10 questions Eagles have to answer

Started by SD_Eagle5, July 19, 2008, 07:19:59 AM

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ice grillin you

Quote from: Rome on July 19, 2008, 11:03:13 AM
The chances of Westbrook not getting a new contract are about nil.  I don't know why it's even being discussed at this point other than possibly because the news media in Philly has nothing better to do than drum up controversy where none exists.

not sure if youre being serious or not...its being discussed because the team and westbrook have discussed it for the last couple years...on top of that he just fired his agent...what does the media have to do with it
i can take a phrase thats rarely heard...flip it....now its a daily word

igy gettin it done like warrick

im the board pharmacist....always one step above yous

PhillyPhreak54

Quote1) Can the Eagles' offense operate at a high enough level with Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown back for a second year as starting wide outs? They weren't bad last year, Curtis even surpassing 1,000 yards. But they weren't great. Curtis was inconsistent — 41 percent of his yards came in three games — and Brown didn't make the big leap the Eagles were counting on after a promising 2006. The Eagles tried to acquire a big-time weapon but it didn't happen. Are these guys good enough?

I believe they will be sufficient. They won't break records and they won't be All-Pro's, but I think they will give the team enough to win. This offense, if using Westbrook right and if Smith can step it up, doesn't need those WRs to be full blown studs. Just catch the ball, beat some coverages and get down the field.

Quote2) Where's the pass pressure coming from? The Eagles haven't had two guys with more than six sacks in the same season in six years. You expect 12 to 15 sacks from Trent Cole, but who else from among Victor Abiamiri, Juqua Parker, Chris Clemons, Bryan Smith and perennially injured Jerome McDougle can terrorize opposing quarterbacks?

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect 10-12 sacks from Cole. He's good enough to get those sacks even without a stout threat lined up opposite him. With Crazy Juqua, Abiamiri and Clemons I think that is enough to get at least some sort of pressure. Clemons may be the guy who leads that pack with about 7-8 sacks.

Quote3) Tra Thomas will be 34 in the middle of the season, and Jon Runyan will be 35 a week later. Both are warriors, both have gone to the Pro Bowl, but both could run out of steam at any moment. What's the backup plan for two guys who have played a combined 368 NFL games? Winston Justice? Move Shawn Andrews outside, where he's never played? Ron Heller, anybody?

Ron Heller? He's too old. I was thinking more along the lines of Bernard Williams coming back from the CFL, Richard Cooper or Lonnie Paleli. I think Runyan can still get the job done. He's savvy enough to know how to use technique and brute strength to keep guys off of McNabb. Tra's season comes down to health. Honestly I worry more about the LG position. Herremans better come strapped. And Jackson's off-season workouts and re-dedication better be for real too. When McNabb is pressured from up the middle is when he struggles the most.

Quote4) On paper, Stewart Bradley, Chris Gocong and Omar Gaither give the Eagles their best linebacking crew since Seth Joyner, Byron Evans and Willie T. But Bradley has only started a few games, Gaither is playing a new position and Gocong is still learning to be a linebacker. Can this group fulfill its potential?

Hmmm, this may be the biggest question on the team. These guys must be kept clean and free to make plays. I like Bradley in the middle because Gaither is not a MLB. He's best served as a weakside guy who can flow to the ball and use his speed. Gocong is solid, but he must continue to get better at coverage.

Quote5) Will the addition of DeSean Jackson energize a return unit that hasn't brought a punt or kick back for a touchdown in five years? The Eagles were awful in the return game last year — 24th in both kick and punt return average — and ranked 25th in field position. You can't win with numbers like that.

Although they desperately needed a guy who can make something out of nothing, the more important question here is; can they block well enough? We've seen what Westbrook can do on his own, but the blocking has to be better. Let's hope that the additions of guys like Clemons, Boiman, Klecko, etc can help the STs units with blocking. Jackson will help, but he'll need help too.

Quote6) Stop us if you've heard this one before — McNabb was 54-18 with seven postseason wins from 2000 through 2004, and he's 17-16 since with no playoff wins and 15 games missed. Does his injury ravaged body still have another all-pro season in it?

Yes. Without a doubt in my mind, yes.

Quote7) As of now, Lito Sheppard, Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown are all signed, under contract and planning to be at training camp. But can Andy Reid and Jim Johnson balance these three giant egos without the whole thing collapsing into high-priced chaos?

They farging better. That trio is a pretty damn good trio to have in a league where you need three strong corners. And while we're talking secondary - how about not letting Sean Considine anywhere near the field. Cut him.

QuoteCool In 2004, David Akers made an NFL-record 17 field goals from 40 yards or longer. Last year, he made two (of 10 attempts). Akers, who made 84 percent of his kicks from 2000 through 2004, has made just 75 percent since. Can he rebound or do the Eagles need to start thinking about replacing the best kicker in team history?

I said this earlier, but they needed to find a guy who can strongly challenge him. No more warm-bodies who are there just to chill and kick a few camp balls. I worry that he may be done. When a kicker loses it, they lose it pretty farging fast (see; Idiot Kicker). So if he struggles, they better have a solid Plan B.

