Eagles State of the Franchise 2013

[Dutch 874]

Eagles Sign WR Dave Ball

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Eagles-Sign-WR-Dave-Ball/eb7f8273-cd2d-4db6-8403-732d027f4645

 

The Eagles signed wide receiver Dave Ball Saturday, filling the 90th roster spot left vacant by the release of William Powell. Ball, 29, played collegiately at New Hampshire where he overlapped with Eagles head coach Chip Kelly.

 

Ball, listed as 6-foot-1, 201 pounds, went undrafted in 2007 and spent time with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, though he's never caught a pass in the regular season. Ball has also played in the Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League.

 

While at New Hampshire, Ball broke Jerry Rice's career 1-AA record with 58 touchdown receptions.

 

Ball becomes the 12th wide receiver on the Eagles roster.

[Dutch 874]

Eagles To Retire Donovan McNabb's No. 5

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Eagles-To-Retire-Donovan-McNabbs-No-5/604d5edf-5ead-4d08-9675-2184cf1d8d8d

 

As Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie just announced in a press conference, Donovan McNabb will be inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame and have his No. 5 jersey officially retired by the team on September 19 in front of fans at Lincoln Financial Field in a nationally televised game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

 

“Donovan McNabb was a franchise-changing quarterback for the Eagles and helped raise the bar of success for this franchise during his 11-year tenure with the team,” said Lurie. “On the field, the numbers that Donovan posted during his time in an Eagles uniform speak for themselves. He is the franchise leader in nearly every major passing category and is the all-time winningest quarterback in Eagles history. His unique ability to make plays through the air and with his legs made him one of the most dynamic players this city has ever seen. Donovan was the face and the focal point of so many of our great Eagles teams and he helped make this franchise a contender each and every year that he was here.

 

“The number ‘5’ has become synonymous with one of the greatest eras of Eagles football,” added Lurie, “And ensuring that no one else will ever wear Donovan’s number, we honor one of the greatest playmakers to ever wear an Eagles uniform.”

 

QB Donovan McNabb

 

“As a person, Donovan is also an all-time great,” said President Don Smolenski. “He treated everyone in the organization with care and respect. We all shared so many great moments with him over the years and it is an honor to be able to recognize him with our fans on September 19.”

 

One of the most accomplished passers in NFL history, McNabb is at the top of nearly every passing category in the Eagles' all-time annals. The franchise’s all-time leader in pass attempts (4,746), completions (2,801), yards (32,873) and touchdowns (216), he became one of just four players in NFL history to amass 30,000 passing yards, 200 touchdown passes, 3,000 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns in his career, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers John Elway, Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young. Despite throwing the ball more than any other signal caller in team history, McNabb ranks fourth in NFL history in interception percentage, throwing a pick on only 2.25 percent of all passes.

 

“As a general manager, you are always on the lookout for a player like Donovan,” said General Manager Howie Roseman. “He was a guy who poured everything he had into becoming the best player that he could possibly be. You could count on Donovan to bring it, day-in and day-out, no matter what the circumstances were.

 

“The game against Arizona in 2002, when he led us to a win despite playing with a broken ankle, is something I will never forget. He represented this franchise and this city with class,” added Roseman.

 

A six-time Pro Bowl selection, McNabb, 37, served as the field general during one of the most successful eras of Eagles football, leading the team to five NFC East division championships, five NFC Championship Games, including four consecutive conference championship appearances from 2002-05, and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX. The winningest quarterback in team history, he was a constant presence under center in Philadelphia, appearing in more games (148) in an Eagles uniform than any other quarterback in team history. As a result of his play, he was selected as the starting quarterback on the Eagles' 75th anniversary team in a vote by the fans.

 

Forever remembered as the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, McNabb took the reins of the franchise late in his rookie season, starting six of the final seven contests in 1999, while becoming the first Eagles rookie draft pick to start at quarterback since John Reeves in 1972. In 2000, McNabb accounted for 74.6 percent of the team’s total net yards (third in the NFL) and quickly staked his claim as one of the brightest young stars in the league, earning the first of five consecutive Pro Bowl berths while finishing second in NFL MVP voting. With McNabb under center, the Eagles would win four consecutive division titles from 2001-04, culminating in an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX where he threw for 357 yards on 30-of-58 passing.

 

In 2008, McNabb further cemented his place in Eagles history as he established single-season franchise records in passing yardage (3,916), completions (345) and attempts (571) while surpassing Ron Jaworski as the team’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, passing yards and attempts. The following season, McNabb would be selected to his sixth Pro Bowl in what was his final season with the Eagles.

 

Entering the 2013 season, McNabb ranks among the NFL’s top 25 quarterbacks all time in wins (12th), career passing yardage (17th), career passing touchdowns (22nd), attempts (14th), completions (14th), passer rating (24th) and interception percentage (4th). McNabb also set an NFL record in 2004 with 24 consecutive completions. In addition, he is one of only three players in NFL history with over 35,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards, along with Hall of Famers John Elway and Fran Tarkenton.

 

QB Donovan McNabb

 

One of the most decorated athletes in the history of Syracuse University, McNabb was honored as the Big East Conference’s Offensive Player of the Decade for the 1990s and was named the conference’s Player of the Year an unprecedented three times from 1996-98. He established school and conference records for touchdown passes (77), passing yards (8,389), total offensive yards (9,950) and total offensive plays (1,403) in addition to total touchdowns (96).

 

During his tenure in Philadelphia, McNabb became one of the most vibrant and recognizable players in professional sports. His success on the field, his personality, leadership skills, sense of humor, work ethic and attitude all added up to give Philadelphia one of the best-rounded athletes in sports. From the moment he arrived in Philadelphia, McNabb fully immersed himself in the city, regularly donating his time and efforts to charitable organizations in and around the region. His work included donating Eagles tickets to area high school student-athletes for their achievements both on the field and in the classroom, holding the “All-Star Kids Football Clinic” which welcomed 350 10-to-14-year-olds to a football camp at the NovaCare Complex and dressing up as Santa Claus each year before Christmas to deliver toys to kids in the area.

 

McNabb’s biggest mark in the community stemmed from the creation of the Donovan McNabb Foundation, which helped raise awareness of diabetes and improve the lives of those who suffer from diabetes through his role as a national spokesman for the American Diabetes Association. In 2006, the McNabb family was honored by the ADA for their contribution to the fight against diabetes.

 

Following his playing career, McNabb began to showcase his charismatic personality as a member of the media, holding stints with ESPN and NFL Network before branching into radio. His current endeavor, Under Center with McNabb & Malone, is a nationally syndicated sports radio show that airs Monday through Friday from 3 pm – 7 pm on NBC Sports Radio.

 

A native of Chicago, Ill., McNabb and his wife Raquel were college sweethearts and have four children: daughter, Alexis, daughter, Sariah, son, Donovan, Jr., and son, Devin James.

 

Well deserved. Mcnabb put in a lot of work for us. Even though he fell short from a superbowl and in some big games, I'll always appreciate how he raised our franchise from the dirt into prominence.

[Dutch 874]

Torn ACL For LB Phillips; LB Long Signed

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Torn-ACL-For-LB-Phillips-LB-Long-Signed/b383cffc-a3f3-49b6-9961-45bd583fc66b

 

For the second time in Training Camp, the Eagles have lost a player to a torn ACL.

 

On Monday, linebacker Jason Phillips suffered the same fate delivered to Jeremy Maclin a few days earlier as he went down with a torn right ACL. The 27-year-old Phillips was signed early on in free agency by the Eagles to contribute as an inside linebacker while excelling as a special teams standout. Phillips spent the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, where he recorded 17 tackles.

 

The Eagles placed Phillips on Injured Reserve on Monday and signed rookie free agent linebacker Travis Long. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Long earned an All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors last year as he registered 61 tackles, 12 for a loss and 8.5 sacks in 11 games before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. Long was named the Cougars' defensive MVP and presented the Laurie Niemi Award, which is given to the senior who best shows courage and attitude.

 

Originally a fifth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2009, Phillips' rookie season was also ended in Training Camp when he suffered a left knee injury.

 

Cornerback Brandon Hughes also left Monday's practice with a hamstring injury.

 

Five players did not practice for the Eagles on Monday: offensive lineman Todd Herremans (knee), wide receiver Arrelious Benn (knee), wide receiver B.J. Cunningham (foot), cornerback Cary Williams(hamstring) and defensive tackle Antonio Dixon (hamstring).

