Rookie center Jason Kelce was drafted in the sixth round and the guy next to him on the Eagles offensive line, rookie guard Danny Watkins was drafted in the first round, but I like Kelce more than I like Watkins, at this point. If I didn’t know anything about them, I would have thought Kelce had been drafted ahead of Watkins. I see more potential in Kelce than in Watkins.
Let me emphasize that it’s very early in their careers, but I’ve been able to watch them work for more than a month.
I don’t see quickness in Watkins and I don’t see good body control. Too many times pass rushers catch him being overextended. He’s got good strength, but most of that strength is in his upper body and not in his lower body. He is as strong as an ox, so when he’s gets his hands on a defensive linemen, that defender rarely gets away.
It’s tough to exert you upper body strength, if you don’t have a good lower body base. Meaning if you’re off balance, which Watkins often is, you can’t be strong against your opponent. He’s not very good when out on the move because he doesn’t seem to have the quickness to block linebackers and defensive backs out in the open field.
Watkins has had trouble blocking some of the quick, athletic defensive tackles in the league and I don’t see how he’s going to change 
that in the near future. He needs a lot of work on his pass blocking technique. Right now he’s a better run blocker than he is a pass blocker and you know that the Eagles will pass the ball much more than they run it. I wonder if he’s going to be a good fit.
I do give Watkins credit for wanting to play tonight. He knows the more work he gets the best football player he’s going to be when the season starts.
I think the Birds are asking a lot out of Kelce by making him the starting center, but I do see tremendous promise in the young man and I think he’s going to be a very good center in the future. Hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later. He maybe undersized but he’s quick, fast, strong and tenacious.
I wish Howard Mudd had been able to work with him throughout the offseason, but that’s not in the cards. It’s a shame the Eagles aren’t open to running the ball more because this young man is going to be a good one.
Kelce is an outstanding blocker when he’s out on the move. I can’t tell you how impressed I was by the way he got out in front of Ronnie Brown on his touchdown run against the Browns. He pulls better than just about any lineman on the football team and that’s why they ran a tight end reverse with him out of front Clay Harbor on a fourth down call against Cleveland.
This rookie center is a finisher. He keeps working as long as the referee hasn’t blown the whistle. He’s got a tremendous upside.
We’ll see how things workout for the two young men going forward.
Ive said it once and ill say it again. If they dont fix this offensive line protection there will be no super bowl won in philly this year. What they should do is run the ball more, mccoy has looked very good running the ball this preaseason so why not give him a shot. Give the o line a chance to get settled in by running. Teams are gearing up to take away the big play so run the ball!!
@ navy eagle fan, you asked in a previous article how i can base this off one preseason game.Im not basing it off one preseason game. Im basing it off of half the season last year (end of season) and 3 preseason games this year.
On a side note im tired of everyone telling me preseason means nothing. The finial score and the win means nothing. How the starters play carries over into the regular season. It is what it is. Preseason matters otherwise preseason would be done with all together. The next person that tells me preason play means nothing i might kick them in the shins
Sounds good,
I liked Kelce out of College (U of Cincinnati) but didn’t think he would be a starter type until next season. These players from Ohio typically are ahead of the normal curve for Rookies, They are tenacious, play every snap and are fundamentally sound and well coached from the Pee-Wee/High School level on up (Check out the other Ohio players on the Eagles like T Cole, B Celek, Kurt Coleman, Brian Rolle) They all appear to have been more mentally prepared for the NFL than other players from different areas of the Country..
Oh no Gary you cant post any negative things like this on the most optimistic Eagles fan site! are you crazy? your negative opinions will be trashed because you actually see these players in camp and actually played football while positive guys like us have no clue what its like to be on the sidelines…
Watkins was a bad pick. 2 wasted 1st rounders in a row. They over think these drafts and it cost them every year. Stay safe and draft the most talented player on board and clearly Nate Soilder was that guy just like pouncey was that guy last year (if they would have stayed where they were and not moved up)
You see where over thinking in a draft gets you? the NBA does it all the time. Andy Reid would be a better coach in the nba than the nfl.
