Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Meeting with Seahawks special for Maragos
Chris Maragos said the Eagles just wanted him more than his former team, the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.
Chris Maragos evaded the obvious question. The Eagles’ specialteams standout didn’t feel unwanted by the Seahawks, who the Eagles oppose Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
Rather, t he Eagles wanted him more. Look at the impact Maragos has made on special teams, which has scored six touchdowns so far, and the three-year, $4.05 million contract ($1.55 million guaranteed) they handed him was a bargain.
Each week special teams seems to establish another standard.
Maragos has one of the touchdowns, as he rolled into the end zone with a punt blocked by James Casey. He’s blocked a punt, one of three on the season for the Eagles, who also have snuffed a field goal and a PAT attempt, both by Brandon Bair.
This is the game Maragos, who in his third and final season with the Seahawks, helped them win a Super Bowl circled on his calendar, right?
“I think the bulls-eye they bring out is just because they’re a good team,” Maragos said. “You could say defending champs or whatever. That doesn’t matter, it’s a new year. They’re a good football team. They execute in all phases. And that’s why there’s a bulls eye on them. You have to go out there and play well. That’s why you have to go out there and prepare every day. I wouldn’t say be-
“I think the bulls-eye they bring out is just because they are a good team. You could say defending champs or whatever. That doesn’t matter, it’s a new year. They’re a good football team.” — Eagles Chris Maragos on the Seahawks.
cause they’re the Super Bowl champions. It’s because they’re a good team and we have to execute against them.”
Maragos isn’t the only addition to special teams. Darren Sproles has returned two punts for touchdowns. Linebacker Bryan Braman blocked a punt. Bair is a force on the kick-block team.
But Maragos’ preparation and knowledge of how special teams works has been invaluable. When, for example, Chris Polk and Josh Huff scored on kickoff returns, Maragos just happened to be in the picture.
Maragos (5-10, 200) wasn’t recruited out of high school. Western Michigan was the only college that invited him to walk on. Two years into the experience Maragos said he connected on Facebook with Luke Swan, a receiver who had walked on at the University of Wisconsin.
“I asked him if he’d take my film to the head coach and he said he’d look at it. And he did,” Maragos said. “I got a call, got invited to training camp, switched to defense and got put on scholarship my fifth year in college. I was the team captain for the Badgers. I went undrafted in the NFL. Kind of real similar and here we are today.”
Maragos’ career began with the 49ers, where he played in three games. The last two seasons he played in all 16 games for the Seahawks, including the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks have played awful special teams this season, with the exception of kicker Stephen Hauschka. They’ve had a punt returned for a touchdown, and another one blocked for a score. This week they could pay the price for being thrifty.
“You compete with those guys and now you get to compete against them,” Maragos said. “Obviously it’s exciting to do that. But honestly, and I think I can say this wholeheartedly, it just comes down to playing the next game. It’s the next game on the schedule. Obviously it’s people that I’m familiar with, but it’s an important game for our team.”
••• The Eagles (9-3) can clinch the NFC East championship with wins over the Seahawks (8-4) and next week, the Cowboys (9-4).
In that scenario, the Eagles would win the headto-head tiebreaker even if the Cowboys matched their win total.
••• LeSean McCoy is looking forward to passing Wilbert Montgomery on the alltime Eagles rushing list.
McCoy needs 48 yards to do it.
McCoy still has a sense a humor. Asked about the college coaching interest in Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, who reportedly was sought by the University of Florida, McCoy grinned.
“I would call Chip, too, if I was Florida,” he said. “Chip’s rolling right now.”
••• The Eagles listed tight end Trey Burton questionable for the Seahawks with a sore hamstring.
Burton and kicker Cody Parkey, nursing a groin injury, were the limited participants at the light Friday practice.
Parkey is probable on the injury report along with linebacker Emmanuel Acho (groin), defensive end Brandon Bair (elbow) and Polk (ankle).
Also, McCoy was excused from practice for personal reasons.