What Is and What Might Have Been

Posted: September 30th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on What Is and What Might Have Been

Carson Wentz vs Marcus Mariota.

The Eagles QB vs the guy they desperately wanted in 2015.

Chip Kelly recruited Mariota to Oregon and then developed him into a major star. So naturally the Eagles coveted Mariota in the 2015 draft. The problem is that Mariota was going first or second and the Eagles were down at pick 20. There were trade discussions with the Titans, but Tennessee wasn’t really interested in a deal. They needed a QB so even getting a king’s ransom for their pick didn’t make sense.

It was disappointing at the time. Kelly’s offense had shown real promise, but everyone wanted to see it run by a dynamic QB. Mariota would have been an ideal fit for Kelly and would have given the Eagles a QB to build around. Instead, Tennessee drafted him, Kelly fizzled out and the Eagles fired him.

Mariota was good as a rookie and then had a big year in 2016. Not only did he play well, but Tennessee went 9-7 and seemed to be a team on the rise. The Titans went 9-7 again in 2017, but Mariota struggled. His TD passes fell from 26 to 13 and he threw a career high 15 picks.

Tennessee has built around Mariota, giving him a pair of talented OTs and some young WRs to work with. They haven’t given him an offensive guru that can really elevate his game and that makes a huge difference. Just look at Sean McVay coaching Jared Goff or Andy Reid coaching Patrick Mahomes or Mike Shanahan coaching Jimmy Garropolo.

Or Doug Pederson coaching Wentz.

Failing to move up for Mariota in 2015 turned out to be a lucky break for the Eagles. Even with the right QB, Kelly wasn’t going to last in the NFL. Maybe Mariota’s presence would have bought Kelly another season, but it wasn’t sustainable. His people skills weren’t going to improve even if the offense did.

Timing is everything, in life and football. The Eagles mediocre 2015 season put them in position to move up in 2016 and get the QB they wanted. Just as important, they had the right coach in place to help turn him into a star in the NFL. The combination of Wentz and Pederson, along with a big dash of Nick Foles, helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl.

Who knows where this organization would be if they had somehow moved up for Mariota in the spring of 2015. I seriously doubt they would have a Super Bowl win. There is a real chance the team would still be searching for the right combination of players to get them to the elite level.

For now, the Titans are that team, looking to break through and get to the next level. They are asking if Mariota is the answer at QB. Is Mike Vrabel the right coach?

The Eagles have their QB, their coach and their Super Bowl.

*****

Sunday will be an interesting game. Both teams come in at 2-1 , but neither team has looked great so far.

It does feel like the Eagles are closer to breaking out. The return of Wentz made a big difference. Getting Alshon Jeffery and Jay Ajayi back this week would be another big boost for the offense.

While this is a road game, there will be a big contingent of Eagles fans.

Hopefully that atmosphere will help bring out the best in the team. There were plenty of Eagles fans down in Tampa, but that wasn’t enough to slow down the Bucs. Thankfully the Titans are struggling on offense and shouldn’t present the same level of difficulty.

_

RIP Wes Hopkins

Posted: September 29th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on RIP Wes Hopkins

We got sad news on Friday.

Wes Hopkins was one of my favorite Eagles. He is now the fourth member of Gang Green that has died, along with Reggie, Jerome and Andre.

I first started really paying attention to the Eagles when Buddy Ryan took over in 1986. I had loved Ryan’s 46 Defense in Chicago and was excited to see what he could do in Philly. Everybody could tell right away that Reggie White was the real deal. He was the foundation of Gang Green.

There were two other players already in place, Andre and Wes. Andre was the overachiever trying to carve out a role in the NFL. He didn’t start a game until Buddy arrived. Wes was the high draft pick that looked to be on his way to becoming a star.

Wes was similar to Brian Dawkins at that point. He had great range and was a terrific centerfielder. He had great ball skills. Wes could come down and play in the box. He was a very good blitzer. John Madden always raved about Wes as a sure-tackler, which is one of the best compliments you can give to a safety. If they miss a tackle, that can lead to a touchdown. Wes didn’t miss many tackles.

As hard as this will be for some of you to believe, Wes might have been an even bigger hitter than Dawk. Some opponents were genuinely scared to cross the middle. Many of those hits would get Wes thrown out of games today, but back then that was considered good, tough football. Andre used to say that half of Wes’s job was done when he walked on the field and just looked over at the receivers. When 48 was on the field, you needed to know exactly where he was.

A devastating knee injury cost Wes 12 games in 1986 and the entire 1987 season. Think about that. That was the prime of his career and he would never be the same player. Wes played in 63 of 64 games from 1988-1991. He was still a good player. He just wasn’t the same athlete and couldn’t do some of the things he could pre-injury.

Age and nagging injuries became a factor in 1992 and Wes retired after 1993. He finished with 30 INTs and 12 sacks. Brian Dawkins played in 87 more games than Wes and never had a major injury to deal with. Dawk finished his career with 37 INTs and 26 sacks. That should give you an idea just how productive Wes was.

The one downside to Brian Dawkins is that he made people forget just how good Wes was. I love Dawk, but there is a part of me that will always Wes and Andre. They were a terrific duo and were a huge part of me becoming an Eagles fan.

Beyond that, they gave me a love of the safety position. To this day, there is a soft spot in my heart for safeties.

Thank you for some amazing memories, Wes.

*****

https://twitter.com/sethjoyner/status/1045763527774892032

*****

Tommy McDonald recently passed away. I didn’t write about that at the time. McDonald was a truly great player and a huge part of Eagles history. He’s a bit before my time so I don’t have any special insight into him or his career.

*****

In current safety news…

The Eagles are going to roll with three safeties for now.

Doug Pederson said the team will look at outside options. I’m sure he meant for after Sunday’s game. Adding a player at this point would have done nothing. I would bet the Eagles bring in some free agents on Tuesday for a workout, unless there is someone they are specifically targeting.

Then again, they could just stick with three safeties for now.

Stay tuned.

_

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »