Taking Stock – Defense

Posted: July 30th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 110 Comments »

There is no practice today so let’s talk about what we know so far. For now we’ll take a look at the defense.

DL – Lots of shuffling. We don’t know too much definitively about the guys up front. Generally the starters are Ced Thornton, Isaac Sopoaga and Fletcher Cox…or Ced, Soap and Fletch. Clifton Geathers has mostly been with the 2’s, but did a few reps with the 1’s. I’m encouraged by this. I really want him to pan out since he’s so huge. Antonio Dixon is hurt right now. That’s not a huge concern, but it’s not ideal in his bid to be the backup NT. Haven’t heard a thing about Vinny Curry or Joe Kruger. Bennie Logan has played NT and DE.

OLB – Connor Barwin seems to be what we expected. Trent Cole and Brandon Graham are learning on the fly. They have bad days and they have okay days. It doesn’t sound like either one has really stood out. As I wrote a few days ago, that’s to be expected. They need another week of practices before we can even start to get an idea of what they’ll do. Chris McCoy is having a good camp. The thing he’s done well is cover, which is impressive for someone 6-4, 261. Let’s hope he rushes the passer well. Haven’t heard a lot about Phillip Hunt or Everett Brown.

ILB – DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks have looked good. Kendricks has had some good moments in coverage. We don’t know a lot about the guys behind them, other than that the Eagles are mixing and matching players to see who can do what. Jake Knott, Casey Matthews and Jamar Chaney all have the potential to make the team. They need to step up.

S – Maybe the most mysterious group on the team. Patrick Chung and Nate Allen are the projected starters, but we’ve not heard much about them, good or bad. Since there is limited hitting and no full tackling, it can be tough to judge Safeties. Jimmy Bama says that Kenny Phillips does not look 100 percent. David Sims has played with the backups and even gotten some reps with the 1’s. Kurt Coleman is mostly on the 3rd team. Not good for him. Coach Kelly mentioned Colt Anderson the other day, which is a good sign. Earl Wolff got reps with the 1’s in the spring, but things have been quieter with him in TC.

CB – Cary Williams got hurt on Day One. Curtis Marsh took his spot. This is a good way for the coaches to evaluate Marsh and find out if he can play or if he’s even worth keeping. Bradley Fletcher has had some good moments. The real star is Brandon Boykin, both in the slot and outside. This is very encouraging news. Jordan Poyer and Eddie Whitley are getting a lot of work in the slot.

Overall, a mixture of good and bad. We will have a better feel for this group after a couple of preseason games when they’ve had to fully hit and tackle, and we also see them go against a new offense. These guys have seen the Eagles offense over and over since May.

* * * * *

Lots of talk about the Eagles and the lack of full tackling.

I’m not concerned by this. Chip Kelly is a smart coach. If he feels this is the way to go, I trust him.

Let’s talk about tackling for a minute. Most bad tackles are due to form, technique and positioning. What the Eagles are doing in camp still allows for the players to work on that. Players are going to their target and wrapping, but not putting the player to the ground. If the defender uses poor form, it will show even in the limited style. Remember that the practices are full speed. So the defender has to fly to the ball and then get in proper position and wrap. It isn’t like these guys are jogging over and patting Shady McCoy on the butt. There is enough going on that the coaches can study it and get some idea of who needs to work on what.

Baseball players don’t hit 95 mph fastballs in batting practice. Golfers go to the driving range to practice their craft. When you focus on technique, you might even be better off by doing what the Eagles are doing. If defenders were putting players down with sloppy technique, the coaches might say “Well, you got the guy down”. That won’t fly now. The focus is on the technique rather than the result. That can then be put into practice in games.

We’ll see if it works. 2013 is a time of learning for Kelly, his staff and the players. There will be some mistakes. Not all of Chip’s ideas are going to pan out. That’s okay. Trial and error is how we got all of our great scientific inventions (All-22 tape being online, Funyuns and DirecTv).

