Rookie Brian Rolle has to be the starting Will linebacker this week against the 49ers in place of Casey Matthews. The Birds have given Matthews every chance in the world, but he’s not ready to do the job. He may be able to grow into the job, but I can’t tell you right now that I’m sure he can start in this league.
It made no sense to me that the Birds made his the starter at Will linebacker after they took his starting middle linebacker job. Why would they start him at Will when he had been taking any reps at that position?
I think they did him a disservice by putting him in that position. It’s one of the reasons that Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride took advantage of him on that wheel route to Brandon Jacobs.
When asked whether Matthews was going to start this week, Reid replied, “You know what, I’m not even there with this, and really I’m probably not going to go there with you on it.”
Notice that Reid didn’t say Matthews was going to start and he didn’t say he wasn’t going to start. I think they have to be feeling a great deal of pressure get somebody out there at Will linebacker who won’t be a target for the other team’s offense.
Rolle made a number of good plays yesterday. They tried that wheel route against Rolle that went for a touchdown to Jacobs when he ran it on Matthews, but Rolle ran step for step with Henry Hynoski and knocked the pass down.
He also did a decent job on one of the Giants tight ends, when they tried to go after him on a fourth down play. 
He did a nice job on a nickel pass rush by rushing on Eli Manning when the guy who was supposed to block him, Ahmad Bradshaw, helped on Trent Cole. It was a smart play and showed us that he may have the smarts and field awareness to be a starter.
Matthews was put in a tough position when he given the starting middle linebacker job at the start of training camp. If the Birds had made Rolle a starter when he got here, we might be begging them to sit him down, right now.
I don’t think it’s a wise move to have young players try to grow up too fast. I think the best method is to let the players play dictate when he should be given the starting job.
They can take Casey Matthews and the wide nine and give them back wherever they got them from. Lets play some defense please.
They bence Kurt Coleman foe a non tackle but don’t bence Matthews for being 10 yards behind on a touchdown play. Juan Cheerleader so far is a failure at defensive coordinator and reid is a failure at putting together a tough defense that can make tackles. They seen clueless and caught up in the star power while forgetting the basics. This defense has no chemistry and no leader. Asante being your second highest tackler is a joke.
Look at the LB Roster whenm Camp Starterd G
Fokou, Jordan, Jeantry, Chaney,Clayton,then Draft picks Matthews,Rolle and Lloyd…
I consider myself to have a pretty good eye for talent who can play in the NFl and following the sport for some 35 Years. If this is not the weakest LB Corps in the entire NFL, then I don’t know football…Seriously, who out of this bunch is a Starter on any other team in the NFL… I think Chaney/Jordan/Fokou are all back-up and Special Teams players, I thnik ROlle has potential but again as a back-up and Special Teamer and I am not so sure that Clayton, MAtthews along with Lloyd and Jeanrty would make any Rosters around the NFL…
Take a look at any of the worst Defenses and Teams in the NFL.. Check out their LB Corps… The Bengals,the Jaguars, the Vikings, the Panthers,Seahawks,Chiefs,Browns,Dolphins,COwboys,Colts,etc,etc.. I would take any of their LB Corps over the Eagles in a heartbeat..
This has become embarrasing to have this overall lack of talent at a postion where DC COordinator J Castillo has hand-picked his players and has concentrated on coaching this Position to such poor results.. Castillo needs to be fired immediatley and Tim Hauck needs to be hired to take over as DC
(I think they will wait to the Bye week, but Juan is a goner)
I also believe that poster Jon Hart owes everyone an apology if he is to remain an active member on this site.. JH has been drinking the Matthews Kool-Aid since Pre-Draft, up thru SUmmer Camp and Preseason and even as of last week, he will still intoxicated with the stuff to the point that I was starting to get sick listenting to the excuses he was continuing to make for him.. JH needs to come back to reality and admit he was wrong and like 90% of the other regualr postiers were trying to tell him and even G-Man himself (who knows a little about LB) stated that he is simply is/was just not a NFL Caliber LB and is too slow, too small to be a Starter at this time of the development .. Jon Hart, this is your chance to man-up and apologize and admit you were way wrong about Casey Matthews, If you choose not to, which is your choice, then you will no longer be welcomed or respected as an active member on this site, the decision is your Jon Hart, what are you going to do…It happens, we all make mistakes, but real fans and real men come to realize when they are wrong and then decide to do the right thing, We are expecting you to step-up and do the right thing…
You need exceptional LB play to properly pull off the wide nine.
