A Clockwork DeSean
Posted: June 15th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 87 Comments »The documentary on WR DeSean Jackson debuts on Sunday. The project is titled “No. 10 DeSean Jackson: The Making of a Father’s Dream”.
Les Bowen was able to watch it and wrote a great column on the project and Jackson.
The film is about DeSean’s development, but Bill Jackson is the character who dominates the screen. Asked what he thought Bill would think of the finished product, DeSean responded a bit warily.
“He wanted things his way, and if it wasn’t his way, he’d be having a fit . . . just going crazy. But at the end of the day, I think he’d be happy and proud to see his boys doing what we’re doing.”
Bill Jackson got on the bad side of several coaches. His pushing helped make DeSean what he is, but what works on the practice field doesn’t work well in the team format. If you raise a son or daughter to compete in an individual sport, you can control the training and the performance. A team sport like football limits that. And the more a parent pushes, the more problems it can create.
Bill Jackson had a troubled relationship with Cal coach Jeff Tedford and that did hurt DeSean. College coaches speak to scouts and other NFL contacts about prospects leading up to the draft. DeSean Jackson fell in the 2008 draft from a 1st round pick to a mid-2nd round pick. There were no arrests. There were no injuries. I always wondered what happened. Seems like Tedford spread the word that Bill Jackson was a problem and that DeSean had some issues as well. Les covers that angle in the article so make sure you read it.
On draft day, Andy Reid told DeSean up front that he didn’t want to have to deal with his dad. What should have been a great moment became pretty awkward. But that was something Jackson needed to hear from Reid. As Les wrote about the moment after the phone call.
Then DeSean leans on a balcony railing and looks into the distance, obviously reflecting on the tangled threads that brought him to this juncture – he’s been drafted into the NFL at least partly because of Bill and the team (guys who helped train DeSean). But he has been drafted much lower than he should have, at least partly because of Bill and the team.
It sounds like the documentary does a good job of showing the complexities of the situation. If this was just a PR piece for DeSean, that might have been fun to watch, but telling the real story gives it depth and makes it worthwhile viewing for young players and their parents, not just Eagles fans.
I’m looking forward to seeing it, although I think my title (A Clockwork DeSean) would have been so much better than what they chose. And I’d have let ’em use it for the low, low cost of one bag of Funyuns.
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Les was also able to speak to DeSean and got an updated comment on the QB situation.
“I wish I could know, but at the end of the day, that’s the coach’s decision,” Jackson said. “I’m going to play that how it goes. I think we have four great quarterbacks, with [Michael] Vick, [Nick] Foles, [Matt] Barkley and [Dennis] Dixon . . . I think throughout the offseason, everybody did everything the right way, everybody practiced hard, everybody was there, accountable, and did the things they were asked to do . . . moving forward, we just look forward to knowing who will be [the starter], because that’ll definitely help us prepare better going into the season.
“He’s never been a coach of ours; of course, with a new system, he’s going to want to know who best fits the system.”
As I figured, DeSean wants to know who the QB is. Some people took his previous comment as a passive-aggressive demand or something of that nature.
I completely understand the desire to know who the QB will be. For me, it is a point of curiosity. For DeSean it has more relevance, but a lot of it boils down to curiosity with him as well. That’s just human nature.
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I really look forward to seeing what Chip Kelly does with DeSean. I think the sky is the limit.
The problem is that the marriage could also be a disaster.
DeSean must focus on football. Remember these comments he made back in 2010?
According to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson has a message to people who have criticized his backward plunge into the Dallas end zone, which drew a 15-yard penalty. Jackson said he doesn’t agree with the criticism or the call – even if one of the critics was quarterback Michael Vick, who said after the game he thought the dive was “unnecessary.”
“Everybody’s not going to like it,” Jackson said. “I could care less about who likes it and who doesn’t. I do it because it’s entertainment. That’s the type of business we’re in, entertainment. The fans like it. Everybody else, like I say, you wanna talk bad about it, that’s your opinion, I could care less. That’s his own opinion. He’s his own man. I’m my own man. I coulda just wished I didn’t get penalized for it, to hurt my team, but as far as me doing my celebrations, doing my entertainment, that’s going to be me and I’ll still do that.”
