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| Bryce Johnston @eaglessalarycap | 6h |
According to my calculations the Eagles have $15,661,051 in cap room after releasing Demestress Bell. |
Last edited:
Please lock this one up mods
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by stillin729,
- Start date
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Billy Davis is the new DC
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i think we wanted to go with one of the 49ers guys (their DBs coach or LBs coach), but they got blocked from interviewing..
would rather have gone with grantham..
but at least davis has NFL experience and has worked with/under cowher, capers, philips and nolan
would rather have gone with grantham..
but at least davis has NFL experience and has worked with/under cowher, capers, philips and nolan
VinMillerHearn58
formerly lakersreppa008
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Saw the teams Davis had coached in, I don't know much about him though.
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[h1]Billy Davis vs The World[/h1]
Posted: February 7th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 55 Comments »
It is pretty clear that most Eagles fans are not very fired up about the hiring of Billy Davis. I’m not going to lie and tell you I’m in love with the move. That said, my reaction isn’t overly negative either. Why? There weren’t great candidates available. You always need perspective.
So let’s compare Billy to some DC candidates.
Ed Donatell – BLOCKED! Stinkin’ Jim Harbaugh didn’t even give us a chance to talk to Ed.
Todd Grantham – A lot of fans were fired up about Todd. Not me. He was given elite talent at Georgia and produced good defenses. See the problem there? Some might point to UGA being 5th in yards allowed in 2011, but that was a mighty soft schedule. When Georgia did face good offenses, they gave up 35 points to Boise, 45 to South Carolina, 42 to LSU, and 33 to Michigan State. Grantham is a good college DC with some NFL experience. He’s not the guy that the hype would lead you to belive.
Is he better than Davis? The NFL stats would say yes, but not by much. And the red flag there is that Grantham’s defense got worse each year.
Kirby Smart – Apparently he was not a legit candidate, despite all kinds of rumors. Him going to the NFL made no sense to me. Stay at Bama another year and then take over as HC of some other college.
Steve Spagnuolo – How the mighty have fallen. Spags looked like a genius after his work with the Giants in 2007 and 2008. He struggled in St. Louis and then was the DC of a trainwreck unit in New Orleans this past year. They were on pace to be the worst defense of all time, yardage wise. Not sure if they set that record. Spags is hard to evaluate at this point. You can’t erase his success with the Giants, but that was a long time ago.
Ryan – The numbers aren’t good. He’s also never been the DC on a winning NFL team. Rob has a big mouth and can be a distraction. His units were sloppy and undisciplined for much of 2012. Funny enough, there used to be a lot of hype around Rob Ryan. Dallas turned out not to be the best spot for him.
Ray Horton – Many fans wanted Horton. Ray is a good coach, but let’s get the facts straight. He isn’t the guru that his hype would lead you to believe. The Cardinals were 18th in yards allowed in 2011 and 12th this year. They were 17th in scoring defense both years. The Cards did finish 4th in takeaways this season (special shout out to Mike Vick). Horton might turn out to be a great coach. Right now he’s a good coach coming off a so-so year and a pretty good year.
Crazy stat of the day…Ray Horton as DC has worse numbers than Juan Castillo. Ray had 346 yds and 22 pts per game. Juan is at 327 yds and 21 pts per game.
Here’s the tricky part with Ray. Let’s say he does put a great defense on the field in 2013. Chances are he’ll be a HC in 2014. Ray desperately wants to be a HC. Do you hire a guy that is going crazy to move on? Some might argue yes, take the better coach and the risk. This is where you have to understand how Chip Kelly is thinking. He might prefer guys that he can keep together for at least 3 years, that way he’s got a more realistic chance to compete for a Super Bowl.
If I had to pick Horton or Davis to coach a game to save Megan Fox’s life, I’m taking Horton. Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple an argument as that. As we saw in recent years. Staff stability and cohesiveness are huge factors. For those reasons, passing on Horton may have been wise.
Todd Bowles – It won’t surprise me if Todd turns out to be a really good coach down the road, but we couldn’t bring him back after the dysfunctional 2012 season. I don’t blame him for the bizarre situation, but we had to clean house. He’s now running the show in Arizona. Will be interesting to see what he does with the unit that Horton left him.
Bob Sutton – The least known of the DCs this offseason. He’ll run the defense for Andy Reid in KC. Sutton was the Jets DC for 3 years prior to Rex Ryan’s arrival. Sutton stayed on as LBs coach after Rex took over. Sutton posted pedestrian results as DC. He is a veteran coach with experience in college and the NFL. Sutton is older (62), but has tons of experience. There isn’t much bad to say about Sutton, but he’s also not a compelling DC.
Mike Pettine – Good assistant coach. Was the DC for the Jets, but that was really Rex Ryan running the show. Pettine left in part to show what he could do on his own. He’s unknown as a DC. Might turn out to be a great hire for the Bills, but could also crash and burn. Rex was the key to the Jets defensive success in recent years. I’m really curious to see how Mike does.
Ted Monachino – Staying put in Baltimore. Good coach, but doesn’t have DC experience. That was a huge deal for me. I didn’t want a young coach who was going to be learning on the job. We needed someone with experience.
Bob Babich – Another good positional coach. Ran the Bears defense from 2007-09. The Bears were a mediocre to bad defense in those years. The team thrived under Ron Rivera before him and under Rod Marinelli after him. That doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Babich. He’s now working with Gus Bradley in JAX. I’ll definitely take Davis over Babich.
Dan Quinn – Bradley’s replacement in Seattle. Veteran DL coach with limited DC experience. Ran the Florida defense the last 2 years. Might thrive with help from Pete Carroll, but I’d be nervous about a guy like him working for an offensive HC.
**** Jauron – Ran the Browns defense the last 2 years. In 2011 they were very good, but could not come up with takeaways. This year they struggled to stop people but had a lot of takeaways (special shout out to Michael Vick). Go figure. Veteran coach, but his teams have been the definition of mediocrity. I’ll pass. Might get the DC job with the Rams.
Monte Kiffin – Seeing Monte at the Senior Bowl was awkward. The man is 72 and it shows. Did great, great things in Tampa, but was basically fired by his son last month. The Trojans finished 60th in yards allowed. Watch him walk around and it is hard to figure out how he’s supposed to lead a bunch of guys age 20-35 on the football field. I don’t know what to think of Monte anymore. He’s now in Dallas and I have no idea what to expect. Won’t shock me to see this end up as a disaster.
