Eagles veteran safety Quintin Mikell had nothing but good things to say about rookie safety Nate Allen, who will begin training camp at the other starting safety spot.
He’s the only rookie who is listed as a starter right now but that may change because number one pick Brandon Graham is expected to be named a starter before the season begins.
When the OTA’s started in late May, Allen was lining up as a backup but that changed because of an Achilles tendon injury to veteran defensive back Marlin Jackson.¬† Once Jackson went down the Birds worked Allen with first team for the remaining practices.
It forced Allen to learn the defense in a hurry and he did just that.¬† Mikell says that it has been Allen’s football intelligence, which has impressed him the most.
“He’s doing really good,” said Mikell.¬† “I’ve actually been pretty surprised at how quickly he’s gotten everything, even the terminology¬† He’s picked it up really quick.¬† He gets it.¬† Some guys it takes them awhile to get it.¬† It took me awhile. He’s actually asking good questions.¬† He wants to learn.¬† He wants to get better.”
Of course everything will be happening quicker when Allen shows up at training camp.¬† His knowledge and understanding of the defenses will be tested.¬† He’ll have to make the proper adjustments to various formations, motions and shifts.
Once the ball is snapped, Allen will be forced to cover speedy receivers and recognize the pass routes that they’re running, but the biggest thing the youngster will have to prove he can do in training camp is hit and tackle.
The toughness and tackling ability of the USF prospect has been questioned and he’ll have to prove to the Eagles coaches that he can make the plays.¬† That will mean tackling big running backs and tight ends in the open field, as well as wrapping up speedy wide receivers in the open field.
If Allen can bring the heat as a tackler, he should have no problem stepping in as a starter, but if he can’t tackle the big tough ball carriers in the league, it will make him a liability.¬† It will be one of the big questions of training camp.
I think Nate Allen will be a good cover Safety and a heady player and very similar to Q Mickell but will make more plays no the ball and come up with some INT’s. He does lack a Physical Prescence as does Mickell does giving the Eagles a very “light hitting” Safety Tandem.. But it is a passing game now
in the NFL which probably won’t hurt them much until Playoff time.. The tandem of Mickell/Allen will not scare anyone coming across the middle which is ok as long as they are making plays,breaking up passes and coming up with INT”s…
i think its hard as hell to be an eagle fan when be4 the season even starts u know u have no (0 zip nada zilch) shot at a sb this yr. i havent felt like this in maybe 8 or 9 yrs. its so sad knowing that if u just make the playoffs we r supposed to be happy for these guys. the part thats more sad is u eagle fans will do this lol. if they lose first round nxt yr u will say the team’s young kolb’s young its ok we had a good season. very sad organization this organization makes its fans fans of moral victories o kolb played good against the saints lmao i thought we had a legit shot at a chip like every yr the past 9 yrs sad 2 feel like we dont have a legit shot at the playoffs
To PhillyWill,
You never know until the Season is here.. Just about every team has issues…
Cowboys playing young unproven SAfety in Allan Ball, have unproven LT, have isses with Crayton,Barber
and Unhappy C Canty & M Austin all about Contract/playing time..
Giants have issues along LB corps, lost WR/KR D Hixon for the season, have some unrest with
DE Omiyura, and RB B Jacobs..
Redskins have a whole new offense but with age and players coming off injrues,(LT Brown,TE Cooley
RB Parker to name a few. They are converting a strong Defensive unit from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and still could use help at S and have an unhappy/distraction of A Haynesworth, disgruntled LB MCintosh who wanted a long-term contract and MLB L Fletcher trying to figure out where he plays in a 3-4..
This is going in all around the NFL… Jets have Revis, N Mangold unhappy, Chargers just lost a
Starting WR & OT due to contracts, All teams are having issues with on and off the field (Big Ben)
The Eagles meanwhile seem to be on a pretty good grove as far as talent,desire and good locker room
feel so far..
Pwill – it is NEVER hard to be an eagles fan….. NEVER. Enjoy the ride. Look at the ride the Saints fans got last year – from 8-8 to the SB.
