Andy Still Has D-Mac's Back!

There really is no gray-area when it comes to Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid’s relationship — pure admiration. Perhaps more than admiration, as the two had the perfect marriage for a decade, and the two came ever so close to winning that elusive Super Bowl. Sending D-Mac to the Washington Redskins was an obvious dagger to the heart of Reid, and could be penciled into the dictionary under the term ‘front office move.’

And even after McNabb’s two rough seasons outside of Philadelphia, Reid still has his back. During an interview with NFL Network, Big Red was essentially asked if McNabb could still be productive in the NFL if another team signed him — and no surprise — he gave him a glowing recommendation. Here’s what he said:

I still think he can play. I think the world of him, and we had some great years together here. I’m always wishing him the best and a fan of his. I got a chance to see him at Brian Dawkins’ retirement, he looks good. He looks physically good. He looks like he could go out and play tomorrow. I would highly recommend it.

No surprises here, not only does Reid still love McNabb, but he also is sticking by his mantra of having his player’s backs (former or current) no matter what. His comments about McNabb may be slightly embellished, but it is true that D-Mac has been working like crazy to get signed by another team. He may not be as physically fit or as athletic as he was before, but he wants to prove that he can get back in the game and win.

At this point, I’d be shocked if a team signed McNabb. But as an Eagles fan, I’d still love to see him back in the game.

Hey guys – won’t it be great to tell your lady that you could have a chance to win a year’s supply of groceries? Our friends at Ball Park are running a Facebook contest, asking fans to share a photo or video showcasing a funny/crazy example of “something only a guy would do” to win BIG.

To enter, follow this link: http://on.fb.me/GreatMomentsInGuyTime

So if you have a photo/video of a great tailgating moment, showing your team pride at the stadium, or just celebrating great times with your buddies, enter now for a chance to win a year’s supply of groceries. Nine others will win Ball Park grilling packages, complete with a grill and plenty of Ball Park products to keep your summer sizzling.

Any chance that Eagles left tackle Jason Peters could return this season is now gone according to Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.

According to a league source, Peters ruptured his Achilles tendon again after the Roll-A-Bout he was using malfunctioned. Peters was maneuvering in his kitchen when the device broke, and he fell on his face and re-injured the Achilles.

The five-time Pro Bowler needed a second surgery, and his recovery was set back three weeks. He is going to sue the manufacturer of the device.

Peters initially suffered the injury March 27 while working out near his home in Texas. Shortly after the injury, the Eagles signed veteran tackle Demetress Bell.

The McCoy vs Osi Saga Continues!

Let the old antics commence!

It started with LeSean McCoy calling Osi Umenyiora soft, and since then — it has been an all-out cat fight. Whether it be in front of reporters, with friends, or on Twitter, the McCoy vs. Osi feud seems to never end. There have been enough insults hurled back and forth (some true, and others not so much), to sink a ship. It went from childish, to immature, to just flat out ridiculous.

Things were taken to a new level when Umenyiora created a Twitter and fired out this gem:

Very nice. That must have stung. I’m glad McCoy didn’t send back an even worse comment about how he and Umenyiora’s Mom have been hooking up! Instead, he sent back a bland and plain response that did nothing more than acknowledge what was said:

Realistically, neither of these two should even be still messing with this old news, but for some reason, both dudes are bent on it. I suppose that there is really only one way to settle a dispute like this, and that’s on the field. The Eagles and Giants are going to play twice next season, possibly even a third time, so McCoy and Osi will have plenty of time to settle their issues.

That is, if Osi even sees the field!

I just couldn’t resist. But really, I doubt this little slight will be the last of what seems to be a continually growing saga between these two players. And if nothing else — it just adds to the Philly vs. New York rivalry.

It didn’t take Mychal Kendricks long into his first practice to figure out exactly what his new coaches were trying to do.

“I think the whole thing here is to make us feel uncomfortable,” the new Eagles linebacker said, “to see how much we can handle in a short amount of time.”

Welcome to the NFL, rookie.

Kendricks and 33 other rookies are among 44 players participating in the Eagles’ three-day camp, which opened Saturday at the NovaCare Complex.

