What Will Jeremy Maclin Look Like?

Snapshot of what Jeremy Maclin will look like in an Eagles uniform in the upcoming 2010 edition of Madden Football.

The Philadelphia Eagles: Sticking With McNabb?

The Philadelphia Eagles are consistently moving forward, or at least that is what they’d like us to believe. Last weekend’s draft may have been an indication that they are doing just that, but not in the way that would make Philly fans particularly happy. It could be very well possible that the Eagles are gearing up for the post-McNabb era by drafting young players that will be well ingrained in the system when they turn the reigns over to Kevin Kolb. Or maybe the Eagles are willing to let McNabb remain in control and are simply surrounding him with more offensive options. In either case, one of the two QBs will probably be on another roster come the 2010 season.

Let’s first look briefly at what they have done this offseason. They replaced the two offensive tackles on the offensive line. They added a much needed fullback. They picked up a safety to replace a local legend. They added a wideout, a running back, and potentially a decent tight end through the draft in addition to picking up an established cornerback through a trade. One might say that the Eagles addressed their needs, but didn’t go all out to go for it all. This is a valid point considering that they could have had Tony Gonzalez and/or Anquan Boldin on the squad for a couple draft picks. The fact that they didn’t leads fans to believe that the team is getting ready to move on without McNabb.

But are the Eagles really ready to give up on winning with McNabb and give the ball to a guy who has played virtually the same amount of NFL football as my grandmother? That would be one of the biggest leaps of faith any franchise could take. It’s not even clear if it’s worked out in Packerland with Aaron Rodgers. So if the Eagles are looking to go that direction, 2010 ain’t lookin’ so good. First of all, Kolb’s contract is going to be up and they’ll have to give him a new deal, with starter’s money. He won’t get the 100 million dollar contract, but either way, he may not be worth whatever salary they’ll pay him.
The additions of Maclin & McCoy surely points to a youth movement, but I think they will end up with McNabb as their guy in the end. The Eagles need the experience and the skill to put up as many W’s as possible, and Kolb can’t do that for them. So the Birds add to what may be a more defined running game, the throw in a guy that can only enhance the receiving corps and at the same time take some pressure off the team’s new star in DeSean Jackson, and they address the issues that possibly held them back last year. Should it happen again, they probably won’t have Quintin Demps trying to cover Larry Fitzgerald.

This isn’t rocket science, or brain surgery. It’s even easier than trying to manage the salary cap. This is all simple common sense. The Eagles want to at least compete and maybe, just maybe, even win. They’re not going to blow things up, even though at some point they should. Instead they want to transition. They want to go from Westbrook to McCoy (right), McNabb to Kolb, just like they’ve done with the linebackers and defensive backs in the past. The problem with the current plan though is that McNabb and B-West might still be too good to transition away from. So what do you do in the meantime? Do you resign Kolb and let him sit or do you let him go and draft a replacement later on? McCoy we know will at least get some playing time and Brian knows that it is his job to keep LeSean off the field.

Regardless what the Eagles’ plans are, it won’t change much this year. McNabb and Westbrook will both be the starters and McCoy and Maclin (left) will play their roles, whatever they might be. Kolb, though will be lucky if he gets any meaningful snaps and might be looking to find a job he can really compete for. But should he stick around we might end up having a Philly style Montana-out-Young-in, albeit a poor man’s version.

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles Select...

I have previously stated that I would not be doing a mock draft, and that is still the case. There is something about part-time bloggers, wannabe know-it-alls, and self-proclaimed experts putting stuff out there like its gospel when in actuality it ends up being more wrong than right. So I won’t bore you with some uninformed information about what the Miami Dolphins are going to do in the draft because I don’t follow Miami, or Chicago, or the New York Giants. I don’t write about those teams normally and won’t pretend that I have any clue as to what their going to do this Saturday. What I will do is, based on the picks they have now, go through the players that I think would fit the Eagles best in a given round. I will do my best in keeping it real of course, because things will change probably before they even use their first pick. Today, here are the first three rounds of picks. Next week (hopefully I’ll remember), I will revisit these selections to see just how far off I am.

First Round (Pick 21): Although the Eagles may have to trade up to get him, Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno is the best pick in the draft for their team. He is easily the best running back prospect available and will help the Birds’ offense almost immediately, just as long as he understands the playbook a little. The selection of Moreno makes the most sense, particularly with new bookends whose strengths are run blocking. It will also mean some relief to Brian Westbrook, who coming off a knee injury could use some help in the backfield. If the Eagles come out of the first round with Moreno and Jason Peters, then Philly fans should be more than satisfied. On another note, the Eagles haven’t drafted a running back in the first round since Keith Byars in 1986. Should there be no way to get Knowshon, either by trading up or otherwise, the next best pick at that position would be Tight End Brandon Pettigrew out of OK State. There is always the possibility that they trade this pick too, possibly even for Anquan Boldin.

Second Round (Pick 53): Should the Eagles get Moreno and answer their backfield issue they will then need to turn to address the tight end position. Pettigrew is long gone at this point and the next batch of talent isn’t as solid to be sure. Either Southern Miss’s Shawn Nelson or South Carolina’s Jared Cook (right) should be there unless there is a run on them earlier in the round. Offensively, both are sound, but neither are particularly good blockers. Cook has the best speed of the group, which to me puts him ahead of Nelson, but then again, I’m not in the Eagles’ war room. People have Cornelius Ingram out of rated pretty high on the TE list, but I expect him to be gone by pick 53. Philly could go defensive end here, but for the value of the pick based on their needs, tight end is the way to go.

Round Three (Pick 85): If West Virginia’s Pat White (left) is available they take him otherwise, they take the best defensive end on the board. They love guys that can do more than one thing well, and although he wants to be a QB in the NFL, White will probably have to wait to really get that chance anywhere he goes. In Philly, he will give the gadget-play loving Coach Andy any number of options, most importantly a Wildcat formation. As far as defensive ends go, the Eagles would love six feet six inch Michael Johnson from Georgia Tech, if he’s there. More likely than not though, he’ll be gone and they will chose from either Michael Bennett or Brandon Williams from Texas A&M and Tech respectively.

Tomorrow, will (should) be rounds four through seven. It should be exciting, so stay tuned!

To Anquan or Not To Anquan

Should the Eagles trade their remaining first round pick for Arizona’s Anquan Boldin? A good number of Birds fans would say yes. I say hold on there Sparky. Boldin would most certainly improve the wide receiving corps, that I have no doubt. But I feel that he wouldn’t really improve the team overall, especially when you have no one to back up Brian Westbrook in the backfield. No, leave Anquan out West. Work with what you have on the outside, which isn’t all that bad by the way, and go out and get what you really need…a running back.

Just imagine if you will…You have Anquan Boldin on one side, DeSean Jackson on the other and Kevin Curtis fitting perfectly in the slot. Brian Westbrook is in the backfield. McNabb takes the snap, goes play action faking the handoff. Westbrook takes off only to be met at the line and on the tackle gets his knee twisted. Oh no! He’s hurt. In comes his backup, not Knowshon Moreno or Beanie Wells, but the wonderful and talented Lorenzo Booker! Can you see the dropoff yet? Now you can say that there is a loss of talent between the first and second string of receivers, but when your big weapon, and B-West is still your big weapon, goes down, the offense begins to look a whole lot less scary.

The 21st pick isn’t even guaranteed to get you Anquan straight up. A 3rd or 4th rounder would almost certainly have to be included as well, so it is unlikely that after the Jason Peters trade, that the Eagles will give up one pick let alone a couple. They have holes and depth that needs to be addressed. Take safety for instance. Right now there’s Jones, Mikell, Demps, and maybe J.R. Reed, but really, using a 3rd round pick for this position would be a good idea.

Some would say that you could throw in a player. Really? Like who? Sheldon Brown plus the 21st pick is too much. And I can tell you now that there isn’t much of a market for Reggie Brown or Hank Baskett, not when the guy involved is better than those two guys combined. The first round draft pick is really the only chip the Eagles can dangle in front of the Cardinals. It is unlikely they’ll take a player the Eagles are willing to give up.

