Posted: February 22nd, 2012 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 59 Comments »
The NFL Scouting Combine gets underway this week. The first group of players arrive today, but only for behind the scenes stuff. On field workouts don’t start until Saturday. This is the time of year when Mike Mamula is written about by a lot of people. ”Beware Mike Mamula” is a common theme.
It shouldn’t be. Beware Ray Rhodes would be more appropriate.
Mamula was a star player for Boston College. The guy had 17 sacks in 1994 and was All Big East (when that actually meant something - ZING!!!). He “only” had 12 sacks the year before. Mike went to the Combine and put up great numbers. He is associated with the term “workout warrior”, but I don’t think that is accurate.
A workout warrior is someone who is a great athlete, but doesn’t play up to that level on the football field. Mamula was a terrific pass rusher. He was a very good player.
The trick with Mike is that he is the first guy (that I’m aware of ) to really prep for the Combine’s specific tests. He then performed exceptionally well on the tests in comparison to the other players at the Combine. They weren’t doing specialized training. They weren’t as prepared for the tests as he was. Heck, I’m not sure all of the players were working out on a full basis back then.
Think of this as an example. Imagine you have an A- student who goes and does SAT test prep The student then does much better than his fellow students, some smarter than him, some not. They didn’t prep for the test, but rather just got a good night’s sleep and ate breakfast. They were ready to be tested. He was ready for that specific test.
Mike took advantage of the system, likely without meaning to do so. He didn’t have malicious intent in the sense of “I’m gonna fool these guys”. He simply wanted to ace the specific Combine drills/tests. Again…Mamula was a star player.
The person at fault here is Ray Rhodes, who pushed for the Eagles to get Mamula at all costs. The team moved up from pick 12 to pick 7 in order to draft him. Pick 12, infamously, was spent on Warren Sapp. I don’t remember exactly how his career went. Mostly I think of him as an underachieving Raider. It’s possible I’m missing a year or two.
Ray should have known that Mike was a terrific college player, but that he wasn’t a great natural athlete. Instead, he fell in love with what he saw at the Combine and overrated Mamula. Ray instantly threw out the comparison to Charles Haley. Ray wanted his Haley, who he had coached in SF. In 1997 Ray would repeat this mistake by falling in love with Jon Harris, his own Too Tall Jones.
The warning right now should be to “avoid the mistakes of Ray Rhodes”. Mamula did nothing wrong. He put on a show at the Combine. Who doesn’t want players to do that?
I really hate that Mamula catches so much flak this time of year. He had a solid NFL career. Had he been picked in the 3rd round, you might have even said good career. He certainly isn’t a draft bust. Mike had 31.5 sacks in 5 years. He started 64 games. Injuries drove him away from the NFL, not a lack of ability. His worst season was 4 sacks, 1 FF. Jerome McDougle had 3 sacks in his career. See the difference? Jerome had a ton of bad luck, but he’s far more of a bust than Mamula. And don’t get me started on Vern Gholston. He is the epitome of a bust. Zero career sacks, the same as me. And I can blame pudding and PBR. Vern is in great shape. What’s his excuse?
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Good stuff from Jimmy Bama on the Eagles and full season snap counts for the defense. Weird, though. It says Jarrad Page on there. I don’t recall him playing for the Eagles. Must not have been very memorable if I was able to forget so quickly…or I spent lots of $ on therapy to make it go away. The horror, the horror.
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In case anyone missed it, Matt Alkire put up a pre-Combine mock draft over at ScoutsNotebook.
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Good post by Brian Solomon…locking up DRC to an extension is key. Completely agree. And I expect the Eagles to do this once May rolls around. Too many hot issues between now and then to expect it to get done. Maybe, but this can wait for the spring.
Posted: February 21st, 2012 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 83 Comments »
Stewart Bradley tore his ACL in the summer of 2009 and MLB has been a black hole since then. At the time, it didn’t seem like a big deal. Omar Gaither would just slide over. Joe Mays was in the mix. Omar got hurt. Joe was in over his head. The team dealt for Will Witherspoon. He was great in the first game, a MNF win over the Skins. Spoon never came close to matching that level and his play faded by the end of the year.
