***
HIS BACK IS BACK
Shawn Andrews is not off to a good start. He tweaked his lower back while running gassers yesterday and then got put on the PUP list. This could be a one day injury. Or it could last a week or month. I'm hoping that this is just a speed bump and Shawn is back on the field in a day or two.
One of the reasons I wanted to keep Shawn at RG and put Stacy at RT is that I just don't trust Shawn at this point. I need to see him play a year and stay healthy before I'll feel completely comfortable with him. You really have to admire the fact that Jon Runyan never missed a start as an Eagle. That was one tough dude.
OL SHUFFLE
With the Big Kid sitting out there was some change on the OL yesterday. Winston Justice manned the RT spot. Jason Peters had a quad problem and missed practice. That put Todd at LT. Nick Cole and Stacy were the OGs.
I like the fact we have a deep, versatile group, but I want to see the starters out there. We need the depth to pay off in November, not late July. It sounds like Peters will be back very shortly, so I'm not too worried about him. Still, the OL needs continuity. We need the 5 starters to practice together so that they are ready for the preseason and then the season.
Don't make too much of Justice getting on the field. He knows the playbook and that makes the practice sessions run smoother. He is still an extreme longhsot to make the team.
MISC
* Macho Harris missed yesterday with a high ankle sprain. I hated to hear that. High sprains are the ones that linger. Macho was off to a terrific start. I hope he's able to get back on the field soon. I really like this kid.
* LeSean McCoy got some reps with the starters yesterday. Good news. We need him this year. We also need the coaches to give him a chance. Both sides are doing their part so far.
_
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
About Coach Johnson
***
Here is my newest PE.com column. I wrote about JJ.
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=18080
I'm going to write another piece, either for PE.com or here reflecting on individual games and matchups. There was too much material to combine the two ideas.
_
Here is my newest PE.com column. I wrote about JJ.
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=18080
I'm going to write another piece, either for PE.com or here reflecting on individual games and matchups. There was too much material to combine the two ideas.
_
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wednesday Thoughts
***
LEHIGH NEWS
The vets reported on Wednesday afternoon so there was only a half day of practice for the rookies/select vets. There isn't a whole lot to report. WR Brandon Gibson missed practice with some injury, but Marty Mornhinweg wouldn't elaborate. Doesn't sound too serious by his veiled comments.
PE.com has several players reactions to Jim Johnson's death. Sheldon Brown also commented on his own status. Sheldon said all the right things. The comments from the players are here:
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/bloghead/
THE OUTSIDERS
Hollis Thomas apparently likes the cooking better in St. Louis than in Philly as he signed with the Rams. Actually, he has a shot to make their roster so I can't really blame the guy.
Raiders LDE Derrick Burgess didn't report to camp out in Oakland (or wherever they train). No one is sure if the Raiders are going to cut or trade him...or just keep him around. Derrick isn't thrilled with the uncertainty of the situation and I can't say I blame him.
MACLIN / WR NEWS
PFT had a report today that the Eagles and Jeremy Maclin aren't close on a contract. That runs against what I'd heard last week, but it may be that there are a couple of final hurdles and neither side is willing to budge. This certainly isn't good news. Jeremy needs to get his butt to TC soon so he can stay on schedule.
Here's the link to PFT's report:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/07/29/eagles-maclin-still-far-apart/
Everyday that Maclin misses probably makes us that much more reluctant to let Reggie Brown go. And that is a shame in some ways. The Ravens are still looking for a WR. Drew Bennett signed with them and retired 2 days later. They are sniffing around Brandon Marshall, but he'll likely have a hefty price tag. Reggie would be perfect for them. No way we shop him, though, if we have any uncertainty with the backup WRs.
I'm still not sure the team is willing to deal Reggie at all. DeSean is just a 2nd year guy. Maclin is a rookie. Avant is a pure slot guy. Kevin has had groin issues for about a year. Reggie has his issues, but he can be an effective starting WR. It just might be worth it to keep that guy around.
_
LEHIGH NEWS
The vets reported on Wednesday afternoon so there was only a half day of practice for the rookies/select vets. There isn't a whole lot to report. WR Brandon Gibson missed practice with some injury, but Marty Mornhinweg wouldn't elaborate. Doesn't sound too serious by his veiled comments.
PE.com has several players reactions to Jim Johnson's death. Sheldon Brown also commented on his own status. Sheldon said all the right things. The comments from the players are here:
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/bloghead/
THE OUTSIDERS
Hollis Thomas apparently likes the cooking better in St. Louis than in Philly as he signed with the Rams. Actually, he has a shot to make their roster so I can't really blame the guy.
Raiders LDE Derrick Burgess didn't report to camp out in Oakland (or wherever they train). No one is sure if the Raiders are going to cut or trade him...or just keep him around. Derrick isn't thrilled with the uncertainty of the situation and I can't say I blame him.
MACLIN / WR NEWS
PFT had a report today that the Eagles and Jeremy Maclin aren't close on a contract. That runs against what I'd heard last week, but it may be that there are a couple of final hurdles and neither side is willing to budge. This certainly isn't good news. Jeremy needs to get his butt to TC soon so he can stay on schedule.
Here's the link to PFT's report:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/07/29/eagles-maclin-still-far-apart/
Everyday that Maclin misses probably makes us that much more reluctant to let Reggie Brown go. And that is a shame in some ways. The Ravens are still looking for a WR. Drew Bennett signed with them and retired 2 days later. They are sniffing around Brandon Marshall, but he'll likely have a hefty price tag. Reggie would be perfect for them. No way we shop him, though, if we have any uncertainty with the backup WRs.
I'm still not sure the team is willing to deal Reggie at all. DeSean is just a 2nd year guy. Maclin is a rookie. Avant is a pure slot guy. Kevin has had groin issues for about a year. Reggie has his issues, but he can be an effective starting WR. It just might be worth it to keep that guy around.
_
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sad News - JJ Passes
***
Jim Johnson died today. He battled cancer for the last several months, but got worse as the days moved along. Jim was a strong, forceful man and great football coach, but we're all fair game when it comes to cancer. No one is immune to that dreaded disease.
I'm going to write a long article on Jim and what he meant to the Eagles and us in his decade as our Defensive Coordinator. The last ten years wouldn't have been the same without him. I'm grateful that I was able to see his defenses play. I learned a lot from Jim. I didn't always agree with his way of doing things, but I sure as heck respected the man and his ideas.
I am glad that Jim was able to go out following a season where the defense played so well. The unit peaked in 2004 and then got torn apart and rebuilt. I'm sure 2005 and 2006 were tough years for Jim. It can't be easy to watch your side of the ball struggle. Things got better in '07, but last year is when the new guys finally started to pay real dividends. I'm sure Jim loved last season's group. He had young guys step up. He got to see Quintin Mikell play at a near Pro Bowl level. Darren Howard emerged from his 2-year slumber and became a terrific role player. Jim got to coach Dawk for one final year. And he saw new players like Asante Samuel and Chris Clemons do their part. That was probably a lot of fun.
Now, our journey with Jim has come to an end. We must part ways.
Here is a snippet from a poem I like.
Now night arrives with her purple legion
Retire now to your tents and to your dreams
Tomorrow we enter the town of my birth
I want to be ready
Thanks for the memories, Jim
_
More Camp News
***
UPDATES
The best source for regular info is Bloghead on PE.com. Here is the link:
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/Bloghead/
PLAYERS
LeSean McCoy sounds like he is off to a good start. He is catching the ball well and reportedly looks a step ahead of the other young players in Camp. He is also saying all the right things. He got advice from Ricky Watters (For who? For What?)and it actually sounds like decent advice. Ricky stressed the importance of assignments. I mentioned that in a recent article on McCoy. Nothing frustrates Big Red more than when players don't know where to line up or what to do. He'll tell 'em to get out of the play and will get the next guy in there. Ryan Moats battled this situation for 3 years.
LeSean should have a leg up since he came from something similar to the WCO in college. He still won't know everything, but the offense won't seem completely foreign to him. Guys coming from the spread won't always have much experience with something as simple as lining up in the I-formation.
So far, so good for McCoy.
Another rookie is off to an excellent start. TE Cornelius Ingram has caught the ball very well and looked athletic in his 2 days of TC. This isn't surprising. We knew he had this kind of ability. The question with him will be blocking and we won't get an answer to that for several more days. Still, you like to hear the young guys are playing up to their ability. That's a big part of getting off to a good start. Coaches will be patient with a guy who is learning or struggling to adjust. Coaches get frustrated when guys are having problems in areas where they are supposed to be good.
We're hearing good things about some other guys:
* Macho Harris is playing S and CB. He had a good pick yesterday and is looking good so far.
* WR Brandon Gibson is enjoying the extra reps that he gets with Jeremy Maclin still unsigned. Gibson is a polished receiver who has the potential to be similar to Jason Avant. Brandon (and not Fred) lacks speed, but he has good hands and runs precise routes. He would be an ideal Practice Squad candidate.
* WR Danny Amendola was a member of Jerry Jones evil cult last summer, but he has since seen the light and come to be one of our beloved Eagles. Amendola is playing well so far. I expected he would. He spent last year on the Cowboys PS. Danny knows what he's doing. He is quick, shifty, and has good hands. He could challenge for a roster spot or might be PS material again.
* Jack Ikegwuonu apparently is off to a solid start. He's running well and cutting smoothly. That's great news. Jack is coming off a terrible ACL tear from January 2008. This is his first TC. The coaches would love to see him stay healthy and play well. We'd have some serious CB depth at that point with him, Sheldon, Sammie, MmmBop, and The Natural (Ellis Hobbs = Roy Hobbs?).
RE: Maclin / unsigned picks
Lynch is more in tune with specific numbers probably, but there does seem to be a greater number of unsigned guys this year as opposed to other years. Maclin is still okay right now. You'd rather he didn't miss any time, but as Donovan pointed out, they just spent several days together in Arizona. Maclin will be okay if he gets in with the vets. Should he remain unsigned at that point, it could start to affect him.
RE: Andy more loose this year?
I'll ask around and see what some of those who are around him have to say. I don't want Andy changing too much. As he always points out, you can't try to be someone you're not or the players will see through that and lose all respect for you. I think that is what happened to Marty in Detroit. He pulled that stunt with his motorcycle and the players never looked at him the same. Andy is what you see. He's calculated and always tries to say the "right thing" rather than openly speaking his mind. This drives me nuts at times, but it is better to have a coach say too little than too much. Ask Jim Mora (either one) about that.
_
UPDATES
The best source for regular info is Bloghead on PE.com. Here is the link:
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/Bloghead/
PLAYERS
LeSean McCoy sounds like he is off to a good start. He is catching the ball well and reportedly looks a step ahead of the other young players in Camp. He is also saying all the right things. He got advice from Ricky Watters (For who? For What?)and it actually sounds like decent advice. Ricky stressed the importance of assignments. I mentioned that in a recent article on McCoy. Nothing frustrates Big Red more than when players don't know where to line up or what to do. He'll tell 'em to get out of the play and will get the next guy in there. Ryan Moats battled this situation for 3 years.
LeSean should have a leg up since he came from something similar to the WCO in college. He still won't know everything, but the offense won't seem completely foreign to him. Guys coming from the spread won't always have much experience with something as simple as lining up in the I-formation.
So far, so good for McCoy.
Another rookie is off to an excellent start. TE Cornelius Ingram has caught the ball very well and looked athletic in his 2 days of TC. This isn't surprising. We knew he had this kind of ability. The question with him will be blocking and we won't get an answer to that for several more days. Still, you like to hear the young guys are playing up to their ability. That's a big part of getting off to a good start. Coaches will be patient with a guy who is learning or struggling to adjust. Coaches get frustrated when guys are having problems in areas where they are supposed to be good.
