Jon Gruden, Next Eagles Coach

I don't understand the Eagles.  I never have, and I probably never will.

Last week the Eagles fired long time head coach Andy Reid, and shortly after began the search for a new coach.  They interviewed with Chip Kelly, talked with Bill O'Brien, and met with a few other assistant coaches.  That's all fine and well, but why haven't they at least contacted Super Bowl winner Jon Gruden?

Ron Jaworski was on 97.5 The Fanatic on Monday and he reported that he recently spoke with Gruden.  Jaws reported that Gruden would be interested in the Eagles head coaching job but also mentioned the disappointing fact that the Eagles haven't reached out to him.

Why on earth wouldn't the Eagles at least bring him in for an interview?  He used to coach here, he has a terrific coaching history, and above all he has a Super Bowl victory on his resume, something that Chip Kelly definitely doesn't have.

I'm fine with the Eagles taking their time in selecting their next head coach.  Considering the fact that Reid was here for 14 years, the Eagles should definitely not be rushed or pressured into making a rash decision that could hurt them down the line.

But so far I'm not at all enamored with who the Eagles have been interviewing.  In my opinion, to begin this interview process, the Eagles should have at least reached out and contacted guys like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden because both have won Super Bowls and both coaches know what it takes to win in this league.

Tomorrow, the Eagles will interview with Lovie Smith.  Smith, led the Bears to the Super Bowl back in 2006 and overall he is a very good coach.  The only downside to Smith is that he is more of a defensive minded coach and it is widely believed that the Eagles want to sign an offensive minded coach.

Which leads me back to Jon Gruden.  Is there honestly a better offensive candidate out there?  Gruden is a great offensive mind who would completely revitalize this team.

There could be some political reasons that would make the Eagles hesitant to bring in Gruden.  Remember Howie Roseman is still GM and bringing in a guy like Gruden could significantly decrease Roseman's power and influence on this team.  Personally I feel that Jeffrey Lurie should cut ties with Roseman who has no football background.

Overall bringing in a guy like Jon Gruden would completely shake things up in the NFC East.  Brian Baldinger commented yesterday that other teams and coaches in the NFC East would be shaking in their boots with fear if the Eagles were to hire Gruden.  Overall I'm totally on board for the Eagles to hire Gruden.  He is a Super Bowl winner, he would revitalize this team and fan base, and his offensive mentality would be a great fit.  Unfortunately, politics in the Eagles front office could prevent the Eagles from even interviewing Jon Gruden.

Eagles Preseason Game 1 Preview

Finally, the season is almost here.  In just about a month, the Eagles will be back and looking to right the ship after a disappointing 2011 season.  Heading into Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, there are many things to keep an eye out for.  Here are some of the main story lines and things to watch out for.

Michael Vick
I’m more interested to see how Vick assumes his role as leader of this team than I am in his actual performance.  It seems like this year Vick has really stepped into the role as the outright leader of this football team.  While I’m certainly interested to see how Vick bounces back after a mediocre 2011, I really want to see how he rallies the troops and gets this offense to respond in pressure situations.

Middle Of Defense
The Eagles spent a lot of effort both in the draft and free agency to improve the middle of their defense.  On Thursday night, keep an eye out for newcomers Fletcher Cox and Demeco Ryans, two new additions that are sure to improve this defense.  The Eagles traded up in the draft to select Cox who is a very powerful defensive lineman.  They also traded for Demeco Ryans who is an All-Pro middle linebacker.

Desean Jackson
Desean signed a big deal during the off season so I will be watching to see how he performs now that he is all locked up and set financially.  Desean really has no excuses now.  The spotlight will be on him to as he attempts to prove that he is an elite wide receiver.

Juan Castillo
Castillo has been given a second chance after a sub par 2011 season as Eagles defensive coordinator.  I will be watching to see how Castillo adjusts during the course of the game.
   
Andy Reid
It is likely that Andy Reid will be back for Thursday’s game against the Steelers.  After the passing of his son Garret Reid, my prayers are with Andy and his family during this extremely difficult time.  Tuesday was Garret's funeral and there was a quite a big turnout as many came to pay their respects.  So far it seems that there has been a lot of support from the Eagles and beyond as the Reids struggle through this extremely difficult time.

Overall there are a ton of things to watch for in Thursday night’s game against the Steelers.  The Eagles have added a lot of key pieces and hopefully it will all come together against the Steelers.

Eagles Fantasy Fix: Season Preview

The Eagles feature a ton of offensive weapons that can rack up huge amounts of fantasy points on any given Sunday.  Lesean McCoy, Mike Vick, and Desean Jackson are just some of the Eagles' fantasy weapons.  Here is a little run down of the Eagles' best fantasy players and my advice as to where you should draft them in your league.

Lesean McCoy
If you have a top pick in the first round, go for Lesean McCoy.  McCoy had 20 touchdowns last year and had over 1,600 all purpose yards.  Shady is a fantasy stud and a guy that you want on your team at all costs.  Unfortunately, if you are stuck with a mid to late first round draft pick, chances are McCoy will be long gone.  But again if he is on the board in the first round, I strongly advise taking him.  He is going to have another big year and he won't disappoint.

Mike Vick
I chose Vick 8th overall last year, and the decision ruined my season.  Vick was hurt for a few weeks, and even when he was playing he was extremely inconsistent.  I was hoping for the Vick of 2010 who could put up 30 plus points any week, but unfortunately he was just a typical QB.  While I do expect Vick to have a bounce back year, I would advise not taking him in the first or second rounds.  I have drafted two teams this year, and in the drafts Vick was selected 25th and 32nd overall.  If he's on the board in the 3rd round, I would say go for him.  I really do believe that he is going to have a better year, and he could be that player that sets your team apart from the rest.

Desean Jackson
My other awful decision last year was drafting Desean Jackson in the third round, 28th overall.  Desean was incredibly inconsistent last year, and I would stay away from him until the 6th or 7th round.  While Desean certainly has the ability to have a big game, he also has the ability to catch just two passes for 20 yards.  With Desean it's either going to be all or nothing.

