That guy's pretty good. If you like... six-five, 230-pound quarterbacks with a... laser rocket arm...

Thursday night, the reeling Indianapolis Colts will face off against the slightly more reeling Tennessee Titans. Believe it or not, these teams are a combined 1-9 in their last 5 games, with the lone win belonging to the Colts (against a 2-10 Bengals team, in case you were wondering). The Titans will in all likeliness miss the playoffs at this point, but they'd love to play spoiler to Peyton Manning and the Colts.

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That guy's pretty good. If you like... six-five, 230-pound quarterbacks with a... laser rocket arm...

Thursday night, the reeling Indianapolis Colts will face off against the slightly more reeling Tennessee Titans. Believe it or not, these teams are a combined 1-9 in their last 5 games, with the lone win belonging to the Colts (against a 2-10 Bengals team, in case you were wondering). The Titans will in all likeliness miss the playoffs at this point, but they'd love to play spoiler to Peyton Manning and the Colts.

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Please note that I would post this on Behind the Steel Curtain, but I cannot because I am banned from that site.

A few days ago, on Behind the Steel Curtain, there was a front page article by the site's founder and editor, Michael Bean.

Here's that post: http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2010/12/2/1850281/james-harrison-is-not-only-an-outstanding-football-player-hes-also-a

The post contained a letter supposedly either written or approved by James Harrison and posted on his "official" Facebook page.

I was skeptical of the legitimacy of the Facebook post for a few reasons. None of the major sports news outlets had reported on it. It's very easy it to impersonate an athlete online. Lastly, this "official" page had only 1,200 fans at the time the article was posted.

I expressed this concern, and it was quickly shot down. At first, I just wanted some reason to believe the letter in question either was approved or had originated from James Harrison. I made a huge mistake saying that I hate Steelers fans, and the conversation quickly deteriorated. I said screw it. I posted things worthy of being banned, and I was quickly banned.

Well, the Facebook page linked to in the main article does not exist anymore. I obviously can't say for sure why that page isn't there anymore. It might've been deleted by James Harrison. Oftentimes, however, when an "official" Facebook page disappears quickly, it's because it was fraudulent in nature.

I'm not going to post this on my website for easy hits. I'm not going to gloat and I'm not going to say I told you so. I'm only going to suggest you 1) re-evaluate the way you approach people that don't post on your site very often and 2) Don't say stuff like this:

you’re right, most athletes are idiots and pay d-bag marketing schleps to do their social media, which is pretty much the worst thing you can do. But you shouldn’t speak so dang convincingly on this particular instance because this definitely was written by Harrison.

Thanks.

The Eagles are nearly guaranteed to get rid of Juqua Parker one way or the other. Parker, who turns 32 in less than a month, is scheduled to make $2.3M this year (nearly double his salary from last year). The Eagles added 3 DEs in the draft and acquired Darryl Tapp via a trade with Seattle earlier this offseason.

Trent Cole is the undisputed starter at right defensive end. Tapp has likely already leapfrogged Parker on the depth chart and should begin the season as the starting left defensive end. Tapp is younger and better against the run than Parker. After Tapp and Cole, we have Abiamiri, Graham, DTO (man I hope that name sticks) and Sapp besides Parker.

Parker is the odd man out. They've already invested a lot in Graham, and the Eagles thought highly enough of DTO to take him in the third. Sapp isn't a guarantee to make the team by any stretch of the imagination, but he's not competing with Parker for a spot. Sapp is an edge pass rush specialist.

Don't be surprised if Parker is dealt in the near future. There may be a small chance Parker makes it into the regular season as an Eagle, but if he does, I'd be incredibly surprised if he isn't traded by the trade deadline. The combination of his age, salary, and our new additions from the draft have made him expendable. If offered a player or a pick in next year's draft, the Eagles should absolutely jump at it.

I posted this for a contest on MockingTheDraft.com. I figured what the fudge, I'll post it here, too, because everybody totally cares about my novice (at best) level of knowledge on the NFL draft and other teams needs. Without further ado:

Rams - Sam Bradford

- Set in stone

Lions - Suh

- All but guaranteed

Tampa Bay - Gerald McCoy

- This is almost more of a guarantee than Bradford to the Rams.

Redskins - Okung

- Because Chris Cooley doesn't play tackle.

Kansas City - Bulaga

- Pioli = smart

Seattle - Trent Williams

- Walter Jones is kinda old.

