A trade I don't think the Eagles will make, the future of one of the Eagles' quarterbacks, a surprise roster decision and lots more in the latest edition of Roob's random Eagles points!
- My gut feeling is that Jadeveon Clowney isn’t coming here. Could he help this team? Absolutely. But I’d be surprised if Howie Roseman gives up what he’d have to give up for a guy that isn't guaranteed to be here beyond 2019. I think that’s the only real roadblock. Roseman doesn’t mind paying, he doesn’t mind wheeling and dealing, he doesn’t mind giving up a first-round pick, and Clowney would certainly make this a better team. But without any guarantees about the future it’s a tough deal to make. Not impossible but difficult.
- One of the big questions for roster cut-down day Saturday is what will the Eagles do with rookie QB Clayton Thorson. I think there’s a better than 50 percent chance they can get him through waivers and onto the practice squad, but I’m starting to think they’re not going to try. If they feel there’s any chance he’ll one day become a viable NFL quarterback, why risk it? They can keep him on the 53, protect him and release someone else instead who would be more easily replaced if he’s claimed. It’s a tough call. You really don’t want to keep four QBs on the 53, but you’ve invested four months in the kid and seen good of progress. Do you really want to see him get claimed somewhere? If you have to cut ties with, say, Matt Pryor, Treyvon Hester or Orlando Scandrick to make sure you don’t lose Thorson, it may well be worth it, just because they’re easier to replace. Heck, they may still be out there if you need them at some point.
- Greg Ward vs. Mack Hollins is another fascinating one. Ward is a significantly better receiver. Hollins is a somewhat better special teamer. They’re likely fighting for a single roster spot. Conventional wisdom says Hollins stays because he was a fourth-round draft pick, but, man, Greg Ward has earned a spot. He's been so good. He’s gotta stay.
- Carson Wentz prediction: 4,088 yards, 29 TDs, 10 INTs. And 16 starts (and finishes).
- Crazy roster prediction: Nate Herbig makes it over Stefen Wisniewski. Here’s my thinking: The Eagles aren’t going to keep a lineman who only plays guard and can't also move to center or tackle, and Wisniewski’s snapping problems are enough of a concern that you just can’t trust him at center. So now he's just a guard. If something happened with Jason Kelce, you could always move Isaac Seumalo from left guard to center and have Wiz play left guard. But now you’re switching two of five spots. and that's not ideal. Herbig? He’s a 21-year-old undrafted rookie free agent who’s never played center before. But the Eagles quietly began working him at center in the last couple weeks, and if they feel like he can capably back up all three interior spots, he could get the nod ahead of Wiz, a Super Bowl starter just two years ago. It's not a huge factor, but he's also $755,000 cheaper than Wisniewski ($495,000 to $1.25 million), and Wiz only carries $250,000 in dead money. Interesting call here for Howie.
- Chris T. Jones had more 70-catch seasons than Harold Carmichael.
- Speaking of Carmichael, did you know he had nine consecutive seasons with at least five touchdown catches? That is still — 35 years after he played his last game — the eighth-longest streak in NFL history, and everybody who’s ever had a longer streak is in the Hall of Fame.
- Ten days till the opener. The 10 longest days of the year. This will be the first time since 1982 the Eagles have opened at home with the Redskins. They opened at RFK in 1996 and FedEx in 2013 and 2017 and won all three, beating Gus Frerotte, RG3 and Kirk Cousins.
- And a stat only I care about: This is the 19th consecutive year the Eagles will finish the preseason against the Jets, and the 35th time in the last 35 years they've faced the Jets in the preseason, although they didn't play in 2000. In 1992, they played twice in the preseason.
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