So I’ll say to Eagles fans, you must live without Anquan Boldin, and (I hate to say it this way) make due with what we have at the moment, which isn’t Thrash/Pinkston (pictured) or Johnson/Small. For once in a long time, receiver isn’t our biggest need; it may be a need, but not our biggest one. We need a complimentary back, we need a tight end, and we need a defensive end, all before we need a receiver. And while it might be flashy, with some razzle dazzle pop, adding Boldin will not necessarily be the answer.

The Eagles Bring Some Intrigue to Their NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles have made the upcoming NFL Draft a bit intriguing for Philly fans. Nearly everyone in America knew that they were going to pick an offensive lineman with one of their two first round picks, and in essence they did with trading the 28th pick in the draft to the Bills for 2-time All-Pro Jason Peters. It won’t be know until the season starts whether Peters is the solid replacement to Tra Thomas that the Eagles organization thinks that he is or the guy who gave up the 11+ sacks last year, at least according to some stat geeks. Regardless though, this trade with Buffalo only increases a great deal of speculation on what will happen with their 21st pick.

At this point, I have no clue, but I suspect that they will draft a defensive lineman. I would be happily surprised if they picked a running back like Knowshon Moreno (left) or Beanie Wells (right) to complement Bryan Westbrook, but my gut tells me that they will leave that for the second or third round and get a second tier back. My eyebrows will also be raised a bit if they pick up Brandon Pettigrew (below) should he fall that far. No, look for the Birds to go ho-hum and select Tyson Jackson out of LSU and stick him in a rotation with Victor Abiamiri.
But what if….what if the Eagles see what’s coming down the road…an aging Westbrook, a young QB entering his third year, a dynamic wideout that makes defensive backs buckle. What if they see the opportunity to pick up that third piece to the offensive puzzle? A guy that will create a reason for safeties to move up and play the run, or a tight end that needs double coverage. This pick could be the one guy who will take us truly to the next generation of Philadelphia Eagles, the post McNabb, post Westbrook, and reluctantly, the post Dawkins Eagles.

To me, either Moreno or Wells will do, for that matter you can add Pettigrew too, but I would rather see one of the two top RBs in an Eagles uniform next season. Philadelphia replaced both of their offensive tackles with guys who are arguably better at run blocking than pass blocking, but that might not mean much since that was the case with Thomas and Jon Runyan. We will know just what they will do this Saturday. Perhaps this Eagles regime has seen the light, or perhaps not. Maybe they will finally understand what the fans mean when they say “playmaker,” or maybe they’ll risk ruining the franchise just to prove that their philosophy is right.

The other option they have of course is to trade their pick. I won’t give them the ability to trade out of the first round, but instead send it to Arizona for Anquan Boldin. That will enable the Eagles to slide Kevin Curtis inside where he belongs and solidify what will be the best receiving group, dare I say it, in the NFL. It wasn’t too long ago when Eagle fans had to bear witness to James Thrash and Todd Pinkston, but now on the precipice of what could be the last chance for Donovan and Andy Reid to make it back to the Super Bowl together, the Eagles might be prepared to go all out offensively, not unlike they did with T.O., only without all the drama.

The suspense is building and we might end up with something exciting or horribly disappointing. I am trying to think positive and believe that they will pick someone who will make the immediate impact and will help make the enigma that is DeSean Jackson, better. If only I could will them to select someone other than a lineman and to stimulate the fan base. Although they haven’t acknowledged that they are rebuilding, the letting go of Brian Dawkins, Tra Thomas, and realistically Jon Runyan strikes another chord. Let’s make it official and draft the replacement to the guy who has been most important player on the team for the last couple of years, and get the best running back available to take over the reigns for B-West.

