The Giants have proven that a great pass rush can cover up deficiencies in other areas of your defense. The Eagles are planning on that being true.
They had a good pass rush a year ago, now they’ve improved it with the addition of Fletcher Cox and Vinny Curry. They’ve also improved their linebacking corps with the addition of DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks.
The cornerbacks should be up to speed with Nmandi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. They’ll have Joselio Hanson or Brandon Boykin in the slot.
The big question marks in the secondary are the safeties, Nate Allen, Jaiquawn Jarrett, Kurt Coleman and Colt Anderson, who is rehabbing from a . Any time these guys make a mistake, it could mean six points for the other team.
“We’re excited about our group of safeties,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman told a group of media members yesterday. “I don’t think we need someone with more experience. We feel very comfortable with our group.”
Allen should be fine versus the pass, but he’s got to do a better job of open field tackling. He also can’t make the mistake of biting on dive fakes like he did against the Patriots. I do like his smarts, speed and his ball skills, which are very vital to a safety along with sure tackling.
Jarrett has a lot to prove. I’m going to be watching him very closely when the Birds start their off season practices and during training camp. This is a huge off season and year for him.
Coleman is a good backup and can fill in for a few games, but he has trouble at times when teams can game plan for him and get him isolated.
I think Allen looks like his 10′ self this year.And Coleman isnt afraid to put his nose into a pile. Plus theres improved backers in front of them so that’s a bonus.
Heres how i see the starting d. Cole/Jenks/Cox/Babin…Rolle/Ryans/Kendrycks….Nam/DC/Allen/Coleman..Jose in the slot….
Paul..reading your comments to the side here…Eagles recievers are pretty close to elite.Saying there not anywhere close to elite sounds pretty suspect.Maclin could be a #1 for a few teams.Jax blows coverages…Avant and new guys….gimme a break man.Mountain air…lol.
D-Jax & Maclin are #2 WR’s at most and not True #1..
( I don’t think you could put either one in the same company as a Larry Fitz,
Charles Johnson,Andre Johnson, Greg Jennings, Vince Jackson, Steve Smith (Panthers) Roddy White, D Bowe,M Colston, H Nicks,B Marshall, Sidney Rice (when Healthy) or with the up and coming WR’s like V Cruz,M Wallace.. but this is just one Football Fan’s opinion and that’s ok for the Eagles System does not need a true #1 WR since they spread the ball, but they still need 2 more reliable tagets, preferably 1 with size and 1 who can work the slot and can take the hits but still have sppeed and moves to make some plays I don’t think Avant,Cooper or Hall have been productive enough
Avant is a good #3/#4 WR and Cooper & Hall would struggle to make most Teams Roster… Sorry E-Rock, that’s How I see it…
And I still think that the Eagles should move LB Keenan Clayton to Safety
He was an All-Texas State Safety in High School Days and was recruited as a Safety by OKlahoma who then converted him to OLB.. His natural weight is about 220lbs , I think he has a better shot of making the Team as Safety then at OLB and could plug in that “down in the box” player that the EAgles need and still has the Speed and Atleticism to cover TE’s, the middle of the field area..
No need to apoliogize for your opinion. That indicates wrong doing.Its cool brosiff. Im still calling this core elite. Based on the #’s and the fact that Shady gives em help by softening d’s up. Good argument to have considering it means we’re no longer talking about Thrash Stinkston and Nae Brown.
Isnt this the same exact thing they did last year only with the linebackers? I cant understand why they would even take the chance with this same group after all they just did with the rest of the D, if your gonna overhaul or upgrade why stop? you improved your D-Line and Linebackers, last i checked, the Safetys were part of the D too.
No Andrep P it is not even remotely close –
Last year the team had a new DC, a new defensive system, 2 new starters on the D line (babin and Jenkins) , a lock out which restricted OTAs and shortened camp…. oh and a 4rth round – you already know the deal with Chenay and Rolle so why go there –
compare that with a FULL offseason with all the safeties ALREADY having at least a year (ICO Coleman and Allen) it will NOT be the first year in the Wide 9, it will NOT be the DCs first year – the team has also settled on using 2 corners in press.
Oh – and the safeties will now be playing behind a beefed up DL and the same linebacker core that should by default be a year better AND added a veteran former Pro Bowler in Ryans and spent a 2nd round DP on an LB that is fast and likes to hit
so…. no – I don;t see any similarities at all in the situation?
as for upgrade – why stop – I would love to see the eagles sign – sign a vet like Y Bell for the competition –
but again – totaly diffferetn circumstances
Andrew – what moves would you rather they have done at this point at safety? Draft one of the prospects in what was considered a very very weak draft for safeties? What was out there in FA that still isn’t that you wished they had signed?
Pman – there are many folks that alsways make the comment ‘would struggle to make another teams roster’
I disagree with that – many former players from the birds end up on other teams rosters.. I noted when I was looking at the safety issue – many former eagles (Considine, Demps, JR Reed, Lejune and one or two more) ended up on other teams rosters…
I think that line gets a little too much ‘free play’ – When I posted the note about the eagles draft successes over the last five years – one of the categories was ‘players still active in the NFL’ and the eagles had more drafted players ‘Active in the NFL’ then the giants, steelers, ravens and pats, with the same number fo players drafted and a similar number of players remaining on the team….
I think the folks in Philly tend to have an extrememly negative view of players – take Bunkley for example – and the rest of the NFL just does not agree – ranked #1 DT against the run last year and just got a big Contract with the saints who needed to build up run D –
Very few people have the depth of knowledge to knwo what the #5 WR and special teams situation is for the Cardinals or the Texans to know if they would be interested in a Cooper or Hall – not sure if they should make the eagles or not becuase I haven’t seen McNutt play – but Hall was here becuase he was a jack of all trades and that Boykin looks like a bigger better faster version of the jack of all trades
Besides Barren there was no real Safeties out there. Drafting 2 safeties the last 2 years in the 2nd round is enough. The Eagles had to deal with a front line of Mike Patterson and Bunkley for several years so it was time for a change. Its nearly.. No its impossible for a team to address every need in one off season it just doesn’t happen.
Paul your right its one fans view point. But come on man,, as far as total WR core there is maybe only four other in the entire league as collectively potent as our core. Now do you mean to say that the Pack could not strike fear with DJax, or even the Saints. Maclin would be a top WR on 25 teams in the NFL.
Now thats my view! Stop hating you named damn near every starter in the league (kidding). I think your views are your views becasue you are viewing Philly players.
I bet that if Wallace, and Colston were here instead of DJax and Mac you would have latter two listed in your narrative above, and Wallace and Colston would be the subjects of your #2ism and would not make your list above becasue “Ta Da” they are Eagles!
You have great insights and you know the game, but dude you do tend to drift a bit and go carnal against the Eagles just for the sport of it.So I am not buying your voodoo on our WR core. We still Gcobb site buddies though. Peace!
As always “LONG LIVE THE EAGLES”
I am not stating that D-Jax or Maclin does not strike fear, but as a Defense I would be worried more about Teams that have those True #1’s who can catch 8-10-12 passes a game and tear you apart all game long like a Megatron,Fitz,Andre Johnson,Vince Jax,Greg Jennings,H Nicks,R White,and soon to be AJ Green, Julio Jones, and epsecially once close to the Red-Zone where D-JAx is basically useless due to his size and the smaller field
As I have stated, I like what d-JAx/MAclin bring to the table as weapons, but the #3/#4 & #5 WR spot are very medicore as a group (2010/2011) and this is just my view as an Football Fans that needs upgrading and I look forward to seeing McNutt and the others they signed after the Draft …
To Navy,
1 player I thought the Eagles gave up on too soon was Safety Q Demps,
I think he’s turned out to be a decnt player.. He’s a playmake and defends the pass well and can contribute on Special Teams.. That was one release from the Eagles that was not very well thought out in my opinion..
Yeah Pman – he had a decent year with a really strong TExan Defense..
But I see this mentality with all the young LBs, the young safeties.. I understang getting better.. challenging people (like I am looking forward to the Hansen Boykin slot CB battle….) but this constant need to take evrything eagles and make it ‘negative’
l
Paul/Navy you guys are right on Demps.
But I remember the clamour that was on this very site from some that wanted him gone.
yeah mono – that was kind of the point I was making…. Bunkley is another one –
I understand why the traded him – he was a two gap run stuffer and the team was going to a system of DTs that rush the QB – he had a really good year in Denver and then got a nice deal with NO – and people act like he sucked –
I still think Bunkley would have flourished under Wasahburn’s Tuteledge and it’s unfortunate that he never really got the chance with the lockout last off-seasons and the then was traded the first week of SUmmer Camp after they signed Cullen Jenkins.. Watch Bunkley have a strong season under Saints DC Spags… I always liked Bunkley’s game more than Patterson..
G:
I have always seen Bunkley as a NT. Have you ever seen him up close? He’s massive. With what he’s carrying I didn’t see much movement up field, but I did like his game. I’m curious to see how Spagnuolo uses him, and how often.
