NFL What If?

Quarterback Donovan McNabb has missed 21 starts in his 10-year career due to injury; 5 games in 2002 with a broken Ankle, 7 in 2005 with a sports hernia, 6 in 2006 with a torn ACL and 2 in 2007 with a sprained thumb on his throwing hand. Even though these injuries are completely unrelated and none of them have had lasting effects on his playing ability many people have still (unfairly?) labeled him as injury prone - but that's an argument for another time.

Today my goal is to ask one simple question: What if McNabb had stayed injury free his entire
career up to this point? What kind of seasons would he have had statistically?

I don't have a fancy computer at my disposal like the guys at the real What If Sports do, so I relied on a very simple formula for computing McNabb's overall stats. I figured out what his per-game average for each category was and multiplied it by 16, then rounded to the nearest whole number (except for Completion %, Yards Per Attempt and QB ratings - those I rounded to the nearest tenth.)

I did not weight my calculations based on the defenses that he was facing, injuries to other Eagles or opponent players, weather conditions, home/away games, or any other factors. This is purely an examination of his statistical averages stretched out to an entire season.

The fewest games McNabb has ever started in one season is 9 - meaning that he has always started more than half a season - which is plenty of time to establish a statistical trend. It would be a completely different story if he had only started one game because that's not enough to establish anything. Essentially, the more games you have to calculate season totals from, the more accurate the calculations become.

Another thing to note: I did not account for time McNabb may have missed in a game that he started. For instance, McNabb tore his ACL before halftime against the Titans in 2006. He played less than half a game that week, but my process counts it as a full game. Therefore some statistics may be skewed slightly lower. Maybe later I'll go through and calculate his per-quarter statistics and I might get slightly more accurate totals.

Lastly, I only adjusted the totals for games that McNabb missed due to injury. He didn't play the last week of the 2004 season because the Eagles had already clinched home field advantage. He also didn't play some games his rookie season.

So, how does McNabb fare according to my statistics? Let's take a look.

Here are McNabb's official, unaltered stats (sorry it's kinda small):

Here are his "What If?" stats, with the altered seasons highlighted:
So, had McNabb stayed healthy, how would he have performed? Pretty darn well, actually.

In 2002 he would have ranked 8th in total yards, tied for 2nd in TDs and posted the 7th best QB rating.

In 2005 he would have ranked 1st in passing yards by nearly 350 yards and would have been tied for 2nd in TDs.

In 2006 he would have ranked 4th in passing yards and 2nd in TDs while posting the 4th best QB rating.

2007 was the year Tom Brady decided to rewrite the record books, but McNabb still would have ended with respectable totals, ranking 9th in yards and 10th in TDs with a 9th place QB rating.

All-in-all McNabb at his worst performs as a top-10 QB. At his best he's a top-3, right up there with Tom Brady and Payton Manning.

2009 NFC East Preview: QBs

Having the right Quarterback can make or break your team's championship hopes, so it makes sense to start this position-by-position preview with the most important cog in the wheel: the field generals.

Cowboys:
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Tony Romo comes from the Brett Favre school of quarterbacking. He has a tendency to be careless with the football and focus too much on the big-play. He often holds on to the ball for far too long and tosses up lame ducks when under pressure. When his guys come down with the ball he's praised as a hero and called a "gunslinger," but when the other team comes up with the ball - well - this happens. Or how about this one? And this one, too. (To be fair, that 44-6 loss to the Eagles wasn't all Romo's fault, it was a complete team collapse. Offense, defense and special teams.)

Romo's still here, but T.O. isn't. Owens only topped 100-yards on two occasions last season, but he still managed to find the end zone 10 times. Romo's numbers will drop this season, but not as much as you might expect. He still has the game's most reliable tight end not named Tony Gonzalez and there should be a heavier emphasis on the run game, which will keep some pressure off his shoulders.

The Cowboys made a good move bringing Jon Kitna in to back Romo. They blamed losses to St. Louis and Arizona squarely on Brad Johnson and realized they needed an upgrade. Kitna will give them a better chance to win if Romo misses any time. Brad Johnson clearly was not cutting it, but the entire team was outplayed in both of those losses. I'm not convinced Dallas would have won either of those games even if Romo was healthy.

Kitna is essentially the same type of player as Romo: a hopeless gunslingers that will put up lots of yards and TDs, but might also kill you with turnovers. Kitna is not as talented as Romo, but he is far more competitive which helps close the gap. He is not a liability like Brad Johnson, but he's certainly not going to push Romo for playing time.

Eagles:
As maligned as he may be, Donovan McNabb is the best QB in the division and a solid top-5 QB in the league. The Eagles must agree because they gave him a raise and now they're paying him like one. Outside of Brian Westbrook and one season with Terrell Owens, McNabb has been playing with inferior tools at the skill positions his entire career and has still managed to produce like an A-lister. Well the Eagles may have finally surrounded McNabb with enough offensive fire-power to put him over the hump and into a Super Bowl ring. And I'm not the only one who thinks so.

There are a lot of new pieces to this offense - we have to wait and see how they all gel together - but if everything goes as smoothly as it's looking in camp, McNabb can stay healthy and Tom Brady doesn't start shattering records again then McNabb is going to be in the MVP discussion late in the season.

What worries me is depth behind McNabb. Kevin Kolb is number two on the depth chart and has played well in preaseason, but he has been terrible in his sparing regular season action. He played in 6 games last season - mostly garbage time - and recorded 17/34 for 144 and 4 INTs, including at least 2 that were returned for TDs. The light might click on for him some day, but he looks lost in real action.

A.J. Feeley can run this offense well, unfortunately he's very turnover prone. The Eagles coaching staff believes the key to winning football games is protecting the ball. McNabb is excellent at it, flirting back and forth with Neil O'Donnell for lowest INT percentage in NFL history. He might launch a few bullets at his receivers' feet, but at least he's not tossing it into the opponents hands. Feeley, however, doesn't protect the football as well and has given games away with interceptions in the waning minutes. Still - I think he's a better option than Kolb at this point. If McNabb were unavailable for a do-or-die football game I think Feeley leapfrogs Kolb and starts. At the very least Kolb is on the NFL's shortest leash if he does start.

Giants:
Eli Manning has a solid case for best QB in the NFC East, simply because he has something no one else does: A Super Bowl ring. Still though, there have been plenty of pedestrian Quarterbacks that have gotten hot at the right time and riden an excellent defense to a championship. (Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson have both done it this past decade.) I was almost ready to jump on the Eli bandwagon until Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg last season. With the freak-of-nature wide receiver out of the lineup Manning came crashing back to Earth. He no longer had the safety of lobbing a pass to a 6'5" giant when he got in trouble and it exposed all of his weaknesses. He was inaccurate, only managed 3 TD passes over the last 6 games including playoffs - only one of them to a wide receiver - and never cracked 200-yards. In short, he was pretty bad. You could certainly make the case that Plax made that air game run, not Eli.

This is a critical season for Eli to prove that the SB run was as much his doing as anyone elses. The defense is going to keep the Giants in every game they play, and the ground game is good for about 14 points and 40-minutes t.o.p each game. Eli just needs to prove that he can keep win a game or two with unproven receivers and he'll carve out his own legacy. The Giants should be a playoff team no matter what. The real test is going to be what happens in the playoffs. Do they make it to the Super Bowl, or are they one-and-done after an ugly loss at home? That's on Eli.

David Carr seems to have finally found a place he feels comfortable. Carr got a raw deal being the first franchise QB of the Houston Texans. He was put in a position where failure was guaranteed and then blamed for not succeeding. The Giants o-line keeps him upright long enough to complete his drop and make at least one or two reads and he proved that with that kind of support he can make smart decisions with the football. Carr looked better than Manning in the Week 17 loss to Minnesota last year. He'll never supplant Manning as the one in New York, but he is certainly the best reserve QB in the division.

Redskins:
Jason Campbell got screwed. Kind of like David Carr in Houston, Campbell has been forced into a situation where it was nearly impossible for him to succeed. He's had to endure system and regime changes on a yearly basis, criticism from just about everyone and a front office that shows no faith in him what-so-ever. Yes, Jason Campbell is the 4th-best starting Quarterback in the NFC East, but considering the talent at that position in the division that's not necessarily damning. Campbell has all the tools a successful Quarterback needs to win - he just needs the support of everyone around him.

It's clear the Redskins organization has bailed on Campbell - after essentially mortgaging the farm twice to replace him this offseason and failing miserably both times. What remains to be seen is how Jason responds. He could go out with a chip on his shoulder and prove that the Redskins made a mistake trying to replace him, or he could bail on an organization and fan-base that bailed on him long ago.

