I Want To Go To The Flea Market With Howie Roseman

At the expense of Mike Bell and only Mike Bell, the Eagles have traded for RB Jerome Harrison of the Cleveland Browns. Remember him? He only did this last year.



Okay, so he lost the job to Peyton Hilis and found in himself in Eric Mangini's doghouse, the fact of the matter is, the guy who had the above performance last year is now the back up running back of the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm hard.

Eagles Turn A Scrapheap Linebacker Into A Starting Offensive Guard

I'm beginning to really like Howie Roseman. This is his 1st year as Eagles GM but he certainly knows what he is doing. At the very least, he is one bad ass wheeler and dealer. A couple of months ago, Howie Roseman dealt useless scrapheap linebacker Joe Mays to the Denver Broncos for RB J.J. Arrington with the condition that should Arrington be cut this season, the Broncos would compensate the Eagles with a 6th round draft pick. Earlier today, the Eagles cut J.J. Arrington. The Eagles then turned to the Cardinals, waved a 6th round draft pick in their face, and the Cardinals responded by giving us offensive guard Reggie Wells, who has been a solid offensive line starter for the Arizona Cardinals for the past 7 seasons but lost a starting job this pre-season to Alan Faneca.

The 6th round draft picks cancel each other out, J.J. Arrington was not good enough to make the team, and you are left with the Eagles swapping an at-best back-up linebacker for a starting offensive guard, something that the Eagles bloody well needed. All in all a very good trade for the Eagles. The only question now is what will become of the guy who was originally penciled in at that position, Stacy Andrews? Per Adam Schefter, Andrews is on the chopping block. And with the way Roseman has been dealing these past few months, I fully expect the Eagles to trade Stacy Andrews to the Jets for Darrelle Revis.*

*Slight hyperbole

Andy Reid Orders Fan To Remove McNabb Redskins Jersey

Should have known this was going to happen. A fan showed up at Eagles camp wearing a Donovan McNabb Redskins jersey this morning. According to Les Bowen of the Philly Daily News, Eagles coach Andy Reid asked security to tell a fan standing on the Eagles sideline to remove the McNabb jersey.

The fan, Jim Devlin, is a friend of a guest of the team and was granted access.

Eagles fan Jim Devlin, of King of Prussia, was directed to remove the Donovan McNabb Redskins jersey that he was wearing on the Eagles sideline at training camp this morning by security.

Devlin said that security told him that coach Andy Reid wanted the jersey removed. A team spokesman said he was unaware whether the directive came from Reid.

Devlin was on the sideline, not in the stands, on a guest pass, provided by friend Frank Deutchki, of Schwenksville, who is with him. A team spokesman said guests with sideline passes are supposed to be screened at the gate.

Devlin was surprised but also really angry. He was curious what other fans' reaction would be so he also wore the jersey to Sunday's Phillies-Mets game.

Deutchki now has the jersey in a bag, with Devlin wearing a red T-shirt.

Devlin said he thought Reid would be more concerned with what was happening on the field rather than on the sidelines.

 I'm actually going to take Reid's side on this one. This Devlin guy was a guest and he should abide by the rules of Reid and the Eagles no matter how dumb those rules might sound. And let's see what happens to this idiot when he wears that jersey at the Phillies-Mets game. I'm sure he won't get a warm reception. 

(Sports By Brooks via Philly Daily News)

Follow me at KSJ49 on Twitter or read my blog at Keith's Sports Journal

Some Eagles News, Notes, And Draft Commentary

With all of the playoff hockey going on right now, the NFL Draft this Thursday has gotten a bit lost in the shuffle of things. But alas, the Eagles resumed their wheeling and dealing today, finding themselves in the midst of a three-way deal that saw them give up a 5th round draft pick while getting a starting linebacker, Ernie Sims. From ESPN.com

The Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions have pulled off a three-way trade, with the Lions obtaining former Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler and the Eagles receiving ex-Lions linebacker Ernie Sims.

The Eagles sent a fifth-round pick in this week's draft to the Broncos, while Denver sent its seventh-round pick to the Lions to complete the trade on Monday.

In 59 career games, all with the Lions, Sims has been credited with 420 tackles including 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception. He was credited with 49 tackles last season.

"Ernie Sims is an impact player at the linebacker position," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "He brings a lot of energy to our already energized defense. We are looking forward to adding him to our team."

