Better Be Better

Posted: June 22nd, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 162 Comments »

The Eagles defense was erratic in 2013, but they showed real potential at times. They had a 9-game stretch of holding teams to 21 points or less. With players adjusting to a new scheme, new positions and new coaches, that was pretty impressive. That unit did finish 29th in yards allowed, but was 17th in scoring defense. That looked like a good foundation with hope for the future.

Instead of taking a big step forward, the 2014 defense went the other direction. They only held 5 teams all year to 21 points or less. There was the great Sunday night shutout of the Giants. There was a dominant Monday night win over the Panthers. Too many other games weren’t so fun. The Eagles finished 28th in yards allowed and 22nd in points allowed.

The defense would look great for parts of games, but they just couldn’t sustain that level of play. The big issue was X-plays, the Chip Kelly term for passes of 20 or more yards. The Eagles were burned by all kinds of players and plays. Allen Hurns, Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, DeSean Jackson, Dez Bryant, Frank Gore, Kenny Britt, Arian Foster, Jordy Nelson and Doug Baldwin all burned the Eagles for big plays, most of them long TDs. Rookies. Veterans. Stars. RBs. WRs. Anyone and everyone. Ugh.

As much as we talk about Sam Bradford and the OL, the Eagles also need good defense in order to win big in 2015. I wrote about that for my PE.com column.

The good news…this is the most talent that Bill Davis has had to work with. There are still some holes and some question marks, but this group has a good combination of size, skill, athleticism and experience. This will be the third season in the 3-4 for many of the players. They should be in a real comfort zone when it comes to this scheme.

I think there is better depth this year. There looks to be real competition at ILB and CB. That wasn’t the case in the past. The DL could turn out to be plenty deep if the young guys develop as expected.

When you think about the defense, Malcolm Jenkins might be the most important player. He is the only proven starter at S. He is the only returning starter in the secondary. If he goes down, things get very interesting in a hurry.

I don’t know if the defense will be better. They need to be better, that’s for sure. And I think they can be better. There is hope.

* * * * *

Whether Bill Davis can run a top flight defense is a whole other subject.  I’ll do that as a full and separate post in the near future.

_


162 Comments on “Better Be Better”

  1. 1 Jason said at 3:00 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I have some thoughts on this subject. But I would much rather hear from GEAGLE first to help me formulate them.

  2. 2 nevadausa16 said at 4:19 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    nothing like a rambling, repetitive, 300+ word comment to organize your thoughts around. what’s really great is knowing that it’ll all be repeated in 30-40 minutes another 3-4 times.

  3. 3 xmbk said at 4:31 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Wow, doggin a guy for writing long, thought out responses on a fan forum. That’s harsh. At least the guy does his research and has some good insights, unlike a lot of the short and pithy posts.

  4. 4 Jason said at 4:46 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Xmbk, are you new to football? And the English language?

  5. 5 xmbk said at 6:02 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Lol, don’t drag me down to your level. Is 4 decades of playing and coaching enough for you? Nevermind, don’t really care what your answer is.

  6. 6 xmbk said at 7:18 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Short and pithy – nice. 😉

  7. 7 Bert's Bells said at 5:16 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    No.

  8. 8 TypicalDouche said at 7:14 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I just read some of your previous comments. Are you obsessed with Geagle? Most of your comments are either directed at about him/her. You my friend have a serious obsession problem with said person. Don’t try to knock somebody while in turn only talking about said person. You seem like a clown and a hypocrite for that. I hope Geagle continues with his post and see how you respond after I just put you on the spot for having an internet obsession with him/her.

  9. 9 daveH said at 10:16 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    (I thought Jason was being serious ..I didnt take it sarcastically..so I upvoted him because I do like reading G Eagle’s shhheyat!)

  10. 10 Jason said at 11:51 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I strongly suspect GEAGLE will continue with his incoherent ramblings even after you have put me on this untenable spot.

    As I strongly suspect that someone taking the time to defend GEAGLE’s analysis will continue to live up to his/her blog handle.

  11. 11 RogerPodacter said at 4:47 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    it does seem rather counterproductive to add a comment about someone else commenting a lot.

  12. 12 Cafone said at 3:29 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    The Eagles have to have one of the best front 7s in football.

    That said, any proclamations on the improvement of the secondary should probably wait until the season starts. Malcom Jenkins isn’t as good as many Eagles fans think… he’s ok, a somewhat solid starter, he’s not great. Hopefully Byron Maxwell shines as a #1, but we don’t know yet if he will. And the other two starting positions are still wide open so it’s really a guessing game at this point.

  13. 13 John C said at 3:57 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Basically, if we suck this year it’s scheme not players. Davis needs to be the next replacement on defense if we don’t crack top 15.

  14. 14 Media Mike said at 6:18 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    10

  15. 15 FairOaks said at 6:44 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Could always be injuries. And we will be very hard-pressed to crack the top 10/15 in per-game stats as we tend to have more plays against than most teams (since the offense tends to have more plays than most, as they work fast). But the per-play averages need to improve.

  16. 16 GEAGLE said at 7:48 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Amazing that people don’t know what a quality defensive coordinator looks like after all we have been thru.. Smh… Billy deserves better…

  17. 17 John C said at 8:06 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    He’s got better. Better players this offseason. The entire defense has been revamped to give him what he wants. So are you saying he has no culpability in its failure—if indeed it fails? Just because he’s different than what we’ve had? Look, I’m pulling for the guy, but after last season’s stomach turning defensive performances, I was ready to take everyone to the woodshed including the coordinator.

  18. 18 GEAGLE said at 9:19 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I’m saying that if you told chip kelly that billy Davis should be on the hot seat because of the coaching job he did these past two years with the talent we had, chip would think you are crazy…
    ..
    I’m dying, waiting for the day that some dumb reporter like Elliot parks asks chip if Billy Davis is on the hot seat, I’d,bet when that happens, we will see the angriest chip has been simce he has been in Philly… I think he would flip out if he heard this city rip the defensive coordinator that saved his ass most of last season enabling us to go 9-3

    I think considering Youth, teaching a new scheme to players that require a completely different way of playing, with the talent and flaws we had on defense, Billy DId as good of a job as we could have realistically hoped for
    ..
    Everyone can do better, we didnt even make the playoffs, so everyone had their share of mistakes..

    But Id bet Chip Kelly is perfectly happy with both Billy Davis and Pat Shurmur and that when one of our beat reporters makes chip aware of this opinion that some think billy has done a bad job and should be on the hot seat, that’s when we will see chip more pissed then he has ever been since taking this job… I think Billy Davis has done an awesome job for the most part, considering real life factors of course

  19. 19 Avery Greene said at 8:43 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I agree, I like Billy D. These things take time. The secondary can’t play worse than it did last year, even with 3 new starters (1 of which understands the scheme from last year).

  20. 20 D3FB said at 11:01 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    THERE IS NOTHING FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED ABOUT THIS DEFENSE FROM A SCHEMATIC STANDPOINT!

  21. 21 John C said at 1:20 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    If you have to wrong players, any scheme can be fundamentally flawed

  22. 22 Bob Scatchard said at 4:05 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I think the biggest plus on D will be the new DB coach, in that he’ll bee able to teach “how and when to turn your head and play the ball without getting a penalty”. This alone should improve our D by at least 40%…

  23. 23 CrackSammich said at 4:53 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I can’t believe how long this narrative has been going. The problem is that Fletcher was continually burnt. Not that he didn’t turn his head once he was already burnt.