In other news regarding the Philadelphia Eagles….Cornerback Sheldon Brown wants out, especially after Joselio Hanson’s new contract. Brown has been the most consistent DB since the departure of Troy Vincent. Also, does anyone get the feeling that the Eagles are scared that Shawn Andrews might leave the game? Andrews missed all of last year and it was questionable whether or not he still wanted to play football. To try to ensure that he comes back the Birds signed his brother Stacy at the opening of free agency. Now they trade for his college roommate in Peters. Stay tuned, Philly might be signing two of his uncles, a second cousin, and his 3rd grade crush, just to make sure he’s back on the O-Line in ’09.

Ocho Cinco on the Eagles? That's Craziness

Ocho Cinco on the Philadelphia Eagles is craziness. I mean, c’mon! How many receivers in this league have been tied to the Birds this offseason, something like six. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Marvin Harrison, T.O (again), Anquan Boldin, Braylon Edwards, and now Chad Johnson were all Philly bound at some point. And it is only a matter of time before Plaxico, Jerry Rice, and Steve Largent find their way to the rumor mill as future Eagles. It is getting a bit ridiculous. The Eagles are always looking for players that will upgrade a position and they have, according to media reports at least, been inquiring about wideouts. But I will put the chance of the Eagles obtaining Chad somewhere between slim and the space between Coach Andy’s cheeks…the ones in the rear.

First of all, Ocho Cinco is T.O.-lite, and there is no way that the Eagles are taking that big of a risk. They would take on an ego, especially if the talent and possibly more important, the salary outweighed the potential risk of discord and Johnson has shown that he can bring discord. Johnson is not so much an ego, but rather he is an honest to goodness leggo my eggo loon that could help the Eagles win, as long as he was happy. If not, who knows? The difference between Chad and Terrell is that Chad is a bit more fun, particularly from the standpoint of the fans. Legally changing his name to his Spanish nickname is fine by me, just down throw your teammates under the bus.

And do the Eagles even need Chad Johnson? I don’t know. They could use a guy like that to completely open the field, but the damage he would do to DeSean Jackson would be immeasurable. Jackson has an ego all his own, and sometimes his football smarts take a time out ala the play of him running down the field and releasing the ball just prior to passing the goal line. Jackson has a good work ethic, he picked up the offense well, and his potential at this very moment may not be has high as his mentor, the immortal Rice, but in the least Steve Smith. I must note that I have no idea how Boldin or Edwards would affect Jackson, but I don’t think either will suggest that DeSean changes his name simply to Diez (and that’s the number ten in Spanish for those not in the know).

I say no to Ocho Cinco, let him rot in Cincinnati. He does nothing for me in terms of helping the Eagles advance further into the playoffs and I don’t think that he could catch those McNabb passes to his feet any better than Kevin Curtis. There will be many Birds fans that that will want his skill, but few that want his character. Perhaps if there was a way to somehow convince that brain of Johnson and turn it into the boring, humdrumness that is the career of Hank Baskett, then the balance of what is and what should never be will be maintained in the realm of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Philadelphia Eagles Invented the Game of Football

The Philadelphia Eagles invented the game of football. Oh no? You say that they didn’t invent the game of football? Well, my friend, the three amigos of Andy Reid, Joe Banner, and Jeffrey Lurie would lead you to believe otherwise. The self-proclaimed gold standard, the Eagles have failed to acknowledge some very important things about their organization. And this is what will do them in at the end.

First, the Eagles need to remember that professional football is based on a fan driven economy. And much like the real world economy, it can have its ups and downs forming a cyclical path that in some cases can be predictable. It wasn’t twenty years ago when the team couldn’t sell out, and required a local TV station to buy up the tickets so that it wouldn’t be blacked out. Then, the team was bad and there was a disconnect between then owner Norman Braman and his customer base. Stars like Reggie White and Seth Joyner were great a hit in the pocket book and were allowed to leave. Since Lurie and Banner took over, they have had a nice run of success both on and off the field. But, again, like the economy there could be a fall coming….and like I said, it can be predictable. First, Dawkins was allowed to leave…then Tre Thomas…, and like Reggie and Seth, were barely replaced. Could this be the precursor to a downturn for the gold standard of the NFL?

