Tebow, Kinne and Draft Talk
Posted: April 20th, 2015 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 255 Comments »I think most of you know this, but for those who might not, I live down in North Carolina. I rolled in to work today (on time for once) and was hit with 500 Tebow questions. My co-workers range from non-NFL fans to casual fans to Dolphins fans (who knew they actually existed?). There is one other Eagles fan in the office, oddly enough, but he’s more of a basketball guy than a football fan.
That’s the power of Tebow. People who don’t care about football or the specific team still pay attention to Tebow. That can be a blessing and a curse.
There was this expectation that I would be furious about the Tebow news. I’m not…nowhere close to that actually. As I explained to my co-workers, Tebow is here to compete for the #3 QB job. He’s not going to start. He’s not going to be a key player. He’s there to try and win a roster spot.
Someone actually was crazy enough to ask how I would feel about the Eagles winning the Super Bowl with Tebow at QB. I said, “Are you nuts? I’d be ecstatic. Heck, I’d be okay with Charles Manson as our Super Bowl winning QB.” Obviously there is a bit of hyperbole there. I think.
There is a lot of noise and hype right now. Let’s keep things in perspective. Tebow will be battling for the #3 QB spot. Nothing more, nothing less.
* * * * *
Peter King shared his thoughts on the subject. There are a couple of good nuggets in there.
PE.com has some details on Tebow.
Bruce Feldman spoke to Tebow’s QB coach and got some more good info.
The “fixing” of Tim Tebow, the quarterback, would take some three months. House’s diagnosis of why Tebow was inaccurate all came back to timing issues with his body. Once they could get his body in sync, the mechanics were actually pretty easy to fix, the former major league pitcher said.
“He still does what he’s always done with his throwing arm. We just fixed the front side and gave him a better posture to do it and made him time it better.” Beyond that, House said Tebow learned why he would misfire whenever he did, which “The Professor” said was vital for anyone to be at their best.
“We allowed him to understand why the ball goes right or left, why the ball goes high or low and how to spin the ball and how to physically prepare from feet to fingertips and to take it out and make the dynamic movement work for you and not against you. Does the term muscle-head make sense? He muscled everything. He can muscle it when he needs it, but now he’s got kinematic sequencing. He’s muscled down for efficiency.”
Another underlying problem that tied into Tebow’s issues in the NFL that House ID’d: The former All-American quarterback had no confidence in his throwing ability.
“He didn’t think he could make that throw, so he went to what he was confident in, and that was his legs,” House said.
This all sounds great, but we need to see him in action. One thing does need to be brought up now…remember that Mark Sanchez struggled early last year with throwing and then looked worlds better in Training Camp. The same was true for Trent Edwards a few years back. Tebow may look awkward in the spring as he re-adjusts to NFL timing and has to learn the new offense. Wait until you see him in the summer before making any definitive judgments.
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Mike Freeman, my least favorite writer going right now, just hates Chip Kelly. And has for a few years. Freeman sees this as an ego ploy by Kelly. He thinks Chip is trying to show the world how smart he is. Something along the lines of “If I can fix Tebow, then I am The Genius”.
Ugh.
I’m not linking to that because I can’t stand that kind of content.
You could easily rip on Kelly for the signing, but do so in a logical way. To take a heavily slanted opinion and act as if that’s fact…I just don’t like that kind of writing. If Freeman had no history of Kelly bashing, I might see this as different.
Is it possible Chip’s ego is part of this? Sure, that’s possible. I don’t think it is, but Chip is a strange coach and he does see things differently. I think this says more about the lack of good QB choices than anything else. Kelly would love a great QB. He couldn’t find one so he took a huge risk and dealt for Sam Bradford. He re-signed Sanchez, who was erratic last year. Now he’s adding Tebow to the mix. Kelly is looking high and low for a QB. Why not take a flier on Tebow? Maybe his showing in the workout is better than any of us could have imagined.
Time will tell. Kelly won’t keep Tebow unless he shows something this summer.
* * * * *
Interesting note to help clarify Eagles logjam at QB: G.J. Kinne expected to get work at WR, KR, special teams. Athletic jack of all trades.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 20, 2015
At his Pro Day in 2012…Kinne was 6-1, 234.
4.85
33-inch VJ
6.78 in the 3-cone
Kinne might actually be in better shape now than he was then. I never thought he had a serious chance at playing QB in the NFL because he’s shown so little as a passer in the preseason.
It would be great if he could push for some other roster spot. I think we all pull for the guy.
Keep your fingers crossed. Maybe Kinne will surprise us.
* * * * *
Per BGN, WR Phillip Dorsett visited the Eagles today.
I’m a big fan of his. Dorsett has explosive speed. The question is whether the Eagles would be interested in him at pick 20 or would try to move back a few spots and get him. There was thinking a month ago that Dorsett might last to the Eagles 2nd round pick, but it doesn’t seem like that will happen.
The Eagles have some talent at WR right now, but don’t have an explosive speedster. Dorsett would add that element to the offense immediately.
_
Freeman has steadily moved down the media food chain the past couple of years. The reason? He sucks.
I used to really respect him. I don’t understand what happened.
Total guess: He lost his job with CBS Sports through no fault of his own and to try to stay relevant at Bleacher Report he feels the need to present “hot takes” and be controversial.
he did lie on his resume though
Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.
Since Marino retired, has there been a more irrelevant team in the NFL than the Dolphins?
– Made the playoffs just 3 times in the last 15 years, losing every single time
– Averaged just under 8 games (7.7 wins/season) over the past 15 years
– With the exception of the ’07 when they went 1-15, they haven’t been awful nor have they attracted the kind of negative scrutiny that other franchises have had including the Raiders, Browns, and Jaguars
– Series of unremarkable and underwhelming starting QBs since Marino
– Largely say the same of the head coaches too
With the exception of the 2 years that Saban was there in ’05-’06 and Ricky Williams, they barely have been on the national radar. Won nothing of merit but neither have they been bad enough either to attract a lot of criticism either.
Just a very mediocre franchise with any signature players or coaches the past 15 years.
qb purgatory
The curse of Don Shula.
Maybe Tannehill turns them around..?
Same could be said for that entire division…Bills, Jers, Dolphins….one or two good years but have pretty much sucked for past 15 years
Yeah, NE dominating for 15 years hasn’t helped the rest of the AFC East any.
Im still saying Tyler Lockett is a much better WR then Dorsett or devin smith, or any other smaller WR in this draft. And i dont think its close. Also he has the character that chip loves.
Completely agree Charlie. Lockette had the better production of the 3 you named and has the route running skills that Smith hasnt really showed. If the Eagles miss out on the top wideouts in round 1 and early to mid 2nd i think Lockette would be a steal in the bottom 2nd.
Yup! He wins is the short and intermediate game as well as the deep game. And he has better hands then them and has shown the ability to excel in contested catch situations.
Well put and I agree wholeheartedly. I am not in the agreement with people saying we need a wideout in the 1st, the more tape I have watched on Agholor the more impressed I’ve become wit him and really hope we can land him if not then Lockette is my next favorite target.
I like a lot of these WRs TBH. It is most def my fav position in football. Agholor is def a very good player. The risk taking side of me would love to take a chance on a big fast athletic freak WR in the 1st, like Breshad Perrimen or even Jaelen Strong, although the speed YAC and separation ability of strong is in question (even after his good 40 time).
And even if we do something like that id still want lockett cause im greedy.. lmfao.. my rationale is when chip got rid of desean he replaced him with 2 Wrs and when he got rid of lesean he replaced him with 2 RBs.
I think his separation ability is fine. If you watch his cut up against Marcus Peters, Strong has a great game against him. I think he has speed to pull away especially on longer routes, a perfect example being during his USC game where he sets up the corner and then safety and waves bye bye for a LONG td at about 1:40s?
he def has some flashes, and is more straight line fast, def needs to work on route running and yac. But i like the kid for what he is, love his body control and hands. Id be excited to get him at #20.
