The Next Step

Posted: July 25th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 140 Comments »

The offseason breaks down into parts. You have the Senior Bowl in January. Then the Combine in February. March is when free agency kicks off and the team can start making pro moves. Then you have the draft in late April. That finalizes the roster for the most part and leads into the OTAs and Minicamp, which take place in May and early June.

The Eagles have come through all of that pretty well this year. People are getting more comfortable with Doug Pederson as the head coach. Everyone loves Jim Schwartz as the new defensive coordinator. Howie Roseman seemed to have a brilliant offseason, keeping the right players, getting value for unwanted players and then putting together what looks like a strong draft class. The team is healthy. There are no major controversies right now. Everyone is signed. All in all, life seems pretty good.

The next step is Training Camp, which gets underway today. This is the first real football of the offseason. Players will put on full pads and there will be actual blocking and hitting. There won’t be a ton of live tackling because of the fear of injuries, but the non-contact OTAs will be a distant memory. Pederson has said that he believes in the value of physical practices. That’s something Andy Reid did a lot when he was here. Chip Kelly, not so much.

The roster stands at 90 players after some weekend additions.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson is purely a camp body. Cherry could be practice squad material if he plays well enough, but don’t count on that. Perry has the best shot at seriously challenging for a roster spot. He has some experience and some potential, plus the Eagles aren’t deep at Safety.

Select veterans and rookies report for TC today.  PE.com has the full list.

The happiest guy is probably Isaac Seumalo, the rookie from Oregon State. He missed most of spring practice because of the NFL/NCAA rule about graduation. That is all behind him now and Seumalo has some catching up to do. He has a legitimate shot to start at left guard so every rep and every practice is huge for him.

DT Aziz Shittu almost missed the spring due to that rule. He isn’t going to challenge for a starting role, but the pressure is on him. He has a chance to win a roster spot. The Eagles loaded up with UDFA players at DT and fellow rookie Destiny Vaeao is already at the head of the pack. Shittu can’t afford a lot of mistakes if he wants to really push for a job. Seumalo is going to make the team. The pressure for him is trying to start. Shittu is battling for a way to pay his bills.

The headliner is obviously QB Carson Wentz. He was up and down in the spring, as you would expect. He should be more comfortable with the playbook now and should also have a better feel for how pro practices go. It will be interesting to see how he plays this summer. I think he would have to be lights out to change Pederson’s mind about the QB plan.

Rookie Joe Walker is another player under some pressure. Right now, he’s the backup MLB. Walker was up and down in the spring. His head was really swimming, as Jim Schwartz put it. Walker needs to take a big step forward or the Eagles might need to place a call to Stephen Tulloch.

I’m excited to see what CB JaCorey Shepard does this year. He looked terrific last spring and summer, but then tore up his knee. If his knee is all the way back and he plays well, Shepard could challenge to be the slot corner.

Can rookie Jalen Mills continue to play at a high level? If so, he might push for a starting job. He impressed the heck out of everyone in the spring. It would be great to see him continue playing at that level. Or even better.

Sam Bradford is healthy and ready to go. He is a huge mystery. Do you get the guy who struggled early last year or the one who played so much better down the stretch?

Travis Long might have sought advice from Bradford on how to deal with consecutive ACL injuries. Long played OLB the last 2 summers and showed potential before unfortunately tearing up his knees. He is back once again. The Eagles listed him at DE during the spring, but now list him as a LB. At 6-4, 255 he does have the size you might want in a SAM. Whether he succeeds or fails, I hope Long stays healthy. I would hate to see a young man chasing his dream and never getting to know if he’s good enough.

Dillon Gordon is officially making the move from TE to OG. That’s going to be a huge challenge for him. He wasn’t exactly a dominant blocker as a TE.

Byron Marshall played WR and RB at Oregon, but will be a RB in the NFL. He is an undrafted player with a real chance to make the team.

One of the players I’m most curious about is Myke Tavarres. He played some DE in college, but will play OLB for the Eagles. He was incredibly violent and dominant in college. I’m fascinated to see how he handles the adjustment to the NFL. He won’t be the toughest guy or best athlete on the field anymore.

The rest of the team reports in a couple of days, with the first full practice being on the 28th.

Just think, in a few weeks we’ll have a preseason game to watch. Where has the offseason gone?

_


140 Comments on “The Next Step”

  1. 1 Cafone said at 10:52 AM on July 25th, 2016:

    What a difference a year makes at OG. From “who the hell is going to play guard?” to a solid starter and possible pro bowl candidate at one spot and what looks to be solid competition at the other.

