FYI-Eagles news and articles, Kalu Backs into starter role

[Tommy-the-Greek]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/12497270.htm

Posted on Sun, Aug. 28, 2005

Kalu not backing into role of starter

The Eagles defensive end, who missed last season, is determined to prove he belongs on the first unit.

By Shannon Ryan

Inquirer Staff Writer

When Eagles defensive end N.D. Kalu thought about returning from a season spent on injured reserve, he resigned himself to being a backup.

As unlikely as it may have seemed before training camp, Kalu is now starting at right end and exceeding expectations - even his own.

The underdog role, he said, suits him fine.

"I think it was kind of a foregone conclusion that I was just going to be a backup and come in every once in a while," Kalu said.

Kalu, 30, spent all of last season on injured reserve after a freak knee injury in the preseason ended his year. He spent the year rehabilitating his right knee after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament. His teammates, meanwhile, worked toward the Super Bowl.

Entering training camp, Kalu was supposed to back up Jerome McDougle, but the day before rookies reported to Lehigh, McDougle was shot in the stomach near his home in Florida. McDougle is expected to return at some point this season.

Kalu said he wants to prove that he is not a starter by default.

"With McDougle being hurt, it's almost like, 'Well, he's starting because McDougle got hurt,' " Kalu said. "I came in to camp thinking we were going to fight for it. But I like being the underdog. I've been like that my whole career, and I think that's why I've lasted nine years, just to prove myself every year.

"This year I'm just proving that I'm healthy and that I deserve to fight for the starting spot."

Kalu's biggest competition will come from Hugh Douglas, who is listed behind Kalu on the depth chart.

Kalu played persuasively on Friday night in the Eagles' 27-17 preseason win over the Cincinnati.

He constantly harassed Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, sacking him once for a loss of seven yards and also registering a pass defended.

"It looked like he did a nice job," coach Andy Reid said after the game. "He got to the quarterback a couple of times. It looked like he was close a couple of times. I like what I saw out there."

If Reid was pleased, Jevon Kearse was ecstatic. The better a player is on the right end, the freer Kearse is to wreak havoc on the left end.

"He's been the best D-lineman up until this point," Kearse said after the game. "That's very satisfying to me to see the way he's been making plays because... they can't be doubling and tripling me."

Kalu is looking to regain his 2003 form, when he recorded a career-high 47 tackles and contributed 51/2 sacks and three fumble recoveries.

Kearse said he has seen a hunger in Kalu.

After the starters were taken out during the first quarter of the Eagles' first preseason game against Pittsburgh, Kalu was not ready to call it a night.

"He was like, 'No. I want to go back,' " Kearse recalled. "I was like, 'Man, for what?' And he was like, 'Man, I've got something to prove.' You can't blame him for all of the stuff he's been through, especially going through all of the rehab in the off-season. He's ready to get back and get his work in."

Kalu said the best part of being back on Friday was earning a sack. He had not taken a quarterback to the turf since Dec. 21, 2003.

"As a defensive end all you look at is sacks," he said. "You can have 10 tackles but if you don't have any sacks, everyone's going to think something is wrong with you. Just by getting the sack, I feel like I got the monkey off my back."

Kalu said the difference on Friday was that he stopped holding back. He said he was not scared of reinjuring his knee, but of making an error that could cost him.

"I'm not used to the techniques so I'm thinking, 'You've got to stay low,'" he said. "You've just got to do it and react. You can't play football cautious."

Kalu is eager to play against Atlanta. He said he feels "game-ready" and is looking forward to his first regular-season game in more than a year.

Sitting out an entire season can take its toll, he said.

"That was the first time in my career ever since Pop Warner that I've been hurt and missed the whole year," he said. "It just felt good to be out there. I'm just glad to be part of the team again."

It may just have been a preseason game on Friday, but it meant more to Kalu.

"This game," he said, "I got some confidence back."

