Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Celek Gets Extended

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Good news. Brent Celek signed an extension that will keep him an Eagle through the 2016 season. Wait, don't they know the world will end in 2012? Odd. Anyway, Brent is one of our best young players. It's great that we were able to sign him long term. He's playing very well this year, but I think Brent will be even better in a year or two. He's got some subtleties to yet master about getting open and blocking.

We all got on Brent for dropping passes in the WAS game only to find out he had a bum thumb. I have to think that hindered him. We've seen Brent drop a pass here and there, but normally he's been sure-handed.


TIDBITS

* My new PE.com column is posted. Lots of Jason Avant praise inside.

--LINK--


* Expect Jeremy Maclin to be the PR this week if DeSean is out. I'm expecting us to sit DJax. Better safe than sorry when it comes to concussions. Maclin has looked better on punts than KOs, but he hasn't looked anything like the stud he was at Mizzou. I'm not totally sure why that is. Obviously coverage units are faster and better in the NFL, but that still doesn't explain why he's struggled so mightily as a returner. Jeremy was a dynamic weapon on punts and KOs in college.


* If DeSean is out the team will probably tweak the roster to add another body at WR. Goodbye backup CB, hello Practice Squad receiver. Just a guess.


* I posted a mock draft at ScoutsNotebook. Here it is:

http://www.scoutsnotebook.com/modules.php?name=mockdraft0910


I had the Eagles taking TCU pass rusher Jerry Hughes. He played LDE for them. Only goes about 6'2, 260, but he is a very good edge rusher. Jerry has 26.5 sacks over the last 2 years.

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12 comments:

Dollar Brand said...

Hughes would be a nice pick up. Amazing that he played RB in HS down here and is so dynamic on that TCU front four. Just don't know if he would fall all the way to 32. (I can dream, right?)

Brendan Gephart said...

Tommy,

Any reason we wouldn't take Taylor Mays of he was still on the board? A lot of mock's have him going after the birds pick and it seems like he would be a good fit and maybe fill one of Dawkins shoes. Your thoughts?

Adam S. said...

I don't know anything about Jerry Hughes, matter of fact I don't know a whole lot about college players until the NFL is over. I live in Canada and we don't get much for NCAA coverage here.

You would take Hughes over Taylor Mays? From what I've read on Mays in the past he is a starting safety from day one. Has he struggled this year? I know USC has but I dunno about individual players. I know we need a LDE but it just seems strange to turn down a guy that could soliify that FS spot like Dawkins did for the next 10+ years. But like I said I'm basing this off what I'd read before the year.

and I know it's obviously way to early to put any weight into any mock drafts, if there is even a time to do so.

Boyboy said...

We definitely have a need at both positions. I don't follow college closely so I don't know what to make of either of these guys. I kind of think of it this way though:

If I have a better pass rush, I can get by with the safties that we have. However, if I have a baller in the secondary, that can help a lot when the pressure isn't there. If you look at Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, and Darren Sharper, they are always around the ball making plays. The plays the make are always predicated by a great pass rush, although sometimes they are.

I think in this defense we can manufacturer pressure with blitz packages and the personnel that we have. We can't scheme to have a safety close on a ball and make the INT. Without knowing much about either player (aside from them both being highly touted), I'd take the safety.

Cliff said...

Tommy, I think you stole the Hughes pick from. Go ahead, admit it. He just fits what the Eagles would want in a DE.

But you never know. Hughes could have a huge combine and become a top 10 pick. Obviously I don't have to tell you that.

I've seen the mock drafts that have us taking Taylor Mays, too. However, those mocks are assuming we have issues at safety, mostly because of Dawkins's departure.

Personally, I think the Eagles are happy enough with Macho to spend their 1st rounder elsewhere, especially when DE appears to be such a big need.

But hey, who knows - maybe we'll draft a RB this year. Crazier things have happened inside this draft room.

Cliff said...

One more thing...

Celek got his extension. Great news.

But when is Avant going to get his?

Boyboy said...

@ Cliff

I heard Adam Caplan report that that will be the last extension coming from the Eagles right now. I guess they were about $3 million under the cap before the Celek deal.

I guess they'll have to wait til after the season and make some roster moves to clear more space for further extensions. I wonder how Sheldon Brown feels that two other players that aren't him received extensions?

Myron said...

Tommy: What do you think of Navarro Bowman as a potential draft target for the Eagles?

Boyboy said...

I love that draft talk is already starting! I wonder if Tommy thought about the can of worms that he was opening?

Unknown said...

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/02/desean-jackson-says-i-dont-think-i-can-go/

That doesn't sound much like the DeSean we know.

Adam S. said...

The Falcons must be avid readers of your comments section there Tommy. That or BoyBoy is on to something. The Falcons released Jason Elam and who did they sign to replace him? Mr. 62 yarder himself Matt Bryant. I got a good chuckle out of this when I saw it.

Boyboy said...

Ah...I heard they were bringing him in for a workout. Didn't realize they signed him. Well I guess I'm wrong about Elam getting his mojo back against us. But I still won't rule out Bryant killing us again.