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Football at Four: Detailing and Explaining Roles for Key Eagles Backups and Others · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

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  Speaker 1: Football 4 powered by the Inside the Birds podcast. It's
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  Speaker 1: Resort in Atlantic City. Of course, we're there every Monday.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You can watch every Eagles game. And tonight, you got
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  Speaker 1: the Flyers taking on the Kraken, plus all the baseball.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: ALCS game two tonight. You can listen to that game
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  Speaker 1: on Rock 104.1. We'll pick the game up in progress
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  Speaker 1: after the Flyers tonight. on 97.3 ESPN. All right, we
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  Speaker 1: got a lot to get into. Adam Kaplan is here
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  Speaker 1: as we look at the Eagles, and this team is
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  Speaker 1: still a little banged up. They're starting to get a
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  Speaker 1: little healthier. I thought Fangio was interesting today. I thought
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  Speaker 1: Mannion was interesting today. We actually had sound from Michael
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  Speaker 1: Clay that we played. I think that's a first on
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  Speaker 1: the Sports Bash today. But what are this team's roles
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  Speaker 1: moving forward on this team? Let's take a look at
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  Speaker 1: that and more right now. Adam Kaplan from the Inside
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: the Birds podcast, which you can get on all podcasting platforms,
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: is here. Adam, welcome back, pal. How are you?
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: Mike, I'm well, yeah. It was. Vic Fangio is the greatest,
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  Speaker 2: so I'm going to help some people out. He can't
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  Speaker 2: give you everything, but... the situation with Campbell and Trotter,
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  Speaker 2: the reason why the broadcasters knew that they knew something
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  Speaker 2: is because Vic told them in a production meeting, but
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  Speaker 2: he clearly, because he denied it, and he said it
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  Speaker 2: was a flat-out lie that Trotter was going to start
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  Speaker 2: over him. But let me explain to people the reality
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  Speaker 2: of the situation. John Campbell's not played well. How do
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  Speaker 2: I know that? Coaches do not rotate at linebackers. They
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  Speaker 2: don't rotate by series. That is... Not what you do.
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  Speaker 2: You have situational roles. And Vic would ask that. But
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  Speaker 2: Vic said this is not situational. They're going to split
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  Speaker 2: playing time. Now, what that looks like, 60-40-50, nobody knows.
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  Speaker 2: To guess is a complete waste of time. There's not
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  Speaker 2: one reporter who knows right now. They might find out
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: over the weekend. They talked to the front office, but
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  Speaker 2: they don't know right now. In fact, the coaches have
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  Speaker 2: to work that out. But it's a bad sign for
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  Speaker 2: John Campbell. It's just not good. It's not good enough, Mike.
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  Speaker 2: Why do you think you played in the preseason? The
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  Speaker 2: coaches told you that. Because he wasn't good enough. That's
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  Speaker 2: why he played.
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  Speaker 1: No surprise to me. I've been tough on Campbell. I
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  Speaker 1: didn't think he's played well, and I am not surprised. Okay,
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  Speaker 1: I take that back. I am surprised they are making
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  Speaker 1: a move to kind of split the time here, but
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  Speaker 1: I agree with you. I can't imagine that Jason Kelsey...
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  Speaker 1: got information and got it wrong. I'm sure Kelsey probably
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  Speaker 1: said during the meeting, hey, we're going to do something here.
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  Speaker 1: He gets kicked out of the game, so we never
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  Speaker 1: say it. Fangio said that's an out-and-out lie. He never
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  Speaker 1: said that. Eh, I don't know about that, Vic Fangio.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it was interesting, Mike, because I don't usually listen
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  Speaker 2: to a lot of the broadcasts, but I'm a big
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  Speaker 2: Kirk Warner fan. Kelsey's good. Dave Pasch is really good.
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  Speaker 2: And to call that an out, outright lie like vick
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  Speaker 2: did i mean that's obviously i i don't and i
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  Speaker 2: vick will tell you look he he doesn't when when
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  Speaker 2: the reporters ask the right questions and it's it could
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  Speaker 2: be somewhat provocative but yet you know that's there he'll
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  Speaker 2: tell you if there's some truth to it so there's
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  Speaker 2: no truth to it that they were that trial was
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  Speaker 2: going to start but clearly they're going to split roles
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  Speaker 2: and i don't talk to the coaches over two years
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  Speaker 2: they don't like doing this they the situation where you
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  Speaker 2: might have a nickel linebacker Braun is a nickel-and-dime linebacker
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  Speaker 2: when they play dime because he's that good. Zach Braun,
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  Speaker 2: by the way, was phenomenal in this game. For those
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  Speaker 2: people thinking, like, oh, yeah, we'll try to take his
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  Speaker 2: job next year, no, that's not happening. Braun is a
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  Speaker 2: top-three inside linebacker or linebacker overall in natural football league.
