Rob Myers was one of four practice squad players announced today.


The Eagles signed four guys to their practice squad today, and will decide on and release the names of the remaining four practice squad members tomorrow afternoon.

The four signed today are WR Danny Amendola, G Mike Gibson, G Paul Fanaika, and TE Rob Myers. All four were guys who had a shot at the 53-man roster, but wound up losing a numbers game.

Gibson, Fanaika, and Myers are all guys who aren't very surprising to see on the practice squad. However, seeing Amendola make it through waivers is incredibly shocking. He showed good hands, good speed, and wonderful quickness during the preseason. Personally, I thought for sure a receiver-needy team would do a backflip to snatch him up.

The Eagles have a good group of guys so far, and oddly enough, it's all of their guys. Usually, Reid goes out and gets young guys from other teams to populate to practice squad. It's a good sign that he's signing his own players, and the next four guys should keep that theme going.

Check back tomorrow for more news on who rounds out the practice squad.
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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.
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Tony Curtis stretches out for a ball that falls out of his reach.


According to Jason La Canfora of NFL Network, the Eagles have been looking at former Cowboys tight end Tony Curtis, and plan on signing him pending a physical.

Curtis, for his career, has 11 receptions for 50 yards and three touchdowns. At 6'5 and 251 pounds, Curtis will be more of a blocking tight end, and his signing will probably mean the release of Eugene Bright. Of course, it could mean the end for Rob Myers, but the Eagles probably want to see a little more out of him. It's clear at this point that Bright is simply not an NFL tight end.

It was looking like Curtis could be the backup in Dallas during the 2008 offseason when the Cowboys traded then-backup tight end Anthony Fasano to the Dolphins. However, the Cowboys used a second-round draft pick on Martellus Bennet, who immediately took over the second tight end spot.

Curtis was released after the 2008 season and picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs after they traded Tony Gonzalez. Curtis was released recently after the Chiefs signed former Giants receiver Amani Toomer.

The signing of Curtis will be a sign that the Eagles have hit the panic button concerning the tight ends considering he goes against everything Andy Reid looks for in a tight end. Curtis is more of a guy who comes in to block, as evidenced by his minimal receiving yards.

The Eagles will be counting on Schobel or Myers/Bright/Curtis to step up big time and help this team out at the tight end position. Don't be surprised to see a lot of three and four-wide sets this year, even for Reid.
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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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