The Mini-Camp Thread

[phattymatty]

this whole william thomas thing just isn't going to stick.  it's tre.

[rjs246]

Or Tra. Whichever.

[phattymatty]

shut your face.

[rjs246]

shut your face.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

I'm noticing a pattern.....

You guys are wasting time you could be using to bash Bunkley78 who just posted in the Players Arrested '06 thread that after Chris Henry gets cut (just had his fourth run in with the law), that the Eagles will take a look at him because he is a Reid kind of guy. He may be kidding, but even then, this lame attempt at humor should equate to his still being eviscerated.

[rjs246]

I'm noticing a pattern.....

You guys are wasting time you could be using to bash Bunkley78 who just posted in the Players Arrested '06 thread that after Chris Henry gets cut (just had his fourth run in with the law), that the Eagles will take a look at him because he is a Reid kind of guy. He may be kidding, but even then, this lame attempt at humor should equate to his still being eviscerated.

I like the way you think. Sadly, I don't have the energy right now. There's a certain amount of stamina required for ridiculing someone who doesn't understand how farging idiotic they are. No matter how many times you belittle them, they never seem to give you that satisfying wilt of acceptance that they've been outed as a retard. Some days I've got it in me. Today I don't. Please, do your worst to him. He deserves every bit of it.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Meh. Now I am too depressed.


Shut your face.

[ice grillin you]

some mildly interesting stuff from the daily news yesterday that i didnt see posted...especially regarding jr reed....pretty amazing what he seems to be doing

On guard

When the Eagles locked in Shawn Andrews with a 7-year contract extension Monday, it raised the question of whether the deal envisioned him eventually becoming the starting right tackle - the scenario under which Andrews was drafted in the first round, 15th overall, 2 years ago - or if he was now being projected as a long-term guard. Tackles generally make more money than guards.

Eagles president Joe Banner said the reported $40 million extension was "sort of in-between... you could justify it in either case." Banner said the Birds are confident Andrews will be a top guard, but still feel he could someday play tackle.

Agent Rich Moran said the deals signed this offseason by center-guard LeCharles Bentley in Cleveland and guard Steve Hutchinson in Minnesota "reduce the margins" between tackle deals and guard deals, and that Andrews' contract reflects that change.

Birdseed

Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, asked about first-round rookie Brodrick Bunkley's progress at defensive tackle, said: "I think the light has come on just a little bit more this last week. I think he's played much better. I think his technique has improved a little, for what we want. It's still a work in progress. He's not there yet." Hmmmm. That wasn't exactly, "Tell the Hall of Fame to clear out some space," now, was it?...

Johnson said Dhani Jones is his starting strongside linebacker right now, but he will face competition from Greg Richmond and possibly third-round rookie Chris Gocong in training camp. "Put 'em in a pile and the strong survive," Johnson said...

Marty Mornhinweg said second-year running back Ryan Moats looks "much more comfortable" in the Eagles' offense...

Special teams coordinator John Harbaugh, asked about returner J.R. Reed's progress as he returns from career-threatening damage to the peroneal nerve behind his left knee, said: "Just in the shorts, I haven't noticed anything different from what he was 2 years ago. He looks just as fast, just as quick... When he has to change direction to make a tackle, returning a kick and making a cut... coming off the hash, making a play on the sideline, that's probably where we'll see it, if he still has the same burst, the change of direction skill. He looks good right now."

[BigEd76]

Gocong on DNL in-studio right now

[Feva]

Nice article on Darren Howard

Howard hopes to improve pass rush

By: REUBEN FRANK (Thu, Jun/15/2006)


PHILADELPHIA -- Darren Howard listens intently as he's told about the Eagles' defensive ends in 2005.

Jevon Kearse, Ndukwe Kalu and Trent Cole combined for 14 1/2 sacks all year, and for the third straight season the Eagles didn't have a defensive end with eight or more sacks. They had an end with 8 1/2 more sacks 19 times in the previous 21 years.

"Fourteen-and-half sacks?" Howard mused. "We should have one guy with 14 or 15 sacks by himself."

