There’s a NFL executive who feels Eagles fans have no reason to be getting all hyped up about quarterback Sam Bradford and he makes a good point. It’s 2015 and people are still talking about the potential of Bradford, who was the first pick in the draft in 2010.
He has had the opportunity play in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, but has never distinguished himself as a quarterback. I know he has been hurt, but when he has played, he hasn’t done anything to make NFL fans stand up and take notice. He’s had five years to achieve something in the NFL.
According to NJ.com’s Mark Eckel, a NFL executive called out Bradford for his lack of production.
“I understand they gave up on Foles,” the executive said according to Eckel. “But I don’t know why they’re building up Bradford so much. I’m still confused about that whole deal. You can only talk about him being the first pick of the draft (in 2010) for so long. What has he done since then?”
There’s no question that the clock is running out on Bradford. He’s got to step up now and get it done. The NFL executive which Eckel talked to, hit the hammer on the head, when he talked about the offensive genius reputation of Chip Kelly helping Bradford.
“If Bradford had gone anywhere else you wouldn’t even be talking about him. He’s been hurt the past two years and even when he was healthy, he was just average. But he’s with Chip Kelly, so there’s hope I guess. Chip Kelly is the one guy who can make Bradford a success.”
I think the NFL executive makes a good point. If it weren’t for Chip Kelly’s reputation, nobody would be hyped up about a guy who was drafted five years ago and has never done anything yet in the NFL.
Let me take you to a game situation to see how much confidence you have in Bradford. Let’s say the Eagles have the football and are trailing by four points to the Carolina Panthers with one minute and thirty seconds to go in the game. They’re down in Charlotte, trying to take the football down the field for a score against one of the best defenses in the NFL.
The Birds offense is backed up on their own 18 yard line and it’s third down and 15. Do you have confidence that Bradford can get the job done.
These are the situations when Bradford must step forward to earn his $13 million dollars a year. Will he be able to stand firm in the pocket, hold the football with pressure on him, then deliver the football downfield? Former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Kurt Warner, who lives in St. Louis and has been supportive up Bradford, talked about how the young quarterback has to regain his confidence in his playmaking ability. He would know better than anybody and he’s the only one who has talked about Bradford needing to rebuild his confidence in his own ability.
Bradford has been accused of being a “check down Charlie”, who won’t throw the ball downfield.
Can Bradford lead this team to the playoffs by bringing the back late in games? He’s probably going to have a strong running game to help him, as well as a great game plan from Chip Kelly, but can he finally live up to the potential and the hype.
I don’t believe in any of the hype about Bradford and question his mental toughness to be a true leader in a very demanding Football Market…
He has a Great Arm, but that means little to me in the big picture of things..
This trade will mark the beginning of downfall of Chip Kelly and really expose’s his lack of GM/Roster Management Ability of the NFL Game…
Kelly will go into Year #4 with no true #1 QB and no 2nd Round Pick which will be around the 45th Pick that he gave away withNick Foles for Bradford which was just a stupid trade …At least Foles could make some Plays down the Field and has Heart & Toughness and Cost $1.5 Millionversus Bradford’s $13 Million which could have meant another OL or Safety brought induring Free-Agency
I would have rather seen Nick Foles play in Philly in 2015…
Could not agree more. Perfectly stated!
Saved money to get another mediocore/avg FA OL or Safety
so that everyone could complain wasn’t worth the price and that the GM is in over his head and doesn’t know what he’s doing..
Bradford has the ability to be a true #1, but of course Paulman may be right and he physically may not make it back. As for Mark Eckel, I can’t take any thing he writes seriously. The guy is a fraud (too many un named sources and rumors that NEVER come to pass). For all we know, his NFL executive may be his maid.
There’s no delusion Pman ,however the gloom and doom ,is more a condemnation of Chips vision as he alone ,set up this demolition and resurrection.Sam Bradford may not have a racing form past performance to get stoked about ,however ,chip ,believes in his OC coordinator ,and respected his opinions enough to pursue this path..Let’s allow them both to take there first steps before we assume you know more about three visions ,than you ..I’m hopeful ,that “health” is the only albatross ..I’m not drinking any green kool aid ,but I’m not with weeks ahead ,gulping down a poison pill..either ..let the process play itself out ..
The entire Acquisition and Resurrection of an Under-Achiever when he was Healthy with History of Injuries is just stupid.. The Risk here outweighs the Reward in my opinion based on having somewhat of a ‘known entity” in Nick Foles, who did lead the Team to a Surprising NFC East Crown and to the Post-Season in 2013.. Was Foles Maxed out, perhaps, but Bradford has never lived up to his #1 Overall Draft Status in 5 Years with the Rams even when he was healthy… I hope I am wrong, but I have never seen anything in Bradfords Play since he’s arrived in the NFL in 2010 that exudes Confidence,Leadership or the feeling of , “Hey, this Guy is going to be an Elite QB” Hell, he’s never had a Winning Record ..
