Latest news with #JordanDavis
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Six Eagles Who Must Step Up for Another Super Bowl Run
For the second time in franchise history, the Philadelphia Eagles are entering training camp as the reigning Super Bowl champions. However, the 2025 team will look vastly different than last year's squad, particularly on defense. Here are six players who will need to step up this season if the Eagles want to make another Super Bowl run. DT Jordan Davis The loss of defensive tackle Milton Williams in free agency means the Eagles will be expecting more from Jordan Davis. The former first-round pick saw his playing time decrease in 2024, dropping from 45% to 37% of defensive snaps. Davis recorded just one sack and 27 total tackles last season, but he does draw double-teams consistently, opening up linebackers Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean to make plays. Still, he needs to improve his rush defense after ranking 79th out of 219 defensive tackles by Pro Football Focus. S Sydney Brown It's a make-or-break season for third-year safety Sydney Brown, particularly after the Eagles surprisingly traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans. Brown returned to the field in October after suffering a torn ACL in the final game of his rookie season in 2023. He played in 11 games, mostly on special teams, while appearing in just 12% of defensive snaps. Brown will have to battle for playing time alongside Reed Blankenship. The Eagles selected Texas safety Andrew Mukaba in the second round of the 2025 draft and also have Tristin McCollum in the fold. DE Moro Ojomo The Eagles are without two defensive end stalwarts for the 2025 season — Josh Sweat signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency and Brandon Graham retired. That opens the door for Moro Ojomo to slide into their spots after appearing in 37% of defensive snaps in 2024. The 2023 seventh-round pick hasn't recorded a regular season sack yet but he did take down Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. He posted a solid 82.4 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus last year, and if he can maintain that level in 2025, he can become a force on the defensive line. TE Dallas Goedert It was touch-and-go during the offseason whether tight end Dallas Goedert would return to the Eagles in 2025. But after the Birds didn't take a tight end in the draft, they re-worked Goedert's deal to keep him in Philadelphia. Goedert is one of the top players at his position, but injuries have consistently knocked him out for several games each year. He missed seven games in 2024 due to hamstring and knee injuries, but he was a key contributor during their Super Bowl championship run, recording 215 yards on 17 receptions, including a touchdown. The Eagles are hoping the 30-year-old Goedert can stay healthy as they look to repeat as champions. RB Will Shipley Second-year running back Will Shipley will see a bigger workload in 2025 to preserve Saquon Barkley following his historic 2,000-yard rushing season. Barkley had an NFL-leading 378 touches in 2024 and the Eagles can't afford to run him into the ground. Shipley was primarily used on special teams in 2024, but with Kenneth Gainwell signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the former Clemson running back is penciled in as Barkley's backup. Shipley started the final regular season game, rushing for 32 yards on 10 carries. Overall, he ran the ball 30 times for 82 yards. WR Jahan Dotson The Eagles expected more from former first-round pick Jahan Dotson after acquiring him from the Washington Commanders. He had the worst year of his career: 19 receptions for 216 yards and no touchdowns. Philadelphia was expecting a solid No. 3 receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but Dotson was unable to live up to expectations. The Eagles declined Dotson's fifth-year option on his rookie contract, meaning he will be a free agent after this upcoming season. If he's unable to make an impact again, not only will his time with the Eagles come to an end, but it will also cost him millions on the free-agent market. Related Headlines Did Kyle Schwarber's All-Star Game Heroics Drive Up His Price With Free Agency Looming? MLB Reporter Predicts Phillies 'Geared Up to Do Something Huge' At Trade Deadline Disgraced former NFLPA boss reportedly used union funds for jaunts at strip clubs Three Key Battles to Watch at New York Giants Training Camp
BreakingNews.ie
6 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Murderer who shot man in front of infant son did not receive fair trial, barristers argue