  24. 24 Jernst said at 8:37 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    This! A thousand times! Fletcher actually did a real good job of punching out the ball when he was watching the WRs hands and they went to make the catch. The problems were in all the times he got right up in front of the WR in bump and run, let the guy have a free release instead of getting his hands on him and then subsequently ended up a yard or two behind him as he was too slow to keep up as the WR ran down the field past him.

  25. 25 Gary Barnes said at 4:07 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Nothing happens in a vacuum. Major reasons why the defense could not sustain their performance and gave up big plays were the inconsistency of the offense, the refusal to slow down the no huddle scheme, the refusal to hold talent accountable and/or have enough quality depth.

    I agree the depth issues at CB and LB seem to have been addressed, but the starters are still unclear at 1 CB and 1 S spot and we do not know the rotation of the ILB yet. Hopefully, if the starters struggle this season, Kelly & Davis will be aggressive in challenging and/or replacing them with other options.

    The offense hopefully, with the changes at QB and depth at RB should be more consistent, less prone to 3 and outs and turnovers, but again not everything is clear. The OL will have 2 new OG, the WR are very young/inexperienced and the designated starting QB is a big question mark.

    Yes, the defense needs to be better, but football is a team sport and each unit is impacted by the other units. So, in reality, the offense, defense and ST need to all be better or 1-2 of them have to be so dominant that we can carry an under performing unit and still win at the high level we want. It is going to be fascinating to watch and cheer them on.

  26. 26 Ark87 said at 4:22 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    still the defense didn’t help themselves in the T O P either. They blew a ton of opportunities to get off the field all last year. ‘Meco tells people that all the time.

  27. 27 Gary Barnes said at 4:29 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Agreed, as stated the defense needs to play better. I just wanted it to be clear that looking at one unit in isolation is fine for our discussions, but on the field all the units work together and can only succeed together, each one pulling their weight.

  28. 28 xmbk said at 4:34 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Absolutely. Team was obviously out of sync for most of the season last year. I’m confident that Kelly recognized that and is addressing it. If not, the haters will have some reasoning to back up their emotions.

  29. 29 Gary Barnes said at 4:39 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Or the Kellyites will need to step off their soapbox and admit the guy is at least part human and not all infallible god. 😉

    I’m confident too and cannot wait until the games are here!

  30. 30 xmbk said at 6:01 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Yeah, haven’t seen much of the infallible god stuff, at least not in Philly. But so far there’s every reason to be optimistic in what the team might achieve with him as coach. Funny how everyone in Philly wants different results from the past, but the number one criticism of the guy is that he thinks and acts outside of the box. Which then gets translated into calling him arrogant, college boy, etc. Lot of insecurities amongst this fanbase. 😉

  31. 31 MagsMama said at 6:40 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    ‘Funny how everyone in Philly wants different results from the past, but the number one criticism of the guy is that he thinks and acts outside of the box. Which then gets translated into calling him arrogant, college boy, etc.’
    YES. It’s not only foolish, it’s becoming boring.

  32. 32 Gary Barnes said at 6:52 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I live in town and run into the In Chip We Trust types all the time. The guy walks on water in their eyes and they have excuses for everything. It is funny to listen to them and I feel myself wanting to needle them just to see the over-reaction, lol. Again, I’m very confident in Kelly, but certainly do not see any criticism of him as heresy like some. Maybe when he wins a playoff game, that could change. I agree there are a lot of insecure Eagles fans; damage has been done from so many losses and missed opportunities. They want it to work out so badly, but do not dare expect or hope for it.

  33. 33 xmbk said at 7:15 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Fair enough. I live in NoVa now, it can be laughable listening to skins fans.

  34. 34 Gary Barnes said at 7:25 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    That’s for sure 🙂 Redskin fans are notoriously irrational

  35. 35 xmbk said at 4:28 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Not sure how much better the ST could be. Not blowing the Dallas kickoff would put them pretty close to perfect. Of course, that might also have put the team in the playoffs.

  36. 36 Gary Barnes said at 4:31 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    True, the ST were pretty darn great last season and I’d expect actually some regression unfortunately which is why the offense and defense both need to be better.

  37. 37 xmbk said at 4:32 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Agreed. Certainly some reasonable expectations that might be true. But it is put up or shut up time.

  38. 38 Gary Barnes said at 4:34 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Amen

  39. 39 MagsMama said at 6:38 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Surely you don’t expect the starters to be “clear, yet”? In June? Before a single day of training camp? That’s no different than the reporters asking the head coach, every day!, for SIX months in the off-season, who’s your starting QB.

  40. 40 Gary Barnes said at 7:05 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    No, not everything has to be set in stone in June, definitely not. However, we’ve experienced a lot of roster turnover this off-season and most teams in the past who have seen that happen do not always do well. Plus we know Kelly is trying to mold this team as he wants it and may not be totally there yet so expecting more hiccups is not outrageous IMO.

  41. 41 Ark87 said at 4:21 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    It’s a defense filled with bigger guys beating up little guys, not unlike Seattle, and while the bigger guys tend to eat up space really well, maybe they’re more vulnerable to people getting behind them unless you have say, one of the best safeties in all of football making sure that doesn’t happen?Maybe X-plays just come with the territory, but having 2 former corners on the back end might help there.

    The two other factors are pass rush and the possibility of statistical anomaly. A lot of things can happen to make an X play, a perfectly countered play-call, the pass rush not getting home (or even pressure to force the ball out), the secondary not holding up, a perfect ball from a QB (a perfect ball just can’t be defended unless the Wide receiver is tiny and being blanketed by someone much much larger). There’s a lot of room for anomalies. I’m sure the Eagles watched the film to pin point some specific issues.

    Just going off memory it seems like a lot of it was mental stuff with the DB’s on top of the slow CB’s getting roasted. And then on 3rd and long, a ton of plays that might not have quite been X plays, but the team just couldn’t get off the field protecting 8+yards. I don’t know if that’s pass rush or play-call or what.

  42. 42 ACViking said at 4:25 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I saw a clip of Jon Runyon on the CSNsports morning show a couple weeks back.

    Two or three times, when asked about how someone performed or how the offense did, he immediately talked about “football as a team sport” — and performance at one position, or on one side of the ball depends on how the rest of the team performs.

    He spoke with such matter of factness. Great bit.

  43. 43 Ark87 said at 4:31 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    It’s true. On any given play if someone isn’t doing their job, or the guy across from them is doing their job better, it can make everyone look bad (especially the pass rush and DB connection). That said, the buck often stops somewhere, but you can only count on the coaches to know that. It’s not something fans or commentators should be cavalier about.

  44. 44 P_P_K said at 9:02 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Great post.

  45. 45 HawaiianEagle said at 5:39 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    “Football is a team sport?” -Dez

  46. 46 daveH said at 9:56 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    hey I was looking for YOU !!!
    you see my comment above?? ->
    BETTA BE MO’ BETTA
    ..
    c’mon ya cant let a haole beat you on that !!

  47. 47 daveH said at 10:17 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I saw a clip of Halle Berry . .

  48. 48 MagsMama said at 6:44 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    There is the fact also that other teams have professional players and coaches, too! Some of them are great for a reason. They beat EVERY corner and safety and linebacker from time to time. Sometimes you’re the windshield…..

  49. 49 Ark87 said at 7:18 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Well part of the source of the amount of “X-plays” given up is that it was identified by coaches as a point of emphasis to attack us there. When we lost that cardinal’s game we were in a zone coverage called quarters. It was 4th and long. They put Larry Fitzgerald on a slant heading Nate Allen’s way and he hesitated on that, thinking about the first down while a no-name (at the time) speedster went deep for a touchdown (to be fair the route was ran down the seam of Cary Williams and Nate Allen’s zone, and neither of them acted fast enough to get an angle on the ball). With the game on the line they threw a bomb to the no-name speedster instead of the most reliable hands on the team on an intermediate route. That sort of tells you the type of disparity there was between the quality our front seven and back 4. And the fact that 3/4 of those back 4 are gone while only Trent Cole moved on of the front 7 starters.

  50. 50 unhinged said at 5:44 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    My understanding of the play you cited was that Fitz was in Allen’s support area and Williams was the protection deep. Williams knew that Brown was a sprinter, and he could have – should have ignored everyone else. I commend your memory and your reprisal, but I find your conclusion missing something. Coaching is key on a payoff play like that, and with better ILB coverage, and a better grasp of Arizona’s intentions, Allen may have been able to offer much deeper support on Williams’ zone. Linebacker quarters play is crucial, and in that situation, Davis should have been telling the back 5 (secondary and MLB) to make run D the sacrificial goat because of the time, but quarters isn’t taught that way, and ADAPTING can only work when everyone is aware and focused and competent to adjust. In fairness to Bill Davis, Arians showed the exact same formation as the Fitz TD, and the threat of Palmer going back to him was real, and those sluggo routes can easily end up in the end zone. Bottom line, at that time of the game, you need to respect the no.1 receiver, but you cannot let any opponent beat you deep, and the “cheating” by the back 4 to support run and middle field should have been explicitly nixed by Davis. As I noted previously, Davis has an improved unit, and the lessons of experience. I can’t wait to see Arizona at the Linc. Palmer was using a lot of 1-step drops that frustrated our pass rush, and that is when a 3-man rush, a clogged middle field, and a couple of ball hawks deep can do some damage. Throw in the occasional delayed blitz, and it could lead to a turnover. Arizona will be a great test for our new and improved D.

  51. 51 Ark87 said at 8:47 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    that’s a fair point

  52. 52 unhinged said at 4:23 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    “The defense would look great for parts of games, but they just couldn’t sustain that level of play. The big issue was X-plays, the Chip Kelly term for passes of 20 or more yards.”

    Sustaining a high level of play would unquestionably have been a more attainable goal had the offense not led the league in coughing up the ball. And I believe that the X-plays were partially to do with Ryans absence, and also because there was a decided push to correct 3rd down issues from 2013. Almost the same secondary from 2013 to last season, but different different points of focus, and different stress points. I think acquiring Alonso will be a big lift for that group.

  53. 53 GEAGLE said at 5:58 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    When you look at the X plays, how many X plays did we give up that wasn’t the fault of Bradley Fletcher and Nate Allen? Add Cary Williams into the equation and I assume those 3 players would combine for a massive percentage of the number of X plays we gave up last year….

    So much of last year, the defense played some quality ball, did its job on 1st and 2nd down getting their oppoment in 3rd and Long which us the goal of every defense… Yet from there, we were too often horrible on 3rd down pissing away all the great work the front 7 did on first and seconds down. to make matters worse, we often pissed away the rare 3rd down stop committing some retard penalty that didn’t even have any impacts on us getting the stop on 3rd down. The few times we got a 3rd down stop, we would give our opponent a 1st down with Undiscaplined penalties that we didn’t have to even commit..
    ..
    Nate and Bradley were two pigeons QBs could go after on 3rd down. cary also got lit up his fair share of times but he was one of the main culprits with the idiotic 3rd down penalties bailing opponents out… Bradley Fletcher was NEVER a top notch starting caliber Talent, but he was better then what we saw last year. not only is he nothing special to begin with. He played exceptionally poorly last year losing all confidence by Midseason and never seemed to fight his way out of the quicksand even tho Chip and Billy stood by him and gave him every chance to fight his way out of that slump.. He was terrible Last year!!!

    I have no doubts we will see massive growth/improvement in our pass defense..
    ..At the end of the season, the single biggest difference from the year before should be us showing DRASTIC improvements in our defenses 3rd down percentage,,, Improvements we should see next year:
    ..
    1) Defensive 3rd down percentage
    ..
    2) Offensive time of possesion (even if chip doesn’t care about this stat, I expect big improvements in Time of possesion being a natural by product of switching to the Murray/Ryan Mathews style bruising run game, from the feast or famine, swing for the fences style of shady McCoy,,,
    ..
    3) Should see the best redzone offense numbers we have seen since chip arrived thanks to a combo of adding Power RBs, ERTZ continuining to develope, start to see Sproles in a Wes Welker role in the RZ, what should be the most accurate QB we have had since I have been alive…
    ..
    we have some serious Size we can throw at Secondaries in the REDZONE: Jordan, ERTZ, Coop, Miles, Celek, and the two Power backs,,. I want to see Unbalanced Lines with Lane lining up next to Jason Peters and Barbre, Celek and Coop in the game to Block, and Murray with Ryan Mathews both in the backfield giving us the option to use 230lb Ryan to function as a lead blocker for Murray, or we can use the two backs to keep the defense off balance. they can’t just focus on blowing up the side they think Murray is going to, because they have to respect the possibility of a Fullback dive to the other side when Ryan Mathews is also in the backfield…. When a defense is trying to stop the run in goaline/red zone, the defense pretty much has to anticipate which way the run is going and try to time the snap and blow up the gap they thing the RB is heading to,. If the defense doesnt know if Murray is running left with the ball, or if Ryan is running,right with the ball, 1 split second of hesitation and you won’t get the jump you needed off the snap to have any shot at getting underneath your opponent and stoping the run in the REDZONE,,.
    ..
    Not only can we pound you with our RBs in the REDZONE, but we also have the option to go play action and throw to a bunch of big, jump ball targets

  54. 54 unhinged said at 6:47 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Williams, Fletcher and Allen were definitely big reasons for the X-plays, but I would argue not the only reasons. Bill Davis, trying too often to scheme a happy medium between DB’s supporting weak middle field coverage, and blitzing LB’s to hurry the QB, would more than once, hit the trifecta where QB gets too much time, middle field support is adequate but not helpful because throws were over the top. Quarters coverage is new to Maxwell, but it’s a scheme that Davis uses, and it requires CB’s and linebackers and safeties to be in sync, which many times they were NOT. If ILB has to pick up a crossing receiver and the back to that side is hit with 2 threats, one deep and one where ILB vacated to cover cross, safety is expected to support, but CB can never let receiver get behind him. The time it takes to read this is more time than CB will have to diagnose, and react correctly. Davis likes quarters because it is flexible and can theoretically handle 4 concurrent vertical routes, but no scheme can account for misreads and the confusion that they create. Davis bears a share of the blame for all of the X-plays, but he’s working with a stronger hand now, and hopefully cover 4 will be no problem for any defender.

  55. 55 daveH said at 10:03 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I just hope we RUN if we are ever on the 1 with the super bowl on the line

  56. 56 370HSSV 0773H said at 6:43 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Davis is starting to run out of excuses.

