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.

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.

Eagles and Free Agency: The 11th Hour

Nearly 12 hours into free agency and not one little peep from the Eagles. They have the third most cap money in the league and they haven’t even signed their own guys yet. Brian Dawkins, Tre Thomas, and Jon Runyan have received no offers from Philadelphia and it looks as if the team is once again undervaluing its veteran players, particularly the Pro-Bowler Dawkins.

Now I don’t expect them to go out and spend 100 million dollars like the Redskins did this morning but c’mon! The Birds aren’t even listed in the rumor mill, aside from the reports that Correll Buckhalter is in Denver and may sign there (Good for him). When are they at least going to indicate who they are expressing interest in, or are they waiting for the right time to make a big announcement. The day that Javon Kearse signed back in 2004, they were trying to hold off on the announcement in case the T.O. trade went through. Nothing like that is going to happen today, but hopefully they will not wait until the market is set before they start improving the team.

So, as it stands, 12 hours in and nothing to show for it. Stay tuned.

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.

The Philadelphia Eagles: Free Agency Vs. The Draft, Part 1

What positions do the Eagles need to focus on as the off-season kicks off officially with the NFL combine followed up by the opening of free agency? Well, that depends on where you stand. Running back, wide receiver, tight end, safety, defensive line, fullback, offensive line are all areas that need to be addressed. That in no small part will happen during the NFL Draft in April, but it could also happen when players become available at the end of the month. Who will they target, well that depends too. In the past, the Birds have valued some areas more than others, hence the fact they have had one Pro-Bowl receiver (T.O) during Andy’s tenure.

Offensive Tackle should be a major concern for the Philadelphia Eagles. Their two starters, Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are without a doubt getting up there in age and there are no guarantees that either one will be back in green next year. On top of that, their back ups leave too much to be desired. Winston Justice was something of a revolving door when he played in 2007 and has done nothing to prove he was worth trading up for in the 2nd round of the 2006 draft. Shawn Andrews was supposed to be the heir apparent to Jon Runyan and has become a dominating guard in the meantime. His desire to play the game has now been called into question over an iffy back problem. At this point I would hope the Eagles are not relying on this guy coming back, and if they are, not at the tackle position. That essentially leaves two open bookend spots.

In free agency there is not much they can go with. Jordan Gross, a potential free agent of the Carolina Panthers could be a route the Eagles might turn. They signed Runyan as their first big free agent signing from Tennessee all those years back so it is not out of the question if they push hard after Gross. Otherwise, there are not that many better options than Thomas and Runyan. Free Agency’s only other decent offers would be Vernon Carney of Miami, Cincinnati’s Stacy Andrews, and the Steeler’s Max Starks, and one or two of these guys will probably re-sign with their current team. I would say with some sense of confidence that if the Eagles do not get the top guy on the market, they will try to re-sign both Thomas and Runyan and move to picking up a top notch player with one of their two first round picks.

This years draft seems to have a few tackles with first round potential. Unless the Eagles move up, I think the top couple of players will be off the board when the Birds’ first pick at 21 is on the clock. Michael Oher from Mississipi is a possibility but it is really too early to tell who might still be there. If there is a player the Eagles really like and really want, I would expect them to move up. They have a history in doing so. Just a few years ago, they moved up and took Andrews, so instead of having to pay two first rounders, they’ll slide up 6 or so spots and get their guy.
When the free agency flurry begins, the Eagles are almost certain to be players, and I would imagine if Jordan Gross is available, he’ll get a call from Philly. Either way, the Eagles will hopefully not set themselves up to having to play Winston Justice and in turn a back up QB when McNabb gets killed. They are too smart to let that happen unless they out-think their own genius. But if Gross isn’t available, Philly fans will have to wait until April to see which direction the franchise will move.