Injuries
– The Eagles are confident that Maclin is fully recovered from his 2013 rehab season. They are counting on him contributing largely to the success of their 2014 offense. If he is not 100% or if he were to reinjure his knee, Cooper is your #1, followed by the unknown of rookies and guys like Arrelious Benn and Brad Smith. (Sorry all you Jeff Maehl fans, leaving his name out of the conversation.)
-Staying healthy as a “team” for a second consecutive season, the odds are not in our favor. Once the pre-season was out of the way taking Hunt, Maclin, Phillips and Benn out of the mix for 2013, the Eagles were the healthiest team in the league last season. If lady luck were to reverse such a fortune, a blow to the offensive line or secondary could be a challenge to patch up.
Chip has his players invested in eating, lifting, running, sleeping and thinking the right way, but the game of football is brutal, and injuries are a challenge that even the best preparation can’t fend off.
Schedule
– The level of weekly competition is difficult. The NFC West is composed of teams with aggressive/physical defenses. We also see the likes of some of the best quarterbacks in the league with matchups against Rodgers, Newton and Luck.
The Eagles are no slouch; they were a playoff team last season. How do we match up against the seasoned playoff teams? How about those coming off Super Bowl wins and appearances over the last few seasons?
How do we match up against the big boys? Are we on the same level, can we hold on our own? We will know shortly, to be the best you have to be able to beat the best.
NFC East
– The Redskins have improved their offense and hired a coach looking to make a statement in his first season calling the shots. The Giants made huge upgrades to their defense, offensive line and drafted a versatile wide receiver in the first round of the draft. The Cowboys appear to be going in the wrong direction, but a rivalry is more than talent versus talent when the game is played.
-The gap has certainly inched closer with the divisional rivals. The season came down to week 17 versus the Cowboys last year, with the Giants and Redskins out of the running pretty early. The runaway with the division is not going to be as easy for the Eagles this season.
Nick Foles
What if Foles is unable to adjust to what defensive coordinators bring his way? The blitzes increased toward the end of the 2013 season and into the playoffs. Defenses knew Foles liked to wait for his receivers to get open.
Foles will not have the deep speed option and how that opened up space in the middle of the field. He will have to build chemistry with some new vets and some hopeful rookies.
Foles will be playing his first full season as the starter and for that new “big pay day” contract. It has gotten the best of other young quarterbacks in the past; Foles will try to not be another name on that list.
Alex Henery
This is about the fear that Henery puts on the coaching staff. His deficiancies will adjust the play calling. Forcing things which may result in great starting field position for the opposition; this is what having average” kicker will do.
Henery with a game winner of 45+yards with no time left? Kicking into the wind or with precipitation falling? No, no and no.
Having a part of your football team that you fear more than trust is something that will lose you a game or two throughout the season, and possibly cause too early of an exit in the playoffs.
Jeff are you crazy? You cant write this kind of stuff on these boards. Digress? Didn’t you get the memo that Barney Rubble will spread the ball around on offense and it doesn’t matter who your receivers are in Barneys offense? Maclin will catch 500 balls, Ertz 200, Cooper 300 balls yadee yadee yadee.. Djax sucked you don’t need elite talent its the system. Jeff didn’t you get the memo who cares if we don’t play the 8 worst defense in the NFL this year we play the lowly NFC West, Chips system coupled with Foles skill set will dominate the West. Jeff didn’t you get the memo that Jenkins comes in early and leaves late he is a leader, nevermind he sucked last year even with all that film study, the Eagles have figured out a way that smart guys with no talent are better fits than knuckleheads with superior talent. Its gotta be the smoothies. But in all honestly you cant bring up negative thoughts on gcobb.com so you better beware.
LMAO!!! daggolden..smh…naw!! are you sarcastically casting doubt on the smoothies? I hear that the raspberry flavor smoothie will undoubtedly increase the vault us into the Super Bowl…its far superior to the pickle juice we drank against the Cowboys that year
In Chip ya’ll trust. LOL
Honestly, the only thing I think that can stop us from winning the division and getting to the playoffs again is injuries. Sure the Eagles have to play the NFC west but so does the rest of the NFC East. The only team I see as a challenge right now is the Giants. Dallas is a joke and just lost their best player on defense after letting Ware go as well. But most importantly Dallas is soft when it matters most. Not worried about them.
The Redskins are also one of the biggest jokes in the league. They are essentially the Raiders East. ALways landing a big name and then it blows up in their face. Their defense is terrible. They got some weapons on offense but their QBs knees are made of tissue paper. The Redskins were pretty much getting blown out of games before halftime last year, even in the first quarter. They weren’t even coming close to competing in NFL games. They would put up some BS points late in games after the opposing teams already kicked their ass and were just trying to get out of the disgusting shit hole that Fed Ex field is. But hey they just signed the next Jerry Rice in Djax (basically what the media is making it out to be…just like they do every Redkins big name signing) so I guess he is their savior. You know on days when he feels like showing up.
For some reason I have a feeling the Giants bounce back this year. They always come around when no one expects it.
I wish the Eagles did a better job addressing the safety position. That is pretty much the only thing that still pisses me off. We should have traded up a few spots to land Pryor/Dix. SO sick of freaking Nate Allen.
You can’t base what the Skins will do off a last year when their QB was a gimp. DJax showed up just fine for us last year. No reason to think he won’t do the same for the Skins.
Raiders East? They won the division in 2012. When the last time the Raider did that. They are (right now) the biggest comp not the Giants.
Giants and SKkns are ultimately big questions marks however, that won’t be answered ’till the games are played. As it stands however (on paper) the Ealges are the best squad in the division and should win the division with (relative) east.
But hey who knows. Anything can happen. That’s why they play the games.
4 wins, 6 wins, 5 wins, 10 wins, 3 wins
This is what TS thinks is a team that is “coming on strong!”
LOL
Look, RGIII caught teams by suprise when he entered the league. Speedy QBs often do that….for a while. Then the league always catches up.
Add to that no significant drafts for 3 years due to the stupid trade, and basically having to beg for a Cinci coach because no one respectable will work for Snyder and thy’re going to perennially rot at 6 wins for the next 3 or 4 seasons.
That should say: “As it stands however (on paper) the Ealges are the best squad in the division and should win the division with (relative) ease.
Good luck in the election today Garry.
If he makes it through camp he’s likely out by week 6 at the latest.
I’ve got no faith at this point dude will stay healthy. SMH.
TS, do you feel happy when the Eagles win games?
Do you feel happy asking idiotic questions?
I’ve said repeatedly that I EXPECT the Eagles to be division champs this year.
But if you beleive Maclin is gonna stay healthy all year more power to you.
Eagles will win (but I won’t be happy about it) because the Redskins (with 2 of my 3 favourite players) are COMING ON STRONG!
Redskins 28 wins out of their last 81 games. Coming on strong indeed.
TS,
I only asked about being happy because it seems like a lot of people keep hedging their bets here with the Eagles. I just always have supported my hometown teams whether they are good or bad, I get excited for the start of the season.
Maclin possibly getting hurt, overall having more injuries than we did last year, having a worse turnover ratio, whatever… they all could happen, some could or none of the above. Who knows.
I just hope that when the game starts, there aren’t fans out there that would get more amped up if Maclin went down with an injury (because they “called it”) than if they pull out a close win.
