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.
Showing posts with label Indianapolis Colts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indianapolis Colts. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sunday, November 9, 2008
State of the Late Games at Halftime
How is each team faring at Halftime for the Week 10 late games?
Carolina 14, Oakland 0: JaMarcus Russell is inactive for this week's game. Not that it would have mattered. Carolina is rolling behind DeAngelo Williams' 93 yards on 10 carries. The only thing keeping the margin from being any higher are Delhomme's 2 picks. Oakland looks lost, but what do you expect from a team that fires it's head coach and one of it's prized offseason aquisitions before midseason?
Indy 14, Pittsburgh 17: The Colts scored just before halftime to close the gap a bit, but they're not playing terribly well. Manning has only 9 completions on 23 attempts! The Colts aren't out of it, but they need to play better offensively and defensively if they want to get past this tough Steelers team.
Kansas City 13, San Diego 6: Tyler Thigpen is playing excellent football in this game. He is nearly perfect so far. Phillip Rivers isn't playing that poorly, but a costly interception in the end zone ruined almost sure points. I knew San Diego was playing terrible football, but I didn't think they were bad enough to lose to the Chiefs. They haven't really gotten their running game on track yet and for some reason I don't see it happening in the second half. I'm seeing an upset in the making.
Carolina 14, Oakland 0: JaMarcus Russell is inactive for this week's game. Not that it would have mattered. Carolina is rolling behind DeAngelo Williams' 93 yards on 10 carries. The only thing keeping the margin from being any higher are Delhomme's 2 picks. Oakland looks lost, but what do you expect from a team that fires it's head coach and one of it's prized offseason aquisitions before midseason?
Indy 14, Pittsburgh 17: The Colts scored just before halftime to close the gap a bit, but they're not playing terribly well. Manning has only 9 completions on 23 attempts! The Colts aren't out of it, but they need to play better offensively and defensively if they want to get past this tough Steelers team.
Kansas City 13, San Diego 6: Tyler Thigpen is playing excellent football in this game. He is nearly perfect so far. Phillip Rivers isn't playing that poorly, but a costly interception in the end zone ruined almost sure points. I knew San Diego was playing terrible football, but I didn't think they were bad enough to lose to the Chiefs. They haven't really gotten their running game on track yet and for some reason I don't see it happening in the second half. I'm seeing an upset in the making.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Ranking Every NFL Team’s QB situation at Midseason: 6-15
Ranking Every NFL Team’s QB situation at Midseason: 6-15
The middle class of the league, teams with good-to-adequate QB situations. Many of the teams on the list have a stud QB, but a very shallow bench, or several competent players, but no franchise standouts:
6. Indianapolis: Peyton Manning has been the best quarterback of the last decade, though he has struggled of late. He’s still putting up decent stats and is on his way to have another 4,000 yard, 20-touchdown season. The more time he has to heal from off-season knee surgery, the better he is going to play. The Colts are struggling on offense and defense this season, but with Manning behind center they’re a threat to win any game and can still reach the playoffs.
Sorgi is in his 5th season as Manning’s backup. He has almost no game experience, playing mostly in mop-up duty. It’s hard to gauge how effective Sorgi would be if Manning went down, but if Dungy or the Front Office had any doubts they would have attempted to draft or sign a suitable replacement at some point in these last five years.
7. Washington: Jason Campbell has been a pleasant surprise in Washington this season. 1,960 yards and 8 touchdowns are fairly pedestrian, but he has done a great job protecting the football. He didn’t throw an interception until week 9. Clinton Portis is running well enough to win games by himself, and Campbell is doing enough not to lose.
Todd Collins is everything you could hope for in a backup quarterback. He’s efficient, he doesn’t make mistakes and he doesn’t turn the ball over. The ‘Skins would still be contenders with him behind center. Colt Brennan is the third stringer out of Hawaii. If there’s one thing they like to do at Hawaii it’s throw the football, so he should have a lot of practice. The NFL is a whole different ball game, though and he may struggle to adapt.
8. Green Bay: How many people in Green Bay are counting their blessings Brett Favre isn’t starting for their team anymore? Aaron Rodgers is playing very well this year, to the tune of 13 TDs and nearly 2,000 yards and his team is still competing for their division. Rodgers was rewarded recently with a new long-term contract and few in Green Bay seem to miss that Favre guy. Rodgers is likely to only get better as he learns the subtleties of the game that only experience can bring.