I agree Dawk,
How you practice and how your play in Preseason to me gives an indication of how prepared and well the team is executing. I don’t care if they are “Vanilla Game Plans”or no” , Execution is what matters to me if if you are having problems sustaining drives as an offense with a Vanilla Offense, this does not give me great confidence that the Teams/Players can just flip a switch and all of a sudden start executing at a high level for the more sophisicated/complex games plans that are coming for the regula season..
The Final scores mean nothing, but the quality of play of the #1’s and #2’s even in a limited role does mean something.. Confidence and Success breeds more Confidence and Success, so why not have the mind set of playing well every chance you get whether it’s pre-season or not whether it’s the PLayers and Coachoing Staff..
Tonights games will be a yawner vs the Jets who just played Monday evening vs the Giants and will not be playing any of their Starters and even key back-ups.. Expect by the 2nd Quarter, that most of the players on the field for both teams will not be in the NFL come Friday afternoon/Sat morning when the final rounds of Cuts are made
vricchini I like that post, I wonder who you are talking about???? Don’t worry though, the “Gary, what facts do you base this on? A couple of possessions in the preseason? This is an elite coaching staff and you are just a part of negadelphia” ” you comments are stupid, ridiculous and unintelligent.” “The fact you played successfully in the NFL means nothing”
Give it time…
The oline is a question going into this season,no doubt. I dont think we showed all our pick-ups and some of the new wrinkles in the o. At least i hope. Granted im not feeling good about the right side but Todd moving over there has relieved some of that. And yes,run the pill with Shady/Ronnie and soften them up.This will help the o-line get established and grow some early confidence.
I like the match up with the Rams.Do any of you believe we can be beat by a 7-9 team with nobody recievers? With a secondary ripe for big plays?
The bottomline is we’re gettign into the sched.F THE SUPERBOWL TALK….F THE SHIP GAME TALK.
@Rams,@Falcs,Giants ,Niners….thats were my head is right now. Why are we talking about they’ve ruined our shot at a Bowl this early …?How does G know that just cause he played the game. Thats b.s.. Hes not Nostradamis and thats my point. We dont know ish until they start playing some games.
Dude hasnt even played a full NFL game and he’s a bad pick?Vrich..insightful.
Thanks Mr. Cobb for the article.
Watkins is a 1st round pick and you would have thought Matthews(mlb) was with all the ink he got.
Reading about Watkins current short comings you wonder what film the Eagles were looking at when they drafted the oldest 1st round pick in the history of the NFL.
What doctor examined RT Harris. And who knew this guy had 3 back surgerys. Was’nt the Andrew brothers enough to get you to steer clear of back problems with offensive line men?
This organization should have been on point with this, because these are the guys who protect the best player on the team.
If the sun is shining, you are not being negative to report the sun is shining.
It’s going to most people happy and a few upset. It is what it is.
So far Watkins is a bum. A bum with no up side. He knows it. And to his credit wants to get better. Which leads me to believe he will get better. But good enough to be in Andy’s Air-Show?
If he was a defensive end that simply could not be blocked, no one would complain if it was reported. If we were gushing over the prospect of a future all-pro player. So don’t whine, when the reverse is true. If he is a bum, he’s a bum. He’s a good run blocker, in a passing offense.
It makes as much sense as a sorry offensive line coach, taking over as defensive coordinator. Crystal Ball is consistant.
It’s a good thing, that Washington has a worse personel department than the Eagles. The Giants have Kook as a head coach, and the Cowboys have a Meddling Owner. We have been blessed with a collection of Morons in the NFC East. We got pounded by the NFC Central last year as proof.
That should get Crystal Ball in the playoffs again.
After all.
He’s so friggin smart.
Perhaps…they should consider playing him at G instead of the most important position on the O-Line to start out. Just a suggestion.
Can they beat the Rams and start the seaosn with a W?
WTF else matters right now?
Win game one and build.
Watkins isnt gonna cut it according to G. Wonder if we could find another ex NFL player to disagree? Would that make him right too.
