Black and White

A 5 minute major for boarding? A full 2 minute 5-3 advantage? A questionable call around the crease?

such were the terrible calls the Flyers managed to overcome in last night's 3-2 Game 3 win. They're the calls the Flyers expected the Capitals to get in their Game 7 to ensure the league got the Crosby-Ovechkin young gun marquee matchup it so wanted. So it does happen and can sometimes be expected. Alas, that game was fairly called. Not so last night. Sam Donnellon thinks it could be a conspiracy - of Candians taking care of their own. We'll see how the rest of the series goes, but last night was so bad it would have made David Stern proud.

TO Saga Continues

The announcement that the TO-Eagles affair was finally over earlier this year when an arbitrator ruled that Terrell Owens needed to pay back nearly $800,000 in bonus money was a bit premature. It seems that TO hasn’t paid the money back yet, and the Eagles have now filed suit to get it. Given the Eagles sloppy bookkeeping (see Westbrook, Brian $3 million overpayment), we presume Lurie and Banner checked more than twice with the accounting and receiving departments to see if TO’s check ever arrived.

 

When will the TO-Eagles relationship ever end? It’s like a bad marriage/divorce.

 

Villanova reference of the week

And it’s connected to the draft and the Pride of the Blue Hens (as well as famed Eagles #7).

 

From Peter King, “Ron Jaworski had the best analysis of the pre-show. It was about Joe Flacco, and about how the complex zone blitz of Villanova really bothered him. I mean, when a guy gives you a tidbit from Delaware-Villanova, you've got to respect that.”

More Draft Thoughts

Here’s what I sent a friend who asked my opinion about the Eagles just concluded draft.

 

 

I’m somewhat ambivalent about the draft. I am not in the gnashing of teeth camp that cannot believe the eagles traded the #19 pick. Getting a 2, 4 and a #1 next year is a really good deal, especially for a draft that supposedly had a lot of 2^nd and 3^rd round talent.

 

The eagles wanted to move up to pick Branden Albert, but were outbid by the Chiefs for that pick.

 

Honestly, at #19 there was no one who was going to be the difference maker that everyone was clamoring for. The most obvious pick would have been OL Jeff Otah. But does he really get everyone excited? No. (neither for that matter would have Branden Albert had the Eagles been able to trade up and select him.)

 

I heard some complaining that the Eagles should have gotten Rashard Mendenhall (RB, Illinois) (taken by Pittsburgh in the 20s). Well, but I doubt he would have had a huge impact given how “hard” the Eagles offense is to pick up for rookie skill players.

 

Really, if you wanted a true impact player for 2008, the eagles would have had to move up into the top 10.

 

Having said that, I’m slightly disappointed by the Desean Jackson choice. I can’t believe our first pick was for a guy whose primary job will be punt and kick returner. He’s really fast, but really small. Right now he’s 169 lbs. but hopes to be up to 180 lbs. by training camp  The Jeremy Bloom debacle continues to reverberate two years after we drafted him and nearly one year after cutting him loose with no Plan B for the return game. – to the point where we have to expend a second round pick for a returner who the team hopes can play some WR.

 

I had the same thought about the similarities in size and speed to the great Todd Pinkston . On the other hand, Carolina’s Steve Smith is 5’ 11” 180 lbs so maybe there’s some hope. And he is faster than Pinkston ever was (and 2-3 inches shorter). And Kevin Curtis is only 6 foot, 186 pounds (for what that’s worth).

 

My biggest complaint is that 3^rd rounder they used on the McNeese St. defensive end. Why not take another WR there? Early Doucet was available. That way either one Jackson or the other WR pick could pan out.(weirdly, I though the Skins two WR picks would have been great Eagles picks). Do we really need another small school undersized speed rushing D-End more than a WR? Then again Rich Hoffman makes some interesting observations today about the Giants’ ability to bring front 4 pressure in the super bowl and the Eagles perhaps making a conscious decision to load up the d-line: Cole, Patterson, Bunkley, Thomas, Abiamiri, Clemons, etc.

 

And don’t discount getting Lorenzo Booker. That’s now an experienced pass catching RB the Eagles got for a fourth rounder. Should contribute WAY MORE this season than any fourth round back they could have hoped to draft.

 

They also have this Lito situation still out there. The media in Philly (or maybe just WIP) are either in a panic or doom and gloom about the Eagles inability to trade him. Lots of stuff can still happen. Jason Taylor is being shopped, as is Jeremy Shockey (not saying we’d trade for either one of those guys, only that teams are still trying to trade big names/starters). And then of course are the Boldin, Williams, and Chad Johnson rumors that just won’t die.

 

This draft looks very different if the Eagles eventually land Anquan Boldin for Lito and the Panthers #1 pick next year.

 

I’m also trying to read between all the lines in some of these articles, Reid comments…is it possible that the Eagles extend Lito and Sheldon Brown with new deals to bring them somewhat closer to Samuels’ contract and keep everyone happy and on the team?

PK: Desean the Next Stinkston?

My friend PK writes:

well, for whatever it's worth, put me in the largely unsatisfied camp from this year's draft.

Feel like every year, for the past few years, we've gone into the draft thinking we're just a couple playmakers away from being a Super Bowl-contending/winning team, and each year we come out of the draft with Banner and Reid making selections that will have little impact on the next season but are intended to be potentially big impact several years down the road.

Just like last year, when we drafted a guy who might be ready to be an NFL starting QB in 2010, we've selected a bunch of guys who might be starters in 2010. And, wow, what a stunning surprise -- we drafted another tallish, incredibly skinny wide receiver who looks ready to get pushed around by bigger, stronger corners. Desean Jackson -- 6-0, 178 lbs -- come on down, you're the next contestant on the Challenge to See Who Can Become the Next Todd Pinkston!

A Booker

Why is the Philadelphia media discounting the acquisition of Lorenzo Booker? He would appear to be a solid complement to Brian Westbrook, a running back with pro experience that the Eagles got for the cost of one fourth round pick.

 

Seriously, in any true evaluation of the Eagles’ 2008 draft, both immediately and four years hence, you have to include Booker’s performance in the analysis.

 

And what I’m seeing is encouraging. While he technically “played” in two games midway through the season (vs. Buffalo and, ironically, the Eagles) it wasn’t till the last five games of Miami’s miserable season that he actually carried the ball. Based on those five games, Booker averaged 4.5 yards/carry. More impressively, in those same five games he caught 28 passes (coincidentally, the same number of carries he had) for an average of 5.6 receptions/game…for a situational player on a lousy team!

