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And Now We Know: The Eagles 2013 Draft Reflection
Photo via Delco Times (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
There has been a ton of speculation regarding the changes that would inevitably take place once Big Balls Chip Kelly was hired as the head coach of the Eagles. So far, most of the analysis has been fairly shallow.
He’s not a bore at his press conferences, he plays music at practices, he talks a mean game about having a mean team. That’s fantastic, however, still only a few crumbs of food from a king’s feast. The draft finally provided an opportunity to develop a sincere understanding of Chip’s philosophy and the general direction of the franchise.
The key word at the center of this draft is the word versatility. Every player that the Eagles drafted this year (Barkley excluded) has the ability to be used in multiple looks. Lane Johnson can play left and right tackle, Zach Ertz could feasibly be four different positions on the field on any given play, and guys like Jordan Poyer played safety and corner in college. All of this plays to Chip Kelly’s favor and supports his notion of putting players in the position to succeed.
Many times that sentiment is lip service from coaches. Andy Reid had a square peg (Michael Vick) and bludgeoned it to smithereens with a hammer (passed 45 times a game). This attitude of fitting players into a scheme rather than catering to their talents is a disservice to the team, the organization, and the fans.
Kelly and the Reid Conundrum
While Chip Kelly has been assembling his staff (and hanging out at the Wing Bowl), there’s been a key piece still missing: defensive coordinator.
So, despite the bevy of “unofficial” assistants with undefined roles wandering around in Eagles green I have to ask myself one simple question. Does Chip Kelly have any clue what took place the last two years?
One of, if not THE fatal move for Reid took place when the Eagles hired Jim Washburn before finding a defensive coordinator. As a result, many options declined the opportunity and Reid was forced to convert Juan Castillo over to the defensive side of the ball. Castillo had not worked on the defensive side of the ball since 1989.
This year has a similar feel.
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An Extensive Review of Nick Foles: Foles v. Vick
Although some have already written off the possibility that Nick Foles could play for Chip Kelly next season, Kelly has indicated that he’ll tailor his system to the players that he has and will not really be running an ‘Oregon Offense’ in Philly. So the possibility remains that Foles could earn the starting job next season, and that deserves some analysis. Or in this case, a lot of analysis.
Heads up: All of the statistical analysis of Nick Foles below comes with the caveat of a small sample size, and we all know that weird things can happen in a small sample (i.e. Bryce Brown had the highest rushing-yards-per-game average after starting 2 games). So yeah, it’s academically improper to draw conclusions from a small sample… but where is the fun in that?
Andy Reid has long been considered a ‘Quarterback Guru’ by analysts, experts, and league insiders. You can make a good case that this reputation was rightfully earned, not just for Donovan McNabb’s success and Michael Vick’s career rehabilitation, but also for making Kevin Kolb and A.J. Feeley look pretty enough to trade, and earning a playoff berth with a zombie that was once named Jeff Garcia.
After enduring several weeks of repeated trauma at the hands of opposing defenses, Vick suffered a brain injury against the Cowboys in Week 10. Reid was then tasked with making the most out of newcomer Nick Foles for a stretch that concluded with the rookie breaking his hand in the season’s penultimate game. Foles finished that game, by the way. You can knock these guys in a lot of ways, but you sure can’t say they aren’t tough.
Anyway, here’s how he and Vick stacked up at the end.
Standard Passing
| Age | GS | QBrec | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int | Sack | Yds | 4QC | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Vick | 32 | 10 | 3-7-0 | 204 | 351 | 58.1 | 2362 | 12 | 10 | 78.1 | 28 | 149 | 3 |
| Nick Foles | 23 | 6 | 1-5-0 | 161 | 265 | 60.8 | 1699 | 6 | 5 | 79.1 | 20 | 131 | 1 |
| Team Total | 25.9 | 4-12-0 | 367 | 618 | 59.4 | 4075 | 18 | 15 | 78.6 | 48 | 284 | 4 |
| Age | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Vick | 32 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 11.6 | 236.2 | 5.83 | 5.27 | 7.4 |
| Nick Foles | 23 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 10.6 | 242.7 | 5.50 | 5.13 | 7.0 |
| Team Total | 25.9 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 11.1 | 254.7 | 5.69 | 5.22 | 7.2 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
The Wooder Cooler Weekly Podcast – 01/18/13
Here’s what we’re talking about:
Chip Kelly and the future of the Eagles (0:00)
“4th and 26″ (30:00)
Flyers talk about the upcoming season and the defense (33:00)
Sixers and Bynum update (41:00)
Play:
Right Click for Download: The Wooder Cooler Weekly Podcast 1/18/13
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The Wooder Cooler Weekly Podcast – 1/12/12
Here’s what we’re talking about:
Eagles coaching talk (0:00)
Hockey and the Flyers are back! (11:00)
Sixers lament (24:00)
Click above to play or Right Click Here to Download
What are you talking about around the water cooler this week? Leave us a comment!
The Boondoggle: Andy Reid traded to San Diego for GM A.J. Smith
“I can end you, son.”
Contrary to reports that both had been fired, Andy Reid’s remaining contract has been traded to the San Diego Chargers for the rights to general manager A.J. Smith.
“I myself believe, as many of you believe, that this team needs a culture change,” team owner Jeffrey Lurie announced to the media on Monday. “I’ve studied the past couple seasons, and it’s obvious we’ve regressed significantly since the departure of Joe Banner. Howie Roseman is our most skillful talent evaluator, but frankly he just isn’t enough of a dick.”
Andy Reid Fired: The Taxing End of an Era
It’s finally happened.
After 14 seasons Andy Reid has been fired as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. I’ve been waiting about ten weeks to write that sentence, but I didn’t realize how much writing it would actually impact me.
Reid? Fired? It reminds me of how I felt when I heard that Brian Dawkins signed a deal with the Denver Broncos: confused, concerned, and empty.
Confused by the absence of the guy who has led this team since I was nine years old. The guy who took us frem Bobby Hoying to Donovan McNabb, to regular NFC championship appearances, and a Super Bowl. While I have flashes of memories from the pre-Reid era, Reid has been the embodiment of Eagles football for as long as I’ve been an obsessive fan. It’s bizarre to know that all of the moments and players and games that I remember – my entire childhood of football – are now the symbols of a crumbled empire. History.
The Wooder Cooler Weekly Podcast – 12/27/12
Here’s what we’re talking about:
Eagles season wrap-up, offseason possibilities, the draft, and Chip Kelly (0:00)
Sixers 8-game road trip, free agency, and possible trades (19:30)
Eagles-Giants prediction (49:30)
What are you talking about around the water cooler this week? Leave us a comment!
The Wooder Cooler Weekly Podcast – 12/19/12
Here’s what we’re talking about:
The NFC Playoff race, Eagles v. Redskins, and NFL incidentals (0:00)
Philly’s newest pitchers (35:00)
Did Kobe really stunt Bynum’s growth? (42:00)
What are you talking about around the water cooler this week? Leave us a comment!