  2. 2 Cafone said at 10:55 AM on July 25th, 2016:

    Tommy, you say “I think he would have to be lights out to change Pederson’s mind about the QB plan” and I completely agree, but the idea that there is a chance… that would be incredible if Wentz somehow took the starting job. He’d be like the Ben Simmons of football.

  3. 3 Bert's Bells said at 11:17 AM on July 25th, 2016:

    Don Cherry will be instrumental in the shape of D to come.

  4. 4 Bert's Bells said at 8:36 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    This was a real good comment, but I get is everyone in a buffalo stance.

  5. 5 Julescat said at 8:24 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    do the dive every we dance?

    so don’t you get fresh with me!

  6. 6 Bert's Bells said at 2:52 PM on July 27th, 2016:

    It’s Walter Payton that I’m thinking of

  7. 7 bushisamoron said at 11:43 AM on July 25th, 2016:

    Thanks for the fix Tommy. Always appreciate your insight.

  8. 8 Media Mike said at 12:01 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    Nick Perry would be great to see make the roster as the #3 safety. Special teams aptitude aside, our “depth” chart at that position is horrible.

  9. 9 Sean Stott said at 12:28 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    Stay safe Philly peeps. It’s going to a be a dangerous couple of days around the disastrous convention. Total shit show.

  10. 10 Media Mike said at 12:29 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    Kenny seems to have a good plan in place. It’ll be busy and security intense, but well-run.

  11. 11 Gian GEAGLE said at 12:31 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    The woman accusing Zeke Elliot doubled down on the domestic violence allegations by posting pics of her Bruises. obviously I don’t know what happened and I won’t throw stones when we just went through something similar with our young WR, but the woman showed clear proof of her body being covered with bruises that do look liked hey could be consistent with some of the things she claimed be did, like choking her, grabbing her by the arms and throwing her across the room, slamming her against the wall. Her body shows bruises on her neck, arms,writs, hands, legs, back. she also say he called it “tough Love”.

    Zeke and his father maintain his innocence. He has not been arrested, but he is listed as a suspect on the Police Report.

    Cowboys are no strangers to Drama, but if this proves true it could be the biggest cowboy Disasterof them all

  12. 12 Media Mike said at 12:33 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    He’s obviously guilty. Urban only recruits felons and/or charlatans, Elliot doesn’t play for the Eagles, and Elliot isn’t on any of my fantasy teams.

    GUILTY.

  13. 13 Gian GEAGLE said at 12:58 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    If true, this could be the official Nail in the coffin of the Romo era.
    .
    It’s not like he was drafted with a plans to preserve him and give him the best chance to have a long career. It’s no secret that he was drafted with the sole intention off running him into the ground shouldering a load of 300 plus carries in hopes of protecting Hupty Dumpty Romo and keep theirs pathetic defense off the field.
    .
    It’s one thing to overlook scumbags, but at what point will that fan base get tired of supporting scumbag humans who make up a Losing team year after year?
    ..
    Next time Romo gets hurt, should be the last. At some points omeone needs to intervened nd protect him from himself

  14. 14 Aaron said at 1:57 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    actually to most it wont matter what the boys do, this had been an ongoing problem since the 90s SB times, and its how the country is today, just look at the politcal side of this country, whether you’re a dem or rep. Its just how folks are now, no since of morals anymore

  15. 15 Bert's Bells said at 6:43 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    Not like the good ol’ days of Aaron Burr and slavery!

  16. 16 Aaron said at 10:08 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    ok

  17. 17 Gian GEAGLE said at 3:56 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Lol you see how we lack morals and principles when our media Couldnt believe or comprehend that there was actually something more important to Dario Saric than money… Media Couldnt possibly believe that he was serious about joining the Sixers tbis Summer, even tho it’s exactly what dario and his father have been saying every time they were asked about it the last two years
    ..
    Media Couldnt even comprehend how someone was prioritizing keeping his word over Money lol…. dario must not think too highly of us, seeing how everyone was such a slave to money that no media actually believed he was coming no matter how many times he said he was

  18. 18 Aaron said at 4:09 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    “our media”, seems to be a theme for every part of life now,

  19. 19 Cafone said at 7:53 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    I support your rush to judgement without any of the facts.

  20. 20 Gary Barnes said at 1:41 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    It has been an even rougher than normal off-season for the Boys…suspensions, arrests, law suits, accidents, injuries. Jerry has stayed out of trouble for once so there’s that I guess.

  21. 21 PacificPurl said at 4:04 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    He’s been taking lessons from Hugh Douglas.

  22. 22 Gary Barnes said at 1:04 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    “All in all, life seems pretty good” depends on one’s perspective. This is a transition and building season, one that will likely end with no playoffs for the 8th year in a row and no SB berth for the 12th year in a row and no ring for the 56th year in a row. We all hope Lurie, Roseman, Pederson and Schwartz can build the team to break all these streaks. I pray we can look back at this season as the beginning of the ascent to the mountain top.

  23. 23 Media Mike said at 1:40 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    They were in the playoffs in 2010 and 2013.

  24. 24 Gary Barnes said at 1:42 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    Sorry I meant playoff wins, thanks for the correction

  25. 25 Media Mike said at 1:43 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    Yeah, the lack of playoff wins has been horrible. Sean McDermott / Riley Cooper leading the 2010 choke and Billy Davis / Riley Cooper leading the 2013 choke are burned deep in my mind.

  26. 26 Anders said at 2:42 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    We was a play off team in 2009 until the OL decided it didnt wanna block Jay Ratcliff (fucking injury to Jamaal Jackson) and the only play in the play book was a bomb to Desean.

  27. 27 Media Mike said at 7:23 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    Another playoff game in with McDermott was completely over-matched intellectually.

  28. 28 Anders said at 5:34 AM on July 27th, 2016:

    Yea it seemed like the Eagles defense had never defended a QB draw in theirlife

  29. 29 Media Mike said at 2:05 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    Josh Gordon is back, but his suspension will continue for the first 4 games.

    We don’t have to play against him, but the poor guy is forced to play with some loser running back at QB who’d rather work on his brand than his game.

  30. 30 Mac said at 3:15 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    When did the Browns get Cam?

  31. 31 Media Mike said at 3:37 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

  32. 32 The original AG said at 7:03 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    I’m willing to give RG3 another shot and see how he handles the situation in Cleveland. I want to see if he has a Mike Vick-like resurgence where he actually puts a lot of time/effort into the playbook and trying to improve his game – in other words, he’s about football more than his brand.

    Though Vick’s situation is vastly different since he lost football for two years, riding the pine for a full season should have him focused and ready to prove the doubters wrong.

    For me that would be a cool story as I think he has all the physical tools to do well. But that’s as far as I take it. If he shows the same traits he had in DC, then whatevs and I don’t feel bad that you’re not in the league anymore.

  33. 33 Cafone said at 7:56 PM on July 25th, 2016:

    RG3 is like Randall Cunningham if you built Randall Cunningham using silly string instead of rubber bands.

  34. 34 P_P_K said at 3:11 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Great post!

  35. 35 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:40 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Rg3 isn’t very good, and I don’t expect that to change and learn to play from the pocket in one offseason,
    ..
    I don’t trust Josh Gordon at all. But they can have Josh Huff if they want to swap Dissapointing WRs…

  36. 36 A_T_G said at 12:27 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    The thing that gives me confidence that this team is headed in the right direction is that we don’t need everything to work out to field a good team.

    We are not counting on one 5th-round rookie as our only hope to fill a hole. In the secondary, we do not need Shepherd, Rowe, and Mills all to work out just to fill out a roster.

    Same with guard. Other spots aren’t quite there yet, but it feels like if a few rookies disappoint (and they will) we have options.

  37. 37 anon said at 1:56 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    Stories from tc have j mills looking like a boss .

  38. 38 Media Mike said at 6:22 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    More LSU guys please.

  39. 39 Bert's Bells said at 10:29 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    College men from LSU, went in dumb, came out dumb too.

  40. 40 MattE said at 2:41 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    hahahaha

  41. 41 Media Mike said at 6:24 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    Taverres is promising as a depth guy, but both he and Kendricks need to lean how to spell their first names properly.

    I like the violence Tavarres brings in that video. Hopefully he can win a job as a backed WIL or MIKE (not MYKE, just saying) backer.

  42. 42 Bert's Bells said at 10:29 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    If he takes the starting spot Kendricks will be all “Whodunit? Who stole my baby?”

