Roster Breakdown: Quarterback

Quarterback has been a staple on the Philadelphia Eagles roster they seem to always have their man and this year they have one like usual.  The Eagles have one of the most explosive quarterbacks in the league in Michael Vick, but with his style of play he is often taking hits, which lead to injuries.  Due to that the Eagles have to be deep at the quarterback position and thankfully they are.  The Eagles are obviously confident in their starter Michael Vick, but they are also extremely confident in their backups Vince Young and Mike Kafka as well.  Not many teams are able to say that and it is good that the Eagles can.

Vick showed last year that he is not afraid to take a hit, but even though he isn't afraid doesn't mean he can't get hurt.  Vick was injured or banged up throughout the season and thankfully the Eagles had a solid backup in Kevin Kolb.  This year it will be Vince Young someone who has a similar skill set to Vick which means the offense won't have to change if something is to happen to Vick.  With that said lets take a look at the Eagles QB situation.

Michael Vick: Vick is no doubt the starter for the Eagles after leading the Eagles to an NFC East title last year.  Under Andy Reid he has learned to play the QB position the right way and has excelled in this explosive offense.  It is incredible how far he can throw the ball with a simple flick of the wrist.  Towards the end of the year defenses started to understand what Vick was doing and they were able to control him a lot more.  This will be a big year to see if Vick really knows how to be a QB.  He struggled against the blitz towards the end of the year, as that was the answer to slowing him down.  In his third year after returning I believe Vick will have a better understanding of what the defense is trying to do and he will make some changes and continue to be successful.

Vince Young: Young was brought in to be the backup of Vick and he understands his role with the team.  He is here on a one year contract to be coached up and be a trusty backup just incase Vick gets hurt.  Young is excited to be here and learns rom a great coaching staff and Vick, he saw what the staff did for Vick reviving his career, so he hopes they can do the same with him.  Young will provide a great backup QB for Vick who has the same type of style, so game planning won't have to change between the QB's.  The one thing that Vince Young does is win and it is nice to have a backup that knows how to get the job done.

Mike Kafka:  Kafka has made incredible strides after his rookie year, but will continue to be the third QB this year.  Kafka was a fourth round pick and the Eagles hope he can establish himself as a reliable backup for Vick in the future.  For now Kafka is here to work on his game and get better, he will not be asked to do anything special, but just continue to get better.  Kafka has spent a lot of time this year working on his game and the biggest improvement was his arm strength.  Kafka could barely throw the ball down the field or throw a sharp pass on an out route, this year though he is able to do all of those a whole lot better.  Kafka will continue to improve as a QB as he learns the game more and watches on the sidelines.

Jerrod Johnson: Johnson is an undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M, he is the fourth QB on the depth chart and is unlikely to see a lot of action in camp once Vince Young is allowed to practice.  Johnson has decent arm strength and is a mobile QB as well.  He is unlikely to make the team, but if the Eagles like him they might keep him on their practice squad.

The Eagles are extremely stable at the quarterback position.  At each spot on their roster the Eagles have a reliable player that is likely one of the best in the league.  Quarterback is not a position to worry about on this Eagles roster.

Roster Breakdown: Offensive Line

Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to be taking an in depth look at this entire Eagles roster. For your enjoyment we've broken the roster down into offensive line, quarterbacks, running backs and full backs, wide receivers, defensive line, line backers, safeties, corners, and special teams.

First up on our Eagles roster breakdown is the all important offensive line. I'm a firm believer that the game of football is won and lost in the trenches. Andy Reid also lives by this motto as seen through his many offensive and defensive line first round draft picks.

When you have a quarterback like Michael Vick who likes to scroll out of the pocket, protecting him is a top priority. With newcomers Danny Watkins, Evan Mathis, and Ryan Harris the offensive line has definitely upgraded and will look to give Vick the time and protection he needs to make plays.

Jason Peters LT In his third year with the Eagles, Jason Peters is the projected starter at left tackle and is the bookend for this solid left side. I really like Peters and feel that he will only get better under Howard Mudd. According to multiple reports, Mudd flipped out on Peters during a practice on Monday. Either way he is still one of the best guys on this line.

