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Pastimes : Philly Sports Thread(except soccer:) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stormrider1 who wrote (2592)	4/29/2013 8:59:57 PM
From: LTK007	Respond to of 2749

i got Kipers grade ratings for all NFL teams, and he grades tough. His Grade system, grade per Need and Grade per Value. Egles Need Grade was B But Value Grade was A. Giving them an overall grade of B+ No team got an overall A. But Ravens/Rams/Bengals got A-. Eagles B+ was shared with ONLY 4 other teams--which means Kiper put Eagles in the top 7 out 32 teams. He gave Cowboys Overall C+/Needs B/Value C- Giants Overall C+/Needs C/Value B And Redskins also Overall C+ Needs B Value C His comments on Eagles: "Summary: The Eagles really did well at the No. 4 spot. Lane Johnson has the best combination of upside and athleticism in the draft, and while he's an unfinished product, he's the perfect tackle to develop in Chip Kelly's fast-paced system. After that, we saw a kind of fun theme develop -- a head coach who gets a say in personnel decisions, taking players he should know really well. It started in Round 2, where the Eagles took my No. 2-ranked tight end. Well, Zach Ertz caught 11 passes against Kelly's Oregon Ducks last year. Matt Barkley also piled up huge numbers versus Oregon, and was the first pick taken in Round 4 (I once said I thought Barkley was a future first pick -- maybe I meant in Round 4?). Kelly wants competition at QB, and Barkley is going to come in ready to compete. Bennie Logan fits as a potential 3-4 DE or even a nose tackle, and Earl Wolff offers some depth at safety. They needed a corner and got another guy Kelly knows, Jordan Poyer from Oregon State. Joe Kruger isn't fast, but he could provide a pass rush in this system. *Overall, I like what the Eagles accomplished."*

To: stormrider1 who wrote (2592)	5/9/2013 8:36:24 PM
From: LTK007	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2749

Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly Has Been Studying Matt Barkley for Years COMMENTARY \| Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly spent years doing his homework on USC quarterback Matt Barkley, his team's fourth round draft pick. After competing head-to-head with Barkley the previous four seasons in the Pac 12, Kelly became very familiar with his new acquisition and developed a tremendous amount of respect for the Trojan quarterback. Jordan Raanan's NJ.com column on Wednesday picked out a quote from the new Eagles coach following the 2011 game in Eugene, Oregon. USC had upset Kelly's Oregon Ducks. "He was the best quarterback we faced," Kelly said of Barkley, who torched Oregon's defense for 323 yards and four touchdowns to derail Oregon's hopes of playing in a second straight BCS championship game. " He always seemed like he had the answer. Every time we came back and scored, he came back with an answer." As Raanan points out, Kelly had also gone up against Andrew Luckat Stanford and current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and former Arizona Wildcat Nick Foles. The stats will tell a slightly different story of course. In the 2011 college football season Luck was the most accurate passer in the conference, completing 71.3 percent of his passes while tossing 37 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. Barkley was nearly as good as or better than Luck after completing 69.1 percent of his passes for 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Barkley also had more passing yards than Luck and put together those numbers in one fewer game as a result of a postseason ban served by USC. Foles had numbers comparable to Luck and Barkley as well but he also was intercepted 14 times (with over 120 more passes than each). Barkley arrived at USC at a somewhat unfortunate time, with the program just about to slide from the top of the Pac 12 and sanctions about to hit. His arrival was revered from the start but in terms of accomplishments it would be fair to say Barkley's hype was not quite met by on-field success. Barkley put up great numbers, finishing within the top three of major passing categories in the Pac 12 each of the past four seasons, but the 2012 season is seen as a disappointment given the preseason expectations. Barkley was a decorated high school quarterback but his accolades were smaller in number since he started at USC. Last season he was honored with the Wuerffel Trophy and he was a second-team All-Pac 12 player in 2011. Still, Kelly had a great respect for his future quarterback in Philadelphia. What is ironic about the admiration from Kelly is the fact that Oregon was 3-1 against Barkley's Trojans while he was at USC. In 2009 it was Oregon who spoiled Barkley's national title hopes with a smashing 47-20 upset over the fourth ranked Trojans. Oregon held the freshman quarterback to just 21-of-38 for 187 passing yards. In 2010 No. 1 Oregon blew away Barkley and USC in Los Angeles, 53-32. Barkley again was ineffective, completing just 53.1 percent of his passes and being intercepted twice. The 2011 game that sparked Kelly's noted quote in reference to Barkley was the first time Kelly and Oregon took a loss against Barkley, Luck or Foles. And last season Barkley once again put up big numbers against the Ducks, passing for 484 yards and five touchdowns with USC dropping 51 points on the Ducks. The only setback for Barkley was USC's defense, which was no match for Oregon in giving up 730 total yards in a 62-51 Oregon victory. Through those four games Kelly had a chance to truly watch Barkley grow as a player and a leader. Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sportswriter. Follow McGuire on Twitter.

