Iggles Blog - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

The Problem With Jason Taylor

If, as seems increasingly likely, the Dolphins part ways with their (dancing with the) star defensive end Jason Taylor, the Eagles would have to take a look at him, wouldn't they?  After all, the guy has double digit sacks in six of the last eight seasons.  That's a pretty good track record.

My only problem with the guy is that when you're bringing in a late-career veteran to give your team some spark, don't you want him to be someone who cares more about finally winning that ring than he does about laying the groundwork for a post-football media career?

Does that talent trump what looks to be a dwindling fire? 

I guess the best answer to that question comes from imagining him signing with the Cowboys.  Yeah, that would probably bum us all out a fair amount. 

But I like the character this team is building in its locker room.  Not sure you want to mess with that chemistry.

Eagles Sign League's Worst Tight End...

...or running back.

Ok, so look, you can't put too much stock in statistics, guys fit different systems, etc., etc.  But one of the first things I always do after the Eagles sign a new free agent is to head over to Football Outsiders to see how they've performed in the past. 

So I called up the page of tight ends and did a search for "Wilson" and ... nothing came up.  Which is weird, since the guy caught 24 passes last year, well more than enough to qualify for their ratings.  So on a hunch I checked out the running backs page and did the same search.

And there he was.  List as the 58th-best running back who was targeted with at least 25 passes.

Only 58 guys were ranked.

But maybe that's because he's misclassified.  What if you compare him to tight ends instead?  In that case, he'd only be ranked 43rd among guys with at least 25 targeted passes.  Which yes, is also dead last.

I realize Tony Gonzalez is an All-Pro, but here's a comparison using FO's stats for the Chiefs two tight ends last season:

On the plus side, he was only slightly worse than Matt Schobel in 2006. 

I'm a little less excited about this signing than I was two hours ago when I heard we signed a former second-round pick... 

Spadaro Gets His Smacks In

This whole thing is awfully inside baseball, but regular readers of PFT and PE.com (i.e., almost anyone reading this right now) are probably aware that frontmen Mike Florio of the former and Dave Spadaro of the latter had a little bit of back-and-forth a few weeks ago around the departure of Takeo Spikes.  So it's not without some relish that Spadaro gets to write the following this afternoon about the Eagles' signing of tight end Kris Wilson:

Let's clear things up about what Kris Wilson is and how he fits in with the Eagles: He comes here as a tight end. Oh, he can play fullback, as he did at times with Kansas City the last couple of years as the Chiefs searched for ways to get him on the field. And he may, in some formations, line up as a fullback, or an H-back, or at any number of places in the formation, but he is a tight end.

Plain and not so simple.

Doesn't seem that inflammatory to you?  Well then you missed this:

Anyway, the Philadelphia Eagles officially have announced that former Chief Kris Wilson has signed a three-year contract with the team.

And we continue to hear that he primarily will be a fullback, and that he’s trying to get a number in the 20s.

And this:

We’ve also heard that Wilson’s primary position in Philly might end up being fullback, and that his choice of jersey numbers could reflect that.

And this:

The Philadelphia Eagles have announced that free-agent tight end/fullback/H-back Kris Wilson is visiting the team on Wednesday...

He would likely help out considerably at fullback, given that the departure of Thomas Tapeh to the Vikings has been addressed only via the acquisition of Dan Klecko, whom the Eagles plan to convert from his prior position of defensive tackle.

I know, who cares, but I eat this stuff up. 

And it's a slow football week.

Bye Bye Schobel

Another free agent visit coming today:

Free agent tight end Kris Wilson is visiting the Philadelphia Eagles today. He will meet with the media following his visit at 3 PM, we will have complete coverage throughout the day here on PhiladelphiaEagles.com.

The 26-year-old Wilson spent the last four seasons in Kansas City, where he caught 42 passes for 345 yards and four touchdowns as a tight end, H-back and fullback. Wilson also has 15 career tackles on special teams. In 2007, Wilson registered a career-high 24 receptions for 180 yards and one score.

Born in Harrisburg, PA, and a product of J.P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster,  the 6-2, 251-pound Wilson was a 2nd round draft choice of the Chiefs in 2004 from the University of Pittsburgh.

Is This a Coincidence?

