***
The Eagles traded for Ernie Sims to be the new WLB. He's 6'1, 225 and excels on the move and in coverage. In the draft they added Keenan Clayton, a very similar type of player. He was taken in the 4th round. That shows that they really valued the guy and he wasn't just a late round project. The backup MLB they took in the draft, Jamar Chaney, isn't a 260-pound run stuffer. He's 6'1, 245 and real athletic. He also is good in coverage.
The team promoted Moise Fokou to be the starting SAM linebacker. He's 6'2 and now weighs about 238 pounds. He doesn't have the bulk/power of Chris Gocong, but he's good on the move and is more natural in coverage.
What does all of this mean?
I think Sean McDermott sees the new look of the NFL. A few years back we intentionally made the defense bigger. Parcells was in Dallas and they had a power running game. Gibbs was in WAS and they were trying to build a power running game. The Giants had Brandon Jacobs running wild. Things have changed. Tony Romo is the key to the Cowboys offense. Mike Shanahan will run a lot in DC, but it isn't the traditional power rushing attack. Brandon Jacobs might be on the decline in NY.
We went 11-5 last year. Think about the losses.
NO
OAK
DAL
SD
DAL
We lost to Brees, Romo, and Rivers. The Oakland game was an anomaly, but we can even learn from that. The big play was the pass to the TE. He beat Trotter over the middle. Asante had the worst tackle attempt in NFL history. No one was able to chase him down. We needed more speed in the middle of the defense.
Who was in the Super Bowl? Brees and Manning. Elite passing QBs. You might counter that the NFL has been a passing league for a while. That's true, but things are changing. Passing attacks are getting better. 10 QBs completed 65 percent of their passes this year. Think about that. In 2002 that number was 4.
Think about Manning and Brees. Peyton beat the Ravens and their aggressive front seven in the playoffs. Then he beat the Jets. They had the best D in the league and a true shutdown type CB in Darrelle Revis. Drew ate up the Vikings and their outstanding D-line.
Those QBs get the ball out quickly. It is hard to rush them. They are deadly accurate. You can have great coverage and still not stop them. Remember the sideline throw from Brees to Devery Henderson against us? Great throw. Phenomenal catch. Sheldon Brown was all over Henderson, but it didn't make a difference.
Dallas drove us crazy with WR screens. You aren't going to stop that play with a DE or CB. You need pursuit to shut that down.
I think Sean McDermott sees all of this and is trying to change the defense up a bit. He loaded up on DEs. He wants guys who can get to the QB without blitzing. He sacrificed size at the LB level to improve our speed and coverage ability. I don't see any change at the DB level. I'm sure we wanted a top shelf CB, but weren't able to solve that situation...yet. We had to have pass rushers and LBs. We got them when they were available.
Stewart Bradley made mention in an interview that we'd be doing some new things on defense. He didn't get specific. Don't look for drastic changes, but it will be interesting to see how Sean has changed things in his 2nd year with the new personnel we've added.
I know people are worried about the D. I think we'll have a better D-line. I know the LB play will be better. 3/4 of the secondary should be better. RCB is a major hole at this point, but let's see what happens. I think we've got a chance to be pretty good.
MORE MINI-CAMP STUFF
King Dunlap was running as the backup RT yesterday. Interesting. I've always thought of him as a LT. He reportedly is now 325 pounds. He looked solid in drills, but the question for him is always live action. He's never been physical enough in the past. Maybe the new size will help.
Rookie FA Austin Howard was the backup LT. Again, interesting. He has real good potential. Juan Castillo has to coach him up.
Andy Reid made it sound in his PC like there was no competition at OC. He said Nick Cole is the Center. They are trying to see what McGlynn can do, but I found it odd that Reid didn't see a competition for that job.
Alex Hall is playing DE for now. I don't like that. He looked more like a LB to me. We'll see where he is in Training Camp.
We did find out that Victor Abiamiri had microfracture knee surgery. He'll be out for a while now. There's no guarantee he plays in 2010. This poor guy can't stay healthy. It used to be Buck. Then McDougle. Now VA. Who's next?