Barristers have argued that a murderer who shot dead a man in front of his four-month-old son did not receive a fair trial, as the trial judge effectively 'closed down the defence case' in his charge to the jury. Michael O'Higgins SC told the Court of Appeal that Mr Justice Tony Hunt was 'entirely argumentative' throughout his charge to the jury at the conclusion of the trial of Wayne Cooney (34), adding that the judge argued 'with great vigour' what the jury's position should be. Advertisement Drug dealer Cooney, with an address at Glenshane Drive in Tallaght, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jordan Davis (22) at a laneway beside Our Lady of Immaculate National School in Darndale in Dublin on May 22nd, 2019. He also pleaded not guilty to possessing a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and to possessing ammunition in circumstances that give rise to the reasonable inference that he did not have them for lawful purposes. A jury took just a little over three hours to find him guilty following a trial in July 2022. The prosecution case was that Mr Davis owed €70,000 to a local drug dealer, Robert 'Roo' Redmond, who was the brother of Cooney's then girlfriend, Rachel Redmond (34). When Mr Davis's mobile phone was examined by gardaí they found a message from Robert Redmond (36) warning Mr Davis: "I'm on your case mate, it won't be long," and later telling him: "Soon, very soon, bang bang." Advertisement Rachel Redmond, from Coolock but with an address at Clifdenville Road, Cliftonville Avenue, North Belfast, Antrim was convicted earlier this year on two charges that on or about May 22nd and May 23rd, 2019, she impeded Cooney's apprehension or prosecution by picking him up after the shooting and later checking him into a hotel. Robert Redmond of Streamville Road, Kilbarrack, Dublin 13 pleaded guilty in April 2024 to conspiring with Cooney to murder Mr Davis and received a seven-year prison sentence. During Cooney's trial, prosecution barrister Bernard Condon SC told the jury that the circumstantial evidence against Cooney was such that he was either the shooter or the "most unlucky person ever". A garda had identified Cooney from CCTV footage as the cyclist circling Mr Davis. Cooney's DNA was found on a glove in an area on Belcamp Lane where the shooter could be seen discarding gloves and a black body warmer minutes after the shooting. Cooney was also identified returning to the same area to retrieve the body warmer about one hour and 20 minutes after the shooting. Advertisement The prosecution also relied on mobile phone evidence that showed Cooney's phone was calling Robert Redmond at moments when the person identified on CCTV as the shooter could be seen holding a phone to his ear. In a lengthy charge to the jury, Mr Justice Hunt said that if they were satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Cooney was the cyclist who came up behind Jordan Davis and shot him, they must find him guilty of murder. Mr Justice Hunt told the jury that if the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Cooney murdered Mr Davis, they could find that he impeded the arrest or prosecution of the murderer by taking away the body warmer. He said that, by his own admission, Cooney was seen on CCTV at Belcamp Lane about one hour and 20 minutes after the murder. He said the shooter disposed of the body warmer during a 40-second period when he was off-camera and when Cooney retrieved the body warmer, he also went off camera for almost exactly 40 seconds. Advertisement He said that the jury should consider that if Cooney wasn't the person who left the body warmer, he must have acquired some knowledge that it had been put there. He added: "If he didn't do the shooting, he acquired the knowledge of where the item was in that hour and 20 minutes. That has to be considered by you." On this view, Mr Justice Hunt said, Mr Cooney wasn't the shooter but might have been "covering up". He further told the jury: "If he didn't do the shooting, he didn't get to the laneway by accident. There had to be some information that brought him there, he had to know something about what he was retrieving and where he was retrieving it from." In launching an appeal against Cooney's conviction on Thursday, Mr O'Higgins said that a judge is at liberty to pass comment on evidence, which is well within his ambit, but he should tread with caution. 