The 2007 Offseason Thread

[MDS]

I don't get the obsession with Michael Turner. Sure he is a nice player, but people are willing to give up draft picks for him, on a team that doesn't like to run the ball, and for a guy who would be second fiddle to Westbrook. Almost every offseason resource we have needs to be spent on fixing the defense.

While I agree about the defense, bringing Michael Turner in would give me a rager the likes of which have not been seen since Briana Loves Jenna.

I love all the boner references. Keep them coming.

[Philly_Crew]

Although Duckett has the size, he has never really been the most effective short yardage back.  Almost like Ron Dayne, he is slow to the hole.  The #1 offseason priority is re-signing Stallworth,  IMO.

[rjs246]

Although Duckett has the size, he has never really been the most effective short yardage back.  Almost like Ron Dayne, he is slow to the hole. 

Duckett's second year in the league he scored 11 TDs and didn't have a single run for negative yards.

In other words, everything you just said about him is inaccurate.

[SunMo]

Paul Domowich had a super stat last night on DNL...of the 16 picks the Eagles had from the '03 and '04 drafts, 3 players are still on the team. 

that's neat.

[Rome]

It will be down to two after McDougle gets shown the door.

Tapeh & Andrews will be the only ones left from those two drafts.  Ouch.

[SunMo]

how is that not fireable on it's own

[ice grillin you]

i made a post on the board a while back that i dont feel like looking for about how unbelievably awful the defensive drafts have been since 02 (lito sheldon lewis)...its mind boggling how inept theyve been and its all catching up to them now

the defense is minimum three years away from being saved and its gonna get worse before it gets better

[Rome]

how is that not fireable on it's own

They've done just enough to remain competitive in a historically awful division that is crammed with teams who are even more clueless than they are personnel-wise.

(Edited - historically awful during the past seven seasons - obviously not before that).   

[SunMo]

oh yeah...

[Rome]

i made a post on the board a while back that i dont feel like looking for about how unbelievably awful the defensive drafts have been since 02 (lito sheldon lewis)...its mind boggling how inept theyve been and its all catching up to them now

the defense is minimum three years away from being saved and its gonna get worse before it gets better

Look at the starting defensive 11 at the beginning of the year.

1. Kearse - FA - Bust
2. Walker - Street FA - He'd be a decent backup, though.
3. Patterson - Draft - Disappointment
4. Howard - FA - Bust
5. McCoy - Draft - Replaced By Gaither/Decent Player
6. Trotter - Draft (Pre Andy)
7. Jones - FA - Awful
8. Sheldon - Draft - Solid Starter
9. Dawkins - Draft (Pre Andy) - Gawd
10. Lewis - Draft - Replaced By Considine Who Also Sucks
11. Lito - Draft - Legitimate Pro Bowler

Lito & Sheldon are the only two defensive starters selected by this regime who remain viable starters.  The rest are either free agent mistakes or in Patterson's (And Cole's, BTW) case being played way too many snaps to be effective.

[ice grillin you]

how is that not fireable on it's own

because right now the eagles have their own little old boys network in which there is no accountability...lurie and banner want people to stay with them and if you abide by that and take their offer you will be rewarded with the ultimate job security

jj taking their offer to stay as DC instead of going after the rams (and other) HC jobs

heckert taking the offer to stay here as...as....as whatever his position is instead of going for a GM job elsewhere

its much the same as they treat free agency...they will offer you right out the shoot...if you accept it youre in the club (kearse) if you dont and look to better your deal youre out (bently)

this is also why they love extending players who dont need to be extended....patterson for example...banner and lurie love to be loved and if you show them that you get rewarded...if you dont you get benched (lewis, hood)

another example is the fans....when the fans or media criticze the team look at how banner reacts...youre lucky you even have a team now shut up....ive never seen a person like banner (and probably lurie) who so need to be loved and accpeted and if they arent they get mean

[Wingspan]

Paul Domowich had a super stat last night on DNL...of the 16 picks the Eagles had from the '03 and '04 drafts, 3 players are still on the team. 

that's neat.

He's wrong. But..

