Wake-Up Call: Coleman Backs DeSean
Kurt Coleman defended former teammate DeSean Jackson on his way out the door.
Coleman, who has agreed to terms with the Vikings, joined NFL Radio on Sirius XM Monday and talked about Jackson’s release and the notion that he was a problem in the locker room.
“I think Philadelphia is going to miss him big time,” said Coleman. “I find it troubling to hear some of the stories — and I don’t know who is really putting them out there. I thought DeSean was a good guy in the locker room. He was someone I could talk to and could relate to.
“Did he kind of do his own thing? Yeah. But we kind of all do our own thing in our own way. But when it came game time I would talk to him every game and I would ask him, ‘Is 10-mode on?’ And there was no question. He would give 100 percent. He would take those big hits for the team. And he was one of those guys that you wanted to play every Sunday because the explosiveness, the X-factor that he brought to a team is [unmatched]. I think Philadelphia is going to miss him.”
Coleman is the second former teammate to back Jackson in recent days. On Saturday, LeSean McCoy disputed the narrative that Jackson was a malcontent that needed to go.
“I think anybody that tells you that they’re happy about it, I don’t know how honest that would be,” McCoy said.
A report by CBS Philly portrayed Jackson as “blatantly insubordinate” and quoted unnamed Eagles sources that suggested the receiver was more trouble than he was worth. That feeling was not shared by everyone in the building.
“I can’t say anything bad about him,” said Coleman. “I think it’s unfortunate the rap that he got.”
The Eagles have yet to comment on the matter.
WHAT YOU MISSED
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WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Malcolm Jenkins served in an analyst role for the NFL Network Monday and provided some candid thoughts on his new NFC East rivals, including the Cowboys and their porous defense. From Philly.com.
“A couple years ago, their scapegoat was Rob Ryan, and they got rid of him, and he was the cause of all their problems. He went to New Orleans and took the worst defense in NFL history and turned them into a top 5 defense. So he couldn’t have been the problem.
And then you look at this year, I had the best seat in the house when I watched the Saints get 40 first downs in one game. Forty. In one game. So it must be the players.”
Geoff Mosher mocks Utah corner/safety Keith McGill to the Eagles in the second round.
This hybrid fits Kelly’s blueprint for tall, lengthy, athletic defensive backs. He has great size along with 33 1/4-inch arms and he clocked a 4.52 in the 40, which is exceptional for an athlete his size. McGill specializes in man-press coverage and has a Richard Sherman-like skill set.
McGill can push for a starting job at either corner or safety — probably corner — in Year 1 and eventually take over as a starter by 2015, after the coaches have refined his technique and footwork.
COMING UP
Twenty-three days until the draft. A lot to get to.