Nate Allen

All posts tagged Nate Allen

HITTING THE HOLES

Posted by The BEAST on 2014/12/10
Posted in: Defense, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , . 16 Comments

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WITH all the talk going on about which QB we want to win with or whether or not Chip Kelly (actually Howie Roseman) will draft a QB in 2015; what we haven’t really discussed is what we actually need. There’s been no real discussion on how to fill the holes on this team. Or even what those holes might be.

Let me get started by picking up where I left off:

GUARD: Last year I said the EAGLES needed to draft a young Guard. A real inside mauler. Just a big ol’, Popeye’s chicken eatin’ sumbitch. I know, I know. Our scheme is predicated on getting linemen in space, and running around in tutus and shit. That however is exactly why we do so much east west running. That’s cute in college, but in the pros, you need to be able to move the line of scrimmage. For that as you’ve seen this year, you need a mauler. So no more Tackles converted to Guard!

STRONG SAFTEY: We could also use a Strong Safety with some real speed. Even if employed in a Cover-Two, SS Nate Allen has been easy to run by for YEARS now. With a Safety being your last line of defense, he’s got to be able to run someone down. Since we won’t be able to pry UFA Rahim Moore away from Denver, I’m thinking the Draft is where I’d head for this spot too.

CORNERBACK: This is a weird one, because I think soon to be FA Bradley Fletcher is fine at CB, but I don’t think he’s pay raise worthy out there. Before yelling about drafting someone or adding another expensive FA, it makes sense to see what we have on the roster. But things are going too well (as far as wins and losses) right now to go sitting starters down just so we can say “let me see something”.

LINEBACKER: What every defense needs at its heart is a guy or two who will not be pushed around, and who will grab teammates by their short and curlies if they get caught being pushed around. If we do cut ILB DeMeco Ryans (as my friend Chris suggested could happen) to make cap space, a sneaky good addition could be current Bronco and soon UFA, Nate Irving. He’d be both the playmaker and the vocal leader you expect from a MLB.

Oops! Did I say MLB? This is assuming that DC Bill Davis gets canned after we get shelled in the playoffs. I love my EAGLES, but come on; we aren’t exactly holding our own vs playoff caliber teams this year. Part of that is the Defense. Actually a large part of it is the Defense. What do you think of Rex Ryan? I think it’d be nice to have another Ryan coaching our Defense. But not Rob.

 

MAY THE STRONGEST SAFETY WIN

Posted by The BEAST on 2014/03/28
Posted in: Defense, Players. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Image courtesy of Phillymag.com

Image courtesy of Phillymag.com

THE question of who is going to start at SS opposite Malcolm Jenkins came up yesterday. Some fans say Nate Allen, some say Earl Wolff. Some are even holding out hope for prospect [Calvin Pryor]. Unlike most Eagles questions this one has a simple answer. And it’s staring you in the face.

This team’s biggest need right now is a top shelf pass rusher, so I wouldn’t put my money on drafting a Safety high. Unless he falls into the 2nd Round, I’d rule out Pryor.

Nate Allen is here on a 1-year deal. That indicates that he’s not seen (at least right now) as a long-term solution. He’s still young enough to have a breakout season and rake in some cake in 2015; but with the Eagles already cash strapped for 2015, I wouldn’t bank on seeing Allen here past 2014. If he’s really blowing it up this season, they could always sign him to an extension during the season and trade him prior to any 2015 salary obligation. (At least I’d do it that way.)

The Birds already had Earl Wolff when they brought back Allen. If they wanted to start Wolff on Day One, there was no need to re-sign Allen.

The handwriting on the wall says that barring a kick-ass Training Camp, Wolff opens the season behind Allen, and is slowly moved into a starting role somewhere around Week 7-9.

I think Allen finishes 2014 as the starter if Wolff doesn’t look ready by Week 9. By that point we’re talking playoff push. If it’s a tight division and the Safety play is solid, you don’t rock the boat, you “dance with the girl who brung ya”. 

But I’m interested to hear who you would start and why? Poll and comments right below. 

THIS PISSES ME THE F#@% OFF!

Posted by The BEAST on 2014/03/17
Posted in: Defense, Front Office (F.O.), Players. Tagged: , . Leave a comment
Image courtesy of Fansided.com

Image courtesy of Fansided.com

NATE Allen got a 1-year extension today, and at first it pissed me off a little. Then I gave it some thought.

At which point it pissed me off a lot.

Keeping around a guy who’s been a sub-par NFL Safety for the last few years now, is bad enough; but what message does it send to young players like Earl Wolff or free agents who don’t know the team culture? How do you tell THEM that that they have to elevate their play, if you keep shelling out for what you brought them in to replace? 

Did Allen get an extension to sit the bench? Likely not. If he starts and we still suck vs. the pass, worse still if it costs us games, many fans will blame Allen for that. Not me. 

This one is squarely on the narrow little shoulders of Howie Roseman. He talked a big game about getting a player at that position this off-season, and to be fair he got us a decent cover Safety in Malcolm Jenkins, but when the moment came to do something big, he bitched out. Now we have this crap load of back-up Safeties. These Special Teamers with “upside”. Man fuck outta here! MAKE AN EFFORT! 

Special Teams hurt us in the game against New Orleans, no doubt. But you know what hurt us more? Getting the ball run down our throats, by a PASSING TEAM! Having the league’s leading rusher fairly bottled up by a defensive front that pushed our Offensive Line around. Having the NFL’s Most Over-paid Player blanketed by a 3rd round draft pickalready on his second team. THAT’S what hurt us.

We need some NEW STARTERS. Notice the capitalization of the words “new” and “starters”? That was not a mistake.

This signing on the other hand, is.