There is a growing contingency of fans that wants to see Colt Brennan replace Campbell at QB. Get a clue people, that's a HUGE mistake. I have no faith in Brennan's ability to be a starting QB in this league. First off, he went to college in Hawaii. Hawaii runs their offense out of 5-receiver sets about 70% of the time - more than any other team in college - which means that his passing statistics are significantly inflated. His college production is not a good indicator of his ability as a passer on the pro level.

Hawaii also plays in the WAC - a non-BCS conference - so they almost never play top-tier talent. Consequently their record is also significantly skewed. When they do play legitimate competition they get demolished, like during Brennan's swan song - the 2007 Sugar Bowl - when they were embarrassed by Georgia in one of the most lopsided BCS bowls I have ever seen.

Brennan might surprise me and develop into a first-rate starter, but I just don't have faith in a Hawaii quarterback. It's like me playing Pee-Wee football. Sure I can dominate against 8-year-olds, but put me in a league with a bunch of grown men and I'm probably average at best. If Brennan starts a game this year then it's pretty safe to say the 'Skins have already written this season off.

Todd Collins is a capable reserve and a good definition of game-manager. He does what is needed when he's called upon. He's not going to light anyone up, but if I need a reserve form the NFC East who's not going to blow a game that's already in the bag he's my choice.

Peters to Philly?

I just posted an argument for an Eagles trade for Boldin, but I neglected to mention one factor...the only thing that could stop it would be a trade for Bills Left Tackle Jason Peters. Well, seconds after I posted that article I saw this news report.

A trade for Boldin isn't completely out of the question, but it's makes the chances much slimmer. We'll see what happens.

Boldin to Philly?

Arizona Head Coach Ken Wisenhunt has gone on record saying the Cards are willing to listen to offers for WR Anquan Boldin. All offseason the team has been denying rumors they are interested in moving Boldin even though everyone knew they were.

It's no secret that Boldin thinks he's unerpaid (because he is) and it's also no secret that the Cardinals can't really afford to pay him what he's worth even if they wanted to. The best option for the Cardinals at this point is to get whatever value they can from him in a trade scenario, since he's not likely to re-sign unless he gets Larry Fitzgerald money ($10 Million a year range.)

Most people consider Boldin to be a number 1 wide receiver (essentially meaning he demands double coverage: a corner and a safety.) The going rate for a number 1 is a first- and third-round draft pick thanks to Jerry Jones and his foolish Roy Williams trade. I think there are a lot of front offices who don't want to start a trend of over-paying, though, and it's possible a deal might get done for a second and a fourth or fifth.

There are several teams who would be interested, but no team seems as intriguing as the Philadelphia Eagles. I personally think the Eagles are in a good position at receiver with second year phenom DeSean Jackson along with Curtis, Avant, Baskett and Brown, but they're almost certainly going to add another receiver at some point before the season starts, and with plenty of cap room and more draft picks than any other team they're in a great position to deal.

I can't imagine a much more explosive passing offense if the Eagles can manage to pull of a trade. Speedsters Curtis and Jackson stretching the field and the fearless Boldin working the middle. Boldin would go a long way towards improving the Eagles recent Red Zone struggles. McNabb and Baskett hooked up on a few fade patterns last season and Brent Celek came on really strong late in the season, add a tall (6'1"), tough receiver will only make it better.

McNabb has been one of the most prolific passers and proved in 2004 that he can put up historic numbers with a solid, dependable target (he was the first QB in history to throw for 30+ touchdowns and less than 10 INTs). The Eagles have a championship caliber defense and just need a little push to put them over the edge and into a Super Bowl victory. Boldin could give them that push.

Throw the Book at Burress

It has been suggested recently by some sportswriters that Plaxico Burress will be able to plea to a lesser charge in his gun case, thereby limiting his prison time and/or avoid jail entirely. All I have to say is that's ridiculous and the courts should throw the book at him if (or rather when) he's convicted. I will consider it an abortion of justice if Burress isn't sentenced to at least 3 years in jail.

It's very clear that this player just doesn't get it. His narcissism and complete disregard for any and all authority is the mark of a sociopath. It's recently been made public that he repeatedly swore at and disrespected a police officer who pulled him over for reckless driving. Burress is an unrepentent jerk. The only thing seperating him from your garden variety thug is his multi-million dollar NFL contract (or, rather ex-contract.) If he dodges jail time it's only going to embolden him. He's only going to feel more invincible, and the next time his gun accidently goes off in a club it might kill him - or worse, kill an innocent bystander.

This guy whines like Terrel Owens on the gridiron and lives like Pacman Jones off it. Send him to prison for his own good.

What is "Upside?"

I've seen this question all over the place recently:

"What is upside?"

Now let me try to explain...

Upside basically means potential. When you say that a player has a lot of upside it means that they have a lot of potential. They have all the physical tools to be an excellent player, the problem is they just haven't been able to put it all together at any point in their career.

Players with a lot of upside can be risky draft picks. I've heard Brian Dawkins say "Flashes of brilliance just means you're not trying hard enough all the time." (I'm paraphrasing.) So players with lots of upside may have a limitless ceiling, but their floor might also be a lot lower than other players at the position.

There are some NFL teams that get enamored with players with a huge upside. The Raiders are one of the most obvious choices. Al Davis drafted JaMarcus Russell because he could throw the football 70-yards from his knees. Forget the fact that he couldn't hit the broad side of the barn from 5-yards away (slight exageration.)

You'll see a lot of top-tier players with great upside being taken in the mid-to-late first round of the NFL draft. You'll see a lot of other less-polished players with upside taken later on the first day.

Traveling in the NBA

To prove to you that I don't only write about the NFL I bring you this:

Is it just me, or does Lebron James travel all the time and get away with it?

I haven't watched the NBA seriously in a few years now. For one reason, my girlfriend can't stand watching sports, so I often have to make some concessions. I have to save my precious few allotted hours for March Madness and NFL Sundays and Mondays (and sometimes Saturdays and Thursdays.)

There's also this, though: it's just not that interesting anymore. When the Suns were running a fast-paced, run-n'-gun offense and Steve Nash was working his magic feeding the likes of Staudemire, Diaw, Bell, Thomas, Barbosa, etc. it was a thing of beauty. It was just so exciting! But basketball has changed a lot in the last few seasons. It seems to be a selfish league now, with a few superstars out for themselves and very little emphasis on team play.

But anyway, I digress. I was watching some of the Cavs game this evening and I was shocked by one thing: Lebron James travels. All the time. And he gets away with it! It's one thing to call him out for his "crab dribble" (which is clearly a travel) but that's not the extent of his happy feet.

There were at least 5 or 6 moments in this evening's game against the Nets where James got away with a walk. I might be wrong - I'm watching the game on a standard def TV, I'm not right there on the court like the refs - but from my vantage point the infractions seemed pretty eggregious.

There are essentially 2 major categories of Lebron travels. The first is what I call the "crunch time travel." This happens when Lebron is double- or tripple-teamed - often under the basket - and he pivots back and forth, often switching his pivot foot. He did that on the play under the basket and came away with a historic basket: His 2,000th point of the season, giving him 4 career seasons with 2,000 pts., 500 rebounds and 500 assists.

The second major category is the "Three step Dunk." Lebron will often cradle the ball and take 3, sometimes even 4? steps before a dunk or a layup. The killer on this one is that it usually happens on a fast-break when there's no one to stop him. Why don't the refs call the travel? Because it doesn't matter, it's not going to help him make the basket or give him an unfair advantage? Maybe, but if it's that obvious you have to make the call. Oh well.

And before anyone starts calling me a Cavs hater let me make it clear that I have no basketball allegiences what-so-ever. I have neither a favorite player nor a least favorite player. I have neither a favorite team nor a least favorite team.

NFC East Pre-draft Grades!

So the meat of the free-agency period is over. There was an early run on the big name talent and secondary run on the role-players, but the market has mostly settled at this point. Now it's time to analyze the major moves in the NFC East and see which teams scored and which teams struck out.

New York Giants: A
Additions:
DT Rocky Bernard, LB Michael Boley, S C.C. Brown, DE Chris Canty, TE Lee Vickers.
Subtractions:
S James Butler, RB Reuben Droughns (cut), S Sammy Knight (cut), CB Sam Madison (cut), RB Derrick Ward, DE Renaldo Wynn.
Re-Signed:
QB David Carr, DT Leger Douzable, RB Brandon Jacobs, TE Darcy Johnson, DE Dave Tollefson

The Giants somehow managed to improve on the best Defensive Line in the NFL. They brought in Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty, who are both likely to start on the inside of the line. They also added LB Michael Boley, essentially adding a third new starter to the front seven. Can the addition of all the defensive aid make up for the loss of Steve Spagnuolo? We'll see.

