Riley Returns & Tuesday Practice Wrap

Posted: August 7th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 84 Comments »

Riley Cooper returned to practice on Tuesday. This is a story on 2 levels.

First, let’s deal with the off-field angle. Riley said he went home and spent some time with his family. He talked about how hard this situation has been on his parents. I can believe that. Everywhere they go, they’re likely hearing about their son the racist. Riley may be an NFL player, but like all of us, he still answers to Mom and Dad. I still maintain that this type of thing is much more effective punishment than suspending him for a week or for a game. Making Riley look his teammates, parents, friends and family in the eye and answer for his actions is humiliating and humbling.

Riley met with the media after practice. He said he apologized to all of his teammates in person. We don’t know if Riley is genuine with his apologies, but the tone is right. He truly seems ashamed of the situation and hasn’t offered any excuses. If this is acting, Riley should quit football on the spot and go straight to Hollywood.

Teammates said all the right things. They talked about how this is behind them and they want to move on. I’m sure there are still some lingering issues with a few players, but it does feel like this situation is heading in the right direction. I’m sure hoping that’s what is going on.

Now to the football side of things. Riley had a good day of practice. He caught 3 TD passes. He started a bit slow, but was red hot by the end of practice. One of the points I’ve stressed is that Riley’s performance would be crucial to making the situation subside. Teammates will find it easier to forgive a player that is playing well and can really help the team. “I’m sorry’s” + TD catches will go a long way to helping Cooper stay an Eagle.

* * * * *

Cooper’s return became even more important today because Arrelious Benn tore his ACL. Ugh.

I was really excited to see what Benn could do in this offense. I’ve been a huge fan of his since college. His size, his blocking ability, his RAC skills…he seemed like such a good fit.

The good angle to this is that Benn hadn’t really carved out a role yet. There is no chemistry to disrupt.

The Eagles also cut WR Dave Ball. That gives them 3 open spots. Expect them to sign at least one WR. Could very well add 2. WR Damaris Johnson was great early in practice, but left with a hamstring injury. Hopefully that isn’t too serious. He could be a key player for this offense.

* * * * *

Jimmy Bama posted his practice notes. The media consensus is that Nick Foles was the better of the 2 Eagles QBs today. Jimmy was part of that thinking.

• Nick Foles’ day started very poorly, but he recovered in a big way. On his very first rep, Foles threw a short pass into the flat where it should have been picked off by Aqib Talib and taken back the other way for 6. But after that, he was great.

His highlight throws:

– Foles’ best throw on the day was a post corner route to Riley Cooper. The ball came out before Cooper made his final cut, but it was delivered to a perfect spot over Cooper’s shoulder. Great ball.

– Foles hit DeSean Jackson deep down the sideline for a TD. They beat rookie Logan Ryan. Good throw, although DeSean got a lot of separation. Easy.

– Foles had another little subtle throw that impressed me. DeSean Jackson was running across the middle wide open. Foles hitched before throwing, quickly reloaded, and fired. It took me a second to realize what the hitch was all about, but I figured out that a flyswatter guy was likely in the way initially.

I think we have reached the point where Vick and Foles are pushing each other. Vick was better over the weekend and now Foles is responding with a strong start to the week. Now it is up to Vick to top him tomorrow. We’ll see if this continues, but it is an encouraging sign.

One thing that a few people have reported is that both QBs are still holding the ball too long. That will be something to watch for on Friday night.

* * * * *

Sheil Kapadia posted his notes. Let’s see which defensive players made a play or two.

Brady carves up the Eagles’ secondary, but Mychal Kendricks shoots into the backfield and makes a nice play against the run.

Some good moments for the Eagles’ defensive linemen. Cedric Thornton picks up a “sack” and Vinny Curry gets in the backfield on a run play. In the red zone, Kendricks blitzes, and Chung nearly intercepts Brady.

In the red zone, Kendricks makes another nice play against the run. In nickel, the Eagles go with Fletcher Cox, Thornton and Trent Cole as their three down linemen. Today, Graham is playing the “joker” role we’ve seen Barwin play in the past.

I like reading Mychal Kendricks’ name like this. He can be a playmaking ILB. If you want to run a good 3-4, you need that. Brian Cushing, Houston. Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh. Both guys in SF. And so on. I think we all remember what a wrecking crew Daryl Washington was all by himself last September.

Sheil’s humorous note for the day.