'This is entirely argumentative through the whole charge. He's not just summarising evidence, it's strident, relentless, merciless and without any restraint,' said Mr O'Higgins, adding that Mr Justice Hunt had been 'completely arguing with great vigour what the position should be'. Advertisement 'The line beyond a comment has been very well crossed,' he said, going on to argue that the defence was 'squashed' and never got the airing to which it was entitled. Counsel said that in the judge's charge, Mr Justice Hunt had reminded the jury that the defence had raised the possibility of the potential involvement of others in this offence, but he had also said to the jury that whether others were involved or not was not relevant. 'The judge said: 'Who was the man on the bike? That's all you have to decide.' That was effectively closing down the defence case,' said Mr O'Higgins, adding that Mr Justice Hunt 'denigrated all the points' made by the defence. Counsel confirmed to the court he was arguing that the trial against Cooney was unfair. He said that Mr Justice Hunt had told the jury: 'I won't lie to you that I haven't formed my own opinion.' Mr O'Higgins asked how a judge was to charge a jury on the presumption of innocence when he had made a comment such as this. 'He said things pumping up the prosecution case. The judge highlighted in a very granular level all points that were in favour of the prosecution,' said Mr O'Higgins. 'The judge has an obligation to deal with a case fairly. They must not, when giving a summation, end up with an imbalance between the parties.' Further grounds of appeal submitted included the identification evidence given by a garda, which Mr O'Higgins said was too vague to be admissible; and attempts by the defence to adduce background evidence of other people who had a motive in the case, which were shut down by the trial judge, meaning 'an important part of the defence case was cut off'. In response, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Bernard Condon SC said that a lot of points were made by the defence during the trial which were 'weak points advanced with gusto'. He said the trial judge was correct to advise the jury 'not to be directed into rabbit warrens'. Ireland Rapist (37) jailed for taking advantage of 'sleepi... Read More 'Arguments were made to direct the jury into evidential wastelands,' said Mr Condon. He said there were probably ten people involved in this murder and maybe other people wanted to kill the deceased, but that did not change the fact that it was Cooney who actually killed him. 'Some judges are naturally people who speak a lot, so it can't be correct that because someone speaks a lot that they ought to be criticised,' said counsel, adding that the jury knew that the judge's commenting was not the last word. Mr Condon also said that Mr Justice Hunt gave the jury an excellent summation on the principles of the presumption of innocence and the burden of proof. Mr Justice John Edwards said the court would deliver its judgement on the appeal at a later date.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eagles' 12 most intriguing players in 2025: No. 10 is a rising star next to Jalen Carter
PHILADELPHIA − Moro Ojomo was pretty much an afterthought. He was taken in the seventh round of the 2023 draft, No. 249 overall, or 236 spots after the Eagles took fellow defensive tackle Jordan Davis in the first round of the 2022 draft. Advertisement And yet, there was Ojomo playing the same percentage of snaps last season as Davis, at 37%. They trailed only the indefatigable Jalen Carter, who topped 90% of the defensive snaps in 8 of the 19 games he played in last season, and Milton Williams, who played 48% of the snaps. Well, Williams is gone, signing a four-year free agent contract worth as much as $104 million with the New England Patriots. Carter, of course, will be relied on to carry a similar load as last season, something Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said he's not concerned about. "He's still a young pup," Fangio said with a laugh about the 23-year-old Carter. Advertisement So the increase in snaps will have to come from Davis and Ojomo, with a solid contribution from rookie fourth-round pick Ty Robinson. "Moro's been ready," Carter said about an increased workload. "He might not have the big plays, but if you watch the highlights, he was right there. There's a bunch of them. I saw a clip on X where they had three minutes of just Mo one-on-one rushing. "He's been like that. You just have to open your eyes." That's why Ojomo is No. 10 on our list of 12 most intriguing Eagles heading into the start of training camp on July 22. We're counting them down each weekday from No. 12 to No. 1. The series began July 7 and will culminate with the start of camp. Advertisement The Eagles have opened their eyes with regards to Ojomo. He's the latest in a growing list of late-round picks that the Eagles have hit on, going back to center Jason Kelce (sixth round, 2011), safety Jalen Mills (seventh round, 