Shagging for the Eagles is like being a member of the choir in the Church of "A Miserable Joy"...

Every off-season is a new day of promise. Things will change for the better. It won't be long before the boogaloo down Lombardi Street vindicates our faith and carries us away...

Doc Rivers led the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship not all that long ago. Yet as the next season opened and a reporter asked how he liked coaching, Doc called his job "a miserable joy."

A "miserable joy"? Rivers was saying that no matter how impressive his last victory, a coach is only as good as his next game: "Nice job on today's success, Coach...now a million armchair experts await your next mistake."

I got into a friendly little debate with Bleeding-Green-93 over at the PE.com Wall. He said Chip Kelly could win it all in 2013, but it probably wouldn't happen. I said I'd be extremely pleased with a 9-7 regular season record, with no guarantee of a playoff appearance. Getting into the playoffs would be icing on the cake.

Beanstalk of Evans Head, Australia wants us to tank out at 4-12 again...this way, he reasons, we can double-load up in the 2014 Draft and become even more stout for a deep playoff run in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Deferred gratification is a nice strategic thought, but it does not inspire attendance in the Church of "A Miserable Joy".

Our resident anti-Christ and curmudgeon royale Sunbutts takes a dim view of the faithful:

"Wow! Eagles' QB situation is really something to be super excited about... Not to mention a base team that was a combined 12-18 last two seasons...Not to mention that the FO is newly  manned and of questionable quality. Same with HC and coaching staff...Not to mention that other than Peters, OL is mediocre---that is if all other veterans  shake off serious 2012 injuries...."Hope" is the last resort of the condemned.  (Old Moonbeam homily--circa 2013)"

And so it goes

I tend to be of the "Why Not?" religion when it comes to my favorite professional sports team. And there's something to be said for having faith in an organization that has shown promise and proximity to greatness despite the frustration of always falling just a little short.

It's like the beauty of Spring...there's always hope and some sense of delight in the change of the season, despite the memory of a long hard winter. It's the season of a miserable joy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Geno Smith, Eric Fisher and Dion Jordan visited the NovaCare Complex last the week. Sharrif Floyd was scheduled to do the same on Friday. And the Eagles also held a private workout with offensive lineman Lane Johnson at an undisclosed location, according to a league source.

Johnson, projected to be a Top 10 or 15 pick, met with the Eagles at the Combine. They were extremely high on him, according to sources. It was there he also showcased the size and athleticism that makes him attractive to new coach Chip Kelly.

The Oklahoma product measured 6-foot-6, 303 pounds with an impressive 35 1/4-inch arm length. His 4.72 time in the 40-yard dash, 34-inch vertical leap and 118-inch broad jump were among the tops for offensive linemen.

Johnson is considered by most the third-best offensive tackle in the draft behind Luke Joeckel and Fisher. Joeckel is expected to visit with the Eagles next week.

The most likely scenario for Johnson's landing in Philadelphia would be if the Eagles traded out of the No. 4 spot. If the Eagles moved back in the first round there is a distinct possibility that Johnson could be their pick. It is believed that they would like to add more selections later in this deep draft, and moving back in the first round would give them more ammunition.

Offensive tackle is one position the Eagles are expected to address. They currently have two starting tackles in their 30's returning from serious injury. Todd Herremans (foot) and Jason Peters (Achilles) are proven players, but come with health concerns. Even if both are healthy, Herremans could shift to right guard with a newly drafted tackle on board. Joeckel, Fisher and Johnson are all possibilities.

We conclude today's service with this message: The bigger the target, the more people shoot at it. The thing is, you don't let it change your game . . . in the high calling of our daily work.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.          (Matt. 5:11-12)

[To get into the "COMMENTS" section today, just double-click on the TITLE of the blurb...]

 

Opening Day means baseball in Philly, and it's a glorious and mild day for it this year. This time of year always inspires a feeling of criminality in me, as old desires to play hooky from school and escape to the ball park assert their ancient hold on me.

I've always known that major league baseball dated back to sometime around 1880, but I never bothered to research the exact origin of the Philadelphia Phillies. So today in lieu of going to the game, I went to MLB.com and sure enough there's a mini-history of the franchise.

To sum up: the Phillies are the oldest, continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional sports. I did not know that...

The original Phillies began when the Worcester Ruby Legs were disbanded in 1882 and the franchise was moved by the National League to Philadelphia. Al Reach, who in 1866 had become the first professional baseball player and was later a successful sporting goods dealer, became the Phillies first owner along with attorney John Rogers. Reach named the team the Phillies.

The first Phillies game was played May 1, 1883 at Recreation Park on the corner of 24th Street and Ridge Avenue with the club losing 4-3 to the Providence Grays. The club would go on to win just 17 of 98 games that season, pitcher John Coleman losing 48 of them.

The Time Line continues from there and makes fascinating reading if you're into such things... http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/history/timeline.jsp

Meanwhile over at the Eagles NovaCare Training Complex it's opening day for a lot of Eagles players, too, as they're discovering their new locker assignments and really getting into seasonal conditioning drills.