Jeremy Maclin
Maclin is a somewhat interesting pick.  Maclin is more consistent than Desean, but the most points you are going to get out of Maclin is around 10.  He is consistent but don't expect too much out of Maclin.

Brent Celek
I would advise not drafting Celek as your starting TE.  Celek had two surgeries during the off season, and the Eagles are preparing by working out other TE's around the league.

If you are a huge Eagles fan like me, don't fall into the trap of drafting all Eagles.  If you do draft all Eagles and the Eagles lose, chances are your fantasy team will lose as well making you extra upset.  But you can't go wrong in drafting McCoy and if Vick is available at the right time go for him as well.

Fletcher Cox, Ready To Impress

The Eagles certainly played their cards right on draft day, moving up to select highly talented defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.

In three years at Mississippi State, Cox recorded a total of 113 tackles and 7.5 sacks.  He also forced 2 fumbles, and overall he has tremendous raw athletic ability and a huge upside.  Mike Patterson's injury will force Cox to be extra prepared for the start of the season.  While it's certainly a shame that Patterson is hurt, his injury will enable to Cox to see a lot more snaps with the first team.

Experts and fans everywhere seem to agree that the Fletcher Cox selection was a tremendous pick by the Eagles.  In the past though, the Eagles have certainly had trouble drafting talented defensive linemen.

2000: DT Corey Simon
2003: DE Jerome McDougle
2005: DT Mike Patterson
2006: DT Brodrick Bunkley
2010: DE Brandon Graham

Aside from Simon and Patterson, the Eagles have struggled greatly drafting linemen. Hopefully Fletcher Cox will be a change in that trend and be able to learn a lot from veteran leader Cullen Jenkins.

A huge problem for the Eagles last year on defense was the large holes created by the wide 9 formation.  For this season, hopefully Jenkins and Cox will be able to step up and fill those holes nicely and get into the backfield to make some plays.

I also think the Eagles should continue only using the wide 9 formation on definite passing plays.  Toward the end of last year, Juan Castillo adjusted and limited the use of the the wide 9 for mostly passing plays.  On definite passing plays, it is a huge advantage for the Eagles to have Jason Babin and Trent Cole coming off the edges at fast speeds.  But if the opposition runs the ball, both Babin and Cole are 3-4 yards out of the main picture and huge running lanes are opened.

Overall, I think that Fletcher Cox is the final piece to a highly talented defensive line.  Babin and Cole proved how effective they can be last year posting 18 and 11 sacks respectively.  And now hopefully Cullen Jenkins has a partner of his own who will hopefully wreak havoc on opposing offenses for years to come.

Lesean McCoy, Worth The Money

Heading into the off season, Ray Rice, Matt Forte, and Lesean McCoy were all seeking new contracts.  Matt Forte received a 4 year deal worth 32 million with roughly 17 guaranteed.  Ray Rice received a 5 year deal worth 40 million, and will make 17 million in 2012.  Finally Lesean McCoy received a 5 year contract extension that will keep him an Eagle through 2017.  The deal is worth 45 million, with roughly 20 guaranteed.

McCoy is well deserving of the large contract extension.  Take a look at the stats of the three backs from 2009-2011.

Matt Forte
Rushing: 2,995 yards, 4.29 yards per carry, 13 touchdowns.
Receiving: 1508 yards, 160 catches, 4 touchdowns

Ray Rice
Rushing: 3,923 yards, 4.60 yards per carry, 24 touchdowns
Receiving: 1,962 yards, 217 catches, 5 touchdowns

Lesean McCoy
Rushing: 3,026 yards, 4.77 yards per carry, 28 touchdowns
Receiving: 1,215 yards, 166 catches, 5 touchdowns

Lesean McCoy is an electric back.  He has the ability to turn a dead play into a long touchdown run.  His yards per carry is absolutely astounding, he has a knack for finding the end zone, and he causes other defenses to change their game plans when he is on the field.  Looking ahead to the 2012 season, it will certainly be tough for McCoy to repeat his 2011 campaign especially with Jason Peters sidelined with an injury.  But I think the key for McCoy to have another big season will be the play of the wide out Desean Jackson.

Jackson got his big contract during the off season, signing a 5 year extension worth 51 million dollars, 15 guaranteed.  Now that Jackson is happy, hopefully he will be able to rebound this year after a somewhat disappointing 2011 season.  Although Jackson had solid numbers in 2011, he just didn't seem to be fully committed.  Jackson let it be known that he was upset about his contract, and it just seemed he was more worried about getting paid than winning football games.

And while Jackson's numbers were down last year, you really can't look at box scores and statistics to see how effective he was.  When Desean goes deep on a fly route or deep post, he inevitably brings 2 defensive backs out of the box who have to prevent the deep home run pass at all costs.  With less guys in the box, Lesean McCoy has extremely wide running lanes to run through to pick up huge chunks of yards.

So while the Jason Peters injury will certainly hurt McCoy's production in the upcoming year, I think McCoy is more reliant on the play of Desean Jackson to be productive.  And aside from Peters, the entire offensive line is intact.  Not to mention the fact that the Eagles have already replaced Peters with Demetress Bell who actually replaced Peters after he left Buffalo for Philadelphia back in 2009.

Overall, Lesean McCoy is certainly worth the money, and providing that the offensive line remains healthy and Desean Jackson can produce, expect another outstanding year from Shady McCoy.    

Vick: Eagles, Potential Dynasty

Last year during training camp, newly acquired back-up QB Vince Young made the infamous "dream team" comments that set the stage for a nightmare 2011 season.

This year, starting QB Michael Vick is the one stirring the pot.  In a recent interview, Vick said that he feels that this current Eagles team has the ability to become a dynasty.  

"When I look at our football team and what we have on paper, I think about when I was growing up and the great San Francisco 49er teams, the great Green Bay Packer teams, and the great Dallas Cowboy teams, how they just positioned themselves to compete and be one of the best teams out there, I think we have a chance to be that. I think we have a chance to develop a dynasty."

