Mac Attack

Posted: July 23rd, 2014 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 92 Comments »

Jeremy Maclin is a complex subject. He was drafted in the 1st round in 2009 and has been a starter in each season. Maclin has 26 TD catches in 59 career games. DeSean Jackson, who is clearly more explosive, has 32 TD catches in 87 games. Maclin is a good person off the field. Heck, everyone I’ve talked to raves about him as a person.

But…

Maclin has some issues that make him a tough player to support at times. Allen Rodriguez wrote a piece for BGN on Maclin and why he struggles to cheer for Maclin, despite the fact he’s an Eagle. I don’t agree with every point that Allen makes in his post, but he does present his case well. There is a mixture of fact and opinion.

My biggest beef with Maclin is the lack of toughness he showed in 2012. If you watch Maclin from 2009-2011, he was a more physical, more aggressive player. Don’t get me wrong. You wouldn’t mistake him for Irving Fryar due to his blocking or how he worked the middle of the field, but the player we saw in 2012 was highly disappointing. The Eagles were in the midst of a nightmare season. That’s when you need your best players to man-up and play with great heart. Brent Celek had a problem with drops in 2012, but there was never a question of effort. He dragged defenders down the field just like he would in a season where games mattered and everything was on the line.

Maclin’s run blocking was atrocious. He failed to give adequate effort at times. There were times when he avoided contact when running with the ball after the catch. Maclin did have his good moments as well. He caught the winning TD vs the Bucs. He played very well in the rematch with the Skins and almost led the Eagles to an upset win.

The great unknown here is what effect Chip Kelly will have.

Kelly pushes his players. Good enough isn’t good enough. After the Lions game, Kelly had this to say.

“There were plays that LeSean made… LeSean made one big run. He could have had a 70‑yard run,” Kelly said. “He cut back to it and got tackled by Suh and the defensive linemen. If he had broken to his left, he might have had another one. Those are things we’re continuing to work on.”

Shady runs for 217 yards and Kelly is focused on the one long run that should have been even longer and a TD. That’s the kind of tough coaching that can push players to the next level.

DeSean Jackson had his best season in 2013. So did Shady. And Riley Cooper. And Nick Foles. Some of that had to do with opportunities, but don’t ignore how Kelly’s prodding helped the players.

Maclin has the tools to be a very good WR. He needs to be pushed. Maclin needs someone to get on him for his blocking. There is no excuse for a player his size not to be at least an adequate blocker. Maclin needs someone to get on him when it comes to running after the catch. Too often he heads for the sidelines or goes down voluntarily over the middle. Unacceptable. Don’t help the defense. Make them tackle you.

Coaching can make a difference. DeSean Jackson was more aggressive about going over the middle under Kelly. Maclin needs to do the exact same thing. The middle of the field is where most of the big plays are. Go outside and defenders can use the sideline to box you in. The great players work the middle of the field. They hope to outrun some tacklers, make some miss and break the occasional arm tackle.

The Eagles tried to sign Maclin to a long term deal this past offseason. They must think he showed enough last spring and summer that they’re confident he will play well in the new offense. I’m excited to see how productive he can be.

There is also the Nick Foles factor. Foles and Maclin played together for 6 starts in 2012. Maclin had a good 3-game stretch late in the year.

at Tampa … 9-104-1
vs Cincy … 4-73
vs Wash … 8-116-1

Those are good numbers for a veteran receiver working with a rookie QB. DeSean was hurt and missed those games. Defenses were able to do whatever they wanted to Maclin in terms of coverage, but he posted good numbers. The offense moved the ball and scored points (well, good yards/points for that team…not 2013 good).

Maclin is more receiver than athletic playmaker. He runs excellent routes. Give him an accurate QB that can anticipate plays and Maclin will be more effective than when improvising and trying for home runs. I remember watching the 2012 season opener. Maclin caught a TD pass in the game. I watched that over and over, and became increasingly frustrated. Maclin was wide open for the TD, but Vick took forever to find him and Mac almost ran out of the back of the end zone before the ball got there.

There are reasons to be excited about Maclin as we head into the new year, but let’s also be honest. He must be a more physical, aggressive player if he’s going to stay on the field for Chip Kelly. You either block or you sit. And Kelly will be all over Maclin the first time he avoids an open middle to run toward a crowded sideline.

