Wednesday Stuff

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The starting WRs for the Jets game will be Brandon Gibson and Jeremy Maclin. This will give Kevin Kolb a good pair of targets to work with and it will give the guys the kind of reps they need.

Maclin is on the team, obviously, but he's still catching up due to the time he missed with his holdout. Getting him a bunch of reps in the preseason finale is the smart thing to do. Maclin will only play during the regular season if he has the trust of the coaching staff and Donovan McNabb. The best way for J-Mac to show he's ready is on the field in a live game setting. We've seen some real good moments so far, but also some mistakes. I'm hoping he runs good routes, catches the ball smoothly, and plays full speed. That's what we need to see.

Gibson is still fighting to make the team. Right now he's one of our best 7 WRs. The Eagles want to keep him, but a couple of things need to happen. Brandon needs one more good showing to show that he definitely belongs. The other thing is that we need to clear a spot for him. More on that in a minute.

Brandon looks like a fairly polished player. He runs good routes. He catches the ball well. He's tough and physical (for a WR). There isn't one specific thing I'm looking for out of him. Just more of the same, basically.

ON THE BLOCK

ESPN's Adam Schefter, formerly of Mother Schefter, the Denver Post, and the NFL Network, reported that the Eagles are willing to trade WR Reggie Brown. This isn't shocking news. We've talked about him being trade bait going back to March. I think the team is comfortable enough with Maclin and Gibson, as well as the veteran guys, that they don't feel the need to keep Reggie.

The Jets and Ravens need a starting caliber WR. The Rams could use one as well. I would think those teams are the favorites to make a deal for him. Reggie isn't worth a high pick, but he's not someone you give away for a 6th or 7th rounder. We might have to settle for a conditional pick.

INSTINCT vs SCHEME KNOWLEDGE

Some rookies come in and show a great feel for the game. They play by feel, by instinct. This helps them to make up for the fact they don't know the ins and outs of the scheme like a veteran. Mike Lewis was this way back in 2002. Omar Gaither was like this in 2006. Stewart Bradley showed some of this in 2007 and Joe Mays some in the summer of 2008.

Now we see Macho Harris and Moise Fokou playing aggressive, instinctive football in 2009 and pushing for playing time. One thing you have to understand is that most of these guys picked up the scheme quickly. It isn't as if they are relying strictly on instinct. Some players learn quickly, while others take time. This isn't about being smart or dumb. Some guys can just see the playbook and then put it into action on the field at a much quicker rate than others.

Ever see the movie Amadeus? Great, great film. In one scene Salieri has composed a short piece to welcome Mozart's arrival. The Emperor plays it for Mozart and they have a short meeting. Salieri offers the music sheet to Mozart as a gift, but Mozart says he doesn't need it. He's already memorized the piece from just hearing it once (and not played particularly well by the Emperor). Mozart sits down and plays it for the group and then makes changes so the piece flows better.

That is a bit of an exaggeration to what we're talking about, but the point is somewhat the same. Some rookies can see the X's and O's and they soak them up quicker, which enables them to play more confidently on the field. They don't hesitate because they know the plays and they have good instincts. They feel what is happening as much as they see it.

Rookies can give us a false read. Last year Joe Mays played full speed, but he was a bit reckless. Veterans knew he was playing fast, but not always getting to the correct gap. That is okay with backups, but won't fly with starters. This year Joe is more disciplined, but he's thinking more. That has slowed him down and he looks tentative.

I haven't seen Fokou or Macho playing out of control. Both guys seem to be playing fast, but under control. That's why each guy has been moved up aggressively during the spring and summer. The coaches love what these guys are showing. They are trying to find ways to get them on the field.

I could tell Macho was an instinctive playmaker at Va Tech, but I didn't see Fokou playing like this as a rookie. I'm really surprised.

MORE ON THE OL FOR THE JETS GAME

I think the Eagles coaching staff is playing guys that they are still trying to decide on. I went back and watched some of the Jags game. The backup OL had Tupou at LG and Gibson at RG. Fanaika was on the 3rd string unit. Now Gibson and Fanaika are starting at the G spots.

It might be that Tupou is already guaranteed a roster spot. Justice and Dunlap are battling for the final OT spot. And Fanaika and Gibson are fighting for a spot on the Practice Squad. Maybe. This is pure conjecture.

It will be funny to see a PHI/NYJ game with no Max or Nick Cole. They have started each of the last few games and played just about every snap. I guess Andy is sitting them to give the snaps to the guys who have something to prove. Max and Nick have shown they can be effective NFL starters. The 5 guys starting in this game all have a lot to prove.
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