The Birds administration have had a chronic issue with arrogance, from the pretentious Boston born owner and his evil little henchman to the non-answers begrudgingly provided during every post-game press conference. They put off the notion that they think very little of the fans. They are a three headed monster that think the people paying them hard earned money are crazy for not bowing down to their god-like status in the world. Perhaps I am crazy, or maybe we all are for not realizing what we really have; a football dictatorship. We are told, by them, how to root for our team. We are disregarded, by them, when we speak. And we are those who have been taken advantage of from the onset. Perhaps it time for a revolution. We can have a Boston Tea Party and dress up like Redskin fans and begin the process of regime change.

But just as every notable dictatorship has condemned the masses to their rule, the three headed monster also gave themselves the ability to rewrite history; and their good at it too, not Stalin good, but good. Every year during the state of the team address, it is almost as if they are trying to convince us that not only did they win last year’s Super Bowl, but every Super Bowl since 1996. I could swear I saw a Football Prospectus photo with Lurie hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. They should really wait a little while more, until all of the fans are completely brainwashed, before they start officially changing the history books. I’ll provide an example. After the Baltimore blowout, otherwise known as the game Coach Andy benched Donovan, Reid said that he didn’t know who was going to start the next week, mentioning Kolb and McNabb by name. More recently, he stated that McNabb was always the guy and that there was never a question about it. Soon the whole Dawkins saga will disappear into a new season and that story will change. Old photos of the Eagles great will then be superimposed with those of Quintin Demps even though he was in grade school when Dawk joined the Birds. And they’ll expect us to believe it without question.

I don’t mind an owner making business decisions, that’s part of life when it comes to being a sports fan. What I don’t want is to be spoken down to, to be told how to behave when I pay to behave how I wish (within reason). I don’t want to be told what is good for me when the actions taken eat me alive. And I do not want someone in charge of something that I love dangling my precious in front of my face and saying it is not mine. The Eagles belong to me, me and every other Philly fan around the globe. We want honesty, a sense of reality, and the knowledge that ownership will truly improve to reach the next level. Not say that they’ve tried and that it’s not their fault; that our expectations are too high. We don’t want to here that they’ve won however many games and that they are just as good as teams who’ve brought home the glory. The Phillies gave us the taste of a winner and now the Eagles are in trouble, because it is their time to bring the next championship, and they better get ready for the criticism, second guessing, and foul-mouthed venting every time they fail to win it all. Because unbeknownst to the three headed monster, they didn’t invent the game of football, they just invented a new way to disenfranchise the fan.

Eighteen Weeks of Football Still Aren't Enough

With the NFL Commissioner and team owners going through the state of the league, making rule changes, and whatever else they do, the concept of an 18 week season came up. Intriguing as it may be, cutting off two preseason games at the beginning and pasting them on the back end and calling it the regular season, still needs to be approved and sanctioned by the players association. I think it’s a good idea for several reasons, and state them as I see them.

First, it provides the country with what it really needs, more football. With perhaps the 2008 season being an exception due to the Phillies’ championship, the Eagles run the show in Philadelphia from September through January. Sports talk radio is engrossed with Eagles talk, blogs run amuck, and people drown in water cooler conversations. It helps treat the football jonesing that goes on consistently year round but cutting two more weeks of non-football out. Now, instead of talking about the 76er’s Samuel Dalembert mailing in another game, Philly fans can discuss why Andy Reid threw the ball 87% of the time in a blowout against the last place Cowboys (prediction? I think so).

Second, will be the advantages to teams fighting for the playoffs. It will give those teams on the bubble two more weeks of getting in and it won’t take away from the funky scenarios that got the Eagles in this year. The excuses of teams running out of time will go by the wayside as good teams should start to separate from the mucker and grinders of the league. Sure, some mediocre team will make it in, but with two extra weeks added to last season I’d bet that the New England Patriots would have been in over the Miami Dolphins.

