Roster Breakdown: Tight Ends

The Philadelphia Eagles have found a tight end they love in Brent Celek.  Celek came onto the scene two years ago proving he was the pass catching tight end the Eagles have been looking for.  The Eagles last year went out and spent a mid round pick on a speedy tight end named Clay Harbor.  These two were the Eagles tight ends last year and they seem to like where they stand with them, plus they are young.

Even with those two guys they went out to search for more depth and veteran experiance.  The biggest thing they were looking for was a better blocking tight end.  The one problem with Celek and Harbor is that they aren't the best blockers in the world.  So the Eagles decided to find some who can block.

The Eagles have brought in a lot of tight ends that they liked in recent years, probably more then what their roster can hold and thats what they seem to have this year as well.  It will be interesting how many tight ends the Eagles will keep this year they have experimented with two and three tight ends last season, but who knows if they will be able to waste a roster spot for a third.

Brent Celek:  Celek like we said came onto the scene two years ago and proved he could be a star tight end.  He has the ability to be an elite pass catching tight end and proved that his first year as a starter.  His second year didn't go as well though.  Last year Celek was forced to block more due to a dismal offensive line and it hurt his numbers.  Michael Vick also doesn't like to throw to his tight ends as much so that hurt him as well.  Celek has proved he can be a star tight end though and Vick will have to use him more in the offense.  With Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin on the outside Celek has plenty of room in the middle to make plays and Vick will need to throw him the ball a bit more.  Celek also battled through some injuries as well during the season.  Bottom line though Vick will need to look for Celek more as hopefully the offensive line is good to go, but Celek will also need to work on his blocking as well.

Clay Harbor:  Harbor was a mid round draft pick last year and as the season went on he saw more playing time.  Harbor was a small school guy so it was a big jump from there to the NFL.  Everyone knew he had the skill to be a good pass catching tight end, what everyone worried about was his blocking.  He impressed everyone in camp with the way he could play a big role in the passing game, but when it came time for Harbor to block, everyone was worried.  Due to his lack of blocking Harbor was inactive for the first few games of the year while the Eagles continued to work on his blocking.  The good news was he was able to get better at it and had some very good blocks during key plays later in the year.  Harbor will be the Eagles second tight end this year and will also be lining up as a wide reviver sometimes as well.

Cornelius Ingram:  Ingram is a guy that i feel really badly for, he was an unbelievable receiving tight end, but knee injuries piled up and it has really hurt his game.  Ingram isn't expected to make the team and looks to be just another camp body.  It is unfortunate but thats what happen when you play this game injuries can really hurt your skills and thats what happened to Ingram.

Donald Lee:  Lee is coming into the Eagles after winning a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.  Lee is a veteran tight end that has been in the game for a long time and is a very reliable tight end as well.  The thing he does best is blocking something the Eagles top two starting tight ends aren't very good at, and thats what makes this signing interesting.  Maybe the Eagles are thinking about going with three tight ends so they can have a solid blocking tight end.  It is something that a tight end really needs to have and it would be nice to have one.  Lee is going to need to have a good preseason and show that he deserves to be on this team though.

The Eagles seem pretty set at tight end the only debate is how many they will keep.  They have to solid receiving tight ends, but what they lack is blocking.  The third possible tight end for the Eagles is a solid blocker and if they find that important then expect Lee to be on the team as well.

Phils Take Series From Giants

If this past sereis between the Giants and Phillies was a NLCS preview, then I can't wait for October. A benches clearing brawl, 2 complete games, and a whole bunch of offense all added up to a very entertaining Phillies 4 game sweep.

Thursday was the Cliff Lee show. Cliff was absolutely dominant, as he pitched his 5th complete game of the year as the Phillies went on to win by a final of 3-0. Hunter Pence and John Mayberry Jr. both homered in the 2nd, and Pence had another RBI in the 9th to score Victorino. After the game Lee said he was locating his pitches really well and it was his command that enabled him to completely dominate the Giants.

After Thursday night's victory things got pretty heated on Friday at AT&T Park. The Phillies had a decisive 8-2 lead in the 6th when Ramon Ramirez plunked Shane Victorino. Victorino tossed his bat in anger and started walking to the mound. Both benches cleared and chaos broke loose. No suspensions have yet to be announced but Victorino, Ramon Ramirz, and our favorite gray haired catcher Eli Whiteside will definitely receive some type of fine or suspension. Aside from the extra curricular activities, the Phillies won 9-2.

Yesterday the Phils got things started early. In the first, Hunter Pence hit an RBI single to score Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley scored on a past ball. With a 2 run lead, Cole Hamels provided yet another outstanding performance by a Phillies starter. Hamels was brilliant as he pitched his second complete game of the year. The lone run Hamels gave up came in the 9th thanks to a 2 out Pablo Sandoval homerun. Hamels said afterwards that he definitely wanted the shutout to keep up with Cliff Lee who pitched a complete game shutout on Thursday.