Pman – read your notes on colleges in NC – thanks. It is going to be an interesting next three months.
Happy belated Fathers Day to you Dave and all the Dads out there,
What field of study is your son interested in..
Here comes the raincloud from Will of course. This team wouldn’t have any more shot to win the SB this year with McNabb than Kolb. Admit it so that we can all move on.
The defense will have to make huge strides and the development/usage of McCoy and Weaver are bigger issues than Kolb. He will be fine.
like i said the last 8 or 9 yrs we had hopes on a sb u guys have hopes of going over 500 pman ur not rude and i appreciated that so i wont be either but no need to try and sway my opinion. i dont like read ur post and go o thats it lmao like i said how does it feel already knowing u have no shot at a sb and u just want to be a wildcard and go home
then u guys will praise kolb and the birds for being great lmao thats y this franchise never won a sb its fans are ok with mediocrity
i agree bugsy u have bigger issues than the qb so y tf did we changem tf outta here now suffer wit ur bum ass eagles
the eagles winning the super bowl has absolutely nothing to do with fans at all.Thats all i will say b/c PhillyWill, your posts make zero sense and you can hardly speak the language.
The offense will be fine. The D should be much improved. The eagles will be in the hunt for the SB this year like every year for the last 9. Takes some luck – just look at some of the calls that went NO way in the NFC champ game.
Pm – thanks – history or criminal justice. very interested in Border Patrol – big issues out where we live.
its like i used to say wit ai
when ai was here we had a punchers chance in any game
same wit d5 we were like favorites like every dam game last yr even in half of our road games
i always felt like we could win any game and felt like we always had a shot at a chip
i always wondered what it felt like to be like a bengals fan or cle fan or even like a atlanta buffalo or houston fan knowing that if ur team overachieves and gives max effort u’ll be lucky to make the playoffs like knowing ur just watching for the sake of watching cause u know u have no chance
now i know
if this fanbase wouldnt support this mediocre team so hard then maybe management might say u know if we arent legit sb contenders then maybe we wont sell out every game this yr maybe our paraphanalia wont sell maybe maybe maybe but no they put out any trash and its like field of dreams u will come and u will say the dumbest shit like eagles r sb contenders this yr stfu u sound so stupid i see y other fans hate us so much eagles aint shit yet u have the audacity 2 say some dumb shit like that lmao
PhillyWIll,
DO you like History… Even recent History…
Look at the last 4-5 SUper Bol Contestants..
2010 – NO vs the Colts (did anyone predict NO as a SUper Bowl Contender)
2009 – PItts vs Arizona (did anyone predict Arizona as a Super Bowl Contender)
2008 – Giants vs Pats (did anyone predict the Giants as a Super Bowl Contender)
2007 – Bears vs Colts (did anyone predict the Bears as a Super Bowl Contender)
2006 – Pitts vs Seattle (did anyone predict the Seahawks as a Super Bowl Contender)
You probably have to go back to 2005 when the Eagles VS the Pats were 2 teams than many thought were legitimate SUper Bowl Contenders before the Season, and who actually got there and faced each other…
fair comment but still most of those teams while not many picked as sb teams were legit playoff teams preseason picked
and once again i said win sb u resort to ur philly moral vicory shit and name losers in the sb
now i realize ur point but still its the loser like i said this team has no shot of winning a sb none
now if ud like to make any wager on that im all ears i’ll give u my number im takin any and all bets on ur birds
and like i understand yall want 2 bleed green and all that but none of u actually think ur watching a sb contender this yr idc what yall say
lions cle hou (well hou is nice so cratch them) raiders tampa bay 49ers bills jacksonville congrats eagles fans have joined u on ur no chance for a sb quest
this team is pathetic. You mean to tell me the eagles used the pick they received for a franchise close to a HOF quarterback to draft a safety that can’t hit, in an attempt to replace a HOF safety (BDawk) that is one of best hitters to suit up? I hear some talking about superbowl….i’ll lay $1,000 cash to every $200 that this team does not make the playoffs. On top of that, I’ll lay 1,200 to every $400 that dallas beat the eagles twice. I’ll lay $4,000 to any $50 that this team does not make the superbowl. Who want to make a little scratch in a bad economy? Come on Navyeagle, you too Schill…Where’s your Eagles spirit? Mine is with the players that bled green and was disrespected after making this organization a billion dollar machine. put up or shut up!!!!!
