IF I WERE a fan, I don’t think I would’ve paid $10 to attend last night’s preseason finale between the Eagles and the New York Jets. But the generally held belief that this game is meaningless is probably the farthest thing from the truth. Yes, the starters were given the night off, but the middle and final pieces of this roster are still in flux. For some of the guys who played in the Eagles’ 21-17 loss, it wasn’t just their final chance to leave an impression with the coaches; it was the only extended chance. For guys fighting to move up the depth chart or grab one of those last roster spots, every snap was crucial. After a long training camp, when most of the time you were used as
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For some Eagles, final preseason game was chance to show they belong
Now that Thursday night’s charade brought a merciful end to the exhibition games, there is nothing but a short expanse of practices separating the Eagles from the start of the regular season. Ready or not, here it comes, and much more than in recent seasons, there is good reason to wonder if the Eagles will be ready or not. It is a question that goes beyond whether they will be ready for the Green Bay Packers, one of the best teams in the conference. The Eagles might lose that game, perhaps soundly, and still emerge from the rubble with a chance for a productive season. “We’ll get those things fixed and it starts with me,” Andy Reid would no doubt say. At least, that is what he has said
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Now it’s reality for Birds
Eagles coach Andy Reid insisted that some jobs were still up for grabs going into Thursday night’s game — a 21-17 loss to the New York Jets. The Eagles coach probably wasn’t referring to the backup quarterback spot, although Michael Vick’s preseason wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Vick entered the Eagles’ final preseason game having thrown three interceptions. He also had been sacked four times and had compiled a 33.7 passer rating. Those stats didn’t exactly reflect the work he had put in during the spring and summer to acclimate to the West Coast offense, and they didn’t exactly inspire confidence that he could take the wheel if starter Kevin Kolb were to suffer a major injury. It’s safe
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Vick solidifies his spot
Ask defensive coordinator Sean McDermott what a player has to do to impress, and he has a simple answer: Make big plays. Kurt Coleman did that Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field to add a jolt of energy to an otherwise forgettable preseason finale. Coleman, the Eagles’ rookie safety who scored one touchdown in his college career at Ohio State, took two fumbles back to the end zone. In his last opportunity to make an impact before the real season begins, Coleman stood out in a game contested by second- and third-stringers for both the Eagles and New York Jets. Coleman, a seventh-round draft pick, the last of 13 players the Eagles selected in April, had four tackles and an assist and
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Eagles drop preseason finale
Center Jamaal Jackson could be the opening day starter after all. During an interview on last night’s broadcast of the preseason finale, Jackson said that the chances of him playing on Sept. 12 against Green Bay are “99.9 percent.” Jackson said his knee “feels great” following ACL surgery last December and said “they have been working me out hard this week,” in order to see whether he was ready to play. “Hopefully, no setbacks leading up to this,” he said. “And hopefully, I’ll be out there with my team.” He conceded rust could be a factor, but said he thought his experience could overcome that. Jackson, with the Eagles since 2003, would be the most experienced starter on offense.
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Jamaal Jackson: ‘99.9 percent’ chance he plays in opener
The Arizona Cardinals have traded guard Reggie Wells to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for an undisclosed draft choice. Wells (6-4, 314) was with the Cardinals for seven seasons. He played in 104 games and made 90 starts, including all six playoff games over the last two seasons.
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Cardinals trade offensive lineman Reggie Wells to Eagles
Jorrick Calvin was minding his business bright and early Monday morning - the business of trying to make the Arizona Cardinals’ roster - when he was pulled from a defensive backs meeting and told the head coach wanted to see him. Calvin is a rookie, 23 years old, and he might not know much about the workings of professional football yet, but he knew that Ken Whisenhunt probably wasn’t going to give him a good-conduct medal. The walk through the corridors seemed endless, with the pit-of-the-stomach emptiness that accompanies any unexpected trip to the principal’s office. But Calvin received a mixture of good news along with the bad when he arrived. The Cardinals, the team that drafted him
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Eagles’ Calvin a necessary part or extra cargo?
Andy Reid has tried to sell you on the fourth preseason game. The Eagles coach insisted recently that some final job battles are up for grabs tonight when the Eagles and Jets have their final tuneup before the Sept. 12 season opener. “There’s a couple of different (open) spots,” Reid said. “I’m not going to get into those. I think it’s important that all the guys that have an opportunity to play, play like they have an opportunity to make this football team. In essence, they do.” Nonsense, we say. The coaches know exactly who stays and who goes Sunday, when the NFL mandates that teams cut down to a 53-man roster. But since we can’t inject Big Red with truth serum, we’ve taken it upon
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Roster seems to be in order
At the start of every Eagles training camp, there are 80 players and a lot fretting over who will make the 53-man roster six weeks later. But, somehow, after dozens of practices, four preseason games, and hours of watching film, coach Andy Reid and his crew end up with very few tough choices when final cuts must be made by Saturday afternoon. With various places to stow and sometimes protect players - injured reserve, the physically-unable-to-perform list or the practice squad - picking the final roster essentially comes down to two or three players. Final, of course, is a relative term. Reid and general manager Howie Roseman will continue to tinker with the roster in the week leading up
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A look at the likely Eagles roster
The NFL Players Association is monitoring a little-known “85-percent rule” after two minor trades this week involving rookie players were made even as confusion reigned over the rule’s application. Under the rule, which is only applicable in an uncapped year, any drafted rookie who is cut by his team has 85 percent of the $310,000 first-year minimum salary reallocated to rookies who do make the club. The rule came under scrutiny when the Redskins and Rams exchanged rookie players in separate transactions earlier this week. The Washington Redskins traded rookie tight end/fullback Dennis Morris to the St. Louis Rams for a future conditional draft pick; the Redskins then acquired rookie
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Sources: NFLPA monitoring trades
The last time quarterback Michael Vick started an NFL game, it was at Lincoln Financial Field. That was way back in 2006, though, and it was with the Atlanta Falcons against the Eagles. Vick will once again start a game Thursday night when the Eagles play the New York Jets in the final preseason game at The Linc. Eagles coach Andy Reid will sit starter Kevin Kolb to protect him from injury even though the successor to Donovan McNabb hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in the preseason. Rookie Mike Kafka will play the second half. “Right now, I’ve got Michael down for a half, the first half,” Reid said Tuesday, “and then the other Michael down for the second half.” Vick was a three-time Pro Bowl
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As expected, Reid gives starters break
The Eagles’ main components are getting healthy just in time for the regular season. Guard Todd Herremans (ankle), linebacker Ernie Sims (forearm), and defensive end Trent Cole (ankle) were all back on the practice field Tuesday, along with center Jamaal Jackson, who delivered snaps for the first-team offense and showed no ill effects from battling defensive linemen in one-on-one drills Monday. All four are projected starters, when fit. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson was the only big piece of the picture missing, although head coach Andy Reid said that was because he had his wisdom teeth removed Monday. Jackson’s back, injured in Friday’s preseason game, “is feeling better,” Reid said. The
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Eagles’ key pieces mostly set to go
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