Posts Tagged ‘Juan Castillo’

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DE Jason Babin Laughed When He Learned of His Release from Philadelphia Eagles

Thursday, November 29th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

Jason Babin doing his QB sack celebration, something he hasn’t done much in 2012.

Bye bye, Jason Babin.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive end was released on Tuesday, the first prominent player this season to see that fate.  Babin, acquired during 2011’s free agent spending frenzy, has not performed anywhere near last season’s Pro Bowl level.  His 18 sacks last year have been met with dramatically declined production in 2012, with Babin only having 5.5 sacks.

Andy Reid issued the following statement about Babin’s release:

“We appreciate everything that Jason has given this team over the last couple of years.  We wish him all the best as he continues his career.  By releasing him today, this gives us an opportunity to give more playing time to some of the younger guys in the defensive line rotation.”

To be sure, Babin isn’t the only player on the Eagles’ defensive line to go silent this season.  But the fact that he was unpopular in the locker room, with CSNPhilly’s Geoff Mosher saying that several sources with the Eagles described Babin as arrogant and aloof, can’t have helped his plight.  Babin also earned the ire of Eagles fans when he whined about their vile language at the Linc.

Bad language in football.  The hell you say.

Perhaps if he had focused his attention on the sidelines to the job ahead things would have worked out better for Babin.

To prove once and for all that his attitude is just not what this team or this town needs, Babin laughed when Andy Reid told him that he was released, as he gleefully relayed to ESPN Radio.

“One, anytime you see Andy Reid come across your caller ID, you know it’s probably not a good thing,” said Babin.  “Two, all I could do was — I laughed.  I was like, ‘Alright, Coach, if that’s what you’ve got to do.’  I don’t know, caught me off guard.”

In fact, Babin was all over the airwaves just hours after his release and didn’t seem that bothered with his release.  Perhaps he’s relieved to be free of a team whose fanbase holds players accountable.  He certainly couldn’t have been pleased being on this Eagles team, as he only wants to play for winners.  Babin stated on ESPN’s “NFL Live”:

“I like to win, I like to compete, and I like to sack the quarterback.  I imagine there’s a team out there looking for that.”

There probably is, but they aren’t going to pay anything close to the contract Babin signed with the Eagles, a five-year, $29-million deal.  Per CSNPhilly,

“Because he has already collected termination pay earlier in his career, Babin is owed nothing by the Eagles, who will save more than $16 million in cap space in the next three years by having Babin off their books.”

We’ll see if, unlike the firing of Juan Castillo, Babin’s release will shake up the locker room and in particular the Eagles defense to get them to improve their performance.

Good riddance, Jason Babin.  If there’s any bull running happening in Spain these days, Eagles fans would love for you to go take part and fulfill your dreams.

You can listen to audio of Babin’s light-hearted view of his release from the team courtesy of Crossing Broad here.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Nnamdi Asomugha Believes Things Will Turn Around for Himself and the Philadelphia Eagles

Monday, November 26th, 2012

Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

  Fairly or unfairly, if there is one player who represents the underperformance of the 2011 and 2012 Philadelphia Eagles, it is Nnamdi Asomugha.

When the Birds landed the three-time Pro Bowl corner in the free agent spending spree that followed the NFL lockout in the summer of 2011, it seemed that the sky was the limit for the team.  In hindsight, it’s hard to fault Vince Young for his “Dream Team” comment, particularly after they landed the most prized free agent of the year in corner Nnamdi Asomugha.  In those early moments of a shortened training camp, it seemed that with the talent the Birds had locked up, the sky was the limit for the squad.

Or not.  Asomugha, along with his team, struggled in 2011.  Maybe he needed time to acclimate to a new system.  Perhaps he wasn’t being utilized properly.  Maybe things would get better when Philadelphia offloaded Asante Samuel.

After embracing Jeffrey Lurie’s notion that 8-8 wasn’t good enough, this offseason again generated new hope.  Players like Asomugha were confident.  They had a season of  Juan Castillo’s system under their belts.  Unlike the previous offseason, there was time to work with their teammates in OTAs and minicamps and truly gel as a team.  For real this time — THIS was going to be the year.

