Which Eagles will play on Thursday?
by JasonB on Aug 30, 2009 5:20 AM EDT
in Philadelphia Eagles News
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PrintIn the fourth and final preseason game, no starters will take the field. Actually, I should so no one who has locked down a starting job will take the field. The fact that LB Joe Mays and FS Quintin Demps, two guys listed as starters on the depth chart, will be playing makes it fairly obvious that neither have yet to win a starting job.
After Mays struggled at times in the first two preseason games, the Eagles saw fit to give rookie LB Moises Fokou time at the MIKE linebacker spot with the first team defense. Mays and Fokou will continue their battle with one another against the Jets, however both are probably really competing Omar Gaither. Despite having been injured for the past couple weeks, Omar Gaither is probably the leader in the club house for the stating middle linebacker job. It certainly has seemed that Reid wanted to give Joe Mays a chance to show himself in the preseason, since he already knows what he's got in Gaither. He implied so this week.
"I know Omar can play the MIKE linebacker position. I'm not worried about that. I just want to make sure that he's confident in his leg and that it continues to progress here. It held up great last week. I just want to see how it does this week."
I always had the feeling that despite Mays taking the starter snaps, Fokou getting time in the middle, and the Eagles bringing in Matt Wilhelm... that Omar Gaither was always the most likely to start in the middle week one.
Quintin Demps' chief competition appears to be rookie Macho Harris. There's a chance that Sean Jones could always move over to FS, but he's taken most of his snaps all summer at strong safety and has always seemed better suited for that position anyway. With Harris and Demps both getting time with the first team last week, it looks like the starting job is completely up for grabs. That should be somewhat of a disappointment to second year man Demps, who should have had the job locked up by now.
Finally, the other guy of note likely to play this Thursday is Michael Vick. Reid said there was a "good chance" Vick would see the field against the Jets, and why not? This will be his last chance to take the field before the regular season starts where he'll have to wait for the commish to reinstate him before he can play. That could happen as late as week 6. It should be interesting to see whether Vick gets more time in a more traditional QB role, or whether he hops in for gimmick plays with Kevin Kolb still on the field. Kolb will see the majority of snaps at QB for the final preseason game.
What other position battles/players are you looking forward to seeing in the final preseason game?
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I’m looking forward to seeing more of the tight end position. Hopefully we’ll get our first look at Tony Curtis and see a great position battle from Rob Myers and Eugene Bright.
by Bob_Q on Aug 30, 2009 9:20 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Bright
I really thought Bright was out of the picture and on the verge of being cut or at-best being put on the Practice Squad. But he really impressed me on Thursday, making a few impressive catches in key spots. If he repeats that same type of performance against the Jets, he might have a chance of making the roster.
I’ll be shocked though if that happens. I get the feeling that Celek, Myers, and Curtis will be the 3 TEs.
+1
In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard.
-Theodore Roosevelt
Posistion Battles
Brandon Gibson
Justin Babin – I think this cat can play and will get the nod over Bryan Smith
The nickel CB posistion – Hobbs doesn’t look that great
KR duties – Hobbs is the best KR we have, I don’t like Maclin back there at all.
PR duties – Jackson is the best we have, bu I wonder if Maclin gets the nod.
Backup TE – Is it Schoebel’s job to lose?
The 3rd RB spot – It won’t matter much anyway seeing as the 3rd RB slot gets 30 touches a year but… Is Buckley going to uproot Booker? I like Buckley’s style.
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
yes...
Joselio maybe a top 5 nickel in the league…Ellis is dime and the main back up which allows him to handle kick returns. Some starters cant play nickel well so maybe Ellis isn’t that comfortable there. Up until the Jags can he could have been the 5th corner as he played horribly.
Thursday
I am looking forward to seeing what kind of game Jason Babin in going to have, he has impressed me this whole camp/ pre-season. The MIKE position battle is an interesting one. The TE battle is also something that I am really looking forward to seeing. EBright had some good catches and he seems like he is really working hard to make this squad. Demps and Macho, I really don’t think is a battle to be honest. I do like what Macho does out there and he has shown some flashes but I think Demps is in this game to get as many reps at this position as possible. He needs to be rock solid because we all know that the Dawkins comments will be thrown out there every missed tackle or blown assignment. Also we have to remember that although Demps was an Eagle last year he was used mostly in the roll of KR duties (1314 yards on 52 Attempts 25 yards a return and 1 TD), so he still has some growing in the position to do. WR’s Gibson and Brown is also interesting on a few levels because Gibson is playing for a roster spot on the Eagles and maybe Brown is as well … for the Jets. So I am curious to see what kind of game these two guys will have. If Gibson has a great game he can secure a roster spot is Reggie has a great game we might rethink about keeping him or the Jets might be willing to give us a decent pick for him. The final roster for the year is going to be interesting because if they cut Hobbes we can put Demps back there for KR and let Sean Jones start and rotate Demps in if they feel he is not ready to start. Philly did a pretty good job this year in the off season by bringing in some good talent.