DeMeco Ryans, inside linebacker...

It's no secret that Chip Kelly has brought a new culture  to the Eagles clubhouse, as most players are finding out this week.

Players who reported for this week's voluntary workouts at the NovaCare Complex discovered that their lockers have been moved around, there is new cuisine in the dining room and even the pattern and pace of their workouts in the weight room have been revamped.

David Weinberg of the Atlantic City Press got some nice sound bytes from several players who were willing to talk about their own "opening day" experience with Chip Kelly's "new" Eagles...

Count linebacker DeMeco Ryans among the players who have embraced the culture shock.

"In my mind, it's good for us," Ryans said Thursday after a workout at the NovaCare Complex. "I think change is good. Change is here and we should accept it. I'm excited to have Chip as my coach and I'm really looking forward to seeing how we progress and what else he has in store for us."

The biggest shakeup has been in the locker room. Although it has been off limits to the media, Ryans and other players have mentioned that the dynamic is totally different.

For the first time in at least 30 years, players' stalls are not arranged according to position. Ryans is no longer stationed with Mychal Kendricks, newcomer Connor Barwin and the other linebackers.

Quarterbacks Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Dennis Dixon and others are not next to each other. Tackle Todd Herremans told the Delaware County Times last week that he is now neighbors with new linebacker Jason Phillips instead of center Jason Kelce.

"I moved over one locker to the end by all the outlets," Herremans said. "I think it's going to help us blend a little better as a team. You're with your positions so much in the meeting rooms and everything. This will help us hold each other a little more accountable."

The players also have to get to know the coaching staff.

Running backs coach Duce Staley and tight ends coach Ted Williams are the only holdovers from last season. Kelly hired 20 new assistant coaches, strength coordinators and athletic trainers.

His most interesting addition is new sports science coordinator Shaun Huls. Huls, who has not yet been made available for comment, most recently served as the head strength and conditioning coach and combatives coordinator for Navy Special Warfare. 

"The game of football has evolved," Kelly said. "There are a lot of other sports that have evolved faster than football from a science standpoint and we want to be on the cutting edge of that. I just think it's a different experience that (Huls) brings to the table. But are we planning to attack a foreign country? No. We've got enough trouble with the 31 teams we've got in this league."

DeMeco Ryans is also excited about the changes coming to the defense and his position. Ryans will be playing inside linebacker after enjoying a solid season as the Eagles' middle linebacker in 2012.

"I don't care if it's a 4-3, 3-4, hybrid or whatever," Ryans said. "As a linebacker, it's all about having the right mindset to do get the job done with whatever is asked of you."

The Eagles have a new coaching staff and a new hybrid scheme that is expected to feature four linebackers. And with the new defense comes some old questions for Ryans.

"It was a big perception that DeMeco doesn’t ft the 3-4, 4-3, whatever," he said. "I played in that defense, in the Texans' 3-4 defense when we were the No. 1, No. 2 defense in the league. So if I didn't fit in there then we wouldn’t have been that highly ranked.”

I love it when guys talk about themselves in the third person... I don't know why.

The season Ryans was referring to was 2011. It was their first with Wade Phillips as the defensive coordinator and in a 3-4 scheme. Houston finished second in the league to the Pittsburgh Steelers in total defense. Ryans was returning from a torn Achilles the previous year and Houston also had Brian Cushing in the middle of its defense. Cushing is one of the league's best linebackers, earning second-team All-Pro honors last year. He finished the 2011 season ranked behind only San Francisco's NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis among inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus. Ryans ranked a respectable 22nd with average numbers against the pass, but rarely played on pass-rushing downs.

"That was because of the scheme they run in Houston," Ryans said in defense of himself and skills. "As you watch them now, they only play one linebacker on third down. That was Cushing. Cushing played on third downs."

It's possible Ryans will be in a similar situation this season. While Mychal Kendricks isn't anywhere near as accomplished as Cushing, he did run the fastest 40-yard dash time among all linebackers at last year's NFL Scouting Combine. His versatility is why the Eagles selected him in the second round. It wouldn't be surprising to see Kendricks as the only linebacker on the field on passing downs.

The Eagles don't mind. They kept Ryans and his $6.6 million price tag while cleaning house this offseason for a reason. They wanted his physicality on the field and leadership in the huddle and locker room on their roster, especially in the midst of a complete defensive turnover.

In reality, Ryans doesn't see much difference between the 3-4 or 4-3 scheme for the inside linebacker. His primary responsibility either way is to find the ball carrier, plug the holes and cover the middle of the field.

“It wasn’t much difference," he said. "I think a lot of people try to make it as different, but it’s not as big of a difference as people make it seem. You still have your particular run fits, you still have certain coverages. You can only run so many coverages as a defense so those coverages don’t change, whether you’re in a 4-3 or 3-4.”

