PREFERS TEMPLE'S OFFENSE TO PRINCETON'S
The Eagles have taken Pitt running back LeSean McCoy with the 53rd selection, in the second round. The Eagles
showed a lot of interest in McCoy before the draft, many observers, including McCoy, thought he wouldn't last until 53rd. He did.
This is the first time in the Andy Reid era that the Eagles have used their first two picks on offensive players. The Birds last picked two offensive players with their first two picks in 1996, taking guard Jermane Mayberry at 25 from Texas A&M-Kingsville and tight end Jason Dunn at 54 from Eastern Kentucky.
Throw in the trade for Jason Peters and the signing of Stacy Andrews and this offseason has been all about the offense for the Birds. They will make their final eight picks Sunday, six of them in the fifth and sixth rounds, unless they trade up.
Reid met with reporters after the second-round pick and noted that the Eagles used one of their 30 opportunities to ask players to visit NovaCare on McCoy, who hails from the same Harrisburg high school as Ricky Watters (Bishop McDevitt). In fact, in a conference call with reporters at NovaCare, McCoy said he talks to Watters "all the time." Asked if he knew what "for who, for what?" meant, McCoy said: "I don't know too much about that."
Reid said McCoy is "very elusive in the open field, and shows great vision between the tackles," as well as catching the ball smoothly, something important in the Birds' offense. Reid said McCoy had "a taste" of West Coast concepts and terminologies at Pitt, but needs to work on his blocking. Reid said the Panthers cut block more than the Eagles.
McCoy, who doesn't turn 21 until July 12, said his visit included "a great interview," and that he "kind of figured the coaches had a thing for me."
He said he is looking forward to playing with Brian Westbrook; obviously, Westbrook is going to be asked about the Birds drafting an eventual replacement, but McCoy noted that many NFL teams used two-back systems now.
"I think I can help him out," he said.
Here is more on McCoy:
Height: 6-0
Weight: 198
College: Pittsburgh
High School: Bishop McDevitt, Harrisburg, Pa.
Early entry: Played two seasons at Pitt before declaring for draft.
Numbers: Posted consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season, joining Tony Dorsett and Curvin Richards as the only Pitt players to do that … Played in 25 games, with 35 rushing touchdowns and 36 total TDs … Those 36 TDs set the school, Big East and NCAA record for most TDs produced by a player as a freshman and sophomore … Was named Big East Rookie of the Year, leading all freshmen in the country with 110.67 yards per game rushing (21st in the nation overall). Set the conference freshman rushing record with 1,328 yards on 276 carries and 14 TDs … Also caught 33 passes for 244 yards and a score to finish third in the Big East with 131 all-purpose yards per game … As a sophomore, was a second-team All-American. Finished with 1,488 yards rushing on 308 carries with 21 TDs. Caught 32 passes for 305 yards. Was third in the Big East with an average of 139.2 all-purpose yards.
To read our scintillating, possible Pulitzer-prize winning earlier post on Jeremy Maclin, click here
Les Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News since 2002. Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
Paul Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982. He has spent most of his 27 years at the paper covering the Eagles and pro football. For the last 10 years, he’s been a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Wilkes-Barre and a graduate of Wilkes University, Domo came to the Daily News from the Fort Worth (Tx.) Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually wa s boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose two sports coats to blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley, a University of Oklahoma grad and very dangerous to be around following a Sooner loss, have been married 29 years and have raised 2 terrific daughters – Allison, 26, a lawyer and graduate of Boston University School of Law; and Amy, 23, who graduated from Clemson and works in marketing and sales for a professional baseball team.