Mel Tucker – Similar to Billy Davis. Tucker has been a DC for 5 years. 4 are bad. Didn’t exactly have great players to work with. Has a good reputation around the league. Were the issues on him or the talent? He’s now taking over as the Bears DC. Another coach I’m real curious about. Going to Chicago might do him a world of good. Jacksonville hasn’t exactly been a factory of greatness in recent years.
Eric Mangini – His reputation is that of a guru. The numbers don’t back that up at all. He thrived as an assistant for Bill Belichick, but the perception that he’s a terrific defensive coach doesn’t mesh with reality.
* * * * *
When you look at the overall group of candidates, you can see there weren’t a bunch of guys that made you say “Oh, go hire him right now!”. It just wasn’t that kind of year.
I’m sure some of you will have favorite candidates in that group. I didn’t and that’s why I stayed so quiet in the DC search. The one guy I wanted was Rex Ryan, but the Jets never fired him. There were others who interested me, but all of these guys have flaws.
I do trust Chip Kelly. Davis likely wasn’t his first choice, but Chip knows that he needs the right coach on defense if the Eagles are going to win and he’s going to succeed. If Chip is willing to take a chance on Davis, I’ll buy in.
I’ll write more on Davis later. There is lots of research to be done.
http://igglesblitz.com/philadelphia-eagles-2/billy-davis-vs-the-world/
Posted: February 7th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 55 Comments »
It is pretty clear that most Eagles fans are not very fired up about the hiring of Billy Davis. I’m not going to lie and tell you I’m in love with the move. That said, my reaction isn’t overly negative either. Why? There weren’t great candidates available. You always need perspective.
So let’s compare Billy to some DC candidates.
Ed Donatell – BLOCKED! Stinkin’ Jim Harbaugh didn’t even give us a chance to talk to Ed.
Todd Grantham – A lot of fans were fired up about Todd. Not me. He was given elite talent at Georgia and produced good defenses. See the problem there? Some might point to UGA being 5th in yards allowed in 2011, but that was a mighty soft schedule. When Georgia did face good offenses, they gave up 35 points to Boise, 45 to South Carolina, 42 to LSU, and 33 to Michigan State. Grantham is a good college DC with some NFL experience. He’s not the guy that the hype would lead you to belive.
Is he better than Davis? The NFL stats would say yes, but not by much. And the red flag there is that Grantham’s defense got worse each year.
Kirby Smart – Apparently he was not a legit candidate, despite all kinds of rumors. Him going to the NFL made no sense to me. Stay at Bama another year and then take over as HC of some other college.
Steve Spagnuolo – How the mighty have fallen. Spags looked like a genius after his work with the Giants in 2007 and 2008. He struggled in St. Louis and then was the DC of a trainwreck unit in New Orleans this past year. They were on pace to be the worst defense of all time, yardage wise. Not sure if they set that record. Spags is hard to evaluate at this point. You can’t erase his success with the Giants, but that was a long time ago.
Ryan – The numbers aren’t good. He’s also never been the DC on a winning NFL team. Rob has a big mouth and can be a distraction. His units were sloppy and undisciplined for much of 2012. Funny enough, there used to be a lot of hype around Rob Ryan. Dallas turned out not to be the best spot for him.
Ray Horton – Many fans wanted Horton. Ray is a good coach, but let’s get the facts straight. He isn’t the guru that his hype would lead you to believe. The Cardinals were 18th in yards allowed in 2011 and 12th this year. They were 17th in scoring defense both years. The Cards did finish 4th in takeaways this season (special shout out to Mike Vick). Horton might turn out to be a great coach. Right now he’s a good coach coming off a so-so year and a pretty good year.
Crazy stat of the day…Ray Horton as DC has worse numbers than Juan Castillo. Ray had 346 yds and 22 pts per game. Juan is at 327 yds and 21 pts per game.
Here’s the tricky part with Ray. Let’s say he does put a great defense on the field in 2013. Chances are he’ll be a HC in 2014. Ray desperately wants to be a HC. Do you hire a guy that is going crazy to move on? Some might argue yes, take the better coach and the risk. This is where you have to understand how Chip Kelly is thinking. He might prefer guys that he can keep together for at least 3 years, that way he’s got a more realistic chance to compete for a Super Bowl.
If I had to pick Horton or Davis to coach a game to save Megan Fox’s life, I’m taking Horton. Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple an argument as that. As we saw in recent years. Staff stability and cohesiveness are huge factors. For those reasons, passing on Horton may have been wise.
Todd Bowles – It won’t surprise me if Todd turns out to be a really good coach down the road, but we couldn’t bring him back after the dysfunctional 2012 season. I don’t blame him for the bizarre situation, but we had to clean house. He’s now running the show in Arizona. Will be interesting to see what he does with the unit that Horton left him.
Bob Sutton – The least known of the DCs this offseason. He’ll run the defense for Andy Reid in KC. Sutton was the Jets DC for 3 years prior to Rex Ryan’s arrival. Sutton stayed on as LBs coach after Rex took over. Sutton posted pedestrian results as DC. He is a veteran coach with experience in college and the NFL. Sutton is older (62), but has tons of experience. There isn’t much bad to say about Sutton, but he’s also not a compelling DC.
Mike Pettine – Good assistant coach. Was the DC for the Jets, but that was really Rex Ryan running the show. Pettine left in part to show what he could do on his own. He’s unknown as a DC. Might turn out to be a great hire for the Bills, but could also crash and burn. Rex was the key to the Jets defensive success in recent years. I’m really curious to see how Mike does.
Ted Monachino – Staying put in Baltimore. Good coach, but doesn’t have DC experience. That was a huge deal for me. I didn’t want a young coach who was going to be learning on the job. We needed someone with experience.
Bob Babich – Another good positional coach. Ran the Bears defense from 2007-09. The Bears were a mediocre to bad defense in those years. The team thrived under Ron Rivera before him and under Rod Marinelli after him. That doesn’t paint a pretty picture for Babich. He’s now working with Gus Bradley in JAX. I’ll definitely take Davis over Babich.
Dan Quinn – Bradley’s replacement in Seattle. Veteran DL coach with limited DC experience. Ran the Florida defense the last 2 years. Might thrive with help from Pete Carroll, but I’d be nervous about a guy like him working for an offensive HC.
**** Jauron – Ran the Browns defense the last 2 years. In 2011 they were very good, but could not come up with takeaways. This year they struggled to stop people but had a lot of takeaways (special shout out to Michael Vick). Go figure. Veteran coach, but his teams have been the definition of mediocrity. I’ll pass. Might get the DC job with the Rams.