"I'm excited about all this. I know Chip is going to put us in the best position to win and whatever my position is, I'll do my best. To me, Chip is a very high-energy guy and that's something we definitely need here."

A lot of behind-the-scenes stuff going on in Eagles land...

Reports say the orientation of the current players on the roster to the Chip Kelly regime is going well. DeSean Jackson says he wants and expects at least 6 touches per game from the new offense. That's a good thing when a player says he wants the ball in his hands more often, right? It worked out pretty well for HOF'er John Riggins and the Redskins back in the day...

Nick Foles says he can run Kelly's offense just fine, thank you... That's a positive coming from a 2nd year QB who knows he was being dangled as trade bait just a few short weeks ago...

Some potential negatives: Deon Lewis is now reportedly being advertised by the Eagles for a potential pre-Draft trade. A running back and kick returner with virtually no significant touches in the past two years? Good luck with that...

Then Mike Patterson signs with the Giants. Why do our Andy Reid-era transition guys from the defense seem to wind up on the Giants? First Cullen Jenkins, and now this... What's next, cats and dogs living together?

Big-name college guys keep rotating through NovaCare Complex on visits. Gavin Escobar (TE-SDSU), Dion Jordan (OLB-Oregon), Geno Smith (QB-WVU), Ziggy Ansah (DE-Utah), and Eric Fisher (OT, Central Michigan U.)  have all been in Philly this week. By the weekend expect to see Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida) and Luke Joeckel (OT, Texas A&M) under the local meet-and-greet microscope.

But if you're really looking to score big on your MACH 10 ballot, I suggest you pay attention to at least three of the following Philly area prospects invited to NovaCare this week:

Justin Pugh (above) is one of them.

Justin Pugh is benefitting from an old Eagles adage---It's a common practice for NFL teams to provide local talent an opportunity to showcase their skills. The Eagles open their doors every year for NFL draft prospects who played collegiately and/or high school in the area.

Pugh is considered a fringe first-round pick. The 6-foot-4, 307-pounder played tackle at Syracuse, but with short arms is projected as a guard in the NFL. Right guard is currently the Eagles' biggest question mark on the offensive line.

Other notables to attend the workout included Temple standout running back Montel Harris, Rutgers cornerback Brandon Jones, Temple kicker Brandon McManus, Villanova wide receiver Norman White and Iowa defensive back Greg Castillo, son of former Eagles assistant Juan Castillo.

Is it too much to ask game-crazy Eagles fans to correctly guess (or caress) the winning ticket in PowerBall or MegaMillions? Of course it is... But now you can fill in your later MACH 10 Draft rounds with prospects we know the Eagles are evaluating in person this week. That should give you some sense of control.

Here's the complete list of the 23 "Local Tryout"  players to participate at NovaCare this week:

Matt Brown, RB (Temple)
Vaughn Carraway, S (Temple)
Greg Castillo, DB (Iowa)
Brandon Copeland, LB (Penn)
Marcus Green, LB (Temple)
Montel Harris, RB (Temple)
Brandon Jones, CB (Rutgers)
Maurice Jones, DB (Temple)
Robert Lohr, DE (Vanderbilt)
Scott Lopano, P/K (Penn)
Dylan Manni, TE (Bloomsburg)
Matt Marshall, LB (Arkansas)
Darryl McBride, LB (Hawaii)
Robert McCabe, LB (Georgetown)
Brandon McManus, K (Temple)
Adam Nelson, LS (Villanova)
Justin Pugh, OG (Syracuse)
Thomas Ryan, WR (Towson)
Martin Wallace, OT (Temple)
Nihja White, WR (Delaware)
Norman White, WR (Villanova)
Paul Worrilow, LB (Delaware)
John Youboty, LB (Temple)

My guess is at least one, and maybe two, of these guys end up on the late round Draft pick list of the Eagles.

[Note--- Condolences and best wishes to Tommy Lawlor and his family members. Lawlor's dad passed away this week at age 71. He was a big Oklahoma Sooners fan. I know the Lawlors are hurting right now so I send them my prayers.]

I'm a sucker for articles on how coaches in the NFL can influence referees...

Thus I gravitated to this somewhat obscure piece by Tyler Williams of causalsports.com on how Chip Kelly speeds up the pace of his offense to avoid routine stoppage of play. And  the result is Kelly really knows how to get inside the heads of the refs when the ball is spotted after the completion of an offensive play...But if you really follow that line of thinking through, you could imagine a football game where first-down measurements were no longer required or relevant...

So I hereby present a guest editorial by the George Plimpton of NFL blogs, Mr. Tyler Williams--- Tyler is an economics PhD student and a rugby player/coach with a passion for sports.

What Does Chip Kelly Have To Do With Spotting The Ball? ---by Tyler Williams

I’m pretty excited that Chip Kelly is coming to the NFL. If you’ve watched the Oregon Ducks in recent years or the Patriots' hurry-up offense, you’re probably excited, too. It’s fun to see teams try something different, and I like seeing fast offenses break defenses’ wills using such a simple concept. Sometimes, the defense isn’t even lined up when the ball is snapped. Teams spend tons of energy trying to outsmart defenses, but a fast offense can make it easy.