The Giants lost a couple of key players in Safety James Butler and Running Back Derrick Ward. Hopefully this means the end of the worst-ever sports nickname, "Earth, Wind and Fire." The rest of the players were all expendable veterans on the downside of their career. I wonder if the loss of Ward will take the "wind" out of New York's sails? Get it?

David Carr proved to be a quality backup in limited playing time this season. I've always thought he was underrated after being forced into an impossible situation as the Texans first franchise QB.

The Giants were presented with the option of retaining either Jacobs or Ward - in my oppinion that's a no-brainer and they made the right choice - Jacobs makes this offense run and his early-game pummeling is the only reason Derrick Ward rushed for 1,000 yards last season.

The other players are mostly back-ups and role-players.

Washington Redskins: B-
Additions: RB Anthony Aldridge, P Zacrey Atterberry, LS Jeremy Cain, G Derrick Dockery, RB Dominique Dorsey, FB Jonathan Evans, DB Michael Grant, DT Albert Haynesworth, P Dirk Johnson, K Dave Raynor, OL Isaiah Ross, DE Renaldo Wynn
Subtractions: DE Demetric Evans, P Ryan Plackemeier, LB Matt Sinclair (cut), CB Shawn Springs (cut, NE), DE Jason Taylor (cut), LB Marcus Washington (cut)
Re-Signed: LS Ethan Albright, S Reed Doughty, LB Alfred Fincher, WR Marques Hagans, CB DeAngelo Hall, OL Rueben Riley, LB Tyson Smith, K Shaun Suisham, CB Byron Westbrook

It doesn't really matter who's in charge in Washington, they're invariably going to throw a lot of money at free agents and hope for the best. They certainly proved that the case this year with their monster contract to Albert Haynesworth and the large contract they gave to DeAngelo Hall.

I have reservations about Albert Haynesworth. I've heard from multiple sources that he is not really that motivated. He's only had two really good seasons as a pro and both of them were essentially contract years (his contract ended after the '07 season and he was franchised in '08.) How will he play now that the pressure's off and he got the monster deal he was looking for? Only time will tell. Also keep in mind that the level of talent surrounding Haynesworth in Tennessee was immensly better than in Washington. How is Haynesworth going to fare if he doesn't have guys like Jevon Kearse and Kyle Vanden Bosch demanding the offenses attention? Don't expect him to produce like he did last season, but he should still be solid.

As for Hall, he played well last year after the Redskins got him for a bargain basement price. They then overlooked the fact that he's been disapointing everyone for the last three seasons and gave him a monster contract. Let's hope he lives up to it here, even though he didn't in Oakland or Atlanta.

The 'Skins lost some solid contributors in Shawn Springs and Marcus Washington. They also parted ways with the underwhleming Jason Taylor. Ultimately they gained one big piece, at the expense of a couple medium sized pieces. Did they come out ahead? Maybe a little.

Dallas Cowboys: C+
Additions: LB Keith Brooking, QB Jon Kitna, DE Igor Olshansky, S Gerald Sensabaugh, LB Matt Stewart
Subtractions: LB Kevin Burnett, DE Chris Canty, CB Anthony Henry (trade, DET), QB Brad Johnson (cut), CB Adam "Pacman" Jones (cut), WR Terrell Owens (cut), S Roy Williams (cut)
Re-Signed: None

The Dallas offseason has been all about trimming the fat. The deadly, cancerous, soul-sucking fat. They couldn't wait to part ways with a delinquint Pacman Jones. Brad Johnson and Roy Williams were cut after several underwhelming seasons. After weeks of consideration Terrell Owens was finally cut, which you can file under the addition-by-subtraction category.

Keith Brooking should step into a starting role as a co-middle linebacker and should perform better than Zack Thomas. Gerald Sensabaugh should ease the loss of safety Roy Williams. Igor Olshansky is a step down from Chris Canty, but he should be solid against the run. I think the Cowboys would have wanted Canty back, but they don't have the money to pay him and Demarcus Ware. They're in a bit of a salary-cap bind, and cutting Owens - though necessary - didn't help.

The Anthony Henry for Jon Kitna trade didn't make any sense to me. Yes, the Cowboys were in desperate need of a quality backup to Romo, but trading a solid starting Corner wasn't the right move to make. I guess they must like their second year players to fill the spots vacated by Pacman and Henry.

The cowboys haven't made themselves better this season, but they still have a lot of talent on the roster. They're doing the best they can considering they're crunched for cap space.

Philadelphia Eagles: C+
Additions: OT Stacy Andrews, S Rashad Baker, RB Eldra Buckley, DL Amon Gordon, LB Charleston Hughes, S Sean Jones, CB Byron Parker, FB Leonard Weaver
Subtractions: RB Correll Buckhalter, S Sean Considine, S Brian Dawkins, WR Greg Lewis, CB Lito Sheppard, TE L.J. Smith, OT Tra Thomas, OT Jon Runyan
Re-Signed: LB Tank Daniels, CB Joselio Hanson

The Eagles lost a lot of talent this offseason, including 4 starters from last season and 4 players that saw regular playing time. Brian Dawkins is probably the most visible loss of the group, and the team will certainly lose his leadership and motivation. Dawkins clearly has something left in the tank as he proved by forcing 2 fumbles in the Eagles 44-6 dismantling of Dallas in the regular season finale.

I'm here to play devil's advocate...I think the Eagles are better off now - from a physical standpoint - than they were last season. Let's face it, he's good, and the Eagles wanted him back, but the Broncos were willing to (over)pay him more. The Eagles signed two safeties, Sean Jones and Rashad Baker. The Eagles now have a lot of options at safety. It will likely come down to Quintin Demps and Sean Jones duking it out for a starting spot opposite Quintin Mikell. If Jones wins there's a chance Mikell might move to the Free Safety spot, but anything is possible.

The Eagles signed RT Stacey Andrews to shore up one tackle spot. Andrews will likely start at RT, next to his younger brother Shawn (unless Shawn is moved to LT). I equate the Andrews signing to the Runyan signing of nearly a decade ago. It will solidify the right side of the line for years to come.

The Eagles have been trading players left and right for draft picks and seem to be gearing up for an offseason move or two. I wouldn't be surprised to see them make a run at Anquan Boldin, Braylon Edwards or Jason Peters at some point before or during the draft. If they Eagles could land one or two of those players their offseason grade will instantly get bumped up a full letter or more, as of now, they've made some quality additions, but also have a lot of holes to fill.

And I'm Back!

Sorry for my hiatus folks, but I'm back, with a vengeance. (Well, I'm back at least.)

My all-sports blog quickly morphed into a NFL-centric blog, which then quickly evolved into an NFC East blog. I'm still going to cover whatever sports-related stories pique my interest, but for right now my interests are mostly focused around the NFC East and Syracuse University - who, by the way, are playing the best basketball since their 2003 title run and should not be underestimated in the NCAA tourney this year.

So the NFL offseason keeps chugging along, and interesting stories are few and far between:

- Sure, T.O. got cut. Who didn't see that coming when the Cowboys signed him? That's as close to a non-story as they come.

- Buffalo then signed the maligned receiver. Boring! The Bills were the only team in the AFC East that wasn't improving. They're desperate for any help they can get to compete with the re-Bradyed Pats.

- Donte Stallworth hit (and unfortunately killed) some bloke with his car. This is a sad story which shouldn't be getting so much attention, but there hasn't been much else to report about the last several weeks.

- Sportswriters continue to ignore the fact that Mel Kiper's hairstyle hasn't changed in decades. It makes me suspicious. Here's a picture of Mel on vacation with his wife, wearing sunglasses that appear to be MS Painted on:

My hair says "M." It stands for Mel.

- The owners met this past week. They made some subtle rule-changes to protect players and ensure the kicking team never recovers another on-side kick ever again.

- Jay Cutler and Josh McDaniels are having a feud. No one looks good in this situation. McDaniels made a big mistake not owning up to trying to land Cassell. He made an even bigger mistake when he didn't try to reassure Cutler after he failed to land Cassell. At the same time Cutler needs to grow up and realize that the NFL is a business and McDaniels just had interest in working with a player who he has intimate knowledge of. It's not a slight on Cutler's skills, it's just that Cassell was a known commodity.

