Archive: March, 2009
Bob Brookover
A league source said today that Pitt running back LeSean McCoy will make a pre-draft visit with the Eagles.
McCoy, a star at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, ran for 2,816 yards and 35 touchdowns in just two seasons with the Panthers. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back also proved to be a strong receiver coming out of the backfield with 65 career receptions for 549 yards.
Another league source said Chris "Beanie" Wells, the star running back from Ohio State, does not have a pre-draft visit scheduled in Philadelphia. The source said the Eagles did interview Wells at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. Wells finished his three-year career at Ohio State with 585 carries for 3,382 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Bob Brookover
The Eagles released their preseason schedule this afternoon and it includes a Thursday Aug. 20 nationally televised game on FOX against the Colts in Indianapolis. The preseason will begin the week before -- either Aug. 13 or 14 -- with a game against the New England Patriots at Lincoln Financial Field.
The entire four-game schedule:
Aug. 13 or 14, vs. New England Patriots at Lincoln Financial Field
Bob Brookover
We here -- actually, it's just me here -- at Birds Eye View often ridicule the hated competition over at Eagleterian, but today we have a collaborative effort in the interest of getting our beloved readers at philly.com as much information as fast as possible. Paul Domowitch, the esteemed veteran national writer from the Daily News, posted Part One of this morning's Breakfast with Andy interview at the swanky St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and this is Part Two of that dialogue with the Eagles' head coach. As Italian-American mothers like to say while serving enormous portions of pasta: Enjoy.
On safety Sean Jones' one-year contract: "If it works out and he plays well, it's a win-win for him. He either ends up coming back with us or he's able to get a nice contract somewhere else."
On Quintin Demps getting the first crack at being the starting free safety: "Yeah, but there will be competition. Both Quintins will have a shot. Quintin Mikell is established.
Bob Brookover
Break scrambled eggs with Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh early in the morning and you come to this realization: It would be wonderful if he was providing the coaching quotes at the NovaCare Complex.
That's not to say that Harbaugh is a better head coach than Andy Reid. He'd have to lose four more AFC championship games and a Super Bowl to reach Reid's status, and that is meant as a compliment to the Eagles' coach.
Harbaugh just gets the media part of his business a lot better than Reid, and he's comfortable enough to have an open discussion about all sorts of different things.
Bob Brookover
Our sister blog here at philly.com -- Eaglesomethingorotherian -- guaranteed yesterday that the Eagles will take a running back in the first round of the NFL draft and continued to trumpet the idea with support from ESPN analyst and former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski today.
Since blogs get buried under new blogs faster than newspapers get placed in the bird cage, there's really little risk in making a guarantee. Who'll remember what was written in Eaglesomethingorotherian a month from now?
To be clear, there's nothing guaranteed when it comes to the Eagles and draft days. Show me somebody who raised their hand when asked if they saw the Eagles trading out of the first round the last two years and I'll show you a liar.
Bob Brookover
During an interview on the Eagles' web site last week, coach Andy Reid said he liked his wide receivers, which no doubt drew a collective groan from a lot of fans.
Here's the thing to always remember about Reid: It's always about what he does and never about what he says.
This isn't the first time Reid has said he is happy with his receivers and it won't be the last. That doesn't mean the Eagles aren't going to make a play for another receiver this offseason and Reid has a point. The combination of DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Hank Baskett and Jason Avant isn't bad at all.
Bob Brookover
There was a Condoleezza Rice sighting in the lobby of the posh St. Regis Hotel this afternoon, but Andy Reid and the other Eagles decision makers managed to make themselves invisible.
Rice, the country's former Secretary of State, arrived at the NFL owners meetings as a guest dinner speaker.
Former Eagles assistant John Harbaugh, now the Baltimore Ravens' coach, did stop to chat to reporters. Harbaugh said his former team is in good draft position with 12 picks and added that they can probably move into the top 10 if they choose to part with their two first-round selections, the 21st and 28th picks overall.
Bob Brookover
Weaver, who had spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks, received a one-year deal. Lewis said the deal could be worth as much as $2.5 million.
"I looked at Philly as a great opportunity to play for a team that really needed somebody at my position," Weaver said during a conference call today.
Bob Brookover
The transcript of Eagles web site director Dave Spadaro's interview with head coach Andy Reid has been up all morning on philadelphiaeagles.com. Now, the video from that interview has also been posted.
If you don't have time to watch it, here's the best part: Spadaro previews his interview by saying the first line of questioning focuses on the safety position in general and Brian Dawkins' departure in particular.
With the anticipation of seeing Reid building, we first get a promotional advertisement with video of the cheerleader tryouts. Apparently there aren't many seats left for the final round of cheerleader tryouts at the Prince Theater, but you can get some without buying a personal seat license. The cheerleaders appeared to be in midseason form even though it's only March and the final draft hasn't taken place.
Bob Brookover
Apparently former Eagles special teams coordinator John Harbaugh might be interested in giving free agent tight end L.J. Smith a new lease on life in Baltimore.
Harbaugh, who took the Ravens to the AFC championship game in his first season as the team's head coach, has invited Smith for a visit and the tight end happily accepted, according to a report by Jaminson Hensley of the Baltimore Sun.
The Ravens' invitation comes one day after the Atlanta Falcons broke off negotiations with Smith, who had spent his first six NFL seasons with the Eagles. Smith has also visited with Detroit, but you have to believe he'd much rather play for Harbaugh and the Ravens than a team that went 0-16 last season.
