Philadelphia Eagles rival watch: A Cowboys suspension, A Manning extension

We discuss Randy Gregory’s extension and Eli Manning’s rumored extension in this edition of ‘Philadelphia Eagles Rival Watch’.

It appears the Philadelphia Eagles‘ rivals have been just as active as ‘The Birds’ have been this week. Two recent stories out of both the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants camps might interest any fan of the guys in green.

We start with the big one, a suspension in Dallas.

On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of both NFL.com and the NFL Network announced right around dinner time on the East Coast that someone the Eagles and their fans know very well, defensive end Randy Gregory, has been suspended indefinitely by the league for “violating the Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse and the terms of his conditional reinstatement.”

Here’s the report:

This is the fourth suspension for Gregory. He’ll enter rehab and therapy. A return to the field could occur, but when that will happen is completely up to league commissioner Roger Goodell.

This would clearly give the Eagles, who were swept by the Cowboys this past season, a competitive advantage since we’re discussing football, but that’s on the back-burner for a second. What’s important now is Gregory getting his life together.

From that, we move on to some more lighthearted news. Is there a possibility that the Giants might pass on a franchise quarterback in the draft again? You could argue that this year’s quarterback draft class doesn’t have the same pop that it did a season ago, but there are some interesting names.

The Giants are watching Eli Manning age, and he isn’t doing so gracefully. One more year remains on his current deal. They haven’t discussed an extension, but they don’t seem too interested in letting him go. That may be good news for an Eagles team that’s historically had his number.

Last season, loyalty and public perception played a role in them keeping Manning around when many were of the theory that they should move on and find a young signal caller.

As you know, in the 2018 NFL Draft’s first round, they went with a running back, albeit an excellent one, 2018’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Saquon Barkley.

There’s just one thing. They have one of the best wide receivers in the league, Odell Beckham Jr., and he’s in his prime. When you pair him with Barkley, you have to ask. Would the Giants pass on a quarterback again? It seems as though they might. That Manning train just keeps on huffing and puffing through ‘The Big Apple’

With two of the best skill players in the entire NFL, how long can this proud franchise waste time by trotting a quarterback on the field that can’t get the best out of both of them? That’s there issue though (or problem).

Two things can be stated though. Right now, the Eagles are still better than the Giants and will continue to be until they move on from Manning. They also may have caught up with a Cowboys team that edged them in two games a season ago.