  43. 43 myartz04 said at 11:37 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    Media Myke

  44. 44 Eagles News: Sam Bradford and Carson Wentz are paddleboard buddies - NFL Feeds To The Fans said at 8:30 AM on July 26th, 2016:

    […] The Next Step – Iggles BlitzOne of the players I’m most curious about is Myke Tavarres. He played some DE in college, but will play OLB for the Eagles. He was incredibly violent and dominant in college. I’m fascinated to see how he handles the adjustment to the NFL. He won’t be the toughest guy or best athlete on the field anymore. […]

  45. 45 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:35 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    God Bless them Cowboys!!! LOL
    ..
    Apparently the 4 game suspension wasn’t enough for Randy Gregory. He failed another test or something that is causing the NFL to extend his suspension further, and now Gregory waited Til the start of training camp to enter a drug treatment Facility
    ..
    How bout them Cowboys? LOL!!!!
    ..
    They better hope Jaylen Smith can be healthy enough to have some type of NFL career, these fools are burning thru top draft picks with all the drug/arrest/Injury issues keeping their young talent off the field
    ..
    Gregory fighting Deomons isn’t funny… Cowboys continuosly soending top picks on playërs with off the field issues is Hysterical!

  46. 46 RogerPodacter said at 3:09 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    i don’t know if there has ever been a player that had two suspensions like this ‘stack’ in a single season… i’m not sure what the league will do.
    1st suspension = 4 games
    2nd suspension = 10 games (?)
    i would assume that since he was already suspended the first 4 games this year, that he would get suspended for the next 10 games he is eligible for, meaning it would add to the end of the previous suspension (making 14 weeks total) but who knows.

  47. 47 Gian GEAGLE said at 3:09 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Yeah, Ed Werder is saying it will be a 10 game suspension

  48. 48 RogerPodacter said at 3:10 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    right, i think i saw that is what mcclain got, right? seems like the pattern is 4 games and then 10 games

  49. 49 Gian GEAGLE said at 3:11 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Yeah 10 games for McLain, 10 games for Gregory, 4 games for Lawrence

  50. 50 P_P_K said at 3:10 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    This is a young man with a real problem. If he played for any other team I’d feel compassion.

  51. 51 Gian GEAGLE said at 3:13 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Not laughing at his problem…. Laughing at the cowboys for continuosly finding themselves in this predicament
    ..
    This is the exact reason Gregory fell into round 2, the cowboys can’t act surprised

  52. 52 P_P_K said at 3:16 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Yea, I was sort of kidding. The dude has some real issues, though, to mess up again, so soon after the first suspension. If he wasn’t a Cowboy, I wouldn’t be laughing at all.

  53. 53 Gian GEAGLE said at 3:46 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    I feel you,… The fact that it’s the cowboys just compounds it.
    ..
    This is a team that never met a red flag they didn’t think they could manage.
    ..
    When Al Davis and Jimmy johnson were fielding a team of scumbags, at least those Raider and Cowboys teams were winning, it’s easier for fans to accept these “rotten apples” when they are winning superbowls
    ..
    But for a while now, the cowboys keep taking on all these red flags that every other team passes on and it hasn’t led to winning anything worth a damn… Fans at some point have to get upset at all the losing they have suffered thru in the last decade, but it makes it even worse when you are watching a team Lose with a bunch of rotten apples
    ..
    We are talking about 3 playërs facing drug suspensions in one offseason. The Eagles only dealt with one drug suspension over the last 3 YEARS(Lane Johnson’s 4 game suspension)
    .
    Even tho he is a cowboy. I feel for the young man who is throwing away his young career because of what seems to be a legit case of addiction, but I have ZERO sympathy for the cowboys and I will laugh hysterically when they reap what they sow.
    .
    this is a team who always thinks they can take advantage of high end talent falling down draft boards because the other teams are discaplined enough to respect the red flag warnings and pass on that enticing talent… Yet the opportunistic Cowboys always act like they know better, and they have the infrastructure in place to keep these players on the straight and narrow, so even tho I feel for the young man struggling with addiction, I will laugh at the cowboys misfortune Everytime these cases blow up in their face…
    ..
    They lost both starting DE’s and a starting MLB over non injury issues that could have been controlled,… They are already down 3 starters and camp injuries haven’t even kicked in, and who knows what’s going to happen with the Zeke domestic violence allegations
    ..
    As fans its sucks year after year to watch your team have to pass on some serious talent because of Charechter concerns, and the cowboys are always there to capitalize and rub our face in the talemt that fell to them…. So everytime this happens to them I will at them, even tho the human element is sad

  54. 54 P_P_K said at 4:12 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    This is very well-written, Gian Eagle. Nicely done.

  55. 55 Gian GEAGLE said at 5:20 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Thank you sir..

  56. 56 RogerPodacter said at 3:09 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    how long before you hear the cowboys chants of “he’ll be back in time for the superbowl run!” …sigh…

  57. 57 RogerPodacter said at 3:13 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    on a more serious note, what is the talk about this being a career ending thing? is he more in love with drugs than football? or is this a thing where the drug use is covering up a more serious thing like severe depression?

  58. 58 Gian GEAGLE said at 3:25 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    This is the first im hearing of it being a career ending thing,,,… Im way out of the loop, I only been in philly a hand ful of days this summer…. But I assume that would most likely be a depression issue. Since in theory a young player is still capable of stop smoking pot, so I would assume a career ending situatipn for a second year player would be more likely to be a depression/mental health issue than a pot addiction, but im just speculating

    Usually when a kid fails a drug test at the combine, it is a question of stupidity or being irresponsible because people see it as incredibly stupid to fail such an important drug test you know about months in advance…. But maybe it’s not really a question of stupidity and immaturity, and is more of a case of it being a real addiction problem which is Probably even worse than maturity, intelligence, irresponsibility concerns

    From the outside looking in it seems like it may be a legit addiction issue, and if that’s the case I feel for the young man, but im still going to laugha

  59. 59 RogerPodacter said at 3:44 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Rapoport is the one saying he may not play again.
    (going to try to embed twitter post, lets hope this work, if not, eff it i’m not fixing it)

    My understanding of Randy Gregory's coming suspension is its for 10 games, at least. There is concern on #Cowboys that he may not play again— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 26, 2016

  60. 60 Gian GEAGLE said at 3:54 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Wow… And we know for a fact that his drug issue is Marijuana, right?
    .,
    Unless he has a problem with some of the really dangerous drug addictions, I immagined he is referring to some type of Depression/mental health concern,
    ,,
    Seems Odd that of its just a question of pot addiction that he could be such a pot head that they already think his career is in jeopardy after his rookie season…. I struggle to imagine how bad your pot addiction has to be for a 22yr old to lose his entire career so early in his pro career..
    ..
    If it’s really THAT serious, I immagine there is more than just a pot issue, there must be some other hardcore drug, or mental health issues I guess..
    ..
    I don’t really know of someone having such a problem with Pot that he may lose his entire career before his 25th birthday… If it’s just pot, you would think that the cowboys wouldnt quit on him this soon, especially since it’s the cowboys who don’t seem to place much value in “Charechter”

  61. 61 Bert's Bells said at 3:27 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Drugs can be your best friend for a lifetime -football, can it say the same?

  62. 62 P_P_K said at 4:14 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    I’ll bet you’re right. If he was a party-guy and screwed up a test, I’d be inclined to think he was just an extreme knucklehead. But failing the second test, after the suspension, is a red flag. Some kind of self-medication.

  63. 63 RogerPodacter said at 4:49 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    i don’t think this is the SECOND failed test. how many did he fail in college? we know he failed a test at the combine. how many do you have to fail after that to get the first suspension?

    with the failure at the combine, this is at least the 3rd failed test (combine, 4 game suspension, 10 game suspension).
    i wonder how many more there are.

  64. 64 Media Mike said at 4:50 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    And Nebraska runs a notoriously dirty program. I’d be shocked if much testing at all was done there, but he was probably using non-stop.

  65. 65 Media Mike said at 4:41 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    If only there were doctors available for psychiatric treatment of NFL football players and/or drugs to treat depression that weren’t banned by the league. Shame he has no access whatsoever to health care.

  66. 66 Gian GEAGLE said at 2:54 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Whoa, the skins lost Junior Gallette for the season again?
    ..
    Hopefully the injury bug takes it easy on our starters for the rest of the offseason

  67. 67 Sean Stott said at 4:36 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Cheering for injuries is obviously a shitty thing to do. That being said, how good does it feel that Junior Galette is out for the season again? What a piece of shit he is.

    Hopefully Suggs can’t play either.

  68. 68 Media Mike said at 4:39 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Woman beater = karma grabbed his leg.

  69. 69 lonfident said at 4:36 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Report: Eagles’ Nigel Bradham charged for assaulting cabana boy

    http://sportsnaut.com/2016/07/report-eagles-nigel-bradham-charged-assaulting-cabana-boy/

    Sorry if already posted

  70. 70 Media Mike said at 4:40 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    If true, Bradham can take a seat for as long as Mr. Goodell tells him to!

  71. 71 RogerPodacter said at 4:46 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    for a minute, i was worried what a ‘cabana boy’ might have been. glad to hear it was just a guy renting umbrellas and not some kind of weird fetish thing.

  72. 72 BobSmith77 said at 5:23 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    They have been around since the 20s/30s. It is an old term that just doesn’t get used anymore as beach-side clubs have largely faded from relevance.

  73. 73 Media Mike said at 5:27 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    But they’ll always be in the 80s!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYX0sjP6Za8

  74. 74 Sean Stott said at 4:47 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    What an idiot.

