One writer thinks Matt Barkley could be the next Tom Brady. Another rips Felix Jones for his eating habits. Here’s the national media roundup of what they’re saying about the Eagles this week.
The Eagles’ fourth overall pick toiled quietly in the background Monday, running with the second team while Dennis Kelly got the reps at right tackle with the ones. Jason Kelce — wearing a large brace on his right leg — got some work in but sat out teams drills, giving way to Dallas Reynolds. Evan Mathis‘ only appearance during practice was on Twitter.
Just how close are we to seeing this line in its (presumed) most potent form?
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.
Todd Herremans says he has not watched the draft since 2005. That was the year the Eagles selected him in the fourth round out of Saginaw Valley State.
But next Thursday could affect the ninth-year pro. After moving to right tackle before the 2011 season, Herremans could be asked to slide back inside to guard, particularly if the Eagles use a first-round pick on someone like Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel, Central Michigan’s Eric Fisher or Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson.
So surely Herremans will be tuning in this year, right?
“I’m sure I’ll see it on Twitter,” he said.
Can the Eagles’ offensive line be a strength next season? What does the future hold for Danny Watkins? And might Todd Herremans go back to playing guard? Answering those questions and more in today’s Eagles’ offseason primer.
The more we get to know Chip Kelly, the more we realize how much of his success is rooted in simplicity. Where Andy Reid boasted a playbook that could stretch from floor to ceiling, Kelly seems to believe more in focusing on a smaller amount of plays and perfecting them.
It is about execution, and on offense, it is largely about the men up front.
To get a feel for what Kelly wants out of his offensive line in Philadelphia, it’s best to go back to his Oregon days for clues. The Duck offense was based off the inside zone play. Kelly, in a NIKE Coaches Clinic back in 2009, discussed what he expects out of his offensive line on this play, while giving a glimpse at his overall football philosophy.
We want to get off the ball and be a physical, downhill-running football team. This is not a finesse play. We teach our offensive linemen a play we call the bust block. The idea is to bust their sternums up against their spines on every play. We want to come off the ball, create a double-team, knock the crap out of the defender, and deposit him in the linebacker’s lap.
Here’s an All-22 look at what Eagles quarterback Nick Foles showed in his last start of the season against the Redskins.
Here’s a player-by-player review of how the Eagles’ offensive line performed against the Bengals, after having re-watched Thursday night’s game.
The Thursday night game has us off our regular schedule this week, so we’ll combine the two cheat sheets into one. Here are 15 things to know about how the Eagles match up with the Bengals.
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