Maclin has a great opportunity. This is the first time in his NFL career he’ll go into the season as “the guy”. All players have egos. I’m sure Mac would love to shine in his chance to be the primary receiver for a high-powered offense. Mac also is on a 1-year contract. A big season means a big deal, whether with the Eagles or some other team.

2014 will be the most important season of Jeremy Maclin’s career. He can play his ass off and make a lot of money or get ready to deal with more fans writing about what a frustrating player he is.

* * * * *

Interesting video of Mac from 2011-12.

92 Comments on “Mac Attack”

1 laeagle said at 12:59 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
I really don’t think that BGN piece was all that well argued. There was a lot of cherry picking of stats, coming from someone who considers Maclin his “least favorite all time Eagle”. I mean, Maclin? Least favorite? That’s simply nuts. Even for hyperbole, that’s going too far.
2 A_T_G said at 1:39 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Freddie Mitchell, Rickey Watters, and Jason Babin all think the author is justified in naming Maclin the most hated.
3 jpate said at 1:14 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
DRC!!!!!
4 Scott J said at 3:39 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Izel Jenkins thinks Patrick Chung is the worst safety in Eagles history.
5 Baloophi said at 1:41 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
But I was going to write the “cherry picking” response! Jerk…
I agree – I don’t think it was well-argued at all. Sure, he included some pretty videos, but he seems guilty of the same, selective stats-jockeying he suggests has built Maclin’s reputation… especially with his “easy TD” stat (in the same data table, Maclin has the second most “Not easy TD’s,” but there’s no mention of that). Maybe it was an exercise in meta meant to point out the flaws in inductive reasoning, but it read to me like a simple hatchet job, perhaps motivated by Post DeSean Stress Disorder.
Also, I’m not sure where the mythical Maclin-loving masses are that he’s so angrily addressing, but I haven’t encountered many fans who are expecting greatness from #18 this season. In fact, most people here are skeptical about this upcoming season – How will he respond from injury? Will he block in a system that requires it? Can he thrive in the new offensive scheme?
I also found the following blurb from the article both arrogant and ironic, given the number of grammatical goofs:
“This is a long two-part piece that cannot be rushed through.”
Okay. I’ll take my time and do my best with my feeble mind to glean your wisdom, Allen Rodriguez.
6 A_T_G said at 1:48 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
The cure for PDSSD is to mentally reassure yourself using the following mantra that highlights the type of organization to whom Jackson appeals:
Washington Wanted Juvenile DeSean
I’m thinking of having bracelets made.
7 Baloophi said at 1:51 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
I wonder if a symptom of PDSSD is the 1,332 yard stare?
8 A_T_G said at 2:02 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Something like…
9 Baloophi said at 2:15 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Yeah… those could sell. Smart to get out on front on this!
10 GEAGLE said at 10:38 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I prefer W.W.J.J.D bracelets… What would jerry jones do!!
11 James Adair said at 7:13 AM on July 28th, 2014:
I thought it was WWJJDTDDI. What would Jerry Jones Do, Then Don’t Do It.
12 A_T_G said at 2:34 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
My favorite part was discounting Maclin’s “easy” touchdowns, as if it is a bad thing that he can get wide open for a score more consistently than anyone else.
Of course, if all Maclin can do is catch a bunch of easy touchdown…and we have all heard how all Foles does is throw a bunch of easy touchdowns…we might be seeing a lot of easy touchdowns this year. And, somehow, that will be a bad thing?
13 Baloophi said at 2:52 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Don’t forget that McCoy scores easy TD’s by running through holes you and I could run through but, at the same time, Kelly doesn’t have to coach because of all the talent he inherited and suddenly we have a team that doesn’t even need to show up to win! Phil Simms’ giant head is going to explode this year…
14 Anders said at 10:26 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
So if we had Maclin against Oakland, Foles would have scored 10+ TDs and nobody would think it was that good because it was only easy TDs?
15 Anders said at 10:26 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
The funny thing, I can find just as many tough TD catches or nice blocks by Maclin
16 RogerPodacter said at 9:46 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
yea, i agree. just the fact that he listed Maclin as his top 5 all time hated Eagles says everything i need to know about his argument.
i can understand not liking him as a player. but most hated? of all time? top 5?! the number of guys to hate number so large that there just is no way for him to break it into the top 5…
17 JakFTW said at 1:10 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
