Ask ITB: Will the Eagles Offense Change This Season?

Note: Post your question via the Apple Customer review section for our show when you rate and review and we’ll answer it here. You can also post your questions via our Facebook Group.

Question from InsideTheBirds.com: How much do you guys think the offense will change over the offseason? (Obviously much tougher with the current situation, but still). I know they want some creative run stuff teams like the niners use.

Adam Caplan: There could be a lot of changes (some subtle, some more noticeable).

Keep in mind they’ll have a new starting RB, way more speed at WR, and several new coaches and old ones with new roles. With new coaches come new ideas. That’s typically what happens and why they brought in Rich Scangarello (senior offensive asst), Andrew Breiner (pass game analyst), and Marty Mornhinweg (senior offensive consultant).

What you’ll likely see is the coaches devise plays and game plans built on taking advantage of the speed they have at RB and WR. Look for more creativity based on the new player additions and adjusted roles for other players.

As we first noted on our show before the end of last season, the 2020 offseason was going to be devoted to adding speed particularly on offense, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. There certainly will be a vertical element to their passing game this season.

How quickly the new WRs get acclimated to the playbook will go a long way to how explosive the offense will be early on. We’ll have more on this in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

From Customer Reviews on Apple (ken buddy):

I enjoyed the breakdown of the offense. But I disagree with your characterization that they need a veteran to be the third TE. (Zach) Ertz, who I love, is getting up there in age. (Dallas) Goedert, who is a stud, is now basically a vet. What they need is a young TE who brings something to the table to groom. You may wanna look into the UDFA from Oregon State (Noah Togiai)….don’t wanna mess up his name. That’s the kind of player I think they will look to.

As per the OL, (Matt) Pryor has played a game. Doesn’t mean a more talented player won’t or can’t bump him off. After all, rookies come in and sit 3 yr vets. (Luke) Jurica form W Michigan is a C. Will be an interesting camp if we have one.

Adam Caplan: What I was talking about on our initial 53-man roster (offense) show was that they do need a 3rd TE who can block, and I was referring to a veteran. But I get your point about having a developmental TE for the future who could eventually back up Goedert (once Ertz retires). That guy didn’t have to be drafted this season, however. It’s not an immediate need. They could use a veteran this season as the #3 TE who can block.

As for Pryor, he’s the only one who has started a game of their backup OLs (started in playoffs vs. Seahawks, also played a lot of snaps in Week 17 at NYG after G Brandon Brooks got hurt). But the opportunity is there for a few of the UDFAs from the past few seasons to push for a roster spot. I wonder if they’ll sign a veteran backup C/G to provide depth.

Question from InsideTheBirds.com:

Who would you say is the safest Eagles jersey purchase of a player who WAS NOT on the Super Bowl team?

Adam Caplan: I’m guessing you’re looking for a player who is on the roster now that won’t be cut or traded in the future.

I’d say the safest players would be: Carson Wentz or Miles Sanders.

Sanders is headed for a breakout season and should be their starting RB for the next 5-7 years. And Wentz will be their starting QB for many years to come.

There are a handful of players who will be on the roster for a few more years, but, Wentz and Sanders are the safest for future years to be on their roster.

Question from InsideTheBirds.com: I am re-watching the league for the first time in probably 6 years or so and did not remember Adam being in one of the episodes!

Man, I was laughing so hard, any chance you’d talk about that just a little? Hilarious!

Adam Caplan: So, I taped that show with my broadcast partner from SiriusXM Fantasy Football, John Hansen, in August of 2010.

Hansen, through his connection with Jeff Schaffer, got us invited to appear on The League and we played ourselves.

The show was created by Jeff and his wife, Jackie. Jeff, BTW, is a huge Seattle Seahawks fan.

Jeff, who was a longtime writer for Seinfeld, is currently a writer, director for Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Just like with CYE, there’s no script; the show is put on a story board, so the actors are told how to handle the scene and are given direction. The show is basically based on improvisational acting. I can see how hard that would be if you’re not playing yourself.

Since we were playing ourselves, it wasn’t very difficult to handle what Jeff was asking us to say. We were doing a mock radio show, so we weren’t asked to do something different than we would normally do, except act a certain way (I was told to act angry for part of the scenes we were in, which wasn’t a stretch for me). I recall telling Jeff, after he told me what he wanted me to say, that if Howard Stern could play himself in his movie, I can handle playing myself on his show. How hard could it be?

Of the 4-6 hour shoot, I only made one mistake (surprisingly). The show is set in Chicago, so I was not supposed to look at the person to the right or left (who theoretically was in another state). So, in one of the scenes I looked to my right of the actor who asked a question. And since I did that, we had to shoot the scene over, but other than that, everything went well.

In the episode that we were on “Ramona Neopolitano” (season 2, episode 11), it was shot at a middle school somewhere in the San Fernando Valley. We were picked up in the morning at our hotel and were in a van. We had no idea where we were going until sometime during that ride over. They shot two shows that day. Our show and a high school reunion show.

What was funny was that we were given our own “Star Wagon” and I rarely used it. I thought it was funny+cool that we were not actors, but were still given one. A star wagon is a small trailer where actors can change, relax etc. BTW, those were founded by former Carol Burnett Show cast member, Lyle Waggoner. It was a great day and the experience was amazing.

Although I would wind up working for ESPN (beginning in 2013), that type of TV was much different than shooting a situation comedy. There is actual acting when you play yourself compared to delivering information, news, and opinion on SportsCenter or NFL Insiders.

We get residual checks, which are now, after taxes, about $5-$8 every 3-4 months. However, the first one we got was nearly $2,000. I should have framed it, but the funny thing is they continue to spell my first name wrong (it says Alan Caplan on the checks). And my first check was sent to me with another actor’s by mistake. Since the checks still cash without issue, I never called to have it corrected.

A cool aside from that time was that I happened to be working for FoxSports.com at the time (The League, was on FX, a Fox cable channel). Their offices back then were in Century City and were in the “Nakatomi Plaza” (Fox Plaza) from the original Die Hard movie. Fox Studios were right in back of the building.

And, if I recall correctly, after shooting the show during the day, we went to a Dodgers game that night and got seats a few rows behind home plate. The Phillies, who played the Dodgers that night, happened to be staying in the same hotel as I was that week.