Monte Kiffin – Seeing Monte at the Senior Bowl was awkward. The man is 72 and it shows. Did great, great things in Tampa, but was basically fired by his son last month. The Trojans finished 60th in yards allowed. Watch him walk around and it is hard to figure out how he’s supposed to lead a bunch of guys age 20-35 on the football field. I don’t know what to think of Monte anymore. He’s now in Dallas and I have no idea what to expect. Won’t shock me to see this end up as a disaster.
Mel Tucker – Similar to Billy Davis. Tucker has been a DC for 5 years. 4 are bad. Didn’t exactly have great players to work with. Has a good reputation around the league. Were the issues on him or the talent? He’s now taking over as the Bears DC. Another coach I’m real curious about. Going to Chicago might do him a world of good. Jacksonville hasn’t exactly been a factory of greatness in recent years.
Eric Mangini – His reputation is that of a guru. The numbers don’t back that up at all. He thrived as an assistant for Bill Belichick, but the perception that he’s a terrific defensive coach doesn’t mesh with reality.
* * * * *
When you look at the overall group of candidates, you can see there weren’t a bunch of guys that made you say “Oh, go hire him right now!”. It just wasn’t that kind of year.
I’m sure some of you will have favorite candidates in that group. I didn’t and that’s why I stayed so quiet in the DC search. The one guy I wanted was Rex Ryan, but the Jets never fired him. There were others who interested me, but all of these guys have flaws.
I do trust Chip Kelly. Davis likely wasn’t his first choice, but Chip knows that he needs the right coach on defense if the Eagles are going to win and he’s going to succeed. If Chip is willing to take a chance on Davis, I’ll buy in.
I’ll write more on Davis later. There is lots of research to be done.
http://igglesblitz.com/philadelphia-eagles-2/billy-davis-vs-the-world/
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[h1]Billy Davis is Your New DC[/h1]
Posted: February 7th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 117 Comments »
The search for a new DC is over. Billy Davis is our man.
This is a mystery hire and here’s what I mean by that.
Billy Davis has a great coaching background. He’s from Youngstown, OH, one of the great football towns in America. Davis coached for a year in college (Michigan State) before jumping to the NFL. He’s been in the NFL for the last 20 years. Davis worked his way up from defensive assistant to OLBs coach to LBs coach to Defensive Coordinator.
I love coaches that have to grind and work their way up the ladder. Davis didn’t have one great player or great unit that got him a big time reputation. He bounced around the league, dealing with success and failure. He’s coached the 3-4 and 4-3. He’s worked with great players and mediocre talent. Davis has worked for Dom Capers, Wade Phillips, and Mike Nolan. Those guys are defensive gurus. Davis worked for solid coaches like Vic Fangio, Bob Slowik, **** Jauron, and Ed Donatell.
This all sounds pretty good. What’s the catch?
Davis was the DC for the Niners in 2005 and 2006. He was the DC for the Cardinals in 2009 and 2010. Those 4 years were not all that impressive.
2005 – 30th in Pts , 32nd in Yds, 21st in takeaways, had 27 sacks, team went 4-12
2006 – 32nd in Pts, 26th in Yds, 18th in takeaways, had 34 sacks, team went 7-9
2009 – 14th in Pts, 20th in Yds, 10th in takeaways, had 42 sacks, team went 10-6
2010 – 30th in Pts, 29th in Yds, 8th in takeaways, had 33 sacks, team went 5-11
Did Davis produce mediocre defenses because of his coaching, poor talent, or other circumstances?
He was a new DC in 2005 and didn’t have much talent to work with. I’m sure that was a combination of the two. His defense did improve the next year, but not enough to save his job.
The 2009 Cardinals obviously did some good things. 42 sacks is a good total. They had a good amount of takeaways. They also were tough to score on. The Cards won the NFC West title that year and even a Wild Card game.
The next year the team didn’t have Kurt Warner at QB and the Cardinals fell apart. I’ll need to do more research to know what exactly happened to the defense, but the Cards did play several young guys and they obviously didn’t hold up well to the pressure of playing beside an awful offense (31st in the league in yards).
Billy Davis is a good coach. Can he be a good DC? That’s the mystery.
* * * * *
There are some reasons to like the move. Davis has 4 years of DC experience. This isn’t McDermott, Castillo, or Bowles learning on the job. Davis has a system. He knows how to teach it. That’s huge for me.
Davis isn’t a big name guy that will come in here and be territorial. He’s not going to clash with Chip Kelly over this and that. Some coordinators with big reputations have done that, especially when dealing with a young/unproven/new head coach.
Davis offers stability. He’s not a young hotshot. The Eagles aren’t likely to be SB contenders this year. You need a coach who can commit to being here for 3 years. Davis fits that description.
* * * * *
Why the delay in hiring him? It must be that Chip Kelly wanted to talk to someone off the Super Bowl staffs. You really do wonder if Ed Donatell was the guy he wanted and that fell apart when Jim Harbaugh blocked Donatell from talking to the Saints yesterday.
Or it could be that Chip wanted to make a serious run at a college DC and knew he had to wait until after signing day to see if the guy would leave. Signing day was yesterday.
I seriously doubt Billy Davis was Chip’s first choice.
That’s okay. Jim Johnson wasn’t Andy Reid’s first choice. That was Marvin Lewis. The Baltimore Ravens wanted to hire Jason Garrett in 2008, but had to “settle” for John Harbaugh. As I always say, the key is to get the right guy. That doesn’t always mean the big name or the first choice.
Can Billy Davis be that guy? I sure hope so.
* * * * *
I’ll write a more in-depth post on Davis in the next few days.
http://igglesblitz.com/philadelphia-eagles-2/billy-davis-is-your-new-dc/
Posted: February 7th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 117 Comments »
The search for a new DC is over. Billy Davis is our man.
This is a mystery hire and here’s what I mean by that.
Billy Davis has a great coaching background. He’s from Youngstown, OH, one of the great football towns in America. Davis coached for a year in college (Michigan State) before jumping to the NFL. He’s been in the NFL for the last 20 years. Davis worked his way up from defensive assistant to OLBs coach to LBs coach to Defensive Coordinator.
I love coaches that have to grind and work their way up the ladder. Davis didn’t have one great player or great unit that got him a big time reputation. He bounced around the league, dealing with success and failure. He’s coached the 3-4 and 4-3. He’s worked with great players and mediocre talent. Davis has worked for Dom Capers, Wade Phillips, and Mike Nolan. Those guys are defensive gurus. Davis worked for solid coaches like Vic Fangio, Bob Slowik, **** Jauron, and Ed Donatell.