In a slight defense of those drafts...the eagles were good teams, and had depth, going into them. and while 3 are only left on the team. 11.5 of those 16 players...  are still playing (the .5 being Bruce Perry)

Shawn Andrews
Matt Ware - Arizona
J.R. Reed    - Atlanta
Trey Darilek - Miami
Thomas Tapeh
Andy Hall
Dexter Wynn - Houston
Adrien Clarke
Bruce Perry - Sorta Philly
Dominic Furio
Jerome McDougle
L.J. Smith
Billy McMullen    - Minnesota
Jamaal Green
Jeremy Bridges - Carolina
Norman Lejeune - Miami

[SunMo]

so 4 of 16 instead of 3, that's still awful.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Whats the deal with Ryan Moats anyway?  Is he even going to be back next season?

I think I found the perfect answer to this in Moats' newest blog on PE.com:

I'm just going to keep working. Work hard. Work harder. Get ready for training camp and mini-camps and just get ready for a battle.

I already know what I need to do. I haven't played that much, but I've taken that time to study and get ready. Every step of the way this whole year, there hasn't been too much time to sit around and not really do anything.

One of the people who has helped me the most is Coach Shuey. He basically figured out the way that I learn and tried to implement different teaching methods to teach me how to sustain the playbook and hold onto it in my mind and if I get to that point, I can just play football to my natural ability.

It's more of a visual thing when I learn. It's hard when you're not in there getting the visual. When you're looking at it on paper, it doesn't look the same in front of you. That's basically what I started doing with this scout-team stuff. That gave me the look I needed. I see what happens, that's what happens. We use that and sometimes visually through your mind out there on the field you can see it and store it.

I don't think my lack of playing time had anything to do with my knowledge of the playbook. I'm pretty good with it. I know everything in it now. I think I did well with the small playing time I had in the beginning of the year. That Jets game to end the preseason was pretty much my first preseason game. I didn't do great, but I did well. I picked up blitzes and ran the ball, all the things that they asked of me. I used to think the reason I wasn't playing was because of me. It's just the situation you're in and you have no control over it. You have two good backs in front of you and I just have to sit back and learn.

Of course, this season was frustrating. Before the season there was all of this talk of me and Westbrook in there at the same time doing all of these flip-flops in there. It was frustrating when I'd get one carry in a game and I ran the ball well on that one carry. Every game I'd hope for that one carry and knew I had to make the most of it. I thought I did pretty good on that one carry every game I played in.

I want to improve the blocking part of my game in the off-season. I always want to improve everywhere. I thought that for the most part, I picked up every blitz. In the Atlanta game, I picked up every blitz. I wouldn't say it was a problem, but maybe in the coaches' eyes it may be. But I can't read everybody's mind and I figured that out a long time ago. As far as myself, I thought I had it down pretty well.

Any running back would love to evolve into a better running back every year. Of course, I would want to evolve. Would I want to be like Brian Westbrook? I feel like we are totally different backs in a way. He does the catching part better than me, he's a better receiving back then I am, I'll admit that. He does excel at that part of the game. If you put him out wide, he's just as good as a wide receiver catching the ball. I'm more of a runner. I'm learning that part now, the catching part. The most I did in college was an out route, or a Texas route or a hitch.

I remember when I got here everyone was like Westbrook is awesome, but I had to see it for myself. So since I've been here, he's made me go 'wow' a few times.

I think my preseason injury set me back. I don't blame the coaches. They couldn't see me do anything, and I was hurt. I ran hard in preseason. On every run, I ran hard. I'm not going to look back and wish it could have been different, although I wish I never got hurt. It's all growing pains. Growing pains. I've been through a whole bunch before I even got here and it's not going to change. I'm sure Westbrook has too. He's showing people what he's made of.

The focus for me now is on getting stronger and getting back. I feel like I lost a little bit of my natural running ability. I need to get back to utilizing my instincts and tendencies more. You can't do that to a running back, put him in a military system and force him to run a way that he isn't comfortable with. Now, you don't want him to be a wild animal out there. You just have to be smart, finding the balance between the two.

That should just about sum it up. I know most football players aren't the sharpest pencils in the box, but Moats is D-U-M-B.

[rjs246]

Best third round pick ever. Definitely better than Duckett. Definitely.