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2012 Philadelphia Eagles Offseason Review: They're Doing It Again

2012-05-15T12:00:37Z

In honor of the rookie minicamp that took place over the weekend, I decided this would be a good time to review the Eagles' 2012 offseason -- one which will prove pivotal to the future of the Andy Reid era.

Getting the fans' hopes up, that is. Last year it was the splash in free agency, this year it's a coup in the draft. But seriously, I love what the Eagles did over draft weekend two weeks ago and am just as giddy as everyone else about the results. Add that to the solid moves the team made in hiring Todd Bowles to coach the secondary, extending Todd Herremans and Trent Cole, retaining DeSean Jackson, trading for DeMeco Ryans, signing Demetress Bell (even though it was purely a move necessitated by, sigh, the devastating blow of Jason Peters' unfortunate torn Achilles injury)... you know, the Eagles are sitting kinda pretty right now.

First, a look at free agency. All the signings came within a four-day whirlwind that barely gave Eagles fans a time to catch their collective breath. And it all happened so... so smoothly! There was no bickering in public, no visible bitterness between the organization and player. It was painless. That has to count for something in the good karma department, right? The initial moves involved locking up two cornerstones who exemplify the organization's draft prowess when it comes to selecting gems in the mid-to-late rounds. They would be 2005 selections Todd Herremans, pride and joy of Saginaw Valley State (D-II), who was taken in the fourth round with the 126th overall pick, and Trent Cole, the first in a line of successful Cincinnati Bearcats-turned-Eagles, taken in the fifth round with the 146th overall pick.

On March 13 the team extended Todd Herremans' contract another three years, through 2016, at $21 million with $11 million guaranteed. He'll turn 30 in November, so this is the contract that will take him through the end of the prime years of his career (offensive tackles traditionally have a tendency to age a little better than other positions, strangely enough mimicking the longevity of the quarterbacks they protect). The money is perfect -- a bargain, really -- for a highly talented player at a premium position, not to mention an awesome dude in general who connects well with the fan base, loves the area, is an important presence in the locker room as a veteran leader, and a true professional in every sense of the word. Herremans has the talent to be an All Pro, and really should have already earned a few soon-to-be-extinct Pro Bowl nods. All told, when factoring in the original extension to his rookie deal signed at end of 2006, you're talking about an eight-year, $38 million deal with $16 million in guaranteed money. I must reiterate, really sweet bargain.

The very next day came news that Trent Cole had also re-upped with the Eagles. Officially, it's a four-year extension worth up to $53 million with $15 million in guaranteed money (which, as we know, is the only thing that matters). It takes Cole through the 2017 season, when he'll turn 35. He'll most likely never see the end of the contract (as he's set to earn $13.9 million in 2017), and that's fine because the Eagles are really only paying a premium price for the first few years, which, like with Herremans, marks the end of his prime. Also, the $15 million bonus will sort of act as a token of appreciation for services rendered while Cole was being paid far under market value yet not publicly voicing his displeasure with the media. The key is to remember that Cole, then in just his second season but already showing immense promise, signed an extension of his rookie contract in 2006. It's a ploy that made the Eagles notorious in the salary cap-conscious NFL -- locking up their young stars at a below market rate for the future by offering money and security up front. All told, when combining the newest extension with the remaining two years of Coles' original deal from 2006, the total contract going forward comes out to $59.3 million over six years. In essence, Trent Cole signed a career contract with the Philadelphia Eagles for 11 years and $81 million, with $27 million guaranteed. I think that's right. Regardless, I'd say that ended up being a pretty damn good deal for both sides.

Hours after the deal with Cole was announced, we learned that the the most vexing issue of all had been resolved with the re-signing of DeSean Jackson. The contentious contract squabble that hovered like a dark cloud over the Eagles' 2011 season and no-doubt propelled Jackson's questionale effort at times was finally over. And it happened so... so amicably! What's more, DeSean signed a very, very favorable deal for the Eagles, at $51 million over five years with less guaranteed money ($15 million) than Pierre Garcon ($21.5 million). This contract is one hell of a hometown discount! Jackson's press conference was as much about nobility as it was relief. Get this, part of the reason he took less of a signing bonus is because he wants to earn the maximum value of his contract. Wait, what? He wants to earn the money?! DeSean, I'm sorry for the things I said last season. Let's start over.

To cap off the four-day flurry of signings and happy feelings, Evan Mathis chose to return to the Eagles instead of fleeing the nest for Baltimore when he inked a five-year, $25 million deal with $7 million guaranteed. This marked yet another highly palatable contract for the Eagles that also served as the financial windfall Mathis had been in search of his entire career. As a 30-year old without much tread on his tires in terms of compounded playing time, and who says Howard Mudd is the best thing to happen to his career, Mathis should perform at a high level for the duration of the contract. He has an ideal skill set for Mudd's preferred blocking scheme and has been rated as one of the best guards in the entire league multiple times by Pro Football Focus. I also would be remiss if I didn't mention that he has perhaps the most entertaining Twitter account of any pro athlete, in any sport.

Three days after the Mathis signing, the Eagles addressed their much-maligned linebacker corps in a trade with the Houston Texans. By sending a 2012 fourth round pick (acquired from Tampa Bay) and swapping third round picks with the Texans, the Eagles were able to acquire DeMeco Ryans. From the moment he entered the league as a rookie in 2006 to suffering an Achilles tear in the middle of the 2010 season, he was one of the best middle linebackers in the game and a two-time Pro Bowl selection. The 2011 campaign was a trying one for Ryans as he attempted to regain his past form. It usually takes at least a full calendar year (and typically more) for players to feel "like themselves" again after a major ligament injury in the lower half of their body. So, even if they're able to play, they're not totally confident in their movements and aren't ready to trust that the injury is fully healed. This leads to a lot of thinking instead of reacting and just doing, more often than not rendering the player a step slow or a second late. Ryans went through that experience and encountered plenty of struggles along the way, but he started to show glimpses of his ability again late in the season and performed at a high level in the playoffs. The Eagles need a steady, respected, vocal, and emotional leader in the middle of the defense, and that is precisely what they got in DeMeco Ryans. He turns 28 in July and is in line to make $26.1 million over the next four seasons, so this isn't an insignificant investment on the Eagles' part. Now, the Texans' willingness to deal Ryans for a mid-round pick gives me some reason for pause, and there will always be concerns about a player's ability to return to form following an injury as serious as a torn Achilles tendon. However, in addition to Ryans' clean bill of health and impactful play toward the end of the season, I'm encouraged by the fact that his former teammates in Houston were genuinely shocked and saddened to see him go. My one qualm: Eagles fans see him as some kind of savior for the defense and the answer to all our linebacker woes. Let's not go nuts, okay? Ryans is undoubtedly an excellent pickup who should help considerably strengthen the middle of the Eagles defense, but he's not that "final piece" who's going to magically make the unit elite. He's not the solution, just part of it.

Lastly, I'm not going to pretend like I've ever watched Demetress Bell play, and that I know anything about him, aside from being one of Karl Malone's illegitimate children and having replaced Jason Peters in Buffalo three years ago. But I will say this: In Howard Mudd I trust.

Edit: The LeSean McCoy contract extension situation remains the final item on the offseason agenda. As I wrote in February, I think a six-year, $65-70 million deal with $30-35 million guaranteed should get it done, don't you? That would make Shady the second highest-paid running back in the league, behind only Adrian Peterson.

You know I couldn't go an entire evaluation without leveling some sort of criticism, so here it goes. I'm still terrified of our safeties, both in terms of starters and depth. I think Nate Allen's a good player and has a bright future, but he's hardly the guy I want leading that group. As for the competition at strong safety, are we really putting all our eggs in the Kurt Coleman/Jaiquawn Jarrett basket? Are the Eagles actually comfortable with the guys they have? Oy vey. Come on, Howie, don't feed me that load of bullshit. How about signing a veteran, as an insurance policy at worst and a legitimate starter at best, to compete with and mentor the youngsters? Yeremiah Bell, who flourished under new secondary coach Todd Bowles the past four seasons in Miami, is still on the market and could be had at a discounted price. Yes, he's 34, but he didn't become a real full-time starter until turning 30. Since 2008, Bell has played in all 64 possible games and posted at least 100 total tackles each season. The fact that ~80% of those totals were of the solo variety indicates he's a strong, fundamental tackler, and, as we've seen in recent seasons, that is certainly a component this defense sorely needs. There are few things worse than watching defenders lunge for a big hit and miss instead of breaking down and wrapping up like a smart player. Sloppy technique and pathetic effort when it comes to tackling have plagued the Eagles, and it's a major reason the team has struggled so mightily on defense since Jim Johnson's passing. Following Bell's release from the Dolphins, there were rumblings that the Eagles were interested in picking him up. Even if he's not the guy the team ultimately decides it wants, please, Howie, sign another safety.

Now, for the draft recap. The prospect haul is already prompting (severely premature) comparisons to 2002, when the team mined future Pro Bowl players Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis, and Brian Westbrook with three of the first four picks, as well as a should-have-been Pro Bowler in Sheldon Brown. Oh, and the Eagles' last pick -- seventh round, 238th overall -- was Raheem Brock, the Philadelphia native and Temple product playing in the team's backyard. He's carved out a pretty nice career for himself and managed to win a Super Bowl with the Colts. Unfortunately, the Eagles cut Brock before he even played a game for the team. He's one that got away. So, to summarize, that's five INCREDIBLE hits on eight picks. This just doesn't happen anymore. Until it does.