This all sounds pretty good. What’s the catch?
Davis was the DC for the Niners in 2005 and 2006. He was the DC for the Cardinals in 2009 and 2010. Those 4 years were not all that impressive.
2005 – 30th in Pts , 32nd in Yds, 21st in takeaways, had 27 sacks, team went 4-12
2006 – 32nd in Pts, 26th in Yds, 18th in takeaways, had 34 sacks, team went 7-9
2009 – 14th in Pts, 20th in Yds, 10th in takeaways, had 42 sacks, team went 10-6
2010 – 30th in Pts, 29th in Yds, 8th in takeaways, had 33 sacks, team went 5-11
Did Davis produce mediocre defenses because of his coaching, poor talent, or other circumstances?
He was a new DC in 2005 and didn’t have much talent to work with. I’m sure that was a combination of the two. His defense did improve the next year, but not enough to save his job.
The 2009 Cardinals obviously did some good things. 42 sacks is a good total. They had a good amount of takeaways. They also were tough to score on. The Cards won the NFC West title that year and even a Wild Card game.
The next year the team didn’t have Kurt Warner at QB and the Cardinals fell apart. I’ll need to do more research to know what exactly happened to the defense, but the Cards did play several young guys and they obviously didn’t hold up well to the pressure of playing beside an awful offense (31st in the league in yards).
Billy Davis is a good coach. Can he be a good DC? That’s the mystery.
* * * * *
There are some reasons to like the move. Davis has 4 years of DC experience. This isn’t McDermott, Castillo, or Bowles learning on the job. Davis has a system. He knows how to teach it. That’s huge for me.
Davis isn’t a big name guy that will come in here and be territorial. He’s not going to clash with Chip Kelly over this and that. Some coordinators with big reputations have done that, especially when dealing with a young/unproven/new head coach.
Davis offers stability. He’s not a young hotshot. The Eagles aren’t likely to be SB contenders this year. You need a coach who can commit to being here for 3 years. Davis fits that description.
* * * * *
Why the delay in hiring him? It must be that Chip Kelly wanted to talk to someone off the Super Bowl staffs. You really do wonder if Ed Donatell was the guy he wanted and that fell apart when Jim Harbaugh blocked Donatell from talking to the Saints yesterday.
Or it could be that Chip wanted to make a serious run at a college DC and knew he had to wait until after signing day to see if the guy would leave. Signing day was yesterday.
I seriously doubt Billy Davis was Chip’s first choice.
That’s okay. Jim Johnson wasn’t Andy Reid’s first choice. That was Marvin Lewis. The Baltimore Ravens wanted to hire Jason Garrett in 2008, but had to “settle” for John Harbaugh. As I always say, the key is to get the right guy. That doesn’t always mean the big name or the first choice.
Can Billy Davis be that guy? I sure hope so.
* * * * *
I’ll write a more in-depth post on Davis in the next few days.
http://igglesblitz.com/philadelphia-eagles-2/billy-davis-is-your-new-dc/
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| Jeff McLane @Jeff_McLane | 2m |
Including Chip Kelly, the #Eagles will have 22 coaches to oversee the #Eagles' 60-man (including practice squad players) in-season roster. |
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Cant help but to be excited again
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i posted this in the game thread.. and i should have posted it here as well:
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsaboutthattime
also this was a very good point that was made by reuben frank in a recent article:
"The Eagles’ success from 2000 through 2008 was due in great part to Andy Reid’s original staff. When those guys gradually began leaving for promotions -- Ron Rivera, Leslie Frazier, John Harbaugh, Brad Childress, Steve Spagnuolo, Shurmur -- on top of the tragic death of Jim Johnson, that’s when the Eagles stopped enjoying the same level of success and gradually turned into a last-place team."
also on jim johnson before his time with the egales:
"Even the legendary Johnson hadn’t had a unit ranked higher than 18th during his two years as an NFL defensive coordinator, 1996 and 1997 with the Colts."
http://www.csnphilly.com//eagles/dont-rush-judge-kellys-staff-lack-big-names
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsaboutthattime
also this was a very good point that was made by reuben frank in a recent article:
"The Eagles’ success from 2000 through 2008 was due in great part to Andy Reid’s original staff. When those guys gradually began leaving for promotions -- Ron Rivera, Leslie Frazier, John Harbaugh, Brad Childress, Steve Spagnuolo, Shurmur -- on top of the tragic death of Jim Johnson, that’s when the Eagles stopped enjoying the same level of success and gradually turned into a last-place team."
also on jim johnson before his time with the egales:
"Even the legendary Johnson hadn’t had a unit ranked higher than 18th during his two years as an NFL defensive coordinator, 1996 and 1997 with the Colts."
http://www.csnphilly.com//eagles/dont-rush-judge-kellys-staff-lack-big-names
Nike Jordan
Supporter
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Vick re-signs with the Eagles.
One year deal.
One year deal.
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[h1]NFL Mock Draft 2013: Former Eagles Scout Says Team Will Take…[/h1]
Feb 11th, 2013 at 1:44 pmby Bob WankelEagles
[article=""]
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has some interesting past work experience that may help shed some light on what the Eagles plan to do in April’s upcoming draft. You see, Jeremiah worked as a scout for the Eagles, so he may be a bit more privy to the team’s strategy as they prepare to make their pick at No. 4 overall.
Jeremiah cites the Eagles desire to get bigger and longer on defense in mocking Utah DT Star Lotulelei to the Eagles–a hypothesis that I happen to agree with.
Writes Jeremiah:
“The Eagles are focused on getting bigger on defense as they adjust their scheme with a new coaching staff. Lotulelei would form an excellent tandem with last year’s first-round pick, Fletcher Cox,” writes Jeremiah.
If new defensive coordinator Billy Davis implements a true 3-4 scheme or the 4-3 under look, a larger defensive tackle is going to be absolutely necessary. While adequate options will be available in the second round, the pairing of Cox and Lotulelei could provide the foundation of a potent defensive front.
[/article]
http://insidetheiggles.com/2013/02/11/nfl-mock-draft-2013-former-eagles-scout-says-team-will-take/
[th=""]Mock Draft Tracker[/th]http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/n...-Tracker/c7af0645-f9af-4285-9562-a71f35ad00b4
Feb 11th, 2013 at 1:44 pmby Bob WankelEagles
[article=""]
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has some interesting past work experience that may help shed some light on what the Eagles plan to do in April’s upcoming draft. You see, Jeremiah worked as a scout for the Eagles, so he may be a bit more privy to the team’s strategy as they prepare to make their pick at No. 4 overall.
