Iggles Blog - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

Three Hours...

It's wrong to be this excited about a game that doesn't mean anything.

Oh well.

Why is no one talking about Brodrick Bunkley these days?  Wasn't the guy a #1 pick? 

He certainly played all right last year, but that's a far cry from the dominant force he was in college.  I think we learn a lot about Bunk the next few weeks.

Update:  Does he look smaller to everyone else, too?  (Note to PE.com:  If you all could set up the gallery section so that we can link to individual images, that would be great.)

Eagles Preseason Drinking Game

The Eagles 2008 season somewhat officially begins tonight in Pittsburgh.  To celebrate this momentous occasion -- and to obscure the fact that most preseason football games are mind-numbingly boring after the first 20 minutes -- I propose the following drinking game. 

Please feel free to play along at home.  Some of us have kids, families and blogs to take care of, but for the rest of you lowlifes I would point out that a) it's Friday night and b) there's only one game on, so there's no need to pace yourselves.

Let us begin.

----------------------------------------------------

Take one drink if/when...

... Pittsburgh sends at least five guys at the quarterback.
... Tony Hunt completes a run of more than 1.6 yards.
... "The confluence" appears on screen.
... Max Jean-Gilles looks really, really slow getting outside on a screen pass.
... An Eagles receiver drops a pass (unless it's the #12 guy on the depth chart, in which case no need to pile on).
... A non-Division I-A school is mentioned.
... [TV Edition] Charlie Casserly starts a sentence with "When I was in Houston..."
... [Radio Edition] Merrill Reese talks about how he thinks "Brent Celek really has a future in this league."
... [Couch Edition] Someone in the room points out how small David Akers is now.

Take two drinks if/when...

... Pittsburgh sends at least six guys at the quarterback.
... Lito Sheppard allows a completion of more than 8.9 yards.
... SWMBO asks: "Do you really have to watch the whole thing?"
... The word "vanilla" is used.
... After a blown coverage, two guys in the secondary gesture wildly to make sure everyone knows it was not their fault.
... Donovan makes a really dumb joke during his sideline interview and then transitions with: "Nah, I feel great, my shoulder feels great..."
... You think "Jamie Moyer" the first time Kevin Kolb throws a pass after coming in for Donovan (you know it's gonna happen now).
... [TV and Radio Editions] Anyone uses the words "DeSean Jackson" and "confidence" in the same sentence.

Take three drinks if/when...

... Pittsburgh sends at least seven guys at the quarterback.
... the Eagles manage a kickoff return of more than 35 yards.
... we see a shot of Tra Thomas (or his agent) smiling after Winston Justice blows a pass protection.
... the Eagles call two straight running plays.
... [TV Edition] Dave Spadaro says he thinks the Eagles could keep six wide receivers, eight linebackers or five running backs.
... [Radio Edition] Mike Quick says: "I'm really impressed with the way" and then names a guy who won't be on the team in a month.

Finish your drink if/when...

... Pittsburgh says "F it" and sends all 11 guys at the quarterback.
... Jerome McDougle or Ryan Moats suffers his annual "it doesn't look good but we'll have to see what the MRI says" injury.
... We see my parents in the stands (I'll let you know).

----------------------------------------------------

Please feel free to add your own in the comments...

Making The Leap?

The biggest reason most non-Philadelphians are writing off this year's Eagles squad as a serious contender is because the team just doesn't look all that different from what they've seen the last couple years.  Same quarterback, same all-world running back, same solidly-average starting receivers.  Sure, they added Asante Samuel in free agency, but whoever heard of a cornerback taking a team to the Super Bowl?

On the one hand, of course, these folks are right.  The Eagles have been a remarkably stable organization over the past few (make it 10) years.  They're nobody's flavor of the month.

