Twitter Mailbag: Eagles Bring Back the Black Jersey

Every Thursday we select a few of your Twitter questions and provide the long-form answers they deserve. For a chance to have your question published on Birds 24/7, send it to @Tim_McManus.

Let’s dive in.

From @tdurkin34: are the Eagles planning on wearing throwback uniforms this year? If so which era?

Checked into this for you. There won’t be any throwbacks this season. However, the black alternate jerseys are back in the rotation. Expect to see them in Week 8 against the Falcons.

From @BigMike317: Do you have the same concerns w/ the lack of screen defense as the rest of us?

I do. I’m re-watching Eagles-Patriots as I work on this mailbag, and just saw the following play:

Early second quarter, Patriots facing a 3^rd-and-9. The Eagles are in the nickel, showing one of those funky fronts where only two linemen (Fletcher Cox and Cullen Jenkins) are stationary while Phillip Hunt and Trent Cole roam two steps behind the line of scrimmage. All four sell out to go after Ryan Mallett, and DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks join them on a blitz. Mallett just flips it to Shane Vereen in the flat, and the back rides a caravan of Patriots offensive linemen for 20 yards. Three plays later they were in the end zone.

Will the Eagles get caught in a double linebacker blitz every time? No, but the way the front four sold out on the play is typical, leaving the back seven flapping in the breeze in the case of a dumpoff or a draw. That’s what makes it so necessary to have quality linebacker play. You can bet that every team worth its salt will try and expose the Eagles in this very area.

From @mchak510: Chances King Dunlap is your week 1 starter? Over 50%?

Talked to Jason Kelce recently about the demotion of Demetress Bell. Was it a ploy by Howard Mudd to motivate Bell, or was Dunlap legitimately ahead of him? Kelce said that Mudd is a very matter-of-fact man. If somebody is playing better than you, you’re out. Right now, Bell is being outplayed by Dunlap, and he’s out.

Andy Reid said that Dunlap would continue to run with the first team this week. Have to think there’s more than a 50-50 chance he’s your starting left tackle Week 1.

From @CrazyEagleFan:  in 3 years, what’s the better draft class – 09 or 12?

To refresh:

2012 class                                         2009 class

Fletcher Cox                                   Jeremy Maclin
Mychael Kendricks                          LeSean McCoy
Vinny Curry                                    Cornelius Ingram
Nick Foles                                      Macho Harris
Brandon Boykin                               Fenuki Tupou
Dennis Kelly                                     Brandon Gibson
Marvin McNutt                                 Paul Fanaika
Brandon Washington                       Moise Fokou
Bryce Brown

It should be noted that the Eagles also acquired Jason Peters and Ellis Hobbs with ’09 picks, but we’re talking just draft here, right?

I’ll say the ’12 class because of sheer depth. Cox and Kendricks have the chance to play at a high level, Curry and Boykin will likely contribute as rookies, Brown has looked good as a runner and Foles is a Hall of Fame lock.

The ’09 class has two stars on the rise but it’s top-heavy. Hard not to like the most recent crop.