Paul Turner

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REBUILDING OUR SPECIAL TEAMS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/09/26
Posted in: Conversations, NFL, Players, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

SO far I have yet to see a headline asking the question, so I decided to ask it myself. With K Caleb Sturgis being near automatic from 39 yards and in, but shaky from anything 40 yards and greater, should the Eagles decide to stick with and develop a rookie who has already set a franchise record, in just his second pro game?

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Rookie K Jake Elliott was drafted by Cincinnati in the fifth round, but released due to missing “too many easy kicks” (and not for inadequate leg strength, as this website erroneously reported yesterday). Once Sturgis injured his hip, we needed a guy. So we grabbed Elliott off of Cincy’s Practice Squad. Given that Sturgis (on a one year deal) was never the long-term answer at K, this might all be falling neatly into place.

In fact, when you take an objective look at our Special Teams unit, you see age and lack of depth throughout. P Donnie Jones is in year 14, at age 37. RB/PR Darren Sproles just sustained two season- (and likely career) -ending injuries, but when he went down, WR Torrey Smith took over PR duty and returned the first punt of his career. We also allowed ace Special Teamer OLB Bryan Braman to walk this off-season, and kick coverage has certainly been affected.

This raises some interesting questions about the Eagles long-term Special Teams situation. Right now our most dangerous KR, is RB Wendell Smallwood. That could be an issue if he’s to play serious minutes on Offense. And do we really want our #2 WR returning punts, with almost zero experience?

My suggestion would be to develop Elliott. I’d also limit Smallwood’s Offensive snaps to keep him fresh for kick returns. I’d essentially swap him on the depth chart with RB Corey Clement.

Then I’d add an experienced PR, since we don’t have one on the roster. My thought? Bring back “preseason legend” WR Paul Turner. Hell, he’s even returned a punt for a touchdown, remember?  I’d also add a young P with a history of playing QB (even high school), to the Practice Squad and develop him into a sort of Tom Tupa QB/P . (Showing my age on that one.)

That would roll a third string QB and a P, into one guy. That would also discourage opponents from aggressively trying to block any punts or field goals, that he was the holder for. Just a few things to think about, since Sunday was such a pivotal day for Special Teams here.

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.

AND NOW FOR SEVERAL BEEFS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/01/10
Posted in: Conversations, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, Rants, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

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FACTS give you something that you can build a future on. Perceptions gives you something to build rumors on. Let me give you some facts:

WR Nelson Agholor‘s 40 Time – 4.42

WR Jordan Matthews 40 Time – 4.46

WR Dorial Green-Beckham – 4.49

The perception is that our WR’s are too slow and that we need to draft a fast one. The fact is, our WR’s are faster than most of the prospects out there. See for yourself HERE. You have to be careful with perception. It can get you to make stupid mistakes even with the “best of intentions”.

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And since a well-intentioned fuck-up will still be a fuck-up, you can see why I have several beefs with these perceptions.

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My first of several beefs is of course the speed thing. The problem with our WR’s isn’t speed. On too many plays (just too damned many), QB Carson Wentz was forced to throw the ball into crowds because often the routes would intersect downfield. That’s not an issue of receiver speed, that’s an issue of poor play design. It didn’t help that at times when receivers did get open, balls bounced off of hands, they didn’t get their feet down in bounds, they were frequently overthrown, and/or they often failed to drive back to the ball. We saw a ton of these things through all 16 games, and not one of these things is speed related. So let’s bin that ill perception, and perhaps run the risk of getting it right for change.

My next issue is the shortsightedness of this franchise.

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“What do you see beyond your fists?” It’s a question with an obvious answer, but this team has an amazing history of looking past and around obvious solutions. For example, there was no real reason why WR Paul Turner should have been inactive for as long as he was, and there was even less reason to use him sparingly once he was active. Wentz’s development could have started Week One if the Front Office didn’t prize Agholor’s draft position over Turner’s actual ability to play. But of course, that was too obvious.

Another issue is that WR Byrce Treggs actually did stretch defenses on the rare occasions they let him run deep routes. It boggled my mind to see him used on Jet Sweeps. The idea that our coaching staff didn’t want to keep a guy with 4.39 speed (DeSean Jackson runs a 4.35), on the field as often as possible, hurts my head. Even just as a decoy to keep a Safety back and clear the box for the run. The last time we had that sort of threat, RB LeSean McCoy ran for 1,600 yards. But we didn’t want that sort of thing ’round here, now did we?

My final issue is with the poor investment strategy. We’ve spent the picks. What we haven’t done is spend the time. In 2015 Agholor was a 1st round pick. In 2014 Matthews was a 2nd round pick and Josh Huff was a 3rd round pick. None of those players was coached up by the former head coach of this team. They learned to run plays instead of learning to become NFL receivers. Fact is, 2016 was their first year under a real coaching staff, and their position coach is Greg Lewis. Nothing against Lewis, but he wasn’t really a Hall of Fame sort of player, now was he?

NOTE: Since the original writing of this article, Lewis has since been given a guided tour of the exit, and an unlimited supply of unpaid vacation days, which he has already begun to use. 

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While I agree that we need to draft a WR, the fact is, it isn’t speed that we lack out there. What we lack is a guy who commands the ball and takes every snap as a personal challenge. We need a competitive guy in the mold of Jerry Rice, Anquan Boldin or Antonio Brown. A guy who’ll be a leader, and work in his spare time to perfect more than his Whip and his Nae-Nae. A guy who doesn’t take boat trips with a playoff game coming up.

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The fact is, we have guys who can run. We need guys who can make the guys around them better. That’s fact, not perception, and facts give you something that you can build a future on.

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FOUR THINGS: EAGLES/RAVENS

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/12/16
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Draft, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

THERE are no more big plans for the 2016 season. Since most sports pundits and Eagles fans didn’t have many to begin with, no one should be disappointed at where the team is right now. The time has come for us to shift focus. Instead of trying to win 3 more meaningless games in 2016, or we should the table for 2017, 2018, 2019 and so forth and so on. Our 2017 season should start this Sunday.

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Billboard down the street from my house, at the Girard street on-ramp to 95

Since this game is meaningless, this game shouldn’t be about this game. This game should be about the 2017 offseason. It should be an evaluation tool that includes a high number of young players starting and playing in critical situations. We should get a deep look at our youth during “live fire”. Not just during “garbage time”, but while the game is on the line, to see how they handle the pressure and if they can respond well to it.

The smart play here is to get a long look at the back end of our roster, to be sure that we A) don’t release any youth that has real potential, and B) that we don’t waste a Draft pick on something that we already have, but don’t realize that we do. This way we get to focus laser-like on what we truly need, and can build on strengths.

This game shouldn’t be about beating the Ravens, but if we can do that with a bunch of young players and deep bench guys, it portends greatness and is a hell of confidence builder for the young guys.

So let’s talk about the Four Things Players we need to look for, Week 15 versus Baltimore :

1) WR Bryce Treggs: I’ve been screaming for more of him for weeks now. Rumors of possibly signing Free Agent DeSean Jackson next season, only make getting a DEEP look at Treggs so much more important. Why pay more for DJax’s balky, old hammies, when Treggs can already stretch a defense? If he can effectively snag deep balls against a team fighting for a playoff spot, then there’s no need to overpay for a FA, or spend a high Draft pick at the WR position.

2) WR Paul Turner: He should start over WR Nelson Agholor for two reasons. 1) it keeps the fire lit under Agholor’s ass, and 2) we get to see Turner vs starting NFL CB’s, and not just second and third string units. Everyone is screaming that we need to grab a WR early, and maybe we do. However, we should first take a long look to make sure.

3) G Dillon Gordon: G Stefen Wisniewski is a FA after this year, but he played well enough to be brought back. However, given the contract of G Brandon Brooks, and the commitment to developing rookie G Isaac Seumalo, giving Wisniewski an inflated contract to be a back-up, seems unlikely. That makes it imperative to determine if Gordon can be relied upon at all. If he can’t play, at least we know where we stand. If Gordon can play, then we can either improve our leverage with Wisniewski, or move on from him altogether with less doubt.

