The Eagles have claimed former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle D. J. Jones off of waivers. They also named Keith Gray to the position of assistant strength and conditioning coach. He’s replacing Roger Marandino, who was named the head strength and conditioning coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
Jones was a rookie free agent for the Miami Dolphins in 2011. He’s got great size, standing 6’5″ and weighing 315 pounds. He spent the first six weeks of the season on the practice squad of the Dolphins before being waived.
The Ravens signed him to their practice squad and he spent the rest of the season until being promoted to the 53-man roster for the final week of the season. He played his college ball for Nebraska.
Gray was the associate strength and conditioning coach at the University of Georgia. He was there since 1999.
Don’t get so excited folks,
Ravens have some real needs at OT and if this guy didn’t impress them by being with them all season, Then I would think there is not much promise, but who knows, DJ Jones get with OL R Mudd and maybe can develop him..
Definitely sounds more like a move to have a camp body and replace K Dunlap and W Justice, who both will probably not be with the Eagles for 2012
Per Stone Cold Steve, The Eagles Vegas Odds to Winning the 2013 Super Bowl just went from 120 to 1 to 125 to 1 …
based on this pick up we can officially call Justice another early round bust. Why did we hold on to him after getting his manhood taken in his first start against the giant?
Because he was an early round bust and the Eagles did not want to admit they sucked again with an early pick.
Eagles organization blows….enough Eagles threads on here….
Lets talk Baseball..
Who hits 1st Homerun for the PHils this Season..
(my guess is Pitcher COle Hamels in the 3rd Game of the Season)
Hunter Pence with a 2 run blast in Pittsburgh.
Camp body…who cares….
Anyone else hear the clip of the female Gmen fan yelling she wanted to see Sanchez at the parade?Classic!! Hhaha…least she had a parade to look like an ass at huh?
Birds are 4th with 12/1 odds to get to the bowl…Vegas.
Justice i wouldnt say is a bust…dude had some injuries that effecxted him and once they moved Todd over his job was lost. But id call him another reach. Coulda gotten him later in the draft or address another need. WTF does that though!!?
With this signing im 100% sure the eagles will win the superbowl in 2013.
Trent Cole’s gall to state they were just “inches from greatness” is utter stupidity, and shows some of these guys just don’t get it… that ’11 Eagles team did nothing to prove they were even close to great. In fact, they were one of the most embarrassing teams to ever wear the green. Tell you what Eagles (players, coaches, FO, etc), don’t ever tell us how great a season you “almost had”, even had, until you bring home a Lombardi trophy. Some of these guys aren’t in a full 100%. Time to put up or shut up you dreamers!
Jimmy Rollins first pitch in first game ———- Go Phillies
We’re this close. 2012[ ———– ]3012
Robots will replace players with an android Andy Reid when the Eagles win the first “UNIVERSE BOWL”
TIME’S YOUR’S”
Hey G i announced this a few weeks ago and thought it was a DT but instead was a OT.. nothing much to see here, the eagles always end up signing a OT every off season.. andy can pick a OT very well but dont ask him to select a LB or S or CB.. good grief..
maybe this will at least get us out of taking an offensive lineman first pick in the draft.. I want burfict.. Hes a burfict fit .
*RUMOR” has it that Juan spoke with D.J. Jones who had a lot of time playing against Raven’s defensive linemen and have learned defensive techniques, So Andy and Juan feel he can be converted into a bigger version of Jason Pierre-Paul.
Stay tuned!!!!!
CAMP BODY! NON-STORY! WHO CARES!? Talk to me when they sign & draft significant, starting contributers.
Eagles will be mostly inactive in Free-Agency I believe,
Probably 1-2 2nd Tier Players (at LB and maybe small time WR or back-up RB) and that’s about it… Andy and Co will do battle with mostly the same squad and some rookie Draft Picks ..
Paul– i think ur off. I think the may sign 2 or 3 guys but 1 or two will be huge signings. Possibly a mario williams and maybe a Laron Landry, just throwing some names out of guys that can come in and help the eagles immediately. Through the draft the eagles arent looking for guys to save the franchise, those guys are for the future, they need immediate help.. I see them making a few splashes.
And Paul 2— if you recall last year you said the eagles would not make any big signings maybe 2nd tier guys haha hilarious.
Am I missing someting on all this Mario Williams talk and speculation? Does anyone think that the Texans would even CONSIDER letting this guy walk in free agency?
They did sign a lot of players last year which I did not expect and how did this end up working out… I really don’t see them being aggressive in Free-Agency and definitely not DE Williams when they already Cole,Babin,Graham,Tapp and hunt)
Safety LeRon Landry has missed way too many games the last 2-3 Seasons to be a serious player to pursue with knee,achilles injuries..
I see going after LB in free-agency and maybe a WR depeding on the D-JAx situation and a back-up RB
Paulman’s List of likely Players the Eagles sign in Free-Agency
On Defense
LB – David Hawthorne from Seahawks
Jo-Lonn Dunbar from the Saints
Dan Conner from the Panthers
Ahmad Brooks from the 49ers
Barrett Rudd from the Titans
( I can see the Eagles signing 1 or maybe 2 from this list, all these players have played MLB/ILB and OLB and the Eagles love that versatility)
Secondary – No Safety or CB pursued or signed
Def/Line – DT Jason Jones from the Titans (Played under Washburn)
Offense
QB – Trent Edwards gets signed within the next 2 weeks or so and will compete with Kafka as the back-up #2 QB
RB – Ryan Grant (Packers) or Justin Forsett (Seahawks)
FB – Jerome Felton (Panthers) or Jacob Hester (SD Chargers)
WR – Robert Meachem (Saints) or Plaxico Burress (Jets) or Braylon Edwards (released by 49ers in early December)
OL – Ryan Diem or Jamey Richards from Colts (only if Eagles don’t resign LG Evan Mathis)
This about how I see the Eagles pursuing Free-Agency this off-Season
If the Eagles end up Franchising D-Jax, and resign LG Evan Mathis, and then give RB McCoy an extension, which most expect they will not go out and spend big $$$ on bringing in Free-Agent players..With Coach AR’s back to the wall, and the way they finished the Season, they will go to battle with who they have and add 3-4 players for depth purposes (outside of a LB or 2) and then focus on the Draft… I just don’t see big splashes this off-season as all and Coach AR and the Eagles FO keep a low profile..
btc–the texan dont have enough money to franchise that man. Mario made 18 mil this past year and if they franchise him his tag would be in the 20 millions and they already have DEs and OLBs that are pass rushers so hes gonna walk.. So Mario will hit the open market..
To Btc24
The Texans front 7 is loaded with a lot of young talent and to be honest,
they really don’t need MArio WIlliams and played the final 12 games without him in 2012 and still led the NFL in total yardage given up..
The have invested high Draft picks in their Front 7 and with DE JJ Watt, C Barwin, LB B Reed, D Ryans, B Cushing that are only going to get better playing for DC W Phillips..
I think the Texans would love to have Williams back, but I don’t beleive they will break the bank and pay crazy $$$ to do so and will come down whether Williams wants to stay with a good young team with a scheme that will allow him to put up monster #’s (Similar to DeMarcus Ware) or does Mario want to go for the big bucks and go back to playing DE (which is what many think that he will do..)
Potential Suitors are Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers (WIlliams is from NC) word is that Panther HC Rivera is really set on obtaining him to help turn around the Panther Defense and put him back at DE in a 4-3 Scheme and play opposite DE Charles Johnson giving the Panthers bookend DE’s for the next 4-5-6 Years..
Correction, Texans Defense without Mario WIlliams for the last 12 games, was actually ranked #2 (behind the Steelers) as far as total yards given up..
Paul– you named almost every LB of course you may hit on one of them…other than that your list changes everyday..
Yes McCoy gets a new deal, DJax may get franchised but idt the birds want to pay him top 5 money so they may not franchise him, it could go either way. Yes they sign Evan mathis who is a priority to sign this year.. But dont think money is the issue because it isnt. The birds can free up money to sign anyone they want. I threw Landrys name out there of a guy who could impact the safety core but i think they stick wit there current guys and may add 1 there through the draft in later rounds… But Mario Williams would be a huge priority if i was the eagles, the same way Nnamdi was a priority last year (That too I called a year ago so im not blowing smoke people). If they add him then they dont need to add any LBs, look at how poor the giants LBs are but they have a ferocious Dline and aggressive CB core…
To JH
There are about 40/50 Free-Agent LB’s out there
I narrowed it down to about 5-6 which I think the EAgles will sign one or 2 of them..
You keep saying Mario Williams, (Which isn’t going to happen)
but if it did, where do you play him..
Nnamdi was a bad signing in my opinion.. They negelected SAfety/LB last year once they signed Asmo when they really didn’t need him and he played no better than Dmitri Paterson the year before if you ask me.. a huge disappointment if you ask me
I can’t wait until draft day….Look at the blockbuster draft we had with the 27 year old rookie enforcer by the name of Danny Watkins! “DANNY BOY!
The Eagles scouts are head and shoulders above the rest of the league in the drafting department so this year look for a smashing draft.
Right now I’m going through the players who are Mormons, Paramedics, and good character mascot guys who played in the Navy, to get a jump on everyone who might think the Eagles will actually draft a player they actually need.
A real Character guy.
“green vomit”
I think the EAgles Trade both their 2 Round Picks to the Patriots for their 1st Round Pick (#31 Overll) and Select 28 Year Old QB Brandon Weeden from Oklahoma St..
You can put him in a variety of poisition all over the DLine including DT where he would be one of the best in the game.. Id rather have him where Babin is.. That DLine would be interchangable.. They would have so much flexibility.. He could also be on a OLB if need be in certain schemes rushing from there if need be similar to what babin was doing for us.. the options are numerous..
Paul– the entire secondary struggled, heck the whole defense did, you cant judge a guy off one year in a system that the entire defense struggled to pick up, dont single out nnamdi when the whole cb core looked bad all year including Asante whos been on this team… it was rough to watch… But towards the end of the year they looked much improved after picking the defense up.. unfortunetely it took the whole year…
CB Carlos Rodgers went from playing 6 Seasons with the Rdksins and went to the 49ers with new Coaches and Teammates and had a Pro-Bowl Season..
I stated last year and stand by it, CB Carlos Rogers was the CB to sign last year or hell, even Richard MArshall had a better season than Asmo
Asn yes, you are right about the Denfense struggling the first half season and the who team and coaches for that matter, but for Asmo to get a free-pass is BS, he was the most disappointing player on Defense hands down, as was Vick and D-Jax on Offense.. When your Top 3 Stars of the Team all underperform, it’s pretty difficult to expect the Team to be any good..
1 last thing unrelated, the Cowboys have zero interest in MLB Burfict (They have S Lee, Bruce Carter (a 2nd Round pick from last Draft) and veteran Bradie James all to play the Inside on Defense
There issues and weaknesses are at CB/Safety and DE on Defense
on Mario WIlliams
It took DC Castillo a 1/2 a season to figure out how to best utilitze his best players on Defense as it is.. It’s very unlikely the Eagles are going to bring in another Defender where Castillo has to figure on how to use .. Just don’t see it happening.. A MLB will be brought in and possible a SAM LB as well and maybe a DT and that’s about it….
Paul im not giving dude a pass im just stating the obvious. The entire defense struggled. There were no positions where we can say “oh there set there, they really look good there”. Even on the defensive line they look good getting all those sacks but they too had major holes, one being there inability to stop the run consistently. So noonje here is exempt. We cant compare 49ers being that its obvious there coaches had a more sound system and they all were on the same page where with the birds there was a power struggle between washburn and castilo, it wasnt hard to tell, being that the LBs were not in sync with the Dline at all for the majority of the year.. Thats the coaches fault trying to create the wheel in a shortened off season..
And Paul, Bradie James is 31 and didnt look very good last year and the cowboys may be looking to go young all along that LB core so they can all grow together, i see them certainly targeting CB for they will not keep Terrance Newman who looked terrible last year, and also safety.. but they will get a LB, specifically a MLB most likely Burfict if hes still there going into the 2nd round..
