One of the biggest concerns for the Eagles entering this offseason was whether or not LeSean McCoy’s contract situation would effect him and his performance as adversely as DeSean Jackson’s did during the final year of his rookie contract last season.

Now, the Birds and the Pro Bowl running back can cross that worry off of their list.

On Thursday, the Eagles announced that they had signed the fourth year running back out of Pittsburgh to a five-year extension worth $45 million which will keep the running back in Midnight Green for at least the majority of his career. The deal is guaranteed to pay McCoy $20.65 million.

Like Jackson, McCoy was entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract from 2009. However, unlike Jackson there will be no training camp holdout or season long hangover of uncertainty surrounding his contract status.

“Me and DeSean [Jackson] are great friends, and everybody handles things differently,” McCoy said, referring to how Jackson managed the final year of his rookie deal last season. “I thought the team knew tha tI wanted a new deal. I go out every week and work hard in practice and go into games playing my heart out. I didn’t want to act a fool and do the wrong thing because I wasn’t raised like that.”

Last season, McCoy etched his name into the Eagles’ record book by recording a franchise best 17 rushing touchdowns. Proving his versatility, McCoy also scored 20 total touchdowns enroute to both All Pro and Pro Bowl honors. McCoy led the league in first downs and finished as the NFL’s fourth leading rusher with 1,309 yards.

McCoy has been on a steady career ascent since being the Eagles second-round pick in 2009. In 2010, McCoy finished with 1,672 yards from scrimmage and a career best 78 catches which led all running backs.

Many began comparing McCoy to backs such as Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Steven Jackson and DeAngelo Williams last season because of his expanded role within the offense and his continued success. Now, his name belongs in that company also because of his long-term job security. Peterson signed a $100 million deal with the Vikings last season. And Johnson inked a deal for $53.5 million extension with $30 million guaranteed.

“I think a lot of the deals are structured by peers in this league. If he is making this, a lot of the deals will be structured similar to that,” McCoy said when asked about whether or not previous deals given to running backs set a precedent in his negotiations with the Birds. “It’s always kind of similar, the numbers and there are a lot of good backs. I’m just honored to be in the range financially with those guys.”

McCoy is part of a youth movement on the Eagles offense that the franchise has made a decision to build around that includes Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek and 2011 first round draft choice Danny Watkins along with center Jason Kelce who is entering his second year in the league.

“We have good, young players here who enjoy playing for the city of Philadelphia,” Andy Reid said. We felt like we had a great nucleus of guys, LeSean being one of that group. He does it all, so this isn’t a one-dimensional running back. This is a running back that can not only carry the football for you but can catch the football as well as the wide receivers, he can block and he loves playing the game.”

The Eagles have had by all accounts a successful offseason, already traiding for linebacker DeMeco Ryans from Houston, extending Jackson and moving up in the draft to select highly touted defensive tackle Fletcher Cox in the first round.

“It’s exciting because we’re trying to build for the long term,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. “We’re trying to bring a championship to the city of Philadelphia and we’re going to do whatever we can to do that. But on the same token, we’re going to try and keep building and sustain some success. Keeping McCoy here is a big piece of that.”

Matt Lombardo is the Lead Writer for Taking It To The House. Matt is also a Producer for 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Follow Matt on Twitter @MattLombardo975 or Email him at MDLombardo@yahoo.com

The Philadelphia Eagles will take their first steps towards the 2012 NFL Season as they will hold their first full squad OTA session post the draft.  All eyes at the mini-camp are sure to be on quarterback Michael Vick as he enters a “Make or Break” season

(Philadelphia, Pa) — As Taking It to the House contributors Matt Lombardo and Lloyd Vance head over to the palatial Philadelphia Eagles NovaCare Complex for this week’s mini-camp, there are a bunch of questions surrounding a team that is coming off an inconsistent 8-8 season.  We all know it is extremely early as the 2012 season doesn’t “officially” kick-off until September. 

And sure many non-diehard fans can’t wait until the regular season and perticularly don’t care much for “mini-camps”, especially when it is players running around in jerseys and shorts.  But mini-camps and organized training activities (OTA’s) are essential in building the foundation of a cohesive football team.  Many times during the playoffs, both head coaches and players who are putting it all on the line in the postseason like to talk about how OTA’s and training camp were key factors in their development into a successful cohesive team.

