Preseason Game #1 - 8/9/12 - @Philadelphia

[Finnegans Wake]

Garrett Reid's death is really tragic for the Eagles.  Who the players gonna get their juice from now?  Facing off against the Dream Team Die-Nasty won't tell us a lot, as first preseason games are usually about shaking off rust and getting some nice hitting in, but I'll be looking forward to watching:

• How smoothly we've integrated the Haley offense.
• The play of rookie OL Mike Adams and David DeCastro, who will likely see extended first team playing time.
• Former R1 DEs Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward.  Both need to do more than flash potential.  Ziggy can now lift a bus over his head and jump out of a well, but can he anchor like Aaron Smith or bring down the QB with Superman powers?
• Backup OLB Chris Carter and Adrian Robinson.  With Woodley, Harrison, and Worilds sidelined, these guys have had the opportunity to get lots of reps.  Like Heyward, Carter didn't have the luxury of a full off-season last year, and he had nagging injuries.  But I've pointed out in the draft guides that by measurables alone, he stacks up against highly rated LBs.  Can he put it all together?  Meanwhile, Temple UDFA (and local Harrisburg kid) Robinson has always played with guts.  Can he be the next James Harrison, or even the next Andre Frazier?
• How are the young CBs Curtis Brown and Keenan Lewis and Cortez Allen devloping?
• Who's pushing the RB depth?  Money would say Jon Dwyer and maybe Baron batch, with John Clay a possible practice squadder, and Chris Rainey a RB/WR/KR near-lock.

[jonzr]

All of those but especially the lines.  How are the big uglies doing?  Would love to see Adams and DeCastro knocking heads and serving pancakes.  Hood and Heyward should be ready go, hopefully Hood picks up where he left off and goes forward.

RB should be fun to watch.

Gotta see how the LB corps shakes out.

BTW, fantasy fooseball is on the horizon people so go read those threads and get 'er done.

[Finnegans Wake]

The time is now for the DL guys.  We have the luxury of inserting Adams and DDC into the lineup midseason, barring injuries to Starks and Foster.

[jonzr]

Indeed, esp for Hood, time to make an impact. Hopefully they'll have a solid rotation though.

[jonzr]

And Wallace or no, with Brown, Sanders and Cotchery + Miller, I think they have the passing game covered.  Who was that other TE?  Saunders?  Seems like he was banned for 4 games.  Apparently he had some promise, too.  

Want to see that Rainey guy at RB, too.  And the midget LB.  Hope it's on the NFLN.

[jonzr]

Doesn't sound so promising.

Exasperating the problem along with Wallace's holdout is the fact that none of the other receivers in training camp has stood out. Their only draft pick at the position, seventh-rounder Toney Clemons, has probably the best potential because he is 6-2, 210 pounds and has decent speed. However, he nor the others has done anything to make them confident that they have someone at No. 4 (if Wallace doesn't report) or even Nos. 3 and 4 if Sanders or someone else goes down.

[Brinker]

Ok went to NFL.COM and paid the 19.99 so I can watch all the NFL preseason games on the computer...which I can connect to the TV via HDMI. I hate not having the NFLN.

I must really miss football..

[Finnegans Wake]

Doesn't sound so promising.

Exasperating the problem along with Wallace's holdout is the fact that none of the other receivers in training camp has stood out. Their only draft pick at the position, seventh-rounder Toney Clemons, has probably the best potential because he is 6-2, 210 pounds and has decent speed. However, he nor the others has done anything to make them confident that they have someone at No. 4 (if Wallace doesn't report) or even Nos. 3 and 4 if Sanders or someone else goes down.

Quite the piece of journalism when they conflate exasperating with exacerbating.  Somehow, with Brown, Miller, a healthy Sanders, and wily vet Cotchery, I'm not too worried about camp standouts.  WTF are they looking for, a WR5 who's the next Calvin Johnson?  Uh, dumfux, that's why we roll the dice late on guys like Toney Clemons, or see how a castoff like Derrick Williams does, or check the bag for shake with the likes of Marquis Maze and Jimmy Young.  Does ANY team have a WR5 who would be a WR1 elsewhere? 

Seriously, I think the D has more questions with DE, NT, ILB, OLB, and CB all having turnover or guys who need to step up. 

[Finnegans Wake]

Sorry, Cameron Heyward is OUT, as is Willie Colon.  So we don't get to see Cam's progress just yet.

[aj_law]

Sorry, Cameron Heyward is OUT, as is Willie Colon.

*sigh*

Edit:  I guess the good news is that there's football (or something that sorta kinda looks like) football on tonight.

That's the signal that summer is winding down.