Bloom, Gocong Sign Contracts
July 12, 2006
And then there were three. The Eagles have all but three of their draft picks without contracts after signing both third-round pick Chris Gocong and fifth-rounder Jeremy Bloom to four-year contracts on Wednesday.
Five of the eight players drafted are signed.
Only No. 1 pick Brodrick Bunkley, second pick Winston Justice and fourth-round wide receiver Jason Avant are without contracts, but the Eagles remain confident they will be inked prior to next Thursday's July 20 reporting date at Lehigh University.
A third-round draft choice out of Cal Poly, Gocong (6-2, 263) set a I-AA single season record with 23.5 sacks in 2005, leading the nation in that category for the second consecutive season (he led the nation with 17.5 sacks as a junior). He was also selected as the All-Great West Conference defensive player of the year and was named as the recipient of the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the top defensive player in I-AA football.
The 22-year-old Gocong finished his career with 212 tackles, 42 sacks and one interception. Since the NCAA started recording defensive stats in 2000, no other player has recorded more sacks in their career. His 61.5 tackles for a loss rank fourth in I-AA history.
The Lancaster, CA, native attended Carpinteria High School in Santa Barbara, where he was a two-time All-CIF selection as a linebacker and quarterback. Philadelphia traded a third-round pick (76th overall) and a seventh-round pick (220th overall) to the New York Jets in order to move up five spots to select Gocong with the 71st pick in the draft. A fifth-round draft choice, Bloom (5-9, 180) was a return specialist and reserve wide receiver in his two seasons at Colorado (2002-2003) before spending the last two years solely on the international skiing stage. He earned second-team All-Big Twelve honors as a sophomore in 2003, hauling in 22 passes for 356 yards and a touchdown, while averaging 12.0 yards on 24 punt returns (289 yards). He also led the conference that year with 24 kickoff returns for 589 yards (24.5 avg.) and a touchdown. Bloom earned Freshman All-America honors in 2002, after amassing 1,297 all-purpose yards on 75 touches, averaging 92.6 yards per game and 17.3 yards per touch.
The 24-year-old Bloom appeared in 25 career games for the Buffaloes, posting 24 receptions for 458 yards and two touchdowns. His five plays of 75-yards-or-longer (2 recepts, 2 PRs, 1 KR) tie him for second on the school's all-time list. Considered one of the most accomplished professional skiers in the world, Bloom competed for the United States Freestyle Ski Team from 1998-2006 and set a world record with six consecutive World Cup victories during the 2005-2006 season. The World Cup moguls champion, Bloom also competed in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. The Fort Collins, CO, native attended Loveland High School, where he earned all-state honors as a senior, leading his team to the Colorado 4A state championship.
The Eagles have now signed five of their eight 2006 draft picks.
In addition, the team also released CB Eddie Canonico.
July 12, 2006
And then there were three. The Eagles have all but three of their draft picks without contracts after signing both third-round pick Chris Gocong and fifth-rounder Jeremy Bloom to four-year contracts on Wednesday.
Five of the eight players drafted are signed.
Only No. 1 pick Brodrick Bunkley, second pick Winston Justice and fourth-round wide receiver Jason Avant are without contracts, but the Eagles remain confident they will be inked prior to next Thursday's July 20 reporting date at Lehigh University.
A third-round draft choice out of Cal Poly, Gocong (6-2, 263) set a I-AA single season record with 23.5 sacks in 2005, leading the nation in that category for the second consecutive season (he led the nation with 17.5 sacks as a junior). He was also selected as the All-Great West Conference defensive player of the year and was named as the recipient of the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the top defensive player in I-AA football.
The 22-year-old Gocong finished his career with 212 tackles, 42 sacks and one interception. Since the NCAA started recording defensive stats in 2000, no other player has recorded more sacks in their career. His 61.5 tackles for a loss rank fourth in I-AA history.
The Lancaster, CA, native attended Carpinteria High School in Santa Barbara, where he was a two-time All-CIF selection as a linebacker and quarterback. Philadelphia traded a third-round pick (76th overall) and a seventh-round pick (220th overall) to the New York Jets in order to move up five spots to select Gocong with the 71st pick in the draft. A fifth-round draft choice, Bloom (5-9, 180) was a return specialist and reserve wide receiver in his two seasons at Colorado (2002-2003) before spending the last two years solely on the international skiing stage. He earned second-team All-Big Twelve honors as a sophomore in 2003, hauling in 22 passes for 356 yards and a touchdown, while averaging 12.0 yards on 24 punt returns (289 yards). He also led the conference that year with 24 kickoff returns for 589 yards (24.5 avg.) and a touchdown. Bloom earned Freshman All-America honors in 2002, after amassing 1,297 all-purpose yards on 75 touches, averaging 92.6 yards per game and 17.3 yards per touch.
The 24-year-old Bloom appeared in 25 career games for the Buffaloes, posting 24 receptions for 458 yards and two touchdowns. His five plays of 75-yards-or-longer (2 recepts, 2 PRs, 1 KR) tie him for second on the school's all-time list. Considered one of the most accomplished professional skiers in the world, Bloom competed for the United States Freestyle Ski Team from 1998-2006 and set a world record with six consecutive World Cup victories during the 2005-2006 season. The World Cup moguls champion, Bloom also competed in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. The Fort Collins, CO, native attended Loveland High School, where he earned all-state honors as a senior, leading his team to the Colorado 4A state championship.
The Eagles have now signed five of their eight 2006 draft picks.
In addition, the team also released CB Eddie Canonico.
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