Eagles Finally Get Some Game Action

After following all the camp stories to death the past couple weeks, it will be nice to finally watch and get to see some of the players in actual game action, even if it is just a meaningless preseason game.

The Eagles play host to the Jaguars in their first preseason game of the season. It's important to remember that the most important outcome of any preseason game is making sure no one is on the injured list after the game.

This is however a meaningful game for a lot of the players trying to make the team. They will be judged a lot on how they perform in game action. Also, the Eagles are counting on a lot of rookies to play big roles this season, and these games are important for those players also to get some live game action under their belts.

Tonight, I will keep a close eye on the 2 starting defensive rookies, Brandon Graham and Nate Allen. 2nd round pick Nate Allen appears to have locked up the starting free safety position. I'm not sure if this is due to the fact that he has outplayed everyone, or just that the Eagles are really hoping that he is the team's free safety of the future. The Eagles are very thin at the safety position in my opinion, as Quintin Demps, and Macho Harris are not starters in my opinion. This means that Allen will have to play a large role in the defense this season. I have concerns that Allen struggles with tackling at time. I have been a big advocate that the Eagles should have chosen Taylor Mays over Nate Allen. Obviously it could be years down the line before that argument is determined, but I have some definite concerns over Nate Allen, and I am hoping I am wrong.

Brandon Graham is the other rookie, the Eagles first round draft pick, who looks like he might be starting by Week 1. All indications from camp are that Graham is a special player, and has been one of, if not the most impressive player in camp thus far. The Eagles have been trying to fill the left defensive end spot opposite Trent Cole for years. I am hoping Graham can be that guy. He is another guy who we will need to keep a close eye on tonight.

On defense, the team appears pretty set. We will see how the strong side linebacker position plays out, as Moise Fokou was the starter entering camp, but Akeem Jordan appears to have taken that starting spot over. I am not a huge Jordan fan, I feel like he is adequate, but a very average player overall. I think Bradley, and Ernie Sims will be beasts this season.

The cornerback spot is another position that I feel is thin. I'm not sure Ellis Hobbs is starting material. And I'm not sure Joselio Hanson is 3rd CB material. I am interested to see how Trevard Lindley plays in the preseason, as I think he could end up being a starter; that is probably a year or two away though.

On offense, the Eagles are very young, but seem to have a lot of skill. Obviously we need to see how new starter Kevin Kolb performs in game action, but luckily he was able to start a couple games last season. On offense, the offensive line is the question mark, along with Kolb. Jason Peters did not play well last season. Todd Herramans is still injured. Stacy Andrews is the starting right guard, which is a concern in itself. And that doesn't even mention the uncertain center position.

At center, Jamaal Jackson is out, and probably won't be back for a while, and shouldn't be rushed back with the ACL injury. Nick Cole took over the center position, but seemed to struggle and also got injured. This moved 3rd year former Pittsburgh Panther, Mike McGlynn, into the starting center position, and he will get the nod tonight at center. Apparently McGlynn has played really well the past week at camp, and is a very big body at the center position.

Either way, it will be nice to see an actual game, and see how some of the young players perform, even if it counts for nothing.

Eagles Acquire J.J. Arrington from Broncos

The Eagles made a trade yesterday acquiring J.J. Arrington from the denver Broncos, while giving up linebacker Joe Mays. Arrington did not play last season at all with knee problems, and will still need to pass a physical today.

Arrington was a 2nd round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2005, but never really had abreakout season. Arrington's career high in yards was his rookie year when he ran for 370 yards and 3 TD's.

Joe Mays was a 6th round draft pick by the Eagles in 2008 out of North Dakota State. The Eagles had high hopes for Mays, and made him a starter last season at the middle linebacker position at one point in place of Stewart Bradley, but Mays struggled as a starter, and never ended up getting into games very much. It was tough to imagine a spot for Mays getting much time this season at the linebacker spot with a crowded situation.

If J.J. Arrington does not make the team, the Eagles will receive a 6th round draft pick in 2012, which might end up being the case.

Brandon Graham Signs With Birds

The Eagles locked up first round pick Brandon Graham tonight, agreeing to terms on a 5 year deal. It's nice to have him in camp, as he seems like the type of guy who really wanted to be here the whole time.

It shouldn't really be a big deal that Graham has missed a couple of days, especially because the whole team hasn't been at camp as of yet. Graham actually signed earlier than most first round picks, as there are still only a hand full of first round picks signed.

Brandon Graham is expected to compete for the starting job at the defensive end position opposite Trent Cole, and hopefully he can win that job and be successful, since nobody else has really been able to take over that spot.

Eagles Sign Nate Allen

The Eagles signed 2nd round draft pick Nate Allen from South Florida yesterday, which is important, especially because Nate Allen is technically the starting strong safety. Allen signing means that only 1st round pick Brandon Graham is unsigned with the Eagles. It is sort of good news for all the teams and 1st round draft picks as the 2nd first round draft pick signed today, so at least that is some progress. Hopefully Allen can use his time in camp to start the season at the free safety position.

