Saturday Stuff

Posted: March 19th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Tags: , | 7 Comments »

My new SB Nation Philly column is posted.  I wrote about Kevin Turner and the price that football players pay.  Very sad to hear how his post-football life has gone.  Really loved him.  My favorite Eagles FB of all time.  Keith Byars was listed as a FB, but let’s be honest.  He was a pass catcher and unique weapon, but not really a FB.

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I watched NFL Network’s Path to the Draft talk about the Eagles.  That’s 10 minutes I’ll never get back.  Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Brian Baldinger thinks we need to draft OT Gabe Carimi.

Carimi is my favorite OT in the draft.  Very good player and someone you can’t help but like.  I just think Baldinger is a bit obsessive with his point.  He can’t get over the fact that the Eagles benched Winston Justice in the playoff game.  To him, that signals Justice is done.  Baldy is a smart guy.  I’m not sure why he can’t acknowledge that Justice was playing with a less than great knee.  Going up against Clay Matthews when you are 100% is tough.  When you are hurting, it is going to be a bad day.

I won’t be upset at all if the Eagles take Carimi.  I also won’t be ecstatic.  I think he’s a pure OT.  That means he takes over at RT in 2011 or sits.  It would be nice to get some help from the 1st round pick.  I’m sure Baldy thinks Justice will be cut.  I’m not buying that.  He played well in 2009.  The Eagles aren’t the kind of team that gives up on a player they drafted early after one up and down season, especially when there are extenuating circumstances.  Justice never had a stable RG situation and that affected him.  He hurt his knee late in the year and that affected him.

I’m not Justice’s biggest fan.  I didn’t like him prior to the 2006 draft when he was just a prospect from USC.  He’s grown on me a bit as an Eagle, but just isn’t my kind of player.  I do think the Eagles still have hopes for him.  I think 2011 will determine his future, not the poor showing vs the Packers.  How will Justice take to Howard Mudd and his aggressive coaching?  Huge question.

The guys on NFLN did talk about the Eagles possibly taking a DE.  I still have some interest in this, if the right player is on the board.  Ryan Kerrigan is my guy, but might not make it to 23.  Brooks Reed of Arizona would be a real interesting target.

Ashley Fox brought up Miami CB DeMarcus Van Dyke as a possible target.  Yeah, he was the fastest CB at the Combine, but that doesn’t mean he’ll go in the 1st round.  I’ll be shocked if he goes that high.  He’s more of a mid-round target.  Speed is good, but he wasn’t a great player at Miami.  He is as much of a mystery as a prospect.  How did a guy that is fast and 6’1 not play at a higher level for the Hurricanes?