Wait, you don’t think Devin Smith wins contested catches or is productive in the short or intermediate game? I completely disagree. Devin Smith has an incredible efficiency with the deep ball and is good at catching the short stuff and getting the extra 3-4 yards. If I have to pick between them I take Smith because at the least, you know he is a home run hitter.
lockett is better at contested catches, he reminds me of antonio brown, i do think devin has some skill and body control, but he hasnt excelled at contested catches, and yes lockett is heads and shoulders better at the short to intermediate game the devin smith, not even close. devin only runs one deep route well, lockett excels all over the field with all types of routes.
Smith runs the short routes well. He takes advantage of the giant cushions db’s give him. I can’t say he is better than Lockett but he can run short routes.
well yeah he can run them.. just not well or polished.
Yes, he does.
nah
I was just watching Lockett and some things stood out to me. He seems to be a physical kind of player and I watched him go up for a catch over the middle and take a hit from 2 defenders while holding on for a 1st down. The main route he runs is comebacks and he and his qb are quite proficient at them. I did not see a wide variety of routes and even though he was good at comebacks, I felt he didn’t dip his hips very well and took several steps to turn back to the ball, granted this was on 1 or 2 plays. I feel he will get jammed often at the line at the next level and that because he was given so much cushion was able to get away with so many comebacks. I did not see much of a deep threat or RAC ability which is what I was surprised by. I think part of this was, again, the large amount of comebacks he ran but even when given a hand off in the backfield or turn after the catch, he was tackled quickly. I don’t see a greatly nimble player. The only deep ball I saw in 3 games was a double move where the qb shoulder faked the first move of the route which froze the defender and locket got behind him. Overall I would say a late 3rd early 4th. Personally I think Smith proficiency with the deep ball puts him above Locket not to mention he is at least 10 lbs heavier and 2 inches taller. It seems like every game you see Smith haul in a Deep, contested ball and Lockett I only saw 1. I don’t think either player have fantastic RAC ability and yes, both have the ability to utilize the comeback and underneath throws if the D is going to give them that much cushion.
i think him being jammed in kellys offense is less likely, esp if he is in the slot and put in motion. The kid is a standout STs returner he can get YAC. But he runs smart, he gets what is given esp on 3rd downs he will move the chains and will not waste any movement. Dont see a great nimble player? coulnt disagree more.
And he is faster then devin smith and all smith does is go deep. He is desean with the legit speed.
You also have to take into account the poor QB play lockett has got. The ball plaement was terrible all year, you can see him have to make super low catches and then have to make super high catches and extend. The weakness of lockett is he has small hands and sometiimes body catches, but to be fair thats usually when he is using his body to shield DBs.
here is a good video breaking down one of his games – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WPMFS6foVM
Even if all that Smith did was to deep, he does it with such a crazy amount of efficiency, he is worth drafting high of that alone. It doesn’t matter if he timed slower than DeSean in the 40. He has game speed and it’s easy to see when he catches deep ball after deep ball even though the defense knows it’s coming.
i disagree, desean is the best at what he does, and i dont see anywhere near that level talent in devin.
Lockett will have the better career and is the overall better WR right now. Not saying lockett will get drafted before him, cause people will think what u think, but lockett will be and IS the better player.
Desean Jackson averaged 15 yards a catch while at Cal. Smith averaged 28……
and? lol desean played on abad team with a bad QB. If you think devin is any where near the level of talent of desean lets just stop this convo now…..
Ok, so we’ll just base a crazy number like 28 yards per catch off an amazing qb who is? Cardale Jones? J.T. Barrett? Ok, you’re right Smith is terrible at tracking and coming down with deep balls. No where in the league of Jackson. The only way he had such a tremendous Y/C is by allowing his qb to drop it right into his hands. So, you’re punishing Smith for playing on a good team? I can’t say Smith will be better than Jackson because I haven’t seen what he can do in the NFL but coming out of college his ypc is ridiculous, its twice as much as Jackson. W/e I guess. If you don’t let a staggering number like that sway your opinion, nothing will.
Smith doesnt have soft natural hands, he has the body control i like tho.. i just dont read into one single stat. If he is so good and can do other things besides the long ball, hed have more then 33 recs on the year. The kid doesnt give effort in blocking either.
Smith is like desean, lockett is like antonio brown, i love desean to death, but brown is the better WR. Just like Lockett is the better WR over smith.
devin is desean *WITHOUT the legit speed lol
Also what i like about smith is i had heard he is a good STs player, not returner but a stand out gunner. that impresses me if true.
definitely take the time to watch Lockett. he’s a very refined route runner coming out of school, I like him a lot
Please read my summary below and tell me what you think. I’m afraid I wasn’t able to see many different routes and I am disappointed with his RAC ability.
Aren’t there some 6 foot plus WRs in this year’s draft that posted sub 4.4 speeds?
and?
Off topic Tommy, but apparently not only is Philip Rivers fed up wth the Chargers but so is FS Eric Weddle. I think Weddle could be a perfect addition to our secondary. Anyone have interest in him and if so what compensation would you give up to possibly aquire Weddle?
Cond 5th round pick. He’s old.
Yes he might be 30 but you’re totally underestimating the skills he still possesses. He is still playing at an elite level and is coming off another pro bowl and 1st team all pro selection. So yes the age is a concern but in no way is he only worth a 5th round pick. Also he would instantly be the best safety on an Eagles roster since Dawkins.
I said conditional….
1. He’s a 30 year old DB. I’m not giving away much for a guy who has one or two years left in the tank.
2. To put into context how old Weddle is. He played for two years under Urban Meyer at Utah.
Rivers showed up for SD’s voluntary workouts. Yes? If so, it’d suggest he doesn’t seem too upset
And if the Chargers offer to extend him at 5 years $125M, with $50 guaranteed, how ’bout then? Still upset?
I don’t think SD’s ownership wants to relocate to LA without a QB whom management knows can win games for them. (Mariota’s not a sure-enough thing to bet a relocation on.)
And if I’m thinking that, I’m guessing Rivers and his agent are about 10 steps ahead of me.
Well just because he showed up doesn’t mean he’s happy, Mathis showed up last year while his agent was seeking a trade so showing up doesn’t mean too much. But my post was more about Weddle then Rivers AC, i just made the comparison based on recent events of them both being unhappy with their organization.
I’m an idiot but are the Chargers really relocating? Or is this a threat for a new stadium? I’m just out of the loop on this.
Why would anyone ever leave San Diego?
RNE:
Good question. The Chargers’ stadium is about as old and decrepit as Oakland’s.
And like the Rams, SD’s not been able to get a commitment from the locals to build a new one. (Boo hoo.)
Could be a money-play.
But the projection is a move to LA increases the franchise value by at least 30 percent. (Or something crazy like that.)
It’s not about attendance in LA. Just location, location, location — I guess.
Big money at stake for ownership . . . and their heirs.
Oh, yeah. And for the NFL’s TV contract.
Ha! If I were San Diego, I would be like – you can’t hold me up. If you leave, we still live in San Diego.
It’s not a money issue…I’m pretty sure he said he is NOT moving to LA. So he won’t sign a new deal if the team moves. Granted, who knows what actually happens if they offer your above contract.
pass rushing Bennett wants a new deal from seattle… love to get that kid. as good as people say he is, he is even under rated IMO… heckuva football player
I agree man he is def a tremendous football player but I don’t see any way Chip would be interested in a player that is looking to rework his big contract just 2 years into it. Here’s hoping this situation and Wilson’s contract become really distracting for Seattle and hopefully knock them down a peg or two.
the bennett brothers also have a “personality”, he is known to run his mouth and say some crazy outspoken things, like publically ripping his important new team mate Jimmy Graham,… hard to see chip put up with his mouth and personality..
Mike Freeman haha #FireMikeFreeman all over his articles lol
Mychal Kendricks joins Evan Mathis by not joining the start of the [voluntary] spring camp. #getyourpopcornready
Well everyone knows why Mathis is skipping but Kendricks not being there is a total non story. Kendricks is on a pre scheduled vacation in Costa Rica. He is set to rejoin the team upon arrival. Also heard Fletcher Cox is also not in attendance because of a vacation.
Why don’t you like popcorn?
T.O. permanently ruined popcorn for me
I still get physically ill when I do sit-ups in my driveway. My wife thinks it is the combination of the hot blacktop, the physical exertion and my level of fitness, but I am pretty sure it is because of T.O.
our entire front 7 was told to stay home because all 7 of them will be included in the Marriota trade, along with first round picks from now to 2022….
lol It really is crazy how fans fuel the media speculations of players on the verge of being traded. Now because a player is on a vacation that the team knew about it means he is skipping the workouts because said player either wants a new deal or to be traded. When will the fanbase stop fueling the bullshit.
amazing isnt it?
..
whats really scary is some of the compensation fans and media member say that they would be willing to pay… I wouldnt pay some of the prices they are throwing around for Andrew Luck, let alone MM…
There is quirk of human nature that makes people obsess over Tim Tebow, Kim Kardashian, Princess Diana, etc. If you took a player with the exact same skill set and a different name, this move would be a complete nothing. The new QB would just be another no-name camp body, a scout team player, a challenger to the third-string QB. If this no-name QB is better than people think, it can only be good for the Eagles. And if he’s no good, he gets cut and that’s the end to it. Logic would tell you that nothing bad can come of this…
But of course, logic has nothing to do with Tebow mania. Tim Tebow isn’t a real problem like measles, he’s a self-inflicted psychosomatic illness. In other words, he’s only a problem if we believe that he’s a problem.
T-Law / Belichick / Community:
How ’bout the breakdown on Dorsett v. DJax?
I know PD’s a bit taller, thicker, more physical.
But I’m wondering about (i) deep speed, (ii) return skills, (iii) NFL-readiness.
Also, is Dorsett a slot guy in Kelly’s offense? Or an outside WR to take advantage of his speed?
______________
No DJax attacks, please. For me, he’s a great point of reference. He’s a great deep threat. He walked into NovaCare in 2008 and was a Day-1 starter. And we saw him in Kelly’s offense. Curious how PD stacks up.
Similar players. DJax much better in college because he played for terrific coach, good offensive team.
No character baggage with Dorsett, which would be key.
DJax was more dynamic as a returner.
I think Dorsett has better body control, which helps him to be a better route runner.
I think DeSean is slightly more explosive, but both guys have plenty of speed.
Dorsett is meant to play outside. He’s not a slot guy.
Agree with Tommy, Djax was absolutely stupid good in college, it was before I started scouting but it was a game from his sophomore year and you just were glued to the screen, you knew right then that this kid was going to be special.
Dorsett was a good college player, but never a game changing, turn on the game to watch that guy play. He has great speed, and probably has better track speed, but lacks Djax’s dynamism.
NFL.com has Phillip Dorsett compared to John Brown (Cardinals pick from last year of “bye Nate Allen” fame). I can see that. Dorsett is a much better pedigree (St. Thomas Aquinas, and Miami) but otherwise their games are very similar.
Mike freeman is one of the worst writers out there lol. I frequent bleacher report and in the comment sections people are always saying #firemikefreeman. Dude always tried to bring politics and race into his articles and has a holier than thou attitude about everything even though he apparently lied on his resume before. Oh, and he always uses the word ass in his articles.
for whatever reason Freeman blocked me on twitter years ago.
same! source of pride
According to some gay guy that called into sports talk radio, the Eagles QBs are the hottest in the league.
The other crazy theory I heard today on talk radio was that Chip brought Tebow on the team because he needed something to distract everyone from prying into his plans to get Mariota.
One of the problems with signing Tebow is that it doesn’t do Ryan Day any favors. First time in the NFL is hard enough and he needs to be focussed on Bradford and working with him on Kelly’s offense. Any time he spends with Tebow takes away from that.
This statement assumes Day will give more attention to Tebow than he would have to the rookie or FA who otherwise would have been throwing in Tebow’s place. Is there any reason to believe that to be true?
Rationally? No.
BUT THE SKY IS FALLING BECAUSE OF A FOURTH STRING QB!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
https://storytimeunderground.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/kermit-the-frog-flail.gif
it’s not that it’s a 4th string qb — it’s that it’s Tebow…It’s said(never confirmed of course) that CK has issues with diva-type players. Yet he’s bringing in the biggest media magnet since Arod. It’s not a move that going to win SB’s – so why bother?
Being a diva is not the same thing as being a media magnet. It’s not like Tebow is calling press conferences in his driveway…
Kelly doesn’t care what the media thinks. I’m surprised the fans here are being such children about it. “Boo hoo, what’s the MEDIA going to say? Waaaah!”
who’s boo hoo’ing? Why can’t a fan call a circus a circus? I certainly don’t read all posts but I haven’t read any where fans are upset(I admit, I only read this board).
…..
I didn’t say Tebow was a diva. The point was – CK doesn’t want to deal with Diva’s – because of the attention they demand. While Tebow doesn’t demand attention – the circus follows. Personally, I don’t think there’s any value at all having him here. CK will have to deal with the media during interviews. But it’s his choice. No skin off my back.
You haven’t been reading enough comments if you haven’t seen the crying. Plenty of people on this site are saying they’re against the signing only because of what media and other fans might say about their team.
Anyway, Kelly’s objection to divas has nothing to do with the media. That’s an external force he couldn’t care less about. It’s about attitude and team, and Tebow has shown he fits right into the culture. (Whether he can play or not is a different issue.)
Well said BlindChow and true.
Media Magnet =/= diva
With the greatest of respect, of all the reasons not to like the signing – and there are several – this one holds least water.
You’re going to have at least 3 QBs at this stage, more likely four or five. The majority of those QBs are going to need a lot of work because they won’t be very good. If they were very good you’d still want to spend time with them because neglecting very good QBs is a terrible way to run a team.
In short, the amount of time spent wirking with Bradford won’t change regardless of who occupies the tole of QB3.
Fair points and very likely true.
My speculation, and it is merely that, is that Kelly has more personally invested in resurrecting Tebow’s career after three other head
coaches haven’t had much luck with him. Kelly really wants to make this work in a way that he wouldn’t if we were talking about a street free agent or low round draft choice. And because of that, even if Kelly doesn’t give Day a specific training plan for Tebow, Day will feel the pressure of Kelly’s desire to make Tebow a success and give more than ordinary attention to him. Might Kelly also spend more time with Tebow?
Some percentage of Kelly’s players are most likely asking themselves why Tebow is in the locker room after “3 strikes.” Does Kelly want to show them why?
This, of course, may be simply taking the extraordinary attention that the outside world pays to Tebow and assuming that the coaching staff will also gravitate to him.
Moving to North Carolina in July. Hope to see you at an Eagles bar…
Wilmington has a sweet Eagles bar called the Copper Penny, packed to the brim with Eagles fans on game day. Awesome atmosphere. If you’ll be in south east NC
I’m looking over Optimum Scouting’s big board and they have only 14 players listed with 1st round grades and only 26 with 2nd round grades. (Note: they don’t include QBs on their big board).
On QB rankings, Mariota and Winston are given 1st round grades, Hundley a 3rd round grade, and all other QBs below that.
Oh, and Hundley’s player comparison is Donovan McNabb.
Mariotta
Hundley
White
Cooper
Parker
Strong
Scherff
Clemmings
La’el Collins
Dupree
Fowler
Williams
Waynes
Jones
Johnson
Those are mine. That’s only 15.
And by Collins you obviously mean Landon.
lael
*hue hue
I put Collins initially, and then I went wait, some asshole is going to think that’s Jalen. So I edited to L. Collins, and then you go “oh Landon”. In summary screw anyone with the last name of collins you’re all shit by association.