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  Speaker 1: Let's take a look at some of the roles moving
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  Speaker 1: forward here. We don't know what's going on with Barkley.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, I guess he's getting closer. You're on to
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  Speaker 1: your fourth and maybe fifth running back here. What are
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  Speaker 1: we looking at at the running back spot if Barkley–
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  Speaker 1: can't go now because now we know that Will Shipley
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  Speaker 1: will not play.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think they could go to the six, so okay.
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  Speaker 2: I don't understand what Carson Steele, Mike, I don't know
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  Speaker 2: if you know this. I wanted to make sure I
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  Speaker 2: was correct on this because I know he had one
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  Speaker 2: great preseason game. He actually had two. Over the final
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  Speaker 2: two preseason games, he had 14 receptions for 116 yards
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  Speaker 2: and two touchdowns. Why is this guy not playing more?
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  Speaker 2: As we told our listeners on Inside the Birds when
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  Speaker 2: they signed Damian Pierce, he is not a good fit
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  Speaker 2: for the zone scheme. That is why the Texans got
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  Speaker 2: rid of him. He was great in gap and a
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  Speaker 2: mixture of zone. His rookie season was actually really good,
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  Speaker 2: and then he just faded. And the Chiefs, who play zone,
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  Speaker 2: it didn't work there. He didn't look good last week.
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  Speaker 2: If you take away the six-yard outside zone play, Mike,
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  Speaker 2: he ran for. 8 yards per carry. That was coaching
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  Speaker 2: malpractice for not to get Carson Steele in. We don't
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  Speaker 2: know what he is. But when you can't run the football,
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  Speaker 2: why don't you try something else? This is exactly what
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  Speaker 2: Jeff and I talked about at our post-game show. This
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  Speaker 2: is bad coaching. You have to try something else. It
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  Speaker 2: wasn't working out. Pierce, though, did do well in pass pro.
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  Speaker 2: That's important. Carson Steele, I know it's just like checking
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  Speaker 2: the ball down, but you've got to try something out.
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  Speaker 2: And the sixth guy, if Barkley can't play, we're not
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  Speaker 2: going to know until Friday. Mike, do you even have
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  Speaker 2: a clue if he's going to play?
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  Speaker 1: Well, you just said it, Adam, and I brought this
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  Speaker 1: up before. you and that Jeff switched on Friday. I
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  Speaker 1: asked him about it. I said, Steele had 14 catches
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  Speaker 1: for 116 yards. And you said, well, Hurts doesn't like
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  Speaker 1: the check down. Well, guess what? That play seemed to
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  Speaker 1: work in the preseason.
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  Speaker 2: And by the way, that is part of the check down, Mike.
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  Speaker 2: Marty Mordenweg, the legendary Eagles former offensive coordinator, told me
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  Speaker 2: many years ago that in the West Coast offense, there's
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  Speaker 2: always a check down. There's always an outlet. And I
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  Speaker 2: know Wentz didn't like to do it either, but you
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  Speaker 2: know what? It's there. Steele can do it. I understand
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  Speaker 2: he didn't play with Jalen in the preseason. And by
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  Speaker 2: the way, the sixth guy, Jadon Blue, he's super explosive.
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  Speaker 2: He had football character issues. The Cowboys were done with him.
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  Speaker 2: But he's on the Eagles practice squad. Steele's back on
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  Speaker 2: the Eagles practice squad. They used one elevation this past week.
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  Speaker 2: Jadon Blue is explosive. I don't know whoever played, but
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  Speaker 2: they've got to try something, Mike. And watch the inside
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  Speaker 2: of the tape show with Jeff and I and Greg Cosell.
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  Speaker 2: We broke down their offensive line play, and I'll tell
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  Speaker 2: you what, Willie Lampkin was something else. Two bad series
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  Speaker 2: the first two. Once he settled in, he was really good.
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  Speaker 1: All right, that's good news. I asked the question yesterday
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  Speaker 1: to Jeff. I'll ask you, Darius Cooper making plays seems
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  Speaker 1: to always do something. So when Smith comes back, does
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  Speaker 1: Cooper have a role? He will.
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  Speaker 2: Now, Mike, as we told folks to start the season
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  Speaker 2: with everybody, when Holly Bird Brown was there but not
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  Speaker 2: having a role, Elijah Moore, who is their motion player
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  Speaker 2: but they don't play in the football, but with a
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  Speaker 2: healthy Devontae Smith and Dallas Goddard, that Cooper would be
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  Speaker 2: no better in their fourth passing option. Well, things have changed.
