There has been one question that I've been wondering since the NFL draft.  I've been busy and haven't really been able to look to find an answer to this question.  I was wondering if anyone else happened to know:

How much risk is there in drafting a kicker in the NFL?

Obviously this question relates the drafting of Henery and whether he was worth a 4th round pick (excluding the whole Akers factor).  Some people believe that the 4th round is fundamentally too early to take kicker - even one projected to be the best.  To me, it seems like 5th is the ideal time to take a top kicker, but I have no evidence to back this up.

By the 4th and 5th rounds, teams begin to draft higher risk players, especially injury-riddled players (see: Ingram, Cornelius).  Teams can expect that there will be busts in these rounds but hope they find talent in this.  Thus, I feel that if there is little risk with a kicker and he is known to be a top kicker, it is not inappropriate to draft a kicker at this time.

So again, what is the risk with Henery?  I'm not trying to make an argument, but would really like to know the success rates of high rating kicking prospects.  I know the last kicker taken early was Janokowski, whose done well in his career.  Obviously, Nugent is the standard of kicking busts- taken in the 2nd round and underachieved.  I haven't really followed Nugent but it seems that this is mostly the fact that he almost certainly could not live up to a 2nd round pick.  He missed a couple big playoff kicks but is still in the NFL.

Why don't kickers pan out in the NFL?  Is it mostly character issues- guys who get big contracts and stop working on their game?  There are psychological factors where kickers who are even good in the NFL lose confidence and lose their game.  I don't want to discount kicking- its a difficult task but it should be easy to scout.  We've seen Henery outside at all ranges.  He can put a football between the goal posts.  In the NFL its the same ball, same field (some hash mark differences...), same goal posts.  Henery doesn't have to learn complex schemes or plays and doesn't really have to deal with the changing speed of the game (except by kicking it quick enough and over blockers).  The Eagles have also seen him clutch situations nailing kicks.  (He hasn't handled kickoffs but I'm not too worried about him picking that up).

So, does anyone know how kickers drafted in the early rounds have fared in the NFL compared to later round kickers?  Are there any other instances of "busts" where a high prospect could not perform well in the NFL?

As an Eagles fan, I've never lived outside Philadelphia during a football season.  Next year, I'm starting med school in NYC and will be living at 26th and 1st.  I need to watch all the games, and this will probably involve going to bars.  I've heard some people mention Philly bars in other cities.  Does anyone know where are they in New York, especially near my location?  Thank you for your help!

I'm sorry.  I know.  I know.  I should enjoy this win.  I do and it feels GREAT.  And I give all the credit to Andy for the best first half I've ever seen of football.  I truly am ecstatic about his performance today.  Please don't let this mini-rant obscure that.

But seriously, how do you play Vick and DeSean for nearly the whole game.  And not only that, until the very end, we didn't change our strategy at all.  Again, I understand the obvious fact- the strategy worked.  But the 4th quarter included designed QB runs- some when the game was still relevant, others when it clearly wasn't.  And DeSean... how did you let him return punts?  He splits the return duty with Calvin to begin with, why not just give Calvin the second half to return.

It was pouring rain too.  Someone could have easily slipped and twisted/sprained/broken/don't want to think about other things to write.  I thought that this was irresponsible of Andy Reid and an unnecessary risk.  In light of a crushing victory, I understand that this doesn't seem like a big deal but imagine if Vick was taken off the field in the 4th quarter....

Maybe you should just ignore this post and celebrate tonight.  I'm sure as hell gonna enjoy this one.

Bring on the Giants!

Do we root for the Giants?

I don't fear playing them in the playoffs at all and they are no longer in contention for the division.

Their season appears to be hanging on a wire now and are on the verge of elimination.  The potential impact of this is Week 17, when they have a big game against the Vikings.  Now suddenly with the #2 spot up for grabs after Minnesota's recent slide, the Eagles can potentially secure a first-round bye. Do we root for the Giants in hopes that they'll still be playing a meaningful game against Minnesota?

Note 1:  This idea repulses me.  I root for the Giants two times a year... their games against the Cowboys.  Even then I gag at the idea of cheering on a quarterback as hapless as Eli Manning.  Given our success against the Giants this year, however, I am beginning to think it might be smart.

Note 2: I understand that this is completely based on a ton of what-if possibilities working out.  We still need to take care of our own business, the Vikings still have a Bears game, and the Giants still have to take care of business the next two games.  But I'm bored and don't feel like studying so I'm thinking out all scenarios.

Note 3:  If this were the Cowboys, not the Giants, I would not make this exception.  Never ever root for Dallas.

Now I realize what you're all gonna respond... this is just playing the devil's advocate....

