Monthly Archives: June 2011

Protesters still at it with Vick

Posted on June 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

Michael Vick won the BET Sportsman of the Year a few days ago, which just happened to be his birthday.

That did not make the protesters happy.

Unable to allow Vick to enjoy one moment of joy without letting their voice be heard, the protesters are now boy cotting Subway, which sponsered the award. They then came up with the  flyer below.

I am all for allowing people to voice their opinion, but once again this seems excessive.

What do you guys think? Should the protesters let it go when it comes to Vick?

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Posted in Eagles, Michael Vick

A hint on how Castillo’s defense will look? (Video)

Posted on June 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

Yesterday, a report by Adam Caplan of NFL Network said that the Eagles were interested in Ike Taylor, a cornerback that spend last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Juan Castillo wants to simplify things for his young playmakers on defense

Lost in that report was another nugget by Caplan. Caplan had some news about how new Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo’s defense may look. Here’s what Caplan had to report, per Pro Football Talk:

“Philadelphia is considering playing more zone coverage under first-year defensive coordinator Juan Castillo in order to complement changes up front. Along the defensive line, new position coach Jim Washburn is implementing a wide nine philosophy in which both ends line up well outside of the offensive tackles trying to block them. The defensive tackles will be up-field pass rushers.”

This makes sense after what Castillo told me along with the other reporters at his introductory news conference. Castillo stressed that he wanted his defense to be an attack first defense. In order to do this, he talked about simplifying the defense so his players could react quicker. It’s been well documented about how rookies and some veterans had trouble grasping Ex-Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott’s schemes.

Zone coverage, if implemented correctly, would allow players like rookie safety Jaiquawn Jarrett to only worry about their zone, react quicker and make plays.  A zone defense also requires a lot of trust amongst the players, which could be a problem if their is a short training camp- or no training camp at all.  Castillo is famous for his over night  film watching sessions, and it seems he will expect that from his players at fist to get the zone down.

Castillo also talked about playing to his defenses strengths, which is speed. This ties into the report that new Defensive Line Coach Jim Washburn is thinking of having his ends play outside of the offensive tackles. Players like Brandon Graham would benefit from such a system, as he would be able to use his speed to get around the guard, and not get held up on the line. Another player that would benefit from this could be Jason Babin, who could be brought in as a free agent.

One thing Castillo talked about at length during his press conference was his ability to use what he learned as a offensive line coach to help. Here is some footage I shot for Gcobb.com, where Castillo talks about how his knowledge could benefit the linebackers in particular.

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Posted in brandon graham, defense, Eagles, Juan Castillo, washburn

Eagles interested in Ike Taylor?

Posted on June 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

When the Eagles elected not to draft a cornerback with their top two picks in the NFL draft, it was assumed that they would sign a top notch free agent corner to start opposite Asante Samuel.  Nnamdi Asomugha, the top corner on the market, has been linked to the Birds since the season ended.

Ike Taylor would bring size to the cornerback position for the Eagles

But recent reports from Adam Caplan suggest the team may be looking in-state for a cornerback.

Caplan, of FoxSports.com, is reporting that the Eagles are expected to show “strong interest” in Ike Taylor, who played last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Taylor’s price tag is expected to be drastically lower then Asomugha, which is music to Joe Banner’s ears.

Now, saying the Eagles are expected to “show strong interest” is like saying that Andy Reid has “interest in running the football.” It is not exactly a earth shattering report, as its safe to assume the Eagles are interested in any cornerback who is semi-competent to replace Dmitri Patterson.

But the Eagles choosing Taylor over Asomugha makes sense. Other then playing corner, Asomugha dosn’t fit any traits that the Eagles usually target in a free agent. He is over 30, played in a different system, and is looking for a record setting contract. It is also unlike the Eagles to put a lot of money in one position, which they would be if they signed Asomugha.

Taylor, on the other hands, fits the description. Taylor is over 31, but will be paid a fraction of the price. He is a system player who is a solid cover, and good tackler. He also brings decent height, standing at 6’2.

Taylor finished last season with 66 tackles, 1 FF, 1 sack and 2 interceptions. The 8 year veteran would also bring some experience on an otherwise young defense.

The only thing that seems to be missing is that he is not coming off a major knee injury, which the Eagles usually target in a free agent.

If theirs one thing the Eagles love it is getting a player they think can do the job at a bargain price. Taylor would be a solid addition to the defense without breaking the bank, and allow the Eagles to make smaller, cheaper moves such as bringing in Plaxico Burress and Albert Hanyesworth.

 

 

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Posted in Eagles, Ike Taylor, rumors

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Justin Tuck chimes in on LeSean McCoy

Posted on June 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

LeSean McCoy really seems to have gotten under the New York Giants defensive players this off season.

After calling Osi Umenyiora soft and over rated, Umenyiora struck back at McCoy, saying it’ll be settled on the field.

LeSean McCoy has provided bulletin board material for an angry Giants defense

Sheil Kapadia of Philly.com, who does a great job staying on top of all happenings with the Eagles, has a story posted today in which Justin Tuck takes his turn coming at McCoy and defending Umenyiora.

Heres what Tuck had to say to Mike and Mike in the morning about the back and forth.

“Yes, we will take that personally. He might want to watch some film before he starts talking about a defensive end of Osi’s quality. I don’t know where he would say something of that nature because obviously I think Osi’s stats back up the fact that he’s a pretty good NFL football player.”

“I don’t know what’s gotten into these young guys. It is what is is. I think Osi handled it the right way, and we’ll handle it on the football field when we get the opportunity.”

Who’s ready for some football?

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Posted in Eagles, Justin Tuck, lesean mccoy, new york giants

Goodell, Smith Speak to Rookies

Posted on June 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

One effect of the lockout this off season has been the NFL not being involved in the annual rookie symposium, leaving the NFLPA to organize it by themselves.

Goodell and Smith address the media side by side.

Despite not being involved, NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell accepted NFLPA President DeMaurice Smith’s invitation to speak to the rookies. After speaking to the incoming rookies, both Goodell and Smith talked to reporters.

““We obviously spoke to the rookie class here at the Business of Football Symposium.  We are not going to take questions but both of us wanted to come out and tell you that.   We’re continuing to work hard,” said Smith, according to NFLLabor.com. “Both of us felt that it was important to come down for this event.  Obviously, what we are doing on the business of football on a macro scale is about getting a fair deal done and trying to get back to the game and business of football as quickly as possible.  This event was important to ensure that our young men appreciated how important we think these few days are.  I’m thrilled that Roger could come down with us and talk to the rookies in a very good, direct way.”

Standing next to Smith, Goodell echoed that statement.

“It was a great opportunity for us to be able to sit with the rookies. They obviously have lots of questions,” said Goodell, once again courtesy of NFLLabor.com. “We answered the questions as best we could. But you all know that we’re under certain restrictions. We’re taking a break because we felt it was important to be down here with the players. We both have great respect, obviously, for the players. This is an important few days. We’re going to get back to work.”

With both sides honoring the agreement to not talk about the status of negotiations, it is up to the media to interpret each action. Goodell accepting Smith’s invitation, as well as them stepping out together to talk to the media, cannot be viewed as anything other then a very positive sign.

When Goodell and Smith first stepped out of a hotel in Washington over 100 days ago when the lockout began, they did not speak together- and spent the duration of there talk blasting each other. The fact the two men are now standing side by side talking about the importance of getting a deal done is a very important, visual statement that can be seen by everyone involved. Goodell doing Smith a “favor” by talking to the rookies is also a good sign.

With the Fourth of July weekend coming up, and the two sides engaged in the most intense talks yet, most NFL experts now feel a deal will get done without the pre-season being missed.

If it is not done, and the pre-season is missed, things will really start to get ugly. The owners will loose what is estimated by many to be close to 700 million dollars if the full preseason is missed. The owners are not going to loose that money without seeing the players suffer as well. They will sit and wait for the players union to collapse as game checks are missed. A stale mate like that will more then likely cause half the season to be missed, if not more.

The NFL and NFLPA still have a few weeks to negotiate before a scenario like that becomes reality.

But make no mistake about it- the two sides are entering a very important phase of negotiations, and the clock is ticking.

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Posted in demaurice smith, lockout, Rodger Goodell

Eagles nominated for ESPY award

Posted on June 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

A few days after Michael Vick took home the award for “Best Male Athlete” at the BET Awards, the whole Eagles team is close to winning an award themselves.

No, not the Lombardi Trophey.

The Eagles were nominated for “Best Game” for their 28 point miracle come back against the New York Giants, which was capped off with DeSean Jacksons miracle punt return.

