Whatever slim chance the Eagles had of beating the Giants likely just went out the window. According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, both Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin have been ruled out for the Sunday Night Game. Vick suffered a rib injury against the Cardinals while Maclin injured his hamstring.
There really wasn't much of a chance that either player could have played on Sunday, what with neither player practicing all week. Still, the Eagles hadn't ruled them out until today with the hopes that one or both could recover in time.
In Vick's place, Vince Young gets his first start as an Eagle. Riley Cooper will likely play a much bigger role with Maclin out. It could be a long night for the Eagles offense.
Showing posts with label Jeremy Maclin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeremy Maclin. Show all posts
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Vick, Maclin both ruled out against the Giants
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Eagles downward slide continues in choke against Niners
-Were do we place the blame for that loss? On the defense that still can't stop the run? On Jeremy Maclin for not protecting the football? On the rookie kicker who can't make a chip shot? On the defensive coordinator who is clearly overmatched? How about on the coach who put this mess together? I've never been a "fire Andy Reid" guy but something has to give after what happened today. The pieces are all there but this isn't working.
-I don't have a clue how to fix this defense with the current personnel. You have to be able to stop the run, which they can't do. You also can't let Alex Smith throw for 291 yards. How you can have three of the best corners in the game and let the Niners crop of mediocre receivers be open all game long is a complete mystery.
-One guy who is giving his max effort on defense is Jason Babin. He was disruptive all game long and picked up three sacks. The d-line continues to consistently create pressure but the rest of the D is letting them down.
-Another guy I can't blame for this loss is Michael Vick. He had a few bad throws here and there but at least he was busting his butt on every play. With the offensive line still barely able to block anyone, Vick made the most out of what he was given. His career high 416 yards passing and 75 yards rushing only added up to 23 points, though, and that just isn't enough.
-How about giving LeSean McCoy more than 9 carries?
-David Akers must be dying of laughter right now. Alex Henery is a rookie and games like this will happen but he had two chances to put the game away and couldn't do it. Akers missed one, too, but a million bucks says he doesn't miss that 4th quarter attempt from 33 yards.
-I almost forgot about Ronnie Brown. What the heck was he thinking? That could have been the worst play I've seen a professional football player ever make. Even high school kids don't do that.
Something has to give with this team, something has to be changed. Someone needs to get fired or this is all going to keep happening. I'm not looking forward to the game against a good Bills team next week at all. At least we have the Phillies!
Eagles vs. Niners inactives: Maclin to play
The Eagles and the Niners announced their inactive players for their Week 4 matchup:
Eagles: CB Brandon Hughes, T Winston Justice, CB Curtis Marsh, DE
Juqua Parker, DE Darryl Tapp, OL Julian Vandervelde, G Danny Watkins
Niners: DT Demarcus Dobbs, WR Braylon Edwards, G Daniel Kilgore, FB Moran Norris, G Mike Person, QB Scott Tolzien, DT Ian Williams
Despite his injured hamsting, Jeremy Maclin is suiting up. The only change in the inactives from last week is that Jaiquawn Jarrett is suiting up for the first time of the year and Brandon Hughes is benched. There are two new starters on defense as Brandon Rolle is starting at WILL and Nate Allen is starting at free safety.
For the Niners, Frank Gore is suiting up but shouldn't have much burst due to a bad ankle. Kendall Hunter will even start at running back ahead of Gore.
Its only Week 4 but this is pretty much a must-win for the Eagles. If they lose to this weak Niners team and go 1-3 you can kiss the playoffs goodbye.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Michael Vick breaks right hand, Maclin injures hamstring
With the way Vick plays and the way the offensive line has issues protecting him, he is going to continue to get knocked around this season. At least it wasn't his head this time and at least it wasn't his throwing hand.
In other Eagles injury news, Jeremy Maclin was knocked out of the game against the Giants with a hamstring injury. This season has been nothing short of a nightmare so far.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Eagles fall to Falcons on Sunday Night
-The game completely turned when Michael Vick left. Even though backup Mike Kafka played about as well as he possibly could have, the momentum in the game completely shifted when Vick got knocked out. Let's hope Vick is okay for next week.