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  Speaker 2: Smith is hurt. Goddard just came back. He had two
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  Speaker 2: drops last week, but he did leave them in terms
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  Speaker 2: of receptions. Cooper, what I loved about last week, And
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  Speaker 2: we show this play on our Inside the Tape show.
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  Speaker 2: They line him out as a true receiver instead of
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  Speaker 2: him being reduced, as we told folks in the spring.
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  Speaker 2: A lot of the Eagles were being reduced, kind of
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  Speaker 2: like Sean McVay does. And that's done, as I'm told,
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  Speaker 2: to help them in press coverage. It's harder to press
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  Speaker 2: receivers when they're lining up inside. But Cooper beat Monteric
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  Speaker 2: Buster Brown. He actually beat him. Brown's a starting corner,
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  Speaker 2: so number two corner for Jacksonville beat him. So that
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  Speaker 2: was really interesting, Mike. Four touchdowns with seven receptions. That's insane.
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  Speaker 2: He deserves, on your point, we'll move on here, absolutely
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  Speaker 2: expand a role. He could play inside or outside. He's
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  Speaker 2: built his body up. I'm convinced him being a former
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  Speaker 2: quarterback has helped him. You saw the incredible touchdown that
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  Speaker 2: he had of the two against Tennessee. Climbed over the
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  Speaker 2: DB's back, didn't have an OPI. Great job. He absolutely
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  Speaker 2: warrants more playing time in a bigger role. Although, I'll
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  Speaker 2: tell you this, but Kyle Lemmon looked better than folks think.
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  Speaker 2: He actually looked much better. He's not a downfield receiver.
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  Speaker 2: As an inside tough guy, he looked better. That's a
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  Speaker 2: bad play.
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  Speaker 1: You You hinted at Lampkin and that offensive line, but
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  Speaker 1: Lampkin moving forward, I mean, I think a lot of
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  Speaker 1: people just look at his size and say, what's his
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  Speaker 1: role in the future? Because there was a report today
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  Speaker 1: that Roseman is looking to find some starting quality offensive linemen.
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  Speaker 1: So what does that mean for a Lampkin and a
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  Speaker 1: Kendall and a Majors and a Parkers and a Pear
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  Speaker 1: Tree that had a play on Sunday?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, my understanding is that they're looking for a guy
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  Speaker 2: who can play two positions, not just one. uh... no
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  Speaker 2: way of getting the court center the problem is that
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  Speaker 2: we saw less uh... on the first two series if
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  Speaker 2: he's too short and that he got overwhelmed but what
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  Speaker 2: he understood the leverage part of his hands he held
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  Speaker 2: up we show this play you have to see this
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  Speaker 2: will be able to see this you can see the
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  Speaker 2: fact we have with javon walker walker who's one of
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  Speaker 2: the red trushers in in nickel he goes inside you
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  Speaker 2: gotta see this play by coming he did a great
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  Speaker 2: job Let's not forget, Lampkin has got a three-year deal.
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  Speaker 2: The Eagles inherited his contract when they claimed off waiver
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  Speaker 2: from the Rams. So, Mike, at the very least, he
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  Speaker 2: should be, if he continues to play well, he's got
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  Speaker 2: to keep playing well, though, Mike. He should at least
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  Speaker 2: be the top backup interior offensive lineman guard center. That
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  Speaker 2: right now, he's got a chance to if he continues
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  Speaker 2: to progress. You want to build on that. The Jags
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  Speaker 2: have a great front. He just did a good job.
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  Speaker 2: Jake Majors did a nice job. Neither of them were great.
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  Speaker 2: But Lampkin showed that pure power, and I'm very intrigued.
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  Speaker 2: He can't do anything about being 5'10, 3 quarters. I
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  Speaker 2: don't know if the NFL has seen anyone this short
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  Speaker 2: in the last 30 years. Like Nick Hall, remember Nick Hall,
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: backup center guard, was listed at 6 feet, looked about 5'11.
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  Speaker 2: He's built like a fire hydrant. But Willie Lampkin has
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  Speaker 2: got incredible lower body strength, and a low man wins
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  Speaker 2: in the National Football League, so keep an eye on him.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: All right, let's go to the defensive side of the ball.
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: Adam Kaplan from the inside. the Birds podcast. You are
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: going to be down Hunt. We're not sure about Grenard.
