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Posts Tagged ‘NFL’

Brian Westbrook was released by the Philadelphia Eagles today. We all knew this moment was coming- especially after watching the nagging injuries slow him down and impact his numbers over the past 2 seasons. He was coming off a 274 yard rushing season and was owed over $7 million dollars next year. If you’re like me, you know the move makes sense but it’s still hard to see him go.

Westbrook was the heart of the Eagles offense since 2004 and was an impact player since the day he was drafted. Read the rest of this entry »

This year the Eagles ended with a good record at 11-5 but if you look over their schedule, they didn’t have too much competition. They only played 5 games against teams that ended their seasons above .500 and they lost 4 of them. If this team had a tougher schedule this past season, I think things would have turned out a lot differently and probably ended in them missing the playoffs.

I hope something changes before next season because the Eagles have one of the toughest schedules Read the rest of this entry »

I can’t seem to get away from the McNabb trade talks. There’s speculation and rumors about him going to a ton of teams and ESPN has non-stop stories about how his future depends on Favre and Warner’s retirement decisions. Today Kurt Warner announced his retirement which many say may open up doors for McNabb to be traded to Arizona where he has a home and spends his offseason training.  The world is still waiting on Favre’s decision (and may waiting be until late August) but if the Eagles trade him to Minnesota as Brett’s replacement, it would be one of the worst moves they could make. Read the rest of this entry »

Tim Heitman/US Presswire

To sum up last night’s Eagles’ game in one word, I would have to use ‘pathetic’. In all aspects of the game they looked bad. Going into the game, my confidence in this team was as high as it could be. They were winners of 6 straight and the buzz around the league was that they could be the favorites to take the NFC with their high scoring, explosive offense.

After seeing them get shutout 24-0 to the Cowboys in the biggest game of their season so far, my confidence in them is at rock bottom. They had so much more to play for this Sunday than the Cowboys did. Read the rest of this entry »

Does this situation feel familiar? That’s because last season the Eagles and Cowboys faced off in week 17 with a lot on the line. The game was at 4 pm and all the early games had already played out in the Eagles favor. A win over the Cowboys would mean a playoff spot and a loss would leave them out of the post season. Who could possibly forget the outcome of that one? The Eagles crushed Dallas at home ending their playoff hopes.

This year much of that scenario is the same. Eagles and Cowboys, 4:15, week 17, a lot on the line. The only difference is that this season both teams already have their playoff spots locked up. The importance of game 17 this year is winning the NFC East and possibly getting a first round bye in the playoffs.

Read the rest of this entry »

So obviously this is the most unrealistic scenario possible.  However, it is fun to think about.  LeBron is 6-8 and weighs 250 pounds.  He can probably run at least a 4.6 forty.  Talk about a real weapon.  I don’t believe that anyone would be able to guard him on defense.  Linebackers would be to slow, defensive backs would be to small.  The only way that anyone would be able to stop him would by triple teaming him, kind of like he is on the basketball court. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the games Eagles fans circle on the schedule the day it comes out is almost here. The Eagles and the Cowboys play in Philadelphia on Sunday night in a battle for first place in the NFC East. On paper it looks to be a great matchup

Both teams are 5-2 and have been playing well as of late. When you take a look at the statistics, the teams are very close. The Cowboys have a slight lead in offensive numbers (passing, rushing and total yards per game, 3rd down conversion and TOP). The Eagles, however lead in points per game by 29 to 28.1

On the defensive side of the ball, it’s the Eagles with the slight advantage in most categories. They lead in rushing, passing and total yards per game allowed and lead in points allowed by .4. Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t get me wrong, I think Andy Reid is a great coach. He has taken this team to levels that few have in the past and with a consistency that most Eagles fans did not think was possible before he arrived. With the exception of a few seasons, this Eagles team has been dominant under his lead and drafting skills. He has had primarily good drafts each year but there will always be a few busts. Here are my top 3 Eagles draft busts since Reid arrived as head coach.

3. Todd Pinkston (pick #36 in 2000)

This guy had some ups and downs but way more downs. One of the ups was that the Eagles made it to the playoffs every year that he started. The down side of that was that it had nothing to do with him. Todd Pinkston only caught 14 touchdowns in his five years with the team and seven of them were in one season.

He was also not known for his toughness. He sat out for half of the Super Bowl with “cramps” and took part in the infamous play in which he slowed down and backed of from a very catchable pass from McNabb. The Eagles made the mistake of giving him a huge 5 year contract after the 2002 season and he never played well again.

2. Freddie Mitchell (pick #25 in 2001)

To further strengthen the Eagles WR core the year after selecting Todd Pinkston, the Birds selected Freddie Mitchell in the first round. That was the highlight of his career. Despite showing no signs of skill throughout his time with the Eagles, he continued to give himself nicknames such as FredEx, First Down Freddie and The People’s Champ. He even went as far as to not autograph his football cards for kids because he didn’t want people selling them (sorry Freddie but I don’t think there is any demand for those).

To further prove that he was a bust Reggie Wayne, Chad Ochocinco and Steve Smith were all selected after him in the same draft. He did catch the ball in the incredible “4th and 26″ play but I say he was in the right place at the right time.

1. Kevin Kolb (pick #36 in 2007)

Some people may disagree here but this was a dumb pick. Obviously McNabb still has a lot left in the tank and I see him being the teams starting QB for at least 2-3 more years which means (barring McNabb injury) we won’t even get to see him start a game until his 5th season.

At first I just didn’t like the draft pick. I thought it was a bad idea to take a QB when there were other obvious needs. But I still wanted to give him a chance to prove he was worthy of sticking around until Donovan was gone.  So far he has not impressed me at all. In 7 career appearances he has a QB rating of 21.8 with 4 interceptions and no touchdowns.  I know he is young and hasn’t really had a chance to show anything yet but this guy has the potential to be even more of a bust than he already is. I’m not too excited.

When the month of July rolls around, NFL fans can just smell training camp.  With just a month until the team straps up and  puts on the pads, July is the ultimate month of anxiousness and anticipation.  Our Philadelphia Eagles pulled of a really successful offseason.  Many key additions were brought in through free agency and obviously in the draft the front office added a handful of new offensive and defensive weapons.  I don’t know who wouldn’t be exciting about the 09-10′ NFL season.  The Eagles have quite the squad and here are some things that you can look for and expect:

What to expect:

1. Expect DeSean Jackson to emerge as a star wide reciever.  However, be prepared to see him get A LOT more attention from opposing defefenes.
2. Expect linebacker Stewart Bradley to step up as an elite linebacker in the NFL.  He alread has the respect of the locker room as stated by Brian Dawkins, but it is time that the rest of the league sees him as one of the best.
3. Expect a healthy and productive Kevin Curtis.  He was never completely healthy last year until the final couple of games and he was somewhat productive then.  He will be 100% going into camp and lets hope it stays that way through the entire season.
4. Expect another career year from Donovan McNabb…WITHOUT A DOUBT.  The weapons are there for him to use, and when he has weapons…he uses them (cough cough, Terrell Owens).
5. Expect another amazing year from SS Quinton Mikell.  He is a hardnosed player who in a way, plays a lot like Dawkins did in his early career.  He loves to attack the line of scrimmage and he is good in coverage as well.

What to look for:

1. Look for Brent Celek this season.  McNabb found him a lot last year when Celek played.  Keep an eye on him because he may work his way to become a top target of #5 this year.
2. Watch ot for Quinton Demps.  He has something to prove and is highly motivated.  He made it clear that he worked his whole life for this opportunity in many interviews.  He is one hell of a competitor.
3. Rookies Maclin, McCoy, and Ingram all look to make an impact, the question is…how much?
4. Look for Andy Reid and his right hand man Marty to consistantly run the ball a lot more… haha right??!!?
5. The Eagles lost two longtime cornerstones of their offensive line.  They replaced them with arguably the best offensive tackle in the game in Jason Peters and the addition of Stacy Andrews who looks as if he will play right guard.  It should be interesting to see how the offensive line gels.  Chemistry, communication, and confidence in the other lineman around you is key to a lines success.  Will the Eagles oline have it by the start of the season?

Mark Schlereth seems to think the Eagles O-Line will be one of the best.

With respect, Matt