10 questions facing the defense

[Seabiscuit36]

and what makes you think cole has to come off the bench and all these other guys dont...cause hes out of shape...too small...whats your reason?

You've seen it, I've seen it, everyone has seen it...He is much more effective coming in on 3rd down, and when he has been asked to take over the starter role he's worn down as the season has progressed and hasn't produced as much. However, the drop in numbers might also be due to teams realizing that HE was the guy that needed to get the double teams without Kearse in the line up.

Him coming in on 3rd down is more about how tire the OL is when he comes in fresh.  Cole just needs to even out his motor as Dawk would say.  Dawk said a while back that the good players are the ones who can stay in high gear and not burn out too early.  I think Killa understands this, plus last year he was being double teamed on every play thanks the zesty play of the rest of the DL

[ice grillin you]

it is pretty obvious that cole has been a lot more effective as a sack specialist on passing downs than as a every down player. that doesnt mean i think he needs to come in on 3rd downs only or not start but the #s dont lie about his production thus far.

i will fully admit that its possible trent cole just isnt that good and hes a back up nfl lineman...i happen to think he has all the tools to be a nfl starter but maybe im wrong

i just take umbrage with people that say hes to small or has a conditioning problem...thats just retarded

[Seabiscuit36]

Killa is a big dood, he just needs to work on Cardio.  Honestly i cant imagine conditioning not being the focus this year for him. 

[ice grillin you]

his cardio is fine....he was running all over the field during the late season winning streak last year...he just wasnt finishing...gettin a lot of mamulas...

it wasnt like he wasnt getting off the line...i notcied what was happening A LOT was him getting to far outside...he needs to come up with a second or third move cause the tackles were anticipating him coming outside everytime and basically theyd give him a shove which would put him too wide and hed end up getting to the feet of the qb a second to late

i think the key for him now is technique and just maturing and realizing this is the nfl and you cant use your athleticism to get you by in using the same type rush every down...linemen adjust to you and now you must adjust to them...WOW im just full of cliches this morning

[Seabiscuit36]

his cardio is fine....he was running all over the field during the late season winning streak last year...he just wasnt finishing...gettin a lot of mamulas...

it wasnt like he wasnt getting off the line...i notcied what was happening A LOT was him getting to far outside...he needs to come up with a second or third move cause the tackles were anticipating him coming outside everytime and basically theyd give him a shove which would put him too wide and hed end up getting to the feet of the qb a second to late

i think the key for him now is technique and just maturing and realizing this is the nfl and you cant use your athleticism to get you by in using the same type rush every down...linemen adjust to you and now you must adjust to them...WOW im just full of cliches this morning

IGY full of Cliche's and Hyperbole?  You kid!

[Feva]

his cardio is fine....he was running all over the field during the late season winning streak last year...he just wasnt finishing...gettin a lot of mamulas...

it wasnt like he wasnt getting off the line...i notcied what was happening A LOT was him getting to far outside...he needs to come up with a second or third move cause the tackles were anticipating him coming outside everytime and basically theyd give him a shove which would put him too wide and hed end up getting to the feet of the qb a second to late

i think the key for him now is technique and just maturing and realizing this is the nfl and you cant use your athleticism to get you by in using the same type rush every down...linemen adjust to you and now you must adjust to them...WOW im just full of cliches this morning

Couldn't agree more.  I think he's more than capable of being an every down player in the NFL.  Is work ethic and conditioning are more than fine.  I'm just not sure he's there yet... and while he is developing those other moves (I think he actually has a pretty decent bull rush as well)... I like him most as a sack specialist.

It's not so cut and dry as he either is a full-time starter or a career 3rd down guy.

[Munson]

Exactly. I'm not saying he's 100% not a starter, or whatever...but anyone can see he's been more effective coming in off the bench on 3rd downs as a sack specialist.

Christ IGY I know you're on his nuts but you're acting like we're attacking him or something. Calm down and slowly remove his jewels from your mouth. He's a great player and fine as a starter...just easy to see how much more effective he's been rotating in.

And stop with this "you must have heard so and so and ran with it blah blah blah..." I know a hell of a lot more about playing the game of football then you ever will. And at no point did I say Trent Cole has a conditioning problem. Ever. Stop speaking in hyperbole, you won't seem like such an idiot who can't read posts.

[ice grillin you]

Christ IGY I know you're on his nuts but you're acting like we're attacking him or something. Calm down and slowly remove his jewels from your mouth.

me: "i will fully admit that its possible trent cole just isnt that good and hes a back up nfl lineman"

mmm yeah his penis tastes so good...who exactly cant read?


And at no point did I say Trent Cole has a conditioning problem. Ever.

you: "If I knew the reason why, I'd be on some NFL conditioning staff."