One of the greatest arguments against steroid use is the debilitating effects that steroids have on our bodies.  There is no denying that these steroids exhibit a great risk on an athlete's body.

But then again, football is a risk.  The very action of strapping on pads and stepping onto a football field is extremely dangerous.  I once saw somewhere (need a fact checker) that the life expectancy of a NFL quarterback is significantly lower than the average person by something like a decade.

The fact is, the sport encourages these risks.  Granted this year, the league is trying to change the macho risk-taking philosophy, but historically the football players have rewarding players for taking risks on their bodies.  Players gained respect by heading back into the game after receiving a concussion.

The idea of banning steroids on the basis of the risks is contrary to the philosophy of football.  It is completely contradictory to condemn a player for risking his body's health, while simultaneously praising another for playing through an injury.

PFT reports from Eskin:

Eagles Offered No Higher Than A Three For Boldin

Now that we’ve got an open texting thread on the Sprint phone with WIP’s Howard Eskin, we’ve got a quick and easy way to find out what he’s actually reporting about the Eagles (or what he’s saying about “blogs” . . . it sounds like Eskin is dry heaving when he says that word) after we get an e-mail from a reader telling us that Eskin has just said something about the Eagles (or about “blogs”) on the air.

Friday, Eskin told us that he reported the Eagles indeed made an offer to the Cardinals for Anquan Boldin, and that it was no higher than a third-round pick.

He also said that, contrary to other reports, the Eagles have not offered a second-round pick and a third-round pick for Boldin.

It remains to be seen whether a team can work out a deal with the Cardinals for Boldin this weekend.  Unless the Cards have given Boldin’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, the green light to negotiate a new deal with a new team, it might be difficult to get the planets aligned in time to pull the trigger.

One source with intimate knowledge of the thinking of one of the teams reportedly interested in Boldin tells us that the asking price of $9 million or $10 million per year could be scaring some folks off, given Boldin’s age, his lack of high-end speed, and his history of injuries.

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So what does this mean for the Birds?  If the Eagles don't budge... we probably won't be getting Boldin.

Rumor has it the Titans are willing to give their 2nd round pick for him.

I don't get it.  I just don't... We have a great offense and there is no excuse for us to almost get shut out these days.  But, still we are flat for 8 innings.

Every game is a microcosm of our season: Look flat for most of the season, and then roar from behind once we are pronounced dead.

Can't we just turn it on earlier?  I guess its just not how our players work.  They thrive under pressure and motivate themselves best when the game is on the line.

But still... other than that cliché, I don't know what it is.  Any ideas?  Really... I need something.

He can still play.  I know that.  And he's a very good leader.  I know that too.

But has this offseason taught you nothing?  He's 33.  Once you hit 30, the Philadelphia Eagles start worrying about nursing home bills.  We spent an entire offseason getting younger... almost every substraction was above 30 and every addition was young.  We had a plan this off-season and Gonzalez didn't fit it.

We need a TE.  i get it.  But its a deep TE class... I don't see us taking Pettigrew at 21 but we've got enough picks lower down to get a quality one.  And as that TE matures, Celek can hold down the position just fine...

Relax, the Front Office didn't completely drop the ball.  A 2nd rounder was excessive for Tony at his age.

I have always thought that the thing that made the NFL great was that there are no guaranteed contracts the way there are in other sports.  Players are always fighting for a spot on the team next year and to keep their salary.  This prevents money-sucks, the way Eaton did to the Phils.  If you don’t earn your keep, you’re out the door.   With a few exceptions, players can’t just give up on their team like Manny did in Boston… they’d end up without their jobs.

But now I’m beginning to worry about the flip side.  If the NFL teams don’t guarantee their ends of the contracts, players don’t feel the need to honor their side.  This leads to an off-season of endless whining and complaining.  Think of any storyline you’ve heard so far this off-season.  McNabb.  Lito.  Boldin.  “Ochocinco.”  Peters.  Now, Sheldon Brown.  Has it made this off-season more interesting?  Yes.  But I’m tired of hearing about #2 CBs whine about making $1.75 mill to do something I’d give anything for.

Its not even the NFL Draft and already its exhausting.  Just wait til training camp and hold-outs.  These guys are blessed to make loads of money with the sole talents of running fast and hitting hard… but yet they have unimaginably large egos and are pupetteered by agents whose egos are even larger.  If any worker in any other profession performs well, they’d have no leverage to threaten their boss for a new salary.  Especially in an economy like this.

The NFL contract is dead.  The 6-year, $60 million contract to Peters is utterly meaningless.  By the time 2015 rolls around, one side or the other with demand a re-negotiation.  Is it actually time to change this system?  Make a contract an actual contract?  Ensure that signing your name for 6 years actually means 6 years and not until your next Pro-Bowl season?