Scouting Reports on Ronnie Brown, Ryan Harris, and Jarrad Page
Posted: August 3rd, 2011 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 43 Comments »I really love the Eagles signing of Ronnie Brown. Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg have a bad habit of not using the RBs enough. Sometimes this has felt like a chicken vs the egg issue. Do the coaches not use the backups because they weren’t good enough or do the backups not perform well because the coaches don’t use them enough? I think the backups were definitely hurt by a lack of consistent touches. It is also true that we’ve not had the most talented guys in the world.
The Eagles added a complete RB in Brown. The coaches have no excuses not to use him. Ronnie has plenty of size at 6’0, 230. He’s strong enough to break tackles and occasionally run over defenders. He’s run for 36 TDs in his career. Brown isn’t a pure power runner. He is excellent in space. He’s elusive and able to make the first defender miss. Brown cuts well and has good burst. He lacks elite speed, but runs well for a big back.
Brown is able to handle all areas of the passing game. He is a very good pass blocker. He can chips DEs or stonewall blitzers. Brown is a capable receiver. He excels on screen passes.
Brown isn’t a workhorse runner. In college he shared carries with Cadillac Williams. In Miami he shared carries with Ricky Williams. Wait…we need to go sign a RB named Williams, right? Ronnie has never averaged 20 carries per game. Sharing time is something that Brown is used to doing.
I had doubts about whether Brown would be interested in coming to Philly at all. My doubts were strictly based on the notion that I thought he’d want more touches elsewhere. My hope is that since the team signed Brown they are making a commitment to using the backup RB more.
One way to do that is by letting him be the Wildcat QB. You can pull Mike Vick out of the game and let Brown and Shady McCoy run the option. Ronnie knows what he’s doing. That’s a way to run and be creative. I support anything that will get Marty/Andy to run more.
Brown had limited team success in Miami, making just one trip to the playoffs. He is here in Philly to play on a winner and also to showcase his wares for next March. Brown will turn 30 in December, but there is plenty of tread left on the tire because he’s never had to carry a team on his back. Very good signing.
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Ryan Harris looked like one of the best young OTs in football following the 2008 season. He had just started all 16 games at RT for the Broncos. According to Stats Inc, he allowed just 2.5 sacks that year. Denver finished 2nd in the NFL in yards gained that season. Over the next couple of years Harris struggled with injuries. He started 18 of 32 possible games. His level of play slipped as well.
I watched some tape of Harris to get a feel for him. I studied him plenty at Notre Dame, but hadn’t watched him much in the last couple of years. The tape wasn’t pretty. The problem is that Harris was playing on a bad ankle. He reached way too much and had trouble with his balance. Give him credit for playing on a bum wheel. You can see he’s smart and talented, but he wasn’t good.
When he is healthy, Harris is an effective starting RT. He played LT in college and is used to protecting the QB’s backside. He’s more of a pass blocker than run blocker. Harris isn’t a guy that will drive defenders off the ball. He only goes about 310 pounds and is at his best when using good technique. He’s not huge or special athletically.
I like the signing because you have a player that has been a good starting RT in the NFL. He fits us in terms of style and system. He dealt with a toe injury in 2009 and an ankle in 2010. Harris must stay healthy to be a good player. He’s not gifted enough to be good at 85%. I do not think he is here to be the RT. I think Harris is here to challenge for the job and offer us insurance in case the other players don’t pan out.
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The Eagles also added Safety Jarrad Page. Adam Caplan had been saying for the last week that the team needed to add a veteran Safety. I was actually fine with the group as is. Page is interesting. He is 6’0, 225, but in his years as a starter in KC he played FS. Guys with his build tend to play SS. The Chiefs had an even bigger guy at SS (230-pound Bernard Pollard).
Page is a physical hitter and tackler. He has good ball skills. He picked off 4 passes in 2008 and has 12 for his career. He is not someone you want to use in man coverage. He is at a crossroads in his career. Page was a starter in KC. He got hurt in 2009 and only played in 5 games. He played for the Patriots in 2010, but was purely a role player and STer. Are his days as a starter completely gone? Is he willing to embrace the role of backup and STer?
I think the Eagles should add him to the mix at SS. I do not anticipate him being the starter, but he’s shown the ability to be an effective starter. I think Page will have to play really well to even earn a roster spot. The only reason to keep a veteran at Safety is if he clearly outplays one of the young guys. I have no problem with the Eagles adding Page, but I’ve got low expectations for him. He worked out with Jay Glazer doing MMA training during the lockout. Glazer has had some players do well after that training. Maybe it will help get Page back on the right track and he will be a surprise player.
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I mentioned a post that would talk about the differences in our free agent binge of 2011 and the moves the Skins are famous for making. I’m not done writing it. That will be separate.
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We’re all glad WR Jeremy Maclin reported to Lehigh today, but we still don’t know what’s going on. Maclin could be going to visit some members of the Eagles medical staff up there. He might be going because he is ready to practice. This is all still a mystery. I take him going up there as a good sign, but it doesn’t mean the situation is over. Let’s hope for the best and wait for the team to officially say something.
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I’ve been asked about possible depth chart ideas with the O-line moves and news. I’ll work on that. I know Jason Peters is the LT. Beyond that…lots of guessing. I’d like to see Todd stay at LG and Jamaal at C so we can at least have some stability.
Direct snap to Brown, fake handoff to Shady, fake reverse to Maclin, lateral pass to Young on the sideline, Deep pass to Desean lateral to Vick, Shady hits a downfield block, Vick takes it in for a TD!
Should work at least twice a game.
Thunderlips = Marty M. ???
Cool.
Have to raise the possibility that Page was brought in as insurance against Nate Allen’s knee and subsequent performance.
Thanks, as always, for the great information.
Page was brought in as insurance at both SS, FS. Is Jarrett ready to play? Is Nate healthy? Is Marlin Jackson healthy and playing well?
Tommy, we spend a lot of time during the lockout wondering which effect it would have on the players that they were not allowed to talk to coaches etc. We thought it was of highly importance not to change the systems too much, because the players had so little time to implement new schemes.
Still we keep on signing players who has never been in our system before. What kind of effect will that have? It must be a disadvantage compared to teams that have maintained their players and coaches… On our D we will likely have 6 new players in the starting lineup: Babin, Jenkins, Matthews, DRC, Asomugha and Jarret along with second year men Chaney and Allen… Do I have to be worried?? I love what we’ve bern able to do, but the big makeover
… Makes me a little nervous…
Man, all these roster moves are exciting but… I can hardly wait for the games to get here! I want to see all our new toys in action :).
TBH Jeppe I’m more worried about the rooks than anything, and I think the fringe guys are the ones who will suffer most. With less time to learn and show what they can do they have less time to convince the coaches that they’re worth keeping.
I think most of the vets will acclimate themselves, maybe not immediately but pretty early into the season I bet most will be up to 100%.
Since the thought progress is turning into how will the newly acquired free agents, the rooks, the udfa’s as well, but we can’t forget about the returning players. The defensive scheme will be different. Simpler. If I was a linebacker, I would explain it. When you hear about it…it will be fundamentally sound.
The offense is the challenge to learn. The line is learning a new technique/style. M&M+AR= a scratch of the head at times. Whatever, things will fall in place…if…
#1 off-season need becomes reality…
Michael Vick learns to read Defenses!
Is it too early for roster predictions??? Of course but here goes anyway…
53 Man Roster Projection:
QB (3) M. Vick V. Young M. Kafka
RB (3) L. McCoy R. Brown D. Lewis
FB (1) O. Schmitt
WR (6) D. Jackson J. Maclin J. Avant R. Cooper D. Brown J.L. Higgins
TE (3) B. Celek C. Harbor D. Lee
OT (4) J. Peters W. Justice R. Harris A. Howard
OG (4) T. Herremans D. Watkins E. Mathis J. Vandervelde
C (1) J. Jackson
DE (5) T. Cole J. Babin D. Tapp R. Sapp P. Hunt
DT (4) A. Dixon C. Jenkins M. Patterson T. Laws
OLB (4) J. Chaney M. Fokou K. Clayton A. Jordan
MLB (2) C. Matthews B. Rolle
CB (6) N. Asomugha A. Samuel D. R-C J. Hanson C. Marsh T. Lindley
S (4) N. Allen J. Page J. Jarrett K. Coleman
K (1) A. Henery
P (1) C. Henry
LS (1) J. Dorenbos
Notable Cuts
S. Moss WR
C. Hall WR
M. McGlynn C
J. Kelce C
J. Parker DE
V. Abiamiri DE
D. Teo-Neshim DE
R. Jeanty LB
J. Calvin CB
B. Hughes CB
C. Anderson S
M. Jackson S
PUP
B. Graham DE
And how could I forget!
Notable cut
K. Dunlap OT
@ Nu B
That looks not far off what I would expect, save for maybe a different final TE/WR. But surely we have to find a way to keep Colt Anderson. He really set the tone on special teams last year -especially in punt/kick coverage.
Swap McGlynn for a WR or TE and I agree with that list, Sapp will really have to show up to beat out Parker for a job though.
Nu B – I like it except:
– I think (hope!) Jarrett and/or K.Coleman will prove to be able to handle the SS spot (assuming Allen is healthy enough too), so that we don’t need a veteran insurance – Colt Anderson stays, Page is off.
– I think Hunt or Sapp will be kept as a speed rusher, and Teo stays. I think Sapp’s (in)ability to play ST will be a deciding factor.
– I think that Hanson is off, and McGlynn or Kelce takes his roster spot.
@Jeppe
Don’t be nervous. Our defensive coordinator doesn’t know the system very well either.
Someone mentioned doing a FF league in another post, I would be in if someone wants to set one up and see if we get enough interest to fill it out. (I personally like yahoo, btw.)
Our offense will likely see similar “starters” as last year. The skill position starters are identical, with the only major change is Brown over Buckley and Lewis/Locke over Harrison. Peters-Herremans-Jackson are fine. They’ve played together before at a high level. As vets, there should be no significant drop-off, if any. We just hope that Mudd coaches up Watkins-RT Winner.
It’s the defense that no one knows about. Luckily, we’ve “simplified” the defense.
I’m fine with all these acquisitions as far as filling holes in the roster. But I also worry about team chemistry. There’s obviously a great foundation (coaches, fo, etc.) already and a team leader (Vick), but you still have to wonder when you add in new pieces, especially new pieces where 70% of the defensive starters are new to the team.
The one good thing about adding older players, beyond experience, is that there were not really any other older players on the roster. These new, old aged additions can still mentor the 20+ 1st and 2nd year players.
They were talking about the Skins vs. Eagles comparison on Sirius NFL radio this weekend and I felt they all missed the 2 key differences.
1) The Eagles are signing big names, but they are not grossly overpaying them. These moves are not Adam Archuleta or Randel El type moves. These are fair deals for good players that fit our scheme. WE also haven’t mortgaged our future cap situations for these moves. We will not have to cut players simply to svae cap space.
2) I think this si the biggest difference. The Skins had years where they only had 4 or 5 draft picks. We’ve had 25 the last 2 years and already have 11 for next year. We are loading up now, but are by no means jeopardizing our future.
There are really few ‘camp bodies’ among the 87 active players in camp, so it’s hard to say who makes this team. Maybe 2 WRs have no chance of making the team. The web site doesn’t have Perry Baker on the roster or as released, so it may be 88, tho I haven’t heard his name in camp. But last year there was a whole line of 4 Zipp Duncan guys were just there to fill in for reps. There’s incredible depth, and new coaches at OL and DL that look for different types of players than the previous coaches. Lots of draft picks.
Trevor Laws: Carted off.
Ugh.
Even scarrier: Mike Patterson is going into convulsions. That sounds like a seizure…. (way scarier than anything football related)
Well Laws and Patterson down… so much for our depth at DT
Patterson went down before the drill started. It’s not that hot in Philly (according to the weather channel), so heat stroke is unlikely. What matters is that he’s alive.
My sister suffers from seizures and it’s very, very, very scary.
*Think good thoughts for Patterson boys*
Tommy,
Does any part of you, as a fan of McNabb, feel bad for the guy? I know that every is complaining about him moping in the media about how the front office never went after free agents like this when he was here. However, while I am a fan of McNabb and believe he was overrated at the same time(I am conflicted), I do wonder why we never gave the guy more weapons. He did have a very good RB for most of his career, but aside from TO, we really gave the guy nothing to work with as far as receivers go. Reid really actually had a wide receiver corps that consisted of Pinkston/Thrash/Lewis/Na Brown for a few years. Seriously. That is pretty bad.
So anyway, while I am ecstatic as a Birds fan that we have gone for it and the front office has very clearly changed their stance on some things, I feel slightly bad for McNabb. Like him or love him, he did elevate a very mediocre offense in his younger years. Worm burners and all.
Can they ask Bunk not to show up for his physical in Denver?
The one thing I was hoping for during thestrike ( and something I think the players could have received as a concession from the owners) was an expanded roster.
At the very least I think a true practice squad with say a half-dozen protected players would have been not only a intresting addition, it would really have helped in future competion and player development.
Seems like a lot of talent is going to be left off this squad. The Bengals of the NFL will be happy.
Thank god, Patterson was just dehydrated…
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/03/mike-patterson-says-hes-fine/
Great to hear Mikey P. is okay.
Now I’m worried about Trevor Laws and Victor Abiamiri. Laws was carted off. Maybe a knee. No word on VA.
I hope Cedric Thornton is ready to step up.
It’s why you ALWAYS carry 10 DL. You just never know.
DTs: Patterson, Jenkins, Dixon, Laws, Thornton, Abiamiri.
I wouldn’t be shocked to carry 11 with a guy like Te’0/Victor was the “swing” DL.
Tommy:
Where did you hear something happened to Abiamiri?
Just a hip flexor for Laws… whew.. I don’t think that’s very serious is it?
Would anyone say that his been a “banner” year for us in free agency?
Do you think perhaps Maclin is basically fine but because the Eagles didn’t have access to him when he was most ill that they have been doing due dilligence; sending him to team doctors etc and he is still going through the process of being cleared to practise?
Tommy, how about an article on the real dream team assembled by the Eagles: the coaching staff! Other than the DC, I have the understanding that all our significant coaches are quite well respected and established in the league.
April – considered one of the top special teams coaches in the league.
Mudd – Ditto OL
Washburn – Ditto DL
Mornhinweg – If not the very top OC, certainly one of the top (such is my impression)
Can you flesh out this idea more? this is just my basic understanding of the whole thing, and maybe I’m wrong, but I can’t help but think that the stellar coaching staff is part of the reason players want to come here – why wouldn’t they want to play for some of the very best coaches in the league today?
Tommy
According to PFT the Eagles have made a post-retirement offer to Moss.
Do you think there’s legitimate interest from the Eagles or do they just wanna get Desean’s attention?
I’ve used the nfl.com one and it’s great. I’ll set one up in the next few days if no one beats me to it! haha
I’m thinking the average pick number for eagles players will be a little higher than normal..
I think the eagles looked at this year’s free agency like a draft. They were probably preparing for this since early last year, maybe earlier than that. Everyone knew the new CBA was not gonna make u play for more than 4 years to be a free agent.
I knew we would love going through the scraps to try to find a Leonard Weaver type. Howie loves the 7th round, and the last few days was like the 7th round. I bet by the end of the season we find one or two guys that we want to keep around for awhile.
Just posted a Skins/Eagles column.
I’ll be putting up another post in the afternoon to talk about Moss, Mike P., and other news.
Re: #25 on McNabb’s lack of weapons.
True, from 2000-2003 it was terrible. Thrash/Pinkston/Mitchell. That led to T.O. in 2004, but honestly after that the WR corps wasn’t bad at all. 2006 was Stallworth/Reggie Brown and both actually were quite good that year. 2007 Curtis/Brown/Avant doesn’t look impressive on paper but it was still a massive improvement over Thrash/Pink/Mitchell. 2008 you add Desean and in 2009 you add Maclin. Plus I understand that Brian Westbrook caught the occasional pass over that stretch. The ‘McNabb never had any weapons’ bromide is really more like ‘McNabb never had any weapons from 2000-2003, and then had quite a few after that.’
I think the only guy Page has to outplay is Marlin Jackson…..the 3 young guys at S are locked in, but that 4th spot is wide open
@ JakFTW, Davesbeard, & especially bubqr
Excellent thoughts guys. I definately feel where you all are coming from.
Page v. Anderson — I have to think the starting experience and actual playmaking Page provides (12 career picks, 4 FF, 210 total tackles) give Jarrad the edge over Colt. He is 26, entering his physical prime, and has NFL staring experience as a Chief. In 2008 he had 85 tackles. That is nothing to sneeze at. Injuries have hurt his career, but I like this roster addition if Page can stay healthy.
Sapp v. Teo — Another tough call. Teo is the big body DE who can help against the run and maybe slide inside a bit. Sapp was an outstanding pass rush prospect coming out of college but there have been medical concerns. I think the wide 9 gives Sapp the edge. Sapp would always be a better fit in STs than Teo (punt/kick coverage). Also I think his explosion and technical skill trump Teo’s tenacity. But I could be wrong here.
Hanson v. McGlynn (?!) — This one comes down to where do we need to load up. You gents may be corrent that we are loaded at CB and should probably address backup C a little better. McGlynn has been the starter so experience is his greatest assett. If Mathis does not have the makings of a backup C then I definately could be swayed to keep five CBs and trade Hanson to keep McGlynn around.
Page means the end of Marlin Jackson? Marlin J was reported to be rusty and it does not look like he is wowing anyone in camp. Page can be that vet to show the young players the rope.