Rumor-Darwin Walker rib fracture

[Westbrook36]

Two days and the guy is already shooting up the depth chart!!!!

Reid says Bunkley is ready to go

08/10/2006

By BOB GROTZ bobgrotz@aol.com BETHLEHEM -- After all that's been said and done, Eagles rookie first-round pick Brodrick Bunkley really didn't need those 29 practices and 16 days of training camp he missed during the longest holdout in the Andy Reid era.

Bunkley, just two practices and one walkthrough into his six-year deal, plays tonight when the Eagles oppose the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field (7:30, Channel 6, WYSP 94.1-FM).

The Eagles say Bunkley's shot is a by-product of the injury to defensive tackle Darwin Walker, who suffered a Donovan McNabb-type broken rib, and that the rookie might not play long. The reality is the 305-pound Bunkley isn't any less powerful or talented than the guy the Eagles felt all along would push for a starting job almost immediately.

"We've worked him out here, without pads, and put him through some conditioning things," Reid said after the walkthrough Wednesday. "(Tuesday) I wanted to see how he did during practice before I made a decision and it looked like he handled it very well and actually played very well. We'll see how it goes."

Veteran Sam Rayburn, who supplied tremendous push in the preseason opener, replaces Walker and likely starts with Mike Patterson at tackle tonight.

Walker has what Reid first described as an abdominal strain and later "a slight fracture in one of his ribs.

"It's a little different fracture," Reid said of the damage sustained in practice Tuesday morning. "It's similar to what Donovan had in the (NFC title game) against Carolina. It's something that he should be able to get back from relatively quick."

No one would be shocked if Walker suddenly healed enough to be dealt to another team.

More in link.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17035492&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6

[jrockster21]

JJ made those comments while BB was holding out. They were designed to put pressure on him to sign. Ok, so if he missed so much crucial time, would you care to make a signature bet on whether or not he starts week one against the Texans?

Spin, spin, spin!! Typical Westy...avoid the historical data and view the situation with the Eagle-green glasses on as always.

As far as your sig bet is concerned, whether or not he starts against the Texans is irrelevant.

[jrockster21]

Two days and the guy is already shooting up the depth chart!!!!

More in link.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17035492&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6

"The Eagles say Bunkley's shot is a by-product of the injury to defensive tackle Darwin Walker, who suffered a Donovan McNabb-type broken rib, and that the rookie might not play long."

Yeah, he's shooting up the depth chart because he's so good. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Westbrook36]

Your original contention was to suggest he was dooooooomed because of the three weeks of practice he missed. If/when he starts against the Texans, you would have been wrong. Especially considering the depth the Eagles enjoy at DT.

[jrockster21]

Your original contention was to suggest he was dooooooomed because of the three weeks of practice he missed. If/when he starts against the Texans, you would have been wrong. Especially considering the depth the Eagles enjoy at DT.

Uhhh, no. Please point out where I said he was doooooomed because he missed 29 practices.

I said it would hurt him to miss all that practice and PT. And it will. You provide a link that says he's shooting up the depth chart because of injury, and you think that somehow proves your case...it doesn't. It proves Walker is injured.

Let's flip the script, shall we WB?? Please tell me...what are the benefits of missing 29 practices??

EDIT: Actually, I'll address all Eagle fans with that last one. How can missing 29 practices NOT hurt Bunkley?? Seriously??

[jrockster21]

WB -- while your combing through my responses, trying to find something that isn't there, keep in mind the statistics I posted earlier:

Since 2001, there have been 11 rookie defensive tackles that were unsigned and missed time in training camp. In the majority of those cases, the players struggled during their first seasons; in many cases, the players continued to struggle beyond their first year.

Only two of the 11 rookie defensive tackles that did not report to camp on time - Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth and Arizona's Darnell Dockett - managed to play all 16 regular-season games as rookies.

[jrockster21]

:laugh: Run away, run away, WB!! :ciao:

[Westbrook36]

WB -- while your combing through my responses, trying to find something that isn't there, keep in mind the statistics I posted earlier:

Thank god you conveniently cut off your stats criteria to 2001. If you included 2000, you'd have included one Corey Simon who had 10 sacks in JJ's defense as a rookie DT.

[jrockster21]

Thank god you conveniently cut off your stats criteria to 2001. If you included 2000, you'd have included one Corey Simon who had 10 sacks in JJ's defense as a rookie DT.

:laugh: Your famous "Simon had 10 sacks after a hold-out so Bunkley has to do the same thing" argument...I was wondering how long it was gonna take you to pull that one out!

Doug Williams is a black QB who wore #17 and took over around week 10 and won the superbowl for the Skins. That means Jason Campell is going to do the same thing this year.

To borrow a line from you, WB, see how silly that is?? :laugh:

And why don't you just answer the simple question I posed to you:

Tell me...what are the benefits of missing 29 practices?? I'll add on: what is the difference between missing 29 practices and attending those same practices?? I don't really expect an answer because you tend to avoid the questions that expose your weak arguments.

[Westbrook36]

jrock, would he be better prepared if he had those 29 practices? Of course. Will missing those 29 practices ruin him as a ballplayer? Come on, do I really have to answer that?