4) DT Destiny Vaeao: With DT Bennie Logan becoming a FA after the season, it would help to know how Vaeao looks when paired with DT Fletcher Cox. DC Jim Schwartz likes to sub his Defensive Line, 4 guys at a time, so we haven’t gotten to see much of a Cox/Vaeao interior. Even when Logan missed games with a calf injury, DT Beau Allen simply sucked up more playing time. Vaeao isn’t the run-stuffer that Logan is, but he’s a more dynamic pass rusher. Given the fall-off we’ve had in that area, seeing a Cox/Vaeao interior might be the shot in the arm this team has been needing.

At this point, looking ahead to the future isn’t tanking. Tanking is quitting early while there is still something on the table worth winning. We’re past that at this point. To paint you a realistic picture: We’d have to win out and go 8-8, while Tampa Bay and Atlanta (8-5), Washington (7-5-1) and Green Bay (7-6) would ALL have to drop their remaining games. Actually given Tampa and Atlanta’s 6-3 conference records with 3 conference games remaining, I don’t see how we (5-7 conference, 2 conference games remaining) overtake them. When you add in our inability to win road games and that we’d be exclusively on the road, it only makes sense to give real consideration to our Draft position (round Two and on), and determine the depth of our needs pertaining to free agency. It’s just smart football and good business.

yeah-bitch

WK13: BENGALS

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/12/05
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Fans, NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, Reviews, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

w13-cin

EAGLES 14 – Bengals 32

WHILE watching this game, at times I felt like I had more at stake than some of our players. There were a few players out there clearly dogging it, but with a little luck we won’t be seeing some of those faces in 2017. Speaking of luck, we seemed to have had as much bad luck as we did poor execution. A couple of the turnovers we surrendered were more bad luck, than real skill by the Bengals. It was just not going to be our day. Sometimes that happens. Sometimes it’s Pittsburgh, sometimes it’s Cincinnati. Gotta take the good and the bad equally. 

On a day when the Offensive Line couldn’t protect QB Carson Wentz (36/60 – 60.0% – 308 – 1 – 3), the play-calling dialed up 60 passes compared to a team-wide 19 rushes. In the second half, starting RB Wendell Smallwood (8 – 19 – 2.3 – 0 – 0) didn’t see the field as we instead opted to lean on an undersized, 33 year old, with a broken rib. Our leading WR was Paul Turner (6 – 80 – 13.3 – 0), proving once again that many fans here have a better feel for our receiver situation than the Head Coach. (Remember the days of fans holding up“I’m a moron, I want a WR!” signs? We went and got a real WR (Terrell Owens) and went immediately to the Super Bowl, didn’t we? Maybe us fans shouldn’t be ignored so much.) Turner was targeted 7 times and snagged 6 passes for real yardage. And he’ll probably be benched/inactive again next week.

ugh

 

Defensively, I couldn’t help but notice the utter lack of pride that some of our players have. Later in the game there was an incident that threw a spotlight on it. When the Bengals allowed the TD to our TE, a couple of their defensive players jawed at each other over the blown coverage. It’s been weeks since our Secondary has shown that much pride. Our CB’s (Carroll/McKelvin) seem resigned to being sub-par to average players, who are happy enough to draw a check. For that reason, I hope that neither returns next year. We don’t need that attitude to contaminate our young, in-coming players.

 

Due to large cushions, free releases, and (let’s be honest) just downright shitty fucking coverage, yet another opposing QB was able to constantly get rid of the ball quickly. Our Secondary has effectively neutered our pass rush. Defensive Co-ordinator Jim Schwartz has to be ultimately held responsible for the decline of this unit, due to him not having any answers for how to fix the Secondary.

Did you notice?

How you and I seem to care more than certain players at this point.

CAN’T CATCH A BREAK.

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/10/26
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments

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CARSON Wentz will be a wasted pick if we can’t get him a Wide Receiver to rely on. Most of the great Quarterbacks you can think of, had a go-to WR that also comes quickly to mind. Wentz doesn’t have anything remotely like that, and it’s starting to stunt his growth.

I’m seeing ball after ball forced in the direction of Nelson Agholor.

I’m seeing Jordan Matthews (still being employed poorly in the slot, and taken off the field in too many sub-packages) become all but invisible during most of the game.

I’m seeing Dorian Green-Beckham make short catches in traffic, and then get all but ignored in the red zone. (Though he did just catch a 6 yard touchdown on Sunday.)

