2014 Eagles: Chip Chip Chipadelphia

[LondonSox]

Pretty high profile offseason so far!
 
Resigned Riley Cooper (who broke out with Chip and Foles) for 5 years 25 million, only 8 million guaranteed though.
Aside from the racism disaster last year Cooper made a big leap and with the money guarantees long that looks like a decent contract to me.
His 2013 stats 47 receptions 835 yards (17.8 YPC) and 8 TD. He was barely involved with Vick as QB so solid numbers.
 
Resigned Jeremy Maclin off last year's lost season due to an ACL tear. One year 5.5 million (3.5 million guaranteed).
The Eagles interestingly wanted to sign Maclin to a long term deal, he wanted a short term deal to get a better long term deal with his injury concerns reduced. This was before the Jackson mess, so there were signs they were thinking longer term without Jackson.
 
Traded a 5th round pick (acquired from the Pats for Sopoaga) for Darren Sproles.
This creates a ridiculously deep backfield for the Eagles. McCoy, Brown and Polk all in place. There is speculation Sproles will be used heavily out of the slot as a receiver. Which would be interesting.
He almost certainly upgrades the KR game too.
I hate the price of this trade. Apologists say well he only costs Sopoaga and a 6th. I say regardless of how you acquired the 5th round pick that's a lot for a guy who was expected to be cut. (ESP when Jackson isn't even worth a pick).
Anyway he's an interest fit for the Kelly system.
 
The Eagles almost immediately extended Sproles for 2 years. Combined with the current deal he will get 10.5 million over 3 years with 5.5 guaranteed.
 
The Eagles also extended Jason Peters
Peters got an extension to 2018 for 51.3 million with 19.55 guaranteed. He's a stud but he's 32... That's not young.
 
The Eagles also extended the other Jason who is a o-line stud, Jason Kelce to a 7 year extension worth 37.5 million with 13 million guaranteed.
I love Kelce so I think that's great.
 
The whole offensive line (which was hurt and terrible in 2012 but fantastic in 2013 and a great fit for Kelly) is looked up through 2016.
He's just 26th and he and second year Lane Johnson look like they will be the building blocks for retooling as the older players phase out.
 
There was briefly a story that Mathis (who constantly gets amazing grades from PFF and the like) wanted more money and he was briefly said to be on the block as a result. That died down pretty quickly. But it did seem like the response to mo money in Philly was there's the door.
 
Onto Free agency
 
To fill the HUGE GAPING CHASM as Eagles fans call the post Dawkins safety position the Eagles released Patrick Chung (take him back Patriots!) the Eagles signed Saint's Malcolm Jenkins for 3 years 16.25 million, 8.5 million guaranteed.
He's very versatile, which the new Eagles love, and wasn't crazy expensive. We shall see
 
They also resigned Nate Allen. I have mixed feelings about this, he was good early then went to terrible and improved markedly under new coaches in last year as the year went on. He only got 1y 2 million with incentives for up to 3 million. I don't love the diea of starting Allen and Jenkins but sadly it's probably an upgrade and young Earl Wolf is going to play too.
 
The Eagles also added CB Nolan Carroll ex Dolphin for 2years 3.65 million. He looks like depth behind Williams Fletcher and the Boy King.
 
There are still some big questions at safety it's fair to say. I'm still pissed that given all the cap space and the plans to release Jackson they weren't in on Revis or Byrd harder. Although the Byrd deal was a TOUCH rich and by all accounts they pushed hard so perhaps that's unfair.
 
Eagles resigned Donnie Football, I mean Jones their punter. Who was freakin awesome last year. 3 years 5.5 million, only 1 million guaranteed.  Also on the special teams side, the Eagles added Chris Maragos and Bryan Braman.
 
Oh yeah and for depth at QB the Eagles signed some guy called Sanchez.
The interesting part of that is that all 3 QB on the roster are traditional pocket passers. No running QBs in sight!
 
 
 
 

 

[LondonSox]

On the offensive side of the ball the team still looks in good shape even sans Jackson.
 
Avant was cut as well as Jackson. I won't rehash the whole Jackson thing, I'm bummed and I'm in some kind of shock they cut him and couldn't get a thing for him.
A 7th and not in the division would have been better....
 
Anyway.
At TE Celek, Ertz and Casey are a nice set to have.
At WR Maclin (off his ACL) Cooper (one good half season) will start you'd think. They also have Arrelious Benn who also tore his ACL after being traded for and Damaris Johnson (camp killer) and Ifeanyi Momah. Benn could come good (they certainly were excited to get him) but given the strength at RB and TE I would expect fewer 3 WR sets, or Sproles at slot receiver.
RB: McCoy, Brown, Polk and Sproles (sick)
QB Foles, Barkley and Sanchez
OL very good, Peters, Mathis, Kelce, Herrimens and Johnson.
 
With Kelly showing some serious scheme skills last year, assuming a non disaster at WR and Foles not turning into a pumpkin that will be a team that scores points.
They need competition for Henry pretty badly though. That's not a strength at K.
 
Special teams has been hugely upgraded, and should be a good unit this year.
 
Now the oh dear question the defense.
 
On the Dline Fletcher Cox is a potential stud at DE. Curry is good at DE for passing downs and Thornton is very good vs the Run.
NT is a big question mark Logan is young and shows some talent, but I was expecting a FA signing here for depth or competition to start.
 
At linebackers Barwin is very good, Kendricks flashes star potential then vanishes, Ryans is average expensive and aging he needs an upgrade sooner rather than later and Cole was better than expected but also not a long term solution.
Where is the pressure coming from? What are they doing with Curry and Graham (Watkins and Graham 1st round picks.......... vomit)
There is no depth at Linebacker and even less after Jake Knott got suspended for 4 weeks to start the season.
 
At corner Boykin is a stud IMO but they feel he's a slot guy. I disagree and think he could make a leap- they should also consider locking him up to an extension). Fletcher and Williams are solid but not more and occasionally less. Carroll is depth.
At Safety it looks like Wolff, Jenkins Allen and pray.
 
