Questions surround the Philadelphia Eagles home opener
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Here come the Green Bay Packers for the Philadelphia Eagles home opener, but there are still some questions surrounding the Eagles team. Will the Eagles defense be able to contain the high powered offense of the Green Bay Packers and will Eagles QB Kevin Kolb find a groove?
Anyone who watched the Green Bay Packers this preseason knows this is a team stocked with offensive firepower. Will the youth on the Philadelphia Eagles defense be able to contain the high octane offense the Packers provide? If you look at the Eagles defensive roster, they are 8 rookies on the squad, 11 players with 3 years or less experience. Only 1 player over 30, DE Juqua Parker, 32. S Nate Allen, a rookie out of the University of South Florida starts at the free safety position.
This is a Green Bay Packers squad who dropped 59 points on the Indianapolis Colts in week three of preseason, and at halftime, were leading the Colts 28-17. This is a team many are picking to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and they can score quickly. If the defense is not in the game from the start, it could have the potential to get ugly early.
On the offensive side of the ball, are you confident that Kevin Kolb will be able to move the Eagles offense? Kolb has looked ineffective in the preseason, and while he has a plethora of offensive talent surrounding him, do you think he suddenly just connects with his receivers and the Eagles start to move the ball? The Green Bay Packers bring in a very opportunistic defense which finished the year allowing only 83 yards running and 201 passing. If Kolb doesn’t find his groove early, it could be a really long day against a very talented team.
Eagles LeSean McCoy likes Eagles chances
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LeSean McCoy is now the man for the Philadelphia Eagles and he joined WIP in Philadelphia to talk about the upcoming season and what he thought fans should expect from the re-vamped Philadelphia Eagles. LeSean McCoy was drafted in the second round last season and has become the replacement for Brian Westbrook who is now with the San Francisco 49ers. McCoy accounted for nearly 1000 all purpose yards last season and 4 touchdowns. You can listen to his entire interview right here.
McCoy comment to the radio host about how much of a leader Kevin Kolb has become at the quarterback position. “I think Kevin Kolb has done really well…..I think everybody is surprised at how much a leader he is”. Kolb comes with a lot of pressure on his shoulders this season as he now takes control of the Philadelphia Eagles offense, though he struggled in the preseason.
McCoy continued to comment on former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook. He said that Westbrook taught McCoy some of the nuances of the game, and helped him with blitz pickups. “I think the biggest thing with Brian is he is so smart. He knew the game and that stuff helped him out so much. He knew the game so well and when those guys blitzed he knew where they were coming from it never really fooled him”.
And when asked about the Eagles prospects for 2010, McCoy answered-
“I mean the whole Eagles franchise and history we have always been a good team. I think you have got to have confidence in the coaching staff to make these changes, I think for the better. You will see. You will find out. Just have confidence is us, man. We are them same birds.”
Theismann speaks about Eagles Kolb
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Former Washington Redskins QB Joe Theismann took time out of his schedule yesterday to comment on the Philadelphia Eagles new quarterback Kevin Kolb, and threw in a dig on the Philadelphia Eagles fans and their dislike of former quarterback, Donovan McNabb. If you just can’t get enough of Theismann’s musings, you’re in luck, he was just named to the broadcast booth and will be announcing Thursday night games this season for the NFL Network along with football genius, Matt Millen. Dumb and Dumber come to mind.
Theismann was not particularly harsh on the Philadelphia Eagles newest starter, Kevin Kolb. “I think Kevin has the makeup to really play the position. But it’s going to take some time to learn how to play quarterback as a starter. Is he physically going to be able to withstand the pounding of 16 straight weeks and maybe more? Is Kevin going to be able to throw the ball like Donovan out of the pocket? There are a lot of questions”, Theismann told Philly.com.
Actually Theismann is asking the same questions that many Philadelphia Eagles fans are asking after Kolb’s lackluster performance in the preseason. Those questions will be answered this Sunday when the games count and the Eagles will welcome the Green Bay Packers to the Linc.
Theismann couldn’t resist taking a shot at the Philadelphia Eagles fans, saying that Donovan McNabb was never appreciated during his time in Philadelphia and that the Washington Redkins fans will show McNabb the love he never got during his time in Philly. Yeah, the Washington Redskins fans are all warm and fuzzy that way.
Eagles trade for D-Line help
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The Philadelphia Eagles have pulled off a trade with the Baltimore Ravens for LB Antwan Barnes this afternoon. Antwan Barnes is entering his 4th season in the NFL. The Baltimore Ravens website has him listed as a linebacker, but according to a Tweet from agent Drew Rosenhaus, he will be playing defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles in their 4-3 defensive scheme.Rosenhaus’s Tweet is copied below,
“Congrats to Antwan Barnes on his trade to the Eagles! He will play defensive end and be a great pass rusher in the Eagles 4-3 scheme!”
Barnes is 25, a product of Florida International, 6’1″ 250 pounds which is a bit undersized for a defensive end but he is reported to have good speed.
The Philadelphia Eagles surrendered an undisclosed draft choice for the player.
Philadelphia Eagles add 1 cut 10
The Philadelphia Eagles along with 31 other teams now have 33 hours until their rosters have to be fixed at 53 players and they have wasted no time this afternoon in starting to trim the roster. According to Jason LaCanfora, the Philadelphia Eagles have released 10 players this afternoon. The players include, DT Boo Robinson, DE Pannel Egboh, CB David Pender, CB Goff Pope, S Anthony Scirrotto, OT Jeraill McCuller, WR Dobson Collins, RB JJ Arrington, and RB Martell Mallett.
Mallett was signed this offseason after having a very successful career in the CFL. Arrington was signed as a fee agent after spending his first four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals but was unable to recover from surgery which caused him to miss the 2009 season.
Adam Schefter of ESPN is also reporting this afternoon that the Eagles have given the Arizona Cardinals an undisclosed draft choice in 2011 in exchange for OG Reggie Wells. Wells is 6’4″ 310 pounds and will be entering his 8th season in the NFL. The Cardinals could afford to move the veteran with Deuce Lutui pushing him hard for the starting spot.
