TMZ Sports has obtained video of LeSean McCoy and co. involved in a brawl at Recess this past Saturday night. Here it is:
NFL
February 9, 2016
January 19, 2016
Josh Innes Calls Jason Kelce a "House Negro" and Then Apologizes, Kelce Responds
Before Doug Pederson's introductory press conference today, WIP's Josh Innes inexplicably called Jason Kelce a "house negro" due to him appearing at the press conference. Apparently, Kelce is to much of a "Yes-Man" for Innes, and he made a horrible connection between that and slavery.
Innes would then apologize on-air, likely at the behest of people behind the scenes at WIP.
January 14, 2016
December 30, 2015
Chip Kelly's Statement after Being Fired by the Eagles Is Somewhat Sad
Chip Kelly finally released a statement almost a day after being fired by Jeffrey Lurie. Here it is in its entirety below.
I’m grateful to Jeffrey Lurie for allowing me to coach his Philadelphia Eagles for the past three seasons. I deeply regret that we did not bring this great city and its fans the championship they deserve. I was blessed to work with a gifted and hard-working coaching staff every day, and they will succeed wherever they go. Finally, my players mean the world to me. I will miss them very much and I will be rooting for them to achieve their dreams. Life is all about responding to challenges and seizing opportunities.
Oh, the feels.
December 29, 2015
Chip Kelly Has Been Fired
Jeffrey Lurie fired Chip Kelly today.
Today, Jeffrey Lurie, Chairman and CEO of the Philadelphia Eagles, released Head Coach Chip Kelly.
“We appreciate all the contributions that Chip Kelly made and wish him every success going forward,” said Lurie.
Coach Pat Shurmur will be interim head coach for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
Ed Marynowitz, vice president of player personnel, was also released. Tom Donahoe, former GM of the Buffalo Bills and director of football operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers and senior football advisor for the Eagles since 2012, will assume the role of senior director of player personnel.
A press conference will be held Wednesday, December 30 at the NovaCare Complex at Noon with Lurie.
Lurie published this letter on the Eagles website:
Things are getting cray cray.
December 24, 2015
Get Your DeMarco Murray Eagles Merchandise for 50% Off
Oh, how quickly the mighty have fallen. What's next? Creating a GoFundMe campaign to hire an Uber driver to drive Murray out of town? Geez.
December 13, 2015
Stephen A. Smith Quadruples Down on Chip Kelly Being a Racist
This morning on NFL Insiders on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith quadrupled down on Chip Kelly being a racist. Here's what he had to say, courtesy of CSN Philly’s John Gonzalez.
I got stopped on the streets of Philadelphia by members of the Philadelphia Eagles who took the liberty of telling me how uncomfortable they were with [Chip Kelly] because of the manner in which he was treating them.
They felt he was somebody they couldn’t talk to. They felt he was somebody they couldn’t relate to and refused to relate to them. They felt that it was somebody that really, really made them uncomfortable.
And I’ll say that to say this, we’ve got Bill Belichick hardcore, Bill Parcells hardcore. You can go throughout history from the days of Lombardi to Hank Stram to Bud Grant to Jimmy Johnmson to Parcells.
Nothing, nobody, all white, I brought them all up for a reason, all white, nobody has ever said the things about them that they have said about Chip Kelly in Philadelphia.”
Welp. I mean, I guess I can totally buy some random Eagles players stopping Smith on the street while he's walking his dog in his sweatsuit and them opening up to him because he's, you know, such a great psychiatrist.
December 9, 2015
December 8, 2015
December 7, 2015
December 6, 2015
December 3, 2015
The Eagles Are Wearing White on White Sunday against the Patriots
I like it. I hate the green jerseys and I like white on white better than white jerseys with green pants. Bring back kelly green, and this type of stuff wouldn't matter anymore.
November 30, 2015
October 16, 2015
September 30, 2015
Kiko Alonso Will Play again This Season
Best case scenario for Kiko and the Eagles. Alonso reportedly underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee and could return by November, according to ESPN.
It was originally thought that Alonso had suffered a significant ACL tear, but further testing showed that was not the case.
The main reason he is expected to play again this season is that there is good stability in his left ACL, the source said.
Eagles coach Chip Kelly said Wednesday that Alonso was rehabbing the knee and that the team would see him Friday. Kelly has been asked a few times about the injury since Week 2, but only would say that Alonso had a sprain.
In Kiko’s absence, Jordan Hicks played well on Sunday. It’ll be interesting to see if Billy Davis moves to a more rotational cycle when Alonso comes back.
September 21, 2015
September 17, 2015
September 14, 2015
September 5, 2015
The Eagles Have Released Tim Tebow
Most of us thought the Eagles would be keeping Tim Tebow as the third quarterback on the roster, especially after the team traded Matt Barkley to the Arizona Cardinals yesterday.
Well, that didn't happen. After I shook off Howard Eskin's report that the Eagles likely weren't keeping Tebow [because, let's be real, Eskin hasn't had a good track record recently], the Eagles did cut Tebow. And made a plethora of other moves.