Personally I have no problem with Vick making these comments.  I think back to Jimmy Rollins' team to beat statement before the 2007 season.  His comments gave the Phillies confidence and swagger which propelled them to their first playoff appearance since the 1993 season.

I think Vick's words, as the starting QB, give the entire team confidence.  There are a lot of players and coaches that really believe in this team's potential to win a Super Bowl, and the Eagles certainly need confidence after last year's 8-8 season.

The only thing I would say to Vick and this Eagles team, is that let's win one championship before worrying about becoming a dynasty.  And just because the team looks good on paper, that really doesn't mean anything.  If 2011 taught us anything it taught us that all of the talent in the world doesn't equal on the field success.  The Eagles know they have to consistently play good football in order to compete with the top talent in the NFL.

Overall though, the Eagles have all the talent in the world on offense.  Lesean McCoy, Desean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Mike Vick are just some of the weapons the Eagles feature on offense.  The big question will be the middle of the defense.  Hopefully Fletcher Cox and Demeco Ryans will be able to fill the holes and rebuild this defense.

Eagles Sign Offensive Tackle Bell

Today the Eagles signed free agent Demetress Bell, tackle from the Buffalo Bills to a 5 year deal.  Bell was drafted in 2008 in the 7th round by the Buffalo Bills.

After sitting out for the 2008 season, Bell was named the starting left tackle in 2009.  Bell got hurt midway through 2009 and only played in 8 games.  In 2010 he started and played in all 16 games for the Bills, but played in just 7 games last year.

Bell took over when Jason Peters signed with the Eagles in 2009, and now he will once again be attempting to replace Peters.  Although he has been injured, Bell was still considered one of the better offensive linemen available in free agency.

Reid had this to say on the signing: “Demetress was one of the top free agent offensive linemen available this year and we are happy to be able to add him to our squad. We had a chance to meet him over the weekend and study him extensively on tape and we came away quite impressed with what we saw and heard. He’s a great athlete.” 

I really like this signing because it enables the Eagles to go ahead and bolster their defense in the draft.  When Peters got hurt last week, it seemed like maybe the Eagles would have to change their plans of drafting a linebacker or defensive tackle and instead go after an offensive lineman.  Now with a suitable replacement, the Eagles can go ahead and look into drafting a safety, linebacker, or defensive tackle.

It will be interesting to see how Bell fits in with the rest of the line.  Toward the end of last year the offensive line really started to gel.  Herremans, Watkins, Kelce, Mathis, and Peters eventually came together and provided Vick with some good protection.  The Eagles certainly recognized the improved play of the offensive line by re-signing both Mathis and Herremans to long term deals.  So when Peters went down, it was a crushing blow to the offensive line.  Hopefully Bell can come in and fill in nicely for Peters while he is out.

Peters underwent successful surgery yesterday, and while no official timetable has been set for his return, it looks like he will miss over half of the 2012 season.  The Eagles will have to do without the pro bowler and hope that Bell will be a suitable substitute.

Looking ahead to the rest of the off season, in the draft the Eagles need to focus on defense, defense, defense.  In addition, the Eagles should also look to lock up Lesean McCoy and not have his contract status be a distraction in training camp.      

Tim Tebow To Philly?

On Monday when Peyton Manning officially instructed his agent to begin negotiations with the Denver Broncos, a whole Tim Tebow circus erupted directly after.  And yesterday Manning  officially became a Denver Bronco agreeing to a five year deal worth 96 million dollars, and it is now very clear that the Broncos now want nothing to do with Tebow.

So where will Tebow be traded to? Should he come to Philadelphia?  A lot of the sports talk radio shows are kicking around the notion of Tebow in an Eagles uniform.  For me personally it makes sense because of Vick's injury history, Tebow's track record of not turning the ball over, and his overall versatility on offense.

To start, let's look at Mike Vick's games played since he came into the NFL in 2001.  Vick saw limited action in his first year, but in 2002 he started 15 games for the Falcons missing just one with a shoulder injury.  In 2003, Vick started in just 4 games missing most of the season with a hurt leg.  Over the course of the next 3 years Vick missed a total of just 2 games.  But in 2010 with the Eagles Vick missed 4 games, and last year he missed 3 games.  Overall Vick is injury prone and the Eagles need a reliable backup to go to when Vick goes down.  With Vick's style of play, it's not a matter of if he gets injured, it's when and for how long he will be out.  Having a backup like Tebow who could possibly spark your team could really help the Eagles when Vick gets injured.  Instead of hoping that Kafka is ready to be the backup, having Tebow assures the Eagles that they have a guy ready to come in and win games.  Basically Tebow is the ideal backup quarterback because he has proven that he can win.

The Eagles should also consider bringing in Tebow because he takes care of the football.  In two years as Eagles starter, Mike Vick has thrown a total of 20 interceptions including 14 last year.  And as a team, the Eagles had a total of 38 turnovers in 2011.  In 11 starts last year for the Broncos, Tebow had just 6 interceptions.  Tebow takes care of the ball, and turnovers were a big reason the Eagles failed to make the playoffs last year.  If you remember a lot of the Eagles' turnovers came in the redzone.  If Tebow were used in a redzone package for example, it would almost be a guarantee that the Eagles would get at least 3 points every time they get inside the 20.  Games are won and lost because of turnovers and Tebow would certainly help in the turnover department.

Lastly, Tebow is extremely versatile on the offensive side of the ball.  While he may not be able to play linebacker or safety, he can lineup as a wideout/tight end, or even a half back who can throw.  In addition to being used as a backup quarterback, Tebow could be used in short down situations with Shady McCoy alongside him in the backfield, and in the redzone as well where he wouldn't be forced to use his arm as much.

Overall the Eagles take great pride in grooming quarterbacks.  While they certainly weren't successful with Vince Young, they did greatly improve Mike Vick and I think they could do the same with Tim Tebow.  Eagles fans have to remember that Vick is not exactly young.  Vick will turn 32 in June, and with his eratic style of play there is no guarantee that he will be starter two or three years down the line.  The Eagles have to prepare for the future and Tim Tebow in an Eagles uniform is a great option.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on Tebow mania and whether or not you think he should come to Philadelphia.