-For as good as the Eagles defense looked at times, they gave up 5 touchdowns on 5 Falcons red zone attempts. That's completely unacceptable. For all the great pressure they put on the quarterback and all of the shutdown corners they have, they have to come up with the big stops inside the 20. It's almost the opposite of the "bend but don't break" defense. Don't bend but break?
-Trent Cole had a hell of a game. So did Cullen Jenkins. The defensive line is simply phenomenal and will be a force that other teams are going to have a hard time figuring out how to stop.
-Despite all the names on defense, the Eagles still can't cover a tight end to save their lives. Oh, that's right, there aren't any "names" playing linebacker.
-Kafka is well on his way to being traded for a second round pick in two years. The kid played great, throwing only two incompletions that weren't his fault at all. Even though it's probably just the system, Kafka seems accurate enough to be a solid backup.
-Jeremy Maclin went from hero to goat on one play. He had 13 catches for 171 yards and yet will only be remembered for dropping that perfect pass by Kafka on 4th down.
-Why the heck did the Falcons punt to DeSean Jackson at the end of the game? They were lucky he didn't win the game right there just like the Miracle at the Meadowlands.
-Speaking of the Giants, as long as Vick is healthy next week, the Eagles should bounce back and put a beating on the G-men. Heck, even with Kafka I like the Eagles chances.
Tough loss for the Eagles but there is no shame in losing to a solid Falcons team on the road. Yes, the game was theirs for the taking but there is no reason to lose faith in a good Eagles team. With their next two games against the Giants and Niners, this team is in position to bounce back nicely.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Jeremy Maclin cleared to return to football after Lymphoma scare
Apparently Maclin had some weight and anemia issues a few months back and went in for a series of tests and has been waiting on the results, which came back negative. According to Glazer, Maclin had his lymph nodes removed a week ago and that has removed whatever virus he had from his body.
With all the mystery surrounding Maclin for the last few weeks, the fact that he is healthy and ready to return to the Eagles is great news. A cancer scare is obviously a big deal but it sounds like he is out of the woods and ready to return to his normal life. The virus he had may have sapped him of his strength so don't count him being ready to play immediately upon his return to practice.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Positives and negatives from the Eagles second preseason game
Positives:
Eagles secondary Sure, they had their moments getting burned by the bigger Bengals receivers but the Eagles secondary had a pretty good game overall, picking off Carson Palmer twice and making several solid open-field tackles. Considering they were without Asante Samuel, that's about all you can ask for from a group that doesn't seem to have much depth.
Nate Allen The rookie got run over by Cedric Benson on a play early in the first quarter but made up for it on the very next play by putting heavy pressure on Carson Palmer and forcing an interception. He still has plenty of room to grow but Allen looks ready to start at free safety.
Brandon Graham Not to be outdone by his fellow rookie defender, Graham picked up his first sack of the preseason and also had a huge hit on a Bengals running back. Of course, most of the credit for the sack goes to Trevor Laws, who toasted his guy off the line and forced J.T. O'Sullivan to go into panic mode.
Eagles second team defense The Eagles defense was dominant in the third quarter, keeping the Bengals off the board in the third quarter despite the two turnovers by the Eagles offense that gave Cincinnati great field position. Between Graham's sack, Keenan Clayton's pick and pressure from all angles, the Eagles second team defense made life miserable for Bengals backup quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan. Of course, O'Sullivan is a pretty terrible QB, so some of the success of the defense should be credited to his poor play.
David Akers Akers went 3 for 3 on field goals, making him 8 for 8 in the preseason. Touchdowns would be nice but Akers is certainly ready for the season.
Negatives:
Eagles 1st team offense in the first quarter After looking great from the start last week, Kevin Kolb couldn't get much going with the first team early on, going three and out on the first two drives before managing just one first down before Jeremy Maclin fumbled the ball away on the third drive. Kolb was 5 for 7 passing early on but the running game failed, going just 6 yards on 5 carries. Fortunately, the Birds offense did start to pick things up in the second quarter but they still ran into problems with the....
Red Zone offense Once again, the Eagles first team offense failed to convert in the red zone, this time thwarted by an illegal formation call on a Jason Avant touchdown catch. While David Akers is always reliable with the field goals, the Eagles first team offense really needs to get the ball in the end zone next week.