Eagles - Eric Berry

- You don't win these things by making the same picks as everyone else. Browns traded down last year and wouldn't mind doing it again. Holmgren will draft a QB sometime after the first while Delhomme holds down the fort. Philly and Cleveland ties run deep with Tom Heckert and the close relationship Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid still have. They already moved Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong, and I think this might go down. I don't particularly want this to happen, because (as I've mentioned before) I don't like moving this far up and giving up high draft picks, but that's my semi-bold prediction.

Raiders - Bruce Campbell

- He's the most athletic player at a position of need, therefore Al Davis fell in love with him.

Buffalo Bills - Clausen

- The linemen available aren't worth it, and Clausen is said to be the second best QB available. (I don't think Clausen will be good, though)

Jaguars - Derrick Morgan

- Best pass rusher in the draft goes to the worst pass rushers in the league.

Broncos - Rolando McClain

- Solid pickup for a Broncos defense that needs playmakers

Miami - Dan Williams

- Not necessarily the BPA, but he fills a need and is a pretty good value here.

San Francisco - CJ Spiller

- BPA and gives the 49ers yet another reason to never address their QB situation

Seattle - Taylor May

- Pete Carrol pick obviously

NY Giants - Brandon Graham

- They choose to address the LB situation later because the available LBs aren't worth it, here.

Tennessee - Kyle Wilson

- Tennessee provides a mild surprise by making Wilson the first CB taken.

San Francisco - Anthony Davis

- They need a tackle, bad. He ends up playing left tackle and Joe Staley moves back to the right side, instantly improving two important positions.

Steelers - Iupati

- They need to improve their O-Line more than ever. I hate Roethlisberger, but he wins games. He can buy time and get out of a sticky situation, but enough about his legal troubles. He can make plays after the pass protection breaks down and dodge sacks. They're going to need to lean on a strong run game because they will not go anywhere in 2010 if they have to pass as much as they did in 2009.

Falcons - Jason Paul-Pierre

- The hype machine gets taken here by a team with a passable defense but room for improvement everywhere.

Houston - Earl Thomas

- A good player falls to Houston who takes the opportunity to upgrade their secondary.

Cincinnati - Dez Bryant

- The best WR in the draft (besides Eric Decker, of course) comes in to hopefully improve a dazzlingly average offense.

Patriots - Jerry Hughes

- Patriots would've loved Dez Bryant here, and maybe trade up for him, but they can definitely stand to improve their defense after gutting it the last two years.

Packers - Joe Haden

- Their CBs are old.

Browns - Sean Weatherspoon

- This is a tough pick because I have nothing to reference as far as the Browns drafting late in the first. They bring him in to shore up their LB corps.

Ravens - Jared Odrick

- Comes in to play DE

Jacksonville - Tebow

- They mortgage their future to get a second pick in the first

Dallas - Pouncey

- See Bye, Dawk :('s pick in the BGN mock.

San Diego - Terrence Cody

- Yeah, they need a RB, but a nose tackle is more important.

Jets - Linval Joseph

- I couldn't name their DTs, and then I looked them up, and they're both 31. He's been moving up draft boards and might have a chance at being taken in the first.

Vikings - Devin McCourty

- For a 12 win team, they actually have a decent number of holes. He's the best CB remaining and stuff.

Colts - Charles Brown

- #1 priority is keeping Peyton Manning upright. As long as they do that, this team has a chance.

Saints - Dan Price

- The SB champs upgrade their d-line, and end up with a pretty formidable combo of Dan Price and Sedrick Ellis.

And begin the ridicule..... NOW

Rams - Sam Bradford

Lions - Suh

Tampa Bay - Gerald McCoy

Redskins - Okung

Kansas City - Bulaga

Seattle - Trent Williams

Eagles - Eric Berry

You don't win these things by making the same picks as everyone else. Browns traded down last year and wouldn't mind doing it again. Holmgren will draft a QB sometime after the first while Delhomme holds down the fort. Philly and Cleveland ties run deep with Tom Heckert and the close relationship Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid still have. They already moved Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong, and I think this might go down.

Raiders - Bruce Campbell

Buffalo Bills - Clausen

Jaguars - Derrick Morgan

Broncos - Rolando McClain

Miami - Dan Williams

San Francisco - CJ Spiller

Seattle - Taylor Mays (Pete Carrol pick obviously)

NY Giants - Brandon Graham

Tennessee - Kyle Wilson

San Francisco - Anthony Davis

Steelers - Iupati

Falcons - Jason Paul-Pierre

Houston - Earl Thomas

Cincinnati - Dez Bryant

Patriots - Jerry Hughes

Packers - Joe Haden

Browns - Sean Weatherspoon

Ravens - Jared Odrick

Jacksonville - Tebow

Dallas - Pouncey

San Diego - Terrence Cody

Jets - Linval Joseph

Vikings - Devin McCourty

Colts - Charles Brown

Saints - Brian Price

And begin the ridicule..... NOW

Now that the biggest (going out on a limb here) move of the offseason has gone down, it seems like a logical place to recap the offseason so far. So let's step back, take a deep breath, and look at what has happened to our precious Eagles since we fell to the Cowboys in the wildcard round. Get comfy, put on your reading glasses, and maybe get a drink, because there's a lot to go over, friend.