If the speed game catches on, it has other possible implications. For example, the NFL could shorten the play clock to encourage game pace. Most people would enjoy more football and less standing around. Whether the play clock changes or not, teams will want smaller, faster players on offense and defense, reversing the rapid growth in player BMI over the last thirty years. A size reduction might help with concussions — though force equals mass times acceleration, and acceleration might go up —

So what does this have to do with first downs? Bear with me. The NFL has a credibility problem with its measurement technology. I chuckle every time the chain gang trundles out and the ball is measured one link short. Football certainly is a game of inches; in the case of spotting the ball and measuring ten yards, the margin of error is measured in inches. A "first down laser" would help with referees wandering up, down, and around the field, but spotting the ball is tougher.

Football acquired down-and-distance rules thanks to Walter Camp in 1882. They were intended to keep teams from sitting on the ball for the entire game, but the more recent addition of the play clock opens up other possibilities. Why not shorten the play clock and give teams a limited number of plays to traverse the entire field? To keep it simple, the rule could be

Downs = Yards to the End Zone/6,

rounded to the nearest down, with a minimum of four. So, if you get the ball on your 20, you get 80/6 = 13 plays to score. If you get the ball on the 50, you get 50/6 = 8 plays, and if you get the ball on the opponent’s 15, you still get the minimum four tries. More complicated functions might work better —  to avoid confusion, you could ditch the yard lines and repaint the field with the number of plays available in each direction.

With this system, only two spots really matter: the starting point and the touchdown-scoring play (if the team makes it that far). Errors on other spots along the way will balance out a bit before they have any real impact on possession or play calling. Both important spots can be checked with video without slowing the game much at all. That seems like a big improvement! We would have fewer commercial breaks (make each one longer if you want) with interesting chains of fast-paced, continuous attack by the offense.

What are the downsides? It’s possible that scoring would go down, since teams could grind out enough yards to pin the other team deep every time. However, the faster play clock would help with that a bit, and teams might actually score more, since their path to the end zone would be less restricted (no more requirement to get ten yards every four plays . . . ). Also, the end game gets complicated. The faster play clock helps again, since ten plays might only translate to a couple minutes, but first downs might have to come back for the last two minutes. Maybe 20 yard intervals would be a good compromise.

So, I’m hoping for big things from Chip. If he can speed up the game and show us the benefits of a shorter play clock, we might not need accurate spotting or first downs anymore. You may love all that procedure, but I just want to see the players play the game.

Send your cards and letters and e-mails to Tyler Williams at causalsports.com....

I get what Tyler is trying to say, which is we could use less measurement and more action in the game we have come to love. And to another point, he seems to be agreeing with our Australian fellow Beanstalk that the game would be better with a little more cardio injected into the action.

I try to keep an open mind on all of it.

I'm not sure Eagles fans have yet grasped the show-biz panache of recent acquisition James Casey, a FB/TE hybrid who can also heave the ball about 70 yards downfield if needed...

He's a modern-day Paul Hornung--- a guy who can do it all-- catch, run, pass, block and kick---and he's one of the new Eagles!

You can trace all of this back to the 2009 Draft.  I went back to April 26, 2009... Here is what ESPN's Paul Kuharsky was saying about Casey:

"The Eagles were able to land Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram in the fifth round (153 overall). I just had a long talk with noted draft guru Rick "Goose" Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News about Ingram. Goose had Ingram ranked 59th on his top 100 list. Ingram slipped into the fifth round because he missed the '08 season with an ACL injury, but he has the potential to be the best pass-catching tight end in the draft. Very soft hands and has great athletic ability. In fact, he played on the Florida basketball team one season."

"Teams have done a nice job taking advantage of some undervalued tight ends here in the fifth round. Unbelievable that the Texans were able to get Rice's James Casey in the fifth. He's a kid who can play fullback, tight end or quarterback in the Wildcat formation. He played in Houston, so the Texans were very familiar with him. The Cowboys did a ton of homework on him, so it was a little surprising to see them pass. Right now, draft experts inside Radio City are trying to figure out what exactly the Cowboys were hoping to accomplish today."

ESPN had previewed their highlight on Casey the day before in 2009 with this little ditty:

"James Casey is a very intriguing player, a versatile tight end who can run, catch and throw and will prompt questions about whether the Texans will bust out some Wildcat."

"He was not asked to block much at Rice -- where the Texans saw him up close -- but Houston drafted Anthony Hill 30 spots earlier and Hill may be the best blocking tight end in the draft."

I don't even pretend to know what all that means except obviously the Eagles under Chip Kelly in 2013 have decided James Casey is ready to imprint his stamp of unpredictably great contribution to an offense in a supporting role.

Cool stuff. Getting more and more up-close video meet-and-greets with Casey, he seems like a guy who knows his role but refuses to shut his mouth!

I like simple confidence, because it does not recognize failure...