12:19 – Bill Belichick’s press conference just ended. I was really hoping (Tim) McManus would say something to tick him off, but it didn’t happen. Luckily, the Patriots will still be here for a couple more days, so there’s still time.

How does Saint Timothy deal with such a bad person working alongside him?

* * * * *

Jeff McLane posted some notes.

— The Eagles offense didn’t look any different than it has for most of camp, although there was one notable difference: They huddled much more than normal. There was a decent amount of running, a fair share of short screens and quick button hooks, and enough deep throws to satisfy fans. There was some read option, although the quarterbacks never had to run. Kelly said that he didn’t feel the need to hold back because the Eagles won’t see the Patriots this season.

Jeff also noted that Bryce Brown dropped 3 passes. Not good. Brown had some issues last summer with drops, especially on easy passes. This is strictly due to concentration. No one questions Brown’s immense talent, but he’s got to work on the little things to become the player that he’s capable of being.

* * * * *

The PE.com guys posted lots of notes as well.

Defensive end Clifton Geathers is unmistakable on the field simply due to his sheer size, but he’s standing out for making plays, too. The Patriots offensive line couldn’t move him off the line, and he penetrated into the backfield and met the running back in the hole with a “pop” to stop a play for negative yards.

During the one-on-one drills between the Eagles offensive line and Patriots defensive line, first-round pick Lane Johnson continued what has been a very strong camp thus far, stoning blockers left and right.

The surprise player of the drill was probably center Matt Tennant, who was a brick wall against his former team. Tennant is competing at both center and guard as he fights for a roster spot.

It is a shame that Damaris Johnson ended practice on the sideline because he was the star of practice early on, dazzling with his hands and feet. First he jumped over cornerback Kyle Arrington – who didn’t bite on the stutter-step fake and had tight coverage on the post-corner route – to make an excellent catch. Then he displayed tremendous body control along the left sideline by stopping, turning his torso 180 degrees, and reaching out to snatch the ball all in one motion, with toe-tap included, before falling out of bounds. To cap things off, and all this happened within a 10-minute span, Johnson made an awesome juke while running back a kick from deep in the end zone. He started to go right, but then stopped on a dime at the 15-yard line and changed direction after he saw the Patriots who were covering the kick on the other side start to drift and overpursue. All three players were caught flat-footed and couldn’t recover as Johnson exploded left to open space to pick up extra yards. In addition to Johnson, who was listed as the primary kickoff returner, Jones, cornerback Brandon Boykin and Shepard were in at kick returner.

I really can’t wait to watch Clifton Geathers in action. I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t eat at least one Pats player Friday night. I want him to grab Danny Amendola and swallow him whole. No biting. No chewing. Just…”You’re gone.” There is no penalty for devouring small WRs, right?

Damaris better get healthy soon. I’ve got enough else to worry about. (mainly…which Eagles legends will Jimmy Bama be upsetting on a given day)

* * * * *

Eagles fans…we are spoiled. Eagles writers and bloggers do a phenomenal job.

After reading all those practice notes, check out this “report”. What the hell is that crap? Yates is a good writer, but that”s considered a practice report? Yikes.

Here is a better report. Still isn’t up to Eagles standards.

* * * * *

MISC NOTES

* Daniel Jeremiah said on Twitter that he thinks Chris Polk could challenge Bryce Brown for the backup RB spot. Polk has had a great camp and played well again on Tuesday. Brown flashed elite talent in regular season games, but hasn’t been as consistent as Polk this summer. Interesting battle where I didn’t expect one.

* Watching Ifeanyi Momah on the PE.com highlights and he really looks like a project. He will need to turn into Jerry Rice to seriously challenge for a roster spot. This isn’t a question of potential. He simply needs practice and coaching.

* Tom Brady was brilliant today based on what everyone said. He repeatedly shredded the Eagles secondary. Before you go into panic mode, let’s remember this is Tom Brady and it’s a practice. Limited contact. No defensive gameplan. This situation favors a veteran like him in a big way. It is good for the Eagles players to see the level they need to aspire to. “That’s what football greatness looks like.” I’d be preaching that to my players over and over. The next time someone thinks he’s had a good game, remind him of Brady’s performance.

* There was no Connor Barwin at practice today. Brandon Graham wasn’t great in coverage. He’s going to have some struggles. I hope he’s able to deal with this the right way. You can’t obsess on your mistakes and let that eat at your confidence. Graham must keep learning and not get too discouraged.