_


110 Comments on “Taking Stock – Defense”

  1. 1 TheRogerPodacter said at 11:05 AM on July 30th, 2013:

    Haven’t heard a thing about Vinny Curry or Joe Kruger. Bennie Logan has played NT and DE.

    didn’t curry get a huge hit on some backup RB the other day? thats a good thing! lol gotta count for something, right? : )

  2. 2 Flyin said at 11:15 AM on July 30th, 2013:

    Yep… from Brandon Lee’s practice write up…

    “• RB Matthew Tucker got trucked into next week on consecutive reps. First it was Cedric Thornton that laid a big hit on the undrafted rookie. Then it was Vinny Curry’s turn.”

    http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2013/7/29/4569028/philadelphia-eagles-training-camp-2013–practice-notes-quotes-monday-7-29-2013

  3. 3 Ark87 said at 9:13 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Yeah the vast vast majority of coverage, tweets, etc is focusing on throws and catches. I’m dying to know how the front 7 is looking. There is laser focus on how our rush specialist OLB’s are covering, I want to know how they are rushing from the 2 point stance. I hear about sacks all the time as a means to criticize the QB, but I dying to know who’s generating the pressure.

    To be fair, the reporters don’t seem to be allowed to get very close to the 11 on 11 drills. It’s probably difficult to make out what’s going on in the trenches.

  4. 4 GEagle said at 7:44 AM on July 31st, 2013:

    When I watched the practice I was blown away by how strong Soap was still at this point in his career…Dude will be very valuable to Meco and mainly Kendrick’s…

    Curry was using his hands really well the other day(but he has always been good at that)

    I think Thorton is going to prove to be the real deal. Really like that kid….curious to see what he can do with those extra 15lbs on his frame

  5. 5 Ark87 said at 8:10 AM on July 31st, 2013:

    nice thanks for sharing what you saw. Not seeing anything has been killing me

  6. 6 RIP Worms said at 11:18 AM on July 30th, 2013:

    I realize this is completely unrelated, but I was checking out Sam’s list of PS-eligible players on here yesterday. One name stuck out to me: Dennis Dixon. Even though he was drafted in 2008 and has a couple of Super Bowl rings (as a backup/PS guy), he is still PS-eligible.

    Keeping him on the PS could be an intriguing option if Vick loses the QB competition and the Eagles cut him/let him walk. They could then keep Barkley & Foles on the active 53 and stash Dixon on the PS as the #3 QB. Which would free up a roster spot for someone else.

    Just something to keep in mind as we approach final cuts and the QB competition plays out.

    Note: I’m not actually advocating cutting Vick if Foles wins the QB competition. But if Vick gets hurt or plays poorly in the Preseason, it may be an option worth considering.

  7. 7 RIP Worms said at 11:22 AM on July 30th, 2013:

    Seems Domo already covered this angle: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/20130724_Eagles__Dixon__Don_t_forget_about_me.html

  8. 8 Anders said at 11:39 AM on July 30th, 2013:

    I dont see any of Foles or Vick cut.

  9. 9 EaglesHero87 said at 12:44 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Cutting Foles, no. But cutting Vick is not exactly out of the picture.

  10. 10 Dominik said at 1:03 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Ryan Rosenblatt (never heard of him) has a different opinion about that:

    http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/SBNation_20130729_Loser_of_Nick_Foles_vs__Michael_Vick_could_be_off_Eagles_roster.html

    And I thought: https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6647380480/h7A28AC46/

  11. 11 Flyin said at 3:25 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I’m impressed he knows 2 of 6 equals 33%. So, I put him a notch above Sal.

  12. 12 OregonDucker said at 2:28 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I worry that Foles is a teabag that does not do well in hot water. Neither does Vick. No QB is standing out in pads thus far, and this is worrisome.

  13. 13 Mitchell said at 2:34 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Yes and no. If we have a crappy season, so be it. It just puts us in that much better draft position next year. Not saying I want to go 4-12 again though!

  14. 14 A_T_G said at 2:59 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    What kind of tea bags do you have out there on the west coast that don’t do well in hot water? I thought that was where tea bags performed best.

  15. 15 RIP Worms said at 3:10 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Eco-friendly, über-biodegradable tea bags that dissolve in minutes when submerged in hot water. Pending legislation will likely make them mandatory in CA before year’s end.