We're hearing good things about some other guys:
* Macho Harris is playing S and CB. He had a good pick yesterday and is looking good so far.
* WR Brandon Gibson is enjoying the extra reps that he gets with Jeremy Maclin still unsigned. Gibson is a polished receiver who has the potential to be similar to Jason Avant. Brandon (and not Fred) lacks speed, but he has good hands and runs precise routes. He would be an ideal Practice Squad candidate.
* WR Danny Amendola was a member of Jerry Jones evil cult last summer, but he has since seen the light and come to be one of our beloved Eagles. Amendola is playing well so far. I expected he would. He spent last year on the Cowboys PS. Danny knows what he's doing. He is quick, shifty, and has good hands. He could challenge for a roster spot or might be PS material again.
* Jack Ikegwuonu apparently is off to a solid start. He's running well and cutting smoothly. That's great news. Jack is coming off a terrible ACL tear from January 2008. This is his first TC. The coaches would love to see him stay healthy and play well. We'd have some serious CB depth at that point with him, Sheldon, Sammie, MmmBop, and The Natural (Ellis Hobbs = Roy Hobbs?).
RE: Maclin / unsigned picks
Lynch is more in tune with specific numbers probably, but there does seem to be a greater number of unsigned guys this year as opposed to other years. Maclin is still okay right now. You'd rather he didn't miss any time, but as Donovan pointed out, they just spent several days together in Arizona. Maclin will be okay if he gets in with the vets. Should he remain unsigned at that point, it could start to affect him.
RE: Andy more loose this year?
I'll ask around and see what some of those who are around him have to say. I don't want Andy changing too much. As he always points out, you can't try to be someone you're not or the players will see through that and lose all respect for you. I think that is what happened to Marty in Detroit. He pulled that stunt with his motorcycle and the players never looked at him the same. Andy is what you see. He's calculated and always tries to say the "right thing" rather than openly speaking his mind. This drives me nuts at times, but it is better to have a coach say too little than too much. Ask Jim Mora (either one) about that.
_
Monday, July 27, 2009
First Items of Camp
***
VICTOR OUCHDONTHURTME?
I'm not going to get carried away with Victor Abiamiri being on the shelf for a few weeks, but I'm not happy with the news. VA had wrist problems last summer. Now he's out til mid-August with a pectoral muscle injury that happened while lifting weights. I still have high hopes for VA, but having him hurt each summer is a bad trend. You must be able to stay on the field.
VA will miss TC and a preseason game, maybe two. That isn't going to be a major setback for him, but it doesn't help him. VA knows the scheme. He has the talent. He needs reps to work on his game. He'll still have a couple of weeks of practice and a PS game or two in order to get ready.
Will we look around for help at LDE? Maybe. The fact that the Eagles put a bid on Jeremy Jarmon tells you they aren't completely satisfied with the current group. The most interesting player that is available is Derrick Burgess of OAK. He was an Eagle for 4 years. He plays LDE. The Raiders reportedly shopped him on draft weekend. I'd love to bring him in, but the Eagles are probably going to go slow to see how VA's injury heals and how the other players look. The injury isn't supposed to be very serious. It also isn't supposed to linger or hamper him beyond mid-August.
WESTY DOING WELL
Brian Westbrook is rehabbing well according to Big Red. That's great news...if he's telling the 100% truth. I haven't heard anything different, but I do wonder if Reid would actually tell the media/public anything different. I fully anticipate Westy getting back to practice in 2 or 3 weeks. That should be more than enough time for him to shake off the rust and hop back into his Superman costume.
STACY TO PRACTICE
I'm happy (and surprised)to hear that RG Stacy Andrews will be practicing right off the bat. He tore his ACL at the end of the 2008 season. Those injuries all heal differently and have crazy timetables. Apparently Stacy is ahead of schedule. I was Doubting Thomas about whether he'd be able to go this soon, but I'm happy to be wrong. Very happy. We have some serious change on the OL. The more work those guys get together in the summer, the better off we'll be in the season.
PINKY ATTACK
Todd Pinkston is a coaching intern for us this summer. I don't know what the hell to think of that revelation. I wasn't happy when we picked him. I wasn't happy when he got alligator arms a few times. I wasn't happy with his game vs CAR in the 2003 NFC-CG. I guess you could say he wasn't my favorite player. Still, he was an okay guy who had a couple of good years for us. Maybe he's going to be a better coach than player. The first time I see a receiver duck over the middle at Lehigh, I'm going after Pinky.
Brandon Whiting is also a coaching intern. He could be a good coach. Brandon was an overachiever. Smart player as well. Made the most of his ability and should have good knowledge of technique. He wasn't one of those guys who got by on talent and athleticism.
SITE STUFF
Thanks for the input on the appearance of the site. I'll keep it simple. Joel Buchsbaum had a very basic look on his PFW internet pieces. PFT is pretty simple. Drudge Report is very basic. I have no problem with people who like fancy sites with all kinds of graphics, colors, photos, and stuff like that, but I prefer to focus on content. I'll keep you guys updated.
If you come here in the next week or so and the site is having problems, you know I'm "experimenting"...which really means making a mistake and panicking.
_
VICTOR OUCHDONTHURTME?
I'm not going to get carried away with Victor Abiamiri being on the shelf for a few weeks, but I'm not happy with the news. VA had wrist problems last summer. Now he's out til mid-August with a pectoral muscle injury that happened while lifting weights. I still have high hopes for VA, but having him hurt each summer is a bad trend. You must be able to stay on the field.
VA will miss TC and a preseason game, maybe two. That isn't going to be a major setback for him, but it doesn't help him. VA knows the scheme. He has the talent. He needs reps to work on his game. He'll still have a couple of weeks of practice and a PS game or two in order to get ready.
Will we look around for help at LDE? Maybe. The fact that the Eagles put a bid on Jeremy Jarmon tells you they aren't completely satisfied with the current group. The most interesting player that is available is Derrick Burgess of OAK. He was an Eagle for 4 years. He plays LDE. The Raiders reportedly shopped him on draft weekend. I'd love to bring him in, but the Eagles are probably going to go slow to see how VA's injury heals and how the other players look. The injury isn't supposed to be very serious. It also isn't supposed to linger or hamper him beyond mid-August.
WESTY DOING WELL
Brian Westbrook is rehabbing well according to Big Red. That's great news...if he's telling the 100% truth. I haven't heard anything different, but I do wonder if Reid would actually tell the media/public anything different. I fully anticipate Westy getting back to practice in 2 or 3 weeks. That should be more than enough time for him to shake off the rust and hop back into his Superman costume.
STACY TO PRACTICE
I'm happy (and surprised)to hear that RG Stacy Andrews will be practicing right off the bat. He tore his ACL at the end of the 2008 season. Those injuries all heal differently and have crazy timetables. Apparently Stacy is ahead of schedule. I was Doubting Thomas about whether he'd be able to go this soon, but I'm happy to be wrong. Very happy. We have some serious change on the OL. The more work those guys get together in the summer, the better off we'll be in the season.
PINKY ATTACK
Todd Pinkston is a coaching intern for us this summer. I don't know what the hell to think of that revelation. I wasn't happy when we picked him. I wasn't happy when he got alligator arms a few times. I wasn't happy with his game vs CAR in the 2003 NFC-CG. I guess you could say he wasn't my favorite player. Still, he was an okay guy who had a couple of good years for us. Maybe he's going to be a better coach than player. The first time I see a receiver duck over the middle at Lehigh, I'm going after Pinky.
Brandon Whiting is also a coaching intern. He could be a good coach. Brandon was an overachiever. Smart player as well. Made the most of his ability and should have good knowledge of technique. He wasn't one of those guys who got by on talent and athleticism.
SITE STUFF
Thanks for the input on the appearance of the site. I'll keep it simple. Joel Buchsbaum had a very basic look on his PFW internet pieces. PFT is pretty simple. Drudge Report is very basic. I have no problem with people who like fancy sites with all kinds of graphics, colors, photos, and stuff like that, but I prefer to focus on content. I'll keep you guys updated.
If you come here in the next week or so and the site is having problems, you know I'm "experimenting"...which really means making a mistake and panicking.
_
Sunday, July 26, 2009
And So It Begins...
***
Rookies and select veterans report this afternoon. They'll get on the field tomorrow and football will go non-stop until we win the SB in February. Or miss the playoffs due to a controversial tie with the Broncos. Let's hope we're in for a good ride.
MACLIN
We're still waiting for Jeremy Maclin to sign his deal. I was told he was "very close" in the middle of the week, but we still sit here waiting at the end of the weekend. There is some hope now that other 1st round picks are beginning to sign. 1st rounders tend to sign in waves because agents like to know what kinds of deals are being signed around their pick. Agents are horrified at the thought of signing a deal and then having the player behind them get a better deal.
COMMENTS
RE: Going to TC
I've been a couple of times in recent years and really enjoyed both visits. I also went in 1998, but that was a completely different world.
Weekends can be crowded. Go early if you are going to be there on Saturday. Wear a hat and sunscreen or you will get fried. That happened to me back in '98. Pay attention to which of the fields the practices will be at that day so you can get a seat in the right set of bleachers.
I haven't tried to get an autograph, but the lines get long in a hurry.
I've eaten at a few local places, but don't remember the names.
RE: LDE / WLB competition
I think the Eagles feel like Gaither and Jordan will be a good battle at WLB. Gaither has the talent to be a solid starter there. He lacks ideal speed, but that wasn't a major problem last year. Omar didn't handle fullbacks well. That was the primary reason he got benched. If he can take on them and defeat their blocks, he could win his job back. I also think the Eagles like Jordan and didn't see the need to bring in a top flight outsider because they think Akeem can become a good player.
LDE is a weird position. The Eagles aren't thrilled with the position, but they have been picky about making changes. They didn't use a draft pick on a LDE. They signed a marginal UDFA (Josh Gaines). They did make a bid on Jeremy Jarmon, but only a 4th rounder.
The way I'm reading this is that the Eagles like Abiamiri and think he'll get the job done, but they would like to have a serious challenger to push him. The team loves Juqua Parker for what he is, but knows he isn't the answer at LDE. An injury to VA or a slow start by him could lead to a trade this summer to find some help.
RE: Wally Pipp'd
Lou Gehrig started 2,130 straight games for the Yankees. That streak began with him coming off the bench to replace an injured player...Wally Pipp. Wally didn't realize missing one game would lead to his replacement starting for the next 14 years. That is why veterans never want to let a young guy on the field.
RE: Draft Reviews
I stopped doing them when I was halfway through the league and went on vacation. I forgot to re-start when I came back, but I'm now getting back on the ball. I'm in the AFC South right now.
RE: Spags and the Rams
They could be the worst team in the league or they could win 8 games. The Rams have to protect Bulger better and hope he can return to his form from a few years back. They now have the makings of a good, young DL. They need someone to step up and become a force. If that happens, Spags can do some interesting things with that defense.
HELP NEEDED
This blog is almost a year old. I began it as a way to centralize my Eagles thoughts / posts. I started it one Saturday night while sipping a few PBRs. There wasn't a lot of research or intelligence that went into the design.
I think it is time for some appearance upgrades. I'm open to suggestions on new templates to look at or what changes you guys may want to see. Is anyone out there gifted in the ways of blog beautification? You can post in the comments section if you like or email me at: tommylawlor3@yahoo.com
I'm not looking for anything fancy. I prefer stuff that is toned down. At the same time, you guys are the readers. I don't pay a ton of attention to the appearance. I write the posts and then read the comments. I don't spend a lot of time looking at the actual blog.