Update 12:54 
The New York Jets have traded a 4th round pick to Denver for Tim Tebow.  So much for Tebow in Philly.

Eagles Trade For DeMeco Ryans

Today, according to Jay Glazer, the Eagles traded a mid round draft pick for Pro Bowl middle linebacker Demeco Ryans.

Just some quick stats on 27 year old Ryans, he was named the Rookie Of The Year in 2006, recording 156 tackles.  He made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and was also named to the All-Pro team.  In 2009 he again made the Pro Bowl recording 123 tackles.

This guy is good and this is a great move for the Eagles.  They have been pretty silent in terms of free agent signings so far, but this move assures them of a stopper in the middle.

Ryans arrival in Philly will allow Chaney to move to his natural position of outside linebacker.  Ryans will also bring an identity to a defense that lacks character.

A great move by the Eagles.  We will have more on the trade later.

Eagles Resign Evan Mathis

         On Saturday, the Eagles answered a big offseason question by agreeing with gaurd Evan Mathis to a five-year $25 million contract with $7 million guaranteed. Last year Mathis,signed a one-year deal last summer to provide depth on the Eagles bench. He would become a starter all year at left guard. He played his best football of his career as a full time starter for the first time since the 2006 season when he was with the Carolina Panthers. Through a bleak and dissapointing season Mathis was one of the brightest and most surpising stories for the Eagles last season. Mathis played at a very high level both on the run and pass block. The Eagles last season was his fourth team he played for in the last five years.
        Mathis hit the free agency market last week and the Ravens jumped up on him and gave him an offer he visted the Ravens on thursday and returned to his Arizona home to think about his offer. Through the last week Mathis has been tweeting messages that caused experts and fans on where he would be going.
        With the resigning of Mathis the Eagles have their entire offensive line, which could turn out to be the best in franchise history. Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins were both rookies last year are signed through 2014, all-pro veteran Jason Peters is also signed through 2014. Todd Herremans signed an extension last week that goes through the 2016 season, and Mathis's deal goes 2016 too.
       

Eagles Sign Herremans to Three-Year Extension

Right before free agency is about to start the Eagles have decided to handle some internal issuers with their team.  They addressed one person today by giving Todd Herremans a three-year contract extension through 2016.

Andy Reid made a statement after the signing saying "We are excited to be able to sign Todd to a new contract.  Todd's intelligence, toughness, durability, and leadership are second to none.  Very few players in the NFL can play at an extremely high level at both the guard and tackle positions and Todd has done that for us.  He has been a big part of the success of our offense for the last several years."

The details of the contract extension have not been released yet, but a league source said that the contract gives Herremans a significant pay increase that reflect a tackle being paid a lot more than a guard.  Herremans is due $2.2 million this year and $2.6 million next year as well as $100,000 workout bonus each year.  The source has said those numbers will stay the same, but the new deal will add $20 million in new money to his existing deal.

Herremans has pretty much played exclusively at guard for the first 6 years of his career until last year.  Just before opening day Howard Mudd shifted his offensive line moving Herremans out to left tackle from guard to protect Michael Vicks blind side.  Protecting Vick's blindside, Herremans established himself as a dominant tackle.

The Eagles needed to show Herremans the love and today they did.  This is a nice start to a crucial offseason for them.  They still have a few other players they need to take care of as well as free agency starting at 4 PM today.  Stay tuned for more news as the NFL offseason picks up tremendously this afternoon.

Desean Jackson's Future With The Eagles

During the 2011 season, I was pretty fed up with Desean Jackson and his antics.  He wouldn't go over the middle, he was somewhat of a problem in the locker room, and overall I wanted the Eagles to cut ties with Desean as soon as the off season hit.

But last week the Eagles applied the franchise tag to Jackson, and this season he will make somewhere around 9 million dollars.  The applying of the tag assures that Jackson will be an Eagle for at least another year and it has caused me to reconsider my opinion of Jackson's future with this team.

Before Desean was franchised, a lot of fans including myself were fine with letting him walk and bringing in a free agent wide receiver.  After all there will be a ton of big names on the market this year and replacing Desean would be pretty easy.

The only problem with bringing in a free agent like Vincent Jackson or Plaxico Burress is that they are completely different receivers than Desean.  Desean uses his speed to stretch defenses which open things up for receivers under neath and also the running game.  Jackson's deep threat causes opposing defenses to bring a safety out of the box and send him 20-30 yards back to prevent a big touchdown.  Simply put, bringing in another receiver would completely change the dynamic of this offense.

At this point, I think 2012 is going to be a make or break year for Jackson.  By franchising him, the Eagles are basically saying, "Here is one year, show us what you can do."  But it really won't be about stats and receiving yards that in the end determine Jackson's future with the Birds.  I think a big long term contract hinges on how well the Eagles offense does as a result of Jackson's very presence on the field.

In the end I hope that the Eagles sign Jackson to a long term deal.  He definitely is not a guy who is going to go over the middle or lay out his body to make a big catch.  He's not that type of receiver and Eagles fans need to realize that.  But he is a deep threat with a lot of speed and who at the end of the day is the very cornerstone of  this offense.

Desean Jackson's Future With The Eagles

During the 2011 season, I was pretty fed up with Desean Jackson and his antics.  He wouldn't go over the middle, he was somewhat of a problem in the locker room, and overall I wanted the Eagles to cut ties with Desean as soon as the off season hit.

But last week the Eagles applied the franchise tag to Jackson, and this season he will make somewhere around 9 million dollars.  The applying of the tag assures that Jackson will be an Eagle for at least another year and it has caused me to reconsider my opinion of Jackson's future with this team.

Before Desean was franchised, a lot of fans including myself were fine with letting him walk and bringing in a free agent wide receiver.  After all there will be a ton of big names on the market this year and replacing Desean would be pretty easy.

