What They’re Saying About the Eagles

Here’s the latest roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles.

In an SI.com video, Peter King compares Chip Kelly to Jimmy Johnson:

You have a guy who everybody in college football looked at as the college guru. You’re right in comparing him to [Steve] Spurrier, but the difference is Chip Kelly is much younger in his career jumping to the NFL than Steve Spurrier was. To me, this reminds me of what Jimmy Johnson was going to do to defense in 1989 with the Dallas Cowboys when he came into the NFL.

That is what I’m looking for, and I don’t know what I’m going to see with Chip Kelly doing to offense in 2013, but their entrances in the game I think are similar. Jimmy was a lot different thinking about the defensive side of the ball, Chip Kelly with a lot of different thoughts on the offensive side of the ball.

Michael Vick offered more thoughts on the QB situation during an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio (via PFT):

“I have no resentment, no disappointment within myself as far as what the situation is right now because the truth of the matter is you gotta compete every day,” Vick said. “You gotta compete on Sundays.  You gotta compete off the field, you gotta compete on the field.  And I understand that and that’s the fun part about the game we play.  If it was easy then it wouldn’t be fun.”

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times offers his pre-camp thoughts on the Eagles:

Coach Chip Kelly wants to know where a quarterback’s eyes are in live action. But to this point, no one can tell where Kelly is looking. Eagles players seem to be assuming Michael Vick will be the starter, although it’s possible Nick Foles could be a better fit for what Kelly wants to do. And rookie Matt Barkley, polished and poised so far, is lurking in the background as a potential down-the-road starter.

Chris Wesseling of NFL.com lists his top-10 receiving corps, and the Eagles snag the final spot at No. 10:

Maclin and Jackson have speed to spare, but they fall just shy of No. 1 receiver status. Both players come with durability concerns. The additions of Casey and Ertz suggest versatile and athletic tight ends will be featured heavily in new coach Chip Kelly’s offense.

In an ESPN Insider article, Gary Horton lists his 10 most versatile players. Eagles tight end James Casey comes in at No. 6:

Casey will be the “move” tight end in this offense when he is not lined up at the fullback position. He’s also a really underrated outlet receiver, as evidenced by his 34 receptions for Houston a season ago. Kelly loves players with this kind of versatility, and he will put Casey in a variety of positions and roles.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com ranks all the NFL coaches. He’s got Chip Kelly at No. 26:

He is a bright, forward-thinking coach who will either revolutionize things or head back to college in three years. Can he adapt what he does to the NFL game? If he does, look out. He coaches without fear.

Brian McIntyre of Yahoo Sports takes a look at the Eagles’ salary cap situation:

Barring any extensions this summer, and assuming that none of the current players in the “Top 51” are released this summer, the Eagles will have well over $15 million in cap space that can be rolled over to 2014. That rollover amount will come in handy as the Eagles’ current “Top 51” players (including Lane Johnson) signed for 2014 have $125 million in salary cap commitments, plus several players have available base salary escalators.

And finally, DeSean Jackson has a new rap video out featuring Snoop Dogg. Embedded below.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
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