Please lock this one up mods

Overall, I think we had a solid draft. Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but I have faith in Chip Kelly's talent evaluation. Lane is a freak athlete for the tackle position, and considering he only played two years at that position, his potential is definitely intriguing. Ertz is my favorite player we picked up; ever since the beginning I've liked him more than Eifert, and I felt like the Eagles needed a star at TE. Barkley is a low risk-high reward guy, so I don't mind the pick.

Oh, and apparently we picked up P Brad Wing from LSU. I don't know why, but I'm excited about that . Dude was nice.

Kiper's grade via ESPN Insider:

Philadelphia Eagles

Top needs: CB, G/OT, S, DE, QB

Needs: B
Value: A
Overall: B+

Summary: The Eagles really did well at the No. 4 spot. Lane Johnson has the best combination of upside and athleticism in the draft, and while he's an unfinished product, he's the perfect tackle to develop in Chip Kelly's fast-paced system. After that, we saw a kind of fun theme develop -- a head coach who gets a say in personnel decisions, taking players he should know really well. It started in Round 2, where the Eagles took my No. 2-ranked tight end. Well, Zach Ertz caught 11 passes against Kelly's Oregon Ducks last year. Matt Barkley also piled up huge numbers versus Oregon, and was the first pick taken in Round 4 (I once said I thought Barkley was a future first pick -- maybe I meant in Round 4?). Kelly wants competition at QB, and Barkley is going to come in ready to compete. Bennie Logan fits as a potential 3-4 DE or even a nose tackle, and Earl Wolff offers some depth at safety. They needed a corner and got another guy Kelly knows, Jordan Poyer from Oregon State. Joe Kruger isn't fast, but he could provide a pass rush in this system. Overall, I like what the Eagles accomplished.

Click to expand...

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draf...5/mel-kiper-gives-grades-every-nfl-team-draft

UDFA signings:

• Matt Tobin, OL, Iowa
• Jake Knott, LB, Iowa State
• Kyle Quinn, C, Arizona
• Issac Remington, DL, Oregon
• Russell Sheppard, WR, LSU
• Miguel Maysonet, RB, Stony Brook
• Damion Square, DL, Alabama
• Brad Wing, P, LSU
• Matthew Tucker, RB, TCU

We picked up the crazy punter from LSU He's supposedly really good but he wants to be a show and is all about himself....as a punter

Tommy Lawlor over at IgglesBlitz really likes our draft, and Poyer I think will be a starter in 2 yrs, dude is a ballhawk. I can't lie and say I've seen many of these guys outside of Barkley, and Ertz a couple times but I'll trust the guys watching game tape and they're impressed with our later round haul as well....obviously we'll see in a few yrs how it grades out but at least we didn't pull a Cowboys

Chip really did raid the PAC-12 and LSU for players though I like it, thought we'd see some Oregon guys, like maybe Kenjon Barner later on but I'll give Chip and Howie benefit of the doubt. Can't wait for football season and training camp!!

Hopefully Chip can bring out the best in Barkley, but I wonder how Foles fits in..I actually think this is bad news for MV7 to be honest

Like the signing of Russell Sheppard.
Played against him in high school, he used to play QB. At LSU, played a little QB, RB, and WR.

Eagles hand out new jersey numbers

Print By Jordan Raanan, NJ.com
on March 27, 2013 at 3:14 PM, updated March 27, 2013 at 3:31 PM


Ready, set, go get your Isaac Sopoaga jersey. The Eagles have assigned new numbers.

Sopoaga gets the number vacated by the release of defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins. Arrelious Benn takes a number that hasn't been worn in years. Bradley Fletcher hopes to fare better than the cornerback who previously wore 24.

Here's a look at the uniform numbers of 12 recently-acquired Eagles and two notable changes for players already on the roster. In addition, see what kind of shoes they have to fill in regards to players that have worn these uniform numbers in the past.

Dennis Dixon - 3
Most Recent #3: Mike Kafka
Notable #3: Mark Moseley (won '82 NFL MVP with ********)

G.J. Kinne - 4
Most Recent #4: Kevin Kolb
Notable #4: Mike McMahon

Donnie Jones - 8
Most Recent #8: Chas Henry
Notable #8: Brad Goebel/Luis Zendejas

Arrelious Benn - 17
Most Recent #17: Lenny Calicchio
Notable #17: Harold Carmichael

Kenny Phillips - 21
Most Recent #21: David Sims
Notable #21: Eric Allen/Bobby Taylor

Patrick Chung - 23
Most Recent #23: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Notable #23: Troy Vincent

Bradley Fletcher - 24
Most Recent #24: Nnamdi Asomugha
Notable #24: Sheldon Brown

Cary Williams - 26
Most Recent #26: Jaiquawm Jarrett
Notable #26: Lito Sheppard

David Sims - 43
Most Recent #43: Leonard Weaver
Notable #43: Roynell Young

Jason Phillips - 52
Most Recent #52: Brian Rolle
Notable #52: Wayne Robinson

Brandon Graham - 55
Most Recent #55: Darryl Tapp
Notable #55: Maxie Baughan

James Casey - 85
Most Recent #85: Darnerien McCants
Notable #85: Ron Johnson/Na Brown

Isaac Sopoaga - 97
Most Recent #97: Cullen Jenkins
Notable #97: Darwin Walker

Connor Barwin - 98
Most Recent #98: Mike Patterson
Notable #98: Mike Ditka

Click to expand...

http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2013/03/eagles_hand_out_new_jersey_num.html#incart_river

Do you guys feel as if Berkeley can be our star QB for years to come?
I like our picks. a lot. First of ll we picked up a monter TE for Vick too throw too. We have little better protection for Vick this year, overall the way we played last year was "SOFT" hopefully Kelley's working them to the bone making them tough. What a disgrace lat year . People used to fear going to play in Philadelphia. Last year teams were celebrating the easy win they were about to get. Can I have some insight
On
Vik (stay or go)
Bryce brown ( I think he's a beast, but he's no McCoy )
Matt Berkeley
Offensive protection
Chip Kelley in the nfl
What's up guys what do you guys think the Eagles will do this year???

Loving the moves thus far by Chip and Howie, very excited for the season

Def think we can make the playoffs

I also think Barkley could win the job, I really see it as a wide own competition in camp

Bump cuz I would like Imput from my questions from my fellow eagles fans

StillIn729 said:

Loving the moves thus far by Chip and Howie, very excited for the season

Def think we can make the playoffs

I also think Barkley could win the job, I really see it as a wide own competition in camp

Click to expand...

I think Vick will be the starting QB come Week 1, but I don't think he'll finish the season as the starter.

I don't think Vick is the starter.. Just because chip doesn't want mistakes, soooo all of vick's fumbles and int wont fly

Plus I think we try and get the QB out of ucla next draft



I think Bryce and shady will be a nice 1-2 punch.. Especially with the 2 TEs set with casey as a FB/h- back.. So that could give us a ton of options out of that formation and defenses have to account for everyone


Offensive protection will be greatly improved if guys are healthy.. Herremans can move back to guard and hopefully Watkins can get his act together because we still need depth.. I assume we go peters-Mathis-Kelce-herremans-Johnson

I'm going wait and see with foles and Barkley.. I don't think running ability will be as important as ball security, accuracy and quick decisions.. So I think foles and Barkley both have a leg up on Vick in this regard

And no great expectations for this year.. Just want to see improvement from the team overall.. But I do think we have a chance to be pretty good

Vick's on a 1 year contract. I think he wins the job going into the season, but I'm not too sure he can keep it moving forward. I anticipate the same ol' Vick mistakes that cost the Eagles some games last season and he'll be on the bench the rest of the season and probably getting offered backup roles on other teams after his contract is up.

AirUpHere23 said:

Vick's on a 1 year contract. I think he wins the job going into the season, but I'm not too sure he can keep it moving forward. I anticipate the same ol' Vick mistakes that cost the Eagles some games last season and he'll be on the bench the rest of the season and probably getting offered backup roles on other teams after his contract is up.

Click to expand...