Bunkley I think was an NT at FSU… Tommy Lawler had some great stuff on how he seemed to do well inder JJ and the line coach before – but regressed under McDermot and seagrist,,
water under the bridge….
if mcdermott and seagrist were so bad then why did they replace the entire starting lineup except Trent Cole
If Jaquan Jarrett can’t beat out Nate Allen or Kurt Coleman than he can’t play – much like Freddie Mitchell inability to start ahead of below average James Thrash and Todd Pinkston
Some good points GC. I remember coming on here months ago and saying the Eagles will not address the safety position this off season bc they feel that there good there. Nate Allen was coming back from a season ending injury but showed alot of promise and that burst towards the end of the year. He started packing a punch too which was good to see, he began to forget about the injury and started playing off instincts and guts which was great to see. Coleman did a fine job last year, remember hes young so he may make some mistakes but this year he has to be flawless, no more lapse in coverage or defensive breakdowns, the same goes for concrete feet J Jarrett who is in a make or break year and has alot to prove. There are alot of Colt Andersons and nor did they spend a 2nd rounder on him, hes a good special teamer though.. But like i said they feel that theyre good at safety and have a young core who will only flourish under the new DB coach Todd Bowles.
I really hope JJ surprises me and everyone else this year and takes the safety position by the throat and just kills it on the field…i don’t think it will happen but I’m hoping I’m wrong and he gives us the value that you expect in a high 2nd round pick. Coleman to me will be average safety on his best days during his career but as a 7th round pick I think that is more than enough quality you could ask for in a 7th round pick…saying that tho doesn’t mean he should be a starter on your team if your planning on winning a Superbowl. a 3rd safety/back-up sure but not a starter since he will get exposed by the best QBs/talent…Allen to me can be serviceable. I don’t think he will ever be a top safety in the league but I think you can win with him as long as he has a superior talent playing next to him…kinda like a mikell. That is why I wanted Barron more than everybody from day 1 but since he went so damn high I can’t bag on the birds FO for not getting him and they picked probably the best player that was available left in the crop in F. Cox..
IMO i think the safety play will be an issue again this season. They were completely exposed against the better QBs in the league and well if you plan to go to the playoffs and be successful thats who you are going to have to beat. After seeing what Brady did to them, they were lucky they didn’t have to play Brees or a Rogers. But again obviously you will if you go to the playoffs..The whole thing about them playing better at the end of the year thing is a joke to me…I mean is it possible to look any worst than they did in the beginning of the year? Thats like your kid bring home straight Ds after getting straight Fs for the first half of the school year…
Further, if you go back and watch the last couple of games including week 17 against the redskins they were still getting beat by nothing but average WRs on the regular but the Qbs were so bad they couldn’t get them the ball…and that was only week 17 folks..
I think the Birds will improve no doubt…but I think the safety position will just be one of our downfalls again this upcoming season IMO…
At least there is supposedly a good crop of safeties coming out next year. If Kendricks/Ryans plan out and Cox/Curry do as well the Eagles could have the liberty of finally drafting a safety in the 1st instead of having to retool the Dline coprs because of underperforming prior bad picks
TJ McDonald USC
Eric Reid LSU
Robert Lester ALabama
MAtt Elam Florida
Ray Ray Armstrong Miami
Some guys to watch this upcoming college football season that should all be high draft picks next year
Tyrann Mathieu will also be a wild car when it comes to the NFL level…Dude just straight up makes big play after play but his height will be an issue…I think Bob Sanders was pretty short tho too. probably around the same height and he was DPOY
Kurt Coleman is the best safety on the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster —- he doesn’t get run over, hurt, or schooled by Larry Fitzgerald
.
the competition to start at the other safety spot is between:
Nate( got this from songs TRUCKED OVER ) Allen
and Jaquan ( got this from Jon Hart CONCRETE FEET) Jarret.
Pheags, but if you’re correct that overall the team improves, let’s give them two more wins than last year – one for a better front 7 and kick returner, and one for 66% less fumbles. That’s factoring in 0 vick improvement. Notice, i’m being conservative here, that right there is a game better than the superbowl champs for record. Ok, so in your scenario, where the safeties don’t improve at all from last year but do the same, we will then be in the playoffs with our safeties rounding into form when it matters most.
I will take getting into the playoffs with the defense playing their best football late in the season. It worked for NY LAST YEAR! And we have more talent
Like Navy & I have been saying for weeks now, this whole situation can be nipped in the butt, if they JUST SiGN YEREMIAH BELL! Sign him for a year, so he can help the young core grow, by teaching them how to be a solid-good NFL Safeties, with his leadership & good all around play. Yes, he is a little long in the tooth, but still a pretty good SS against the run & pass. Jarred Page HE IS NOT!!! OH BTW, we have his X-coach Bowles here now. It’s a no brainer.
Schiller, I hope you end up being correct when it comes to the Eagles being capable of doing what NY did last year. However in reality i think you are being oblivious to what exactly you saw last year in this Birds team.