The D has pass rushing NT and secondary issues and concerns and depth at LB concerns.
This is not good.
 
It seems very possible that the Eagles will use an early pick on a WR given the talent in the draft there, and the fact that they have questionable depth and multiple players coming off injuries.
Other than that though the draft will probably be D focused. On Offense WR aside the Eagles look pretty set. A guard for depth is likely (Mathis and Herrimans are aging and only signed for 2016).
 
If somehow they can find a WR, a NT a pass rushing LB talent at safety and LB depth they look pretty good. But yeah that's a lot to find.
 
They also have a chunk of cap space left (over 20 million). I was hoping for Byrd or a top safety. Fail. Revis would have been nice. Fail. Ware? nope.
And on it goes.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Thanks for the great start here LondonSox!
 
My dad was a huge Eagles fan -- closest he got was to see his beloved squad get beat by the Patriots in SB XXXIX. I obviously have a soft spot for them, undoubtedly the team I root for in the NFC. 
 
It's awesome to get this detailed recap as Eagles head to the draft. 

 

[LondonSox]

The Chip Bilichick bromance set to continue this pre season with the Eagles playing the Patriots once again and also talk again of joint practices.

 

[LondonSox]

Bit of a surprising report that the Eagles investigated trrading for CJ Spiller pre landing Sproles (and being told no)
http://www.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/sproles-eagles-inquired-about-cj-spiller
 
It's odd because Sproles adds a lot as a receiver and out of the slot, whereas Spiller is a pretty traditional RB and with McCoy Brown and Polk there didn't appear to be a lack of people who can be traditional RB.
 
Honestly pre the Jackson release I wasn't really clear why Sproles was needed at the cost of a 5th round pick in a very deep draft.
But this makes even less sense.
 
Chip and co might be able to get away with dumping Jackson, but Shady???? There might be riots
 
EDIT: that said of course if I got offered some silly bounty of multiple picks or something there would be a price but he seems too good a fit for Kelly.
I'm much less clear Brown is the guy Kelly wants though, he's too quick to break up the play and break wide, which btw is insane as he's big strong and fast. Hit the hole jackass. I am higher on Polk than Brown actually.

 

[LondonSox]

Here's the schedule
Notes:
Cowboys for Thanksgiving (and a great slate of games for the day overall)
Eagles are wanted for primetime I guess, 2 monday night games thanksgiving and 2 sunday late games (plus a saturday in Dec- what's that about?) and this is before any flex games etc.
 
Given the east places the NFC west this year that's going to hurt the chances of a wildcard from the division and likely making it another battle to the death in the division
 
Note the last 5 games, Seattle (at least it's at home and all 3 NFC East teams - Dallas twice)
Eagles Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 7, Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Week 2: Monday, Sept. 15, at Indianapolis, 8:30 p.m.
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 21, Washington, 1 p.m.
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 28, at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m.
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 5, St. Louis, 1 p.m.
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 12, NY Giants, 8:30 p.m.
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 26, at Arizona, 4:05 p.m.
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 2, at Houston, 1 p.m.
Week 10: Monday, Nov. 10, Carolina, 8:30 p.m.
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 16, at Green Bay, 1 p.m.
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 23, Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Week 13: Thursday, Nov. 27, at Dallas, 4:30 p.m.
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 7, Seattle, 4:25 p.m.
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 14, Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Week 16: Saturday, Dec. 20, at Washington, 4:30 p.m.
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 28, at NY Giants, 1 p.m.

 

[LondonSox]

The Eagles traded back from 22 to 26th, helping the Browns get manziel, and pick up a third round pick, which is great value.

Comments from Kelly suggest they had a number of targets but all went before they picked (cooks and ha ha almost certainly).

At 26 they went with Marcus Smith. It seems like they might have been able to trade back and still get him later but I think the negative reactions are way off.

1) the Eagles really need help more on the defensive side than offensive (yes Lee was on the board but something must be up with him for him to keep sliding but I think the wr issue is a bit odd. There is a ton of talent on the offensive side and huge needs at olb and safety. With no safety around worth the pick I'm down with that. Plus there is a ton of talent left at wr and the Eagles have an extra pick at 86)

Smith looks good to me. Fast strong, decent pass rusher good in space. He's not likely to be a terror as a pure pass rusher but a guy who has played a similar system and is versatile (you hear that all the time) and looks really good.

Yes there MAY have been other options but clearly not for the Eagles and I have some faith given the recent drafts post Reid's involvement and Kelly's history (Dion Jordan anyone).

As for the fact he was expected to go lower, I assume that they had no good trade down offer and I think those mocks are a) dumb and b) flawed for a guy like this who is a 3-4 olb only but not a pure pass rusher alone. That immediately limits the amount of teams interested.

So I'm encouraged that they didn't ignore defense which seemed a risk.
I think picking up an extra third for moving down 4 picks was great.

Yes I wish cooks or ha ha had lasted a couple picks more (esp haha really wanted him and not least so I could do a Nelson ha ha every time he nailed someone) but they didnt
This is a deep draft and giving up picks (when already light) to move up to get ha ha etc would be hard to justify.

I have some confidence that this front office can get good talent through the whole draft.

 

[twibnotes]

Could Carlos Hyde make it to the Pats?

