Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Schwartz prepping for change against content Cowboys
PHILADELPHIA » Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz got a question he didn’t have to dodge in his final scheduled press availability of the season Tuesday at the NovaCare Complex.
Are you preparing for the Cowboys’ starters or the backups?
“Well, we’ve got to prepare for both,” Schwartz said. “And we probably have to prepare for three different quarterbacks, not just (Dak) Prescott, who we’ve already played once and have a lot of film on. But (Tony) Romo, who has a track record — if they play him — and then (Mark) Sanchez. So it does spread you a little bit thin.”
Sanchez, too? Now, that’s tough.
With the Cowboys having wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and the Eagles guessing who the head coach was the only time they’ve reached the playoffs the last six years (Chip Kelly), the New Year’s day contest has only slightly more meaning than a preseason game.
Yet Schwartz deflected questions about the performance of his defense, acting as if the opposing quarterback could make much of a difference this Sunday.
“We only get 16 opportunities, and anything that you get ahead of yourself before, when you still have games to play, doesn’t do enough respect to this game,” Schwartz said. “I sort of envy the NBA, the way they can sit guys for a game and even MLB. You look up and your name is not in the lineup that day because it’s a day game after a night game or something. Football is not that way. We’ve got to give each game the respect that it deserves.” The Eagles’ deficiencies on defense are obvious. They need two starting cornerbacks, a certified pass rusher and a linebacker. If Bennie Logan exits in free agency, which seems likely unless he takes a hometown discount, add a tackle.
It’s hard to imagine the Eagles’ coaches can glean much from the last game of a season notable for breaking in rookie cornerback Jalen Mills, who still isn’t ready, and defensive tackle Destiny Vaeao.
Schwartz innocently offered an evaluation of one player, linebacker Stephen Tulloch. The Eagles signed Tulloch to a $2.5 million contract before the season. He’d spent a chunk of his career playing under Schwartz but has barely featured with the Eagles.
“Stephen is a very respected guy in our locker room and in our meeting rooms,” Schwartz said. “He prepares every week as though he’s going to play every single play. He works really hard on the practice field.
“He has found a way to contribute to this team even though he hasn’t been on the field a ton. But if he needed to be, we would have full confidence that he could go out and play every snap of the game and be productive.
Tulloch has been credited with six tackles in 11 games.
••• Dan Shonka, who operates Ourlads.com Guide To The NFL Draft, thinks the Eagles can address the wide receiver position in the upcoming lottery.
The talented group includes Cooper Kupp (6-0, 190) of Eastern Washington, a super-productive receiver with superior hands and route-running ability that Shonka feels would mesh perfectly with Carson Wentz.
If Kupp runs a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, he won’t make it to the second round of the draft.
First round possibilities include Mike Williams (63, 205) of Clemson, Corey Davis (6-3, 205) of Western Michigan and Courtland Sutton, (6-3, 205) of SMU.
Wentz has had to make do with an underperforming cast of receivers including Nelson Agholor, who has played better down the homestretch but not nearly at the level of a starter.
“One thing I know about Nelson is he practices hard, he plays hard,” offensive coordinator Frank Reich said of Agholor. “And I’ll still maintain that I think good things are going to come his way.”
Agholor, a first-round pick in 2015, has averaged 10.1 yards on 36 receptions, two for touchdowns.
••• NOTES » The Eagles put running back Ryan Mathews (neck) on injured reserve. ... Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jason Peters leads the Eagles with 13 penalties. Ten are false starts, three holding penalties. Center Jason Kelce is next with nine penalties, including six holds.