in almost every category in 2018"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Eagles StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Eagles NewsYahoo Eagles Team PageYahoo Eagles ReportYahoo Eagles Depth ChartYahoo Eagles TransactionsYahoo Eagles PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁旴reaking NewsThe Eagles' 2019 draft class is finalized 脳Evan Engram: A New and Improved Zach Ertz?New http://www.eagleslockerroom.com/authentic-sidney-jones-jersey ,163commentsThe 2nd year TE edged out Philly’s star TE in almost every category in 2018EDTShareTweetShareShareEvan Engram: A New and Improved Zach Ertz?Eric Hartline-USA TODAY SportsWhile Zach Ertz has undeniably become one of the leagues premier pass-catchers, other aspects of his play have caused many a debate. His ability to block, especially in the running game, has been questioned since he entered the league and occasionally he’s even accused of taking a play off. While I generally think of these doubts in the same vein as “haters gonna hate” something recently caught my attention. Pro Football Focus graded Evan Engram (76.5) higher than they graded Zach Ertz (76.0) for the 2018 season. Now, as you may recall, I recently graded Ertz as the best tight end in the division, so naturally, I wanted to get to the bottom of this lunacy and find out what exactly it is that Engram does better than Ertz.Now I know what you’re thinking... “Why are we comparing someone who had just 45 receptions to our boy, Zach, who caught 116 passes for 1163 yards and 8 touchdowns?” Because cumulative stat lines are irrelevant and misleading, that’s why. Had Engram been thrown the ball 156 times like Ertz was, his stat line would have been something to the tune of 110 receptions for 1406 yards and 7 touchdowns, assuming he maintained his reception rate, his yards/target rate, and his touchdowns per target rate. Now that’s enough for proof of concept, but let’s quit playing what-if and take a look at what actually happened. One criticism of Ertz we’ve all heard is that he doesn’t get any yards after the catch (YAC), and here is the truth, folks; he ranked 38th out of 41 tight ends last year with just 3.2 YAC per reception. Evan Engram, on the other hand, ranked 2nd overall with 8.7 YAC per reception. Now it’s one thing to just look at these raw stats and make snap judgments about them, but its a completely different discussion when you can actually explain what happened and why. My first thought was that if Engram is collecting about three times the YAC per reception, he must be breaking significantly more tackles. In 2018, Engram broke 6 tackles and Ertz broke 2. Both of these pale in comparison to George Kittle who led all TEs with 17 broken tackles. Now to be fair, we should look at these as broken tackles per reception Womens Rasul Douglas Jersey , since the cumulative numbers will always be skewed due to the discrepancy of targets between the two tight ends. Here is how the two compare in terms of Avoided Tackles per Reception:Avoided Tackle Data per Pro Football FocusYikes. In 2018, Engram broke tackles over 7 times more frequently than Ertz did. Engram fell just above the league average, while Ertz was one of the worst tight ends in the game in this regard.While this discrepancy does not bode well for Ertz, breaking tackles is not the only dependent variable in the equation that makes up YAC up reception. When a receiver catches the ball, they will be a certain distance from the defender that ends up trying to tackle them, and this is a factor that must be accounted for. Thanks to the pretty awesome Next Gen Stats by the NFL, I found the following data: Double yikes. Engram and Ertz are both given 6.1 yards on average before the ball is snapped, but Engram finds a way to get a league-leading (among WRs & TEs, at least) 4.4 yards of separation, while Zach Ertz is more than a yard shy of Engram with 3.2 yards of separation. While this explains where at least 1 of the 5.5 YAC per Reception difference between the two comes from, it does so in a way that shows Engram earned it. What is even more startling is the YAC Above Expectation metric. Compared to expectation, Engram is able to earn almost 3 more yards per reception. Ertz, on the other hand, earns almost a yard less than what is expected. For what it’s worth, Engram is expected to get 6.1 YAC per reception while Ertz is only expected to get 4.2 YAC per reception. This means that Engram is generally in a better position to collect more yards, but again, it appears he is in a better position due to his ability to gain separation at a league-leading level.While the data seems to show that Engram was a better route runner and ball carrier, let’s take a look at how the two compare in a variety of other situations. In situations where the receiver is contested by 1 or more defender while trying to complete the catch, Ertz caught 12 of 32 passes for 81 yards and 2 TDs. QBs throwing his way in these situations threw for a passer rating of 40.6. Similarly, when Engram was targeted while contested, he caught 3 of 12 for 21 yards. QBs throwing to him while contested had a passer rating of 38.6.In situations where QBs threw a “catchable ball”, Ertz caught 116 of 128 for 1160 yards and 8 TDs when led to QBs having a passer rating of 125.3. For Engram, when thrown a catchable ball, he brought in 47 of 53 for 612 yards and 3 TDs when was good for a passer rating