Somebody explain to me how I can look at the NFL sack leaders and see two guys who played for the Birds a year ago, amongst that group. I’m talking about Tennessee’s Jason Babin and Seattle’s Chris Clemons.
The Eagles traded Clemons for Darryl Tapp who has a grand total of one sack and they let Babin go in free agency.
How do these guys go to play for other teams and immediately improve? I have a good idea why the defensive linemen leave here and get better immediately. I think it might have something to do with Birds defensive line coach, Rory Segrest.
I’m sure Segrest is a nice guy, but what’s so special about him as a football coach. He has nothing on his resume. Before he came here he coached at Southeast Missouri State and Samford College. How did he get a job here?
He was a bad special teams coach for two years, so Andy Reid took that job from him. Now he’s a bad defensive line coach and we’re going to pay it dearly, if a change isn’t made.
Does it make sense to promote a guy who clearly was a failure at another coaching position? If he does a pathetic job with the defensive linemen, should they promote him to defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
I wonder where Segrest stores the pictures that are keeping him in the job.
Babin has seven sacks for the team which is leading the league in sacks, the Tennessee Titans. Clemons, who couldn’t even get on the field here, has 5.5. sacks for the Seahawks,
Coaches are supposed to be able get the most of their players, clearly Seagrest hasn’t been able to do that with Babin and Clemons.
One of the keys to the Eagles season will be the progress of rookie defensive end Brandon Graham. They need him to develop into a dominant pass rusher from the defensive left side, so that teams won’t be able to double team Trent Cole and the defense won’t have to rely on blitzing to stop opposing quarterbacks.
It’s extremely important that you have a very good defensive line coach working with Graham and the other young defensive linemen on the roster. The Eagles spent most of their off season trying to put together a dominant pass rush, so they wouldn’t have to depend on blitzing.
They moved up 11 spots to draft Graham in the first round. They took Daniel Te’o Nesheim in the third round and Ricky Sapp in the fifth round. I mentioned the trade for Tapp.
Why would you invest so much in these players then have a second-rate coach teach them? Shouldn’t have a guy with a proven track record?
Take a look at the team’s defensive tackles. Number one picks Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson have worked under Seagrest for two years now. Have they gotten any better as players?
Former free agent defensive tackle Antonio Dixon has played over the last three weeks and contributed two sacks while Bunkley and Patterson have done nothing from a pass-rush standpoint.
Dixon hasn’t used anything which Seagrest has taught him, he has simply overpowered the offensive linemen who have lined up in front of him.
If you ask Reid, you will get the standard “I have to do a better job”.
This season is on Reid. He has enough talent on both sides of the ball, especially on offense, to make a run. Some of his coach choices do appear suspe ct, and it is odd that Dixon, a relative unknown, can step in and be your best defensive tackle
AMEN…..this guy has not been successful in any coaching position on the team that he has been given. Why do we keep promoting him?
I have stated my frustration for the last 2 years about R Segrest once he was named the Coach for the DL,after the very underrated Pete Jenkins retired for Segrest I thought did a poor job with Special Teams…
I also think it was apparent the Babin and Clemons had potential as solid Pass-Rushers
Clemons is much better as a stand-up OLB almost and move around the line of scrimmage to utilize his Speed which is how the Seahawks are using him. The Eagles always had him as a hands on the ground/down lineman which does not take advantage of his best skill and talent which is his speed
which is better utilized when standing up,moving around, delay rush,stunts,etc,etc,
B Graham I am concerned about due to his very short arms, If a O/L can get him engaged at the point of attack, Graham is going to have a very hard time getting free and making big plays.. I think Graham is much better suited for a 3-4 Defense where he is a stand-up move around the line of scrimmage as a OLB (like the Steelers,Jets,Patriots) run and will simply put up average #’s for the Eagles schemes, Graham will be a solid Pro player but probably not worth moving up to 11 SPots and trading away what they did to obtain him…When you move up that much and give up that much, you need to come away with a game-changer, a big time player and that player for the Eagles should have been Safety Earl Thomas who has 4 Int’s so far and 35 Solo tackles and is a playmaker..
That is so so true. Dixon is the best Dt. we have hands down. I never liked patterson he is just a pure 290lbs. ankle tackler who gets the RB 5-10yrds. after the run. There are other guys the eagles got rid of and became gems to other teams: Danny Amendola, Andy Stubaker and coaches like Jim harbaugh, who is successful in baltimore and steve spagnola who won a ring with the giants and did a complete 180 for the rams this season. But you keep guys like Rory Segrest and Juan Castillio? Com’ ON!!!! yes this year is on reid….. But the good thing there are alot of good coaches who can be free agents next season\\\\\ John Gruden, Tony Dungy, Bill Cower, John Foxx, maybe Jack Delrio, Wade Phillips,Mike Singletary hot seat, Norv Turner maybe, Marvin Lewis on the hot seat!!!
I agree Paul because Michigan played some 3-4 formations and had Graham as LB/DE but do you think that Mcdermott will fit a scheme for graham to make him more effective on defense. I remember a few years back when Jim Johnson had some formations that was a 3-4 formation. The game against NE when NE went on to be 16-0 that season.
Thank you Mr. Cobb for pointing out this glaring coaching weaknest. Please forward this article the Nova Care Complex Attention: THE FAT MAN.
Rory Segrest is an awful coach. everywere they put him he sucked. D-Line hasn’t been the same since pete jenkins retired
G, good article..an eye opener for sure.
If I could make some coaching moves I’d have Either Cowher or Dungy as my HC, Hire Wade (can’t believe I’m saying this) Phillips as my DCon and..why not..Norv Turner as my OCon.
BSM, might as well send that letter to Chickies and Petes brotha!
To WWW,
Wow, talk about re-treads for your Coaching staff…
Teh large Egos of some of these guy don’t always mesh all that well
I am surprised you didn’t have Gruden,Joe Gibbs and Mike Holmgrem on the list also
D-line is better now than the last 5 years. This isnt the time to criticize the D-Line. Thanks to Dixon I think this is the best they have been since Hugh Douglas was here. Dixon is the best tackle (yes its only 3 games but thats all I have to go on), since Corey Simon. Trent Cole is playing as well as Hugh Douglas and is a stud. Parker is Parker. He is playing at high level right now. But history shows he does fade the second half. The D-line is the best part of the defense dont you think? Better than LBs and secondary. Think we are barking up wrong tree at this time. Need to look at Jaroun dont you think?
How about LB Coach B Shuey also.. He needs to be on the hot seat too…
I could not understand why they let Jason Babin go. I marked it up as another instance of the Eagles wanting to be know as the “Salary Cap Experts” and trading or cutting players just to lower the Salary. I still think that the Eagles will never win a championship here while they are acting as sophisticated but still Florida Car Salesman. Eagles keep saying there No 1 goal is to win the Super Bowl but it also has appeared that they want to do that on the cheap. They really want to win the “Praise Me For My Salary Cap Prowess” However GCobb you raise an important point and the D Line has been inconsistent since AR took over.
I said this over a week ago and no one commented
Just another major overlook by Reid.