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  Speaker 1: He looks closer. But what did you think of Ebiketi
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  Speaker 1: Epinesa in stepping in for Hunt?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so, boy, that injury looked bad. Yeah. My sense
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  Speaker 2: is it might have been more of a knee hyperextension,
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  Speaker 2: like Quinnian Mitchell, the week before Mitchell, when I was
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  Speaker 2: playing last week, did miss a game. But that ankle thing, look,
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  Speaker 2: didn't look good. But, yeah, thankfully it's not a serious injury,
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  Speaker 2: as we understand it right now. We'll see when it
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  Speaker 2: will be available. But abacate, as it's pronounced by the Eagles,
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  Speaker 2: I was surprised by that. I've called them abacate for
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: five or four years, but it's abacatey. He looked good.
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  Speaker 2: He had three really good rushes. One of them, he
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  Speaker 2: shocked the guy. He got him in the chest. He
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: looked good. That was encouraging. Epinesa's not really a pass rusher.
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: He's a run-down guy. He's got better as a pass rusher.
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  Speaker 2: You're not putting him in there to rush the passer.
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  Speaker 2: He's a run-down player. Evocati's first guy up until Hunt's back.
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: And then also with Grenard, let's see. Grenard, I know
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  Speaker 2: he worked out for the game. I would need to
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: caution people. Just be careful of the speculation on injuries.
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  Speaker 2: Grenard put thumbs down, I'm told. He knew he wasn't ready.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: Is he going to be ready? It's an ankle injury.
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: You can't have a setback. It's like people assuming that
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: Devontae Smith is playing this week. Do you know something
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: Eagles don't know? They don't know that he's playing this week.
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: I told you last week, watch Dallas Goddard. They feel
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: pretty good about it. Hamstring injury and ankle injuries, you
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: don't know until you get through the practice week. Plus,
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: they're setbacks. I learned that from Mike Shanahan decades ago.
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  Speaker 2: Be careful just assuming guys are back. I don't do
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  Speaker 2: that until Friday.
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  Speaker 1: All right. We did hint at the top, Campbell versus Trotter.
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  Speaker 1: That could be something that we see more of Trotter.
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  Speaker 1: You wonder what that will do for the defense, though,
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: having Trotter out there as opposed to Campbell.
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  Speaker 2: He is such a processor. He's another guy like the
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: Kobe Dean. He sees it before it happens. Campbell's still
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: swimming out there. Inconsistent defense. I just can't emphasize this enough.
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  Speaker 2: Coaches don't like rotating at any position. There are situation roles,
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  Speaker 2: as I explained earlier, Mike, but this is not good.
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  Speaker 2: We'll see. You know, is it Campbell? Is it going
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  Speaker 2: to be one and a half to one? How is
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: he going to do this for deciding? Now, also, it's
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: up to Vic and Bobby King, the linebackers coach, whoever
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: they think is doing well, We'll probably play more. That's
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: just the way it is. Trotter is a better football
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: player now. That's what the tape tells us. Inside the birds,
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: it's not even debatable. He's a better football player. Campbell's
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: way bigger. And Campbell, also, you should know, Mike, lined
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: up at edge rush a little bit. More of a
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: run guy, a little bit into edge rush. Stout now
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: a little bit, but we'll see on Campbell. The jury's
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: out here, no doubt about it.
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: They got the debut for Kenny Moore, and what did
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: he add to the team?
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: You know what? He did a good job. Vic talked
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: about it. He's never played a position in his life,
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: and in fact, Vic told folks when he was asked
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: about it, he never guaranteed he'd play safety. He said,
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: we'll see down the road. He claimed he never watched
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: tape again anymore. I find that hard to believe, but
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: I don't think Vic's going to lie. I'll trust and
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: tell the truth. But it wasn't too bad. Mike, they're
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: just running out of players we don't know yet on
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: Marcus Epps with that great injury. Michael Carter with his injury.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: We don't know about that. They're just running out of players, Mike.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: Coop's playing more safety than Nichols, depending on the week.
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: And Andre Samson, I forgot about that. He got hurt,
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: if you remember. They do have Carl Wisniewski, the rookie,
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: who they cut. He went to the practice squad. He's
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: a very tall safety. He's too tall. But that's it, Mike.
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: They don't have anyone else. I'm interested to see the
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: workout list this week to see if they work anyone
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: out and sign anyone.
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: All right, well, keep an eye on that. And, of course,
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: everything happening with the Eagles, you can check out on
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: the Inside the Birds podcast and Football at Four right
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: here on the Sports Bash. Adam Kaplan's back on Friday
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: as we take a closer look at the Panthers, who
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: have scored 121 points, 30 points per game this season.
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: We'll get into that. Adam, thanks, man.
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: Thank you.