Castillo: Allen will be a Pro Bowler
The Eagles' defensive coordinator is very high on his second-year safety.
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.