Until, once again, it wasn’t.  In the middle of a season that is unbearably miserable, Asomugha still has failed to deliver.  He has just one interception and has fallen so far in the eyes of his opponents that he’s not even seen as a threat.  Teams now throw towards him and why not?  They are having a great success doing so.  Opposing quarterbacks have a 110.4 QB rating when throwing in Asomugha’s direction so far this season, according to ProFootballFocus.  He has just one interception.  This is not working out as anyone planned, including Asomugha.

Asomugha knows that he is being heavily criticized and deserves it.  He opened up to reporters on Friday to discuss that reality.

“Obviously, it hasn’t been as good as I wanted it to be.  As far as team and individually, my expectations were so high, and then things just kind of just hit really quickly and it was like team-wise and player-wise, it was kind of like playing catch-up, trying to get it back on the right foot.”

“So that part of it has been difficult.  But I still keep that faith and believe that at some point the thing will turn, because the mindset is keep working hard, keep pushing and at some point, it’s going to turn.  And that’s just what I believe.”

For Eagles players and coaches to continue to get on the field each and every week they have to believe that things will change.  That they will improve.  Otherwise, who would suit up to be humiliated by bad teams every week?  Asomugha believes that things will turn around, but when will that be, exactly?  And why has he struggled so much in his career as a Philadelphia Eagle?

At least Asomugha knows how poorly an attempt at an explanation will be perceived these days.  We are far beyond the point of needing words.  All we will believe is improved play on the field.

“I think there’s a lot of things that go into it, but I think to say anything about that now would kind of be like making an excuse.”

“So my mind is focused on turning it around instead of why hasn’t it or what has been the issue.  I don’t want to get into that and make it seem like there’s an excuse.  You know?”

What Asomugha knows is the frustration of being a fan and seeing a player you expect to come up big fail to do so week after week.  So, unlike some of his teammates, he’s not going to lash out at the Eagles fanbase.  He understands where they’re coming from.

“As a fan I can look back to teams that I like and a player that I’ve liked  comes in and expecting it to just change, and it not working out and being upset about that,” he said.  “I can’t now be that guy and look at them and say, ‘You can’t be upset that we haven’t won and I haven’t been Superman on the field’ even though that’s what has been expected of me.”

The Eagles will face many big questions at the end of the season, one of which will be whether or not to hang on to Nnamdi. He is set to earn $15 million in 2013 if he stays in Philly, $4 million of that guaranteed.  And this is where he wants to be.

“I absolutely believe in the decision I have made and believe in this team.”

There are six more games in the season for us to see Asomugha make that turn he referred to.  He is certainly not the only player on the team, or even the defense, who needs to improve dramatically so that this team has a chance to win games.  Will he be back next year?  We’ll see.  For now, let’s see whether Asomugha can help to neutralize the potent combination of Cam Newton throwing to Steve Smith against the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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The Eagles are Awesome at Firing the Wrong People

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

A strange story out of the Novacare Complex seems to point to a Philadelphia Eagles organization that, both on and off the field, simply doesn’t have a clue.

News of a firing by the Eagles broke overnight.  If you’re wondering why there’s no hubbub over it, it’s because it was of someone who has nothing to do with the mess that has unfolded on the field in the 2012 season.  Or anyone you’ve even heard of.  The team fired VP of Communications Rob Zeiger.

So….yeah.  Zeiger’s responsibilities included heading up the Birds’ public affairs department, as well as serving as a liaison between owner Jeffrey Lurie, other members of the Eagles’ front office, and the media.

More meaningful to many of us, Zeiger is the poor soul trotted out to confront fan outrage on WIP following the loss to the Cowboys over attempts to raise the volume of the music at the Linc to drown out the boos of Eagles fans to a primetime audience.

If you’re keeping track, this is the second firing of an Eagles big-wig this season that will do absolutely nothing to improve the situation in which the team finds itself.  The first, of course, was the firing of defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, who is sitting home cackling at how things have unfolded as I write.

There is already much speculation and trepidation about how things will go down on Monday night, both on and off the field.  Will the nation witness on Monday Night Football exactly how much fan disgust, disdain and outrage there is for Andy Reid and the Eagles’ woeful performance this season?  And just how badly will team officials botch up attempts to “manage” the situation?

Or, here’s a novel idea.  Perhaps  the team will actually play like it belongs in the National Football League and defeat the only team in the NFC with a worse record, the Carolina Panthers.  And then sure, there will be signs, but the Eagles fans who bother to show actually may have a little something to cheer about!

