When it was time for Vick to take over the starting quarterback job in Atlanta, Dan Reeves decided to overhaul his offensive system.

Chris Chandler was the quarterback that preceded Vick and he was a sponge. Reeves would give him the game plan Wednesday morning and he’d know it backwards and forwards by that night. He had played in the league for 14 years at that point, and was heading into his fifth season as the Falcons starter when Vick was selected first overall in the 2001 NFL Draft.

Reeves had a wordy and rather complex system in place that was heavily reliant on memorization. To streamline the process for his young quarterback and the rest of the players, he went to a numbers system, which spelled things out more plainly. He also simplified Vick’s reads.

“I didn’t want to complicate it where Mike had to get past the third progression,” said Reeves. “I gave him a one-two thing. As soon as your back foot hits look at one, go to two and if two is not there, Mike you look to run.”

With Jeremy Maclin out for the year and Riley Cooper taking an indefinite leave of absence, the Eagles’ WR group has gone from one of the deeper units on the team to a question mark.

The team could add a player or two in the coming weeks, but given that it’s Aug. 4, there aren’t a lot of attractive options out there. Keeping that in mind, let’s take stock of where the current wide receivers on the roster stand.

Here’s a roundup of what the national media are saying about the Philadelphia Eagles this week.

The Eagles, you may have heard, have taken a hit at the wide receiver position. Jeremy Maclin is done for the season with a torn ACL. Arrelious Benn has been dealing with a knee injury for almost all of camp so far. And, well, Riley Cooper (though his roster spot is safe for now, per Chip Kelly).

What is going on behind the scenes in the personnel department as they scan the league for potential help? New Vice President Of Personnel Tom Gamble gave us a little peek:

Here is your running diary of Eagles practice observations from Friday’s session.

The Eagles are hopeful that the maelstrom brought on by the Riley Cooper situation is beginning to ease its grip.

Cooper has been temporarily separated from the team to seek counseling. Following his departure to a destination unknown, Chip Kelly held another team meeting that he deemed “very productive.” Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, DeMeco Ryans and Jon Dorenbos were among the veterans to speak up.

“We have big things that we want to accomplish this year, and we don’t want that to be a burden on our season — that’s what our coach said about this locker room,” said DeSean Jackson after practice. “As far as the leaders speaking up in meetings, people want to see us stay together and not let this break our team apart.”

Are you willing to still play with Riley?

“It’s my job, brother,” Jackson responded. “I’m here. Gotta work.”

A Wall Street Journal article last week suggested that Chip Kelly and the Eagles might not be able to play at their desired pace on offense because of NFL referees.

But according to veteran official Scott Green, that’s unlikely to be an issue.

“There is nothing new about how we set the ball up and get ready to play,” Green said today. “And as I mentioned, the key is whether there is a substitute that comes into the game. The offense may want to move and move quickly, whether it’s the Eagles, Patriots, whomever. But the defense has an opportunity to match up if in fact there’s a substitute. If there’s not a substitute, then it’s just the normal course of time that it takes us to spot the ball. And like I said, over the last

The Eagles took the practice field a little after 12 o’clock Friday, and did so without embattled wide receiver Riley Cooper. 

The team announced this afternoon that Cooper has been excused from all team activities as he seeks counseling. This has led many to believe that Cooper’s time in Philadelphia has come to an end.

However, this move is not being viewed by the Eagles as a precursor to a release. The plan, as of now, is to bring Cooper back once his counseling is completed.

Riley Cooper has been excused from all team activities, the Eagles announced early Friday afternoon.

The statement reads:

“As we have said, Riley Cooper will be seeking counseling and we have excused him from all team activities. This is all new territory and we are going to evaluate this timetable every step of the way.  He will meet with professionals provided by the Eagles during this period of time to better help him understand how his words have hurt so many, including his teammates.”

The announcement came with a statement from Cooper as well.

Three seconds can shape a career. That’s the reality that has slapped Riley Cooper in the face over the last 48 hours.

One sentence. Ten words. And now he will forever be known as the football player who blurted out a racial epithet at an African-American security guard while loaded at a Kenny Chesney concert. Whether fair or not, that’s how it is.

Since the video was released, Cooper has done all the right things. He apologized to his teammates, his coaches and the organization. He has faced the media twice. He hasn’t run. He hasn’t hid.

Tom Donahoe has experience finding players for a 3-4 scheme.

Now the Eagles’ senior football advisor, Donahoe was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ director of football operations from 1991 to 1999. In the summer of 1992, defensive backs coach Dick LeBeau and defensive coordinator Dom Capers were installing their zone blitz scheme under new head coach Bill Cowher.

“It was really fun because my room at [training camp site] Saint Vincent College was right across the hall from Coach Capers,” Donahoe recalled. “And he and Dick LeBeau were in there, they were like two mad scientists. They were in there all the time just talking about different looks to create to give the offense trouble and protections, what schemes would work better against those protections. Coach LeBeau had really done a lot of it at Cincinnati even before he came to Pittsburgh. So I think he educated Coach Capers and Coach Cowher about how the zone blitz really could work.”

The players were not in pads today, and practice was held indoors due to the weather, so no running diary. But here are some notes and observations.

Cary Williams sat in a chair in the media relations office, elbows on his knees, head down, the brim of his hat down near his eyes. Little eye contact as he sifted through the various emotions that have been aroused over the last 24 hours.

“It’s not my place to cast judgment down on him because I’ve done wrong, I’ve said some wrong things, and that’s just part of the learning process, part of growing up and becoming a man,” said Williams following Thursday’s practice. “But the most important thing is he was able to stand up to his wrong-doing, he was able to admit, and he is going to take the consequences as they come.”

Then, the next wave.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow because you have this perception of a guy and I don’t know if it necessarily changes the perception of him, but it definitely puts a damper to my spirits at least as to what type of person he is.I’m more cautious now to approach him. I don’t know what he does in his free time because I haven’t hung out with him, but as far as like in the locker room he seemed like a pretty cool dude. He didn’t seem like a racist. I think he just made a mistake.”

After Chip Kelly took over as the Eagles’ new head coach, he decided the locker room at the NovaCare Complex needed to be rearranged.

Kelly wanted to mix everyone up. No more division between linebackers and tight ends, offensive linemen and defensive linemen, quarterbacks and specialists. It was a move to foster team chemistry, something that will be even more challenging after Riley Cooper’s racial slur at a Kenny Chesney concert was caught on camera.

“There could be a concern, yeah, there is a concern,” Kelly said, when asked if Cooper’s comments might divide the locker room. “Obviously it’s a very hot topic. That’s why I encourage our group… and our team and I talked about it last night at the team meeting… we’ve gotta have some open communication to make sure that everyone understands what went on and what Riley did to atone for it.”

LeSean McCoy says that he has forgiven Riley Cooper. But that doesn’t mean his relationship with the receiver hasn’t been altered.

“I don’t think you say things like that and think that everything will be the same,” said McCoy. “He is looked at differently. Not only just him but anybody.

“Something like that happens, it’s like, ‘Are you the same person? Is it because the cameras were off?’ There’s not a point where I’m pissed off at the person where I’ll just say something racial. It’s more anger at the person. It’s never the individual race. It is what it is. It’s football, we are here to play ball and we’re definitely going to try to move past him. But reality is reality.”