Viability of Vernon Carey
UPDATE: Shortly after this post was published, the Eagles signed former Denver Right Tackle Ryan Harris and Carey’s contract was reworked by the Miami Dolphins.
One of the biggest issues facing this Eagles offense revolves around protecting Michael Vick. With the addition of Howard Mudd, the Eagles have brought in one of the most successful line coaches in the National Football League. Mudd previously made his name known solidifying the Indianapolis Colts and his praises have been sung by Tony Dungy, Jeff Saturday and Peyton Manning on many occassions.
But with four of the five pieces along the line relatively secure, the Eagles have somehow managed to leave Vick’s blindside unresolved. Winston Justice is currently on the mend and King Dunlap has not shown enough in three years to make him a reliable option. Mudd has been plugging in a number of permutations thus far in camp, inserting Austin Howard and Mike McGlynn on the right side during first-round pick Danny Watkins absence. But as more teams try to pressure Vick from the left side in order to make him run right, that right tackle spot will be an integral part of keeping him upright for 16 plus games.
This afternoon, it was made public that the Miami Dolphins will be asking Vernon Carey to restructure his contract. Although he’s not a pro-bowl player, he’s a solid bookend on an under-rated line and he has the type of athleticism, agility and versatility that could be really valuable to the Eagles right now. As the Dolphins have added former Cowboys right tackle Marc Columbo, Carey’s value to them might not warrant the $5 million salary he’ll be raking in this year. Additionally, he’s coming off a knee injury that kept him out of the final four games of the 2010 season. Still, with few starting options out there, it might be something for the Philadelphia front office to think about.
Preseason Talk is Cheap
The word is out now.
With all of the free agent signings surrounding the Eagles, it was only a matter of time before someone tried to drag them down. Unfortunately, it was pretty tepid trash talk. Confidential to Remus “Rob” Ryan, but when you’re going to engage in trash-talking, it’s never a bad idea to call out your target by name. Instead, Ryan’s comments were so veiled and cryptic that some commentators actually believed he was calling out his twin brother, Rex.
I hate to say this, but it’s fair to hate on the hype a little bit. Without coming across as negative, I think it’s still fair to say that the Eagles have a number of question marks facing them this season. They’ve built an impressive arsenal for first-time defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, and they’ve given him an outstanding support by adding a veteran defensive line coach in Jim Washburn. Is that enough? It’s hard to say. The late Bill Walsh considered defense to be less of a scheme issue than a matter of personnel, but I’m not sure that approach is still valid. There are certainly schemes that it can work in.
I do think the coaches will temper some of the “Dream Team” rhetoric that’s been floating around the locker-room. I know I cringed a little during more than one press conference this weekend butAndy Reid tends to keep a steady hand on the tiller and he really stresses restraint when the players get over-excited. In these type of situations, drive and desire really play a big part in what the team will be able to accomplish. The last time the Eagles went on a free-agent spending spree of this magnitude, they went to the Super Bowl. Dare I say, it’s a more complete team now than it was then?
Whirlwind Weekend in Eagles Acquisitions
It’s difficult to avoid the excitement around the Philadelphia Eagles right now.
In a whirlwind week that saw a resolved CBA and a limited window for free agent acquisitions before training camps, fans waited impatiently through the first days of free agent signings for even the more predictable move of trading Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second round draft pick. Joe Banner’s assertion that the Eagles were prepared to be very aggressive in free agency still loomed heavily in our memories. There was a lot of sharp insight into who the Eagles would be pursuing during the lockout. As a result, the acquisition of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Jason Babin actually seemed predetermined with rumors and soundbites supporting these moves as far back as May.
If these decisions weren’t shocking, they were at least sound. The necessity of a starting corner opposite Asante Samuel had been a sticking point since trading Sheldon Brown to Cleveland last year. The uncertainty of Brandon Graham and Babin’s recent history with both the Eagles and newly added Defensive Line coach Jim Washburn made the former Titans veteran the top pass-rushing option in a somewhat limited free agent class. The Eagles had easy decisions to make in attempting to solidify the pass-rush rotation.
As news arrived of the Nnamdi Asomugha signing, a wave of elation was coursing through Philadelphia. The Eagles front office was dead-set on solidifying the defensive secondary and they understood the necessity of cover corners in this passing league. As it turned out, the Eagles were competing with the New York Jets, who also appeared to have an embarrassment of riches at the position. Between Darrelle Revis, then unsigned Antonio Cromartie and New York’s 2010 first-round pick Kyle Wilson, it was apparent that Rex Ryan had placed a premium on cover corners. Philadelphia’s culture of winning made the decision easy for Asomugha, who elected to take less money to work with an exceptional trio of defensive-backs.
Saturday, the decision to bring in Cullen Jenkins was, in my opinion, even a little more unexpected. The market for Jenkins had not exploded in the way many people thought it would and the Eagles saw the opportunity to energize a defensive interior that seemed to have a firm handle on the running game, but disappear at times in collapsing the pocket. With 7 sacks last season, Jenkins is an end/tackle hybrid who does his best work on third downs. In my opinion, the Eagles have been pursuing these kind of players since the dominance of the Giants defensive line in 2007, when Justin Tuck was collapsing the pocket in Spagnuolo’s championship defense. The expectations here are that Jenkins will become the player in Philadelphia that the Eagles hoped Daniel T’eo Nesheim, Victo Abiamiri and Darryl Tapp could or can be.
While the Eagles missed out on some fan favorite prospects like Plaxico Burress and Stephen Tulloch, I don’t think anyone could express a genuine disappointment with the players they managed to bring in. It really speaks to the league-wide respect for this coaching staff, front office and locker room. There are, undoubtedly, more exciting moves on the way and even training camp competitions have become drastically more heated. The flurry of activity this week is just what the post-lockout NFL needed.
