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Eagles to Sign CFL's DE Phillip Hunt

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  • #16
    http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/spo...116056459.html

    Sack star Hunt flies off to Eagles

    Bombers in mourning as he follows dream

    By: Ed Tait
    Posted: 02/12/2011 1:00 AM



    THIS one stings. Winnipeg Blue Bomber GM Joe Mack is man enough to admit that. It stings like getting kicked in the nether regions and stomped on while curled up in the fetal position.

    And so on a day in which the Bombers announced the signings of four players, including prospective free agents Dorian Smith and Jon Oosterhuis, it is the departure of gifted defensive end Phillip Hunt to the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles that dominated discussions on Maroons Road Friday.

    And you can bet those discussions were sprinkled with enough curse words to make a Hell's Angel blush.

    "It hurts. I'll probably cry all weekend... and I'm not being facetious," said Mack of Hunt's exit. "Phillip's a great guy. He played every down. He played his heart out and you could make the case he was as valuable as any defensive player in the league this year. So sure it hurts. It'll be tough to replace him.

    "We were real aggressive to try and sign him before he left and it was touch and go. We had a very attractive, lucrative offer on the table for him.

    "As much as we hate to lose him, I wish the best for him and his family."
    Hunt, who led the CFL with 16 sacks last season, signed with the Eagles after working out for five NFL teams, including Minnesota, Cleveland, Houston and New England. Although the looming NFL labour war was a concern and he wouldn't reveal the size of his signing bonus, Hunt said it was ultimately the opportunity that mattered most.

    "This is something I've thought about my whole life," Hunt said when reached by the Free Press Friday after taking his physical with the Eagles. "I've always had dreams and aspirations to play in the NFL and it's finally come true. I'm really not focusing on the money. This is a great opportunity for me to take care of my family and support them.

    "I appreciate the opportunity the Bombers gave me and the opportunity that's in front of me right now with the Eagles. I'm just so excited."

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    • #17
      Didinger on Hunt...

      Saturday, February 12, 2011
      Posted: 5:13 p.m.

      By Ray Didinger
      CSNPhilly.com

      The Eagles signing of defensive end Phillip Hunt says two things:

      • One, they don’t expect a new Collective Bargaining Agreement to be reached before the March 4 deadline so they are adding bodies while they can.

      • Two, they believe new defensive line coach Jim Washburn can do what he did in Tennessee, which is take other team’s castoffs and turn them into productive players.

      Hunt, 25, played four seasons at the University of Houston, but was not selected in the 2009 draft. He wasn’t even invited to the NFL scouting combine as a senior. Hunt signed with Cleveland as a free agent but was cut during the preseason. Tryouts with the Eagles and New England went nowhere.

      Hunt joined Winnipeg of the Canadian Football League and spent two seasons there. Last year, the 6-foot, 250-pound end led the CFL with 16 sacks. On Friday the Eagles announced they signed him to a three-year contract as a free agent.

      It wasn’t a “stop-the-presses” signing even though everyone knows the Eagles pass rush could use some improvement. Hunt is another undersized hand-me-down D-lineman, the kind the Eagles seem to collect like figurines each off-season. But they may have more confidence – and success – doing so now with Washburn on hand to coach them.

      While in Tennessee, Washburn turned some average-looking linemen into way-above average players. The best example was Jason Babin, who kicked around the league for seven years and recorded just 2.5 sacks with the Eagles in 2009, but went to Tennessee last season and under Washburn’s tutelage became a Pro Bowler.

      Babin had 12.5 sacks last season, third in the AFC, and he credited Washburn for much of his improvement. That’s why the Eagles hired Washburn to replace Rory Segrest who was fired as defensive line coach after the season. They hope Washburn will take players and actually make them better. Gee, what a concept.

      The threat of a March lockout that will freeze rosters factors into this. If a team wants to add players they have to do it now. But the Eagles are also looking at the marriage of Washburn and Hunt as one that could grow into something more than a one paragraph short in the back of the sports section.

      I went back through my 2009 draft notes and pulled my file on Hunt. I didn’t consider him a blue-chip prospect, but I thought he would be drafted. I projected him as a fifth or sixth round pick. I was surprised when no one took a flier on him, although when he was not invited to the combine that should have been a hint.

      He was a “tweener” from a program (Houston) and a conference (Conference USA) that is not highly valued by NFL scouts. He did not fit neatly into the niche of either defensive end or linebacker. He wasn’t the ideal size for an end and he wasn’t quick enough (4.73 speed in the 40) to project as a linebacker. So he slipped through the cracks.

      I liked him for this reason: he was productive. In his four seasons at Houston (2005-‘0, he had more sacks than any player in college football (34.5). He also had 53 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Say what you will about the level of competition in Conference USA, the bottom line is Hunt made a lot of plays.

      Hunt hustled like crazy, he pursued down the line and made tackles all over the field. He played every down and played with great effort. Due to his lack of size, Hunt wasn’t very good when it came to holding the point. Teams could engulf him in the running game and as a smallish guy that wasn’t going to change in the NFL.

      But I thought Hunt was worth a shot as a pass rush specialist, a guy who could fit into a nickel package and give an NFL team 12 to 15 snaps a game as a pure pass rusher and a special teams contributor. It didn’t work out for him in Cleveland, but he really thrived in the CFL.

      The Canadian game is well-suited to a player like Hunt. The field is wider so it works to the advantage of a smaller, faster lineman. Also, it is even more of a passing game so it is all about chasing down quarterbacks and not so much about stopping the run.