Have you gotten a read on Anthony Harris or Derron Smith. We have talked about Geathers and he is one of my favorite safeties for this draft but I also like Smith and Harris quite a bit. Thoughts?
Both fall under the I can see some things I like, some things I don’t like, but I just really don’t have any feelings either way.
Harris simply can’t play the position at 183lbs. That’s not going to work. Kurt Coleman was 192.
Smith’s lack of range scares me.
Holy jesus, I had not realized he was 183…….. I agree. I’ll have to watch Smith again for lack of range. Harris is a bit of beanpole. 190 was bad enough but 183? Holy crap.
I’m not so concerned about Smith’s range but rather his ability to diagnose running plays and actually have an impact on them. I see him frequently get washed out of plays. Watching him again, I’m not really sure why I like him so much. I don’t really get a chance to see his coverage skills though. Geathers it is then.
D3FB is actually ESP. Thanks for revealing the truth
I would seppeku myself.
And all my comments would be driven by SEO phrases.
“Insomniac thinks D3FB is really ESP. Is Insomniac being really mean or just a jerkface? Click to see what happens next”
D3FB’s last words “WHY WON’T YOU GUYS LIKE COLLINS???”
He’s got 14 non-QB including Gurley, Goldman, Gordon, Fisher, Phillips, Thompson, and not including Scherff, Clemmings, Waynes, Johnson (all 2nd round grades) and Jones (3rd round grade).
Coach –
So with the number of 1st Rd quality picks limited, and the number probably even smaller for Kelly, what do you expect Kelly to do? Trade up? Trade down? At what price?
Dupree and Scherff are the two guys I watch. If they hit the teens and your can give up a say a fourth, maybe even a third, do it.
Otherwise just stay put. There will be guys I don’t have first round grades taken before this, but not enough to justify moving back to the late 20’s for a 3rd or 4th.
So do you grade Winston lower than 1st round because of character concerns?
Combination of character and I think he’s got some genuine flaws that everyone wants to overlook. If I was a GM and my job was on the line, you couldn’t get me to take him.
Peters is a first round talent but I can’t justify spending a pick on him because of his character.
Don’t know if you’ve seen this, but Josh Norris of Rotoworld just released his positional rankings on offense for this year’s draft that includes SPARQ ratings – interesting additional measurement…
http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/53629/325/position-rankings-offense
I’m going to disagree with the article. “Tebow will be battling for the #3 QB spot. Nothing more, nothing less.” — Why? Was waste the time and the circus on a number 3 spot? # 3 spot is one spot away from washing cars. I think CK must see some value in him to maybe, eventual battle Sanchez for number 2. I said maybe. It may be a long shot for number 2, but CK is taking that shot. Otherwise — what gain is there for the Eagles with Tebow at number 3?
…..
I also think this removes any thought of a QB at 20 – or even the first 4/5 rounds. Bradford is our QB for the foreseeable future. I’m ok with that. Still would have liked a young qb to get his feet wet at number 3 qb. Oh well.
I don’t even think Tebow’s here for #3 – he’s here to take Kinne’s job as scout team QB. Kinne’s moving on. Sounds like Chip’s moved on from Barkley. I think they draft a QB or bring in a targeted UDFA and he’ll be #3. You want a developmental project at #3, especially when you’re not realistically contending for the SB this year. I don’t think that Tebow fits that description at this point in his career.
that would make sense. I don’t think he’s here for number 3 either…
Tebow not PS eligible.
just the fact that we didnt sign Terrel Pryor after giving him a visit, but we signed tebow with 1/4th of his talent is a joke
Show me an NFL Head Coach, and I’ll show you a guy with an ego.
true.
It feels like the Eagles might be becoming the joke that the Cowboys used to be.
The Cowboys still are a joke, one season doesn’t change that. The Eagles will be fine as long as they get WR & Oline help in the draft. Outside of that I think they’ve improved a lot of areas on the team.
Theres no way Tebow can change his mechanics enough to make a difference. If he ever got into a game, his muscle memory would take over and he would revert back to his old ways.
That’s the point of training (as CK likes to call it). You train the same way so much, it becomes muscle memory. It works for most and I’m willing to give Tebow a chance. If his mechanics change, he may be a viable 3rd option.
I’d be willing to assume his mechanics have improved, and maybe are even muscle memory now (that was what House claimed). But that still means he’d have to suddenly develop the skill of reading defenses, quickly finding the open receiver, and delivering the ball — skills which he’s never really shown all that much, and he’d have to develop them at the NFL level after two years of sitting in a TV studio. I really cannot fathom him in an up tempo offense and that would seem to really hamstring what Kelly could do. But… Kelly obviously has a reason. Belichik had him as the #3… and ended up just keeping 2 QBs 😉
“Theres no way Tebow can change his mechanics enough to make a difference. If he ever got into a game, his muscle memory would take over”
People can retrain their muscle memory. Pretty much all training is exactly that. You learn a new motion then repeat it over and over again.
Not saying Tebow HAS changed his mechanics, but it clearly can be done.
in another quote from that trainer he actually addresses this. Says he never had time with other coaches to implement the new mechanics so when he got into game he would revert to muscle memory. This guys said he made something like 10,000 throws to get the new mechanics down with muscle memory. I cant find the quote or I would have pasted it.
Tommy, I agree with you. I’ve heard and read more than a few writers and talk show hosts claim that the Tebow move is just CK stroking his own ego. I don’t believe for a minute CK thinks in that fashion. I think every move Chip makes is with one thing in mind…does this make the Eagles a better football team? Love or hate the move, either is fine. Just don’t make unfounded claims that Chip is bringing in Tebow or making any roster move for that matter to show the football world he’s some pigskin genius. That’s just ridiculous.
Didn’t Tebow play some special teams with the Jets? I do hope we’re not going to get too creative and have Tebow in on goal line packages..
He did, but poorly.
Don’t know if this was posted yesterday (too lazy to check), but Eagles doing more homework on prospects.
I don’t see how he fits. He is either a box safety or a 4-3 WILL.
Maybe they see value if he drops, I’m not sure.
Yea maybe a nice 3rd round pickup, but Jeff is seriously smoking crack if he thinks 20th overall.
LOL.
Here is the summary from Kyle Crabbs: Thompson is not a universal fit; some teams may consider him a box Safety conversion but Thompson is physical enough to play a 4-3 WILL. There he can pursue the play relatively free of traffic and use his skills as a pressure player and coverage specialist. Needs protection in a scheme but can be extremely productive in previously stated system.
On top of that his size is crap for a OLB.
Draft game doesn’t give realistic trades, but I took this one anyway. Too good to pass up. Like the value I got in places, and used the Eagles interest list as a guide. We definitely need the draft to come soon, because I can’t stop playing this game.
Your score is: 5370 (GRADE: B+)
Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 26 (BALT): Jake Fisher, OT/OG, Oregon (B)
Round 2 Pick 20: Nelson Agholor, WR, Southern California (A)
Round 2 Pick 26 (BALT): Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State (B+)
Round 3 Pick 20: Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor (A)
Round 4 Pick 14: Adrian Amos, FS, Penn State (B-)
Round 5 Pick 9: Jesse James, TE, Penn State (A+)
Round 5 Pick 20: Kyle Emanuel, OLB, North Dakota State (C-)
Round 6 Pick 20: Obum Gwacham, DE, Oregon State (D)
Round 7 Pick 20: Devante Davis, WR, UNLV (C-)
I’d be ecstatic with Fisher and Agholor with the first two picks! I really am starting to want either Rowe, Jones, or Carter with our first 2 picks though.
Thanks. I think Jones would be my 1st as well. He was off the board, so I traded back.
I think you made the right call, where did Rowe fall?
Between Agholor and Smith. I could have picked the S from Arizona w/pick 58, but I thought for his size (5’11) that they may go with another player. Hundley came off before Agholor, so in the 3rd I took Petty. I think they could use a young QB to groom and he’s got some talent/skills as well.
