Eagles Need More Clarity About The Type Of Defensive Players They’re Looking For
BREAKING NEWS, Eagles Draft, News, NFLDraft Thursday, April 19th, 2012
It’s good news that the Birds are talking about selecting the best players when they draft rather than picking players to satisfy their needs. It’s easy to let the team’s needs persuade you that a player is better than he is.
The Birds are going in the right direction, but I would like to see them go further by creating and establishing what they feel is a prototypical Eagles defensive player. I think Andy Reid has done that on the offensive side of the ball whether Eagles fans like it or not.
For instance in Pittsburgh, they know what a Steeler defensive player looks like. He’s tough, smart and committed. They know what type of defense they want to play, so they know what type of player they’re looking for.
I want them to commit themselves to the type of defense they want to play so that they can describe the prototypical Eagles defensive player.
Maybe that player has some of the qualities of Brian Dawkins. After all, the Eagles utilized a defense which majored in utilizing the versatility of the safeties by having them blitz, cover backs, tight ends and receivers, as well as move up into the box and defend the run,
If the Birds had been looking for another Dawkins they would have drafted Seattle safety Earl Thomas a couple of years ago, rather than Brandon Graham. He was a passionate, playmaking and hard-hitting safety, who has the ability to take over a game.
The former Texas star seemed to be a replica of Dawkins. Thomas has already been a Pro Bowler, while Graham hasn’t done much yet and the Birds still need help at safety.
Maybe we’ll see that new middle linebacker DeMarco Ryans is the kind of guy they want to duplicate. Maybe it’s hardworking defensive end, Trent Cole, who represents the type of players they want to collect.
On the offensive side, you can see the players and the formula year and year out, which Reid has used to be successful. They know what kind of player they’re looking for but I don’t believe they have that same clarity on the defensive side of the ball.
After LeSean McCoy’s freshman year, I heard that Reid liked him. I could tell you that he was a Andy Reid type of running back. He was quick and elusive with great vision.
You know Brian Westbrook caught Reid’s eye at Villanova because he could run the ball, catch it, and make people miss.
We all know that Reid doesn’t like those big bruising running backs and he never will. He knows what he wants to do offensively and he knows that guy won’t fit in the plan. He and the Eagles need to have that same clarity of vision defensively.
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Posted by GarryCobb
on Apr 19 2012. Filed under BREAKING NEWS, Eagles Draft, News, NFLDraft.
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Rocko, you doing ok bud? You don’t look yourself tonight…
Interesting how the GM has to continually come out defending the QB publically.
LOL LOL
The writing might seem like it’s carved into the wall for McCoy, but Heckert says the Browns still believe in the QB. “We like Colt,” Heckert said Thursday, “”We like Colt. We think Colt can play…..”
“Mark (Sanchez) is heading in the right direction,” left guard Matt Slauson said during a telephone interview Wednesday. “He is going to be a great quarterback and I really believe he can lead us to a championship
Center Nick Mangold defended Sanchez on Twitter and then during a radio interview, saying he “very much so, 100 percent” believes in Sanchez.
“I think he [Gabbert] is going to be a great quarterback. I think he is our franchise quarterback,” Khan said. “I think he needs development. We want to develop him. We want to give him tools. A dedicated coach. And I think he’s going to be great.”
LOL Keep getting hard over what GMs/playes are supposed to say no matter what.
Face it, if his name was David Carr and he was putting up the same numbers/results, you’d be clamouring for an early round QB.
And Stevo…we’ve already just given up 2 seasons with Vick at the helm…what’s the difference? That we would have missed out on a couple ESPN highlight reels and the “game of the century”??
But you are right, the past is the past and rehashing that serves no purpose.
But go back and look at the #s I posted about the man. They don;t even approach a middle of the road QB. To say we can’t question what going forward with a Qb who has thrown 6 4th Q tds to tie or take the lead in his career…..and that we can’t/shouldn’t hope that the Birds do everything they can to improve that position (just like we want improvements at DT, LB, etc) is assenine.
@Giants Fan…
Thank you so much for continuing to Hate on our leaders including our QB… I really appreciate this. As everyone knows you don’t have a shred of a clue about the game of football. Even though in your world you think you are a GM or HC or even remotely qualified to be a talent scout. But one thing you do have is a talent for making amazingly inept predictions about players (See your predictions about DJAX, Cullin Jenkins, and Kevin Kolb). Please keep hating on Mike Vick and trying to undermine the support of the Eagles… Please continue to ramble on about how much you know and how you can add and subtract when it comes to Vick. Your ineptitude is so far left that it winds up pushing the player your hating on right. Heck… I wouldn’t be surprised if your hate filled ineptitude winds up putting Vontaze Burfict back on track.
“But go back and look at the #s I posted about the man.” NO!!!! What the hell do you know about football?! No body is taking your word for anything but another hater with a calculator…
Now be a good little Giants Fan and keep hating. I don’t care if your Giants have the rings… We have your teams number. We OWN the Giants. But don’t let that stop you from hating please… Your powers of ineptitude are our hidden weapon.
