It’s simple when you think of it…just move the playing of the national anthem to HALFTIME! It satisfies the contractual obligation of the league to the U.S. Armed Forces for commercial consideration, and it eliminates the stage for any unwanted protests by the players,
Where is it written that the national anthem must be played prior to kickoff?
Heck, halftime was when the bands traditionally performed on the field anyway.
Happy to be of service to the NFL as always here…
Meanwhile, safety/nickel cornerback Corey Graham is more than welcome to return to the Eagles after testing the free agency waters.
“If it works out, we’d love to have him,” HC Doug Pederson said this week. “His veteran leadership brings a level of not only competition, but depth to the safety room, so if it works out, it would be great.”
According to Jeff Kerr of 24-7 Sports, and of course the EYE test, Graham was one of the most underrated players on the Eagles roster last season, filling in as a valuable No. 3 safety behind Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod. He was exactly what the Eagles needed after signing with them, having 32 tackles, four pass deflections, and two interceptions. He also made the fourth-down stop at the six-yard line to preserve the Eagles’ Week 15 win over the Giants.
The real issue may be that Graham will be 33 in 2018 and signing him at $1.8 million (his 2017 salary) may be too much for the Eagles. Philadelphia isn’t tight on cap space with the release of Mychal Kendricks as the Eagles save $6 million against the cap in designating Kendricks as a post-June 1 cut. That extra money isn’t on the books until June 2.
If the Eagles feel they need veteran experience back at No. 3 safety and don’t want to move Jalen Mills to that role, Graham will be the top contender to return. With the Eagles going for a Super Bowl repeat, Graham may be the best option.
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