 

For comparison purposes, the great Brian Westbrook averaged 4.8 yards/carry and 6 receptions/game in 2007. Yes, B. Westbrook played in ten more games than Booker but #36 also played on a much better team than the lowly Dolphins. And at 5’ 10”, 191 lbs, Booker is the same height (if you believe both players’ figures) and only ten lbs. lighter than Westbrook.

 

Perhaps most importantly, having gotten his first NFL year under his belt, Booker can be expected to contribute more this year than a rookie getting acclimated to the league.

 

All in all, a very good pickup. A pity the Eagles aren’t getting more credit it for it.

The Q Rating

I love the fact that new Eagle Trevor Laws wanted a cheesesteak upon his arrival in Philadelphia yesterday. But I really love this guy Quinton Demps. I love his comments in a post-draft conference call, and I love the fact that he pointed out he picked off Kevin Kolb twice back in college. I also love that he seems to be aware that Donovan McNabb wanted the Eagles to get “playmakers” in the off-season and thinks that he fits the bill. Hell, if he is half as good as he thinks he is, or is as good as his mouth, maybe the Eagles did land their successor to Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins.

 

"I am a playmaker. If the Eagles wanted a playmaker, they got one as a steal in this draft. I am not a Pro Bowl player, I'm a Super Bowl player. I am ready to go. I am fired up."

 

(Note, transpose those last two sentences and you essentially have Barack Obama’s catch phrase, “Fired Up! Ready to Go.”)

5 Alive

Don't despair McNabb-lovers. Best comment on the Philly.com boards. "There was no one at #19 that was going to help #5 immediately."

 

In other words, the eagles can get the same guys in the second round - WR, DB - that they would have had to take at #19. Plus they got a whole bunch of other picks.

 

I like the deal/move.

Eagles Not Done

Surprise trade to the....Panthers? Bewildered giving up the #1 when the Panthers had already selected their #1. Big draft for Carolina to take a RB and a big tackle.

 

But the Eagles getting their 2nd, 4th and next's #1 is a steep price.

 

The Eagles aren't done. My guess is that the Eagles really wanted Branden Albert, tried to trade up to get him and when the Chiefs outbid them, they didn't want to settle for Jeff Otah (predraft predictions to the contrary).

 

Expect a trade packaging some of those 2nd and 3rd rounders to get back into the 1st round - Tennessee? Lito and picks to Tennessee...for what?

 

Or package some picks and stockpile some #2s, move up in that round. Kind of like what the Eagles usually do in the first round only in the second - Kenny Phillips, Limas Sweed?

Pats Screw Picks

It just occurred to me that with the Pats forfeiting their first round pick that some poor college kid is going to get screwed out of some money because Bill Belichick is a cheater. Because there are now only 31 first round picks this year, the first player taken in the second round really should have been a first rounder (the same theory holds for the first player taken in each of the new rounds). But the biggest impact would be in the difference between "first round" money and "second round" money. i'll have to check on what the differences have been in the past but it is gotta be at least tens of thousands of dollars.

 

So thanks, Bill. You're cheating is now negatively impacting innocent bystanding college kids. Maybe the Commissioner should use some of the fine money paid by Bob Kraft and Belicheat to reimburse these picks for their lower salaries due to the Pats' forfeited pick. Or maybe Bill could be a big enough man to contribute it out of his own $5 million annual salary.

DL In the Draft Now

First the Eagles missed out on Jared Allen, now it looks like the Broncos had more interest in DeWayne Roberston than them too.

Best Draft?

Funny about draft analysis. How often has the meter swung back and forth on whether the Texans were boneheads for picking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush? Could swing the other way three times during the course of this season.

 

Hard to evaluate any draft till probably 4-5 years afterwards. Here’s looking forward to Mel Kiper’s instant analysis on Saturday.

 

Lito and #19 for Roy Williams?

 

Lito for Anquan Boldin straight up or with some exchange of picks?

 

Could happen.

 

Saturday?

Lots and lots of interest and theories on the Eagles.

 

Basically it all comes down to whether (if?) they trade Lito on Saturday and what they get for him, i.e, player and/or picks (move up in 1^st).

 

Many think offensive line for the first pick, others are pushing WR. But it seems first round is deepest at defensive back which is also big Eagles need (especially if they trade Lito) so people think that will be first choice.

 

Personally, I would not be surprised if Lito is or isn’t traded. And I would not be surprised if the Eagles traded up in the first round and made another trade to get another 1^st round pick or packaged some picks to move up into the early second round..

 

See earlier post about trading players for draft picks and a theory about trading holdouts (which is almost what happened twice with the eagles so far this year – Lito for larry fitzgerald and Lito for Jared Allen).

 

Bottomline, the Eagles are expected to be very active on Saturday in moving around the board so it should be interesting.

 

Didinger

Ray Didinger makes a compelling (pleading?) case for the Eagles NOT to pick an offensive lineman with their first round pick and instead grab somebody who can contribute this year...right away. Besides, as Didinger notes, the Eagles have lots of quality offensive line reserves that could still develop (Max Jean-Gilles, Winston Justice).

 

Didinger's take: cornerback in the first round (perhaps moving up by dealing Lito), d-tackle in the second, WR in the 3rd. www.comcast.net/sports/articles/nfl/2008/04/23/Didinger.Eagles/

Wide OUT

It's not just Andy Reid that can't pick wide receivers. "In fact, a quick study of the past 10 years of the draft suggests more first-round gaffes are made at wide receiver than any other position," reports the Washington Post.

Why? Extra variables and - if you read between the lines of former Titans GM Floyd Reese comments - prima donna issues.

"'The wide receiver position, in spite of what people think, is a hard position to evaluate and draft,' Reese said. 'There are so many variables: Does he fit our scheme? Are the coaches going to like him? Are there talent or character issues? If you find a big tackle who's strong and willing to work and has good feet, the chances are that he's going to be able to come in and play for just about any team in the league. But receiver is different. Everyone just says 'receiver,' but in reality a West Coast receiver is different from a deep threat is different from a spread receiver is different from a slot receiver.'"

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome concurs, "They're asked to do so many things before the snap and then when they start running. And that's before they catch it. I think it's a tough position for guys to come in right away and play, especially with what they have to go through in college."

So it's not all Andy's fault.

Still want to take Delvin Thomas in the first round?

Trading Up, Trading Down

The rising concern about exploding rookie contracts only makes me more bewildered about the apparent discount NFL teams typically pay for acquiring proven talent for draft picks.

