Samuel Signs; Other News

    After almost 24 hours of rumors, The Philadelphia Eagles have finally announced the signing of Pro-Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel.  It is believed to be around a 6-year, $54 million deal.  Although Samuel doesn’t have much experience in Jim Johnson’s style of defense, Samuel is the kind of playmaker that is hard to pass up.   Since 2006, Samuel has led the NFL with 16 interceptions total, and has 22 in his career.  This is sorely needed in a defense that struggled to generate turnovers last season.  Although it’s no guarantee Samuel will be the same player he was in New England’s system, but he will definitely be a player to watch.

Tomorrow, former Raiders DE/LB Chris Clemons will visit Philly.  Clemons had 8 sacks as a backup last season and is likely to get signed.  Clemons brings a pass rushing ability coming off the bench and could be a nice role player.

Finally, Fullback Thomas Tapeh signed with the Minnesota Vikings today.  Tapeh was a decent blocker, but lacked versatility.  They will likely look to the draft for his replacement.

Samuel To Visit Today

On the first night of free agency, FOXsports.com is reporting the top free agent will be in Philly. Star New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel will visit, presumably to sign a contract. Several news outlets report that the two sides already have a deal in place. At 27, Samuel is just hitting the prime of his career. Samuel is a playmaker, something the defense sorely needs. He picked off 22 passes since being drafted out of the 4th round before the ‘03 season. Samuel rarely misses time with injury. If signed, he would make a good addition to the defense.

Kearse Cut; 2 Re-signed

    As expected, the Eagles announced the release of former star Jevon Kearse today.  This was a case of the salary outweighing the  production.  By the end of last season, Kearse was a backup behind Juqua Thomas and Victor Abiamiri.  He never showed the explosiveness he displayed with Tennesee, where he recorded 36 sacks in his first three years in the league.  The rumor floating around is that he could return to the Titans.

Also,  the team announce that they have re-signed safety J.R. Reed to a one-year contract and tendered restricted-free-agent cornerback Joselio Hanson with a 2nd-round tender.  This means that the Eagles have the right to match any contract offer given to Hanson.  If the team chooses not to match the offer, than the team that signs Hanson must give the Eagles a 2nd-round draft pick as compensation.  Both of these moves adds depth to positions of need, but neither player is guaranteed a spot on the final roster.

Final Position Analysis

As much as I would like to continue position analysis in the way I’ve been doing it, I want to wrap it up so that I can focus on the upcoming free agency period and draft.

Linebackers

The Eagles finally have a solid young group that should continue to develop. Chris Gocong improved as the season went on, and by the end of the year became a solid pass rusher. Also, look for Gocong to continue to play defensive end some plays. Omar Gaither was solid at middle linebacker and as a defensive leader, but he will never become a playmaker. After the season, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson made it clear that Gaither will start training camp next season as the backup to 2007 third-round draft pick Stewart Bradley. Bradley did not see much playing time until late last season, but when he finally came in he looked very good. Bradley showed the playmaking ability at middle linebacker a defense needs to be special. He stopped the runningback at crucial moments and forced turnovers. Takeo Spikes manned the weakside, and while solid, he has lost the playmaking ability he once had. Undrafted rookie Akeem Jordan filled in for Spikes and looked good racking up tackles.

The verdict: The Eagles have some young linebackers who could turn out to be very special. This off season will be a crucial one for these players

Cornerback

Sheldon Brown

Brown was the Eagles best corner in ‘07. He covers well and hits like a truck. However, Brown cannot create turnovers. Lito Sheppard is a star when healthy. The problem is, he is never healthy. Last season was a waste for Sheppard because nagging injuries held him back. There have been rumors swirling that the Eagles want to trade Sheppard this offseason. Don’t read into those rumors too much. If Sheppard can stay healthy, he is a valuable key to this defense. There is not much behind these two players, and that is a concern that the Eagles will address. Nickle-back Will James started most of the season due to Sheppard’s injuries and played poorly. He is a free agent this year and likely will not be back with the team. Joselio Hanson is a young corner that the team is high on. Hanson is a solid fourth or fifth corner, but should not play any higher than that on the depth chart. Hanson is a restricted free agent, but will likely be back with the team.

The verdict: Right now, cornerback is a shakey position.

Safety

As expected, safety was a position of concern. Brian Dawkins was injured early in the season, and probably getting a little too old. Next season might be his last. Quentin Mikell had a surprisingly solid year, and will likely have an expanded role next season, no matter what the team does to the position in the offseason. Sean Considine played poorly before getting hurt for the season, and will almost definitely only play a supporting role next season. J.R. Reed was a surprise in his second stint with the Eagles. Reed put some big hits on ball carriers and wasn’t bad in run support. Reed is a restricted free agent and could be worth a low tender.

The verdict: Safety will be addressed this offseason. The search for Brian Dawkin’s replacement continues.

Position Analysis Day Six: Defensive Tackles

    Defensive tackle was a solid position last season.  With two young starters, the Eagles have solid foundation in the middle for years to come.  The question for DT this offseason is depth.  The Eagles need to find one or two players, most likely via the draft, as relief for Patterson and Bunkley to truly be set.

Mike Patterson

Patterson took his play to the next level last season.  Patterson was second among DTs with 66 tackles, and recorded a career-high 4 sacks.  Patterson shows the ability to be a solid pass rusher, and breaks through the offensive line to get to the runningback.

The verdict: Patterson is only getting better, and will be just 25 years old at the start of next season.

Brodrick Bunkley

Bunkley played last season like he was supposed to when the Eagles made him their first draft pick in 2006.  He uses his impressive strength to collapse the pocket.  Most importantly, he often requires more than one blocker, which frees up the rest of the line to make a play and get pressure.

The verdict: Bunkley is an important key to the success of the defense, and will need to keep playing at a high level for the defense to be successful next season.

Montae Reagor

Once an important pass rusher on the Indianapolis Colt’s defense, Reagor was a disappointment last season.  Reagor was expected to provide a good 3rd-down pass rush, but was ineffective at everything he tried.

The verdict:  Reagor will be tested in training camp, and may not be back next season.

Kimo Von Oelhoffen

At 36 years old, this was Von Oelhoffen’s first year playing in a 4-3 defense.  Although I do recall him making one nice play on the goaline, he is on the decline.

The verdict:  Von Oelhoffen is a free agent, and last season might have been his last.

LaJuan Ramsey

Once a promising young player, Ramsey has for the most part disappeared.

The verdict: Ramsey will probably be replaced this offseason, most likely by a late-round or undrafted rookie.

Eagles Place Franchise Tag on L.J. Smith

    The Eagles wasted no time to get their offseason underway by solidifying the Tight End position.  On the first day teams were able to do so, the Eagles announced on their website that they have placed the franchise tag on the tight end.  This means that Smith is given a one-year contract worth the average salary of the top 5 highest paid players at his position.  Look for the team to try and work out a long term contract.

This is what McNabb wanted.  He feels comfortable throwing to Smith, and should indicate that the team plans to keep McNabb around next season.  Having a healthy Smith return for next season will add a dimension that his absence last season made disappear.

Position Analysis Day Five: Defensive Ends

The Super Bowl showed the importance of a great pass rush, something the Eagles know. The problem is that their investments in free agency haven’t paid off in the way that they should. If Chiefs defensive end Jason Allen makes his way to free agency, the Eagles better make him a top priority. Let’s look at what the Eagles have now:

Juqua Thomas

Jevon Kearse’s backup in both Tennessee and Philadelphia finally took over his starting job this year…with bad results. Thomas only had 5 sacks, and displayed a knack for giving the opposing quarterback plenty of time to throw.

The verdict: Thomas is a nice backup to have around, but he should never be anywhere near a starting role. The Eagles need to upgrade the left defensive end position.

Trent Cole

Trent Cole finally proved he can play through a whole season. A dominant pass rusher, Cole used his small size to his benefit, working his way underneath offensive linemen and getting to the quarterback. Cole also showed an equally dominant ability to stop the run, and was one of the biggest reasons the run defense improved so much this year. He also benefited from the tackles Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley pushing their way up the middle. Cole’s hard work paid off by earning a trip to Hawaii this weekend to play in the Pro Bowl.

The verdict: After proving that he can last a whole season, Cole should be a solid player on a young d-line that is shaping up to be dominant for years to come.

Jevon Kearse

The Eagles finally benched Kearse this season. Kearse wasn’t even activated many games towards the end of the season. He never became what they wanted when the Eagles signed him before the 2004 season. Once Kearse began to age, he slowed down and could no longer rely on his speed alone to get to the quarterback. Kearse never showed the ability to adjust to this, trying to get past linemen with the same move every play.

The verdict: Kearse will be cut in the offseason, he’ll play elsewhere next season at a much lower salary.

Victor Abiamiri

Victor struggled in his rookie season, but showed ability when he got a chance. The only game he got an expanded role in was the Bills game, where he showed an ability to put pressure the quarterback. Victor was a productive DE in college, and he should only get better with time.

The verdict: Abiamiri should play a more important role as a backup next year, and could be a starter in the future.

Darren Howard

Howard was another player the Eagles signed that didn’t pan out. After being productive in New Orleans, he came to Philly and did nothing but quickly lose his job to Trent Cole.

The verdict: Howard might also be cut, but he the Eagles could keep him around for another season. It all depends on what they do in free agency and the draft.

Jerome McDougle

McDougle’s struggle to stay healthy continued this season, as he missed the whole year with an injury.

The verdict: McDougle will struggle to make the team next season.

That’s all for defensive ends, come back later for defensive tackles!

Offseason Position Analysis Day Four: Offensive Linemen

I must admit that this analysis will be awfully short. Watching the offensive linemen during games is something I have to work on, but I’ll do my best to tell you what seems to be the opinion on each player.

William Thomas

From what I read about Thomas, it seemed that there were times during the year where he didn’t play up to par. But Thomas is still a consistent tackle.

The verdict: He may not be a pro-bowler anymore, but he is still better than most options. His future beyond next season is in doubt, so that’s something the Eagles will need to address this offseason.

Todd Herremans

Herremans was a disappointment this year after a solid 2006 season. He seemed to struggle with pass-blocking more than the other starting offensive linemen.

The verdict: Herremans has a roster spot secured, but will have to earn his starting job next year.

Jamaal Jackson

Jamaal Jackson was the same as Herremans in that he had a solid 2006 season and poor 2007.  He’s still pretty young, so expect him to try hard to get back to where he was before.

The verdict: Although he had a poor season, his starting job is safe.  If Jackson can play on a high level, this line will be much improved.

Shawn Andrews

Once again, Andrews was one of the best guards in football.  He is absolutely dominant in run defense and was rewarded with his second Pro Bowl.

The verdict: I have a feeling Andrews will appear in many Pro Bowls for years to come.

Jon Runyan

For someone with a broken tailbone, Runyan played great.

The verdict: This could be Runyans last year with the Eagles and you know he’ll do everything he can to make it a great one.

The backups

The most impressive backup this year was Max Jean-Gilles.  He should challenge Herremans at left guard and win. Jean-Gilles is a tank and I’d like to see him paired with Andrews for years to come.  Winston Justice is another backup lineman to look at.  Unlike most, I don’t think we have seen enough of Justice to judge him fairly.  The rest of the group is just average, and will likely have their roster spots challenged by rookies or free agents.

Well, I told you it would be short.  Check back for news updates and an analysis of the defensive ends!

Eagles Round Out Coaching Staff

    The Eagles announced on their website today that they’ve filled in the holes in their coaching staff.  Linebackers coach Sean McDermott will move back to the secondary, and defensive quality coach Bill Shuey will be promoted to linebackers coach.  Otis Smith will join McDermott as assistant secondary coach, and Mike Caldwell rounds out the defense as the new defensive quality control coach. Finally,  Mark Whipple was added as offensive assistant coach.

I like these moves.  In his previous stint as Safeties coach, McDermott coached Dawkins and Michael Lewis to Pro Bowls.  He also helped Quinten Mikell have the strong year he did this year.  I don’t know much about Shuey, but McDermott will still be around to help him.  Otis Smith was a rookie free agent signing by the Eagles in the nineties.  But it was on the Patriots where he became a favorite of coach Bill Belichek and won a Super Bowl ring in 2001.  He’ll do a good job helping out the young cornerbacks.  Mike Caldwell is another former Eagles, one that I also don’t know much about.  Whipple is an intriguing hire.   He was the Steelers QB coach from 2004-2006 and was responsible for the development of star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  The combination of Andy Reid, Mark Whipple, and Pat Shurmur is impressive.  It should be great for Kevin Kolb to have these three coaches, and a pro bowl quarterback in McNabb to learn from.  I’m excited to see the results.

Position Analysis Day Three: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

    The Wide Receivers and Tight Ends were a position of weakness all year.  Despite this, the Eagles somehow managed to rank 10th in passing yards per-game.  In this case, the statistics lie.  The receivers struggled trying to get open when it really mattered.  They were constantly jammed on obvious passing downs.  If the Eagles want better production out of this group, they need to teach these young guys how to be more physical in the passing game.

Kevin Curtis

The thing I really liked about Kevin Curtis is that you could tell he was really trying to become a more physical receiver.   When the year started, he was easily jammed at the line of scrimmage every play, with the exception of the Detroit game (Did the Lions even field a defense in that game?).  By the end of the year, Curtis made a great effort to reach up and grab those tough throws in tight coverage, wrestling the ball away from defenders.  Although Curtis wasn’t the burner I thought he would be, he proved his production in St. Louis wasn’t just a benefit of playing behind Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce.  Curtis isn’t a red zone threat, but he’s the guy that gets you in position for your red zone personnel to score.

The verdict: Curtis will continue to improve as he gets used to the offense, and should play an even bigger role next season.  However, at age 30 he won’t be around long.

Reggie Brown

I’m very disappointed in Reggie.  This was supposed to be his breakout season, but instead he regressed.  Despite shattering his previous career-high reception total of 46 catches with 61 catches, he actually managed to gain more yards on those 46.  Although Brown progressed slightly as the year went on, he never had that knack he had for the end zone that he displayed last season.

The verdict: Is the Reggie we’ll see for the rest of his career? Or was this season just a speed bump? Brown remains one of the biggest question marks on the team.  Some of the greatest receivers didn’t break out until their fourth season (Marvin Harrison, anyone?), so he still has a shot.  It’s a close call, but I didn’t see Reggie play with any heart all year long.

Jason Avant

In the beginning of the year, Avant came out of nowhere with big catches when no other receiver was doing anything.  After that, Avant disappeared.  To be honest, I never liked Avant coming out of college and I’m still not convinced to deserves to be wearing Eagles green.  Next season will be his last chance to win me over.

The verdict: While I appreciate Avant’s effort, I’m just not sure he has what it takes to produce on the pro level. It’s too early to judge.

Hank Baskett

I was happy when the Eagles traded for Baskett. Anytime you can get something for an awful player like Billy McMullen, that’s a good trade.  Baskett had promise last season, but this year showed everyone why he went undrafted in the ‘07 draft.  The only good thing Baskett did was block well in the running game.

The verdict: After vanishing this year, his roster spot has to be in danger. At 6′4, Baskett could become the big red zone target the Eagles need, but he’ll need to prove it in training camp.

Greg Lewis

Greg Lewis continued his mediocre career this year.  He’ s a good fifth receiver to have.  He has speed and will make the play when the defense is caught sleeping.  He also continued his inexplicable dominance over the Patriots this season with 2 touchdowns in that game.

The verdict: I don’t mind Lewis at all if he’s at the bottom of the depth and he isn’t taking the roster spot of someone I like better.  He’s good for a play or two a season.

L.J. Smith

Injuries ruined L.J.’s contract year.  The Tight End was missed on the field this year.  When healthy, Smith is a threat over the middle and in the red zone. 2008 was actually the worst year of L.J.’s career. Smith is a player that I like, but it’s looking like Smith wants to play elsewhere next season.

The verdict: While it wouldn’t be a bad thing to see Smith back next season, Smith’s contract has expired and it looks like he won’t be around next year.

Matt Schoble

Nothing really to say about Schoble this year.  He was a disappointment.

The verdict:  While he’ll probably be back next season, he’ll be at the bottom of the depth chart.

Brent Celek

I must admit I had no idea who Celek was when he was drafted last offseason.  However, it looks like the Eagles got another 5th round steal.  Towards the end of the season, Celek looked good. He played with heart and made big catches across the middle of the field.

The verdict: Celek has starting potential in the future, but it might not be next year. As Avant and Baskett have shown, the sophomore slump can strike hard. Celek’s a player I look forward to watching in the future.

That’s it for my receiver and tight end analysis.  Look for the Eagles to bring in a big, nasty, physical player to challenge the guys they have on the roster.  Stay tuned for an analysis of the offensive line!