The Other QB

Posted: July 21st, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 37 Comments »

Carson is the second best young QB on the Eagles.

Don’t worry, this isn’t a piece on the untapped greatness of Matt McGloin. I haven’t completely lost my mind. No, this is about Jordan Hicks. In the 4-3, the MLB is the QB of the defense.

Hicks has only played two years, but he has shown that he is an outstanding LB. He has the potential to be one of the best LBs in the league.

There is no question about him as a pass defender. Hicks can cover well and make plays. He already has 7 INTs and 14 passes defensed. Jeremiah Trotter picked off 9 passes in his career. Patrick Willis only had 8. That should give you an idea just how freaky Hicks has been as a pass defender.

This is a terrific video piece on Hicks with him mic’d up vs the Skins.

Part of running the defense is being a leader and being a good communicator. Hicks is a natural in both roles.

There are times when he is an outstanding run defender.

That’s not always the case. There are other times when he gets stuck on blocks. While a natural in pass coverage, sometimes he doesn’t look very instinctive against the run.

Hicks is at his best when he can attack downhill.

We do have to remember that Hicks is still learning how to play MLB. He mostly played WLB in college and then was a 3-4 ILB in his rookie season. It will be interesting to see Hicks develop in the next year or two. As good a player as he already is, Hicks can still get better.

*****

As Jimmy Bama reported recently, Hicks did break his hand while on vacation in Greece. We’ll have to wait and see if that keeps him out of Training Camp at all or if he will be ready next week.

_

37 Comments on “The Other QB”

  1. 1 Greg Tulino said at 2:02 AM on July 21st, 2017:

    Hicks was very good last year. Lets hope he stays healthy because if he misses extended time I am not confident in the LB depth this team has.

  2. 2 Anders said at 4:55 AM on July 21st, 2017:

    I still find it weird seen 58 on Hicks. For me 58 is Trent Cole

  3. 3 Guy Media said at 5:26 AM on July 21st, 2017:

    Cole certainly isn’t a guy whose number you retire, but it could have been left vacant for a while. A lot like Westbrook with 36.

  4. 4 Bert's Bells said at 10:29 AM on July 21st, 2017:

    Makes it easy to spot the best player on defense.

  5. 5 Corry said at 7:59 AM on July 21st, 2017:

    Hicks has been a revelation…and probably the only good player to come out of our 2015 draft class (UDFAs included).

  6. 6 CrackSammich said at 8:37 AM on July 21st, 2017:

    Hey, Agholor is gonna turn things around this year! You’ll see!

    ….cough.

  7. 7 Sb2bowl said at 11:10 AM on July 21st, 2017:

    Don’t cough, Agholor may drop his balls.

  8. 8 CrackSammich said at 11:11 AM on July 21st, 2017:

    Maybe when his balls drop, he’ll finally man the fuck up.

  9. 9 Ark87 said at 12:15 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    definitely thus far, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Belichick can get something out of Rowe this year. But yeah, the rest of that draft for us was absolutely terrible. But Hicks in the 3rd round may be the steal of the draft, so…there’s that?

  10. 10 Ark87 said at 12:35 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    That skins game he was mic’d up in was the one we lost because we didn’t have a long snapper right?

    Either way, that long snapper game was bizarre.

  11. 11 Guy Media said at 12:39 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Losing to Washington is on my last never, but it never seems to enrage me like losing to Dallas or especially the Giants. Maybe due to the fact that I don’t know all that many Washington fans.

  12. 12 Ark87 said at 1:57 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Washington always pisses me off because they have been such trash in the Snyder era, but they always bring out the worst in the Eagles. With the exception Mike Vick going off on them for 6(maybe?) TDs and that 1 game Chip blind sided them with the tempo in his first year, we tend to play frustrating games against them for way too long now.

    Memories of Jason Campbell looking good against us flooding back to me, uhg

  13. 13 Guy Media said at 12:58 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    http://www.espn.com/blog/philadelphia-eagles/post/_/id/21251/eagles-53-man-projection-features-overhauled-wide-receiver-corps

    Solid work by McManus. I’d still like to find ways to get Clement and Gibson on the 53, but I agree with his lack of inclusion of Gerry and Watkins on the 53.

  14. 14 Sb2bowl said at 1:19 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    If Brooks shows anything in camp and preseason, Watkins is gone- thankfully.

