***
Let's start for a minute with McNabb. This move wasn't done to get rid of a guy who couldn't play anymore. The Eagles made this move because they felt the time was right to play Kevin Kolb. Donovan put up solid numbers in 2009. He had some terrific moments. He's still a good starting QB. All the man does is win games. His only losing season as a full-time starter is 2005, the year TO went TO on us. Every other year he was .500 or better. Yes, he had good players to work with. Yes, he had a good OL. Yes, he had a good defense. You don't win like he did without being a big part of that. Donovan didn't make big mistakes and he made enough plays to move the chains and score points. When he was on, the team looked invincible. We never saw that in the postseason, but few QBs are able to pull that off.
I would love to get to talk to McNabb for 20 or 30 minutes. I hope he understands what he meant to the city of Philadelphia. Some younger fans don't realize this, but we were St. Louis, Buffalo, or Oakland following the 1998 season. We had some talent on hand, but were considered a highly dysfunctional organization that needed lots of help. Ray Rhodes won 10, 10, 6, and 3 games in his tenure. Even when we won in 1995 and '96 things felt shaky. Do you realize that Ray signed Daniel Stubbs off the street? He was out of the league in 1994. Ronnie Dixon was driving a concrete truck when we called him. Kevin Johnson was unpacking boxes at his parents liquor store when we called him.
Ray led us to a pair of good years, but the duct tape roster finally caught up to us. You can only go with Barry Wilburn, Harry Boatswain, and Nate Singleton so long. We tried to sign big time free agents in 1997 and '98. Guys were using us. We got Steve Everitt in '97. In '98 both John Randle and Dana Stubblefield talked about visiting here, only to sign deals elsewhere before ever coming to Philly. Our impact DT that year was Bill Johnson. He was a nice player, but we needed a heck of a lot more than him. You don't bring a knife to a gun fight, as the old joke goes.
All of this changed in 1999. We hired Andy Reid and he drafted McNabb. We became a respectable franchise again. We suddenly were able to win games and actually get the free agents we wanted. As Donovan won games and became a star the Eagles actually became media darlings. Imagine that. Donovan gave us a certain kind of credibility. Think about all the success that Tampa had. There was no face for the organization. How many guys ever said "I can't wait to go to Tampa so I can play with John Lynch"? McNabb would go to the Pro Bowl and other stars would gravitate to him. That's how the whole TO relationship started, if you remember.
Donovan helped lead us out of the depths of despair and into the world of Chunky Soup ads and NFC title game losses. All joking aside, he was a great player for us. We've been spoiled with winning and good QB play during his 11 years here. I hope he wins 4 games a year in DC (Dallas and the Giants). I hope he does well personally, but of course I don't want him to ever get back to the playoffs. That has nothing to do with him, but everything to do with his new uniform. Thanks for the memories, #5. Good luck.
Now to Kolb. I like where his head is at. You can read some of the quotes from his press conference here.
Kevin understands this is his team and his time. He also understands that he's not Donovan McNabb. He has no track record to lean on. Donovan could train in Arizona if he wanted. He could do things his own way to a certain extent. Kevin will be in Philly, at the NovaCare complex. He is focused on being the leader of the team and winning games. He has a tremendous desire to prove himself, both to his teammates and to the outside world. Kevin knows that 2 starts last year don't mean squat. He'll be judged on 2010.
I think he has the right mentality. I think he has enough talent around him to win. Donovan was asked to put the franchise on his shoulders in 2000 and carry the team. He did. Donnie was throwing to Charles Johnson, Torrance Small, and Na Brown. He was handing the ball to Darnell Autry. McNabb finished 2nd in the MVP balloting that year because he played so well and we won games. Kevin steps into a whole different situation. He simply has to run the offense and be the leader. Kevin won't try to be Superman. He will just play QB and do his job. That's fine for us.
I don't have the time right now to talk at length about how the offense might change. I'll mention the two areas that stand out. First, RAC yards. We've always done well in this category, but most of that was due to screen passes. Kevin will be an upgrade at hitting receivers on the move so that our guys can use their speed and elusiveness to make plays. Slant passes could be more common now. Second, Red Zone offense should be improved. One of Donovan's main weaknesses is that he didn't anticipate plays. He waited for a player to come open and then threw him the ball. That wasn't effective in the Red Zone. And it really showed the last few years. Kolb should be better in this regard. People love to point out his 2 Red Zone picks, but think about those for a moment. Kevin was picked off by Ed Reed and Darren Sharper, a couple of the best ball hawks in the history of the NFL. The Reed pick was a dumb pass by a QB in his first extended game action. The Sharper pick came late in a game when we trailed 41-22 and Kevin was trying to make something happen. That was also Kevin's first NFL start. I think he'll do a good job in the Red Zone due to his accuracy and ability to anticipate routes. He learned the hard way that DBs can also anticipate. That's a lesson you can only really learn on the field. Thankfully, neither mistake cost us a game.
My expectations for 2010 are to have a winning season and challenge for a playoff spot. I don't see us winning 12 or 13 games and being great. Kevin will have some hiccups. No one expects him to be perfect or a major star right away. At the same time, this notion that he's a scrub or some idiot rookie and we'll only win a couple of games seems ludicrous to me. Big Red hand-picked Kevin to be McNabb's successor. This isn't an accident.
Again, and I can't stress this enough, the organization is behind Kevin. I'm not talking about Joe Banner and some PR interns. Most of the Personnel Dept, coaching staff, and team is for the move. Donovan only had a year left on his deal. People knew he was gone this year or the next. Kevin has won a ton of people over with how he's quietly prepared for this time. He never went to the media and griped. He never tried to cause a rift in the locker room. He just sat and waited, focusing on being ready when his name finally did get called.