The first full squad post-draft mini-camp is always of particular interest in all 32 NFL cities and here in Philly it is no different.  There are veterans coming back to the complex for the first time in a while plus several fresh-faced drafted and undrafted rookies getting their first taste of being a professional.  Regardless if someone is a first-round pick, 10-year veteran, or 2nd year guy coming from the practice squad, they all know this is their first opportunity to “get on the same page”.  The main beneficiaries of these sessions are the coaches and front office as they finally get the opportunity to see “What They Have or Don’t Have” as there still is plenty of work to be done before training camp starts at Lehigh University on July 22.

There are still many moves to be made before training camp, so there is still a good chance of us seeing Andy Reid and GM Howie Roseman huddling to get someone in to fill a particular need.  And there are still a variety of methods left at their disposal including trades, waivers, street free agents, and other avenues to explore in filling out the new league-mandated huge training camp roster of 90 players.

Here are our Top 5 questions for 2012 Eagles’ Mini-Camp

1) Is QB Michael Vick ready to return to his 2010 form? — 2010 was the season of MV7, but unfortunately 2011 was not even close.  Vick was constantly banged-up – only started 13 games and missed large portions of others – and also struggled with ball security (14 INTs and a league-leading 10 fumbles). We have been told that the Eagles’ 100-Million Dollar Man has been working hard this off-season at getting into the best shape possible while immersing himself in the team’s playbook with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.  Hopefully that is the case as there is a large contingent of fans wondering if No. 7 can take this talented team deep into the playoffs.  This is a “Make or Break” season for Vick and Reid so the veteran starter has to be on the field and must also do a better job with his sight-adjustments and it all starts this weekend.

2) Will RB LeSean McCoy show-up and has there been any movement on his contract? – The Eagles Pro Bowl running back surprised many by showing up at a recent voluntary camp, but we have a feeling that “NFL Holdout Hardball” maybe soon be starting with Shady.  McCoy (273 rushes for 1309 yards, 20 total TDs and a healthy 4.8 ypc) clearly has out-performed his current contract – slotted to make $615,000 on his four-year rookie deal from 2009 — and there is talk that a training camp holdout maybe in the works – remember Joe Banner’s favorite agent, Drew Rosenhaus will be involved in these negotiations. With other “franchised” running backs Ray Rice (Ravens) and Matt Forte (Bears) talking hold-out, McCoy maybe right behind them.  Unfortunately running backs are viewed as a short-term investment, which causes teams to not pay them due to the physical pounding – see Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (7-yr, $100M w/ $36M in gurantees) returning from an ACL injury.  We all know the Eagles are not obligated to do anything, however something needs to be done to get the 24-year old in the neighborhood of at least Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (five-year, $43.5 million contract, including $20.75 million guaranteeds).  The good news is that the Eagles earlier this off-season gave new deals to veterans WR DeSean Jackson (Rosenhaus client too), OG Evan Mathis, OT Todd Herramins, and DE Trent Cole

3) Will Demetress Bell be able to replace Jason Peters at Left Tackle? – When the news spread earlier this off-season that All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters, arguably the Eagles best player, would be lost for the entire season due to a rupture of his right Achilles tendon, there were immediate questions about this huge blow to the Birds’ O-line – allowed 32 sacks in 2011.   The Eagles think they have addressed the former hole left by Peters’ injury with former Bills free agent tackle Demetress Bell.  The spotlight through mini-camps and OTA’s will surely be on the former 7th round pick from NW Lousiana State (2008).  Bell, a former 30-game starter in three NFL seasons, will need to come in and help an O-line that they pushed RB LeSean McCoy well over 1,200 rushing yards and allowed QB Micheal Vick to finish the season after some earlier injury setbacks.  Some good news for the young tackle is that he will be able to lean on veteran O-line coach Howard Mudd and four of the team’s five starters from the end of the 2011 season (RT Todd Herramins, RG Evan Mathis, C Jason Kelce, and LG Danny Watkins).  Others to watch on the O-line are veteran back-up King Dunlap and rookie Dennis Kelly (5th rounder from Purdue)

4) Will there be first signs of the Eagles new defense coming together? — Everyone knows from their 2011 season that the Birds defense was their number one priority this off-season.  Yes, rookie Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo’s defense led the NFL with 50 sacks. But often they were pushed around at the end of games by teams running the ball, which led to them losing five 4th quarter leads in their first 12 games of 2011.  Not even a late season “Fool’s Gold” push – won 4 straight to end the season – could stop the Eagles brass from addressing a defense that finished ranked 24th in passing touchdowns allowed with 27.  The first piece brought in by the team was former Dolphins interim head coach Todd Boles – veteran Bill Parcells disciple – to help mentor Castillo and serve as defensive backs coach.  Then during the start of free agency, the Eagles made the shrewd trade of picks (3rd and 4th rounders) for former Pro Bowl MLB DeMeco Ryans.  Next came a defensive-heavy draft class led by first-rounder DT Fletcher Cox (Miss. St) and LB Mychal Kendricks.  It will be interesting to see if a full off-season will allow Castillo and his unit to have more of an impact than in 2011 and it starts in OTA’s.
 