I guess the upside of having Mac here on a one year deal is that we can wait and see. If he doesn’t live up to expectations or other receivers emerge (Ertz, Matthews, Huff) we can move on.
With this coaching staff, a lack of effort and production will see others take your snaps.
18 Media Mike said at 5:23 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
I honestly don’t see Maclin’s skill level, effort aside, holding off Matthews and Huff well enough for the Eagles to offer Maclin a lucrative enough contract to retain him long term.
19 Cafone said at 7:39 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
If Huff ever comes close to the ability that Maclin has already demonstrated in the NFL, I’ll feel like we’ve hit the lottery.
I understand the excitement about Matthews, but I feel like people must just ignore everything they’ve seen in the NFL over their lifetimes when they assume Huff is going to be a starting quality player. At this point he is an unknown and the odds are not in his favor. Maybe we will get lucky…
20 RogerPodacter said at 9:49 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
yea, my expectations for Huff are to hopefully become a spot starter/significant role player a few years down the road. if he ever reaches Maclin’s level of (disputed) production, i’ll be ecstatic.
21 GEAGLE said at 10:36 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Don’t think the eagles will go the traditional route where they have two outside Wrs and a slot as the starters.l..
…
Teams rotate the defensive lines, and I think we will see the same thing out of chip and our pass catchers.. Think he wants waves of pass catchers to keep throwing at defenses and I think player snap counts will change a lot from week to week…Chip will study defense find their weaknesses and play the pass catchers who stylistically cause the biggest mismatch against the team we are playing…
22 Anders said at 12:44 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I think Huff becomes a standout ST player (gunner+returner) and maybe posts like 400 scrimmage yards through some running and some receiving.
23 eagleyankfan said at 7:49 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
My only hope — going into last season, we hadn’t sees the best of Cooper/Shady/Foles/DJ. Under Chip, they all had career seasons. It’s possible we haven’t seen the best of Mac. Mac is a very good player with a knack for finding the open spots in the end zone. I’m not sure we can go into 2015 with Huff/Matthews as 1 and 2 WR and expect great things. IF Mac/Matthews play to potential, throw in Huff and Cooper in 2015 — that would be an outstanding unit.
24 A_T_G said at 1:41 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Boy, oh boy. Even in his highlight reel, Mac goes to the ground with minimal or no contact on the first four highlights. Of course, he was in the end zone.
Mac is going to be a monster this year.
25 Baloophi said at 1:46 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Objectophilia is a disorder in which a person is involuntarily and sexually attracted to a particular inanimate object. Perhaps Maclin suffers from this malady and his object is turf?
26 A_T_G said at 1:55 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
If so, he and Kelly might butt heads on the “stay on the sidewalk” rule.
27 Baloophi said at 2:03 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Very. Nice.
28 JakFTW said at 2:36 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
ATG and Baloophi are the Statler and Waldorf of Iggles Blitz.
29 RogerPodacter said at 9:50 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
i cannot upvote this enough!
30 theycallmerob said at 1:42 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Yes.
31 A_T_G said at 2:02 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I admit, I had to do a Google search, but it was worth it. That is funny stuff. I’ll take it.
32 JakFTW said at 11:08 AM on July 24th, 2014:
Meant with the utmost admiration – I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with when we play the Cowboys 🙂
33 GEAGLE said at 10:32 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Satler and Waldorf?????? Trading places?
34 James Adair said at 7:28 AM on July 28th, 2014:
Interesting…when I saw the names I immediately thought of the golfers Craig Stadler and Duffy Waldorf. I guess Jim Henson was a PGA fan?
35 T_S_O_P said at 3:46 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Which offseason did Maclin have that mysterious illness?
36 ChaosOnion said at 8:25 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
That was the 2011 season. He missed all preseason and was activated for Game 2 against ATL. I think that was the game during which Allen Rodriguez cites a crucial drop against ATL. Maclin’s first game back after missing all preseason because he thought he had *CANCER*. Maclin’s line was a lacking 13-171-2.
37 Anders said at 10:24 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
yea screw Maclin for only posting 13 catches for 171 yards and 2 TDs.
38 Andy124 said at 4:02 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
He only made the 13 easy catches.
39 Media Mike said at 5:17 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
I enjoyed it and found it to be well argued, presented, and validated by a lot of what Tommy said above.