[Dutch 874]

Injury Reports

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Injury-Report-Arrelious-Benn-Returns/ee7d477b-1ee3-46ce-96a5-faa7ba74f1a6

 

Tackle Jason Peters returned to the practice field for the Eagles on Sunday after suffering a hamstring injury Wednesday, but he re-injured it and left practice again early. With Dennis Kelly also sidelined with a back injury, first-round pick Lane Johnson took over at left tackle. Head coach Chip Kelly indicated that at this point Johnson would be the backup at left tackle to Peters since Kelly is more comfortable on the right side of the line.

 

Wide receiver Arrelious Benn made his long-awaited return to the field as well after suffering a knee injury on July 26. Benn drew rave reviews from Kelly in his first workout not showing too many signs of rust and functioning in the offense despite running through certain plays for the first time.

 

Running back Matthew Tucker left practice early due to a hamstring injury.

 

Cornerbacks Bradley Fletcher (groin) and Brandon Hughes (hamstring) also were back in action.

 

Five players missed practice due to injury. The newest addition was tight end Zach Ertz, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Wide receiver Dave Ball (quad) was out along with offensive linemen Ed Wang(knee) Kelly (back). Defensive tackle Antonio Dixon (hamstring) was also unable to take part in the workout.

 

Hopefully Arrelious Benn can stay healthy because I hope he steps up since Maclin went down. He has a great skill set. Bradley Fletcher has had injury history as well so hopefully he can stay healthy. I think he may be a good asset in our secondary.

[Dutch 874]

8-4-13 Training Camp Notes and Quotes

 

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/8/4/4588542/philadelphia-eagles-training-camp-2013-practice-notes-quotes-sunday-8-4-2013

 

Practice Notes:

 

• QB UPDATE: Michael Vick had another good day. He threw a lot of nice balls. When he makes the decision to throw, his release is quicker than any of the other Eagles QBs. The ball got where it needed to be and it got there fast. Vick wasn't without errors. He threw two passes into the human flyswatters (designed to simulate DL batting down a pass).

 

Nick Foles didn't have his best day. His lowlight was a ball thrown into traffic that was picked off by Mychael Kendricks. He almost threw another interception when Colt Anderson got his hands on a deep ball intended for Damaris Johnson.

 

There's nothing Matt Barkley loves more than the short to intermediate passing game. He generally makes good decisions and accurate throws. Barkley was intercepted by Brandon Hughes when aiming for Will Murphy down the sideline on one rep. Credit to the coverage and an impressive diving interception by Hughes, but Barkley may have been forcing it there.

 

Dennis Dixon had a quality toss to Russell Shepard who beat out Kenny Phillips in coverage.

 

• Brandon Boykin's amazing camp continues. Got physical with Salas (within 5 yards of LoS) on one rep and broke up the pass. Boykin also excels in the punt coverage gunner drill. Despite the double team from the two punt protectors, Boykin finds a way to get downfield in coverage in a hurry. Curtis Marsh performed well in this drill too.

 

• Earl Wolff showed great focus to intercept a tipped pass along the sideline. Not sure who threw it or who tipped it.

 

• OLB Chris McCoy excelled in coverage yet again. He was in perfect position to intercept a Dixon throw inteded for Emil Igwegnagu but the ball went through his hands. Still, it's been a good camp for McCoy. Pencil him on the final roster for a (backup) OLB spot.

 

• I mentioned earlier in my notes that Mychael Kendricks picked off a Foles pass. Kendricks displayed great coverage skills and athleticism on the play. He really leaped up to make the play. Chip Kelly talked about Kendricks skill set after practice. More on that in the quotes section later in the post.

 

• WR depth: Ifeanyi Momah has looked better the last two practices (Friday and today) after a slow start to camp. He snagged a ball thrown high over Jordan Poyer in coverage. Greg Salas still catches everything. Derek Carrier had a few short catches. Arrelious Benn (back at practice!) had a few catches as well.

 

• FIGHT! Well, not really, but there was a little scuffle. Nothing major. Clifton Geathers was involved. That's not a guy you want to mess with.

 

• Fletcher Cox was quick off the ball and stuffed Felix Jones in the backfield for a loss.

 

• Peter King and Andrew Brandt were at Eagles practice. So was Neil Hornsby of Pro Football Focus (surprise - he was talking to Evan Mathis after practice). Peter King tweeted in response to a question that he "wouldn't be shocked" if the Eagles won 10 games this year, and he liked what he had to see out of Vick today.

 

• Some members of the Atlanta Braves were at Eagles practice. Chip Kelly pulled one of them aside and displayed proper punt catch form.

 

Quotes:

 

HC Chip Kelly

 

• Chip was encouraged to see Arrelious Benn practicing and said he liked what he saw out of him.

 

• Chip indicated that if Jason Peters isn't able to play for some reason in the future, Lane Johnston would be the starter at LT . Dennis Kelly is more likely to be at RT than LT.

 

• Chip lauded Mychael Kendricks and said he's the team's "best cover linebacker".

 

• On how the QB snaps in Friday's preseason game against the Patriots will be split: he hasn't decided yet.

 

ILB DeMeco Ryans

 

• "[Mychael] Kendricks is doing really well. He's picking up the defense well. Smart, athletic guy. You see the plays he's making out here. It's fun playing with a young guy like that who's flying around and making a lot of plays. He's starting to learn the game a lot better this year and I think it's going to be a great year for him."

 

• DeMeco said Connor Barwin was a great addition for the Eagles and it's "nice to see a familiar face."

 

OLB Chris McCoy

 

• On how he feels in coverage: "I'll tell you what, [we do it] a lot. I really don't know what [the percentage of dropping into coverage is], but it's a lot more than what I ever did. I feel comfortable [in coverage]. Now that we do it so much, I feel a lot more comfortable doing it."

 

• On who's the hardest player to cover: "I gotta give him his props. It's Damaris. It's Damaris Johnson."

 

OLB Connor Barwin

 

• "It helps Trent and Brandon that I can talk [to them] about the change I went through going from 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4."

 

• Barwin feels the defense will be "formed around the players". Downplays the idea of a rigid scheme.

 

WR Damaris Johnson

 

• I told Damaris that Chris McCoy said he was the toughest guy to cover, and asked about if other players thought the same about him. Johnson's response: "Yeah, teammates say that, but it's different because of my size and my speed. Guys are better at different things. I think I'm quick off the ball sometimes. I try to give [my teammates] problems each and every day."

 

• Damaris said he feels he can play slot and the outside. He said he's never played slot until this year.

 

• On how he feels about his deep speed: "I feel good. I feel I have enough speed to stretch the field. Maybe not as much as DeSean, but who does?"

 

WR Arrelious Benn - (Video)

 

• Benn feels like he needs to show the Eagles that he's durable. "I gotta stay healthy. If I prove them to them I can stay healthy I'll be alright."

 

• Benn said he felt good and doesn't feel behind since he had time to practice in OTAs and mini-camp.

[Dutch 874]

8-5-2013 Training Camp 2013 Notes & Quotes

 

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/8/5/4590944/philadelphia-eagles-training-camp-2013-practice-notes-quotes-monday-8-5-2013

 

Notes:

 

• It was Military Appreciation Day at the Linc. A special "Thank You" to those who serve and protect our country. Here's a picture of them lining up along the field [link]. Chip Kelly and the Eagles players entered the field and gave handshakes/high fives to all of them.

 

• No pads on today. Limited contact. Not much of an exhilarating practice, but there were some things of note. This way my view of today's action .

 

• 3 on 2's: Felix Jones drops a Kinne pass. Everette Brown breaks up a pass. Mychael Kendricks breaks up a Dixon pass intended for Nick Miller with ease.

 

• 7 on 7's: Flyswatters are up. Vick leads a drive down the field going 5 for 6. No particularly amazing throws as his WRs were wide open most of the time, but the only pass that fell incomplete was a contested throw to Avant. Brandon Boykin may have gotten away with pass interference on the play. Good series.

 

Foles leads a drive downfield. In the redzone, Foles throws a fade route to WR Ifeanyi Momah. It was a good ball, but Momah couldn't hold onto the catch. Also credit CB Brandon Hughes for making it tough and breaking it up. Foles overthrew his WR twice on this drive, but Jimmy insists that's because he was throwing the ball away. I couldn't tell for sure so I guess we'll trust him on this one. Still, not a bad drive. He was hurt by a Zach Ertz drop on what would have been a sure TD.

 

Barkley's turn. He commands his teammates well and hurries everyone up to the line of scrimmage for the next play. Works the short to intermediate throwing game. Good series.

 

• 11 on 11. Play action, Foles up first. Hits DeSean in the back of the endzone for a TD. Nice throw; threw with anticipation.

 

Barkley is barking out orders to his receivers. The ball is snapped while Barkley wasn't looking. I couldn't tell who the center was. Later, Barkley was intercepted by Cary Williams. Credit Emmanuel Acho who tipped the pass.

 

Vick runs for a wide open TD. It's funny, because he threw a pump-fake in there while he was already five yards past the line of scrimmage. Vick had a pass tipped at the LoS but it fell to the ground.

 

• By now you've heard me say that Brandon Boykin and Damaris Johnson are having great training camps. You know who else has? Chris Polk. He's been very impressive in multiple aspects. He's shown good hands and looks natural catching the ball. He looks faster when watching him run. Polk has done work to shed 15 pounds (from 230 to 215) and it's looking like it's paid off. He could be a serious part of the Eagles RB rotation.

 

• After practice, I finally confirmed that I'm taller than Ifeanyi Momah by standing near him while he was being interviewed. Don't believe me? I have witnesses.

 

Quotes:

 

OT Lane Johnson

 

• Lane played RT today because he's been at LT (Peters has been out) the past couple practices. He said it was just to get him more RT reps since he'll likely be there during the season.

 

• On the chemistry of the OL: "It's a brotherhood." He said he usually hangs out with Todd Herremans, Evan Mathis, and Jason Kelce off the field.

 

ILB Mychael Kendricks

 

• On playing against Chip Kelly in college: "Oh. Man, I mean I had a great game every game we played them. I rose to the occasion. But he's got some good stuff."

 

RB Chris Polk

 

• "I kinda miss [Reid's physical training camps] in a sense, but this camp is more structured. Everything we do we know why we're doing it."

 

• Polk talked on the importance of conditioning under Chip Kelly.

 

• On if he would be able to handle Chip's camp now if he was in the shape that he was last year: "No way. No way. At 230 doing all of that? I know I had good wind, but just from a body aspect... hamstrings being tighter, back being tighter. Having that wind [helps], and being able to make a long run, and [get back to the huddle], and get the signs... and run the next play over and over, it can really take a toll on somebody.

 

Injury Notes:

 

• LeSean McCoy (knee) left practice early, as did Jason Kelce (ankle). Nothing too serious. They're listed as day-to-day.

 

• Did not practice - OT Jason Peters (hamstring), OT Ed Wang (knee), OT Dennis Kelly (back), WR David Ball (quad), DT Antonio Dixon (back).

 

• TE Zach Ertz returned to practice today after missing yesterday with a shoulder injury. WR Arrelious Benn (knee) returned to practice yesterday.

 

Ertz dropped a few passes today and Celek hasn't been having good practices period. His inconsistencies seem to be lingering from last year.

Edited August 5, 2013 by dutchff7

[Dutch 874]

First look at Eagles depth chart

 

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/8/5/4591684/michael-vick-and-nick-foles-listed-as-co-starting-quarterbacks-as

 

The Philadelphia Eagles have released the team's first official depth chart of the season. While fans shouldn't take this depth chart as anything more than a seating chart written in pencil, the positional lineup at least offers a glimpse into where players currently stand with the coaching staff. Below is the Eagles' official depth chart entering Friday's preseason opener against the Patriots:

 

OFFENSE

 

QB: (1) Michael Vick/Nick Foles (3) Matt Barkley (4) Dennis Dixon (5) G.J. Kinne

 

RB: (1) LeSean McCoy (2) Bryce Brown (3) Chris Polk (4) Felix Jones (5) Matthew Tucker

 

WR1: (1) DeSean Jackson (2) Damaris Johnson (3) Ifeanyi Momah (4) Arrelious Benn (5) Greg Salas (6) Nick Miller

 

WR2: (1) Riley Cooper (2) Jason Avant (3) Russell Shepard (4) Will Murphy (5) David Ball

 

TE1: (1) Brent Celek (2) Clay Harbor (3) Emil Igwenagu (4) Will Shaw

 

TE2: (1) James Casey (2) Zach Ertz (3) Derek Carrier

 

LT: (1) Jason Peters (2) Matt Tobin (3) Ed Wang

 

LG: (1) Evan Mathis (2) Allen Barbre (3) Matt Tennant (4) Nate Menkin

 

C: (1) Jason Kelce (2) Dallas Reynolds (3) Julian Vandervelde

 

RG: (1) Todd Herremans (2) Danny Watkins (3) Matt Kopa

 

RT: (1) Lane Johnson (2) Dennis Kelly (3) Michael Bamiro (4) Nic Purcell

 

DEFENSE

 

DE1: (1) Fletcher Cox (2) Vinny Curry (3) Damion Square (4) David King (5) Issac Remington

 

NT: (1) Isaac Sopoaga (2) Bennie Logan (3) Antonio Dixon (4) Daryell Walker

 

DE2: (1) Cedric Thornton (2) Clifton Geathers (3) Joe Kruger

 

OLB1: (1) Connor Barwin (2) Brandon Graham (3) Travis Long

 

ILB1: (1) DeMeco Ryans (2) Casey Matthews (3) Emmanuel Acho

 

ILB2: (1) Mychal Kendricks (2) Jamar Chaney (3) Jake Knott

 

OLB2: (1) Trent Cole (2) Phillip Hunt (3) Chris McCoy (4) Everette Brown

 

LCB: (1) Bradley Fletcher (2) Brandon Boykin (3) Brandon Hughes (4) Eddie Whitley

 

RCB: (1) Cary Williams (2) Curtis Marsh (3) Trevard Lindley (4) Jordan Poyer

 

SS: (1) Nate Allen (2) Kenny Phillips (3) David Sims (4) Earl Wolff

 

FS: (1) Patrick Chung (2) Kurt Coleman (3) Colt Anderson

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

 

K: Alex Henery

 

P: (1) Donnie Jones (2) Brad Wing

 

LS: Jon Dorenbos

 

PR: (1) DeSean Jackson (2) Damaris Johnson

 

KR: (1) Damaris Johnson (2) Brandon Boykin

 

Based on the reports by our own Jimmy Kempski and Brandon Lee Gowton, none of these spots should really come as a surprise. The interesting notes to takeaway from this depth chart is that Joe Kruger and Vinny Curry are listed primarily as defensive ends, Jordan Poyer is at the bottom of the cornerback list and that Arrelious Benn is playing as a fourth-stringer. Other notable positions on the chart are Riley Cooper as the first-team wide receiver, Michael Vick and Nick Foles are still clearly tied at quarterback and Chris Polk has pulled ahead of Felix Jones.

 

Interesting developments (even though it's still early)

 

Brandon Graham is behind in the depth chart. However, I do expect him to be #1 in the 4-3 lineup as a DE. Hopefully he gets a lot of looks as OLB as well.

 

Vinny Curry as a 3-4 DE.

 

Kurt Coleman is still on the team.

 

Arrelious Benn so far behind in the depth chart at #4.

 

Chris Polk passing Felix Jones on the depth chart for our #3 spot.

 

Thoughts:

 

Hopefully Earl Wolff can climb his way up on the depth chart. I also hope the Riley Cooper situation boils down and gets resolved because we are thin at receiver. Momah being ahead of Benn strikes some intrigue. Is Momah turning out to be a good prospect or Benn isn't? Well, Benn has been injured a little so that may have some bearing on the outcome. Again, why is Kurt Coleman still on this team

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

Wow, Benn is that low on the depth chart when the Eagles have so little talent at WR? Dude must be continuing to have problems learning the offense. The guy has great size and talent, but can't seem to put it together.

[housemd 338]

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reported on NFL Live Tuesday that Michael Vick and Nick Foles are "neck and neck" in the Eagles' QB battle.

 

Sal Pal added Vick is expected to start the Eagles' preseason opener. Foles outplayed the veteran during OTAs, but Vick has evened the competition with a superior performance in training camp. Per Paolantonio, coach Chip Kelly is unlikely to name a starter before the third week of preseason. Rookie Matt Barkley continues to practice with the threes and is not a serious competitor.