First day on the site, huh?
There are different types of “fans” on GCobb. Some want the Birds to win at all costs……some want the Birds to win “their way”…..and some aren’t fans of the team but fans of a player or two. Stick around long enough and you will figure out who is who.
Thats in life. Theres good and evil, positive and negative, the weak and the strong. It keeps a balance in the world. Everybody cant agree in everything thats what makes us all different. Over 50 years with no superbowls I would think the negative people have been right a hell of alot times more than the kool aid drinkers.
yeah – the part I posted above about the ‘obvious’ – wait – you mean to tell me the that 31 teams ‘negative’ fans will be right while only one teams ‘kool aid’ drinkers will be right – AMAZING! I bet you do NCAA brackets too…..
so which is better – to be a ‘kool aid’ drinker for 50 years and finally win – or be ‘negative’ for 50 years and if and when they ever win quickly climb on the bandwagen – I know I can;t stand buddies of mine who a few years ago loved them some patriots – now suddenly they love them the broncos or seahawks – notice all those laker fans now loving them some heat – and where did all the Phillies fans go……
question – what is the differenc ebetween being a die hard fan and a Kool Aid drinker? Were all the people that went to the Detroit game last year kool aid drinkers…
right on man. you are on point
Perfect answer Greenfan, at this point I’ll take a Super Bowl win at any cost even if the devil himself was the QB. And by devil I’m referring to Matt Barkley.
Lol….poor Matt. He needs to show something (other than a weak arm and terrified look in the pocket) this year or we should look for a better backup. Sanchez is doubtful a longterm solution, but backup QB in the NFL is an important position. A season’s success or failure can often be placed on how the backup QB performs. Injuries are just part of the game, and getting a full season out of a QB is not always a given…just look at our own team the past few years and see that since McNabb we have not had a fully healthy QB.
I believe Sanchez will fit this System well and be a solid, viable Back-up for a season or two behind Foles.. I believe Sanchez signed a 2 Year Deal with the Eagles didn’t he.. I could be wrong..
Owner Jeff Lurie has stated many times that he wants to build a Super Bowl Winner the “Right Way’ , which in his eyes means with High-Character Players, not High-Priced Prima-Donnas, means with Drafting and Grooming your own Players in your own system and staying away from High-Profile Players in Free-Agency and to assemble a Roster of Hard-working,active in the local community and good,respectful stewards of the Eagles Franchise and Brand
If this takes Lurie another 10 Years to do so, then so be it in his eye’s, he’s making $$$$ either way, but he will never allow to happen which occurred 3 Off-Seasons ago when Coach AR & Eagles went out and Spent a Ton of $$$$ on a bunch of Selfish & Dumb A-Holes Players and Coach’s
So if many Fans were dissatisfied with this past-off-seasons acquisitions and laying low for the most part, well get used to it for that’s how Owner Lurie and Co will be operating for the near Future..
Loyal and true Eagle fans have the right to be critical of this approach…funny Paulman, how you invariably connect “High Character” to Players who are not “High Priced”. You and Lurie prefers the quite, undemanding Players who will humbly accept what is doled out to him. Of course, the hypocrisy of this seems lost upon you as Lurie himself is a cutthroat, bottom line business man who cares more about the bottom line on the balance sheet than he does the bottom line to the fans…A Super Bowl win.
How about assembling a team of winning football players…not choirboys, not people “respected’ in the community…how about players who score touchdowns and win…not players who ‘give it their all and lose’.
We need winners in this town…and until they Eagles win a Superbowl…not the “Manage the Salary Cap” Bowl….but the Superbowl…the Eagles deserve a critical look from the fans; not unquestioned support.
Eagles management does not deserve such support!
kool, Lurie has shown a propensity to spend high dollar on players. By no means is he a cheap owner who only cares about the bottom line.
They don’t need to be mutually exclusive KB. You can have good team players with good character who are excellent players. Sounds like you are organizing a team from “The Longest Yard”….criminals don’t make players that you can count on…suspensions and erratic behavior don’t help in building a team with continuity.
Kelly won last year in his first year with the team…..he turned around a 4-12 team to a 10 win team…..yes, he had some good breaks but there were some bad injury breaks also (Maclin, Benn and Vick come to mind). He is working hard to change the culture at NovaCare and within the team….he cut arguably the most talented player on the team (personally I think Shadey is more talented) in DJax, so there is no questions that the fans should be skeptical of Kelly,yes the honeymoon is over, but until the games start againg he is still operating a winning team. After last season he has at least earned my benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. I have always been concerned with coaches who preach “the system” over talented players. Kelly seems to know the type of player he wants….lets hope that he is right and that we can see this team continue to take strides forward. No Kool-Aid for me, but hope that our defense will make strides to match the offense and see a consistance success that leads to a SuperBowl win.
GO BIRDS!!
Great post greenfan.
Greenfan, the Eagles are not a ‘winning’ team…they are losers…we didn’t win a single playoff game last year. We lost. I didnt say anything about organizing a team of ‘criminals’ I say that organizing a football team based on “character’ is bullshit! You organize a football team based on talent. Talent is what wins in the NFL..
Winning coaches in the NFL can deal with erratic behavior from talented players. They keep talent around…
There is no reason for a complete buy-in to Chip Kelly..and I think he is a very innovative, creative coach…but that doesn’t mean he is a winning coach. He didn’t win the big one in college…he was repeatedly beat by tough, physical teams….despite having his “type” of players.
Kool I don’t even read the crap paulman posts half the time, he nor anyone on this site knows the true character of anyone on that roster. The head coach alone violated NCAA rules and ran, so great character there.
Excellent point…Biglion…the ‘character’ stuff is truly BS…DJax ‘character’ flaw is that he wanted more money…
This is the Way Owner Jeff Lurie see’s it Biggy and was not talking about
HC Kelly.. Will they roll a dice with a youn PLayer, occastionally but not often.. In recent Years, will they take a chance on a high-dollar Free-Agent,
absolutely not, since the TO Fiasco of some 10 Years ago.. What I am talking about is not what the Coach’s want (AR or Kelly) , It’s how Owner Lurie runs his Organization’s and his Philosophy of hiring, training and retaining his employees within his Organization whether it be personnel,Coach’s or Players , it’s the way he runs and manages his Business and if you cannot understand or accept this, than you haven’t been paying close attention all these Years
yeah..T.O. again…..
The team with to the damn Superbowl and T.O. was the offensive MVP for the Eagles that game.
Remember?
So, what’s wrong with that move again and why the Eagles won’t pay exceptional talent again?
