Everyone has opinions but not everyone has the time to make all those drawn out mock drafts. I figured this could actually lead to some good discussion about what the Eagles should do this offseason.

Eagles Free Agents:

Philadelphia Eagles
Abiamiri, Victor	DE	UFA
Brown, Ronnie	RB	UFA
Dixon, Antonio	DT	RFA
Dunlap, King	OT	UFA
Jackson, DeSean	WR	UFA
Landri, Derek	DT	UFA
Laws, Trevor	DT	UFA
Mathis, Evan	OG	UFA
Parker, Juqua	DE	UFA
Schmitt, Owen	RB	UFA
Smith, Steve E.	WR	UFA
Young, Vince	QB	UFA

Here is a team by team list of free agents: Link

Eagles Draft Picks:

1st Round Pick
2nd Round Pick via the Arizona Cardinals
2nd Round Pick
3rd Round Pick
4th Round Pick via the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4th Round PIck
5th Round Pick
6th Round Pick
6th Round Pick via the Denver Broncos
6th Round Pick via the New England Patriots

So, what would you like to see the Eagles do this offseason? What is your master plan to propel the Philadelphia Eagles to the top of the football world? What free agents are you bringing back? Which ones are you letting walk? Which free agents are you going to sign? Are you going to trade for someone? Who are you going to draft? What prospects do you like? Which ones do you hate? What do you think the Eagles need to improve? It's all up to you, let it rip.

I'm obviously an Eagles fan, DeSean Jackson probably isn't coming back (good riddance) which means the Eagles need a WR. I've been looking at free agent wide-receivers and one guy that I keep coming back to is Robert Meachem. I'm looking at Robert Meachem and my impression is that he doesn't lack any physical talent and that he has produced whenever he's gotten on the field. He's been reliable and dynamic. He probably doesn't have outrageous contract demands. And when you look at his situational stats, his splits and his advanced statistics, they're all stellar.

So, I'm looking at this and I'm wondering what the problem is. Why didn't Meachem see more consistent playing time? Was he a locker-room problem? Does he not prepare the way Sean Payton expects him to? What's the story on this guy. The reason I ask is because I'm weary , he looks fantastic on the surface of things but I figure I must be missing something because I think signing Meachem would be a slam dunk.

Since we already killed the 32nd one.

Rule #1 - No Pictures Of Rosie O'Donnell

-This is BY FAR the most important rule. Do not break it or you'll be given a very thorough shunning. Also we've run into someone posting Cat butts, don't do that either.

Rule #2 - All Pictures and .Gifs Must Have Subject Lines

-Some people are slackers (like me!) and we go on Bleeding Green Nation during class because having your English teacher explain how to write persuasively kind of loses it's luster after a couple years. Some people even come here while they're supposed to be working (TIME THIEF!). So, for these people we must require you to put a subject line on all pictures, especially pictures of half naked women. Daisy Lowe mmmm...

Rule #3 - Shun Iggle

-Eagladelphia hasn't been so terrible lately.

Rule #4 - Be cool, man.

-No need to lose your head.

Rule #5 - All people are accepted.

-This is the NFC bEast thread, we don't judge or attack based on who roots for what team. So we should really stop attacking BBI, especially considering he is the guy who brought these threads here. All fans of the Cowboys, Giants, Redskins and any other NFL team for that matter, are welcome. Just don't get too trolly or we'll have to give you the Real LT treatment.

5 recs or Juan Castillo will coordinate your home security system.

*All credit for this post goes to my lord, Lord Tebus. Amen.

Let's just jump right into this.

Continue reading this post »

One month ago, what was the narrative that defined the Eagles season? Some would argue that it was organizational misjudgments, others would argue it was injuries, some said that Andy lost his locker-room. But who was the overriding villain of the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles? Juan Castillo. But suddenly, the narrative has changed. Why? Because the Eagles have had 3 good games.

If you look at the stat sheets (and everyone does), you'd be well within reason to think that Juan Castillo wasn't half bad. But there is something that stat sheets fail to give you: context.

Here is a list of QBs and RBs the Eagles faced the past 3 weeks: Matt Moore/JP Losman, Reggie Bush, Mark Sanchez, Shonn Greene, Stephen McGee and Sammy Morris. In addition to that, it should be noted that the Dolphins were missing Jake Long and Vernon Carey for most of the game. But that list of names means absolutely nothing if I don't qualify it. Lets take a look at the résumés that these players have put together.

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How can a guy be one of the most decorated defensive players in the history of college football and still have so many doubters? Beats me but I tend to think it's a classic case of over-evaluation, where people almost start to make up reasons not to like him. It is terribly hard to believe that anyone could not like him. He is unassuming off the field and he is a complete monster on it. He plays with intelligence and intensity (I'm looking at you Vontaze). When your nickname is Clark Kent off the field and Superman on it, you've done something right. He is one of the best linebacker prospects you're going to see. That's a fact. How do I know that? Well, here is a list of accomplishments he's put together in 3 years:

3x All American (2x unanimous) in 2009, 2010, 2011
2011 Lombardi Trophy Winner
2011 Butkus Trophy Winner
2011 Lott Trophy Winner
2011 ACC Defensive Player Of The Year
2009 All Freshman Team
2009 ACC Defensive Rookie Of The Year
2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl MVP
2009 Emerald Bowl MVP
Kuechly is the all time leading tackler in history of the ACC conference
Kuechly is the second leading tackler in NCAA history (and he is only 12 behind the leader who set the mark in 4 years, Kuechly did his damage in 3)

Simply put, Kuechly is a legendary college football player. He has achieved almost every individual accolade you can at the linebacker spot in college. But if he is so good, why are there so many concerns about him? Misinformation, that's why and I'll seek to refute the misinformation that is out there.

Continue reading this post »

The Eagles finish 4-12, losing 6 straight to end the year. The worst record in Andy Reid's tenure leads to the termination of him and his staff. The 4-12 record earns the Eagles the 4th overall pick. The only coaches who stay are David Culley, Bobby April, Duce Staley, Howard Mudd and Ted Williams along with a few of the quality control guys.

The Eagles also look back at endless questionable decisions from the front office and decide to part ways with Joe Banner and Howie Roseman.

The Eagles hire Bill Cowher as the Team President

-Bill Cowher knows how to set up a stable organizational structure, look at what he did in Pittsburgh. He left and Mike Tomlin has taken over the team Cowher built and maintained the same level of greatness. Bill Cowher comes in and takes over as team president to try and right the toxic environment that Banner, Roseman and Reid created.

The Eagles hire Dough Whaley as the General Manager

-Doug Whaley was the Pro Personnel Coordinator for the Steelers for 10 years before he moved on to becoming the assistant GM in Buffalo in 2010. Doug Whaley was key in the scouting of several of the Pittsburgh Steelers' finest players. And Whaley is known for his knack for scouting defensive players and is largely credited with the drafting of Troy Polamalu, Lawrence Timmons and Lamarr Woodley. And since he went to Buffalo, the organization has started to right the ship and he has uncovered several young defensive players that are already seeing extensive playtime on the Bills defense (Dareus, Williams, Moats, Sheppard and Searcy).

The Eagles hire Pete Carmichael Jr. as the Head Coach

-Bill Cowher is a disciple of Marty Schottenheimer and he hits up the Schottenheimer tree when he hires Pete Carmichael Jr. Carmichael worked with Schotty in San Diego and Washington. Carmichael then moved on to work with Sean Payton and has helped orchestrate one of the NFL's most productive offenses in NFL history over the 5 years that he has been there. But when you think of the Saints a lot of people think of Drew Brees and the passing offense but they forget about Duece McCallister, Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory, Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles in the running game.

The Eagles hire Joe Lombardi as the Offensive Coordinator

-Carmichael brings Lombardi with him as his offensive coordinator. Lombardi is currently the QB coach of the New Orleans Saints and he has done a fantastic job helping craft game plans and coaching Drew Brees and Chase Daniel.

The Eagles hire Mike Nolan as the Defensive Coordinator

-One thing the Steelers always do is snag a good defensive coordinator (Cowher is comfortable with the 3-4) so when Mike Nolan hits the market, the Eagles (who are now pretty much the Steelers east) snap him up. Mike Nolan has called 6 top 10 yardage defenses on 5 different teams and he has orchestrated 7 top 10 scoring defenses on 5 different teams. Mike Nolan is truly one of the most under appreciated defensive minds in football and the Eagles are going to have him for a long time because his age and previous experience as a head coach likely rule him out as a head coach in the future.

Howard Mudd decides not to retire because he is comfortable with the staff in place. Mudd worked with Cowher in Kansas City back in the eighties and he was actually a consultant for the Saints (Carmichael & Lombardi) in 2010.

The Eagles sign Channing Crowder

-Crowder was the shot caller for Mike Nolan's defense in 2010 and the Dolphins defense has struggled to replace Crowder's vocal and emotional leadership. Crowder decided not to play this year so that he could be at home with his new born daughter but Mike Nolan brings him back.

The Eagles sign Brandon McKinney

-The Eagles need to find a nose tackle if they're going to run a 3-4 defense effectively. Brandon McKinney is a huge 345 pound nose tackle who has proven to be a good run stuffer for the Baltimore Ravens. He never really got a chance to start for the Ravens because he was always behind Kelly Gregg, Haloti Ngata or Terrance Cody but he has flashed the ability to anchor a defense and swallow up blockers.

The Eagles sign Craig Steltz

-The Eagles lack intelligence, grit and tackling ability on the back half of the defense. Steltz is a highly intelligent player who is tough and a solid tackler. And he can play special teams too.

The Eagles trade Asante Samuel to the Detroit Lions for a 5th round pick.

-This isn't what we're expecting but a limited, expensive, aging CB with a history of attitude issues isn't in demand. Asante is making too much money to stay with the Eagles and his attitude doesn't help the team.

The Eagles trade Jason Babin to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 4th round pick.

-Jason Babin can't play in a 3-4 defense and he is a one dimensional end. The Jaguars need a pass rusher.

The Eagles trade Mike Patterson to the Carolina Panthers for a 4th round pick.

-Mike Patterson doesn't fit in a 3-4 defense and the Panthers desperately need talent on the interior of their defensive line.

TRADE: The Eagles trade the 4th overall pick in the draft to the Miami Dolphins for the 8th pick in the draft and the 40th pick in the draft.

-This is a bit of draft gamesmanship from the Eagles. The draft board doesn't match what the Eagles need. The Eagles have no intention of investing more money in the QB position and if they stayed at their current spot they wouldn't maximize the value of the pick and they would be handing the Redskins (who pick right behind them) Robert Griffin III. So the Eagles trade the pick to the Dolphins and keep a talented QB out of the hands of the Redskins and they maximize the value of the pick.

1st Round Pick (Dolphins) - Devon Still DL Penn St.

-This certainly isn't a sexy pick but if you want to make a 3-4 defense work, you need to put together a strong unit along the defensive line. Devon Still has really had an incredible year and he has been the best player on the entire Penn State team by far. When you look at Devon Still, he has all the tools you want in a 3-4 defensive end. Devon Still has the length you look for, he has the strength, he has the anchor, he has the quickness, he has the powerful hands, he has the power and he has showcased the ability to two gap. He has all the tools to become an elite 3-4 defensive end. This past year, you simply couldn't stop Devon Still with one man and I expect that to continue at the postseason all star games where he will continue his ascension up the draft boards.

TRADE: The Eagles trade the Cardinals' 2nd round pick and their 3rd round pick to the Denver Broncos for the 23rd pick in the draft.

1st Round Pick (Denver) - Dwayne Allen TE Clemson

-Pete Carmichael Jr rose through the ranks as a tight ends coach so he places a high premium on a good tight end. Carmichael has gotten very creative with his tight ends in the past, he'll keep them on the line, he'll split them out wide, he'll move them around and he'll put them at full back. If you need any evidence of that, just look at Antonio Gates, Jeremy Shockey, David Thomas and Jimmy Graham, all of who worked with Carmichael.

While most people might think this is the Eagles giving up on Celek, it isn't. This move allows Celek to be moved around a bit more and catch the ball instead of blocking. And this also helps compensate for the loss of DeSean Jackson. Since there is no more vertical threat with DeSean, talent in the intermediate passing game is more important than ever. This move takes a bit of focus off of Jeremy Maclin in the passing game. The addition of Dwayne Allen makes it so that Brent Celek is no longer stuck on the line as a blocker so he can move around and make plays in the passing game. And Dwayne Allen provides an upgrade as a blocker so this helps LeSean McCoy too. Oh and he provides a nice target in the passing game for Michael Vick.

Dwayne Allen is a big guy at 6'4" and 255 pounds but he is athletic enough to split out wide on occasion and make plays against corners who can't match his size and strength. He is also a noted blocker who does a really nice job in the run game and pass blocking. He has natural hands to make catches away from his frame and he is a very powerful after the catch runner. Personally, I would compare him to Jason Witten with his well-rounded game.

2nd Round Pick -TJ McDonald S USC

-The Eagles desperately need to upgrade their safety situation so they add TJ McDonald from USC. TJ McDonald is a guy who according to some could be the best DB to come from USC in the past decade and the best since Troy Polamalu. Low exposure and a bad reputation (he is dirty) drop McDonald a bit but not too much. McDonald is everything that Taylor Mays wasn't. TJ McDonald is a big safety 6'3" and 205 pounds, he hits like a truck and he is pretty fast, sounds like Mays right? Well what separates him are his ball skills, his flexibility and his lateral quickness, all things that Taylor Mays lacked. He is also a lot more instinctive, he reacts faster and he trusts what he sees way more than Mays did. McDonald presents whatever team drafts him with a nice skillset to work with, he has the athleticism, length and range to play single high and he has the size, strength and tackling ability to play in the box. And he has potential to develop into a good blitzer. TJ McDonald will instantaneously start over whoever the Eagles have at FS (Nate Allen might not be back, he's that bad).

TRADE: The Eagles trade the Dolphins' 2nd round pick to the New York Jets for their 2nd round pick, 4th round pick and 5th round pick

TRADE: The Eagles trade the Jets' 2nd round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for their 3rd round pick, 5th round pick and 7th round pick

3rd Round Pick (Jaguars) - Marcus Forston DL Miami

-The Eagles continue to load up on the defensive line with this pick. Marcus Forston is leaving school early for some reason and he isn't going to go as high as he expects. Forston is a super talented defensive tackle who started to reach his potential before having his season ended by a knee injury this past year. Marcus Forston doesn't look like a 3-4 end, he's about 6'2" and 310 pounds but he has long arms and he is very athletic and quick. Forston displays the ability to do everything you ask of a 3-4 end when he is at his best. Forston has the ability to penetrate and disrupt the passer, he has the size to anchor in the run game, he has the length and disruptive ability to keep offensive linemen off of the linebackers and he has the potential to be very tough to stop one on one in the run game. He is more potential than anything right now but if he reaches it, watch out.

TRADE: The Eagles trade their 4th round pick and the Jaguars 4th round pick to the Buffalo Bills for their 3rd round pick (77th overall)

3rd Round Pick (Bills) - "Touchdown" Tommy Streeter WR Miami

-The Eagles are now looking to add a bit of size to their receiving core and they draft a guy who probably could've been in the round 1 conversation if he had stayed at Miami for his senior year. Streeter is a massive target at 6'5" and 220 pounds with long arms and big hands. Now you're probably thinking "he's really slow then, right?" but he has been rumored to run a 4.3 40 yard dash. Streeter isn't the most agile of players but he has good long speed and he knows how the set up corners and box them out. And he has fantastic hands, he snatches the ball out of the air and he displays the ability to adjust to the ball and attack it at its highest point. Streeter just lacks experience and the ability to consistently run good routes.

TRADE: The Eagles trade the Buccaneers' and Jets' 4th round picks to the Dallas Cowboys for their 3rd round pick (87th overall)

3rd Round Pick (Cowboys) - Brandon Boykin CB Georgia

-The Eagles need help on the back end of their defense, especially with Asante Samuel leaving. The Eagles are also one of the worst special teams return teams in the NFL. To help solve both of those problems, the Eagles draft Brandon Boykin. Brandon Boykin is a battle tested SEC corner back who has experience on the outside and as a nickel back. He has great athletic ability which helps him compensate for his size. And he just makes plays, on his career he has 9 interceptions and 18 passes knocked down. He has returned 4 kickoffs for touchdowns in his career. And he has actually scored 2 offensive touchdowns as well, 1 receiving and 1 rushing. Boykin is a high character player who has been a leader for the Georgia Bulldogs too.

4th Round Pick (Panthers) - Robert "The Hulk" Turbin RB Utah State

-This guy is going to be the smash to LeSean McCoy's dash. Robert Turbin is built like a bowling ball at 5'9" and about 220 pounds, his work in the weight room is very evident. When you see his height and weight you might think that he is just a bowling ball back but you would be wrong. Robert Turbin does run extremely hard and he shows the ability to break tackles but he also displays surprising off tackle speed and lateral agility to make people miss in space. And he can catch out of the backfield too, in his career he has caught 76 passes for 11 touchdowns. Over the last two years you would be hard pressed to find a more productive back than Robert Turbin.

TRADE: The Eagles trade their 5th round pick and the Lions' 5th round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for their 4th round pick (110th overall)

4th Round Pick (Chiefs) - Keshawn Martin WR Michigan State

-The Eagles lost some dynamic ability when they let DeSean Jackson go so they're trying to recoup some of that. Keshawn Martin is a dynamo who hasn't reached his full potential, he is a small receiver at about 5'10" and 190 pounds but he showcases 4.4 speed and he is very slippery in space. Martin has scored 7 touchdowns this past season, 2 rushing, 4 receiving and 1 on a punt return. Martin has real potential to be an Antonio Brown type player down the road.

5th Round Pick (Jaguars) - Sammy Brown LB Houston

-Sammy Brown is a pass rushing linebacker who already has experience as a stand-up pass rusher in college. In the past two years, Sammy Brown has put up 20 sacks, 56 TFL and 22 QB hurries. Sammy Brown just has a real knack for getting to the QB and he has a great closing burst to seal the deal. Sammy Brown is probably one of the most, if not the most, underrated prospects in this draft. The demand for sudden and quick pass rushers who know how to set up the offensive tackle and get to the passer is high but Sammy Brown has flown under the radar on a mediocre defense at Houston. Oh well, our gain.

5th round Pick (New York Jets) - Tramain Thomas S Arkansas

-The Eagles need talent at the safety spot, they're clearly lacking it and it is hurting the defense. Thomas is a really underrated player for the Arkansas defense, he is a pretty athletic and rangy guy in coverage with great fluidity and quick feet. He needs to clean up the little things a bit, he isn't a great tackler and he isn't fundamentally sound in coverage in terms of footwork. But, he makes plays, in his career he has intercepted 12 passes and forced 6 fumbles. He displays the natural instincts that Nate Allen clearly lacks.

6th Round Pick - Hebron Fangupo NT BYU

-The Eagles really get a steal here, Fangupo could be a starting nose tackle down the line, easily. Fangupo is a massive player at 6'1" and 335 pounds and he displays great thickness throughout his entire frame. He has great strength and a low center of gravity which consistently displays the ability to anchor in the run game and take on double teams. Fangupo is one the most underrated players in college football and if he played in the SEC, he would be getting a ton of hype. He's one of the better run stoppers in college football and a really underrated prospect. In my opinion, he is far and away a better player than Alameda Ta'amu. And for a big guy, he is actually pretty athletic and he is violent and sudden with his movements.

6th Round Pick (Broncos) - David Snow C Texas

-The Eagles need to add a bit of depth on the interior of the offensive line with the departure of Jamaal Jackson. David Snow is an experience Big 12 blocker who showcases light feet, intelligence and good hands. He should be a nice back-up to Jason Kelce as Kelce continues to develop.

6th Round Pick (Patriots) - Miles Burris LB San Diego St.

-Miles Burris is probably the best linebacker you've never heard of. Miles Burris is a guy who is a bit stiff but he is explosive and powerful coming downhill. At about 6'2" and 240 pounds, he isn't the biggest guy but he is a good hitter and he has a relentless motor. He could be a player as an inside linebacker or an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense and start down the line. And at the very least, he'll be one hellacious special teams player.

7th Round Pick (Jaguars) - Adam Gettis OG Iowa

-Howard Mudd always goes for the lighter, more athletic guards and he continues that trend with Adam Gettis. Adam Gettis is probably about 290 pounds and he doesn't do a real good job creating movement on the line of scrimmage but he knows how to wall people off, constantly reset his feet and use his hands. And he is very athletic and well coached, he is good at pulling and getting into space, he's very coordinated for an offensive lineman. Iowa is an offensive line factory and Gettis should carry the Hawkeye tradition well in the NFL as a nice back-up for the Eagles.

Depth Chart:

QB: Vick / Kafka

RB: McCoy / Turbin / Lewis

FB: Schmitt

WR: Maclin / Avant / Cooper / Streeter / Martin

TE: Allen / Celek / Harbor

LT: Peters / Dunlap

LG: Mathis / Vandervelde

C: Kelce / Snow

RG: Watkins / Gettis

RT: Herremans / Justice

LE: Still / Laws

NT: McKinney / Dixon / Fangupo

RE: Jenkins / Forston

LOLB: Graham / Brown

ILB: Crowder / Burris / Lloyd

ILB: Chaney / Rolle

ROLB: Cole / Hunt

CB: Asomomugha / Marsh

CB: Rodgers-Cromartie / Boykin

NB: Hanson

SS: Jarrett / Steltz

FS: McDonald / Coleman / Thomas

K: Henery

P: Henry

LS: Dorenbos

PUP: Colt Anderson

[Note by JasonB, 11/29/11 7:32 PM EST ] Promoted from fanposts. Even if you've never heard of this "scumbag" meme. These are really funny.

So Spike Eskin started this and I think it's absolutely hilarious. Over here at BGN we could definitely come up with some great ones. I'm just posting some highlights and I'll put the blank one at the bottom so you can make your own. If you don't know about the original, it's Scumbag Steve and here is an example:

Continue reading this post »

Do you believe in miracles? Because Tebow sure does. He believes in them a lot. Any time this guy wins a football game, it's something of a miracle. He certainly heals people, he owns a hospital in the Philippines for Tebow's sake. And just when it looked like all hope for the Broncos was dead, he brings them back to life and saves the Broncos season and played them back to 5-5. How long until Clay Matthews (who is most assuredly the devil) tells the Packers that Tim Tebow is telling the Broncos that they really could win it all? May Tebow bless us all.

But luckily, we are under the umbrella of the internet and we cannot be seen by Lord Tebow. So we can do what we want. Sort of. Because you know this aint 'Nam, there are rules here.

Rule #1 - No Pictures Of Rosie O'Donnell

-This is BY FAR the most important rule. Do not break it or you'll be given a very thorough shunning.

Rule #2 - All Pictures Must Have Subject Lines

-Some people are slackers (like me!) and we go on Bleeding Green Nation during class because having your English teacher explain how to write persuasively kind of loses it's luster after a couple years. Some people even come here while they're supposed to be working (TIME THIEF!). So, for these people we must require you to put a subject line on all pictures, especially pictures of half naked women. Kate Upton mmmm...

Rule #3 - Shun Eagladelphia

-This does not need explaining.

Rule #4 - Be cool, man.

-No need to lose your head. We're all football fans talking on a football blog, there really is no need to get nasty, especially in this sanctuary of peace known as the Eternal Thread. We've all got more in common than you probably think, just be cool... Man (or woman, although we're still waiting on appearances from Eaglesgirl5 & Philadelhia).

Rule #5 - All people are accepted.

-This is the NFC bEast thread, we don't judge or attack based on who roots for what team. So we should really stop attacking BBI, especially considering he is the guy who brought these threads here. All fans of the Cowboys, Giants, Redskins and any other NFL team for that matter, are welcome. Just don't get too trolly or we'll have to give you the Real LT treatment.

Oh, and all people who have not commented in an NFC bEast eternal thread who are reading this must make a comment.

5 rec's or Tebow of Nazareth shall initiate the rapture.

*All credit for this fan post goes to lord Tim Tebow. 

The Broncos make me sick, absolutely sick. Why? Because they’re so inferior to the Eagles in terms of talent and yet they have a better record, that’s why. The contrast between the Broncos and Eagles highlights everything that is wrong with the Eagles.

Just to start, look at the decisions they made regarding their coaching staff this offseason. John Fox didn’t hire his old buddies from the Carolina Panthers coaching staff, instead he hired Dennis Allen, the secondary coach from the New Orleans Saints. Some of you might recognize that name, why? Because the Eagles interviewed Dennis Allen.  You also might remember that guy because Sean Payton, one of the best coaches in the NFL, was singing his praises. Somehow, Dennis Allen was good enough for John Fox and Sean Payton, two established NFL coaches but he isn’t good enough for Andy Reid.

So, while Dennis Allen is doing work up in Denver, we’re stuck with Juan Castillo because Andy Reid is intent on creating some bastardized, incestuous team that only promotes from within. Almost all of Andy Reid’s coaching assistants get promoted to position coaches. That, is a flaw. Is it arrogance? It sure looks like it. Or maybe he only wants to work with people he is comfortable with? Still a flaw.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Denver staff is actually using their players effectively and putting them in the best spots to be successful.

Tim Tebow can’t effectively run an offense from the pocket, so they let him run an option offense. This is a perfect example of effectively using the talent you have. He has poor receivers, an offensive line that struggles to pass protect, a powerful option QB, a deep stable of running backs, good blocking full backs and tight ends and an offensive line that is very good at run blocking. So what does John Fox and company do? They put together an offense that plays to their strengths.

Another example of playing players to their strengths is Von Miller. Von Miller was a dynamic pass rusher and athlete at Texas A&M but he was too small to be an on the line defender. Instead of passing on the best player on the board, they drafted him. And now, they move him around the defense, they line him up at linebacker and have him put his hand on the ground on obvious passing situations. Now, Von Miller is the best young defender in the game with 38 tackles, 8 sacks and 2 FF in 10 games. 

Meanwhile in Philadelphia…

Michael Vick breaks his ribs unbeknownst to the coaching staff but it was very apparent that he wasn’t throwing the ball effectively. The Eagles are missing their two best receivers. What does Andy Reid do? He throws the ball and completely ignores LeSean McCoy, the best 4th quarter runner in the game who at that point was leading the NFL in rushing.

Juan Castillo is putting DRC who does not have the route recognition skills or toughness to play the slot in the slot.

Juan Castillo is playing the premier press man corner of our generation in zone coverage, at safety and in the slot.

They started the season by moving Moise Fokou to WLB, moving Jamar Chaney to SLB and started a 4th round rookie at MLB. Fokou had no experience at WLB and Chaney had no experience at SLB.

But what stands out most to me when you compare the two teams is the way these teams are built. The Broncos are filled with team oriented, unselfish players with strong leadership.

The Broncos have Tim Tebow who takes the game into his hands when the game matters most. When a receiver was in the wrong spot against the Jets, he walked up to him and explained where he should’ve been and clapped his hands to tell him to do better next time. Every player on that roster believes in him.

The Broncos have Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey, two aging hall of fame players with strong leadership qualities. I don’t really feel the need to explain what these two bring to the table. Both are strong veteran presences who know the game and inspire confidence and belief in young players. 

The Broncos have unselfish players all over their roster. You cannot find a player that is as selfish as DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick, Jason Babin, Asante Samuel or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on their roster. Their receivers don’t ask for the ball, they’re committed to the team. Their defense plays tough football, they play the run and they don’t freelance.

Meanwhile, Michael Vick mopes off the field with his head hanging down. Tim Tebow heaps praise on everyone imaginable. Michael Vick says you can’t design a defense to stop him. 

The Eagles have no veteran presence that inspires confidence and belief in their young players. Just to make a point here, the vocal leader of the defense last year was Ernie Sims. Ernie. Sims. And now even he is gone. Ernie Sims was the guy in the middle of the pre-game huddle. Ernie Sims was the maniac throwing himself into people and bringing energy to the field. He was terrible but the defense sure could use a guy like him. 

One of the other vocal leaders is Juqua Parker but at this point, how can you take him seriously? He hasn't played, he has been dinged up all season, he is probably the 6th string DE at this point and he was the guy who jumped offsides when the whole stadium knew the Bills weren't going to run a play. 

Jason Babin and Asante Samuel are only in it for themselves. Just look at Jason Babin in run defense, he is a complete one trick pony. He refuses to line up over an offensive tackle. He throws a fit anytime someone suggests the Wide-9 scheme isn’t effective. He is in it for the stats. And Asante Samuel is hanging people out to dry on hunches, he won’t play press coverage and he still won’t defend the run. Both of these players are perfect examples of what is wrong with the Philadelphia eagles. When teams run at the left side of our defense where Jason Babin sees a vast majority of snaps, they average 5.31 yards per carry. That is the second worst mark in the NFL. He has been exposed as a one trick pony and running to his side works almost every time. Meanwhile, Asante Samuel can be blamed for the loss against the Cardinals because of his selfishness according to Tommy Lawlor.

Asante absolutely is to blame. Asante decided to freelance on the play. Rather than sticking with Fitz, Asante hung his teammate out to dry. And the team. Skelton hit Fitz for a gain of 37 and they scored a TD to take the lead.

The Eagles are filled with selfish, egotistical players that are enabled by the softie Andy Reid. Denver is filled with tough guys who just want to win and has a coach that knows how to utilize the talent he is given. Brandon Lloyd of the Broncos started being a diva because he wasn’t getting the ball and the Broncos shipped him off.

Jeremiah Trotter, one of the infamous tough guys of the Andy Reid era hit on a very interesting and valid point. Essentially, he says the Eagles are a business over everything else, that they have a price-tag on all players and the players know it.

Do you think DeSean Jackson is going to give his all when Joe Banner is up in the front office trying to shake him down for all he’s worth? Why would DeSean Jackson sacrifice himself for this team when he knows he could be somewhere else at the drop of a hat because the Eagles franchise doesn’t think he is as valuable as he thinks he is. Why should he sacrifice himself? All he has done is make plays for this franchise but guys like Jason Avant and Brent Celek get paid and the Eagles throw money at Vince Young, Steve Smith, Jarrad Page, Ryan Harris and other useless free agents.

Rumor has it that the Eagles blackballed Omar Gaither because he didn’t bite on the extension they offered him.

A report from Gary Cobb stated that Gaither had turned down a mid-season long term contract extension and that the organization was making him pay for it with less playing time. All sides denied the rumor, but the story persisted to hover around Gaither.

The Eagles let some of the best leaders the Eagles had walk because they didn’t value them. Brian Dawkins, Sheldon Brown, Jon Runyan, Tra Thomas, Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis, Jeremiah Trotter, Stewart Bradley, Quintin Mikell, Brian Westbrook and Troy Vincent are all striking examples of this.

And Joe Banner is an asshole, look at what he has done and is doing to some of the most dynamic talent we have. He nudged T.O., the best offensive player to ever wear an Eagles uniform, off the edge because he didn’t want to pay him. He ruined Lito Sheppard’s career because he didn’t want to pay him. And now look at what he is doing to DeSean Jackson and Asante Samuel. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos are more than willing to pay valuable veterans like Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey. And it shows on the field, the players play harder and they put it all on the field for their team and organization.

Watching the Broncos play only made the Eagles’ flaws that much more apparent. 