Jeremiah cites the Eagles desire to get bigger and longer on defense in mocking Utah DT Star Lotulelei to the Eagles–a hypothesis that I happen to agree with.
Writes Jeremiah:
“The Eagles are focused on getting bigger on defense as they adjust their scheme with a new coaching staff. Lotulelei would form an excellent tandem with last year’s first-round pick, Fletcher Cox,” writes Jeremiah.
If new defensive coordinator Billy Davis implements a true 3-4 scheme or the 4-3 under look, a larger defensive tackle is going to be absolutely necessary. While adequate options will be available in the second round, the pairing of Cox and Lotulelei could provide the foundation of a potent defensive front.
[/article]
http://insidetheiggles.com/2013/02/11/nfl-mock-draft-2013-former-eagles-scout-says-team-will-take/
| Site | Selection | Last Updated |
| ESPN (Mel Kiper, Jr.) | Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama | February 7 |
| Comment: "I noted in the previous mock that on a per-play basis, rookie Brandon Boykin/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif might have been the best player in the Eagles secondary toward the end of the season. The Eagles could see a number of personnel changes with the new regime, but they can't afford to fall off significantly in the secondary in a division with Eli Manning, Robert Griffin III and Tony Romo. You might expect Chip Kelly to score points, but he's always put a great emphasis on his defense too. Milliner has elite grades in terms of awareness and ball skills, and he's a physical corner who can push wideouts off routes. And he can flat-out tackle." | ||
| ESPN (Todd McShay) | Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M | February 7 |
| Comment: "West Virginia QB Geno Smith is a possibility here, but Joeckel is one of the top three overall prospects in this class and would be tough to pass up. New head coach Chip Kelly favors smaller, more athletic linemen like Joeckel, who would take care of a desperate need for an overall talent and depth upgrade along the offensive line. The question is whether the Eagles would feel comfortable moving Joeckel to the right side to accommodate returning LT Jason Peters/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif." | ||
| SI.com (Don Banks) | Geno Smith, QB, WVU | January 24 |
| Comment: "This is where the real guess-work begins, because so much depends on whether new Eagles coach Chip Kelly believes he currently has his starting quarterback on the roster or not. Smith's talents aren't a perfect mesh for Kelly's up-tempo offense, but he's got enough mobility to get the job done, and his pocket-passing skills are NFL ready. We know quarterbacks get pushed up by need, but the Eagles defense needs so much help that Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner could be tough to pass on." | ||
| FOX Sports (Peter Schrager) | Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama | January 23 |
| Comment: "Pegging a first round pick to the Eagles is like pinning a tail on a donkey at this point in the process. All questions are obviously on the offense and what new coach Chip Kelly plans to do with the quarterback decision. But Kelly and Howie Roseman have not publicly made any statements about the future of Michael Vick/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif, Nick Foles/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif, or this selection. Until then, I’m going to focus on the defense, an even more disastrous unit than the offense in 2012. Nnamdi Asomugha/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif’s best days are behind him, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif can’t tackle, and the rest of the corners are just guys. Milliner isn’t just a guy. He’s the next in a long line of great Alabama corners to enter the NFL Draft. He’ll be a good fit in Philly." | ||
| NFL.com (Bucky Brooks) | Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia | January 25 |
| NFL.com (Daniel Jeremiah) | Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah | February 8 |
| Comment: "The Eagles are focused on getting bigger on defense as they adjust their scheme with a new coaching staff. Lotulelei would form an excellent tandem with last year's first-round pick, Fletcher Cox/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif." | ||
| NFL.com (Charles Davis) | Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah | January 15 |
| NFL.com (Gil Brandt) | Chance Warmack, G, Alabama | January 15 |
| Comment: "The Eagles fill a need by making Warmack the first guard picked in the top 10 since 1997." | ||
| NFL.com (Albert Breer) | Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama | February 6 |
| NFL.com (Josh Norris) | Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah | January 14 |
| Comment: "Lotulelei isn't just a nose tackle prospect; he can play all along the defensive line. The Eagles have plenty of pass rushers, but this Ute would offer some girth up front." | ||
| CBSSports.com (Dane Brugler) | Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M | February 3 |
| Comment: "Just like other positions on the Eagles depth chart, offensive tackle looked to be a strength, but injuries have really taken a toll on this team. Although Jason Peters injury situation will be a factor in Philadelphia choosing a tackle, Joeckel has the chance to grow into one of the NFL's best." | ||
| CBSSports.com (Rob Rang) | Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M | February 4 |
| Comment: "The hiring of Chip Kelly as head coach could mean that the Eagles will look to address the quarterback position as Nick Foles, 1-5 in six games as a rookie starter, is a pocket passer and a poor fit in the Kelly's read-option offense. Michael Vick potentially could fit, but he's 32, gets injured too frequently and hasn't operated particularly well in up-tempo offenses. The safer choice might be to wait until a round or two for a passer better suited to the scheme (perhaps Florida State's E.J. Manuel or Arizona's Matt Scott) and add the left tackle capable of protecting him here in Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel, NFLDraftScout.com's top-rated overall prospect." | ||
| OptimumScouting.com (Eric Galko) | Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M | January 27 |
| Comment: "Up for consideration for this pick is Ryan Nassib, who may be a sneaky good fit for this Chip Kelly/West Coast offense hybrid, but would be a reach here, Eric Fisher, who may work better in space for Chip Kelly’s offense, or Joeckel, who still retains the value of the drafts best tackle, for now. It’s no lock that Joeckel is the best (reviewing his film to compare he and Fisher), but at this point, the Eagles go with the best OT in the draft." | ||
| Rotoworld.com (Josh Norris) | Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M | February 5 |
| Comment: "Obviously if Chip Kelly has full confidence that Jason Peters will return to form, this pick might not happen. We still are not sure what type of offensive system Kelly intends to run, but if Oregon-like play calling is featured, the Eagles’ offensive line needs to be very mobile and balanced. Joeckel is an excellent athlete for the left tackle position with great posture. He did show deficiencies against Florida, however." |
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With Vick's one year deal and Dixon potentially signing on, do we trade Foles?
