THE EAGLES CORNERBACK PROBLEM

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/08/11
Posted in: Coaching, Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Crazy Talk, Defense, Players, Rants, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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DEFENSIVE Coordinator Jim Schwartz brought with him a version of the Wide Nine defense, that was leveraged (smarter) differently, than the version that Eagles fans saw run under Jim Washburn/Juan Castillo, toward the end of Andy Reid’s tenure here. Schwartz’s system does a better job of getting pressure with our front four, than we have at any time since 1992. What Schwartz doesn’t seem to be able to do, is find a CB.

Oh, we’ve run the gamut in our search! We’ve kept veterans from the prior regime (Nolan Carroll). We’ve brought in guys who played in a Schwartz system before (Ron Brooks, and Leodis McKelvin, both former Bills). We brought in re-treads (Patrick Robinson). Drafted talent early (Sidney Jones). Reached on a project (Rasul Douglas). Promoted a gritty underdog (Jalen Mills). Now we even traded away Jordan Matthews, the WR with the best proven chemistry with our QB, in exchange for a third Bills CB (Ronald Darby).

We’ve swapped out physical guys like Dwayne Gratz, and cut then brought back finesse guys like Aaron Grymes. In the last two years, we’ve had a ton of CB’s and DB’s come and go in Philly. So many different kinds of athletes. So many varied gifts. So why can’t we find a decent starting pair of CB’s?

The answer is that we probably already found a pair of starting Corners. Fact is, the athletes aren’t the problem. The system isn’t the problem. The DC isn’t the problem. All of those are great. The problem is the coverage technique that Defensive Backs coach Cory Undlin is teaching the Corners (likely at the behest of Schwartz).

If Darby grabs 5 picks this year, most folks will say that I’m just a crank for talking about this. On the other hand, if he ends up on the pile like all the others have, we will have given up a valuable piece for something we already have plenty of.

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WHAT NEEDS FIXING?

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/08/11
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Offense, Players, Reviews, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

BELIEVE it or not, there were a few positive things to take away from last nights game vs the Packers. QB Carson Wentz looked fully in command of what was happening around him, despite Green Bay being total assholes and blitzing so much (given that it was a preseason game). Our Defensive Line also handled business both as the starting unit and as the “back-up” unit.

There were some good things that happened last night, but this is the preseason. The preseason is for focusing on what we need to tighten up. Judging from what we saw at Lame Beau last night, our Eagles have quite a bit of tightening to do, in some key areas.

The first area to tighten, is coverage. We’re still using 5 yard cushions and allowing wideouts quick releases inside. That inside release puts the receiver between the ball and the defender. It creates a no-brainer, easy completion for even the worst QB. We played this same technique, and gave up these same releases last year, and we ended up 7-9 for our troubles.

On the other hand, if the CB forces the receiver outside, then the defender would be between the ball and the receiver. A QB thinks twice about throwing a ball to that receiver, so he holds the ball longer while looking for a different receiver. That gives the pass rush time to get home. We need to do more of that, and that cannot be done from a 5 yard cushion.

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Photo courtesy of USA Today

Another thing we need work on, is communication in our run game. Last night, no matter who carried the ball, running in between the Tackles wasn’t something we could do. I get that the assholes were bringing extra men all night long, but even high school Offensive Linemen have checks, calls and counters for that.

What you saw in that game, was a unit not communicating like they should be. Maybe it’s because one Guard is a new starter, and the other was filling in. In either case it’s still inexcusable. Learn the checks. Learn the calls. Be able to communicate. When the communication stops or gets messed up, everything gets messed up. The unit cannot and will not function as a team, if they don’t communicate. Communication is a must.

Blitz hot routes also need a looksee. The Cheesies came with the blitz on what seemed like every down, but the only time I recall them getting spanked for it, was on that 20 yard pass from QB Matt McGloin to RB Corey Clement, in the second half.

