When the Eagles drafted Danny Watkins last year, much was made of the fact that he was a volunteer fireman in his native Canada. His firefighter buddies were at the draft to sheer him on, he's taken every chance he's had to hang out with the FDNY and Philly firefighters. He'll bring it up fairly often in interviews... Point is, the kid loves being a firefighter, so it shouldn't come as a huge shock that one of his first big purchases was a vintage firetruck. He posted this video on youtube, with fellow rookie o-lineman Jason Kelce doing the camera work.

Vince Verhei of Football Outsiders wrote a piece yesterday detailing the biggest offseason needs for every NFC East team. Now we could all see how the Eagles LBs performed last season, but when Verhei quantifies their issues it becomes even more painfully obvious where the weakness on this defense was.

The stat pages at Football Outsiders make the holes in Philadelphia's defense very clear. First, the defensive line statistics, where we see Philadelphia ranked third in stuff rate but 29th in second-level yards and 22nd in open-field yards. In plain English, that means the defensive line was very good at hitting runners in the backfield, but when those runners made it across the line of scrimmage, they usually went for big gains.

Next, the team defense page, which shows that the Eagles were OK covering wide receivers and dominant against tight ends, but they ranked 29th when covering running backs in the passing game. You'd be hard-pressed to find a team in the league that got less value out of its linebackers.

How much of an afterthought have linebackers been in the City of Brotherly Love? Of the team's top five linebackers, one (Akeem Jordan) was undrafted, two (Jamar Chaney and Moise Fokou) were seventh-round picks, and one (Brian Rolle) was a sixth-rounder. Casey Matthews, a fourth-rounder last year, has the best pedigree -- but he was such a disaster that he was benched after just three games.

His last point is one I've been talking about forever now. Where's the investment in the position? Where's the pedigree? They're stocking it with late round picks and hoping for what? To get lucky?

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Babin believes Randy Moss can come back
Jason Babin believes that Randy Moss's tremendous work ethic will allow the storied receiver to come back successfully after sitting out the 2011-12 season.

Report: Three teams have called about Moss
Randy Moss' agent Joel Segal told PFT Live that three teams have called about the future Hall of Fame receiver.

Babin: Future bright for Eagles' D
NOBODY IS MORE relieved than Jason Babin that the Eagles are staying with the wide-nine alignment, and with their coaching structure from last season.

Gunn-on-One Part 1: Jamar Chaney
Chaney says he’s been working with former Eagles middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter to improve his overall game in 2012. Chaney added that he takes responsibility for the Eagles defense not playing up to expectations at times in 2011.

CTE, the concussion crisis, and an economic look at the end of football - Grantland
An economic perspective on CTE and the concussion crisis

The Eagles haven't give their season ticket holders much to cheer about over the past couple seasons (they went just 3-5 at home last year), but this news is sure to make those ticket holders smile... or more accurately, it will prevent them frowning.

Eagles president Joe Banner announced that the team will not be raising season ticket prices for next season.

"This is something we're thrilled to be able to do," said Banner, who said this is the fourth year in a row prices have been stable. "There aren't many teams who are selling out their stadiums and have a waiting list of more than 40,000 who are doing that. In fact, I would say there aren't any teams like that who haven't raised prices for four years."

There has been a lot of speculation as to why Steve Spagnuolo chose the New Orleans job over Philadelphia. Anthony Gargano went straight to the source and got an exclusive with Spags in a special piece for SportsWeek. Unfortunately, Spags was about as forthcoming as you'd expect.

"I don't know how to say it," he says. "It wasn't picking one team over the other. I was blessed to have a few opportunities. When it was all said and done, coming to New Orleans seemed like the right thing to do. I didn't make a ledger and compare head coaches and quarterbacks. I just felt like for my wife, Maria, and I, at this moment in time, New Orleans felt like the right thing to do."

There's been a lot of speculation about who will be in the cast of the next Dancing With The Stars, presumably amongst the many millions of people who watch it every week that I haven't met. Seriously, I don't know that there's ever been a show this popular that no one I know watches or at least will admit to watching.