- T.O. has Alzheimers? I dunno, I just saw the headline on ESPN. I didn't read the article. It sounds weird, but it actually makes perfect sense. The reason he's always demanding more balls is because he keeps forgetting that his quarterback targets him on 80% of the offensive snaps. He also forgets to actually catch the ball a lot, too.

- As per usual everyone under the sun considers themselves a draft-guru this time of year and is writing their own mock draft. Nevermind the fact that you can usually throw most mock drafts out the window before the fifth overall pick. Draft Gurus are like weather men: They can make a career out of being wrong 80% of the time.

- What's the over/under on the Eagles trading out of the 1st round?

- Can anyone tell me what over/under actually means?

Alright, so I've brought you up to speed on the offseason thus-far, now get preparred for NFC East offseason grades!

Didn't see this one coming...

It was only a matter of time before Terrell Owens ran himself out of town, and last week he succeeded, for the third time in five seasons.

I was mildly surprised by the move. The Cowboys are Jerry Jones' team and he was the only employee in the organization that didn't want to cut T.O. Ultimately, though, Jerry let everyone else in the front office convince him that the team would be better off without the mercurial wide receiver.

But you know what I didn't see coming? The Buffalo Bills didn't waste much time in signing Owens to a 1-year $6.5 Million contract - all of it guaranteed.

Wait, what?

The Bills have gone 7-9 three seasons in a row now. They're close to getting over that hump, but just can't seem to do it. They certainly need to upgrade the talent on their roster, but WR isn't an immediate need. Lee Evans is a solid #1 receiver, with a heck-of-a-lot more of an upside than T.O. considering his age and (potentially) consistent QB play.

Terrell Owens is still a talented player, but he should be prepared to line up as the #2 behind Evans. Can Owens' ego take being the second Banana? He couldn't handle Romo's rapport with Witten in Dallas, something tells me he's going to have a similar reaction when Trent Edwards looks Evans' way with the game on the line.

What confuses me is why coaches, GMs and Owners still think that they can control T.O. The 49ers are off the hook, because they were Owens' first team. He hadn't esteblished any patterns of bad behavior until he palyed for them. The Eagles also aren't completely to blame. There are plenty of players that have a falling out with one franchise, but are completely reborn on team #2. But Dallas is another story. Jerry Jones knew what he was getting into and it blew up in his face. And Buffalo? Really?

Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo all had issues with Owens. Three solid, talented quarterbacks. Three Pro-Bowlers. Three Veteran leaders. Owens started a beef with each one of them (and over fabricated controversies to boot.) Andy Reid couldn't control Owens. Parcells delivered Jones a "it's him or me" ultimatum which led to his departure from Dallas. Trent Edwards is a talented player with potential, but he doesn't have the pedigree of the three players Owens has thrown under the bus. If Owens continues his nasty ways he might crush Edwards' budding confidence.

Is this move guaranteed to blow up in Buffalos face? Not necessarily. Owens managed to last an entire season in Philly before causing trouble. Ditto in Dallas. He might last through his contract without being a pain-in-the-ass, but I wouldn't count on it. Just wait until Owens calls Edwards out for tossing to a wide-open Evans in the 4th quarter against New England, even though Owens was double covered.

Considine visiting Jacksonville

Eagles FA safety Sean Considine is headed to Jacksonville for a visit.

Considine is a solid player with starting ability who just had the misfortune of sitting behind Brian Dawkins and Quintin Mikell.

The Eagles would have liked to bring Considine back because of his production on special teams, but he is looking for the chance to start and he should get it with the Jags. They've been looking for answers at safety since they released Donovan Darius a few seasons ago.

Taylor agrees to deal with Pats

Fred Taylor has agreed to a deal with the New England Patriots after being released by the Jaguars this offseason.

I don't think Taylor is a dominating every-down back anymore, but he could still work in a rotation or as a spot-starter. The Bills also tried to acquire Taylor, it must be extra bitter when you lose a player to a division rival.

Titans re-sign key players

The titans have apparently agreed to terms with QB Kerry Collins and nickel CB Vincent Fuller.

Too bad they lost their biggest free agent. Oh well.

Meanwhile, Titans' reserve CB/return man Chris Carr has been courted by 4 other NFL teams.

Finally, Chris Canty called off his visit to Tennessee. He had originally planned to visit the Titans this weekend, but he was going to hit the Giants and Seahawks first. It appears as though a deal with one of those two teams is likely.

Housh starting tour in Seattle

You know how a few minutes ago I said that a visit usually is a formality, and that if the player passes their physical they almost always sign a deal right away? Well, that's true 99% of the time, but it might not be so in the case of WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Housh is set to visit Seattle today, which would normally lead you to believe a deal would be struck, but considering he's the top free-agent left he might be using the visit as leverage to force the hand of another team interested in acquiring his services.

Houshmandzadeh released a list of teams he'd like to play for that included the Seahawks, as well as the Giants, Eagles and Vikings. I think it's most likely that he'll end up a Seahawk after this visit, because they're the team that is most desperate to add a wide reciever. The other three teams all made the playoffs last season and all (except for maybe NY) already have a solid corps of receivers should they start the season today.

The 'Hawks know that the NFC West isn't going to be a cakewalk anymore, with the emergence of the Cardinals. They need help to stay competitive and they'll pay T.J. handsomely.

Winslow traded from Browns to Bucs

Browns TE Kellen Winslow Jr. has been traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for "undisclosed" draft picks.

Those undisclosed picks appear to be a 2nd-round pick in this years draft and a 5th-rounder next year.

Good move by the Browns. 2007 was a fluke, and like-it-or-not this team needs to add talent at almost every single position. A good way to do that is to grab extra draft picks by dealing some of their quality players. It helps that Winslow was a disgruntled and wanted out anyway.

I don't know why the Bucs made the move though. After cleaning house and releasing so many integral veterans I really thought the Bucs were heading into full-blown rebuilding mode. That's why I'm confused that they'd give up draft picks to acquire anyone. Let's hope they know what they're doing.

Ravens sign CB

The Baltimore Ravens have signed cornerback Domonique Foxworth to a 4-year $27.2-million deal. The Ravens seem to be doing a good job of revamping their aging cornerback spot. Foxworth has talent, youth and speed and should do a solid job replacing veteran Chris Mccalister and/or Samari Rolle.

Bills bringing in Veteran WR?

Laveranues Coles is set to visit the Bills today.

Coles was released by the Jets earlier this week after they failed to come to amiable terms on a contract issue. Coles has seen his ability drop a little the last few seasons, and I'm hesitant to consider him a solid number 1, but if you pair him with superstar Lee Evans and he'll be a good addition.

Visits aren't official, but barring a failed physical you can expect a deal to get done. Now the Bills should focus their energy on finding a solid Tight End. L.J. Smith might still be available and should be a good fit in Buffalo.

Vrabel to Chiefs

It looks like new Kansas City GM Scott Pioli is busy adding some old Patriot magic to the Chiefs, bringing in LB Mike Vrabel via trade from his old team.

KC gets some much needed experience and leadership from a veteran player, New England has the opportunity to inject some youth into their aging linebacking corps. I'm not sure what the Pats get in return, but so far this seems to be a pretty one-sided deal.

If you hadn't heard by now...

If you haven't heard yet, the Washington Redskins have signed Albert Haynesworth to a monster contract. The Redskins are throwing a lot of money around this week, making Haynesworth the highest played defensive player in the league as-well-as making DeAngelo Hall one of the highest paid corners. You have to wonder if they'll have anything left to sign their draft picks.

Both those guys are quality players, and they deserve to be paid, just maybe not that much.

Steelers Re-sign OG

The Steelers re-signed Guard Kemoeatu to a 5-year $20 Million deal. The Steelers need to get better on the O-line. They were terrible, especially early in the year. The Steelers won the Super Bowl, but that's no excuse to get lazy. If they get complacent then everyone else in the league is going to catch up. I'm not saying Kemoeatu is guilty of poor play, just that I think the Steelers would be wise to keep adding to the line.

Eagles Bring in OT Help

The Philadelphia Eagles are bringing Offensive Tackle Stacy Andrews in for a physical to finalize a deal. Andrews is a free agent formerly with Cincinnati and he is also the older brother of OG Shawn Andrews.

Andrews is likely to play Right Tackle, starting right next to his brother. The Eagles will miss Thomas and Runyan, but if Stacy has half the Talent of Shawn then the Eagles O-line just got a lot stronger.