Check here for continuous updates on the Eagles' moves today.
August 31, 2015
August 12, 2015
Sam Bradford Is Totally Cool with Having the Pope Bless His Knees
So, there's a petition going around to have the Pope bless Sam Bradford's knees when he comes to town the last weekend in September.
It's gaining a lot of steam and gaining a lot of media attention to this point. But Bradford didn't know about it until yesterday - and he's totally cool with the Pope having his knees blessed.
“I haven’t seen that. I was told about it before I talked to you guys. If I got to meet the Pope, I think that would be pretty cool. If he wanted to bless my knee, then I’m all for it.”
Awesome. Let's do this. Sign the petition here.
August 10, 2015
Chip Kelly Is a Dictator, Not Racist
Well, according to two random Eagles players, Chip Kelly isn't racist. He just sees players as commodities and not, you know, human. From Mike Freeman at Bleacher Report:
"Chip is not a racist. The notion he is isn't fair. The thing with Chip is he just doesn't see you as a person. He sees you as a commodity. The more players get that, the better off they'll be."
The player added: "Chip's attitude towards players doesn't bother me. I actually like it. I know where I stand with him. You understand that he doesn't want to be challenged so don't f--king challenge him. It's pretty simple. I get it. Some guys don't."
A second African-American Eagles player said: "He sets the agenda. You don't follow it, you're dead to him. That's not racial. Some guys handle it well, some guys don't."
The players declined to be named out of fear of repercussions from Kelly.
I guess this makes more sense than the "Chip is racist because he got rid of all the good black players" type of thinking. He also got rid of good white players. So... yeah.
Doesn't make him right for his coaching style being that way, but calling him racist now seems to be completely out of line in regards to how he coaches his football team and makes decisions based on that.
July 11, 2015
July 1, 2015
DeSean Jackson's New Reality Series Basically Justifies Why the Eagles Released Him
Last night, DeSean Jackson's BET reality series Home Team debuted.
Jackson was all over the Eagles during his inaugural episode, saying the team induced a smear campaign against him after his release when his alleged gang affiliation was made public. He said the Eagles tried to blow him up and that it was cold. He called himself a Cowboy and Giant killer, and now he's an Eagles killer.
When DeSean's friend says the Eagles "persecuted" him because of where he's from, to which he replied:
"That's why I think they fired me. What have I done? Have I gone to jail? Am I in federal? No." I guess if those are the highlights of your career, you've done good.
With the trades of LeSean McCoy and releases of Trent Cole, Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis, it's becoming more clear that his release from the Eagles was because DeSean wasn't focused on football 100% of the time.
But his mom and sister don't seem to exactly share the same sentiments as DeSean about his old team. Here are some quotes, literally straight from their mouths:
"My greatest challenge in overseeing DeSean's career is making sure he does not blow this second chance."
"I know DeSean believes that he's a grown man and he does not need his mother. I'm protecting DeSean from situations he doesn't even know he needs protection from."
"We gotta take control before he wrecks himself."
"My mother and I are just here so we won't get fined to make sure what happened last offseason when the Eagles decided to let DeSean go never happens again."
"You know what the downfall of NFL players are? Alcohol. Money. Women."
"Behind every great man, there is a strong woman. Right now it is his mama and his sister."
Video after the jump.
Zach Ertz and Women's World Cup Participant, Julie Johnston, Are the Best Sports Couple Ever
Photo: Julie Johnston's Instagram
Why is Zach Ertz in Canada taking in the Women's World Cup? Probably because he wouldn't be getting any if he wasn't.
Barstool Sports has conveniently aggregated some photos of Ertz and the U.S. Women's National Team defender, Julie Johnston, from her Instagram account. The two look lovely together. Here's the story of how they got together.
Ertz has also been hanging out with former, and an apparent broken down, Sixer, Jrue Holiday, too. Here's a photo of Ertz and Holiday, complete with Ertz wearing a Phillies hat. I love that man.
Photo: Yahoo! Sports
Someone ask Jrue about his leg. Now!
Johnston almost cost the U.S. women a goal last night after assaulting a German player.
Photo: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images
I'm sure Ertz will make her feel better about that. More after the jump.
June 30, 2015
DeSean Jackson's Reality Series on BET Debuts Tonight
Since there's virtually nothing TV on Tuesday nights, especially during the summer, especially when the Phillies are playing, maybe tonight you should camp out in front of your television, turn on BET, and watch our former favorite, DeSean Jackson, debut in his new series, Home Team. Yeah, cool, but what's it about? Glad you asked.
Considered a sequel to the coming-of-age documentary, Byron Jackson said that the new BET series (on which the brothers both serve as executive producers) will showcase the next chapter of DeSean’s personal life as he tackles the challenges of adulthood at 28 years old.
Byron shared that the three-time NFL Pro-Bowl player encounters “getting serious and heated with his love interest, becoming his own man, and his mom and his sister coming to grips with it.”