* More Allen Barbre at LT. I’d love to know how he’s doing.

* Kenny Phillips got some reps with the 1’s in place of Nate Allen. Most people feel Kenny has been somewhat struggling. Is this a way to wake him up or has he played better than people realize?

_


84 Comments on “Riley Returns & Tuesday Practice Wrap”

  1. 1 Brendan Ekstrom said at 2:40 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I really hope Damaris is alright. He ha a quickly become one of my favorite players. I watched the 1 on 1’s on The eagles site and he looked outstanding today. You were saying that Cooper’s words will be more easily forgiven if he plays well and to your point I was watching Damaris today and thought, “wait didn’t he get arrested once”? Yup.
    Momah literally looked like he shouldn’t be on the field with these other guys. Maybe it’s that he is still way behind the learning curve but it looked to me (in the small sample I got to see, I think 3 reps) that he has very poor body control. One of the plays looked like it should’ve been a relatively easy catch but he jumped for the ball early when he should have taken another stride or two first. I don’t know. Maybe this type of thing is correctable but it seems like instinct would just kick in if you’re a ball player.
    It seems pretty clear barring any more injuries or releases that the last receiver spot will be Shepard or Salas. I’ll take Shepard since I feel there’s more upside. What do you think Tommy?

    Talk about a hell of a first test for the eagles db’s today. Brutal.

  2. 2 Media Mike said at 8:13 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I’m a huge Damaris Johnson fan. Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan were hyping that dude going into the 2012 draft and I was mega pumped when the Eagles added him to the roster. I’d love to see him step up this year and provide a good compliment to Jackson.

  3. 3 GermanEagle said at 3:58 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I can’t wait for austinfan to offer his thoughts about Tennant. 🙂

  4. 4 GEagle said at 7:10 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I’m really excited about the depth of the Oline. We all expected a top starting line, but it’s comforting to have some guys on the bench that saw game time last year, and who seem to be improving….It’s a pleasant change from last season

  5. 5 austinfan said at 11:00 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    One on ones ain’t game time, baby.
    Tennant didn’t show much last year or any time in the NFL.
    This is a blocking system suited to his skills, but the same can be said for Vandervelde.

    Hopefully, one of them will step up and beat out Reynolds, who lacks the feet for zone blocking.

  6. 6 GEagle said at 7:08 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    IM all chip kellied up like everyone, but I have to admit I almost shed tears of joy watching the Bengals run “Oklahoma drills” on hard knocks…

    Momah better turn into a ST Demon if he wants to continue as a wideout here because what I have seen of him lately is just bad…I expected the route running, getting in and out of breaks at top speed to take time, but he is more behind then I would like…Body control is bad, always falling down when the pass arrives, he isn’t winning many Jump balls…Would like to see him learn a little from Ertz about how to use your frame to block out WRs(Ertz runs slants like a seasoned Vet)…

    Kendricks just continues developing into our future pro bowler. Him being born to play the WIL behind an under front, and Cox turning into a disruptive force as a 3tec is what will keep us from ever becoming a 3-4 team. if those two are the real deal, then I expect us never to be a predominate 3-4 team
    ..
    I have actually been encouraged by some of what I saw from Phillips. You could easily pick out a hobbled Marlon Jackson from a group of safeties, but Kenny doesn’t stick out is bad way, and that’s a positive sign for me. He had some real nice tight coverage against Edelman and amendola I’m 1-1s…WR made the catch, but only 5 yard gains which is the equivalent of a pick 6 when you are playing against Brady in 1-1 drills..

    hoping Knott and Travis find ways to make this roster.
    ..
    Trying to figure out our WR depth chart, who and how many we will keep is making my head hurt: Desean,Maris,Avant,Riley, Sheppard,…..Could you imagine how our WR would look had we cut Riley? Lol….Time to forgive!

  7. 7 GEagle said at 1:09 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    happy to hear Momah making me eat my words with what sounds like his best day today

  8. 8 bentheimmigrant said at 7:11 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I saw Williams got himself benched yesterday… Just when I’d thought he’d truly ensconced himself in the team.

    I’ll let myself out.

  9. 9 TommyLawlor said at 9:06 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    You have been studying under Baloophi or ATG. This is not good.

