Ray's Replies: Eagles missing Jim Johnson

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Q. I have followed the Eagles since their days at Connie Mack Stadium. I remember going there as a teenager and watching Adrian Burk and Bobby Thomason at quarterback. In high school, I traveled to Hershey for training camp and the annual game with the Baltimore Colts.

I bought season tickets when they moved to Franklin Field and saw the (1960) championship game during semester break. I moved to Virginia after college and followed the Eagles from afar, while listening to the Redskins during their glory years with Joe Gibbs. After 38 years in Virginia, I have returned to the Philadelphia area in retirement. I have always bled green.

As you point out in your column, the present Eagles situation sounds precisely like the Redskins during the Daniel Snyder era. The same excuses from players and coaches. If I closed my eyes, Id swear I was listening to the Redskins. Ironically, the Redskins pundits held the Eagles up as an example of how to build a team through the draft as opposed to buying stars.

The Eagles need to get back on track. Personally, I think that Jim Johnson held this team together and the Eagles have not recovered from his death. Thanks for letting me vent.
--Bruce Taggart, West Chester, Pa.

A. There is no doubt the loss of Jim Johnson was a huge blow. The fans knew Johnson was a good defensive coordinator, but I dont think they understood just how good until he was gone. Just one example: Under Johnson, the Eagles ranked second in red zone defense over an eight-year period (2000-08). They have been 32nd, dead last, the last two seasons.

But part of the problem is the Eagles have drafted poorly on that side of the ball. Consider the defensive players selected in the last four years: Jaiquawn Jarrett, Curtis Marsh, Casey Matthews, Brian Rolle and Greg Lloyd (2011); Brandon Graham, Nate Allen, Daniel Teo-Nesheim, Trevard Lindley, Keenan Clayton, Ricky Sapp, Jamar Chaney, Jeff Owens and Kurt Coleman (2010); Macho Harris and Moise Fokou (2009); Trevor Laws, Bryan Smith, Quintin Demps, Jack Ikegwuonu, Joe Mays and Andy Studebaker (2008).

Thats 22 players drafted, seven of them in the first three rounds, and almost half of them (10) are already gone. The only starters are Allen, who appears to be regressing, a sixth-rounder (Rolle) and two seventh-rounders (Chaney and Coleman). When you swing and miss that often in four consecutive drafts, you are almost forced to go the free agent route, which the Eagles did this year.

We dont have to belabor the obvious: the defense has been a giant bust.

It was an enormous gamble on Andy Reids part to put that many new faces together with a defensive coordinator, Juan Castillo, who has no background in either defense or being a coordinator. It proved to be a disaster with the defense repeatedly breaking down in key situations. Wholesale turnovernew players, new coacheshas not worked for Snyders Redskins and it hasnt worked for the Eagles this season.
E-mail Ray Didinger at viewfromthehall@comcast.net

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