Eagles observations from OTAs
Philly.com, Inquirer, and Daily News coverage of the Eagles
Eagles observations from OTAs
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
I attended two of the three Eagles OTA sessions this week. Below are some observations.
* The Eagles showed a look up front that we saw last year. The defensive ends moved to the middle, away from the line of scrimmage, standing up like rush linebackers, while the defensive tackles shifted outside with their hands on the ground. Today, Darryl Tapp and Brandon Graham were the defensive ends on one such snap, and Fletcher Cox and Derek Landri moved outside. The Eagles have some versatile linemen in Cox, Cullen Jenkins, Graham and Trent Cole. They were successful last year for the most part just lining up four defensive linemen and having them attack the quarterback, but perhaps we'll see more different looks this season.
* Jenkins and Jason Babin were excused absences this week, which drove home the point that the defensive line is probably the deepest unit on the team. The group has undergone quite a makeover in the past two seasons. Gone are guys like Brodrick Bunkley, Trevor Laws and Juqua Parker. In are Babin, Jenkins, Cox and Vinny Curry. The way the roster is currently constructed, no injury up front - except for probably Cole - would be devastating.
* I've hammered this point home before, but remember that Nnamdi Asomugha was not used exclusively outside as a press corner during the team's four-game winning streak at the end of last season. He still lined up in different spots, including inside opposite tight ends. One luxury the Eagles have this year, assuming they play more man coverage with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on the other side, is to have Asomugha shadow a single receiver across the formation when necessary. Today, he and Rodgers-Cromartie each took reps on the left and right sides.
* Speaking of Rodgers-Cromartie, the Eagles face a tough call on what to do about his contract. He is scheduled to be a a free agent at the end of the 2012 season. Rodgers-Cromartie is only 26 and has great athletic ability. But based on last year's body of work, the Eagles would definitely be taking a risk by extending him before the season. Then again, maybe now's the time to get him at a discounted price.
* I did not get a chance to talk to second-round pick Mychal Kendricks, but he looks like he has good cover skills, which is one of the main reasons he was so attractive to the Eagles. He did a good job on Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy on consecutive plays. When he was off the field, Kendricks didn't look interested in taking a breather. Instead, he was talking to teammates and coaches, trying to pick up the defense.
* Now would be a good time to mention that I once thought Ernie Sims looked good at OTAs, so take everything with a grain of salt please.
* Quite a few veterans will be on the roster bubble this summer: Akeem Jordan, Moise Fokou, Darryl Tapp and Joselio Hanson are four that come to mind. They combined for 1,184 snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus, but each player will be fighting for a roster spot at Lehigh.
* Speaking of Hanson, the guy trying to take his job, Brandon Boykin, did a good job of laying out and breaking up a Mike Kafka pass intended for Chad Hall today.
* When Jason Avant was talking about Michael Vick, he referred to him simply as Seven. This really has nothing to do with anything, but I thought Jason Street and Tim Riggins might like to know.
* The Eagles spent a seventh-round pick on running back Bryce Brown and signed Chris Polk as an undrafted free agent, but I'd guess second-year back Dion Lewis is still considered the favorite to back up LeSean McCoy. If we're willing to use the He didn't get a full offseason excuse for guys like Danny Watkins, Jaiquawn Jarrett and Casey Matthews, shouldn't it apply to Lewis as well? And his issues picking up the blitz might be a bit overblown. Lewis was asked stay in as a blocker exactly seven times all of last season, per PFF, and looking back at my notes, he held up fine in protection on at least a few of those occasions.