40 Media Mike said at 5:21 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
I’m curious as to the terms of the 5 year contract the Eagles offered Maclin. I’m sure he turned it down because it was the same structure (really a two year deal) that Cooper signed and Maclin is under the assumption his value will far exceed that number. I don’t see him here long term.
41 D3FB said at 3:56 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I would guess probably around $30mil/5 years. Decker got 36.25/5 and Cooper got 22.5/5. I would say Maclin is in roughly the same level of receiver (although different stylistically) as Decker. Someone who can be a number one receiver, but is much better off being a Dwight Schrutte than a Michael Scott.
42 Dominik said at 5:36 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
We all have to hope that Chips mantra “You don’t play if you don’t block” comes into play here. Desean showed effort he never showed before, so there is reason for hope, but we have to trust Chip here. If 2012 Maclin shows up we’ll see more of the Pope that we may want early on.
I don’t think the BGN article is badly written, but I like your take more, T-Law. It’s more objective. It’s not like that there is nothing good with Maclin, like Rodriguez suggests, but of course, there are points of fair criticism that Rodriguez points out and that you also point out.
43 RogerPodacter said at 9:52 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
didn’t chip have to push Desean down the depth chart in the offseason? i thought that was due to a lack of effort and it got through to Desean.
if Maclin shows the same, i have no doubt he’ll be pushed down the depth chart as well. him being in a contract year, i don’t think he can let that happen to himself. hopefully he knows it.
44 GEAGLE said at 10:28 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Wouldn’t worry about Maclins blocking…
..
It’s a contract year and he has 6’3 218lb Mathews, 6’5250lb Ertz, 6’3 240lb James Casey, 6’2 215 Brad Smifh. The physical diesel Josh huff and possible 6’2 220lb Arrelius Benn licking their chops trying to take Maclins snaps on the outside so they can smash cornerbacks in the run game… We have too many big and physical pass catchers, for Maclin to not block his ass off
…
Thinking Maclin finally has the year we have been waiting for him to have
45 Dominik said at 5:40 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Since there are often questions about Johnsons suspension: while there is no real news, it’s no media rumor.
http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2014/7/22/5927907/jason-kelce-lane-johnson-suspended-poor-decision-quote
And while some asked how it was possible that the media got the information, you can bet it came from a teammate now:
He kind of came and told some of the guys along the offensive line what he was facing before the media really even found out.
I don’t think Johnson told the media – what would he gain? The NFL isn’t allowed to talk to the media – why would they risk getting caught?
46 GEAGLE said at 8:19 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
It’s offcial. 4 game suspension…. Two nights ago I had a dream that it was only a 3 game suspension
47 eagleyankfan said at 7:40 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Getting a bit carried away imho. 1st off — nobody — NOBODY ever ran out of bounds to avoid contact more than Desean Jackson. Yet, I don’t remember any article critiquing DJ going into 2013. 2012? Give me a break. Everybody quit that year. Everybody. Celek gets a pass because he carried people but yet dropped ball after ball after ball? The year AR made JC(sorry for the curse word) a DC? DJ played in 11 games and had 2 TDs. Yeah, sounds like DJ was dominating that year. (remember the article where Yueh Ho wrote “Castillo’s Genius”? (I just threw up in my mouth). Nobody wanted to play for that coaching staff, never mind play hard. I can’t single out Mac. Not fair. Who exactly were the “great players to man up and play with heart” that year?
Going into 2013, all the players were given a clean slate because of Chip’s hiring. New OC, New DC etc etc. Yet, today we’re picking on Maclins toughness from 2012? This is Mac’s 2013. 1st year under Chip to play. Like we held off judgment of all the other players, we should do the same for Mac.
Especially after we’ve seen Chips effects on other players. Throw in a contract year. Mac is primed for an outstanding season.
48 Bert's Bells said at 10:17 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Exactly. 2012 was ghastly for the whole team. I guess McCoy played well, and maybe Bryce Brown. Anybody else?
49 OldDocRoss said at 12:35 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Mathis, Boykin, Cox in stretches. That was about it.
50 GEAGLE said at 10:24 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Meco played really well coming off that Achilles. It was also the year Brandon Graham was rated highly in terms of pressure percentage. I thought Dennis Kelly had some nice moments as well
51 GEAGLE said at 10:22 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Celek pissed me off more than anyone.. Your rookie QB gets thrust into the game, your veteran leaders need to step up for the kid, instead perfectly thrown balls were clanking off his hands…I thought Celeks Career was almost over, because he didn’t have the best 2011 season either….but he clearly made a fool out of me last year, showing he has much more left in the tank than I thought..actually last year may have been one of his best season even if he didn’t put up the best numbers…