Edit: apologies, Iggles fans. Thought I was in the draft thread

 

[LondonSox]

So with the draft in the books the final results are as follows
 
Eagles Draft Picks
1. (26th): Marcus Smith, OLB, Louisville
2. (42st via Tenn.): Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt
3. (86th): Josh Huff, WR, Oregon
4. (101st): Jaylen Watkins, CB, Florida
5. (141st): Taylor Hart, DE, Oregon
5. (162nd): Ed Reynolds, FS, Stanford
7. (224th via Buffalo): Beau Allen, DT, Wisconsin
 
Matthews looks like he may start in the slot, this year, but regardless he's an excellent addition. Huff (especially after drafting Matthews in the 2nd) is getting some criticism. But he will know the Kelly offense immediately, is potentially a very good long term option for the slot and had one 20+ yard catch in every game he started for the Ducks this year. So he is a threat.
Also he's potentially a useful addition for the return game.
Watkins seems like a good pick, I love the idea of what the Eagles are looking for in their defensive backs, ie versatile. Both Jenkins and Watkins are safeties that can cover or corners who can hit and play safety- whichever way round. I would think there is a chance for Watkins to play more CB that Safety as they drafted a safety too. But I just like this versatility that Kelly wants, you see it on offense too.
Reynolds could be a steal, he was rated by some a lot higher (3rd in some mocks) and Stanford safeties? Always. Well not always but generally recently, yes please.
Hart is going to be interesting, he doesn't come close to passing the eye test, but a lot of people I respect the opinions of say he's just plain good, and the hardest working guy of all time. He and Kelly clearly have a fantastic relationship, and DE depth was a concern (Fletcher-Cox, Thornton, Curry and ..... yeah). Kelly reportedly wanted to take him in the 3rd but was told he would still be there in the 5th, which he was, which I like as a show of love for the player and great management of the draft by the GM
Beau Allen is a bit of a flyer, a huge body at a position with little depth, could be useful. I would expect he would have a good chance to make the team.
 
Roseman did a FANTASTIC job IMO. 
He started the draft with picks 22, 54, 86, 122 and via trades made that into 26, 42, 83, 86. I mean that's just a great great job. Further he got what appears to likely be a 4th next year and an exchange of 7th round this year for Brown in his trade with the Bills. (Which is CRAZY! Jackson not worth a pick, Sproles a 5th. Brown a 4th +) I also came to rate Polk > Brown last year. Brown just will not hit the spot the play is designed to, he breaks it outside far too often and far to quickly for no good reason. This plus his fumbling issues and the addition of Sproles makes him expendable. I mean the result was Sproles and a 4th and a exchange of 7ths for Brown and a 5th. Er yeah. Thanks.
Raise Polk up your fantasy rating, I'm not sure how much Sproles will run the ball and Mccoy needs less work. 
The question marks from many on the 1st round pick will lower the "expert" rankings, but these guys all fit what Kelly wants and I think look good players so we shall see. 

 

[LondonSox]

In addition the Eagles have reportedly signed a bunch of UDFA players. You would think it could be a popular destination for offensive skill players!
Going in I would have wanted a kicker and the rest I think the even hard core fans have limited ability to know and rate. The more the better and see what happens I say.
 
Well there seems to be a lot, and the Kicker is nicknamed "Murderleg" so I already love him and hope he beats our Henery,
 

Reportedly Signed Players
David Fluellen, RB, Toledo
Trey Burton, WR, Florida
Carey Spear, K, Vanderbilt
Josh Andrews, OG/C, Oregon State
John Fulton, CB, Alabama
Henry Josey, RB, Missouri
Kadron Boone, WR, LSU
Quron Pratt, WR, Rutgers
Frank Mays, DE, Florida A&M
Daytawion Lowe, S, Oklahoma State
Kevin Graf, OT, USC
Donald Hawkins, OG, Texas
Blake Annen, TE, Cincinnati
Karim Barton, G, Morgan St.
Wade Keliikipi, DT, Oregon
 
Note the two RB were two of the highest rated undrafted RB available. So That fits with what I would do if I was a RB. Polk was undrafted and Brown a very late 7th round flyer and last year several other RB UDFA were very close to making the team. The Kelly offense likes RB depth so there is a good chance one of them can make the roster

 

[LondonSox]

Eagles release Arrelious Benn, no reason given but it could be a sad end to the trade (Benn and a 7th for a 6th).
 
Benn tore his ACL early in preseason. There are some rumours that he will be back with the team, ie it's a cut to save a roster bonus and he'll resign. It's a shame, guys with his size (6'2" 220) and speed aren't that common but he cannot stay healthy.

 

[LondonSox]

And Benn has indeed resigned for a cheaper deal (not seen the details) but probably just saved themselves a million or two between the new deal and the bonus that they avoided by releasing him.
 
The eagles look pretty weird at WR now, lots of talent and youth but not very clear who can be counted on (Maclin post injury, Cooper lack of history, rookies obvious, Benn injuries etc).
 
There's going to be a lot of pressure on Foles

 

[Eck'sSneakyCheese]

And Benn has indeed resigned for a cheaper deal (not seen the details) but probably just saved themselves a million or two between the new deal and the bonus that they avoided by releasing him.
 
The eagles look pretty weird at WR now, lots of talent and youth but not very clear who can be counted on (Maclin post injury, Cooper lack of history, rookies obvious, Benn injuries etc).
 
There's going to be a lot of pressure on Foles

 
You think so? They have great TE's in Celek, Ertz and Casey and they have Sproles and McCoy. I think there's enough there to make up for the questions at WR. Matthews could be a stud and Kelly knows Huff as far as the rooks go. Cooper has been very good and if Maclin stays healthy (big if) they look pretty set. It's weird without Desean but there's a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball.

 

[LondonSox]

Well I think pressure because of high expectations and questions at receiver.
 
I didn't mention TE, Celek is solid and Ertz was really coming on late last year. Casey hasn't been involved at all on the offense. Shady of course helps Foles, and Sproles is likely going to help him a lot more on third down than any non Mccoy option last year.
 
So there are weapons.
But who is the reliable go to receiver on the team? Who is the guy who you can have some confidence can get open?
 
There's a lot of talent and tons of weapons and depth, but 4 good receiving options on a play means a lot of reads.
Add that the Eagles have an aging line and questionable O-line depth, and the fact that Foles still has questions hanging over his head. Is he really as good as he was last year? (NO! I'm not sure anyone is)
 
So that's where I get pressure. The depth behind Foles is... Sanchez and Barkley. UGH
The line is old
Nearly every receiver has a question mark
 
Now I have a lot of faith in Chip putting him in the right positions and making his life better, and the running game and scheme helps a whole lot.
But this time next year we will know a lot more about him. If he is great - awesome. If not the Eagles have a tricky decision. That doesn't lessen the pressure either.

 

[SMU_Sox]

A little SBC about me: born and raised in Philly but I hate the local teams. Although now I like to watch the iggles because of CK. If you are a fan of the sport of football in general you should be watching the Eagles just to see what CK does. That's my opinion anyway... love college ball too and was legitimately excited by his hire. 
 
The good news for you Iggles fans is that the rest of your division sucks. You could go 9-7 and win it. You might not make it too far in the playoffs but you are the best team going into the season in the NFC (L)East.

 

[Eck'sSneakyCheese]

Well I think pressure because of high expectations and questions at receiver.
 
I didn't mention TE, Celek is solid and Ertz was really coming on late last year. Casey hasn't been involved at all on the offense. Shady of course helps Foles, and Sproles is likely going to help him a lot more on third down than any non Mccoy option last year.
 
So there are weapons.
But who is the reliable go to receiver on the team? Who is the guy who you can have some confidence can get open?
 
There's a lot of talent and tons of weapons and depth, but 4 good receiving options on a play means a lot of reads.
Add that the Eagles have an aging line and questionable O-line depth, and the fact that Foles still has questions hanging over his head. Is he really as good as he was last year? (NO! I'm not sure anyone is)
 
So that's where I get pressure. The depth behind Foles is... Sanchez and Barkley. UGH
The line is old
Nearly every receiver has a question mark
 
Now I have a lot of faith in Chip putting him in the right positions and making his life better, and the running game and scheme helps a whole lot.
But this time next year we will know a lot more about him. If he is great - awesome. If not the Eagles have a tricky decision. That doesn't lessen the pressure either.

 
I agree, we're likely to see regression from Foles compared to last year and he does have pressure on him to perform. As far as WRs, Cooper was solid all year and Maclin is productive when healthy. Those 2 aren't question marks, IMO at least not counting injury.
 
The o-line does have some questionable depth although I think Tobin, Bamiro and Moalk all have promise. Peters, Mathis and Herremans while great players are all on the wrong side of 30 so I get the hesitation there as well. I think they have a couple more years before that becomes a major concern though.

 

[LondonSox]

I would agree with that re the line.
 
Maclin I purely put as a question as I think we just can't be sure he's the same. It's likely yes, but not certain and of course he's not got Jackson around for defenses to worry about too.
Cooper was only solid once Foles took over, he was a non factor with Vick at QB. I think he's likely solid, and maybe more, and works well with Foles and Kelly but he's had one half good season in four years. Saying he's not a question mark is optimistic (not unreasonable but optimistic)

 

[Eck'sSneakyCheese]

I would agree with that re the line.
 
Maclin I purely put as a question as I think we just can't be sure he's the same. It's likely yes, but not certain and of course he's not got Jackson around for defenses to worry about too.
Cooper was only solid once Foles took over, he was a non factor with Vick at QB. I think he's likely solid, and maybe more, and works well with Foles and Kelly but he's had one half good season in four years. Saying he's not a question mark is optimistic (not unreasonable but optimistic)

 
Yeah, you're right. I'm not sure why but I thought Cooper had a more productive 2012. He seems to have a good rapport with Foles at least. I guess here's to hoping Matthews can contribute right away.

 

[LondonSox]

Well the slot is likely to be a big production/ skill upgrade. Avant to Matthews, gives him a low hurdle to improve production. I could imagine Sproles and Ertz getting some slot snaps too. All are better than Avant.
 
So if Maclin can do a Jackson light performance, you might be ok with 3 solid to good receivers vs 1 good, one improving and one bleh.
 
I'm basically a Chip fanboi, so I am concerned but not worried about receivers. I'm more worried about the line age and how actually good Foles is. (Given Chip's links to Manziel and him sitting there at 22, if Chip didn't like Foles a lot he must have been tempting, so I'm assuming for now at least Chip is sold.)

 

[LondonSox]

Eagles OTA starts today. Can we actually get to football soon?

 

[glennhoffmania]

Good news from Sanchez:
 

Despite the presence of Nick Foles as Philly's starter and Matt Barkley with a year under his belt, Sanchez thinks he can make a difference. He also said he's "just entering" the "prime" of his career and his shoulder injury last year could've been "a blessing in disguise."
 

 

[LondonSox]

Pretty brutal news for the Eagles and depressing to me personally as I was a big fan of Lane Johnson and I am not pleased to hear PED links for players I like.
 
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24601847/report-eagles-rt-lane-johnson-suspended-4-games-for-ped-violation
 
Anyway, unconfirmed (as yet) reports that he will be suspended for 4 games. The NFL office reported last night that they had not as yet issued a ruling, which is a bit odd. MAYBE there is a holdup in paperwork, or maybe there is something else going on (appeal etc?)
But it seems widely accepted that Johnson tested positive for PEDs and a suspension is imminent. Anything else would lead to an interesting story.
 
Anyway, this puts the Eagles too the wall, Babre will step in RT for 4 games, but this will hurt the Eagles and Johnson. It will also leave them absolutely no proven depth, an injury early in the season, in training camp or pre season would be a disaster now.
I would expect at the Eagles to look to pick up an extra line depth/ back up.
 
It may also cost some deserving player a spot on the team, as they will likely have to carry an extra o-line player.
 
No sympathy if proven true, just hurts the team.

 

[Super Nomario]

It may also cost some deserving player a spot on the team, as they will likely have to carry an extra o-line player.

While Johnson is suspended the Eagles will get to move him to the "suspended list" and he won't count against the 53-man limit. I'm not sure how the timing works in the preseason; they might have to cut another player in the final cut-downs and then pick him up again after Johnson's suspension starts.

 

[RedOctober3829]

Good news for my guy Mike Bamiro as he could be looking good for a roster spot.

 

[LondonSox]

Bump - I', posting stuff in the training camp thread for the joint practices but I think this belongs here
 
wutang112878, on 12 Aug 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:

I'm trying to project the Eagles offense this year and would love to hear your thoughts. 
 
On positive side, they seemed to get better as the year went on last year and they handed the job over to Foles.  However, now all opposing coaches have had an off-season to digest and plan for Kelly's offense, they lost their best receiver in Jackson and there is just no way that Foles can have that TD to INT rate again.  My take is that Kelly is a good coach and will keep the team above average on offense, but I just dont see how they could be a top 5 team in scoring again this year.

 
Well one thing to remember is a good chunk of the season had Vick, who couldn't handle the offense imo, and Barkley started one game and finished another.
Getting Foles in as the starter and all the reps, and Kelly all the time will make him better, and overall the QB position on the season, barring injury, will be better than 2013. So there's that. It's unlikely he is as lucky re interceptions and passer rating etc as he was last year, where he set records, but overall the hope is he leaves less on the table, even if his td/ int ratio etc falls.
 
The RBs look BETTER than last year, Sproles is a valuable weapon.
 
Of course JAckson is a big loss as a WR, but Maclin is back, and Matthews is likely a huge upgrade over the corpse of Avant. There's also Huff and there is an expectation for Ertz to take a big step forward.
 
The oline is aging and there are question here. But unless Kelly's scheme is countered surprisingly well by the league I don't think they will drop much. They ahve a better QB today than this time last year, and better RB, WR is deeper though lost the star and TE play is potentially better too. I think the O will be top 5-10 depending on injuries etc.
 
The questions are still on the D side. Ryans is getting older, and the pass rush is a bit of a mess/ question. The secondary is a lot better with Jenkins there, and Carroll is pushing to star, and makes the team better and deeper.

 

[LondonSox]

Good news for my guy Mike Bamiro as he could be looking good for a roster spot.

 
I'm not seeing him on most roster projections, several don't even have him making the practice squad.
It appears he's third string at the moment

 

[ivanvamp]

Really interesting article about Chip Kelly here:  http://grantland.com/features/chip-kelly-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-influence/
 
Fascinating stuff, about his philosophy, how he builds an organization, etc.  

 

[LondonSox]

I was just coming to post this. Really great read.
 
I'm a huge fan of Chip's from before he got to the Eagles and was exstatic about the hire, and that has only increased after following him for a while.
 
I had a lot of time around the hire and did a lot of digging into what he did in Oregon and was blown away, he was so much better and yet simplier than I had assumed. Sport science etc is amazing stuff. The idea that the Eagles had fast food friday only 18mths ago is mind blowing.
 
The Eagles now determine how much sleep the players need. That's quite a difference.
 
One year of health and injury prevention is luck. If it repeats, the whole league will be chasing it.

 

[LondonSox]

Another good article on Mccoy and Kelly this time from ESPN
 
http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/11348255/how-philadelphia-eagles-coach-chip-kelly-converted-lesean-mccoy-believer-espn-magazine
 

 
When McCoy struggles, he tends to dance in the backfield. Nothing angers Kelly like throttled speed, and it boils to the surface against the Bucs on Oct. 13 when McCoy is slow to an opening.
On the sideline, Kelly unloads: "Hit the damn hole, Shady!"
"There was no damn hole!"
"Shut up!"
McCoy heads to the bench. But he can't let it go. He brings Kelly a photo of the play and says, "Do you see a hole?"
Kelly returns to the game, and McCoy returns to wondering whether he can coexist with his coach.
But in the team meeting the next day, Kelly says something the players have never heard so explicitly from a head coach: "Shady and I got into it, and I was wrong."
 

 

[LondonSox]

Eagles traded a conditional 7th round pick for Kenjon Barner of Chip Kelly Ducks' fame
 
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Eagles-Trade-For-RB-Kenjon-Barner/4f567c34-206e-4b9b-9757-dc4c459a9006
 
Interesting move in that with McCoy and Sproles, there are established vets, and Polk looks like a good backup.
The issue is injuries. We know Sproles can't take over as every down bakc if McCoy is hurt, and Polk is hurt in camp (AGAIN) and is looking a little injury prone.
 
The roster projections ahve moved toward the Eagles keeping Tucker as a 4th RB for depth for what is obviously a key position for Kelly. I'm ok with that but Barner was obviously awesome for Kelly at College, and if you have to add a depth RB a conditional 7th for a guy who already knows the system and all the Kelly conditioning programmes etc makes sense. I'm not sure he's a huge upgrade over Tucker or Polk, but it seems like if they cut him the pick doesn't go. So kind of no risk, and for the Panthers they appear to have been set to cut him, so something > nothing.
 
Kelly could make the EAgles some nice value by turning depth RB into gold. They picked Brown in the 7th round, and spun him to the bills for a 4th round pick. Keep doing that!

 

[LondonSox]

Have the Eagles found a kicker? In the last pre season game Parkey kicked a 53 and a 54 yard field goal, Henery's career long is 51 FYI.
Final cut is coming and maybe PArkey just stole the job, or Henery gave it away with his poor play a little of each maybe
 
The EAgles team looks a LOT better than a year ago to me. The squad is deeper, there are some issues at certain positions (esp depth at ILB) but you could well see a good draft pick like Reynolds have to be stashed in the practice squad or on fake IR.
 
RB is a real issue now the Eagles have maybe 6 guys who can play. (McCoy, Sproles, Polk, Tucker, Josey and Barner) Polk has been injured much of the pre season but the end of the day Brown was traded away in part for the too high return and in part to give Polk more time. So I think it's the top 4 but I could see a 5th or some attempt to stash someone.
 
Benn looks like he could make the team as 6th WR, I hope so as I still have some hopes for him.
 
One of my major concerns for the team was Oline depth, but the second unit has been MONEY in preseason. So much so that there is a tricky decision on who to keep. Gardner vs Kelly is probably the last spot. But I've gone from worrying a lot that the oline was old and depth was an issue to thinking the team has done a great job on this. The second unit run blocking especially has been crazy good. They crushed the steelers 1st team D for a series or two in that game. Very impressive.
 