On the other hand, folks who aren't as intimately familiar with the Eagles as all of us are may not realize just how much turnover there's been.  Compare the starting lineups over the last three seasons with the projected lineup for 2008:

 

Only eight starters remains from that awful 2005 campaign.  Seven positions have had at least three different starters in that timeframe.  The WIL position has had a different guy slotted in to start every single year.  That's plenty of turnover.

Of course, the real question isn't if the names have changed, but if the new players are better than the old ones.  For the most part, the answer seems to be yes:

• Herremans over Hicks
• Jackson over Fraley
• Curtis over Lewis and (grudgingly) Stallworth
• Patterson over Thomas
• Cole over Kalu
• Gaither over all those guys
• Samuel over young Lito

The downgrades:

• Owens / Brown
• 2005 Trotter / 2008 Bradley (presumably)
• 2006 Lewis / 2008 Mikell

And the call-it-evens:

• Fullbacks
• Jones / Gocong
• Bunkley over Walker (very close, with Bunkley ahead against the run and Walker better against the pass)

A lot of these guys were around last year, though, so the difference between '07 and '08 (besides the health of McNabb and the secondary) is going to have to come from younger guys improving the way younger guys tend to do -- for a few years, until they level off. 

Just as a reminder, here's the experience level of the starters we're looking at this year:

So figure once a guy gets to a certain point -- say his second contract -- he's probably done getting much better.  There are always exceptions, but let's only look at the players with five or fewer years of experience.  These are the guys who have a chance to really improve in 2008:

Notice that we're talking about six guys out of the front seven.  (And if Abiamiri handn't gotten hurt, it would be all seven.)  This defense really has a chance to take a major step forward this year.  I'd be surprised if they don't, in fact.

Breaking down the players individually:

• Reggie Brown -- I'm not sold on Brown.  I'm not sure how much is his fault (his numbers when McNabb is hurt are markedly, puzzlingly better), but he's very much in a "prove it" situation this year.  With that said, we're really looking at this position as "starter opposite Kevin Curtis."  What that means is that you get four rolls of the dice here:  Brown, Baskett, Avant and Jackson.  You only have to get lucky once.
• Todd Herremans -- Another interesting position in that he's got a guy nipping at his heels who might even be more talented.  You don't step in at left tackle as a rookie if you can't play this game though, so I think the forecast here is very positive.
• Shawn Andrews -- Capable of being more consistent, but it's hard to see him improving much.  Especially with the circus in town.
• Jason Davis -- No.  Whoever wins this position battle will be just another sub-par role player.
• Mike Patterson -- He made his leap last year.  He'll get more opportunities if all the players around him step up their games, but it won't be because he got that much better.
• Brodrick Bunkley -- Ding Ding Ding.  Watch out for this guy.  He's entering his third year in the league and his second year as a starter, just like Patterson last year.  The light should come on in a big way.
• Trent Cole -- I think he's maxed.  It's a good max, though.
• Omar Gaither -- Absolutely.  And it's entirely because he'll be back in a position where he's better suited to thrive.  I look to Omar to be a big-time playmaker this year.
• Stewart Bradley -- Lot of hype.  We'll see.  First year as a starter, though, which suggests to me that next year is his year to make the jump.
• Chris Gocong -- He should make the leap.  After all, this is his third season and second year starting.  That's the magic point.  I'm just not feeling it.  PFP called Gocong an "inoffensive starter" after last season.  I think he stays there.

Yes, you could say I'm no longer irrationally excited about Chris Gocong.  It's a sad day.

Shawn Andrews On NBC 10

Video interview here.  Haven't watched it myself yet.

Jeff Lurie Reads PFP

Well, actually no, I'm sure he's getting this research firsthand (what I could do with those numbers...):

"I will say that I'm very hopeful that Lito will have a terrific season. (That he will) show us, and the league, that he's back to the old Lito, feels healthy, (that) he's got great playmaking ability and certainly a lower YPA (yards per attempt) and just really perform the way that we know Lito can. I think that's what he's going to do."

In Lito's defense, William James was even worse.

And somewhere, Joe Banner smiles.

Or does the finger-tent "excellent."  It has to be one of the two.

So No, We Shouldn't Be Mad At Andrews

From Eagletarian:

Shawn Andrews says not to believe any of the salacious rumors about his absence from the Eagles. Don't even believe the more mundane "speculation that I just don't want to go to camp," Andrews said in a phone conversation with the Daily News from his home in Arkansas Monday afternoon.

"I'm willing to admit that I've been going through a very bad time with depression," the Eagles' two-time Pro Bowl right guard said. "I've finally decided to get professional help. It's not something that blossomed up overnight. I'm on medication, trying to get better."

Andrews didn't want to go into the origins of his depression, which he said began a little more than a year ago and steadily worsened. "I really was kind of at my end," he said. "I've really had a lot on my mind, really (been) contemplating a lot of things."

Fine.  Glad things seem to be working out now, for him.  There isn't a single Eagles fan out there who's going to hold any ill will toward Andrews now that the situation is out.

Which is why I'm calling BS on this part:

Andrews has been reading some of the comments fans have made online about his situation.

"I don't expect sympathy," he said. "I know there are harsh people in this world, but dang, that made me feel low. I do care what people think about me, to an extent."

Shawn, if you'd told us what the problem was you would have had everyone's sympathy right off the bat.

And sure, you can say it's nobody's business but his own, but:

1. That's not the way professional athletics works.  It's not like Andrews could have just shown up next week, declined to talk about what the problem was, and assumed everyone would just drop it.  Not gonna happen.
2. For every guy who has a serious challenge like this and just needs some time to get things together, there are 25 who are pissed about their contracts, don't want to work out in the heat, or accidentally slipped on a McDonald's wrapper and lacerated their arms. 

We were just playing the odds, dude.

Football Season Is Here

It's a sign of the current sports world pecking order that I spent far more time last night watching an NFL preseason game so meaningless the Colts held out 14 mostly uninjured players rather than an important midseason clash between the Phillies and Cardinals. 

I caught some of the last couple innnings, but I'm guessing I wasn't the only one with misplaced priorities.

- - - - - -

Stewart Bradley really is the guy.  I thought there was at least a decent chance this year that Bradley would go through the season being somewhat protected, much like what the Eagles did with Chris Gocong last year.  That really doesn't seem to be the case, though, since we're still learning things like this:

Linebacker Stewart Bradley practiced with the first-team dime defense as the lone linebacker, a role he's adjusting to.

"It's working the communication with the safeties," Bradley said. "It's like your regular defense, but just with a lot of safeties in there. You have to make sure everything's straight."

On my list of things to watch for in preseason, Bradley's coverage skills are right up there. 

- - - - - -

Speaking of the preseason...  Friday night's game against the Steelers will be shown live on NFL Network (in HD).  Other national game times and channels:

Thursday, Aug. 14
Carolina Panthers -- 8:00 PM (FOX)

Saturday, Aug. 23
New England Patriots -- 7 a.m. (NFLN HD)
New England Patriots -- 1 p.m. (NFLN HD)

Wednesday, Aug, 27
New England Patriots -- 8 p.m. (NFLN HD)

Saturday, Aug, 30
New York Jets -- 11 a.m. (NFLN HD)

- - - - - -

And while we're at it, here's my full list:

1. McNabb's mobility and command (duh)
2. Special teams coverage and return units
3. Kolb's progression
4. Bradley in coverage
5. DeSean Jackson returning punts
6. DeSean Jackson playing wide receiver
7. Chris Clemons as a pass rusher
8. Darren Howard to see if all the hype is for real
9. Trevor Laws' and Dan Klecko's ability to get penetration
10. Who plays where on the offensive line once the starters go out

And of course my own personal #11:  Tony Hunt's overall performance.

- - - - - -

As I've said before, I don't really get the whole 'Bash Spadaro' thing.  With that said, he does have a tendency to just assume stuff away:

DeSean Jackson, after seeing him in the spring and now in training camp, appears ready to make an impact.

Jackson is a threat every time he is on the field because of his down-the-field speed and his explosiveness with the ball in his hands...

The size isssue isn't one for Jackson. He has superb hands, great body control and the ability to change direction as well as anyone the Eagles have had in a long, long time at receiver.

Ok, but none of what follows explains why the highlighted sentence is true.  All of that may be so, but we still have to worry about the little guy getting his head taken off out there.

- - - - - -

I had no idea Ryan Moats was so interesting.  I was searching for more info on the P90X traing regimen that Akers is so fired up about and came across Moats' page on pe.com.  Follow that link, then click the "personal" tab. 

- - - - - -

Want to know today what everyone will be complaining about tomorrow?  Here ya go:

"Lurie is scheduled to give his state of the team address after practice today."

Just One Long Conversation

News fly around so fast during training camp, there really isn't much point in focusing on any one issue.  So let's just keep the conversation going.

- - - - - -

Following up on at that Booker point from a couple days ago.  First, here's Andy Reid on the issue:

On how RB Lorenzo Booker and WR DeSean Jackson are fitting into the scheme so far: "Book is doing very well. He's a real smart guy, and I had mentioned this before that RB Brian Westbrook picked this thing up as fast as any running back that I'd been around in this system, and Booker seems to be doing the same thing. He's a fast learner. And then he knows he's playing with a great player, a couple of great players with (RB Correll) Buck(halter) and Brian, and he's willing to learn from those guys. And if a young guy is willing to learn, normally the veteran player will help them out. If it's a rookie that's stubborn, they kind of shy away from sharing things with him. Listen, he's come out here and he's made plays.

Sounds pretty definitive.  Andy Reid's not someone to blow smoke up a guy's tailpipe for no reason.  But wait, there's more:

Though used in a wide variety of institutions, the Wonderlic test has become best known for its use in the NFL pre-draft assessments of prospective football players.

This assessment roughly corresponds to examples from Paul Zimmerman's The New Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football. According to Zimmerman, examples of average scores for each position are:

• Offensive tackle - 26
• Center - 25
• Quarterback - 24
• Guard - 23
• Tight end - 22
• Safety - 19
• Linebacker - 19
• Cornerback - 18
• Wide receiver - 17
• Fullback - 17
• Halfback - 16

And we just so happen to have many 2007 draftee Wonderlic scores available right here.  Current/former Eagles on that list:

RB Lorenzo Booker 17/23
FB Nate Ilaoa 22/30
TE Brent Celek 24/28
DE Victor Abiamiri 27/33
LB Stewart Bradley 30
S C.J. Gaddis 23

I think the PFP guys may need to mark that one down as bad information.

- - - - - -

One more interesting Wonderlic result.

- - - - - -

This Shawn Andrews saga is really starting to test my patience.  One minute it sounds like a holdout.  Then it's emotional problems.  Then he let himself go and blew out his waistline.  Then we're back to money.

I felt kind of bad about this when it then seemed like maybe the guy actually had a problem that wasn't measured in dollar signs.  Now I don't know what to think.

Someone, please, tell me how to feel.  Right now I am seriously pushing the limit of how long I'm allowed to reserve judgment while still calling myself a blogger.

- - - - - -

More from Andy on rookie safety Quintin Demps:

On what he sees in S Quintin Demps: "I've been happy with Demps. You can see that first of all, he had a lot of interceptions in college and you always want to see if that carries over to the pro game. In these practices here, you see him getting his hands on the ball and making catches. Now, we've got him playing both corner and safety, and he's able to handle that mentally and physically and that makes him a valuable guy as long as he can continue to improve in those areas. Then the rest of the rookies are doing great. I think they've been working their tail off and they're playing very well out here."

I'm telling you right now:  J.R. Reed is not going to get cut to make room for a fifth cornerback.  Demps is going to be the swing guy and fill in as the emergency corner from his safety position. 

Of course, then it becomes an interesting question as to who gets deactivated each week. 

- - - - - -

In regards to Hank Baskett:

On how he plans to use WR Hank Baskett in the upcoming season: "Again, you're dealing with a smart guy there. That gives you a little flexibility with what you can do with Hank. He's playing very well right now and he's catching the ball real well. We're seeing him go up and the quarterbacks just put the ball up. He's covered, they put the ball up and he goes and gets the thing. He can about jump out of the house. He's got a great vertical jump and he's utilizing that better. He looks to me stronger than what he's been in the past and he's got that big body to go with it. He's playing very well right now."

Two-parter on this one, in reverse order.  Hank seems to be having an outstanding camp.  Last year, whether it's because he was out of position a lot or because he came into the season thinking he'd arrived or just because it was one of those things, Baskett didn't really take that step forward that we were expecting. 

I've been high on Baskett for a long time.  I think this could very well be the year he makes the leap.  (And by leap I mean "ahead of Reggie Brown" not "2008 Pro Bowl," so calm down.  Of course, this will only make that a higher hurdle.)

Not as sanguine about this part, however:  "Again, you're dealing with a smart guy there. That gives you a little flexibility with what you can do with Hank."

If that means "move him around a lot to where he gets some good matchups," then I think that's great.  If that instead means, "We don't have enough competent tight ends and McNabb is getting killed again so we're going to keep lining him up close to the formation so he can help out our tackles before running his route," then ... I don't like that as much.

- - - - - -

Finally, the starting DT tandem:

On how important DTs Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson are to this team: "They are very important. They're a big part of the middle of your defense. How they play is important. I'm a little hard on those two, but it's for a reason. I expect their play to be top notch. You've got to be strong through the middle of your defense and it starts with those two...

On how he is hard on Bunkley and Patterson: "I want them to keep their game high; every play. There's no time to relax. I know it's hard in there. You've got people coming from all different directions. You've got a lot of big bodies beating on you. It's important that you are mentally tough and that you utilize your strength throughout the practice. You can't be like a thermometer where you start up here and end down here. You have to maintain that strength throughout a two hour practice, and be fine for a game."

Yeah, I just think that's cool.

- - - - - -

Obligatory Hunt mention (my dander's up now):

9:48 AM - Lot of Tony Hunt action today, all on screen passes. It's obvious that Andy Reid wants to see more of Hunt, who really hasn't had a standout camp so far. You'd like to see Hunt run closer to the ground. Still, he's catching everything and getting upfield. We'll see.

Dude. That's just how he runs. 

- - - - - -

What's with all the hamstring problems?

- - - - - -

If Plaxico is injured and pissed and Shockey is gone, who exactly is supposed to scare us this season in New York? 

- - - - - -

Lastly, I think this continues to be good news.  For Eagles fans.

Oh, he wasn't as sharp the next day?  That's amazing.

Counterintuivity

Sounds like a Sting song, doesn't it?

Anyway, some backwards thoughts for today.

- - - - - -

The Cowboys might have a stronger coaching staff this year than last. 

Doesn't seem possible, right?  After all, when Bill Parcells left for Miami, he took with him anything that wasn't nailed down, including a #2 tight end, a spare linebacker, and five coaches (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), four of whom were with the Cowboys last year (QB coach David Lee spent last year with Arkansas).

That certainly seems like quite a hit.  The Eagles lost one guy last year and he ended up playing a big role in the Giants' leap past the Eagles in the division. 

But take a look at the guys Dallas has brought in as replacements (and while you're at it, check out the Jones family gravy train at the executive level):

• Secondary -- Dave Campo, former head coach, long-time assistant in Dallas, Jacksonville and other places where his units have had success.
• Linebackers -- Reggie Herring, college-level coach mostly, worked under Jimmy Johnson at OSU.  Dat Nguyen stays on as his assistant.
• Defensive line -- Todd Grantham, defensive coordinator in Cleveland the past three season.  Fired under strange circumstances, but he has more NFL experience than the guy he's replacnig.
• Offensive line -- Hudson Houck, 25 years of NFL experience, coached the Dallas line from 1993-2001, more recently with the Chargers and Dolphins.

Losing Sparano is certainly a hit, if he's as good as everyone says he is, but three of these four guys easily fall into the category of overqualified for their positions.  The fourth, Herring, is no spring chicken himself and also keeps Nguyen around for help. 

I'm not sure salvation is going to come from poor coaching -- unless you count Wade Phillips.

- - - - - -

Max Jean-Gilles just might win himself a starting guard spot ... playing next to Andrews.

Here's an interesting thought.  The coaches made it pretty clear that big MJG was going to have a chance to unseat Todd Herremans at the left guard spot during this offseason.  But then the big fella stayed a little too big and Herremans worked his tail off to keep his job (or for this?) and by July it was looking like a competition that was set to fizzle.

The problem for MJG is that he wasn't going to get the reps needed to make his case with both Herremans and Andrews doing what they had to to keep him on the sidelines.  But now that Andrews is off scaling Mount Everest for a few weeks, Jean-Gilles is getting all the opportunity he needs.

And consider this ... what if Andrews is out a few more weeks and misses a couple preseason games?  If Jean-Gilles comes in and plays like a monster, are the Eagles really going to send him back to the bench?  I don't think so, which means Herremans could be in trouble (thanks Shawn) OR that we might be seeing the surprise retirement of Jon Runyan, after the coaches move Andrews to the outside to figure out a way to get all three guys on the field. 

I'm not saying it's a foregone conclusion, especially since no one has any idea if Andrews can even be counted on for the full season, but at some point you have to put your five best guys on the field.  We now have a chance to find out if Jean-Gilles is one of them.

- - - - - -

Jerome McDougle might survive again.

This Victor Abiamiri injury doesn't look good.  Here's a good overview.  If he's done for the year, the Eagles are down to five healthy defensive ends, counting McDougle.  Undersized rookied Bryan Smith is still sitting out with a hamstring injury.  Given Smith's status as a project and the verrrrry convenient timing of his injury, you have to believe the Eagles were at least thinking about giving this guy the PUP redshirt year to build up his body and come back strong in 2009.

With VA's status in doubt, things now get a lot trickier.  Do you, um, "rush" Smith back from his injury to try to get him the snaps he needs to be effective when VA might be back in a couple months and then you have roster issues?  I'm not sure you do.  (Nor do we even know if the guy can play at this level.)

At some point, we all have to concede that Jerome McDougle is the luckiest man on the fact of the planet, right?  I mean, it's not just that he somehow manages to magically stay on the roster every year -- the guy got SHOT and it couldn't keep him down.

- - - - - -

By eyewitness accounts, McNabb is looking better than Kolb in camp so far this year.

Wait, this one isn't counter-intuitive at all.  Moving on...

- - - - - -

Did the Eagles actually go get offensive playmakers -- real, effective playmakers -- while no one was looking?

Leaving aside TE Kris Wilson for the moment (whose reported struggles come as no surprise to IgglesBlog readers), the other two significant offseason acquisitions seem to be coming along nicely. 

I think we have to reserve judgment on Booker until the first time we see him make an adjustment and pick up a blitzing linebacker, but you can't teach the ability he seems to have to make people miss.  Same for DeSean Jackson.  The question mark is still his size, but his physical skills seem to be unmissable.

Here's the counter-intuitive part there:  Since first-round receivers so rarely pan out right away, draft one in the second round instead.

Or something.

No No No NO NO NO

Todd, man, you're a professional athlete.  This shouldn't be necessary to get a date.