Potential Free Agents the Eagles Might Target

The Eagles have a lot of cap room and a few holes that need to be addressed to improve on a squad that reached the NFC championship for the fifth time this decade. Let's take a look at some of the free agents the Eagles might target:

1. Baltimore Ravens center Jason Brown: Brown is a big, strong lineman and the Ravens would love to bring him back, but they're not very close to a deal and Brown will almost certainly get a much larger offer from another team. Brown has a lot of experience playing against 3-4 schemes (4 games per year against Pittsburgh and Cleveland) and he could be a good weapon against division rival Dallas.

The other benefit of Jason Brown is that it would add another strong piece to the interior line in the event that Shawn Andrews is moved from right guard to tackle. Right now Jamal Jackson is the starter in the middle, but he hasn't been lighting things up. Nick Cole is the reserve center, but he could be moved to guard full-time and compete with Max Jean-Gilles for the starting right guard spot. Andrews can then move outside and replace John Runyan at right tackle. Runyan is scheduled to be a free agent, but his age and recent microfracture surgery makes it very unlikely he's going to be coveted by anyone (let alone the Eagles.)

2. Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison: It seems very likely that the Colts will release Marvin Harrison to clear up some cap room heading into free agency. Harrison is a hall-of-fame player. His skills have certainly diminished, but he's a HOFer none-the-less. The Eagles seem like a good fit because:

A) McNabb asked for more playmakers and Harrison is one of the best to ever play the game.
B) Harrison and McNabb have a history, playing together at Syracuse.
C) Harrison lives in Philly, so they might be able to get a hometown discount.
D) Harrison can help develop DeSean Jackson into an even better receiver.

The Eagles do not have a history of targeting over-the-hill players. In fact Andy Reid avoids them like the plague, but if I had to choose between Houshmandzadeh and Harrison, I'd choose Harrison.

3. New England Patriots fullback Heath Evans: Evans is a hard-nosed, versatile player. The Eagles suffered not having a true fullback on the roster last year and they can solve it without breaking the bank here. Evans is a good lead blocker and could help the Eagles pick up some of those 3rd-and-1's that they missed last season. He also has the ability to run and catch the ball if necessary. There's also the possibility of Philly looking for a FB in the draft. Tony Fiametta out of Syracuse is a possibility, but why not just spring for the known commodity?

4. Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins: I think this one is a long shot, but I have completely lost confidence in Kevin Kolb and would like to see the Eagles improve at the backup position. Collins is looking for a hefty starting QB contract from Tennessee, but it doesn't appear as though he's going to get it. My prediction is that he tests the water, no one is desperate enough to pay him the salary he wants and he ends up back in Tennessee at a price that satisfies both parties.

5. New York Giants running back Derrick Ward: This is another long shot. It appears as though Buckhalter is not going to be resigned, so the Eagles are in need of a quality backup. Ward, however is looking for (and likely to get) a starting position or at least starting salary somewhere. Not to mention the fact that there are much better prospects in the draft. It would be interesting to steal a player away from New York, especially if he contributes meaningfully to a victory against them.

These are all players that would immediately solidify their respective units. The Eagles would be smart to at least investigate these players and see what happens. In addition, I think the Eagles should investigate a possible trade for Anquan Boldin and should re-sign Tra Thomas and Brian Dawkins. That would go a long way towards strengthening questionable areas on the Offense and Deffense.

Eagles Re-Sign Hanson

Just as I predicted, the Eagles re-signed Nickel Corner Joselio Hanson to a 5-year contract. Lito Shepherd is going to have to work hard to get on the field if he's even on the team next season.

Offseason Preview...Finally! Eagles Part 2

Philadelphia Eagles Part 2: Defense

See Part 1: Offense here.

DE: The Eagles are pretty deep at end. Trent Cole is probably the most talented End and faces frequent double teams. He posted a respectable 9 sacks in ’08, but it should have been more, considering he was coming off a 12.5 sack ’07. Still, the fact that he demands so much attention opens things up for the other ends. Cole is the Eagles only solid 3 down End.

Darren Howard led all Eagles with 10 sacks and frequently benefited from the extra attention Trent Cole received. Howard was shaping up to be a free agent bust until his strong showing this season. Victor Abiamiri is the Eagles biggest End and is used mostly in rushing situations. He will often move inside on passing downs to rush from the Tackle spot. The coaches were hoping Abiamiri would compete for the other starting position, but a hand injury kept him out until mid-way through the season. I expect Abiamiri to make a serious push to be at least a 2-down starter opposite Cole this season.

Juqua Parker and Chris Clemons were like mirror images of each other. Parker started the season pretty well, notching 5 sacks in the first 8 games and then disappearing. Clemons meanwhile recorded 4 sacks over the last 8 games and added a fumble recovery TD in week 17 against the ‘Boys after doing jack squat the first half of the season. If you lump them together as situational pass rushers then their production is pretty solid. Ideally, though, I’d like to see both play with more consistency.

The Eagles probably won’t see much turnover at the position. 3rd round pick Bryan Smith didn’t sniff the field in his rookie season, but he could push for playing time in year 2. I expect that Parker is the guy who should be looking over his shoulder.

Julius Peppers wanted out of Carolina and now that he’s been franchised he’s put together a list of 5 teams he’s willing to be traded to. The only team on that list that has been reported is the Dallas Cowboys, but the Cowboys traded their 1st round pick to the Lions for Roy Williams and don’t have enough ammo to snatch Peppers. It’s unlikely the Eagles are on the list (Peppers wanted to go to a 3-4 team where he could play a pass rushing OLB) but even if they are it’s unlikely they’ll pay the huge ransom the Panthers are looking for (I’m guessing at least a 1st and a 3rd round pick.) You can never have too many pass rushers though and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Eagles add one or two during the draft.

DT: The Tackles don’t make a lot of flashy plays but these guys are solid, aggressive, agile defenders that do a great job of plugging holes and leaving the linebackers free to chase the play down and make the tackle.

Jim Johnson likes to rotate his offensive lineman and he had a solid rotation of Patterson, Bunkley and Laws at tackle. Ideally he’d like to rotate 4 guys at the spot, but Klecko was often off working at FB.

I think this is the most underrated unit on the football team and I think they had everything to do with the Eagles’ excellent run defense all season long. They just stuffed the holes, occupied the offensive linemen and never let their men into the second level to block the Backers. In fact, Jim Johnson was flabbergasted that Broderick Bunkley wasn’t named to the Pro Bowl and I’m with him.

One criticism of the Tackles is their lack of sack production, but considering the Eagles frequently use Abiamiri and Howard at Tackle on passing downs that can be forgiven. I don’t see much change coming at the position. The Eagles will likely add a solid 4th tackle to the rotation. It might be Klecko, switching back to defense full-time, or it could be someone found through the draft. There is a game-changing Tackle available as a free agent: Albert Haynesworth. There’s no doubt Haynesworth is better than any of the guys on the roster, but he’s really the only marquee player hitting the market and there’s likely to be several teams willing to throw money at him. The Eagles will only go after him if they can get a very competitive price.

LB: The Linebacker position changed dramatically over the last 2 or 3 seasons. The Eagles dumped starting veterans Dhani Jones, Takeo Spike and Jeremiah Trotter in favor of a crew of unfamiliar, untested youngsters. Heading into this season most people were questioning the unit because of their inexperience, but I think most of those detractors have been silenced.

The Eagles have one of the most solid corps of young playmakers in the league. The projected starters for next season are Stewart Bradley at the Mike, Akeem Jordan at the Will and Chris Gocong at the Sam. Omar Gaither is their top reserve, having experience starting at both the middle and weak side and being effective. Joe Mays is a bit udersized, but people say he’s a wrecking ball. He got a reputation for laying massive hits on his teammates during preseason practices last year. Who knows what he has in store for opponents? Tank Daniels rounds out the top 6, now in his second stint with the Eagles in his short career.

I don’t see a lot of change in the rotation here. Stewart Bradley is a stud of Urlacher proportions (yeah, that’s right, I said it.) It’s nice knowing that you have 2 starting caliber Will’s in Jordan and Gaither. Gocong is solid, though not terribly flashy. He seems to still be learning subtle nuances of the linebacker position after converting from DE as a rookie. He’s a really smart kid and gets better every game. If he continues at this pace he’ll finish his career as a HOFer. I expect the Eagles to draft at least one or two Linebackers to push for reserve slots.

CB: Asante Samuel made the Pro Bowl in his first season as an Eagle – although I’m not convinced he deserved it based on his regular season. He managed to crank things up in the playoffs though and made game-changing plays against the Vikings and Giants.

Sheldon Brown was the other starting corner and he played really well all season. That is except when he was asked to cover Larry Fitzgerald one-on-one at the goal line. To be fair though, a corner with the cover skills of Deion Sanders and the height and leaping ability of Kevin Garnett couldn’t shut Fitzgerald down. Brown doesn’t make the flashy interceptions or returns like other players, but he also rarely makes highlight reel mistakes.

