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Nolan Smith reveals what's fueling his potential breakout Eagles season

Nolan Smith reveals what's fueling his potential breakout Eagles season

USA Today3 days ago
Nolan Smith speaks with clarity, wisdom, and fire ahead of what could be an exciting Eagles season.
Nolan Smith is an absolute soundbite machine. That man has a lot of wisdom and is really good at communicating his thoughts & feelings.Here he shoots down a question regarding all the winning he's done in his career and also talks about picking out a new book at Barnes & Noble pic.twitter.com/JhrYiSlS7B
We live in a microwave society. You've probably heard someone you admire teach that to you a few times. As it turns out, they were right. Patience isn't something we place in high regard. That's especially true of the Philadelphia Eagles fan.
Once upon a time, there were teams that wanted their young quarterbacks to sit and learn before throwing them into the fire. Nowadays, those same franchises hope those guys get up to speed and begin constructing Pro Bowl-caliber numbers before the calendar reaches Thanksgiving.
If drafted higher, the clock is sped up. Here's the thing. Most acknowledge that quarterbacks need reps. Less often do we hear that sentiment when discussing young edge rushers.
Nolan Smith's quiet confidence says everything Eagles fans need to hear
Believe it or not, we're already entering year three of Nolan Smith and Jalen Carter's era in Philadelphia. We knew the latter would be a sure thing upon his entry into the NFL.
Some had their doubts about the former. His size was mentioned as a potential weakness. He was staring up the depth chart at a Pro Bowler, Haason Reddick, so much of Smith's first season was spent on special teams.
There was also a shoulder issue he was trying to labor through. Wouldn't you know it? That's all it took for some to shackle him with the 'bust' label.
Bust? Are you serious? Those in the know, including this platform, knew all he needed was experience and time, and in his sophomore campaign, he turned the corner.
Now, he has his sights set on achieving even more.
That's what some refer to as quiet confidence, but as we've gotten to know Smith, we've found something out about his personality. Sometimes, that confidence is expressed at a higher decibel.
Nolan Smith says he's looking to have more than 12 sacks next season!'That's on the low side' pic.twitter.com/ewKuHKLm4B
Did he just say he's on the hunt for double-digit sacks? Let's take an inventory.
Last season, he trumped his single sack as a rookie by notching 6.5 in 16 games with ten starts. Then, he led all defenders with four sacks and four tackles for loss during the Eagles' march to another Super Bowl win.
That being said. One of two things is possible. He could wear down by playing more snaps now that Bryce Huff and Josh Sweat are gone, or he could rise to the occasion with more responsibility and opportunity. We all have our opinions. This way, wagers are being placed on the latter scenario.
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NFL offseason power rankings: No. 3 Detroit Lions lost in the playoffs, then had other big losses
NFL offseason power rankings: No. 3 Detroit Lions lost in the playoffs, then had other big losses

Yahoo

time24 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

NFL offseason power rankings: No. 3 Detroit Lions lost in the playoffs, then had other big losses