5) How will the free agents signed and rookies fit in? — We all know that an NFL lockerroom is a tight knit area, so any new “outsiders”, especially rookies, will have an adjustment period. By our last count there were at least 30 new faces on the Eagles’ roster including 9 recent draft picks.  With most of the rookies being selected to compete there should be some interesting training camp battles brewing (see below).  I will also be interested in seeing what abilities free agent pick-ups bring to the table as all of them are considered quality veterans who are coming from winning organizations.

Position Battles to Keep an Eye on

Defensive Tackle – 1st rounder Fletcher Cox vs. Mike Patterson

Nickel Corner – Joselio Hanson vs. rookie Brandon Boykin and Curtis Marsh

Receiver – Jason Avant vs. rookie Marvin McNutt, Riley Cooper, and UDFA Darnell Williams

Strongside LB – 2nd rounder Mychal “Angry Bird” Kendricks vs. Akeem Jordan and Moises Fokou

Back-up QB – Mike Kafka vs. Trent Edwards and rookie Nick Foles

Back-up RB – Dion Lewis vs. rookies Bryce Brown and UDFA Chris Polk

Also watch for the competition at the Eagles two safety positions as the team has struggled to replace veteran Brian Dawkins for over 3 years.  Veterans Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman, Jaiqwan Jarrett, Tom Nelson, and Colt McCoy (ACL) along with highly-regarded undrafted rookie free agent Phillip Thomas (Syracuse) will be in the mix for probably 4 to 5 roster spots.

Lloyd Vance is the Editor  for Taking It to the House , who is also an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).  Lloyd can be reached on Twitter @lloydvance

As the rumors have circulated that former NFL superstar and possible Hall of Famer Terrell Owens needs a fat pro football check because he is having difficulty paying his child support payments – reportedly to be 50K a month…Most people thought the NFL’s Ultimate Bad Boy couldn’t sink any lower.  That was until Owens decided to go on the Dr. Phil Show on Tuesday May 8^th to not only explain his side to three of his children’s Mothers, but also to surely keep his name in the public’s eye as he looks for a sixth NFL team to take a chance on him.

On the episode, T.O admitted that he is not very involved with his four children — two sons and two daughters by four women, all out of wedlock – on a regular basis due to his schedule.  On the show, Dr. Phil speculated that Owens had lost between $80 million and $100 million in his career and T.O didn’t deny it.  Unfortunately Owens (38) current state as a going-broke athlete is oh too common and sad to many.  We all thought it was bad that T.O had already sunk to the depths of the minor league arena football circuit playing for the Allen Wranglers, but he took it a step further “poring” his heart out to Dr. Phil on national television, which just screams “Someone Please Save Me”.

After 15 years in the NFL and being a former VH1 reality star, you would have hoped that Owens – career numbers of 1,078 catches for 15,934 receiving yards (2^nd in NFL history), and 153 TDs (also 2^nd in league history) — would be in a better stage of his life. But clearly he needs pro football for monetary and deeper reasons.  With NFL teams having 90-player rosters to fill-up for the start of training camp and fellow veteran malcontent older receiver Randy Moss finding a job with the Niners, there seemed to be glimmer of hope for Owens.

However as crazy as it sounds, most league personnel men would much rather sign an unproven undrafted small school receiver, like the Browns Jermaine Saffold (Missouri State), rather than T.O.  One of the big reasons is at this stage in his career, Owens cannot play special teams.  But more importantly it is his unfortunate legacy of bringing a powder keg into a lockerroom that could blow-up at any time (see San Francisco,Philadelphia, and Dallas).  One personnel evaluator that I once talked to about Owens said, “At this stage in his career, he just isn’t worth the headaches that he brings with him”.

We will see if a major injury will open the door for Owens to return to the NFL, but after a 2011 season where he couldn’t find any takers, it seems very remote.  To his credit, T.O seems fully recovered from his 2010 ACL injury and is playing pretty well right now in arena football as a part time player (27 receptions for 357 yards and 10 TDs in 6 games).  But the National Football League doesn’t tend to put much credence in IFL defenses — and everyone already knows how they feel about reality televsion too.  So right now Owens seems a longer shot than when he left Tennessee-Chattanooga way back in 1996 as 3^rd round selection of the Niners.

For what it worth, I still believe that T.O has the skills to be in the NFL – heck even former Cleveland Browns high-draft pick flameout Brian Robiskie is with the Jags.  But it is not me that the Owens has to convince that he is still a productive player.

Oh well… I think I remember T.O taking acting lessons on one of the old episodes of his former reality show The T.O Show

 Lloyd Vance is the Editor  for Taking It to the House , who is also an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).  Lloyd can be reached on Twitter

It was “Christmas in April” as teams selected top players at the 2012 NFL Draft.  All-and-All this year’s draft was a huge success, which put Commissioner Roger Goodell (pictured w/ Trent Richardson) in a “Bear-Hugging” good mood

Now that the biggest “non on the field” NFL event is done for this year and 253 players know their destinations, it is time for myself and other draft-crazed individuals to recap the action and then take a well deserved rest. But before we move onto a short break before OTA’s, let’s take a look back at what transpired at the 2012 NFL Draft.

The NFL’s 77th edition of their ‘Player Selection Meeting” definitely had a ton of buzz, hype, and excitement as Radio City Music Hall was electric when the 3-Day event kicked off at 7:30 PM on Thursday. The National Football League continued with their highly successful 3-day format (Round 1 on April 26, Rounds 2-3 on April 27, and Rounds 4-7 on April 28) that they started back in 2010.

The event’s Prime-Time start plus the loss of the long shadow from last year’s lockout (caused draft to be less dramatic), definitely invigorated teams to move swifter while also looking for trades. The first round took a little over 3 hours despite there being an amazing 16 trades including ten on Thursday night. The opening round on Thursday also drew ratings that were higher than last year plus beat out the NBA and NHL playoffs head-to-head.

Overall it was a great event for the NFL, teams, players, families, and most of all the fans. You had to love the event from beginning to end including former star players, like Detroit Lions HOF RB Barry Sanders announcing picks. Even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell bear-hugging several appreciative first rounders didn’t spoil the party for all — you know Pete Rozelle wouldn’t have been doing that.

Other tidbits from this year’s draft included:

Big Conferences Reigning Supreme – NFL teams are now looking for successful players from big conferences in the draft, because they are being taught pro techniques at these colleges and universities. Almost 71% of the players (180) selected were from the 6 BCS “Power” Conferences. The SEC had the most players drafted overall with 42, followed by the Big Ten (41), ACC (31), PAC 12 (29), Big 12 (25), Big East (12), Western Athletic (8), Mid-American (7), and Conference USA (4).

NFL needs some bigger caps — With almost every young draftee forgoing the “high and tight” haircut look for predator braids, it was laughable watching big hair players trying to pull on their respective team’s tiny hats when they were selected.  Maybe next year, the NFL can handout skully’s to their draftees.  The craziest had to be the ”Whole-Do” braid look of Memphis DT Dontari Poe, who was selected by KC in the first round….check-it-out here

Stay in School – The NFL more than ever is making a concerted effort to draft seniors and it shows. Despite an NFL-record 65 underclassmen players being declared eligible for the draft, there were only 44 selected compared to 209 seniors. Some say older players need less coaching, but yet 18 underclassmen went in the first round including third overall pick Alabama RB Trent Richardson.

Lots of Trades – Did the NFL Lockout have that much affect on trading at the 2011 draft…. I guess so. There was an amazing amount of trades associated with the 2012 NFL Draft. The final tally that I counted was an NFL-recor 100. League personnel men were burning up the lines and you have to say most of it can be attributed to NO Lockout, the 3-day format, and more time between rounds 1 and 2.

Alabama definitely was the best team in college football in 2011 – For the entire 2011 college football season, analysts talked of the enormous amount of talent on the Alabama Crimson Tide’s squad and they were right! The 2011 BCS National Champions had an NFL Draft-leading 8 players selected including first rounders: RB Trent Richardson (No. 4 by Browns), S Mark Barron (No. 7 by Bucs), CB Dre Kirkpatrick (No. 17 by Bengals), and LB Dont’a Hightower (No. 25 by Patriots). Surprisingly smaller D-1AA schools Delaware and Maine each had one player selected which tied “Name Brand” teams Boston College, Kansas State, Missouri, Georgia Tech, Auburn and Iowa State.

