Eagles def. Giants in another nail biter 19-17

So this time it was by 2 points well in this cercomstance that is considered a blow out for this year. The Eagles improved greatly by improving to 3-1 on the year as Michael Vick had a great performance with over 240 yards passing and a touchdown now here is the great part....NO TURNOVERS, The key to the 0 turnovers was they ran short intermediate routes, ran the ball more efficiently and more times in the game, the protection was so much better as they dropped back Celek and Harbor most of the time giving Vick enough time to get the ball into his receivers hands. On the defensive side another great performance considering how bad the special teams coverage was who by the way allowed David Wilson to get to the 30 at least every time but thats another story. The defense was shut down against the run again holding the Giants under 70 yards. They got a bit of a scare when Nnamdi Asomugha got his eye poked by Ramses Barden but backup Brandon Hughes who I am a big fan of did a great job shutting down his side almost getting a INT but holding the Giants on a drive when they were in the red zone about to score. The Eagles in the first half struggled a lot in the running game only having 2 yards but in the second half it was the Shady McCoy show bursting for 123 yards rushing. The game came down to a 1 minute drive where Eli needed to get his team into scoring position. The Eagles got burned with 2 pass interference penalties but then on a crucial play Nnamdi and Barden go up for a deep fade and as that happened Barden rapped up Nnamdi and got flagged for it moving the Giants back 10 yards setting up a 54 yard field goal. The kick is up aaaannnddd its no good! Eagles win but wait Andy Reid calls timeout to ice the kicker. Well at this point most Eagles fans are either freaking out or just plain out giving up but no Lawerence Tynes misses the second one and the Eagles win.

The Eagles take on the Steelers this Sunday at 1:00 ET on CBC and this game will be a important one for the Steelers as they can't afford to go 1-3 but we will get into that in the preview.

Eagles vs Giants Sunday Night Showdown

The Eagles are in a huge matchup Sunday night against the New York Giants tomorrow night as it is a special night, Former Saftie Brian Dawkins Jersey will be retired tomorrow night. Vick is in a must perform well situation, he needs to limit the turnovers...I know you Eagles fans have heard that for the past 2 years but they do also they need to run the football more with Lesean McCoy who only rushed a total of 13 times last week which is unacceptable when you have one of the best football players in the NFL today. King Dunlap will be out and Demetress Bell will get the start and this is a big game for him, if he can play well he can beat out Dunlap since the Eagles brought him in to start in the first place. As for the defense Hakeem Knicks will not be playing which is a plus for the secondary but they still need to focus in on Ramsees Barden who had a monster game last thursday night racking up over 100 yards receiving. For me I believe you put DRC on Victor Cruz the whole game even if he is in the slot. The Eagles last week made the mistake of putting Boykin on Fitzgerald when he was in the slot, to me Nnamdi should have been on him the whole time no matter where he is. That is what they need to do this week keep DRC on Cruz the whole game and have Nnamdi take Barden and maybe even Tight End Martellus Bennett some of the time.

Prediction: I think the Eagles will take this one in a close game 20-17 at home with the crowd pumped about Dawkins jersey retirement and much more.

Eagles dominated by Cardinals 27-6

Wow....Most Eagles fans did not have much to say positive about this game as the Eagles got beat in all aspects of this game as Vick and the offense again struggling to keep the ball on their side as 2 more turnovers came back to haunt the Eagles which were both Vick fumbles also Damaris Johnson turned over a fumble on a punt return. So now the Eagles sit at the top with the Cowboys and Giants at 2-1 and the Eagles are facing a tough tough test this Sunday night when they take on the rival superbowl champs the New York Football Giants. Eli and the Giants are coming off a big win Thursday night when they dominated the Panthers so to me if the Eagles want to win this game they need to take note of what the Giants did to Cam Newton and try not to let that happen to Vick in this one or you might be hearing the Nick Foles chants and a controversy maybe after another poor performance. Thats the big topic this week on most websites is that would Andy Reid consider putting in Nick Foles? I personally think so if the situation is right, he has shown he has done that in the past sitting Mcnabb against the Ravens putting in young Kevin Kolb who shined. Moving  back to the Cardinals game what went wrong in this one? Well obliviously you have the turnovers that somehow need to stop, my biggest issue was that the Eagles have one of the best running backs in Lesean McCoy and yet they ran him only 13 times??? How can that possibly be the case when Vick was clearly struggling to throw the football. The Eagles to me just need to forget this game but remember again how the turnovers are haunting them. Kevin Kolb looked very impressive against the Eagles throwing for over 200 yards and a touchdown which left a bitter taste in the Eagles mouth as Kolb was as people know our "Quarterback of the future".

The Eagles take on the Giants Sunday Night at Lincoln Financial Field and they need to come out with a much need W in this one.

Battle of 2-0s: Eagles@ Cardinals

The Eagles travel to the dessert this week as they go against the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals who are starting a familiar face to the Eagles. Quarterback Kevin Kolb will start Sunday as John Skelton has a injured ankle and will miss some time. The Eagles have not been successful against the Cardinals with Andy Reid as coach as they have a losing record to them including last years crucial loss when Vick broke his ribs and the Eagles lost a fourth quarter lead and went on to lose 21-17.  This year the game has a bit bigger story line as Kolb starts vs his former team. Last year he was injured so Skelton started the game.

The keys for the Eagles defense: To stop Kolb is to apply pressure in the inside and force him to roll right which he has a bad habit of doing. When Kolb sees pressure he just seems to freak out and not make the right decisions for example last week I was watching the film of Cardinals @ Patriots and when the Pats had pressure Kolb, instead of stepping up in the pocket and making a throw he tried to extend the play by rolling which made him lose sight of half the field resulting in Kolb just throwing it away and taking a unnecessary hit. If Asomugha can stop Fitzgerald the Cardinals will pretty much have no way of scoring. I believe the Eagles should and will double up Fitz all day most likely putting Nnamdi on him and having Allen take him deep as well. Will Rogers-Cromartie take his former teammate Sunday? That is something to think about, DRC covered Fitz most practices when he was a member of the Cardinals so he knows him well but I still think that Nnamdi is the more aggressive corner who can shut him down. As for the Eagles offense STOP THE TURNOVERS, they have 9 TOs in 2 games. If they protect the ball and run the ball efficiently they should be ok. You just have to be able to solve the Cardinals blitz packages as they disguise them a lot with zone blitzes so the O-Line has a tough test Sunday going up against guys like Darnell Dockett and Calais Cambell.

Key Matchup: Center Dallas Reynolds vs DT/DE Darnell Dockett- Reynolds is coming into the starting lineup for injured Jason Kelce who will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injurie. Reynolds will need to protect Vick from one of the best pass rushers in the game today in Dockett. This will be Reynolds first start of his career so its very important that he does not let Dockett get to Vick early, if he can hold him long enough for Vick to get the ball out he should be fine but its a big match up for his first game.

Prediction: I believe the Eagles will take this one in another nail biting game 21-17

The Eagles take on the Cardinals at Phoenix U Stadium at 4:05 ET on Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles vs Baltimore Ravens Week 2 Preview

The 1-0 Eagles will take on the 1-0 Ravens in a huge game at 1:00 ET now this game is a game that will have many story lines such as will Vick have a bounce back game? Also how will the Eagles respond to the Ravens no huddle offense and can the D have another stellar performance. Now I know that most people are picking the Ravens to defeat the Eagles based on Vick's performance last week and on how well the Ravens played overall against the Bengals on Monday night but I wouldn't sleep on the Eagles this week and here is why I pick the Eagles to win this game.

1. Michael Vick will have a bounce back game- Vick is most likely not going to throw four interceptions again against the Ravens and the Ravens struggled against mobile quarterbacks last season so if Vick can move the pocket it will make the Ravens struggle to get after Vick which means he will have more time to throw the football. Vick knows that if he does not perform well in this one you will be hearing the Foles chants at the Linc.

2. The Eagles defense will have another stellar performance- Yes the Ravens offense looked unstoppable last week but I saw a completely different Eagles defense last week, one that the cornerbacks and safeties were unstoppable. Asomugha let only one completion on him the entire game and Rogers-Cromartie racked up 2 interceptions. Kurt Coleman had a pair of picks as well and Nate Allen was all over the field making big tackles against the run and in pass coverage. What I saw though that was amazing was the play of linebackers Demeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks. Ryans had over 6 tackles and would not allow Richardson to have more than a yard a gain. He was plugging up every hole possible by either beating the lineman or moving the lineman into the hole causing the back to be plugged up.

3. Eagles will become more balanced early in the game on offense- McCoy only had about 7 carries in the first half compared to the Eagles throwing the ball about 30 times. The Eagles know that if they make Vick throw that many times again he is bound to make mistakes so to stop that give McCoy the ball and let him do what he does. He had over 100 rushing last game after a stellar second half where he had 19 carries.

A question that was brought up by Adam Caplan on philadelphiaeagles.com was that when Boldin is moved in the inside and Jacoby Jones is on the outside, where will Boykin go? In my opinion and in most others Boykin is not big enough to cover Boldin the whole game, Bold is a tough, hard, fast runner so to me this is what you do, you move Asomugha into the slot, push Curtis Marsh out to the outside and have him cover Jacoby Jones. What you do with Boykin is when Boldin is moved to the outside then put Boykin back in the slot.
Injury Report: Not good news for the Eagles as Desean Jackson (Hamstring) is questionable for the game as well as Jeremy Maclin who has a hip flexer. The Eagles signed Mardy Gilyard to fill that void encase neither can go.

