As you probably heard by now, linebacker Jordan Hicks broke a finger in a poolside incident this past week—the good news is he did not break it by punching out a cabana boy. It was just a slip and a fall with an awkward landing.
Hicks should be ready to go by the time TC opens—meanwhile, the legal problems surrounding linebacker Nigel Bradham’s alleged punch-out of the cabana boy in Miami over a year ago seem to have been settled at the state level as a deferred prosecution deal, but there’s still the looming issue of a possible NFL suspension over the incident.
Of course that doesn’t rule out a civil lawsuit filing by the cabana boy.
Bradham also faces a misdemeanor gun charge for a separate incident, when he brought a weapon to the Miami airport. Documents show there is a hearing in that case scheduled for July 24.
Amidst it all, Sir Nigel is still on the hook for a maximum 6-games suspension by the league office. We’ll keep you posted on that development.
Just about all the other offseason news about the Eagles players up to this point has been extremely positive.
All the beat reporters are saying nice things about:
Nelson Agholor, who’s apparently responded to new WR coach Mike Groh’s challenge—Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News says Groh has rebuilt Agholor “from the ground up.”
Defensive tackle Tim Jernigan, who to many journalists appeared to be so quick and relentless off the ball in OTA’s that he seemed unblockable, even after he came back two days later off an ankle sprain…
OT Lane Johnson, who many feel is now in the best football-ready athletic shape of his life, and is poised to become the best right tackle in the game…
Then there’s Fran Duffy of PE.com talking about cornerback Aaron Grymes:
“This kid has done nothing but be around the football. Each and every time I wrote a practice write-up, I’m writing about some interception or some pass breakup that Aaron Grymes made at some point during team periods. I know on the last day of team periods, I’m pretty sure he had three pass breakups. … I was really, really impressed with Aaron Grymes throughout the course of the spring. Can he make an impact here and make a run at a corner job?”
And don’t forget rookie WR Marcus Johnson—He’s a UDFA wide receiver and they’re apparently pretty pleased with what they’ve seen. With DGB’s departure it’s possible he could be #6 on the depth chart — at least, that’s how fan poster “Swoopin'” sees it (could this guy be the reincarnation of our old buddy Swoop?)
Need some easy Eagles summer reading? Try this column from Tommy Lawlor called These Numbers Are Simply Amazing.
In the article Lawlor gives you a historical perspective on some of the greatest stats ever put up by Eagles players. For instance, Lawlor advises us to consider this: “Eagles defensive ends last year combined to have 16.5 sacks. Brandon Graham, who has been with the Eagles since 2010, has 29 career sacks. In 1987, Reggie White had 21 in just 12 games. It is hard to wrap your head around that. To be fair, football has drastically changed in terms of the passing game. Quarterbacks took more five- and seven-step drops back then, meaning they held the ball longer. Offensive linemen weren’t nearly as skilled at pass protection. Quick screens weren’t a part of the NFL passing game. It also helped that Buddy Ryan moved White around. He played both end spots. There were times when he lined up over the center and White would just overwhelm that guy. Michael Strahan has the sack record, but it took him all 16 games and a gift from Brett Favre. White dominated the NFL in 1987.”
There are many other mind-blowing stats put up by other Eagles of the past which the article covers. Sometimes it is good to be reminded of what special things your team and its players have accomplished in the past. Nothing wrong with positive thinking in any form about this franchise when you’re heading into the dog days of summer.
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