Castillo: Allen will be a Pro Bowler
The Eagles' defensive coordinator is very high on his second-year safety.
Castillo: Allen will be a Pro Bowler
Les Bowen
For fans and reporters, one of the hardest Eagles to get a read on this season has been second-year free safety Nate Allen. Allen has been tremendous at times and utterly lost at other times. It took him at least half the season to get fully confident in the knee he had patellar tendon surgery on last offseason.
Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo is a huge fan of the Birds' 2010 second-round pick though. Castillo predicted today that Allen will one day make the Pro Bowl. He also proclaimed him the type of young man you'd want your daughter to marry. (Heads up, Nate, on any invitations to dine at the Castillo residence. Hidden agenda!)
Allen took the Pro Bowl part in stride when a reporter relayed it to him.
"That's a good thing, that he's got confidence in me like that," Allen said. "That's a goal to be working towards."
Allen was asked about the perception that he has been wildly inconsistent, tackling and in coverage.
"Some things just happen, some games," he said. "Sometimes things aren't going well, and you just get beat on some things. That's just how this league works ... you try to eliminate as many of those games, as many errors as you can, but sometimes that happens."
Allen said his knee "came along, and it feels good (now). It's just something I had to work on and am still working on. As you go along through the season, you gain that confidence and you realize everything's going to be all right. You stop worrying about it and just play. You really have no control over what happens."
Other highlights from this morning's session, which included all three coordinators speaking:
*Bobby April will have Chad Hall returning kicks and a combo of Hall and DeSean Jackson on punts in this weekend's season finale against the Redskins.
*Marty Mornhinweg said Michael Vick has to take charge of his injury situation, do a more consistent job of minimizing his exposure. Mornhinweg said he thinks Vick understands that turnovers (the Eagles lead the league with 36) are a huge factor in winning and losing.
*Asked about the playoffs, Mornhinweg said: "You get what you earn in this league, and we didn't earn it."
*Mornhinweg said LeSean McCoy (ankle) participated in the morning walkthrough. Wasn't sure about the afternoon practice. UPDATE: McCoy is practicing.
*Castillo said he was worried about the afternoon practice and getting ready for the Redskins, not about his job.
Nate Allen can play. Nnamdi and DRC can play. Coleman can't. Jarrett, remains to be seen. Coleman is the weakest link. If you're an All-American safety at OSU and you're being taken at the very back end of the draft, that's not saying alot about his physical skills. He's too slow and the weakest link in the middle of the field. Would like to see a veteran SS signed who can step right in, wait and see on Jarrett. Oh, forgot, we had that in Mikell. Doh.— beegal99- I know everyone likes to beat up Coleman, but I'll be the lone voice to give the guy some credit. The fact is he shouldn't be a starting safety in the NFL (that's why he was a 6th or 7th rd. pick), given his lack of size and speed, but that's on the team, not him. I think he plays with a great deal of passion and carries himself as a solid pro, so he deserves respect. I will say though...flapping the wings like Dawk used to do after every tackle gets a little annoying.— bpgavin1
- Oh, the offensive line coach thinks Allen will be an all-pro. That's comforting.— Hemingway
- "Castillo: Allen will be a Pro Bowler" LOL, that's a good one.— birds748
Comment removed.- I agree. Since watching him struggle on the field, I have always though Nate Allen probably had a career in professional bowling.— jamesiri
- HAHAHAHA! As if Castillo has the slightest clue about anything connected to his job.— jman
- I don't understand why people hate on Coleman so much. Just because he was picked late in the draft that doesn't make him a bad player - everyone knows that some top notch players have come out of the later rounds so why is that even a valid comment?. Is it his fault that the safeties the Eagles picked in the 2nd round are inconsistent. The guy comes in and plays physical football. He's not as good as Earl Thomas, who the Eagles passed up for Graham, and he's not B. Dawk (Hall of Fame level player) but that's the fault of the Eagles front office not Kurt Coleman. The guy plays his @$$ off, brings a physical presence, works hard to improve his play from the beginning of the season and people feel like he's the guy they should hate on . . .— mx55
- This is a pass thru comment from Banner to try and get people to forget how he tried to bluff Dawk into another contract where he would have continued been under payed. Like the Birds would have benefited from dawk's disciplined leadership on and off the field the last three years.— Earl J
- i would totally agree with him if the young man learns to tackle..he has good ball skills but he gets ran over way too much. he seems to get run over less so maybe he is improving..time will tell if hes right? coleman isnt a bad safety but hes not a great one either. he plays like a young player. times he looks good others he looks bad. usually young players are inconsistent. give him time. im high on jarret but he has to learn the defense which i think is why hes not getting more snaps or starting. when he catches on watch out! this kid could be a great one..again time will tell— bigjay215
- Overall, the Eagles have done well in FAs to keep or let go. But I imagine if you asked Andy (off the record), Dawk is the one guy he wishes had not been let go.— mrdip
- Coupla things here: 1)B.Dawk left to take a LARGE sack of $$ from Denver....possibly the ONLY team in the League that would offer a slowed down MANY year veteran Safety. I DO NOT BLAME HIM A BIT!! But boys and girls PLEEEZE stop blaming Banner, or Andy, or Lurie for this. Instead, than your lucky stars that you aren't the team on the hook for his salary! As much as I LOVE what the guy did for us, and appreciate the backbone he put into the Denver "D", aint no way in the WORLD he was worth that kind of money. (See: "Werth, J.--Washington Nationals.") 2)Also, as much as EVERYBODY wants to fire Castillo in the off-season, IT'S A BAD IDEA! Even if there is a name brand DC available, (Jeff Fisher, John Spagnuolo, etc.) I DO NOT want to see these guys playing under a new system for the FOURTH time in FIVE YEARS. I'm willing to go "All In" with Andy and the present C's for 2012. If they don't get to the Conference Championship game, FIRE EVERYBODY, blow this team up, and start from scratch again....enough will be ENOUGH!!— TBear
- Heard a snippet from JC this afternoon on WIP. I must say that the "Work hard" mantra coming from him is beyond old. Reminds me of Paul Newman in Slap Shot, where he was so bruised and battered by the new-look Syracuse team, all he could utter in his delusioned state was "Old Time Hockey...Toe Blake.... Someone there really needs to tell Juan to cool it a little, it sounds ridiculous and shallow at these point of the game....
Wes Hopkins had serious knee issues too, but prior to , we all knew the man was a football player and could play right out the chute. Can we really honestly say the same about Nate? Dawkins and Hopkins are standards all modern day Eagle safeties should be measured by.....— DelawareRiverRat - Oh c'mon, you can't measure these new guys by B-Dawk. B-Dawk was a once-in-a-generation talent and a probable Hall of Famer. Safties like him don't grow on trees. — mikemimbs
- Castillo also went on to say: Jaiquawn Jarrett will be a Pro Gardner,
Curtis Marsh will be a Pro Golfer, Casey Matthews will be a Pro Hair Stylist, Brian Rolle will be a Pro Roller Skater and Greg Lloyd will be a Pro Wrestler.
— younged