Rueben Randle probably wished that he had stayed home — LSU receiver Rueben Randle was the last player from the invited draft-eligible players to leave the Green Room at Radio City. However even in the disappointment of waiting two days, Randle (selected in the 2nd round at No. 63 by the NY Giants) got a rousing ovation from the New York faithful and seemed very appreciative of finally joining the National Football League.

Draft Report Card

I don’t like to give “Letter Grades”, because as I always like to say, “It takes 2 to 3 years to evaluate a draft”. That being said, some teams definitely did seem to strengthen their teams in the 2012 NFL Draft. The teams that did well seemed to follow a blueprint that I believe has worked in the past for teams like recent Super Champs the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, and the New York Giants:

• Go for Larger School Players (BCS Level Players) in the 1st three rounds.
• Judge the total player (Interview, Practice Habits, All Star Game, Combine, Pro Day, “Character”, and most importantly Game Film).
• “Football Players” in the 4th round and higher. Players that may not have all the measurables, but who can provide quality depth by helping on special teams or playing multiple positions.
• Always consider your team’s needs with picks (Use the draft to replenish and build to establish the cornerstone of your team).

Remember no “blueprint” is bulletproof, so regardless of how much homework is done before the draft, most talent evaluator’s will have just as many Charles Rogers, Freddie Mitchell, Mike Mamula, Akilli Smith, and Tim Couch (All High 1st Round Busts) type picks on their resume as Tom Brady, Terrell Davis, and Seth Joyner (All late round finds) type picks. The draft process is a roll of the dice, but the aforementioned group always seems to do just a little bit better than others.

WINNERS

New England Patriots – Say what you want about Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, but the man knows how to build a consistent winner. The Super Bowl runner-up Patriots were very serious about fixing a leaky defense that allowed an incredible 342 points and 6577 yards (ranked 31st) in 2012. In total, the Patriots used 6 of their 7 picks to select defensive players including instant starters Syracuse DE Chandler Jones and Alabama LB Donta Hightower in the first round. I also really like that New England took a flier on Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard in the 7th round even though the young man has some growing-up to do. In the past, Belichick has made former “Bad Boys” Corey Dillon and Randy Moss into key contributors so why not Dennard too.

Pittsburgh Steelers – After Steelers’ quarterbacks were sacked an incredible 42 times with many of the hits battering and bruising starter Ben Rowthlisberger, their front office knew something had to be done to fix their leaky offensive line. With their first two selections, OG David DeCastro (Stanford, No. 24 overall) and OT Mike Adams (Ohio State, No. 56), the Steelers got Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey some much-needed help. Later, head coach Mike Tomlin and GM Kevin Colbert found a replacement for aging NT Casey Hampton by selecting huge University of Washington DT Alameda Ta’amu.

Philadelphia Eagles – With everyone in Philly putting soon-to-be 14-year head coach Andy Reid on the proverbial hot seat, the Eagles went out and had a very good draft by all accounts. After trading down in the first round from No. 15 to No. 12 (thanks to Seattle), Reid and GM Howie Roseman grabbed SEC stalwart defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who is a much-needed piece to a defense that struggled in 2011 up the middle. The Mississippi State standout will immediately help in stuffing the run and also help up veteran partner Cullen Jenkins in the passing game. After Cox, the Eagles brass did a nice job by filling holes by selecting Cal LB Mychal Kendricks in the 2nd round, Marshall high-motor pass-rusher Vinny Curry (2nd rd) and Georgia CB Brandon Boykin in the 4th round.

St. Louis Rams – Used all their picks that they got from trading the third overall pick to the Cleveland Browns very wisely. In total, the Rams –under new head coach Jeff Fisher – grabbed 10 players including expected Day-1 contributors: LSU DT Michael Bockers (1st Rd), Appalachian State WR Brian Quick (2nd Rd), North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins (2nd Rd) and Montana CB Trumaine Johnson (3rd Rd).

Baltimore Ravens – I am not going to lie to you, after the Ravens traded out of the first round… I thought they were crazy. But Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome had something up his sleeve as he added potential impact players in the second round with the selection of Alabama LB Courtney Upshaw and Iowa State tough OG Kelechi Osemele. Newsome also later bragged tough Temple University RB Bernard Pierce, who should be a great coomplimentary runner to Ray Rice.