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I doubt it. Dixon is irrelevant. If Chip sees things the way I do, the upside to giving Vick one more shot is greater than letting Foles take the helm from day 1. If Vick doesn't perform, Chip gets the entire season to see if he wants Foles going forward. If Foles isn't going to be the guy, we get someone in the 2014 draft.
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yup..
vick has to earn the starting job quick.. hell, with the way the contract appears to be structured, vick is going have to earn it as early as this april
[h1]Technically, Vick’s deal covers three years[/h1]
Posted by Mike Florio on February 11, 2013, 10:27 PM EST
We’ve picked up some more details regarding Mike Vick’s new contract with the Eagles.
So since we have them, we may as well use them.
For starters, a source with knowledge of the deal tells PFT that it’s actually a three-year deal. But the final two years void early in the 2013 league year.
The device is aimed at pushing cap dollars into future years, including $4.8 million from his 2011 signing bonus. If a one-year deal had been signed, an extra $4.8 million would have hit the cap now. By signing a three-year deal that voids to one, $4.8 million lands in 2014.
The maneuver also kicks two thirds of Vick’s $3.5 million signing bonus into 2014.
Speaking of Vick’s signing bonus, he gets half of it now and the rest of it in April. If Vick ultimately loses the starting job to Nick Foles and the Eagles opt to move on, they can avoid the $3.5 million base salary by cutting him, but he will have pocketed the full $3.5 million.
It’s more likely under that scenario that Vick would be traded, since it would cost his next team a lot less money to take on the balance of a deal that already has paid him $3.5 million.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/11/technically-vicks-deal-covers-three-years/
[h1]Vick’s base package is $7 million[/h1]
Posted by Mike Florio on February 11, 2013, 8:26 PM EST
The truth already has trickled out on the contract between the Eagles and quarterback Mike Vick, which is worth “up to” $10 million for one year.
Per a source with knowledge of the contract, Vick received a signing bonus of $3.5 million. He also will receive a non-guaranteed of $3.5 million. That’s a base rate of $7 million.
The rest comes from incentives. He can earn a $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses; he gets $31,250 for each game he’s on the 53-man roster. Vick gets another $1.5 million if he participates in 90 percent of the offensive snaps, and $1 million if the Eagles win the Super Bowl (and if he plays in it).
So it’s a one-year, $7 million deal with $3 million in incentives.
UPDATE 9:14 p.m. ET: The play-time incentive has lower levels, with $$1.2 available if he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, $900,000 if Vick participates in 70 percent of the snaps, $700,000 for 60 percent of the snaps, and $500,000 for 50 percent. The amounts aren’t cumulative; he gets one payment based on his total playing time. Also, the Super Bowl bonus has lower levels, with smaller payments based on postseason season. The maximum available is $1 million, if the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/11/vicks-base-package-is-7-million/
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I bet Darron Thomas gets a camp invite 
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| Albert Breer @AlbertBreer | 13m |
Eagles name Tom Gamble VP of player personnel. Wow. Huge coup by Philly. |
Nike Jordan
Supporter
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Eagles sign Dennis Dixon, who was the backup QB on two Super Bowl championship teams.
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[h1]For The Fourth Straight Year, The Super Bowl Champs Played In The Eagles’ Home Opener[/h1]
These prophetic words were written way back in September, before the Eagles' Week 2 home opener at Lincoln Financial Field:2009: the Eagles are blown out in by the Saints in their home opener, and New Orleans goes on to win the Super Bowl. 2010: The Packers start their season in Philadelphia with a win, and go on to win the Super Bowl. 2011: the Eagles don't play at home until Week 3, when they're beaten by the Giants. The Giants would eventually become champions.
It's a completely random quirk of scheduling indicative of nothing—except perhaps that the Eagles lose to good teams, too. But that was blown up this year, as the Eagles actually won their home opener. They beat Baltimore by a point despite turning the ball over four times, as Michael Vick led Philly to the winning score with two minutes left. Yet even that wasn't enough to shake the inexorable pull of coincidence. The Ravens made it four in a row. (It was almost five—in 2008, eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh played the second game of the season in Philadelphia.)
It's a day for defeated teams to bask in the reflected glory of the Lombardi Trophy—maybe the Broncos were the second-best team in the NFL, maybe they just happened to run into the best—but the NFC East seems especially invested in tenuous connections. It's the seventh consecutive season the ******** have played the eventual champs, and the third straight year they've beaten them. Congratulations to Washington and Philadelphia—your fluke accomplishments may not warrant a trip to Disney World, but maybe at least Busch Gardens.
http://deadspin.com/5981403/for-the...-bowl-champs-played-in-the-eagles-home-opener
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I saw that awhile back, thought it was good for the
Pure coincidence.
Pure coincidence.
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http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/n...he-Draft/5ab2d2ea-9fbd-40a5-b1c2-7e37ad345e8f
[h2]Fan-Demonium: Diving Into The Draft[/h2]
Posted 19 hours ago
By Tommy Lawlor
/assets/images/news/615x150_Fan-Demonium2.jpg
The NFL Scouting Combine gets started this week so it seems like a good time to jump back into some draft talk. The Eagles have the No. 4 overall pick and a total of eight picks. The team has a few holes to fill so this is going to be a very important draft.
I'm getting asked quite a lot who I want the Eagles to pick at No.4. It is hard to know right now since we have yet to go through free agency and we still don't have detailed answers on the schemes the Eagles will run. There are several good candidates to discuss.
Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei is the name that seems to get mentioned the most. He is a really impressive player and had a great senior season at Utah. I think the Eagles would love his versatility. He could play nose tackle, defensive tackle, or even a 5-technique defensive end. That role could be important if the Eagles do play a “4-3 under” defense as some have speculated. Lotulelei isn't a 350-pound guy that eats up blocks. He is in the 320-pound range. He sheds single blocks very well, but isn't as comfortable with double teams. While he might not be as big as some think, he is a better athlete. He can get up the field and be disruptive.
Offensive tackle Luke Joeckel could go as high the No. 1 overall pick. If he's on the board when the Eagles pick, I'm sure they'll have significant interest. Joeckel is a left tackle who is equally comfortable as a pass protector and run blocker. The Texas A&M stud has good size and is athletic. Joeckel is someone you want going up against the other team's best pass rusher. One area where I think he needs work is in getting stronger. The Eagles do have Jason Peters/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif coming back, but could slide Joeckel to the right side for a couple of years.