My prediction for the game is the Eagles win 24-21 in a big game which puts the Eagles at 2-0.

Eagles Hang on defeat Browns 17-16 in Opener

Ok you can all stop biting your nails and pulling out your hair the Eagles pulled out a wild victory against the Cleveland Browns 17-16. Boy did nobody see this coming the Browns defense was all over Vick all day forcing him to throw 4 interceptions to only two touchdowns. Thankfully the Eagles defense was stellar as they had 4 INTS of their own 2 of which were Coleman and two were Rogers-Cromartie. All though the Eagles only got 2 sacks they applied tremendous pressure on Weeden forcing him to made bad decisions. The D also held Richardson to only 39 yards total rushing so the Browns offense could not generate much. The Eagles only scored one touchdown in the first half which was a late touchdown in the second quarter where Vick threw a bullet to Maclin who made a nice toe touch catch in the end zone. So the half was over and the score was 10-6 not bad considering how the Eagles started, I then thought to myself like most Eagles fans did "OK they started off slow but now are in a rhythm lets put these Browns away." That just never seemed to happen though, Late in the fourth quarter Vick was again picked by LB D'qwell Jackson who took it in for a score. So the Eagles with 6 minutes left are down by 6 and most people at that time figured it was probably over with the way Vick was playing but oh no that was not the case. Vick and the offense remained poised and led a tremendous 91 yard drive and Vick finished it off with a touchdown to Clay Harbor to win the game. The Eagles got lucky on the play before the score though, Vick threw a pass to Maclin that went right through the hands of the Browns defender. So we caught a brake and Vick made them pay. The bright side of this game is obliviously that we are 1-0 but it took too much to get it. If the Eagles want to beat the Ravens Vick has to improve and I mean HAS TO improve because that kind of game again next week will not get the Eagles a W oh no not with the Ravens offense and defense. Two things that I liked the most of the game was that first we were efficient in the red zone which the Eagles were terrible at last season. We went 2-2 in the red zone with two scores. The second thing is that the Eagles were able to put together a fourth quarter comeback which last years team would not have been able to do. The Eagles showed that they can pull through in clutch time which we did not do last year. So for now the Eagles are 1-0 which was a important win since the Cowboys and the Redskins both won their games this week.

The Eagles take on the Ravens next week at 1 in Philly. The Eagles will have the crowd on their side and if they want to win again Vick needs to have a better game meaning NO TURNOVERS.

Season Opener Week 1: Eagles @ Browns Preview

Aah the sweet smell of football. It is here and the Eagles start it off against a young hungry Cleveland Browns team. The Eagles played the Browns in week 3 of the preseason so they are not strangers to each other this year. Since there was no game plan shown we will most likely see two very different teams energy wise and scheme wise.

Key Players Injury Update

Trent Richardson is still a question mark as he was limited again in practice this week.  

Joe Haden is going to play even though he was not hurt he could have been suspended by the league for substance abuse. 

Eagles DT Fletcher Cox was limited in practice Thursday but he should be a go for the opener and he will play a big part as he is starting with Landri as well rotating in.

Jason Babin practiced all this week so he should be a go as well against the Browns but don't expect a 3 sack performance as Philip Hunt, Tapp, and Graham will come in the rotation as well so they don't rush Babin into the swing of things. 

Keys To The Game

It is going to be a loud crowd in Cleveland Sunday so for me what the Eagles need to do is get a couple quick stops on defense with 3 and outs then slow the tempo on offense, run the ball efficiently, and get the ball out of Vick's hands. That last point brings me to my next point, the Eagles in order to get the ball out of Vick's hands fast is run some screens to McCoy and run some quick routes with Maclin, Avant, and Jackson and let them make plays after the catch. I was thinking to myself today about how QBs check down to the running back but for Vick his check down should be to run, yes I said run because as much as fans want Vick to get the ball out I do as well but not all the time we need to set certain plays aside where Vick can have the option to take the ball and run because with his talent we can't always keep him cooped up in the pocket. So the final keys are to run the ball efficiently, get off the field as quick as possible on defense, get the ball out of Vick's hands when passing but set aside certain plays for him to run with the ball. 

Prediction

The Eagles are going to get business done Sunday both offensively and defensively with a final score of 24-14 and Vick stays healthy and ready for Week 2.

The Eagles take on the Browns at 1:00 on Sunday on FOX.

 

Eagles defeat Jets 28-10 Get down to 53 with some surprising cuts

The Eagles after last night went undefeated in the preseason for the first time since 1995 with a win over the Jets 28-10. Trent Edwards lit it up again as he has all preseason with 197 yards and two touchdowns which earned him a roster spot as the Eagles cut Mike Kafka today. Here are all of the 22 players that did not make the cut.

Roster Cuts:
QB Mike Kafka- Could not get on the field which hurt him as Edwards was amazing in the preseason.
S Oshimigo Atogwe- Just could not stay healthy
TE Brett Brackett- Was a good pass catcher but struggled to block.
LB Keenan Clayton- Got stuck with the number of linebackers the Eagles kept.
DT Landon Cohen
DT Atonio Dixon- The Eagles stuck with Cedric Thornton over Dixon but was a bit of a surprise the Eagles did not keep 5 DTS as instead they kept 7 defensive ends.
TE Chase Ford- Athletic but Eagles only kept 2 tight ends.
WR Mardy Gilyard- Caught a few touchdowns and was very impressive but was caught in a bad situation on how many receivers there were.
WR Chad Hall- Hall has been with the team for a while but Damaris Johnson just outplayed him and has the versatility to be the punt returner.
CB Joselio Hanson- The veteran corner was beat out by rookie Brandon Boykin for the starting slot job so since Hanson can't play on the outside there was no use for him.
FB Emil Igwenagu- Versatile but Havili outplayed him.
T DJ Jones
P Mat Mcbriar- The former pro bowler was beat out by Chas Henery who played very well in the preseason.
WR Marvin Mcnutt- Just was nowhere to be seen in the preseason could not get by Damaris Johnson or the number of receivers kept.
LB Adrian Moten
DT Ollie Ogbu- More of a practice squad player showed some good things in preseason.
LB Ryan Rau- Was very impressive in game vs Jets but just got caught up in numbers game, more of a practice squad player.
DE Monte Taylor- In a crowded position will be good P squad player.
S Philip Thomas- Good game vs Browns but not enough to beat out Jarrett.
DT Frank Trotter- Did not look to shabby in the preseason but just did not do enough.
OL Steve Vallos- Got beat out by Dallas Reynods who played very well.
OL Brandon Washington- Sixth round pick but with an injury did not see the field enough to compete.

So with all these cuts the Eagles decided to go with what surprised me the most which is why I am bringing it up is that the Eagles kept 4 running backs. This has never happened under Andy Reid as Coach but I guess he and the Eagles just loved what they saw in both Bryce Brown and Chris Polk and did not want to let either go. Now the question is how can they utilize each one. Obliviously McCoy will get most of the touches and then you have Dion Lewis who will probably get 6-8 snaps a game. I see the Eagles using him in passing situations at times as he can catch the ball very well. Bryce Brown showed some explosiveness on the outside and averaged at least 5 yards a carry. Now how many snaps will he get in games I don't know with him or Chris Polk but with Polk he was a great pass blocker in the preseason so maybe in third and long situations you see him out their blocking. Its just so hard to utilize all these players with McCoy playing pretty much the whole game but we will see what Reid does.

The Fans in Philly are very excited as the Eagles have a lot of depth at most positions and its going to be a fun season starting off with the Browns next Sunday only 8 more days! Here is the final roster position by position.


QB (3): Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Trent Edwards
RB/FB (5): LeSean McCoy, Dion Lewis, Bryce Brown, Chris Polk, Stanley Havili
WR (5): DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Riley Cooper, Damaris Johnson
TE (2): Brent Celek, Clay Harbor
OL (9): King Dunlap, Evan Mathis, Jason Kelce, Danny Watkins, Todd Herremans, Demetress Bell, Dennis Kelly, Julian Vandervelde, Dallas Reynolds
DL (10):Trent Cole, Cullen Jenkins, Derek Landri, Jason Babin, Phillip Hunt, Darryl Tapp, Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton
LB (6): DeMeco Ryans, Akeem Jordan, Mychael Kendricks, Jamar Chaney, Brian Rolle, Casey Matthews
CB (6): Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Brandon Boykin, Curtis Marsh, Brandon Hughes, Trevard Lindley
S (4): Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman, Jaiquawn Jarrett, Colt Anderson
ST (3): Alex Henery, Chas Henry, Jon Dorenbas

Eagles vs Jets Preview

The Eagles finish off the Preseason against the Jets tomorrow night and it might be the last for a lot of the players but some will with a good performance can make the team. These are 6 players that you should look at the most in this game who are battling for a roster spot.

WR Marvin Mcnutt- Mcnutt has been very quiet in the preseason, He only has one catch which came last game against the Browns. This is not a good sign as other guys like Damaris Johnson have shined proving that he belongs as one of the five-six recievers. Mcnutt needs a very good performance tonight and a little luck that the Eagles keep six receivers. If not he would be a good practice squad player, but someone I bet would take him as he has great potential with his size and strength.

RB Chris Polk- Polk has not by any chance had a bad preseason but he has been over shined by fellow rookie Bryce Brown who has been outstanding in his time on the field. Polk has been great with pass protection and has run with a chip on his shoulder. He has busted through defenders and showed some good speed. Like Mcnutt he needs to hope the Eagles keep four backs or he will most likely be the odd man out.

WR Chad Hall- Hall just like Mcnutt will need to hope the Eagles keep six receivers because to me Damaris Johnson is a lock to be the 5th guy. Now unlike Mcnutt the Eagles know what they have in Chad Hall, a gritty, small, quick, great hand receiver who has produced when on the roster. He has made some good catches in the preseason and has a great chance of being the sixth guy, again if the Eagles keep six guys.

S Jaiquawn Jarrett- The former second round pick is for sure on the roster bubble and has a good chance to make it but a bad performance against the Jets could cost him a spot on the roster. To me the Eagles will keep obliviously Nate Allen and Kurt Coleman, I do believe as well that they keep Oshimigo Atogwe to add some veteran presence at the position. The Eagles liked what they saw in Jarrett at Temple, he was a hard hitter but really has not shown that big hit ability in his time with the Eagles. Jarrett with a good performance will solidify a spot as the 4th and last S on the team.

CB Brandon Hughes- Hughes has intrigued me since the day he came to Philly, he has good size and plays well in press coverage and showed that some games last year against the Cardinals and Patriots. The reason he is on the roster bubble is because if the Eagles only keep 5 CBS he might be the odd man out but it all depends on a certain battle at this position. Rookie Brandon Boykin and Veteran Joselio Hanson are competing for the starting slot corner spot. So far it has been pretty even, I think both Hanson and Boykin have played well in the preseason. If I was Hughes (Not saying I would root for a teammate to fail) I would want Boykin to win the job and here is my reason why. If Boykin wins the job then there really is not any reason to keep Hanson mostly because he can't play on the outside and this means that Hughes gets the 5th and last spot on the roster. A strong performance will help his case so for him just go out and shut down those mediocre Jets WRS and he should be fine.

 DE Darryl Tapp- This one might be a surprise to some people and might not, The Eagles are loaded at the defensive line and all of them are making their case on why they should make the team. Tapp is in a tough position. He has played well in the preseason having a couple sacks and a forced fumble and recovery but here is when it gets interesting. Tapp is still young so maybe instead of cutting him you could get a low end draft pick from some other team who is looking for a solid, productive defensive end. Or we could go heavy at the position and keep Tapp and Hunt who is the other guy that if not Tapp would get cut but there is no way Philip Hunt this year will not have midnight green on as he has just shined in the preseason. Tapp could either solidify a spot or have another team be very interested with a strong performance against the Jets. He needs to get at whoever is playing QB for the Jets and get some sacks.

Eagles take on the Jets at 6:35 Thursday in their annual final preseason game finale. Tune in to 6ABC to watch the game if you are local in Philly.

Eagles Cut 10 Players Plus Big Change in Depth Chart

The Eagles have to get down to 75 players by the end of the weekend so they cut 10 players Saturday to get down to 79 and one was a surprising cut to me.

Eagles Cuts:
WR Elvis Akpla
S Wade Bonner
DE Xavier Brown
WR Brian Hernandez
WR Mckay Jacobson
WR Tiger Jones
G Alfred McCullough
S Tom Nelson
OT Thomas Welch
CB Kevin Thomas
CB Cliff Harris

Cliff Harris was a big surprise to me, he was a stud on the field at Oregon and really impressed in Training Camp and even had a interception against the Browns. I can see why they cut him, they have a very deep roster at CB so a lot of good names will get cut. I see the final result being 1. Nnamdi Asomugha 2. DRC
3. Brandon Boykin 4. Curtis Marsh 5. Brandon Hughes. Now maybe instead of Hughes you see Joselio Hanson but if Boykin wins the slot job I just don't see a reason to keep Hanson. So to me Lindley and Hanson do not make the team so that they can keep more D-lineman which is the deepest position.

A surprise move at the Linebacker depth chart was made today as LB Akeem Jordan beat out LB Brian Rolle. Wow I did not see that coming, I thought that it was down to Chaney and Rolle but since Rolle did not impress in the preseason and Chaney is hurt so that left Jordan to have a great preseason and swoop the job into his hands. Now I do not see him being the starter through out the hole season, I am a big fan of Rolle who played his way into the starting spot last year. If Jordan struggles than I think Reid will quickly move Rolle...or Chaney into that spot.

Andy Reid updated the injuries today saying that Babin has a good chance to play vs the Browns. The bad news of the day was that Reid said that Mike Patterson will miss a huge lump of time during the season if not the whole season because of his brain surgery. Riley Cooper will most likely not play vs the Browns and the same goes for Casey Matthews.

The Eagles annual Flight Night is tonight at 7:00 and Vick will practice which is fun for the fans and for Eagles fans.

Eagles Legend RB Steve Van Buren Passes at 91

The Eagles today have lost a legend in this city. Hall of Fame Running back Steve Van Buren died today at the age of 91. Van Buren to me is the all time greatest running back to ever wear the Eagles uniform. Van Buren was the huge reason in the 40s why the Eagles became back to back champions. In 1948 the Eagles defeated the Chicago Cardinals for their first ever world championship mainly because of #15. In that game it was a blizzard out  side but that did not keep Van Buren from having a impressive game. He Scored the teams only touchdown in the game as they won it 7-0. The following year the Eagles returned to the NFL Championship this time against the Rams, The game was not in a blizzard this time but in the rain and thick mud. Steve Van Buren set a record for most rushing yards in a game with 196 total yards. The Eagles go on to defend their title as they win back to back titles mainly because of Steve Van Buren. Van Buren's life will be celebrated all around the NFL today, I don't know how much people know about how this man helped the NFL be what it is today.

Eagles vs Patriots Recap

The Eagles won their second preseason game 27-17 Monday Night in Foxboro against the Patriots but another scare to the Eagles starters put a damper on the game. During the second drive of the Eagles offense Vick dropped back looked looked found nothing rolled to the right and threw up a deep ball to Desean and was brutally hit by Jermaine Cunningham. Vick held his ribs right after and could not get up, this is exactly what you did not want to see in a preseason for the second game in a row Eagle fans were holding their breath again for the news that Vick was ok. Luckily they got that news, Vick's X-Rays came back negative so his ribs are just sore, he will play in the season opener vs the Browns. After that news everyone could relax and watch the game but what does Vick have to do to stay healthy? He has gotten hurt two consistent games so the chances he can play all 16 games are slim. My take on what he needs to do is sometimes just give up on a play and get to the ground or throw the ball away. With his talent and ability he refuses to give up on a play and that is why he gets hit so much. If he can slide and when a play blows up give up he should be ok. Going back to the game it was actually a pretty succesfull game for the Offense but the Defense again had its ups and downs. The offense moved the ball both running and passing scoring 3 touchdowns in the redzone which is a great thing knowing how bad the Eagles were there last year. The defense looked good at times and bad, they completely shut down the run game not letting the Patriots go anywhere there and Asomguha and DRC played lights out as Cromartie had a INT which was taken back after a penalty on a late hit by Cox. There was the problem throughout the game..Penalties the defense was getting stops but you kept on seeing the yellow flag on the field. The other problem was getting off the field on third down. They had probably 3 third and longs which were 15 yards or longer that they blew with either penalties or just bad coverage. Lets take a look at the 3 stars from both Offense and Defense.

OFFENSE
1. Nick Foles QB- Foles had another great game coming in for a injured Vick, He really stayed poised and moved the ball great. He stepped up in the pocket and put the ball in the perfect spot for the WRs. He was really clicking with Desean Jackson hooking up for 4 Receptions for 82 yards. Foles finished with 217 Yards  2 Touchdowns and 1 INT. If he keeps playing like this he will pass Kafka as the backup for Vick which is a very very important job.

2. Lesean McCoy RB- McCoy looked great Monday night having 7 rushes for 30 yards and a touchdown plus two receptions for 12 yards. The Eagles need to see McCoy do good because if Vick goes down, they will need to rely on McCoy to carry the load until he comes back. Although he only had 42 total yards he hit the holes so fast and scored a red zone touchdown which is very important knowing again how bad the Eagles were last year there. Fantasy owners as well should be very happy with McCoy's play so far.

3. King Dunlap LT- Dunlap really has the advantage right now for the starting Left Tackle spot over Demetress Bell as he had a very impressive start. Dunlap was completely shutting down Chandler Jones not letting him get anywhere near Foles. He showed a lot of mobility in the run game getting up the field and making some blocks which is a great sign as Jason Peters thrived in that last year. He should remain the starter for the preseason but if he struggles, Howard Mudd is not afraid to bench him as shown when he did it to Bell.

DEFENSE
1. Mychal Kendricks LB-  Kendricks is making the Eagles very excited for the regular season. He again was the leader in tackles in the game having 6. He was terrific in coverage and was just incredible against the run. He plugged up the holes and finished all his tackles. He even almost got a sack as he beat the tackle and locked up the QB who got away but was then quickly brought down. If he can continue to play like this, I think the Eagles LB problems are solved.

2. Philip Hunt DE- There is no way that the Eagles could even think of letting this guy go, he has just been stellar in the preseason again posting a sack and a forced fumble. He was rushing the passer all night, the offensive line just had no answer for him. The Eagles don't have to worry if one of their ends go down because Hunt is the best backup possible. Hunt will make this team over Tapp so the only way Tapp can make the team is if the Eagles keep more ends because Hunt is a sure thing to make the roster.

3. Curtis Marsh CB- Marsh had a solid game against the Patriots when Cromartie got injured he stepped right in and shut down his receiver. Luckily if one of the Eagles CBs go down they know they can count on Marsh, he had two really good pass breakups against Stallworth really getting up in his face and playing great press coverage. The Eagles need Marsh to step up in case of an injury and so far I am feeling pretty confident in him.

The Eagles take on the Cleveland Browns Friday but don't be surprised when the Eagles show the Browns absolutely nothing as they are playing them in the season opener. Lets hope Vick does not play so we don't have to see him go down again (Cross your fingers).

Eagles vs Patriots Preview

The Eagles take on the New England Patriots Monday Night, this will be the second preseason game for the Eagles but things are a bit different from last game. Both first teams struggled against the Steelers in week 1 so they need to have a bounce back performance against the Patriots and for the defense it will be hard going up against Tom Brady. All I want to see is that the drive Brady plays the Eagles get off the field on third down which they had a hard time doing last game. For the Offense I am not looking for a ton of points or anything, all I am looking for is that the offensive line protects Vick, McCoy runs the ball efficiently and they move the Ball down the field. When they go in the redzone I expect them to fix their issues there and get in the endzone. Now the QB position will be a different picture this game with Mike Kafka out with a hand injury. So with that Nick Foles will be the 2nd string and Trent Edwards will be the 3rd. I want to see if Foles can have another impressive game as last game he threw for 144 and 2 touchdowns. If he has another solid performance Andy Reid is going to have to think about who he puts as Vick's backup. I am very excited to see Maclin and Celek playing in this game which will I am sure help the starters move down the field. Nnamdi Asomugha is going to play as he got injured at camp on a collision with teammate Nate Allen. He had a sore neck and no concussion symptoms. Trent Cole is also expected to be in the starting lineup Moday Night which will only add to the domination the D-Line put on vs the Steelers. Jason Babin is still a no go as he is still recovering from his injury.

Injury Report: The players that will not play against New England are, Jason Babin, Casey Matthews, Riley Cooper, and Mike Kafka.

Position to Watch For: I am really watching the Left Tackle position in this game as King Dunlap has been practicing with the first team over Demetress Bell. If Dunlap performs well Howard Mudd will have to think hard about who he wants as the starter.

Player to Watch For: Marvin Mcnutt WR- He did not touch the ball last game and struggled on his route running. If he does not have a good performance in this one he could be looking at being cut because Damaris Johnson has looked amazing at WR and PR.

Prediction: Eagles win 20-7 Vick throws touchdown to Desean Jackson

Eagles vs Steelers Recap

The Eagles won a thriller Thursday night against the Steelers with a game winning 51 yard field goal by Alex Henery. The final score was 24-23 at the Linc and I had 3 stars from each offense and defense that stood out the most. First I want to talk about the game quickly from each quarter.

First Half- The starters looked a little rusty especially the defense giving up a ton of third down conversions. The d-line looked amazing as usual but the secondary had some miss communications. The one touchdown the starting defense gave up was a pass to Emanuel Sanders who was being covered by Asomugha. I did not think this was Asomugha's fault as Jarrett did not step up and swat the ball down when Sanders beat Nnamdi instead he just stood there and jogged to Sanders and was too late. The offense was rusty as well only having 2 drives which were both three and outs. Vick gave us a scare on the last drive getting injured when he threw the ball and banged his thumb up against Jason Kelce's helmet. Luckily Vick is OK and will practice Saturday.

Second Half- The backup offense and defense played much better than the starters scoring 3 touchdowns and a game winning field goal. In the third quarter Nick Foles looked a little less than elite throwing two deep touchdowns. The first was an amazing play when he rolled to the right as he was being chased by a defensive end, he threw the ball on the run to Damaris Johnson who ran it in for the score. On the second scoring drive     Foles threw a deep fade to Mardy Gilyard for a 44 yard score. The pass was perfect right between the defender and Gilyard who caught the ball and dove for the touchdown. Trent Edwards came into the game in the fourth quarter and was just as good as Foles was in the third. Edwards led a huge drive down the field and on a 4th and 2 he threw a quick pass to Jamel Hamler who made two guys miss and dove for the endzone. That drive put the Eagles in the lead late in the game. The Steelers came right back down the field and ate up most of the time and scored a field goal with 1:57 left. This was actually good for the backups to get some practice in a final drive situation late in the game. Edwards stayed comb and moved the ball efficiently down the field. Another fourth down came and Edwards threw a perfect pass to receiver Tiger Jones for the first down. Alex Henrey then booted a beautiful 51 yarder for the win.

3 Stars on Defense  

1. Nick Foles- Foles really made me confident that we have some talent at the quarterback position behind Vick. He threw for 144 yards and 2 scores in his debut as an Eagle so he will  push Kafka for the right to be Vick's backup.

2. Trent Edwards- This is a good sign that our QBS are playing well. Edwards threw for over 100 yards and 1 touchdown and a last minute drive to seal the victory. I don't know if he will make the Eagles roster but he is showing other teams that he can still play in this leauge. 

3. Damaris Johnson- Johnson led the team in receiving and looked impressive punt returning so to me he is in the lead for the fifth and possibly last WR spot. His touchdown showed that he can create separation with the corner and get open in the open field. 

 3 Stars on Defense

1. Vinny Curry- Curry looked really good Thursday night throughout the whole game really getting after the quarterback and shutting down the running backs. He led the team in total tackles witch I am sure impressed Jim Washburn (Defensive Line Coach), if he can play like that he will get a lot of playing time during the regular season. 

2. Mychal Kendricks- Kendricks was one of the few standouts in the starting group on defense. He had 4 tackles some for losses, he just looked really comfortable in the system and just went out there and finished all his tackles. If he keeps playing like that throughout the preseason he will for sure be the starting SAM linebacker come Week 1. 

3. Whole defensive line- The d-line as dominant having 7 sacks, 2 by Philip Hunt, 1 by Brandon Graham, 1 by Cedric Thornton, 1 by Xavier Brown, 1 by Monte Taylor, 0.5 by Tapp, and 0.5 by Brian Rolle. So obliviously the sacks were spread around which is a great thing. 

The Eagles next face the New England Patriots on August 20th at Foxboro. The Eagles starters on both sides of the ball need to have a bounce back game or Eagles fans including me will be worried. 

Eagles vs Steelers Preseason Preview

The Eagles kick off the preseason Thursday at 7:30 at Lincoln Financial Field and can I say it is so exciting for football to be back.
There are a players from both offense and defense to watch for both rookies and veterans lets go over the players that I and you should watch for on offense and defense.

OFFENSE

RB Bryce Brown- Brown is in a battle with Chris Polk for the last running back spot and so far he is leading it. If he can have a productive game against Pittsburgh Thursday night, it will be huge in the battle for the roster spot. He will get a ton of snaps during the second half and some in the first half so he will get his opportunity. Stat Prediction: 60 yards 1 Touchdown

RB Chris Polk- Polk is behind Brown right now for the third running back spot so a great night against the Steelers will help him a lot. He will share the reps with Brown in the second half and Reid wants to see what he has so the Eagles will run the ball a lot in the second half. Stat Prediction: 42 yards 1 Touchdown

WR Marvin Mcnutt- Mcnutt has done a great job in training camp filling in for Riley Cooper as the #4 receiver. He needs a solid performance in Week 1 to make sure he can hang on to a roster spot and not be beat out by Chad Hall or Damaris Johnson. Stat Prediction 4 Receptions 40 Yards

FB Stanley Havili- I really need to see if Havili can run with the starters and produce when he gets the snaps. The Eagles might not even keep a full back in order to maybe keep 6 receivers or dare I say 4 running back? So not by any chance does Havili have a secure spot on the roster, he needs to have some what of a good game because also there is another guy creeping up behind him FB/TE Emil Igwenagu who is a versatile player who could play both positions so maybe the Eagles look to him over Havili. We shall see.

Stat Prediction 2 Rushes for 8 yards

WR Damaris Johnson- Johnson is in a very good position right now if he can show that he is a productive punt returner, the Eagles might choose him over Mcnutt or keep 6 receivers. As long as he shows some good signs at punt returning and catch a couple nice passes than Chad Hall will fade from the rear view mirror but don't count out Hall he'll be in the swing of things during preseason. 

Stat Prediction 3 Receptions 20 Yards Punt Return TD (That is a pretty bold prediction.)

Defense 

DT Fletcher Cox- The 12th overall pick will get a lot of reps with the starters against Pittsburgh in the first quarter. If he can do what he did at training camp and make some nice stops I will be happy with his development. Stat Prediction 5 Tackles 1 For a loss

DE Vinny Curry- Curry was one of the second round picks for the Eagles this year and so far at camp he has been a monster in the one on ones and 11 on 11s. I expect with all the injuries on the d-line that he will get a lot of playing time early. I would love to see him get a sack or rush the passer a couple times. 

Stat Prediction 6 Tackles 1 Sack

LB Demeco Ryans- What I am looking for in Ryans is that he makes sure everyone is lined up correctly and that he covers well and finishes his tackles.

Stat Prediction 4 Tackles 1 Pass Deflection

LB Mychal Kendricks- Kendricks will be the starting SAM Linebacker tomorrow night and I am super excited to see what he does in the reps he gets. Just like Ryans if he can cover well and tackle fine ill be comfortable with him as the starter still.

Stat Prediction 3 Tackles 1 Pass Deflection

CB Brandon Boykin- Boykin is competing with Joselio Hanson for the starting slot corner position and also he is the starting kick returner. Boykin has been really good with coverage in the slot so far at camp but this will be a real test to see if he can go up against some good Steeler receivers. I hope to see him take some reps with the starters so he can go up against Antonio Brown and Emanuel Sanders. 

Stat Prediction 2 Pass deflections 3 Tackles

CB Curtis Marsh- I am very interested to see how Marsh is developing and this will be the real test to see if he can hang on to his spot over guys like Kevin Thomas who was a starter with the Colts. 

Stat Prediction 2 Tackle 1 Pass Deflection

It will obliviously take more than just one game to officially judge all these players but with a game under their belt we will get a good look at what they have. Watch the Eagles take on the Stelelers at 7:30 on 6ABC or if you don't live in Philly watch it Friday at 1 on NFL Network.

Eagles release first official Depth Chart

The Eagles released their first depth chart of the season on Monday and it had pretty much the starting lineup and backups you expected but some are a bit shocking.
Lets start at the Quarterback position.
                                                                         OFFENSE
QB: 1. Michael Vick 2. Mike Kafka 3. Nick Foles 4. Trent Edwards
No surprises here Edwards just won't be able to find a roster spot on this team.

RB: 1. Lesean McCoy 2. Dion Lewis 3. Bryce Brown 4. Chris Polk
So there you have it as of right now Bryce Brown is leading the battle for the third RB spot over Chris Polk. As this does not clinch it for Brown if he can continue to impress during the preseason he will likely win this spot.

WR: 1. Desean Jackson 2. Jeremy Maclin 3. Jason Avant 4. Riley Cooper 5.Marvin Mcnutt 6. Chad Hall
Those are the top 6 in the depth chart the others are not listed as a numbered spot but it is what I expected although seeing Chad Hall over Damaris Johnson is a bit of a surprise but I think as the preseason starts if Johnson can do good at punt returning then he will beat out Hall.

TE: 1. Brent Celek 2. Clay Harbor 3. Brett Brackett 4. Chase Ford 5. Emil Igwenagu
Not surprised by this it is what was expected my only thing with this is will the Eagles keep three tight ends? They ran a lot of two tight end sets last season so maybe they hang on to Brackett.

LT: 1. Demetress Bell 2. King Dunlap 3. DJ Jones
Bell will fill in for Jason Peters and will have a trusty backup in King Dunlap who looked good in his limited playing time.

LG: 1. Evan Mathis 2. Julian Vandervelde 3. Alfred McCullough
Vendervelde will backup Mathis....nothing surprising here either.

C: 1. Jason Kelce 2. Dallas Reynolds 3. Steve Vallos
Kelce had a great rookie season and we hope for him to repeat that this year. Reynolds has impressed at camp so far lets see what he does during preseason.

RG: 1. Danny Watkins 2. Mike Gibson 3.Brandon Washington
Gibson who is in his second stint with the Eagles has looked good in camp but as the season goes on I see Washington jumping ahead of him.

RT: 1. Todd Herremans 2. Dennis Kelly 3. Thomas Welch
Dennis Kelly looks really good so far at camp dominating during the 1 on 1s with the lineman he should be a good backup for Herremans encase he goes down.

                                                                       Defense
LDE: 1. Jason Babin 2. Brandon Graham 3. Philip Hunt
Obliviously Babin has the starting spot but a good competition with Graham and Hunt but Graham has looked amazing during training camp lets hope that he can do that on a consistent basis during the preseason in order to secure his spot on the roster. Hunt will need to impress during the preseason to take that last end spot from Tapp.

LDT: 1. Cullen Jenkins 2. Fletcher Cox 3. Cedric Thornton 4. Ollie Ogbu
Cox will get a lot of playing time during the season in the 4 DT rotation probably at the right DT spot but as for right now he is listed as a LDT. Thornton is making a huge run for a roster spot really impressing in training camp. He has been great during the 11 on 11s and 1 on 1s plus he has been taking some reps with the first team defense. He could beat out Antonio Dixon or maybe the Eagles keep a couple more tackles and he is on that list but we shall see. Ollie Ogbu is a project for the Eagles and will most likely be on the practice squad.

RDT: 1. Derek Landri 2. Antonio Dixon 3. Frank Trotter
I was a bit surprised at the beginning of training camp when Landri was on the first team defense but as camp went on I was more and more pleased with Landri's play and as of right now with Patterson out he will be a good replacement to be in the rotation with him, Cox and Jenkins. Antonio Dixon is probably the best run stopping tackles the Eagles have but he has Cedric Thornton creeping up behind him trying to take his roster spot which is a realistic possibility right now. I think the Eagles hang on to him and he will produce when on the field. Sorry Trotter but there is not enough spots for you to make the roster, Like your last name though.

RDE: 1. Trent Cole 2. Darryl Tapp 3. Vinny Curry
Cole is the most consistent end on the roster and should have another double digit sack season this year as long as he stays healthy which throughout his career has not been a major issue. Tapp is going to have to elevate his game during the preseason in order to beat out Philip Hunt for the last spot but I just don't see him making the roster, Hunt has too much upside. Vinny Curry will be on the team for sure as a second round pick this year, He looks good in camp but I am going to be watching him very closely during preseason to see how far he has progressed. He should see playing time during the season and the more he improves, the more game time he will play.

WILL Linebacker: 1. Brian Rolle 2. Jamar Chaney 3. Keenan Clayton 4. Adrian Moten
Rolle and Chaney are in a battle for this spot and as of right now Rolle is the starter but Chaney could push him out of the job if he plays well in preseason. Chaney was though promoted to a starter in the nickel package which will give him a lot of playing time aside Demeco Ryans. Keenan Clayton is battling with Akeem Jordan for the last linebacker spot so he will need to out shine Jordan early or Jordan will win the job because of how well Akeem Jordan played at the end of last season.


Middle Linebacker: 1. Demeco Ryans 2. Casey Matthews 3. Ryan Rau
No surprises here Matthews will be a good backup for Ryans and will most likely be a backup at every linebacker position.

SAM Linebacker: 1. Mychal Kendricks 2. Akeem Jordan 3. Monte Simmons
Kendricks is the starter come week 1 unless there is a injury (Knock on wood). So far he has looked solid at camp doing good coverage wise and stopping the run. Jordan is as said before battling Keenan Clayton for the last linebacker spot, I expect him to win the job unless Clayton shines over him during the preseason.

Cornerback: 1. Nnamdi Asomugha 2. Dominique Rogers-Cromartie 3. Joselio Hanson 4. Curtis Marsh 5. Brandon Boykin 6. Brandon Hughes
So there you have it so far Hanson is beating Boykin for the starting slot job as both have had good camps. I expect Boykin to make his way into that spot if he impresses in the preseason plus he is a kick returner so his roster spot is safe from being lost. Brandon Hughes so far is leading the competition between him, Trevard Lindley, Kevin Thomas, Cliff Harris, etc for the last corner spot. He has looked good in camp having a interception but the spot is still up for grabs as Cliff Harris has looked impressive at camp, but don't rule out Kevin Thomas either who the Eagles got in a trade with the Colts. He was the starter in Indianapolis and was productive at times and struggled at times. He will challenge Hughes as well but as I have said about a thousands time now PRESEASON WILL DECIDE ALL.

Free Saftie: 1. Nate Allen 2. Oshiomogo Atogwe 3. Philip Thomas
Allen has been quiet at camp but in a good way, he has covered well and is just going out everyday and doing his job. Atogwe has not looked great but not bad either he is just getting beat a lot by the tight ends and has struggled at times so I don't see him competing for a starting spot as of right now, he will provide a excellent backup for Allen and Coleman.

Strong Saftie: 1. Kurt Coleman 2. Jaiquawn Jarrett 3. Tom Nelson
This is Coleman's job to lose from Jarrett who is more a threat to Coleman then Atogwe and so far he has made some nice hits in practice and his coverage has been good. Jarrett has also looked good at camp taking first team reps with Nate Allen out the past couple days, if he wants to get playing time he needs to show his stuff during PRESEASON and not make mental mistakes.

                                                                    Special Teams
Kicker: Alex Henery

Punter: 1. Matt Mcbriar 2. Chas Henry
So as of right now Mcbriar is the starter and I don't see that changing. Mcbriar is a pro bowl punter when healthy so as long as he can stay healthy he will cost Henry a roster spot.

