Eagles Leftovers: Bell, Asomugha And Bowles
As we kill time before kickoff tonight, here are some notes and quotes from the last week or two that I haven’t been able to fit into a post until now.
Also, don’t forget that we’ll be chatting the game, starting at 8 p.m.
HOW BELL IS RESPONDING
After the first Steelers’ preseason game, left tackle Demetress Bell was demoted to the second team in favor of King Dunlap. Count me among those who don’t buy Andy Reid’s explanation that this was a pre-planned move and simple training camp competition.
The truth is, if Bell reaches his full potential, he’s a better left tackle than Dunlap. Does that mean Bell is definitely going to be the starter in Week 1 against the Browns? Of course not. If he’s not good enough, Dunlap will get the nod. But I still think Reid and Howard Mudd prefer to see Bell improve and be the guy.
I asked Todd Herremans how Bell has responded since he’s been bumped to the second team.
“With Demetress right now, I think it’s just adjusting to the scheme of things and the new techniques that Howard’s trying to give him,” said right tackle Todd Herremans. “A lot of times, when you’re trying to transition from one to another, you kind of slow your game down so you seem like you’re playing a little slower than you know you can. I think he just needs to get comfortable with the scheme and everything, and once he gets comfortable with that, he’ll be able to start flying around a little more.”
Herremans’ explanation goes hand-in-hand with what Mudd said about Danny Watkins as a rookie and what we saw from Bell in the first game. When he got beat, it was with speed around the edge from Steelers pass-rushers.
I also asked Herremans how tough it is to get adjusted to Mudd’s system, considering he seemed to do it pretty well while making the move from guard to tackle last summer.
“It’s tough. I think I actually get credited a little much,” he said. “Playing guard for Juan [Castillo] is very similar to playing tackle for Howard, so I think that helped me in the transition process, as to where Demetress was coming from Buffalo and playing tackle one way and trying to learn it another way. I think that’s probably a little bit different for him.”
HOW BOWLES IS HELPING ASOMUGHA
I’ve written in the past that Nnamdi Asomugha and new secondary coach Todd Bowles seem to have formed a good relationship. They’re around each other quite a bit on the practice field and on the sidelines. Asomugha likes picking Bowles’ brain as he continues to learn a new role that’s different than the one he was in with the Raiders.
“He doesn’t just know secondary stuff, he knows entire defense stuff, so he kind of gets me ready for where to fit when I’m playing inside,” Asomugha said. “He’s helped me out a lot with my inside game. Last year, that was completely new to me, playing dime, playing nickel. Juan’s keeping that going this year a little bit so that’s where Coach Bowles has come in a lot with me and he’s helped me out.”
As we’ve written previously, don’t expect Asomugha to line up at right cornerback and play man coverage all game. The Eagles still plan on using him in different ways.
“He’s kind of given me a crash course on some things that I went through the whole season last year not even knowing, and they’re just the basic things,” Asomugha said. “So it’s good to have him in here, a guy that’s familiar with putting guys inside, especially a taller guy inside.”