SB Nation - Darren Howard

Prospective Seahawks General Managers: Randy Mueller

John Morgan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:13:53 -0000

by Don Wright - AP

Randy Mueller traded Chris Chambers to San Diego for a second round pick. Chambers was recently released by the Chargers.

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I am saving Sunday's tape analysis for the offseason. Just like last offseason and the two that preceded it, I will scout every important player on the Seahawks roster, cite specific plays from the season that exemplified that player's strengths and weaknesses and project their future within the organization.

Yesterday was filled with so much defeat, complete, non-competitive, Brett Favre benched in the second half, defeat, Seahawks fans deserve a respite. Let us escape from our escape through our escape.

The Tim Ruskell-Mike Holmgren dichotomy is media created foolishness. Holmgren wants back in football. A smaller team, a team that needs the recycled hype and distraction, that is mired in failure and needs anyone, anything to steal the headline from griping and finger pointing, will hire Holmgren.

Paul Allen is a progressive and invested owner. That doesn't put him beyond hiring a general manager he is comfortable with. That is why I start this series with a former Seahawk, Randy Mueller.

Randy Mueller

Mueller cut his teeth with Seattle, working his way up from pro personnel assistant, 1983, to player personnel director, 1990, and finally Vice President of Football Operation in 1995. The signing of Holmgren signaled the departure of Mueller. The two worked together on the disastrous 1999 draft before Mueller became the general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

Mueller drafted Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs, Pete Kendall, Phillip Daniels, Walter Jones, Anthony Simmons and Ahman Green for the Seahawks. He was integral in Seattle escaping Rick Mirer. Mueller traded Mirer to Chicago for a first round pick in 1997.

He went on to work for the Saints starting in 2000. There he helped clean up another coach-executed disaster, flipping Ricky Williams to the Miami Dolphins for two first round picks in 2002. In three season with the Saints, Mueller drafted Marc Bulger, Darren Howard, Kevin Houser, Deuce McAllister, Moran Norris, Donte Stallworth, Charles Grant and LeCharles Bentley.

From 2002 to 2005, Mueller worked for ESPN as an analyst. He signed with the Dolphins in 2005, but then-coach Nick Saban was in charge of personnel decisions. Mueller was in charge for the short period between Saban's resignation January 3, 2007 and Bill Parcells appointment December 19, 2007. The 2007 Dolphins finished 1-15 and Mueller was fired December 31, 2007.

His larger record speaks better of him than his recent work. Mueller might best be described as a fixer. He helps teams escape bad situations and has succeeded at turning high round picks into successful players. He traded Chris Chambers for a second round pick, Wes Welker for a second and seventh round pick (when Welker was a return specialist and part time receiver) and, as mentioned, freed the Seahawks from Mirer and the Saints from Williams. Mueller does not have much experience picking quarterbacks. He did find Marc Bulger in the sixth, and acquired Trent Green for a fifth round pick. Before a brain scrambling hit essentially ended his career, Green was a serviceable quarterback in 2007.

If Seattle is looking to blow up the roster and exchange some of its more valuable players for picks, Mueller is the right guy to dismantle and liquidate. He isn't young, but he is connected. He isn't fresh or sexy, but his record is pretty strong. Mueller is a bridge, and I would think, appeals most to fans that think the Seahawks are not close, not rebuilding, but collapsing; years from contention.

What they're saying - Eagles over Giants

JasonB — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:35 -0000

Andy Reid was asked whether he had planned to give Leonard Weaver as many carries as he got

"We did. We really weren't sure about (RB) Brian (Westbrook). As the week went on, one day he was feeling pretty good, but then he'd wake up and he wasn't feeling too good. I wasn't sure exactly during the week whether (Westbrook) was going to be able to go or not, but we had Weaver ready just in case. Actually we thought that we might be able to get (RB Eldra) Buckley a couple of carries, but as it worked out, it wasn't until the end that we were able to do that. We thought we could mix it up a little bit if Brian (Westbrook) wasn't able to go."

That was news to Weaver

"It was kind of a shock at first," Weaver said. "During the week, I really didn't run the ball. It felt good to know that Andy Reid and [offensive coordinator] Marty [Mornhinweg] would trust me in that way and trust me enough to give it to me a couple times."

Giants LB Antonio Pierce summed things up well from a Giants' perspective

"It's a complete embarrassment and disappointment," said linebacker Antonio Pierce after the game. "We didn't tackle, we gave up big plays, we didn't cover. We're not communicating. We all have to look at each other in the mirror and we all have to make a change, because what we're doing right now is not working."

Much more after the jump

Eli Manning on Asante Samuel's interception

"He just jumped it. He's an aggressive player and he jumps some things. On that route, I went to the right place [and] threw to the right read. I've just got to see him. He's on a tight end, he's going to cheat. Whether he just knew the route was coming or just read my body or just read the tight end's route… Just knowing, 'Hey, I've got a tight end here, I can try to jump this route.' And so he jumped it. I saw it late, and he made a play."

Ellis Hobbs had his best game returning kicks so far in an Eagles uniform. He talked about the value of strong special teams.

"(They can) help the momentum swing. When you look over to the sideline and you see the opposing team just drop and the coach is over there trying to clap everybody up and get them going for the specific reason of, it takes the breath out of you. (It's) almost like getting side punched, you know you don't see it coming because on special teams you think everything is supposed to happen naturally. Tackle the man and then the defense or offense comes out, but when a big play happens it kind of takes the life out of you a little bit and kind of makes you fumble a little bit. We did a good job making them fumble today."

Darren Howard on whether he thought the Giants were surprised by what transpired.

Maybe a little bit. It's definitely not the Giants to think that they would come in and give up 40 points on defense. Definitely I think they are shocked and they now have some things to work out and we have to go up there and play them again, so I'm looking forward to that rematch."

Giants Coach Tom Coughlin explained(tried to at least) his puzzling use of timeouts in the waning moments of the blowout.

"My belief is that you have to use whatever you've got, whatever your tools are, you use them. Message to my team: we're going to fight to the very end and that's all there is to it."

LeSean McCoy talked about his big TD run.

Lately, when I have been running, I have been stuttering a little bit and (RB) Brian (Westbrook) has been coaching me up to just hit the hole and make my move down the field. I just hit it and the line opened up a huge hole. The line played great today. They gave me options; I took it and outran the defense."

Quintin Mikell talked about the defense's plan coming into the game

"I think the main thing we needed to do was stop the run game. Their whole offense is based off the run, so stop the run. We did a good job with that and then we got after (Giants QB) Eli (Manning)."

Finally, Donovan McNabb talked about big plays.

"Well, offensively it's always big when you can spread it around. I think being able to establish the run game and the screen game opens up a lot of things, and the play action game and the drop back game and vice versa. I thought today we were very balanced, (and had) a way of attacking their defense, knowing that they like to blitz at times. They'll sit back in the zone to challenge you to see what you're doing. We were able to pick up big plays all throughout the drives, which led to touchdowns for us."

Who's In and Who's Out: Eagles @ Redskins

Bob_Q — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:22:21 -0000

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

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A long injury list this week features starters on both sides of the ball. It's been a rough week for the Eagles, limping into week seven after a tough loss to the Raiders and four Philadelphia players have been ruled as out: Victor Abiamiri, Kevin Curtis, Omar Gaither, and Dimitri Patterson. Curtis' loss will mean an increased amount of reps for former starter Reggie Brown, who is being given yet another chance to prove himself. Look for Jeremy Maclin to start alongside DeSean Jackson though. Darren Howard is also listed as questionable with a calf injury, leaving the defensive end position suddenly thin. Expect to see third stringer Jason Babin get a snap or two if Juqua Parker or Trent Cole need a breather. Also listed as questionable are linemen Jason Peters, Todd Herremans and Max Jean-Gilles who are all thankfully expected to play tonight. The Eagles will need to bring their best out against Albert Haynesworth and the Redskins' defensive line after giving up six sacks to the Raiders. An extensive list of Eagles nursing minor injuries are listed as probable and include Sheldon Brown, Brodrick Bunkley, Nick Cole, Antonio Dixon, Akeem Jordan, Jeremy Maclin, Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and Will Witherspoon. All are expected to play tonight.

On the Redskins' side, starting tackle Chris Samuels is out with a neck injury that could possibly force him to retire at the end of the season. He is expected to be moved to IR on Tuesday. The Eagles will need to take advantage of every hole in the line to put pressure on Jason Campbell. Expect to see Trent Cole come away with at least one sack tonight. Washington starters Albert Haynesworth and Clinton Portis are listed as questionable, but are both likely to play. Punter Hunter Smith has also returned from his groin injury and is expected to start tonight.

Keeping an Eye on the Other Beasts in the East

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:00:31 -0000

The premier matchup this week in the NFL is the one between the two unbeatens: the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints. Whichever team wins this battle in the Big Easy, could be considered the best team in the conference. Minnesota is the only other undefeated team in the NFC; it plays host to 3-2 Baltimore on Sunday.

The one win between Oakland and Kansas City suggests that Philadelphia and Washington could both be victorious this weekend. The Eagles are flying high while the Raiders are looking less competitive each week. The Chiefs gave the Cowboys a run for their money in Week Five, and should be able to do the same against a frustrated Redskins team.

More Beasts in the East after the jump.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)

Last game: 33-14 Home Win vs. Tampa Bay

Next up: @ Oakland (1-4)

Tomorrow, the Eagles will enter the Black Hole relatively healthy.

Guard Todd Herremans (foot) and cornerback Dimitri Patterson (quadriceps) are out for tomorrow's game at Oakland. Wide receiver Kevin Curtis (knee) is questionable, but he is making the flight west. Defensive end Darren Howard sat out yesterday's practice with a toe contusion, but he's probable. And that's it.

For the first time this season, coach Andy Reid will have to make some tough decisions regarding who will dress against the Raiders and who will be inactive.

"It's a good problem to have," Reid said.

Herremans has been out all season but is making progress and he could be back for the Monday night game at Washington on Oct. 26. He ran with the scout team yesterday in practice and will have a scan of his left foot - where he suffered a stress fracture - on Tuesday.

Andy Reid doesn't want his team to look past the Raiders.

"It's a frame of mind," Reid said following a short practice Friday at the team's NovaCare Complex. "It's how you handle that time, it's not necessarily the schedule as much as how you handle that schedule. That's the important thing here, from the time we get on the plane until the time we play the game, that you utilize that time wisely.

"That's what we need to do. I have a lot of new guys on this football team and this is the first time that they've been with me on a two-day trip. I expect certain things and I know that the veteran players will be a good example."

Donovan McNabb will "mentor" Jamarcus Russell during pregame.

McNabb wants to make sure Russell stays positive despite a rough start to his third season that has raised serious questions about whether the No. 1 overall pick in 2007 draft has become a draft bust.

"Understand that every quarterback in this league has been through some sort of struggle, but believe that you can pull yourself out of it," McNabb said of his advice. "The guys around you have to make plays. ... Not all the negative aspects of what's been going on should fall on JaMarcus because it's a team game."

Here is the preview video link for the Philadelphia Eagles at Oakland Raiders.

Washington Redskins (2-3)

Last game: 17-20 Loss @ Carolina

Next up: Home vs. Kansas City (0-5)

Whether Jim Zorn's job is in jeopardy or not, Washington's players want the organization to speak up.

If the team doesn't intend to fire Zorn, the players said, the coach should be given a public vote of confidence so that players won't have to bear the responsibility each week of responding to speculation about their embattled coach.

The players, who spoke on condition that their names not be used, said they had hoped management would soon release a statement endorsing Zorn to silence any doubts about his immediate future to eliminate what they said has become a daily distraction.

"I wish someone upstairs would just say he's going to be our coach for the season," said one of the players. "That way, we don't have to answer any more questions about it and everybody knows we're in this boat together."

LT Chris Samuels may miss the rest of the season with an injury that could force him into retirement, says Matt Mosely.

The six-time Pro Bowler, who already had been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, will have the injury re-evaluated Tuesday, sources told The Washington Post.

Samuels suffers from stenosis, a narrowing of the spine that causes him to wear a neck brace for extra protection when he plays, and was already dealing with significant knee pain all season, according to the paper.

The Redskins' defense is licking their chops in expectations of a struggling K.C. offense.

The Redskins have 10 sacks, including six in the last two games. Andre Carter leads the way with 3.5 sacks and rookie Brian Orakpo has 2.5. The defense is ranked 11th in the league in sacks after finishing 28th last year. Kansas City is struggling on the ground--Larry Johnson is averaging just 2.4 yards per carry--so the pressure could be on Cassel to move the ball through the air.

Cassel has been sacked 14 times this season, 28th worst in the league, as the Chiefs’ offensive line has struggled in pass protection. He was sacked four times last Sunday vs. Dallas and five times the week before by the New York Giants.

Punter, Hunter Smith, is a game-time decision because of a groin injury he suffered last week.

Smith, who did not punt during practice Friday, was injured on his first punt in the 16-13 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. He then sat out the 20-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

The Redskins signed free agent Glenn Pakulak, who averaged 35.6 net yards on five punts. Pakulak was cut after the game and re-signed to the practice squad. If Smith cannot punt again this week, the Redskins would have to make a move to add him to the 53-man roster for the game.

Here is the preview video link for the Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Redskins.

New York Giants (5-0)

Last game: 44-7 Home Win vs. Oakland

Next up: @ New Orleans (4-0)

How do the Giants' defenders plan on handling Saints' QB Drew Brees?

"(Brees is) a great, accurate quarterback," cornerback Corey Webster said. "He knows how to get the ball to the skill players and playmakers. He allows them to make plays down the field. He does a great job of buying more time in the pocket, getting rid of the ball when he needs to, putting it in the right position where only his receiver can make a play on the ball. I think down the field we have to stay close in coverage because he can buy an extra second for his receivers to get down the field. So we have to be very disciplined on our coverage assignments."

In four games, Brees has thrown only two interceptions and been sacked just four times. Running backs Mike Bell, Pierre Thomas and Bush have rushed for a combined 589 yards and five touchdowns.

"Brees gets so much attention that people don't realize they are averaging over 160 yards rushing," Tuck said. "They are definitely a balanced football team. I think they are right up there with us as far as balance. I know a lot of people don't understand that because people look at Brees and all the numbers he puts up, but that three-headed monster running back that they have down there is doing a great job, too."

While many Giants players were quoted this week as saying that this is just the sixth game of the season, Saints' head coach, Sean Payton, sees this as an early measuring stick for his team.

"When you look at all the categories that lend themselves to winning, this is a team that has done most of those things real well," Payton said. "This is a good challenge for us and a real good football team. Not only looking at the film and looking at all the numbers in all phases, they’re very well-coached and very talented."

Payton expects the Giants to be very physical on both sides of the ball. "We’ve played some good, physical teams and we understand the type of game that it’s going to be," Payton said, "and I think we’ll be ready for the challenge."

Eli Manning (heel) and Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) were limited in practice this week, but are only listed as probable for Sunday.

However, linebacker Michael Boley (knee), defensive tackle Chris Canty (calf) and cornerback Aaron Ross (hamstring) have all been ruled out for Sunday.

Is Brandon Jacobs frustrated with his role?

When asked specifically how he was a tone-setter on the field, Jacobs had enough.

"You're just looking for some (junk), aren't you?" Jacobs said to a reporter. The reporter seemed surprised and asked Jacobs what was wrong."

"Yes! I see myself as a tone-setter," Jacobs said. "Yes, I do. I am going out and just running into people. I'm 6-4 and 265 pounds, doing what I am supposed to do, running into people to get a 2-yard loss. Happy?"

Jacobs, who has rushed for 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons, ended the interview, picked up his shoes and walked away.

The Saints may come out with a little ball-control offense of their own.

A little more of a surprise this season has been the running game of the New Orleans Saints, which ranks second in the NFL, averaging 166.3 yards. This week, the Saints will have a tandem of their own in Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas, one they haven't had together all season. Bell rushed for 229 yards in the Saints' first two games, but sprained his right knee late in New Orleans' victory at Philadelphia.

Thomas, who did not have carry the first two games while he was coming back from a preseason right knee sprain of his own, took center stage in Week 3 at Buffalo and has rushed for 212 yards and three TDs since. "It's going to be electrifying because we're going to keep pounding and pounding and pounding," Thomas said. "We've also got Reggie (Bush), who can do just about anything out there on the field, so it's going to be crazy."

Here is the pregame video link for the New York Giants at New Orleans Saints.

What they're saying - Eagles beat Bucs

JasonB — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:16:41 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

2 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb smiles from the sidelines in the final minutes of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 33-14. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

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Jeremy Maclin had his breakout game yesterday in just his second start. He talked about getting his first NFL TD.

"Whenever the ball comes my way, I expect to make a play," Maclin said. "The number of balls that come my way, I have no idea, but you just have to be ready when the ball comes your way. It felt good to get my first NFL touchdown. I still am excited. I'm going to cherish that for sure."

Andy Reid explained why Maclin was able to have so many opportunities.

"You saw them roll to the strong side and play inside-out on DeSean with man coverage and safety help," said head coach Andy Reid after the game. "They were pushing a lot towards the strong side, so we mixed things up a little bit and we were able to utilize some mismatches there with Jeremy because of the coverage."

Jeremiah Trotter made his return to the Eagles and the NFL on Sunday and talked about how he played.

"When I was in there, they were running and passing some. They really didn't move the ball and I just took what they gave me. I had one missed tackle and I think I made one tackle. I was joking with (Joe) Mays, 'I think you made more plays than I did, and you didn't even dress.' I was talking to (Michael) Vick and he said that he felt like he was going to come off the streets and hit the ground running but that's why it's the NFL, it's hard to do."

Trotter also mentioned how happy he was to come out of the tunnel last in pre-game introductions...

It was pretty emotional. I got the word that they were going to introduce me and I was happy. I've always wanted to come out last but when you're playing with Brian Dawkins, you're never going to come out of the tunnel last."

More after the jump

Buc's coach Raheem Morris said that talent won the day.

"I think it's a really well-coached football team," he said. "We were prepared for all the blitzes, all the looks we'd get. Everything we saw, we knew we would get. Any time you put yourself in position to have double-teams on guys, and their guys make plays, it means they're a better football team, talentwise.

"We have to find a way to get the talent of some of these teams so we can compete. We've got to get more talent. And we've got to get better play out of our talented guys."

Brian Westbrook talked about whether the lack of running plays made it tough to get into a rhythm

"Anytime that you're expecting to run maybe 30, 35 plays in the first have and you only run almost 20 plays, it's hard to get in the rhythm, especially when you're scoring on long pass plays early on in the series, like we did with (WR) Jeremy (Maclin). So it's definitely hard to get into the rhythm, but you love to score. You love to put points on the board and it's going to be games that we are going to have to battle like that, like we did in the first half. We battled penalties, we battled. Really it's tough for our offense to get into a rhythm when you're like that. But there's going to be games like that and we have to weather those storms as well."

Leonard Weaver was asked whether beating bad teams makes it hard to gauge where the Eagles are at right now

"I hear people say that. But at the same time, this is the NFL. Any one of those teams that are winless can come in and beat a team that is really good. For us, it's a plus, because we came in and showed that we are not going to be deceived by the fact that a team is winless. We are going to come out and focus on doing what we need to do every week."

Darren Howard talked about the good and bad of the defense on Sunday

I think we had too many penalties, we have to get back to fundamentals and our discipline. I think we did a good job at stopping the run. The quarterback got out on us a couple times. We depended a lot on our cornerbacks because we did show a lot of blitz, where we were bringing seven or eight guys, but that shows that we have a lot of confidence in our defensive backs and secondary and they were able to make some catches out there."

Michael Vick talked about his 11 yard run

"Everything broke down. I got a little rush from the left, so I just tried to move a little bit and let it be natural. I still tried to look downfield, but it wasn't there. I was just playing ball and being natural with it, let my instincts take over. That was good for me."

Donovan McNabb talked about how he felt in his first game back

"I felt pretty good. I knew it would kind of be a slow process, didn't think it would happen as fast as it did with that first touchdown. When you step away from the game for a couple weeks, you just want to get into a rhythm and get your feet under you a little bit. Offensively, I thought we did some really good things. Some things, obviously, we've got to clean up, but whenever you look up at the scoreboard and see that you were able to win it, it makes it a lot easier watching film the next day to prepare yourself for the next opponent."

Transcript City and CSC is the Mayor

Saintsational — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:51:56 -0000

Sean Payton Press Conference Transcript

From the New Orleans Saints official website

Opening Statement:

PAYTON: "A couple of notes from yesterday: we waived Buck Ortega and signed Courtney Robyin his place and then Matt Simon was released off the practice squad and we signed Tyler Lorenzen, a tight end, to the practice squad. Today's notes, injury-wise: Jammal Brown (hip) did not participate; Darnell Dinkins (foot) did not practice; Jermon Bushrod (ankle) did not practice;Kendrick Clancy (knee) did not practice; Tracy Porter (knee) did not practice; Jeremy Shockey(ankle) did not practice; Pierre Thomas (knee) was full; Usama Young (shoulder) was full; Roman Harper (hamstring) was limited."

Jeremy Shockey said something about getting kicked in the heel. Is that the same injury?

PAYTON: "I just think there's soreness. We just rested it and we'll see where he's at tomorrow."

Are you encouraged by what you saw from Pierre Thomas in practice today?

PAYTON: "He's getting better. The key is to keep measuring the progress day by day, but he is getting healthier."

Is carrying only two healthy tight ends a little light?

PAYTON: "It's light, as you would compare it to normal rosters, and yet we'll keep working with the young player we just signed on the practice squad and keep looking at that position."

What was the thinking behind bringing Courtney Roby back?

PAYTON: "He was one of the guys that potentially would have made the team in the event of suspensions, so he and I talked when he left. He's a guy that gives us some juice as a returner and also as a cover guy. I thought Robert (Meachem) did a great job on kickoff return, so it really wasn't predicated as much on how we return kicks as much as we're getting another guy who can cover, play gunner and do all those things. That was the main reason. And he can certainly return kicks."

What is your reaction to the ruling yesterday that Charles Grant and Will Smith will be able to play?

PAYTON: "Like we've said all along, we waited to hear and you guys heard it as we did. We support the league and the decision they made and we have been all along. Obviously it's good news."

Is it too early to tell how it will affect you this year?

PAYTON: "Again, that's not the question for me. Right now we just keep going full speed ahead and try to focus on the upcoming team we're playing with the personnel we have. But it really was something that we were not involved with and just waiting to hear."

Do you appreciate the reasoning that it would be a matter of fairness?

PAYTON: "Sure. You bet."

Did Pierre run comfortably with the brace on his knee?

PAYTON: "He looked good. Again, for him it's just getting back into the flow of things with the conditioning level and everything that goes with it. He's moving around and it was good to see him do that today."

Is it kind of a big brace for a runner to be wearing?

PAYTON: "It's fairly common for that type of injury in the early stages of it. He did look a little bit like a fullback today with that on."

You had said about Darren Sharper that he was one of the guys where you had to "see it" every so often. Had he already passed that test with you?

PAYTON: "I think so. I thought he had a good training camp. He was healthy; he had his weight down. He has great ball skills and it was great to see him make a few plays the other day. He did a good job. The ball kind of finds him. He's one of those players that's around it a lot. That was encouraging. To answer your question, yes."

With Bushrod a little nicked up, are you still comfortable with your depth at offensive tackle?

PAYTON: "We have some flexibility there but hopefully we'll have him back tomorrow and we'll see."

Did you have any doubts that you'd see a good performance from him?

PAYTON: "You don't try to pre-determine; you try to pay attention to what you're seeing and since he's been here, he has done a good job."

How concerned are you about the special teams?

PAYTON: "It's just one aspect. I think we'll be a lot better. We expect to be a lot better this week; we're going to have to be. It's correcting those mistakes - fortunately they are mistakes that we can clean up and the improvement from week one to week two is important, not only in the kicking game but in the other aspects of our game. That will be one focal point for us in the game; especially a game like this one."

So you brought Roby back to get better in coverage as much as anything?

PAYTON: "Yes. He provides us another core player and a guy that we think is pretty good as a returner."

With the Eagles being a very opportunistic and aggressive defense, is ball security even more important this week?

PAYTON: "They had seven turnovers against Carolina and they do a good job of forcing those turnovers. The history of that team has always been aggressive and has always thrived on creating those turnovers and putting the offense on a short field. That's something that we have to pay close attention to in a game like this."

How much extra work has to go in when you're preparing for the potential for two different quarterbacks?

PAYTON: "The work starts with the offense. You prepare for the offense and you know that it could subtly change. The thing Donovan (McNabb) does such a great job with is extending plays. He has done that for years where you think you have him covered and then he climbs the pocket, flushes and makes the throw. Those are the things that are hard to practice when you know he's playing. More than anything else right now is paying attention to the offense and the personnel they have and the weapons they have."

Saints Player Quotes

From WWLTV

Tracy Porter, right cornerback
On his knee: "It's gotten better since Sunday. Now I'm just waiting on what the coaches want to do and what the trainers want to do.

How'd you get injured:'I went in for the tackle and banged into the running back. Just a little bruise, nothing too serious.

Jeremy Shockey, tight end
What do you recall from playing in Philly (with New York)? "It's a hostile environment. Philadelphia has some great fans who get into the game. Some of these guys I was talking to earlier, 'You don't know what you're getting into.' Things getting thrown at the bus, little kids flipping you off. Whatever you can imagine."

Does the hostile environment help opposing teams in a way? "Andy Reid's done a great job over the years, the past 10 years since he has been there. The past 10 years we were looking at today they have a great winning percentage at home."

Pierre Thomas, running back
You're pretty adamant about playing? "So far, the response is everything is good. They ask me how I feel and I tell them great. I believe I'm going to play. My mindset is I'm playing Sunday regardless. But I've got to go by what the coaches say. I'm trying to convince them to let me play Sunday."

Have you played with a brace before? "I have played with a brace before in college. Same thing, I kind of tweaked my MCL, my left one, and I had a big brace on. It was against Michigan State. At halftime I came back with a big brace and everything was fine."

Charles Grant, defensive end
(Bear with me, this is a long winded, rambling quote)
How do you feel for Jamar Nesbit, who took a four-game suspension for the same thing? "I feel sorry for him. But on behalf of me and will Smith, we want to thank the Commissioner for his decision and going back and making it a fair deal. A lot of people don't know we sat in their office for 12½ hours and listened to everything that goes on. A lot of people say, 'Well, just go ahead and get it over with.' Me and Will were the ones struggling inside. It comes as a period of relief yesterday for us to be able to go out and help this team accomplish something.

"Me and will both, to another point, a lot of people look at us, 'Them guys get paid the high dollars but how are they producing?' That's what me and Will talked about in the offseason. That's one of our main focuses right now, producing to become one of the premier bookends they consider us to be in this league."

Will Smith, defensive end
Talk about the whole experience?"It was a long process, kind of like you're on trial, but at the end of the day, we're happy with the decision that the commissioner has made. I feel as if we can move on and focus on the Philadelphia Eagles."

Andy Reid Press Conference Transcript

From the New Orleans Saints official website

Q: Can you talk about how you guys have lost Jim Johnson and Pete Jenkins and how the team is dealing with that?

REID: It was tough on everybody here, players and coaches. At the same time, we all know how Jim would have wanted it handled, so that's the way we're going about it. We're concentrating on football and being the best team we could possibly be.

Q: How did Jenkins end up on your staff?

REID: Juan Castillo our offensive line coach and Pete were real good friends and Juan had recommended him to me. I had known about Pete who is a legend at the college level as far as defensive line coaches go. He put out so many players and coached. I liked the fundaments and techniques he taught. Juan introduced me to him and I ended up interviewing him and hiring him.

Q: Have you gotten any closer on your decision to who you might start at quarterback and what will enter into your decision ultimately?

REID: Really I'm taking it day by day literally. That's kind of what you do with rib injuries. You just kind of see how the thing heals up. It was fractured, so it takes a little bit of time. It was fractured all the way through. It was a stress fracture. We'll see how it heals up here. We're literally taking it day by day. Then if he does not play, then Kevin Kolb's the quarterback, Jeff Garcia will back him up and we still know that Michael Vick can't play for another week here.

Q: Is it true this will be Kevin's first week practicing with the first group during team drills?

REID: Right.

Q: What advantages will that give him in preparing for an opponent?

REID: The ones in our system and I'm sure it's the same way with Sean (Payton)...The ones take all the reps when the offense is up. He'll be in charge of the offense during the practice here. It allows him to get 100 percent of the reps, which I would say is most different from coming in as a relief pitcher there, as a backup.

Q: Do you build a game plan knowing Kevin's the guy or do you stay with your system?

REID: We don't change much. It's what we do. We did it throughout training camp. We'll stick with the system there.

Q: I'm sure you noticed on the game film that Darren Sharper is still at it. How many times have you gone up against him in the past and what makes him such a difficult opponent?

REID: He's smart and in our case, he's seen this offense once or twice. I actually was with Darren his first couple years in Green Bay. He's gone against this offense many times and he's always had great instincts to the ball.

Q: What kind of defensive back do you fear more, is it a guy who is fast and has that makeup speed or a guy who is going to read what you're trying to do?

REID: You like the combination of both and that's something that he's had during his career. He could always run real well and he has the great instincts, obviously this past week with the interceptions he's had. Talking about Darren, he was a combination guy. I would say that I like guys that are football players like that. I like guys that have the instincts and the awareness of where the ball's going and sometimes a guy can be a little bit slower and sometimes be very successful at this level.

Q: Kevin Kolb is not a guy we are real familiar with because we don't see him a lot. What is it that you like about him and makes him stand out as a quarterback?

REID: Some of the things I saw at the University of Houston are that he was at a program that changed around from not being very successful to being very successful. He had a lot of personal success there. I liked his leadership ability and physical attributes. He was mobile, he had good feet.

Q: Do you have any thoughts about the NFL's decision on Charles Grant and Will Smith this week?

REID: I think it's great that they can play. Right now, I wouldn't want it any other way. Those guys are great players and they've worked hard. I respect the decision of the league and what they did there. They're great players.

Q: From a coaching point did you empathize with what Sean Payton was going to not knowing if he could count on their availability from week to week?

REID: I understand. I understand in that I have Michael (Vick) in the same type of situation here. I completely understand. The New Orleans Saints are lucky to have Sean Payton. He's a heck of a coach. I can feel for him on that deal though.

Q: What did you think of New Orleans' offensive performance on Sunday?

REID: I had Drew Brees over at the Pro Bowl this past year. That's an impressive guy, a very impressive guy. It doesn't surprise me what he's done over the years here. He's a heck of a player.

Q: Asides from guys on your roster, is any NFL quarterback playing better than Brees right now, maybe the last season and one game?

REID: I don't know. He looks as good as anybody in this league. My hat's off to him. Fundamentally he's as sound as anybody that's come through here.

Q: As impressive as the Saints offense was the other day how impressive was your defense against Carolina?

REID: The ball bounced right for us. Our guys played fast and hard, so I was proud of them for that. They're a good bunch of guys.

Darren Howard Press Conference Transcript

From the New Orleans Saints official website

Q: Did you think that the hit on Donovan McNabb that broke his rib was a late hit and that a flag should have been thrown?

HOWARD: I don't know. I'm not a referee. I thought it was unnecessary. It was late obviously. It wasn't in the field of play. I don't know if it should have been a flag.

Q: Can you talk about how the defense ran on Sunday and the transition in coordinators from Jim Johnson to Sean McDermott?

HOWARD: Not much difference. We have a few new wrinkles. It's based off the same defense. They've been together for 11 years here. There's not a lot of difference. They are two different personalities, but as far as team wise, they are pretty similar.

Q: What kind of relationship did you have with Jim and with Pete Jenkins who is now retired?

HOWARD: Since Pete was my position coach I had a little bit more of a relationship with him, but I had a relationship with Jim. I was there for three years with him, so we got to know each other. He was a guy that I really respected not only as a coach, but as a man. Those are guys that had 50 or 60 years in football, the two of them. Those guys really knew what they were doing. They kind of handed things down to the younger generation.

Q: A lot of players at LSU have raved about Jenkins' techniques. What are some of the things that he taught you?

HOWARD: I think he did a great job with a lot of our young guys. By the time I got here, you get older and have your number of years in the league. By the time I got here, I was going into my seventh year in the leaguer and you kind of have your things you're stuck in. I think he did a great job with the young guys. He took Broderick Bunkley, who was really a raw talent. If you look at Broderick and a lot of his college tape, a lot of his production was raw talent and raw strength. He did a great job of molding that into a great NFL tackle.

Q: What do you think of the ongoing starcaps case from the perspective of an Eagle getting ready to the play the Saints this week and in terms of a player under the collective bargaining agreement?

HOWARD: I don't know. I really don't know what to say about that. It's a situation where guys are always looking to improve themselves in any legal way. I don't think those guys the way I know them would do anything that would take advantage of the policies the NFL hold. At the same time, you have to be aware of the consequences and things that can happen if you go outside the box and try to do things.

Q: Do you like the NFL's decision to not suspend them right away until the issues with the Minnesota players are being decided in courts?

HOWARD: I don't know. I don't have any comments as far as that.

Q: Have you had a chance to look at the Saints offense on tape and if so, what's your first reaction when you see the game last Sunday against Detroit?

HOWARD: We've had a chance to look at the tape and it's not something new. They have had a great offense ever since I've been out of there. You have a great quarterback who knows exactly where everybody is, takes great leadership of the team and he gets the ball out of there, so everything that you thought they would be before the first game they showed on Sunday. They have a lot of challenges and a lot of targets and weapons we have to make sure we take care of. It's a great challenge for us.

Q: Were you surprised with the way they ran the ball with Mike Bell the other day?

HOWARD: Any great offense, you have to have some kind of balance. I think they've found a weapon with Mike Bell they feel comfortable with, especially on the inside. We consider ourselves a great run-stopping team. That's what we want to do. We want to stop the run, make sure they don't get inside and take advantage of the inside gaps. Basically we just want to take care of the run and try to make the guys one dimensional.

Q: Might this game be a gauge for you guys as well as the Saints in terms of where you stand in the confidence and the NFL?

HOWARD: I think every week is, no matter who your opponent is. That's why you play the game. You have to go out there and perform. Even last week, even though New Orleans played a team that didn't win last year, they were supposed to win and when you go out there and do what you are supposed to do, that's always a plus no matter who you play. We're going to go out there and give it our best shot and see how things will turn out.

Q: You've been there when Kevin Kolb has played. Could you give us a brief scouting report on this guy since we don't have the quarterbacks to speak to? What can the Saints expect from this guy?

HOWARD: We'll see. I'm not going to give you a scouting report.

Q: How about a friendly scouting report?

HOWARD: He's a great quarterback. We have trust and faith in him.

Q: Period and end of story?

HOWARD: Yes.

Q: Can you give us a rundown of Donovan McNabb? Personally have you ruled him out of the game or is this guy that tough that he's going to come back?

HOWARD: I don't know. I don't have comment about that. Donovan's Donovan. Everybody knows what kind of player he is. He makes big plays with both his arm and his feet, so everybody knows what he's about. He's a competitor and he wants to be on the field. If he can, he will be. If not, we're going with Kevin.

Q: What will Jeff Garcia bring to the table?

HOWARD: We'll see what happens. He just got here yesterday. He didn't go through training camp with us, even though he did a few years ago. It's not the same exact offense he's been running the last couple years so it's a learning curve for him. We'll see what happens.

Q: What do you attribute the year you had last year to?

HOWARD: I think I had a few better opportunities. I think I took better advantage of my opportunities and I lost a little bit of weight, got in shape and was able to help my team out a little bit more than I was the first two years. That's all you ever try to do to help your team.

Philadelphia Eagles 53 man roster by the numbers

JasonB — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:35:19 -0000

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

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The Eagles have made their cuts and whittled their roster down to 53 men. However, just because those guys survived cut day, doesn't mean they'll actually be on the team come September 13th. Let's look at some positions where changes are still likely to be made.

Wide Receiver - The Eagles currently have 7 WRs on their roster and are only likely to start the season with 6. Desean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, & Jeremy Maclin are all locks. The guys not guaranteed a spot are rookie Brandon Gibson, Reggie Brown, and Hank Baskett. Since Gibson wasn't cut with the first round and wouldn't be valuable trade bait, it may actually be safe to assume that he made the team. It's likely that the Eagles held onto Reggie and Hank(esp the former) since those guys may have some trade value to fill another spot.

Tight End - The Eagles currently have just two TEs on the roster. That will not be the case for very long as the Eagles will carry a 3rd TE on their roster. Whether it's through trade or free agency, I'm guessing we'll find out who that guy is before the weekend is out. Considering that Tony Curtis was signed just before the preseason game against Jacksonville, the Eagles will go into this season with just one TE(Celek) that was on the roster at least 3 weeks before the season.

Defensive Tackle - After cutting loose Dan Klecko, the Eagles DTs are Broderick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, & Trevor Laws. Two starters and one backup. That said, there's a decent chance that they may not add another DT. The Eagles love rotate DEs inside to DTs on passing downs. Darren Howard, Victor Abiamiri, & Juqua Parker have all done it in the past. Those guys, especially Howard and Abiamiri, could be defacto backup DTs. Last year, it seemed that Darren Howard played more inside than he did outside... I'd look for the Eagles to add a couple DTs to their practice squad just in case.

Quarterback - The Eagles currently have 4 QBs on their roster, but due to an exemption Michael Vick does not count against the 53 man roster. While Vick is on the exempt list he can't practice with the team, so obviously the Eagles will be looking to take him off as soon as possible. I'm sure that over the next day or so they'll be trying to trade A.J. Feeley to make room for Vick. If they can't swing a deal, they'll probably just outright release him.

Vick to play with starters Thursday night

JasonB — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:47:13 -0000

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

4 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks Michael Vick, right, and Donovan McNabb practices at NFL football training camp in Philadelphia, Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Andy Reid just concluded his post practice press conference and filled us in on who's and who's out of this Thursday's 3rd preseason game against the Jaguars. The third preseason game is typically the most important as it's the one the starters play the most.

Donovan McNabb will play the first three quarters and Kevin Kolb will play the 4th. Where does that leave Mike Vick you ask? Good question. Reid was cagey as to what Vick's role would be, but he did say that Vick would play the first 3 quarters with the starters. It seemed the implication was that he could see time both with McNabb and maybe even take a series with the starters at QB himself. He also said he had no reservations about showing Vick in the Wildcat formation. I gotta say, Big Red looked downright giddy as he announced this. Should be interesting...

He also ran down the list of guys who won't be playing this Thursday.

Coach Reid also updated the injury status of a number of players. Sheldon Brown (rib strain), Omar Gaither (knee sprain), Leonard Weaver (sprained MCL), Shawn Andrews (back), Todd Herremans (stress reaction in foot), Darren Howard (groin), Charleston Hughes (foot contusion), Tracy White (rib strain), and newly acquired Tony Curtis (high ankle sprain) all will not play against the Jaguars.

You may notice that one big name is not on that list, Brian Westbrook. Westbrook will play, but won't go the three quarters with the starters. My guess is that he goes a couple series or a quarter at most. Stacy Andrews and Jason Peters will also play.

Winston Justice... starter?

JasonB — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:52:30 -0000

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Over the past few years, Winston Justice has probably been Eagles' fans favorite whipping boy. The one time second round pick has started just one game in his career, that start has become infamous.

Since that fateful day in Giants' stadium Justice has been labeled a bust, soft, mocked by Hugh Douglas, and generally disliked by Eagles fans. The fact that he's still taking up a roster spot has drawn derision from fans and this year would surely be the last camp we'd see Winston Justice.

But then Shawn Andrews' surgically repaired back began to hurt, he hit the training room, and Winston Justice started taking reps with the first team offense... and he's stepped up. Andy Reid had this to say.

"Winston is having a very good camp, I think you all see that, and we see it right with you. He’s very confident, very aggressive, growing up. You think back now – he was the youngest player we had at that time when we took him. He was a young pup, and I think he’s just growing up."

More on Justice's road to redemption after the jump.

Marty Morninwheg

"He's striking people and he's playing in a physical manner," Mornhinweg said after the Eagles' morning practice.

"It sounds kind of crazy, but he really is a good pass protector now. I've been impressed with Winston. There's no question he has dramatically improved his game. Sometimes it takes guys until their fourth or fifth year before it clicks for them. I think it has clicked for Winston."

Justice has not only done a good job blocking this summer he's shown more fire than he ever has, mixing it up after plays most notably in a scuffle with Omar Gaither.

It's not just the coaches that have highlighted Justice's improvement either, members of the local media have singled out Justice for praise.

He's more aggressive, more assertive and — most noticeable of all — plays with a sudden mean streak. It was Justice's block on Darren Howard in the backfield recently that allowed Donovan McNabb to step up and rifle a 70-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson in scrimmage.

Justice stayed in Philadelphia this offseason to work with offensive line coach Juan Castillo, he showed up to the Eagles' voluntary rookie camps which typically only vets coming off an injury attend. There's no doubt that Justice has committed himself to becoming a better player and so far it seems to have paid off... but the fact is that we're just a couple weeks into camp and it's going to take a lot more than that to restore our faith in Winston... but if he continues this career revival through the preseason? We may just have to stop calling him "Bustice"

Poll

Are you confident in Winston Justice as a starter?

Yes, some guys are just late bloomers

243 votes

You're kidding right?

238 votes

Ask me after the preseason

512 votes

993 votes | Poll has closed

Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp Preview - Defensive End

JasonB — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:07:59 -0000

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This is the next installment in our series of 12 positions in 12 days previewing the upcoming Eagles training camp. Rookie and selected vets report to Lehigh July 26th and each day leading up to that date we will bring you a preview of a different position battle.

Here we are on our 9th position preview and we've finally got ourselves a starting job that is truly up for grabs. While the right defensive end spot is locked down, the left defensive end spot should be an entertaining battle at Lehigh.

The Bodies

Victor Abiamiri, Chris Clemons, Trent Cole, Darren Howard, Juqua Parker, Bryan Smith.

Presumed Starters

At this point, I think we can say that Cole is the only guy who can be safely assumed as a starter. While Juqua Parker has started at left end for a couple of years now, young guys like Victor Abiamiri and Bryan Smith will be making serious pushes for playing time. In fact, I think if you ask Eagles management who they'd like to see win the starting LDE job... they'd tell you it was Abiamiri.

Back to Trent Cole... The Hunter has been a model of consistency over the past 3 years averaging just about 10 sacks per season and playing nearly every defensive snap over that time. He's also developed into nearly as good a run stopper as he is as a pass rusher. That 2 way DE is becoming more and more of a rare breed in the NFL with so many teams playing the 3-4 or employing smaller/faster pass rush specialists. Cole is certainly one of a handful of guys in the NFL that excels at both.

New additions

None.

What to watch for

The big thing to watch at this camp will be the battle for the starting left defensive end job. While Chris Clemons & 2nd year man Bryan Smith will be in the mix, the battle should really come down to incumbent starter Juqua Parker and 3rd year man Victor Abiamiri. The start of VA's career was plauged by various injuries, most recently his wrist which kept him out of the first half of last season. When he did get the chance to play however, he was pretty impressive playing both inside and out and displaying power and a knack for getting into the backfield. At 6'4 and around 270 Abiamiri has the size to be a run stopper while still having the speed to get to the QB. Plus, with speedy pass rush specialists like Clemons and Smith backing him up, VA has the ability to move inside on passing downs and rush from the inside.

Parker has been a solid and relatively productive member of the Eagles for several years now. The concern with him is that he seems to wear down as the season goes on, which would lead us to believe he might be better served as a backup where he doesn't play as many snaps. Last year 4.5 of his 5 sacks came in the first half of the year. 2007 was the same story with all 5 of his sacks coming in the first 8 games he played.

The table is certainly set for Abiamiri to make that LDE spot his own, will he finally be healty enough to do it?

Some other quick things to watch. The development of second year man Bryan Smith, who finished last preseason with a very impressive game against the Jets but rarely made the active roster during the season. Also Chris Clemons, who after he got healthy last year actually became one of the team's best defensive playmakers down the stretch.

Previous position previews

Interior Offensive Line

Offensive Tackles

Defensive Tackles