Hall is probably the best candidate to replace Calvin.


Outside of DeSean Jackson's miracle punt return against the New York Giants, the Eagles haven't had much luck with their return game this season.

Ellis Hobbs was supposed to be the guy returning kicks, but he got banged up and is now on Injured Reserve. Rookie Jorrick Calvin, acquired in a straight-up swap for Charles Scott with the Arizona Cardinals, had been the returner up to this point, but was recently placed on IR with an unspecified back injury.

As it stands, the Eagles have a couple options on the roster. Chad Hall and Jeremy Maclin have returned kicks before, but it's unlikely the team would want to put Maclin in harm's way like that if there was any way they could avoid it.

Hall appears to be a guy who could have some success returning kicks, but he had a difficult time actually fielding kicks during the preseason. He was able to do some things with the ball in his hands, but there were a couple muffs during training camp and the preseason.

Eldra Buckley and Jerome Harrison also have minimal experience and would be emergency options.

Putting Calvin on IR means they now have 52 players on the active roster, and there are a few different routes the team could go to fill that final spot.

The most obvious would be to sign a return specialist. Earlier in the week, according to Adam Caplan of FOX Sports, the Eagles worked out two former Pro Bowl returners in Justin Miller and Clifton Smith.

Miller is also a cornerback and Smith is a running back.

The problem with going that route is that neither is very good at their secondary position. But then again, neither was Calvin. He only saw the field on defense when the team had a huge lead or when it was absolutely necessary.

Andy Reid could also decide that he'd prefer to promote someone from the practice squad and hope Hall, Maclin, Buckley, or Harrison can handle the return duties for the remainder of the season.

Joique Bell was recently signed to the practice squad, as was Cornelius Ingram, but it's unlikely either would be brought up unless Reid was impressed with Bell's ability to play on the coverage teams during his first stint with the team.

Jeremy Williams, a wide receiver, could be a guy to watch out for as a potential sleeper to become the return guy. During his time at Tulane, he averaged over 24 yards per return and found the endzone on 29 attempts.

My preference would be to see Miller or Smith signed. Calvin did a good job on returns when he was given any blocking -- he had a couple big returns and would have a touchdown under his belt had it not been called back -- but Reid has ignored the need for a returner for too long.

With either Smith or Miller (preferred in that order), the Eagles have a legitimate threat for the opposing team's special teams to worry about.

But don't be surprised if we see Bell back on the active roster and a rotating door of kick returners a la 2007. It just wouldn't be like Reid to shore up the special teams when given the opportunity.
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The team won with Mike Vick playing a supporting role.


-- It won't look this way on the stat sheet, but Michael Vick had another good game. Good, not great. His receivers dropped at least two touchdowns, but he did overthrow a wide open Clay Harbor and missed a couple other throws. He had his first turnover of the season, but I think he's earned at least one freebie.

-- For the most part, LeSean McCoy had a tough day. Holes were closing very quickly and there wasn't a whole lot of running room for much of the game, but two huge plays have his stat-line looking mighty impressive. My only real complaint with McCoy is his affinity with wanting to juke guys out even when he can clearly just outrun them.

-- I think I can just copy and paste my remarks week-to-week about Owen Schmitt. How in the world can the Eagles just let this guy walk? Just a solid guy who epitomizes what a football player should be.

-- Jeremy Maclin still refuses to just catch the ball and go forward. His fear of getting hit is evident every time he touches the ball. But, with that said, it's hard to fault him after nine receptions for 120 yards. With some toughness on a consistent basis, Maclin could be one of the best receivers in the league.

-- DeSean Jackson had a solid game with five catches for 50 yards. Someone correct me if I was seeing things, but it seemed like Jackson was short-arming quite often. For example, why not dive for that long ball from Vick? Why not stretch for that post that sailed over his head? DJack might be a bit gun-shy with guys around him.

-- Brent Celek was, once again, non-existent. It's time to see what Clay Harbor can do with extended reps. Either Harbor breaks out, or he matches Celek's effort and goes without a catch.

-- Jackie Smith, I mean Jason Avant, must be sick to his stomach. His eyes just got too big all alone in the back of the endzone. Avant might have the best hands in the league, so dropping something like that is a once-in-a-career type of thing. Or, it would be had he not dropped what would have been a game-winning touchdown against Washington a few weeks back.

-- All things considered, this was an incredible effort by the offensive line. The blitzes bit them a little bit from time to time, but most of the time they were very, very good. Yes, even Nick Cole got the job done. Mike McGlynn is this year's Winston Justice and will make things very difficult once Jamaal Jackson comes back next season.

-- The offensive line, as a unit, was very good. Todd Herremans, however, made far too many bonehead plays. The clipping and chop block calls against him were 100 percent justified in a night of some terrible, terrible calls. He must clean up his game before it really costs them.

-- Not a single carry for Jerome Harrison is ridiculous. How do you watch this guy go for over 100 yards including a 50-yard scamper against the Redskins and not give him a single carry the very next week?

-- The play-calling by Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg was atrocious. Why do they think play-action will work when they haven't established the run? I counted at least four times in a row they ran play-action. Who exactly do they think they're fooling? Reid is enamored with Vick and will now put the entire team squarely on his shoulders the way he did with McNabb.

-- As a unit, the front seven was very good against the Giants. They held Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs to a combined 17 carries for 39 yards. The blitzing was largely ineffective and they didn't get to Eli Manning often enough, but Eli wasn't going to beat them without a running game to lean on.

-- For the first time this season, Trent Cole was held without a sack in back-to-back weeks. He will have to step up against division opponents if this team is going to stay on top of the East.

-- Antonio Dixon is a monster. Mike Patterson is a plug. When Brodrick Bunkley is 100 percent and Trevor Laws tossed into the mix, the Eagles could have the best defensive tackle rotation in the league.

-- Ernie Sims flew past the play a lot again against the Giants. He also blew coverage against Jacobs on a throw-back by Manning. It almost seems like he needs to just relax and learn how to play under control.

-- Bradley, again, was worthless as soon as a blocker got into him. When he was left untouched, he was dangerous, but even a tight end was able to effectively shut him down. He still refuses to turn his head in coverage, but this was certainly one of his better games of the year.

-- Brandon Graham seems to fall down far too often. He does a good job getting off blockers, but seems off balance when he does it. He, like Sims, must play under control. That being said, he did a great job of stripping Bradshaw when Quintin Mikell stood him up. That's exactly what guys are taught to do, and he did it to perfection.

