The Linc - NFL insiders are underrating A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith

NFC Championship Game: Washington Commanders v Philadelphia Eagles — Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 7/16/25.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Execs, coaches, scouts rank the NFL’s top 10 WRs for 2025 – ESPN+
5. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles. Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: unranked. Age: 28 | Last year’s ranking: 6. It’s odd to see a top-five receiver here tied for 43rd in leaguewide targets last season (97). But those numbers for Brown were more a product of the run-heavy Eagles offense and didn’t affect his high-end ability. Philly was 16-1 while averaging 31.5 points per game with Brown in the lineup last season. Without Brown, the team went 2-2 while averaging 18.0 points per game. Those numbers include Philadelphia’s playoff run. “He’s still awesome,” a veteran AFC scout said. “He comes up big when you need him, he’s still incredibly strong and fast enough. A nightmare to tackle. Maybe a tad slower than he was, but that’s slight.” Brown averaged 3.3 yards per route in 2024, second highest among wideouts with a minimum of 75 targets. He’s been so good that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has paid him top-end receiver money on two occasions in three years. “Dealing with his physicality and strength is a problem [for cornerbacks],” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “At the end of the day, sometimes, it’s really that simple.” […] Also receiving votes: DeVonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles). [BLG Note: There aren’t four wide receivers better than A.J. Brown. And DeVonta not making the top 16 is silly.]

This could be the year for Jeremiah Trotter Jr. to shine – BGN
“I’m going into the season with the attitude that anything the team needs me to do, I’m ready to do it,” Trotter Jr. told Bleeding Green Nation. “I feel good. I’m walking around at 225, 230 pounds, but I feel a lot stronger and at the same weight that I was last year. I watched film every day this offseason, going over game film, learning the defense even more. Having a year in the system definitely helped. I know what Vic likes, the way Vic wants his defense to look like. I can just play this year. Considering the situation that we’re in right now, with injuries and younger players, I could be the guy who calls the defense. In all due respect to Nakobe, and the way the NFL is run, if a guy goes down, someone needs to step up and perform. If I’m that guy, I have to be the best I can be to fill that role. I want more responsibility this year and I’m ready for it. I have a year in the system and know how it looks. I know what I am doing and know where I need to be.” Trotter Jr. feels a greater comfort zone within the defense.

Eagles roster 2025: Locks, not-quite-locks, bubble players, and long shots – PhillyVoice
20 bubble players. Running back: A.J. Dillon. Wide receiver: Ainias Smith, Avery Williams, Terrace Marshall, Danny Gray. Tight end: Harrison Bryant, Kylen Granson, E.J. Jenkins, Nick Muse.

5 candidates to become Eagles training camp darling of 2025 – NBCSP
WR Danny Gray: The Eagles signed Gray (6-0, 200) to their practice squad last September but this will be his first training camp in Philly. He was initially drafted in the third round (105 overall) out of SMU by the 49ers in the 2022 draft, but hasn’t found success in the NFL. As a rookie, he played in 13 games and had just 1 catch for 10 yards. In his second season, he suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on IR. He was released at final cuts last August. Gray, 26, began his college career at Blinn College before finishing up at SMU for two seasons. He was teammates with Grant Calcaterra in 2021. In his two years at SMU, Gray caught 82 passes for 1,251 yards (15.3) with 13 touchdowns. And then he went to the Combine and ran a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash. Gray was a valued member of the practice squad during the Super Bowl season and made some plays in a few spring practices. Going into training camp, there’s a chance Gray can impress enough to earn a roster spot.

Saquon Barkley, the Eagles, and host Shane Gillis highlight what could be a very Philly ESPYs – Inquirer
Philly fans could be in for quite the treat when ESPN’s annual awards show airs live Wednesday night. Pennsylvania native Shane Gillis will host the 2025 ESPYs, which will celebrate the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory among the year’s most memorable moments in sports. So, be prepared for a few Philly sports jokes, appearances from Philly athletes, and a number of Philly sports nominees.

Top draft pick Jihaad Campbell gives update on Eagles return, has simple goal as he prepares for rookie season – CBS Sports
“The biggest goal is to get back, get back healthy,” Campbell said. “Making sure I’m strong and have a good mentality going into camp.” When Campbell does return, the Eagles certainly have a plan for him in Fangio’s defense, as they strictly have him as an inside linebacker for now. Of course, Campbell would like to be 100% healthy and preparing to play a significant role in the Eagles defense immediately, but the goal isn’t to contribute in just 2025. “I wouldn’t necessarily say frustration,” Campbell said about his rehab. “Every athlete can vouch for this, but we always feel like, ‘Dang I wanna get back out there.’ God has a story for everybody, especially for my journey. I got hurt.

Every NFC team’s best offseason decision – PFF
Philadelphia Eagles: Re-signing Zack Baun. Zack Baun rightfully won PFF’s Breakout Player of the Year Award after finishing the 2024 season as the NFL’s highest-graded linebacker. His presence was a huge reason the Eagles boasted the league’s best defense last season. Re-signing Baun was the right thing for the team to do. He returns to lead the league’s best linebacker unit alongside fellow 2024 breakout star Nakobe Dean and first-round pick Jihaad Campbell. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is known for coaching excellent linebackers, and he’ll continue to do so in 2025.

Spadaro: Jalen Hurts is ready to climb the mountain again – PE.com
Fresh off his Most Valuable Player performance in Super Bowl LIX, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts allowed himself some downtime to relax, reflect, and bask in the glow of a World Championship. After about a week, he was right back at it. If you think the ultimate success of last season has changed how Hurts approaches the next challenge, you haven’t been paying attention to his message these last five seasons. Hurts loves the grind. Hurts seeks the competition. Hurts needs the burn. It’s just how he is made. “I’ve approached this offseason like every other offseason,” Hurts said, eyeing his sixth season since the Eagles selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. “I’ve taken it a day at a time, coming in and learning as much as I can, trying to develop that chemistry with the playcaller (new Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo), and as offensive leadership changes, you have to deposit time into it.”

Terry McLaurin: I want to be here, I want to be appreciated and valued – Hogs Haven
Terry McLaurin is still holding out, and he says he hasn’t talked to the Washington Commanders in a month. He is looking for a new contract that shows he is appreciated as a top wide receiver on the team and league wide. He is going into the final year of his deal and is likely looking for a deal that adds another 3+ years, and is worth at least $30m/year. [BLG Note: Bad vibes in Landover, Maryland.]

Regardless of what happens, the Cowboys were right to trade for George Pickens – Blogging The Boys
When the Dallas Cowboys traded for George Pickens, it was the splashiest outside player acquisition they’ve made since 2018 when they gave up a first-round draft pick for another wide receiver, Amari Cooper. Such a move has been highly praised for the most part. Pickens has put up over 800 yards in each of his first three seasons in the league, including eclipsing 1,100 yards the year before last. He’s a good football player. While the majority feel the Cowboys made a good trade, there is a chance this doesn’t work out. There’s no secret that things soured in Pittsburgh, which led to them shipping him off. His overall attitude, effort, and occasional on-field antics created enough of a concern for head coach Mike Tomlin that he was deemed expendable. And to Tomlin’s credit, he’s pretty good about jumping ship before it hits the iceberg, as there is a good list of former Steelers’ receivers who were productive while they were there, only to sink to the bottom when venturing off to their new team.

Cowboys’ Micah Parsons on extension: ‘I’m going to get mine no matter what’ – NFL.com
“I’m just going to get mine no matter what,” Parsons said. “You know what I mean? Like, the markets change every year. Their salary cap went up, like, another 18% this year. So, if you want to know contracts, all the contracts are based off of percentage. Like, each player, a high-paid player, takes a percentage of the salary cap. So, it’s not really the number. It goes off by the salary cap.”

Training camp preview: New York Giants biggest question at quarterback – Big Blue View
When will Jaxson Dart start? That, simply, is the New York Giants’ biggest question at quarterback entering the 2025 season. Sure, there are other questions. Does 37-year-old Russell Wilson, coming off failed stints with the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, have enough in the tank to help the Giants win a decent number of games? Where does Jameis Winston fit? What will happen to Tommy DeVito? The question that matters, though, is when will the Dart era begin? The Giants have said again and again, though some still don’t want to believe them, that Wilson will be their Week 1 starter. Unless injury strikes, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to doubt that. The idea of allowing Dart to begin his career by developing behind the scenes while watching Wilson and Winston is a solid one. Dart was not a top three pick in the draft. He was 25th. He is 22 years old, youngest quarterback in the 2025 draft class.

NFL X factors for every team in the AFC in 2025 – SB Nation
Los Angeles Chargers X factor for the 2025 season: G Mekhi Becton: The Chargers went all-out to improve their running game this offseason, bringing in two new running backs and shifting some pieces along their offensive line. Enter Becton, who was graded 24th among guards in run block win rate in 2024.