• March 29, 2024

Eagles Players Could Sink Or Swim In These Three Off Season Practices

TrentCole1I hope Nate Allen, Danny Watkins, Trent Cole, Brent Celek, Phillip Hunt, Michael Vick, Nick Foles and just about every player on the Birds roster realizes how important the three practices the Birds are having this week. They’re a big deal to Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and possibly a big deal to the future of some of these players.

“I think it’s invaluable,” Kelly said yesterday after practice. “It’s difficult at times to make an evaluation on some guys just watching film, because you don’t know what the play call was or you don’t know how they were instructed on what they were supposed to do on that play. You’re just kind of watching athletic ability and going through it. But when you get to see them on the field for 3 straight days, running around doing things, it gives you a better understanding of what your team is and kind of where they are.”

Kelly made it clear that the Eagles draft could be affected greatly by what he and his coaches see during these three days of practice.  These three days are another segment of Kelly’s evaluation process which began at the beginning of the year when he took the head coaching job.

If Watkins continues to struggle with his feet and body control in both the run and pass games, it will probably guarantee the Birds drafting one of the top offensive tackles.

If all the safeties struggle including the ones they acquired this offseason, it will probably guarantee the Birds drafting a safety with their top pick in the second round.

If they find out that Trent Cole, Phillip Hunt, Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry can’t cover backs out of the backfield, so therefore they can’t make the switch to outside linebacker it will probably guarantee the Birds drafting Dion Jordan with their top pick.

If Brent Celek continues to drop the football the way he did a year ago, the Birds will probably draft a tight end or two in the selection process.  These workouts aren’t in pads and the coaching staff has only put in a small percentage of the offense and defense in, but these workouts are huge in importance to Chip Kelly and his staff.

“It has to,” Kelly answered when asked about these workouts affecting the Birds draft strategy, “Because we can’t ask if we can get more practices. I can’t go back on Friday and ask commissioner [Roger] Goodell, ‘If you give us 2 more days, this would really help us next week.’ It’s all part of the process. We’ll sit down again. Our scouts are out at practice, too . . . we’re all getting feedback. As we said since Day 1, it’s a real collaborative effort.”

“We know guys are going to make mistakes early in this process,” Kelly said. “But are we making things full speed? What kind of energy are they playing with? Are they coachable?”

They’ve already seen all they need to see of All-Pro left offensive tackle Jason Peters.

“Jason looked like what I had hope he would look like,” Kelly said. “First off, he’s a very big human that moves extremely well. But he participated through the full practice . . . It’s probably a good sign when you never looked over and said, ‘Geez, he doesn’t look like he’s himself right now.’ He was moving around and looked really at home at left tackle.”

This is great news to all Eagles fans because a healthy Jason Peters immediately makes the Birds offensive line much better.  I still expect them to grab one of the three offensive tackles, Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson, who are rated as future Pro Bowl level players.  This will allow them to move Todd Herremans inside and place Watkins where he needs to be; on the bench or on the waiver wire.

GCOBB

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eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
April 17, 2013 2:22 pm

good news on Jason Peters —
Graham and Watkins LOL – even Howie distanced himself from them —
I wonder who the stooges in media who are allowed to witness the practices are? A few loyal media Lurie -ites had to have made it onto the field.

gmcliff
gmcliff
April 18, 2013 12:40 am

hahahahhhahahah!!!!!!!

DCar
DCar
April 18, 2013 2:08 am
Reply to  gmcliff

Spadaro, Schiller, Navy, & his cohorts, are the reporters!

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
April 17, 2013 2:27 pm

“…and place Watkins where he needs to be; on the bench or on the waiver wire.” Classic.

mhenski
mhenski
April 17, 2013 2:30 pm

SMART AND ARTICULATE COACH, I LOVE THAT CHIP IMPLIES WITH EVERYTHING HE SAYS THAT HE WILL ADJUST NO MATTER WHAT. I FUCKING LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

haveacigar
haveacigar
April 17, 2013 2:48 pm
Reply to  mhenski

i don’t know about that my man… he says exactly as much as AR…NOTHING! and don’t be fooled AR is smart and articulate, just guarded. this cat hasn’t faced the media after going for a 4th and 2 and failing. i hear he can be an absolute prick to the media and that little thing with jeff moesher could have easily been him getting dicky with him after a tough loss…
i’m as ready for a fresh start as much as anyone– i had AR hangover for 2 f.ing years… i’m ready for a clean start but this guy hasn’t brought a team together, won a game, lost a game, had a star f.up or a star get injured…and there are no oregon states on the schedule

paulman
paulman
April 17, 2013 4:33 pm
Reply to  mhenski

I agree 100 MHenski, no Pussy-footing around with him or having to read between the lines like Coach AR.. Keep it simple, tell it like it is and fix it..
or get the PLayers in here who can handle the conditioning, up-tempo and syste,,

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
April 17, 2013 2:31 pm

I thought Jason Peters was worth 7 points a game — I was wrong he is worth a lot more than that — He is still the highest paid OL in the NFL — the entire offensive team literally broke down without him

paulman
paulman
April 17, 2013 4:37 pm

Jason Peters will be a Rock for the OL just he was before he was injured, no doubt in my mind that he’s 100% and ready to go flat out and kick some ass ..
I know some had reservations about him returning (which is understandable)
but JP is one of the most competitive players in the entire NFL and takes great Pride in being a Professional and an Elite Player.. He is coming back with a venegance

A couple of Players I am concerned about not being good fits for this Offense (TE Celek, J Avant, Bryce Brown)
on Defense, Trent Cole, Antonio Dixon,Phillip Hunt for sure are bad fits, and I am not so sure about Brandon Graham,and both Safeties Allen & COleman were on their last life-lines as it is, so they are getting a break by being in a new System..

jakedog
jakedog
April 18, 2013 8:19 am

What has he said paulman, he hasn’t named a starting qb, he’s said as much as Reid said or less, just that it’s under the blue sky of April, with players in shorts, and no losses, tough decisions to critique, just wait to the cold of November after a tough loss, questionable call, let’s see what he says then