My main concern about Bradford is his health history, however, when reading Kurt Warner’s critique of Bradford, which he called Bradford Check Down Charlie and how he played skittish, that does not inspire a lot of confidence in me. Once the games are real, will Bradford have the confidence in himself to stand in the pocket, let the plays form, and deliver the ball down field…and please do not reply with that is not what Chip wants to do. To loosen defenses up you must throw down field, if you don’t, you get results like the Seahawk and 49ers game.
EHL I’m not defending the move(s) by chip ,however his OC,Shurmur sold the organization ,on his vision of his hands on Bradford,history ,and must believe with conviction that he believes in this guy .Lets not evaluate his check down Charlie past ,as we already understand ,weapons matter ..the glass is half full for a lot of guys ,shurmur ,bill Davis ,bradford ,perhaps Sanchez ,and of course the guy with a bulls eye on his back ,chip ..you’d assume they’d all have skin in the game ,so let’s see if the devil is in the details .I,like,that they are gambling ,I just hope as we all do ,they don’t crap out ..
Desert…I understand where you are coming from, however, we have no choice but to look at Bradford’s past to give us an understanding as to who he is, thus far, I am not impressed with Bradford’s body of work, even when healthy. Once the season starts I am all in, during the offseason is when I scrutinize and look at things objectively.
Final thought Pman ..hope you’ll agree ..If this system can make mark Sanchez career numbers elevate themselves, when contrasted to his former stats in chips system vs under Rex Ryan ,imagine what a former number one over all pick can do ..under spagunola and Jeff Fischer …one now a defensive coordinator and the other a know QB killer …that’s the gamble .wether ,health ,allows for it to play out is the 600 pound elephant in the room.This can obviously be fools gold ,or a QB that remains a franchise fixture in the distant future ..If there conviction was over the top ,you’d have to wonder why they are kicking the tires before restructuring a deal..that’s the “health” risks at play ,I’d assume
Every QB that has played for the Eagles the last 15 Years has played in a QB-Friendly System so yes, Bradford has the possibility to put up good Numbers, but the key is he effective against the better Teams on their Schedule
Is he physically and mentally tough enough to play in colder, harsher conditions come December and Win meaningful Games for he has no past track record of doing so… I am hoping he plays Great so the Eagles have Success, but when I look at it objectively, Sam Bradford is not an upgrade and actually has more ? than what Nick Foles did in my opinion…
There is no Reason for the Eagles to offer an extension just like their is no reason for Bradford and his Camp to seek one out, both sides will play this out as a 1 Year Trial and see how it works out.. If Bradford Plays very weel, he can write his own ticket for a Big Contract in a limited QB Market
If he doesn’t pan out, than the Eagles are only out a 2nd Round Draft Pick in 2016 Draft and the $13 Million Salary in 2015 that could have been better utilized to other areas of the Team so basically a 1 Year Tryout for both sides
If Bradford plays average to poor or gets injured, he’s Career as a Potential # 1 QB is over and he will be relegated as a Back-Up QB moving Forward
5-6 Years in the NFL is more than long enough to prove you are either a #1 Starter or that your not and so far, Bradford has done very little during his 5 Year Career ..
Bradford will never be a back up QB. He already came close to retiring last year. If he gets hurt again that is exactly what he will do. He will not play great this year so he will not be able to write his own check. I think he would likely be in the middle of the pack. He would get a Vick type team friendly deal.
You can look at Bradford two ways. First, optimistically, he did set rookie records and win ROY in 2010. He had a QB rating over 90 (good for 11th) in 2013 before he was injured. This was despite being sacked 15 times in seven games. His supporting cast has been epically bad. I mean BAD! His O lines sucked ass. His receivers made Thrash and Pinkston look pretty good. On the pessimistic side you can say perhaps all that ass whipping he took gave him David Carr syndrome and he will never have the mental toughness to be a championship contending QB. You could say that most number one picks go to lousy teams and they make the players around them better. Bradford has not. But I would need an example of that and I can’t think of one. Peyton and Luck both had HOF receivers from the very start. Bradford had absolute garbage with terrible protection and lousy head coaches. Speaking of which. Given Shurmnur’s track record, I would not have listened to him vouch for anyone. Myself, I really thought Bradford would retire after last year and did not give him much thought. I also am not in the camp that sees Chip as an offensive genius. I don’t think he is anymore an offensive genius than Andy Reid. I do not see any Walsh like revelations before my eyes. Offensive geniuses don’t really suck in the RZ like that either. I think that if Bradford is healthy, he could be a top 15 QB. If he can get his confidence back this year and stay healthy, his ceiling is top ten. He will never be elite and as a top pick that makes him a bust. But we wouldn’t win a SB with Aaron Rodgers as long as this defense continues to suck the way they have. IMO if the defense doesn’t get to the middle of the pack (and the pass defense out of the bottom ten), Davis must be fired after this year. I think you could win a SB with Bradford. But I don’t think he can take you to the SB. We have to run and play defense and let Bradford “manage” the offense.
Anyone who thinks my Aaron Rodgers comment is crazy. How many SBs has he won since 2010? Why, because their defense has been pretty pedestrian and gets hammered in playoff games. Why did Brady take ten years to win another SB despite his surgical excellence? Because he had a sieve for a secondary ever since the days of Ty Law and Lawyer Malloy. And AquibTalib was always hurt down the stretch in recent history.