In the simplest form, the Eagles just traded a 5th round draft pick for a proven starting linebacker. Thus it goes without say that this is a massive steal for the Eagles and a great trade for them. Sims was a bit nicked up last year, true, but it was felt by many that he was not a good fit in Detroit's system whereas he will be much better for the Eagles. Of course, that trade leaves the Eagles with 10 draft picks for the 2010 draft (but they still have 5 in the top 87 in a very deep draft class), so the question naturally becomes what to do with them. The Eagles first pick is #24 overall and there are a lot of enticing options. Adam Schefter tweeted the following earlier today: "Packers, Eagles have expressed interest in trading up to 10-12 range. But it could depend on how board falls. Good prospects everywhere."

I'm not going to argue with him because as I mentioned above, this is a very deep draft class. The Eagles 2 glaring needs above all else are S and CB. The Eagles have what it will take to trade up in this year's draft, but if they do it, it will be for the right person.

In this case, there is only one right person the Eagles can trade up for: Eric Berry. Will he make it down to 10 is a mystery but if you are the Eagles, you have to do everything in your power to trade up for Eric Berry. He is your guy. You may have to go up higher than 10 to 12, but you have to make sure that you get your guy, and Berry is the Eagles' guy. The other options, if you are sticking in the 10-12 range is Earl Thomas, but 10 to 12 might be too high for him. Besides, he is at best unpolished, and the Eagles need someone who can come in and start for them now. That guy is Tennessee Safety Eric Berry. I would not be majorly pissed if the Eagles end up with Thomas, but if they have a chance to get Berry, they need to get him. Actually, if the Eagles do trade up with Berry still on the board and they draft Earl Thomas instead I will cry tears of great sorrow.

Berry is the only guy the Eagles I would like to see the Eagles trade up for, that being said, given Schefter's range, it does seem like it might be too low for Berry but too high for Thomas. I do worry that the Eagles might actually thinking about trading up for......(*gasp*) Joe Haden. Joe Haden is nothing but hype and if the Eagles take a chance and draft him I will cry great tears of sorrow.

Now if the Eagles don't trade up (likely the smartest thing if you don't get Berry), I see two very good possibilities at #24. The first one is the guy who I see as one of, if not the, best cornerback in the draft, Kyle Wilson. Now he's a CB who I would love to see in midnight green and a CB that I think can come in and start playing right away. Another option that I really like at #24 is Mike Iupati. The Eagles do need an offensive lineman, and when it comes to OL, I have a literal hard-on for him. He will likely be available at 24 if the Eagles elect not to trade up for a DB.

As far as draft day itself goes, yes, there will be a live blog of the entire NFL Draft, but on Thursday, I have a problem. The draft starts at 7:30. The Flyers play Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series at 7:00. What will happen is I will watch the 1st period of the hockey game, flip to ESPN and/or NFL Network (I have not decided what network's coverage I am watching yet) just in time to see Sam Bradford in a Rams uniform, then flip back and forth like a madman between hockey game and draft until the hockey game ends and I can focus solely on the draft.

WIll Hank And Kendra Be Returning To Philly? (UPDATED)

We all remember Kendra in Philly. In fact, she was the best part about having the less than stellar undrafted wide receiver who is now a scapegoat for the Colts losing Super Bowl XLIV thanks to his onside kick fuck up. Good news: Kendra might be coming back to Philly. Bad news: Her husband, Hank Baskett, might be an Eagle again. From CSN Philly.

Hank Baskett may be returning to Philadelphia.

Baskett and running back Justin Fargas are scheduled to visit the Eagles on Friday.

The 27-year-old Baskett spent his first four seasons with the Eagles after making the team in 2006 as an undrafted rookie. He was released in September of last year and signed with Indianapolis. Baskett played sparingly for the Colts, making four catches for 28 yards in 11 games.

Baskett has accounted for three of the top 10 longest plays in Eagles history, with touchdown receptions of 90, 89 and 87 yards. His muffed onside kick in the Colts’ Super Bowl loss to the Saints aside, he is also a solid special teamer.

The 30-year-old Fargas would give the Eagles much-needed experience at running back. A third-round pick by the Raiders in 2003, the USC product spent the last seven seasons in Oakland. His most productive season came in 2007, when he recorded career highs in rushing yards (1,009), carries (222) and touchdowns (four).