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Unless someone hacked Adam Schefter's Twitter account or he's playing a late April's Fools joke, it's actually happened.

Per Adam Schefter, McNabb is a Redskin and the Eagles are going with Kolb. Compensation is unknown.

Holy crap. Sad to see him go, but we all saw it coming. I think I can speak for everyone though when I say I don't think would ever see him going to the Redskins.

http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter/status/11613372960

Update: Eagles receive the Redskins 2nd round pick and either a 3rd or 4th round pick in 2011.

Lito Sheppard

Do you want the Eagles to bring him back? Do you think they will?

I think it might make sense to try and bring him back on the cheap.

I wrote it the way I did originally for comedic effect, but apparently no one gets it. All the topic needed was one word to begin the discussion, and you can't put a poll on a fanshot. No one else was discussing the possibility and I thought this is something that might logically be discussed, seeing as its relevant to the team this blog is dedicated to.

Andy Reid:

"People are entertaining us with offers. Nothing's been done, but we're evaluating all of them. That's the truth."

After careful thought, I realized he means:

"My cellie be blowing up! I haven't been on the phone this much since Domino's was rocking that 5-5-5 deal!"

Andy Reid:

"I'm not saying I'm doing anything. But we're keeping our ears open. It's an evaluation process."

Yet we all know he's saying:

"I'm holding out until I get a good offer. According to Madden '10, we should be able to get a high first, second, and third, at least in my saved franchise. Someone will do it. Probably Al Davis. He's an idiot."

Rams GM Billy Devaney:

"Absolutely false. It's utterly ridiculous. I haven't talked to Philadelphia about any of their players."

In truth, the Rams GM clearly implied:

"Why would we make a move that would so clearly benefit our team when we can get a rookie in here for $12 million per year?"

Donovan McNabb:

"My position hasn't changed. I've said all along that I would like to win a Super Bowl and finish my career in Philadelphia."

If you read between the lines, you'll see he actually said:

"I can't believe these idiots are trying to trade me. I oughta punch that fat sack of crap right in his pie hole."

McNabb:

"I understand the situation well and just hope whichever direction the Eagles decide to go in, they do it quickly. I think that would be best for me, Kevin, Michael, the Eagles, and any other teams involved."

But he really meant:

"Trade me already, dammit. Screw Kevin. Screw Vick. Screw the Eagles, and screw the buttholes I end up playing for. You trade me to Buffalo, and I'm going to kick the crap out of you. You trade me to Oakland and Imma kill you. Think I'm kidding? Try it. I'm crazy, fat man."

McNabb:

"No matter what happens, I've already begun preparing to have an outstanding season in 2010."

You can't fool me, Donovan. I know what you're really trying to say is:

"Seriously, yo. I'm going to kill Andy Reid."

Jeff McLane

"according to sources close to the situation"

I think what he really meant to say was:

"I was getting hammered at the pub and this guy sitting next to me said"

Stephen A. Smith:

"The treatment McNabb has received year after year has been disgraceful. What has taken place this off-season has surpassed betrayal."

You KNOW that means:

"This is bull! Andy Reid is only trading him because McNabb is black! Dude is a racist. CAN'T YOU SEE THAT, AMERICA?! WHY DOESN'T ANYONE READ MY INCOHERENT, RAMBLING GARBAGE ANYMORE?!"

Asked about the McNabb situation, Rams safety Oshiomogho Atogwe had no comment.

2009 Preseason

Peters. Herremans, Jackson. Andrews. Andrews. Pretty damn good looking offensive line on paper. Unfortunately, on paper is the only place that line played together. Shawn Andrews re-aggravated his back injury. Todd Herremans suffered a "stress reaction" in his left foot. Stacy Andrews wasn't 100%, and wasn't exactly effective. For the first couple weeks of the season, our starters were Peters, Cole, Jackson, Jean-Gilles, and Justice. That's quite a departure from the expected.