While it looked like our QB’s (even Wentz) weren’t great against the blitz, the truth is that the routes we ran, went outside. (In contrast to what the Packers did with inside releases.) It’s nearly impossible to hang the ball accurately when the receiver still has his back to you. This is a problem with the way a route drawn up. Better play design would go a long way to helping out the QB.

I could name a few more things, but today I’m just going to focus on the things which stem into other things. Focus on the fundamentals, first. Not being able to cover, run, or give your QB a quick option all are stem issues. We’ll see what takes place this week in practice.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: GREEN BAY

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/08/11
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FINALLY, after what seemed like a 12 month offseason, we got a look at our team. After a long wait, we had a chance to get a real idea of how they measure up against other NFL teams. Better still, this was against a team that made the playoffs last year. A real test! So of course the Packers rested key players.

Today's Discussion (Erostile 16 Bold)

It was just as well that we didn’t get the Packers best punch. We spent so much time hurting ourselves, that they hardly needed to show up at all. 73 plays run, 54 passes to 19 rushing attempts. That put the play selection here at 78% pass to 22% run. No NFL team can put together a successful season with that kind of imbalance. The Eagles uneven and frankly, hard to watch 9 – 24 loss, was proof of that.

But what about the stuff that the stats don’t reveal? That’s the reason for these “Four Things” articles. To have an idea of what needs addressing BEFORE the game, so that we’re forced to honestly answer questions AFTER the game.

So, of the Four Things we were looking for in this last game, what exactly did we see?

1) Which WR has QB Carson Wentz’s eye: Turns out it seemed to be WR Jordan Matthews. Matthews caught two balls from Wentz that he turned into much better plays on the field than they could have been on paper. No ball was thrown to WR’s Nelson Agholor or Torrey Smith. However, at least Wentz was looking for WR’s not backs or TE’s. (DONE)

2) Covering our bets: The CB’s continued to play with huge cushions and surrendering inside releases, like the starters from last year did. A 61% completion percentage will kill any Defensive scheme, regardless of how great the front seven is. (NOT DONE)

3) Timmy, Timmy, Timmayyyyy:  DT Timmy Jernigan didn’t see much action last night, but on the handful of downs he played, the interior looked impenetrable. I’m sure it’ll seem more human next week and the week after. However, for now it was good to see dominance. (DONE)

4) Getting carried away: We didn’t get the (5 – 24 – 4.8) with a long run of 10, kind of night that I was hoping for from RB Corey Clement. What we got, was a (7 – 13 – 1.8) with a long run of 8 kind of night. He was however, the Eagles leader in rushes and yards, as no RB was able to find any help from the Offensive Line. (NOT DONE)

That starts the preseason off with a low-key 2 out of 4 benchmarks met. That being said, I want to see more from the running game and from our coverage next week vs Buffalo at the Linc.

FOUR THINGS: EAGLES/GREEN BAY(PS)

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/08/09
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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THIS game officially closes the books on the 2016-2017 season and turns our collective eyes to the 2017-2018 season. In this first pre-season game, we get our first look at how the new additions will fit, and whether or not we’re better for now having them here. Winning or losing isn’t the point. This is an evaluation tool for the coaches and a tune-up for the players. Nothing more.

This is the football equivalent of your elementary school music teacher, expecting you to strike that flat bell sounding thing with the mallet, when they point to you. 

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It’s pretty basic shit, and so there’s no excuse for screwing it up out there.

Since winning serves no purpose at this point, it will serve us best to get a DEEP look at the roster. Since everyone will be doing basic stuff, it should serve as a solid measuring stick as to who is and who isn’t fundamentally sound as a player.

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to look for versus the Packers:

1) Which WR has QB Carson Wentz’s eye: There’s a good chance that WR Alshon Jeffery will be held out of this game, while he nurses a minor shoulder issue. We know that Jeffery will be the primary target when the games count, but when he isn’t on the field, which WR does Wentz look for?

2) Covering our bets: Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz told the world that he’d be blitzing more in 2017. That means the CB’s will have to either play more man-press or force WR’s to the sideline. (That’s because inside releases will undercut any blitz attempt.) The cushions we played with last season… they have to disappear to make the blitzes work, and these young CB’s need to practice what they’ll actually be doing this year.

3) Timmy, Timmy, Timmayyyyy: It may be unfair to expect so much from a new player, but DT Timmy Jernigan is lining up next to DT Fletcher Cox, so I expect to see the Packers unable to get anything done between the Tackles. I don’t care about Screens and Shuffle-passes, or Jet Sweeps and QB scrambles. It’s all the bread and butter stuff, that I expect to see taken away.

4) Getting carried away: I want to see RB Corey Clement end the night with 5 carries for 24 (or more) yards, with at least one run of 10 yards. I’d like to see him before the fourth quarter. Preferably sprinkled in, off and on all night. Testing him against 3rd stringers won’t tell us if he can help us during real NFL season

Again, the point of this game isn’t a win. If we win this game 1000,000 to 0, it won’t mean a single thing towards our playoff push. It won’t add an inch to our ****s or a dollar to our bank accounts. We need to expose our youth to some “live fire” and test their mettle. The sooner we can separate the chafe from the wheat, the sooner we can focus on truly putting 7-9 (and 7-9) behind us.

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DAMMIT, QUIT CRYING!

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/07/29
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Rants, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 MYCHAL Kendricks requested a trade in the offseason, and many Eagles fans reacted by throwing bitch-fits, while saying dumb shit like “Trade his ass” and, “If he wants to leave, fine, trade him”. I called it ‘dumb shit’, because it’s purely an emotional reaction, and it doesn’t take into account a single fact with bearing on the team’s upcoming season.

Odds are that the Offense will still have to iron out some chemistry issues, early in the year. So we’ll have to lean on the Defense to carry the team, when the season starts. However, if we sabotage the Defense, we could wreck the entire season beginning Week One. Let me paint you a picture.

First of all, Kendricks asked for that trade during the offseason. That was prior to Training Camp, prior to mandatory OTA’s, or even prior (according to ESPN) to the Draft in April. Due to how much Nickel we played, Kendricks didn’t play much in 2016 (just 27% of the year’s defensive snaps).

Despite not playing him much, the Eagles told Kendricks flat out, that he’s talented and that they want to hold onto him. For his part, he wants to play, and be able to play himself into a bigger contract in the future. Imagine that. A guy who wants to earn his money. And fans take issue with that? Really?

At first it seems like maybe it’s a lost cause. I mean, the system we run, is the system we run, right? Wrong. In July (this would be AFTER Kendricks made his feelings known), Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz, told the world about a philosophical shift in our scheme that would better take advantage of Kendricks’ strengths. So Kendricks doesn’t have to leave here to play, and earn a bigger pay day down the line.

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That means the situation today, isn’t what it was when Kendricks asked for that trade. This is why Kendricks had no qualms about mentioning it. While the issue could always come up again, (for now at least) it’s a quashed matter.

As for derailing the season, we’re already thin at LB. We’re not thin at OLB, or ILB, or MLB. We’re thin at LB, period. That’s even with Kendricks. Now factor in OLB Nigel Bradham facing a possible six game suspension, over an assault charge that earned him probation instead of jail time.

Trading Kendricks and losing Bradham for six games would practically rip the guts out of 2017 before it even started. The closest thing we have to an experienced hand at the position is Najee Goode. Goode has one career start in five seasons, and 21 of his career 42 tackles happened in 2013.

Of course one of the young guys could make a splash. Maybe all one of these guys needs is a chance. That could be true, but without much experience in game-time situations, it’s far more likely that they’d make costly errors, learning on the job. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt this team to add a guy like Josh Bynes or Donald Butler to the roster.

So with no depth and a possible suspension looming, we are in no position, no position, to be giving away talent. Especially not over some fans having a knee-jerk, over-emotional reaction to a feeling of rejection, over an issue that was dead before they ever heard of it.

Eagles fans are known for being a tough bunch. Quit making us look like bitches.

NICE MOVES. HOW ‘BOUT ANOTHER?

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/07/27
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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GIVEN all the talent added up front during this offseason, and with him staying home for OTA’s, the release of DE Marcus Smith didn’t really come as a shock to anyone. Drafting DE Derek Barnett could be seen as getting an infusion of young talent. That said, you don’t add a veteran like DE Chris Long, and trade for a DT like Timmy Jernigan, if you’re happy with what you already have.

Trading away OL Allen Barbre, on hand has me a little nervous, because his ability to start at G and RT were nice assets to have. On the other hand, it says the Eagles feel good about not just the depth at G, but that there’s also someone to believe in at reserve OT.

The early hope is that I was wrong last year about OT Halapoulivati Vaitai, because if the Eagles are pinning their hopes on undrafted rookie Victor Salako, or Taylor Hart who was a DT last year, we could be in some real trouble. Until I see otherwise, I’ll stick to my assessment of Vaitai as a stiff and heavy-footed turnstile.

The move I’m still waiting on, is trading RB Ryan Mathews. Given the additions to the RB position that the Eagles have made, keeping Mathew’s salary on the books is just silly. Besides, with the injury to the Baltimore Ravens starting RB, now would be great time to deal them Mathews.

Initially the idea would be to try and get a CB out of them, but the Ravens wouldn’t be willing to part with anyone we’d want. We might however, be able to get an OT out of the deal. OT De’Ondre Wesley wouldn’t be a bad swap at all. At best, he sits behind Jason Peters and Lane Johnson for a year or two. At worst, he’s a camp body who adds competition to what we already have. In any case we’d get to dump Ryan Mathews salary.

Not too shabby!

THE NFL PLAYERS STRIKE

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/07/17
Posted in: Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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WITH the recent edition of NBA contracts coming out, some NFL players are reacting as if football players are poorly paid. Players like Seattle Seahawk DB Richard Sherman, think that NFL players should strike, in order to get contracts more in line with NB and MLB athletes. That is not only an incorrect assessment of the situation, it’s outright bullshit to boot. So you can relax. There won’t be a strike.

Due to the current CBA, the NFL is on the hook to share 48% of the 13 billion in revenue that it made in 2016, with the league’s 1800 players. That breaks down to something like $3,466,666 per man, or per average contract. It’s this agreement that helped the NFLPA realize that the NFL’s financial obligation was 120M$ light to players in 2015, for which they sued and quickly were ordered to repay.

Let me ask you. Do you and your co-workers see 48% of what your company makes? Unless you’re in a unique situation, your answer was “No”. Probably an emphatic “No”, accompanied by a frown, or a derisive laugh, or a choice expletive. When workers get 48% of their company’s whole take, that is not underpaid. In America we call that “Quit whining, asshole!” (Let’s not even get into their benefits packages, which includes a perk of giving millionaires steep discounts on the tickets, that you’d pay through the nose for.)

Football is my favorite sport. I love it well ahead of any other sport, (and even ahead of some family members), but truth is truth. MLB players play 162 games per year and that league made 10 billion in 2016. NBA players play 82, and that league made 8 billion. NFL players play 16 and the NFL made 13 billion. Despite playing more games the NBA and MLB make less revenue, and thus have less total money to split between owners and players. This means that while some NBA and MLB players make a killing, there are far more players “taking haircuts” in these leagues, than there are in the NFL.

I’m guessing that the average NFL athlete will not want to trade hefty revenue sharing, for more low level and fewer guaranteed contracts, just to facilitate a few sky-high deals. I’m 99.9% certain that few players would vote to ratify any negotiated agreement that screws everyone except a handful of stars. Guys like Richard Sherman will be okay in that scenario. Players like (insert any Eagles CB) for instance, would get screwed like the brothel’s newest, underage whore.

However it’s a non-starter anyway. NFL owners are not about to split revenue 50-50 with their employees. It wouldn’t be about dollar figures either. It would be about saving face, and being able to say that they are still the bosses. That they, not the players, run the league. The owners will not part with that for any dollar figure.

So this issue is a non-starter, and it’s likely one instance where the NFLPA might actually talk their members down for a change. So again, relax. Football will arrive in your town on schedule.

TALKING ABOUT MYSELF

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/07/06
Posted in: Conversations, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Sam Eric (Boyd)Theater - 1994

RARELY do I ever talk about myself beyond my history as a football player, or my love for writing. However, with Training Camp being weeks away, I find myself thinking a lot about things that aren’t football. So I figured why not share some of those thoughts.

WARNING! OLD FART RANTING AHEAD!

Sitting here, staring down the barrel of turning 42, it occurs to me that my odds of ever being the #1 overall NFL draft pick, might be starting to decline. No, really! I think my odds are slipping. Perhaps I should start getting in shape now. Oh yeah, and enroll in a college. Nah! I can put it off another year. Besides, someone has to eat these cheese steaks and Beiler’s doughnuts. And this beer won’t drink itself, right? Don’t worry folks! I’ll step up and take this one for the team. (You see that? I’m a goddamned American HE-ro!)

What would make more sense, is for me to show up to the NovaCare Center and tell them I’d like to fill out an application for team Owner. Of course it’s common sense to think that I’d get laughed out of the building. While that’s a safe bet, I can’t help but wonder what I’d do if someone (with a straight face) handed me an application.

I probably don’t have the qualifications to own an NFL team. So it might be better to stick to jobs that any unqualified idiot can get. So this is me deciding to run for President in 2020. My slogan will be “NEVER AGAIN!” My campaign promises will include:

1) The public flogging of Roger Goodell.

2) Having mascots visit more schools, hospitals, and prisons.

3) Establishing a quality of life police force. (Loud talking on cell phones, visible muffin tops, sandals with ugly feet, wearing clothes two sizes too small, taking up two parking spaces, etc. All ticketable offenses.)

4) Converting some of the Defense budget into a middle class tax cut, and moving the income tax return period from March to October, to help retailers when they need it most.

That will all have to wait a couple years though. In the meantime, I’m just going to continue to write, consume food and football, torment my rivals, and persecute those who butcher the (American version of the) English language.

EAGLES INTIMIDATING THE NFL

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/07/05
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, NFL, Players. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Tumbler Intimidate

THOSE who said they’d like OLB Mychal Kendricks either traded or released, may want to pump the brakes. He could be instrumental in helping us punk the NFL. Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz recently said, if the Defense can’t cover a pass-catching RB, that we’ll just blitz more to “keep his ass” in pass protection.

To do something like that takes two things.

First, Schwartz needs a horse he can ride. That means he needs a LB who can pass rush. One who can beat the blocks of TE’s and RB’s, and the occasional O-lineman. News flash! Kendricks has already proven himself adept at all of that. Every piece of it. Better still, he’s done it both on the inside and on the edge. This means he can be moved around, which makes him harder to game plan for. Better still, he’s already under contract. Schwartz’s new philosophy turns Kendricks from a liability into an asset.

Having the right player is great, but it isn’t the most important part needed to make this work. Second and more importantly, the DC needs the will to force teams to commit their RB to pass protection.

This part takes nerves, balls, and a thick skin. This philosophy requires the DC to play the part of the villain. He has to be willing to make enemies that will cost him future job opportunities. He must be willing to be eternally reviled as a devil by some, and worshiped as a god by others. He must become Buddy Ryan 2.0.

Look, every snap of a football player’s career comes with risk. Every single one. However, there is a difference between a possible catastrophe, and a countdown to one. The human body will only absorb so much punishment before it cannot perform well. Every blitz that results in a full speed hit on a QB, scares an opposing coaching staff, regardless of whether or not the QB completes that pass.

Allowing too many high speed hits on a QB, has a way of jeopardizing entire seasons. So trying to minimize the amount of abuse their QB takes, will be why teams keep that RB in to block. Schwartz is putting this out there now, to make sure that opponents know the risk they run, if they try to involve RB’s in the passing game.

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I love that, because it’s a clear attempt at intimidation. As I said in THE 12 this year, we have to “Make Fear Our Ally”. In the article, I go into the reasons why we need to do this, and it seems like the Eagles coaching staff is somehow, eerily on the same page as me. Imagine that. (Yet again it seems like an Eagles staff member may have come across an article or two of mine. If that’s the case, I was at Broad and South for the Phillies parade. Wonder where I’ll stand during the one for the Eagles.)

Of course (and I say this part with the assumption that an Eagles staffer is reading it), the benefits I spoke of in THE 12, will not happen if the Eagles do not have the will to follow through on what Schwartz has now put out there. 31 NFL teams have been put on notice now, and whether or not we follow through will determine if they laugh at us or are intimidated by us.

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SURPRISES AMONG EAGLES RECEIVERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/07/01
Posted in: Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FUCK YEAH

DORIAL Green-Beckham being cut is no surprise in itself. I mean at some level in part, it’s just a numbers game. Like last year, the Eagles are probably only keeping 5 or 6 active WR’s. Three of those will be Alshon Jeffrey, Torrey Smith and Jordan Matthews. So beyond that, every name on the roster was and will be, up in the air until final cuts are made on September 2nd.

I was pleasantly surprised by part of the news surrounding Green-Beckham being waived. It’s to be expected that the Law Firm (Jeffrey, Smith and Matthews)* would be ahead of Green-Beckham on the depth chart. What I was surprised by, was that Bryce Treggs was also listed ahead of him.

Last year on Treggs’s first NFL catch, he hauled in a 58 yard pass (and nearly scored), right down the middle of the giants defense. It was the shot in the arm that our deep passing game had needed so badly. Suddenly it looked like we might have stumbled onto a deep threat. At which point Treggs basically disappeared. For whatever reason, he was used on more modest routes, and on Jet Sweeps.

It also didn’t help that in 12 targets last year, he only caught 3 of them. (No, the other 9 weren’t drops.)

This offseason when we signed Torrey Smith as our resident deep threat, it seemed the book had been closed on Treggs. There was no way that he would get into the top six, right? Not with the Law Firm, Nelson Agholor, Green-Beckham, and RB/WR Byron Marshall, all ahead of him.

However, the release of Green-Beckham now clears a seat at that table for Treggs. It also gives an outside shot to guys like rookie Mack Hollins, and to working class hero, Paul Turner. My favorite part, is what it could do for the team. You say that you hadn’t thought about that part? Well get ready to smile like an idiot.

Treggs possesses DeSean Jackson-type speed and acceleration (but without the change of direction skills). Still, the idea of having both him AND Smith… I’ve been an Eagles fan since 1989 (put away the calculator, that’s almost 28 years), and at no point during that span has this team EVER had two deep threats like this, on the roster at one time. Provided that Treggs can beat out Agholor or Marshall, the sky could be the limit for this Offense.

It’s funny. All this talk about our WR’s, yet QB Carson Wentz receiving so many new weapons, could end up being the NFL’s greatest catch of the year.

 

*Law Firm! I coined it! Now when people ask where that nickname got started, you can tell ’em that you were there at the beginning, and helped spread the name around. And yes, I’m aware that the nickname was used by BenJarvus Green-Ellis already. However, if the Jets can steal ‘Gang Green’, and the giants can steal ‘Thunder and Lightning’, then we can boost a nickname too.