A little head shake for you as you start your Thanksgiving plans and preparations.   Be good and stay safe.

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Tough Questions Face the Philadelphia Eagles After MNF Loss to New Orleans Saints

Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

LeSean McCoy ran for 119 yards in Monday night’s game but his efforts weren’t enough to help his team overcome defeat.
(Photo via the Philadelphia Eagles)

Nothing like a Monday Night Football embarrassment.  The Philadelphia Eagles could only assemble 13 points against the worst defense in the league.  The Birds notched 447 yards of offense and yet only came out of the game with 13 points.

Where do you go from here?

The Philadelphia Eagles have now fallen to 3-5  in the 28-13 loss  to the New Orleans Saints with absolutely no signs of improvement in sight.  The fourth straight lost for the Birds.

Mike Tirico called it, “The night of the red zone nightmare.”  And that about sums it up.  The turnover issues returned, and in the red zone, no less.

The offense was 0-5 in the red zone.  Mike Vick was sacked 7 times.  The offensive line got even worse when Todd Herremans left the game early with an ankle injury and Demetress Bell put in an absolutely atrocious performance at right tackle.

On defense, Eagles fans may be wondering if Juan Castillo is available to return as coordinator as things on that side of the ball were a mess once again.  Getting pressure on Brees was absolutely essential this game, so of course the D did as little of that as possible, though Jason Babin and Brandon Graham had a sack a piece.  The secondary, the unit that now-defensive coordinator Todd Bowles was brought in to the team to coach, was as it has been for much of the season – a problem.

Andy Reid said that Mike Vick would be the quarterback next week against Dallas, and why not?  Nick Foles would get killed behind that line.  Heck, it’s a miracle that Vick has lasted this long.

So what now?

The last game the Eagles won was on September 30 against the New York Giants.  More than a month without a win.  It’s astounding.

Andy Reid’s postgame presser showed a man who no longer believes his words but is desperately trying to put on a brave face.  Mike Vick seemed shell-shocked.  Brandon Graham expressed utter frustration at wanting to save his coach’s job and play a good season to honor Garrett Reid but having no idea what’s going wrong.

The Eagles’ loss rounds out a complete week of suckitude around the NFC East, with each and every team in the division suffering defeat.  That at least means that the Giants haven’t been able to increase their lead over the Eagles.  Up next for Philadelphia are the Cowboys at home, an always-intense battle.  If the Birds suffer an embarrassing loss to Dallas at the Linc, the boos heard against Atlanta in Week 8 will seem soft as lullabies.

It’s clear that no one knows how to fix the problems with the Eagles because if they did, the issues wouldn’t keep reappearing.  They would be fixed by now.  Maybe there won’t be the dramatic wave of changes this week as many have predicted if the Eagles lost in New Orleans.  Perhaps the team is resigned to the reality of their woeful and habitual under-performance.  And maybe we all have to face the fact there are no more excuses – this is just not a good football team.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Inside the Players-Only Meeting: Will it Save the Philadelphia Eagles?

Sunday, November 4th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

On three!
(Image via sportsphotographymashup.com)

With each loss, the issues grew more pressing for the Philadelphia Eagles: where was the leadership?

In the first loss following a bye week in the Andy Reid era, the team accomplished the appalling feat of getting worse instead of better.

Where was the leadership?  Players hung their heads in shame and vacated the locker room quickly.  But there was a strange detachment to the third consecutive loss on the part of Eagles players, it seemed.

LeSean McCoy came out and said what every fan and casual observer alike was thinking.

“How we played, how the game ended, I didn’t see any pride.  I didn’t see any heart.  This is the whole team, myself included.  We didn’t get it done today.”

Three straight losses and no fire.  A new defensive coordinator and no improvement.  An embattled head coach and yet they continued to show little fight.  What could save this Eagles team?

For the first time this season, a players-only meeting was held on Wednesday.  According to Yahoo! Sports,

“meeting was productive even though it was not always pleasant.  Players implored each other to talk amongst themselves, man-to-man, rather than go straight to the media.”

Which, of course, meant that an unknown player on the defensive ran to the media to give his perspective on the meeting and the team’s situation.

“Mike ain’t the problem.  Look, we all know he’s struggling.  That ain’t some secret.  But we’re not helping him and that’s the problem.  The defense isn’t helping him, the offensive line isn’t helping him.  None of us.  We all gotta help each other and that’s what we talked about.”

The unnamed player continued,

“This ain’t time to be throwing people to the street.  We already had that with [Castillo’s firing] and that didn’t work,” the defensive player said, referring to a 30-17 home loss to Atlanta in the first game after Castillo’s dismissal.  “We gotta hang together.”

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie didn’t hide behind anonymity.  Typically a quiet presence in the locker room, he felt that the meeting was an important opportunity to speak up.

“Yeah, because I don’t really say much.  I’m not into the talking game.  I just believe in going out and playing ball, regardless of what goes on.  Not a lot to be said.”

DRC knows that times are serious and that his teammates needed to hear his voice.

“It was a team thing.  I’m part of a team.  So I felt like if I speak, guys would listen.  I didn’t speak on much; I just said, ‘Let’s just play ball and see where that gets us.’”

Other players who reportedly spoke up in the meeting were Vick, Trent Cole, Jeremy Maclin, Cullen Jenkins, DeMeco Ryans and Jason Avant.

Will the meeting and the man-to-man discussions make a difference on Monday Night Football in New Orleans?  For a Philadelphia team all out of answers, it must.  With the level of dysfunction on this team, if the record falls to 3-5 things will be torn apart at the NovaCare – including a change at the quarterback position – and the chances for victory will diminish even further.  Half the season will remain, but the outlook is bleak if the Birds don’t even up their record at the Superdome.

Perhaps now isn’t the time to throw people on the street, to paraphrase the unknown player, but with a loss in New Orleans it will happen again.  The Philadelphia Eagles are playing to save their season, their quarterback and their coach.  Is the burden too much to bear?  We’ll find out on Monday night.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

 

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Andy Reid Says Benching Mike Vick Was Never an Option

Friday, November 2nd, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

Andy Reid continues to stand alongside quarterback Mike Vick.
(Image via Lehigh Valley Live)

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid addressed the media on Thursday following the unconventional move on Wednesday of issuing a statement in support of quarterback Mike Vick.

Reid tried to clear the air about his initial comments about Vick following Sunday’s failure against the Falcons, which were widely construed as a wavering support for Vick.

“I know a lot’s been said in regards to [QB] Michael [Vick].  I learned a long time ago from you guys that there’s a time and a place when you’re upset and I was upset after the game.  Not at Michael Vick; I was upset, starting with myself and not getting my team ready to play and then working from there.  But I’ve learned to step back and evaluate, so that was my point to you.  My point wasn’t that I was going to bench Michael Vick; it was that I needed to step back and evaluate before I came to you with something.”

In fact, Reid went on to say that he felt Sunday was one of the quarterback’s “better games” this season.  The coach typically addresses the media on Monday but was unable to do so this week because of the threat posed to the region by Hurricane Sandy.  But like the superstorm, he saw the winds of  gossip about Vick swirling out of control and wanted to end the fury.

Regardless of what he says, Reid’s remarks will continue to be dissected and second guessed because, frankly, soft support by the coach one day quite frequently turns into job loss down the line under his regime.  Just ask Kevin Kolb or Juan Castillo.

When asked pointedly if Reid considered making a change at the quarterback position, his response was simple and to the point.

“That wasn’t my intent.  No, not at all.”

Would Reid commit to saying that Vick would be the team’s starter for the remainder of the season?

“Michael’s the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles.”

The rumors have been put to rest – for now.  It’s really more like they’ve gone below the surface and will hover, waiting to re-emerge should Monday Night’s game against the Saints go sour.

Vick’s own comments on the controversy were intriguing, with the quarterback admitting that his confidence was impacted by the rumors and that he has to get his “swag” back.  Vick also revealed that the team finally had a closed door,  player’s only meeting on Thursday to try to pull itself together.  It’s a small but needed step.

Who knows, perhaps it can help to stop – or at least slow – the steady unraveling of this Eagles team.  Not much else has worked and with Reid’s inability to motivate his team, it’s time for players to be accountable for themselves and to each other both on and off the field.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Why Benching Mike Vick Won’t Fix the Philadelphia Eagles

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

Everyone must stand alone.

For anyone who watched the Philadelphia Eagles’ third straight loss on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons,  it was clear that the game was lost overwhelmingly because of the pitiful showing by the team’s defense.

However, on Monday, the headlines surrounding the game were dominated by talk of benching quarterback Mike Vick.