    Gerry may be able to stick if we only go with 2 QB’s this year (probably) and I don’t think the team would enjoy leaving two 2017 draft picks off of their game day roster. Clement had his fate sealed once Blount came into the fold, but he’s one injury away from hanging out. Could be a strong PS candidate.

  15. 15 Guy Media said at 1:24 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Agree on Brooks. He already showed on the field last year that he’s better than Watkins, so I’m not sweating that.

    I’ll be calling for Gerry’s cut on a non-stop basis because I so hated that pick. He’s this year’s version of Countess.

  16. 16 or____ said at 1:34 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Without ever giving him a glimmer of a shot.

  17. 17 Guy Media said at 1:39 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    That’s on the coaching staff. I’m not a fan.

  18. 18 or____ said at 1:44 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Predetermined to hate, regardless of quality of play.

  19. 19 Guy Media said at 5:53 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    But why would he play well if he’s a bad player?

  20. 20 or____ said at 5:57 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Ask Joe Douglass why he doesn’t know as much as you.

  21. 21 Guy Media said at 5:58 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Who says I didn’t, via an electronic method or two, during the draft?

  22. 22 Sb2bowl said at 1:35 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    I think they got too cute with that pick and tried for force a LB instead of letting the board come to them; he should be okay in coverage but unless we are going some sort of strong nickel front, I don’t know where he will fit in (especially with Kendricks and Goode on the roster in front of him).

  23. 23 Guy Media said at 1:40 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    He might be ok in coverage (we’ll see about the speed difference), but what was killing me with his tackling is that he wasn’t bringing anybody down at the point of contact in the run game. Every single RB was getting 3 to 5 more yards on Gerry after he first had a hand on them.

  24. 24 eaglefansocal-go Joe D said at 2:38 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Yea, just like probably you and most others were so sure that Hicks was a terrible pick too. Negadelphia is alive and well apparently.

  25. 25 Sb2bowl said at 4:04 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Believe it or not- but I had Hicks as someone that they might have had interest in when Chip went for him. Surprised me, because I hadn’t really gotten in to drafts at that point- I looked for leadership, specific H/W combo, and those that had either graduated or were close to graduating school.

    His injury history scared me, but it scared a lot of teams. Glad we got him, and hope he can stay healthy

  26. 26 Guy Media said at 5:49 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    It took me way off guard they took him that early. The stuff I read on the guy had him 4th / 5th round.

  27. 27 Guy Media said at 5:48 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    No, Hicks was a reach in the 3rd round, not a terrible pick. There is a difference. Gerry would have stunk even in the 7th.

  28. 28 or____ said at 1:45 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    There’s room for either, oe Gibson as Tim has Mcgloin making the 53 (barf)

  29. 29 P_P_K said at 3:50 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Both qbs, #11 & #58, are young players with enormous potential. Potential, however, is not the same as achievement. Time will tell.

  30. 30 daveH said at 4:16 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Bird fans LOVE a StUD MLB the few times we’ve had one .. we love this kid
    Please stay healthy! #

  31. 31 A_T_G said at 4:35 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Three NFCE teams in the top 5 and we are dead last. Yippee!
    https://twitter.com/elise_jessewlwt/status/888453589055811584

  32. 32 Dragon_Eagle said at 5:07 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    This is good. Let us fly under the radar.

    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/07/21/landon-collins-predicts-giants-takeover-in-the-nfc-east/

  33. 33 Guy Media said at 5:47 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Landon Collins couldn’t cover a corpse with a blanket and lucked into some gaudy stats last year. F him.

  34. 34 P_P_K said at 5:56 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    “couldn’t cover a corpse with a blanket”
    Great line.

  35. 35 Guy Media said at 5:58 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Thank you. Needless to say, I’m not a fan.

  36. 36 Dragon_Eagle said at 7:21 PM on July 21st, 2017:

    Dallas sucks.

    This public service announcement was long overdue.

  37. 37 MacJacMcCoy said at 6:26 AM on July 22nd, 2017:

    Hicks is already a top 5 MLB imo. The problem is the league values run stopping lbs over coverage ability. If it was vice versa he would have been an all pro every year of his career. Theres a reason why the Eagles went from being 1 of the worst teams at defending tight ends for almost a decade to the very best in the league the last 2 years. I have a feeling Hicks will be 1 of those players who takes a long time to get the recognition he deserves but when he does hell have a strangle hold on a spot in the probowl and top 100 lists. Kind of like a London Fletcher type.