I’m seeing back-up WR Josh Huff lead the team with 39 yards receiving in a whole game.

I’m seeing the Eagles trying to trade for a second WR in just over 3 months.

The easy answer is to say that the WR’s aren’t good enough. That was fine to say before the DGB trade. However, the whole idea of trading for him was though he had off the field/maturity issues, he has plenty of talent. That means we can’t say it’s a talent issue anymore.

Fact is, our 4 guys top WR’s all have very different styles from each other. Yet we’re to buy that none of them can play at all. One or two guys? Sure, I can buy a bum or two on a roster. But FOUR at one position? One that you traded for! I can’t be made to buy that. My I.Q. is just too damned high, my eyesight is too good, and I know too much football to quietly swallow that B.S.

The real problem is that Offensive Coordinator Frank Reich and Head Coach Doug Pederson don’t really know where they want to hang the team’s hat. We were billed as running a hybrid West Coast Offense, that included elements of the Spread, and utilized the TE more. The thing can’t be smooth, because they built-in too many wrinkles.

Week to week, the focal point of our Offense seems to be making sure that everybody plays, and gets a chance to hold the ball. On most teams, the staff will draw up specific plays designed to get the ball into a specific players hands? Do you EVER feel like we do that here? I sure as fuckall, don’t.

Our coaching staff seems incapable of putting ANY of our WR’s in “a better position to succeed”. Our receivers are used as interchangeable parts, instead of maxing out their built-in advantages and individual talents. We have three WR’s (Matthews, DGB, and Huff) who could each be a match-up headache, but instead are looked upon as mediocre at best.

Like I said, one or two guys sucking, I can buy. One or two guys with no talent? Sure, okay. One or two guys with bad work ethic. I could even spot you that. But FOUR guys? Four guys? Meanwhile Paul Turner (remember him?) just sits at home inactive?

Look, we drafted talent high, traded for talent, and have talent sitting at home. The issue isn’t player talent, it’s coaching. The coaching staff needs to decide who we are on Offense, and figure out how to get the most from each player to help define that identity.

EAGLES 14 – JETS 6

Posted by The BEAST on 2016/09/02
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Offense, Players, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

mcleod.bethel-thompson

ITCHING to get to the games that count, but there’s two more articles to write before I can do that. Here’s the first one.

WR Paul Turner! Paul “Mother******” Turner! At least that’s how some Jets players will think of him as they turn in their playbooks on Saturday. Last night while Turner (6 – 66 – 11.0 – 0 – 0) was making fools out of New York’s entire secondary, he stopped and took a moment to return a punt 71 yards on their special teams unit. He made sure there was enough humiliation for everyone. Such a nice boy.

It was a good thing too, because offensively, I have no idea what was going on out there. Both of our QB’s, Chase Daniel (14 – 22 – 63.6% – 131 – 0 – 2) and McLeod Bethel-Thompson (13 – 16 – 81.2% – 82 – 0 – 0) were a wonder to behold. I have never seen two QB’s look so efficient, while playing so bad at the same time. This was complimented by us not being able to run the ball for shit.

Rookie RB Cedric O’Neal (15 – 32 – 2.1 – 0 – 2) led the team in rushing as worked on his Tim Hardaway impersonation. Unfortunately it’s extremely hard to cross someone over with a football. So putting the ball on the ground so much…maybe, might have been a mistake.

Defense yet again took a page from Bruno Mars and Uptown Funk: “If we show up, we gon’ show out!” DE Steven Means (1 – 1 – 0 – 0), you have to love that guy. There is no way we can cut that guy. I have no desire to see him in a giants, Cowboys, or Redskins jersey. We have to find a way to keep that guy.

I need to also mention DE Marcus Smith (2 – 0 – 0 – 0) and S Ed Reynolds (2 – 0 – 1 – 0). I wasn’t a fan of when we drafted either player, and neither seemed to find his way under the last coach. Under this new coaching staff however, both men have shown real promise. Just goes to show you that superior teaching can release locked potential. I hope to see both players make the 46 man roster.

THAT’S IT! Next time I post one of these recaps, it will be after we beat Cleveland.