Eagles downward slide continues in choke against Niners

We have a disaster on our hands, Eagles fans.  After making a number of mistakes in the first half and still building a 20-3 lead, the Eagles allowed the Niners to score the final 21 points of the game to win, 24-23.  Here are my thoughts on a brutal loss for the Eagles:

-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!

The positives and negatives from the Eagles first preseason game

Eagles football is back! With one preseason game in the books, the Eagles are undefeated, squeaking by the Ravens 13-6. Wins and losses are meaningless in preseason but the Eagles certainly looked like the better team when the starters were on the field. Here are some of the positives and negatives that I noticed from the Eagles first preseason game:

Positives:

First team offense: Nothing to complain about for the first team as they drove right down the field for a touchdown on their only drive. Michael Vick was solid, completing 4 of 6 passes to the backup receiving group of Jason Avant, Chad Hall and Riley Cooper. I would have liked to see them run the ball more with LeSean McCoy but we all know that isn't how the Eagles offense works.

First team defense: The Ravens did move the ball on the Eagles first team defense but they still looked great. We got our first look at the defensive line rotation, which is crazy deep, and the secondary had the Ravens receivers covered for the most part. The linebackers are fairly weak but the combination of a strong pass rush and a lockdown secondary should make the Eagles an elite defense.

Chad Hall: He took advantage of the extra playing time with the starting wideouts sitting, catching 5 balls for 82 yards. With the signing of Steve Smith, Hall will have a tough time making the team but more nights like this one will force the Birds to keep him.

Riley Cooper: Catch of the game for Cooper, who made a nice grab on the opening drive. He might get lost in the shuffle at wideout this year but Cooper can play and will make the occasional big catch this season.

Darryl Tapp: Two sacks on the night for Tapp, who should be a great contributor in the defensive line rotation. He will have one job this season: get the quarterback. He should do just fine.

Alex Henery: With the David Akers era over, its important that Henery is successful early on. He was perfect tonight, hitting a pair of field goals, and also showed off a strong leg on kickoffs. Can't ask for anything more than that.

Negatives:

Playing time for the first team: Its still early but I'd like to have seen more out of the first team offense and defense than just one drive. All of the free agents and rookies need more than a handful of plays to gel together, especially the offensive line. I know, its only the first preseason game, there is still plenty of time.

Brent Celek: Even though he had a touchdown, Celek still had a drop on a play that was negated due to a Ravens penalty. If Celek is going to have more drop problems this season the Eagles better start thinking about alternative plans at tight end. I'm not sure Clay Harbor or Donald Lee is the answer, though Lee had a couple of nice catches.

Austin Howard: The Ravens had only one sack in the game and Howard was burned on the play as well as on a few others. Howard probably isn't in jeopardy of losing his backup LT spot but he will need to step it up in the next game.

Kurt Coleman: Not a great day for a guy that is fighting for a starting spot. While rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett had a nice interception, Coleman got burned on two big plays early on. It will only be a matter of time before Jarrett leaps over him on the depth chart.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Philadelphia Eagles 2011 Draft Round-up

The 2011 NFL Draft is now in the books and the Eagles came away with a bunch of intriguing prospects. It was a somewhat curious draft for the Birds, who didn't target some of their biggest needs in the first two rounds, leading many to speculate that they might be counting on free agency to shore up their defensive line and cornerback situations. Andy Reid is never one to make all of the expected moves in the draft and this year was no exception as he grabbed several players a round or two ahead of when most draft pundits had them projected. Clearly, the Eagles trust their judgement and don't take stock in what everyone else thinks about who they target in the draft. Here's a look at every player the Eagles selected in the 2011 draft:

Round 1, pick 23 (23): Danny Watkins, OL, Baylor
If you watched the Eagles at all last year, you know how much the offensive line struggled to block for Michael Vick. Drafting Watkins should help to shore up at least one spot along the line as he figures to step into the starting right guard spot. While much has been made about his age (26), Watkins doesn't have a lot of miles on his body and should be able to play well into his 30's. Nearly every expert raves about his toughness and his work ethic, so, with the help of Howard Mudd, he should make a smooth transition to the NFL.


Round 2, pick 22 (54): Jaiquawn Jarrett, S, Temple
The Eagles go local with their second pick, snapping up Jarrett from nearby Temple. Jarrett was a four year starter at Temple and is known as a big hitter. That the Eagles used a second round pick on a safety for the second year in a row tells you they either are planning to get rid of Quintin Mikell or they aren't sure if Nate Allen will be healthy at the start of the season. Andy Reid has made it pretty clear that Jarrett will be a safety in the NFL, a smart move given his questionable cover skills.


Round 3, pick 26 (90): Curtis Marsh, CB, Utah St.
The Eagles finally addressed possibly their biggest need in the third round, picking up Marsh after trading down and picking up an extra 6th round pick. There are some questions surrounding Marsh, who played running back at the start of his college career and only recently transitioned to corner. He probably isn't the answer as the starting CB opposite of Asante Samuel but he could slide into a nickel role with an impressive training camp. Given that they waited this long to take a corner, the Eagles must have someone targeted in free agency (Nnamdi Asomugha?).