…
Very surprised and pleased by what Celek showed last year…Ertz will be nasty this year, and people will finally see the weapon James casey can be….TEs and Sproles/Shady out the backfield catching passes is going to cause soooooo many mismatches In the center of the field
52 eagleyankfan said at 9:48 AM on July 24th, 2014:
Can’t wait to see Chips offense version 2.0.
53 bsuperfi said at 7:54 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
I think I’m a little more bullish on maclin than most here. I don’t love him as a player – I’m not exactly a fan – but he has some attributes that seem to fit well with what chip wants. He’s good to very good at several things but not great at any. So, he’s versatile. Useful for creating favorable matchups blah blah blah.
He’s also shown himself to be particularly good at the wr screen, which is a staple of the offense. It’s not like lacks talent either. Maybe not top end talent. But he could be a 1b type of receiver in the right situation like mason used to be for the titans.
If he’s healthy, fit plus opportunity could equal some real success.
54 CrackSammich said at 9:19 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
While I don’t really have an opinion one way or the other, I think I remember Maclin having some sort of lingering back injury or hernia in 2012 that made it difficult for him to block downfield. Can anyone back me up on that? That certainly might account for some of his issues in that regard.
As far as him going down without contact, I also remember one of the Chipisms being first down, touchdown, go down. As in, if you’ve got the first down and can’t score, get down and don’t get hurt. While it’s frustrating to watch as a fan, it’s not necessarily against the Chip Kelly philosophy to get down before he gets hit. Especially considering the state of his knees.
55 Neil said at 9:43 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
That philosophy applies only to QBs I think. I can’t back you up on Mac being injured in 2012.
56 Maggie said at 4:09 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
2010 Maclin led the league in Red Zone receiving touchdowns with 7, tying division rival Hakeem Nicks.
2011 Maclin was placed on the active/non-football illness list on August 3, 2011. It was revealed on August 17 that Maclin was held out of training camp because of a lymphoma scare. An inflammatory virus was determined as the cause of the symptoms he showed. In week 2, Maclin caught 13 passes with 171 yards and 2 TDs.
2012 During the 2012 season, Maclin made 69 receptions for 857 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Didn’t come across a reason for his spotty 2012 season, except the whole team went into the toilet.
57 TommyLawlor said at 9:35 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
RE: Easy TDs
I wasn’t a huge fan of this part of the post. One of the ways you get easy TDs is by running good routes and selling fakes well. I’ve talked about Priest Holmes i the past and how he made things look so easy. Just because he made them look easy doesn’t mean they were easy. Same principle applies to Mac. He gets open for a reason. He knows how to sell routes and get lost in traffic.
I originally was going to talk more about Allen’s post and some of his points, but decided it would be more interesting to just focus on Maclin himself.
58 Mark Sitko said at 9:59 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Bgn piece is a joke. Extensive bashing of a guy that is not all that bad…and yes we all know Maclin is probably not going to turn into the true #1 wr we all wanted him to be when he was drafted. Do we really need a 10 pager taking the piss out him? Just the fact Allen says Maclin is his least favorite eagle of all time makes me unable to take anything he says seriously…there are just way too many other disappointing players that have come through here to make a naive statement like that. Clearly Allen just doesn’t like him personally…his arguments are weak. Especially when he says things like if defenses respected Maclin more he wouldn’t get open so much. COME ON! How can Maclin win if his best plays are chalked up to defenders letting him get open. NFL TV level analysis. BOO BGN! BOO!
59 Anders said at 10:01 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Allen reminds me of Dangler9 on BSH, guy hates Brayden Schenn and has the same idea that he only score easy goals. I wonder if its the same guy
60 Mark Sitko said at 10:04 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
What sucks it his is making all these people defend Maclin just because he bashed him so bad…we all know what Maclin is and no one loves him all that much…but he is no pinkston…no Freddie Mitchell…no Allen Rodriguez
61 RogerPodacter said at 10:24 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
and now everyone thats saying “Maclin isn’t that bad” is now viewed as a Maclin apologist who expects him to be the best WR in the league this year. why aren’t we just allowed to be reasonably optimistic for him this year? hmm. reasonably optimistic. maybe thats the problem. lol
