Go birds! What's going on everybody and good morning. Today is Saturday, April 11th and this is your daily Go Birds morning update giving you all the Eagles news you need to know as well as what to keep an eye out for today. And I hope you're all having a great start to your weekend. It's going to be nice weather this weekend. We got the Masters going on. Granted, I don't really watch golf, but it is fun to follow the Masters. So can I just say like all the hating on Jason Kelsey for being at the Masters. There's so many tweets like, you know, Jason Kelsey is good at this. Like I get what people are saying, you know, he is on a lot. But man, I feel like everything he does, he actually does do a really good job of it. So look, Jason Kelsey props to you for going out there, expanding your career. Don't let all the haters get to you. You're doing a good job. But regardless, great weekend ahead. It sure seems weather wise. Hopefully we can all enjoy one of the potentially hopefully quiet weekends before draft stuff continues to crank up more AJ trade rumors. We got a lot to get into today. But first I just want to give, you know, not myself a little plug here, but I want to give you guys some advice. Right. I did two pods over the last two days with Devon Jackson and Emery Hunt, both draft experts, both local guys actually. And I thought both did an unbelievable job breaking down the Eagles offensive line draft prospects. I feel comfortable talking about quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, you know, safeties, defensive guys. The offensive line is hard for me to break down. It's good to know your strengths and your weaknesses. So talking to Devon about the offensive tackles, talking to Emery Hunt about the guards, but then also some of the tackles. I feel like I learned so much from talking to them. So look, I appreciate you listening to all the pods, but if you could only listen to the two pods this weekend, I thought the pod with Devon about the offensive tackles and the pod that should be in your feed either already is or should be there soon about the offensive guard with Emery Hunt were both really good. Listen. So as we prepare for the draft, look, we all like to watch the fun positions, but the offensive line is critically important for the Eagles in this draft. Go check those pods out. And I want to talk to you guys about what they had to say. So let's get into it because we actually do have quite a bit to talk about in the Saturday pod. I try to keep these a little shorter, but a lot of good stuff came across the desk on Friday that I want to make sure you guys see here and talk about as you begin your weekend. So I wasn't planning on this being the top one, but it feels like it got a good amount of traction. And I think it's actually a little more interesting than people think. So Charles Ammanahue of the Kansas City Chiefs was on the Speak Easy with Emmanuel Acho, and they were talking about the Eagles team that beat them in the Super Bowl a year ago. Charles Ammanahue said something that really kind of caught the ire of Eagles Twitter, who's very easy to catch the ire of. They are a very easily worked up group. But he was talking about comparing essentially the Eagles 2024 team that beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl to the 49ers team that the Chiefs did beat in the Super Bowl in 2023. And needless to say, Eagles fans didn't really like his breakdown, but I thought it was interesting. So here is that clip. When y'all went into the Super Bowl vs. the Eagles the second time, did you know like our roster is severely outmatched? No, I thought we were going to dog them. I'm not even allowed to. But you saw they had Seyquan, they had AJ, they had Smitty, they had Goddard, they had Lane, they had a lot of... Man, okay. I thought we were going to dog them. I thought the hardest... I thought it was going to be like a slug fest and we were going to get it out the end, to be honest. So they only match about like, ah, you know, our line is a little banged up. But beyond that, I wasn't trippin' on none of those, to be honest. That AJ, they had Smitty, they don't think you heard me. They had Seyquan, they had Goddard. They played the 49ers the year before, who had Ayuk, who had D-Wall, who had Christian McCaffrey, who had friend Warner, who had George Kiddler. That 49ers Super Bowl team is better than that Eagles team. You got to see Charles. You say that and that gets clipped. Charles, they're going to be tweeting at you for the next two years. Yo, shout the morn. I know the Eagles fans. I know the Eagles fans. I know the Eagles fans. I know the Eagles fans. Charles has been a huge... The 49ers... The 49ers... The 49ers team that we beat in the Super Bowl was better than the Eagles team you lost to. Okay, come on. Debo, Ayuk, George, Joann, Brock, Christian, Juice. You also played for them too, the year before. So you know it, like you see it. Yeah, but I just... You got that. Yeah. Right. On defense, Bosa, Hargrave, Eric, Fred, Chase Young, Randy Gregory, Drake, Dymoh. We'll see Ward on that. Ward was on Ward. Ward. Ward. That team was crazy. That team was stacked. So y'all