Watkins out; DeVan in
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Watkins out; DeVan in
Jeff McLane and Jonathan Tamari
It didn't take long.
Eagles top draft pick Danny Watkins is out as the starting right guard and the recently-acquired Kyle DeVan is in. DeVan, picked up off waivers on Sunday, took all the first team snaps during this morning's walkthrough, a team source said.
With just four days until the Eagles open the regular season at St. Louis, Andy Reid shook up his offensive line once again. This one wasn't as earth-rattling as moving Todd Herremans from left guard to right tackle, because Watkins has been struggling mightily, but it was just one more example that the line is a major concern heading into the season.
Asked if Watkins was his starter, Reid would not confirm, even though he had said following Thursday's preseason game against the New York Jets that the rookie was still at right guard.
"I'm not going to get into all the personnel things here," Reid said during his Wednesday press conference. "We'll see."
Watkins declined to confirm any changes.
"Nothing's changed for me," Watkins said. "We're approaching it like any other week, just getting familiar with the Rams' blitz and defense and fronts."
Since he was drafted in the first round of April's draft, Watkins has been penciled in as the starting right guard. He showed up late for training camp after negotiations for his contract lingered. He started once he arrived, but looked lost at various points in the first three preseason games.
He was also the only starter to play in the preseason finale against the Jets. Obviously, he didn't play well enough to hold onto his job.
"Sometimes it's good to take one small step back to take a big step forward," Reid said. Watkins "will be out there practicing. We got Kyle, who also can play, in that spot. We're comfortable with either direction that we go."
DeVan was released by the Colts on Saturday. He started nine games including all the playoffs for Indianapolis in 2009, and 12 games in 2010. Howard Mudd, the Eagles' current offensive line coach, was his coach in 2009.
"I’m not focused on getting the starting role – I’m focused on contributing and making this team the best it can be," said DeVan, who arrived and got his Eagles playbook just two days ago.
Since the first preseason game, the Eagles offensive line has had three starting right tackles (Ryan Harris, King Dunlap and Herremans), two right guards (Watkins and DeVan), two centers (Jamaal Jackson and Jason Kelce), two left guards (Herremans and Evan Mathis) and Jason Peters at left tackle.
"Coach Reid always does everything with the best interests of the team and the guys," Herremans said. "so this is the right move for right now."
OTHER NEWS AND NOTES:
-- With Joselio Hanson back in the fold, running back Ronnie Brown went back to having Brian Westbrook's old jersey number of 36. Hanson had his regular No. 21 on at practice today.
-- Reid said that quarterback Vince Young would be the only player not to practice today. Young has a hamstring strain and is still "day-to-day," Reid said. Reid also said that if Young wasn't available to play Sunday that he would be comfortable with dressing just Michael Vick and Mike Kafka at quarterback.
-- Reid said that Jeremy Maclin has taken all the first team repetitions at wide receiver during the last few days of practice. Maclin said he will start Sunday. He also said that he could be returning punts alongside DeSean Jackson. Asked if he's handled any punts yet in practice Maclin said, "No."
-- Speaking of Jackson, he still doesn't have a contract extension. Said Reid: "He's taken care of the business side, both he and Drew, and so now he's free to play football and not worry about that and that's what he's done. He said he would do it and that's how he's handled himself. He's been very focused."
Jackson, of course, sat out the first 11 days of camp, but has practiced every day since returning on Aug. 8. "I think DeSean has done great," Vick said. "I think his attitude exemplifies that. He wants to be the consummate teammate, he wants to earn everything that’s going to come his way, and if you see him out on the practice field or you see him in the locker room he’s a happy individual. And you can only control what you can control and things will happen when it’s time and I think he understands that.”
-- Reid said that tackle Winston Justice was shooting to play Sunday. Justice missed all of training camp and the preseason as he recovered from off-season knee surgery. Justice is now the backup right tackle to Herremans.
-- While Steve Smith has been saying that he wants to play Sunday, Reid sounded less optimistic about the chances the receiver will play.
You know what's bad? First not having anyone who can play that position and then drafting a rookie who was going to be the answer, and now isnt.— tr88- offensive line a mess? check.
linebackers a mess? check.
groundhog day.— chadp1234 - punt and kick-off return a mess - check — socalken
- Yo Ken. You squeal and whine like a sow. You lack the ability to add anything new stupid or intelligent. You're cluttering this blob with the same sh*t over and over. Catch a breath girl and wait to see what happens. — Dr Bri
- YES!!!! THANK YOU!!!! Watkins, right now, is HORRIBLE!!!— psualum
- Every team in the division has been making big o-line changes. Cowboys cut their center and rookie right tackle, Giants have many new starters, Redskins rebuilding. I bet Shawn Andrews shows up someplace before the year is over. Get that Michael Phelps on!— barneygoogle
- A porous O-line lets Vick create with his feet, which is exciting and often unstoppable.— Leegles
- he should have never been picked. Not in the first round anyway. Not a good move on Reid's part.— phillyboy11
- not a surprise....Watkins was a reach at best.....and the week before Andy realized it.....what does that say about any of his draft picks or coaching selections.....Yes, I know he knows more football than any man on the planet and is the "only" man who can coach the Eagles and if we canned him...we would be set adrift in the world of Rich Kotites.....(you koolade fools) this is an incredible example of a man who has failed 12 years and is grasping at straws......Maybe Joe is the best talent selector....(he did sign the two super CBs) and Andy is jsut an avearage coach who knows how to kiss up to management......NO RT, now NO RG, NO MLB and a mediorce record agianst teams with winning records, and a failure in winning the only thing that counts......Danny got jobbed by a stubborn man, Castile is the next one to get snowed under by a job that cannot be done properly due to poor talent......— nuggett
- Dream Team. Another round of Kool-Aid for the faithful please.— Scope33
- Funny. I thought his advanced age was not an issue because he would be an immediate impact starter.— kimbo39
- I guess "hairy nuggetts" isn't a fan of ours. If any of you people on here think that yall can do a better job than Reid, why don't I see any of yall idiots walking on the sidelines with a clipboard? As much as we football fans know about the game, we really have no insight into HOW it's produced, nor the level of preparation that really goes into it. And please, don't any of yall idiots start yapping about how many years you've spent watching training camp practices and the like. I've been to Lehigh plenty of times. Does it make me an expert or anything? Hell naw...We can talk about AR's track record for finding the right type of guys to make these yearly campaigns work, and the fallout years later, but how do you diss Watkins, a player who's come to play this brutal @$$ sport with no "REAL" preparation for what he's going to see and have to deal with this year? That's nuts. And yall cats on here dissing Watkins are a bunch of hairy ones. I agree with the move to a veteran of Mudd's system. I wish Kelce could get some more girth on his foundation, but from what I've seen, Kelce ain't as big an issue as Watkins did. Watkins hasn't got that head-on-a-swivle thing yet, but he's got nothing but time. One thing you can't take away from him: Being a firefighter, you gotta have some balls to do that, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. But good move, Red.— DAME
- Awwwwwwwww! The fireman has to sit! A first round pick and all he does it sit. Goes to show you how dumb Philly is in Drafting players!— MRD
- Learn to read and interpret. He is not STARTING. He will PLAY. It looks like he is being eased in. There were times where he was impressive in the preseason but the consistency was lacking. That will come with time.— shadow22
- It takes the pressure off Watkins and now he can learn the system without getting his QB killed. He obviously had zero clue about OL calls at the line of scrimmage and if he doesn't know them, it's hard to get on the field.— dlivesay