Rocko – good for you boss – took my own advice and put on a little Bob Marley – alright – I got my kids Ipod and played their Bob Marley…. hard to be ‘unrelaxed’ with Bob on -
Vinnie – how ya doing Canada – hope all is well – every stat you have ever quoted, and all the points you have made about Vick – are in fact true – they are – no denying it – but I would be a two faced low life douche, if I didn’t also say to you, especially after the draft, its about time to move on to how (fill in the blank) Vick played in 2011 and how (fill in the blank) he was before last year and say time to get on the Vick bandwagon – for say at least the first four games? Let the guy show up, let him do the OTAs, the camps, the pre-season and play some games, then rag on him? I admit, I was NEVER impressed with Vick – but he is the QB – we don;t need him to be perfect or brilliant – just smart and protect the football, but damn V – I rag on Songs for constantly bringing up the same topic………. now if the Eagles shock us (me!) and draft a QB early – then hell, it will make for a whole new and interesting conversation…
Schiller, dumb @$$clown, as usual, your lack of reading comprehension & stupidity, talk for you again. Go back & read my post, jackwad! I said ” We have made zero veteran FA pickups for Safety & OLB, where we have ZERO leadership!” Get it, you stupid bastard! And where did I criticize the Ryans & Bell moves. I like Ryans play & leadership (if healthy) & was just stating & I quote myself again “We lost the best LT in NFL & replaced him with a huge ???” No $#!t Reid had no other choice to sign him. There was no one else out there, he was caught between a rock & a hard place. I think Bell will be serviceable- Solid & it was the right move to make. So douche-bag, AGAIN FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME, before you make a weak, moronic attempt, to be right & criticize me, get hooked on phonics, & learn how to read & comprehend what you are reading, you stupid bastard.
The Eagles need more clarity on the defensive players they draft.
Really??
they draft defensive tackles that get no push up the middle and make no plays…
they draft undersized defensive ends that never pan out althougth they keep them on the roster for an eternity…
And my favorite…torn acl guy.
It just would not be a philadelphia off season if they did not draft or sign a guy coming off a serious injury…
Just waiting for Jeffry Loser to clean house after this season when either another division rival wins the superbowl or some scrub organization like New Orleans or Tampa blows past the Andy Reid Bus…Sorry meant Bust.
Canada is good. Home team is putting up a good fight against the Rangers. Weather is warming up (slowly). Thanks for asking.
I like to bring up the same topic for 2 reasons generally:
1 – Its fun to getLionsden all riled up screaming and yelling and stomping his feet about the bad and evil hater who is out to “undermine the team”. Whatever that means.
2 – We’ve got pages and pages of arguements on here about how getting a new DT or LB is somehow going to propel this team into the SB. The odds of the Birds sniffing success in the playoffs with a QB who puts up barely mediocre numbers, and who, over his career fades in the 2nd half of games, is very unlikely.
I just think its important for the Eagles’ to address this whole in the roster, and address it asap.
I suppose I could give the guy another 4 games as you suggest, but man….he’s had 92 games already. What is 4 more going to show….I doubt much.
Besides, the last 2 posts I wrote were funny. What would you do without my eviscerating wit?
Sources from State College have said Jay Paterno is in line for next Eagles HC poistion and will be Announced the 1st Friday after the Season ends
Paterno, Lurie & Banner have been reported together a few times (Golf Course, Restaurants) by various sources..
@Giants Fan…
…I appreciate all the hate you bring because it makes me even more excited for this season to begin. This team is primed for a run and your hate only confirms that the team is going in the right direction. Because your analysis is so inept I am confident we will do well this season.
…writing 500 to 600 word diatribes on how bad one player is on every blog about the Eagles whether it is about kickers, punters, or long snappers is not an attempt to get some one riled up… it’s psychosis. You took a quote from jphalines which said: “Do the eagles have to go defense heavy in the draft? Absolutely yes! It was the offense that coundln’t score in the second half last year to win games. Vick is a good qb that can not win 3-4 playoff games without help.”
And you turned it into: “jphalines brings up an interesting point. Why is it all D all the time around here? The comment, “It was the offense that coundln’t score in the second half last year to win games.” cannot be lost on the team’s FO.”
You took one posters compliment of our QB and used it as an opportunity to yet again disparage our team’s leadership. But please keep doing this because your ineptitude helps this team immensely.
I’ve explained this to you before but I’m not sure you’ll ever get it. In the ultimate team sport known as American Football an individual’s statistics (good or bad) are not a completed reflection of that players performance or ability. Any player’s performance is an amalgamation of ownership, management, coaching, and teammates an situation. My favorite example of this… Barry Sanders. 3 times as good as Emmitt Smith with lesser statistics and 3 less rings.
Vick has been with the Eagles for 3 complete seasons now. When he starts and finishes a game he is undefeated in this division (8-0). As a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles his record is 18-9 with one playoff appearance. All of this while not ever coming into camp as the starter and being out of football for 2yrs. His teammates see him as the unquestioned leader and he has their utmost respect. I have confidence in him at QB and I have confidence in this teams chances at a SB this year in spite of your efforts.