Others I thought did a nice job Thursday – Saturday were the Packers, Giants, Cowboys, and Bucs

HEAD SCRATCHERS, BUT I WOULDN’T CALL THEM “LOSERS”

San Francisco 49ers – C’Mon Jim Harbaugh with Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, and other receivers already in the fold couldn’t you have selected a different position in the first round – took Illinois WR A. J Jenkins with pick No. 30. I still believe the Niners could use more safety and O-line help.

Seattle Seahawks – What were they thinking taking West Virginia part-time player DE Bruce Irvin in the first round at 15th overall. The former Mountaineer is only interested in pass-rushing and Pete Carroll needed help in a variety of other places (OL, LB). However I do want to give Carroll some props for selecting Wisconsin “winner” QB Russell Wilson in the 3rd round. But now where does Wilson fit-in with Matt Flynn already there.

Cleveland Browns — Though I thought GM Tom Heckert did a good job overall including taking RB Trent Richardson in the Top 5, the former Eagles GM had the biggest “reach” of the first round of the draft.  Cleveland decided that “overaged” Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden (age 28) was a first-rounder by taking him with the No. 22 overall selection even though most experts had him as 3rd rounder at best.  Now the quarterback competition will begin with Weeden and former starters Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace.  Hopefully for HC Pat Shurmur’s sake, Weeden will be a better prospect than former old-man rookie QB Chris Weinke

Chicago Bears – First rounder Boise State DE Shane McClellin looks too small for a 4-3 defensive end and H-Back to be Alshon Jeffrey looks too big to be a receiver.

The 8th Round Begins for Some Players

Every year thousands of players are left heartbroken as “Mr. Irrelevant” — 2012′s version was Northern Illinois QB Chandler Harnish who was picked 253rd by the Indianapolis Colts — is selected thus ending their dreams of being selected in the NFL Draft. Sure being drafted is an honor, but there have been many outstanding undrafted players including: Broncos great receiver Rod Smith, former Eagles tough strong safety the late Andre Waters, Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, and Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. The two great things for undrafted players are that there are now 90 training camp spots for teams  and their ability to chooose their destination based on their chance of making a roster.

Some 2012 undrafted players to keep an eye on in training camp are:

Washington RB Chris Polk (Eagles)
Virginia CB Chase Minnifield (Redskins)
Alabama C William Vlachos (Titans)
Harvard OT Kevin Murphy (Niners)
LSU QB Jarrett Lee (Chargers)
Maryland RB Davin Meggett (Texans)
Penn State DE Eric Latimore (Vikings)
Syracuse S Phillip Thomas (Eagles)
Prairie View A&M OLB Adrian Hamilton (Cowboys)

Lloyd’s Leftovers:

Umenyiora and others stay put – Even though disgruntled former Eagles CB Asante Samuel was traded to the Atlanta Falcons – for a hard-to-believe 7th rounder — before the 2012 NFL Draft, many other veterans never were traded. Surprisingly Browns QB Colt McCoy, Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins and Giants DE Osi Umenyiora stayed put over the draft’s 3 days. Now McCoy, Jenkins — former first-rounder in 2008 — and former Pro Bowler Umenyiora will now have to work overtime to get back in the good graces of their respective organizations. My feeling is that all three will not be on their respective team’s opening day roster as something will change by the end of training camp. Other veterans that were rumored to be traded but were not included: Bears RB Matt Forte, Colts DE Dwight Freeney, Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart, Patriots back-up QB Ryan Mallett, and NY Jets LB Bart Scott.

NFL really is Global Now — A record five players not from the United States were drafted in 2012. Canada (Tyrone Crawford by Dallas and Philip Blake by Denver); Angola (Christo Bilukidi by Raiders); England (Jack Crawford by Raiders); and Germany (Markus Kuhn by NY Giants)

Former Big 3 Schools, Not What They Used to Be – Remember when the University of Miami, Notre Dame, and Florida State ran college football in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s…. Well my “How the times have changed” as these former  powerhouses only had 14 total players drafted with only two first-rounders. Their respective breakdowns are Miami (7), Notre Dame (4), and Florida State (3). And how about “Mid-Major” Boise State getting six players drafted including two first rounders (Shea McClellin by Chicago and Doug Martin by Tampa Bay). Also what has happened to the once mighty Florida Gators who only had two players selected.

