Posted in News on January 19th, 2012 at 2:06 PM
This is our first lull in the offseason, the first of many in what promises to be an agonizing next couple of months. What are the Eagles working on now? ...
There are a couple of obvious answers. Saturday's announcement that Johnnie Lynn would not return as the team's cornerbacks coach created an opening in the coaching staff, so all eyes are directed at Andy Reid and his next move there. I am as intrigued as you with regard to the coaching staff.
Clearly, there is a plan here and there are moves to be made. What they are, I don't know.
The speculation is rampant, and I hear it all. Steve Spagnuolo? Not a whisper here. Well, plenty of whispers from those who aren't in the know, but we whisper about everything. I have no idea who replaces Lynn or any other changes that might be coming for the defense.
I do know that this defense is pretty good, judging by what I watched throughout the first weekend of the postseason. Detroit and New Orleans struggled defensively. The Falcons were pretty awful through and through. The Giants played very, very well and took advantage of an Atlanta offense that couldn't get out of its own way.
Sour grapes, I know ...
Anyway, we're in a slow period here. No getting around it. The personnel department continues it preparation for free agency and the draft. The coaching staff reviews the 2011 season and then turns its attention to 2012.
The "plan," as we know, comes together in the next couple of weeks. Not now. Right now, it's agony for me and for you.
We wait.
In the meantime, a couple of tidbits ...
1. My reaction to the Lynn move is that I wish him the best of luck. Good man in the short time I got to know Johnnie Lynn. I have heard every theory on what this means for the coaching staff and what could happen down the line, but I'm not sure at all what is going to happen next. I don't think anything is "done," either, as far as next steps. It is all very fluid, but I don't expect any moves to be made until next week.
2. In every playoff game this weekend, the best quarterback won the game. That's easy to say, isn't it? The quarterback who didn't turn the ball over, who made good decisions and who took advantage of what defenses gave him won the game. That's all. This is the continuing message to Michael Vick , because I know he wants to play quarterback at the maximum level, and to do so Vick has to be smart, not try to make a big play out of every snap and get the football into the hands of his playmakers.
3. Major credit goes to tight end Brent Celek, who played much of the season with a torn labrum and a sportshernia. He's going to be fine, but his success this year even with the injuries speaks to his remarkable toughness.
4. I've been thinking about the backup quarterback position a lot, wondering if the Eagles will add a "franchise quarterback of the future" at some point in the offseason. Maybe the Eagles think it is Mike Kafka, I don't know. Maybe they think they will draft one early in April. Perhaps. How would people react if Andy Reid drafts a quarterback in the first two rounds in April?
5. Jason Pierre-Paul is a beast, yes. And the Eagles are going to be reminded of that until Brandon Graham steps up and proves himself as a high-level defensive end in the NFL. There is a lot of pressure on Graham to step up and have a great offseason. He can't just talk the talk about doing it. He has to come back to the NovaCare Complex in April, when the offseason conditioning program begins, in the best shape of his life. And then some.
6. I think Tim Tebow is a great player to watch and a wonderful story. He doesn't turn the football over. He is improving as a quarterback. More than anything, the guy is a winner and the Broncos believe in him. That's why they are still alive.
7. By the way, I wonder if Brian Dawkins will play another down in the NFL. He is out with a neck injury and has had a bunch of those lately. Be safe, BDawk.
Posted in News on January 19th, 2012 at 2:04 PM
In his short time as the Eagles' general manager, Howie Roseman has made major trades, moved up and down in the draft and worked the roster top to bottom ...
Now he has another huge challenge: replace a key member of his personnel staff.
Ryan Grigson was a key member of the Eagles' personnel department as he helped oversee the draft and shape the roster first as a college scout, then a director of college scouting and then the team's director of player personnel. He was a big man behind the scenes, and he and Roseman worked very well together.
Grigson on Wednesday was named the general manager in Indianapolis. It's a great promotion for Grigson, and everyone wishes him the best of luck. The most, though, takes away an important cog in the personnel machine just at the time when the Eagles are to gather and strategize for the 2012 free-agency period and the NFL draft.