WHen I say the Birds will improve no doubt I meant statistically they will improve somewhere. Vick should hopefully throw less int, less fumbles, better red zone & etc…However don’t just foolishly think this automatically adds more wins from last year basically because were not playing those same teams from last year. The eagles had 1 WIN (NY) against a team that finished with a winning record last year…1 freaking win. PATHETIC…evidence shows they could not hang with the good teams in the league. Next year they play 8 games against teams that finished with winning records and went to the playoffs…much tougher schedule. So they could easily have better stats somewhere but have an 8-8 season or even worst since the competition will be better. The Birds were also extremely lucky last year when it came to injuries. Im guessing by the nature of football that won’t probably happen again. They already got hit hard in that aspect and training camp hasn’t even started.
If the Birds end up making the playoffs this year I just think the safety play will be one of our major downfalls. I have no confidence in their abilities based upon what I saw (even in the last 4 games) that they would be able to hold against some of the QBs/WRS/TE in the NFC alone. Again I didn’t see the miraculous improvement many claim they saw in that group. Sure anybody can say they “improved” based upon the fact that I don’t think it was possible for them to play any worst then they were playing early. Great you went from an F to a D. Awesome.
Bowles? sure he sounds like a good coach. IS he a god that can do make miracles happen? prollly not.
BUt again man I hope you are correct and they show up this year and play well because I don’t believe you can win a SB without quality safeties(esp in an NFl where TEs are becoming the most dominate force in the game). However my point is I just think we will be sitting here again next offseason still talking about if Allen, JJ, Coleman can play. And hoping they draft safety in 1st round this time again
I think the Eagle safeties are serviceable. The problem,as I see it, is if and when one of them gets hurt? Then what?
servicable?
“2” 2nd round picks to have them be serviceable?
Man, we need to really address this Safety problem now.
Don’t be surprised to see Keenan Clayton get some work/reps at Safety
and possibly Free-Agent Melvin Bullitt come in….
Paul, you’ve made your point clear on Clayton. Broken record player…I guess with the draft past us, you’re out of things to throw at the wall to see if it sticks…
schill…fans are looking into any solutions outside of what we’ve seen out of our safeties….there’s a good chance these guys at Safety will suck this year.
We need some ballers at the position….not serviceable..
I’ll take both the Giants Safeties over ours.
Songs, that’s fine. I’d like to see them sign Bell, or Otagwe, or someone else. But I’d also be ok if they don’t. There are many factors, and I’ve stated them before – health, more development (oh that word jake hates….), new/different coaching, and better players around them – that can lead to these safeties we have making big improvements in their play. It’s also possible that they don’t improve.
But the answer isn’t always new players. The defensive scheme is still taking shape, and the D works as a whole, not in isolation. Despite your insistance otherwise, the changes around the safties WILL influence their roles/ability to play better. If in fact Cox plays well. If in fact Washburn continues to develop the DL. If Curry works out. If Kendricks pans out. If Ryans plays well. If Rolle/Cheney continue to develop and benefit from Ryans being a team leader/mlb “QB of the d”, if having two true press corners pairs well with the wide9, THEN IT INCREASES THE CHANCES THAT ALLEN, COLEMAN, AND/OR JARRET PLAY BETTER. GREAT INCREASES THOSE CHANCES.
Songs – clearly you are a very ignorant man – just full of hate and anger…
notice the difference between these two statement:
Navy: (as I have stated many times) I would like to see the Eagles bring in a veteran FA like Y Bell to provide cometition going into and through camp
Songs (aka ignorant asshole) Our Safeties are ass, they suck, they will (a statement that implies you now the future) get targeted (showing you are clueless) on draws, screens and slants, I would rther have the Ginats safeties then ours (are we somehow allowed to kidnap the safeties off the giants?) Hell Vinnie would rather have New Orleans QB… and people seem quite miffed when he points out the ‘lacking’ in Vick’s game..
But notice the difference in the two statements –
both say basically the same perspective – lets get another safety in here –
one sounds like a fan perspective – I would liek the team to get better
the other sounds like a bitter asshole that doesn;t know JACK SHIT yet keeps posting as if he has a clue what’s going on….
So advice (take notes bonehead) quit being a bitch.. we all can look at the roster, we can all see the changes the team has and has not made..
there is also a very good chance the safeties will not suck – as you are wrong about 99% of the time… paste it
times yours
Wonder if Vontaze Burfict can play Safety for Songs..
Not to wish ill will on anyone, but Ravens LB Terrell SUggs annouced a little bit ago that he partially tore his Achilles Muscle during his off-season program at home (similar to Jason Peters injury), he expects to return by the middle of the Season but will miss the first 6 weeks for sure… Ther Eagles face the Ravens in Week #2 of the Season..
Ryan Howard, Jason Peters, and now Terrell Suggs — does anyone know of a successful recovery from this injury to lift my hope for the 2 local super stars
Their recovery should be fine but they will probably never be 100% of what they used to at least their 1st Year Back.. Howard generates a lot of his power from his legs and of couse Jason Peters relies on his quick movements front,back,laterally which will probably be affected somewaht due to this injury and make it more difficult for him to be able to stay in front of defenders as easily as he used..