The only known 4th string QB in the league, not a big fan myself. That being said, I don’t think Chip brings in Tebow and the circus he comes with if he doesn’t believe there is a solid chance he develops into at least a second string QB or a valuable role player. Same deal if Michael Sam ever gets another shot, you don’t bring him in if you view him as a fringe player because he comes with a circus and isn’t worth that.
Of course there is always the charity idea. Alejandro Villeneuva was a fringe player with a long shot and a story. Someone who deserved his shot. It’s also possible Chip just resents the media, refuses to hold their obsession with Tebow against him, wants to give him another shot to get back on his feet.
The counter-argument is that Tebow, other than the media circus (which I’m not sure Chip cares about independently), checks all the culture boxes for Chip, and seems to be pretty well prepared to be a scout team QB. The guy busted hump on his own time and dime for what, over a year? To give himself a slim shot at getting onto a roster somewhere in the league. Clearly, Tebow loves the game. From my understanding, that’s culture checkbox number 1 for Chip. Also might demonstrate a willingness to put a ton of time in each week learning opposing teams’ playbooks to be a decent scout team QB.
Maybe you’re right. I just don’t see Tebow as somehow improving enough to overcome the very serious flaws in his game to become a Chip Kelly #2. More likely that he’s here to replace Kinne, who is apparently moving on. And Chip certainly needs plenty of QB bodies in camp with the way he runs drills.
I don’t think scout team will work. I don’t think Tebow is practice squad eligible because of the time he spent on active rosters.
One thing that has been driving me crazy with regards to Tebow is the notion that Chip is going to have some special package for Tebow where he will use him as a goal line and short yardage QB. This is in the Peter King article and just about every other article I read and I heard many people saying stuff like this on the NFL network. On the NFL network, someone was even talking about how they thought the Eagles could use Tebow to come in and close games and run the four minute offense (I read this somewhere else too).
This is ridiculous. Does anyone really think that Chip is going to pull his starting QB out in short yardage and goal line situations and at the end of games they are winning? Why does there have to be a special package for Tebow? Doesn’t it make more sense that Chip brought him in the see if he can play and if he shows potential, he could win a roster spot? If he is the third QB, I think that is what he will be, meaning he will be on the bench.
Having a package for Tebow doesn’t mean he will play every Goal to go situation. It would be a tool in the toolbox and teams would have to prepare for a zone read/QB power draw element.
It’s out of the box thinking for sure, but I like it. It could have value on gameday and that’s all you can ask for out of your #3 QB (that is, if you don’t have a talented QB you want to develop).
I guess it is a too in the toolbox, but I can’t see Chip wanting to use it often if ever. It seems like Chip would rather rely on his offense, pace, and his best QB instead of bringing in a gimmick. For example, if we are just bringing in a different QB for a zone read/qb power draw element, we didn’t we bring in someone like Polk at Qb at the goaline last year? Polk could probably run a zone read/qb draw and with him and shay, the defense definitely would have to respect the “QB” running more so than with Foles in.
It just seems like, because it’s Tebow, there is a narrative that the coach needs to find some way to get him on the field. Like it is some sort of impossibility that he would be on a roster, but the coach wouldn’t use is “special talents”. However, is “special talents” are only special for a QB and there is plenty of other people on the roster who can run the ball, play special teams, etc.
I don’t mean to argue with you and take no issue with what you said, but I don’t think it will play out that way. But what do I know? I guess we will see!
didn’t we line up Brad Smith for a play near the end zone in Chip’s first year, with Foles out wide. Isn’t putting Tebow in as QB better than that (by “that” I mean the combo including having Foles out wide). I’m not saying I am in favor of such shenanigans, but Chip has done crazier things already.
I hate using him in the red zone. I am more intrigued by using Tebow to go for it on 2 point conversions.
Thing is, I’m not saying Tebow will get the #3 spot. But if Tebow will be on this roster, there has to be something he brings to the table. He’s no development project. There is no value in having him as #3 on the 53 roster if you don’t use him in some unorthodox way. Or, in other words: for Tebow, there are different rules as QB #3, because he has no future as a classic QB. Not because of the public, but because of roster building logic.
And don’t forget, there was this unsuccessful Brad Smith Wildcat QB play in the redzone in 2013. Just because it wasn’t successful doesn’t mean Chip isn’t thinking about those kind of plays. Tebow has terrible mechanics, but he should be able to throw it A LITTLE BIT better than Smith. And he should be the better read option/power run QB than Smith.
Ha ha, I thought of that Brad Smith play when I was writing that post above. That is the one play that makes me scared that I am completely wrong, but I am hoping that that play was an anomoly.
I think we can be agree that even if there is some special plays and/or packages for Tebow (if he makes the roster), he will not be used as extensively as some are suggesting. For example, there is no way he will be the designated “closer” who is brought in to run the 4 minute offense.
“For example, there is no way he will be the designated “closer” who is brought in to run the 4 minute offense”
I’m totally with you on that one. I could imagine one or two Tebow goalline packages per game. There will be weeks with 0, there could be weeks with 5. But of course he won’t play a major role.
Q: What does Tebow have in common with Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford, and Matt Barkley.
A: They were all drafted too high.
Sam Bradford wasn’t drafted too high. He was fulfilling his potential until he was injured.
Further, almost every quarterback is drafted too high because the premium nature of the quarterback position demands that people pay a premium to acquire untested and risky quarterback candidates. Saying that a quarterback was drafted too high is probably true in 9 out of 10 cases.
When was Sam Bradford fulfilling his potential? In DVOA, he was ranked 40th, 20th, and then 10th for 7 games from 2011-2013.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/player/24305/sam-bradford
AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2010).
From Sam Bradford’s Wikipedia entry:
During October and November, he established a record for most consecutive passes without an interception for a rookie (169), which ended with an interception by William Moore in a home game against the Atlanta Falcons on November 21.[70] On November 28, 2010, against the Denver Broncos, Bradford became the first rookie in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions during a road victory.[71] He capped November by becoming the first rookie QB to win two consecutive Offensive Rookie of the Month awards.
On December 26, Bradford surpassed Peyton Manning’s record for most completed passes by an NFL rookie quarterback (326). Bradford finished the season with 354 completions out of 590 attempts, surpassing Manning’s record of 575 for most attempts by an NFL rookie quarterback. Bradford became just the third rookie quarterback to start all 16 regular season games and pass over 3000 passing yards, joining Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan.[72][73]
Yet still ranked 40th in DVOA by the end of that year.
In other words, he won a popularity contest and managed to hit on lots of screens without screwing them up.
Wow, you really don’t want to let facts get in the way of your argument. He was only the third QB to pass for more than 3,000 yards in his rookies season. He had an extremely successful rookie year and then got hurt early in his second year in the league. If you’re not going to acknowledge existing facts, then there’s not point in talking with you (and even less point in listening to you).
You are looking at the wrong facts. The ones correlated to winning are the ones to be concerned with. Try digging deeper.
“You are looking at the wrong facts. The ones correlated to winning are the ones to be concerned with”
I could point out to you that the Rams went from a 1-15 record in 2009 to 7-9 record during Bradford’s 2010 rookie year but I doubt that fact would alter your position since your position was obviously constructed despite of, rather than in reliance upon, facts.
Looking deeper into the stats would suggest they improved in spite of his 40th in the NFL performance. Feel free to respond with another personal attack.
Hmm. So the Rams improved form 1-15 to 7-9 DESPITE Bradford’s play. How convenient. And once again you point to DVOA while conveniently failing to list DVOA for 2010 AND ignoring every other fact that counters your argument. To quote you:
“In DVOA, he was ranked 40th, 20th, and then 10th for 7 games from 2011-2013.”
I can’t help but notices that you failed to list 2010.
Your original contention was that Sam Bradford was drafted too high. I’ve provided facts that challenge your contention. If you think that constitutes a “personal attack” then just remember that your gripe is with reality, not me.
who cares? there’s no reason to argue on the blog. If chip can make MS look decent i’m excited to see what he can do for sammy b.
