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  • Lawlor: Practice Notes

    http://igglesblitz.com/2017/05/practice-talk-5/

    EXCERPTS---

    Marcus Smith not being there:

    Maybe Smith is saving his legs for the summer and fall. Or maybe he’s just an idiot. I hope he has a good reason for this. Proven vets can skip workouts, but underachievers like Smith need every rep possible to try and prove why they should be on the team.
    Seumalo and the OL:

    Isaac Seumalo is your LG. Maybe. He worked there with the starters, but that was partly because Allen Barbre was hurt (calf injury). The coaches want Seumalo on the field and LG makes the most sense. Doug Pederson mentioned Seumalo will also get some work at C this summer. Jason Kelce will start there, but Stefen Wisniewski and Seumalo will get a chance to show what they can do.
    One bit of bad news on the OL. Orlosky out with injury.
    Barnett and the DL:

    Brandon Graham was the LDE. Vinny Curry opened at RDE and Derek Barnett was behind him. The coaches will let Curry and Barnett fight for that job. The team has a high pick spent on one player and a big deal on the other so the Eagles don’t care who wins. They just want someone to play well.

    With Cox out and Beau Allen sidelined, DT was a tad thin. Destiny Vaeao started with Tim Jernigan. Rookie Elijah Qualls would help quite a bit here, but he can’t practice because of the NCAA’s ridiculous rule that requires him to wait for UW’s graduation day. This is an issue with several PAC-12 schools because they run on the quarter system and their schedule is different from most colleges.
    There will be lots of reps for Vaeao, UDFA Winston Craig and Justin Hamilton. It will be interesting to see if any of them can take advantage of this.

    Barnett’s spin move at Tennessee wasn’t bad, actually. It was terrible.
    But that’s the beauty of pro football. If you have a talented prospect and a smart coach, the coach can often teach the player how to do something or how to improve something. You can’t make a player bigger or faster or more talented, but you can teach him how to improve specific skills. It sounds like Chris Wilson has done a good job with Barnett and working on his spin move. That’s important for someone who loves to fly off the edge. He must have a counter move to use on OTs that sell out to protect the edge. They are vulnerable to the inside, which is where a spin move would have Douglas aimed.
    The WRs and Coach Groh's tough coaching:

    Last year the hope was that the receivers would catch the average pass. Now they will be expected to do that and the hope is that they will make difficult catches, like the one mentioned above. The WR corps can be drastically better.
    Per everyone’s practice notes, the WRs were much better, with one small exception. Or maybe I should say a big exception. DGB struggled all day.

    The Eagles receivers needed some tough coaching after last year. If the guys can handle that, they can play better on Sundays. If they can’t handle tougher coaching, get rid of them and find some new guys. This is just one day so don’t make too much of it, but I hope DGB got the hint. This ain’t 2016. There is real competition this year and you have to earn everything.

    While DGB didn’t handle the situation well, it sounds like Nelson Agholor did. Good. He really struggled last year, but the kid has talent. It would be great if things clicked for him and he played well.

  • #2
    Notes from PE.com, linked to Lawlor piece.

    http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/ne...f-b61059560fc0

    A Bigger Jason Kelce?
    After answering a series of questions about his future with the Eagles from reporters very patiently, center Jason Kelce shifted over to answering a series of questions about his weight. Kelce admitted during his uneven 2016 season that he wasn’t pleased with his performance, and many attributed that to his lack of bulk inside when he works against larger defensive linemen. But Kelce, who said that he weighed in the “290s last year, more than I weighed in quite a while,” said that technique was more to blame for the inconsistencies in his game.
    “I was pretty heavy last year at the start of the season and I did a pretty good job of holding the weight,” said Kelce, who said he is now at 295 pounds and would like to get to 300 pounds at the start of Training Camp. “But it doesn’t matter how much weight you’ve got if you aren’t using the right technique. I think, early on, there were a lot of things I could have done from a technique standpoint that I could have done a better job on.”

    . If I had to list the biggest observation from the first day of Organized Team Activities, it would be that LeGarrette Blount's size and physical running style could potentially be a "tempo-setter" for the offense if he can be as productive as he was in 2016 with New England. Listed at 6-0, 250 pounds, Blount has a linebacker's build as he charges toward the line of scrimmage. He is going fit in nicely, especially once the weather turns frosty in Philadelphia. Fran Duffy noted that Blount busted off a couple of big runs in the 11-on-11 action today, and after one big run head coach Doug Pederson made it a point to give a fist bump to the newest option in the Eagles backfield. - Chris McPherson

    . Rookie receiver Mack Hollins was a player who I wanted to really focus in on today and he did not disappoint. Not only did he look the part with a chiseled 6-4, 220-pound frame, but he moved really well for his size. When comparing the way he got in and out of breaks with other bigger receivers on the roster, it was noticeable how fluid the rookie from North Carolina was in drills. I didn’t see him drop a pass all afternoon. On special teams, he practiced with the first-team kickoff coverage unit and was nearly unblockable. I could hear two Eagles defenders commenting about how they didn’t want to have to block him in the special teams period at one point. Philadelphia is going to like this kid (and he gets bonus points for not wearing gloves although he said he will wear them once Training Camp begins). - FD