Lito Shepherd was a huge disappointment this season. He wanted a raise in the offseason but management (rightly so) wasn’t willing to give him one until he earned it. He asked for a trade and the Eagles shopped him around, but no one was offering value for him. The instead of going out and proving that he was worthy of a new contract Lito wilted and virtually disappeared. Some people have accused the Eagles of burying him on the depth chart to lessen his value, but come one, are you kidding me? What team would every put one of their most talented players on the bench for something like that? That’s just an ignorant accusation. Ultimately the Eagles probably would have been best-off taking whatever they were offered for Lito last season, even if it was below what they were looking for. There’s still hope for Lito, but he’s going to have to come to camp this year with a whole new attitude and work ethic, otherwise I think it’s doubtful he stays on the roster next season.

Joselio Hanson is going to be a free agent this year and I bet the Eagles make an offer. He has been a solid reserve and Nickel Corner for the team the last 2 seasons. I expect Hanson to re-sign and remain the Eagles Nickel Corner next year. There’s a chance he could be pushed by 2-year man Jack Ikegwuonu. Ikegwuonu was projected to go as high as the 1st round before he injured his knee working out at the combine. The Eagles ended up taking him in the 4th round, and if he can come back healthy he might end up being the steal of all steals.

S: Brian Dawkins and Considine are both free agents. I expect Dawkins to be back even though he’ll be turning 36 next October. Dawkins’ best seasons are behind him, but he still made the Pro Bowl this season and had some of the most outstanding performances of any player at any position on any team. The leaping strip-sack-recovery against the Steelers in week three and his 2 FF performance in a 44-6 rout of Dallas proved he still has gas left in the tank. Dawkins wants to retire an Eagle, fans want him to retire an Eagle and there’s no doubt he’s one of the most respected locker-room presences in the history of the NFL. The Eagles will probably offer him a 2 or 3 year deal to let him finish his career in Philly.

Considine is a solid reserve and a great special teamer, but he’s likely going to pursue a starting opportunity elsewhere. There are a few teams that would be willing to give him a shot so he’ll be going elsewhere.

Quintin Mikell had a Pro Bowl caliber season at the Strong Safety slot. It just goes to show that there is value in the rookie class, even amongst undrafted free agents. Mikell will be back next year as a starter and may even be gunning for a Pro Bowl bearth.

Quintin Demps showed flashes of good play throughout the season but sometimes seemed to be a little overwhelmed (just look at the Larry Fitzgerald TD in the NFC Championship where Demps got all twisted around and fell over.) Still though, I think he’s going to be a solid safety with a little more experience. He’s not ready to start yet, but if Dawkins comes back he and the coaching staff can groom Demps to take over.

There aren’t any gamebreakers on the market, but there’s a good chance the Eagles might add one or two veterans to compete for reserve slots. They also might draft a guy in the mid rounds. If they don’t re-sign Dawkins there is no evident replacement available.

K: David Akers played very well all season until the NFC Championship game when he missed 2 makeable field goals. Still though, there’s no pressure from competition and it seems as though kickers now-a-days are pretty interchangeable. Adam Vinaterri (who was overrated to begin with) has seemed to come back even with the pack and most kickers are pretty secure with their teams unless they pull a Vanderjagt (i.e. Suck.)

P: Punters are a different story. There are good punters and there are bad punters in the NFL. Sav Rocca started out last season as the best punter in the league, but his hot streak wore off. He ended the season near the middle of the pack in net yards, but he was 10th in number of punts inside the 20. He also had one of the highest percentages of punts inside the 20. All-in-all he is a solid punter and seems to be making a decent transition from Australian Rules football to the NFL.

KR: Lorenzo Booker was brought in from Miami to improve the return game, but he quickly lost his spots to DeSean Jackson and Quintin Demps. Jackson primarily handled punt returns because of his shiftiness and agility. Demps handled most of the kickoff returns because of his size and straight-line speed.

Both Jackson and Demps posted a return touchdown during the season and each broke several long returns helping give the Eagles good field position. Both are likely to continue their return duties unless the coaches deem them too valuable in their primary spots. For instance, if the team thinks Jackson is too valuable as a receiver they’re not going to risk injuring him on punt returns. Ultimately, though, both these guys are too dangerous to leave off the field for returns. Devin Hester proved how important a good return man can be against the Cardinals a few seasons ago which ultimately led to one of the most amusing coach meltdowns in all of pro sports:

Offseason Preview...Finally!

Alrighty folks, I’ve been gone for a little while, but I’m finally back. Did ya miss me? (Didn’t think so)

As every fan knows the Super Bowl - Combine stretch is a tough period for football journalists. It’s way too early to start speculating about offseason roster moves, but there’s no more real football to discuss.

Consequently most football articles consist of generic offseason previews or a superfluous amount of articles on a press manufactured controversy, usually revolving around T.O.

So to set myself apart from the pack I decided to delay my offseason preview until after the franchise tag deadline came and went. The NFL is structured so that the marquee players rarely ever hit the open market. The salary cap seems to rise every year and if a new contract can’t be agreed upon then the best players are usually franchised. Thus keeping them off the open market. Therefore it doesn’t make much sense speculating who will be available until after the franchise deadline.

So, I’m going to start my preview with a team that’s close to my heart: The Philadelphia Eagles.

QB: Believe it or not, the Eagles are set at this position. Donovan McNabb gets more unnecessary scrutiny than any other player in the NFL. Philly fans may disagree, but there are really only 2 players that are definitely better (Brady and Manning) and neither of them will ever hit the free agent market.

Expect McNabb to get a new contract. Some people are trying to call it an “apology” for his midseason benching, but that’s not really the case. A contract extension is in both the Eagles and the McNabb’s best interest. It gives McNabb some job security and possibly on last payday and it lowers his 8-figure cap number for the next 2 years.

I’m not sold on Kevin Kolb as a backup. He has done nothing to warrant consideration as a starter or even a 2nd-stringer. A.J. Feeley is a great 3rd QB, but that’s about it. I’d like to see the Eagles add some competition for the backup spot, but it’s not gonna happen. They’re OK at the spot anyway.

RB: Westbrook is over-the-hill. I’m not saying that he isn’t still an elite player – he is – but he has more touches than almost anyone else over the last 3 seasons and they’ve taken a toll on his body. The Eagles need to add a back to spell Westbrook to keep him fresh for those 70-yard screen passes he’s so good at.

I think Buckhalter could be that guy. He was excellent in spelling Westbrook this season. If anything I think he didn’t get enough touches, but the coaching staff must know something I don’t, because they didn’t put much faith in him this season. Plus Buckhalter has many of the same faults as B-west, namely his age and poor knees. Buckhalter’s contract is up and I doubt he’ll be back. He’ll catch on somewhere though.

The Eagles traded a 3rd-round pick to the Dolphins for Lorenzo Booker during the offseason last year. They coveted his ability as a return man and his potential to create offense “in space.” He’s been a terrible disappointment, but there’s still time to turn things around. I expect the eagles to target a running back on the first day of the draft – but I doubt it will be the first round. Solid running backs can always be found in later rounds.

FB: The Eagles ground game lagged last season and at least part of the blame must fall on not having a traditional fullback on the roster. Dan Klecko spent time at the position after converting from Defensive Tackle. Kyle Eckel also shared time at the position. Neither appears to be the answer. The Eagles will likely draft a fullback on the second day to compete for the job.

WR: One of Philly’s most maligned positions is actually one of their strongest heading into next season. DeSean Jackson is a stud on offense and special teams. If you redid the 2008 draft today he’d probably be a top-10 pick. Kevin Curtis played well once he came back healthy and Jason Avant was very impressive as Mr. Third Down. Hank Baskett started the season well, but virtually disappeared once Curtis returned. Baskett is a RFA and there’s a good chance the Eagles make an offer to him, considering his value on special teams.

Reggie Brown was a huge disappointment this season. He was injured early in the season, never made an impact on the field and ended up being a healthy-inactive during the NFC championship game. The Eagles will probably try to trade him, but it’s not clear what value – if any – he has. If the Eagles can’t get a fair price for him they’ll probably bring him back and see what he can do in camp. Greg Lewis is a scrappy player, and a good special teamer, but he’s the odd-man-out if the Eagles add a receiver and don’t move Brown.

T.J. Houshmanzadeh is going to be a free-agent this season and it appears unlikely he’ll resign with the Bengals. The Eagles would probably have pursued him at this point last year, but they don’t need a receiver that badly and Housh is probably going to see his skills diminish over the next few seasons. There are rumors Anquan Boldin wants out of Arizona. The Eagles were interested in him last season and likely still are. Boldin’s still a young guy and a solid pro-bowler who would solidify the Eagles WR squad.

Imagine Boldin on one side, Jackson on the other and Curtis in the slot. A mouth-watering proposition.

TE: L.J. Smith is done. The Eagles gave him one last chance to put things together, but injuries and inconsistent play – coupled with Brent Celek’s recent success – have spelled the end. There are several teams who are willing to pay him a lot more than the Eagles.

I would imagine Schobel is also walking on eggshells. He hasn’t done much for the team the last few seasons (1 catch for 7 yards this season) and the Eagles might need that roster spot elsewhere. Brent Celek came on late in the season as a receiver, but he still needs work on his blocking.

Many mock drafts have the Eagles taking a Tight End early in the draft. Now that the Titans have tagged Bo Scaife there are no real prospects in free agency, so the draft it is. Brandon Pettigrew, James Casey, Jared Cook and Cornelius Ingram are all players they might look for in rounds 1-3. Pettigrew is the best all-around TE, but he might not last until the Eagles pick at 21 and they certainly don’t covet him enough to trade up.

OT: This is the Eagles’ most pressing need. Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are both free agents. Both played well this season, but at 34 and 35 respectively their careers are nearing the end. To add insult to injury Runyan had microfracture surgery and is sidelined 4-6 months, meaning he likely wouldn’t even return before the season began anyway.

The Eagles don’t have a tackle on the roster to step into the starting lineup. Winston justice is their most experienced tackle and he has struggled his whole career. Rumor has it the Eagles are looking to trade even though he’s shown improvement since moving from the left side to the right. The Eagles drafted Mike McGlynn and King Dunlap last season, but there are no indications that either are ready to take the reigns as a starter. With Jordan Gross getting a fat new contract from Carolina there aren’t any quality tackles on the market. There’s also talk of moving Herremans and Andrews outside to tackle.

The draft is deep at tackle, but the elite tackles (Andre Smith, Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe and Michael Oher) probably won’t last until the 21st pick. If Oher lasts until 21 he’ll be the Eagles first selection. If not they might grab a guy like Eben Britton, but he might be a stretch in the first round. Ultimately I think they bring Thomas back to keep protecting McNabb’s blind side and draft a tackle early.

OG: Herremans was solid as a rock at LG this year. He was the most consistent offensive lineman and played really well. The RG spot was a little more complicated. Shawn Andrews went AWOL in the preseason while battling depression. He then suffered a back injury that wiped him out all season.

Max Jean-Gilles stepped into the vacated spot and played really well until he also went down with a season ending injury. This paved the way for Nick Cole who then proceeded to pave the way for our running backs pretty well. It’s nice to know that the Eagles have some solid interior linemen.

There is talk of moving Herremans and Andrews outside to tackle to replace Thomas and Runyan, but why mess with a good thing? Jean-Gilles and Cole were good, but they weren’t as good as Herremans and Andrews. I think moving either player outside should be a last ditch effort. The Guard position is pretty strong and likely won’t change much unless someone’s moved to tackle. The key here is to get healthy, mentally and physically.

C: Jamal Jackson was unimpressive at center this season. He rarely screwed up too badly, but he also rarely excelled. Nick Cole is the primary backup at Center. I would like to see Cole push for playing time. I don’t see position as a need, but there’s a chance of adding someone late in the draft to push both players and add depth.

Alright, I’ll let that digest for a little while and I’ll be back soon with part 2: Defense.

Highlights from SU Coach Marrone's Signing Day Debriefing

Doug Marrone gave a presentation at the Carrier Dome last night (before the basketball game? After? During? Who knows?) on the 14 players his staff managed to sign to LOI's on national signing day. Here's what he had to say according to Donnie Webb at the Post Standard:

"Rishard Anderson (DB; 6-0, 180): "He has done a great job here. He was rated the 40th best cornerback prospect by ESPN. He didn't play much his senior year, but we took him off what he did his junior year . . . and he was a tremendous player. We're happy to have this type of athlete coming into our university because academics are important and leadership is important."

Torrey Ball (DE; 6-4, 250): "We battled teams for him with high academic standards. When you talk about junior-college players, you're talking about someone who's at a level of maturity where he can come in and compete."

E.J. Carter (LB; 6-0, 220): "The biggest thing with him is his leadership ability. He came in on his recruiting visit and he tried to gather the class and say, 'Hey, we're going to be the foundation of this football team. We're going to be the leaders on our football team even though we're freshmen.' I was very impressed with him."

Zack Chibane (OL; 6-4, 280): "I go down to New Jersey and I do a clinic. Everyone knows my background in on the offensive line. One of the coaches at the clinic says, 'I saw you took this kid from Paramus High School. You know, I'm just going to tell you I think he's this. I think he's that.' And I said, 'I don't really care what you think.' This kid is a good football player. He's got leadership ability and he's an ex-wrestler. We all know what type of football players these ex-wrestlers are. He's someone who has a chance to compete early for us."

Alec Lemon (WR; 6-1, 175): "When you're looking for a wide receiver, what are you looking for? I'm looking for someone who caught the football. He's someone who caught the football 103 times. This is what we're looking for at the receiver position: Height . . . speed . . . someone who's shown the ability to catch the football."

Charley Loeb (QB; 6-5, 220): "Charley is someone who is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. He's one of the first people you want to get off the bus when the other team is looking across the field. We're very excited about him and where he can take our football program with his leadership skills and be able to compete for a starting position."

Dale Peterman (DB; 5-11, 155): "He had one of those big, major schools coming back in on him, trying to take him. But he stuck to his commitment. We're very excited about this player."

Andrew Phillips (OL; 6-5, 260): "Again, local. Just like I said before, I wish we could get 15 kids right around this area so all of a sudden I don't have to wait in airports, I don't have to take three planes, I don't have to fly all over the country. I can get them all right here in this community. This is someone who's going to help us bring our players back out to the community. Andrew will help us bridge that."

Torian Phillips (DB; 5-10. 175): "I'm from New York City. I chose to go to this great university. I wanted to make sure when I first went out that I had gotten a recruit from New York City so that all the other schools know that they're not going to come into this state anymore and take our prospects."

Justin Pugh (OL; 6-5, 275): "Justin held strong to his commitment. I believe in this player. He's someone with great ability and someone I would love, with Coach (Greg) Atkins, to develop into a guy who can compete for a position."

Brandon Sharpe (LB; 6-2, 220): "He was someone who was committed to another university who we were able to sway and convince that this is the best school for him. He's someone with a lot of range who can run. He played defensive end. We're moving him to linebacker. We're looking for great things out of Brandon."

Phillip Thomas (DB; 6-0, 178): "There was another big school trying to come in on him. He's a big hitter. What singled him out is that he can intercept the football and create turnovers. That's what we're looking to do on defense."

Shamarko Thomas (DB; 5-10, 196): "He's another defensive back who can play corner. He's big and physical. That's what we're looking for at that position - people who can hit and get us the football. As an offensive coach, I can't stand it when the other team has the football."

Andrew Tiller (OL; 6-6, 360): "If you're a big guy and you've had trouble staying in shape over the years, this is the guy you want to stand next to when he walks off the bus. You'll feel pretty good about yourself if you put on those extra pounds during the holidays."

Syracuse Still in the Running for #1 RB Prospect

SU is still in the running for #1 ranked all-purpose running back prospect David Oku, according to Rivals.com. It appears as though Oku is leaning towards Tennessee, but there's still a chance he could end up in Syracuse Orange next year. Auburn is also reportedly in the mix. I guess he really wants to see himself in blue or orange at the next level.

If Oku ends up signing with the Orange that would be a huge catch for the coaching staff. He would be this seasons's only 4-star recruit and could be an immediate contributer. Syracuse has had a history of outstanding running backs including Jim Brown, Floyd Little, Ernie Davis, Larry Csonka and more recently guys like Rob Konrad, James Mungro, Walter Reyes and Damien Rhodes.

Curtis Brinkley had a good 2008 season, all things considered, rushing for 1,164 yards and 7 touchdowns on one of the worst D1 football teams. That ain't half bad. Now imagine putting a solid all-purpose running back in that position. Someone who can run hard, pass-block and catch the ball out of the backfield then the offense is looking a bit more potent. If you mix in touches by Antwon Bailey, Curtis Brinkley and Doug Hogue suddenly you have a stacked backfield.

