Since the hot topic this week (and probably beyond) is obviously which team is going to trade away their draft for the rights to RG3, I thought I'd change the subject.

How about.....how far would Vontaze Burfict have to fall in the draft for us to be willing to take a flier on him?

Everyone knows the story. Great talent, questionable attitude, very questionable work ethic, God awful combine performance. So where is his value right now? While its been mentioned that there is an existing possibility that he goes undrafted, I really don't see it. The guy was only a short time ago considered a top 12 pick, so its not like he just woke up one morning and all his ability to play football was gone all of a sudden. He's too talented for every team in the league to completely take him off all of their draft boards. I've still seen him on film run over blockers, chase down ballcarriers from behind and lay some wicked, wicked hits. So I know the guy can play football.

At this point, I don't think you can justify using a first or second round pick on him. Those picks are reserved for guys that you are very confident are going to come in and make some sort of immediate impact on your team. For me, I'm looking for a little more of a sure thing (even though we know there isn't such a thing). Now as we start the third round, you might start thinking a little. Usually you don't peg your third rounder and beyond to be instant starters, and your willingness to gamble goes up a bit. And since we've got a coach on the hot seat, his willingness to gamble might go up even a little more.

For me, I think if Burfict falls into the fourth round, I'd at least give it some thought. I mean its not like whiffing on a 4th round pick is something thats going to kill your team (or something that we're not used to when it comes to drafting LBs). Like I always say, most of us don't mind throwing a couple bucks to the lottery Gods in the hope of being millionaires tomorrow, right?

We've all heard the speculation.  We've seen him wearing a Phillies baseball cap after his prison release.  He's mentioned he'd love to play in Philly, and Mike Vick supports the idea.  All the local media and a large portion of the fan base seem to think Philadelphia is the logical landing spot.  Now of course, none of us have any idea what the Eagles are planning whenever the league finally opens for business.

So I thought to myself.....instead of Plaxico Burress, why not pursue Randy Moss?

I think it makes more sense.  Both guys are 34, but Moss doesn't have to overcome a two year absence.  Everyone knows that it took Mike Vick a full season back to regain his elite skills, and he wasn't 34 at the time.  I don't see the situation being any different with Burress.  And Burress has never been known to be a hard worker off the field, so if I'm Philly, I pass on him.

Now we get to Moss.  While I think his best games are behind him, I think he can offer more than Burress can at this point in his career.  In his prime, this guy was perhaps the fastest player in the NFL.  So even with a step lost, he's still going to be faster than most NFL players.  I always think back to when Darrell Green supposedly "lost" a step, but for him that meant he ran a 4.3 instead of a 4.2.  And picture DeSean, Maclin, and Moss all lined up at the same time.  It would be nearly impossible for a defense to double any one of them, and there will be many plays where Randy would be running routes against the nickel corner.  And seriously, how many teams' third corners are going to be able to able to handle Randy Moss, even at age 34?  Its really a nice thought.

So economics aside, if I'm going to take a chance on a troubled receiver whose career is at a crossroads, I'd give my money to Moss.  He can be a headache, but he'd only be here a short time anyway.  I still maintain that the Eagles don't really need another receiver, but if Andy wants to spoil Vick with a new toy...hey why not?

We begin with the obvious.  The Redskins' acquisition of Albert Haynesworth absolutely has to be the worst free agency debacle of the last ten years.  The numbers tell most of the story.  Two seasons, 6.5 sacks, 10 total team victories.... at a cost of $32 million.  Then there's the intangibles.  Nationally publicized feud with the head coach.  A locker room ripped apart.  A suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.  We get the point.

Now the question is....if you are the Redskins, what do you do at this point?

They've stated that they have no interest in releasing Haynesworth.  Sounds good in theory, because he'll be at his introductory press conference at the Novacare complex before the week was over.  I've actually speculated myself that if the Eagles weren't interested (and we had a CBA), Haynesworth might have already been released, but thats another argument. 

Now we know of course that there is no way to keep him.  Theres just too much damage done, to the point where even his own teammates can't stand him, let alone the organization.  There is simply no way to be a successful football team with someone like that in your locker room.  The team has also stated they are looking for no less than a second round pick in a trade.  Once again, a pretty ridiculous notion (then again, Al Davis is still breathing).  No team with at least one brain cell would offer a premium draft pick for a 350 pound migraine. 

So in the end, the Redskins really are between a rock and a hard place as it relates to Big Al.  They can't keep him and the whole world knows it.  So making a trade for a guy who is virtually certain to not be on the team anyway doesn't make much sense.  I guess at this point its a game of Keep Albert away from Philly while trying to act like we have any leverage at all as far as trade value goes.  Supply and demand applies to the NFL too, and unfortunately for the Redskins, the demand just isn't there.

I'm sure everyone is sick of this by now, but I need some clarification on something.  I apologize in advance if the answer has been posted someplace but I don't read every single blog.

As we know, the NFL's injunction hearing begins today, the winner of which will have a substantial leg up in their battle to get richer.  We also know that the loser will surely appeal whatever decision is set forth.  An appeal hearing won't be scheduled for several weeks, likely after the NFL draft is over.

Now from what I read, it is more likely than not (although certainly no slam dunk) that the injunction will be granted, which will end the lockout.  The players will argue that the NFL is a monopoly, which it most definitely is, and also that not playing a season will cause irreparable harm to the players.  Given their already very short windows of opportunity, this is also a very solid argument for the players.  The question is, if/when the injunction is granted, can player transactions begin immediately?  Does that give teams a "window" between the initial decision and the appeal?  Or does the current situation stay in effect until after the appeal is heard?  Any clarification is appreciated.