I understand that not every fan, analyst, and media member will embrace Kevin. That's okay. There is nothing wrong with being a Doubting Thomas. I think you should at least keep an open mind. I think Kevin will surprise some people with how well he plays and how well he handles being the Eagles starting QB. Give the man a chance.
We now have an opening for a QB. I think we'll probably add a QB in the draft and stick with Mike Vick as the primary backup. We could call Jeff Garcia or someone like that, but I doubt it. I don't see us going for Marc Bulger or any recently released players.
SO MUCH FOR SIMS
OG Rob Sims finally was dealt. He is now a Lion. There were multiple rumors linking him to us and none of them made sense to me. I'm glad he's gone. We've got Todd Herremans at LG and Stacy Andrews at RG. I think the team is fine with both.
____
Monday, April 5, 2010
McDone!!!
***
Donovan McNabb is a Washington Redskin. How bizarre does that sound?
We got the 37th overall pick and a conditional pick in 2011 (3rd or 4th round). This was not the best offer. I was told a couple weeks back that Andy Reid was genuinely concerned about Donovan and his future. Andy became coach of the Eagles in January 1999. He picked Donovan 3 months later and the two have been together ever since. Donnie isn't just "another guy". Apparently Andy wasn't going to ship McNabb to the highest bidder, but rather to a team that Donovan was comfortable with, at a price we could be comfortable with.
I have mixed feelings about this line of thinking. Andy's got to be focused on what is best for the organization, first and foremost. At the same time, I've always appreciated the fact that Andy does have good relationships with his players. And Donovan is special to us. This organization was down in the dumps when he arrived. He brought us success on the field and credibility off it. I don't think we "owed" Donovan anything, but I won't argue with Andy doing right by his guy.
I know one team we talked to was so confused by Andy's demands that they came away wondering if we actually had any interest in dealing Donovan. Another team was prepared to offer a good player, but neither of these situations was going to be ideal for Donovan. Andy passed. We settled for an acceptable offer, but it was hardly ideal.
In the end I'm very excited. We now have resolution to the McNabb saga. We also now officially begin the Kolb era. There will be some ups and downs, but I believe in Kevin Kolb, just as I believed in McNabb over a decade ago. I think we go from one good starting QB to another. I think we'll win a lot of games with Kevin. We can only hope we have the same level of success as the past decade.
As for the angle of dealing Donovan to a division rival...I'm okay with that. There are only 31 other NFL teams. I would have objected if I thought Washington was a QB away from being a Super Bowl team. McNabb makes them better, but that is a team in transition and will likely need at least a year to get things together. At that point Donovan will be 34 going on 35.
I won't get into the pick and what it means too much. We now have 8 picks in the first 5 rounds. We can add some young talent and fill some holes. I'll write more later.
Crazy night.
___
Donovan McNabb is a Washington Redskin. How bizarre does that sound?
We got the 37th overall pick and a conditional pick in 2011 (3rd or 4th round). This was not the best offer. I was told a couple weeks back that Andy Reid was genuinely concerned about Donovan and his future. Andy became coach of the Eagles in January 1999. He picked Donovan 3 months later and the two have been together ever since. Donnie isn't just "another guy". Apparently Andy wasn't going to ship McNabb to the highest bidder, but rather to a team that Donovan was comfortable with, at a price we could be comfortable with.
I have mixed feelings about this line of thinking. Andy's got to be focused on what is best for the organization, first and foremost. At the same time, I've always appreciated the fact that Andy does have good relationships with his players. And Donovan is special to us. This organization was down in the dumps when he arrived. He brought us success on the field and credibility off it. I don't think we "owed" Donovan anything, but I won't argue with Andy doing right by his guy.
I know one team we talked to was so confused by Andy's demands that they came away wondering if we actually had any interest in dealing Donovan. Another team was prepared to offer a good player, but neither of these situations was going to be ideal for Donovan. Andy passed. We settled for an acceptable offer, but it was hardly ideal.
In the end I'm very excited. We now have resolution to the McNabb saga. We also now officially begin the Kolb era. There will be some ups and downs, but I believe in Kevin Kolb, just as I believed in McNabb over a decade ago. I think we go from one good starting QB to another. I think we'll win a lot of games with Kevin. We can only hope we have the same level of success as the past decade.
As for the angle of dealing Donovan to a division rival...I'm okay with that. There are only 31 other NFL teams. I would have objected if I thought Washington was a QB away from being a Super Bowl team. McNabb makes them better, but that is a team in transition and will likely need at least a year to get things together. At that point Donovan will be 34 going on 35.
I won't get into the pick and what it means too much. We now have 8 picks in the first 5 rounds. We can add some young talent and fill some holes. I'll write more later.
Crazy night.
___
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Misc Update
***
I've been watching college tape all day. There's more to go. I'll post the notes on Alex Hall on Monday morning. Let's talk about a variety of topics.
* Jay Glazer said some interesting things in a recent interview. Listen to Jay. He's very well connected and what he said goes along well with some things I've heard. The Eagles are getting good offers. The Eagles are trying to find the right deal. Also, Andy Reid is trying to do what he can for Donovan. Andy genuinely has close ties to the players. That's why guys like Trot and Hugh came back after leaving. We make fun of Big Red for plenty of things, but his players do care for him. Even guys like John Welbourn who burn bridges often end up regretting that. Reid wants to put Donovan in a favorable situation, if that is possible.
* There is no timetable for the McNabb deal. PFT will run a zillion stories. Most are full of baloney. Jamie Dukes of the NFL Network and local columnist Bob Ford think McNabb is sticking around. I don't know why it is so hard for people to accept that Kevin Kolb will be the starting QB in 2010.
* Howie Roseman made a recent comment that indicated more trades are possible. Any more Eagles players on the block? Complicated subject. Forget the rumors about Asante Samuel. He's here for the next few years. I know other teams have inquired about DTs Mike Patterson and Trevor Laws. The only way Patt goes is if the team gets a strong offer and covets some DT in the draft. The Eagles are not shopping him. Laws could easily be trade bait.
We still could be looking to deal picks for players. I continue to wonder if the team has any interest in LBs Derrick Johnson or Rocky McIntosh. I have asked around about Rob Sims and if the rumors are true. No one seems to know anything about this.
___________________________
ANSWERS
RE: Hypothetically speaking, let's say you knew you could have one of the following: Eric Berry and a 2nd/3rd round type CB or Earl Thomas and Kyle Wilson. Which combo would you rather have?
That's a really tough question. I'd take Berry and the CB. I see Eric as a great player. The other names involved are very good, but not great. Getting Thomas and Wilson would be really hard to do. You'd need a couple of 1st round picks, one of them in the Top 20 (or higher).
RE: Interest in RB Jonathan Dwyer?
Legit interest. We've looked at him, Toby Gerhart, and Charles Scott. All 3 guys are in the 230-pound range. Reid would probably like a big back to pair with Shady McCoy. Bell is here on a 1-year deal. Gerhart is the best of the trio. Good athlete. Very good feet for a big back. I just don't know if we'd spend an early pick to get him.
RE: Ellis Hobbs?
I'm not sure what to say about Ellis. He didn't really impress me last year. I think the rookie we take in the 1st or 2nd will have every chance in the world to win the RCB job. I'll talk about CBs in an upcoming post.
RE: Safety?
I have not heard a thing about FS. No one is talking about Atogwe. There isn't much chatter about the RFAs around the league. I'm guessing we take someone in the draft.
RE: AQ Shipley
He is here as a camp body, for the most part. Nick Cole and Mike McGlynn will fight for the C job. Dallas Reynolds is next up. Shipley is behind them.
RE: rose colored glasses with Sheldon
Spuds was talking him up at times this year. I don't think you'll find that I was that high on him. I've had concerns the last couple of seasons. I know I've talked on the phone with some people and sounded my worries. Sheldon's speed has been more of an issue the last 2 years. He hasn't gotten beat a ton, but the opportunities have been there.
I wrote this back in February:
* CB
RE: LB talk
Am I excited about Fokou? No. I'm curious. He showed promise last year, but I am hardly his biggest advocate. I don't think the Eagles are dumb for penciling him in as the SAM. Fokou is a player I did like coming out of Maryland. I'm just unsure about him as the starting SAM. The Eagles have been impressed with him in practice and on the field. I'm glad we have Hall here to push him. I like competition. Young guys need to know they can't be complacent.
Stew is coming off a torn ACL, but remember that it happened in early August. He'll have 13 months from injury to opening week. I don't see any problem with counting on him to be a key part of the defense. Had he been hurt in October I would be concerned. Guys need as close to a full year as possible to get right. Also, Stew's game was never built on speed/athleticism.
We are more uncertain right now than last year. But that argument works against itself. We thought we had a terrific crew last May and look how things fell apart. The Eagles will add talent to the position. McDermott will want to get better there. The LB play in 2009 was a problem.
___
I've been watching college tape all day. There's more to go. I'll post the notes on Alex Hall on Monday morning. Let's talk about a variety of topics.
* Jay Glazer said some interesting things in a recent interview. Listen to Jay. He's very well connected and what he said goes along well with some things I've heard. The Eagles are getting good offers. The Eagles are trying to find the right deal. Also, Andy Reid is trying to do what he can for Donovan. Andy genuinely has close ties to the players. That's why guys like Trot and Hugh came back after leaving. We make fun of Big Red for plenty of things, but his players do care for him. Even guys like John Welbourn who burn bridges often end up regretting that. Reid wants to put Donovan in a favorable situation, if that is possible.
* There is no timetable for the McNabb deal. PFT will run a zillion stories. Most are full of baloney. Jamie Dukes of the NFL Network and local columnist Bob Ford think McNabb is sticking around. I don't know why it is so hard for people to accept that Kevin Kolb will be the starting QB in 2010.
* Howie Roseman made a recent comment that indicated more trades are possible. Any more Eagles players on the block? Complicated subject. Forget the rumors about Asante Samuel. He's here for the next few years. I know other teams have inquired about DTs Mike Patterson and Trevor Laws. The only way Patt goes is if the team gets a strong offer and covets some DT in the draft. The Eagles are not shopping him. Laws could easily be trade bait.
We still could be looking to deal picks for players. I continue to wonder if the team has any interest in LBs Derrick Johnson or Rocky McIntosh. I have asked around about Rob Sims and if the rumors are true. No one seems to know anything about this.
___________________________
ANSWERS
RE: Hypothetically speaking, let's say you knew you could have one of the following: Eric Berry and a 2nd/3rd round type CB or Earl Thomas and Kyle Wilson. Which combo would you rather have?
That's a really tough question. I'd take Berry and the CB. I see Eric as a great player. The other names involved are very good, but not great. Getting Thomas and Wilson would be really hard to do. You'd need a couple of 1st round picks, one of them in the Top 20 (or higher).
RE: Interest in RB Jonathan Dwyer?
Legit interest. We've looked at him, Toby Gerhart, and Charles Scott. All 3 guys are in the 230-pound range. Reid would probably like a big back to pair with Shady McCoy. Bell is here on a 1-year deal. Gerhart is the best of the trio. Good athlete. Very good feet for a big back. I just don't know if we'd spend an early pick to get him.
RE: Ellis Hobbs?
