Eagles Notes - Running backs, Cutler, Owners meetings, Weaver, Ikegwuonu

by JasonB on Mar 23, 2009 10:06 AM EDT in News Comment 30 comments

We now take a stroll around the morning papers...

- Paul Domowich says "Book it: Eagles will take RB in round one." He seems to think it will be Knowshon Moreno or Donald Brown.

- Mark Eckel says that the Eagles shouldn't be interested in Jay Cutler. Why? He's too sensitive to survive in Philadelphia and he's not very good in games that matter.

- The NFL owners meetings are underway today and a large slate of issues are set to be discussed including the economy, the labor situation, QB fumbles being eligible for review, adding an extra game to the season, a rookie wage scale, and protecting players from unnecessary hits to the head. Overtime will not be discussed, but the league admitted that there were concerns about imbalance last year.

- Bob Grotz says the Eagles have plans for Leonard Weaver beyond just throwing blocks.

- Jack Ikegwuonu told Les Bowenthat he's been given the medical clearance to join offseason workouts.

"This organization has done enough for me; I need to start giving back,'' Ikegwuonu said recently, a few days after getting the medical go-ahead to join offseason workouts with the team's other 2008 rookies. "I completely feel that they expect me to play, expect me to be ready to play. I try not to read into what the team is doing - they know what they're doing, they're going to make their decisions based directly on my development. How hard I work is probably going to affect what they do. All I can do is worry about myself, worry about my knee, worry about the impression I'm making on the coaching staff."

- Ray Didinger says the key to a successful draft is scouting.

- Finally, Raven's coach John Harbaugh think the Eagles are in a good position in next month's draft.

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nice bloggage, jasonb

i appreciate the second one. why in the word would the eagles want cutler. people always talk about how donovan “whines too much.” donovan is a rock compared to cutler. he’d be eaten alive in philly.

by awd777 on Mar 23, 2009 10:21 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

true enough… my main concern is the fact that he’s really not all that great though

"I tried to run him over but Eli had his big boy pads on and he kind of stopped me from getting in the end zone. The next time I’ll try to jump over his head.’’ - Asante Samuel

by foos05 on Mar 23, 2009 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

this is great stuff

im excited to see how Ikegwuonu will turn out. he could be a steel.

we better use weaver as much as possble

and well see about drafting a rb. we all know how the eagles and Andy reid likes to play draft games. heck look at his fist draft McNabb wasnt even on his radar most people thought we would go couch or smith

by NickPampani on Mar 23, 2009 10:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

actually...

everybody thought we’d go after ricky williams. we made the right call, but that led to a big mess.

by awd777 on Mar 23, 2009 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

thats what everybody wanted but Reid brought smith in for a few interviews and really “scouted” him and only look at McNabb once.

by NickPampani on Mar 23, 2009 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope he is playing games this year because he has scouted McCoy, but I like Moreno and Brown better.

by Clyde Simmons on Mar 23, 2009 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I remember reading a pre-draft article in SI saying the Birds had settled on McNabb and weren’t even entertaining trade offers. If that was the case, why did so many goofballs have such a hard-on for Williams?

by Tracer Bullet on Mar 23, 2009 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

I remember last year when there was all this talk about the idea of having both Westbrook and Booker in the backfield at the same time and how teams would not be able to match up, but now instead of pretending it will happen with crappy Booker we will actually see it happen with Weaver its going to be awesome to watch.

by homestar2281 on Mar 23, 2009 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jack

Either this guy is really a criminal or he has the worst luck in the world. I don’t know. I just hope he can play corner.

by ajay on Mar 23, 2009 10:31 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah

that’s all I really care about.

"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"

by Whodie126 on Mar 24, 2009 7:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cutler is 25 years old. Maybe we should cut him a break. That Eckel is making that kind of career judgement on a 25 year old doesn’t surprise me, but I think the rest of us are wiser.