-- Speaking of Mikell, he was largely unimpressive again. He missed too many tackles. He was fine in coverage, but the missed tackles are getting old. I always thought he was a poor man's Brian Dawkins (which is still a good thing), but he's had two or three chances every game to make a key tackle in the open field and has missed it.

-- Asante Samuel was a one-man wrecking crew. I said during the offseason that it was time for the team to part ways with him because of his free-lancing and refusal to play within the scheme, but he's doing that now and it's translating into big plays. He's even tackling much better, even though the zebras are now flagging big hits.

-- It wasn't as impressive as last week, but Dimitri Patterson had a solid outing. Patterson was on Hakeem Nicks, and he pulled down six receptions for 65 yards. But no touchdowns and really only one big play. Overall, another good outing for Patterson. He's certainly earned his spot.

-- Nate Allen did a good job in pass coverage and even flew to the line of scrimmage in run support a couple of times. He's looking like a steal in the second round.

-- For this game, Sean McDermott gets a pass from me. I'm still far from being a fan, but the results are hard to argue. The defense slumped a little bit at one point, but they rebounded beautifully and shut down the second-best offense in the league. McDermott gets a thumbs up from me this week. Talk to me next Sunday around 7:30PMEST.

-- It's taken a little while, but Bobby April seems to have gotten through to the special teams unit. They're flying down the field, the first guy is usually making the tackle or a swarm of guys are getting there all at once, and they've eliminated the big plays for the most part. The return game has hit a bit of a lull, but that can correct itself at any point.

-- Sitting atop the NFC East is nice, but the Michael Vick-led Eagles can assert themselves as the best team in the NFC with a convincing win over the 7-3 Chicago Bears next Sunday. They've already beaten the Falcons and the Giants, so beating the Bears should leave little doubt. Who can honestly say they were expecting to hear that this season?
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Kolb did a good job of carving up the Falcons defense.


-- How about Kevin Kolb? I've been a vocal opposition to Kolb for the way he's played, but he stepped up big time against a very good Atlanta Falcons defense. We'll talk more Kolb later in the week, but he seemed confident in the pocket, didn't stare down his receivers (as much), and took a lot of successful shots down the field. All in all, it was a very impressive showing.

-- DeSean Jackson was on pace for a career day. He had a touchdown on the ground and one through the air, but got absolutely destroyed by Dunta Robinson. Head coach Andy Reid says he has a concussion, so he could be sidelined for a couple weeks.

-- On that play, Robinson was called for hitting a defenseless receiver. Can someone explain to me how they can call such a penalty while Jackson still had the ball? Had Jackson dropped the ball and then got hit I would understand the penalty, but it seems like these refs are told to find a reason to flag a vicious hit. This is football, hits like that are unfortunate but unavoidable.

-- Jeremy Maclin was spectacular. He made a few tough grabs, showed off his speed, and is beginning to show that his success is his own and not the result of playing across from Jackson.

-- Brent Celek finished with four catches for 46 yards, but was a disappointment against the Falcons and has been all season. His blocking has taken a step backwards and he seems to drop the ball two or three times per game. I'm not sure what happened to Celek, but he needs to figure it out quickly.

-- I've been pounding my chest about LeSean McCoy all year because of how highly I spoke of him when he was drafted, but he let me down against the Falcons. He looked tentative and indecisive even when he had a clear hole to run through. Everyone has their bad week, so hopefully McCoy got his out of the way.

-- Conversely, I had very little faith in King Dunlap because of the poor technique he showed when he played against the San Francisco 49ers. However, Dunlap got lucky as the Falcons failed to exploit a mismatch and played John Abraham over Winston Justice most of the game. Kroy Bierman is certainly no pushover, but Dunlap caught a break.

-- The interior of the line could have been a lot better. Todd Herremans and Max Jean-Gilles were not very good at making blocks at the second level, and Mike McGlynn still seems a bit slow reading the blitz. All three were able to do enough to get their jobs done, but there is still a lot of meshing that needs to happen between those three guys.

-- Winston Justice, outside of one play where he completely whiffed on his block, had another good game. He was usually given the responsibility of blocking Abraham -- a responsibility most lineman would gladly give up -- and stepped up big time as Abraham was a non-factor.

-- Eldra Buckley did a great job closing out the game. Instead of dancing around like McCoy was doing all game, he went straight ahead, took what he could get, and got the team the yards they needed to move the sticks and kill the clock. He's probably never going to blossom into a legitimate running threat, but he's the kind of guy you want on your team.

-- Owen Schmitt, as he's been all year, was sticking his nose into the action and creating running lanes. This is going to be a tough guy to ditch even when Leonard Weaver returns to action.

-- Jason Avant hasn't made a huge impact this season (18 catches for 180 yards) but made his presence felt against the Falcons with five receptions for 62 yards. Avant is starting very slowly in 2010, but he should find his rhythm soon enough.

-- Chad Hall could be a guy to watch. He only had one catch, but also had one rushing attempt for a total of 10 yards. He came open a few times but Kolb always seemed to miss him. That could be from the lack of chemistry, but Hall could morph into a Danny Woodhead or Percy Harvin do-it-all type of player.

-- Antonio Dixon was very, very good in his first NFL start. He filled in for the injured Brodrick Bunkley and was immovable. He was able to eat up two blockers at a time on several occasions and really opened things up for the other guys. He's not Bunkley, but his impressive play means the team won't have to rush Bunkley back to action.

-- Mike Patterson and Trevor Laws were serviceable. They were upstaged a bit by the great game Dixon had, but I can't recall any times they blew an assignment or got blown off the line. Laws got stonewalled a few times on third down, but that can be forgiven based on what he's done so far this year.

-- Trent Cole is a hit-or-miss, all-or-nothing type of guy. He completely disappeared against the 49ers last week, but was all over the place against the Falcons. He was making tackles behind the line, played extremely well against the run, and racked up two sacks and a forced fumble.

-- Juqua Parker, as expected, has fizzled a bit. It can't be a coincidence that he has not been as effective since taking over as the starter. Unfortunately, Brandon Graham was just not good enough against the run and the move was necessary. Hopefully Graham can get better against the run and retake the job and Parker can back to how he played in the first month.

-- Daniel Te'o-Nesheim played in his first NFL game, but was a non-factor. I would be surprised if he's active again next week.