Third and this may not necessarily be a good thing, will be the setting of new plateaus for single season and career records. Football records do not hold the same weight as baseball as players are considered great more by their impact on the field, so seeing more 2,000 yard rushers; maybe a 2,000 yard receiver would be more fascinating. Maybe we’ll even get a few 1,000-1,000 guys. Fact of the matter, we’ll start seeing new records set, like when the league went from fourteen to sixteen games and impact players will still be impact players. Would Jim Brown be less great if he played more games? I don’t think so.

The potential for burnout might increase as the season moves on but who cares? It eliminates part of the boredom-filled gap between the Super Bowl and March Madness and MLB Spring Training, and anything that can do that is alright in my book.

There are some negatives if this initiative goes through. Risk of injury is probably the biggest one since adding two more regular season games puts a player out there all the more, considering they probably wouldn’t have played in the last two preseason games. This might open up the possibility of an expanded rosters, it may also lead to better contracts for the players, that’s all up to the league and the new NFLPA boss, DeMaurice Smith.

Regardless of which side of the fence you might be on regarding this issue, I am hopeful that my opportunity to watch more football becomes realized. Sixteen weeks aren’t enough and in the spirit of keeping it real, eighteen weeks aren’t enough either. The NFL keeps itself in the news all year round already, but the actual action of the game is relegated to a mere six months. Why not keep it going through March? Then the Super can be played in places like New York and Philly. The fans would enjoy it, and then teams can take a couple of weeks off until the NFL Draft in April.

Another Eagles Receiver Rumor

First it was Marvin Harrison, then it was Anquan Boldin, now, it seems that Braylon Edwards might be the next wide receiver to be joining the Philadelphia Eagles. They have apparently joined the group of teams that are looking to deal for the guy. It would be a great thing for the Birds to acquire a top-notch wideout, but as far as I can tell, Cleveland would demand a first round draft pick (unless they get desperate), and Edwards would want a new contract. Neither of these two things would go well with the Eagles administration, and the possibility of them trading for Edwards, in my opinion is between nope and not gonna do it.

Let’s start by looking at the receivers they have. The tandem of Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson is the best they’ve had in the Andy Reid era. Yes, T.O. is the best receiver in Eagle green in the past 10 years, but I would say the Todd Pinkston devalues that duo. Adding Braylon Edwards would certainly upgrade the corps, but not enough in the Eagles’ eyes to justify the price tag that would come along with him. Sure, the team has plenty of money under the cap, but they would have to view Edwards as enough as an upgrade to warrant the spending of cash. He made over 10 million dollars, including bonuses in 2008 and could look for as much in a new deal. Generally he would be worth it since he may be one of the top five receivers in the league however if anyone knows how Joe Banner works, he low balls players, then pays based on future production, not on what someone has already accomplished. Curtis made less than six million last year.

The Eagles do certainly have two first round draft picks and it is possible that one could be used to obtain Edwards, but it is also possible, more likely even that they will use both picks to fill glaring needs at offensive tackle and either tight end or running back. There will be no way that Edwards will have the opportunity to catch balls thrown at his feet if the QB is on his back all day due to a revolving door on the offensive line. There was some talk of a stop-gap solution putting Todd Herremans or Shawn Andrews at the spot vacated by Tre Thomas so that would free up one of the picks that could go for Edwards. In addition, the Eagles have something like eight second day picks and one or two of those could get a deal moving as throw ins.

Joe Banner is the maker or breaker of this deal for Edwards. Instead of looking at Edwards 2007 season when he scored 16 touchdowns and caught 80 balls for 1289 yards, he is bound to base any trade value on his 2008 stats when he scored only three TDs with 873 yards receiving, indicating that this may be Edwards’ potential on his team, adding in the number of drops Braylon is credited with as well. All this may be true, and it is unfortunate because Banner won’t look at the big picture. Does this make my wide receiver corps better? He will put Edwards in a particular spot, say in Curtis’s spot on the field and ask, “is this guy worth four million dollars more?” The answer will be no and he will cite “value” at the position. Forget asking if Edwards is better than Reggie Brown or Hank Baskett.

It won’t be a shock if the Eagles are able to obtain Edwards. They did get T.O. and speed racer Donte Stallworth via trades so it isn’t unprecedented. The big difference here is that T.O. was an upgrade over James Thrash to the Nth degree and Stallworth was there only to fill the massive whole that Owens left. But if they do decide that Edwards is worth the price it would take to get him, then perhaps kudos would be deserved. Right now, I’ll reserve the right to skepticism as I wait for Braylon to be traded elsewhere and Banner to say they tried….just like they tried to get Randy Moss and resign Brian Dawkins.

The Philadelphia Eagles One Year Deal Wonders

The Eagles have made a smart move signing fullback Leonard Weaver to a contract. This ensures that the Birds will not have to start Dan Klecko in the backfield and can put him back on the defensive line where he can be more effective until the Eagles decide to cut him. The contract to Weaver is a one year deal that has a base salary of 1.75 million, but can get to 2.5 Mil with incentives that are probably so far out of reach Leonard couldn’t get to them in a spaceship.

The Eagles have been very fond of one year deals this offseason. They signed safety Sean Jones for one year, then safety Rashad Baker for one year. They signed restricted free agent linebacker Tank Daniels for one year as well. Add in Weaver’s contract and that makes four contracts out of five, with Stacy Andrews getting the only multi-year deal from the Birds thus far. It’s a bit peculiar and it may call into question their long range plans.
First is the potential for a lockout between owners and players after the 2010 season. The media has been discussing it already and the Eagles may be financially preparing themselves should a standoff occur. This way they don’t have a lot of money tied up in signing bonuses and salaries when everything is settled. And you know what that leads up to….one year deals for next year’s free agents. There’s no good reason to go into each season with the same question marks, but next year the Eagles will go into the 2009 offseason needing to sign a fullback, a safety, a wide receiver, all of the things they needed to pick up this year. This type of consistency is not a good thing.The Birds could be looking at the potential of the players they have on the roster now, or plan to draft this April. Something tells me they’re going to love Quintin Demps more than his own mother just so they can feel justified for letting Dawk go and signing Sean Jones for only one year. Maybe they’ll draft a fullback, or sign a rookie free agent and pay him the minimum. They’ll save money and if they find some guy off the streets that will do it for less, it’s easier to make that move than it would be if you had a guy who could play a little, like Weaver. It doesn’t say much for depth at any position though.

They only other reason that comes to mind is that the Eagles were expecting something better and it didn’t work out. The problem with that statement is that they didn’t go after anything better. Dawkins was probably the best safety for this team and they let him go to Denver. Weaver is a pretty good player and perhaps, like Jones, wants to see how everything plays out for one year before they start talking long term. Unfortunately for the players, they will probably be low-balled to the point they want to leave. I am not saying either side needs to agree to a five year deal, but three for a player with a decent track record isn’t necessarily a bad idea, unless of course, that third year is a lockout year.

Whatever the Eagles due, it will probably warrant criticism. Almost everything that comes out of that camp does nowadays. The administrative branch of Reid, Banner and Lurie has become a focal point of frustration that has eaten away at the average fan and the flow of bad press has left the image of a cheap organization with the mindset of Ebenezer Scrooge. I don’t think they need to worry about the customer base though since there is a waiting list for season tickets and their merchandise sells well. But it’s only a matter of time before their mismanagement of the Philadelphia Eagles will make Norman Braman the Philadelphia patron saint of football.

Philadelphia Eagles Free Agency Update: Sean Jones

The Eagles have nearly backed themselves into a corner at several positions during this offseason. The departure of Pro-Bowl Safety Brian Dawkins has left a void in the Eagles’ backfield no matter how much the Eagles organization tries to convince the public that they are all right at that spot with Quintin Demps. The news that the Eagles are interested in unrestricted free agent Sean Jones is welcomed. Jones is not Brian Dawkins, but he is much better than anyone on the roster at this moment. The scouting reports indicate that he is a decent player who does well around the line of scrimmage. He also has picked up a few interceptions along the way with 14 over the past three years.