So what? That was just one bad year. Stew was back for 2010 and looked good in the preseason. Unfortunately he was a shell of his former self during the regular season. MLB was a liability once again. He got hurt late and rookie Jamar Chaney stepped in. For a moment…one glorious moment…it appeared the Football Gods had delivered us a stud LB. Chaney played well in the game where he took over for Bradley. Chaney then had 16 tackles the following week in a win over the Giants. Hope was alive.
And then hope got run over. Repeatedly. Adrian Peterson and James Starks ran wild. We all focused on the Giants game instead of looking at the evidence of the MIN/GB games.
Coming into 2011 the plan was to go with rookie Casey Matthews. If he struggled, the team could slide Chaney back to the middle. What could go wrong? Oops. Casey did struggle. And Chaney did move back. And then he struggled.
In the last 48 regular season games, the Eagles have gotten less than 5 good games of MLB play. Think about that for a second.
So now we sit in the 2012 offseason and my fellow Eagles fans are talking about the need for “an impact MLB”. ”We must get a star.” ”I can’t live with another 2nd tier MLB.” And so on.
Uh, slow down folks. Hold your friggin’ horses. Getting 2nd tier play from MLB would be a good thing. This notion that you need Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis is crazy. I’d love to add an impact MLB, but the idea that we must have one is off base.
The reason I loved Luke Kuechly for the Eagles so much isn’t that he’s this great playmaker and run stuffer. Luke is a tackling machine. Simple as that. And that is precisely what this defense needs. Having a MLB who could “take over games” and make big plays would be great, but that simply isn’t something you need in this era of football. If that player is available, you get him. If not, you find a player who does what you need.
I re-watched part of the SEA/PHI debacle the other night. There was a play to the outside where Chaney hustled over and then made such a terrible tackle attempt that I actually laughed out loud. Luke Kuechly makes that tackle. So do any number of LBs. That’s what we need.
The front four will pressure the passer and be disruptive against the run. The secondary has the players to cover well and handle that side of things. The LBs must get to the ball and tackle. They need to be smart. Get in the right gap. They need to use their hands to fight off blockers. They need to make tackles when the ball comes to them.
At its most basic, you can say that we need a smart guy who can tackle. Simple as that. Chaney struggled with being in the right gap. He was used to the 2010 scheme which let him attack. Having to read and flow didn’t come to him quickly. And his tackling was a major issue. He missed some key tackles during the year.
Some fans will say that if you don’t get Curtis Lofton in FA, then the team is screwed. We’re just looking at more of the same. If we don’t get Luke Kuechly in the draft, the team is screwed. Wrong and wrong.
There are going to be several MLBs in FA that would be an improvement on what we have. Holding the Eagles to a standard of Lofton or else is silly. Put Curtis Lofton on the team last year and we’re not guaranteed to make the playoffs. MLB simply isn’t a position like that anymore. And he’s not a rare player that you must pursue at all costs. He’s the head of the class and a player I’d love to add, but let’s be realistic. You don’t break the bank for Lofton.
Adding David Hawthorne or London Fletcher would be good. Stephen Tulloch remains a possibility. EJ Henderson would be interesting. I’ve warmed to the idea of Dan Connor. Sounds like D’Qwell Jackson will stay in CLE, but he could have been a target. I’m still not sure what to make of Larry Grant, the Niners backup ILB.
Should the Eagles miss on MLBs in FA and be forced to wait for the draft, it isn’t Kuechly or bust. Luke is clearly the best player and fit, but there could be other targets in the 2nd or 3rd round who could step in right away and play. Mychal Kendricks from Cal interests me a lot. James-Michael Johnson of Nevada could be an interesting MLB option. We’ll see how Dont’a Hightower runs at the Combine. Maybe he’ll prove to be athletic enough to fit in the 4-3.
Bottom line…there are options. Jamar Chaney and Casey Matthews could be greatly improved this year, but we can’t rely on them. They had a chance to impress, but neither did. They aren’t out of the mix, but they will have to fight with the new players for jobs and possibly even roster spots.
The Eagles know that MLB must be addressed. They’ve tried to find the answer in the last couple of years without success. That means the team must be more aggressive this year. They need to target someone in FA and/or the Top 100 picks of the draft. They need more of a sure thing. The time for projects is gone. I do expect them to get us a quality MLB. It may not be Curtis Lofton, but the new player will be an improvement on what we’ve got and should be a quality starter.
Bill Parcells old saying is “don’t let good enough be good enough”. Generally speaking, I love that mentality. This is one case where “good enough” would be just fine because it would be a significant improvement on the last 3 years.
As to the notion of the Wide-9 being super tough on MLBs…I’m not so sure that is 100 percent true. The MLB is playing behind a pair of 1-gap DTs. That’s not unusual. The DEs are out wide and that does make it easier for OTs to get upfield to block, but that should impact the OLBs more than the MLB. If a MLB can read plays, use his hands, and tackle, he should be able to play in the Wide-9.
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News of the day…Cullen Jenkins restructured his deal so he will be staying an Eagle for sure. I didn’t expect him to leave, but this is good news. The possibility of him leaving is now out the door. CuJo, as I like to call him, had a very good year and we need his presence up front, as well as in the locker room.
This doesn’t change the desire for a young player to be brought in behind him, even as early as the 1st round. Jim Washburn’s system needs at least one DT who can get after the QB, but you really want 2 in case something happens to the first guy.
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NFL Gimpy has his new MAQB column posted. Make sure you check that out.
Posted: February 20th, 2012 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 131 Comments »
Derek Landri makes a key play at the goal line while Trevor Laws watches and thinks how awesome it must be to be Derek Landri.
We had some DT discussions this weekend and there was some confusion on a couple of points. Let’s now all try to get on the same page. The Eagles play a 1-gap system with the DTs. This means the players are supposed to attack up the field. They are responsible for 1 gap only. Quickness is every bit as important as size and strength.
The DTs are split into a pair of roles: the under tackle (UT) and nose tackle (NT). Mike Patterson was the NT and Cullen Jenkins the UT. Both players are supposed to fire off the ball and get into the backfield. The UT lines up in the 3-technique, on the outside eye of the OG. The NT lines up between the G and C. The NT most often will have to deal with double teams. The NT doesn’t need to be huge, but he must be able to handle himself when dealing with double teams. The UT needs to be a pass rusher. He is further from the ball, but that allows him to operate more in space.
In 2011 the depth chart was like this:
NT: Mike Patterson – Derek Landri – Antonio Dixon (prior to injury)
UT: Cullen Jenkins – Trevor Laws
Trying to figure out the plan for 2012 is tricky. Laws is a free agent. so is Landri. Dixon is a restricted free agent. Dixon showed great promise in 2010, but that was playing in a 2-gap system. Dixon was slow to adjust to the new scheme last year. I did think he played well in the game where he got hurt. It seemed like he had finally figured some things out. I don’t think the Eagles can commit big money to him long term because they don’t know his value in the new system. 2012 is key for that relationship.
Jeff McLane reported that the Eagles have talked to Laws about an extension. Color me confused. Laws played well in 2010 and I thought he would thrive in the new scheme. It was tailor made for a guy with his skill set. Laws got hurt at Lehigh and never looked like the guy from 2010. Maybe the Eagles figure he’ll thrive now that he knows the system. Or maybe they are offering him a cheap deal.
I think the Eagles need a long term solution at UT. That’s why I projected Fletcher Cox to them in the recent mock draft. You could also give them Jared Crick or Derek Wolfe or a few other guys for that role. Laws should have been really good, but the fact his production fell off so far bugs me. The one thing I’ll say is that I fully trust Jim Washburn. If he wants Laws, then I want Laws. I do wonder if he’s pushing for Laws return or how that’s playing out.
You know that I love Derek Landri. His situation is complicated. He is a natural NT in this system. If Patt is the starter and Dixon is the primary backup there…where does Landri fit in? He can play UT, but he’s not a gifted pass rusher (8 sacks in 5 years). His specialty is getting into the backfield and being disruptive (19 career TFLs). Shooting gaps is different that flooring QBs. I value Landri so much that I would re-sign him and find a way to make things work.
You could have him and Dixon as the backup DTs and have them switch back and forth as UT/NT. Dixon isn’t a natural pass rusher either, but he has some quickness off the ball and his size allows him to push the pocket.