Among those rumored to be a target of the show was Philadelphia Eagles backup QB Vince Young. USA Today reports that he said on twitter that he had been invited to participate, but later deleted the tweet.

So who knows? Maybe we'll be seeing VY in Dancing With The Stars this season? Frankly, I'd rather see him there than here in Philly playing QB!

The Dancing With The Stars cast is set to be announced officially in two weeks. NFL free agency starts in about a month, which is presumably the point at which VY will be known as "ex Philadelphia Eagles QB Vince Young."

But hey, he did beat the Giants this year.

Randy Moss held his 35th birthday celebration on Ustream and used the occasion to announce that he plans to make a comeback to the NFL next season. Moss had retired prior to last year but still reportedly had interest from a number of teams over the course of the season.

"Your boy is going to come back and play some football," he told viewers.

Yahoo! Sports' NFL writer Jason Cole cites a source who says that the Eagles are among those teams "curious" about Moss.

According to a source close to Moss, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets are at least curious and the San Francisco 49ers could look to fill a hole if they let go of Josh Morgan in free agency. A source with one of those teams conveyed via text it would be "intriguing" to see what Moss has left in the tank after a year away from the game.

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Kate Upton Is On The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover - Four For Four - SB Nation Philly
It's that wonderful time of year again.... The Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition is out and the ridiculously gorgeous 19 year old Florida native Kate Upton is on the cover. Also US Women's National Soccer team star Alex Morgan in nothing but body paint...

DeSean To Be Tagged & More FB Talk
Andy Reid wants DeSean Jackson back. He really does. He wants to pay him good money. The problem is that he and the Eagles are reportedly $2M per year off from what DeSean and Drew Rosenhaus want per year. That’s a significant difference.

Somehow, even after $66 million, T.O. is broke
Somehow, after accumulating more than $66 million in salary, Terrell Owens is completely broke.

Is Kuechly 'D' pick?
Boston College's Luke Kuechly doesn't know a lot about the Eagles' defense, but he said he'd be happy to come here if picked.

'Dancing With the Stars' casting buzz erupts
Vince Young? The quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles recently posted on Twitter that he had been invited to compete, but then the tweet was deleted.

It's that wonderful time of year again.... The Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition is out and the ridiculously gorgeous 19 year old Florida native Kate Upton is on the cover.

But of course, that's not all. SI has also continued their tradition of famous female athletes in body paint bikinis as well. Most notably is US women's national soccer team member Alex Morgan. And actually, if you get the issue on a tablet or smart phone, you'll be able to see 360 view pictures of the bodypainted athletes. So... yay for technology! LPGA’s Natalie Gulbis and U.S. swimmer and 11-time US Olympic medal winner Natalie Coughlin also get the body paint treatment. You can see a 2D picture of Alex Morgan after the jump. See more of Kate Upton here and more of Alex Morgan in nothing but paint right here.

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Over the weekend, Pro Football Focus released their look at cornerback tackling in 2011. I was prepared for the Eagles group to be subpar, after all, I did watch this team last year... but I didn't think it was quite this bad.

Asante Samuel is a familiar name amongst the worst tackling corners in the league, but amazingly, he was the best of the Eagles top trio this season... and that's not a compliment to Asante.

According to PFF, Samuel, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie & Nnamdi Asomugha all finished in the bottom 11 in terms of tackling efficiency. They say that Eagles cornerbacks missed one fifth of the tackles they attempted last season.

Asante Samuel finished 11th from the bottom missing a tackle every 5.3 attempts. DRC was fourth from bottom missing a tackle every 4.6 attempts (although that includes only 7 misses). Finally, Nnamdi Asomugha was the second lowest in the league missing a tackle every 4.3 attempts.

Only the Redskins Kevin Barnes was worse.

Obviously that's an area that has to get better. However, it is worth noting that a poor tackling secondary isn't necessarily a death knell. The Green Bay Packers had three corners in the bottom 20 as well, including Charles Woodson, who is often lauded for his tackling and was in the role the Eagles supposedly wanted Nnamdi Asomugha to play at the start of last year.

