Kearse 'a joke in Philadelphia'
Former Eagle Jevon Keare is back with the Titans and seemed to play the scheme the Birds played for his lack of production.
Kearse 'a joke in Philadelphia'
Josh Barnett
Jevon Kearse is back on the field with the team that originally drafted him, the Tennessee Titans, after what could be classified as one good season in the four he spent with the Eagles.
On the day Kearse signed in 2004, owner Jeffrey Lurie called Kearse "truly one of the best players in the National Football League," and head coach Andy Reid called signing Kearse "a slam dunk for our side." It's probably safe to say they envisioned more than the 22 sacks Kearse recorded with the team. They certainly didn't foresee a day when Kearse would be healthy but just not a part of the game plan for three games down the stretch, after losing his starting job at midseason last year.
At Titans camp this weekend, Kearse seemed to put the blame for his failings on the Eagles' defensive scheme, rather than a decline in his ability brought on by age or injury, according to an interview with the Tennessean's Paul Kuharsky.
"I'm still the same player, but that scheme up in Philly was different," he said. "All I've got to say is proof is in the pudding, so I can't even talk about it. Just watch and see."
Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn pushed it even further.
"He's a punch line of some jokes. In Philadelphia, he's a joke," Washburn said. "I still think he has some ability if he can stay healthy."
You wonder if this is some sort of response to what Jim Johnson said during Eagles minicamp last weekend or a way for Kearse to motivate himself. Our guess is the latter.
“Yeah, I think it’s been a good offseason. If you get Asante and Chris Clemons, those are two playmakers," Johnson said. "I told our defense that we are on a three-game winning streak. We beat Dallas and New Orleans on the road and Buffalo here, and we didn’t really lose any players. We picked up some more players and had a good draft with what we wanted draft-wise, so you feel good and you feel positive.” (Emphasis added ours.)
Kearse was pretty good in 2004. He notched only 7 1/2 sacks, fewer than expected, and he didn't make the Pro Bowl, but he got pressure, teams gameplanned around him, and the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl. The next year, the same 7 1/2 sacks didn't look nearly so good on a 6-10 team. In 2006, Kearse seemed energized, and he had 3 1/2 sacks before tearing up his knee in the second game of the season. Last year, he played in 14 games, managed just 3 1/2 sacks, and had a penchant for being on the field when bad things happened.
He made it only halfway through an 8-year contract that would have paid him a total of $60 million before his release on the eve of free agency. He signed as a free agent with the Titans in March and spent the offseason working at the team's facility.
"Back in '99 I had a chip on my shoulder," Kearse said. "Ten years later, that chip's turned into a boulder. So now I've got a boulder on my shoulder."
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Surprisingly with that boulder he weighed in at a rough and tough 240 lbs.— coatesvillain- Wow! You lose ability and blame the scheme. Nice cop out man. Thanks for taking the $$$$ and running.— Bubba
- It was easy to cut him , but the second yr. after an injury is supposed to be when a player returns to full strength. It would be tough watching him have a great yr. for another team— Talon
- Kearse got rich here. All he should say is thanks.— Drew777
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- they should cut LJ Smith next. He looks like he's had boulders on his shoulders for years and it's affecting his ability to catch the ball.— danjensen
- Hmmm, Trent Cole replaces Kearse using the same scheme - 12 1/2 sacks and a Pro Bowl later... the proof IS in the pudding.— northeagle
- So essentially Jevon is saying he isn't that good of a player if he can only play in one scheme...."I can only play in something easy. Jim Johnson's D is too sophisticated for me, I need to go back to the basics to make me look good again"— bkay8686
During most of his time here he never had dominant defensive tackles (e.g., Hollis Thomas) to take the double teams off of him. So while it may not have been the scheme, it may have been the personnel- With a boulder on his shoulder, feelin' kinda older, He tripped the merry-go-round With his very unpleasin', sneezin' and wheezin, the quarterback never crashed to the ground— lawguy
- Kearse is/was/always will be going forward a stiff rock. He perfected the "Mamula"— montymiller
- Humm.... Back in '99 he had a chip on his shoulder (rookie) gets a HUGE payday in 2004 - chip GONE basically robs Jeff Lurie for 3 years now, chip returns as a boulder so, in other words, once he got the big contract he felt like he had nothing to prove (i.e. play for); so he played without any passion I'll never complain about the Eagles trying to under pay players again— senseirandy
- Yeah, maybe we did put him in some wierd assignments like standing up and defending TEs, but it wasn't like he produced when he was in a conventional role, too. Also proved himself to be quite the ghost when the pressure is on. He will get booed whenever he comes back...if he's on the field.— chriszak
- 7-9, maybe 8-8 again this year. Any team that would franchise a L.J. Smith is closer to Oakland then the Giants.— jimmymack
- Kearse needs to ackrite.— Reggie Noble
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I love these guys who sign a gigantic contract then never live up to their billing or come close to justifying the money. Then they leave and bad mouth the place as if they were under duress. Give me a break, man. Jevon, just go do your job at Tennessee, and keep your mouth shut. You're lucky to be employed still.— John621- I still think he is good. Whenever our teams let someone loose. They do much better on the other teams. This may come back to bite us!— mick
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Kearse is done. Stick a fork in him. Tennessee will see that very quickly and then they can deal with him. What a putz.- Comment removed.
- WAH WAH WAH WAH that's the only thing eagle fans can do. T.O. ruined the team WAH!, McNabb was to tired to finish the superbowl WAH! Ricky Waters said for who for what WAH! Jaworski Lost the superbowl for us WAH! Maybe you need to wake up and realize your team always has and always will suck!!!!— cusoraider
- I never would of thought he would stoop that low. Every play looked like it hurt him..We'll see how his diminishing skills work now..My eyes will be on that loser..— darakx
- "Jevon; Go get the quarterback" Which part of that scheme did he not get ?— bleedgreen
- Just shows you he has no class!! You washed up **ssy If he had class or thought he could still play he would have shown it on the field not running his mouth!!!— Dan
- For the most part, the Birds under Reid have done a very good job of signing players, not names or reputations. But Kearse had been on the decline ever since the conclusion of his rookie season. The Titans were shrewd not to have franchised him, and we took the bate. Well, no front office is perfect.— Stephen_Niksa
- Kearse is right. I'm a disgruntled Eagles fan and this team just sickens me. They had the chance to win the Super Bowl. Now they have no clue. Their defense is going to be the worst in the league this year. Asante Samuel is overpaid. Jim Johnson is old and his schemes no longer work. It's ok Eagles fans. Once the Donovan/Reid era are gone, and once we get a new owner, there will be hope!— morvak
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- Jevon was a three way player. Disappointing when he played, disappointing when he sat and now disappointing when he leaves. Thanks for the sour grapes Jevon and good luck in TN.— Iggleman
- please...he'll just get hurt this year for them too, maybe if he would stop drinking and driving he would have had a clear mind to study the super duper hard scheme. Imagin if these guys actually had to study in School instead of just be big strong and fast.— Shawn384
