Eagles getting hammered with TC injuries to defensive line...
The Eagles head into Thursday with their entire starting defensive line sidelined by injuries, a potentially troublesome situation if some guys don't recover as expected. But with Jason Babin (calf strain), Cullen Jenkins (hamstring) and Trent Cole (shoulder strain) out of the picture temporarily, it gives the coaches a chance to better sort out the logjam behind them.
On Wednesday, for example, Darryl Tapp and Brandon Graham, who each battled through lingering injury problems a year ago, were able to get almost all of the first-team DE repetitions at training camp.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (54) tries to muscle past center Dallas Reynolds (66) at their training camp at Lehigh University in Bethlehem on Wednesday. (MICHAEL KUBEL, THE MORNING CALL / August 1, 2012)
Graham has come into this camp healthier than ever before. And the injuries to Babin and Cole mean he'll probably start the team's first preseason game next Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"That's going to be the first time for me to show them what I'm going to do in the games," he said, "and that's how I'm taking it — like it's my first step to where I want to be and hopefully it goes exactly how I planned it to go, how I envisioned it to go. All I can do is work hard, and that's what I'm going to do and we'll see when that day comes."
Graham also knows he must forge his own identity, which is why he laughed when asked if he is more like Babin or Cole. "I'm more of a Brandon Graham," he said. "But those guys are great players. Everybody's got their own unique things about themselves. I feel like I'm just trying to get better just with my run game and just get better in all areas. So I've just got to keep doing what [defensive line] coach [Jim] Washburn asks and I can't wait. I just can't wait."
Tapp, on the other hand, followed up a strong training camp with an excellent season-opening performance in a romp over St. Louis last year. Tapp had a sack, four tackles and three hurries before tearing a pectoral muscle and missing the next three games.
Then, just as he started to round back into form from that, he broke a rib in a game at Miami on Dec. 18. "It was frustrating in that aspect last year," Tapp said, "but like I said, I know what to expect in this defense, I know what Coach Washburn wants. The biggest thing now in training camp, especially the way Coach Reid runs a tough training camp, is taking it quick ourselves and get our legs back so we can go out there and just play."
Tapp views the injuries to the starters as more of an opportunity for the lesser-experienced ends who are battling for what probably will only be three roster spots behind the starters.
"It's good work for all of us, yes," Tapp said. "I kind of know what to expect because Coach Washburn rotates us regularly. But it's very good for like Phillip Hunt and Vinny Curry and Monte Taylor..."
Taylor, however, also will be out for awhile after suffering a concussion on Wednesday.
The defensive tackle group is in a similar situation as the defensive ends, provided Cullen Jenkins, who went for an MRI on Wednesday night after injuring a hamstring in practice, is not out for an extended period. DT Mike Patterson has already been ruled out indefinitely after the surgeon who repaired tangled blood vessels in his brain was not satisfied with how the skull was healing.
This means more work than expected for Derek Landri, Antonio Dixon, Ollie Ogbu, Cedric Thornton and rookies Fletcher Cox and Frank Trotter.
Meanwhile, it was Military Appreciation Day at Lehigh, and an appropriate day for former USAF officer Chad Hall to shine...
Hall, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a former second lieutenant stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Salt Lake City, shaved his head at midfield as an effort to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project. He was joined on the field by 300 members of the five branches of the U.S. armed forces as part of the team's annual Military Day at training camp.
"I'm really just trying to take our minds off us and really appreciate these guys and what they do for our country," Hall said Wednesday. "We're fighting on the field, but it's so minuscule to what these people do for us. They're overseas fighting for our freedom every day."
After practice ended, members of the military joined Eagles backup quarterback Trent Edwards, guard Evan Mathis and several other players in shaving Hall's head. The last person to take hold of the razor was Wounded Warrior Project representative Shane Parsons, a retired sergeant with the U.S. Army.
Six years ago, Parsons was on a mission in Rhamadi, Iraq, when anti-coalition forces attacked his convoy. A roadside bomb detonated under his Humvee. Parsons, now 26, suffered a severe anoxic brain injury. He also suffered three cardiac arrests, underwent 15 operations, and eventually had both legs amputated above the knee.
Kinda puts the current "injury crisis" of the Eagles in perspective, I think... and certainly re-defines the term "tough training camp"...
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Beanie))) will turn it in for the night. Plan to start my weekend by watching a session of South Africa England second test. If England doesn't get an early wicket, SA will set them a target of about 470+
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Funny thing about Howie and Grigson is that they scouted players together so they probably have the same scoop and impression of the players. Also, no tricks involved as they were both schooled in the Banner way of life
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@beanstalk I think they've decided to stop trying to outsmart other people and just draft the productive guy
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@Kenemeka @beanstalk That and Andy realised he wasn't good enough to install a former LB as Oline coach just to maintain control... Mudd and Washburn killed it... Juan has a REAL shot this year to do something, but was set up pretty badly last year with a massive D overhaul... Todd Bowles signing shows me that Lurie won't accept excuses this time
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Some say they would have loved to see Marsh make more plays........haven't heard a whole lot about Hughes either. I think Joselio stays. He will be our outside cb if any of the starters has to miss a game
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Beanie))) I'm thinking the reason we had to take Thomas off the Colts was to balance the salaries.......money Colgs would owe him, since they would pay Fomou and Lloyd
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Local NBC Indy is on at home and they just showed that Thomas CB we traded for.....missed a bunch of tackles against Saints in the clip shown
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A couple of years ago, Harris was considered a first rd prospect before his off field stuff. That means he has talent
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@Kenemeka @beanstalk Ideally yes...
But I figured Harris gos to PS for being skinny unless he can outplay Marsh and Hughes at press.. I am not sure if Kevin Thomas is JUST a camp body
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Don't wanna hear about Chad Hall. He's. Dem here for two years. At best, he's average. I feel we are better off with an additional LB or TE or DE or RB
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@Kenemeka Nah he is smart enough to play conservative, mistake free football.....With aN AVERAGE body....
I think we keep our D-line stacked too
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@Kenemeka @beanstalk Wes Welker was called that for 3 or 4 seasons... Just sayin...
I want Damaris, but can see the attraction in Hall
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I was watchin his highlights on Youtube... Maybe it was because he was doing so many things on O.. He didn't Stand out to me on returns
@TheGreatJB99 Do ya keep a specialist returner? Or do ya think he has done enough to beat Hall?
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So Damaris is the new #1 PR, eh? Sweetness, can't wait to see him in preseason returning punts. That definitely helps his chance of making the 53 man roster. April sounds like he's really high on DaJon mustard.
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Greeting and salutations from the frozen tundra of Calagry where the high today was a blustery and rainy 52... God only knows what it was in Celsius!!!
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I was definate bout the LB's being thinned out, and am glad they weren't just Cut... Well done FO again for making some move instead of throwing away lost/failed cases
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@Dr Funt @beanstalk hes a camp body. The pick is wat matters, something for nothing is better then nothing.
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@Dr Funt @beanstalk hes a camp body. The pick is wat matters, something for nothing is better then nothing.
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@beanstalk trash but the Thomas guy runs well when healthy... he has had injury issues since College and was beat out by Justin King who was cut the Rams who had an awful secondary last season...
