The Eagles are running a feature on their website (www.philadelphiaeagles.com) called "You Be The GM," whereby Eagles fans can e-mail what they would do to return the Birds to prominence. Since I honestly feel sometimes that I missed my true calling and should be running a sports franchise, I took the time to lay out my restructuring plan. Here is a transcript, and should the website respond or print my plan, I'll be sure to inform you...
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Despite missing the playoffs for the first time since 1999 (and contrary to the opinion of some media outlets), I don't think the window of opportunity for the Eagles to win a Super Bowl has passed. I personally think the Eagles can add a few players at key positions and re-emerge as the NFC's elite team. If I was calling the shots, here's what I would do:
1) Address the wide receiver position via free agency - While the biggest name currently available is Reggie Wayne, I'm not sold on him being a #1. Remember when Atlanta overpaid for Peerless Price? Same kind of situation. Assuming Buffalo cuts Eric Moulds, I'd bring him in. He doesn't possess the size or speed of a Terrell Owens, but he's a solid NFL receiver. Prior to Reggie Brown, the Eagles haven't had much luck drafting receivers, and this draft is not exactly stacked with talent at the position anyway.
2) Do not overpay for John Abraham or Julian Peterson - Both are good NFL players who would likely be upgrades at their respective positions. Both, however, would also come with pretty high price tags. If only one of the two is in the mix, it should probably be Peterson. The Eagles need the most help at outside linebacker, and Peterson would be a good coverage guy to stay with the good tight ends (Witten, Shockey, Cooley) in the NFC East.
3) Draft for Defense and Depth - The Eagles top two positions of need are on the defensive side of the ball - outside linebacker and defensive tackle. The best players at those positions (Ohio State's A.J. Hawk and Oregon's Haloti Ngata) will likely not be available to the Eagles at #14. The name thrown around in most of the mock drafts is OLB Chad Greenway out of Iowa. I like Greenway, but if they were to sign Peterson I'd be alright with them trading down and taking a tackle like Miami's Orien Harris late in the first round. Outside of the first round, depth should be addressed at the following positions:
a. Defensive End - Trent Cole and Jevon Kearse are good as starters, but what's behind them? Can you count on Jerome McDougle and/or N.D. Kalu?
b. Offensive Line - Jon Runyan will likely be gone, so they either need to draft a tackle or two or Shawn Andrews needs to move from guard to tackle and they draft a couple of guards.
c. Tight End - L.J. Smith is a good pass-catching tight end, but they could use more of a run-blocking guy.
d. Running Back - The Eagles need a big, bruising back for short yardage and goal line situations.
4) Bring in a competent back-up quarterback - As we all witnessed this past season, neither Mike McMahon nor Koy Detmer is capable of being a productive starter for an extended period of time. There has to be someone available that, should the worst case scenario occur again and the Eagles are forced to play without Donovan McNabb, can come in and manage the offense effectively.
These moves should not only address their most glaring issues, but would still leave them some salary cap flexibility for future needs or emergency situations that might arise. The bottom line is that the Eagles are still in decent shape to make a run at the Super Bowl.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Thursday, January 05, 2006
The Season Preview Review
“Let’s take a look back. They always say in life ‘don’t look back’. F--- that!” – Dave Chappelle
Yes, it’s the first annual “Season Preview Review,” and what an interesting season it was. There were surprises and major disappointments, of which we’ll speak of a little later. But in the interest of full disclosure, I want to let you know how I stacked up this year.
By my own estimation, I had an average year, posting records of 171-85 (.668) straight up and 134-111-11 (.547) against the spread. Both of those marks are up slightly from the 2004-05 campaign. As for the pre-season predictions, not so good. I only named four of the twelve playoff teams and completely whiffed on my rookies of the year (which Tampa’s Carnell Williams and San Diego’s Shawne Merriman absolutely deserved). A few award winners have yet to be named, so I offer you my thoughts…
Most Valuable Player: Tiki Barber, New York Giants – There are plenty of worthy candidates (Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Shaun Alexander), but Barber gets my vote. Three times he ran for over 200 yards (all Giants wins), led the NFL in yards from scrimmage, and gave the Giants offense the balance that carried them to an 11-5 record and an NFC East crown.
Offensive Player of the Year: Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks – Let’s see, he won the rushing title that eluded him by a yard last season, and broke the single-season touchdown record, finding the end zone 28 times for the 13-3 Seahawks.