62 Mark Sitko said at 10:09 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
What Allen lacks as a writer is what you have in spades Tommy…logical well balanced arguments that openly consider both sides of the coin…Allen needs to read more Tommy
63 Bert's Bells said at 10:14 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
Yup, terrible piece that guy wrote. Fortunately Eagles fans have loads of great writing and coverage of the team so stuff like this can be easily ignored. Imagine being a Giants fan -95% of their coverage is like this.
64 Anders said at 10:06 AM on July 23rd, 2014:
I think Maclin will have a huge year. It wouldnt surprise me if Maclin get around Jackson’s numbers.
A great route runner like Maclin+QB who can anticipate throws+HC who can out scheme any DC
65 GEAGLE said at 9:56 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I agree..I’m not the biggest Mac fan! but a precise route runner like him in this offense with a accurate QB who will throw him open IMO should be more dangerous than Desean was last year. he isn’t the long ball threat Desean is, but his route tree is no where as limited so his route running should drive DBs crazy
66 mtn_green said at 11:38 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
But, but, ‘self-tackin Maclin’
67 James Adair said at 10:00 AM on July 28th, 2014:
This is the key. Can he overcome the self-tacklin’ moniker this year.
68 Ben said at 1:09 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Great subject Tommy, you got us all worked up.
My take on Maclin is that he is a very good receiver who was limited by the lack of coaching to be more agressive and with much more emphasis on blocking.
I highly doubt Andy rode him like the way Chip will.
Chip seems like the kind of coach who will not tolerate inadequate blocking or failing to play with all out effort on any given play.
He seems to be more concerned with all the small nuances and details on the execution of a play.
I am blown away with Chips way of doing things and I think he pays close attention to every practice rep to see if his players are all contributing equally to the individual assignments and each player is held accountable.
His simple rules are conveyed to the players and if you fail to keep up your end of the deal, then I think you end up practicing with the twos and threes until you comply.
I personally think Maclin will respond positively and will rise to the level of play that Chip expects.
If Maclin plays to the high standards that Chip insists upon, I feel our Eagles will not skip a beat offensively this season.
69 Maggie said at 3:55 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Let’s not forget that Chip already liked Maclin. He was offered a long-term contract by the Eagles after all.
70 Jason said at 1:16 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I appreciated Les Bowen coming to JMac’s defense and to the defense of reasoned, sober analysis. As opposed to the BGN hit piece which disproportionately focused on Maclin’s flaws to construct an inflammatory article.
71 NinjaP said at 1:29 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I am not a Maclin fan either. I expect Matthews and Huff to start taking his reps as the year goes on.
72 Pennguino said at 1:33 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Put me on the Maclin bandwagon side. I always thought he was the best all around receiver we had. He has deep speed, real good hands, great route running and is a team guy. He is the only receiver to post double digit touch downs since TO. He is smooth inhis running and routes looks almost effortless sometimes.
Yes, he could get more yardage if he forced the defenders to tackle him. He was only 36 yards short of a 1000 yards. I think he could hit the 12/12 in this system. (12 TDs / 1200 Yds). I am betting on Chip to get the most out of him not that he is the guy.
Look at it from a regular job. You go to work put in extra time and do everything that is asked of you and produce a real good product. Then you see the other guy that lines up opposite of you get all of the media attention and has the eye of the coach. No matter what you do, he will always be the star because of personality and his elite speed. He is putting up yards while you are putting up points.
I think Jeremy is going to break out this year. Comeback Player of the Year.
73 eagleyankfan said at 2:57 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Suspension is official. I like his reasoning for failing. That same excuse works for everyone – except Arod.
Now I wonder — during TC does LJ run with the 1’s or does his replacement?
74 RogerPodacter said at 3:22 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
saw a good point from someone on BGN – let barbre get more of the reps with the 1’s to start off the season with a little bit better cohesion. i wouldn’t want to take too many of his reps, though. hopefully this TC will see a much greater rate of plays done each day so he will still get plenty of activity.
funny thing – we haven’t even started training camp and we already know that we won’t have all 5 OL start every game.
75 eagleyankfan said at 4:00 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Here’s to hoping they all finish the season together.
