Archive for August, 2015

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Eagles: Mychal Kendricks agree to 4 Year Extension

August 26th, 2015 by Ryan Waterman | 1 Comment | Filed in Eagles, General, NFL

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The talk of the Philly Sports World on Monday afternoon was the dangerous, and potentially illegal tackle on Eagles QB Sam Bradford during Saturday’s preseason battle with the Baltimore Ravens. Almost slipping through the cracks late Monday afternoon, was the news that the Eagles had locked-up a cornerstone piece of their defense for the foreseeable future. The team announced on Monday that they had come to terms on a 4 Year, $29 Million contract extension with Mychal Kendricks, thus keeping him in Eagles green through the 2019 season.

Kendricks, a second-round pick in 2012 out of UCLA, has been a major focal point of the Eagles defense since arriving. In 42 career games (40 of which were starts), Kendricks has compiled 333 tackles (15 for loss), nine sacks, three interceptions, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. In his rookie season, Kendricks finished third on the team in tackles, with 88. The following year, the UCLA product established himself as the spark plug of the Eagles defense, tallying a career high 137 tackles, coupled with three interceptions. Last season, he missed four games. But, he was still able to finish second on the team in tackles with 108, including a career high 16 tackles vs the Seahawks.

Entering the offseason, there was a ton of whispering regarding Kendricks’ status. That whispering became full-blown speculation, when the Eagles moved LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills for young phenom Kiko Alonso. Earlier this month, Chip Kelly had hoped to quiet the speculation by stating bluntly that “Mychal Kendricks is going nowhere”. Based off of Kelly’s past history, fans and insiders refused to believe those comments. So, it seemed that the Eagles had no choice but to extend Kendricks, to quiet the rumor mill.

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MLB Has a New Domestic Violence Policy

August 23rd, 2015 by AmyMac | Comments Off on MLB Has a New Domestic Violence Policy | Filed in Baseball, General, MLB
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Baseball Commisioner Rob Mandred is working to decrease incidents of domestic violence.

It seems that every year, we see more and more professional athletes investigated for (and sometimes charged with) domestic assault. While the incidents of off-the-field violence provide us a a small look into the abuse from which so many suffer every single day, consequences for the offenders seldom set an appropriate example. Professional athletes have historically had a knack for getting slaps on the wrist for both misdemeanor and felony assault. Up until very recently, professional sports organizations haven’t done nearly enough to administer discipline to these players.

This past Friday, Major League Baseball and the players’ union announced a new policy that involves the intervention, discipline, and treatment for players associated with domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault. MLB issued the following statement:

“The Commissioner’s Office will implement additional policies to cover Minor League players, as well as everyone employed by a Major League or Minor League club, and the Commissioner’s Office, and the MLBPA will also implement an all-encompassing domestic abuse policy for its staff.”

There will now be resources for those players (and their families) involved in abuse or violent incidents. The focus will be to provide education, intervention, and discipline. It’s worth noting that other professional organizations (looking at you, NFL) have had a greater number of known violent incidents than Major League Baseball has had.

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Philadelphia Eagles depth chart released

August 15th, 2015 by Sam Shipley | Comments Off on Philadelphia Eagles depth chart released | Filed in Eagles, General, NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles have released the first depth chart of the 2015 season in advance of the teams first preseason game this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is this depth chart is in every sense of the meaning: unofficial. Chip Kelly does not really have anything to do with the depth chart, and even noted in a press conference recently that the depth chart will be handled by director of public relations Derek Boyko.

Here is the full 90-man depth chart:

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Report: Eagles, Bradford discussing contract extension

August 4th, 2015 by Sam Shipley | Comments Off on Report: Eagles, Bradford discussing contract extension | Filed in Eagles, NFL, Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles and newly acquired quarterback Sam Bradford are having discussions about a contract extension that would lock up the quarterback in Philadelphia beyond the 2015 season.

The news was first reported by ESPN’s Ed Werder earlier this morning:

Bradford is scheduled to make just under $13 million this season.

The contract extension is a good move for the Eagles, depending on the terms, but is a very risky move for Bradford. If Bradford gets hurt this season or does not play well at all, the extension guarantees him money and security for at least one more season.

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Kelly says Eagles will not trade Mychal Kendricks

August 2nd, 2015 by Sam Shipley | Comments Off on Kelly says Eagles will not trade Mychal Kendricks | Filed in Eagles, General, NFL

In his opening press conference of training camp, Chip Kelly shot down any remaining rumors about linebacker Mychal Kendricks. According to Kelly, the Eagles are not trading Kendricks, and told reporters to “write that down in ink”.

The quote from Kelly backs up a report from CSN’s Derrick Gunn, who reported last night that the Eagles are likely to keep Mychal Kendricks.

With Kendricks staying, the Eagles depth at inside linebacker remains a strong point for the team with Alonso, Ryans, and rookie Jordan Hicks all expected to be on the roster come week one.  It still should be noted that Kendricks still has not been approached by the Eagles regarding a contract extension.

Keeping Kendricks is with out a doubt the best move going forward for the Eagles. There is no denying the talent that Kendricks brings to the football field, and the idea of having newcomer Kiko Alonso paired with Kendricks has many Eagles fans very excited.

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Eagles trade Brandon Boykin to Steelers

August 2nd, 2015 by Sam Shipley | Comments Off on Eagles trade Brandon Boykin to Steelers | Filed in Eagles, Football, NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles have traded cornerback Brandon Boykin to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to multiple reports. The news has also been officially announced by the Eagles.

In return, the Eagles will be receiving a conditional 2016 fifth-round draft pick, which could turn into a fourth-round pick according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan.

Boykin was never able to crack a outside starting spot in his tenure with the Eagles. He was used primarily as a slot corner in nickel formation, despite being hopeful for an opportunity to start. The writing seemed to be on the wall for Boykin last season when he was never able to start on the outside over Bradley Fletcher or Cary Williams. Chip Kelly and Billy Davis prefer tall and long cornerbacks, a prototype that Boykin does not fit.

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Philadelphia Flyers & Jakub Voracek Agree to Massive, Eight Year Contract

August 1st, 2015 by Ryan Waterman | Comments Off on Philadelphia Flyers & Jakub Voracek Agree to Massive, Eight Year Contract | Filed in Flyers, General, Hockey

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It’s the end of July, which is usually associated with the MLB and their trade deadline. This time period, also just happens to fall in the middle of the NHL’s offseason. Lost in the shuffle of the Phillies active deadline week, another Philly team has quietly made some quality moves to lock up some of their young studs. Earlier this week, the team re-signed lockdown center Sean Couturier to a six-year extension. Yesterday evening, news broke that the Flyers locked up another key piece of their young core. The team announced that they had signed forward Jakub Voracek to an eight-year, $66.5 million dollar contract.

This was a significant move, that was necessary for the team’s long-term success. Voracek was a huge piece of the limited success the Flyers had last season. In a breakout season, Jake tallied 22 goals, and 59 assists, good for a 4th place tie in points last year. He was also highly effective on the power-play last season, finishing with 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists). He really came into his own last season, and stepped up as one of the leaders on this team. Paired with Claude Giroux, Voracek helps make one of the most explosive duos in hockey. Often compared to the Malkin/Crosby duo in Pittsburgh, or the Kane/Toews duo in Chicago, the Voracek/Giroux duo may not seem all that impressive. Digging deeper into things, the duo of G & Voracek have actually outscored the duo of Kane/Toews over the last three seasons, by a margin of 396 points, to 370.

Now that the Flyers have locked up their young guns, their focus will turn towards winning. The team is in a bit of a “retool” mode, and Voracek stepping up as a leader will make things easier as far as a veteran presence in the locker room. At the young age of 25, Voracek will be entering his 8th season in the league. He’s been around the block more than a few times, and has gathered some playoff experience in his time as a Flyer. At an annual value of $8.25 million per season, there are high expectations coming with this contract. Jake is strongly expected to be one of the players, that will help end Philadelphia’s Stanley Cup drought of 40 years. With a big contract, comes big expectations. He’ll be expected to meet those expectations, or he can expect to hear it from the Philly faithful.

Overall though, this is a good signing for the Flyers. Ron Hextall has done everything right in his tenure as GM, to this point. He’s centered his focus on re-tooling for the future. He’s not admitting defeat, yet he’s also admitted that the team will remain competitive. Hexy has set this team up for long-term success, and it shows from his patience with the prospects, to his ability to secure long-term commitments from the young studs. With Voracek and “Coots” already locked up, I personally have to wonder where Brayden Schenn. Is he next in line for a long-term payday? Or, will Schenn find himself on a new team by this time next year? Only time will tell, and I for one, am looking forward to what this team has in store for us this upcoming season. If you check back towards the end of August, and I will have my “Official Flyers Season Preview” up for your viewing pleasure.

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