Post by EagleGene on Apr 30, 2005 17:11:45 GMT -5
COACH'S CLIPBOARD: PROSPECTS
April 30, 2005
By DAVE SPADARO, BOB KENT & CHRIS McPHERSON
It's still early, but offensive coordinator Brad Childress has been impressed with second-round pick Reggie Brown and his assimilation of the offense.
"He's doing a very nice job in there with a lot of volume and a lot of physical play, and he holds his own in there," Childress said. "I've seen him do some things underneath the defense and I've seen him do some things down the field stretching the defense.
"He's been as good as can be expected for a first-timer in this offense. He's doing a nice job."
Few, if any, rookie receivers have come in and mastered Philadelphia's version of the West Coast offense. One exception may have been Greg Lewis, who had played in a similar system at Illinois.
A rookie free agent in 2003, Lewis made six grabs in his first season. Draft choices like Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell chipped in during their inaugural seasons, posting 10 and 21 receptions, respectively.
Childress expects Brown to contribute too.
WR Reggie Brown
"That's the goal," Childress said. "I think it remains to be seen as we grind through training camp, the preseason and those types of things. But he's certainly shown an aptitude and the ability to be able to hold his own against these guys.
"It will just be a matter of how he continues to grow. After 60-70 practices, we'll know a lot more."
After four practices, Brown says he feels like he's back in kindergarten learning his ABCs.
Right now, he's majoring in "X" -- the "X" receiver (outside) position that is.
As for the slot job, held by Freddie Mitchell, Childress says Brown is certainly an option but that he'll mix and match personnel as he did at times last season.
"I think that will be something that we end up kind of figuring out, who we want to play in there the most, who we want to play outside, that type of thing," Childress said.
As for rookie running back Ryan Moats, Childress said Moats is in some ways similar to Brian Westbrook.
"He's got that ability to jitterbug and make you miss," Childress said. "They already have talked about him being of that stature. He's put together very well, he's elusive and he can make you miss. He can hide behind those big offensive linemen and come squirting out of there. And he's fast enough to be able to hit a homerun."
Finally, in addressing the competition for the No. 2 quarterback job, Childress said the newly-acquired Mike McMahon still has some things to learn.
"I think Mike has to come in here as our third," Childress said. "There are some things that he's not up to speed on in our system. So, for it to be a competition, he's going to have to get up to that level knowledge-wise."
Johnson: Likes What He Sees So Far
Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson knows that he has a long, long way to go before he can make a fair evaluation of the newcomers to this Eagles defense. This mini-camp is designed to introduce the young players to the scheme.
However, when Johnson spoke on Saturday to the media, he was not reluctant at all to give props to some of his young veterans - specifically defensive end Jerome McDougle, the team's first-round draft pick in 2003 - and middle linebacker Mike Labinjo, unsigned a year ago coming out of college but rising quickly on the Eagles' defensive depth chart.
Of McDougle, Johnson said, "I think he has a good, positive attitude. He wants to be around here. He's around during the off-season, working with (defensive line coach) Tommy Brasher and this is a big year for him. He knows that and I think he's ready for that."
LB David Bergeron
McDougle is starting at right defensive end at the moment. Johnson said Jevon Kearse will move back to the left end position on a permanent basis - he moved to right end during last year's playoffs. It's expected that McDougle, N.D. Kalu and Hugh Douglas will fight for time at right end and at giving Kearse a breather. Jamaal Green and rookie Trent Cole figure to battle it out for the fifth defensive end position.
As for Labinjo, he is second behind Jeremiah Trotter on the depth chart and Johnson said he has a lot of confidence in the young linebacker.
"Mike is a backup middle linebacker right now. He did a nice job," said Johnson. "I think that over the off-season, if Trotter didn't come back with us, we had a lot of confidence in Mike Labinjo. He might have been starting MIKE, who knows. But, I think if something happened to Trotter, he got a little nicked up a bit, I think we could put Mike in there without skipping a beat."
Johnson also had words of praise for second-year man Greg Richmond, who is backing up Dhani Jones at SAM linebacker. As it stands now, said Johnson, Keith Adams is the starter at the WILL linebacker spot (Mark Simoneau is injured, but he figures to compete with Adams for that position) and that rookie Matt McCoy could factor into the picture as a rookie.
Johnson likes what he's seen from McCoy, but cautioned that is very, very early.
"I see him as a weak side linebacker. I think he has played a little bit, blitz and come off the edge. We anticipate him playing a little more of a WILL linebacker," said Johnson. "But, you know one thing that we did pick up was when we were looking at him was that he looked like he could be a nickel linebacker. So, I don't know how fast he is going to learn that WILL linebacker. I think he can learn the nickel linebacker, but we will see how that goes, but he still will be a weak side linebacker.
