LJ Smith quote on negotiating with Eagles

[Munson]

IGY, I've been a huge LJ supporter and all, but to say he's "damn good" is....meh. I mean I thought he'd put up huge numbers this year, but over the last few weeks I think he's dropped more passes then Reggie Brown.

His hands do, however, seem to get more sticky the closer the Eagles get to the endzone. Too bad they won't be that close to it for the rest of the year.

[Eaglez]

He's good, but he's expendable. He hasn't been as dominant as everyone thought he would be. Over the past 2 years everyone has been saying "this is his breakout year" and it has never materialized. Now, it might not be his fault wholly, because the playcalling is obviously suspect and he might not have had a lot of opportunities, but his blocking is sub-par and his hands have been pretty atrocious over the past few weeks as well.

What's sad is that LJ has talent, but he probably won't flourish in this system with the way he's being utilized. LJ might be one of those players who benefits from a change of scenery and/or a change in coaching.

[Magical_Retard]

i would want him to be re-signed.

[Diomedes]

I'd like to see LJ stay with the Eagles. On balance, he helps the team.  He needs to wise up, and to block better, but he's not the TE the Eagles should be letting go.

[Feva]

I'd like to see LJ stay with the Eagles. On balance, he helps the team.  He needs to wise up, and to block better, but he's not the TE the Eagles should be letting go.

I agree.  When it comes down to it... he's a positive on this team, not a negative.  Yes, he has his faults (blocking) and all that, but he's a weapon that adds another dimension to this offense.

[Eaglez]

LJ had a decent game tonight. I'm just interested to see how much he'll demand in FA, assuming he gets to test the market. TE's are pretty much at a premium in the NFL, and I don't know if the Eagles will match any offer if they don't re-sign him.

He is under contract for '07 though, isn't he?

I dunno, he just hasn't been that great safety valve for McNabb as a thought he would be by now, that's the only reason that I wouldn't go crazy if he does walk. Now, it might be that he was never used effectively as someone who worked the middle consistently, and the Eagles used him in a manner that wasn't exactly conducive to his talent, but I guess we'll never know.

I was always under the impression that LJ never worked the middle of the field enough. Andy never gave him routes where he would work from hash mark to hash mark. It seems like LJ always was sent on out patterns or they tried TE screens with him, or maybe just sent him on a go route down the field, but he was hardly seen in the middle of the field working on safeties. Maybe in the next couple of weeks he'll get more of those looks without the Eagles being any real threat down the field (but, one could argue that they weren't the past 5 weeks), and we'll see if his protection dramatically increases.

[Munson]

Actually I think he's worked the middle of the field a lot. The problem has been that the routes he's been running are 4-8 yard turn arounds right around the LB's. Why waste his athletic ability on those routes? Those are the balls he has frequently dropped too. He's at his best on the run, preferably a little deeper then the LB's, and underneath the safety's in the middle of the field.

[SunMo]

i want LJ to stay too, but it bothers me that he is a terrible blocker.  if there is one thing you don't need imbedded talent to do, it's blocking.  anybody with a little ambition and hard work can be a good blocker.  Gates talks all the time about working on his blocking to become a well rounded TE.  i don't know why LJ won't work on it, but it's probably because he knows he won't be held accountable on it.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I like LJ, but he's replaceable if the team starts building around the ground game.

  roflcopter

[ice grillin you]

yeah why would lj work on blocking...blocking for who

what they need to do is spread him out much more and use him more as a hback/wr than a te...much like the skins do with cooley

i agree with munson lj runs way to many shorts hooks...he needs to get donw the field more...deeper seam routes and especially mid range crossing patters where he can use his speed...why would you have an athletic te run to middle of the field and turn around

i know why

becaus thats how andys offense is drawn up and god forbid you cater some of the offense to the players in it

[hunt]

lj's goal post slam dunk while down by 2 touchdowns was quite impressive.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

lj's goal post slam dunk while down by 2 touchdowns was quite impressive.

I thought that was basically a "shout-out" to McNabb.

[Diomedes]

I thought that was awful.  I think all celebration is awful. 

Coaches need to put on suits and start benching shtein head players.  Bring some dignity back to the game.  Watching some icehole player celebrate his TD or his sack is sickening.  Show some goddamned class. 

I'm starting to hate the NFL.

[Quasimoto]

You must have really loved it when Trotter did his signature Axe-Man celebration after finally getting to Dominic Rhodes! 

[SunMo]

nm