Few know it now but Casey and inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans were once teammates on that 2009 Houston Texans "dream team"...His new agent convinced Ryans to join the Texans' conditioning program despite his unhappiness with his contract...

Now jump forward to 2013 and the formerly disgruntled Ryans is set at the MIKE for the Eagles...and his former teammate Casey is the newest "wonder dog" in the Eagles' offense.

We're lucky to have DeMeco Ryans under contract right now... because the bulk of the inside linebacker class of 2012 sucks...

Start with Manti Te'o... Once thought to be a first-round lock, that doesn’t seem to be case any more for the 6-foot-1, 241-pound middle linebacker.

“He’s not a first-round pick,” one personnel man said. “He never was. It was all hype with him. We never had a first-round grade on him. Now, if he’s there when we pick in the second round, yeah you would have to think about him. But I’m not sure about that, either.”

Te’o could be the poster child for a group of linebackers that, if you exclude some hybrid defensive end/linebackers, rank from average to below average. 

According to Mark Eckel of the New Jersey Times, he has an NFL personnel guy on record as saying “It’s a terrible group...it really is.”

Here’s a look at some of the linebackers in that group:

• Alec Ogletree, Georgia, 6-3, 236, 4.7 — “He’s got some issues (a DUI charge in February after being suspended the first four games of the season for failing a drug test) off the field that you have to be OK with before you take him. As a player, he’s not bad at all. He plays faster than he times. In a 4-3, I think he’s a good WILL (weakside LB), or if you play a 3-4, you could put him inside. If you use him right, I think you have a player.”

• Kevin Minter, LSU, 6-0, 246, 4.8 — “Some people put a high grade on him; I didn’t. He’s too short, and he’s too slow. I wouldn’t even think about him until the mid to late rounds, but somebody will take him earlier than that.”

• Khaseem Greene, Rutgers, 6-1, 241, 4.7 — “He’s OK. He plays faster than he times, and he plays real hard; you have to like that. He doesn’t have good instincts, though, and that could be a problem at this level. He’s not great against the run, either.”

• Arthur Brown, Kansas State, 6-0, 241, 4.67 — “(A) real try-hard guy with decent speed, but he doesn’t do much for me. I don’t think we would take him.”

• Kevin Reddick, North Carolina, 6-1, 243, 4.72 — “He put up numbers (85 tackles, 18 for loss, 6½ sacks, two forced fumbles, six pass break ups), but I’m not sure about him making the jump. I don’t think he can play MIKE in a 4-3. He’s probably best as an inside guy in a 3-4.”

Okay, I get it. Don't expect an inside LB in your Draftmas stocking this year, Iggles Fans...

But thank the Spirit of Christmas Past that our long-time poster of excellence, the one and only JERKY SUMLIN, has re-emerged from the mist of spiritual travels. Many of us old-timers here were experiencing "Jerky Withdrawal Symptoms". I for one was experiencing pangs of both longing and guilt. There's no need to further showcase my pain of longing for Jerky's daily observations... Better yet to celebrate the return of Jerky and his fresh outlook upon life and football and existence in general.

Sometimes the young boy  hidden in all our souls just needs a break to get away from it all.

The Eagles get a 2-week jump on most of their competition on Monday morning, April 1, as the league allows a brand new head coach to assemble his team earlier than most---call it a mulligan--- and begin "discussions" with his veteran players. They also get an extra minicamp series of team practice from April 16-18, which technically is "voluntary" but you know as a player you'd better be there.

Maybe it's less of a head start than a "catch-up" opportunity for Chip Kelly and the Eagles--- but here's hoping Kelly and his staff make the most of it.

Here's how the rest of OTA's and minicamps are scheduled:

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
First Day: April 1
"Bonus" Voluntary Minicamp: April 16-18
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 13-15, May 20-22, May 28-31
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6

One player who won't be at the team meeting on April 1 is Darryl Tapp. He just signed a one-year deal with the Washington Redskins for the veteran's minimum at his position.

Tapp was one of my fave Eagles, and one of Broz' Boys from Virginia Tech, but this move doesn't surprise me. It makes sense that he signed with the Redskins where he can fill a role and be closer to his home.

It's a bit of a shame because Tapp is a good guy who voluntarily took a $2.25 million cut in pay to stay with the Eagles last season.

Tapp still has game, but technically he is a defensive end in a 4-3 set. Whatever the new Eagles defense turns out to be, it will require a prototypical big run-stopping kind of DE on a 3-man front. Tapp is more of a pass-rushing DE who also has to set the edge on the outside.

Mike Jones of the Washington Post broke the story on Tapp this past Thursday. He wrote:

"A seven-year veteran out of Virginia Tech, Tapp spent the first four seasons of his career with the Seattle Seahawks and played the last three years in Philadelphia. Last season he appeared in 13 games, recording 17 tackles and half a sack."

