From Tom McGee,
Gary: watch out!! you telling the truth about the birds on how you see them will get you blackballed from the practices. Does Jim Johnson, Trotter or Kearse ever confront you with your articles? Keep it up!! I love your point of view.
Tom,
I haven't had a problem with any of them, they're all professionals. I think Johnson, Trotter and Kearse are all quality performers, but they haven't been performing at their best. All I can do is call it like I see it. The Eagles defense has been poor for the last couple of years.
From Paul,
G. Cobb, do you feel he is too small and thats one of the main reason the sints ran and even got that 3rd and one being there…i am worried about him.
He is kind of small for a defensive tackle but he's put on weight. He looks like he's about 290 lbs. right now. The key with Patterson is that he has to be rotated and kept fresh. If Mike is fresh he'll be too quick for the big offensive linemen. If he's tired from playing too many plays he will get dominated by a good O lineman, much like the playoff loss to the Saints.
From Crystal,
COME ON G…Get off the Trotter bashing PLEASE..its been going on since the Saints game, he will be judged THIS season when we see some some football..and he did NOT get a free pass, I did see articles written about whether he would be back… Ive seen youve bashed him CONSTANTLY and blamed him for the TOTAL defense collapsing last year which wasnt fair on YOUR end either…he gets no free pass, maybe he is well liked but he will be judged when we see some football so why not wait to bash him when that time comes? I dont think Ive seen too much on this site about him losing the weight, being in better shape now, and I have seen that written and said other places, how about some "positive" things said then too from YOU since youve made sure about every week everyone hears how "bad" he played last year…if you claim he gets a free pass from EVERYONE( which is not true because I have heard both Jim Johnson and Andy Reid say he needs to play better this year)then it is very obvious you harbor deep resentment towards the man for whatever reason…he will be judged on the field this season so stop the bashing…and I cant wait to see which "jounalists" step up to the plate and say they were WRONG about Trotter not having any time left and being "out of here" before the season started…Lets hope that you can be man enough to let your personal issues with Trotter subside since this seems to be the same article youve written over and over since January…we all get your point, you dont like the guy…ok…I really do like your site and usually respect your opinion but this is getting old fast…let him play some football and then judge him!!! That whole D was awful last year, it doesnt just involve one player!!!!CALL THEM ALL OUT THEN!!!
Crystal,
i believe the leaders have to be held to a higher standard. My football instincts tell me that Trotter did something you just can't do if you want to be respected by your teammates. He said publicly that the defensive line was too small to do the job, while he was playing terribly himself. He could lie to most of the media but he can't lie to me because I have the DVD of each of their games last year. If he hadn't said any thing then I wouldn't be so hard on him, but as a leader you can't point the finger at your teammates and not do your own job. I think Trot has been a great player through most of his career with the Eagles but he should called out when he doesn't something that's wrong.
From David Denton,
I've been an Eagles fan for forty + years. Been reading your stuff, hoping you can be the middle ground between Spadaro's blind optimism and Eckel's negativity. Just hoping you don't jump to too many conclusions; Gaddis won't see the light of day to becoming the 3rd safety. Why do we need the Press to jump on Trottier for last year? He wasn't as good as in years past, but still far better than any of the other starting LB's we had.
My biggest concern for this year is McNabb. His play has deteriorated for the past several years, not even considering his recent injury string. His judgement in the pocket, when to take a sack or when to throw it away, and his time management, especially approaching halftimes, has gotten worse with age instead of better. His lack of accuracy ( always a leader in ground balls thrown ) and touch ( never seen a pass he didn't want to throw harder ) were offset at one time by his ability to scramble and run. Without the latter, the former becomes harder to live with.
That said, I'm still quite optimistic for this year. ( Although I don't think Jim Johnson will ever stop a Peyton-led Colts team ). I think Spikes was a great move, and only hope he can return to his form before his ACL injury. If so, he will be the best defensive player on the Eagles team.
David,
Clearly the Eagles defense is their problem. Trotter who is a liability against the pass and did little if anything against the run. His own coaches say he played poorly. He even admits he played poorly and was out of shape. All I can do is call like I see it and that's what I plan on doing.
I'm not going to blame everything on McNabb and praise Trotter. Last year McNabb was headed to a Pro Bowl and consideration for NFL MVP. He had 18 TD's with only 6 Int's. I think his best football is ahead of him. Last year he was asked to carry the offense without much of a running game. I think you'll see the Eagles spread the responsiblity for the offense out. I
