Rookie free agent Rob Myers has been a pleasant surprise.


There's a pleasant surprise in the midst of all the question marks floating around the Eagles' tight end dilemma, and that's the emergence of rookie Rob Myers out of Utah State.

Myers was brought in the day after it was confirmed that Cornelius Ingram had a torn ACL and would not be available for the entire 2009 season, and he's impressed since day one. The first impression was that he was very fast, and that impression has not faded in the least. He's got more speed than your average tight end, which could create a lot of problems for covering linebackers.

At 6'4 and 240 pounds, he's the same size as Ingram minus about five pounds, but is much faster for that missing five pounds. Myers seems to have good hands as well, hauling in four receptions in the Eagles most recent preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

What's really working in Myers' favor is the fact that the Eagles are incredibly thin at tight end at the moment, which will give him the chance to show that they should give him a shot. The feeling is that they're tired of Schobel's lack of production, and no one is really convinced that Eugene Bright is an NFL tight end.

There was talk of the Eagles bringing in former Cowboys tight end Tony Curtis, but nothing has happened with that. A minor move like that would probably have been done by now if the Eagles were really intent on bringing him in. This could signal that Curtis is delusional and making some demands, or that the Eagles are ready to give Myers a shot to prove himself.

Even if (Tony) Curtis does find his way onto this roster, it may still be as the third tight end behind Brent Celek and Myers, which would mean an end to the Matt Schobel era in Philadelphia. Schobel seems like a good enough guy, but I'm not sure that many in Philly would shed a tear upon hearing of his departure.

Myers is about the same player as Ingram, and could be used in much of the same ways, including putting him in the slot or using him as a redzone target. The Eagles are always a mystery, but don't be surprised if Myers gets his first NFL job with the Eagles.