It's hard to imagine anyone rooting against the Detroit Lions. They have a likable team led by a relatable head coach, a passionate fan base and have been terrible for most of their existence. Their rise to the elite tier of the NFL has been fun. So there's no joy in wondering if the Lions' best chances for that elusive Super Bowl appearance have already past. It's possible Detroit fans will be sitting around 20, 30 years from now and still rueing how the 2023 and 2024 seasons ended. Ranking playoff losses by the level of heartbreak isn't the most healthy exercise, so let's just say that the Lions' past two playoff losses are tied for first. In the NFC championship game two seasons ago, the Lions led the San Francisco 49ers 24-10 and their win probability reached 90.4%, according to Next Gen Stats. San Francisco stormed back to win. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Last season hurt in a different way. The Lions had a historic season, going 15-2 with the fourth-highest scoring team ever at 564 points. All they had to do was win two home games to make the Super Bowl. The Lions were 15-4 at home over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, including postseason, heading into their playoff game against the Washington Commanders. That game against the Commanders felt like quicksand, with the Lions sinking further every time they tried to take a step. A defense that was decimated by injuries was chasing Washington and its rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels all game. Detroit's offense suddenly couldn't stop making mistakes and turning the ball over. The Lions lost 45-31 and it was hard to put into words the devastation for a franchise that has never even been to a Super Bowl. There have been only nine teams in NFL history to win 15 regular-season games. Before last season, only one didn't win a playoff game. Now it's two. The 2011 Green Bay Packers were a great team but ultimately more forgettable than the 2010 team that went 10-6 but won a Super Bowl. Unfortunately for the Lions, they don't yet have that Super Bowl win to ease the pain of that unexpected one-and-done. "It's disappointing. It's hard," quarterback Jared Goff said. "We had everything we wanted. Home-field advantage, the fans were incredible and unfortunately, we just let it slip out of our hands." [Get more Lions news: Detroit team feed] When you become good, other teams pick at your roster and coaching staff. For decades, nobody wanted Lions coordinators. This past offseason, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn were two of the top three candidates on the head-coaching market, with Mike Vrabel being the other. Johnson was hired by the Chicago Bears and Glenn went to the New York Jets. It won't be easy to replace two of the best coordinators in football. The Lions have had a great offensive line the past few years but 40 percent of it needs to be replaced after guard Kevin Zeitler left in free agency and center Frank Ragnow retired. That's another huge blow. The good news is Detroit is still very, very good. The Lions' roster is still full of blue-chip players. Dan Campbell looks like one of the better head coaches in the league. And maybe the losses at coordinator won't be that bad. John Morton, who was on the Lions' staff in 2022 and spent the past two seasons with Sean Payton in Denver, takes Johnson's place as offensive coordinator. Glenn is replaced as defensive coordinator by Kelvin Sheppard, who was coaching Detroit's linebackers the past four seasons. They're both capable of keeping the Lions heading in the right direction. But things change quickly in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles look hard to beat in the NFC. The NFC North is the toughest division in the league. Injuries can hit at the wrong times, which the Lions know all too well. Sometimes you catch the wrong matchup against a red-hot team in the playoffs, which Detroit also knows all about. Detroit will remain one of the best teams in the NFL. But you can be an elite team and never make a Super Bowl. After letting incredible opportunities slip by each of the past two seasons, then losing a lot of coaching and playing talent in the offseason, the Lions have to fear that possibility. Offseason grade The Lions have spent a lot of money on big contracts for their stars, but still found enough money to sign one of the best free agents on the market. D.J. Reed signed a three-year, $48 million deal. Reed was a sought after free agent but his deal, in terms of average annual value, was only fourth among cornerbacks who changed teams in the offseason. The Lions got a slight discount for an upgrade over Carlton Davis III, who left for the New England Patriots. The offseason was rough on the offensive line, with guard Kevin Zeitler leaving in free agency and center Frank Ragnow retiring at age 29. Zeitler was ranked as the NFL's third-best guard in Pro Football Focus' grades last season and Ragnow was the No. 2 center. Detroit drafted defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round and offensive lineman Tate Ratledge in the second. Ratledge could play a big role right away with Zeitler and Ragnow gone. Grade: C Quarterback report Jared Goff didn't look like a mainstay at quarterback for the Lions when they traded for him in 2021, but that's what he became. He has a 100.2 passer rating in his four Lions seasons, and over the past three seasons he has averaged 4,547 yards and 32 touchdowns per season. Of course, those three seasons came with Ben Johnson running the offense. Johnson is off to Chicago, and now Goff has to prove he can have the same level of success with John Morton replacing Johnson as offensive coordinator. Goff said the two already have a good rapport, and part of that was Morton being in Detroit for the 2022 season as a senior offensive assistant. Morton has said he wants to maintain the status quo — "I mean, I'm not changing much,' he said, via the Detroit Free Press. 'Why? It's working, right?" — and Goff seems to already have a good vibe with him. "Johnny's been great. He's got such great ideas," Goff told Fox 2 in Detroit. "He was here a few years ago and so helpful for Ben in that first year, just ideas and whatnot, and he's continued with that. Seeing some of the ideas that he's brought to us from the passing game standpoint is stuff I've never done before, but I've seen around the league. Him being able to teach it to us in a certain way and show us how to do things, and certainly it will still be a lot of the same stuff we've done, but there's a lot of really cool new wrinkles that he's been able to add that I'm really excited about." BetMGM odds breakdown From Yahoo's Ben Fawkes: 'This is still one of the best rosters in the league, but it does feel like Detroit's Super Bowl window is closing. Losing both coordinators (Aaron Glenn to Jets, Ben Johnson to Bears) to head coaching jobs will be tough to replace, along with the surprise retirement of center Frank Ragnow. But Aidan Hutchinson's return from injury and the free-agent signing of edge rusher Marcus Davenport should help the pass rush. Detroit still has a win total of 10.5 at BetMGM, is a heavy favorite (-200) to make the postseason and has the second-best odds (+475) behind the Eagles to win the NFC. Can they break through in the playoffs this season?" Yahoo's fantasy take From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: 'The market gets nervous when someone like Ben Johnson leaves Detroit, but Jared Goff is a tenured quarterback in Detroit — he's essentially a coordinator for this offensive unit. Goff isn't going to forget what's worked with Amon-Ra St. Brown the last four years. The Sun God lost some volume last year but made it for it with a spike in his touchdown rate. But even if he regresses to the 2022 touchdown rate, we're still talking about a player with a very high floor. I have no problem paying the sticker on St. Brown, which is somewhere in the 9-12 range in most Yahoo leagues." Stat to remember This won't surprise anyone who paid the slightest attention to the 2024 Lions, but they finished the season as the most injured defense in the NFL. The Lions had 86.5 adjusted games lost to injury on defense according to FTN Fantasy, most in the league. FTN's Aaron Schatz said that was the sixth-most games lost on defense since he started tracking the stat in 2001. Despite that, the Lions' defense finished fifth in DVOA. There's a reason Aaron Glenn is off to coach the Jets. The biggest injury was to defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who looked like he might make a run for NFL Defensive Player of the Year before he suffered a grisly broken leg in Detroit's fifth game. Through five games Hutchinson had 7.5 sacks. The reports on Hutchinson's health have been positive, and getting him back will change Detroit's defense. The Lions had to blitz more without him, which puts extra stress on the back seven. Other players will return from injury and assuming the bad injury luck doesn't happen two straight seasons, Detroit's defense should rebound. Not that it was bad last season, despite all those injuries. Burning question Can Jahmyr Gibbs handle more? Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are the best 1-2 running back punch in the NFL. But we all know Gibbs is the better talent. The Lions have split the work between the two backs and with great results. Gibbs has started just seven games in two seasons, a nod of respect to Montgomery and his role. But Gibbs showed last season how great he can be as the clear featured back. Gibbs started the final three games last season with Montgomery out, and he had 477 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns while logging three of his four largest carry totals of the season. Montgomery wasn't 100% in the playoffs and Gibbs had 175 total yards and two touchdowns. It will be hard to resist seeing how much more Gibbs can handle in his third season. We've already seen what the results could look like. The Lions don't really spread the ball around much. Almost all of the production will come from these players: Gibbs, Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. That's a pretty good nucleus to rely on. Gibbs had 1,929 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns last season despite sharing with those other stars, particularly Montgomery. We'll see if new coordinator John Morton plans to use Gibbs a little more this season. 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Detroit won 15 games last season and didn't clinch the division until the final game of the regular season, and a similar test from the Minnesota Vikings, Packers, Bears or maybe all three should be expected. A small step back could cost the Lions the NFC North, forcing Detroit on the road in the playoffs. And we all know that anything less than a Super Bowl season would be a disappointment. The crystal ball says It's weird to talk about the Lions in "Super Bowl or bust" terms, but here we are. Detroit has already advanced to an NFC championship game and it just posted the greatest regular season in franchise history. Only one step remains. The way the playoffs ended for Detroit the past two seasons adds to the urgency. The Lions know they're close, but getting over the hump is hard. I think the Lions have at least one more season as NFC North champs, but the rest of the division is coming on fast. And coming into this season, the Eagles look like the better team in the NFC. I won't rule out Detroit clearly being the best team in football now that its defense is healthier, but I'm not as confident about that as I was a year ago. While the Lions winning a Super Bowl would still be one of the greatest stories in American sports, every year that passes lessens the possibility of it happening. The window won't stay open much longer.

NFL Free Agency: Early look at 33 key Eagles slated to hit the open market in 2026
NFL Free Agency: Early look at 33 key Eagles slated to hit the open market in 2026

USA Today

time26 minutes ago

  • USA Today

NFL Free Agency: Early look at 33 key Eagles slated to hit the open market in 2026

Dallas Goedert and Reed Blankenship are among 33 Philadelphia Eagles who will be restricted or unrestricted free agents in the 2026 NFL offseason. Week 1 of Eagles training camp is off and running, and Nick Sirianni's team is loaded with playmakers and versatility. Philadelphia added 10 players during the NFL draft and still has a huge Super Bowl window thanks to an MVP candidate at quarterback and elite talent in several critical positions. Regardless of the outcome of this upcoming season, the roster will likely undergo further changes. The Birds have 33 players who'll test restricted or unrestricted free agency during the 2026 NFL offseason. Several key factors include a pending contract extension for Jalen Carter and the contract status for star tight end Dallas Goedert. Reed Blankenship is one of the biggest names on the list, and the defense could look drastically different with Nakobe Dean entering the final year of his rookie deal. 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P Braden Mann- Void CB Adoree' Jackson-Void TE Kylen Granson- Void OL Kendall Lamm- Void OL Matt Pryor- Void DT Joe Evans -- ERFA DT Jacob Sykes-ERFA Edge Rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo -- UFA TE EJ Jenkins -- ERFA OLB Ochaun Mathis-ERFA WR Terrace Marshall Jr. -- UFA The former LSU star pass catcher was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the second round (59th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft. He appeared in 13 games as a rookie and recorded 17 receptions for 138 receiving yards. Marshall finished his second season (2022) with 28 receptions for 490 receiving yards and one touchdown in 14 games.

Travis Kelce debuts dramatic haircut at Chiefs training camp: ‘We got the dog back'
Travis Kelce debuts dramatic haircut at Chiefs training camp: ‘We got the dog back'

New York Post

time26 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Travis Kelce debuts dramatic haircut at Chiefs training camp: ‘We got the dog back'

It was time for a change for Travis Kelce. The four-time First-Team All-Pro tight end is back to a buzzcut after sporting some 'luscious locks,' as the Chiefs showed in a photo posted from training camp on Sunday. Advertisement 4 kelce sported some long hair last season and this summer before going back to the buzz. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Kelce is entering his 13th season in the NFL and is coming off a pair of substandard seasons, but a buzzcut was his style when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2024, so perhaps he's got things all thought through. The 35-year-old has, of course, been an even more major name in any headline over the past two years with his relationship with Taylor Swift — which brought a wealth of 'Swifties' commenting their devastation on Instagram surrounding his dramatic haircut that he debuted at Kansas City's training camp session on Sunday. Advertisement 4 Travis Kelce with Taylor Swift. Travis Kelce/Instagram 'Oh no I loved 90's boy band Travis,' one user wrote, while another said, '[Rest in peace] the luscious locks.' The Chiefs-first, Swift-second fans seem to be excited at the prospect of Kelce getting back to his roots. 'That haircut last season was the one to blame,' a comment read. 'We got the dog back.' Advertisement Kelce is coming off perhaps his worst season of his career aside from his rookie campaign when he appeared in just one game. 4 Kelce rocked the buzz cut when the Chiefs last won the Super Bowl in 2024. Getty Images He posted just 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns, both career-lows outside of his inaugural season in the league. Kelce still racked up 97 receptions, but he averaged just 8.5 yards per catch — two yards lower than his next lowest season which came in the year prior and was also lower than any of his other seasons. Advertisement Before the past two seasons, Kelce was on an incredible run in which he made an All Pro team in seven straight seasons. While he's slowed down, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid likes what he sees ahead of 2025-26. 4 Kelce at Chiefs training camp Sunday. AP 'He's svelte right now. He looks like he's 20,' Reid said on Thursday. 'He's doing a good job, he's in great shape … You can see he's been working out … He's worked hard to get to this spot here.' While he spent a lot of time this offseason with his superstar-musician girlfriend, Kelce has clearly been putting in some work, too.

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