I don’t have his DVOA for 2010.
His QB rating was 76.5. 25th in the league. One slot worse than Redskins-era McNabb. Bradford’s YPA, the most important stat, was the 2nd worst in the league. (That is why I said he was throwing a lot of screens and passes around the line of scrimmage).
Perhaps you still feel he was good. Given that, the rest of his career, he has played mediocre at best (thus, 40th, 20th, and then 10th in DVOA)–the rare amount of time he has been on the field. Therefore, is one year of good production worth a 1st year draft pick (and the extreme $ that meant at the time)? The answer is no.
Football games are won by teams, not individual players. Attributing the wins to Bradford is a media narrative, and the stats show he was mediocre at best. Throwing for lots of yards is something bad teams do because they are always behind. Rookies who get paid $86 million are going to play and get plenty of work in because they are getting paid $86 million. QBs who throw for lots of yards get attention for awards whether or not it contributed to teams winning or it was empty stats, throwing for 8 yards on 3rd and 10 and such.
I’m going to leave it at that.
all first round busts, the new stable of Eagle QBs, reclamation projects. Okay, Sanchez and Bradford are in between but more fun to just label busts, just not on the lowest level. No fixing Sanchez though, I think we know what he is. I can maybe give him a bit of a pass based on the late season difficult schedule at the end of last season, but no passes on any Redskins game.
Re: rule experts
I found this snippet in another forum:
First of all: is this true? I assume so.
Second of all: did they change this rule?
Third, if the answer to 1 and 2 is yes and no: what does it mean for Tebows chances to make the roster? I assume the NFL won’t accept the “he’s a Personal Protector, STer, Wildcat and emergency QB for us” trick the Eagles could use. If he’s listed as QB, and Tebow wants that, and he’s active, I don’t think the Eagles could do whatever they like.
They could list him officially as #2, but what if Bradford goes down in the first quarter? Playing almost 3 quarters with Tebow doesn’t help you, if you could have Sanchez in there, who is at least capable to beat bad teams. You could simulate a injury to Tebow (Belichick style bend of the rules), but what if Sanchez goes down in the 2nd quarter? Miracle cure for Tebow? The NFL won’t tolerate that, imo.
If you can’t have Tebow in there in specific goalline packages and for 2 point conversions, you’re better off not having 3 QBs active. And if Tebow is not active, you’re better off having Barkley or a development QB as your #3. The thing that Tebow could bring to the table is something extra out of your 3rd string QB. If that isn’t allowed, he’s just a QB with terrible throwing mechanics.
I am pretty sure the somment refers to the emergency QB rule, which was eliminated a few years ago. It allowed the QB to enter under special conditions without counting against the 45-man active roster. I believe they eliminated the rule and just changed 45 to 46.
Would be great if you’re right.
No funny comment, for a change, but very helpful. 🙂
Yeah, every now and then I have some actual knowledge to share and don’t need to resort to humor.
The rule is gone.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/22/nfl-drops-third-quarterback-rule-46-active-players-on-game-day/
Thank you!
Terrible throwing mechanics more than 2 years ago. The article just said that he has had many hours working with House to improve his mechanics. And confidence.
No. He will never be good enough. He can improve, of course, but he was so far off, he will never be a good enough passer to be a capable thrower in the NFL.
Doesn’t mean he can’t be a wildcat QB who throws some passes, though.
#1 used to be true but no longer. There is no 3rd QB rule any longer; you activate him or you don’t, if he’s active he can play whenever you want, if not he can’t.
What I find interesting is that as a QB Tebow is a running threat, and this is the first time Chip has put a dual threat QB on the roster since Dixon in year 1.
Also, I wonder what Tebow learned from Brady and House, and whether Day/Chip brought him in to teach that to Bradford and/or bring that culture to the QB room. No one is going beyond the name in the headline, but there is actually plenty of intreague in this move about Chip.
You’re forgetting Kinne. Kinne can run.
Only had Dixon as a dual threat?
http://www.fiveboroughhoops.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Chip-Kelly-and-Michael-Vick.png
I wish Vick would have gotten out of the way for this pic because you are trying to illustrate Nick as the dual threat guy.
it’d be hilarious if we brought mv7 back as a backup
I used to go to House for pitching lessons every January before the season would start. If there’s anyone who can fix Tebow, it’s him.
I’m still skeptical.
Did you pitch in the bigs?
No just minors.
House sees lots of MLB guys but there just aren’t a lot of those guys in general. 90% of the people when I’d be there were college guys who are draft prospects or MiLB guys. Or MLB FAs looking to get picked up.
House sees more guys than what people are aware of, including non-baseball guys. The football thing with QBs he’s really picked up only in the past 10 years or so. He used to have his pitchers warm up throwing footballs too because he believed it helped with arm slot on breaking balls.
In the 4 or 5 winters I went out there to work with him for a few days, there were probably 8-15 guys there at a time. Big league guys would show up at random to throw, 2-3 per day usually.
After seeing House, I would come back and have this feeling of an “afterglow” that would really help me out mechanically/mentally for a month plus. But it’s just like anything – you need to keep working on it and working on it with his guidance the whole time if you really want it to stick.
Tebow isn’t just going to magically be fixed because he got in 10,000 reps with House. He needs to keep seeing him this spring and summer etc.
And even then it might not matter. Let’s see how this dude looks in a game situation and if he doesn’t instantly revert to more comfortable or familiar mechanics/approach.
If he even gets as far as the preseason games.
Great stuff.
Who is the QB coach this year? Could he be a further good fit for Tebow, and the others? We saw with Foles how he regressed last season with the change in coaching.
Ryan Day who played for Chip at UNH and was OC for Boston College the last two years (here’s Tommy’s old post about him when he was hired: http://igglesblitz.com/2015/01/more-on-day/).
He is a Chip guy through and through. You’d think he’d be in touch with House to make sure this stuff translates as much as possible.
I wonder what Chip thinks about House. I could see football guys being skeptical.
part of the bad reputation Tebow has is that, people have been tweaking and working on his mechanics for years, and every time people think they have fixed his throwing motion, when he gets in the game and live bullets start to fly his “new mechanics” go out the window..
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Dawkins played with him in Denver and addressed the Tebow signing yesterday, and he also said that his mechanics go out the window when the live bullets start flying but the Locker room in Denver had this belief that IF they kept the game close, 5 minutes left in the game, tebow would stop thinking, and he ends up playing his best ball.. so the Denver defense needed to be sharp, the Punter had to have big games helping the field position, and the FG kicker had to make every kick with Tebow as their QB, because thru all his flaws, the players in the locker room, even veterans like Dawkins believed that if they kept the game close, 5 minutes left in the game Tebow would play his best ball and give them a chance to win……
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and Dawkins ripped Tebow plenty in the interview so it wasnt him fluffing up his former teammate
I wouldn’t want to be in a position where I need to keep the game close and hope my QB can finally start to play well down the stretch. It’s hard to argue with the fact that he has had some limited success in those kinds of situations, but it seems fluky to me more than anything and I certainly wouldn’t want to count on it happening. You also have no margin for error.
It’s been two plus years since he has even been in the league – we’re going to see a bit of a different guy out there when and if it happens. For better or for worse.
oh trust me, this isnt my cup of tea either…
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we dont have a good enough roster to look towards game manager types like Trent Dilfer, who just handed the ball off all game, counted on stellar defense, FG kicker, Punter and the RB..and once a game, throw a pass to Shannon Sharpe who breaks a tackle and makes a monster play with yards after the catch…
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I would rather trade for Mike Glennon as our #3..
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there are plenty of young talents worth taking a flier on, instead of a retread…
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had i known we would sign Tebow I would have hoped we signed Terrel Pryor after we worked him out..
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only way I’ll be happy with Tebow is if he is willing to be a ST beast, and try his hand at TE. If he is willing to do anything to help this team, I would be fine with keeping him, because Im sure we can find a way to use him his size/athleticism combo
Cool insight. Thanks!
