A couple notes to pass along while we wait for the first day of rookie minicamp to wrap up.
Blog Archives
Maclin: Vick Running With First Team
Jeremy Maclin gave us a peek behind the Chip Kelly curtain Thursday.
Kelly has said that the quarterback competition is wide open, and that very well may be the case. But to start, it’s Michael Vick getting the most work with the first team.
“I mean right now, you’ve got Mike going with the ones,” said Maclin, “and Nick [Foles] sprinkling in some reps here and there.”
Twitter Mailbag: What Does A Chip Kelly Defense Look Like?
Will the Eagles sign Felix Jones? Can Michael Vick survive and entire season under Chip Kelly? And what will define this defense? We address these questions and more in the latest Twitter Mailbag.
Eagles Wake-Up Call: Virtual Contract Year For DeSean
It won’t be long before DeSean Jackson‘s contract becomes a topic of conversation once again.
The well-documented two-year mini-drama between team and player ended when the Eagles appeased the mercurial receiver by giving him a five-year, $51 million deal in March of 2012. But the peace treaty is really neither that long nor valuable. We know in the NFL, contracts aren’t what they appear. What counts is guaranteed money. And after this season, that guaranteed cash runs out.
The Michael Vick-Chip Kelly Conundrum
If Michael Vick is going to be Chip Kelly‘s guy, he will have to change. There is just no getting around that.
How can Kelly’s offense work if his quarterback is keeping the ball in his hands twice as long as he wants him to? This much seems obvious: Vick is going to have to adapt. Kelly believes the 32-year-old can do it.
Source: Evan Mathis Sidelined Following Ankle Surgery
Evan Mathis had surgery on his ankle, according to a league source.
The procedure was termed a “minor clean out” to alleviate some discomfort and swelling. He is expected to be sidelined for the upcoming OTAs and potentially all of the summer minicamps, but should be full-go for training camp.
Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly was first with the report.
Jordan Poyer: ‘I’ll Remember Who Passed Me Up’
Asked for a moment that could shed some light on the make-up of Jordan Poyer, Oregon State secondary coach Rod Perry pointed to October 6 of this past season against Washington State. Poyer had three interceptions in the game to lead the Beavers to a 19-6 win. It wasn’t the performance that was noteworthy to Perry, but rather what prompted it.
“[Washington State] was jawing at him before the game. That got him fired up,” he said. “What I got out of that is that he is a highly-competitive guy that won’t back down. You don’t want to get him riled up. You don’t want to back him into a corner.”
If it’s firewood he needs, then he should be able to pull an acre’s worth from his draft experience.
Eagles Wake-Up Call: Mike Vick Versus the Ninja Stick
Trainer Tom Anderson wasn’t focused on who was responsible for the hits, but rather on how to limit the punishment when those hits came. So he made boxing — and the art of avoiding the brunt of the blow — a central part of the training regimen.
In one exercise, Anderson would stand about two feet away from the quarterback and swing a foamed “Ninja stick” at his head or upper body, forcing Vick to turn his shoulders and “get skinny” to minimize the impact. In another, Anderson put an elastic band around Vick’s ankles and would have him slide from side-to-side while punching at a stationary bag. (Anderson wouldn’t let Vick make contact with the bag. “We’re not tuning up your knuckles,” he told him, “we’re making you more elusive.”) Blow the whistle. Slide, punch, slide. Thirty seconds on, 30 seconds off.
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Sheil
Follow @SheilKapadia Email SheilSheil Kapadia has been writing about the Eagles since 2008. His previous Philly.com blog, Moving the Chains, was named one of the best in the state by the Associated Press. Sheil's main joys in life are family, football and finding good parking spots.
Tim
Follow @Tim_McManus Email TimTim McManus is a bulldog reporter with a nose for news and story angles that will get people talking. He'll talk about it himself on 97.5 The Fanatic, where he serves as a host and Eagles beat reporter. Tim, an award-winning journalist, will be with the team around the clock.
