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NFC East notes: Giants WRs in revolt

2013-05-25T20:30:10Z

The typical quiet New York Giants have been experiencing a bit of drama this week as both their starting WRs have opted to skip the team's OTAs. The reason for both is the same... money.

That Victor Cruz is not present is no surprise given that he's currently not under contract. Cruz, who has played on a bargain basement undrafted rookie contract is a restricted free agent this year and was given a one year tender offer by the Giants valued at under $3 million a year. For a guy that's been an All Pro and Pro Bowler in his young career playing for peanuts, that's obviously a joke but it's a standard tender amount.

Reports are the that the team has a real offer on the table worth upwards of $7 million a year. The two sides have been talking, but despite reports that a deal was close nothing has happened.

More: Big Blue View reacts to Nicks, Cruz absences

One of the reasons some Giants fans have been talking themselves into being ok with the possibility that Cruz could be gone this year or next is the fact that team was also going to have to pay Hakeem Nicks next year. Suddenly, next year is right now.

Nicks was also a no show at the team's OTAs and is also looking for a new deal. However, unlike Cruz, he is under contract for this season. Despite that fact that Cruz has been the healthier and more productive player over the last two years, Nicks is expected to get the bigger deal.

For the Eagles, this will be very relevant next season when Jeremy Maclin is up for an extension. Maclin & Nicks were both first round picks in the same year and while at this point I think most would agree that Nicks is the overall more talented WR, the fact that he's been injury prone has really kept him from outproducing Maclin. Maclin actually has more career receptions, while Nicks has just one more career TD. Their numbers are remarkably similar. If Nicks is able to strong arm a contract out of the Giants this offseason, you can be sure Jeremy Maclin's agents will be looking for something similar.

If the Giants pay both their WRs this year, that will certainly set the market for a guy like Maclin next year.

As for the Giants, I would guess that they aren't going to pay both of these guys. They did recently spend a 2nd round pick on Rueben Randle, so they could very decide to rely on him and pay only one of Nicks or Cruz.

The Giants, who are already near the cap thanks in large part to enormous money they pay Eli Manning, will also have to pay Jason Pierre-Paul at some point in the next 2 seasons. So there's certainly some long term planning to take into account here. This is sort of the curse for being so good at drafting over that span. Eventually, all those good players want megabucks and in this flat cap NFL that gets tough.

Personally, if I were Victor Cruz, I'd take the deal the Giants have on the table now. He won't have Nnamdi Asomugha around to rack up such gaudy stats against twice a season anymore...

Philadelphia Eagles offense resisting labels

2013-05-25T15:00:06Z

As the Eagles assistants met the media for the first time this week, the overall theme appeared to be one of resisting labels.

Yesterday we noted how defensive coordinator Billy Davis refused to label the D a 3-4 or 4-3 preferring instead to call it a "multiple" defense.

On the offensive side of the ball, it was much the same thing. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said that whatever you want to call the offense, they're really not teaching fundamentals that are so much different than what they've done his whole career.

"I like to say when we, as coaches, look at plays there's a lot of things that are familiar. Some people call it navy suits. Some people call it blue," Shurmur said. "When I look at it, there's a lot of things that we're going to do that we hope are exciting, but right now we're just teaching the offense and the basics and the fundamentals and try to get the guys up and running."

When Shurmur was brought in, the general consensus was that he would work with Kelly to install an NFL style West Coast based passing offense to go with Kelly's already run based system. You'll remember that a lack of NFL passing concepts is what concerned Ron Jaworski about Chip Kelly's offense in the NFL.

Shurmur says you're not going to get the Eagles offense by looking at Oregon.

"We hope that you're seeing an offense that's extremely effective running the ball and throwing the ball. That's what we're hoping to do," Shurmur said. "I think, again, people are trying to paint this that what Chip did in college and say, 'It's this and they'll do that.' I don't think that's the case. They were very effective at running the football. It was a no-huddle-based offense. It was also a very effective passing offense. We'll see."

Perhaps the biggest issue that Shurmur and Kelly will face on the offensive side of the ball this year will be who gets the start at QB? He says he's hoping that the choice will be obvious when the season begins.

"What we'd like to hope is it's going to be very obvious who the starter is," Shurmur said. "Again, we've got a lot of training sessions left. We've got a full preseason, four preseason games. I think as we go through it and we add more and more to what we're doing; we're hopeful it'll be obvious to everyone who the starter is."

On a team where the job is truly up for grabs this does seem to be the most sensible way to do it. Last year, the Seattle Seahawks traded for Matt Flynn, drafted Russell Wilson and basically just let the two battle it out all summer. Wilson came out on top and the team obviously benefitted as a result.

The Eagles QB competition is a bit different given that there's the veteran Michael Vick in the mix. But Nick Foles & Matt Barkley make for a similarly intriguing pair of young guys like there were in Seattle.

The Linc - Brandon Graham "ready to erupt"

2013-05-25T13:58:37Z

Feeling the pressure, Graham 'ready to erupt' for Eagles | Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
You know the story. Graham was off to a decent start as a rookie before suffering a knee injury that not only shelved him for the rest of 2010 but rendered his 2011 season useless. He barely played early last year before his late surge. “To end like I did last year and to know what I could have done if I had been playing last year, it lit a fire under me,” he said. “And I’m going to make sure I’m going to keep that fire lit.”

Todd Lyght: Eagles' frenetic practices will make games easier | Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
“Coach Kelly does a great job of keeping tremendous pressure on the defense with multiple sets and spreading the ball around, and anybody at any given time can have the opportunity to make a big play. “That’s the entire key. You pretty much have to defend the entire field. You can’t really focus on one or two players because then the back side of the formation will get exploited. It’s not a situation where you can roll the field and leave the back side exposed, because Coach Kelly will find a way to exploit that. “It’s very difficult. The best way to do it is to have a lot of good players on defense.”

Michael Vick of Philadelphia Eagles says he's still fastest quarterback - ESPN New York
"These guys are young and they're fast and they're quick; the thing I do have is a very quick get-up," Vick said. "I really don't feel like there's a quarterback in the league who can beat me in a 40-yard dash. If somebody wants to set something up, I'll be more than glad to accept the challenge. But as of right now I'm going to say me. But Colin Kaepernick is fast and RG III is fast as well."

Don't jump to conclusions about Philadelphia Eagles' offense, Pat Shurmur says | PennLive.com
Think you know the Philadelphia Eagles' offense under first-year coach Chip Kelly? Guess again, says offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.

Tight end position becomes a numbers game - phillyburbs.com: Eagles
PHILADELPHIA — Seven may be a lucky number in Atlantic City, but not if you are a tight end on the roster of the Philadelphia Eagles.

DeSean and Derrick Gunn Part II: Jackson's documentary | Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Derrick Gunn recently sat down with DeSean Jackson to discuss the wide receiver's thoughts on Chip Kelly's new offense, Jackson's career thus far, his relationship with his father, his tweets and his upbringing. Here's Part II of Gunner's three-part interview with Jackson:

DeSean and D-Gunn Part III: Tweeting, philanthropy | Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Derrick Gunn recently sat down with DeSean Jackson to discuss the wide receiver's thoughts on Chip Kelly's new offense, Jackson's career thus far, his relationship with his father, his tweets and his upbringing. Here's Part III of Gunner's three-part interview with Jackson:

Billy Davis says Philadelphia Eagles will run a "multiple" defense

2013-05-24T22:49:46Z

Much like Chip Kelly's offense here in Philadelphia, there's been a lot of speculation about what his defense will look like without a whole lot of concrete answers.

Yesterday was the first time the Eagles have made their assistant coaches available to the media since they were hired and immediately defensive coordinator Billy Davis was pressed on exactly what his defense will be? 3-4, 4-3?

"Multiple is the best way of saying it, and I know you guys are tired of hearing about it," said Davis. "What we're doing here, guys, is we're taking that Wide 9, 4-3 and we're moving in the direction of the 3-4, but where we stop has yet to be determined by the players we have."

"We're not eluding the question. I'm not trying to. But that really is the fact of maximizing the players we have and what they do best."

His answer is consistent with most of the speculation. Chip Kelly's preferred defense is a 3-4, but the fact is that the Eagles aren't going to be assemble all the pieces to run a 3-4 in a single offseason. In the meantime they're not going to try and shove a square peg in a round hole with the personnel they have.

That said, this year isn't about just waiting until they can clear out current vets and bring in more 3-4 guys. It's also about seeing if these guys who have only played in a 4-3 can make the transition. The two most notable of those are the starting defensive ends from last season Trent Cole & Brandon Graham. They're now being expected to go from hand in the dirt defensive ends to stand up outside linebackers.

Davis he's seen them improve the more work they've gotten.

"I've seen seven weeks of them standing up and going in a three-point [stance] and they can do either one," Davis said. "At first, it looked unnatural to them because it was, because they haven't done it. Now they have done it for a couple weeks."

Fixing this defense is a big job. The unit was just as bad as the offense last year, but it didn't really have injuries to blame and it doesn't have the same base of talent. You can see how with some better injury luck and smarter scheming, the Eagles offense can be turned around quickly. That was certainly never something I thought watching the defense last year.

Damaris Johnson Hype is Ramping Up

2013-05-24T15:00:08Z

On Wednesday, Jeff McLane put out the inaugural Damaris Johnson hype piece of 2013. If you'll remember, Johnson was something of a revelation last offseason after the Eagles signed him as undrafted free agent (and paid a premium, unprecedented price to secure his services). Despite a slight, DeSean Jackson-esque frame, he impressed in camps and preseason with his soft hands and electrifying jitterbugness (not a word -- yet) in the open field. Andy Reid even made the DeSean Jackson comparison (a poor man's DeSean is more apt, due to lack of 4.3 speed). People wondered if the little guy opening eyes, who held the NCAA record for total all-purpose yards after his junior season and missed his senior year because of an unfortunate embezzlement episode, might burrow his way into the regular offense. There were some instances of that, there should have been more. Johnson had flashes of brilliance, sprinkled in with dangerous punt return moments that gave us heart attacks. But hey, without such antics we wouldn't have been privy to the 98-yard beauty against the Cowboys (not for the win, but to cover the spread at least!). Given Damaris's visibility and displays of scintillating ability, I was surprised when McLane wrote:

[Maclin] singled out Damaris Johnson, the small and speedy receiver who made the roster last season as an undrafted rookie but hardly did enough to suggest a quantum leap in Year 2.

Ok, the word "quantum" is pretty significant, but didn't Damaris Johnson in fact do enough in his rookie season to suggest he could make some kind of sizable leap? There were definitely fans and writers alike out there who surmised that Johnson's skill set would fit in a Chip Kelly-designed offense. Even Damaris himself felt that way:

"When I heard that Coach Kelly got hired, the one thing that just lit up in my mind was thinking, 'Oh, man, it's going to be a spread offense. He's going to give guys the chance to have the ball in space, and I know that that works to my advantage,' " Johnson said Wednesday.

Yesterday, Tommy Lawlor followed with an article on Iggles Blitz entitled "Wide Receiver Position is Wide Open," expressing his excitement and lauding Johnson's potential in the Eagles' new offense. He opined that Damaris might steal Jason Avant's position in the slot, citing the former's superior YAC stats:

The WR I'm most excited about is Damaris Johnson. He could steal the primary slot role from Avant. Check out this Yards after catch stat, per ESPN:

Jason Avant - 53 catches - 167 yards after catch - 8 receptions of 20 or more yards

Damaris Johnson - 19 catches - 104 yards after catch - 4 receptions of 20 or more yards

Avant is averaging 3.15 YAC per reception. Johnson is at 5.47. Which guy do you want with the ball in his hands?

