Getting a sense of direction
Hints of progress visible as Eagles minicamps conclude
By LES BOWEN
[email protected]
The next time the Eagles convene, a little more than a month from now at Lehigh, the answering of questions can truly begin.
The ever-more-extensive cycle of minicamps, which finally concluded yesterday for the Birds, doesn't really answer many questions, though it's been known to raise a few. Thanks to all the May and June drilling, rookies now will report to training camp July 20 with at least a basic grounding in the team's offensive or defensive system. Veterans will show up July 23 with a little rust shaken off, and maybe with a decent fix on the competition they face to retain their jobs.
"We had great progress by those young guys," coach Andy Reid said. "Those veteran guys were in the right frame of mind. They came out... they challenged each other and got some good work done."
What do we know now that we didn't know in early May, when the Birds got together for the first time since staggering away from the rubble of a 6-10 season?
Nothing earth-shattering. But we've picked up a few hints in some areas, foreshadowing of things that could happen in training camp. Here are a few of those:
• The Eagles do indeed seem to have several interchangeable-looking possession receivers, generally good-sized wideouts without great speed, as everyone suspected. We'll know more when they play some preseason games. Right now, it looks as if Reggie Brown will be carrying a pretty big load. But one option to spice up the meatloaf could be to use Brian Westbrook as a receiver even more than in the past, out of the backfield and split wide, since Ryan Moats seems to have a much better grasp of the offense now. It's early for crystal ball-gazing, but Moats could wind up running the ball as much as or more than Westbrook, with Westbrook perhaps setting running-back reception records.
• Lito Sheppard really, really wants to make amends for 2005. The Birds' No. 1 corner was supposed to sit out this minicamp as he recovers from the ankle injury he suffered last Nov. 20. Sheppard decided he really needed to be on the field yesterday, so he took part in seven-on-seven and full-team workouts. "I thought I could do a little something. I just wanted to see where I was. [The medical staff] was cool with it. They just limited what I did," Sheppard said.
Reid said Sheppard will report early to Lehigh, with the rookies, for extra work to get ready for the preseason. Ditto wideout Todd Pinkston, whose recovery from Achilles' surgery on his right foot kept him out of team minicamp workouts. Pinkston said yesterday he also expects to be fine for Lehigh.
• Right now, the Birds seem deeper on both lines than they were last year. Left offensive tackle William "Tra" Thomas' absence from team workouts at this camp after going back on blood thinners was at least mildly troubling, but second-round rookie Winston Justice looked smooth and solid. Reid said yesterday that if he had to start camp without Thomas - though Thomas is expected to be OK - he would probably stick with Justice instead of moving Todd Herremans back to tackle from guard and subbing for Herremans. That's an indication that Justice has been impressive.
"He made progress. We threw a lot at him and got him in the mix there," Reid said.
Justice said playing in a pro-style college offense at USC has helped him.
"USC has a very complex offense, just like the Eagles do," Justice said. "Some of the plays are similar, you just need to match the name with the actual play."
Reid also touted the progress of Scott Young, a guard drafted in the fifth round last year from BYU who spent most of his rookie season on the Eagles' practice squad. "He looked like he made quite a bit of improvement," Reid said. Reid noted that Young didn't play much offensive line in college - he switched from nose tackle for his final season.
"Looking from the outside in, I never realized how much work was involved [in playing offensive line], how much technique is used," Young said. "Now I think I have a clear vision of what it's going to take."
On defense, coordinator Jim Johnson implied this week that first-round pick Brodrick Bunkley got off to a bit of a slow start at defensive tackle but came along toward the end. New defensive end Darren Howard is confident he can slide inside on passing downs, something that looks even more attractive with second-year defensive end Trent Cole showing strong progress. Jevon Kearse seems rejuvenated.
• Jeremy Bloom might be a bit of a project. The electric fifth-round rookie returner and wideout would certainly give a needed jolt of speed to both the return game and the receiving corps. But Bloom continues to be dogged by a hamstring problem as he tries to transition his body from skiing to football for the first time in 2 years. If the Eagles had a game tomorrow, Bruce Perry would return kicks.
• SAM linebacker Dhani Jones and center Hank Fraley will have to fight hard at Lehigh to retain their starting roles. Jones will have to hold off Greg Richmond, Dedrick Roper and third-round rookie Chris Gocong. Fraley's main competition is Jamaal Jackson, whose size advantage (6-4, 330 vs. Fraley's 6-2, 300) might be crucial.
Gocong was held back by the NFL-NCAA agreement limiting minicamp participation for players from schools that haven't finished exams, but he showed up last week and made up for lost time.
"He did a nice job with the short period of time he was here," Reid said. "He did make progress, and again, I think that first 3 days of training camp [before the veterans arrive] will be beneficial to him, where he can get in and get some reps."
• J.R. Reed's comeback might be more feasible than Correll Buckhalter's. Reed, coming back from peroneal nerve damage, proved everything he could prove in these limited workouts. Buckhalter, coming off his third knee surgery, was not able to participate.
"We'll see... we need to see how much progress he makes in a month," Reid said.