  75. 75 Gary Barnes said at 4:50 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Class act there Nigel

  76. 76 Media Mike said at 4:40 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    New pro athlete rule – no Miami, no Vegas, no Atlanta.

    Nothing but trouble in those places. They need to hang out in respectable places like Philadelphia.

  77. 77 Media Mike said at 4:48 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Not good. He needs to be suspended with pay pending resolution of case.

    https://twitter.com/LesBowen/status/758040873711960065

  78. 78 RogerPodacter said at 4:52 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    how do you feel this is different than the Agholor situation?

    not trying to be combative, i agree with you, i’m just failing at words right now.

  79. 79 A_T_G said at 4:53 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    This certainly feels like a more credible accusation.

  80. 80 RogerPodacter said at 4:56 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    yea, absolutely. i had typed up something, but all that really came out was something like “this *feels* more like a real thing” which, while true, doesn’t really mean much. haha
    is the word of a stripper that much less trustworthy than a cabana boy? i mean, yeah. i guess it is. i kinda feel like an ass for saying it, but there it is.

    Agholor’s thing seemed to get as far as ‘cops are trying to figure out what the heck actually happened’. this is more of a ‘cops know what happened, the suspect has been identified, he’s boned.’ kind of a deal

  81. 81 A_T_G said at 5:10 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Not just one’s word versus the other’s, a private exchange in a back room of a strip club that could result in financial gain versus a public exchange. Getting punched in the nose by a pro athlete while serving him drinks at a hotel isn’t a he said/he said situation.

  82. 82 RogerPodacter said at 5:16 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    yes, thats what i was thinking! : D
    you are better at words than me.

  83. 83 Sean Stott said at 4:58 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Seems like a slam dunk case where a pro athlete committed violence against someone. IMO should be a year suspension, no place for that in a modern society. We’re not animals.

  84. 84 RogerPodacter said at 5:03 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    yea, i kinda think you are right. what are the odds on jailtime? i’m no lawyer or anything, do we expect this to settle for some undisclosed sum of money?

    the results of the legal case aside, i think you are right – this is deserving of a pretty big suspension. the league doesn’t really have a good track record with this, though.

    it will be interesting to see – how does his suspension compare to the players that were arrested for beating people? will he get off light because the victim is not a woman? will he get a heavier sentence because the league doesn’t care about domestic violence and this doesn’t fall under that so its a ‘real’ suspension?

  85. 85 Sean Stott said at 5:04 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Seriously. Just picture this situation in your head for better clarity – 6’2″ 240lb pro NFL linebacker punching a waiter in the face because he took too long for his drinks.

    GTFO thug. Get off this team you can’t even control yourself, worse than an animal.

  86. 86 Gian GEAGLE said at 5:19 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Seriously? He punched a waiter in his face for taking too long?

  87. 87 Sean Stott said at 5:23 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    He punched him because he didn’t give him his umbrella or some shit. There’s already a police report. Oh, and one of his crew smashed a bottle on the back of the dude’s head.

  88. 88 RogerPodacter said at 5:24 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    the best part is that they found his phone left at the scene and they tied it to him since he used his credit card to pay for the umbrella in the first place. so much stupid going on all at once.

  89. 89 A_T_G said at 6:11 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    That sums it up nicely: “so much stupid going on all at once.”

  90. 90 Gian GEAGLE said at 5:30 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Smh..
    ..
    We were so close to navigating thru the offseason “minefield” without stepping on a Suspension

  91. 91 Media Mike said at 5:15 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Actual damage on the victim. No immediate discrediting of the victim by their coworkers. Florida State graduate.

  92. 92 BobSmith77 said at 5:37 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    I don’t know if Florida State is the same program it was under Bowden but I never surprised when one of his Seminoles’ players did some illegal/really bad stuff when he was the coach.

    It was always kind of funny how FSU was generally more positively portrayed the U during their prime time matchups during the late 80s/early 90s. I always thought they were generally two programs that recruited a lot of borderline guys & scumbags.

  93. 93 Media Mike said at 5:38 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Crimanoles

  94. 94 BobSmith77 said at 5:39 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    FSU grads get REALLY defensive too when kind of scoff at it being a place that really emphasizes academics the same way ASU grads in Arizona do.

  95. 95 Media Mike said at 5:42 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Well at least ASU’s QB wasnt raping some girl and getting the entire university / police department / state investigators to cover it up.