"At 6-foot-1, 270 pounds, Tapp doesn’t fit the mold of the bigger-bodied 3-4 defensive end, so he likely will have to switch to outside linebacker in Washington’s system. The Redskins have Pro Bowl bookends Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan as their starters at right and left outside linebacker, respectively, so Tapp likely would be used as a reserve."

He could be an insurance policy for the Redskins, who were without Orakpo for most of  last season, and likely will be without backup outside linebacker Rob Jackson for the first four games of the 2013 season. Jackson was suspended after he tested positive for a banned substance.

Shortly before news of his deal with Washington broke, Tapp, a 28-year-old Portsmouth, Va., native, tweeted: “some times [you] just gotta go home.”

Of course all of this analysis begs the question why Tapp could not have also switched to outside LB for the Birds? My guess is they just don't want to pay him for a reserve role when they have guys like Trent Cole and Brandon Graham and Vin Curry in the same transitional position.

The curious case of Momah the Magnificent...

Most of you already know that the Eagles just executed what amounts to an extra draft pick by signing a free agent who was undrafted from 2011...

After spending the 2012 season out of football, 6-7 wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah worked out earlier this month with 11 of his former teammates and apparently did enough to impress the Eagles, who announced Saturday that they had signed the 235-pound Momah to a three-year contract.

Due to two (2) ACL tears, Momah only accumulated 39 catches in his college career to go with 629 yards and six touchdowns -- he also played some defensive end while at BC -- but the Eagles evidently have seen potential in him, making Momah the 13th receiver on their roster.

I don't want to get too excited about this prospect.  "IF HE ANY GOOD" Momah can stick around as a PS8 project.  But New Orleans was ready to make him an offer, too. That tells me sumlin. It also explains why Momah got a 3-year contract instead of the more traditional 2-year deal. I'm sure the guaranteed money is minimal, probably in the $45,000 range, as Momah will basically be paid to attend minicamps and training camp.

But what intrigues me about Momah (besides his character and willpower to persist through setback) is what his size and speed (4.42 in the '40) translates to on film. As a passing target he fills a different dimension.

Hard not to root for the guy...and the Eagles..when you see that kind of size and height differential in a receiver, especially in a league where most linebackers and defensive backs are on average 5-10 in height.

This is a case where Chip Kelly looked at him, Howie Roseman looked at him, and Momah's old defensive coach from BC Bill McGovern (now Eagles OLB coordinator) looked at him... If all three signed off on Momah and his bill of health, then who am I to doubt the chances of this kid?

Here's a link to some nice film study of Eagles' new OLB Connor Barwin....

Jimmy Kempski is all over Connor Barwin in this nice little pictorial analysis:  http://blogs.mcall.com/eagles/2013/03/charting-all-of-connor-barwins-2011-sacks.html

Barwin had 11.5 sacks for the Texans. In 2012, he had 3. The dip in production can be explained any number of different ways. For example, did the Texans ask him to play differently? Was he required to bump the TE before getting into his pass rush? Was he dropping into coverage more often? Kempski gives you the answer---warning--there are a LOT of still photos!

Trout Season is here!

It's always a sign of hope and rebirth for me when Trout Season arrives in Pennsylvania and Maryland...

Ian Resig, 8, of Camp Hill, shows off his catch from Clarks Creek. (Anne Danahy/PennLive.com)

I was over in Camp Hill, PA. this weekend for the annual opening of Trout Season. It didn’t take long for the first catch of the day – along with the first tangled line - among the young fishermen lining the 7/10-of-a-mile stretch of Clarks Creek which is reserved for kids and for folks with disabilities.

I didn't catch anything further downstream where the adults were casting their lines. And it was colder than usual this time of year. But I had a blast watching kids making their first catch...Look at the pride in that boy's face. The palomino trout's not too happy about the situation, though...but he perked up when the boy released him. 

Palomino trout and any river trout over 10 inches is legal take-home eating fish in Pennsylvania. Hmmm, wonder if Brizer has a good trout recipe?

This is one of those spring cleaning days, and a quick review of seemingly small-impact Eagles developments is in order...

I for one will miss Stanley Havili. He's a smart high-character guy who has a ton of football ability. I think he will blossom in a system that wants a traditional blocking fullback who can also carry the ball and catch outlet passes.

He didn't leave us with too many "big plays" to miss, however, because he got buried in the Eagles offensive system last year. Even though I remember his name being called a lot in the 15 games in which he played, it was an illusion in my head that he was getting more and more involved in the offense. Probably most of those "Havili" calls I heard were for a good block or a play on special teams.

Howie Roseman and the Eagles acquired defensive end Clifton Geathers on Thursday from the Colts in exchange for Havili.

Havili played in 232 offensive snaps last season with the Eagles. He appeared in 15 games with two starts and had just six carries for 22 yards and a touchdown. Havili also caught seven passes for 43 yards.

It seemed like more to me because I fell in love with his potential. But the Eagles' seventh-round pick in 2011 out of USC didn't figure to fit into Chip Kelly's new offense. The belief is that Kelly will run a lot of four-receiver sets and even use running backs LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown in the backfield together.  The newly acquired James Casey also played fullback last season and is expected to serve in an H-back-type capacity.

