OTAs Talk
Posted: May 28th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 31 Comments »The third set of full team OTAs got underway on Monday. Let’s discuss the news items of the day.
* Jason Peters was absent. OTAs are voluntary so he didn’t need to get permission to miss the practice. Chip Kelly said he knew where Peters was and made it sound like not such a big deal. Some people wondered if something was up injury or Peters being upset with the team, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Stay tuned in case there are further developments.
* The OL was Dennis Kelly – Allen Barbre – Dallas Reynolds – Todd Herremans – Lane Johnson for at least a few sets of drills. Interesting to see Kelly getting snaps at LT. As we’ve discussed, it would be great to see Kelly be able to become a good swing tackle that could backup at LT and RT. The more stable an OL is, the better it should be. If something happens to a starting OT, you’d love to just plug a player into his spot. The option of sliding someone there and then having a backup take over that guy’s spot can work, but just isn’t ideal. The more guys you move, the more chance for communications issues and breakdowns.
* We don’t know if Danny Watkins was demoted from working with the 1’s or if the coaches just wanted to see Barbre with the starters. It is easier to evaluate players when they are in a good setting. You don’t want to make too much of this since it is just one day of OTAs, but Watkins is coming off a down year and anything that brings up questions isn’t a good sign.
* CB Cary Williams was running with the 2’s. We found out that he’s missed a lot of time due to his wedding and some house issues. This isn’t ideal, but as a CB there is less to learn schematically. And Williams is a proven veteran. He’s got this week and next week to catch up. Cary’s interview on PE.com is…not awesome. Cary is new here. I don’t have a good feel for his personality. Cary’s comments were kinda odd.
* Curtis Marsh was starting ahead of Williams. This is encouraging. Can’t make too much out of it since I haven’t seen him play and there haven’t been many reports on him. Marsh may pan out or may fail, but we need an answer this year. He’s no longer a project. Time to deliver…or hit the bricks.
Eddie Whitley played on the 2nd team. He is a CB/S tweener that the Eagles would like to show he can be a press corner in this system. A word on that. The CBA significantly limits contact and that means no bump ‘n run coverage. You’ll see off coverage in the OTAs. That makes it tough on the big CBs, but also helps them to focus on playing off and developing those skills.
* Kenny Phillips sat out of practice. Chip Kelly said it wasn’t due to the weather. Phillips said he was held out because of the weather. Oops. Sounds like the Eagles are being very cautious with his knee. They should. Phillips is talented, but has very fragile legs. That’s how/why we got him cheap.
* As for the QBs, Foles and Vick split the reps again. Sounds like both players were solid. Matt Barkley struggled a bit, probably due to the rain. Playing at USC meant a lot of good weather. Barkley will have to adjust to rain, wind, and snow. I am not sure if he’s able to play well on Tuesday nights.
* Chip Kelly had a new wrinkle for the QBs today. 7-on-7 drills involve the QB, 5 skill players, and a C going against the back seven on defense. There is no DL. This makes life easy on QBs. Kelly had 3 equipment guys stand where the DL would, but with these things strapped to their backs to simulate pass rushers having their hands up. That means the QBs have to find passing lanes, even in a simple 7-on-7 drill. Simple, but brilliant.
It did rain today. Kelly still had the players outside. Good. As Kelly pointed out, there is no dome on The Linc. Players need to deal with the elements. You go inside for 1 of 2 reasons. If there are safety concerns (lightning or so much rain the footing is bad), you go in. The other reason is if it rains so hard that you can’t have a productive practice, go inside.
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Jimmy Bama did a great write-up on practice. Sheil Kapadia has had the best practice reports so far, but Jimmy beat him this time.
Speaking of Mr. Kapadia, here is his coverage.
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Here is some video of the practice from PE.com.