Although most of the players in camp will never play in an NFL game — in fact, 13 of them are unsigned rookies who are here on a tryout basis and not even under contract — the coaches will throw a lot at everybody in a short time.

Yes, they want to see who can handle it physically. But more importantly, they want to see who can handle it mentally.

“What can you do in a pressure situation?” said Kendricks, a second-round pick from California. “If you can handle it, you can pretty much handle everything.”

Coach Andy Reid and his staff will not be shy about pushing the young players. They expect their rookies to know the playbook, they expect mental mistakes to be kept to a minimum, and they don’t want to hear any excuses.

“Going in from college, you feel like you know everything, but I’m just getting critiqued on the littlest things,” said rookie running back Chris Polk, who went undrafted despite rushing for more than 4,000 yards at Washington.

“I just really have to be a student of the game and perfect my craft, and really accept the coaching and do whatever they ask me to do. Be the first one in and the last one to leave.”

Last year — with the lockout — there were no rookie camps or minicamps, and the Eagles believed one of the reasons they struggled early in the year was a lack of offseason preparation. Philadelphia won just four of the first 12 games on the way to a disappointing 8-8 finish.

That group, laced with free-agent signees, reported to training camp at the end of July and was playing regular-season games six weeks later. This year is a different story. Though offseason workouts are strictly limited by the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement, the coaches still have time to squeeze as much teaching as possible into the handful of practices.

“I think it’s a great idea so we don’t get thrown in the line of fire when the veterans are here,” said second-round pick Vinny Curry, a rookie defensive lineman. “When they’re here, everything’s going to be crisp. But rookies, we tend to get frustrated, so it’s definitely helping us out.”

Brandon Boykin, the rookie fourth-round cornerback from Georgia, said he considered making himself eligible for the NFL draft after his junior year. If that happened, he would have wound up like the entire Eagles’ class of 2011 rookies, who still haven’t participated in any minicamps. The first full-team workouts are scheduled for later this month.

“Last year was kind of a weird year,” Boykin said. “Me being able to come in with a full season and get all the rookie stuff and all the preseason stuff out of the way, I think that’ll definitely help me, help all the rookies.

“We’re fortunate to be in a class that gets all the preparation that you possibly can before the season gets here.”

And if he turned pro a year ago? Boykin said he fears the transition would have been far more difficult without any spring or summer practices.

“Definitely glad I didn’t,” he said. “Learned a lot more as a senior and became a better player.”

The Eagles can use some of those.

Kendricks was a three-year starter at California, totaling 258 tackles, including 36.5 for a loss, with 13.5 sacks, four interceptions (one he returned for a touchdown), seven fumble recoveries and five passes defensed.

The 5-foot-11, 240-pound Kendricks was the fastest linebacker at the 2012 Scouting Combine and was selected with the 46th overall pick in the draft. With DeMeco Ryans pegged to start at middle linebacker, the Eagles are expected to move Kendricks to strong side linebacker this summer.

Kendricks is the first of the Eagles’ nine draft choices to agree to terms.

Big Red at No. 15?!

This might spark a reaction.

According to National Football Post columnist Joe Fortenbaugh, Andy Reid is the 15th best coach in the NFL. In an article in which he power ranked every NFL coach, Reid stumbled down the list and is ranked below coaches such as John Fox (Denver Broncos), Jim and John Harbaugh (49ers and Ravens) and even Mike Munchank (Titans). The list ranked Jim Schwartz of the Detroit Lions as numero uno, and had Sean Payton (due to his suspension and violation of conduct) in last place.

Here was Fortenbaugh’s explanation for Reid’s big slide:

If this were merely a ranking of head coaches based on success over an extended period of time, Reid’s resume would warrant a spot higher up the list. But he dropped the ball in 2011 with an unimpressive 8-8 record despite a roster that was oozing at the seams with talent. Still, it’s tough to overlook five trips to the NFC Championship game and a regular season record of 126-81-1 (.609) in 13 years on the job.

Although what he claims is dead accurate — Reid totally flopped in 2011 with a team loaded with talent — 15 seems just a tinge low to me. Philadelphia was only one game out of the playoffs, finished at .500, and Reid was able to right the ship in the final stretch of the season. Albeit, expectations were much higher at the start of the year, but Reid still managed to win some impressive games against quality teams.