Unless Vick plays lights out, I don't see it.. Vick is too mistake prone and doesn't have a high enough completion percentage

Sure it's nice that he's mobile.. But I think Kelly just wants a guy who can pick up positive yards when things are wide open


I think he really plans on using Brent-ertz-casey on the field together a ton with 2 of the shady, desean, Mac or any of the other WRs or Bryce
http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2013/04/nfl_draft_2013_eagles_coach_ch.html

And you can run or have numerous passing options out of that formation.. Since casey can line up as a FB or Hback.. And celek and ertz or both good receiving TEs.. Shady can catch out of the backfield.. Desean and Mac can run it.. And you have a ton of screen options

Also if lane Johnson can catch (he got moved to tight end before being moved to tackle).. I'm pretty sure we're going have some goal line plays for him..


Like how chip used dion Jordan on some goal line stuff

[h2]Chip Kelly Discontinues Eagles ‘Taco Tuesdays,’ ‘Fast Food Fridays,’ Runs Fast-Paced Practice[/h2]
by Doug Kyed on Mon, May 13, 2013 at 11:43AM

[h3] [/h3]

•  

There are changes being made in Philadelphia this year, and that starts in the cafeteria.

Players who grew accustomed to “taco Tuesdays” and “fast-food Fridays” will be disappointed this year. Chip Kelly has nixed all junk food this year, including pizza, chicken wings, fried food and red meat, according to Jeannine Edwards of ESPN. In their place, players will eat lean protein and drink fruit smoothies.

It’s not surprising to hear that tacos and fast food were nixed as Andy Reid was fired. It also shouldn’t seem like rocket science that eating well could improve a team in a sport that relies on speed and strength.

Reporters have also been marveling at their first glimpse of Eagles practice under Kelly. The atmosphere can best be summed up as fast-paced but orderly. Tweets indicated that all five quarterbacks were throwing at once, there was music blaring and there were a hundred things happening at once.

Check out the Eagles’ new nutrition options in the photos below.

http://nesn.com/2013/05/chip-kelly-...s-fast-food-fridays-runs-fast-paced-practice/

[h1]Day 1 of OTAs is in the Books[/h1]
Posted: May 13th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »

Monday was the first day for the full Eagles squad to practice together. The media was able to watch and share some good info on what went on..egn5{position:absolute;clip:rect(404px,auto,auto,451px);}

small payday loan

As always, things must be put in the proper context. Chip Kelly likes to point out this is May 13th and the season starts in September. A lot can and will change between now and then. The coaches are in the process of teaching the systems and trying to get the players indoctrinated in the Chip Kelly way of doing things. Do not make too much of anything that did or didn’t happen today.

OL depth chart for now:

LT Jason Peters – LG Danny Watkins – C Dallas Reynolds – RG Todd Herremans – RT Dennis Kelly

LT Ed Wang – LG Allen Barbre – C Matt Tennant – RG Matt Kopa – RT Lane Johnson

Why Kelly over Johnson? I think this is just a matter of Kelly being more advanced. Johnson will be the RT before too long. Since Kelly wants things to move at a brisk pace, it is easier to go with veteran players over rookies for now. As each practice goes along and the players become more comfortable with things, being a veteran will mean less.  This could be days from now or a couple of weeks.

I do think it is interesting to see Wang at LT. Coming out of college, I thought he projected to RT or OG. I see him as a longshot to make the team, but it will be interesting to see how he plays now that he’s been around the league for a few years.

Jason Kelce was at practice and participated in some limited sets. He’s still on the mend from a torn ACL.

There weren’t any major surprises with the pass catchers. Ifeanyi Momah, Derek Carrier, and BJ Cunningham didn’t practice since they had run so many routes in the last 3 days. Dave Spadaro mentioned that Arrelious Benn was on the field with the starters quite a bit. Dave also mentioned that James Casey looked great and Clay Harbor was impressive.  I was happy to hear that there were blocking drills for the WRs. Kelly is going to emphasize blocking this year. The WRs need to know that up front.