Let me know what you think.
_
Rookies and select veterans report this afternoon. They'll get on the field tomorrow and football will go non-stop until we win the SB in February. Or miss the playoffs due to a controversial tie with the Broncos. Let's hope we're in for a good ride.
MACLIN
We're still waiting for Jeremy Maclin to sign his deal. I was told he was "very close" in the middle of the week, but we still sit here waiting at the end of the weekend. There is some hope now that other 1st round picks are beginning to sign. 1st rounders tend to sign in waves because agents like to know what kinds of deals are being signed around their pick. Agents are horrified at the thought of signing a deal and then having the player behind them get a better deal.
COMMENTS
RE: Going to TC
I've been a couple of times in recent years and really enjoyed both visits. I also went in 1998, but that was a completely different world.
Weekends can be crowded. Go early if you are going to be there on Saturday. Wear a hat and sunscreen or you will get fried. That happened to me back in '98. Pay attention to which of the fields the practices will be at that day so you can get a seat in the right set of bleachers.
I haven't tried to get an autograph, but the lines get long in a hurry.
I've eaten at a few local places, but don't remember the names.
RE: LDE / WLB competition
I think the Eagles feel like Gaither and Jordan will be a good battle at WLB. Gaither has the talent to be a solid starter there. He lacks ideal speed, but that wasn't a major problem last year. Omar didn't handle fullbacks well. That was the primary reason he got benched. If he can take on them and defeat their blocks, he could win his job back. I also think the Eagles like Jordan and didn't see the need to bring in a top flight outsider because they think Akeem can become a good player.
LDE is a weird position. The Eagles aren't thrilled with the position, but they have been picky about making changes. They didn't use a draft pick on a LDE. They signed a marginal UDFA (Josh Gaines). They did make a bid on Jeremy Jarmon, but only a 4th rounder.
The way I'm reading this is that the Eagles like Abiamiri and think he'll get the job done, but they would like to have a serious challenger to push him. The team loves Juqua Parker for what he is, but knows he isn't the answer at LDE. An injury to VA or a slow start by him could lead to a trade this summer to find some help.
RE: Wally Pipp'd
Lou Gehrig started 2,130 straight games for the Yankees. That streak began with him coming off the bench to replace an injured player...Wally Pipp. Wally didn't realize missing one game would lead to his replacement starting for the next 14 years. That is why veterans never want to let a young guy on the field.
RE: Draft Reviews
I stopped doing them when I was halfway through the league and went on vacation. I forgot to re-start when I came back, but I'm now getting back on the ball. I'm in the AFC South right now.
RE: Spags and the Rams
They could be the worst team in the league or they could win 8 games. The Rams have to protect Bulger better and hope he can return to his form from a few years back. They now have the makings of a good, young DL. They need someone to step up and become a force. If that happens, Spags can do some interesting things with that defense.
HELP NEEDED
This blog is almost a year old. I began it as a way to centralize my Eagles thoughts / posts. I started it one Saturday night while sipping a few PBRs. There wasn't a lot of research or intelligence that went into the design.
I think it is time for some appearance upgrades. I'm open to suggestions on new templates to look at or what changes you guys may want to see. Is anyone out there gifted in the ways of blog beautification? You can post in the comments section if you like or email me at: tommylawlor3@yahoo.com
I'm not looking for anything fancy. I prefer stuff that is toned down. At the same time, you guys are the readers. I don't pay a ton of attention to the appearance. I write the posts and then read the comments. I don't spend a lot of time looking at the actual blog.
Let me know what you think.
_
Friday, July 24, 2009
Official --- McDermott is now the DC
***
I've known this was coming for a while. Jim Johnson is in really bad shape. The Eagles delayed the announcement as long as possible, but decided to make it official - Sean McDermott is now the Defensive Coordinator. I've been told by multiple sources that JJ is in dire straits. The Eagles had to make the move. We all love Jim Johnson, but he's fighting for his life and the Eagles have to move on at this point. He's always been a team guy and I think he's fine with how the situation has been handled.
I'm not going to say a lot about Jim right now. We're all hoping that he somehow makes it out of this. He's got the support of Eagles Nation.
As for Sean, the organization has complete confidence in him. Sean is a guy that has been groomed to move up. The question was really whether we could keep him around long enough to make him a coordinator. Spags was in his spot a few years back. He did a great job for the Giants and now has the challenge of restoring the Rams to winning ways. That should be interesting.
I'm sure McDermott will keep most of the defense intact, but he will certainly put his own stamp on things. I'm not sure exactly what changes he'll make. We'll have to wait for games to see what he does. I'm certainly excited for Sean. He's come from nowhere to now have the prestigious position of Eagles Defensive Coordinator. Think about these names: Marion Campbell, Jeff Fisher, Wade Phillips, Bud Carson, and Jim Johnson. I'm not sure any organization has a group that impressive over the last 25 years. I'm sure it pains Sean to get the job in this way, but Jim would want him to focus on the team, the job at hand. The most basic instinct of a coach is "to coach". You deal with what you can control. Sean has to worry about his players for now.
Unfortunately for Jim he can only listen to doctors and pray for the best. That's got to be tough on someone who is so used to being in control. Stay strong, JJ. Our prayers are with you.
_
I've known this was coming for a while. Jim Johnson is in really bad shape. The Eagles delayed the announcement as long as possible, but decided to make it official - Sean McDermott is now the Defensive Coordinator. I've been told by multiple sources that JJ is in dire straits. The Eagles had to make the move. We all love Jim Johnson, but he's fighting for his life and the Eagles have to move on at this point. He's always been a team guy and I think he's fine with how the situation has been handled.
I'm not going to say a lot about Jim right now. We're all hoping that he somehow makes it out of this. He's got the support of Eagles Nation.
As for Sean, the organization has complete confidence in him. Sean is a guy that has been groomed to move up. The question was really whether we could keep him around long enough to make him a coordinator. Spags was in his spot a few years back. He did a great job for the Giants and now has the challenge of restoring the Rams to winning ways. That should be interesting.
I'm sure McDermott will keep most of the defense intact, but he will certainly put his own stamp on things. I'm not sure exactly what changes he'll make. We'll have to wait for games to see what he does. I'm certainly excited for Sean. He's come from nowhere to now have the prestigious position of Eagles Defensive Coordinator. Think about these names: Marion Campbell, Jeff Fisher, Wade Phillips, Bud Carson, and Jim Johnson. I'm not sure any organization has a group that impressive over the last 25 years. I'm sure it pains Sean to get the job in this way, but Jim would want him to focus on the team, the job at hand. The most basic instinct of a coach is "to coach". You deal with what you can control. Sean has to worry about his players for now.
Unfortunately for Jim he can only listen to doctors and pray for the best. That's got to be tough on someone who is so used to being in control. Stay strong, JJ. Our prayers are with you.
_
Training Camp Preview
***
I wrote out a long preview and it is posted here.
Thank god we've got some actual football to start talking about. I can't wait to see the guys in action. We only get rookies and select vets for the first few days, but that is better than nothing.
In case you prefer to read it on the EMB, here is the link:
http://boards.philadelphiaeagles.com/index.php?showtopic=551118
_
I wrote out a long preview and it is posted here.
Thank god we've got some actual football to start talking about. I can't wait to see the guys in action. We only get rookies and select vets for the first few days, but that is better than nothing.
In case you prefer to read it on the EMB, here is the link:
http://boards.philadelphiaeagles.com/index.php?showtopic=551118
_
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Quick pre-TC Thoughts
***
MACLIN
No real update on Jeremy Maclin's contract situation. I'm told the two sides are close, but we've heard that for a couple of days. Still, it sounds like Jeremy will get to Lehigh on time or very shortly thereafter. Excellent job by Joe Banner and his group to get these kids into the fold. We need these rookies to help out this year.
REED UPDATE
JR Reed is going to be an assistant coach with his alma mater, USF, this year. I'm very happy for JR. He made a great comeback to get back into the NFL after his tragic injury. Things never panned out exactly the way he wanted, but Reed showed a lot of heart in battling to stay in the league. Compare that with a guy like Tony Hunt who seems to all too easily have accepted getting cut. Crazy.
TC PREVIEW
I'm in the middle of writing a lengthy preview. Don't worry, I haven't lost my ability to be long-winded during the offseason. I'll hopefully be posting it tonight or tomorrow AM. I'm starting to get excited for football.
Let me get back to doing some more writing on that preview...
__
MACLIN
No real update on Jeremy Maclin's contract situation. I'm told the two sides are close, but we've heard that for a couple of days. Still, it sounds like Jeremy will get to Lehigh on time or very shortly thereafter. Excellent job by Joe Banner and his group to get these kids into the fold. We need these rookies to help out this year.
REED UPDATE
JR Reed is going to be an assistant coach with his alma mater, USF, this year. I'm very happy for JR. He made a great comeback to get back into the NFL after his tragic injury. Things never panned out exactly the way he wanted, but Reed showed a lot of heart in battling to stay in the league. Compare that with a guy like Tony Hunt who seems to all too easily have accepted getting cut. Crazy.
TC PREVIEW
I'm in the middle of writing a lengthy preview. Don't worry, I haven't lost my ability to be long-winded during the offseason. I'll hopefully be posting it tonight or tomorrow AM. I'm starting to get excited for football.
Let me get back to doing some more writing on that preview...
__
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
My Story
***
From time to time I get asked about my background and how I got into scouting. I've answered a few people in PMs, but figured I'd put a post together so I can reference it when asked in the future. This may bore the heck out of some of you. I will not be offended if you choose to go look at pictures of Marissa Miller instead. Pictures of Arthur Miller are a different story, of course.
I'm not your typical ex-jock that couldn't give up the game. I found my way to scouting on a long, strange path. Because of that, I'm going to start at the beginning and give you some background. This will also explain how I came to be an Eagles fan despite not so much as visiting Philly until I was almost 30.
In 1981 my friend Jamie Craven gave me a book about baseball (for my 12th birthday). He and his brother Joe were big baseball fans. They collected baseball cards and loved all kinds of players. They peaked my interest in baseball. The book I got was the 1981 Complete Handbook of Baseball. It changed my life. I hate to sound melodramatic, but it is the truth.
Back in those days you got info in the sports pages, but there wasn't the current onslaught of information. Living in NC meant that we had a small to medium sized sports section. We got coverage of stars and major events, but there wasn't an abundance of info. The book changed that. Suddenly I could read about all 26 teams and hundreds of players. I became instantly hooked. I read that book so much that it split in two.
I became a more serious baseball fan. I watched every game I could. I wanted to know everything. Prior to the 1982 season I actually sent a letter to the Kansas City Royals explaining to them how to make a couple of moves that would get them to the World Series. I wasn't a Royals fan, but I was so sure the moves were brilliant that I felt obligated to share them. Needless to say, they didn't follow my advice. Or respond.
I was an NFL fan at this time, but it wasn't my passion. In the 70s I'd pulled for the Cowboys to the beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl because I hated Pittsburgh so much. I'm not exactly sure why. That led me to become a big Tom Landry fan. You should probably always get worried when a kid likes a coach more than he does players. Landry had his own coaching tree in the early 80s. Dan Reeves, a former player and assistant, took over Denver in 1981. Forrest Gregg, a former player, took over Cincinnati in 1980. Some guy named Mike Ditka, a former player and assistant, took over Chicago in 1982. I followed all of these teams because of their ties to Landry, my football hero at the moment.