2009 Season

By the end of the season, of course, Shawn Andrews was placed on IR, Jamaal Jackson had torn his ACL, and Stacy Andrews had failed to live up to expectations. Our offense looked pathetic and our offensive line was abused by the Cowboys in consecutive weeks. Justice was a pleasant surprise, by missing the fewest snaps amongst the line. Jason Peters, aside from a few miscues, was mostly productive as well.

Is depth really an concern?

I think the Eagles lack of moves during free agency is very telling. They've obviously been in no hurry to address the offensive line through free agency. Are they comfortable with their current backups? Cole has had more playing time than most starters. Max Jean-Gilles is adequate though not preferable. Mike McGlynn will be entering his third year as a player. Fenuki Tupou will enter his second season. Are the Eagles more likely to draft an offensive lineman and simply insert him higher than players that have been around? I'm not sure that's the case.

The Eagles highly value versatility. This is shown by the fact that almost everyone on the line is capable of playing more than one position. Herremans and Andrews can play tackle. Cole can play center or guard. Lesser known players, however might be positioned to step up this year. I think Mike McGlynn is definitely ready to compete for a spot on the active roster from week to week as the backup center who can also play both guard positions. Fenuki Tupou was a highly regarded tackle at Oregon and slipped a little in the draft due to a very innocuous incident involving an agent.

Has free agency told us anything?

The Eagles have been extremely active this offseason, but have yet to make a single change to our offensive line except for releasing Shawn Andrews. I think the best move the Eagles could make would be to sign a veteran center. This keeps Nick Cole as a backup guard, where he was most comfortable and most productive. But it also keeps him available as the backup center. This added layer of depth could make a tremendous difference down the line. Kevin Mawae is still available and may be the best solution.

From a few articles I've read, the 39 year-old president of the NFLPA will likely command little more than the veteran's minimum salary. He is clearly a natural leader, and last year he anchored a line that paved the way for 2,000 yard rusher Chris Johnson. His durability is amongst the best. He's missed 3 games in the last 4 years. Before missing 10 games in 2005, he had gone 10 straight seasons without missing a game.

It'd definitely be out of the ordinary for the Eagles to bring in someone Mawae's age, but circumstances might overcome the front office's normal tendencies. I don't think Mawae is a necessary signing, but I think signing a fill-in for one year would be very prudent.

Meet the probable 2010 starters

Jason Peters

Our left tackle, Peters was acquired via a trade with the Bills last year. Maybe Peters didn't live up to the Andy Reid's hype, but he was probably still our best offensive lineman in 2009. He was tasked with defending McNabb's blindside, where he allowed 6 sacks, 4 QB hits, and 12 pressures. Not exactly elite, but he easily ranks inside the top 10 with those numbers, arguably top 5. 

Todd Herremans

Herremans missed the first 5 weeks of the season with the aforementioned stress reaction. His strength is pass blocking and he's above average at run blocking. He's not the flashiest guy, but he's a solid starter, no matter what JIBTA says. He also has been known to fill-in at left tackle in a pinch.

Nick Cole

Nick Cole has proven himself invaluable to this team. Capable of starting all three interior line positions, his versatility and capable (though not elite) blocking skills have made him simply indispensable. Still considered a backup (Ha!), Cole has started 20 consecutive regular season games spanning the last two seasons in addition to 4 playoff starts in that same time frame. I don't think that streak is about to break. With a training camp and preseason to prepare at center, I think the mishaps we saw at the end of last season will become a distant memory.

Stacy Andrews

Stacy is perhaps the biggest question mark going into the next season. Was he affected by his injury? Will he ever again be the player who was once franchised by the Bengals and signed to a very lucrative contract by the Eagles? Hopefully he is. The Eagles think he will be. There were plenty of excuses for what happened last year, but it was a bona fide disaster any way you slice it.

Stacy Andrews saw hardly any playing time. He claimed his knee was not an issue. Was he unfamiliar with the playbook? How much time would he require to take it in? Hopefully, the lack of a full training camp and preaseason was a setback that he just didn't recover from. I think there's a pretty good chance he becomes the guy we need him to be.

Winston Justice

Probably the guy who was least expected to play the most snaps. Before the preseason, some even predicted he'd be cut. However, he filled in and played well enough that the Eagles signed him to an extension and view him as the starter for years to come. His emergence made the decision to cut Shawn Andrews easier to swallow.