 

With talent evaluation such a crap shoot (i.e., Freddie Mitchell, Jerome McDougle, Tim Couch, Akili Smith), why wouldn't more NFL teams be interested in trading relatively high draft picks for solid veterans? Especially when these rookies are costing so much more relative to what veterans make - even assuming renegotiated contracts for the veteran.

 

I get a kick out of everyone (Peter King in particular) decrying the Brinks job the Patriots pulled over the Dolphins in getting Wes Welker for a 2nd rounder. That kind of value for the Dolphins #2 receiver is typical in today's NFL. What was the outlier was Welker's performance for the Patriots this past season nd the attention his trade value received. Seriously, before this year everyone would have been killing the Patriots for giving up anything more than a second rounder for Welker.

 

There is a general mindset in the NFL about "signing your own players," which is code for drafting well and extending your promising youngsters. The second part of that equation is that these newbies learned the team's "system" and are proving themselves in it. The flip side belief is that it is harder to break in or re-train players brought in from other teams. I think there is too much of a premium placed on this "growing your own" idea. If you can trade for relatively young players, all it costs you is a draft pick or two, that seems like a good deal.

 

All of which brings us to Lito Sheppard, a 27 year old Pro Bowl cornerback.The Eagles so far have failed to get a first round pick for Sheppard. My question is why more (any) teams aren't eager to give up a possibility for a sure thing?

 

Take for instance the Patriots. Had they had their #31 pick they would have been an ideal candidate to trade it for Sheppard. The Eagles get a first rounder, the Pats get a starting corner (to replace the one they lost to the Eagles in free agency). Even if the Pats renegotiate Sheppard's contract, they'll still come out ahead than what they would pay for a first rounder. They also get a player that can start, and excel, immediately.

 

Much has been made of Sheppard's injuries and how he's missed 14 games in 3 years. How many games would a rookie cornerback drafted in the first round expect to start? Probably none. So even if Sheppard gets hurt and misses four games, the Patriots would still be 12 games ahead compared to what they would have gotten out of a rookie in their first year.

 

heck, even if the rookie starts all 16 games in their second year and Sheppard again got hurt enough to only play in 12 the Patriots would still be 8 games ahead in playing time for the veteran compared to the draft pick.

 

After that, Sheppard's expendability increases given his age and presuming a four year contract. Really, after that second year and particularly after the third year the Patriots could cut bait with Sheppard and move on with little future salary cap ramifications. Not so with your rookie, now in his third year. If he gets hurt, you almost have to keep him (and continue to pay) to preserve your ability to see how he bounces back in year four if for no other reason than he's young, you picked him, and you still have the opportunity to extend him if he pans out.

 

The Patriots were just one example. Measuring the gold standard to a gold standard. But the same logic applies to any other team. This year, anyone interested in taking a "shutdown" corner in the draft should think long and hard about trading that pick for Lito Sheppard. They get a proven player and transfer the risk of the pick not panning out to the Eagles.

 

As rookie salaries explode and the risk of damaging a team's future salary cap increase if they pick wrong, more teams are interested in trading down in the first round of the draft. The wonder is why more teams trade not down in the first round, but out of the first round, by acquiring proven, cheaper veterans for a roll of the draft dice.

EnBoldined?

Another disgruntled player seeking an extension in the wake of his teammate's new deal is Cards' WR Anquan Boldin. After the Cards re-signed Fitzgerald there was some talk about about the Eagles and Boldin. Where there's smoke, there's fire. Keep an eye on this on Saturday.

The Switcheroo

So here's where we are in 2008 with teams like the Eagles exercising "cap discipline" by not re-negotiating contracts, i.e., Lito Sheppard. Pro Football Talk and the Delco Times report that the Eagles offered Lito and picks to the Chiefs for disgruntled D-end Jared Allen

 

Allen's unhappy with his current contract which is why the Chiefs want to move him. Trading for him would mean the Eagles would likely have to renegotiate the contract. Of course, the Eagle are getting rid of Lito cause he wants a new contract, and presumably the Chiefs would have to renegotiate with him.

 

So if you are keeping score at home, the Eagles and Chiefs won't renegotiate with their own players but are willing to swap them and enter into new contracts with the "new" players.

 

Makes sense, right?

Out of Position

What position is the Eagles’ greatest need in the draft? Inqy’s Bob Brookover says WR/KR which is why he thinks they’ll take Devin Thomas.

 

I’m thinking offensive lineman. The Eagles bookend tackles are both entering the final year of their contracts. And based on that, Brookover suggests that the position isn’t a pressing need.

 

Howver, if we’ve learned anything from the Reid era is that 1) he loves drafting linemen 2) avoids skill players in the first round and 3) drafts on need for the following year.

 

Thus, we got Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown, and Michael Lewis all taken in a draft while we still had pro bowl corners Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor under contract.

 

My best guess is that the Eagles either move up in the first round to grab the O-lineman they really want (Ryan Clady?), or take whoever’s left at 19 (Jeff Otah?) and perhaps package some picks to move up in the second round or into the late first round to grab Kenny Phillips, the “U’s” stellar safety and BDawk heir apparent.

 

I write that with the disclaimer that I think it ridiculous to speculate on who exactly the Eagles will draft given the vagaries of the other teams picking ahead of the Eagles. Certainly some draft predictions last year would have been much more accurate if the Patriots hadn’t snagged Brandon Merriweather ahead of the Eagles. And let’s not forget that NO ONE saw the John Welbourn trade and Shawn Andrews pick coming. That was a total shock on draft day. Or, for that matter, trading down for Kevin Freakin’ Kolb after Merriweather became unavailable.

 

Should be interesting.

 

Tomorrow: Why don’t more teams trade picks for players?

Ocho Cinco

It’s going to take more than two potential first round picks for the Eagles to land Chad Johnson. That’s what the Redskins offered the Bengals yesterday, the “first-round pick, No. 21 overall, and a conditional third-rounder in 2009 that could escalate to a first rounder if Johnson and the Redskins hit certain performance levels,” according to ESPN which Marvin Lewis since confirmed.

 

The PA primary

Since the professional political class has gotten so much of the 2008 presidential campaign so wrong, so often I thought it safe to offer my own predictions about the results of tonight’s Pennsylvania primary. I can’t do any worse than the people who get paid to predict and/or analyze the elections.

 

Hillary Clinton will win tonight, no surprise there. Though she wins by less than double digits. So will the coverage focus on her inability to win by double digits and truly cut into Obama’s popular vote and delegate count leads? Or will the theme be that despite being outspent by a 5:1 ratio Clinton still managed to pull out a solid victory.