  57. 57 TypicalDouche said at 7:30 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    As much of a Chip fan as I am, Davis is running the preferred defense that Chip wanted to run. Fans are very quick to judge Davis but he is running a system that was hand picked by the head coach. I do agree that Davis is running out of excuses but at the same time Chip must be held somewhat accountable as well for the chosen system and hand picked defensive coordinator.

  58. 58 Avery Greene said at 8:33 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    This year I have faith in Billy D. He’s run both 3-4 and 4-3 as a coordinator and grew up with a father who was a coach and personnel man. It’s in his blood. I really think he has the players this year to make it happen.

  59. 59 GEAGLE said at 7:43 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    No!…. Just Noi!

  60. 60 Davesbeard said at 7:17 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    It’s not just me right, “it’s time for the ‘D’ to stand up” is an absolutely hilarious bit of innuendo?! Did you win some money off of Kempski for that title Tommy?

  61. 61 TypicalDouche said at 7:28 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    You are absolutely on your own on that one guy.

  62. 62 OregonDucker said at 9:25 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Not sure of your intent. Are you suggesting that the Eagles are frauds? Perhaps the D is comprised of losers?

    If so, then fuck off!

  63. 63 Davesbeard said at 4:34 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    http://forums.oce.leagueoflegends.com/board/attachment.php?attachmentid=10843&d=1403243248

  64. 64 SteveH said at 11:27 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Poor OD, sometimes I think he gets a little caught up in his fervor for all things Chip/Eagles.

  65. 65 SteveH said at 10:57 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Haha, didn’t notice that on first viewing but now that you mention it it is almost Freudian.

  66. 66 ICDogg said at 2:30 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Now that you mention it, it was a little stiff.

  67. 67 Ark87 said at 7:59 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Interesting how stats without context play out. Our front 7 put up 49 sacks last season, good for 2nd in the league. It finished 15th place in rushing yards, which would suggest our D-line is mediocre, while our pass rush is horrifically under-rated (NFL.com picked these 2 stats and ran with them). Of course this doesn’t jive with common perception, which is because both stats are warped by the amount of snaps the defense played. The pass rush was fine but not THAT good, they just had a ton of opportunities. And the rush defense was subjected to a ton of rushing attempts that inflate the total rush yards given up.

  68. 68 James said at 10:13 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    The MOST frustrating thing for me last year with the O was Ertz’ lack of playing time. There were several games in which our WR’s were being outmatched and our running game stalled and Ertz was on the sideline. Totally unbelievable. I remember being at the Seahawks game and yelling, “Why the fuck do you have Ertz on the sideline!” when he was clearly our only weapon that would have been able to beat the legion of boom. Chip better wake the hell up and keep him in the game.

  69. 69 Ark87 said at 1:41 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Yeah that breaks down to 2 areas for me. 1 Chip is definitely more about numbers than match ups. Like New England had the perfect game plan to play Seattle (and still barely pulled off the win). Run straight at them. Exploit the difficulty of finding someone to cover Gronk, putting Kam on him wasn’t quite enough. And hit their bigger corners with smaller quick guys like Edelman and Amendola. I mean that’s just classic conventional thinking. Hit them where you can hurt them. We don’t really do that. We just sort of do what we do regardless of the opponent. And if they do what they do better then we lose. There is no plan B, whip out crazy blocking schemes to confuse them ala Belichick in that Raven’s game.

    The second area is what we do is run the ball, so Cooper and Celek will get more snaps than say Huff/Ertz because blocking. God we need Cooper benched. That’s all I want.

  70. 70 OregonDucker said at 9:04 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Do we have a chance at the DANCE? Really, that is all that matters.

  71. 71 RobNE said at 9:04 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Not eligible for the NCAA basketball tourney

  72. 72 OregonDucker said at 9:06 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I’m talking about the boggiewoogie not that square dance!

  73. 73 RobNE said at 9:08 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    This is the year.

  74. 74 OregonDucker said at 9:11 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I honest to God think it is. Big Balls Chip will take more 4th down chances since he has a D he can trust. You will see amazing risk and tremendous wins.

  75. 75 Rambler said at 9:36 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    That really gets me excited to see you write that. I was fairly disappointed in the lack of risk taking from Chip last year, but in retrospect I can see the reasoning. I do think that the D this year will be more reliable and start becoming a strength. Good stuff.

  76. 76 eagleyankfan said at 8:07 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Not doing anything until they can stop the 3rd and longs…let’s hope there’s improvement in that area…get off the field sooner so we no longer have to hear the crap that that offense is the cause for the defensive woes…

  77. 77 EagleNebula said at 11:03 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    And a pair of RBs he trusts

  78. 78 Media Mike said at 5:59 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I still think the NFC belongs to Seattle. We should be the #3 seed, or possibly the #2, but I think Seattle is still the top squad.

  79. 79 MattE said at 8:31 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Packers have Aaron Rodgers. I hate to say it but Romo and that O-Line are going to be in the running until he is done. Suh left Detroit so that side of the ball is screwed. Arizona has that genius Arians (F*ck him) and St. Louis will be riding on St. Nick. No one in the South scares me…..of those options I would say Aaron Rodgers/Packers are probably #2 in my mind, by default we would be a #3 seed or wild card, because no one out of the South is going to do much.

  80. 80 P_P_K said at 9:01 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    With the pick-up of J Graham, the Seahawks are going to be very tough to beat. But every NFL team is just an injury or two away from a losing season. I’m hoping snag the #2 seed, with the homefield advantage.

  81. 81 D3FB said at 10:55 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I would say they have a high probability to make the playoffs.

    After that anything can happen.

  82. 82 EagleNebula said at 11:02 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view1/1665540/footloose-o.gif

  83. 83 ICDogg said at 11:56 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    You just reminded me, I have to go to the store and get some bacon.

  84. 84 RogerPodacter said at 4:51 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    http://media2.giphy.com/media/rK1FyT4UcwVoc/giphy.gif

  85. 85 GEAGLE said at 9:10 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I don’t know exactly when ROWE will be ready to claim his starting outside CB spot.. But I strongly believe that when philly finally has a defense worthy of playing in a city with this rich tradition of Buddy and Jim Johnson’s epic defenses, we can look back and see that 90% of the eventual top defense was already on our roster today… With a few new faces, this defense is going to grow and improve as the weeks go by and guys gel more and more with their new teammates,.by the end of this season it will be clear to everyone that the ingredients to our future top defense were already on our roster today….
    ..
    This will be backed up by the fact that this group will prove that we don’t even need many more defensive additions next offseason, If this group reaches the level I expect it to reach, then next offseason will be quiet, we will focus on extending guys like Cox, Curry, Kendricks, Thurmond and possibly Boykin. I’d bet we feel so good about this defense that we won’t sign more then 1’starting caliber free agent next offseason… I’m expecting to sign a starting safety like George Illoka or Tashuan Gipson, and spend one of our first 3 picks on a #4 outside linebacker….and the rest of our resources will be dumped into improving our offense…
    ..
    Assuming good health, I have little doubt we will easily boast the best defense in our division and’grow into one of the top 5 defenses in the NFC by the end of the season..
    ..
    This time next year we will be Nationally respected and recognized as a top defense going into the 2016 season and 95% of the defenders we will watch make Up a top defense in 2016 are already on the roster today,,,

  86. 86 OregonDucker said at 9:14 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    GE it will be hard to retain these stars after a SB win. But Chip’s focus on culture will driver their decision to stay with the team. Really the call of a band of brothers always overcomes the allure of greed.