Defensive Player of the Year: Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears – The numbers are impressive – 122 tackles, six sacks – but far from the best in the league. So why did I go with Urlacher? Because he’s the unquestioned leader of a defense that literally carried the Bears to the #2 seed, despite an offense that outscored only Detroit, New Orleans, and San Francisco in the NFC.
Coach of the Year: Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colts – Do I really need to explain? The Colts went 14-2, and proved that they can win under any circumstances. That’s the trademark of a good coach. For the record, I think Bill Belichick deserves some mention here as well. The Patriots surprised nobody by winning the AFC East, but the Pats had to deal with the loss of their offensive and defensive coordinators and a rash of major injuries. They were able to hold it together, and now the Pats look like that team that no one wants to see in the post-season.
Speaking of coaches, it was a bad week for guys named Mike. Mike Martz? Fired by the St. Louis Rams. Mike Tice? Dismissed as Vikings head coach. Mike Sherman? Out as coach of the Packers (which could in turn lead to the retirement of Brett Favre, who said if Sherman was fired, he’d quit). No word on whether or not Buffalo’s Mike Mularkey or Denver’s Mike Shanahan have put their houses on the market. Other coaching vacancies reside in Oakland (Norv Turner), New Orleans (Jim Haslett), and Kansas City (Dick Vermeil).
Coaches weren’t the only disappointment this year, as some players and teams underachieved. Among them:
Terrell Owens – Undoubtedly the most physically talented wide receiver in the league, Owens ruined two things this year – the Eagles’ season, and his own reputation. Aligning himself with that slimy roach weasel Drew Rosenhaus was his first mistake. Undermining Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid, and the Eagles front office was his second. Owens was suspended twice by the Eagles, once in training camp and for the last six games of the season. Owens will be released during the off-season, but there’s not a team in the league that will pay Owens the type of big, guaranteed dollars he attempted to extort from the Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles – I can’t blame this season’s failings solely on T.O. True, he was the primary factor, but some player personnel decisions have to be questioned. Guys like Corey Simon and Derrick Burgess were allowed to walk, both of whom would have helped this defense. When Donovan McNabb went down for the season, Reid was forced to choose between Mike McMahon and Koy Detmer, third-string quarterbacks both. He went with McMahon, and the rest is history. With almost $13 million in cap space, I’ve got to believe they could have done more.
Atlanta Falcons – Last year’s NFC runner-up finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs, and can’t blame their misfortunes on injuries. Maybe they overachieved last year, but they still didn’t do much to address their biggest problem – no receivers for Ron Mexico to throw to. Hell, the Eagles think Atlanta needs some held at receiver.
Minnesota Vikings – Picked by some (including yours truly) to win the NFC North and others (ESPN Magazine) to win the Super Bowl, the Vikes started slow, went on the notorious “Sex Cruise,” lost QB Daunte Culpepper to a major knee injury, then rallied themselves into contention only to collapse at the end of the year, all of which cost Mike Tice his job.
Baltimore Ravens – The knock on the Ravens was that they had no offense. So they picked up WR Derrick Mason in free agency. Jamal Lewis finished his stint in the cooler, and Kyle Boller was supposed to make “The Leap” this season. Needless to say, they fell flat on offense, and with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed missing significant time due to injury, the Ravens’ season went up in smoke.
San Diego Chargers – How can a team this loaded be on the outside looking in at the playoffs? Inconsistency, that’s how.
One more piece of business before we move onto my (revised) playoff predictions. Every season, I pick a sleeper team, not necessarily a team that will contend for the Super Bowl, but a team that will be better than expected, maybe sneak into the playoffs and scare a few people. Two years ago, I went with the Seattle Seahawks (they made the playoffs the next season, the infamous Matt Hasselbeck “we want the ball, and we’re going to score” loss to in Green Bay). Last season? The Jacksonville Jaguars (who fell just short of the post-season). This year, I jumped off the Bears bandwagon after Rex Grossman’s injury and went with the Buffalo Bills. My bad. Anyway, I’m already looking at two potential sleepers for the 2006-07 season.
Miami Dolphins – The Fish went 9-7 in Nick Saban’s first season, including a six-game winning streak to end the season. Ronnie Brown had a good rookie year (1,139 rushing + receiving yards, 5 total TD’s), Chris Chambers may be the most underrated receiver in the league, and their defense is still above average, led by guys like Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, and Sam Madison. They may be a consistent quarterback away from challenging the Patriots in the AFC East.