 

And I also predict that the election results will sadly but starkly breakdown along racial lines. So stark, in fact, that it will be hard for the media to ignore the growing issue of racial polarization in this race. Whether there will also be coverage of what this portends for Obama’s chances in the general is likely doubtful.

Right Away?

“If the Birds do stay at 19, Heckert said, he still feels they could get a player who can contribute right away - something that didn't happen last year, when the Eagles traded out of the first round, then drafted quarterback Kevin Kolb and defensive end Victor Abiamiri in the second,” reports Les Bowen.

Really, Heckert thinks they could draft a player who can contribute right away? Could contribute, or will contribute. Let me fresh Mr. Heckert’s memory about recent Eagles drafts and #1 picks. Hint: they don’t contribute right away.

Not even Donovan McNabb contributed right away. Remember Doug Pederson? Of the Eagles’ #1 picks under Andy Reid, only Corey Simon played significantly in his rookie year. I will give them Shawn Andrews, who started the season opener but broke his leg in that game and was lost for the season. Other than that? Mike Patterson didn't start but did have 3.5 sacks and was in the mix for tackles.

Freddie Mitchell, Lito Sheppard, Jerome McDougle, Brodrick Bunkley, Kevin Kolb. None of these first selections (Kolb was technically a second round pick but the Eagles first pick of last year’s draft) played meaningful minutes in their rookie years.

So if Heckert thinks they can get a player to step in right away, well, more power to him. I’m just not holding my breath since history suggests they will draft a lineman and he will not play much if at all in 2008.

Busted

ESPN lists the top 50 NFL draft busts of all time. Ryan Leaf leads the list of mostly familiar names.

 

Though I’m not sure I agree with ESPN’s definition of a “bust.” Can a 3^rd round pick like Maurice Clarett or a 2^nd rounder like Alex Van Dyke or Reggie Rembert be considered busts? Or players from non-football powerhouses that happened to go early, like Mike Junkin (Duke).

 

For my money, a true bust – and there are plenty to choose from – have to be one of the top 10 players taken in the first round, and maybe even  a top 5 pick.

 

And can Lawrence Phillips or Keith McCants seriously be bigger busts than “franchise quarterbacks frauds” Akili Smith or Tim Couch?

 

Two Eagles made the list: Mike Mamula and Jon Harris. Surprisingly, former Eagles first round pick and convicted felon Kevin Allen did not make the list.

Devils Redux?

Saturday’s game 5 reminded me of the disastrous game 6 versus the Devils back in 2000. Garth Snow gave up a soft insurance goal with less than 5 minutes to go to make it 2-0 only to have the Flyers score with under a minute to play to make the final score 2-1. Sort of like Saturday when the Caps got an insurance goal and the Flyers got what could have, would have been the tying goal late.

 

Here’s hoping the Flyers don’t blow another 3-1 series lead.

sports blogging

Sports blogging is the hook for this Times article about the changing landscape of sports journalism and the mainstream news media’s relationship with the professional sports leagues and their newly assertive stance over coverage. Oddly, no mention of the NFL Network.

More than Smoke?

To this rumor that the Eagles are interested in Jets defensive tackle DeWayne Robertson?

 

“Two league sources” say Robertson recently visited the NovaCare complex. Denver is also reportedly interested in trading a 3^rd or 4^th round pick for the former #4 overall player taken in the 2003 draft.

Kickin It

So is this guy competition for Rocca, Akers, or both? Or he is competing against Rocca with the added bonus that he can be the kickoff specialist to spell Akers?

Need 2

No more razor gator or stub hub?

The Keystone

Very encouraging profile of Eagles starting center Jamaal Jackson and his new and improved off-season workout regimen and diet. Also impressive that he tries to shoulder much of the blame for the Giants game sack-a-thon debacle.

 

Rumortown - Sheppard to the Saints?

Andy Reid has a good sense of Kevin Kolb’s development, reports this news item. Among the other tidbits is the rumor that the Saints are interested in dealing for Lito Sheppard and Jeremy Shockey on draft day.

High Praise Indeed

Three quick thoughts from last night’s Mets-Phillies game:

 

I’m just fascinated by the new ESPN stat graphic that shows a player’s “years of MLB service.” Guys that I consider to have been around a long, long time are barely cracking 10 years of service according to ESPN. Guys like Jason Varitek, who ESPN lists at 10 years. I used to think that “10/5” players (ten years of total MLB service, 5 years with the same team), a status which allows them to block trades under the collective bargaining agreement, were much more common than apparently they are if the ESPN numbers are to be believed. I do have my doubts, though.

 

For instance, former Phil Marlon Anderson pinch hit last night and ESPN listed him at 8 years of MLB service. But then the announcers mentioned that he made his major league debut with the Phils back in 1998. So how does that compute? I presume that the MLB service is calculated based on pension eligibility. And major league players vest in the pension plan after one game in the bigs. And is ESPN counting 2008 as a year of service? Like I said, I am just fixated on this new stat.

 

Phils’ call up TJ Bohn looks like a big, blonde meathead. And I can totally understand the thinking Morgan mentioned about managers like Manuel wanting the hottest hitter in the minors for a short 15 day assignment. The guy is going to get, what 7 at bats? Why not go with the hitter seeing the ball and making the best contact at the moment?

 

Was the most impressive stat of the night Chase Utley’s batting average improvement over the past four seasons? He’s raised his average like 20 points a year so that now he’s hitting well over .300. And when Joe Morgan, one of the best hitting second basemen in history, says that Utley could become the best hitting second basemen in baseball history – as he did last night - it is high praise indeed.

 

Full Weekend

A glorious weekend for viewing Philadelphia sports, especially for those fans outside the Delaware Valley who don’t have the usual access to the home teams’ broadcast stations.

 

The Flyers got things started off on Saturday afternoon with their nationally televised game 5 playoff game vs. Washington on NBC. That was followed almost immediately by the Mets-Phillies game on Fox which was the national game of the week. On Sunday, the Sixers-Pistons playoff game was on TNT, which nicely segued into the final game of the Mets-Phillies series that was ESPN’s Sunday night game of the week. That the good guys were only 2-2 in all those games doesn’t diminish from being satiated by the weekend sports buffet.

 

Now if only the Flyers can close out the Caps tonight….

Philly Fans

I've come to accept, indeed embrace, the national reputation of Philly fans. You know the drunken tough boors who boo Santa, kick little children, and cheer Michael Irvin's neck injury.