Chicago had this interesting assistant coach named Buddy Ryan. He did a lot of very aggressive things on defense. Buddy and the Bears defense set an NFL record with 72 sacks in 1984. They now had my full attention. The '85 Bears took things up a notch and were arguably the greatest one-year defense of all time. They shut people down, but also made tons of plays. The Bears had 64 sacks that year. They came up with almost 60 takeaways. They scored 4 touchdowns. Then they shut out both NFC opponents in the playoffs. Sports Illustrated focused on Buddy, the 46 Defense, and Mike Singletary in their Super Bowl Preview issue. I still have my original copy of the magazine and it is one of my most treasured possessions.
At this point I moved from MLB and the NBA and became a full time football fanatic. I started buying books on the history and evolution of the game of football. I would sit around and draw up plays. I would get out checkers and move them around into different formations to see what might work and what might not. I really became obsessed with the 46 Defense and football strategy.
Buddy Ryan came to Philly in 1986. He and Reggie White and the emerging team were a lot of fun to follow and I became a full-fledged Eagles fan by 1989. Luckily they were full of stars and that meant a lot of TV coverage. I was able to follow the team from afar and still keep up with them. Remember, there were no sports bars to go to back then. DirecTV didn't exist. You watched the game being shown locally and had to watch the scoreboard like a hawk.
My football obsession had started to involve the draft in the mid 80s. I was a big time college fan and knew all of the major stars. One thing you have to remember about that time period is that there wasn't nearly as much coverage. I knew guys from major colleges, but I-AA players were virtually unknown. Even mid-major guys were a mystery. MAC games were never on TV. Same for the WAC. You rarely saw much Pac-10 action, except for the big time schools. I read SI and The Sporting News and was able to follow some players in that way.
While in college I got involved in the school radio station's sportscasting group. I met a guy there named Chuck Scruggs. He was the first true-blooded Draftnik I ever met. He loved the draft. We did a preview show on the radio for the 1989 draft. We did another show in 1990. We got a few picks right each year and did a pretty good job.
My work at the radio station allowed me access to the football coaches. I loved getting to talk to them and pick their brains. These coaches were a great source of information. They loved to talk about the game with people who wanted to really learn about football. I can’t tell you how important those coaches were in teaching me more about the game.
My love of the draft and the technical side of football continued to grow. I did some radio work outside of college that had me dealing with HS coaches. I even learned the game from these guys. I have a special appreciation for good coaches, no matter what level. Always keep an open mind and you can learn something. I continued to follow college and pro football and the draft. I got a little smarter each year. Funny how that happens as you get older.
I finally gave in and bought draft books for the 1996 draft. I got Mel Kiper's book and the one from Pro Football Weekly. I liked PFW's a lot more and Joel Buchsbaum had a major influence on me because of that. He was so thorough and smart, but also readable. That really appealed to me. Also, he didn't let feelings play too much of a part. He wanted to provide a good scouting report. Kiper had his favorite players and it really showed in his writing. He also wasn't as technical as Buchsbaum. Joel loved the game of football. Mel loved football. And Mel.
The books still left me wanting more. I wanted to see these players with my own eyes. I decided to start taping some college games in the 1996 season so I could study the top prospects. I had no training from anyone specifically about what to look for, but after spending a decade watching games, reading books, talking to coaches, and studying Buchsbaum's notes I wanted to see what I could see.
I taped games all year long, but only a tape or two a weekend. I was still focused on major schools and big players. I used Buchsbaum's pre-draft ratings to help me figure out which players to check out. It wasn't hard to see why guys like Orlando Pace, Darrell Russell, Shawn Springs, Bryant Westbrook, and Peter Boulware were Top 5 picks. Figuring out other players was tougher. I taped and re-watched the Senior Bowl a lot. That helped me to get a better feel for guys like Antowain Smith and Jason Taylor, a couple of really talented medium school guys. I liked them both quite a bit. I started to feel like I knew what I was doing. I haven't bought a draft book since then.
I got more aggressive about taping games in 1997. I wanted to get as many schools as possible. That took a lot of time and dedication. My evaluations got better. I had a better feel for the 1998 draft than any other to that point.
In the fall of 1998 I got DirecTV for the first time. That opened a whole new world. The various FoxSportsNet outlets showed all kinds of games. And they re-showed games all week long. You could now watch every Oregon game on Monday night at 8pm. Florida games came on Tuesday at 11pm. Minnesota games were shown on Thursday nights. And so on. All of a sudden I had access to almost every Div-I school and many I-AA schools. That was awesome, but meant a lot more work.
While doing some research in February of 1999 I came across an online ad from a former NFL scout. He was offering training in select locations. It cost several hundred dollars, but the thought of having access to a real scout was too good to pass up. I went down to the Atlanta class and was one of about 8-10 guys. There was a mixture of college coaches, former players, and me. I more than held my own in the class and that gave me a lot of confidence. The scout gave us a tremendous amount of information and was a huge influence on me. I go back to things that George said to this day.
I used to compile notes and lists about prospects for my own knowledge/entertainment. I began to post draft info on the web in 2003. I was casual at first. I started a thread on the Eagles Message Board in February of 2004 with a few post-Combine thoughts. I called it The Scouts Notebook. That thread lasted until the summer. I started a new one for the next season and in 2005 actually started Scoutsnotebook.com (with Matt Alkire). The site has gotten a bit better each year since then.
I have sent emails and letters to NFL teams over the last decade on several occasions. I have some very nice rejection letters. Oddly enough, the team that won't say a word to me is the Eagles. Can't get Heckert to even tell me to get lost. Scott Pioli sent me a nice letter in November of 2007 when his team was in the midst of trying to go undefeated. Thomas Dimitroff sent me a nice email. I've gotten plenty of generic rejections over the years, but a few people have been nice about it. I actually spoke to Eric DeCosta of the Ravens for about 15 minutes on the phone. Great guy.
I haven't been able to get a scouting job or really even come close. I don't have any connections in the scouting world. I am not a former player. I spent one year in HS on the bench and then realized that while I loved the game I wasn't meant to play it. All I lacked was size, talent, and athletic ability. I face an uphill battle, but I'm going to continue to reach out to NFL personnel guys in hopes of one day getting a job with a team. Until then, you guys are stuck with reading the inane ramblings of my lunatic mind.
Influential Books I've read over the last 25 years:
* The Armchair QB by John Thorn
* any of John Madden's books
* Play Football The NFL Way by Tom Bass
* The Pro Style by Tom Bennett
* Finding The Winning Edge by Bill Walsh
* The GM by Thomas Callahan
* The Education Of A Coach by David Halberstam
* Pro Football Weekly Draft Preview by Joel Buchsbaum (multiple years)
_
Monday, July 20, 2009
Eagles Overrated?
***
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk had a post up on Sunday where he questioned why the Eagles were being mentioned among NFC favorites for 2009.
PFT post on Eagles chances in '09
His point was that on the Monday prior to Thanksgiving the Eagles were all but written off and Reid and McNabb were possibly headed out of town. Now the team is constantly mentioned as the best in the NFC. Is that logical?
First, a word about PFT. I love the site. I've followed Florio since he was with NFL Fan Talk. That turned into ESPN Insider (for those who may not remember). I followed Mike there and paid for a year. He quit out of frustration. ESPN Insider was essentially a bunch of links back then. I followed Florio to PFT and have been reading that site since its first week. He almost shut the site down at one point for fear that it was going nowhere. A buddy of mine emailed him to ask why the site hadn't been updated one day. Florio told him he was trying to decide whether he should keep going. My buddy told him that there were more than a few of us that needed our PFT fix multiple times a day and to keep it going. Florio did and has become a real force.
While I love the work Mike does, he isn't necessarily the best football analyst. He's great when talking about contracts and legal situations. He's no smarter than the average fan when it comes to actually discussing football. I don't mean this as an insult. Heck, Mike would probably tell you the same thing.
I understand his concerns about the Eagles and where he's coming from. At the same time, he is only seeing half the picture. The team didn't panic after the Ravens loss. Andy made some changes, but it wasn't like he benched a bunch of starters and went into crisis mode. He didn't give any crazy Jim Fassell speeches about going "all in". Big Red did things quietly and subtly.
He ran the ball more. He mixed in Kyle Eckel to the offense. Lito Sheppard's playing time went down dramatically (after the Cardinals game...he had to play then because of an injury to Samuel). The team, which had been so close to being good earlier, responded to the changes and the pressure of the stretch run. The Eagles played lights out for most of the rest of the season and postseason.
We didn't get hot based on a fluke. We didn't get lucky in a bunch of games. The defense played great and the offense improved on short yardage situations and started getting into the endzone more efficiently.
The Eagles then had a terrific offseason by just about everyone's standard. Many different writers and analysts have said the Eagles had the best offseason of any team. I don't think it is unreasonable to see how well the team played from late November to late January and factor in the great offseason and then surmise that the Eagles are one of the NFC favorites.
There are legit questions and concerns, but I sure don't see the Eagles situation as any more troubling than any other NFC team. The Cowboys and Giants both lost stud receivers. How will that affect those offenses? The Redskins tried to get a new QB a couple of times in the offseason, but failed. Who is the best team in the NFC North? The Vikings, with or without Favre? We beat them at Minny last year. The Bears? Cutler is great, but where are his targets? The NFC South is always crazy. You don't know who will emerge from that division. As for the West...another mystery. The Cardinals were great in the postseason, but won the division by default essentially. The Rams were dreadful at times. SF has potential, but can't find a QB. Seattle has a new coach and could go any number of ways.
I know I'm an Eagles fan and that is going to make me at least somewhat biased, but what team out there is clearly better? Florio never really got to that point.
SUPP DRAFT
I have read several things on how the Supplemental Draft works, but they seem to conflict with each other in some small ways. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure of the full process.
Teams are supposed to email in picks to the league office. I'm just not sure if they do this on a round by round basis or all at once. Gil Brandt made a comment that each round lasted about 10 minutes. That sounds like it is done one round at a time. Other articles made it sound as though teams sent in bids all at once. This is where I get somewhat confused.
2009 SCHEDULE
I haven't looked at the schedule for the upcoming season in months. Doesn't matter to me. Games on paper really mean nothing. Who you play is only part of the equation. Timing is critical. The Rams of Week 1 were a complete disaster. They got much tougher when Jim Haslett took over. How different were the Cowboys in Week 17 as compared to Week 2? We were similar, but they were almost like 2 separate teams.
I used to memorize the schedule and try to really figure things out before hand. I learned a while ago that I'm better suited to focus on the next game or two and worry about the other games when they draw near. I know this puts me in the minority of fans. I guess one thing that has caused me to change is following college and pro football on such a large scale. I have to focus on who is playing each week from Thursday to Monday. That (and PBR/Megan Fox/the Grand Unified Theory) occupies most of my brain space.
I'm sure in late August or early September I'll have my annual nightmare that I've somehow missed the season opener. I overslept. It wasn't shown. I forgot about it. The nightmare is always different, but it really messes with me. And invariably the Eagles lose the game, making it that much more torturous of a situation. I'm made because of the loss and even madder that I missed the game. The horror. The horror.
_
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk had a post up on Sunday where he questioned why the Eagles were being mentioned among NFC favorites for 2009.
PFT post on Eagles chances in '09
His point was that on the Monday prior to Thanksgiving the Eagles were all but written off and Reid and McNabb were possibly headed out of town. Now the team is constantly mentioned as the best in the NFC. Is that logical?
First, a word about PFT. I love the site. I've followed Florio since he was with NFL Fan Talk. That turned into ESPN Insider (for those who may not remember). I followed Mike there and paid for a year. He quit out of frustration. ESPN Insider was essentially a bunch of links back then. I followed Florio to PFT and have been reading that site since its first week. He almost shut the site down at one point for fear that it was going nowhere. A buddy of mine emailed him to ask why the site hadn't been updated one day. Florio told him he was trying to decide whether he should keep going. My buddy told him that there were more than a few of us that needed our PFT fix multiple times a day and to keep it going. Florio did and has become a real force.