I'm not sure what to say about Ellis. He didn't really impress me last year. I think the rookie we take in the 1st or 2nd will have every chance in the world to win the RCB job. I'll talk about CBs in an upcoming post.
RE: Safety?
I have not heard a thing about FS. No one is talking about Atogwe. There isn't much chatter about the RFAs around the league. I'm guessing we take someone in the draft.
RE: AQ Shipley
He is here as a camp body, for the most part. Nick Cole and Mike McGlynn will fight for the C job. Dallas Reynolds is next up. Shipley is behind them.
RE: rose colored glasses with Sheldon
Spuds was talking him up at times this year. I don't think you'll find that I was that high on him. I've had concerns the last couple of seasons. I know I've talked on the phone with some people and sounded my worries. Sheldon's speed has been more of an issue the last 2 years. He hasn't gotten beat a ton, but the opportunities have been there.
I wrote this back in February:
* CB
The Eagles gave up 27 passing TDs last year. Unacceptable. FS is part of the problem, but CB is even bigger. Sheldon had his struggles. Joselio was shredded by Dallas late in the year. We need to get younger and faster. It won't surprise me to see the Eagles add a pair of CBs. They might even go for one in FA.
RE: LB talk
Am I excited about Fokou? No. I'm curious. He showed promise last year, but I am hardly his biggest advocate. I don't think the Eagles are dumb for penciling him in as the SAM. Fokou is a player I did like coming out of Maryland. I'm just unsure about him as the starting SAM. The Eagles have been impressed with him in practice and on the field. I'm glad we have Hall here to push him. I like competition. Young guys need to know they can't be complacent.
Stew is coming off a torn ACL, but remember that it happened in early August. He'll have 13 months from injury to opening week. I don't see any problem with counting on him to be a key part of the defense. Had he been hurt in October I would be concerned. Guys need as close to a full year as possible to get right. Also, Stew's game was never built on speed/athleticism.
We are more uncertain right now than last year. But that argument works against itself. We thought we had a terrific crew last May and look how things fell apart. The Eagles will add talent to the position. McDermott will want to get better there. The LB play in 2009 was a problem.
___
Friday, April 2, 2010
Friday Evening Update
***
THE TRADE
Hopefully the CLE/PHI trade has had time to sink in by this point. Quite a few Eagles fans are up in arms about this move. That's understandable to a certain extent, but let's get a few things straight.
* The Eagles did not trade their best CB. Sheldon is a guy that we all loved because of his toughness and ability as a hitter/tackler. That's great, but it doesn't make him a better CB than Asante Samuel.
* This move wasn't done in order to save money. I have given you hints about this move for a while now. Older players who did little in the late season losses to Dallas are getting the boot. Sheldon was targeted by Romo quite a few times in those games. He was called for a penalty on an early 3rd down in the first of the two losses. The Eagles were going to draft Sheldon's replacement no matter what. The fact that he wanted his deal re-done sealed the fact that he was let go. The Eagles were fine with paying him his salary, but were not about to give a raise to a 31-year old CB who lacks ideal size and speed,
* The Eagles are not rebuilding. I don't think people understand what this word means in relation to a team and its roster. Rebuilding is when you basically strip things bare and start over. Nothing close to that his happening here. We are adding new and/or younger pieces around our core players.
Trent Cole
Brodrick Bunkley
Mike Patterson
Stewart Bradley
Quintin Mikell
Asante Samuel
That is the core of the defense. Add in new/young players we want on the field.
Darryl Tapp
Moise Fokou
That ties up 8 of 11 starting spots. WLB, FS, and RCB are all up in the air. We have experienced starters at each spot. The question is whether we can bring in upgrades.
There is a lot of change. We are letting go of veterans in most cases. None of these guys was an elite player or anything close to it. They were all descending players or role players. We saw "rebuilding" back in the early 90s. We let multiple Pro Bowl players walk in the middle of their careers. Nothing remotely close to that is happening at this point. The names are big in some cases, but again...these are descending players.
Think about Sheldon for a minute. He's got a terrific reputation in the locker room. Players and coaches love him. He's the anti-Lito Sheppard. Sheldon has been on the market for a month. John Harbaugh, Ron Rivera, Leslie Frazier, and Steve Spagnuolo all coached or were involved with Sheldon while here. 3 of those guys need a CB. Rivera might, depending on what they think of Cason. Did any of them make a move? No. Sheldon went to the Browns for a 4th and 5th, hardly a king's ransom. Cleveland was desperate and that is why they made the deal. I'm not trying to insult Sheldon and say he's a bad player, but he's a band-aid...an old and expensive band-aid.
Should we have made the move without more of an ideal solution in place? That would have been nice, but you can't always do things like that. Remember, Sheldon was taken in the 2nd. This is a deep group of CBs. We can get our guy in the 1st or 2nd round for sure. We also have the pick in the early 3rd round.
The Eagles had targeted some CBs last year. The Redskins and Vikings took the players we really wanted. The Eagles didn't panic. They traded for Hobbs and decided to go get a CB in the 2010 draft. This is a much better crop of players to choose from.
This move could blow up in our face. I absolutely acknowledge that. Sheldon could play for 3 or 4 more years. Our side of things could fall completely apart. I have no problems with what the Eagles did. We needed to get better at CB. Keeping Sheldon would have meant at best status quo, plus some aging. If we can get the right young guy in there, we could be just as good. Remember, we're not replacing 2009 Sheldon, but 2010 Sheldon. We don't know what level he'll play at. Remember how quickly Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor went from outstanding to pedestrian? Simply put, it sucks when star players and fan favorites start to show their age. That's a side of sports we all hate.