Jones was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft, which was the same year the Eagle selected Matt Ware in the 3rd round. He started getting regular playing time in 2005 and by 2006 he was the starter. He wasn’t the problem when it came to the Brown’s pitiful defense, and I think he will make a nice partner for Quintin Mikell in the Eagles secondary.

Whether the Eagles will sign him depends on how desperate they are to fill this position and truly move beyond Weapon X. I think this deal gets done by the end of this weekend because they cannot afford to let another free agent come in, meet with the team and media, and leave. They only have one signing to their names this year, and that the brother of a guy already on the roster. It will also put to rest any rumors that Sheldon Brown will move from his cornerback spot to safety. Possibly freeing him up for a trade for Bouldin?

The Philadelphia Eagles: A Fan's Affirmation

For the past five days or so, the average and avid Eagles fan has felt that thirteen years worth of investment into their team has been evaporated, turning Joe Banner into our own personal Bernie Madoff. The emotions that we now must deal with as WE try to move forward will linger far past the draft and the minicamps. The first game of the season will be like that first holiday after a loved one passes on to the next world. Not that Denver is heaven, but I’m sure you get the gist of it.

Over the years we have lost our favorite players, Reggie and Seth, Randall, Trotter and Vincent, but we were all able to maintain our level of fandom. And the days when we feel the hurt with the departure of more family members, Dawkins, Runyan, and apparently Tre Thomas, we must realize will subside. We are Eagles fans, fans of a team that is the championship-less gold standard of their own proclamation. All the spin masters in the world with their puckered lips and brown noses couldn’t blur the reality that the city of Philadelphia possesses no Lombardi Trophies. But no matter how much we know better, and I believe we do know better, the fandom is too great a mountain to bury and before too long we will return to our Sunday ritual.

I have contemplated a self-imposed one year Eagles ban, but I do not think I can go through with it. I have three children and what kind of message would that send to them regarding fan loyalty and the sanctity of what being an Eagles fan is all about. This is not to mean that criticism isn’t warranted in the case of Brian Dawkins, one of the greatest Eagles of all time, nor in any other case that diminishes the quality of product on the field. However, it is an affirmation that I care about the well-being of the team, not necessarily of the ownership and the detriment that Joe Banner has become, but of the team itself.

Whether the Eagles administration completely botch up the McNabb issue more, or screw around with B.West, we must understand that there is a clear separation between the players and management and that our loyalty rests more with the players wearing the uniform rather than with the idiots that charge us to watch them. I affirm my fandom towards the Eagles and must do so more often from time to time. I will read the articles, listen to the talk shows (all except one), and believe that through my will the team will succeed. Even though there may not be as much for me to root for, I will root. For I am an Eagles fan, not a disillusioned fool, and I will want what is best for my team even when the team doesn’t know what is best for itself.

Fly Eagles Fly! I will affirm my fandom ‘til the day I die. I may feel spit on, I may feel disenfranchised, but I will persevere with the resolve of all those fans who came before me and left this life without a glimpse of a Super Bowl Championship. And if I pass before the event of events then my children will be there and I will teach them to bear my burdens for as Eagle fans, it will be theirs to bear.

Thank you and Time’s Yours.

No Splash for the Eagles in Free Agency

Less than a month ago, the NFL season ended and I thought that the Eagles were in a good position to be a player in Free Agency. Not a huge money spender, but a player nonetheless. Now, a lot of the hot commodities have been franchised leaving really, second tier players, outside of Albert Haynesworth. Now, with less than twelve hours to go, the Eagles are trying to lock up Tra Thomas and Brian Dawkins, because once they hit they hit the open market, there's no telling what can happen. Thomas is one of the few good left tackles available and he is actually a little excited about the possibility of teams bidding for his services. Dawkins is a different story though, as I would doubt that he would sign anywhere else without at least getting an offer from the Birds. As for Jon Runyan, their other starting tackle, there is no word that a contract is being offered, which would leave me to believe that either they are expecting Shawn Andrews to come back, or that they will be looking for someone of adequate skill. Good luck with that. In any case, Houshmandzadeh is still out there, and that may end up being the only real chase the Eagles find themselves in but for how long, Joe Banner only knows.