All The Signs Are Pointing Toward A 3-4 Defense For The Birds
BREAKING NEWS, Defensive Line, Eagles, Linebackers, News Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013
I’ve heard from numerous NFL sources here in Mobile, Alabama at the Senior Bowl, that the Eagles assistant coaches and scouts are talking about getting players for a 3-4 defense.
Specifically they’ve been asking and talking a great deal about big defensive linemen, who will play in this weekend’s Senior Bowl game.
I’ve also learned that the Birds have hired long-time college coach Rick Minter as the team’s linebackers coach. I’ve heard the name of San Francisco secondary coach Ed Donatell keep coming up as a serious candidate for the Eagles new defensive coordinator. The Birds will have to wait until after the Super Bowl to finalize that deal.
You can look at the Eagles roster and see that they’re going to need a new group of bigger defensive linemen to play the 3-4.
I see two of their defensive linemen, Fletcher Cox and Cullen Jenkins, who will be able to make the move and play the defensive end position in the 3-4. It’s not a coincidence that they also were the two, who could play both defensive tackle and defensive end in the 4-3. The key is their size.
They’re both big enough to play the two-gap technique, which asks a defensive lineman to stand-up the opposing offensive lineman and be able to make the tackle on the running back to either side of that offensive lineman. It takes a big strong player to do that.
I don’t see anybody with the ability to play the nose tackle position. Antonio Dixon has the best chance.
I think the Eagles can plug DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks into the inside linebacker positions. I say that despite the fact that Houston was traded Ryans because he was more of a 4-3 middle linebacker, I believe he can be a good 3-4 inside linebacker, if he really wants to commit himself to doing it.
I think they have plenty of potential 3-4 outside linebackers. Brandon Graham, Trent Cole, Darryl Tapp and Phillip Hunt are all smallish defensive ends who will all likely be changed into outside linebackers. The secondary needs to be totally rebuilt regardless of what they do upfront.
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Posted by GarryCobb
on Jan 23 2013. Filed under BREAKING NEWS, Defensive Line, Eagles, Linebackers, News.
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Agreed Big. This year will be a transition year even if they take a QB (of which none are very impressive to me). I think that we all need to prepare ourselves for a 2-3 year transition here. Too many holes to fill in one off-season. Gotta think long term.
The Eagles, as currently constructed, are double digits over the salary cap! In no way, shape, or form, is Vick, ASSomugha, & Cole coming back! The cancerous tumors, need to be, & will be removed! Where do you guys get this garbage? WIP, Booben Frank, Peter King, & PFT.com, all stated, per league sources, Vick will be RELEASED, ASAP, after the SB!
This is a Chip Kelly quote in regards tothe qb position per Rotoworld (Jon Harts source) Anyone think MV7 will be the QB next year?
“The job of a quarterback is simple. He has to let it happen, and not make it happen. We want to move forward,” Kelly said. “We want the ball out of the quarterback’s hands in 1.5 seconds. That does not mean holding the ball until 2.5, waiting for someone to get open.” Kelly went on to say that “every sack is the quarterback’s fault.” It’s perhaps a bad sign for Michael Vick, who has taken 85 sacks in his last 35 games.
Per wip Jeff mcclane reporting Dennis Dixon coming to eagles
That makes sense.
For what, & as what? He’s under contract with Baltimore, & is NOT a starting QB! No thanks.
Because Kelly wants him here and you can sign anyone off any teams practice squad.
Dennis Dixon. Exciting.
35 of 59 for 402 yrds 1 td 2 ints and 5 sacks
10 rushes for 56 yrds 1 td and 2 fumbles.
This is over 5 years. And hasn’t taken a snap since game 2, 2010.
Looking forward to it.
No surprise that you don’t use the same type of thinking in regards to Dixon as you do Foles…sis….
No surprise there whatsoever…For a young QB, who hasn’t gotten many opportunities based on where he was drafted and the little resume he was able to put together in 4-5 years, due to being a back up for Big Ben, you’d think you’d look at those numbers in the same manner in which you look at Foles…But of course not..
@Stevo – true indeed, the biggest acquisition in my opinion will be the DC…This defense doesn’t necessarily need a face lift in all positions, they need a personality change. Hoping for a DC who will get in the face of players not doing their job, who shows some intensity on the sideline and who can adjust during the game. A coach who’s personality will transfer over to the team…All the speculation about draft choices, releases, yada yada is just that…As of right now, the Eagles don’t even have a full roster of coaches…Eagles need a full coaching staff to effectively evaluate player personnel….
I have no issue with Dixon not being able to beat out Big Ben. Nor do I think that being behind BB was a problem.
The problem lies in that Dixon was not able to beat out 84 yr old Charlie Batch, or the giant Jelly Donut that is Byron Leftwich for the #2 and 3 sopts on that roster.
unreal you do understand that if a guy can play the team will get him on the field? look at kaepernick– a 2nd rounder gets put in during a playoff run over a number 1 pick…. if you can play they will get you in. there is no loyalty.
@HaveNoBrain aka GetsNoAss – You need to get real! …how long did Rodgers wait to take over for the Pack? and who was he sitting behind? I have many more examples just like that one…
Favre is retired and was at the end of his career…Dixon behind Big Ben in his prime totally different set of circumstances, just in case you try and spin it…
3 years! the last two very uncomfortable years. point is dixon can’t play.
Dixon can’t play because you say so? or because he is on the practice squad? Did you know that Dixon turned down the Steelers this season, when Ben got hurt? Guess he didn’t want to relive the experience….You do know that when Dixon did get his opportunities the Steelers ran the ball a bit more on 1st and 2nd downs, becoming predictable and forcing a YOUNG QB to throw the ball on 3rd downs…You are the same as Vinnie, Foles gets an opportunity…sucks it up the first 2 starts (basically equivalent to Dixons opportunities) Foles gets a little better and he has ton’s of potential…does anyone else see the double standard here? Did you know that NFL players have to build resumes like any other occupation? Dixon’s resume with the Steelers wasn’t a long one…Mainly in fact because he never got his opportunity…
I hope Dixon is signed by the Eagles…When he winds up on the Eagles roster I guess it will be because he can’t play, or because Kelly felt bad for him…
nothing to do with his ability in the right system…huh?
never got an opportunity… poor guy!
i’m not a foles guy either unreal- i have been cautiously optimistic- seeing some promise, some ability but some holes in his game…
Again, the issue is not that Dixon couldn’t beat out Ben. Its that he had 5 TCs and pre-seasons and some game time a nd couldn’t beat out Fatso Leftwich, ancient Batch, or whoever the hell Baltimore has as their stellar backup QBs.
Its not that he couldn’t beat out Ben Roethlisburger….its that he couldn’t even make the last 2 teams he was on.
Compare him to Arron Rodgers. You’re delusional.
I never said Dixon was as good a Rodgers…you can’t read…this is why I hate conversing with your dumb ass…you can’t read!
I compared the fact that Rodgers still had to get an opportunity and wait for it because he was behind a HOF QB. Just as Dixon had to wait and never got his opportunity because he was behind an in the prime Big Ben
“@HaveNoBrain aka GetsNoAss – You need to get real! how long did Rodgers wait to take over for the Pack? and who was he sitting behind? I have many more examples just like that one…”
AKA – Dixon never got a shot, but if he did he could/would be just like Rodgers.
Insult and call names. Use exclamations points to MAKE YOUR POINT!!
aka – Dixon could be just like Rodgers.
Then reneg and say….”I never said that….I didn’t I swear.”
Dude….saying something…and then later yelling “I never said…” (a Realtalk staple)….doesn’t eliminate thae fact you did originally say it. You intonated it.
Don’;t try and backtrack now. Just makes you look like a whiny little kid who got his hand caught in the cookie jhar and it trying to blame it on his little brother.
Own up to your points.
Firstly, sis….HaveNoBrain…called me “unreal” first..so I responded with HaveNoBrain and GetNoAss…I guess telling HaveACigar he is the same as you, is a true insult and he should be offended…again you can’t read son..Then you call me delusional in the above post….but somehow I am the one calling names…Vinnie, you were exposed a long time ago for the simplistic dumb ass (there’s a name for you) that you are…You only engage when it relates to the QB position, period…other than that I am led to believe you have no knowledge of any other aspect of football…
The 2013 QB is not on the roster. Vick is gone and Foles is not the kind of QB Kelly is looking for. Does it mean i dont like Foles? No… not at all. But… back to important things like……
What does our starting 11 D players look like?
Well I agree Stevie, the QB’s this year will probably be Alex Smith with Foles and Dixon behind him.
Big, you think Alex smith will make a much bigger difference than Foles would have on this team? Foles is obviously more of a unknown, but Smith isn’t a guy that’s going to make the eagles that much better. I’d rather use the money you spend on him on a LB or safety in FA. But who knows, you mite be rite.
That much better *immediately.
I actually think they are comparable I think Nick Is just basically Alex Smith without the mobility. You raise a good point though the money would probably be better spent on another position.
Stevo, in a perfect world-
RCB Xavier Rhodes- FS Jairius Byrd- SS Jonathan Cyprian- LCB Sean Smith
OLB- Spencer- MLB Kendricks- MLB Ryans- OLB Graham
RDE Cox- NT Lotuleilei- LDE Jenkins
BU- CB Boykin, CB Trufant, CB Marsh, S Baccari Rambo, DE Thornton, OLB Curry, OLB Hunt, NT Knighton.
All hinges on FA & getting more pick in the draft.
Would be an awesome squad to rebuild this Eagle Defense
But with GM Howie at the wheel…
That’s why I said in a perfect world. I’m not too high on Rosebuds, but I’ll give him this off-season, to see if he did, or didn’t have anything to do with the 2010 & 2011 off-seasons, as Lurie said.
Chip Kelly:
“If the quarterback is not tall, look at his hands. That is the biggest coaching point to finding a quarterback. How big are his hands, and how well can he control the football? The height of the quarterback is not the important thing. No one playing quarterback throws over the line. They throw trough lanes in the linemen. The important thing is the size of their hands.”
Nick Foles 10 5/8″
Mike Vick 8 1/2″
and we wonder why he’s led the league in fumbles the past decade.
As for D players. There are only 6 I would guarantee coming back.
Graham, Curry, Hunt, Ryans, Kendricks, Boykin. Rest are all expendable. Going to take at least 2 more years to fix that mess.
But as to your assertion of getting on to “important things”. Nothing is as important as determining the QB. Nothing.
My point is…… all this room talks about is the qb. I think the most important thing for the Eagles right now is getting the right guy at DC. The QB question of Vick or Foles has already been answered…. more Vinnie crying wont change that.
Vinnie and everyone else you can continue to drop these Kelly quotes from seminars he has done on QB’s but my question goes to this point. Where are all the pro caliber QB’s he has coached? I’m still looking for one, don’t see any not even the ones that are still back in Oregon.
You think Cox is expendable, & you think Hunt isn’t???? You nuts?
sorry…that was a mistake. Of course Cox should be there.
But Vinnie, I thought a problem with Vick was his height and not his hands???
You need to save your comments for QB matters and QB matters only…In fact you should actually stop talking about anything pertaining to football…cause you have no clue, son….
You only guarantee Graham, Curry, Hunt, Ryans, Hendricks, Boykin? I do not see the Eagles getting rid of DRC and Nnamdi both…Plus I think DRC cost will not be high for his talent..With some better safeties and play calling, DRC can be all pro, I see DRC back….If Eagles go 3-4, I think you see Dixon, remain as well. Fletcher Cox was a rookie who has tons of potential and you’re ready to give up on him after one season? again, you feel differently about the QB position and rookies though, huh? I’d like to also see the Eagles bring back Cedric Thornton, a young player who played pretty well in the opportunities given. Trent Cole may be back as well, his production started to decrease when the wide 9 came to town…with that gone, who knows…
I think the problem is with his height. Kelly thinks the problem is with his hands.
I think the problem is your head.
Zoinks!
I follow Jeff McLane closely and I have not seen any report on Dixon. Unless I missed it….
He did however report that Bill Lazor is leaving his job as UVA’s OC to join Chip Kelly’s Eagles staff
Ahh, it’s Geoff Mosher reporting on Dixon.
And its just another of these, “Dixon makes sense because he played for Kelly” speculations that you can file right with the “Vick makes sense because he runs fast” speculations that are continually being regurgitated on the web and on TV.
They’re lazy.
They’re there because the next 3 months are a giant black hole of Eagles’ nothingness (save the DC I suppose) so the internet fills with completely made up speculations to pass the time.
People should stop reading them and anlyse the information for themselves.
Eagles will not pay Vick almost 20 million (16.5 + 3 mil bonus)
Vick says he will not restructure
It does not make sense for a young coach to hitch up to a breaking down 33 yr old with a rapidly declining skill-set.
Did Foles play well last year? Yes.
Does Foles fit what Kelly has worked with before? (at Oregon no – at New Hampshire yes)
Is Kelly is thinking about other options at QB? Of course yes.
