I agree, you make your bed in the draft with O-line because as a lot of people have said it's a hard position to fill. When he took the job and drafted Brick and Mangold right out of the gate I was thrilled, said this guy knows what he's doing. I guess Vlad is not an option there now? Only can be a guard, otherwise they'd probably try him there too.
What infurates me is that we have GURENTEED $ tied up in Hunter; I know we have crossed this bridge. Basically we have dead money either way with his deal against the cap....fucking retards
It seems that the Eagles really liked this guy in 2010 as he made the team as a UDFA and saw action in 4 games. He started in Week 17 at Dallas and was mostly against DeMarcus Ware where he didn't get much help. Ware not surprisingly abused him but supposedly he was serviceable otherwise. The Eagles new O line coach who came from Indianapolis preferred a different scheme so it was probably the reason Howard was let go after last training camp. The Ravens scooped him up right away and they put him on their practice squad after final cuts in September last year. The Ravens prefer bigger bulkier mauling type O lineman (Oher, Mckinnie, Yanda, Grubbs, Williams) so he fit their scheme well. He stayed there until November when the Jets put him on their active roster. He's been in the league two years developing now. Maybe in Year 3 things are clicking better for him and maybe he just needs a chance. Let's hope we caught him at the right time in his development. Just like Vlad is having his break out in Year 3. :breakdance::lol::rofl2: Eagles' Howard working to stay fit, working for a roster spot POSTED: July 9, 2011 By Jeff McLane Inquirer Staff Writer If Howard Mudd was the offensive line coach a year ago, there's a good chance the Eagles wouldn't have signed Austin Howard. An undrafted rookie free agent, Howard typified the mammoth linemen former line coach Juan Castillo liked. But with Mudd, who likes his linemen to be athletic and mobile, now in charge, Howard's size may no longer be his greatest attribute. The second-year tackle got the memo. The 6-foot-7 Howard weighed 345 pounds by the end of last season. During a recent workout with other Eagles players, he said he was down to 330. "The key is that you want to come into camp - or whenever we start - at the lowest weight possible so you can have that extra step or a quicker move," Howard said. "So that's something I wanted to do, regardless. But, again, going back on [Mudd's] resume and going back on the guys that he's coached, he has smaller linemen. So it wouldn't be a bad idea
Good to hear that Hunter has found his way to the bench. I am still concerned about the help our new RT will be getting from the RG and TE positions. Hopefully our FO can add a quality player at one of these three positions to our existing roster.
You guys need to do yourselves a favor and watch the Terry Bradway interview on the official site. Near the beginning of it he is practically masturbating with pride over finding one of his patented diamonds in the rough in Austin Howard. I knew this OL situation reeked of Bradway. I'm praying that Howard isn't another Clarke disaster, although guy is huge.
I wasn't comparing the two. The Vlad reference was sarcasm. It sounds like Ducasse is having a decent camp which is good to hear and Howard has been given some love by the staff this camp as well. Since both are in Year 3 of their development I was just making a reference that both might be figuring it out at the same time. Obviously, it remains to be seen but it is somewhat encouraging nontheless.