Players, Not Positions

Posted: May 3rd, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 45 Comments »

In the previous post, a discussion broke out about how Ifeanyi Momah would fit onto the roster. Is he a TE or a WR?

Momah played both spots at Boston College. He’s 6-7, 240. That is more of a TE build than a WR. He runs 4.45. That is more WR speed than TE. Momah is somewhat of a tweener, a man with unique ability but no obvious position. So what do you do?

Chip Kelly would tell you not to get caught up in positions. Kelly loves creating favorable matchups. Momah could thrive in that role. Put him out wide. If the defense puts a CB on him, throw the ball up high. If the defense puts a bigger S or LB on him, have Momah run by them. That may sound incredibly simplistic, but that’s actually how Chip Kelly thinks. Where Andy Reid plotted moves, counter-moves, counter-counter-moves, and so on, Chip keeps it simple.

* Run if the box is empty, throw if it is stacked.

* Find tall guys that can move around and catch the ball.

* Find quick/fast guys that can catch short passes and create big plays.

* Throw the ball to the open guy, whether short or deep.

Really, I think a lot of Kelly’s offense will be that simple. Now getting the players into those positions is a bit on the complicated side. That’s where years of coaching come into play. You must be able to design plays, call them in the right sequence and set them up for maximum effect. Kelly did this brilliantly at New Hampshire and Oregon.

Back to Momah. He is more of a WR. He runs fast, but doesn’t have ideal cutting or change-of-direction ability. Quickness and agility are more important to TEs than pure speed. That said, Chip Kelly just drafted Zach Ertz to play TE and really wanted him in large part to his ability to play like a WR. Kelly isn’t concerned about what position title Momah has. He wants a player that he can use creatively. And Momah is just that.

Dave Spadaro did a good interview with Momah that I somehow missed. Momah says he will block and that he will play STs. He’s already got the right attitude. No matter where he plays, Momah is going to be a role player in 2013…if he is even on the final roster. He isn’t a polished player and could be a practice squad candidate. We’ll see how things go.

I’ve got his good 2011 game on DVD (8 catches, 157 yards).  I’ll see if I can find that and put the catches on YouTube. I’ve also probably got some 2010 games to check out. I’ll look into that this weekend.

* * * * *

Cecil Lammey dug up some pretty impressive Matt Barkley stats. I am so curious to see him play and find out if we got a major steal or just a solid prospect with 1st round stats.

I got the stats from Sam. If you are on Twitter, make sure you follow Sam. Great source of info and opinions (unless he’s using his “facts” to pick apart my opinions).

_


45 Comments on “Players, Not Positions”

  1. 1 micksick said at 11:16 PM on May 3rd, 2013:

    Oh snap you found the Momah vs northwestern tape?? Yeah buddy!!! Been looking for that!!!

  2. 2 GEAgle said at 7:25 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    yeah,. Having some Momah footage sounds like a damn good weekend to me,,,Can we even risk trying to put him on the practice squad without someone poaching him?..You have to think there was a little competition for Momah’s services, by the not so standard contract he signed…I dont know how Avant is going to make this team

  3. 3 Håkan Sandström said at 10:10 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOGqFTl8E5s

  4. 4 GEAgle said at 11:25 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    thank you kindly(in my best John witherspoon voice)

  5. 5 Neil said at 4:35 PM on May 4th, 2013:

    This doesn’t show more than 1 or 2 of Momah’s receptions, but I do like his blocking. He doesn’t quit until the play is over.

  6. 6 micksick said at 12:23 AM on May 6th, 2013:

    contract was prett standard

  7. 7 poetx99 said at 12:05 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    i’m really rooting for this kid to win. he’s fought through a lot to get back and keep pushing, but moreover, he could be a helluva weapon.

    jump balls for everybody.

    put him, desean, and ertz in trips left. celek tight right.

    shotgun with shady lined up to vick’s left.

    inside zone to the right, with vick reading the DE. peters takes a pass set. if the DE stays wide, give, and peters goes to second level.

    if he crashes, fake the give. and we have a pass out to the left. momah and ertz run through their defenders, momah has a 9, ertz has a slant/curl/out (option) and desean has a bubble screen. if the defenders come up aggressively to play the screen, hit the quick 9 over the top to momah. if they hang back, throw the bubble screen to desean (w/ peters hustling out to the flat to flatten some DB or LB).

    and if they try to box it, you have ertz, intermediate, sitting down in the open area. if they start coming up to contain the bubble screen, switch it up and have one of the big bodies run that and send djax on the 9.

    and for kicks, stem all three of them deep (9, 8, and a deep 3), and let vick roll out with an escort from peters and just race to the sideline for a quick 7 or 8 yards. if any of the DBs come up, float the pass over their head to the receiver in the area. if they hang back, run, and get out of bounds (if no one is open on the fade of the post).

    even better, motion one of the receivers across the formation into that trips set.

    that would be incredibly frustrating to defend.

