Danny Watkins may have lost job
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Danny Watkins may have lost job
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
Andy Reid said that guard Danny Watkins, who has a chronic ankle injury, would struggle to play Monday against the Saints.
With Watkins questionable, Dennis Kelly could get his second straight start at right guard. Reid said the rookie did a "respectable job" on Sunday against the Falcons. With Watkins' inconsistencies this season, it's fair to question whether he'll retain his starting job even when he returns.
“Yeah, we’ll see," Reid said. "I want to see how he feels once he gets in there [and] we’ll take it from there.”
Kelly said he's up for the challenge.
“Hopefully, if I keep playing at a high level, if they give me the spot, hopefully, I can run with it,” he said.
Kelly, a fifth-round draft pick, was asked if he had been given any indication from coaches that the job was there for the taking.
“Some players have talked about it, just saying, ‘If you’re in there, you’re in there for a reason,’” Kelly said. “Obviously, Danny’s hurt, but there were other options they could have put in. They are telling me to approach it like you can take it, so that’s what I’m doing."
Watkins' chronic ankle came out of the nowhere. Reid said last week that he knew about it as far back as the draft. He said the 2011 first round draft pick re-injured it two weeks ago against the Lions and then again in practice last week.
“He’s got a bit of a component of a high ankle [sprain] and it’s got a bit of a component of a low ankle," Reid said. "Anything that he does lateral hurts him.”
Reid, who was asked if Watkins could be sidelined long-term, said that would assess his progress daily.
"This will pass here," Reid said. "It’s not where it’s going to be career-ending or anything.”
The Watkins' draft pick remains a questionable one. When the Eagles selected him 26th overall, he had only played four years of football after picking it up at the age of 22. He didn't start as a rookie until the fifth game, but seemed to take steps forward by the end of last season.
He's had some low moments this season, especially in pass protection. Watkins hasn't been the only linemen to struggle. The whole unit has been a liability with the injuries to left tackle Jason Peters and center Jason Kelce.
OTHER INJURIES
-- Cullen Jenkins has a hyperextended knee and won't practice on Thursday. The defensive tackle said that he expected to play Monday.
-- Reid said that defensive tackle Mike Patterson would practice with the first team and that there was a chance he could play against the Saints. The Eagles have until Nov. 13 to decided whether to activate Patterson or place him on season-ending Injured Reserve.
-- Wide receiver Mardy Gilyard (hamstring) won't practice either. Reid said that Damaris Johnson, who hasn't dressed the last two weeks, will be active Monday and return punts with Gilyard injured.
So with the 26th pick of the draft, Andy the genius took an unheard of, old OL WITH a chronic ankle injury and he had only been playing the position for four years. Any other evidence needed as to why this ship is sinking?!— Luriesucks- I'm not so sure that Watkins was a Reid pick? This team went through a massive power struggle in the Front Office last year and Reid won that battle. The 2011 draft is gotta be one the worst of all time. Set this team back 2 years with that awful draft.
- Luriesucks makes agreat point— runger00
- If the injury is made up, then yes he is a bust— phillyceltic
- Vick is the $100 million bust....Vick is near the BOTTOM OF ALL NFL qb ratings...Dumb Lurie got robbed of $100 million by Vick....LOL— Bob112
- Well if they cut him after this year, he's only a $40 million mistake. — Cappy12619
- Only in the NFL can you say "only a $40 MM mistake"...LOL — erbower
- Agreed - if he knew about it at the draft, why did he take him? This whole situation gets worse and worse with each passing day.— uncle meat
- brandon graham,danny watkins,the safety from temple whose name i can't spell or remember....all BUSTS!!!!!!these 1st and one 2nd round picks are proof positive that the eagles front office doesn't know diddly about how the draft works...their picks in the first round have to be as solid as possible,not reaching for 28 year old players with limited experience,hybrid d.ends's who can't rush the passer or local kids who can't play a lick..when the heck are these guys ever going to learn???— jabac
- A left tackle in college, and gets moved to RG. Add to that Howard Mudd's system, which is different from every other line coach in the world. The kid has hardly been dealt a fair shake to this point. I'd like to see him in a more run driven system, or at least give him another year to see how he progresses.— cdedrick05
- This is one of the things that's at the top of my list of pet peeves that really, really, really, really pi$$e$ me off about Reid. They draft a player who's played just ONE main position his whole collegiate life and suddenly thrust him into another position that he's totally unprepared to play. A position that calls for different muscle memory, different footwork, different gap responsibilities, you name it. And then when that player fails to master it, he's declared a failure and turns into a wasted draft pick when they could have drafted a player to fill that position from the "git go".
And if that's not enough, Reid continues to draft, or sign free agents, who've suffered previous injuries that they have not fully recovered from all in the interest of getting a player at a cut-rate price. Unbelievable.— essell - Watkins's failure is a case in point for the constantly dashed hopes of Birds fans. Every year--every draft, every preseason--the fan base is assured the team has an abundance of talent and is bound for the playoffs. National prognosticators reenforce this belief even after thebteam begins losing. Even the most levelheaded fan, consciously or unconsciously, eventually buys into the hype, simply because it is inescapable. No wonder we end up feeling used and abused. Betrayal and deception breed cynicism. So Philly fans are criticized for their negative mindset. Wonder why?— birdsfansince56
- it seems like everything needed to have reid lose his job is coming together quite nicely.— djack10
- it seems like everything needed to have reid lose his job is coming together quite nicely.— djack10