Cleveland Browns – Speaking of young talent, the Browns might have found their quarterback of the future in Charlie Frye. Prior to his injury, Braylon Edwards showed flashes of brilliance. And, “Evil” Kellen-evil” Winslow could be a productive tight end. Romeo Crennel will no doubt address the defense, and former Patriots personnel guy Scott Pioli, who came with Crennel, is a great talent evaluator. On top of all that, the Browns should have a cream-puff schedule since they finished 6-10.
Finally, we’ve come to the 2005-06 playoffs, and with the Eagles out and Dallas out, I don’t have a vested interest one way or the other. So here’s how I think it shakes out:
AFC – New England over Jacksonville and Pittsburgh over Cincinnati in the wild card games, meaning the Steelers will head to Indianapolis and New England will play in Denver in the second round. Would it surprise anyone if the Colts and Patriots met for the AFC Title? Me neither. I’ll go ahead and take the Patriots. I know Indy got New England during the regular season, but that Patriots team was down, and until Tom Brady loses in the playoffs, how can you go against him? The Patriots will come out of the AFC.
NFC – Who the hell knows? The NFC is so unpredictable, you’d be better off flipping a coin. In fact, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. With “Heads” representing the home team and “Tails” the visitors, here’s how the NFC playoffs go. Wild cards – Carolina (tails) over New York Giants, Washington (tails) over Tampa Bay; Second Round – Seattle (heads) over Washington, Carolina (tails) over Chicago; NFC Championship – Seattle (heads) over Carolina. Seattle wins the NFC.
Super Bowl – Again, Tom Brady is undefeated in the playoffs. The Patriots (surprise, surprise) take Super Bowl XL. New England 27, Seattle 24.
Yes, it’s the first annual “Season Preview Review,” and what an interesting season it was. There were surprises and major disappointments, of which we’ll speak of a little later. But in the interest of full disclosure, I want to let you know how I stacked up this year.
By my own estimation, I had an average year, posting records of 171-85 (.668) straight up and 134-111-11 (.547) against the spread. Both of those marks are up slightly from the 2004-05 campaign. As for the pre-season predictions, not so good. I only named four of the twelve playoff teams and completely whiffed on my rookies of the year (which Tampa’s Carnell Williams and San Diego’s Shawne Merriman absolutely deserved). A few award winners have yet to be named, so I offer you my thoughts…
Most Valuable Player: Tiki Barber, New York Giants – There are plenty of worthy candidates (Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Shaun Alexander), but Barber gets my vote. Three times he ran for over 200 yards (all Giants wins), led the NFL in yards from scrimmage, and gave the Giants offense the balance that carried them to an 11-5 record and an NFC East crown.
Offensive Player of the Year: Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks – Let’s see, he won the rushing title that eluded him by a yard last season, and broke the single-season touchdown record, finding the end zone 28 times for the 13-3 Seahawks.
Defensive Player of the Year: Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears – The numbers are impressive – 122 tackles, six sacks – but far from the best in the league. So why did I go with Urlacher? Because he’s the unquestioned leader of a defense that literally carried the Bears to the #2 seed, despite an offense that outscored only Detroit, New Orleans, and San Francisco in the NFC.
Coach of the Year: Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colts – Do I really need to explain? The Colts went 14-2, and proved that they can win under any circumstances. That’s the trademark of a good coach. For the record, I think Bill Belichick deserves some mention here as well. The Patriots surprised nobody by winning the AFC East, but the Pats had to deal with the loss of their offensive and defensive coordinators and a rash of major injuries. They were able to hold it together, and now the Pats look like that team that no one wants to see in the post-season.
Speaking of coaches, it was a bad week for guys named Mike. Mike Martz? Fired by the St. Louis Rams. Mike Tice? Dismissed as Vikings head coach. Mike Sherman? Out as coach of the Packers (which could in turn lead to the retirement of Brett Favre, who said if Sherman was fired, he’d quit). No word on whether or not Buffalo’s Mike Mularkey or Denver’s Mike Shanahan have put their houses on the market. Other coaching vacancies reside in Oakland (Norv Turner), New Orleans (Jim Haslett), and Kansas City (Dick Vermeil).
