UPDATE: While in the middle of writing this column, Mike Patterson’s agent, JR Rickert, said that Mike is okay and would like to re-join the team in a few days. I’m shocked. No word from the Eagles yet. They’ll have to okay anything before Mike is back on the field. Wow.

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Cedric Thornton is a player I was high on prior to the draft. I projected him to the Eagles in a few mock drafts. I had Thornton rated as a 4th to 5th round prospect. I thought his quick burst and big frame (6’3, 309) would make the Eagles interested.

Thornton was undrafted and the Eagles signed him a few weeks back. I guarantee you he was a player they really wanted out of the UDFA class. So far Thornton has played well and the Eagles are very excited about his future.

Due to the Mike Patterson situation, I think Thornton has a legit chance to make the team. We need to see if he holds up. Some young guys start fast and then fade. Preseason games will also be critical for him. Thornton must show that he could contribute if the Eagles need him to.

I haven’t been able to watch a lot of him so far in camp, but you can see his potential. He is very quick off the ball. One thing he has to do is learn to keep his feet under him. Thornton is trying so hard to fly off the ball that he’s getting over-extended and blockers can easily toss him to the ground. When he stays over his feet and balanced, you can see his power. Thornton is big enough and strong enough to drive blockers back.

One of the things Jim Washburn likes is taller DTs. They can affect the QB’s vision even on plays when they don’t get proper penetration. Trevor Laws is about 6’1. Mike Patterson is a shade under that. Thornton is 6’3. There’s nothing wrong with a short DT, but we’ll start to see Washburn go after some taller guys in future drafts. That’s what he likes. I’ve wanted a tall DL or two myself. I don’t need the whole group to be 6’5, but I do like to mix in at least one guy with a really big frame.

It is too early to talk about Thornton’s potential. I’m not sure if he could be a starter or is meant to be a situational player. The fact that Washburn rotates players so heavily makes that somewhat of a moot point.

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Someone asked the other day if Washburn requires players to be a in 4-point stance. I don’t think it is a “must”, but I think he encourages it. In case anyone is unsure, the 4-point stance is when both hands are on the ground (2 hands, 2 feet = 4 points touching the ground). Some people might refer to this as a track stance. The DL sinks his upper body and gets as low as possible. He then explodes at the snap and rushes upfield. He will raise up as he goes, but should keep good leverage because of how low he started.

Just watch Jason Babin to appreciate how the 4-point stance can help a player. Babin flies off the ball and stays real low. That makes it tough on big, tall OTs to get their hands on him cleanly.

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Daniel Te’o-Nesheim is a player that comes up quite a bit in discussion. He played both DE and DT last year. He didn’t really stand out, but wasn’t 100% physically. He’s in good shape this year. I can’t say that he’s stood out consistently when watching practice clips. Teo has good moments and bad. Washburn believes in him. That’s important.

I think Teo is going to be up and down this year. He’ll get mixed into the rotation and more playing time will make a big difference, but it may be next year before the light fully goes on and he’s at his best. There were mixed reviews on Teo coming out of college so he’s clearly no lock to succeed in the league. He does have a great motor and that’s one of the crucial things to playing well in Washburn’s system.

I don’t know if he’ll get mixed in at DT any this year. Teo is 6’3 and as I said earlier, Washburn likes to mix in some taller guys on the inside. We’ll have to wait and see on this.