…and we aint got it.
fire KURT colman NOW@ ,, we are close, but not this year folks, so that being said, we will have what? 11 picks next year…we need two starters, a top 10 mlb and a safety out of the first round, that fucking it, maybe a o lineman , so ok three starting players… i would trade up with all my my picks to get up there and grab three all world players.
we would be spending the same amount, just on less players, fuck tryin to find a diamond in the rough. we cut 30 players, that we payed ,that adds up, I say f ..it, just add three from draft , maybe two more free agents , pay djax and give ALL REPS TO OUR STARTERS. what were doin now IS NOT WORKING, OUR PLAYER ARE BETTER THAN ARE PREDICTABLE OFFENSE, WE NEED TO KEEP ALL PLAYER AND ADD THESE PRO BOWL TYPE PLAYERS AND GET RID OF THE TRASH. WE REALLY CANT BE HAPPY UNTIL WE GO UP THERE AND KICK THERE ASSES
somebody point him towards the gym and the film room.
Philly has given Reid his chance also. It’s time for a change.
How many Super Bowl Coaches past and present devalue the linebacking corps
more than Reid and Company. Probably not one. The Eagles FO should be criminally charged with gross negligence. They are wearing blindfolds and ear plugs.
The Last team that comes to mind is probably the Indy Colts who have always gotten by with active,quick LB’s in their Cover 2 Schemes where the focus and strength has been the DE,CB and Safety Positions for their Defense (though MLB Garry Brackett has turned out to be a pretty solid player..)
Linebacker play was really bad yesturday – really bad. Gilbride and Manning outcoached/audibled our DC – not a good game all the way around – what is up with the giving up the big plays? Can we fix something in the red zone – either end of the field?
Saints and Colts were the two teams that did not place much value on LB corp that won SB.. they just wanted a D good enough to let the O outscore them –
How many times have we seen in the last two/three years a roll out in one direction with a long throwback in the opposite with a guy wide open – there wasn’t anyone near Jacobs – not even close – and yeah – lets trash Matthews again – but I think even Mr Cobb would admit – you have to step up to meet the RB on the playfake – but hit the guy and run with him, once he is by you you have no chance – notice how the O ran every D back off to give him that lane – got to appreciate the play design
Isn’t is amazing that other teams can take advantage of mis-matches like the
Giants did over the LB and like the Falcons over the SAfeties nad LBs but that the Eagles are slow to take advantahe of other teams weaknesses..
Both Coach AR/MM have one way of Coaching and it’ s pedal to the medal but I think a lot of times, they don;’t take into account other teams tendancies or who is lining up on the other team.. They (AR & MM) like to think they can outsmart the other team regardle of who that other team or who they are lining up against.. This Eagle Staff is highly over-rated
Yes and no – most of the time – the eagles O marches up and down the field – we can pass and we can run – the problem becomes the red zone – how many turnovers in the RZ in three games – how many trips – how many TDs.
The eagles used to have this bread and butter play – McNabb would roll right – Chad Lewis would block the end and release about 8 yards deep, Ritchie would lead block and head about 2 – 3 yards into EZ – McNabb had three choices – run, lewis or Ritchie –
I actually like the FB dive on first down – traps and counters, when you have 4 guys crouched down trying to blow up the line will not work – you simpley trip over bodies
It’s amazing to me that they benched their first round draft pick before the season even started, but for some odd reason they have this crazy loyalty to their fourth round pick who a blind, deaf-mute Tibetan monk who’s never seen a snap of pro football in his life would know can’t play. I seriously don’t understand how this team makes personnel decisions. Dice roll? Wheel of lineup?
FIRE REID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Navy you’re just a hater. You gotta give Matthews time.
Where’s fellow poster Jon Hart… I want to read his apology for falling in love with Casey before he even saw him take a snap at the NFL Level and who berated me for a month when I stated simply that Casey Matthews was in no way shape or for a Starting Claiber NFL LB and that he would only be a Back-up/Special Teamer for a Season or 2 .. and of course I was labeled a hate and negadelphia, I rather state what is reality with this club and it’s players and coaches and I have to admit, I bought into the hype myself about this team.. But as a analyze the Summer Camp/the Preseason and now the first month of the season, I really don’t think this team is much about a .500 Team and the NFc has gotten strong with more teams that have improved and if the EAgles don’t get on a strak starting with the 49ers, it won’t matter who the LB’s or Safeties are for there will be no postseason for this team.. .Does anyone honestly think that this team and with it’s coaches can play and hang with teams like the Packers,Saints Steelers,Patriots, Ravens, Jets and other improving teams like the Lions,BIlls,Redskins,TB Bucs ,Texans and Raiders then the usual tough teams like the Giants,Bears,Cowboys,Chargers
I seriously see this team in the Bottom 1/3 RD of the NFL with about 6-7 Wins in 2011. .what a wasted Season
The sad part is that out of all the college players I watch there are so many who at least bring the wood. We dont have 1 LB on this roster who can hit. We have undersized soft LB who cant hit or cover. Then you can go to the safties and its the same thing.
that is pretty negative Paulman…lets not get carried away with the rest of the league either…this team still has enough talent to bounce back despite some obvious holes, just like some of the leagues early season surprises will end up near .500…this coaching staff just needs to get their heads out of the sand, acknowledgent our weaknesses, and adjust
I had about 6-8 LB’s that I really liked and thought would be upgrades for the Eagles and that were all availalbe from the 3rd thru the 6th Rounds and instead we draft a couple of Reaches who can’t even make the Active Squad…
I had LB’s like Dontay Moch(Bengals), Martiz Wilson (Saints), Mason Foster (Bucs), KJ Wright (Seahawks), Kelvin Shepard (Bills) , Quan Sturdivant (Cardinals) all rated better that Casey Matthews for the short-term and the upside these other players bring to the field..
Sorry that I am being pessimistic Beth Bird Fan, and maybe if I knew the Eagles would make Coaching Changes from the Defensive Coordinator to the Head Coach, then maybe I would be more optimistic about this team and there is no doubt that the have a talented squad, but they are coached so poorly that the play below their abilities… It’s sad but true and has been happening for a few Seasons now…
RTB – wow – that is the first time I have ever been called that – is my light saber color going to change – and Matthews can have time – when the eagles are up by 14 late in the game he can get some reps – and I didn’t say Matthews played bad (but he did need to hit Jacobs to slow him you don’t let an RB run by you) I said the enitre LB core played bad. Did you here the announcer say quote – right here the eagles look like they have this play stopped – but they scored – I think a TD and the 2 pt conversion…..
How good is old ass London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh. How good would our defense look with them 2 old vets.
Damn….Schill have disappeared again huh?
I think a 49ers win put him in retirement
Reid has this years and next year to win a Super bowl…….so good luck, I really hope he does……
I really thought this kid would make a fuggin play at some point but after the Jacobs td(jus as all of ya did to your buddies)said…GET HIM THE F OFF THE FIELD NOW!!!
And then Rolle comes in and looks scrappy. Let him do his thing.Or heres anothe idea …start fuggin Jordan. Dude has made some plays and started!!!.
Im not down on this defense like others cause i think it gets fixed. And we lead the league in sacks and there all from the d-line.
They will not scrap it so stop sounding like a 12 year old playing Madden and come up with another solution.
Nmandi….make that pick…your ALLPRO….Cruz is a fuggin nobody. And dont give me that 2 td nobody.Hes a bum.
Dammit.
Well Mikes fine for now….they need to get a dub this weekend and all will be forgiven for that sh!tty mess they made on Sunday. Clean it up and jam it down the Niners throats. Enough of the cute stuff.
Andys been on the tread i think.
Juan cant make guys tackle.
Marty needs to step up and call a real red-zone series.Run,fade,run,toss…
FIRE REID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reid’s not going anywhere as long as he keeps winning the profit trophy for Jeff unless Reid decides he’s had enough of missing the mark with the Eagles and wants a resh start somewhere else so, get used to it.
i agree with Erock…why not start Jordan…at least he has some experience…Rolle may have better instincts than CM, but he could use some seasoning as well…let’s not get caught replacing one green, struggling, rookie LB with another green, rookie LB….then, we’ll act surprised if he struggles
Matthews need to grow into the position by being a backup. Any need to get it fixed.
I think casey matthews is adopted.Does not seem like he is a blood relative of his brother.