My philosophy is that you build an offense from the ground (game) up. It looks like Marrone and I are on the same page here, because a large number of his commits were offensive linemen. If he can bring Oku into the fold then the ground game has the potential to be much more potent this year. Start by building a dominant run-game, then you can mix QB Charlie Loeb into the system in 2010 or 2011. Let him use his size and accuracy on the short and intermediate routes to complement the running backs. Who knows if it's going to work out like that, but a man can dream, can't he?

Syracuse University Signing Day

Alright folks, I took a short break from the blog, but now I'm back and I'm weighing in on how Syracuse football faired on signing day.

New head coach Doug Marrone had his first opportunity to recruit and he made it clear that his focus was apparently to bring in the best players available, regardless of position:

"A lot of times in recruiting, people talk about filling up needs and taking care of those needs with your recruiting class," Marrone said. "Well, one of the things that we wanted to do is make sure we went out and get the best players we could. We were a little bit limited, obviously, with our scholarship numbers to what we could do. So we went out there and we tried to sign the best football players or the best student-athletes that we could. And in doing so with this class, we felt we've accomplished that."

So how did Marrone and the Orange fair? So far Syracuse has received signed LOI's from 14 players, including a few players coveted by programs like Vandy, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Wisconsin, Miami and Big East rivals South Florida, Rutgers and Louisville.

2009 Class According to ESPN.com:

2009 Class according to Rivals.com:
The class is heavy in defensive backs and offensive linemen - both pretty drastic needs - so it's a good thing they happened to be the best players available. The Orange's 4 three-star recruits isn't mind-blowing, but considering the slump they've been in the last 5 seasons it's a good start. 14 recruitments overall is actually pretty low, but like Coach Marrone said, they were limited by scholarship numbers which has led to the relatively small class.

The Syracuse offense has been dismal the last several seasons and it all starts with the O-Line. Remember when Perry Patterson was getting sacked before he'd even completed his drop? Yeah, that's on line O-line. I've always been of the philosophy that success radiates away from the ball, meaning a strong offensive line will open up holes in the run game and give the QB time to make his reads in the passing game, improving the entire offense. Marrone has a background as an lineman and a line coach, so he understands the value of a solid line. I expect this aspect of the team to improve immensely over the next few seasons.

The Orange brought in 4 offensive lineman, including a much-coveted JUCO transfer Andrew Tiller. Syracuse beat out Miami, S.C. State and Rutgers for Tiller, and he hopefully has the ability to start immediately. Chibane is a solid frosh recruit and should develop into a solid starting tackle. Justin Pugh and home-town hero Andrew Phillips are developmental projects but could push for playing time down the line, most likely as interior linemen.

Syracuse has been plagued by size problems in the defensive front 7 the last few seasons. Really, DT Arthur Jones is the only player with ideal size on the squad. They're going to get a little bit of help from 6-4, 250 pound* JUCO transfer Torrey Ball. He has ideal size, but I'd like to see what he has to contribute before I heap any praise on this addition. The orange only brought in one other D-lineman, 6-2, 210 pound Brandon Sharpe. Sharpe has decent height, but needs to add about 30 pounds of muscle to avoid being pushed around by opposing teams. He's not likely to get a lot of playing time until he bulks up a bit.

Syracuse is adding one linebacker in this class, E.J. Carter. Carter is a high-motor type player, but he's a bit on the small side at 6-0, 213. The good thing for undersized players is that males can keep growing into their early 20's so there's a good chance he could add another inch or two. Even if that doesn't happen he'll be better off if he hits the weights and gains 20 pounds or so.

The DB group is probably the most impressive of this class. Syracuse has been abused on the ground and through the air for the better part of this decade, so any defensive help is appreciated. The recruits all exhibit good size and decent speed. Rishard Anderson leads the group and he was even recruited by teams like Wisconsin, Auburn, Florida and Pitt. Ultimately SU won out in the end. Rishard is projected to be a cornerback in the college ranks, but his speed is a bit of a concern to me. He was clocked at 4.62 in the 40, which is a tad slow for corner, but decent for a safety. He has the size and versatility to play any DB position. Shamarko Thomas, Dale Peterman and Torian Phillips should factor into the scheme in the next couple seasons.

The Orange also added a solid pro-style quarterback in Charlie Loeb. Loeb has good size and 6-4, 218 and is noted for his accuracy in the short-intermediate routes. He pays attention to the intracacies of the position and has a decent touch on the ball. He's not likely to start as a freshman, but might take the field in following seasons.

Hopefully Loeb will develop a raport with incoming receiver Alec Lemon. Lemon has good size at 6-2 and good speed, running a 4.49 40. He's a wiry receiver, similar in stature and speed to recent wideout Taj Smith. He adds a good amount of versatility to the offense since he could be used for kick and punt returns. He also has some experience playing defense and could make an immediate impact on special teams.

*A note on all measurements: I'd take most High School and College measurements with a grain of salt. Taj Smith was listed at 6-4, I'm a humble 6-2. I once passed Taj on the SU campus and I had a solid 1 or 2 inches on him, putting him closer to 6 feet even. That's still pretty tall, but many stats may be exagerated.

Now's Your Chance to be a Dallas Cowboy!

Ex-Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin is going to host a new reality show airing on Spike TV this spring where he gives 12 "football neophytes" the chance to compete for a spot on the Dallas Cowboy's 80-man training camp roster.

Casting is currently going on, and he's looking for 6 candidates to play wide receiver and 6 to play defensive backs - all but eliminating every 20- and 30-something that would actually be interested in this, because those positions actually require a certain amount of speed, dexterity and skill.

I'm torn about this idea. From the fan standpoint it sounds awesome! If you're moderately fit - maybe you played some high school ball, or at a DIII college - then you could actually compete for the chance to play in an NFL training camp! If you're good enough you might even make the team. Or at least the practice squad. Thirty years from now Disney might come out with a movie based on your life: Invincible 2: The Dallas Star.

But let's be honest, this is a terrible idea. The Dallas Cowboys are essentially agreeing to go into the preseason with a 1-player handicap. A roster spot that they could be using to analyze a draft-pick or undrafted free-agent is getting absorbed by some slob who wasn't good enough to play in the pros. Any pro - NFL, CFL or even Arena league. Surely whoever wins this contest is going to be the first player cut when rosters get trimmed.

I understand why Dallas would do this - I just don't agree with it at all. Jerry Jones is a media whore. He turned training camp this past year into a reality show. He thinks that the more attention he can call the the franchise the better. What he doesn't realize is that his team isn't winning, and in the NFL that's all that matters.

Actual photo taken during week 17. Eagles went on to win, 44-6.

If the Cowboys were at the bottom of the league like the Lions or the Chiefs then I could see pulling a stunt like this. It would bring more attention and press to their franchise. It might help move a few Personal Seat Licenses or team blankets. You also have the opportunity to take a risk on the off chance that you do find that miracle player. That Kurt Warner...a guy who's just bagging groceries and not living up to his potential.

If the Cowboys were at the top of the league I could understand it, too. If they had a solid player at every position and had no glaring weaknesses, and they had a stable of young, solid players under long-term contract then they could afford to take a flyer on a player. Unfortunately that's not the reality of the current Dallas Cowboys. (Plus, you wouldn't stay on top for long doing that anyway.)

The reality is that the Cowboys finished 3rd in their division and missed the playoffs. Again. If you exclude the Super Bowls I used to watch as a little kid - back before I really paid attention to the NFL - I have never actually seen the Cowboys win a playoff game. They need some serious help at receiver and safety, but they're not going to get it from a reality-TV contestant. They also need some stability and unity, and they're not going to get that if every aspect of their team, season and now even off-season are turned into a media circus.

Look within the 'Boys own division. The Eagles had 2 solid contributors in their defensive backfield that weren't even drafted. Starting strong safety Quintin Mikell and nickel corner Joselio Hanson were both rookie free agents. There's quality in the rookie class, even in the players that aren't drafted. There's a good chance that the Cowboys could miss out on a solid contributer giving away a roster slot like this. It's just a foolish idea.

Quintin Mikell 2008 Stats: 93 tkls, 2 Sacks, 3 INTs. These numbers match Roy Williams at his best and Williams was the 8th overall pick. Advantage:Eagles.

Although, as an Eagles fan I say "What the heck." If Jerry Jones wants to sit back as his team devolves into a bunch of whiny, apathetic, snitching, snitch-hating, crybabies then I'll let him. I won't shed a tear when the other NFC East teams are smoking the 'Boys 44-6 and T.O.'s head explodes when Romo throws to a wide-open Witten instead of him, even though he was double covered.