Friday, April 30, 2010

Mini-Camp Stuff

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We found out quite a few interesting things after the first practice session of the 2010 season.  One thing has to be stressed.  Just because guys lined up somewhere today does not mean that is where they will play.  The coaches are in a tough bind.  They want to experiment with certain guys.  They also need guys to fill some spots where we are unsure of the depth chart.  For instance, LB Keenan Clayton was told last weekend that he would play the WLB position.  This week he's actually at SAM.  At 6'1, 225 I doubt he has a long future at SAM.  Sure, we could bulk him up, but I think this is just a matter of helping practice to run smoothly.  We've got a bunch of WLBs.  Clayton played SAM in college so he can line up there and be functional.

Macho Harris was the starting FS.  We've heard Big Red talk about the fact he'll play Cb.  I'm guessing that the coaches wanted someone who knew where to be and could help the other guys to line up correctly.  Using Macho at FS for the weekend makes some sense.

Joselio Hanson was the starting RCB.  I said earlier today that he had zero chance of actually getting that job.  I still think that is true.  He just was the right fit for the weekend's practice.

We'll see guys shifted around this weekend.  The coaches are experimenting and will keep an open mind about how best to use the versatile players we've amassed for the 2010 season.  Some notes of interest:

* OC --- Mike McGlynn and Nick Cole split time at Center.  No word on Mischa Barton.  I'm happy that Mike is being given a chance.  I loved him at Pitt.  I have faith in Nick, but it would not shock me to see McGlynn win the job.

* DL --- First unit:  Cole, Bunk, Patt, Juqua.   Second unit:  RE Tapp, Laws, Dixon, LE Graham.  Teo was the LDE on the #3 group.

* Max Jean-Gilles is missing camp because he had Gastro-Bypass surgery.  He had a band put in (or on?).  Good for Max.  I'm not his biggest fan, but it isn't personal.  I've heard he's a pretty good guy.  My beef is that he was too big and not mean enough.  Guys with his natural size should be bullies.  I hope Max comes out of this a lean, mean, blocking machine.  From now on he is Dewey Oxberger.

* Early reports from the Eagles beat writers made it sound as if Kevin Kolb looked pretty good, but that Mike Vick was struggling.  No surprise there.  Vick has never been a gifted practice QB.  I remember watching him in Training Camp in ATL when he would struggle at times in the 7-on-7 drills.  QBs should shine when they don't face a pass rush.

* Stewart Bradley is back.   He is on the field and moving around pretty well from what I gather.  That is great news.  Boy did we miss Disco Stew in '09. 

* No word yet on whether Trevard Lindley looks like a combination of Asomugha, Revis, and Troy Vincent.

* The Eagles added a couple of newbies.  Rookie FA DT Darryl Jackson is here.   Greg Isdaner returned to the team.  Failed physicals opened holes for them.  OG Shawn Murphy and rookie Charles Alexander both failed.  That sounds so harsh. 


The guys are running around in shorts and shirts so you expect everyone to look pretty good.  What you're hoping to see is if someone stands out.  I watched a couple of practice clips and Jason Peters looked terrific in the footwork drills.  He's so much more fluid and agile than the rest of the OL that it isn't funny.  That is just God-given ability.

I am curious to see how the OC battle plays out.  I'm happy that it is an open competition.  I'm sure McGlynn has been dying to get on the field.  He was a 4-year starter at Pitt.  Watching games has to drive him nuts.  At the same time, Cole has been a starter for the last year and a half.  You can bet he doesn't want to sit.

I'm not sure what to make of Juqua Parker being the starter at LDE.  Tapp said he was told by Reid that he was coming here to start.  Could be Juqua is there just to help keep the practice sessions smooth.  I fully expect Tapp or Graham to win that job.  The x-factor here is if the team is trying to deal Juqua and wants to promote the notion that he's a projected starter.  I doubt that's the case, but the Eagles are a crafty bunch when they want to be.