The offensive line Not much blocking was happening along the line tonight for the Eagles. Let's hope this is just a consistency issue because of all the injuries and not a talent issue. Too many penalties, too many holes and too many blown blocks really hampered the offenses ability to move the ball.
Jeremy Maclin Rough night for Maclin, who had 3 catches for 16 yards but fumbled twice, although one of the fumbles was because he injured his shoulder. The initial report on his injury was that it was a left shoulder contusion, which doesn't sound too serious but I'm certainly no doctor.
Joselio Hanson He was burned once again this week, this time by Terrell Owens. With Asante Samuel out of the game, Hanson was simply asked to do too much. Hanson is a capable nickel corner but can't be asked to cover the bigger and faster receivers in the league.
Michael Vick I was all set to put Vick in the positives column after he showed a great burst of speed on his 13 yard run while playing with the first team. Vick's QB play with the second team, though, left much to be desired as he was completely inaccurate, going 1 for 5 with 2 interceptions. Just about the only thing Vick can do is pull down the ball and run, making him a nice weapon for a few plays a game. However, if Kevin Kolb goes down with an injury and Vick is asked to be the starting quarterback, the Eagles will be screwed.
Penalties I know it's the preseason and the Eagles are working the kinks out but there were too many penalties that negated nice plays by the Eagles offense. Where is the discipline??
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Guest Post: Eagles Training Camp Observations
As I made my yearly trip to Lehigh, my thoughts about this year’s Eagles team were unlike any other I’ve had in my life. I knew what I loved about this year’s team, and I knew what occupies the middle ground between disaster and success.
Kolb, Free Safety, Right Cornerback.
As Eagles fans, we’re familiar with these question marks by now, aren’t we? Despite my understanding of the questions on the team, I tried to go into my time at training camp with an open mind. I wanted to see what would jump out at me and give me some type of expectations for this season. For the last nine seasons, we pretty much knew what we would see from the Birds, and while it could be extremely comforting, it was also extremely boring. Now, we head into the 2010-11 campaign with a young team, a new quarterback, and hundreds of dollars worth of training camp merchandise. Well, I do anyway.
I attended an afternoon session of camp this past weekend, one that was non-contact, but nonetheless the team put together a pretty decent scrimmage. I looked for answers to the obvious questions, but also saw some positive things that deserve acknowledgment. Seeing as how I was on vacation, I wasn’t too cynical. I know, I’m disappointed in myself too. Here are some of the impressions while watching the team.
Kolb’s arm- I know that the predominant train of thought on Kevin Kolb is that he will be a more accurate passer than Donovan was, and his long range arm leaves something to be desired. After getting my first look at Kolb, I couldn’t be more impressed. His accuracy was excellent, and I was surprised at how good he looked throwing the deep ball. He hooked up with Jeremy Maclin several times, all of which were perfect. I probably saw Kolb throw 20-25 deep passes, and all but three or four were caught in stride, with excellent placement. One negative to the practice was that most of his deep passes were thrown on go routes, so I cannot vouch for his ability to hit the 20-30 yard crossing or out routes. All in all, I was extremely impressed with our new quarterback. Whether or not he has what it takes mentally and psychologically to run the team is a completely different can of worms. But, on mechanics and physical ability alone, he looked ready.
Nasty Nate Allen- Okay, so I don’t really want to go through another season with a combination of what feels like twelve different free safeties playing in the secondary. I felt it last year and all it did was rub salt in the open wound of losing Brian Dawkins. I went to camp feeling suspicious about all I had heard about Nate Allen and his prowess as a rookie to understand the defense. For all we know, that could be the same propaganda machine that we’ve heard for years by the Eagles. Jeremy Bloom was supposed to be pretty good if you all correctly remember what the organization told us.
Jeremy Bloom was a joke.
Nate Allen is no such thing (I’ll never mention the two in the same breath again, I promise).
Allen was in the middle of everything when he was on the field. He broke up pass after pass, and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He looked completely comfortable in the defense, much to my amazement. If I didn’t know he was a rookie before practice, I sure as hell wouldn’t have been able to tell after practice. I’m looking forward to seeing a whole lot more of Nate Allen this season. I have a strong feeling I won’t have to see two different free safeties this season. That’s a great feeling.