  8. 8 shah8 said at 3:28 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    You see the gridiron like a mathematician sees Matlab. I doubt we’ll be that fancy, though. I think Chip will carry over some of MM’s schemes (DJax will clear most of the time with a active if the defense is napping)–that stuff *can* work if the engine is purring, but first and foremost, getting your basic running plays going. And Momah, if he turns out to be a good (and more proactive than Cooper) blocker, would have a pretty large impact in getting long runs.

  9. 9 GEAgle said at 7:36 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    Cooper, Avant and Damaris better be preparing to fight for their Eagles lives during Camp. I would Handicap Riley as the one with the best odds to remain an eagle…

    I was shocked when not a single Eagle was traded during the draft…Can we expect to get some value in a trade from a few guys, or will we just cut everyone….
    …………
    anyone see any good Demeco Ryan types around the League? Good players, who could end up being Cap Casualties?

  10. 10 xeynon said at 9:37 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    My guess is Kelly will do what he did at Oregon and keep two types of wideouts – big, physical possession guys who are good blockers, and small, quick, versatile guys who are dangerous in a variety of ways. Cooper, Benn, and Momah fit the first category, Jackson, Johnson, and to a lesser extent Maclin the second.. Not sure where Jason Avant fits in, or if he does at all.

  11. 11 GEAgle said at 11:33 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    yeah, I def agree…2 mold of WR’s…not sure how Avant fits…Damaris has a chance, because he doesnt have many backup speedsters to compete with for Desean’s backup spot…would Chip keep Riley AND Benn? or is it one or the other? I think Benn has the ability to be the best reciever on this team, but he also has the ability to not even make this team….wish we could get some reports on how he has looked moving around on the field….I was so high on Benn coming out of college…and for a young player to have done some YAC damage, playing on a bad offense with an average QB…change of scenery could be all he needed. Important to keep in mind, that like Many new Eagles, he is 1 knee injury away from it being OVER!..Momah is the enticing one, but Benn is the one Im really trying to keep an eye on…Time for Riley to step his game up

  12. 12 deg0ey said at 3:46 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    You mis-spelled Foles…

  13. 13 Tumtum said at 10:02 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    If the guy has game and plays ST like he says he does I just don’t see how they can’t put him on the roster. Even if he only plays special teams and say a RZ package. Remember Mike Bartrum? Long snaps and TDs thats all he did!

  14. 14 Anders said at 12:13 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    His workout day video for those interested

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lZRTqpFlMU

    and his numbers
    Ht: 6′ 7″
    Wt: 242lbs
    Forty: 4.45
    Vert: 37.5
    Broad: 10′ 9″ or 129″
    Shuttle: 4.08
    L-Drill: 6.70

    Those numbers are of the charts for such a big guy. Compare that to a Julio Jones

    Height: 6′ 3″
    Weight: 220
    40 Yard Dash: 4.34
    Vertical Jump: 38½”
    Broad Jump: 135″
    3 Cone Drill: 6.66
    20 Yard Shuttle: 4.25

    Yes Julio Jones is faster and more explosive but Momah was doing his at 4 inches higher and 22 pounds heavier

  15. 15 TommyLawlor said at 12:16 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    Alright guys…I found the DVD. It’s been a while since I put something from a DVD onto YouTube.

    What is the best software for doing this?

  16. 16 Anders said at 12:18 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    I use window movie maker, its simple and gets the job done.

  17. 17 Flyin said at 12:20 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    I would ask your lady friend, the LSnapper’s wife to let her people handle it.

  18. 18 Gary said at 1:45 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    Microsoft Paint?

  19. 19 A_T_G said at 8:19 PM on May 4th, 2013:

    I think you should just aim you smart phone’s camera at the TV. Make sure to handhold it while munching on Fitos with the other hand. Ideally, this is done while he neighbor is mowing his grass.

  20. 20 Flyin said at 12:44 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    We are lucky to have Chip Kelly leading this team.

    Great coaches produce without great “talent”.

    It’s a team game, and this year will prove the bond.

  21. 21 TommyLawlor said at 1:40 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    Special things happen when a great coach gets great talent. It would be awesome if something like that happened to the Eagles.

    For now, I’ll settle for getting back to winning games and having a team I enjoy watching.

  22. 22 GEAgle said at 7:31 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    “Having a team I enjoy watching”…..I dont need the Eagles to win, for me to root for them or enjoy the game….but these past two years, forget the wins and losses, the brand of football was just unwatchable….Very excited for this new era….Hearing Chips thoughts on the 2013 season iwth Cataldi got me sooo pumped up!…
    I do agree. Mainstream media is expecting this mad scientist, while Im expecting a simplistic but effective approach to coaching..
    ….
    ” Where Andy Reid plotted moves, counter-moves, counter-counter-moves, and so on”…aint that the truth!

    My favorite part about the coaching change, is to no longer have to see the 15 or so plays that Andy would script at the beggining of games(Rarely did I think, man that was some great playcalling)…
    I dont think a fanbase has ever been so happy to have simple, rational, common sense from our leader

  23. 23 Tumtum said at 10:17 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    I disagree. The last couple of years the first 15 didn’t work out so great (btw as I understand that is basic NFL strategy), but for most of his time here Reid was very good with the first 15. Getting fast receivers was the downfall lol, who would of thought it.

    Speaking of which could you imagine what Chip would do with Westy? Just thinking about that. I think McCoy is a better runner, but man Westy could do great.

  24. 24 GEAgle said at 11:35 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    Im not saying that scripting the first plays is uncommon, Im just saying I rarely thought, WOW Reid made the most out of those first 15 scripted plays…Im expecting much better out of Chip….The Wizard of Westbrook is going to be very Jealous watching a chip kelly offense

  25. 25 Tumtum said at 4:04 PM on May 4th, 2013:

    I agree Andy got stale and predictable.

  26. 26 Tumtum said at 10:13 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    Amen to that. The Baltimore Ravens game is the only game I can think of for quite some time I can remember really enjoying from start to finish. Well honestly I really thought the Steelers game was good too, but we lost so don’t tell anyone I said that. Set those aside and you have to back up to 2010. Even that was a flash in the pan.

    I haven’t felt really good about the team since 07′ or so. 08′ was really more upsetting than anything. Half the year the team played with no heart and then caught fire. Played a hell of a game in the NFCCG but I felt like the Cards just wanted it more.

    4-12 has really helped to change my perspective. I think I will be more able to enjoy this season for it. If the team goes 4-12 again of course I’ll be really upset but I just want to see a team that actually cares to try. How about that for lowering the bar?

  27. 27 SteveH said at 2:50 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    Interesting article here about Shad Kahn’s son heading up an analytics department that helped them make the decision to draft Luke Joeckel:

    http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000166668/article/luke-joeckel-pick-driven-by-jaguars-prospect-analytics

  28. 28 GEAgle said at 7:33 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    Interesting…
    anyone know if Eugene Monroe can play on the right side?

  29. 29 xeynon said at 9:42 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    The bigger question is, will he want to? After spending his first few years in the league playing left tackle, and playing it pretty well, I can’t imagine he’ll be thrilled about switching to the much lower paid right tackle spot with his first shot at free agency coming up. As good as Joeckel may turn out to be I’m not sure I agree with the Jaguars’ approach here – using a high pick on a guy who plays a position at which you already have a young, high-quality starter is not optimal use of resources.

  30. 30 GEAgle said at 11:41 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    you basically just answered my question lol…I wasnt sure if he only played LT in the NFL, or if he spent time at RT before getting switched to LT….I think JOekel was a horrible and SCARED pick for them. I think Caldwell was petrified at not busting, showing that he isnt braindead like the past GM’s in JAx, that he took a limited, but safe Joekel over Lane. I dont care what anyone says about Joekel or Lane, if they were both on the board and we selected Joekel, I would be pissed…Good, solid NFL player is a BUST when you pick at #4…You should never draft a player without ALL PRO potential at #4…and we got one! Great pick!..Jags drafted scared and safe, and Im thrilled that we did the due dilligence that made us comfortable in taking a raw but ALL PRO ceiling type of player at #4

  31. 31 Scott J said at 8:02 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    I don’t think Reid ever had a counter move. That was his downfall. For instance, he would throw the ball against weak run defenses.

  32. 32 TommyLawlor said at 11:40 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    But this is where he over-thought things. Reid would assumed you’d be expecting the run and that he could surprise you with the pass. That’s why I made the joke about counter-counter-moves.

    Sometimes football is just checkers. Reid wanted it to always be an overly convoluted game of chess.

  33. 33 GEAgle said at 11:44 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    EXACTLY! You could just see the wheels spinning in his head, clearly out thinking himself…You cant think 6 moves ahead, if your 2nd move is WRONG!…He always wanted to outsmart and catch you off balance…when sometimes, you have to be able to lineup, and IMPOSE YOUR WILL inspite of the fact that the other team knows exactly what you are doing

    “Sometimes football is just checkers. Reid wanted it to always be an overly convoluted game of chess.”…should be on Andy’s Eagles coaching Headstone!

  34. 34 xeynon said at 11:03 PM on May 4th, 2013:

    Reid is the Vizzini of football coaches.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_eZmEiyTo0

  35. 35 GEAgle said at 11:42 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    the gameplan against the Browns was an absolute JOKE…at that poiint in the season, they had a terrible run defense, and we didnt capitalize on it at all

  36. 36 austinfan said at 8:12 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    With all the Momah mania, Derek Carrier has been flying under the radar, but after a year on the PS (remember, he was a Division III WR, needed a year just to learn the basics), and what’s interesting to me, an offseason in a real NFL training program, Eagles have TWO athletic freaks for the WR/H-back hybrid.

    Momah 6-7 239 [4.45 — — 4.08 6.75 37 10’9]
    Carrier 6-3 238 [4.51 1.57 15 4.08 6.65 36 10’2]

    Momah has more of a WR build, he would need to put on 10-15 lbs to even be credible as a “move TE” because of his frame, hard to get leverage blocking without more bulk.

    Carrier has the classic H-back build, about 8 lbs lighter than Casey when he came out of college but far more athletic, and that’s why I’m interested in the weight he’s now carrying, 245 lbs seems pretty reasonable.

    Both will have to show they can catch the ball, are improving as blockers and are willing to play STs to make the final roster – but these are the kind of guys I like at the back of the training camp roster – guys with serious upside if you can teach them to play football.

  37. 37 xeynon said at 9:44 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    I don’t think we should forget about Clay Harbor. He’s also a great athlete with a classic H-back build, and has already proven he’s a decent blocker. I think he could thrive in Kelly’s offense.

  38. 38 Telmert said at 11:20 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    I had forgotten Carrier – that’s good stuff. Lots of people have been saying Harbor will be going, but I agree with you. He was touted as an H-back when he came out. Chip’s offense might be a much better fit for him than Andy’s was. One of the keys for these guys might be whether they can operate as a lead blocker out of the backfield.

    Hard to see how Maclin fits as a top receiver on this team. Liability on running plays and bubble screens, off the field in 3-TE sets, not a backfield or end-around guy like Jackson can be, not a slot/inside guy, will be targeted less because of the additional weapons (Ertz, Casey, etc.) and more running. They also may have to cut someone they like (Momah, for example). Maclin would play more, catch more, and have a lot more value elsewhere. He seems like a luxury that might be best spent in another area.

  39. 39 GEAgle said at 11:50 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    Completely agree about Maclin. Like his ability, and would love tos ee him breakout under Chip, but we have alot of weapons, and we are going to see some important packages that dont even include Maclin…I cant see how we could possibly give him an extension…Cant see how he could be worth more to us, or even comperable to what he would be worth to other teams…and if Arrelius Benn pans out, then Maclin really becomes Expendable, and might be better served trading away for valuable draft picks of what will be an enticing 2014 draft…
    ….
    As for Harbor, Casey will need a backup, so Clay shouldnt pack his bags just yet

  40. 40 TommyLawlor said at 11:42 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    I completely agree that Carrier is a guy to watch. Howie mentioned him back at the Senior Bowl in an informal PC with the writers. I don’t remember the exact comment, but it made you think that Carrier is a guy they are interested to check out in the offseason camps.

  41. 41 Random NFC East draft notes: Redskins rookie film breakdowns, the Cowboys’ new “enforcer,” Giants poll result, and the Eagles’ monster WR – Blogging the bEast said at 8:30 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    […] Tommy looked at new Eagles WR Ifeanyi Momah. Momah is 6’7, 240 and runs a 4.45. Being super tall and fast doesn’t guarantee success […]

  42. 42 GEAgle said at 11:53 AM on May 4th, 2013:

    With us clearly not playing a defense that will ask our NT’s to 2gap very often, where does Clifton Gaethers fit? Competing at 5tec?…and Im assuming Dixon will no longer compete for NT either?

  43. 43 Flyin said at 2:02 PM on May 4th, 2013:

    Here’s a video from fishduck about how Chip game plans and adjusts… this is the 3rd video in the series.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3T2W60tlZY

  44. 44 GEAgle said at 8:09 PM on May 4th, 2013:

    Chip Kelly interview(april 30th): http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/audio/953-angelo-cataldi-and-the-morning-team/chip-kelly/
    Interview gave me chills. For those that havent heard it, I strongly recommend it. Talks about his thoughts on the 2013 season

  45. 45 Taoish | Spiritual but not pretentious said at 4:09 PM on May 6th, 2013:

    […] devises a play where Johnson ends up catching or throwing a pass at some point. The motto is “Players, not Positions.” Matchups, not maneuvers. Big people are seen as the “wrong” size for their […]