Scoop City: A Show about the NFL (The Athletic)

Episode: How Jalen Hurts, Eagles can repeat as Super Bowl champions
Release Date: August 28, 2025
Host(s): James Palmer
Guests: Zach Berman (The Athletic, Eagles beat writer), Jake Seeley (Senior Fantasy Writer, The Athletic)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the Philadelphia Eagles’ outlook as defending Super Bowl champions and their chances of repeating in the 2025 NFL season. Host James Palmer welcomes Eagles insider Zach Berman for a deep dive on the team's roster construction, divisional rivals, and especially quarterback Jalen Hurts. Later, fantasy football expert Jake Seeley joins to share draft sleepers, avoid lists, and late-round steals, capped off by a solo segment from Palmer on the NFL’s evolving defensive chess pieces led by stars like Kyle Hamilton.

NFC East & Division Outlook

Starts at 02:29

Breaking Down the Division

• Can Philly go back-to-back in the NFC East?

  • Zach Berman (03:06):
    "I think they're the clear front runner. When you look at the talent, they return the top heavy talent that they have..."
    Berman cites Philadelphia's blue-chip roster as a deciding factor if they stay healthy, predicting the Eagles can finally break the NFC East's streak of no repeat winners since 2004.

• Evaluating Division Rivals

  • Dallas Cowboys: Berman notes that Dallas is better than given credit for, especially if Dak Prescott stays healthy.
  • Washington: Likely to regress; teams now have more tape and awareness of their schemes, and their roster is aging.
    • Quote (03:55): "You want to see how, how some of those players... is there regression? Are they on the wrong side of the age curve?"
  • Giants: Clearly the division’s weakest link.

• Micah Parsons as Opening Game X-Factor

  • Parsons is not a huge talking point in the Eagles' locker room yet, but they are preparing for his impact.
    • Zach (05:22): "They've had games in the past where they've literally left Parsons unblocked and kind of focused on everyone else… you know that Lane Johnson's going to have a tough match up here..."

Conference-Wide Threats

Starts at 06:01

• Detroit Lions: Berman considers Detroit, despite coordinator losses, the top NFC contender due to toughness and talent.
  • Zach Berman (06:36): "There's clear talent there. There's an identity on that team... that's the clear threat for the Eagles."
• San Francisco 49ers & LA Rams: Both remain worthy adversaries, but Detroit is viewed as the true test.

Spotlight: Jalen Hurts & Eagles Offense

Starts at 07:22

Jalen Hurts’ Profile

• Why is Hurts great?
  • Consistently in the “winner’s circle,” showing toughness and the unique ability to elevate his team, particularly on the biggest stages.
  • Berman (08:05):
    "If you look, going back to college...he's in a postseason, the amount of times he's in a championship game, it's not a coincidence."
  • Recalls Hurts prioritizing a picture with the Lombardi over the Super Bowl MVP trophy:
    Berman (08:44): "He says, 'Wait, can I take a photo with that?'... The Lombardi Trophy. He said, that's the one that matters. Right? And that's really the way he's wired."
• Perception of Hurts: His loaded supporting cast—top OL, AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Saquon Barkley—skews national credit away from him.
  • Berman (09:29): "I've seen the AB data, if you will. I've seen this offense without Jalen out there...it's not always the same."
  • Hurts doesn’t get enough credit for his blitz handling, deep ball, and plus-one run threat.
• Big Moments: Cited as being best in the biggest games—his two best career games are in the Super Bowls.
  • Palmer (11:28): Tells a story of Andy Reid declaring Hurts’ performance as “the greatest Super Bowl performance I’ve ever seen” at the 101 Awards.
• Offensive Outlook: Expect the Eagles to throw the ball more. Hurts’ strengths, Patullo’s playcalling pedigree, and heavy WR investments hint at a more vertical passing attack.

Balancing Stars & Managing Egos

Starts at 11:59

• How are so many star weapons satisfied?
  • Berman (12:48): “I think a key is that everyone’s been paid, right?”
    • With top receivers and Saquon Barkley locked up, there’s less contract drama.
  • The Eagles' “secret sauce”: Stars check egos because winning is prioritized and production balances out over a full season.
  • Palmer (14:09): “Does Philly have a deep roster? Can they sustain an injury to a star player or is this top heavy?”
    • Berman (14:35): “This is top heavy. This is not a particularly deep team...They have more players making $20 plus million, I believe, than anyone in the NFL.”

Eagles’ Roster Depth and Injury Risk

Starts at 14:09

• Star-Laden, Not Deep:
  • Starting lineup is arguably the best in the league, but the drop-off to backups is steep.
  • Berman (15:37): “If Lane Johnson goes down, if Jalen Carter goes down, if Saquon Barkley goes down, there’s such a delta...”
  • Historic challenge: Past bad Eagles seasons correlate with offensive line injuries, not general roster issues.
• Injury Updates:
  • Landon Dickerson & AJ Brown: Both returned to practice and are expected to play Week 1.
    • Berman (17:08): “Both players were practicing, so that’s a positive sign for the Eagles.”

Will the Eagles Repeat?

17:32

• Palmer: "Do they repeat as super bowl champs?"
  Berman: "No, no, it's. It's hard to do that."
• Both agree: Repeating is extraordinarily tough in the modern NFL.

Fantasy Football Deep Dive with Jake Seeley

Starts at 19:55

Fantasy Draft Room Intel & Tells

• Spotting Player Types:
  • Inexperienced: Using outdated magazines.
  • Sharp/Experienced: Paper printouts, handwritten notes.
  • Average: Rely on draft apps.

Jake Seeley’s 2025 Fantasy Sleepers & Advice

Key segment: 22:03 – 31:08

Top Sleepers

• RB Ollie Gordon: Now the clear handcuff/1B to a banged-up Dolphins backfield.
• WR Ricky Pearsall:
  • Secure role in a creative 49ers offense.
  • Palmer (23:11): “You’re talking to a big Ricky Pearsall fan. I host a show with Steve Smith Sr. who loves Ricky Pearsall... I think he was drafted where he was with a specific role in mind.”
• QB Justin Fields:
  • “If you run, it takes everything away from needing your arm...he’s going to be just fine in a QB1” – Seeley (24:55)
  • Has a familiar target in Garrett Wilson from their Ohio State days.
• QB Cam Ward (No. 1 overall pick, but under-discussed):
  • Seeley sees “Dak Prescott upside”—big yardage, sneaky ground stats, and built-in chemistry with Calvin Ridley.

Avoid/Overvalued Players

• WR Zay Flowers:
  • Seeley (26:13): “Can we stop wanting Ravens wide receivers in fantasy? Like, it just doesn’t happen...Zay Flowers is just not a wide receiver too. And everybody keeps paying the price.”
  • Baltimore’s offense too varied for WR2/3 consistency outside Mark Andrews or RBs.

Late-Round Steals

• RB Dylan Sampson (Browns):
  • Could have a “Tajie Spears”-like impact even after Judkins’ return.
• WR Cedric Tillman (Browns):
  • Massive target share down the stretch last year, and the Browns’ offense is underrated by drafters per Seeley.

Draft Strategy Tip

• Elite QBs: “First or last”—get a top 4-5 early, or wait and double up on upside.
  • In 10-team leagues, it’s easier to go early on QBs for a positional edge.

Closing: NFL Defensive Evolution & Value of Versatile Stars

Starts at 32:34

• James Palmer on Kyle Hamilton’s new contract:
  • Highest-paid safety reflects a trend—defenses crave versatile, “chess piece” DBs to match modern game-breaking tight ends and offensive innovations.
  • “The versatility of these guys in the secondary...are getting highly compensated. The price of nickel corners are going up.”
  • Rookies like Cooper DeJean (Eagles), Jahdae Barron (Broncos), and stars like Trent McDuffie (Chiefs) cited as the new mold.
  • Why? Evolution of “move” tight ends (Bowers, Laporta, Loveland) demands equally dynamic defenders.
  • Palmer highlights future stars (Caleb Downs, Brian Branch) and the continued arms race.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Zach Berman on Hurts’ Super Bowl mindset (08:44):
  "The photo ops finished. [Hurts] says, 'Wait, can I take a photo with that?' And it was the Lombardi Trophy. He said, that's the one that matters. Right? And that's really the way he's wired."

• James Palmer on Andy Reid’s praise for Hurts (11:28):
  "Andy Reid points at Jalen and goes, your performance is the greatest Super Bowl performance I've ever seen."

• Jake Seeley on Ravens WRs (Negative Fantasy Value) (26:13):
  "Can we stop wanting Ravens wide receivers in fantasy? Like, it just doesn’t happen....Zay Flowers is just not a wide receiver two. And everybody keeps paying the price."

• Zach Berman on roster top-heaviness (14:35):
  "You hit it on the head. This is top heavy. This is, this is not a particularly deep team."

Timestamps to Key Segments

• 02:29 – Zach Berman joins: Eagles’ division prospects
• 06:27 – NFC challengers: Who can stop Philly?
• 07:22 – Why Jalen Hurts is unique and misunderstood
• 11:28 – Andy Reid’s Super Bowl remark about Hurts
• 14:09 – Balancing stars, roster depth, and injury impact
• 17:08 – Injury updates (Dickerson, AJ Brown)
• 17:32 – Will Philly repeat? Berman’s honest answer
• 19:55 – Jake Seeley’s fantasy segment: tells, sleepers, avoids
• 32:34 – Palmer on the league’s chess pieces: building defenses to match weaponized tight ends

Tone & Style

• Light, conversational, and often humorous while delivering sharp football insight.
• Mix of inside reporting (Berman) and practical strategy (Seeley), capped by Palmer’s analytical solo segment.

Bottom Line

This episode provides a thorough state-of-the-Eagles address—from roster strengths/weaknesses and Hurts’ big-game bona fides to crucial fantasy football advice for drafts. Listeners leave with both a sense of how Philly stacks up and actionable strategies for fantasy season, plus a forward-thinking look at defensive evolution in the NFL.