DeSean Jackson caps off Miracle at the New Meadlowlands

The Eagles should have a pretty good chance of bringing home the hardware, as the others games nominated were hardly special. Auburn over Alabama in the Iron Bowl, Butler over Pittsburgh in the NCAA tournament, and Oklahoma City over Memphis in triple over time are the other games nominated for the award.

While everyone will always point to Michael Vick’s amazing performance against the Washington Redskins as his best game of the year, it was this game that solidified him as MVP candidate and showed how he can single handedly win the game. Here was his line:  21/35, 242 yds passing, 3 TD, 10 carries, 130 yds rushing, 1 TD.

After re-watching the high lights, it is amazing to think how many things had to go right for the Eagles to win this one. LeSean McCoy’s pick up of the blitz on Vick’s touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin. Riley Cooper catching David Akers perfect onside kick (yet another reason resigning Akers is a smart move.) Trevor Laws coming up with the biggest play of his career with the sack of Eli Manning with less then a minute to play.

For those itching for some football, here are some high lights from the game.

Highlights:

Punt Return:

Post Game Celebration:

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Posted in DeSean Jackson, Eagles, Michael Vick, new york giants

NFLPA, NFL to meet for four straight days

Posted on June 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

With his legacy on the line, Smith will try for the rest of the week to strike a deal

Its just over 70 days until the Eagles are supposed to kick off the season, meaning its crunch time for the league and players if they want to make a deal happen before missing anything significant on the NFL calendar.

With the pressure on, the NFLPA and the NFL owners are set to meet for four straight days this week in Minneapolis. Both Commissioner Rodger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith are expected to be there. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, the lawyers will not be far away, ready to come in and put the fine details on a deal if needed. No players or owners will be present.

Of course, last time the two sides met and the lawyers came in, it got so tense in the room DeMaurice Smith had to kick them out. This will mark the first time that the two sides will have met for four days in a week, as opposed to the two day sessions they have been having so far.

With a percentage (48.5) out there, it will be interesting to see how fast negotiations go. If the NFLPA accepts that percentage, things could go very fast as issues such as the 18 game schedule have rumored to have been already worked out.

Make sure to follow @EliotShorrParks on twitter for up to the minute details.

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Posted in demaurice smith, Eagles, goodell, lockout

Arizona Cardinals still interested in Kolb

Posted on June 27, 2011 | 1 Comment

Its a slow news day, but it seems no matter how slow, the wheel always turns in the Kevin Kolb to Arizona rumor.

Yet another report has the Cardinals very interested in trading for Kolb

Today it is Garry Cobb of Gcobb.com reporting that an NFL source close to him assured him that the Cardinals are still very much interested in trading for Kolb. Gcobb says that Kolbs two games against the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons really had an impact on the Cardinals. Gcobb has been spot on with reporting in the past, reporting that Asante Samuel would sign with the birds, and that David Akers turned down a deal during this past season.

In addition to learning that the Cardinals were still interested, Gcobb also had this to say about the Cardinals evaluation of Kolb.

I learned that former Arizona Pro Bowl quarterback Kurt Warner didn’t like playing against the physical Niners defense. The Cards like the way Kolb gets the football out of his hands. That was a strength of Warner’s but a weakness of former Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart. The former first round draft pick was described as a quarterback with a long throwing motion and long stride when throwing the football.

Gcobb emphasized that while the Cardinals are very much interested, the final decision  to make a move for Kolb has not been made.

It’s not surprising that the Cardinals were impressed with Kolb’s play against the Falcons and 49ers. When Kolb is given time and a game plan is constructed to promote his skill set, he can flourish. Kolb has shown he can be very quick with his reads, and when their good, he is very accurate. But against a team like Green Bay, Kolb’s quick release can lead to bad reads- and interceptions.

At this point it seems like the only way that Kolb does not end up in Arizona will be if the Eagles decide not to deal him. Even if a bidding war is started, Arizona cannot afford to loose it due to their basically open courting of Kolb all off season. They have a fan base thats expecting Kolb, and will not accept another year with a miserable quarterback.

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Posted in Eagles, kevin kolb, rumors

Vick Lands at Number 20 on NFL Top 100

Posted on June 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

The NFL Network, based on a survey from the players, has  been counting down the top 100 players in the league this summer. Numerous Eagles have already made the list, with Trent Cole (73), Asante Samuel (40), and DeSean Jackson (27) all landing in the top 100.