J. Woods is probably taking gas over this trade, as he was dreaming of the Eagles going to more of a traditional stacked running set with a power blocking fullback in the mix. Well, that's not going to happen this season in Philly.

It will be another reason to watch the Colts on TV this fall to see how they incorporate Havili into Andrew Luck's offense. Indy's GM Ryan Grigson worked with Howie Roseman here in Philly when Havili was drafted, and Grigson knows exactly what he's getting with this trade.

Grigson didn't have to give up much for Havili, either.

Geathers (6-7, 325) played in eight games last season for the Colts, recording five tackles and a sack. He logged just 152 snaps.  The 25-year-old Geathers has already bounced around the league. A sixth-round draft pick by the Browns in 2010, he's played for the Browns, Dolphins, Seahawks, Cowboys and Colts in his first three years in the league.

Geathers comes from a football family. His brother Robert is on the Bengals and his father and uncle also were NFL players.

Geathers projects as a five-technique defensive end in the Eagles' new 3-4 defense. Currently the Eagles have Fletcher Cox and Cedric Thornton slotted as starters at end. They had been on the lookout for additional bodies at the position in free agency, but failed to land both Desmond Bryant and Ricky Jean-Francois.

Big "camp body"... my guess is he will stick around for roster depth...if he is motivated to know his role and work hard enough to impress his new coaches.

Meanwhile the quest continues to evaluate the best defensive end prospects in the upcoming Draft.

With Florida's Sharrif Floyd already on their private workout schedule, the Eagles have reportedly set a date with Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah, a genetic-freak type defensive end from Utah. Ziggy, 6-5, 271 lbs, is projected to be a top-ten pick this year. It is not known when Ansah will be coming to the NovaCare Complex for the workout, but when he does, it will not be the first time the Eagles will have seen him up close.

Ziggy is from royal blood...

Jerry Azzinaro, the Eagles' defensive line coach, attended BYU's Pro-Day earlier this month. The fact that Azzinaro went would seem to indicate that the Eagles view Ansah as a defensive lineman, and not a linebacker in their new 3-4 defense. Ansah had one of the more remarkable stories at the NFL combine when he ran a 4.56 40-yard dash without even training. His combination of size and potential makes him one of the top prospects in the draft.

The problem with Ziggy is that he's still a raw talent and new to the sport.

While he did record 4.5 sacks last season at Utah to go along with 62 tackles, it was his first full season as a starter on a football team. Ansah arrived at BYU in 2008, and after two failed attempts to make the basketball team, he decided to give football a try. According to NFL.com, Ansah was originally worried about the contact in the game because his body, as he described it, is a "delicate flower."

This is a term we have often heard our prolific poster PPW use in describing his own body, too.

Due to his lack of experience, drafting Ziggy with the No. 4 overall pick would have to be considered a pretty big risk by the Eagles. It could also be fair to wonder how much passion he has for a game that he just started to play two years ago. While it is a nice story that Ansah decided to study for his classes instead of prepare for the combine, you have to wonder if that is a major red flag re. his motivation to excel in the NFL. I hate to think that way, as I believe it is extremely advantageous to have bona-fide scholar-athletes on a roster.

I'm a little more worried about the "delicate flower" thingie...

Oh great--- new uniform numbers to memorize...

Just when you think you know every number on the roster, they change it...

Dennis Dixon - 3
Most Recent #3: Mike Kafka
Notable #3: Mark Moseley (won '82 NFL MVP with Redskins)

G.J. Kinne - 4
Most Recent #4: Kevin Kolb
Notable #4: Mike McMahon

Donnie Jones - 8
Most Recent #8: Chas Henry
Notable #8: Brad Goebel/Luis Zendejas

Arrelious Benn - 17
Most Recent #17: Lenny Calicchio
Notable #17: Harold Carmichael

Kenny Phillips - 21
Most Recent #21: David Sims
Notable #21: Eric Allen/Bobby Taylor

Patrick Chung - 23
Most Recent #23: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Notable #23: Troy Vincent

Bradley Fletcher - 24
Most Recent #24: Nnamdi Asomugha
Notable #24: Sheldon Brown

Cary Williams - 26
Most Recent #26: Jaiquawm Jarrett
Notable #26: Lito Sheppard

David Sims - 43
Most Recent #43: Leonard Weaver
Notable #43: Roynell Young

Jason Phillips - 52
Most Recent #52: Brian Rolle
Notable #52: Wayne Robinson

Brandon Graham - 55
Most Recent #55: Darryl Tapp
Notable #55: Maxie Baughan

James Casey - 85
Most Recent #85: Darnerien McCants
Notable #85: Ron Johnson/Na Brown

Isaac Sopoaga - 97
Most Recent #97: Cullen Jenkins
Notable #97: Darwin Walker

Connor Barwin - 98
Most Recent #98: Mike Patterson
Notable #98: Mike Ditka

It's getting more tempting every day, this notion that the Eagles are really just one good draft away from reclaiming the crown in the NFC East.