Primarily a backup throughout his career, Fargas has piled up 3,369 rushing yards, averaging 4.1 per attempt, and scored 10 touchdowns (all rushing). He also has 77 catches for 523 yards. Last season, he rushed for 203 yards on 40 carries (4.1 per attempt).

I think it is safe to say that the "visit" is nothing more than a formality. I think Reid and co. felt bad about letting Baskett go and even though he is next to useless on the football field, the Eagles do need depth at the wide receiver and he is an all right special teamer when he is not bobbling onsides kicks. I'd still rather the Eagles go after someone else than Baskett.

As far as the other name in the report (i.e. Justin Fargas), all I can say is, YES PLEASE! Huggy Bear, Jr. has been a solid back up his whole career and despite the fact that he may very well be one of the ugliest humans alive not named Evgeni Malkin, he could combine with Shady and Church Van to create one heck of a 3-headed monster at back should the Eagles choose to sign him. Brian who?

Updated: Kendra's back!!!!!! Which sadly means her useless husband has signed a 1-year contract with the Eagles. Bleh.

I guess I can try and look on the bright side a bit. While he is certainly no starter, the once training camp darling of 2006 can be a role player for this team and for better or worse, adds depth at WR to the Eagles. He is familiar with the system and he was always considered a good special teamer before that Super Bowl debacle. Now let's just hope that he gets rid of his harmful case of the drops.

Adios, Reggie Brown

Nah-nah-nah-nah, nah-nah-nah-nah, hey-hey, goodbye!

REGGIE BROWN HAS BEEN RELEASED!!! AND THE EAGLES ARE GOING TO GET AN ACTUAL DRAFT PICK FOR HIM!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!!!!! It's a 6th rounder!!! In 2011!!! The Eagles are going to get a real live human of their choosing in exchange for the terrible Reggie Brown with an even worse contract!!!!!

A person for Reggie Brown? YES!

I jump for joy at the Reggie Brown for a 2011 draft pick for one reason and one reason only, frankly, had Tampa given up a bag of used footballs in exchange for Brown, the Bucs would be the team getting ripped off. This trade is robbery.

Leonard Weaver Given The Largest Contract Ever To A Fullback

I LOVE YOU ANDY REID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leonard Weaver is coming back to the Eagles, baby!!! Oh yeah!

Adam Caplan has the contract details.

Eagles and Leonard Weaver reached 3-year, $11 million deal, $6.5 million guaranteed source said. Beats Greg Jones' deal 2 years ago.

It's the largest contract ever given to a fullback and it is a damn well deserved one and one of the smartest things the Eagles could do this off-season. They know that he was awesome for them last year with his one year deal and they will look for him to continue to be awesome for the next three years.

What Weaver brings is a guy who can run the ball real effectively, especially in short-yardage situations, catch passes, and get nice yards after the catch. The presence of a guy like him was something that the Eagles never had before. Seriously? Even I, a diehard fan who has pretty much watched almost every game of the Andy Reid era, have problems of thinking of our fullback names before Weaver. That's not a testament to my memory, but rather how useless and invisible all other Eagle fullbacks were before Weaver. Granted, Weaver is not a fullback in the traditional sense of the term. I'd consider him a little more of a RB/FB hybrid than a pure FB, but his unorthodoxness is part of what makes him an all-around great football player and quite frankly, the largest contract ever given to a fullback still seems like chunk change in comparison to how much a player and a leader like him is actually worth.

BREAKING: Eagles Release Westbrook

From Jeff McLane of the Inquirer on Twitter


It's amazing how quick running backs just fall off the map. We've seen it with Shaun Alexander a few years ago in Seattle, LT getting released yesterday by San Diego (message to the Eagles: No! No! NO! Don't even think about LT), and now, the Eagles have released Brian Westbrook.

As good as Westbrook was, his days in the NFL are clearly over. Injuries have just caught up to him to a point where if he tries to play football again that there is a chance of suffering a much more permanent and/or longer-lasting injury. While this was the Eagles decision and not Westbrook's, I do hope that Westbrook sees the message being sent here and does the right thing for himself, his healthy, and his family and just retires. The risk just is not worth it.

