"Catch a Wave"--- Eagles gladly accept a day off from the storm...
Crazy tropical depression hanging over Lehigh... Andy Reid wisely called outside practice off and moved it inside to the covered field house...
Adding new meaning to the Brizerian/JB saying--- "Welp, off to da gym...."
Perhaps sensing his players could see the finish line, head coach Reid backed off on them Saturday afternoon, calling only for shorts and shells. Then, when they were forced indoors almost immediately after practice began due to a rainstorm, the practice became that much easier because the harder surface essentially limited them to another walk-through.
"Coach kind of threw us a little bit of a bone today," rookie defensive end Vinny Curry said. "But you know what? We're still fast and furious and we're still focused on the task at hand, which is to get better. Even without the pads on, you still have to put things together. There's still certain techniques that we still get to work on, so guys out here are still looking to get better."
Chalk this up as Reid having the pulse of his team once again. In a camp where so many players are either playing through pain or being forced to the sideline temporarily with injuries, Saturday's indoor respite was exactly what the team needed at exactly the right time.
"It's been tough," running back LeSean McCoy said. "A lot of guys are sore. I think Coach has tried to get kind of the mindset of just being tough and kind of fighting adversity. [These are the] dog days where it's hot out, guys are banged up, but stick it out and work hard. Eventually it will pay off."
As far as the main practice now being held in the afternoon, most players are behind the idea. "I hope so," tight end Brent Celek said. "You don't know until we start the season. Obviously I haven't been out at too many of the afternoon practices, but a lot of the guys like it. In the afternoon, you're more awake, more alert. Sometimes in the morning, you wake up, you come out here, you've got to be at practice at 8 o'clock in the morning, hitting people, it starts off a little bit slow. I know these practices have been more intense from what the guys have said, and hopefully that carries over."
Celek hasn't been on the practice field since injuring his knee on July 26. But Brett Brackett, who's getting some extra work at that TE position as a result, has taken up the slack, and he's making the most of it. His solid work, which sometimes includes repetitions with the first team at training camp, is one of the main reasons Celek has barely been missed in TC so far.
Brackett, Clay Harbor and undrafted rookie Chase Ford are the only other tight ends in camp, and all have been doing what's required. For tight ends in this system, that's mainly to run precise routes, don't jump offside on the way, and catch the ball before trying to turn up the field or as you're getting pummeled by a safety or linebacker, whichever comes first.
To put it simply, the tight end position has not been an issue in this camp, where Brackett, a Penn State graduate, has developed much more rapport with quarterbacks Michael Vick and Mike Kafka than he did while spending the final eight weeks of last season on the team's practice squad. So if Brackett does wind up climbing to that next level for a spot on the active roster, he will have Celek to thank no matter what.
"Brent's done a great job helping us out a lot, even though he hasn't been able to be out there with us," Brackett said. "And I think that the reps still would have been there. I can't attribute it to that. But I try to make the most of any opportunity I get and I try to make this team better. If I can do that, I might wind up sticking around. That would be the best-case scenario for me. So I'm just trying to work hard on every rep I get and finish strong."
If Brackett does make it, it would be all the more remarkable considering the positions changes he's made to get to this point. Brackett came out of Lawrence (N.J.) High School as a quarterback, then was asked to move to wide receiver after arriving at Penn State. No problem. Brackett simply utilized the all-around athletic skills that helped him score more than 1,000 points for his high school basketball team. He made the transition easily, going on to play in 52 games (15 starts), with 56 catches for 714 yards and seven touchdowns. As a senior starter, he caught 39 passes for 525 yards and five TDs.
Then came the NFL and another position change request. Brackett never blinked. He spent the 2011 preseason with the Miami Dolphins, who originally signed him as an undrafted free agent, before catching on with Jacksonville's practice squad and, finally, the Eagles, a team that thought highly enough of him to re-sign him after the season ended. That de facto head start to this season is what's helping him now more than anything else, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said.
"We already knew quite a little bit about him," Mornhinweg said. "We didn't know quite what he could do [on the line] because we don't do that much hitting during the season. He sure has had a real good camp up to date. He's sort of going up and down, but he's got a lot of hard work left, just like everybody does. But yeah, he's certainly athletic and can run and catch."
What Brackett must do to become a complete tight end is block, which in his case will be the deal-maker. Or deal-breaker... To that end, he's embraced offensive line coach Howard Mudd's "hopping" technique and believes he's getting closer every day to mastering it enough to make a difference on Sundays in the fall. Having been a quarterback in high school and a wide receiver in college, this is Brackett's biggest and most important adjustment.
Brett Brackett in his Penn State days... now, 2 years later--- 6-5, 246, and running out of time after a PS8 stint in Miami, Jacksonville and Philly the past season...
Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Julian Vandervelde holds his bleeding hand up to the rain as he heads off the field after a lightning strike forced practice to be continued indoors at NFL football training camp Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in Bethlehem, Pa. (AP Photo/The Express-Times, Stephen Flood)
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I was touched watching the recap of Colts practice today. It was nice to see the entire team kneel and pray for Andy Reid. The reporter mentioned the connection with Grigson and Eagles.......and their motley crew of ex eagles.....Justice, McGlynn, Fokou, Lloyd, DJ Jones....come to mind
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Looks like Brozer's boy Kolb is brittle. However, they don't have any OL at all. Good thing we are playing them early in the season. Conversely, that C Campbell remains a beast
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Welp,..off to da mancave....WENCH!!!!!!,..me slippers,.pipe,..and jug o' brew,..and make it snappy,..or NO SOUP for you!!!....GK.
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OK - 'nuff hugging.....
Anyone think it would be totally CRAZY for Kolb to eventually fly his way back?
At a discount?
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@Palm Feathers difficult ,..but not impossible...Why?...you dislike what we gots?...Perk up!
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You guys would know this better than me - for sure.
Although I like what we got in trade.......
I just sometimes have the feeling...we let on 'get away'.
OK - I'm done.
A dip in the Pool
A Perk Up
A football game
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Welp,..my bro,.who's a great name dropper,..plays alot of golf. Chatted with the latest multi millionaire in the Philly Sports arena,....at a local golf course,.where dere boff members,..Cole Hamels. On one hole,.near the green,.. Cole moved his ball to get a better lie,..and dey busted on him...He cracked up,..put the ball back,..and proceeded to chip it in.....Hilarious!!!..true story.
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Quote of the day--"I almost never get an erection when I hug another man". Awesome. Almost never.
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Gotta admit PPW -
nothing wrong with hugging a man - done that MANY times - MANY.
Hugging doesn't always lead to dancing
- sometimes it means "F**kin A - THANKS !!!!!"
Sometimes a hug is just a hug.
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In perhaps a slightly dark circumstance...this is a time for Vick to continue to step up - be THE leader. The young guys on our Eagles need you.
" 'cmon Michael - we know you're only human but THIS IS YOUR TIME."
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@Palm Feathers Or will he be like Spicoli,..ordering a pizza,.in Mr. Hand's history class,..under the auspices of "OUR time?"
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I wanna hug palmer, cause i give hugs, and i promise not to hug hard cause i know you arent.... young. Plus i almost never get an erection when i hug another man. Well i usually dont get an erection
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not young? When I gets out of this brace I'll come up there and kick some A**..........!!!!!!
Erections notwithstanding..........
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did anyone else catch Banner moving to the Browns.....maybe he will be putting a consortium together to buy the Browns from Lerner....
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first the Luries, now this with Reid....this season is shaping up like a Shakesperian tragedy...i hope the Eagles do something classy on their helmet. Always liked the black stripe over the Eagle Wing...should be worn all season...Prayers are out to the Reids.
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@donpardo Good direction, Don Pardo--- Maybe somewhat cynically, I find a lack of historical reference to the death of Jim Johnson not that so long ago... Maybe because he was not so young or not the son of the head coach, but I found his death during TC equally tragic...
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@Tom Jackson @donpardo his death was expected,.not that it makes it less tragic,..just different.
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haha,..the Doctor hated doing that commercial!!!...And deep down inside,..he felt he owed us nothing. True story.
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@Palm Feathers the hated IOU was PAID in FULL,...and became a joke,..to da CHAMPS,.including BC and the Doctor.
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Does anyone mind if I get a little 'corny' for a minute?
- NO?
- thanks......
it's all about Family - blood and, in this case, electronic. Belonging and being a part of something.
I consider this place (Eagles Eye) a little bit of a 'Family' to me - I don't know if that comes across as odd or whatever.
One of the ways a family is 'cemented' is sharing.
At this time - right now - I want to share a season and God willing a DEEP shot into the playoffs.
Bring it baby - and like Doc J once said...........they owe us - ONE.
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"Perspective" gradually settling in... thanks, Palmetto...
and for the record---
I find Nuuuuudlz to be an extremely handsome man...
PoshSpice....
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Annndddd...just for the record...
I'm standing in about 5 inches deep of Kool-Aide and looking for SOMEONE to calibrate my poles.
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My heart goes out to the Reids....we aren't wired to bury our kids - PERIOD.
May God Bless them.
This too shall pass. The show MUST go on - the season starts tonight.
Everybody get in - sit down - and hang on.
Really pulling for Kolb tonight.
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What sux is the pregame show before the hall of fame game is either saints news weve all heard before or the Reids tragedy. Its a damn shame. I kerp watchin this im gnna cry. I suck!
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Hahaha Sean Peyton is going to coach his sons football team this season. If i was one of the other youth coaches i would be rip shit over that. Its funny as hell though.
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Gentlemen . . . I dont know how many of you know someone who has gone through what Reid and his wife are going through. My grandmother has lost two children. My heart breaks every time I talk to her . . . she still lives only because of her faith. I'm sure Reid will find a way to work through this because of his faith and character and resolve, but . . . this will ultimately break him.
I ask that we all remember this the next time we get irritated or critical towards the Eagles. Rag on the players all you want. Reid is off limits.
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@Nuuuuuuudler Andy will decide what breaks him. Whatever that means....Bottomline: Everyman goes through challenges. Andy's will is strong enough to help US get through ours. Moreover,...knowing him tells me,..he wants no passes. That would be insulting to him and his legacy. Perk up and nice to see yur ugly face again,..guvna'.
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@briview @Nuuuuuuudler You got that right. Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudler is one ugly man.
