Eagles cut Leonard Weaver, 4 others

Cuts have begun around the league and the Eagles have announced that the following five players have been cut: DL Jeremy Clark, DB Gerard Lawson, DT Jeff Owens, FB Leonard Weaver, WR Jeremy Williams.

Obviously, the biggest name on the list is Leonard Weaver, who was released because he failed his physical. Weaver suffered a nasty injury in Week 1 last season and has been working hard to rehab the injury but clearly isn't healthy enough to play this season. In fact, he may work his tail off in rehab but I doubt Weaver ever plays again. Owen Schmitt will likely retain the starting fullback spot for another season.

As for the other 4 players cut, both Williams and Owens also failed their physicals.

Leonard Weaver's career may be over

Don't count on seeing Leonard Weaver in an Eagles uniform, or any NFL uniform, ever again. According to CSN Philly, Weaver just had his third major operation to help repair his ACL that he shredded way back in Week 1 of the NFL season. The report goes on to say that Weaver still can't even lift his foot and that there have been very few cases of players returning from an injury as severe as Weaver suffered. As anyone who follows him on Twitter can attest to, Weaver sounds optimistic about returning to the Eagles, but this report makes it sound very unlikely that he is going to play another down of football in his life.

On the field, the Eagles will miss Weaver, but their offense isn't one that relies on a fullback to do all that much. Sure, it would be nice to have a big back like Weaver in short yardage situations, but with Michael Vick under center, a quarterback sneak is probably a better option. Weaver was also a decent threat in the passing game, something that Owen Schmitt, his replacement for the season, never really was. Still, while there is a drop-off from Weaver to someone like Schmitt, in the Eagles offense, it really won't hurt them all that much.

Eagles officially lose Weaver and Jackson for the season

With the entire team healthy heading into their first game of the season, you knew the Eagles were due for a few injuries. Not even the most jaded fan could have predicted the carnage that followed in the game against the Packers, however, as key players from both sides of the ball went down with potentially serious injuries.

Two Eagles have been confirmed to be out for the season: fullback Leonard Weaver (torn ACL) and center Jamaal Jackson (torn tricep). Given that the Eagles already had a contingency plan (Mike McGlynn or Nick Cole) in place should Jackson not be healthy, the loss of Weaver is the bigger blow. Having traded away Charles Scott in the preseason, the Eagles are now left without a fullback on the roster. There will be a tremendous drop in talent from a Pro Bowler like Weaver to whatever fullback the Eagles pick up off the scrap heap, like former practice squad player Jason Davis, who is reportedly now working out with the Birds.

It could be a long season, Eagles fans.

Eagles lose injury-filled season opener

How does one even begin to describe the Eagles first game of the season? The first half was brutal, probably the worst possible way they could have started the season. The second half, though, was filled with enough bright spots that the Eagles look like they might have something they can build on. The fact that they only lost the game 27-20 to one of the best teams in the NFC gives you some hope that the Birds be competitive this season.

The game couldn't have started off any uglier, though. From a mountain of injuries to an ineffective offense in the first half to a bunch of stupid penalties, just about everything went wrong for the Eagles as they fell behind by 10 points. The offense was brutal, finishing with under 50 yards in the first half. From Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin being the top two rushers to Brent Celek and DeSean Jackson being held catchless, absolutely nothing went right. The first half defense, on the other hand, looked good as they made a habit of getting after the quarterback and forced Aaron Rodgers to rush a number of his throws.

Of course, the inept first half offense was overshadowed by a ridiculous number of injuries. Both Kevin Kolb and Stewart Bradley suffered concussions but inexplicably stayed in the game for the rest of the half. Kolb and Bradley then were removed from the game at halftime, meaning Michael Vick took over at QB and Omar Gaither was back in the middle. Center Jamaal Jackson was also injured, missing the rest of the game with an arm injury. The early word from the Eagles on Jackson is that he tore his bicep and could be lost for the season. And, perhaps worst of all, Leonard Weaver's knee was destroyed early in the second quarter and all indications are that the Pro Bowl fullback will be done for the year. No matter how you look at it, losing both Jackson and Weaver will hinder the Birds offense. The drop-off to whoever the Eagles get to start in their place will make things difficult for the Birds to protect the quarterback.

Things went very differently for the Eagles in the second half after Michael Vick took over. While there isn't expected to be any quarterback controversy in Philly (Andy Reid has already said that Kolb will remain the quarterback if healthy), Vick put together quite a game, completing 16 of 24 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 103 yards. Much of the yards Vick compiled were against a Packers defense that was in prevent mode, so don't expect that kind of accuracy from him should he be playing full time. Frankly, the Packers didn't have any kind of gameplan to stop him, not even bothering to shadow Vick when he escaped the pocket. While some will call for Vick to be the new starting quarterback, Kevin Kolb has to be given more of a chance than one half of a football game. If Kolb is going to be the long term answer at QB in Philly he needs to be given more than just 30 minutes to prove it.

The defense also continued to play well in the second half. While they did give up a pair of touchdowns, they showed a ton of heart in the 4th quarter as they shut down the Packers offense and kept the Birds in the game. Much like the offense, it was difficult to get too good of a read on the defense because the Packers closed up the playbook after they got a big lead. Regardless, Nate Allen deserves mention for an interception in his first game with the Eagles.

Expect a week filled with a ton of Eagles news, from whether Bradley and Kolb will be able to play next week to how long Jackson and Weaver will be out. The Eagles will also need to look into signing another fullback to replace Weaver and get Mike McGlynn ready to start at center. While the Lions appear to be a weak opponent next week, when you have as many injuries as the Eagles do, no game is an easy win.

After just one game, it's clear this is going to be one crazy season, Eagles fans. Strap yourselves in, things are bound to get bumpy.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Leonard Weaver's season could be done after nasty knee injury

The Eagles entered the first game of the season completely healthy but they won't be leaving that way. On a carry early in the second quarter, fullback Leonard Weaver suffered a gruesome injury when his knee was bent the wrong way by a Packers defender. Weaver was helped off the field and you could see tears in his eyes. He was later carted off to the locker room.

The initial word from the Eagles is that Weaver suffered a sprained knee and will not return to the game. He will have an MRI and the injury will likely be much more serious than that. We may not be seeing Weaver again for quite a while.

Eagles lock up FB Weaver with record contract

It had been rumored for the last few days but it is finally official: the Eagles have signed fullback Leonard Weaver to a contract extension. Weaver, who was to become a restricted free agent, signed a 3 year, 11 million dollar contract with the Birds, the largest ever for a fullback. The contract includes 6.5 million dollars of guaranteed money for the Pro Bowler.

Retaining Weaver became a high priority this offseason after he proved to be so valuable in 2009. Not only was he a great blocking fullback but Weaver also was a solid ball carrier when he lined up as a running back. With Brian Westbrook gone, I would expect that we see Weaver used even more in the running attack.

Remember when the Eagles used to have terrible fullbacks? It's nice to see them finally value the position and wrap up one of the best in the game.

Eagles to send 6 to 2010 Pro Bowl (maybe)

The initial Pro Bowl rosters were announced today and the Eagles are going to be well-represented in Miami. As of now, six Eagles have made the NFC team: K David Akers, DE Trent Cole, WR/KR DeSean Jackson, T Jason Peters, CB Asante Samuel and FB Leonard Weaver. Each player, with the possible exception of Peters, is very deserving of a spot and was basically a lock to make the team. Jackson was so good that he even made it for two positions, something that has never happened before.

It's hard to argue that the Eagles should have more players in the Pro Bowl, but a case can be made for Sheldon Brown. Brown has had an excellent year and would certainly be the first cornerback to make the team should one of the current NFC CB's get injured. A case could also be made for Brent Celek and even Donovan McNabb, but both were hurt by playing at positions filled with a ton of talent. Many players end up dropping out of the Pro Bowl so I wouldn't be surprised if an Eagle or two gets added in the coming weeks.

Of course, if all goes well, none of the Eagles will play in the Pro Bowl. Remember, the Pro Bowl is being played the weekend before the Super Bowl during the "dead week", so if the Eagles make the Super Bowl none of their players would play for the NFC. I'm sure they wouldn't be too disappointed if they don't get to suit up for the Pro Bowl.

Eagles roll past injury-plagued Falcons

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

If only it was always this easy for the Eagles. The Eagles, facing a Falcons team that was without 5 starting offensive players, played one of their most complete games of the season as they cruised past Atlanta, 34-7.