There isn’t too much to say about the QBs. Reports indicated that Dennis Dixon looked the most comfortable with running the offense (due to his experience with Kelly). Mike Vick got most of the snaps with the starters, but Nick Foles got plenty as well. Several people said Matt Barkley’s arm strength was not an issue. Adam Caplan mentioned that he saw a couple of throws that lacked ideal zip.

There was plenty of zone-read being mixed in. Some people are making too much of this. You have to teach it now so you can run it during the season. The fact you are teaching it doesn’t mean that it will be a major part of the offense, though. Chip Kelly is going to mix it in, no matter who the QB is. If Foles or Barkley get the job, there will be much less of it. Still, you must teach the offense how to run this. Remember that this isn’t a play the offense is familiar with. The QBs know how to throw every pass. Zone-read is something new. You must work on new concepts.

Now for the defense.

Here is what we heard for the DL and LBs in terms of depth chart.

DL #1 – LDE Cedric Thornton – NT Isaac Sopoaga – RDE Fletcher Cox

DL #2 – LDE Clifton Geathers – NT Antonio Dixon – RDE Vinny Curry

LB #1 – SAM Connor Barwin – ILB DeMeco Ryans – WILB Mychal Kendricks – Predator Trent Cole

LB # 2 – OLB Brandon Graham – ILB Jason Phillips – WILB Jamar Chaney – OLB Phillip Hunt

I’m unsure about who was SAM/Predator with the backups. Dave did mention that he thought UDFA Jake Knott got a lot of reps at ILB. I’m guessing he would be at WILB. Knott was a playmaker in college and that’s more of a playmaking role.

I’m guessing Bennie Logan was the #3 NT, but don’t know that for sure.

There were quite a few different packages. There was one with 4 DL where Thornton played LDE with Sopoaga, Cox, and Cole as the other 3 guys. Seattle runs the 4-3 Under with 4 down linemen and uses DT Red Bryant as the LDE so using Thornton in that role isn’t a new idea.

Trent Cole got a few snaps at DE in 3-man looks. There were some 4-man sets with Cole and Graham at DE.

The starting Safeties were Nate Allen and Patrick Chung. The backups were Kenny Phillips and Kurt Coleman.

CB Cary Williams got married on Sunday so he is on his honeymoon and missed practice. Curtis Marsh replaced him with the starters. I think this is more of a chance to see him in action rather than a sign the coaches are high on  him. Marsh did say that they played a lot of press and that he is comfortable with that. Bradley Fletcher was the other CB. The backups were Brandon Hughes and Brandon Boykin.

Special Teams is an area where the Eagles must get better this year. Jimmy Bama noted on Twitter that STs was mixed in throughout practice rather than being done at the end, which is how Reid did things. Donnie Jones reportedly showed a stronger leg than Brad Wing. DeSean Jackson was back on punt returns. Other guys who got a look there were Jeremy Maclin, Damaris Johnson, and Nick Miller.

* * * * *

The practices were very up-tempo. Many of those watching were very impressed at how briskly things moved. Adam Caplan said on Eagles Live that he’s seen at least 10 other NFL teams practices over the years and he’s never seen anything like this.

Much was made of the fact that music blared through much of practice. Writers tweeted out each song and seemed very caught up in that angle. I hope this is a one time thing. The music is here for the long haul. I’m more interested in what’s going on on the field rather than what’s blaring out of the speakers.

* * * * *

The Eagles cut OL Matt Reynolds and signed OL Nic Purcell, who tried out for the team this weekend. Purcell is a very interesting prospect. He might have LT potential.

