Thursday Update – Quiet Day

Posted: March 15th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 58 Comments »

DeSean Jackson came in and signed his deal and then held a PC at noon.  That was pretty uneventful.  DeSean didn’t say anything all that interesting.  It was basically a love fest as he lauded Reid, Roseman, Lurie, and some guy named Drew Rosenhaus.   

After the PC, Jeff McLane spoke to Roseman in the hallway.  Roseman was asked about free agency and LB and indicated that something might happen in the next few days.  Okay, that’s good news.  It is vague and non-committal, but at least that’s a hint that something might be coming down.  Teams don’t telegraph moves at this time of the year.

Dave Spadaro has also indicated on Twitter that he gets the feeling something could happen in the next couple of days.  He’s quick to say that’s “just a feeling”, but it is another good sign in my book.

* * * * *

So what’s going on in LB world?  David Hawthorne has a visit scheduled with the Saints.  I thought it was today, but have also seen it listed as Friday.  Curtis Lofton is scheduled to visit on Friday.  And the Saints have talked to Joe Mays about visiting.  Sounds like the Saints want a MLB, but frankly that is an odd way of doing business.  Bringing in key guys on the same day or back to back.  They could slide Hawthorne to OLB, but that would raise the question of exactly how they’re able to afford so many players when they had cap issues.  Color me confused.

Signing Lofton would make the most sense for them, since it would weaken a division rival and since Lofton already knows the teams of the NFC South.

Lions MLB Stephen Tulloch said today that he expects to get a contract that pays him a minimum of $6M per season.  He’s actually looking for a deal that surpasses that of Browns MLB D’Qwell Jackson.  Good luck with that, Steve.

ILB Dan Connor signed a 2-year deal with the Cowboys.  Geoff Mosher reported that the Eagles had made him a minimal offer.  Jeff McLane said that he knew the Eagles had very passive interest.  Connor could start or be a backup in Dallas, depending on the health of Bruce Carter.

* * * * *

Juqua Parker is now a Cleveland Brown.  He signed a 1-year deal that can pay him as much as $3M.  Peter King expects him to have 10 sacks.  My guess is 3 or 4.  Glad to see Juqua get signed.  He turned out to be a good player for us.  We got 31.5 sacks out of Juqua Parker.  Actually, that’s not true.  Juqua Thomas had some of those sacks.

Parker wasn’t going to fit in with the crowd at DE in 2012.  He can challenge for the #3 or #4 DE spot with the Browns.  Cleveland has a DE/LB named Marcus Benard who is a FA.  He could fit here in the Wide-9.  If we go for a backup with some upside, Benard might be a player for us to target.   One team’s trash can be another team’s treasure.

As for the Browns…they are turning into Eagles West.  I’m not sure if that’s such a good thing for them.  I do like the players so I wish them well.

* * * * *

OG Evan Mathis is still in Baltimore.  They are making a solid push to sign him.  Word is that the Eagles are staying in contact with his agent, some guy named Drew Rosenhaus, and will be given a chance to match any offer.  We’ll see how that goes.

Should Mathis leave…it isn’t the end of the world.  There are plenty of OGs on the market.  I’m sure the Eagles and Howard Mudd have targeted some players of interest.  The team isn’t going after anyone now because the hope is that Mathis will return.  You only make a move when you lose him.

* * * * *

The Skins signed Brandon Meriweather.  Any player who turned off Bill Belichick and Lovie Smith in one year is a guy that I’m not all that worried about.  I wasn’t all that keen on him coming out of Miami and his time in the NFL hasn’t changed my opinion.

* * * * *

The first couple of days of  free agency are the wildest.  Things settle down and then there is a second wave of activity.  This could happen tomorrow or push over til Monday.  We’ll see how things play out.  Mario Williams signed in Buffalo and he was the biggest defensive player on the market.  Peyton is still shopping.  Might be a Titan.  As the big dominoes fall, teams can adjust their plans and attack accordingly.

Activity with the LBs should start to pick up on Friday.  I think.

58 Comments on “Thursday Update – Quiet Day”

  1. 1 Steven Dileo said at 6:35 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    “I’m going to guarantee a Super Bowl”
    – DeSean Jackson

    “DeSean didn’t say anything all that interesting.”
    – Tommy Lawlor

  2. 2 aerochrome2 said at 6:41 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    In context, it seemed to me that he was guaranteeing one in the next five years, not this year. Which isn’t that wild.