Roseman knows that always has to be prepared when his good men depart, and it is a sign of success that the Eagles have strong personnel men around the league who have worked here -- Marc Ross with the Giants, Jason Licht in New England, Matt Russell with Denver and Tom Heckert in Cleveland.
The Eagles have had the foresight in the instances when those men have left to have the next person in line step up, or go outside the organization to bring in a quality talent evaluator and roster builder.
The fallout from Grigson's departure is significant right off the top, as Roseman will likely act quickly to fill that role. Then comes the question of who Grigson might take with him from the Eagles' staff.
Also, Grigson is going to hire a new Colts head coach. Would he consider someone from the Eagles' staff, perhaps offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg to work with the Colts' likely No. 1 draft pick, quarterback Andrew Luck?
Combine the personnel scenario with the intrigue over the defensive coaching staff and you understand how critical a time it is for the Eagles. They have to make the right choices for the personnel department and for the coaching staff. There is no taking a step back here, not after an 8-8 season for a franchise that has not won a playoff game since the 2008 season.
It's great that Grigson moved on and moved up. He deserves the promotion. Now the focus shifts to Roseman and his next move. Roseman is as prepared as they come at his position. He considers all angles and prepares for the future. In his two years as the general manager, Roseman has pulled off two major trades, dealing away quarterbacks and bringing back excellent pieces in return. He has bounced up and down the draft expertly. He managed free agency very well last year, adding an influx of talent to the roster.
But what he's about to do now, as his department shifts, is every bit as important. Roseman needs to be right on with his next moves as the Eagles prepare to put their plan in place to build for the 2012 season.
Posted in News on December 5th, 2011 at 2:12 PM
By Chris McPherson
Running back Ronnie Brown is quite familiar with the New England Patriots from his tenure as a member of the Miami Dolphins.
During Brown's run with the Dolphins, the Patriots were, as they are now, the cream of the crop of the AFC East. Looking for an edge, the Dolphins sparked a revolution on September 22, 2008 when they brought the Wildcat formation back into prominence. Brown was the centerpiece of this package. He lined up as the quarterback and had the option to run or pass the ball creating an element of confusion. It was a rare time where Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was outcoached.
It was utilized primarily in the red zone. In six snaps as quarterback in the Wildcat, Brown ran for three touchdowns and threw for another in a 38-13 win. Brown finished the game with 113 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground and a fifth coming on his one pass attempt.
As Brown prepared this week for his first meeting with New England as a member of the Eagles, he recalled how the Wildcat formation didn't work in practice all week.
"Our defense was stopping it. Everybody was like, 'We're going to try this. This isn't going to work.' We couldn't get it to work the way we wanted to in practice, but we were able to have some success with it in the game. That was big," Brown said. "Our team was dedicated to making it work. Guys were making sure we were able to execute it the way we were supposed to be able to keep using it. Fortunately, it made a big impact and we were able to get a win most of all."
In 2008, Brown was the featured back for the Dolphins. This year, Brown is the third-string running back to the NFL's rushing leader LeSean McCoy and rookie Dion Lewis. Brown doesn't get many snaps each game, but last week in the win over the Giants he had a pivotal carry that helped get the win.
On a third-and-3 with 10:17 left in the game, Brown lined up as the fullback in an off-set I-formation with McCoy. The Giants were keyed in on McCoy, so when Vince Young handed the ball off to Brown he was able to plow up the middle 6 yards for the first down creating, once again, an element of surprise. It was the first of six third-down conversions on that drive which eventually resulted in the game-winning touchdown pass from Young to Riley Cooper. Brown admitted that it's been a challenge trying to remain mentally in the game when the snaps are so few and far between.
"I think it's tough because you're trying to make sure that you're in the game mentally from the sideline and keeping up and trying to figure out the tendencies of what they're doing on the defensive side of the ball," Brown said. "When you're thrown in there, the expectations are to execute the way you're supposed to. That's all I think about. What do I need to do on that play to help this play be successful? If I get the opportunity, I just try to make the most of it."
When the Eagles face the Patriots on Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field, Brown heeded to his teammates that the one thing to expect from the Patriots defense, despite their league-worst 404.2 yards allowed per game, is that they will be mentally tough.
"No matter what names are on the backs of the jerseys, you can expect those guys to be fundamentally sound and not making a lot of mistakes and be well-coached. I think that's something that Bill Belichick thrives off of, just making sure that guys know what they're doing and where they're supposed to be on the defensive side of the ball," Brown said. "Usually, teams like that are hard to beat because they don't commit a lot of mistakes. At the same time, when you do make a mistake they usually capitalize on it. It's hard."
Posted in News on November 11th, 2011 at 6:19 PM
A few weeks ago, the Eagles didn’t even want Ronnie Brown.
Then Monday night, they gave him the football in one of the most crucial situations of a pivotal game.
Just another odd chapter in the strange saga of Ronnie Brown.
A ballyhood free agency signing in August. A huge disappointment early in the season. Buried on the bench. Then traded to the Lions. Returned to the Eagles a day later. And there he was on the field for the Eagles Monday night on national TV with the Eagles trailing the Bears by seven points facing a 2nd-and-4 on Chicago’s 4-yard-line.
“It was big,” Brown said before practice Wednesday. “I think for them just to trust me with the football, that was real big.”
And you couldn’t blame the Eagles if they didn’t trust him with the football. After the debacle in the 49ers game the last time Brown got the ball near the goal-line?
This time, things went just a little better. He didn't try to lateral. He didn't throw the ball away. No, he actually ran right up the middle for a four-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to tie the Eagles-Bears game at 17. The Bears went on to win 30-24, but for Brown, it was the first real sign that he’s still an important part of a team that shipped him out to Michigan just two weeks ago.
“They trusted me, and I’ve got to do my part and do what I’m supposed to do,” Brown said. “It’s big for them to trust me in that situation in the game, big game, big part of the game, and to be comfortable doing it.”
Brown’s first touchdown as an Eagle was his only carry of the game and just his second since he was returned to Philly after Jerome Harrison failed his physical with the Eagles because of a brain tumor.
Has any player ever scored a touchdown for a team that just traded him? Who knows. But it sure is a unique situation.
Two weeks ago, Brown was at the Lions’ facility in Allen Park, Mich., preparing to face the Falcons. Monday, he was in the end zone in an Eagles uniform.
“I knew when I came back here I was expected to do a job, no matter what had happened before,” said Brown, a Pro Bowl tailback for the Dolphins in 2008. “Getting the opportunity, I’ve got to uphold my end of it and take advantage of the opportunity. When I do get those chances, make the best of it and do it to the best of my ability.
“I don’t want to put any extra added pressure. Just wanted to come in and do what I was supposed to do when I first came here. Fortunately for me, it worked out, I was able to get a big carry in a big situation and it worked out well.”
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com
Posted in News on October 24th, 2011 at 4:21 PM
by JasonB
Ronnie Brown won't that whole getting traded, then untraded thing derail his charity efforts. The Eagles RB will visit South Philadelphia High tomorrow morning as part of his initiative to curb violence in schools. Brown says his program "23 WAYS to Stop Youth Violence" was successful in Miami and he’s excited to get it started in Philadelphia.
"The incidents of violence in our schools are becoming more frequent and more brutal, and it has just gotten to the point where enough is enough," said Brown. "We are very proud of how this program was received in Miami and we are extremely excited to bring this initiative to Philadelphia. I hope we can be a part of a positive change in how these kids interact with each other."
Brown was traded to the Lions last week, only to be sent back to Philadelphia when the Eagles discovered that the man he was traded for, Jerome Harrison, had a brain tumor. Whatever we feel about Ronnie Brown's contribution to the team this season, it is great to see him contributing to the community, especially in regards to an issue that I believe is very important in Philadelphia.
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