Some OL Talk
Posted: June 14th, 2011 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 18 Comments »Nick Fierro of The Morning Call had a good piece today on Howard Mudd and the Eagles O-line. Definitely a must read for those interested in the technical side of things. You can really see where agility is going to be critical this year.
That reminded me of a short blurb from a recent Dave Spadaro column. Reading Dave is like decoding a puzzle wrapped inside a mystery in an enigma. Sometimes a note of his is a hint to put us on the right path. Other times he basically thinking out loud, so to speak.
I’m curious to see if anyone else noticed this blurb:
Which new coach are you most looking forward to seeing? All of them is the answer, but I’m particularly drawn to Howard Mudd because I think his approach — keep it simple and be outstanding at what you do — is the right one to take in this time-shortened offseason. Mudd has had success with athletic, quick offensive linemen and it makes me wonder if either Jamaal Jackson
or Mike McGlynn is exactly what Mudd is looking for at the center position. The kind of player he is looking for is really, really important here.
Should we make anything of this? Or is this just a cryptic comment from Dave as he tries to fill column space in a time when nothing is happening?
My friend Ralphie says the answer is “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.”
Thoughts?
I think McGlynn is a hand in glove fit for Mudd, I just wonder if he is a better guard than he is a centre. Don’t centres still have to concede space, much more so than guards?
The Center is the one guy who’s always been able to be aggressive, if a player was right over him. Other times he doubled.
Oh, and welcome back to the comments. Glad that snafu was cleared up.
i have a feeling kelce could be in the mix. probably not this coming year but next year
Regarding the Jackson/McGlynn question, the obvious answer is, “If neither of them are Mudd men, then who will the Eagles Center likely be?” and the follow-up to that answer/question is, “If neither of them are Mudd men, what value can the Eagles get for them in the open market?”
@ Matt…
So what is your guess on the first question?
I hadn’t even considered your 2nd question. Interesting.
Is it a case of Spadaro sometimes leaving clues and is sometimes thinking out loud, or is the case that the blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut? Maybe we are giving him too much credit for his musings stumbling across the truth from time to time.
I find it hard to believe that Dave was prepping us subtly for a move to Shipley at center.
Ovaltine.
That was a hint, right?
I just hope this lockout stuff gets resolved so we can get a real training camp. It kills me to think that a year with so much transition in the coaching staff might be an abbreviated one. Of all the rotten years to have a labor battle loom, they had to pick the one where we were implementing new schemes and systems all over the place O_o.
I was more taken aback by the comment Spuds made after the center blurb…
“Is it possible the Eagles will go with what they have at right cornerback and hope that an improved pass rush and young talent taking the next step is enough to upgrade that position? Sure it is. The Eagles like Trevard Lindley a lot. They just used a third-round draft pick on Curtis Marsh. I think it is very possible the team goes with what it has there.”
I hope he is just thinking aloud here.
@ Big Don…
I tend to think that is being written intentionally. Teams know that agents and other teams read their websites. Putting out a comment like that is mis-information. The goal is to make other teams/agents think the Eagles are more content with RCB than they are. That way, no one can hold us over a barrel when it comes to negotiating.
How much does that stuff work? I have no idea. Can’t hurt to do it, though.
I think McGlynn is more Mudd’s type than Jackson but I agree it seems he was hinting at something with that. The kid from PSU would seem to be a fit for Mudd, woudln’t he?
Also, I think the CB comment was just what Tommy says, a posutring of sorts.
I don’t think Asomugha is their guy, though; He is too old to throw that kind of money at. It just seems so likely to me that the Kolb deal is going to be Cromartie and a future draft pick (s) and this is why they are so bullish about being active, they already have that trade done.
It makes too much sense for both sides since the Cards picked up a #1 Corner in the draft – I don’t see them giving up a top ten pick for Kolb.
So if some of what Spadaro writes is intentionally misleading, do you have any suggestions regarding how to filter the truth out his words?
Its mostly guesswork I think Dan, you can only theorize based on what you think the Eagles FO is really thinking. One thing I will say is that over the years they’ve thrown a lot of curveballs, stuff that no one really thought would happen.
Deciphering Dave
I think you have to look at each comment on its own. Is this an observation? Is this just him thinking out loud? Is there any agenda behind the comment?
The comments about the C position…there is no real agenda that I can think of. That seems more like Dave is reading the tea leaves and pointing us in a certain direction. Or at least opening our minds to a possibility.
The comments about RCB…that just feels like a sales job to me. Dave is spinning a web of deception for 31 teams and 237 agents (give or take).
Remember that back in 2007 Eagles Insider had photos of Kevin Kolb visiting NovaCare in the draft preview issue. Dave knew Kevin was a serious draft target. Did he really expect him to be our first pick? Probably not, but by having the pics of him in the magazine they could point to that as an example that it wasn’t some last minute reach. This was a player the Eagles had targeted for a while.
Anyone who has been on the EMB for a while knows Dave will drop some hints in his section on there.
He says a lot of stuff and sorting through it isn’t easy. Some is just fluff. Other times he’s absolutely giving us a hint. Read his stuff carefully and over time you’ll develop a feel for which is which.
Now time to decipher andy: (pft covered some of these, but I found the following interesting as well)
1:13 [Comment From Lance ]
Do we have a problem at our RCB position? Or are we fine there?
1:14 Andy Reid – We’ll be fine there.
–the ‘we will be fine’ sort of confirms he knows we have to do something
1:20 [Comment From Brad ]
What was the hurry in drafting a kicker? Is there uncertainty with Akers/was it his great numbers you didn’t want him specifically to get away/ did you just feel all your critical needs were met at that point?
1:21 Andy Reid – The one nice thing about Henery is that he can both kick and punt.
–Maybe rocca is gone after all
Also, PFT covered it but it seems like they want to keep Stew as the Mike. If thats the case, how do you see everything else shaking out at LB Tommy?
If McGlynn is more a Mudd’s kind of player than Jackson, it may mean the end of tenure here for Jackson, his recovery notwithstanding.
They drafted 2 OL men that appeared to have heavy inputs from Mudd. They are going to give these 2 plenty of chances to make the team. Jackson with his age and injury history will face a tough battle to win back his job or even a roster spot. Obviously, all bets are off if there is injury during the pre-season.
@ matt…
I think the comment about Henery is just a way of moving the focus off whether Akers will return. I’m not real sure why Andy and the Eagles are so touchy about that. They drafted Henery early. Make him the kicker and move on from Dave.
RE: LBs
I’m doing some writing/research on that subject. Don’t buy into the Stew love too much. LB is a fluid situation, heavily dependent on the rules of FA, which we don’t yet know.