More Sunday Stuff

The Seahawks cut MLB Lofa Tatupu when he refused to take a pay cut.  I watched a couple of game tapes to check him out as a potential Eagles target.  I was not impressed.  I went back and looked at his numbers out of curiosity.  You can see a huge drop off after his first 3 years to the next 3.

2005-2007:   336 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 5 FFs, 17 TFLs, and 8 INTs

2008-2010:   214 total tackles, 2 sacks, 2 FFs, 6 TFLs, and 2 INTs

Tatupu did miss 10 games in 2009, but his numbers are still way down.  The game tape wasn’t impressive.  He really struggles to shed blocks.  When he does get free, he lacks the burst to get to the ball as much as you want from a MLB.  He didn’t tackle as well in space as I expected.  Tatupu is only 28 (29 in November), but he’s showing lots of wear and tear.

I wouldn’t be against the Eagles bringing him in to compete with Casey Matthews, but I don’t know that the team will have much interest.  I’d prefer the Eagles get someone who is a clear upgrade over Casey if they’re going to add a veteran.  I do think Tatupu would be able to help groom Casey for the role of MLB.

The market for MLBs is clearing out.  I’m not sure who is left that the team would be likely to have interest in.  I’m not hearing any good rumors at this point.

Casey Matthews was on Eagles Live earlier today.  He said he’s up to 245 pounds.  He was down in the 230 range for the Combine, but then went about bulking up to get ready to be able to handle MLB.   I can’t wait to see him in a preseason game to get a feel for where he is.

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I watched some more tape of Cullen Jenkins.  He will be a big help to our pass rush.  Jenkins is quick off the ball.  He can get upfield or take a hard inside move.  One thing I liked is that he runs well for a big guy.  We see mobile QBs sliding around in the pocket.  Jenkins can adjust and run after the QB if he moves to the opposite side.  My guess right now is that Jenkins replaced Mike Patterson in the starting lineup.

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Follow-up notes on OG Evan Mathis, signed by the Eagles on Sunday.  He had a great workout at the Combine back in 2005.  That athleticism didn’t show up on game tape.  Good college player, but never played as athletic as he tested.  Mathis said in an interview that most of his experience is at LG.  He played well for the Bengals, but they prefer bigger guys for their physical running game.  Mathis should fit what we do well.  Dave Spadaro wondered on Eagles Live if the move was possibly done so that we could move Todd Herremans from LG to RT.  Mathis could immediately step in at LG.  It would be helpful to have a good update on Winston Justice’s knee and how its coming along.

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Some practice / roster thoughts.  I’m not at Lehigh so this is based on clips I’ve seen and what I’ve read from reliable sources.

* Victor Abiamiri is seeing time at DT, something I suggested a few times.   He looks like a good inside rusher.

* DE Phillip Hunt has one heck of a burst.  If he continues to fly off the ball it will be hard for the Eagles to let him go.

* I’m not impressed with LB Rashad Jeanty.  He looks slow in the limited clips I’ve seen.

* Jamar Chaney is impressive.  Love his speed.

* DRC is the real deal.  His potential is through the roof.

* Part of me isn’ t bothered by Plax going to the Jets.  Riley Cooper looks good.  He could be breakout player.

* Sinorice Moss looks re-born.  PS games will be critical for him.  He caught one pass last summer.  Needs to show he can play in games.

* Spadaro said the Eagles like LB Brandon Peguese.  He’s probably a Practice Squad target at best, but interesting to know the team is high on him.

* MLB Greg Lloyd looked slow in coverage.

* I’m impressed with RB Dion Lewis so far.  He showed good effort as a blocker, but I still need to see how he does at that in game action.

* WR DeAndre Brown has very good potential.  I sure hope he works hard on and off the field.  He could be a player to watch.

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The Eagles did have interest in Plaxico coming here, but I’m not sure they are dead set on adding a veteran wideout.  They wanted Plax because he’s a unique guy.  He’s not just a big WR.  He’s one of the best big WRs in NFL history.  It will be interesting to see if the team pursues any other receivers.  Someone asked me about Malcolm Floyd.  If the team does want a big guy, Floyd could be of interest.

The Eagles may want to see what Moss and Johnnie Lee Higgins do at Lehigh for a few more days.  They’re small, but have the kind of speed the Eagles have preferred in recent years.

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Brian Baldinger was a guest on Eagles Live.  One topic he touched on was where the 3 CBs would line up if they stay together.  He thought Asante would be in the slot.  I think DRC would go in there.  The slot is where quick passes go.  You don’t want Asante in there.  He plays off and tries to bait QBs.  That works outside where he’s got enough time to break on the ball.  Baldinger did raise on relevant point.  There are more tipped balls in the middle and that is where Asante and his hands could make a difference.  He has elite ball skills.

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There is a lot of action in the RB market, but the Eagles aren’t getting mentioned with anyone.  Adam Caplan is adamant that the team wants speed.  That would make sense based on the UDFAs we brought in.  I want size, but the Eagles and I don’t always agree when it comes to RBs.

Noel Devine was cut.  No word on what happened.  Super talent, but he’s always been a strange person.  I’m still shocked he showed up at the Senior Bowl at 160 pounds.  That sent off alarm bells to NFL teams.  I have no idea what he weighed when he reported to Lehigh.

Sunday Stuff

My new column for SB Nation Philly is up.  I wrote about Andy Reid and free agents.  In recent years he’s really become a guy that players want to play for.  It gives me great pleasure to see just the opposite going on with the Skins and Mike Shanahan.  I’ve said he’s overrated for years and been in all kinds of arguments.  The guy did win 2 Super Bowls, but had John friggin’ Elway, one of the 10 greatest QBs in the history of the NFL.  Without Elway, Shanny has one playoff win.  One.  Ouch.

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The Eagles lost out on Plaxico, who they did want.  It will be interesting to see if they go after another veteran receiver.  The absence of Maclin and DeSean isn’t good.  I do think DeSean will report soon.  Not sure what’s up with Mac.  Doesn’t sound good based on Andy’s comments from Saturday, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

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The Eagles did sign OG Evan Mathis.  He’s got 22 career starts in his time with Carolina, Miami, and Cincy.  He’s the kind of OG that Howard Mudd wants.  Mathis goes 6’5, 302.  I liked him coming out of college.  So did the Eagles.  They brought him to the NovaCare Complex for a pre-draft visit.  I had him rated as a 3rd round prospect.  Not a great athlete, but smart, tough, and aggressive.  Good pass and run blocker.  Overachiever type.

Mathis has NFL experience at LG and RG.  Some wonder if he’s here to fill in for Danny Watkins.  Could be.  Not sure if anything else is happening.  We haven’t heard a good update on Winston Justice’s knee.  King Dunlap is the starting RT, but hasn’t exactly shined from what we hear.  Backup RT Fenuki Tupou is really struggling.  Could be some shifting going on at some point.  Still early so we’ve gotta let these guys play a bit.

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Good article on the Eagles and the signing of Nnamdi Asomugha.

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More on Cullen Jenkins.  Some wondered why deal Bunkley and go with Jenkins.  Bunk might fit the new scheme.  He’s still young and could have a bright future.  This stat is a good explanation.  Jenkins had 7 sacks last year.  Bunk has 6 in his career.  I’ll be the first to tell you that Bunk doesn’t get to rush the passer very much, but that’s part of the point.  Can you re-train him and get him to do that well?  Huge question.  With Jenkins, he’s already good at it.

Getting pressure up the middle is critical these days.  You never see Drew Brees get sacked.  The ball is out before DEs have a chance to get there.  Pressure up the middle is a whole other story.  And this isn’t 260-pound Darren Howard doing it.  This is a 300-pound DT.  Draw plays aren’t going to be as effective with him in there.  I haven’t had a chance yet to study him thoroughly, but I know Jenkins is a good pass rusher.  We needed help in that area.  Good signing.

Someone made a great point in regard to the deal.  We traded Bunk for a 2012 5th round pick.  The Skins dealt Big Al for a 2013 5th round pick.  Because of the year difference, we got better value for Bunk than they did for a guy with dominant potential.  Appreciate how good the Eagles front office is from time to time.

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No word on anything at LB.  Barrett Ruud and Stephen Tulloch are off the market.  Both guys had to settle for 1-year deals.  That tells you there isn’t as much of a market for MLBs as you would think.  I’m not a big fan of Kirk Morrison’s.  I’d rather go with Nick Barnett or possibly Lofa Tatupu.  He’s likely going to be cut today.  His knees aren’t great and he’s reportedly slowed down, but he could be a good short term answer to give Casey Matthews a year to develop.  Casey is the long term answer at MLB.  We’re not committing to another guy for a long deal.  Castillo wants Matthews to be his guy.  As for anything at WLB…no idea what might happen.

I think one of the keys for us at MLB, if we go for a vet, is finding someone who is a solid pass defender.  We play with the lead a lot.  Teams want to throw on us.  The outside lanes will be taken away by Nnamdi, DRC, and/or Asante.  That means more throws over the middle.  We don’t need a huge run stuffer.  We need someone who can play the passing lanes, as well as being a solid run defender.  Tatupu is very instinctive and a gifted cover LB, when 100%.  I don’t know what kind of shape his knees/legs are in now.

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A few people asked about Cap casualties on the roster.  No one is getting cut purely for cost.  If the guys can still play well, they’ll keep jobs.  Juqua Parker will or won’t be an Eagle because of how he plays, not his salary.  If he can be a good backup LDE, it would be dumb to cut him to save money.  We know the value of pass rushers.  I don’t think we have any “fat cats” on the roster right now.  The guys earning big bucks are still important players.

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Someone asked about the addition of big corners and how that helps the Red Zone defense.  Big time.  Asante liked to play off in the RZ.  You can’t do that.  You can’t bait QBs when you’re at the 5-yard line.  You’ve got to press and stick right on the receiver.  DRC and Nnamdi will be a major improvement for us in the RZ.  They can be physical with receivers.  They also jump well and can’t be thrown over (unless going against Plaxico types).