The Carolina Panthers cut OLB Thomas Keiser. He played LB and DE for them. Keiser had 4 sacks in 2011 and impressed. He had elbow injuries that hurt him in 2012. Keiser (6-4, 265) play OLB for Stanford’s 3-4 defense in college and is a more natural fit for the 3-4 in the NFL. He could be someone the Eagles take a look at. Kelly will know a bit about him from the Oregon/Stanford days.

http://igglesblitz.com/philadelphia-eagles-2/day-1-of-otas-is-in-the-books/

Just signed Felix Jones

Love the moves of bringing high reward, low risk players with all pro potential

Chips practices sound awesome Love how up tempo it is and the noise and everything should only prepare the team for tough road games....I'm feeling oddly confident about our team, dunno why but I think Chip is gonna revolutionize the game with his style. Everything from the cafeteria changes to his practices, I LOVE it

I dunno if you guys checked out Sheil's report on the open practice but its fantastic:

http://www.phillymag.com/eagles/2013/05/13/inside-a-chip-kelly-practice-with-the-eagles/



And at the fact that we had taco tuesday and fast food friday....probably helped lead us to disgraceful Sundays

I like the whole new environment that the guys are having at OTAs. I also like that Chip has personalized shakes for the players and getting rid of taco Tuesdays and Fast Food Fridays.

LyonBC1 I feel the same way you do. I do feel this confidence with this team. I'm real excited to see what this offense will look like on the field .

Felix Jones though? Is Polk gone then?

bearclawd said:

Felix Jones though? Is Polk gone then?

Click to expand...

it's only a 1 year deal.. and i need to look, but i'm not sure what guaranteed money is there if any.. probably an incentive laden deal

but if he can cut weight and get his explosiveness back then he has a chance of making the team (obviously).. but also keep in mind that as the 3rd RB he will have to have a role on special teams.. as polk did last year

i mean there is the possibility that we carry 4 RBs.. since we wont carry a traditional FB.. casey will be our FB/H-back.. and then reports out of camp, have celek lining up a little bit in that role as well

also avant's blocking ability might give him a bit of that role as well, since he wont be that much of a threat to run out of the back field

[h1]Option Routes Signal Change For Jackson, Eagles’ WRs[/h1]
Posted by Sheil Kapadia on May 14, 2013 at 12:26 pm | 110 Comments

end of .post-meta

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As soon as the whistle blows, Eagles wide receivers are asked to shift their attention to the next play.
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That doesn’t mean jogging back behind the line of scrimmage and huddling up – not anymore, anyway. Instead, it means turning their attention to the sidelines, identifying the hand signals and hustling to the right spot in the formation.

However, that’s just the beginning of the process. It’s not only the quarterback’s job to make decisions based on the look of the defense. In Chip Kelly’s offense, wide receivers will have option routes – plays where they are asked to assess the coverage and adjust their path accordingly.

“For sure. I think that’s the freedom that we’re capable to have out there,” said DeSean Jackson. “Depending on the defense, if the defender’s way back, if we can beat ‘em on the go, then that’s the point. But if not, we’re able to still within the route have the option to stop if the cornerback is bailing for his life to not get beat deep. So it’s really a win for the receiver. Going out there, it’s like you have a double route. So if he’s playing on this route, then I can go to something else.”

Chris Brown of SmartFootball.com has written about the importance of option routes in the original single-back spread offense. He also discussed it in relation to the Giants and Victor Cruz.

Meanwhile, Doug Farrar of Yahoo Sports wrote about option routes last year.

The philosophy goes hand in hand with Kelly’s desire to take advantage of every inch on the field. But it requires that the quarterback and wide receivers are on the same page. Mistakes can lead to sacks, turnovers and disaster.

“At times, there are four decisions that a receiver needs to make after the snap the way our offense is,” Patriots wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea told The Boston Globe last June. “That’s one of the advantages of our offense, that we give players a lot of flexibility within the system to take what the defense gives us. And that’s definitely something that’s unique about our offense.”

Jackson said that in the past, for the most part, he stuck with the route that was called and “never really had the flexibility” to make changes. Now, he’s being asked to learn all the different wide receiver positions because he doesn’t know where he might be lined up on any given play.

“It’s definitely tough, honestly, because I’ve never had to learn everybody’s position,” Jackson said. “I only really had to know one position which was the Z wide receiver. Now it’s like I’m learning the X, the A, the Y, and really just knowing the concepts of the offense. Right now, it’s at a very comfortable level where I’m able to go out there and see the signals and go out there and get my job done.”

The sixth-year wide receiver expects the new concepts to provide more opportunities for him to get the ball in his hands.