1. Joe Banner and Howie Roseman are dehumanizing the players and penny pinching on contracts while they play Madden football up in their offices, failing to account for team chemistry. If you don't think that matters, I don't know what team you're watching. Because the DeSean Jackson I'm seeing this year, the disgruntled guy in the last year of his contract, is not the same guy I saw in other years. And I know that at the very least there are rumblings in the locker room of this because Asante Samuel, the most vocal player on this team came out and said "A couple people upstairs might not want me, but who cares. They probably never played football, it's a business, they run it like a business, so they're going to do what they need to do. So they're upstairs playing with a lot of money, playing a little fantasy football, so they’re doing their thing."  

You can't tell me that knowing you've got a price tag wouldn't make you a little upset. To know that no matter what, you're only worth this much to the franchise and if you disagree, they'll pack your bags for you. If you knew that was happening, would you give your all? 

2. Andy Reid’s stubbornness, he refuses to adjust to the circumstances at hand and he typically avoids bringing people in from the outside. Egotism, stubbornness, complacency etc. etc. Andy Reid has them all. No coach in the NFL has done less with more than Andy Reid in his tenure.

Look at some of his former coaching assistants: Sean McDermott, Rory Segrest, James Urban and Bill Shuey. All 4 of those guys were shown the door this past season. Clearly the promotion of all of Andy's "hand trained" guys wasn't working and yet he was still allowed to promote Juan Castillo to defensive coordinator. Umm... What? You can't tell me that ego didn't play a part in this, that Andy Reid didn't on some level feel more comfortable with the guys he brought up because he was overconfident about his ability to groom these guys and/or thought the way he brought them up was the best way and didn't want to hire any outside guys who wouldn't be as effective as his "hand trained" guys. 

And the game against Arizona was a perfect example of Andy's stubbornness. He has a QB with broken ribs and both of his top two receivers are missing and what does he do? He keeps on throwing the ball. That, is a tragic flaw. When Riley Cooper is seeing extended playing time and you keep throwing the ball despite the fact that you've got the most productive back in the NFL behind you, that is stubbornness. 

3. The selfish players on this roster are a problem; I think you would come to find that very few of these teams put the team above themselves. I'm talking about Jason Babin, Asante Samuel, DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick and other players who aren't playing within the scheme and going out to get theirs and not doing what is best for the team. Former NFL scout Dave Razzanno points out that this is one of the flaws on the team:

They also need to steer clear of ”character” guys. I know WO Desean Jackson has talent but he has always been considered selfish, going back to his days at Cal-Berkeley. RB Lesean McCoy had some history of immaturity as did Free Agent OT Jason Peters. And talented QB Michael Vick was a guy nobody wanted just alittle over a year ago. These are all talented athletes but if you have too many selfish guys on your team it can catch up to you, taking away from team unity when the chips are down.

And the Beat Writers agree: 

It is time for Andy Reid to go:

That was a long time ago now. Reid has let his program drift away from the high-character standards he set early on. He now has a team that plays soft and that seems more interested in contracts than contact. His ship appears rudderless, and there's no one to blame but the captain

Will The Eagles Quit On Reid?:

Veterans such as Samuel and Jason Babin have acquired big reputations and matching paychecks with individualistic play.

4. The lack of leadership on this squad; who on this team can lead? Who will put the team above themselves? Who can inspire confidence in the young players? Last year it was Michael Vick, this year there is nobody who has stepped up. I'm going to refer back to the Jeremiah Trotter interview really quick where he weighed in on the DeSean Jackson contract dispute. Trot said:

"These guys are young and they've got agents to take care of that but that's where you need veteran guys to say "You know what? Listen, just keep playing hard and if you don't get a contract here with Philadelphia you're going to get it somewhere else." I think that's what this team is lacking, it's lacking that type of leadership. I remember going through my situation and Troy Vincent sitting me down and saying "Hey Trot, don't worry about all that. All you have to do is go out and make plays and your game will speak for itself.""

Who on this team will do that? Michael Vick with his 100 million dollar extension in hand? Seems kind of hypocritical, no? It certainly won't be any of the new guys like Nnamdi or Jenkins, they're too new. Brian Dawkins could've done that. Brian Westbrook could've done that. Sheldon Brown could've done that.

We need a house cleaning from the top down; the fish rots at the head. Jeff Lurie needs to grow a pair and fire Andy Reid, Joe Banner and Howie Roseman. But lord knows he won’t do it. But until he does, nothing will ever change with the Philadelphia Eagles, ever.

Look at the gold standard teams in every sport. The Yankees, Steelers, Packers, Celtics and Lakers all operate the same way, the opposite of the Eagles. They don’t lowball players, they don’t let valuable veterans walk away and they don’t deal with selfish players. Did the Yankees let Derek Jeter walk? Did the Steelers let Casey Hampton,Aaron Smith, Jerome Bettis and Hines Ward just leave? Did the Packers deal with Brett Favre’s egotism? Did the Packers dump Donald Driver? Did the Celtics take a steaming dump on their greatest players? Are the Celtics going to get rid of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen anytime soon and then lowball Rajon Rondo? Are the Lakers going to dump Kobe when he isn’t an all-pro player anymore? Of course not. But the Eagles will let Brian Dawkins, Jeremiah Trotter, Brian Westbrook and Sheldon Brown just walk out the door. And the old Eagles owner did the same thing to Reggie White. 

The Eagles need to change, end of story.

And thinking about all of this just makes me realize how great Jim Johnson was. Not only was he an incredible schemer but he was a respectful and spectacularly effective communicator.

"He was an awesome coach, man. He always inspired guys to go out there and play hard and that's why I liked him. He didn't have to come out there and yell and stuff like that. He would just go out there and talk and have respect for you. So I always enjoyed him. I always miss him. He was an awesome coach." 

Jim Johnson was the reason we were so close so many times, not Andy Reid. Jim Johnson inspired his players to go out and play hard for the team despite Joe Banner. 

The Eagles issues are so much bigger than they appear. Things are only going to get worse if we keep the current status-quo in place. The structure that the Eagles have set up is crashing down and watching Tim Tebow and the Broncos made that sadly apparent. Yes, I realized these things as I watched John Fox, Tim Tebow and the 5-5 Broncos, it’s that bad on the Eagles.

We’re a talented team but bad coaching, demoralized players, selfish players, no leadership, no toughness and little continuity are biting us in the ass. This is a big mess, last year was an anomaly. 

Only 164 days until the NFL draft. Am I ahead of myself? Probably. But I couldn't channel my disdain after yet another horrendous loss effectively. So, I decided I was going to make a very spiteful post. And what is more spiteful to the current coaching staff than talking about a new coaching staff and all the good they would do? I know some of these moves would be incredibly unpopular but on the road we're on now, I don't think they're out the realm of possibility. I tried to think of what was wrong with this team. I came up with complacency, egotism, no heart and a lack of physicality amongst a litany of other things, but ultimately I decided those 4 things were the things that I would address in this offseason. But remember, this isn't a statement of what I think will happen (although I wouldn't be incredibly shocked if something similar did) but more of a statement about the current state of the Eagles. I hope you enjoy at least entertaining these thoughts and I welcome all ideas about coaching staffs, draft picks and even criticisms.

Coaching Moves:

• The Eagles hire Perry Fewell as the head coach
  -Tough and vocal defensive minded coach that players will go to war for. He is a great teacher and he is a guy who should have his own team at this point. He has all kinds of experience and he isn't a scheme limited guy. He has learned from some great coaches and he is a pretty aggressive defensive shot caller.

• The Eagles hire Bill Callahan as the offensive coordinator
  -Will get to run the show with Fewell focusing on the defense. Callahan is a former QB who is known for his offensive line coaching and his grind it out style.

• The Eagles hire Marc Trestman as QB coach and AHC
  -A scout's darling this guy is, he is the best coach in the CFL after coaching in the NFL for a few years and his scheming ability is highly regarded.

• The Eagles keep Ted Williams as the RB coach
  -Why not? Look what he has done with Westbrook and McCoy, no reason to cut him.

• The Eagles promote Duce Staley to offensive assistant and assistant RB coach
  -Ted Williams is old, the Eagles start breeding Duce Staley to take over for him one day.

• The Eagles keep David Culley as the WR coach
  -He has been in the NFL for a long time and coached in a lot of schemes. He is scheme diverse and a good coach that is worthy of keeping.

• The Eagles promote Eugene Chung to OL coach
  -This is Howard Mudd's protégé, Mudd retires and Chung takes over the offensive line coaching spot. But keep in mind that he has the help of renowned OL coach Bill Callahan.

• The Eagles keep Tom Melvin as the TE coach
  -He has done a pretty solid job with Brent Celek and Clay Harbor. He brought those two along into some pretty versatile players. Worthy of keeping.

• The Eagles hire Jon Hoke as the defensive coordinator
  -Jon Hoke and Perry Fewell worked together at Kent State back in the day. Hoke now works with Lovie Smith who once mentored Perry Fewell. He has experience in the Tampa 2 scheme under Lovie Smith and the 3-4 zone blitz scheme under Dom Capers. He has said he likes the zone blitz concepts in the past, he ran a very aggressive defense at Florida when he was the DC there. Hoke and Fewell have 3 connections: Kent State, Lovie Smith and Dom Capers.

• The Eagles hire Kevin Greene as their DL coach
  -Fewell and Hoke hit up the Capers connection and call upon Kevin Greene to take on a bigger role and coach an entire defensive line. Tough guy's tough guy who is a top position coach already. Very well versed in zone blitz concepts.

• The Eagles hire Hardy Nickerson as their LB coach
  -Played under Capers and Tony Dungy, he is familiar with zone blitz and Tampa 2 schemes. Former player that was highly regarded. He was the original Tampa 2 MLB.

• The Eagles hire DeWayne Walker as their CB coach
  -He is wasting away at New Mexico State, he is a highly regarded coach that is known for his teaching ability and enthusiasm. He moves to the NFL in hopes of putting himself on a bigger platform.

• The Eagles hire Troy Vincent as their S coach
  -He is probably too deeply involved with the NFLPA but hey, this is a mock offseason so I can do what I want. This guy NEEDS to get into coaching. He is so intelligent and articulate, he could be a great NFL coach. I would love to see him coach on the Eagles. He is familiar with the zone blitz concepts that Hoke and Fewell plan on running.

Transactions:

• The Eagles extend LeSean McCoy
• The Eagles resign Evan Mathis
• The Eagles resign Trevor Laws
• The Eagles resign King Dunlap
• The Eagles resign Antonio Dixon
• The Eagles resign Steve Smith
• The Eagles franchise DeSean Jackson
• The Eagles cut Winston Justice
  -Herremans stepped up and Dunlap is more versatile.

• The Eagles cut Jamaal Jackson
  -Cut a discontented veteran and save some cap space? Sure.

• The Eagles cut Casey Matthews
  -Casey Matthews blows.

• The Eagles trade Asante Samuel to the Detroit Lions for a 5th round pick
  -Old CB with a high salary gets a 5th round pick.

• The Eagles trade DeSean Jackson to the 49ers for a 2nd round pick and conditional 3rd round pick in 2013
  -This situation gets ugly after LeSean McCoy gets extended. DeSean Jackson gets very upset and the two sides can't come to an agreement. The Eagles sign and trade him back to the west coast to the 49ers where they pay him and he goes back to his west coast roots. The Eagles just didn't want to give money to a guy as inconsistent and flawed as DeSean Jackson.

• The Eagles trade Jason Babin to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 4th round pick
  -Jason Babin is part of the problem with the Eagles, he is a selfish player who only wants to play the wide 9 spot. He is egotistical, he is a walking penalty marker and he is a one trick pony. The Eagles part ways with him and improve the locker room while getting a 4th round pick in return.

• The Eagles sign Mike Pollak
  -Versatile, veteran interior line depth with experience.

• The Eagles sign Dan Connor
  -The Eagles need a BUNCH of linebacker help and it starts with Connor, an underrated linebacker in his prime that can play WLB or MLB.

• The Eagles Sign Le'Ron McClain
  -One of the quickest ways to add a bit more teeth to your running game is to add a guy like Le'Ron McClain, a big, strong and powerful full back who can crush people on lead blocks and carry the ball as a power back when needed.

Mock Draft

1 - Zach Brown LB North Carolina

-The lack of linebacker talent on the Eagles is astounding, the problem is well on its way to being solved with Dan Connor and Zach Brown and they compliment one another perfectly. Dan Connor is more of a 2 down backer with his run stopping ability and coverage deficiencies. Zach Brown on the other hand is a guy who you want on the field in nickel situations. Zach Brown has incredible athleticism, he might immediately be the most athletic linebacker in the league. His talent, is special. This year at North Carolina, he has been absolutely dominant with 71 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 4 passes knocked down and 3 forced fumbles. He has showcased incredible foot speed and effort in pursuit. He has displayed an improved ability to take good angles, read his keys and diagnose the play. Oh, and he is a dynamic special teams player who lights people up on that unit with his dynamic hitting ability. Zach Brown is a complete linebacker prospect with good tape and great potential, if he keeps up the momentum he has going, he'll be a great linebacker in no time.

Trade: The Eagles trade the Cardinals' 2nd round draft pick, Tampa Bay's 4th round pick and the Bronco's 6th round pick to the New England Patriots for pick #28

1 (via New England) - Cordy Glenn OL Georgia

-With Howard Mudd gone and Bill Callahan in, the Eagles move back to more of a big offensive line. That means the Eagles are going to bulk up along the offensive line again. With the pick of Cordy Glenn the Eagles are going to move Todd Herremans back to LG, move Evan Mathis to the bench where he can be the first man up at both guard spots and start Glenn at RT. Cordy Glenn is a massive man at 6'5" and 340 pounds. He has the ideal arm length that you want with 34" arms. He has massive 10 1/8" hands that he uses to lock people up. He is incredibly powerful and he is incredibly strong while also having very athletic feet. He is a guy who can consistently reestablish the line of scrimmage and win in the run game. His skillset is very reminiscent of Jason Peters'.

2 - Michael Brewster C Ohio State

-Callahan had great success with the last big Ohio State center prospect so he heads back to the well. Brewster doesn't have the same kind of natural base strength, leverage and coordination in space that Mangold has but he is no slouch. Brewster is a big, NFL sized player at 6'4" and about 310 pounds. He has been starting at center for the Ohio State Buckeyes for the past 4 years and it shows, his snapping mechanics and ability to get his head up and find a man are very good. He showcases good technique, good lateral ability and a nasty streak. Brewster looks like a long time starter in the NFL that could start at either guard spot if needed.

2 (via San Francisco) - Devin Taylor DE South Carolina

-With the departure of Jason Babin, the Eagles need to add a pass rusher so they draft Devin Taylor. Devin Taylor has an incredible frame with plenty of room to add weight and maintain athletic ability, he has the length, speed, fluid hips to turn the corner, effort, burst off the line of scrimmage and the arm length/hands to keep blockers off his frame. Devin Taylor has a reputation for being skinny but he has wiry strength and he does a nice job of coiling up and transitioning his speed and burst to power off of the edge. I really liked his activity level and motor in the games I saw him in. Devin Taylor does a good job of getting his hands up when he can't get to the QB. He puts in a good effort when he is in pursuit. And he is always moving forward and doesn't appear to be content to be blocked. And I thought that he had some pretty decent pass rush moves, it's nothing extensive but he had counter moves and he had the ability to fight through contact. He hasn't put it on paper yet in terms of statistics but he really has been disruptive this year and I think he is really going to blossom in the NFL. He is actually my #1 rated end in the draft.

3 - Joe Adams WR Arkansas

-When the Eagles lost DeSean Jackson, they lost quite a bit of speed on offense that they would be well suited to replace. Joe Adams ran a 4.3 in spring training and it shows on the field, he has speed and agility to spare. On his career he has 153 receptions, 2326 yards and 16 touchdowns. He is also a weapon in the run game and on returns. On his career he has scored 21 touchdowns total, 16 receiving, 2 rushing and 3 returning. He has incredible elusiveness and run after the catch ability, he has the ability to burn defenses. He is very good at getting separation and he is a pretty good route runner too that is coming from a prostyle offense. He drops some passes but it's not chronic and you can overlook a couple drops when you have a guy with this sort of ability.