just got worse. I'm just trying to get... I just think that, you know, we was a little... You know, we was a little manned down, manned down. So on surface value, you go, well, that's insane. The 2024 Eagles absolutely annihilated the Chiefs, whereas the Chiefs were able to beat the 2023 Eagles. And I thought it was funny in there when Emmanuel Acho was like, so did you guys just get way worse? Like what happened there? And I know Acho is somebody fans get annoyed at, but I would think in that clip people would like him. He certainly stood up for the Eagles. So look, I think overall you have to say the 2024 team was probably better than the 23 49ers. I mean, the 2024 Eagles did win the Super Bowl. The Niners didn't. Not that that's the end all be all. Sometimes teams win championships and they're not the best team that season. They're just not, but they win the championship. So they deserve that title, right? Kind of like Jody Cameron beating Jack in the thing, right? I think Jack's a better athlete, but Joe deserves a title. He won the championship there. So I went back and I looked just to see if this is as comparable as a, a many who makes it sound like it is. So first the 2023 Niners, they were pretty good. Those 2023 Niners, you remember came in and just ended the Eagle season in Philadelphia and Barristan in that game. And statistically there's a strong argument that they might have been better than that Eagles team. So the 2023 Niners, and I know comparing stats year to year are not always the best way to do it, but you know, let's, let's look at it, right? The Niners were 12 and five. They were third in the NFL in points at just under 29 points a game. Third in the NFL points allowed at 17 and a half. So a top three offense and defense, they were first in net yards attempt passing. They were fourth in passing yards overall. They were third in rushing yards overall, which was surprising. Fourth in net yards attempt. So you look at points for points against rushing offense, passing offense. They were top five and arguably really top three in all four of those, all four of those categories. They won their playoff games. This is probably the major difference because you look, they had a lot of Pro Bowlers. They had nine Pro Bowlers. We know the 2024 Eagles had a ton of Pro Bowlers, but they won their three playoff games by combined nine points. They played the Packers, the Lions, and then actually they of course lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl in overtime. If I'm not mistaken, if I remember that game correctly. So, and I think I am. So they just didn't win their, they didn't win their play. They were not as dominant in the playoffs as the Eagles were, but it is a little surprising looking back at the 24 Eagles and you know, stats don't tell the whole story. I think we all remember that team as dominant. They deserve to be remembered as dominant. They probably will be and are probably the best Philadelphia sports team of all time when you take into account the dominant playoff run, the special season from Seguin, the fact that it's the Eagles and they run the city. Like there's a strong argument the Eagles are the best. And you know, we've talked about it last off season. Didn't do it as much in season when the 2025 Eagles were playing. But you know, Seguin said he thinks they could beat any team in NFL history and you look at some of the rankings of where the 24 Eagles were compared to other Super Bowl winners and they finished relatively high. So to be clear, the 24 Eagles were unbelievable, but it is funny looking back how statistically it really was kind of just, just Seguin and the defense was great too. But so 14 and three in the regular season, so they had more wins than the Niners. The 23 Niners did in the regular season, but seventh in points, 27.2 points per game. So the Niners were higher in points, averaged more points that year. The Eagles were second in points per game allowed. So you could make a strong argument their defense was better than that Niners 23 defense. The playoffs is really, I think, what separates them. They won their four playoff games by combined 68 points. I mean, they were, they were, they were dominant, right? We don't have to talk about that waste time on your Saturday. We remember how dominant they were, although maybe you want to hear about how dominant they were because it was certainly a great time in Eagles history. Second in rushing yards, which is funny when you consider they almost set the all time record and then did set the all time record, including the playoffs for rushing yards in a season. Seguin did at least, but they were fifth in net yards attempt. The Niners were fourth in net yards attempt of 2023. And the big difference, which always seems to be the sticking point for the Eagles, the passing yards. Niners were a way better passing offense than the 24 Eagles were. The Niners, the Eagles were 29th in passing yards and they were net 12th in net yards per attempt. Now we watch that team, right? And there is an argument, and I think there's a lot of truth to it, that you think of that Ravens game and how much clock they killed at the end of it. The fact they were such a great rushing offense and they could lean on it. Seguin could have set the single season rushing record, right? Like I think the 24 Eagles were a better rushing team than the 23 Niners. I think that's fair. I think the defenses, you can make the argument the Eagles were better. I think that's pretty close. Both made the Super Bowl, the Niners very well could have won that game, but the Eagles dominated the Super Bowl in a way very few teams do. Now I do think the Chiefs were better in 23 than they were in 24, but regardless, very close in a lot of ways. The passing offense, once again, is maybe the difference. Like I would take the 24 Eagles to beat the Niners, but man, I think it's close. Like and I see a lot of Eagles fans being like, this is disrespectful. You can't say this. Nacho kind of points to like, look at all the talent the Eagles had. Well, the Niners had talent too. So that 24 Eagles team, while Jalen made big plays on third down and they did have a great offense, it's kind of the same thing we talked about all last year. The same thing we're going to talk about all off season, the thing we're going to be focusing on next year. Can they pass the ball at a higher level than they have in the past? Because if you look at these two teams, both great. One has a Super Bowl championship. That matters more. I think the 24 Eagles deserve to be ahead. But one, both ran the ball at a high level and passed the ball at a high level. One ran the ball at a high level and didn't pass it at a high level. That's the Eagles. Now, 12th in net yards attempt, I think is a better indication of where they're at as opposed to 29th in total passing yards. But man, the Niners won a lot of games, right? The Niners, I think were the one seed that year. They only played three playoff games. Eagles played four and they were fourth in passing yards. They won a lot of games. They rushed the ball. A lot of the same things that people say impact the passing yards in 24 compared to 23. And they still were a great passing team. So I think the 2004, the 2024 Eagles deserve to be ranked ahead of the Niners. But if you take away the title, which I get is a big thing, like it is very close. And so for him to say that, that they thought they could beat the 24 Eagles and that they weren't as impressed, you know, I think it's a little more interesting to maybe Eagles fans gave it credit for. All right. The other thing that was viral, I guess on Friday and you know, I think is worth responding to is Bill Barnwell was on ESPN. They did a draft show as one does this time of year. Check out GoaBirds on the clock. And they were talking about the fictional trade or fiction on how I use that word, a hypothetical trade that we talked about earlier in the week about Max Crosby going to the Eagles for number 23, a third round pick in Nolan Smith. And Bill Barnwell was the one that came up with that. So Bill Barnwell was on the ESPN show and talking about why he thought that was a good trade and his reasoning as to why he thinks it's a good trade was pretty interesting. So here's what Bill Barnwell had to say about why he thinks that trade makes sense. Bill, what do you think about what you've been hearing here? Well, in addition to my primary job as a fake trade expert, my side job is doctor. And as a doctor of psychology for the Philadelphia Eagles, they need a culture change, bringing in Max Crosby to that building, to that room where everybody was mad and angry and upset last year. I feel like it's the logical place to go. It's a risk, no question, but it's the kind of risk how he rose been likes to take. I think by November, Max Crosby and Big Dom are going to be hosting a podcast together. Oh, culture change. Interesting. Right. Eagles fans didn't like that. A lot of reaction online that they didn't like that. And he says in there, everybody was mad and upset last year. So the Eagles culture, right? Hey, I don't think Max Crosby is changing the Eagles culture. If there's any issue with the Eagles culture, it's on the offensive side of the ball, not the defensive side of the ball. I don't think Max Crosby is coming in and making the passing game better, which is kind of the root of all the frustration on the offensive side of the ball. So I think Max Crosby can be a good culture guy. You hear those things about him in Las Vegas, how he's been with the Raiders. I think that's certainly possible. I don't think Max Crosby is changing the Eagles culture in any meaningful way. But I do think that's some interesting analysis from Bill Barnwell in the way that when you're so close to it, right? I think you look at, and we have more information being close to it. But, you know, I think Nick is a good culture coach. I think the Eagles play hard, you know, most weeks. Some games last week, they kind of mailed it in. The Giants game on Thursday night, like there were definitely some weeks where they were not great. But over the next serenity era, I think the culture has been a net positive. But I also think if you step back and think about how we would discuss an Eagle, a Cowboys team, which I think is always a good barometer to say how to feel about something. How would we talk about the Cowboys culture if what was happening with them was what was happening with the Eagles was happening with them? And under the Eagles, there's been a lot, you know, the reports last week about Jalen, about how the team's not happy with the quarterback, won't try certain things, you know, all the like the stuff with his teammates, AJ essentially demanding a trade out, 23 collapsing and Nick almost losing his job. Like, I do think they have a good culture. And I think in 24, you saw an elite level culture in terms of like sole focus on getting there and revenging 2022. But I think the point is it's a bad way to say it because Max Crosby is not going to change Eagles culture. Max Crosby, I don't think has ever even played in a playoff game from that mistake and certainly hasn't played in any deep playoff games. But the Eagles culture, like I think Nick is something like it is something to think about next year, right? Like with the leaks coming out about Jalen with Jalen and, you know, his leadership being questioned somewhat, if they bring AJ back, how will that work out? I don't think they will bring AJ back, but he's basically leaving because he's so frustrated, right? So do think they have a good culture, but it's just interesting to hear someone in Bill Barnwell that plays that pays super close attention to all 32 teams. But again, not as close as we pay attention to the Eagles, but just hear him say that. I thought that was an interesting sound bite. So another thing that I saw on Friday, which I found very surprising, was a list of teams that were trailing for the fewest amount of snaps in the 2025 season. So when we think back to the Eagles season, right, I don't think we think of it fondly. Like they did win a decent amount of games. They won the division. They got a home playoff game. They certainly weren't like nine and eight or whatever it is now with the number of games. But I don't think anyone thinks of the Eagles team as dominant. No one thinks of them as being a team that like every week we watched and they were like, oh, they're dominating again. Here they are. It's the third quarter. The game's over. Like that's just not who I think we remember them as. But this Twitter account, NFL researcher, listed the teams that were trailing for the fewest amount of snaps in 2025. And as you might expect, the Seahawks were number one, 284 snaps. The Patriots also played in the Super Bowl. Number two, 288 snaps. The Jaguars number three, who cares? It's a Jaguars. Number four, your Philadelphia Eagles, 315 snaps they were trailing last year, fourth fewest in the NFL. And while again, I think just, you know, big picture thinking about it, it's a surprising stat to hear. I also think like they were up a lot of games, like three points, six points, like, you know, a big early lead and then a team comes back. Like they weren't really trailing that much. Now the teams with the biggest amount of snaps trailing are all the bad teams, the Saints have the most than the Jets, Titans, then two NFC East teams with the commanders and the Cowboys, maybe paints a little bit how make of an accomplishment winning the division was, surprising the Giants actually, they blew a lot of leads in there. That has to be a little bit encouraging if you're a Giants fan. But the Eagles finishing fourth there, I think is noteworthy and interesting. So you know, next year, as they try to rebound from a disappointing season, they might not be as far away as people think. Maybe they just need to tweak a thing or two and not completely overhaul everything. And that's some of my concerns about the offense. Like everyone's so excited for all these big changes. What the Eagles does, what the Eagles do, how Nick and Jalen win, it works over a five year period, it's worked. And maybe big changes is not what they need. Maybe they just need certain things to go a little better so they can close out more games like the Niners game. Like they were very close to winning that Niners game. All right. On the other side, one major difference with this team is of course, AJ Brown and the likelihood that he has traded. So on the other side, Greg Baudard of one of the top New England Patriots reporters was on the WIP afternoon show. And I thought he had a few interesting quotes. So I'm going to talk to you about that. And of course, we'll do our daily AJ. So that'll be on the other side, but first a word from our sponsors. Okay. So the AJ Brown drama certainly took an interesting twist this week in a way. Don't think many people expected, but drama is still there with AJ Brown and the likelihood that he has traded still remains very high. And so on our end, from the Eagles end, I think it's pretty clear. Like the Eagles would trade him for the right price. I think the Eagles are very open to trading him. I think AJ wants out, right? Like we've discussed this time and time again. But it's interesting to get the perspective of somebody from the other side, someone from the Patriots side, right? Someone like, how bad do the Patriots want AJ? How bad do the fans want AJ? Do the Patriots worry at all about getting them or do they view this as kind of like a done deal and they're going to get AJ? So Greg Baudard, who has been a longtime Patriots reporter, covered them for a long time, does an excellent job. I view him as one of the authorities up there on the Patriots was on the WIP afternoon show with like Spike and Fritz and talked about AJ in a bunch of different ways, got a bunch of information. So the first thing is, you know, how much do they value AJ and like, are they going to pay a premium price to get them? And I don't think Eagles fans are going to like what he had to say. So here's Greg Baudard on that. When we are anticipating getting a player here in Philadelphia, we're sort of rabid and the idea of that not coming through would be crazy to us. Is it just from, I guess, from a fan sentiment standpoint, did they sort of feel like they figured that it is a done deal? And is the desire to get AJ as exciting to fans, I guess, as it would be to the team? I would say yes. I mean, I do think that they think it's a fate of complete at this point in time. Now, do I subscribe to that? No. Do I think it's more probable than not that AJ Brown is traded to the Patriots? Yes. But a lot of things can happen. And I definitely think this June 2 thing throws a monkey wrench into it because you never know what's going to happen between now and June 2 in terms of OTAs and workouts and things like that. Who's to say some number one rider receiver goes down someplace and now they're desperate for something. And I could tell you from, there's a few things that I know about this story or that I feel confident in. One is that the Patriots are the last I checked in with them. They feel most comfortable with a second round compensation for AJ Brown. Now could they come up from that? You know, possibly. Could it involve like a pick swap later on? Probably. But also, you know, we haven't been with this group for very long. But what we do know of them over the last year is they are pretty disciplined. They put their price on things, whether it's free agent contract offers, they've lost out on some rider receivers because they would only go so far. And as far as trade compensation, I think it's going to be tough to get them off where they are. And does somebody else jump in and get over the top? The Patriots could happen. This is the interesting dynamic, right? Like the Patriots could very well want AJ, but who are they competing with, right? And a second round pick for AJ will not go over well with Eagles fans at all. So hearing, and this is something that he has said before, this is something other people have kind of hinted at that the Patriots don't view AJ as a first round, like a valuation in terms of what they're willing to trade from. Now, clearly, AJ is a first round talent in a lot of ways, but the age, the injury history, the contract, like impact those things. So hearing him say a second round pick for AJ, I know when Jalen Waddle was traded, when DJ Moore was traded, everyone's like, well, there you go. The Eagles are going to get a lot for AJ. It doesn't really work like that. And hearing someone so close to Patriots say a second round pick is concerning. Now, one thing that could help the Eagles get more for AJ Brown is if another team jumps in, another team really wants him, right? And some teams that could potentially do that, you look to the AFC, you know, they want to move him to the AFC if possible. We know the Rams have been involved. So Greg Baudard kind of said, was talking about that. He named two teams that might jump in and how that could impact the market. You mentioned the team, the Patriots, very sort of disciplined. And then you also mentioned when Vrable was talking about texting AJ Brown, which, you know, doesn't seem allowed. I went through the... They like to bring us Greg. Are you surprised that the team hasn't, and I guess Vrable specifically, and even on AJ's side too, you know, going on the Edelman and Gronk podcast and the Wink and all that stuff. Are you surprised they haven't played this a little straighter than they have? Because it seems strange to me that he was as open as he was. Vrable was about AJ. Yeah. And I was one of the first ones around here to bring up like, whoa, man, you know, tampering. I mean, you want to sort of steer close to that. Of course, I mean, the Eagles and Howie are in the situation, if they do in fact move on from AJ, where, you know, they have to do it. So is Howie going to complain about tampering? Because he's, you know, really the best trade partner, probably, that they're going to have? No, but it definitely... I definitely raised an eyebrow when I heard Mike talking about AJ like that. I think it was the weak of the Super Bowl. But yeah, I mean, it's tough. I mean, you know, when I heard that, I was like, well, he must not think he has a chance at AJ because why would he even come close to tampering in public? But you know, maybe it's just everybody realizes the deal. That AJ is going to be out in Philly. It's going to happen. And the Patriots are sort of the last team standing. But I do worry if I'm the Patriots, I worry about a team like the Ravens, all of a sudden jumping in, I think he could really help put them over the top. The Chargers, you wonder what the... If they're going to do anything, he would seem to fit there as well. And then of course, like I said, teams that sustain injuries during these offseason workouts, you never know who might get desperate and jump in. So I think the Ravens and the Chargers are two teams that make sense. Now they could also address it in the draft and to just play this clip for you right here to keep it going. I agree with his assessment on this. The draft is going to be a big, big few days for the AJ Brown and Eagles, Eagles future together and if he ends up on the Patriots, here's what Baddard had to say about that. Anything can happen prior to June 2nd. I totally agree with you. One of the things could be, do the Patriots somehow going to this draft, sort of looking for an insurance policy and taking a young player early in the draft at that position. How likely do you think that is to happen? And if it doesn't happen, does that mean they're still pretty high on AJ and getting him after the draft? Yeah, I would agree with that. I would think that what the Patriots do in the draft is going to be a big tell on whether they think they're going to get AJ. Now, I know there are people in the building who are just fine with what they have. They think that Romeo Dobbs is going to be an upgrade over Stefan Diggs in the slot. He's a bigger guy. They think there's a lot more upside to him. He's a much more willing blocker than Stefan Diggs was and that can sort of help this offense. But I don't think from where the Patriots are right now, I mean, I don't think wide receivers high on their list. Again, there are people internally and I don't know if it's a majority, if it's a minority or what. They're just fine with where they are and seeing what they get in the draft in terms of receiver and they're probably going to need a tight end as well. And so, how does that factor into it? I think in terms of their draft needs, I would put edge and offensive tackle as one-two, but they're going to go with the best available player approach. So if somebody slips or whatnot, they could grab them and I think if they spend a lot of draft capital, especially a first round pick on a wide receiver, does that take them out of AJ? Yeah, I think we'll know. We'll know, right? Because if the Eagles draft a receiver in the first round, you've seen them attached to Jordan Tyson. There's a lot of now rumors that the Eagles will try to trade up for him, for me. To me, that seems like agent talk. I mean, Jordan Tyson is having a pro day a week before the draft. He wouldn't do that if he felt good about where he was at. And the Eagles are a natural team to tie to a receiver because you know they're going to try to trade AJ and AJ's going to try to get out and the Eagles just cause a lot of buzz. It makes sense to attach them to Jordan Tyson. And look, they could take Jordan Tyson, but he's got it pretty big injury history. And so I'd be a little surprised if they're willing to take a first round pick on someone with leg history, with history of having injuries with his legs, ACL, PCL and MCL. But the draft will be big because if the Patriots take a receiver, like that's kind of it too. Like what if they take a receiver at 31? What if you just never know? Like let's just go with the crazy scenario. Like Denzel Boston goes ahead of them for some reason. Jordan Tyson does. Mackay Lemon people value him in the league more than we think. And now I don't think he passed 23, but regardless, like you just never know if the Patriots end up taking a receiver at 31, frankly, even at in the second round, right? Like they have Romeo Dobbs. They have the receivers from last year, which they clearly went upgrade on, but they did make the Super Bowl with them. You had a second round pick that you want to be out on the field. It could change. That is the tough dynamic. While as much as people assume like, oh, this is going to happen. And I think it probably will. If the Eagles don't get the receiver they want, maybe they change their mind. Go, whoa, like we need to keep AJ is with all the problems we have here. We might need to keep them or if the Patriots get a receiver, maybe they go, hey, you know what? We could save our pick from 2027. We could take a young, cheap receiver here and not have to worry about all this AJ stuff. Now, there is the fan aspect of it, of, you know, the fans are probably really excited for AJ Brown and you're depending on a rookie on a Super Bowl team that should be expected to compete for the Super Bowl. But I think the draft is going to be a huge tell for the Eagles and AJ Brown. And when we do that first pod on Monday after the draft, we'll have a much better idea of what the history of what the future holds for AJ, Eagles and the Patriots. All right, that'll do it for today's Daily Podcast. As always, thank you so much for listening, especially on a weekend. Really warms my heart when you guys listen on a weekend. So that'll do it for today's Daily Pod. Go enjoy your day. Until next time, he's Elliott. I'm James. Talk to you guys later.