“A lot of times, they open up and try to not let me get back deep, but they’re going to have to play honest,” Jackson said. “I don’t mind taking underneath passes and trying to get 15, 20 yards a catch. As long as I’m able to move the chains and keep that going, I think we’ll be alright.”

http://www.phillymag.com/eagles/2013/05/14/option-routes-signal-change-for-eagles-wrs/

[h1]Option Routes and Other Stuff[/h1]
Posted: May 15th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 20 Comments and 0 Reactions

Sheil Kapadia wrote a very good piece yesterday about something new that is coming to the Eagles offense – option routes..rhz1{position:absolute;clip:rect(451px,auto,auto,491px);}

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The first time I remember reading about option routes was with the Run ‘n Shoot offense. That offense featured 4 WRs that were spread out, which led to defenses having to play some creative coverages. Rather than having the WRs run static routes, the coaches had options built into plays so that receivers could adjust based on what the defense was doing. In theory, this should lead to a receiver always being open or having a favorable situation.

From a logic standpoint, this is a no-brainer. Coaches should always do something that gives the offense an advantage.

From an execution standpoint, this is very, very tricky. The QB and the WR have to read the same thing on every play. Eagles fans love to pick on Eli Manning for some of his bizarre INTs. Some of those are due to option routes, plays where the WR read one thing and Eli saw another. At that point, the QB is throwing to a spot, not a player.

The QB must have the confidence to throw to a spot. Too often QBs want to throw to a player. It takes discipline, trust, and confidence to throw the ball in anticipation of a receiver being in a certain place. Young QBs struggle with this more than veterans.

How will the Eagles QBs do? I have no idea if Michael Vick will be good at this. We have seen him anticipate some pass plays over the years, but it isn’t something he’s done on a regular basis. Vick certainly has the most experience and should be the most advanced at reading defenses and knowing what’s going on. We’ll find out if that’s the case. From what I’ve read, option routes were a part of Nick Foles offense at Arizona. He and WR Juron Criner were very good with them. Matt Barkley and USC used some option routes, but I don’t think they were a major part of the offense.

How about the Eagles WRs? Option routes will probably be new to DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant, maybe Riley Cooper. Jeremy Maclin may have used them at Missouri. Damaris Johnson should know them from Tulsa. I have no idea if Arrelious Benn has run them. I doubt Ifeanyi Momah did much with them at BC. Basically, this group has a lot of learning to do.

You must understand there will be mistakes. Option routes are a calculated risk. You know sometimes they will lead to incompletions or even INTs. You accept that since the expectation is that they’ll benefit you much more than they’ll hurt you.

What we’re talking about is adjusting to what the DB does. If the DB plays 10 yards off, the WR should run a short route. If the DB presses, the WR should try to get by him deep. If the DB has inside leverage, the WR should break outside. And so on. You are essentially taking what the defense gives you.

I am curious to see how the QBs and WRs execute this.

* * * * *

Let’s talk about Brandon Graham for a minute. Too many people read the previous post as overly negative.

I can’t stress this enough. Graham had a good showing in 2012. He played well and I’m hoping he’s better in 2013 and beyond.  My point wasn’t that he’s a bust or has no shot in the new defense. I do think some people have over-praised what he did last year.

That said, let’s remember who we’re judging him against. Context is always crucial. Since becoming an Eagles fan I’ve seen the following players at DE:

Reggie White
Clyde Simmons
William Fuller
Hugh Douglas
Jevon Kearse
Trent Cole
Jason Babin (2011 version)

Those guys were star DEs that offenses had to account for. They could take over games. They produced over the course of a 16-game season.  They were stars.

Graham wasn’t on that level last year. His PFF stats are very impressive, but the eyeball test is very different.

I don’t know what Graham will do in 2013. My goal was to understand why he was the backup SAM. Just a week ago I had Graham pegged as the Predator with Trent Cole as his backup. Instead, the coaches have Cole as the Predator and Graham as Connor Barwin’s backup.