I think this would make Kelly’s head explode.
The goal must be playing good football, not entertaining the fans.
DeSean is a good football player. He will block more than people realize. He’s small and won’t overpower DBs, but can get in their way enough to give Shady the room he needs. He has a good competitive streak and will make some tough grabs. The sideline catch he made vs the Ravens last year was very impressive. As a rookie, I remember him going up in the air and making some impressive grabs.
Things went sideways in 2011. DeSean wasn’t happy since he didn’t have his contract. The huge hit from Dunta Robinson in 2010 seemed to stay in the back of his mind. DeSean showed little interest in attacking the middle of the field. Add in Andy’s play-calling and Vick’s great arm strength and instead of developing more as a WR, DeSean got into a rut of going deep and that’s about it.
Big Play-itis has hurt him in other ways. Since DeSean had the great return TD to win the Giants game, he has been useless as a PR. He has 18 attempts for 111 yards. One return went for 51 yards. The other 17 have totaled 60 yards, just over 3 yards per return. He lost one fumble in that time. For some reason, he now likes to catch the ball and take a step back. Sometimes many steps.
DeSean played better in 2012. Drops went away. He was more willing to go over the middle. He still wasn’t an impact player. DeSean told the NFL Network recently that he thinks of himself as a Top 5 WR. The problem is that he’s nowhere close to that. I agree that he has big time potential and can be an impact player, but this is where Kelly comes in.
Kelly is going to be more demanding than Reid. DeSean is talented and will be held to a high standard. If DeSean buys in and does what is asked, he can thrive. This means blocking on run plays. This means catching short passes and being able to attack the middle, as well as outside. There will still be chances to go deep, but that’s a low percentage play and won’t be a major part of the offense. DeSean is going to be moved around and used in different roles. He will run option routes for the first time in his career. That means reading the defense and adjusting on the fly.
One other factor that should help DeSean is improved QB play. Whether Vick, Foles or Barkley, Kelly is going to push these guys to get the ball out quickly and let the skill players make plays. There will also be more of an emphasis on the run game. That means teams will have to pick their poison. Do they single cover DeSean? Do they stay back and play the run with their base guys? This offense will take away some of the deep throws, but DeSean could have more of an impact because of what Kelly is going to try to do.
One final note…DeSean has to change his post-play focus. He loves to celebrate. He loves to talk to the defense. That won’t work in the no-huddle. You must get up and get back to the line of scrimmage so that you can be ready to go on the next play. The focus is on football. Forget the side stuff.
If DeSean will listen to Kelly and really focus on football, I think he can become an impact player. Not just a guy that DBs are scared of because of his speed, but someone who makes big plays on a consistent basis. I want opposing teams to fear DeSean’s production, not just his potential.
Kelly knows how to use players with different sizes. De’Anthony Thomas lists at 5-9, 176. In 2 years at Oregon, he has 91 catches, including 14 TDs. DeSean played 3 years at Cal. He caught 162 passes, 22 for TDs. Kelly will put DeSean in position to make plays. Then it is up to DeSean to do his part. This could be a real good match. The sky is the limit.
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I wonder how peoples perceptions of Desean would have changed if Vick had been playing better last year. He was on pace for over 1000 despite the offenses struggles, with a better throw here, a better throw there, he could have been on pace for a pro bowl season.
Sometimes I listen to WIP (long car rides, don’t judge me) and they have a remarkably unsophisticated view of Desean, they feel like he’s a disappointment (which he is to an extent) but without taking any of the circumstances into account. I have to wonder how many fans have the same impression of him.
Context is crucial with DeSean.
On WIP nuance is what you use to replace your old ance.
Brillian5t.
Perfect.
Cant stand desean haters!!! hes one of the most unique players in the history of the NFL, yes history!! Hes done some great things, 1st time to be a pro bowler at 2 positions (same pro bowl none the less) and the 1st guy to end a game on a PR TD. Love desean.
Not to mention the NFL record for most touchdowns over 50 yards in a season in 2009.
