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Eagles 2012 Grades

By Spike Eskin

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Time flies when you're having fun, so the 2012 season for the Eagles seemed to take about five years for the final eight games alone. So before I get to the final grades, I'd like to give the season an A+ for finally being over.

QUARTERBACKS - D+

Yes, it's true that the offensive line was decimated by injuries, which makes it tough for the quarterback, no matter who it is. But the turnover problems cannot solely be attributed to the offensive line. When Vick was at his best, it was improvising at the end of games, or throwing short, danger-free passes. Foles has looked promising at his best, and, well, not-so-promising at his worst.

RUNNING BACKS - C

Once again, offensive line problems certainly caused some of the problems here, as well as Andy and Marty's aversion to actually using whomever is in the backfield. Bryce Brown tempered any excitement you could have for two outstanding games with a bunch of fumbles and a few below average games to follow. Though McCoy looked impressive in flashes, it was a forgettable season for him as well.

WIDE RECEIVERS - F

After playing well during the first few weeks of the season, DeSean Jackson actually disappeared before fractured ribs ended his season. Jeremy Maclin, aside from a couple of nice games with Foles, has been largely unimpressive. What some thought was a position of strength prior to the season seems to have become a position of need.

TIGHT ENDS - D+

Would have had a C-, but Evan Moore's drop at the goal line dropped it a full half grade. Brent Celek certainly tries hard, and takes every hit, but his case of the drops has now lasted long enough to become a concern.

OFFENSIVE LINE - D

Yes, the offensive line was crushed by injuries, but aside from Evan Mathis (who brought the grade up from F to D), the guys who played, played poorly. There should be a whole separate category for how bad Demetress Bell was this season.

DEFENSIVE LINE - D-

Sacks are not the only measure of how a defensive line plays. However, being 25th in the NFL in sacks by using a defensive scheme that is supposed to lend itself to the defensive line getting sacks is not good enough. Too much money spent, and too much time talking about this defensive line for the subpar play. Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham's late season search keep this from being a failing grade.

LINEBACKERS - C

When you're filling in the "what went right" and "what went wrong" columns for the 2012 Eagles, "acquiring DeMeco Ryans" is one of the few things in the first column. Very few. Mychal Kendricks' play fell off after the first few weeks, but he showed promise.

DEFENSIVE BACKS - F-

There are barely any words for how bad this unit was this year. Asomugha, Allen and Coleman all seemed to have *at least* one huge mistake per game. Rodgers-Cromartie contributed by not showing up for about six straight games. Oh man, they were bad.

SPECIAL TEAMS - C

You might be saying, "how do they get a grade this high?'" Simple. Alex Henery gets an A, everyone else gets an F, so all together a C.

COACHING STAFF - F

Andy Reid is a good coach whose time has come. He's done a poor job the last two seasons, in just about every aspect imaginable. Juan Castillo gets an honorable mention for "probably did an ok job now that we think of it."

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