Hints of progress visible as Eagles minicamps conclude
By LES BOWEN
[email protected]
The next time the Eagles convene, a little more than a month from now at Lehigh, the answering of questions can truly begin.
The ever-more-extensive cycle of minicamps, which finally concluded yesterday for the Birds, doesn't really answer many questions, though it's been known to raise a few. Thanks to all the May and June drilling, rookies now will report to training camp July 20 with at least a basic grounding in the team's offensive or defensive system. Veterans will show up July 23 with a little rust shaken off, and maybe with a decent fix on the competition they face to retain their jobs.
"We had great progress by those young guys," coach Andy Reid said. "Those veteran guys were in the right frame of mind. They came out... they challenged each other and got some good work done."
What do we know now that we didn't know in early May, when the Birds got together for the first time since staggering away from the rubble of a 6-10 season?
Nothing earth-shattering. But we've picked up a few hints in some areas, foreshadowing of things that could happen in training camp. Here are a few of those:
• The Eagles do indeed seem to have several interchangeable-looking possession receivers, generally good-sized wideouts without great speed, as everyone suspected. We'll know more when they play some preseason games. Right now, it looks as if Reggie Brown will be carrying a pretty big load. But one option to spice up the meatloaf could be to use Brian Westbrook as a receiver even more than in the past, out of the backfield and split wide, since Ryan Moats seems to have a much better grasp of the offense now. It's early for crystal ball-gazing, but Moats could wind up running the ball as much as or more than Westbrook, with Westbrook perhaps setting running-back reception records.
• Lito Sheppard really, really wants to make amends for 2005. The Birds' No. 1 corner was supposed to sit out this minicamp as he recovers from the ankle injury he suffered last Nov. 20. Sheppard decided he really needed to be on the field yesterday, so he took part in seven-on-seven and full-team workouts. "I thought I could do a little something. I just wanted to see where I was. [The medical staff] was cool with it. They just limited what I did," Sheppard said.
Reid said Sheppard will report early to Lehigh, with the rookies, for extra work to get ready for the preseason. Ditto wideout Todd Pinkston, whose recovery from Achilles' surgery on his right foot kept him out of team minicamp workouts. Pinkston said yesterday he also expects to be fine for Lehigh.
• Right now, the Birds seem deeper on both lines than they were last year. Left offensive tackle William "Tra" Thomas' absence from team workouts at this camp after going back on blood thinners was at least mildly troubling, but second-round rookie Winston Justice looked smooth and solid. Reid said yesterday that if he had to start camp without Thomas - though Thomas is expected to be OK - he would probably stick with Justice instead of moving Todd Herremans back to tackle from guard and subbing for Herremans. That's an indication that Justice has been impressive.
"He made progress. We threw a lot at him and got him in the mix there," Reid said.
Justice said playing in a pro-style college offense at USC has helped him.
"USC has a very complex offense, just like the Eagles do," Justice said. "Some of the plays are similar, you just need to match the name with the actual play."
Reid also touted the progress of Scott Young, a guard drafted in the fifth round last year from BYU who spent most of his rookie season on the Eagles' practice squad. "He looked like he made quite a bit of improvement," Reid said. Reid noted that Young didn't play much offensive line in college - he switched from nose tackle for his final season.
"Looking from the outside in, I never realized how much work was involved [in playing offensive line], how much technique is used," Young said. "Now I think I have a clear vision of what it's going to take."
On defense, coordinator Jim Johnson implied this week that first-round pick Brodrick Bunkley got off to a bit of a slow start at defensive tackle but came along toward the end. New defensive end Darren Howard is confident he can slide inside on passing downs, something that looks even more attractive with second-year defensive end Trent Cole showing strong progress. Jevon Kearse seems rejuvenated.
• Jeremy Bloom might be a bit of a project. The electric fifth-round rookie returner and wideout would certainly give a needed jolt of speed to both the return game and the receiving corps. But Bloom continues to be dogged by a hamstring problem as he tries to transition his body from skiing to football for the first time in 2 years. If the Eagles had a game tomorrow, Bruce Perry would return kicks.
• SAM linebacker Dhani Jones and center Hank Fraley will have to fight hard at Lehigh to retain their starting roles. Jones will have to hold off Greg Richmond, Dedrick Roper and third-round rookie Chris Gocong. Fraley's main competition is Jamaal Jackson, whose size advantage (6-4, 330 vs. Fraley's 6-2, 300) might be crucial.
Gocong was held back by the NFL-NCAA agreement limiting minicamp participation for players from schools that haven't finished exams, but he showed up last week and made up for lost time.
"He did a nice job with the short period of time he was here," Reid said. "He did make progress, and again, I think that first 3 days of training camp [before the veterans arrive] will be beneficial to him, where he can get in and get some reps."
• J.R. Reed's comeback might be more feasible than Correll Buckhalter's. Reed, coming back from peroneal nerve damage, proved everything he could prove in these limited workouts. Buckhalter, coming off his third knee surgery, was not able to participate.
"We'll see... we need to see how much progress he makes in a month," Reid said.
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