HALL BALL
I will watch some tape of Alex Hall and post notes. Haven't had a chance to do that yet. PE.com reports that he will play SAM for us. He can also be a situational rusher. He did have 3 sacks back in 2008. Hall's biggest advocate in Cleveland was a guy named...Phil Savage. He was GM at the time. He's now a draft advisor for us. You can bet Howie Roseman talked to Phil about Hall and what kind of player he is.
___
THE TRADE
Hopefully the CLE/PHI trade has had time to sink in by this point. Quite a few Eagles fans are up in arms about this move. That's understandable to a certain extent, but let's get a few things straight.
* The Eagles did not trade their best CB. Sheldon is a guy that we all loved because of his toughness and ability as a hitter/tackler. That's great, but it doesn't make him a better CB than Asante Samuel.
* This move wasn't done in order to save money. I have given you hints about this move for a while now. Older players who did little in the late season losses to Dallas are getting the boot. Sheldon was targeted by Romo quite a few times in those games. He was called for a penalty on an early 3rd down in the first of the two losses. The Eagles were going to draft Sheldon's replacement no matter what. The fact that he wanted his deal re-done sealed the fact that he was let go. The Eagles were fine with paying him his salary, but were not about to give a raise to a 31-year old CB who lacks ideal size and speed,
* The Eagles are not rebuilding. I don't think people understand what this word means in relation to a team and its roster. Rebuilding is when you basically strip things bare and start over. Nothing close to that his happening here. We are adding new and/or younger pieces around our core players.
Trent Cole
Brodrick Bunkley
Mike Patterson
Stewart Bradley
Quintin Mikell
Asante Samuel
That is the core of the defense. Add in new/young players we want on the field.
Darryl Tapp
Moise Fokou
That ties up 8 of 11 starting spots. WLB, FS, and RCB are all up in the air. We have experienced starters at each spot. The question is whether we can bring in upgrades.
There is a lot of change. We are letting go of veterans in most cases. None of these guys was an elite player or anything close to it. They were all descending players or role players. We saw "rebuilding" back in the early 90s. We let multiple Pro Bowl players walk in the middle of their careers. Nothing remotely close to that is happening at this point. The names are big in some cases, but again...these are descending players.
Think about Sheldon for a minute. He's got a terrific reputation in the locker room. Players and coaches love him. He's the anti-Lito Sheppard. Sheldon has been on the market for a month. John Harbaugh, Ron Rivera, Leslie Frazier, and Steve Spagnuolo all coached or were involved with Sheldon while here. 3 of those guys need a CB. Rivera might, depending on what they think of Cason. Did any of them make a move? No. Sheldon went to the Browns for a 4th and 5th, hardly a king's ransom. Cleveland was desperate and that is why they made the deal. I'm not trying to insult Sheldon and say he's a bad player, but he's a band-aid...an old and expensive band-aid.
Should we have made the move without more of an ideal solution in place? That would have been nice, but you can't always do things like that. Remember, Sheldon was taken in the 2nd. This is a deep group of CBs. We can get our guy in the 1st or 2nd round for sure. We also have the pick in the early 3rd round.
The Eagles had targeted some CBs last year. The Redskins and Vikings took the players we really wanted. The Eagles didn't panic. They traded for Hobbs and decided to go get a CB in the 2010 draft. This is a much better crop of players to choose from.
This move could blow up in our face. I absolutely acknowledge that. Sheldon could play for 3 or 4 more years. Our side of things could fall completely apart. I have no problems with what the Eagles did. We needed to get better at CB. Keeping Sheldon would have meant at best status quo, plus some aging. If we can get the right young guy in there, we could be just as good. Remember, we're not replacing 2009 Sheldon, but 2010 Sheldon. We don't know what level he'll play at. Remember how quickly Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor went from outstanding to pedestrian? Simply put, it sucks when star players and fan favorites start to show their age. That's a side of sports we all hate.
HALL BALL
I will watch some tape of Alex Hall and post notes. Haven't had a chance to do that yet. PE.com reports that he will play SAM for us. He can also be a situational rusher. He did have 3 sacks back in 2008. Hall's biggest advocate in Cleveland was a guy named...Phil Savage. He was GM at the time. He's now a draft advisor for us. You can bet Howie Roseman talked to Phil about Hall and what kind of player he is.
___
Trade Done
***
Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong have been traded to the Cleveland Browns for a 4th round pick, a 5th round pick, and LB/DE Alex Hall.
That isn't a huge bounty for a pair of starting defensive players. Contracts played a big part in this. We all love Sheldon for everything he's done in his career as an Eagle. Unfortunately he wants a big pay raise. One of the delays in this deal getting pushed back 7 to 10 days is Sheldon's demands. The Browns had to figure out how much they're willing to pay a CB who lacks ideal size, ideal speed, and just turned 31. That generally isn't a player you want to throw money at. Gocong is a RFA. They need to figure out what they want to do with him.
I was really hoping to net a 3rd round pick from this deal, but I'm hearing the Eagles really wanted Hall. He is 6'5, 250 and they want him to work in at the SAM spot. We needed depth there with Gocong on the way out. I'll need to watch tape to give you specifics about Hall. He had a good rookie year, collecting 3 sacks and a pair of FFs in 2008. He got lost in the shuffle last year and didn't play as much. He's talented, but will need some work.
Essentially the trade is Gocong for Hall and Sheldon for a 4th and 5th. The value isn't great, but most teams are being stingy with picks this year. This is a real good draft class and no one wants to give up good picks if they can help. I am glad we added a 4th and 5th to what we had. We've now got some good ammunition to work with on draft weekend.
1st
2nd
3rd
3rd
4th
4th
5th
6th
7th
7th
I know there are some rumors about the Eagles being interested in OG Rob Sims, but I can't get that confirmed from any Eagles sources. For now, I'm not buying those rumors as legit. I'll keep checking and let you know if I stumble across new info.
