What's in Mosley's Mailbag this weekend?
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Even with the draft in the rearview mirror, you guys have been as prolific as ever in the mailbag. We're well over 4,500 questions right now, which is a Blog Network record, according to sources close to the Beast. I'll be cleaning out The Bag throughout the weekend. Thanks for your undying support:
Dan in Dallas writes: Mosley, where is your interview with Jeremy Maclin that I keep hearing you talk about? That guy is under a ton of pressure to perform in Philly due to the die-hard fans.
Mosley: Dan, we had to postpone that interview last Saturday because of the situation at Valley Ranch. I have Giants first-rounder Hakeem Nicks lined up today and hopefully we'll set up Maclin for Sunday or Monday. And honestly, I think Nicks should feel more pressure than Maclin.
Brian from Des Moines asks: Matt, why are you saying the Jason Peters trade gives the Eagles an extra win or two? If I remember correctly before this trade happened, you were questioning his work ethic. Now he is arguably in the best pass-rushing division in the NFL. What makes you think that he won't take his pay day and return to his pre-contract ways? I have my doubts about an "elite" left tackle whose team won't sign him to a long-term deal. Especially one who is playing for a rebuilding team with a young quarterback to protect. The answer to why a player like him was traded is always "the price was right" by both sides, but you have to wonder if the Bills knew something the Eagles didn't.
Mosley: I just know Peters was on his way to becoming one of the top two or three offensive tackles in the game before last year's holdout. He felt like he'd outperformed his contract in a big way -- and the Eagles agreed. I'm not excusing the way he played last season, but I think he's potentially one of the best in the game. It's a huge upgrade in the running game, and that's an area the Eagles really needed to improve in. But stop by The Bag anytime, Brian. Desperately trying to drive up our numbers in the Greater Des Moines area.
Dan in Princeton, Texas, sent this care package: First, as a Cowboys fan, I just want to say that the NFC East is incredibly lucky to have such a talented reporter covering our division. I'm less than impressed with hundreds of other names out there who blatantly spit their bias into their articles. But then I find myself reading article after article of Mosley's and he's got it right. So I just wanted to say thank you to Matt for doing his job to the fullest. The perfect combination of analysis, reporter and overall sportswriter. I hope this can make its way to him, but if not, you bet I'm going to keep on reading! Now,tell me which rookies impressed you before the awful tragedy last Saturday.
Mosley: Dan, way to stick to the script, although I don't recall seeing the "spit their bias" phrase in there. But seriously, I'm quite familiar with the Princeton area because of my McKinney ties and I'm thrilled to have you as a reader. Before last Saturday's horrifying events, I'd prepared a 1,000-word Cowboys minicamp report. I'll roll that out at some point, but here's a quick synopsis of what I recall: Former Cincinnati safety DeAngelo Smith appears to be a fluid athlete and he gets his hands on a lot of throws...Our friends at the National Football Post don't care for Clemson safetey Michael Hamlin's work much at all, but he was very impressive in snagging low throws, something we haven't seen a lot around here...Stephen Hodge out of TCU is making the transition from safety to linebacker, and he's making it fast. He was a bit awkward in Friday's first session, but by Friday afternoon he was getting his hands on everything...Fourth-round pick Stephen McGee out of Texas A&M appears to have a strong arm and he showed off his athletic ability at times. Needs a lot of polishing, but it's not hard to see the potential. I think Giants rookie quarterback Rhett Bomar puts more zip on the ball, but I'm not sure he's as accurate as McGee at this point. It will be really interesting to see which one of those guys have the best career. Bomar started out at Oklahoma but finished up at Sam Houston. The Giants took him in the fifth round.
Joyce in Fort Worth has some encouraging words for Cowboys scouting assistant Rich Behm, who was paralyzed from waist down as a result from the building collapse at Valley Ranch: My youngest brother was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident when he was 21. I know from experience that the family has a long road and a hard road in front of them, but it'll work out for them just as it worked for my family. The support of friends and family is a MAJOR help. Knowing that one has so much support can truly make a difference in this young man's recovery, just as it did for my brother. My brother graduated from UT and, at 48, recently retired as a budget director for the City of Austin's Fire Department. He's married and works as a grief/marriage counselor for a church in El Paso. Good luck to the Behm family. I wish them all that's good in the world.
Mosley: Rich was scheduled to be transferred from Parkland Memorial Hospital to Baylor University Medical Center's Rehabilitation hospital Saturday. I'm told it's one of the finest rehab facilities in the nation. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the Behm family. I fully expect him to approach rehab the same way he approaches his job at Valley Ranch -- with everything he has.
Ryan in Buffalo writes: Hey Matt, just wondering aboout that Brian Orakpo interview and whether you actually ended up conducting it and if and when you plan on posting it. Thanks!
Mosley: Ryan, I based this column on my recent interview with Orakpo. If the Redskins are really serious about moving him to SAM linebacker, I think they're nuts. Hoping they were simply checking out his versality. Putting an elite pass rusher at SAM linebacker on first and second downs makes little (if any) sense to me. OK, I'll be back to spread the Beast wealth later in the weekend.