      The Eagles are hoping they get lucky with Hunt in the same way the Miami Dolphins got lucky with Cameron Wake. Like Hunt, Wake was not drafted when he finished his career at Penn State in 2005. He signed with the New York Giants as a free agent but he was cut that summer.

      Wake spent one year as a mortgage broker and then signed with the British Columbia Lions in 2007. Wake had two big seasons with the Lions, recording 39 sacks and earning CFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. He signed with the Dolphins in 2009 and last season he was second in the AFC with 14 sacks.

      The Eagles are hopeful that Washburn can turn Hunt into a similar success story.

      Comment


      • #18
        Tommy Lawlor on Hunt...

        http://philly.sbnation.com/philadelp...eason-notebook

        I'm still not sure what to make of the Eagles signing defensive end Phillip Hunt. He was an incredibly productive player in college and had a breakout season in the CFL last year. There is reason to like the signing. The flip side is Hunt's size. He's 6'0, 248. That would be fine for a linebacker and situational rusher, but Hunt is going to play end. Obviously Hunt would never start based on his size. I'm just a little confused about where he fits in.

        Trent Cole is the right end. Juqua Parker, Darryl Tapp, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, Ricky Sapp, and Brandon Graham are on the roster. That is six guys already here. Hunt makes seven. That's a crowded group before even addressing the spot in free agency or the draft.

        A couple of things do need to be pointed out. Hunt isn't even a lock to make the team. Guys coming off great CFL seasons rarely pan out in the NFL. Everyone is pointing to the success of Cam Wake of the Dolphins. Be careful with that comparison. In high school he went by the name of Derek Wake and he was a coveted prospect. He went to Penn State and had a disappointing career. There were times when he flashed big time talent, but a variety of issues kept him from becoming a great player. Wake did go to the Scouting Combine where he had one of the best vertical jumps of all time - 45.5 inches. He had a really good overall workout.

        Hunt did not go to the Combine. He did have a very good Pro Day at the University of Houston. That workout would mean more if he'd gotten a chance to do it in Indy. Sleeping in your own bed and doing the workout in a friendly environment will never carry the same weight as a Combine workout, where there is a great deal of pressure and players are in an environment that is a bit intimidating. Wake was a better prospect going into college as well as coming out. Hunt had the better career, but that's doesn't mean a lot in regard to his future. Hunt has an uphill battle to make the team, let alone contribute.

        The other point to bring up is that the Eagles could cut Parker and replace him with a free agent or high pick. The Eagles could use another starter type. Brandon Graham was going to be that guy, but coming off an ACL injury you don't know what to expect of him in 2011. I don't have a problem with Hunt, but my point is that there are already a lot of second tier guys in place. Ideally, the Eagles would find a way to rent a top flight pass rusher for one season. Hunt's addition doesn't mean the Eagles can't continue to make moves at end, but the fact they went after him so aggressively tells you that he's more than just a novelty in their eyes.

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        • #19
          Hearing that Phillip Hunt is practicing with the LB in camp today.

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          • #20
            What, are we going to a 3-4?
            http://shop.cafepress.com/content/global/img/spacer.gifOK, let's try this again...

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            • #21
              Originally posted by YourPalChrisMal View Post
              Hearing that Phillip Hunt is practicing with the LB in camp today.

              That's interesting because he was a DE in 1 v. 1 drills this AM going up against the tackles. Maybe he's going to play some "Joker".

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              • #22
                This guy is really pushing for a spot
                Don't kid yourself Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he'd kill you and everyone you cared about!

                Comment


                • #23
                  http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/...sive_ends.html

                  Eagles Notes: Eagles' Hunt finds himself behind a pack of experienced defensive ends

                  BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Phillip Hunt bull-rushed through Evan Mathis.

                  Later in a one-on-one drill Sunday, Hunt used a swim move to get around Mathis, a guard playing out of position at right tackle due to injuries on the line.

                  Hunt has shown flashes of speed and pass-rushing talent this training camp after racking up a league-best 16 sacks in the Canadian Football League last year.

                  But Hunt is also behind much more heralded and experienced defensive ends on the Eagles depth chart: Trent Cole, Jason Babin, Juqua Parker, and Darryl Tapp.

                  That leaves Hunt and Daniel Te'o-Nesheim on the roster bubble heading into the final weeks before cuts.

                  Defensive coordinator Juan Castillo said he has been impressed with each man.

                  "What you see is that they want a job - the hunger, the desire, the energy, the fight - which is what we all want to be about," Castillo said.
                  Hunt, who played at the University of Houston, said his time in the pass-happy CFL prepared him to rush quarterbacks, a critical skill under defensive line coach Jim Washburn.

                  "He teaches aggression on every play. He wants you coming off fast with intensity," Hunt said. "He's not really worried about mistakes as long as you come off the ball hard and fast . . . and play like a dog."
                  Castillo praised Hunt's speed.

                  "If you can run and they can't catch you, it's hard for them to block you," Castillo said. "I think that's the key with Phillip."

                  He described Te'o-Nesheim as "a good kid, a hard worker, big heart."
                  A third-round pick last season, Te'o-Nesheim didn't make an impact as a rookie. On Sunday he said he's still learning to rush from the edge, since he did most of his pass rushing in college as a tackle. He admitted being disappointed in his rookie year, when he played in just six games.

                  "You never want to be inactive and watch," he said. "But it's a learning experience, and I'm still glad to be here and just trying to make the 53 and contribute in any way."

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