___
Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong have been traded to the Cleveland Browns for a 4th round pick, a 5th round pick, and LB/DE Alex Hall.
That isn't a huge bounty for a pair of starting defensive players. Contracts played a big part in this. We all love Sheldon for everything he's done in his career as an Eagle. Unfortunately he wants a big pay raise. One of the delays in this deal getting pushed back 7 to 10 days is Sheldon's demands. The Browns had to figure out how much they're willing to pay a CB who lacks ideal size, ideal speed, and just turned 31. That generally isn't a player you want to throw money at. Gocong is a RFA. They need to figure out what they want to do with him.
I was really hoping to net a 3rd round pick from this deal, but I'm hearing the Eagles really wanted Hall. He is 6'5, 250 and they want him to work in at the SAM spot. We needed depth there with Gocong on the way out. I'll need to watch tape to give you specifics about Hall. He had a good rookie year, collecting 3 sacks and a pair of FFs in 2008. He got lost in the shuffle last year and didn't play as much. He's talented, but will need some work.
Essentially the trade is Gocong for Hall and Sheldon for a 4th and 5th. The value isn't great, but most teams are being stingy with picks this year. This is a real good draft class and no one wants to give up good picks if they can help. I am glad we added a 4th and 5th to what we had. We've now got some good ammunition to work with on draft weekend.
1st
2nd
3rd
3rd
4th
4th
5th
6th
7th
7th
I know there are some rumors about the Eagles being interested in OG Rob Sims, but I can't get that confirmed from any Eagles sources. For now, I'm not buying those rumors as legit. I'll keep checking and let you know if I stumble across new info.
___
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Some OL Talk
***
Here is the current depth chart:
LT - Jason Peters .......... King Dunlap
LG - Todd Herremans ... Mike McGlynn
OC - Nick Cole ............ Jamaal Jackson ....... Dallas Reynolds
RG - Stacy Andrews ..... Max Jean-Gilles
RT - Winston Justice ..... Fenuki Tupo
There are some questions and concerns with the group, but the Eagles like this O-line and think it has the potential to be pretty darn good.
Jason Peters was called "the worst LT in the NFL" by a website recently. They had some statistical data to back up their claim. That's all well and good, but clearly Peters isn't a bad player, let alone the worst. They used some stats that a guy would only accumulate if he in fact played the whole year. And obviously if Peters was a bad player he wouldn't have stayed on the field.
Jason was inconsistent in 2009. He had some terrific games and some downers. He does need to get better. Andy Reid refers to him as the best LT in football, but that's not true either. Jason has the potential to be among the best, but he has got some work to do. He has a full offseason with us this year. He knows the scheme and blocking techniques we use. He's healthy. There are no excuses right now. Jason needs to play at a high level in 2010.
Todd Herremans is a player the team has mixed feelings about. He looks like a Pro Bowl player at times, but must be more consistent. I think he could be a star for a team that ran the ball more than we do. Todd was sloppy down the stretch last year. I hope to see him break through this year and play well the whole season.
Nick Cole is the front runner for C. He didn't play well there in the final couple of games, but I think a whole offseason spent practicing in the middle will make a huge difference. Playing C for us is different than other teams. We ask the C to do a lot. That's one of the reasons we won't be taking Maurkice Pouncey at #24. Taking that guy and throwing him in as our starter just isn't the way we do things. The Eagles like someone to come in and learn the scheme so that he can handle blitz calls and line adjustments. We throw a lot of passes. We do a lot of shotgun. We run a lot of screens. All of those things put added pressure on the C.
Nick will be challenged for the job by Mike McGlynn. I listed him at G on the depth chart, but Mike will get a chance to compete for the C spot. He's had a quiet 2 years, but has learned well and is now ready to show what he can do.
Stacy Andrews should be light years better than 2009. He's healthy and in good shape (334 pounds). He knows the offense and the blocking scheme. He will have a full spring and summer of reps. Expect him to look like a completely changed man this year. I'm not telling you he'll be a Pro Bowl type, but he should be a solid starter, or better.
The question with Winston is how good he can be. He made giant strides last year. Can he get even better now that he's got experience and confidence? Maybe. I don't want to falsely build up expectations that he can develop into a force at RT. Winston's track record is so weird that I'll be happy to see him as an effective starter in consecutive seasons. Winston is still a young guy. The light went on for him last year. I hope he's able to take things up a notch, but I'm just not sure that I should expect that to happen. There isn't a clear line of progress and development with him.
The backups are a mixed bag. Dunlap has done enough to make you think he could still turn into a player, but I don't trust him. We need a LT to challenge him for the backup spot. Dallas Reynolds did some good things last summer. I think he's a better player than the average fan realizes. I've never been a fan of Max. He was an underachiever at UGA and is the same type guy here. Tupo is an interesting guy. He spent the year on IR so that meant no practice time. He was still able to sit in on film sessions and classroom stuff. He should know the playbook inside out and be ready to show what he can do. Tupo could be a backup at G and T.
We need a backup who can play LT. The guy should be versatile, though. Peters and Justice are capable of starting for the next 4-5 years. We don't need anyone at C, unless he's a clear upgrade over what we have. The draft class is weak so I think we'll stick with what we have. I'd love a mid to late round player brought in to challenge Max for a backup G spot. Or we could add another OT and make Tupo's primary position G. We need help with depth on the O-line, but we do have some good pieces in place. Injuries really hurt in 2009. We also struggled with all the change. Too much shuffling and too many guys new to our offense.