Not much going on tonight, so i thought I'd reminisce a little about our success rate in the first round over the Andy Reid regime.  I decided to use a numbered scale from 1 to 10 to rate each player(s).  Scores are based primarily on NFL production, to an intermediate degree on longevity, and to a lesser degree on what I felt the quality of the pick was at the time the player was taken, before he ever dawned an NFL uniform.

1999 Donovan McNabb (Grade 9.7 / 10)  Arguably the best draft pick in franchise history.  Led the Eagles for 11 years with many more ups than downs.  He was a bit sensitive with the media but nobody ever told him playing in Philly was easy (or fair all the time).  In 1999, I was part of the Ricky Williams campaign, but Andy promptly showed Eagles nation that HIS team was going to be run HIS way by building around a franchise QB rather than a franchise runner.  Two seasons later it was obvious Andy made the right pick.

Continue reading this post »

So seeing that we all have to play the waiting game for at least another week, I figured I'd throw this out there.  Sorry if someone beat me to it but I didn't see anything about this yet.

We all know that once a CBA is established, a bidding war will soon begin so as to acquire the services of all world corner Nnamdi Asomugha.  But we also know of a prized corner from LSU whose skills will be up for grabs come the end of April.  Of course, the Eagles will have no chance at him at the 23rd slot.

But there's the very real possibility of the Arizona Cardinals, who badly need a quarterback if they want to be competitive and also (and no less important) to keep their best player from leaving town next year.  This might prompt them to cut a deal with Andy that would in some way involve Arizona sending the 5th pick in the draft (amidst some combination of draft swaps) in exchange for Kevin Kolb, who was identified by Fitz as the QB he'd most like to have.  And maybe if the football gods smile on us, Patrick Peterson will still be available at #5.

So the question is, which would we prefer?

Asomugha instantaneously turns the defense's biggest weakness into its biggest strength, and how many players in the league can do that?  But he would cost a fortune and does turn 30 before the season starts, so the question of how many more great years he's got begins to come into play.  Peterson of course has it all in front of him and in my mind is the best overall talent in the entire draft.  Acquiring him at the 5th pick would qualify as a draft steal, and he would be a longer term solution.

In the end I'd be elated with either one of these guys, but if I had to choose between them, my money would go to Nnamdi.  The window of opportunity with Vick at the helm is probably three years, and Nnamdi easily has three great years.  Peterson is a hell of a talent but he's still never played a snap in the NFL and college corners going pro always have a learning curve.  Asomugha is as close as it gets to a sure thing.

So I decided to leave my homeland of Planet Earth for a little while.  On my way out of the atmosphere I started feeling a little woozy and a very random, unexplained thought came over me.....

Maybe the Eagles should sign Albert Haynesworth......

Here me out.  Its a foregone conclusion that Haynesworth will be available this offseason, having burned every bridge imaginable with the Redskins.  So why would I think its not totally impossible? 

First off, our Eagles have shown that they aren't afraid to take a chance on a troubled player if they truly think he can get his shit together and make a difference on the team.  Case and point, what sense did it make to sign Mike Vick two years back with a stable QB situation in place and a PR risk too enormous to calculate?  Ignoring hindsight, we did it anyway.  Second, the man in charge of team personnel just happens to have a soft spot for the big, ugly guys that make their livings in the trenches.   And third, the economics would be pretty reasonable considering the fact that no team is going to take a huge financial risk (or any risk at all) on the guy who comes closest to Terrell Owens for the title of "Most Likely to Rip Your Locker Room to Shreds".

UPSIDE:  If happy, healthy, and motivated (all major ifs), he would transform the defense.  The guy can flat out destroy the interior of any offensive line and would make it impossible to double team the defensive ends.  I'd love to hear Stew Bradley and Trent Cole's response to whether or not their lives might get a little easier with a motivated Haynesworth in front of/beside them.

DOWNSIDE:  Possible sequel to Terrell Owens (on defense anyway).  Enough said.

CONCLUSION:  I've come back home now.  To be fair, a move like this does have a lot of potential upside (potential being the operative word) , but I shudder at the thought of reliving the 2005 season all over again.  Once again though, the Eagles have demonstrated that they'll do extraordinary things if they think they can make it work, so while I would be surprised, I wouldn't be totally shocked.  The idea that a team could probably have this guy for a pretty nice price just makes the wheels turn a little bit.  I mean a lot of us every week don't mind tossing a couple bucks to the lottery Gods with the delusion that we might be millionaires tomorrow, right?

REQUEST:  I don't offend easily but since my kids read this site too I ask that any slander is done so in good taste, lol.

Hey guys, need some special assistance on something I couldn't find the answer to.  I know some of you know the NFL rules much better than I do so I'm hoping you can answer.

Okay, say for instance this offseason the Eagles decide to franchise Mike Vick (given the franchise tag is still a viable option under the next CBA, which I presume it will be).  Lets also say some team decides that signing a tagged Vick is worth the extremely hefty price of two first round picks.  Does that mean the Eagles would get that team's 2011 and 2012 first rounders?  What if a team doesn't have a first rounder in 2011.....could they use their 2012 and 2013 firsts?  Or lets say the team has two first rounders in 2011....would they have to give up both of them or could they give up only one of their 2011 firsts and then their 2012 first?

Sorry for asking a goofy question, but I was curious and I couldn't find the answer to this anywhere.  Its never really come up before because I don't recall a franchised player ever being signed by another team.  But at the same time, if Vick keeps on the incredible path he's on, there might be at least some chance that someone could ante two firsts to get him.