Early 2015-2016 Super Bowl Prediction
GB Packers over the Indianapolis Colts
That’s a good pick. Broncos and Pats are not that strong this year and I don’t think Pitt has a coach that can win with his own players. Regarding Seattle. The last team to return to the SB after losing is the 1993 Bills. So its either GB or (barf!!) Dallas. I don’t buy the Cards and Carson Palmer and the Eagles would need a perfect storm to win the East and get a bye. I don’t see the Eagles ever winning a SB without a first round bye. They will have to have everything go well (health wise), play at home and not have any excellent teams to contend with. It will have to be a 1972/ 1986/ 2000/ 2005 kind of year where there are no other great teams in the league.
In the NFC,
West –
Seattle takes a Step Back but still the class of the West but they have lots of Contract Issues (RW, Bennett, Wagner), lost a lot of Coach’s and may not have that dominating Defense they once had.. The 49ers are Rebuilding, Arizona faces the reality of having a 35-36 Year old Carson Palmer on his last leg, they have no real back-up QB’s, have a New Staff on Defense, and the loss of leaders on Defense with Darnell Dockett and Nate Washington
The Rams will improve and contend for a Playoff Wild-Card Spot but have a Brutal opening 5 Weeks to the 2015 Season but have a Top #3 Defense in all the NFL with a young exciting Offense led by RB Todd Gurley, Tre Mason, B Cunningham and young WR’s in K Britt, B Quick, S Bailey and T Austin and new QB Nick Foles
South –
The Panthers are poised to Win 10-11 Games in a wide open South Division
They Finished last Season on a Roll in which they had 2 Rookie Guards and 1 Rookie RT All Starting as well as 1 Rookie WR and 2 Rookies in the Secondary..
These Guys all come back and the Secondary added Veteran CB’s Chris Tillman,Chris Houston and Safety Kurt Coleman to give them experience, competition and solid Back-ups or Starters if needed
At OT, they added Michael Oher and Jonathon Martin and Drafted Darryl Williams and get back 2 Starters from 2013 who missed most of 2014 with Injuries
At WR – they added Big Target Devin Funchess at 6-5 240lbs in the Draft , Siged Free-Agents Jarrett Boykin from Packers and Ted Ginn Jr from Arizona who played well for them in 2013 to go along with Kelvin Benjamin, Jericho Crotchery and Philly Brown, but a real sleeper is former NY Jet Stephen Hill who everyone says looks great.. The Panthers picked him up off Waiver last Season when the Jets cut the former 1st Round Pick
at RB, Panthers got younger and quicker with Drafting Cameron Artis-Payne from Auburn who led the SEC in Rushing Average per Carry to go along with Starter Jonathon Stewart, FB Mike Tolbert and signed Free-Agent J Todman who played for Jaguars..
If QB Cam Newton takes the next Step up in his development, then I expect the Panthers to be a Playoff Team in 2015 as their Defensive Front 7 is excellent and have an improved Secondary..
Saints have lost some Offensive Firepower with the trade of All-World TE Jimmy Graham, WR K Stills but did add some physical OL in Draft Pick Austin Peat and Center Max Unger and Resigned RB M Ingram and then Signed the wildly talented but inconsistent CJ Spiller who HC S Payton will take advantage of having and play that role that Darren Sproles used to supply for them..
They will have some new faces on Defenses CB’s Brandon Browner, OLB A Spencer plus get Safety Jarius Byrd back after his injured Season
with 2nd Round Pick Stephone Anthony who will be a star in the NFL
TB Bucs can only go up but have some impressive young Talent on both sides of the Ball… A new face and QV in J Winston, big WR’s in V Jackson, M Evans, TE Jenkins to go with a young OL to build around plus a healthy RB D Martin, Defensively the Bucs have to really step up in Year #2 of Lovie Smith’s Schemes and it starts up front with DT G McCoy who is a great player but needs help fro DE’s George Johnson and Jaquies Smith
Lovie Smith’s Cover 2 Scheme is all about getting pressure on teh QB with the front 4 which he used to be able to do with his Bears Teams, but not so much last year for the Bucs whose Secondary was almost as bad as the Eagles were last year
By the way, in regard to that second round pick. Once we have to use our first round pick on a safety, we will have to pray (AGAIN!!) that there some O linemen still there when we pick in the third round. I still cannot understand Hicks with Marpet still out there. The only thing I can think of is that Chip interviewed this kid and sees Demeco the second when he sat down with him and has high hopes for his future as the captain of this defense in two years.
Not to be an ass, but LB Jordan Hicks was Selected in the 3rd Round at #84
Guard Ali Marpet was taken late in the 2nd ROund at #61 by the Tampa Bay Bucs
I see Eagles going OL with their 1st Round Pick (15th-20th Range)
and probably going after OT Taylor Decker of Ohio State, Center/Guard Max Tuerk of USC, OT Jack Conklin of Mich State…
2016 NFL Draft on Paper, is not a very Deep one at OL
Chip has to improve his GM Roster Management/Draft Strategy big time..
If he is not going to Re-Sign LB M Kendricks then this was the Off-Season to Trade him to get Value in Return before he walks after this Season as a Free-Agent.. Chip already acquired Kiko Alonso in the McCoy Deal,
so if Kendricks is not part of the Future, then Trade him while you can get some return on him, same with Boykin..
Remember in the Foles Deal that Kelly sent the Rams the Eagles 2014 4th Round in exchange for the Rams 2015 5th Rounder so the Eagles lost another 1/2 to 3/4 Round worth of Prospects off the Board..
Then Trading the 2nd Eagles 4th Round Pick #113th (that they had from Buffalo) to the Lions for next Years 3rd Round Pick didn’t make much sense to me either and was more of trying to make up for the loss of next years 2nd Round Pick in the Bradford Deal..
Do Note that the Lions will likely Win 10 Games and be Selecting 20th-23th so their 3rd Round Pick in 2016 will be around the next 90th Slot
Meanwhile Eagles lose their 2nd Round pick which will be in that 45th Range..
Come 2016 Draft
1st Round (15th-20th Range)
No 2nd Round Pick lost to Rams in Bradford Deal
3rd Round (80-85th Range)
3rd Round from Detroit (90th-94th Range)
Not the Way you Rebuild your Team..
I stand corrected. But there were linemen on the board that made a lot more sense than Hicks. He must really see something in this kid. His problem with roster management/GM is his problem in life. He is not patient. GM is gamesmanship and he just doesn’t have time for it. He shows his hand right away.
He needs a Draft Junkie/Guru working for him behind the scenes to help him with Draft Strategies, Value, Strength of Class,etc,etc .. Maybe this Ed Marynowitz is that guy, I am not sure.. but having a Veteran Front Office person who Savy, has the Relationship Skills to deal with other Clubs is paramount for long term Roster Management Success and like you said, is probably not one of Kelly’s real strengths but does not be addressed.. Kelly cannot do all this by himself
His drafting has been pretty mediocre. He will need to be better to ever win a title. No one really talks about it because he is a RT, but Lane Johnson looks a lot more like Todd Herremans (so far) than Jason Peters. That would make him quite a bust for a number four pick. And his day three picks have been dreadful. SB teams pick guys like Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor on day three. Even Andy came up wih Trent Cole and Jason Kelce among others.
My Wish List of O/Lineman taken over LB Jordan Hicks with that 84th Pick in the 3rd Round
1) OT Chaz Green (Florida 6-5 315lbs) – Could be a Guard for a Season or Two then shift to RT when Lane Johnson Shifts to LT once Peters is Finished playing) Green went #91 to the Cowboys
2) OT Darryl Williams (Oklahoma 6-5 325lbs) – Could have played inside at Guard for a Year or two then compete at LT or RT .. Panthers traded up to #102 to select Williams
3) OT TJ Clemmings (Pitt 6-5 310lbs) – Many projected as a late 1st/early 2nd Round before he injured his Foot during Senior Week, even if he has surgery and sits out 2015 Season, could be a solid OT for the next 10 Years in the NFl which is well worth it.. The Steal of the Draft by the Vikings at #110
4) Guard – Gabe Jackson (Fla State 6-4 330lbs) Possibly a Day 1 Starter for the Eagles at RG to replace Herremans.. A Big, Athletic OL with good feet and a nasty streak to his play.. Patriots got a good one at #111
5) Center/Guard – Shaquille Mason (Georgia Tech 6-2 305lbs) Versatile, 3 Year Starter for the heavy rushing program of Ga Tech who lead the Nation almost every year in Rushing Offense.. Can play Center/Guard, would need to improve his Pass-Protection Skils but a real stud in the Running game and a potential replacement for Kelce at Center if he gets injured
Patriots with another excellent Pick at #131
The Eagles couldn’t have gone wrong with any of these 5 Players over LB J Hicks…. The 3 OT’s would likely be for another Year down the Road but should end up being long-time Starters at OT in the NFL
Gabe Jackson would be a Day 1 Starter at RG and Center/Guard Mason probably would compete at Guard and be a great Back-up for Kelce
Just my Two Cents Worth in the middle of July ..
I agree whole heartedly. J Hicks made no sense given the depth at the position already on the roster.
Maybe im crazy (ok I know I am) but I have not heard the eagles “hype” him at all. Didn’t they publicly say that he would have to compete AND WIN to earn the starting job?
Whats clear is that they didnt think “9” was the guy… and so they moved on from him. Finding a franchise qb is the hardest thing to do… possibly in all of sports. Whats clear is that the eagles felt that “7” was better then “9”… thats it!
I have no idea if Bradford will shine….. I believe he can. But…. I wonder if it would save time to just write the word “qb” atop of a page and let people load up the comment section.
Typical Pman- Sky is falling.
Please…. go back to Paulman’s famous trade alerts. or…. own your comments fully so when he plays well… you just have to eat crow.
Bradford is probably not the answer. But I doubt Mariota was either. Unfortunately there is not always a good QB in every draft and this team has only sucked really bad twice in my 35 years as a fan. Once, we had no QBs in that draft and selected L Johnson. The other time, they added an expansion team and we had to settle for McNabb. I still think Couch would have been better (with Andy as his coach) than McNabb. Just a theory that can never be proven. But I do have a buddy (who is very knowledgeable about football) who is not an Eagle fan and a big McNabb fan that thinks the Eagles would have won a SB if they got that first pick and not the consolation prize. And I don’t think there would have been a retarded Ricky Waters rally either.
No Sky is Falling Stevo, but the Eagles took a good step back this Off-Season going into the 2015 Season… I expect them to be simply average but exciting to watch with about 8 Wins, maybe 9 if they get some bounces and breaks
They will be a much better Team down the stretch then they start out with in September but too late to make the Post-Season..
The Cowboys have taken a slight-step back also, but the Giants and Redskins have improved as has the entire AFC East (Bills,Patriots and Jets)
The Eagles also play at an Improved Carolina and Detroit and get the improved Saints coming to Philly as well the Cardinals who always plays well versus the Eagles..
The Eagles of 2015 could very well be a Better Team than the 2014 but may not have the WL Record to reflect their overall improvement..
Chip could not do what he wanted to do in 2013 without losing the locker room. He also had to make an impression on the FO before getting enough power. So he rolled with what he had and did well enough to seize power. Now he has to do what he couldn’t do in 2013, rebuild the team he envisions. So this will be a step back season. They could be very good next year if Bradford can get healthy and stay healthy and the defense develops. They will need some immediate help in FA on the O line as well. With Romo, Manning and Brees on their last legs, Seattle continuing to wither by atrition and GB with a SB hangover, the Eagles could be primed for SB 51.
You can not make the overhaul moves Kelly made and call it a step back season. These moves must yield immediate results. It is year 3 in the Kelly era, no one wants to see another year of regression. A playoff victory is needed.
“no one wants to see another year of regression”
8-8
4-12
10-6
10-6
You guys kill me with this. The guy was given no qb…. no D whatsoever…. and he is expected to win playoff games in his second year or he is “regressing”.
I didnt even want him here ant yet… even I know it takes time to reshape an entire team. We are in year 3…. yes… he has to get to and win in the playoffs this year or its a step back. No doubt. But lets not pretend he has been killing this team and running it into the ground.
Stevo, I don’t care about none of that. Kelly is the genius, his culture is now fully implemented and he has his guys. A playoff win…no regression!
Ok… its on record…Pman says…. Kelly took a “step back” and “This trade will mark the beginning of downfall of Chip Kelly and really expose’s his lack of GM/Roster Management Ability of the NFL Game…”
I say….. no major change in QB play or… it gets better than the 2014-15 season. Our run game is better, our secondary is better (but not great) and the eagles will win 9-11 games this year.
Why do I say this? Because outside of losing JMak… i believe we are a better team this year. That said….. we have to actually play the games and talk is cheap this time of year.
I just want to mark it because Pman will flip come 3rd week of camp/preseason.
OL is Weaker, therefore the Running Game is a ?
QB is a ?, Where will be Big Plays down the Field come from with
no McCoy, Maclin or Foles ?
Defensively they should definitely be better but it will still take a good 5-6-7 Weeks to help this New Secondary to start jelling together
Front 7 Has to not only be good out of the gate, they will have to dominate and i’m not sure they have the horses up front to dominate anyone…
Special Teams will be great and probably earn a W early on versus one of the tough Defensive Teams they face like the Bills or Jets where the Eagles Offense is going to struggle scoring points..
Year 1 2013 – 10-6
Year 2 2014 – 10-6
Year 3 2015 – 8-8
I would call 2015 a “Set-Back”, wouldn’t you ?
2015 hasn’t happened how can u call it a set back? That’s the view from the short bus boys and girls…
Pman… No.. I wouldn’t call the OL weaker. I am surprised to hear you call it weaker… U have been calling for Herm to be gone for 5 str8 years. Lj started the season suspended. I don’t know it will be better but I’m not sure it’s worse. And… Shady.. I loved his game but we all called it last year that he danced too much. It is what it is. For this style.. Our corps is better. I bet much better. Qb question marks… I mean… Did you watch the games last year? Foles clearly struggled. Is Bradford worse? Idk… Both are injury prone.
Fraud man and some of the others live in a vacuum and don’t understand the league as a whole . They just look at the birds , the number if wins and from their EZ chair proclaim failure. They forget the birds were 12-20 before LLCB got here… Regression? Fuck u.!
That said I was told when I was backing foles that regression wasn’t allowed
The 12-20 Record from 3 & 4 Years ago under another Head Coach & Staff mean absolutely zilch in 2015 .. How many Players/Starters even remain from that 2012 Squad? 10-12 Players at most, that’s Less than 25% ?
Bottom Line for Chip Kelly and the 2015 Eagles is anything less than making the Playoffs in Year 3 of Chip Kelly is a “Step-Back”
Don’t short change it P man, it has been said that he falls short of anything other than a playoff win. You guys kill me, you cry and cry about how a team needs to draft well in order to be successful, but then you only give him one draft maybe two to get there. He is supposed to not overpay for veteran players but yet not supposed to waste draft picks on wide receivers and corners either. He is supposed to replace old right guards, but not over pay to replace them either.
It’s hard to Draft when you trade away Picks in the Top # 150
Eagles went in with 8 Picks last Draft and ended up with 6 Selections
3 of which, were # 191 and later which is not how you rebuild..
There were 3-4 Players who probably are gone after 2015 Season that could have been used in trades to move up or to obtain additional picks…
If Kendrick’s, Boykin, & Curry are not resigned after 2015, then they should have been moved for Value this off-season just like Mathis should have been instead of simply letting the walk away..
The Eagles lose 2 Starting Guards, and don’t Draft or sign a Starter type to replace and you say their OL is the Same or Better?
That makes no sense..we are talking about the using the same players who failed time and time again to punch it in from 1 yard line last year vs Cardinals & 49ers on 7 or 8 occasions (Barbre, Tobin,Gardner & Molk ) are now going to be competing for Starters time … No Thanx
Wait… Now he is supposed to trade away players that will help us this year to stock pile for next year… While he HAS to win this year or Pman would boot his can for not winning a playoff game?… Pman.. You should have been a politician.
No Stevo, he could have Traded Kendrick’s/Boykin this Draft and gotten additional Picks this year..
He extended DeMeco Ryan’s thru 2016 Season, Acquired Kiko Alonso who still has 2 Seasons on his Rookie Deal and used the 84th Pick to Draft LB Hicks
Where does Kendrick’s fit it after 2015 (his final year of his Rookie Deal)
He will bolt via Free-Agency and the Eagles get zippo in return for what is a rebuilding season…’
A similar situation for Boykin who is also in his final Year of his Rookie a Deal and very likely to move over via Free-Agency.. Kelly brought in Maxwell, Thurmond and then Drafted 3 CB’s (Rowe,Shepard & Evans) so again, Boykin will play and contribute in 2015 in a rebuilding season and the move on in Free-Agency…
My question remains, why not get Value for 2 young and good NFL Players while he can? Both Players don’t fit Kelly’s Profile for what he’s looking for at LB and DB so both Players are goners..
Trade them for what? What was he getting for them? We know what their people said they were worth but what we’re people offering? A 5th rounder for Kenx? No thanks.
As far as drafting Cbs… Good… Been far too long.
In fraudmans man cave he dreams up trades that unfortunately in the real world with other teams actually involved can’t happen– then he comes on here and proclaims them as absolutes– its his little attention seeking fantasy world- i’m on record as saying they should have drafted OL but if there were none there then they shouldn’t pick them just because its a need– I’d rather have a 3rd round LB that can play then a 3rd round OL that can’t …
Here’s the issue with regards to chip … Pman ,Chip hasn’t taken even a baby step yet ,and we are already micro managing his every move ,or lack thereof ..The roster is shaped as he sees it ,to accomplish his short term goals ..I think Pman gets caught up in the “old school” mindset ,build from the draft.Chip jettisoned Roseman ,because singularly ,he doesn’t trust the crap shoot that is the draft.Hed rather ride a players back and then send him out to greener pastures ,then to develop a potentiality.It may prove to be fool hearty ,or it may be a new metric.Nobody with any degree of certainty is assuredly correct ,until ,the season starts .Pman ,who is to say an injury ,may occur and Chip ,believes holding assets in kendricks and Boykin ,wouldn’t be worth more in times of need ? Nobody..At worst he gets highly motivated guys ,playing on film ,for there next contract.The Pro game is a crap shoot in any draft ,he understands that ,he’s trying to focus on the “now”.. My one criticism of this ,is ,if he is wrong ,he’s setting the franchise back ,but,if he’s right ,he leaps forward making other players and future free agents look towards Chip as an innovator ,not as Pman ascribes,the terminator..
Vegas …who knows a thing or two ..Eagles over under 9 …91/2 win totals today ..when and if Bradford returns to the field ,that number will assuredly rise ..today the cowboys win total is 91/2.. As Vegas sees things the Giants at 8 ,and dead skins 6 ..that Pman isn’t a step backwards in the gambling Mecca?
Signing Free-Agents with History of Injuries in hope they pan out is not a long-term strategy to building a Winning Team or Strong Roster
look at the games missed in Sam Bradford’s, Demarcus Murray, Ryan Matthews, Walter Thurmond and even WR Miles Austin over their Careers..
which is basically their entire Free-Agent Class this Year
Then Trading for Kiko Alonso who has had 3 Major Surgeries (2 ACL’s and HIP Surgery all by the age of 24)
Look at the Elite Teams and they all have one thing in common on top of Good Coaching, is that they build their Rosters thru the Draft and stay away from over-spending for big name & big cost Free-Agents
The Packers, Patriots, Ravens, Steelers are consistently good and have built their Franchises and Manage their Rosters the “old fashioned” way of Drafting the right LPayers and then developing them and coaching them up
It’s worked for them pretty well..
Recently heard ex Cowboy GM Gil Brant RAVE about the Eagles depth and talent. He is picking them to win the NFL East and his opinion is 180* different than most of the many experts on this site – especially Paulman. Maybe most impressive, Gil predicted the Eagles would draft Agolor a good month before the draft unlike Paulman’s 300 wrong guesses.
Why have 5 good lbs when you could have 2 coming off injury and trade 1 healthy one away for a 5th round pick or a back up to the back up OG. Am I right or am I right Paulman?
Guys are pissed that we only won 10 games last year and we took a huge “step back” by not winning the SB in year 2. Crazy.
Stevo, no one expected the Eagles to win or even necessarily go to the SB last year. What a lot of us expected was a playoff appearance and a few of us even had the audacity and unmitigated gall to expect a playoff win. When you start off 9-3, then lose 3 games in a row…officially knocking you out of the playoffs, and that last game loss came at the hand of the Redskins, which DeSean “culture killer”Jackson killed the Eagles during the loss, that’s a problem! In the history of the NFL only two teams have gone 9-3 and failed to make the post season…the Eagles being the 3rd. That is a dubious distinction. Then we win a meaningless last game of the season game against a disinterested Giants team and get to have a 10-6 parade!
Pman ..every NFL player has a health chart of injuries.its just part of the scope of the violent nature of the game.im not disputing the import ,of the draft ,and in Matthews ,possibly Agolor ,and others we will look upon chips draft which in reality was this most recent one ,with the rear view mirror of envy.We can’t just play the negativity card and assume that a draft process can be analyzed in the now .The Packers,Ravens ,pats,steelers all hit on a franchise QB in the draft ,that analytic is what differentiates them and separates them from the rest.Philly has chosen to hitch there franchise wagon to a guy that has loads of question marks ,but if they roll the dice they could ,just as easily ,paid with a second round pick ,a franchise changing center piece .The alternatives ,we’re not in Chips guesstimation ,accepting mediocrity..I have as much a stake as a fan as you ,I just choose to accept that which is unconventional ,and watch what happens ..bemoaning the process before it ever takes shape ,is the Eagles ,business as usual ..I’d rather come into a season filled with questions and await the answers ,before I just jump off and open myself up for I told you so’s.. You seemingly like that safe approach,hoping you’re right ,I’d prefer an eagle wing and a prayer..and perhaps ,a parade ..
EHL…couldn’t agree more and add to that ,Chip lauded bill Davis ,when we all know damn well he had as much to do with that “dubious distinction” folding like a cheap suit..Chip talked the talk saying after that dubious distinction ,we need be introspective and upgrade everything..what about Bill Davis? That more than anything still gnaws at me
That’s no great revelation from this unnamed NFL exec. We all saw Sam Bradford play for the past five years.
We all know that it will take a combination of Chip Kelly’s skills and Bradford’s own skills for him to be successful. On his own – in a traditional NFL offense, Bradford has been mediocre.
Honestly, after Foles’ 2013 season, I had much more confidence in him than I do right now in Sam Bradford. At least Foles proved he could be good for one season…. Bradford hasn’t proven anything yet…
All we know is that Kelly has more talent to work with in Bradford than he did with Foles. Hopefully that will prove to be the difference.
We’ll see what Happens, I am not a proponent on signing often injured players especially with a history of Torn ACL’s..
There is no quick fix in building a Championship Rosters, but the Eagles Team that Kelly inherited had a lot of Proven NFL Talent & Speed at the Skills Position’s so the fact they Won 10 Games in each of his first 2 Seasons is a great start to build on for these next few Seasons, in my opinion. The 4-12 Season in AR last Season in 2012 , was an anomaly and not indicative of the Talent that was already in place.. But being GM & Coach will stretch Coach Kelly thin and also put him in awkward situations handling his Players upcoming Contracts and the aftermath of making difficult roster Decisions
As far as DC, I am surprised that Coach Kelly did not bring in former Oregon DC Nick Aliotti who is currently in the “retired” status after 14 Years at Oregon.. We’ll see if anything happens with Bill Davis this Year
Please tell me more about the talent and speed that underachieving under Andy. Was it the super fast WR that wanted even more money before the ink dried in his old one? Or the one on the other side that couldn’t stay healthy? Was it the super fast secondary that Andy drafted that showed signs of greatness for you?
Just stop with your nonsense. The bombs away O had no run game to speak of and the D was super duper soft . The “fastball” and “high energy” guys were smaller and could not take.
I have no idea if chip will bring us something but a tough D and and a run game is exactly what a winning team puts together. Save your sky is falling routine already.
I said before the draft… (not that I need or want any credit to validate my existence)… That the birds would follow what the Hawks did and draft big time athletes from the secondary. This is how you build a solid D. Do we need an Olive? For sure. No doubt. But under the old regime… They had not drafted in the secondary in ages… And when they did… They sucked at it for the last 7 years. Would I have kept Mathis? Sure. But outside of that… Let the man work. 20 wins in 2 seasons with a crappy D and a backup Qb is a very solid start.
Pman nick allioti is collecting social security ,at 61 I believe ..it’s not like the Ducks fit the “bill” of a defensive stalwart..bringing new coaches in to employ new techniques ,and new personnel is the building blocks upon which Bill Davis now stands,with a trap door below .
about Davis…. Desert, I agree with you. I did not see enough from his play calling to think he should stay BUT….. i believe Chip wants to play that style of the hybrid 3-4 and I think Davis is starting to get the kind of tools in the secondary that could perhaps get it done. That said…… Fa’s and draft picks have been used to give him this. If it doesnt come together…. he must go.
4-12 isn’t an anomaly ,or more correctly an aberration..the voice of AR was muted ,his heart and soul had been ripped out with personal tragedies.The locker room was toxic ,always a sign of the asylum being run by the inmates.The pro bowlers Desean ,Shady ,Mathis ,had become accustomed to ARs regime ,and not unlike most new coaches had to be purged .You correctly stated this yourself ..Now in year one of Chips “guys” you are chicken little ,the sky isn’t falling ,the birds are in the conversation ,and are the Fourth team in the NFC mix ,to get a parade ..Green bay Seattle and Dallas by a whisker are ahead of them .They have reconstructed there persona and removed the “distractions” I really think it’s incumbent upon you to allow the blueprint to play Game 1 before you comment on there impending doom ..it’s great fodder but to be truthful ,it’s a light bulb attracting moths and the switch can just as easily be turned off ..leaving you and your postulating look foolish..patience is a virtue ..
Just like the 2013 Chiefs Team that AR took over that went 2-14 the Year before was an anomaly where it had talent and some 6-7 Pro-Bowl PLayers on it..
AR comes in with a fresh Voice and wins 10 Games with mostly the same roster same deal with Chip Kelly, which is nothing new when Quality Teams bring in new Coach’s is that they tend to rebound..
Watch the Bears have a much better Season in 2015 for example, who tuned out Coach Marc Trestman last year
I bad Season does not make a Bad or a no Talent Team..
AR is what he is ,nobody will convince me he wasn’t a product of Jim Johnsons excellence ,which to Andys credit he chose the man.Susatained greatness in this transitory league and sports in general is the anomaly ..let’s all understand ,you’re never as bad as your record states and never as good either ,unless there is sustainability ..If you allow that stirring things up is a formula for achievement why not chips year one experiment ? You can’t straddle both sides of the fence with out ball pain Pman..
Hers my prediction ..Pman..you’ll flip like a Bruce katlyn Jenner ..you’re culpable and capable in stirring up the conversation ,unlike Songs and kool ,who are banal ..you bring insight ,you bring facts but if you’re truly scared as an Eagle fan..get a hound dog..he’ll put you back on the trail towards the promise land..
Bingo. A flip…. A flop.
I am not scared about the Eagles chances Desert
I think they will be about an average Team in an average NFC East
7 Wins on the low side up to 9 Wins on the high side
A big turnover for them this off-season which is good to see and some of which should have occurred a year ago, but with 11-12 New Starters out of 22 Positions is very difficult for me to expect them to play with consistency and at a high level of execution the beginning of the Season when that many new players on both sides of the ball.. Is it Possible, Sure anything is Possible, is it Likely, No it is not.. Eagles Offense starts out slow in 2015 just like it did in 2016, it comes on strong in the 2nd half of the Season and the Eagles win 8-9 Games missing the Playoffs again and still unsure about their QB for the Future… This is where I realistically see the Eagles 6 Months from now.. better in some areas (Secondary, Overall Defense) but still a work in progress at QB, OL & WR…
It’s 110 it’s time to cool things down .lets all stop with the Pollyanna ,I get enough of that from elected officials pandering to there core constituency..if the Eagles suck ,well not have to look through Jeffrey’s copious notes ,that in itself is a step in the right direction.Im not a soothsayer ,nor do I claim to have any more football intellect than anyone else ,however ,if I can’t be hopeful for my birds it lessens my enthusiasm for a hopeful season.Im always a glass is half full guy..
lmfao @ josh innes. this guy is a total nut, radio silence on wip for like 40 minutes… then there was this odd exchange with the wip update lady.
hhaa
Steve I agree bill Davis best rent and not buy real estate
Davis going on his 3rd Year at DC for the Eagles which is pretty long time
to remain as a Coordinator at 1 Place when you think about it,,
If your a rising star at the Coordinator Level, you become a HC
If your a bum, you usually get fired, so Billy Davis is Average I suppose ..
However…. this style D (single high safety out of the 3/4 hybrid D ) is the style that is rocking in the NFL right now AND…. Ive seen evidence to suggest that Davis #’s will always look bad and is more around the mid of the pack in the NFL. I believe they did an article on this last week. So….. I think the D gets better. I believe this.
They still are a still a Sure-Tackling Demon Safety to play the Single HIgh Effectively… Who plays it now Malcolm Jenkins out of Default which takes him away for tighter coverages where he’s probably more effective..
Thurmond is a ? when it comes to sure Tackling.. Coverage wise he’s pretty good in the Slot/Shorter Routes, deep down the field, i am not so sure about
Eagles need to get that Safety from Fla State in 2016 Draft