___
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Mini-Camp Stuff
***
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.
___
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.
___
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Couple of Things
***
I did a post-draft podcast with the guys from EaglesFanCast. It went over an hour so Chuck split the show into a couple of segments. The first one is posted.
-Link-
HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS
One of the cool things about the internet is the ability to see highlights of draft prospects. A few years back a guy named Toby and I would scour the web in search of videos. They were hard to find. Now you just go to YouTube. Agents, schools, and fans put out some really cool vids.
Derek at IgglesBlog found a real fun video of OT Jeraill McCuller. Check it out and it will get you excited.
-Link-
The one thing you have to remember with most videos is that they are highlights. The point is to show you the player at his best. That video doesn't show McCuller in pass pro against top competition very much. Ultimately, that is what will decide whether he makes it in the NFL or not. Watching McCuller mash on undersized LBs is great fun, but doesn't really help you judge him as a prospect.
I do think Jeraill has a shot to make the team, but it will be tough because he doesn't have good feet. Pass blocking is real tough for him. We'll see how he takes to pro coaching. He played in a pro style system at NC State and got good coaching. What we see may be as good as he's gonna get. You just never know how a guy will handle the NFL. I remember watching Todd Herremans back in 2005 in the Cactus Bowl (D2 all star game). He struggled with edge rushers in that game and I gave up on him as an OT. We drafted him and Juan coached him up. I got to Training Camp and Todd was the #1 LT because Tra was having back issues. Pro coaching made a huge difference with Todd. He was nowhere near his ceiling when we got him. McCuller might be.
KOLB EXTENDED
Kevin Kolb signed a 1-year extension that keeps him here for 2010 and 2011. He wasn't due to make much money in '09 and the Eagles wanted to pay him like a starting QB. He's now making more than Mike Vick so that will eliminate some potentially annoying questions from the SalPals of the world. Kevin made a comment about "being able to put this behind us". Mike Florio of PFT instantly assumed that meant the contract had been an issue. Is everything a friggin' conspiracy? Do we really have to read into every comment, looking for the most negative possibility? Maybe Kevin hates the business side of football and is happy that he doesn't have to worry about any contract issues for 12-18 months. It doesn't necessarily mean that he was upset with the Eagles or that he was overly-focused on his deal. I love Florio and PFT, but the desire to find some hidden meaning in every set of comments does drive me a bit crazy.
McDERMOTT, SCHEME
I'll write out some thoughts on this subject on Friday.
MACHO MAN
Macho Harris will play CB this year. Is he fast enough for the outside? Maybe. Macho ran 4.68 at the Combine. That isn't fast enough for CB. However, if you remember last year all of the DBs at the Combine ran slow. It seemed like something was wrong with the timing system. At his Pro Day Macho ran better. Here's the info from Gil Brandt:
I honestly don't know what I think of Macho as a CB. I loved him at Va Tech, but he was very similar to Asante in terms of gambling. Can we afford 2 CBs that play like that? Heck, maybe that's what they want. I'm as confused as everyone when it comes to RCB and what will happen.
___
I did a post-draft podcast with the guys from EaglesFanCast. It went over an hour so Chuck split the show into a couple of segments. The first one is posted.
-Link-
HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS
One of the cool things about the internet is the ability to see highlights of draft prospects. A few years back a guy named Toby and I would scour the web in search of videos. They were hard to find. Now you just go to YouTube. Agents, schools, and fans put out some really cool vids.
Derek at IgglesBlog found a real fun video of OT Jeraill McCuller. Check it out and it will get you excited.
-Link-
The one thing you have to remember with most videos is that they are highlights. The point is to show you the player at his best. That video doesn't show McCuller in pass pro against top competition very much. Ultimately, that is what will decide whether he makes it in the NFL or not. Watching McCuller mash on undersized LBs is great fun, but doesn't really help you judge him as a prospect.