The Guys Who Might Make This Bearable

Mike McGlynn

Meet the next Nick Cole. Mike McGlynn has quietly stayed in the background as his offensive line comrades have fallen like flies. He was on the 53 man roster for each week last year, and he was activated in week 17 after Jamaal Jackson injured his knee. You might be wondering "If he's so good, why was he inactive all year?" It's a valid question, but I think that's answered by the fact that we simply had the depth at guard. Herremans was healthy, and Cole was by far our best option at right guard. Max Jean-Gilles had more experience, leaving McGlynn as the odd man out.

So where does McGlynn fit in? He's able to play each of the interior line positions, just like Cole. Of the snaps he received during the preaseason, the majority of his snaps came at left guard, but he also was the player snapping the ball for a bit. He played center in high school, and displayed plenty of versatility at Pitt, playing guard and tackle. Like I mentioned earlier, he was activated in Week 17, and I think that's because he's considered the next player on the depth chart at center. I think he'll be someone to keep a very close eye on in the preseason.

Fenuki Tupou

One guy isn't going to be enough to solidify the line. That's where Fenuki Tupou steps in. The Eagles were lucky to get him near the end of the 5th round last year. Tupou was projected to go in round 3 by most projections.

First thing you realize about him is that he's a big dude. 6'6" and 330 lbs. What you might not know about him are his credentials. How good was he? Well, he's the reason Max Unger was a center and not a left tackle. Tupou played well enough Oregon coaches felt the team was better served moving Unger to center and inserting Tupou into the lineup at left tackle.

He isn't considered left tackle material in the NFL, sadly. However, he is able to play either guard position in addition to right tackle. The Eagles drafted him, gave him a test run during the preseason, and didn't want to risk losing him on the practice squad. Therefore, he was put on injured reserve, thus securing his services for the 2010 season.

A.Q. Shipley and Dallas Reynolds

OK, I'll admit I know nothing about these guys. Shipley is a center the Steelers drafted in the 7th round not so long ago. Dallas Reynolds' normal position is guard, but I've also seen him listed at center. I don't think either have ever been on the active roster.

Best case scenario

Jason Peters improves upon last year and demonstrates the elite ability that enticed Andy Reid to trade with Buffalo. He dominates the competition, and our yet-to-be-determined quarterback remains healthy and upright against very tough NFC East defensive ends.

Jamaal Jackson has an unexpected lightning fast recovery. Optimistic projections have Jackson returning to the playing field as early as August. If he can somehow make that recovery timeline happen, he could return to a starting role in the first few weeks of the season.

Stacy Andrews regains his form and becomes a dominant guard once again. His ACL tear a distant memory, he's fully recovered and as strong as ever. After a year and an offseason, the new offense is second nature to him and he has no excuses and no lapses in play.

Herremans continues to play well and stays healthy. Justice proves it was not a mistake to make him the starter and extend him.

Worst case scenario

Jason Peters is obviously a very important component to the offensive line. If he is out, we're certainly not improved by sliding Herremans out to left tackle, but we're not screwed either. If Peters becomes injured, Herremans moves out, and Jean-Gilles or McGlynn steps in at left guard (assuming Nick Cole is still the center).

If Herremans becomes injured, Jean-Gilles will likely take over for him. If Nick Cole becomes injured, McGlynn takes over for him.

At right guard, we'll be plenty deep. Stacy Andrews will be the starter. McGlynn, MJG, and Tupou will all be available to back him up. At right tackle, if Justice become hurt, Stacy Andrews would likely be the first choice. Behind him would be Stacy Andrews.

What are the absolute worst case scenarios, though? If two (or more) starters go down, we could be seriously screwed, especially if one of those starters is Peters. His production is the least replaceable. Herremans playing left tackle is a dropoff. However, if Herremans is injured at the same time, that could be simply disastrous. Who would step in at left tackle? Justice would likely be the choice. However, this is not a situation that would leave the Eagles fanbase feeling extremely confident.

Cole becoming injured would hurt as well. Because of his versatility, an injury to Cole would simply cause serious damage to our depth.

I think the right side of the line would survive fine unless both Andrews and Justice were hurt at the same time.

In Conclusion

I know we're not all exactly comfortable with the idea of inexperienced players getting significant roles. Especially if those players play a position that doesn't get a lot of press, yet we know to be extremely important. However, it's more than likely that at least two current Eagles step into a more prominent role.

I feel as though the Eagles should bring in a veteran center to ensure an added layer of depth by keeping Nick Cole available. If he's not occupied playing center, then an injury to anyone on the line is survivable. If Peters or Justice is hurt, Herremans or Andrews slide out to replace them, and Nick Cole would come in to play guard. If a guard or center is hurt, Cole comes in for them. However, a lot of flexibility is sacrificed if we go into the season with Cole as the starter.