-- Once again, the linebackers were a non-factor. Moise Fokou was probably the most impressive as he had a few nice tackles, but Stewart Bradley and Ernie Sims were nowhere to be found for the most part. Bradley did get credited with a sack, but a 60-year old lady could have come through the hole he had and sacked Matt Ryan. Still, the 'backers remain unimpressive.

-- Nate Allen seems to be getting a bit too comfortable with his early success. He's taking some chances on passes and undercutting them too soon or too late, and missed a couple easy tackles that almost cost the defense. Allen must go back to simply doing his job and letting the rest fall into place.

-- Quintin Mikell was solid again. He is doing a good job of playing in and out of the box but, like Allen, missed a couple tackles and has missed some easy tackles all season. I'm not sure what is going on with Mikell, but he's not looking like a borderline Pro Bowler as he has in the past.

-- Asante Samuel had a good game, but it could have been a lot better. Outside of the interception he did pull in, he probably could have had three more. An errant throw on a quick out went off his hands early, then there was the time he was molested by the receiver, and another time the ball went right off his hands into Roddy White's.

-- Ellis Hobbs got shaken up early but responded well. He got beat a couple times, but also got his hands on a couple balls and, overall, did a pretty decent job. He must be better as the season goes on, but he got the job done against Atlanta.

-- Joselio Hanson is what he is. As a starter, he's below average, but he's very good in the nickel role and as long as Hobbs can stay healthy the Eagles shouldn't have to worry about the secondary.

-- David Akers had a rough day. That's putting it nicely. He seemed to be compensating too much for the wind and missed three field goals for the first time in his career. He did end on a good note by hitting his final attempt, and it's likely this will turn out to be an aberration.

-- Sav Rocca is playing like a Pro Bowler. He has been great so far this season and has made a huge impact for a defense that could be giving up a lot more points on a shorter field.

-- Jorrick Calvin was due. Every time he touches the ball he looks explosive, and it finally all came together on a 44-yard punt return that eventually set up a touchdown. With a guy like Calvin on the roster, why risk using Jackson or Hobbs in the return game?

-- On offense, the playcalling was as good as it's been all year. On defense, however, it remained poor. Sean McDermott's blitzes are still incredibly predictable, he still backs off too much in the second half, and plays not to lose rather than put the game away. Until further notice, I'm still on board with Dick Jauron taking over the defense.

-- The coverage teams also much, much better. The Falcons don't have a great return game, but it was still good to finally see a team not run wild on the Birds' special teams. Unfortunately, it's more likely this game was an aberration rather than a turning point in the season.

-- Overall, the team showed they can stay in the thick of things in the NFC. That's not saying a whole lot since the conference looks very weak this year, but if they can stay consistent and start getting healthy, this young squad could actually turn into a playoff team.
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Michael Vick will make everyone on the field better.


Football is a sport that requires all 11 guys do their job, but with Michael Vick as the man for the Eagles the other 10 guys on offense will find that their job is a whole lot easier.

Let's start with the running backs. With Kolb under center, a defense would have no problem squeezing the inside gaps and using their outside linebackers to keep contain. Stuffing the middle means the back hits a wall of defenders, or he tries to bounce outside and has to deal with the outside linebackers.

But with Vick, that all changes. Now the defensive ends must be aware of what Vick is doing and adjust themselves accordingly. Instead of being able to play the 'C' gap but squeeze down to 'B', they're forced to stay outside of the tackle and make sure Vick doesn't boot to the outside.

We saw what this does for the running game against the Detroit Lions. Because the Lions' defensive ends were so worried about keeping contain, it meant the defense was down two defenders when it came to playing the run.

It ultimately led to LeSean McCoy's first 100-yard game and three touchdowns.

For the receivers, it allows for a couple of things. First, the cornerback is usually trying to peak at Vick to see what he's doing so he doesn't get caught with his back turned. If that corner looks at Vick and loses either DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin for just a second, they can be five yards away running wide open.

And secondly, Vick's ability to extend the play behind the line of scrimmage means the corners have to cover longer, which is a clear-cut advantage for the offense. Most defensive backs have a difficult time covering Jackson and Maclin for only three or four seconds, much less seven or eight seconds as is often the case with Vick.

It's even better for the Eagles' tight end Brent Celek. If the corners want to keep an eye on Vick, it means the linebackers and safeties will have both eyes on Vick and will be worried about stopping him first.

Celek, already a smart player and good route runner, should be able to take full advantage of this and come down with some easy receptions in the middle of the field.

Lastly, we've seen how Vick helps the offensive line. The interior of the line will especially appreciate Vick and all the things he can do with his legs since now fewer people will notice when they completely blow it on all 'A' gap blitzes.

Nick Cole is especially at fault for this, but the youth and inexperience of Mike McGlynn certainly doesn't help. He will get better at making the line calls as the season goes on since that's something that can only be learned through experience, but Cole would be a very scary weak link on the line if Kolb were still under center.

We saw Donovan McNabb get victimized because of a weak interior line, so Kolb would have had absolutely no chance. Vick, on the other hand, will make them look better with his ability to evade the inside blitz and get outside the pocket.

I'm going to keep hoping for the day Andy Reid announces Cole has been relegated to the bench in favor of Reggie Wells, but until then Vick's athleticism should prevent a total disaster.
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The Packers secondary isn't so scary without Harris.


As a gift to Kevin Kolb and the rest of the Eagles team, the Green Bay Packers have placed cornerback Al Harris, as well as strong safety Atari Bigby, on the Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning they will miss at least the first six weeks of the season.

Harris is coming off a serious knee injury he suffered last season, and Bigby recently underwent ankle surgery.

Alright, perhaps the move wasn't intended to be a gift for Kolb, but it will certainly look that way and, to be perfectly frank, it's a gift this Eagles offense desperately needed.

With backups now making up half of the Packers secondary, the Eagles offense should be able to attack them fairly easily through the air. Charles Woodson, arguably a top three corner, will still be a guy they have to deal with, but he'll likely be given the difficult task of shutting down DeSean Jackson, leaving Jeremy Maclin matched up with a backup.

Knowing that, it's likely the Packers will have ball-hawking free safety Nick Collins helping out in coverage with Maclin, but a safety can only do so much against a speed guy like Maclin.

If Andy Reid is smart, he will run a lot of deep routes with Jackson in an effort to get Woodson as far away from the play as possible, then run some quick timing patterns with Maclin. And if that doesn't work, then just starting running Maclin and Jackson deep and start picking the defense apart with underneath routes to Jason Avant and Brent Celek.

Throw in a couple screens and swing passes and it's going to create a rather difficult day for the Packers secondary.

Then, once Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers switches to a zone in an effort to prevent the underneath routes, Maclin and Jackson start getting matched up with safeties.

If Kolb can make the throws, it should result in a big day for him and the offense.

He's probably going to have to wind up going throw-for-throw with Aaron Rodgers, so every advantage he can get will help immensely. He's not ready to win a shootout with a guy like Rodgers, so hopefully Asante Samuel can step in front of a ball or two, or the Birds can get enough pressure to throw Rodgers and the Packers offense off their game.

Either way, this is terrible news for Green Bay and great news for the Eagles offense. If they can properly take advantage and expose the absences of Harris and Bigby, they might even be able to squeak out a win on a last-second David Akers field goal.
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Roger Goodell chats with Jeff Lurie at Eagles camp.


-- DeSean Jackson is getting better and should be back on the field in a few days, according to head coach Andy Reid. Jackson suffered a back strain a few days ago and hasn't been on the field since as the team is taking a cautious approach.

-- In more injured receivers news, Jeremy Maclin is said to have suffered only a bone bruise according to CSNPhilly.com's Derrick Gunn. It will likely keep him out for a few days, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

-- Eagles' first-round pick Brandon Graham received a five-year deal worth $22 million. Of that, roughly $14 million is guaranteed.

The rookie salary system is definitely broken, but if Graham turns into a full-time starter he'll be well worth it at only a little over $4 million per season.

-- Reid always picks one day of Training Camp to give the "30-plus" guys a day off. Tuesday was that day, but Juqua Parker was the only guy eligible for the day off. David Akers, Sav Rocca, and Michael Vick are also 30 or older, but special teams guys and quarterbacks don't count.

Maybe Parker would have been better off practicing and trying to give the Eagles a reason not to replace him with the already impressive Brandon Graham?

-- Vick has been cleared by Commissioner Goodell, who was in Lehigh on Tuesday.

-- Speaking of Goodell, he continues to push for an 18-game season and tries to swear the move is not motivated by revenue, but expanding the NFL's brand and helping the game.

Who exactly does it help when star players are injured and unable to play when the playoffs finally come rolling around? Or what happens when teams start sitting their star players, as they do in baseball, in the middle of the season because they need them for later?

Guys are already sitting in the final couple weeks because a 16-game season is too long. The season should have stopped expanding after 14, but 16 games has worked. Goodell needs to stop trying to push it and realize it would only hurt the league.

Casual fans might not get this, but anyone who has played football can tell you that 18 games is just far too much for a guy's body to go through.

But, if you're a fan of a watered-down product that includes games that "don't really matter" like they have in the NBA, MLB, and NHL, then the 18-game season is for you!

-- I hate the idea of an 18-game season. Did I articulate that well enough, yet?

-- One last Eagles note: They had better find a way to keep Chad Hall around. There is just way too much to love about this guy. He will play wherever they ask, can contribute in every area of special teams, and would overall be a great teammate.

More NFL rosters need more guys like Hall.
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Andy Reid must draft even better in 2010 than in 2009.


Too often teams are concerned with getting many good players in the draft, rather than three or four starters who can develop into great players. It leads to a team full of backups and rotation players -- as we've seen over the past few seasons with the Eagles.

This year, however, they must be more focused on finding starters and future stars. They are betting their 2010 season on the rookies they bring in, so they don't have the luxury of simply sitting and picking when it's their turn.

Instead, they cannot be afraid to trade away multiple picks to move up for a guy they really like and whom they feel can start immediately. More specifically, if there's a safety, defensive end, or linebacker available, they must be willing to go after that player and give up whatever it might take to make the deal work.

Over the years we've seen picks like Kevin Kolb, Victor Abiamiri, Trevor Laws, Bryan Smith, and even to a certain extent Brodrick Bunkley, who have given absolutely nothing in their first few seasons.

Bunkley at least looks like he's a star in the making now, but during his rookie season his play had a lot of Philadelphia worried that he was going to be another flop pick.

The 2009 draft was a step in the right direction as the Eagles got immediate production out of Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Macho Harris, and Moise Fokou. Two of those guys (Maclin and McCoy) will be starters in 2010, Fokou will be a battle for the SAM linebacker spot, and Harris will see some time in the defensive backfield at safety and cornerback.

However, that's only four players out eight. Brandon Gibson (trade) and Paul Fanaika (signed off practice squad), are no longer on the team, while Cornelius Ingram and Fenuki Tupou spent their '09 season on Injured Reserve.

That was fine on a team laced with veterans, but the Birds no longer have that luxury and are counting on even more production from the 2010 class.

A starter in every round is always the goal, and if the Eagles want to have a real shot at a Lombardi trophy in '10, they'll have to come damn close to that mark.
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Expect Ellis Hobbs to return to Philadelphia in 2010.


After spending two fifth round picks to bring him to Philadelphia, the Eagles, in my humble opinion, don't have an option but to at least make an effort to keep Ellis Hobbs.

All they would have to do is offer him the lowest tender, pay him a couple million, and would receive a third round pick (based on where he was drafted) if another team were to try and sign him.

Hobbs is a good corner, but after coming off a season in which he didn't start and got injured in the latter portion of the season, no team is going to give up a third round pick for him.

It's win-win for the Eagles. They get to keep a guy who has started in this league for what amounts to peanuts in the NFL and stand to gain a third round pick if a team were desperate enough to target Hobbs.

Not only does Hobbs give the Birds excellent depth in the secondary, but he's also an effective kick returner. He's not a guy who's a threat to take it the distance every time he touches it, but he's not going to pull a Macho Harris and fumble at the absolute worst time.

Andy Reid and company clearly doesn't trust Quintin Demps anymore, they shouldn't trust Harris, and Jeremy Maclin has shown that he's too afraid of contact to ever return kicks in this league.

Hobbs has three kick returns for touchdowns in his career and will average anywhere between 24 and 28 yards per return -- not spectacular, but it's certainly solid enough to warrant keeping him around.

He's also got nine interceptions, 41 passes defended, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, five fumble recoveries, and a touchdown in his five-year career on defense.

Reid loves having guys who can not only contribute on offense or defense, but also pitch in on special teams, so keeping Hobbs around just makes too much sense to ignore.