Sports Illustrated's Jeff Diamond recently sketched out a road map for all 32 NFL teams this offseason. He has the Eagles' need as middle linebacker, strong side linebacker and wide receiver. Here's what he had to say.

Four straight wins to end the season was more like the team everyone expected after their flurry of free agent signings. The first concern is to vastly improve the -14 turnover ratio. That starts with QB Mike Vick, who needs to stay healthy and protect the ball better. The Eagles' biggest needs are at middle linebacker and strong side linebacker, and Curtis Lofton of Atlanta would be a good free agent addition. At WR, it's time to say goodbye to me-first DeSean Jackson and sign Dwayne Bowe, Marques Colston or Vincent Jackson in free agency. Andy Reid needs to get back to the playoffs or it's probably time for a change. He'll need the Eagles refocused from day one to avoid the poor start that doomed them in 2011.

Obviously I can't agree more with his #1 point. Anyone who watched this team last year knows that turnovers were the absolute killer. We can debate the merits of Juan Castillo and how culpable he was all day, but it can't be denied that the league leading amount of turnovers this offense had put his defense in a tough spot time and time again. The team simply can't win without improving in that department.

However, I don't really agree with the "me first" characterization of DeSean Jackson. As I've said several times here, he's been a model citizen and a good teammate his entire career until last year. And while I certainly can't defend him showing up late to meetings and not giving max effort, but there's every reason to believe that if he was financially secure, he'd be the DeSean we all saw over his first three years.

Having said that, if he left and any of the other guys mentioned came in... That would certainly help soften the blow.

We've spent a large amount of time coming through the possibilities at LB available to the Eagles in the upcoming draft, but less so on the free agent market. Given that free agency will be back to happening before the draft this season, it's probably more pressing to look at that first.

So here's four candidates to help plug up the middle of that Eagles defense.

Stephen Tulloch - He was looking for big money last year and didn't get it, instead opting for a one year deal with the Lions. He'll obviously be looking to take another crack at that big deal this time around. He's only 27 and has played in the Jim Washburn wide-9 system his whole career, so he'd be able to step right into this defense with minimal learning curve. He had 111 tackles last year, but can tend to get lost in coverage.

Curtis Lofton - Another tackling machine who had 147 total last season. He's just shy of 500 total tackles in his four year career and he'll turn 26 this June. So he really should be just entering his prime years and he's already a very good run stopper. However, he's probably worse than Tulloch in coverage.

D'Qwell Jackson - Jackson missed all of 2010 with a torn pectoral, but returned last season and posted an NFL leading 116 solo tackles (158 total) to go along with 3.5 sacks. It's actually the second time in his career that he's led the NFL in tackles. He will be 29 this year and the injuries are a concern. As I said, he missed all of 2010 with a torn pectoral, but also missed most of 2009 with a shoulder injury. He's not super fast, so there's chance he's better suited to being an ILB in a 3-4 than a 4-3.

London Fletcher - Led the league in total tackles this year and has been one of the all around most productive and consistent MIKE LBs in the league for years now. Of course, therein lies the problem. He will be 37 in May and while he really didn't show much of a sign of slowing down last year, there's always a risk with a guy that up in years. Plus, he's at best a one, maybe two year stop gap. He'd certainly stop the hell out of that gap though.

Draft projections by the thousands, he said in mock disbelief - NFL - Sporting News

In the next three months, a few million man-hours will be spent breaking down the draft. That’s understandable if you’re an NFL general manager. If you’re a dentist or furniture salesman, you might want an intervention. For all the analysis, not that much really happens to change a player’s status. There was the Senior Bowl on Jan. 28. Next up is the Combine in late February, and then scattered individual workouts. We still get weekly, if not hourly, mock draft updates. Even if the only thing a player has done is drive through McDonald’s and ordered a vanilla shake.

Concussion lawsuits put spotlight on NFL policies

Former players are suing the NFL for not providing proper information on the risks of concussions. The suits could shine light on sports heroes left debilitated by the violence that helped fuel the NFL's popularity.