My first year out there in 2002 Cole Hamels was one of the 8 people in the group for those few days. I believe he had just come off of being a 1st round pick but hadn’t played in the minors at all yet due to his recovery from a broken arm. He must have only been 17 or 18 at the time but you could tell he was already nasty. Dirty change and pinpoint with everything. Effortless.
I’m 40 years old and top out at 70 mph. Think he can still turn me into a LOOGY? I can totally strike out Howard and Utley.
If the capability to strike out Howard and Utley was the barrier to entry for a LHP, then I think you might be in luck 🙂
One thing’s for sure, if Tebow makes it all the way through training camp as a QB, the coaches will have tape on him making hundreds of throws and will be able to determine his viability in Chip’s playbook.
As for the media circus, I could see Chip going a couple ways with this – he could institute the Belichick approach of he’s just another player trying to make the team and leave it at that, or he could entertain Tebow questions to use up the press conference time and not have to discuss anything else regarding the team (kind of a nice FU to the idiots that choose to continually write about all things Tebow).
I dont know, Tebows attraction has definitely worn off quite a bit. He wasnt a distraction on Pats and it even died down a bit on the Jets. Of course the initial signing is way too much talk but Im not worried about the circus but there will be some for sure when camp starts.
So – Eagles vs. Buff week 1?
i wanna open @ dallas… Demarco should be itching to trample their defense!
wonder if they will backload all the tough division games again at end of schedule
part of why i want to open with a division opponent because Im sick of the play your rival twice in one month… takes some luster out of those games… teams evolve over the course of a season, teams gel together, others get ripped apart by injuries… its way more fun to play a rival once early in the year, and then once again in december… NFL needs to stop bunching together all the division games. i hate it
Why not? They try to do it in every division.
No. The other 350 million residents of the USA don’t give a rat’s patootie about McCoy or Alonso or Rex Ryan or even Chip Kelly. Television is about selling advertisers’ products. The current Super Bowl winner against a team that has made some headlines during the off season, especially grabbing Murray from ‘Americas Team”, gag, would look far more attractive to CBS.
It doesn’t change your point that much, but NBC will be getting the current Super Bowl winner on Thursday night and if we were to play the Bills on week 1, it would likely be on CBS, and could be considered a pretty nice game for CBS.
I’d prefer not to draw the Pats on that Week 1 Thursday. It would be fun, but I’d rather give Chip some more time to try to figure this team out before the Eagles have to play them. Lot of turnover this offseason to be rolling on all cylinders right at the beginning of the year. I’ll take a cupcake for Week 1, please.
i’m in get it out of the way camp. most likely be a loss, get the TNF game out of the way. only thing worse than playing on a short week is playing on the road on a short week.
So you basically are saying the Eagles don’t have a chance against the Pats no matter when it occurs, so therefore better to prioritize rest schedule?
realistically, mid April, yes. talk to me 3 days prior to game, much different story.
the schedule comes out today but I am pretty sure whatever it is we looking at 11-5.
or better be.
only 2 games i care about, time wise, are Pats, let’s get that stupid TNF game out of the way, and Panthers hopefully 1 or 4pm Sunday start, since i have tickets but not if it’s SNF or MNF.
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Carolina is a great road trip game, easy access to stadium, hotels are empty and city’s bars have no issue being taken over by other fans.
Less than two weeks till Christmas and hoping Santa brings me two offensive linemen. Out of Collins, Clemmings, and Fisher who projects best to guard in the near term?
hopefully we dont get “coal in our stocking” this year aka Danny Watkins…
the good thing is chip would never draft a guy like that. A guy he drafts may not be good, but at the very least he’ll be dedicated to football.
shawn Andrews would have never been an eagle either. he had the “doesnt love playing football” label attached to him going into the draft… and it turned out to be true, we passed on Vince wilfork who is still playing today
I would not be mad about any of the 3. I’d rank them Collins, Clemmings, then Fisher in my amateur opinion.
Clemmings.
would love to see Clemmings body d-lineman for us — would be great on goal line / 3rd and short, which is why i think you take him over the other guys. He has the power to move men.
Any chance we’ll run more man blocking s instead of zone blocking plays this year?
The beauty of Clemmings at RG for us in year 1 is it plays to his brute power. It still allows you to use his great athleticism to pull, and get out in space on screens, and he can still do everything that Todd could do but he’s a mauler in the run game. And it hides him from speed rushers while he continues to improve his footwork and adjust to life in the NFL.
Collins is also powerful but he bends at the waist too much and I think that could be a tougher thing to overcome in our scheme.
Chris Brown (smartfootball not scumbag) thinks we could see more power schemes this year. I think maybe you could see it situationally, but frankly if the inside zone is the play on which all other plays derive from in our offense, I’m not sure how to run inside zone with a power blocking scheme.
I never seen such a crappy, irrelevant player get so much attention…
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Has a crappier player ever gotten this much attention?
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oh we are going to make him relevant again!
signing of tim tebow should be a minor tidbit in the news that barely even gets noticed… this is less relevant then the signing of Jeff Maehl. Maehls signing deserves more attention then this lol….. I just never seen anything like this.
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the closest thing I can compare this to is Notre Dame making a big deal about tiny, pudgy little “Rudy”…
Maehl signed again??
nooooooooooooooooooooo lol God No…’
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I meant it should be no bigger news then when we signed Maehl
LOLOLOL!! Ok gotcha man! I was like WHEW!!
whats wrong with the maehl man?
He doesn’t deliver on Sundays?
Probably not, but Manziel is kind of an interesting parallel case.
Maybe to the press. Manziel is really just a child who never had to grow up until now.
yeah he is probably the closest thing… only Manziel hasnt really had a chance to completely fail yet. there are still silly fans out there that probably think he can play in the NFL…. it still baffles me how billion dollar organizations can pay front office executives Millions of dollars and end up drafting Tebow or Manziel in round 1.. smh…
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Those players should have fallen down to like round 4 the way Matt Barkley did. Funny, that if Barkley hadnt gotten hurt, he would have been a top pick and we may be talking about him like tebow and Manziel by now as a player that clearly wasnt a first round talent who some boneheaded front office idiot drafted about 4 rounds too early..
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who was the jackass who wet his panties when Johnny Text him during the draft telling him “come draft me so we can wreck the NFL together?” LOL who was it? is he still the Offensive coordinator or QB coach of the Browns?
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Im sorry, but if you are the reason your organization spent a first round pick on Manziel or Tebow, you should NEVER work in the NFL again. sounds cruel, but that the equivalent of organizational malpractice..shouldnt take a brilliant football mind to know Tebow and Manziel had “Great college player, crap NFL player” written all over them going into the draft.
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I think Joe Kapp was a local hero in Minneapolis, and he rarely threw a spiral. He knocked over some linebackers….hey, that…nevermind.
There has been more than one Head Coach who came into the league with fresh ideas and was vilified for them. Bill Walsh was totally demeaned for his “little west coast offense”. That was stated as an insult by Bill Parcells, for one, after being fired by Paul Brown. Walsh was criticized heavily for some of his draft choices, including Jerry Rice at the time. Jimmy Johnson was torn to shreds during his first couple of years for bringing his Miami players and his new attitude. Pete Carroll was rejected twice and ridiculed in Seattle for a time. All of those coaches eventually won Super Bowls and admiration. NONE of them went 10-6, 10-6 in their first 2 years.
It’s just as foolish to throw a coach in the dumper after 2 years as it is to throw a player after 1 year. The number of high drafts who did not excel in the first year is monumental. Including the above-mentioned Rice, who had first year stone hands. Long rant. Stopping now.
well then, superbowl it is.
finally!
You n-e-v-e-r know!
who is throwing Chip in the dumpster?
Did I miss something? Is Chip being threatened?
Apparently, Trashcan was not happy with missing the final cuts in training camp last year.
the funniest part about the Tebow dynamic is when we sign him, all our media complains and rips the move because we dont need the “circus”… yet the same media donkeys fixate on him every single day and the media is what creates the circus… you dont like the circus? how about not making such a big deal about “Mr. Irrelevant”?