[Dutch 874]

Arrelious Benn tears ACL, done for season

 

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/8/6/4595830/arrelious-benn-tears-acl-done-for-season

 

Aaaaand that would be 3 ACL tears for the Eagles in the last 11 days.

 

Arrelious Benn went down at one point during practice today. He got up, limped off, and I can't recall seeing him for the rest of practice. It turns out Benn tore his left ACL. If that is indeed the play on which he got injured, it is the 3rd ACL that has occurred on the middle field at the NovaCare complex.

 

Benn was acquired for a 6th round pick from the Buccaneers this offseason. His season is now done.

 

The remaining Eagles wide receivers are now DeSean Jackson, Riley Cooper, Jason Avant, Damaris Johnson, Ifeanyi Momah, Will Murphy, Nick Miller and Greg Salas.

 

I guess it's a good thing the Eagles didn't cut Riley Cooper.

 

This sucks to have another WR tear his ACL. With Maclin down, people were expecting Benn to try and step up and now he tears his ACL. We are so thin at WR right now. Russell Shepherd has been having an amazing camp but the verdict is still out on him. I think we may have to hit free agency or try and strike a trade. I think Robert Meachem and Nate Washington were mentioned on the block not too long ago.

Edited August 6, 2013 by dutchff7

[Dutch 874]

8-6-2013 Training Camp 2013 Notes & Quotes

 

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/8/6/4595668/philadelphia-eagles-training-camp-practice-2013-notes-quotes-tuesday-8-6-2013

 

Today wasn't your average day of Eagles training camp. That's because the New England Patriots are in town and the Eagles had a joint-practice-scrimmage with them. It was a cool sight to see, and unlike something I've ever experienced before. Here was my view of today's practice .

 

Practice Notes:

 

• Patriots HC Bill Belichick held a presser before practice started. Here are all the interesting quotes I got: "_____________________". Yeah, that's it. Vintage Belichick.

 

• The big news of the day prior to today's practice was... *drumroll* Eagles WR Riley Cooper returning to practice. He was visibly accepted by teammates on the field during practice. Jason Avant gave him a chest bump and DeMeco Ryans patted him on the head. Even more, Cooper had a great practice. There were 3 specific plays where he beat the Patriots coverage deep (40 to 50 yards) and made a great catch for a TD.

 

• On one of those Cooper TDs, Vick rolled out to make the throw. The ball wasn't thrown well: it wobbled in the air as it traveled down the field. I thought it was easily going to be an interception. But it wasn't, thanks to the effort of Cooper. He jumped up high to snag the ball out of reach from the defender in front of him. Great catch. Cooper received cheers from the crowd after these plays.

 

• You may have heard this somewhere already, but Tom Brady is freaking amazing. Seriously. Watching him in person was quite the experience. He's a machine. The Eagles and Patriots did a 1 on 1 drill (WR vs DB) where Brady just annihilated the Eagles DBs. It was humiliating. Brady effortlessly made great throw after great throw. There's a reason the Patriots are so damned good each year, and along with Bill Belichick, it's no secret Brady's a big reason why.

 

• TEBOW! [picture] He didn't look good.

 

• FIGHT! And hey, it's Cary Williams who was involved. Surprised? You shouldn't be. Williams wouldn't return to practice.

 

• EAGLES QB UPDATE: Foles got off to a bad start. His first throw was nearly a pick 6 to Aqib Talib, who simply dropped the sure interception. After that, he rebounded quickly and made some quality deep throws to DeSean Jackson and Damaris Johnson for touchdowns. I'd say Foles had more impressive plays than Michael Vick today. Matt Barkley threw an interception that was a real headscratcher. Either he forced the ball or there was miscommunication, because there was nothing there when he made that throw.

 

• DeSean burned the Patriots secondary a few times today. When he's going deep, he's been uncoverable.

 

• Misc: DE Vinny Curry stuffed the Patriots RB for a loss on one rep. CB Trevard Lindley knocked down a pass.

 

• Alex Henery field goal... no! It's a fake! Donnie Jones! He's running down the sideline! At the 10! The 5! Touchdown, Donnie Jones! A successful fake FG run for the Eagles.

 

Quotes:

 

HC Chip Kelly - (Full presser courtesy of PhiladelphiaEagles.com)

 

• On why Cary Williams didn't return to practice after getting in a fight, Chip said that if a player fights they're done for the day. Bill and Chip agreed they don't want further escalation.

 

• Chip wanted his players to get reps against the Patriots starters in practice because he's not sure how much the starters will play in the first preseason game on Friday.

 

• On Matt Barkley not getting starting reps: "Camp's not over."

 

• Chip lauded Chris Polk and feels he's really stepped his game up.

 

• Jason Avant and DeMeco Ryans were mentioned as leadership figures on the team.

 

WR Riley Cooper - (Full presser courtesy of PhiladelphiaEagles.com)

 

• On when he knew he was ready to return: "It took a few days to be honest with you. It took a few days. It's been a tough, tough ride. I talked to Chip (Kelly) last night and this morning. He asked me. He said, 'How do you feel? Are you ready to come back?' And I said, absolutely. I love being out there on the field. I love being out there with my guys. I wanted to be out there today, the sooner the better."

 

• On whether any players said that they would never forgive him: "No. No."

 

• Riley said he apologized to all of his teammates individually and face to face.

 

S Patrick Chung

 

• Chung was asked about Aaron Hernandez but didn't want to talk about it.

 

• Chung said the scrum that happened with Cary and a Patriots player wasn't anything too serious. "It's part of the game."

 

Injury Notes:

 

• Did not practice: OT Ed Wang (knee), OT Jason Peters (hamstring), OT Dennis Kelly (back), DL Antonio Dixon (hamstring), OLB Connor Barwin (illness).

 

• Damaris Johnson and Felix Jones left practice with hamstring injuries. Day to day.

 

• LeSean McCoy didn't practice but was out on the side field running with some injured players. Jason Kelce returned to practice after leaving early yesterday.

 

• Arrelious Benn left practice with an injury and it was announced after practice that he tore his ACL and will be done for the season. Dave Ball had been dealing with a quad injury and was cut today.

 

Really interesting practice today.

 

Foles had a great practice today. Slightly outplayed Vick by a small margin.

 

Vick had another good practice. He's outplayed Foles slightly the last two practices. Falls 2nd today.

 

Riley Cooper returned today and had a great practice scoring 3 TDs.

 

Damaris Johnson continues to impress. Great routes and catches. He's showing a lot of quickness in and out his breaks.

 

Russell Shepherd continues to have a great camp. Hopefully he continues to develop.

 

James Casey dropped a sure TD. But he redeemed himself afterwards and scored. He's been getting a lot of targets this camp.

 

Desean was burning people all day.

 

Chris Polk is continuing to make plays. He's even proving effective in the passing game. I look forward to seeing our RBs this season. I think we are stacked and have great depth.

 

Mychal Kendricks has been having an amazing camp. He's been excellent in coverage and may have an increased role in blitzing this year like he was in college. I'm still very high on Kendricks. The potential is oozing out of him. He just needs to be more technically sound. He showed some great flashes in the beginning of the season last year but regressed. I look forward to a great sophomore year from him.

 

Been hearing that Brandon Graham has been somewhat struggling in coverage at times but has made some strides. Hopefully he can continue to improve. I still expect to see him with his hand in the dirt from time to time. Even as a OLB I still suspect that he will be blitzing a lot as well basically making it a four man front. We will see.

 

Trent Cole was seen with his hand in the dirt in nickel packages and Graham as a LB. Glad to still see him in his natural element. He's also making strides in coverage.

 

Bradley Fletcher was on and off today but didn't play horrible.

 

Chung got turned around by Amendola trying to guard a route.

 

Kenny Phillips got burnt by Amendola.

 

Ifeyani Momah looked like complete garbage. Very sloppy routes, dropped catchable balls, wasn't using his height to attack the ball at the highest point, didn't win jump balls, and was tripping over himself. Hopefully he gives us a better show next time.

 

Vinny Curry stuffed a RB behind the line of scrimmage. I still like Curry.

 

Oh yeah, and Tom Brady completely destroyed our defense.

 

 

Overall, the camp wasn't bad by any means. I wasn't expecting to outplay the Patriots who are way more polished. I look forward to our next two practices with the Pats and then the game on Friday

[Dutch 874]

Chip Kelly is suppose to announce who's starting QB for the preseason opener today. I'll try and keep us updated.