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Still same coach - Mr. Short in the Pants Champs
Comment removed.
yes, it would be. a team with two superbowls had him, and now a team that went 13-3 and was a special teams play away just signed him. Andy has a 7th round pick that didnt play in college and a guy with an injured shoulder that went undrafted. SUPERBOWL.- CG25, you must have been laying in the weeds for the right time to throw out Brandon Jacobs. Anyhow, regarding those on the bubble, should not Chad Hall, mentioned in the article, be on it also?— watsonmr
- Hard to imagine that they'd cut Hanson for an unproven rookie. As for Chad Hall, he's like a fringe major league baseball player (utility infielder type) who gets sent out to the minors for part of each season, but always gets called up when guys get injured. They keep him around because he can play more than one position.— SteveS11
- watson, uh if you look closely you should see I DIDNT EVEN BRING THE GUY UP. but when someone else does I would be glad to talk about ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED AND DOMINANT RUNNING BACKS in the entire game, and one of my favorites despite the team he used to be on. I respect the Giants ability to draft and had jacobs on my fantasy team before he ever took one snap in the NFL. He was running for like 9 yards a carry his first preseason and I knew something was going on there. He then dominated and won two superbowls in 7 years. no coincidence. niners were smart to sign him even though hes a bit older now. Eagles "power" backs with 7th rounders and undrafted guys are pathetic in comparision, but hopefully one of them actually gets 2 carries a game this year. Andy Reid knows football.
- "ONE OF THE MOST DOMINANT RUNNING BACKS in the entire game" In two Superbowls he has accumulated a total of 79 yards and zero touchdowns averaging an eye-popping 3.4 yards per carry. Against Green Bay, San Francisco, and New England last year he galloped for a whopping 72 yards on 23 carries (3.1 per attempt) and one touchdown.
Oh wait! It was the 2007 postseason that he ran over everybody to the tune of 3.2 yards per carry on 62 attempts.
Against the Eagles impenetrable defense last year he amassed 40 yards on 19 carries (you do the math) and no touchdowns. In his CAREER against the Eagles he has rushed for over 100 yards in a game ONE time (11/9/2008 22 carries 126 yards and 2 TDs). In the remaining TEN games against the stalwart Eagles defense he DECIMATED us for 3.6 yards per attempt, averaging 40 YARDS PER GAME game with a TOTAL of 2 Touchdowns.
WHEW! Thank God he went to the Niners...we couldn't stop that beast!
In his last four games against the Giants McCoy has rushed for 416 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry with three 110+ games. Yeah...Andy picked the wrong guy.— mwarren400 - The Eagles has no respect for Hanson. He's a guy who could be counted when someone gets injured (Real Talk). If Jim Johnson was still alive, this team would've went to the Super Bowl last year, but we have a pretender in Castillo parading around as a DC. Give me a break!— HIDTA
- hehe. 'once thought Ernie Sims looked good...'
we appreciate the candor. so the question has to be - was Kendricks trying to end teammates' careers during mundane drills like Sims?— raoool - The thrill of reading a Sheil Kapadia camp report in May, and the agony of reading the negative comments afterward.— blaqjaq
- haha good Simms line. The dynamic Pitt duo of Shady and Lewis will be fun to watch.— krh66
- Castillo must think cursing out rookies makes the situation better. Oh wait, that shows how stressed he is about losing his job at the end of the season if they don't make the playoffs.— Bardock
- I didn't get a full offseason last year either. My comments were therefore lacking in content. No such excuses this year!— JBirks
- the same brandon jacobs all giants fans i know in north jersey been dieing to get rid of charliegarner please try the other back the real threat for the giants. so he has two rings you act like he had mvp performances— positive eagle
- umm really ? he had over 1000 yards in only 11 games in 07. was one of the the LEAGUE LEADERS in touchdowns in 08 with another 1000 yard season, 5.0 yards per carry and 15 touchdowns. He has the same amount of 1,000 yards seasons as BRIAN WESTBROOK in 2 less seasons, has virtually an identical yards per carry with 4.5, and has 15 MORE TOUCHDOWNS IN TWO LESS SEASONS. He has been the most dominant power rusher in the NFL of the last 10 years, with close to 5,000 yards and over 55 touchdowns. Keep drinking kool-aid and making poor excuses for poor decisions makers like Andy Reid who will NEVER, EVER win a championship for as long as he is in charge. N E V E R.
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