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.

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 spent Saturday afternoon at the Eagles training camp.  I have some pictures downloaded, which you can view here: http://www.allphiladelphiasports.com/images/eagles-camp/

Here are some of my impressions from the Eagles camp:

– Kevin Curtis looks 100%.  Whatever his injury was (a thigh contusion I believe) did not slow him down one bit during practice.

– DeSean Jackson caught two very nice deep bombs from McNabb during practice.  They also practiced the wild-cat formation with DeSean taking the snap, which picked up some nice yardage.

– Ikeguono had a very nice pass breakup.  He’s aggressive and flys to the ball.  If there’s one position the Eagles are stacked at, it’s got to be CB.

– Leonard Weaver has a nice set of hands for a FB.  Expect to see McNabb dump the ball to him on flat routes if the WRs get jamped up in coverage.  With DeSean, Maclin, White Lightning, and Celek, I don’t know how that will be possible, but the #5 go-to-guy will be Weaver out wide.

– I’m looking forward to seeing how King Dunlap plays during the pre-season.  He is an absolute monster.  He just towers over every O-lineman.

– I’m pulling for Eldra Buckley to win the 3rd RB spot over Booker.  Booker is a one-trick pony.  All he can do is run the screen play and maybe a stretch play.  He can’t run inside and he can’t block.  Buckley runs hard and looks like he has a lot of heart.  His style reminds me a lot of Ricky Williams when he was good, but that may just be the dreads-effect.

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 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:

All the speculation of whether the Eagles will trade into the top 10 to grab Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe, or Andre Smith is over.  The Eagles have solidified their offensive line with Bills Pro Bowl LT Jason Peters.  The Eagles gave up the 28th pick, a second-day pick (presumed to be a 4th-round pick), and a 2010 late-round pick to acquire Peters.

I’m extremely happy about the move.  They’ll have to end up paying Peters whatever money they would had to have spent on a rookie LT like Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe so it makes sense to trade for the 27-year-old with experience and still get to hang onto the 21st pick, which many think will now be used on a RB.  Knowshon Moreno, if he slides that far, would be a dream come true and I wouldn’t have any complaints with Donald Brown either.  I’m not bummed out about losing out on the chance of getting Anquan Boldin.  I’m confident going into the season with a healthy Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson, especially with that all-star line with the Andrews Brothers and Peters.  Maybe Reggie Brown can even return to his 2006-2007 form after letting the hammy recover.  The Eagles will likely add TE phenomenon Chase Coffman in the second round.  It’s all coming together for the Eagles in 2009.  The secondary is set, the linebackers are set, and defensive line is set.  The offensive line is fixed.  Now let’s get us some weapons in the draft.  Hopefully those weapons come in the form of Knowshon Moreno and Chase Coffman.  My Plan B if the Eagles don’t take a RB at 21 and opt for a defensive player like Robert Ayers or Vontae Davis, Mike Goodson in round 3.

Free Agency This Year Not Exciting As Last Year’s:

So pretty much all the fun has been sucked out of free agency thanks to the awful Franchise Tag, which needs to go!  The Panthers signed OT Jordan Gross to a 6-year deal AND tagged Peppers to boot.  That means the Panthers have to pay Peppers a cool $17 million.  Most people are asking, how do the top 5 DEs make $17 million?  They don’t: a clause states that the tagged player gets the greater of the average salaries of the top 5 highest paid players at that position or 120% of the player’s salary the prior year.  Peppers made $15 million last year.  That’s a nice two-year payday.  I don’t know what he’s complaining about that.

Adding TE Owen Daniels and kicking L.J. Smith to the curb doesn’t seem likely since Bleeding Green Nation reports that Daniels has been tendered at the highest level.  Although, there are some rumblings that Kellen Winslow is being shopped for a 2nd- and 3rd-round pick.  Here are some proposals.

Adding a WR like Antonio Bryant won’t happen either.  A big, physical guy with a lot of talent and upside.  He’s been tagged by the Bucs.

What are the Eagles options?

T.J. Houshmandzadeh — Houshmanzadeh will likely hit the market, but Heckerd says he’s not looking to add a wide receiver (unless he’s bluffing).  I think Houshmandzadeh/DeSean/Curtis would be a perfect combination of receivers.  Housh’s bread and butter is 5-yard catches over the middle, with a high amount of yards-after-the-catch (YAC).  With DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis out there as well, I don’t see how #5 cannot hit one of them at will.  With all the other potential free agents out there tagged, the Eagles have room to make one big move.  This is their big move.

Offensive Tackle Outlook:

Looks like Tra Thomas will be resigned.  Jon Runyan will test free agency, find out nobody wants him due to his age and knee injury, and he’ll likely sign late with the Eagles on the cheap. Winston Justice is being shopped, but who are we kidding, who’s going to want him unless the asking price is a sixth-round pick (maybe a fourth, please?).  Justice will probably end up being cut in August unless he gets his act together.

That means you can bet your last dollar that the Eagles will be targeting an OT in the draft.  I say they package their 2 first-round picks to get the OT that they want.  Or I’ll take Michael Oher AND Beanie Wells.  Please NFL Draft Gods!  More on the OT draft outlook coming later.

The Cardinals beat the Eagles to move onto the Super Bowl.  Yeah, it sucks big time, but I’m trying to attempt a little humor to lighten the mood.  Here are the top 5 reasons the Eagles lost to the Cardinals.

1.) Kurt Warner loves Jesus more than McNabb.

2.) McNabb picking up the phone on the Giants sidelines last week was bad karma.

3.) The non-call on Kevin Curtis on the Eagles last drive was just totally bogus.

4.) Larry Fitzgerald is a complete freak of nature. Larry is a player that is just born to play in the Super Bowl.  You have to admire his talent and he is relatively modest for the position that he plays.  Good for Larry.

5.) The flight out West and playing the early game killed them in the first half. I don’t get why this game was scheduled at 3 pm EST, 1 pm MST.  Why couldn’t the NFL switch the starting times with the Pittsburgh game?  I guess perhaps these things are prescheduled and then you have to deal with the TV Networks, but there’s no question that the Cardinals have a tremendous advantage at home playing an east-coast team.

BRIAN WESTBROOK — Coach Andy Reid said Monday that Brian Westbrook (ribs) is “progressing” and has a chance to return after the Eagles’ Week 7 bye.

REGGIE BROWN – First a hamstring injury, then a groin injury.  It doesn’t appear to be too serious and now he’ll have 3 weeks to get healthy again.

KEVIN CURTIS — He traveled with the team to San Fransisco, but was inactive for the game.  Now that the Eagles have the bye week, I expect that he’ll be fully healthy and ready to go against the Falcons.

SHAWN ANDREWS — The latest word is that surgery on his back is not likely required and doctor’s are “optimistic” about it.  After missing the last 4 games, and now with the bye week, I wonder if having him back in week 8 is a possibility.  We’ll keep you posted when we hear more.

RECAP FROM ANDY REID’S PRESS CONFERENCE:
– Max Jean-Gilles – Shoulder sprain.
– Lito Sheppard – Hamstring strain.
– Tra Thomas – Foot strain.
– Reggie Brown – Groin strain.
– J.R. Reed – Ankle sprain.  Hamstring strain.
– Brain Westrbook – Making progress with ribs.
– Shawn Andrews – Seeing 4th back specialist.
– Kevin Curtis – Making Progress.
– All players except Shawn Andrews should be ready for Atlanta.

Good news and bad news for Cowboys.

First the good news for Eagles fans: Pacman Jones suspended indefinitely at least 4 games!

I knew that Goodell would have none of this and that Pacman would be suspended at least 2 games, but an indefinite suspension is even better!  Thank you Goodell.

Then the bad news: The Cowboys acquired Roy Williams.

The Eagles were in the mix, but were outbid by the Cowboys.  The Cowboys gave up a 1st, 3rd, and 6th rounder for Williams, which I think was rather excessive considering the amount of dropped balls, health issues, and general underachieving he’s shown.  The Eagles will be fine the rest of the year assuming Westbrook can get healthy in a hurry, Kevin Curtis contributes upon his return, and Reggie Brown stays healthy and keeps making plays.  McNabb has been outstanding most games, and his bad games have been when he doesn’t get protection and the WRs don’t get open.  Consistent efforts from a fully healthy offense will keep things going in the right direction.  Shawn Andrews has been missed.

More bad news: Tony Gonzalez remains a Chief as the trade deadline passes.

Boo on the front office for not getting this done.  All the Chiefs were asking for was a 3rd-round pick and the Eagles wouldn’t budge.  Huge let down.