The Eagles won’t come out and say that Mike McGlynn is their starting center but Nick Cole can’t be the starting center next year when they begin the season. I can’t say that McGlynn is the guy who is going to win the job, but I don’t think Cole is going to be the guy.
The Birds said Cole would be the starter until Jamaal Jackson gets back to health but McGlynn was the guy taking most of the snaps at center during the team’s mini-camp.¬† Free agent A.Q. Shipley also took some snaps and is in the running for the starting job at center.
Cole lined up at guard as much or more than he lined up at center.¬† The Eagles value Cole for his toughness and versatility, but there was a reason he wasn’t lining up at center.
It’s not that Cole can’t do the job from a physical standpoint at the center position, but he can’t make all of the adjustments and calls needed to block blitzes in pass protection.¬† I’m not saying that Cole is dumb but he was overmatched in the Cowboys games.
The Eagles won’t come out and say it, but they’re saying it a roundabout way, by having other guys line up and take the reps at center.
When you’re around players you can tell who is cerebral and loves the mental part of the game.¬† In addition, you can tell who isn’t as cerebral and who loves the physical part of the game.
Cole is a mauler who has no problem lining up against anybody and fighting them man-to-man, but the Eagles know he’s not the guy to step in at center against a blitzing team and make all of the blocking adjustments
Jamaal Jackson’s intelligence and ability to make the proper calls in pass protection was taken for granted and it’s one of the reasons the Eagles didn’t have a chance when they played the Cowboys in the last two games of the season.
Jackson isn’t a great center from a physical standpoint, but from a mental standpoint he’s as sharp as they come.¬† People in the know say that his injury against the Broncos put the Eagles in position where they couldn’t block the Cowboys blitzes.
Watch what the Eagles do and not what they say.
Good points G,
With 13 picks in this years draft, I don’t understand why the Eagles did not select a true Center
.. There wasn’t many in this years draft, but M Tennant from BC, E Olson from Notre Dame,
The kid from Baylor, and NC State all went in the 3rd/4th/5th Rounds… I thnk it would have been wise
to draft young and start grooming that player for the future.. Even when Jamall Jackson comes back,
he probably only has 2 years or so at playing on ahigh level and who knows about his recovery from
majot surgery only 5 months ago, he may not be able to do much all 2010 Season…
Paul good point. I would have liked to see Tennant. Also I would go with one of the young guys in camp, McGlynn, Shipley, etc. But I would stay with him even after JJ gets back. Only to grow with Kolb if that’s the future. Going with 1 dude for 1/2 – 1 yr, then JJ for a couple then somebody else is not good. Stay with 1 guy, get consistency, and stay with him unless it’s a complete debacle.
KEVIN MAWAE
Act. There were recent reports about how an in depth study of every play of mawae’s season last year concluded that basically he sucks. He left a run first team and either way, its a bad move to bring in an experienced vet to play crappy football.
Looks like Cole could use some band sugery for his bucket belly.
Paulman, I agree that the team was derelict in not addressing the center position . It seems that Reid neglects at least one important position each year. Who could forget the years without quality wide receivers, punt returners, fullbacks, linebackers, and most recently, safety and center.
Reid doesn’t want to address all problems. For God’s sake he might win a super bowl and think how miserable we’ll all be if we never win anither one of if the subsequent teams don’t stay competitive. Don’t be so negative at least he doesn’t neglect any meals.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say this again concerning the center position.
1) College centers are often the least athletic of the lineman on their team. There are always a few elite ones that come out every few years but for the most part the Eagles like a more athletic and versatile player on the line and a college center can typically only play center.
2) As to the point of this article center is a very cerebral position and especially on this team. Do you actually trust that a true rookie is going to come in and grasp everything they’re going to throw at him? I don’t.
3) I believe there were very few decent interior lineman in this draft. You don’t pick for need. If that talent is not there you don’t get one just for the fun of it.
4) Look at our past centers they were undrafted players that they coached up for a few years before giving them the job. Part of the reason for this is because of the complicated nature of their blocking schemes and what they face in opposing defenses. So basically the guy you’re looking at to play center is going to already be part of the squad.
McGlynn I think will be the guy. This is only a guess because I haven’t seen him practice but he played center all last year in the pre-season and he’s been with the coaches a few years so he fits the mold that they have. I also think he’s bigger than Cole and Shippley (definitely Shipley).
I’m not sure but I think he may be the guy they drafted a year or two back who’s attitude they compared to Runyan. Correct me if I’m wrong though.
I do not want Cole at center though. That worries me. My only question is why they didn’t try plugging him in last year instead of Cole other than Cole was probably in better football shape and may have had a better understanding of what they did on the line because he had been playing. IDK
Drummer and Big E, and to gibson’s point – why does your definition of ‘addressing the center position’ exclude bringing up a guy from their ranks who they’ve been grooming to do it? If a baseball team has a minor league prospect, and a hole at their position, then they bring the guy up, did they not address the position? And as Gibson said – what makes you so sure a rookie would be better than a guy who’s been studying the system and practicing with an NFL team for a few years. Shipley included. And Gibson, you are correct about McGlynn being compared to Runyan’s motor. Drummer and Big E, PhillyWill and Song will look for any way to support their hate for Reid/the FO with no regard for thinking about the situation first.
To be clear, I completely agree that Cole played terrible center v. Dallas and that is was a main reason for the losses. I also think Sheldon wore down as the season went on, bad safety play and the lack of Stew Bradley played into it, but I agree about Cole. I just don’t agree that McGlynn and Shipley are jokes or just camp bodies. I’m sure none of you were happy when they got rid of Fraley and promoted Jamal Jackson. You’re like a bunch of teenagers who want a shiny new toy. It’s gotta be big name, new and from outside of your world for it to be ‘filling a hole’ to you.
G:
gibsonplyer made excellent points. Center is a tough position to play. Your a lieutenant out there on an island protecting the general. This while facing a different “storming the beach” play every down. I’ll admit that I have been critical of Jamaal Jackson during his tenure here. His absence definitely hurt the Eagles though. He was better than I thought. I still think that we can do better there, and, like other posters, I don’t know if it’s McGlynn. Cole didn’t impress, but I would still give him a shot. Maybe the young man needs time to be able to make the right calls there. And I always thought college tackles made good centers. Dave Alexander, Matt Darwin.
schiller, no one batted an eye when fraley was shipped out. He was being mauled in the center and was an apparent weak link on a strong team at the time, so the fans welcomed a bigger, stronger Jackson, But after he went down there was no replacement which is another F/O deficency and because of this blind spot it cost the team a playoff run. How can anyone have high expectations for a team with so many question marks? This season is toast….This is the year we see the Reid that was hiding behind Rhodes defensive picks, along with JJ’s defensive schemes, and Mcnabb’s arm and legs. These are all gone and this is Andy’s show…alone. Now we see if this guy can coach…He will need every trick in the book.
Ok Song, so your implication is that any team that isn’t 2 deep at Center has ‘holes’ and the coach has a ‘blindspot’? I agree about Fraley – wasn’t that great at all, but if you were fine with Jamal Jackson coming in, then why not McGlynn? Please tell me which team you see in the league – let’s be real here – that doesn’t have question marks or holes? Which team would you switch for the Eagles if we could just swap logos and locations and make ‘their’ team the Eagles. I’m curious.
Songs, I agree with the last parts of your point. This is the year where it’s really on Andy Reid. No more relying on good defensive players that he didn’t draft and a HOF defensive coordinator and McNabb to bail you our with underperforming skilled players. We will surely see how good of a coach he really is without those things. I do think he’s a good coach but it’s been clear that he has failed to replace the defensive players Ray Rhodes brought here. And that’s been the downfall of this team. And it’s the downfall of any other team as well. He’ll no longer have a potential HOF QB and another year with JJ. So we will see. I hope he is a good as we think he is.
schiller, I would switch logos with the vikings and saints, and even the cowboys without batting an eye. These teams were garbage in the past and built right under our noses and while they were garbage our front office refused to make a good team on the brink of greatness into a dynasty and that’s disheartening. I know this team will never get those same players in postion with a genius on the defensive side of the ball, with a quarterback of Mcnabb’s credentials. The 3 teams I mentioned have far less holes on the defensive and offensive side of the ball. They have corners, they have safeties, they have franchise quarterbacks, they have real good push up the middle on defense, they even have strong play in the center of their lines…they also have coaches that are not afraid to commit to the run game. I remember going into seasons knowing we had the best team in the nfc…now that’s something to look forward to. Remember,when T.O. was signed and the spirit of the city? We knew we were going to the Superbowl. Do you feel like that now? or do you feel more close to the season when we were hoping Hoying could make us forget Cunningham? Think about it…This cheap ass organization probably squandered the best 10 years of Eagles football by not adding key pieces at key times..thinking they were so far ahead of the other teams in the nfc they could just sit pat. Now, this is what we get for sitting pat…..The aints have become superbowl champions..Their coach have done in 3 years what ours could not do in a decade. That’s the truth
Songsrme2 should be made the GM of the Eagles or at least run for the Mayor of Philadelphia..
Anyone want to put a fundraiser together for him…
Man, a team that played a season in make shift football fields during katrina have a superbowl ring..They needed a tight end…they signed the best at that time..”shockey”…they needed a safety they signed sharper..they needed a corner they signed a former pro bowler. They was willing to pay for the positions of need and didn’t settle for another guy who fit conveniently under the cap for each position. I would have given all the extra cap space for one superbowl. You can’t have your cake and eat it to. The money was there for a reason and they should have used it. I was looking at spuds interview with macho harris and it made me sick. DAWKINS was your starting safety dumbasses!!!! How many of them come through the pipeline regularly? You should have paid the man…Macho Harris..give me a break…..I’m done.
and ” He’s (Songsrme2) is buying a Stairway to Heaven….”