The Linc - Ben VanSumeren could see an expanded role in 2025

The Linc - Ben VanSumeren could see an expanded role in 2025
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Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 7/6/25.

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Eagles player review: FB Ben VanSumeren edition - PhillyVoice
Late in the 2024 season, Ben VanSumeren suffered a still-unknown knee injury. I asked him what it was at the Super Bowl media night, and he would only disclose that (a) it wasn’t an ACL tear, and (b) he’d be ready for the start of 2025 camp. He practiced during the spring, so he should indeed be a full go for training camp. VanSumeren will resume his role as a core special teamer, and I believe the Eagles will ramp up their usage of him as a fullback in 2025. I would bet he’ll get more than 100 snaps this season in that role, and it will be interesting to see if the Eagles try to get him involved as a receiver out of the backfield as well.

Eagles schedule preview: Washington Commanders - BGN
Credit the front office for realizing that despite their success, the roster needs help. But will the players they got actually help? Deebo Samuel is more of a concept than a reality, averaging 12.7 yards per touch in his first three seasons and 9.7 in his last three. Laremy Tunsil should be an upgrade from Brandon Coleman, but if a team that fired its offensive coordinator and offensive line coach and is willing to trade you their left tackle, that should be a big red flag. He’s already a walking yellow flag, Tunsil was the NFL’s most penalized player in 2024, in 2023 was the 5th most but only played 14 games, prorated he would have been the 2nd most, and in 2022 was the 5th most; he has committed 27 false starts in his last 52 games. The Javon Kinlaw signing was widely panned as the worst of the offseason. Though it occured midway last season, the trade for Marshon Lattimore isn’t looking good. He missed more games than he played for the Commanders, and got bullied by AJ Brown.

In Roob’s Eagles Observations: A way-too-soon look at A.J. Brown’s Hall of Fame chances - NCBSP
1. It’s very difficult for wide receivers to make the Hall of Fame these days because the game is so passing oriented now and so many guys are piling up huge numbers. There have been 31 receivers with 12,000 yards, and 26 of them have played since 2000. And while once upon a time a guy like Lynn Swann – who never had 900 yards in a season and averaged 606 yards in his short career but was a very good postseason player – became Hall of Famers, now all-timers like Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt, Anquon Boldin are on the outside looking in, tagged with the dreaded “stat compiler” label, which is ridiculous. They were all elite wide receivers and belong in Canton. Which brings us to A.J. Brown, who is piling up numbers like very few others have done. In his...