While I love the work Mike does, he isn't necessarily the best football analyst. He's great when talking about contracts and legal situations. He's no smarter than the average fan when it comes to actually discussing football. I don't mean this as an insult. Heck, Mike would probably tell you the same thing.
I understand his concerns about the Eagles and where he's coming from. At the same time, he is only seeing half the picture. The team didn't panic after the Ravens loss. Andy made some changes, but it wasn't like he benched a bunch of starters and went into crisis mode. He didn't give any crazy Jim Fassell speeches about going "all in". Big Red did things quietly and subtly.
He ran the ball more. He mixed in Kyle Eckel to the offense. Lito Sheppard's playing time went down dramatically (after the Cardinals game...he had to play then because of an injury to Samuel). The team, which had been so close to being good earlier, responded to the changes and the pressure of the stretch run. The Eagles played lights out for most of the rest of the season and postseason.
We didn't get hot based on a fluke. We didn't get lucky in a bunch of games. The defense played great and the offense improved on short yardage situations and started getting into the endzone more efficiently.
The Eagles then had a terrific offseason by just about everyone's standard. Many different writers and analysts have said the Eagles had the best offseason of any team. I don't think it is unreasonable to see how well the team played from late November to late January and factor in the great offseason and then surmise that the Eagles are one of the NFC favorites.
There are legit questions and concerns, but I sure don't see the Eagles situation as any more troubling than any other NFC team. The Cowboys and Giants both lost stud receivers. How will that affect those offenses? The Redskins tried to get a new QB a couple of times in the offseason, but failed. Who is the best team in the NFC North? The Vikings, with or without Favre? We beat them at Minny last year. The Bears? Cutler is great, but where are his targets? The NFC South is always crazy. You don't know who will emerge from that division. As for the West...another mystery. The Cardinals were great in the postseason, but won the division by default essentially. The Rams were dreadful at times. SF has potential, but can't find a QB. Seattle has a new coach and could go any number of ways.
I know I'm an Eagles fan and that is going to make me at least somewhat biased, but what team out there is clearly better? Florio never really got to that point.
SUPP DRAFT
I have read several things on how the Supplemental Draft works, but they seem to conflict with each other in some small ways. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure of the full process.
Teams are supposed to email in picks to the league office. I'm just not sure if they do this on a round by round basis or all at once. Gil Brandt made a comment that each round lasted about 10 minutes. That sounds like it is done one round at a time. Other articles made it sound as though teams sent in bids all at once. This is where I get somewhat confused.
2009 SCHEDULE
I haven't looked at the schedule for the upcoming season in months. Doesn't matter to me. Games on paper really mean nothing. Who you play is only part of the equation. Timing is critical. The Rams of Week 1 were a complete disaster. They got much tougher when Jim Haslett took over. How different were the Cowboys in Week 17 as compared to Week 2? We were similar, but they were almost like 2 separate teams.
I used to memorize the schedule and try to really figure things out before hand. I learned a while ago that I'm better suited to focus on the next game or two and worry about the other games when they draw near. I know this puts me in the minority of fans. I guess one thing that has caused me to change is following college and pro football on such a large scale. I have to focus on who is playing each week from Thursday to Monday. That (and PBR/Megan Fox/the Grand Unified Theory) occupies most of my brain space.
I'm sure in late August or early September I'll have my annual nightmare that I've somehow missed the season opener. I overslept. It wasn't shown. I forgot about it. The nightmare is always different, but it really messes with me. And invariably the Eagles lose the game, making it that much more torturous of a situation. I'm made because of the loss and even madder that I missed the game. The horror. The horror.
_
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Saturday Stuff
***
SUPP DRAFT
Quick note on the Supplemental Draft. Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles were one of several teams that bid a 4th round pick on Jeremy Jarmon. That makes complete sense to me. The Eagles are big believers in value. They liked Jarmon, but weren't going to overpay when we've got a pretty solid DL.
The Skins needed help. To them, it was worth it to overpay a bit in order to land a player that can help them this season.
OLD FRIEND
The Eagles have been taking a look at Hollis Thomas according to Scout.com. They brought him in for a physical. We had Amon Gordon as the veteran Training Camp DT, but he got hurt and is done for the year because of an Achilles injury. We don't really need a DT on the roster right now, but you want to bring in some depth just in case. Hollis would be a longshot to make the team. Don't think this move is about adding a run stuffer or any worries with Bunk, Patt, or Laws. You bring in Hollis in case you need him because of injury. Remember...when did Noah build the Ark? Before it rained.
PERRY MASON DEPT.
Jack Ikegwuonu was found not guilty in his X-Box thievery trial. This case has dragged on for a while. I'm glad it is over. I still don't understand exactly what happened, but obviously it wasn't that serious. All's well that ends well. Now Jack better concentrate on football. If he sucks, Eagles fans will let him know it and he'll wish he was locked up in Wisconsin.
RE: Joe Mays
I mentioned Joe Mays being a backup and STer the other day. I'm not dismissive that he can't be a starter. I'm simply dealing with the situation from a percentages standpoint. Most likely he's meant to be a role player. Joe had a terrific summer last year. If he can build on that and play even better, Mays might in fact prove that he does deserve consideration as a future starter. I'm just trying to keep expectations realistic. I'll be very happy if he proves me wrong and we can somehow get him on the field. Mays was the most enjoyable part of the backup defense last summer. I'm looking forward to watching him here in a few weeks.
_
SUPP DRAFT
Quick note on the Supplemental Draft. Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles were one of several teams that bid a 4th round pick on Jeremy Jarmon. That makes complete sense to me. The Eagles are big believers in value. They liked Jarmon, but weren't going to overpay when we've got a pretty solid DL.
The Skins needed help. To them, it was worth it to overpay a bit in order to land a player that can help them this season.
OLD FRIEND
The Eagles have been taking a look at Hollis Thomas according to Scout.com. They brought him in for a physical. We had Amon Gordon as the veteran Training Camp DT, but he got hurt and is done for the year because of an Achilles injury. We don't really need a DT on the roster right now, but you want to bring in some depth just in case. Hollis would be a longshot to make the team. Don't think this move is about adding a run stuffer or any worries with Bunk, Patt, or Laws. You bring in Hollis in case you need him because of injury. Remember...when did Noah build the Ark? Before it rained.
PERRY MASON DEPT.
Jack Ikegwuonu was found not guilty in his X-Box thievery trial. This case has dragged on for a while. I'm glad it is over. I still don't understand exactly what happened, but obviously it wasn't that serious. All's well that ends well. Now Jack better concentrate on football. If he sucks, Eagles fans will let him know it and he'll wish he was locked up in Wisconsin.
RE: Joe Mays
I mentioned Joe Mays being a backup and STer the other day. I'm not dismissive that he can't be a starter. I'm simply dealing with the situation from a percentages standpoint. Most likely he's meant to be a role player. Joe had a terrific summer last year. If he can build on that and play even better, Mays might in fact prove that he does deserve consideration as a future starter. I'm just trying to keep expectations realistic. I'll be very happy if he proves me wrong and we can somehow get him on the field. Mays was the most enjoyable part of the backup defense last summer. I'm looking forward to watching him here in a few weeks.
_
Friday, July 17, 2009
New PE.com Column is Posted
***
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=17947
I discussed something we've talked about a bit on here...how good the defense can be in 2009. I also took a look at the lack of great players on the unit as it stands now and who might be able to take that next step from good to great.
RE: 2010 Draft
Someone asked about what positions the Eagles might be targeting in next Spring's draft. I waited until after the Supplemental Draft to post the answer.
LDE --- This is potentially the priority spot. We'll either see that Victor Abiamiri is the real deal or LDE becomes a need next offseason. If VA plays well, the job is his. If he is average, we'll bring in serious competition. If he gets hurt, we'll bring in serious competition. If he really struggles, we may actually turn to free agency to find an immediate solution.
SLB --- Chris Gocong will be a UFA at the end of the season (assuming there is a new CBA...if no new deal, he's stuck here for a couple more years). Should Chris leave we'll look for another long term solution. We would find a short term solution on the team or in FA.
Someone asked about Stewart Bradley moving to SAM in the future. That is possible. However, I think the Eagles like him enough at MLB that he'll stay there. Joe Mays has the feel of a really good STer, but I'm not sure that he is someone you definitely want starting.
RB --- We tend to prefer a group of players in the backfield. McCoy will hopefully be the future stud. Westy can hang on for a few years as a role player. There is space for a RB with some size and power.
CB --- This could become a position of need. Sheldon Brown might be in his final year as an Eagle. Ellis Hobbs could be part of the future or outta here. Jack Ikegwuonu is a mystery right now. We know Asante is the man at LCB. We know MmmBop will handle the slot. RCB is a mystery.
* We could use a #3 TE.
* We might look for a young QB to develop as a backup.
* WR depth could be a concern, but we'd be talking about a mid-round target.
Someone asked about Fullback. We have Marcus Mailei on the roster now. The Eagles liked him a lot. They brought him to Philly for a pre-draft visit. They obviously think he could be the future at FB. He might spend the year on the Practice Squad, but don't overlook Marcus when thinking about 2010.
The CBA situation will have a huge impact on next offseason. With no new deal, many guys will be "forced" to spend an extra year or two here. That would eliminate some depth questions and make our draft targets pretty interesting. We'd have a lot of freedom at that point. I'm hoping for a new deal, though. That's best for the health of the sport.
_
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=17947
I discussed something we've talked about a bit on here...how good the defense can be in 2009. I also took a look at the lack of great players on the unit as it stands now and who might be able to take that next step from good to great.
RE: 2010 Draft
Someone asked about what positions the Eagles might be targeting in next Spring's draft. I waited until after the Supplemental Draft to post the answer.
LDE --- This is potentially the priority spot. We'll either see that Victor Abiamiri is the real deal or LDE becomes a need next offseason. If VA plays well, the job is his. If he is average, we'll bring in serious competition. If he gets hurt, we'll bring in serious competition. If he really struggles, we may actually turn to free agency to find an immediate solution.
SLB --- Chris Gocong will be a UFA at the end of the season (assuming there is a new CBA...if no new deal, he's stuck here for a couple more years). Should Chris leave we'll look for another long term solution. We would find a short term solution on the team or in FA.
Someone asked about Stewart Bradley moving to SAM in the future. That is possible. However, I think the Eagles like him enough at MLB that he'll stay there. Joe Mays has the feel of a really good STer, but I'm not sure that he is someone you definitely want starting.
RB --- We tend to prefer a group of players in the backfield. McCoy will hopefully be the future stud. Westy can hang on for a few years as a role player. There is space for a RB with some size and power.
CB --- This could become a position of need. Sheldon Brown might be in his final year as an Eagle. Ellis Hobbs could be part of the future or outta here. Jack Ikegwuonu is a mystery right now. We know Asante is the man at LCB. We know MmmBop will handle the slot. RCB is a mystery.
* We could use a #3 TE.
* We might look for a young QB to develop as a backup.
* WR depth could be a concern, but we'd be talking about a mid-round target.
Someone asked about Fullback. We have Marcus Mailei on the roster now. The Eagles liked him a lot. They brought him to Philly for a pre-draft visit. They obviously think he could be the future at FB. He might spend the year on the Practice Squad, but don't overlook Marcus when thinking about 2010.
The CBA situation will have a huge impact on next offseason. With no new deal, many guys will be "forced" to spend an extra year or two here. That would eliminate some depth questions and make our draft targets pretty interesting. We'd have a lot of freedom at that point. I'm hoping for a new deal, though. That's best for the health of the sport.