I think Casey Matthews is really Jon Hart…
This whole debacle been going on for years the one and only problem we need to fix is ar NOTHING will change till we change HIM! Need complete revamp everything this idiot has been allowed to do what he wants when he wants it and how without being held accountable tired of the press conferences and ” gotta to better job” and the cockiness with answers etc stop going to the games the way phillies fans did during ed wade era until they fixed the team and got ws see what they do then. Hit them where it hurts most in wallet DONT GO GAMES! We are the ones that are in control dont pay diddly squat to see this slob put this pathethic excuse for afootball team on fieldOne two seasons stick it out see what they do I refuse to go games and wath them I am strictly baseball phillies fan frig them!
I think one thing people are overlooking is how bad this years draft is as of right now, Our 1st round pick hasnt even sniffed the field, You would think the past 3 weeks he would of gotten better at practice and picked things up to the point where they would consider him but we havent heard a peep about him, As for our 2nd pick? Wheres this hard hitting saftey they were raving about? Your telling me this guy cant get on the field even after the safetys played as bad as they did? What is that telling us? Somethings wrong with this picture, I also think Banner has to explain to Reid the definition of insanity, I think Banner said it was doing the same thing over an expecting a different result, So what does Reid do? He fires an inexperience D-Coordinater and replaces him with an inexperience D-Coordinater, Somebody has to step up and pull the plug already on Reid, This isnt going anywhere.
I did not expect that much from the Rookies this season to be honest Andrew since there was no OTA’s and Really all these Rookies have been together since Late July (about 2 months now), most of them are struggling with both the Physical Part and of course learning the playbook and schemes so I will give all these Rookies until next Season to see how they are doing..
What I am pissed about is the Eagles Coaches and Front Office counting g on Rookies like Watkins,Matthews and Jarrett knowing there was a limited amount of Time to learn and to get physically ready for the NFL..Now the front Office made a move to get OG Devan to replace Watkins (probably only because of Mudd’s connection to him) but they have done nothing at the LB level and 2nd Year Safeties Coleman & Allen have appeared to taken a step back from their Rookie Seasons from last year with their play so far this year..
Reid was Mcnabb’s worst enemy and now is Vick’s. He always figured if he has a mobile qb he didn’t need to protect them either with a running game or elite o-line. Kobb was knocked out last year because the line sucked and now we still have the same problem! How will #7 last behind this putrid just put together oh it will do fucking o-line! The linebacker core is a joke! Super Bowl????????? All in????? lurie, banner and roseman…… bizness men, they don’t know football! They belong on wall street with all those stiffs. We neeeed to fix this team asap! Go trade that 2nd rder for an elite linebacker now fuckface! Fire castillo! I waited on tables in miami and in the offseason this couple i met told me a latin guy was on the phone begging the coach for the dc job! They said it was castillo! I’m frustrated and i’m pissed! Ok they signed some great players that excited all of us but left holes unplugged. Protecting Vick’s blind side should have been priority #1, instead they pick a fireman over aged guard, wtf! I’m worried this week that frank gore and v. davis will smoke us!
There is not one NFL quality LB, on this roster! NOT ONE!!! Reid can play musical LB all he wants, but it is too f^#@ing late, square peg in round hole Reid, too late!!!
Andrew P – that expression “definition of insanity”…..um, that’s NOT the definition of insanity. It’s actually not close to the definition of insanity. And Reid is doing things very differently this year so to use that against him is silly.
^^^You still have the guts to back & support that jack@$$!? You are nuts!!!
Yes D CAr – I will go back and support this guy – why? I want the Egales to win…… I want he team to do well……….. I want to win the division, the conference and the SB…………………… We have a game Sunday – you know what matters – the game Sunday, against the 49ers – not what happened 4 years ago, not what happened 6 years ago – not what happened last Sunday –
So yeah – I support the guy. How long will I support him, till he stops being the coach of the Eagles. Just like I supported McNabb till he ecame a Redskin, Just like I supported Dawkins till he became a Bronco, just like I supported Kolb till he became Cardinal, You know when I started liking Vince Young – when he became an Eagle – its called being a FAN.
Yes DCar I am nuts – a crazy, rabid, passion filled die hard, bleeding green eagle fan – you express your fan dom by telling everyone on this site how screwed up everything is for the eagles –
I express my fan dom by my unwavering support (note – during the season – in season, the day of and day after loses I will point out things that I think went wrong or who played poorly)
So let’s move on – see what happens in practice this week, and hope the team gets going inthe right direction. The Eagles are notorious slow starters, well know for solid strecth runs in Oct and Nov. angsting over the first 3 of 13 games – hey here’s a bright spot for you guys –
Eagles lose a few more games and you can all spend the last 8 weeks of the season screaming for Rieds head…..
DD, if you’re referring to me – who said I support him? I just said that that ‘insanity’ quote is very stupid. It’s overused and misleading.
@Navy, I respect what you said, & you coming on here to talk. I want the Birds to win & do well too, but the constant is Reid, & he needs to go! He has had 13 years, & things have not changed for the better. He’s had too much leeway, & it’s time for change! They are not going win a SB, until this staff & it’s terribly flawed, predictable, stubborn philosophy, are gone!
@schiller, my bad, I misunderstood your comments! But by the comment of he is doing things very differently, sounds like a typical Reid support comment! Maybe I’m wrong!? I don’t see any changes in the game plan, game day adjustments, draft philosophy, position ignorance, terrible talent evaluating, or his condescending attitude! The only difference this year, is they spent $$$, wrongly spent, but spent nonetheless!
Schiller, That quote is defintly not being misused or misunderstood, Banner said it and i know why he said it an why he was using it, The bottom line is this, Reid saw the writing on the wall last year with McDermott and turned around and did the same exact think, Sorry but thats INSANITY as far as this football team is concerned.
DCar – I agree some things are the same – playcalling/game adjustments – and they’re big issues. Very frustrating as a fan.
But MANY DRASTIC coaching changes – can you disagree? Much more free agents – you said it, it IS different/a change. When you say ‘position ignorance’ – dude, that’s the same for every team – really, it is. When was the last good Pats RB? The last good pats secondary? You can find week corps on every team every year.
And condescending attitude? If you mean towards the media – well, HELL YEAH – I WANT my coach to have that – the media SUCKS. If you mean anything else, please give me a concrete example. Reid HAS faults, but his attitude isn’t one of them in my book. He’s a friggin NFL coach, so if he thinks he’s in charge, well HE DAMN WELL IS.
@schiller, who made the drastic coaching staff changes!? That’s the point! Reid is responsible, for this pile of $#!t! His attitude IS horrible! Even though it is the media, they are an extention to us. He should have nothing to do with personnel moves! He is one of the worse game day coaches, that i’ve ever seen. He needs to be fired! NOW!!!!!
schiller, you educated derelict, “the media sucks”, without the media you wouldn’t be able to waste your employer’s wages invested in you and your cubicle whule you post away on this media outlet,
DCar – I mentioned the drastic coaching changes in the context of our conversation about nothing changing. Changes are change. Andy made them and if you think it’s reasonable to evalute a coach on 3 games, I say you sir are a moron.
See guys – I wached a brief bit of the Press conference (I was on the elliptical – I do not as a general rule watch press conferences because well duh – the coaches or players don’t say anything and if anything amusing actually happens – well hell – it gets played 90 million times – example – Vick sez the refs aren’t protecting me in the pocket) and I noticed, thought – saw, that Ried looked visibly different – dare we say upset? Pissed?
As for reporters – lets just say I am of the opinion reporters are to report the news – not go out and make news – how much more do you need to know then on 4rth and 1 he decided to go for it – why, he thoght he could get it, why – cause he did…….. then writing a story (philly.com ‘Ried act wearing thin’) that the coach won’t talk about what we all just watch happen..
Andrew P – the ‘adage’ about the definition of insanity is credited to many people – B Franklin A Einstein M Twain and the quote is frequently used in recovery programs……….. but you don’t want a history lesson –
The point is you are in fact using it wrong – you dont actually care about the doing the same thing over and over again – really you don’t. You care about the result – if the eagles win the super bowl this year you could give a rats rear end about Ried’s LBs or his play calling or everything else you don’t like – the complement to this is that again, you only care about the result – no matter what Ried does that is different – if he does not get the result you want, then no matter what he did, you are going to say he did the same thing –
so you are in fact, using the adage incorrectly –
but now I – if I may borrow from jakedog – the educated derelict – will ask you who is more insane – the fan that for years has been complaining about Ried, complaing about his play calling etc, and having nothing change (lets see – that would be doing hte same thing over and over and expecting a different result………) or the coach who has a goal and made MANY changes in the last two years… hmmmmmm
So what do we think of the 49ers?