PW-for someone who wants to limit how many posts a poster can post up here…you sure do post alot. SONGs, I believe the Redskins fansite is waiting for you to login.
yes there r days when u posters get my goat cant take people who have no clue or not realistic
exactly songs bled green too with the actual real eagles not the replacement players
Dallas had their first playoff win in 13 years last season. i know you weren’t doing too much talking when the eagles were dominating. We have a questions mark entering the season and you two (songs and PW) are acting like the story has been written. Redskins have been the trash of the Beast for years now and McNabb is not fixing that. You two waste a lot of time talking non sense trash, in June nonetheless. Not one team has even put the pads on and there is a lot that can happen from now until then. For the sake of everyone either make a post worth reading with legitimate claims or just keep it yourself.
like i said every yr i was geraing up for a sb run
now just gearing up to see if birds go .500
n ktdawk i hate 2 be the 1 to tell u that we wee beating up on those teams cause we had a qb and they didnt for yrs gmen had like dave brown and dallas had like q carter bledsoe wash like brunell lol campbell these teams had no qbs ny got a qb dal got a qb and guess what we werent dominating the division anymore now its even worse cause wash has a qb too now u gusy dont realize that dont u we were dominating the nfc east by default not cause we were this great team
No songs – this team isn’t pathetic – you are. You are a sad, pathetic person. If i want to bet – I go six hours up 15N to las vegas and I bet. I never, ever, ever, bet on the Eagles or Navy. Emotions play no part in smart betting – you are making stupid statements and offering bets on emotions. I watch and follow the Eagles becuase I ENJOY cheering for and watching the eagles, not to make money – and last year I made went 4 for 4 on Vegas football bets – You make idiotic statments about ‘drafting safeties that can’t hit’ when the kid hasn’t has the chance to even put on pads and start training camp. I coach and had one of the smartest, best cover free safeties (he actually blitzed well too), who couldn’t intimidate anyone, but he could tackle well (nice and low) and cover like no ones business – NEVER got beat deep. Every player leaves – name the last great eagle that played for the eagles and retired from the eagles? Bill Bergey? Wilbert Montgomery? Who? Learn your history, boy. Every great Eagle has moved on and played for another team – Harold Carmicheal, Harold Jackson, Jaws, Reggie White, Clyde Simmons. I will bet you right now, the ‘player’ with the best chance of spending the rest of his career in Philly and never leaving is David Akers –
Again – didn’t you promise everyone you were going to the Redskins? So Philly will – are Trent Cole and Brent Celek and Jamal Jackson and Stew Bradley and DJAx and MacClin and Bunkley and Patterson and Mikell replacement players?
djax hatem part of this new breed hate djax love bunk like patterson im waitn and see on bradley he hasnt proved he is urlacher to me yet like he has to some of u like mikell in his old role better back up saftey and goaline duties but he’s ok hate andrews hate peters hate kolb hate mccoy hate ellis hobbs hate joselio hanson hate marlin jacks hate quentin bum ass late hit demps hate macho harris hate hank bum ass baskett hate abiamiri hate eldra buckley hate king dunlap hate moise fokou i like gaither go figure lol i like winston justice showed heart after osi game o god do i hate hakeem jordan hate trevor laws hate joe mayes bum ass awe man did i mention i hate kolb and djax i hate them
Navy, talkin smack to these 2 (PW and Songs) I have found to be futile. No matter what they (our beloved Eagles) do it’s people like this on sites like this that will always have something negative to say. They will bring up the past, pontificate on what they precive to be the pre-written future and abmonish the present to be worthless. They will never go away no matter what we try and do so I would just say ignore them. That’s my new approach to them. It’s no good to let them get under your skin.
eagles have no past and future looks pretty grim
dont worry we dont have to get under ur skin u guys r a few months away from the birds doing that for me
He will need to get into the weight room and muscle up ala Dawkins and he should be fine.
