Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Chip Kelly hasn't released a depth chart; the one you can access on the Eagles' website is from the end of the 2012 season and features starters who are no longer on the team, such as defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins.
An inquisitive fan with a smartphone has added a little intrigue, though. "ADDiBona" -- Anthony DiBona, an Eagles fan from Brooklyn -- posted a lengthy recap on the Bleedinggreennation website of last weekend's Eagles Academy for Men. Buried in there, among his photos of the logo on the carpets and such, were photos of what were labeled unofficial depth charts, and they included current names.
An Eagles spokesman said Wednesday that the Eagles do not have a depth chart, that the photos are from something handed out at the weekend event, created by the marketing department, not the coaching staff. The purpose of the handout is unclear.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke with reporters Wednesday after participating in a panel discussion sponsored by the Rothman Institute at Lincoln Financial Field. Roseman said one of the toughest parts of the Eagles' coaching change is realizing players he acquired for Andy Reid sometimes don't fit what Chip Kelly wants to do.
"You think certain players are good fits, but until you see them in action, it's hard to exactly know," Roseman said. "One of the things that's hard for us, and you've seen it some in this offseason, is that we've had players that were good players in a different scheme, and that we've invested in, and it's not going to turn over.
"When you talk to people around the league, they'll tell you there are going to be good players who fall by the wayside. That's hard for the general manager, because you know it's a good player, and you know in a different scheme he's going to be a different player, but at the same time, it's not a good fit for you."
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Kenny Phillips and Connor Barwin were the Eagles' highest-profile free agent signings this offseason, but Barwin's resume doesn't match that of Phillips, a key player on the Giants' Super Bowl winning team two seasons ago.
A lot of fans would have been happy had the Eagles drafted Phillips in the first round in 2008, instead of trading down and letting the Giants grab the big, long-armed former Miami star 31st overall. But there wasn't a lot of rejoicing when the Birds finally did acquitre Phillips in March, signing him to a one-year free agent contract. The reason wasn't hard to understand: Phillips underwent microfracture surgery after a bad knee injury in 2009, then suffered MCL and PCL injuries that limited his play last season.
So far, the Eagles seem to be taking a cautious approach with Phillips in OTAs, though he said Tuesday that his knee feels fine.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
The Eagles opened OTAs to the media again Monday, providing us another blurry snapshot of the new landscape.
The previous Monday's peek was the first of the Chip Kelly era, so everything seemed exciting and new, from the blaring music to the relayed hand signals. Today's glimpse seemed more Monday hangoverish, starting with the fact that four players and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland found they couldn't get back to Philadelphia after going home to the deep South-Southwest for the weekend, because of the bad weather down that way.
The pace was just as brisk, but the offense, perhaps with more plays heaped on its plate, seemed less sharp, with some dropped passes and illegal movement problems. The music seemed to be cranked up even higher, perhaps to blow away the cobwebs. Last week, Kelly took issue with our impression that Michael Vick took slightly more quarterbacking reps with the first team than Nick Foles. Kelly didn't talk today, so we're free to say, without fear of contradiction, that today Foles seemed to have more work.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
At the conclusion of the Eagles' Academy for Men Sunday, at the indoor NovaCare field, participants' parting gifts included a posterized version of that amazing, reach-back onehanded catch Jason Avant made on the sideline Dec. 9 at Tampa Bay in the Birds' only post-September win.
Interesting choice, in that new coach Chip Kelly has had Avant practicing some in the defensive backfield, which could be a signal that the surehanded 30-year-old slot receiver's spot could be in jeopardy. We know that Avant has been a good solider for 7 years, tough, smart, dedicated; if everyone on last year's Eagles had approached his job with Jason Avant's selfless professionalism, Andy Reid probably would still be the coach.
But Andy Reid is not the coach, and we're still trying to figure out exactly what the new coach values, at wide receiver and elsewhere.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Felix Jones might not play a huge role for the Eagles this season, but his signing today to a one-year contract reflects how Chip Kelly's offensive focus is different from Andy Reid's.
As LeSean McCoy has noted a couple of times, the frenetic pace of Kelly's attack is going to be draining, especially for skill-position players. Plus, the read-option elements promise to make running much more prominent than it was under Reid. There will be more snaps, and more carries. Kelly has an ideal No. 1 in McCoy, and an intrguing young backup in Bryce Brown. There's also Chris Polk, a rookie who looked good in training camp last year but got no regular-seaason carries. That isn't enough, in this system.
Maybe if Brown sets the world on fire this summer and Polk continues to improve, or somebody like undrafted rookie Miguel Maysonet proves to be a diamond in the rough, Jones won't even make the team. But Kelly can't count on any of that.
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
Andy Reid will be returning to Philadelphia on September 19 when his Kansas City Chiefs face the Eagles in a nationally-televised Thursday night game.
Another prominent former member of the organization will be in the house that night as well.
Donovan McNabb.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
The Eagles definitely were working on a read-option for much of Monday's organized team activity, the first such session reporters have been allowed to watch during the Chip Kelly era. The pace was frenetic; seldom did 10 seconds pass between plays. An eclectic mix of music, much of it loosely fitting under the dance music umbrella, blasted from huge speakers, except during "teach" periods when the music was muted. (A disembodied, robotic voice announced each period over a loudspeaker. There were 20 of them, in an hour and 40 minutes.)
It was hard to know where to focus, with so much going on, so many of us focused on the simplest, most important component -- the five guys in red jerseys who got quarterbacking reps.
Dennis Dixon, formerly of Oregon, more recently of the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad, seemed very much at ease getting his charges lined up and interpreting the barrage of sign language from the sideline. That edge presumably will melt away over the next few months. There were so many plays run, every QB got reps; Nick Foles got almost as many as Michael Vick. Fourth-round rookie Matt Barkley, who declared last week that he was here to compete for a starting job, seemed to be picking it up pretty well, putting passes on receivers' hands. I couldn't really tell you much about ex-Tulsa QB G.J. Kinne, except that he was wearing Kevin Kolb's old No. 4.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Rookie quarterback Matt Barkley said he enjoyed his first day of rookie minicamp Friday, which provided Barkley an onfield introduction to new coach Chip Kelly's offense.
"I love it. It's a new challenge," said Barkley, the ex-USC QB the Eagles traded up to make the first player chosen in the fourth round. "It's a unique terminology; it's like learning a new language in a short time period."
Barkley, who arrived in Philadelphia Thursday, said he hasn't met Michael Vick. None of the vets were around Friday for rookie camp (except nonroster tryout guys), but Barkley said he knows Nick Foles from their Pac 12 college days.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Eagles starting left guard Evan Mathis confirmed to the Daily News Monday that he has undergone an ankle "cleanout," which Mathis said would sideline him through the remaining spring workouts. Mathis said he expects to be fine by training camp.
The procedure was first reported by CSNPhilly's Reuben Frank..
This would barely be worth noting, except when the Eagles drafted offensive tackle Lane Johnson fourth overall last month, the selection seemed likely to end Danny Watkins' chances of going to camp as a starter; the obvious move would be to start Johnson at right tackle and move Todd Herremans back to guard. Watkins, the 2011 first-round pick who was benched down the stretch last season, would seem unlikely to start ahead of Herremans. Or Johnson.
