Landri starting; more practice notes
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- To think, Derek Landri didn't sign a contract until April. Now he’s the Eagles starting right defensive tackle.
Landri starting; more practice notes
Jeff McLane
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- To think, Derek Landri didn't sign a contract until April. Now he’s the Eagles starting right defensive tackle.
Despite a strong 2011 season in which he led the Eagles with eight tackles for loss despite playing in only 12 games, Landri did not get any multi-year offers as a free agent tihs offseason. He kept holding out for one, but as time progressed he realized teams would be only willing to tender one year.
“I was mad as hell,” Landri, 28, said Saturday at training camp. “It was frustrating. It’s like one of those things, you can’t sit there and try to comprehend it. I got a chip on my shoulder for 31 other teams.”
The same thing essentially happened last year after the lockout. Landri had a strong 2010 for the Panthers. He started in all 16 games and recorded career-highs in tackles and sacks, but he had to wait a week before signing with the Eagles, who brought him in only after Mike Patterson suffered a seizure.
This year he arrived at camp on much better ground.
“Well, it’s always comfortable knowing the coaches know your name,” Landri said. “But at the same time the comfort stops there because you got to come out and produce.”
Landri started alongside Cullen Jenkins through most of the spring, but when the Eagles announced that Patterson would miss training camp and Andy Reid was asked who would replace him, the coach initially only mentioned Antonio Dixon.
But when the first team defense lined up for its first practice it was Landri that was in the middle. Defensive line coach Jim Washburn rotates his front four almost evenly so who starts isn’t necessarily a big thing. But Landri’s run-stopping skills may have him on the field in the Eagles’ base defense more than even Dixon, whose forte is also in stopping the run.
“When you’re an undersized guy nobody gives you credit for playing the run,” said the 6-foot-2, 290-pound Landri. “I think I’ve proved to everybody that I can play and now it’s time for me to rush the passer.”
-- Mat McBriar can’t practice with the Eagles until Wednesday, but he punted on his own today after the morning walkthrough at Lehigh. The Eagles signed McBriar on Wednesday, but he can’t practice with the team immediately because in the new collective bargaining agreement free agents signed off the street can’t practice for three days. McBriar had offseason surgery to remove a cyst from his right foot. He wore a brace around his left calf with a small tube that runs down into his shoe. He boomed most of his practice kicks and could give incumbent punter Chas Henry a run for a roster spot.
-- The Eagles need a backup center. Julian Vandervelde said he’s up for the job. Dallas Reynolds has been handling most of the backup center duties during the early portion of camp. But live hitting starts this afternoon and Vandervelde said he’ll be in there. “I worked on my snaps the whole offseason,” said Vandervelde, who has only played guard in college and the pros. “In terms of team periods yet I haven’t had a chance to get in there. … I know Dallas and I are going to be rotating in between that center and guard spot. Howard [Mudd] really wants me to start getting more and more reps there.”
-- Brent Celek attended the walkthrough but did not participate. The tight end sprained the MCL in his right knee on Thursday and should miss the next several days.
- The greates show on turf threw about 70% and New England forgot they had a RB. Who was Peyton's running back?
Last year Iggles ran about 45% of the time, yet you go on record saying 25%. What a joke— Pedro in Brazil - Yeah, Dixon is on the small size.......for summu wrestling. I'll take production over lard anytime. — Pedro in Brazil
- I thought Landri was the best Defensive lineman last year when he played. We'll see if he can do it playing more snaps, but I like his attitude. I hope he stays healthy and the birds sign him to a nice deal.— tr88
- You idiots with your undersized BS are just plain stupid. If a guy can play, he can play. Landri does not get pushed around, if you haven't noticed neither does Jay Ratliff who plays nose tackle at the same size. Size doesn't make you automatically better. Bunkley is bigger than Jenkins, did that make him better?— Paul SoTX
- lol, thats why multiple superbowl winning GM's refuse to draft players below a minimum hieght and wieght. Those idiots. Andy has failed 13 times in 13 tries, one of the worst accomplishments in NFL HISTORY. His postseason record is laughable compared to actual great coaches like Bellichek and Coughlin (couglin .600+ postseson record, Bellichek .700+...andy is 10-9 or basically flipping a coin would give you as good a chance as Andy in the postseason.) Maybe better. Also Coughlin is 5-1 or something vs Bellichek and has 2 superbowls, Bellichek has 3 superbowls and 5 appearances. Andy went to 1, lost to Bill, and has never been back, and is 0-5 vs Bellichek. ITS PATHETIC. HIS DUMB SYSTEM LOSES EVERY YEAR AND HAS NEVER RESULTED IN A SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONSHIP IN HISTORY. NEVER.