While I always thought he was a tad overrated by the media, Westbrook did provide explosiveness out of the backfield when he ran the ball to the outside (Westbrook sucked up the middle) and on screen passes. While part of that will be missed, I feel that Shady can be an explosive running back and as Wade Phillips do brilliantly demonstrated in the Pro Bowl, screens to DeSean Jackson work. Did you see that Andy? DeSean Jackson is just as much a threat to break a big one by catching a dink and dunk screens as he is of breaking one by locating and catching one of those things that McNabb chucks up in the air every once and awhile.

With the release of Westbrook, thus continues the Eagles 2010 off-season of making the right moves. It's good to see Reid, Lurie, Banner, Roseman, and all the other FO idiots getting their act together and making the right off-season moves. I know you may think it is pointless that I constantly point out and bring up the little things that they do, but it is those little things that will eventually add up to a lot and lead the team to a Super Bowl championship.

This Eagles Off-Season Just Keeps Getting Better And Better

Wow. Just wow. First new special teams coach Bobby April, then new secondary coach Dick Jauron, and now the Eagles have found themselves a new player personnel consultant for the draft. Who is it, you ask?

This former GM that is responsible for drafting Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis, Jamal Lewis, Chris McAlister, Adalius Thomas, Terrell Suggs, Todd Heap, and Ed Reed. Yes, it is the person you are thinking of: Phil Savage is now with the Eagles! From the Eagles official website.

The Eagles on Thursday announced they have named Phil Savage as a Player Personnel Consultant for the 2010 draft. In this role, Savage will work with Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman and Director of Player Personnel Ryan Grigson in their draft preparations, specifically in the evaluation of draft prospects in the Southeast portion of the country.

"I've always admired the work Phil Savage has done," said Roseman. "And after spending time with him this past year, I realized how well we could work together. Phil is an excellent talent evaluator and having an extra set of eyes for us to utilize will definitely help our scouting staff as we prepare for the draft. He's spent time working on the 2010 draft class already, so Ryan and I thought it is was a slam dunk when the opportunity was there for us to add him to our staff."

Said Savage, who served as the radio color analyst for the Crimson Tide Sports Network in 2009: "This is a great opportunity for me to get back in the NFL. I'm really excited about the role the Eagles have afforded me and I'm ready to help Howie and the rest of their scouting staff in the best way I possibly can."

The 44-year-old Savage spent four seasons as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Cleveland Browns from 2005-08. In his four years with the Browns, the team acquired five Pro Bowl players (three through the college draft) and won a franchise-best 10 games in 2007. That year, the Browns had six players selected to the Pro Bowl (Derek Anderson, Joshua Cribbs, Braylon Edwards, Ryan Pontbriand, Joe Thomas, and Kellen Winslow), which was the most by the franchise since six players were chosen in 1995.

Prior to his stint with Cleveland, Savage enjoyed a nine-year run with the Baltimore Ravens. He was hired as the Director of College Scouting by Vice President of Player Personnel Ozzie Newsome in 1996 and held that position for seven years. He was elevated to Director of Player Personnel in 2003. In that time period, the Ravens acquired 11 Pro Bowl players through the college draft, including Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis, who helped Baltimore to a victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

OMG I just wet myself.

Savage will be mainly focusing on the southeastern portion of the country in his draft scouting. This guy has a talent for finding future NFL stars, especially late in the draft. And look at all the defensive studs he has found in the draft. One can argue that he Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are two of the best defenders of the past decade and the Eagles have just brought in the man that decided to draft them. And at this stage what is one thing that the Eagles desperately need? Defensive studs.

Good move, Eagles. Good move. And if ever there was a time for Phil Savage to locate the next Ed Reed, that time is now.

Random Monday Night Eagles Notes: New Secondary Coach, Eagles Plans For Vick Revealed?

I spend the majority of the day at the library and at a TWLOHA meeting and I come back to complete chaos in Eagles news, notes, and rumors.

It is rare that I compliment the Eagles Front Office, but I think I owe them one here. They may be cocky and arrogant more than anything, but they know what the team's problems are and they have just taken a really nice step on the defensive side of the ball by bringing in a new secondary coach that has the experience to help McDermott and may also be able to work with Asante Samuel and our clusterfuck of safeties. His credentials in this field: DB coach at Buffalo in and Green Bay (which included working with Andy Reid), Defensive coordinator with Jacksonville and Detroit, and a couple of head coaching jobs that he'd probably rather not talk about. Meet Dick Jauron, the Eagles new secondary coach! Fuck. Yeah. Bitches.