He instantly becomes, by far, the best dime corner in the league with the skill set to step in were Sheldon Brown or, more likely, Asante Samuel were to go down.

Cheap and effective is exactly what this franchise looks for, and taking into account the two picks that were given up to acquire him, I'd be very surprised if the Birds let Hobbs walk.
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Curtis would be just another weapon for the Eagles.


The injury-raddled wide receiver has been out of commission since Week Two, and whether he knows it or not, has drawn the ire of many Philly fans. Outside of an overrated 2007 season, he's been largely ineffective during his time as an Eagle and many are calling it a miss by Andy Reid.

Andy Reid misses on a wide receiver? Really? You don't say?

All obvious sarcasm aside, it appears as though there's about a 50-50 shot of Curtis actually getting onto the field when the Eagles head to the Meadowlands. Reid has already said that Curtis will travel with the team, but that could just be an insurance policy if DeSean Jackson (concussion) or Jeremy Maclin (foot) were to have setbacks.

He's officially listed as questionable, but being listed as questionable this late in the week usually means very questionable and borderline doubtful. Curtis hasn't exactly earned a reputation as a tough player, so it's safe to assume that we wont see No. 80 this week.

He should, however, be ready to go next week when the Eagles head out west to take on the Niners.

Outside of just having the depth and experience, his loss hasn't been substantial. At this point, he's most likely the fourth receiver behind Jackson, Maclin, and Jason Avant, and may even get tossed behind Reggie Brown in the rotation if his speed is diminished in any way.

It would be great to have him back for either the Giants or Niners game, but at this point having him is just a plus, whereas not having him isn't really hurting this offense.
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With Jackson out, Maclin is the go-to guy this week.


Back in 2001, Andy Reid took a shot on a rookie receiver out of UCLA with his first round pick. He knew his quarterback needed better weapons, so drafting a receiver just made sense. Reid went with who he thought was the best of the bunch, and drafted Freddie Mitchell.

Unless you've been in a coma over the past decade or so, you know how well that worked out.

So with that knowledge in hand, many believed there was no way that Reid would draft another receiver in the first round. He'd been burnt before and no one thought he'd trust a rookie receiver ever again.

However, with the emergence of DeSean Jackson into a legitimate weapon for quarterback Donovan McNabb, Reid decided it was time to trust again and took a leap of faith by trading up two spots for the right to draft Jeremy Maclin, a receiver out of Mizzou.

Maclin slid to 19, but odds weren't good that he'd slide to 21, the spot the Eagles originally held in the first round. So Reid got on the phone to Cleveland and made a deal. They'd swap first round picks and the Eagles would send a sixth-round pick to Cleveland.

It's not a whole lot, but what some don't know is that Reid was offered the bank by the New York Jets in order to get into that 21st slot. They wanted Percy Harvin to team up with the newly-acquired Mark Sanchez, and were willing to give Reid whatever he wanted.

It's rumored that the Jets were willing to part with their first round pick in 2010 as well as some mid-to-late round picks in 2009 and in 2010. The fact that Reid turned down such a good offer just to go after Maclin shows how highly he thought of the kid.

Fast forward to Week 13 and we see Maclin is putting up some good numbers for the Eagles, especially for a rookie. He has solidified himself as the starter opposite second-year sensation DeSean "Fraction" Jackson, and is now even stepping into the role of No. 1 receiver with Jackson sidelined due to concussion-related symptoms.

He has a great chance to put up some impressive numbers this week against what is only an average Atlanta defense, but let's take a look at how he stacks up against the other receivers in this year's class and see if the Birds made the right choice.

Maclin's 2009 stats (where he ranks among rookies): 42 receptions (2t), 540 yards (2t), and 4 touchdowns (2t)

Maclin trails Austin Collie's 43 receptions, and Percy Harvin's 602 yards and 5 touchdowns.

This is a good crop of receivers this season, so it seems like the Eagles would have had to try to miss on drafting one. Other first round rookie receivers like Michael Crabtree, Hakeem Nicks, and Kenny Britt are also having good seasons along with some late-round standouts in Collie and Johnny Knox.

Maclin is still coming into his own as a receiver and seems to be getting better each and every week. This week, without having Jackson to compete with for McNabb's attention, Maclin could have a great game. None of the Atlanta corners should be able to stick with his combination of size and speed, and he should be able to serparate himself from the pack.

Either way, it seems like Reid made a smart choice drafting this kid. He and Jackson will have a long and productive career together as the Birds' 1-2 punch on the outside and should give McNabb, or whomever the quarterback may be years down the road, fantastic targets and an added element of explosiveness not seen in Philly since the days of Terrell Owens.
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Jackson missing time could be costly for the Eagles.


At this point, there's no news regarding how serious it is, but Andy Reid has told the local media outlets after the game that DeSean Jackson has a concussion. He left in the third quarter after having his bell rung by London Fletcher on a crossing pattern.

The team doctors kept looking at DeSean's eyes and talking to him, probably to see if he was responsive and remembered what happened. He did lay down on the field, but he didn't seem to lose consciousness and walked off the field on his own power.

It would appear -- and I'm not a doctor -- that even though it is a concussion, it's not as serious as Brian Westbrook's or even Kurt Warner's from last week. However, with the new spotlight on concussions, it would not be surprising to see D-Jack get held out of next week's game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Even as a more optimistic breed of Eagles fan, I don't like the Eagles' chances against a good Falcons team if Jackson has to miss the game next week. Jeremy Maclin has been playing well, and Jason Avant may have some of the best hands in the league, but it's Jackson who opens up the lanes for both of those guys.

Without him there to attract the attention of the defense, the remaining Eagles receivers could have real issues getting open for Donovan McNabb.

Then there's the issue of depth at receiver. Right now, the Eagles have only four healthy receivers, including Jackson, so if Jackson were to miss time they'd have to call up one of the rookies on their practice squad.

Either Jordan Norwood (5'11 179) out of Penn State, or Dobson Collins (6'2 178) out of Garder-Webb would see their first real playing time in the NFL in a must-win game for the Eagles to stay in the divisional race.

Here's to hoping Jackson doesn't miss any time.

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Isn't it time to stop questioning McNabb in the clutch?


For all the talk of Donovan McNabb not being able to come up in the clutch, he's got two fourth-quarter comebacks to add to his resume' in the past two weeks.

Both of the go-ahead/tying drives ended with runs, but McNabb was a keystone of the drives in both games. In the Redskins game today, he was able to make a beautiful throw to Jeremy Maclin along the sidelines in a place that only he could get it and set up the game-winning field goal.

The Eagles may have been able to run the ball the length of the field, but they didn't have to because McNabb, who gets a bad reputation for being innacurate, threw a perfect pass.

His statline (21-35 260, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) won't do justice to the good game he actually had. His lone interception came as a result of pressure put on by the Redskins front four -- something he was forced to deal with all game long.

On top of the pressure, Brent Celek had his worst game of the season. He had four receptions for 33 yards, but had at least three drops within a span of two series. McNabb was hitting him in the hands but Celek seemed to get into a funk that he couldn't stop.

Even with DeSean Jackson leaving in the third quarter, McNabb was able to lead this team down the field when they needed to be led. It wasn't pretty, but the bottom line is that the Eagles are 7-4, currently the fifth seed in the NFC, and only one game out of the division lead.

McNabb isn't doing it by himself, but he sure is doing a lot for this football team.

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It's time for Eagles to change "Wildcat" philosophy.


Right now the Eagles coaching staff feels as though the Wildcat is something that should only be used to supplement Donovan McNabb and the offense. They feel as though the time to use the Wildcat with Mike Vick is when the offense is moving and on a roll.

I would argue, however, that this is the exact opposite and worst time to pull out the Wildcat. The Wildcat should be used when the offense is struggling to move the ball and for the purpose of reigniting the fire of the offense.

McNabb, although he lobbied to bring Vick into Philly, doesn't like being taken out of the offense when he's in a rhythm. He believes it throws him off, and forces him to get his rhythm back all over again. It makes sense and would be the case for most quarterbacks, not just McNabb.

So instead of pissing off McNabb and yanking his head out of the game, why not use Vick when McNabb is having trouble and the running game isn't working to get a big play and keep a drive alive?

This way Vick gets his playing time in the Wildcat, but it also doesn't mess with McNabb. In fact, this way it could actually help McNabb by keeping him on the field longer and lighting a spark underneath the entire offense. Not only that, but if the offense is on the field, then the defense is on the sideline taking a breather, something they haven't been able to do all season long.

And it doesn't have to just be Vick. It could be LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, or whomever they want to use just to keep the drive alive and excite the offense. If nothing else it keeps the defense on their toes and adds a wrinkle to the offense.

The way the Eagles are using the Wildcat now is old, it's stale, and it's just not working anymore. They refuse to throw out of it with Vick, which doesn't make any sense. If you're not going to use the quarterback to throw the ball, why even bring him in?

Jackson is probably faster and more agile than Vick at this point anyway, so why not use him? There's no fear of Vick throwing the ball if you never let him take a shot.

The Giants are preparing heavily for the Wildcat, so let's show them something this Sunday.
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Hopefully the spotlight doesn't blind Maclin this week.


Coming off an embarrassing Week Two loss to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, the Eagles are looking to rebound against a Kansas City team in shambles. The Kansas City defense is in complete disarray, but unlike the Saints, they don't have a great offense on which to fall back. They are a young team with some talent, but are in an obvious rebuilding mode.

The big story of this game will be the return of Michael Vick to the football field, as it should be. He hasn't seen a football field in a meaningful game in over two years and will have the opportunity to show that he can still play, and if he in fact deserves looks as a quarterback next season.

He is going to have a 10-12 play package this Sunday running the Wildcat, but most likely will not decide the outcome of this game. He should help the Eagles beat an already weak team, but the game will not rest in Vick's hands.

So instead of laying out what will not decide the game, let's look at what will.


Play of Kevin Kolb, Jeremy Maclin, and LeSean McCoy

It appears as though Donovan McNabb will not be playing again this week, but that was expected. However it appears now that Kevin Curtis will not be suiting up and first round pick Jeremy Maclin will get his first career start opposite DeSean Jackson, who will be playing.

Maclin has not impressed thus far, but has also not had much of an opportunity. Thanks to what has become an injury-prone Curtis, he will get the chance to show that his training camp holdout has not destroyed his chances of producing during his rookie season.

Another rookie, LeSean McCoy, could also see the very first start of his young career with Brian Westbrook missing practice all week. Odds are that even if Westbrook does play, he will be playing second fiddle to McCoy because of what is being called a "tweak" to his right ankle. McCoy was incredibly impressive in preseason, and seeing him start would be a welcome sight.

At this point he's no Westbrook, but with some experience he could, and will, be better than Westbrook. He's already a more natural runner, but as an overall player is still only working with potential. Getting the start this week could help turn that potential into something the team can use.

Kevin Kolb, unlike Maclin and Westbrook, is not a rookie. However, he might as well be. He's only making his second start as a pro, and coming off an impressive first start he's looking to take a leap forward this week.

He's got a great shot of really opening some eyes against a bad Kansas City defense, but he will probably have to throw for about 10 touchdowns if he wants to steal any headlines from Vick, who only needs to be on the field for 10 seconds to get the headlines in every single Philadelphia newspaper.

If Kolb can cut out the interceptions, he should be able to lead the Eagles to their second win of the year, and his first as a starting quarterback.


Brodrick Bunkley vs. Brian Waters

Brian Waters may not be a household name outside of the Kansas City area, but he's one of the best guards in the league right now, and has been for a little while now. Brodrick Bunkley may be in the same boat as far as defensive tackles go, although he does not yet have the body of work that Waters has.

This will be an absolute battle all day long and for those of you looking for something to watch other than Michael Vick, this is a matchup to keep an eye on. This is going to be nothing more than two big men colliding every single play and seeing who wins.

With Larry Johnson and that running game as the only real offensive threat the Chiefs have, especially with the prospect of Dwayne Bowe sitting this week, this could be the best matchup of the entire game.


Better Special Teams

The only aspect of the special teams that has been good this season has been David Akers. He looks strong and accurate in his field goal attempts, and is booting them when it's time to kick off.

Honestly, that's it. Other than that, the Eagles special teams has looked bad. Now I know DeSean was able to take one back against the Panthers, but that was obviously just a case of bad Carolina special teams just being worse than Philly's.

Sav Rocca especially has been unimpressive. He's been incredibly inconsistent and could find his job on the line if he doesn't pick it up this week. The punter position isn't like other positions where it's almost giving up on the season if they're replaced at this point. There are several good, unemployed punters looking for a shot at redemption.