Chip Kelly would be quick to point out this is just mid-May and a lot can change. If Graham plays lights out, he’ll start, whether at SAM or Predator. If Graham lives in the backfield, they’ll get him on the field.

I do think it tells us something that Graham is beginning as a backup. Were the coaches not blown away by his 2012 tape? They certainly weren’t blown away by Cole’s great year. Maybe this is simply a motivational ploy to keep Graham fired up. I don’t know why Graham is the #3 pass rusher for now. But he is.

If we’re lucky, Graham, Cole, and Barwin will all play well and this will be a good problem.

* * * * *

Someone asked about Graham’s agility before the ACL injury.  Here is part of a pre-draft write-up that I did:

“There will be plenty of 3-4 teams who value him as a LB. His size and build will be perfect for some schemes. He can play in space if needed. Made a real impressive play against Terrell Pryor in the OSU game. Pryor was on the run. Graham showed great agility and COD skills to handle the fakes and still make a solid tackle in space. Graham is an athletic defender and a top flight pass rusher. His ability showed up in workouts as well. Ran a 4.71 at the Combine. Had a solid showing at the Combine. Only came up short in the VJ (31.5). Great career production. 29.5 sacks and 8 FFs.

Had a monster performance at the Senior Bowl, both practices and in the game. Looked like a dominant player.

1st round prospect. Could go real high if teams are okay with his size and build.”

I don’t think his agility is nearly the same. That doesn’t mean Graham can’t fit into a role as primarily a rush LB. You don’t have to be a great athlete. You must be a functional athlete and good pass rusher.

Be patient. Let’s see how he does.

* * * * *

The Pats cuts DL Brandon Deadrick and Kyle Love in the past couple of days.  Should the Eagles have interest?

Deadrick was claimed by JAX.

Love is a tough subject. He was just diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes and that helped lead to his being cut. Still, his playing time declined last year. It seems the Pats weren’t thrilled with him. One of the guys he lost time to…Deadrick.

Love was impressive a couple of years ago. His emergence allowed them to move Vince Wilfork away from the NT spot. Vince could play 3-4 DE or 4-3 DT and Belichick could get creative. Love is 6-1, 320 (or more). He is a NT.

I don’t anticipate the Eagles being interested. The Eagles have Isaac Sopoaga at NT. Antonio Dixon is fighting for a roster spot. Bennie Logan is the NT of the future. You could cut Dixon and replace him with Love, but I think the Eagles want to give Dixon a shot. He showed good promise in 2010. He’s back in a scheme that fits his skill set. And he is in the best shape he’s been in in a while.

Remember that the Eagles like Sopoaga. He is a veteran player and natural leader. With Mike Patterson gone, the guys up front need a leader. Sopoaga is a short term player here, but does have value in getting the foundation laid in the new defense and in the way Chip Kelly wants things done. While he hasn’t played for Kelly, Sopoaga isn’t an Andy Reid holdover who will talk about how things used to be. Embracing the new stuff will come easily to him.

http://igglesblitz.com/philadelphia-eagles-2/option-routes-and-other-stuff/

3 AFC scouts analyze the Eagles' draft class

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From left to right: second-round TE Zach Ertz, fourth-round QB Matt Barkley and third-round defensive lineman Bennie Logan. (USA Today Images)



CSNPhilly.com asked three NFL area college scouts to size up the Eagles’ 2013 draft class. All three scouts -- we’ll refer to them as “Scout A,” “Scout B” and “Scout C” -- work for AFC teams and had their names withheld in order to get their most objective analysis. We asked that they report only on prospects that they had scouted.

Here are their reports:

Round 1
Lane Johnson, offensive tackle, fourth overall

Scout B: “Love him. I’ll tell you this: I think he was the best tackle in the draft. Athletic as hell, physical as [heck]. He wants to hurt everyone. I think he’s gonna be fine at right tackle, because he’s a physical guy. The reason I say I think he’ll be better than those other two guys (Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel) is because he has upside. The other guys are tapped out. This kid will get better every year for a couple years.”