Cowboys has holes in their Defensive Secondary and O/Line and will not draft
the ILB Position where they invest 2nd RD Selections the last 2 Seasons
in Bruce Carter and Sean Lee.. What don’t you understand about this ….
K Brookings is a goner and Brady James becomes back-up to Lee & Carter
The same problems that plagued the eagles last year i dont see being a problem this year for they will try in all there power to correct there mistakes but we ll see how it goes..I think Juan wont have the same issues with adjustments like he did last year, he has alot of pressure on him this year being that they brought in Todd Bowles so if juan has a few slip ups hes going to be out of the DC position and todd bowles will be promoted. But that DLine came together by the end of the year and dont forget Washburn is coming back for his second year so believe me he could have Williams with 20 plus sacks in this defense, and thats no exaggeration.. So dont be so quick to think juan wont be able to figure it out this year when he has so much help in todd bowles, washburn and others to assist in running this defense…
back on Asmo,
He’s your biggest free-agent acquistion in yeras and he looked lost and it was schmeatic, it was his inability to make plays on the ball while in the air,
it was his poor tackling, mis timing his jumps and poor coveraged in the Red-Zone.. He has a very good game that Sunday night game versus the Cowboys where he was agressive and not thinking and just playing.. But he look mediocre most of the Season to me
From the Great Players, come Great Expectations and he offered little payback during his 1st Season with the Eagles anyway you waat to slice and dice it.. He will need to step it up big time in 2012
Either the Cowboys, Giants, Ravens, Lions, eagles will draft Vontaze Burfict..
SHould have said, most of his issues were not schematic and rather the poor play on his part not knowing where the ball is in relation to where the receiver is..
He has a very bad habit of turning his back to the QB, how can you make plays when you don’t see the ball, the flight of the ball, the arc,the speed of the throw,etc,etc.. HE plays way too much with his back to the QB and the good ones will carve you up running down the field like that..
I can see Ravens/Giants at the end of the 1st Round being a possibilty
I thnk Ravens take Hightower 1st who should stil be on the board..
Giants I could see taking the best OL on the board for they really need some help along their OL and it amazing to me that another Super Bowl winner wins the Championship while having an Average OL.. (The Packers last year, the Steelers before that…)
Early in the 2nd Round, teams like the Vikings may be interested,after that, he may drop to the mid/late 2nd Round since many of those teams have good MLB already..
pman- about Asmo… i agree b ut i feel strongly that once we put him back where he belongs, on the outside, he will be fine. Juan tried to turn him into something he is not. Put DRC on the fast guy who’s trying to stretch the field and Asmo on the all aroud best WR and we will be fine.
I think he will improve no doubt Stevo for he can only get better from last seasons performance, but many times when he made the poor plays on the ball and receiver that I saw is when he was on the outside and down the field in particularly, he just apepars that he can’t back-pedal and turn with the Receivers well enough to stay with them on deep routes.. Very disappointed in his overall “coverage skills” and from what I saw and watched has not to do with Schemes and calls from the COaches, it’s about having that natural timing of knowing where the ball is, and making plays on it based on flight trajectory of the pass in relation to where the receiver is and he stuck at this very critical part of the playing CB in my opinion..
Paul its so tough to point Asomugha out when our other 2 probowl corners struggled in DRC and Samuels.. this entire defense was trash all year, they couldnt make any tackles and the entire defense was out of position on just about every play…
Samuel is no longer a Pro-Bowl Caliber CB and hasn’t been since about 2009.. DCR was misplaced all season long until he replaced Samuel the last couple weeks of the Season when Samuel was injured and the entire Secondary began to play better (albeit versus pretty inferior QB’s & Offenses)
Asmo was to be the “Stud” the absolute “Shut-Down Corner” that everyone raved about and he clearly wasn’t (except for that 1 game versus the Cowboys that Halloween Weekend Sunday Night Game)
We use the word probowl corners bc all 3 were probowlers.. but im still not going to put it all on nnamdi when you have coaches that dont know there right from there left, yes nnamdi had bad games but the entire secondary struggled all year long.. it was a very frustrating year.. i expect a much much improved secondary this year for they will have had a full yr together and now a full off season/training camp together.. if we add a stud DT/DE it will only improve the cbs/s positions