  16. 16 OregonDucker said at 3:29 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    A_T_G: Green Tea Kombucha; and Matt Flynn…

  17. 17 GEagle said at 7:48 AM on July 31st, 2013:

    ODucker…Foles is the exact opposite…..a Gamer!!!!
    he never looked good at last years camp, then blew us away with his preseason play!!

  18. 18 Flyin said at 11:25 AM on July 30th, 2013:

    Any thoughts on the Wall Street Journal article regarding the refs controlling the tempo…

    “We have to make sure teams understand that they don’t control the
    tempo, our officials do,” said NFL vice president of officiating Dean
    Blandino. “We’re going through our normal ball mechanics, we aren’t
    going to rush [unless] it’s in the two minute drill.”

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324809004578636300350207808.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

  19. 19 Kevin Powell said at 12:15 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    We have already seen teams like the Patriots or the Ravens successfully control the tempo of games at times, so what is all the fuss about?

  20. 20 ICDogg said at 12:20 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Yeah, I read this last night and was just about to bring it up if you hadn’t already mentioned it.

    I hadn’t really thought about the effect of a fast break NFL offense on the refs themselves. If they have to keep up with it all game it’s going to run them ragged. So naturally they are pushing back.

  21. 21 ACViking said at 12:30 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    ICDogg:

    I don’t believe (as I noted in an independent comment) that the NFL really gives a damn about the refs’ state of condition. The NFL is about points, excitement, add-dollars, and profits.

    Lawsuits, however, over injuries have begun to crimp the NFL’s view on aspects of the game that — while loved by the fans — threaten the owners’ profit margins.

    Who doesn’t love the highlight of a WR going over the middle and getting drilled by Dawkins. Won’t see that anymore, right?

    I’d argue — without more proof — that the NFL’s concern with pace is a reflection of the League’s concern with liability for preventable player injuries.

  22. 22 ICDogg said at 12:42 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I could see that. More plays = more chances for players to get injured.

  23. 23 Homer Frizzell said at 12:48 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Interesting read on that: http://eaglesrewind.com/2013/06/25/do-more-plays-more-injuries/

  24. 24 ICDogg said at 12:57 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    thanks

  25. 25 Mac said at 2:01 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    EaglesRewind has a good article on #of plays related to player injuries…. I believe the results indicate no correlation.

  26. 26 eagleyankfan said at 12:48 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I think they ran the same article about P. Manning a few years ago as well. If it’s an issue, Chip will resolve it in camp. I have not worries.

  27. 27 Flyin said at 3:18 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    To me it is just strange wording in the above quote. It comes across as the officials can speed up or slow down the tempo of the game, and the officials will work at whatever pace they want besides fast (have to save energy that for the 2 min. drill)

    JimmyK has a response to the WSJ article… http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/eagles/Referee-whining-about-fast-paced-offenses-is-much-ado-about-nothing.html

  28. 28 GEagle said at 7:49 AM on July 31st, 2013:

    I thought I was a silly article…..Don’t expect it to be an issue

  29. 29 Mitchell said at 11:31 AM on July 30th, 2013:

    Will Boykin steal an outside corner spot!?! That would be pretty wild. I have a theory on shorter db’s who can jump through the roof like Boykin: Is it possible that due to his lack on height qb’s will want to throw more jump balls to the receiver he is covering, however, since Boykin can jump so high he will essentially bait qbs into throwing his way(because the qb sees a mismatch) hence coming up with many ints!?! Thoughts?

  30. 30 EaglesHero87 said at 12:42 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I like your theory. I’m just glad we got rid of Nnamdi and DRC, and hopefully this will be Boykin’s time to shine this season. While I’m hoping Bradley Fletcher makes it through the season without any injuries, I would love to see Boykin start opposite of him. Remember last season when he covered Fitz and Megatron at times? Hopefully those experiences have helped him develop his confidence.

  31. 31 Mitchell said at 1:25 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    O definitely. When you go up against guys that you take something away from it. It’s like being a freshman and practicing with varsity for a day. You just get a better feel.