"With McDougle being hurt, it's almost like, 'Well, he's starting because McDougle got hurt,' " Kalu said. "I came in to camp thinking we were going to fight for it. But I like being the underdog. I've been like that my whole career, and I think that's why I've lasted nine years, just to prove myself every year.

When was he ever an underdog with the Skins? Does this guy suffer from acute "Redskinamnesia"?

He was consdered a blue chip prospect and was a top draft pick who never really lived up to his predraft hype. How can you possibly be an underdog under those circumstances?

[Tommy-the-Greek]

http://www.nj.com/eagles/times/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1125216300122310.xml&coll=5

Eagles cut eight, more to come; sign one

Sunday, August 28, 2005

By MARK ECKEL

Staff Writer

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles cut eight players, including a draft pick, signed one, and still have eight moves to make over the next couple of days.

NFL rules mandate a team's roster must be at 65 plus any NFL Europe exemptions by Tuesday. Yesterday, the Eagles trimmed their roster to 79, with six exemptions. That leaves eight more players to go, which could happen as soon as today.

Four of those decisions should come in the form of injury-related moves. Running back Correll Buckhalter (knee), wide receiver Justin Jenkins (knee) and safety J.R. Reed (leg) have been ruled out for the season and will likely land on injured reserve. Fullback Thomas Tapeh (hip) will also land on either injured reserve or the physically unable to perform list.

Two other injured players - defensive end Jerome McDougle (gunshot wound) and linebacker Greg Richmond (back) - could also be placed on the physically unable to perform list.

Released yesterday were seventh-round draft pick David Bergeron, a linebacker from Stanford who was fourth on the depth chart at strongside linebacker and never really had a chance to make the roster.

Also released were wide receivers Chris Samp, Jared Jones and Issac West; defensive end Darrell Lee, who was signed as an emergency replacement last week; tackle Drew Strojny, who spent part of last season on the practice squad; safety Corey Peoples, who made some plays early in camp; and kicker Jimmy Kibble, who was just plain awful.

The team signed rookie wide receiver Michael Gasperson, 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, out of the University of San Diego, where he played for former NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh, the brother of Eagles special-teams coach John Harbaugh.

Gasperson caught 54 passes for 894 yards and seven touchdowns last year for San Diego, including five for 73 yards in a loss to Princeton. In his college career, he caught 116 passes for 1,894 yards and 17 touchdowns. The big receiver attempted to get another year of college, but did not, so he became eligible to sign with an NFL team.

Harbaugh obviously had some knowledge of Gasperson, and his size alone is intriguing. It's hard to imagine him having any chance of making the team this deep into the preseason, but the team will give him a look over the next week and see if he is practice-squad worthy.

-- -- --

The current roster, after those initial cuts and assuming the injury moves, looks like this: quarterbacks (4), running backs (7), wide receivers (7), tight ends (5), offensive linemen (14), defensive linemen (14), linebackers (8), defensive backs (12), kickers (3).

-- -- --

Rookie running back Ryan Moats continues to have an impressive preseason. In three games, he has 18 carries for 101 yards. Moats also had a 29-yard kickoff return on his first try in that role. He will likely get a lot of work in Thursday night's preseason final against the Jets ... Running back Bruce Perry, trying to make the final roster, had just 18 yards on six carries Friday night, and has 66 yards on 19 carries for the preseason ... In his return to the Eagles, veteran punter Sean Landeta averaged just 39.3 yards on his seven punts, but had an impressive 35.0 net average. Two of his seven punts landed inside the 20 ... Reno Mahe did a decent job on punt returns Friday night. Mahe averaged 13.3 yards on three returns and had one fair catch ... Defensive end Juqua Thomas continues to play well and seems like a pretty good bet to make the final roster.

-- -- --

Despite the impressive showing of the first-team offense Friday night - and the past two weeks, for that matter - wide receiver Greg Lewis says it's still not where it needs to be.