It’s a good point about DeSean not being able to trash talk as much after a play to the other team because of the no huddle, but in terms of TDs and celebrations, I have no problem what so ever with DeSean having some fun. He made the point that he doesn’t want to hurt the team by having the penalties, and to me, as long as he avoids that, I think Kelly needs to allow DeSean some freedom to be entertaining. At the end of the day, yes this is a business, but lots of players thrive because of their enjoyment of the game. If Kelly tries to limit that in players like DeSean, I think a few guys will start to get frustrated a bit with that.
Football is the entertainment, or at least it used to be.
I have no problem with celebrating a TD, but make sure you score the TD and don’t drop the ball at the 1. And don’t break the rules.
The rules are insane tho and as long NBC keep playing stupid salsa music when Cruz scores, Jackson is allowed to make fun of them for all I care.
The rules are pretty clear. Go dance in the end zone. Falling backward in is not allowed. Once you’re in, you’re pretty much okay. DeSean made scoring the TD part of the celebration and that was the no-no.
He’s been doing that since HS. Hard habit to break, but needs to do it.
Nobody wants the players to be robots. They just need to make the celebrations secondary to the actual scoring of the TD and the on-field play.
I know the rules are clear, but also pretty new. My thing about the NBC thing is more that, the salsa music is sorta like rubbing salt into the wound when he scores and it just add to my hatred for him.
Totally agree. Hate that. Dumb TV thing, though.
you can totally fall in the end zone backwards in the NFL, theres nothing in the rule books that says he cant. it was a bad flag.
He just has a reputation since the dallas game when he let go of the ball a fraction of a sec early(and he did it in the all american bowl that was a flip and he lost the ball lol), and he was wrong, but that really wasnt even a celebration. desean doesnt do planned celebrations its always different and made up as it happens. he isnt pulling of HOF jackets or hidden pens hes falling down across the goaline? dancing afterwards?? thats all legal.
Falling in the way he did is considered a form of taunting and that’s not allowed. Valid flag. Dumb move by him.
a taunting fall? cmon, i love it. Theres no difference between taht and deon sanders high stepping it 30 yards into the end zone.
“high stepping it 30 yards into the end zone.”
Wouldn’t that be a penalty now?
I’ve never been very clear on the celebration rules because they just seem to arbitrary.
Agreed. I didn’t know what DJax did was a penalty until they flagged him for it. They never flagged Reggie Bush for flipping into the endzone, or waving at players on a long run. I don’t think the taunting rules are as cut and dry as Tommy makes them out to be. Of course, if DJax did the same thing now then he should be taken to task for it, but I disagreed with doing it then b/c of the seeming arbitrariness of it.
Best part of the Chip regime is players no longer have time to celebrate every single first down(looking at you Celek)…Like I’m friging tired of watching a dope celebrate a 8yard catch for a first down, mid field, in the first quarter..
Celek and Avant’s stupid celebrations are at the top of that list.
Somebody should karate kick Cruz is in neck the next time he salsa dances.
I would take a personal foul penalty or an ejection anyday to see an Eagle tackle him in the Endzone when he starts that dancing crap
if National TV is going to play salsa music on their broadcast when I have to watch Cruz score on us, then I should be watching Shady do his dance with an Eminem song in the background..or ATleast 50cents singing “shaaaaaaady Aftermath!!!” when we score on them
PFT has another post about Desean and the QB controversy controversy.
I can not think of a logical reason why the team or certain players would be affected by the uncertainty of who would be the starting QB before training camp. They are not practicing together, running plays during these 5 or 6 weeks.
OTA’s and minicamp were to learn the new scheme and plays.
Can someone give me a logical reason why it is important to name a starter at this point?
Tommy mentioned curiosity. How I would put it, humans like to divert themselves by pondering uncertainty. Especially people like press and fans with no power over what happens to the team, to a lesser extent players. There really isn’t a reason that’s more important than finding out who the best quarterback in this particular system is. Bruce Arians would tell you the QB needs to be established early so all along he can be the leader of the team. I don’t think that makes sense when there’s so much uncertainty about who the best man is.
Curiosity is on Mars. I want an Earthly logical reason. If the QB was named now, how would he be leading this team during the team’s time away?
It’s definitely tough then. I imagine the players hold their QB’s sparkling smile in their hearts while they pound iron or get arrested.