Source: Oakland Raiders hire Mark Hutson as tight ends coach - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN

A source told FOXSports.com that Johnny Lynn and Mark Hutson will be joining the team as assistants. Lynn will be working with Oakland’s defensive backs; Hutson will handle the tight ends.

Iggles Blitz " Blog Archive " Greg Lloyd, Mystery Man

Greg Lloyd is hiding in plain sight. He spent most of the year on the Practice Squad, but was added to the roster late in the year. He didn’t come close to sniffing the field, but his presence on the roster does have some meaning. What?

History against Giants defending SB crown

For Eagles fans, the good news is the Giants history as defending Super Bowl champions is a poor one. The previous three times the Giants were in this position, they failed to make the playoffs twice and the other time they were bounced in the first post-season game by the Eagles.

ESPN's John Hollinger has developed a system, which based on his power rankings system, predicts how likely an NBA team is to make the playoffs. The model is based on 5000 simulations of the rest of the season and according to his model, the Sixers are very good shape.

He has their likelihood of making the playoffs at 99.9%. The only teams in the NBA with better odds are the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, who he has at 100%.

According to his system, their chances of winning the Atlantic division are 93.5%, they've got an 8.5% chance of getting the #1 seed in the Eastern conference, a surprising 18.5% chance of getting to the finals and 10.4% chance of winning it all.

He's projecting them to finish with a record of 44-22, which would given them the fourth best record in the NBA.

For more on the Sixers check out Liberty Ballers.

Geoff Mosher wrote a great piece this week that I had missed in which he talked to a few Eagles from the 2004 Super Bowl team to get their feelings on the recent Giants win over the Patriots. As it turns out, they were probably pretty happy with the outcome. They really seem to think that the Patriots were cheating at the time.

"I want my ring back, and you can write it," DT Darwin Walker said. "I'm still mad about it."

"Do I think they were cheating? Point blank, the answer is yes," he said.

He is of course referencing the Patriots "spygate" scandal which broke a few years after that game. The NFL penalized the Patriots for illegally videotaping opponent's defensive signals.

Hugh Douglas pointed out that Tom Brady hasn't quite been the same in big games afterward.

"You can't cry over spilled milk, but you do look at it and it makes you wonder how, in the game, in those situations, Tom Brady used to be lights out and couldn't be stopped,"

Ike Reese actually gives them some credit.

"I guess I'm one of the few that think, 'Kudos to those guys for coming up with a more conniving, deceptive way to win games.' I wish they had gotten caught after [beating Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII, the year before], and we would have benefited."

It's interesting that these guys still feel so strongly about this. And the quotes here are just a sampling. Check out the full article for more. These guys are serious about this.

Russ Lande of The Sporting News released his latest mock this week and guess who he has the Eagles taking?!

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Kuechly*, LB, Boston College. With Andy Reid at the helm, the Eagles have never taken a linebacker in the first round. But Kuechly is a special athlete who draws comparisons to Brian Urlacher and would solve their biggest weakness.

No way you guessed that right? I mean, it's not like almost every other mock draft has the same thing...

Like I've said before, this pick makes sense now, but there's certainly a decent crop of LBs set to hit the free agent market that might better fit the Eagles needs than a rookie. Although the prospect of getting a guy that fill one of those spots for the next 6-7 years is enticing, the team already has so much youth at the LB position, adding more may not be the solution.

Although... the next Brian Urlacher would be nice.

Billy Beane spoke at a recent Villanova Law School symposium and told the crowd that the genesis of his Moneyball theory started right here with the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies team.

"I was right here in Philadelphia watching the World Series [which the Phils lost to Toronto]," said Beane, who was part of a panel discussing "Moneyball's Impact on Business and Sports." "Those '93 Phillies took a ton of pitches, walked a ton, and scored a ton of runs. That's when it hit me."

Just imagine if those 1993 Phillies had their own Moneyball style movie? They were certainly a collection misfits not entirely unlike Billy Beane's A's teams. "Macho Row" as they were called included John Kruk, Darren Daulton, Lenny Dykstra, Curt Schilling, "Wild Thing" Mitch Williams closing games, Jim Eisnereich (who had tourrette's), Pete Incavilgia and Jim Fregosi leading the bunch. And of course, a young outfielder named Ruben Amaro Jr...

I'd pay to see that movie.

The Flyers didn't give the home crowd much to cheer about yesterday as they were beaten for the fifth tim this season by the rival New York Rangers. That said, they did get to see a little frustration taken out when Wayne Simmonds squared off with 6-7, 244 pound Brian Boyle. Boyle extra five inches and 40 pounds didn't help him much in this scrap...

Former Eagles FB Kevin Turner is currently suffering from ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The affliction is slowly robbing him of his ability to use his muscles and eventually will kill him. He can't really write, put on his pants or close a button anymore. It's a cruel disease, one that possibly was caused by repeated hits to the head while playing football.

In fact, former NFL players were 8 times more likely to be diagnosed with ALS than other men in their age group. However, new research shows that former NFL players who have been diagnosed with ALS have often in reality been suffering from the effects of brain trauma that causes ALS-like motor degeneration. The New York Times has a lot more on the science behind this new research if you're interested.

Not surprisingly, Turner supports any efforts to make the NFL safer and while he realizes some fans have complained about the new rules, he doesn't agree with them. He says the NFL is far from become "flag football."

"It's nothing like flag football," Turner said. "They don't get it. I would think they would want to watch their favorite players or teams for years to come. You can hit someone who isn't looking and practically decapitate them. It's entertainment to them.

"There are big-time collisions. Let's not take a step back to the Roman era where we're putting football players up there with gladiators. It's a game. It's entertainment. It's a dream of theirs, like it was of mine, but it's not worth their living that last 20 years of their lives with dementia, Alzheimer's or ALS."

Kevin Turner's story will certainly be something I keep in mind next time I see a guy hit in the head...

These guys are adults, they know this is a dangerous game and they have the freedom to choose to play it anyway. And in reality, the NFL will never really be safe. By nature it's a violent and dangerous game... but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try.

After the jump, Turner says why he specifically supports the new kickoff rules.

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Bill Plaschke on pro athletes' caring about winning - latimes.com
The Patriots' Rob Gronkowski and Matt Light are seen partying after a Super Bowl loss, giving fans pause. Could it be the fans care more than the athletes do?

When will public finally forgive Vick?
After Michael Vick was named the most hated athlete in America, Derrick Gunn wonders when the public will finally move beyond the quarterback's criminal past.

Ray's replies: Are Eagles a SB launching pad?
Here is something you don’t hear about. Do you realize the Eagles lost their last three home openers to teams that went on to win the Super Bowl? Two seasons ago it was New Orleans. Last year it was Green Bay and this year it was the Giants.

Giants' Sullivan leaving for Bucs OC job - NFC East Blog - ESPN
Mike Sullivan has been hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their offensive coordinator job, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Sullivan just finished his second season as quarterbacks coach after serving as the Giants wide receivers coach for six seasons.

An Inside Look at SportsRadio WIP’s Wing Bowl XX - SB Nation Philly
See what goes on backstage at the biggest party in Philadelphia, SportsRadio WIP's Wing Bowl XX.

Pro Football Focus took a look at their individual grades for players now that the season is over and identified who made the biggest jumps up and drops down for each team. For the Eagles, Derek Landri was up and Nnamdi Asomugha was down..

Derek Landri: From -7.1 to +22.0

So where did that come from? Landri started in Carolina, and despite having one of the quickest first steps of any interior lineman, failed to impress the longer the season went on. Yet put him in the wide-nine scheme and watch him go. Landri played so well as a backup in his 355 snaps that he has many thinking he could handle a full-time role in the Eagles’ defense. What was so impressive was how the former Jaguar was able to make plays rushing the passer and defending the run, showing the kind of discipline that the scheme relies on. Great find.

And for the downside....

Nnamdi Asomugha: From +10.0 coverage, to -1.0 coverage

First, don’t take this as saying Asomugha was terrible, he wasn’t. He simply had plenty of moments where he looked completely out of place in a scheme that didn’t seem to suit him. He got better as the season went on and but never justified the price tag, and failed to look like the shutdown corner he had become in Oakland. By the end of the season he had given up twice as many yards and four more touchdowns than he did in all of 2010. You do feel he’ll get better in 2012, but for now, Eagles fan can be understandably disappointed.

PFF also identified the Eagle who most deserves more snaps... Check out the article here.

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Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski was in attendance at the Lakers vs Celtics game the other night and Philly native Kobe Bryant took the opportunity to recruit to Gronk to his beloved Philadelphia Eagles.

"I told him the Eagles need a tight end," Bryant said. "I’m recruiting. He’s a freak athlete. He shouted at me and I shouted back. It’s fun to have those conversations with athletes you respect."

There’s no doubt Gronkowski is a freak athlete, but if Kobe was watching the Eagles this year he probably would have seen that Brent Celek had a pretty good year.

Then again, the Pats make it work with two TEs…

Samuel: "of course" I want to be back
Asked if he wants to be back as an Eagle, Samuel said simply, "of course," but didn't elaborate. "I just take it day to day, see what the future holds," Samuel said. But he said he had not received any clear indication from the team of what their plans are for him next year.

Asante Samuel On His Eagles Future: 'I'm Hoping To Be Here' - Four For Four - SB Nation Philly
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel took a break while helping out Habitat for Humanity to answer some questions about his future with the organization

Draft Diary: Training days with Kuechly
Luke Kuechly's alarm goes off at 6 a.m. That's about 90 minutes earlier than he was used to in the fall as a junior at Boston College.

Kelce: I'll Be Ready For OTAs
For now, Kelce's foot is in a protective boot and he's relying on crutches to get around, which he admitted was "annoying." But as he prepares for his first offseason as an NFL player, Kelce said that he'll be ready for the Organized Team Activities the Eagles will go through after April's draft. "It's making good progress," Kelce said of his foot. "The doctor is saying I'll be out of the boot in a little bit and moving around again."

NFL 2011: Worst Decisions of the Year | Football Nation
Andy Reid Hiring Juan Castillo as Defensive Coordinator - With the Philadelphia Eagles’ firing of defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, Head Coach Andy Reid was searching for someone to fill that slot. In an unconventional move, Reid chose Juan Castillo. Castillo has been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles' coaching staff since 1995. From 1998 to 2010, he served as the club's offensive line coach. More notable is the fact that Castillo had not coached that side of football since his run at Kingsville High School in 1989. Hiring Juan Castillo as defensive coordinator was not Andy Reid’s defining moment as a head coach.

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski was in attendance at the Lakers vs Celtics game the other night and Philly native Kobe Bryant took the opportunity to recruit to Gronk to his beloved Philadelphia Eagles.

“I told him the Eagles need a tight end,” Bryant said. “I’m recruiting. He’s a freak athlete. He shouted at me and I shouted back. It’s fun to have those conversations with athletes you respect.”

There’s no doubt Gronkowski is a freak athlete, but if Kobe was watching the Eagles this year he probably would have seen that Brent Celek had a pretty good year.

Then again, the Pats make it worth with two TEs…

ESPN released their list (yes another list!) of the top 25 NBA players under 25 and the Sixers have two of them. Coming in at #22 is 23 year old Thaddeus Young.

Despite not having a truly defined position, Young makes the most of his playing time coming off the bench, enabling his team to enjoy a huge advantage with their second unit. He's a terrific finisher, attacks the rim and plays within his talent level, rather than launching too many shots or making drives that would likely end poorly. He's only 23, but Young us in the midst of his 5th NBA season. And even though the totals have dipped a bit (in part due to a stronger lineup around him) there's still some upside. Similar to: Antawn Jamison

At #24 is 21 year old PG Jrue Holiday.

Holiday has not made any big jumps forward, but he's a key starter on a very likely playoff team. His team is far worse when he's not in the game. He has the talent to be a much better defender and finisher at the rim, but he's already a dynamite perimeter shooter and a willing ball mover. Another UCLA player that is showing more in the NBA than he did in college, but also that he came into the league having learned how to play defense. Similar to: Danny Ainge