[Turry 755]

 

Despite losing both Arrelious Benn and Jeremy Maclin for the season to torn ACLs, GM Howie Roseman says the Eagles have no plans to sign a veteran receiver.

"You want your young players to grow and develop," Roseman said, "and that’s why you keep young players on your roster." Roseman said the same thing last week following the loss of Maclin. Laurent Robinson and Brandon Lloyd are the top two veteran free-agent receivers. CSN Philly does expect the Eagles to bring in "one or two" receivers this week, but they'll be younger guys.

Related: Eagles

Source: CSN Philly

[Dutch 874]

8-7-13 Training Camp 2013 Notes & Quotes

 

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/8/7/4599160/philadelphia-eagles-training-camp-2013-practice-notes-quotes-wednesday-8-7-2013

 

The New England Patriots were in town again today for another joint practice with the Eagles. Practice was moved up to 10:25 AM from it's usual time of 12:30 in order to avoid the rain later in the day. Let's get to today's notes.

 

Practice Notes:

 

• Surprise, surprise. Tom Brady was awesome again. I think I only saw him throw 2 incompletions the whole practice.. I won't get into it much as I did yesterday, but it's truly a sight to see.

 

• EAGLES QB UPDATE: The winner of today's Eagles QB competition was... Tom Brady. OK, wishful thinking. The guy who looked like he had the upper hand today was Nick Foles. He made a few impressive

 

• Lots of media celebrity in attendance today. Jay Glazer, one of the best NFL insiders when it comes to breaking news, was there. I caught him spending time talking to Eagles GM Howie Roseman. Feel free to speculate. Another NFL insider, and a guy that I definitely didn't see talk to Howie Roseman, was everyone's favorite reporter: Jason LaCanfora. Former Eagles HC Dick Vermeil was also at practice. Former players Darwin Walker and AJ Feeley were there too.

 

You can't say Chip Kelly's Eagles aren't drawing attention.

 

• TE Zach Ertz had a number of catches. I only noticed one drop for him. Ertz didn't show off anything flashy today, but proved to be a reliable target.

 

• WR DeSean Jackson had a good practice. Caught balls all over the field and roasted Patriots DBs several times.

 

• I've already talked about how Chris Polk has had a great training camp. Some even think he can be the number 2 running back behind LeSean McCoy. Polk took the reps with the 1's, for what it's worth, with McCoy resting today. And he didn't fail to impress with a couple of big runs. Mark it down - Chris Polk will make plays this year if he continues to perform like he has in training camp.

 

• CB Curtis Marsh had a rough day. He was targeted again and again by Patriots QBs (mostly Brady, but Ryan Mallett too) and allowed catch after catch. Note that there's no real pressure in these drills and that Brady is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. Still, it was a discouraging performance from Marsh. It's not like he's a guy who's had a bad camp though. He's had some nice days. But he's certainly a guy who could use a good preseason.

 

• NA BROWN AWARD ALERT: WR Greg Salas made an incredible jumping one handed catch deep down the sideline from Matt Barkley. Mike profiled Salas here on the site recently. A Patriots fan pointed out to Jimmy and me on Twitter that the Patriots had invested interest in Salas when he was in New England. In fact, they raised his salary to $465,001 up from $149,600 when he was on NE's practice squad. Salas has a real chance to make the Eagles roster.

 

Quotes:

 

HC Chip Kelly

 

• Chip said he hasn't named a starter for Friday's preseason game yet. He said Friday's starter isn't necessarily "the starter" for the regular season.

 

• Chip said that they can use running backs and tight ends more to alleviate the burden of wide receivers in the offense (due to WR injuries).

 

• "On gameday, we're probably only going to have 5 [wide receivers]."

 

• Observation: Chip was wearing grey socks. Use this information as needed.

 

QB Michael Vick - (Media huddle video!)

 

• I'll be honest. Look at the video. I didn't even bother with the giant huddle.

 

QB Nick Foles

 

• Foles said he has no indication at this point who will start Friday's game.

 

• Foles was rocking these shoes today. Check 'em out.

 

Injury Notes:

 

• Did not practice: Nate Mankin (illness), Ed Wang (knee), Antonio Dixon (hamstring), Jason Peters (hamstring), Dennis Kelly (back).

 

• Left practice early: LeSean McCoy (knee), Cary Williams (hamstring), Russell Shepard (hamstring), Damaris Johnson (hamstring), Felix Jones (hamstring).

 

• Arrelious Benn was officially placed on Injured Reserve with a torn ACL.

 

Not many new developments.

 

Tom Brady is still awesome and scorching us.

 

Curtis Marsh had an off day and was getting picked on.

 

Polk continuing to have a great camp. Bryce also had 4 dropped passes in two days. People think he's closing in on the #2 job. I don't however. Bryce put some good football on the real field last year. He had some fumbling issues but he put some good substance on the field. I'll have to see more from Polk.

 

Foles had another good day. Somewhat better than Vick's.

 

Desean Jackson is still burning defenders.

 

Apparently, Chip didn't declare a QB. Disappointing because I've been looking out all day for that news. Chip may name might announce how the preseason opening starter is tomorrow after the Eagles and Patriots walkthrough. If not, we will see Friday. It's only two days away anyway.

[Dutch 874]

Word on the street so far is that Vick is starting on the opening preseason game. Allegedly, Chip said that if Friday was practice, it would be Vick's turn to start. So apparently, Chip is making it seem as though it's based off rotation. However, Foles will split 1st team reps with Vick. Somewhere near 12-20 snaps for both QBs with the first team on the field. Foles is going to start in the next preseason game. I'll post more as I find out.

 

Also, Brandon Boykin and Bradley Fletcher are starting at CB; Cary Williams is out. However, Boykin may move in the slot in nickel situations with Curtis Marsh on the outside. Furthermore, Patrick Chung and Nate Allen appear to be the starting safeties.

Edited August 8, 2013 by dutchff7

[Dutch 874]

Kelly: Vick's Turn In The Rotation To Start

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Kelly-Vicks-Turn-In-The-Rotation-To-Start/9b646493-3dba-4a1c-9a48-8f104da3a7e0

 

It's no reflection of the current state of the quarterback competition and the first-team reps will be split nearly down the middle, but Michael Vick will start the Eagles' preseason opener against the New England Patriots on Friday night at Lincoln Financial Field. The reason? Because it's his turn in the rotation, as head coach Chip Kelly explained Thursday.

 

"Nick (Foles) will start next week," Kelly said. "It was Mike's day in the rotation, that was the easiest way for us to do it and then we'll make sure the rotation works out that Nick will get the start next week. The two of those guys, we feel like we've got it balanced out. We met with those guys this morning, they were great with it, so that's kind of our plan going in."

 

Ideally, Vick and Foles will play the same amount of reps on Friday night and are expected to rotate every series. Kelly said rookie Matt Barkley will play the second and third quarter while Dennis Dixon and G.J. Kinne work under center in the fourth quarter. Vick and Foles will, ideally, each play between 12 and 20 snaps, Kelly said.

 

"Sometimes something happens where a guy got two snaps because there was a turnover that happened that wasn't their fault, but we're going to try to balance them as much as we can," said Kelly. "Sometimes that doesn't always work in the way you want it, but in the ideal world we'll split the number of snaps but we'll do it by series."

 

Michael Vick and Tom Brady

 

 

Though the in-game sample for Vick and Foles will be small, their respective performances are likely to be weighed more than their play during practice.

 

"I've said it all along, it's very difficult to evaluate somebody in just helmets and shorts," said Kelly. "That's not how the game is played, so obviously I think our practices from an intensity level, we're ramping up a little here just because the Patriots are here - on both sides I thought, it was great, great, great work for us. For guys that are competing right now, the preseason has to be the same way. If that's not your approach as a player, you're going to get passed on by."

 

The first-team defense will also play about one quarter and will feature Brandon Boykin and Bradley Fletcher as the starting cornerbacks with Nate Allen and Patrick Chung as the starting safeties.

 

Along the offensive line, Lane Johnson will start at right tackle while veteran Allen Barbre will get the starting nod at left tackle with Jason Peters sidelined temporarily. Barbre has worked with the first team at left tackle since Monday.

[Dutch 874]

The first Eagles action in 23 MINS!!! Can't wait to get a glimpse of our team; offense and defense. I'm fucking stoked!!

[Dutch 874]

After about 6 months of waiting and suspense (for fans), we finally got to see a glimpse of our basically brand new team. I'm going to start out with the defense.

 

Defense

 

Well, on the first play from scrimmage, Steven Ridley opened up and gashed us for a 62 yard run (somewhat reminiscent of how we opened up against the Rams the year before with Steven Jackson and his big run lol). This is the only play where Fletcher Cox didn't do that well as he got knocked down but Demeco Ryans heavily over pursued and left his gap wide open which really made that run possible. Another play I had a close eye on was Mychal Kendricks. He still seems to have inconsistencies with his tackling. He hit Steven Ridley well behind the line of scrimmage which could have been for a big loss but failed to bring him down and Ridley went on to convert the 1st down I believe (on 3rd down). Mychal Kendricks also allowed a passing TD against Vereen. But to his defense, he had great coverage on Vereen but got beat by a perfect throw from Brady. Nate Allen apparently is still missing tackles. I don't see him securing the starting job this year. Earl Wolff has been playing A LOT with the ones since the game. This makes me happy. Brandon Graham wasn't too impressive in run coverage. On that embarrassing long run play by Legaratte Blount, Graham had two shots in stopping the play but gave Blount the cut back lane twice and horribly over pursued. He looked very sloppy and that needs to be addressed. Brandon Fletcher also allowed a couple of passes. To his defense though, he was playing great coverage each time. He was getting beat by Brady's great throws and putting the ball in great locations.

 

However though, some of the good on the defensive side of the ball was the D-line. I think our D-line played great. Outside of that one play from Fletcher Cox that I mentioned earlier, he had a good game. He was getting pressure on the QB. One play in particular was when he owned Nate Solder and got to Brady, hit and knocked him down. I also liked Bennie Logans hustle. He was moving pretty fast to the ball out their for someone his size. He also got to the QB for part of a sack as well. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out on him. But Vinny Curry was probably the defensive mvp that game. Vinny Curry was all over the field making plays. He was getting pressures on the QB, had a couple of QB hits and a half a sack, and was showing great hustle and motor running up field making tackles. Hopefully he can continue building on that success. I mentioned Brandon Grahams questionable run coverage earlier, but he sure did great in the pass rushing department. Brandon Graham didn't struggle getting to the QB and disrupting plays and definitely shined in that area. Our linebackers Jake Knott and Emmanuel Acho were making some plays and stood out at times. Another player that was making plays was Patrick Chung. He put on a good tackling display. Seeing a safety on our team tackle the way he did during this game made me happy lol. Brandon Boykin so far is carrying his great training camp onto the field so far. He played some really good coverage out there. Trent Cole however had a pretty quiet night. He was the invisible man on the field.

 

Overall, our defense was a mixed bag. I loved the play of our D-line. The defense starts up front in the trenches so that's a plus. Our Linebackers however didn't impress. I saw missed tackles and over pursuit in the run game. Our secondary wasn't that great either. It didn't help going against Tom Brady who threw some perfect passes against some good coverages but the play still stands.

 

Offense

 

The offense was without a doubt the most anticipating unit to see. Michael Vick went out onto the field first and he put together a great drive. A five play 77 yard drive that only took 2:15; quick strike. Vick threw a beautiful 47 yard bomb to Desean Jackson for a TD. Vick also threw a strike to Jason Avant in the middle of the field. Vick made some nice and accurate throws. Furthermore, Vick had a clean pocket and was under no duress. Our offensive line was easily the MVP unit of the game. Vick had forever to throw the ball. Our O-line was the most impressive and is something I've been raving about for quite some time so it felt good to be able to see them perform so well. Lane Johnson also played outstanding. However, Vick's next drive stalled.

 

Foles got in with the 2's and fumbled on his first drive. Todd Herremans missed a block and Foles got sacked for a fumble. When Foles got back on the field however, he put on quite a good display. Foles orchestrated a 10 play, 66 yard drive for a TD. The entire drive was an uptempo no huddle offense with no penalties or substitutions. Foles made quick decisions with the ball, handled the read option very well, and even scrambled for a first down. Foles displayed his mobility several times during that drive breaking out the pocket making throws. After several drops in training camp, Bryce Brown had several receptions on that scoring drive before he punched it in. He's starting to show some versatility in his game. If he can hold onto the ball, I can see him being a very solid and effective #2. Matt Barkley got in and got off to a very slow start. However, he started to pick it up as the game went on. Barkley went 11/22 103 yards and a TD. Russell Shepherd who has been having a great camp only camp away with 1 reception. A lot of the balls thrown to him weren't great passes. Greg Salas is the WR who stepped it up. He had an amazing one handed grab for over 20 yards. He also scored on a screen making some guys miss to punch it in for a TD. It's good to see our young WR's stepping up and making plays with how thin we are at WR. I'd also like to see Zach Ertz more involved in the next game.

 

Special Teams

 

Our special teams is was another bright spot for our team in that game. We've been struggling in special teams for quite a while. Dave Fipp's our special teams coordinator seems to be doing a great job with our guys. Brandon Boykin made several plays on special teams proving to be a viable asset on this unit as well. Boykin returned a nice kickoff for 33 yards and also made a diving effort to field a punt at the 1 yard line. Damaris Johnson also continues to prove his effectiveness on special teams. Damaris returned a punt for 62 yards. So we are looking good in this department.

 

Overall, our team is a mixed bag at the moment but that's expected from a team that's in transition and having so many new pieces. However though, I saw some bright spots on this team that has me somewhat optimistic about our future. I like our coaching staff so far and believe we will eventually get better and are headed in the right direction.

Edited August 13, 2013 by dutchff7

[Dutch 874]

Eagles Acquire WR Jeff Maehl

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Eagles-Acquire-WR-Jeff-Maehl-/c6e4c9a1-4aed-4d98-a9f4-b7f8e9c2159b

 

The Eagles added some depth to the wide receiver ranks Monday, acquiring Jeff Maehl from the Houston Texans in exchange for offensive lineman Nate Menkin. Maehl, 24, played for Chip Kelly during his collegiate career at Oregon. Undrafted in 2011, Maehl, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, spent most of the last two seasons on the Texans practice squad.

 

Maehl was named a first-team All-Pac 10 player as a senior when he tied for the conference lead with 12 receiving touchdowns and recorded 77 catches for 1,076 yards. His 24 career touchdowns at Oregon tied the school's all-time record.

 

In the run-up to that year's NFL Draft, Maehl set an NFL Scouting Combine record with a 6.42-second 3-cone drill.

 

He played three games for the Texans in 2011 but has not yet recorded a catch in an NFL game. Maehl becomes the 10th wide receiver on the active roster.

 

The 24-year-old Menkin was claimed off waivers by the Eagles prior to the start of the 2012 season after he was released during the Texans' final roster cutdown

 

[Dutch 874]

Rookies Moving Up Depth Chart

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/dave-spadaro/article-1/Rookies-Moving-Up-Depth-Chart/7bf8ec30-6648-4d6c-9825-6c05bdea33f0

 

Bill Davis made it very clear that neither defensive tackle Bennie Logan nor safety Earl Wolff had earned a starting job just because they took first-team reps in Monday's practice. Still, there is meaning here ...

 

 

That the Eagles watched the replay of Friday night's preseason game against New England over and over again and then made the decisions to bump Bennie Logan, the team's third-round draft pick, up to the first-team defensive line for Monday's practice and elevate Earl Wolff, a fifth-round pick, to the role of first-team safety. The message sent here is that jobs are won and lost on the field, on the basis of performance, and that the coaches want to take a long, long look at the kids in first-team roles.

 

How long Logan and Wolff hang on to the assignment is entirely up to them. Logan, for his part, said after practice on Monday that he was not going to be "too comfortable" in the role, understanding that it's one thing to ascend to this position and another entirely to hold on for the long term.

 

"I'm on the first team now and I think some people may get to this point and slack back. I'm not going to do that," said Logan. "I'm going with the mindset that I'm still on the second- or third-team defense. I still have to be hungry and stay humble and play hard on every snap and improve and work on my craft."

 

In the big picture here, from this perspective, is the rapid rise of the 2013 Rookie Class, one that the Eagles felt very good about in April and that still they still love after a deeper look. First-round draft pick Lane Johnson is starting at right tackle and emerged from his preseason debut with flying colors and the highest grades of any offensive lineman. Second-round pick Zach Ertz has been a smooth pass catcher and explosive route runner who has gotten a ton of reps from the moment he walked into Training Camp.

 

Logan is taking reps as a starter. Fourth-round draft pick Matt Barkley caught up with the tempo of his first preseason action at the quarterback position and came on strong against New England. Wolff is making a serious run at a starting job.

 

That's five players who have a chance to play a lot through the preseason and earn some playing time -- major playing time for most -- when the regular season rolls around.

 

It isn't as if the Eagles made it easy for the rookies. The truth is, as Bill Davis said about his approach on rookies as far as the defense goes, the kids have earned every rep they've gotten.

 

"I believe when you start, they should start at the bottom and they should earn their way up. It doesn't take long for the better players to push their way up," said Davis. "It comes from the basis that the vets have been here and worked at it, someone's got to take it from them before you anoint somebody.

 

"But a lot of times you see the talented young guys come up, they take it pretty quick. When it's time, you've seen it, they've earned it, then they come up."

 

The roster has had significant turnover since the end of the 2012 season, with more to come. The last two draft classes form the young core the Eagles hope grows into greatness in the near future, with some sizeable help from veterans like Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, much of the offensive line ad a handful of pieces on defense.

 

To build into a contender once again, the Eagles need their kids to develop into quality players. They have some of the players from last year's draft class like defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, linebacker Mychal Kendricks, defensive lineman Vinny Curry (if he continues to play as he did on Friday night), quarterback Nick Foles, cornerback Brandon Boykin and running back Bryce Brown.

 

Add in the handful -- more like a large scoopful -- of draft picks from this past April already forcing their way into the rotation and the Eagles are developing a strong base from which to build.

 

This is how it must be for a team transitioning its coaching staff and overhauling its roster. The Eagles need to continue to find out what they have here and who they want to be part of the immediate future.

 

Certainly, the promotions for Logan and Wolff signify a salute to the good work those two players have done early in their careers. Johnson is off to a dominating start at right tackle. Ertz has a lot of promise as a new-age tight end.

 

And so, early in camp, the draft class has spoken volumes. The next step is to see how the rookies handle the increased reps and the added pressure of playing with the front-line Eagles.

 

"I don't feel like I'm jumping ahead of myself at all," said Wolff. "One day at a time. I hear it all the time. One day and one practice at a time and hopefully I'll be where I want to be."

 

I just love this approach period. Looking at our last couple of seasons, there were guys that did not deserve to start. They seemed to be complacent with their position and there was no urgency with their play on the field and it showed up a lot. The message on the team now is that you earn and lose your job by how you play on the field. This keeps the competitive juices flowing and keeps guys on their toes to always try and perform the best they can. Basically, it's just give guys a shot that proved and deserves to play. This is probably why Chris Polk started out with the one's in the preseason game because he outshined Bryce Brown in training camp who was dropping a lot of catchable balls. Clearly, it sent a message to Bryce and he played great in his preseason debut in the running and passing game and put a TD on the board. No one will fill complacent and this will force guys to always play hard. Something that was definitely missing at the end of Andy Reid's tenure.

[Turry 755]

Clay Harbor confirmed he's been moved to wide receiver.

Harbor was buried as the fourth-string tight end. With the Eagles now desperate at wideout, they'll give the 6'3/250-pounder a shot at lining up out wide. We wouldn't expect much success. Although Harbor has good athleticism, he's extremely limited as a route-runner. Harbor has just 47 catches for 421 yards with four touchdowns in his three-year career.

Source: CSN Philly

[Dutch 874]

Not sure how successful that move will be; transitioning Clay Harbor from TE to WR.

[Dutch 874]

Preseason Week Two Report Card: The defense shows up for the Eagles

 

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/8/16/4626602/preseason-week-two-report-card-the-defense-shows-up-for-the-eagles

 

The Eagles received their first "win" of the Chip Kelly Era last night, as they took down the Carolina Panthers with a score of 14-9. The final tally for the Eagles might not look impressive, but outside of three turnovers in the first-half, the first-team offense moved the ball very well. Both Michael Vick and Nick Foles had their moments, but the former likely widened the gap between the two with his performance. On the flipside, the team's defense rebounded in a major way after a sub-par performance against the Patriots one week ago.

 

What We Know

 

Vick is clearly comfortable in Kelly's offense. He has looked strong in the pocket and has made very good choices with the football. Something is rarely mentioned with Vick is accuracy, but the last two preseason games have shown him to be accurate with a clean pocket. What is so impressive about Vick's performance is that outside of his final play last night, he has been extremely smart with the football.

Foles, if he doesn't bounce back to win the starting job, will be among the top five backups in the league. It almost seems like he is good enough to start but still need some work. That is a very good thing, because it is clear that Matt Barkley needs some time. Foles played admirably in his first drive before throwing an atrocious interception in the endzone. Much like last week, he responded to a turnover with a touchdown drive. The Arizona alum ran in for a seven-yard score.

The Eagles clearly have good teachers. The defense went from being abysmal last week to pretty impressive last night. The blocking all-around was even improved and coverage, for most part was there. Kelly preaches teaching, so it is good that the players are clearly buying in.

LeSean McCoy is a top five running back. His preseason debut was nothing short of spectacular as he ran eight times for 47 yards and a touchdown, while collecting three passes for 16 yards. He had some runs that looked effortless and they likely were. The guy is so talented and this offense is going to rely on him heavily.

Lane Johnson has come as advertised. While he gave up a sack on an inside move, Johnson pretty much held his own against a Pro Bowl defensive end in Charles Johnson and the rest of the Panthers' pass rush. With Jason Peters out of action and Todd Herremans having another rough night, it was good to see the offensive line play well. The first-time offensive line gave up just one sack.

Jason Avant, DeSean Jackson and Riley Cooper showed last night why they will be the Eagles' top three wide receivers. Avant had some extremely impressive catches and finished the night with four receptions for 42 yards. Jackson was not targeted by Foles but caught two passes from Vick for 28 yards, including a 19-yard reception. Riley Cooper caught two passes for 27 yards and had THE block on the Foles touchdown run. If you were wondering why Cooper is starting, that block clearly showed you why.

Chris Polk is nice but he's not Bryce Brown good. Polk has been one of the featured stories at training camp and he had some solid runs in last night's contest. However, it doesn't seem like he has gained ground on Brown, who missed the game due to an injury. On Vick's first drive, Polk coughed up the ball to kill what was an impressive series for the offense. He finished with five carries for 24 yards and a catch for nine yards.

Vinny Curry is a fit for Billy Davis' defense. The now-defensive tackle and 3-4 defensive end has shown he is a very solid tackler and is great against the run. Last week, Curry shined as a pass rusher, but this week he was impressive against the ground game. It should be interesting to see if he jumps Cedric Thornton in the starting lineup.

Pat Chung is clearly the best safety on the roster and it is not even close. The former Patriot was everywhere in the first-half and was a standout against the run. He has been very vocal in games and seems to be the leader of the secondary.

Special teams has drastically improved from last year already. Both Brandon Boykin and Damaris Johnson had impressive returns last night. Johnson had a nice 18-yard punt return and returned a kickoff for 30 yards while Boykin had a kickoff return for 41 yards.

Remaining Questions

 

Will Chip Kelly name a starting quarterback this week?

Will Ifeanyi Momah ever show up?

Who is the backup center (Dallas Reynolds or Julian Vandervelde)?

Is Felix Jones done?

Could Earl Wolff be a starter from Week One?

Will the Eagles sign more competition for the back outside linebacker position?

After a pretty good performance, can Brad Wing catch up to Donnie Jones in the punter battle?

Can Russell Shepard make the roster after two forgettable performances in the preseason?

Hot

 

The first-team offensive line has been very good the last two weeks. Foles and Vick have had limited pressure and only had to deal with a pair of sacks. Evan Mathis may be the best guard in the league, but Jason Kelce, Allen Barbre and Lane Johnson are really working well together. Herremans had a holding call but wasn't awful either. Barbre is likely the first offensive lineman off the bench when the regular season rolls around.

The top four wide receivers are solid. Cooper, Jackson and Avant are veterans and have played well the last two weeks. Damaris Johnson has also been impressive and is likely to receive a bigger role in the offense this season.

Vick is ready to be named the starter and frankly, he deserves it. While both Foles and Vick have had limited preseason reps, barring something drastic in Jacksonville, this is Vick's job. Both guys have been impressive in leading the offense but there is just a ton more to like about Vick at the moment. Foles will likely have an opportunity at some point as history is against Vick playing all 16 games.

As previously mentioned, Vinny Curry is a beast. He has taken to the scheme change very well and it has been fun to watch him dominate offensive linemen.

Brandon Boykin had himself a game last night. Boykin had a great kick return and was stellar in coverage. He had two near-interceptions and really just played well. He has become more than a slot corner this summer and that has been apparent over the last two weeks.

Welcome to the party Fletcher Cox and Cedric Thornton. The pair forced heavy pressure early on and Cox nearly sacked Cam Newton on Carolina's first drive. Thornton was constantly in the backfield and in Newton's face. They both clearly adjusted their play after a week in the film room.

Emmanuel Acho might be one of the most exciting fringe guys to watch on this team. He is making this roster and his range on the field has been really eye-opening. This kid could be a serious player down the road.

Mychal Kendricks had a solid game. He terrorized Newton on a blitz, where he nearly got a sack and he did a good job against the run. He got into the backfield a few times and was very active.

Pat Chung looked very good last night, as did Earl Wolff. I would not be surprised in the least if they are starting safeties this season.

Eddie Whitley had a good couple of series. He played well in single coverage.

A collective round of applause for the entire Philadelphia defense. Billy Davis and his unit made Cam Newton look like Cleo Lemon. He was constantly harassed and held onto the ball forever. The second unit also owned Derek Anderson and Jimmy Claussen.

Chip Kelly understands clock management. YAY!

Not

 

If you came in blind, you wouldn't know that Nate Allen was competing for a starting job. Outside of a late-hit that wasn't called on a run play, Allen was basically invisible on first glance. I almost seems like the Eagles will have to monitor the waiver wire and surprising veteran cuts to maintain a respectable safety unit at this point.

Alex Henery missed a 44-yard field goal. The guy has real trouble from 50-plus, but missing a that kick is just eye-opening. I was in favor of bringing in competition for Henery, but for the third-year in a row, Henery will go unchallenged.

Cary Williams got beat a few times early and looked lost at time. That said, the team seemed to get a bit edgier following his comments to the media this week.

Felix Jone is likely done. The guy can't stay healthy and has shown nothing.

Are Momah or Shepard ever going to make a play? DeAndre Brown and Jeremy Bloom had more impressive preseason games.

Miscellaneous Musings

 

Was hoping to see G.J. Kinne at a different position tonight...oh well.

Brandon Lee Gowton's guy Derek Carrier had a nice catch in the third quarter but it was called back on a hold. Then he had an ugly drop a play or two later.

I really enjoyed that Brian Baldinger highlighted the full-on switch of the defense line in the middle of a series. Most people miss stuff like that in the middle of everything in games.

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I type without proofing and sometimes I think too quickly as I typed. Unfortunately, I had a Twitter failure that had the rest of the BGN staff understandably giving me a very hard time:

 

While I wrote "take the points," I meant to say "take the points you have into halftime" implying that Vick shouldn't have forced a throw that could have ended in an unfortunate pick-six. Feel free to hate below.

 

Huge improvement from week 1 to week 2. Going to start out with the offense this week.

 

Offense

 

Our offense had some sharp drives again this week. Foles was looking great on his first drive. Then he got the the redzone, almost got sacked and threw an interception. He tried to throw it away in the back of the endzone but didn't get enough air on it. Regardless of his intentions, he failed executing it. A turnover is a turnover. He was putting together a great drive but had a horrible ending. However, in Foles second drive, he continued to look sharp, made some good throws and got into the endzone. Foles ran for a TD beating Luke Kuechly on the edge. Then Michael Vick got onto the field. His first drive was looking very sharp and efficient but Chris Polk fumbled the ball on a running play. Another turnover. On Vick's second drive, he turned it up. He orchestrated a very fast pace uptempo offense drive and shredded the Panthers. Vick had a 7 play 74 yard drive and was 4/4 with 53 yards in 2:07. Lesean Mccoy was awesome on that drive and broke a couple of Panthers ankles. In regards to the QB competition, both QBs have been playing well, but without a doubt, Vick is winning. Vick hasn't had the meaningful turnovers and is stretching the field more. He just appears to be more dangerous. Foles still has been playing great. Fast faced drives on the defenses heels, moving the chains, and putting points on the board but the turnovers have been killing him. We've had enough turnovers the past two years and can't move forward with the same approach. With how good our offense was performing, we should have put more points on the board.

 

Our offensive line is still playing phenomenal. Lane Johnson allowed his 1st sack. It was against Charles Johnson but outside of that, he played very well against the high caliber DE. Todd Herremans struggled again and even had a holding call against Luke Kuechly.

 

 

Defense

 

The defense thoroughly improved from last week. A lot less missed tackles. We had 13 missed tackles against the Patriots and only missed 3 in game 2. Our D-line is still getting to the QB creating pressure and knocking down QBs; very disruptive. Cedric Thorton is continuing to make plays. He had a nice pressure that caused an incomplete pass and a running stuff in the backfield. Fletcher Cox is still wreaking havoc on the QB. Cam broke out and scrambled out the pocket and Fletcher Cox chased him down in the open field and knocked him down causing an incomplete pass. Mychal Kendricks had a MUCH better showing today. Kendricks was sent on a few blitzes this game and had success. He got a running stuff in the back field and also a QB knockdown that caused an incomplete pass. Kendricks also had a nice open field tackle on Cam in isolation. Vinny Curry still making plays and is giving Cedric Thorton great competition for the starting position. Both guys are playing awesome. Bennie Logan also batted a pass down at the line of scrimmage. Nate Allen is still blowing coverages and Cary Williams was getting worked by Steve Smith. Brandon Boykins however made several pass break ups. The downside was that both pass break ups were easy catchable interceptions and he dropped them. Great breaking up the play but he has to make those interceptions in the future. Patrick Chung is still proving to be a good asset as a tackling safety making some great tackles. All in all though, our ones on defense stifled the Panthers ones on offense. The Panthers only had 40 yards by the end of the 1st quarter and didn't get into the endzone all game. Trent Cole also had another quiet game..

 

 

Special Teams

 

Our special teams is like night and day from last year. Boykins had a great 41 yard kick return and Damaris Johnson had a 30 yard return himself. Our special teams coverage is also on the money. Brad Wing has had some great punts as well; long hang time and two inside the 20 yard line. Alex Henery however missed a 44 yard FG. He's had a great two years but I think we need to bring in some kicker competition.

 

 

Overall, even though it's only game 2 of the preseason, I am officially hype and optimistic. Not trying to put stock into the preseason, but in areas that we struggled in, I'm seeing visual tangible progression. The story will unfold more ofcourse in the preseason but I have a good feeling about our coaching staff. I just can't wait for the regular season. Again, no expectations but I believe we are in the right direction.

Edited August 18, 2013 by dutchff7

[Dutch 874]

Eagles Sign DE Eddie McClam

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Eagles-Sign-DE-Eddie-McClam/f9d1fee2-454f-4ad4-a7a4-00489cf9d87c

 

The Eagles added depth to the defensive line on Saturday, signing defensive end Eddie McClam.

 

McClam, 6-5, 265, is a product of Old Dominion and went undrafted in 2012. He spent time last season with the Detroit Lions.

 

McClam worked out for the Eagles Saturday morning and will participate in today's open practice at Lincoln Financial Field, wearing No. 74.

[Dutch 874]

Saturday Practice Injury Report

 

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Saturday-Practice-Injury-Report/af323112-9278-473c-93c8-38954be4646f

 

The Eagles announced the following players will not participate in Saturday's practice because of injury:

 

Fullback/tight end Emil Igwenagu (Concussion)

 

Offensive guard Danny Watkins (Concussion)

 

Running back Felix Jones (Oblique strain)

 

Offensive tackle Dennis Kelly (Back)

 

Cornerback Curtis Marsh (Fracture in right hand)

 

Inside linebacker Casey Matthews (Left knee)

 

Safety Kenny Phillips (Right quadriceps strain)

 

Outside linebacker Phillip Hunt (Left knee)

 

The following players are returning to practice from injury:

 

Long snapper Jon Dorenbos (Concussion)

 

Offensive tackle Jason Peters (Hamstring)

 

Running back Bryce Brown (Quadriceps)

 

Offensive tackle Ed Wang (Knee)

 

Kenny Phillips =/. I want him to work out so bad..