  87. 87 botto said at 9:18 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    I just read this about pete carrol and sleep.

    and here I thought the eagles were the only team that slept before games:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/my-q-and-a-with-pete-carroll-and-his-team-of-sports-scientists_b_7615292.html

    fletcher and allen of course slept during games sometimes but hey….

  88. 88 GEAGLE said at 9:26 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    This NBA draft talk might piss me off more then crappy NFL draft talk…
    ..
    What a bunch of crap.. Majority of the people who talk about this draft class, are putting their personal bias into the equation and it’s making for ridiculuos pre draft talk,… We aren’t going to be able to have accurate conversations about the NFL draft if you over rate the kids you got to see in college, while penalizing and under rating the players you didn’t get to see as much of..
    ..
    If Karl Towns played in China, and Porzingis played at kentucky, everyone would talk up Porzingis as the top pick and under estimate Towns simply because they didn’t get to see him enough..
    ..
    Sorry to break it to ignorant close minded fans who rip players simply because they aren’t familiar with them, but the player you see the SIXERS draft on Thursday, I’ll bet that player didn’t play College ball this past year… LOL

  89. 89 GEAGLE said at 9:54 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Porzingis is the most talented player, worthy of the #1 pick overall.. Sixers are going to draft him, only question is do we keep him? Or do we end up trading him for Mudiay and some more assets?… Whether Orlando or the Kings are willing to give us another 1st Round pick will most likely dictate whether we keep Porzingis or Trade him for Mudiay or Hezonja..
    ..
    I’ll be surprised if the player we spend the 3rd pick on played College basketball in the USA this past season. Really we are sitting pretty and can’t go wrong with Porzingis, Mudiay or Hezonja…. I don’t expect Hinkie to fall for the Dangelo Russell mistake, which is really my only concern.., don’t over rate Russell and we will end up with a quality player that can be a key building block moving forward… Wish we could get Mudiay and Porzingis without trading Noel, or Embiid, but that’s not realistic.
    ..
    The Lakers and Celtics want to get rid of the 25th and 26th pick because they want cap space and don’t want to be on the hook for a guaranteed first round contract… Give them a 2nd rounder that they can just cut to move up to 25 and 26 would be BIGTIME for us, we can get a defensive stud that fits the identity we are building aka Rondae Hillis Jefferson, and if we take Porzingis 3rd we could get a PG like Possibly Jerian Grant or Delone Wright!..
    ..
    Wouldn’t mind trading with the Kings:
    kings get:
    Dangelo Russell
    2016 first round pick (thunder)
    2015 2nd round pick
    Sixers get:
    Mudiay
    Nik Stauskas
    2016 1st round pick (top 3 protected)
    …..
    And if we can really get lucky, after we acquire Stauskas, Trade:
    Knicks get:
    Stauskas
    Wroten
    Jerami Grant
    2016 1st round pick (top 10 protected via heat)
    Possibly add Saric if we have too
    Sixers get:
    #4 pick in the draft
    Thanasis Antentenkoumbo
    ..
    Talk about a wet dream.., lol Sixers end up with Mudiay and Porzingis and we would have traded away the heat and thunder picks next year for another top 10 pick via kings. .. We could end up picking 3 times in the top 10 next year which would be crazy..

    If Porzingis doesn’t end up a sixer, better start getting Familiar with Dragan bender who Hinkie will target with the heat pick next year if we don’t end up with Porzingis

  90. 90 ICDogg said at 12:10 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I wouldn’t object to Porzingis or Hezonja for that matter but I don’t understand why you dislike Russell so much. I’d be happy with that pick as well. Great shooter, great passer. As far as Mudiay, I’m concerned. I really want someone who can actually shoot a basketball with some accuracy.

    Porzingis may very well have the biggest upside of this draft. But like Nerlens, it’s going to take a while for him to build up strength and hopefully gain some size.

  91. 91 SteveH said at 12:38 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I don’t think Mudiay is gonna be the pick, considering they already had a guard who couldn’t shoot in MCW, and they got rid of him.

    I think if he’s there Russell will be the pick, or Hinkie might think Porzingis is the BPA and take him despite already having a bit of a logjam of big men.

    Or maybe he’ll trade back and peoples heads will literally explode.

  92. 92 ICDogg said at 1:39 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    There are some trade-back situations I could embrace.

  93. 93 SteveH said at 1:52 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Me too, but there are plenty of people who are already pissed at how the Sixers are rebuilding. Trying to acquire even more future resources rather than spending now makes sense to me, but some people would hate it.

  94. 94 ICDogg said at 2:27 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Well, trading for picks next year makes little sense to me because the Sixers already have potentially four first rounders. But if trading down gets you something you can combine with a future pick or picks to get another high pick in this year’s draft, perhaps you wind up with the 5 and the 7 pick… then it gets interesting.

  95. 95 SteveH said at 11:00 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Yes…. but imagine how many first rounders they might have if they traded again… I vote for 6 first rounders in 2016.

  96. 96 GEAGLE said at 10:57 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Smh.., MUdiay is already a better shooter then MCW, yet he is 4 years younger…you really going To rule out a 19yr old because he isn’t a polished shooter after you saw the drastic improvements inNerlens and Grants shooting after 1 season? … Mudiay is a better shooter then Tony Parker was at the age of 19, yet Brett Brown and Spurs assistance did an excellent job developing Parkers shooting

  97. 97 SteveH said at 11:00 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    It’s less about what I think of Mudiay (I have no fucking clue if his shot will develop or not) and more thinking that since the Sixers ditched someone who was not a great shooter already, I doubt they will take another guy who needs work on his shot.

    I wouldn’t personally have a problem with the Mudiay pick.

  98. 98 Avery Greene said at 11:11 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Someone asked me this on another board. #3 is up and Porzingis and Mudiay are on the board. Who do you take?

  99. 99 Anders said at 4:37 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    My hope is they take Hezonja.

    Yes the Warriors won the NBA finals with one of the best shooting PGs ever, but good PGs are dime in a dozen in the NBA.

  100. 100 Media Mike said at 5:58 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    If Hezonja is a wing who can bomb threes, take the ball strongly to the hoop. and D up anybody else’s 2 or 3; he would be my choice for the pick at 3.

  101. 101 GEAGLE said at 10:05 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    He needs to improve his ball handling, and ability to drive to the basket, along with committing to focusing on defense.
    ..
    But he is easily the best NBA wing prospect in this draft….. Hezonja would be a great Addition….assuming we will choose between Porzingis, Marip or Mudiay, but I’m not sure we would spend the 3rd pick on Mario and Mudiayl If we end up with Mudiay or Heaonja instead of Porzingis, I assume that means we traded back from #3….. at 3, they have to take Porzingis. highest ceiling, most value….. Be surprised if the 3rd pick ISNT porzingis, unless the team we are trying to trade with wants Russell instead….. But if we keep the 3rd pick it has to be Porzingis, the best value
    .,
    All year I have maintained that Porzingis is the ultimate wildcard, a kid so talented that I would understand if he was on of the first two picka. The problem is it’s hard to know which GMs invested the time to be familiar enough with Porzingis to draft him that high….but you can bet, HinkIE and his staff know this player well

    Porzingis would be a great pick, adds serious 3point Fire power, will be a deadly pIck n pop player from day 1, he can hit that 18foot jumper all day with ease… He is 7’2, taller then EMBIID and NOEL. But he would be a great addition because he has a different skill set on offense then our 2 towers, yet he adds another top notch Shotblocker,, with Porzingis, NOEL, EMBIID and Grant we are basically throwing a United Nations BLOCK PARTY….not to mention a Saric/Porzingis pick n roll off will be so hard to defend…
    ..
    The tricky part is, Mudiay is the best PG we will ever have a shot at drafting, next years PG prospects ARENT as good. Yet if we pass on Mari, Jaylen Brown and Malik Newman will be fantastic Wing options in next years draft.. And if we pass on Porzingis, we can get a similar player next year in the #5-10 Range, Dragan Bender,,
    .
    There is an argument that to best maximize our assetsl we get the elite PGS now that you can’t find next year, and use next years picks to make sure we get an Elite Wing and another backup BIG

  102. 102 D3FB said at 10:45 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    And the best part is when they asked if he went to watch Messi since they both played for Barca, he said “No, I made Messi come watch me”.