If Rocca doesn't clear things up this week, he could be amongst them, and the Eagles could actually find themselves at 1-2 heading into their bye week.
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Maclin may not be returning kicks/punts for long.


Sure it's only preseason, but averaging a muffed/dropped punt per game is not a good sign for a team's starting punt returner. Unfortunately, these are the numbers that Jeremy Maclin is currently carrying.

Maybe Maclin can do a DeSean and contribute on offense this year, but his camp hold-out does not make this fan confident that this statement becomes truth. Instead it's more likely that Maclin's greatest impact this season will come on special teams as a punt returner. His speed should equal many explosive returns (see the ball, catch the ball, and THEN run).

But it's still preseason so I am not overly worried about the kid. I am, however, worried that special teams coordinator Ted Daisher is floating the idea of putting Jackson back as a punt returner on Thursday night against the Jags. Jackson is a #1 WR.

With Westbrook still battling back from injury Jackson is the Eagles top offensive weapon. Such a player should not be risking injury returning punts in a meaningless preseason game. I do not want to see DeSean being the next injury casualty this off season.

Jackson as a punt returner should be viewed the same as Westrbook being a punt returner. Put #10 back there in dire situations only.

So come on Maclin, showcase those hands and skills this Thursday. Make the idea of Jackson returning punts an afterthought. Let our #1 WR concentrate on catching the ball from McNabb and not from the opposing punter.
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Watch the rookies tonight during their very first NFL action.


The preseason is one of the most exciting time of the year for real football fans who just want to see some football, finally. Guys are out there giving every ounce of energy they can expend in an effort to realize their dreams of playing in the NFL, and it creates some of the most exciting football you'll see all year long.

Of course there are also those players who have a spot on the team because they're high draft picks or because they're established veterans, and it's exciting to see those guys in a game situation either for the very first time as in the case of the rookies, or the first time in as much as eight months for the veteran guys.

Tonight will be no different as the Philadelphia Eagles make their preseason debut against the New England Patriots. This is going to be one of the most-watched games of the preseason because it marks Brady's first game in nearly a year.

However, I'll be watching for different reasons, and paying attention to different guys.

First, the offense:

Winston Justice - Starting at Right Tackle

Justice had a phenomenal camp, and is perhaps starting to change the opinions of a lot of people with his fierce play and his understanding of an offense that once perplexed him. Add in the fact that he's finally playing his natural position of right tackle, and you have an exciting guy to watch.

He was a second round pick who has not lived up to his billing, but he has the opportunity to change all of that. Tonight he needs to show that he can carry over his great play from camp into a preseason game hitting people other than your own teammates.

As a player, there's nothing like that first pop against a guy not on your own team, and if he's not fired up for this opportunity then it is time to get rid of him. However, I don't see that as the case.

I expect Justice to come out excited. I expect to see him hitting guys and blocking all the way to the whistle, not just going through the motions like in years past. He's got a chance to show something, and I don't think he's going to pass it up.



LeSean McCoy - Starting at Running Back

The second round pick out of Pitt has been practicing with the first-string guys all through camp, and has looked quick, shifty, explosive, and just downright fast.

A lot of the times he was just running a "Thud" drill, where it's live for the offensive and defensive lines, but you just wrap up the ball carrier. He had a few live sessions, and looked impressive during, but there's nothing that can replace getting hit by a guy who's fighting for his NFL life.

I want to see McCoy catch a few balls out of the backfield, and maybe even get some his way split out wide, although I don't think Reid will show a whole lot of that.

He'll probably play two or three drives, so there's not a lot of time, but if Reid can get him some carries up the middle, to the outside, some pitches, some receptions, and allow us to see him pass blocking it will be a productive game for McCoy.



Jeremy Maclin - Probably the Fourth Receiver Tonight

After missing so much of camp, it will be interesting to see what kind of patterns the Eagles have Maclin running. I think his playing time will really correlate with how much he knows of the playbook. If he's been picking it up, expect to see him quite a bit. If not, we'll only catch a glimpse of the first round rookie.

We'll get to see Maclin catch some passes from Donovan McNabb, as well as A.J. Feeley, which will be good to gauge what kind of chemistry they've been able to work up in their short time together between McNabb's "Arizona Week" and Maclin's week or so of camp.



Rob Myers - Third Tight End Tonight

If you're silently wondering, "Who in the world is this guy?," I'm sure you're not alone.

Myers is the guy whom the Eagles picked up once they found out that Cornelius Ingram would be done for the year with a torn ACL. If you're wondering why he's the third tight end, it's because Matt Schobel is not playing tonight, so Myers is behind Brent Celek and defensive end-turned-tight end Eugene Bright.

This kid is a rookie free agent out of Utah State, and early reports are that he's very fast and has been somewhat surprising. Of course, that's not saying too much as expectations for a rookie tight end are in the basement.

Either way, I'd like to see what the kid can do as the Eagles are in desperate need of a surprise kid, and really any good news at this point.



Danny Amendola - Probably Seventh or Eighth Receiver

Amendola is a guy who has really flown under the radar, but is a guy who I liked to watch during training camp. He gives it everything he has on every single play and while he's not the most gifted guy, he's one of the hardest working and really deserves a break in the NFL.

He's got a Wes Welker-type build, and would be that kind of slot possession type player. Unfortunately there's no room for him on this team, but a team starved for receivers may take a chance on him and get a huge return out of him. Keep your eye on Amendola tonight for a big play or two.

Other Players to Watch: WR Brandon Gibson, RB Lorenzo Booker, LT Jason Peters, TE Eugene Bright
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Maclin's first day was good, not spectacular.


In his first day of camp, Jeremy Maclin did exactly what you would expect of a guy at his first NFL practice. He went all-out during the drills when he was called upon, but other than that he kept to himself and just tried to learn.

You could tell that while the other guys were going before and after him, that he was paying special attention to anything they were doing and anything the coaches were telling them.

Coach Pinkston took a special interest in Maclin, speaking to him several times after he’d run a pattern, or just standing on the sidelines. I’m not sure if he was told to do this, or if he just took it upon himself, but Pinkston hovered over Maclin throughout the entire practice.

In his first drill of 1-on-1, Maclin lined upon against Byron Parker. He ran a straight fly, no jukes or anything like that, just ran straight at the snap of the ball, and absolutely left Parker in the dust.

