All in....even Bunkley?

[Eaglebreath]

I really want to see Bunkley make an impact this week. I can't help but scratch my head over his lack of knowledge concerning his playing time, or lack thereof. That makes no sense to me at all. Either the staff isn't communicating with him, or he full knows why he's not playing and doesn't want to admit it. Either way it doesn't look good.

And, let's just say that he does go out, get meaninful playing time, and makes an impact on our D. At that point you can bet your a$$ the media is going to seriously question why he hasn't been playing. It could get very interesting.

[Eagle60]

I mentioned the recent Eagles luck with high draft picks. Andrews is a stud, but he's really the only one who will be a bona fide star in this league. Brown is a serviceable WR, and Patterson is ok at best. This is not a ringing endorsement on the Eagles personal development. With the Eagles cap management system they have to hit HR's really early in the draft, and develop later picks. Seems they got this formula a little backwards.

Cole is a nice find, I really like this guy. Unless Bunkley is a dog in practice there is no way you don't find PT for a high pick under their certain circumstances. Again I think it's Reid's way of smacking the guy on the nose for whatever petty reason. This is especially so when your giving up 180+ rushing yards a game over the last 6, and are 29 th in the NFL vs the rush. It looks petty, how does such a consensus stud DT only have 1 tackle to date in this league? Easy; Piss off Reid and ride the bench.

The fact that Bunkley and Ramsey don't have any PT makes no sense (especially since they cut Jasper loose). Something is just not right here.

[Vote for Kalas]

I mentioned the recent Eagles luck with high draft picks. Andrews is a stud, but he's really the only one who will be a bona fide star in this league. Brown is a serviceable WR, and Patterson is ok at best. This is not a ringing endorsement on the Eagles personal development. With the Eagles cap management system they have to hit HR's really early in the draft, and develop later picks. Seems they got this formula a little backwards.

Cole is a nice find, I really like this guy. Unless Bunkley is a dog in practice there is no way you don't find PT for a high pick under their certain circumstances. Again I think it's Reid's way of smacking the guy on the nose for whatever petty reason. This is especially so when your giving up 180+ rushing yards a game over the last 6, and are 29 th in the NFL vs the rush. It looks petty, how does such a consensus stud DT only have 1 tackle to date in this league? Easy; Piss off Reid and ride the bench.

No team hits HR on every or even most of their 1st picks...it is too much of a crapshoot, these guys are human beings not robots and need various levels of development before they show their talent...some come well prepared and bloom immediately while others need more work and take time...Again, some more specific evidence might throw light on this issue...

Their 1st round picks under Reid:

McNabb
Lito
Simon
J-Mac
Mitchell
Andrews
Patterson
Bunkley

McNabb, Lito, Simon and Andrews are all studs IMO...total hits and very productive players...that is 50% of their 1st picks.

Then, Patterson is one step below that IMO...a productive player so far (not sure how you say he is ok at best, providing some explanation and evidence for this claim would help me understand) based on his numbers and the fact he started right away at DT, has shown he can sack the QB and is a good tackler. He has good leverage for his size, is very quick and is very persistent chasing people down. He has played just over 1.5 years in the league though so we will probably need to see most of next season before we have a large enough sample to judge definitively IMO...

Bunkley we do not know about yet since he is a rookie and it takes normally at least 2-3 years to evaluate draft picks...

Mitchell was a bust....J-Mac is getting lodged in that category IMO too although I think he has had some terrible luck and may still become a good player at some point, perhaps not here.

So, so far IMO they have missed on 2 of 8, hit on 4 of 8 completely, 1 of 8 (Patterson) who has produced so far and seems headed toward being at least a solid-good player IMO and 1 of 8 (Bunkley) who is too young to evaluate comprehensively yet. Again, if we compare to other teams, I think that would be as good or better than most. As I said, I will do some research after the holidays to see the trends and share that with the board.

I have zero evidence Reid is a vindictive coach who would bench a player because he does not like him or he angered Reid as you are stating...if you have evidence of that, I would love to see it. I doubt it exists, but if you claim it IMO you should be ready to back it up.

[nc]

McNabb and Andrews were terrific picks. Lito and Brown a step or so below that. Simon was such a great asset that the Eagles welcomed him out of town. A nice 1st impression followed by disappointment. Micky D a bust, Fred X a bust/ R Brown too early to tell, and Patterson too early to tell. Lewis will also be invited to leave Phila when his contract is up. A few hits, but too many misses with a team following the high ground, and trying to win in DM's prime.