Jeremy Maclin- The one thing I noticed while closely observing Kolb during practice was that he loves to throw to Maclin. It seemed like every time number 18 was on the field, the ball was thrown in his direction. I don’t know if that was simply the way things worked out, but it seemed like Kolb and Maclin have excellent chemistry when they’re on the field together. No matter what the reason was, it’s certainly an encouraging sign for the young wide receiver and the team moving forward.
Ellis Hobbs- Hobbs seemed to hold his own most through most of practice; however he was involved in a couple of miscommunications that resulted in wide open receivers. With that being said, there was no contact in the scrimmage, so it was difficult for any corners to really shine. I’m not completely sure if the miscommunications were Hobbs’ fault or simply mistakes made by the safeties, but I was not impressed with Hobbs on the right side. I will be watching him closely throughout the preseason to see if that was an aberration. For the team’s sake, I hope it was.
Linebackers- After the scrimmage installment of practice was complete; the different positions broke into separate drills. I spent this time evaluating the linebackers. Fokou, Bradley and Sims did not participate in the drills. Basically, the drills were concentrated on pass coverage, with each linebacker covering another’s route. The routes started on the hash marks, much like tight end routes would. In watching the drills, it seemed like most of the linebackers were successful in coverage about 50 percent of the time. The exceptions were Akeem Jordan and Jamar Chaney. It’s hard not to think that Jordan will be starting at the SAM as the season opens, and I can’t help but believe that Chaney will find himself on the roster as well. He is extremely fluid and quick for a linebacker, something the birds sorely need when it comes to matching up against the tight ends in the NFC East.
Here are some less in-depth observations I also made upon my visit:
Mike Kafka looked pretty accurate, Michael Vick did not.
LeSean McCoy has the offense down to a T at this point, he looked great.
It’s great to see Stewart Bradley back on the field. He spent 20-30 minutes talking to Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott after practice.
Chad Hall spent quite a bit of time running 40 yard sprints after practice. Whether he makes the team or not, I couldn’t help but be impressed with his work ethic.
Brandon Graham was always the first person on the field when the coaches called for substitutions. He was continuously sprinting on the field to his spots. He was far and away the most enthusiastic player I saw during practice.
*I also had an excellent fan experience with rookie safety Kurt Coleman and wide receiver Kelley Washington. I was lost on Lehigh’s campus and saw the two waiting outside the dorms, for food or a ride I suppose. I stopped and wished them luck. My high school was in the same district as Washington’s, so we struck up some good-natured trash talk. Suffice to say, I was impressed with the both of them as professionals and gentlemen. I’m rooting for both to make the roster this season.
Feel free to follow Mark on Twitter (@Mtrible) or shoot him an email (mtrible@vt.edu).
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Updated: Jeremy Maclin is the latest Eagle to be carted off the field
They're dropping like flies in Bethlehem.
We are just a few days into training camp and already the Eagles are piling up injuries, from DeSean Jackson to Nick Cole to Stacy Andrews. While none of those injuries are considered serious, it still stalls the ability of the team to all get on the same page for the start of the season.
At the end of practice on Tuesday, Jeremy Maclin was the latest Eagle to suffer an injury, falling to the ground after making a catch. Things sounded bad initially as he reportedly laid on the turf for a few minutes before being carted off the field. After further examination, though, word has come out that Maclin has a hyperextended left knee but will undergo further tests with the team to determine the exact severity of the injury.
While a hyperextended knee often isn't a serious injury, it's yet another minor tweak that will keep a starting player from getting up to full speed in time for the start of the regular season. Couple Maclin's injury with DeSean Jackson's and you have a starting receiving group that won't have an ideal amount of time to get in sync with their new starting quarterback.
UPDATE: Whew! According to CSN's Derrick Gunn, Maclin has a bone bruise. He should be fine in a few days.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Eagles/Broncos Inactives: Westbrook, Maclin back
The Eagles and Broncos announced their inactive players for their Week 16 match-up:
Eagles: OL Stacy Andrews, WR Kevin Curtis, DB Quintin Demps, DT Trevor Laws, OL Mike McGlynn, CB Geoffrey Pope, TE Martin Rucker, QB Michael Vick
Broncos: DL Chris Baker, QB Tom Brandstater, S Vernon Fox, RB LaMont Jordan, FB Spencer Larsen, CB Ty Law, G Seth Olsen, WR Eddie Royal
The biggest news in this game is that both Brian Westbrook and Jeremy Maclin are back for the Eagles. I would expect Westbrook to get very limited action, possibly 5 touches or so. WR Kevin Curtis is back to being inactive after making a comeback last week, perhaps he suffered a setback in his recovery. Also not playing for the Eagles is Michael Vick, who was injured last week. Vick could still be used as the emergency quarterback but Kevin Kolb is the backup for today.