"It won't be (former Eagles LB) Ike's (Reese) position necessarily, but it will be a weak side linebacker as far as the nickel. The nickel is a little easier to learn than the base linebacker so it will be quicker for him.
"You know it's going to be a little while before he picks everything up. We will just see how fast he fits in."
Harbaugh: Special Dilemmas
Special teams coordinator John Harbaugh will have two intriguing mysteries to solve once training camp begins in late July.
The first will be who will replace linebacker Ike Reese, who signed a four-year deal in the offseason with Atlanta, as the special teams leader this season.
Reese was the Eagles' most consistent presence on the special teams unit the past seven years. He was named the Eagles' co-MVP on special teams last season and earned his first Pro Bowl nod as the NFC's special teams player.
Harbaugh has a short list of candidates, but he doesn't believe that the leadership role will be quite the same as in the past.
KR Rod Hood
"We have some guys that I think want that role, guys like Keith Adams and Rod Hood, guys who have been here a number of years," Harbaugh said. "I don't think there will be any one guy, it won't be like the captain format we have had in the past.
"The biggest thing about Ike was that he was such a great leader. I think the young guys will step in and do a good job as far as the physical part of it, but the leadership you can just never know about."
Adams has been a pivotal part of the special teams unit since he joined the Eagles in 2002. He had 24 special teams tackles in 2004 and was fifth on the team in special teams points.
Adams' role on special teams remains a mystery since he is currently he starting weakside linebacker.
Hood, who is the nickel cornerback, found his niche on special teams last season as a kickoff return man. When J.R. Reed suffered a hamstring injury in the middle of the 2004 season, Hood stepped in and showed that he could provide a burst of "acceleration," according to Harbaugh.
Against Pittsburgh last season, Hood returned two kicks for 74 yards, including one for a long of 45 yards. In all, Hood returned 15 kicks for 336 yards.
With Reed shelved for the time being after tearing the peroneal nerve in the back of his leg, Hood has earned the starting job on kickoff returns. Dexter Wynn (18 returns, 194 yards in 2004) currently owns the starting punt returner job.
As for Harbaugh's second dilemma, it will be who to place on special teams with the plethora of young linebackers on the roster.
Mike Labinjo and Jason Short are back from last season. Greg Richmond was on the practice squad last season. The Eagles drafted Matt McCoy and David Bergeron and Martin Patterson was added as a rookie free agent.
Harbaugh can rely on competition and the future camps to sort out the issue of who will man his units this season.
"We have plenty of candidates," Harbaugh said. "The linebackers are very competitive."
April 30, 2005
By DAVE SPADARO, BOB KENT & CHRIS McPHERSON
It's still early, but offensive coordinator Brad Childress has been impressed with second-round pick Reggie Brown and his assimilation of the offense.
"He's doing a very nice job in there with a lot of volume and a lot of physical play, and he holds his own in there," Childress said. "I've seen him do some things underneath the defense and I've seen him do some things down the field stretching the defense.
"He's been as good as can be expected for a first-timer in this offense. He's doing a nice job."
Few, if any, rookie receivers have come in and mastered Philadelphia's version of the West Coast offense. One exception may have been Greg Lewis, who had played in a similar system at Illinois.
A rookie free agent in 2003, Lewis made six grabs in his first season. Draft choices like Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell chipped in during their inaugural seasons, posting 10 and 21 receptions, respectively.
Childress expects Brown to contribute too.
WR Reggie Brown
"That's the goal," Childress said. "I think it remains to be seen as we grind through training camp, the preseason and those types of things. But he's certainly shown an aptitude and the ability to be able to hold his own against these guys.
"It will just be a matter of how he continues to grow. After 60-70 practices, we'll know a lot more."
After four practices, Brown says he feels like he's back in kindergarten learning his ABCs.
Right now, he's majoring in "X" -- the "X" receiver (outside) position that is.
As for the slot job, held by Freddie Mitchell, Childress says Brown is certainly an option but that he'll mix and match personnel as he did at times last season.
"I think that will be something that we end up kind of figuring out, who we want to play in there the most, who we want to play outside, that type of thing," Childress said.
As for rookie running back Ryan Moats, Childress said Moats is in some ways similar to Brian Westbrook.
"He's got that ability to jitterbug and make you miss," Childress said. "They already have talked about him being of that stature. He's put together very well, he's elusive and he can make you miss. He can hide behind those big offensive linemen and come squirting out of there. And he's fast enough to be able to hit a homerun."
Finally, in addressing the competition for the No. 2 quarterback job, Childress said the newly-acquired Mike McMahon still has some things to learn.
"I think Mike has to come in here as our third," Childress said. "There are some things that he's not up to speed on in our system. So, for it to be a competition, he's going to have to get up to that level knowledge-wise."
Johnson: Likes What He Sees So Far
Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson knows that he has a long, long way to go before he can make a fair evaluation of the newcomers to this Eagles defense. This mini-camp is designed to introduce the young players to the scheme.
However, when Johnson spoke on Saturday to the media, he was not reluctant at all to give props to some of his young veterans - specifically defensive end Jerome McDougle, the team's first-round draft pick in 2003 - and middle linebacker Mike Labinjo, unsigned a year ago coming out of college but rising quickly on the Eagles' defensive depth chart.
Of McDougle, Johnson said, "I think he has a good, positive attitude. He wants to be around here. He's around during the off-season, working with (defensive line coach) Tommy Brasher and this is a big year for him. He knows that and I think he's ready for that."
LB David Bergeron
McDougle is starting at right defensive end at the moment. Johnson said Jevon Kearse will move back to the left end position on a permanent basis - he moved to right end during last year's playoffs. It's expected that McDougle, N.D. Kalu and Hugh Douglas will fight for time at right end and at giving Kearse a breather. Jamaal Green and rookie Trent Cole figure to battle it out for the fifth defensive end position.
As for Labinjo, he is second behind Jeremiah Trotter on the depth chart and Johnson said he has a lot of confidence in the young linebacker.
"Mike is a backup middle linebacker right now. He did a nice job," said Johnson. "I think that over the off-season, if Trotter didn't come back with us, we had a lot of confidence in Mike Labinjo. He might have been starting MIKE, who knows. But, I think if something happened to Trotter, he got a little nicked up a bit, I think we could put Mike in there without skipping a beat."
Johnson also had words of praise for second-year man Greg Richmond, who is backing up Dhani Jones at SAM linebacker. As it stands now, said Johnson, Keith Adams is the starter at the WILL linebacker spot (Mark Simoneau is injured, but he figures to compete with Adams for that position) and that rookie Matt McCoy could factor into the picture as a rookie.
Johnson likes what he's seen from McCoy, but cautioned that is very, very early.
"I see him as a weak side linebacker. I think he has played a little bit, blitz and come off the edge. We anticipate him playing a little more of a WILL linebacker," said Johnson. "But, you know one thing that we did pick up was when we were looking at him was that he looked like he could be a nickel linebacker. So, I don't know how fast he is going to learn that WILL linebacker. I think he can learn the nickel linebacker, but we will see how that goes, but he still will be a weak side linebacker.
"It won't be (former Eagles LB) Ike's (Reese) position necessarily, but it will be a weak side linebacker as far as the nickel. The nickel is a little easier to learn than the base linebacker so it will be quicker for him.
"You know it's going to be a little while before he picks everything up. We will just see how fast he fits in."
Harbaugh: Special Dilemmas
Special teams coordinator John Harbaugh will have two intriguing mysteries to solve once training camp begins in late July.
The first will be who will replace linebacker Ike Reese, who signed a four-year deal in the offseason with Atlanta, as the special teams leader this season.
Reese was the Eagles' most consistent presence on the special teams unit the past seven years. He was named the Eagles' co-MVP on special teams last season and earned his first Pro Bowl nod as the NFC's special teams player.
Harbaugh has a short list of candidates, but he doesn't believe that the leadership role will be quite the same as in the past.
KR Rod Hood
"We have some guys that I think want that role, guys like Keith Adams and Rod Hood, guys who have been here a number of years," Harbaugh said. "I don't think there will be any one guy, it won't be like the captain format we have had in the past.
"The biggest thing about Ike was that he was such a great leader. I think the young guys will step in and do a good job as far as the physical part of it, but the leadership you can just never know about."
Adams has been a pivotal part of the special teams unit since he joined the Eagles in 2002. He had 24 special teams tackles in 2004 and was fifth on the team in special teams points.
Adams' role on special teams remains a mystery since he is currently he starting weakside linebacker.
Hood, who is the nickel cornerback, found his niche on special teams last season as a kickoff return man. When J.R. Reed suffered a hamstring injury in the middle of the 2004 season, Hood stepped in and showed that he could provide a burst of "acceleration," according to Harbaugh.
Against Pittsburgh last season, Hood returned two kicks for 74 yards, including one for a long of 45 yards. In all, Hood returned 15 kicks for 336 yards.
With Reed shelved for the time being after tearing the peroneal nerve in the back of his leg, Hood has earned the starting job on kickoff returns. Dexter Wynn (18 returns, 194 yards in 2004) currently owns the starting punt returner job.
As for Harbaugh's second dilemma, it will be who to place on special teams with the plethora of young linebackers on the roster.
Mike Labinjo and Jason Short are back from last season. Greg Richmond was on the practice squad last season. The Eagles drafted Matt McCoy and David Bergeron and Martin Patterson was added as a rookie free agent.
Harbaugh can rely on competition and the future camps to sort out the issue of who will man his units this season.
"We have plenty of candidates," Harbaugh said. "The linebackers are very competitive."