"We are not ready to play Atlanta (in the season opener) yet," Lewis said. "But we have two weeks to prepare. We have to get better next week."

[Tommy-the-Greek]

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050828/SPORTS02/508280330/1015/SPORTS

McNabb, Owens pass on high-five

Powered by Topix.net Sunday, August 28, 2005

By DON BENEVENTO

Courier-Post Staff

PHILADELPHIA

It would be a stretch to describe Eagles coach Andy Reid as a budding comedian, but he does have a way of sometimes delivering a deadpan answer that will bring a laugh.

Take, for example, Reid's answer to questions Friday about his call on the first play of the game in a 27-17 preseason win over the Bengals.

Knowing that wide receiver Terrell Owens was making his 2005 debut in front of a crowd of skeptical home fans, Reid called a fly pattern that resulted in a 64-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Donovan McNabb to the star wide receiver.

Was there more to the play than the obvious? Was the play intended to cut off any potential criticism of Owens and to quickly re-establish a rapport between the quarterback and his favorite target?

"Well, it turned out pretty good," Reid answered. "I thought it was a pretty good call."

Now we're left to wonder whether that play and several others -- Owens caught five balls from McNabb for 131 yards in the victory -- will eventually help warm up the icy relationship between the two super stars.

McNabb seems willing to put aside the past, but the moody Owens is not. After the touchdown pass, each player noticeably went their separate ways. No high fives, no pat on the butt, not even a distant smile or a wave.

You wonder how long the two can continue to play together, in positions where they so clearly need to communicate, without saying a word to each other.

McNabb on Friday night laughed off a question about whether it was difficult to execute such a picture-perfect play as the opening touchdown without having his receiver share in the celebration.

"It's not hard at all," McNabb said. "I was able to do it. Let's just all not blow it way out of proportion. We were all able to go for the first time this preseason, be able to get our chemistry and our timing where we want it to be."

To McNabb, that's the most important thing. He doesn't need to be liked by Owens, but he needs to be able to work with him if the Eagles are to have a successful season.

No one knows what Owens is thinking because he doesn't talk to the media. He occasionally chats with other teammates, but he and McNabb have kept their distance throughout the preseason.

McNabb said that he expects the relationship between the two will ease as the season goes along.

"There is still some time for us to work on that," he said.

Referring to Friday night's game specifically, McNabb said, "we communicated in a way that was suited for both of us."

In one case McNabb even went to Owens' defense. After Owens caught a 24-yard pass in the second quarter, he was pulled down from behind. It was the same type of "horse-collar tackle" in which Owens broke his leg last season.

That type of tackle is now illegal and McNabb rushed to the official, asking why no penalty was called.

Asked if Owens responded to the gesture, McNabb said, "yeah, he said thanks."

But McNabb was kidding.

They can joke about it now, but it seems at some point somebody is going to have to break the impasse. Reid would seem to be the likely candidate. Before too much longer it would seem prudent for him to call the two players into his office and get the matter settled.

But Reid didn't seem that concerned on Friday.

"They'll be fine," he said. "Sometimes actions speak more than words."

Perhaps Reid feels now is not the time to get involved.

After all, even though it's the preseason, the Eagles first-team offense already is playing at a high level.

When the first teams were matched up on Friday, the Eagles pulverized the Bengals defense, rolling out to a 27-3 lead at the half.

McNabb completed 14 of 23 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, prompting Reid to observe, "that's not a bad half."

Aside from Owens with his five catches, Greg Lewis added four catches for 72 yards and a touchdown, rookie Reggie Brown plunged into the end zone on a hard-fought 7-yard score.

"We're doing all right, Reid said. "There's room for improvement, but we did OK. Reach Don Benevento at dbenevento@courierpostonline.com

[Tommy-the-Greek]

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050828/COLUMNISTS14/508280331/1063/SPORTS

Thomas gets mind right for football

Kevin Roberts

kroberts@courierpostonline.com

Sunday, August 28, 2005

PHILADELPHIA

The Eagles finished their warmups and gathered at midfield just before Friday night's game against the Bengals, then broke and trudged off for the locker room. Eagles left tackle Tra Thomas stayed behind. He knelt at midfield, head down, and he prayed for a long time.