  32. 32 Alex Karklins said at 1:47 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I remember watching 5’7″ Mark McMillian making plays with his freakish leaping ability, so it’s not a bad theory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFX6yvR25P4

    I can imagine Boykin starting outside in the base set, then moving to the slot in the nickel defense.

  33. 33 Iskar36 said at 2:05 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I absolutely love what I am hearing about Boykin so far this offseason, and based on last year, I am definitely excited about what he can do. Having said that though, I think someone needs to point out how much people were obsessing over DRC last offseason. It’s obviously better to have positive comments during the offseason than to have negative ones, so I’m not saying expect Boykin to turn into DRC this season, but a good offseason clearly doesn’t necessarily equate to a good season.

  34. 34 Mitchell said at 2:33 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    100% agree,however, lets hope Boykin learned something from last years experience. I dnt really get the feeling he is a DRC type.

  35. 35 Neil said at 4:13 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Boykin has been consistently a willing tackler through college and last season. He doesn’t act moody or lack effort. He’s never played below his talent.

  36. 36 Weapon Y said at 8:38 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Keep in mind DRC played very well in September. He mentally checked out once the Eagles started losing. I’ve seen nothing from Boykin that shows he will mentally check out of games.

  37. 37 Anders said at 9:52 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Actually according to a great article in the Eagles almanac, Boykin actually improved his game over the 2nd half of the season

  38. 38 GEagle said at 7:51 AM on July 31st, 2013:

    I really like Boykin, and Bradley Fletch better elevate his game ASAP unless he wants to find himself as a slot CB this year….If Boykin wins an outside job, Im pretty sure it would be opposite of C-Dub, moving Fletcher into the Nickle role(where he also has experience)…

  39. 39 Tom33 said at 12:10 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    The LB’s concern me more than the secondary. They have enough talent/bodies in the secondary that finding 4 or 5 decent players should be possible. Maybe not a top 5 secondary, but middle of the pack will be a marked improvement from last year.

    The LB’s on the other hand – on paper, 3 of the 4 starters should be solid (Ryans, Barwin and Kendricks). Hopefully the 4th starter (Cole/Graham) learns the position in a couple of weeks of camp. Behind them, you have a bunch of career underperformers or UFA’s. Maybe the plan is to sign some guys with 3/4 experience once cuts are made in late August/early September, but right now the team seems to be very weak, and if one of the top 3 guys gets hurt it will be ludicrous.

    Then again, this time last year they were going to get 50+ sacks from the D-Line (since the Eagles cuts were better than most teams starters), DRC was going back to the Pro Bowl, and NA had gotten his bad year out of his system. I guess that’s why they play the games…

  40. 40 Ark87 said at 5:56 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Copy what chip said regarding to Nick Foles and the read option, paste that to cole/graham and dropping into coverage (especially man). Point is if a QB figures one of them is going to drop into coverage, via manning style hard count, he will eviscerate the defense on that play.

    My biggest concern is if they will be good pass rushers. My understanding is as 4-3 DE’s it is more about being explosive with good technique. Whereas being off the line from a 2 point stance, you can’t fully utilize your explosiveness. You have to be faster to make up the extra distance and more agile.

    It’s like, people meticulously tally how many sacks Mike Vick and Nick Foles have been taking all off-season, but never mention whose making the play on defense. Would put my mind at ease to know.

  41. 41 Anders said at 7:57 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    The best pass rushing OLBs drop back in coverage 3-5 times per game and majority of the time it is just in short zone and you expect him more to just tackle the WR/TE/RB in the zone than actually cover him.

  42. 42 Ark87 said at 8:25 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Exactly. I’m pretty sure you understood what i was saying and are verifying it, but now that that I’m reading my first paragraph a second time it is a bit ambiguous.

    For posterity: I’m referring to Chip saying that if he has Nick Foles run the read option 20 times a game he should be fired.

    Anyway, that’s exactly right. Basically you only drop him back once in a while so that you can leave someone blocking air while pressure comes from somewhere else. It’s meant to be a something of a surprise. It will be a cold day in hell the day Trent Cole looks Drew Brees in the eyes and (truthfully) announces he’ll be covering Jimmy Graham for this play.

