Do you agree with the cutting of Desean Jackson?

 

One of the most electric and talented receivers the Philadelphia Eagles organization has ever seen is now a Washington Redskin. Last week DeSean Jackson signed a 3 year/ 24 million dollar contract with the division rival, the Washington Redskins. The Eagles released Jackson late last week due to what we originally thought was “gang affiliation”. However as the days went by we began to hear speculations that Eagles head coach, Chip Kelly just wasn’t very fond of Jackson.  Many media sources reported that the released was actually based on Jackson’s work ethic and other off field antics. What it comes down to is that Jackson just wasn’t the type of individual Chip Kelly wanted and believed it was causing too much of a distraction.

Now that Jackson is a Redskin the question that everyone is asking is, will this move come back to haunt the Eagles?

Jackson, who just turned 27, is without a doubt in the prime of his career.  His production was at an all-time high last season as he put up a career best 82 catches for 1,332 yards and 9 touchdowns. This truly emphasizes that talent is not everything. The biggest aspect of a successful team and organization is chemistry. Jackson clearly altered the chemistry in the locker room and for that he is no longer an Eagle.

A CBS Philly report speculated that not only was Chip Kelly not very fond of Jackson, but neither were his teammates. The article reported:

 ...a number of sources close to and around the team, including current and former players, as well as additional sources within the Eagles revealed was that Jackson was not very well liked by his teammates, was blatantly insubordinate, with temper tantrums cussing out Kelly several times in front of the team, pushed the NFL rookie coach the way "a child would test boundaries," and was more concerned with his rap label than he was about winning football games.

This picture was taken after the Eagles defeated the Cowboys in week 17 to clinch a playoff spot last season. As the rest of the skill players on the offensive come together for a group picture Jackson is concerned with getting his individual picture. This could be seen as just a coincidence, but Jackson is known to be a “me first” player. You decide for yourself.

However, no matter how you put it the Eagles will have to face Jackson and the skins twice a year in their division. Knowing the type of personality that Jackson has it is evident that he will have an especially big chip on his shoulder when facing the birds this upcoming season.  It is also evident that the Eagles will have a big void to fill on the offensive side of the ball without their number one playmaker.

What do you think? Was cutting Jackson a good move or will it come back to haunt the Eagles?

Is Nick Foles the Future?

  
As the Philadelphia Eagles continue to progress and add the necessary pieces to becoming an elite team there is one question that needs to be answered first. The question that remains is, is Nick Foles the future of the Philadelphia Eagles?  Although many believe this is a hard question to answer after just one season of Foles starting, I believe that answer is, without a doubt, a yes. Foles started his first full game week five against the giants and took full command of the offense. After a depressing 1-3 start under the controls of Michael Vick, Nick

Foles and the Eagles finished the season at a respectable 10-6,   giving them the 3^rd overall spot in the NFC.  

             
 Foles not only executed the explosive Chip Kelly offense to perfection, but he added MVP caliber numbers along the way. Foles finished the season with 27 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions; the highest touchdown to interception ratio of all time. He also added 2,891 yards with a QB rating of 119.2 and an incredible completion percentage of 64 %.

                 
There is no question that Foles has the stats to back up the argument that he is in fact the franchise quarterback, but there are a few things that Foles has that numbers can’t show and those are heart, confidence and persistence.

              
  Foles came into the seasons the second string quarterback behind the elusive Michael Vick and many thought his days in Philadelphia were numbered. Chip Kelly, ever since his coaching days at Oregon has had a fast pace, explosive offensive with a dual threat quarterback. Not many people believed that Foles was the answer for this type of offense. Not only did Foles take Vick’s starting job, but he ran the offence, that no one believed he could, more effectively than Vick had.

        
 With each game you could see Foles’s confidence grow as he was letting deep balls fly left and right and fitting balls into almost impossible windows. Foles was also named the Pro Bowl MVP which should be a big confidence booster for the upcoming season.

               
 Above all the accolades and accomplishments, Foles has heart and a never say never attitude. Whether it was being the backup in the beginning of the season, the concussion he suffered against the Cowboys, or the comeback in an absolute blizzard against the Lions, Foles never quits.

               
 Although the season ended in a playoff lost to the Saints, the season was still a great success. The Eagles are a relatively young team with a bunch of important pieces returning next season.  Now with the Eagles talking about dealing off Michael Vick it is clear that Foles is the quarterback now and for the future of the Philadelphia Eagles.  

View Foles's amazing season here:

Nick Foles Highlights 2013

               

               

               

Off-season Moves

This offseason has just begun, but that hasn’t stopped the Eagles from making several extremely crucial moves. The first move that the Eagles made was to solidify Nick Foles’s blind side. Jason Peters signed a 4 year contract worth 38.3 million dollars with 19.5 million dollars guaranteed. Peters, when healthy, is an extremely valuable entity to the super bowl contending team that Chip Kelly is trying to construct for the 2014-2015 season.  

               
Peters is a 6 time pro bowler and a 2 time First-Team all pro. If he continues his dominance from the 2013 seasons then I’m sure Nick Foles will be one happy camper. But the Eagles weren’t done on the offensive line, they also signed center, Jason Kelce. The Eagles locked up Kelce for 6 years for 37.5 million with 10.4 guaranteed.

        
 Kelce, who originally walked on as a linebacker at the University of Cincinnati has worked his way to one of the most elite and consistent centers in the NFL. Keeping the same offense line together is crucial. They have developed a great chemistry together and that will continue to grow as long as they can all stay healthy.

             
 Now that the Eagles locked up their offensive line and have the protection they now needed to make sure that their offensive weapons were intact.  First the Eagles went after their big 6’3 target on the outside, Riley Cooper. Cooper is coming off of a career year in 2013. His receiving total of 835 yards eclipsed that of his previous three seasons combined. Also, his 8 touchdowns were three more than he scored in the previous three seasons combined. It’s safe to say that Cooper earned his new 5 year 22 million dollar deal.

 

               
The Eagles didn’t stop there with signing their explosive weapons. Coming off of a torn ACL, Jeremy Maclin says that he is ahead of schedule on his recovery and apparently, the Eagles believe so as well. The Eagles signed Maclin to a 1 year contract that is up to 6 million dollars.  Maclin has been an extremely consistent and reliable target through his time in Philadelphia. Through the past three seasons Maclin has added 22 touchdowns and was on the verge of being a thousand yard receiver several times. 

 However, with all of the weapons on the outside; Maclin, Cooper, Desean Jackson, etc there someone had to go. Unfortunately, that man was the hardworking, selfless Jason Avant.  The Eagles released Avant shortly after making the signings of their other key pieces. Avant has never been a superstar by any means, but he has been a leader in the locker room and was always willing to do anything as long as it benefited the team.  It is sad to see Avant go, but the NFL is a business and the Eagles felt it was in their best interest to make this move.

WELCOME

Hey everyone! My name is Jason Bramble and I am currently a senior at West Chester University. Growing up in Southwest Philadelphia, midnight green filled the streets from early September until late January. Anybody that knows me knows that I am an absolute die heart Philadelphia Eagles fan and this is why I’ve created this blog. I will keep you all updated on everything Eagles that occurs in the off season. I will give you the facts and also, my personal opinions on all the events as they happen.