But Byron did admit that, within the thousands of hours of footage filmed, there were some personal moments that DeSean preferred not to share onscreen.
“When you are used to being in front of a camera, you take it in stride. DeSean likes being in front of the camera, he likes entertaining,” he said. “That is all he knows, but he is also very private as well, there are some moments he does not want me to film.”
...
“We are just like any other family, dealing with the same temptations, drama, everything. We are happy to be open and share how we tackle things,” he said.
Preview after the jump.
Continue reading "DeSean Jackson's Reality Series on BET Debuts Tonight" »
June 29, 2015
Jason Kelce Just Called out Steve Weatherford for Ripping the Eagles
This past weekend, we told you about Giants punter Steve Weatherford's interview from Friday on WFAN, and provided quotes and audio from his interview. Not only did he draw the ire of Eagles fans, but the radio hosts interviewing him actually sounded like they were getting off on what he was saying. I had to plug my ears for a second as Joe Benigno finished up.
Weatherford, for some reason, felt the need to try to justify his words instead of embracing the sports hate, which makes things more fun.
[Full disclosure: I think this is all hilarious. Maybe a bit overblown. Then again, so was Okafor's jersey conspiracy.]
The radio stations have been talking about this yesterday and this morning. Then, Jason Kelce decided to chime in.
UPDATE: Weatherford went on 97.5 The Fanatic today and holy hell did he backtrack.
"I got a lot of respect for the Eagles." [He never said the city, so Ellis and Shander missed an opportunity to bone him on that one.]
"He's [Sanchez] rock solid. I played with Mark for two years. He's a great quarterback. The two years I played with him, he went to the AFC Championship twice."
"I'm not saying Chip Kelly's job security would be in trouble. I'm just saying if he invests that much money, that much cap space, into a franchise quarterback and he's not on the field, then you're in trouble ... I think Chip Kelly has done a wonderful job."
"They [guys like Kelce] think my position is irrelevant. I play like six plays a game. I'm not that far removed from a fan, because I am a punter."
Audio via 97.5 The Fanatic
Full interview here. [Although it keeps crapping out for me at the 4:00 mark. Hope it's only me.]
And... another apology.
[Keith's POV: Is it me or did Weatherford just discredit his entire career?
He just said he is more a fan than anything else because he was able to sit back in 2012 and watch the team he was on win a championship "from a front row seat."
I'm no expert and only claim to be when I'm drunk. But, if I were trying to solidly my opinions on something about the NFL, I'd steer more towards the side of the argument that has me playing in the NFL and not so much just being a fan of it.
I mean Weatherford basically just said his opinion holds as much water as the guy in the front row that has that plastic mechanical eagle that flaps on the brim of his hat.]
June 28, 2015
The Cowboys, Giants and Patriots Are All Using Drones, and Maybe Not Legally
According to a Bloomberg report, via TheStar.com, the Cowboys, Giants and Patriots have been using drones to tape their drills, ostensibly from the recent OTAs each NFL team has participated in. And according to these reports, there's a lot of gray areas involved.
The Star:
The problem is, it’s illegal to fly the unmanned aircraft for any commercial purpose without first getting a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration waiver.
The FAA, when asked about drone use by three teams, said it has been in contact with the Cowboys to “explain the proper procedure for obtaining the necessary exemption.” It plans to reach out to two other teams that used the devices to film their own workouts: the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.
...
The FAA grants exemptions allowing people to use drones if they agree to follow procedures designed to reduce the risk of injury to people on the ground or interference with aircraft. Even small drones can harm someone if they fall from the sky or entangle fingers in the rotors.
None of the three teams have exemptions or provided evidence that the drones were being operated by someone with permission. Using drones in an indoor facility, or when operated by a contractor with FAA authorization, would be legal.
Bloomberg:
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league hasn’t heard from the FAA regarding individual teams’ drone use, and hasn’t had any internal discussions regarding leaguewide drone policies.
The FAA, which is in the process of completing regulations allowing commercial flights of drones weighing less than 55 pounds, says it takes an educational approach to disciplining violators. Only a handful of operators have been fined, including a man who used a drone to take promotional video of the University of Virginia.
June 27, 2015
Audio: Steve Weatherford, the Punter for the Giants, Ripped the Eagles and Chip Kelly
Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images
Probably the most outspoken punter in the history of the NFL, Giants punter Steve Weatherford decided to throw shade at the Eagles, their quarterbacks, and Chip Kelly on Friday when he was on WFAN with hosts Marc Malusis and Joe Benigno.
Audio below, followed by quotes via NJ.com.
On Chip Kelly
"They've given him enough slack for him to hang himself." Classy, bro.
On Tim Tebow
"I'm the biggest Tim Tebow fan in the world. I mean, who wouldn't want their daughter to date a guy like that? I'll tell you what, I don't want him taking snaps for my team."
On Bradford/Sanchez
"I'm gonna give you a Ferrari that maybe won't be running all the time, or, you know what, I'm gonna give you a nice Cadillac sedan. It's not the fastest but you know what you're going to get out of it. Mark Sanchez is the Cadillac. You know, he's not super fast, he's not gonna stop on a dime. You know what you're gonna get out of him. Bradford can go zero to 60 in three seconds. But you don't know if he's going to start up some days."
Then all three guys started getting off on the idea of Kelly signing Bradford to an extension, especially Benigno. "How 'bout having him play first!? Let me see what he does first! [He's made a lot of money] for doing nothing!" Weatherford apparently has ties to the Eagles front office, because he said Kelly would get himself into "serious trouble" if they sign Bradford to an extension and he gets hurt. Good to know, guy.
Of course, they threw in the ever original, "He'll be back coaching Oregon then!"
Weatherford is no stranger to saying provocative things about Philly. Years ago, when the Giants came into town, he tweeted this:
But, I'll leave Weatherford to have his Twitter hacked by Eagles fans while Tebow goes to Haiti for his foundation. And Kelly owns a 3-1 record against the Giants since he's been here. So you can have your Super Bowls, we'll have our... uhm... wins...?
June 26, 2015
The Eagles Will Reportedly Sign a Former Retired Offensive Lineman
Photo credit: USATSI
The Eagles are reportedly signing a player who's been retired for the last two years to [attempt to] replace the loss of Evan Mathis on the offensive line, according to FOX Sports' Ross Jones. John Moffitt, who was retired for two years and in rehab for drugs, will be your newest Eagles guard.
Moffitt was drafted by and played for the Seahawks for two seasons, before being traded to the Browns and Broncos, for who he played zero games.
He gets the endorsement of Jay Glazer.
"I have never been so proud of a guy I've trained than I am of John Moffitt," FOX Sports' Jay Glazer wrote last week. "Retired two years ago (because) he knew he had drug issues, took time to go to rehab, clean up his life, beat his demons and he has taken his life back! Guy inspires us every day."
With his drug problems behind him, Moffitt is looking to make a difference on the Eagles offensive line, which nobody is really thrilled about. Maybe he'll replace Evan Mathis' current replacement.
It's worth noting the Eagles have not confirmed the news.
June 25, 2015
DeMarco Murray Is Pissed at Dez Bryant for No-Showing His Wedding
Photo: TerezOwens.com
DeMarco Murray got married last weekend and apparently was none too pleased that his former teammate, Dez Bryant, didn't show up. According to the infamous Terez Owens, the reason for Bryant no-showing is because he's still salty at Murray for signing with the Eagles.
DeMarco Murray has a fresh start with the Philadelphia Eagles and is a married man. The former Dallas Cowboys and OU running back married his girlfriend Heidi Mueller this past weekend, and DeMarco was pretty upset one of his friends and former teammates didn’t show. We’re being told Murray is super upset at Dez for not showing, and strangely enough, Dez’ girl did attend the wedding without the Cowboys star receiver. Our source tells us Dez refused to attend because he still upset about Murray signing with the Eagles. I can’t wait to see the Boys play the Eagles on September 20th. Should be interesting to watch how Dez and DeMarco greet each other, if they even acknowledge each other.-TO
I know that website is notorious for bullshit, but come on. If this is actually true, it would be awesome. It's like we're back in high school because we never grew up. I bet if the roles were reversed, people in Philly would love the fact that Murray didn't show at Dez's wedding. I really want this to be legitimate in the worst way because my life is pathetic. Or... something.
Yes, personal life is different from sports life, but it might not be to Dez. I mean, he did congratulate Murray after he signed with the Eagles, so this all reeks of bull. But it's fun to imagine, right!?
June 19, 2015
Did Chip Kelly Sign DeMarco Murray to Appease the Eagles Front Office?
Darren DeGaetano, a former WIP employee who once broke the news that Tom Gamble had to be escorted out of the NovaCare Complex by security after he was fired, has now possibly broken another interesting story, saying that Chip Kelly only signed DeMarco Murray because of the perceived public backlash from the Eagles front office of Chip trading LeSean McCoy.
Now, certainly some people probably believed that held some semblance of truth at the time it had happened. Murray's signing happened so fast that some people said that was a sign Chip moved quickly to get a big name in here after trading McCoy. McCoy said the same thing, although we attribute that to him being the disgruntled ex.
But here's the thing - the whole "PR backlash" Chip received from trading McCoy was pretty minimal. It wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with after he traded DeSean Jackson the year prior, so it's hard for me to think Chip felt any kind of heat outside of the organization to move quickly to sign Murray. That leads me to believe - if DeGaetano is truthful here - that Chip felt pressure inside of the organization to replace that name value McCoy brought. That's the only other thing that makes sense. Sure, there were fans upset that Shady was traded, but nobody was marching on 1 Novacare Way demanding a new free agent signing to replace McCoy. In fact, in another noteworthy item, this past draft was very inundated with some good running back depth, and we all presumably thought Chip would take at least one or two of them before he signed Murray and Mathews. Sure, Frank Gore was the first plan, but once he backed out on the deal that was verbally agreed upon, the next step was not Murray.
In fact, I'm told the original plan was supposed to be Mathews, Sproles, and Polk as the team's three running backs. And not only would signing Murray make that threesome a bit better [even if Murray can't stay healthy, he was a better bet than Polk at this stage], it also would stick it to the Cowboys as the public perception of a star Cowboys running back coming to their rival because they didn't want to pay him enough money would be tough for them to overcome. There were a lot of things in motion regarding Murray, to say the least.
I spoke with DeGaetano and he is certain about his source, who he maintains is a high-ranking front office employee of the team, and he believes Chip was pressured into signing Murray. What's even more intriguing is that Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1 corroborated DeGaetano's story by saying Chip was 100% out on Murray and within a span of hours was all in. If both stories are true, it sounds like Chip wanted to sign Mathews over Murray, then a "higher hand intervened" [what I was told] and made Murray a priority for Chip. There's only one higher hand right now in the organization other than Chip... so you can guess easily who that is.
So, whether this is a thing or not, the dust has settled and the Eagles probably have the best trio of running backs in the NFL... for now. And I'll take that any day of the week.
June 16, 2015
Philly Mag's Victor Fiorillo Had an Interesting RSVP to His Mike Vick's Family Fun Weekend Invite
Via Marcus Vick's Twitter [I know, but he's too entertaining to not follow]
Geez. Take it easy, Victor. Guy wants to invite you to a nice family event and you go 0 to 100 real quick.
Look, there is no bigger dog person out there than me. We all know what horrible things Mike Vick has done in his past. He sure does, too, seeing that he served jail time for them. Not to mention his countless hours in the community and his work with PETA to educate people on this terrible act.
I'm also not one to squash a perfectly good offensive joke. But, this wasn't even funny. Fiorillo sent this back as his reply to a family weekend event?
Vick got out of Prison six years ago. Probably time to start hating someone more relevant.
Sidenote: I don't know who "carr" is, but they really need to clean out their inbox.
Zach Ertz's New Website Is Pretty Awesome
Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports
Zach Ertz has taken to social media to promote his new website: ZachErtz86.com.
The site lets fans get to know the third-year tight end a little more. The site also has a cool page paying homage to the best tight ends in Eagles' history and also a store for some merchandise.
What pulled me in was a blog on the site that Ertz writes and updates himself.
His most recent post is definitely one worth reading. Titled, To Be the Best, Ertz describes how important it is to him that he work on his blocking this off-season to be on the field as much as possible.
When the 2014-15 season ended, I set a goal for myself: to be on the field next year each and every play, and help lead our offense. To do that, I had to continue to improve my blocking.
That right there should show you the type of person and player Ertz is. While blocking isn't exactly the "sexy" offensive skill set a player can have, Ertz understands that it's part of his game that needs to improve.
He also talks about meeting and learning from his idol, Tony Gonzalez, and gives fans some first-hand insight on new Eagles players, like Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray.
If you have a few minutes, I highly recommend it. You can view it right here.
Ertz seems to not only be poised for a very productive season, but he also seems to have embraced more of a leadership role with the team. I'd venture to guess big things are coming from the tight end this upcoming season.
Chip Kelly Says Evan Mathis Asked to Be Released, Mathis Responds Rather Tersely
Chip Kelly spoke with the media briefly before the Eagles first mandatory minicamp today. As expected, he was asked 713 questions [rough estimate] about Evan Mathis and his release last week.
Actually according to Chip, Mathis and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, asked for a release on multiple occasions.
Via Les Bowen at Philly.com:
Eagles coach Chip Kelly said Tuesday that Drew Rosenhaus, agent for guard Evan Mathis, asked for Mathis' release "on multiple occasions" before the team cut the two-time Pro Bowl left guard last Thursday.
Also from Jeff McClane:
"We discussed everything," Kelly said. "If he didn’t want to be here, I want everyone to get what they’re going to get, I hope it works. ...He was great for us in the two years we had him. I like Evan a lot. If he wants to get a release…then we’ll release him.”
Now, as we've seen with practically anything Chip says, there are reports that his sentiment may not be so truthful.
Les apparently has a cell phone and knows how to use it even, which is more than I can say about my elders. He received this text from Mathis on the subject:
"If he was so willing to oblige my release, why didn't he sign or draft any OL?" Mathis asked, via text.
Bowen didn't expand on that text and left it as is. He probably did so, not wanting to get in the middle yet another high school tiff between Chip and a now-former player.
I'm not sure we have ever seen such strong, definitive sides being taken towards a coach in this city. If you are against him, you really are against him. Text reporters about him lying. Call him racist. Say he's been out coached and doesn't do things the "right" way.
But, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the players who support him act as if they would lay down on I-95 if he asked them to. And that's what the underlying difference here is and really the simplest reasoning about what is going on.
