Obviously a lot has happened since our last post, mostly Eagle-related. First there was the Vick resigning--I know this got a lot of Eagles fans fired up but I am going to withhold judgement until I know what they're actually planning to do with him. There are like 7 QBs on the roster right now so who knows what it all means. As a brand new coach I don't think Kelly can go into a season with a 2nd year enigma and a bunch of journeymen. At least Vick is a veteran who theoretically has the (albeit declining) skill set that we think Kelly wants/needs.
The Eagles and Giants also exchanged sloppy seconds, with media darling Cullen Jenkins (seriously--all the Eagles beat writers kept tweeting about when he left was what a good interview he was) going to the G-men and former U safety Kenny Philips coming down the turnpike to try to fill the giant cleats left by Weapon X aka Wolverine aka B-Dawk aka future (hopefully) Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins. I keep reading how Philips is a "game-changer" when healthy; honestly, if he's barely competent that'll be a HUGE upgrade over the past few seasons. I will never defend DRC or Nnamdi, but they were made to look even worse by probably the most atrocious safety play the NFL has seen in decades.
Kurt Coleman getting burned
Philips was part of a (semi) bargain shopping spree the Eagles went on right as free agency began that my wife would be proud of. It's as if Howie Roseman got the NFL equivalent of the 40% off Gap coupon she keeps raving about and went to town. But unlike past years, there seems to be a method to the madness. Suddenly, it seems that they have realized that depth and special teams actually matter. As a result, the national media has almost universally praised what they've done so far (see this Bill Barnwell piece for a good example).
Let's start at CB where they picked up Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams. Fletcher is a bit of an unknown, to the point where many of the beat writers and talking heads on Twitter initially called him Fletcher Bradley. This naturally got me excited because I was thrilled about having two guys named Fletcher on the same team. But alas, it was not to be. Word is he's a good cover guy who lost his job in St. Louis due to injury. He should definitely get a shot to start. Williams was a starter on the Ravens team that just won it all. He is apparently a hothead who gets burned a lot. But he makes plays and hopefully can add a little fire to a defense where it seems like EVERYONE ate lunch in their cars alone the past few seasons.
They also added ex-Niner Isaac Sopoaga, a prototypical 3-4 nose tackle. Always good to have a Samoan on your team. Always. Good signing.
At safety, they brought in the aforementioned Philips and former Patriot Patrick Chung, whom I was shocked to learn is not Asian (well his father was half Chinese, half Jamaican which is pretty sweet actually). Chung is a big hitter who Chip Kelly should know well since he played his college ball at Oregon. Again--we are looking for basic competence here. Nate Allen should be on high notice.
The two most interesting signings, in my mind, are both ex-Texans. Conor Barwin is yet another University of Cincinnati guy (along with Celek and Trent Cole) who figures as an OLB in the 3-4 the Eagles are obviously going to play. James Casey--who is described as a fullback/halfback/tight end--has been described as the Eagles version of Aaron Hernandez. His versatility should fit well into the mad genius offensive schemes Kelly will likely install. He is not Asian either.
The most recent move was a trade for a big WR who is apparently a great special teams player. Arrelious Benn was acquired for a 6th round pick this year and a conditional pick next year. In other words, they got him for nothing. Even if his impact is only on special teams, this is another low-risk, at least medium-reward move. They also got a 7th round pick back in the deal.
As I've said before, this year is 100% honeymoon for me. As long as Chip Kelly doesn't drop his pants and take a dump on the 50 yard line, I'm down with whatever he wants to do. (Actually if he did that at the Meadowlands or in Dallas that would be awesome). But I will say, so far I like the direction in which the front office is going so far. Team-friendly contracts for guys that fill holes and add depth--I think most smart football people would agree that this is a big part of the way to take a 4-12 team and make them a contender again.
The biggest part, of course, is the draft. Until next time...
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