Because he was an Asshole & Distraction and doesn’t fit the Eagles Locker Room that’s why, Who cares how Talented he is.. Owner Lurie will not put up with Assholes & Distractions on his Payroll, Period…
If you want a more recent example, look up Desean Jackson
It is so easy to point out the stupidity in your arguments – do you think before you vomit crap from your mouth –
in the three seasons prior to the arrival of Owens the Eagles went 11-5 12-4 12-4 and in all three seasons lost in the NFCC game – they were the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs PRIOR to Owens arrival
in the year Owens was here they went 13-3 and won the NFCC game – so I teach college math – pay attention here –
it is pretty fair to say the eagles would have gone 12-4/13-3 in the year they won the SB and went to the NFCC game – it is a fair assumption they also would have been the #1 seed in the NFC
Owens DID NOT PLAY in the playoffs the year they went to the SB – remember the old ‘I am happy with our recvrs – we can win with our rcvrs ‘ comments – – take a look at the rcvrs (Chad Lewis had a HUGE game against Atlanta ) in the 2003 lose and the 2004 win – in 2003 the starters were Pinkston and Thrash with Mitchell and Lewis as the next two the 2004 playoff team rcvrs were Pinkston, Mitchell and Lewis) so please explain to us that use rational thought and logic how the addition of TO made a huge difference – I submit it was nothing more then window dressing – that in terms of actual football results – the addition of TO meant ZERO –
the main differecne between 2004 and the previous years was the Defense – the Eagles 2004 defense was top rated and destroyed Atlanta in the NFCC game
then take into account what happened in season 2 of the TO experimnet –
again looking at the math –
12-4 2002 12-4 2003 24-8 advance to NFCC game as #1 seed both years
the two years he was on the team
13-3 6-10 19-13 advanced to the Super Bowl (he did not play in playoffs) and then missed the playoffs for the first time in 5 years –
(let this be a reminder to all those that smack talk about not caring about ‘character’ in a win at all costs mentality)
so again – what was the huge difference TO made for the Eagles – I wish I was a used car salesman when you came shopping ‘look at this pretty bow’ ‘look at this shiny tire’
Excellent Recap Invinoveritus
Some Fans want to hang on and clamor to the big name Players who they feel a certain type of kinship too or feel or buy into that the Players were disrespected my Ownership/Front Office for it empowers them to have some type of Credibility for some reason
Don’t forget that the 2004 Eagles Defense was playing against the scared, happy feet over-matched Falcon QB M Vick who once knocked backwards in the chest by LB Trotter, was a puss and a non-factor the rest of the Game
Also note that the NFC Was a joke of a Conference in the early 2000’s with basically the Packers,Eagles,Bears,TB Bucs as the only consistent, legitimate Teams..
Many of these same folks will say 2-3 Years from now, If only the 2014 or 2015 Eagles had D-Jax, we could have won a Super Bowl…
Paulman I don’t think you’ve been paying attention in the least. What do Lesean McCoy, Jason Peters, Riley Cooper, Jake Knott and Mark Sanchez all have in common if you’ve been paying attention you’ll know.
They’ve all made mistakes as all people and athletes make, but remain “Team Players” accept responsibility and are not assholes, though McCoy is pushing his stay … How about that for an analysis…
And how would you know who is or isn’t a team player? Is Evan Mathis is team player or selfish guy who wants what he deserves? Again none of us know truly how these guys are period. You can assume all you like but you don’t know squat about who’s a team player or who’s a selfish prick or who is responsible. What is so hard to understand about that?
Nobody but the coach can make that determination Biggie…and even then, it is only an opinion based on his years of coaching experience and gut feel. Ultimately it will be Kelly’s neck if he is making poor judgements.
I know that you have issues with the coach, and I can respect that. I would say that I am more skeptical of the coach, but more optimistic than pessimistic. He made some strong moves last year in his attempt to turn the team around, and had made some even stronger ones this off season. He won games last year that the previous coach had been losing the past few seasons. Like I said before, I think that he has earned the benefit of the doubt entering into this season. Yes he is a bit arrogant, but the good coaches usually are….my concern is that he may get caught up in thinking that all he needs is his system in place and that there is no need for talented players. There needs to be a balance of good talented players operating in a strong and innovative system with good coaching. I am glad to see that the Eagles have the largest coaching staff in the NFL. This is a commitment that a “cheap organization” would not make. It shows that Lurie is interested in winning, and that he is behind his new coach.
GO BIRDS!!!!
Greenfan, I agree Lurie is 100 percent behind his coach and he should be I don’t like Chip but respect what he’s done here this franchise is relevant again however lets stop with the Mickey Mouse club crap, character counts personally it comes first for me but if anyone thinks the sole reason that this roster is put together this way is character then they are extremely naive.
Lol…..Mickey Mouse Club……LMAO Biggie.
I don’t think Kelly had that reputation with some of the players that he recruited at Oregon. I think that DJax was just not going to “get with the system”….and like the military, you either get with it or get gone. I doubt that Kelly is looking for choirboys, just players that will buy in to what he is trying to put in place. If he wins, players will want to be a part of it like in New England….if he does not win, he will go back to college never to return.
Heart,Talent & Character..
Why are you continuing to whine Biggy, just because they released D-Jax’s
ass a couple of months back.. Get over it man…It’s a new Season..
Please nobody on this site cares about where or what Desean is doing but the ridiculous non stop schilling you do is sickening especially when like I said you have no idea what goes on down there. Like I said they are trying to win football games not make social statements.
If Barney Rubble wants to make a statement he should release Shady. This guy is the epitome of “character”.. We like to use the word “character” on this board when its convenient. Like Derrick Ward said Barney Rubble wasn’t worried about “character” when his little ass was recruiting in gang banging USA South Central LA.
I have a honest question. If I didn’t read anything else about football and just visited Eagles web sites I would come away with Nick Foles as this top young stud QB{which he may be). Every other article or piece on other websites and TVs(not Philly based), mention nothng of Foles. I watch the top 100 players of 2013 and 10 QBs are ahead of Foles and the experts laughed that Foles was even on the list and ahead of Kapernick. I read articles on ESPN about the Kap deal and the up incoming QBs that will be getting paid soon. It has Luck, Wilson and Cam. The 2nd tier is Dalton and Alex Smith getting paid. Theres never no mention of Foles anywhere at anytime as this franchise QB other than in Philly. I mean they guy goes 29-2 and he gets no love anywhere. Do you think outsiders think its the system? Him having the best RB in football? He was a fluke? Seriously it baffles me that Foles gets no respect, no love(outside of Philly). I even heard on the radio on Wip Anthony Gargano and Rob Ellis agree that Foles, if he plays well next year would get around a 6 year 80 million dollar contract in there opinion. What am I missing? I then listen to them talk about what a stud Kapernick is, I listen to Mike Missinelli talk about what a stud Kapernick is. I look at ESPN, NFL.com, etc etc and read about what a young stud Kapernick is but I come to gcobb.com and Foles is great and Kapernick sucks. What am I missing? Are we that biased? Honestly
I look at us gcobbers as (family, brothers), we can talk shit to each other, bash our own team, disagree with each other and all that. But if outsiders(other fans or media) do it that’s not permissible. We got each others back. I just wonder why Foles just gets no respect or love from anywhere else. I don’t get it.
Files came out of nowhere last year
Received little hype or coverage coming out of the Draft
So no media outlet had a vested interest in him so to speak..
If Foles has a good to very good year in 2014, he will be talked about
And mentioned in the same breath as the other younger stop QB’s
But most want to see how he performs as the clear Stsrter and all the expectations, pressure that goes along with it this year
Personally I rather have Foles under the radar, for he’s a bright kid with little ego and a Team First Guy.. And do take note that I was talking about Nick Foles as being Drafted by the Eagles back in Dec 2011 when most have never heard of him, as a QB Prospect for Eagles to Draft
And groom as their Future QB and now the Time is here ..
I heard talking heads on TV tell me that Favre was the “gunslinger” 10 years after he had become a turnover machine that was going to pull a bonehead move in every important game. Everyone knew this, but the TV heads said the opposite.
For the last 3 years we kept hearing how Vick gave the Eagles “the best chance to win”, when everyone with a brain knew his reckless style of play held the team back, and we weren’t going to win anything with him at the helm.
Talking heads on tv spout whatever is the popular thought of the time. Just ’cause they babble on about it doesn’t make it right.
They have to “tow the company line” They always play it safe. Kap is the current Golden boy, so they’ll run with that. Newton is the NFL “play 60” poster boy with commercials on the network every 13 seconds, so he gets glowing treatment, even though everyone knows his psyche is feebler than a crystal chandelier and the sharps made a killing betting against him in his first playoff game….I mean who didn’t know he was going to drop that EPIC fail in that last game. I sure as hell did.
Talking heads on TV will still talk about Antoniop Gates, Tony Romo…I just read an article on ESPN about how Champ Baily will be a “stud” for New Orleans. Are you kidding me? He’s 78 years old. But he’s a name, so they run with it.
People on TV tell me Carey Price is a good goalie, they tell me Sydney Crosby is the best player in hockey, ‘Experts’ gave the Norris trophy to PK Subban, they tell me Tom Brady is a top 5 QB when we all know he’s sliding the past few years, they tell me…they tell me they tell me. They are always wrong.
In fact, a great peice of advice is to listen to whatever an ‘expert’ on tv says and then do the opposite. (Not just sports, they’re always wrong on finance as well)
There’s also the Kim Kardasian factor. Why is she on tv every 3 minutes? Flash.
What is Foles? A quiet kid who says all the right things. 3rd round pick. Never on tv. No flash. No pizazz. Meanwhile Kap is on TV, cover of madden, hanging in Miami, hanging in Vegas, flashy tattoos etc etc. I LOVE that they never talk about Foles, and and tout Kaepernick etc. It means Foles is good and Kap isn’t.
Great post dag….good way to put it….I talk shit all day to my brothers, but if someone else talks shit on him I am the first one that has his back…. good way to put it.
As far as the “character” comments, and I could be wrong, but I do not think that Kelly (aka B. Rubble to you) ever said that DJax was a character issue. He said that it was a football decsion…..which is probably a load of crap since when is it a good “football decsion” to cut your most productive WR? But anyway….I believe that most of the “character” talk is coming from commentaors or websites (NJ.com…ESP anyone?) but that Kelly talks more about building his “team”. I seem to remember that Reid, Banner and Lurie talked more about wanting “character” guys etc…..maybe Roseman too, but not Kelly.
I listened to Dan Patrick yesterday and had the same thought that you stated about Foles…they were listing, and took a poll about the ranking the best young QB’s, and Foles was not on the list and was never brought up. Is he only good in our minds, or is he being disrespected on the national scene? I am ok with him “flying under the radar” this season if that is the case, but after the numbers that he put up last season you would think he would be getting a bit more national attention. Good question dag. I don’t have an answer, but luckily it only matters what he does on the field…and if he has anywhere close to the year that he had last year I believe that the Birds have got something that they can build upon.
GO BIRDS!!
Heres a good article I found on the Eagles DLine for this slow Saturday
The Philadelphia Eagles simply did not rotate players on their defensive line enough last season. However, I cannot criticize the Eagles too much as the depth at defensive end and defensive tackle was weak with the exception of defensive end Vinny Curry. Due to the lack of depth and lack of the rotation, the Eagles defensive line did not rush the quarterback particularly well. I have to credit the defensive line, especially Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton, for being very good against the run. I have no fears about the Eagles run defense next season; outside linebackers Connor Barwin and Trent Cole both excel at setting the edge and the secondary is solid against the run as a group. The Eagles must however improve their pass rush and it all starts in the trenches. A fit and raring to go defensive lineman will always perform better than a fatigued defensive lineman towards the end of a game. This of course means the Eagles must rotate players a lot more next season to keep their defensive line energized.
The Seattle Seahawks rotate their defensive lineman to perfection and generate an extremely impressive pass rush because of it. For the use of this article, I will use Pro Football Focus to compare playing time between the Seahawks and the Eagles. The Eagles defense were on the field for about 100 snaps more than the Seahawks; which is something to keep in mind when looking at the stats. The teams obviously do not play identical schemes either but comparing playing time is still useful.
Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox was on the field for 908 snaps last season and Cedric Thornton was on the field for 739 despite Thornton struggling to rush the quarterback. No other Eagle defensive lineman came close to these numbers, defensive tackle Bennie Logan only played 488 snaps because he didn’t start the season. In comparison with the Seahawks, Michael Bennett was on the field for the highest amount of snaps out of any Seahawks defensive lineman. Bennett still only played 617 snaps despite being extremely impressive at both rushing the quarterback and stopping the run. This means that Fletcher Cox played an unbelievable 291 more snaps than Bennett, even Thornton played 122 more snaps despite having limited value as a pass rusher. These numbers are already pretty amazing, however, Bennett managed to get 9 sacks on the season and 39 quarterback hurries. Fletcher Cox only managed to get 3 sacks and 39 quarterback hurries despite playing 291 more snaps.
The Seahawks had 7 defensive lineman play at least 488 snaps, the Eagles only had their 3 starters play at least 488 snaps. The difference in production between the two defensive lines is also extremely high. The Seahawks defensive line managed to produce 36 sacks on the season and 179 quarterback hurries. The Eagles defensive line in comparison managed to produce 13 sacks and 102 quarterback hurries. I understand that talent also plays a big factor here; the Seahawks had a much more talented defensive line than the Eagles last year. However, Vinny Curry is a perfect example of a talented player who should have played more than he did. Curry only played 322 snaps and still managed to lead the defensive line in sacks (5) and had more hurries than Thornton despite playing 417 less snaps. Simply remembering the fact that Curry was inactive for the first 2 weeks of the season still blows my mind. Curry is not actually bad against the run either, he is not as dominant as Thornton but he is certainly not bad. Curry has also gained weight in the offseason so he should be even more stout against the run next year, there is no excuses anymore for not getting Curry on the field more often.
The Eagles will also have a much more talented defensive line next year season than they did last season. Eagles defensive tackle Damion Square struggled when on the field last year and will likely be replaced. Defensive end Clifton Geathers also struggled to rush the quarterback when he was on the field. This year, the Eagles will still have Vinny Curry to rotate in but they also added two talented defensive lineman in the draft. Eagles 5th round pick, defensive end Taylor Hart is a great athlete for the Eagles defensive end position and he should see his playing time increased as the season progresses as he improves his technique. Eagles 7th round pick, Beau Allen also has a chance to replace Damion Square on the depth chart and could see some playing time next year. Last years 7th round draft pick Joe Kruger was on the injury reserve all of last season but he is a great athlete with long arms and he plays with impressive power; he has the chance to rotate in next season and rush the quarterback effectively.
The Eagles have some great athletes on their defensive lineman now and they should improve as a unit. However, they cannot make the same mistake as they did last season and they have to rotate their defensive lineman a lot better than they did last season. If players such as Vinny Curry and Taylor Hart don’t see the field much next year and the Eagles continue to struggle to rush the opposing quarterback, I will be extremely disappointed in the Eagles coaching staff.
Good article Fag and supports what some of us were saying all Off-Season that the Biggest need and impact to make this Eagle Defense better was adding Depth to it’s DL (Adding a NT and a DE) and not signing a big-name,
Over priced Safety for the back end..
It starts up front and when the Eagles play at the pace and tempo that they do,
The other Team will end up with 70-75 Plays a game also
So having versatility and depth is critical to improving the overall performance of the Eagles D
Are Taylor Hart & Beau Allen, Army Ranger Villanueva,
Travis Long & Joe Kruger along with Vince Curry the answer to step up and contribute.., I expect 2-3 of these Young Players to help make an impact along the DL which is the Key to the Eagles Defense Success
The Eagles Secondary is experienced and mostly intact
(Except for M Jenkins, N Carroll for a 2nd Year which is huge)
And the Eagles LB Corps may be the most talented they have had as a u it in 10 Years so the DL is the Key to their Success in my opinion..
Go Eagles..
Meant to Type, Good Article Dag… 🙂
No you didn’t!
Flyers Note. My goodness watching the Rangers and Kings is like watching fast break hockey. The days of the “muckers” has been over for 10 years.. If the Flyers don’t see the Hartnells of the world have no use anymore than god help them. Speed speed speed. You need skaters and speed.
QB concerns raising their ugly head? Reports are Mark Sanchez isn’t doing all that well. I know its early and hes learning but he better be able to play. The odds of any starting QB playing all 16 games is not likely. It is imperative for this team to have a viable backup or we might become GB and Rogerless. Its quite evident there is no confidence in Barkley right now and if he cant play I hope they don’t waste years of trying to develop him. With 20 million under the cap there is no excuse to not have a good backup. Hopefully Sanchez improves. Hell I liked the way Trent Edwards ran the offense in preseason.
Dag please don’t get me started on the stiffs behind Foles they could have gotten LSU kid in the round they drafted the Stanford kid who if he makes the team will only see ST duty. Sanchez and Barkley are absolute wastes of time and space.
Dirty Sanchez & Barkley suck donkey dick!!!
WHo is Brady’s backup? Who is Brees’ backup? Who is Luck’s backup? Who is Manning Is backup? Who is Rivers’ backup? Who is Rodgers’ backup? Who is WIlson’s backup? Who is Kaepernick’s backup? Who is Geno Smith’s backup?
They all suck.
There aren’t any good backup QBs in the league….there are only about 16 teams that have competent starting QBs, let alone backups.
What mystical backup QB could the Eagles have spent their QB on?
You guys mentioning out of the league Trent Edwards and some low round pick from LSU???????????????????
Look, I am no Sanchez fan, but he can come in, hand off and go 1-1…..and that’s all you can expect from a backup.
For what its worth GJ Kinne has looked really good in practices. He has been accurate, fast and really impressive so reports go. This may be Barneys 1st draft test to truly see if players make the team by there performance. If he is out playing Barkley then they must cut ties with Barkley and stop wasting there time with him.
Oh and by the way Vinnie Geno Smiths backup has won more NFL games than probably every backup QB in the NFL combined. If you forgot his name go to NFL.com/rewind and google the Washington Redskins vs Eagles games. Not saying he should be the starter but my goodness I have no problem with him being a viable hold the fort down backup.
I put that in there just to get guys like you riled up. Obviously worked.
Vick stinks.
Got who riled up? We expect dumb comments from you all the time. The kid from LSU eventually will start for the Titans, Sanchez and Barkley suck, if Foles got hurt, Chip would drive up the turnpike and personally drive Vick back to South Philly.
Chip would not drive up and get Vick….Vick was sitting right there available for Chip and CHip passed. Now Vick is looking like he’ll be Geno Smith’s backup. (pure comedy)
If Chip had wanted Vick he would have signed him.
If Chip had wanted a 6th round QB, he would have drafted one.
Sanchez stinks. He stinks like every other backup QB in the league. NO ONE has a competent backup QB. A good # of teams do not have competent starting QBs.
If you think there was someone out there the Eagles could have signed to be a backup that is better than Sanchez OR if you think this “kid from LSU” would be a better back up (this year) then you are delusional.
Still cant move on eh? Take a trip up the road and visit a jet blog or 2.
I think your delusional if you really think Chip preferred Sanchez over Vick and if you think Geno Smith is better then Vick but hey your opinions are just that. Yours.
Say it again DCar. LOL
Indeed it was a darn good article.
From the outside looking in, it doesn’t seem as though the Eagles improved enough defensively to win the NFC east and go further into the playoffs. This will be a much tougher season.
You are completely correct that we will need to see a few of these rookies on defense that we drafted step up. Specifically: Hart!
Marcus Smith – has been identified as a “project” but if he can get in there and pressure the QB this season, that would be huge.
Another thing to note: The more this offense is on the field, the better this defense will be. I do think there is an outside chance that the Offense is even better this year.
In the end, the draft will be a big factor into how well this team performs this season.
I think this Draft won’t really pay Dividends to
2015 as I don’t expect much Contributions
Their Rookie Seasons
The Key players are players like Curry,Long,Krueger
Who have been around a couple of seasons and need to really compete and contribute.. Long & Krueger were with Team all last year, got bigger & stronger and should know the System a lot better
Rookie Beau Allen will probably get the most snaps due to no depth behind Logan and Alken’s size and his game as a run-stuffer
For short-yardage/Goal line Defenses
T Hart & M Smith will probably see limited duty as it will be a learning Season for them unless there are injuries..
Big, they have all had some sort of legal problems or substance problems. I guess you could call their problems “off-field character issues”.
Irish that response was for paulmans stance on what Lurie wants, like every owner doesn’t want that.
But Lurie hold’s closer to his Values than some other Owners do..
He can afford to and it’s just the way he operates
Weren’t you screaming about the Birds needing to draft Manziel a couple weeks back.
He the kind of “winner” you want?
You enjoy watching his career flame out in Vegas before your eyes whilst our Pro-bowl QB studies his playbook, shuns all endorsements, gets his reps in and talks about how nothing he accomplished last year means anything……
Or have you begun to realize everything you say is the exact opposite of what makes a winning program?
vinnie, I like what I’m seeing, & hearing from the kid. Let’s hope it continues on the field, because we’ll have the next good-great franchise QB, in the NFL. He needs to continue to work on throwing away the ball, & taking unnecessary sacks. If he does that, he’s going to be great. His brains, decisions, accuracy, & arm strength don’t worry me.
What’s up DCar!!!!!????
Dead on Greenfan!!!
5 Reasons the Eagles would take a step back
1) If Coach Kelly is unable or unwilling to adjust Game Plan
Without the top end speed of D-Jax to “use every inch of the field”
Kelly and the Eagles Receivers will have to run shorter routes, work the middle more and Foles will need to deliver the ball quicker
2) Turnovers – The Eagles were a Plus 12 last Season and need to continue
Their win of the Turnover battles..
3) If their Special Teams don’t improve which on paper should make nice strides in both coverage units as well as the return game
4) If their Def/Line and Front 7 don’t generate more of a pass-rush
37 Sacks last year is not good enough, needs to be around that 50 figure
5) If the Eagles Secondary as a group didn’t improve which they have depth, versatility and solid tackling and now under a 2nd Season of up and coming Secondary Coach Todd Lyght…
***you can add better Time/Clock Management also for Coach Kelly ..
Pman are you talking about Reid? Where have you seen this unwillingness to make an adjustment on offense? From what I see he focuses on match ups and exploits the best match up. Reading these posts makes me think that this team finished last in 2013.
