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.

We can finally get our 1st-round draft pick into camp!  The Eagles have signed Jermey Maclin to a 5-year deal.  The deal is worth $15.5 million ($9.5 million guaranteed).  At least he wasn’t too late to the party like Bunkley during his rookie season.

In other Eagles news, to add depth to the LB position after the loss of Stewart Bradley for the season, the Eagles added San Diego LB Matt Wilhelm.  Wilhelm was cut just last week and agreed to a one-year deal with Philadelphia.  Wilhelm is 28-years-old and has 6 years of experience under his belt.  He was a 4th-round pick of the Chargers in 2003, but failed to live up to his five-year, $14 million contract since he split time last season as a starter.

It’s official, Steward Bradley officially has a torn ACL and will be out for the season.  What a loss that is to a defense that has already lost you know who.  I’m confident Joe Mays or Omar Gaither will step up, but Bradley was due for a Pro-Bowl season this year.

In a Jeremy Maclin update, he is still unsigned, but the Broncos have inked their 1st-round draft pick, Robert Ayers.  Ayers was selected 18th, just a pick ahead of Maclin, so the Maclin deal should be coming soon.

Eagles traded Greg Lewis and a 2010 draft pick (presumed to be a 7th-round pick) for an undisclosed 2009 draft pick from the Patriots (presumed to be a 5th-round pick).  The Eagles now have four 5th-round picks in this year’s draft and a total of 12 picks in the draft.

I don’t really get the big buzz about 5th round picks.  We traded Lito for a 5th rounder and another conditional pick in 2010 and certain people are saying how the Eagles got such “good value.”  How valuable is a 5th round pick really?  This is just my guess, but 9 out of 10 times, a fifth-rounder never becomes a starter in the NFL.  More than half the time, they probably don’t end up making the active roster in their first few years.

The Eagles don’t even get their 3rd-round picks right the majority of the time (Billy McMullen, Matt Ware, Ryan Moats, Tony Hunt, C.J. Gaddis).  However, you have to respect these 3rd-round picks: Westbrook, Burgess, Stewart Bradley, Staley, and Trotter.

On the other hand, the Eagles have landed two very good pieces over the years from the 5th round: Trent Cole and Brent Celek.  I guess the more picks you have, the greater your chances of getting it right, so maybe all these trades will work to their advantage.

Spads conducted an interview with Eagles President Joe Banner.  Here are some highlights:

– Why no moves were made at the trade deadline: Eagles are always looking for ways to improve the team.  They were in talks with KC, but they did not want to trade Tony Gonzalez.  They felt compelled to listen to offers due to Tony’s request, but none of the offers were good enough.

– How Banner views Roy Williams being traded to the Cowboys: The Cowboys paid a lot.  Banner wouldn’t pay that much despite the player that Roy is.  Cowboys traded two 1st -round picks for Galloway and 12 years later, they still haven’t won a playoff game.

– The acquisition of acquiring Tracy White and releasing Tony Hunt: The addition of White will help the Eagles on special teams.  It’s disappointing when a first day draft pick doesn’t work out, but even the best evaluators usually hit only 50% of their picks.  You go into draft knowing some will work out and others won’t.  When a situation doesn’t work out, you have to move on.

– Thoughts on the Fullback position: Eagles are back with Klecko and they feel good about him, but they’re still searching for the answer.

– Eagles players coming back to the team (Westbrook, Curtis, Brown): Adding players to what we have is optimistic going forward.  It’s time to get on a roll with these players.

– Salary Cap: It’s time to offer extensions to players.  Eagles are evaluating options, but don’t want to discuss publicly who they’re approaching and not approaching.  The Eagles  both starting tackles are in the final year of their contract.  Unfortunately, the Eagles will have to let some players hit free agency this offseason.

– Draft Moves: We got good value for the picks.  We essentially traded Anthony Spencer for Kevin Kolb, Stewart Bradley, and Brent Celek.  It looks like the Eagles won that one.  The Eagles also essentially traded Jeff Otah for a 2009 first-round pick and Trevor Laws and then got DeSean Jackson to boot.  The Eagles gained a lot of value there.

– The Falcons: Amazing turn around for them.  Great QB and they play aggressively.  Obviously a game the Eagles have to win going forward.

Jay’s Day 1, Morning Practice Review: A perspective other than Dave Spadaro.
Donovan McNabb/DeSean Jackson:

After viewing the Eagles morning practice today, I was pretty impressed with what I saw.  I began the day, obviously, by watching Donovan McNabb in action to see how our franchise player looked.  He began his practice by throwing some quick outs and flare patterns, followed by launching some deep balls to the rookie wide receivers including DeSean Jackson.   I mention Jackson specifically, since his presence on the field was very apparent to the point that it almost seemed as though McNabb was targeting the first year rookie, out of California, during the drills.  This is great to see since good QB/WR chemistry (especially with a rookie WR) is a huge factor in determining how well the offense will get things done this coming season.  Although McNabb’s knee injury seemed not to bother him, I couldn’t help but notice the signs of rust from his shoulder injury that he and the team have been calling a “non-issue” during the QB drills.  But it was not only me who felt this way.  Perez and Jordan from Downingtown, Pa said, “He (McNabb) seems to be in the best shape we’ve seen him in the last three years.  His arm strength was great, but his throws seemed to come out a bit wobbly”.  Jeff of Emmaus, Pa added, “Donovan looked to be in great shape and threw some great deep balls to DeSean Jackson.  I must admit, however, that he wasn’t throwing a very pretty ball”.  Like Jeff, I was a bit discouraged by #5’s throws but was amazed by the pure speed and agility of DeSean Jackson.  The only knock on the rookie today was the many drops I witnessed during his workout.  Let’s hope these drops only last another few days until he learns the “ins and outs” of Marty Mornhinweg’s offense.  Joe, a veteran Eagle fan from Philadelphia said of Jackson, “Although DeSean looked good and had some spectacular moves and catches, I’m afraid he’s gonna turn out to be a ‘hot dog’ on the field”.  When asked what he thought about the Eagle QB situation Joe replied, “McNabb may have looked rusty, but that’s normal.  He is a proven veteran and leader and will be ready for opening day.  But what really stood out to me, was how good Kevin Kolb looked.  To me, he had just as much zip on the ball as Donovan, and at times seemed to outplay him (McNabb) and Feeley on this first day of training camp”.

The Linebackers:

After watching the offense for a good 35 minutes, I got up and walked over to where the rookie linebackers were getting some work in.  I must say that I was completely blown away by how good our young LB corp looks.  The presumtive starters at the LB position include 2nd-year man Stewart Bradley, Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong, but any of the other six LBs could fill the void if one of the starters were to go down.  The only problem I can think of concerning the LBs is that there is no possible way that we will be able to pay and/or keep all of these young studs, and will inevitably lose some of these guys to other contenders in the NFL that need help at the LB position.  The Eagles must decide decisively and quickly which of these linebackers they need to keep around the huddle.

To conclude, practice ended a bit early, around 10:25am, just as the heat began to wear down not only the players, but the spectators as well.  Afternoon practice is scheduled for 3:30pm.

– Jay Vaidya

Lorenzo Booker starts fast [Philadelphia Inquirer]  — The Lorenzo Booker trade thrilled me from the start.  I don’t know how many people are familiar with his college career, but when I watched his Florida State games two seasons ago, I was always paying attention to him.  Every time he got the ball, he had a chance to take it to the house.  His ability to get yards after the catch is uncanny.  So far, Booker’s talent and level of preparation in camp is being raved about.  Not only does Booker fit in perfectly in the Eagles’ system, not only will he be able to take some pressure off Westbrook, but he has a great attitude that Eagles fans love.  You have to love quotes like this:

I’m a perfectionist.  I expect to go out there and when you tell me something once, I get it right. I just love the game. I love to play football. I’m not a guy that can go out there and jog through stuff. To me, there is no halfway. Going full speed and working hard is the only thing I know how to do.  You want to always get used to finishing a play or breaking a long run because you never know in the course of a game when it’s going to happen.

Big tackle has big name, big hopes [Philadelphia Inquirer] — King Dunlap was a great low-risk, high-reward draft pick.  Dunlap was a pre-season All-American and could have been taken in the one of the top two round this draft, but he lost his starting spot his senior year because of some injuries and his draft stock plummeted.  Dunlap ended up being the 35th tackle taken in the draft. Despite a poor senior season, you have to be intrigued with his physical assets and credentials: 6′8″, 310 pounds, size-18 shoes, 5.0 40-yard-dash (that’s fast for a tackle — Jake Long ran a 5.23, Ryan Clady ran a 5.2), 225-pound bench press 20 times, and a very good Wonderlic score.  Give him two or three years behind Tra Thomas and I’m sure he’ll pan out just fine with the Eagles.

Offensive tackle Justice has something to prove [Philadelphia Inquirer] — Justice is ready to prove wrong all the critics who say that he has no heart/fight/fire/bite.

Still Excited About the LBs… [Iggles Blog]  — A bit of pessimism/criticism to relax all the praise that is thrown to the Eagles young linebacking corps.  I happen to love the Eagles linebackers.  They’re young, have a ton of talent, and should continue improving.  Gaither will move to the WILL where he will be able to utilize his athleticism more.  I’m expecting big things from Stewart Bradley in the middle — he made a statement at the end of the season and was drawing comparisons to Brian Urlacher.  Gocong should only keep getting more comfortable in his role on the strong side.  Interesting article nonetheless.

Bryan Smith Buys Food, Gains Weight [Bleeding Green Nation] — I was a little worried about Smith’s small size (231 lbs. at the combine, 243 lbs. right now) as a DE, but Smith says that he could barely afford to buy food in college since D-II athletes get about half the amount of scholarship checks that D-I athletes get.  They get $438 a month and once you deduct money for rent, utilities, and other expenses, you’re not left with a whole lot of money to feed a 240-pound athlete.  Smith has the frame to pack on weight and he should be able to get up to 250 pounds.

Getting To Know Joe Mays [Inside the Iggles] — Joe Mays looks like he could be a beast on the field.  He’s short and stocky, so he has some problems changing direction, but he’s a downhill player, a tackling machine, and he does a great job at shredding blocks.  It seems like Joe Mays is a guy that the Eagles could use in the middle on running downs to stuff the line.  He may get a roster spot if he proves to be a valuable asset on special teams.

Sizing Up Some Prime Roster Battles [Dave Spadaro]  — It’s already pretty clear who will make the 53-man roster.  The only real question marks are what runningbacks won’t make the roster and whether the Eagles go with Jason Davis or Dan Klecko at fullback.

Lito Sheppard lining up as a wide receiver? [Yardbarker] — I don’t see the point of that when you have DeSean Jackson, but sure, why not?

Will the Ravens bring the return of Freddie Mitchell? [Bleeding Green Nation] — The Ravens have worked out “The People’s Champ” Fred Ex.

Eagles getting some love [Iggles Blog]  — According to Iggles Blog, Vegas gives the Eagles the 6th-best odds to win the Super Bowl.  By my count, the Eagles have the 10th-best odds to win the Super Bowl.  The Jaguars, Steelers, Browns, and Saints are all ahead of the Birds.  The Eagles odds to win the Super Bowl are currently 25-1 on sportsbook.com.

Eagles defense ready to soar [Sporting News] — Nothing we don’t already know.  On paper, this defense looks as good as ever.

5 teams that could surprise [ESPN - Matt Mosley] — Here is what Matt has to write on the Eagles:

Even in the very talented NFC East, it’s hard to imagine the Eagles staying down for long. Andy Reid didn’t suddenly become a bad coach and he still has a very talented roster. Keeping quarterback Donovan McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook healthy always is going to be a challenge, but the Eagles will be contenders if McNabb and Westbrook can stay on the field. Reid firmly believes Lorenzo Booker, acquired in a trade with Miami, can help lighten Westbrook’s load.

Wide receiver remains an issue, but the Eagles drafted DeSean Jackson to try to give McNabb another playmaker. Reid’s had a rough couple of years, dealing with family issues and the saga of former Philadelphia receiver Terrell Owens. But when Reid has the time to just focus on coaching, he’s as good as anyone in the game.