Bottomline…who cares what any of these analysts think at this point? Bust the Rams skulls and we’ll go from there.
LG Mathis, C Kelce, RG Watkins…if I’m a D Coordinator I’m coming up the middle on these guys. You think Suh destroyed us last year, can you imagine him against this cast of characters. We are a passing team with a run oriented middle of the line. Mathis was a FA for a reason too. I hope I’m wrong.
You clowns are hilarious….because GCobb played in the NFL, his opinion means more than mine? LMAO. 90 percent of the ex-NFL players that are now doing commentary are morons. I don’t care if they played the game or not….there’s a reason they played in the NFL and didn’t become a sports journalist/anchor/reporter to begin with…..and trust me, it wasn’t because of their “knowledge” of the game.
Damn near every ex-player turned reporter is just doing it because it’s their last grasp of the game and they’re trying to hold on to their glory days — I take their opinion with a grain of salt.
Anyway, you have to take it one game at a time… Right now focus is and should be on the Rams. Build from there…
Bird…good point. Some are knowledgble….G,Faulk,Warner,i like Troy..i know….but some are fuggin morons…Emmit,Dieon,Sapp,and countless others.
Let me make this clear..jsut because im not doom and gloom on the oline doesntmean im pie in the sky inlove with them. But my experience in coaching and playing the game tells me your never as bad as you think and never as good. And a seaon is a marathon…start well and finish strong . Cliches..ok..but its the truth and makes sense.
Rams……anyone wanna say out loud we lose.
Paul..Braves….Rams best rb core in league?Love it.
Yes it does mean something if you played the game. We watch football on tv and see what the announcers tell us. We have no clue what its like from a mental and physical stand point so yes birdo I would take garys advice over yours. After all your on HIS website reading HIS blogs so your saying you come one here strickly to read our comments and speak out against the ones you disagree with? get a life dude.
Its not advice..its analysis.And the only point you’ve made is Watkins is a bad pick. Insightful.
vrichhagina — you’re a moron. I come here to converse with other Eagles and discuss opinions, doesn’t mean I’ll accept what I’m told. You’re opinion means about as much to me as G’s. Diddly squat. I’ve played football, basketball and baseball……baseball at the collegiate level, d-2…….granted it’s not the pro’s but who cares? When you understand the game, you understand the game.
I understand that it’s too early to judge a ROOKIE — a month from now if Kelce sucks and Watkins is dominating, this whole article will be meaningless. It’s asinine to judge these guys right now.
People need to learn how to step off the ledge at the first sign of trouble, Jesus help them.
erock what makes a dumb announcer???
if your opinion of a announcer being a moron is because you disagree with his opinion makes you a moron! its no right or wrong in football its just different views. If you were a cornerback in the NFL you say Dieon Sanders is a moron who best would you want to learn how to play the position more from than dieon? if you were a running back who else would you not want to learn from that emmit smith? these guys have football knowledge because they are the best at what they did and they tell it thru their experiences while you never experienced football a day in your life!
Erock — thank you. This moron doesn’t even know the difference between “advice” and “analysis” — I can “analyze” Vick and say hes fast, someone else can “analyze” and says he’s slow…..whats the moral of the story? No one should take our opinion as the standard. If G was so good at “analyzing” players, he’d be on the Eagles scout team.
Vricchini, good comparison with taking former players opinion about their position…..too bad GCobb was a linebacker.
This moron doesn’t even know the difference between “advice” and “analysis
LMAOOOO
I showed this to 5 people and they all laughed at the dumb things people say. If gary says “the eagles need to run the ball more” what is that called bird shit? are you saying ANALYZING does not consist of giving ADVICE? lol im done.
This guy is learning to be an Olineman now. It was enough that he was big and strong in college, but in the NFL everyone is big and strong. Add to that the fact that if it takes him a couple of years to develop, he will be 30. Why take a risk with this guy when other polished O-lineman were available at that spot.
