Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was on the 610-WIP radio yesterday, talking about the draft and the newly constructed Eagles football team.
In response to questions about what he thought of their offensive line, he said he expected the Eagles offensive line to improve because new starting quarterback Kevin Kolb was going to get rid of the ball sooner than “the last guy to play the position did” (referring to former quarterback Donovan McNabb), and this would help the offensive line because they woudn’t have to hold their blocks as long.
He may be correct in that assessment, but I wonder if he’s not making things tougher for the young quarterback by setting the expectations so high for Kolb.
Rather than raise the expectations for Kevin so high, wouldn’t it be wise to just let the fans see that Kolb is getting rid of the ball sooner and making things easier for the offensive line¬† rather than put everything on Kevin’s back.
It’s not wise to treat playing the quarterback position as if it’s a piece of cake because it’s a tough job and there are a lot of pitfalls.
Yes I think Kolb will be able to get rid of the ball quicker than McNabb.¬† He’ll try to anticipate where receivers are going to be and get rid of the ball sooner.
McNabb held onto the ball longer and made sure the receiver was open or just about to come open before he threw the football.
It frustrated some observers at times, including msyelf, but it also helped McNabb have the best touchdown/interception ratio in the history of the game.
Staying away from interceptions is one of the reasons the Eagles won so many games under McNabb’s leadership and it’s also the reason they had so much success in the playoffs.
Kolb can get rid of the ball early, but how many of those passes are going wind up in the arms of the defense.  If you let go of the ball early, it means taking more of a risk.
Think about how many interceptions some of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game have thrown.
This will probably be the biggest challenge that Kolb has to deal with.¬† It’s very simple.¬† You can take your team up and down the field.¬† You can pile up yardage but if you throw too many interceptions in this league you lose.
If I were the Birds I would chill out with raising the expectations so high for Kevin Kolb.
G … come on now … at least quote Roseman accurately … what he said was more to the effect of, “Kevin gets rid of the ball a little quicker. And that’s no knock on the last guy we had here at the position.”
That’s quite a bit different, in tone at least, than what you have him saying.
G,
You can’t expect the FO or Coaches to come out publicly after making the decision and trade to go with a new starting QB that the team is taking a step back, that it’s a work in progress…
Who would say this.. and even if it were true, how would the fans and local media react.
You raise the bar and set high expectations every year and hope that the players,coaches,schemes that everyone works all offf-season,OTA’s & Summer Camp, and Pre-season will work and be the
right way forward in competing for a SUper Bowl… (To say otherwise is self-defeating and would not go over well for a Franchise that’s made the playoffs 8 out of the last 11 years..
Lowering expectaions for a team like the Rams,Raiders,BIlls is one of the reasons why they remain doormats every year….
“This will probably be the biggest challenge that Kolb has to deal with. It‚Äôs very simple. You can take your team up and down the field. You can pile up yardage but if you throw too many interceptions in this league you lose.”
Someone ask Donny what his TD/INT ratio got him last year.
G, the front office can’t admit that we have to expect the team to take a step back even if they are expecting it. It is a business and they will always have to make the product look good so we can’t put any stock into what they say about not rebuilding or whatever. They are saying what they have to say. I wouldn’t expect them to say anything different. It will be interesting though to see the reaction of people that don’t think the team will struggle or take a slight step back of they do struggle. Now some people are saying, the “Eagles are fine”, “They will win 10 or 11 games” and all that stuff. But if they do struggle and finish with less than 9 wins, those same people will say “It’s a young team, give them some time”. You can’t set the bar high and then give them a pass at the same time. So we will see what happens. I’m not worried about the offense. I think Kolb will be decent at worst for this year and that’s ok given the weapons around him. It’s the defense I’m worried about.
It’s about sustaing drives,getting all your weapons involved and help keep the “smallish defense” off the field and fresh for end of game/end of season… McNAbb has never been able to consistently do this..
He’s a big play maker QB who strikes fast where the Eagle Offense will be more methodical now with shorter routes,screens,rushes and more time-consuming drives which is a good thing I think…
But with the weapons like D-Jax/Maclin and maybe Ingram at his disposal, even some short-routes
will turn into big plays due to these “Young Guns” ability to run in the open field…
It is going to be a long summer if we’re reading blogs on one liners from Howie Roseman.
And besides, I think everyone on this website pretty much agrees about our expectations, 8-8 or 9-7. That’s not going to change based on what Roseman says on the 610.
