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The 2009 Eagles defense - Best in the NFC?
http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2009/5/25/857213/the-2009-eagles-defense-best-in
by Bye, Dawk
Previously, we looked at the offense, a unit that last year finished 6th in points scored, 9th in yardage, and then made MAJOR upgrades by adding Jason Peters, Stacy Andrews, Leonard Weaver, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Cornelius Ingram, and a healthy Shawn Andrews. Today we'll look at the defense.
Our defense last year was 4th in points allowed, 3rd in yards allowed, and tied for 9th in turnovers. Obviously, we lost the unquestioned team leader in Brian Dawkins, but at the same time, we got a lot younger and faster.
Let's address Dawkins first...
I know, I know... He's losing a step, can't cover anymore, big liability in pass coverage, 36 years old, and there's always the "The Ghosts of Free Agency Past" that the Eagles turned out to be right in letting walk (Hugh Douglas, Duce Staley, Jeremiah Trotter, and well, we all know the list)... and whatever other arguments I'm missing that we've talked ourselves into believing since he bolted to Denver.
This one is different though. For one, Dawkins can still play. Anyone know who was the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in December last year? Dawkins. Who was the unquestioned heart and leader of this team (and note I said "team," not defense)? Dawkins. The one thing that I felt didn't get enough mention after his departure was... Why wouldn't they franchise him? For a safety, the average of the top 5 salaries in the NFL was $5 mil and change. If we franchise him, it gives Demps another year to develop (and at the same time still get on the field to relieve Dawkins on obvious passing downs), and then maybe we re-evaluate Dawkins' situation after next year. At $5 mil and change, are we overpaying him a little? Yeah, probably. But who cares? I can almost guarantee that at no point during this upcoming season the Eagles will never have less than $6 mil in cap room. Did they consider franchising him? I'd have to imagine they did, but I'm guessing they felt the market for his services wouldn't be very high, and they rolled the dice and took their chances in free agency. The problem, however, is that there are a lot of stupid teams out there, and Denver made an offer that would be dumb to match. So he's gone but not forgotten, for better or worse, and we move on...
The Starters
LDE - Juqua Parker - Age, 30
LDE is one of 2 or 3 starting positions that are up for grabs going into this season. In this defense, however, being the "starter" doesn't mean much - Jim Johnson likes to constantly "throw fastballs at the defense" by continually rotating players throughout the game along the defensive line. Over the past 3 seasons, Parker has been very consistent. He played in all 16 games in each of his 4 seasons here in Philly, and has had decent production while playing in a DE rotation (6 sacks in 2006, 5 in 2007, and 5 in 2008). He'll face some competition from Victor Abiamiri for the starting job.
DT - Brodrick Bunkley - Age, 25
Bunkley stepped up nicely as a run stuffer in this defense last year, and in case that picture of him isn't evidence enough, he's a scary *****. His best 2 games of the season last year were both in Giants Stadium, where they were able to keep the Giants running game mostly in check. Both he and Patterson come out on obvious passing downs, but I'd like to see some production from him collapsing the pocket and picking up a few more sacks on 1st down passing plays - In his 3 year career with Philly, he only has 5 sacks. Still though, anyone miss the days when we couldn't stop the run?
DT - Mike Patterson - Age, 25
Patterson is entering his 5th year with the Birds, and he too has become another very good run stuffer. His production dropped off a little from 2007 (67 tackles, which I think led the NFL for DT's, and 4 sacks) to 2008 (42 tackles, 0.5 sacks).
RDE - Trent Cole - Age, 26
Trent Cole is one of the best DE's in the NFL. He is excellent rushing the passer, but he has also been surprising good against the run as well, as Jim Johnson uncharacteristically keeps him on the field the entire game. In his Pro Bowl season of 2007, he had 12.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Last year he had 9 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
WLB - Akeem Jordan - Age, 23
Akeem Jordan took over for Omar Gaither for the final 6 games of the season, and was solid (especially in pass coverage where Gaither was killing us) in those 6 games, posting 44 tackles. Jordan, however, didn't have any forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, or interceptions, and as a WLB he'll be expected to be more of a playmaker.
MLB - Stewart Bradley - Age, 25
Big Stew is a budding star. Period. 2008 was Bradley's first full season as a starter, he played great, and is only going to get better. If there's any criticism of Bradley, you could argue that he needs to generate more turnovers - He had one interception, one forced fumble, and no fumble recoveries in 2008. Still, he's always around the ball, doesn't miss tackles, and 3-and-outs are nice, too.
SLB - Chris Gocong - Age, 25
With 2 full seasons as a starter, Gocong is the most experienced of our LB corps. When the Eagles drafted him in 2006, it was mainly because he completely dominatated as a pass rasher at small school Cal-Poly SLO. That pass rushing ability has yet to translate to the NFL, as Gocong has 3 sacks in his 2 year career, despite often being sent as a blitzer as the "joker" in Jim Johnson's scheme. We need him to step up his game in 2009. (Side note - What's the average age of our LBs? 24.33. Nice)
LCB - Asante Samuel - Age, 28
What were the 2 most important plays in the Eagles' 2 playoff wins? You could make a pretty strong argument for Samuel's interception return for a TD against the Vikings, as well as his interception return to the 1 against the Giants. The guy is simply just an amazing playmaker, and one of the best corners in the NFL. Oddly enough, as far as production goes, 2008 was a down year for Samuel, as he only had 4 regular season interceptions - He had 6 in 2007, and TEN in 2006.
RCB - Sheldon Brown - Age, 30
#24 needs to decide which of the two above Sheldon Browns we should expect to see this year. He recently indicated that we'll be seeing the one on the left. Look, I love Sheldon Brown. He's one of the most underrated PLAYERS (not just corners... PLAYERS) in the NFL, he's a huge hitter, a really solid cover corner, and up until a couple months ago I thought of him as the successor to Dawkins as the leader of this defense. However, his preseason *****ing about his contract was both suprising and disappointing, and his days here are numbered. The Eagles are on the record as saying that the acquisition of Ellis Hobbs had nothing to do with Brown's contract dispute, but I don't buy it. With Hobbs, Hanson, Macho Harris, and Jack Ikegwuonu all sitting there as reserves, Brown's days as an untouchable are gone.
FS - Qunitin Demps - Age, 23
I'm officially on the record as saying I'd be a lot more comfortable with Dawkins still on this roster for one more year, which would give the very talent Demps another year to develop, but I will say this... The FS spot just got A LOT faster. My best guess is that Demps will relinquish his kick returning duties to focus on his FS play. Nationally, Demps is viewed as the guy that took a cheap shot on Kurt Warner and the guy that slipped on a long pass play that resulted in a TD pass to the best WR in the universe. But, I see a speedy playmaker that can cover WR's man to man like a corner.
SS - Quintin Mikell - Age, 28
Quintin Mikell should have been in Hawaii last year. This year he will be. I'm not saying anything more than that.
AVERAGE AGE OF OUR STARTERS... 26.18. (Note - If Abiamiri beats out Parker for the starting job, the average age is 25.54 years old. That's insane.)
The Reserves
The D-line
Victor Abiamiri (23 years old), Darren Howard (32), Bryan Smith (25), Chris Clemons (27), Trevor Laws (23), and Dan Klecko (28)...
Each of these players (with the possible exception of Smith) are going to see plenty of action this year. Trent Cole is a beast and stays on the field the entire game, but with the remaining 3 spots the Eagles love rotating their D-Line and throwing "fastballs at the defense" by sending out rested players and methodically wearing down the opposing O-Line. As I mentioned above, Abiamiri will compete with Jaqua Parker for the starting position, but it really doesn't matter who the "starter" is... They'll likely see equal time. Howard was the biggest pleasant surprise last year, as he went from a player that was facing an uphill battle just to MAKE the team, to a guy that posted 10 sacks. Both Abiamiri and Howard will also see time at DT in obvious passing situations. Clemons will be used solely as a pass rusher. Last year, Clemons did absolutely nothing in the first 7 games, but became a really valuable contributor as the season progressed. Smith is still a question mark. He was extremely productive in the preseason games last year, and then the Eagles redshirted him. He's been bulking up and will compete for playing time this year. Laws is entering his second year as well and he should also see a significant increase in playing time.
The linebackers
Omar Gaither (25), Joe Mays (23), and special teamers Tank Daniels and Tracy White (not pictured)
LB is the only postion (perhaps RB, too) where the Eagles don't have enough depth. Omar Gaither lost his job as the starter last year to Akeem Jordan mostly because opposing offenses were torching him in pass coverage. Still, he can play all 3 LB positions and is a valuable reserve. After Gaither, our depth is very questionable. Mays had some huge hits in the preseason last year, but he has yet to play a down in a game that has mattered. Tank Daniels and Tracy White filled out the 2008 LB roster spots, but are no more than special teamers. The Eagles also drafted Moise Fokou in the 7th round.
Secondary
Ellis Hobbs (26), Joselio Hanson (27), Sean Jones(27), Jack Ikegwuonu (23), Macho Harris (23)
Deep? Check. Talented? Check. Let's start with Joselio Hanson, because here's another player that nobody outside Philadelphia knows AT ALL, and yet he goes out and rarely ever gives up any plays. Don't be surprised when Hanson beats out Hobbs as the nickel corner. As for Hobbs, you gotta love having a 26 year old corner that was a 3-year starter on the best team in the NFL... As your dime back!!! Oh and by the way, he also was 2nd in the NFL in kick returns. Sean Jones comes to us from Cleveland and over the past 3 years, there are only 2 safeties in the NFL that have had more interceptions. Late in the season last year, the Eagles starting using a lot of 3-safety sets with Mikell, Demps, and Dawkins - look for that trend to continue with Mikell, Demps and Jones. Macho Harris could be a steal in the 5th round, and he'll likely move to safety in the NFL. Jack Ikegwonu was redshirted last year and he'll need to prove that he can contribute on special teams and find a niche on this defense to beat out Rashad Baker (not pictured) for a roster spot.
And that brings us to the man, the myth, the legend...
Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson, without question, is the most important and the most irreplaceable component of the Eagles defense. His battle with cancer makes everything else seem less significant. Best of luck, JIm, and have a speedy recovery.
http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2009/5/25/857213/the-2009-eagles-defense-best-in
by Bye, Dawk
Previously, we looked at the offense, a unit that last year finished 6th in points scored, 9th in yardage, and then made MAJOR upgrades by adding Jason Peters, Stacy Andrews, Leonard Weaver, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Cornelius Ingram, and a healthy Shawn Andrews. Today we'll look at the defense.
Our defense last year was 4th in points allowed, 3rd in yards allowed, and tied for 9th in turnovers. Obviously, we lost the unquestioned team leader in Brian Dawkins, but at the same time, we got a lot younger and faster.
Let's address Dawkins first...
I know, I know... He's losing a step, can't cover anymore, big liability in pass coverage, 36 years old, and there's always the "The Ghosts of Free Agency Past" that the Eagles turned out to be right in letting walk (Hugh Douglas, Duce Staley, Jeremiah Trotter, and well, we all know the list)... and whatever other arguments I'm missing that we've talked ourselves into believing since he bolted to Denver.
This one is different though. For one, Dawkins can still play. Anyone know who was the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in December last year? Dawkins. Who was the unquestioned heart and leader of this team (and note I said "team," not defense)? Dawkins. The one thing that I felt didn't get enough mention after his departure was... Why wouldn't they franchise him? For a safety, the average of the top 5 salaries in the NFL was $5 mil and change. If we franchise him, it gives Demps another year to develop (and at the same time still get on the field to relieve Dawkins on obvious passing downs), and then maybe we re-evaluate Dawkins' situation after next year. At $5 mil and change, are we overpaying him a little? Yeah, probably. But who cares? I can almost guarantee that at no point during this upcoming season the Eagles will never have less than $6 mil in cap room. Did they consider franchising him? I'd have to imagine they did, but I'm guessing they felt the market for his services wouldn't be very high, and they rolled the dice and took their chances in free agency. The problem, however, is that there are a lot of stupid teams out there, and Denver made an offer that would be dumb to match. So he's gone but not forgotten, for better or worse, and we move on...
The Starters
LDE - Juqua Parker - Age, 30
LDE is one of 2 or 3 starting positions that are up for grabs going into this season. In this defense, however, being the "starter" doesn't mean much - Jim Johnson likes to constantly "throw fastballs at the defense" by continually rotating players throughout the game along the defensive line. Over the past 3 seasons, Parker has been very consistent. He played in all 16 games in each of his 4 seasons here in Philly, and has had decent production while playing in a DE rotation (6 sacks in 2006, 5 in 2007, and 5 in 2008). He'll face some competition from Victor Abiamiri for the starting job.
DT - Brodrick Bunkley - Age, 25
Bunkley stepped up nicely as a run stuffer in this defense last year, and in case that picture of him isn't evidence enough, he's a scary *****. His best 2 games of the season last year were both in Giants Stadium, where they were able to keep the Giants running game mostly in check. Both he and Patterson come out on obvious passing downs, but I'd like to see some production from him collapsing the pocket and picking up a few more sacks on 1st down passing plays - In his 3 year career with Philly, he only has 5 sacks. Still though, anyone miss the days when we couldn't stop the run?
DT - Mike Patterson - Age, 25
Patterson is entering his 5th year with the Birds, and he too has become another very good run stuffer. His production dropped off a little from 2007 (67 tackles, which I think led the NFL for DT's, and 4 sacks) to 2008 (42 tackles, 0.5 sacks).
RDE - Trent Cole - Age, 26
Trent Cole is one of the best DE's in the NFL. He is excellent rushing the passer, but he has also been surprising good against the run as well, as Jim Johnson uncharacteristically keeps him on the field the entire game. In his Pro Bowl season of 2007, he had 12.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Last year he had 9 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
WLB - Akeem Jordan - Age, 23
Akeem Jordan took over for Omar Gaither for the final 6 games of the season, and was solid (especially in pass coverage where Gaither was killing us) in those 6 games, posting 44 tackles. Jordan, however, didn't have any forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, or interceptions, and as a WLB he'll be expected to be more of a playmaker.
MLB - Stewart Bradley - Age, 25
Big Stew is a budding star. Period. 2008 was Bradley's first full season as a starter, he played great, and is only going to get better. If there's any criticism of Bradley, you could argue that he needs to generate more turnovers - He had one interception, one forced fumble, and no fumble recoveries in 2008. Still, he's always around the ball, doesn't miss tackles, and 3-and-outs are nice, too.
SLB - Chris Gocong - Age, 25
With 2 full seasons as a starter, Gocong is the most experienced of our LB corps. When the Eagles drafted him in 2006, it was mainly because he completely dominatated as a pass rasher at small school Cal-Poly SLO. That pass rushing ability has yet to translate to the NFL, as Gocong has 3 sacks in his 2 year career, despite often being sent as a blitzer as the "joker" in Jim Johnson's scheme. We need him to step up his game in 2009. (Side note - What's the average age of our LBs? 24.33. Nice)
LCB - Asante Samuel - Age, 28
What were the 2 most important plays in the Eagles' 2 playoff wins? You could make a pretty strong argument for Samuel's interception return for a TD against the Vikings, as well as his interception return to the 1 against the Giants. The guy is simply just an amazing playmaker, and one of the best corners in the NFL. Oddly enough, as far as production goes, 2008 was a down year for Samuel, as he only had 4 regular season interceptions - He had 6 in 2007, and TEN in 2006.
RCB - Sheldon Brown - Age, 30
#24 needs to decide which of the two above Sheldon Browns we should expect to see this year. He recently indicated that we'll be seeing the one on the left. Look, I love Sheldon Brown. He's one of the most underrated PLAYERS (not just corners... PLAYERS) in the NFL, he's a huge hitter, a really solid cover corner, and up until a couple months ago I thought of him as the successor to Dawkins as the leader of this defense. However, his preseason *****ing about his contract was both suprising and disappointing, and his days here are numbered. The Eagles are on the record as saying that the acquisition of Ellis Hobbs had nothing to do with Brown's contract dispute, but I don't buy it. With Hobbs, Hanson, Macho Harris, and Jack Ikegwuonu all sitting there as reserves, Brown's days as an untouchable are gone.
FS - Qunitin Demps - Age, 23
I'm officially on the record as saying I'd be a lot more comfortable with Dawkins still on this roster for one more year, which would give the very talent Demps another year to develop, but I will say this... The FS spot just got A LOT faster. My best guess is that Demps will relinquish his kick returning duties to focus on his FS play. Nationally, Demps is viewed as the guy that took a cheap shot on Kurt Warner and the guy that slipped on a long pass play that resulted in a TD pass to the best WR in the universe. But, I see a speedy playmaker that can cover WR's man to man like a corner.
SS - Quintin Mikell - Age, 28
Quintin Mikell should have been in Hawaii last year. This year he will be. I'm not saying anything more than that.
AVERAGE AGE OF OUR STARTERS... 26.18. (Note - If Abiamiri beats out Parker for the starting job, the average age is 25.54 years old. That's insane.)
The Reserves
The D-line
Victor Abiamiri (23 years old), Darren Howard (32), Bryan Smith (25), Chris Clemons (27), Trevor Laws (23), and Dan Klecko (28)...
Each of these players (with the possible exception of Smith) are going to see plenty of action this year. Trent Cole is a beast and stays on the field the entire game, but with the remaining 3 spots the Eagles love rotating their D-Line and throwing "fastballs at the defense" by sending out rested players and methodically wearing down the opposing O-Line. As I mentioned above, Abiamiri will compete with Jaqua Parker for the starting position, but it really doesn't matter who the "starter" is... They'll likely see equal time. Howard was the biggest pleasant surprise last year, as he went from a player that was facing an uphill battle just to MAKE the team, to a guy that posted 10 sacks. Both Abiamiri and Howard will also see time at DT in obvious passing situations. Clemons will be used solely as a pass rusher. Last year, Clemons did absolutely nothing in the first 7 games, but became a really valuable contributor as the season progressed. Smith is still a question mark. He was extremely productive in the preseason games last year, and then the Eagles redshirted him. He's been bulking up and will compete for playing time this year. Laws is entering his second year as well and he should also see a significant increase in playing time.
The linebackers
Omar Gaither (25), Joe Mays (23), and special teamers Tank Daniels and Tracy White (not pictured)
LB is the only postion (perhaps RB, too) where the Eagles don't have enough depth. Omar Gaither lost his job as the starter last year to Akeem Jordan mostly because opposing offenses were torching him in pass coverage. Still, he can play all 3 LB positions and is a valuable reserve. After Gaither, our depth is very questionable. Mays had some huge hits in the preseason last year, but he has yet to play a down in a game that has mattered. Tank Daniels and Tracy White filled out the 2008 LB roster spots, but are no more than special teamers. The Eagles also drafted Moise Fokou in the 7th round.
Secondary
Ellis Hobbs (26), Joselio Hanson (27), Sean Jones(27), Jack Ikegwuonu (23), Macho Harris (23)
Deep? Check. Talented? Check. Let's start with Joselio Hanson, because here's another player that nobody outside Philadelphia knows AT ALL, and yet he goes out and rarely ever gives up any plays. Don't be surprised when Hanson beats out Hobbs as the nickel corner. As for Hobbs, you gotta love having a 26 year old corner that was a 3-year starter on the best team in the NFL... As your dime back!!! Oh and by the way, he also was 2nd in the NFL in kick returns. Sean Jones comes to us from Cleveland and over the past 3 years, there are only 2 safeties in the NFL that have had more interceptions. Late in the season last year, the Eagles starting using a lot of 3-safety sets with Mikell, Demps, and Dawkins - look for that trend to continue with Mikell, Demps and Jones. Macho Harris could be a steal in the 5th round, and he'll likely move to safety in the NFL. Jack Ikegwonu was redshirted last year and he'll need to prove that he can contribute on special teams and find a niche on this defense to beat out Rashad Baker (not pictured) for a roster spot.
And that brings us to the man, the myth, the legend...
Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson, without question, is the most important and the most irreplaceable component of the Eagles defense. His battle with cancer makes everything else seem less significant. Best of luck, JIm, and have a speedy recovery.