This article is an interesting read.  We obviously all thought of the wildcat formation when we first heard of the Vick signing, but we also wonder about what other role he could serve on the team.  We even hoped that Vick could play a little TE after the injuries the Eagles have suffered.  Here are some other ways the Eagles could use Vick:

Maybe a few snaps at RB or in the slot.

Surprisingly, I don’t ever recall Vick taking the snap as a placement holder for field goals.  Add fake field goals into the list of possible ways to use Michael Vick.  If teams see Vick coming out for a field goal, they’ll have to burn a timeout to adjust their package as well.

Look for more two-point conversions with Michael Vick.  With Michael Vick, I’m sure you convert the majority, if not 90%, of your two-point attempts.  Just two yards, are you kidding me?  Do you know how much speed we have at QB, RB, and WR now?

Expect Vick to have an 8- to 10-play package.  Every hour defense coordinators have to prepare for Vick, an hour less that they get to prepare for DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Brian Westrbook, LeSean McCoy, Kevin Curtis, Donovan McNabb.  You get the picture.

OUTCOME: EAGLES LOSE 27-25 AFTER AKERS MISSES GAME-WINNING FG FROM 43 YARDS.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: ELDRA BUCKLEY
8 CARRIES, 23 YARDS, 1 TD; 6 RECEPTIONS, 56 YARDS, 1 TD

GAME NOTES:

– Jeremy Maclin must have had some jitters early on.  He fumbled his first punt return, which the Eagles recovered, but he shined later in the game.  He had a couple nice catches and great returns later in the game.

– DeSean had a tremendous game.  He made a great play on an end-around, as well as some very nice catches.  LeSean McCoy was also outstanding.  If Westbrook was out for the whole season, I would not be worried a single bit with McCoy taking every snap for the Eagles this season.  With DeSean, McCoy, Maclin, and now Vick, the Eagles could have the fastest offense in the history of ever.

– Lorenzo Booker made a nice 30+ yard grab right by the sidelines from Feeley.  He displayed his nice set of hands and showed why he deserves to beat out Buckley for that RB spot.  Buckley one-upped him just a few plays later with a nice 6-yard TD run.  I still like Buckley over Booker.  He can block and he runs the ball hard.  Buckley also had a nice 4th down reception form the 3 the next drive for a TD.  I like this guy!

– WR Brandon Gibson, the Eagles 6th-round draft pick, received many praises.  He caught everything that came his way and laid a sick block to help Eldra Buckley gain some extra yards on a reception.  The Eagles have a lot of wide receivers.  This guy is worthy of making the team, but how many WR’s can the Eagles keep? DeSean, Maclin, Curtis, Avant, and Baskett should be locks.  Do the Eagles take a 6th WR and keep Gibson.  Is Reggie Brown the odd man out?  This should be interesting.

– Joe Mays played well.  I would give his performance a B.  He’s definitely no Stewart Bradley.  That’s a huge loss, but if all 11 players on defense play well together, they should be able to overcome that loss.  He has the skills.  With more time with the 1st team, he can step up into that role.

– Brent Celek left the game with a sprained shoulder.  Let’s hope it’s not serious.  The last thing we need is another injury.

– Jason Peters didn’t look to good in his first preseason game.  He’s missed a lot of time this preseason, so let’s hope he just has to get his timing down.

– Macho Harris looked good and was great at getting pressure on the QB. I love the Macho Man.

I couldn’t believe the news when I first heard it.  The Eagles have officially signed Michael Vick to a two-year deal.  Most people are disgusted by the move.  I am not.  It’s just business.  I’m not going to say the front office sunk to a new low.  They want to win.  The man did his time, has been remorseful, and as a forgiving person, I’ll give him a second chance.  When I heard about the signing, all I could think of is the wildcat formation.  Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson in the backfield.  Are you serious? The options for their offense is limitless.

This is the fastest offense in the history of ever. . .

DEASEAN JACKSON, JEREMY MACLIN, LESEAN MCCOY, BRIAN WESTRBOOK, KEVIN CURTIS, AND MICHAEL VICK.