_
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Supplemental Draft is Over
***
The only player picked was Jeremy Jarmon and he went to Washington for a 3rd round pick. That's a bit early for him and has an air of desperation to it. Jarmon was 4th round value. The fact he's available right now and could impact the upcoming season probably seemed good enough that WAS went ahead and made the pick.
I haven't been able to confirm if the Eagles had any interest. Things are very quiet at the NovaCare Complex right now. It wouldn't surprise me to find out the Eagles were going to try and use a later pick on Jarmon.
One thing to keep in mind is that we have enough at LDE to be okay for the upcoming year. Long term? We don't know. That largely depends on the progress of Victor Abiamiri. The good news is that there are several LDE prospects in the upcoming draft class who could be of interest. I'm glad we didn't overbid for Jarmon at this point. There could be better players on the board in April. Only make that pick if you need to or the player is good value. Neither was the case for us at this point.
_
The only player picked was Jeremy Jarmon and he went to Washington for a 3rd round pick. That's a bit early for him and has an air of desperation to it. Jarmon was 4th round value. The fact he's available right now and could impact the upcoming season probably seemed good enough that WAS went ahead and made the pick.
I haven't been able to confirm if the Eagles had any interest. Things are very quiet at the NovaCare Complex right now. It wouldn't surprise me to find out the Eagles were going to try and use a later pick on Jarmon.
One thing to keep in mind is that we have enough at LDE to be okay for the upcoming year. Long term? We don't know. That largely depends on the progress of Victor Abiamiri. The good news is that there are several LDE prospects in the upcoming draft class who could be of interest. I'm glad we didn't overbid for Jarmon at this point. There could be better players on the board in April. Only make that pick if you need to or the player is good value. Neither was the case for us at this point.
_
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Jeremy Jarmon
***
The Supplemental Draft is coming up on Thursday. There are several guys in the draft, but only one who is a sure thing to be picked. That is DE Jeremy Jarmon of Kentucky. I've written about him before. Jarmon seems like a good kid who got caught up in bad circumstances. He took a banned substance in the offseason and lost his Senior year because of that.
He played LDE at Kentucky. That just happens to be a spot where the Eagles would like to improve. The question then becomes if they'll pull the trigger and go after him and how early they would do that. I don't have a great feel for the situation. Jarmon makes a lot of sense in some regards, but not in others.
The case for taking Jarmon is that he does give us another true LDE. Jeremy is 6'3, 278. That's good size for the left side. Victor Abiamiri is bigger than that, but our other guys over there are in the 250-260 range. Also, we'd like someone to come in and really push Victor. Everyone feels he should win the LDE job this year, but you'd love good competition to keep him from getting complacent. Juqua Parker has his moments, but isn't meant to be a full-time starter.
The Eagles liked several DEs in the draft, but passed on them for one reason or another. The only body they added was Josh Gaines as a UDFA. He's not exactly competition for VA.
Jarmon is a good 2-way DE. He is a solid run defender. He'll take on blockers when the play comes at him and he'll chase plays that go away. He had 26 solo tackles, a solid total for a LDE. Jarmon has some playmaking ability, but he's not a force off the edge. He had 4.5 sacks last year and 10 TFLs. He did have 9 sacks back in 2007. There is some potential.
The case against taking Jarmon is that he's more of a prospect for the future and doesn't offer the kind of immediate help that a team with Super Bowl aspirations might be looking for. Again, we'd want him to come in and push VA. How likely is that? Jarmon would be joining the team just before Training Camp. He wouldn't have any knowledge of the scheme and would be trying to catch up in that area. Jarmon has been training for the NFL now for about 6 weeks or so. That's not the same as normal prospects. Those guys play in all star games. Then they train for the Combine. Then they train for their Pro Day. They have a break before the draft, but then quickly report to team camps and get right back in the flow of things. Jarmon hasn't been part of a team since January or early February. He could be a little rusty.
Let's take a look at the current group of DEs that is likely to make the roster:
RDE --- Trent Cole ... Bryan Smith
LDE --- V. Abiamiri ... Juqua Parker ... Chris Clemons
Misc --- Darren Howard
We have 6 guys for 5 spots as it is. The only way to take Jarmon is to do some shuffling. We could move Darren Howard to strictly DT. We then could cut Parker (or trade him). That eliminates 2 players and opens a spot for Jarmon. Do you take a chance of disrupting chemistry like that for Jarmon? Only if he's a player you really like and feel is worth it.
The other X-factor in all of this is the other 31 teams. We're deep at DE, but most teams are not. I can see any number of teams making a move for Jarmon before us. I could see 3-4 teams being very interested in him as a DE. There are several squads moving to the 3-4 that might see him as pretty valuable. DEN or KC might really like a young DE to add to the mix. Heck, the Steelers might be interested in him. 4-3 teams will also be interested. If Washington truly does move Brian Orakpo to SAM then adding Jarmon would help their DL. The Lions could use a young DE to develop for the future. The Colts might like some more DL help. Buffalo could use another young DE.
I think the Eagles are interested in Jarmon, but I'm not sure that they'll spend as high a pick as other teams. I think the Eagles see Jarmon as a luxury, a player to develop for the future. Other teams will want him to step into the mix immediately. I'm guessing that Jarmon goes in the 4th round or somewhere close. He had the potential to go higher with a good Senior season. He won't slide too far because teams are always looking for DL.
Without the normal pre-draft process, I haven't been able to develop a strong feel for Jarmon. He isn't a player I covet, but he's not the typical Supplemental Draft type. Jarmon is a quality prospect. I'd be happy if the Eagles got him for the right price, but I'll be disappointed if they spend a 2nd or 3rd round pick on him. We need those so we can trade up for Eric Berry next April. I know I'm delusional, but let me have my dreams.
_
The Supplemental Draft is coming up on Thursday. There are several guys in the draft, but only one who is a sure thing to be picked. That is DE Jeremy Jarmon of Kentucky. I've written about him before. Jarmon seems like a good kid who got caught up in bad circumstances. He took a banned substance in the offseason and lost his Senior year because of that.
He played LDE at Kentucky. That just happens to be a spot where the Eagles would like to improve. The question then becomes if they'll pull the trigger and go after him and how early they would do that. I don't have a great feel for the situation. Jarmon makes a lot of sense in some regards, but not in others.
The case for taking Jarmon is that he does give us another true LDE. Jeremy is 6'3, 278. That's good size for the left side. Victor Abiamiri is bigger than that, but our other guys over there are in the 250-260 range. Also, we'd like someone to come in and really push Victor. Everyone feels he should win the LDE job this year, but you'd love good competition to keep him from getting complacent. Juqua Parker has his moments, but isn't meant to be a full-time starter.
The Eagles liked several DEs in the draft, but passed on them for one reason or another. The only body they added was Josh Gaines as a UDFA. He's not exactly competition for VA.
Jarmon is a good 2-way DE. He is a solid run defender. He'll take on blockers when the play comes at him and he'll chase plays that go away. He had 26 solo tackles, a solid total for a LDE. Jarmon has some playmaking ability, but he's not a force off the edge. He had 4.5 sacks last year and 10 TFLs. He did have 9 sacks back in 2007. There is some potential.
The case against taking Jarmon is that he's more of a prospect for the future and doesn't offer the kind of immediate help that a team with Super Bowl aspirations might be looking for. Again, we'd want him to come in and push VA. How likely is that? Jarmon would be joining the team just before Training Camp. He wouldn't have any knowledge of the scheme and would be trying to catch up in that area. Jarmon has been training for the NFL now for about 6 weeks or so. That's not the same as normal prospects. Those guys play in all star games. Then they train for the Combine. Then they train for their Pro Day. They have a break before the draft, but then quickly report to team camps and get right back in the flow of things. Jarmon hasn't been part of a team since January or early February. He could be a little rusty.
Let's take a look at the current group of DEs that is likely to make the roster:
RDE --- Trent Cole ... Bryan Smith
LDE --- V. Abiamiri ... Juqua Parker ... Chris Clemons
Misc --- Darren Howard
We have 6 guys for 5 spots as it is. The only way to take Jarmon is to do some shuffling. We could move Darren Howard to strictly DT. We then could cut Parker (or trade him). That eliminates 2 players and opens a spot for Jarmon. Do you take a chance of disrupting chemistry like that for Jarmon? Only if he's a player you really like and feel is worth it.
The other X-factor in all of this is the other 31 teams. We're deep at DE, but most teams are not. I can see any number of teams making a move for Jarmon before us. I could see 3-4 teams being very interested in him as a DE. There are several squads moving to the 3-4 that might see him as pretty valuable. DEN or KC might really like a young DE to add to the mix. Heck, the Steelers might be interested in him. 4-3 teams will also be interested. If Washington truly does move Brian Orakpo to SAM then adding Jarmon would help their DL. The Lions could use a young DE to develop for the future. The Colts might like some more DL help. Buffalo could use another young DE.
I think the Eagles are interested in Jarmon, but I'm not sure that they'll spend as high a pick as other teams. I think the Eagles see Jarmon as a luxury, a player to develop for the future. Other teams will want him to step into the mix immediately. I'm guessing that Jarmon goes in the 4th round or somewhere close. He had the potential to go higher with a good Senior season. He won't slide too far because teams are always looking for DL.
Without the normal pre-draft process, I haven't been able to develop a strong feel for Jarmon. He isn't a player I covet, but he's not the typical Supplemental Draft type. Jarmon is a quality prospect. I'd be happy if the Eagles got him for the right price, but I'll be disappointed if they spend a 2nd or 3rd round pick on him. We need those so we can trade up for Eric Berry next April. I know I'm delusional, but let me have my dreams.
_
Monday, July 13, 2009
New Column
***
In this column I wrote about Gang Green's offense.
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=17934
On good days, that group was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, they came up way short when it counted in the postseason. In playoff losses from 1988-1992 the team scored a total of 35 points. Ouch.
RE: Alex Lewis
He's a backup LB and good STer. Let's not overstate his ability. The Lions are a rebuilding team with a good set of young LBs. Alex is older. Why not give his spot to a younger guy to develop for the future? I think Jim Schwartz realizes that the Lions aren't likely to compete for a playoff spot. He wants to fill the team with young players or his guys wherever possible. The Takeo Spikes analogy is somewhat similar, except we're talking about a backup instead of a starter.
RE: Reggie Brown
We can easily keep 6 WRs on the roster. I referred the other day to whether we would have 6 active receivers on gameday. Huge difference. I don't doubt that Brown could be kept on the roster. I just wonder if he has any chance of regularly playing in games, without someone else getting hurt.
WR: Brandon Gibson
He's an ideal Practice Squad candidate. He's not the kind of dynamic player that is likely to be picked up by another team. I'd love to keep him on the PS for a year and then add him to the mix in 2010. Reggie may not be back. Both Avant and Baskett are FAs. We might need Brandon at that point.
_
In this column I wrote about Gang Green's offense.
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=17934
On good days, that group was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, they came up way short when it counted in the postseason. In playoff losses from 1988-1992 the team scored a total of 35 points. Ouch.
RE: Alex Lewis
He's a backup LB and good STer. Let's not overstate his ability. The Lions are a rebuilding team with a good set of young LBs. Alex is older. Why not give his spot to a younger guy to develop for the future? I think Jim Schwartz realizes that the Lions aren't likely to compete for a playoff spot. He wants to fill the team with young players or his guys wherever possible. The Takeo Spikes analogy is somewhat similar, except we're talking about a backup instead of a starter.