The Eagles’ offense was certainly not stellar in the game, as has been the case all season.  They played it safe, and that paid off in terms of having no turnovers.  Vick’s numbers for the day, in the wind and rain that signaled the start of Hurricane Sandy, were 21 out of 35 passes for 191 passing and 42 rushing yards.

Nothing tremendous, but — pardon the pun — passable.

What was abhorrent was the play of the defense.  The first game for defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is one he wishes could be re-done.  In the 30-17 loss, the defense simply could not stop the Falcons offense.  It wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter that the D finally stopped Atlanta from scoring on a drive.  Prior to that, the Falcons had gotten points on the board from every single possession in the game.

The Eagles D finally broke its drought on quarterback sacks (one each by Cullen Jenkins and Cedric Thornton) but still could not bring pressure to Matt Ryan.  The secondary was woeful, with more questions about Nnamdi Asomugha’s value to the team versus that of his contract swirling more than ever before.  Prior to the game, the Falcons had little rushing game to speak of.  However, running backs Jacquizz Rodgers and Michael Turner were able to combine for 118 yards on the ground.

It was a failure in every way possible for the Philadelphia Eagles defense.  But somehow, the focus is on Mike Vick.

Andy Reid has once again helped to spark the questions and controversy, saying that he would evaluate everything closely to decide if a change is needed at QB.  That seems to be a constant state of affairs in Philadelphia these days.  But what is more disturbing are Vick’s comments on the situation.

“Obviously he’s thinking about making a change at the quarterback position. The thing I do know, and I’ll go and watch the film and I’ll evaluate myself, is that I’m giving us every opportunity to win.  I’m trying my hardest.  Some things don’t go right when I want them to.  Some things do.  So if that’s a decision that coach wants to make, then I support it.”

When your quarterback’s confidence begins to publicly waiver, you’re in trouble.  Vick’s unquestioning belief in himself at times this season has been maddening, but it’s a swagger that you need in the star athlete you’re expecting to lead your team day in and day out.  For the first time, cracks in Vick’s armor revealed themselves on Sunday and more than a lack of confidence, Vick revealed what seems to be a problem for this Eagles team as a whole.

They are at an utter and complete loss as to what to do to get better and how to do it.  That goes from head coach Andy Reid on down to the players.

That’s a problem.

The Eagles clearly have no idea how to fix the issues the plague them and the most damning sign of all is the fact that the team now seems to be getting worse.  When players were asked following the game what the problem was, no one had an answer.  They hung their heads and mumbled.  And neither firing Juan Castillo nor having their behinds handed to them at that Linc seems to have motivated this team.  So we’re  now left with a collection of lost men.

Time to panic after one bad game?  No, but we’re not talking about a single contest.  The team has played poorly all season, and after three straight losses they look worse than ever.

Ironically, the defense wasn’t the problem this season and yet Castillo was fired.  Following that pattern, I suppose benching Vick is the solution that would follow for this team.  Because it doesn’t make a lick of sense.

The Philadelphia Eagles are a team imploding before our eyes.  They’ve lost faith in themselves and they appear to be a team without answers.  At some point you’d hope that the Birds would stand up and fight to prove that they are as good as so many, including myself, believe they are and can be.  But it appears that they can’t.  Or, even worse, that they just don’t want to.

This team wants an easy fix.  Pointing the finger at Vick is simple.  Turning the finger at themselves collectively?  It seems to be something that Philadelphia is incapable of doing.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Philadelphia Eagles All Out of Answers as Atlanta Falcons Extend Record to 7-0

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

This is what the Linc looked like in the second half.
(Image via streetsdept.com)

Like the weather conditions outside in the Philadelphia region, that game was a mess.

The Falcons would not be handed their first defeat of the season by the Eagles as Philadelphia fell to Atlanta at the Linc 30-17.

A disgusted home crowd did not wait around to watch the full extent of the damage, with the stadium less than halfway full for much of the second half of the game.

Todd Bowles era got off to a rough start with the Falcons scoring on each of their first six drives of the game.  Finally, with about 5 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Eagles defense stopped an Atlanta drive without the team putting points on the board.

Too little far too late.

The offense was unimpressive.  The defense looked a mess.  The positives we can take from this game are:

1) No turnovers!

2) Philadelphia’s defense finally got some sacks!

Sadly, these facts did little to help the Eagles this day.