Cornerback Dee Milliner is a junior from Alabama. Most people consider him to be the top corner in the draft. Milliner has good size and is a tough, physical cover corner. The Eagles secondary was a mess for parts of 2012. I think the team needs to add at least one top-flight talent at corner. Milliner could be that guy. There are a couple of questions with him. Does he have ideal speed? Can he adjust to the NFL, where you can't be hands-on with receivers beyond 5 yards from the line of scrimmage? Milliner isn't slow by any stretch, but there is a difference in running a 4.45 and 4.55, even at 195 pounds. To take him so high, you'd prefer him to run 4.50 or less. As for the contact, that's purely a judgment call, but it is something the scouts and coaches must decide before ranking him.
Those are the big three names. Let's talk about some other guys who could be targets. First up, I'll go with Chance Warmack, the guard from Alabama. Initially, I dismissed this thought. The rule of thumb in the NFL is not to take a guard in the top 10. I remembered Chip Kelly talking about not being beholden to standard ways of thinking. Maybe Warmack could be a target. I'm not sure how I feel about the idea, but most of that is based on the prejudice of the NFL's unwritten rule that guards don't go that high. Anyone who watches Warmack loves him. The guy was a dominant left guard for Alabama this year. He's big and strong and athletic and mean. Imagine Shawn Andrews, without all the issues. Maybe that guy is worth the No. 4 overall pick.
Philly native Shariff Floyd is a player that the Eagles could take a strong look at. He played both defensive end and defensive tackle at Florida. He reminds me of a bigger, younger version of Cullen Jenkins/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif. Floyd could be a very good 5-technique defensive end. He is very good against the run, but is athletic enough off the edge to get to the quarterback. Seattle uses a big player named Red Bryant for this role. He weighs 330 pounds. Floyd tips the scales at 305 pounds and is much more athletic. He is a player who NFL scouts and personnel people are very high on.
Tommy Lawlor, goeagles99 on the Discussion Boards, is an amateur football scout and devoted Eagles fan. He is the Editor of IgglesBlitz.com and was a contributor to the Eagles Almanac.
There is a lot of interest in Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones. The comparison I see way too often is that he could be the Eagles' version of Von Miller. Uh, no. Miller was a dynamic athlete. Jones isn't. Jones is a good linebacker and pass rusher, but he's a notch below Miller. I don't think Jones will be a serious target for the Eagles. The team has several pass rushers already (Trent Cole/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif, Brandon Graham/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif, Vinny Curry/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif, Phillip Hunt/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif). The Eagles need athletes up front.
That segues nicely into discussing Dion Jordan, a great athlete who Kelly coached at Oregon. Jordan is a tough guy to get a handle on. He began his career as a tight end. Then he shifted to defensive end. By 2012, he was playing a combination of pass rusher and linebacker. Watch his senior tape and compare it to Graham's or Curry's or Cole's. They are nothing alike. Jordan rushed the passer on a regular basis, but also went out in the slot to cover receivers. There are plays when he's 20 to 25 yards downfield in coverage. What's so insane is that Jordan wasn't lost. Because of his background as a tight end, he was comfortable running around covering receivers.
Jordan isn't some finesse guy who struggles at the line. He is listed at 6-7 and 243 pounds. He is powerful and can be a very physical player. I love the fact Jordan uses his hands to engage blockers and he's able to shed them. There are times when his run defense gets sloppy, but that's due to technique and not a lack of effort or toughness.
I think Jordan would be the SAM linebacker for the Eagles. He would rush the passer most of the time, but could drop into coverage on a regular basis and he'd be not just effective, but good. Jordan is a dynamic athlete. He's got excellent speed. He can change directions smoothly. He's quick and explosive. Jordan is a tall guy, but he bends well. Some tall players are stiff and upright. Their height is almost a detriment. That's not the case with Jordan. He's able to beat blockers by getting under and then around them. I can't tell you how impressive that is for such a tall player.
The other X-factor here is that the Eagles need someone who can chase Robert Griffin III, Cam Newton, Colin Kapernick and the other mobile quarterbacks the team will face. There aren't enough gifted athletes in the front seven. Mychal Kendricks/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif is one. Adding a guy like Jordan would help quite a bit. Is Jordan worth the No. 4 pick? That's what I'm still undecided on and something the Eagles are also probably deciding on.
Enough about the early pick. Let's jump around and cover a variety of draft topics.
[h2]Fan-Demonium: Diving Into The Draft[/h2]
Posted 19 hours ago
By Tommy Lawlor
- a
- a
/assets/images/news/615x150_Fan-Demonium2.jpg
The NFL Scouting Combine gets started this week so it seems like a good time to jump back into some draft talk. The Eagles have the No. 4 overall pick and a total of eight picks. The team has a few holes to fill so this is going to be a very important draft.
I'm getting asked quite a lot who I want the Eagles to pick at No.4. It is hard to know right now since we have yet to go through free agency and we still don't have detailed answers on the schemes the Eagles will run. There are several good candidates to discuss.
Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei is the name that seems to get mentioned the most. He is a really impressive player and had a great senior season at Utah. I think the Eagles would love his versatility. He could play nose tackle, defensive tackle, or even a 5-technique defensive end. That role could be important if the Eagles do play a “4-3 under” defense as some have speculated. Lotulelei isn't a 350-pound guy that eats up blocks. He is in the 320-pound range. He sheds single blocks very well, but isn't as comfortable with double teams. While he might not be as big as some think, he is a better athlete. He can get up the field and be disruptive.
Offensive tackle Luke Joeckel could go as high the No. 1 overall pick. If he's on the board when the Eagles pick, I'm sure they'll have significant interest. Joeckel is a left tackle who is equally comfortable as a pass protector and run blocker. The Texas A&M stud has good size and is athletic. Joeckel is someone you want going up against the other team's best pass rusher. One area where I think he needs work is in getting stronger. The Eagles do have Jason Peters/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif coming back, but could slide Joeckel to the right side for a couple of years.
Cornerback Dee Milliner is a junior from Alabama. Most people consider him to be the top corner in the draft. Milliner has good size and is a tough, physical cover corner. The Eagles secondary was a mess for parts of 2012. I think the team needs to add at least one top-flight talent at corner. Milliner could be that guy. There are a couple of questions with him. Does he have ideal speed? Can he adjust to the NFL, where you can't be hands-on with receivers beyond 5 yards from the line of scrimmage? Milliner isn't slow by any stretch, but there is a difference in running a 4.45 and 4.55, even at 195 pounds. To take him so high, you'd prefer him to run 4.50 or less. As for the contact, that's purely a judgment call, but it is something the scouts and coaches must decide before ranking him.