  96. 96 BobSmith77 said at 5:44 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    I have never lived in Florida but have been down a bunch of times and been to the campus once with one of my roommates & his friends from West Palm Beach back in the late 90s.

    Nice campus and beautiful people (both guys and girls) but it isn’t a place unless you do insurance/real estate I would go for any kind of academic reason.

  97. 97 BobSmith77 said at 5:50 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    I learned the hard way too when I did a joke about the least well-attended club on campus being the local MENSA chapter.

    It fell completely flat since no one knew what MENSA was. One of the frat guys actually did and I got a ‘not cool bro’ before I even knew what the hell that word meant or before ‘bro culture’ entered the wider American landscape.

    It certainly was at FSU in the late 90s especially the Greeks but it was a bunch of other places I went too at that time including even places like Dartmouth & Lehigh.

  98. 98 BobSmith77 said at 5:24 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Yet I bet he avoids ultimately avoids jail time. Nice to have money to buy quality criminal defense instead of the assign public defender who will cop a plea.

  99. 99 Media Mike said at 5:26 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    He could certainly plead the sentence on aggravated assault and ancillary charges down to a year or two worth or probation, but he isn’t avoiding Mr. Goodell.

  100. 100 BobSmith77 said at 5:29 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Imagine he is going to get hit with a nice suspension by Goodell and that will really hurt.

    Perfect kind of player to make an example out of too. Secondary player who isn’t well-known or a fan favorite nor that any teams has significant ties to.

    Players union is going to be pretty reluctant to defend a player who did such a stupid thing & was so easily identified & caught.

  101. 101 Media Mike said at 5:31 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    4 games maybe?

  102. 102 BobSmith77 said at 5:34 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Yeah that I was I was thinking. It wasn’t life-threatening or possible even a felony.

    Nevertheless it will get the NFL some really bad press and their punish him in a way he really cares about – his wallet.

  103. 103 Media Mike said at 5:35 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    The Eagles should make him forfeit part of his signing bonus; can’t ever have enough cap space!

  104. 104 A_T_G said at 4:52 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    So when I commented that we are getting to a point where not everything has to go right at most positions, LB was the reason I qualified it to most positions.

    Is it more difficult than I imagine to be rich and not do dumb shit? I am going to open a Kickstarter campaign to find out, I hope everyone will contribute profusely.

  105. 105 Cafone said at 12:45 AM on July 27th, 2016:

    What the point of being rich if the freakin cabana boy won’t bring you your damn umbrella?

  106. 106 A_T_G said at 9:21 AM on July 27th, 2016:

    Questions like these are why my research is so necessary. Remember to contribute.

  107. 107 Sean Stott said at 4:59 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Way to be a dumb thug, Nigel.

  108. 108 peteike said at 6:30 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    the term thug isnt appropriate anymore

  109. 109 Sean Stott said at 7:01 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Yes it is. It refers to a dumb person with violent tendencies. Works perfectly.

  110. 110 Dave said at 5:03 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    We’re only making plans for Nigel
    We only want what’s best for him
    We’re only making plans for Nigel
    Nigel just needs that helping hand

  111. 111 Gian GEAGLE said at 5:17 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Nigel bradham arrested a week before camp? That’s what I get for laughing at the cowboys smh
    ..
    What’s a battery arrest mean for his availability for The 2016 season? League suspension for up to 4 games, and then he can play the rest of The season assuming it takes “the slow,wheels of justice” at least 6 months before he has his day in court?
    ..
    Always a chance the Eagles take the high road and waive him out of principle…
    ..
    LB was one of the last positions we could afford an injury/suspension at…
    ..
    if he misses game time, I wonder how they go about replacing him?
    1) Najee Goode at Sam… Probably isn’t his ideal position
    2)’Kendricks moves to Sam, Goode fills in at WIL which is his best position?
    3) Tavares, Walker or one of the unproven youngins stepping into the lineup?
    ..
    Hicks and Mykal better give us 16 games this year

  112. 112 Sean Stott said at 5:19 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Probably replace him with Barwin as necessary I would think.

    They should cut him if it were up to me and keep his guaranteed money.

  113. 113 Gian GEAGLE said at 5:27 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Maybe play some more nickel whenever possible?
    ..
    If Rowe is on the bench because nolan, McKelvin and Mills are playing CB, maybe we can move the kid back to Safety, and Tinker with some 3 safety packages where we use a safety as one of the LBers like some teams do with their Dime packages, or safeties like Mark Barron who can’t cover
    ..
    Hopefully we find out that we have a young hidden Gem at LB on the bench

  114. 114 Media Mike said at 5:28 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    I don’t see Barwin going to SAM.