Eagles Open Camp

The Philadelphia Eagles opened camp today as all rookies, and selected veterans reported to Lehigh University to begin another grueling few weeks in the heat.

Neither 1st round pick Brandon Graham or 2nd round pick Nate Allen are signed as of yet. According to Andy Reid at his press conference, the team is fairly close to signing Nate Allen, but not necessarily Brandon Graham. Only 1 first round pick is currently signed, and it is Dallas Cowboy, Dez Bryant.

Normally it wouldn't be a big deal for any rookie to miss some time at camp, especially these first few days, but both Allen and Graham could be starting for this team this season from the start. With the injury to Marlin Jackson, Nate Allen is currently penciled in as the starting free safety. And with the free safety play the Eagles got last season after the departure of Brian Dawkins, Nate Allen will need to get in all the work and practices possible.

Graham fills another position that the Eagles have not gotten much out of in recent years; the left defensive end spot, opposite Trent Cole. Even though there are a lot of candidates to fill this spot, Graham could see a lot of time this season, and thus like Allen, would benefit from being at camp as soon as possible.

Other than that, no practices actually took place today, just Michael Vick and Andy Reid at the podium. Reid didn't give anybody any information, and was annoyed by all the Michael Vick questions, and let it be known, as is usually the case since he is a pompous ass. One possible piece of good news coming out of Reid's press conference was a softball lobbed to him by Merrill Reese. Does this possibly mean that kiss ass Dave Spadaro was not present? If this is true, this is obviously a good thing... for everyone. The less Dave Spadaro this season, the better.

Camp stories will be a little more interesting starting later in the week when they roll out the red carpet for all the rest of the players to arrive.

Lots of Camp Battles Expected for Eagles

The Eagles rookies and selected veterans report to training camp on Monday, July 26. The rest of the team will report on July 29, and there figure to be a lot of training camp position battles this year.

On offense, Kevin Kolb is obviously the starter at quarterback going into the season. Unfortunately, we have a backup quarterback who is going to have the cameras on him all throughout training camp. It will be interesting to see how the Eagles utilize Vick this season. At running back, LeSean "Shady" McCoy is the starter, and I expect him to have a very good season, and quickly establish himself as an elite running back. Mike Bell backs McCoy up for now, and the 3rd RB battle will between Eldra Buckley, and rookie draft pick from LSU, Charles Scott. At fullback, Leonard Weaver has a lock on that spot, and is one of the best in the game.

At wide receiver, the Eagles are very young, and will have DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin as the top 2 receivers. The 3rd receiver in the slot will be Jason Avant, who seems to get better every year. He will be counted on to have a bigger role this year. The battle for the 4th and 5th wide receivers looks like it will be between Hank Baskett and rookie Riley Cooper. At tight end, Brent Celek is coming off a great year, and can hopefully continue to improve on that. Cornelius Ingram should be able to win the backup job, assuming he can stay healthy. I am very interested to see what Ingram can bring to the table, as I had high hopes for him when the Eagles drafted him.

On the offensive line, there are a few battles that will look to take place. Winston Justice and Jason Peters are the tackles. Winston Justice needs to show he can continue to improve upon his solid season last season. At the one guard position, Todd Herramans is the starter, assuming he is healthy. At the other guard, it could be a battle between Stacy Andrews, and Max Jean-Gilles. Neither player showed much last season. At center, Jamaal Jackson will start the season injured, and it looks like Nick Cole has the edge to start the season at center. I think Mike McGlynn should get a serious look to start at center, and could outplay Nick Cole in training camp.

On the defensive side of the ball, there will be even more position battles. The Eagles really struggled last season on defense, and need to bounce back this year. Up front, the defensive tackles will be the same - Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson - both solid players, but both of whom struggled at times against the run up the middle. Pro bowler Trent Cole has been solid ever since being drafted by the Eagles. Unfortunately, he has never had any help from the opposite defensive end. This could all change with first round draft pick Brandon Graham from Michigan. Graham could end up starting at the opposite end. However, Graham, like every other 1st round pick is unsigned, so he will need to get into camp as soon as possible if he wants to battle for the starting end spot. Darryl Tapp, the acquired free agent from Seattle, Victor Abiamiri, and Juqua Parker will also get a look to start. This left defensive end position looks to be one of the better camp battles to keep an eye on.

At linebacker, the Eagles appear like they are set. Obviously Stewart Bradley holds down the middle linebacker position, if healthy. The outside linebacker spots look to be held down by Ernie Sims, acquired in the offseason from the Detroit Lions, and 2nd year player Moise Fokou. Fokou will need to improve on a somewhat disappointing rookie season, but the Eagles appear to really like him.

The secondary is a large concern in my opinion, and a lot thinner than most people are talking about. At the cornerback position, the Eagle are no longer with Sheldon Brown, who will be replaced by Ellis Hobbs it looks like. Asante Samuel has the other cornerback spot locked up. Hobbs is good, but I'm not sure can step in and be a 2nd cornerback. This also means Joselio Hanson will step in to be the 3rd cornerback possibly, which I'm not sure I like either. Look for rookie Trevard Lindley to get a strong look this camp also.

At safety, Quintin Mikell is the starting strong safety. He will need to improve on his play last season, as he really struggled without Brian Dawkins. The Eagles brought in Marlin Jackson, but he already is out for the season. This means that rookie 2nd round draft pick Nate Allen is the starter right now at the free safety position. Nate Allen is also unsigned currently. The Eagles got absolutely nothing from the free safety position last season, and never adequately replaced Brian Dawkins. Hopefully Nate Allen is that player, but I'm not so sure he is. Quintin Demps should also get a look here, but never looked very good when he was in the game. Macho Harris was just terrible last season.

The Eagles are counting on their top 2 rookie picks this year to play big roles on defense, and need to get both guys signed and in camp, as they need to contribute right away. Either way, training camp should be interesting this season to see how all of these battles play out.

NFL Draft 2nd - 7th Round Picks

The draft continued into Friday night and basically all day Saturday, as the 2nd and 3rd rounds were on Friday night, and then the 4th through 7th rounds were Saturday.

Here is a rundown of the rest of the Eagles picks, highlighted by the 'Donovan McNabb pick,' in early 2nd rounder Nate Allen, safety, from South Florida.

2nd round- Nate Allen, S, South Florida

3rd round- Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, DE, Washington

4th round- Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky

4th round- Keenan Clayton, LB, Oklahoma

4th round- Michael Kafka, QB, Northwestern

4th round- Clay Harbor, TE, Southwest Missouri State

5th round- Ricky Sapp, DE, Clemson

5th round- Riley Cooper, WR, Florida

6th round- Charles Scott, RB, LSU

7th round- Jamar Chaney, LB, Mississippi State

7th round- Jeffrey Owens, DT, Georgia

7th round- Kurt Coleman, S, Ohio State

Overall, I am not a huge fan of this draft for the Philadelphia Eagles. I am unsure of the Brandon Graham pick, when they still had Derrick Morgan and Earl Thomas on the board. I also personally would rather have Taylor Mays than Nate Allen. That's not to say that Graham and Allen are bad players or will be busts, they can be very effective.

I also don't see a need for all the defensive ends to be chosen. I also think that the Eagles really needed to take an offensive lineman fairly early. Even when the Eagles had their offensive line set for the next season, Andy Reid usually stick took a couple O lineman. Now, when we need offensive line help, especially on the interior, we don't take a single one.

Obviously, I am no draft expert, so I don't know much about most of these players, any of them could be busts, and any of them could be future pro-bowlers, but just looking at the draft as a whole, I can't say I am content with it.

NFL Draft Continues Tonight

The broken up NFL Draft resumes tonight at 6:00, with the 2nd and 3rd rounds to take place. The Eagles have 2 picks in the 2nd round, and due to the trade yesterday, 0 picks in the 3rd round. All of this could change, as the Eagles could try to make some moves to get into the 3rd round. If they don't make any moves today, the Eagles will welcome 2 more players to the nest to join Brandon Graham, the first round pick.

The Eagles are in a good spot with what is being referred to as the 'Donovan McNabb pick' which is the 37th overall, and 5th in the 2nd round. I have to imagine most teams like the new draft format, as it gives them an entire day and night to re-shuffle and take a look at their draft boards.

The Eagles still obviously have a lot of needs. I really think the Eagles need to take a safety or cornerback, probably with the 'Donovan McNabb pick.' Taylor Mays, the safety from USC, and Nate Allen, the safety from South Florida are both still on the board, and have to be high on the Eagles wish list. Mays is a guy who would have been a top 10 pick if he left after his junior year at USC, but struggled his senior year, which is why he is still on the board. And Ray Didinger said that the he would like to take Nate Allen, a safety from South Florida, so you know he has to be good. I've also been hearing that the Eagles have a lot of interest in Mississippi running back Dexter McCluster. McCluster is a very small back, who is really quick and elusive, but I'm not sure with his size if he is ever a #1 running back. However, with McCoy, I don't think the Eagles would draft him to be a #1 back. I think the Eagles think they can get McCluster probably in the 3rd round, but they don't have a pick there.

I really want the Eagles to conitnue to address defense, at least with the 37th pick. I still do think that they need a offensive lineman also. Unfortunately, the Eagles have a lot of needs actually. If I had my choice, I would like to have Taylor Mays with the 37th pick, and then possible look at taking a cornerback with the 2nd pick in the 2nd round.

Eagles Draft Brandon Graham

The Eagles made some noise in the first round of the NFL Draft last night by trading up to the #13 spot to select defensive end out of Michigan, Brandon Graham. By moving up to the #13 spot, the Eagles gave up their own first round pick, and also their 2 third round picks. They still have 2 second round picks for tonight.

Brandon Graham is one of those guys who has played both outside linebacker and defensive end, but projects as a DE for the Eagles. He is undersized as a defensive end, listed a little bit over 6'1" and 270 pounds. Graham describes himself as fast, relentless, and a guy with a high motor. I'm not sure if Graham will start right away, but he does project as a left defensive end, to go opposite Trent Cole. This is a position that we needed, as Trent Cole has really been the only effective defensive end during his time in Philly. Juqua Parker is effective in small doses, but is older now. Victor Abiamiri is always injured, and even when he isn't, has not been very effective. If Graham can be a solid player, he will be the long term starter at the left defensive end position.

The Brandon Graham pick has been praised by some of the so-called experts in Jon Gruden, and Todd McShay. Graham appears to be a DE who can use his speed to beat offensive lineman to the outside, but also has a jab step and is able to fake like he is going outside, and cut back inside on an offensive tackle. Being as small as he is however, you have to imagine he will get pushed around at times by some of the bigger, dominant offensive tackles.

It is hard to say at this point whether the Eagles made the right move or not with Graham, but Reid and Roseman both wanted Graham, so at least they got the guy that they wanted.

Eagles Schedule Released

The NFL released the much anticipated schedules of all 32 teams yesterday. It is hard to break down the Eagles schedule at this point, as there are a lot of question marks and new faces going into next season.

Based on 2009 records, the Eagles will have the 9th toughest 2010 schedule. Those projections never seem to hold up, so it doesn’t mean too much. The schedule to me seems like it is a little easier in the first half, and gets harder in the 2nd half of the season – but I feel like I always think that. The Eagles season is basically split into 2, as they get a bye in Week 8. Hopefully Kevin Kolb can feel comfortable playing against a weaker schedule in the first half of the season.

The Eagles open the season on September 12, at home against the Packers at 4:15. The Packers do present a very good defense that Kolb will have to face in Week 1 right off the bat. The Donovan McNabb led Redskins come to town in Week 4 for another late afternoon nationally televised kickoff. The first night game is in Week 5 at San Francisco on Sunday night. The Eagles have 3 Sunday night games, 1 Monday night game, and a Thursday night game, and close the season at home against the Cowboys.

The full schedule is below—

Week 1 - Sun. Sept. 12 – Eagles vs. Green Bay – 4:15 PM

Week 2 - Sun. Sept. 19 – Eagles at Lions – 1:00 PM

Week 3 - Sun. Sept. 26 – Eagles at Jaguars – 4:05 PM

Week 4 - Sun. Oct. 3 – Eagles vs. Redskins – 4:15 PM

Week 5 - Sun. Oct. 10 – Eagles at 49ers – 8:20 PM

Week 6 - Sun. Oct. 17 – Eagles vs. Falcons – 1:00 PM

Week 7 - Sun. Oct. 24 – Eagles at Titans – 1:00 PM

Week 8 – BYE WEEK

Week 9 – Sun. Nov. 7 – Eagles vs. Colts – 4:15 PM

Week 10 – Mon. Nov. 15 – Eagles at Redskins – 8:30 PM

Week 11 – Sun. Nov. 21 – Eagles vs. Giants – 8:20 PM

Week 12 – Sun. Nov. 28 – Eagles at Bears – 1:00 PM

Week 13 – Thur. Dec. 2 – Eagles vs. Texans – 8:20 PM

Week 14 – Sun. Dec. 12 – Eagles at Cowboys – 8:20 PM

Week 15 – Sun. Dec. 19 – Eagles at Giants – 1:00 PM

Week 16 – Sun. Dec. 26 – Eagles vs. Vikings – 1:00 PM

Week 17 – Sun. Jan. 2 – Eagles vs. Cowboys – 1:00 PM

Eagles Acquire Ernie Sims from Lions

The Eagles made a trade today, just 3 days before the NFL Draft, acquiring linebacker Ernie Sims from the Lions in a 3-team deal. The Eagles will part ways with a 5th round draft pick as part of the deal – the same 5th round pick they acquired from the Browns for linebacker Chris Gocong, and Sheldon Brown a couple weeks ago. The Lions receive tight end Tony Scheffler from the Broncos and a Broncos 7th round pick, and the Broncos receive the Eagles 5th round pick this year.

This seems to be a good trade on the surface. The Eagles really didn’t part with much, just a 5th rounder, and get a guy who has a chance to be a star linebacker in the league. Ernie Sims was the 9th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Lions out of Florida State. Sims has been a stud everywhere he has been, being one of the best high school players in the country, and being a beast at Florida State. He has yet to live up to his potential in the NFL though, and suffered through an injury plagued season last year. His upside is high though, and the Eagles did need a linebacker badly. Sims is still young and is just 25 years old.

Looking ahead to next season, Stewart Bradley will obviously be back as the man in the middle. Sims played at the weak side linebacker position in his career with the Lions, so I would assume he is going to stay at that position, which was mostly Akeem Jordan’s position last season. At strong side linebacker, you are looking at either Moise Fokou or Alex Hall, who was acquired in the Brown-Gocong trade. Fokou saw time last season, and struggled for the most part, but he was a rookie 7th round draft pick. It seems like the starters right now would be Bradley, Sims, and Fokou, but obviously this could all change before the season.

If Sims doesn’t reach his potential in the NFL, it isn’t a very big deal since we only parted ways with a 5th round pick for him. But Sims could end up being a beast, which would be a great move and a great sign for the Eagles. I still think the Eagles could use one of their picks in the draft on a linebacker, but this makes it less likely that the Eagles will use one of their top ones on this position.

Eagles Have Lots of Draft Needs

The NFL Draft is quickly approaching… the first round will take place in prime time this year, April 22nd. The Eagles currently hold the 24th overall pick in the first round. Unfortunately, they enter this offseason with more needs than I can remember in a while, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The Eagles ended last season with their defense as bad as I can remember it in a while. It is only fair that you give Sean McDermott some time to fully take over the defense and turn it back into the elite defense it was under the late, great Jim Johnson. The Eagles appear to be trying to get younger on defense, getting rid of veteran fan favorite Sheldon Brown, when they don’t really have an alternative who is on the same level as Brown right now.

The Eagles have holes in basically every area of the defense. The Eagles need a safety, as Macho Harris and Quintin Demps were not able to get the job done there last season. They also need a cornerback since the aforementioned Sheldon Brown is now a Cleveland Brown. Ellis Hobbs can play, but isn’t as good as Brown. The Eagles could also use some help at the linebacker position. Stewart Bradley will be back in the middle, but I’m not sure how confident we should feel in Akeem Jordan and Moses Fokou on the outsides. Up front, the Eagles also need some help. The tackles are solid, but can’t play entire games. Trevor Laws, former 2nd round draft pick couldn’t even get on the field last year. Trent Cole also has no help at the other end position, and the Eagles are going to have to sure the left end position up at some point soon. This is a lot of positions to address; too many to address in one offseason, which is why I don’t think the defense will be up to par next season.

On offense, the Eagles are pretty solid, and young at most positions. We will see this season what we have in Kevin Kolb. If Kolb is solid, the Eagles have a solid group of young skill position players in Kolb, Shady McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin to built off of for the next decade. Brent Celek has become a solid starting tight end in this league. The offensive line is the weak part of this offense. This is amazing considering the fact that genius Andy Reid spends so much time and money and picks to make sure the offensive line is solid. Shawn Andrews was cut, and Stacy Andrews was horrible and couldn’t get on the field last season. Jason Peters was average when he played, and when he was injured, Todd Herramans would play tackle, and looked terrible there. The rest of the line in Cole, Jean-Gilles, and Jackson played poorly in my opinion. McNabb was not protected well, and none of the running backs had much room to maneuver. The offensive line will need to improve this offseason for Kevin Kolb to feel comfortable behind them.

The Eagles will be on the clock shortly, and need to make something happen in the draft. Right now, this roster might not even be a playoff team right now, and they certainly are not ready to seriously contend. Andy Reid loves to brag about how awesome he is for having so many picks going into every draft... hopefully he uses them wisely.

NFL Mock Draft (4/13/10)

1. St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

2. Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

4. Washington Redskins - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

6. Seattle Seahawks - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

7. Cleveland Browns - Joe Haden, CB, Florida

8. Oakland Raiders - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

9. Buffalo Bills - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

10. Jacksonville Jaguars - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

11. Denver Broncos - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

12. Miami Dolphins - Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

13. San Francisco 49ers - Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

14. Seattle Seahawks - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

15. New York Giants - Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri

16. Tennessee Titans - Earl Thomas, S, Texas

17. San Francisco 49ers - Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

19. Atlanta Falcons - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

20. Houston Texans - Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Taylor Mays, S, USC

22. New England Patriots - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

23. Green Bay Packers - Maurkice Pouncey, C/G, Florida

24. Philadelphia Eagles - Mike Iupati, G, Idaho

25. Baltimore Ravens - Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers

26. Arizona Cardinals - Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan

27. Dallas Cowboys - Rodger Saffold, OT, Indiana

28. San Diego Chargers - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

29. New York Jets - Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB, Texas

30. Minnesota Vikings - Brian Price, DL, UCLA

31. Indianapolis Colts - Vladimir Ducasse, OT, UMass

32. New Orleans Saints - Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU

Eagles Trade Brown and Gocong

The Eagles have made a huge trade today. And it doesn't involve Donovan McNabb, or any of the 50 QB's the Eagles have on the roster. I guess Andy Reid wants to hang onto the QB's as long as possible so he can continue to tell us all how amazing the Eagles are for having 3 quarterbacks that could start. But I digress...