Nate Allen isn’t Brian Dawkins, he isn’t Rod Woodson or Troy Polumalhoweveryouspellit. He’s Nate Allen, he has is own strengths and weaknesses and he’ll be everything he can be at the NFL level. As long as he does his job as a SS or FS everything else is just gravy. Can a Safety be great without laying the wood on every receiver that comes across the middle? I say sure. But give this kid a year or two before we go throwing labels on him, instead throw him some fan support and lift this kid up and see what he can do.
Being a big-hitter is not Nate Allen’s game,
He relys on being smart, in position, a sure tackler and making plays on the ball (Int’s)
By 2011/2012 at the latest,he will be teamed with SS M Harris who will replace Q Mikell and be the more “Physical Safety” that plays down in the Box and lays the wood on opposing players.
sorry, paulman. i just can’t see macho harris being a “physical safety” who “lays the wood” on opposing players. i hope you were kidding or just doing some wishful thinking.
yes he isnt leon powe lmao awe man
To JBIC,
I think thats the direction the Eagles are moving to at Safety Position.
Mickell has 1-2 more seasons, Allen becomes the QB of the Defense playing FS and calling the coverages,etc,etc.. M Harris/Q Demps will battle it out for SS,,, Who else is going to lay the wood and play down in the Box in obvious running situations M Harris will be …
I agree Paul, I can see Macho sliding into Mikell spot in a year or 2 and he will lay the wood remember his shortcoming is speed to hitting, I think Allen is a future pro bowler.
Eagles are not going to contend for a superbowl this year. There has never been a QB to start a full season for the first time to win the superbowl. However this team all along the question was can they address this defense in the offseason… Well they did but in my opinion not for the best. This team has too many holes and had very few options.
Kevin Kolb being the QB this year will have its effect on our defense because he will throw interceptions unlike Mcnabb. Once those balls are picked off how will this defense respond at 1st and 10 at their 30 yard line? this will be a major difference this year for the birds. All though I would love to be optimistic looking at our competition this year in Dallas the packers vikings and saints it makes it hard to belive that they can beat these guys as of right now. I expect teams to run the ball against the eagles a lot this year due to a very undersized defense. In the end they go 6-10 on the season.
While Kolb may throw some more INT’s than McNabbs,
He will also control the ball better and have more sustained,longer drives by being more accurate than
McNabb, thereby having the Offense on the field more and the Defense on the sidelines and getting more rest…
I believe the Kolb and Eagles offense will have less “3 plays and out” type of series than they
did with McNabb,. I am calling for a 9-7 Record and just missing the 2010 Playoffs,but with a solid foundation layed for the 2011 Season and beyond…
Just read where the Chargers released 2nd Year Safety Kevin Ellison due to him having some legal issues in the offsean (caught with 100 Vicoden in his possession)
He’s 6’1″-220 lbs and a heavy hitter who played with Taylor Mays at USC A few years back..
Someone will give this kid a shot for he’s a very talented and physical young Safety and I beleve had a pretty clean background before this incident…
Anyone know more about this kid,,,
pman….does A Reid want to deal with a player with drug issues after all of the trouble he has with his own kids?? I, like most birds fans want us to get a solid safety on the team, but I fear that the guy must have a big problem for the Chargers to give up on a 2nd year player that easy. Either he has a big problem or he isn’t that good of a player, either way doesn’t sound like the guy to solve our situation. That being said, the Chargers might be making a mistake, but we would need to do our homework before we make an offer.
I am not sure of his background or the particulars to this Vicoden Incident which is why I mentioned it..
Maybe NavyDavy can shed some local knowledge about him..
San Diego by the way is purging many players due to high salaries,off the field issues or contract issues and have cleaned house this off-season like a lot of oother teams we know (Eagles)
but look at hwo they have lost … L Tomlinson,NT WIlliams, traded CB Cromartie, Released SS Ellison,
Not giving in to contract demands of WR V Jackson , LT M McNeil LB Merriweather…
Here’s what the local SD paper had to say –
Kevin Ellison had been practicing with the first-team defense the past two weeks.
Now he is out of a job.
In a move expected essentially since the draft and expedited by his arrest a month ago, the Chargers on Monday released Ellison.
Ellison was not entirely surprised.
“Somewhat,” the strong safety said. “You never really know. … It’s been an interesting couple of weeks.”
His early release signaled that not only was he going to lose his starting job, but he was not wanted even for depth.
“After the minicamp and our offseason program we felt we were going to go another direction at this time,” General Manager A.J. Smith said. “Letting Kevin go now gives him an excellent chance to get with a team before training camp gets underway.”
Ellison started nine games in 2009, his rookie season. Desiring more speed at the position, the Chargers drafted Darrell Stuckey in the fourth round of April’s draft. That signaled the beginning to the end of Ellison’s time with the team.
His departure was all but sealed when, two days before minicamp in May, Ellison was arrested in Redondo Beach for possessing 100 pills of Vicodin without a prescription. He has a July 7 court date.
Ellison was told to stay away from minicamp so that he was not a distraction. He rejoined the team for offseason workouts the next week.
Ellison would not disclose what he was told when he was released. He declined to comment on his arrest or the legal proceedings.
The 2009 sixth-round pick said he hopes to continue playing in the NFL.
“The Chargers felt they needed to move in a different direction, and now I have to move in a different direction,” Ellison said. “I’ll just let things take their course.”
As a player, from Navy’s description, I don’t know if he would be a good fit. Slow safety’s don’t last long in the NFL.
Also read that Starting Playoff DE Bobby McCray from the NO Saints was released
6’6″- 260 lbs 28 year old Veteran who has about 30 sacks in his 6 year career mostly in a back-up role…
He has played in 32 regular season games and playoffs over the last 2 seasons with the Saints accumulating 7.5 sacks and is know for his speed-rushing ability…
.
Ellison signed with his old USC coach up in Seattle –
Ellison is better than any safety currently on our roster, but I know…. He have character issues. Let’s plug in garbage choir boys so opposing quarterbacks can put up record numbers beause of character, yet get rid of a hall of fame quarterback with an impeccable character. You can make decisions not to improve your team because of character, then on the other hand release exceptional players without charter issues. You can’t have it both ways and make the fan base believe the F/O is hypocritical using character when really the decisions comes down to the “mighty dollar”. You must pay top money for top players. If they can get away loading the team with mediocre players and haggle over every cent when a player (Desean Jackson) plays above his salary…..why not do it?
If they don’t make Desean Jackson’s salary in the top “5”‘ of recievers this year I’m all for him sitting out or him being traded to the Redskins to be reunited with Mcnabb or the Giants since they need a reciever. They will pay him his worth. I support the eagles players, not the front office. I don’t support Kolb though….He’s a backstabbing bum.
Songs, You know absolutely nothing about how nate allen willl be as an nfll player. And you don’t know anything about ellison on the field either. How bout this!? Since he became available, he was already signed and CUT! And fyi, weaver, celek, peters, samuel, all payed top dollar by the eagles.
lmao “kolb a backstabbing bum” histerical
For the record also,
McNabb is not a HOF QB…
A good QB, yes, A Hall of Famer ,No..(at least his career to date he isn’t in my book)
As far As 1st Year Starters going to the SUper BOwl..
Didn’t Big Ben do i t withe Steelers in his rookie Season…
Also J Flacco from Ravens and M Sanchez all had pretty good success in their 1st year as starters leading their teams to deep playoff runs who were rookies at the tme