The battle at RCB may not happen for a while.  Hanson started because Macho is still at FS and Ellis Hobbs isn't ready to go.  We need those guys competing to really know what's going on.

I am curious about FS.  I'm hoping Nate Allen gets that job soon.  He has to earn it.  Nothing is given to a rookie.  I think Nate is ready to handle the job and the more reps he has, the better.  Him taking that spot would free up Macho to go to the slot or RCB. 

I know I said I'd talk about McDermott today.  I'm going to push that off til tomorrow.  I don't have time to focus on writing out my thoughts and adding the proper research today. 
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14 comments:

Unknown said...

Just me there fell that Nick Cole looked very bad in the footwork drills?

Adam S. said...

Boy oh Boy am I glad there's no Mischa Barton, she creeps me out.

Did McGlynn block for McCoy at any point? I don't wanna do the math to figure it out so I figured I would just ask.

I don't understand how a rookie free agent fails a physical. Are you not prepared AT ALL for what's to come? It boggles my mind that people with the size/strength/ability to have a shot at professional sports do not take full advantage of that opportunity.

Cliff said...

I see Riley Cooper is #14. That means we could see packages where #10, #18, and #14 are on the field at the same time.

Is that not weird to anyone?

Cliff said...

Another thing...

For years, I always feared the impact of Trent Cole going down with an injury in the summer. You just can't replace a guy like Cole, obviously.

We saw the impact of not having Bradley all season. That was truly devastating. I imagine an injury to Trent would be similar, if not worse.

This off-season, however, I'm not as terrified. Haha. We're still razor-thin at MLB, though.

Unknown said...

I love how lots of people are seeing the Eagles as the weakest team in the NFC East right now. I cannot wait for the Eagles to prove them all wrong!

Tommy Lawlor said...

RE: failing a physical

Not necessarily conditioning related. The prospect could have had any number of problems. He was at the Combine, but the Eagles may not have taken a close medical look at him there due to marginal interest in the guy.


RE: MLB depth

Joe Mays should be much more confident after emerging as a good STer. And Jamar Chaney has a lot of potential. I don't know what Omar Gaither's situation is in regard to his foot.

Chris said...

Does anybody think we still might make a move for a SAM (Derick Johnson maybe)? That seems to be our thinnest position to me. Sapp and Hall have the size but haven't played a standard SAM role before. Clayton has but he's really small and Chaney seems to be more a WIL or MLB.

Tommy Lawlor said...

Moise Fokou is the starting SAM. Like it or not, this is a guy the team seems to want on the field.

They will give him the summer to prove that the job should/shouldn't be his.

Remember the lesson of 2002. Fredex was given the slot receiver job. He proved he wasn't ready for it so we traded for Antonio Freeman in early August. Reid believes in giving young guys a chance to show if they can play.

Unknown said...

Hmm, I'm not sure I like the idea of using Freddie Mitchell a example of something similiar for ANYTHING we're doing these days. Frankly Moise Fokou has not impressed me at any point in his eagles career so I'm really hoping someone else steps up. Or Moise surprises me and ups his game.

If Joselio Hanson starts at RCB for us this year I'm mailing in the season.

Cliff said...

Remember: Fokou was a rookie last season, playing with no stability on defense whatsoever. No reason he can't take a step forward and be a good starter.

Netherman said...

And news that VA had microfracture surgery...dude must have been born under a bad sign. Now maybe we see why so many DE's were drafted.

Unknown said...

Any word on how some of the second year players looked today. Ive heard there's some noticeable differences in Maclin and Macho

izzylangfan said...

When you look at Jerome McDougle and Victor Albiamiri it makes you realize what a crap shoot the draft is. Even if they might have had all the right assets which is not at all clear, it seems unlikely that anyone could have predicted the injuries.

The good thing is that the analyses of draft success or failure that I have seen show that the Eagles are about average better than average. So we really haven't hurt ourselves in the draft even if taking a risk to trade up in round 1 does not always work out.

Ben said...

What is the best place to go (internet wise) in order to track the latest from mini camp action. Preferably non-biased material not from PE.com