Desean has said the the competition is pretty even. If a starter was named now, it seems to me that may create more ultraviolence for not allowing one guy to separate himself from the other… which will happen with once the pads go on. I wish these guys would think before they speak.
I just got off the phone with Chip. He said some guy named Heywood Jablowme is actually leading the QB competition. I’ve never even heard of that guy. Kelly is so cutting edge…
I met his girlfriend, Connie Lingus.
This has been confirmed by Justin Herras.
Good point Flyin. pat Shurmur Interview was posted on PE.com yesterday and he talks about how he really expects a QB to separate themselves to the point that there is no debate who the starting QB is..
“that may create more ultraviolence” in the “A clockwork Desean” thread
http://cdn2.cagepotato.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/i-see-what-you-did-there.jpg
Djax had his meeting with Chip Kelly about his problems.
Desean has been cured, all right!
Wait until all the DBs he made look slow when he catched the deep ball over them find him “cured” on the field – he will definitely need some bodyguards or he will end up like Alex.
Luckily for him, I already see a few of them on the roster. Who would really want to have a fight with a guy like no. 71?
@ Flyin…
People crave structure and stability. Knowing who the QB is helps that. Not knowing keeps everybody unsure and guessing. That really shouldn’t affect them that much, but they don’t like not knowing.
The players may not like it, however, most of them understand they are fighting for their job everyday. And that is what Chip Kelly likes. He wants to put the best players on the field and he will spend as much time as he has to determine who they are.
Players should not be wasting their energy worrying about if they are the starter or who is the starter. They should be focused on doing what it takes to be the starter.
It is just silly to me that they think a starter should be named at this point.
I think there is a bit more to it than simply wanting to know and curiosity though. We talk about WRs needing to develop chemistry with a QB. It seems that in this offense, with the addition of option routes as well as the fast paced offense, developing chemistry may be even slightly more valuable. So to me, I would think it would be hard to do that when you don’t know who the starter will be. Sure you can try to develop chemistry with both QBs but that’s more difficult and takes a little away from developing that a better chemistry with the starter.
I think developing chemistry is secondary to finding the best QB for the team, so I’m not saying Chip should rush the decision by any means. But from the standpoint of the rest of the offense, if one guy is the starter and getting the majority of the reps, the rest of the team has an easier time of developing chemistry.
It would help from a chemistry standpoint. No question about that. However, it isn’t like the winner of the QB competition will be joining the team from the outside. There are plenty of practice reps right now between both guys and the starters. The more the better, but it isn’t as if the players don’t know Foles or Vick.
We’re all saying the same thing. DeSean just needs to realize that every time he says something it can be taken several different ways. He would be best served to just say “I like both guys, we’ll see what happens”.
I actually hate the building chemistry excuse. maybe if we had an Iron Man franchise QB that hasn’t missed a game In 7 years I could understand not wanting to take away reps that could be used building chemistry with the franchise QB..but even if Vicks buddies get their way and he is the starter, he isn’t going to play 16 games. At some point Desean is going to have to catch passes from Foles or Barkley, so it might be a good idea to shut your mouth, use what reps he get to learn this new offense and perform to the best of your ability and start building chemistry with Foles,Barkley and Vick.
Pete Carroll didn’t buy the chemistry crap either; Wilson was chosen after the last preseason game – kinda worked didn’t it.
Oh, and Carroll picked Barkley to start his Freshman year, kinda worked didn’t it.
Just for grins: Foles, Barkley, Dixon. Vick cut.
Yes sir…I’m racking my brains out trying to read between the lines. All our offensive coaches are always talking about how they expect a number 1 QB to separate himself from the pack, and it will be obvious to everyone who the starting QB is, and they seem genuine. ..So far Foles and Vick have been pretty close, so why are they so confident that one will significantly separate himself over the other. Who do they have in mind?….
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1: Are they really high on Foles? Do they see significant and constant improvement from last season, and expect that he will continue to improve separating himself from the 33year old veteran? I do think it’s a fair expectation to think that a young kid who got his feet wet in year 1 will drastically improve in his second year and consistently make bigger leaps in improvement over the 33yr old with a decade of experience..