    That’s big brass balls that Chip could appreciate.

  103. 103 Avery Greene said at 11:13 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    If the Sixers could trade up to get this guy, I love the attitude he brings to the table. Every team needs a firebrand that can play. He’d mesh well with Nerlens, Embiid, and whoever we get at #3.

  104. 104 D3FB said at 11:22 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    He’s my preference at 3.

    He’s got the best combination of upside, and likelihood of achieving it.

    Dream scenario is we get Mario at 3 and then get back into the late first and pick up Tyus Jones to run the point.

  105. 105 Fufina said at 8:10 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I think the problem with people talking about drafts (but NBA specifically) is that people tend to talk in absolutes, when it is much more of a crapshoot and projections you can never be sure about.

    I was initially not a Russell fan, because i thought he was probably the classic over rated college shooter who will struggle to do the same at the NBA level. However having read and watched a lot of tape, looked at different analytic projections and read about him as a person i think he is the right pick at no.3.

    That does not say that i do not like Mudiay/Hezonja as prospects – both can be stars in the NBA, i just think that Russell has the highest chance of being a No.1/No.2 type player.

    Porzingis has the highest ceiling in the draft BUT, by far the biggest flaws and bust potential. The concept that he just builds strength and then will be a functional in the paint sounds fine on paper but has no basis in history – there are almost no examples of players developing that kind of game from nothing in the NBA, and not quickly (normally takes entire career). Because of that and the fact we have Saric/Noel/Embiid already i would not go in that direction personally.

    My bigboard is probably – Towns>Russell>Okafor>Hezonja>Porzingis>Mudiay>Winslow>Cauley-Stein>Johnson>Turner

  106. 106 Avery Greene said at 8:26 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I’d have Porzingis above Okafor. Okafor can’t play D and can’t run the floor that well IMO. Mudiay has played against NBA competition in China and he’s also a very hard worker. What worries me about him is his injury history.

    That said, considering Hinkie, I think we’ve just found our pick.

  107. 107 Fufina said at 9:44 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Think people forget just how good Okafor is offensively, there are plenty of guys who have careers at a all star level who struggle to defend. Okafor needs the entire team built around him – needs a defensive stretch 4 next to him etc, but if you do that is the easiest player to project to be a dominant scorer

    Porzingis has issues just as large as Okafor’s buts offensive skill set is not such an easy transition. He has a great shot but not a natural offensive game as a power forward.

  108. 108 ICDogg said at 9:49 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    That’s fair. Okafor is not a good fit for a lot of teams. I do think, though, that he might not be a bad fit on the Lakers, and I think the Lakers will ultimately decide to take him.

  109. 109 Fufina said at 9:55 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I think he is a horrible fit with Randle since neither of them can defend a lick, and if the Lakers get Rando as has been reported that might be the worst defensive team in the history of the NBA.

    Obviously that is just a short term concern, as you will build long term not for instant impact but i think Okafor would be best with the Twolves (who will end up taking Towns)

  110. 110 ICDogg said at 9:58 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Yeah, I don’t think Rondo makes any sense. Randle? Not sure you make any decisions based on him.

  111. 111 Fufina said at 10:05 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I agree i don’t rate him that highly myself, but the Lakers seem to be super high on him (said he was 4th guy on their board) and they want him to be a success.

  112. 112 ICDogg said at 10:09 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Anyway the Lakers I think are going to try to trade for Cousins.

  113. 113 ICDogg said at 9:45 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I like Porzingis as a 4 and backup 5. I don’t see him as a starting 5 and certainly don’t see him as a 3.

  114. 114 Avery Greene said at 8:24 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I don’t think Porzingis wants to come here and has stated as much. I’d be surprised if Hinkie chose him unless it was a draft and trade type deal. That leaves Mudiay and Hezonja.

    So then we have to figure out if the Sixers are picking BPA or need. They need a PG. If they go need, they’d probably go Mudiay then Russell.

    If they pick BPA (Porzingis issues notwithstanding), I’d think it’d be Towns, Porzingis, Russell Mudiay, Okafor, Winslow, Hezonja. Or this would be my big board with the issue of deciding between Russell or Mudiay.

    Russell has a better shot and a great understanding of the game. Not as athletic as Mudiay. Mudiay can create and bang with the big boys. Sixers do need a PG.

    They could trade Porzingis to another team, but I don’t know what that means, if we can get another young player out of it. I’m not trusting Minnesota to pick the right player, as they could go Porzingis or Okafor. The Lakers may go for Russell, but them getting rid of a PF makes me think they are going big.

    Okafor is strong, but I don’t see him running the floor and playing good defense (which is why he’s lower on my big board. I’m becoming more a fan of Winslow and Hezonja.

  115. 115 Fufina said at 9:49 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Where players want to be at this point could not matter less – If he is a sixer and plays well he will be here 7 years under team control and who knows what the situation will be like then.

    However i understand his concern – he is going to struggle to get minutes, and there is a genuine risk that if Saric comes over in 1 years time he is a better player in that 4 role even if Embiid/Noel pairing does not work great. At that point he may struggle to get 15mins+ a game and that would hurt his career and development.

    If Porzingis is the pick at least 1 if not 2 of Noel/Embiid/Saric/Porzingis will not be on the team by the draft next year, which while not a problem is just slowing down the rebuild.

  116. 116 GEAGLE said at 9:51 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    1) Whenever you hear that a player doesn’t want to be drafted by a certain team, 99% of the time it’s really a case of THE AGENT not wanting his client to join a certain team. The 19yr old kids are fulfilling life long dreams, they will be happy to land almost anywhere….
    ..
    2) A lot of people have a horrible opinion of the SIXERS, yet when they get here, get to know the coaching staff, they end up being surprised by how much better it is playing here then their opinion of playing here from a far.

    3) Hinkiie going to draft who he wants, regardless what an agent wants, Last year he drafted EMBIID without even having joel in for a workout
    ..
    OKafor won’t be a top 5 pick of the SIXERS. First and foremost we are building an elite defensive identity. The Kid the SIXERS spend the 3rd pick on will be a player who improves our offense, while also adding to the defensive identity we are trying to build as the foundation of this team,.. Which is why I know we won’t touch OKafor unless it’s to trade him, and why I also don’t think HINKie would spend a top 5 pick on Russell
    ..
    Be shocked if Porzingis isn’t drafted by the SIXERS, the question is do we keep him, or will he be traded 10-20 minutes later… But either way, thankful
    We finally find out Thursday.
    ..
    As long as the SIXERS don’t take Russell or OKafor, I will be Thrilled…
    As long as we end up with Mudiay, Porzingis or Hezonja, We can’t lose…

  117. 117 James said at 10:02 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    What is wrong with Russell? Does he not have the best shot out of all those? Maybe not Hezonja.