SIX… 6 WEAPONS… IS THAT ENOUGH “WEAPONS” FOR MCNABB?  I GUESS WE NEVER HAVE TO HEAR THAT SORRY EXCUSE FROM MCNABB THIS YEAR.

..and that’s without even getting to their all-star Offensive Line (on paper and injury free).  Let’s just hope that they all get healthy in a hurry and can gel quickly.

I love the way the first day of the draft went. I was very surprised. I wanted Knowshon Moreno. I was pissed when he went to the Broncos. In my opinion, the Broncos should have focused on their defense, which was ranked in about the bottom 4 last year. No worries though, the Eagles got a true game-changer in Jeremy Maclin. He should have been a top 15 pick, so I’ll gladly take him at 19. Can you imagine the Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants trying to defend a 3 WR set of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Kevin Curtis?  If McNabb can’t find one of those guys open with THIS line, he has serious problems.  I don’t want to hear another complaint out of #5′s mouth.  It’s time to get it done McNabb.

Some people were upset with the Eagles pick in Maclin. Yeah, most of us wanted Moreno; he was gone, too bad, what the hell are you gonna do? Maclin will be a stud in this league! He is just like DeSean Jackson but bigger and more physical. He puts the Eagles receiving corp over the top.

To make things even better, we get a RB in round 2 and it’s none other than LeSean McCoy: a guy who easily could have been a late first, early second-round pick. I’ve graded Knowshon Moreno an A prospect and LeSean McCoy a B+ prospect, but there’s not much difference between the two. We have a RB that is elusive, quick, can make things happen with the screen play, and fits in perfectly with the Eagles system. Everyone was so obsessed with a RB in this year’s draft, it seems like we all forgot that we still have Brian Westbrook. Yes, Westbrook is coming off a knee injury and is 30-years-old, but he is still the #1 guy and I expect him to rebound this season to his 2007 form. We didn’t need a starting runningback, we just needed a #2 RB on our depth chart.  Anyone who is comparing LeSean McCoy to Ryan Moats is crazy.  McCoy will be much better than Moats.

Our defense has 10 starters returning, the 11th guy need not be named.  There’s no need to worry about going offense/offense with the first two picks.  The defense has plenty of bodies.

No more knocking the front office. They are not cheap and they know what the hell they’re doing. Trading down in the last two years has paid dividends and I am relentlessly optimistic about the 2009 season. McNabb must be thrilled with Stacy Andrews, Jason Peters, Leonard Weaver, Jeremy Maclin, and LeSean McCoy. Yes, I’m still pissed about them letting Brian Dawkins go, but it’s Dawkins who decided to leave for greener pastures. This team is ready for a Super Bowl.  Let’s make it happen!

NFC East Roundup: No first day picks for the Cowboys.  Ha!  The Redskins got a gift with Brian Orakpo falling to them. The Giants had a pretty good draft too: WR Hakeem Nicks, LB Clint Sintim, and OT William Beatty on day one.

Knowshon Moreno gets taken early. No big deal. We take the 2nd best WR in the draft, Jeremy Maclin, a few spots after he was expected to go. No big deal. There are plenty of RBs left and aren’t the stars perfectly aligned when LeSean McCoy falls to the Eagles in round 2. I am loving this year’s draft by the Eagles.

So all we need is a TE in round 3 and we’re ready to make that Super Bowl run next season, right? Jared Cook, Shawn Nelson, Cornelius Ingraham, and Chase Coffman are all still available. Jared Cook should be gone soon, but Chase Coffman is the Eagles guy in round 3. Why can’t they draft in round 3 on day 1 like they used to?  We’ll just have to wait until tomorrow to see who else the Eagles pick up.

May we see more highlights like these from LeSean McCoy in Midnight Green:

Knowshon Moreno went much higher than anticipated. He went #12 to the Broncos. Eagles had to come up with Plan B. They obviously wanted to boost the offense. They’re not sold on Beanie Wells (thank goodness), it was too early to take Donald Brown or LeSean McCoy, so why not add another playmaker to the receiving corp?

Brandon Pettigrew was on the board, but I’m not sold on him as the Eagles pick: he’s more of a premier blocker than a premier receiver and the Eagles like their TEs to be receivers and I still think the Eagles want Jared Cook or Chase Coffman in round 2. The Eagles traded up from 21 to 19 to take Maclin, so they must have been sold on him. I don’t know what the Eagles had to throw in: maybe a 5th or 6th rounder? We have four 5th rounders, so they might as well spend them.

I expected Maclin to be taken between 10 and 15. I rated him much higher than Darrius Heyward-Bey, who the Raiders foolishly drafted at 7, so I love the pick. Why the hell wouldn’t the Raiders trade down? That’s why they are a terrible organization. Plus, Maclin in the return game is a huge boost to our special teams. Maclin returning kickoffs, DeSean returning punts, and Quintin Demps as our alternate, that’s tremendous!

RB Plans: Wells is still on the board, so that’s another RB that should go soon, and luckily gone before the Eagles are tempted to take him. I don’t see Donald Brown falling that far — he’ll go by mid-2nd round at the latest. LeSean McCoy is an option for the Eagles in round 2. I wouldn’t be upset with Andre Brown in round 2 (I love his upside). I don’t want Shonn Greene. I’ll gladly take Mike Goodson in round 3 and if he’s gone, I wouldn’t be upset with Javon Ringer either. We have options. RB is deep.

Let’s take a look at what we’re getting with Maclin. DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, and Jeremy Maclin in 3 WR sets — they may be a bit undersized, but that’s a ridiculous amount of speed — I like it:

A quick re-cap of the latest headlines:

– The Falcons traded for Tony Gonzalez. All it took was a 2010 2nd-round pick. The Eagles were rumored to be in the mix by offering a 2009 3rd-round pick. I don’t see why the Eagles wouldn’t make the move when the pick wouldn’t even have to be dealt until next year’s draft. With Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons are looking pretty dangerous. If they add a few defensive pieces in the draft, watch out.

– The chance that the Giants trade for Braylon Edwards is almost dead. The Giants don’t want to depart with their 29th pick and won’t give up Kiwanuka either. There’s now talk that the Giants may trade up to take Darius Heyward-Bey or will go with Hakeem Nicks with the 29th pick.

– Anquan Boldin is being shopped around and the Cardinals downgraded their demands. Now, they are willing to take a 2nd-round pick and “other considerations.” The Giants, Jets, and Eagles are all in the mix. I say trade Reggie Brown and the 2nd-round pick for him. Maybe even through in Juqua Parker to sweeten the pot. I love Juqua, but how many DEs do we really need? I expect Abiamiri and Bryan Smith to contribute big time this year.

– All I want is one thing tomorrow: KNOWSHON, KNOWSHON, KNOWSHON!

– What’s a pre-draft update without some pre-draft speculation and throwing out random names? If Knowshon is taken earlier than expected (let’s hope not), I say trade out of the 21st pick (maybe to the Giants so they can take Heyward-Bey), take the Giants 29th pick to take Donald Brown (or LeSean McCoy) and take the Giants 3rd-round pick. In round 2, TE Jared Cook may be our guy if he falls that far. If not, I would look for a CB, Utah’s Sean Smith and Vanderbilt’s D.J. Moore could be options. It may be a bit early to take Chase Coffman in round 2, let’s try to target him in round 3. If we get that extra 3rd rounder from the Giants, Oregon S Patrick Chung may be the guy we take in round 3 — watch these highlights — the dude’s half Jamaican, half Chinese, and is a beast — watch the dude block during an interception return — he lays out an offensive tackle!  Not only would we get a tremendous safety, but he can instantly contribute to special teams.  We could also take Chase Coffman in round 3 with the other pick. Sound like a good strategy? Who knows. I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow.

I always find what Walter Football has to say about the Eagles draft interesting.  He usually throws some curve balls from what you’re used to seeing at other mock drafts.  Let’s see who he has the Eagles taking with their first 5 picks:

21 – Robert Ayers – (DE) – Tennessee
28 – Alex Mack – (C) – California
53 – Duke Robinson  – (OG) – Oklahoma
85 – Javon Ringer – (RB) – Michigan State
117 – Chase Coffman – (TE) – Missouri

It looks like he has a pretty good grasp on the Eagles needs: offensive line, running back, and tight end.  His curveball: the Eagles taking Robert Ayers with the 21st pick.  Here’s my reaction to his picks.

ROBERT AYERS: I don’t know if the Eagles will be targeting a DE early.  It seems to me like the Eagles are happy with the way Victor Abiamiri is developing as he is sharing time with Juqua Parker, who also had a very solid season as well.  On the other side of the line the Eagles have their stud Trent Cole, and then have reserves Chris Clemons and Bryan Smith, who they jumped on a bit early in the 3rd round of last year’s draft.

Ayers is a solid player.  Here’s a link to his highlights and you can read up on his draft profile here.  Ayers is currently ranked 17 on Mel Kiper’s big board and his stock is rising.  I don’t think defensive end is a pressing need, so I would pass on Ayers to address a bigger need or would take Illinois CB Vontae Davis.

ALEX MACK: I previously wrote that the Eagles could target Duke Robinson with the 28th pick, but the Eagles could get their hands on him in the 2nd round and that’s what Walter has happening.  There are some questions about his work ethic and Robinson may be a bit raw.  Alex Mack, however, has been hailed as the best center prospect in the last several years.  The Eagles could upgrade Jamaal Jackson and Alex Mack would be a great pick at 28.  The Eagles signed Jamaal Jackson to a 7-year extension back in 2006, so they may not be thinking of adding a center and they also drafted Mike McGlynn in last year’s draft, who is able to play at center or at guard.

DUKE ROBINSON: Robinson could be available to the Eagles in the 2nd round so he may not be worth a 28th pick since he kind of has that “Winston Justice bust aura” about him.  The best RBs are off the board as is TE Jared Cook, so boosting the line is the way to go the way Walter Football’s mock draft is playing out.  Just to note: Walter has Wells going to the Jets and Knowshon to the Cards.  They’re the only RBs taken in the first round of his mock draft.  The Browns then grab Donald Brown at the top of the 2nd round followed by LeSean McCoy to the Giants a few picks after the Eagles are on the clock in round 2.

JAVON RINGER: I am a big Javon Ringer fan.  He’s amassed over 3,000 yards rushing and nearly 500 yards receiving in his last 2 seasons and he scored 22 TDs last season.  I’ve seen him play a few games live and he was tremendous.  A very exciting RB to watch.  I think he’s going to be a very solid back in the NFL.  He ran a 4.42 at his Pro Day which is incredible.  His style is very similar to Brian Westbrook, so he would be a great match for the Eagles since he is good at catching the ball out of the backfield.  The Eagles don’t necessarily need to find a starter in this year’s draft, so they’re not going to kill themselves by passing on Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, and Donald Brown.  Javon Ringer would be a great guy to plug in there when Westbrook needs some plays off or games off.  Worth Watching: Highlights 1, Highlights 2, Highlights 3, and Highlights 4.

There’s really not a back in this draft that I don’t like.  The Eagles will definitely draft a running back, probably not in the first round, but they will definitely add a solid RB at some point in the draft and I think that will come in round 3. In round 3, Javon Ringer would be my first choice, followed by Shonn Greene, and then Mike Goodson.  I wouldn’t complain about any of them.

CHASE COFFMAN: Andy Reid said in an interview that he prefers tight ends who know how to catch first and foremost.  He doesn’t necessarily care about blocking as much; he says his coaches can teach a kid how to block, but you can’t really teach a TE to catch — they either have those skills or they don’t.  You can take that as a hint that Reid may not be thinking of taking Brandon Pettigrew with his 21st pick.  Coffman would be a great TE addition in the fourth round.  You have to love what NFL Draft Countdown says about him:  he runs great routes, has a good burst off the line, has good hands, runs hard after the catch, does well over the middle, and is a fantastic red-zone threat.

FINAL REACTION: If this is how the Eagles draft ended up I would be very happy.  We added a LDE.  We boosted the offensive line with Alex Mack and Duke Robinson.  We added a tremenous RB and TE in the later rounds.  Instead of overpaying for a TE and RB early, we got quality guys in round 3 and 4.  Well done.  Less than 30 days until the draft and I cannot wait!

I just wanted to throw out some draft scenarios that the Eagles could go.  The main focus of Eagles fans has been on offensive tackle, but most of the best tackles will be taken by the time the Eagles are on the clock at 21, so why not take the best offensive guard in the draft: Duke Robinson?  We all know Andy Reid loves his big linemen and at 6’5″, 335 pounds, Duke must make Andy’s mouth water.

Even better is the fact that he should be available to the Eagles at 28.  Most mock drafts have Robinson going in the late first-round or early second-round, so he would be a great target for the Eagles at 28.  If the Eagles like him enough, they could throw in a 5th rounder to move up a few spots if they think he’s about to be snagged.   This could help Shawn Andrews move over to tackle if that’s necessary.  A starting line of The Duke, The Andrews Brothers, Jamaal Jackson, and Jean-Gilles?  That’s a lot of beef.  And the Eagles still have that 21st pick to grab an elite offensive weapon like a Brandon Pettigrew, Knowshon Moreno, Darrius-Heyward Bey, or LeSean McCoy.

The fact that The Duke could be available at 28 makes the draft more exciting for me because instead of having to trade both first-round picks to move up to grab an elite tackle, the Eagles can fill 3 positions of need (OL, RB, and TE) with their first three picks without having to trade up in the first round of the draft.

So I ask you, what draft scenario do you like best and why?  Leave some comments.

Scenario 1:
21 – Brandon Pettigrew (TE)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Shonn Greene (RB)

Scenario 2:
21 – Knowshon Moreno (RB) or LeSean McCoy (RB)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)

Scenario 3:
21 – Knowshon Moreno (RB) or LeSean McCoy (RB)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Hope for Hakeen Nicks (WR) or Kenny Britt (WR) to fall to the 53 or try to trade up.
85 – Hope for Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE) to fall to 85 or try to trade up again.

Scenario 4:
21 – Michael Oher (OT)
28 – LeSean McCoy (RB) or Donald Brown (RB)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)

Scenario 5:
21 – Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR)
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)
85 – Mike Goodson (RB)

Scenario 6:
21 – Vontae Davis (CB) – Vernon Davis’s brother who is a beast of a CB out of Illinois.  Think Sheldon Brown’s replacement in 2-3 years or help assist Brown move to safety.  Highlights.  Profile.  Thanks to Iggles Blog for the idea.
28 – Duke Robinson (OG)
53 – Cornelius Ingram (TE) or Jared Cook (TE)
85 – Mike Goodson (RB)

Please vote on this at our poll (the link takes you right to it).

Let’s take a look at The Duke — The highlights aren’t as sexy as a Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, or Darrius Heyward-Bey, but he sure knows how to plow over some DTs and hit people.

Word on the street says there’s a 99% chance the Eagles take a running back in the first round.  With Buckhalter going to the Broncos and Westbrook coming off a season full of knee problems at 30-years-old, it’s safe to assume the Eagles will use one of their first two picks to take a RB despite the “Eagles never use a 1st-round pick on a RB” mentality.

The Eagles should essentially have their choice of Beanie Wells, Knowshon Moreno, LeSean McCoy, or Donald Brown.  I’ve written about the first 3 backs on this site before, but I haven’t read too much on Donald Brown, who apparently the Eagles really like.  Donald Brown is a 5’10″, 210 pound UCONN RB.  Here’s his draft profile.  Let’s take a look:

He looks pretty good, but he’s still the #4 RB in my book.