It's a legitimate argument. Kelly preaches getting the ball out quickly, a different kind of quick strike offense than what we saw under Andy Reid. For that reason, it would be natural that Chip has a proclivity for players who can take advantage of open space and pick up chunks of yards once they receive the ball. It's the role Damaris was born to play, and he can line up anywhere -- in the slot, split wide, in the backfield. If anything, it is Johnson, not Jackson, who's equipped to be used like DeAnthony Thomas because of his experience as a ball carrier at Tulsa.

Fun stat: Damaris's official bio page on the Eagles website says he had 150 touches at Tulsa that went for at least 20 yards. A staggering amount, for sure. Not including kick/punt returns, he had 304 total touches receiving and rushing in college. *Brain goes into super complicated math mode.* So, wait, if that number doesn't include kick/punt returns, that would mean half of his offensive touches in college went for 20 yards or more. Is that possible? That's not possible, right? Please be possible, I want to believe it. If that number includes kick (122) punt (53) returns, then the total touches for the sample size is 479, and means 31% -- 1 out of every 3-4 -- of them went for at least 20 yards. Still highly impressive. Taking a kick return at least 20 yards is considered the lower end of the norm, while doing so on a punt is considered a big play.

150 of Johnson's touches at Tulsa went for at least 20 yards

Examples are in the archives, and I don't have to tell you how much I value Damaris Johnson's skills (but I will later), or that I was his biggest advocate before (twice), during and after last season. The dude can really play, and I pray we as fans experience it more often in 2013. There's tremendously beneficial utility to be exploited with Johnson, he just needs a chance. Is my obsession weird and borderline unhealthy, as Mike Kaye might suggest? Or is perfectly healthy and totally reasonable, as Brandon Lee would suggest? Obviously, Brandon is the sane and correct one here. I think it's weird if you don't get (irrationally) excited by what Damaris Johnson's brings to the table.

I first watched Damaris in what turned out to be his final collegiate game, the 2010 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, during which he tore up Hawaii and later earned a mention in my college football season/bowl recap.

Damaris Johnson vs Hawaii (via JMPasq)

Johnson is an elusive and dynamic playmaker, but one who lacks explosive acceleration and pure speed. He has trouble turning the corner and gets caught from behind. I know in the McLane article Howie Roseman said Damaris had long speed, but I disagree in the true sense of the description given that he very much plays to his 4.5+ time. As Lawlor pointed out, where Damaris excels most is with the ball in his hands. He's up there as the quickest blur of a player I've seen in that capacity, and is always a threat to turn a short gain into something more. A professional ankle-breaker and jock strap-snapper extraordinaire, Johnson has special vision coupled with moves on top of moves on top of double and triple moves, and I will yell from the mountaintop to find him consistent touches in the offense until it actually happens. I'm hopeful it happens with Chip Kelly at the helm. What's more, lost in the praise of his play in space is how talented a natural receiver Damaris is as well. He's sudden off the line, with great hands and body control to make difficult catches look easy.

If the Eagles insist on leaving Johnson as the top punt returner, he absolutely has to cut out the dangerous and unacceptable habit of fielding the ball inside his 10-yard line. I appreciate the desire to make a play, but... no, no, NO! Otherwise, and I feel this should be the case anyway, find on offense the touches Johnson requires. CREATE those touches, damnit. Just get the ball in his hands. Put Damais Johnson in position to make plays, even if you have to save him from himself by taking him off punt returns and incorporating those would-be touches into the regular offense. The team will be better for it the more he touches the ball, I promise.

Damaris Johnson Bandwagon, full steam head. Hop on.

Trent Cole: "There's nothing wrong with change."

2013-05-24T13:00:09Z

This season, the Eagles plan on shifting to a hybrid defense under new defensive coordinator, Billy Davis. And while the new system opens up plenty of possibilities, it leaves some Andy Reid holdovers in unfamiliar territory. One of those returning veteran players, Trent Cole, is learning a new position due to the change in scheme.

Since the Davis hiring, rumors have run wild among fans and the media about Cole's fit in the still-mysterious defense. With the use of odd fronts, Cole seemingly would be misplaced in the lineup after playing exclusively as a 4-3 defensive end throughout his first nine years in the league.

However, while the challenge is evident, Cole is embracing the position switch with open arms. "I gotta wipe my slate clean and learn everything over again," said Cole. "I am just a very competitive person and there's nothing wrong with change, especially after having a season like we did last year."

Cole has credited his attitude for his determination to succeed at outside linebacker."I am a really stubborn type of person," said the former Pro Bowler. "I don't want to fail at nothing and I am going to go all out until I can be successful at (outside linebacker)."

While the University of Cincinnati alum has welcomed the change and feels like he is headed in the right direction, he does admit it has not been an easy process."When you're out there running a lot more than usual, the biggest challenge is to get your legs under you," said Cole, who experienced a career-low in sacks in 2012. "I feel great now and I feel I can play better now."

The final outcome of Cole's journey from defensive end to outside linebacker will not be determined until the end of the 2013 season, but he hopes the move will revitalize his game. Cole enters the season as the Eagles third all-time sack leader and he is optimistic about the direction the team is headed. "I can't wait until the season," said Cole. "I feel like we're going to have a good season."

The Linc - No leader in Eagles QB competition

2013-05-24T10:00:04Z

Who's winning Eagles' QB competiton? Still too early to say | Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Sorry, inquiring minds. Eagles QB coach Bill Lazor says the team is still very far from deciding which quarterback tops the team's depth chart.

Why Matt Barkley Wasn’t Worse This Year: A Metrics Breakdown | Second Round Stats
Analyzing the NFL Draft Through Statistics and Film Study

DeSean and D-Gunn Part I: Chip Kelly's changes | Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia
Derrick Gunn recently sat down with DeSean Jackson to discuss the wide receiver's thoughts on Chip Kelly's new offense, Jackson's career thus far, his relationship with his father, his tweets and his upbringing. Here's Part I of Gunner's three-part interview with Jackson:

Eagles tight end James Casey to undergo knee surgery
Philadelphia Eagles tight end James Casey will undergo arthroscopic surgery to clean out loose cartilage his right knee and will be out of action for the rest of the spring, a team spokesman confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

Leaders of four major Philadelphia sports franchises participate in roundtable | lehighvalleylive.com
Howie Roseman, Peter Luukko, Ruben Amaro Jr., and Adam Aron made a joint appearance to talk all things Philly sports.

Top 50 Fantasy Running back Rankings | Fanspeak Fantasy Football
Taking a look at the top 50 running backs for fantasy football next season.

Michael Vick given the key to Atlantic City

2013-05-23T21:30:02Z

Apparently, giving someone a key to a city is something people still do. Evidently it doesn't just happen in sitcoms! The latest man to receive the honor is Michael Vick, who was given the key to Atlantic City by Mayor Lorenzo Langford.

"Michael Vick is caring and compassionate enough to reach out to our city when we were at our lowest point during the immediate aftermath of Super Storm Sandy," said Mayor Langford. "Twelve hours after a nationally televised Monday Night Football game, he was lifting the spirits of our residents confined to shelters with his generosity' particularly our young people.

"And now, here he is again, helping us to spread the message that Atlantic City is open for business and ready for the summer season, all while continuing to encourage our youth to make positive contributions to the community."

Vick was in AC to help promote the "Restore the Shore" event which is designed to let tourists know that the Jersey shore is back in business after parts were devastated by superstorm Sandy last year.

I'm sure this news will be met with some manufactured controversy as all Michael Vick related news does... But honestly this seems like as good a reason as any to give away a symbolic award. Hopefully, at the very least it does help get the word out that the shore is indeed open for business once again.