SB Nation - Moise Fokou

Early Christmas present for Vernon Davis?

Fooch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:33:58 -0000

I was poking around over at Bleeding Green Nation today and noticed an intriguing FanShot on the front page. According to the article referenced in the FanShot, it is likely that Eagles will have rookie strong side linebacker Moise Fokou handling most of the coverage duties against Vernon Davis. I've always felt Vernon Davis is at his best when a team uses a linebacker to cover him. Whereas a cornerback or even safety could potentially keep up with him speed-wise, one has to wonder what linebacker could keep up with Davis? Julian Peterson in his prime comes to mind (see his game as a 49er against Tony Gonzalez).

This matchup provides some interesting tidbits. Like Davis, Fokou attended the University of Maryland, and both were actually on the team when Fokou was a freshman and Davis was a ~~senior~~ junior. According to Fokou, he was able to keep up with Davis in terms of speed. At the time Fokou weighed 200 or so pounds, while he's not up to 230+. I know the 40 yard dash time isn't the best indicator of anything, but for comparison's sake, Fokou ran a 4.76 40 at this past combine, while Davis came in at 4.38 back in 2006.

Fokou had plenty to say about the matchup:

"I kind of know what he likes to do and what he doesn’t. I kind of know how he releases. For me, knowing him personally and also watching his career helps me in terms of film study," Fokou said.

"I’m going to be out there talking trash. He’s going to talk trash whenever he gets our defense. We were talking trash over the summer when I worked out with him."

Fokou has a head start.

"He thinks he’s more athletic than most linebackers," Fokou said. "We’ll see on Sunday. Me vs. Davis."

Obviously any player can have a good day against one of the best in the league, so I suppose Fokou could contain Davis. However, I just don't think the odds are particularly good of that happening. One thing that does worry me is if Davis were to get a bit too confident in the matchup, as I think he could get in his own way in this kind of instance. Vernon's physical tools have never been the problem (well hands-issues aside). It's been more about the mental side of the game that has gotten Vernon in trouble.

Whatever the case may be, this could turn into the key for the 49ers hanging with the Eagles. If Davis can dominate this matchup, the 49ers could open up the rest of their offense when somebody gets rolled over to help Fokou. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this potential matchup. Let's hope Alex Smith can pick it apart.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:03:21 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

22 days ago: Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno (27) has his hand examined during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants in Denver, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Denver won 26-6. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

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Happy Wednesday, and welcome to a day-late, dollar-short version of ST&NO. First of all, big up TJ for working hard to bring in his outstanding The Dude Abides... Stats That Don't Lie in a day early. I am a bit healthier on Tuesday as I write this, and I am going to see what I can get cranked out in one day, with moderate sneezing, and a heavy Day 1 of close workload in that pesky day job. I didn't take notes, and I didn't remember to record the Broncos game, so I am without a lot of detail this week, and will need to speak more generally than usual. No time to waste, so let's not waste any time. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. So I mentioned that I would be in the Constitution State, and that I'd be playing in a football game with my friend Tony, a diehard Giants fan. The morning game was fun, but I ended up pretty sore, for those who asked. It's tough playing once a year at the most.

As for the night game, well, my mom is not what you'd call a high-tech person. Every time I visit, without fail, there's some junk Coby brand DVD player she wants me to plug into some junk/old TV set without RCA inputs. (You have to drop like $40 on an RF modulator to run through coax, which is about 2.5 times the price of the DVD player.) The "how" of plugging in a DVD player is too daunting for my mom to even give it a try for herself. In her main TV-watching area, she has a 21ish-inch Symphonic brand LCD flat screen that I am sure came from Wal-Mart. Her equipment is garbage, but it works for her I guess. Law & Order SVU looks fine on it. (I don't mean to make fun of my mother; she just doesn't share my priorities, or general attitude toward spending a few extra bucks for quality gear.) It turned out to be moot anyway, because NFL Network is on a premium tier she doesn't subscribe to.

So, what to do? Well, Tony was still around. I asked if he wanted to go to a bar for the game, but he ended up inviting me to his parents' house to watch, which was cool. His dad, also Tony, is also a big Giants fan. I usually watch football alone, because I don't consider it to be a social activity. It's really kind of become my job, and I do best when I can take notes, and pause and rewind, and focus on being analytical. I will talk to my brother Chris sometimes during games, but that's annoying, because my DirecTV feed is always 2-3 seconds behind his, so he knows what happened before I do.

Last Thursday, I sat in the living room with Tony and Tony. Tony Version 2.0's mother, and his girlfriend Ana, were there for most of the first half. I like them both very much, but having women around for a Broncos game was a whole other level of different for me. Like, I don't think it has happened since I was married, and that ended Halloween 2007.

But I digest. (I just had a sandwich from Tomayydo Tomahhdo for lunch. It was excellent, as always.) Back to the lecture at hand. I'm watching this game with two Giants fans and their women, and I got it in my mind that I was going to be really respectful of the Giants one way or the other. It turned out I had to do so in the one way, and not the other, which made me happy. For me, it's easier to be gracious in victory than in defeat.

