February 2012
34 posts
10 tags
On the Inaccuracy of SackSEER →
Jimmy Kempski:
I think just about any knowledgeable football fan that is familiar with Football Outsiders is generally very complimentary of the work they do (as they should be), but SackSEER has its fans and detractors. The model was formed from data collected prior to the 2010 season and was first introduced in 2010. Therefore, the the model pre-2010 is understandably extremely successful....
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Plax Wants Philly, Philly Should Want Plax
I find it hard to mount any case why the Eagles shouldn’t sign Plaxico Burress. Sure, he’ll be 35 by the time the season starts, and he’s certainly not a role model. But at this point I wouldn’t mind seeing Andy Reid sell a bit of his soul for better red zone production.
2011 was the first year since 2006 that the Eagles have even nudged above average in red zone...
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Everyone's Favorite LB Proves His Athleticism →
Tony Pauline, for Sports Illustrated:
Luke Kuechly, Boston College: Questions about Kuechly’s speed and athleticism preceded the combine. He answered his critics in dynamic fashion, running both of his 40s in the mid 4.5-second range. His vertical jump of 38-inches and broad jump of 10-feet, 3-inches graded among the better marks from today’s linebackers. He was smooth opening his...
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Will Nate Allen Finally Break Out in 2012? →
John Breitenbach, for Pro Football Focus:
Having said that, Allen’s performances late in the season can give Eagles fans hope going into 2012. Following that New England debacle, he graded positively in each of the last five games, amassing a grade of +7.2 in that span. Overall, he finished at +3.8, good enough for 15th in the league last year. He looks ready to break out if he can remain...
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RG3 to Philly? It's Pretty Crazy
Heisman-winning quarterback and draft analyst man-crush Robert Griffin III met with the Eagles at the NFL Combine late last week, sparking a mini-resurgence of speculation (read: hope) that by some twist of fate RG3 could be coming to Philadelphia.
Jimmy Kempsi wrote, “it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see the Eagles make some sort of blockbuster trade to move up to 2 to get...
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Trent Edwards Means Nothing →
Les Bowen:
It’s looking as if a quarterback won’t be a big priority for the Eagles in the April draft.
The team announced yesterday it had agreed to terms on a 1-year deal with former Buffalo starter Trent Edwards, who presumably will replace pending free-agent backup Vince Young. Given that 2010 fourth-round pick Mike Kafka is under contract and expected to return, that would...
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Pity the Child →
Jimmy Kempski and his wife had a baby girl yesterday:
When they brought me in for the C section, you’re basically behind a curtain, sitting by your wife’s head. You can’t actually see the operation (nor would you want to do), and there’s so much going on that you barely even notice the doctors performing it. And so, when they pulled the baby out and I could hear her “whaaaaaaah!” for the...
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The Case Against Re-signing Evan Mathis
Due to his Twitter and Reddit participation, Evan Mathis has become something of a unifying force for fan goodwill on the Internet. Honestly, I’m not sure there’s anything Eagles fans online agree about more than that Mathis must be retained.
At the risk of setting off a mini-revolt from those legions of supporters, I wonder if the enthusiasm has gotten a bit out of control. Is...
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Priority: Lock Up Rodgers-Cromartie Long Term
Looking at the Eagles roster as it stands now, cornerback sticks out as a position in flux.
There are eight players signed. Three of those — Nnamdi Asomugha, Joselio Hanson, and Asante Samuel — have crossed the 30-year-old mark, so their football clocks are ticking. Samuel, as discussed yesterday, likely won’t be around in a few months anyway. There’s also a quartet of...
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Despite Jenkins' Return, DT is a Top Draft... →
Les Bowen:
Even though Jenkins is 31 and might not be a long-term starter, his return, along with the return from injury of Antonio Dixon, might mean the Eagles don’t target a defensive tackle with the 15th overall selection in the April entry draft. If they re-sign pending free agent Derek Landri, that will become even less likely.
Disagree. As I briefly mentioned a few weeks ago,...
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Looking Backward, Forward for Asante Samuel
Since yesterday was Presidents Day, it seems like a good time to reflect on the Eagles own self-proclaimed president, Asante Samuel.
Samuel has had an up and down relationship with Philly fans since he arrived in 2008. First he was an overpaid slacker, then an interception machine with a fun and outsized personality, and then a few more missed tackles landed him back on the negative side of...
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Inqy & DN Sports Editors: Papers Won't Miss a Beat →
Josh Barnett and John Quinn, sports editors for the Daily News and Inquirer, respectively (to The 700 Level):
We will have a group of writers whose work will exclusively appear in the Daily News, a group of writers whose work will exclusively appear in the Inquirer and a group of writers whose work will appear in both papers. Everything in the print editions — and much more — will...
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Evan Mathis, Man of the Internet →
Soon-to-be free agent guard Evan Mathis did an AMA (ask me anything) post on Reddit. Fun questions and answers abound.
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Where Did the High-Flying Pass Attack Go?
I’m not sure what happened to the Eagles vaunted quick-strike passing attack of 2010. And after combing through some of the stats from last year, I still don’t have a good read on it.
Let’s just take a minute to compare Michael Vick’s passes of 20 yards or more over the last two years, courtesy of Pro Football Focus:
The numbers show a complicated picture. By some...
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Inquirer and Daily News Set to Merge Coverage →
Mike Armstrong, for the Inquirer:
Under the plan, some elements of sports coverage, arts and other features stories, city and suburban reporting, and various editing functions would be coordinated and shared, Wischnowski said.
The same story might appear in both newspapers.
For example, the papers’ sports departments intend to have one editor in charge of reporters from both...
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Roseman: 'People Call and Your Phone Does Ring' →
Howie Roseman on Asante Samuel’s situation:
“Whenever you have a surplus at a particular position there are talks around the league. People call and your phone does ring and that’s happened in the past couple years by our quarterback situation and so I think there are particular position on our team that maybe we had a surplus at and I expect the phone calls to be active. In terms...
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Mayock: Kuechly a Slam-Dunk for Eagles →
Les Bowen, reporting on NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock’s comments:
“(Kuechly’s) playmaking and instincts are so good, think about Sean Lee. I think that’s the best comparison for him. Sean Lee went in the second round to Dallas (from Penn State, two years ago), but has become a Pro Bowl inside linebacker, and I think this kid is very similar. He doesn’t have the knee issues Sean...
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Drafting Linebackers Not Named Luke Kuechly →
Tommy Lawlor:
Football has become more and more of a passing league. The emphasis on size has gone away. Teams need a SAM to be someone that can hold his ground on run plays that come at him, but that can be done by a 6’1, 240 LB. The key now is for him to be able to hang with TEs, based more on athleticism that just size. Teams are now moving TEs around so if that happens with the SAM on...
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Why DeSean Should Accept the Franchise Tag
With Jeff McLane’s latest report suggesting that the Eagles plan to place the franchise tag on DeSean Jackson, and sources close to the wide receiver in the same report saying that Jackson “would not balk at signing the Eagles’ one-year tender,” I’m starting to wonder if this whole ugly situation might be resolved with less drama than we thought.
At its most...
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In Which Danny Watkins Buys a Fire Truck →
Jason Kelce reports, with photo and video evidence, that fellow Eagles offensive linemen Danny Watkins has purchased a fire truck, apparently for personal use.
On one hand, this could easily be a prank. On the other, it does seem like the rather inevitable conclusion of this and this.
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Sure, Why Not? →
Jason Cole, Yahoo Sports:
In addition, according to a source close to Moss, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets are at least curious and the San Francisco 49ers could look to fill a hole if they let go of Josh Morgan in free agency. A source with one of those teams conveyed via text it would be “intriguing” to see what Moss has left in the tank after a year away from the game.
...
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Room to Improve for LeSean McCoy as a Receiver
LeSean McCoy had an All-World rushing season last year, racking up 1300 yards and 17 touchdowns, good enough for best in the NFL in DYAR, by far. McCoy is also a more complete player than most other backs. His pass blocking has, by all accounts, improved significantly since he entered the league. And out of the backfield, McCoy has caught 166 balls over the last three seasons — third-most...