  3. 3 hallcr3 said at 7:29 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Meh. No different than Jimmy Rollins saying the Phils are the team to beat every spring.

  4. 4 TommyLawlor said at 10:24 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Players saying crap like that doesn’t interest me. I guess I should have covered it so others could judge for themselves.

    When I referred to interesting, I wanted some comments from DJax about behind the scenes stuff we didn’t know. I didn’t think anything he said really caught me off guard or grabbed my attention.

  5. 5 Matt Plunderbunny said at 6:37 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I really hope Evan stays, but Tommy do you have any idea who they might target to replace him?

  6. 6 Steven Dileo said at 6:40 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    David DeCastro, Mike Gibson, Cordy Glenn, Travelle Wharton, Mike Brisiel, Bobbie Williams, King Dunlap

  7. 7 Nitttts said at 7:06 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    How would DeCastro fit in our Oline system?

  8. 8 Sjampen said at 7:30 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I think DeCastro fit any OL system.

  9. 9 Nitttts said at 7:39 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Are there any mid round draft prospects that could start day 1 for us at guard?

  10. 10 GeorgeFleep said at 9:31 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    fran duffy mentioned adam gettis on twitter to me recently. i had the same question. waltherfootball states rnds 4-6. it states: Gettis was a second-team all Big Ten selection and did a good job of opening up running holes. Running back Marcus Coker had an excellent season running behind him. Gettis is athletic and quick, but he is too light for guard. Gettis needs to add weight and may have to move to center if he can’t add a significant amount of weight. Gettis would be best in a zone-blocking scheme.

  11. 11 iskar36 said at 9:59 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Vandervelde, Gibson, and a rookie drafted in the 4-6th round doesn’t exactly sound like a promising group. Quantity at a position doesn’t make the position solved. You need a quality player to emerge and take on the starting role.

  12. 12 GeorgeFleep said at 10:03 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Yeah we are just BSing until something happens. But my trust is in Mudd. What do you guys think about Eagles could lose mathis: http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/37133/eagles-could-lose-evan-mathis

  13. 13 D3FB said at 1:14 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    If you want to draft Gettis you better get the coaches at Iowa to tell you he’s a better player than Vandelverde. Save yourself alot of time and hassle.

  14. 14 TommyLawlor said at 10:26 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Exactly.

  15. 15 TommyLawlor said at 10:25 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Steven Dileo gave some good names. I don’t think we would go for a rookie since we drafted 2 OGs last year. Better to add a veteran to the mix.

  16. 16 mark_in_jax said at 7:02 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Since we already rewarded Todd maybe we could consider moving him back to LG and signing Eric Winston to play RT instead of overpaying an FA LG? Based on what guards are getting in FA we wouldn’t be overpaying Todd and he could also be our backup at both tackle spots like before. Might be better to give Winston RT money to play RT rather than give someone else “nearly RT money” to play guard?

  17. 17 Nitttts said at 3:35 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Winston was awesome a couple of years ago, how did he do this last yaer at Houston? Was he any good?

  18. 18 Nitttts said at 7:03 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Are there any ‘under the radar’ guards available in free agency that would be comfortable with our oline system? Are there any out there in free agency that we should be keeping our eye on as a back up plan if we are not able to resign Mathis?

  19. 19 Steven Dileo said at 6:41 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Any word on King Dunlap? I thought he was solid last season.

  20. 20 teltschikfakeout88 said at 7:05 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Solid as what. trade bait. He is career backup. I would be scared with him starting for good at RT.

  21. 21 Mac said at 8:05 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I was a fan of drafting Dunlap to begin with… I agree that I wouldn’t be thrilled with him starting but he did learn the Mudd System and is valuable to us as a backup.

  22. 22 TommyLawlor said at 10:28 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I would like to bring him back as the #3 OT. I’m sure he wants to test the market. King is lower on the food chain and has to wait while teams go for stars and big name players. I’d expect him to maybe get some attention in the next week or two.

  23. 23 JRO91 said at 7:45 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Can we keep him around as our #1 FG blocker?

  24. 24 TommyLawlor said at 11:38 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Aaron Wilson reports that RB Mike Tolbert has a visit set up with a surprise team. I mention this because a few Eagles fans have asked about him. I’m sure the Eagles are interested in him, but I question if Tolbert would want to come here knowing how little we use backup RBs. The market for him has been softer than expected so never say never.

  25. 25 hallcr3 said at 12:11 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    So he wouldn’t take the Dream Team discount?