Oswalt made his return today and he looked great on the mound and at the plate. Oswalt scored a run in the third, and on the mound he gave up 3 earned runs in 6 innings of work. The Giants certainly didn't rough up Oswalt but in the end it would be enough to beat the Phillies 3-1. In just his first game back I definitely liked what I saw from Oswalt. He was locating his fastball as well as pitching his slider and breaking pitches for strikes.

Overall you have to love what the Phillies were able to do this weekend. They went into San Francisco and took care of business by taking 3 out of 4 games from the defending World Champs. Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Vance Worley, and Roy Oswalt all pitched great and the offense certainly did it's job as well. Now the Phillies are sitting pretty at 74-40 and have a 8.5 game lead over the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies will now travel to Los Angeles where they will take on the Dodgers in a 3 game series beginning tomorrow night.

Phillies Brawl Way To Victory

Before you read this article I think it would be best for you to first watch the video by clicking here, as words can only do so much to describe what went down last night in San Francisco.

The Phillies were leading 8-2 in the top of the 6th inning when Giants pitcher Ramon Ramirez plunked Shane Victorino in the backside. Vic tossed his bat in anger and started walking toward the mound. The home plate umpire got in front of Shaner while Giants catcher Eli Whiteside started hopping up and down like a little school girl ready to slap as both benches cleared.

Like I said Whiteside was hopping up and down and when he saw Placido Polanco approaching homeplate he attempted to tackle him and from there all hell broke loose. From what I saw on the replay there was definitely some shoving but it was hard to tell if any real punches were thrown. My favorite part of the whole brawl was when Phillies hitting coach Gregg Gross was holding Victorino back when Shaner stiff armed him and he managed to find his way back into the middle of the fight.

In all honesty, Shane was being held back by the home plate umpire right after he was plunked, and if it wasn't for Whiteside's tackle attempt against Placido Polanco/hopping up and down like an excited girl scout, I don't think any real fighting would have happened. The two teams would have just met in the middle of the field, exchanged some choice words and that would have been the end of it.

But I'm kind of happy that the fight went down. Not only does it motivate the Phillies who are already on a rampant 8 game winning streak, but it also brings them together and bonds them in a way that even winning games can't do. Think about what must have been going through Ryan Howard or Chase Utley's head when they see Shane Victorino, their teammate and in a sense brother, getting intentionally thrown at. A brawl like this was just what the Phillies needed as I expect them to now use this as extra motivation to four game sweep the lowly Giants.

As for my thoughts towards the Giants intentionally hitting Shaner all I can say is really? You're losing 8-2 to a world class team like the Phillies and you have the audacity to hit one of our guys. You may be the defending World Champs, but you have absolutely no right to think that you can hit someone on the Phillies and get away with it.

Aside from the brawling the Phils dominated the Giants once again, putting up a 4 spot in the 4th thanks to a Shaner solo blast, a Raul Ibanez ground out, and another John Mayberry homerun, this time a 2 run shot. After that the Phils continued to pour it on and the Vanimal did a solid job of keeping the game in front of him and keeping his pitch count down. The Phils eventually won by a final of 9-2.

Tomorrow will be Cole Hamels vs Matt Cain in a nationally televised game that will sure to be filled with a lot of tension. It will be yet another game with a playoff type atmosphere and very entertaining to say the least.

Cliff Lee Is A Big Game Pitcher

Last night Cliff Lee pitched a complete game shutout as the Phillies won a big series opener against the San Francisco Giants. As good as Madison Bumgarner was for the Giants, Cliff Lee was that much better for the Phillies as he cruised to his 11th victory of the year. The dominating performance last night is not the only big game Lee has come through in.

In the 2009 post season, Lee gave up just 2 earned runs in 3 starts between the NLDS and NLCS. In the World Series Lee was 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA and was the Phillies only answer against the Yankees. Last year Lee was again dominant for the Texas Rangers giving up just 2 earned runs in 3 starts between the ALDS and ALCS.

So far this year Lee has been a great starting pitcher for the Phillies. He made the All-Star team, he is 11-7 with a 2.96 ERA, and he put together an amazing June in which he went 5-0 and only surrendered 1 run in 42 innings of work. But I think the best is yet to come for Lee who in my mind thrives off the pressure filled post season games of October.

Last night was a game with a playoff type atmosphere and Lee got it done. He used the pressure of the game as fuel to perform at an extremely high level. Last night's victory is going to be the beginning of a long stretch of dominant outings. Lee is a second half pitchers who gets better as the year goes on.

It will be extremely fun to watch Lee in August and September and into the playoffs as Cliff Lee kicks it into another gear.

Broad Street Bullies Tribute

It's August and no matter how hard you look there is absolutely no news surrounding the Flyers. Free agency has passed, and the only thing to do now is to sit and wait for training camp and pre-season to begin. So with no real news coming out about the Flyers, I decided to do a tribute to the Broad Street Bullies, the Flyers team that won back to back Stanley Cups in the mid 70's.

The other day I watched the HBO documentary on the Broad Street Bullies and I was blown away. As a Flyers fan, I had obviously heard of the Bullies and guys like Bobby Clarke, Dave Schultz, and Bernie Parent, but I never fully understood the impact that they had on this city and the game of hockey overall.

They were a brutal, nasty bunch of guys that kicked and clawed their way to the top of the hockey world. What I loved most about the Bullies was the fact that they were such a close knit team. If you even looked at Bobby Clarke weird, you were sure to get a knock to the head compliments of Schultz. Their physical and fighting mentality invoked fear into all of their opponents and brought rule changes by the NHL later on.

The Bullies style of play did a great job of opening up their offensive attack as Clarke, Rick Macleish, Reggie Leash and Bill Barber led the way.

Bernie Parent was the Flyers last line of defense and will go down in Flyers history as one of the best goaltenders ever. If you scored a goal on Bernie in practice, he would be sure to fire the puck right back at you in anger and disgust.

The tradition of playing a Kate Smith recording of God Bless America began with the Bullies. The Flyers would play it before big games and boasted a remarkable record when the song was played.

Led by head coach Fred Shero, in 1973-74 the Flyers put together a 50-16-12 record enough to earn them tops in their division. In the playoffs the Flyers rolled over opponents and eventually beat the Boston Bruins in the final to give Philadelphia it's first Stanley Cup. The next season they went 51-18-11 and again made the Stanley Cup. They beat the Buffalo Sabres in 6 games and marched down Broad Street once again atop the hockey world.

As a team they were also a part of the memorable game against the Soviet Union's Central Red Army team. The team from the Soviet Union were touring the United States and until the matchup against the Flyers had been unbeaten. The physical play of the Bullies was too much for the Red Army to handle and mid way through the first period they actually left the ice but returned after Snider informed them they wouldn't get paid. The Flyers went on to win by a final of 4-1.

Overall the Bullies will be remembered as one of the best teams in both Flyers and Philadelphia sports history. They radically changed how the game of hockey was played and is the main reason why the Flyers are known for their hard hitting physical tradition of play.

It's kind of sad in a way that the Broad Street Bullies are still the only team to bring this storied franchise a Stanley Cup title. When you look back on some of the great teams of this franchise it really hurts to know that the Bullies are still the only team that has gotten it done. Looking ahead to this year, the Flyers usher in a new era of hockey behing newly acquired goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. Even if the Flyers are able to win this year, the memories of Flyers hockey in the 70's will never be forgotten, and the legacy of the Broad Street Bullies will live on forever.

Mentality Matters

What a difference a week makes. Just two series ago, the Phillies looked unable to hit as they dropped two of three at home to the San Francisco Giants, a fall that really motivated GM Ruben Amaro Jr. to go out and get new right fielder Hunter Pence from the Astros for prospects. After averaging just three runs per game in the series against the Giants (in two of them they only scored one run), the Phillies have averaged 6.67 runs per game over this latest six game winning streak. The question that needs to be asked though, is can they keep it up against the Giants?

While there are those that are convinced that the Giants are inside the Phillies heads, I see different reasons why they dropped that series, and also the potential to win this one or even sweep San Fran. Coming off of winning nine straight series, the team was getting far to comfortable sitting back and letting their pitching win games, providing just enough offense to take two of three games and move on to the next one. The Phillies were starting to believe their own hype, and when that happens, teams start to come up short and fall apart against truly strong competition like the Giants. They also did not know the true importance of their need for a power outfielder, and getting exposed so deeply really motivated them to offer both of their top prospects, Jared Cosart and Johnathan Singleton, for Hunter Pence.

And it was that move that has me convinced that things will be different this time around. The Giants have woken up a sleeping animal by putting the Phillies away in front of their home fans, and showing them that they do have to work to earn their reputation as best team behind their major-league best record. The team now sees that they have to adjust to beat the Giants, and the trade was just the first part of that adjustment. The fact that Pence has a hit in every game since he joined the team is not enough to suddenly swing a series, but the fact that the team around him is starting to swing better bats could be. The vision of a need to adapt cannot stop with the GM making a move, it also comes down to a manager, Charlie Manuel, looking into adjusting his rotation and lineup to create the bet pitching matchups and give his team their best opportunity to win, and a team being willing to study and prepare for a team that, frankly, embarrasses them at the plate. From what I am seeing, I think the Phillies have adopted this mentality, and are hungrier than they were just a week ago. They will be far more prepared and mentally aware this time around, and see that, aside from a win last night, the Giants seem to be reeling a bit, and that this is the perfect opportunity to keep them from getting back up. The Giants are now the team that is getting into a groove, that believes that they don't have to try against the Phillies; that they've already got it in the bag, and I think all this leads to victories in three out of four games at least for the Phightins.

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.