OMAR OMAR OMAR
OMAR should be the MIKE. No doubt about it in my mind. I think Mays and Fokou are good prospects but thats exactly it, there only prospects right now .Where Omar is ready and experienced , he can play the position to a T and hes had some very big games for us in the past
Eagles handled it well though
I prefer Gaither too, but I’m glad they gave Mays and Fokou a look. They already know, for the most part, what Gaither can do there, so they let the young guys compete for the job and take reps with the ones.
Same deal I think with Demps & Jones. The latter has been a starter in this league, so the playing time really needed to go to Demps. I think all three safeties will play some (not necessarily sure Hobbs will be the 6th DB on the field, but he’ll definitely be the No. 1 KOR) anyway.
Still waiting for the Eagles to Bring It Home For Jerome
Game 4 "Starters"
Kolb, Buckley, Eckel, R.Brown, B.Gibson, T.Curtis, Dunlap, Tupou, McGlynn, Gilles, Justice.
Buckley has value on gamedays but does not have playmaker skills. With Vick and Maclin as other players who could get RB-type carries, I think Booker is expendable. I think Eckel gets cut. Mailei gets few chances so he does not look too good for other teams so we can stash him on PS. I like him if Weaver is unavailable.
WR position is most interesting as all 8 guys (Amendola also) look like NFL players. R.Brown needs to be targeted early and often. He should be #1 option and play the entire game. I think B.Gibson is going to have an ‘injury’. Baskett and Maclin rotate in.
Why would they sign an injured Curtis if he was not a favorite? I think his experience gets the nod with Myers on PS. Only 2 TE’s on 53 roster. Please cut Schobel.
I think N.Cole sits, though he could get a series at Center. Tupou is next best of the OL guys so he needs reps. I think he is another likely ‘injury’. Like WR, big roster crunch here.
B.Smith, Laws, Klecko, Babin, Gaither, Mays, Fokou, Hobbs, Hanson, Harris, Jones.
4 DL play entire game to check their conditioning and desire. Maybe Clemons and Williams get some reps. Pass rushers are so valued in the NFL that Smith will not last on PS so after WR, I think 6thDE is the next most important battle.
These 3 LB need most reps. Gaither at WLB and nickel to get some game action. Mays needs more MLB reps. Fokou should focus on SLB now. Not sure who 6th LB will be so Wilhelm, White, Daniels should be next grouping.
5th CB should be a quality battle. Patterson, Ike, Williams competing. I’d like to see Ike get some FS reps but both he and Williams are destined for PS.
I highly doubt Harris beats Demps for starting FS. Demps will get reps to send a message. In my opinion, Jones at SS and Mikell at FS should be opening day but they have not played together.
On special teams I would like to see McGlynn handle a long snap, Avant a hold, and Macho Harris a punt return.
My projected lineup for game 4
QB- Michael Vick/Kevin Kolb
RB-Eldra Buckley
FB- Kyle Eckel
WR- Hank Baskett, Jeremy Maclin, Brandon Gibson
OL- King Dunlap, Tupou, Mike McGlynn, Nick Cole, Winston Justice
DLine- Chris Clemons, Trevor Laws, Dan Klecko, Jason Babin
LB- Moise Fokou, Matt Wilhelm, Omar Gaither
CB- Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson
S- Macho Harris, Sean Jones
Fly Eagles fly, on the road to XLIV...
by McNabb2Maclin4Philly on Aug 30, 2009 2:48 PM EDT reply actions
Brown
Gotta put Brown in there at WR, the jets are lookin at him and Baskett. Im sure the ravens/titans are too.
"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 Aug 30, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Ike
I don’t think Ike would last a day on the PS
I would also consider that if they are going with Demps as the starter him being a second year guy they want to get him a few extra snaps? I don’t think Harris is a threat to steal the starting job from him before the season starts.
Jim Johnson 1941-2009
"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
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