Eagles News: Vic Fangio strongly endorsed Philadelphia’s new offensive line coach

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 15: Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field on December 15, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …

Sources: Eagles’ Vic Fangio Endorsed New OL Coach Chris Kuper – SI
Relationships remain everything in the NFL, and Kuper’s prior connection to Fangio proved pivotal. Multiple league sources confirmed that Fangio — now in his third season as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator and one of the most respected defensive minds in football — strongly endorsed Kuper for the job. Hall of Famer Munchak added his own positive recommendation. That high-level backing gave Sirianni the confidence to pull the trigger on the hire. Kuper spent four seasons (2022-2025) as the Vikings’ offensive line coach before Minnesota moved in a different direction, bringing in former New York Jets offensive line coach Keith Carter. His tenure in Minnesota yielded mixed results under high expectations. Standout left tackle Christian Darrisaw developed into one of the league’s top young bookends early in his career, and 2025 first-round pick Donovan Jackson showed promise.

NFL Mock Draft 2026: Eagles 7-round simulation, Version 7.0 – BGN
Pick 1.23: Spencer Fano, Tackle, Utah. This would be a coup with the Eagles’ first pick. Spencer Fano could wait for a year before taking over at right tackle after Lane Johnson decides to hang it up.

Eagles player review: WR Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown edition – PhillyVoice
In the past the Eagles have taken fliers on sub-4.3 speed guys like Parris Campbell and John Ross. However, unlike those guys, Brown is a legitimate NFL wide receiver. In addition to his speed, he has good hands, he makes difficult sideline catches, and he can absorb hits while making catches in the middle of the field, and he has glimpses of “make you miss” ability after the catch. When the Eagles employed Quez Watkins as their WR3, opposing defenses were forced to respect his deep speed, which opened up the intermediate areas of the field… well, at least until defenses began to realize that Watkins wasn’t going to make plays down the field when the ball came his way. Brown can bring that element back to the Eagles’ offense, but actually make opposing defenses pay if they fall asleep or disregard him as a deep threat. After watching Brown’s targets, I’m a little more encouraged by how he can contribute in the Eagles’ offense, again, likely as a field stretching WR3 who can work outside or in the slot.

In Roob’s Observations: A look at Eagles’ WR additions and what it all means – NBCSP
UNDERSTANDING HOW BAD THAT 49ERS LOSS WAS: In NFL postseason history, home teams that led by six or more points going into the fourth quarter and were favored by at least six points were 141-1 before the Eagles blew a 16-10 lead to the 49ers in January. As six-point favorites. At the Linc. And those 49ers were so banged up to begin with and then lost George Kittle. I can’t over-state what a brutal loss that was. At home with a six-point 4th-quarter lead over a shambles of a 49ers team missing one of their best players? You just can’t lose that game. The greatest postseason collapse in Eagles history.

Cowboys fans make known their preferred 1st-round draft strategy – Blogging The Boys
It wasn’t a runaway victory, but the idea of trading down and picking up more picks was the clear winner in our poll with 47%. Staying put was a decent second with 34%. The one thing a large majority of fans don’t want to do is to trade up for a top defender.

Adam Peters’ Draft Tells (2026 Edition) – Who will be the Commanders’ top targets? – Hogs Haven
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State. Caleb Downs is arguably the best player regardless of position in the 2026 NFL draft. There are a few boxes he doesn’t check but there is a reason for that – he’s just that good! He only has three years of college football under his belt but in those three years he started a staggering 44 total games, made multiple All-Conference and All-American teams, was a team captain in 2025, showed on tape his rare athleticism (two collegiate punt returns for touchdowns and clocked close to 21mph in games), has met with the Commanders brass multiple times, and is as clean a prospect off the field as he is on it. If any player in this class should be given the “Commanders Tag” it would be Downs.

Survey results: Most NY Giants fans want to trade Dexter Lawrence – Big Blue View
New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence rocked the news cycle this week when it became public that he requested a trade. Lawrence, 28, is looking for a new contract after a slew of defensive tackle deals dropped him out of the top 10 highest paid players at his position, despite being one of the two or three best defensive tackles in the NFL. The Giants and Lawrence’s camp have been negotiating a new deal since last off-season, when Lawrence was still recovering from the dislocated elbow that ended his 2024 season. However, it seems the two sides are still far enough apart that Lawrence took the dramatic step of going public with his dissatisfaction. It’s believed that Lawrence’s trade request is a leverage play, trying to turn the Giants’ lack of depth on the interior defensive line against them to maximize Lawrence’s leverage coming off of a down year. But if Lawrence’s camp wanted to use public pressure against the Giants, the fact that he’s making his push for a new contract off of a down year and only half way through his current contract seems to have rubbed fans the wrong way.

Olaivavega Ioane might be a perfect OG prospect in NFL Draft – SB Nation
Between the lines, there is a lot to love about Ioane’s game, and several traits you can point to when making the case he will be the first interior offensive lineman taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, and perhaps stands out as the best offensive line prospect overall. Lance Zierlein at NFL.com called him a “[p]rototypical guard for physical run schemes with thick limbs, a broad frame and plus core strength.” Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn, one of the preeminent experts on offensive line play, wrote that “his patience, balance and power profile project to an early NFL starter who can control the pocket inside and become a tone-setter in a downhill or balanced run scheme.” At The Ringer, Todd McShay declared that Ioane “is the best offensive line prospect in this class, and he is arguably the best guard prospect since 2018 sixth pick Quenton Nelson. He’s a top 10 player overall, but positional value could cause him to fall into the teens.”

2026 NFL draft risers: Seven prospects climbing boards – ESPN
Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia. Scouts Inc. ranking: No. 14. How far he climbed boards: Freeling opened his first season as a full-time starter labeled as a potential Day 2 pick by many scouts simply because of his measurables (6-foot-7, 315 pounds). But he’s now a solid first-rounder after making 13 starts last season, holding up well against SEC pass rushers and presenting some high-quality work in the predraft windup.

Twenty-six true difference-makers in the 2026 NFL Draft; plus, 5 must-pick sleepers – NFL.com
Teams seeking playmaking tight ends will have plenty to choose from. Although there are not many traditional tight ends within the group, Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq, Ohio State’s Max Klare, Cincinnati’s Joe Royer and Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers could make their mark as “flex” tight ends utilized in various ways to create and exploit mismatches on the perimeter. Utah’s Dallen Bentley flashes intriguing potential as a “Y” tight end due to his size (6-4, 253 pounds), length and skills.

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