August 09, 2015
Occasionally during the opening week of training camp, Eagles second-round pick Eric Rowe has taken Nolan Carroll II’s place at cornerback. The rookie is getting the chance to work in with the first-team secondary. According to Bleeding Green Nation’s Patrick Wall, Chip Kelly and Bill Davis want Rowe to test himself against better competition:
Throughout the week, the rookie out of Utah has split time between the first and second teams. According to Rowe, the move is about seeing how he can handle playing against the team's top receivers. So while Rowe is still spending time facing off against Miles Austin and Nelson Agholor, he's now also going against guys like Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Josh Huff.
"It’s been great going against new receivers like Huff or Riley. That’s the only difference, really," Rowe said after practice Saturday, " I guess there’s a reason why he [put me with the first team], maybe see if I can go with the starters and the more experienced guys. I’m sure there’s a meaning behind it, but I’m not set in stone like ‘yes, I’m going to be the starter for the whole season.’"
Beyond Rowe facing a step up in competition, Tommy Lawlor of Iggles Blitz says there is also a team benefit to rotating personnel:
By moving up, Rowe is now facing starting players and getting to see how he does against them. Jenkins pointed out that it is important for Rowe to learn how to deal with getting beaten. Every DB is going to get beaten in the NFL. QBs and receivers are just too good. DBs have to develop short memories.
The other benefit to moving players around is to get them out of their comfort zone and see how they handle different lineups. Thurmond is probably a lot more comfortable when he’s on the field with talented veterans like Byron Maxwell and Jenkins. What happens when he’s there with Earl Wolff and Jaylen Watkins? You can’t count on having all your starters healthy all the time.
Regardless of how the secondary shakes out, the Eagles need improvement in the back end of the defense if they hope to reach their potential. Rowe very well may not start, but working in with the 1s could be a good sign for his future.
1. Jimmy’s practice notes: The quarterbacks all have a solid day throwing the ball, the Eagles look to replace Brandon Boykin’s under-the-radar contributions on special teams, and Donnie J’Owns possesses a pitching wedge for a left foot.
2. How have the new Eagles looked so far? Jimmy says big and cut Ryan Mathews looks like a player you would create on Madden. Yup, either a ridiculously athletic specimen or scrawny 5-foot guy with a mullet.
3. Kinne at receiver: Mullin wrote about Twitter folk hero G.J. Kinne, a practice squad quarterback during the last two seasons. Now, Kinne is even more of a legend (albeit one with little chance of making that 53-man roster) as he transitions to playing wide receiver.
Lane Johnson plays 'musical chairs' with guards: Phil Sheridan, ESPN
Watching the Eagles offensive linemen play musical chairs sounds like it would be fun, but the actual battle for right guard remains up in the air. Matt Tobin, John Moffitt and Andrew Gardner all have lined up on the first team with starting right tackle Lane Johnson, who says he needs to build chemistry with whoever wins the job:
“I need to get that bond with him,” Johnson said after Friday’s practice. “I need to be on the same level. Even in pass protection, he helps me and I help him. It’s vital.”
With the #Eagles trading Boykin, 6th rounder JaCorey Shepherd had the 5th highest coverage grade in the draft pic.twitter.com/L1jypkrtVG
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) August 8, 2015
Bradford: Better than Foles, but . . .: Mike Sielski, Philadelphia Inquirer
Nick Foles got a nice little extension from the Rams a few days ago, and he’ll be linked to Sam Bradford for at least the near future. Bradford mostly carries the risk of injury, but my question is if Foles can thrive with a much weaker supporting cast than he had the last two seasons:
No names yet. Remember, this is an experiment. So you get some information first. In 2013 - while Foles was lighting it up and Kelly's system was a wholly new and radical thing in the NFL - this quarterback started 16 games for his team, and his best weapon was a rookie wide receiver, and his play-caller would compile so undistinguished a résumé over eight years as an NFL offensive coordinator that the guy left this team in January to take a job as a college offensive coordinator. Still, over that 2013 season, this quarterback completed 60.7 percent of his passes and threw for 3,856 yards, 32 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Then, he tore the ACL in his left knee the following preseason and didn't play a game in 2014. So, question:
If those had been Sam Bradford's statistics in his final season with the St. Louis Rams, with Tavon Austin as the only skill-position player worth paying attention to, with Brian Schottenheimer running the offense, would you feel better about the Eagles' decision to trade for him then?
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