Round 4, pick 19 (116): Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon
After moving down and picking up a 4th rounder next year, the Eagles addressed another need and picked up a linebacker. Matthews has a great pedigree, as his dad played 19 years at linebacker in the NFL and his brother is a star linebacker for the Super Bowl champion Packers. He has all of the characteristics of everyone in his family as he is hard-working, tough and plays the game the way it should be played. While he won't be as good as his brother Clay, Casey could have a solid NFL career as more of a role player and special teams contributor. If he plays with the same intensity and instincts of the rest of his bloodline, he will be a great pick.


Round 4, pick 23 (120): Alex Henery, K, Nebraska
Thanks for all the great years, David Akers. I'm not even going to pretend like I know how to evaluate kickers, but Henery's selection surely means that Akers, who refused to sign a transition tag, won't be coming back to the Eagles. You don't take the first kicker of the draft if you don't plan on having him be the guy. As much as we all like Akers for everything he has done, he is getting up there in years and he hasn't been very good on kickoffs. Henery was the best kicker in the draft and has a strong leg, so he should be a solid replacement.

Round 5, pick 18 (149): Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh
If you had success with one running back from Pitt, why not take another? Lewis, who succeeded LeSean McCoy at Pitt, is a small (5 foot 7, 193 pounds) back with a lot of shiftiness. He's a little like McCoy in terms of his elusiveness but he doesn't have much in the way of power or hands and he doesn't figure to be someone who can carry a heavy load. With the Eagles set at running back with McCoy and (hopefully) Jerome Harrison, Lewis could slot into the 3rd running back role and finally push Eldra Buckley out of the picture.


Round 5, pick 30 (161): Julian Vandervelde, OL, Iowa
After moving down a few spots and turning a 7th round pick into a 6th round pick, the Eagles picked up their second offensive lineman of the draft in Vandervelde. At 6 foot 2, 301 pounds, he's a big dude and figures to compete for a backup spot along the offensive line. It's not clear exactly what position he will play in the NFL but count on him somewhere in the interior of the line. Physicality is his specialty so he could develop into a starter down the road.

Round 6, pick 26 (191): Jason Kelce, G/C, Cincinnati
The Eagles went with their second offensive lineman in a row, picking up another interior lineman in Kelce. He's listed as a center but could also compete at guard. Best case scenario for Kelce is probably earning a backup spot but he's probably a candidate to spend a year on the practice squad.


Round 6, pick 28 (193): Brian Rolle, LB, Ohio State
After swapping this pick with the Patriots for pick 194 for no reason, the Eagles selected their second linebacker of the draft in Rolle. Rolle was productive at Ohio State and was a first team All-Big Ten selection last year. At 5 foot 10, 229 pounds he's pretty small for a linebacker and there is even some speculation on his NFL.com profile that he could move to safety in the NFL. He is the cousin of Giants defensive back Antrel Rolle.

Round 7, pick 34 (237): Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut
Grabbing another linebacker, the Eagles go with Lloyd, who is the son of former Steeler linebacker Greg Lloyd, though they've had a checkered relationship. Lloyd has some issues with injuries but he is physical and projects to be a middle linebacker in the NFL. Some experts thought he was a mid-round pick so the Eagles might have themselves a nice value pick here.

Round 7, pick 38 (240): Stanley Havili, FB, USC
The Eagles wrap things up with a fullback. With Leonard Weaver's future looking dicey, Havili could get a chance to compete for the starting fullback spot. He is a good pass-catching threat out of the backfield, something the Eagles obviously value. Isn't known as much of a blocker or a runner so he's going to have his work cut out for him if he wants to make the team.

That's all 11 players the Eagles took in the 2011 draft. Be sure to add your comments on the Eagles draft below and grade their draft in the poll to the left!

Akers era over: Eagles draft kicker

David Akers has likely played his last game as an Eagle. In the 4th round of the 2011 NFL draft, the Eagles took the best kicker available, Alex Henery from Nebraska. All indications are that Henery has a strong leg and is very accurate from long distance and that he should have good career in the NFL.

What this means for Akers, whose contract is up and hasn't signed the transition tag the Birds offered him, is there is little chance he kicks for the Eagles again. Teams don't use 4th round picks on kickers if they don't intend to keep them on the roster. If the Eagles were planning on signing Akers and they just wanted to have some competition for him in camp, they would have waited until the last round or even picked up a free agent kicker.

Thanks for all of the memories, David Akers. While his last game in an Eagles uniform was one to forget, he was one of the best kickers in the league for the last decade. Now that he is getting up their in years and is starting to lose leg strength, it's probably best to cut bait and move on. The Eagles are pretty good about knowing when their veterans just don't have it anymore so it's pretty safe to trust their judgement on this one.