Those are the big three names. Let's talk about some other guys who could be targets. First up, I'll go with Chance Warmack, the guard from Alabama. Initially, I dismissed this thought. The rule of thumb in the NFL is not to take a guard in the top 10. I remembered Chip Kelly talking about not being beholden to standard ways of thinking. Maybe Warmack could be a target. I'm not sure how I feel about the idea, but most of that is based on the prejudice of the NFL's unwritten rule that guards don't go that high. Anyone who watches Warmack loves him. The guy was a dominant left guard for Alabama this year. He's big and strong and athletic and mean. Imagine Shawn Andrews, without all the issues. Maybe that guy is worth the No. 4 overall pick.
Philly native Shariff Floyd is a player that the Eagles could take a strong look at. He played both defensive end and defensive tackle at Florida. He reminds me of a bigger, younger version of Cullen Jenkins/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif. Floyd could be a very good 5-technique defensive end. He is very good against the run, but is athletic enough off the edge to get to the quarterback. Seattle uses a big player named Red Bryant for this role. He weighs 330 pounds. Floyd tips the scales at 305 pounds and is much more athletic. He is a player who NFL scouts and personnel people are very high on.
Tommy Lawlor, goeagles99 on the Discussion Boards, is an amateur football scout and devoted Eagles fan. He is the Editor of IgglesBlitz.com and was a contributor to the Eagles Almanac.
There is a lot of interest in Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones. The comparison I see way too often is that he could be the Eagles' version of Von Miller. Uh, no. Miller was a dynamic athlete. Jones isn't. Jones is a good linebacker and pass rusher, but he's a notch below Miller. I don't think Jones will be a serious target for the Eagles. The team has several pass rushers already (Trent Cole/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif, Brandon Graham/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif, Vinny Curry/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif, Phillip Hunt/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif). The Eagles need athletes up front.
That segues nicely into discussing Dion Jordan, a great athlete who Kelly coached at Oregon. Jordan is a tough guy to get a handle on. He began his career as a tight end. Then he shifted to defensive end. By 2012, he was playing a combination of pass rusher and linebacker. Watch his senior tape and compare it to Graham's or Curry's or Cole's. They are nothing alike. Jordan rushed the passer on a regular basis, but also went out in the slot to cover receivers. There are plays when he's 20 to 25 yards downfield in coverage. What's so insane is that Jordan wasn't lost. Because of his background as a tight end, he was comfortable running around covering receivers.
Jordan isn't some finesse guy who struggles at the line. He is listed at 6-7 and 243 pounds. He is powerful and can be a very physical player. I love the fact Jordan uses his hands to engage blockers and he's able to shed them. There are times when his run defense gets sloppy, but that's due to technique and not a lack of effort or toughness.
I think Jordan would be the SAM linebacker for the Eagles. He would rush the passer most of the time, but could drop into coverage on a regular basis and he'd be not just effective, but good. Jordan is a dynamic athlete. He's got excellent speed. He can change directions smoothly. He's quick and explosive. Jordan is a tall guy, but he bends well. Some tall players are stiff and upright. Their height is almost a detriment. That's not the case with Jordan. He's able to beat blockers by getting under and then around them. I can't tell you how impressive that is for such a tall player.
The other X-factor here is that the Eagles need someone who can chase Robert Griffin III, Cam Newton, Colin Kapernick and the other mobile quarterbacks the team will face. There aren't enough gifted athletes in the front seven. Mychal Kendricks/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif is one. Adding a guy like Jordan would help quite a bit. Is Jordan worth the No. 4 pick? That's what I'm still undecided on and something the Eagles are also probably deciding on.
Enough about the early pick. Let's jump around and cover a variety of draft topics.
- The Eagles need help at safety. The good news is that this draft class has plenty of choices. Kenny Vaccaro is the big name. He'll go in the first round. Jonathan Cyprien could be a target for the Eagles in the second round. Eric Reid has grown on me. He's a very physical player. Tony Jefferson from Oklahoma is a player whom I like. Rontez Miles from California (Pa.) is a small-school guy to watch.
- We don't know what Kelly will want to do at tight end. This is a deep, talented class. Mychal Rivera from Tennessee is an impressive player who might fit Kelly's system. Rivera is only 237 pounds, but he's underrated as a blocker and is a gifted receiver. He could be a tight end or H-back.
- The draft is loaded with good cornerbacks. The Eagles can find good players in the first three rounds and probably into the fourth as well. Marc Anthony from Cal is a guy that I like outside the early rounds. Johnthan Banks could be an interesting second-round target. He's a ballhawk with some size and he will hit.
- At the least, the Eagles need to find good depth for the offensive line. Brennan Williams from UNC got hurt at midseason, but is a talented right tackle prospect to watch. Kyle Long only played one year at Oregon, but has really grown on me. He played left guard and left tackle. He's mean. He's athletic. Kelly knows him well. I don't know that Long has the footwork to start at left tackle in the NFL, but he reminds me a lot of Evan Mathis/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif. Long could develop into a good guard.
- I don't anticipate the Eagles taking a receiver early, but if you watch Tavon Austin from West Virginia, you can't help but drool. The guy makes electric moves. He's absolutely dynamic in the open field. I love his balance and body control. What surprises me is that he's stronger than I realized. He's not big, but he's also not finesse. If he somehow is on the board when the second round comes along, passing on him would be very tough.
- All this draft talk and nothing about quarterbacks? I don't think the Eagles will go for Geno Smith at the No. 4 pick. Beyond that, it really is hard to predict. I'm not a big fan of this quarterback class. If the right guy is on the board in the third or fourth round, that's good value. I think going for a quarterback early this year is a bigger gamble than usual and don't like doing that. Value really is the key.
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Looks like Asomougha is pretty much gone and now that Smith went to the Chiefs, most we can get for Foles is a mid to late round pick. |I
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have faith.. maybe foles surprises us this year.. he did do pretty good last year given the circumstances (horrible Oline and andy throwing to his heart's content.. and even THAT wouldnt have been THAT bad if andy had done what he usually does when backups come in and go to a traditional WCO with quick passes etc.)Looks like Asomougha is pretty much gone and now that Smith went to the Chiefs, most we can get for Foles is a mid to late round pick.
and i really dont expect smith to work out with the chiefs.. so who knows, maybe reid will be willing to offer something decent to us next year if things dont work out with smith (this assumes that foles isnt playing much with us AND chip wants to pick up a QB for the future next year.. or who knows, maybe we draft someone in the 3rd this year who develops or shows promise)
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