I believe that Chip Kelly and Staff & Players will overcome the items that I listed.. I expect Kelly to change up Game Plans for that’s what he’s best at and utilize and take advantage of miss-match’s.
I expect the DL and Secondary and entire Defense to Improve in Year #2 under the 3-4 and the solid Coaching..
I expect the TE’s,Sproles and the young Receivers to contribute, I expect the Special Teams to be much better..
So all in all, I expect this Team to be a “Better All-Around Team”
If these things don’t happen, then the Team will take a Step-Back
So much to comment on here but I digress, I will refrain from discussing the possible regression of this team in 2014 except to say if it happens it’s all Chip’s fault. LOL
LMAO…..Classic Biggie. Well played.
XD
Dcar I am so glad you pointed that out, I felt really stupid for not catching that myself. Damn that was bad.
Alex Henery PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE, they need to bring in some real competition for this guy. This other guys nickname may be murderleg but he isnt better than this stiff Henery.
What is it with the hard on some people seem to have about Henery? The dude set the college record for field goal accuracy (and was also a hell of a punter) and the career longest FG (57 yards) at Nebraska! Have any of you ever been to Memorial Stadium for a game – it makes the Linc llok like a high school field – his accuracy was 89% – and I will take the weather in the Northeast over Nebraska (did an educational conference at Nebraska in 2012 in November – weather sucked but fun to watch a whole town turn to football!)
translate to the pros – guess who holds the franchise record for most consecutive FGs – Henerey – 22 – he finally missed a 58 yarder – career pro percentage 86% –
funny the same crap got posted back on a posting about not bringing in competition (when they did bring in the guy from Vandy) – everyone is remembering one missed FG and a KO that didn;t go for a touchback –
But right up there with ‘injuries’ I guess the kicker having a bad year would be one reason a team ‘digresses’ –
question – does anyone know a proven veteran kicker with better accuracy and a stronger leg (or even a college kicker that was up there at almost 90% for a major Div I program) hangning out available to come to camp?
Jeff didnt I tell you that you cant post anything negative on this site. LOL. They will chew you up.
I don;t think it matters if it is postiive or negative – if it falls into one of three categories –
1) the obvious – I mean really – if a team has injuries they may suffer a worse season – really? you can almost hear the lightbulbs turning on and the elevator arriving at the top floor -like game winning field goal – time running out, in the rain, 45 yards or more….. really – maybe add snow and wind and six guys on the DL that are 6′ 11
2) subjective opinions (positive or negative) that are not supported by any facts – the NFC East – they were dogs last year, and who the heck knows what they will be this year – but really? We could list every team int he NFL as getting better…
3) implications that the eagles are different then other teams in terms of individual players getting better or worse – why should Foles regress or take a step back? He should actually be getting better – but again – adding the first two categories (the obvious – if your QB sucks you may have a bad year, combining it with the 2nd subjective (the NFC East)) somehow magically our QB is going to regress based upon what??? and then print
I submit from what I have seen on this sight had the same person wrote glowingly positve information he would have gotten just as much a ration of crap
Well said Invino…..everyone has an opinion. So comments will fly from all sides.
**NFL Rumors
Oakland Raiders to hire Chip Kelly after this Season away from the Eagles
Eagles get 2 1st Round Picks for letting Kelly out of his Contract
Eagles then go out and hire Coach Brian Kelly from Notre Dame to keep things All-Kelly & All-Irish down at NovaCare Ctr
I got them going 12-4
I’ve been reading for awhile but haven’t posted much. I like the differing opinions here that’s for sure. It would be boring otherwise.
Jeff what the frig u gonna be like the sports illistrated jinx and post negative bring down shit like this with all the other stuff out there to write about REALLY!
Jeff are u serious writing a sports illustrated jinx article like this what r u a closet cowgirl fan!
Howie and Barney hit a home run? After the draft Howie Roseman talked about how overly impressed he was with Jordan Matthews. James Franklin then came on the radio and stated that Philly would love Matthews that he is so special of a person, so driven to be the best. Now Sal Palantonio was on 97.5 and stated he just got back from LA and the Rookie Synopsis that took place. He said he spent time with Matthews and was blown away. He said Matthews was only 1 of 5 2nd round picks to be invited, the rest were 1st rounders. Sal said he owned the room, he was the most engaging, charismatic, extraordinary rookie he may have ever met. He is driven to be great. They hit a home run with this kid.
Howie and Barney hit a home run? After the draft Howie Roseman talked about how overly impressed he was with Jordan Matthews. James Franklin then came on the radio and stated that Philly would love Matthews that he is so special of a person, so driven to be the best. Now Sal Palantonio was on 97.5 and stated he just got back from LA and the Rookie Synopsis that took place. He said he spent time with Matthews and was blown away. He said Matthews was only 1 of 5 2nd round picks to be invited, the rest were 1st rounders. Sal said he owned the room, he was the most engaging, charismatic, extraordinary rookie he may have ever met. He is driven to be great. They hit a home run with this kid.
Sal Palantonio also reports that Johnny Manziel was the only rookie who came late. 2 days late Manziel decided to roll in. He also said Manziel was the only player to be accompanied by a PR guy. When he arrived 2 days late at the end of lunch he walked into the lunch room found a emoty table and sat with his back to the rest of the rookies. lol
People in this town are crazy, reading a story about Jason Peters being the most important Eagle and the first 5 comments after the story were people complaining about the writer not naming Foles the most important, now me personally would cry myself to sleep at night if Foles got hurt and we were stuck with Sanchez/Barkley but damn the Foles followers are a sensitive bunch.
Jason Peters IS the most important Eagle player. Anybody who don’t believe that should look at the players salaries.
LaSean McCoy was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2011 and 2013 – what happened in 2012 ? No Peters in 2012, plus an injury – but the big difference was Peters missing.
McCoy and Foles are important too, but they will fail without Peters.
Jeff, deleted more of my posts???? You are pathetic! Can’t take criticism, for pointing out your mistake? JOKE!!!!! I see though, that you replaced the headline, of digress, with regress? SMFH……..
LOL….he should have manned up and said thank you for pointing his error out. That would have been the proper way to acknowledge the situation as he corrected it. Hell, we all make mistakes.
MAN UP Jeff!!!
Yep that was bad just acknowledge the error and move on. I’m surprised my post wasn’t deleted.
Don’t worry Keelbreeze and Biglion, Desean recently announced that he’s ready to “turn it up” against the Eagles and they he’ll “put up what he needs to put up”
So I’m quite sure you’ll both be able to cheer for your disrespected, disparaged, and denounced hero soon enough.
Vinnie, who gives a damn about what Desean does this year? He could put up Megatron numbers and it won’t mean a thing to me. I worry more about what contributions our number 1 pick add to our anemic pass rush.
The Lurie regime has been an cutthroat organization that wants to hide behind a facade of upright ‘character’. The TO flap could have been avoided by giving him the fair contract that he deserved due to his impact on team’s offensive. Coming back from an injury, laying it all out for the team…and then told by the team basically…’screw you’ you signed the deal that’s it.
