Random Eagles Information Still Not Worthy of a New Thread

[Eagaholic]

Of course the Eagles will trade down. What could they possibly need? The team is perfect as constituted.

Why this is what they need:

Looking to upgrade what was one of the NFL's worst linebacking corps last season, the Eagles have naturally been projected to take a linebacker like Boston College's Luke Kuechly with their draft pick in the middle of the first round.

Kuechly, prior to boosting his draft stock even further by displaying superior athleticism at the NFL Combine in late-February, had drawn comparisons to former Penn State and Carolina Panthers linebacker Dan Connor. Both carry the reputation of run-stuffing tackle machines who are at times liabilities in coverage and both were clocked in the 4.6 vicinity in the 40-yard dash at their respective Combines.

So in case the Eagles miss out on the potential of Kuechly, it makes sense that they would pursue an available linebacker like Connor with free agency set to begin March 13.

According to a report by the Wilmington News Journal, the Eagles are indeed interested in Connor, with at least two of the paper's sources pegging Connor as a player high on the Eagles' wish list. Another source called the pairing unlikely, claiming that Connor is not the Birds' "top choice," but all of the Journal's sources confirmed that the Eagles tried to trade for Connor last August.

The Panthers refused to move him because of an injury to dynamic but oft-hurt middle linebacker Jon Beason, which thrust Connor into a starting role in the middle.

Connor made 75 tackles in 15 games for the Panthers last season, forcing a fumble and missing just five tackles in 477 snaps, for a tackle-to-missed tackle ratio of 15-to-1.

As you'd expect, Eagles linebackers had significantly lower ratios last season.

Jamar Chaney had 8.4 tackles for every miss. Casey Matthews had 9.3 tackles for every miss and struggled in coverage. Brian Rolle was at 4.2, one of the lowest ratios in the league. Rolle made 54 tackles but led the Eagles with 13 misses.

Adding a steady run stuffer such as Connor – who Pro Football Focus ranked as the 20th best run-stuffing inside linebacker in 2011 and the 15th best in 2010 – would undoubtedly help a struggling unit.

But Connor hasn't been the most durable linebacker in recent years. He missed 13 games his rookie season with a torn ACL, eight games with a hip injury in 2010 and one last season with a shoulder injury. Connor has missed 22 of 64 games since entering the league in 2008.

Should things like this still piss us off at this point? (assuming it's true)

[General_Failure]

Yes, but we should expect it anyway.

[Eagaholic]

It would save a roster spot if he could also play FB.

[ice grillin you]

1989 Eagles recall original Bounty Bowl
BY MARK KRAM

Daily News Staff Writer


AS WORD has spread that New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams paid his players bonuses if they took out the opposition - which is to say, injuring them with intent - it came as no surprise to Eagles fans of a certain age. The so-called "Bounty Bowl" between the Eagles and Cowboys in 1989 has become a staple of team lore.

To revisit what happened that Thanksgiving Day: In the aftermath of a hard hit by Eagles linebacker Jessie Small on Cowboys placekicker Luis Zendejas - who left the game with a concussion - Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson alleged that Eagles coach Buddy Ryan had placed a $200 bounty on Zendejas. The kicker was a former Eagle who said he had been warned by Philadelphia special-teams coach Al Roberts that he had been targeted.

Johnson also alleged that Ryan had placed a $500 price on the head of quarterback Troy Aikman. While Ryan would toss these allegations off as "high school Charlie stuff," Johnson would say in his postgame press conference such play "takes away from the integrity of the game." He added that he would have "said something" to Ryan on the field, except that his Eagles counterpart "put his big rear end into the dressing room."

So, what actually occurred that day? Is there a parallel to what NFL security found to have occurred in New Orleans, where players were rewarded from a bounty pool of up to $50,000 with payments for actions such as knocking a player out of the game or having an opponent carried off the field?

According to some of the players who were with the Eagles then - free safety Wes Hopkins, linebacker Britt Hager and defensive tackle/end Mike Pitts - there is no parallel in that Small received no payment for his hit on Zendejas, who had irritated Ryan with some of his comments to the press. However, Hopkins does remember that, "Buddy asked or told Jessie Small to block Luis Zendejas on the kickoff . . . That was the only time a particular player was targeted by one of our players to be blocked or hit. But there was no money involved."

Did Ryan specify how he wanted Zendejas blocked? "No, just go hit him and take him out," said Hopkins, who now lives in Alabama. "I guess it was understood that when a 6-4, 240 linebacker who goes to block a kicker, and he is running full speed at him, it is going to be a big hit . . . That was something that would have never been done on a kicker, because no one was ever designated to block the kicker on a kickoff."

So, did Ryan ever target any other opposing players that way?

Hopkins said no.

But Hopkins did say that earlier in that 1989 season at Veterans Stadium the defense was under orders to "take out" San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana. "In the first half, we had sacked him five times, I think it was, but he was still in the game," Hopkins said. "We were up 14 or something like that at halftime and we were stunned because Buddy was so upset. He picked up a chair and threw it. He wanted to knock Montana out of that game. We kept blitzing in the second half, even when it was unnecessary. You would think we would have played more of a standard defense to keep them from scoring."

With Montana throwing for 428 and five touchdowns, the 49ers won, 38-28.

Hopkins said that no money would have changed hands if Montana had been sent off the field with an injury.