Give credit to new head coach Kelly and to the Eagles front office for a lot of the good feelings they've created around this team. The organizational mood is upbeat. The hirings of assistant coaches and the acquisitions of high-value free agents have been smooth transactions.

But "one good draft" turning the tide in 2013 ? It's possible, it's believable, but it better be one hella good draft to sustain the mystique.

The reality is it usually takes about 3 seasons for a good draft class to assert its full impact upon a team's power rating in a division.

But some gifted individual players can and do make immediate impact upon their position groups in their rookie seasons. We see examples of this every year. It's just very rare to experience 3, 4, 5 or 6 rookies from the same class turning an entire team around---especially a team that was 4-12 last year.

But I'm not here to curb anyone's enthusiasm. Dan Graziano and Matt Williamson of ESPN.com in fact are encouraging discussion among Eagles fans about the mystique of being "one good draft away".

Williamson has a post up in which he identifies five NFL teams that could be one good draft away from contention, and among those five is the Philadelphia Eagles. Matt cites improvements in the secondary, ample existing talent in the defensive front seven and the fact that it doesn't take that great a W-L record to win the NFC East these days as reasons Philadelphia could turn things around quickly:

"While there is much change going on in Philadelphia, they have fantastic draft assets and really not many glaring needs considering where their draft position is. The Eagles should truly be able to often select the best player on their board rather than picking for positional needs. There isn't a powerhouse in the NFC East, and if the draft goes well -- which it really should -- the Eagles might just finish the 2013 season atop their division."

Graziano then brings things a little more down to earth with his worries over the QB situation and the novelty of Kelly's offense being too difficult for his team to master in its very first year of installation.

But I like the part where Williamson believes the Eagles can go for the best players available rather than reach for positional needs. This plays right into JB-Sage-Lion's "Cornerstone Draft Theory" and GK Brizer's "mBPA Theory".

It also means Star Lotulelei is very much in play if the Eagles stick with their Top 4 pick position.

 

In the middle of the Eagles' defense, Utah's Star Lotulelei would be a mobile, athletic 311-pounder who could play at nose tackle and/or defensive end in a 3-4 scheme. Lotulelei was not able to work out at the NFL combine because of a fatigue/dehydration-related heart condition, but downplayed those concerns last week with a big performance at his Pro Day.

That's the kind of big impact player you wish and hope could be an immediate force in 2013. The guy reminds me of Haloti Ngata back in 2006 when Ngata was a rookie. Ngata immediately made his team better. My point is, if the Eagles can land just one "Haloti Ngata" caliber player in the 2013 Draft, they will be a big step closer to taking back the NFC East.

But asking for multiple hits of the quality I'm describing is pure greed and wishful thinking.

The primal derivation of the Deacon Jones Head Slap...

I hope this footage shows up okay here. I apologize if you have already seen it.

I'm going to be tired of watching this ancient football tactic someday...but not for awhile.

It's tax time in America, and what better opportunity to figure out the Eagles' current payroll tax liabilities...

Who's now the highest paid player on the Eagles? And with the biggest tax liability?...

If you answered Jason Peters, you are correct!

As always, keep your eye on the "Guaranteed Money" column... it's all that really matters when you're doing an NFL budget...

Did you know that you can hydrate after a strenuous athletic workout just as well with a pint of beer as with a pint of water?

Studies exist to prove this statement true--- as long as the alcohol content of the beer is no higher than 5%.

Actually, my first encounter with the concept of beer as a sports hydration aid was in my teens, when Dick (don't call me Richie) Allen revealed how he regularly chugged a beer in the 5th inning and between doubleheaders when the Phillies played on hot summer days .

So it is fitting we give the Eagles Eye seal of approval to GK Brizer's recent attempt to elevate the beer tastes of Eagles fans to the highest level.

The idea is to vote for your favorite international brew and your most esteemed international brewery. The purpose of this article is to get out the vote.

"The updated numbers still have a dead heat betwixt CHIMAY (blue) and DT," said Brizer. "GUINNESS is still in front as best Brewery. Methinks a lot of quaffers are ashamed of their beer expertise,.and have chosen to abstain,...which is WEAK!!!!,..and paffetic. Yur GK is disappointed,...I don't like to be disappointed. VOTE or DEAF,..to the malcontents!"

"....the BORED picked the brews/breweries. No question,..there are great beers,.not on the list,...and my guess,.few have tried them. THE IBO was set up as a reasonable consensus contest,..with a limited audience and judges. We did the best,.we could,..as our lives are done IN WATERMELON SUGAR."

Vote for your favorite brew and brewery in the Livefyre comments down below. Brizer will retrieve and tally your ballots.

By the way, this International Beer evaluation is a great training exercise for the upcoming MACH 10/ EAGLES NFL DRAFT Challenge. And to be socially and politically correct, here's a proper disclaimer: