Ingram Impresses Coaches With Blocking

by PoorSports on May 20, 2009 2:38 PM EDT Comment 30 comments

A little nugget from Spuds over at PE.com:

Little anecdote for you that I've learned: The Eagles go to work out Cornelius Ingram before the draft and they don't take a football. They want to go work him out and see how he does in blocking drills. He impresses them, obviously, and they use a fifth-round pick on Ingram in April. Then he goes to the post-draft camp and wows the coaches with the improvement he makes in the same blocking drills. Clearly, Ingram had been working on his blocking. "I know how important that part of the game is," said Ingram. "I'm working all the time on my blocking, on everything." Very impressive.

Good to see him understanding how to maximize his physical potential. I'd love to see him in 2 TE sets and eventually as our stud TE (duh, who wouldn't love that?).

I never understood why some TE's just couldn't block. If you're athletic enough to run a route and make a catch, you can work on your footwork and technique to learn to block effectively. If you can't catch, I get that, but a TE not being able to block is like a QB who can only hand the ball off. Opponents know what to expect every time and can make the right adjustment for the situation.

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I like Celek but the way he is Ingram is workin and looking good he might start….I want to see 2 TE formations for eagles…..this is our year…Best of all to Jim Johnson get well soon we need you.

by EAGLES4LIFE on May 20, 2009 3:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm really excited about this guy

He’s got all the tools to be our stud TE in a year or two. Can’t wait to see him with Celek in this year’s 2 TE sets

Fly, Eagles, Fly...

by Bob_Q on May 20, 2009 3:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Sweet.

This is the only pre draft player that was on my want list.
I am more than happy that we got the ones we did anyway, but I know this kid is gonna light it up.

Astra Inclanant, Non Necessitant

by EagleGreeninMD on May 20, 2009 3:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

blocking

after the draft he said he could block, and didnt understand why ppl say he can’t. He can, they just didnt ask him to in college.

"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 May 20, 2009 4:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

actions speak louder than words

and so if he came into florida as a QB…then got moved to TE but was always split out wide, why should anyone believe that he knows how to block? where was he getting the instruction and reps?

he never blocked in games and probably hadn’t received a ton of instruction/technique about blocking if he was a QB, then a TE who lines up as a WR 99% of the time. that’s why there was doubt. no one had seen him block against even NCAA Div. I-caliber players, let alone NFL-caliber.

i’m very happy to hear the eagles went this route to ensure he could and would block for them and even happier to hear that CI is taking that part of his game very seriously.

http://poorsportsblog.blogspot.com/

by PoorSports on May 20, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

gee

Im so sorry for trusting the mans word and not being suprised that he is an elite athlete and has the ability to block, which he stated he could do.

I think i covered most of your comment when i said he wasn’t asked to block in college.

by greenbean#twoOH on May 20, 2009 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

freddie mitchell was an elite athlete, too

but if we took his word and kept him on the team, we’d REALLY be complaining about our WRs.

the pre-draft workouts are job interviews. imagine you went to interview for a position that required you to have good microsoft excel skills. but you had never used the program before in your previous jobs/at school and never taken classes. (that’s the equivalent of not being asked to block for ingram). would you expect your boss to just accept that you can do it because you say you can? of course you’re going to say you can, you want the job!

when you aren’t asked to block in college, it means you probably aren’t getting coached/improving in that area. they don’t ask him to throw the ball either, so i’d imagine he didn’t get any coaching or improve in that area either, you know? now we are asking him to block and not only can he do it, he wants to get even better.

it’s nice to see a guy heralded for his athleticism and ability as a receiver who was never asked to block in college (see, i got it in there for you) come out and not only be able to block up to reid and company’s standards, but then show the hunger to learn and get even better at blocking. that’s my point. whew.

http://poorsportsblog.blogspot.com/

by PoorSports on May 21, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

are you serious

i merely pointed out that im not shocked he could block, since he said he could…he’s not interviewing to fkn bag groceries….

by greenbean#twoOH on May 21, 2009 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh ok, i get your point

i dont think anyone is “shocked” at this development, just trying to share something that should have eagles fans excited—the fact that a guy who no one had seen block before is going at it with some intensity.

http://poorsportsblog.blogspot.com/

by PoorSports on May 21, 2009 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Calling FredEx

an “Elite Athlete” might be stretching things a bit.

by Cormican on May 22, 2009 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

in college he was

well, you’re right. elite probably isn’t the word, but look at the scouting reports on him: http://www.footballsfuture.com/2001/profile/freddie_mitchell.html

he was elite (aka first round) talent but it never translated to the nfl (obviously). sometimes that happens with players, so you cant just say “they are a great athlete, they said they can do (blank), so i’m going to believe them” because it doesn’t work like that.

http://poorsportsblog.blogspot.com/

by PoorSports on May 24, 2009 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

gee

Im so sorry for trusting the mans word and not being suprised that he is an elite athlete and has the ability to block, which he stated he could do.