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Cary is in my mystery guy as well. He obviously has a chip on his shoulder. Hope he falls into line easily
Really good point about the chip on his shoulder. That attitude is helpful on the field, but doesn’t always mean he’s going to give great interviews.
honestly, when watching his interview I didnt get the negative impressions that you got…seemed fiesty and annoyed, but thats how I like my corners wired anyway…Certainly wasnt informative on the level of Barwins..certainly wasnt ooozing with “wow seems like a great kid” like Wolff’s interview yesterday, but I didnt get a negative impression from it…you could be right. Time will tell..
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“The Cream will rise to the top”….Get em Cary!!!
He’d better get up to speed quick or he’ll have a Chip on his ass.
Awesome!!!
I wouldn’t want to be the person that hit him with the umbrella at the 1:35 minute mark…
I guess I’ll start the caption contest off…”whatchu talkin bout Willis?”
Vick fires a pass directly into the backboards. Oi vey.
Donovan hated the worms.
Vick hates the boards.
and in the words of the illustrious, scholarly poet known as Trick Daddy lol, “Chip Love da kids”
Donovan: “repetitive accuracy and decision-making” What could have been.
lol as if it wasnt expected….Like Tom pointed out, so simple, yet absolutely brilliant…The more we can simulate game day in our practices and our drills, the better we will be for it…
I kind of feel sorry for these athletes that have to answer these inane questions about football in May! I know, they get paid well, but how tedious and boring it must be for them.
It appears we’ve been infiltrated by an NFLPA rep. It’s clearly a conspiracy to brainwash and then deprive us lowly fans of vague press conference answers.
“Kelly had 3 equipment guys stand where the DL would, but with these things strapped to their backs to simulate pass rushers having their hands up.”
This does not bode well for the future of Trash Can on the Philadelphia Eagles.
we always knew that trash can was a longshot since he didnt meet the height and length requirments and refused to run the 40
Trash Can was skipped practice to hang out with Jason Peters.
Could you really give up a roster spot to Tall Backpack, just for occasionally batting down a pass?
OTAs? Were not talking about training camp, we are talking OTAs.
– Cary ‘AI’ Williams
Props to Kapadia for FINALLY asking a question about Mychal Kendricks!!! The media has been too busy covering the april/May QB “Battle” lol, and the song list like a group of school girls who joined the prom comittee, that it took til May 28th for someone finally ask a question about one of our most promising players, Kendricks…
Some of us questioned and debated How Kelly would view Kendricks who doesnt fitt he typical chip Kelly height and length requirments, but after hearing Chep and coach Minter talk about him, I think we have really big plans for Kendricks…Chip called him one of the most athletic Lineman in the NFL, and Minter called him a “rising star” and “Future superstar”….Extremely excited about the kid, and will be even more excited if we use him as the WIL in a 4-3U(which is what he was prctically born to play)…ABSOLUTELY HATED the way Juan used him…
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Love the pairing of an explosive young Killer like Kendricks, with the Savy, Physical veteran presence of Meco who will QB the defense…I dont think we could ask for a better pairing of inside LB’s….and the icing on the cake is coach Minter who has been a HC/Coordinator since like 1984. Minter went from coaching atleast 11 men at a time for the past 20 plus years, and now he only has to focus all his expertise on two players. Thats very exciting for me..just think of the attention to detail that Kendricks and Meco will get from him….Im school girl giddy over the LB’ers…Still to this day I have no clue how we devalued LB’s around here for so long. They are the best athletes on the field lol. I call the Light heavyweights who posses power of a heavyweight and the speed of a welterweight, how could you devalue the best athletes on the field? makes no sense to me! Now, not only do we value LB’s, but they are probably the strength of our defense and thats very exciting to a defense guy such as myself
Many 4-3 teams devalue LBs. It simply defensive philosophy that they some think 4-3 LBs aint as impactful as a very good DE, DT (omg AR loved to draft DTs) and CBs.
Also it wasnt like we didnt put value in LBs, we just had terrible luck with them even when we did find a good one. Take the 2008 starting LBs in Gocong, Bradley and Gaither, those 3 guy had a good part in us having a great run defense that year. Of course we also had 4 great run stoppers up front and Brown, Dawkins and Mikell in the backfield. Actually the only guy on that team that couldnt tackle was Samuel, but he was paid to cover and get ints.
I know that many 4-3 teams dont value them as much, but I cant understand how you can devalue the best athletes on the field. It makes no sense to me…We can count on one hand the quality LB’s we had in the past 14 years: Trotter(who probably was the only Eagle to ever get me more pumped then Dawk lol),Emmons,Shawn Barber, Demeco..then you got a guy like Stewart Bradley who was servicable, but never really lived up to his potential(yes injuries played a big part)..and a guy like Kirkland who was like 300lbs, but actually ended up helping us at times…Takeo really didnt do anything for us,,The McCoys, and Barry Gardners still leave a bad taste in my mouth…what other good linebackers am I forgetting?…When the great JJ was leading the defense, our LB were usually good..but since he passed away it has been an absolute Joke up until 2012 wih Meco and Kendricks
Well thats one of the reason we are switching. Kelly prefers the 3-4 because you get more athletes on the field. Thats also why I really wanted Dion Jordan in the draft and wanted a Cooper Taylor later (guy is built like a LB but plays safety)
Like alot of people I was big on Coop and hated seeing him go to the Giants…but this is the first Im hearing about Kelly wanting him..”tell me More, Tell me more, did he put up a fight?” lol
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Anders, you see how the Dolphins are dicking Jordan around with the wording of his contract? lol…apparently they have NO FAITH in there evaluation process, since they gave up a ton to more to #3 to draft Dion, and now are making a big deal about not guarenteeing his money.I was all for the rookie wage scale, but the 3rd pick in the draft should have his first contract guarenteed…they are making a big stink out wording so that in case they cut him in year 2 or 3, that they wont have to pay him if another team picks him up and pays him..what a joke. Dion certainly didnt look happy when Miami drafted him, now this?..Im going to hold out hope that he comes home, where he belongs lol until he signs a 4-5yr extension with the Dolphins lol…If I were Chip, I would just be annoying for the F of it and contact the Dolphins GM every single day for the next 4 years offering a trade for Dion lol
I never said Kelly wanted him. I just said he prefer athletes over overachievers (so no more DTN or Jarrett picks early)
Oh ok…thought you heard something I didnt…my bad
Carlos was by far the best–and I think he was a Modrak player.
Looks like we better start putting a dome on the Linc, because there are going to be safety concerns for a while.
Interesting about Barbre at LG, but last week Wang replaced Peters at LT, this week Kelly did – so it may also be about getting looks at the veterans who have to make the team (you’re not going to PS these guys). Barbre is a very athletic OL who bounced between OT and OG and never found a spot, though at age 29 the clock is ticking, but I do remember another aging OG the Eagles rescued off the refuse heap who turned out pretty well the last couple years.
One interesting note watching Duck videos, they seem to only run two plays: the inside zone read and the outside zone read – which means the linemen only have to learn to block for those plays – and that allows Stoutland to focus on execution, your left foot should be THERE, etc. Limiting the base plays and the options off those plays allows them to repeat those plays over and over until everyone gets it perfect, and makes it easier to integrate rookies and free agents because they’re not trying to swallow the AR/MM Wiki playbook. Just learn a few things well and repeat them perfectly. Everything else works off those plays, and by forcing teams to recognize and defend those plays (Chip deliberately telegraphs his runs to encourage the defense to over commit), it sets up play action.
Talk about the anti-AR!
RE: guys with backboards simulating pass rushers…
Back in high school basketball (sadly, this is how most of my stories begin) the coaches used to hold metal folding chairs over their heads a la the WWF so you’d actually have to jump to get a shot off. Not as high tech as Chip’s “Tinkerbell Men” approach but same idea.
A cursory search of the Interwebs produces something called the Profender… Which I guess is today’s version of the folding metal chair.
I also recall the women’s team practicing with these special goggles that prevent you from looking down at the ball as you dribble. I’m employing a more custom device these days I call a “beer belly.”
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kWXST882JVQ
Also, I can’t help but wonder if Chip was inspired by the annual West Hollywood Halloween Parade…