And stop with this "you must have heard so and so and ran with it blah blah blah..." I know a hell of a lot more about playing the game of football then you ever will.

ahaha....you cant even piss straight...everyone of your posts screams acne laced prepubescent nerd yell out loud so the world will take me seriously douchbag...go fake drunk on the internet some more you little twat

[Eaglez]

I think too much blame is solely being placed upon Cole and not enough along the whole D-Line. The DTs last year got hardly any pressure up the middle or absorbed double teams consistently. I haven't seen film but because of the poor push up the middle Cole may have been double-teamed more knowing that he is more of a threat coming off the edge.

If Kearse can stay healthy and Bunkley can step up, I think Cole's production can go up as well. I don't think it is a matter of his conditioning, strength, tangibles, intangibles, etc. I think Phreak is correct that (1) he needs better line play by his teammates and (2) he needs to develop better technique on the outside and can't just rely on his speed.

Plus, I think Ian Scott rotating in will help a lot among the DTs. He has been somewhat of an underachiever until now but hopefully he can find his niche in this defense. I remember Darwin Walker was an underachiever in Arizona before he came to the Eagles and blossomed as a very good passing rushing DT during his time year absent some forgettable line play. Hopefully Scott can blossom into the run stuffing DT/balanced DT that he was labeled as in Chicago.

Juqua Thomas is a 3rd down "passing rushing specialist/joker", Cole is as close to an every-down DE as you can get -- he just needs some help.

[Munson]

Christ IGY I know you're on his nuts but you're acting like we're attacking him or something. Calm down and slowly remove his jewels from your mouth.

me: "i will fully admit that its possible trent cole just isnt that good and hes a back up nfl lineman"

mmm yeah his penis tastes so good...who exactly cant read?


And at no point did I say Trent Cole has a conditioning problem. Ever.

you: "If I knew the reason why, I'd be on some NFL conditioning staff."


And stop with this "you must have heard so and so and ran with it blah blah blah..." I know a hell of a lot more about playing the game of football then you ever will.

ahaha....you cant even piss straight...everyone of your posts screams acne laced prepubescent nerd yell out loud so the world will take me seriously douchbag...go fake drunk on the internet some more you little twat

Goddamn you're retarded. Not just some Forrest Gump shtein either, you're farging down syndrome, mother did coke when pregnant, dropped on the head as a baby retarded. Or you just can't read.

Just because he's good enough to be a starting NFL DE, which he is, doesn't mean he can't be more effective coming off the bench on 3rd downs as a pass rushing specialist. Like Feva said, it's not 100% one way or the other. Yes, he's played well as a starting DE. Yes, despite that fact, he's done much better in a 3rd down pass rushing role. Why? Probably because he was just resting for two downs while the opposing OLineman he's about to bitch slap just spent the last two downs on the field getting beat up.

As for the "conditioning" comment, If I knew someway to make a player, any player, not get worn down as the season goes on, I'd be a very very rich man. Stop being so farging stupid and speaking in hyperbole. Not in one post did I say Cole is too small or too out of shape. He's just proven so far to put up much better numbers as a #3 rotational pass rushing DE then he has as an everydown starter.

And yes, I always have and always will know more about playing the game of football then you, fargtard. Either that or you just choose to act more stupid then you really are.

[Eaglez]

What IGY is saying, I think, is that any DE can be more effective coming in on 3rd downs because he is then well-rested. And coming in only on third down implies that he either (1) lacks conditioning and/or (2) doesn't have strength to play on every snap. Otherwise, you'd think he would be on the field for every snap absent some circumstance where JJ may want to put in a particular package that someone else may be better suited to handle.

And I don't think this discussion involves any hyperbole. Hyperbole is an overstatement or exaggeration. I don't think anyone is exaggerating by saying that any DE will be more rested by virtue of not playing much and therefore can be more effective since he would have more energy. I think that's factually true. Essentially, saying that he's better on 3rd downs because he's well-rested can be attributed to any DE in the league. So it's not something unique to Cole's situation.

I think Cole can play on every snap, he just needs more help from the players to his left and needs to develop better pass rushing techniques and learn to setup blockers like Phreak said.

[ice grillin you]

it goes without saying that munson has no idea what hyperbole means but still you explained what is going on here very well...you left out the part about him being a clueless bitchmade pissant tho

[Diomedes]

less words you pricks

[Eaglez]

Cole is Gawd. End story.

[SD_Eagle5]

Owning up to D blame

Owning up to 'D' blame

Dawkins says defense is reason Eagles lost in playoffs
By LES BOWEN
bowenl@phillynews.com

YONG KIM/Daily News
Eagles' Brian Dawkins spoke to defense about upcoming season.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Eagles defensive players weren't surprised, cornerback Sheldon Brown said yesterday, when All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins stood up at their first gathering of training camp to remind his mates of a bitter truth: It was the defense's fault the 2006 season ended in a second-round playoff loss in New Orleans. They were the ones who couldn't get off the field as the final minutes ticked away. They were the ones who let the Saints bulldoze them to the tune of 208 rushing yards.
Brown said no one was surprised because Dawkins said much the same thing in the locker room at the Superdome, just after the Birds' playoff quest fizzled. Tuesday night, Dawkins was just reminding them, nearly 7 months later, of their need to redeem themselves.

"After the game he was disturbed and disappointed we couldn't get off the field," Brown said after the Eagles' revamped D dominated the first day of full-squad training camp practice with pads, swarming to the ball with gusto. "We already knew what to expect when he arrived. He would have given the speech earlier, if he had been here during [minicamps].

Dawkins missed the minicamps, attending to his wife and their premature twins. But he is back now, and so it seems, is the defense, with a little more depth and swagger than when we last saw it.

"It was a strong message. It was an amazing situation, because he stood up and had the respect of everyone. Everyone's eyes were turned on him. It's just a great feeling knowing you're on the field with a guy like that. I'm looking forward to the season," said slimmed-down second-year defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley.

Last season, Bunkley was the first-round rookie who showed up late and out of shape, the guy the coaching staff thought would help plug the middle but didn't. Bunkley said yesterday he is down to 290, about 30 pounds lighter than a year ago. He begins this camp as a starter, lining up alongside Mike Patterson.

"He's ready - I believe he's ready. You have to wait and see," Dawkins said yesterday, when asked about Bunkley. "I'm not going to lift him up [as] 'Pro Bowl Man,' but I think he understands what we expect of him, what is expected of him in that position he's in, how much we need him to be what we thought he would be."

Dawkins acknowledged he had talked to Bunkley individually.

"I talked to him. I didn't get on him, but talked to him. He was going through a tough rookie year, and I know he's happy to have that behind him. You can just look at his face and see how much more confident he is, in the scheme, reading his blocks, and what he has to do up front. I think he's a lot more confident and comfortable in doing that this year."
As for his address to the entire unit, Dawkins didn't want to share specifics. Asked why the defense needed to be challenged, he said: "I don't know if we needed it, but I felt like it was something I wanted to say."
After finishing 26th against the run last season, the Eagles' defense knows it will face about as many questions about that this training camp as Donovan McNabb will face about his knee. (In fact, those are the two biggest variables right now - if you could guarantee that McNabb will be healthy and that the defense will be significantly better, you could pretty much guarantee a decent playoff run, if not a Super Bowl appearance.)

It's early yet, but nobody on the defense seems to resent the questions.

"If people rush for 200 yards, that's going to be a question we're going to have to answer," Brown said.

Brown isn't claiming great improvement for the unit yet, by the way. As excited as he is to see new linebacker Takeo Spikes and new defensive tackles Montae Reagor and Ian Scott, along with might-as-well-be-new linebacker Chris Gocong, who missed his rookie season with a neck injury, Brown noted that "it's a hard defensive scheme to learn. If you're out there thinking, you can't let your physical ability take over. Hopefully, you can catch it all here mentally, and when you get in a game, you can just fly around."

Spikes didn't seem to be too confused yesterday; he looked fast and aggressive.

"I haven't felt this good in 2 years," said Spikes, who suffered an Achilles' tear in September 2005. "It just takes time. Now, I'm officially back. I felt good - my steps feel solid, explosive. I felt strong, didn't get fatigued at all."

Spikes said Johnson's defense is similar to the one he played in Buffalo before the 2006 season, when the Bills went to Cover 2. "I love [the Eagles' scheme]. This is a good fit; you're being proactive, instead of reactive," Spikes said.

Equally positive was defensive end Jevon Kearse, whose 2006 season ended in September because of a knee injury. Kearse said Spikes approached him and Patterson on the sideline, just to tell them how much he appreciated the chance to play with them. Kearse said he understood how Spikes felt.

"Playing with a lot of 'dawgs' out there on the field, you don't feel like you've got to put everything on your shoulders," Kearse said. "You're able to play free and to have fun out there, instead of thinking, 'If I mess up, no one else is going to stop 'em.' That's not the situation on our team."

Kearse is often perceived as a disappointment because his 18 1/2 sacks in 31 Eagles games over three seasons, since signing an 8-year, $66 million contract, are not superstar-level. And he certainly isn't a run-stuffer. But Dawkins said Kearse's presence is important, just the same.

"There are certain blocking schemes you can't use against the Eagles when Jevon is in the game," Dawkins said. "That's just being honest. You can't slide away from him. You have to have someone to make sure they know where he is at all times."

Dawkins was asked why he thought this team, which was pretty talented even after Kearse went down in Week 2, couldn't stop the run last season.

"I don't know," he said. "I know we had a lot of guys hurt last year . . . That still doesn't take away the fact that we gave up too many yards in certain games, and not being able to get off the field. We can't do that as a defense. You can't be a top-ranked defense and not be able to get off the field sometimes.
"I think with healthy guys, the new additions we have on the defensive side of the ball, and the maturity of 'Bunk,' that it's going to be a better year. I'm not going to make any predictions or stuff, but it's going to be a better year." *

I'd fully support and donate money towards a Dawkins statue outside the linc.