BIRDO I can be a employee at walmart and because im a stockman doesnt mean I dont know anything about being a cashier.
you on the other hand (assuming) you never worked at walmart.. so how can you tell me how its like working there if you never worked there before? why because you shop there? because you see walmart commercials? you dont know what its like in the NFL you just like me are fans! stop acting like you have a grip on how these things work cause you dont.
bugsyhawk that sounded like a negative comment.. those aren’t allowed on this website.
Your a tool.
Thats my analysis.
My advice is too stop taking what G says as advice…to whom…the Eagles…are thety listeing..no. So its his analysis of the football team. Hence,they need to run the rock more.
Who cares what any of us think? Specially 5 d-bags you let read our posts.The fact you tell us that means your even more of a tool.
GO BIRDS.
Lots of internet muscles being flexed today.
Just as a comparison…
Anyone remember which NAscar Driver won the 1st Race of this Year in Daytona… Also who is their points Leader now and who will the Championship with 10-12 raves still left to go… anotherwords, It’s a long season and as long as the EAgles can start 3-3/4-2 and stay relatively healthy, they will be fine and a much better team come Mid-Late Season and all that really matters is to get into the PLayoffs.. I read all these posts about being so important tobe a #1 or #2 Seed and I say that’s bunk.. The Packers were a 6 Seed last Season, the Cardinals,Giants, Seahawks all were a few years back to be honest, Playing home at the Linc has not been all that great for the Eagles.. They have actually become a better Road team than at Home in my opinion over the last couple of seasons and a lot of that has to do with Pass Happy Play-calling to often in the colder,windier,wet type of weather that comes Dec/January and also the fact that the Eagles Defense was just not a very good unit over the last few Seasons either..
Yes Bugsy, but still very little brains going around….ha ..
Advice – to give (someone) a recommendation about what should be done.
Analysis – The process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it.
“The eagles should run the ball more” – advice
“the linebacker did not see the runningback so thats why he
missed a tackle” – Analysis
Vic, your point has been made… let it go dude. It is not even a good point as there are plenty of regulars on here who blast the Philly teams all the time. Did you miss the entire McNabb vs Kolb conversation last year? Ask Songs about that one. And other guys on here always present alternative opinions with Pman being the biggest example. DDCar is real tough on the Phils especially Amaro.
So I don’t see what you are saying at all. It is more that not everyone agrees with your points and that means to you that no one can put anything negative on here.
Face it, Kelce has facial hair and Watkins doesn’t. That’s why Kelce is ahead right now.
It doesn’t matter that McGlynn played center last year and did a decent job. According to G, you can’t do well as a rookie, so no rookies should every play the first year, especially on the offensive line.
Yeah.
The season is a marathon, not a sprint.
Like I said before, “How about that offensive line”, as Mike Tomlin hoisted the Lombardi trophy.
Wow, I had to go and read the article again after all the comments. I thought G was trying to give some insight on the progression of the two players. I personally liked the fact that someone who is able to see these guys everyday give their opinion. I enjoy these articles far more than the daily “Vick” articles.
bugsyhawk wtf are you talking about? I was being sarcastic when I said no one can post anything negative on here. As far as me letting it go no im not gonna let it go I give my opinion on this site and the same douch bags want to lash out at me and I normally ignore them but today im not. Im sick of erock, schiller, birdo always having a say on how people think and just letting them get away with it. Their blog bullies plain and simple.
Tell the truth…..When the Eagles picked Watkins a 27 year old fireman who was a hockey player and recently starting playing football…The oldest 1st round pick in the history old football.
Did you say in your mind?
“What again?”
“Andy Freakin’ Reid!”
No one, no where knew this guy.
Have you noticed that there was no fan fare for this Watkins guy?
He did nothing special at all…NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!
I say move Kelce over to right guard since he can pull, and get out in space…plug Jamaal Jackson back in the middle. And sit the fireman on the damn bench!
Unless he’s equiped with a fire hose to fend off linemen, it’s best if he’s not seen.