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2: Are they really Low on Foles? You can’t automatically expect a 33yr old to correct every bad habit that he has aquired In a decade of playing time. A young player who works hard will improve in his second year. there is no doubt about it. How much does he improve? Who knows..But are they so low on Foles that think he isn’t improving much or developing fast enough to expect that a veteran who hasn’t played well in two years, who to this point has been even with the young kid is going to step up and separate for the kid who will improve?
When you are fumbling snaps with a red Jersey on, throwing INTs, hitting the fly swatters, still getting screamed at for the way you are holding the ball when you run…Is it possible that the coaches expect Vick to separate himself?
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I do not think they know who the QB is, but I don’t think they are as blind about it as they would have us believe either. You don’t just close your eyes and hope someone separates themselves…They definitely have a certain expectation..and I am so curious who they are expecting to separate himself.
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I have a hard time reading between the lines and interpreting it as they think Vick is so good that he is going to separate himself from a young kid who is not done improving and has kept up with Vick til this point. I Would appreciate someone playing devils advocate to help me see a different plausible interpretation. thanks guys
First, let me preface my comments with the statement that I do not pretend to know what Chip thinks about the contest between Foles and Vick.
But, as a manager with decades of experience, I would put the two most senior in experience in the team one and team two OTAs. I would look for accuracy and decision-making speed, as well as knowledge of the playbook and leadership. But I would temper my observations since they do not have pads and there is no contact. And I would leave the door open in my thinking for the other three QBs.
In TCs, I would rotate Foles, Vick and Barkley in team 1 and team 2 drills. And if one fell far behind I would throw in Dixon. The reason I would put Barkley in the mix in TCs is because of the games Barkley played against the Ducks and what he has shown in OTAs. Call it a Chip bias, but I think based on his comments Chip was very, very impressed with Barkley.
A question came to me, maybe as a post idea, maybe not. I remember us seeming to struggle against 3-4 teams more than their ability would lead one to expect. Is this true, and how much would you expect practicing against mixed 3-4 and 4-3 fronts to improve our offensive preparedness?
The old thinking was that we struggled vs the 3-4. Really turned out we struggled vs good 3-4 defenses…because they were good.
The practice angle is definitely worth considering. I might get Dr Bama to ask some players about that. They’ll be confused since it will be a smart question…from him.
100% correct……….players not plays.
debuts sunday? i watched it on demand on friday lol.. and its pretty good by the way
Desean Jackson is not Percy Harvin or Steve Smith. He’s simply not stout enough that you want him playing over the middle in a contested area.
steve smith got 15 pounds on him, people forget that sometimes, cant question a mans heart when hes 170 pounds soaking wet returning punts in the NFL.
And those 15 pounds is on a shorter frame. People also forget that Percy Harvin is a freak. Looking at him compared to DeSean, everyone can see that Harvin has a much thinker, muscular build than DeSeans sleek, runners body.
Besides, Harvin is more quick and agile compared to DeSeans straight line speed, in my opinion the fastest in the NFL. Working the middle of the field requires deadly quickness and agility as much as physicality. Plus, some people like Welker just have a knack for the mental requirements of working the middle. Avant does to, although he is pretty much more stationary than oak trees.
percey is more quick twitch and yet he has those wheels as well… desean actually has pretty good quick twitch ability, go back to that saints game last season on that TD play he juked the DB out of his shoes like he was lesean LOL go back and watch that! But anyway, desean just cant stand up to that beating over the middle. esp added in with PRs. And desean is just a better WR then percy is overral. Hes put up more yards, yards per catch, and has more rec TDs. But percy a beast in other ways tho, as a RB, KR and PR.
Reading Ben Muth’s latest column about Alex Gibbs and ZBS (especially about the part how they stopped stunts), really brought to mind just how much of a risk Lane Johnson is. Even when it does pan out, like Anthony Davis (who probably still shaves every other day, yuk yuk), it took about two years of experience. So I think there is one in depth column for Tommy to write would be how to mask the sheer rawness of Lane Johnson, long enough for team to win soon. I do have to say, I still would have been more comfortable with Chance Warmack, and am glad that we have some usable depth at RT if we have to sit Johnson for a while.