Players drafted for their “Wildcat” potential – We all know that the NFL now is starting to have less “Wildcat” snaps as the fad from 2009 has really slowed down. But pretty soon there maybe a re-awakening of the formation in New York – with running QB Tim Tebow arriving from Denver – and in other places too. There were several players selected in the 2012 NFL Draft who have the potential to run the big league’s version of the Single-Wing. Some players drafted for their “versatility” included Georgia CB Brandon Boykin (4th Rd by Eagles), South CB Stephon Gilmore (1st Rd by Bills), Iowa WR Marvin McNutt (6th Rd by Eagles), Rutgers WR Mohammed Sanu (3rd Rd by Bengals), and Florida State CB Mike Harris (6th rd by Jags)

NFL is a Quarterbacks League – For the 9th time in the last 11 years there was a quarterback taken with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. Overall there were 11 quarterbacks taken – with four in the first round (Andrew Luck at No. 1 by Colts, Robert Griffin III at No. 2 by Redskins, Ryan Tannehill at No. 8 by Dolphins, and Brandon Weeden at No. 22 by Browns). Any team needing a quarterback should contact the Seattle Seahawks, who drafted Wisconsin passer Russell Wilson in the 3rd round despite already having free agent pick-up Matt Flynn, Tarvaris Jackson, and Josh Portis already on their roster

No love for HBCU players again– Throughout NFL history, players from historically black college and universities (HBCU’s) have starred in the league (Walter Payton, Ernie Ladd, and Doug Williams to name a few). But amazingly this year there was only one HBCU standout that was drafted: South Carolina State S Christian Thompson (Ravens – 4th Round). I guess now Jackson State QB Casey Therriault, Winston-Salem State OL Darrell Billiot, Grambling State LB Cliff Exama, South Carolina State DB Dominique Ellis and others will have to go the undrafted free agent route or to the CFL or the Arena Football League to play in the big leagues.

A Brief Look at the ’13 Draft – It is never too early for some player research for the 2013 NFL Draft including: USC QB Matt Barkley, USC WR Robert Woods, Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson, Texas A&M OT Luke Joeckel, North Carolina State CB David Amerson and many others. But we have 11+ months to bring you information and draft news about these guys.

That is it for 2012 NFL Draft and may all the league’s 32 teams be enriched going into next season. So let the many OTA and training camp battles begin as teams try to mold their 53-man regular season rosters from the current 90 players entering the fracas for each franchise.

Lloyd Vance is the Editor for Taking It to the House, who is also an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). He can be found on Twitter at @lloydvance_nfl

One of the bigger stories from the 2012 NFL Draft that Lloyd discussed with host Mark Gray on 106.7 The Fan was the Washington Redskins head-scratching move of drafting Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins after already taking quarterback of the future RGIII in the first-round 

After three long days, the 2012 NFL Draft is finally over and 253 players now know their destinations.  Taking It to the House Editor Lloyd Vance dropped by 106.7 The Fan in Washington DC with host Mark Gray on Sunday Night to recap all the news, notes, winners, current NFC East rankings and more.

 Checkout the audio below:

Lloyd Vance talks 2012 NFL Draft on 106.7 The Fan with Mark Gray
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Taking It to the House Editor Lloyd Vance and Lead Eagles Beat Writer Matt Lombardo breakdown the Birds’ first round selection Fletcher Cox.  The former Mississippi State star defensive lineman is being counted on to help veteran Cullen Jenkins anchor the middle of Jim Washburn’s defensive line

We all know that it takes 2 to 3 years to evaluate a draft pick, but Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid could not have been anymore complimentary about 2012 first round selection Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox

One of Reid’s bigger quotes about his stout new run-stuffer from Yazoo, Mississippi was, “I think what you’re looking at is a young kid who is talented”.  The glowing head coach added, “(Cox) is a smart kid, and his athletic ability jumped out at you”

It was the best of both worlds for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2012 NFL Draft as they filled a “need” and got a stout defensive tackle in Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox in the first round

The Eagles definitely have their sometimes “unhappy” fanbase buzzing as they traded up for the 5th time in 6 years to select Mississippi State stout defensive tackle with the 12th overall pick.  All it took for the Birds to get in the right spot to select their man was their own first (15), a 4th rounder, and a 6th rounder to the Seattle Seahawks.

Cox , who will give the Eagles immediate run-stuffing relief, is a quick strong two-way defensive tackle.  He along with veteran Cullen Jenkins will help clog-up the middle of an Eagles defense that allowed an average of  gave up an average of 112.5 rushing yards per game.  Coming out of the tough SEC, the junior-eligible had 51 tackles and 5 sacks in 2011 and then backed it up at the NFL Combine where he did an event high 44 reps on the 225-pound benchpress.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid praised Cox’s intelligence and lower body strength while adding “He plays a lot bigger than his 295-pound size with great athleticism”. Philadelphia D-line coach Jim Washburn, who is being credited with touting Cox (21) said of his new prodigy, “I felt right at ease with him and I impressed right away with him on and off the field”.