I always think it is funny when the media acts like they are just observing the “circus”, when they are causing the “circus”.
they have the power to end the circus, yet they never do… they prefer to throw gasoline on the fire instead of throwing a bucket of cold water on it….. I also get a kick out of the brainwashed fanboys
The Thursday morning of the draft(or the day before cant remember), Marynowitz will finally be made available to the media for a pre draft chat…
This Thursday, a week before the draft.
oh nice…. wonder how frequent he will be made available to the media as head of personnel department. Media used to have access to chip, and howie on occasions. Will Marynowtiz talk after drafts, or introductory press confrences for Future players like Howie did in addition to Chip?
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Is Marynowitz going to end up filling Howie’s media responsibilities, or is this just another way for chip to limit media access? there are times when the Coach and then the GM talks about a situation, Chip isnt going to let you interview him as a GM, and 10 minutes later let you interview him as the coach, and technically, Marynowitz isnt the GM so he isnt really required to speak as a GM…
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curious to see how often Marynowitz will be made available to the media compared to Howie… Obviously Howie also did EXTRA media that he wasnt required to do like the weekly radio show from chickies and Petes, and obviously we wont see anything lack that from Marynowitz so no matter what, we are losing access with howie being “promoted”…
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HOW MUCH access will we lose by having Chip wear both GM and Coach hat, and giving Marynowitz the title of “head of personnel” instead of General Manager. There are times when we have access to hear the coach talk and the GM talk… during those times will we hear from Chip AND Marynowitz, or will we lose our access to the GM?
It wouldn’t surprise me if Chip thought Howie talked to the media too much and that was a source of friction. Howie had a radio show and would sit down with Spadaro and the website and talk about moves. Chip does what the NFL makes him do and other that it’s “Dave, do you think you’re special just because you work for us? You’re media scum just like the rest of them. WALL OF SILENCE!!!!”.
LOL love it… “Dont tell em nothing Donnie. Keep your mouth shut. Don you tell them nothin”-Lefty “Donnie Brasco”
It’s Eagles Vs Cowboys in SNF opener apparently.
1-0
Hardy won’t be playing, so there’s that!
Bradford to murray
Hoping to see a lot of this for TDs.
really excited for Bradford/demarco era… just give me a top OL, and 1 more pass catching weapon, and I want Jesse James..
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add Barret Brooks as one of the few who thinks Bradford can be great with Chip kelly…
Bro I am real excited, truly believe that if we can keep Bradford upright then this offense can take it to the next level.
absolutely… if we dont get ravaged by injuries, i expect this to be the best team since Chip became coach,.
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heck just our ability to get of the field on 3rd down improving should be a HUGE improvement that has a major positive effect on this season for us…
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we need injury luck closer to the 2013 season, then the 2014 season….
Agreed we definitely need luck on our side as well as a good draft so we have some good depth.
I would also like to see Miles charge Jerry about 1 million per touchdown.
That would also be a very exciting thing to see!
wheres the link?
A friend told me. Not confirmed.
Twitter
jimmy Fallon wrecked Tebow … “tebow threw a celebration party for himself after being signed, but it got interceoted and returned for a TD”..LOL
what a satan worshiper
our season will go as far as the offensive line takes us.
Demarco was a leading rusher because dallas put together a good offensive line with top draft picks. if we have him running behind and inferior line due to age or injuries or depth he wont be as good, like shady wasn’t. he can get more from smaller holes since falls forward but we have to set him up. and if the o-line ain’t killing it, Bradford takes the brunt from a lack of running game.
but I don’t think you run to set up the pass, you pass to set up the run.
we have to get someone good in the draft on the line.
if we had to play a game today, I think our OL would be fine with Barbre at RG, but there is no reason why we have to settle for “:Fine”..
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No doubt in my mind that hands down, BANE Johnson will be the top RT in football this year, and he will start getting recognized as such league wide. Kelce is as good as it get for a center, Mathis and Peters im sure will still be an eliten run blocking tandem on the left side, and Barbre should be able to hold his own just fine if we need him to step up…
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But even if we are fine with Barbre at RG, we need to improve the talent level of our depth to protect from having to go thru anything like last season. some of our backups still have some nice promise like Tobin, but in a chip kelly offense, with the pressure 3 and outs can put on our defense, Offensive Line play is more important then ever, so even if I think our starting 5 today is good enough to line up and play with, I still wouldnt mind seeing us draft two more talented lineman.
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I know its not sexy to talk about, but we have to draft a Center, hello Hironiss Grasu. I think some of our backups are better then people give credit for, but Molk isnt one of them. He can not be Kelce’s backup. He was manhandled last season getting blocked into our QB;s lap far too often. as awesome as Kelce is, we cant turn a blind eye to the fact that he has missed a significant amount of time because of injuries during the start of his career..hurt in 2012, hurt again last year..Molk cant be our backup, so unless we think Vandervelde is the answer to backup Kelce, we have to get a young center with legit NFL talent on our bench as insurance.
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Fortunately chip is smart enough not to draft a pure center. The Offensive lineman chip will draft will have positional versatility, so even if its not Grasu, Chip is going to have to draft a swing interior lineman who can play Center AND Guard… we looked a this position last year in the predraft process when we brought Martin in for a visit from USC…
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Everyone talks about the need for a Guard who can also slide over at tackle eventually, but we need a G/C just as much, if not more right now… Getting a good backup center who is an athlete, but who also brings more girth and size to the position then Kelce weighing close to 300lbs would be a nice back up to have for a team with a smaller center with an injury history…and it he helps that he is known as a very intelligent, high character guy who has thrived in chip kellys tempo and was recruited to Oregon by our Head coach…
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Lets draft a T/G and a C/G and get our line in place for the next few years, and also be equipped to handle the eventual departure of Peters and MAthis..
For a few years its been looking like Trent Cole has been blocking the breakout of B dot Grizzle, aka Brandon Graham, who has been racking up top grades at his position for a few years now… This year, im very anxious to find out just how good Graham can become in a full time role. If his pressure percentage remains the same when we give him double the snaps he has been getting, he will have a Monster season, but thats far from a given… we cant just assume he will maintain his lofty pressure percentage numbers as he goes from playing about 33% of snaps, to 70-75% of the snaps…If the percentage remains the same, we will have a beast on our hands.
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I do expect BG pass rush to be an upgrade to Cole’s at this stage of his career, but one thing we cant take away from Cole is his run defense. The man was still a beast at setting the edge against the run, consistently playing run defense at a high level. Hopefully BG can take over and maintain the level of excellence against the run that we probably took for granted with Trent Cole..
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setting the edge is a very important part of run defense, and Cole could be counted on to do his part at a high level that helped us grow into a run defense that gave up an average of like 3.6 yards a carry the last two years, and finished last season as a stingy 5th ranked run defense..
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Cedrick,Cox,Logan, Beau should all be a year older and tougher against the run. Kiko adds a monster Keuchly tyoe in run defense to what already was a top 5 run defense…as long as BG can give us what Cole gave us in the run game, our run defense should be spectacular next season…with the playmaking of Kiko and Kendricks flying around the middle of the field and an elite young Front line that is going to start making a name for itself nation wide..
It now looks like that the Giants will kick off against the Cowboys at SNF.
you are now 0-1
Lol
Per Raph Vacchiano of the NY Post:
Week 17 – Giants at Eagles
No, it won’t be to decide the division. At that point, we’ll be 14-1 and they’ll be 7-8.
16-0
According to the NY drug network the Eagles will host the Giants in the season finale on 3 January. Let’s see if Tebow will play in a meaningless game after the Eagles will have secured home field advantage by week 10.
It’s Timmy time! I totally want him to light it up in the 4th quarter of a preseason game and get that chorus of braying mules that follows him from team to team all riled up and DEMANDING that we start Tebow or we hate jesus or somesuch.