Sports

[gardenman]

The Eagles filled one of the three new roster slots with Michael Walker, a wide receiver/kick returner formerly with Jacksonville. There are still two open roster spots. One of which should go to a QB if for nothing more than a camp arm.

[Spurt]

Just what we didnt need to fire up the opposition, it seems that Peyton Manning will be inducted into the Bronco's Hall Of Fame when the WFT plays the Broncos on Halloween.... 🎃 Congrats Peyton....

Too funny---- a cicada got caught in Ryan Fitzpatrick's beard during practice....but that didnt stop him from smiling and moving on....😄😃😃

Coaches have been pleased with Jamin Davis, the rookie is learning quickly...he makes mistakes but learns from the correction and improves.....

Rookie CB Benjamin St-Juste is impressing the coaches . He was hounding just about every receiver he went up against at the right outside corner position---LOOK OUT we found a CB!

Alex Smith, Sean Lee, Mark Sanchez and Joey Galloway all recently auditioned for a game analyst position with CBS. Alex Smith also had an audition with Fox and meetings with ESPN and NFL Network. Fox also brought in former Washington HC Jay Gruden for an audition.

[gardenman]

@Spurt 

Assuming Peyton doesn't suit up and play for the Broncos the WFT should handle them. (That's assuming they don't get Deshaun Watson or Aaron Rodgers.)

Maybe it's just me, but I think the Eagles have hired Zach Ertz's younger brother as linebacker coach.  Here's a photo of Ertz.

And here's a photo of "Nick Rallis" our new linebacker coach.

Ertz is 30 years old, Rallis is 27 years old. Every time I see Nick Rallis I think it's Ertz from a couple of years ago. 

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@gardenman 

Nepotism is alive and well.....

The WFT has hired Rivera's nephew, Vincent Rivera, to be on the defense quality control team and DC Jack Del Rio's son, Luke, is on the offense quality control team ....

[gardenman]

Putting together a coaching staff is an interesting lesson in chemistry. Rivera hiring family members gives him an extra pair of eyes/ears in meetings to be sure the rest of the staff is united behind Rivera. Quality control coaches pretty much sit in every meeting observing what's happening. If there's an assistant coach who's not following the head coach's/coordinator's game plan, they'll see it and can report it back to the boss. Dissension among the coaches can be fatal for a team. It's clever that Del Rio's son is studying the offense while Rivera's son is monitoring the defense. That gives each of them a pair of eyes/ears on the other side of the team.

As a fan, you always think the teams should hire the best guy/gal for the job. But, what makes someone the best for the job? Nick Sirianni went with guys he knows and guys who the guys he knows know. His hires are loyal to him and will do what he wants. Nearly all are "no-name" guys you've never heard of but they're guys he knows and trusts. He considers them good teachers, good coaches, and good people. Will it work? We'll have to see. 

The Eagles have a pretty good record when it comes to hiring obscure, relatively unknown head coaches. Andy Reid came from nowhere and is one of the most successful coaches in league history. Chip Kelly replaced him and was briefly successful before flaming out. Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl. Now it's Nick Sirianni.

There are coaches in the league who are not good team members. They'll try to sabotage any coach ahead of them to try and advance. The Jason Garrett/Joe Judge situation in North Jersey is a ticking timebomb. Garrett was imposed on Joe Judge and everyone knows the Giants ownership wanted Garrett as the head coach and settled for Judge. Garrett's generally a good guy and likely won't actively sabotage Judge, but Judge could be trying to sabotage Garrett to get him out and replace him with someone more loyal to Judge. Marc Colombo, the Giants' former o-line coach, was loyal to Garrett and Judge managed to force him out and replace him with a guy more loyal to Judge. in Dave Guglielmo. Marc Colombo has always been a pretty good o-line coach. He was the o-line coach for five years in Dallas under Garrett, so the two knew one another well. Judge got Colombo flushed. Will he target Garrett next? We'll have to see.

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@gardenman wrote:

Putting together a coaching staff is an interesting lesson in chemistry. Rivera hiring family members gives him an extra pair of eyes/ears in meetings to be sure the rest of the staff is united behind Rivera. Quality control coaches pretty much sit in every meeting observing what's happening. If there's an assistant coach who's not following the head coach's/coordinator's game plan, they'll see it and can report it back to the boss. Dissension among the coaches can be fatal for a team. It's clever that Del Rio's son is studying the offense while Rivera's son is monitoring the defense. That gives each of them a pair of eyes/ears on the other side of the team.

As a fan, you always think the teams should hire the best guy/gal for the job. But, what makes someone the best for the job? Nick Sirianni went with guys he knows and guys who the guys he knows know. His hires are loyal to him and will do what he wants. Nearly all are "no-name" guys you've never heard of but they're guys he knows and trusts. He considers them good teachers, good coaches, and good people. Will it work? We'll have to see. 

The Eagles have a pretty good record when it comes to hiring obscure, relatively unknown head coaches. Andy Reid came from nowhere and is one of the most successful coaches in league history. Chip Kelly replaced him and was briefly successful before flaming out. Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl. Now it's Nick Sirianni.

There are coaches in the league who are not good team members. They'll try to sabotage any coach ahead of them to try and advance. The Jason Garrett/Joe Judge situation in North Jersey is a ticking timebomb. Garrett was imposed on Joe Judge and everyone knows the Giants ownership wanted Garrett as the head coach and settled for Judge. Garrett's generally a good guy and likely won't actively sabotage Judge, but Judge could be trying to sabotage Garrett to get him out and replace him with someone more loyal to Judge. Marc Colombo, the Giants' former o-line coach, was loyal to Garrett and Judge managed to force him out and replace him with a guy more loyal to Judge. in Dave Guglielmo. Marc Colombo has always been a pretty good o-line coach. He was the o-line coach for five years in Dallas under Garrett, so the two knew one another well. Judge got Colombo flushed. Will he target Garrett next? We'll have to see.

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@gardenman 

Yep, "office politics" NFL style....LOL!!!  More about loyalty than who is the best.....more about the HC protecting his back.....

Joe Gibbs put together a pretty good staff---DC Richie Petitbon a leftover from Jack Pardees coaching staff but considered one of the top coaches in the NFL at the time.... (keep in mind owner Jack Kent Cooke paid the Redskin Assistants more than what some HC's were getting on other teams).....And we had the best O-Line coach in the NFL, Joe Bugel, he also became the Redskins OC and then the Redskins Assistant Head Coach.....The coaching staff seemed to get along and they tell stories about their infamous Coaches Friday Night pizza and movie nights....

ITA, that behind the scenes drama with the NY Giant coaching staff seems like a keg of dynamite just ready to explode at any moment....LOL

[teganslaw]

I would trust in Nick Sirianni's choices for coaching. He did well in Indy, and it looks like he's off to a good start in Philly. I don't know how it will reflect on the field, but I'm optimistic. 

I am getting annoyed with all the hype surrounding Julio Jones. Some are making him out to be like the second coming. He's a good receiver, but this is overdone. According to some analysts, might as well hand Tennessee the Lombardi trophy already. 

I'll admit it wouldn't be as bad if the Titans were in a different division. Being a rival team makes things worse. I can understand why other NFC East fans get annoyed with Cowboys hype.

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@teganslaw wrote:

I would trust in Nick Sirianni's choices for coaching. He did well in Indy, and it looks like he's off to a good start in Philly. I don't know how it will reflect on the field, but I'm optimistic. 

I am getting annoyed with all the hype surrounding Julio Jones. Some are making him out to be like the second coming. He's a good receiver, but this is overdone. According to some analysts, might as well hand Tennessee the Lombardi trophy already. 

I'll admit it wouldn't be as bad if the Titans were in a different division. Being a rival team makes things worse. I can understand why other NFC East fans get annoyed with Cowboys hype.

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@teganslaw 

ITA---the media is certainly overdoing the Julio talk ----and with all the hype they do make the Titans sound a lot like the Dallas Cowboys 😄

[Spurt]

WFT Studs and Duds at minicamp---

STUDS--

QB Taylor Heinicke----Although the starting QB job is in Fitz's hands, but River has said he is looking forward to an open competition between Heinicke and Fitz.  But one cannot overlook Taylor's command of the offense, his accuracy and athleticism he displayed throughout camp..Fitz will really have to bring it in July and August to stave off Heinicke.....

RB-Antonio Gibson---His toe injury is healed and he has gone full speed at camp...

CB Benjamin St-Juste---He gave outstanding performances throughout camp, and stopped every WR he was put up against....Jack Del Ro has been toying with the idea to put St-Juste, Jackson and Fuller out on the field together and they would create quite a trio! 

CB Bobby McCain---Even though he just came aboard he had 3 INTS in team drills....he's been quite a ballhawk in minicamp....

The defense dominated camp with good plays from Young, McCain and others.....

THE DUDS

CB Troy Apke---Also known as the fans "punching bag"...Rivera gave him a chance at CB, but the jury is still out whether he will get a roster spot...

TE/WR Sammis Reyes--converting from basketball to the NFL is not easy and despite his athletic ability he continues to have drops, and makes mental mistakes. He's way behind the #1 TE Logan, as well as Bates and  Seals-Jones.  

S/CB Landon Collins---coming off an Achilles injury all he could do at camp is watch....He may end up on the PUP list....or a chance he could even be cut....

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Kicker Dustin Hopkins won over teammates with a proposal to Coach Rivera---They were supposed to have a final conditioning drill with the "much loved" wind sprints..Dustin stepped up and said, "Coach, I’ll tell you what, if I split the uprights with a 50-yarder can we call it day?" Rivera said. "So I made the deal with him and he split it." Hopkins did get it right through the uprights, sending the players into a frenzy that mimicked when school is out for the summer......

[Spurt]

@gardenman 

Other thoughts regarding the NFC East---

A discussion centered on the NFC East and Bogger McFarland commented, "The Cowboys should be called "ALLAS" because they have no D.........🤣🤣🤣

ESPN's HOMER for the NY Giants, Max Kellerman, couldnt rave enough about all aspects of his team....offense, defense, QB, O-line....I dont know what team he's been watching.....🤔

Former Eagles Pro Bowler and current Philadelphia radio host Ike Reese was asked who he thinks will win the NFC East this season. "Washington," Reese said. 

Reese said he favors the culture and identity Washington head coach Ron Rivera has brought over teams like Philadelphia or Dallas. "I think Washington has a team that's sort of built like a team that I would like a team to be built," Reese said. "You talk about physical, tough-minded football that aren't going to abandon the running game, understand the importance of field position, those types of things, and you know just sound decision-making."

For Reese, the Eagles are too tough to predict as the two most important positions of QB and head coach are unproven, Dallas' defense isn't up to par compared to Washington, and the New York Giants may be the furthest away. So for the Burgundy and Gold the biggest key to repeating as NFC East champions is simple---QB Fitzpatrick and CONSISTENCY!---

"The thing that I like about him is his moxie, and that's the type of stuff that rubs off on the other players," Reese said. "It's about what you ask him to do. If you don't ask him to carry a team, I think he'll be a more than adequate quarterback. But if you ask him to put the team on his back and throw for 300 yards every weekend, then you're asking for trouble when you do that. He's going to give you six or seven very good games, but you have to expect four or five bad games or at least three bad games and two so-so games. That's just what he's been."......................