Punt Returner: 1. Damaris Johnson 2. Chad Hall 3. Brandon Boykin 4. Cliff Harris
This could be Johnson's opportunity to make the roster. If he can produce at this position so Desean Jackson won't have too he will beat out Chad Hall.

Kick Returner: 1. Brandon Boykin 2. Damaris Johnson 3. Chad Hall
The Eagles have not had a productive kick returner since Quinton Demps a couple seasons ago so if Boykin can be anything better than what Dion Lewis was last year he will be the starter.

Long Snapper: Jon Dorenbos

Preseason kicks off this Thursday at 7:30, it will kick off a lot of the roster battles that could affect this depth chart.

Eagles heart broken as Andy Reid's son Garret Reid dies at age 29

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a huge loss Sunday morning as Head Coach Andy Reid's son Garrett Reid died in his room at Lehigh University. The cause of death is unknown at this point, Howie Roseman addressed the media first this morning "Garrett Grew up with this team which makes this news even harder for us to process." "On a personal note we have been with Andy for a long time, he has always been strong for us so we are going to be strong for him right now. As a father and a friend we are all hurting." Jefferey Lurie also addressed the media in the afternoon as well as Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, Michael Vick, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Jason Avant. Jeffery Lurie said he expects Reid to be there at the first preseason game against the Steelers on August 9th. We at GetRealFootball.com are deeply saddened and our thoughts and prayers go out to the Reid family.

Eagles Training Camp Notes: Military Day

The Eagles came back from a day off fresh and looking great both offensively and defensively. The day
started off with a bit of a scare when reports came in that Trent Cole has a shoulder injury, luckily it is noting serious he is day to day.

DEFENSE: When the hitting started the defense came out strong stopping everything the offense
threw there way. The linebackers and D-Line looked the best as guys like Vinny Curry really got after the
QB having 2 sacks in the 11 on 11 thud drill. He and most of the young D-lineman like Brandon Graham and
Philip Hunt having benefited from getting the first team reps while Cole and Babin are out. The two
linebackers that stood out the most to me were Demeco Ryans and Brian Rolle who really early stuffed the
run and played really good coverage against the tight ends. Going back to the defensive line I am very interested in defensive tackle Cedric Thornton who has looked great throughout the whole camp including today when during the 1 on 1s with the lineman he just flew by the offensive lineman and showed a lot of power and strength when he bull rushed the O-Line a couple of times. The real question is though how many defensive tackles will the Eagles keep? Lets break it down so now matter what you are keeping 1. Cullen Jenkins, 2. Fletcher Cox, 3. Derek Landri, 4. Mike Patterson. After that its up for grabs, I would say that the Eagles keep 5 or 6 tackles so there is probably room for one or two more guys who in my opinion would be Antonio Dixon who is our best run stopping tackle and then if they keep another tackle it would probably be Cedric Thornton but if they don't keep 6 the Eagles will have a very hard decision to make on Dixon or Thornton.

OFFENSE: The offense came off to a slow start during camp when really they could not get anything going running the ball, the defense just would not allow them to move the ball anywhere. As the day went on the offense started to get it going running and throwing the ball. During the move the ball drill it was the #1 offense against the #2 defense, it started off with a 15 yard screen pass from Vick to Shady McCoy who had good help from the offensive line to get the big gain.The Eagles moved the ball very well getting all the way down to the 15 thanks to a huge run from Bryce Brown. Brown then finished the drive with about a 5 yard touchdown. During the #2 Offense vs #1 Defense drive it was the Bryce Brown and Chris Polk show all drive long, Brown started it off with a nice run down the sidelines for 13 yards. Then Chris Polk comes in and gets 2 really nice runs one where he broke 3 tackles and got the first down. As Brown and Polk drove the offense down the field I was thinking to myself "How are they ever going to let one of these guys go", and that is the biggest situation on the offensive side. Can there be a way where the Eagles manage to keep both Polk and Brown? A suggestion I made to Dave Spadaro from PhiladelphiaEagles.com was that you could list either Polk or Brown as a fullback, that could work but most likely it will not happen. The preseason to me will decide which one of these guys makes the team but I just don't see the Eagles letting Bryce Brown go. Going back to the drive Mike Kafka managed the drive very nicely and capped it off by throwing a nice pass to tight end Brett Brackett who is another guy who has looked sharp in camp. That is another interesting situation for coach Reid and the Eagles, will they keep 3 tight ends? To me obliviously Celek and Harbor are penciled in as the one and two tight ends but what about Brett Brackett and also Chase Ford (I don't see Ford making it Brackett is looking better so far in my opinion) the Eagles liked to run a lot of two tight end sets last year and in case Celek or Harbor goes down it would be a safe move to know you kept another quality tight end to fill in when  there is an injury. I would not have brought up the Eagles keeping 3 tight ends normally because usually the Eagles don't keep 3 but Brackett is making it a legitimate argument.

Injury Report:

• Trent Cole is day to day with a sore shoulder joint, it is nothing to be worried about he will be back in about a week. 
• Jason Babin has a calf strain that will sideline him for 3-4 weeks, He will be ready to go come week one.
• Cullen Jenkins left practice Wednesday with what the Eagles are calling a hamstring injury. He got an MRI Wednesday night so it should sideline him for a week or so but no time table on his return so far. 

The Eagles get back to work Thursday when the pads go on at 2:45.


                                                                       

Eagles standouts during training camp so far

The Eagles put the pads on Saturday at camp and finally got hitting, a lot of players stood out most to me and there was a lot of things that happened in practice this weekend. Here are my biggest standout players of padded training camp so far.
 Mychal Kendricks- Kendricks has looked very good in the past 2 practices really showing good coverage skills against the tight ends and even showed some run stopping ability giving Dion Lewis of the second team offense a very hard time on a couple plays. Kendricks has been penciled in so far as the starting strong side linebacker and is proving he deserves it so far at training camp.

 Dominique-Rogers Cromartie- DRC has looked like the guy the Eagles need on the opposite side of Nnamdi, he on the second day of full padded practice had 2 picks and a bunch of pass deflections. He looks  in the best shape of his career and is looking good going up against Desean and Maclin.

 Marvin Mcnutt- Riley Cooper broke  his collar bone on the first day of padded practice which was a blessing in disguise for the WRs like Mcnutt battling for a roster spot. Mcnutt looked great in both practices with some big catches against the first team defense. He ran crisp routes and on the one on ones he looked very good in the second day catching a jump ball over Cliff Harris. Mcnutt is expected to be penciled in at the #4 WR spot if Cooper is not back in time for the start of the season and so far he looks deserving of the spot.

Brandon Graham- The former first round draft pick is finally healthy and ready for training camp. He has looked very good in 1 on 1s really beating every OL I watched and in the 11 on 11s he has gotten extra reps with the first team defense since Jason Babin got hurt (Not Serious) and in those reps he has looked very good. Lets hope this continues throughout training camp and preseason so we can have a reliable rotation on the line.

Demetress Bell- The replacement for Jason Peters looks very productive in his first 2 padded practices notably on the 1 on 1s when he pancaked Trent Cole into the ground. He during all the reps looks to be hanging in there against all the good ends.

Those are my notable standouts so far at camp I expect more players to stick out more as training camp goes along.

Projected Depth Chart for the Eagles

The Eagles will begin full team practice Thursday so to start of camp I will predict at the start of the regular season who will make the 52 man roster lets start with the QBS shall we?

Quarter Backs

1. Michael Vick- Obliviously the starter for the season no question mark about it.

2. Mike Kafka- Foles will need more time before being Vick's trusty backup so for now Kafka is the man, he knows the offense since he has been in the system for a couple years and showed some stints of talent with the limited amount of playing time he had.

3. Nick Foles- The third round pick has looked good so far at camp and the Eagles will not cut him for Edwards obliviously. Foles will slowly move into the #2 job in the next year or two so he for now sits behind and learns.

Running Backs

 1. Lesean (Shady) McCoy- One of the best running backs in the league will play huge role in the Eagles success  this year.


2. Bryce Brown- A surprise pick but the Eagle like what they see in this kid so far from camp and with not playing a lot in college he is healthy compared to Chris Polk. He has great size and speed so hopefully he can help out in the running game this year. As for Dion Lewis I don't know what the Eagles have in store for him.


3. Dion Lewis- Lewis has only been in the league for a year so the Eagles till want to see what he has. He should get reps at kick returning and limited time at RB unless McCoy or Brown go down during the season but we shall see.

Wide Receivers 

1. Desean Jackson- Jackson will have a bounce back year after getting his $ so he in my opinion will have a huge year for the Eagles.


2. Jeremy Maclin- The Mac attack is healthy this year and like Desean will have a huge year for the Eagles.


3. Jason Avant- One of the most underrated slot WRs in the league will continue to improve this year. 


4. Riley Cooper- Cooper will beat out Marvin Mcnutt for this job at least for now. He knows the offense and is on another level compared to Mcnutt right now.


5. Demaris Johnson- With his amazing speed he should beat out Chad Hall for this spot, he can also help out huge in the kick return and punt return game. 

