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Changes for the Eagles this weekend

MichiganMichigan Posts: 4,942 ✭
in Sports Talk
From SI.com:

Speaking of the Eagles, would the last player leaving Philly please remember to hit the lights? And what's left of that Eagles secondary about now? Dawkins takes off for Denver. Lito Sheppard was just traded to the Jets. Sean Considine bolts for Jacksonville. Correll Buckhalter is now a Bronco, and L.J. Smith has already made a trip to Atlanta on his way out of town. Throw in the fact that the signing of offensive tackle Stacey Andrews signals the end of Jon Runyan's Eagles career, and no team's roster lost as many familiar names as Philadelphia's this weekend.

Continuity has been a real factor in the Eagles success this decade. Same head coach and quarterback since 1999. Same defensive coordinator in Jim Johnson. Same veteran stalwarts like Dawkins, Runyan, Tra Thomas, and Buckhalter scattered throughout the roster. But the times, they are a changin' in Philly. At least a bit around the edges.

Comments

  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,049 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Not a single one was a surprise or will be a detriment to the Eagles winning football games.
  • SoFLPhillyFanSoFLPhillyFan Posts: 3,931 ✭✭
    Dawkins takes off for Denver - a shame that they couldn't keep him under a contract that gave him another year or two, then kept him in the organization. A great team leader and figure in the community. As for ability on the field? Not much of a loss there at this point.

    Lito Sheppard was just traded to the Jets - did OK without him last year. He opened his mouth too much about his contract. The Eagles don't like that.

    Sean Considine bolts for Jacksonville - maniac on special teams. Too many missed tackles in regular play.

    Correll Buckhalter is now a Bronco - should have been given more playing time. He is a beast at times. They will pick up a new back, maybe with the first round pick.

    L.J. Smith has already made a trip to Atlanta on his way out of town - ooooops dropped the ball my bad, ooooops dropped the ball my bad, ooooops dropped the ball my bad. Rinse and repeat. Celek played better as back up.

    Throw in the fact that the signing of offensive tackle Stacey Andrews signals the end of Jon Runyan's Eagles career - Runyan had surgery and is questionable. He may be signed for much less money. Bet another team will not pick him up. The addition of Andrews is a good move.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,049 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Reid has clearly shown, and I completely agree, that it's best for the overall health of a winning football team to get rid of veterans when they are on the downside of their careers. I feel as bad as any Eagles fan about losing Dawk, a not-debatable future Hall of Famer, but frankly he hasn't been good in pass coverage for a few years now, and while he still hits as hard as anybody in the league, in open field tackles he is below average these days...all that being said...he is one of my favorite Eagles players of all time and I'll miss him. I'd love to see him back with the Eagles after his career is over as a coach or in some capacity with the Eagles.
  • aconteaconte Posts: 2,053 ✭✭✭
    Should of resigned B.Dawk.

    He was one of two All-Pro Eagles last year. That is it. Granted he is older now but to say he was not good in coverage or anything like
    that is kind of misinformed when now our best safety is Quintin Demps. He may turn out to be a good player but he will not be a future
    HOFER like B.D. He also is not as physical as B.D. or the team leader. Who will be that guy now? If you say McNabb I may get sick right
    here and now. Westbrook. No. Dawkins ranked #4 all time in games played for the same team on defense behind (in no order) Jim
    Marshall, Clay Matthews, and Darrell Green. All these guys stayed the entire career with the same team. Out of respect and for team
    chemistry he should never of been allowed to leave town. I know the other guys played at a different time (free agency wise) in the
    NFL but these kind of moves make it difficult for Eagle fans to embrace this ownership. They do this too often. Then the give money
    to guys like Reggie Brown who do not live up to management expectations.

    There were no better options than keeping Dawkins this year and maybe the next couple years. The Eagles are under the cap by a lot
    and so what if it would of been some cap hit in latter years. The goodwill received would of been worth it. Dawkins still hit well enough
    in the last game of the season to cause two turnovers against Dallas this past year. And if his pass coverage skills were not good the
    last few years then how come they resigned him three years ago. Why did Andy Reid offer such incredible praise at the Hall of Fame game
    back then. Why did Reid say (which surprised me since he usually keeps mum in free agency) that the should of Dawk and Tre (Tra Thomas)
    signed soon before F.A. starts. Also, Dawkins was defensive player of the month in December I believe. And All-Pro.

    I will agree with you if you believe Dawks best years are behind him. But his ability on the field is a question mark? To think this might not
    be a detriment to winning games. I dunno. Could be. As an Eagles fan, I will just go with "It was business" Nothing more. Dawk was and
    still is great. Had plenty in the tank. Great leader and the face of the Birds for over a decade. He will be missed.

    aconte
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,049 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Not misinformed - I watched the Eagles games and saw what Andy Reid saw. It would be "misinformed" to believe that the Eagles would have let Dawkins go at any price if they felt he was worth it - well he wasn't even close to being worth it ..and frankly not to understand that Dawkins did all he could to "display himself" in his last contract year to another prospective team, would be misinformed...and it worked - He received a nice contract with Denver in which I promise you he is basically a spent, out of gas player, and Denver will regret signing him.

    Name me any veteran player who in anyone's opinion was worth the signing price after the Eagles, under Andy Reid, basically let them go without "seriously" trying to sign them. Yes you could bring up Trotter going to Washington or TO, but in my view they weren't worth the signing price. Corey Simon might be one that the Eagles would have wanted to keep, but he did turn out to be a flop after he left the Eagles.
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,698 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Don't worry, Steve, everything will be all right...LOL!!!!!!!!!!


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,049 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Don't worry, Steve, everything will be all right...LOL!!!!!!!!!! >>



    Yea...and like your Jets are worry free. image
  • aconteaconte Posts: 2,053 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Name me any veteran player who in anyone's opinion was worth the signing price after the Eagles, under Andy Reid, basically let them go without "seriously" trying to sign them. >>



    Probably the same number of Super Bowls the Eagles have won under Andy Reid.

    Like I said last night, I think it was a mistake letting Dawkins go. The veteran leadership is gone and the message sent to the other players is a negative one.

    B. Dawk was the heart and soul of the Birds. That is now gone.

    I think this was not good for the overall health of the winning team. Just my opinion. The Birds do just enough to be good but not enough to be great.

    aconte
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,049 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Name me any veteran player who in anyone's opinion was worth the signing price after the Eagles, under Andy Reid, basically let them go without "seriously" trying to sign them. >>



    Probably the same number of Super Bowls the Eagles have won under Andy Reid.

    Like I said last night, I think it was a mistake letting Dawkins go. The veteran leadership is gone and the message sent to the other players is a negative one.

    B. Dawk was the heart and soul of the Birds. That is now gone.

    I think this was not good for the overall health of the winning team. Just my opinion. The Birds do just enough to be good but not enough to be great.

    aconte >>



    The Eagles came within 4 points of winning a Super Bowl against a tough Patriots team in which the Eagles were a 7 point underdog in that game - that ain't bad getting that close. And there's no disputing that the Eagles have one of the best records in the NFL under Andy Reid. Frankly, i attribute the poor play in some big playoff games to McNabb much more than Andy Reid.

    And you're conveniently forgetting how often Dawkins was injured the past few seasons. Yes, he just had a nice season, but he is like an old racehorse that runs one last great race and then breaks down - Dawkins will be an injury prone flop with Denver and that's a very easy call.
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