Eagles Player On Trial

17 07 2009

by Michael DeLuca

Closing arguments are scheduled to be given today in the case against Philadelphia Eagles CB Jack Ikegwuonu. Ikegwuonu and his twin brother, Bill, were charged with residential burglary and criminal trespassing. The brothers claim to have just been looking for a party, despite the fact that Safyian Baba, who lived in the home, claims to have discovered them in his residence holding an XBOX (the old kind). Apparently, Bill  Ikegwuonu was an acquaintance of Baba’s roommate, Michael Britton. Bill claimed that the two had discussed going to a party earlier in the evening and that he was dropping by to see if Britton had finished work yet. Britton testified that he neither had plans with nor had spoken to either brother that evening. In a seperate trial, in April, Bill was (somehow) found not guilty.

Jack Ikegwuonu was selected him in the fourth round, as the 131st overall selection out of Wisconsin by the Philadelphia Eagles. He missed the entire 2008 season with a knee injury that was suffered in pre-draft workouts.  Had he not been injured, he was expected to be a 2nd round pick.

Ikegwuonu has run into trouble on numerous occasions. Last November, a picture surfaced of him with a bong and prescription pills crushed into a powder (see below). Should he be found guilty of the burglary and trespassing chargers, the Eagles can expect to be without his services for at least another season.

jack

Update:  According to Ikegwuonu’s agent Drew Rosenhaus’ Twitter page, Jack was found not guilty on all charges.  Here is Rosenhaus quote, “I’m happy for our client Jack Ikegwuonu who was acquitted of all charges filed against him. Justice prevailed as Jack was found not guilty.”


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Eagles To Nab Defensive End?

16 07 2009

by Michael DeLuca

The NFL’s supplemental draft will be held today.  Supplemental draft bids are submitted via e-mail and the team willing to give up the highest selection in next year’s draft gets the player.  Philadelphia has worked out and is said to have interest in Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon.  It’s been speculated that they would use a 5th round selection to acquire him.

Jarmon was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for testing positive for a banned substance.  He reportedly has told NFL teams what it was that he tested positive for, though he declines to disclose it publicly.  “I told the NFL teams that have called that I don’t even have a speeding ticket,” Jarmon said. “If they take me they’re not going to have any off-the-field problems.”

PCPTAKE:  Jarmon was projected as a late third to early fourth round pick in the 2009 draft, had he remained in the player pool rather than deciding to return to Kentucky.  He has the third most sacks in Kentucky school history and the Birds are always looking for pass rushers to add to their rotation.  A 5th round pick is a pretty fair price, especially for a team who made very few additions on the defensive side of the ball this offseason.

UPDATE:  Jarmon was the only player selected in the supplemental draft.  Adam Schefter is reporting that he went to the Redskins with their 3rd round pick and that the Detroit Lions were poised to take him with their 4th round selection.


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Vegas Speaks: Eagles Are NFC Favorites

11 07 2009

by Michael DeLuca

Vegas odds makers have released the betting lines for the upcoming Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles are philadelphia-eagles-logo8.5 to 1 to win it all. That slightly bests the NY Giants, who come in at 9 to 1. Though the Eagles are the NFC favorites, the bookmakers apparently feel that the three strongest teams this year are in the NFC. The New England Patriots, with returning superstar Tom Brady, are the favorites to win it all at 4 to 1. The defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers come in at 6 to 1. Last but not least, the San Diego Chargers have been given 8 to 1 odds to win this year’s title.


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Kolb Trade Speculation

17 06 2009

by Michael DeLuca

Chris Wesseling of Rotoworld.com has speculated on the possibility that, with a new pay raise in tow for Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, the team may be willing to entertain offers for backup QB Kevin Kolb. Both kolbMcNabb’s and Kolb’s contracts are set to expire following the 2010 season. Wesseling suggests that a second rounder might get the job done and that the St. Louis Rams would be a good fit, pointing out that Rams Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur was Kolb’s QB coach in Philly and that incumbent starter Marc Bulger’s time is running short.

PCPTAKE: Again, this is purely speculation and highly unlikely. While the Rams might be a good fit, the Eagles would be unlikely to deal Kolb. A second round selection is intriguing though, since the Rams could very well be the worst team in the league this year and that pick could be #33 overall!


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Jail-Bird?

15 06 2009

Jack Ikegwuonu wants both his legal and his leg problems behind him, and it’s possible they could be in his rearview mirror by the time he arrives for the start of training camp late next month at Lehigh University.

The Eagles’ second-year cornerback is scheduled to finally get his day in court July 2 in DeKalb County, Ill., 35586where he and his twin brother, Bill, were charged with residential burglary and criminal trespass Nov. 26, 2006.

“It has lingered for a long time,” Ikegwuonu said after a workout last week at the NovaCare Complex. “We’ve been unfairly prosecuted for three years, and it’s really unfortunate that they decided to take this to court because no one but [the prosecutor] wanted to take it to court. It’s unfortunate that we got ourselves in this situation.”

Ikegwuonu is confident that he will be acquitted of the charges mainly because that was the result of his brother’s case in April.

“My brother’s case went extremely well, and my case is the same thing,” Ikegwuonu said. “[Bill] went to court, and the jury came back in like 20 minutes – not guilty. I guess they were going to come back sooner, but the judge said, ‘You have to take a little bit of time and think about it.’ It’s really ridiculous and a joke that they’re taking it to court.”

According to the Daily Chronicle, a DeKalb County newspaper, Safyian Baba testified at Bill Ikegwuonu’s trial that the incident involving the twin brothers was a “misunderstanding.” Baba, the renter of the home that allegedly was burglarized, also testified that he tried to drop the charges shortly after the incident. Baba told the court he had since become friends with Bill Ikegwuonu, who played football at Northern Illinois University.