I know I've talked about Mike Iupati quite a bit. He has special potential. If he's on the board at 24 that could be a guy we grab and find a spot for. You never want to pass on talent if you can help it. Also, I say this every year, but it bears repeating. We don't like pure Gs or Cs. We prefer to take guys that played OT and move them inside. John Welbourn, Hank Fraley, Jamaal Jackson, Todd H., Shawn Andrews, Nick Cole, and Mike McGlynn all played OT in college. Most played LT. Keep this in mind as we talk about prospects.
ANSWERS
RE: Alex Brown
I've not heard a thing about him as a target. I think the Eagles would like to add a young DE to the mix.
RE: LB Eric Norwood
I've got notes to post on him for ScoutsNotebook. Check there on Thursday evening.
RE: Shaun Rogers
I've wondered if he could be a player the Eagles might target to add to the DT mix. He's huge, but also quick and disruptive. Those guys aren't easy to find. He has character issues, but has also played on some terrible teams. That has to affect a guy. Shaun just go arrested today for a gun incident at the airport, but I think that is more stupidity than any type of violence type issues. He was caught with a loaded gun in a bag. He says he forgot it was there and I can believe that.
RE: Earl Thomas / FS
Eric Berry and Earl are 1 and 2. Big drop-off after that. I think Nate Allen is 3. I see him going in the early 2nd. Eric and Earl are special. Nate and the rest of the S prospects are good, but each has some question marks.
RE: hindsight on QB situation
The Eagles may have misplayed the Mike Vick situation. He has too much baggage to demand a high price. You have to negotiate differently with him than McNabb. I really can't comment on Donovan until a deal goes down or doesn't go down. If we land a high price, then they did things right.
This is a complex situation. Warren Moon is all up in arms about the way we handled it. Gimme a break. The minute we tell Donovan he's out of here and start aggressively shopping him the price drops. Teams know we have to move him. As dumb as it sounds, you have to play the "He's our #1 QB" card and act like there is a plan for keeping him. That puts the pressure on teams to pry him away from you.
The Eagles are catching a lot of flak right now, but that's because people don't know what is happening. If the deal isn't going down it must be because Howie Roseman is an idiot and Andy Reid lost control of the team, right? Gimme a break. Roseman and Reid are talking to teams. They are figuring out what is best for us. Trading Donovan is complicated. He's a star, but an older one in the final year of his deal. This is a deep draft. People don't want to give up picks.
My calendar says April 1st. If Donovan is here on May 1st then I will probably change my tune and say that Howie and Andy did screw up. Let's see what happens. There is more going on behind the scenes than people know.
RE: Gocong to CLE
This trade has been talked about for a few weeks. It could go down anyday or drag on for a while. I wonder if we're shopping Chris with McNabb as a package for some teams. The Browns aren't in the McNabb hunt anymore. Chris is being shopped.
RE: Sheldon
I am not sure what teams are interested in him. I think he's worth a 3rd round pick. I wonder if CLE might not take a look. They could use CB help. The Texans could also use help at CB. I haven't heard a word about them dealing with anyone, but that could change.
RE: The Unit
I never watched the show when it was on CBS despite the fact I loved Shawn Ryan's work on The Shield and that I think David Mamet is a genius. I am a huge fan of his style of dialogue. The Unit has a simplified version. It isn't as repetitive as most Mamet stuff, but has the same tone and style of delivery. The show airs on Sleuth Network on Mondays and Saturday mornings. I'm absolutely in love with the show. Dennis Haysbert is brilliant as Master Sargent Jonas Blane. Any time a military show is on broadcast TV there will be some cheesy moments and awkward action sequences, but I'm more interested in the characters and their interactions than anything else. Very good writing and acting.
___
Here is the current depth chart:
LT - Jason Peters .......... King Dunlap
LG - Todd Herremans ... Mike McGlynn
OC - Nick Cole ............ Jamaal Jackson ....... Dallas Reynolds
RG - Stacy Andrews ..... Max Jean-Gilles
RT - Winston Justice ..... Fenuki Tupo
There are some questions and concerns with the group, but the Eagles like this O-line and think it has the potential to be pretty darn good.
Jason Peters was called "the worst LT in the NFL" by a website recently. They had some statistical data to back up their claim. That's all well and good, but clearly Peters isn't a bad player, let alone the worst. They used some stats that a guy would only accumulate if he in fact played the whole year. And obviously if Peters was a bad player he wouldn't have stayed on the field.
Jason was inconsistent in 2009. He had some terrific games and some downers. He does need to get better. Andy Reid refers to him as the best LT in football, but that's not true either. Jason has the potential to be among the best, but he has got some work to do. He has a full offseason with us this year. He knows the scheme and blocking techniques we use. He's healthy. There are no excuses right now. Jason needs to play at a high level in 2010.
Todd Herremans is a player the team has mixed feelings about. He looks like a Pro Bowl player at times, but must be more consistent. I think he could be a star for a team that ran the ball more than we do. Todd was sloppy down the stretch last year. I hope to see him break through this year and play well the whole season.
Nick Cole is the front runner for C. He didn't play well there in the final couple of games, but I think a whole offseason spent practicing in the middle will make a huge difference. Playing C for us is different than other teams. We ask the C to do a lot. That's one of the reasons we won't be taking Maurkice Pouncey at #24. Taking that guy and throwing him in as our starter just isn't the way we do things. The Eagles like someone to come in and learn the scheme so that he can handle blitz calls and line adjustments. We throw a lot of passes. We do a lot of shotgun. We run a lot of screens. All of those things put added pressure on the C.
Nick will be challenged for the job by Mike McGlynn. I listed him at G on the depth chart, but Mike will get a chance to compete for the C spot. He's had a quiet 2 years, but has learned well and is now ready to show what he can do.
Stacy Andrews should be light years better than 2009. He's healthy and in good shape (334 pounds). He knows the offense and the blocking scheme. He will have a full spring and summer of reps. Expect him to look like a completely changed man this year. I'm not telling you he'll be a Pro Bowl type, but he should be a solid starter, or better.
The question with Winston is how good he can be. He made giant strides last year. Can he get even better now that he's got experience and confidence? Maybe. I don't want to falsely build up expectations that he can develop into a force at RT. Winston's track record is so weird that I'll be happy to see him as an effective starter in consecutive seasons. Winston is still a young guy. The light went on for him last year. I hope he's able to take things up a notch, but I'm just not sure that I should expect that to happen. There isn't a clear line of progress and development with him.
The backups are a mixed bag. Dunlap has done enough to make you think he could still turn into a player, but I don't trust him. We need a LT to challenge him for the backup spot. Dallas Reynolds did some good things last summer. I think he's a better player than the average fan realizes. I've never been a fan of Max. He was an underachiever at UGA and is the same type guy here. Tupo is an interesting guy. He spent the year on IR so that meant no practice time. He was still able to sit in on film sessions and classroom stuff. He should know the playbook inside out and be ready to show what he can do. Tupo could be a backup at G and T.
We need a backup who can play LT. The guy should be versatile, though. Peters and Justice are capable of starting for the next 4-5 years. We don't need anyone at C, unless he's a clear upgrade over what we have. The draft class is weak so I think we'll stick with what we have. I'd love a mid to late round player brought in to challenge Max for a backup G spot. Or we could add another OT and make Tupo's primary position G. We need help with depth on the O-line, but we do have some good pieces in place. Injuries really hurt in 2009. We also struggled with all the change. Too much shuffling and too many guys new to our offense.
I know I've talked about Mike Iupati quite a bit. He has special potential. If he's on the board at 24 that could be a guy we grab and find a spot for. You never want to pass on talent if you can help it. Also, I say this every year, but it bears repeating. We don't like pure Gs or Cs. We prefer to take guys that played OT and move them inside. John Welbourn, Hank Fraley, Jamaal Jackson, Todd H., Shawn Andrews, Nick Cole, and Mike McGlynn all played OT in college. Most played LT. Keep this in mind as we talk about prospects.
ANSWERS
RE: Alex Brown
I've not heard a thing about him as a target. I think the Eagles would like to add a young DE to the mix.
RE: LB Eric Norwood
I've got notes to post on him for ScoutsNotebook. Check there on Thursday evening.
RE: Shaun Rogers
I've wondered if he could be a player the Eagles might target to add to the DT mix. He's huge, but also quick and disruptive. Those guys aren't easy to find. He has character issues, but has also played on some terrible teams. That has to affect a guy. Shaun just go arrested today for a gun incident at the airport, but I think that is more stupidity than any type of violence type issues. He was caught with a loaded gun in a bag. He says he forgot it was there and I can believe that.
RE: Earl Thomas / FS
Eric Berry and Earl are 1 and 2. Big drop-off after that. I think Nate Allen is 3. I see him going in the early 2nd. Eric and Earl are special. Nate and the rest of the S prospects are good, but each has some question marks.
RE: hindsight on QB situation
The Eagles may have misplayed the Mike Vick situation. He has too much baggage to demand a high price. You have to negotiate differently with him than McNabb. I really can't comment on Donovan until a deal goes down or doesn't go down. If we land a high price, then they did things right.
This is a complex situation. Warren Moon is all up in arms about the way we handled it. Gimme a break. The minute we tell Donovan he's out of here and start aggressively shopping him the price drops. Teams know we have to move him. As dumb as it sounds, you have to play the "He's our #1 QB" card and act like there is a plan for keeping him. That puts the pressure on teams to pry him away from you.
The Eagles are catching a lot of flak right now, but that's because people don't know what is happening. If the deal isn't going down it must be because Howie Roseman is an idiot and Andy Reid lost control of the team, right? Gimme a break. Roseman and Reid are talking to teams. They are figuring out what is best for us. Trading Donovan is complicated. He's a star, but an older one in the final year of his deal. This is a deep draft. People don't want to give up picks.
My calendar says April 1st. If Donovan is here on May 1st then I will probably change my tune and say that Howie and Andy did screw up. Let's see what happens. There is more going on behind the scenes than people know.
RE: Gocong to CLE
This trade has been talked about for a few weeks. It could go down anyday or drag on for a while. I wonder if we're shopping Chris with McNabb as a package for some teams. The Browns aren't in the McNabb hunt anymore. Chris is being shopped.
RE: Sheldon
I am not sure what teams are interested in him. I think he's worth a 3rd round pick. I wonder if CLE might not take a look. They could use CB help. The Texans could also use help at CB. I haven't heard a word about them dealing with anyone, but that could change.
RE: The Unit
I never watched the show when it was on CBS despite the fact I loved Shawn Ryan's work on The Shield and that I think David Mamet is a genius. I am a huge fan of his style of dialogue. The Unit has a simplified version. It isn't as repetitive as most Mamet stuff, but has the same tone and style of delivery. The show airs on Sleuth Network on Mondays and Saturday mornings. I'm absolutely in love with the show. Dennis Haysbert is brilliant as Master Sargent Jonas Blane. Any time a military show is on broadcast TV there will be some cheesy moments and awkward action sequences, but I'm more interested in the characters and their interactions than anything else. Very good writing and acting.
___
Couple of Draft Thoughts
***
I wrote a short piece on some prospects for PE.com.
--Link--
I'll be putting up another post here in a few hours. I'll also answer some questions from the last set of comments. Lots of good discussions going on.
___
I wrote a short piece on some prospects for PE.com.
--Link--
I'll be putting up another post here in a few hours. I'll also answer some questions from the last set of comments. Lots of good discussions going on.
___
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