DT is not a complicated position.....even though you equated picking a DT as a harder task then picking a franchise QB. :laugh:

[Zen-like Todd]

Why do I feel like I'm having a flashback to the year we traded for Coles and the Jets picked Dewayne Robertson ("The Next Warren Sapp!!!!") .

BTW, for amusement... not to derail the thread or anything:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/439744p-370454c.html

Robertson is being moved to nose tackle in Mangini's scheme even though he as drafted as a 1-gap penetrating inside pass rusher (who has all of 8.5 sacks in three seasons).

Hopefully for you Westy, Bunkley can outdo Robertson's lofty performance thus far.

[jrockster21]

jrock, would he be better prepared if he had those 29 practices? Of course. Will missing those 29 practices ruin him as a ballplayer? Come on, do I really have to answer that?

Please point out where I said it would ruin his career. Why are you always making stuff up, WB?? Is it because you realize your position is so weak that you have to?? You would have a lot more credibility around here if you actually used stats and facts to back up your arguments instead of making stuff up. Just a helpful hint for ya bro...

DT is not a complicated position.....even though you equated picking a DT as a harder task then picking a franchise QB. :laugh:

Again, making stuff up. I said a DT is more likely to bust than a QB, AND I backed it up with percentages (that you never responded to, by the way).

Funny that you bring that up after never responding to my damning evidence...

[Westbrook36]

DT is the hardest position to grade (as I said before), and one of the hardest to transition to in the NFL.

I think everyone should review the following exchange when jrock tells everyone (who don't have the time or will to search) that I am lieing. jrock just assumes no one will find his damning quotes. :laugh:

BTW, before you try to spin, as you always do....saying a position is the hardest to grade is saying it is the hardest to pick. Later in the same thread I plucked that quote from, I told you how its much harder to pick a franchise QB and you argued the other side.

Be proud of your opinion....no matter how wrong it is.

[jrockster21]

I think everyone should review the following exchange when jrock tells everyone (who don't have the time or will to search) that I am lieing. jrock just assumes no one will find his damning quotes. :laugh:

BTW, before you try to spin, as you always do....saying a position is the hardest to grade is saying it is the hardest to pick. Later in the same thread I plucked that quote from, I told you how its much harder to pick a franchise QB and you argued the other side.

Be proud of your opinion....no matter how wrong it is.

Funny how you didn't post the thread because then people could read where I pointed out how a higher percentage of DTs have busted then QBs. Funny...

And I never backed down...I stand by my statement. DT is the hardest to grade and transition into the NFL. The proof is in the pudding...there are more late-round DT picks who become stars then there are Tom Bradys in the NFL. That's a pure, simple, unadulterated fact. You can try and argue it, WB, but you will fail.

Our own Anthony Montgomery is a perfect example. He looks very good in camp, and most likely will be a great DT for the Skins for years...and we snagged him in the 5th round. If he produces even 85% of what Bunkley is able to do, he was a STEAL.

[Westbrook36]

Ok, at least you are actually standing by your wrong opinion instead of abandoning it like you did 3 posts ago.

[jrockster21]

Ok, at least you are actually standing by your wrong opinion instead of abandoning it like you did 3 posts ago.

:laugh: I never abandoned it. You think I did, but your fragile little mind misunderstands a lot of things.

And if my opinion is wrong, please prove it. You never will, however, because you CAN'T. Do you argue that there are more late-round QBs who have found success in the NFL then there are late-round DTs?? Are you really arguing that statement?? I feel bad for you if you are...

[Westbrook36]

Well, jrock, your entire premise is flawed given there are twice as many starting DTs as QBs in the NFL.

[XxSpearheadxX]

Man that sucks for Walker. I'm waiting for him to break out still

[jrockster21]

Well, jrock, your entire premise is flawed given there are twice as many starting DTs as QBs in the NFL.

You can still look at the percentages, smarty. And that would make it easier to pick a QB, no? You only have to find one franchise QB, but you need two good DTs. :whoknows:

And regardless...there are still plenty of QBs picked in the later rounds.

[turbodiesel#44]

He would have missed four days of camp if he played for the Washington Redskins.

Correction: If he played for the Skins, he would have called off his agent and been in camp on time like the entire rest of his team.

[Westbrook36]

You can still look at the percentages, smarty. And that would make it easier to pick a QB, no? You only have to find one franchise QB, but you need two good DTs. :whoknows:

And regardless...there are still plenty of QBs picked in the later rounds.

The other thing you are neglecting is how much choosing the WRONG QB hurts a franchise over how much choosing the WRONG DT hurts.

Also, your criteria previous was first rounders. More QBs are taken in the top 10 then DTs. When one of those QBs don't pan out, it literally sets your franchise back 5 years. See the Cleveland Browns, Cincinatti Bengals, etc. While having a top ten bust of a DT sucks, it doesn't kill your franchise. Reason being is you can get a stop gap in later rounds at DT. A QB will get more of a chance, and if he ISN'T the real deal, you are pretty much screwed and will have to start the whole process over again. See Dallas Cowboys after this year.

So for you to say scouting and grading a DT is harder than grading and scouting a QB, well, I'm going to have to respectfully and completely disagree.