  118. 118 GEAGLE said at 10:30 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Hezonjal s a better shooter, but Russell is a very good shooter. I don’t take that away from him. He just isn’t as good as people think, and he is being over rated bcause people didmt get to see 3 of the top talents in this draft… If 3 of the very best players are kids people hAvent seen, obviously someone will be over rated,..
    ..
    Russell ismt at alol a bad player. If we were talking about drafting Russell with the 6th pick, I would sound very different, raving about the kid… But we tanked all year to get this pick, and we should end up with one of the top 3 players from this draft, Russell won’t be THAT GOOD
    ..
    He is going to ne a blend of MIke Conley and Kemba Walker, which is a good player that can help any team, but not a ceiling worthy of a top 3 pick
    ..
    the best PG in the draft is Mudiay, The best wing is Hezonja…. Why would I want to settle for 2nd best with a top 3 pick? I seen enough layups blocked into Evam Turners face to spend another top 3 pick on a player without elite NBA athleticism…
    ..
    I think Russell is a terrible #3 pick, but I also think he would be an awesome #6 pick…
    ..
    Russell looks good against average teams, and shows his short comings rarely elevating his game when he faces top notch competiton….I saw Russell get outclassed by Mudiay head to head 4 times… Also a lot of the biggest draft lottery mistakes are fans over valuing polished shooting, which is a teachable skill set..
    ..
    As a senior in high school, Russell was Robin not batman, heck he may have not even been Robin last year as a senior… As a senior, it wasn’t even his team, It was Junior ben Simmons team… Why would I want to spend a top 3 pick this year on a player who is 2 Years older, yet had to defer to the real stud, Mext years top 3 pick Ben Simmons?

    I think Mudiay is a tier ahead of Russell as an NBA talentl.. Russell is more on the level of next years top PG, kentucky signee Isiah Briscoe. I’d probably prefer drafting Briscoe, yet Briscoe won’t cost a top 5 pick, you will be able to get him in the 6-10 range of next years deep draft..

  119. 119 Fufina said at 12:35 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Russell’s defensive ‘woes’ are over rated. He is a ++ rebounder for his position and has good length and size for the position. He is not going to guard the top PG’s in the NBA because no one does. His length allows him to cover 2’s without being over matched which increased defensive options.

    He is the best shooter in the draft by every advanced metric, and he can create his shot better than Mario (who i love!), his step back jumper is a thing of beauty. Shooting is a teach able skill but if you look at statisitics those who are already good will improve as much as those who are more raw. Also while shooting is generally teachable shot creation is not so easy and a thing people overlook.

    That step back jumper will open things up for him, because players will need to try to defend them with their balance shifted forward giving him a better situation to drive forward making up for his lack of explosive first step.

    High school ratings for all sports focus on players with elite athletic tools since those are the easiest to project to the pro levels and the technical skills are so raw at that point, having guys taking massive jumps forward in the 17-20 age is not a surprise and nothing to beat a kid with.

  120. 120 D3FB said at 10:40 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    The knocks are:
    -He didn’t really do defense
    -He’s a good not great athlete (relatively speaking).
    -He struggled against teams that were of any quality.

    Basically as an 18 year old and the only one on his team that will be more than a deep NBA bench guy, good teams focused on him, and locked him down. Essentially the knock on him is he wasn’t a transcendent player.

    I see him as a better shooting Deron Williams type player.

  121. 121 daveH said at 9:54 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    betta be mo’ betta

  122. 122 HawaiianEagle said at 11:42 PM on June 22nd, 2015:

    Raw mo betta

  123. 123 daveH said at 1:56 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    (I like but I don’t understand ‘raw’)
    aloha

  124. 124 MattE said at 1:15 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Mo beta butter

  125. 125 daveH said at 2:26 PM on July 2nd, 2015:

    ill buy that brand !

  126. 126 anon said at 1:23 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    fyi demarco got married this weekend. His wife is extra special.

  127. 127 Insomniac said at 4:26 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I hope his wife doesn’t make him miss practice to shop for…scon(c)es.

  128. 128 MagsMama said at 5:25 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    They’re newlyweds. Not sure lights on the wall matter just yet.

  129. 129 SteveH said at 10:56 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I think I’m missing something here, what makes his wife extra special?

  130. 130 Insomniac said at 11:52 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Apparently Demarco banged someone elses wife and now he has his own?

  131. 131 ICDogg said at 6:14 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    You better you better you bet

  132. 132 P_P_K said at 8:58 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Who wrote that song? Who wrote that song.

  133. 133 Avery Greene said at 9:00 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    The Who.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AuVfIP9F2Y

  134. 134 bill said at 9:00 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I think he also plays first base, if that helps.

  135. 135 eagleyankfan said at 10:39 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    You take THAT Phillies! You can’t be the juggernaut of the Yankees! We are unstoppable! Oh wait, wrong speech.

  136. 136 GEAGLE said at 10:53 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    SIXERS PIPE Dream scenario:
    KAT and OKafor are the top 2 picks. At #3, a trade with the Kings is announced.
    kings get:
    #3 pick Dangelo Russell
    2016 first round pick (Thunder)
    2015 2nd round pick
    ..
    SIXERS get:
    #6 Mudiay
    Nik Stauskas
    2016 1st round pick top 4 protected via Kings
    ..

    SIXERS turn around and acquire the #4 pick from the Knicks.
    knicks get:
    Wroten
    Jerami Grant
    Nik Stauskas
    2016 first round pick (HEAT)
    2015 2nd round pick.
    .l
    SIXERS get:
    #4 Porzingis

    So at the end of the day, SIXERS lose: Grant, Wroten, 2016 pick(thunder), 2016 pick(Heat) and 2 second round picks… And the SIXERS walk away from this draft with:
    Mudiay
    Porzingis
    2016 1st round pick (top 4 protected Kings)
    And the 3 second round picks we drafted
    ..
    Next years draft we would no longer have 4 picks, but we could end up picking 3 times in the top 3 which is insane:
    SIXERS pick will be a top 6 pick
    lakers pick is top 3 protected
    kings pick would be top 4 protected,,
    ..
    HINKie pulls off something like this, I have to bow down.
    ..
    Come away with Mudiay and Porzingis without trading EMBIID, NOEL or Saric would be HUGE!

  137. 137 Fufina said at 12:18 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I mean those trades are taking those teams out back and giving them a proper prison shower dropped soap episode. So i would love to say it would not happen but NBA GM’s have made some insane moves in the past. I think the trade offers would need to be this good to get the sixers to move of the 3rd pick, because as Hinkie says, there is no team as committed to building through the draft than the sixers.

  138. 138 GENETiC-FREAK said at 4:36 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Yo GEAGLE! Hey man you more of a NFL fan or NBA fan? Your knowledge on NBA more in depth than NFL by the looks of it.. Makes me want to follow the sport

  139. 139 Avery Greene said at 4:42 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Basketball is a great sport when played correctly.

  140. 140 Anders said at 2:50 AM on June 24th, 2015:

    Why in the world would we trade a 1st round pick for Nik Staukas?