Michael Vick was voted as the 20th best player in the league by his peers

It was only a matter of time until Michael Vick made his way onto the list, but not many people thought it would be so soon. Vick came in at number 20 this past weekend when numbers 20-11 were announced. Experts and players who have discussed the list thought he may come in as high as number 2, given the huge amount of respect and admiration Vick’s peers have for him.

Coming ahead of Vick were, in order, : Green Bay’s Clay Matthews, Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha, Baltimore’s Haloti Ngata, Green Bay’s Charles Woodson, Indianapolis’s Dwight Freeney, Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald, Tennessee’s Chris Johnson, Dallas’s DeMarcus Ware, and finally Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers at 11.

While it is hard to argue that Vick should have came in ahead of Rodgers, you could make a strong case that many of the other players that were ranked ahead of Vick do not belong. In my opinion Vick belongs, at worst, behind only Rodgers and Johnson.

When ranking the best players in the NFL, it should be about one thing: which player has the best chance of single handedly winning a game for me?

Since Vick is a quarterback, he has way more impact on a game than the defensive players that came in ahead of him. Woodson and Freeney are past their prime, and Ware was on one of the worst defenses in the league last year. While Ngata is a defensive force, he is not as talented as Vick, and did not impact as many games as Vick did last season.  Vick was the catalyst of one of the best offenses in the game, and single handedly won 2-3 games for the Eagles last year. You can’t say that for any of the defensive players on the list.

Its hard to believe any player or GM would take Freeney over Vick given the choice

Larry Fitzgerald is regarded by many as the best wide receiver in the game, but last year showed how a bad quarterback can completely kill any chance he has of taking over a game. Fitzgerald depends on other people to get him the ball, while Vick touches the ball on every snap. Vick has shown that a bad offensive line, lack of running game, or dropped passes from his receivers does not stop him from making a big play.  The same cannot be said for Fitzgerald.

Tennessee’s Chris Johnson has shown he can turn nothing into something, and is the biggest home run threat in the league. Ranking him ahead of Vick is debatable and could go either way. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who would pick Vick over Aaron Rodgers.

But Ngata? Woodson? DeMarucs Ware? I find it hard to believe any of these players would be picked ahead of Vick in a draft amongst players or GM’s.

Since this list was voted on by players, it is only fair to wonder what Vick falling this low means about his perception around the league. After taking the league by storm, Vick was slowed down by hard hits and teams that did a good jobs hiding the oncoming blitz.  Could players around the NFL view him as stoppable, while a player like Clay Matthews is impossible to stop unless double teamed?

No player will ever admit it, but Vick falling below the players he did is a travesty, regardless of any logic they might have used when voting.

 

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Posted in Eagles, Michael Vick

Cardinals reporter: Rodgers-Cromartie for Kolb not happening

Posted on June 24, 2011 | Leave a comment

Last week, Anthony Gargano of 610WIP said he believed a deal for Arizona Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was in place in exchange for Kevin Kolb.

Looks like the Kolb for Rodgers-Cromartie talk can be put to rest

Darren Urban, a writer for the Arizona Cardinals official website, recently posted that he does not see the deal happening. Urban points to the Cardinal’s desire to stay deep at cornerback, which they are right now with Rodgers-Cromartie, Patrick Peterson and Greg Toler.

Urban writes:

To begin with, the Cards, who have been looking to solidify their third cornerback spot, finally seem to have that lined up with Peterson, DRC and Greg Toler. That becomes an issue all over again if DRC is dealt. Peterson hasn’t even proven he can play cornerback yet — remember, there are some who think he’ll be better suited as a safety, a la Antrel Rolle — and giving up the team’s best current corner is a pretty big risk in today’s pass-happy NFL. Also, for whatever DRC’s faults might be, his resume is still more complete than Kolb.

There is no reason to believe Urban is anything but tapped in with the Cardinals, and if he believes the Cardinals will hold on to all three, then that should squash the talks of Kolb for Rodgers-Cromartie. It is all speculation at this point, however, and anything is still possible.

If the Cardinals are unwilling to move a corner in exchange for Kolb, then they will most likely have to part with a first round pick in exchange for the 4 year back up. It’s hard to imagine the Eagles wanting any other player on their roster other then Rodgers-Cromartie or Peterson.

Hopefully the lockout will end soon and all of the speculation can come to a close.

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Posted in Eagles, rodgers-cromartie, rumors