76 GEAGLE said at 6:09 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Meh…we still start the season no worse than 3-1 and get Lane back for when we really really need him, week 5 against the scary Rams DL
…
Tony Romo won’t make it thru week 3 against the Rams healthy! Bet the Rams Injure him!
Cowboys:
Week 1 home vs. Niners
Week 2 @ Titans
Week 3 @ Rams
Week 4 home vs. Saints
…
Cowboys will be lucky if they go 1-3 to start the season and if Romo survives the rams game..
..,
Cowboys and the skins could never stick together thru a rough starts the season like we did last year, weather the storm, get hot and go on a two month run. They don’t have the Charecter leadership or locker room to stay together thru a bad start and turn it around…
..
Really happy we play the skins early. Our offense will score on them at will, and Billy Davis will frustrate Desean…he won’t let Desean put up numbers, he will be embarressed and the skins will begin to implode. Really like that we get to introduce them to the real Desean early in the season.. I kno Billy Davis is going to really frustrate him and make him blow his lid
77 Scott J said at 3:32 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I think we need to burn 2012 from the history books.
78 A_T_G said at 10:00 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
You mean the year that football was cancelled because DDT made the pig skin too thin?
79 Scott J said at 3:36 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
The Rodriguez article came off to me as a guy who was pissed-off about Jackson getting released and was taking it out on Maclin. As though Maclin was replacing Jackson.
He said Maclin was his all time least favorite Eagles receiver. Come on! That’s flat out stupid.
80 eagleyankfan said at 4:01 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
With Todd Stinkston? This team is littered with bad WR’s. Mac is no where near that level of bad play.
81 CrackSammich said at 4:44 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I think it was more of case of his expectations of Maclin being much higher than Maclin could ever live up to.
82 NinjaP said at 8:38 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Anyone that saw Maclin play in college should be extremely disappointed in Maclin.
83 GEAGLE said at 9:50 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Or should be extremely excited to see him in a spread offense again
84 Andy124 said at 4:15 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
The only things that could possibly prevent Maclin from having a career year, which means he’ll top 1.000 yards and be close to 80 catches with 10 touchdowns, are health and our (potential) abundance of receiving options.
85 GEAGLE said at 5:16 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Shady gave an interview recently when he talked about how much Duce staley got on him after the 200 yard game about all the yards he left on the field….guys are getting pushed to the fullest
86 GEAGLE said at 5:58 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
While this article was perfectly fair about his short comings and strengths, I’m really not that concerned about Maclin.
A) Contract year dynamic is an excellent motivator
B) the plethora of weapons Chip has a this disposal means everyone is on a short list. Not only does Maclin have two hungry rookie WRs nipping at his heels, but in this offense, Ertz, Sproles, Casey non WR’s can take some of his snaps.. I also think Chip has so many pass catching options who are ATleast 6’2 215lbs, that Maclin doesn’t get to play like a sissy and keep his job. If He isn’t smashing CBs in the run game Chip will be very tempted to stick Brad smith out there, or saint Jordan, the physical Huff, Big 6’5 250lb Ertz, 240lb James Casey…. Maclin can’t afford to not be tough and physical because there are a plethora of weapons at chips disposal who will be itching to get in the game and smash cornerbacks in the run game…
…
Maclin will need to be tough and physical just to survive and continue to get snaps and playing time during a contract year.
…
I also think FOles this year will be the best QB Maclin has ever played with and the most suited to take advantage of his stellar route running..
…
Jeremy Maclin: “when Vick got hurt last year and FOles went in I knew right then and there that he was going to be a special QB”
….
Putting Maclin back in a spread offense, with a QB who can throw him open, play with the anticipation required to really take advantage of stellar route runner should provide the Jeremy Maclin we have all been waiting of to breakout and take that next step as a true #1 WR.
…
I really expect this offense to be noticeably betters then it was last year. As productive as we were last year offensively, I think we were just scratching the surface last year…. Jason Avant was like a shot prize fighter out there, and now he will be replaced with a big, explosive thoroughbred like Jordan Mathews! or the quick explosive Sproles… Desean will always be a more dangerous deep threat than Maclin, but I won’t at all be surprised if Maclin is better for this offense than Desean was because Maclin can run the entire route tree where as there is always a limit of what you can ask Desean to do…and I think precision route running is the perfect WR skill to pair with a QB like FOles…
…
