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.

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.

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.