As for the Broncos, Eddie Royal is their biggest name on the inactive list. Royal is a big threat in the return game so Denver will miss him there.
It's a big game for the Eagles this week, both for playoff scenarios and for the return of Brian Dawkins. While I miss Weapon X as much as the next fan, I hope the Eagles torch him all day today. GO BIRDS!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Eagles cruise past Tampa Bay despite sloppy play
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)The reason the Eagles were able to win this one easily? Their offense was dominating. With Donovan McNabb returning to the field, the Birds offense clicked all game long, picking up a number of big plays while basically looking unstoppable. McNabb spread the ball around the field to 7 different receivers, although his number one target was Jeremy Maclin, who started the game at wide receiver in place of the injured Kevin Curtis. Maclin made the most of his opportunity, catching 6 passes for 142 yards and 2 long touchdowns of 51 and 40 yards. Maclin looks like the real deal and it's only a matter of time before he supplants DeSean Jackson as the Birds number one receiver.
As for the things the Eagles did poorly today, there were quite a few. While they did manage to pick off Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Johnson three times, the Bucs offense moved the ball all day long on the Eagles defense. Johnson threw for 240 yards and kept the Bucs driving down the field thanks to some timely throws and some timely penalties on the Eagles. The Birds were mired with penalties all day long, committing 10 of them for 111 yards, all 10 of which seemed to happen at the worst possible time. Despite looking mediocre throughout the day, the Eagles defense does deserve credit for clamping down when they needed to, sacking Johnson three times and even getting a safety late in the game.
The Eagles special teams were also a mess today, committing their fair share of penalties. Just once I'd like to see the Eagles go a quarter or even a half without holding someone or blocking someone in the back on a return. That's not too much to ask, is it?
While some Philadelphia fans will complain that the Eagles weren't dominating enough, you really can't complain with a 33-14 win for the Birds. The Eagles beat down a poor team just like we expected them to despite not being perfect on either side of the ball. They have a few things to work on, a few tweaks to make, but what team has everything figured out 5 weeks into a season anyway? With a game against the Raiders next week, the Eagles have another game to work the kinks before they start playing the real teams.
Great job by the Eagles offense today, now just knock off all those penalties and clean up the special teams and they will be just fine when they start playing some real teams.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Colts work over injury-depleted Eagles
(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)Positives:
-The DeSean Jackson 39 yard touchdown. Donovan McNabb and DeSean Jackson looked to be in midseason form as they connected for a beautiful touchdown that was easily the highlight of the game.
-Jason Babin. Once again, Babin was one of the better defensive linemen out there. With all the injuries along the line, Babin got a chance to start and he made the most of it, sacking Peyton Manning and forcing a fumble in the first quarter. Babin was around the quarterback the entire first half, proving that he deserves a spot on the final roster. Sorry, Bryan Smith, I think you just got bumped.
-A.J. Feeley. For a guy who is likely to get cut, he sure is making a case to be added on by another team. Despite facing constant pressure and getting knocked around in the pocket, Feeley hung tough and made some good throws. I know he made a bad decision at the end of the first half, but completing 16 of 20 passes is no easy task.
-Eldra Buckley. Buckley played much less tonight, but it was actually a good thing. Buckley, who got time with the second unit while Lorenzo Booker was demoted to the third team, held his own against better competition, averaging 5 yards a carry and proving he has good hands out of the backfield with four catches. Yeah, I know he fumbled, but it seems like a given at this point that Buckley makes the team while Booker gets cut.
-Sav Rocca. His first punt was a beauty that pinned the Colts inside the 5 yardline. I've had my doubts about the guy, but he has his moments.
-Adam DiMichele. If that was his one chance with the Eagles, he made the most of it. He made some nice throws and moved the ball well, too bad he's cut the moment Kevin Kolb comes back.