I can’t even imagine how scary last years offenses would have been of we had a real explosive weapon in the slot..
…
But besides FOles reaching new heights in his QB development, the most excitement for me on offense is how improved I expect the OL to be. Jason peters was awesome last year and I think he was average compared to who he will be this year, another year removed from the Achilles surgery and a year experienced in this new blocking Scheme..no doubt in my mind that we will boast the best LT and LG in the NFL this year…and the center next to Mathis is no slouch! and we can stick an elite blocking TE(Celek) next to JP if we really want to sodomize your DL.
..
The biggest improvement I expect on the DL will come from Lane and Herremans. Herremans was the last OL to recover from surgery, he was switching positions and sides, while having to learn a new blocking scheme that required new techniques…all while having rookie Lane Johnson counting on Herremans to tell him what to do…Lane will be much better, and Todd will be night and day compared to say the KC from early last year..
…
Opponents don’t have enough 6’3’210 defensive backs to match up with all our 6’3 220lb WRs and TEs
..,
Opponents don’t have linebackers and safeties that can match up with Sproles. Shady and Ertz as receivers.
…
This offense will be much improved from last years #2 ranked offense. We are facing better defenses but we have plenty of mismatches to exploit against all the best defenses
87 GENETiC-FREAK said at 6:53 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
It will all come down to the OL n Foles.. Weapons all around but when it comes down to it OL has to protect the trigger n the trigger needs to just pull it
88 GEAGLE said at 9:50 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
Exactly why I feel so good about this season… I trust FOles and our OL completely.
..
If I trusted FOles going into last season, how could I not believe in him now?
89 shah8 said at 9:43 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
What’s really odd is that usually, there’s usually a six or so games adjustment period in terms of trusting that rebuilt knee. So if Maclin starts off really well, I supposed he’d be fine.
This is not to say that I love Maclin. Maclin was just never a dominant receiver, and he does have a lot of career lowlights for a WR.
It certainly will be interesting to see how Chip integrates Maclin’s game.
90 GEAGLE said at 10:05 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
I was furious with Celek In 2012… The entire offense hurt, our rookie QB gets thrust into a horrible situation, with Celek being one of the only starters in the game..lf you are a veteran leader and your young inexperienced QB comes in, it’s up to you to elevate your game for that QB…instead perfect balls were clanking off his hands all year,,,I thought Celek was on the down slope of his career, I didn’t expect him to play at last years level…he was a very pleasant surprise for me
91 GEAGLE said at 10:16 PM on July 23rd, 2014:
This year is such a treat for me… We get to test ourselves against the elite teams while having the safety net of winning most of our division games, knowing our rivals aren’t equipped to win games outside the division.. We will still a few games from top teams outside the division, and I don’t see Clwboys or skins having a functional enough defense to beat any good teams, and I def don’t expect to lose more than 1 division game.
…
I look forward to putting up 30 points against the Seahawks and seeing how our nasty Front 7 can measure up to BEASTMODE and their physical ground game
…
I look forward to making a name off the Niners. They credit coming to philly and beating us as what really sparked this era of Niners football, well I look forward to beating them in San Fran as what shows the world the eagles have arrived. They won’t have Navaro or Aldon. Justin Smith revealed he had shoulder surgery this offseason, there secondary is shaky…Boone might really sit out the first 6 games and he is a very Important part of their OL, and I look forward to driving kAp crazy with all our disguise and withstanding the physocal nature of the Niners..
..
I’ll bet anything Floles beats Luck in Indianopolis at the beginning of the year. FOles will not let us lose the colts game…I know it!!
..
I look forward to owning Bruce pig face Arians..
…
Games that scare me:
lanes first game back against the Rams scary front
.,.
@ Lambeau…I’m sure they will want their revenge
..l
@Texans worries me… I assume we are road favorites that week. But that Dfense can junk up the game,…the titans and texans could be those ugly games we are supposed to win but suffer letdowns like last years Vikings game
92 ztom6 said at 8:44 AM on July 24th, 2014:
I think the article makes some fair points about how Maclin has been a mild disappointment as an Eagle given his billing and where he was drafted, despite having several productive years as a number 2 receiver. He has been well short of the dynamic playmaker and return specialist we thought we were getting in 2009. What that means for 2014 in a new system is yet to be seen. As Tommy says, perhaps his route-running will make him a better fit going forward. And perhaps he will start putting forth more effort on the field as well, but it’s disappointing to say the least that that’s even a question.