of 133.7.When facing press coverage Mack Hollins Jersey , Ertz caught 14 of 21 for 112 yards and a QB rating of 79.9. In the same situation, Engram caught 5 of 9 for 30 yards and a TD which led to a QB rating of 99.3.When facing NFC East opponents, Zach Ertz caught 45 balls for 424 yards and 4 touchdowns which gave his QBs a passer rating of 107.9. When facing the same opponents, Engram caught 21 passes for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns which was good for a QB rating of 133.0.Now, I don’t know that I’m ready to admit, or even accept, that Evan Engram is a better receiver than Zach Ertz, but these stats sure make you wonder, don’t they? While catching passes is the primary job of tight ends these days (at least ones in the make of Ertz and Engram), it’s not all they do. The other portion of a tight end’s offensive duties is blocking. While blocking is generally a pretty hard thing to quantify, our friends at PFF do their best to do exactly that. PFF gave Engram a 73.3 pass-blocking grade, which slightly edges out the72.3 they gave Ertz. Ertz allowed 3 quarterback pressures on 55 pass-blocking snaps (5.5%), while Engram allowed just 1 pressure on 19 snaps (5.3%). In terms of pass-blocking, it appears the two were neck and neck. In run-blocking scenarios, Engram earned a grade of 60.6 and Ertz earned a grade of just 50.4. While these grades are far from the final verdict, it is interesting to see the young New York tight end edge out Ertz in almost all categories. Huge thanks to Pro Football Focus, Pro-Football-Reference, and NFL Next Gen Stats for their data which was crucial to this article. Please note that all stats used in this article were from the 2018 regular season, so I do not want to hear you say how “Ertz faced playoff competition which knocked his numbers back” or anything like that. Who are you most excited to see?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesBleeding Green Nation homepageHorizontal - WhiteBleeding Green Nationa Philadelphia Eagles communityFollow Bleeding Green Nation online:Follow Bleeding Green Nation on TwitterFollow Bleeding Green Nation on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchBleeding Green Nation main menuFanpostsFanshotsEaglesOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Eagles StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Eagles NewsYahoo Eagles Team PageYahoo Eagles ReportYahoo Eagles Depth ChartYahoo Eagles TransactionsYahoo Eagles PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕15 players especially worth watching during the Eagles’ first preseason gameNew,54commentsWho are you most excited to see?EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:15 players especially worth watching during the Eagles’ first preseason gameTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Eagles will play a meaningless football game against the Tennesse Titans on Thursday evening. The final score won’t matter, no, but it’ll still be interesting to see how certain players perform. There are some roster spots and position battles to be won/lost this summer. Here are the most interesting Eagles players to watch in the Titans game. Keep in mind the starters will probably only play for a series or two (at most). For your convenience, I’ve listed jersey numbers next to the names.1 - Miles Sanders - #26Easily the most intriguing player to watch. The Eagles’ second-round pick has been generating buzz for having a good camp. He’s clearly looked like the team’s most talented rusher. Now it’s time to see how he handles real game action. We know Sanders is a dynamic runner but can he earn the coaching staff’s trust when it comes to receiving, pass protection http://www.eagleslockerroom.com/authentic-brian-westbrook-jersey , and ball security? Durability is also worth mentioning given that Sanders was banged up in the spring and had an injury scare in camp. Now’s the time for Sanders to prove himself. It’d be great for the Eagles if he looks like he’s ready to be a major contributor. 2 - Nate Sudfeld - #7Big summer for Studfeld as he steps up into the No. 2 quarterback role. Sudfeld’s been plagued by some inconsistency this offseason but he’s recently stacked some good practices heading into Thursday’s night game. Sudfeld can inspire confidence in his role as Carson Wentz’s backups if he can turn in a quality preseason performance. 3 - Sidney Jones- #22Jones has been having a great camp. The 23-year-old is looking like a breakout candidate as he enters his second full season in the league. We’ll be watching to see if Jones can continue to show up in live game action. If he continues to shine, the Eagles will be forced to make him a starting cornerback. Rasul Douglas and Avonte Maddox will also be competing hard to make their cases for starting roles. It’ll be interesting to see how much they all play given that they’re currently working with the first team but the eventual return of Ronald Darby and/or Jalen Mills could impact things. 4 - Josh Sweat - #94The hype train arrived early in camp but one can only glean so much about pass rushers when they’re not actually allowed to truly rush passers in practice settings. It’s time to see what Sweaty J can do now that he can really go after the quarterback. A strong summer from Sweat will do much to assuage concerns about the team’s defensive end depth. 5 - Andre Dillard - #77The Eagles’ heir apparent at left tackle has looked good in camp. Now he’ll get a good dosage of actual NFL action since a 37-year-old Jason Peters shouldn’t be playing much, if at all. The Eagles are hoping that Dillard won’t have to play in the 2019 regular season but Peters’ injury history could force the team’s rookie first-round pick onto the field sooner than expected.6 - Halapoulivaati Vaitai - #72We already know what to expect from Big V playing tackle but Thursday will mark his first NFL game lining up as a guard. Can the Eagles count on Vaitai to be solid or will he be a liability? It might not matter a ton because Brandon Brooks is expected to be ready to play pretty early in the season. Still, it’ll be worth gauging how Big V fares at guard.7 - JJ Arcega-Whiteside - #19JJ’s had a quieter camp after previously standing out in spring practices. A rookie receiver taking time to adjust to the NFL is certainly not unheard of. It’d still be for JJ to flash in the preseason, especially when it comes to the red zone. We need to see at least one of his signature jump ball catches this summer. 8 - Clayton Thorson - #8There’s no sugarcoating it: Thorson has looked pretty bad throughout the offseason. If you’re looking for a silver linining, well, it’s that the rookie quarterback had his best practice directly ahead of the team’s first preseason game. Maybe he can carry some of that positive momentum into Thursday night? I have my doubts. I’ll also be curious to see how much playing time he gets considering the Eagles have been splitting third team reps between Thorson and Cody Kessler.9 - Jordan Mailata - #68Mailata was fascinating to watch last summer because the 6-8, 346 pound behemoth had never played an American football game until August 2018. At the time, Mailata drew rave reviews despite his lack of experience. Now we’ll get to see what Mailata looks like after spending a full year in an NFL environment. Mailata has certainly struggled in camp but he’s also been playing at right tackle after only learning the left side last year. Does the 22-year-old Mailata show enough promise to justify a roster spot? Or does the team decide he’s not worth keeping around? There’s pressure on the Aussie to perform.10 - Matt Pryor - #69Pryor was getting some buzz in camp last year prior to struggling in the preseason games. The team’s 2018 sixth-round pick then didn’t play a single snap as a rookie. This offseason, Pryor has been taking reps at both tackle and guard. With Peters, Vaitai, and Wis likely not back with Philly in 2020, Pryor could be a valuable depth piece for the future. Kind of like the team’s next Allen Barbre. 11 - T.J. Edwards - #57The entire linebacker situation is worth watching with Nigel Bradham still recovering and Kamu Grugier-Hill expected to miss time with a torn MCL. Nathan Gerry, Zach Brown, and L.J. Fort all deserve mention here. I’m specifically interested to see Edwards, though, since he’s been quiet since flashing a little in OTAs. The Wisconsin alumnus could be a player who stands out in actual game action. Can Edwards make the team and maybe even have a role? Or will the veterans easily beat him out? 12 - Johnathan Cyprien - #41Cyppy Cuy will be playing in an Eagles preseason game less than one week after originally signing with team. The veteran has his work cut out for him but the 70-game starter should be able to make some plays against lesser competition. Maybe we can get a better idea of how the Eagles plan to use Cyprien. Or if he has a real chance to make the 53.13 - Hassan Ridgeway - #64The Eagles have Ridgeway ahead of playoff hero Treyvon Hester on their depth chart. Is that deserved? With Fletcher Cox recovering and the duo of Malik Jackson and Tim Jernigan not expected to play much, Ridgeway should get plenty of snaps to show what he’s got. The fourth defensive tackle is hardly one of the most important players on the team but under Jim Schwartz’s rotation philosophy he is a guy who will get playing time.14 - Carlton Agudosi - #14The 6-6, 220 pound Agudosi should be hard to miss whether you’re watching on TV or attending the game live. The Rutgers alumnus has made a number of flashy plays during offseason practices. Now’s his chance to prove he can do it in the games as well. It feels like Agudosi will be a preseason quarterback’s best friend because even if they’re not very good they can just chuck the ball up to him and hope he comes down with it. Agudosi is likely playing for a practice squad job.15 - Greg Ward - #6This is Ward’s third preseason with the Eagles. He didn’t do much in his last two with the team. We’ll see if this year is any different given that he’s made some plays in camp. He could potentially win a spot on the roster as a sixth receiver. ...HONORABLE MENTIONSCarson Wentz potentially playing for the first time since December has some significance. It’s just unclear if Doug Pederson will actually suit him up on Thursday. (If it was my call, Wentz would play no more than one series in each preseason game.)Corey Clement and Mack Hollins will be worth watching as they come off injury. Not sure if they’ll be suiting up on Thursday night, though. I’ll be a little interested to see who’s returning punts for the Eagles with Darren Sproles and DeSean Jackson (the team’s top two returners) likely not handling them. Boston Scott could be out as well. I think we’ll see DeAndre Thompkins break off a big return at some point this summer if he gets the chance.
