On a day where Gridiron Experts so innocently posted a gallery of hot Eagles Cheerleaders, it was reported that left tackle Jason Peters had ruptured his Achilles’ tendon and will be done for the 2012 NFL season.

This is a terrible way to start the season, all the best offensive tackles in free agency are off the table. The Birds could take a look at former Chargers left tackle Marcus McNeill, who was cut after suffering a neck injury, but odds are the team will have to draft one.

The Eagles will now have to adjust their draft board whether they like it or not. Leaving such a hole on the offensive line after a season where Mike Vick was constantly flushed out the pocket is not a good idea. Watch for Philly to target either Iowa”s Riley Reiff or Ohio State’s Mike Adam’s.

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Breaking News:

ProFootball Talk reports DeMeco Ryans remaining base salaries is $5.9 million (2012), $6.6 million (2013), and $6.8 million (2014-2015).

The Eagles are absolutely desperate at the linebacker position and have never drafted one in the first round in the Andy Reid era. This move takes the pressure off the Eagles to dig through a weak LB group in free agency. With little to choice from, the Eagles feel that making a deal for a season vet, is far worth the gamble. Plugging in rookies to an important position that Eagles constantly overlook is a terrible habit that the fans wanted to see broken.

DeMeco Ryans’ Stats

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Week 16 matchups:

Eagles at Cowboys

Giants at Jets

Vikings at Redskins

Week 17 matchups:

Cowboys at Giants

Redskins at Eagles

NFC East Playoff Breakdown

Every year there is a division whose playoff race goes down to the wire. Last year it was the NFC West, this year we have been gifted with two of these divisions, one in each conference. In the NFC the focus is on the East division where any one of three teams could still make the playoffs, one of which is the Eagles with the alignment of the stars and a 8-8 record that mocks even the Seahawks playoff ticket from a season ago.

Here’s the Breakdown:
 

Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

Quietly consistent the Cowboys have found themselves in first position in the NFC East. They have done this by picking up wins at home and are 5-2 this year, no other team in the East is above .500 at home which highlights the importance of having a solid home advantage. The Cowboys must not be complacent going into the final two match-ups of the regular season as they are facing division opponents, so losses would significantly hurt their chances of getting to the playoffs. If the Cowboys were to get into the playoffs, they would be encouraged by their win at San Francisco in Week 2 of the regular season.

Make the playoffs if:

• They beat the Giants in Week 17 regardless of Week 16 results OR
• They beat the Eagles in Week 16 and the Giants lose to the Jets.

New York Giants (7-7)

The Giants shot out of the gate to start the season opening with a 6-3 record, unfortunately for them since then they have gone 1-4 and have allowed the Cowboys to leapfrog them for first place in the NFC East. However, with top players on offense and defense a journey deep into the playoffs is still possible for the Super Bowl XLII champions. The Giants still have the power to qualify in their hands, they know that if they win out their final games then they will be in the playoffs.

Make the playoffs if:

• They beat the Jets in Week 16 and the Cowboys in Week 17 OR
• The Giants and Cowboys lose in Week 16, the Giants win and the Eagles lose in Week 17.

Philadelphia Eagles (6-8)

Before the season began this roster was labelled the “Dream Team” with free agents taking less money in the belief that they would secure themselves a Super Bowl ring playing in Philadelphia. In contrary to this belief the Eagles have struggled this year and currently sit in third in the NFC East. This has resulted in some Eagles fans blaming the coaching staff for the under-performance of the team, which is further fuelled by some players having had public disputes with the coaches. Despite this the Eagles have won enough games to still have a chance to qualify for the postseason though results would have to favor the Eagles. It is worth noting that the Eagles are 3-1 in the division this year with only division teams to play.

Make the playoffs if:

• The Eagles win and the Giants lose in Week 16, the Giants and the Eagles win in Week 17.

Washington Redskins (5-9)

The Redskins shocked fans and pundits alike when they started the season 3-1, unfortunately for them the bye week came at the wrong time and after it they went on a 6 game losing streak. The streak all but eliminated Washington from playoff contention, before they were mathematically ruled out with losses to the Jets and Patriots in Weeks 13 and 14 respectively. The Redskins are now playing for pride, although they may not wish to win too many more games this year in order give themselves the best draft position that they possibly can.