I think i covered most of your comment when i said “he wasn’t asked to block in college”

by greenbean#twoOH on May 20, 2009 6:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

damnit

that was meant to be a reply

by greenbean#twoOH on May 20, 2009 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

haha

You just took this thread hostage with all your posts. =)

Astra Inclanant, Non Necessitant

by EagleGreeninMD on May 21, 2009 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Spuds?

Spuds’ articles holds absolutely no water. He’s simply a puppet for the front office. Has he ever not hyped up an Eagle? Has he ever questioned portrayed a draft pick’s skill in a bad light?

by bdptcob on May 21, 2009 9:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

what else is new?

but no matter how spuds spins it, the eagles worked out ingram to see how his blocking was and it was enough for them to draft him. THEN the coaching staff is pleased that he worked harder on those drills and has improved from the workouts to minicamps.

that’s not opinion or spin. that’s what happened. and me likey.

http://poorsportsblog.blogspot.com/

by PoorSports on May 21, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he could have blocked a 4 year old child and they would have drafted him. Andy believes blocking can be taught. I think it’s cool that they went down there sans ball and all to prove a point but I wouldn’t read to much into it.

"The 0-2 pitch, swing and a miss! STRUCK HIM OUT! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball! And let the city celebrate! " - Harry Kalas 1936-2009

by Whodie126 on May 21, 2009 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

couldn't teach schobel to block in 3 seasons here

so i’m not trusting the staff 100% with that task. there needs to be effort/talent on both ends.

i’m not saying ingram is some monster force to be reckoned with, but considering one of the two question marks about him was could/would he block? the other was how recovered he was from the knee injury, and so far both seem to not be problems.

http://poorsportsblog.blogspot.com/

by PoorSports on May 21, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed I’m not saying they can teach anyone how to block but I still think they believe they can.

"The 0-2 pitch, swing and a miss! STRUCK HIM OUT! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball! And let the city celebrate! " - Harry Kalas 1936-2009

by Whodie126 on May 21, 2009 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

every FO has some delusions about their ability as a staff. at least ours don’t burn us as much as other teams.

then again, imagine if we had real kick/punt returners in 2007, or a real fullback last year? ughhh…

http://poorsportsblog.blogspot.com/

by PoorSports on May 21, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If our TE’s stink this year – the TE coach has to be fired. He’s been here forever and given us nothing.

by andyreidswaistline on May 21, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I want this guy in the line of fire in 2009 so get familiar with the name.

Tom Melvin is entering his 11th season as a member of the Eagles offensive coaching staff and his eighth as the club’s tight ends coach. He served his first three seasons as the team’s offensive assistant/quality control coach.

Melvin has played a key role in the development of tight ends Brent Celek and L.J. Smith. Smith was a second-round draft choice in 2003, who has hauled in 249 passes and 19 TDs (including playoffs) over his first six NFL campaigns, and Celek led the team in the 2008 postseason with 19 receptions and 3 touchdowns.

Eight seasons of coaching produces LJ Smith and Brent Celek.

by andyreidswaistline on May 21, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

never knew

it was the same guy for 8 years. though how much talent did we give him? the always injured and potentially good smith? that’s pretty much it. celek is coming along now, but the jury is out overall.

http://poorsportsblog.blogspot.com/

by PoorSports on May 21, 2009 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Spadaro

Hes useless and cant be considered a viable source of information. He only puts out there what the Eagles front office tells him to….next

by Gdog2009 on May 21, 2009 5:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Remember

How awesome Booker was going to be?!!!!!

Astra Inclanant, Non Necessitant

by EagleGreeninMD on May 22, 2009 8:16 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Say what you want about Spuds

But, I’d kill for his job. He gets to hang out with the Eagles, write a few fluff articles a week, spend a few hours talking with the Angelo Cataldi’s and Howard Eskins of the world and gets paid well for it.

You’d have to be crazy not to want that job (provided you have no integrity).

by Cormican on May 22, 2009 11:34 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs