Washington is a cut the Eagles could live to regret.


Adam Caplan said he was hearing Kelley Washington was going to be the guy on the short-end of the battle for the fifth wide receiver spot, and it turns out he was right. The Eagles are announcing that Washington has been cut, which means Hank Baskett is the guy.

As I've said, Baskett is definitely the better receiver, but is a notch or two behind Washington in terms of special teams play -- something the Eagles desperately need.

So if releasing Washington wasn't enough of a blow to the special teams, the team also announced they've traded linebacker Tracy White to the New England Patriots for a late-round pick in the 2012 draft.

The team is really counting on young guys like Keenan Clayon, Jamar Chaney, Kurt Coleman, and others to step up big time on special teams. All the backups are certainly capable, but it takes a certain mindset to play special teams and I'm not sure a lot of the guys on this team have it -- as evidenced by their poor play during the preseason.

For me, Andy Reid and Howie Roseman are taking a huge gamble. But the fun part is we won't know whether or not it paid off until about midway through the season.
Continue Reading...

Will Hank Baskett be able to earn back his old job?


It's still a bit odd that the Eagles actually have a surplus of receivers, but that's the issue they'll be facing during training camp.

There will have to be some talented guys released or stowed away on the practice squad, but deciding who that will be could prove one of the more difficult decisions this coaching staff will have to make.

As of now, fifth-round pick Riley Cooper and Hank Baskett, in his second stint with the Eagles, are the two guys fighting it out for the fourth receiver spot. DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Jason Avant are the unquestioned top three (in that order), so fourth is the best either of these guys will do.

It's anyone's job for the moment, but Cooper certainly produces the most intrigue as a rookie over a guy in Baskett who is unlikely to have a breakout season after years of being a role player.

But no matter who wins the fourth job, it's likely the other will simply be relegated to the fifth spot and will have to play a lot of special teams -- something that would fit either of these guys who are known for their willingness to play the most inglorious of roles.

However, Jordan Norwood, who was active and played in one game last season, as well as Dobson Collins, who spent 2009 on the Eagles' practice squad, and Chad Hall could all make a push for that fifth spot.

Norwood and Collins boast experience, however minor, but Hall would really be the guy to watch here. He's got some added value as a return man and could look like a great opportunity to take Jackson off punt return and not risk an injury.

But if we really want to throw a wrench in this whole thing, we'll have to consider the possibility that Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg see Cornelius Ingram as more of a receiver than a tight end.

If that's the case, it would be very hard to see him not make the squad as at least the fifth receiver based purely on potential if nothing else.

The Birds did go out and draft Clay Harbor, a guy they really seem to like, in the fourth round and have also kept Martin Rucker around. Rucker is a guy they picked up off the street last season, but just the fact that he has stuck around for this long, even on the practice squad, shows the coaches believe he can play.

There's no way this team heads into September with four tight ends, so moving Ingram to receiver and making the battle for fourth a do-or-die type scenario is a very real possibility.

Obviously, there is a lot of time to see what these guys have. Cooper could completely shut down once the pads come on, Baskett could light it up, Rucker could look terrible and get cut, Ingram could tear his ACL again (fingers crossed that doesn't happen), etc. etc. so I'll have to wait until Training Camp to make any real predictions.

However, if I did have to guess right now, I would probably put my money on Baskett and Cooper both sticking around as the fourth and fifth receivers respectively, while Rucker is once again tossed on the practice squad or cut and Ingram is kept around as Brent Celek's backup.

Harbor would then become the third tight end and backup fullback -- a position he's seen a little bit of time at during minicamp and OTA's. So, basically, the guy is an H-back.

Either way, this is going to be one hell of a camp battle that I can't wait to watch unfold.
Continue Reading...

Fargas should not be allowed to leave without a deal.


The Eagles have announced via their official website that wide receiver Hank Baskett and running back Justin Fargas will be visiting the NovaCare complex on Friday.

Baskett may not need a tour guide as he hasn't been out of Eagles' green for even a full season. He was released after Week 1 because the Eagles needed to add a quarterback after Donovan McNabb's injury and Baskett was the guy who lost the numbers game.

But now with Reggie Brown being moved to Tampa Bay in a trade, there's a need for some wide receiver depth and Baskett is the logical fit.

Fargas is an intriguing prospect that really excites me. He has shown that he's not a guy who's going to carry the load for a team, but as a backup change-of-pace guy he can really make an impact.

He's a fast back who can hit the corners the way Reid likes, but he's also big (6'1, 220) and can run between the tackles.

He will be 30 years old next season, but has never had more than 222 carries in a single season, and didn't have more than 40 in his first three years, so he's got some good years left in him.

Fargas has been a guy I've wanted the Eagles to bring in since the day I found out the Raiders were going to allow him to walk. He won't be the biggest signing, but he is certainly good enough to come in and help out in the running game as LeSean McCoy's backup.

Between McCoy, Leonard Weaver, and Fargas, the Eagles will have a trio of running backs that should be able to do some real damage on the rare occasion they're actually allowed to touch the football.

UPDATE: Eagles and Hank Baskett have agreed to one-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Continue Reading...

Baskett will be forced to look for a new team before Sunday.


In a puzzling move, the Eagles have activated Michael Vick from the exempt list in order to allow him to practice with the team during his suspension. To make room for him, the Eagles have released wide receiver Hank Baskett.

Personally, I don't completely understand this move from the Eagles. Instead of keeping a player who could potentially help you in what is expected to be an offensive shootout, you release him and active a player who's not eligible to even stand on the sidelines this week.

I do understand the desire to give Vick all the practice time possible, but why not allow Baskett to potentially help you, or even get some compensation for him, while at the same time allowing more reps for Kevin Kolb and Jeff Garcia. Perhaps activating Vick is simply to give the Eagles a third-string quarterback to take reps.

It's already been confirmed that McNabb will not practice (which does not mean that he won't play) so the Eagles may have simply wanted three quarterbacks practicing. Either way, Vick will now get some reps in practice, which means he will certainly be used in one form or another in Week Three when he's eligible.

From here, teams like the Titans, Bears, Ravens, Vikings, and Chiefs could target Baskett on the waiver wire.
Continue Reading...

Vick has shown the raw talent, but needs to be able to practice.


Tony Curtis out, Alex Smith in. I do not expect this to be the last shake-up of the current 53 man roster. I am guessing (and it's a confident guess) that another big roster move will be coming later this week (and it's not the resigning of Greg Lewis).

The big move is that the Eagles will cut either WR Reggie Brown or WR Hank Baskett. (Maybe Brown too can find himself a playboy model to cover the bills). I think the Eagles are currently carrying 7 WRs in hopes of landing a trading partner for 1 of these 2 players. Once they realize there are no takers (which I find hard to believe) they will trim down to 6 WRs.

Who gets the extra spot? Michael Vick of course. Yes I am aware that Vick is suspended for the first 2 games. But Vick needs to be practicing with the team during the suspension. See Thursday's game against the Jets as reason #1, 2, 3, etc...

Under the suspension and since the Eagles do not have Vick on the active roster he can only attend meetings. Vick cannot practice with the team until after the Saints game. Not having Vick practice until then just adds to the rust. Not having Vick practice until then just adds to the teams' inability to develop cohesion and chemistry with the teams other offensive pieces.

Though I see Vick as only a gimmick player he is still a valuable weapon. And the weapon needs to be working with the first team offense at practice. We cannot have a repeat of the Jaguars preseason game where rhythm is interrupted and people are complaining about the disruption.

Oh yeah, the Eagles and especially Reid have a lot riding on the Vick project being a success this season. You do not keep Vick away from the team an additional 2 weeks with these high stakes. Chemistry, maybe Reid's job, the credibility of the franchise, the credibility of the owner were all put on the line when Vick inked the contract.

So the move has to be coming. And here's another thought for you...how about Baskett being the odd man out? I am worried about the health of Curtis. Last year it was the sports hernia, this year it is the knee. If Curtis can't stay healthy I would rather have a WR with starting experience (Brown) lining up opposite DeSean until Maclin is ready to assume the starting spot (which could be a while based on his lengthy camp absence).

And hey, if you need an extra WR later in the season, there's always Lewis! 5 days until kick-off. The madness has only just begun!
Continue Reading...

Brandon Gibson is just one of seven receivers to make this team.


The Eagles have released their 53-man roster and, like most years, there's a couple surprises when you glance at the final roster.

Well, what's supposed to be the "final" roster, anyway.

Any astute Eagles fan knows simply by looking at the roster released today that the Eagles are far from finished in sculpting the team that will take the field against the Carolina Panthers for Week 1 of the 2009 season.

For instance, the Eagles kept seven wide receivers. That's right, seven.

On top of the four guys guaranteed to make the team, the Eagles also kept Hank Baskett, Reggie Brown, and rookie Brandon Gibson. Baskett/Brown are, most likely, still not safe and are only on the team right now because the Eagles want some sort of compensation if either is to wind up playing for a different team this year.

In order to pull this off, the Eagles were forced to keep only two tight ends -- Brent Celek and Tony Curtis. I was a believer in Rob Myers, but the Eagles may have felt it would be best to try and put him on the practice squad until everything is resolved with the receivers and A.J. Feeley.

Speaking of Feeley, things are moving rather slowly on that front as well. It appears as though the Eagles are not getting the kind of offers they want, but still feel like he can be dangled as trade bait. With Michael Vick ineligible to play until Week 3, and on the roster as an exemption, Feeley will stay on the roster until Week 3, or when a trade is made, whichever comes first.

I still believe that Feeley will be traded before the season begins. Good backup quarterbacks are tough to come by, and if one is available teams will pounce on the opportunity. However with the release of Jeff Garcia, the Eagles may have a more difficult time moving their quarterback.
Continue Reading...

Bunkley is safe, but the men to his right may not be so lucky.


According to Paul Domowitch of Philly.com, at least two teams -- namely the Jets and Ravens -- are keeping a close eye on the receiver situation in Philadelphia. The Jets and Ravens are the only confirmed teams, but there's talk that other teams could potentially be keeping tabs on the Eagles' receivers.

Finally, after years of not having enough talent at the wide receiver position, the Eagles cup runeth over with talent, so much so that the team may even be able to trade two wide receivers in a single offseason. If such a statement doesn't show the progress that this team has made, I'm not sure what will (other than "Philadelphia Eagles: Winners of Super Bowl XLIV!").

Four guys are expected to be untouchable in these trade talks, and those guys are fairly obvious in DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, and first-round pick Jeremy Maclin. Guys on the bubble would include Brandon Gibson, Hank Baskett, and Reggie Brown. Only two of those three can make the final roster, so it only makes sense to trade the other.

The one with the most trade value, Brown, has not done anything to hurt his stock by having a great camp. He hasn't had many opportunities in the preseason, but should be able to show something Thursday night in the third preseason game. With Jon Harbaugh as the coach in Baltimore, he's seen what Baskett can do during his early years, so it makes perfect sense.

Baskett is a solid fourth receiver, who may even be able to play as the third guy on either the Jets or Ravens roster as I don't think it's a stretch to see he's better than Chansi Stuckey or Demettrius Williams, respectively.

Gibson is a rookie who has a lot of upside and could be intriguing enough for a team to take a shot on him, but it's doubtful that a team already suffering at the receiver position would want to trade for a rookie. Although, it's been done. In fact, the Eagles traded for Hank Baskett as an undrafted free agent signee with the Minnesota Vikings. They traded former third-round pick Billy McMullen.

If at all possible, I would love to see Gibson make this team. He's a kid who got hidden in the draft because of how terrible Washington State was during his senior year because of their transition to the spread offense. Up until that point, he had played in the west coast offense and was talked about as a great NFL prospect.

I've spoken with several people who follow WSU very closely and have told me that Gibson was the steal of the draft. Many of them have said that if WSU had a real quarterback and they stuck in the west coast system that he may have been a second-round pick. That may be showing a bit of bias, as a WSU product may not go that high anyway, but it does speak to the kid's talent.

While I like Hank Baskett, I think he should be the odd man out based on the great camp that Reggie has had. However, if Reggie goes and Baskett stays, I surely wouldn't question the move. In fact, if the Eagles could pull out a fifth-round pick this year, and perhaps a conditional pick in 2011, it would be a great move for both teams involved in the deal.

Baskett and Brown could certainly add some depth the Jets, Ravens, or another receiver-needy team like the Bears, Titans, Jaguars, or several others. If the Eagles can get the Patriots to pony up a draft pick for Greg Lewis, they can certainly move a receiver like Baskett or Brown who have done much, much more throughout their short careers than Lewis had.
Continue Reading...

Celek leaps over some Cardinals defenders this past season.


Brent Celek may be an unknown nationally, but Eagles fans have been eagerly anticipating his emergence. If you did not know, it is a brand new era at the tight end position in Philadelphia.

McNabb has always looked to his tight ends in clutch situations—partly because he had mediocre receivers, and partly as a primal instinct.

McNabb to Lewis and pre-sports hernia L.J. Smith was a staple of the Eagles passing offense. In the 2008 regular season, the tight end was nearly invisible. In 2009, Eagles fans have a new look aerial group at tight end.

Brent Celek emerged as the starter at tight end in the playoffs last season and led the team in receptions during that period.

In revamping the Eagles offense for 2009, a justifiable excitement has developed. Brent Celek becomes a prospective X-factor for the Eagles, along with rookies Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Cornelius Ingram, and free agent acquisition Leonard Weaver.

It has been a couple of years' worth of L.J. Smith ineffectiveness that lead the Eagles to the forward-thinking decision of passing the torch to the young Celek (aka "Magnum P.I.").

Celek doesn't have blazing speed. He runs a 4.7-second 40-yard dash, but he is elusive for his size and speed, and he runs and finishes hard. More than anything, he is an old-school prototype tight end in the vein of Chad Lewis, Jason Witten, and Chris Cooley.

Celek has nice hands and tremendous vision for the field and open space that transcend measures and statistics. This kid is a very good football player, and he produces.

"Once you get out there in a game and see some of the things you can do to a defense, you think I can do this week in and week out," Celek said. "I think I had an opportunity there and took advantage of it. I played the best that I could. There were some situations where I was in good situations and I made some decent plays. I just have to do that on a continuous basis."

McNabb now has a talented group of receivers, receiving backs and a go-to tight end that he had been missing during L.J. Smith's most recent campaigns.

Celek is going to have a better opportunity to produce than Chad Lewis, as the 2009 corps of complementary targets at receiver and out of the backfield are potentially lethal to opposing defenses and should accordingly draw the attention.

Defenses have to take care to watch Brian Westbrook, DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Hank Baskett and Jeremy Maclin whenever they are on the field. The player they will look past most often is Celek, and he has the game and quarterback respect to make teams pay.

Cornelius Ingram is the Eagles’ rookie tight end who may cut into the production of Celek just a bit. He's a monstrous athletic talent that the Eagles will look to take advantage of having on their roster.

Both Celek and Ingram are somewhat questionable in the blocking department, but they are in the good hands when it comes to blocking instruction.

Blocking is a combination of heart, athleticism and technique. Celek and Ingram have the heart and athleticism and Andy Reid and offensive line coach, Juan Castillo, are the best in the business at developing technique.

Both players are aware that coming into this season, the No. 1 question on the minds of the coaches regarding tight end is, "Can these guys block?"

Celek and Ingram have been proactive in working on this aspect of their game and Eagles fans will be treated to a substantial improvement over L.J. Smith and Matt Schobel's lackluster blocking efforts.

Additional points of interest with blocking at tight end include the promising progress of converted defensive end from Purdue, Eugene Bright, who I expect to supplant the relatively ineffective Matt Schobel at the third tight end position.

When thinking about a blocking tight end, I can't leave out the formidable option of lining up Jason Peters tight and eligible to receive. The Eagles are deep enough on the offensive line to slide a depth lineman like Max Jean-Gilles onto the field and let Jason Peters play his original position—yes, that's right—tight end.

One last wild thought is bulking up Hank Baskett. His speed and blocking technique with an extra 20 or 25 pounds would make for an incredibly dangerous tight end and more repetitions for the under-used receiver.

For now, the picture is clear. Celek is the man at tight end and McNabb has gone to him frequently when he has been in the game before. We will see a lot more of Brent Celek with the ball in 2009.

Expect Celek to have a tremendous season, most likely accounting for 600 to 800 yards receiving, and five to eight touchdowns as McNabb seeks him out.
Continue Reading...