I can't believe I'm ready to start rooting for draft position in week 3, but I am. Earliest I've ever taken that mindset in a season. I really don't want the Eagles to win on Sunday. Losing to the Bengals and then going 0-6 would make this organization's issues impossible to ignore for Lurie.

At least it's in a dumb year with no fans in the stands.

4 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

If kittle is back and jimmy g plays then Kyle shanahan is licking his chops for that Gerry matchup. 

Imagine what he would do to the guys who are even worse and more inexperienced than Gerry? Taylor might tear his knee up changing directions so quickly on misdirection. Arizona had to bench Isaiah Simmons early against SF because they picked on him relentlessly. 

1 minute ago, John_C said:

While I don't disagree with this, any criticism of the defense has to take into account the overall lack of talent, and especially younger talent.  Can we point to a single, promising young defensive player?  Or anyone who is improving who could become one?

Cox has not looked like the same player since last year.  Still influences the game, but not as much.  BG still makes plays, but he is getting older and slower.  Malik Jackson has made some nice plays and looked good at times.  Hargrave did nothing that I saw yesterday.  Very slow, and got moved off his spot regularly.  This is who we spent big money on in FA?  Wow it looks bad.  Sweat had the nice play last week, didn't see him do much this week.  Barnett is still hurt and did he show anything?  The strength of the defense does not look like much of a strength at all anymore.

Gerry is a nice 4th LB and ST player, like an Ike Reese type.  Imagine if Ike Reese was the best LB on the team during the 2000-2004 era.  That's where we are.  Gerry is a hybrid player who is small yet fast and makes too many mistakes.  Liked TJ Edwards last year and said he would make the team -- great at Wisconsin and great instincts - but UDFA for a reason.  Very limited athletically, the kind of guy you have to play STs and as a backup who wont kill you.  Not a playmaker.  Duke Riley is a special teams/fringe player cut by another bad defense, and playing significant snaps here.  It's hard to say how many other teams any of these guys would even make.  It's as bad an LB group as I can remember the Eagles having and that is going back a long time now.

Slay is as advertised, he is what the team needed the last two years.  He is wasted here now.  McCleod is older and slower.  Mills is out of position far too often, and it's hard to see him coming close to what Malcolm was here.  Maddox was always a guy that could be an awesome slot, and he has his moments with the great COD and competitiveness, but he is sometimes overmatched on the outside.  They slot guys are solid.  But overall, outside of one cover CB what do they have here?

There is just nothing much to hope for on the bench behind this group... I like the Clemson safety and yet he was a 4th round pick.  They took a linebacker in the 3rd round - on a team in desperate need of LBs - who had two years of football experience.  You knew when Jordan Hicks hit the field the first time that he could play, and would contribute.  It says a lot when a 3rd round pick is nowhere near the field with what is in front of him.  I feel like our drafting is a mixture of Al Davis and Matt Millen strategies with some new age analytics thrown in.  It's a train wreck.

Honestly? I think the combination of bad coaching + atrocious LB play is killing the defense. Teams aren't throwing deep at us. Teams aren't blowing our DL off the ball. That means we're getting beat in the intermediate areas. So instead of playing Nate Gerry, we could play anyone else. Instead of using Epps, we could use K'Von Wallace.

Not playing rookies over veterans is a choice. A player like Gerry is not good enough if he makes vision mistakes. So he brings nothing to the table. Play Davion Taylor. Yes he'll make mistakes...but unlike Gerry, he'll also make plays. That's coaching.

Also, you're being unfair to Hargrave. He missed all of training camp and is clearly not 100%. He tried to gut it out. That's what you want from guys. He'll get better.

6 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

Our LBs have been incredibly slow to diagnose plays over the past two-plus years. 

I don’t blame Schwartz for Gerry being a bad player. I blame him for being so comfortable playing him. 

They aren't just slow thinkers, when they are not hitting the gaps, they are getting pushed 10 yards downfield and unable to get off blocks..it has been bad for years...you can tell by the way opposing teams gameplan...they attack the soft middle with running plays and TE routes in the soft middle, and then they go deep...it is so obvious...but the Eagles aren't playing they guys who can match up...

 

3 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Taylor is not ready. You likely see a lot of the same things you see with Gerry cause he’s a project. I came here the next night after they drafted him and said one of the Arizona coaches really loved him.  said he’s going to be good but it’s gonna take him at least a year to even two years until he’s ready to be a starting caliber player. Now if you’re OK with growing pains and hopefully he gets better week to week then I’m all for it. But I think you’re gonna be underwhelmed thinking he’s going to be better than Gerry right now.

I watched Isaiah Simmons play against the Niners in Week 1, he held up pretty well but did have 2 crucial mental mistakes that led to 14 points..it is going to happen..what I am watching right now is overwhelming mental breakdowns leaving receivers wide open all over the place..Taylor may not be ready, but he is go to play hard and his speed will help him overcome the mistakes...Gerry has the mental mistakes, the lack of speed, and has visibly quit on plays

Just now, Sack that QB said:

I can't believe I'm ready to start rooting for draft position in week 3, but I am. Earliest I've ever taken that mindset in a season.

At least it's in a dumb year with no fans in the stands.

I have not quite given up yet, but I do have a sinking feeling like the 2012 season...I hate this feeling.

2 minutes ago, twistr said:

I have not quite given up yet, but I do have a sinking feeling like the 2012 season...I hate this feeling.

Honestly, listening to Caplan and Mosher today just reinforced this mindset for me. They said the front office is adamant that the talent isn't the issue with this team and it's the coaching.

I am terrified of what they'll do if this team say goes 8-8 this year. They'll make limited personnel changes and probably gut the coaching staff.

This front office needs a reality check and I'm willing to sacrifice one season in a **** year with no fans to get the necessary change.

5 minutes ago, RLC said:

Honestly? I think the combination of bad coaching + atrocious LB play is killing the defense. Teams aren't throwing deep at us. Teams aren't blowing our DL off the ball. That means we're getting beat in the intermediate areas. So instead of playing Nate Gerry, we could play anyone else. Instead of using Epps, we could use K'Von Wallace.

Not playing rookies over veterans is a choice. A player like Gerry is not good enough if he makes vision mistakes. So he brings nothing to the table. Play Davion Taylor. Yes he'll make mistakes...but unlike Gerry, he'll also make plays. That's coaching.

Also, you're being unfair to Hargrave. He missed all of training camp and is clearly not 100%. He tried to gut it out. That's what you want from guys. He'll get better.

Ehhh. I think you underestimate just how bad Taylor could be. We knew he was a project and apparently showed very little in camp. He’s behind Bradley. 

And before you say we know how bad Gerry is, I think Taylor would be worse. 

Haven't seen his uncle on here in awhile

27 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

The fact that Riley is being used as much is ridiculous. It tells you just how bad the linebackers are. That dude is not a significant snap linebacker

With the way the LB played yesterday you might as well play Davion Taylor. Yea, he’s raw and doesn’t know what he’s doing, but hiw worse can he be then the guys yesterday? At least he has some athleticism to him.

3 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Honestly, listening to Caplan and Mosher today just reinforced this mindset for me. They said the front office is adamant that the talent isn't the issue with this team and it's the coaching.

I am terrified of what they'll do if this team say goes 8-8 this year. They'll make limited personnel changes and probably gut the coaching staff.

This front office needs a reality check and I'm willing to sacrifice one season in a **** year with no fans to get the necessary change.

Without really knowing how much personnel power Schwartz has (I assume a significant amount but how much?), maybe he thinks he has all the players in place to be a good defense.

Sunday was terrible. There’s no getting around. Week 1 was a pretty good performance for the most part, but the RZ defense was a big black mark. 

3 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

Ehhh. I think you underestimate just how bad Taylor could be. We knew he was a project and apparently showed very little in camp. He’s behind Bradley. 

And before you say we know how bad Gerry is, I think Taylor would be worse. 

Then play Bradley. There needs to be consequences for not following your keys and being out of position. 

3 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Honestly, listening to Caplan and Mosher today just reinforced this mindset for me. They said the front office is adamant that the talent isn't the issue with this team and it's the coaching.

I am terrified of what they'll do if this team say goes 8-8 this year. They'll make limited personnel changes and probably gut the coaching staff.

This front office needs a reality check and I'm willing to sacrifice one season in a **** year with no fans to get the necessary change.

Lol. Missing 3 of 5 projected starters on the oline. A secondary playing with each other for the first time. Maddox not an outside corner. Mills hasn’t played safety at the nfl level til week 1. Have two WRs in desean and reagor. They have backup linebackers playing significant roles. This team lacks talent all over the field. If they truly believe that they are in denial about how poor they have evaluated the talent on this team. Coaching isn’t making Gerry a starter. Coaching isn’t making maddox an outside corner. 

2 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

Ehhh. I think you underestimate just how bad Taylor could be. We knew he was a project and apparently showed very little in camp. He’s behind Bradley. 

And before you say we know how bad Gerry is, I think Taylor would be worse. 

It comes down to Taylor's football IQ...if he is picking up things pretty quickly, I say give him a shot...I would rather suck on a hospital mop than watch that chump Gerry give up on plays..

1 minute ago, LeanMeanGM said:

With the way the LB played yesterday you might as well play Davion Taylor. Yea, he’s raw and doesn’t know what he’s doing, but hiw worse can he be then the guys yesterday? At least he has some athleticism to him.

My point is it’s going tonbe just as ugly. Don’t expect miracles. I’m fine doing it just thinking it’s going to correct the problem in the short term it’s not. 

Make it stop.

And that’s with Sanders running skittishly in the first half. Wentz really had no excuse yesterday. The OL protected him and allowed him to be in manageable second and third downs. The Rams sat back and waited for us to make mistakes. 

1 minute ago, ManuManu said:

Without really knowing how much personnel power Schwartz has (I assume a significant amount but how much?), maybe he thinks he has all the players in place to be a good defense.

Sunday was terrible. There’s no getting around. Week 1 was a pretty good performance for the most part, but the RZ defense was a big black mark. 

I always thought the defensive upgrades they made this offseason were overhyped. Not the players, but the impacts on how it would transform the defense. Slay is excellent. But there isn't a single other player in that secondary I think is anything notable at all. From corners to the safeties. The secondary is really Slay and a bunch of guys.

Hargrave is good, but the DTs were never really a major issue for us.

We have no LBs and weak DE depth.

And we lost the defensive leader in Jenkins,.

How anyone thought this D was supposed to be much better(if at all) is beyond me.

8 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

Haven't seen his uncle on here in awhile

He’s busy posting COVID is a hoax memes in CVON

2 minutes ago, RLC said:

Then play Bradley. There needs to be consequences for not following your keys and being out of position. 

I agree there should be consequences, but I bet Bradley and Taylor have no idea what they’re doing either. That’s a big part of the problem. We have little experience and little talent at the position. 

The window is closing fast, if it hasn't closed.

Howie's gonna have to do some serious housecleaning, basically ship out any contract he can, build a war chest of draft picks, and accept a couple rebuilding seasons.

They won a SB, had a shot at going back, now it's time to face reality.

They overpaid too many veterans b/c of green colored glasses that ignored how much of 2017 was a fluke season, now it's time to bite the bullet, I'd shop Cox, see if you can move him before he seriously declines, same with Malik and Graham.

And fire a bunch of scouts and pay premium prices for top scouts.

2 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

Without really knowing how much personnel power Schwartz has (I assume a significant amount but how much?), maybe he thinks he has all the players in place to be a good defense.

Sunday was terrible. There’s no getting around. Week 1 was a pretty good performance for the most part, but the RZ defense was a big black mark. 

Red zone has been awful in both games. They had 2 stops this season and one was cause Washington gave it to them. I’d add on our 3rd down defense was terrible yesterday and when the game was tied against Washington 17-17 we gave up a 3rd and 8 and 3rd and 10. These are the same types of issues we had 2018 when the titans beat us and last year when we struggled to get off the field at critical times giving up 3rd and long 

8 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

And before you say we know how bad Gerry is, I think Taylor would be worse. 

How could he be any worse, it’s not like you can give up two touchdowns on one play

5 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

My point is it’s going tonbe just as ugly. Don’t expect miracles. I’m fine doing it just thinking it’s going to correct the problem in the short term it’s not. 

Yea, that's fine with me.At least he gets some game experience. 

2 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

And that’s with Sanders running skittishly in the first half. Wentz really is no excuse yesterday. The OL protected him and allowed him to be in manageable second and third downs. The Rams sat back and waited for us to make mistakes. 

I’d argue his game yesterday was worse than last week at Washington. At least Washington he had an oline falling apart and backup RBs. This week oline played well especially considering pryor had to come in. I know sanders had 23 touches but he could’ve had more in the passing game. I don’t think the eagles exploited that matchup enough. 

Just now, LeanMeanGM said:

Yea, that's fine with me.At least he gets some game experience. 

That’s fine. Likely best for long term success. You hope to see him improve week to week so by the end of the season he’s good to go. 

I would absolutely sell if I'm the Eagles, but I wouldn't want Howie to be the one to rebuild the roster. Their drafting isn't good enough under him.