Todd Herremans LG Herremans is the projected starter at left guard. Herremans has been a starter since 2006, and he is another part of this offensive line that Im not worried about. He is a great player and he and Peters make up a strong left side. He is extremely versatile and can play other positions if the Eagles need him to. There has been talk about Herremans possibly switching to right guard to protect Vick's blind side. If Ryan Harris, Danny Watkins and Winston Justice can't get it done on the right side, then look for the Eagles to make a switch.

Jamaal Jackson C Jackson is coming off an awful torn right triceps injury. Jackson injured his triceps in the opener last year against the Packers and will look to stay healthy this year. In 2006-2008, Jackson played in started in all 16 games for the Birds but played in just 1 game last year. For the first time in a while, Jackson says that he feels great and is totally 100%. He is greatly looking forward to playing with Mike Vick and learning from Howard Mudd.

Danny Watkins RG I thinks it's safe to say that Andy Reid has a lot of faith in Danny Watkins. Watkins is the projected starter at right guard and will help in protecting Vick's blind side. Watkins was the Eagles first round pick this year and will look to have an immediate impact. With contract issues Watkins was a hold out but he didn't miss too much time and the Eagles coaches should have no problem in bringing him up to speed. Watkins says he is a quick learner.

Ryan Harris RT With Winston Justice on the physically unable to perform list, I'm going to slot newly acquired Ryan Harris into the starter at right tackle. Like Jackson, Harris has been plauged with injuries over the past couple of the years but he is a starter and was named to Peter King's SI All-Pro team in 2008. Justice is out with a knee injury and King Dunlap and Austin Howard have been taking reps at right tackle. Hopefully Harris can step in and be the starter until Justice is ready to return.

Evan Mathis To add even more depth to the offensive line, the Eagles brought in Evan Mathis from the Bengals. Mathis can play in different spots and a lot of Cincinnati experts believe that he should have been a full time starter with the Bengals. From 2008-2010 Mathis started in 22 games for the Bengals. He will most likely compete for a spot along the right side where there are still a lot of questions even with the signing of Ryan Harris.

Winston Justice According to an article on gcobb.com, Andy Reid reported, “His [Winston Justice] schedule was a little bit crazy because he was a player rep, and he was all over the place. I think it set back his rehab just a bit. The lockout in his case I don’t think helped him with getting the rehab done on his leg that he needed to, so we’re doing that.” As of right now Justice is on the physically unable to perform list and until he is ready to go Ryan Harris will most likely be the starter at right tackle.

Overall the Eagles offensive line looks great. They have a lot of depth and I'm confident that they will do a solid job of protecting Mike Vick. Look for the Eagles to do a lot of experimenting before the season opener. The Eagles will most likely do a lot of mixing and matching, trying to find where guys are most comfortable.

Don't Forget About The Flyers

With the Phillies acquisition of Hunter Pence and the Eagles long list of "Dream Team" free agents, people have quickly forgotten that the Flyers were also extremely busy during their off season upgrading their team.

Back on June 23rd, the Flyers dealt Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakub Voracek and first and third round draft picks. The Flyers also traded Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings for Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, and a second round draft pick. The Flyers then signed goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and added free agents Jaromir Jagr, Maxime Talbot, and Andres Lilja.

Just like the Phillies and Eagles, the Flyers front office did everything they could to make this team better. Although they traded away two great players in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, in return they were able to sign an elite goalie in Ilyz Bryzgalov who has the talent to carry this team in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

While a lot of experts don't believe the Flyers can contend this year I strongly disagree. Richards and Carter will greatly be missed on offense, but I feel that JVR and Claude Giroux are the future of this team. JVR showed flashes of absolute brilliance during the playoffs last year and Giroux has the talent and leadership ability to be the leader of this team in the future. And Bryzgalov is an elite goalie which is something the Flyers haven't had for a very long time.

For the Flyers their quest for the cup begins on October 6th against the Bruins. In just about two months the Flyers will march into Boston with their new look team ready to contend for a Stanley Cup.

The Flyers, Phillies, and Eagles have taken drastic measures to win their respective championships and it is going to be a very exciting time to be a sports fan in the city of Philadelphia.

Mayberry Says, Don't Forget About Me!