  141. 141 Avery Greene said at 11:18 AM on June 23rd, 2015:

    All this talk of the NBA draft, did everyone forget the NHL draft is the following night? Big stuff happening this week.

    Here we go Provorov!

  142. 142 tball_man said at 1:40 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Very exciting weekend.like where both of teams can go. How much value does the big two (G & Voracek) have draft day. Would be something to see Hexy blow it up with such a deep draft as they call it. I’m sure that’ll piss off half the fan base, but the goalie can’t possibly sustain his success (or health for that matter) long enough for this team to get competitive…. So why not… Go into complete rebuild. Blasphemy… I know. I know.

  143. 143 Avery Greene said at 2:31 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    G & Voracek are young enough IMO to keep around. They are your offensive building blocks. Coots and Simmer provide a niche and earn their paychecks. Every other forward IMO is up for grabs. We can get rid of both Schenns while were at it.

    Holmgren was terrible with contracts and we are saddled with MacDonald, Grossman, and Lecavs. I’m not hoping for the world, but I’d give up a couple picks to trade those contracts. 2 out of 3 would give us a ton of flexibility.

  144. 144 Fufina said at 1:46 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Think it is harder to get excited about the NHL draft since it is so much harder to get a handle on prospects with so many coming in from all over the globe and limited exposure/access to their games. The fact most wont play for 2-3years makes it harder as well.

  145. 145 Avery Greene said at 2:37 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Provorov might be close to NHL ready. I love the thought of 6 solid young defensemen. If not this year, next year we might be rolling:

    Morin & Ghost
    Provorov & Hagg/Sanheim
    Hagg/Sanheim & Del Zotto (if he stays)

    Maybe the light turns on for Manning and/or Lauridsen?

    On the other hand, there’s some nice offensive prospects to be had too. They have 7 & 29. Should be able to get a couple starters out of this.

  146. 146 RobNE said at 3:30 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    is someone’s name really Ghost?

  147. 147 Avery Greene said at 3:37 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    It’s Gostisbehere, but everyone calls him Ghost for short. Kid has amazing offensive skills as a defensemen. A couple years ago in the Frozen Four, he was like a titan among boys. He’s probably the most anticipated guy in the system by the fans.

  148. 148 Rambler said at 4:35 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Sanheim is supposed to be the real deal, and the prospect I am most looking forward to seeing. I think Ghost’s injury set him back a bit, and we might see Sanheim with the club first.

  149. 149 Avery Greene said at 4:37 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Morin is the one I’m most excited about. I love his size, and I’m hoping he’s Pronger type potential.

  150. 150 Rambler said at 4:41 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Yeah I think he definitely has the highest ceiling out of all of them. They should be improved this year, looking forward to see who ends up on the starting day roster.

  151. 151 Bert's Bells said at 5:54 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Ghost and Samhaim? Those are some badass hockey names.

  152. 152 wee2424 said at 8:45 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Can’t do much better then that for a name.

  153. 153 Bert's Bells said at 1:22 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Washington fans have league’s worst grammar.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2015/04/29/redskins-fans-have-the-worst-grammar-in-the-nfl-according-to-the-wall-street-journal/

    Clearly threw away the outliers at Igglesblitz.

  154. 154 RobNE said at 4:19 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    So the Celtics offered Smart and two late first round picks for Noel AND our #3 pick. hahahahahaha. I just went to the Celtics blog to read the comments, some of them are like “I’m not sure that’s enough from the Sixers”. Isn’t Smart like MCW, why the heck would we do that trade and give up the 2 best assets in the trade?

  155. 155 Avery Greene said at 4:43 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    LOL – Boston must have had a shipment of that dank stuff.

  156. 156 Javi Echie said at 6:41 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    Danny Ainge thinks he’s playing NBA2K with the Celtics.

  157. 157 Ben Hert said at 4:42 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    I think the biggest thing this team needs to show this year is consistency. We know Chip and Billy’s system can work because we’ve seen Super Bowl caliber performances from both of their squads. We’ve seen them hold teams to zero points, and we’ve seen them put up 52 points on teams. The problem is, its not every week. Until they can get the players to consistently do that, I’ll reserve my hopes and dreams.

    I think the addition of Bradford and Murray give us better chances of doing that. I like the injection of youth into our secondary, but the complete reshuffling of it worries me. It needed to happen, but I also just don’t see a playoff caliber secondary coming together in one year like that.

    I think we’ll see a 11-5 team this year, and a playoff win. Next year, assuming nothing is drastically bad, will be our time to shine. Just too many moving parts this year to be a championship caliber team.

  158. 158 James Succa said at 11:19 PM on June 23rd, 2015:

    The Eagles will be better. They will go 11-5 and win the NFC East. Tim Tebow will be the starter and the Eagles will used an offense that Chip Kelly is utilizing from a video game. It’s called the 10-Yard Fight Offense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAvbB5J02-Y
    They will beat the Packers in the NFC Championship and the Colts in the Super Bowl. DeMarco Murray will pull his inner Walter Payton and rush for 1,500 yards rushing and pass for 1,000 yards. Murray will be the Super Bowl MVP.

  159. 159 A_T_G said at 1:10 AM on June 24th, 2015:

    I think Ertz can really have a big year if he goes in motion, then turns up field for three yards before the snap. Hopefully we don’t see Murray throw too many interceptions on the HB pass plays, those 20-yard penalties can really kill a drive.

    That game seems as if it was modeled around some of those crazy, antiquated rules ACViking talks about.

  160. 160 Avery Greene said at 8:27 AM on June 24th, 2015:

    @TommyLawlor and @D3FB:disqus

    This could be anyone, but a conversation on a different blog got me thinking about personnel groupings, and I’d be interested to hear how you guys think CK & Shurmur use their players this year. Should we expect a lot of 11 personnel or do you think another grouping might play to their strengths better?

  161. 161 D3FB said at 11:40 AM on June 24th, 2015:

    I think it’s a matchups scenario week to week.

    In general I imagine the Eagles will want to stay in 11, simply because the spacing.

    However there’s a ton of different ways to skin the cat so to speak when it comes to the personnel and window dressings of that 11.

    You can have 11 with Ertz in the slot, and Celek as your inline Y-TE. If the defense plays Ertz with a nickelback, run the play, go no huddle, have Ertz line up inline, and run it down their throats. If they play Ertz with an LB or S, that’s a mismatch.

    You also have Huff and Sproles who can also both line up either as the slot or in the backfield. Say against the Redskins who have massive unatlethic OLBs. Line up sproles as your back, line up Huff as your slot. Motion Huff into the backfield. You now have so many options, you can effectively run a triple option with the read of Sproles with the ball, and Huff bubbling out the other way (with other WR’s still running routes), you can use Huff’s motion to run a quick jet sweep, or you can then motion Sproles out into the other slot. Now you’ve either got the nickel following Sproles in which case run Huff on a wheel route against those slow big ass OLBs for a TD, or the big slow OLB follows Sproles out to the slot, and you’ve got a 275lbs linebacker trying to play man coverage on Darren Sproles.

    The real beauty of Huff, Matthews, Agholor (granted Agholor may be only used on the outside this year) is that any of the three can line up inside or out. Huff and Agholor are also threats with motion towards the backfield.

  162. 162 A_T_G said at 1:00 PM on June 24th, 2015:

    Am I correct in assuming you left Cooper out because he would have tripled the length of this post?