Dixon makes sense because he understands Kelly’s offense. I would hope nobody thinks all the sudden he becomes all pro. The facts are Kelly is stuck with 2 QB’s he doesn’t want no matter how you spin it. If he thinks Dennis Dixon gives him a better chance at winning guess who’ll be an Eagle this year.
Vinnie…. i agree about Vick… there is prolly almost NO way he wants him. I would be very surprised if he did for all the reasons u have posted. But we know nothing about his thoughts on Foles. Foles played well but he was not lights out or amazing or even as good as Kolb was when he was given the job when the backup. Add to this the fact that Foles is not making much so…. Kelly will bring in a Dixon type player if he thinks it gives him a chance to run the kind of system he runs. Dont get sucked into thinking that he will just become a normal everyday coach because he’s strapped to Foles. His system is what got him the job.
furthermore…… imagine if the birds grabbed Dixon and made a play for a guy like Alex Smith (as the philly.com reporters talked about today) , this would give the birds a solid QB depth chart.
ok wake me on draft day… as someone stated earlier man there is nothing happening– the stories are being made up
agreed. We’ve been talking about the QB spot since 2009 or so. Its old.
They are all completely made up.
I would be down with the Smith idea…but that isn’t going to happen either. Does anyone hear see the Birds pay his salary??
Remember they are 20 million over.
There will be only purging. No adding.
I could see them adding twice cut from other teams Dennis Dixon, but I wouldn’t get too excited over it.
Who cares what the cap numbers look like money isn’t coming out of my pockets. Hell they owe all of us for the ridiculous roster they put together last year while being 27 million under the cap. Vick won’t get 15 and Nnamdi won’t get his money either so just bring in the best players they can find and sort out the money later.
Just blow this entire roster up and start over.
I slam the Eagles for many things…. mostly the coaching for the last 5 or so but 1 think that they do well is the cap. If Kelly wanted Smith I think they would find a way to get it done. As you say Vinnie… QB spot is the most important. They are going to shed cap all over the place this off season mostly by cutting Vick or reworking his deal. But more cuts will come, and thats fine because this roster is loaded with losers.
Unreal that isn’t name calling, it is a reference to how you refer to your self by the misnomer of “real”… You keep it evrything EXCEPT real
In your opinion……
No way do I see Alex Smith coming to Philly.. I don’t believe he has the
mental toughness to play in such a demanding town ..
I see him landing in Phoenix and see Matt Flynn going to KC Chiefs for their 4th Round Pick (#97 Pick Overall)
Paulman’s Eagles 2013 Mock Draft (Version #29)
1st Rd (#4th Overall) OT Eric Fisher (Central Michigan 6-7 305lbs)
2nd Rd (#36 Overall) LB Kevin Minter (LSU 6-1 245lbs)
3rd Rd (#68 Overall) CB David Amerson (NC State 6-2 198lbs)
4th Rd (#100 Overall) G/T David Quessenberry (San Jose 6-5 295lbs)
5th Rd (#132 Overall) Safety DJ Swearinger (Clemson 5-11 210lbs)
6th Rd (#164 Overall) QB Matt Scott (Arizona 6-2 205lbs)
7th Rd (#196 Overall) DT Josh Boyd (Miss State 6-3 315lbs)
7th Rd (#215 Overall) CB Terrance Brown (Standford 6-0 185lbs)
Swearinger is a good player…..and from South Carolina…
Minter is a Ray Lewis clone…,beast!
DJ Swearinger will not last til the 5th round. He will go by the third. Watch! I would love for the Eagles to go Swearinger in the 3rd and Cyprien in the 4th. Both can play the pass, run, tackle and hit the s#!+ out of you!!!
So many opinions, so many asses, they equal up, you clowns have no idea what chip Kelly will do at qb, but speculate away, you like Vick, the mobile, mostly black qb, Vick, Dixon or Kaepernick clone, he’s your choice, and based on recent results with Kaepernick it’s a very logical, persuasive choice , but ultimately the running quarterback is a fad, like it was when the white boy bobby Douglas tried it with the bears, it will ultimately come down to the pocket qb, who gets the ball to his playmakers, there’s a reason they talk about Marino, Montana, Unitas, Brady as the greatest, they are quarterbacks, he is the field general, he’s not the espn hi light real but a leader of men, the current crop of running quarterbacks, well, just a fad my friends, just a fad
Just for fun…..
Guys like young and elway could move.. and did so. Even favre…. i hate favre…would move. Rand might have won a ring had he not blown out hos knee and almost did again with a great vikes season. Im not saying i like the running qb but…. its going to be around a while.
@Jake, thanks for being the ignorant dumb ass that you are, son! You say some of the dumbest shit I’ve heard…we have no idea, about what Kelly will do…But you do? what makes you so special, besides the corrective shoes, the Depends and the thick ass glasses your wear? Shut your dumb ass up, son!
Times change…people over time have gotten bigger, healthier, smarter…Rodgers is a mobile QB, of course not like the “black QB”…but is mobile, so is Big Ben…they have rings! By the way, our “black QB” hasn’t been a running QB since his ATL days…I actually wish we had more of that this season…!
Over the past 3 years Rodgers has run about 1/2 as much as Vick, while Roethless has run about 1/3 the amount of times Vick has.
Vick 1146 passing atts. 238 rushes. “running” 17% of the time
Rodgers 1529 passing atts 178 rushes. Running 10% of the time
Ben 1351 passing atts 90 rushes. Running 6%of the time
They are mobile QBs. Vick is a running QB.
bobby douglass wasn’t white!
oops yes he was! my bad! anyway keep race out of it!
Your’re right Jake,
I guess we will have to wait on “Dweeb JH” reports to us with his Breaking News Alerts…once he gets off Bynum’s Balls .. ..
You are a funny little man realtalk, do you have a problem with old people, Paulman will be offended
I don’t post my stats here realtalk, but if you are in the area, can get out from under the Trenton takes bridge, we could gave some fun at the gym, see what you got
per Jon Harts sources ( BGN.com) had posted an article in regards to the shift to a 3-4. In the article it refrences ProFootballFocus.com as doing a study where it listed Brandon Graham as the 2nd best DE in football last year. Seems to be a liitle far fetched, but interesting nontheless.
Boy this QB thing never gets old, I can just imagine what these posts will look like when Dixon beats out Foles for the starting job. LOL
The Philadelphia Eagles will likely pay the $3 million that is due to veteran quarterback Michael Vick by February 6, according to a report by CBSSports’s Jason LaConfora, as new head coach Chip Kelly is still studying the film of Vick from 2012.
In other words, the Eagles will take the $3 million loss if the team does end up cutting Vick during the offseason. But they don’t want to move too soon, which makes sense.
If Kelly decides that he is not interested in Vick, the Eagles could shop the soon-to-be 33-year-old. once league play begins on March 13.
All the GMs on GCobb.com told me he would be cut by Feb 6. Oh my. Why why why why would they keep this bum. Cut the cord. lmao
It’s not a total loss of 3 million. If he signs for 2 million then it’s only a million to the birds. But if he signs for 3 or above the eagles owe nothing… This is a low risk thing
**Breaking News**
I just called Chip Kelly and told him to cut VIck’s ass.. What is he going to find out in a month’s time that Vick;s 10 Year Carrer Record and Tape of Playing hasn’t already shown us Wanna-Be GM’s already..
He thanked me for the call and concern and saif he would sleep on it..
Pro football focus ranked Graham as a middle of the pack DE who said #2 is on crack….he was ranked in the 30′s
Graham may have the speed and size to play in a 3-4, but after the growth he showed last year, why would the Eagles want to risk it? ProFootballFocus had Graham ranked as the 2nd best DE in football last year. Whether you agree or not, the fact is he showed real progress last year and is one of the few players on the team to be excited about next year.
Per bleeding green nation.. I don’t see how it’s possible, but there it is
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Offseason-Preview-Defensive-End/016f26b7-06bf-44e6-968e-a5f2fe1dc2b7
This profootball focus article listed him as the 3rd best in a 4-3.
The Eagles need to really pay attention to upgrading the tight end position..Celek is a fraud and have been for some time now. I remember Gonzalez mentioning he was open to coming to the Eagles and losers on here said he was on the downside and Celek was the answer at that time.
Well, what you think now?
Celek was the cheaper option….not the best option.
Guys on here talking Alex Smith but how would he look without Vernon Davis, Crabtree and Gore?
This team is fundamentally flawed at every level of the team except Shady.
Receivers? to small on the outside and a slow TE with bricks for hands in the middle..Avant is a warrior but limited.
Offensive line? Don’t know if the key players will be healthy and if so, don’t know how much they’ll contribute. TOO MANY QUESTIONS NO ANSWERS.
QB? There’s not one potential SB QB on the roster…not one including Vick…but Vick does have heart.
I’m not even talking defense yet..
This team is at least 4 years from respectable.
pathetic.