In Asante Samuel, SDan Klecko and now Rocky Boiman, the Eagles have signed three players who have six Super Bowl rings among them.  I'm starting to think this isn't a coincidence.

I'm also starting to get a good feeling about next season, based solely on the incontrovertible fact that it's little things like this that end up making a big difference come January.

Targeting the Special Teams

In a move intended to bolster the team's special teams, the Eagles today signed free agent linebacker Rocky Boiman, most recently of the Indianapolis Colts.  Boiman has bounced around the league for six seasons, typically making his greatest contributions on coverage and return teams, although he has started 19 games in his career.

The Eagles appear to be tired of sucking on special teams.  Look for a renewed focus on that phase of the game during offseason practices and the draft.  Fifth wide receivers, fourth linebackers and eighth defensive linemen better show up to knock heads on "teams" this year. 

The need for an explosive return man has still not been addressed.  I hear Pacman Jones might be available in a trade, should hell suddenly freeze over.

Good News, Bad News

If you're an Eagles fan, the news that Deangelo Hall has gotten a new seven-year, $70 million contract from the Oakland Raiders has to make you feel a little better about the money we just threw at Asante Samuel.

On the other hand, if you're Lito Sheppard...

Klecko Questions

It's days like today when I think, "oh what I wouldn't give for a little access."  A few questions on the signing announced today (and the fullback position generally):

1. Is Klecko a) versatile enough and b) good enough on special teams that the Eagles could consider keeping two fullbacks?
2. Is the Klecko signing a reaction to the lack of physicality shown by Thomas Tapeh the last couple years? 
3. Spadaro mentioned the same statistic Jason referenced last week when he said fullbacks generally play about 30 percent of snaps in the Andy Reid offense.  My question is if anyone remembers whether that's been the case since Andy got here, or more of a shift in the last two years. 
4. Relatedly, would having a fullback who was better mean he played more snaps or is it really just a Reid offense thing?
5. Finally, can Klecko catch?

I also wondered about his weight.  His official weight is 275, but today he said:

On what he thinks the ideal weight is for a FB: "I think 260-265 would be a good weight."

On what he currently weighs: "I weigh 280-285."

And if you're wondering about his speed, here's an interesting comparison.  These numbers may or may not be official, but I dug up some old Thomas Tapeh combine numbers here:

4.81 seconds - 40 yard dash
4.62 seconds - 20-yard shuttle run

Compare to Klecko:

Ran the second fastest 40 yard dash for DT's at 4.89.
Had the second fastest 20 yard shuttle for DT's at 4.40.

Interesting.

So I Guess Now We Run the Ball?

Eagles make their next signing (and it's a weird one) via PFT:

Adam Schefter of NFL Network is reporting that the Philadelphia Eagles have reached an agreement on a one-year contract with free agent Dan Klecko.

Klecko has primarily played defensive tackle during his five-year NFL career with the Colts and Patriots, but the Eagles plan to move him to fullback.

The 5-foot-11, 275-pound Klecko has some experience as a fullback in short-yardage and goal line situations, and he caught a four-yard touchdown pass in last year’s AFC Championship Game. Eagles coach Andy Reid apparently sees Klecko as the kind of athlete who could blossom on offense if he practiced at fullback on a full-time basis.

I guess you couldn't find a bigger contrast to Thomas Tapeh's basketball screen-setting style of blocking than to sign a 275-pound defensive lineman. 

I wonder how they plan to use him.  It's not like the Eagles are a fully two-back team, but their fullback usually gets a fair number of snaps [update: per Jason, it was about 30 percent last year].  It's going to be weird seeing a lineman running routes out of the backfield... 

Another question would be how well he can block from the line of scrimmage.  The Eagles haven't had a blocking tight end for as long as I can remember.  Would be nice to be able to go to an effective heavy set now and again.

Or is this all about bringing in someone who can help block Osi and Strahan...

Good News Out of New York

Inasmuch as David Carr makes every team he plays for worse, I think this is excellent news.

I would go so far as to suggest that this should have an impact on the Eagles' draft plans.  Say they've made the Lito trade and they're looking at how to spend a new, high-value second-round pick.  Maybe they're even planning to pull the old switcheroo on the fans again and take the guy no one saw coming -- a wide receiver.

But if instead you could get a pass-rushing defensive end with a nasty streak...

I'm just saying.