To hear the analysts tell it, the Eagles had the best draft of any team in the league. Mel Kiper loved it. Mike Mayock raved. Ray Didinger taunted the front office at first for past missteps before giving credit where it was due and gushing over the selections. Hell, was there anyone who didn't applaud the Eagles' efforts? Apparently not. I guess you could say I was pretty excited too. Get the keys to the hype machine, it's time to throttle that bad boy back into overdrive.

Round (Overall)

1 (12): Fletcher Cox - DT - Mississippi State - 6035 / 298

Things started off the way everyone in the Eagles' war room -- and most fans out of it -- were hoping. The Eagles thought Fletcher Cox was a top seven pick and were shocked to see him "sliding." So Howie Roseman called up John Schneider in Seattle and worked out the parameters of a trade. For fourth and sixth round picks, the Eagles were able to move up three spots and get their man. More than a few analysts said they had Cox as the best defensive player in the draft.

To hear Cox and Jim Washburn talk about it, the two couldn't be happier at the idea of working together. Washburn fell in love the moment he saw that blend of massive size and rare talent flash on TV during a random weekday game in November and was licking his chops at the chance to draft the young man. Here's what I wrote about Cox prior to the draft:

Defensive Tackle

The Best: Fletcher Cox - Mississippi State - 6035 / 298

Just as unbelievable and breathtaking a size/weight/speed specimen as Dontari Poe, perhaps even more so -- Cox ran a 4.79 at nearly 6-4 and 298 pounds! That's totally insane, and it's no fluke, either. He really is a special athlete and unique player. Cox is quick, explosive, sudden, relentless, and has "whoa"-eliciting ability. When I watched him play, he reminded me of Tommie Harris. Cut his teeth in the SEC and was a terror on the interior, routinely penetrating into the backfield and blowing plays up (5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in 2011). Combine the rare, remarkable physical skills with that "high motor" and versatility (can play DT or DE), and, well, is there any way Jim Washburn and the Eagles don't have Cox atop their board? Scuttlebutt is that the Eagles will attempt to move into the top-10 (it'll take their first second round pick) to get him.

Edit: Love this story. Good pick, Iggles. Cox is perfect for Washburn's "Wide 9" scheme. Also, he is from a place called Yazoo City. Yazoo City! Come on, that's awesome.

Former college teammate Jamar Chaney said Cox is a Pro Bowl player, before adding the dreaded -- if always applicable -- "if he's able to stay healthy" stipulation. I really can't remember reading anything other than glowing praise. A man that size, who can move like that, will be a force on the football field. You have to give the Eagles this: They're following the philosophical methods of a championship organization -- even if it has to be the Giants. Stack the front four with amazing athletes who can wreak havoc and get to the quarterback. No quarterback -- not one -- is going to be good under constant pressure and duress, running for his life and getting hit every other play. That's been the hallmark of how the Giants have constructed their Super Bowl-winning rosters, and it's a model in which the Eagles rightly believe.

2 (46): Mychal Kendricks - ILB/OLB - California - 5112 / 240

An athletic freak of epic proportions, Kendricks has just about everything you look for at the linebacker position. Alright, so he's undersized height-wise. Whatever. He weighs 240 pounds and plays big, which is all I care about. Kendricks went berserk at the Combine, running an eye-popping 4.47 (!), while putting up a 39.5" vertical and 127" broad jump -- all three of which were tops for linebackers. He combines elite speed and explosion with a mean streak and plays like a heat-seeking missile intent on obliterating the opposition. While Kendricks' aggressiveness sometimes gets the better of him and he'll take himself out of position, it's a deficiency I can learn to live with. So, in summation, he's fast, physical, violent, relentless, and an assassin on the field. Yeah, me likey.

While Kendricks measures a smidgen over 5-11, he's stout, built like a brick shithouse, and sports a 75 5/8" (nearly 6'4") wingspan. He possesses a low center of gravity and deftly uses leverage to his advantage, generating considerable power from his base to explode through blockers and ball carriers. A fundamentally sound tackler who rarely ever whiffs once he gets a hold of his man, we're also going to see Kendricks administer a number of thunderous kill-shot hits that will have us gleefully exclaiming, "OOOOOH HOLY SHIT!!!!!" He's got sideline-to-sideline range and can cover tight ends (his wingspan helps make up for the height disadvantage). Furthermore, Kendricks is a tremendous blitzer with a knack for getting to the quarterback (13.5 career sacks). Looks like the complete package to me, and Andy already has him penciled in as the starting strongside linebacker.

2 (59): Vinny Curry - DE - Marshall - 6030 / 266

Easily the best story of any Eagles pick because this is a guy who, like us, grew up bleeding green; then he experienced a double dose of euphoria when he was not only drafted into the NFL, but selected by his favorite team. Talk about living the dream.

I first was exposed to Curry during the 2010 season when I tuned in for some Marshall games in order to watch his teammate at the time, middle linebacker Mario Harvey. While I was focused on Harvey, it was Curry who kept grabbing my attention. His coming out party was a six-tackle, two-sack performance against Ohio State in the first game of 2010, and there there was no looking back after that. The next week, against West Virginia, Curry totaled 11 tackles and added two more sacks. He was all over the place and doing something noticeable on what seemed like every snap in both of those games. The guy just played with a motor that never stopped. That was enough for me. I was a fan.

Ran an underwhelming 4.98 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine, but Curry plays fast in game action. Not a great athlete nor particularly explosive, but he's quick and sudden off the edge and flashes an array of moves. A natural pass rusher who's worked hard and improved against the run, Curry plays with a zealous love for the game of football and is a high-effort, lunch-pail type of player. The dude just brings it on every down of every game. He's determined to his opponent by outworking him, by wanting it more. Trust me, Curry will immediately endear himself to the fans oh Philadelphia, and not only because he is one himself. I look forward to him thriving under the tutelage of Jim Washburn.

3 (88): Nick Foles - QB - Arizona - 6045 / 243

From a friend, a 2010 Arizona graduate currently working for the university as the Assistant Director of Basketball Operations on Sean Miller's staff, who texted me soon after the Eagles selected Foles:

"Excellent arm, extremely precise, hard worker, tough, very high IQ, great work ethic. Great pocket passer, good size and great mobility give his size build and a bad knee. Tough to take down. When I say good arm... I mean... WOW."

Good enough for me. As someone who didn't watch a single Arizona football game, I asked if Foles could be an NFL starter. His response:

"At some point. In the right setting. Really could be great."

By the way, this friend is a native Denverite and ardent Broncos fan who was hoping Elway and company would pick Foles instead of Brock Osweiler as Peyton Manning's heir apparent.

Anyway, Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweig know a thing or two about coaching quarterbacks, so I'd say this is a pretty good situation for Nick Foles. I didn't like the pick at first because I wanted the team to address more pressing needs, but as I thought about it I realized, hey, given Vick's flaky ability to stay healthy, quarterback is a pressing need. After getting the above feedback on Foles and doing research (reading scouting reports, viewing highlights, watching his "QB Camp" segment with Jon Gruden), I'm very much on board with this pick.

4 (123): Brandon Boykin - CB - Georgia - 5094 / 182

Why Boykin was still available at this spot is beyond me. ESPN/Scouts Inc. had him 77th on its big board, and the consensus seemed to be that he rated as a second-round talent. As Matt Alkire of Scoutsnotebook.com so eloquently put it, regardless of Boykin suffering a few concussions at Georgia and then breaking his tibia at the Senior Bowl, he had no business falling to the fourth round unless he'd "had his leg amputated." As far as I can tell, Boykin's leg is still attached to his body, and his tibia is healing just fine.

The nice thing about Boykin is that he's easily one of the most versatile players in the entire draft. He can play outside or in the slot (where he'll line up with the Eagles), he's extremely dangerous as a kick returner, and was even featured in the backfield as part of some offensive sub-packages. A tough player whose surprisingly physical style belies his build (though you have to think this will only lead to more injuries at the NFL level), Boykin has 4.4 speed, electric athleticism, and excels in coverage. The question is whether he'll be able to handle the rigors of playing against NFL specimens at his size, especially inside. Aside from that, there's no questioning Boykin's natural talent. He is a born playmaker with explosive ability, someone who displays natural vision and instincts as a runner that make him a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Quite simply, Boykin appears to have been one hell of a steal at #123 overall. Seeing as how he chance to be a very important contributor for the Eagles right from the start in two phases of the game, I hope the results are borne out that way. I'll be disappointed if Boykin doesn't beat out Joselio Hanson for the slot corner spot.

5 (153): Dennis Kelly - OT - Purdue - 6081 / 321

Alright, I'll be honest, I had no idea who Dennis Kelly was when his name flashed on the screen as the Eagles' selection in the fifth round with the 153th overall pick. I'm actually disappointed with myself, because he measures as the tallest offensive lineman prospect in the entire draft, and that's the type of physical trait that would typically stick out to me when going over the list. I guess I just never went far enough in depth when it came to researching the offensive line in this draft. Besides, as I've admitted before, I don't know all the technical nuances or finer points of the position and what specifically pro scouts look for in their evaluations. It's a lot less obvious than when observing a so-called skill position player.

But here's what I will say about Dennis Kelly after doing my research: I love the pick. (If you have the time and energy, do yourself a favor and read this article/draft profile about him.) Besides, even if I had any doubt, all I have to do is just remind myself that anybody who gets the endorsement of Howard Mudd is cool by me. If nothing else, Kelly's mammoth physical stature certainly makes him an intriguing rookie to monitor.

6 (194): Marvin McNutt - WR - Iowa - 6024 / 216

I watched enough Iowa games to know that I like Marvin McNutt, and not only because of his last name. He's not an explosive burner with the kind of burst that'll allow him to be a threat deep down the field (though he's got deceptive quickness and in general his speed is adequate), but his big (10+"), soft hands, body control, and ability to adjust to the ball while it's in the air are all NFL-caliber. I've watched McNutt probably five times total and seen him make some really difficult catches in which he displays superb concentration and just plucks the ball with ease -- whether over the shoulder, while twisting and turning, in traffic, or with one outstretched arm. He makes up for average athleticism because he's smart, finds openings and soft spots in the defense, and exhibits keen awareness of both game situations and where he is on the field (seemed like he made at least one toe-tap catch near the sidelines every game). An all-around solid and savvy player who's tough and will go over the middle, McNutt won't be a dynamic #1 or #2 and I'm not sure he's got the speed, suddenness, or fluidity to be a dangerous slot option. For that reason, I figure his ceiling is probably as a #4 wide receiver. Still, McNutt should be able to contribute and find his niche in an NFL offense.

6 (200): Brandon Washington - OG - Miami (FL) - 6031 / 320

As I mentioned with Dennis Kelly, I don't feel comfortable evaluating offensive linemen. That said, Washington was generally rated as a mid-round pick and the Eagles were able to get great value by snagging him in the sixth round. Extensive experience as a starter with no serious injuries incurred; played guard and tackle in college. Based on Washington's workout numbers, it seems like he's something of a plodder and strictly a guard at the NFL level. Whatever, I've never even seen him play. But, again: In Howard Mudd I trust.

7 (228): Bryce Brown - RB - Kansas State - 5114 / 223

Acquired from the Falcons in the Asante Samuel trade, this is a pick that raised a number of eyebrows and generated plenty of buzz. Once upon a time Bryce Brown was the top-rated high school running back recruit in the country, just ahead of Trent Richardson, and the 2008 Hall Trophy winner. Talk about two paths that went in opposite directions. Richardson went on to win two national championships at Alabama while developing into the best running back in the country and a top-three pick in the NFL draft, while Brown flamed out of college football entirely after one season with Tennessee in 2009 and just a few games with Kansas State in 2011. He transferred out of Tennessee after Lane Kiffin left for USC, opting to join his brother, Arthur, at Kansas State. After sitting out a year because of transfer eligibility rules, Brown registered a mere three carries for 16 yards with the Wildcats before quitting the team for personal reasons. Whatever the case, "quit" is never a word you want to see associated with a prospect. Brown didn't leave Kansas State on good terms, his teammates weren't sad to see him go, and the team managed just fine without him, registering a 10-win season and trip to the Cotton Bowl. Yet coach Bill Snyder allowed Brown to come back for Kansas State's pro day, so he can't be that much of a dick. Apparently, this sat well with the Eagles' brass and they felt comfortable taking a flyer on him as a low-risk, high-reward pick at the end of the draft. Perfect utilization of a seventh round pick, if you ask me.

And that's the thing about Bryce Brown: His physical gifts are truly rare. Measuring a hair under 6' and sporting a chiseled 220-pound frame, Brown's blends incredible natural talent -- "tremendous, tremendous skill," according to Andy Reid -- with breathtaking sub-4.4 speed. If you go back and watch his Tennessee highlights, you understand why this guy was the top-rated running back in the country coming out of high school. You see a bona fide NFL prospect with all kinds of ability exploding through holes, making people miss, running past everyone... lots of "whoa" moments.

Undrafted rookie free agents with a chance to stick on the roster:

Chris Polk - RB - Washington - 5106 / 215

From January 2011:

Remember this name. Not only will Chris Polk be a professional running back, he'll be a damn good one. He can run by or over defenders, it's just a pick-your-poison type of conundrum. Unjustly overshadowed by the overrated Jake Locker this season, Polk made sure everyone knew he's the best player on that Huskies team with his dominating performance against Nebraska in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl (what the...?) At 5'11", 215 lbs, and with speed in the 4.4 range... really, what more could you want from a physical standpoint? With the departure of Locker to the NFL, it's not outrageous to suggest Polk could lead the nation in rushing next season.

The Eagles said they gave Polk a fourth-round grade -- and plenty of other teams surely had a similar, if not higher, grade on him (he was EPSN's #86 overall prospect) -- but apparently concerns about his shoulder injuries, extensive workload during his college career, and a supposed degenerative hip condition scared teams off (there were also unsubstantiated rumors that he didn't interview well at the Combine). However, judging by the fact that Polk ended his college career with 38 consecutive starts, I'd say his durability is just fine. It's at a time like this that I think NFL teams just over-think a situation and psyche themselves out. Polk might not have the sexy flare to his game when you watch him, but he runs hard, is one hell of an all-around player, and gets the job done. I also think he's a better athlete than given credit for. Polk fits the Eagles' mold perfectly because he's such a natural as a receiver out of the backfield. Reportedly a high character individual with a love and passion for the game, and I think he beats out Dion Lewis and Bryce Brown for the backup running back spot behind LeSean McCoy. Within Polk's first season as a pro, teams are going to regret not having spent a draft pick on him, and I'm thrilled the Eagles were able to sign him.

Phillip Thomas - S - Syracuse - 5111 / 198

Solid player who makes up for sub-average speed and athleticism with instincts and ball skills, both of which he's going to need in order to make it in the NFL. Definitely noticeable on the field and led Orange in tackles with 82 prior to getting suspended in November for the rest of the season due to a violation of athletic department rules. The problem is, when I watch Thomas, I just can't help but think that he looks small and moves so slowly, it's like he's jogging. I first saw him in October when I turned on the West Virginia/Syracuse game to watch Geno Smith (that's when I first saw Chandler Jones, too). Thomas had seven tackles (some good sticks, too) and intercepted an errant Geno Smith pass. If nothing else, he's certainly at the right position on the Eagles to compete for a spot.

Cliff Harris - CB - Oregon - 5106 / 175

At one point thought to be a first round pick because of his cover skills and kick return ability, Harris experienced a precipitous fall from grace over the last year, beginning with a June 2011 arrest for driving 118 MPH ("It was fun, but it was a bonehead move") that earned him an initial suspension for the first three gams of the upcoming season. He was then suspended from the team for the final seven games of 2011 after another traffic stop -- this time for not wearing a seatbelt -- revealed he was driving with a suspended license and without proper insurance. Finally, Harris was dismissed entirely from the team after being cited for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana on November 25. The ol' trifecta of arrests, always certain to help a prospect's draft stock. To top it all off, Harris ran an unimpressive 4.64 in the 40 at the Combine.

Emil Igwenagu - FB/TE - Massachusetts - 6011 / 249

Strong blocker and excellent receiver out of the backfield. Tough, hard-nosed player who relishes taking on would-be tacklers and putting them on the ground. Made a strong impression at the Senior Bowl and even had a nice spinning catch where he showed off athleticism and nimble feet. Should get a legitimate chance to compete for a roster spot as a fullback and reserve tight tend.

Elvis Akpla - WR - Montana State - 6002 / 193

I'm only including him because he had perhaps the most ridiculous catch of 2011 and deserves special mention for it.

Chase Ford - TE - Miami (FL) - 6065 / 255

Extremely raw prospect with intriguing size, big (10.25"), soft hands, 4.75 speed, and enough upside to warrant a roster spot. Junior college standout who transferred to Miami and saw limited action as a reserve in two seasons with the Hurricanes, registering a total of 16 catches and two touchdowns. Made a name for himself by showing glimpses of potential and playing really well during the East-West Shrine game. Developmental player who could pay dividends down the road if he gets the right coaching and puts it all together. Chase Ford is not Jimmy Graham, so don't even get your hopes up like that.

Edit: Forgot to include Damaris Johnson (WR - Tulsa - 5072 / 171), who could have utility as a kick/punt returner. Here's what I wrote about him in January 2011, after his dominating performance in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and before the felony embezzlement charge that prematurely ended his college career:

The diminutive (5'8", 170 lbs) wide receiver may not be a big-time or well-known NFL prospect, but he's about as exciting as they come in the college game. When you see him on the field jitterbugging by defenders with his sub-4.4 speed, you can't help but be endeared. I'm partial to the little guys who don't let size hinder their skills or interfere with their passion for the game. Oh, and he totally destroyed Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, to the tune of nine total touches (four receiving, five rushing) for 199 combined yards (101 receiving, 98 rushing, and two touchdowns - one receiving, one rushing).

Other notes...

- Favorite selection from the draft: Jacksonville Jaguar's seventh round pick Jeris Pendleton (DT, Ashland). He has a great story, and anyone who reads about it more in-depth will become an instant fan pulling for him to succeed in the NFL.

- NFL team that shared my opinion on two players, in particular, and may or may not (see: definitely did not) have read my "Under the Radar" draft prospect features on igglesblitz.com: New York Jets.

Players selected: Demario Davis (OLB - Arkansas State; picked in the 3rd round, 77th overall) and Jordan White (WR - Western Michigan; picked in the 7th round, 244th overall)

Links to each player's feature on igglesbllitz.com: Demario Davis / Jordan White

Zone Entries Pinpoint Flyers Problems Against Devils to Offensive Zone

2012-05-12T15:00:07Z

The Flyers lost to the Devils with their play in the attacking zones, not the neutral zone. Zone start data shows who was able to generate offense and who was unable to.

