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Eagles - Samuel's return doesn't last
By PAUL DOMOWITCH
Philadelphia Daily News
pdomo@aol.com
BETHLEHEM - One of the reasons the Eagles gave Asante Samuel a 6-year, $56 million contract in March is because he's a proven playmaker. His 16 interceptions over the last 2 years are just 14 fewer than the entire Eagles defense during that period. One of the other reasons they showered the Pro Bowl cornerback with all that money was because he's durable. Five years in the NFL and he's missed just three games due to injury.
So, here we are, 28 days and counting until the Eagles kick off the 2008 season at the Linc against the St. Louis Rams, and guess who has spent almost all of training camp in the repair shop? Yep, Samuel.
He missed the final week of the team's June passing camp with a hamstring injury. Rested it for 5 weeks, then reported to Lehigh last month and reinjured it in the team's first full-squad workout.
Went back on the shelf and missed 25 practices and the Eagles' first preseason game Friday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finally returned to practice yesterday morning, but took himself out of the 2-hour, full-pads workout about an hour and 15 minutes in.
Samuel walked over to an Eagles assistant trainer and seemed to indicate that he had aggravated the injury. They were soon joined by head trainer Rick Burkholder. Much to the apparent chagrin of defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, his high-priced corner sat out the rest of the workout. After practice, Johnson was seen talking with Samuel. Dan Jenkins' famous book,
"You Gotta Play Hurt," might have come up in the conversation.
Interestingly, Samuel wasn't listed on coach Andy Reid's postpractice injury report, and he did manage to participate in the team's afternoon practice, which was moved indoors because of inclement weather and conducted at about one-quarter speed.
When asked why the cornerback sat out the final 45 minutes of the morning practice, Reid said, "We're easing him back in. He feels good and I want to make sure he keeps feeling good.
"
I was kind of gauging him on how he felt. Rick was communicating with him during the practice. We actually got more out of him than what I anticipated."
Samuel was tentatively scheduled to talk to reporters after the morning practice session, but that was abruptly postponed. Johnson isn't scheduled to talk to the media until today.
Reid insisted "there's a chance" that Samuel will play in the Eagles' second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night at the Linc. "How much, I don't know that," he said.
Samuel's absence from the practice field has been a concern for Johnson. The lack of practice reps has made it more difficult for the ex-Patriot to get his arms around Johnson's complicated defense, and also has hindered his ability to develop on-field chemistry with the rest of the secondary, particularly the other two top corners, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown.
Samuel was given Sheppard's starting left-corner job when he signed. But Johnson has said he expects to have all three corners on the field together at least 50 to 60 percent of the time.
"He needs the practice in this scheme," Reid said. "He'll pick it up and be fine. But it'll be a learning process."
Yesterday morning's practice was really the first time Samuel, Sheppard and Brown have been on the field together since early June, before Samuel first injured his hamstring.
"
To be honest," Brown said, "you can't get a feel [for each other] until you get in a game, where you have to communicate. You do develop some chemistry in practice. But the reality is you've got to play together in a game."
If Samuel can't play Thursday night against the Panthers, that's really only going to leave the Eagles' Aug. 22 game against Samuel's former team, the Patriots, for the three corners to get on the same page, since most of the starters won't play much, if at all, in the final preseason game against the New York Jets on Aug. 28.
"It makes it even more important that we get the film study in before the first [regular-season] game," Brown said. "When you're out there and you're doing it at practice, you get in a rhythm. The quarterback and receivers always talk about [developing] timing.
"
It's the same when you're out there with a defensive back you've been playing with. When I come over [in coverage], you don't even have to say anything. You know what each other's going to do. But when you're not able to do it together, you've got to get it in the film room. Because you're kind of forced to start slow."
The Eagles are trying hard to make this three-cornerback situation work.
When they released their first training-camp depth chart last week, Brown and Sheppard were listed as co-starters at right cornerback, with Samuel the starting left corner, even though Brown probably will play most of the time on first down since he's a much better run-defender than Sheppard.
During yesterday's practice, Brown and Sheppard rotated regularly on the right side in the base defense, with Brown moving inside to the slot when all three corners were on the field together.
Asked how the on-field communication is right now between the three corners, Brown said, "It's pretty good. It's as good as it can be without [Samuel] being out there every day. Obviously, we would like to work more together. But we understand that football injuries occur. There's nothing you can do about that." *
Now, I only posted this, even though it should be more about the Cowboys but we do play the Eagles week #2.
By PAUL DOMOWITCH
Philadelphia Daily News
pdomo@aol.com
BETHLEHEM - One of the reasons the Eagles gave Asante Samuel a 6-year, $56 million contract in March is because he's a proven playmaker. His 16 interceptions over the last 2 years are just 14 fewer than the entire Eagles defense during that period. One of the other reasons they showered the Pro Bowl cornerback with all that money was because he's durable. Five years in the NFL and he's missed just three games due to injury.
So, here we are, 28 days and counting until the Eagles kick off the 2008 season at the Linc against the St. Louis Rams, and guess who has spent almost all of training camp in the repair shop? Yep, Samuel.
He missed the final week of the team's June passing camp with a hamstring injury. Rested it for 5 weeks, then reported to Lehigh last month and reinjured it in the team's first full-squad workout.
Went back on the shelf and missed 25 practices and the Eagles' first preseason game Friday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finally returned to practice yesterday morning, but took himself out of the 2-hour, full-pads workout about an hour and 15 minutes in.
Samuel walked over to an Eagles assistant trainer and seemed to indicate that he had aggravated the injury. They were soon joined by head trainer Rick Burkholder. Much to the apparent chagrin of defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, his high-priced corner sat out the rest of the workout. After practice, Johnson was seen talking with Samuel. Dan Jenkins' famous book,
"You Gotta Play Hurt," might have come up in the conversation.
Interestingly, Samuel wasn't listed on coach Andy Reid's postpractice injury report, and he did manage to participate in the team's afternoon practice, which was moved indoors because of inclement weather and conducted at about one-quarter speed.
When asked why the cornerback sat out the final 45 minutes of the morning practice, Reid said, "We're easing him back in. He feels good and I want to make sure he keeps feeling good.
"
I was kind of gauging him on how he felt. Rick was communicating with him during the practice. We actually got more out of him than what I anticipated."
Samuel was tentatively scheduled to talk to reporters after the morning practice session, but that was abruptly postponed. Johnson isn't scheduled to talk to the media until today.
Reid insisted "there's a chance" that Samuel will play in the Eagles' second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night at the Linc. "How much, I don't know that," he said.
Samuel's absence from the practice field has been a concern for Johnson. The lack of practice reps has made it more difficult for the ex-Patriot to get his arms around Johnson's complicated defense, and also has hindered his ability to develop on-field chemistry with the rest of the secondary, particularly the other two top corners, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown.
Samuel was given Sheppard's starting left-corner job when he signed. But Johnson has said he expects to have all three corners on the field together at least 50 to 60 percent of the time.
"He needs the practice in this scheme," Reid said. "He'll pick it up and be fine. But it'll be a learning process."
Yesterday morning's practice was really the first time Samuel, Sheppard and Brown have been on the field together since early June, before Samuel first injured his hamstring.
"
To be honest," Brown said, "you can't get a feel [for each other] until you get in a game, where you have to communicate. You do develop some chemistry in practice. But the reality is you've got to play together in a game."
If Samuel can't play Thursday night against the Panthers, that's really only going to leave the Eagles' Aug. 22 game against Samuel's former team, the Patriots, for the three corners to get on the same page, since most of the starters won't play much, if at all, in the final preseason game against the New York Jets on Aug. 28.
"It makes it even more important that we get the film study in before the first [regular-season] game," Brown said. "When you're out there and you're doing it at practice, you get in a rhythm. The quarterback and receivers always talk about [developing] timing.
"
It's the same when you're out there with a defensive back you've been playing with. When I come over [in coverage], you don't even have to say anything. You know what each other's going to do. But when you're not able to do it together, you've got to get it in the film room. Because you're kind of forced to start slow."
The Eagles are trying hard to make this three-cornerback situation work.
When they released their first training-camp depth chart last week, Brown and Sheppard were listed as co-starters at right cornerback, with Samuel the starting left corner, even though Brown probably will play most of the time on first down since he's a much better run-defender than Sheppard.
During yesterday's practice, Brown and Sheppard rotated regularly on the right side in the base defense, with Brown moving inside to the slot when all three corners were on the field together.
Asked how the on-field communication is right now between the three corners, Brown said, "It's pretty good. It's as good as it can be without [Samuel] being out there every day. Obviously, we would like to work more together. But we understand that football injuries occur. There's nothing you can do about that." *
Now, I only posted this, even though it should be more about the Cowboys but we do play the Eagles week #2.
