and stuck during Sean McVay’s tenure as the multi-year backup to Jared Goff . While we did not see Mannion on the field during the regular season, his connection to McVay is undoubtedly a big reason why he now holds a key role in Philadelphia. Offenses usually aren’t firing on all cylinders four weeks into the season. This could be an uphill battle for Mannion and the Eagles, although it will still be an interesting clash of former teammates. The blockbuster move of the NFL offseason was the Rams trading a first round pick and change for Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie . LA then doubled down in free agency and signed his running mate Jaylen Watson away from Kansas City . There may be no bigger position group overhaul in the entire league than the turnaround the Rams have administered at corner. This change could signal a schematic change on defense and should help a formidable pass rush get home more often. But it’s never easy facing Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. This is still a tough matchup for the Rams even if their defense has taken a step forward on paper over the offseason. The Seahawks are the reigning NFC West and Super Bowl champs until they aren’t. The three matchups between these rivals a year ago were always closely fought and ultimately defined the season. With two clashes in the final three weeks of the regular season, deciding the outcome of the division race could come down to the finale—and it’s possible we again see LA and Seattle face off in the postseason. Will the Rams be able to change the outcome in 2026 and dethrone the Seahawks?
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Instant predictions for Eagles’ 17-game schedule
The author provides game-by-game predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles' 2026 schedule, attempting to maintain accuracy based on previous years' predictions. The article touches on team performance, potential player development like Cam Ward, and upcoming opponents, including specific matchups against the Commanders, Titans, Bears, and Rams. The piece also briefly mentions Sean Mannion and Jordan Davis in the context of team performance and historical matchups
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