And I've also made peace that the national caricature isn't accurate, even as the non-Philly media inflate minor incidents to further burnish our "image."

Take the Caps-Flyers series.

Here's what the Washington Post's columnists have had to say about the fans (not the games mind you but the fans):

"Midway through the third period of this demoralizing 6-3 loss at Wachovia Center, 20,000 people in fluorescent orange howled for their World Extreme Cagefighters, and a crowd in the upper bowl chanted vulgarities at Ovechkin that went beyond the bounds of loutish fan behavior. As the frothing masses left the arena, they felt good about the bull being struck and killed -- checking the multi-generational Russian wizards Ovechkin and Sergei Fedorov into humility as much as the boards"

"For most of the evening, there was this unmistakable air of testosterone coming from the Flyers' direction that just reeked of physicality, a way of exerting their mauling style on the Capitals that just sent their denizens into some medieval state of euphoria."

" Did we mention they show fights on the video scoreboard every period here, more than most arenas show dunks in the NBA?"

" The Capitals didn't come out as Eastern Conference foes; they entered the playing surface like Russell Crowe entered the Coliseum in "Gladiator." Flyer fans didn't want to beat Washington as much as see Ovechkin bludgeoned, his teammates emasculated."

" It's almost impossible to fathom, but the Capitals took the ice in front of a building as loud as Verizon Center last Friday. The fans wore orange instead of the Capitals' red, and many of the women and children looked as if they could work security for Megadeth."

"the invincibility the Flyers have found in their love-'em-or-loathe-'em city, where the real-life Vince Papale, not Marky Mark, shows up with his son in orange and black?"

"That" Team

My brother called me at the end of Caps-Flyers regulation last night. "So we're 'that' team," he said. I knew exactly what he meant by "that" team, as probably anybody that has watched Flyers over the past two decades.

The Flyers are now, finally, the team they have always seemed to play against in the playoffs, really since the Gretzky, Coffey and Kurri skated circles around them in the late '80s. The Flyers transition well. They counterattack beautifully. They hit the blue line with speed. They get odd man and even man rushes. They have tic-tac passing.

What a refreshing change from twenty years worth of dump and chase hockey. From endlessly cycling the puck, from mucking in the corners. From constantly working, working, working not just to get a goal but just to get a shot. Unfortunately from an aesthetics point of view it was as effective for the Flyers as it was ugly to watch. And it was especially frustrating while watching the other team (like the Red Wings or Sabres) appear to work half as hard for twice the results.

Oddly, though, there is a difference of opinion about the Flyers' new style. While my brother and I enjoy the freewheeling Flyers - and think that, Alex Ovechkin notwithstanding - it is the Caps who are now the grinders, Capitals fans and their reporters think it is the same old "Broad Street Bulllies" just because the Flyers have been fun and physical and the Caps have shrunk from the challenge.

"The tenor of this rugged series is terrible news for hockey progressives everywhere, the way the Flyers have punked a nice bunch of free skaters who train in Ballston and used to be among the most feared offensive teams in the NHL...When the Caps' offensive-minded defenseman lost it, Philly had won: Washington was trying to play the Flyers' bump-and-grind game," writes the Washington Post's Mike Wise.

Says Wise, in a second column, "The tired cliches about Europeans being soft skaters, unprepared to handle the physical and mental grind of April the way good, old Canadian farm boys do, went out the window in the first 20 minutes. For the first time in four games, the postseason neophytes were finally making the Flyers' hit men pay for their crimes."

And more, "The Flyers act like they would rather demoralize a psychologically wounded offense than score a short-handed goal...The Flyers are an instant repudiation of what Gary Bettman wanted the league to become. They are a reminder of the NHL's pugilistic past that just won't go away."

Jeez, you'd think Danny Briere and Mike Richards are Dave Schultz and Bob "Hound Dog" Kelly.

But we know better. Plus, it's the Caps who have Donald Brashear - not the Flyers anymore.

A True Sleeper

How is Jayson Foster, a guy that won the Walter Payton award for best small school football player (previous winners Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook) not even on some teams’ draft boards as Ray Didinger contends?

"Banner Day"

Champion Eagles Cheerleader Joe Banner highlights how out of touch he is to the attitude and response of season ticket holders to the news of an Eagles Thanksgiving night home game.  

 

Says Banner: “I think when people see it, they'll be fired up about it. It will fit perfectly. People will have their Thanksgiving dinner around one o'clock or four o'clock, and then a lot of people will head down to the game and a lot will be together with their families and watch the game. I just think it will be a great day."

 

What world is Banner living in? The game essentially precludes any kind of tailgating and will force most people to leave their holiday dinner tables by 6pm at the latest to navigate the game traffic to have any hope of getting to their seats by the 8pm kickoff.

 

Banner is correct that it will be great for most Eagles fans to watch the game that night. But for season ticket holders that are paying the freight for Lincoln Financial Field, the Thanksgiving game is a travesty wrapped in an outrage. This is exactly why it would have been preferable for the Eagles to have played a Thanksgiving game on the road.

 

That Banner can’t admit that, or the fact that it appears – once again - that Lurie was once again snookered by the league’s scheduling office, in this case into hosting this white elephant of a game, is a disgrace.

Another opinion

My brother has had a chance to review the schedule and offers his considered opinion.

 

“Schedule sucks!!!

 

3 night games and one is thanksgiving!!!”

6 Nationally Televised Games

So by my quick count, the Eagles will play six nationally televised games this upcoming year: at Cowboys, Steelers, at Bears, Giants, Cardinals, and Browns. And that doesn’t include anyone of those games vs. the NFC East in December that would be a natural to be moved to Sunday night under NBC’s “flex” schedule. It also doesn’t count the 4 o’clock starts of their west coast games of which, I’m guessing, the Seahawks tilt would be a nationally televised possibility.

 

 

Sept. 7                    St. Louis Rams                1 p.m.

Sept. 15 (Mon.)      at Dallas Cowboys           8:30 p.m.

Sept. 21                  Pittsburgh Steelers           4:15 p.m.

Sept. 28                  at Chicago Bears             8:15 p.m.

Oct. 5                     Washington Redskins      1 p.m.

Oct. 12                   at San Francisco 49ers     4:15 p.m.

Oct. 19                   Bye 

Oct. 26                   Atlanta Falcons                1 p.m.

Nov. 2                    at Seattle Seahawks         4:15 p.m.

Nov. 9                    New York Giants             8:15 p.m.

Nov. 16                  at Cincinnati Bengals       1 p.m.