The only problem with bringing in a free agent like Vincent Jackson or Plaxico Burress is that they are completely different receivers than Desean.  Desean uses his speed to stretch defenses which open things up for receivers under neath and also the running game.  Jackson's deep threat causes opposing defenses to bring a safety out of the box and send him 20-30 yards back to prevent a big touchdown.  Simply put, bringing in another receiver would completely change the dynamic of this offense.

At this point, I think 2012 is going to be a make or break year for Jackson.  By franchising him, the Eagles are basically saying, "Here is one year, show us what you can do."  But it really won't be about stats and receiving yards that in the end determine Jackson's future with the Birds.  I think a big long term contract hinges on how well the Eagles offense does as a result of Jackson's very presence on the field.

In the end I hope that the Eagles sign Jackson to a long term deal.  He definitely is not a guy who is going to go over the middle or lay out his body to make a big catch.  He's not that type of receiver and Eagles fans need to realize that.  But he is a deep threat with a lot of speed and who at the end of the day is the very cornerstone of  this offense.

Should The Eagles Make A Move For RG3?

On Friday, it was reported that Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III interviewed with the Eagles.  Now before you go getting all excited, many reporters and experts are describing the interview as "due diligence."  Couple that with the fact that the Eagles just inked Michael Vick to a big extension, and the RG3 excitement will surely die down.

And yet there is something very intriguing in the fact that the Eagles so far are the only team to meet with the Heisman Trophy winner.  Today on sports radio 94 WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic, experts went back and forth arguing the possibility of RG3 in an Eagles uniform.

Think about the whole situation before you draw any conclusions.  The Rams have the number 2 overall pick and seeing as they won't be interested in RG3 as they already have a young quarterback in Sam Bradford, they could be interested in a trade.  If the Eagles were willing to trade Desean Jackson, a first round pick, and maybe another young player, they could easily find themselves in a position to draft RG3 as their quarterback of the future.

It's certainly plausible that the Eagles have the talent and resources to make a trade, but now the question is should they make the trade?  Should they trade away young proven talent and a draft pick for a guy who has yet to even play a game in the NFL?  My answer is no based on the situation with Andy Reid, the fact that the Eagles already have Mike Vick as quarterback, and I truly believe that this team is just a few moves away from being a legitimate contender.

Let's start first with Big Red.  In case you didn't catch Jeff Lurie's press conference earlier this year, basically Lurie made it pretty clear that the 2011 season was completely unacceptable.  In other words, Andy Reid is on the hot seat this year, and in all likelihood this will be his final year in Philadelphia providing he doesn't win a Super Bowl.  If you trade away a decent portion of your young nucleus to get a franchise quarterback, after this year you may not be able to draw in potential coaches who would be forced to use RG3.  Maybe potential coaches won't like his style of play or whatever, but you would certainly be limiting your pool of potential coaches by locking them in with a quarterback they maybe don't want.

Remember a guy by the name of Mike Vick?  People quickly forget just how utterly amazing Vick was in 2010.  He may have had a rough year last season, but I truly believe that we have yet to see the best of number 7.  If the lockout hurt anyone last year, it probably hurt Vick the most.  After his first full year back in the NFL, the rug was quickly pulled out from under him with the lockout.  Many people have written Vick off after last year but I think Vick is going to come back with a fire in 2012.  Drafting RG3 could be detrimental to Vick's confidence as the Eagles would basically be saying to Vick that 2012 would be his last chance.

Lastly if the Eagles were to trade away Desean Jackson, a couple young players, and a first round draft pick for RG3, the Eagles would be setting themselves back at least two, maybe even three years.  I think that this current Eagles team is a few moves away from being a legitimate contender. But trading away vital pieces could hurt them next year and in the years to come.  Also this core of Lesean McCoy, Brent Celek, and Jeremy Maclin are young now, but in three years they could be completely different players.  The Eagles would have to take a large step back to acquire RG3, and by the time he is fully ready, the Eagles offense may not be the same potent offense that it is right now.

Based on last year, I'm not so sure the Eagles made a good choice by inking Vick to a big contract.  But overall I think we have to stick with MV7 rather than make move for RG3.  Of course this is completely hypothetical situation and I want to reiterate the fact that the meeting between RG3 and the Eagles was complete due diligence on the Eagles' part.  Still, it's something to ponder and keep in mind as we move closer to draft day.  

Thoughts On Reid's Press Conference

After about a month of full silence, Andy Reid finally addressed the media Tuesday afternoon at the Nova Care Complex.  After watching a decent amount of the interview, it was definitely clear that Reid's attitude toward the media had changed dramatically.

Reid was much more friendly and engaging and overall didn't come off as arrogant or rude.  Reid also furthered Lurie's sentiments that his "arrogance" was really a form of him protecting his players and trying to keep the locker room united.

Reid was extremely unclear on what exactly happened with Steve Spagnuolo.  Hall of fame analyst Ray Didinger asked a tough question on whether or not they had actively pursued Spags.  Reid said that he made it clear to Spags that "the job was open if he couldn't find anything else."

"Steve Spagnuolo I know was another topic, and I understand, he’s a fine football coach. Steve and I are good friends. And we talked throughout the season, as we do every year. When Steve was released from the Rams I did offer him a spot here to coach, if he needed one. A place to land, with open arms. My feeling was if you can have two great coaches on defense, That’s even better than just having Juan himself. That’s about how far as it went there. We didn’t talk about titles or anything else."

While Reid was open on the Spags issue he didn't give any definite answers and it was extremely hard for reporters to fully pin him down.  And the key phrase from that quote is "if he needed one."  It sounds to me like Reid didn't actively pursue Spags and instead made a half hearted effort to make him the next defensive coordinator.

Another key element of Reid's press conference was his comments regarding Desean Jackson.

“I was proud of DeSean for standing up….“I thought he showed maturity this season.  I think he’s done that every year he’s been here.  He showed it and admitted to everybody that he didn’t handle things the right way.  I’ll tell you the last six games he did a nice job for us.  I was proud of him for that.”