  43. 43 Anders said at 9:34 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    The day Cole can cover Jimmy Graham, is the day the Eagles are 100% sure to win the SB

  44. 44 Ark87 said at 9:48 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Yeah the day he can, yes, but they day someone asks him to…..probably another brick in the road towards someone getting fired haha.

  45. 45 ACViking said at 12:16 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Re: Wall Street Journal article . . . “NFL to Eagles: Not So Fast”

    At this point, with all the concussion issues out there, I’d wager the NFL wants to be on record about controlling the pace of the game for liability reasons.

    The NFL, over the past 30 years, has evolved into a passing league.

    Apparently, the NFL believes that all the fans want is high scoring games.

    That view of the NFL’s bias would actually augur in favor of a Fast-Break Offense.

    But because pro football is now played by freakishly large, athletic, fast men — some of whom from the past have filed concussion-injury lawsuits worth potentially billions — the NFL has to look like it cares.

    And throw the possibility — however remote — that in a September game in humid venue like Miami, or Jax, or D.C., or even Philly, some huge D-lineman or O-lineman has a coronary on the field because the pace is too great. NOT GOOD.

    That’s my take without hearing from T-Law, at least.
    ________________

    Commenter Flyin has the link to the entire WSJ article in this string.

  46. 46 GvilleEagleFan said at 4:13 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I wouldn’t say that the Ref Union pushing back is a legit reason for the announcement, but I would definitely understand the NFL executives and the Ref leadership not wanting to be dictated to by a single “maverick” coach. All across the college game, coaches are by far the most powerful individuals and especially so on game-day. No ref wants a state’s highest paid employee pissed at him because he couldn’t get the ball spotted quick enough. In the pros where the Union and league has more power than the individual teams, this seems more like a pissing contest being disguised as a concern for player safety, with them choosing that particular disguise for all the reasons you listed. As always, ACViking is spot on.

  47. 47 Ark87 said at 6:24 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    More football, less huddles with color commentary regaling us with stories and phony expertise. It’s an attractive product from a viewer stand-point.

    I could definitely see the narrative play out that some player suffers a conditioning related injury and goes to the hospital. And the story plays out the the poor professional athlete was exhausted and wasn’t given time to sub out and was forced to play to death or whatever. And thus the defense gets a Madden style courtesy 20 seconds to pick a play and make substitutions, if the offense lines up before 20 seconds, it stops the game clock until the defense lines up or 20 seconds of the play clock elapse.

    I don’t think it will happen like that though. At the end of the day, I’m not so concerned about the NFL making rules or refs going too slowly. I’m more concerned about the other team. Players taking dives with “cramps”. There’s some harsh language surrounding such actions, but you can’t prove a cramp didn’t happen. They couldn’t even prove this obscenity to football was fake, so…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV3K_ML2UsI

  48. 48 xlGmanlx said at 12:23 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Re; Tackling – The previous regime here had tackling to the ground and the past two years were rated the worst tackling defense in the league.

  49. 49 Ark87 said at 6:44 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    A student that studies and still fails is not proof that studying doesn’t help. We practiced all year long as we steadily got worse and worse. Should we abandon the concept of practice?

    but hey we can use that logic. The current regime doesn’t tackle to the ground to prevent injury (and employs a fancy sports scientist to monitor players in order to prevent soft tissue injuries) and we have as many injuries as anybody, if not more. Thus the means don’t achieve the desired ends and should be abandoned.

  50. 50 Anders said at 7:35 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    The Steeler, one of the best tackling teams does not do tackling to the ground. Bama the best tackling college team does not tackle to the ground.

    You can still learn to form tackle with out live tackling

  51. 51 Ark87 said at 8:15 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    We’ll find out next Friday how our tackling stacks against Saban and Lebeau.

    Obviously their success proves you CAN have a tough physical team that practices soft, but the examples are anecdotal. Yes legendary defensive coaches can take squads they hand picked and trained with methods honed for years in a rich physical culture that they instilled, but this is the 4-12 Eagles that Chip Kelly (hired for his offensive mind) inherited.

    Listen I’m not against it. I just see too many people pretending/hoping this change will bring improvement simply because it is change. We can only hope that not practicing the tackle at live speed doesn’t make things worse, while simultaneously hoping that we have an alternative method that will yield better results.

  52. 52 Anders said at 8:19 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    “(hired for his offensive mind)”

    That is actually wrong. Kelly was hired for his work with building a whole program, just not his offensive mind.

    Also regarding fully tackling to the ground. AR is one of the very few coaches around the NFL that does it, and as we have seen the last 4 years, it havent done us any good.

  53. 53 Dominik said at 8:42 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    “just not his offensive mind”

    Do you mean “not just his offensive mind”? Because then I’m with you, he wasn’t hired as an offensive guru. He was hired as an offensive guru and a program builder.

  54. 54 Anders said at 9:26 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    yep, worded it wrong.

  55. 55 Ark87 said at 8:55 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I totally get that. But our team didn’t suck at tackling BECAUSE they practiced it live. Again, I look at the roster, I look at the coaches. Sean Mcdermott, Juan Castillo, Nnamdi, DRC, and the gang. It worked fine 5+ years ago, why? Because we had Jim Johnson. We had Dawk and a tougher bunch in general.

    There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that practicing the tackle at full speed helps rather than hurts. It’s just a matter of weighing its benefit against the additional risk of injury. The hope is that you can teach it another way. Hey Saban did. Lebeau did.

    Billy Davis, we’ll see.

  56. 56 xlGmanlx said at 9:10 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    “if you accept it, expect it” – this isn’t rocket science. They teach form tackling at all levels, we didn’t need JJ to teach hit and wrap, it isn’t some mystery, it is an open book test with visual feedback to review. The players, enabled by the previous regime, didn’t get it done.

    To use your student/teacher analogy would be like the teacher giving out the study outline with all the answers, the student failing, but the teacher giving him a passing grade anyways. The passing grade in this instance is being allowed to play football for the igg’s.

  57. 57 Ark87 said at 9:44 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    totally agree with the quote. Just emphasizing that the team was lousy in spite of tackling to the ground in practice, not because of it. Improvement in this area will not inherently improve because we are going away from this. It will only improve with better coaching.

    Tackling is not easy. Everybody knows what it looks like, Everybody knows what they say about it. But you do need to practice tackling. Yes every single one of these kids did tackling drills coming up. But you know their game as well as I do. None of them have ever been good tacklers on game day at any level. You can’t simulate Desean Jackson’s speed in a drill. You can’t simulate Shady’s intent to juke the crap out of you in a drill. You can’t simulate Trent Richardson or AP running at you at full speed with intent to truck you in a drill. Somebody can tell you how to implement the tackle in those situations, you can know how to do it, But when game day comes, you do what everybody else does when you aren’t comfortable with it, dive at the place you guess their feet are going to plant long enough to up end them, because even if you fail you don’t look as dumb as you would getting trucked or grasping at air.

    And hey, lets not get too carried away. Juan emphasized the crap out of “fundamennals” and to his credit, the team’s tackling was at least par until he was fired. After that…your quote comes into play…biiiig time

  58. 58 xlGmanlx said at 10:44 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    “Just emphasizing that the team was lousy in spite of tackling to the ground in practice, not because of it.”
    Agree 100%

  59. 59 EaglesHero87 said at 12:47 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Question for the OLB area: it appears we’re solid with Barwin, Ryans, and Kendricks. Is Chris McCoy the backup SAM behind Barwin? If that’s not the case, would he be a rotational player with Cole and Graham?

  60. 60 Neil said at 8:55 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    McCoy has shown enough coverage ability for a SAM. I don’t think the eagles will switch sides though based on the recent interview with Minter on pe.com where he said ILBs are crosstrained. OLBs might switch sides depending on the TE despite that, but I doubt it. He looks like he will be the backup to Barwin’s role, whatever that is exactly.

  61. 61 ohitsdom said at 3:25 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    On the no tackling to the ground, Saban’s the same way. There’s a video in this article showing what they do (I think Rapport tweeted it out):

    http://blogs.tennesseevalleynow.com/bamablog/2012/10/24/saban-tackling-drills-dont-need-actual-tackling/

  62. 62 shah8 said at 4:57 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    OT: There seems to be a quiet murmur on Dennis Dixon. Something to watch out for as camp goes on.

  63. 63 OregonDucker said at 6:34 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Yeah, I have read some blogs singing his praises. I think fans are too quick to write Dennis off. The QB competition is wide open.

  64. 64 Flyin said at 6:38 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Mr. Ducker,

    From your comments from earlier, what are your concerns regarding Foles fitting into Chip Kelly’s offense?

  65. 65 OregonDucker said at 7:25 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Based on college tape, and comments by bloggers who have been to TCs, Foles is a little slow in his decisions and tends to check-down too quick. We know he is slow on read-options but not sure it’ a negative – Dixon is definitely better though at read option.

    As I have said in a previous post, Foles just does not look to be in the same league as Barkley. BUT we will only know if Barkley is a player during preseason against a fast, efficient D. Here is a cool minute by minute on Barkley during the Monday practice:
    http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2013/07/matt_barkley_practice_breakdown_from_mondays_at_eagles_training_camp.html

  66. 66 Flyin said at 8:09 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Thanks for the reply. I haven’t seen or heard about Foles being a slow decision maker and a check down king. As far as check downs, it seems from comments I have heard is that the coaches are teaching to look for it, get something, if the downfield plays breakdown. It’s early and I hope Barkley does emerge as a promising NFL qb.

  67. 67 shah8 said at 9:17 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    You obviously haven’t been paying attention to me. I said from the start that Foles is slow in decisionmaking and release, and that this would be a problem in a Chip-designed offense.

  68. 68 Flyin said at 9:20 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I agree it is obvious. I ponder why?

  69. 69 shah8 said at 9:24 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Probably in general, Reid’s system demanded a great deal of vision when more multi-faceted plays were called. However, Foles was slow in delivering balls in many screens as well. His release is too long for him to do anything but turn and shoot. He’s gotta get faster, and this is probably one of the key aspects to look for in preseason games: Does he deliver balls on time, better than he did last year?

  70. 70 Flyin said at 9:35 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    The problem with Reid’s vision was that defenses got the same spectra vision replay over and over again before the game.

  71. 71 shah8 said at 7:20 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I already know Dennis Dixon isn’t a starter, just like I know, maybe 80%-wise, that Foles isn’t a starter, but the second string QB spot may be a real contest, and Barkley might find his way on the practice squad (not).

  72. 72 Anders said at 8:22 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Why havnt you told Kelly that yet? That way he wouldnt waste time with this QB competition.

  73. 73 Flyin said at 8:25 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Their agents are close to terms on this data deal.

  74. 74 shah8 said at 9:15 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I’m pretty sure he knows, or at least has the ability to assess the things I can’t see, like how he does in the classroom, whether he actually is making right reads, and if he’s mechanically fixable to the point that he can do the basic throws at need.

  75. 75 Ark87 said at 10:00 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Either way, both QB’s in question aren’t known for impressing in practice. I mean anytime Vick effortlessly flicks a ball 40 yards on a rope it’s a marvel to see, but in general both QB’s historically have been sloppy in practice, and tend to be gamers.

    So next friday will be exciting to A, finally have something other than select highlights to see on tape, and B finally see these two in a real football situation.

    Until then, all we can do is speculate.

  76. 76 Tuesday Afternoon Headlines | Philadelphia News said at 5:07 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    […] does the defense look like after a week of Training […]

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  78. 78 tdilla said at 7:59 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    In competition for one to succeed, another must surely fail. The optimist in me says some of the guys struggling to stand out are victims of other players performing well. Going against your own guys isn’t as good as going against another squad.

  79. 79 Flyin said at 8:34 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    When the games start, is when the real players emerge. As Tommy has said over the years… some guys excel in practice but don’t show up in games. And some guys don’t practice well but are gamers when the lights go on. I think Chip has said this from the beginning in different ways.

  80. 80 Ark87 said at 8:59 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I feel like both Vick and Foles fit the mold of guys that don’t practice particularly well. I’m looking forward to the preseason, that’s when this QB competition will finally come into focus.