The trouble with the Pack is their weak bench. They have 2 rookies - Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn - as their reserves. Aaron Rodgers has been battling minor injuries much of the season, if he goes down for good this team is going to slip fast. The lack of a quality backup is why the Packers have landed lower on the list.
9. Denver: Jay Cutler started the season as the league’s hottest quarterback. Unfortunately he’s really fallen off a bit recently, with 6 interceptions in the last 3 games. (I’m writing this before the Thursday night game against Cleveland.) Jay Cutler is a good player with a good group of receivers, but he’s been forced to compensate for the poor play of the defense and running game.
Patrick Ramsey disappointed early in his career as a starter and has spent the last few seasons bouncing around as a backup. He will never light it up, but he has the potential to win games if called upon. (At least as many games as one can win without a defense or a running game.)
10. Carolina: Jake Delhomme’s stats this season are fairly average, but you can’t argue with the success the Panthers have had so far. When Delhomme plays well, the Panthers win. When he struggles, they lose. He has thrown 3 picks and 0 TDs in 2 losses this season.
Matt Moore is Carolina’s #2. His numbers from last season are very unimpressive, but he apparently did enough to prove to John Fox and the Front Office that they no longer needed David Carr. Josh Mccown is their #3. He has started here and there, but has only thrown more touchdowns than interceptions once in seven seasons (2004, 11 TDs/10 INTs). He is a last resort.
11. Dallas: Tony Romo has produced top-tier stats through the first six weeks of the season, before missing the next three contests with an injured pinky finger. Romo comes from the Brett Favre school of quarterbacking. Meaning, when in doubt run around for a while before throwing the ball into the air and praying your man comes down with it. Some sports commentators call this “Backyard” or “Playground” football. I mostly call it lucky. When it works, it works well. When it fails, it fails miserably (Like the 0 TD, 3 INT game against Philly last season). Romo has had the benefit of throwing the ball to T.O. and Jason Whitten and facing defenses that cram eight men into the box to stop Marion Barber.
Dallas would be higher up this list if it weren’t for their dismal bench. If Brad Johnson is the answer I cringe to think of what the question might be. Johnson is 40-years-old and has done nothing in the last 5 seasons to prove he is even a worthy third-stringer. It’s a miracle he was only sacked eight times and threw five interceptions. Brooks Bollinger inherited a sinking ship at the end of last week and tried his best to survive till the bye. The ‘Boys are facing an uphill climb to the playoffs and won’t make it if Romo isn’t their starter.
12. Chicago: After several seasons of searching the Bears have finally discovered a quarterback, and he happened to already be on their roster. Orton’s stats aren’t eye-popping, but with a sometimes stout defense and rookie Matt Forte’s moving the chains they don’t need to be. I thought Orton did a decent job his rookie season when he was forced into a starting role, and he’s performing even more efficiently now, guiding his team to the top of their division.
Then there’s Rex Grossman. There really is something to this Good Rex/Bad Rex comparison. In the beginning of the 2006 season it seemed like Grossman-to-Berrian was going to be the Manning-to-Harrison of the modern future. He’s fallen on hard times since then. Grossman was less-than-stellar after replacing an injured Orton last week and needs to pick things up if Orton misses significant time.
13. Atlanta: Matt Ryan is the first good quarterback Atlanta has seen in a long time. Say what you will about Michael Vick, but he was woefully deficient throwing the football. How he’s still worshipped in Atlanta is beyond me. Ryan has been a steadying force for a franchise in tumult. If he continues with his impressive play and the Falcons catch a few lucky breaks he might continue the streak of teams rising from the bottom to win the NFC south.
Chris Redman backs Ryan. He is a capable veteran player who started 4 games last season and played well. With a strong running game fueled by Turner Redman would have the opportunity to win games should Ryan go down. D.J. Shockley is a complete unknown, having never thrown a pass during a regular season NFL game.
14. New York Jets: Brett Favre will go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. And he probably should have stayed retired. His stats are decent, he has thrown 15 touchdowns this season, but the 12 interceptions take a bit of the luster off a number like that. Favre - like Romo, whom I mentioned earlier - likes to throw the ball into the air and let his receivers make plays. Some people call him a “gunslinger,” I just call him careless. When his receivers make the catch it looks good. “I meant to do that.” When the defense comes down with it, ”Whoops.” Favre is capable of mounting near-impossible comebacks, but he is also capable of single-handedly losing a game with mistakes and miscues.
The Jets’ bench is unimpressive. Kellen Clemens is their #2. He has more than twice as many interceptions as touchdowns in his career, but he has been in the offense for three years and has won games before with this team. Brett Ratliff and Erik Ainge have a combined 0 NFL pass attempts.
15. Miami: Chad Pennington is a clear upgrade over what Miami was planning to have this season. He came to Miami to do what he does best, play with accuracy (67.4%) and good decision-making (only 4 INTs). Intelligent play, plus a 50-yard touchdown reception here and there has made him – in my humble opinion - the best starting QB in the AFC East. Pennington, plus aggressive, outside-the-box coaching and a powerful running game have kept the ‘Fins in the playoff hunt thus far.
Chad Henne and John Beck aren’t NFL caliber QBs at this point in their careers. If Pennington goes down the ‘Fins playoff hopes fall with him. They also keep Miami from besting the NYJ in my rankings.
*Note: This list has been very difficult to compile. Many of the rankings may be - to a minor extent - arbitrary. You could make a case for many teams being much higher, or lower. I would like to hear everyone's input.
The middle class of the league, teams with good-to-adequate QB situations. Many of the teams on the list have a stud QB, but a very shallow bench, or several competent players, but no franchise standouts:
6. Indianapolis: Peyton Manning has been the best quarterback of the last decade, though he has struggled of late. He’s still putting up decent stats and is on his way to have another 4,000 yard, 20-touchdown season. The more time he has to heal from off-season knee surgery, the better he is going to play. The Colts are struggling on offense and defense this season, but with Manning behind center they’re a threat to win any game and can still reach the playoffs.
Sorgi is in his 5th season as Manning’s backup. He has almost no game experience, playing mostly in mop-up duty. It’s hard to gauge how effective Sorgi would be if Manning went down, but if Dungy or the Front Office had any doubts they would have attempted to draft or sign a suitable replacement at some point in these last five years.
7. Washington: Jason Campbell has been a pleasant surprise in Washington this season. 1,960 yards and 8 touchdowns are fairly pedestrian, but he has done a great job protecting the football. He didn’t throw an interception until week 9. Clinton Portis is running well enough to win games by himself, and Campbell is doing enough not to lose.
Todd Collins is everything you could hope for in a backup quarterback. He’s efficient, he doesn’t make mistakes and he doesn’t turn the ball over. The ‘Skins would still be contenders with him behind center. Colt Brennan is the third stringer out of Hawaii. If there’s one thing they like to do at Hawaii it’s throw the football, so he should have a lot of practice. The NFL is a whole different ball game, though and he may struggle to adapt.
8. Green Bay: How many people in Green Bay are counting their blessings Brett Favre isn’t starting for their team anymore? Aaron Rodgers is playing very well this year, to the tune of 13 TDs and nearly 2,000 yards and his team is still competing for their division. Rodgers was rewarded recently with a new long-term contract and few in Green Bay seem to miss that Favre guy. Rodgers is likely to only get better as he learns the subtleties of the game that only experience can bring.
The trouble with the Pack is their weak bench. They have 2 rookies - Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn - as their reserves. Aaron Rodgers has been battling minor injuries much of the season, if he goes down for good this team is going to slip fast. The lack of a quality backup is why the Packers have landed lower on the list.
9. Denver: Jay Cutler started the season as the league’s hottest quarterback. Unfortunately he’s really fallen off a bit recently, with 6 interceptions in the last 3 games. (I’m writing this before the Thursday night game against Cleveland.) Jay Cutler is a good player with a good group of receivers, but he’s been forced to compensate for the poor play of the defense and running game.
Patrick Ramsey disappointed early in his career as a starter and has spent the last few seasons bouncing around as a backup. He will never light it up, but he has the potential to win games if called upon. (At least as many games as one can win without a defense or a running game.)
10. Carolina: Jake Delhomme’s stats this season are fairly average, but you can’t argue with the success the Panthers have had so far. When Delhomme plays well, the Panthers win. When he struggles, they lose. He has thrown 3 picks and 0 TDs in 2 losses this season.
Matt Moore is Carolina’s #2. His numbers from last season are very unimpressive, but he apparently did enough to prove to John Fox and the Front Office that they no longer needed David Carr. Josh Mccown is their #3. He has started here and there, but has only thrown more touchdowns than interceptions once in seven seasons (2004, 11 TDs/10 INTs). He is a last resort.
11. Dallas: Tony Romo has produced top-tier stats through the first six weeks of the season, before missing the next three contests with an injured pinky finger. Romo comes from the Brett Favre school of quarterbacking. Meaning, when in doubt run around for a while before throwing the ball into the air and praying your man comes down with it. Some sports commentators call this “Backyard” or “Playground” football. I mostly call it lucky. When it works, it works well. When it fails, it fails miserably (Like the 0 TD, 3 INT game against Philly last season). Romo has had the benefit of throwing the ball to T.O. and Jason Whitten and facing defenses that cram eight men into the box to stop Marion Barber.
Dallas would be higher up this list if it weren’t for their dismal bench. If Brad Johnson is the answer I cringe to think of what the question might be. Johnson is 40-years-old and has done nothing in the last 5 seasons to prove he is even a worthy third-stringer. It’s a miracle he was only sacked eight times and threw five interceptions. Brooks Bollinger inherited a sinking ship at the end of last week and tried his best to survive till the bye. The ‘Boys are facing an uphill climb to the playoffs and won’t make it if Romo isn’t their starter.
12. Chicago: After several seasons of searching the Bears have finally discovered a quarterback, and he happened to already be on their roster. Orton’s stats aren’t eye-popping, but with a sometimes stout defense and rookie Matt Forte’s moving the chains they don’t need to be. I thought Orton did a decent job his rookie season when he was forced into a starting role, and he’s performing even more efficiently now, guiding his team to the top of their division.
Then there’s Rex Grossman. There really is something to this Good Rex/Bad Rex comparison. In the beginning of the 2006 season it seemed like Grossman-to-Berrian was going to be the Manning-to-Harrison of the modern future. He’s fallen on hard times since then. Grossman was less-than-stellar after replacing an injured Orton last week and needs to pick things up if Orton misses significant time.
13. Atlanta: Matt Ryan is the first good quarterback Atlanta has seen in a long time. Say what you will about Michael Vick, but he was woefully deficient throwing the football. How he’s still worshipped in Atlanta is beyond me. Ryan has been a steadying force for a franchise in tumult. If he continues with his impressive play and the Falcons catch a few lucky breaks he might continue the streak of teams rising from the bottom to win the NFC south.
Chris Redman backs Ryan. He is a capable veteran player who started 4 games last season and played well. With a strong running game fueled by Turner Redman would have the opportunity to win games should Ryan go down. D.J. Shockley is a complete unknown, having never thrown a pass during a regular season NFL game.
14. New York Jets: Brett Favre will go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. And he probably should have stayed retired. His stats are decent, he has thrown 15 touchdowns this season, but the 12 interceptions take a bit of the luster off a number like that. Favre - like Romo, whom I mentioned earlier - likes to throw the ball into the air and let his receivers make plays. Some people call him a “gunslinger,” I just call him careless. When his receivers make the catch it looks good. “I meant to do that.” When the defense comes down with it, ”Whoops.” Favre is capable of mounting near-impossible comebacks, but he is also capable of single-handedly losing a game with mistakes and miscues.
The Jets’ bench is unimpressive. Kellen Clemens is their #2. He has more than twice as many interceptions as touchdowns in his career, but he has been in the offense for three years and has won games before with this team. Brett Ratliff and Erik Ainge have a combined 0 NFL pass attempts.
15. Miami: Chad Pennington is a clear upgrade over what Miami was planning to have this season. He came to Miami to do what he does best, play with accuracy (67.4%) and good decision-making (only 4 INTs). Intelligent play, plus a 50-yard touchdown reception here and there has made him – in my humble opinion - the best starting QB in the AFC East. Pennington, plus aggressive, outside-the-box coaching and a powerful running game have kept the ‘Fins in the playoff hunt thus far.
Chad Henne and John Beck aren’t NFL caliber QBs at this point in their careers. If Pennington goes down the ‘Fins playoff hopes fall with him. They also keep Miami from besting the NYJ in my rankings.
*Note: This list has been very difficult to compile. Many of the rankings may be - to a minor extent - arbitrary. You could make a case for many teams being much higher, or lower. I would like to hear everyone's input.
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