Quote9) Will Brian Westbrook's contract situation create a distraction? The Eagles agree that the peerless Westbrook deserves more money, but so far they haven't gotten a deal done. Will an unhappy Westbrook become a problem? It's hard to imagine anything less than 100 percent from the all-pro tailback, who switched agents this week. But the Eagles can't afford to let Westbrook's contract become a lingering issue.

Agreed 100%. This deal needs to be done and done soon. Pay the farging guy.

Quote10) Can the interior of the offensive line tighten up? The Eagles allowed 49 sacks last year, fifth-most in the NFL. The Eagles need more out of left guard Todd Herremans and center Jamaal Jackson.

Like I said in the topic about the tackles, this is my main OL concern. If Herremans isn't pushed by MJG it will be a crime. They need that LG position to be solid and they need Jackson to be better than last year. McNabb gets pressured up the gut and that is when he falters.

Rome

Quote from: ice grillin you on July 19, 2008, 11:40:04 AM
Quote from: Rome on July 19, 2008, 11:03:13 AM
The chances of Westbrook not getting a new contract are about nil.  I don't know why it's even being discussed at this point other than possibly because the news media in Philly has nothing better to do than drum up controversy where none exists.

not sure if youre being serious or not...its being discussed because the team and westbrook have discussed it for the last couple years...on top of that he just fired his agent...what does the media have to do with it

Is there anyone in the world who thinks that Westbrook WON'T get paid?  It's a non-issue. 

Sheppard, on the other hand, is not, and that's the difference.  No one knows what's going to happen there, so it's a reasonable topic for speculation.

Eagaholic

Quote from: SD_Eagle on July 19, 2008, 07:19:59 AM
6. McNabb will have his best season since 2004...as long as he can stay healthy. If he misses any significant time this season the Kolb era starts.

What happens if McNabb misses significant time, say the second half of the season, and Kolb comes in and totally sucks? The Eagles would have some serious thinking to do. With his salary, they might not even be able to trade McNabb and have to cut him, then get another veteran.

SD_Eagle5

Quote from: Eagaholic on July 19, 2008, 01:44:53 PM
Quote from: SD_Eagle on July 19, 2008, 07:19:59 AM
6. McNabb will have his best season since 2004...as long as he can stay healthy. If he misses any significant time this season the Kolb era starts.

What happens if McNabb misses significant time, say the second half of the season, and Kolb comes in and totally sucks? The Eagles would have some serious thinking to do. With his salary, they might not even be able to trade McNabb and have to cut him, then get another veteran.

If Kolb were to come in and suck that bad then they'd have no choice but to keep Donovan

MadMarchHare

Quote from: Rome on July 19, 2008, 11:03:13 AM
The chances of Westbrook not getting a new contract are about nil.  I don't know why it's even being discussed at this point other than possibly because the news media in Philly has nothing better to do than drum up controversy where none exists.

It's being discussed because A) he switched agents and B) he says he's underpaid, and expects that to be fixed.  This isn't brain surgery.
Anyone but Reid.

Rome

Thanks for explaining it to me.  Without your help I couldn't have possibly figured that out on my own.

Rome





Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes...   yes!

reese125

chick in the back, 3 on the left got screwed hard for that portfolio--she's on her tippy-toes praying to get involved

rjs246

I'm pretty sure I see pube despite the fact that I would wager their isn't a short and curly among them.
Is rjs gonna have to choke a bitch?

Let them eat bootstraps.

Diomedes

bunch of flat chested anorexic psychopaths, not a good set of tits in the whole bunch
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

Phanatic

Third from the left in the front is pulling down her bikini bottom to get that extra bit of attention the slut....

yummmm
This post is brought to you by Alcohol!

Diomedes

#27
i don't know that she's pulling it down so much as blocking it with her hand, masking non-flesh with her hand flesh, thus increasing the overall impression of nudity...a savvy modeling ploy really

yes, slut

and yes, I'd farger cross eyed
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

Father Demon

Didn't know where to put this, and this thread looked remotely related.

QuoteWe are approaching the long-term extension signing season, when the Philadelphia Eagles often use their considerable leftover salary-cap space to lock up many of their top young players until they're old and gray or their skills begin to diminish, whichever comes first.

The Eagles have plenty of cap space (more than $16 million at last check), and have several players who normally would be on their extension radar right now, including defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley and linebackers Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong, all of whom are in the third year of their rookie deals. But the NFL owners' decision in May to opt out of the final 2 years of the collective bargaining agreement has made it unlikely that any Eagles will be signing extensions between now and the end of the season.

"It's a little hard to go do deals right now when you don't know what the landscape is going to be going forward," Eagles president Joe Banner said earlier this week.

There have been no discussions between the league and the NFL Players Association about a new deal since the death of the union's longtime leader, Gene Upshaw, in July. The union's in-house counsel, Dick Berthelsen, was named Upshaw's interim replacement.

The union recently hired a search firm to help find a permanent replacement, but it probably will be well into 2009 before someone is hired.
The drawback to marital longevity is your wife always knows when you're really interested in her and when you're just trying to bury it.