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Let's get to the links...
Eagles Senior Bowl preview - JimmyK, Philly.com
For Eagles fans, the Senior Bowl week of practice should be of particular interest, as the Eagles tend to draft a high number of players who have competed there. Since Howie Roseman took over as GM in 2010 (with the disclaimer that there is gray area as to who in the Eagles organization was actually picking the groceries), the Eagles have selected 18 players who competed at the Senior Bowl.
Could the D Make a Big Leap? - Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
The 2012 Saints had one of the worst defenses in the history of the NFL. Let’s put it in perspective. This year’s Eagles could have allowed an additional 45-yard pass play in every game and still finished with better numbers. Yikes. The 2013 Saints jumped up to 4th overall in points and yards. That is a remarkable turnaround. They got a new DC in Rob Ryan. They added a good cover corner in Keenan Lewis and also an impact Safety in Kenny Vaccaro. DL Cameron Jordan and Junior Gallete each had breakout seasons. It wasn’t as if they completely overhauled the group. I said prior to the 2012 season that Steve Spagnuolo was foolish for going there. The Saints didn’t have the kind of personnel he needed. The results showed that. Ryan proved to be an infinitely better fit. The Eagles made the coaching change from 2012 to 2013, but still fielded a mediocre defense. They’re not nearly as bad as the 2012 Saints. Can the Eagles make a huge jump as the Saints did?
Eagles still high on QB Barkley - Zach Berman, Inquirer
The Eagles remain high on Barkley. They studied him extensively last spring, even sending quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor to Los Angeles for a private workout. Barkley was rated one of the top 50 players on the Eagles' draft board. His glaring exclusion from the first three rounds prompted the Eagles to trade for the top pick on the final day of the draft to ensure they could select him. The shoulder injury that limited Barkley leading up to April's draft affected him more than he admitted through the spring and the summer. Barkley confessed it bothered him during organized team activities and training camp. He said he was fine during the season, although his performance was uninspiring.
Source: Tom Gamble not going to Bucs or Dolphins - Reuben Frank, CSN Philly
Tom Gamble, one of Eagles general manager Howie Roseman’s most trusted scouts, has removed himself from consideration for general manager openings with both the Buccaneers and Dolphins, a league source confirmed Wednesday. The story was first reported by National Football Post.
Lesean McCoy thinks Eagles have enough talent to win ‘a couple’ Super Bowls - The700Level
"The time has come," McCoy said when prompted by Bloomberg’s Stephanie Ruhle that Eagles fans are frustrated by not having a Lombardi trophy in their possession. "In the next five years, we should get a couple wins. We have the talent, we have the coach and the players all have the same goal and same dreams."
Crystal Ball: Michael Vick - Birds 24/7
The Eagles should leave the door open for a Vick return. The 33-year-old QB wants to move on and believes his time in Philly has come to an end. But the same was true following the 2012 season. As his emotions settled and the market came into focus, Vick recognized that his best course of action was to remain with the Eagles and compete for the starting job under Kelly. Right now, Vick isn’t even considering the Eagles as an option because he has his eye on a starting gig. Understandable. But the market isn’t yet defined (and may not be until after the draft). There’s a chance Philly becomes more desirable as the weeks roll on. Vick transitioned into the backup role gracefully this season and proved to be an asset to both Foles and the team overall. The free-agent crop looks weak and Barkley is still an unknown. If they don’t draft a QB come May, the Eagles should try to convince Vick to come back for one last hurrah.
In Studio: Bill Davis - PE.com
Defensive coordinator Bill Davis joined us in studio where he talked about the progression of his defense from week one until the end of the year, and how he thinks his players will continue to adapt moving forward.
2014 East-West Shrine Game Coverage and Analysis - FanSpeak
Fanspeak.com's Steve Shoup is in St. Petersburg to cover the 2014 East-West Shrine Game. Bookmark this page for Practice Reports, Player's Stock Rising & Falling, Interviews, Press Conference Notes, Gameday Coverage & More.
Vick’s latest endorsement deal ends, as soon as he does some endorsing - PFT
Via PhillyMag.com, an online auction company known as Quibids hired Vick to do some endorsing. And then the relationship ended as soon as the endorsing began. On Monday, Vick posted on Twitter and Facebook an endorsement of the service. On Tuesday, Quibids took to Facebook to explain that Vick would be doing no further endorsing.
Here's a tweet of interest:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I'm told 1 thing Tom Gamble would've recommended if he interviewed for Dolphins GM was switch back to 3-4. Thinks Dion Jordan 3-4 stud.</p>— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArmandoSalguero/statuses/423538146593107968">January 15, 2014</a></blockquote>
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