The Chip and Howie Show

I’m never offended when you disagree with me because “I never lie, and I’m always right.”

Interesting point to note, traditionally the Oregon WRs were big guys, some 6’4 and 6’5, and a couple who were really H-backs, but in 2012, with the most accurate QB Chip ever had, he was throwing to two slot WR types (Keanon Lowe, 5’9 181 and Bralon Addison 5-10 189) and Thomas (5’9 176) and Barner (5’11 192) at RB – shades of NE with Brown, Patten, Branch and Faulk! His top WR, Josh Huff, was 5-11 205. So don’t assume Chip is stuck on one type of player since he recruited all those guys on the 2012 offense.

I understand that Kelly wants competition, but i have 0% interest in Vick playing. This year, the QB position is all about figuring out if Nick Foles is a franchise QB in the NFL. I can see that you need to push him the become the best, but frankly, i have very little faith in a guy being THE franchise, if he cant seem to push himself to be the greatest.
Another year of Vick, will just further postpone the finding our QB, and in the NFL you’re nothing without a QB.

It could be that Kelly has no interest what so ever in Nick Foles, and only utilize him to push Vick the be the best he can be this year and then draft a QB next year, but I cant imagine that Foles wont even get the chance. I do think that Vick will have to play lights out to win the job, not just suck less that Foles, and i dont see that happening. Nor do i see Vick actually beating Foles out for the job.

We seem to be setting ourselves up for a quick turnaround rather than a long rebuilding process, and normally I’d say we’re cutting corners to get there but just about every player we signed makes sense both in a short term context and a long term context, which I love. I bet its both Howie and Chip that wanted to be aggressive in FA, I bet they both want to get this team back to the playoffs ASAP, makes sense for both their careers.

At this point I think we have enough pieces in place to be a possible playoff contender… except for quarterback. Thats the missing link on the roster, I just hope Chip and Howie don’t see it the same way and end up reaching for someone (like Geno Smith) that isn’t a franchise type guy…

When it comes to the draft, I think we should look at what Howie Roseman has said and Chip Kelly likes to do. Kelly brought Casey here to be the F-back (good show by the way with Tommy and Jimmy), which allows him to be creative on the offensive side. What allows teams to be creative? Versatility. Howie has been saying for awhile that they draft scheme diverse players like Fletcher Cox, and Mychal Kendricks. To me the most versatile defesive player in this year’s draft is Ezekeil Ansah. Ziggy can play as a Predator, Sam, 5-tech, 3-4 DE, 4-3 DE and 4-3 DT in nickle situations. He can drop back in coverage if you need him to, and he can also set the edge on running plays. He could become our “joker” on the defense.

Hey Tommy,Question about Mike Vick,How will his being left handed affect Chip Kellys ability to install whatever version of his read option he does eventually install

Re: Missed Opportunities

On June 5, 1984, the NFL held the supplemental draft of USFL players that delivered Reggie White to the Eagles — with the 4th overall pick.

The 3rd overall pick of that Supp’l Drft was owned by the Giants — who 6 weeks earlier in the college draft selected OLB Carl Banks from Michigan State.

5-time NFL Executive of the Year General manager George Young — who built the Giants from scratch starting in January 1979 (hired not long after MML-1) into a two-time SB winner — passed on Reggie White, however, in favor of OT Gary Zimmerman from U-Oregon via the LA Express.

(No NFL GM has won the Exec of the Year award 5 times except Young.)

Two years later, in 1986, when the USFL was on the verge of folding and Zimmerman saw that he was headed to NYC, he filed a federal lawsuit challenging the legality of the supplemental draft as a violation of the federal anti-trust laws. Because the NFL Players Association had not agreed to the draft, Zimmerman claimed that the Sherman Act’s “labor exemption” — which exempts from the antitrust laws all issues covered by a collective bargaining agreement — didn’t apply to the Supp’l Draft, thereby making him a free agent.

Zimmerman wanted no part of NYC or the Giants. Risking a total loss, George Young traded Zimmerman to the Vikings for a pair of 2nd Rd picks — whom the Giants used to select 1986 SB starting CB Mark Collins and back-up S Greg Lasker.

Zimmerman went to the Vikings, and later the Broncos, and became the premiere LOT of his era . . . and HOFer.

White of course joined the Eagles . . . Buddy Ryan became their coach . . . and T-Law became, well, T-Law.
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In April 1984, when the Giants selected OLB Carl Banks with their 1st-Rd pick in that year’s NFL draft, he joined future HOFer Taylor and HOFer MLB Harry Carson.

At RDE — playing in front of Taylor — the Giants had Leonard Marshall. Marshall racked up 79 sacks in 10 years as a Giant, including six seasons of 15.5, 12, 8, 8, 9, and 11.
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But when the 1984 Supplemental Draft came, Giants GM decided that the team needed a stud OLT to protect Phil Simms’ blind side. So Young passed on Reggie White and chose Zimmerman — who never played a down for the Giants.

Ironically, two seasons later, the Giants won the 1986 Super Bowl with an offensive line of OLT Brad Benson, LG Bill Ard, C Bart Oates, RG Chris Godfrey, and ORT Karl Nelson.

LT Benson was in his 10th year, having been drafted in the 10th Rd by the Pats in the ’78 draft and cut after training camp.

LG Ard was an 8th Rd pick in 1981 by the Giants.

C Oates was signed as a free agent in 1985 after 3 years in the USFL.

RG Godfrey was also a free agent, signed in 1984 after being playing for the Jets in 1981 but unable to find a team for 3 years.

RT Karl Nelson was the Giants’ 3rd Rd Pick in the 1983 draft and became an immediate starter.

Those were your SB-winning OL starters.

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Imagine if, instead of taking Zimmerman, George Young selected Reggie White with that 3rd pick in the 1984 Supplemental Draft.

The Giants would have had a front 7 of RDE White, NTs Jim Burt and later Erik Howard, LDE Marshall, LOLB Taylor, ILB Carson, ILBs Gary Reasons & Pepper Johson, and LOLB Carl Banks.

Talk about dominant? Reggie White pass-rushing from one side, and Taylor rushing from the other.

Their D-coordinator would have been Bill Belichick.

It’s hard to imagine even Bill Walsh figuring out a scheme to stop them.
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What’s so interesting to me is that the Giants missed on Zimmerman for legal reasons.

But they used his trade to bolster an already damned good defense. Who knows how great the Giants would have been with the addition of Reggie White to Lawrence Taylor et al. — and Belichick designing the schemes.
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Why does all this matter?

The Giants won the SB in 1986 with an offensive line of scrubs who’d played together for at least couple of years — kind of like they did in 2007 and 2011.

The Eagles need depth on the O-line. They need guys who, in a couple-three years, will step in for Peters and Herremans and Mathis.

But the O-line is about cohesion. You don’t need Top-5 picks on the O-line to win the SB.

The D-line . . . that’s another story altogether.

And the late George Young must have kicked himself, very hard, twice a year from 1985 to 1992 watching Reggie White abuse whomever the Giants put in front of him — knowing that the Giants not only could have had White, but he’d have been a book-end to Lawrence Taylor.

It’s nice to have the luxury of a No. 1 pick at OLT. But it’s just that: a luxury.

But getting the best talent you can in the defensive front 7, especially on the outside? Maybe that’s the way to go.