The Broncos dominated the Giants, and in my opinion, played their best all-around game of the season. Kyle Orton threw one bad ball that he'd like to have back. The Giants got one receiver wide open on a well-conceived rub play where Alphonso Smith and Andre' Goodman ran into each other. The line had those 3 stupid scoring-area false starts, and gave up one sack, on the opening play of the game, and it came from the free rusher on a blitz (which puts it on coverage and Orton). Other than those few plays, and a sense that Correll Buckhalter went down a little too easily a couple of times, I wouldn't change much of anything.

McGeorge asked after the San Diego game if I still stood by my 11-5 prediction. I wanted to see how the Broncos did against New York, but after that, I sure do. The Giants game showed the exact formula that the Broncos can use to beat just about anybody. On defense, it was coverage, pressure, and gap control. On offense, it was sharp routes, great catches and good throws, combined with hard running and excellent run blocking. If the Broncos play like that, they will crush the Raiders and Chiefs, and end up with a minimum of 10 wins. They match up pretty well with both the Colts and the Eagles, too, and I think they can win 1 out of those 2 games. Here is my rationale for saying they match up well.

Indianapolis - The Colts are not a complete team, but nobody really is in the salary cap era. What the Colts are is a team which is constructed around the idea that their QB is going to give them leads, and that their defense will therefore need to protect leads. What does that mean? Well, they value zone coverage and pressure from their DEs. If you make them defend both the pass and the run on any given snap, you can score on them without a lot of trouble. Because the Colts can't stop even an average running game with 7 men, their SS Melvin Bullitt runs down into the box very frequently, and the Colts are therefore susceptible to being beaten over the top on play action, if you can run against them. It was no accident how the Texans got out to a big lead Sunday. They ran and threw, and had the Colts defense off balance early. The Colts rookie CBs couldn't handle Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter, and I'm here to tell you, they have nothing for Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal either. The Texans can't handle Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, and the Broncos can, assuming Ryan Harris is fully back by then. The Broncos can block the Colts DEs, beat their CBs, and move their front seven in the running game.

Remember this point. Just because the Colts are 3^rd in scoring defense (just behind Cincinnati and Dallas, and just ahead of Denver) doesn't mean they have a good defense. They really don't. They have a defense which is equipped to take care of leads by making teams gain yards in smallish chunks, and by sacking QBs with edge pressure. That, combined with Peyton Manning's constant use of the whole play clock leads to low-scoring days by opposing offenses

The trick, of course, is defending the Colts, and that's where the Broncos have historically struggled. This Broncos team, however, is better equipped than any in recent memory to have some success. The Colts do best when they can run the ball, and I like the Broncos' chances to stop their running game with 7 ½ men (meaning Brian Dawkins is starting in a cover-2 shell, but keying run first). By stopping the Colts run, you take away their play action stuff, which makes Peyton Manning beat you with perfect throws, and his receivers beat you with perfect routes. Which, of course, they can do, but it's a harder go than the other way. I like the secondary matchups pretty well for the Broncos, from Champ Bailey against Reggie Wayne, Andre' Goodman against Pierre Garcon, Ty Law or Alphonso Smith against Austin Collie, and either Law or Josh Barrett against Dallas Clark. The Clark matchup is key against the Colts, and I like Law and Barrett, depending on down and distance, better than anybody else's sub-package guys in the NFL for covering a big-time TE.

I'm not saying the game will be a runaway Broncos win, just that I can easily make a case for them TO win, and that I think they CAN win. What do you think?

Philadelphia - This is a game the Broncos SHOULD win. The Eagles are a lot like the Giants, from both schematic and personnel perspectives. From the angle of attacking Philly's defense, you can outside zone them to death, like the Broncos did so well against the Giants. That's because their LBs tend to be bigger, slower guys who struggle a bit to cover the lateral width of the field. Will Witherspoon is an exception to that archetype, but Chris Gocong, Joe Mays, and Moise Fokou are vertical players.

You have to block the Eagles' blitz packages, and it really helps to stay on schedule against them. That's a bit easier than it is against a Baltimore or Pittsburgh, because you can run the ball. (They're currently ranked 8^th against the run, but trust me, you can gash them if you try a little.) In the passing game, you'd like to exploit Asante Samuel, who bites on a ton of double moves. Yes, he's a ball-hawk, but he doesn't shut anybody down. He can catch extremely well, and he's an excellent tackler, but he's just an okay coverage player. Sheldon Brown is kind of the opposite; better in coverage, but lesser as a ball-hawk and tackler. Where you can kill the Eagles is from the slot, and with TEs, especially if you block their blitz packages.

Offensively, the Eagles are a big-play offense, and the Broncos have been as good as anybody in the NFL at limiting big plays. Brent Celek got paid Tuesday, and he deserved it. He's a very good receiving TE. The Eagles don't have a big, physical #1 type WR, but they have two speedsters outside with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. The guy I think is dangerous is Jason Avant, who is much stronger and more physical than the average slot receiver, and he's a tough matchup for the average thin/quick nickel CB. Of course, Alphonso Smith and Ty Law are both thicker/stronger players, so it's less of an issue. I don't fear the Eagles running game, because if you stop it early, they quit going to it.

This game can go either way, obviously, but the Broncos are well-equipped to get a good road win in Philadelphia. I feel pretty good about both games, actually. So, yeah. I still like the 11-5 prediction.

2. Information From My Eyes - Other Games:

a. Richard Seymour is still playing at a high level in Oakland, despite his fairly modest statistics this season. I watched him defeat the left side of the Cowboys offensive line several times on Thanksgiving Day. Seymour's contract is up after this season, and you have to think he'd rather not re-up with the Raiders. Of course, given the price Al Davis paid, he probably gets franchised. If he somehow isn't, I'd sure like to see him in Denver. Forget all this nonsense about building exclusively through the draft; as we've all hopefully realized this season, a team should take any approach available to it, in order to acquire the most good players possible.

b. Anthony Spencer had the best game I have ever seen him have for the Cowboys. Some Dallas fans took exception with my calling Spencer "just a guy" in Week 3, and if he keeps playing like he did last Thursday, I'll have to rethink my evaluation.

c. I have been a fan of the Cowboys' passing scheme for several years now, going back to the end of the Parcells regime. In 2007, when I started to make it my business to watch teams other than the Broncos closely, Jason Garrett was the young, hot name as the Offensive Coordinator, and Jerry Jones paid him a lot of money not to leave for jobs in Baltimore and Atlanta after the 2007 season.

When Tony Sparano left to become the Dolphins Head Coach last season, it came to light that Garrett hadn't been the primary playcaller in 2007, and that he'd be doing it for the first time in 2008 with Sparano's departure. The Cowboys took a noticeable step back last season, and some of the bloom came off the Garrett rose, even as he interviewed for Head Coaching jobs with the Broncos, Lions, and Rams, and seemed to initially be the favorite for the Rams job. There was speculation that Jones would love to be out from under Garrett's $3-million contract.

Well, the point of the history lesson is that the scheme and execution look much better in Dallas lately than they have since Sparano left. I don't know if this makes Garrett a Head Coach, but it makes him a guy who appears to have grown into his job. The Cowboys' passing scheme is very vertical, and it does a good job of getting the ball in the hands of its playmakers. Some will say they don't get Roy Williams involved enough, but those people believe more in Williams than I do. I think he is what he looks like; a lazy player, who has below average hands, lacks quickness out of his breaks, and rounds off his routes. If there's no salary cap for the Cowboys to take a prorated hit against, I guarantee that he gets released in the offseason, and has to beg for a 1 year, $1-million contract to compete for a backup role somewhere.

d. Charles Woodson is playing the best football of his career right now, which I have mentioned several times this season. He had a big stat game Thursday on national TV, and now everybody is on the bandwagon with me. I actually thought it may have only been the 3rd- or 4th-best game I have seen him play this season. To me, he's the no-question Defensive Player of the Year so far.

e. The Packers defense has really gotten their act together lately, and are a big key to the push they seem to be making. I am pretty comfortable projecting that the Packers will be in the postseason as a Wild Card at this point.

f. Jim Leonhard of the Jets is a tremendously underrated player, and I left him out of my Good AFC Safeties list last week, kind of by accident. He is always around the football, and I've been a big fan of his game going all the way back to his days at Wisconsin. The Broncos offered him more money than the Jets this offseason, but he chose to follow Rex Ryan. It seems like it was a good decision for him, anyway.

g. I watched the Short Cut of the Jets-Panthers game, and I agree with Doug Lee that Mark Sanchez's 13-of-17 stat line was very misleading. He had happy feet, and he looked really confused a lot of the time.

h. I've seen a few people starting to use the line which goes "If Alex Smith plays like he did Sunday, the Niners might not replace him in the draft." Really, he has played pretty well for six games, better than ever before in his career. I think the decision would already be made, if it was up to me. You have a guy who is proving he can play, and he's improving even as teams get some film on him. That rollout and throw to Frank Gore for the second TD was a thing of beauty, as Smith waited till the last possible second, and threw the ball to the only spot he could put it. I'd be looking to improve the offensive line, and counting on having a Top-10 offense next season, with Smith, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, and Vernon Davis. Joe Staley is a solid LT when he's healthy, but General Manager Scot McCloughan really would do well to replace the other 4 starters up front. Sunday's game was the first time in 18 games that the 49ers didn't give up a single sack.

i. I tend to like a lot of University of Florida guys, but Ray McDonald is really coming into his own in a specialist role for the 49ers. He looked unblockable at times Sunday. McDonald usually plays in passing situations at DE. According to ESPN, he didn't record a tackle, but he did recover a fumble. I'm telling you, though, he was defeating some blocks Sunday, and bringing a lot of pressure.