The kid can be a big-time winner in the NFL.

sportsdork.com

by BFH on Mar 23, 2009 10:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Eckel is a jerk-off

"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"

by Whodie126 on Mar 24, 2009 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

donald brown

i doubt eagles are looking at donald brown for #28, but rather the 2nd round…

by afksports on Mar 23, 2009 10:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

stop the presses!!! Scouting is the key to the draft!?!?!

by Clyde Simmons on Mar 23, 2009 10:58 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

didinger

should stick to history, it’s what he’s good at.

by afksports on Mar 23, 2009 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

come on now...

diddy is so much more than an eagles historian. that guy has more eagles knowledge (past and present) than most journalists that cover the sport. he isn’t a hall of famer for nothing.

by awd777 on Mar 23, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am really excited to see how Ikegwuonu does. I am hoping he ends up being a steal. (no pun intended)

I have no idea why I still go to GCobb’s site other than to get my blood pressure going, but I noticed one of his “writers” thinks that the Eagles should take Josh Freeman with the 28th pick.

by pvtpyle69 on Mar 23, 2009 11:05 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thought I was being clever but Nick beat me too it.

by pvtpyle69 on Mar 23, 2009 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ikegwuonu

I live in Wisconsin and I’ve watched Jack play in a lot of games. He was (hopefully still is) a great CB, he had some great breaks on the ball when it’s in the air and was a good consistent tackler. I was glad when the Eagles drafted him and I really hope he turns out to play great at this level.

by slandog on Mar 23, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Owners meeting

I think I head on NFL radio that the owners might toy with the idea of moving the draft before the free agency period. I can’t see how the players union would bite on this.

But this would certainly throw a monkey wrench into everything.

by andyreidswaistline on Mar 23, 2009 11:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

that would be pretty lame

by homestar2281 on Mar 23, 2009 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Great links

Thanks Jason. I am very excited about Jack as well, and his comments are nice to hear.

"Lets get one thing straight, the only reason you are conscious right now is because I don't feel like carrying you." - Jack Bauer

"Consequences, Schmonsequences, as long as I'm rich." - Daffy Duck

by Badd on Mar 23, 2009 12:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

players taking unnecessary hits to the head.....

hey, while we are at it let’s just make tackling illegal. hell, you can hardly even touch the quarterback anymore……..let’s make it the same way for everyone else that puts on the pads and helmet. that’s why these guys make the big money.

by snowhill82 on Mar 23, 2009 3:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

2 specific hits they're looking at

are Eric Smith’s hit on Boldin (that broke his jaw)
and Benard Pollard’s hit on Brady (that took him out for the season)

by andyreidswaistline on Mar 23, 2009 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

shame on me for not clicking on the link before stating the obvious

by andyreidswaistline on Mar 23, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i don't think either was intentional. especially bernard pollards incident.

it’s just like when carson palmer got his knee broke against pittsburgh. when you have 2 to 300 pound guys flying around like that, bones are going to get broke. it just seems to me like the only time someone wants to do something about it, is when it happens to a household name. furthermore….tom bradys knee getting folded in half was the best thing to happen to football last year. all the sudden no one knew how the year was going to end. i know it seems callous, but it shook up the entire AFC.

by snowhill82 on Mar 23, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

actually i think it's gonna be referred to as the "Hines Ward" rule

because of Ward’s hit on Keith Rivers that broke his jaw

And the rule will focus on blocks to the head

given that helmet to helmet tackles are illegal, it sorta only makes sense that helmet to helmet blocks be illegal too, especially considering that the same damage can be done.

by afksports on Mar 23, 2009 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

maybe they'll just make everyone play two handed touch. that would be awesome for the ratings.

by snowhill82 on Mar 23, 2009 3:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

no way two hand touch is too violent, they’ll be playing flag football…no contact..

"Eagles fans are a passionate group who love their team," said McNabb, "if not the actual players. It's not like winning a Super Bowl before the first month of the season is the hardest thing they've ever asked of me. That'd be all those times they asked me to go kill myself."

by greenbean#twoOH on Mar 23, 2009 4:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs