First Pre-Season Game Review and More Thoughts on Michael Vick

Well the first preseason game is in the books and the Eagles dropped a meaningless game to the Patriots 27-25. If you remember I said the biggest goal was to come out of the game with no injuries. Well, for the most part, they escaped with no serious injuries it would seem. The only mention of injury either during or after the game was Brent Celek and Jason Peters. Both were aggravations of prior injuries and I could find nothing in the news today to suggest that they will be a problem going forward. Of course, that could be because everything in the news regarding the Eagles was about Michael Vick.

That’s right – Michael Vick is an Eagle. It almost seems weird to say it. I’ll comment more on that, but there were a few things from the game that I thought should be pointed out. The starting defense seemed to do an ok job. While they did give up some yardage and points, keep in mind that they were going up against a team that I consider the pre-season favorites to win it all and that is largely because of their explosive offense.

More interesting was the Eagles offense where there was the good, the bad and the ugly. The ugly was the offensive line. I do know that the o-line that started last night was hopefully not the same o-line that will start the regular season, but if the line doesn’t start getting healthy, I do not like how things look. As for the bad, I was not impressed with the receiving corp. It also concerns me that the only “proven” tight end is Brent Celek. With Cornelius Ingram out for the season, I think the Eagles will need to look to sign another tight end. Watch as other teams cut players for the Eagles to possibly make an addition in this area.

The good was the running game. I loved the performance of rookie LeSean McCoy. He certainly looks like he will be an explosive player and I think he will be a great future replacement for Brian Westbrook. However, the off season move that was probably the least reported but may have one of the biggest impacts was the signing of fullback Leonard Weaver. It has been some time since the Eagles had a true fullback and Leonard Weaver is a true fullback. I was impressed with his performance and look for him to play a big role in both run and pass blocking along with an occasional touch himself.

The amazing thing about the game though was how quickly it became an after thought once word leaked out during the game that the Eagles had signed Michael Vick. As for Vick, there are really two parts to consider – the ethical story and the football story. As for the ethical part of the consideration, I honestly feel that he has paid his debt to society and when a convicted criminal does that, our society is supposed to accept that member back in and allow them an opportunity to rehabilitate themselves.

Let me be clear, I love dogs and I have my own that I would do just about anything to protect, so what he did in my opinion was despicable. That being said, the outrage over the Eagles signing Vick seems to be way over the top and I think a sad state of our society. Consider this – Browns (and former Eagles) wide receiver Donte Stallworth was convicted earlier this year of manslaughter for killing a man in a drunk driving accident. His penalty was only 54 days in jail and the NFL has suspended him for one season. Michael Vick lost two seasons and now that he’s back, some people don’t think he deserves the chance to play. I have not heard that same outrage about Donte Stallworth and he killed another living human being! I know we as Americans love our dogs, but they are not worth the same as a human who was created in God’s image. So, sure, I am willing to give Michael Vick a second chance.

The issue I have with the Eagles signing him is a football one. I just don’t see where it makes sense. Donovan McNabb is still clearly the Eagles quarterback and Kevin Kolb is the heir apparent, so where does he fit in? Everyone’s favorite answer is that they can use him in the wildcat formation where a running back is hiked the ball directly and then runs an option play. While that certainly is a possibility, why sign one player who is only going to be in the game for 1 or 2 plays a game? Roster spots on NFL rosters are rare and the Eagles cannot afford to take one up for a gadget player. With Vick on the roster, does that mean that A.J. Feeley may get cut? Today on the Eagles website, they list Vick 5th on the depth chart at quarterback behind McNabb, Kolb, Feeley and Adam DiMichele. While I don’t expect DiMichele to make the team, I don’t see how the Eagles can afford to cut either Kolb or Feeley, unless of course Kolb is more hurt than the Eagles are telling everyone and he ends up on injured reserve for the year.

Unfortunately, Donovan McNabb has not been the most durable quarterback. Plenty of his seasons have ended prematurely. While Kolb or Feeley have not shown me much to impress me, I think they clearly have a grasp of the Eagles west coast offense and can run it if they have to. As for Michael Vick, I have never been a huge fan of his quarterbacking skills. In fact when he was in Atlanta, I was probably overheard saying “Michael Vick is the most overrated quarterback in the league.” I think he relies too much on his running ability and his rocket arm. As for his throwing accuracy, for those Eagles fans who think Donovan McNabb is too inaccurate, Michael Vick makes him look like a marksman.

Those are my thoughts for now. I guess I’ll hold off judgment until I see how the Eagles can accommodate him on their roster. If they do so at the expense of another position, I may be very critical of this signing. So for now, I’ll sit back and wait.

Michael Vick - Initial Reaction

By now, the news is well known that the Eagles have signed disgraced quarterback Michael Vick to a two year deal. I'll do a more indepth posting about this and the first pre-season game later, but for now, I'm just scratching my head wondering why. Although, as I joked on my facebook account, it does give a whole new meaning to me having my dog named after an Eagles quarterback (picture below).

Eagles Pre-Season Game #1 Preview

First of all, let me make it clear what I think of pre-season games. They do serve somewhat of a legitimate purpose as they allow the coaching staff to evaluate their talent against other players, but for the most part they are a waste of time and highway robbery by the NFL that they charge us ticketholders full price. Well it all starts this Thursday night at the Linc when the Eagles play their first preseason game against the New England Patriots. With all this in mind, here, in order of importance, are the top ten priorities, for the Eagles in this preseason game:

1. Avoid Injuries
2. Avoid Injuries
3. Avoid Injuries
4. Avoid Injuries
5. Avoid Injuries
6. Avoid Injuries
7. Avoid Injuries
8. Execute Well
9. Get the rookies playing time to see who is the real deal.
10. Win the Game

Those first seven are so key. We have already seen two key Eagles most likely lost for the season due to injuries in training camp. Starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley and rookie tight end Cornelius Ingram have both been lost to torn ACLs in their knees.

For those of you who have been reading my blog, you know that I really thought highly of Ingram who I thought was a steal in the 5th round if he could stay healthy. Note the end of that sentence - if he could stay healthy. This is the exact same injury that caused Ingram to miss his senior season at Florida. He will now be out for two straight seasons with the same injury. The question will now become whether he will be able to return and play football at all.

Now while I am bummed about the loss of Ingram, I think the loss of Stewart Bradley will be even bigger. Ingram was just potential while Bradley has been starting at middle linebacker for the past season and a half and doing a very good job of it. Someone asked me earlier who I thought would take the leadership position on defense now that Dawkins was gone and the first name that came to my mind was Stewart Bradley. The leadership hole on defense this year will be huge. Think of all the Eagles have lost. They lost their heart and soul with Brian Dawkins, they lost their mastermind with the passing of defensive coordinator Jim Johnson and they lost their leader of the future in Stewart Bradley.

So does all this mean I won’t be watching Thursday night? Absolutely not! There is plenty to watch for in this game. On offense, I want to see how the rookies perform, especially Maclin and McCoy. The Eagles have a lot of depth at wide receiver and there has been a lot of buzz coming out of training camp about sixth round pick Brandon Gibson. However, the Eagles have five players returning at receiver plus first round pick Maclin. The Eagles will not carry more than six receivers on the team and they may only carry five. The only way someone like Brandon Gibson makes the team is if one of the veterans get cut. So I’ll be looking at how the Eagles veteran receivers like Reggie Brown, Hank Baskett and Jason Avant play in this game. I think there is a very good chance that one of them is gone by the end of the preseason. My early money is on Reggie Brown.

As for defense, with Bradley’s injury, there is also going to be an interesting battle at middle linebacker between Omar Gaither and second year player Joe Mays, so I’ll be watching to see who starts there and how each perform. The free safety spot is also interesting as the Eagles have Quintin Demps listed first on their depth chart, but I would keep my eye on Sean Jones who was brought in as a free agent. Of course, there’s also the long shot that rookie Macho Harris makes a splash, but I wouldn’t count on it. Finally, while it will probably be too early to tell, I'll be looking for any of the veterans that show a sign leadership that will be so needed as the season progresses.

Well, there are a few things I’ll be looking at this Thursday night when I tune in for that wonderful exhibition known as NFL pre-season football.

Phillies Deadline Deals – the One Made and the One Not Made

Well, the baseball trade deadline has passed and the Phillies made one key acquisition – Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians. While they did have to give up some prospects, they did hold onto the top prospects that the Blue Jays wanted for Roy Halladay. You may recall a couple weeks ago, I said that the Phillies should be willing to part with the likes of J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor just to acquire a player most consider the best pitcher in baseball.

So now that the Phillies did not make that deal but traded for Cleveland’s ace, Cliff Lee, I figured I would share my thoughts. First, as for Cliff Lee, while he is not Roy Halladay, he is an exceptional pitcher in his own right. Of course, well known is the fact that last year he won the AL Cy Young Award. As of today, his record this season is 8-9 with a 3.02 ERA and 113 strikeouts and 35 BB. However, do not let his win/loss record concern you. In pitching for the Indians, he was not getting run support. Run support is usually not a problem for the Phillies offense.

In his debut for the Phillies the other night, Lee pitched a complete game, giving up only 1 run and striking out six. In addition, he also helped himself at the plate going 2 for 4 including a double and he also scored a run. The end result was a 5-1 victory over a potential playoff team in the San Francisco Giants. Clearly, Cliff Lee is also the real deal. While he may not be Roy Halladay, Lee clearly is an upgrade in starting pitching for the Phillies and will be a very good 1-2 punch with Cole Hamels.

What did they give up for Lee? The quick answer is not much. First of all, the Phillies will able to keep all their top prospects, including the three players I mentioned above as well as Dominic Brown who is an outfielder in A Clearwater who the Blue Jays also coveted. The Phillies surrendered pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Jason Knapp, along with shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson. Carrasco is probably the best known of these prospects. The last two years, the discussion in spring training was whether he would be able to pitch his way into the starting rotation. Every time he’s been given an opportunity to do so, he has not faired very well. I’ll be honest, I do not know that much about Jason Knapp.

As for the other two, I think that Lou Marson has a chance to be a nice ball player. He was called up last September when the league allows for expanded rosters and he performed well. He also came up earlier this season when Carlos Ruiz spent some time on the disabled list. Since the Indians dealt their all-star catcher in Victor Martinez, hopefully Marson will get some playing time in the majors and I wish him well. As for shortstop Jason Donald, I think it’s pretty clear he was going to have to wait a while to play regularly for the Phillies considering Jimmy Rollins place on the squad. All in all, I do not see where the Phillies gave up much of their future roster to acquire Cliff Lee.

However, there are two criticisms I have of this acquisition. First of all, Cliff Lee is a left handed pitcher and secondly, he’s not Roy Halladay. Cliff Lee being left handed makes the starting rotation very left hand dominant. Lee, Hamels, Happ & Moyer are all left handers. The only right handed starter that I believe should remain in the five man rotation is Joe Blanton. Only time will tell, but I just hope that having a left handed heavy starting rotation does not come back to bite them. I was wrong about Ibanez making them too left handed heavy at the plate, so let’s hope the same is true in this case.

As for Cliff Lee not being Roy Halladay, that concern was more centered around my fear that another contender like the Dodgers or Cardinals in the National League or the Angels or Red Sox in the American League would trade for Halladay. I truly believe that the Phillies have a chance to do something special with this group of players and that is win multiple titles. The last thing I wanted was for another legitimate contender to land Halladay. Fortunately, the Blue Jays stuck to their guns and continued to ask for the world. As a result, Halladay is still in Toronto and will be a non-factor come October.

As with all trades, only time will tell if the Phillies made the right deal in getting Cliff Lee and holding onto their top prospects. For now, GO PHILLIES!! Their magic number to win the NL East is 54.