Eagles training camp opens at Lehigh tomorrow, and will have the full squad there on Monday. All of the draft picks are signed and ready to go, and it appears every thing is in place for the defense of the NFC East title.
No pre-season comes without questions, but the Eagles have fewer than most. Here’s what I’d like to see come out of camp:
- A healthy Donovan McNabb. This is the most important, of course. This team goes how he and Brian Westbrook go.
- New additions stepping up on defense. It’s is time for recent draft picks to step up and take the load off of some of the aging veterans. One among the group of young linebackers (Omar Gaither, Chris Gocong, Stewart Bradley) must be an improvement over the departed (Thank God!) Dhani Jones. If someone steps up and becomes a playmaker, and if new addition Takeo Spikes has anything left, this should take some pressure off of Jeremiah Trotter and give the birds their best LB corps in years.
- Broderick Bunkley/Jevon Kearse – In the early stages of last season, the Eagles D Line was a strength, but injuries to Kearse and Darren Howard sapped the smallish line of their depth, which led to too many rushing yards, and too little pressure on the quarterback. It didn’t help that top draft pick Bunkley couldn’t get on the field. He claims to have rededicated himself to football. Let’s hope so, because he is the key to the run defense.
- Finding a kick returner(s) – The Eagles have lacked a big play returner for the last couple of seasons. If the Eagles can find a few big plays on defense and special teams, they could score scary amounts of points…
These are just a few things to ponder while listening to Ron Jaworski get way too fired up for the preseason.
Phillies overcome "closer", manager
The Phillies tried to give away the game last night against the Nationals. Let us thank the Nats for being the Nats. They aren’t in last place for nothing. Their Keystone Cops routine with 2 outs in the 9th last night, turning a sure last out into a miracle tying run for Jimmy Rollins, took Antonio Alfonseca off the hook for another blown save by the bullpen.
Charlie did his best to lose it, as well
No player is swinging a hotter bat than Aaron Rowand. With his game winning home run on Tuesday night, Rowand became the first player in 51 years to have 3 games in the same month where he got 3 extra-base hits. So, with men on first and second and nobody out in the bottom of the 10th inning last night (both by way of walks), what does skipper Charlie Manuel do? He has Rowand bunt. That’s right, bunt. Rowand has 0 sacrifices this season. He has many big hits. On deck were light hitting Michael Bourn, and behind him was the pitcher’s spot. Manuel had his hottest hitter basically hand an out to a pitcher who had just walked two batters. And he wonders why the media and fans are so hard on him sometimes.
Charlie out of moves again
Manuel also has a bad habit of leaving himself short of options in case of extra innings. He loves defensive substitutions and situational relief. With the bases loaded in the 12th with one out, Clay Condrey had to bat, because there were no more pitchers available. How do you run out of pitchers in the 12th? When your manager is a buffoon, that’s when.
Against a competent team, last night would have been a loss. Not even a game-winning bomb from sizzling Ryan Howard can camouflage that.
A-Rod is good
Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez hit his 499th career HR last night, going over 100 RBI for the season in the process. Over 100 RBI on July 25th? That’s insane! He also will be the fastest to 500 HR by more than a year than any player ever. He may become a Free Agent after the season. Dare to dream how many HR he would hit at the local bandbox? The Phillies are way to cheap to even consider it, but I can dream, can’t I?