Archive for May, 2010

As the Eagles prepare to start another offseason mini-camp, I’m going to continue to keep a watchful eye on defensive end Darryl Tapp. Since his arrival in Philly, Reid and Co. have been primarily playing him as the number two right end behind Trent Cole. I’m interested to see if this trend continues. Since drafting Brandon Graham in the first-round of the draft, the left defensive end spot became a bit more clear. For now Juqua Parker remains the starter, but by all accounts Graham should push him when training camp kicks off, provided the number one pick has inked [...]

Anyone who pays attention to pro football and fantasy football is aware of the third-year rule as is applies to wide receivers. For a lot of guys, the light switch clicks on in the third season and their numbers spike. Last season Sidney Rice from the Vikings and the Giants‘ Steve Smith both blew up after doing next to nothing in their first two years.

While reading this piece by Spuds over at pe.com, I found myself extremely impressed with something Kevin Kolb had to say about life in the NFL. It went as follows: “You’re just renting time from the NFL. So I want to make this thing count, make a run and go win a Super Bowl,” said Kolb. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it put that way before. Guys are “renting time.” I like that. I like that a lot. The more KK speaks, the more I listen. His attitude is right where it needs to be and he is taking the quarterback of [...]

Despite being named to his third Pro Bowl last season, I wasn’t overly impressed with Jason Peters‘ play at times. Some of his inconsistencies can be attributed to a nagging ankle injury and acclimating to a new system and coaching method, but that doesn’t explain why he didn’t quite live up to the hype after the Eagles traded to acquire his services from the Bills. Don’t get me wrong, the dude wasn’t awful by any stretch. I just didn’t see him destroying linebackers and safeties in the run game or stonewalling elite pass rushers as much as I hoped. To [...]

The writing was on the wall when Marlin Jackson was signed and Nate Allen was drafted. There would be fierce competition at free safety in 2010. In other words, Macho Harris was no longer the man, if he ever was. With rooks and selected vets participating this week in a kinda sorta mini-camp, Macho has been shifted back to cornerback, where he shined in college. For now, he will remain there and Marlin is penciled in as a starter at FS. It’s May, so don’t read too much into the so-called depth chart. The secondary is very fluid at this [...]

With one eye on the Eagles 2010 roster and the other on the 2010 Eagles schedule, I can’t shake the nagging feeling that we could be in store for one of those dreaded transition seasons. I just can’t see this team winning ten or more games. Not with a revamped defense and a new starting quarterback. Not with lingering questions at center, cornerback and linebacker. Normally this kind of revelation in the middle of May would have me in state of minor depression, but that’s not the case. If my beloved Iggles finish with a 9-7 or 8-8 record, I [...]

The dates for Eagles training camp 2010 at Lehigh have been released. Rookies and select vets will report on Monday, July 26, with the remainder of the team reporting on Thursday, July 29. Players and coaches will wave goodbye to camp on Wednesday, August 18. So, hose out those coolers and order yourself a spankin’ new Kevin Kolb #4 jersey. With all the position battles on the team, this camp promises to be a must-see. Subscribe to ITI

I hate this time of year on the NFL calendar. There ain’t a darn thing happening around NovaCare except for preliminary contract discussions and the pumping of iron. Meh. As we crawl toward another mini-camp, I have a few random thoughts rattling around the ol’ noggin regarding a 2010 team that I would classify as an enigma at this point. What kind of defense are we going to see? – Sean McDermott hasn’t specifically said he’s going to feature a 3-4 look but you gotta wonder what with all these speedy linebackers clogging the defense. For some strange reason I [...]

I don’t wanta jump the gun here, especially since I’ve been calling DeSean the anti-TO for the last couple years, but #10 is starting to venture into troublesome territory in regards to his media revelations. The hullabaloo surrounding his recent Sporting News article just won’t go away. As I alluded to on Monday, the interpretation of DeSean’s comments about McNabb were skewed to paint him as an ungrateful villain. Hey, that happens. I equate it to those quotes pulled for movie promotions. You’ll read or hear “the action was non-stop” and conclude the flick must be alright. What you don’t [...]

After flirting with the Rams a couple weeks ago, Brian Westbrook is now heading to Washington for a visit. Westy and McNabb together again? Maybe. Who’s next, Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan? Adding Westbrook makes little sense considering the ‘Skins already have Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker. But Mike Shanahan is a genius, so he must know what he’s doing. Wink, wink. ——— I love Live Chats on NFL.com. Especially when it’s a player doing the chatting. Earlier today Brent Celek conducted a thirty minute Q&A session and I was there to take it in. It took a few [...]

So, DeSean Jackson said the Eagles will be a-okay without Donovan McNabb. Donovan McNabb thinks guys who talk behind his back aren’t big men. …ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ… Wake me up when something interesting and or relevant happens. Subscribe to ITI

This is a few days old, but I’m a tad behind in my Eagles reading, so I didn’t catch it until this morning. DeSean Jackson‘s contract once again made the headlines earlier this week. Thus far, he’s not making waves: “I’m not going to panic. I’m not going to sit here and be a crybaby about it. I definitely know what I’m worth. It’s unfortunate, but you can’t get frustrated.” Added Jackson: “That’s what I have an agent for. … I’m not here to make a big issue out of it or complain about it because that’s not what I [...]