Chip Kelly is cutting players with talent. This is true. Has been true since day one.
But Kelly understands what he is trying to create. He's not working towards building a team full of players with individual talent, individual motives, and individual goals or accomplishments.
He's working towards building a team who identifies themselves as a team and nothing else. A group of 53 players who all have the same motives and understanding. 53 players who understand what they need to do together to succeed.
Will it work? Well, only time will tell. Until that day comes where we know the answer, we will always have ex-players and analysts who are going to disagree with what Chip Kelly is trying to do.
Let's hope he proves them wrong.
June 15, 2015
The Eagles May Have Just Signed Evan Mathis' Replacement
Photo credit: PhiladelphiaEagles.com
The Eagles didn't waste a whole lot of time signing an offensive lineman before letting Evan Mathis go last week. Jared Wheeler, who was in for a tryout today, signed a contract with the Eagles.
Wheeler can play guard or center, and has been with three other teams so far in the span of a year: the Panthers, Bills, and Seahawks. He wasn't good enough for them to get on the field much, but the commonality here is that Jeff Stoutland, the Eagles offensive line coach, recruited him to the University of Miami. So, there's that.
And even though the Eagles haven't drafted an offensive lineman in two years, there's plenty of depth currently on the roster that will be weeded to 53 before the season begins.
More after the jump.
Continue reading "The Eagles May Have Just Signed Evan Mathis' Replacement" »
June 12, 2015
So I Guess Chip Kelly Isn't Racist After All
Photo credit: Bleeding Green Nation/Jonathan Ferrey
When news broke yesterday of the Eagles releasing Evan Mathis, the jokes started almost simultaneously. Weird, Mathis isn't black. How 'bout that? Chip must be colorblind. Did reporters misspell Earl Wolff?
In fact, the Mathis release didn't come as a huge surprise. I don't think it was a money issue - if that was the case, Mathis would've been released along with Trent Cole, Todd Herremans and Cary Williams [who you would think would be the leader in the "Chip is racist camp" if he truly believed that based on his outspokenness]. Chip's culture is being defined in the Eagles organization, and Mathis not showing up to OTAs wasn't conducive to that culture. So, instead of waiting until Mathis showed up for mandatory minicamp, the Eagles axed him yesterday.
The move was absolutely conducive to Chip Kelly's culture, because he's set a precedent. It's not Chip's fault he inherited a team with more black guys than white guys. He said he evaluates players based on what they do on the football field and how they conduct themselves personally. Mathis struggled last year, and while that could be attributed to the offensive line's health, he was set to be the oldest starting guard on an NFL team this year. And he wanted more money. Not that hard to see why he was released.
People like Stephen A. Smith who get their kicks off of others questioning why Chip is making bold moves always look for reasons to stir stuff up, because that's conducive to reaction. I get that. I don't tell people how they should feel about certain situations, but assassinating a guy's character without proper facts and information is also a dangerous road to take, white or black.
So please, I'm tired of writing about it, so let's stop talking about it.
June 11, 2015
BREAKING: Eagles Release Evan Mathis
Welp. Looks like whatever strategy Evan Mathis had of getting a new contract in Philly didn't work. He'll likely be signed by another team, and I'd assume rather quickly.
Mathis tweeted two minutes after Rapoport's tweet.
UPDATE: According to Geoff Mosher, Mathis was scheduled to show up next week.
June 10, 2015
Jason Peters Isn't Supporting Evan Mathis at All
We all know Evan Mathis has been a no show at OTAs so far this year. We also know Mathis wants a restructured deal and the Eagles are not budging there.
On one hand, Mathis is highly regarded as one of the best, if not the best, offensive guard in all of football. But, on the other hand, he is the oldest starting offensive guard in the league and is still set to me $11.5 million over the next two seasons.
The situation is a mess and it really looks like we'll be dealing with a disgruntled Mathis all season, if any Mathis at all.
Future Hall of Fame tackle, Jason Peters, was asked about Mathis and his situation and surprisingly did not back up his right hand man.
Via Philly.com:
"Not really," Peters said, when asked if it mattered to him whether Mathis lines up next to him at left guard this season. Peters, the Eagles' seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle, noted he has played alongside quite a few left guards over the years.
"It's Al, right now," Peters said, indicating Allen Barbre, who has subbed for Mathis while the two-time Pro Bowler sits out OTAs, Mathis unhappy with his contract. "Right now, if we had to play, Al would be the starter."
Peters also said the Eagles "have a group of guys out there putting in work who have been here since April." Obviously, that group does not include Mathis, who is scheduled to make $5.5 million this season and $6 million in 2016, the final two seasons of the deal he signed in 2012.
Peters understands that the sport is a business and won't really think twice about it if Mathis isn't lined up next to him come September. He actually almost sounds as if he is calling out Mathis by talking about the guys who have been putting in work since April.
Of course that's just speculation on my part. I'll leave putting words in player's mouths to the assembled media.
Next week is mandatory minicamp and for the sake of the team, we should all hope Evan Mathis is there. Regardless of his contract disputes, on the field, there's no denying the difference he makes on the offensive line.
Protecting Sam Bradford needs to be this team's top priority and Mathis can greatly contribute to that.
June 9, 2015
Cary Williams Threw Shade at Chip Kelly Today
The real reason Williams was released by the Eagles. Photo credit.
Wrap your mind around that for a second.
Then realize that Cary Williams was on Seattle's 710 ESPN radio station earlier today, and it'll probably make sense.
The hosts asked Williams about his time in Philly and how he viewed the coaching practices of Chip Kelly. Cary said Kelly was outcoached the majority of the games and then called him a great coach. Can't be one or the other, Mr. Sconce.
"We was talking about the fact that our conditioning and things like was going to kick in because we worked harder than everybody in the National Football League with the Chip Kelly thing," he said. "We got out there, we got our teeth kicked in. So all that conditioning didn't necessarily work. Preparation wasn't necessarily the greatest neither that week. When you're going up against teams that prepare well, practice well, coach well, it's difficult in games like that. I think towards the end of the year we were exhausted and we got outcoached the majority of the games."
Seattle dominated that game even more so than the 10-point margin of victory would suggest, gaining 201 more yards of offense, running 40 more plays and holding the Eagles – who were 9-3 heading into that game – to a season-low in points. Williams was asked how the Seahawks were able to do that.
"One, they were fresher," he said. "Two, they were more physical. And I think in the National Football League, physicality is huge and you need that physicality in order to win games. Coaching is a part of it, too."
Williams called Kelly "a great coach" but said he disagreed with his approach.
"I enjoyed my teammates, I enjoyed some of the coaches but ultimately we didn't get the job done, and there was reasoning for that," Williams said. "Whatever that is they're creating, I didn't believe it. We went to one playoff game, we had a home playoff game and we lost that. And it was his first year, I understand that. I think he's a great coach, a tremendous coach. I just think that what's going on there isn't necessarily the right way of doing things, of winning games. He's won games, but when you're going against elite talent, elite players, elite teams, elite schemes, we weren't able to get the job done."
Audio below.
Jim Washburn Was the Reason for Brandon Graham's Struggles Early in His Career
Photo credit: Inquirer/Yong Kim
If today is any indication, we should be as happy as a pig in heat that the Eagles still employ Brandon Graham. That's because Graham, who had the best year of his career last season, signed a four-year deal a few months ago to stay with the team that drafted him in 2010. And with OTAs upon us, it's given the media some sweet quotes with which to work, kind of like this one, where Graham is completely throwing former defensive line coach under Andy Reid, Jim Washburn, under that big yellow bus:
“The low point was when Wash was here,” Graham said. “That was my low point. Because Wash would make you feel bad, boy,” Graham said. “Like you can’t play at all.”
...
“My biggest thing was don’t break. I was almost at that breaking point where it was just like, ‘Man, stuff is not going right.’ But I think what happened is when Wash left and then I took off for a minute, that kind of gave me hope that I could play in this league.
“Because you start to doubt yourself a little bit because the coach is on you 24/7, and you know, it was tough. But I’m just happy that everything’s looking up right now.”
Two trains of thought here. One - motivate the guys that play for you by building up their strengths and critiquing their weaknesses, but doing so in a way where the player doesn't tune you out. Two - when you see something you don't like or whenever a player makes a mistake, you get on their ass until it's done right. And that's likely the coaching trait Washburn had, because his defensive line absolutely sucked during his time here. I've been around long enough, and coached enough, to know that that second train of thought usually doesn't do much in terms of getting players on your side. In fact, if you constantly get on them and harp on the mistakes they make, they tend to make even more mistakes, thus eliciting more yelling at them. It doesn't work. It shouldn't work. Professional schmofessional - those guys are human and they feel the same emotions we do. Washburn, who even called defensive coordinator, Juan Castillo, "Juanita" simply feels no emotion, at least judging by the stories we've heard about him since he left the city. He was more of a problem than a help on the coaching staff, and it's surprising that Andy Reid allowed that behavior to go on on his watch while the head coach of the Eagles.
Chip said today that Graham has turned into a leader on the team, and you don't have to look any further for proof than this exchange he had with last year's first round pick, Marcus Smith.
"I told him to stay off social media," Graham said yesterday after an Eagles OTA session. "That B-word hurts."
The "B-word" is "bust," as in first-round bust, the label Graham was careening toward his first three seasons after the Eagles moved up to draft him 13th overall in 2010.
"It hurt sometimes - but as long as he has an opportunity and he wasn't as hurt as I was - [Smith needs to] just go out and show them what he can do," Graham said. "Now take advantage of it."
He's now turned into the team's strongest guy, pound-for-pound, according to Kelly. That's quite the turnaround for this guy's career. Hopefully Smith's story has a similar theme.
Video after the jump.
Continue reading "Jim Washburn Was the Reason for Brandon Graham's Struggles Early in His Career" »
You Think Cowboys Fans Have Let DeMarco Murray Go Yet?
Tim Hawk | For NJ.com
DeMarco Murray was very briefly injured today during OTAs. NJ.com's Eliot Shorr-Parks confirmed by tweeting this:
Murray is down. Getting looked at by trainers. Came at the end of a run. #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) June 9, 2015
FIVE MINUTES later he then tweeted this:
Murray back in with first team offense. #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) June 9, 2015
So, for a total of five minutes, the extent of the DeMarco Murray's injury, or lack thereof, was unknown. However, he came right back in and it was business as usual.
Apparently, Cowboys fans either don't know how to read or aren't smart enough to actually follow up with what happened. I'm going to go with a little of both.
Shortly after the tweet confirming he was fine, the cockroaches still were going strong and in fact are still talking about it hours later.
With news of Murray's injury at camp today, please keep it civil. Let's not lower ourselves to the level of Eagles fans.
— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) June 9, 2015
@CowboysNation One of the reasons I was not sad to see him go. But hope it's not serious, that way our D can show we can handle him.
— Raymond Beasock (@ItsBEASOCK) June 9, 2015
@DeMarcoMurray down and trainers helping him off the field! Ya that was a huge mistake not resigning him! 😂😂GTFOH #karmaisabitch #Cowboys
— Geoff Naples (@Cdnbluensilver) June 9, 2015
I hope @DeMarcoMurray get hurt this season ....................... Pussy
— ⛽️Tonioひ (@Bankroll_Yo) June 9, 2015
That's only a few, but to save my computer from a fist through the screen, I won't post any more.
Meanwhile according to ESPN, Murray's replacement, Darren McFadden, is already dealing with a hamstring issue and is a limited participant in the Cowboy's OTAs. Dallas' run game right now is a career back-up who wants Murray's meat, and that's about it.
Yet here Cowboys fans sit, waiting and praying they get to say, "I told you so." Just so they can fully justify what an absolutely idiotic move it was for their team to let Murray walk.
My blood is starting to boil for Cowboys fans and it's only June. The infestation is at an all time high.
UPDATE I:
Parks confirmed the minor injury by asking Murray what happened.
"I got hit in the balls," Murray said as he walked into the locker room.
I'm really starting to like this guy.
Terrell Owens Ripped Our Hearts out Again on Twitter This Morning
TCN's Breakfast on Broad has been doing a month-long segment trying to determine which Philadelphia athlete was the toughest in history. While this "competition" is so incredibly Philly that it hurts, it does bring up some interesting dialogue.
This morning the show pitted Allen Iverson and Terrell Owens against one another. To me, this is no competition and if you voted for T.O. you may actually be a certified lunatic. It's true Owens was a force to be reckoned with on the field and had one of the more memorable Super Bowl performances while he was injured. But, comparing his "toughness" to Iverson? Not a chance.
Terrell Owens caught wind of this debate and took to twitter to voice his opinion.
Myself & AI played with not only "undeniable" passion for the game BUT 4 the love of the city of Philadelphia. https://t.co/9Fny9t7pGA
— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) June 9, 2015
I'll give credit to T.O. for giving Iverson the respect he deserves and not taking the conceited route we may have been accustomed to in the past.
However, it wasn't that tweet that kicked the city in it's collective sack. It was this one:
My only regret now that I think about it is that I didn't do enuff 2 bring a chmpnship 2 the City of Brotherly Love! https://t.co/9Fny9sPOi0
— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) June 9, 2015
Really? Now that you think about it? You realized this just now?
Come on, man. That is soooo far from a now that I think about it statement.
More plausible statements could be, "Now that I think about it, I may have left the oven on." Or, "Now that I think about it, fro-yo isn't really that good at all."
Not so much a "You know what? Now that I think about it, I wish I did enough to bring an NFL championship to a city and franchise that never won one."
If only Owens' current brain was in his 2005 body. We may have actually had a Lombardi Trophy driving down Broad Street. Instead we got this...
Hey, thanks for caring now that you thought about it, though!
June 6, 2015
Here's Your Chance to Get Eagles Preseason Tickets for Half the Price
A friend of mine, a current Eagles season ticket holder, is selling his preseason tickets this year for the Eagles. He figured this platform would be the best way to generate interest for whoever wants to go an Eagles preseason game. The reason he isn't going is because he has previous obligations to attend to two days. Below is the info:
Eagles vs. Colts - Sunday, August 16 - 1pm
Section 132, row 36, seats 18, 19 [second row in this section]
Eagles vs. Ravens - Saturday, August 22nd - 7pm
Same seats
Both games, both tickets for $200 even. If you only want to claim one game's tickets, two tickets will run you $120. That's a great deal for tickets that are $105 each at face value.
Whoever's the first to claim them gets dibs on any regular season games my buddy misses, and I'll put you in direct contact with him so you know I'm not shitting you.
Recent Comments