The Eagles last year recorded just 29 sacks, 18 fewer than 2004, sixth-fewest in the NFL, and their fewest since 1978 -- before sacks were officially recorded by the NFL.

Enter Howard. In his sixth year with the Saints last fall, he recorded just 3 1/2 sacks but in four full seasons he's averaged 9.0 per year.

On paper, it's a terrific match. The Eagles needed a pass rusher. Howard needed a new team.

"It's refreshing, it's rejuvenating, it's something new," Howard said. "That's what I needed. New locker room, new set of teammates, new organization, new coaches, new city. It just seems like a new start for me."

Kalu started much of last year but managed just two sacks in his first season after knee surgery. Cole recorded 5.0 sacks and made every all-rookie team, but because of his slight build is still seen as mainly a situational third-down pass rusher.

Kearse has just 15 sacks in two seasons since signing a massive eight-year $62.6 million contract. The Eagles believe Howard's presence on the opposite side along with an upgraded tackle rotation led by Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley will mean a revived pass rush, an easier time for the defensive backs, and a tougher time for opposing quarterbacks, who threw 24 TD passes against the Birds last year.

"We had some trouble getting to the quarterback last year from what I've heard," Howard said. "It's not that I'm a savior, I just want to come in and contribute. I don't care who gets the sacks, as long as somebody gets them. If I can rush the passer, it'll help the other guys get there. Looking at the guys we have, we should have 40 to 50 sacks as a group.

"Look at the teams that had two good ends -- teams like the Giants, the Colts, Carolina. They all caused a lot of trouble for teams, and they all had good years. There's no reason we can't be one of those teams this year."

The Eagles plan to use Howard at defensive tackle in nickel situations, and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said he's doing a good job learning both positions.

"He's a pro," Johnson said. "He's been in this league for a while. He's got some good techniques. (New defensive line coach) Pete (Jenkins) has done a good job with him. He"s very intelligent and he's picking up the scheme pretty good. He's picked it up quicker than I thought he would."

"He's been there before. He's had double-digit sacks. He's played on some good defenses and he hasn't slacked off. As long as he's staying healthy, which he has been, he looks good."

Howard had double-digit sacks in 2000 and again in 2004. The last Eagle with 10 or more sacks was Hugh Douglas back in 2002.

"I know I can rush the passer," he said. "If I don't get double-digit sacks, I'm going to help someone else do it."


*

The Eagles announced that their final preseason game, against the Jets at the Meadowlands, will be played at 7 p.m. on Sept. 1 ... Today's minicamp practice is the team's final official session until training camp begins July 20.


*

Three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Tra Thomas, who missed time in minicamp after what offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg revealed yesterday was a return to medication for his blood clots, said yesterday this was a one-time incident and said he's not concerned about missing time in the future.

Thomas was unable to participate in any contact from March through August last offseason because of blood clots. As long as he's on medication, he's unable to practice. Training camp is about five weeks away.

"I'll be ready to go full tilt for the next camp," Thomas said. "It's something that's going to end now. I won't have to deal with it every year."


PRESEASON SCHEDULE


Sunday, Aug. 6: Raiders, Canton, Ohio, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 10: vs. Browns, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 17: at Ravens, 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 25: vs. Steelers, 8 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 1: at Jets, 7 p.m.

E-Mail: [emai=rfrank@phillyBurbs.com]REUBEN FRANK[/email]

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I like that Reuben still calls him Tra.  Ha.

[Feva]

Rube's a rebel.

[General_Failure]

Rebel. Writer. Sandwich. The Reuben Frank Story.

[Feva]

End of camp notes.

Getting a sense of direction

Hints of progress visible as Eagles minicamps conclude

By LES BOWEN
bowenl@phillynews.com

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.

[Philly_Crew]

This came from Carucci and is the first I have heard of this from anyone.  Something for fans to look for in training camp, I suppose.  Link to article:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9517038

--It's way too early to panic, but the Philadelphia Eagles can't be comfortable that defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley, their first-round draft pick, has struggled during offseason workouts. Grasping Jim Johnson's complex defensive scheme isn't easy, and rookies who fail to show early indications of being able to pick it up can quickly find themselves slipping behind as the year progresses.