RE: Reggie Brown
We can easily keep 6 WRs on the roster. I referred the other day to whether we would have 6 active receivers on gameday. Huge difference. I don't doubt that Brown could be kept on the roster. I just wonder if he has any chance of regularly playing in games, without someone else getting hurt.
WR: Brandon Gibson
He's an ideal Practice Squad candidate. He's not the kind of dynamic player that is likely to be picked up by another team. I'd love to keep him on the PS for a year and then add him to the mix in 2010. Reggie may not be back. Both Avant and Baskett are FAs. We might need Brandon at that point.
_
Saturday, July 11, 2009
NFC East Item & Comments
***
I was thinking the other day about what player in the division has the most pressure on him. You immediate think of Donovan and Eli Manning for the Eagles and Giants. I honestly couldn't think of a Redskin with a ton of pressure on him. The obvious guess is Jason Campbell, but because the team tried to replace him this year it is almost as if he can fail and not get blamed (by other teams). They'd see that the Skins weren't committed to him.
The Cowboys are the team with a ton of pressure on them. Conventional wisdom is that Tony Romo is the key guy. I'm wondering if WR Roy Williams isn't even in a worse situation. Romo has carried that team on his back at times. He's won games with late games heroics. He's a career overachiever that other teams would kill to get their hands on.
Roy is basically the opposite. He was a Top 15 pick by the Lions and has been a career underachiever, save for the 2006 season. The Cowboys then traded 1st and 3rd round picks for him. They booted Terrell Owens and gave his job to Williams. The Cowboys are expecting Roy to go from underachiever to key player on a winning team. Heck, a team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
Romo still has Jason Witten to throw the ball to. He has young TE Martellus Bennett to throw to. Patrick Crayton should be even better. There are 3 good RBs. I fully expect Romo to post good numbers. Williams is the guy who will be judged against TO's numbers.
Check out Roy's 2 best seasons:
2006 - 82 - 1310 - 7
2007 - 64 - 838 - 5
TO's worst 2 seasons as a full time player:
1997 - 60 - 936 - 8
1998 - 67 - 1097 - 14
Here are his 3 years in Dallas:
2006 - 85 - 1180 - 13
2007 - 81 - 1355 - 15
2008 - 69 - 1052 - 10
Do you see the picture that is being painted? TO at his worst is about the same as Roy at his best. The easy thing to say is that TO has played with better QBs and on better teams in his career. That is partially true. However, doesn't TO get credit for helping a no-name guy like Jeff Garcia blossom into a star QB? Owens made his QBs better. He had a definite impact on McNabb. Roy hasn't made his QBs better. If anything, he may have made them worse.
And how is Roy going to respond to the pressure of being a Dallas Cowboy? He never had pressure in Detroit. All he had to do was catch his 60 passes and make vaction plans for January. The first key drop in Dallas will cause a major firestorm.
As always, things in Big D ought to be interesting this Fall. I'm hoping for the best...and by that I mean worst, of course.
RE: Alex Lewis
The Lions cut him because they are trying to rebuild that organization. He was going to make more money than they wanted to play a role player. They've got a nice collection of LBs right now, mostly young.
RE: Avant
I probably need to write a long post on him at some point. He really is perfect for the slot. His 3rd down catches in the playoffs had a huge impact in our 2 wins.
RE: Reggie
I'm not sure what to think of Reggie Brown and us. I think his primary value for us is as an insurance policy. He would go from Inactive to Starter. Weird, huh? I'm projecting DeSean and KC as the starters. Avant is the slot. Hank and Maclin are role players that get mixed in on the outside. That is 5 WRs. Would we keep 6 active on gameday? Not likely. That's the problem for Reggie.
Also, remember that the offense got in a nice rhythm when we dialed back some of the WR packages and focused more on the starters, with role players mixed in.
_
I was thinking the other day about what player in the division has the most pressure on him. You immediate think of Donovan and Eli Manning for the Eagles and Giants. I honestly couldn't think of a Redskin with a ton of pressure on him. The obvious guess is Jason Campbell, but because the team tried to replace him this year it is almost as if he can fail and not get blamed (by other teams). They'd see that the Skins weren't committed to him.
The Cowboys are the team with a ton of pressure on them. Conventional wisdom is that Tony Romo is the key guy. I'm wondering if WR Roy Williams isn't even in a worse situation. Romo has carried that team on his back at times. He's won games with late games heroics. He's a career overachiever that other teams would kill to get their hands on.
Roy is basically the opposite. He was a Top 15 pick by the Lions and has been a career underachiever, save for the 2006 season. The Cowboys then traded 1st and 3rd round picks for him. They booted Terrell Owens and gave his job to Williams. The Cowboys are expecting Roy to go from underachiever to key player on a winning team. Heck, a team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
Romo still has Jason Witten to throw the ball to. He has young TE Martellus Bennett to throw to. Patrick Crayton should be even better. There are 3 good RBs. I fully expect Romo to post good numbers. Williams is the guy who will be judged against TO's numbers.
Check out Roy's 2 best seasons:
2006 - 82 - 1310 - 7
2007 - 64 - 838 - 5
TO's worst 2 seasons as a full time player:
1997 - 60 - 936 - 8
1998 - 67 - 1097 - 14
Here are his 3 years in Dallas:
2006 - 85 - 1180 - 13
2007 - 81 - 1355 - 15
2008 - 69 - 1052 - 10
Do you see the picture that is being painted? TO at his worst is about the same as Roy at his best. The easy thing to say is that TO has played with better QBs and on better teams in his career. That is partially true. However, doesn't TO get credit for helping a no-name guy like Jeff Garcia blossom into a star QB? Owens made his QBs better. He had a definite impact on McNabb. Roy hasn't made his QBs better. If anything, he may have made them worse.
And how is Roy going to respond to the pressure of being a Dallas Cowboy? He never had pressure in Detroit. All he had to do was catch his 60 passes and make vaction plans for January. The first key drop in Dallas will cause a major firestorm.
As always, things in Big D ought to be interesting this Fall. I'm hoping for the best...and by that I mean worst, of course.
RE: Alex Lewis
The Lions cut him because they are trying to rebuild that organization. He was going to make more money than they wanted to play a role player. They've got a nice collection of LBs right now, mostly young.
RE: Avant
I probably need to write a long post on him at some point. He really is perfect for the slot. His 3rd down catches in the playoffs had a huge impact in our 2 wins.
RE: Reggie
I'm not sure what to think of Reggie Brown and us. I think his primary value for us is as an insurance policy. He would go from Inactive to Starter. Weird, huh? I'm projecting DeSean and KC as the starters. Avant is the slot. Hank and Maclin are role players that get mixed in on the outside. That is 5 WRs. Would we keep 6 active on gameday? Not likely. That's the problem for Reggie.
Also, remember that the offense got in a nice rhythm when we dialed back some of the WR packages and focused more on the starters, with role players mixed in.
_
Friday, July 10, 2009
Random Thoughts
***
RE: Curtis
Kevin Curtis was brought here to be a starter, not the slot guy. They paid him good money. Also, you could see how aggressive Donovan was at trying to get him the ball in the 2007 preseason. They were trying to create chemistry between them in a hurry, something Donnie has done well over recent years. He quickly got Donte Stallworth and DeSean Jackson acclimated to the offense. He also "nurtured" Hank Baskett and Reggie Brown. You could see at Training Camp that McNabb knew he had to speed them up because of a need at WR.
Back to KC. He could end up in the slot in the future, but don't count on that. Avant is a perfect slot receiver. He's tough and physical. He can be effective, even when he only catches 35-40 passes in a year. Plus, Avant is a good STer. Kevin isn't as likely to be joining our STs unit. We'll see how it all plays out. This is a very fluid situation, now and in the future. Nothing is set in stone. We could have an injury shake things up. Somebody could have a career year. All kinds of stuff can happen.
What we see on the field in 2009 will determine the fates of these guys. We sure have come a long way since the days of Charles Johnson, Torrance Small, and Na Brown.
RE: Washington's Training Camp Policy
I agree that Jim Zorn is making a mistake by letting his veterans go home for evenings. TC is only 2 1/2 weeks. Keep the guys together. Build some cohesion. It isn't like these guys will develop permanent relationships by staying together, but I do think it helps form some kind of bond. All you need is for the guys to get on the same page for a season. Everything starts anew the following offseason when players come and go.
RE: Backup SAM
The Lions this week cut SLB Alex Lewis. I've been a fan of his since he played in college. He once put the West Va QB in the hospital with a big hit in the season opener. That's my kind of LB.
We still don't have a clear cut backup SAM. I'd love for us to add Lewis as a backup and STer. Have him and Tracy White compete for a spot. I haven't heard anything about the Eagles being interested. I've just been a fan of Alex's because I enjoyed watching him when he was a draft prospect and he would fill a potential hole. And he is a good STs player.
_
RE: Curtis
Kevin Curtis was brought here to be a starter, not the slot guy. They paid him good money. Also, you could see how aggressive Donovan was at trying to get him the ball in the 2007 preseason. They were trying to create chemistry between them in a hurry, something Donnie has done well over recent years. He quickly got Donte Stallworth and DeSean Jackson acclimated to the offense. He also "nurtured" Hank Baskett and Reggie Brown. You could see at Training Camp that McNabb knew he had to speed them up because of a need at WR.
Back to KC. He could end up in the slot in the future, but don't count on that. Avant is a perfect slot receiver. He's tough and physical. He can be effective, even when he only catches 35-40 passes in a year. Plus, Avant is a good STer. Kevin isn't as likely to be joining our STs unit. We'll see how it all plays out. This is a very fluid situation, now and in the future. Nothing is set in stone. We could have an injury shake things up. Somebody could have a career year. All kinds of stuff can happen.
What we see on the field in 2009 will determine the fates of these guys. We sure have come a long way since the days of Charles Johnson, Torrance Small, and Na Brown.
RE: Washington's Training Camp Policy
I agree that Jim Zorn is making a mistake by letting his veterans go home for evenings. TC is only 2 1/2 weeks. Keep the guys together. Build some cohesion. It isn't like these guys will develop permanent relationships by staying together, but I do think it helps form some kind of bond. All you need is for the guys to get on the same page for a season. Everything starts anew the following offseason when players come and go.
RE: Backup SAM
The Lions this week cut SLB Alex Lewis. I've been a fan of his since he played in college. He once put the West Va QB in the hospital with a big hit in the season opener. That's my kind of LB.
We still don't have a clear cut backup SAM. I'd love for us to add Lewis as a backup and STer. Have him and Tracy White compete for a spot. I haven't heard anything about the Eagles being interested. I've just been a fan of Alex's because I enjoyed watching him when he was a draft prospect and he would fill a potential hole. And he is a good STs player.
_
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
More on Curtis
***
Sorry for the lack of activity. I took a short vacation and actually was away from the computer more than I had planned. I hope everyone enjoyed their July 4th weekend.
Kevin Curtis is a tough subject. His numbers look pretty good initially. We have to focus on TDs and clutch plays to really see the differences in productive players and very good players.
Kevin has 8 TDs as an Eagle.
* 3 came in a blowout win over the Lions
* 1 came on a missed tackle that turned into a 75-yd play vs the Jets
* 1 came in a loss to SEA
* 1 came in a comfortable win over the Saints, a lousy pass defense
* 1 came in a blowout win over Cleveland
* 1 came in a close loss to the Giants
In 10 division games he has 1 TD catch. The Lions game sounds great, but you have to keep that in context. That was one of the worst defensive performances I've seen in the last 5 to 10 years. They were beyond dreadful. The Jets TD was huge. We might not win that game without it. Kevin had good speed to take advantage of the sloppy tackle. Still, it was a missed tackle.
I guess my question is this...is Kevin the kind of player who beats defenses or is he the guy who takes advantage of of certain situations? Does that make sense?
I know he can make some clutch plays. He's come up big on some 3rd downs. He made a terrific catch in the late season win over the Giants that broke open the game. I'm not trying to discount that stuff. But I also can't overlook the 4th down drop vs the Redskins early in 2007 or the 4th down play vs Arizona in the NFC-CG. Those were plays where the game was on the line. Neither pass was ideal, but isn't that when you need a big time receiver to help out the QB?
Remember, the question isn't whether Curtis is talented. He is. He's a good player. The question I've been trying to get at is "how good"? We're making a serious run at the Super Bowl this year. You need guys to step up in those years. I fully expect DeSean to improve, but we'd also benefit greatly from Kevin coming up big. Think about how clutch the Steelers and Cardinals receivers were. I'm obviously not directly comparing our guys to Larry Fitzgerald. What he did was freakish last January/February. We do need our guys to be clutch and to make key plays.
RE: Future at WR
I didn't bring up the subject of KC because Jeremy Maclin is on pace to start ahead of him or anything like that. The only reason to compare those two is when thinking of the future. Assuming Kevin is fully healthy, I'm expecting him to start this year. How he plays in 2009 will determine the future. If he catches 75 passes and has 10 TDs the team will have a difficult decision. If he catches 45 and 4...get ready for the Jeremy Maclin show in 2010.
I do hear the team is very excited about Maclin, but as we've discussed he has a tougher transition to the Pro Game than DeSean did. Think of him as a talented role player for the time being. We'll see how this summer goes. If he shows he can handle the pro game the team won't be afraid to mix him in. I'm curious to see what he does at Lehigh and in the preseason.
Reggie Brown is the X-factor in all of this. How nuts would it be if he actually outplayed Curtis and won the starting X-receiver job? My sources haven't told me squat about Brown. Dave Spadaro has said a lot of good things about Reggie this Spring, but that could be a PR stunt to boost his trade value just as easily as it could be legit praise. We don't know. I'm certainly not expecting Reggie to do much, but sometimes oddball guys like him play a role in a title run. Just think about the Steelers makeshift OL.
RE: LeSean McCoy
I'll write out some more thoughts on him in a later post. I need to do some checking to get more info.
_
Sorry for the lack of activity. I took a short vacation and actually was away from the computer more than I had planned. I hope everyone enjoyed their July 4th weekend.
Kevin Curtis is a tough subject. His numbers look pretty good initially. We have to focus on TDs and clutch plays to really see the differences in productive players and very good players.
Kevin has 8 TDs as an Eagle.
* 3 came in a blowout win over the Lions
* 1 came on a missed tackle that turned into a 75-yd play vs the Jets
* 1 came in a loss to SEA
* 1 came in a comfortable win over the Saints, a lousy pass defense
* 1 came in a blowout win over Cleveland
* 1 came in a close loss to the Giants
In 10 division games he has 1 TD catch. The Lions game sounds great, but you have to keep that in context. That was one of the worst defensive performances I've seen in the last 5 to 10 years. They were beyond dreadful. The Jets TD was huge. We might not win that game without it. Kevin had good speed to take advantage of the sloppy tackle. Still, it was a missed tackle.
I guess my question is this...is Kevin the kind of player who beats defenses or is he the guy who takes advantage of of certain situations? Does that make sense?
I know he can make some clutch plays. He's come up big on some 3rd downs. He made a terrific catch in the late season win over the Giants that broke open the game. I'm not trying to discount that stuff. But I also can't overlook the 4th down drop vs the Redskins early in 2007 or the 4th down play vs Arizona in the NFC-CG. Those were plays where the game was on the line. Neither pass was ideal, but isn't that when you need a big time receiver to help out the QB?
Remember, the question isn't whether Curtis is talented. He is. He's a good player. The question I've been trying to get at is "how good"? We're making a serious run at the Super Bowl this year. You need guys to step up in those years. I fully expect DeSean to improve, but we'd also benefit greatly from Kevin coming up big. Think about how clutch the Steelers and Cardinals receivers were. I'm obviously not directly comparing our guys to Larry Fitzgerald. What he did was freakish last January/February. We do need our guys to be clutch and to make key plays.
RE: Future at WR
I didn't bring up the subject of KC because Jeremy Maclin is on pace to start ahead of him or anything like that. The only reason to compare those two is when thinking of the future. Assuming Kevin is fully healthy, I'm expecting him to start this year. How he plays in 2009 will determine the future. If he catches 75 passes and has 10 TDs the team will have a difficult decision. If he catches 45 and 4...get ready for the Jeremy Maclin show in 2010.
I do hear the team is very excited about Maclin, but as we've discussed he has a tougher transition to the Pro Game than DeSean did. Think of him as a talented role player for the time being. We'll see how this summer goes. If he shows he can handle the pro game the team won't be afraid to mix him in. I'm curious to see what he does at Lehigh and in the preseason.
Reggie Brown is the X-factor in all of this. How nuts would it be if he actually outplayed Curtis and won the starting X-receiver job? My sources haven't told me squat about Brown. Dave Spadaro has said a lot of good things about Reggie this Spring, but that could be a PR stunt to boost his trade value just as easily as it could be legit praise. We don't know. I'm certainly not expecting Reggie to do much, but sometimes oddball guys like him play a role in a title run. Just think about the Steelers makeshift OL.
RE: LeSean McCoy
I'll write out some more thoughts on him in a later post. I need to do some checking to get more info.
_
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Kevin Curtis
***
I don't really know what to make of Kevin Curtis. Look at his numbers in 2 years as an Eagle:
2007: 77 - 1110 - 14.4 ypc - 6 TDs
2008: 33 - 390- 11.8 ypc - 2 TDs
Those numbers from '07 are pretty darn good. Then again, take out the Detroit game and they aren't as good. Remember that day? Kevin caught 11 passes for 221 yards and 3 TDs. He was constantly wide open in the Lions secondary.
I'm not trying to rip Curtis, but rather just figure out how good he is. He only has 20 career TD catches so clearly he's not a weapon. At the same time I do think he's more than just a slot receiver. We know he has good hands. We know he has pretty good speed and very good quickness. He missed the early part of the '08 season because of his groin injury. He should be all the way back for 2009.
This is the year that should tell us how good Kevin truly is. He fully knows the offense. He and Donovan have been together a couple of years. He should be healthy. And he'll have a weapon across from him in the person of DeSean Jackson. Kevin has everything set up for him to have a really good year.
I don't like talking about numbers, but we do need some goals for the year. I'm hoping Kevin can catch 60 passes and 6 to 8 TDs. There are a couple of x-factors. If Cornelius Ingram or Jeremy Maclin really shine that could cut into Kevin's touches. At that point I'm not going to complain. The goal is to have an explosive passing attack. Where all the numbers come from isn't vital. I'm not expecting either rookie to have huge numbers, though. That should allow a lot of passes to come Kevin's way. And we need him to come up big.
RE: The Blind Side
I read that a few months back. Outstanding book.
_
I don't really know what to make of Kevin Curtis. Look at his numbers in 2 years as an Eagle:
2007: 77 - 1110 - 14.4 ypc - 6 TDs
2008: 33 - 390- 11.8 ypc - 2 TDs
Those numbers from '07 are pretty darn good. Then again, take out the Detroit game and they aren't as good. Remember that day? Kevin caught 11 passes for 221 yards and 3 TDs. He was constantly wide open in the Lions secondary.
I'm not trying to rip Curtis, but rather just figure out how good he is. He only has 20 career TD catches so clearly he's not a weapon. At the same time I do think he's more than just a slot receiver. We know he has good hands. We know he has pretty good speed and very good quickness. He missed the early part of the '08 season because of his groin injury. He should be all the way back for 2009.
This is the year that should tell us how good Kevin truly is. He fully knows the offense. He and Donovan have been together a couple of years. He should be healthy. And he'll have a weapon across from him in the person of DeSean Jackson. Kevin has everything set up for him to have a really good year.
I don't like talking about numbers, but we do need some goals for the year. I'm hoping Kevin can catch 60 passes and 6 to 8 TDs. There are a couple of x-factors. If Cornelius Ingram or Jeremy Maclin really shine that could cut into Kevin's touches. At that point I'm not going to complain. The goal is to have an explosive passing attack. Where all the numbers come from isn't vital. I'm not expecting either rookie to have huge numbers, though. That should allow a lot of passes to come Kevin's way. And we need him to come up big.
RE: The Blind Side
I read that a few months back. Outstanding book.
_
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Miscellaneous Items
***
LeSean McCoy signed with the team earlier in the week. That is great news. We need him to be ready to play. There won't be a holdout or any delays. McCoy can now concentrate on learning the playbook and being ready to play.
It is going to be interesting to see how much McCoy plays this year. Big Red let Buck go, which opened a spot for McCoy to be the backup RB. McCoy is signed. He played in a pro style offense. The learning curve won't be huge for him. Everything points to McCoy being an integral part of the offense. If Reid doesn't use him that is going to drive a lot of us crazy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
RESPONDING TO COMMENTS
RE: Gang Green
My memory is that Chris Berman came up with that name for the defense during the 1991 season. He was talking about how great the defense was and said the only thing they lacked was a nickname.
Since Chris grew up a Jets fan I can't imagine he'd have used the Gang Green nickname if it was tied to the Jets. The nickname stuck with some Eagles fans, but not football fans in general. I'm not sure who started referring to the Jets as Gang Green.
RE: seeing those teams live
I did not get to see those guys live. I attended my first Eagles game in 2004. I saw the MNF game against the Vikings in Week 2. I regret that I never saw a game at The Vet.
RE: Byron Evans
I think Buddy loved Byron. Mike Richenbach was already in place when Buddy took BE. Richenbach knew the defense inside out, but simply lacked the athletic ability needed to be the MLB in the 46. It did take Byron 2 years to become the full time starter. The 46 was very complicated for the MLB. I think Byron just took time to learn the scheme. Once he got the job he was great.
I'm going to write a full post about the current defense and areas that need improvement and possible trouble spots.
_
LeSean McCoy signed with the team earlier in the week. That is great news. We need him to be ready to play. There won't be a holdout or any delays. McCoy can now concentrate on learning the playbook and being ready to play.
It is going to be interesting to see how much McCoy plays this year. Big Red let Buck go, which opened a spot for McCoy to be the backup RB. McCoy is signed. He played in a pro style offense. The learning curve won't be huge for him. Everything points to McCoy being an integral part of the offense. If Reid doesn't use him that is going to drive a lot of us crazy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
RESPONDING TO COMMENTS
RE: Gang Green
My memory is that Chris Berman came up with that name for the defense during the 1991 season. He was talking about how great the defense was and said the only thing they lacked was a nickname.
Since Chris grew up a Jets fan I can't imagine he'd have used the Gang Green nickname if it was tied to the Jets. The nickname stuck with some Eagles fans, but not football fans in general. I'm not sure who started referring to the Jets as Gang Green.
RE: seeing those teams live
I did not get to see those guys live. I attended my first Eagles game in 2004. I saw the MNF game against the Vikings in Week 2. I regret that I never saw a game at The Vet.
RE: Byron Evans
I think Buddy loved Byron. Mike Richenbach was already in place when Buddy took BE. Richenbach knew the defense inside out, but simply lacked the athletic ability needed to be the MLB in the 46. It did take Byron 2 years to become the full time starter. The 46 was very complicated for the MLB. I think Byron just took time to learn the scheme. Once he got the job he was great.
I'm going to write a full post about the current defense and areas that need improvement and possible trouble spots.
_
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