Coaches weren’t the only disappointment this year, as some players and teams underachieved. Among them:
Terrell Owens – Undoubtedly the most physically talented wide receiver in the league, Owens ruined two things this year – the Eagles’ season, and his own reputation. Aligning himself with that slimy roach weasel Drew Rosenhaus was his first mistake. Undermining Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid, and the Eagles front office was his second. Owens was suspended twice by the Eagles, once in training camp and for the last six games of the season. Owens will be released during the off-season, but there’s not a team in the league that will pay Owens the type of big, guaranteed dollars he attempted to extort from the Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles – I can’t blame this season’s failings solely on T.O. True, he was the primary factor, but some player personnel decisions have to be questioned. Guys like Corey Simon and Derrick Burgess were allowed to walk, both of whom would have helped this defense. When Donovan McNabb went down for the season, Reid was forced to choose between Mike McMahon and Koy Detmer, third-string quarterbacks both. He went with McMahon, and the rest is history. With almost $13 million in cap space, I’ve got to believe they could have done more.
Atlanta Falcons – Last year’s NFC runner-up finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs, and can’t blame their misfortunes on injuries. Maybe they overachieved last year, but they still didn’t do much to address their biggest problem – no receivers for Ron Mexico to throw to. Hell, the Eagles think Atlanta needs some held at receiver.
Minnesota Vikings – Picked by some (including yours truly) to win the NFC North and others (ESPN Magazine) to win the Super Bowl, the Vikes started slow, went on the notorious “Sex Cruise,” lost QB Daunte Culpepper to a major knee injury, then rallied themselves into contention only to collapse at the end of the year, all of which cost Mike Tice his job.
Baltimore Ravens – The knock on the Ravens was that they had no offense. So they picked up WR Derrick Mason in free agency. Jamal Lewis finished his stint in the cooler, and Kyle Boller was supposed to make “The Leap” this season. Needless to say, they fell flat on offense, and with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed missing significant time due to injury, the Ravens’ season went up in smoke.
San Diego Chargers – How can a team this loaded be on the outside looking in at the playoffs? Inconsistency, that’s how.
One more piece of business before we move onto my (revised) playoff predictions. Every season, I pick a sleeper team, not necessarily a team that will contend for the Super Bowl, but a team that will be better than expected, maybe sneak into the playoffs and scare a few people. Two years ago, I went with the Seattle Seahawks (they made the playoffs the next season, the infamous Matt Hasselbeck “we want the ball, and we’re going to score” loss to in Green Bay). Last season? The Jacksonville Jaguars (who fell just short of the post-season). This year, I jumped off the Bears bandwagon after Rex Grossman’s injury and went with the Buffalo Bills. My bad. Anyway, I’m already looking at two potential sleepers for the 2006-07 season.
Miami Dolphins – The Fish went 9-7 in Nick Saban’s first season, including a six-game winning streak to end the season. Ronnie Brown had a good rookie year (1,139 rushing + receiving yards, 5 total TD’s), Chris Chambers may be the most underrated receiver in the league, and their defense is still above average, led by guys like Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, and Sam Madison. They may be a consistent quarterback away from challenging the Patriots in the AFC East.
Cleveland Browns – Speaking of young talent, the Browns might have found their quarterback of the future in Charlie Frye. Prior to his injury, Braylon Edwards showed flashes of brilliance. And, “Evil” Kellen-evil” Winslow could be a productive tight end. Romeo Crennel will no doubt address the defense, and former Patriots personnel guy Scott Pioli, who came with Crennel, is a great talent evaluator. On top of all that, the Browns should have a cream-puff schedule since they finished 6-10.
Finally, we’ve come to the 2005-06 playoffs, and with the Eagles out and Dallas out, I don’t have a vested interest one way or the other. So here’s how I think it shakes out:
AFC – New England over Jacksonville and Pittsburgh over Cincinnati in the wild card games, meaning the Steelers will head to Indianapolis and New England will play in Denver in the second round. Would it surprise anyone if the Colts and Patriots met for the AFC Title? Me neither. I’ll go ahead and take the Patriots. I know Indy got New England during the regular season, but that Patriots team was down, and until Tom Brady loses in the playoffs, how can you go against him? The Patriots will come out of the AFC.
NFC – Who the hell knows? The NFC is so unpredictable, you’d be better off flipping a coin. In fact, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. With “Heads” representing the home team and “Tails” the visitors, here’s how the NFC playoffs go. Wild cards – Carolina (tails) over New York Giants, Washington (tails) over Tampa Bay; Second Round – Seattle (heads) over Washington, Carolina (tails) over Chicago; NFC Championship – Seattle (heads) over Carolina. Seattle wins the NFC.
Super Bowl – Again, Tom Brady is undefeated in the playoffs. The Patriots (surprise, surprise) take Super Bowl XL. New England 27, Seattle 24.
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