6.? If they do keep 6 I believe they keep Mcnutt but the ? with Mcnutt is if you keep Cooper they both play similar roles so why waste another spot on the same kind of player but we shall see.

Tight Ends

1. Brent Celek- Celek had a bounce back year last season and should get even better this year.

2. Clay Harbor- Harbor does not have much to push him in training camp as the Eagles did not land Visante but he looked good last year so he should get better as time goes along.

Offensive Line

LT- Demetress Bell will replace Jason Peters until he comes back. 2. King Dunlap will backup 

LG- Evan Mathis was re signed after a huge year. 

C- Jason Kelce had a huge rookie season and looks like he will have another big year.

RG- Danny Watkins can only get better after a rookie season that had its ups and downs.

RT- Todd Herremans one of the most underrated lineman in the league will show his worth again this year.

Defensive End

Starters: Trent Cole and Jason Babin- Two of the leagues most dominant d-ends will both again be in the double digits in sacks.

Backups: Vinny Curry, Brandon Graham, Philip Hunt. Sorry Tapp but Hunt has too much upside to let him go.

Defensive Tackle

1. Cullen Jenkins- Had 5.5 sacks last year and was a great run stopper last year with his veteran leadership he will help guys like Cox get on the right track.

2. Fletcher Cox- The Eagles don't really have a time table on Mike Patterson's return so Cox will start as of week one.

3. Mike Patterson- Again the Eagles don't have a time table on his return after his brain surgery but when he does come back he will be immediately put into the rotation.

4. Antonio Dixon- Probably the best run stopping tackle on the Eagles he will get a lot of playing time as will most of the DTs.

5. Derek Landri- Landri had a really good year last season and fits very nice in Washburn's system

Line Backers

1. MLB Demeco Ryans- Ryans was traded from Houston to Philly in the off season. He will provide that MLB the Eagles have been missing since Trotter and he will provide the leadership they have been missing since Brian Dawkins.

2. SAM Mychal Kendricks- Kendricks was the 2nd round pick out of Cal and his ability to cover tight ends and even pass rush will help out the Eagles greatly this season.

3. WILL Brian Rolle- Rolle earned his way into the starting lineup last season and impressed the Eagles with 63 total tackles, 1 sack, 6 tackles for losses and a forced fumble which led to a touchdown. He will battle with Chaney but will in my opinion easily win it.

4. MLB/SAM/Will Jamar Chaney- Jamar can play all 3 positions and will be a great backup for all of them. He led the team in tackles last year but struggled most of the season. He will battle Rolle for the WILL but will most likely lose it.

5. MLB/SAM/WILL Casey Matthews- Another LB that can play all the positions. Last year he immediately was forced into the starting MLB role and clearly was not ready for it but then started to do good in the end of the season on special teams and at nickel line backer. He will play as a backup for all 3 positions as well as Chaney.

6. Moise Fokou: Fokou has been the WILL starter for the past couple season and has been good at times and bad as well but with all the players in front I don't see him seeing the field a lot.

Corner backs

1. Nnamdi Asomugha- Nnamdi will thrive now that Samuel is gone with him and DRC now being able to play all press coverage. Expect him to have a pro bowl season.

2. DRC- Cromartie was penciled in last year as the slot corner which he was new too and he struggled at times but when he started on the outside during the end of the season he looked very good. He as well could have a huge pro bowl season.

3. Brandon Boykins (Slot)- Boykins was the fourth overall pick from Georgia, during his tenor their he was a great kick returner which will help out the Eagles who struggled there last year. He as well played well in the slot which is where the Eagles want him to play. He will have to battle veteran Joselio Hanson for the job but I think Boykins has more upside than Hanson so for that he wins it.

4. Curtis Marsh- Marsh did not see the field much last year because of how deep the position was. This year again the Eagles want to mold him into a good outside corner for the future and in case DRC or Nnamdi go down. He will not likely play in the slot but he could see the field as the dime corner. Bottom line for Marsh is that he still needs time to develop as in college he did start off at running back so he is still new to the position.

5. Cliff Harris- I am a big fan of Harris so far as in camp he has already had 3 INTS and a pass break up. This kid looks very good and I think he can beat out Brandon Hughes who had this spot last year and make the roster. He also like a lot of the corners on the roster and return punts and kicks so that too will make the Eagles want to keep him.

Safeties 

1. FS Nate Allen- Allen is coming off a pretty productive year with 76 total tackles, 7 pass deflections and 2 interceptions. So with that I don't think he has to worry about losing his job plus he seems to be healthy this year so his job is safe....for now.

2. SS Kurt Coleman- Coleman has some competition at the start of training camp as the Eagles brought in from the Redskins OJ Atogwe and of course the second round pick from last year Jaiquawn Jarret. Coleman for now has the job but I would not be surprised if Coleman struggled early and you see Atogwe or Jarret come in.

3. OJ Atogwe- Atogwe will provide experience which will benefit the young safeties greatly. He will push Coleman for the starting spot but most likely will not win it. He will see the field though throughout the season.

4. SS Jaiquawn Jarret-  The former second round pick out of temple did not see the field much last year but when he was in there he looked good at times and bad at times. Clearly the lockout effected him a lot last season and a full training camp will help him but I still do not see him in the starting lineup.

Training Camp will show the best of these players and this is what I predict will be the roster come week one.

What we saw from Day 1 at Lehigh

The Philadelphia Eagles day 1 of training camp started yesterday with a walk through in the morning then a no pads practice in the afternoon (The pads go on this friday) and a few players were the winners in my mind of day one.
1. Cliff Harris CB: Cliff Harris had 2 interceptions yesterday after being re-signed by the Eagles this week and he looked pretty comfortable in his first day. I as everybody needs to see more of that when the pads go on. Could he make the roster? I think so it depends on how many corners that the Eagles keep but I think he has a legitimate chance.
2. Bryce Brown RB: Brown looked pretty good out there catching some nice passes but the main thing that sticks out in my mind is that he looks fast and when you are talking about a big running back like Brown mentioning speed is a great thing. I expect him to push Dion Lewis and eventually beat him out for the #2 job but again I need to see him with the pads on and then we will talk.
3. Nick Foles QB: Foles threw the ball with a lot of zip yesterday and made some beauty passes. He spread the ball around and even on one play rolled out to the right and made a nice on the move PA pass to the TE. Like Reid said I expect him to push Mike Kafka for the #2 Job so lets see how much more he improves during training camp and preseason. 

Day 2 starts today and we will see who sticks out the most. I will predict the depth chart in my next article so stay tuned.

So....who is the backup running back?

The Eagles have one of the best running backs in the league in Lesean McCoy but who is behind him? Last year Ronnie Brown backed him up but this year on the depth chart the running backs who could possibly back up Shady is seventh round pick Bryce Brown, undrafted free agent out of Washington Chris Polk, and second year Eagle Dion Lewis. My take is that you will see come week 1 Dion Lewis as backup then I think its a toss up between Bryce Brown and Chris Polk. My thing with Brown is that with the college switching and all of that he never really played a whole lot of football. He showed some stints of talent with Tennessee but did not see much of anything in Kansas State. Chris Polk was one of the top running backs in college but a bad injury took him out of the draft, the Eagles got a steal in Polk as many teams wanted him but he chose Philly so hopefully he can show some good stuff at training camp and the preseason. Dion Lewis did not have a lot of playing time last year having only 23 attempts 102 yards and a single touchdown so he is in most people's eyes a unproven running back. Dion Lewis is not the guaranteed second back, I would not be surprised if  Polk (If Healthy) gets the nod now Bryce Brown is still a question mark for me I don't know what to expect out of him but we will see come training camp time. Now another question is how many running backs will Reid even keep on the 52 man roster, last year he had 3 this year he might be tempted to keep 4 but not likely. Final thought is that Reid will have a tough decision with a lot of great young talent that one he might have to let go but we shall see.

Which Eagles to avoid and pursue in your fantasy draft.

The Philadelphia Eagles have a bunch of guys that could start for your fantasy team but in this article I am going to tell you about the right ones to choose and which to avoid. Lets start off with the quarterback.

Michael Vick (Pursue): Vick if healthy is one of the best QBs you could ask for in fantasy, with his amazing mobility and rocket arm you are getting the best of both worlds with him. My only worry with him is obliviously his health, he has only finished a full season once in his career and it was with the Atlanta Falcons. So if you want Vick I would recommend having a backup plan waiting right behind him like a Matt Ryan or Jay Cutler who will be sitting in the draft for a while in my opinion. Bottom line is he can be the best QB in fantasy if he stays healthy make sure you have backup for this guy if you decide to choose him which I recommend in the earliest round would be the third.

Desean Jackson (Avoid): Jackson is now payed so on a non fantasy stand point he will have a bounce back year but how much of one? Jackson has to share the ball on his own team with fellow WR Jeremy Maclin, TE Brent Celek who had a pretty solid year receiving last year, QB Michael Vick running the ball and then arguably the best RB in the game Lesean (Shady) McCoy. If you look at Desean's stats over the past couple years they have been pretty consistent but when you look at what other guys will be available at the time you decide to choose him before he is gone there will be guys like Colston, AJ Green, and even Jeremy Maclin I would choose over him. Jackson also led the team in drops last year so you dont want butter fingers on your team. Bottom line is that a lot of other wide receivers should be chosen over him but he would be a good Flex player (RB/WR on a fantasy roster).

