The Official Philadelphia Eagles Thread

well the 2007 season is upon us and it's time to start getting ready for another year of eagle's football. it seems that the offense will be able to put points up on the board but the question is will the fdefense be able to stop the other team ??

i have a bad feeling it's going to pretty much be a repeat of last year and if that is the case reid may want to run the ball even more just to try and keep our defense off the field.

i hope i'm wrong on this and the defense plays better but i have a gut feeling that won't happen.

 

Holcomb traded to the Vikings, as expected, for an undisclosed 2009 draft pick. It'll likely be a 6th rounder (considering it's in '09).

Eagles also released some players today: K EJ Cochrane, WR D. Faulkner, TE K. Hunt, WR J. Jamison, S C. Smith, and G C. White.

Also, placed on IR were DE Jerome McDougle, RB Ryan Moats, and G Stefan Rodgers.

Some other notes--after seeing highlights of the game, its possible that Saverio Rocca could make this team. Also, it's troubling that not only did the offensive line give up 4 sacks, for 24 yards, but the defense did not record a single sack, hurry, or QB hit. The lines need to do their jobs before everything else works.

 

how is takeo doing? i saw he had a FF last night.

 

Rocca almost looks like a lock now. He was great last night.

The defensive line didn't get any official hurries? How's that? They were in Big Ben's face a few times. I thought for sure they got one on the pass the Cole intercepted.

He's looked ok. Nothing spectacular outside of the forced fumble, but he didn't have much help around him. At least last night.

 

i didn't think the Eagles d was too bad on the run. They gave up a lot in the air though.

And they definitely did have pressure on Ben. They forced him to throw balls that were bad, including 1 that was intercepted. They forced him out of the pocket and throwing the ball away. So while no sacks, they did get pressure.

 

actually the d-line played well IMO. they did get hurries on roth which was the reason he threw that int. the issue on defense was the LB's more than anything save spikes. the steelers kept calling mis-direction plays and gochong and gathier's heads where spinning.

i beleive he led the team in tackles sunday and forced a fumble at the goal line.

 

Notes from the Steelers game (finally watched the tape):

1st Quarter:
--The reverse/end around had half the team fooled. Fantastic play call and it set the tone for the quarter.
--Eagles got pwned on screens the whole game. Shows two things--that the CBs were doing their job downfield and that the LBs weren't providing good enough coverage on the checkdowns.
--On the INT, BTW, pressure came from Considine and Patterson--Patterson wasn't credited with a hurry.
--I'd like to hear people who were knocking the Kevin Curtis acquisition. He's been the best player on the offense during the preseason, and looks like a stud.
--On McNabb's fumble that was recovered, Thomas Tapeh got obliterated, as did the entire left side of the O-Line (W. Thomas and Herremans).
--Avant on the false start play immediately after took a whopper hit and HELD onto the ball. Avant is your third WR, people.
--Runyan and Cole on the big sack just TOTALLY missed their blocks. Cole blew his assignment and Runyan just "ole'd."
--Rocca has this job down.
--DTs (Patterson/Bunkley) looked good shutting down the middle of the line on running plays, and Spikes looks like a 23 year old again.
--Interesting formation with 7:42 left in Q1. They come out in a 3-4 look, Cole-Patterson-Kearse on the line, with JT and Gocong as standing up-LBs. Spikes as the MIKE, 3 CBs (James, Sheppard, Brown), then they shift into Gocong as an outside rusher with JT, and Considine as the SS crashing the line and blitzing. Roethlisberger had to get rid of the ball almost instantly, and it was a VERY different look. So in essence, it was a 5-1-5 set, with 4 DEs, 1 DT, 3 CBs, and 2 safties. Neato.
--Buckhalter looks good. Avant looks better.
--But you can tell right now that the O-Line is rusty. William Thomas and Herremans are getting manhandled by the Steelers on McNabb's blindside.
--1st and Goal from the 7 and to only get 3 is disappointing.
--Looks like Trent Cole blew an assignment of Kreider. They had Cole back in a zone and he let Kreider take off and catch a pass unhindered for a nice gain.
--Steelers sure know how to set a screen. Spikes getting off blocks like they're dummies in the field.
--2:06, Eagles rush 4, get NO pressure at all, Ben could've written his autobiography back there, then he finds Miller over the middle, who BOUNCES off Considine when then manages to get squarely in Dawkins' way. Ugly play. Zone coverage on the TE busted and Considine couldn't make the stop. Sad for me to say this, but Mike Lewis blows Miller up there.
--Nice goal line stand by the Birds. Darren Howard hasn't been used much at all tonight. First time I've seen "90" out there in fact. Spikes, Howard, and Gaither DEMOLISH Willie Parker.
--Curtis had Deshea Townsend BEAT. McNabb just over threw him a tad. McNabb throws it 3 feet less, it's a 95 yard TD pbutt.
--Nice seal block by Nick Cole.
--Where's Reggie Brown been? Are they just trying to really see what Curtis can give them? It's almost like they're intentionally not involving him.

