Eagles Nation is abuzz over the newest running back in town, LeSean “Shady” McCoy. There hasn’t been this much excitement over a back since Ricky Watters’ arrival back in 1995. I say Watters, because Brian Westbrook was a largely unknown prospect from Villanova when he was drafted back in 2002. He didn’t showcase all his skills until he became a full-time starter in 2004. That’s when we all realized he was a special player.
But I digress, this post is about Shady, not Westy. McCoy immediately becomes the #2 back. Sorry, Lorenzo Booker. When I evaluate running backs fresh out of [...]

If you believe the draftniks and pundits, the Cowboys had a questionable 2009 draft. Like every other team, we’ll find out in a couple years if those assessments are accurate.
The one selection that seems to have caused the most fervor among draft experts was USC kicker David Buehler. He was the beast who racked 25 reps of 225 at the Combine. He’s known to have an extremely strong leg and should excel as a kick-off specialist.
A quick check of the Cowboys kick-off stats from 2008 revealed some glaring deficiencies. The ‘Boys ranked 31st in kick-off average at 60.5. They also [...]

While basking in the glory of a perceived “A” 2009 NFL draft, I keep reading and hearing naysayers comparing first-round pick Jeremy Maclin to last year’s second-round pick DeSean Jackson. Actually, it’s not so much comparing as it is declaring they are the same player. There is no difference between the two. All they do is run fast and return punts/kicks. Oh yeah, and they are the same size.
Unless your blind, you can easily see they are not the same size. I hate to repeat myself, but I guess it’s warranted since some people aren’t getting it. Maclin is 6′0″, [...]

Donovan McNabb released his first post-draft blog entry on Yardbarker. You can read the whole thing over there, but here are a few tidbits:
“Make no mistake, I’ve been training like crazy to make sure that I can improve as a quarterback and do everything necessary to try and win a championship for this city. I said it before, I was inspired by the way the Phillies won the World Series and how they were treated by the City and their fans and I want to experience that myself in the worst way.”
Translation: The only way I’ll earn everyone’s respect is [...]

Over the last couple days, a number of Ellis Hobbs‘ quotes have surfaced across the blogosphere regarding his trade from the Pats to the Birds. I think Hobbs is a good, not great, cornerback who is very much opposite of Sheldon in his style of play. Hobbs is a gambler, while Brown is more of a technician. They may differ on the field, but they both know how to deliver a memorable interview off the field.
Here are my favorite lines from Hobbs, post-trade:
“I know that it is not going to come easy. Like I said, you have to go out [...]

A few months ago, when Donovan McNabb allegedly complained about getting “more weapons” on offense, it was taken as a sign that he was fed up with the sub-par talent the Front Office has surrounded him with for the last decade. Whether he actually declared these thoughts makes little difference. It’s safe to assume, Donny Mac is tired of shouldering “all” the blame for Andy Reid’s inconsistent offensive schemes.
Well, it takes more than a franchise quarterback to win a championship in the NFL. An elite quarterback will improve your chances year in and year out, but it truly takes a [...]

With the draft barely cold, the Eagles scooped up another group of players today. Undrafted free agents have a history of making a name for themselves in Philly. Quintin Mikell and Jamaal Jackson being just two of the most recent successes signed by the Birds.
Here’s the list:
S Reshard Langford (Vanderbilt) – Big dude. 6′1″, 215.
WR Brandon Robinson (Boston College) – Another receiver named Brandon.
RB Marcus Thigpen (Indiana) – One more kick-returner. Brings the total to 32.
DE Josh Gaines (Penn State) – A three-down end.
FB Marcus Mailei (Weber State) – Went to same high school as Stew Bradley.
RB Walter Mendenhall (Illinois [...]

The consensus seems to be the Eagles had themselves an excellent draft weekend. Since everyone is spreading the love across the Interwebs, I decided to be unoriginal and do the same.
The fellas at Pro Football Weekly gushed over the selection of Jeremy Maclin.
Fox Sports tossed the Birds’ brain trust an A grade.
Rick Gosselin, from the Dallas Morning News, called their fifth round the best of the draft.
The Washington Post awarded the Eagles the top grade in the NFC East.
A great and amusing off-season evaluation from WalterFootball.com.
You guys have seen all the rest: CBS, Peter King, Todd McShay and various ESPN [...]

I’ll make this real simple. Which column do you like better?
Additions                                               Subtractions
Offense:

LT – Jason Peters                                  LT – Tra Thomas
RT – Stacy Andrews                               RT – Jon Runyan
FB – Leonard Weaver                            RB – Correll Buckhalter
RB – LeSean McCoy                               WR- Greg Lewis
WR – Jeremy Maclin                               TE – L.J. Smith
TE – Cornelius Ingram
Defense:

CB – Ellis Hobbs                                    CB – Lito Sheppard
S – Sean Jones                                      FS – Brian Dawkins
S – Rashad Baker                                  SS – Sean Considine
DT – Amon Gordon
CB/S – “Macho” Harris
Anyone still think the Eagles have had a bad off-season? I’m not trying to [...]

After a fan-pleasing and for the most part normal Day 1, the crazy Andy Reid returned to true form on Day 2 of the 2009 NFL Draft. The riverboat gambler we have all come to know and love went all in Sunday afternoon and took some big pots. When all was said and done, the Eagles completed five Day 2 trades, gained three picks next year (3rd, 5th, 6th), added a veteran cornerback/return man (Ellis Hobbs) and six new prospects. Whew!!
The Day 1 bounty of Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy had Eagles Nation primed for another spectacular flood of riches [...]

Another quality, high value selection by the Eagles. Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram brings loads of potential to the table. Great athlete who can stretch the field. He was graded as a second or third round talent, so getting him in the 5th round is a low risk move. It’s one more weapon to add to the arsenal.
If Ingram is fully recovered from his knee injury and can learn a complex offense, he could be a very nice pick. I call this a wait and see selection. I doubt Ingram will contribute much as a rookie, but you never know. [...]

After collecting 6 fifth-round picks, the Eagles finally made a move to unload some of them. They swung a draft day deal with the Patriots to acquire cornerback/return man Ellis Hobbs. Hmm? Is this a message for Sheldon Brown? Who knows, but they did need another corner. Better to have a vet than a rookie, in my opinion. Hobbs is signed for one more year, so this could be a stopgap move. He can also replace Demps on kickoff return duty.
Another aggressive move by Reid and Co. They continue to build the 2009 team into a major contender. They still [...]