When the Phillies acquired Hunter Pence, they quickly sent Domonic Brown to the minors so he could get at bats everyday as well as gain experience playing left field. Raul Ibanez's contract is up after this year, and the outfield of the future will most likely consist of Shane Victorino in center, and Brown and Pence on the corners.

It's sounded like a pretty good plan until last night. Last night the Phils were down by 2 in the top of the 9th when John Mayberry Jr. lifted a 2 run homerun to left center to tie the game at 3. Mayberry not only helped the Phillies to a 4-3 victory but he also complicated the Phillies plans for their outfield of the future.

With a .231 batting average and only 3 HR and 12 RBI's, Mayberry was shipped backed down to the minors on June 1st. But since being recalled from the minors on July 5th, Mayberry is hitting .310 with 4 HR and 16 RBI's. Mayberry has proved that he should not only be included in the Phillies future outfield plans, but he should also be the Phillies main pinch hitter for the rest of this season and in the playoffs. Mayberry is a right handed hitter with pop, and he has the ability to get extra base hits in key situations.

Mayberry is really hitting the ball hard right now and it will be interesting to see what he is able to do off of the bench. If Mayberry continues to hit in the remainder of the season and into the playoffs, the Phillies should seriously consider doing a platoon of Dom Brown and Mayberry in left field next year. Plus Mayberry can play first and can give Howard a day off when he needs it.

Mayberry is an extremely versatile and valuable tool for the Phillies. Look for him to step up big in the playoffs and in the future.

Could This Be The Year?

It's been 50 long and painful years since the Eagles last won a championship. But by the flurry of free agency acquisitions the Eagles have made this off season, I think they finally realize that 50 years is too long and it's now time for this organization to win a Super Bowl.

Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Vince Young, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cullen Jenkins, Ronnie Brown, Evan Mathis, and Ryan Harris are all key acquisitions made by the Eagles this off season to strengthen this already lethal offense and build one of the most daunting defenses in the entire NFL.

Jason Babin calls the Eagles "the Miami Heat", Vince Young calls them "the Dream Team". In reality they are still our beloved Eagles finally taking the necessary steps to bring this city its' first Super Bowl.

As a die hard Eagles fan, I remember the 4 crushing NFC championship game defeats, and the devastating loss to the Patriots in the 2004 Super Bowl. The pain of last year's early playoff exit to the Green Bay Packers is still fresh in my mind but finally there is hope. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is shining bright. For the first time the Eagles are going all in. They are the team to beat, and their goal is to win a Super Bowl at all costs.

It's been a long road with Big Red but finally I think all the pieces are coming together. Mike Vick and this lethal offense now have a defense behind them and there are zero excuses this year. The Eagles front office have made all the right moves and now it's time for this team to get it done on the field. On paper this team has what it takes to win the Super Bowl. All they have to do is go out there and execute, and finally lead this city to the promised land.

Eagles Sign Ronnie Brown

The Eagles have agreed to terms with RB Ronnie Brown on a one year deal. He will serve as a great backup to McCoy and still has a couple of good years ahead of him as he is only 29 years old. He provides the Eagles with a great wildcat threat out of the backfield because he ran it frequently in Miami. More on the terms of the contract and what he provides to this Eagles team will be up shortly.

Oswalt Ready To Return To The Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies will welcome Roy Oswalt back to the rotation this weekend.  Oswalt pitched in a rehab game today with the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs, throwing 6 innings, giving up 7 hits and 2 earned runs while striking out 4.  He threw 90 pitches 61 for strikes and his fastball topped out at 92 mph.  

After the game he said it was an encouraging performance and that he expects to pitch a bullpen on Wednesday or Thursday and pitch for the Phillies sometime this weekend.  It is good that Oswalt is happy with his performance and that he has been pain free during his rehab.  

It will be nice to see Oswalt back in a Phillies uniform.  The four aces can now be reunited again.  It will be interesting to see how effective Oswalt will be, but anything should be better then Kyle Kendrick.  Expect to see Oswalt pitch sometime this weekend in San Francisco.  

Watkins Deal Done

According to Howard Eskin of 610 WIP, Danny Watkins' deal is done and he will be in camp tomorrow. Eskins tweeted just moments ago, "Eagles first round pick Danny Watkins will be signed tonight and in camp Tuesday."

It is a 4 year deal worth 7.9 million with just over 4 million guaranteed.

This is great news as Watkins is going to be a vital part of the Eagles protection scheme this season. With Vick's aggressive style of play, it is extremely important for Watkins to be in camp and get reps with the first team.

Watkins has already missed a decent amount of time so hopefully the Eagles coaches will do a good job in getting him up to speed.

With Watkins' contract addressed, the Eagles can now focus their attention to the contracts of Desean Jackson and Michael Vick. Desean is set to make around $600,000 this year and remains one of the most under paid players in the league. As for Vick, the Eagles have until September 20th to work out a deal with him. If they fail to reach a deal with him before that date, they can't negotiate with him until after the season.

Where Is Danny Watkins?

There are conflicting reports coming out about the hold up on Eagles first round pick Danny Watkins' rookie contract.

Howard Eskin of WIP reports that, "Danny Watkins contract holdup is over 3 years guaranteed, not 4th year."

Meanwhile Jeff Skversky of 6abc reports, "Multiple Sources say both sides can't agree on the 4th yr of the deal."

While the exact details of Watkins' contract are unknown, we do know that the new NFL CBA has certain rules regarding rookie contracts.

According to ESPN's John Clayton, "First-round picks get four-year deals in which the club holds a fifth-year option. One unique part about the new system is it should prevent long holdouts. At some point in August, unsigned draft choices lose their leverage if they aren't signed."

As of right now, Watkins is still a hold-out and missing valuable time in training camp. Watkins is expected to be a starter and the more time he misses, the less of an impact he can potentially have this year for the Birds. Watkins is currently one of seven first round picks that have yet to sign.

Joe Banner is unhappy, Andy Reid is unhappy, and I'm sure the Mike Vick isn't thrilled that Watkins is still a hold-out. Hopefully he and the Eagles can work out a deal in the near future, and Watkins can finally start practicing.

Stay updated to the blog as we will be the first to know when Watkins reports to camp.

Phillies Phorces, Unite!

With Roy Oswalt set to return sometime later this week, the Phillies are basically going to be 100% healthy for the first time in a while. With the movie Captain America still fresh in my mind, I decided to do a little Phillies super hero photo shop. Please pardon my graphic arts skills, or lack there of.

Mr. Fantastic=Roy Halladay Halladay is Mr. Fantastic for obvious reasons. He is the leader of this pitching staff and as good as Hamels and Lee are, Halladay is still the best. He also holds the group together when enemies are on the rise.

Invisible Woman=Cole Hamels I would like to start off Hamels' description by saying that having him be Invisible Woman was in no way intended to be an insult. Somebody had to be the woman, and who better than Cole with his high pitched whiney voice? Ok that was a bit of an insult, but getting to be the hero that is known for sheer stealth is a pretty good compliment.

The Thing=Roy Oswalt The Thing is big and orange and I'm going to assume that he has back problems similar to Roy.

Human Torch=Cliff Lee Lee is the human torch because of his firery fast ball. And also the Human Torch was the only character left, perfect match right?

Captain America=Hunter Pence Newly acquired Hunter Pence gets his own picture. I chose to make Hunter Captain America because he is big and strong like the famous Super Hero. Also in Captain America is a little goofy in the beginning of the movie, and Pence is extremely goofy with his awkward style of play.

Flash=Jimmy Rollins Tom Gordon use to be flash, but not anymore. Jimmy Rollins is now Flash primarily because of his speed. This was a tossup between Shaner and Jimmy but ultimately I decided on Rollins because I have bigger plans for the Flyin' Hawaiin.

Spiderman=Chase Utley Spider man is my favorite super hero so I decided to give my favorite player the honor of my favorite hero. Plus they are both pretty even tempered, but when it's game time they know how to get it done.

Superman=Ryan Howard Say what you want about Howard and his strike outs but at the end of the day, he gets it done. Just look at what he did on Saturday going 4-4 with 2 doubles, a HR and 3 RBI's. Howard is the Superman of this team and at times he has the ability to completely put this team on his back.

Batman=Shane Victorino I told you I had big plans for Shaner. I gave him the role of Batman primarily because he isn't as big a name as Howard or Utley but he still gets it done.

That's my take on the Super Phillies. I apologize once again for my lack of graphic arts skills but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.