The DL and pass rushing overall remains one of the other big concerns, but Curry is a monster here and the team seems to have got more confident in finding him snaps. Bair seems to ahve played his ass off to make the roster.
 
ILB looks like despite the scheme they will only keep 3 pure ILB so depth here would be a concern, though some of the OLB can play there.
 
The secondary looks much better this year and Carroll looks like a great signing. As mentioned Reynolds looks like he won't make the team but will likely get stashed somehow.
 
I would fully expect some of the cuts to be picked up elsewhere, 3 from the first round ahv ebeen picked up already versus maybe 1 (or zero) last year.
Acho, Burton, the Kelly/ Gardner loser, Square, Maehl and even Matthews (though more for special teams) could all see interest post final cuts.
 
Offensively the team looks pretty great, and the defense has been better in nearly every aspect than lasr year (not surprising as it was a new system then and the team clearly improved through the season).
The roster looks much better and deeper than a year - 18mths ago, and while there are some significant questions (pass rush, ILB depth) that's a big improvement from a year ago (Questions at QB, Dline, Dline depth, OLB ILB CB S, oline depth, special teams)

 

[LondonSox]

Potential disaster averted as the Eagles became the first team in NFL history to be down by 17+ at the half and win by 17+
 
The first half was, however, scary. Foles looked genuinely horrible. It was really mainly on him, there were open WR repeatedly that Foles was straight up missing, plus two fumbles and a horrible horrible red zone interception.
Then injuries to the best Guard on the team and the back up RT starting due to PED suspension to Johnson. The bench had no Oline left and a further injury would have forced Celek to play in the line.
 
If this was an Andy Reid team I would have assumed the loss was done, but this is not that team.
 
The backups in the line did really well. And as I mentioned before this was a huge area of concern for me pre season but the backups were excellent in camp and preseason, and this was a much smaller concern now. And indeed the second half the line played much better despite a guard playing as 3rd choice tackle and a backup center playing guard.
 
Foles did have a couple of bad games last year, in particular the cowboys game where he stunk and then got concussed. The next game? The 7 TD raiders game.
We shall see. If he plays like the first half then he's not going to make it out of the season as the starter. He was that bad.
 
The Eagles D was also much better looking, some impact play from Graham was nice to see, Jenkins really made a difference at safety and the Jags went 0-9 on third down before converting only in the 4th quarter.
 
Also despite the horror show first half, the team went over 400 yards of offense again.
 
edit: oh and Parkey! A kicker! 51 yard make, right down the middle to tie the game, that was Henery's career long! He also had 5 of 7 kickoffs for touchbacks. Very early to get carried away but he's made 3 kicks I would have had little to no confidence in in his two games with the Eagles (3 over 50 yards) and is clearly better at kickoffs.
Donnie Football and the Boy King make one of the best Punt/ gunner combos I've ever seen and ST tackling looks better overall. Sproles had some nice returns etc too. Potentially a big improvement in that area.

 

[Oil Can Dan]

So the drug policy has been revised, and I'm seeing reports that Welker is eligible to play this week.  Anyone have any idea if the same extends to Lane Johnson? LG is already a mess with Mathis out and Johnson's four game replacement, Allen Babre, is done for the year.  It would be a great week to have have Lane in there, and if he's eligible then he gets an extra day of prep since they're playing Indy on MNF.

Edit to add, still suspended.

 

[LondonSox]

So A couple of games in and the Eagles ahven't really played all that well, especially in the first halves, but is 2-0 and won against a playoff team from last year on the road (and that's been a while).
 
The o-line will get a boost from the returning Lane Johnson in 2 more games, and in the off season they were prepared to listen for offers for Mathis, which means they really like Tobin. I'm still unclear when he'll be back healthy but I think that starting 5 is probably not an issue. The current one, has some issues.
 
The pass rush is still an issue, despite positive signs from Curry and Graham.
 
The linebacker depth is a huge issue, and I expect a signing. With Goode down for the year, the injury to Kenricks ended up seeing Casey Matthews played. NO! BAD! Acho too got snaps. The inside linebacker depth is a big big issue.
 
Then there's Foles. Yes the Eagles have dropped a few passes, but some of those have been due to not great delivery. Foles needs to sort his shit out, because this team if it can stay healthy is in good shape. The NFC East is not good. The Eagles are 2-0 with 6 games in that division left. Kelly is a great great coach and the defense is much improved. (There are issues no doubt but Jenkins has been a big big difference not just him but making others around him look better).
If Foles hits wide open receivers and stops being average or worse then the Eagles look like a really solid team. That d is good enough to keep the offense in the game against most people, and that offense with Foles playing ok (not even 2013 level) is damn hard to stop. Mccoy and Sproles man, Kelly is getting these guys real chances to do damage. Ertz is already got 6 20+ yard plays alone (more than 20 other teams) and leads the league in yards/ reception. Maclin has been fine, Cooper has been bad, and Matthews disappointing so far though.
 
Edit:
From Bleeding Green Nation http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2014/9/16/6154307/eagles-colts-final-score-philadelphia-indianapolis-recap-review

Philadelphia Eagles lead the NFL in both yards gained and points scored. Yet, they haven't even played their best football yet. It's hard not to think about this team's ceiling if/when they can put a whole game together.
 

 
This is a pretty good point. Foles has been horrible to eh, and the receivers haven't been great and the o-line has lost 2 starters and their 2 top backups yet the Eagles lead the league in points and total yards. (Though it should be noted they played the Jags... and the Washington football team sans RGIII and Jackson destroyed them)

 

[soxfan121]

Came away very impressed with Chip Kelly and the Eagles last night - I know the media fixates on Kelly as "the innovative genius" but I thought the second half was an old-school coaching clinic and the adjustments being made into the fourth quarter were the difference in the outcome. 
 
Very good, dangerous team.

 

[Stitch01]

Coaching adjustments, some favorable reffing, being the team not to hand the ball to TwoYPCRIch, and astutely stealing Sproles away for close to nothing.
 
Wonder if they can figure out away to use McCoy and Sproles together at the same time, seems like that might be really hard to defend in an uptempo read option type offense
 
Foles is looking a little bit shaky through two weeks.  I thought he made a number of poor throws and poor decisions (not throwing to a wide open Cooper on a crossing route for a first down and sliding one yard short of the first down come to mind)
 
Really like this team and really impressed with that win.  I will be interested to see how Kelly and company deal with injuries to some key players.  They weren't tested at all on that front last year (outside of QB where it probably didn't hurt) and they are starting to get pretty thin on the OL and at LB.  Indy was murdering them on shallow pass routes before the backbreaking INT. 

 

[LondonSox]

The iLB s a major concern. It wasn't deep before and the only good backup went down for the season in game 1. That leaves the Casey Matthews Acho poo poo platter to cover for Kendricks.
Ryan and Kendricks can't have NO back up that's nuts. Matthews is a ST body/ effort guy. He wouldn't be on many other rosters and they were already looking for help this week for depth. That's a huge concern to me.
 
Oline, I'm less worried there because Lane Johnson is back soon, and Tolbin should be back for Mathis at some point. That's probably starting line 1a, and the second string has been much much better than expected.
 
Bottom line the two most vital players to the team haven't played great yet (McCoy and Foles) so that is encouraging. Foles needs to play better, or it's going to be a problem. He's simply not this bad, so I'm not sure what's happening. 
 
And Soxfan Kelly is a weird mix of new and super old school. I love the way he forces mismatches, and prevents the defense from overloading an area. The ultimate example of this, I'll look around for the tape sometime, is an Oregon vs Stanford game when Harbaugh was coach. I've never seen anything like it, Harbaugh was losing his mind. Kelly sent the same paly out over and over, if the safeties went deep, he did the quick bubble for 6+ yards every time. The safeties went wide to stop that, they attacked the middle with the pass or ran it. The safeties dropped deep to stop the deeper attacks, they slammed the ball down their throat with the run game.
Same formation, watch the safeties, take what they give you. Repeat. Amazing.
The package play is something I think will change the league's play books. Everyone loves that concept.
The sports science I'm borderline shocked the league hasn't been on for a while. There is a lot of media suggestion that this is helping these comebacks, increased stamina etc esp given the speed of play etc. I don't know about that, but the EAgles players believe they are in the best shape ever.
 
Past that, I think he's really really smart, and happy to run or pass and is pushing constantly. The Eagles blew the league away on big plays last year (99 20+) and are on pace for 96 this year so far. Kelly is putting someone is an awkward position every play, and as you get tired you make mistakes under that pressure. The basic key concept of things like the read option is this idea. Make a defender decide what to do, and try to make whatever choice he makes hurt. Kelly's schemes are designed to make defenders choose between two bad choices as often as possible, and he attacks everywhere, sideline to sideline, short deep and intermediate.
After years of declining Andy Reid's stubborn refusal to adjust it's just awesome.
 
Now I will note I was a huge huge fan of Kelly's before he joined the Eagles, I was desperate for them to sign him, so I'm a fan of coach and team and a bit giddy and fan boy esque at times. But I think he's just a fantastic coach. 

 

[LondonSox]

Interesting article from the Wall street Journal(!) on Chip Kelly and his communication and relationships with the academic world to try to improve the team
 
http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-philadelphia-eagles-secret-coaches-professors-1410890601?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj
 

Ericsson's answer is tied to another Kelly secret. The Eagles use memory devices to get players to memorize formations. Safety Malcolm Jenkins said that during meetings, coaches will show an opponent's formation on a screen, and players will attempt to remember it and yell the play call they would use against it. Then, Jenkins said, snapping his fingers, "They start to flash it quicker and quicker. There's less time to process. And so you build those same cognitive skills where it's the same as getting a mental rep on the field."
 

 
I love the idea of constantly working to improve everything, outside football doesn't mean not useful.

 

[LondonSox]

Kendricks being reported out for this week and maybe next week vs SF too, that's a major major loss.
He's excellent and improving and his replacement already hit IR with a torn Pec, so Acho or Matthews is likely to start. UGH
 
I don't think Foles gets to be average or worse these next two weeks, although I'm dubious the Washington defense is actually as good as the Titans and Jags have made them look (10 sacks Jags?????).
I'm not sold on Cousins, though I do agree he can do a poor man's Dalton  (which seems a fairly lame compliment).

 

[LondonSox]

I also wanted to share this on a player I believe is one of the better young TEs in the League and my binky
 
http://www.phillymag.com/birds247/2014/09/18/22-kelly-unleashing-zach-ertz/#h2K0a7UepIYU00F5.99

 

[LondonSox]

Absolutely disgraceful cheap shot by Baker on Foles last night
 

 
If that didn't link the gif right someone please feel free to let me know how I fix that.
 
Peters went and shoved and had a bit of a pushing fest with Baker which kicked off a serious fight. The best tweet about which is this
 

 
Anyway. Eagles D line was just insane with Kelce hurt and Peters ejected and the Eagles held on with Foles having taken an absolute beating with a oline of Herremans, Wade Smith, Dennis Kelly, Andrew Gardner and David Molk in a tight game late. That they held on at all is pretty crazy.
 
Mccoy has not got going at all this season as anyone with a fantasy team may know, 22 yards on 21 carries.... Beaten up o-line or not that's not going to get it done.
 
The Good
Jordan matthews arrives, 8 catches on 9 targets 2 TDs
Maclin was superb too
Foles was much better, he missed a couple of big plays but man he was so tough. I've always thought he was the Eagles best option but not been convinced he's the long term best answer, just the best for now. But his toughness and play sunday was a big deal, with no o-line and no running game and the Eagles D playing like ass.
Chris Polk, first touch of the season 102 yard TD return. No one asking why they kept him now!
No sacks against despite the o-line.
Parkey! Another 51 yard field goal. That's 2 in 3 starts. Kudos to the Eagles for making a trade to get him and not overthinking giving him the job.
 
