If Brian Dawkins recovers from his Achilles tendon problem, it could wind up being a blessing that he missed all of training camp. Older guys don't need double days.
It's very easy to overwork older players.
That brings us back to Jeremiah Trotter who has a knee which couldn't pass a NFL medical exam. He couldn't pass a physical. I don't know what Andy Reid, Jim Johnson and their staff are trying to prove but Trotter is leaving part of his season on the practice field. What has he proven with all the work in this training camp?
First of all he's proven he will kill a running back if that back gets trapped in close quarters in between the tackles. Secondly he's proven that he has trouble changing directions and is therefore vulnerable in pass coverage, especially when left one on one. We knew those facts before camp.
If I were the coach, I would have asked Trotter to work one practice a day at the most. He labors in the second practice and starts to really look old. The guy's legs don't have a lot left in them and it doesn't make sense to have him go through every practice during these two weeks and use up the life he has left in his legs. He's already done too much. Practice is mainly for guys who are learning and trying to prove themselves. Proven veterans don't need the same amount of work especially when they have legs as beat up as Trotter.
I wonder if they're just trying to run Trot out of here by working him so much. During the off season, I was told that the Eagles were ready to move on from Trotter to Omar Gaither. With the way they're working him during this training camp, that information must be correct. Andy gave Westbrook and Kearse the day off but he hasn't told Trotter to sit down even though Trot has legs that can't pass a physical. It makes me wonder.
I don't know whether Dawkins is going to be able to come back full strength from his Achilles tendon problem but he legs will be fresh, if and when he does return. He's going to use the life in legs on games that count and not meaningless morning and afternoon workouts at Lehigh University.