The Redskins cannot make the playoffs.

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This is not what the city of Philadelphia anticipated heading into the 2011 NFL season. Charging into the latter half the year, the former NFC East champs find themselves at rock bottom this year. With a less than stellar record of 3-6 and fighting to stay alive as a team plagued by injury, poor performance, and a franchise quarterback whose failure to live up the hype has football nation asking, did he deserve the monstrous contract he acquired during the off-season? What the heck happened to the Eagles this season? But, more importantly, are the Eagles playoff hopes still alive? With nothing really left to lose, Philly can just sail along for the rest of the season without a worry, if they so choose. Unless, it’s not too late for this once to be thought, “dream team” to get back to wild card weekend. Here’s to hoping and praying for seven straight wins Eagles fans.

This weekend, the Eagles travel to the Meadowlands to battle their biggest NFC East rival, where last year Philadelphia pulled a rabbit out their hat, the rabbit being DeSean Jackson, who gave us “The Miracle at New Meadowlands.” It was one of the biggest come from behind victories in Eagles franchise history and now Sunday night, the Eagles could play spoiler to a Giants team that is looking to win the division this year. Currently, the Eagles are in bad shape. Michael Vick broke two ribs in their embarrassing loss last week against the Cardinals and Jeremy Maclin has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Both players are questionable for Sunday’s game. Yet, on the upside, wide receiver DeSean Jackson returns to action after missing a mandatory team meeting that kept him from the field last week and we’ll probably get a glimpse of Vince Young this weekend as Vick recovers from his injury. The Eagles hope to upset the Giants and will have to keep fighting for a slim opportunity to go beyond January.

If the season ended today, the Eagles wouldn’t even be close to making the playoffs, sporting one of the worst records in the National Football League. With only a handful of games left to play, Philly’s chances continue to get smaller as the weeks fly by. Looking ahead at their schedule, the Eagles may have their hands full, as they play host to the Patriots in week twelve, travel to Seattle and Miami in the following weeks, take on the struggling Jets back home while finishing with two division games against the Cowboys and Redskins. The rest of the schedule is mediocre at best, with their toughest games coming against the Patriots and the Cowboys. Could seven wins in a row grant the Eagles a playoff berth? It would certainly help out head coach Andy Reid who has been under fire lately and could make for one stellar finish to an otherwise disappointing season. With the playoffs sliding farther and farther away, the Eagles could always now just focus on ruining other teams opportunities to shine.

So, can the Eagles wake up long enough to push themselves to the playoffs? We’ll have to wait and see, but otherwise if the Giants are victorious this weekend, the Eagles “dream season” is pretty much gone. If there’s one thing to take into consideration, Philly can learn a lot from this season. They can correct the mistakes made, the opportunities missed, and figure out how to come back stronger next season. It’s not always sunny in Philadelphia, but for now the sun hasn’t officially set and now more than ever, it’s gut-check time for the Eagles.

All in all, the playoff hopes remain alive at the current moment, with even just one more loss excluding them for good, the Eagles need to stay positive and use wishful thinking. The season that was supposed to be never appeared for Philadelphia and now they are reeling for answers that don’t seem to be coming. It would be quite the spectacle to see the Eagles bounce back and make the playoffs, but time, determination, and wins for Philly will decide that. Again, here’s to hoping and praying for seven straight wins Eagles fans.

Fantasy Football:

The Eagles continue to be aggressive this off-season and have their eyes on running the table. Wednesday Philly added wide receiver Steve Smith, formerly of the NFC East rival New York Giants. Amazingly the Eagles have found room under their cap to manage all of these off-season deals and are rumored to have some pocket change left over. They are clearly writing the book on how to mange the NFL salary cap.

Steve Smith was cancer in the eyes to most NFL teams. His injury caused many red flags across the league. But the Eagles team doctors gave the go-ahead and recommendation for his deal to be made. With question marks to Jeremy Maclin’s bizarre weight loss and DeSean unhappy with his contract situation, it only made sense to bring in another target for Mike Vick.

Steve Smith has a great hands and will now steal carries from the top receivers. With a 107 reception season in 2009, and having the ability to find holes in zones coverages, Steve Smith will be on the field. Andy Reid was quoted saying that Jason Avant is one of the best slot receivers in the league, adding Smith to that position should create a lethal duo. Currently I picture 4WR sets (when everyone is healthy) on passing situations with Jackson and Maclin on the outside, and Steve Smith and Avant playing underneath. Smith will be valuable in the redzone and clutch on 3rd down. Huge boost for the Eagles, but a bit of a draw back for the fantasy stocks of DeSean and Maclin. More importantly, I see a slick possession receiver like Smith being a killer for Brent Celek. I really don’t see too many passing plays now that will require Celek to be on the field.

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Hancho’s newest NFL Video involves the Eagles Quarterback Mike Vick, check it out!

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Another gem from Gridiron Experts newest talent: Hancho. Spread the love on facebook, we are all missing football these days

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If you are talking about drafting a top fantasy option at tight end, then a few of the usual names keep coming up year after year. You have the names of Gates and Gonzalez at the top, with Winslow, Davis, and Witten all up in the mix as well. But, if you are looking for a value pick from a player who can hold his own against those names, then you should be looking to target Brent Celek.

Celek has broken out with the Eagles in the first 3 years of his career and has truly developed into a top fantasy tight end. However, after a strong season in 2009 where he had 76 catches, 971 yards and 8 touchdowns (which is amazing in a point per catch league), he had a drop off in production in 2010.

Some are citing a few nagging injuries with Celek as the reason why his production decreased. Others have claimed that Michael Vick just hasn’t developed the chemistry with Celek that McNabb had. Either scenario could be one that is solved by this fall. Plus, while everyone else has forgotten about Celek as a viable option in many leagues, you could still scoop him up after he should be gone.

Now news has come out that Celek is going to bulk up from 250 to 260 for his playing weight in the fall. Considering he is already at 267 pounds, he could really start to bust through tacklers as well as shed defenders who are coming after him if he can play at a lean 260. This should improve his burst off the line if he keeps his speed, his ability to move the pile and fight for more yards, and (more than anything) this could help him to stay just a little bit healthier in 2011 as well. This is definitely a bonus if he can gain size without getting slower.

Part of the reason that Celek had a bad season in 2010 (only 42 catches for 511 yards and 4 TDs) was just due to the game plan.  The Eagles had a dynamic downfield offense that relied on the deep threats of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin to stretch the field while Vick could take off from anywhere and move the chains. As evidence, look no further to a few of the games in 2010 where the team had success but Celek didn’t.

Week 9 versus Indianapolis: The Colts took away the short game, including Celek. Brent had 0 catches. However, Jackson and Maclin combined for 11 catches, 157 yards and a TD.

Week 11 versus the New York Giants: Giants loaded the front but didn’t have help deep. Celek had 0 catches again, but Maclin and Jackson combined for 14 catches and 170 yards downfield (as well as 24 total targets).

Week 14 versus Dallas: Celek was once again shut out as the Dallas defense took away everything up front. However, DeSean had a career day as he netted 210 yards on only 4 catches.

So, how does this help you? As teams became more fearful of the almighty Celek and his ability to continue making first downs, they started to take him away as a viable option. Here’s the problem. If they roll their coverage up to him while still trying to contain Vick in the backfield … who is covering the likes of Jackson and Maclin?

If defenses truly want to contain the back end and minimize the damage done by the pair of Eagles star receivers, they have to leave a hole open on the field somewhere. The biggest one will have Brent Celek right in the middle of it looking to pick up where he left off in 2009.

Expect big things from this guy, as he is a solid option on any team, let alone one where you have to pick your poison. Can Celek hit 100 catches and 1,200 yards this year? It wouldn’t surprise me. He just needs to stay healthy and use his new found leg strength and size to rack up the stats.