Since last year's playoffs, I have been tracking how teams enter their respective offensive zones throughout every game. Using this information, we are able to learn which Flyers players are able to maintain possession while crossing the blue line, which players can do so most frequently, how often the Flyers win the neutral zone battle for possession, how effective each mode of entry is, and more.

While there are few, if any, others keeping track of such statistics currently, we know that the Soviet Union studied zone entries in the 1960s, along with many other advanced metrics. This should not surprise those who watched those teams play, nor should it surprise those who watch the game today. Teams are playing a more possession-heavy style, where they would rather circle back in the neutral zone or their own zone in an attempt to gain the blue line with possession.

No longer is dump-and-chase the preferred method of entering the zone, and for good reason: shots on goal and scoring chances increase when the team maintains possession over the blue line as opposed to when they dump it in. Now, part of this is the result of a bias in the data: a player is more likely to maintain possession when the defense offers the player space, which is more likely to result in a dangerous possession.

Regardless, all of this should be intuitive. Maintaining possession is a good thing; you can't score without the puck (Unless you are the Avalanche).

With all of that said, one of the complaints often heard during the Flyers/Devils second round series was that the Devils' trap was stifling the Flyers. The problem, however, is that the data does not back this up. It was the Flyers, not the Devils, who won the neutral zone battle, albeit not decisively.

All small sample size caveats apply, but remember we are only looking at what happened, not attempting to predict what will happen or declare this information indicative of a true talent.

	Total Entries	Controlled Entries	Percent of Entries with Control
Flyers	336	141	38.5%
Devils	314	124	39.5%

Now, some of this is surely the result of score effects, as it has previously been shown that teams generate more entries when trailing, but this does enough to show that the Flyers were not struggling in neutral zone.

The Flyers were, however, struggling once they got the puck in the offensive zone. Broad Street Hockey will have a more in-depth look at that later.

Here, however, we are going to look at Claude Giroux and a handful of other Flyers who struggled mightily against the Devils.

	Total Entries	Shots From Entries	Shots per Entry	Controlled Entries	Percent of Entries with Control	Shots per Controlled Entry
Claude Giroux	9	7	0.78	4	44.4%	1.00
Scott Hartnell	15	1	0.07	6	40.0%	0.17
Brayden Schenn	20	5	0.25	5	25.0%	0.60
Jaromir Jagr	23	8	0.35	10	43.5%	0.30
Danny Briere	29	13	0.45	13	44.8%	0.77
Jakub Voracek	36	9	0.25	18	50.0%	0.28

In terms of shots resulting from an entry, we include any shots on goal from the moment of entry until the next zone entry or faceoff. In other words, divide the game up into slices from zone entry (or faceoff) to zone entry (or faceoff) and count all events that occur in between.

For a frame of reference, the Flyers generated 0.43 shots per entry through the first half of the year. Against the Devils, that number was 0.32 shots per entry.

Contrast the above players' regular season performances with their performance against the Devils and you'll see that those six all maintained control of the puck on 62 percent or more of their zone entries through the first half of the season. Against the Devils, however, only Voracek maintained control on even 45 percent of his entries.

As a result, the Flyers played a lot of dump and chase hockey against one of the best stick-handling goalies in the NHL. Often times, this resulted in the Flyers essentially giving the puck away. Credit surely goes to the Devils for forcing the Flyers to dump the puck in as often as they did, but when your best players give up possession of the puck 64 feet from the goal, the team will struggle to generate offense.

(It is also worth noting that the problem was not solely one of dumping the puck in, though that was a key contributor. The Flyers generated 0.35 shots per offensive zone faceoff, in line with their first half performance.)

The most glaring bit of information here, though, is that Giroux was responsible for putting the puck in the offensive zone just more than twice per game. That ranks 17th out of the 18 skaters who played at least four games against the Devils, ahead of only Kimmo Timonen.

Beyond Giroux, Scott Hartnell was able to enter the Devils' zone three times per game, but the Flyers could only generate a single shot on goal in five games. Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek did a pretty good job of gaining entry into the Devils' zone, but they could only generate one shot on goal for every four times they won the neutral zone battle.

Conclusion

When you lose as badly as the Flyers did, a lot of things went wrong.

One of those things that went wrong was their inability to maintain possession across the blue line. Continually giving up possession of the puck and allowing Martin Brodeur to start an easy outlet was something many observers noticed live, but here, we can quantify just how ineffective the Flyers were.

A big part of the Flyers problem was their offensive zone performance. Even though they could win the neutral zone, most likely with some help from score effects, they could not generate any offense after entering the offensive zone. They had almost the same percentage of controlled entries as the Devils did, but they performed significantly worse once they were in the attacking third of the ice.

Put simply, the Devils got a shot on goal every other time they entered the zone. The Flyers generated a shot once every three times.

The Flyers did not lose because of Peter Laviolette's aggressive, offense-first system. They lost because they did not have an aggressive, offense-first system show up.

Philadelphia Eagles Going Young At RB

2012-05-12T12:54:26Z

Instead of adding a veteran backup to LeSean McCoy, the Eagles added a pair of rookies. Let's take a look at the RB situation and what the thinking is behind the Eagles moves.

LeSean McCoy established himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL with his great 2011 season. He was productive, durable, and dynamic. That's a great combination for a runner. Eagles fans were spoiled by having a terrific player like Brian Westbrook in the backfield for all those years, but it actually looks like the team upgraded with McCoy. That's really shocking when you think about it.

Last year the primary backup was Ronnie Brown. Things started well, but there was that horrible moment in the Niners game when Brown fumbled the ball on a botched trick play pass attempt. The play call wasn't good, but it was a run-pass option. A veteran like Brown should have known better than to try and make the throw. The play wasn't working. Just go down and settle for a field goal. Instead the ball was recovered by the Niners and the Eagles lost to them by a single point.

Brown didn't get a touch for the next two weeks. He was in Andy Reid's version of Siberia. Brown was then traded to Detroit, but that fell apart after the Eagles found out that newly aquired runner Jerome Harrison had a brain tumor. Brown came back to the Eagles and was allowed to move from Siberia to northern Alaska. He started to get a touch, but it wasn't until December that he once again got multiple touches in a game.

Dion Lewis had a good summer, but was the number three back in the season. He had 11 touches all year long, until the season finale. Lewis had 12 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown in that game. He looked fast and got everyone's attention. Lewis finished the season with 23 carries for 102 yards. To put those numbers in context, Westbrook had 46 carries for 193 yards in his rookie year of 2002.

With a "young veteran" like McCoy and a young backup like Lewis, I fully expected the Eagles to hit free agency and pick up a veteran backup. I thought they'd go grab Joseph Addai or Justin Forsett, someone like that. The point wasn't to get a great back, but someone who had an NFL track record and could play if needed. Clearly McCoy is going to get 90 percent of the carries.

The Eagles threw me a curveball. Not just any ol' "Uncle Charlie" curveball. They threw a Dwight Gooden "Lord Charles" curveball. The team did not add a veteran runner. They instead drafted Bryce Brown in the seventh round and then signed undrafted free agent Chris Polk. Of all the scenarios, I did not anticipate Dion Lewis needing to school the guys coming in to compete for the backup running back spot.

To say Brown is a bit raw is like saying the sun is a tad warm. Or that Andy Reid kinda likes the passing game. Brown is a major project. Polk was a workhorse runner and incredibly productive at Washington, but he reportedly has some attitude issues and also needs a lot of work as a blocker. In his own way, he is a project.

So what is Reid thinking? What is going on?

Reid hasn't really given an interview where he's said anything other than the obvious comments about how he likes the young players. I would love to know what his line of thinking is behind the youth movement.

It could be that Reid is tired of stop-gap solutions and feels that developing your own running backs is the way to go. He's got Lewis with some experience. Polk and Brown have NFL ability. There is also Graig Cooper in the mix, an undrafted player from 2011 who did some nice things last summer. It isn't as if the cupboard is totally bare.

I also wonder about Bryce Brown as a guy that Reid got excited about. Running backs coach Ted Williams went and worked him out. He was really impressed with Brown's combination of size, speed, and movement skills. Brown looked like an NFL guy to him. Then Reid went and did some checking on Brown's character. Reid talked to college coaches who worked with Brown to find out the skinny on what happened (insert Reid/skinny joke here).

The coaches said the right things and Reid felt comfortable with the character side of things. Combine that with Williams very positive report and Reid watching Brown's Tennessee game tape. You can see where Reid would start to fall in love with the notion of Brown as an Eagle.

Over the years Reid has had some players that he fell for, so to speak. They range in value and position. Reid loved Kevin Kolb, Brian Westbrook, Nate Ilaoa, and Nick Cole, among others. Some of Reid's guys pan out. Others don't. I can't say for a fact that Brown is a Reid guy, but it sure feels that way.

The Eagles could have been planning to use a late pick on Brown. The goal would be to have Lewis, Brown, Cooper, and a good UDFA runner battle it out. Surely someone would emerge as a good backup running back. If the situation didn't pan out, the Eagles could always find a veteran on the street in July or August.

Let the kids have the mini-camps and passing camps to learn and show what they can do. See who is grasping the playbook. Find out who can pass protect. Get the guys ready for training camp so that you can quickly get a feel for them at Lehigh and know if you can stick with the young players or if you must go add a veteran.

One of the keys here is to not think of Brown as a seventh round player. That is where he was picked, but it wasn't because of talent. He should have been a second or third round pick based on potential. The fact he quit two colleges and had less than 500 yards rushing in his college career is what killed his value. And rightfully so.

Is it really possible that Reid could consider Brown for the backup spot? That is a really tough question. Part of me says that would be a terrible decision. The Eagles need to have a big year. This isn't the time to experiment with a young player with such a strange background.

Another part of me thinks about Chris Ivory. He was kicked out of Washington State after three years. He had rushed for just over 500 yards in that time. He then went to Tiffin, a D-2 school in Ohio. Ivory ran for 223 yards there before getting hurt. He was undrafted after that season, but signed by the Saints. Due to injuries, Ivory played as a rookie and ran for 716 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry. Ivory didn't have the background to be such a key player, but he had size, speed, and talent.

Brown has a very similar build to Ivory. Brown is faster, while Ivory is a better power runner. Ivory is a pure runner. Brown has good hands and can be a factor in the passing game as well as being a good runner. Each guy had some issues that hurt his value. Ivory was able to take his NFL potential and turn that into production. Can Brown do the same?

I'm sure Ivory's story isn't lost on Reid. I don't think he went looking for his version of Ivory, but he may have found him anyway.

I do think Reid is somewhat looking back to 2003 when Duce Staley, Correll Buckhalter, and Westbrook made up the three-headed monster. Those guys split touches pretty evenly. That will not happen this time around. McCoy is the feature back. Lewis could play the Westbrook role of the smaller guy with an elusive running style. Polk and Brown would battle it out for the Buckhalter role of the bigger back. Both guys are in the 220-pound range, about what Buckhalter was.

Reid has publicly said that he felt he overused McCoy last year. Reid wants to mix in the backup runners more often this year. That is certainly fine by me. McCoy is great, but you need to play the backups. Giving those guys a couple of carries each game isn't that hard, but it could help the offense. It mixes in different styles of runners and that forces the defense to adjust on those plays. It also keeps McCoy from extra hits and wear and tear.

If this plans blows up and the young players struggle this spring and summer, Reid and Howie Roseman will hit the phones and dig up some veteran runner who can come in and be a safe backup type. There are always experienced running backs to be found. For now, let's see what the kids can do.

Giroux, Bryzgalov, Pronger, And Others Discussed In Flyers' Player, Management End Of Season Interviews

2012-05-11T00:15:31Z

While no updates were forthcoming regarding Flyers' players that were nursing injuries during the playoffs and resultant upcoming surgeries, there were some good bits of information about the club in the end of season media day.

The Philadelphia Flyers packed up their lockers for the summer on Thursday and conducted their exit interviews. While there were no updates on injuries and which players will need off-season surgery, there were still a few interesting nuggets.

Pronger

Paul Holmgren was asked whether he thought injured defenseman and captain Chris Pronger would be ready to return next season, but there was understandably no definitive answer to come from the GM.

"He's doing probably the same and any chance of returning, I would say your guess is as good as mine," he snipped. "I think he still has headaches from time to time, yeah. He has concussion-like symptoms."

As to how he will proceed with his captain over the summer, though with no medical basis, Holmgren is trying to remain positive.

"I think at some point I'll sit down with Chris and see where he's at," the GM said. "Probably prior to July 1st, we'll make an assessment on where he's at. I'm still, as it relates to Chris and as much as anything else, I'm a glass is half full kind of guy. I believe he's going to play, but I don't know, I don't have anything to back that up."

The July 1st timeframe he mentions is an interesting one, as it may give the Flyers' brain trust an idea as to how they will need to proceed when the free agency period begins, depending on Pronger's status.

The Defense and the Salary Cap

The club's defense was suspect this year all the way through the playoffs, and just as he did last summer with revamping the group of forwards, the Flyers' blue line should be the focal point during the upcoming offseason.

Holmgren has just over $61 million tied up on 20 rostered players heading into the new season, which would leave him with a little more than $3 million left to spend if the NHL salary stays the same. But the Holmgren had another idea as to what that cap may end up being.

"It's probably going to be, I don't know, maybe $69 million, I would think," he said.

If that ends up being the case, the GM would have nearly $8 million in room, which would allow him to work on his defensemen, in addition to other needs.

Voracek

Jakub Voracek is a restricted free agent as his one-year, $2.25 million deal expired at the end of the season. After posting 18 goals and 49 points (good for fifth-highest on the team) during the regular season and two goals and 10 points (third overall) in the postseason, it's likely the 22-year-old winger will want a sizable raise in his next deal.

Acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the Jeff Carter trade last June, Voracek has been a very good fit in Philadelphia, and a long term deal would be in everyone's best interests.

Carle

A current defenseman that is on Holmgren's front burner to deal with is Matt Carle, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July. The rear guard's four year deal at nearly $3.5 million annually expired, and it will be interesting to see how much he will command. With the knowledge he could likely end up in the $5-$7 million range, Holmgren feels he can work something out with to keep the 27-year-old in Philadelphia.

"I've said that before, if Matt wants to be here, we'd like to have him back," Holmgren said. "I don't see any reason why we can't work out a deal. We're in a position now where we can't sign him because of tagging space, but this is something that could be done quickly, I think.

As for what Carle is seeking for a new contract, the GM didn't think it will be unreasonable, based upon talks earlier talks. And the Flyers may even be able to get one of those "hometown discounts".

"His demands, when I spoke with him and his agent, nothing was ever out of line," Holmgren said. "Could we get him under market value? I would say that we probably could. So I don't see any issues there."

Dustin Leed of The Hockey Guys spoke with Carle and his agent, Kurt Overhardt, and the two sounded optimistic. Here's an excerpt from Leed's article on the matter:

"There's no question I want to be here, the past four years have been great and I really feel like Philly has become a second home for my family and me," Matt Carle said. "The guys on this team are unbelievable and I know this is a team built for winning now and for years to come."

"It's our intention to try and work with the Flyers and get something done," Overhardt said. "We think the club feels the same way." "There is plenty of time and it's something we are going to work on," he added.

As Holmgren mentioned, nothing can happen at this time due to the NHL "tagging" rule, which prohibits clubs from having its payroll earmarked in excess of the current year's salary cap limit. But it does sound positive as to the intentions of both sides, and there seems to be great potential for a deal to eventually come to fruition.

Suter?

Another name that may end up being in the Philly defensive mix as the free agent period approaches is Ryan Suter. The Nashville Predators blue liner also stands to become a free agent come July 1st, and Preds' GM David Poile has expressed concern that he will be able to re-sign both of his stud defensemen, captain Shea Weber and Suter.

Whether or not that ends up being the case remains to be seen, but if Poile comes to the realization that he cannot ink Suter, look for Holmgren to attempt something similar to what he did to obtain pending free agent Ilya Bryzgalov's rights from the Phoenix Coyotes last June. Especially given the fact that "Homer" is willing to look at each and every avenue in an attempt to making his club stronger.

Jagr

Another player that is set to become a free agent is Jaromir Jagr. The winger scored 19 goals and recorded 54 points during the season while taking up residence to the right of Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell on the club's top offensive line, but he struggled in the playoffs.

The 40-year-old labored as if there were an injury issue on the way to posting just one goal and eight points in the 11-game run. That total included just one assist in the five-game second round defeat to the New Jersey Devils.

While Jagr said he would love to come back for another year in the NHL, it's unclear whether or not that will occur in the City of Brotherly Love.

Having been moved to other lines during the playoffs when his ineffective play caused Peter Laviolette to make line changes, Jagr's blurry role with the team moving forward has left him with an uncertain future. Remember, one of the deciding factors for Jagr when he signed with the Flyers over the Pittsburgh Penguins was his role with the team. Along with the rest of the members of the top line, his play was a big part of the team's success for a good portion of the season.

"Well I want to play in the NHL," Jagr said. "I want to play somewhere when I know teams will want me to. Hopefully we are going to find some team where I can play. I still love the game and I think I am going to be better than I was this year."

His noncommittal answer regarding Philadelphia may just speak volumes as to whether he sees the Flyers as a place he can make a difference in the 2012-13 campaign, though the Philly GM and coach both see an upside to bringing Jagr back for another season.

"I can still see Jaromir being a good player in our league next year," Holmgren said. "We did talk to him and his agent briefly during the year about next season. We kind of agreed to talk about it more after the season was done, but I have not met with Jaromir yet so we'll see."

"Jaromir was an excellent player for us and a good influence in the locker room," Laviolette noted of the veteran's affect on the club's many youngsters. "And you mentioned the youth that we did have and learning in the playoffs, new experience, I also think that you can learn by observing and working with people that their work habits are extremely good and Jaromir is one of those guys."

Giroux and the Captaincy

There were lots of questions directed to everyone inquiring as to whether Giroux should be made captain if Pronger is unable to answer the bell come October. The lack of a player wearing the "C" didn't seem to bother the club, although there were some media members who questioned whether it should be viewed as an issue that needs to be addressed as they spiraled out of control in the New Jersey series.

"I think we make too much of this captaincy thing, to be quite honest with you, that's my opinion," said Holmgren. "Right now, Chris is our captain and that's the way it's going to stay until he's deemed unable to play."

The GM was asked if he thought Giroux was ready to take over the duties if Pronger is unable to play.

"I think Claude's a good young leader on this hockey team," he said. But then he pointed out a couple of other names that would be just as deserving, both with more of a veteran flavor.

"I think we have good older leaders too in Kimmo (Timonen) and Danny Briere."