Why can’t we be like other teams and actually pick 1st round talent in the 1st round?
vricchini — If you feel bullied on the internet you need to grow a pair of balls.
Songs — it’s asinine to judge this guy right now. Haven’t you clowns learned already that you need to wait and see before spewing out idiotic comments? Weren’t you the same clown that bet me that the Eagles wouldn’t make a splash in free agency and wouldn’t address the RCB position?
It’s like you people NEVER learn. Impatient bastards is what most of you are.
I dont care what you think and if you say it..if i bust your stones about it dont be a crybaby and call someone a bully. Whiner.Have your opinion…i repsect it…doesnt mean i dont think its b.s. and negative.
I bust Pauls chops all the time about his views.He knows im clown’n. So stop crying.
Eric…good point on facial hair…Watkins doenst seem to be able to get that going. i think he needs to get better there.
A NEWWW LEVEL!!!!OF CONFIDENCE AND POWER!!!LOL!!
GO BIRDS!!
Phills kicking the crap outta the Reds last few days.They stink.
Songs, “he did nothing special at all…NOTHING!!!!!!” – You forgot 1 thing – acutally THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. Now prepare yourself because this pertains to something you don’t pay attention to – you pay attention to his age, previous employment history, other sports played.. BUT YOU FORGOT (here it comes) HOW HE PLAYED FOOTBALL IN THE PAST.
HOW DID HE?
EXTREMELY WELL.
See, THATS what he did special. and THATS what matters.
Sorry Songs, hard to take you seriously when your evaluation of how a guy can play football leaves out how he has played football already.
Plain and simple.
No paulman ignores you and dont give you the time of the day. Me I wont let you shit brians get away with all the shit talking you do everyday on here.
Songs – this is what the eagles didnt seem to understand. If he does not produce now at a rookie then it will take him a couple of years to develop by that time he turns 30 and already has his foot out the door.
He’s got some experience in saving lives right. Maybe he saves Vicks or Shadys at some point!!?lol
Shill…real talk…ok.
VR, so if you agree that he may develop in time, and we don’t know how much time that will take (correct me if I am wrong, and you do not agree with that) – then how do we know right now that he won’t develop significantly (to the point where he’s playing his position to our satisfaction) in a few games or early this year!? Remember, it’s 1:31 pm right now on Thursday 9/1/11 – he hasn’t played the 4th preseason game of his roookie season yet.
Not let us get away with it…you still talkign about that V-rich? Stop dude.We’re all Birdbrains….i repsect your views.I disagree with some. Stop biggin it up and go eat lunch or something.
schiller heres what im saying. He could be a good player. I think he has the mentality and toughness to play the game which gets you far in the NFL but if he does not adjust and adjust soon because time is working against him then his NFL career could be a lot shorter than he thought. We could blame not having OTA’s or its just preseason but when you are on the outside looking in and you see guys that are already productive like Gabe Carimi it makes you worry much like last year you were big on brandon graham.. Are you still big on him now? early struggles are a concern and this is something we need to point out.
Are you the same guys on here that was saying give Kolb time when we were saying he’s a damn bum?
How much more time do you think he need?
Watkins is not 1st round material…..Period.
Graham is McDougal 2.0
first round material should be able to dominate 2nd and rd teamers.
Watkins age and body maturation may have meant something playing against boys in college…but he’s in with the men now.
He’s nothing special, and it’s official….2 solid years on wasted 1st round picks.
I see why the Eagles try to trade out the 1st round…..it’s starting to really make sense.
Vricchini — here’s what I’m saying. Give a player TIME to develop before saying he sucks or he’s no good. It’s asinine to judge a player after a couple halves of preseason action!
Guys like schiller, erock and myself aren’t being bullies when we call you chumps out on that….we’re being realists.
And for your information. I’m still high on Graham. His injury is a concern, but if he comes back strong, I expect big things out of him.
I dont think he sucks I said he was a bad pick meaning I though gabe camiri was better to pass up on. I see what you mean we dont know if he will be good but so far it does not look good and I have seen this before with brandon graham you guys told me the same thing where is graham now?