2nd Quarter:
--Check that--Buckhalter looks very very good.
--Rocca DESTROYED that punt. Nice coverage by Hanson, nice tackle by Baskett.
--Nice push off on Santonio Holmes.
--Bad drop by Reggie.
--Rocca almost pinned them again. If he hasn't won this job, short of anything but a negative from Akers about holding, Andy Reid needs a new eyeglass prescription.

On the first four drives for Pittsburgh, the Eagles defense allowed 107 yards, 60 of which came on 2 plays (receptions by Krieder and Miller), and 0 points, due to two turnovers. Not bad. Better than I initially thought.

--Bunkley BLEW the line up there.
--Howard, Kearse, and Bunkley all in the backfield--unfortunately the dump off gains 20 yards. They will work ALL week on dealing with the screens and dump offs. Gocong and Billy Jim with missed tackles. Can't do that.
--Why did Patterson let up in chasing Roethlisberger? Cedrick Wilson with a 10 yard gain. Why??
--Gaither with pressure on a blitz.
--On the pass to Holmes that was immediately before the TD by Parker, Kearse EXPLODED off the line, anticipating the count perfectly, and slipped on the turf or Big Ben would have been CLOBBERED.
--Gocong gets pancaked by the FB, and one Steeler neutralized Dawkins, Gaither, and Sheppard. The block was actually on Gaither, but it also impeded Dawk and Lito's progress. Gaither not shedding blocks as well as he should be as a MIKE. Doesn't bode well, though it's very early.
--Have I mentioned that Buckhalter looks fantastic? Kolb in.

 

After seeing the Sunday night game against the Steelers, I noticed some things that may or may not be noteworthy or have an impact on the final roster for '07.

1) Nick Cole worked out with the 1st team in place of Shawn Andrews. This could mean a few things:

--They want to see if Cole can actually play guard to determine if they can go with one less offensive lineman with Cole providing depth at both C and G.
--They are VERY unsatisfied with Max Jean-Gilles and are sending him a message.
--Scott Young is still in the doghouse over the false start penalty in last year's playoff game against NO.
--Shawn Andrews' injury is vastly worse than the FO is letting on, and they are auditioning replacements for the early season in the event that Andrews ends up on PUP.

I think personally that a mix of #1 and #2 are likely. Max hasn't blown the doors off this year, and in fact, looked fairly bad against the Ravens. Also, there are far more intriguing battles on the defensive side of the ball, and there will be a lot of very hard cuts made. Keeping one more player could never hurt.

FWIW, Cole didn't do particularly well or particularly bad on Sunday night, and I feel his roster spot is quite secure, but his play at guard, especially once the jitters went away, tends to show the coaching staff that he can play that position and that if Jean-Gilles isn't deemed ready in the event of an injury, he could go in that slot.

2) The article in today's Inky confirmed what some had thought--Bloom's not playing in the 1st half Sunday was a result of the staff not being enamored with his performance to date. He is the starter, but Andy's not afraid to try something new to either push Bloom or to see if someone on the roster may be better suited to the spot.

3) Jason Avant is the CLEAR #3 receiver now. Anyone have an doubts about that, you need to watch the tapes a little better.

4) Injury Front: G Scott Young, S Sean Considine, DT LaJuan Ramsey, WR Bill Sampy, and DT Ian Scott did not practice yesterday, and only Young may play tomorrow. This CLEARLY hurts Ian Scott's chances of making this team out of camp. He hasn't been on the field, hasn't been doing much of anything.

The way it looks is that some of the talent on the sidelines could be stashed away on the PUP list, and brought on board as midseason replacements if they are healthy and ready to go. This would shelve these players until at least the 6th week of the season, and the Eagles would have until week 10 (or 11?) to activate, IR, or release them. Candidates for the PUP list include Ian Scott and/or LaJuan Ramsey, who has a high ankle sprain.

I think the offense is fairly set, and that tomorrow's game is critical for the bubble boys, most of which are on the defense.

Battles to Watch:
FB: Tapeh vs. Davis: Tapeh has the inside track, but hasn't really impressed. He will likely make the roster based on familiarity alone.
OT: Pat McCoy vs. himself: Can McCoy perform well enough to save his roster spot? He's not going to dress, so don't fret too much about it.
DT: Can Jeremy Clark sneak onto the roster to at least be there until Ian Scott comes off PUP?
LB: Can Tank Daniels or Akeem Jordan make the club? Jordan's done well in practice, but has been awful in games. Can Daniels solidify a spot?
CB: Barksdale vs. Graham: Both have been impressive, both have PS eligibility--who makes the team?
P: Rocca vs. Johnson: IMHO, it's Rocca's job to lose, and it's coming down to Andy Reid asking Akers who he wants--ie, can Rocca hold? If he says yes, Dirk Diggler is outta here. How do I see it going down?

QB: McNabb, Feeley, Kolb
RB: Westbrook, Buckhalter, Hunt
FB: Tapeh
TE: LJ Smith, Schobel, Celek
WR: Reggie Brown, Curtis, Avant, Baskett, Bloom, G. Lewis
OT: Runyan, W. Thomas, Justice, McCoy
OG: Andrews (PUP?), Herremans, Jean-Gilles
C: Jackson, N. Cole

DE: Kearse, T. Cole, J. Thomas, Abiamiri, Howard
DT: Patterson, Bunkley, Reagor, Ramsey, Clark
SAM: Gocong, Bradley, Daniels
MIKE: Gaither, Roper
WILL: Spikes, M. McCoy
CB: Sheppard, S. Brown, James, Hanson, Barksdale
S: Dawkins, Considine, Mikell
K: Akers
P: Rocca
LS: Dorenbos

PUP: Ian Scott
PS: Gaddis, Graham, Jordan, Ilaoa, Vickers

 

^ long posts :icon_neutral:


I say 10-6. That's just me though.

 

tibs has skills my man, he also has more time on his hands than i do, not that that is a rip on him by any means, he just has the time to really examine game film.

 

Gracias, amigo. I appreciate the props.:icon_cool:

 

Bloom has been extremely disappointing with his returns. First man gets him every time. Where's his explosive that Spads kept going off about? He's actually been better at wide out.

 

The speed actually has been there. Watch him carefully. He just runs right into a tackler. He looks to this point like a straight line runner, almost like one of those guys in Madden who just runs on a return, and doesn't juke or anything.

Hopefully, he'll learn to use his speed with some moves, and he'll make that first guy miss.

 

So he's no Gizmo Williams? :icon_wink:

 

i really wonder how this season is going to go. if this defense doesn't get it straight asap we could be in for a shaky year.

 

It has been a frustrating preseason. My high hopes have been dampered.

Max GJ looked like garbage last night. As did Scott Young.

Bloom sucked again.

Sav Rocca might be a better punter than Dirk, but his holding might be a problem.

 

yeah, dirk gets the job just based on his holding abilities.

speacial teams and defense are going to kill this season.

 

Remember when our special teams used to be amongst the best in the NFL? What the heck happened?

Is it out of the realm of possibilities to have Westbrook or Lito returning kicks early in the season?

 

To answer some questions:

1) Don't worry about the defense. They looked pretty damn good last night, for a bunch of scrubs.
2) Rocca may have lost the job last night. It's magnified by the fact that the two blown holds cost them a game. In the 4th game of the preseason, it's not a big deal. September 9th in Green Bay, it's a huge deal. Ditto for Jeremy Bloom. His NFL dream may be turning into a nightmare.
3) As far as the offensive line goes, our (lack of) depth at guard scares me to death. Max Jean-Gilles and Scott Young have been just AWFUL in preseason, and neither has shown me any reason (and yes, I'm going far here) that they should be in the NFL.
4) Kevin Kolb led the NFL in preseason passing yards. The kid is for real. I haven't been as impressed with an NFL rookie QB in preseason in a LONG time.
5) IMHO, Jason Davis won the FB job last night (however, see Item #6). Also, this coaching staff LOVES Victor Abiamiri, and for good reason. The pick looks better and better every day.
6) There was an error on the Eagles website's wireless content section listing cuts made. There is a ton of speculation as to whether the list is legit or not, but it was erroneously publicized and sent to wireless phones. It included Jason Davis, Nate Ilaoa, Jeremy Bloom, Pat McCoy, Ian Scott, Dedrick Roper, Nick Graham, and Dirk Johnson. We'll have to see tomorrow what's up with it.

This (if true) leaves:
QB: McNabb, Feeley, Kolb
RB: Westbrook, Buckhalter, Hunt
FB: Tapeh
WR: Brown, Curtis, Avant, Baskett, Lewis, Sampy
TE: LJ Smith, Schobel, Celek
C: Jackson, N. Cole
OG: Andrews, Herremans, Jean-Gilles, Young
OT: Runyan, Thomas, Justice

DE: Kearse, T. Cole, Howard, J. Thomas, Abiamiri
DT: Bunkley, Patterson, Reagor, Ramsey, Clark
WILL: Spikes, McCoy
MIKE: Gaither
SAM: Gocong, Bradley, Daniels
CB: Sheppard, Brown, James, Hanson, Barksdale
S: Dawkins, Considine, Mikell, Gaddis

K: Akers
P: Johnson
LS: Dorenbos

I don't think that's too far from the truth--maybe Sampy would be the odd one to make it unbelievable--STAY TUNED!

 

I post this in the thread about the cuts:

What a disappointment Bloom has been. All that speed and zero moves. I'm a little surprised that Dirk Johnson got the axe after Rocca's mishandles as a holder.