This would seem to be a kind of significant suggestion by Holmgren, possibly still having a bad taste in his mouth with the situation of making a young Mike Richards captain of the club. While Richards initially balked when asked by the team, he eventually relented when Jason Smith walked as a free agent and cleared the path. Even though he reluctantly accepted the addition responsibilities, the marriage went sour a couple of years later.

As for Giroux himself, he had his own thoughts about wearing the "C", if asked.

"Yeah, I am not too sure what the plans are," he said. "I didn't have a meeting with (Peter Laviolette) or Mr. Holmgren yet. Whatever decisions they take, we will go from there."

When pressed if he would have interest, Giroux didn't hedge in his answer.

"If the time is right, yeah I think so," he replied.

Linemate and future shoo-in Hall-of-Famer Jagr had his own thoughts on the matter when asked, comparing Giroux's situation as a young leader to his own some years ago in Pittsburgh.

"I think he is," he said of Giroux's readiness to be captain. "He is one of the top players in the league. On the other side, I think he is a very likeable guy in the dressing room. He works hard every day. I think he is ready. He is not afraid to speak to the guys when he needs it. I was a captain. He is better than me at age 24. I don't think I was ready when I was a captain. Plus, there is a lot of young guys. He doesn't have to be afraid or ashamed to say something, because there are a lot of young guys. I know he is only 24 or 25, but he is probably older than half of the team. That is great."

Maxime Talbot was asked what kind of a captain he thought Giroux would make.

"A great one," 'Mad Max' answered, pointing out that Giroux's age would lead to a long period of continuity in the position. "I think he's got it in him. You look at the playoffs, and even through the season, he was an elite player the whole season, one of the best in the league. But, I think being a captain is not just being a good player. It's about character and it's about, that's why you call it leader. Leading the guys in this dressing room, the trust of your teammate. And I think Claude has definitely got that, he's got the passion, he's got the work ethic and he never takes a day off."

One of the other players Holmgren named as possible future captains agreed with the GM's sentiments that the position doesn't hold the end-all importance that some make of it.

"Honestly, I told you last summer, I think we make way too much of a big of a deal with it," said Briere. "Whatever they decide here, it's going to be fine. We have many guys that can assume the role...so I'm not worried about it at all."

Bryzgalov

In the roller coaster season it was for Bryzgalov, to a man everyone believed there was an adjustment period for the netminder.

"I absolutely think being here a year will help him," said Holmgren. "He had a lot of things to adjust to and adapt to. From playing in Philadelphia and the scrutiny of the media as compared to what he came from, the scrutiny of the fans from what he came from, and a different style of play. I don't think there is going to be any question that Ilya will play better next year.

"Did he play as good as I expected this year? I would say no."

The GM compared his learning curve to that of other players who have to come to the city over the past few years during his tenure on the job.

"I have said this before about players who come from different organizations and sign a big money deal with a new team," Holmgren said. "There is an adjustment period. I thought that Kimmo (Timonen) went through it and Danny (Briere) went through it. I think there is a little bit of an adjustment period for Ilya in that position as goaltender for the Flyers. I think he handled it pretty good and he has probably learned something."

"I think that there's always an adjustment period for players when they come in here to a big city." said Laviolette, echoing the GM's sentiments.

As the year went along, it was obvious that all of the media attention being paid to the goalie's oddities were becoming a distraction, and his play suffered as a result. Bryzgalov's interviews became even stranger than usual, often appearing pained in his answers, which many times were "I don't know" or "I can't answer that" when asked about his own play. It was obvious that Bryzgalov was told to tone down his act.

"His job is to stop pucks and help us win games," Holmgren pointed out. "It is not Comedy Central. There is probably a middle of the road scenario somewhere in there. He is a funny guy to talk to, I don't think there is any question about that. He has got some interesting concepts of life and walk down the road."

Jagr agreed.

"Maybe the HBO thing (the "24/7" documentary leading up to the NHL Winter Classic) didn't help that much," Jagr said. "He is not shy of the camera, that is for sure. He is a pretty intelligent guy and he reads a lot. He is always (going to) have a lot of stuff to say."

It was also obvious that some media members took advantage of the goaltender's honesty when he played a bad game in late-October, when he poured his heart out in front of everyone in apologizing for a poor performance against the Winnipeg Jets. That was when the now-infamous "Lost in the woods" comment was made.

It is a much different media climate in Philadelphia than it was in Phoenix, but Jagr said Bryzgalov will learn to choose his words better.

"Sometimes he was saying too much and people took advantage of it," Jagr said. "He is going to learn like everyone else."

As for his play, Talbot believes Bryzgalov showed his true colors towards the end of the campaign.

"I think the last couple of months of the season we saw what kind of goalie he is."

The Roles of Rookies Couturier and Wellwood in the Future

Rookies Sean Couturier and Eric Wellwood impressed during the regular season and playoffs.

Couturier provided a solid, two-way centerman during the year, and shut down All-World center and NHL leading scorer Evgeni Malkin in the first round of the postseason.

Laviolette said in addition to his excellent defensive skills, Couturier may just see added ice time and an expanded offensive role in the 2012-13 campaign.

"I think the upside of Sean is really bright," the coach beamed. "He's been an offensive guy his whole career. He comes with a tag of being a smart two-way player, as well. We had to find roles for all of our guys and I think that the role that Sean filled this year for us, and the way it started and increased to the way that it ended, it was a terrific year and a terrific start for him. Certainly the option of more ice time and possible power play time and increased offensive role, that certainly factors into the equation."

Couturier scored 77 goals and 192 points (96 in each season) in 126 games over the course of his last two years of major junior hockey while skating for the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL. So he is certainly no stranger to being considered a more offensive player.

As for Wellwood, he was actually one of the skaters that had the most jump in the second round series against the Devils, and the coach was among those who noticed.

"Eric also knows his role, and I thought through the course of the playoffs that he did his role as well as anybody did their role on our team," praised Laviolette. "So he may walk away with not scoring 5 goals and 10 points, but within the role and what we asked him to do and what we asked him to contribute, he did it as well as anybody."

High praise for the youngsters, indeed. The future definitely looks bright as these rookies gain more experience moving forward.

Injuries and Surgeries

With many of the players still having to be examined during the day Thursday, there was no new information pertaining to the club's walking wounded -- of which there are many.

"The actual exit medicals aren't until tonight, so I don't really have the complete list," Holmgren said. "I'll get that to you guys as soon as I have it, but there will be a few guys who will need some surgeries."

So expect that information to be made public over the next couple of days.

The Philadelphia Slump

2012-05-10T17:07:50Z

After such a depressing week of Philadelphia sports, the hopes and prayers of a city land squarely on the shoulders of the 10-9-8-76ers. But is that a good thing?

The rain has moved through Philadelphia over the past two weeks, bringing with it an end to the drought, which has dried out the once lush spring terrain. Now another drought has swept through the City of Brotherly Love. One that has proven much harsher than 90 degree March days. A drought which have many Philadelphia fans wondering...what happened?

The Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia Phillies have taken turns holding me down, and kicking me in my privates. The Flyers did it by blowing a second round matchup against the New Jersey Devils, a team which they should have beaten. And although I know as much about hockey as I do tennis, (I know very little about tennis) I still slumped into the back of my couch when the final horn blew.

The Phillies are a different story. Injuries may have played their part, however that is not an excuse for the abysmal start to this season. It is not just one aspect of the team which is failing. Overall their fielding, hitting, and bullpen look horrendous. Even a Chase Utley or Ryan Howard could not make-up for these issues.

All eyes are now on the 76ers as Philadelphia's hopes and prayers lie in a victory tonight. A victory which would send them to a possible second round matchup with the Boston Celtics. My question being...Is this a good thing?

In the grand scheme of things, probably not. Besides giving the young nucleus, (Turner, Holiday) more time to acclimate themselves to a playoff atmosphere, it is hard to see the positives. I know this because during Game Four I uttered the phrase, "Maybe holding onto Iguodala for another year would not be such a bad thing."

That is the issue with continued success. Unless Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul begin punching fire extinguishers, this team will not win a championship. Let's face it, if Derrick Rose had not been injured, fans would be standing in line at the NovaCare Complex for Eagles mini-camp tickets right now.

The 76ers are stuck in mediocrity. There needs to be an overhaul of the lineup next year, because right now they are not good enough. Fans should have been rooting for the Sixers to miss the playoffs, so they could have moved up in one of the deepest drafts since 2003.

But along with many diehard 76ers fans, I couldn't do that. I won't be sad if they beat the Bulls, and certainly not if they renew their rivalry with the aging Celtics in Round Two. A victory in Round Two would propel them to the Eastern Conference Finals...and say a freak injury occurs in Miami, dare I say NBA Finals. Exciting stuff no doubt, until folks begin uttering phrases like, "Man that Spencer Hawes can really shoot the ball. I wouldn't mind seeing him in the middle for another year."

Let's hope the Sixers management knows better...

Regardless of which side of the Sixers fence you are on, the city of Philadelphia is in dire need of a winner. Although the Sixers are not the most talented team in the city, the hopes of an entire city rest on their shoulders. As the sunshine moves in, let's hope the victories follow.

New Jersey Used Familiar Blueprint To Dominate Flyers in 5-Game Rout

2012-05-09T15:05:12Z

The Devils dominated play in their five-game ouster of Philly, much the same way the Rangers did to the Flyers all season long, as well as the Bruins last spring. It all looked very familiar and took a similar path to the ending.