4  (via Tampa Bay) - Brandon Bolden RB Ole Miss

-Bolden has underachieved at Ole Miss but he has loads of talent, he is a big, bruising running back with his fair share of speed. He is a hard charging running back who isn't afraid to get physical and do the dirty work. He hits the hole hard and he finishes his runs. He punishers defenders when he runs, he hits the hole hard, can run by people, and just refuses to go down. He is an outstanding receiver as well, he led the team in receiving last season. He blocks and he is even on the kick and punt coverage units. Bolden is a senior and has been a big time contributor since his freshman year, he is on a horrible team but that makes what he has done the last two seasons that much more impressive. 

4 - (via Jacksonville) - Tyler Nielsen LB Iowa

-The Eagles need some intelligent, team oriented and assignment sure linebackers that are ahletic enough to execute what they're supposed to do. Nielsen is a decently sized strong side linebacker that is physical and smart. He is a three down linebacker who does it all at Iowa. He isn't the most physically gifted play around but he is savvy and he tries hard. At the worst the Eagles found a back-up strong side linebacker that can play special teams.

4 - Chad Diehl FB Clemson

-This guy is a mortal lock to become one of the NFL's elite lead blockers. Chad Diehl has ideal size at 6'1" and 261 pounds and he is a well respected player on the Clemson team. His teammates and opponents heap praise upon this guy. They say he would fit in comfortably with a leather helmet back in the day. Dabo Sweeney has called him the "epitome of a football player". The Clemson center, Dalton Freeman has called him "one of the best football players he has ever seen". DeAndre McDaniel has mentioned that he avoided Diehl in practice sessions. Chris Hairston called him an honorary offensive lineman and said that "He's just not going to lose a one-on-one matchup. I don't see anybody in the country that can step in isolated and take on a Chad Diehl block. He's relentless, probably the hardest hitter I've ever seen play this game."

5 - Chris Marve LB Vanderbilt

-Marve is a small, athletic and strong middle linebacker, he is short but he has good instincts, he is a strong tackler, he can stuff the run over the middle and he has the athleticism to drop back into coverage. He is a strong leader who has a passion for the game. He could be one of the real steals of the draft.

5 - (via Detroit) - Brandon Taylor S LSU

-Taylor is a high energy safety that is the emotional leader of the LSU defense. He comes in with an NFL mentality and the willingness to play special teams and do whatever it takes to make the roster. He is a pretty athletic guy and even though he is corner sized, he throws his body around. He should be at the very least a good special teams player and high end back-up.

6 - Case Keenum QB Houston

-You know Keenum, the all time leading passer in the NCAA. He comes from a spread offense but Keenum is going to have a place in the NFL. Keenum has enough arm strength, he does a great job keeping his eyes downfield, his ball placement is fantastic and he makes very good decisions with the ball. He has the athletic ability to move around and his work habits are outstanding. He should be a high end back-up for the Eagles.

6 (via New England) - Rishard Matthews WR Nevada

-At this point in the draft you really have to take shots on potential and hope for the best. The Eagles do that with Rishard Matthews. Matthews is a big 6'2" and 215 pound wide receiver with 4.4 speed. He has really big hands and he snatches the ball out of the air. He showcases strong run after the catch ability and the ability to get yards after contact. He has the ability to run every single route in the route tree, its just a matter of learning them and dedicating himself to his craft. He is a JUCO player whose early development was hindered by his father who didn't let him play football. 

1990 Bill Parcells: 1st team, 49 years old, 11 years in the NFL, 3 years coordinating, 7 years head coaching

1991 Joe Gibbs: 1st team, 50 years old, 18 years in the NFL, 3 years coordinating, 10 years head coaching

1992 Jimmy Johnson: 1st team, 50 years old, 4 years in the NFL, 0 years coordinating, 4 years head coaching

1993 Jimmy Johnson: 1st team, 51 years old, 5 years in the NFL, 0 years coordinating, 5 years head coaching

1994 George Seifert: 1st team, 55 years old, 14 years in the NFL, 6 years coordinating, 5 years head coaching

1995 Barry Switzer, 1st team, 58 years old, 2 years in the NFL, 0 years coordinating, 2 years head coaching

1996 Mike Holmgren, 1st team, 48 years old, 11 years in the NFL, 3 years coordinating, 5 years head coaching

1997 Mike Shanahan, 2nd team, 44 years old, 14 years in the NFL, 4 years coordinating, 3 years into tenure

1998 Mike Shanahan, 2nd team, 45 years old, 15 years in the NFL, 4 years coordinating, 4 years into tenure

1999 Dick Vermeil, 2nd team, 59 years old, 10 years in the NFL, 0 years coordinating, 3 years into tenure

2000 Brian Billick, 1st team, 45 years old, 9 years in the NFL, 5 years coordinating, 2 years into tenure

2001 Bill Belichick, 2nd team, 49 years old, 26 years in the NFL, 6 years coordinating, 2 years into tenure

2002 Jon Gruden 2nd team, 39 years old, 11 years in the NFL, 3 years coordinating, 1 year into tenure

2003 Bill Belichick, 2nd team, 51 years old, 28 years in the NFL, 6 years coordinating, 4 years into tenure

2004 Bill Belichick 2nd team, 52 years old, 29 years in the NFL, 6 years coordinating, 5 years into tenure

2005 Bill Cowher, 1st team, 47 years old, 28 years in the NFL, 3 years coordinating, 15 years into tenure

2006 Tony Dungy, 2nd team, 51 years old, 29 years in the NFL, 9 years coordinating, 5 years into tenure

2007 Tom Coughlin, 2nd team, 61 years old, 20 years in the NFL, 0 years coordinating, 4 years into tenure

2008 Mike Tomlin, 1st team, 36 years old, 8 years in the NFL, 1 year coordinating, 2 years into tenure

2009 Sean Payton, 1st team, 45 years old, 13 years in the NFL, 3 years coordinating, 4 years into the tenure

2010 Mike McCarthy, 1st team, 46 years old, 16 years in the NFL, 6 years coordinating, 5 years into tenure

• Every single coach had experience as either a head coach or coordinator at either the NFL or college level. Every single one.
• 9 of 20 superbowl coaches in the past 20 years were on their second team.
• The average age of the superbowl winning coach is 51.55 years old.
• They average 16 years of total NFL experience
• They average 3.55 years coordinating an offense or defense
• The superbowl winning coaches were 4.75 years into their tenure on average. Bill Parcells and Joe Gibbs were already tenured and had won superbowls so they raise the average. If you take out the outliers (Parcells, Gibbs, Cowher) the average tenure drops to 3.7 years.
• 3 coaches were head coaches in college football; Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer and Tom Coughlin
• 8 out of 20 of the Superbowl winning coaches were former NFL defensive coordinators
• 9 out of 20 of the Superbowl winning coaches were former offensive coordinators
• 8 out of 20 superbowl teams had coaches that fit within the Bill Walsh coaching tree
• 5 out of 20 superbowl teams had coaches that fit within the Bill Parcells coaching tree

Assistant Coaches that became head coaches before their coaching tenure began belonged to organizations that had these win totals in the 5 years prior to their hiring:

They averaged 9.86 wins per year as assistant coaches in the 5 years prior to the hiring, as a head coach of what would ultimately be a superbowl winning team. They would also average 3.2 playoff appearances, 3.6 playoff wins and .7 superbowl champions each.

College head coaches that won superbowls in the past 20 years these win percentages at the school they worked at prior to becoming an NFL head coach:

Jimmy Johnson: 85% of games coached at Miami were wins (52-9)

Barry Switzer: 82% of games coached at Oklahoma were wins (157-29-4)

Tom Coughlin: 60% of games coached at Boston College were wins (21-13-1)

Bill Parcells is an outlier when measured against every single criteria. He was a bad college head coach (3-8 overall). He didn't work under a strong head coach with a strong coaching tree in the NFL. He only had 4 years of NFL experience before he became a head coach and in that timeframe his teams only collected 24 wins in that 4 year span.

Joe Gibbs is a disciple of Don Coryell, he worked for Coryell as a running-back coach with the St. Louis Cardinals and again as offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers. He had 8 years of NFL experience before getting the head job as the Redskins head coach. In those 8 years his teams averaged 8.75 wins but keep in mind that up until 1978 there were 14 games in a season. His winning percentage as an assistant coach was .593% and that is heavily dragged down by his one year in Tampa Bay.

Dick Vermeil is confusing, he disappeared off the face of the earth in the NFL coaching world for about 15 years only to come back and lead the Rams to a superbowl. The Rams were his second professional team, he obviously coached the Eagles in the late seventies and early eighties. But he was also a good college coach in his two years at UCLA where he went 15-5-3. He won 37 games in his last 4 years as an assistant with the LA Rams. He was initially hired to the Rams by George Allen.

These coaches had a head coaching stint prior to the one with the team they won a superbowl with:

Note that no coach has ever won a Superbowl with two teams.

So, with all of this said, how does this stuff apply to looking for a new head coach? Well, here's the criteria I have come up with:

• Has been on teams that have won at least 40 games in the past 5 years. The higher the better.
• Has been on teams that made at least 2 playoff appearances
• Ideally you want the coach to have a superbowl ring on their finger
• Comes from a strong coaching tree; mentored by a strong coach
• Has at least 3 years of coordinator experience
• At least one decade of NFL coaching experience

If you're going to hire a guy who already had a head coaching job:

• Has shown the ability to put together a playoff team in the past
• Did not win a superbowl with that team

If you're going to hire a college coach (Johnson, Switzer, Vermeil, Coughlin):

• Must have an NFL background (mentor, scheme)

-All of these coaches ran prostyle offenses. Vermeil and Coughlin were NFL coaches before they were college coaches. Spread offenses aren't going to cut it in the NFL, pro-style schemes are required, NFL experience is preferred and a mentor with NFL experience would be nice too.

• Mentored by a strong head coach

-Jimmy Johnson was mentored by Frank Broyles and Jackie Sherell, both of whom were highly successful coaches. Barry Switzer played for and coached under Frank Broyles at Arkansas and coached under Chuck Fairbanks at Oklahoma before succeeding him. Vermeil was mentored by George Allen. And Coughlin was a disciple of Vermeil (in Philly) and Parcells (in NY).

• Won at least 60% of their college games

-Must be a winner.

• Must have a "signature" win

-Vermeil and his UCLA bruins beat the #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. Coughlin and his Boston College Eagles beat the #1 ranked Notre Dame team in his last year at BC.

• A win percentage greater than or equal to 50% in bowl games

-Bowl games are when you face the best competition so a good game planner and coach should always be successful on the big stage against the best competition.

• Strong leadership qualities and a strong recruiting record

-College coaches are a risk, leading college players is different than leading grown men. The best college to pro transitions happen when the coach is a good leader, is energetic and knows how to motivate people. Also a good recruiting record is a nice thing to have because that would indicate that they're likeable and can effectively communicate and sell their message to players.

But, as you can see from Bill Parcells and Mike McCarthy, the numbers aren't foolproof. Both of these guys, while incredibly different, are strong motivators and players respond well to them for the most part. That is something I think people tend to overlook, pedigree is nice but at the end of the day you need to be able to communicate with players and have a message that players will buy into. The outlier candidate at this point IMO, is Perry Fewell.

So, with ALL of that said, who are the coaching candidates to watch out for? Keep in mind that at this point, I'm extrapolating the 2011 record. All numbers win and superbowl numbers are from the last 5 years.

Coordinators:

Mike Pettine (Jets & Ravens)

• Mike Pettine:

Disciple of Rex Ryan

Part of the Bill Walsh coaching tree via Brian Billick

Connections with Jack Del Rio, Mike Smith and Mike Singletary

• Bruce Arians

Disciple of Bill Cowher

Part of the Marty Schottenheimer coaching tree

Connections with Bear Bryant, Jim Mora Sr., Tony Dungy, Ken Wisenhunt and Mike Tomlin

• Joe Philbin

Disciple of Mike McCarthy

Part of the Marty Schottenheimer coaching tree

Also connected to Mike Sherman

• Bill Musgrave

Disciple of George Seifert

Part of the Bill Walsh coaching tree via George Seifert

Connected to Jack Del Rio, Joe Gibbs, Al Groh, Jim Mora Jr, Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith and Leslie Frazier

• Mike Mularkey

Disciple of Sam Wyche

This guy is a melting pot of a coach. You can trace him to Tom Landry via Dan Reeves and Chan Gailey. You can trace him to Marty Schottenheimer via Bill Cowher and Cam Cameron. And he even has connections to Belichick via Saban and Brian Billick via Mike Smith.

• Pete Carmichael Jr

Disciple of Sean Payton

Part of the Bill Parcells coaching tree via Sean Payton

He has connections to both the Bill Walsh and Bill Parcells coaching tree via Sean Payton.

Potential Outliers:

Jay Gruden:

This guy just knows football. He is one of the greatest Louisville QBs of all time. He is in the AFL hall of fame and was called the 4th best AFL player of all time in 2006. He has 6 AFL championships on his resume, 4 as a player and 2 as a coach. He coached in Tampa Bay with his brother Jon Gruden for 7 years and has a superbowl ring on his finger. In his 1 year as the head coach of the Florida Tuskers, he took them to the championship game. And he is doing an incredible job for the Bengals. Some guys are just naturals and Jay Gruden would appear to be just that. He has a strong track record of winning at different levels in different situations, he has a players' background, he has superbowl and playoff experience, he was mentored by his brother Jon Gruden (Bill Walsh coaching tree) and he has shown the ability to develop and utilize talent effectively. Keep an eye on him.

Perry Fewell:

He doesn't meet the criteria that I established because he was stuck with an awful Bills franchise. He doesn't have the wins and playoff experience that I look for but he does have the NFL experience and pedigree that I'm looking for. Fewell is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the game. He is known as a great teacher with just the right combination of bravado and scheming ability. Players very clearly respond positively under him. He has displayed the ability to develop talent. He has coached under Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville and New York. He has coached under Lovie Smith in Chicago. And he has worked with Dick Jauron in Buffalo. He is probably the strongest assistant coach in the game today.

Former Head Coaches:

Mike Mularkey

-Mike never did get the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs but he did get the more out of that team than anyone else did until Chan Gailey. He has a strong coaching pedigree and record. He played under Chuck Noll, he is a disciple of Sam Wyche and he has worked with strong coaches like Bill Cowher, Nick Saban and Mike Smith. He wasn't actually fired from Buffalo either, he got into a disagreement with the direction of the team with management and resigned. He is known as a good in game coach who is a creative play caller (or at least he was in Pittsburgh) but he is also content to grind it out on the ground. He deserves most of the credit for the development of Matt Ryan, Roddy White and other Atlanta Falcons offensive players.

Eric Mangini

-Perhaps the best former head coaching candidate on this list. He has fantastic pedigree; he has worked under Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. He has 3 superbowl rings on his fingers.

He is known as a very good teacher who knows defense, if you need any proof of that just look at the Patriots, Jets and Browns today:

• -The Patriots' defense has been on a steady decline and has struggled to develop young defensive talent ever since Mangini's departure.
• -The talent that Rex Ryan is working with was largely put together by Eric Mangini, Mangini drafted Darrelle Revis and David Harris, Mangini developed Sione Pouha and Mangini was the guy who set up the framework for the 3-4 defense that Rex Ryan works with today.
• -In Cleveland he brought in the defensive talent that they're still working with today. 9 of 11 starters were brought in by Mangini. He drafted Joe Haden and TJ Ward, he traded for Chris Gocong and Sheldon Brown, he signed Scott Fujita. With the talent that Mangini amassed, the Browns are now the 5th ranked defense in the NFL.

Mangini has shown the ability to put together a playoff team and he has shown that he is a strong talent evaluator. Here is a list of players that Eric Mangini drafted:

D'Brickshaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Eric Smith, Brad Smith, Leon Washington, Darrelle Revis, David Harris, Dustin Keller, Alex Mack, Joe Haden, TJ Ward, Colt McCoy and Shawn Lauva

That is 8 Pro-bowlers, 3 all pros, 1 future all pro (Haden), a handful of good players and a player that the Browns consider their franchise QB. More often than not, Mangini hits in the draft.

Jim Mora Jr

-I wouldn't sign him but he fits the criteria that I put forward.

College Head Coaches As Potential Head Coaches:

Kirk Ferentz

-He has over 100 wins at Iowa, a 6-3 record in Bowl Games, he has consistently displayed the ability to develop NFL caliber talent, he has an NFL style approach to the game and he is part of the Bill Belichick coaching tree. His roots are founded in NFL style football. He is a tough football coach who is a good teacher of fundamentals. He has turned Iowa into a football factory.

Mark Richt

-He has been a college coach his entire career. He was a QB at Miami. He was the offensive coordinator for Florida St under Bobby Bowden for a decade. He has been with the Georgia program for a decade as well and he has a career record of 103-36 and a bowl game record of 7-3. He is a players coach that is very respectful and genuinely tries to help his players. He runs a pro-style offensive scheme that he learned at Miami and he runs a NFL style 3-4 defense. He has developed a bunch of talent at Florida State and Georgia. He goes up against the best week in and week out and he consistently comes out on top. He could be an intriguing option at head coach. 

Les Miles

-This dude is wonky, something is just a tad off about the guy everyone knows as the "Mad Hatter". He eats grass and he gets some miraculous stuff to break his way, but it works. He is definitely a players coach that is energetic and well liked by players. He established a culture that allows players to swagger around on the field and let their personality show, his teams are very vocal, physical and downright violent at times. He has created an alternate universe down at LSU, nothing makes any sense at all. He gets his quarterbacks to WANT to block on the backside of plays and he has punters that taunt. He just has a way of getting the best out of players. He isn't a big schemer but he is a solid teacher of fundamentals and he always gets a positive response from his players. And he isn't an egomaniac, he is more than willing to surround himself with strong personalities and make the team better. If you surrounded him with a good set of coordinators, I have no doubt that Les Miles could succeed at the NFL level. He has 3 years of NFL experience too, he worked under Chan Gailey and Dave Campo as the tight end coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He wins 80% of his games and he is 5-1 in bowl games at LSU.

Al Golden

-Consider this guy a future candidate, would I take him right now? Sure but I think most NFL teams would wait on this guy. What isn't to like? He is a former player, he is professional, he turned the Temple program around, he is a great motivator and he knows what he is doing. He has worked with Joe Paterno and Al Groh, Paterno is a great guy to follow in terms of motivation and decorum and Groh is a Bill Belichick disciple. This guy is one of the best coaches in college football and he should end up in the NFL at some point. He is tough, he inspires confidence in his scheme and he is a great teacher. He is the real deal. 

One week we're seeing "Can anyone beat us?" and the next we're seeing the masterpiece JoeD wrote. I'm really sick of going from one extreme to the other after every week. 5 weeks into the season, we're ready to put Andy Reid's head on a stick outside the Linc. 8 weeks into the year he's a coaching genius who is a great people manager that is suddenly leading one of the hottest teams in football. 9 weeks in and I've got no idea how I feel about Andy Reid anymore.

So, in an attempt to avoid this constant up and down I'm going to reason with myself.

First Point Of Reason: The Chicago Bears were coming off a bye week

-As Eagles fans, we all know the value of a bye week. The Bears were coming off of one and it showed. They had a great defensive game-plan that confused Vick and adequately defended LeSean McCoy.

Second Point Of Reason: Perhaps Our Expectations Were Too High

-Perhaps, even though we completely despise it, we let the "Dream Team" moniker get to our heads. Just the simple fact that it was reasonable to mention such a thing had to affect us on some level, right? Well perhaps we got ahead of ourselves. Perhaps our Eagles biases were compounded beyond reasonable levels amongst all the Eagles hype and dramatics. 

We already thought Michael Vick was a great player, suddenly he was the player with our championship hopes all on his shoulders. Did we get ahead of ourselves? Was Michael Vick just an aberration last year? Statistically, that argument is a complete and total fallacy. But as we've so painfully learned, games aren't played on paper. His decisions this year are worse. He is more inaccurate. The spectacular big plays downfield that he and DeSean became notorious for, have disappeared. He doesn't consistently display touch on downfield throws. He doesn't come through in the 4th quarter, we've failed to win games late, if there was no 4th quarter the Eagles would be 7-1. He looks rattled. He doesn't appear to have the same moxy and flair that he had last year. If I was a betting man, I would bet that Michael Vick will never win a Superbowl, with any team at any point in his career. Just look at the rapid decline of Michael Vick, in his first 10 starts he had 19 TDs and 5 INTs, in his next 10 he has 12 TDs and 10 INTs and the Eagles are 3-7. That's scary because we just invested 100 million in that guy.

DeSean Jackson isn't the same player he was. Anyone who can't see that isn't watching the games. He looks disinterested, he is short arming catches, he is hearing footsteps, he is dropping passes and quite frankly he isn't getting separation. He doesn't look like he is trying. He isn't a top 20 receiver in the NFL. That, is fact.

And then there is Jeremy Maclin, what in the world happened to him? He went from clutch receiver extraordinaire in his first two years to suddenly being a guy who is dropping passes on critical 4th downs, fumbling footballs on game winning drives and slipping on game deciding 4th down plays. What happened? Bad luck? Who really knows, but he isn't the same either. 

Those silly FootballOutsiders' stats told us Asante Samuel was an elite corner last year. What we failed to account for was the fact that he was playing across from Ellis Hobbs and Dimitri Patterson. We completely ignored how bad Asante Samuel is in the red-zone. We excused his terrible tackling. He wasn't beaten deep so we said his river boat gambling tendencies were overblown. Now, 8 weeks into the season and he's already allowed more yards than he did last year and he has allowed just as many touchdowns. Elite player? Hardly, Asante is a good player who has limitations. 

We're a good team, don't get me wrong. We've got a BUNCH of talent. When we're on, we might be the best team in the NFL. But THAT's the problem, we're so inconsistent. One week we shut down Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten and the next we get burned by Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett. 

Third Point Of Reason: So how good are we really?

We're not as good as we looked against Dallas but we're not as bad as we looked in the first 5 weeks of the season. We're closer to the performance we saw tonight against the Bears. We're not superbowl good like we looked against Dallas, we're a team that is almost good enough to beat a team that was in the NFC Championship last year. So we're playoff team good but our early season struggles are going to hinder our playoff chances.

Lets just establish a hierarchy of the NFC really quickly: 

Tier 1: Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers

Tier 2: New York Giants

Tier 3: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons

Tier 3.5: Philadelphia Eagles

Why are we lower than those teams? We lack toughness, we're soft, mentally and physically. Its why we can't close out games or stop the run. We've had the lead heading into the 4th quarter in 7 of 8 games. Yes, you read that correctly. Who do we put that on? I say that it's because our players lack a killer instinct and are soft. That's the only explanation. We're a bunch of chokers and the most talented 3-5 team ever (which is like being the tallest midget, but hey whatever).

Fourth Point Of Reason: Our season is over. 

Barring a spectacular series of events, a wholesale change in mentality and a bunch of stuff breaking in our favor (which hasn't been happening), our season is over. These guys better get a good travel agent because after the beating they're going to take from fans and media over the next couple weeks, they're going to need a very relaxing vacation. I guess we can root for LeSean McCoy to go to the probowl and root for him to lead the NFL in rushing? That's about it.

I'm done with thinking we're going to change. If it happens, great. If it doesn't, oh well. I'm setting my expectations low.

We're not the awful team that ESPN is going to tell us we are this week but we're also not the second best team in football behind the Green Bay Packers like Deion Sanders told us last week. Take that for what it's worth and do with this information what you please. I'm just trying to get away from the extremes that this team has us going swinging back and forth towards. Does this mean Andy Reid should be fired? No. Does this mean Andy Reid should be kept? No. All I'm trying to do is accurately discuss this team and avoid the drastic initial reactions that we're all prone to. 

Eagles should beat the Bears on Monday night and they should do it rather handily. But games aren't played on paper and the Bears are a scrappy bunch that finds ways to win. I know the way logic says this game should play out but it really could go either way.

Just looking at the match-up, the Eagles really do match-up well with the Bears outside of Matt Forte.

The Bears Offensive Line And Running Game:

They're certainly a group that looks the part but they're just not as good as they look pre-game. Their starting line-up on Sunday is going to be J'Marcus Webb at LT, Chris Williams at LG, Roberto Garza at C, Chris Spencer at RG and Lance Louis at RT.

Chris Spencer is pretty clearly the best overall player on the line and he is simply mediocre, he does enough in all aspects of the game. Roberto Garza is a less than mediocre player. Garza is okay in pass protection but as a run blocker he is certainly not someone who is going to reestablish the line of scrimmage. Chris Williams has been playing better but that is not a big endorsement as he was never good to begin with. The interior of their line does not get a push in the run game, they're pretty decent at pulling and getting out into space and they do not give Jay Cutler a clean pocket to step into. 

The offensive tackles are turnstiles in pass protection. J'Marcus Webb is allowing 1 sack per game (7). Lance Louis hasn't allowed a sack yet (he has only started 4 games) but he has been allowing his fair share of pressure off the right side. Louis is clearly the better of the two but even he is going to have a tough time matching up with our ends. Both of these guys are going to be massive liabilities matching up with Cole and Babin. Where these guys thrive is in the run game, they can really mash on the outside which could cause some problems as our second level guys aren't exactly known for making tackles in space. If you look at Matt Forte's situational numbers, they skyrocket when he runs outside. 

But you might be thinking "Didn't Juan Castillo say the Redskins ran outside? Didn't we shut them down?" Well we also took out their entire starting left side of the offensive line and we were going against Tim Hightower, Roy Helu and Ryan Torain. As bad as the Bears offensive line is, they're the starters and they have a certain level of cohesiveness that the Redskins back-ups did not. And Matt Forte is clearly a top 5 back in this league that is light years ahead of anything the Redskins were putting out there.

In pass protection, the Eagles have a very clear advantage. In run blocking its wait and see, if Jason Babin, Trent Cole and company can't anchor the edges, the Eagles could have a long Monday night. Depending on how fast (or whether or not it even happens) the Eagles go up, Trent Cole and Jason Babin could be in for career games. They might not put up the sack numbers but they're definitely going to be getting pressure. Jay Cutler has great escape-ability so its not a guarantee they're going to get sacks, Cullen Jenkins might end up being the guy who racks up the sacks as Cole/Babin force Cutler to step up in the pocket.

This is going to be the biggest test in run defense the Eagle face, Fred Jackson burned us, Steven Jackson burned us, Frank Gore toasted us and Matt Forte is better than all of those guys. Mike Martz will spread you out and then pound you with Matt Forte. The Bears know they can't really run the ball all that well up the gut so they deliberately get Forte to the corners, run outside on the perimeter and stretch teams out. Its what they do.

So Brian Rolle, Moise Fokou, Kurt Coleman, Nate Allen and the corners are going to have a big test this Monday. Are they going to be able to tackle Matt Forte? Matt Forte certainly isn't an easy guy to tackle, he is real smooth and quick in space but he also has the size and power to run through guys too. If we contain Matt Forte, it's a great sign that the Eagles really have changed on defense and that the run defense really has stepped their game up. No mediocre Redskins backs this week, no rookie DeMarco Murray, no, we're facing a guy who along with LeSean McCoy and Adrian Peterson, make up an elite tier of backs in the NFL this year. 

The Bears Passing Game:

Again, on paper we should dominate these terrible receivers. But as awful as this group of pass catchers is, they've got just enough dynamic ability to keep the Eagles honest. And Jay Cutler has a live arm, he is definitely someone the fans of the game criminally underrate, the guy has a terrible supporting cast and he still produces. He really does have a great skill set and is one of the most talented passers in the game. I hate the guy though, he really does complain a lot and he is really bitchy. And even though he is very, very talented he is also very mistake prone and he can be streaky too.

The Bears are trotting out Roy Williams, Johnny Knox, Devin Hester and Earl Bennett as their top receivers with some Dane Sanzenbacher mixed in there. Their tight ends are pretty much non-existent in the passing game as they're used as blockers. Like I said, on paper the Eagles should absolutely dominate. We've got fabulous corners who can cover those guys all night and they don't use their tight ends which is something that definitely plays into the Eagles hands.

But here is where the problems start: Mike Martz.

He knows how to utilize his players and when to call certain plays. If you go cover one or cover zero, he'll capitalize. If you go with standard cover 2 safety coverage, he'll capitalize. How? Matt Forte. That guy really IS the Bears offense at this point. If you bring down a safety to stop Matt Forte, they'll toss it up to one of their deep threats who really are just one trick ponies (Knox and Hester). If you go two deep, he'll just use short stuff and the run game until he gets one of your safeties down in the box. 

And of course we all know Mike Martz as this spread offense type guy who will stretch a defense, even though he relies on Matt Forte, that hasn't changed at all. He'll bring in receivers, he'll force defenses to put out their nickel and dime corners, he'll force a safety to come down and cover a slot receiver (thus forcing cover 1). He'll do all that. And that'll play right into his offenses' hands. If you bring a safety down he'll go deep. If you bring in another corner, he'll run screen passes to Matt Forte, Roy Williams and Earl Bennett and force your guys to make plays.

It isn't a consistent attack at all but you have to be careful and avoid mistakes because the Bears do have the talent to make you pay if you do make a mistake (unlike say the Rams or 49ers).

Whenever you go up against Martz, it's a chess match. Whenever I used to play basket ball in my driveway with my dad he always had to make three shots in a row before he started playing because "That meant he was hot", Juan Castillo has bested Baby Shanny and Jason Garrett over the past two weeks, can he officially "get hot" and best Mike Martz? We shall see. A lot of pressure is going to be put on our safeties and the corners really are going to have to tackle well this week.

Quick Summary:
Outside of Matt Forte, this isn't a team that is going to beat you. They'll capitalize on your mistakes but they're not just going to beat you outright, they don't have that kind of talent. They're a match-up offense, a team that needs the right kind of match-ups to beat you. The blueprint for the Eagles is relatively simple, do what you're supposed to do. To beat the Bears you need to dominate the line of scrimmage to disrupt Jay Cutler and Matt Forte. You need to play assignment sure football. And you absolutely need to tackle well. No magic game plans, no x factor guy, just go out there and play smart. If the Bears offense beats us, we did it to ourselves.

The Bears Defense:

The Bears run a cover 2 defense. They're going to give us short stuff, they're going to play their safeties deep and they're not going to blitz a whole lot. They're not going to try to disrupt the Eagles offense so much as contain it. That sounds an awful lot like what the Cowboys tried to do, right?

Well the Bears are a bit better equipped to actually pull it off. The Cowboys put a ton of pressure on their linebackers that they couldn't handle. With the safeties playing back the linebackers have to play in more space and if they miss a tackle it has greater consequences. The Eagles killed the Cowboys linebackers, they couldn't play with Jason Avant and Brent Celek in space. They couldn't tackle LeSean McCoy. Everything they needed done wasn't getting done.

The Bears aren't trotting out Bradie James, Keith Brooking and Anthony Spencer, the Bears are going to be playing Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Nick Roach. The Bears linebackers are far better suited for playing in space, they're more athletic and more experienced playing in space. Plus they're just better tacklers and players overall. 

And the Bears defensive line is a big unit that is okay in pass rushing situations but has good run stopping ability. Right off the bat you notice that this is a pretty good sized group, especially at defensive end and even more so if Corey Wootton returns this week (can't find anything that says whether he is or isn't). 

The Bears' top 3 defensive ends are Julius Peppers, Israel Idonije and Corey Wootton. Those are 3 massive ends. Julius Peppers is 6'7" and 290 pounds, Izzy (as they call him) is 6'6" and 275 pounds and Corey Wootton is 6'6" and 270 pounds. They're big, athletic guys who are capable of making plays in both facets of the game when they're on. But Izzy hasn't been effective at all this year and Wootton has been hurt. Julius Peppers is really the only danger off the edge for the Bears at this point.

But keep in mind that he'll be going up against Jason Peters all game. Jason Peters is one of a few players who has a claim to the title of best left tackle in the game. I asked Dave Razzano and he said that the only players who compare to Jason Peters are D'Brickshaw Ferguson, Joe Thomas and Michael Roos. I've got full faith in Jason Peters, he can match Julius Peppers' size and strength off the edge. In the past two seasons he has only allowed 2.5 sacks which is extremely impressive.

And you might assume that the Bears are a small group up the middle if you look at Henry Melton who is 6'3" and 280 pounds dripping wet but in reality the group is pretty decently sized that has players who can stop the run. Stephen Paea is starting to get more play time and everyone knows about how strong he is. The Bears still have Anthony Adams who is the poor man's version of Mike Patterson (short, stout run stopper). And they've got Matt Toeaina coming back from injury and he is a nice sized run stopper. And they're also starting Amobi Okoye who seems to finally be reaching the potential that was wasted in Houston. This is a strong group.

But they've been worked over at times this year by Detroit and Atlanta and those lines are less talented than the one the Bears will see on Monday night. The Eagles' unit is very cohesive and they can move people in the run game with the size, strength and athleticism they possess. Some Bears fans are really going to be shocked at how good this line really is. They really need to keep these guys off their linebackers if the Bears have any shot at containing LeSean McCoy. Because if LeSean McCoy makes it to Major Wright and Chris Conte, the Bears are in trouble.

The Eagles match-up well with this unit heading into the game but come Monday it really could go either way. It looks like the Eagles SHOULD win the match-up in the trenches but you never know. Julius Peppers will go up against Jason Peters all night. And the Eagles have the pass protectors up the middle in Mathis, Kelce and Watkins to counter Melton, Paea and Okoye. And Todd Herremans doesn't really have much to fear from Izzy who has put up 3 sacks this year. The match-up of Herremans and Izzy is a good one too, Izzy is a physical pass rusher who isn't much of a speed guy, Herremans is a big, strong guy who is more than capable of handling that type of player.

And in the passing game its all going to be on Vick. Can Vick hit targets over the middle and be precise? We've seen him do it before but can he do it this week? Sure would help. The Bears corners aren't anything special, they're gritty veteran types who can't match the speed of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Their safeties are a big problem, I haven't seen Conte but he is only a rookie and Major Wright has some big issues. Wright is a great athlete and based on tools alone, he should be great but he doesn't play smart, he takes bad angles and he doesn't tackle all that well (he hits hard though). The safety situation is something the Eagles can definitely take advantage of.

As a whole the defense doesn't match-up with the speed of this offense. Then again, what defense does? Very few.

Overall Defense:

The Bears defense isn't performing this year. They're doing relatively well in scoring defense but they're giving up 380 yards a game, 23rd best in the NFL. They're giving up 5.6 yards per play, 26th worst in the NFL. They give up 271 yards per game through the air, 28th best in the NFL. They give up 108 yards on the ground per game which is 12th best in the NFL but they allow 5.2 yards per carry, ranked 31st in the NFL. And they only have 15 sacks, 22nd in the NFL.

This isn't a particularly scary unit the Bears are putting out. But schematically and talent wise they're a pretty decent match-up for the Eagles. The Tampa 2 is ideally suited to contain Michael Vick and it forces him to play smart and read the defense, something he hasn't consistently done but he appears to be hitting one of his hot streaks. 

Prediction:

I know the Bears are always scrappy and I know they're a tough team but I've got to go with what my brain is telling me and that is the Eagles win by a healthy margin. Why? The Bears simply do not have the talent to match up with the Eagles on any unit except special teams. 

I'm expecting another big effort from Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy thanks in large part due to the offensive line's performance. And on defense Trent Cole is going to have at least 2 sacks. I don't expect any sensational individual efforts outside of the defensive linemen, I think it'll be a team defense showing. 

But I won't say the Bears can't win. If they do win it'll be on the backs of Matt Forte, Devin Hester (on special teams), Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher. The Bears would need a great showing from their stars if they're going to win this game. Matt Forte would need to pull a Fred Jackson on us. Devin Hester would have to consistently win them the field position battle. Julius Peppers would have to disrupt Michael Vick's timing. And Brian Urlacher would have to do a good job covering the middle against Celek and Avant while also filling in the gaps in the run game and tackling LeSean McCoy.

As you can see, a prototype obese Texas bum got drunk at his favorite steakhouse and afterwards he was lured in by the giant spaceship disguised as Jerry's playhouse. But for some reason, the obese Redneck, ignoramus was allowed to stay and even coach the players! I think it's because Jerry Jones thought he was pregnant. It would appear that Rob Ryan is just the latest addition to Jerry's kids, the group of mentally and physically handicapped people that are otherwise known as the Dallas Cowboys. But I digress...

How do I figure this man cannot possibly be a REAL coach? Well, no self respecting coach would have the same lack of decorum that this bum has. He clearly does not hold himself to high standards. If you need evidence of that, I point you towards the picture on the side. Look at how poorly groomed he is, obvious lack of self respect. Look at his weight, anyone with any self respect wouldn't get as sloppy as that. And what kind of self respecting bum gets pregnant while being a bum? Talk about the ultimate sign of personal disrespect. Just think about that for a second. First off, how could you possibly allow yourself to be put in a situation where you could get pregnant as a bum and then think about that it probably was done in a dark alley. Come on man, you're better than that (wait, no he isn't).

And he just walks around topless like the dirty whore he is:

Put a top on slore! Have some self respect! A shirt, a bra, a bikini top SOMETHING. And should you really be drinking when you're so far along in your pregnancy? If he's not careful his baby might come out even more retarded than he is.

But enough about the lifestyle of a bum. Let's talk about what happens when said bum opens his mouth.

"If they need my motivation to get ready to play us, then we're gonna kick their ass anyway, it ain't going to matter."

As you can see, the Bum likes to keep it classy and respectable. Clearly he has decorum saying that "we're going to kick their ass anyway".

"I don't know if we win the all-hype team, that might have gone to someone else, but we're going to beat their ass when we play them."

See above statements.

"I'm not some guy [who] just can handle coach speak and be boring. I'm going to be emotional at times, and unfortunately that was one of my times, and I found out everybody listens in this town, which is good, unlike Cleveland. So I got in a little trouble there."

He's an emotional guy, I think that this is a byproduct of his pregnancy. He was shocked when people actually listened to him as he was unaccustomed to people doing that, being a bum and all.

"Hell, he doesn't have to worry about tackling me, if he does, he can tackle me. That'd be great, because I'm going to land on his shoulder and put him out. So that'll be awesome. Hell, he can tackle me two or three times."

Yes, he did just threaten to put DeSean Jackson out of the game by himself. Kind of easy to talk when you're only going to be standing on the sidelines, no? But keep talking trash big boy. Keep talking trash. But while you're at it, ask Laron Landry how that works out.

"I'm not scared of what I believe in, and what I believe in is our defense,"

Do you also believe that you can fly? Because watching the bum sink like a rock after jumping off of Jerry's playhouse would be kind of awesome. He seems to be arrogant enough to believe such a thing.

"I can't wait to get after these guys. It's going to be great. Hell, let's go get it on."

Rumor has it that this was the line he used before he got impregnated in the alley between Taco Bell and Lone Star Steakhouse.

This fan post is a concession and an acknowledgement of defeat. The Cowboys are so very clearly the superior team that I have no idea why the Eagles are even going to show up on Sunday.

Did you guys know we're playing the superbowl champions on Sunday? I BET YOU DIDN'T! But don't fret simpletons! I've had the pleasure of interacting with some brilliant Cowboys fans who really put things in perspective. 

To start things off I feel like I should remind you that the Cowboys have 5 rings. This is a major sticking point that will affect the game on Sunday night.

Also remember that games aren't played on paper, they sure made that a point when I brought up the talent on the Eagles roster. But what you should remember is that when it comes to stats, games are played on paper, nothing is ever changing and the results are final. 

Next, you need to look at the stellar list of teams the Cowboys have beaten. 

1.    San Francisco 49ers

2.    Washington Redskins

3.    St. Louis Rams

As you can very clearly see, the Cowboys have been beating NFL royalty. But what you really need to consider is the match-ups.

It all starts with Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, the two best receivers in the NFL. Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie better say their prayers.

You see, when Nnamdi signed with the Eagles, he lost all his talent. Signing with the Cowboys would've been a far better result. He got beaten by Victor Cruz, clearly he has completely fallen off. Never mind the fact that he is still the 12th least targeted corner in football despite not being completely comfortable in the scheme or the fact that he has allowed 16 yards in the past two games OR the fact that he was the premier press man corner of our generation in Oakland. No, he's totally getting roasted.

And Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is CLEARLY garbage. He was just dumped by the Cardinals (for a guy they deemed a franchise QB, but hey, who is keeping track?) and they talked to Cardinals fans that said he sucks (after he left them). They just don't see what makes him so great. He'll likely be matched up with Dez Bryant all game so he's obviously just a dead man walking. Never mind the fact that DRC is more athletic than Dez and can match him step for step. And they've taught me to completely ignore the fact that DRC's lack of route recognition skills isn't a big issue because of Dez's poor route running. Nope, that is just simpleton, heathen Eagle fan logic. 

And Asante Samuel? Don't even get me started! He got beaten by Miles Austin in 2009 so it must happen again. It has to. There is no way around it.

But don't even get me started on Romo. He's just the greatest. Why? I couldn't tell you, he is just vastly superior to Vick. That's all I know. And it isn't close. Like 10 greater than signs (these: > ) difference in skill.

And the Cowboys can REALLY run the ball. They're capable of grinding it out with the best of them. Why? Because DeMarco Murray and company just shredded the worst run defense in football. Never mind the fact that prior to their game against the worst run defense in the game, they were averaging 84.8 yards per game on the ground which would be ranked 30th in the NFL.

But where the Cowboys REALLY separate from the Eagles is on defense. Why is that you ask? Because over in Cowboys land I learned to completely ignore the past and only take current results into account. Why? Because the past doesn't matter at all. But don't forget about the 5 superbowl rings, those still matter.

You see, Rob Ryan is leading a good defense for the first time in his career. Thus, he is a defensive genius. Never mind that he was completely awful everywhere else, 6 games in and Rob Ryan is one of the greatest defensive minds in the game.

2010: 22nd ranked yardage defense, 12th ranked scoring defense

2009: 31st ranked yardage defense, 21st ranked scoring defense

2008: 26th ranked yardage defense, 21st ranked scoring defense

2007: 20th ranked yardage defense, 25th ranked scoring defense

2006: 3rd ranked yardage defense, 17th ranked scoring defense

2005: 26th ranked yardage defense, 24th ranked scoring defense

2004: 30th ranked yardage defense, 31st ranked scoring defense

Nope. His track record is of no matter. He is the best and nothing can change even though there are still 9 games left.

And the Cowboys corners are just going to shut down the Eagles receivers. Over in Cowboy land, we just completely ignore the fact that they have yet to face an offense as good as the Eagles and completely ignore the results of the prior season where their corners were beaten like red-headed step children (sorry W_E, I know you're the ginger king, I meant nothing by it, I swear). The Cowboys corners will never, EVER revert back to form.

And they've got the best run defense too! They're obviously going to stop the best run offense! It's not even a question. Never mind the fact that at the time of the game they've yet to play a top 16 run offense, they're obviously primed to stop the best running offense in the NFL that has run all over 3 top 16 run defense and completely bullied a Redskins a great Redskins front 7. Nope, none of that matters.

And the Eagles gave up a big return to Brandon Banks once. So they're obviously going to struggle against Dez Bryant. Logic.

I've learned so much in my time at Blogging the Boys that I feel the need to thank them for enlightening me and I feel as if I should let you know what we're going up against on Sunday night. I don't know why we're even taking the field. 

The dream team has failed. Somebody forgot to tell Vince Young that dreams occur at night, in the midst of darkness. Our dream turned into a nightmare. But the team has awoken from their dream state and is slowly awaking to the brisk and hopeful light of a new day. Our nightmare is fading away and the "redeem team" is alive and kicking. 

After 3.5 rough weeks, things are looking up for the Eagles. And doesn't the "redeem team" fit the Eagles so much better? 

Redeem:

- to free from what distresses or harms

- to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental

- to free from the consequences of sin

- to change for the better

- to atone for 

It fits the players and people on this team. And it also accounts for the improved play in the past one and a half games. This is no longer the "Dream Team", we're now the "redeem team". Think about it. What is a notion that this team can get behind? I'll answer that for you: redemption.

Michael Vick is the clear example of this. He has gone from being an incarcerated QB with a reputation for laziness and a bad attitude to being an all-pro caliber star with a noted work ethic and leadership abilities. Redemption. 

The Michael Vick story is truly remarkable. The highs and lows he has been through in his life and career are astounding. He was a phenom who coaches, scouts and fans alike marveled at. He was an elite recruit coming out of high school. He was the #1 pick in the NFL draft. He was the first QB to ever win at Lambeau field in the playoffs. He led the Falcons to an NFC Championship. He had endorsements coming out of his ears. Michael Vick was on top of the word. Suddenly his attitude came into question, his work ethic was put down and then out of the blue came his dog fighting ring. From the top of the world, to the bottom, that's the first half of the Michael Vick story, the tragedy.

Then, he gets out of prison and most teams won't touch him with a ten foot pole. He signs with the Eagles as a humbled man. He overhauled the fundamentals of his game. He devoted himself to the game and his team. Then, he bides his time on the bench and suddenly he enters the game and changes the path of the Eagles franchise. He got what he put in and he became one of the league's premier players. From rags to riches, that's the second half of the Michael Vick story, redemption.

If there is something that this Michael Vick led team can get behind, it's redemption.

But Michael Vick isn't the only guy who knows what it's like to be down and out only to rise to the top again. 

DeSean Jackson was too small to be a great football player. Now he is one of the league's most recognizable players. Redemption.

Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy were two of colleges' most prolific playmakers only to slide on draft day and become two of the most prolific playmakers in the NFL. Redemption.

Jason Peters went undrafted. Now he is an all-pro tackle and 4 time probowler. Redemption.

Cullen Jenkins went undrafted and was left for dead by the Packers franchise, now he is one of the most disruptive interior linemen in the league. Redemption.

Antonio Dixon grew up in the roughest part of Miami. He was homeless for part of his life. He is dyslexic. His father was in prison. He had a stutter. He went undrafted. He became one of the best run stuffers in the NFL. Redemption.

Jason Babin was labeled a bust and signed off the streets by the Eagles in 2009. Two years later he is close to leading the NFL in sacks and is one of the most productive ends in football. Redemption.

Brian Rolle was called too small to play linebacker even in college. Now he is the best linebacker on the Philadelphia Eagles. Redemption.

Asante Samuel was too small and too slow to make it. There are stories about Asante running with a running parachute to try and get faster because other kids would call him slow. Now he is on pace to become one of the all time greatest pass thieves in league history. Redemption.

Jim Washburn was actually in prison for a part of his life for his role in a steroid scandal at the University of South Carolina. Now, he is the most lauded defensive line coach in the business. Redemption.

Juqua Parker, Jim Washburn, Doug Pederson and Cullen Jenkins were all members of 1-4 teams that made the playoffs at some point in their careers. Redemption. 

Redemption is a message this team can get behind. No more of that dreamer stuff. Redemption.

But it's not just a message. We're executing it.

In the last 6 quarters of football the Eagles have outscored their opponents 37-23. That's a point differential of +14. If you extrapolate that over the entire season that means the Eagles would have a point differential of +56 on the season which would put them at 6th on the entire season despite playing one less game than all the teams above them.

If you extrapolate the scoring defense numbers over the entire season the Eagles would only be allowing 15.3 points per game. That mark would be second best in the NFL.

In the last 6 quarters of football the Eagles have allowed 5.2 yards per play. That mark would put the Eagles at tied for the 9th spot in the league in that regard.

In the last 6 quarters of football the Eagles have intercepted 4 passes. If you extrapolate that the Eagles would have intercepted 16 passes over the entire season. That mark would be the highest in the NFL.

The Eagles have given up 111 rushing yards in the past 6 quarters. That means they're giving up 18.5 rushing yards per quarter and if you extrapolate that number, the Eagles would be giving up 74 yards a game. That would be the second best mark in the league. 

Against the Redskins the Eagles only missed 4 tackles.

Are these small sample sizes? Absolutely. But they illustrate a correction to the fundamental flaws of this team. The Eagles could not stop the run and they could not tackle. That changed in the last 6 quarters. How? Simple adjustments. They played the wide 9 less. They moved Jamar Chaney closer to the line of scrimmage. They put in Kurt Coleman and Nate Allen together and they look rejuvenated. Nnamdi has been tackling. Brian Rolle is coming along. And Derek Landri has looked very good stopping the run. And you can see the defense is gelling too, everyone is more decisive and playing faster. The defense has changed at a fundamental level. They're tackling and they're displaying the "want to" as well.

And moving forward, the Eagles' schedule is far from impossibly hard. Moving forward we play the Cowboys, Bears, Cardinals, Giants, Patriots, Seahawks, Dolphins, Jets, Cowboys (again) and the Redskins.

Is there a game where we're clearly overmatched? Absolutely not. I see a few games that are going to be challenges but that's it. The Patriots game is the only one that I would really be concerned about because of their tight ends.

After that dreadful start, the Eagles are 2-4 with the next three games at home and they're only 2 games off the division lead. We're still in the thick of things at this point. The division is wide open and we're only 1.5 games behind in the wild card race. We're not down or out. We're the dark horses. We're the underdogs moving forward. We're the redeem team. 

The Eagles are 1-4. The organization is in panic mode. Playoffs are looking less and less likely by the week. At this moment it looks like our only hope is to win the division but even that might be tough unless we go on a big run. It would appear the Eagles organization is flying full speed ahead to a fork in the road. Which path do we take? Which one will be the right one? I’ve done A LOT of thinking the past few weeks and here is what I’ve come up with.

You’ve got two basic options at this fork in the road, do you fire Andy Reid or do you keep him? At this point you’ve got two groups of people. You’ve got one group who thinks that Andy Reid is the greatest thing since sliced bread and that firing him would be a colossal mistake. Then you’ve got a group of savage Philly fans who think he is completely impotent. The organization is going to have a firmer grip on how to answer this question but as an outsider I think we must examine these things:

1. How involved is Andy Reid with the defense?
2. Was Andy Reid the sole decision maker on the Juan Castillo decision?
3. How involved is Andy Reid with the personnel department?
4. Do you hold coaches accountable for mental mistakes and turnovers made by players?
5. Does Andy Reid continue to display the desire that he once had? Does the team’s passive attitude reflect Andy Reid or is this just a bump in the road?

Those are tough questions for anyone who isn’t intricately involved with the Eagles organization to answer. And until we can accurately determine the answers I don’t think we can make any decisions regarding Andy Reid. But, I will try.

Question 1: How involved is Andy Reid with the defense?
-I know that when Jim Johnson was here Andy Reid was very hands off with the defense. He let Jim Johnson do his thing. Towards the end of Sean McDermott’s tenure Andy Reid started to get a little more involved on the defensive side of the ball. With Juan Castillo it is hard to tell. It looks like Andy Reid is letting Juan figure things out on his own for now but I really can’t definitively back that up.

If Andy Reid is not involved with the defense this problem is easy to solve. Juan Castillo simply cannot stay next season. Let Juan finish this year simply because there is no adequate replacement but once you get to the offseason the Eagles have to throw money at the best defensive mind on the market and let him fix the defense.

If Andy is involved with the defense then the issue becomes a little bit more complicated. Reid would obviously shoulder more of the blame if he was more responsible for the defensive performances, but you would have to determine how much of the blame falls on him as opposed to Juan Castillo and company. Right off the bat you’re going to have to rein him in if you decide to keep Andy Reid. The problem is, how willingly would Andy Reid back off of the defense? Would Andy Reid welcome a strong new coaching presence that was forced upon him?

Question 2: Was Andy the sole decision maker on the hiring of Juan Castillo?
-BIG question. Obviously Andy Reid has a MASSIVE role in this even if he wasn’t the only person behind this.

If Andy Reid made this decision by himself it signals that his power has grown too much. It signals that maybe he is so egotistical that he thinks whatever he does will work. It might signal that he thinks coaches brought up under him were predisposed for success (arrogance). If Andy Reid was the sole authority on this decision, he needs to be reined in immediately.

I get the feeling that Andy Reid shoulders the largest portion of the blame as I think that Lurie and Banner are very hands off with the coaching staff but I believe that someone else had to give Andy the green light. Hopefully the Eagles organization has learned from this and will not make the same mistake again. Andy Reid has a good eye for offensive coaches, Brian Childress and Pat Shurmer have both moved on to be head coaches and Marty Morninwheg was the Assistant Coach of the year last year. BUT that is a COMPLETELY different story on defense. Just look at all the in house position coaches that have done awful jobs ever since Jim Johnson passed. Jim Johnson clearly had an eye for coaching talent (Ron Rivera, Leslie Frazier, Steve Spagnuolo, John Harbaugh) and it would appear that Andy Reid never picked that up from him.

The Juan Castillo mistake was colossal but I think that it was made because Andy Reid overcompensated for the lockout and wanted a familiar face. Either way, Andy Reid needs to do a better job finding a defensive coordinator.

Question 3: How involved is Andy Reid in the personnel department?
If Andy Reid is the guy behind Barry Gardner, Doug Brzezinski, Todd Pinkston, Bobbie Williams, Freddie Mithcell, Quinton Carver, Michael Lewis, Jerome McDougle, LJ Smith, Billy McMullen, Matt Ware, Reggie Brown, Matt McCoy, Ryan Moats, Chris Gocong, Victor Abiamiri, Stewart Bradley, Tony Hunt, Bryan Smith, Nate Allen and Daniel Te’o-Neshiem the Eagles might have a problem.

If you don’t know, coaches can only do so much. They need talented players. If Andy is contributing to the lack of finding defensive talent he might need to go. The Eagles are doing a fantastic job of finding talent on offense but the defensive side of the ball is an entirely different story. The Eagles defensive talent scouts haven’t really done a good job since Andy showed up. At first they were living off of Ray Rhodes leftovers and free agent signings until they hit on Lito, Sheldon, Mikell and Trent Cole and now we’re back to living off of free agent signings (and Trent Cole). Just look to what former NFL scout Dave Razzano said about talent.

The common denominator of winning teams at any level, from little league, to high school, college and all the way up to the Professional ranks is having outstanding talent. Everybody knows it, but few actually say it, especially ex coaches who get on TV and constantly promote the talents of their coaching peers. This is why a quote from none other than former Super Bowl winning Dallas Cowboy coach Jimmy Johnson in a USA Today article back in 2008, is not only my favorite but should be every NFL personnel man’s favorite as well. In an article regarding how winning teams are built, Johnson says, "The No.1 key for a successful franchise – even more important than the owner and head coach – is an outstanding talent evaluator."

If you’re not getting talent. You’re not going to be successful. So if Andy Reid is contributing to the lack of talent, it’s time to start looking elsewhere for a coach that can find talent or rein him in and make it so he has less of a say with the scouts. 

Question 4: Do you hold coaches accountable for mental mistakes and turnovers made by players?
I honestly have no idea. Coaches can only do so much. Are they responsible if Vick turns into pressure and throws a screen pass that gets tipped and picked? Is Andy Reid responsible for Jeremy Maclin’s dropped pass? Is Andy Reid accountable for Jason Avant’s fumble? Is Andy Reid not drilling them enough? Are the players not understanding the importance of taking care of the ball? Is Andy Reid struggling to make that clear? Or is it just the players?

Question 5: Does Andy Reid continue to display the desire that he once had? Does the team’s passive attitude reflect Andy Reid or is this just a bump in the road?
Has Andy Reid grown complacent? Does he still have the hunger he had a decade ago? Has his message grown tired and stale? It would appear that this is a possibility. We have no idea as fans but if the team is indeed a reflection of it’s coach, this is a bad sign.

When we call for Andy Reid’s head we don’t really take into account all of the great things he has done. More than a decade of consistent success. A great offensive scheme. Great quarterback play. Consistent shots in the playoffs. It would be tough to ever find a coach who could ever duplicate the success that Andy Reid has had. Most coaches can’t find one good QB. Andy Reid has found 4 quarterbacks (McNabb, Feeley, Kolb, Vick) that have been franchise quarterbacks or have been deemed franchise quarterbacks by other teams. We’ve had the pleasure of watching some great players who didn’t just show up and develop by accident. Donovan McNabb was a borderline hall of famer before he left Philadelphia, Brian Westbrook didn’t have the longevity of other backs but in his prime he was the closest thing to Barry Sanders since Barry Sanders. We got to watch Terrell Owens in his prime, one of the best receivers of all time. We’ve had the pleasure of watching Michael Vick who is one of the most dynamic athletes to ever step foot on a football field. And now we’re getting to watch LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin develop into premier playmakers. Do we really want to get rid of a guy who can run an offense as well as Andy Reid?

So, after careful consideration my thoughts on moving forward are this:

1. Fire Howie Roseman-Yes he is energetic and smart. But he also had a major say in the past two drafts and the way this roster is structured. Somebody has to take the fall. The upstart GM takes the fall over the head coach who has sustained success through 3 general managers and thus proven that he ranks higher than any GM. Howie Roseman is the face of the last two drafts that have been a complete disaster thus far. With Joe Banner our salary cap will always be in good hands so I'm not concerned about that.
2. Hire a GM with football experience -We need someone who can find talent and quite frankly we need someone who comes from an organization that has a proven track record of finding talent  (Scott Pioli), has played football (Ozzie Newsome), coached football  and/or is a former scout (Ted Thompson, Thomas Dimitroff, AJ Smith). We don’t need another white-collar guy. We need a football guy that actually knows his stuff.
3. Find a defensive coordinator - Find a guy who can come in and turn this defense around. We’ve got pieces, we just need someone who can use them. If you look at great defensive coordinators they often have previous experience as a defensive coordinator. You don’t want a hot shot fresh face, you want a guy with experience at different locations, in different schemes who has had previous experience coordinating a defense (often times this occurs at the college level). Right now my guy is Jon Hoke, the defensive coordinator from the Chicago Bears. He has experience in the zone blitz 3-4 defense under Dom Capers, he has Tampa 2 experience under Lovie Smith and he has coordinated Florida and Kent State defenses in college. Plus he is a former player and comes from a football family (his brother Brady is the head coach of Michigan).
4. Rein in Andy Reid -Reel him in a bit in every aspect. Andy Reid is a good coach but he isn’t the kind of guy who you want to hand the keys to a franchise and he has proven that. It has to be a coordinated effort amongst several people and there has to be checks and balances.

What do you guys think?

This team is shameful at this point and there are few who are going to be spared from this rant. This team has no heart at all, some guys have it but as a whole we've got no heart. We're so soft it's ridiculous. This defense is shaming the Philadelphia Eagles franchise, the city of Philadelphia and their fans. The Eagles have such a proud history of defenses and these guys are embarrassing this team. The defense is gutless this year. And the offense isn't without blame either, how soft do they look too? DeSean Jackson says his number one priority is to stay healthy, Maclin chokes in key situations, Celek is invisible, Ronnie Brown is a dumbass and our offensive line blocks about as well as a sieve stops water. 

The guys on defense should really be ashamed of what they're putting out on the field. The only guys that are exempt are Trent Cole, Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin. That's it.

I want to know how Casey Matthews, Jamar Chaney and Nate Allen can look Trent Cole in the eyes. How can these guys talk with Cullen Jenkins? How can they even be in the same room as Jason Babin? Its pitiful.

Jim Johnson, Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Norm Willey and Andre Waters are all rolling over in their graves.

I can't even stand the idea that these guys are representing everyone who has ever worn the Eagles' uniform. I think ole "Concrete Charlie" would be laugh in their faces if these guys told him they were representing him.

Could you imagine what Brian Dawkins and Jeremiah Trotter would have to say to these guys? Those guys were dominant players in their hay-day who played with heart and soul. Brian Dawkins CRIED when he signed with the Broncos and couldn't finish an interview with a Philly TV station. Jeremiah Trotter said that if you cut him open he would probably "Bleed Green" and that he would bleed green until he died. Jeremiah Trotter once said that "I think that is one of the most things I'm going to miss...the fans, my teammates. I've been somewhere else and I know the grass isn't greener."

Buddy Ryan still loves the Eagles, he was desperately trying to get Rob Ryan to become the defensive coordinator of the Eagles. I would be surprised if Buddy's TV still works after he tossed his remote through it.

Do these guys honestly think they're upholding the Eagles tradition of defense? Andre Waters gave it all on the field and injuries he sustained eventually took his life. They're not doing Waters proud.

Jon Runyan played through a broken tailbone one year and played through all kinds of injuries and ailments. He was so dedicated to the Eagles that he put an elevator in his house because he reserved himself to the fact that he wasn't going to be able to walk one day.

Old Al Wistert who as a rookie jogged around the field to warm up for the Steagles practice without anyone telling him only to have the entire team follow his lead must be sick. Al Wistert once thought he broke his leg and still went back out and kept playing both sides of the ball. Oh and he also played through a severely sprained ankle on both sides of the ball as well despite the fact that he could hardly walk. That guy revolutionized blocking and is one of the NFL's all time tough guys. Surely he must be sick whenever he catches this gutless team.

Point is, they're not living up to the Eagles' tradition. Tough guys like Keith Byars, Bill Bergey, Bill Hewitt, Troy Vincent and Seth Joyner deserve to be represented better than this. 

I just can't get over how gutless we are. DeSean Jackson says his #1 priority is staying healthy. Asante is on record saying that he isn't paid to tackle. Cullen Jenkins says we lack a killer instinct. Juan Castillo didn't give a post game press conference after the Giants game. Jeremy Maclin left before reporters could ask him about his fumble late in the game. We're getting pushed around in run defense. We're getting bullied at the point of attack on both sides of the ball. At what point does pride start to kick in? How long can our guys take having their asses handed to them? 

Here is the saddest thing: WE CANNOT EVEN TACKLE. I know that through 3 weeks we have missed 17 tackles. 17. And in addition to that we allowed 200 yards after contact. 200 YARDS AFTER INITIAL CONTACT. Those are pitiful numbers.

The Eagles aren't wrapping up. They're taking terrible pursuit angles. They're getting washed out when they're taking on blocks. They're ankle diving. The safeties in particular are bad. The linebackers aren't going to be perfect and when they do mess up the safeties have to fill in the gaps, they have to make tackles and they have to take the right angles. Nate Allen looks absolutely awful out there, he is slow, hesitant and he isn't physical. Kurt Coleman wasn't any better. Jarrad Page is becoming notorious for his horrible angles in pursuit.

And I swear to god if I hear anything about ‘not being paid to tackle' from anyone I will go off. They're football players, tackling comes with the territory.

There appears to be no accountability on this team. Players don't seem to be improving on their mistakes. The fundamentals are so shaky. We keep committing dumb penalties at bad times. We turn the ball over at the least opportune times. We crumble under pressure. Juan Castillo just skipped out on a press conference after a bad showing. Jeremy Maclin avoided reporters after he contributed greatly to the Eagles' loss. You should have to face the consequences of your actions. The team looks complacent on the field and they're just not making the plays they're supposed to make. They're like a ship without a captain or a rudder.

It's said that a team takes on the personality of it's coach and I think that is QUITE clear with the Eagles. Andy Reid has gotten complacent, he is a fat cat at this point who seems to think that he can outsmart other coaches and out-athlete other teams while avoiding the actual meat and potatoes of the game. He has too much power. Anybody who has the power to make Juan Castillo his defensive coordinator with limited resistance is dangerous. His ego has grown too much. Why he keeps things in house is beyond me, its almost like he thinks he breeds the best coaches and integrating a new guy would be too much work. And we always hear about how Andy Reid is the guy who calls the shots on personnel decisions and yet we don't ever hear about the terrible personnel decisions. Why isn't Andy Reid catching heat for the situations we've been in the past few years? Why aren't we questioning Andy's decisions regarding the offensive line, defensive line (Bunkley, Abiamiri, McDougle, Kearse, Clemons, Howard), linebackers (McCoy, Bradley, Gaither, Gocong, Matthews), his complete inability to replace Dawkins and Mikell (Harris, Demps, Allen, Coleman, Page), the cornerbacks in 2010 (Hobbs, Patterson) or the WR situation earlier in his career?

And there are certain things that are disturbing trends with these Eagles. Andy Reid has been here for 13 seasons now and he has yet to figure out the redzone offense and the red zone defense is even worse. Andy Reid still can't manage the clock worth a damn. Andy Reid still sucks at challenges. Andy Reid has never drafted a good offensive tackle. Andy Reid has never drafted a good TE. Andy Reid has never drafted a decent LB. He always stays in house for promotions. New GM? In house. New DC? In house, twice. New OC? In house. We're becoming a dysfunctional inbred team that has the same issues every single year.  

Howie Roseman seems to be a bit too big for his britches. I'm concerned about his role in the scouting department, he has never played or coached football and his drafts have been complete busts thus far. I'm terribly concerned about him. His relationship with Joe Banner concerns me as it might make Howie Roseman a little harder to get rid of.

And Juan Castillo has got to go now. Remember how we thought Sean McDermott was bad? Well Juan Castillo is markedly worse.

And he is completely misusing the talent that we've got. Nnamdi is not a zone corner or a slot corner, he is a big, long press boundary corner. DRC is not a slot corner, he isn't strong enough and he doesn't have the route recognition skills to survive on the inside against slot receivers whose game is grounded in route running. Then there is the whole Casey Matthews disaster. Jamar Chaney was not strong enough at the POA to be a SAM. If you are running a wide 9 scheme you need linebackers who can fill in against the run and the entire organization failed to address that. And you're also going to need good safeties. The Titans had Stephen Tulloch, Chris Hope and Michael Griffin. We had Casey Matthews, Kurt Coleman and Jarrad Page, clear miscalculation on the part of our personnel department. And the Lions who run a similar scheme have Justin Durant, Stephen Tulloch (both of whom were free agents btw) and Louis Delmas.

And then, there is the offense. Jeremy Maclin has made terrible plays that cost the Eagles their last shot to win the game in two of the four games. I'm wondering where our clutch WR from the first 2 years has gone. No longer is he making sideline grabs against the Redskins and Broncos, lighting up the Cowboys in the playoffs or scoring two TDs against the Giants in the Miracle. Now he is suddenly the guy who drops a perfect pass on 4th and 2 and the guy who fumbles the ball on the last chance scoring drive.

And don't even get me started on DeSean Jackson. He has dropped 6 passes already by my count, one of which led to an interception. He is completely lacking any thing that even resembles effort. He goes down easily and doesn't fight for extra yards. He goes out of bounds. His routes are sloppy and he isn't getting separation. He is such an unreliable target. And even when he does have a stat padding game like he had today, his impact was minimal. The coaching staff isn't helping him either, he isn't being used very creatively, they're content to just send him on downfield routes all the time.

Michael Vick can't read a blitz to save his life.

The middle of our offensive line is terrible and we're lucky if we ever get a push up the middle in short yardage situations. And the right side of our line is really bad. DeVan is struggling mightily, he is trying to gift wrap the RG spot to Danny Watkins. DeVan is slow footed and he looks much, much worse without Peyton Manning behind him. And Todd Herremans is struggling at the RT spot, it would appear that he isn't creating any movement in the run game and in pass protection he is being abused. Put him back at LG. But Howard Mudd is a stickler for continuity so Todd isn't moving anytime soon.

And whoever is calling our redzone plays needs to reassess their calls. That stupid trap play against Atlanta was a massive fail. The 2 Owen Schmitt carries against the Giants were massive fails especially considering how well Shady was playing. And today that run/pass option play from Ronnie Brown was horrendous.

And the defense is just as bad. Eagles opponents are 8 of 10 in the redzone. Meanwhile the Eagles have scored on 8 of 20 redzone trips.   

And Reuben Frank busted out this gem of a stat: Eagles are first NFL team with 1700 yards through 4 games AND a losing record since the 1983 Chargers. 

Whaddayano, Touchdowns beat field goals.

Things better change quickly because right now Andy Reid, Juan Castillo, Marty Morninwheg and Howie Roseman are on the hot seat. We really are a terrible team right now, we're talented as hell but our execution and fundamentals are equally terrible. 

I'm really, really worried about the Eagles. Terribly worried actually. My mind is in apocalyptic mode. What does that mean? I researched head coaching candidates after the game today, it's that bad. I'm going to tell you why I'm on the ledge and I'm going to need you guys to talk me off of it. Keep in mind that I don't want to believe these things so don't go too hard on me. 

Reason #1 - The Past Two Drafts

I was the biggest supporters of both of these drafts but now the only draft pick I have faith in is Brandon Graham and he is coming off an ACL injury. Nate Allen looked incredible in his first couple weeks of his rookie year and he has crashed into a wall. What is wrong with him? He looks slow, he looks timid, he looks confused, he looks scared and he isn't playing physical at all. What the hell happened. Jamar Chaney is ankle diving all game and getting burnt in coverage after a good ending to his rookie year. Kurt Coleman is playing like shit, he is slow to support the run, he isn't finding the ball in the air, he is getting beat in coverage and he is not being a sound tackler, to this point all he has done well is pile jump. Danny Watkins could've been a HUGE asset to the Eagles on the goal line today and on that 4th down play but he is busy being inactive because he isn't ready to play. We sure as hell could use the best tackling safety in the draft right now but Jaiquawn Jarrett has dropped off the face of the earth. I can't even put into words how terrible Casey Matthews has been. Jason Kelce looked great in week one, mediocre in week 2 and terrible in week 3. Kelce was getting bullied at the point of attack and that was blatantly obvious on the goal line and on that 4th down play. He was even benched for Jamaal Jackson at the end of the game. I'm really worried about these draft classes because they're starting to look god awful and missing two years straight in drafts can really set a team back. 

Reason #2 - We're not losing because of communication issues

-We're not in disarray and lost on the field, we're just getting beat. No other way around it. I would be okay with there were guys just running down the field wide open because of communication issues but instead there are guys like Brandon Gibson and Victor Cruz who are beating Nnamdi. That just isn't okay. Our terrible run defense isn't a communication issue, our linebackers are being put on ice skates. 

Reason #3 - Coaching 

What. The. Hell. Was. That. Seriously Andy, what the shit were you doing on Sunday? Decisions that Andy has made have contributed to the Eagles losing the past two weeks. Going conservative against Atlanta was a huge mistake. All those gadget plays that weren't working were mistakes. The play calling on the goal line was a MONSTROUS disaster. The decision to run the ball on 4th and 1 at midfield when we're up, the defense is dealing, momentum was on our side and we had a chance to pin the Giants deep. That was a colossal mistake. The game plans have been garbage thus far and if they aren't garbage then the execution of them is which also falls on the coaches. Andy Reid said he was sorry that he went conservative against the Falcons with Mike Kafka, talk about an overcorrection against the Giants, jesus. We're missing tackles all over the place. We're turning the ball over. We're committing stupid ass penalties. All that stuff is on the coaching staff. The Coaching staff is majorly fucking up so far. 

And earlier today I said that Castillo has his guys in the right spot but his guys just aren't making plays. The more I thought about it the more I thought that was a stupid, stupid thing to say. Its his job to get guys in positions where they can make plays. If Jamar Chaney is incapable of covering Tony Gonzalez, don't fucking put him on Tony Gonzalez. He still hasn't gotten a knack for play calling yet either, he is losing the chess match to opposing coordinators. Juan isn't making good decisions. Of course Andy Reid's bad decisions and the offenses' turnovers aren't helping matters at all when they give offenses premier field position. 

Reason #4 - Nnamdi Asomugha 

-I am beyond disappointed in him. BEYOND. He gave up a long play to Brandon Gibson against the Rams. He gave up that HUGE PI penalty against the rams. He failed to pick up the TE against the Rams and Bajema had a big gainer. He mistakenly passed Roddy White off to Kurt Coleman and Roddy White scored (Kurt had good position though). He was beaten today by Victor Cruz. VICTOR CRUZ. Its to the point where I'm noticing teams are targeting his side of the field more than they are targeting Asante's. Plus Nnamdi is completely useless against the run. I'm really terrified because of his performance, he was given a big, fat contract and I can't help but have images of Dan Snyder running through my head at this point. 

Reason #5: Mr. Invisible

-Hey DeSean, I thought you wanted to get paid? You sure aren't playing like it. He has dropped 4 passes in 3 games, he isn't getting the ball and he isn't really doing all that well on punt returns either. The guy has 4 catches for 51 yards the past two games. Steve Smith, the #4 receiver has gotten more looks and has 4 catches for 56 yards. When the #4 WR is out producing the most explosive WR in the game, you've got a problem. I've got thoughts in my head that we should get rid of DeSean. I'm honestly starting to convince myself that if everyone is 100% healthy, DeSean is the third best receiver on this team. DeSean is just so maddeningly inconsistent and streaky that he can't be considered one of the best at what he does. And how much of his production is simply because of how Andy Reid uses him? I'm not sure that he can't be replaced. And I know these things are wrong and yet they creep in my head. 

Reason #6: Salary Cap

-If things do end up crashing and burning, what is our cap situation like? Can we recover quickly or are all the contracts we dished out going to cripple us moving forward? 

Reason #7: Michael Vick

-I'm terrified. I'm scared to death right now. Did we make a mistake? Did we stick with the wrong guy? Will we ever see the Vick we saw in 2010? Did we just commit 100 million to a flash in the pan? Did we just commit 100 million to a guy who can't stay healthy? Seriously guys, this is the thing that scares me the most. That we won't have a QB moving forward. 

Vick's brain is fucked. Just look at him grab his helmet numerous times during the game. He isn't over that concussion. He was very clearly still affected. And now in addition to the concussion he now has a broken hand and will miss 3-4 weeks. I'm telling you guys, I'm freaking terrified. 

And he just isn't the same guy we saw last year. He is making bad decisions, the deep ball isn't clicking and he isn't getting rid of the ball quickly. So far this year he has turned the ball over a whopping 5 times in 3 games (where he missed time). He has fumbled 7 times already. He is only completing 59% of his passes and his YPA is .8 lower than it was last year. 

You know what, lets put it this way. In the last 10 games, Vick has thrown 9 interceptions and fumbled the ball 17 times. We just gave that guy 100 million dollars. 

Reason #8: We're Not Physical Enough

-We're built from the outside in. Thats not how winning teams are made. You run the ball and stop the run. From there you expand on that. We can run the ball in space but in tight quarters we can't create movement. And we very clearly cannot stop the run. I think Howie Roseman fell asleep during football 101. In terms of physicality, we just cannot compete with the best teams in the league. 

And why is it that we look so emotionally flat? 

Talk me off the ledge. Talk me off it. Please.

Round 1

1. Seattle Seahawks – Andrew Luck QB Stanford

- A darn near perfect QB prospect who fits the Seattle offense and will right the ship in Seattle. Luck would be working with Sidney Rice, Mike Williams, Zach Miller, John Carlson, Golden Tate and Marshawn Lynch, that is a great situation for him. I’m not saying he’ll be a sure thing but he is reminiscent of modern Tom Brady with his accuracy, intelligence and fiery competitive spirit.

2. Kansas City Chiefs- Matt Barkley QB USC

-Illusions. The Illusion of the 2010 Chief’s is waning. Charlie Weis is a QB genius, he tricked us into thinking Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen were good QB prospects. Now he tricked us into thinking Cassell is a good QB. Now he is working his tricks on John Brantley. The Chiefs are going to need to move on from Cassell fast if they don’t want to fall behind. Barkely is a guy who in normal drafts (where there isn’t a guy like Luck) would go first. He is very clearly a guy who can win games for a franchise. Physically he isn’t a freak but he has a good arm, he is capable of extending plays and roll out and make plays on the move. He has put the USC program on his back as of late and he is carrying them and I see no reason to think he can’t do the same in the NFL. Mentally he is top notch as well, he is just as talented as Andrew Luck he just isn’t as polished or sound fundamentally.

Continue reading this post »

BBI is clearly to busy philosophizin' and stuff to put together the next NFC bEast Eternal Thread so I'm doing it again. C'mon BBI, step your game up! 

The Rules of The bEast 

• First Rule: You do not talk about the eternal thread. 
• Second Rule: You DO NOT talk about the eternal thread. 
• Third Rule: Don't be an asshole. Pretty self explanatory. Basically, don't act like The Real LT and you should be fine.
• Fourth Rule: Check your hostilities at the door. All previous problems you have had with other NFL fans will be considered forgotten when you enter the thread. Because you see, in this thread we don't really care that you and another member were arguing about how awesome Daniel Te'o-Neshiem is, check it at the door. 
• Fifth Rule: No shirts, no shoes. 
• Sixth Rule: We do not discuss religion or politics for obvious reasons.
• Seventh Rule: If you're going to post images of half naked women (mmm Kate Upton) please make sure to use a subject line so that it can be hidden.
• Eighth Rule: If this is your first time in the NFC bEast Eternal Thread, you MUST make a comment. 

5 recs or Brian Baldinger and Don Tollefson will provide the color commentary to your life. 

It would appear that BBI is too scared to show his face 'round these parts anymore now that the injury bug devoured his team. Unfortunately the more likely scenario likely involves BBI and school but hey, what the hell do I care about truthfulness? Its totally obvious he's scurred. And since he is so scared to show his Indian doctor Giants fan face over at BGN, someone has to take over the Eternal threads. Thus, I have taken over the hallowed eternal thread. Can we call it hallowed now that The Real LT has been gone for a while? 

Anyways... This isn't 'Nam. This is the Eternal Thread. There are rules. 

• Don't be an asshole. Pretty self explanatory. Basically, don't act like The Real LT and you should be fine. 
• Check your hostilities at the door. All previous problems you have had with other NFL fans will be considered forgotten when you enter the thread. Because you see, in this thread we don't really care that you and another member were arguing about how awesome Freddie Mitchell is, check it at the door. 
• Have fun! We're all fans and fellow pathetic computer nerds. We have more in common with each other than we have with most everyone else in the real world. Try to remember that. [HUGS]
• We do not discuss religion or politics for obvious reasons. 
• If you're going to post images of half naked women (mmm Kate Upton) please make sure to use a subject line so that it can be hidden. Remember that this thread is being viewed by people at work and by people in environments where pictures of bewbs aren't really appreciated. I'm fairly positive that people who sit behind me in my classes aren't as fond of Kate Upton as we are (but shame on them!). Fair warning is appreciated and discretion is advised.