I understand Laws is a younger guy than Landri, but I think the Eagles are making a big mistake if they commit to Laws over Landri. All joking aside, Derek had a terrific showing in 2011. He played well and good things happened when he was on the field. He far out-played Laws. There are times to take potential over production, but this isn’t one of them. Laws has never looked special in his time as an Eagle. Landri was a great backup last year.
Laws career: 56 games – 45 solo tackles – 5 sacks – 7 TFLs – 1FF – 1FR – 1 INT – 6 PD
Landri in 2011: 12 games – 21 solo tackles – 2 sacks – 6 TFLs – 1 FR – 1 PD – 1 blocked FG
If it comes down to one spot, there is no way in hell I’m choosing Trevor Laws over Derek Landri. It is possible that Landri will want to go somewhere to compete for a starting job. I don’t know if anyone would make him that offer. He is a great backup. He needs to be used right in order to get maximum results. Because he’s such an effort guy, Landri needs limited reps. He plays as hard as any player in the NFL.
I thought Landri re-signing was a sure thing right after the season, but now I’m wondering. The fact the Eagles have talked to Laws about an extension somewhat puzzles me. It certainly isn’t a good sign for Landri’s future here.
There have been some questions about whether the Eagles should pay Cullen Jenkins the big roster bonus that he’s due in March. Yes. Yes. And yes. He earned the money with a great showing in 2011. He was also a leader in the locker room. The only other possibility here that would make any sense would be to not pay the bonus and then use that money to go after Titans FA Jason Jones. I think that would be a mistake, but at least that move would make some sense. Jones is a natural 1-gap DT who can be very disruptive. The Titans played him at DE this year and he was a non-factor. Still…I think you need to keep Jenkins. He was the Eagles best DT in years. Letting him go would be odd, to put it mildly. Just look at the drop off the Packers defense had without him. They went from Top 10 to the bottom of the league.
Cedric Thornton is an unknown commodity. The Eagles love his potential, but he didn’t get on the field in 2011. He has a great frame at 6’4, 309. He has a great first step. He projects to being an UT. You can’t count on him for anything. He’s got to show you that he made progress this year and is ready to compete for some playing time. Thornton went to a very small school so he came into the league raw and didn’t have much time to work with Washburn. He could be on the Practice Squad in 2012 or could become a member of the DT rotation.
One thing I think we need to understand is that the Eagles don’t need a run stuffer. The DTs did their job in 2011. It was LBs and Safeties who failed to make tackles. Patt is a very good run defender. Without him in the lineup in the season finale, the Skins ran all over us. Landri is a good run defender. Dixon was very good vs the run in 2010. Jenkins is very good vs the run for an UT. Laws is a mixed bag. He’s certainly made tremendous progress in recent years. His first two seasons, Laws was a huge liability against the run. I remember double teams moving him 10 yards off the ball.
I’ll cover DT draft targets in a separate post. The key is that we need a pass rusher. Jenkins is great, but older. Laws is unknown.
There are some people who say we should go after Jason Jones as a FA. I’d be fine with this except we can get similar players in the draft that will be younger and cheaper. Granted, Jones is a proven commodity. If the price is right, maybe the Eagles do go for him. Jones won’t fit all 32 teams. He’s in his prime and is a talented DT so I think someone will take a chance on him, but if the market somehow isn’t there for him, you can bet Howie Roseman will at least call his agent.
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I put up some draft notes over the weekend.
Matt posted a pre-Combine mock draft at ScoutsNotebook.
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Congrats to Mr and Mrs Jimmy Bama on the offseason acquisition they’re making this week. Jimmy as a parent – what could go wrong? I hope Mrs Bama is a special lady.
Posted: February 19th, 2012 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 67 Comments »
Let’s take a break from discussing LBs and DTs and just have an interesting discussion. Or debate. I was checking out an Eagles blog called EaglesFan4Life when I saw an interesting post there. The discussion…would the 2011 Eagles have made the playoffs with Donovan McNabb at QB?
So what do you think?
This isn’t some argument for bringing McNabb back or getting rid of Vick. This is just a hypothetical discussion. If you take away a handful of INTs last year…does that lead to an extra win and a division title? The flip side is that McNabb is a descending player who was erratic even when he was good and there might have been a clunker or two for the offense to overcome.
Thoughts?