    4. Coming out of the stretch period to start practice, it was wide receiver Jordan Matthews who broke down the offensive huddle to begin drills. Matthews had a strong day on Tuesday and did most of his work from the slot. - FD

    5. The offense spent the early part of the day working on the near side of the practice field, while the defense worked on the far field, so it was tough to always take note of that side of the ball. However, anytime I looked over at rookie cornerback Rasul Douglas he was reeling in passes over his shoulder, showing off the ball skills that led him to being an All-America selection last season at West Virginia in his first year as a starter. - FD

    It was obvious how improved the Eagles are at defensive end with Derek Barnett joining Brandon Graham as a first-team defensive end. Barnett showed a very fast first step and Graham, of course, has a great get off.
    Having those two on the edge, along with Tim Jernigan – who was relentless on Tuesday – and Fletcher Cox inside gives the Eagles a strong first foursome.
    “The idea is to get after it and keep going,” Graham said. “If we can all stay out there and stay healthy, we’re going to have some fun. They want us to be aggressive. That’s what we all do.
    "There's going to be a bunch of problems on this line. I'm just excited to keep working every day."
    - Dave Spadaro

    Comment


    • #3
      It is funny reading some of this. It pumps you up no doubt but first I read Barnett needs coaching to help his spin move otherwise OTs will figure him out because of one move. Then I read that it is obvious the DL is improved with him and Graham
      Wait until next year is a terrible philosophy
      Hope is not a strategy
      RIP

      Comment


      • #4
        it's improved because an undersized Barwin isn't there taking 40 reps from anyone. I like the guy, but you might as well put Pumphrey in at DE and hope his speed got him there
        We're looking for people that are fundamentally different,” vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl said Saturday night. “The love and passion for football, it's non-negotiable. They're caring, their character, they do the right thing persistently, and they have a relentless playing style that you can see on tape. The motor, it burns hot. You see them finishing plays. They have a team-first mentality. They're selfless individuals.

        Comment


        • #5
          I found this interesting..

          Rookie receiver Mack Hollins was a player who I wanted to really focus in on today and he did not disappoint. Not only did he look the part with a chiseled 6-4, 220-pound frame, but he moved really well for his size. When comparing the way he got in and out of breaks with other bigger receivers on the roster, it was noticeable how fluid the rookie from North Carolina was in drills. I didn’t see him drop a pass all afternoon. On special teams, he practiced with the first-team kickoff coverage unit and was nearly unblockable. I could hear two Eagles defenders commenting about how they didn’t want to have to block him in the special teams period at one point. Philadelphia is going to like this kid (and he gets bonus points for not wearing gloves although he said he will wear them once Training Camp begins). - FD

          I'm glad Riley Cooper 2.0 looks good out there, but I didn't think they were supposed to have contact like that in these minicamps. If they're not going at it, how do you know someone was unblockable. And, if they were, I think they're breaking the rules.

          Comment


          • #6
            Everyone on here already gave up on him. Don't see why we are so quick to judge.
            We're looking for people that are fundamentally different,” vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl said Saturday night. “The love and passion for football, it's non-negotiable. They're caring, their character, they do the right thing persistently, and they have a relentless playing style that you can see on tape. The motor, it burns hot. You see them finishing plays. They have a team-first mentality. They're selfless individuals.

            Comment


            • #7
              I am so excited about the potential of the WR's this year. I spent so much time screaming at my TV screen last season with all the simple drops and non-catches of tough balls that many WR's can make.

              Getting Blount recently is the icing on the cake. Our offense should match up well to anyone, provided all the pieces work well together.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by musicman View Post
                Everyone on here already gave up on him. Don't see why we are so quick to judge.


                Not everyone.

                And EB, I was thinking the same thing. How can guys be unblockable with no pads on LOL.

                In a press conference Doug mentioned why Cox and a couple others were missing practice buy didn't mention Marcus Smith. He didn't even know that he wasn't there LOL!! Of course he could have been there and nobody would notice him anyway.

                From the films that I watched from Barnett he had only one move, an outside rush where he dipped his shoulder and beat his tackle. He also had a few sacks twisting inside on stunts (unless he just lined up inside, it's tough to tell sometimes on film that's not so clear of an angle). I could see why coaches said that he had no twisting technique. I don't know that it's bad, it was just that he never attempted it. That part kind of reminded me of Marcus Smith and his films from Louisville. Barnett really didn't strike me as a good POA guy either but teams ran away from him most of the time so he probably is.
                "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

                Comment


                • #9
                  Some Good news, some Bad news, and some Asshole news.

                  The Good...the receiving corps, which looked much improved on paper, actually showed much improvement on the field. Jeffrey looks the real deal and the rookie Hollins shows legit promise. Blount's size and approach were impressive.

                  The somewhat Bad... the promising UDFA Orlosky will miss the next two months. DGB is still horrible and probably should be euthanized. Barnett looks like a work in progress...disappointing for a pretty high first round DE.

                  The Asshole... does Smith actually think he showed enough to skip 'voluntary workouts'? Is he stupid or does he just not give a shit? What an asshole!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by musicman View Post
                    Everyone on here already gave up on him. Don't see why we are so quick to judge.

                    Been my mantra for years now...... People for some reason now feel they have to decide a kids whole career by "reports" and "as quickly as possible".

                    Graham is a good example. There is no need to pass judgement on these guys till there is enough information to do so.

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