The 2012 postseason came to an abrupt end for the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday night after a 3-1 defeat capped off four consecutive victories by the New Jersey Devils.

While the Devils await the winner of the New York Rangers - Washington Capitals series -- the East's top-seeded Rangers currently hold a 3-2 advantage -- what appeared to be a very promising playoff year in South Philly quickly vanished into the darkness of the night.

Following an emotional, record-setting first round upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins -- that most times did not even resemble playoff hockey -- in which the Flyers scored 30 goals in six games, the suffocating New Jersey defensive-style of play -- which is much more typical of the kind of effort necessary to succeed during the postseason -- held a Philadelphia offense that previously appeared to be unstoppable to just 11 goals in the five-game set. Those totals included just seven over the last four contests.

As the saying goes, a good defense will always beat a good offense, and this is especially true each spring in the NHL (except, of course, for a brief time in the mid-80's, when the greatest offensive machine in League history outscored the more defensively responsible Flyers in two separate years in the Stanley Cup Finals).

That philosophy became painfully apparent once again this year.

It's the second straight postseason in which Philadelphia was manhandled by their opponents in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Last year after narrowly getting past the Buffalo Sabres in seven games in round one, it was the eventual Cup champion Boston Bruins, who swept their way past Philly.

"There’s a couple games that I’ll look back on I think with disappointment," said head coach Peter Laviolette in his post-game press conference. "We didn’t play a better brand of our hockey, and then in the other three games I thought that our guys were trying to play that style and trying to play that brand, but I think you have to give New Jersey credit for the way that they played defensively. They fore-checked it, kept it from being the game that we wanted. We could never seem to get down that road."

When comparing the two seasons, the Flyers were outplayed badly in both.

During 2011's brief run, Game 2 with the Bruins -- won by Boston, 3-2 in overtime -- was the only contest Philadelphia was even given a sniff at winning.

Even though it was like watching men playing against boys, the goaltending of Brian Boucher, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Michael Leighton was targeted as a major reason for the club's ultimate demise.

Ed Snider went as far as to apologize to fans for the performance of the trio, and demanded that GM Paul Holmgren rectify the issue by bringing in a true number one netminder during the offseason.

While that was a long-festering problem in Flyerland, the three-headed monster didn't receive much help in staving off a far-superior Bruins squad.

The Flyers were in each game with New Jersey this year, thanks in large part to the play of Ilya Bryzgalov, who was Holmgren's big summer crease addition. While no one can argue the wild inconsistencies in the offbeat goalie's play over the course of the regular season -- in which we saw times where Bryzgalov struggled to stop anything, to the other end of the spectrum where he set the franchise record for longest stretch of shutout hockey late in the campaign -- and while he gave up some questionnable goals at the most inopportune moments, the goaltender saved Philadelphia's collective hide time and again while keeping a Flyer club that was hanging on by a thread in games they had no business even being close.

That's two consecutive second round losses in which opponents thoroughly dominated play in unceremoniously dispatching the Flyers. Perhaps more prevelant than any issues between the pipes in each was the game plan cultivated by opposing coaches to counter-attack any Philly forecheck.

Both Claude Julien last season and Peter DeBoer this year stressed a furious forecheck of their own that pinned the Flyers in their own end for long stretches of time. It eventually led to the wearing down of Laviolette's defense corps, in both years resembling a tired-looking group that had trouble just getting the puck out of their own end -- let alone with any form of possession or attempting of a creation of an offensive counter-rush.

New Jersey was able to roll four lines against the Flyers, sending fresh legs out on the ice mid-cycle as Philadelphia's energy level was sapped due to the constant chasing of the puck.

"If you want me to be honest, I've got to say they were very strong," said 40-year-old right wing Jaromir Jagr, who finished the series with just one assist after posting a goal and six points against the Penguins in round one. "They were strong on the boards, I don’t think they lost any battles on the boards. That was the biggest difference."

It appears that DeBoer and the Devils' coaching staff may have been reviewing game film of the six contests in which John Tortorella's Rangers completely outplayed Philadelphia during the season.

"They played a lot like the Rangers," pointed out winger Scott Hartnell. "We got the puck in the corner on a soft chip, and it seemed like they had four guys on you in the corner. It is probably one of the biggest reasons why we couldn't beat the Rangers this year. They just smothered you, three or four guys on you in the zone."

What transpired was a lot of dump and chase, which became pointless because of the little success with the chase aspect of the sequences.

"That's the coaches decision, not mine," said Kimmo Timonen when asked if there were any changes the coaching staff could have made. "I'm not going to go there to say what we should have done. That's their job, and I'm sure they are going to think about it afterwards. Maybe there was something we should have done. They were a better team in every area of the game. I've got to give them a lot of credit. When you get beat four times, they are the better team."

All the while the Devils remained the more disciplined team and stuck with their game plan, which unlike the Penguins' series, left little in the way of emotion from which the Flyers could build.

"They didn't give us anything to be emotional about," Hartnell said. "They weren't in scrums and it seemed like they really didn't hit us. So you can get into it that way and try to look at it or whatever. It wasn't there and that was their mindset and game plan."

The formula for NJ's triumph was much the same as New York this season, just like it was during Boston's annihilation of Laviolette's team last spring. Feverish forechecking to pin a tired defense deep in their own end, force a turnover, then capitalize with a quick counter-strike.

So how could a Devils team that needed a second overtime of Game 7 just to beat the Florida Panthers in round one so thoroughly shut down and out-play the Flyers, a team that had just scored 30 goals in whipping the Pittsburgh Penguins in six? Especially when New Jersey, who owned the NHL's best regular season penalty-killing unit (89.6% penalty-kill rate) couldn't stop the Panthers power play (nine goals in 27 opportunities for a 33.3% success rate), yet yielded just three in 19 chances to a Flyers team that had torched Pittsburgh 12 times in 23 chances (52.1%)?

It's all about time and space, something Claude Giroux and the Flyers had plenty of against the Penguins, but found little in round two against the Devils. After blasting Pittsburgh away with six goals and 14 points in six first-round games, "G" managed just two goals and three points in the four games he participated in against New Jersey.

Just as Tortorella did in the regular season and Julien did last year, New Jersey sent two men to the puck carrier at all times, choking off any kind of offensive flow. You would think with being on a power play and sending two men to disrupt the puck carrier would leave a couple of players open and create more chances, but the players on the PK are so well-versed in their defensive roles, even someone possessing Giroux's offensive wizardry was pressured into turnovers.

"They were stingy," said winger Scott Hartnell. "They were tight. You had to fight for every inch of ice that you got. When you had some time and space in the offensive zone, it seemed like they closed pretty fast. You had to make plays fast and it seemed like they were a step forward the whole series."

One has to wonder if more and more teams will catch on and employ these tactics to neutralize Laviolette's forechecking system. Not every team can go this route because it does require a solid core of players willing to out-work the opposition at every turn, with a defensive mindset to carry out the game plan.

While the resiliency of a team that was a perfect 4-0 when their opposition scored the first goal of a game was encouraging, another troubling aspect of the postseason trend was the fact Philadelphia fashioned an awful 1-6 record in contests in which they scored the first goal.

This was a particularly disturbing occurrence when you consider the fact that the Flyers lost just four times during the regular season when scoring first.

When asked why his team couldn't make the early goals stand up and pull out the contests, Laviolette was brief in his reply.

"I don’t know how to answer that," he said, "I’m sorry."

Sprinkled in with the main ingredients for disaster may have been a little bit of overconfidence on Philly's part.

"I think we were thinking we were going to walk over to New Jersey and they'll fall a little bit," said Giroux of his club's initial under-estimation of their obviously worthy opponent.

"I guess we've got to learn from it.

Things got away rapidly and it was too late by the time the Flyers could recognize what was happening.

"Everything happened kind of fast," added Giroux, who sat out Game 5 due to a one-game suspension levied by Brendan Shanahan for a hit on Dainius Zubrus late in the second period of Game 4. "It's obviously frustrating, we know we could have done a lot more damage than that. And you saw guys tonight play desperate hockey. They played with heart, and that's how we should have played the whole series."

Through the disappointment of the loss, it was obviously tough for Laviolette to go into all of the positives from the now-completed season. But he did have this to say about his team.

"I can tell you that the group that’s in that room right now is a terrific group of men," Laviolette said of his players after the game. "They played hard this year, they gave a lot and we came up short. It’s a bright future and we’re looking forward to that, but tonight it’s disappointing."

In a postseason where the cards seemed to be falling in all the right places for the Flyers to make a deep run -- much the same way as in 2010 when they reached the Finals -- that disappointment has to be looked upon as an opportunity missed.

And it's one that is not lost on Timonen.

"Well personally, I'm running out of time, to be honest" said the 37-year-old Finn of his chances to win a Stanley Cup. "After the Pittsburgh series, I really thought this was our chance. Look at the teams who are out, look at the teams who are in. The teams that are still in are beatable. I don't have many chances left and this is a wasted opportunity for us."

These chances do not come around very often and it may become even more difficult next year if other teams employ this suffocating style against the Flyers.

With either the inability or unwillingness to make the necessary adjustments to impose their will on opponents in the face of such an onslaught, and the success being achieved by the clubs playing that style, it's likely Philadelphia will see more of the same in years to come.

The question remains, how will the Flyers adjust and overcome the tactics in a way in which they will be able to find the ultimate success? That seems to be job one when assessing any player movement in the upcoming offseason.