Notice that Reid again didn't give a clear response.  He could have very easily stated "I'm not worried about Desean.  He's a very important part of this team's success and we are going to get a deal done."  Instead Reid reflected on the past and didn't give a clear answer on whether or not number 10 will be in midnight green next year.  My feeling is that if it were up to Reid, he would bring Jackson back in a heart beat.  But this is a decision that is out of Reid's hands and Howie Roseman and Joe Banner will be calling the shots on this one.

While I'm a fully documented Reid supporter, I know that this is in all likelihood his final year.  For Reid, he has to fix his past mistakes and focus on uniting all of the talent that he clearly has at his disposal.  This upcoming season, Reid can't continue to give us the same excuses.  If he does, he could very easily find himself on the outside looking in come 2013.

Eagles Report Card: Tight Ends

With Michael Vick at quarterback and so many explosive weapons it is hard to notice the tight ends.  Last season and early on this season Vick had a tough time working them into the offense.  After a rough beginning, Vick was able to get them involved in the offense and Brent Celek made a major statement.  With a shaky offensive line last year the tight ends were forced to block more, but with such a great offensive line this year they were able to make some plays this year.  It was a good year for them and they made a big splash in this offensive production.

Brent Celek


After a career year in 2009, 2010 was not the year for Celek.  With a shaky offensive line and a quarterback who seemed to refuse to throw the ball to the tight end, Celek's elite tight ends status went away.  It seemed like it was going to be the same way this year around as well early on, but that changed. After a rough start to the season where Celek was pretty much absent in the offense he really stepped up and became a huge piece in the passing game.

He has always been a good receiver it was just about him getting noticed by Vick.  Vick was never really a quarterback that loved the tight end and as he matured as a quarterback they said he would notice the tight end a lot more.  It seemed like that was the case.  After catching only 9 balls for 73 yards and no touchdowns in the first 5 games, Celek saw the ball more and his stats improved.

After such a rough start it is amazing that he finished with 62 catches for 811 yards and 5 touchdowns.  That is impressive considering he had a really bad start.  Celek established himself as an elite tight end again, which really helped this offense.  The more threats they have in the middle the less coverage they can have on the deep ball.  It was a great finish to Celek's year and he had a very good one to go with that.

GRADE: A-

Clay Harbor


It was another so so year for the backup tight end once again.  The Eagles don't use two tight end formations that much so you can't blame him to much, but the athletic tight end once again did not have a big year in the Eagles passing game.  One area you have to applaud him for is his continued improvement in the blocking phase of the game.  He would usually have a catch during the game, but he never brought anything big to the passing game.

On the year Harbor recorded 13 catches for 163 yards and 1 touchdown this year.  The Eagles primarily use their second tight end for blocking and they usually do not see the field to much.  It is hard to complain about his play because of that and it is hard to asses how did this year.  His numbers are not so great, but either was his playing time and do to that we blame it on him.

GRADE: C+

Overall


Celek had a fantastic year while Harbor barely saw the field and you never really noticed him.  As a group I guess they work well together, even though they are rarely on the field together.  Both of them continued to improve with their blocking, which is good to know as they both weren't known for that.  Celek had a great year though and since he is usually the one that sees the field that is what we base this group off of.  Expect another solid year again from them in 2012.

GRADE: A-

Eagles Report Card: Offensive Line

The offensive line was not supposed to be the strength of this Eagles team this year. From the start of training camp until the first week before the season, the Eagles offensive line was in shambles. Players were getting injured others were being replaced, it was anyones guess as to what the offensive line would look like at the start of the season. It looked like the line was going to get Michael Vick killed this year once again. With injuries and open spots trying to be won in training camp, the Eagles took a look at many players in different positions. The problem was, they weren't going to be able to establish good chemistry before the season started due to the lockout.

With all this mixing up, the line wasn't complete and ready until the first week of the season. That made many scared as they were worried how they would play. The Eagles made a major move as they moved former left guard Todd Herremans back to his old position at right tackle. Herremans was to block Vick's blind side as Jason Peters would block the left side. Evan Mathis was then brought in to start at left guard, while former Colt Kyle DeVan who was also recently acquired would start at right guard. Then for the center position there was a battle all camp to see whether rookie center Jason Kelce would start or would veteran Jamaal Jackson. Kelce who is a Howard Mudd type player was rewarded with the starting center position. Herremans, Peters, Mathis, DeVan, and Kelce were the five the Eagles went into St. Louis with the first week of the season.

After 4 rough games to start the season the Eagles made a change as they gave their first round pick Danny Watkins a chance to start at right guard. From there on this offensive line got better and better each game as they established themselves as the strength of this team. They were able to help this offense in numerous ways as they kept Vick clean and allowed LeSean McCoy to run loose all season.

Julian Vandervelde

Vandervelde, who was a rookie, had a very good training camp and preseason which helped him make this Eagles team. He shows good diversity as he is able to play center and guard, something that teams value in their backups. Unfortunately, Vandervelde was buried on the depth chart and never saw any game action. With that said Vandervelde's grade is incomplete this year as he never saw any action.

GRADE: INCOMPLETE

Jamaal Jackson

Jackson has been a steady piece to this Eagles offensive line for many years, but back to back major injuries, one to his knee and one to his triceps has really hurt him. He has missed a significant amount of time over the last year and a half due to those various injuries. Many believe Jackson is one of the most underrated offensive lineman in Eagles history, but it seems like that might be over. Unfortunately for Jackson he was not able to claim the starting job and ended up being a backup for the year.

Dressing for all games Jackson failed to see the field all season. He was used in practice as both a center and a guard to make sure he was ready because he was their best backup interior lineman. It looks like Jackson's time with the Eagles is over with and it will be interesting to see whether they let him walk.

GRADE: INCOMPLETE

Winston Justice


Justice dealt with some lingering knee issues from offseason surgery during the early part of training camp and the preseason. He was in and out of practice during training camp, which was a major cause of concern. After starting most of the season at right tackle many wondered whether his play down the stretch would hurt his chances of starting. That plus the knee injury did in fact hurt him as Justice became one of the backup offensive lineman.

Justice saw game action once all year as he got the start against the Washington Redskins. He played very well, but was replaced the next week once Jason Peters returned from injury. In his one start he played very well and maybe he just needed his knee to heal fully before he could return to top form.

GRADE: B+

King Dunlap


Dunlap established himself as the Eagles best backup offensive lineman this year. He practiced at every position on the offensive line except center. His versatility was key as he played in many different roles for injured players this year. Dunlap suffered a few injuries this season, which affected his year. The most significant one was a concussion, after the concussion late in the season Dunlap did not see any more time on the field.

Coming in to replace injured starters, Dunlap did a great job. He helped this offensive line stay afloat even when they were down a key starter. He stepped in very nicely and showed his versatility as well. The more game action he sees the better he plays and that was clearly evident this year.

GRADE: B+

Danny Watkins


Watkins came to camp late as they worked on a contract for him and it clearly affected his play in the beginning. When he got to camp Watkins was thrown right under the fire as he was expected to start from day one. He admitted that he was overwhelmed in his first training camp and it definitely affected his play. He did not play well during training camp and the preseason which led him to lose his starting job before week 1. Watkins spent that time learning the system and getting acclimated better.

Once he learned the system Watkins was given the opportunity to start after the first four games of the season. He then started for the rest of the year. One side note I like about Watkins is that he has a mean streak, at least once a game he was in a little scrum with another player. Besides that Watkins had his ups and downs in his rookie season. He showed a lot of promise, but had those rookie mistakes that were costly at time. He had a solid rookie season though and look for more improvements in his second year.

GRADE: B-

Jason Kelce

Kelce was a late round pick in this years draft and a prototypical Howard Mudd type lineman. Mudd fell in love with him and that really helped Kelce. Battling with Jamaal Jackson for the center spot in training camp and the preseason Kelce kept up to par with his play. Keeping up with Jackson proved that the rookie could handle the load and he was given the starting job a week before the season started. There was a lot of pressure on him because center is a tough position to begin with, let alone he was a rookie and had to endure the shortened training camp because of the lockout. However Kelce handled the pressure very well and it showed in his play.

He had a very good season as rookie. Some thought he should of gone to the pro bowl, while others thought he was solid; either way he played great for a rookie. Every game he continued to get better and better. He held his own early on, but he was definitely a lot better of a player in the latter part of the year. It was a solid year for the rookie as he had a lot of responsibilities and handled it very well.

GRADE: B

Evan Mathis


During training camp the Eagles went out and signed underrated guard Evan Mathis. Formally of the Bengals Mathis is one of the most underrated offensive lineman in the game today and he showed that immediately. During training camp and preseason, Mathis was terrific and earned a spot as the teams starting left guard. Things only got better from there, as Mathis started to come out of the shadows of being underrated.

Mathis had a great season as he helped solidify this line as one of the best in the league. With such quick time to learn the offense and get used to his line mates there were definitely problems early on in the season. They weren't because of his play, but because of the lack of chemistry he had with them to start the season. That chemistry continued to build week after week and he looked better week after week. Mathis had a great year and the Eagles will do everything to bring him back and keep this line intact, they should only get better as they play more and more with each other.

GRADE: A-

Todd Herremans

Herremans started out training camp and the preseason playing his position that he has been at is whole career with the Eagles and that is left guard. After problems at the right tackle position the Eagles moved Herremans to the outside after the preseason was over. Many were worried about Herremans and his position change. Herremans who used to play tackle but hasn't in a while, didn't have anytime to adjust to his new position at right right tackle.

Herremans provided solid play protecting Vick's blindside. It took some adjusting though as he wasn't used to playing tackle and that showed early on. An area where he had no problems with was run blocking as Herremans was one of the best run blocking guards and continued that success at tackle. His pass blocking took time, but he continued to work and get better. Herremans had a solid season in which it only got better and better each game.

GRADE: B+

Jason Peters


Peters was definitely one of the best offensive lineman in the whole league this season. A player who has a lot of talent, but needs some extra motivation, Mudd clearly got him playing at the best level he was capable of. Peters was a complete beast from day one as he absolutely dominated anyone he faced. No matter who it was Peters would have the better of the game and everyone noticed it. Constantly during games you would hear the commentators raving about Peters play this year.

It seemed like Mudd really lit a fire under him this year. He was the most consistent offensive lineman on the team and involved consistency with excellent play. He was awarded a trip to the Pro Bowl once again this year, but this one was his most deserving. Peters had a career year and established himself as one of the best offensive lineman in the game.

GRADE: A+

Overall


The offensive line turned out to be one of the best units on the team this year. Many were worried early on and especially when they made so many changes a week before the season started. Turns out this line is young and very good. As the year went on they built chemistry and the line was better and better each week. With two rookies and everyone else experienced, the Eagles offensive line should only get better and better.

GRADE: A

A Flag Football Pro Bowl?

Don't worry Drew, I won't hit you!

This weekend, the NFL will play the Pro Bowl in Honolulu Hawaii, a week before the Super Bowl.  The game was usually played a week after the Super Bowl, but in an effort by Roger Goodell to enhance the popularity of the game, it was moved to the week directly following Championship Sunday.

The current Pro Bowl format raises two questions:

1. Should the NFL keep the Pro Bowl a week before the Super Bowl? Or move it back to its original time?
2. Should the NFL consider a sort of flag football game?  No pads, no helmets, just the greatest stars of the game out there having fun.

To begin, I really like the Pro Bowl's new spot.  After the Super Bowl, nobody really cares about football, and the interest level among fans drops significantly.  But after Sunday's thrilling Conference Championship games, football fans are hungry for more.  Instead of having to wait two weeks for the main event, the Pro Bowl serves as a sort of appetizer of what is to come.