To: stormrider1 who wrote (2592)	5/11/2013 2:12:03 PM
From: LTK007	Respond to of 2749

NFLPost writer picks Eagles as most improved team in NFC-East NFC East offseason review: Strong coaching, draft additions by Eagles National Football Post will weekly take a look at how one of the NFL's eight divisions did in the offseason. Here's the NFC East: Most improved team: Philadelphia Eagles They churned their team as much as any in the NFL, starting with an upheaval of the coaching staff. The hiring of Chip Kelly may have been the boldest coaching hire in the NFL, as he brings a new philosophy to the league from Oregon. Heading up Kelly's 22-man staff of assistants are former Browns head coach Pat Shurmur (offensive coordinator) and former Cardinals and 49ers staffer Bill Davis (defensive coordinator). The Eagles also brought in Tom Gamble from the 49ers as vice president of player personnel. They will oversee a team that should have at least seven new starters, including an entirely new secondary. Outside linebacker Connor Barwin, the former Texan, was signed to be a key component of the Eagle's new 3-4 defense. Biggest veteran move: Extension for Tony Romo Tony Romo calls out a play against the Eagles last season. (USA TODAY Sports)There wasn't a lot of star power added to the NFC East in free agency. That's why the biggest move was the retention of Romo by the Cowboys. The Cowboys put all of their chips on their QB, signing him to a six-year extension worth $108 million and making him the NFL's fourth-highest paid player. It was a signing that was met with some criticism, given Romo is 33 years old and has a 1-3 playoff record. The team also wants Romo to step up as a leader. And that might even mean less offseason golf. [Related: Did Tony Romo cut back on golf as part of a 'work like Peyton' mandate?] Best draft addition: Eagles OT Lane Johnson The Eagles added a lot of talent during the draft, including in the fourth (QB Matt Barkley) and fifth rounds (FS Earl Wolff). The initial selection was left tackle Johnson with the fourth overall pick. Johnson has the athleticism of a tight end, a position he used to play, and that should play well in Kelly's high-octane offense. Best under-the-radar moves: Giants signing Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson. Jenkins and Patterson still have some pass-rush juice, and each should be effective in the Giants' rotation up front. Plus, they signed both players from their rivals in Philadelphia, which always is a plus. Dan Pompei covers pro football for the Chicago Tribune at chicagotribune.com.

To: stormrider1 who wrote (2592)	7/21/2013 11:09:12 AM
From: LTK007	Respond to of 2749

An Eagles Post Mike:) i boldface what i feel is critical. First off i say it is critical that Trent Cole and/or Brandon Graham (now that they are listed as LB's) it is CRITICAL they show then can rush from a standing position--something they have never done--in the NFL anyway:_ How Will the Philadelphia Eagles Fare on Defense? by Adam Sparks COMMENTARY \| We can continue to hash and re-hash the Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback competition, but if I learned one thing from observing Chip Kelly during his time as Oregon Ducks head coach, it is this: If Kelly says a starting job is up for grabs, then it's really up for grabs. And if he says a starter won't be named until the competition plays out in camp, then you won't get even a hint of who's leading the race in the meantime. We can speculate all we want -- Michael Vick or Nick Foles? (my money's on Vick) -- but the new coach is gonna make 'em earn it, regardless of past performance and regardless of contract status. He did the same thing with Jeremiah Masoli, Darron Thomas and Marcus Mariota while coaching in Eugene, forcing each guy to compete and win his job in camp before handing over the reins.( i like Kelly's decision NOW. By next year hopefully we will have no startinf QB question going into camp: but we may:Max) As intriguing as a quarterback battle always is, I'm far more interested to see how the defense progresses this year. We all know the Birds simply have to take a step forward on that side of the ball this season if they're going to be even remotely more successful than last year. And if the defensive backfield is as hapless as it was at times in 2012 -- yep, talking to you, Nnamdi Asomugha -- it really won't matter much who's taking snaps on offense, because the Eagles aren't going to be in very many games.(Our secondary i give an F grade in 2012. We MUST, repeat MUST get to at least C/C+ grade for 2013 Max) Bill Davis takes over a unit that came into 2012 with high expectations but struggled mightily, ultimately leading to the October firing of coordinator Juan Castillo. Linebacker DeMeco Ryans is the leader of a defense that will feature some new faces -- including linebacker Connor Barwin, nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga and safety Patrick Chung ( The biggest unknown from Patriots, of he plays a B level, that would be huge:Max--) and a hybrid scheme that will vary from a 3-4 to a 4-3. New coordinator, new scheme, new starters at key positions -- most fans will tell you that the changes couldn't come soon enough, but how well will the Eagles put it all together, and how long will it take for them to click on that side of the ball? Back in May, Davis acknowledged that the road to success would be a rough one for Philly's defense, telling reporters that "This year is absolutely the hardest transition year we're going to have." Just how hard? "The learning curve in the first year, you have to understand it, it's a foreign language that you speak," he said. Translation: keep your expectations tempered, especially in the early going. Most Eagles fans will be happy with some improvement and added effort on defense in 2013, and I'll be surprised if we don't see both. Whether that equates to wins will depend largely on if -- and just how quickly -- it all comes together. Adam Sparks has followed the Philadelphia Eagles since the 1980s, and has written about the team as a freelancer since 2010.