2016) and left tackle Jordan Mailata (2018). That's why the Eagles not only let Williams leave for his lucrative free agent deal, but they also didn't spend to sign a veteran defensive tackle. Nor did they trade for one. "You've got to replace Milt and his snaps, which I think will be done with guys we already had here, along with the addition of Robinson," Fangio said. And while Davis, listed as 6-foot-6, 336 pounds, has noticeably slimmed down from his previous three seasons, a big reason why the Eagles felt so comfortable about not having to address defensive tackle is Ojomo. Moro Ojomo #97 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after a defensive stop during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 1, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland. He's the one, after all, who's more of a pass rusher like Williams, rather than a true nose tackle in run-stopping situations like Davis. Advertisement It's been a rapid progression for Ojomo. He was buried on the depth chart as a rookie in 2023, behind Carter, Davis, Williams and legendary defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. Ojomo played just 6% of the snaps that season. Cox retired after that season, and Ojomo saw his playing time gradually increase as the 2024 season went along. Ojomo got his first career sack in the playoffs last January against the Rams. But the potential was already evident. According to Pro Football Focus, Ojomo finished second in pass rush win rate, at 18.7%, trailing only perennial Pro Bowler Chris Jones of the Chiefs at 18.9%. That will be critical for the Eagles because Carter will constantly be double-teamed, meaning that Ojomo will have to win one-on-ones. Advertisement Celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win with our new book "Just having the opportunity to play the run, play the pass, get more reps and grow in my second year was really cool," Ojomo said about last season. "I just want to keep furthering that development." Is he ready for an even bigger role in 2025? "Yeah, 100 percent," Ojomo said. "The goal is to always improve and keep climbing. Milt took that step (in 2024), and I want to take that step in my career as well." The Eagles are counting on it. Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@ Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Moro Ojomo: Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle is a rising star
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Vital statistics for July 4
Marriage applications Troyal Douglas Hatheway, 29, and Jordan Gabrielle Davis, 28, both of St. Joseph. Charles Brandon O'Neal, 41, and Brandy Nicole Ayala, 45, both of Wathena, Kansas. Zacarias Luis Lucas Escobar, 25, Omaha, Nebraska, and Juana Griselda Ramos Bautista, 18, St. Joseph. Jeff Andrew Veraguth, 59, and Erica Jaye Bradley, 49, both of St. Joseph. Bryan Dean Nold, 51, and Katie Marie De Vos, 40, both of Agency, Missouri. Christian William Griffin, 32, and Danyelle Marie Jackson, 22, both of St. Joseph. Howard Smith, 37, and Heather Ann Hoyt, 34, both of Rushville, Missouri. Edar Josue Orellana Gamero, 19, and Rut Daniela Carbonell Castillo, 18, both of St. Joseph. Adrian Alejandro Frias Pavon, 25, and Keilan Castillo Alvarez, 32, both of St. Joseph. Jonathan Ronald Voltmer, 57, and Rebecca Sue Bright, 57, both of St. Joseph. Edward Mark Wildner Jr., 28, and Cassidy Leigh Jones, 31, both of St. Joseph. Divorce suits filed Kateland M. Phillips and Devin W. Burchett. Sheila Y. Solon and Charles R. Solon. Angela R. Hill and Brian D. Hill.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Vital statistics for July 4
Marriage applications Troyal Douglas Hatheway, 29, and Jordan Gabrielle Davis, 28, both of St. Joseph. Charles Brandon O'Neal, 41, and Brandy Nicole Ayala, 45, both of Wathena, Kansas. Zacarias Luis Lucas Escobar, 25, Omaha, Nebraska, and Juana Griselda Ramos Bautista, 18, St. Joseph. Jeff Andrew Veraguth, 59, and Erica Jaye Bradley, 49, both of St. Joseph. Bryan Dean Nold, 51, and Katie Marie De Vos, 40, both of Agency, Missouri. Christian William Griffin, 32, and Danyelle Marie Jackson, 22, both of St. Joseph. Howard Smith, 37, and Heather Ann Hoyt, 34, both of Rushville, Missouri. Edar Josue Orellana Gamero, 19, and Rut Daniela Carbonell Castillo, 18, both of St. Joseph. Adrian Alejandro Frias Pavon, 25, and Keilan Castillo Alvarez, 32, both of St. Joseph. Jonathan Ronald Voltmer, 57, and Rebecca Sue Bright, 57, both of St. Joseph. Edward Mark Wildner Jr., 28, and Cassidy Leigh Jones, 31, both of St. Joseph. Divorce suits filed Kateland M. Phillips and Devin W. Burchett. Sheila Y. Solon and Charles R. Solon. Angela R. Hill and Brian D. Hill.