Nov. 23                  at Baltimore Ravens         1 p.m.

Nov. 27 (Thurs.)     Arizona Cardinals            8:15 p.m. (Thanksgiving)

Dec. 7                     at New York Giants        1 p.m.

Dec. 15                   (Mon.) Cleveland Browns 8:30 p.m.

Dec. 21                   at Washington Redskins 1 p.m.

Dec. 28                   Dallas Cowboys              1 p.m.

 

Thanksgiving!?!?!?

The Eagles 2008 schedule is now out. The Eagles play Thanksgiving night vs. the Cardinals!

 

Upon first glance, it is not a good, fan-friendly schedule with 4 of the 8 home games not being played on Sundays at 1pm.

 

A more thorough analysis later.

No Comprende

Here’s a story that perfectly illustrates the ways in which the liberal media can spin a story and an issue. A murderer in Washington, DC was caught because an illegal immigrant stepped forward with key information. Unrestrained immigration advocates suggest that case might not have otherwise been solved if governments started more aggressive immigration enforcement and intimidated immigrants from cooperating with police. But here’s the thing. The murderer (he confessed) is himself an illegal immigrant. So really the crime would never have happened if aggressive immigration control had been in place to start with. Of course, no one points that out because it’s that paper’s policy to promote immigration at any cost. They don’t decry the capital crime wrought by an illegal immigrant, but only cheer when an illegal immigrant helps solve the murder.

Hardball Inferiority

Wonder what my friend PK has to say about this terrific profile of fellow LaSalle High grad Chris Matthews and the “help” the Hardball host offered or didn’t offer to the up and coming reporter when he first got to Washington?

 

Regardless, this line in particular caught my attention about our shared native city. “Matthews fashions himself a blend of big-think historian and little-guy populist. Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, who is also from Philadelphia, says that Matthews has internalized the ‘inferiority complex’ of his native city.”

Nails

Funny profile of Phillies centerfield cum businessman and publisher extraordinaire Lenny Dykstra. Who knew Nails had such a head for business? Best is that they picture Dykstra with a Phillies hat on his head, so you Mets fans can stick it.

 

This all gibes with a story I heard from the maitre d at Chef Tell’s restaurant (nee the Stafford Inn) on the Main Line. Dykstra was a regular there and one night was extremely boisterous in the dining room. Then state senator Earl Baker (R-PA) was eating there that same night and asked the staff to please ask Dykstra to tone it down. Dykstra only upped the volume and started getting obnoxious with Baker. Baker asked the staff to have Dykstra leave. Only Dykstra was such a lucrative regular customer that the restaurant told Baker to leave instead.

Upshaw Upshot

Strange, strange behind the scenes doing at the NFLPA and the leadership of executive director Gene Upshaw. Ravens kicker Matt Stover sent an email to player reps suggesting that Upshaw be replaced by next year. Stover has since backtracked and now there is news that it was Upshaw that broached the subject of succession plans with the NFLPA executive committee and subsequently the player reps. Bizarrely, Upshaw says that the replacement plan Stover floated was actually the plan Upshaw presented to the payers’ association.

 

Upshaw has earned a reputation as the owners’ stooge. And yet he did manage to negotiate a labor deal in which the players get 60% of total league revenue for the salary cap. The deal has been so “unfair,” some owners have suggested re-visiting the deal, which the agreement allows so long as it occurs before November 8, 2009. Call me skeptical, but Upshaw has been so accommodating and such a great cover for the owners’ behind the scenes ability to print money, I don’t for a second believe that the owners would re-open the deal. I suspect that the owners’ complaints is actually a conspiracy meant to protect Upshaw and give him a better reputation among the players, all the better to keep him in place and allow the Jerry Jones to continue to outmaneuver the union.

 

Aside from Upshaw, the association appears to be leaderless since Troy Vincent stepped down as president last month.

 

Self-Inflicted

Just the latest example of how incompetent the campaigns of Democrats and former Democrats actually are. And to think this clown was once a vice-presidential candidate. FBI confirms Lieberman is a Moron. Sanctimonious Senator Refuses to Apologize for Scurrilous and Baseless Charge Against Opponent. You’re doing a heck of a job, Joe!

The new college trend

Coaches win championships and then days later, literally days later, get big buck contract extensions to stay at the school. Bill Self is the latest to cash in on this relatively new phenomenon.

drug free

Presumably, the dismissal of Mike Patterson’s drug charge means that Andy Reid won’t have to too badly discipline his starting defensive tackle or appear to be a hypocrite about tolerating drug use on his team – or in his own family.

 

I’m betting this is the last we hear of the Patterson case.

Satisfied Smith

Good to see LJ Smith sign the one year franchise tag tender. Sometimes disgruntled players – already bound to their team’s by the tag – avoid signing the contract so that they don’t have to participate in mini camps or parts of training camp as either a form of protest or just to take it easy. Of course, Smith has to be somewhat content to collect his $4 million salary this year considering that it will exceed all of the money he has made to date from the Eagles on his first contract – if the USA today salary database is to be believed. To say nothing of getting an opportunity to showcase his skills while healthy and enter free agency next year.

Tiger Tales

This article which disputes the notion that Tiger Woods needs a worthy adversary – a Frazier to his Ali – for Tiger to transcend his sport. True, Tiger’s main competitor is Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors. But this all misses the larger point. It isn’t that no one has emerged to take on Tiger mano a mano, it’s that the field of golfers he routinely pummels just plain suck.

 

Look at Nicklaus’ competition: Arnie Palmer, Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Tom Watson. Those are the greatest golfers of all time. No wonder Nicklaus was runner up an astounding 19 times in majors. Look at who he was playing against – the best of the best.

 

In contrast, Woods’ primary competition reads less like a who’s who of professional golf, but a sad list of has beens and never was’s. Robert Gamez, Justin Leonard, David Duval, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els? Please. What a joke. Does anyone even remember when Duval and Leonard were any good? These stiffs either didn’t have the game for the long haul or lacked the intestinal fortitude that it takes to dethrone the champ. Lee Trevino famously said that putting for $500,000 was no pressure compared to putting for $50 when you only had $5 in your pocket. Mickelson can’t even comprehend what Trevino is talking about and, besides, he’s content to cash the second – or third, place check and grab some endorsement money. And that goes, sadly, for Els too, one of my favorite golfers. He got his major and seems content to just keep cashing a top ten finish check. They don’t call him The Big Easy for nothing. And it’s why they also call Tiger…well, Tiger.