Then, his head clear and his mind right, Thomas got ready to play football.

The NFL is no place for fear, and it is no place for people worried about their health. Well, Thomas was worried -- and for good reason. He's been sidelined with a blood clot in his leg. Thomas was on blood thinners to break up the clot and prevent it from recurring. But he quit taking them two weeks ago.

The clot is still there. Doctors recommend that patients with blood clots take blood thinners for at least six months. That's the norm, although it's certainly not an exact science. But most patients don't have a football season and the health of the franchise quarterback on their agenda. Thomas was on his medication slightly less than five months.

Had Thomas stayed on the blood thinners for six months, he would have had no preseason time. Playing football while on the blood thinners would have been, literally, life-threatening -- particularly on the line, where contact is constant and frightening and players come away scratched and bloody almost every day.

So he'd have been pushing it to go the whole course of medication and be ready for Atlanta on Sept. 12 to open the season.

And so, with all the evidence and the doctor's advice and the risks in mind, Thomas quit taking his medication.

While he was set to play this game all week, Thomas talked only vaguely about what he expected. He said more than once: "I need to get my mind right."

This is the kind of decision a man has to get straight in his head. Once there, he has to find a way to set it aside and go play.

If Thomas can't do that, he can't play. You can't play this game scared. So Thomas got his mind right.

"You can't have all that other stuff in the back of your mind," Thomas said. "When you step out on that field, you do what you've got to do.

"It's something I prayed over with my wife (Rosa Chanea) and we've come to an agreement about it. I'm just not going to worry about it."

This is not a hamstring or a shoulder or something more conventional. The Eagles are keeping a close eye on this.

"We checked with him; I'm not going to say we didn't," Eagles head coach Andy Reid said. "But he was holding up well. The only problem was the back -- not the leg.

"He's got a couple of weeks of practice, and he needs them. He'll be all right."

Thomas left Friday's game after one quarter, when his back stiffened up. Until then, he looked like the three-time All-Pro that he's been since the Eagles took Thomas in the first round of the 1998 draft.

For all the concern about Terrell Owens, the difference between Thomas' presence and his absence is huge. Thomas routinely takes on the opposing team's best pass rusher, and it's his primary job to protect quarterback Donovan McNabb, who only happens to be the team's most important and indispensable player.

"Tra looked great," McNabb said. "He really stepped out."

Thomas isn't sold on the idea that he can just walk out on the field in Atlanta and do his job without a preseason, without practice, without contact.

"That's how it's going to have to be for me right now," Thomas said. "I've been around a while. It's not a lot of time, but it won't be as hard as if I'd been out all that time. I need a chance to get some reps, get a feel."

Thomas' leg first swelled while he was at home in March. He ignored it, figuring it was just something that 6-foot-7, 349-pound men who smash into other big men for a living must endure from time to time. Thomas has missed just one game in his career -- a mark that speaks to a man ignoring some things and playing anyway.

But when the leg swelled again at the Eagles' practice facility, Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder didn't ignore it. A fast trip to the hospital discovered the clot.

The doctors prescribed the treatment -- until Thomas took matters into his own hands. The doctors cleared him and Thomas will play, and now he has to push the worry and the risk out of his mind.

"My body feels good enough," Thomas said. "It's all good. I'm not worried about anything." Reach Kevin Roberts at kroberts@courierpostonline.com

Does anyone know what are the medical implications of playing with a bloodclot in his leg? Is he risking a serious injury or is he risking much more then that? Could this clot lead to a heart attack or a stroke? This sounds really serious to me, but what the heck do I know? I know I wouldn't risk a serious injury just to rush back and play football. It sounds like he cut short his medical treatment and the clot didn't clear up?