Well its not it in the NFL…signed contracts means nothing unless they are guaranteed.
Lurie’s cutthroat business approach in unethical…however, the main problem is not one of ethics…the problem is that he has not won the big one. He has won the ‘salary cap’ management award…but no Super Bowls in his tenure.
So Paulman, to cite Lurie’s ‘management’ of his business as some unapproachable rite of passage beyond critique is nonsense. Lurie should be held to account for not winning…just like we held Norman ‘the man in France’ Braham to account..
Then don’t follow the Team KB, or Songs or Biggy..
It’s Luries Team and he will run it the way he see’s fit..
It donesn’t mean I agree or disagree, and again, just keeping things real here
for the way he runs his Organization, you don’t like it, then follow the Redskins, Giants, Cowboys, 49ers or whomever you choose, but to keep expecting different off-seasons, certain player acquistion’s, big contracts is just not going to happen after the 2010/2011 Debacle of loading up on past Stars who were all duds and overpaid and not “Team first Players” set this Franchise back to where it ended up as a complete dysfunctionable Organization with Andy Reid having a lot to do with it too by the end of 2012… What happens here in 2014 & 2015 has very little to do with the past, so let it go… If they go on and Win a Super Bowl, great,
If they go on and win a could of NFC East Crowns and get beat in the Playoffs, big deal.. It’s Football and there’s always next Year which is the way Sports goes… Is your life really that impacted dramatcially either way, if it is, your not living life… Lurie or the Eagles in general don’t owe anybody anything but putting a competitive Team on the Field that has a chance of Winning, most Seasons during the Lurie era, this has held true..
This continual crap of we need a Super Bowl or Bust is a joke, immature and just plain stupid.. Enjoy the Ride and the Challenges for this is all that Sports should be… It’s about Competition and may the Best Team Win
and remember TO sold his NFCC ring (I think to pay child support but that would be a cheap shot – Iit was donated to a charity) because he was ‘upset’ when the other Eagles stated that they could win without him –
and did you really point out a game we lost as an example of how great he was?????
I have a honest question. If I didn’t read anything else about football and just visited Eagles web sites I would come away with Nick Foles as this top young stud QB{which he may be). Every other article or piece on other websites and TVs(not Philly based), mention nothng of Foles. I watch the top 100 players of 2013 and 10 QBs are ahead of Foles and the experts laughed that Foles was even on the list and ahead of Kapernick. I read articles on ESPN about the Kap deal and the up incoming QBs that will be getting paid soon. It has Luck, Wilson and Cam. The 2nd tier is Dalton and Alex Smith getting paid. Theres never no mention of Foles anywhere at anytime as this franchise QB other than in Philly. I mean they guy goes 29-2 and he gets no love anywhere. Do you think outsiders think its the system? Him having the best RB in football? He was a fluke? Seriously it baffles me that Foles gets no respect, no love(outside of Philly). I even heard on the radio on Wip Anthony Gargano and Rob Ellis agree that Foles, if he plays well next year would get around a 6 year 80 million dollar contract in there opinion. What am I missing? I then listen to them talk about what a stud Kapernick is, I listen to Mike Missinelli talk about what a stud Kapernick is. I look at ESPN, NFL.com, etc etc and read about what a young stud Kapernick is but I come to gcobb.com and Foles is great and Kapernick sucks. What am I missing? Are we that biased? Honestly.
It’s simple Dag, they don’t know what to make of him and the national media thinks the Eagles success stems from Chip Kelly’s system. That will change if he has another good year, if not then it’ll be see we told you so. And as for 6 years 80 million? That would be insulting if he continues the success from last year.
I’ve been an Eagles fan for over 2 decades and finally is seeing what all the outside fans have been saying.
This fan base is actually fine with being losers and convinced themselves they have something to be proud of.
I just looked at the top 100 ranking and seen “Burfict” at number 52, yet the fans here wanted to congratulate Foles for being 70.
Djax is also ahead of Foles by the way.
All the apologists who are happy with Djax being gone, also claimed Burfict would be nothing or out of the league altogether…..Remember Paulman?
This fan base just buy into the propaganda of the organization and look at the league through “Rosie” colored glasses and it’s a shame.
This organization will not change until the fan base actually hold them to task by not supporting them until they actually does what it takes to win.
Would I like the Eagles to win? Yes!
But I’ve been around long enough to know when an organization does the bare minimum which takes care of their bottom line and unfortunately the Eagles fall into that category.
They refuse to do the obvious when it counts, and only admit their wrong when it’s too late to do anything about it.
A never ending cycle and I firmly believe the Cowboys will one day build from nothing to only win it all again before we get another chance to.
Now, that’s pathetic.
Who Care’s Song’s about a Top 100 list as if it means a damn thing ..
You don’t deserve shit from the Eagles since your a Bandwagon Fan to begin with…
address the points. I’m not budging. Did not you say Burfict was not worth even a 3rd rounder?
Yet he’s a better football player than the 3rd rounder Foles, guys like you are claiming we should feel good about.
The reciever position is now downgraded and we are supposed to believe the Eagles are a better team because of it.
How many years are you guys going to buy into these actions by the Eagles, while teams like Seattle and others come from no where in short time only to win it all?
Do you think Seattle would have let Djax walk without getting anything in return?
Good organizations just don’t do things like that.
Maybe the 49ers will let Vernon Davis walk and get nothing in return.
You think that will happen?
Whoever thnk Chip Kelly will win because of sports science is out of their damn minds!
Talent wins!
period!
Choir boys work for Choirs.
We need ass kicking mercenaries for football.
Give me an ass kicking maniac over character anyday.
Can someon say “Lawrence Taylor”?
How was his Character?
The fact is you claim to be a 20 year Eagles fan but we all know that the FACT is you renounced your being an Eagles fan and declared your man-love for RGIII. Don’t try and come on here and think that any of us who were around would forget. You are a TROLL, a FRAUD and most of all a LOSER.
The fact that you also had a crush on Burflict is more than annoying. All 31 other teams took a pass on Burflict also….the man was not drafted in case you don’t remember…….even your beloved Redskins missed that one.
Why is it that you only label the Eagles as having made a mistake for not picking him?????
Homophobic loser. Go vaccinate your kids, because your act has gone stale around here.
Well, I pointed out the Eagles because at that time our linebackers sucked ass!
All of the linebackers were shit and Burfict was sitting there for almost nothing, yet the team that needed hin more than any other tean acted as if they were just fine. That’s a direct answer. Learn how to do the same.
Why do Eagles fans act as if the Eagles know more than any other organization?
Can you answer that?
We told the Eagles along with Owner Lurie to wait until your gone and passed, then they can try to Win a Super Bowl…
So far the Master Plan is working..
You are a Fraud. You are a self-described Redskins fan. You like to TROLL this site and try and start trouble by saying stupid shit.
Speaking of “Rosie”….is that what you call your right hand when you are jerking off to your RGIII poster? Go away you loser, play with your Hog friends.
