Just when it seemed as if Andy Reid might be perceiving the reality that white men can play football, he reverted to being, well, Andy Reid. Despite starting a white receiver and a white safety, overall whites play a very small role on the 2007 Eagles.
Purged in the final preseason cuts were WR/KR Jeremy Bloom, WR Michael Gasperson, WR Zac Collie, and CB Dustin Fox. Bloom is the world-class skier who starred at Colorado returning kicks and as a wide receiver. One imagines that a two-sport black star with such a pedigree would also be summarily dispatched from the NFL without as much as a single season to prove himself, but not very easily.
The Eagles did sign WR Kevin Curtis as a free agent, after it looked like the 29-year-old Curtis was going to spend his entire career in St. Louis behind past-his-prime Isaac Bruce. Curtis has great speed and route-running ability and outstanding hands. He's not tall but he's tall enough. With the Rams, Curtis had long touchdown receptions in both the regular season and playoffs. His talent is not in question; only whether Reid will let him start or bench him the first time he drops a ball.
Matt Schobel, a decent receiving tight end, is second on the depth chart at that position. Third stringer Brent Celek, a rookie out of Cincinnati, showed outstanding hands and after the catch running ability and looks like he can be an elite player.
A. J. Feeley and rookie Kevin Kolb (a surprise high draft choice in April) back up the Caste System's Great Black Hope at quarterback, oft-injured Donovan McNabb, who is coming back from a torn ACL in 2006.
Veteran Jon Runyan anchors the offensive line at right tackle. Todd Herremans starts at left guard. Scott Young is a backup guard.
Sean Considine is the starting strong safety. Although he only started for part of '06, Considine racked up an impressive 106 tackles. Like almost all white players who start on defense he makes more tackles than the average for his position. Considine was a third round pick out of Iowa in '05.
Rookie Stewart Bradley from Nebraska is a backup at all three linebacking positions and stands a good chance of being a starter at one of them within a season or two.
Third year man Matt McCoy out of San Diego State opened the 2006 campaign as a starting outside linebacker but is now a backup.
NUMBER OF WHITE STARTERS: 4
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF WHITE PLAYERS ON 53 MAN ROSTER: 14
GRADE: F
Purged in the final preseason cuts were WR/KR Jeremy Bloom, WR Michael Gasperson, WR Zac Collie, and CB Dustin Fox. Bloom is the world-class skier who starred at Colorado returning kicks and as a wide receiver. One imagines that a two-sport black star with such a pedigree would also be summarily dispatched from the NFL without as much as a single season to prove himself, but not very easily.
The Eagles did sign WR Kevin Curtis as a free agent, after it looked like the 29-year-old Curtis was going to spend his entire career in St. Louis behind past-his-prime Isaac Bruce. Curtis has great speed and route-running ability and outstanding hands. He's not tall but he's tall enough. With the Rams, Curtis had long touchdown receptions in both the regular season and playoffs. His talent is not in question; only whether Reid will let him start or bench him the first time he drops a ball.
Matt Schobel, a decent receiving tight end, is second on the depth chart at that position. Third stringer Brent Celek, a rookie out of Cincinnati, showed outstanding hands and after the catch running ability and looks like he can be an elite player.
A. J. Feeley and rookie Kevin Kolb (a surprise high draft choice in April) back up the Caste System's Great Black Hope at quarterback, oft-injured Donovan McNabb, who is coming back from a torn ACL in 2006.
Veteran Jon Runyan anchors the offensive line at right tackle. Todd Herremans starts at left guard. Scott Young is a backup guard.
Sean Considine is the starting strong safety. Although he only started for part of '06, Considine racked up an impressive 106 tackles. Like almost all white players who start on defense he makes more tackles than the average for his position. Considine was a third round pick out of Iowa in '05.
Rookie Stewart Bradley from Nebraska is a backup at all three linebacking positions and stands a good chance of being a starter at one of them within a season or two.
Third year man Matt McCoy out of San Diego State opened the 2006 campaign as a starting outside linebacker but is now a backup.
NUMBER OF WHITE STARTERS: 4
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF WHITE PLAYERS ON 53 MAN ROSTER: 14
GRADE: F