Here’s the thing — in a non-lockout year, Philadelphia likely would have made the playoffs. But Reid and the massive wave of new talent that was signed last off-season were forced into learning an entirely new system in almost no time at all. That may be a weak excuse, but Reid is a better coach than a 1-4 start to the regular season, and we all know it. The kicker is that, despite having an excellent career, Reid may still get kaboshed if he doesn’t win the big game or make massive leaps and bounds in 2012.

If I were to rank Reid, I’d place him directly at No. 10.

A 2010 seventh-round pick out of Vanderbilt by the New England Patriots, Welch spent 15 weeks on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad that season before he was added to the active roster for the final three weeks. Welch did not dress for any of those games and was waived by the Vikings in September.

Welch shuttled between the Patriots’ practice squad and active roster at the start of last season, starting one of three games before joining the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad in mid-November. The Rams signed Welch off the Bills’ practice squad and he appeared in five games. In eight games with New England and St. Louis, Welch appeared in 85 offensive snaps and 21 plays on special teams.

The 6-foot-6, 312-pound Welch adds depth to the Eagles offensive tackle situation that currently has Todd Herremans and Demetress Bell as starters while Pro Bowler Jason Peters recovers from a torn Achilles’ tendon.

Brandon Boykin - The Newest Philadelphia Eagle

With the 2012 NFL Draft in the books, it’s time to do what every single writer loves to do — hand out grades and break down a team’s performance. Philadelphia had a very strong draft, but to be honest, I really liked other picks much more than others. These grades are based off of the overall selection of the player, and also if the Eagles had a need at the position. Let’s break it down:

Round 1 – Fletcher Cox, DT: A

This was the Eagles go-to guy, and Philadelphia’s front office is absolutely ecstatic that he fell as far as he did. Cox should make an immediate impact as a starter next to Cullen Jenkins in the middle, both in the running and passing game. With the addition of Cox, Philly arguably has the best defensive line in football, and the wide-nine technique should excel beyond all of our wildest dreams.

Round 2 – Mychal Kendricks, LB: B+

Philadelphia’s biggest need coming into the draft was at linebacker, and the team addressed it on very early by drafting Kendricks. The former Cal stand-out is fast as a bullet and is quite simply a total tackling machine. He’s a great addition next to DeMeco Ryans, and the Eagles have now made two major upgrades at the linebacker position. The only downside to Kendricks is that he kind of undersized to play linebacker, but he makes up for it with a really high motor.

Round 2 – Vinny Curry, DE: B+

Although Curry was a best player available pick, he is still a great fit for Philadelphia. The former Marshall stud is one of the best pass-rushers in the entire draft, and also plays the run quite well. By no means will he be competing for a starting job over Babin or Cole, but he is a crazy good addition to come off the bench. The depth on the defensive line with Curry is just getting better and better, and it should pay dividends next season.

Round 3 – Nick Foles, QB: C+

Andy Reid’s newest project has arrived. It’s too tempting for Reid not too draft a new quarterback to develop and groom every few years, and this Arizona star is projected to be the next Kevin Kolb in the Eagles scheme. I wouldn’t bank on Foles being the long-term answer at quarterback, but he does have great potential and could excel in the right situation. The only issue with drafting Foles is that Mike Kafka is likely on his way out, without ever really getting a shot in Philly.

Round 4 – Brandon Boykin, CB: A-

Philadelphia shipped off Asante Samuel for pennies on the dollar and needed to add depth at corner behind DRC and Nnamdi — hence the selection of Boykin. I love this pick, as Boykin was a total star at Georgia and should fill-in perfectly as a solid and playmaking nickel corner in the Eagles scheme. Given the right chance, I’d say that he could surprise the entire team, and maybe even work his way into a starting job by beating our DRC for an outside job.

Round 5 – Dennis Kelly, OT: B

Very unknown guy, but Howard Mudd knows how to make total garbage linemen look like Pro-Bowlers. I don’t know much about Kelly, but he really was drafted just to add depth following the Jason Peters injury. Hopefully, he doesn’t have to see the field and Demetress Bell gets the job done.

