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My PE.com column this week is about the TE situation. I'm glad L.J. Smith is history and I'm excited about Brent Celek and Cornelius Ingram. I didn't deal much with the #3 spot. I didn't think Dave Spadaro would want me ranting about how Matt Schobel must go. But he must!!!
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/TastyKakeStory.asp?story_id=17898
UNWRITTEN
Right now we're at the prognostication stage of things. We're guessing and predicting what will happen. We don't know.
I find it hard to believe that Reid will ever fully change his ways, but he did go get a fullback and some good run blockers. That isn't an accident. I tend to think that he's doing what he says...just trying to help the running game be more efficient. Go get some blockers and you can run 20 times for 100 yards instead of 25 times. Obviously Andy doesn't see the correlation between rushing attempts and winning that so many people do. He's more focused on the yards, big plays (runs of 15+) and TDs.
I would love to talk to that man some day. He is able to beat down broadcasters with a couple of stats, but they don't know how to argue well enough. I'd rip Big Red to shreds with my insight. He'd then have the Eagles Secret Police take me to a prison in Eastern Europe. So for now I'll have to let Big Red do things his way. I don't think I'm good prison material.
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15 comments:
# 1. Screw Dave. I'd much rather have you doing his job and I'm sure 99.9% of taters would too. Dave is a tool and he can't write for shit. Honestly, tell me you think he's a good writer. I dare you.
I'd be fine with him if he just admitted that the team tells him what to write/not write, but the fact that he flat out denies it and pretends to be some "journalist" makes him look like a moron and makes us look like even bigger morons for reading him.
2. It all depends on perspective. Other inmates might find you as perfect "material" for prison, Tommy. But yeah, you probably don't want to go there and find out.
...especially an Eastern European one.
Dave has been good to me. He's never told me what to write and not write. He only deleted one item and that was something pre-draft about a player visiting the team. We all know how secretive the team is.
Dave is good at what he does. He's trying to give info to fans while also writing PR type pieces regarding the team. That can be tough to do. In the last couple of years he's been allowed to be more critical of the team. That's good. Helps with his credibility and it shows that the Eagles aren't completely in denial. There have been times in the past when you started to wonder.
Dave has a tough job, I dont envy him. Trying to beat back the constant calls that the FO doesn't really want to win the super bowl or the never ending we dont have a #1 wide reciever stuff would probably drive a lesser man insane. The fact that he has to day in and day out search for articles to write that he knows are going to come under scathing criticism for no real good reason has to take a toll on a guy after a while.
Tommy, you might be just what the guys in eastern european prison are looking for actually, but I don't think thats the kind of good material you meant ;).
again Tommy, I'm not criticizing the job itself. All I want is for Spud to admit it. You said yourself it's a PR type job and anybody with an ounce of intelligence understands this.
No other team's PR person masquerades as a "journalist." All I want is for Dave to admit what his job is.
And he's still a poor writer. Is the organization so frugal that they can't hire some editor for minimum wage to proofread his columns before they're published? Is it that hard?
Suppose you had Dave's job and he came to you looking for work and offered writing samples typical of his columns. Would you hire him?
I doubt it.
I have no problem with Dave as he is primarily a pr guy and not a real news source. He's good at what he does and I don't expect too much from him. I'm also glad you're not in prison, Tommy, for a bunch of reasons that, well, no need to go into it now.
I am excited about this years tight end situation. LJ was a huge disappointment because he seemed so promising and because I liked Chad Lewis so much. I'm hopeful Celek and/or Ingram can fulfill the role of a TE on a West Coast Offense. I remember Brent catching my attention last year during the pre-season. I kind of remember he was either a late draft choice and/or a walk-on. Always fun to notice and cheer for the underdog.
@ Michael
I consider myself a stickler for grammar, but mistakes happen. I read a LOT of history and public policy books - written by Ivy League Ph. D's - and there are ALWAYS glaring grammatical errors or typos. Typos in a book with thousands of printed copies! That stuff happens.
RE: TE's
Who are the 3rd TE prospects? Are their likely veteran roster cuts we might give a more thoughtful look at? With neither Celek or Ingram being *known* for their blocking, is it a given that our 3rd TE is a better-than-average blocker?or does it help that Peters can slide to TE to block in certain situations?
Lol. That's a lot of questions.
I'd want Eugene Bright to get serious consideration for the job, but that's a pipe dream. The kid will be lucky to make the practice squad and AR will want at least one veteran TE.
That means our only hope is to pick up some other team's cut because almost anyone would be an improvement over Schobel.
Why can't the FO admit that he was a bad signing and move on? They hold on to their mistakes - whether they be in the draft or free agency - far too long.
Schobel pretty much singlehandedly cost us the Bears game last year (along with McNabb/Reid refusing to run a QB sneak) and I very much want him gone.
"He'd then have the Eagles Secret Police take me to a prison in Eastern Europe."
Utah, more likely...
Utah???
Now that's funny. I wish I'd thought of that. Kudos, my friend.
RE: Schobel
I don't think it's about "admitting mistakes." If that were the case, then Reid would come out and tell everyone how smart he is for drafting McNabb, Westbrook, Jackson, Bradley, Trent Cole, Sheldon Brown... you get my point.
Schobel has stayed around because there's no viable option right now. He's the third TE, not the starter, so it's not like he's holding on to Schobel and holding back any young prospects.
I actually want us to pick up a veteran TE for our 3rd spot. That way we have some assurance behind Brent and the rookie. Speaking of Ingram, he's evidence that Andy Reid knows the TE position needed to be addressed after the departure of L.J. and the suckage of Schobel.
Hey Tommy, quick question for you. I fully agree that Schobel simply does not provide anything for our team, so I would definitely prefer him to be gone, but what do you think is a realistic option for 3rd TE. Eugene Bright is a complete unknown. Do skills as a DE translate at all to TE? I just have a feeling Bright is here because AR knew him personally (Bright played football with at least one of AR's sons). Hopefully I am wrong, but I just see Bright being a long shot. The other option is to pick up a TE who gets cut from another team. Are there any players you think are bubble type players on other teams that may fit here? The last option is to just go light at TE with two. Recently (with Schobel on the team), we haven't really needed that 3rd TE anyway, but both Celek and Ingram are young and Ingram is also a health concern. Anyway, what are your thoughts?
I'm trying to think logically about what veteran TE's might be available this summer. Honestly, I have no clue where to begin or end this search, but I just looked at a number of rosters to see which teams had an "abundance" of veteran and young TE's and were possibly hurting in terms of salary cap.
Arizona has 3 or 4 TE's that they will have trouble keeping. Byrd, Patrick and Pope are all relatively young guys (4 years or less). Becht is the old man, entering his 11th season and then there's Stephen Spach who actually started a few games for the Cardinals last season. Can they keep all 4 of those guys? I'd be interested in Becht or Pope if either was cut.
Oops. I meant to ask, can they keep all FIVE of these guys?
Becht (blocking TE)
Byrd (talent, potential, but...)
Pope (5 TD in 2007, no blocking)
Spach (former-Eagle)
Patrick (AZ fans consider him future starter)
Tommy,
I am very interested in hearing more about tight ends. Reid seems to like tight ends who can get down field, this is consistent with his preference for the long pass over the short pass. But in the West Coast Offense the tight end has to read the defense. For example if he is covered by a defensive back he might fight off the block and use his body to work the short pass. If he is covered by a linebacker he can fight off the block and create separation for a longer pattern. Thus the QB and the TE must make the same read just as the QB must make the same reads with his backs and wide receivers. But it seems to me that the Eagles might be overly concerned with the down the field capability and thus miss out on the high percentage short pass which might be effectively used on first and ten and third and short to medium to name a couple of key situations. And if you are overly concerned with getting down field maybe you miss out on the larger tight ends who can block for example and fight for those short balls inside. Now we know the Eagles tight ends have been less than perfect blockers, but aren't blocking ability and the ability to take on a big blocker an fight him off heavily overlapping in that they require the same bulk and strength to be consistent. This is a long preamble, but my question is how do the eagles use their tight ends, how do the opponents typically defend against them and how does that fit with the skill set of the Eagles tight ends?
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