Prosecutors in Bill Ikegwuonu’s case said that the two brothers broke into the home and were discovered by Baba at 2 a.m., possibly holding an Xbox system that belonged in the home.

Julie Trevarthen, the DeKalb County prosecutor who tried Bill Ikegwuonu’s case and will also prosecute Jack Ikegwuonu’s case, said there are some disparities between the two.

“There are differences in the evidence,” Trevarthen said by phone. “There are differences in the statements made by Jack versus his brother. I can tell you Jack’s statements are much stronger in terms of being beneficial to the state.”

Trevarthen said the criminal-trespass charge is a Class 1 felony with a mandatory jail sentence of four to 15 years should Ikegwuonu be convicted. She said there is no chance for probation.

Article by Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer – Click Here For Full Article


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Philadelphia Eagles: Position Battles

12 06 2009

With the two week long minicamp wrapping up with Thursday’s practice at the NovaCare Complex, Philadelphia_Eagles_helmetGeoff Mosher takes a quick look at the Philadelphia Eagles position battles, saying…

•One of the most scrutinized position jockeys next month will be in the secondary, where second-year pro Quintin Demps hopes to fend off free-agent signee Sean Jones.

•The running back battle between Lorenzo Booker and LeSean McCoy. Ankle rehab will likely sideline Brian Westbrook, giving Reid an honest look at McCoy, the second-round pick, and the incumbent Booker. If neither stands out, the team could be forced to acquire veteran help. Read the rest of this entry »


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Eagles Make Questionable Move

12 06 2009

by Michael DeLuca

According to ESPN’s Michael Smith, Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to restructure the final two years of his contract instead of giving him the contract extension he had been seeking. Apparently, the Eagles are so opposed to the idea of having players play into their 30’s that they’d rather pay extra than have the mcnabb-5option to utilize them in the future.  McNabb is a was due to make $9.2 million this season and $10 million next season.  The new deal is reportedly for $24.5 million, with another $1 million in potential incentives.

At a time when players such as Sheldon Brown and Shawn Andrews are griping about their contracts, which are much more offensive than McNabb’s, it is odd the team chose to go in this direction.  In addition, why not at least have the option for an additional year if you are going to cough up the coin?  This move should only create additional animosity in the locker room, not to mention it makes McNabb that much more difficult to trade should that be the direction the team decided to go next offseason.


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Philadelphia Eagles: Ingram Locked Up

10 06 2009

by Michael DeLuca

And then there were two.  The Philadelphia Eagles locked up yet another member of their 2009 draft class, agreeing to cornelius-ingramterms with fifth round pick TE Cornelius Ingram on a four-year deal worth just a bit over $1.9 million.  The signing bonus is believed to be approximately $183,000.  The Birds have now signed six of their eight selections and only their top two picks, WR Jeremy Maclin and RB LeSean McCoy remain unsigned.

Ingram is noted as an athletic pass catching tight end from the University of Florida.  The former Gator has looked impressive during OTA practices thus far and figures to hold down the backup spot to Brent Celek, though there are some rublings that he could compete as the starter. Ingram would have to improve his run blocking if that were to occur.  Ingram was out out the game for the entire 2008 season after suffering a torn ACL last summer.


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Philadelphia Eagles Eyeing Defensive End

9 06 2009

Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, ruled ineligible by the NCAA for testing positive for a banned substance, confirmed Monday morning that he will enter the NFL’s supplemental draft on July 16.

jeremy_jarmon_actionJarmon will have a pro day in Lexington on July 9. Kentucky now has no defensive ends on its roster who have made a college tackle.

Jarmon has told NFL teams what he tested positive for, though he declines to disclose it publicly.

“I told the NFL teams that have called that I don’t even have a speeding ticket,” Jarmon said. “If they take me they’re not going to have any off-the-field problems.”

Jarmon, who was driving to a training facility, will fly to Philadelphia on Tuesday for a meeting and a physical with the Eagles.

Article by Joe Schad of ESPN – Click Here For Full Article

PCPTAKE:  Jarmon was projected as a late third to early fourth round pick in the 2009 draft had remained in the player pool rather than deciding to return to Kentucky.  He has the third most sacks in Kentucky school history and the Birds are always looking for pass rushers to add to their rotation.  Supplemental draft bids are submitted via e-mail and the team willing to give up the highest selection in next year’s draft gets the player.


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Philadelphia Eagles Ink Three

7 06 2009

“Training camp is still more than a month away and the Eagles are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the newest Eagles are in camp on time.

323On Saturday, the team agreed to terms on four-year contracts with three of their 2009 draft class selections — defensive back Macho Harris, offensive tackle Fenuki Tupou and receiver Brandon Gibson. Harris and Tupou were selected in the fifth round, while Gibson was drafted in the sixth round.

A 2008 first-team All-America selection and a two-time first-team All-ACC honoree, Harris was a consistent playmaker at cornerback during his four-year career at Virginia Tech. He posted 15 interceptions for the Hokies, returning four for touchdowns, and also saw action as a returner and wide receiver.

Tupou twice garnered All-Mid Empire Conference honors at Sierra College from 2004-05, before transferring to Oregon in 2006. He was a two-time All-Pac 10 selection as a left tackle at Oregon.

Gibson finished his four-year career at Washington State as the school’s all-time leading receiver after registering 2,756 yards and 17 touchdowns on 182 receptions.

Five draft picks remain to be signed, including first-day picks Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy. Rookies and selected veterans are expected to report to training camp at Lehigh University on July 26.”

Click Here For Full Article by Bob Kent


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