But the fact that the game serves as a build up to the Super Bowl is not enough in my opinion.  The game itself is extremely boring as none of the players really want to hit hard or get hurt heading into the off season.  Today on the Tony Bruno midday show, Bruno suggested that instead of having a traditional tackle game, the NFL should consider a flag football Pro Bowl.  Imagine Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers back in the pocket not having to worry about being pummeled by a defensive monster.  Imagine Lesean McCoy or Matt Forte shimmying and shifting around after a hand off.  Ultimately, the game would be a lot more entertaining without the threat of injury.  Guys would have fun, score a lot of points, and more people would tune in to watch.

Now the idea of a flag football Pro Bowl may sound a little absurd to some people who enjoy the traditional style of football.  But what game would you rather watch? A tackle game where guys are giving it 25% not wanting to hit or get hit?  Or a 100% high scoring-fast paced flag football game?

To me the decision is simple and the NFL needs to realize that the Pro Bowl doesn't and never will draw viewers if it remains in its current format.

Too Soon To Pull Plug On Castillo

Just a few days ago, Steve Spagnuolo signed with the New Orleans Saints to become their defensive coordinator.  Any possibilities of him returning to the Eagles were put to rest, and now the question remains, who will be the defensive coordinator in 2012?

As of right now, it seems like the Eagles will bring back Juan Castillo to be defensive coordinator.  That notion may make your stomach churn, and it might even make you a little sick, but please hear me out on why giving Juan a second chance would be best for this team.

To begin, it would be foolish to think that after the final four games of the season that the Eagles defense finally came around and made the necessary adjustments.  The Eagles played a bad Dolphins team, an even worse Jets team, a disinterested Cowboys team, and finally the Washington Redskins who weren't exactly an offensive threat.  To the Eagles' credit, the defense did look better in the last few games.  But to sit here right now and think that the Eagles magically fixed their defensive problems by beating up on bad opponents would be a major mistake.

While I'm not using the later part of the 2011 season in favor of Castillo, I will first make my case for Juan based on team chemistry.  You saw what happened in 2011 when a completely new defensive scheme was implemented: major holes, blown assignments, and ultimately blown leads and disappointing 4th quarter losses. So to bring in a completely new coordinator for next season with a new scheme would set the Eagles back at least another year.  But keeping Castillo means that the current defensive guys have a year of experience under their belts heading into next year.

As the year progressed, you could tell that guys were beginning to buy into Castillo's system.  Initially they were probably extremely skeptical, but as the year went on more and more guys began to believe in what Juan was saying.  With that comes carry over into next season.

On the sidelines Castillo is passionate and enthusiastic.  If he is passionate on game day, just imagine the passion with which he is pouring into this off season on becoming a better defensive coordinator.  And Castillo is like Andy Reid, in that guys like him and love to play for him.

Overall I don't feel like there are any great coaches remaining to fill the defensive coordinator position.  Unless the Eagles could get a guy like Brian Billick or Jack Del Rio, they should definitely seriously consider keeping Castillo as their defensive coordinator at least for one more year.

Phillies Deserve Excitement

Today on WIP, sports analyst and former Eagle Ike Reese brought up an interesting point on how the Eagles get heavily criticized while the Phillies have a lot more wiggle room.  Reese brought up that due to the fact that many of the Eagles teams came up short in the playoffs and never delivered a Super Bowl, the fan base is understandably fed up.  Many of the Eagles teams in the early 2000's had such high expectations, and on multiple occasions failed to get it done come crunch time.

Reese then compared the Eagles to the Phillies and stated that the one obvious difference between the two teams is the Phillies delivered on a championship in 2008.  The highly anticipated Phillies teams of 2009, 2010, and 2011 weren't criticized as heavily because of the fact that they gave this city a championship in 08.

I stopped for a second and thought about Reese's points.  In my mind they are very accurate and they are very relevant as we gear up for yet another highly anticipated Phillies season.  Although the Phillies have let us down the past three years, they deserve our utmost optimism and excitement because of the fact that they delivered on a World Series.

But the points made by Reese also bring up an extremely intriguing question: what if the Phillies hadn't won the World Series in 2008?  Would we be laughing at them and bashing their front office like many fans are currently doing to the Eagles?

I think that even if the Phillies hadn't won in 2008, I don't think the fans would be as hard on them for two main reasons.  Number one is the obvious fact that even without 2008, the Phillies still won the World Series in 1980.  The Eagles on the other hand have zero Super Bowl titles to their name.  Another point as to why the Phillies wouldn't be as highly criticized as the Eagles has to do with build up and fall back.  After the early 90's, the Phillies were an absolute joke.  They lost games, went through managers like crazy, and nobody really cared about them.  But then in the early 2000's they got a new star in Jim Thome to usher in a new era of baseball.  They moved out of the Vet, and went to the Bank and steadily over the years they got better and better.  Finally in 2007 they made the playoffs.  Although they got booted in the first round, it was seen as a major accomplishment given the fact that the Phils were basically a laughing stock just a few years earlier.  Then in 2008, they captivated the city and won the World Series.  In short the build up was perfect for the Phillies.  And after failing to get it done the past 3 years, fans really can't get too angry given the World Series title achieved in 2008.

But now let's analyze the the Eagles.  In the late 90's, the Birds were also awful and Andy Reid ushered in a new era by drafting Donovan McNabb.  But in 2001, 2002, and 2003 the Eagles reached the NFC Championship game but failed to get it done every year.  In 2004 they lost in the Super Bowl, and then that was it for four years.  Unlike the Phillies the Eagles had no real build up.  They jumped out of the gates in the early 2000's and were basically right there as early as 2001.   Then after 2004, the Eagles again lost in the NFC Championship game in 2008.  But after 2008, the Eagles had nothing to fall back on.  They couldn't say to the fans: "Well at least we won it all in 2004."

Basically the Eagles fan base is understandably fed up.  The Eagles have never won a Super Bowl and until that happens, fans will continue to be extra hard on the Birds.  The Phillies on the other hand have 2 championships to fall back on, one as recently as 2008.  Deservedly, the Phillies have more wiggle room and  deserve all of our optimist and excitement heading into this season.