  10. 10 John Gurney said at 7:28 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Am I the only one worried about Bryce Brown being number two, especially after hearing mclane talk about his dropped balls yesterday. I know he showed flashes last year but he also couldn’t hold on to the ball, and its not sounding like he has corrected that problem. I’m hoping Polk really pushes him to get better.

  11. 11 GEagle said at 7:36 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Polk is a man on a mission. the kid ain’t messing around. I’m expecting a good #2 Back regardless…It’s up to Bryce to prove if it’s going to be him or not…

    Unless Felix goes bananas In the preseason, I don’t think he makes this team

  12. 12 John Gurney said at 7:51 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I have a really hard time seeing felix making this team…. he’s an old cowboy, no loss lol

  13. 13 eagleyankfan said at 7:59 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Not sure it matters. This group seems to be very promising. Can’t wait to see how they are used.

  14. 14 JoeD said at 8:23 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    No….We’re not competing for anything this year, so I rather get this kid some reps and see what he can turn into. He has a fumbling /catching problem…so we’ll get pick 10 instead of pick 14…No big deal to me.

  15. 15 eagleyankfan said at 7:58 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    In the NEVER ending QB camp battle — I offer this…Brady was “brilliant”..He “shredded” because of no contact and no defensive plan. The situation favors a veteran in a BIG way. So — my question(and point) is — isn’t Vick a veteran? Is he not facing “no contact” and “no defensive (game)plan? He’s not “shredding” anything. Nobody has used the word “brilliant” to label him. I get that Brady IS elite. Vick doesn’t need to “shred” but maybe he should be “picking apart” at least. All we hear is “eh, he had a better day”. Vick IS a veteran. From what I’m reading(and it’s just peeps opinions), he’s not exactly playing like a well seasoned veteran. I know, it’s the new scheme right? Will that be the excuse? I don’t buy it.

  16. 16 GEagle said at 8:00 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Don’t you know? Vick is going to finally fullfill his potential this year. Get with the program mate(hope you sense my sarcasm lol)…why we wouldn’t start a young kid with only 6 games who has shown a nice level of improvement thus far, when his production has been on par with a veteran if 9years? I have no idea….Oh yeah, that’s right, Vick is fast…my bad. I forgot

  17. 17 John Gurney said at 8:05 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Everybody still has 2010 in their minds and they are hoping to recreate that. NOT. GUNNA. HAPPEN.

  18. 18 ztom6 said at 8:08 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    “Tear apart” good enough?

    http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2013/08/michael_vick_and_nick_foles_tear_apart_the_patriots.html

  19. 19 eagleyankfan said at 8:43 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    no. Headline is nice — article says “held their own”. Brady’s day is a combo of his greatness and eagles poor secondary. Then again, Brady isn’t throwing to AH, Gronk and Welker. Btw, were those Vicks(and Foles) numbers duing 1 on 1? 7 on 7? 11 on 11’s? It’s a “nice” account of practice, but I’ll stick with the honest approach given by links supplied by T-Law.

  20. 20 Andy124 said at 8:59 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Combo of 7-7 and 11-11.

  21. 21 TommyLawlor said at 9:07 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Vick is learning a new offense.

    Brady is running the same system since 2006 or so. There have been some tweaks, but he knows it inside-out. Huge difference.

  22. 22 eagleyankfan said at 10:11 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    He(Brady) is throwing to receivers that have never been in that system. If reports are true, that’s no easy system for a WR to learn. Many have struggled to learn it. Granted, Vick is in a new system, but his WR’s are the same as last year. He has a common denominator that Brady doesn’t have. They’ve been running this system for quite awhile now this year — with only weeks left til week 1. If Brady had Welker/AH and Gronk, I’d agree with you.

  23. 23 GEagle said at 11:20 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Vick is Always learning a new offense!! Even when he has been in a new offense for years, the excuse Never Go Away! lockout, taking reading defenses serious, no one ever taught him how to hold the ball, he is just too much of a competitor to protect himself and the ball by sliding…excuse, excuse, excuse…It Never goes away…

    Now, if to this point our QBs have just been learning the system, and now are more comfortable so the competition is really just beginning…that I can Buy….But if a 10yr Veteran can’t separate himself significantly from a 3rd round pick with 6 games of experience, then I seriously don’t know how it’s ok to start Vick…

    I’m almost hoping Vick blows the doors off of Foles in the next two weeks, so I don’t have to lose my friggin mind when Chip starts Vick after not separating himself from a young man that has been showing growth!!!