We have lost one of the members of our Wolfpack today... and not because the Eagles no longer have Chris Gocong. The Eagles also traded Sheldon Brown to the Cleveland Browns, and in exchange receive the Browns 4th round pick and 5th round pick in this year's draft, and linebacker Alex Hall. The Browns picks that the Eagles receive are the 105th and 137th overall picks in the draft. Linebacker Alex Hall was a 7th round pick in 2008, and is a former Division 2 All-American at St. Augustine's. Not surprising that the Eagles wanted Hall, as Reid loves former Division 2 and Division 3 guys who dominate in college... yet they usually aren't very good in the pros. Reid goes after D-2 and D-3 guys almost as much as he goes after Mormons. The 4th round and 5th round picks are decent, but I don't have too much confidence that the Eagles will turn these into solid players, especially like Sheldon Brown was.

Chris Gocong was below average in my opinion, and was on the field way too much. He can't tackle, he can't cover. The only thing Gocong is supposed to be good at doing is rushing the passer from the outside. Unfortunately, even though this was the report on Gocong on draft day, the Eagles still picked him, and did not use him properly. So if Chris Gocong does have any skill, which I don't think he does, we wouldn't even know because he is not used to his strength. Gocong could end having success in a 3-4 defense where he can play the outside linebacker spot and rush the passer.

Sheldon Brown on the other hand is a great player, and has been so ever since the Eagles drafted him. Brown was one of the longest tenured Eagles, and was definitely a fan favorite. He is probably the hardest hitting cornerback in a league full of cornerbacks who don't even like contact, including the Eagles own Asante Samuel. Brown thrived with his physical play. Everyone remembers the famous Sheldon Brown hit on Reggie Bush on one of the first plays of the game to start a divisional playoff game. Sheldon Brown not ever being a pro-bowler so far in his NFL career is an absolute joke. Eagles fans know that Brown has been playing at a pro bowl level for a while now, and he does not get the national attention that he deserves. Brown epitomizes what Philadelphia loves in their athletes. He plays injured, he plays his hardest on every play, and one time, he came out with a Jason mask on. Even though Brown is getting older, and is probably past his prime, he is still very effective, and is better than Ellis Hobbs any day of the week. Brown will definitely be missed.

The trade overall is a bad one in my opinion. If the goal is to get rid of an older player in Brown, and an ineffective player in Gocong, then they accomplished that. But the trade makes the Eagles a much worse team. Andy Reid loves his late round draft picks, and loves to try to have the most picks of any team in the NFL every year. This doesn't seem to translate into solid draft picks, however. If the Eagles plan is to rebuild, they need to do it right - get rid of the older guys, which unfortunately includes McNabb, and spend the next year improving the defense, to hopefully go along with the young offensive playmakers this team has in a season or two.

Eagles Sign Leonard Weaver

The Eagles have gotten the deal done that we all thought they would - they signed fullback Leonard Weaver to a deal which will make him the highest paid fullback in the league. Weaver signed a 3 year deal worth $11 million, with $6.5 million guaranteed. Weaver can make another $700,000 in incentives. Weaver is coming off a fantastic season, one in which he went to the pro bowl. Weaver was a great free agent signing.

Eagles' Management: The KGB of the NFL?

With the elevation of Howie Roseman to GM of the Birds, the Eagles' brain trust has openly (though inadvertently) revealed itself as the NFL's version of Russia's KGB-dominated dictatorship. The similarities are simply mind-boggling. First, though, a brief Russian history recap: Russia's leadership consists of a President, who has traditionally been the head of government, and a Prime Minister, who was usually a figure-head administrator of the Communist Party. Vladimir Putin, a long-time official of Russia's infamously brutal spy organization the KGB, was "elected" President in 2000 and served the requisite two 4-year terms ending in 2008. To retain absolute power and control after his presidency, Putin in 2008 appointed himself (through his minions) Prime Minister, and ensured that his hand-picked puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, was "elected" President. In this way, Putin shifted dictatorial authority from the Presidency to the Prime Minister, thereby retaining absolute power over the government. Now, substitute the Eagles' Coach/General Manager for the Russian President/Prime Minister, and we can clearly see the self-serving, manipulative dishonesty of this GM appointment, not to mention the petty dictatorial mindset of the Lurie/Banner/Reid cabal. Rather than consider an independent football outsider who can train a fresh eye on the perennial meltdowns of this perennially underachieving organization, the insecure tyrants of NovaCare appoint an inexperienced bean-counting lackey in Roseman who will in no way challenge the status quo. In this way, Reid -- the Vladimir Putin control freak of Eagledom -- retains absolute power and authority over all personnel decisions, despite no longer carrying the titular GM designation in combination with Head Coach. Reid, with the backing of the clueless Lurie & Banner bean-counting sisters, further consolidates his control over this sorry organization, ensuring there will be no internal whispers of dissent to challenge his arrogant, myopic decisions. And, unfortunately for the fans, the endless term of Comrade Reid, like that of Putin, is destined to produce nothing but more helpless misery for the general public. Once again, the Eagles' brass proves its incompetency and, even worse, its timidity.