  26. 26 TommyLawlor said at 12:51 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    You are on double secret probation, mister.

  27. 27 Brett Smith said at 12:16 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Tommy… why would any RB want to come here for 5 carries a game? What might work though is a poor mans Percy Harvin. Maybe a real Sproles type that can live with 10 plays a game an some KR work.

    I would love Tolbert but I doubt he becomes an Iggle.

  28. 28 Brett Smith said at 12:17 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    BTW- that was me agreeing with you again.

  29. 29 TommyLawlor said at 12:52 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Some RB that wants to play with Vick and sees us as a winner will buy in. More likely a veteran who has suffered on a losing team, ala Ronnie Brown.

  30. 30 JRO91 said at 7:46 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    If that is the case then MJD should be first in line…I actually feel sorry for him being on the Jags…great RB on a team going nowhere fast.

  31. 31 Kammich said at 1:11 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Well, we lost out on my other highly coveted FA… Haruki Nakamura. So we better make a run at Tolbert.

    Yes, I set the bar for free agency very, very low. 🙂

  32. 32 Jim Reynolds said at 1:01 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Michael Robinson tweeted he is returning to the Seahawks. He was an NFC Pro-Bowl selection at FB this year.

    I haven’t heard one word about Justin Forsett, who I think would be a very good backup to Shady. Maybe that’s a good thing.

  33. 33 Eric Weaver said at 8:38 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Tommy,

    I’m actually a little worried now that Buffalo has signed Mario. They could view Kuechly as their new Poz. I know Barnett is there but he’s not at Kuechly’s anticipated level and he’s heading over the hill. I know you think that’d be too early for Kuechly but people also thought that when they drafted Spiller.

  34. 34 TommyLawlor said at 9:07 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    BUF will actually play Kelvin Sheppard at MLB. Barnett will slide to OLB, probably WLB.

  35. 35 Eric Weaver said at 10:46 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Oh, forgot about Sheppard. I liked him coming out of LSU too. 🙁

  36. 36 Christopher Miller said at 8:44 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Is there a list of players Eagles have shown interest in for the draft anywhere? Did not see one over on PE.com MB.

  37. 37 TommyLawlor said at 9:07 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    I’ve gotta start putting that together. Old tradition that has served us well.

  38. 38 Markr said at 12:49 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) has a pre-draft visit list going at:

    http://bit.ly/x08sA2

  39. 39 nopain23 said at 9:44 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Mathis spent the night in Bmore..just like Supermario did in Buffalo….think its just a matter of time b4….he signs there…..if ..Tulloch lowers his price and signs with philly….can Decastro be considered BPA as well as fills a need.I mean drafting a guy who may be the best guard in football for the next 10 yrs is not such a bad deal.plus suring up the oline only makes shady possibly the most dangerous offensive weapon in the league.

  40. 40 Trevor Turner said at 11:20 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    It seems to me that Mudd’s system is such that, even if Mathis leaves, his replacement can be found in the 4th or 5th round of the draft, or even at the end of Free Agency.

    Not because his system only needs inferior players, but because it benefits players who don’t have all that much value in other systems.

  41. 41 iskar36 said at 11:39 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    I think Mudd is a great coach, but even with a great coach, relying for a late round pick or a 3rd tier FA to come in and start without legitimate challenge is incredibly risky. If the guy is a miss (which is a very potential possibility with a late draft pick/3rd tier FA), you are left with a huge hole. Mudd has made a ton of players work incredibly well for our OLine, but don’t forget that we were shuffling around olineman that failed right up until the first week of the season. I just want something more certain (Mathis/quality vet/earlier round pick).

  42. 42 iskar36 said at 11:28 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    LaRon Landry will be visiting the Jets according to PFT. So far, 2 of the 4 teams that were listed in the rumor prior to FA to have interest in Landry have confirmed the rumor by bringing him in. Detroit and us haven’t made any indications that they are interested, but the rumor may have more truth to it than just agent speak (or the agent was good at guessing which teams would actually be interested).

  43. 43 iskar36 said at 3:10 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    No idea who this reporter is, but:
    Mary Paoletti ‏ @Mary_Paoletti

    Source: Patriots are 1st visit for LaRon Landry. Jets, Lions, 1 other on the list. Health is “good” & he’s “on course to be ready for OTAs.”

    So the original rumor was Pats, Jets, Lions, and Eagles had interest. So far, the Eagles are the only one not rumored to be bringing him in for a visit, so maybe the original rumor had some truth to it.

  44. 44 iskar36 said at 11:30 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Mathis Update:

    Adam Caplan ‏ @caplannfl
    My understanding is the Ravens have made Evan Mathis a very solid offer, but he’s still scheduled to fly back to Arizona.

    Eagles are still very much in it. Stay tuned.

    Mathis to me just now: “Ravens have offered a nice deal. I’m flying back to Arizona to think about it and discuss it with my family.”

  45. 45 SportiVore said at 11:52 AM on March 16th, 2012:

    Good sign.

    I’m thinking Jake Scott would be a top target if Mathis takes it, though. Former Mudd guy, veteran but not geriatric. Pretty good player.

  46. 46 JRO91 said at 12:16 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    I have a feeling his twitter is going to get flooded by Eagles fans asking him to stay.

  47. 47 GermanEagle said at 12:04 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Any chance the eagles will have interest in soon to be released kamerion wimbley?!!

  48. 48 JRO91 said at 12:18 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    According to Jeff Mclane Eagles dont have Hawthorne “high on their list of LBs” I wonder what their lists consists of? Why do I have a feeling, we are going to end up with Luke at MLB and a 3rd or 4th round pick at SAM? They are going to roll the dice on two rookies on the cheap. I love luke at MLB, but really want a vet in at least one of the three positions. As Tommy pointed out, Hawthorne made perfect sense.

  49. 49 GermanEagle said at 12:21 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    I wouldn’t put much into anything Mclane says to be honest.

  50. 50 iskar36 said at 2:22 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    I lost a little respect for McLane when he tweeted that he knew the Eagles had interest in Connor and even made an offer, but didn’t say anything until after he signed because he liked Connor and didn’t want to hurt his value. Frankly, as a reporter, you can’t take a biased approach like that. If there is news to share, you can’t let personal feelings about the person preventing you from sharing the information. To me, it just seems very unprofessional for a reporter to do that.

  51. 51 Markr said at 12:52 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Interestingly enough, all GA prospects for the Eagles. Looks like Savage may actually have some pull

  52. 52 Eric Weaver said at 12:59 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    I kind of feel bad for the Dolphins. They are about to be burned by Manning and Flynn in a short amount of time. Not to mention they decided to not sign Drew Brees and Cam Cameron decided Ted Ginn, Jr. was more important than Brady Quinn. Not that Brady Quinn has had a successful career, but you never know what would have happened if he were drafted by a better team than Cleveland.

  53. 53 Kammich said at 2:02 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Don’t feel too bad:

    “Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Miami Dolphins are “low-balling” free agent quarterback Matt Flynn in contract negotiations.”

    You reap what you sow, I guess. Maybe their motley crew of owners should each pitch in a couple hundred grand… that would easily bring the deal up to $440 million dollars.

  54. 54 hallcr3 said at 2:16 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Yeah. At some point you just have to pick the guy you want and go with him, whether that’s someone in the draft or a veteran like Flynn or Matt Moore. Hell, that applies to picking a coach, too. That ownership sucks.

    Miami is just a really terrible sports town. Miami owners will never be “about” the game, they’ll always look at their sports clubs as “entertainment” businesses. That’s fine, but it tends to force short-sighted moves.

  55. 55 Kammich said at 2:46 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Agreed 100%. Its why I laugh whenever anyone suggests that Las Vegas should get a pro sports franchise. Miami, Las Vegas… those are tourist destinations. Cultural epicenters. There are not enough true-blooded natives to support sports franchises and allow them to thrive.

    It still baffles me that the Florida… err, I’m sorry, MIAMI Marlins… were able to get a new $1 Billion dollar stadium. Despite averaging about 71 fans per home game for the last 5 years.

  56. 56 hallcr3 said at 2:16 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Sheil Kapadia has a few good notes on DeSean: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/moving_the_chains/DeSean031412.html

  57. 57 Kammich said at 2:48 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Schefter reporting that the 49ers have jumped into the Peyton sweepstakes. Apparently they sent some covert ops scouts to watch him throw at Duke University. Oh, Jim Harbaugh… you savvy devil, you.

    The 49ers have made a lot of sense all along. I still think Tennessee has to be considered the favorite(especially after signing Hutchinson), but I think the 49ers are a much better fit than Denver, Arizona or Miami.

  58. 58 JRO91 said at 3:31 PM on March 16th, 2012:

    Roob tweeting Eagles raised their offer to Mathis to outbid the Ravens…..