  24. 24 Tom33 said at 10:48 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    If you look at the #’s – all 3 QB’s had very good stats. From what I read online, Brady was just ridiculous with his reads and accuracy – but that’s what makes him who he is.

    Vick and Foles were combined 30 of 38 with 5 TD’s. That would be OK for a real game I think.

    The issue is that in these practices you still can’t hit the QB. Typically all QB’s do a lot worse when they are facing pass rushers that will actually knock them down. That’s also why I am not too concerned yet about the secondary. I think the first couple of preseason games will tell a lot more than these practices ever will.

    I do think it’s good for the defense to get picked apart for a couple of days by an opposing team – should make them want to work a lot harder.

  25. 25 GEagle said at 11:22 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Good point. I too like our players gettng some humble pie midway through camp…Just having our guys get to see what Greatness looks like in practice is a valuable experience to our young guys

  26. 26 GEagle said at 1:13 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    I just wonder what happens next offseason lol…will we again hear”last year waste first time in a new offense so this year he will be much better?”…..Allowing him this new offense excuse just gives him a built in excuse for one more year. so I hate hearing it, consideringe the excuses never seem to run out

  27. 27 eagleyankfan said at 7:46 AM on August 8th, 2013:

    I’m hoping we don’t have a qb battle next year. As much as Chip and the media like to spin this as a good idea – it’s counter-productive IMHO.

  28. 28 Media Mike said at 8:17 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Can anybody point me along to any info as to why Clifton Geathers couldn’t stick on a team thus far? We’re his 6th team, why is that?

  29. 29 John Gurney said at 8:34 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I think he has bounced around because teams are initially intrigued by his size but he just isn’t that good.

    If he is looking good now it could mean that our D Line is pretty thin on talent, or he is starting to play better, or a combination of the two.

  30. 30 TommyLawlor said at 9:08 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    He played his best football in Nov, Dec with the Colts last year. The fact they gave up on him so quickly has me scared. What do they know that we don’t?

  31. 31 A_T_G said at 9:13 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I don’t think it was football related. From what I’ve heard, he was run out of town by angry neighborhood watch groups brandishing torches and pitchforks.

  32. 32 Andy124 said at 9:17 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    That’s what he gets for blocking out the sun and ruining the crops.

  33. 33 TommyLawlor said at 7:18 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Nice.

  34. 34 eagleyankfan said at 8:20 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    on the secondary — “oh no, we suck again” 🙂

  35. 35 P_P_K said at 9:15 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    One could argue it’s too early to reach that conclusion. Unfortunately, you’re right.

  36. 36 eagleyankfan said at 10:13 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I do think it’s early. Soon, the starters need to play more and more with each other to get use to the starters around them. A lot of mixing and matching right now. Hoping eventually we’ll see some continuity/improvement.

  37. 37 GEagle said at 11:29 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Considerng what we were forced to watch last year,it’s practically impossible or this group not to show drastic improvement…We still won’t be even close to where we need our secondary to be, but I for one am going to appreciate a group that will fight and tackle, instead of safely escorting opposing players into our Endzone. Rome wasn’t built in a day, considering we hit rock bottom, I’m pleased with the year 1 makeover..

    I’m also hoping that Graham and Cox can put serious pressure on the weak side playing out of the 4-3Under scheme…Kendricks and Ryan should be better then average blitzes…Barwin is active and will get after it…So best case scenario, we can put pressure on the QB and mask some deficiencies in our secondary…Either way, I expect improving our secondary to be a main focus next offseason

  38. 38 JoeD said at 8:25 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    It’s great to see Kendricks having a good camp. Our recent draft picks really have to turn out good for us having a shot to turn this thing around… Count me in as surprised to see Vick actually looking sharp. But like I mentioned before, let’s see what happens when you get guys in his face again.

    How about Ryans? haven’t heard a peep about him all camp.

  39. 39 Media Mike said at 8:28 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Too true on Vick and live game action.

  40. 40 Adam said at 8:37 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Ryans is Ryans.. hard for him to stand out as he doesn’t excel in pass coverage and there isn’t much contact. You’ll hear more about the fringe guys and position battles, but not much about guys like Mathis, Ryans or Shady. The less news for those guys, the better because you know they bring it on Sundays.