Chance Warmack? A power blocker? IMO if we weren’t drafting Dion, there were only two lineman for the Eagles: Lane Johnson, and Jonathon Cooper. I would have been pissed off of we drafted Joekel, Warmack, Fluker or even Fisher. Thrilled to have Lane Johnson on the Eagles!!!
Wow, Cooper over Warmack? I can’t vibe on your and/or Arizona’s opinion on that. There is a reason Chris Johnson tweeted out “THANK GOD!” when the Titans took Warmack. He’ll dominate vs. run and pass for a decade. I couldn’t justify a guard at #4, but Warmack is so good you can see him dominating from LG during all of Fluker’s highlight tapes at RT.
Cooper is the Lane Johnson of Guards. cooper might have been the best athlete in the entire draft and he had the technique and film to back him up as a football player and not just an athlete. if I’m the Jets and I run a power blocking scheme, I would take Warmack over Cooper in a heartbeat..But can you really imagine sweaty Warmack rushing to run 90plays a game? scouts alreeady worried about his sweating problem fatiguing him and making him dehydrated late in games, I don’t see how you could put him in our offense with the pace that Kelly wants to push..I could even see Warford being a better fit in our offense then Chance. Just because you are the best “sure thing”, doesn’t make you the best player in 5 years and it certainly doesn’t make you the best fit for every offense..
that sweating issue was pretty interesting when i heard it about womack. just shows how detailed these scouts get now. wonder if Peters will have issues. pretty well documented he sweats profusely, midnight green-1am jersey joke.
Lol, yeah man scouts are like the CIA these days. They know everything, it’s really crazy. I mean when franchises are hiring ex FBI guys to look into prospects that’s when you know you better clean your closet of all your. Skeletons beforet he draft process begins
yeah, but you’re probably still better off getting pulled over by the cops drunk with a dead hooker in your trunk than having a banged up knee/shoulder. 1st drops you half a round, 2nd will knock 3-5 rounds off your grade
Lol sooo. True. if yu get caught wasted with the hooker, you can always count on Jeff Fisher to take you..Banged up knee makes you fall drastically like Jesse Williams leading to the rich getting richer. all indications are that he is playing well and will start, replacing a very solid player in Branch on a top defense. I was praying for us to AQUIRE an extra pick to take him. If the Seahawks can pencil him in as their starting 5tec, then he should be able to push Thorton. ATleast he went to a team that I admire greatly. big closet Seahawks fan. LOve the way their defense plays the game..and BeastMode is just the man
i took notice of desean during his 1st college game.. i was like hold up who that??? And was hoping the eagles would draft him, its been a fun ride so far, 26 years old is usually when WRs really hit their stride and and start showing more and more, hope he gets a restructured contract after this year…
The contract is up to him. Eagles will pay big money for a star WR. DJax must produce. Hope he does.
Hope he does too. I have faith.
who do you think is more likely to have career season, jax or Mac? any chance both are resigned?
also.. glad to hear someone mention that desean can be a willing blocker and can be effective.
Always thought Desean was significantly better/more willing of a blocker then Maclin…which is why Maclin always drove me so crazy. if puny, tiny, Desean can help his running back, then their is no excuse for how Maclin has blocked thus far in his career. Like Tom mentioned, he don’t have to block a Db 20yards down field and then pancake him. Just getting in the way of a DB is all shady needs. Really hoping Maclin buys in and becomes a willing blocker because If He doesn’t, he won’t see the field, and in that case we would have been better off trading him. More then just blocking, I need to see Maclin just become tougher….
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hopefully Mac n Desean really step up this year on and off the field. we need the next offseason to strengthen this team. having to look for starting WR’s just takes away money and draft picks that we could be using on the Dline,Secondary, and if Foles or Barkley don’t prove themselves to chip, we will need to be looking for a staring QB as well. It would really help, if the new era Eagles receiving corp is already on this roster and we don’t need to dump assets next year into this position. There is plenty of talent in place, hopefully guys buy in, step up, and we get some good injury Karma that is definitely owed to us by the football gods.