3. There are two kinds of name-droppers, and I am the second kind. It's not like I am extremely famous (yet) with my writing for this site, but when you think about it, I'm known by more people than probably 98% of the population. I'm definitely more famous than any of my friends and family, and in the course of telling my stories, I find it adds rhetorical flourish to mention them sometimes, and it's also fun to share my little bit of light with them. I tell people, if they want to make ST&NO, they should do something interesting with me.

The first kind of name-dropper is the one who tries to stand in other people's light. Our dear friend Jay Glazer is the quintessential example of this kind. Check this douchebaggery, from Tuesday night:

First of all, it's Too $hort, not two-short. And, you know what? That's all I have on that topic. I like making fun of Glazer, but whatever, you know? Fish in a barrel.

I am now going to name-drop a person who is as famous as I am. I met Doug Lee for lunch in Manhattan on Saturday. Yes, THE Doug Lee. Friggin Horse Tracks Doug Lee, people! Doug is a cool guy, and he suggested a great burger spot on the Upper East Side.

The lunch conversation was very interesting, the food was terrific, and it was great to meet Doug, but the hijinks ensued when I left to get back on the road back to Cleveland. I had parked on E 71st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue (for 14 bucks for 2 1/2 hours.) I came out heading south on 2nd Ave, thinking my GPS would send me back to the FDR, and the Triboro bridge, back up to catch the George Washington Bridge.

Well, it took about 2 minutes for my boy Tom Tom to reacquire a signal, and by then I had gone south 10-15 blocks on 2nd. Tom Tom then wanted me to go to the Lincoln Tunnel, the entrance for which is in the 30s, off 9th Avenue, so significantly south and west of where I started out. It's an unquestionably stupid way to go, driving over the river and through the woods in Manhattan, even on a Saturday afternoon, especially considering the Lincoln Tunnel spits you out on the New Jersey Turnpike, heading toward the world-renowned hell-hole of Newark.. (Home of wred-mann.)

Where's the payoff pitch? Here it goes. I was sitting at a traffic light at E 43rd St and 2nd Avenue, and this Puerto Rican guy (with a flag on his shirt, incidentally), knocked on my window. I looked at him like, WTF? But I lowered the window, and he told my right rear tire area looked like it was on fire, and was smoking like crazy. A woman walking behind him told me the same thing, so I pulled over on 43rd and troubleshot it with my dad on the phone for awhile, before deducing that the emergency brake had probably stayed clamped to the rotor, and was causing sparks and smoke. I watched it, with my mirror pointed down, but eventually I was comfortable enough to go through the tunnel, and eventually through Newark, and back to I-80. The moral of the story is if somebody knocks on your window, he may be trying to be helpful, so you shouldn't look cross-eyed at him, as a matter of instinct. Also, sometimes, Tom Tom messing up is a blessing in disguise. If I had gone FDR to the Triboro, to the GW, It would have been all highway, with nobody walking down the sidewalk to knock.

4. One of the hazards of relying on "insiders" for information is that it comes with agendas and spin. Pro Football Weekly is a (Bill Williamson Memorial) decent site, but they rely tremendously on anonymous insider commentary. They've been talking to somebody who seems incentivized to cast Raheem Morris as woefully inept. Check this out:

Talk of the Buccaneers giving head coach Raheem Morris another offseason to turn the team around is fading fast, as his latest bold decision was another admission of failure in a season marked with disappointment. Morris seized defensive coordinator duties from Jim Bates on Nov. 24 and demoted Bates to what is being described as an advisory role, although it's not clear just what kind of involvement or authority, if any, Bates will have for the rest of his time with the organization.

Morris made a couple of mistakes in hiring his staff, but they were the kind of mistakes a first-timer can make, especially one who gets a Head Coaching job a month after most of the movement was over. There's this persistent meme that relieving Jeff Jagodzinski and Jim Bates of their duties somehow shows Morris to be weak. I say it's the other way around. He realized that he had made mistakes, and he let sunk costs be sunk costs, and made the moves that he felt gave his team the best chance to win.

Morris's team is 1-10, but the Bucs have improved as the season has gone on, and it would be asinine to fire him after a season which was a declared rebuilding year, where a coach who they knew was probably hired a year too early learned the ropes.

There are a lot of haters in the world, and I relate pretty closely to Morris. I have always been an overachiever, who has consistently beaten out older, more experienced professional competition for promotions and recognition. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I have a pretty good deal of talent, and a strong work ethic. The majority of my critics have only been moderately talented people, with medium work ethics. Let's face it, there are a lot of people in the center of the bell curve. I am in the center of the bell curve in certain ways, and so is everybody. I am not, though, as an accountant, and Raheem Morris is not as a football coach.

So, some 25-year career assistant who has been hired and fired 15 times is jealous of Morris and his early success. He spouts off to Dan Parr at PFW, and Parr writes that article above. The same thing was going on with Josh McDaniels, with the questioning of his ability, and Josh only got clear of it by winning. Morris will, too.

Even a guy like Marshall Faulk was hating on Morris on Sunday morning, intimating that all the young coach knew how to call was Tampa-2. Well, for 7 end-of-game goal-to-go plays, he called press man-to-man, and his guys covered well. On 4th down, Roddy White made a great play, and won the game for the Falcons. Really, if Connor Barth had hit the 51-yard field goal he attempted, they would have only been playing for a tie. I saw somewhere Morris was criticized for kicking the field goal rather than punting. Really? The point is don't listen to these idiots. I'd be very surprised if the Glazer family is.

5. I have a couple of quick college thoughts.

a. The Head Coaching job at Notre Dame is not a good one. I could usually take or leave SI.com's Stewart Mandel, but he has it exactly right. The expectations there are entirely unreasonable, given the constraints they face. If I were Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, there is no way in hell I'd take that job. At Cincinnati, he has a program whose credibility is on the rise, and who will soon be taken more seriously in the National Championship picture. At Notre Dame, there's just faded mystique.

b. I am a Florida fan, and I think it is unlikely that Tim Tebow wins the Heisman Trophy. I am actually pretty excited for the prospect of the lesser Colt McCoy winning, because history will be repeating itself. I am projecting a win against Alabama, and a Texas win against Nebraska, neither of which is a foregone conclusion, but let's say it happens like that. Tebow will lead Florida into a National Championship game against a guy he lost the Heisman to. I would be really bullish for Florida's 3rd title in 4 years, even more than I already am.

c. Speaking of the Heisman, I think it's ridiculous how it's turned into nothing more than a tool for media conjecture. Frankly, it follows along the same line of thinking that dominates professional football writing, that all of the best players are QBs and RBs, joined by the occasional WR. It's a total farce.

That's all I have this week. I will be back next Tuesday for more of a full-figured ST&NO. Have a great week, and Go Broncos!

Eagles shuffle linebackers again

JasonB — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:14:56 -0000

Last week, due to even more injuries at the already injury plagued LB positions, the Eagles; fielded a corps of rookie Moise Fokou at SAM, Chris Gocong at MIKE, & Will WItherspoon at WILL.

That didn't exactly work out...

So this week they'll shuffle the deck once again with Akeem Jordan still out. Chris Gocong moves back to SAM, Joe Mays mans the middle, and Will Witherspoon stays at WILL. At least in this setup, each guy is in the position he's most familiar with.

Comcast/NFL Red Zone stat of the week

JasonB — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:52:28 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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The Eagles "stat of the week" is brought to you by Comcast and the new NFL Red Zone channel

So far this year, I've been using this post to talk about the Eagles performance in the red zone from week to week. And week after week, they barely if ever get to the red zone. Whether they score from all big plays on a good day or can't get inside the 20 on a bad day, It's left me with little to write about.

So we're shifting gears. From here on out we'll be doing the "stat of the week" This week's stat comes from Andy Schwartz of CSN.com

(This week) Gocong becomes the seventh player to practice at middle linebacker for the Eagles, a domino effect that started in camp with the season-ending injury to Stewart Bradley.

He's referring to the fact that Chris Gocong will play middle linebacker this week against the Chargers. With Akeem Jordan out injured, Will Witherspoon will slide over to the WILL and Gocong will assume the middle linebacker role. Moises Fokou will start his second straight game at the strong side backer position.

So far this year Stewart Bradley, Omar Gaither, Joe Mays, Jeremiah Trotter, Moise Fokou, Will Witherspoon, and now Gocong will have taken practice reps at middle linebacker. It's a pretty damning representation of what injuries + your depth not being as good as you thought + the solutions you tried to bring in via FA not working + a trade + injuries at other positions can do to a team.

Comcast is carrying the new NFL Red Zone channel! NFL Red Zone lets you follow all the red zone action on NFL Sunday as it happens. When a team gets inside the twenty, the network cuts to that game. Not only is this cool for any big NFL fan, it would be awesome for out of market Eagles fans that can't watch the games. You're essentially getting the best parts of every Eagles game live for only a couple bucks a month as opposed to having to shell out the several hundred bucks for the NFL ticket.

They don't ever break for commercials and the action literally never stops. They don't just limit it to red zone trips either... I was watching last weekend and they would show any game live if no team happened to be in the red zone. This is probably the best thing ever invented for an NFL fan that's looking for something to flip to when the Eagles game goes to commercials...

The Aftermath: Eagles Week Nine Injury Report

Bob_Q — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:11:57 -0000

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

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As if losing to the Cowboys at home wasn't bad enough, the Eagles now have a lengthy injury list to deal with during the coming week. Probably the most worrisome loss is that of weakside linebacker Akeem Jordan, who suffered a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise. The Eagles have had a very rough season at linebacker so far, and with Jordan's status labeled as "uncertain" the defense will have to rely on backups Jeremiah Trotter, Moise Fokou, Tracy White, and Joe Mays, none of whom have performed very impressively so far. Let's hope Jordan gets better soon so he can bring his tenacity back to the field.

Another potential major loss comes in the form of an ankle injury to one Jason Peters. Peters' ankle has been giving him trouble all season, and while Todd Herremans is certainly a capable fill-in at left tackle, the last thing the Eagles offensive line needs is for another starter to miss playing time.

Leonard Weaver, Ellis Hobbs, and Quintin Demps all made the injury list as well. Fortunately, Weaver's sprained ankle is not expected to cost our valuable fullback any practice time. However, the same cannot be said for cornerback/kick returner Hobbs, whose neck injury will require further evaluation. Demps' ankle sprain should limit his practice time this week, but there is a chance he will play against San Diego this Sunday.

But not all is lost, Eagles faithful. This week we get to witness the return of three and a half starters: Brian Westbrook, Victor Abiamiri, Chris Gocong, and Kevin Curtis. According to Andy Reid, all four players are expected to practice this week. Not a moment too soon, either. The absence of Gocong was certainly felt last game, as rookie backup Moise Fokou drew two very costly penalties, including one that negated an Ellis Hobbs return TD. The return of Westbrook and Curtis will certainly help our offense by giving Donovan McNabb more options to throw to, but don't expect to see Curtis take back his starting job from Jeremy Maclin. Curtis has been out the entire season and will likely have a lot of rust to knock off.

The Linc - Jim Johnson in the hall of fame?

JasonB — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:20:58 -0000

Could Jim Johnson end up in Hall of Fame? - NFC East - ESPN
In case you missed it, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli has an excellent column today discussing whether assistant coaches belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There's been a run on head coaches and "contributors" to the game in recent years, but assistants have been all but ignored in the voting process.

A Message for Mays, Chance for Fokou
With veteran Omar Gaither nursing a sore knee, the Eagles may try seventh-round pick Moise Fokou with the starters Thursday against Jacksonville. Gaither will not play, and Fokou briefly spent time as the first-team middle linebacker the last two days.

Didinger’s Top Five Eagles Wide Receivers
Each Tuesday until the start of the regular season, Ray Didinger will give my rankings of the top five players in Eagles history, position by position. Today, the top five wide receivers.

Thoughts on reaction for Vick | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/26/2009
The Jaguars sound excited to see Vick play.

More after the jump including Jon Runyan, Mike Vick, Manning V Rivers, and an old friend gets injured.

Runyan cleared to play, but return to Eagles unlikely | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/26/2009
Jon Runyan is ready to play football again. Now he just needs somebody to offer him a contract.

John Smallwood: Time for Vick to make statement with Eagles | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/26/2009
It would be ridiculous to expect much from Vick, who will be in an NFL game for the first time since Dec. 31, 2006, but it sure would be encouraging for the Eagles if he showed just a hint that he might be worth the agitation that already has taken over - and will continue to take over - since his signing.

Twitter / Brian Seltzer: Moise Fokou is absolutely ...
Moise Fokou is absolutely on the rise on the Birds depth chart. So too is Macho Harris. Possible they get some reps with ones on Thursday.

L.J. Smith tweaks hamstring | Philly | 08/25/2009
A shocking headline, I'm sure.

So what's Eli thinking this morning? - NFC East - ESPN
Phillips Rivers got a little more guaranteed money than Eli Manning did in his new contract. OMG!

The Linc - Second String Show

JasonB — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:00:31 -0000

More photos » by AJ Mast - AP

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Eagles' D Struggles in Preseason Loss to Colts
"I don’t even know how to put it into words. That wasn’t Eagles defense, that wasn’t what we are about right there," safety Quintin Mikell said. "We need to work on a lot of things. Whenever you come in against a good team like that, you can’t really make mistakes. We had a lot of mistakes out there and we have to get better than that. That was not Eagles defense."

Second-string show in Indianapolis | Delawareonline.com | The News Journal
The Eagles had better hope injuries stop mounting before the regular season. If the lineup they trot out for the season opener resembles anything like Thursday night's patchwork squad against the Colts, they can forget Super Bowl aspirations.

Eagles coach Reid won't commit to letting Vick play in third preseason game | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/21/2009
"He had a good week of work," Reid said. "He got a good workout in today. We'll see how he does next week. We're shooting for the third game. We'll see. We've just got to get a feel on him throughout the week."

Rich Hofmann: Don't judge these Eagles by the preseason | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/21/2009
The Eagles don't look very good and they are not going to look very good until they have a semblance of a healthy team again. Given the stated prognosis for most of the wounded, and assuming that nobody is violating any pacts or anything, they should have a semblance of a healthy team by the start of the season, Sept. 13 at Carolina.

Hugging Harold Reynolds: An Unforgiving Person: Crooked Former Politician Has No Stomach for Mike Vick
A hypocritical politician? I don't believe it!

Much more after the jump including mayors playing fantasy football, King Dunlap's education, the onion on Vick, the Eagles turn down a tax credit, and lots more on last night.

Clout: Vick's worth at least $10,000 to the Eagles | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/21/2009
The Mayor's Office for the Re-entry of Ex-Offenders (MORE) offers a $10,000 tax credit for employers who hire people who have been released from prison.The Eagles however have said they won't seek the credit.

Eagles turn in 'embarrassing' effort, says Reid - NFC East - ESPN
Rob Myers is a guy the Eagles signed when Cornelius Ingram went down with a season-ending knee injury in camp. The guy's not Anthony Gonzalez, but he's a relatively large target and he appeared to look comfortable catching the ball. Eugene Bright out of Purdue is a neat story, but he's running out of time to make the transition from defensive end in college to NFL tight end.

PhillyBurbs.com: Another diamond in the rough for Birds
The Eagles have had great success unearthing linebackers in odd places. Now meet Moise Fokou, the latest in that lineage.

Eagles' Dunlap gets All-Pro education from Colts' Freeney | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/21/2009
"He's been going it for years; going to Pro Bowls and getting sacks," Dunlap said. "I was definitely looking forward to the challenge. He just beat me. I ducked my head and he got by. If you don't use technique, that's what happens."

Makeshift Eagles fall to Colts, 23-15 | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/21/2009
The Eagles' titular first-team offense had just one projected starting lineman - center Jamaal Jackson - and was also missing starting tight end Brent Celek and running back Brian Westbrook. By the middle of the first quarter, the Eagles were without fullback Leonard Weaver, too. Weaver left with an injured left knee.

Michael Vick Embarrassed After Accidentally Burning Down Lincoln Financial Field | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
PHILADELPHIA—Newly acquired Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was humiliated Tuesday after an iron he had left unattended inside the team's...

Johnny Goodtimes | "Better than average, but still pretty lame." -Yelp " Philly Athletes and Animal Cruelty
Many people are outraged at the Eagles for signing Michael Vick. But what about other Philly athletes who have abused animals in the past? The sad truth is that Philadelphia has a long and sad history with animal abusers on its teams. Here are just a few. (Hint it's a joke)

Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football Nation - Mayorial Faceoff
Yahoo! Sports is kicking off the '09 fantasy football season by inviting mayors from cities across the country to compete in the Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football '09 Mayor Face-off. Each week mayors will go head-to-head against each other in a public Fantasy Football league. The winning mayor gets $15,000 to donate to a local sports program.

The Linc - Eagles hit the lottery

JasonB — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:00:13 -0000

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Max Jean-Gilles blogs about the Eagles' signing of Mike Vick
Everyone on the team was very excited when Coach Reid officially announced that we had signed Michael Vick in the locker room after the game on Thursday. Man, the news we got about signing Vick was great! I couldn't be more excited.

More Pics from the Eagles Game! " Kendra Wilkinson
Kendra Wilkinson uploaded some pics she took at the Eagles v Patriots game.

Eagles Notebook: Fokou looking to win job with Eagles | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/18/2009
You might say events overtook the scheduled event. Suddenly, in the second quarter, just about everybody in the media not involved in the Eagles Television Network broadcast only cared about Michael Vick, who wasn't playing. Rookie linebacker Moise Fokou was, however.

The700Level.com - Philly Sports & Minutiae: Sports Betting Is Bad, This Is Fine
The PA lottery has begun selling Eagles-themed lottery tickets.

And that concludes the almost non Mike Vick portion of the Linc. If you need your Vick fix of the day, click after the jump for a ton of different views.

Done with the Birds? Prove it | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/18/2009
Let's be honest: Eagles fans are passionate and excitable. There's always something that angries up the blood. I'm not trying to trivialize the reaction to the Vick signing. Of all the flash points that have made people swear off the Eagles in the past, what Vick did was by far the most barbarous and wicked. But this isn't the first time people have renounced their allegiance to the Eagles, and it certainly won't be the last.

Humane Society could help Michael Vick find redemption -- latimes.com
"We're devoted to ending dogfighting, not endlessly flogging Michael Vick. We are about not just ending cruelty, but also making people better. . . . This can be about turning adversaries into allies.

NFL Football Player Props, NFL Prop Odds at Bodog Sportsbook
A number of prop bets for Michael Vick's season have gone up. They put the number of games he'll be suspended for at 4.

Hugging Harold Reynolds: Eagle Beagles
Yesterday we noted that NFLShop.com couldn't start marketing Vick jerseys quick enough. Today, Assassin Avenue pointed out that you can also adorn your best friend in Birds' apparel.

Michael Vick Talks To James Brown - SportsNation - ESPN
ESPN's "SportsNation" gathered fan opinions on Michael Vick's reinstatement and his appearance on 60 minutes

This Vick business is controversial - and a bit tricky - The Boston Globe
Jeff Lurie may claim to be more interested in how Vick does off the field than he does on it, but I seriously doubt his coach agrees. Andy Reid is more interested in Michael Vick the football player.

Daily Debate: Eagles' offense could soar with Vick | Sports | Idaho Statesman
The Philadelphia Eagles signing of Michael Vick is football genius. You can say what you want about any NFL team signing Vick, but I have to give props to Andy Reid and owner Jeffrey Lurie for some nontraditional thinking by signing the league's most troubled commodity.

The Linc - Lesean McCoy, Cornelius Ingram, & no contact for Cowboys

JasonB — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

Stewart Bradley flies like an Eagle. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Eagles' Jackson: On-time arrival helped me - The Delaware County Daily Times : Serving Delaware County, PA(DelcoTimes.com)
Desean Jackson says that getting into camp on time was "huge" for him.

McCoy’s desire bubbles over - The Delaware County Daily Times : Serving Delaware County, PA(DelcoTimes.com)
Lesean McCoy is living with Brian Westbrook during camp.

Cowboys to avoid contact in camp - NFC East - ESPN
The Cowboys opened training camp with a light workout Wednesday, and coach Wade Phillips promised there wouldn't be any live tackling.

Eagles now getting a good look at Ingram -- themorningcall.com
The University of Florida tight end has fully recovered from his knee injury and is ready to vie for a spot on the squad.

The Z Report: Jim Johnson might be gone, but here are examples of his greatness
Great column from the Houston Chronicle on Jim Johnson.

Fokou and McCoy mix it up at Eagles training camp -- themorningcall.com
Moise Fokou had a mean streak when he played linebacker at the University of Maryland .

NFL Players Association › News
For years, Westbrook has been overlooked and doubted—for being too small, too often injured or for being a third-round draft pick. By now, he’s immune to the naysayers. Not receiving the credit he deserves has built a sizeable chip on his shoulder, but it doesn’t define him.

A Screencap Is Worth a Thousand Words | Inside the Iggles | A Philadelphia Eagles Blog
Around 7pm last night, I decided to check the national sports websites. Two major NFL stories broke within about fifteen minutes of one another....

PhillyBurbs.com: Johnson, not contract, in Brown's thoughts
Instead of talking about all the money he thinks he's missing out on, Sheldon Brown took time Wednesday to talk about the man he knows he'll miss.

Jim Johnson's important life | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/29/2009
It says on Jackie Robinson's tombstone that "a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Jim Johnson's life was incredibly important.

The700Level.com - Philly Sports & Minutiae: Eagles 44-6 Thrashing of the Cowboys Must Have Really Angered Dallas Fans
Scribes may have to think twice when writing "the Eagles murdered the Cowboys 44-6" after angry fans almost killed each other after talking trash about the beating. The gunman, 28-year old Damian Alexander of, who had been on trial for...

Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp Preview - Linebackers

JasonB — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:00:30 -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.

Another day, another legit battle. As I said yesterday, most of the starting jobs on this team are pretty much set. Linebacker is not one of them. Well, at WILL linebacker at least...

The Bodies

Stewart Bradley, Tank Daniels, Moise Fokou, Omar Gaither, Chris Gocong, Charleston Hughes, Akeem Jordan, Joe Mays, Tracy White.

Presumed Starters

Stewart Bradley opened some eyes last year both locally and nationally and will start at the MIKE LB position again this year. Sports Illustrated named Bradley as an all pro last year and I'm sure all Eagles fans are excited to see how he develops in year 3.

Chris Gocong, who transitioned from college DE to NFL LB, has gotten consistently better over his time here. A fact that our pals at Iggles Blog have chronicled over the past year... While Gocong is still a work in progress overall(especially in coverage), he's made himself into a very good run stopper. His ability to take on a fullback and stop him in his tracks is something we haven't seen from an Eagles' LB in some time. I don't really see anyone on this roster capable of mounting a serious threat for his job this year.

The WILL LB spot is another story. Akeem Jordan took the job from Omar Gaither last year and played well down the stretch, but it should be pretty much an open competition heading into Lehigh this year.

New Additions

Moise Fokou was drafted in the 7th round

Charleston Hughes was signed as a free agent from the CFL's Calgary Stampeders.

What to Watch For

The big battle should be at the WILL spot. Omar Gaither has bounced around the LB corps since he was drafted, but it was usually as a starter. He took over the starting WILL job inhis rookie year where he did a solid job, then he won the middle LB job the year Trotter was cut, and this past year he was moved back to WILL to make room for Stewart Bradley in the middle... Halfway through last year, after the Bengals disaster specifically, Gaither lost his job to Akeem Jordan. Jordan did a solid job and held onto the job, to his credit Gaither worked hard on special teams and stood out a few times on that unit. Frankly, I never really saw specifically what Gaither was or wasn't doing that caused him to get demoted... but I trust that Jim Johnson did.

It's a new year and Omar has a chance to get his job back, but he's got to contend with a guy in Akeem Jordan whose confidence and ability has grown after a half year stating himself. Also in the mix could be Joe Mays, who despite being drafted as middle linebacker, did see some snaps at WILL in the spring.

Mostly, the storyline to watch will simply be the development of this young LB corps. Bradley, Gaither, & Gocong are all 25 and Akeem Jordan is just 23. This is a very young crew that now has spent a good amount of time together starting in the NFL... The ceiling is high for these guys and I'm excited to see them continue to develop together.

Previous position previews

Interior Offensive Line

Offensive Tackles

Defensive Tackles

Defensive End