@Navy… you hurt my feelings buddy. Last we spoke you told me you were a fan of Vick and you wanted him to do well now you’re saying you were never impressed with him but you’ll live with him for now (I’m paraphrasing that last part). I respect your take… but I’m a little hurt. However, I appreciate the fact that you will give him at least 4 more games under new circumstances to win your respect.
GO EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, except that Barry Sanders wan’t as good as Emmitt Smith.
Vinnie, if Barry Sanders played behind the O-lines & the teams Emmitt Smith played for, he would have shattered every record conceivable. He was almost virtually untouchable! So IMHO, he was better than Emmitt. Other than Walter Payton, he is the best pure RB that I’ve seen in my lifetime. The best all around RB, IMHO, is Marshall Faulk. I’m a tad bit too young to remember Jim Brown, OJ & Gail Sayers.
BTW I have no idea where you get the invented 18 Vick wins from. (As a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles his record is 18-9 with one playoff appearance) The eagles only have 18 wins total over the past 2 years. Kolb won 2 of those and VY another one.
Games Mike Vick has started and finished he is 15-8. 9-7 over his last 16 starts/finishes. BTW – those aren’t my efforts – they’re his.
lionsden, what , are you vick’s girlfriend or something, if vick had the stats that’s all you would be talking about, and I agree stats can be manipulated, but you don’t need stats to conclude that Vick is not a top tier quarterback, and for you to say the eagles own the giants, that’s about the dumbest thing ever said here, damn,
I don’t know about that DCar. They were completely different players. I do not believe Sanders would have been as effective as Emmit was had he played for Dallas.
This is just a differece in philosophy. Guys like Lionsden (interesting he brought up Barry Sanders) etc love the flashy, once in a while big play highlight guys. Vick, Desean, Sanders. The one 80 yrd pass/run trumps the 4 -2yrd runs that came before it.
That shit never wins consistently.
I prefer the constant, always producing, always forward players. Of which Vick is the antithesis. People can ramble on about how “if he had just stayed in the Atl game he would have won (despite his history of only 6 4thQtds to take the lead in his entire career), or the Buff game or all the other examples. Fact is Vick’s foibles kept those other teams in the game through the first 3 Qs. 15 yrd sacks because for whatever reason he needs to drop back 15 yrds every snap. Leading the league in fumbles year after year, 3.3% career int percentage. For me, these bad plays trump the odd “wow, look how he ducked under that guy and ran for 50 yrds – amazing!” business.
Teams that win, win because they are methodical. This doesn’t necessarily mean running. New Orleans, GB, NE are very methodical, despite passing over 70% of the time.
The Eagles are not. And yes, this does also fall on Reid who is also too enamoured iwith the “big strike” offence. I felt the Birds had a much more balanced/methodical approach pre-2004. The long bomb approach, combined with a QB who is, aat best mediocre, and I would argue inept at avoiding negative plays, will keep this team from playoff success.
But…if it doesn’t matter, we can go back to discussing replacing the outside LB. Because that will change everything.
Lionsden -
You misunderstand me bro – Prior to coming to the Eagles – I was not impressed with Vick – his Atlanta days (Vinnie is correct).
I saw an incredible improvement in Vick in ’10, but he did some boneheaded things (like diving beteen two safeties instead of sliding!). I think he regressed a bit in ’11 – teams also figured out how to frustrate him with blitzes etc.
but hear me out on this –
Vick just needs to evolve a bit – he needs to understand its OK to throw the ball away – OK to slide (or just GTF OOBs). He doesn’t need to be an ESPN highlight reel – he just needs to be smart and protect the ball – I think without any changes to the roster from last year – if we reduce our turnovers say in half – we win 2 more games and are in the playoffs – I agree – not all turnovers are Vicks fault – but he needs to stay healthy – avoid hits, protect the ball -
he needs to become what Randall Cunningham became in Minnesota.. and yeah – lets get a few more rushes each game – get used to finding Celek and HArbor as outlets etc. etc.
I am convinced that Vick has the skill set – he is lacking in two areas – height and smarts (see previous comments about sliding) – I mean the epitome of what I am talking about is the play with 7 seconds left in the half – where Vick ran around for 5 seconds, then threw the ball 35 plus yards out the back of end zone – no chance for FG? Gotta be smarter –
I was discussing wth VV his commentary towards Vick – I really don’t have much of an issue with what VV says becuase he supports it with data, facts, stats and not just stupid commnetary – but realized I tend to get on people’s cases for constant negativity (for example people calling Graham ass and a bust and a waste – same with Allen) – I do think (much like Cunningham) Vick can retool his game enough to reduce the hits he takes, reduce the number of sacks he takes, etc.
Vick is going to be the QB this season, VV is correct – if we are going to do anything – he is going to have to have a (fill in the blank) season – I think a smart season is the right answer -