I do think Jeraill has a shot to make the team, but it will be tough because he doesn't have good feet. Pass blocking is real tough for him. We'll see how he takes to pro coaching. He played in a pro style system at NC State and got good coaching. What we see may be as good as he's gonna get. You just never know how a guy will handle the NFL. I remember watching Todd Herremans back in 2005 in the Cactus Bowl (D2 all star game). He struggled with edge rushers in that game and I gave up on him as an OT. We drafted him and Juan coached him up. I got to Training Camp and Todd was the #1 LT because Tra was having back issues. Pro coaching made a huge difference with Todd. He was nowhere near his ceiling when we got him. McCuller might be.
KOLB EXTENDED
Kevin Kolb signed a 1-year extension that keeps him here for 2010 and 2011. He wasn't due to make much money in '09 and the Eagles wanted to pay him like a starting QB. He's now making more than Mike Vick so that will eliminate some potentially annoying questions from the SalPals of the world. Kevin made a comment about "being able to put this behind us". Mike Florio of PFT instantly assumed that meant the contract had been an issue. Is everything a friggin' conspiracy? Do we really have to read into every comment, looking for the most negative possibility? Maybe Kevin hates the business side of football and is happy that he doesn't have to worry about any contract issues for 12-18 months. It doesn't necessarily mean that he was upset with the Eagles or that he was overly-focused on his deal. I love Florio and PFT, but the desire to find some hidden meaning in every set of comments does drive me a bit crazy.
McDERMOTT, SCHEME
I'll write out some thoughts on this subject on Friday.
MACHO MAN
Macho Harris will play CB this year. Is he fast enough for the outside? Maybe. Macho ran 4.68 at the Combine. That isn't fast enough for CB. However, if you remember last year all of the DBs at the Combine ran slow. It seemed like something was wrong with the timing system. At his Pro Day Macho ran better. Here's the info from Gil Brandt:
Virginia Tech CB Victor ‘Macho’ Harris (5-foot-11 1/8, 197 pounds) does not have the fastest straight-line speed of those in this year’s defensive back class, but he relies on his quickness. He posted a senstational 4.0-second short shuttle at the Hokies’ pro day on Thursday. This ran a 3.98-second short shuttle at the combine last month that placed him second among all participants. Harris’ other numbers were also solid. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 and 4.50 seconds, had a 34-inch vertical, a 10-foot, 1-inch broad jump and did 13 bench-press reps.
I honestly don't know what I think of Macho as a CB. I loved him at Va Tech, but he was very similar to Asante in terms of gambling. Can we afford 2 CBs that play like that? Heck, maybe that's what they want. I'm as confused as everyone when it comes to RCB and what will happen.
___
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Draft Review is Finally Done
***
Sorry for the long delay. I wanted to write out something after taking an extra look at a couple of players. I also wanted to include the UDFAs. The Eagles kept signing guys and that delayed things. Anyway...here goes:
2010 Draft Review
It is kinda long (about 14 Word pages) so I didn't bother posting it here. Let me know if any of the links don't work. Let me know if I made any major mistakes. I've read the thing several times and if I haven't caught the error yet, I never will.
NEW KID
The Eagles claimed OG Shawn Murphy off waivers the other day. Good. He was one of my favorite O-linemen a few drafts ago. He's likely just a camp body at this point, but we'll see. I haven't watched him in the NFL. He has good size at 6'4, 315. Played LT and G in college.
ANSWERS
RE: Tapp vs Graham
Huge difference. Graham was dominant in college. Tapp was an effort guy. Darryl is an effort guy in the NFL. Brandon is special because he combines speed/quickness, skill, and effort. You never know what happens when guys get to the league. Brandon could turn out to be a bust. He also has the potential to become a star pass rusher. Tapp could be a real solid player for us, but isn't likely to ever be a difference maker.
I'll write more about Graham in the next couple of weeks. I'll re-watch several games and we'll try to get detailed as to what he does and what he can do in the NFL.
RE: Earl Thomas vs Nate Allen
I'll be interested to see if Earl starts right away for Seattle. We needed someone ready to challenge for the FS job from day one. I think Nate has a great chance to start for us. Earl might be more of a project. He only started for 2 years and spent most of his time playing against spread teams. It will be fun to see if Nate can outdo Earl or if in fact Earl does become a special NFL player.
___
Sorry for the long delay. I wanted to write out something after taking an extra look at a couple of players. I also wanted to include the UDFAs. The Eagles kept signing guys and that delayed things. Anyway...here goes:
2010 Draft Review
It is kinda long (about 14 Word pages) so I didn't bother posting it here. Let me know if any of the links don't work. Let me know if I made any major mistakes. I've read the thing several times and if I haven't caught the error yet, I never will.
NEW KID
The Eagles claimed OG Shawn Murphy off waivers the other day. Good. He was one of my favorite O-linemen a few drafts ago. He's likely just a camp body at this point, but we'll see. I haven't watched him in the NFL. He has good size at 6'4, 315. Played LT and G in college.
ANSWERS
RE: Tapp vs Graham
Huge difference. Graham was dominant in college. Tapp was an effort guy. Darryl is an effort guy in the NFL. Brandon is special because he combines speed/quickness, skill, and effort. You never know what happens when guys get to the league. Brandon could turn out to be a bust. He also has the potential to become a star pass rusher. Tapp could be a real solid player for us, but isn't likely to ever be a difference maker.
I'll write more about Graham in the next couple of weeks. I'll re-watch several games and we'll try to get detailed as to what he does and what he can do in the NFL.
RE: Earl Thomas vs Nate Allen
I'll be interested to see if Earl starts right away for Seattle. We needed someone ready to challenge for the FS job from day one. I think Nate has a great chance to start for us. Earl might be more of a project. He only started for 2 years and spent most of his time playing against spread teams. It will be fun to see if Nate can outdo Earl or if in fact Earl does become a special NFL player.
___
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
New Column is Up
***
I'm still working on the long Draft Review. For now you'll have to settle for my newest PE.com piece of work.
-Link-
Man on the Corner
The Eagles added another UDFA, Arizona CB Devin Ross. I thought he looked good when I watched tape of him over the summer. I wasn't as impressed during the '09 season. He was incredibly productive. 25 pass break-ups over the last 2 years. 61 solo tackles in '09. That's a crazy amount.
LT ?
Someone asked about my comment that I wanted a player to compete with King Dunlap for the backup LT spot. I haven't heard any inside scoops on King. I only know what Andy says or Dave writes. And King is rarely a subject that gets brought up. I don't know that the Eagles had any OTs specially targeted in the draft. We know they spent time with Jared Veldheer. He doesn't have long arms, which is usually a key thing that Reid and Castillo prefer. There were a lot of comments about the quality of the OT class this year. It was a good group, but was real top heavy. Once you got past Saffold and Veldheer things started to get mediocre. It sure didn't seem like the Eagles found anyone that really interested them.
I'll be writing notes on Austin Howard in a day or two. He is likely here as the #3 LT. I want to watch more tape to offer the best opinion possible.
___
I'm still working on the long Draft Review. For now you'll have to settle for my newest PE.com piece of work.
-Link-
Man on the Corner
The Eagles added another UDFA, Arizona CB Devin Ross. I thought he looked good when I watched tape of him over the summer. I wasn't as impressed during the '09 season. He was incredibly productive. 25 pass break-ups over the last 2 years. 61 solo tackles in '09. That's a crazy amount.
LT ?
Someone asked about my comment that I wanted a player to compete with King Dunlap for the backup LT spot. I haven't heard any inside scoops on King. I only know what Andy says or Dave writes. And King is rarely a subject that gets brought up. I don't know that the Eagles had any OTs specially targeted in the draft. We know they spent time with Jared Veldheer. He doesn't have long arms, which is usually a key thing that Reid and Castillo prefer. There were a lot of comments about the quality of the OT class this year. It was a good group, but was real top heavy. Once you got past Saffold and Veldheer things started to get mediocre. It sure didn't seem like the Eagles found anyone that really interested them.
I'll be writing notes on Austin Howard in a day or two. He is likely here as the #3 LT. I want to watch more tape to offer the best opinion possible.
___
Monday, April 26, 2010
UDFAs
***
The Eagles finally let PE.com post the list.
I won't go into detail now, but will mention a thing or two about some guys:
OT Austin Howard - good I-AA LT.
OT Jeraill McCuller - run blocking RT.
OG Zipp Duncan - played LG and LT.
QB Joey Elliott - showed talent, but was inconsistent.
FB Chris Zardas
WR Pat Simonds - big guy who dominated at his level.
WR Kevin Jurovich - polished receiver with great hands.
WR Blue Cooper
DT Charles Alexander
CB David Pender - up and down player with very good potential.
CB Josh Morris
Howard is the most interesting player. Here is his Pro Day info from Gil Brandt:
He shows up on game tape as well. Howard has legit NFL ability. He has to learn to bend his knees and sink his butt. He bends at the waist and reaches for defenders. That will get you killed in the NFL. You must bend at the knee.
I think the best player is CB David Pender. I had him rated as worthy of at least a 6th round pick. He has good size and runs well. He was impressive at the Combine.
___
The Eagles finally let PE.com post the list.
I won't go into detail now, but will mention a thing or two about some guys:
OT Austin Howard - good I-AA LT.
OT Jeraill McCuller - run blocking RT.
OG Zipp Duncan - played LG and LT.
QB Joey Elliott - showed talent, but was inconsistent.
FB Chris Zardas
WR Pat Simonds - big guy who dominated at his level.
WR Kevin Jurovich - polished receiver with great hands.
WR Blue Cooper
DT Charles Alexander
CB David Pender - up and down player with very good potential.
CB Josh Morris
Howard is the most interesting player. Here is his Pro Day info from Gil Brandt:
Offensive lineman Austin Howard (6-7 3/8, 333) ran 5.42 and 5.40 in the 40, had a 30.5-inch vertical leap, 9-1 broad jump, 4.62 short shuttle, 8.10 three-cone drill and had 19 bench press reps. His arms measured in at 34 inches.
He shows up on game tape as well. Howard has legit NFL ability. He has to learn to bend his knees and sink his butt. He bends at the waist and reaches for defenders. That will get you killed in the NFL. You must bend at the knee.
I think the best player is CB David Pender. I had him rated as worthy of at least a 6th round pick. He has good size and runs well. He was impressive at the Combine.
___
I am Still Alive
***
Sunday was quiet for me. I watched several football tapes to check out our new Eagles, but did very little writing. I was in post-draft coma. I caught up on some TV (Treme is a good new show) and sorta vegged a little, but now it is back to the grindstone.
I am in the process of writing a lengthy Eagles Draft Review. I'm on page 387 right now and I haven't even covered a single pick yet. I really like to set the scene. Joking, of course. I'll hopefully have the review posted on Tuesday morning.
I do like Trevard Lindley more now than I did on Saturday. I still have some questions, but he does have good feet, hands, and instincts. That is something that a quality coach like Dick Jauron can work with.
Rather than trying to write out a specific post I'm going to answer some questions.
RE: Any interest in John Henderson
He probably expects to be a starter. I'll pass. If he was open to being a role player I'd absolutely be interested. I have wanted to see a monstrous guy in the middle (not bulky, but actually tall). I'd love to see him and Dan Klecko play DT together. They could design a stunt where Klecko ran through Henderson's legs and confused all the blockers.
RE: Brandon Graham
I think very highly of him. I had a talk with my buddy Ryan right after the Senior Bowl. I told him that the question NFL teams had to answer was whether this guy is Dwight Freeney or LaMarr Woodley. Obviously the Eagles thought he was a lot closer to Freeney.
I love Brandon because he combines skill, athleticism, and effort. Guys like that are not easy to find. Some guys are athletes. Some guys are grinders. Some guys are polished players. Very few players have all 3 traits.
Any notion that he was going to last anywhere near pick 24 is out the window. I did some checking over the weekend and there were multiple teams interested. Peter King also reported that he knew a few teams who were upset when Graham was picked by us at 13.
How does Graham compare to Trent Cole? Graham is almost 30 pounds heavier than Trent was at this time back in 2005. Graham posted near identical numbers in the 40, 3-cone, and short shuttle. That should tell you that he's a pretty darn good athlete. He doesn't have the lower body strength that Trent did. Graham dominated the Senior Bowl. Trent was "okay". Graham dominated at Michigan. Cole was productive at Cincinnati. Brandon has the higher ceiling. He could be a special pass rusher. Trent has obviously established himself as a very good NFL player while Brandon is still just a prospect.
RE: Why so many UDFA WRs?
We do this every year. Just as other readers commented, it is done to keep all the receivers fresh in the passing drills. Most of the guys are just bodies. Kevin Jurovich is a player that some scouts really like. He runs good routes, knows how to get open, and has very good hands. Pat Simonds has great size, but was very up and down at the Shrine Game.
RE: Tony Washington
Good player and prospect. His character issue is so bizarre that I don't know if you can bring him onto an NFL team. Would the media handle that well? Fans? I was told he was a good kid at Abilene-Christian, but some incidents stay with you for life.
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Sunday was quiet for me. I watched several football tapes to check out our new Eagles, but did very little writing. I was in post-draft coma. I caught up on some TV (Treme is a good new show) and sorta vegged a little, but now it is back to the grindstone.
I am in the process of writing a lengthy Eagles Draft Review. I'm on page 387 right now and I haven't even covered a single pick yet. I really like to set the scene. Joking, of course. I'll hopefully have the review posted on Tuesday morning.
I do like Trevard Lindley more now than I did on Saturday. I still have some questions, but he does have good feet, hands, and instincts. That is something that a quality coach like Dick Jauron can work with.
Rather than trying to write out a specific post I'm going to answer some questions.
RE: Any interest in John Henderson
He probably expects to be a starter. I'll pass. If he was open to being a role player I'd absolutely be interested. I have wanted to see a monstrous guy in the middle (not bulky, but actually tall). I'd love to see him and Dan Klecko play DT together. They could design a stunt where Klecko ran through Henderson's legs and confused all the blockers.
RE: Brandon Graham
I think very highly of him. I had a talk with my buddy Ryan right after the Senior Bowl. I told him that the question NFL teams had to answer was whether this guy is Dwight Freeney or LaMarr Woodley. Obviously the Eagles thought he was a lot closer to Freeney.
I love Brandon because he combines skill, athleticism, and effort. Guys like that are not easy to find. Some guys are athletes. Some guys are grinders. Some guys are polished players. Very few players have all 3 traits.
Any notion that he was going to last anywhere near pick 24 is out the window. I did some checking over the weekend and there were multiple teams interested. Peter King also reported that he knew a few teams who were upset when Graham was picked by us at 13.
How does Graham compare to Trent Cole? Graham is almost 30 pounds heavier than Trent was at this time back in 2005. Graham posted near identical numbers in the 40, 3-cone, and short shuttle. That should tell you that he's a pretty darn good athlete. He doesn't have the lower body strength that Trent did. Graham dominated the Senior Bowl. Trent was "okay". Graham dominated at Michigan. Cole was productive at Cincinnati. Brandon has the higher ceiling. He could be a special pass rusher. Trent has obviously established himself as a very good NFL player while Brandon is still just a prospect.
RE: Why so many UDFA WRs?
We do this every year. Just as other readers commented, it is done to keep all the receivers fresh in the passing drills. Most of the guys are just bodies. Kevin Jurovich is a player that some scouts really like. He runs good routes, knows how to get open, and has very good hands. Pat Simonds has great size, but was very up and down at the Shrine Game.
RE: Tony Washington
Good player and prospect. His character issue is so bizarre that I don't know if you can bring him onto an NFL team. Would the media handle that well? Fans? I was told he was a good kid at Abilene-Christian, but some incidents stay with you for life.
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