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Btw, Tom this was a great article man
honestyly tho, maclin def gives effort blocking and is good at it… nut mac will fall down instead when he sees that a defender can hit hit him, and mac got 30 pounds on desean so.. people forget how small being 170 punds is in the NFL. Think of other small players like jackson you will hear names like steve smith percy harvin, and yet those guys have 15 pounds on desean lol..
DeSean Jackson is a game changing talent that I’m looking forward to see thrive under Kelly. Jackson is always double covered over the top with a 2nd Dback, and I know Kelly’s solution to that won’t be more deep balls, but a litany of 10, 15, and 20 yard passes to Jackson that carve the heart of out Ds.
I especially like it when Jackson is pegging footballs at low-life New York Giant scum. There isn’t a bigger combination of dislikable players, coaches, and fans in any other place.
You hear Perry Fewell running his mouth the other day about how he thinks coaches will shut down the Read option this year because it’s a gimick like the wildcat? I’m so tired of this ridiculous gimick crap. Would people call a counter run play a gimick? Is a draw play a gimick? I doubt we will see much read opt out of the eagles this year, but hope mr. Fewell can back up those words against RG3..
sure kelly loves hearing that. thinking to himself, ‘i’m going to line-up in read option look 50 times a game, and run that specific play 6 times, maybe 8 times, and this d-coord is going to be beating his chest he sold out to stop it 4 times…as the other 40 some-odd plays gash the defense’. keep talking perry, it’s music to my ears.
BINGO, give that man a prize! You understand Chip.
best part about kelly…is he tells you everything. why not, no one seems to believe him anyways.
it’s so true…all he has to do is just tell everyone the truth and everyone just takes it as a misdirection.
I also think the uncertainty is a calculated decision by Chip. he wants to find out who his guys are, who are the mentally tough, dedicated team guys who will come in, do their job and sacrifice for the good of the team. I think it’s ridiculous for anyone to be talking about the Qb competition because in reality everyone is auditioning this year for the chip Kelly Eagles. Deseans future in Philly probably isn’t as etched in stone as he believes..If I’m Desean, I would be worrying about learning every position in this offense, learning to properly read DBs so he can make the right decision in an option route, so I can perform this season and secure my future in Philadelphia. Instead of worrying about a QB on a one year deal who is 7 years older then Desean..Chip is trying to make players uncomfortable, push them, try to see who can overcome and perform, yet some players still don’t get it…I’m starting to get the feeling that it’s gong to take a sacrificial lamb to shut these plays up and make them understand the reality of the situation. I hope I’m interpreting it wrong and that isn’t the case, but I’m starting to worry..
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Chip wants an Evan Mathis type guy. Who hasn’t been watching the QB competition because he has been busy doing his job. so curious to fast forward and see who isn’t a chip Kelly guy and isn’t a 2014 Eagle
I share your concern about DeSean. He is a phenomenally athletic guy who can make spectacular catches but is he a team player? Will be mutiny over the task of learning the routes of all the receivers on a play? Will he be a voice of dissention in the locker room?
I hope DeSean does not try to test Chip. Like you said, he could be made an example of if he rebels against the program. This rebellion would not be good for the team or his longevity.
Yeah man…let’s hope these players don’t have to learn the hard way. Would be a shame to lose talent over guys acting like dopes
I see the latest kerfluffle over the QB as a chance for Chip to establish his dominance. He should slap down a player or two so that they know he won’t take any garbage. Establishing now that he is the boss and bellyaching to the press has consequences could prevent a lot of headaches for him later this year.
I certainly agree..I just hope it doesn’t come to it. I would rather our guys get in line without having to make an example of a talented player who can help us. it would be nice to not need to make an addition by subtraction
[…] Tommy had some thoughts on DeSean as […]
DeSean is a deep threat and sideline receiver. His big plus is that he forces the secondary to play looser. I can’t see him playing or running inside much, or he will get hurt. He takes some big hits. Funny, for all his speed, DeSean is not elusive. People misjudge that. How to use him–is a problem.
DeMaris Johnson, for example, has that elusiveness, but lacks the great speed to be a big threat. Put the two together in one guy–you have an all pro.
I think the candidates for versatility will be Benn and Ertz. I can see them lining up everywhere.
DeSean is a very talented receiver. Unfortunately, he just doesn’t seem to fit the Chip Kelly offense. I beleive one of the first things Chip said as an Eagles coach had to do with big people beating up little people. Under no circumstances does DeSean fall under the category of big people. For all the counter-arguements, he reallt is a 7-8-9 receiver. He is ineffective going over the middle, struggles with getting off jams at the line, and is just too small to be an effective blocker. These are all things that WRs must be able to do in a Chip Kelly offense.
DeSean has a lot of heart, and is tougher than people give him credit for, but at 165 lbs., no amount of heart is going to block a 250lb NFL-caliber lb, which is something that Chip asks his WRs to do.
In addition, the pace of the offense will leave DeSean gasping for breath. His game is to run deep routes. No one can run 40 yard dashes every 10 – 20 seconds over a 10-play series and still be fast every time. As drives and games progress he will become slower and slower from fatigue. Without speed, he really has nothing to offer.
Also, the deep passes DeSean specializes in are low probability. Fast-paced offenses avoid those low-probablilty plays. They are drive-killers. A 1-2-3-kick that takes 30 seconds off the clock is is deadly to your own defense. It also neutralizes the advantage of tiring out the other team’s defense by letting them off the field. When offenses go up tempo they go high percentage plays so that they can sustain a drive, wear out the other team’s defense,and their own D off the field as long as possible. The big plays usually come from YAC, not deep bombs.
Desean has a lot of value for most NFL teams, but not for a Chip Kelly NFL team. I predict that another disappointing season in 2013, he will be traded to a team that has a system that can take advantage of his talents. It’s not that DeSean is an excellent receiver, its that he is a small square peg in a Chip Kelly offense looking for larger, more well-rounded receivers. I also predict the same will happen with DeMaris Johnson, a receiver with a similar style to DeSean.
I think Chip can be more creative with DeSean than you are giving him credit for. DeSean can be very dangerous with WR screens and end arounds. We don’t know how much he was asked to go across the middle in the past two years, but he isn’t one to shy from a challenge. For running deep fatiguing him, imagine what it will do the the poor corner trying to keep up. He doesn’t need to be as fast in the 4th quarter as he was in the 1st, just faster than all the fatigued defenders.
And other than being short, I don’t really see how the quick, but not fast, slot-type Damarius Johnson has a similar style to DeSean.
I agree that DeSean can be dangerious on WR sceens and end arounds. However, what you are describing is a gadget player, not a premier, $8M/year primary receiver. On another team, DeSean can play the role of #1 pass-catcher. I don’t think that will happen with Chip’s offense.
As far as going accross the middle, I seem to recall a lot of alligator-arming the past couple of years. Maybe I am mis-remembering. Even if I am not, DeSean simply does not have the size to fight for the ball in traffic, which is critical to a Chip Kelly WR. The ability of big guys to keep the ball away from defenders on quick passes is one reason Chip loves to have big guys at WR and multiple tight ends.
The d-backs have a distinct advantage in the stamina competition. They line up 10-20 yards downfield, giving them a nice head start on DeSean on each play. Also, it is likely that different D-backs will have responsibility for him based on the coverage and the offensive alignement, so they get to share the wind sprints between each other.
I thnk DeSean is like to have a few spectacular, highlight-reel plays this year, just not enough to make it worth keeping him.
Damaris is similar to DeSean primarily in size, which leads to a disadvantage in the short, quick passing game that Chip thrives on, so I predict (if he makes the team this year) he will not last beyond 2013, similar to DeSean.
Does anyone know if Jason Peters got out of jail? Funny, there’s nothing being said about him–even tell us the actual charges, which are public record. Maybe somebody could bake him a cake with a file in it.
he is gonna get a speeding ticket and a slap on the wrist.. Nothing to see, keep it moving lol
Off topic question:
Richard Seymore is a FA. He is basically the older version of Feltcher Cox… we hope. Could he still play a 3 tech role? 5 tech? Nose? Should the Eagles have interest? Can he help a good defense?
Just interested. Always liked him even though he was a Pat…in 04′, which generally means I don’t like ya!
Richard seymour could certainly help us on the field…but the last thing this team needs is, a player who will only play for “a lot of money”
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