Tag: Nick Foles

Rookie Preview: Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles, Rookie Notes
Comments

Nick Foles – The Philadelphia Eagles may have found their eventual replacement for Mike Vick. Foles won the backup job over Mike Kafka and Trent Edwards.

The Eagles have high expectations for Cox

Fletcher Cox – The 1st-round pick isn’t expected to start, but he will play a significant role as part of the defensive line rotation. They’ll likely ease him into a more prominent role as the season progresses.

Mychal Kendricks – The 2nd-round pick is expected to start at strong-side linebacker and could be a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.

Brandon Boykin – Boykin may see playing time as the nickel corner, but will make his biggest impact on special teams. He is expected to begin the year as the team’s primary kick returner.

Vinny Curry – Curry was slowed by a high ankle sprain this offseason which may have limited his ability to make an early impact. He’ll be part of the defensive line rotation, but could compete for a starting job by the end of the year.

Damaris Johnson – The undrafted free agent likely won’t see many balls thrown his way, but is expected to be return punts.

Others: running back Chris Polk, running back Bryce Brown, offensive tackle Dennis Kelly

Nick Foles outplays Brandon Weeden

Browns, Eagles, Rookie Notes
Comments

Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Nick Foles outplayed Cleveland Browns rookie Brandon Weeden on Friday night, and it wasn’t all that close.

Source: Matt Sullivan/Getty Images North America

Weeden struggled against the Eagles

Weeden fumbled twice while completing just 9 of his 20 pass attempts. Weeden also did not appear to be on the same page as his No. 1 receiver, completing just one of fourpasses aimed at Greg Little. Both Weeden and Little were visibly frustrated on the field due to their miscommunications on two of the incompletions.

The issue with Weeden was handling Philadelphia’s pass rush, which brought consistent pressure and forced Weeden into multiple mistakes.

Foles, on the other hand, exceeded expectations and likely made Andy Reid feel very comfortable about his quarterback situation. Foles was expected to be Philly’s third string quarterback behind Mike Vick and Mike Kafka, but could now push Kafka for the backup job.

Against the Browns Foles looked poised under pressure, especially for a rookie, and completed 12 of 19 passes for 146 yards.

Nick Foles will start for Eagles on Friday

Eagles, Rookie Notes
Comments

Nick Foles will start Friday’s preseason game for the Philadelphia Eagles, filling in for Michael Vick. While Vick appears to be fine, the Eagles simply don’t want to risk any further injury in the final two preseason games.

On Friday, the Eagles will fave the Browns, who have allowed just 329 through the air and have picked off five passes through two games, so this may actually prove to be a good test for the rookie quarterback.

Nick Foles scouting report

Scouting Reports - 2012
Comments
Nick Foles QB Arizona #8
Ht: 6’5″

Wt: 240

  
Strengths:
Elite height. Decent athleticism for his size; can avoid pass rushing ends and tackles relatively consistently. Looks good throwing on the run. Strong fundamentally; no significant flaws in throwing motion. Quick release. Above average accuracy on short and intermediate routes. Does a nice job going through his progressions; not afraid to check down. Made significant improvement in decision making from junior to senior year; cut down on number of times he forces the ball into tight coverage.
Weaknesses:
Quick release is a plus, but also has a tendency to rush when pressured; leads to poor decisions and inaccurate throws. Gets happy feet when pressured consistently; needs to learn to remain calm and patient, even when offensive line is struggling. Kind of an awkward athlete; reasonably mobile, but takes a lot of false steps and just doesn’t look fluid moving around in the pocket. One-year wonder? Very inconsistent until second-half of senior year.
Comments:
Assessing Foles’ NFL future is extremely difficult due to his Jekyll and Hyde routine. At times, Foles looks lost; at other times he flashes NFL starter ability. However, it wasn’t until relatively late in his senior year that he began to show any consistency. This could be a great sign, indicating that his best football is still ahead of him. Or it could be a fluke; nothing more than a string of good games, to be followed up in the future by a string of mediocre performances. Given his size, decent athleticism and improvement late in his career he definitely deserves a shot at the next level. However, his late-season performance in 2011 will likely lead to a lot of hype, and he simply doesn’t have the body of work to warrant the praise.
Videos:
2011 vs Arizona State (great example of the good Foles)
2011 vs Oklahoma State (great example of the shaky, inconsistent Foles)