Jeremy Maclin (Pursue): Maclin has some issues that are the same as Deseans that the ball will be spread on that team to a lot of other players but with Maclin you get a more complete WR. With Maclin having a strange illness last year which affected his season he still had better numbers then Jackson last year leading the team in receptions. He is almost as fast as Desean and in my opinion has better hands. Bottom Line is Maclin will have a bounce back year with being fully healthy and should be at best your #2 WR.

Lesean McCoy (Pursue): McCoy is an obvious top 5 pick in the first round, he had 20 total touchdowns last year which led all running backs and 1,309 rushing yards. McCoy's ability to run and catch makes him one of the best players in fantasy. Look for McCoy to have a similar very productive season this year and dont hesitate to pick this guy over in my opinion all running backs except for Arian Foster which is as well a debatable subject.

Brent Celek (Avoid): Celek had a bounce back year last season having 300 more receiving yards last season then he did the season previous and had 20 more receptions than the previous year with 62 and he had to complement that 5 touchdowns. Celek has shown he is as well able to stay on the field all 16 games as he has not missed a single game in his career. I would take Celek in the late rounds as a starter if you want to bulk up all of your other predictions first but if not he is a very solid backup for your team.

Eagles Defense (Pursue): The Eagles defense is a obvious pick to be your starting defense with one of the best d-lines in the leauge naming notable Jason Babin who had 18 sacks last season and Trent Cole who had 11 also having one of the best corner back pears in Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique-Rogers Cromartie which is a shut down duo. The team will have its shares of turnovers and sacks will be a ordinary thing with Babin and Cole roaming around. Again easy pick here and they will be available in the later rounds.

The Philadelphia Eagles will have a boat load of players that you can draft for your fantasy team I hope these pointers will help you decide which ones to select.

           

Backup QB Battle.

  As of right now the Eagles have 4 QB s on the roster Michael Vick, Mike Kafka, Trent Edwards, and Nick Foles (Third round pick out of Arizona State). Likely the Eagles will keep 3 QB s come week one so lets go over the positives and negatives of each backup QB.

Trent Edwards

Positives: When Edwards was a Buffalo Bill he started off pretty productive taking the Bills to a 4-0 start in 2008 but after a concussion against Arizona he never seemed the same. He has good accuracy and is mobile enough if the line breaks down.

Negatives: Trent Edwards has had a couple injury's and has since leaving the Bills been a journeyman going to the Jaguars then the Raiders after Oakland he didn't even play last season. Another flaw in Edwards is that he sometimes passes on the deep throws and differs to the short passes to the RB. 

Mike Kafka

Positives: Kafka has been under the Eagle's system going on now 3 seasons and seems to improve every year. Last year he got his first taste of regular season football against the Falcons in week two almost winning the game for the Eagles after he threw a perfect ball to Jeremy Maclin who then dropped the ball. He threw some nice passes in that game including a deep pass to Maclin. Overall I would be comfortable having Kafka come in if Vick goes down.

Negatives: Kafka struggled in his second game against the Giants in week three throwing 2 picks in only a couple throws, so he has some decision making issues that he should be able to fix this season.

Nick Foles

Positives: Foles has set all the passing records in Arizona State, which earned him being selected in the third round by the Eagles. He has a rocket arm and is a great pocket passer and under Andy Reid's offense Reid will find ways to make Foles excel in this offense. With depth at the WR position if he was ever to get in a game he will have all the pieces around him to succeed. 

Negatives: Reid is used to mobile quarterbacks so it will take some adjusting for him to fit Foles into the system. He also is not very accurate with his throwing so he has some work to do come training camp.

Prediction: This is what I think the QB depth chart will look like come the start of the regular season.

1. Michael Vick

2.Mike Kafka

3.Nick Foles 

As for Trent Edwards I would not let Kafka go Edwards missed all of last years and has a lot of flaws in his game.

What to expect in the starting lineup come Eagles Training Camp time

The Eagles will get ready in a few weeks to go to Leigh and start Training Camp and there are still some questions at certain positions starter wise. At QB and RB you know who the starters are as well as the O-Line but if you look at a interesting spot at WR Riley Cooper will battle with Marvin Mcnutt who was a WR out of Illinois for the 4th spot. The Eagles like what they stole in Marvin Mcnutt with his great size and good hands will help in the red zone the most. Moving on to the defensive side of the ball the D-Line looks like Cole,Jenkins,Babin but then Patterson will battle with Cox for that DT spot and if you look at what Patterson did last year was pretty impressive after having a minor seizure in training camp he was 5th on the team in tackles plus 2.5 sacks and 5 tackles for losses so I would say he has the starting spot so that Fletcher Cox can slowly move into the spot with this year contributing in certain times hes out there. LB looks like right now MLB Demeco Ryans then WILL Brian Rolle who played great last year and then at SAM 2nd round pick Mychael Kendricks but don't count out Jamar Chaney who was the starting SAM until Casey Matthews was moved out of MLB and Chaney went their. Chaney will battle with Brian Rolle to me but still dont see him starting come Week 1. CB looks pretty rapped up with DRC and Nnamdi as the two outsides but then in the slot its a battle with 4th round pick out of Georgia Brandon Boykins who did great in the slot at Georgia and Joselio Hanson a long time Eagle slot who has done a good job their. Then saftey is interesting with Nate Allen at the first spot then its a battle with Kurt Coleman and Jaiquawm Jarret who was a second round pick last year out of Temple. I see Coleman winning that one he had a great season last year with 4 INTs and was second in the team with 96 tackles only behind Jamar Chaney. Training Camp will have its share of battles, surprises, and excitement should be a good one.

What we saw from OTAs

The Eagles kicked off the beginning of OTAs today with some interesting lineups and some nice action packed practice. For QB obliviously Vick was starter, Kafka took second string reps and I didnt see a lot of Foles but some Edwards.Vick looked good and threw some accurate throws including an amazing connection between him and Maclin. The offense was what was expected WR and RB wise Bell took the first team reps on the line. Now going to defense the Eagles had Ryans at MLB Rolle at WILL and rookie LB Kendricks at the Sam so that is the first team for now. I think it will be that starting line up come week 1 but maybe Chaney could battle for the WILL and dont count out 2nd year Casey Matthews at that spot but with how well Rolle played last year I think this is how it will be. Cant wait to pack on the pads and see some Eagles football!

4th and 5th WR Spot?

The Eagles have Jackson, Maclin, and Avant locked in at 1 2 and 3 but there is that uncertainty at 4 and 5 most people think that those spots will go to Cooper and Mcnutt and I agree but which in which and would the Eagles keep 6 WRS which they usually dont. I think the 6th round pick Mcnutt wins the 4th spot since he was a steal and has great size and hands so could help in the redzone offense. Cooper has been in the system for the past couple years but never has really shown anything flashy but he also has great size and hands but dont see him getting on the field a lot if Mcnutt does do great but Cooper will not just roll over he will compete heavily for that 4th spot.Then there is guys like Chad Hall who has been on the Eagles practice squad for 2 seasons but made his way on the roster both years during the season. I really like this kid he shows great versatallity and his TD vs the Redskins last year was monsterous. If you want a Welker I would have this kid on my team but Reid doesnt keep 6 WRS so I see him on the practice squad again but when injurys happen he should get on the roster again and perform pretty well. Mcnutt really interests me though I have not heard of him until the Eagles did draft him but now looking at him he shows a lot more than Cooper. Great Route Running, Great Hands, not flashy speed but his size makes up for that so hes everything Cooper is and better. If Cooper doesnt stand out this year then I see him going bye bye and Mcnutt penciled in and maybe bring in someone else at #5.....Just a thought.         

Polk vs Brown

The Eagles selected Bryce Brown RB from Kansas State a former #1 recruit in high school. They then signed undrafted FA Chris Polk RB from Washington who a lot of people had going in the high rounds. They will battle for the 3rd...or Second RB spot behind McCoy and possibly Dion Lewis. My take is if Bryce Brown wins the job then he will be the third I just think with his lack of playing football because of all the college changes that it will affect him in the long run and just dont see him more valuable then Lewis. Polk if make the roster and stays healthy should be a defenite #2 the reason for him being undrafted was because of his Shoulder Injury he had before the draft. I dont really like Brown but love Polk he could be a huge piece of the running game if he can beat out Brown.....and Greg Cooper. 

Making Sense of the Eagles Draft so far.

The Eagles took 12th overall DT from Mississippi State Fletcher Cox which was just a great pickup this guy will excell in Wasburns D and next to veterean Pro Bowl guys like Trent Cole,Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins will help this guy be a Pro Bowl DT. In the second round the Eagles picked up a monster at ILB Mychael Kendricks from WV this guy is a monster he was a sack machine and had great cover ability he should start at SAM like Reid said. Then we got Vinny Curry DE from Marshall another great guy to give Washburn to work with has great speed and will fight for playing time with Brandon Grahm. Nick Foles is an interesting situation he holds all records for Arizona State has a rocket arm but is very slow and non mobile he will battle with Kafka and Trent Edwards for the #2 and #3 QB Job.