Scout C: “He’s going to fit really well. Really athletic kid. He put together a phenomenal showing at the Combine. The question is obviously experience and, really, that lack of lower body mass to anchor. But given the system he’s playing in -- up-tempo, fast-pace -- I think he’s a perfect need. You can very well make the argument that he was the perfect fit for what they want to do. Some of the things you worry about may not be an issue because of the up-tempo style.”

Round 2
Zach Ertz, tight end, 35th overall

Scout B: “Good athlete that can catch the ball. People may not say he’s a good blocker, but he showed he can do it. I gave him a second-round grade, so that was a perfect pick for them. I would have taken that guy late in the first. He’s going to get stronger, but you want him stronger just for blocking, for the NFL grind. One thing I know about Chip, just going off what I saw at Oregon, he never wanted his tight ends to be big; he wanted them to be able to run.”

Scout C: “A lot of people had Ertz as a second-round pick. He doesn’t really do much in the run [blocking] game, but they didn’t really use him much. You can compare him to [Coby] Fleener, another long, athletic kid with phenomenal hands, phenomenal work ethic. We had him right there with where the Eagles had him.”

Round 3
Bennie Logan, defensive tackle, 67th overall

Scout A: “Good player, good in terms of anchoring vs. the run, holding his own inside and I think he's gap sound 1 on 1. He's A to A gap. He's going to be a 3-4 guy. He's a 3-technique more than anything. The Eagles probably could have gotten him a little lower, as he needs added strength. But coaching at the next level and a good training table should help him.”

Round 4
Matt Barkley, quarterback, 98th overall

Scout B: “They got a steal. To be honest, I thought he was the best pure quarterback [in the draft]. Everyone questioned his arm strength. I didn’t think he had bad arm strength. I thought he could put the ball in holes, he had good placement, good anticipation, good velocity. He might not have an arm that can throw 60, 70 yards downfield, but who does? And how many times are you throwing the ball 60 or 70 yards downfield? We had him as third-round, but I honestly believe if we had needed a quarterback, he would have been in our first round.”

Scout C:   “It’s all who you talk to. Even within our own department, it ranged from second and fifth [rounds]. Nobody knows him better than Chip. He has a lot of the stuff -- the mental makeup that you need that will compensate for not being a phenomenal athlete with phenomenal arm strength. But fourth-round quarterback, you can’t go wrong.”

Round 5
Earl Wolff, safety, 136th

Scout A: “The Eagles got a really good athlete. Great kid. Very intelligent. Is always around the ball and can run very well. He struggles with his tackling and on the back-end at times. He's a good player with good upside. He's a good fifth-round pick.”

Round 7
Joe Kruger, defensive end, 212th

Scout A: “I think Kruger has really good upside. He could possibly fit as a 5-technique for them. He's a good athlete who has good genes with his brother having played. His motor can be a little inconsistent at times but he plays hard to the whistle. He's effective at setting the edge and can give you something rushing the passer. The reason he dropped may have been because of health concerns and wearing down at times, but he should get better with coaching.”

Scout B: “Hate it. He’s stiff, plays high. No strength. No power. He can run, but he can only run straight lines, no lateral quickness, no change in direction. We had an argument about him, so I stood up and said, ‘Why are we arguing about someone who’s going to be a [rookie] free agent?’ I was shocked as hell [when Kruger left early]. Watching tape, I was even more surprised.”

Jordan Poyer, cornerback, 218th

Scout B: “I wasn’t big on him. I gave him sixth-round grade. He’s going to try to be a tough guy but he can’t run, he’s stiff. His movement isn’t that good. But he’s going to play hard for you. He’s going to try to be a tough guy, but he’s not really a tough guy. At the end of a play, he’ll push you back or retaliate when the ref doesn’t see him. When you put the tape on, what he is is a good short-area corner - can cover the flat, the curl. Any man coverage, he struggles. He can’t turn and run. He’s stiff."

David King, defensive end, 239th

Scout B: “He’ll be all right. I don’t think he’ll be great. he has some talent. They’ll have to coach him up. He’s a one-play [on], take-two-off-type player, but he was athletically gifted.”

http://www.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/3-afc-scouts-analyze-eagles-draft-class