Heres a good article I found on the Eagles DLine for this slow Saturday
The Philadelphia Eagles simply did not rotate players on their defensive line enough last season. However, I cannot criticize the Eagles too much as the depth at defensive end and defensive tackle was weak with the exception of defensive end Vinny Curry. Due to the lack of depth and lack of the rotation, the Eagles defensive line did not rush the quarterback particularly well. I have to credit the defensive line, especially Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton, for being very good against the run. I have no fears about the Eagles run defense next season; outside linebackers Connor Barwin and Trent Cole both excel at setting the edge and the secondary is solid against the run as a group. The Eagles must however improve their pass rush and it all starts in the trenches. A fit and raring to go defensive lineman will always perform better than a fatigued defensive lineman towards the end of a game. This of course means the Eagles must rotate players a lot more next season to keep their defensive line energized.
The Seattle Seahawks rotate their defensive lineman to perfection and generate an extremely impressive pass rush because of it. For the use of this article, I will use Pro Football Focus to compare playing time between the Seahawks and the Eagles. The Eagles defense were on the field for about 100 snaps more than the Seahawks; which is something to keep in mind when looking at the stats. The teams obviously do not play identical schemes either but comparing playing time is still useful.
Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox was on the field for 908 snaps last season and Cedric Thornton was on the field for 739 despite Thornton struggling to rush the quarterback. No other Eagle defensive lineman came close to these numbers, defensive tackle Bennie Logan only played 488 snaps because he didn’t start the season. In comparison with the Seahawks, Michael Bennett was on the field for the highest amount of snaps out of any Seahawks defensive lineman. Bennett still only played 617 snaps despite being extremely impressive at both rushing the quarterback and stopping the run. This means that Fletcher Cox played an unbelievable 291 more snaps than Bennett, even Thornton played 122 more snaps despite having limited value as a pass rusher. These numbers are already pretty amazing, however, Bennett managed to get 9 sacks on the season and 39 quarterback hurries. Fletcher Cox only managed to get 3 sacks and 39 quarterback hurries despite playing 291 more snaps.
The Seahawks had 7 defensive lineman play at least 488 snaps, the Eagles only had their 3 starters play at least 488 snaps. The difference in production between the two defensive lines is also extremely high. The Seahawks defensive line managed to produce 36 sacks on the season and 179 quarterback hurries. The Eagles defensive line in comparison managed to produce 13 sacks and 102 quarterback hurries. I understand that talent also plays a big factor here; the Seahawks had a much more talented defensive line than the Eagles last year. However, Vinny Curry is a perfect example of a talented player who should have played more than he did. Curry only played 322 snaps and still managed to lead the defensive line in sacks (5) and had more hurries than Thornton despite playing 417 less snaps. Simply remembering the fact that Curry was inactive for the first 2 weeks of the season still blows my mind. Curry is not actually bad against the run either, he is not as dominant as Thornton but he is certainly not bad. Curry has also gained weight in the offseason so he should be even more stout against the run next year, there is no excuses anymore for not getting Curry on the field more often.
The Eagles will also have a much more talented defensive line next year season than they did last season. Eagles defensive tackle Damion Square struggled when on the field last year and will likely be replaced. Defensive end Clifton Geathers also struggled to rush the quarterback when he was on the field. This year, the Eagles will still have Vinny Curry to rotate in but they also added two talented defensive lineman in the draft. Eagles 5th round pick, defensive end Taylor Hart is a great athlete for the Eagles defensive end position and he should see his playing time increased as the season progresses as he improves his technique. Eagles 7th round pick, Beau Allen also has a chance to replace Damion Square on the depth chart and could see some playing time next year. Last years 7th round draft pick Joe Kruger was on the injury reserve all of last season but he is a great athlete with long arms and he plays with impressive power; he has the chance to rotate in next season and rush the quarterback effectively.
The Eagles have some great athletes on their defensive lineman now and they should improve as a unit. However, they cannot make the same mistake as they did last season and they have to rotate their defensive lineman a lot better than they did last season. If players such as Vinny Curry and Taylor Hart don’t see the field much next year and the Eagles continue to struggle to rush the opposing quarterback, I will be extremely disappointed in the Eagles coaching staff.
Stop with the exclamation points and all caps
Make your point and move on
You come across as a female
And dawn it no more smileys
STFU jake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mind your own business, you drunken racist!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XD XD XD XD XD XD XD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flyers Note. My goodness watching the Rangers and Kings is like watching fast break hockey. The days of the “muckers” has been over for 10 years.. If the Flyers don’t see the Hartnells of the world have no use anymore than god help them. Speed speed speed. You need skaters and speed.
I see Lane Johnson isn’t the brightest bulb in the pack. Tweets a picture of the meal he paid for then gets mad when people talk about it. What a idiot this guy is.
****Paulman Trade Rumor*****
Eagles Trade OT Lane Johnson to the Houston Texans for QB Casey Keenum who Chip Kelly loves and the Texans 3rd Round Pick in 2015 Draft
LOL, Jason Kelce told him not to do it!!!!! What a goof ball.
Been a while since ive been able to get on here, a few thoughts….
1) The O is still rock solid and will be one of the top O’s in the league- something they have been for many years. Adding Sproles is a big one and lets hope the 2 rook WR’s can really add something. I think they can.
2) The D is still a work in progress. Carroll should be able to grab the starting spot from one of the 2 starters… honestly… they are all ok. all are “fine: but nothing to write home about.
3) We have 1 kinda Safety. Still a huge concern and going into yet another year where there is really no starters there…. perhaps new guy… but.. meh… we shall see what Jenkens can do I guess.
4) The DL should be better if Bennie is indeed stronger up the middle. We still have no idea what kinda size they really want at that spot because of the hybrid style they run. Cox need to take control and be the kinda monster we heard all about.
5) The LB’s are fast..yet small. Im not sure we are set there but again.. we shall see.
6) The coaching is top notch- I get the kind of culture they want to build here and I like it. True competition (best players play) and some solid depth in SOME spots.
Overall- this team should own the NFCE and will make the playoffs again. In the long run… the D is still missing 2-3 starting pieces and will need a few serious breaks to make some noise.
WHo is Brady’s backup? Who is Brees’ backup? Who is Luck’s backup? Who is Manning Is backup? Who is Rivers’ backup? Who is Rodgers’ backup? Who is WIlson’s backup? Who is Kaepernick’s backup? Who is Geno Smith’s backup?
They all suck.
There aren’t any good backup QBs in the league….there are only about 16 teams that have competent starting QBs, let alone backups.
What mystical backup QB could the Eagles have spent their QB on?
You guys mentioning out of the league Trent Edwards and some low round pick from LSU???????????????????
Look, I am no Sanchez fan, but he can come in, hand off and go 1-1…..and that’s all you can expect from a backup.
Who is Brady’s backup? Who is Brees’ backup? Who is Luck’s backup? Who is Manning Is backup? Who is Rivers’ backup? Who is Rodgers’ backup? Who is WIlson’s backup? Who is Kaepernick’s backup? Who is Geno Smith’s backup?
They all suck.
There aren’t any good backup QBs in the league….there are only about 16 teams that have competent starting QBs, let alone backups.
What mystical backup QB could the Eagles have spent their QB on?
You guys mentioning out of the league Trent Edwards and some low round pick from LSU???????????????????
Look, I am no Sanchez fan, but he can come in, hand off and go 1-1…..and that’s all you can expect from a backup.
Kinnie will win the 3rd String QB Position
Barkley gets traded for a future 6th/7th around
Pick to Chargers or Dolphins