Negatives:
-Leonard Weaver. For the short amount of time he was out there, he played great. Unfortunately, Weaver is the latest Eagle to fall victim to the injury bug. He sprained his knee, probably while he was trying to block a lineman who got through the porous offensive line. If Weaver is out for any amount of time, Kyle Eckel is your starting fullback. Needless to say, that's a big drop-off.
-The Colts first team offense shredded the Eagles first team defense. Luckily, the Eagles have two pretty good excuses as to why the Colts were able to move the ball at will against them. First, it's the Colts, they have one of the best offenses in the league. Second, the Eagles first team defense was missing so many players that it was far from their best unit. The Eagles still should have been able to put up a better fight than that, but it shows that, defensively, they still aren't where they need to be yet. Not even close.
-The Eagles first team offense. They started extremely slow, with a 3 and out on the first possession and a fumble in the second possession. Things started to come together on the third possession when McNabb connected with Jackson on that 39 yard strike. McNabb put up surprisingly solid numbers, completing 5 of 7 passes for 77 yards, and he should be commended for staying upright behind the makeshift offensive line. Overall, though, things seemed pretty disjointed with the offense, and it all starts with the play of....
-The offensive line. Playing with only one starter, the "first team" offensive line was atrocious. King Dunlap, who was the starting left tackle, predictably got burned by Dwight Freeney early and often. About the only positive thing from this group is the fact that McNabb didn't get injured playing behind these guys. It's easy to simply blame this on injuries, but at what point is that actual starting offensive line going to play together? The season is coming soon, it's hard to have any faith in these guys.
-Discipline. Just like last week, the Eagles had way too many penalties, this time committing 12 for 87 yards. It could be a product of guys who have never played together or it could be the coaching, but Andy Reid has got to get this situation under control.
-Jeremy Maclin. As a receiver, he's fine. As a punt returner, not so much. His second fumble in two games might be a sign that he shouldn't be returning punts in the NFL.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Thoughts on the Eagles first preseason game
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)Positives:
-McNabb and the first team offense. While the first team offense looked sloppy on their first two drives, they began to kick it into gear on the third. Mixing in several shotgun formations, Donovan McNabb, who finished 11 of 18 on the night, led the Eagles down the field with precision, completing passes to three different receivers and letting LeSean McCoy eat up yards on the ground. While the drive ultimately ended in a failure in the red zone with a sack and a field goal, there were some promising signs, especially from...
-LeSean McCoy. The rookie looked really good, eating up yardage on nearly every carry. He finished with 55 yards on 10 carries, a solid 5.5 yards per carry, plus he caught two passes out of the backfield. I have never felt more confident about the Eagles running game when/if Brian Westbrook gets hurt.
-Sheldon Brown. He made a nice play early in the game and later had a pick that pissed Tom Brady off. Sheldon has solidified his starting spot for sure.
-A.J. Feeley. He might be playing for his NFL career now that the Eagles have Vick. Feeley got the bulk of the playing time at QB and had a good showing, leading two touchdown drives and completing 18 of 24 passes for 211 yards. Unless Kevin Kolb is hurt more than has been led on, however, this is likely the end of Feeley's time in Philly.
-Jason Babin. He's on the roster bubble, so picking up the only Eagles sack of the day is a big positive for him.
-Eldra Buckley. Lorenzo Booker better watch his back, Buckley is coming for him. While not particularly great on the ground (23 yards and a TD on 8 carries), Buckley had quite a showing in the passing game, catching 6 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. With Booker basically doing nothing, Buckley has a great shot at earning the 3rd string running back spot.
Negatives:
-Discipline. The Eagles were penalized 8 times for 98 yards, which is unacceptable. From the beginning of the game, the team seemed out of sorts and sloppy. Perhaps they were shocked by the Michael Vick signing?
-Jeremy Maclin. He fumbled his first touch as an Eagle on a punt return. Not a great way to start your career and not a way to endear yourselves to fans and coaches who aren't happy you held out. He later made 2 catches and had a much better punt return, but that wasn't a good first impression.
-The first team defense. After looking solid on the first drive, the first team defense got picked apart by Tom Brady on the second drive. Brady threw a bomb right to Randy Moss that Asante Samuel interfered with, which put the Patriots deep in the Eagles territory. From there, Brady dinked and dunked short passes to lead the Patriots to a touchdown. They redeemed themselves later when Brown picked off Brady, but they could have done better to put more pressure on the Patriots QB. Brady had a good game overall, completing 10 of 15 for 100 yards and 2 TDs. The second and third units fared much better, limiting the Pats to only a pair of field goals in the second half.
-Jason Peters. The big offseason pickup let the Patriots defensive line get by him for two sacks. I know he's surrounded by second team linemen that he's never played with, but he's gotta do better than that.
-Special teams. This supposedly improved unit gave up a punt return touchdown and had several penalties. Every year we hear that the special teams is going to be the amongst the best in the league and every year they disappoint. Let's hope the Eagles get these kinks worked out.
Monday, August 3, 2009
The Eagles finally sign Jeremy Maclin
On a day that was filled with bad news for the Eagles, it was nice to have something good to end the day with: the Eagles have finally signed first round pick Jeremy Maclin. Maclin, who was the 19th pick in the 2009 draft, agreed to a five year contract with the Birds, a deal that guarantees him 9.5 million dollars and has a total value of 15.5 million.
The deal ends Maclin's 9 day holdout just in time. If Maclin missed too much more of camp, there was little chance he was going to have any impact on the Eagles this season. The Eagle offense is complicated for receivers and takes years to master, so Maclin was already facing an uphill battle to get substantial playing time. With the holdout, Maclin may see very little time at all this season, especially considering he has DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis and possibly Reggie Brown ahead of him on the depth chart.
With Maclin's signing, the Eagles are all accounted for at Training Camp. All except Stewart Bradley, of course. It was a good thing Maclin signed when he did because with the loss of Bradley, the Eagles offense is going to need to step it up this season. Having a burner like Maclin out there will be a big boost to the Birds passing game. Let's see how quickly he can work his way into some real playing time.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Eagles have only 2 rookies left to sign: Maclin and McCoy
While rumors continue to circulate about the Eagles re-working Donovan McNabb's contract, the team is still busy signing their rookie draft picks. The Birds drafted 8 players and have now signed all but 2 of them. Of course, the two unsigned players are top picks Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy, who are both likely waiting to see what the market looks like for other rookies before they sign their deals.
Here is a complete list of Eagles draft picks and their contract status:
Jeremy Maclin, WR: No contract yet
LeSean McCoy, RB: No contract yet
Cornelius Ingram, TE: 4 years, 1.9 million, $183,000 signing bonus
Victor "Macho" Harris, CB: 4 years, 1.93 million, $180,000 signing bonus
Fenuki Tupou, OT: 4 years
Brandon Gibson, WR: 4 years
Paul Fanaika, OG: 4 years
Moise Fokou, LB: 4 years, 1.8 million, $47,000 signing bonus
I was unable to find the contract values for Tupou, Gibson and Fanaika, but you can assume, based on the pattern above, that it's in the 1.8-1.9 million dollar range, with a signing bonus above 47,000 and below 180,000.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Philadelphia Eagles 2009 Draft Round-up
The Eagles came in with a plan for the 2009 NFL Draft: upgrade the skill position players and give Donovan McNabb some more weapons. Since they couldn't get Anquan Boldin in a trade, the Eagles did the next best thing and got one of the top wideouts in the draft. Since they couldn't get Tony Gonzalez in a trade, they went and got a steal in the 5th round when they drafted a tight end with second round talent. The Eagles also shrewdly got a running back in the second round who many thought had first round talent. Where the Eagles didn't like the talent, they traded down. And, of course, the acquisitions of Jason Peters and Ellis Hobbs have to be included with the draft since they were traded for in exchange for draft picks. In all, that makes for a solid draft for the Eagles. Here is a complete rundown of each player selected by the Eagles in the 2009 draft:
Round 1, pick 19 (19): Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
The Eagles traded up to get Maclin, so you know Andy Reid just had to have him. He reminds me a lot of DeSean Jackson, and that's a good thing. Maclin is small but is incredibly fast and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball, hence his 32 touchdowns in 28 college games. While he isn't the big receiver many Eagles fans hoped for, you don't really need that kind of receiver in a West Coast offense, anyway. Maclin also figures to be used on kick and punt returns which is where I would expect him to excel this coming year.
Round 2, pick 21 (53): LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
Sports Illustrated projected the Eagles would take McCoy with their first round pick, so you can imagine the value the Eagles got when he fell to them in the second round. McCoy has tremendous quickness and great hands, just like Brian Westbrook, which means he is a perfect fit for the offense. McCoy will be everything that Lorenzo Booker wasn't last year, he will be the perfect guy to spell Westbrook. He isn't a change of pace back but should Westbrook go down for a few games, it will be nice to know the Eagles running attack won't be stuck in neutral.
Round 5, pick 17 (153): Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida
Many experts are calling this pick one of the steals of the draft. Ingram missed the entire 2008 season with Florida recovering from an ACL injury, but he is considered a tremendous athlete who has second round talent if he is healthy. Had he stayed healthy, his mix of size and speed could have made him the top tight end selected in the draft. The Eagles hope Ingram can get healthy enough to be their primary pass-catching tight end in the coming years.
Round 5, pick 21 (157): Victor Harris, CB, Virginia Tech
"Macho" Harris is another value pick for the Eagles, a second/third round talent who is dealing with an injury to his foot. While he may be a step or two slow to be a solid cover corner in the NFL, the Eagles could ultimately give him a shot at a safety spot. With all of the top corners (Samuel, Brown, Hanson, Hobbs) already on the roster, Harris may be forced over to safety to get playing time, anyway.
Round 5, pick 23 (159): Fenuki Tupou, OT, Oregon
With their third pick in the 5th round, the Eagles went with more of a project player. At 314 pounds, Tupou is certainly big enough to be an NFL tackle but he has a ways to go in terms of learning how to block the kind of size and speed he will see in the league. Tupou is more of a gamble than the first four players the Eagles took, but with the third 5th round pick it doesn't hurt to take a risk.
Round 6, pick 21 (194): Brandon Gibson, WR, Washington State
Gibson could be a real steal this late in the draft. After a stellar 2007 season at Washington State where he racked up 1,180 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns, Gibson struggled through his senior year and his draft stock fell. Gibson can't entirely be to blame since Washington State as a whole really struggled in 2008, but he will need to prove that his last college season was not his true talent level. Gibson is probably a longshot to make the team unless the Eagles keep 6 or 7 recievers so a year on the practice squad is probably in order.
Round 7, pick 4 (213): Paul Fanaika, OG, Arizona State
Andy Reid must have really liked the Pac 10 this year because this is the third straight player taken from the conference. Fanaika is a big boy, at 6 foot 5 and 327 pounds, but he is likely just practice squad fodder. Most scouts think he doesn't really have a position along the offensive line which doesn't bode well for a future in the NFL.
Round 7, pick 21 (230): Moise Fokou, LB, Maryland
The Eagles went very light on defense this year, Fokou is just the second non-offensive player. Fokou figures to have a chance to make the team if he can learn to play special teams. There might also be some openings at linebacker on the Birds so Fokou has a decent chance to be a backup.
So those are the Eagles selections for the 2009 Draft. Add your comments on the Eagles draft below, and be sure to grade their draft in the poll to the left!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Eagles trade up, select WR Jeremy Maclin in the first round
The Eagles are always good for a surprise on draft day, and they didn't disappoint this year. First, the Birds traded up from pick number 21 to pick 19, giving up their pick at 21 and a 6th rounder. With pick 19, they then selected wide receiver Jeremy Maclin from Missouri. Maclin is another speedy receiver, like DeSean Jackson, who can spread the field and beat people deep. He was a clutch reciever who caight a number of third down passes and also caught 32 touchdown passes in 28 college games. Maclin also was a stellar kick returner at Missouri so I wouldn't be surprised if the Eagles use him there.
The drafting of Maclin also likely means the Eagles are not going to acquire Anquan Boldin, unless they move one of the receivers already on their roster to get him. The selection of Maclin is a bit curious because the Eagles really don't have a need for another receiver like him, but the team doesn't really have any glaring needs that absolutely must be addressed in the draft. The Eagles don't really have any holes anyway, although many would have preferred if they picked up a possesion recevier rather than another speedster.
Let's see if the Eagles have any other moves up their sleeves. There is still plenty of time to go get and get a backup for Brian Westbrook.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