The defense was the story in this one as the Eagles nearly got their first shutout since 1996. While Atlanta was playing shorthanded without starting quarterback Matt Ryan and starting running back Michael Turner, the Eagles defense still played inspired, forcing three turnovers and coming up with several big 4th down stops. Atlanta had their moments of being able to move the ball but the defense nearly always responded with the big tackle or the big interception whenever the Falcons threatened to score. In fact, it took a last second touchdown pass for Atlanta to even get on the board in this one. Give the Eagles defense credit for stopping Atlanta when they went for it on 4th down early in the game and not ever letting the Falcons into the game.

Offensively, although they had their usual issues in the red zone, the Eagles had no problems moving the ball at will. Donovan McNabb had another solid performance, leading a fairly balanced attack with 238 yards and a touchdown pass to Leonard Weaver in his three quarters of work. Speaking of Weaver, he was in full beast-mode today as he had 100 total yards of offense, most of them coming on a 59 yard reception. Weaver did so well that the Eagles didn't even use LeSean McCoy that much as he was limited to only 2 yards rushing on 6 carries.

Michael Vick also had his best game for the Eagles in his return to Atlanta. Vick scored his first touchdown as an Eagle on a 5 yard run then later threw his first touchdown as an Eagle on a 5 yard pass to Brent Celek. On top of that, Vick also had his best pass as an Eagle, a 43 yarder to Reggie Brown. Vick played well enough to turn the Atlanta crowd, which booed him when he first stepped on the field, into big fans again as they chanted for him to play in the 3rd quarter.

In all, it was an easy win for the Eagles as they moved to 8-4 on the season and further solidified their playoff position. While the Eagles are still ahead in the Wild Card battle, the win keeps their hopes for an NFC East title alive as they continue to chase the Cowboys. The Eagles are just waiting for Dallas to slip up, which could happen against the Giants later this afternoon, and they will jump into a tie for the division lead.

Give the defense the game ball in this one for nearly getting their first shutout in 13 years. While it's easy to point at the Falcons back-up offense as the reason for the dominance, it's still incredibly difficult to keep an NFL team completely off the board for 59 minutes. If the defense keeps playing the way they did today the Eagles could be in for another deep playoff run.

Colts work over injury-depleted Eagles

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

It's a good thing there is still nearly a month until the regular season starts because the Eagles don't look like they are anywhere close to being ready. The short-handed Eagles, who played without 12 players, got trounced by the Colts in every facet of the game, losing 23-15. While a lot of this poor play can be attributed to all of the missing players (Kevin Kolb, Brian Westbrook, Jason Peters, Shawn Andrews, Stacy Andrews, Todd Herremans, Trent Cole, Bryan Smith, Darren Howard, Omar Gaither, Sheldon Brown and Michael Vick all didn't play), Eagles fans still hoped to see a lot more effort and a much more competitive game than they saw. Here are my positives and negatives from the Eagles second preseason game.

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.

Eagles sign coveted fullback Leonard Weaver

Who needs a wide receiver when you can sign a fullback! The Eagles have signed free agent fullback Leonard Weaver to a one year deal worth up to 2.5 million dollars. Weaver was being pursued by several teams as he looked for a big money contract, but apparently he wasn't getting the offers he wanted so he settled for a smaller one year deal with a team he felt he fit in with.

Weaver, a Pro Bowler last year, has spent his entire career with the Seattle Seahawks. He is a good blocker and, having caught 60 passes in 46 career games, has good hands out of the backfield. He isn't a great runner but he will certainly be a good option for the Eagles in short yardage situations.

Considering how little the Eagles use a fullback in their offense, it's unclear what the team plans to do with a fullback as good as Weaver. I would expect the Eagles to try to get him involved in the passing game but he will play much fewer snaps than he is used to. At the very least, the signing of Weaver ensures the Eagles that they don't have to start the season with a non-fullback like Tony Hunt at the position.

It will be interesting to see how the Eagles utilize Weaver. It's probably the reason they only offered a one year deal for Weaver considering they may not know what to do with a fullback who can actually block and catch passes. Despite the Eagles being 30+ million dollars under the cap, I think we can safely assume they are done making free agent acquisitions this offseason.