The spotlight now sits squarely on Andy Reid as it seems there are no answers for the issues that ail this team.  The firing of Castillo did little to light any urgency under this Eagles team and you have to wonder what, if anything, will.

Next up: Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome.  Awesome.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Brandon Graham Issues Harsh Critique of Juan Castillo, Shows Confidence in Todd Bowles

Thursday, October 25th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

Eagles Defensive end Brandon Graham

 

Linebacker Casey Matthews hinted at what he thought of Juan Castillo’s coaching when he summed up the first meeting of the Philadelphia Eagles defense of the Todd Bowles era on Monday: “We’re not going to be predictable anymore.”

Brandon Graham took those comments further on Wednesday by blaming Castillo for the Eagles defensive woes in the games of which he presided.  Graham stated that the former DC’s inability to  change his play-calling in the fourth quarter was exactly the reason for the collapse the Birds experienced so many times  in the last moments of games in 2011 and 2012.

Specifically, Graham stated

“I think we started running the same stuff over and over and not switching it up as much.  A lot of time we ran the same coverage, stuff like that.  I listen to the calls every play – ‘Coach, what do we have this play?  What do we have this play,’ and it was always pretty much the same stuff.”

He’s got a point there.

Graham looks forward to predictability not being an issue that plagues the defense under Bowles.

“That’s what he talked about, not being predictable in the fourth quarter, because by the fourth quarter everybody knows what we’re going to do, and that’s how we get beat.”

“I think Coach Bowles, it’s going to be fun to see what he’s going to be doing, because I think everything we run in practice we’re going to actually really run in the game.”

While Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons will provide our first glimpse of Bowles’ defense, the new coordinator has indicated that there will not be major changes to Philadelphia’s defense other than some increased use of the blitz where appropriate.  Bowles clearly has the support and full confidence of his players on defense but most have been more restrained in their comments than Graham.

As one of the biggest storylines of the Eagles defense this season is a lack of pressure brought by the d-line, Graham is certainly hoping that the changing of the guard will present him with more opportunities to show what he can do.  So far Graham has taken just 18.6% of defensive snaps this season.  However, BG has made the most of his time on the field and has applied constant pressure.  In just 44 opportunities, he’s produced half-a-sack and 13 hurries.

The new leadership on defense has given players a renewed sense of excitement as well as urgency.  This will provide a major boost to the defense and the team as a whole as they try to continue Andy Reid’s streak of perfection coming out of the bye Sunday at the Linc and try to extend their record to 4-3.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Shifts Along the O-line for the Philadelphia Eagles with King Dunlap Back at Starting LT

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

Since the firing of former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo last week, we’ve been waiting for the corresponding shoe to drop on offense.

After head coach Andy Reid’s pronouncement that Mike Vick would remain his starting quarterback and that Marty Mornhinweg would continue to call plays on offense, we knew that no sizable changes were coming on that side of the ball for the Birds.

No, there will be no major, seismic-shift-type changes.  But lo and behold, the week after Philadelphia’s bye has produced some shifts, specifically on the offensive line.

The never-ending rotation at left tackle continues with King Dunlap now back to being the starter.  Yes, that means that Demetress Bell has been demoted from the position yet again, rightly so after an awful outing against Detroit.  CSNPhilly’s Reuben Frank initially reported the change.  Many other factors are obviously involved, but the Birds are 2-0 with Dunlap starting at LT and 1-3 with Bell in that role.

The offensive line has been a constant area of struggle for the Eagles this season, starting with the injury to Jason Peters’ Achilles in the offseason.  Dunlap’s promotion, which comes after Bell replaced him on the line due to a hip injury, shows that the team is still struggling to get it right.

Philadelphia also made a move on Tuesday to better address depth on the line, which has also been a problem this season.  The team announced that backup center Steve Vallos had been released and Matt Tennant was signed.

Tennant (6-4, 300) played with the New Orleans Saints for 28 games in the 2010 and 2011 seasons before heading to New England for 2012.  He was released by the Patriots on October 20.  Tennant was a 5th-round draft selection of the Saints in 2010 out of Boston College.

To summarize, Tennant will now be the backup to backup Dallas Reynolds, who was the backup for Jason Kelce but became the starter after Kelce suffered an ACL injury.  Kelce, by the way, had surgery to repair the tear earlier this week.  Hope he gets well soon — he has been sorely missed on the field.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and onFacebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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