I really can't believe the first preseason game is here already.  Its great having football back.  Okay, I've always maintained that preseason football has to be taken with a grain of salt.  Game planning is usually very limited and the play calling strategy is "vanilla" at best.  But I also believe that the preseaon is in itself a valuable learning tool and so I thought I'd share the things I'll be looking for from the team tomorrow night.

1.  Improvement on the O-line.  All accounts are that the line has been shaky during camp.  Granted we're missing two starters, but Kolb and our offense is in for a long season if they can't get this figured out.  I'm not sure when Jackson will be healthy again, but at least Herremins is expected back soon. The backups need to step up.

2.  Nate Allen, Stew Bradley, Ernie Sims and Brandon Graham.  All four guys have had excellent camps and the rookies appear to be ahead of schedule as far as NFL maturity.  These guys should make the defense look much different than last year.  I really believe Graham will be the starter very soon at left end.  Sims has been a hundred miles an hour all camp and StewB looks like he's back 100%.  Looking forward to watching them.

3.  Mike Vick and of course Kevin Kolb.  I'm really looking to see if Vick is all the way back athletically.  He spent most of last season just getting his legs back, so I didn't hold it against him.  I'm looking forward to watching what he can do now that he's back in football shape and more comfortable in his role.  As far as Kolb, I'm just anxious to see where he is after 3 years of grooming.  Most everyone feels his time is here and he is ready to lead.  Now we find out.

4.  Cornelius Ingram.  Even though he's not the starter, he was the rookie I was most excited about last season before his injury.  If he's healthy, he will be a great complement to Celek with his speed and natural pass catching skills. 

5.  NO INJURIES.  Self explanatory.  Here's to better luck on the injury front than last year.

I'm surprised I haven't read a post on this (my apologies if i missed it), but SI reports are that our Eagles are very interested in trading up in the first round with intentions of drafting an impact safety, either Eric Berry (yeah!) or Earl Thomas.  It appears that Jacksonville (#10) and Miami (#12) have intent to trade down.  So the question is, what will it cost?

First off, I don't think I'm willing to overpay for Thomas.  Good player, no doubt, but he's small for a safety at 5-10 and 196.  Getting Jacksonville's pick at #10 is likely going to cost our own 1, 2, and probably 4 with maybe a player thrown in their someplace.  Now if Berry is still on the board at 10 or maybe even 12 (a bit of a stretch), thats another story.  He can immediately bolster a secondary that is, lets face it, in a rebuilding mode.  Some may call it retooling, but when you're replacing a top 10 corner and a potential HOF free safety, thats a rebuild. 

So my question is, if Berry is still on the board at 10, what's a fair trade?

There is no better time than the present to begin laying out a long term deal for Jackson.  One, the team has loads of money available since McNabb, Westbrook, Curtis, Howard, and Sheldon and Reggie Brown are no longer on the roster.  We know Kolb is going to get a nice extension, but I don't think he's going to get megabucks considering his resume to date.  Jackson's value on the other hand is already sky high, and is only going to get higher and higher the longer the team drags their feet. 

So with an uncapped year ahead and just two years left on the current deal that is grossly underpaying him, wouldn't it make sense to extend the guy right now, give him the Larry Fitzgerald deal he wants (and will certainly get at some point) and pay out most of his guaranteed money while there is no cap ramification?  Seems like a no brainer to me.  But we all know our FO likes to do things the hard way.  I don't know how greedy Rosenhaus is going to be on this one, but this guy is the best young receiver in the game, and probably on his way to best overall. 

So to the Eagles, this guy is going to get his money one way or the other.  Please do the wise thing and make the investment now while the auditors take the year off.

Aren't we glad Dan Snyder doesn't own the Eagles?  A year removed from breaking the bank to sign uber talented defensive tackle Al Haynesworth, he's now looking for some foolish team to relieve the Redskins of his absurd contract.  Rumor has it he was even dangling Haynesworth in front of the Eagles as part of the McNabb trade. 

Haynesworth is slated to earn roughly $21 million this season.  In 2009, he missed 4 games, and totalled 4 sacks in the 12 games he played in.  Haynesworth did make it pretty hard for anyone to run between the hashes against the Redskins, but he also showed why Tennessee wasn't completely out of their minds for letting one of the most dominant defenders in football walk.  With majors questions about his attitude and motivation falling on the deaf ears of Big Dan, Haynesworth became the game's highest paid defensive player (until last month when Peppers surpassed him).  And now the Redskins want someone to offer them a valuable draft pick (or picks) for a guy with a ludicrous contract who doesn't play hard all the time.  I guess Snyder can always give Al Davis a try.

Just thought I'd make a point that no matter how much the front office in Philly makes us crazy, we need to keep it in perspective that it really could be much, much worse.

So after my dozen or so phone calls to fellow members of Eagles nation, I still find myself sitting here in a strange state of disbelief.  Its one of those moments in time that we all knew was coming, and now that its arrived its still difficult to accept.  So I thought I would offer some of my thoughts on what is likely the most bittersweet moment (at least for me) in the last 20 years of Eagles football.

  I'm excited for Kolb.  His "promotion" has got to be a truly unbelievable reward after three years of hard work and patience.  You earned it man.  I'm not sure how I'm going to react when he at some point experiences his growing pains, but you all can hold me to it that not one of you will ever hear me call for Mike Vick.  And I love Vick....but its Kolb's time now.

Speaking of Vick, I'm actually rather delighted he's going to stick around for another year.  With a full season under his belt, plus an entire offseason conditioning program, mini camps, and training camp, I think he should be "back" athletically.  He was showing a few glimpses at the end of the season, so this year will be a good test for him (not to mention an audition for his next job).

