Archive for March, 2009

Round mound of offensive guard Nick Cole inked a one-year deal today to remain with the Eagles. Cole proved his worth last season starting the final four regular season games and all three playoff contests after injuries to both Shawn Andrews and Max Jean-Gilles. With the offensive line being reshuffled it isn’t clear what Cole’s role will be in 2009. He could be a starting guard or just a key reserve. Cole can play both center and guard which only adds to his value.

Brandon Pettigrew: TE, Senior – Oklahoma State Height/Weight: 6’6″, 260 lbs Career Stats: 112 receptions, 1,450 yards, 12.9 ypc, 9 TDs 40-Time: 4.80 Pettigrew’s numbers don’t look overly impressive, but when you take into account the spread offense Oklahoma State used, he held his own. He’s a physical blocker who will be a major asset in the run game. Catches the ball naturally. Pettigrew is blessed with size and athleticism. His ability to operate between the hashes makes him a valuable red zone target. Should be drafted early, likely in the mid to late first round. Best Attribute: In-line blocking [...]

August 13 or 14th – Patriots at Eagles (ETV) Thursday, August 20th – Eagles at Colts (FOX) Thursday, August 27th – Jaguars at Eagles (ETV) Thursday, Sept. 3rd – Eagles at Jets (ETV) All AFC Teams! That’s a switch. Brady and Manning. I doubt either will play much, if at all.

We are twenty-five days away from the NFL Draft. At this point everyone has evaluated the Eagles‘ needs ad nauseam. Enough of that. We all have our own ideas about what they will or won’t do and who they will or won’t draft. However, none of this matters if Reid and Co. select the wrong players. Nobody wants guys who can’t cut it or don’t fit the system, for whatever reasons. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the Eagles current depth chart to see how successful the braintrust has been in recent years. We’ll start on offense: [...]

Donald Brown: RB, Junior – Connecticut Height/Weight: 5’10″, 210 lbs Career Stats: 3800 yards rushing, 5.4 ypc, 33 TDs – 48 catches, 276 yards, 2 TDs 40-Time: 4.51 One of the fastest risers since the ’08 season ended, Brown has worked his way into first round consideration thanks to an impressive Combine and pro day. Brown is a patient runner with excellent instincts. Sees the hole well and hits it quick. Plays bigger than his size. Can run through a tackler or around him. Has soft hands. Only started one season. Is he a one-year wonder or just hitting his [...]

Commissioner Roger Goodell beat the drum for an expanded game schedule this week at the annual NFL owners’ meetings. Goodell has hopes of playing 17 or 18 games as soon as 2011. Of course, a new CBA must be signed and sealed before anything can happen, but let the speculation begin. Several issues – including location of games played, number of bye weeks, adjusted playoff and Super Bowl dates, and elimination of preseason matchups – need to be resolved for this idea to fly. Once the nuts and bolts are in place, there is the matter of how a heftier [...]

I’ve had enough of the boo-hoo moaning from the recent free-agents to exit Philadelphia. First it was Dawkins, then Tra Thomas, now Mr. Glass, er, I mean L.J. Smith is complaining about his treament while a member of the Eagles. I’m simply amazed how child-like these supposed tough guys behave when they aren’t coddled by coaches and management. It makes me wonder if NFL franchises should hire people to stroke the fragile egos of these thin skinned superstars. L.J. is upset because he was “treated like a number.” Here’s a snippet of his bellyaching: “As a player, you never want [...]

A couple weeks ago I posted about the FanSided Worst Man Drafted tournament. Well, the 64 man elimination brackets have been finalized. Go here to check them out. Each team and their two wretched excuses for football players will battle for the not-so-glorious title of Worst Man Drafted!! By the way, thanks to all the fans who voted for our Eagles representatives. Antone Davis and Freddie Mitchell will use the stink of their failure to fight their way to the top. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, Antone has a tough opening round tussle. His opponent [...]

Knowshon Moreno: RB, Redshirt sophomore – Georgia Height/Weight: 5’11″, 217 lbs Career stats (2 seasons): 2,734 yards, 5.5 ypc, 30 TDs – 53 catches, 645 yards, 2 TDs 40-Time: 4.61 Most draft experts rank Moreno as either the #1 or #2 back in the draft. It seems to be a toss-up between him and Chris “Beanie” Wells. Not as big as Wells, Moreno makes up for it with quickness and work ethic. Can run between the tackles and hit the edge. Elusive, but not fast. Ranks 4th on Georgia’s all-time rushing list despite only playing two seasons. Lacks ideal size [...]

Finally, we’ve reached the one month mark until the April 25-26 NFL Draft. The draftniks and self-appointed experts are tossing out their prognostications to anyone who will listen. Now, I’ve stated before I don’t claim to be a draft guru. I love watching the draft and guessing what Reid and Co. will do, but I have no clue what they’re actually pondering. However, I do have a list of players I’d like to see wearing Eagle green. Over the next month, I’ll be posting profiles of guys I think the Birds might draft. I’ve read all the experts’ assessments and [...]

Andy Reid did another tell-all interview with the media while attending the NFL owners’ meetings. Here’s the first wave of excerpts. There was the standard Donovan is “my guy” talk and Dawkins will “always be an Eagle” fluff. To me, that’s boring. I was most intrigued by what he had to say about left tackle and running back. Here’s the tackle quote: “We’ve got a couple of guys who can play and be very good at it. We’ll see what happens. I think I’ve got those guys here [meaning left tackle possibilities], but I am always looking for more.” In other [...]

As we inch closer to the upcoming athletic auction known as the NFL Draft, everyone is donning their Mel Kiper and Mike Mayock hats, feverishly attempting to predict who the Eagles will select. They have 12 picks (for now), so the possibilities are limitless. Trade up, trade down, stay pat, or unload everything for a glorified tight end like Anquan Boldin, or a guy with hands of stone like Braylon Edwards. Of course, what we the fans want and what Reid and Co. will actually do are two completely different things. I’ve always been amused by mock drafts. There’s a [...]