Another week, another roster move on the Eagles’ offensive line.
The team announced today that it has signed veteran Jake Scott and released Julian Vandervelde.
Blog Archives
Eagles Wake-Up Call: Three Numbers That Matter
From Jeremy Maclin to offensive line depth to draft position, here are three Eagles numbers that matter.
Tagged with: Andy Reid, Demetress Bell, Howard Mudd, Howie Roseman, Jeremy Maclin, Michael Vick, Sheil Kapadia
Posted in Wake-Up Call
Posted in Wake-Up Call
Eagles Wake-Up Call: Taking Stock Of the O-Line
The area where the Eagles are most likely to shake up personnel during the bye week is the offensive line.
The problem? They don’t have a lot of options. We’ll see if they sign someone or even make a trade. But given the way the roster currently stands, let’s take a look at all five spots to see where things could be headed in the final 10 games.
Tagged with: Dallas Reynolds, Danny Watkins, Demetress Bell, Dennis Kelly, Evan Mathis, Howard Mudd, King Dunlap, Steve Vallos, Todd Herremans
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted in Uncategorized
Eagles Wake-Up Call: Finding Offensive Line Answers
On March 29, King Dunlap was not on an NFL roster.
Less than three months later, he’s in the driver’s seat to be the Eagles’ starting left tackle.
With the opener just about two weeks away, the offensive line has question marks.
Tagged with: Danny Watkins, Demetress Bell, Evan Mathis, Howard Mudd, Jason Kelce, King Dunlap, Sheil Kapadia, Todd Herremans
Posted in Uncategorized
Posted in Uncategorized
Watkins Exiting Valley Of Darkness?
It was a term Howard Mudd used to describe a player who doubted himself. An explanation for a lack of confidence, or a matter of indecision.
On one of the first days of training camp, Mudd was talking about second-year guard Danny Watkins, and he brought up the “valley of darkness.”
Eagles Wake-Up Call: One Way To Help Vick
On Michael Vick’s second drop-back of the preseason, he was sacked by Steelers defensive tackle Steve McLendon, who threw him to the ground.
On his fifth drop-back, Vick felt pressure from his front side, stepped up in the pocket, let go of the ball and slammed his thumb against Jason Kelce’s helmet.
A reasonable question to ask is: Why was Vick so close to Kelce when he released the football?
Eagles Practice Observations
It was time for Howard Mudd to gather both sides together.
The Eagles were in the middle of a grueling practice in the Lehigh heat. They already had one live period, which involved tackling and hitting. There had been scraps, fights and activity after the whistle, often between the offensive and defensive lines.
Mudd buttered all the linemen up a little, telling them that they were the most competitive players on the field, but also reminding them that they’re working towards the same goals.
Mudd sets bar high for Demetress Bell
In the first meeting against the Giants last season, Eagles quarterbacks Michael Vick and Mike Kafka combined to drop back to pass 35 times.
And on 28 of those occasions, Jason Peters was charged with blocking a defender one-on-one. No help from the tight end. No chip from the running back. Nothing.
That was one of the luxuries the Eagles had with Peters at left tackle. He could take on pass-rushers like Jason Pierre-Paul, DeMarcus Ware, and Brian Orakpo without much help.
But with Peters out, the focus is now on new left tackle Demetress Bell. When I asked offensive line coach Howard Mudd whether he planned on giving Bell some help, especially early in the season, he said he didn’t think that would be necessary.
Mudd: Watkins needs to eliminate doubt
Howard Mudd has 37 years of NFL coaching experience, but he doesn’t want to have to do all the talking.
The Eagles’ offensive line coach encourages players to help each other out and critique themselves.
Which brings us to second-year guard Danny Watkins. The 2011 first-round pick had a shaky rookie season, filled with more downs than ups. Before the season, Watkins lost his starting job to Kyle DeVan, and when he eventually got on the field, he had his share of issues in pass protection.
So after the season, Mudd asked Watkins, and the team’s other offensive linemen, for a written self-evaluation. When he saw what Watkins had to say about his first year in the NFL, Mudd was impressed.
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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.