As much as some disagree, you really can't fault Andy on this one.  Yes he lied initially, but I mean did any of us expect him to tip his hand right off the bat?  Even though I wish it wasn't to Washington, I give Andy credit for finding middle ground between what was best for the franchise and what was best for Donovan.

Just an interesting observation....McNabb was the 2nd player taken in 1999.  Here we are 11 years later and we get the 37th pick in exchange for him.  Thats not much depreciation.  Donovan held his value well these 11 years. 

So in closing, I wish the guy nothing but the best.  These past 11 years have flown, but the memories won't ever fade.  Every time I see something like this I'm always reminded of what Jerry Glanville always said.  NFL really does stand for Not For Long.

I hope Peter King of SI.com has a chance to read this.  Recently, Pete posted an article on Monday Morning QB concerning the new overtime rules.  One of the points of his article reads,

4. The more-exposure-to-injury argument, really, is bogus. On average, the NFL plays 12 overtime games a year. That means a team has a 75 percent chance of playing an overtime game in an average year. And with more games now being won on the first possession of overtime (34 percent of games since 1994 have been won by the coin-flip winner on the first possession, compared to 25 percent in the earlier era), half of your team isn't going to take the field for a third of the OT games anyway.

I just thought I'd point out that a given team does not have 75% odds of playing in an overtime game each season.  Here's the logic.

There are 256 total football games played in an NFL regular season, and we are assuming that 12 of these games will go to overtime.  It is much easier to determine the odds that your team DOESN'T play in an overtime game.  We do this by determining how many ways the 12 overtime games can distribute themselves among the 240 football games that your team ISN'T playing in.....

(240 * 239 * 238 * 237 * 236 * 235 * 234 * 233 * 232 * 231 * 230 * 229)   = LINE 1

and dividing this huge number by the total number of ways the 12 OT games can distribute themselves in all 256 games played.....

(256 * 255 * 254 * 253 * 252 * 251 * 250 * 249 * 248 * 247 * 246 * 245)  =  LINE 2

So by dividing LINE #1 by LINE #2, we obtain a 45.28% chance that your team DOESN'T play in OT, which means each team has a  54.72% probability of playing in at least one overtime game each season.

So its been reported that the Chargers are prepared to allow RB Darren Sproles to test the free agent waters.  I guess San Diego feels its time for some housecleaning?  So of course, I began to think what a perfect compliment a guy like this would make to Shady and Weaver (presuming Weave sticks around which I'm saying he will). 

Sproles has two things going for him.  One, he's young (26).  And two, he's fresh, having only carried the ball 199 times in his 5 year career.  He also catches the ball out of the backfield....and is a dangerous kickoff returner.  At 5-6 and 185 pounds he will never be a workhorse, but if used properly would be able to spell Shady while creating a night-and-day change of pace for the offense.  I wouldn't open the vault for him, but if the price is right I'm thinking this guy could be everything Andy thought Lorenzo Booker would be.

Anyway, its just a thought.  Since we now could use some depth in the backfield its something i think the front office should take a look at.

It seems to be a trend with the Eagles year in and year out.  The league has released the official draft order for all seven rounds and the Eagles have a ludicrous 12 picks at their disposal including compensatory 3rd and 7th rounders.  Of interest is the whopping three 3rd rounders which give the team almost unlimited ammunition for just about anything imaginable.  And this is before we trade one (or more) of our quarterback trio which will land us even more picks.  Thats just absurd.  The rich are about to get a little richer.

On a side note, I want to make a complaint to the draft gods for screwing us a second straight year with draft trades.  Two years back we own Carolina's #1 and they finish nearly at the top of the standings, leaving us with a bottom five first rounder (28th overall).  This year we own a conditional pick from the Jets (for Lito) that could range from a second, third or fourth rounder.  And of course, it ends up being the fourth pick from the bottom of the fourth round.  That blows my mind that a pick that could range anywhere from #33 overall to #128 ends up being #124.  For this reason I think the Eagles, instead of building picks for future drafts should just consolidate the 12+ picks into the 6 highest possible picks they can get this year.   Not that its a bad thing to keep an eye on the future, but I'm not seeing the point of stockpiling such a high number of picks which a.) you can't sign all of them anyway and b.) only get pushed into next year which leaves us in the same scenario we're in.  On the flip side, its still fun to imagine all the good stuff we can (but won't) do with all those selections.

By now, most of us are familar with the Vince Wilfork situation, which is the centerpiece of this post.  Big Vince is hell bent against being designated the Patriot's franchise player, which poses a near insurmountable roadblock to free agency and a huge paycheck.  I read some of his comments this week, and at first I thought he was just being another greedy athlete.  But thinking about it, I actually agree with his sentiments. 

If you're an NFL player, the franchise tag has got to be the single worst nightmare of all the hundreds of nuances set forth by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Granted, it pays the player handsomely (for one year).  But look at the risk it proposes for the him.  A great player (I'm assuming great if the team wants to franchise him) is all but forced to accept a one year deal.  Sitting the year out is more detrimental than beneficial.  A severe injury during that year totally screws his future earning potential, but the franchise suffers very little. 

So I would change two things.  First, instead of the average of the top five salaries at a given position, the tagged player would be paid 20% more than the HIGHEST paid player at that position.  Second, the player would only be able to be tagged for one year.  If a long term contract can't be reached after which, the player immediately becomes an UFA and cannot ever be tagged again by that team.  It used to drive me nuts how the Seahawks and Rams would year after year tag Walter Jones and Orlando Pace.