Hopkins added that no opposing players were targeted the following year in the so-called "Body Bag Game" against Washington, during which six taterskins were injured (including two quarterbacks). "No, that was just our defense," Hopkins said. "We just had a phenomenal game. Whenever we tackled somebody, they just seemed to get hurt . . . There were no bounties involved."

But Hopkins, Hager and Pitts conceded that there was a pool of money that was paid out for "big hits." The money in the pool was accumulated from fines that were levied on players by the coaches for lateness and such. Hopkins said the money was then transferred back to the players during film sessions as a "kind of incentive package" to reward big hits. Hager and Pitts echoed that. Both also agreed with Hopkins that the pay was not connected to any intent to injure an opposing player.

"There would be payout for big plays - only a couple of hundred dollars," said Hager, a rookie in 1989 and currently president of My Smart Healthy, a food and beverage company based in Austin, Texas. "Usually, it was for big hits, or for fumble recoveries or interceptions. The players would vote on it."

Hager said that "it was pretty common in the league when I played."

He said that Andre Waters, legendary for his illegal hits, was not rewarded for "any of that cheap-shot crap he pulled." Steeped in dementia and depression, Waters committed suicide in 2006 by shooting himself in the head. An autopsy revealed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (ETC), a condition that stems from the jarring of the brain inside the skull.

Hager said, "No dirty play was rewarded."

He said, "The way it worked, we would be in the film room and the coaches would say, 'Great play! That is how the game is supposed to be played.' And then whoever was running the pool would slip you your amount."

Pitts more or less confirmed that scenario. "You would be rewarded for a KO block on your opponent," said Pitts, who now works as a sales agent for Pepsi in Georgia. "The coaches would review the film and the players would vote on what was a big hit. The special-teams coach or somebody like that would hold the money."

Pitts added that "probably six players" would be rewarded each week.

"Every team in the league has done this," he said. "If you find some team that says they never did it, they are lying."

Ultimately, Pitts said it was "just a way of having some fun." He added, "And it gave some players some recognition."

But that was 20 years ago or so. What once was looked upon as "fun" is now viewed with a wary eye. Unlike former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue - who performed just a cursory "investigation" into the Zendejas hit - Roger Goodell has taken a hard line on promoting player safety. In an effort to prevent unnecessary head blows - which can lead to concussions and perhaps even ETC - Goodell has fined players heavily for illegal hits and the league has instituted rules changes. Former players have filed lawsuits alleging that the NFL was an unsafe environment. According to Comcast SportsNet football analyst Ray Didinger, it would "absolutely support" the claims by the plaintiffs "if they can establish that there was a pattern in New Orleans and elsewhere of coaches paying players to injure other players." Didinger added, "The commissioner has shown he will come down on the players. Is he going to apply the same standards to the executives and coaches?"

Williams, now the defensive coordinator with the Rams, has acknowledged he was wrong. Yesterday, Saints coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis said in a statement that they take "full responsibility" for the bounty program. Substantial fines, loss of draft picks and suspensions are likely.

So how does Didinger look upon the practice of a bonus system that teams apparently have employed? To begin with, he said the extra payments to the players circumvent the salary cap and could be looked upon by the Internal Revenue Service as unreported income. That said, he added that while such a bonus system would appear to be "relatively harmless," it is a far cry from what is alleged to have happened in New Orleans.

"What you have in New Orleans is a coach who has put in place and actually administered a bounty system - which rewards players for knocking opponents out of games and injuring other players," he said. "When you do that, you have stepped across a wide and dangerous line."

Hopkins added that he was saddened by what is alleged to have occurred in New Orleans. "That is outside the lines," he said. "You never want to injure anyone. Because as a player you always know: You could be that person next time."

[MDS]

unnecessarily blitzing to take a qb out of the game and in turn losing the game?

what a great coach. you can tell why he won so many playoff games.

[ice grillin you]

you can have the gold standard ill take the gawd standard

[Sgt PSN]

This is where Todd and Havas finally break up. 

[MDS]

ill take neither because neither won dick

[ice grillin you]

This is where Todd and Havas finally break up. 

ill give him a pass cause he doesnt remember that era and continue to believe that if he did he would bow down to buddy as well

[MDS]

just to recap the phillies are losers unless they win the world series but buddy is a 'gawd' even though he couldnt even win a playoff game

ok.

i cant stand you shirley povich generation sports fans

[ice grillin you]

phillies arent losers just a massive disapointment if they dont win another....i think even the biggest south jersey homer would admit to that

[MDS]

of course they are, but you cant have it both ways

if one team sucks because they dont win so does the other. just because the colors were great and the coach was awesome doesnt mean they werent losers who didnt win anything and it doesnt mean the coach made a number of poor decisions.

[ice grillin you]

if one team sucks because they dont win so does the other.

i ever said either team sucks...not sure where you are getting any of this from

with the exception of the 83 sixers buddys eagles is my favorite team of all time....im not sure how you cant understand this....doesnt mean i hate these phillies or they suck...they just arent nearly as likable to me

[charlie]

unnecessarily blitzing to take a qb out of the game and in turn losing the game?

what a great coach. you can tell why he won so many playoff games.

I am pretty sure that loss cost them a bye and a home playoff game too. "gawd" indeed

[MDS]

if one team sucks because they dont win so does the other.

i ever said either team sucks...not sure where you are getting any of this from

with the exception of the 83 sixers buddys eagles is my favorite team of all time....im not sure how you cant understand this....doesnt mean i hate these phillies or they suck...they just arent nearly as likable to me

you arent likable to me yet i like you the most

explain