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Report: DeSean to be Franchised →
Jeff McLane:
They will not let their Pro Bowl receiver - whose contract is set to expire - walk without getting something in return, according to NFL sources.
The franchise tag doesn’t come as a surprise, but given McLane’s general stance as mouthpiece for the Eagles front office, we can assume this comes from the top.
The Eagles still hold negotiating rights to Jackson and...
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Bowles Turned Down Raiders Coordinator Job →
Jonathan Tamari:
Bowles, the only new addition to the coaching staff, took the Eagles job over offers to become the defensive coordinator in Oakland, to remain the assistant head coach/secondary coach in Miami, or take the same position in Cincinnati.
Obviously, we’re taking new secondary coach Todd Bowles at his word here, but it’s surprising to say the least. Perhaps Bowles...
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Training Days With Luke Kuechly →
Sheil Kapadia:
Essentially, Kuechly runs through a mini-combine on a daily basis. And he’s not alone. While there are currently 30 prospects training at IMG Academy, there are 300-plus training around the country. The combine presents a series of predictable tests. It’s the job of agents, trainers, coaches and advisers to make sure there are no surprises, that the prospects know exactly...
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Extend LeSean McCoy's Contract Already
One of the most worrisome characteristics of Eagles front office in the last couple of years has been its seeming reluctance to hand out early contract extensions to their young players.
Now, there have been extenuating circumstances. For starters, the drafting has been poor overall, so there haven’t been many players since 2008 that have been worth extending. Additionally, the...
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Against the Grain →
Tommy Lawlor:
Should Andy Reid embrace Super Bowl talk? I don’t mean go all Rex Ryan and start talking about how we’re the best and definitely will win the SB. I’m talking more about openly using the phrase “Super Bowl” when discussing the season and goals…
Normally I don’t think this would be smart, but since Reid is going to be under big pressure this year…could this actually be...
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Michael Vick: Under Pressure
I don’t think anyone (with the possible exception of Andy Reid) was shocked when Juan Castillo didn’t work out on defense. But nearly everyone was surprised at just how far Michael Vick regressed from his star season in 2010.
The big problem Vick had was simply turnovers. After posting zero interceptions through his first eight games the previous season, Vick was picked off 14...
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Yes, Michael Vick can be ELIte →
Les Bowen:
That last part was the most important; it was what separated the Giants from, say, the 49ers. Eli was sacked 11 times in the playoffs - more than any other quarterback. He still completed 65 percent of his passes, threw for nine touchdowns and was intercepted exactly once. His QB rating was 103.3. He averaged 304.8 passing yards per game.
Good luck copying that...
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The Giants Won the Super Bowl
… with this touchdown.
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Dawkins Considering Retirement →
Paul Domowitch:
Brian Dawkins said yesterday that he hasn’t yet made a decision on whether he wants to play a 17th NFL season.
The 38-year-old, nine-time Pro Bowl safety, who has played the last three seasons in Denver after leaving the Eagles as a free agent in 2009, missed four of the Broncos’ last five games, including both of their playoff games, with a neck injury. He...
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Answering the DeSean Jackson Question
Sam Lynch’s post at Iggles Blitz provides a good framework for looking at the DeSean Jackson question. It’s important to note, as he does, that so much of your opinion is based on what you think about Jackson.
I’ve explored that topic a few times, most notably here. I’ll stick with the assessment I made then of DeSean’s abilities:
Perhaps Jackson is just a...
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Chalk It Up to Experience
It pains me to see that people are still arguing that Juan Castillo deserves to return as defensive coordinator in 2012. I don’t hold out hope of convincing these misguided souls, but I do want to rebuke one point that keeps coming up: the myth of a single year of experience.
I’ve already spoken at length about how the final few games were a mirage, and both Jeffrey Lurie and Andy...
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Castillo, One of Three Defensive 'Head Coaches' →
Chris McPherson, for the Eagles website:
Castillo said he was open to the idea of adding Spagnuolo to the defensive staff. Castillo points to Spagnuolo’s resume which includes a Super Bowl trophy from his time as defensive coordinator with the Giants.
“There’s nothing wrong with having three or four head coaches on the defensive staff,” Castillo said.
Well, that...