So on this one, I'm actually pulling for Big Vince.  Yes, he'll make more money in one year than I'll ever see in my life...but I have to keep it in perspective.  The franchise tag really is a terrible thing.

I was just looking at the standings and this thought occured to me...

If the Eagles can win their next two, and Dallas loses to the Saints (or Redskins the following week), the Eagles will clinch the division.  This of course renders the week 17 showdown in Dallas meaningless.....or would it be?

If this situation plays out, the Eagles would be the NFC's 3rd seed, because we would hold the tiebreaker on Arizona.  But heres the catch.  Dallas is going to have to win the season finale to capture the 2nd wild card.  If Philly mails in that game because they want to rest players, they would essentially be handing Dallas a ticket to the postseason.  Moreover, if Dallas takes the 6th seed......they'd be coming up to Philly the very next week for the opening round of the tournament! 

Now of course, the Giants are still going to have a say in this matter, especially because they hold the tiebreaker over Dallas.  The Giants still have Washington, Carolina, and a Vikings team that more than likely will have nothing to play for in the finale....which in my opinion is a pretty favorable schedule.

But in the event that the 2nd wild card is on the line for Dallas.....does Philly play it hard even if they themselves have nothing to play for?

Just thought I'd have a little fun with this.  Peter King from SI recently displayed his All-Decade Team on the website, so I thought I'd offer my thoughts and analysis on his picks.  Here we go.        

OFFENSE

QB  Peyton Manning.  Only possible counter argument is Brady, but Manning is the better pure passer.  Tom has more Lombardi trophies, but I agree that Peyton is a little bit better overall.

RB / FB  LaDainian Tomlinson and Lorenzo Neal.  Tomlinson has lost his edge to AP, but hard to argue his amazing productivity the last 6 years.  Marshall Faulk was the best in the biz up until about 2002, but after that the decade belonged to LT.  Neal was the best blocking fullback and could make a tough yard when you needed one, so both of these guys are worthy.

OT's  Walter Jones and Jon Ogden.  King actually chose the top two LEFT tackles of this decade rather than taking a left and right tackle, but gives Jon Runyan the honorable mention at RT.  Jones is a no brainer and in his prime may have actually been the best player in football, regardless of position.  Absolutely amazing player.  I'm not sure if Runyan was the #1 right tackle, but that dude was just nasty as hell and one of the game's all time Ironmen.

OG's Alan Faneca and Steve Hutchinson.  I agree with Hutch, but I would take Larry Allen (the Cowboys version) over Faneca.  Allen was just an immovable object due to his obscene physical strength.  I once remember Brian Urlacher blitzing against Allen where Urlacher had like a 7 yard running start and hit Allen at full speed and the guy didn't even budge.  First ballot Hall of Famer.

C  Kevin Mawae.  If Dermonti Dawson had played this decade, I would have chosen him, but Mawae was the gold standard for a good while.  Good choice.

WR's  Randy Moss, Hines Ward, and Tony Gonzalez (TE).  Gonzo is a slam dunk at tight end.  Moss was the game's premier deep threat, so I'll agree.  Hines Ward was a brain fart.  If playing WR was about just blocking, no problem.  But in no way is Ward a greater pass catching threat then either Harrison, Owens, or Holt.  Absolutely ridiculous pick.  I like Owens here (yes i said it) because of his physicality and run after the catch skills.

DEFENSE

DE's  Aaron Smith and Jason Taylor.  I like Taylor here.  He was extremely hard to block with those long arms that made it almost impossible for a O lineman to get to his body.  He had a killer first step too.  I scratched my head with Aaron Smith.  (anyone.....is Peter king a Steelers fan??)  I hate to admit it, but Mike Strahan is the appropriate pick here and I could probably name 3 or 4 more guys I would take over Smith.  

DT's  Jamal and Kevin Williams.  Agreed.  They are more than wide loads.  They also rush the passer.  Haynesworth was the most dominant the past two years, but he was considered a bust before that.

LB's Ray Lewis, Derrick Brooks, London Fletcher, Mike Vrabel.  Okay....Lewis and Brooks, absolutely.  Those two are among the best of all time, not just the decade.  Fletcher and Vrabel.....not so sure.  I can't put Fletcher ahead of Urlacher at MLB.  Urlacher was 260 pounds and ran like a free safety.   

DBs  Champ Bailey, Antoine Winfield, Brian Dawkins, Ed Reed.  All great picks.  Bailey was the gold standard for years at cornerback.  Reed and Dawkins are potential HOFers.  Nnamdi Asomugha and Troy Polamalu would have entered this discussion but they've only played 6 seasons.

P and K.  Shane Lechler and Adam Vinitieri.  No problems.  If I had to stake my life on a field goal, I'd want Adam kicking it.

Did I miss anybody???

To begin, does anyone believe the playoffs are only 7 weeks away?????  It seems like this season started last week.  Amazing.  Okay, so lets look at the standings and assess the playoff hunt as it looks right now, even though the picture is nowhere near complete.

THINGS I'M PRETTY SURE OF:

New Orleans and Minnesota will almost surely win their divisions and are probably your top two seeds in the NFC.  I don't think anyone who knows anything about football will argue with me here.  Minnesota is 3 games up on Green Bay and holds the head to head tiebreaker, so in essence its a 4 game lead with 6 to go. 

THE NFC West is not going to produce a wild card.  San Fran is sitting there with a mathematical chance at 4-6, but would need a really good run to challenge.  They've made strides, but not quite enough this year.

STILL UP IN THE AIR

The NFC East is about as murky as it gets, with Dallas holding a narrow one game lead.  They have some tough ones upcoming though, with the Giants, Eagles, Chargers and Saints still on their schedule.  Like many of us predicted, this race won't be decided until all 16 games are played.

What will happen with Atlanta and Green Bay?  These were teams I pegged as good wild card candidates, but Atlanta is reeling badly right now at 5-5.  Green Bay still has offensive line woes, which is never a good thing to have if you're making a playoff push.

The Eagles (of course).  Inconsistent play at QB and penelty prone.  Gotta get that crap fixed, and fast.  On the plus side, having the tiebreaker over Chicago helps our wild card chances.

A LOOK AHEAD FOR THE EAGLES

The Birds face Washington at home and then away at Atlanta in the next two weeks.  If we can get these next two, our chances of at least a wild card are well enhanced.  Especially a win over Atlanta, which would give us the tiebreaker.  The next two weeks will clarify the picture at least a little.  On a side note,  we're 11 weeks in and not one NFL team has yet been eliminated from playoff contention.   Although I think that changes this week as Tampa, Cleveland, and St Louis starting gearing up for the race to the number one overall draft pick, the NFL's ultimate booby prize.

So Dallas comes to town this weekend riding a three game win streak against the likes of K.C.( in overtime), Atlanta, and Seattle.  I know that wins are still wins, but that doesn't really impress me.  Even though Atlanta isn't awful, they have the 29th ranked defense in the league, so it was kind of expected that the Cowboys offense would be able to inflate their stats against them.  So at this point, I'm not sure what to make of the Cowboys. 

Tony Romo has played well, Miles Austin is playing bigger than himself, Witten is still Witten, and Roy Williams is an unhappy camper who is currently the league's highest paid for decoy (in draft picks and in salary).  The Cowboys are good on offense, but not unstoppable.  Samuel and Mikell are having Pro Bowl type seasons in the Eagles secondary, so I'm expecting them to help keep Dallas under control.  Once again, Patterson, Bunkley, and Cole are playing well and should be able to contain the running game.

The Cowboys currently have the 22nd ranked defense in the league but have played better as of late.  So how will they fare against our Eagles?  The Cowboys are yet to play a receiving corps as explosive as the Eagles, and there is not a defender in the league right now that can neutralize DJack by himself.  He is the game's most explosive player, and he has company with Celek and Maclin.  Across the board, these receivers are a touchdown waiting to happen.  Then you add Westbrook, Weaver, and McCoy, and the Cowboys defense has its hands full.

This should be a fun matchup.  I'm not expecting another 44-6 blowup, but I think the Eagles explosive offense will make the big plays that will propel us to sole possession of 1st in the NFC East. 

Eagles 31, Cowboys 17

So we have another fun game against the Giants upcoming which should tell us something of where we're headed as a team in 2009.  And once again, first place in the NFC East is at stake.  So how in the world do the Eagles pull this one out?   First off, throw everything these teams have done to date out the window.  Its completely meaningless really, because these guys play to the wire every time they meet, regardless of where the game is played.  The Eagles have reason to be optimistic, and also reason for concern.  Heres why.

Even though the Giants young receivers have played well, they still haven't completely filled the void of Plax.  He just used to kill the Eagles secondary with his size.  I'm expecting Samuel, Brown, and Mikell to have the edge here over Smith and Manningham.  Also, Kevin Boss has been quiet this year (only 14 catches in 7 games), so I'm also expecting Jordan and Witherspoon to win a majority of those battles.  The Giants have a great one-two punch with Jacobs and Bradshaw, and while I always thought Jacobs was a bit overrated, the guys need to wrap up and tackle low (as LaRon Landry will tell you).  This should also be a great challenge for Sean McDermott, who is faced with trying to get into the head of Manning with his blitz package.  This will go a long way in determining the outcome.

Now offensively, I think most of Eagles nation is concerned with our offensive line playing against one of the game's most formidable front sevens.  Peters and Justice will need an excellent effort against Osi and Tuck if they hope to keep Donovan on his feet and give us a chance to expose a struggling secondary.  The last two outings haven't been good for the men up front, so if there is ever a game to bounce back, here it is.  The Giants defense has shown you can run against them, so we'll see how long Andy and Marty stick with the run.

Overall, this will be an enormous challenge for both sides, with the victor earning first place in the division (for this week anyway).  I'm looking forward to what is always one of the league's classic battles.

The Eagles did what they had to do, and that was beat a team they were supposed to beat.  While there are certainly no freebies in the NFL, these are the games you have to win. 

Kolb made us feel a little more comfortable in the event McNabb should need more time to heal.  But with a much needed bye week upcoming, the troops should be all healed up and ready to prey on Tampa and Oakland, before we head into a tough three week stretch against the NFC East.

I was happy to see Maclin and McCoy continue their development.  With D. Jackson already on the verge of greatness and Celek playing like a Pro Bowler, our skill players look mighty promising now and for the future.  Maclin and McCoy are only 21, DJack is 22, and Celek is 24.  Thats scary when you consider that none of these guys have even hit their primes yet.

Elsewhere in the league.....

The Steelers might be in some trouble, even though its still early.  You can really see how much Polamalu means to that defense. 

Kudos to the Lions and their city.  Thats gotta be one hell of a monkey to have off your back.  I hope us Philly fans never have to go through that.....we might kill each other.

As I watched on ESPN Greg Lewis hauling in that incredible TD, did anyone else here say to themselves that if he were still in Philly, he would've never made that play????