 

Nicklaus played against worthy opponents. Woods is playing against Jack and history. Tiger’s opponents can barely play at all.

Long=Wrong Pick?

If this ESPN story about the Dolphins negotiating with Jake Long and/or Vernon Gholston are true, it would appear to undermine the rankings of so many draft sites that have put DE Chris Long at the very top of most draft rankings.

Running a Relay

I worked on the Olympic Torch relay for the ’96 summer Olympics in Atlanta so it is with some sadness that I have been reading about all of the  problems the torch and the Chinese are experiencing right now. (If I can find it, I’ll try to post a picture of yours truly running with the flame outside Salt Lake City circa May 1996.)

 

But I can’t help but wonder if I were working on the relay right now if it would all make a difference. Probably so. I’m known as a peacemaker and exceptional torch relay advance man. But alas, the Red China Commie leaders never bothered to call me.

 

And as Chris Suellentrop points out, the Torch Relay was the brainchild of Adolph Hitler for the 1936 Olympics. Make no mistake, the Olympic games are entirely political and uber-nationalistic. Why do you think they play the national anthems and hoist the flag of the winner’s country during the medal ceremony? So please spare me the purity of the athletic competition b.s.

 

 

Chester West

My hometown gets a dateline on the front page of today’s Washington Post – in an article NOT written by Montco native Paul J. Kane.

A Shining Moment

So for the third straight time, Villanova has lost in the NCAA tournament to the eventual champion. Was that part of the subconscious reason I picked Kansas to win it all in my bracket? Who knows. This year was the first in which I knew the least about college basketball, quickly selected teams, and somehow got the right champ and the correct runner-up, Memphis. Of course, this isn’t too hard when all #1 seeds make the Final Four, but I am giving myself some credit, as most everyone I know (defined as everyone in my office who entered the pool) did not have the Kansas-Memphis matchup, going instead with some combination of N. Carolina and UCLA.

 

More interestingly, the overtime scoring got me very close to the 148 overall points I had down as the tiebreaker. Not bad. Not bad at all.

 

Two things I didn’t like about last night’s game (aside from the often ragged play. The Kansas-UNC semi-final was a masterpiece of up and down basketball compared to this, uh, uneven contest.).

 

Anyway, the three things: 1) can the media give Bill Self and the Jayhawk faithful at least one day, or even 12 hours, to celebrate their victory before peppering the head coach with questions about whether he is going to jump ship? Can’t everyone let Self bask in the glow of his team’s accomplishment for at least a little while? CBS grilled Roy Williams 5 years ago outside the loser’s locker room about whether he was leaving Kansas to go to UNC. There’s a time and a place for those questions. Minutes after the championship game is not one of them.

 

The two other things I didn’t care for are Jim Nance’s now insufferably pithy crowning statements. Last night it was “rock, chalk, championship.” At one time they were, or at least seemed, unscripted and accurately captured the moment, probably because they sprung from the moment. Now they reek of advance planning and focus group testing. It’s really, really annoying.

 

Second: I’ve been a Billy Packer-basher ever since Packer had the gall to ask Dwayne McClain in the 1985 post-championship game interview whether he pretended to get hurt after missing an embarrassing dunk during the game. A disbelieving McClain insisted he was really hurt and Packer quickly backtracked and moved on. Hey, Billy, if you are going to make that charge in that moment (see above) don’t backpedal so quickly, see it through. But what really put me initiated me into the hate Billy Packer club was his bizarre and irrational hatred for Jameer Nelson and Delonte West’s #1 seeded St. Joe’s team from a few year’s ago. Packer seemed personally offended that St. Joe’s got that high a seed and actually gloated when the Hawks lost to the #2 seed Ok St. in the regional final as some sort of justification for his ridiculous position.

 

Anyway. It was not a good night for the college basketball refereeing community – what with the Derrick Rose miscalled three pointer that they eventually reviewed and changed to a two, and John Calipari wondering how hard his players had to foul on Kansas’ last possession for a whistle to be blown.

 

But the icing on the cake occurred with 3:12 to go in the first half when the Memphis guard dirbbled, put both hands on the ball for a chest pass, dropped the ball and then picked it up and made a pass. It was either a travel, discontinue, and/or double dribble – take your pick-  in the back court and in clear view of everybody yet no whistle was called. That’s right. A rare triple turnover for Memphis that was, incredibly, not called. As bad as it was for the refs, Nance and Packer also blew it.

 

Nance said the ball got away from the player. The Memphis guard hesitated to pick it up and finally did, astounded that play was not immediately stopped. The Kansas player guarding him quickly signaled for traveling, but no call came.

 

Packer sagely proffered that the player was allowed to pick up the ball and that “you have to know the rules.”

 

Really? Does Packer understand the basics of traveling? Can Packer define discontinue? How about double dribble? I wouldn’t be making as much of a big deal about this except that Packer is such a pompous windbag to suggest that he knew the rule, and the Memphis player somehow didn’t (but did since he hesitated to retrieve the ball). Packer’s only been covering basketball for 30 years, you would think he would know better.

More Cheesesteaks to Go

And here's a link to the controversial story/study by the Lower Merion high school students - with an assist by the Inqy's restaurant critic - about searching for the best cheesesteaks in the area.

At the time, many doubted whether a quartet of white, affluent suburban teenagers had the chops to assemble such a list. A doubt that was only stoked when they tapped sleeper pick John's Pork Roast as the best cheesesteak in the city. However, history has borne out that the LM kids made the right call and  gave JPR the props it deserved and to that point been overlooked.

cheesesteak rankings

WIPs Glenn Macnow sampled 45 cheesesteaks for his Philadelphia area rankings. Once again John's Pork Roast came in first. Pat's and Geno's while the most famous cheeseteak purveyors didn't make the cut. Slack's Hoagie Shack is on the list, worth mentioning cause I still love their old promotion with Mike Quick wondering if that Hugh Douglas sack would be the "Slack's Hoagie Shack Sack of the Game."

West Chester's own cheesesteak Nirvana (though astronomically priced), the Pepper Mill was ranked #16 - one of the highest rated cheesesteaks among among the suburban locations.

the rankings, like all rankings, are rife with controversy. For instance, Garrett's in Villanova, a favorite of mine back in the day, that was a top choice in Philadelphia Magazine last year wasn't tried by Macnow.

And the radio personality made it to the Pepper Mill but doesn't appear to have actually gone into the borough to try Riggtown's offering.

Phils

Pace my earlier post about Adam Eaton pinch running, only the Phillies could squander a lead off single and then a double and not score a run in the inning.