Even with the draft in the rearview mirror, you guys have been as prolific as ever in the mailbag. We're well over 4,500 questions right now, which is a Blog Network record, according to sources close to the Beast. I'll be cleaning out The Bag throughout the weekend. Thanks for your undying support:
Dan in Dallas writes: Mosley, where is your interview with Jeremy Maclin that I keep hearing you talk about? That guy is under a ton of pressure to perform in Philly due to the die-hard fans.
Mosley: Dan, we had to postpone that interview last Saturday because of the situation at Valley Ranch. I have Giants first-rounder Hakeem Nicks lined up today and hopefully we'll set up Maclin for Sunday or Monday. And honestly, I think Nicks should feel more pressure than Maclin.
Brian from Des Moines asks: Matt, why are you saying the Jason Peters trade gives the Eagles an extra win or two? If I remember correctly before this trade happened, you were questioning his work ethic. Now he is arguably in the best pass-rushing division in the NFL. What makes you think that he won't take his pay day and return to his pre-contract ways? I have my doubts about an "elite" left tackle whose team won't sign him to a long-term deal. Especially one who is playing for a rebuilding team with a young quarterback to protect. The answer to why a player like him was traded is always "the price was right" by both sides, but you have to wonder if the Bills knew something the Eagles didn't.
Mosley: I just know Peters was on his way to becoming one of the top two or three offensive tackles in the game before last year's holdout. He felt like he'd outperformed his contract in a big way -- and the Eagles agreed. I'm not excusing the way he played last season, but I think he's potentially one of the best in the game. It's a huge upgrade in the running game, and that's an area the Eagles really needed to improve in. But stop by The Bag anytime, Brian. Desperately trying to drive up our numbers in the Greater Des Moines area.
Dan in Princeton, Texas, sent this care package: First, as a Cowboys fan, I just want to say that the NFC East is incredibly lucky to have such a talented reporter covering our division. I'm less than impressed with hundreds of other names out there who blatantly spit their bias into their articles. But then I find myself reading article after article of Mosley's and he's got it right. So I just wanted to say thank you to Matt for doing his job to the fullest. The perfect combination of analysis, reporter and overall sportswriter. I hope this can make its way to him, but if not, you bet I'm going to keep on reading! Now,tell me which rookies impressed you before the awful tragedy last Saturday.
Mosley: Dan, way to stick to the script, although I don't recall seeing the "spit their bias" phrase in there. But seriously, I'm quite familiar with the Princeton area because of my McKinney ties and I'm thrilled to have you as a reader. Before last Saturday's horrifying events, I'd prepared a 1,000-word Cowboys minicamp report. I'll roll that out at some point, but here's a quick synopsis of what I recall: Former Cincinnati safety DeAngelo Smith appears to be a fluid athlete and he gets his hands on a lot of throws...Our friends at the National Football Post don't care for Clemson safetey Michael Hamlin's work much at all, but he was very impressive in snagging low throws, something we haven't seen a lot around here...Stephen Hodge out of TCU is making the transition from safety to linebacker, and he's making it fast. He was a bit awkward in Friday's first session, but by Friday afternoon he was getting his hands on everything...Fourth-round pick Stephen McGee out of Texas A&M appears to have a strong arm and he showed off his athletic ability at times. Needs a lot of polishing, but it's not hard to see the potential. I think Giants rookie quarterback Rhett Bomar puts more zip on the ball, but I'm not sure he's as accurate as McGee at this point. It will be really interesting to see which one of those guys have the best career. Bomar started out at Oklahoma but finished up at Sam Houston. The Giants took him in the fifth round.
Joyce in Fort Worth has some encouraging words for Cowboys scouting assistant Rich Behm, who was paralyzed from waist down as a result from the building collapse at Valley Ranch: My youngest brother was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident when he was 21. I know from experience that the family has a long road and a hard road in front of them, but it'll work out for them just as it worked for my family. The support of friends and family is a MAJOR help. Knowing that one has so much support can truly make a difference in this young man's recovery, just as it did for my brother. My brother graduated from UT and, at 48, recently retired as a budget director for the City of Austin's Fire Department. He's married and works as a grief/marriage counselor for a church in El Paso. Good luck to the Behm family. I wish them all that's good in the world.
Mosley: Rich was scheduled to be transferred from Parkland Memorial Hospital to Baylor University Medical Center's Rehabilitation hospital Saturday. I'm told it's one of the finest rehab facilities in the nation. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the Behm family. I fully expect him to approach rehab the same way he approaches his job at Valley Ranch -- with everything he has.
Ryan in Buffalo writes: Hey Matt, just wondering aboout that Brian Orakpo interview and whether you actually ended up conducting it and if and when you plan on posting it. Thanks!
Mosley: Ryan, I based this column on my recent interview with Orakpo. If the Redskins are really serious about moving him to SAM linebacker, I think they're nuts. Hoping they were simply checking out his versality. Putting an elite pass rusher at SAM linebacker on first and second downs makes little (if any) sense to me. OK, I'll be back to spread the Beast wealth later in the weekend.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:30 PM
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