Overall a solid player who can help Juan Castille’s defense that allowed way too many rushing yards in 2011 –

Everyone here in Philadelphia are more concerned with what the Birds will do with the 15th selecction.  There is much speculation that the Birds will move up in hopes of selecting an impact player for their defense, like Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox, but you never know what head coach Andy Reid and GM Howie Roseman could be thinking…… could there be a surprise coming like say Texas A&M QB Ryan Tanneyhill, we will see.

Stay with www.takingit2thehouse.com and our Twitter Accounts:  @lloydvance_nfl and @MattLombardoPHL for all your Eagles draft coverage.

Brian Dawkins announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday and will return to the Novacare Complex to retire as an Eagle on April 28th, and his number will be retired during the team’s 4th home game this season.

Perhaps no player in the history of the franchise so embodied the Philadelphia Eagles than Brian Dawkins. After spending 13 of his 16 NFL seasons in Philadelphia, on Monday Dawkins announced his retirement.

“The Lord has blessed me to play in the NFL for 16 years.” Dawkins said via his Twitter account. “I would like to thank the Eagles and the Broncos for believing in me. I would like to thank all my teammates and coaches that I have been blessed to go to battle with. Along with you, the fans for helping make my career one that I have enjoyed tremendously. in other words, I am announcing my retirement from the NFL.”

On the field, Dawkins was the unquestioned leader of some of the most dominant defenses in franchise history. Over his career in Philadelphia and Denver the man known by fans and teammates for his on field persona ‘Weapon X’ amassed 37 interceptions, 26 sacks, forced 37 fumbles, and made eight trips to the Pro Bowl.

It’s no doubt then that Dawkins will return to Philadelphia to officially retire as an Eagle this Saturday at the Novacare Complex. No Eagle has worn the number 20 since Dawkins’ departure via free agency following the 2008 season and the team plans on honoring him and retiring his number during a nationally televised game on September 30 against the Giants at Lincoln Financial Field.

“Brian Dawkins is one of my all-time favorite players and one of the best to ever put on an Eagles uniform. On the field, in many ways, Brian re-invented the safety position,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. “His love for the game was infectious and he poured his entire heart and soul into everything he was doing from the moment he entered the stadium until he left. Everyone who ever watched Brian play saw that and it was impossible not to love that about him. He was one of the best leaders to ever play here. “

Dawkins was drafted by Philadelphia in the second round out of Clemson 1996. There is no question that Dawkins reinvented the safety position under late defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. Now only was Dawkins one of the most feared players in the defensive backfield across the league, Johnson used his speed and strength as a weapon in the run game and in his blitzkrieg style pass rush.

All told, during his time in Midnight Green, Dawkins finished as the Eagles career leader in both games (183) and interceptions (34). It’s no wonder that Dawkins was a five time All Pro selection, after averaging close to 100 tackles per season during his tenure in the City of Brotherly Love. In a 2002 game against the Houston Texans at Veterans Stadium, Dawkins became the first and only player in NFL history to record a sack, intercept a pass, recover a fumble and catch a touchdown pass in the same game.

In 2008, Dawkins made history again, becomming just the ninth member of the 20/20 club- 20 sacks and 20 interceptions in his NFL career, en route to his fourth trip to the NFC Championship game.

Certainly a Hall of Fame worthy resume that will be reviewed for the next five or so years.

“He was one of the most dedicated and hardest working players I have ever coached.” Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid said. “Whether it was on the practice field, the film room or the weight room, Brian always put in the extra hours it took to become the star player that he was. And he transferred all of that and more onto the field on Sundays. He poured everything he could into doing whatever was best for his teammates and this organization. He was the unquestioned leader of our defense. He will go down as one of the greatest Eagles of all-time and I have no doubt we’ll be celebrating his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

A consumate leader in the locker room, Dawkins was as beloved by the fans as he was by his teammates. In 2007, Dawkins was voted to the team’s 75th anniversary team.

Now with his NFL career behind him, Dawkins plans on continuing to reside in Denver where he will coach his son’s high school football team.

Matt Lombardo is the Lead Writer for Taking It To The House. Matt is also a Producer for 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Follow Matt on Twitter @MattLombardoPHL or Email him at MDLombardo@yahoo.com