QuoteSpach could live long and prosper at tight end[/b]
By LES BOWEN
bowenl@phillynews.com
BALTIMORE - Somewhere out in Utah, Chad Lewis rehabs his left foot. But the hero of the Eagles' NFC Championship Game victory won't be getting a call to rejoin the team anytime soon, sources close to the situation have said.
Coming into training camp, it seemed the Birds might have to reach out for their familiar safety valve. They hadn't drafted a tight end, and though L.J. Smith was poised to take over as the starter, Andy Reid's offense frequently uses two tight ends. The Eagles didn't have another one with any sort of pedigree.
Now, although the Eagles privately haven't ruled out talking to Lewis if a problem should come up during the season (assuming he can come back from his Lisfranc tear to play this year, which isn't a given), they like their tight end situation. Steve Spach (pronounced "Spock"), a dreadlocked 23-year-old rookie free agent from Fresno State, has emerged at the head of a pack that also includes rookie free agent Andy Thorn, from Northern Iowa, and ex-Dallas Cowboy James Whalen. All three have looked serviceable - offensive coordinator Brad Childress has called them the best group of free agent tight ends the Eagles have brought to camp during Childress' tenure.
"There's a new name on the radar, and it's Stephen Spach," Donovan McNabb said Saturday night after Spach caught a pair of passes for 20 yards in limited action with the first-team offense.
Spach said he felt "like I've played a game now," which was not how he felt following a jittery effort in the exhibition opener in Pittsburgh. That night, the only pass thrown to Spach bounced off his hands, and he was part of a special-teams coverage unit coordinator John Harbaugh felt was a little too gung-ho, blasting the Steelers' wedge and forgetting about the ballcarrier, particularly on a 100-yard TD kickoff return.
"I felt like I played a little more under control," Spach said Saturday.
Of the three backup tight end contenders, Spach seems to offer the best total package as a complement to Smith. At 6-4, 250, he has good size and is a strong blocker - he played a little fullback at Fresno State and even has lined up at that position in training camp here and there, when Jon Ritchie or Josh Parry was out. Spach might have gone undrafted because Fresno State didn't throw to him that much. He caught just 38 passes in 39 career games. But Fresno ran a West Coast offense, Spach said, that was not very different from Reid's.
"It's been a really good transition. It helps a lot to be familiar with an offense," Spach said.
Thorn (6-5, 250) can catch the ball but might be less comfortable in the offense than Spach, and looks less consistent as a blocker. Whalen (6-2, listed at 244 but looking lighter), is a fine receiver but could easily be mistaken for a wideout. The Eagles might want more muscle than he provides, from the guy who lines up with Smith in two-tight-end sets.
"They all bring a little something different to the table," Childress said recently. "They're all extremely smart and don't make errors."
At Lehigh, Spach roomed with Thorn. A hulking country boy from Michigan, Thorn said he wished his roomie would learn some Merle Haggard or George Strait songs on that guitar he pulled out every night. Now, Spach and Thorn have moved into a condo near the NovaCare Complex with rookie linebackers Matt McCoy and David Bergeron.
"Spach still plays his guitar a little too much, he's still a long-haired hippie from California," Thorn mock-grumbled. "The four of us get along really well, we're pretty good pals. It's kind of like freshman year in college."
The dirty-blond dreads are what really set Spach apart from the other fresh-faced rookies. Spach said they took about a year to grow. In case you're inspired to imitate his look, Spach said there are lots of theories on how to grow dreads, but his was to roll strands of hair together, "comb 'em backwards," and bond them with beeswax.
"I'd always liked that look, and I had the hair to do it," Spach said.
When I saw all the TEs they were running at camp, and a few of them looked halfway decent, I figured Chad would have to wait for something drastic to happen late in the season.
At first I thought they were just bringing warm bodies to take reps at TE until Chad was healthy enough to sign a contract.
But Spach certainly opened some eyes in camp, obviously. And even now I still think that, even though I like Spach, that if Chad is healthy it might be best to bring him back.
I worry about the blocking at TE and I worry about how he'll adjust to the position and also how he'll fare in crunch time. I like the safety net that Lewis gave the team. Especially since they run double-tights a whole lot.
This is one of the minor concerns I have with the team. I don't have many, but this is one.
I can't listen to "sources close to the situation" anymore.
"Sources close to the situation" said that the Eagles were going to trade Owens to the Raiders.
The Eagles don't leak their plans to the media, that instance above cemented that for me.
If McNabb talked up Spach he sounds like a sure thing to make the roster.
The Eagles don't leak their plans to the media
spads???
I've been looking for an Eagle to fill my dreadlock fix every since Al Harris got bounced outta here. Looks like my wait is almost over.
Quote from: ice grillin you on August 22, 2005, 10:11:13 AM
The Eagles don't leak their plans to the media
spads???
He has to listen at doors to get anything good and even then they only talk about what a jackass he is.
Quote from: PhillyGirl on August 22, 2005, 07:08:22 AM
I can't listen to "sources close to the situation" anymore.
"Sources close to the situation" said that the Eagles were going to trade Owens to the Raiders.
The Eagles don't leak their plans to the media, that instance above cemented that for me.
I don't recall any of the beat writers saying that, PG. The national dopes were all over that. The local guys mentioned it, but never really said it would be done.
Bayless is the jackass who started it...