  115. 115 RogerPodacter said at 5:23 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    still a better LB core than some of the later AR years. haha

  116. 116 Gian GEAGLE said at 5:25 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    And still the best Group of LB in our division

  117. 117 Cafone said at 12:21 AM on July 27th, 2016:

    If it’s as clear cut as the reports make it seem, I expect the Eagles to cut him.

  118. 118 BobSmith77 said at 5:21 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    The ‘Jim Schwartz swagger’ angle has already been beat to death and they are 2 days into camp.

    Reporters are going to have a real tough time to find enough red meat to keep the readers happy.

  119. 119 Media Mike said at 5:22 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    You must not have seen the Bradham news or you’re being really sarcastic.

  120. 120 BobSmith77 said at 5:26 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Just saw it. This will be be a one or two day story until it goes to trial.

  121. 121 Media Mike said at 5:28 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    It’ll be in the mix again when Mr. Goodell weighs in.

  122. 122 Gian GEAGLE said at 5:28 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Maybe Bradham situation increases our interest in Tulloch?

  123. 123 Media Mike said at 5:29 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    ya think???????

    Tulloch’s agent was all over the phone already I’m sure.

  124. 124 Gian GEAGLE said at 5:31 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Would they move him to SAM or Hicks?
    ..
    Surprised we are just hearing about this if it happened Thursday

  125. 125 Media Mike said at 5:32 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    That’s out of my league to diagnose based on scouting. If I read anything on it I’ll pass it along, but that would be a question D3 could answer way better.

  126. 126 Gian GEAGLE said at 5:37 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Yeah I HAVENT seen much of the Lions the last couple years.. I don’t even know what he has left in the tank at MIKE, let alone if he can handle SAM responsibility at this stage of his career….

  127. 127 D3FB said at 11:09 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    If they bring him in during the next couple weeks you’ll have some time to tinker with things. Most likely you would play Tulloch at SAM and tinker with shifting coverage help. You could also play Hicks at Sam and kick him to Mike in nickel packages

  128. 128 BobSmith77 said at 5:47 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Yeah I am sure he left a VM with Howie this afternoon that basically was like . . . ‘Remember last month when you wouldn’t return my calls well maybe you should reconsider’

  129. 129 Media Mike said at 5:34 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Kempski killing it again

    https://twitter.com/JimmyKempski/status/758051948721532929

  130. 130 BobSmith77 said at 5:53 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Umbrella is what is really frightening though especially if it actually changes colors like that in real-life.

    If I saw it, I would start to freak out that I either had:

    1. Beginning of a possible severe mental illness including schizophrenia
    2. Brain tumor

  131. 131 RogerPodacter said at 6:12 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    lol i assumed he was twirling it in his hands like some kind of psycho mary poppins

  132. 132 SteveH said at 10:00 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    I saw the same thing lol.

  133. 133 Shirleyjwashington4 said at 3:24 AM on July 27th, 2016:

    <<o. ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★:::::::!!br261p:….,.

  134. 134 Cafone said at 12:19 AM on July 27th, 2016:

    He’s doing animation now too? He’s a true renaissance man.

  135. 135 Media Mike said at 5:41 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    I wonder if Andy Reid sent a picture of his middle finger to the Vikings. The Vikings making Harrison Smith the highest paid safety in the league must have totally torpedoed the negotiations between KC and Berry. If Smith got 5 / $51 mil, what does Berry get on the open market?

  136. 136 BobSmith77 said at 6:02 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    How much do you want to bet that Bradham is one of those guys too who is just a gigantic pain in the a$$ to wait on/bartend for including leaving your a lousy tip?

    Always amazed that even in this day of everyone having a camera in their hand that more stuff doesn’t leak out but I have heard the term ‘order in’ used a lot more in that athletes rent out penthouses/have people come to their house instead.

  137. 137 Sean Stott said at 6:20 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Stupid is as stupid does.

  138. 138 Tdoteaglefan said at 8:37 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    Hard to get used to Heath evans being so positive about the eagles..just saw a segment with him and elliot harris going through our schedule and predicting us to go 11-5 and win the division.

  139. 139 SteveH said at 10:02 PM on July 26th, 2016:

    The best part of this story is that after him and 5 friends beat up the cabana boy for taking too long to bring the umbrella, they flee the scene but leave behind a cell phone and receipt identifying him lol.

    And I thought Schwartz didn’t like Kiko because he was dumb.

  140. 140 Shirleyjwashington4 said at 3:24 AM on July 27th, 2016:

    <<o. ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★:::::::!!br261p:….,..