  41. 41 eagleyankfan said at 8:56 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Read that Ryans made a nice break up in the red zone. I hope we don’t see Graham in coverage. That doesn’t sound like it’s going to well. It was fun watching the OL vs. DL video. Eagles OL players looked to have held their own.

  42. 42 GEagle said at 11:37 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Rather see Graham drop back than Cole. Personally I’m hoping Barwin stays healthy and that we keep Graham and Cole, as predators and Dends(when we go to a 4man line)….Kendricks can drop, so It’s probably not the end of the world if Graham and Cole can’t cover…..Until I see us two gapping in a 3-4, I simply Do Not Believe It!!!

  43. 43 Steve said at 8:41 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    On the notion that facing his parents is the most humiliating part for Cooper….I’m a white guy about the same age as Cooper and I don’t say that word. And, a big part of that is because I never heard that word from my parents growing up, and if I had ever said it, they would have been furious with me. I unfortunately have friends who use that word sometimes, when they think no one would be offended, and their parents definitely did and do say that word. So, I don’t like making this assumption, but I have to think that Cooper grew up in an environment (in Florida) where that words was used more commonly than we’d like to think. His parents may be humiliated by the attention Riley’s comment is receiving, but more likely than not, they are probably where he first learned to say it….

  44. 44 eagleyankfan said at 8:50 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    you’re making a lot of assumptions there…

  45. 45 barneygoogle said at 9:02 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Maybe he was hanging out with Hugh Douglas in the off-season?

  46. 46 shah8 said at 11:02 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    No one cares about anyone but Riley Cooper.

  47. 47 TommyLawlor said at 9:13 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    My mom has never said the word in front of me. She did relay the story to me the other day of when I was a little kid and asked her what it meant, after hearing some other kid say it.

    My dad never said the word, that I can recall, but he still said other things that led to serious tensions between us on the subject of race.

    If I had to guess…and it would purely be a guess…Riley didn’t learn that from his parents. His shame seems genuine. Him mentioning his family over and over makes me think they’re not that type of people and are really bothered by his behavior. Just my guess, though.

  48. 48 GEagle said at 11:33 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I got the same impression. I personally was raised by the best parents a child could ask for, yet there were times I made serious mistakes and brought shame on my family…Hearing Riley talk, really reminded me how I felt at certain times in my life, and I just don’t think you an fake that. He seemed sincere. Heck, it was probably the single most sincere apology I can ever remember seeing out of an athlete….
    .

  49. 49 barneygoogle said at 9:04 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Somebody has to ask, with all these leg injuries–is there a problem with the practice fields? Grass too thick, ground too soft?
    How many more players will we lose?

  50. 50 TommyLawlor said at 9:15 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Plenty of people have asked this. Both Mac and Benn had torn ACLs in college. Phillips had a knee injury, but not an ACL. How about that as a connection?

  51. 51 John Gurney said at 9:25 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Didn’t Benn tweak it a week or two ago as well?

  52. 52 barneygoogle said at 10:16 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Don’t know Jason Phillips’ knee history. Wonder if he had an old ACL? But something is wrong here. All these injuries with minimal contact. Will Brandon Graham be the next victim of the turf monster?
    Look at all the hamstring pulls, too.
    I thought we had a new “scientific” conditioning program? Maybe smoothies eat flesh?

  53. 53 GEagle said at 11:30 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    just wish we would put in some Turf and be done with this drama

  54. 54 Ark87 said at 6:45 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    I would say it is the pace and intensity of practice and the absence (or deficiency) of recovery time in between reps, but Chip’s been doing this for years.

    One difference is age of the players, but it’s happening to younger guys, so that’s a wash.

    Possibly mixing the pro lift schedule with the practice pace? In my experience soft tissue injuries usually occur as a result of fatigue (when dealing with fit individuals anyway). The sports scientists are supposed to be watching for this, but all of these guys were young guys with something to prove, maybe they weren’t 100% compliant with the sports scientists when they tell them to ease off.

    Completely speculative, could all be a big coincidence, but damn if it is, the football gods need to lay the hell off of Philly for a while. Can’t catch a break.

  55. 55 A_T_G said at 9:51 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    As of now, I have only heard of players getting seriously hurt. If we actually start losing players, I’ll support the grass being too thick. DeSean and Demarius better be careful.

  56. 56 GEagle said at 2:31 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Chip today said the team would look into turf and an explanation for 3 ACL tears in two weeks…rather players get bruised on concrete turf then have their ACLs shredded. Not saying there is a direct correlation, but I’m glad it’s something they are looking at

  57. 57 teltschikfakeout88 said at 3:40 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Pretty sure the turf we are talking about today is not your daddy’s astro turf which was a thin carpet laid out on concrete. Very different products but what do I know…..

  58. 58 GEagle said at 4:14 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Agree, but every single time I bring up Turf someone throws the concrete veteran stadium turf in my face, so I figured I would just include it as a worst case scenario(extreme) to avoid seeing that same answer for the 20th time lol..

    I’m so tired of the Lame excuses that the linc can’t have a certain surface because of all the other events they host…that’s not acceptable. First and foremost the linc is the house of the Eagles. put down a surface with the best interest in the Eagles and ONLY the Eagles and let the other guest events work around it…we are supposed to be a gold standard, first class franchise yet we have had inferior playing surfaces for as long as I can remember being a fan…it’s 2013. Enough!! Fix it…Get and damn field that can compete with the 5 best fields around the league…..and they don’t even host other events at Novacare. So why can’t they have turf there? Why wouldn’t we want a new age turf, custom made for top athletes?

  59. 59 Iskar36 said at 10:06 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I saw Daniel Jeremiah’s comment about Chris Polk and was hoping you would discuss it. Polk has had a good summer, and certainly has earned respect, but it makes me wonder whether or not Brown in the meantime is failing to impress as much as we would have hoped. I don’t necessarily mean to say he is playing poorly, but going into TC, Brown was supposed to potentially emerge as a key player on our offense, and instead, it seems like Polk is the one taking advantage.

    Obviously it is still very early and we will see a lot more once PS starts, but Brown seems like a guy I want to watch to see how he has progressed.

  60. 60 Andy124 said at 10:14 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    What really concerned me was the quote that Brown is still trying to bounce everything outside. That killed him after his first two games.

    If the new coaching staff can’t break him of that, I don’t think he’ll ever come close to fulfiling the potential we got a glimpse of in those two games.

  61. 61 austinfan said at 10:55 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Have to remember how little experience Brown has, even after last season, when he had more practice and playing time than his ENTIRE college career! So he still needs a lot of polish.

    Polk was a starter for a few years in college and practiced with the team last year, difference this year is getting into shape for RB instead of a RB/FB hybrid, which just doesn’t work in today’s NFL (either go with a true FB or a H-back).

  62. 62 Iskar36 said at 11:23 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    I would argue though that Brown’s inexperience should have led to a significant jump from year one to year two. Seems that Polk is making that jump, Brown so far has not. Again, obviously it is WAAAAAAY early, but Polk creating competition does have two sides to that coin. At the very least, it makes seeing how Brown performs in the PS that much more interesting.

  63. 63 Jerry Goldstein said at 10:53 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Tommy: Please consider removing ads such as this LG ad that pops up and takes up the whole screen. Ads like these are the reason I use an adblocker. I, and I’m sure others, might have to reconsider whitelisting your site if ads like this become common. Thanks.

  64. 64 teltschikfakeout88 said at 3:42 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    C’mon Jerry…we all gotta pay bills….let the man get a cut of money for his time spent on providing content

  65. 65 Brandon Ramsay said at 11:54 AM on August 7th, 2013:

    Is it wrong to not have a preference between who wins the qb battle? At first i was pro Foles. But since its neck and neck now i honestly don’t care. Just want the best man.

  66. 66 GEagle said at 12:05 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    it’s actually the best way to preserve your sanity lol..so no it’s not wrong at all. I’m actually kind of jealous
    ,

  67. 67 xlGmanlx said at 9:13 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    I look at it like this, either way, we are going to see both throughout the season more than likely. If 7 gets the nod, history shows he won’t play a full 16, so we will see foles. If foles wins, he might have a short leash, and we can see 7 in the season anyways. Repeat after me lower expectations…haha
    I am more interested in the run/pass ratio in the real games, chip Kelly’s play calling abilities – is he brighter than Peyton? Do we really have something in the front 7? Is our OL and #4 overall the real deal?

  68. 68 Dell24 said at 12:24 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Tommy – Been reading your stuff since 03-04. Great stuff. I’m beginning to sense that you have just a bit of a man crush on Geathers.
    Would like to read more on Lane Johnson, (a 1st round pick, full time starter/future franchise tackle) who I have read only this one sentence on in all of padded practices . Let us know what u hear.
    WTF is up w/the WR curse?

  69. 69 GEagle said at 12:53 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Some of today’s action:
    ..
    Some notable guests at today’s practice: Jay Glazier, John Clayton, Bo Wolf, Dick Vermiel, and pHillys favorite adopted Son…Jason LaConfora who was caught sharing a milkshake with Howie( 2 straws, let’s not get carried away)

    Brady is picking on Marsh today and it doesn’t sound pretty.
    ..
    Momah making plays today Boys..Went up over aefender in the Endzone to snag a ball thrown by Vick. Foles threw a screen to Salas from a zone read and Momah sprung Salas for a big gain with a huge block.
    ..
    Speaking of Salas he continues to make spectacular plays going up over a defender and catching a 40 harder from Barkley
    ..
    Ertz caught back to back TDs in 7-7
    ….
    Riley continues his redemption campaign by getting into the ENDZONE in every phase of practice(1-1, 7-7 and 11-11)
    ..
    Shepard continued to make plays until him and Damaris left early for the day(doesn’t sound serious)
    ..
    Bryce dropped another catchable ball and Polk continued his success today with the 1st team offense ripping off big runs, and scoring a TD from 5yards out…Polk did fumble today tho

    I defended Cary during Sconcegate, but again he couldn’t make it through a practice..

    All morning the media talked about how Chip would announce Fridays starting QB today, but now it sounds like Chip has to watch the tape first. He did confirm that both QBs will get reps with the starters on Friday, and acknowledged that they are searching the waiver wire for available legs today at the WR position

  70. 70 JoeD said at 2:20 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Nice!

  71. 71 P_P_K said at 3:54 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Thanks.

  72. 72 A_T_G said at 4:32 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Good stuff.

  73. 73 eagleyankfan said at 7:44 AM on August 8th, 2013:

    Thank you. Good stuff.

  74. 74 GEagle said at 1:19 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    zack Berman: “Chip said the Eagles are looking into Turf, and explanations for why 3 ACL tears in two weeks”

  75. 75 Brandon Ramsay said at 3:53 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    I Anyone else thinks kelly throws us for a loop and has vick and foles on the field for the first snap. I would laugh uncontrollably

  76. 76 bentheimmigrant said at 6:11 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    I was thinking the same thing. Maybe have McCoy take a direct snap.

  77. 77 ceteris_paribus1776 said at 6:12 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Anyone worried by the other side of story when you read how well Cooper is playing being that perhaps the secondary is weaker than the WR are strong? I always caution against getting too excited during TC because the competition is your own other side of the ball.

    I like to wait few a few games of preseason action before I start developing expectations about certain players who are unknown commodities.

  78. 78 A_T_G said at 8:32 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    He has scored 5 or 6 TDs the last two days, against the Pats defense.

  79. 79 planetx1971 said at 8:09 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Lots of legit topics to cover. So I’ll ignore all of them. since Dianne Kruger ignored my open invitation AGAIN, I grilled some Venison I’ve had soaking in teryaki for 2 days, broke into my 12pk of Heineken then altered my Madden Eagles Team to my approximation of this years roster. We “beat” the Cowgirls 255-0. I ran the renegade blitz on almost every play. Conner Barwin had 22 sacks & broke Romo’s collarbone. Also Foles was 22 of 23 w/ 13 td’s. He also had 122 yds rushing. Now you know it was Madden! lmao don’t have a CLUE why I bored you all with this. Probably the Heinekens. But it made for an enjoyable evening. Hope you all have a grey night too 🙂

  80. 80 the midatlantic said at 8:30 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Hugh Douglas is everywhere these past couple days.

  81. 81 planetx1971 said at 8:43 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Hugh Douglas? I missed SOMETHING bro. Or was that some way of ripping on me that flew over my head? Lol either way it’s cool man but you gotta tell me….

  82. 82 Flyin said at 11:16 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    Here ya go…

    http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2013/08/06/hugh-douglas-threatened-to-beat-up-espn-colleague-michael-smith-shouted-racial-slurs-at-him/

  83. 83 xlGmanlx said at 9:08 PM on August 7th, 2013:

    you can cross Jones off the radar, retirement….

  84. 84 Eagles Wake-Up Call: Three Things We've Learned | Birds 24/7 said at 6:30 AM on August 8th, 2013:

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