  81. 81 Flyin said at 9:14 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    If Foles has corrected his footwork on the deep ball, I think he will have a strong chance of winning this qb competition. Also I have read that the qb’s are practicing throwing off their back foot. It would be interesting to see the analysis. We know Vick can sling it… Foles can through a duck… but who is more accurate?

  82. 82 Ark87 said at 10:19 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Chip Kelly brings the Duck’s X’s and O’s and Nick Foles throws ducks to bring the Quack attack to Philly!

    Throwing off the back foot…screens and….emphasizing throwing the ball rather than taking a sack? Would not advise Nick to throw at anyone who isn’t wide open if he can’t set his feet and drive the throw. Or Barkley

  83. 83 Flyin said at 10:30 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    This goes against my thoughts… Foles is very good and accurate in short to medium throws under pressure.

    Proper mechanics are emphasized on long balls.

  84. 84 Weapon Y said at 8:33 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I’m very disappointed that Vinny Curry isn’t getting reps with the ones, but I can’t say I’m surprised. It would be nice for Curry to contribute as much as other players from his draft class like Cox, Kendricks, Boykin, Brown, and possibly Foles. I’m not yet sold on Thornton as a starter, so it would be nice for someone to lock up the defensive end spot for the long-term. It just looks like he’s a square peg trying to be put in a round hole. I was so high on him when he came out of Marshall. I’ll be watching him closely in the preseason.

  85. 85 Flyin said at 8:39 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    When he got drafted was one of the coolest moments following the draft. He is a die hard Eagles fan and was in complete bliss when the Eagles drafted him. I’m pulling for him!

  86. 86 Alex Karklins said at 8:50 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I anticipate there will be a lot more rotation on the d-line this year, so Curry will get his chances to make plays. I’m rooting for him to make an impact this year.

  87. 87 xlGmanlx said at 9:14 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    @TL – do you think the igg’s try and trade Avant if salas shows well for picks or would Kelly try and get a player in return?

    QB UPDATE: Nick Foles is now a running QB, apparently. OK I’m exaggerating, but he fooled the entire defense on one rep with a keeper on the read-option. 10 easy wide open yards right there for the future track star

    I think that is what got lost of some of the press – if Foles can call his own number 3-5 a game and pull a first down or make 3rd manageable, mission accomplished. The threat of the run is just as import as the run itself.

  88. 88 Tom33 said at 9:46 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I think Avant is one of the guys that will have a hard time making the final roster. He seems like a great team guy who plays hard and makes plays, but it seems likely they will only keep 4 (maybe 5) WR’s with the emphasis on TE’s and RB’s.

    As far as trade value – I think they got a 7th for Assante last year. Avant doesn’t have his contract, but he doesn’t have his talent either. I think he will be a late cut, unless a bunch of the younger guys struggle or get hurt.

  89. 89 Ark87 said at 9:54 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    It’ll be a tough sell to the team. He’s arguably the 2nd best (healthy) receiver overall and undoubtedly the most respected one. One of the hardest workers on the team. Plays special teams. Mentors the younger guys.

    On the one hand he doesn’t fit the scheme. On the other, that’s one heck of a message you are throwing out there if you cut him.

  90. 90 xlGmanlx said at 10:51 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    I think the message could be shaped that injuries happen and sometimes they force you to make moves you normally wouldn’t make. Not saying they will, but if they have a bunch of young guys show up and ball in preseason and make it tough to stash on PS, he might be a business decision casualty.

  91. 91 Flyin said at 9:54 PM on July 30th, 2013:

    Tommy, can you discuss the not so physical camp? Benefitis/And benefaults?

    Do you see the preseason more intense as previous ones?

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  108. 108 GEagle said at 7:27 AM on July 31st, 2013:

    I watched Kenny Phillips at the linc, and I didn’t notice anything…He didn’t stick out for any reason (positive or negative) from the rest of the safeties

  109. 109 GEagle said at 7:46 AM on July 31st, 2013:

    Thanks for addressing the tackling Tommy Boy..happy to hear that players can still work on tackling even if we aren’t going full blast to the ground….I have never practiced the game of football that way, then again I was never a million dollar investment to a pro team lol

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