It could be worse Eaglez,
You could be reading about Trade Alerts from me or reading thru another Mock Draft from G-Man.. ha ha.
I agree Paulman. This is also why I hope Maclin takes another step forward because I don’t Desean running a bunch of short routes all games because he’ll more likely be hit and tackled by LBs and no one wants that.
I’m so tired of the “he gets the ball out quicker” spiel. That’s all we hear about Kolb…get’s the ball out quick…great. So does this mean the OL are gonna have a 4 second clock in their heads so they know when to stop blocking? You think the 7-step drop is going to be a thing of the past in our offensive scheme? I’m a Kolb-supporter but getting the ball out quick isn’t all he can do. Juan Castillio has a job to do with this OL and they better put in the work run and pass blocking. Granted Kolb will not be running aound for 14 seconds every other play but these OLineman play to the whistle each and every snap.
@Scorp, I agree. I see Maclin and Avant (even Chad Hall, sorry but I see a bit of W. Welker in him) taking the slant routs. I bet DJax would be great on a SLUGO route with a pump fake by 4, but he’s too small for lots of dirty work.
kolb stinks go skins
well…well…well….looks like everyones favorite retard is back.
phillywill stinks go away
It’s always interesting to me how some people rate QBs “Better than McNabb” like McNabb doesn’t hold ALL of the Eagles QB records in the ENTIRE 60 HISTORY OF THE FRANCHISE. Roseman compares Kolb to McNabb as if McNabb was Jim McMahon, Bubby Brister, Rodney Peete or even Jeff Garcia…those guys had decent seasons with the Eagles, but none of them transformed the organization, none of them even remotely got anywhere close to the records of McNabb, Van Brocklin, Jaworski or Cunningham. It’s like trying to compare Jrue Holliday to AI in basketball.
Yeah Butch I agree. I just think that right now, there is really no reference point beyond McNabb to compare Kolb with. That’s one of the hardest thing for a young QB to do, follow right behind a franchise, potential HOF QB. He will be under the microscope a little more because of this. For instance, when Steve Young retired, the next couple QBs were compared to him, but no one is comparing Alex Smith to him. It takes time and sometimes it takes a few guys in between to get rid of it. But at the end of the day, the only thing Kolb can do to surpass McNabb in most fans eyes is win a championship. It will take him a decade to amass comparable stats. No one will care about that if the result is still no Lombardi trophy.
On one hand I realize that Roseman has to say things like that to protect their decision to get rid of McNabb. But I agree with G he should tread lightly. Don’t draw comparisons and such. He could have easily said “Kolb gets rid of the ball very quickly”….and just kept it clean like that. Keep it clean Roseman because it could get ugly fast
And also for those that say McNabb held on to the ball I gotta disagree a little. Lets be honest here before DJax and other than T.O. who was getting open for McNabb? Someone answer that please?…. Oh I know…. Brian Westbrook.
G,
The more I think about this, the more disconcerting I become (I know, I need to get a life already)
But back on Topic, setting Great and High Expectations help people achieve things greater that they would have thought possible. Think of anyone that is new to anything and wants to make their mark,their contribtuion to whatever they do.. Think of President Obama, should he have low expectations becasue he’s young and inexperienced, think of a new Mayor, a new School Superintendenrt of a School System or a Chief of Police, Fireman or any other Vocation
Men and Woman when motivated and trained properly can achieve great things, so let’s set the bar high and have fun watching Kolb and the young team around him attempt to achieve something that no other team in Eagle History has done since the 1960 Season and that’s bring a championship to
Philadelphia… I know it’s only a game and for fun, but in competition,you really have to go with what old CB/Coach Herman Edwards stated rather emphatically a few years ago
“You play to win the games…”
The truth is, is that we couldn’t run the true west coast with 5..every game our receivers had to bring shovels and nets to catch his balls..here is what I said all along….mcnabb is a thrower not a passer..for what he lacked liked touch and short accuracy he tried to make up with strength..he cant throw to guys on the run effectively and accurately …notice how often that was..bottom line is, u don’t have to do much but throw it accurate and precise..here’s proof that our O isn’t that complicated..Garcia came in and went 5-1…FeeleyMcna came In and went 5-1..Kiln comes in and shreds the mediocre pass D’s like all good qbs do..and how long it. took for mcnabb to get hot..he was always a slow starter..sure he’s guna have picks..he has to learn..and chances are wer not guna win the Superbowl this year..but weirder things have happened..I don’t believe 5 is a HOF..unless he wins a SB..all the mcnabb lovers all do is flash he td- into ratio…yea but look at his playoff ratios..24 TD passes..15 INTS..13 FUMBLES…So he is a different player in the playoffs..he chokes..so I’m glad he is gone..when he flourished In his early years we had one of the best defense in the league..for about 5 years the eagles ranked 2nd in the league with points allowed. So all we had to do is kick 4 field goals and we wer in the game..point is. Mcnabb will struggle in Wash..less talent and much harder competition. I’m sure his rookie tackle is guna struggle as well against ware. .Cole..Osi.
IMO there are both positives and negatives to holding the ball longer and it all depends on the system which one is more positive and more negative. McNabb holding the ball longer led to less INTs, more sacks but also bigger plays down the field. Getting rid of the ball quicker could lead to more INTs since it’s all about anticipation, less sacks and less big plays down the field but longer and more consistent drives. So I think you have to pick your poison and a lot of people just wanted to see something different. It will be interesting to see if the system is changed. Because as much as people would say that McNabb didn’t fit the system, Andy let him run it for 11 years and we became more of a downfield striking team. Do we go back to dink and dunk now? I can’t see how with the weapons we have. The key will be the running game because that will keep the defenses off balanced. Whether you throw short or long passes. You cannot dink and dunk down the field all game without a running game. I don’t care if we gain only 4 yards a play. That’s ok with me because it means first down. Run the ball Andy!
Silencer, I agree with you in some ways but you’re using Garcia who was already a proven pro bowler who ran the same system in San Fran. AJ is a pretty decent backup. No argument there. But what about the fact, that Vick can’t run the system and remember Mike McMahon? The system isn’t as simple as you would want to think. Some QBs can flourish in it and some can’t. Having said that, I do agree McNabb wasn’t best suited for this type of system but I blame that on the coaching. They never wanted to run the ball and dropped McNabb back 35-40 times a game when you know he’s not the most accurate passer. Last thing, check Peyton Manning’s numbers in the playoffs. And remember that when the Colts won the Super Bowl the RBs ran for over 200 yards against the bears and the defense was stout in the playoffs while Manning put up mediocre numbers. But I digress.
All I have to say is that there were a-lot of people on this site 3 years ago after the draft that were all concerned about Desean being too small to play in the NFL. There were people who thought he would bust out after he got hit 1x in Preseason. Guess what- ProBowl at 2 positions (first player ever). So as much as I do share some concerns I am willing to trust that this team will surprise everyone this year.
Again- How sweet a story would winning the SB and accepting the trophy on the star at the new Dallas Palace this year be???
Kolb- A medieval weapon for crushing Armor!!!
I don’t think this means too much but I was looking up some Kolb stats. In 2006, the year before he was drafted, he threw 30 TD’s to only 4 INT’s. I know it was only college but that shows me that he’s not a INT prone as all may think.
let’s be objective here for a second. for kolb to work well in the offense the birds need to be committed to the run game. then, the holes in the o line may not be such a major issue. the problem is andy wants to throw it 50 times a game. thus, two things will happen. a lot of max protection with two man routes which will make the birds easy to defend. or kolb does not make it through the season.
They do not need to be any more committed to the run game than they have ever been. They are going to throw short passes, slants, screens, wheel routes into the flat and some strikes occasionally down the field. Kevin Kolb is not Drew Brees, I am not suggesting that he is, but that Saints style is what we are going to see. Will it work? Beats me, I hope so.
Wellwellwell kolb NFL career 4 tds 7ints show me kolb is interception prone. That includes two 3 interceptions games. As well as some pick 6’s. So according to his history in the NFL he is more likely to give the other team the ball and points than to score a td for the eagles. That has to change if the eagles are gonna be good.
Anybody remember Big Red at the podium, starting out with “Don had completions to 9 different recievers today…” Hang on to your hat, change the qb’s name, and you are going to hear the same thing this year. Jackson, Maclin, Celek, Ingram, McCoy, Weaver, and Avant are only 7 recievers. We need some of the rookies to stick so they can get the numbers up.