- If uts played football, he definitely was not a lineman. Landri can play. Dixon is there whenever size is an issue. When desired, the Eagles can field a line of Cox (DE), Dixon, Landri, and Jenkins (DE). Not exactly small.— armchairGM
- yea well our undersized D-line led the leage in sacks,so I'm quite sure that takes them out of the "weak" catagory ,and when you have so many of them rotating it keeps them fresh.Now i'm sure some will quickly point out the lack of run stopping ability that presented but i again will remind those who do we had no LB'ers to to ease the burden.I read daily from the doubters and haters which is fine if thats what you do,but if your gonna critisize the Eagles d-line you truely dont know football,in a passing leage you want sacks up front and the LB's filling the gaps— greensob
- Anyone who thinks that you win with small d-ends and a 290 lb d-tckle is stoned, Then throw in that Kendrick is small and Rolle is tiny and they want to start Rolle. What is this -- a track meet or nfl football? And the proof is in the pudding because Andy's small defenses always get exposed later if not sooner, his defenses are never intimidating and never dominating. Why are they not? Because his fastball approach is a failure yet he stubbornly clings to it.— uts
- I always thought Billichek was stoned, but he still won the 05 supebowl with a 2-4-5 defense. He played Seyemore and another D lineman the whole game and WON. I'll take stoned coaches over psychotic fans anyday. — Pedro in Brazil
- None of the Eagles Defensive Tackles are sufficient in collapsing the pocket, and in today's NFL that's is necessary to pressure the Quarterback and prevent them from stepping into their passes. There isn't a Defensive Tackle other than maybe Jenkins on the Eagles who averages 2 Tackles a game.
When it comes to defending the running game, and protecting their Linebackers, the Eagles gets Nada, nothing from the Defensive Tackle position.
Name another Defensive Tackle from Notre Dame worth their salt playing in the NFL.— Dexter - I guess leading the leage in sacks wasn't putting pressure on QB's? — greensob
- Not to mention that rookie Fletcher Cox that everyone had rated high in the draft--apparently the entire NFL doesn't understand that 6'4" and 300 lbs and quickness should be shunned for 6'3" 330 lb space-eaters.
It is an either/or approach, 4-3 D's tend to have less need for massive bulk inside versus the 3-4 nose simply because of total d-line coverage.
As for the "Reid" system never working better go see how the Steelers, Bears, etc. did it...their approach was the same.— wphgratch - CharlieGarner25, how is our entire line weak and getting beaten off the ball? You know we absolutely destroyed the league in sacks and yards lost last year right? Undersized or not, this line gets it done. If Washburn finds 4 midgets that do the same thing I'd be just as happy. As long as they produce, it's a win in my book.
Last year, the problem was the linebackers. Well we fixed that this offseason so we'll see if that along with an actual training camp will help this team bring it's first title to philly.— eaglepride - It's not hard to be considered a good Defensive Tackle in Phila. They've not had a quality Defensive Tackle since Cory Simons, and before that Jerome Brown.
The issue with the Eagles Defense was specifically a soft middle, starting with the Defensive Tackles. You beat the Eagles going through the gut of their defense.
Because there are no defensive tackles and thus no pressure from the middle of the Eagles Defense. All of the runs that gashed the Eagles Defense last year came through the Defensive Tackle gaps, Quarterback don't have to roll out because there is no constant pressure up the middle. Offensive guards take advantage of the Eagles Linebackers because there is no need to double team the Tackles.
This is elementary, watch the Eagles tapes.— Dexter - Charlie, you are wrong. Tuck is not bigger, Umenyuri is not bigger, Kiwanuka is even smaller than the Eagle starters at DE. Pierre-Paul is a little bigger, but not by much. To put Bellechek in the equation is to truly show that your are a moron, because they play the 3-4 which has no true DE's, but has three tackles and the outside LBs are the pass rushers. In this case those guys are smaller on average when you compare pass rushers to pass rushers, than the Eagles guys. The best pass rushers in the history of the NFL have to be giants, according to you, right? Lawrence Taylor weighed 237, Jared Allen, the best in the game right now is 270, the same as Trent Cole. Why doesn't William Perry lead the NFL in every defensive category? After all he must have weighed like 500 lbs.— Paul SoTX