The Bad
No sacks for the D again. Second week in a row. This is a problem because the secondary isn't good enough to last without.
The D really missed Kendricks. Casey Matthews cannot play ILB any more. Enough.
The secondary..... Jenkins is money. Great signing, Boykin is the best corner but is only playing in the slot. The key 3rd and long breakup on the final drive was all about him. They think he's too short? He cannot play worse than Fletcher did and Williams is out bitching about the Chip Kelly program etc. I would imagine this offseason the Eagles will be (again) looking to upgrade corners and the second safety. So only 3 spots! I think they should seriously consider starting Boykin and/ or Carroll.
 
The Ugly
Kelce please don't be badly hurt. He's just such a great fit for the Kelly scheme, his speed and ability to get downfield, to pull and on screens etc. If he's out for any length of time. Vomit.
The cheap shot and the fight. Baker. Terrible. I really can't blame Peters too much for protecting his QB there. Given the number of haymakers thrown in that scrum, There could be more to come on this. Roger! Are you there? Not like he has any reason to be firm on this sort of thing eh.
The Run game. Ugh 22 yards on 21 Carries for Shady and like 2 carries for Sproles. McCoy got his bell rung on a hard helmet to helmet shot early, maybe he should have been given a little less to do, and maybe it's what happens when you're on the ragged edge of disaster in the oline.
The secondary, 400+ yards for Cousins? Really.
 
3-0 despite huge issues with 4 games left vs the Cowboys and Giants.
 
The Washington football team looks like it could be solid, though it pains me to say, the d looks ok up front at least. Garcon, Jackson and Morris are solid talent and Cousins, we shall see. I'm not a believer in him overall, but he is accurate and fits the Gruden system. Is he worse than Andy Dalton?

 

[DukeSox]

I was at the game.  While the hit on Foles specifically caused fight, from pre-game warmups Jackson was the root cause of the fighting.  The articles don't seem to mention it, but there were several other scrums throughout the game, all which involved Jackson egging someone on - the players, the bench, the crowd, etc.  I think the second snap of the game had some extracurricular activity.  

He was out of control emotionally out there - you could see it from when he came out of the tunnel. Kept trying to talk to Eagles players, they would brush him away, refs would brush him away, and he kept at it.  I don't think any of the fights would have happened without him out there.  

 

[LondonSox]

I may be screwing up the way to link gifs here but not sure what I'm doing wrong. or how to do it frankly.
 
Anyway this is a gif of Kelce's block in the back that wiped out a Maclin TD.
It's a stupid block but that's a freaking center. He's outpacing the secondary. The Eagles oline (when it plays) is ALTHETIC. Kelce, Peters and Johnson are total freaks.
 
http://bloggingthebeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Kelce-speed.gif
 
As for Jackson Duke yes that doesn't surprise me, I don't think that came across very well on TV so interesting.
It's interesting to think about what a team would do if Jackson was linked to gangs etc now in the current environment. I think the Eagles were ahead of the curve here. Seeing the risks, I think that's why they cut him rather than try to get a return in a pick. Just walk away.
 
Few other thoughts.
Williams is out complaining about the Kelly training programme. Given he's been pretty average and is a dick I'm thinking he's gone in the offseason.
I REALLY want Boykin to get a shot at starting CB soon. He's the best corner on the team, who cares if he's short? Short and better > tall and bad. Also he's not staying here to play 20 ish snaps a game. The Eagles are taking their best corner off the field for like 2/3rds of snaps.

 

[Stitch01]

Kelce out 6-8 weeks per rotoworld

 

[LondonSox]

Yup, brutal loss for the team, hernia.
 
So Molk will likely start and the Eagles will look to sign a backup, worst case they have a practice squad option.
 
The only good news is he'll be back for the stretch and the Eagles are 3-0, but yeesh the oline injuries are getting crazy

 

[Stitch01]

Cary Williams also in the news today bitching that Kelly's conditioning is causing injuries and fatigue in game.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Cary Williams also in the news today bitching that Kelly's conditioning is causing injuries and fatigue in game.

 
Just saw this too: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000398812/article/cary-williams-chip-kelly-overworking-eagles-players
 
Like what Greg Rosenthal (editor for NFL.com, big Pats fan) says, when the writers need a dumb comment, they go to Cary Williams.
 
This is the same shithead that got suspended twice at Fordham & 2 games while with the Titans. No wonder he thinks Ray Rice should get a second chance (link) -- Williams will be working on his third soon. 

 

[LondonSox]

Pretty shocked to hear that the NFL ruled the Baker hit on Foles as clean.
Not only does it seem to clearly violate the rules on hitting an uninvolved QB but from some angles you can see that the tackle has been made on the interception (though it wasn't even an interception).
 
Player safety! The NFL cares! Protect the players! THE NFL ladies and gentlemen!
 
http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2014/9/23/6836667/nfl-rules-chris-bakers-hit-on-nick-foles-was-legal
 

 

[Oil Can Dan]

I don't have a problem with the hit. Technically Foles was pursuing the runner, so to me he put himself into the play and should therefor be blockable. Yeah, the tackle was made a split-second before the hit occurred, but it's a fast game. That said, if it were Manning or Brady instead of Foles then I suspect we'd see a different take on this from both the refs and the league office. But I'm a little tin-foily when it comes to the league office.

I'm excited to see Tobin at LG this week. I think he and Peters can open up the running game on the left side of the line a little. They liked Tobin enough to entertain trading Mathis, so it'll be interesting to see how he performs over the next 6-8 weeks.

Also hoping Matthews continues to build off his nice game last week. If Brock misses the game he'll have a huge size advantage on his replacement in the slot.

 

[Devizier]

I'm just lol'ing at the fact that the Eagles scored a TD right after the cheap shot. Washington is a clownshoes organization from top to bottom and so it delights me to see them get humiliated on a regular basis.