Kolb is going to be an outstanding pro QB – no worries there. And it does make a difference how fast you get the ball out in multiple ways – how fast the rcvr looks for the ball, the angle and position the OL sets his block, ways to keep the DL hands down, do you need to have doubles or chips or keep a TE to block, how fast he goes thru reads (or if he doesn’t, he just throws it away). QBs with quick releases tend to be excellent at pump fakes and double moves cause the DBs look for the ball right away. Its not good or better just different – like everything pros and cons. Kolb also moves well in the pocket and throws well on designed rollouts, very effective against middle blitzes.
I hav no problem with the Eagles building up Kolb, he’s a 2nd rd pick, had a few years to learn, been in games – now go have fun!
Anderson – throw Bell and… lets say Baskett eh #4 for your 9rcvrs!
The big kid from Florida may be a keeper as well.
Brothers…get ready for the post game interviews with the reoccurring lines “I HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB”, ” “IT’S ON ME NOT HAVING THE GUYS READY, “I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY”, “I CAN ANSWER THAT ONCE I LOOK A THE TAPE”, “KOLB IS STILL MY STARTING QUARTERBACK”, “I’M NOT GOING THERE”, “SANDERS TWEAKED THE KNEE”, “WE’LL TRY TO MIX IT UP TO GET THE RIGHT GUY IN THERE”, “TIMES YOURS”.
This team will be the laughingstock of the NFL. Dallas and Redskins will be back in the lights mulling people. The more things change, the more the stay the same. What a life for an Eagles fan. We are true fans.
7 INTERCEPTIONS 4 TOUCHDOWNS in 2 games….They are annointing this guy as if he’s the next joe montana. This Eagles team are about to get what they deserve. This kid will get killed in the NFL. At least Mcnabb had guts, playing on a broken foot. It’s unfair for this kid to have so much on him replacing a hall of fame, proven quarterback, whom he will face twice a year. He will go down as the bum this organization hyped to replace a legend in his prime. If Mcnabb hoist that trophy none of us will be surprised. it almost happened with Cunningham in Minnesota, but I have a feelig this will happen for Mcnabb. A class guy who was showed the door after building this organization. This team deserves “Kevin Kolb”
To the “Song that Remains the Same”
I think Fans and the Media need to give Kolb and break and a chance to play to show what he’s capable of… No one really knows one way or the other until he get’s some games under his belt..
I think by Week 10 or so, most will know if Kolb is truly the Franchise QB of the Eagles for the next
6-8 years… Any conjecture beforehand is meaningless.. (even by my standards)
Kolb has the knowledge,work-ethic,quick release,quick feet,ledership skills and the paitience to excel in this offense. Does it mean he will.. of course not, has he had thorough training and time to learn the nuances of being an NFL QB, absolutelty. Let’s give him the time and chance to prove what he’s capable of… All he needs reps,reps,reps,reps with the #1 team which he will now get…
To “Paul”…if Kolb’s a bum after 10 weeks then what? What would that mean? You don’t even want to think about it because the reality is that a quarterback in this league have a greater chance of being a waste, or average, then becoming a franchise quarterback. You don’t want to imagine this kid not succeeding because the alternative is a decade wasted in obscurity until another franchise quarterback comes around. Paul, I hope you’re right….I hope he’s the real deal or even better than Mcnabb, but if your playing the percentages….a betting man would will put his money on a quarterback failing in this league before succeeding. That’s where Reid have pushed his chips and he better have an “ACE”.
SG2 – first off – I agree about everythig you said about McNabb – class guy – franchise QB etc… but – relax on Kolb. He will be fine. This is the guy that we expected to step in and win us games if McNabb got hurt. Ried has shown with Feeley, Detmer and Garcia that we can win games without McNabb (Yes, I discard the disaster of Mcmahaon – but that year, I don’t think anything or anyone would have helped). The team will be fine, they will qualify for the playoffs and we will be griping in a year how much we hate seeing the birds win 11 games and if we had only drafted/traded for/signed in FA player Z we would be hoisting the Lombardi – thats the part that will be the same
But a serious question – what would you LIKE to see in a post game conference after a loss – we would have won today but the D Coordinator got his lunch eaten by Sean Peyton. Drew Brees made Asante his prison girlfriend with that pump fake, and Peters looked like he ate a refrigerator and then tried to block – Celek had an easy TD bt dropped it becuase he was afraid of a love tap from the safety, and my my punter couldn’t kick a playground ball 40 yards straight. Thanks god the ball boy was on his game – looked sharp today – thanks Jeff Larie for the paycheck – sucker…
The eagles just raised the expectations by about 12.5Mil!!!