We'll Boo When We Want to Boo

2012-05-07T21:29:51Z

The national media is all over Philadelphia fans for cheering the injury to Joakim Noah- and @FakeWIPCaller is sick of if

The mainstream media has unfairly attacked Philadelphia and its hardworking sports fans yet again. Beginning on Friday, they viciously attacked our city and its fans for cheering when Bulls center Joakim Noah suffered an ankle injury in Game 3 of the Bulls-Sixers series.

ESPN announcer Mike Tirico viciously described the cheers as a "very unfortunate reaction from the fans." Others were even nastier, calling the fans "classless," "bush league," and "the worst sports fans in the world." Meanwhile, Andre Iguodala threw his own fans under the bus after the game, writing on Twitter that the injury was "def not something to cheer about."

First of all, the double standards here are stunning. Did the media go this crazy over the endless cheap shots delivered by the Penguins against the Flyers? Of course not. But when it's Philadelphia on the other side, the knives just come out, time and time again. My only regret was that the Flyers-Pens series ended without Sidney Crosby crumbling to the ice, because we would've done the same to him, only louder.

Besides, Noah plays the game like a clown. He screamed like a girl, which makes sense since he looks like a girl. And if doesn't want his injury to get cheered, maybe he shouldn't have gotten injured in the first place. And same goes for Michael Irvin, too.

Here in Philadelphia, we will never apologize for being passionate. We'll cheer and boo whoever we want to. This is America, and besides, last I checked freedom of speech was invented right here in Philadelphia.

Every time there's a fan incident in Philly, the media blows it all out of proportion, and all we hear about is how awful we fans are. In happens just about every week, and I'm damn sick of it.

Not to mention- while we Philly fans were occupying "Natitude" Park in Washington, at the same time we were cheering our NBA team, and the injury to the other team's most hatable player, back in Philly. How many fanbases can pull that off, making our presence felt in two places at once?

All of it just shows, once again: in America, attacking Philadelphia sports fans is really the last acceptable prejudice.

Other Philly sports takes:

- Another example of anti-Philadelphia media bias: Eli Manning hosted Saturday Night Live last week. Why not Michael Vick?

- The Sixers are winning their playoff series, largely because the other team's two best players are both injured. Now that's a winning formula- are you paying attention, Flyers?

- Remember the "Sopranos" episode where they left the Russian in the woods in Jersey? I was sort of hoping the Flyers would try that Sunday night with Ilya Bryzgalov.

- Sure, the Phils lost two of three to the Nationals in Washington over the weekend. But their #ourpark campaign clearly failed, as the place was chockfull of Phillies fans all weekend long. So really, we won.

- Bryce Harper is the new Sidney Crosby. I'm looking forward to hating him for the next 15 years. Kudos to Cole Hamels for throwing at him intentionally; I wasn't sure Cole had it in him.

Follow @FakeWIPCaller on Twitter.

Taking a Look at the Philadelphia Eagles Revamped LB Corps

2012-05-04T17:06:10Z

The Eagles have made a lot of changes at linebacker in the last year or so. Let's sort through all the players and figure out who should play where and how this might look once the season rolls around.

The Eagles drafted three linebackers in 2011. They added DeMeco Ryans via trade back in March. They spent a second round pick on Mychal Kendricks in this year's draft. That is a lot of new pieces for the coaches to work with. Some of those pieces are very talented players.

Ryans clearly is the key. He will be the middle linebacker and run the unit. Ryans is immediately the best linebacker on the team. He's also a natural leader and I can't stress the importance of that enough. There was no leader on last year's group. Jamar Chaney did his best, but he doesn't have the kind of presence that Ryans does.

In order to be a great leader, you need one of two things. You need to be so good at what you do that other guys immediately respect you and follow you out of deference to your talent. Terrell Owens was a leader in this way. He was so good that other players looked up to him. The other way to be a leader is to be someone that has great leadership skills. Then about a guy like Ike Reese. He was a backup linebacker and special teamer, but Reese was a team leader. He just had the right personality and presence.

Chaney wasn't a good enough player to command the respect of his teammates. Was he a natural leader? It is hard to say from the outside, but I sure didn't get that vibe from him. Maybe there was so much change that he had confidence issues of his own that undermined whatever he was trying to do. Think of the old line about the blind leading the blind. It would be tough to be a leader if you don't know what you're doing. With adjusting to a new scheme, changing positions, and dealing with Juan Castillo in his first year on the job, I can sure see where Chaney would have been more than a little confused.

The Eagles got lucky with Ryans because he is a leader in every way. The young linebackers will look to him as an example of how to get things done on the field because he is such a good player and they will listen to him off the field because of the way he carries himself. He also has a ton of experience, which helps him to have an answer for just about any question.

Ryans presence in the middle gives the linebackers a foundation. If the outside guys are confused, they can look to him for guidance. I think last year's linebacker corps was hurt by a lack of confidence and an over-abundance of confusion more than anything to do with talent. Ryans can settle guys down and keep them focused. If you miss a tackle, don't worry about it. If you make a great play, don't obsess on it. What's done is done. Play the next play. Eliminate mistakes. Make good plays on a consistent basis.

So which guys will join Ryans in the starting lineup? I think the Eagles will push Kendricks to be the starting SAM. This means they will give him reps with the starters to see if he can handle it. They spent a high pick on him and want to get him on the field. He will not be given the job the way that Casey Matthews was given his last year. There is a full offseason so the team has time to both teach players and evaluate them. Kendricks will be challenged.

There has been a lot of speculation that Jamar Chaney would be the primary competition since he played SAM early on last year and Castillo raved about him, but there is a lot of uncertainty. He spent most of his rookie year and 2011 in the middle. I think Chaney should stay in the middle. The best game of his young career came at middle linebacker (vs the Giants in 2010). He played mostly middle linebacker in college. Leave him there and let him develop behind Ryans. If anything happens to Ryans, the team needs someone ready to take over.

Akeem Jordan and Moise Fokou should battle Kendricks for the SAM job. Both guys spent time there last year and in the past. Neither guy is an ideal athlete for what the team wants now, but both guys have had good starts at the SAM position. That experience is something to build on. The Eagles signed Monte Simmons in free agency and I think will try him at SAM. He has a good frame and played defensive end in college. He brings a different skill set, but obviously is a guy they have some interest in.

The middle then would be Ryans and Chaney. Behind them will be second year player Greg Lloyd. Interesting note - both he and Ryans list at 6-1, 247. Lloyd is a run stuffer. He is most comfortable sitting between the tackles and hitting whatever comes at him, blockers or runners. The question with Lloyd is athleticism. He injured his knee in college and I'm not sure he was all the way back by last summer. Lloyd looked a bit slow to me. He has to show the coaching staff that he has enough speed and quickness to handle NFL runners. This is going to be the biggest summer of his life.

Over on the weakside there will be an interesting battle. If you have Chaney in the middle, that means Casey Matthews slides to the outside. It is possible he could get a look at SAM, but most likely he would go the other way. The Eagles had Matthews start a game on the weakside last year. He was then replaced by Brian Rolle, who held the job the rest of the year.

Rolle is back and wants to keep the job in 2012. He and Matthews will fight it out. Matthews is bigger and has better instincts, but Rolle has a year of experience and showed some potential as a playmaker. Rolle led the linebackers with 5 tackles-for-loss. He had a sack and a forced fumble (which he also scooped up and ran in for a touchdown vs the Bears).

General manager Howie Roseman said recently that Matthews looks completely different this spring. He bulked up to play inside last year, but bulking up isn't always good. Roseman said that this year Matthews looks bigger and stronger (not just heavier). I'm sure Rolle has worked on his body as well.

Both players need to show consistency. Rolle's highlight plays made him look like a star. There were other moments when he looked like a confused rookie. Matthews was in over his head early on. The Eagles had him running the base defense and playing in the nickel. That was too much and you could see that on the field. He was thinking too much and not just playing. He missed tackles and just didn't look right. Late in the year he found a niche in the nickel and started to get comfortable.

I recently re-watched some 2010 Oregon tape. Matthews looked completely different when playing. He was confident and aggressive. He flew around the field and hit everyone he could. We never saw that kind of reckless abandon last year. He played slow because he was unsure of what to do and what he was facing. If Matthews looks like that again, he'll be on the bench again. If the light has gone on and he now knows what he is doing, Matthews could win a starting job and be a solid linebacker.

Behind he and Rolle is Keenan Clayton. This is a crucial year for him. Clayton has flashed NFL talent here and there in each of his first two seasons, but hasn't shown that he could be a starting linebacker. He has lacked the size and physicality to be a good run defender. Clayton can cover really well. He can hit and tackle. He must show that he can play the run between the tackles. Clayton needs to shine, so that the coaches feel obligated to get him on the field. Terrific athlete, but he must show physical toughness to challenge for snaps in the base defense.

This set of linebackers has a lot of potential. There is a good mixture of skill sets and body types. One interesting note - Kendricks, Jordan, Ryans, Chaney, Lloyd, Rolle, and Matthews all played middle linebacker in college. Some also spent time outside and it may be that versatility is part of what made the Eagles want to draft them. This is the best set of linebackers the Eagles have had since 2008 when Chris Gocong, Stewart Bradley, and Jordan were the starters. If Ryans is as good as billed and one outside starter will emerge as a good player, linebacker could go from a weakness to a solid position or, dare I say it, even a strength. Keep your fingers crossed. The Eagles might have finally gotten linebacker right.