Vindictive coach? Bunkley was a very well thought of DT. The Eagles DT play is awful. Is he a dog in practice? DT isn't rocket science and missing a little camp IMO seems meaningless compared to perhaps a QB or DB. D line play should be fairly simple by comparison. He's reputed to be an athletic freak. Why doesn't he get a few snaps. It's not like he's putting a PB DT on the bench in his place. I don't know if Reid is vindictive or not, but the alternative is ever more frightening: Bunkley is a dog.

[Vote for Kalas]

This is what you wrote, nc:

"Again I think it's Reid's way of smacking the guy on the nose for whatever petty reason. This is especially so when your giving up 180+ rushing yards a game over the last 6, and are 29 th in the NFL vs the rush. It looks petty, how does such a consensus stud DT only have 1 tackle to date in this league? Easy; Piss off Reid and ride the bench."

That seems pretty clear you are claiming Reid is benching him due to personal issues with Bunkley or that Reid is being petty or vindictive with him...

Again, if you have evidence to prove that, I would love to see it. Otherwise, I think it is better left unsaid since it is a very serious charge to make IMO.

Some players struggle...again these are human beings and not everything, and sometimes not anything, unfolds perfectly according to plan...he could be the most talented guy in the world, but if he cannot harness it or is not be given enough chances to harness it, more time will be needed...

I am not sure why that is hard to understand...guys like Simon who produce at a pro-bowl level their rookie year are very rare...even guys like Patterson who produce at a good level their rookie years are rare...

It could be neither scenario you paint...it could be just that the guy needs more time and more development and that the coaches are working hard with him to get him ready and that he is working hard to get there too...

[pigster]

I don't know if Reid is vindictive or not, but the alternative is ever more frightening: Bunkley is a dog.

QFT

I find myself hoping that it's just Reid being a d**k, because I would hate to think that we drafted a bust.

[Eaglebreath]

What's troubling to me is that Bunkley apprarently doesn't know why he's not playing. At least that's what he told Cobb, and that, to me, is somewhat disturbing. Like I said, either their not communicating with him, or he's lying. One or the other. Not good either way.

And, like I said, if he finally starts playing, and plays lights out, they're going to be all over Reid's a$$ about him not playing before now.

I hope Reid's got a better explanation of why he's not playing than Bunkley does.

[Vote for Kalas]

Well, I would not tell the media anything either and I am sure Bunkley knows or has been told by his teammates and/or the Eagles to be careful with his public statements....

I think that is far more credible than Reid being vindictive or petty with a player which we have never had any evidence for...

[Vote for Kalas]

I don't know if Reid is vindictive or not, but the alternative is ever more frightening: Bunkley is a dog.

QFT

I find myself hoping that it's just Reid being a d**k, because I would hate to think that we drafted a bust.

Why are those the only two possible scenarios? Most times things are not black & white...

How could you know he is a bust in his ROOKIE year??

[Eaglebreath]

Well, I would not tell the media anything either and I am sure Bunkley knows or has been told by his teammates and/or the Eagles to be careful with his public statements....

I think that is far more credible than Reid being vindictive or petty with a player which we have never had any evidence for...

Why not tell the media?? If it's his tecnique, or he hasn't gotten his assignments down, whatever, there is no harm done in admitting it. I don't think Bunkley has any reason whatsoever to lie about it. Plus, if the coaches have been up front about why he's not playing, I don't think they would like him telling the media different, because it opens a can of worms. I don't know what the case is, but I agree with 60, something ain't right.

[Vote for Kalas]

Are you serious, EB?

You really do not know what a lose-lose scenario that is?

If he says it is his own performance, the media will paint him as a bust which they are already doing to some extent...the guy would be a target from now on and would have to play amazingly well to play it down...

If he says it is the team who is holding him back, then the media will unleash on Reid & Co. again as they always do whenever they see/smell even the least amount of open flesh especially in light of the problems stopping the run...

Bunkley is not lying IMO...he is doing the usual media-speak like all players/coaches do with the media so they can get the interview over with and move on...

[balto-eaglefan]

Any problems that Bunkley is having, they should keep in-house. He's a rookie, they shouldn't toss him under the bus by saying that he's got problems with this or that in the press. Heck, the media will figure that out anyway.

And if he comes in and turns out to be The Big Difference that helps stabilize the run game (doubt that, I think it'll be an 11-man effort), I don't think that the press should go after Reid or Johnson. Not for finally fixing a serious problem for the team.

[Eaglebreath]

I don't see it that way at all. The fans will label him regardless. Saying he doesn't know is just as bad, probably even worse if that's not the case.