Eagles Fall Flat to Cowboys

The Eagles lost their final game of the season on Sunday in disappointing fashion 24-0 to the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles were dominated in every facet of the game, and to be honest, the score could have been a lot worse.

The offensive line was terrible, the running game was non-existent because they didn't run the ball, McNabb was not very good, the receivers were bad, the defense was terrible, and the coaching was terrible. All of that combines for the disappointing loss. With the loss, the Eagles drop from what could have been the #2 seed and a first round bye to the #6 seed and a 2nd straight trip to Dallas to play the 3rd seeded and NFC East champion Cowboys.

I don't understand why the Eagles don't try to get the ball in their playmakers hands. I personally would like to see McCoy and Weaver touch the ball a lot more than they did this game. Running back is a position on the team where you usually have your most athletic, quickest players. These guys are weapons, and Reid did not use them on Sunday. Westbrook looked bad in my opinion, and they Eagles need to get back to what won games for them down the stretch - getting the ball in the hands of McCoy and Weaver a lot more.

Of course, it would also help if the Eagles weren't dominated up front on both sides of the football. The offensive line was bad from the start, and McNabb was under pressure most of the day. The Cowboys were getting pressure when they didn't even blitz. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles couldn't even get in the Cowboys backfield. Even on rushing plays, Marion Barber, and Felix Jones were getting past the line of scrimmage with ease. On passing plays, Tony Romo had all day, and he is too good to allow to sit back and throw all day with open lanes. The Eagles have been responsible for a lot of Romo's worst games of his career, so they know what happens when you get pressure on him. The Eagles did not blitz a lot, and that might have been because they did not want to show the Cowboys anything in the 2nd half, I'm not sure.

Costly mistakes also were key. McNabb missed DeSean Jackson on a fly route early in the game which would have made it a 7-7 game. Jeremy Maclin dropped a wide open pass that went through his hands on a 3rd down. McNabb fumbled a snap down at the Cowboys 10 yard line.

The Eagles will need to put that loss behind them, and get re-focused and come in with a different attitude if they do not want their offseason to start next weekend.

Eagles-Cowboys Preview

The Eagles take on the Cowboys tomorrow, in what is one of the biggest regular season games in a while for both teams. Both teams are in the playoffs, but depending on what happens in this game and others, both teams could fall into as high as the #2 seed, or as low as the #6 seed.

The Eagles are in the better position sitting at 11-4 right now. The Eagles are in the #2 slot right now, and control their own destiny for that spot. If the Eagles win tomorrow, they are the #2 seed in the NFC, and get a first round bye. If they lose, the Cowboys win the NFC East, and the Eagles could end up dropping to as low as the #6 seed in the NFC playoffs, and possibly a 2nd straight trip to Dallas to play the Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.

As for the game itself, both teams come in playing really good football. The Cowboys have won 2 straight and playing well, showing that they don't necessarily choke every December. The Eagles have won 6 straight, and their offense especially is clicking on all cylinders. On offense, the Eagles will need to really run the ball effectively, and give McNabb time to throw the ball. I think that is the key to the game for the Eagles... the offensive line needs to give McNabb time to throw the ball. If this happens, the offense can play as they want to, and McNabb will have time to find Jackson, Maclin, or Celek downfield.

On defense, I think the Eagles really need to get to Romo, and get pressure on him, and be in his face all game long. The Eagles first need to do a good job against the Cowboys rushing attack, and not let the Cowboys beat you on the ground. We also need to focus on shutting down Jason Witten. As we know, the Eagles struggle with opposing tight ends, and Witten is one of the best in the NFL, so that will be an important matchup for the Eagles.

It will be interesting to see what the Eagles game plan is, and how they come out of the gates. I think that getting a lead in this game is very important. We need to be able to play from ahead. The Eagles are the best first half team in the NFL, and best opening drive team in the NFL, so hopefully the Eagles will jump out to a quick lead.

Eagles Clinch First Round Bye With Win

The Eagles will clinch the #2 seed in the NFC and a first round bye if they beat the Cowboys on Sunday. You had to know that this Eagles-Cowboys matchup the final weekend of the season would be meaningful, and it is for both teams.

Because the Vikings lost last night, the Eagles and Vikings now have identical records. The Eagles hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings with the better conference record, and thus control their own destiny for that #2 seed. However, the Eagles can drop completely out of that spot, and drop to as low as the #6 seed if they lose to the Cowboys possibly. The Eagles have a lot to gain from a win this weekend, and unfortunately, they have a lot to lose. In fact, the Cowboys who sit at #6 in the NFC right now, could still end up with the #2 seed and a first round bye. If the Eagles, Vikings, and Cardinals lose, and Cowboys win, they take the #2 seed, and the Eagles will fall to the 5th or 6th seed.

If the Eagles lose to the Cowboys, and the Vikings and Cardinals both win, the Eagles would be the #5 seed, and would travel right back to Dallas for a first round playoff matchup. If the Eagles lose to the Cowboys, and the Vikings win, and the Cardinals lose, the Packers also jump the Eagles, and the Eagles drop to the #6 seed. In this scenario, the Eagles would also travel back to Dallas to play the Cowboys. There are also scenarios where the Eagles could lose, drop to the #5 or #6 seed and play the Vikings, if the Vikings lose their game, and Cardinals win.

So, a win would be huge for multiple reasons as you can see. You do not want to have to play in Dallas twice in a row, and in my opinion, you never want to play a divisional opponent for the 3rd time of the season in the playoffs. Should be a very interesting weekend.

Eagles Hang On to Beat Broncos

The Eagles survived a sloppy 2nd half, and a Broncos comeback to win with a game winning David Akers field goal with 4 seconds left.

The Eagles came out of the game and looked unstoppable in the first half. McNabb barely threw an incompletion, and was picking apart the Broncos, and had almost 250 yards passing and 2 TD's at halftime. Brent Celek had 121 yards receiving and a touchdown at half. The Eagles also got the ball to start the 2nd half, and instead of putting the Broncos away, McNabb threw an interception. Sometimes it seems like McNabb struggles when he has too much time in the pocket, which is what happened on the interception. McNabb tends to play his best when he just makes plays, and reacts to what is happening. He made numerous passes right on the money in the first half with pressure in his face.

After the Broncos settled for a field goal, the Eagles scored another touchdown on a pass from McNabb to Avant, who made a nice catch concentrating on a tipped ball. The Eagles were up by 17 at the point halfway through the 3rd quarter. The Eagles offense really struggled at this point, and the Broncos took advantage of a Macho Harris fumbled kick return, and eventually tied the game at 17. The Eagles defense however buckled down in the 4th quarter, and held the Broncos deep in their own territory late in the game, giving the Eagles the ball back at the Broncos 42 yard line with 1:41 left to play in a 27-27 game. After a McCoy 2 yard run, McNabb found Jeremy Maclin at the 13 yard line for a 27 yard completion. This play was initially ruled incomplete right along the sideline, but after reviewing, was called a completed pass. Akers would kick the field goal after 3 runs, and the Eagles move to 11-4 on the year, and still a shot at the #2 seed, and hopefully wrapping up the NFC East with a Redskins win tonight.

Because McNabb was picking apart the Broncos in the first half, the Eagles rushing attack never really got going. McNabb threw 35 passes, and the Eagles called 23 runs between Westbrook, McCoy, and Weaver. McNabb ran the ball 5 times as well, including a 27 yard scramble on a 3rd and long. Westbrook ran 9 times for 32 yards, McCoy ran 6 times for 27 yards, and Weaver ran 7 times for 20 yards. McNabb threw for 322 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT.

For some reason the Eagles seem to be able to do whatever they want in the first half of games, and lead the NFL in almost every statistical scoring category in the first half of games. However, they seem to really hit a wall at halftime. When the other teams' defense adjusts to the Eagles offense after halftime, the Eagles offense doesn't seem to adjust. I'm not sure what it is, but the Eagles need to get better, and close out games in the 2nd half in games that they have large leads.

On defense, the Eagles played fairly well overall. They were put in bad positions a few times in fairness to them on a couple of the Broncos touchdowns. They only allowed 241 yards of total offense for the Broncos, and did a very good job shutting down the Broncos best weapon in Brandon Marshall. They didn't seem to blitz a lot, and even though they got 3 sacks, I would have liked to see them get more pressure on Kyle Orton.

Either way, the Eagles get the victory to move to 11-4, and now can watch the Sunday night, and Monday night games, and root for the Redskins, and Bears. If the Redskins win tonight, the Eagles win the NFC East. If the Cowboys win, the Eagles have to travel to Dallas next weekend needing a win to win the NFC East. The winner of that game would win the division. If the Bears beat the Vikings on Monday night, the Eagles and Vikings would have identical records fighting for the #2 seed in the NFC and getting that first round bye.