Round 6 – Marvin McNutt, WR: A+

Steal. Steal. Steal. McNutt is like Jason Avant 2.0 and should have almost no trouble becoming an instant weapon in Philadelphia’s already explosive offense. This kid was nearly impossible to cover at Iowa, and he’s going to be an absolute monster in the slot. This could easily be the best pick of the draft for the Eagles, and I expect really big things from McNutt next season.

Round 6 – Brandon Washington, OG: C

According to a few scouts around the NFL, Washington was projected to go anywhere from the fourth to undrafted, but again, Mudd probably saw something in him. More depth on the offensive line, because after all, a team can never have enough guards and tackles on the roster.

Round 7 - Bryce Brown, RB: B+

This kid is a really interesting prospect, as he has played almost no college football. He started his career as a freshmen at Tennessee as a higher ranked running back prospect than Trent Richardson, but he transferred to Kansas State for his Sophomore year, sat it out due to NCAA rules, and then entered the NFL Draft. He’s a power back that is an absolute monster out of the backfield, but he is a really raw prospect that’s going to take some time to develop. But the potential is totally there. His role behind LeSean McCoy is going to be really interesting.

Undrafted Free Agent Honorable Mention – Chris Polk, RB: A+

Scouts were hesitant to draft Polk after rumors swirled that he had a serious shoulder injury, despite the fact that he was cleared by multiple doctors. Coming into the draft, pre-shoulder rumors, Polk was projected as a high second-round pick, and Philadelphia managed to swoop him up as an undrafted free agent. This kid can flat out run, and during his tenure at Washington he was a machine in the backfield. If he can stay healthy, then he is the perfect back-up behind Shady McCoy.

Marvin McNutt - Philly's New Weapon!

Following a successful first two days at the 2012 NFL Draft, Philadelphia continued to make selections in the later rounds that have earned the Eagles immense praise amongst analysts and fans alike. The team continued to address needs both on offense and defense, and hopefully found some hidden gems in the later rounds. Here’s the breakdown:

Round 4, Pick #123, Brandon Boykin — CB — Georgia 

With the departure of Asante Samuel to the Falcons, the Eagles needed to add depth behind DRC and Nnamdi at corner — hopefully Boykin is that guy. He showed immense potential at UGA, and it’s surprising to see him slip into the fourth. Philadelphia could have a steal here, and Boykin will likely be the team’s nickel corner.

Round 5, Pick #153, Dennis Kelly — OT — Purdue

The Jason Peters injury is continuing to push the Eagles into making moves to add depth for insurance on the offensive line. Kelly isn’t a very well known prospect, and more than likely Howard Mudd saw something in the kid and urged Philadelphia’s front office to draft him. We’ll have to see how he develops behind Mudd’s direction and the leadership of Todd Herremans on the line.

Round 6, Pick #194, Marvin McNutt — WR — Iowa

McNutt was a total steal in the sixth-round, and he should make an immediate impact in the Eagles passing game. The best way to think of McNutt woud be Jason Avant 2.0. I have little doubt that this boxy kid from Iowa will not only be a huge addition to the offense, but he will likely replace Avant in the slot by the end of the season.

Round 6, Pick #200, Brandon Washington — OG — Miami

Why not? Add just a little more insurance to the offensive line, and although Washington is a guard, you can almost bet this pick comes in the wake of Peters’ injury. Philadelphia seems to have the philosophy of: Never Enough Offensive Lineman. Admittedly, I don’t know much about Washington, but scouts do seem high on him.

Round 7, Pick #229, Bryce Brown — RB — Kansas State

Bryce Brown has really done nothing at the college level. Not a thing. But before transferring out of Tennessee and to Kansas State and sitting out the year, he was ranked as one of the top running backs in the country (even above Trent Richardson). He’s a powerful rusher that has a very high motor and could make a really nice compliment to LeSean McCoy in the backfield. He’s a work in progress and it still really underdeveloped, but has the potential to be great.

Undrafted Free Agent Signings: 

Elvis Akpla, WR, Montana State

Chase Ford, TE, Miami

Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon

Emil Igwenagu, TE, UMass

Aaron Pflugrad, WR, Arizona State

Chris Polk, RB, Washington

Demaris Johnson, WR, Tulsa

Philip Thomas, S, Syracuse

Darnell Williams, WR, Louisiana College