Eaton

I love the Phillies new “day game” uniform. Very sharp, very old school. Love the cream color, the deeper blue and the multi-colored hats.

 

Adam Eaton just came in to pinch run for Pat Burrell at 2b after Burrell hit a double in the bottom of the 7^th. Phils up 7-6. Howard went to 3^rd on the double. I’m intrigued by the use of Eaton in that situation. Does he really have that much more speed than Burrell? Is this some sort of punishment for Eaton? Is this a statement of the value they put on their 5^th starter? Why didn’t Burrell’s defensive replacement pinch run?

Roger Goodell: Majority Leader?

Congressional leaders, particularly the party leaders and whips, are known for counting votes and then releasing rank and file members from their voting obligations - to "vote their district" and not the party line - if the final winning tally is assured near the end of the roll call.

Did Roger Goodell, whose father was U.S. Senator, channel his inner Nancy Pelosi on the league vote on whether to allow defensive players to use a radio set in their helmets like their quarterback counterparts? That's the question I have in looking at the team yeas and nays on the rule change that passed by a vote of 25-7 (24 teams needed to sign off on the change so Goodell had a two team winning margin). Or perhaps Goodell didn't release teams from a commitment so much as pressure some teams to vote against the measure for public relations sake.

The defensive communication proposal is, of course, all wrapped up in the Patriots Spygate scandal. So it is more than a little curious that of the seven teams who voted against allowing a defender the use of a radio receiver,  one was actually a known victim of the Patriots - the Packers - and two other teams - the Eagles and Rams - are suspected of having their signals illegally stolen either during or in the run-up to their super bowl contests with the Patriots. (Seattle, Oakland, Tampa and Washington rounded out the opposition).

Then again, maybe we give Goodell too much credit. Considering how much of a hash he has made of this entire "investigation," including the ludicrous decision to destroy all the evidence so quickly, Goodell has shown an inability to organize a one car caravan much less maneuver to ensure that enough teams - and the right teams - all voted for and against the proposal. Maybe it's just that the seven teams in opposition all employ head coaches who fancy themselves offensive gurus and thus disinclined to support any plan to level the playing field for the defense.

Now they tell us

Four months after the fact, the NFL now admits that its refs blew one of the 2007 season's most pivotal plays.

Belichick Won't Cheat Anymore

The Patriots and Bill Belichick's reputations are so tarnished from Spygate that Belichick's affirmation to follow league rules in the future merits a story and this headline in the Washington Post, "Belichick Says Videotaping Transgressions 'Won't Happen Again.'" In other words, the Pats really mean it this time when they say they won't cheat or break any more league rules.

While Belichick and Pats' owner Bob Kraft were doing their mea culpas before NFL poo-bahs and the media at the annual league meeting, questions and controversy continue to surround the whole issue, and the league's continued mishandling of the situation. As everyone awaits a possible smoking gun admission by former Pats videographer Matt Walsh, i have yet to see - nearly nine months since the scandal broke - anyone clamor for a statement by star QB Tom Brady. Besides Belichick and Walsh, the New England golden boy would seem to be one Pat with significant knowledge about the cheating operation and what, if anything, the Pats did to gain a competitive advantage with an opposing team's defensive signals. Bizarrely, Goodell's Inspector Closeau investigation interviewed Patriot "officials" but apparently no players nor the quarterback who would be in the best position to know something. Why this is only Roger can explain.

23 Years Ago

23 years ago tonight, the greatest April Fool’s joke in college basketball history was made in Lexington, Kentucky.

 

Villanova 66

Georgetown 64

 

Davidson’s improbable run to the Final Eight gave Villanova’s championship some visibility this weekend as CBS was constantly putting up the graph of the lowest seeded teams to make the Final Four: LSU in ’86, Wisconsin, George Mason, a N. Carolina 8 seed. But only the 8^th seeded Villanova Wildcats actually made the Final Four and won it all.

 

Perhaps even more incredible than their near perfect game versus the defending champion Hoyas, was their run through the tourney to get to that point. Barely surviving Dayton, they shocked #1 seeded Michigan, than got through Maryland and met the #2 seed North Carolina in the regional final. They caught a bracket break by getting Memphis State in the national semi-final instead of either of their Big East rivals, G’town and St. John’s, that were left to duke it out themselves. Indeed, though Memphis St. was a #2 seed, they were still the weakest of Villanova’s possible opponents given that the two Big East schools were one seeds.

 

Really, Villanova’s win was the culmination of my college basketball fandom. Oh to be a young college basketball fan in Philly back then. It started with Penn’s surprising Final Four showing in 1979, carried through to St. Joe’s shocking upset of DePaul in the 1982 tourney and crystallized with ‘Nova’s national championship in 1985. For anyone that followed college basketball or attended a game at the Palestra, it was reaching the summit of a very steep mountain.

 

Oddly enough, I got my acceptance letter to Villanova on this same day,

Pick 3

So the Eagles got three compensatory draft picks for losing Donte Stallworth, Michael Lewis, Rod Hood, and Jeff Garcia last year. Those players were worth an additional 4^th rounder and two 6^th rounders.

 

The upshot is the Eagles now have 11 picks in this year’s draft, the same number of picks they had in 2005.

 

You remember the 2005 draft, don’t you? The Eagles’ roster was supposedly already stocked and predictions were that the Eagles would be drafting with an eye toward the long term and either packaging picks to move up in the order at key points in the draft or trading the picks for picks in future drafts.

 

Andy Reid threw everyone a curveball by subscribing to the “more is more” player personnel philosophy and using all 11 picks to select players. Some of them are familiar and/or maligned names. A couple of panned out pretty well, while half are no longer on the team if they even made the roster as rookies in the first place.

 

Mike Patterson (31), Reggie Brown (35), Matt McCoy (63), Ryan Moats (77), Sean Considine (102), Todd Herremans (126), Trent Cole (146), Scott Young, Calvin Armstrong*, Keyonta Marshall*, and David Bergeron*.

 

Actually, it’s a pretty solid draft, with three starters on defense and two on offense, all a mix of linemen and skill players. Trent Cole was a steal in the 5^th round but McCoy’s inclusion, however, in the 2^nd round no less (!) prevents this draft from being anything more than a solid B. And if Ryan Moats had panned out (since he suffered a season ending injury in the Baltimore preseason game last year, he’ll have to be cut at some point during training camp and not beforehand) this could have been a stellar draft.

 

The three * players were selected with compensatory picks. Let’s hope the Eagles have more success with this year’s extra selections.