The pass was thrown over the wrong shoulder, so he was unable to make the catch, but he had at least three steps on Parker almost immediately. His next time, Maclin beat Demps to the middle for a nice catch and run.

Maclin was showing the blazing speed that the Eagles expected, running away from guys and making guys who are supposed to be fast look heavy-footed.

In the team drills, Maclin ran with the second group of receivers. Curtis was not at practice because the 30+ club had off, so the first group was DeSean Jackson and Hank Baskett, with the second group consisting of Maclin and Reggie Brown.

During the team drills, Maclin beat Jack Ikegwuonu to the inside for a touchdown in the back of the endzone.

The one negative I would say about Maclin today is that he didn’t seem to finish his routes. When he knew the ball wasn’t coming his way he wouldn’t run a crisp route, or wouldn’t continue to run the corner away from the play. He would jog, or lightly run, before trailing off at the end of the route.

Other than that, it was a typical day. He got surrounded by the media and I heard several people say they were on “Maclin duty” and unable to watch anything else. He obviously had all eyes on him today, and overall I’d say he handled it very well.

He still hasn’t participated in a live practice, so that will be another first for him. When asked about him in a live drill, coach Reid said he will participate (in a live drill) “tomorrow, if possible.”
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Maclin addressed the media, and said all the right things.


Jeremy Maclin finally put his name on the dotted line, and is ready to start practicing tomorrow.

Because he has not been at camp, he is obviously very far behind and will need to do some cramming and be able to catch up very quickly if he wants to see the field for any extended playing time.

It is so important that he be up to date, that I believe the Eagles should assign one coach to watch him and always be available for him throughout the entire practice tomorrow, and for the rest of camp until they feel he is caught up.

David Culley, their wide receivers coach, can't be focusing on one guy. He's got to be all around and also helping guys like Brandon Gibson and Shaheer McBride, so he's out.

My thought would be a guy like Todd Pinkston. He's in there as a coaching intern without a real well-defined role. He helps out when he can, and pulls a guy to the side when he sees something, but other than that he just bounces around and talks to his former teammates.

Assign him to Maclin, so that any time Maclin has a question he knows to go right to Pinkston. Whether it's his pattern, someone else patterson, maybe the timing of the play, how to read the defense or whatever else, Pinkston should be the guy he's always looking for.

With all the jokes and all the names that are slung about regarding Pinkston, he is a smart guy and actually was a good player during his time here in Philadelphia. You know he's a smart guy or Reid would not have him on his coaching staff, even on an intern-styled basis.

The Eagles, more than ever before, are really banking on their first-round pick producing in his first year.

DeSean Jackson did a good thing last year by showing Reid that young receivers can in fact produce immediately, and do not need to be groomed for two or three years as he previously thought. However, a failed rookie season by Maclin because he doesn't know his plays will have Reid re-thinking his position once again.

With that in mind, Maclin's performance becomes a huge factor in how far this team can go. He has the talent, all he needs is a way to learn these plays, and learn them fast.

If Pinkston is on "Maclin Watch," it should expedite the process and have Maclin picking up on things much faster with his own personal coach.

We'll see how the Eagles attack this, as they may just rotate any coach who is available to work with him rather than having one guy assigned to him. In fact, I would not be surprised to see even Marty Mornhenwig and Andy Reid taking some time with him off to the side.

Judging by his press conference, Maclin is a smart kid who shouldn't have too tough of a time picking up on things. It's all just a matter of limited time.
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Finally, Maclin and the Eagles agree to 5-year deal.


The Philadelphia Eagles and the nineteenth overall selection, Jeremy Maclin, have finally come to terms on a 5-year deal.

Reportedly, the contract is worth $15.5 million with $9.5 million in guaranteed money.

This is a huge step for the Eagles, and more specifically Maclin. He has missed the installation of over 100 passing plays, and has a lot to catch up on. Not to mention tomorrow will be his very first day of an NFL training camp, so he'll be learning on the fly.

What he's doing right now is essential to be dropped right into the middle of an active battle zone, which needless to say, would be chaotic to say the least.

However the Eagles have faith that he can come in and make up for the nine days and 18 practices that he has missed. He's a smart kid who shouldn't have too much of a problem with it, although there will be some problems in the early going as he's buried on the depth chart at the moment.

With camp almost halfway over, he's got some time with the rest of camp and the preseason, but not much. It will be very interesting to see how he responds and where he winds up on the depth chart come September.

So on a day in which the Eagles get very bad news on the defensive side of the ball, they get very good news on the offensive side. I'm sure Andy Reid, and Donovan McNabb especially, are elated to have the young kid in camp.

Finally we'll get to see what he can do with the pads on.

The interesting thing will be to hear exactly what held up this deal.

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Maclin certainly isn't helping himself with all this missed time.


Adam Schefter is reporting via Twitter that after speaking with some people in the Eagles organization, he believes the deal could be done within 72 hours.

"Good news Philly: After talking more with Eagles, deal for WR Jeremy Maclin is closer than (I) thought. I predict one within 72 hours - mayb..."

Good news? Am I the only one who does not see this as "good news?"

It's certainly not good news that this will take perhaps another three days, leaving him to come back Wednesday and only get about a week and a half of training camp under his belt heading into his rookie season. Training camp is unbelievably important, and three days is better than nothing, but he should be in there right now. He's already missed too much time.

This has also been the report since the beginning of camp. Even before camp there was a report (some crazy people telling us that he already signed) that he had signed a 6-year, $23 million deal. Obviously, that was not the case and those people had some faulty sources (Thank you, very much "The Columns," a Mizzou blog).

Everyone keeps saying he'll sign within the next 24 hours, he'll sign in the next 72 hours, and everything in between. But, obviously, that has yet to happen.

If I had to guess, I would guess that it's the length and probably the incentives that are holding this deal up. The number 20 and the number 17 picks are signed, so it shouldn't be real difficult to figure out where Maclin's numbers should be. Also, don't forget that he's the last Eagles rookie, so they have limited money for him anyway.

Given those facts, it's easy to figure that it's things like the length and incentives. The Eagles probably want him to sign a five or six-year deal, but Maclin probably only wants a three or four-year deal because he's seen how the Eagles operate and figures that he'll outperform his contract very soon (which is a good thing for Philly).

Something tells me that we still have a few days of this back and forth reporting to deal with, and that when it finally does get settled we'll learn that it was over a year difference, or a couple thousand difference in incentives.
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