Fantasy Football:

Andy Reid is a master at easing players into his starting line-up. He never rushes anyone, and would prefer to groom a player to perfection before having to call their name. Of course, when a player is excelling at a position, he also doesn’t hesitate at letting them on the field. The gold mine of quarterbacks seems to be the never ending headline in Philly these days, now with second-stringer Kevin Kolb wanting out and being projected as a high investment by other teams. The Eagles 2011 draft would have been completely different if trades were allowed to be made, still the potential to move Kolb this year is a viable option.

Draft Goal:

• Secondary Help- The Eagles 2nd CB spot is weak, plain and simple, and SS help is needed.
• Depth- The Eagles have had injuries take out many quality players over the last few seasons. Despite having great starting line ups, the depth on the team could use an upgrade.
• Rebuild the lines- A strategy Andy Reid and many coaches believe in: the war is won in the trenches.
• Look for opportunities to gain more wealth through additional draft picks.

Eagles 2011 Draft

Round 1 (23rd): Danny Watkins (G) Baylor- Protection for Mike Vick is priority number one. The athletic ability of this 6’4″, 310 lb beast of a man should add an immediate upgrade to the offensive line at RG. Watkins has quick feet, great lower body strength, and excellent blindside protection skills for a guy who hasn’t been playing the position that long. At 26, some may wonder about the NFL lifespan of this ex-Canadian firefighter, yet Watkins excelled during his short time at Baylor and has become an interesting yet safe NFL prospect.

Most 300+ lb offensive linemen couldn’t do half of what a firefighter does on a regular basis, meaning weight gain and work ethic are non issues for Watkins. Although, he will need to add muscle to help improve his punch off the line, along with technique for handling quicker pass rushers. Watkins genuine smile for the cameras on draft day had the look of a truly humbled kid with a big heart. He looks to be a great locker room guy and a solid rock to the line for protection to Vick.

Round 2 (54th): Jaiquawn Jarrett (SS) Temple- Hard hitting highlight-reel safety that makes defenders pay for moving the ball. Jarrett quickly reads and reacts well to the run. His skills best suit a team that likes to load the box and bring pressure, he should fit in well. Despite a lack of breakaway speed, instilling fear into the opponents that cross the middle with his love for the big hit should win over the hearts of Eagle fans immediately. He is a perfect player to attempt bringing back the Dawkins-like feel to the Eagles.

Round 3 (90th) Curtis Marsh (CB) Utah St.- Depth player who should see the field in dime, possibly nickle packages. Press cover corner with the size and good speed for the pros, but he does not fill the Eagles void of the number 2 CB.

Round 4 (116th) Casey Matthews (OLB) Oregon - The Eagles saw Clay Matthews in their first and last game of the 2010 season. One glaring lesson discovered in those painful losses, aside from the fact that losing stinks, is that Clay Matthews is one mean S.O.B. Naturally when his younger brother falls in the draft, the Eagles pounce on the chance of grabbing a quick instinctive middle linebacker who recently played in the BSC National Championship with Oregon.

Round 4 (120th) Alex Henery (K) Nebraska- Let the kicker drama begin. David Akers’ inconsistencies has forced Philly to draft a rookie rather than attempting to resign the Pro-bowler Vet.

Round 5 (161th) Julian Vandervelde (RT-G) Iowa-Vandervelde is a depth player that the Eagles hope pays off. He is  more of an interior blocker to work into the rotation at guard, yet the long term potential at possibly RT will be there.

Round 6, (191) Jason Kelce (OL) Cincinnati- It’s clear the Eagles are trying to add size and speed to their offensive line. Vandervelde and Kelce will both compete for back-up roles, although until Kelce can bulk up his role may be better suited at center.

Round 6, (193rd) Brian Rolle  (LB) Ohio St.-Rolle is undersized at 5’10″, yet plays his heart out. He is aggressive, quick, and flips his hips well in coverage reads. The Ohio St. high caliber linebacker will find a job on special teams and try to do enough to win over the coaches for a starting job.

Round 7, (237) Greg Lloyd (LB) Connecticut- Depth player, possible Special teamer.

Round 7, (240) Stanley Havili  (FB) USC- If Havili has a chance to make it as a fullback in the NFL, the Eagles would be the best place for that to happen. Odds are he will be a practice squad player who could fill in if Weaver gets hurt.

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