Source: Adam Schein, FOXSports.com I'm totally pumped about the defense too. It will be scary good if a few things work out: 1. Kearse stays healthy and plays like the beast he was last year. 2. Takeo Spikes adjusts and thrives within this defense. 3. Considine improves. He did a better job than Michael Lewis after he took over. 4. Brodrick Bunkley shows that he truly has adjusted to the NFL game. He was great in mini-camp. Everybody kept going on and on about how much better he was at knowing his assignments. 5. James and Hanson have good years providing secondary depth. Man, I can't wait for the season!!!
Adam Schein knows his stuff. His columns are usually dead on and his radio show is fantastic except for one minor detail, it's on Sirius. But throwaway emails, proxy servers, and 3 day free trials solve that.
As long as he is healthy he is a major difference maker. Pressure makes everyones job behind easier. A big ask IMO. I think Spikes can contribute but not sure he can be a difference maker anymore. His better years are behind him. He looks a useful player and more experience in the system and more reps should certainly help. He should be better in his second year but until he shows it on the field the jury is out. Looking great in mini camp is one thing and if it was to always translate into real performance Taylor Jacobs would be having a Hall Of Fame career currently! They need to because while Lewis struggled, he was still useful depth and Rod Hood was a great option as a 3rd corner. Other concerns on the Eagles D for me would be: Can Sheldon Brown bounce back from a disappointing 2006? How effective can Trotter still be. Will he split time with Gaither and if that is the case, can Gaither be effective? Positives: Even if Bunkley flops, the DL is still deep with the likes of Cole, Howard, Scott, Reagor and Patterson. Chris Gocung is a player I think can come through and contribute in 2007. Players are in a proven and well establish scheme most of them know very well.
Totally agreed. He and Spikes are going to be the biggest difference makers as to the performance of this defense. I don't expect him to be the player that he used to be, but he'll be much further removed from injury, and he improved drastically towards the end of last season. He's only 30. If he can even only perform the way he did towards the end of last season, it's a major upgrade for our defense. I hope so. Knowing that he is the starter hopefully really drove him during the offseason. Agreed. His holdout really hurt him. He wasn't mentally prepared or in shape. This year, hopefully, it's a different story. Yeah, I was hoping we would have held on to Hood. Brown I think will be fine. He let up a few big plays, but overall, he wasn't bad. He's a better cover corner than Lito. Trotter showed up to mini-camp in great shape knowing that he has to fight for his job after a bad season last year. He's an emotional guy who may have the drive to really bounce back in a big way. Gaither is a question mark as far as how he will progress, but he did a really nice job last year. He was a playmaker. Yeah, the Eagles did a nice job of really forcing competition along the defensive line for this year. Gocong's progress at the SAM will be a big factor. He's got the potential.
He's got a bit of headache today. He was inconsistent last season, but with another year under his belt and what should be improved play next to him by Bunkley, I expect him to do much better.