Okay guys, once again I need some help from Eagles nation.  I was reading ESPN's power rankings, on which we were ranked 4th.  No problem.  The comment along with the ranking was made by John Clayton and reads "By going for a meaningless fifth TD against the Panthers, Donovan McNabb fractured his ribs and the Eagles' season. (Clayton)" 

I am confused by this idiot.  For one, the Eagles were ahead by 21 with 8:19 to play in the 3rd quarter prior to Mcnabb's TD.  Yes, 21 points is a good margin, but certainly did not mean the game was decided at that point.  While it doesn't happen all the time, I have seen teams come back from deficits like that to defeat teams who thought the game they had already won.  It wasn't as though it was 35 or 40 points.  So for that, I don't understand how it was a meaningless touchdown.

Two, McNabb is going to miss probably one or maybe two games.  How did he ruin the entire season like Clayton implies?  He should be back to normal by the 4th game (or maybe sooner).

Three, he implies that the injury was McNabb's fault.  In other words Donovan, by foolishly trying to attain the objective of football, you broke your ribs.  I mean seriously, was McNabb supposed to curl up in a fetal position on 3rd and goal because he saw some linebackers running at him?

Another example of why I hate these asshole sports writers who never played a sport in their lives, yet they criticize athletes for a living. 

My cousin and I were discussing this the other day.  Just for fun, we were trying to come up with the players over the last decade or so that were just fun to hate for no other reason than the fact that they were good players that didn't play for the Eagles.  Here's what we came up with and why.

10.  Peyton Manning;   He doesn't play in our conference so we don't run into him much, but this guy just tears us up every time we play.  My cuz has gone on record to say that he would sell his soul to the devil for Manning to suffer a career ending injury.  I'm not quite as harsh, but I hate him too.

9.  Michael Strahan;  Tormented the Eagles (especially Runyan) for years.  Talked trash which made it worse.  One of my favorite moments was watching him walk off the field in disgust after being dismantled by the Ravens in the 2001 Super Bowl.  Pained me deeply to see this guy finally get his Super Bowl ring two years ago.  Absolutely, positively COULD NOT STAND that gap in his teeth.  Wanted to punch his face just for that.

8.  Michael Irvin;  I never wish injury on any player, but put another way, I was quick to forgive Timmy Haulk for ending his career.  His signiture first down signal every time he made one used to eat at me.  Pissed me off that he got into the Hall, although I kinda figured it would happen. 

7.  Troy Polamalu;  AFC guy never did much to the Eagles, but he's my brother's (Steeler fan) favorite player so we hate him for that.  Seriously, heritage or not, dude needs to find his way to the barber and tell him that he's sick of looking like an asshole.

6.  Terrell Owens;  He goes on here based not what he did in Philly, but what he did in San Francisco.  I couldn't stand him playing for the 49ers, and I actually used to feel sorry for Jeff Garcia being forced to go to work with such an ass.....but I mellowed when he came to Philly.  I confess that I, for some unknown reason, have a very small soft spot for him, even today.  Don't ask, I myself can't figure it out.

5.  Jeremy Shockey;  He doesn't bother me anymore, but I positively couldn't stand the sight of him in his first two years in the league.  He was really good and extremely cocky, and I almost broke my TV set when he wrestled that TD catch away from Dawkins in the end zone and taunted Dawk after it.  I'm glad he's in New Orleans.  One of my fondest moments was when Roy Williams of the Cowboys absolutely laid him out on a hit over the middle and Shockey was laying on the field for a few.  About the only time you'll ever hear me praise Roy Williams.

4.  Hines Ward;  Cheap shot king of the NFL.  Wasn't a game breaker, but he was tough and gritty.  Absolutely loved seeing him cry when the Steelers lost the AFC title game to the Pats in '05.  Too bad he got his ring the next year. 

3.  Tim Tebow;  Yes, I know he's still in college....but there is no player I can ever remember in the college ranks who I wanted to see come into the NFL and get his head taken off more than him.  I dunno, maybe its because he's such a goody goody rich kid.  Seriously, nothing would make my day more than watching this kid completely suck in the NFL and have his face smashed in the process.

2.  Keyshawn Johnson;  Hated him from the time he scored his first TD, when he took his helmet off and taunted everyone on the field.   He was the greatest receiver of all time......in his opinion.  Might have been the most overrated player in the NFL.  Tampa traded two first rounders to the Jets to get him, and in return they got the most expensive decoy in league history.  He's still running his mouth, but I guess thats what he's paid for now.

1.  Erik Williams;   He was the dirtiest player I ever saw (IMO).  Made a living using hands to the face and throat, which because of him was outlawed.  More than once I've seen him take a shot to the side of a defensive end's knee if he got around him.  He did this one time to a Green Bay player and blew the guy's knee out....and afterwards taunted him!  The following year was involved in a near fatal car accident, which prompted my late grandfather to say the absolute funniest thing I ever heard....  "Damn you karma, you needed to work a little harder on that one"

We all sighed with each passing day that Jeremy Maclin wasn't in camp.  But think of 49ers fans as it relates to Michael Crabtree.  The guy was likely the 2nd best overall talent available in the draft, but wasn't selected until 10th (which was an absolute steal).  Plus, Darrius Heyward-Bey (a far inferior talent) was selected three slots ahead of Crab and recently signed a contract that DRASTICALLY overpaid him.  And from what I'm reading, the idea that Crab wasn't selected until the tenth slot is of no consequence to either he or his agent.  Crabtree is looking for top three money, which can't possibly sit well with the 49ers or their hard nosed head coach.  And seriously, what bargaining chips do you have when you want top three money as the tenth overall pick?

Whats worse is that Crabtree has a lot of diva in him.  How well do you think it will sit with him that Heyward Bey is more than likely going to be getting a bigger paycheck than himself?  So as Eagles fans, be thankful our draft situation didn't come to anything like what the 49ers will deal with. 

OKay, the synopsis...

Dallas collapses late season, to the joy of us all.  Lose a few proven starters, then follow it up with a lackluster offseason and horrible draft.  The Giants were just  forced to part ways with their best offensive player, defense is still very stout, and they have a great draft.  Philly enters the offseason with a few big question marks, and the front office answers them all with exclamation points.  Philly's offense is all of a sudden laden with talent.  Washington gives Big Al Haynesworth the keys to Fort Knox, gets a nice first rounder in Orakpo, but does little to help Jason Campbell.  So what does it all equate to?

My spin:  The Giants have one big question, and Ramses Barden is not the answer, at least  not this year.  The question is how good will Manning be without Burress?  The Giants were clearly on pace to capture another Super Bowl, then they lost Plax and things unwinded.  I had never considered Manning (Eli) to be an elite QB until last year....then Burress comes out and Eli all of a sudden looks very mediocre.  Not to mention Philly beats New York twice at the Meadowlands. 

Conclusion:  I think the Eagles are ready to take back the division, and perhaps the NFC as a whole.  Without Burress, Philly has a little better and more complete team.  The Eagles and Giants defenses were both very strong last season, and they should be just as good this year, if not better.  The difference here is that Philly's offense finally caught up (at least on paper).  Philly's front line talent is likely the best in the game, and they've added skill players in the draft that they had no business getting.  Maclin and McCoy at 19 and 53 was legalized stealing.  If the injury bug doesn't bite, the pieces are in place for a magical run.

Okay...I've never been the type to get excited over useless speculation.  But every once in a while I step outside myself and engage in some "creative thought".  Heres my latest brainstorm.

First, kudos to the Eagles for acquiring Peters.  Landing a player like that with the 28th pick?  Grand slam for the front office.  Now for the fun part.

It looks like the Cardinals aren't giving ground in the contract tug-of-war with Anquan Boldin.  The odds of a trade grow more each day.  Now, it is doubtful the Eagles will ante a first and third for Boldin, and I'm not sure I would either.  Thats a very valuable package of picks that would put only a second round pick between us and the fifth round.  Now if the asking price comes down a bit to say just one first rounder, then I pull that trigger seeing that ours is the highest among the ravens (26th) and the Giants (29th).  In that situation we'd have spent two first round picks and acquired two players in the top five at their positions.  Thats awesome.

But lets come back to Earth and try to land Knowshon Moreno at 21.  Either way, Philadelphia would be a very happy city come Saturday evening.

So we stand two days away from another championship Sunday, and I thought I'd offer my thoughts about some things.

Who can wait to watch Samuel vs. Fitzgerald???  The game's best at each position, head to head.  Fitz has been dominant as ever in the playoffs, but Samuel is by far the best corner he will have faced this season.  I still give Fitz the edge here, but not by a lot.  While Samuel's not going to shut him down, I do think he will keep him under control.  This will be more fun than the good old Runyan vs. Strahan hoopla we all used to enjoy twice a year.

This game will be open and shut if the Cards don't protect Warner.  One of the things that stands out with him is that he's definitely not a mobile QB, and his effectiveness is seriously compromised if you can get after him.  McNabb on the other hand still has a lot of escapability and is a mule to tackle even when you do get your hands on him.  (Ask the Giants how hard he is to bring down).  I like McNabb in this one because he's more dangerous when under pressure, and who the hell ever knows where he's going with the football since he makes a living throwing to like 15 different people a game.

Even though the Cards defense has played well the last two weeks, I think Philly will be able to move on them.  Arizona's scoring defense leaves a lot to be desired as well (28th in the NFL).  If Philly takes care of the ball (unlike Carolina), they should be able to produce points early and often.

FINAL THOUGHT:  I have to go with Philly in this one.  I think they have a few more strengths and a few less weaknesses than does Arizona.  Yes, Fitzgerald is the best in the game, but the Eagles generally scheme very well to take away your best player.  If the two teams play clean (few to no turnovers), the Eagles will be the NFC's Super Bowl rep. 

Non Eagles fan offering my thoughts on the divisional playoff game b/n the Eagles and Giants.  Can't wait for this one to play out.  Okay, now to business.  The Giants are the favorite, but there is no team in the NFC more capable of ending their season than the Eagles.  Not saying it will happen, but here is why it COULD happen. 

The absence of Plax Burress is huge in this game, and it showed the last time they played.  Without him, the Giants don't have a receiver who commands double coverage, and that means more attention can be placed on stacking the box to slow down Jacobs and company.  Toomer can still play, but this week he'll be lining up against Asante Samuel (who in my opinion is the premier corner in football).  Philly has the edge on that one. 

Also, the Eagles defense as a whole is championship caliber.  Save the 40 yard TD run, they pretty much stifled the best back in football last week, and that secondary is one of the best.  Manning will not beat the Eagles by himself.  He's going to need help from his running game.  Jacobs isn't the all around stud Peterson is, but with a full head of steam he's a nightmare for a defensive back.  If the Eagles control Jacobs like they did Peterson, they have a real shot to be in the NFC title game. 

Finally, the Eagles have Westbrook, who traditionally gives the Giants nightmares.  Antonio Pierce is a proud man and won't talk about it, but dude needs to accept the fact that NO linebacker in football is a match for Brian Westbrook in the passing game.  Period.  And the Giants know full well that if they don't control Westbrook, they don't play in the NFC title game.