Before you laugh at Jauron, his head coaching failures, and the Eagles bringing in such a guy, let's not forget who he is, what he was, and what he brings. As a coach, he brings experience that Sean McDermott badly needs on his staff, both in working with Reid and coaching the secondary positions and defense as a whole (don't forget he was a former DC). When Jauron played football, he was a free safety. Guess what? The Eagles have a young free safety named Macho Harris who could really use someone like Jauron to mentor him. And let's think about this. You got a guy who's been a DC for 3 teams and has even coordinated a conference championship game, a guy who has been a 2-time head coach in this league, and after all that, he is your DB coach! What a bargain and frankly, that is about as good a hire as you can possibly get for that position.

And now for some information about Michael Vick. It appears as if the Eagles will in fact pick up Vick's option. From NFL.com

The Philadelphia Eagles plan on keeping Vick in 2010, NFL Network insider Michael Lombardi reported Tuesday.

"They have no intention this offseason of trading Michael Vick," Lombardi said on NFL Network's NFL Total Access. "Many people around the league feel like that's a lot of false bravado, (and) they're going to release him, because he has a ($1.5 million) roster bonus due in March. Not the case."

For his part, Vick has made it known that he's seeking a starting job. That said, he hasn't ruled out the possibility of returning to the Eagles.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Dan Patrick on Monday, Vick spoke about staying in Philadelphia.

"I would really have to think about it," Vick said. "I like the coaching staff. I like the people around there. Maybe I would do it. Who knows?"

In the end, though, it isn't Vick's call to make. The Eagles have an option to keep him next season and will have the final say in his future. As of now, they already are figuring out ways to increase his role, Lombardi reported.

"The Eagles believe as this offseason continues, they could incorporate him more into their offense," Lombardi said. "Seven-to-15 plays, he's a unique player, plus he could start at a moment's notice. Most of the National Football League will take this as a surprise, but the Eagles believe they're in a very good position, and they won't trade Michael Vick."

Yeah, Lombardi. And Ruben Amaro had no intention of bringing the man who was widely reported to be his "White Whale", Roy Halladay.

However, I do see the Eagles picking up Vick's option for next season for one reason and one reason only.....so they can get something back for him. Unlike JC, I have no problems with Vick and I would be perfectly happy to see him in an Eagles uniform next season, however, I think it is the smartest decision for all parties involved if the Eagles pick up the option just so they can trade him. That way the Eagles get a nice return and Vick can possibly be a starter again in the NFL as Kevin Kolb still appears to be the team's long-term fill-in when McNabb goes down.

Is This The Best The Eagles Wide Receivers Have Been For Quite Some Time?

Obviously, statistically, it is way too early in the season and in the careers of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin to answer that question with a sure-fire yes, but things certainly seem to be looking that way. With Kevin Curtis on the injury, Jeremy Maclin got his chance to shine, and boy did he shine, with 6 receptions for over 100 yeards. Which does beg the question, is this the best looking group of wide receivers the Eagles ever had? From the Philadelphia Inquirer

Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said Maclin's emergence resulted from Tampa Bay's coverage on Jackson.

"They rolled the coverage a lot to his side, and you want to get your weapons going," McNabb said. "Teams are going to try to take someone in this offense out of it. They're trying to take DeSean out, and when you give [other] guys an opportunity to make plays for you, I have full confidence that they will."

Jackson may still end up being the featured weapon in the Eagles' offense, but this is the first time in recent years that we've been this far into the season without knowing exactly who will be McNabb's go-to guy.

During the Eagles' 2004 run to the Super Bowl, Owens was the main man, and ever since then it has been running back Brian Westbrook. Teams tried to stop both men, but usually couldn't.

Now, the Eagles have Jackson, Maclin, Westbrook, and tight end Brent Celek, not to mention Michael Vick, rookie LeSean McCoy, and this thing called a Wildcat offense.

Although the Eagles have averaged 31.8 points per game - second best in the NFL - every aspect of the offense hasn't always worked. Sunday, for instance, the Eagles averaged only 2.4 yards per carry on 19 designed rushing plays.

"We need to be more efficient when we do run the football," Reid said.

Westbrook, at least through four games, doesn't appear to be the same force he has been the previous five seasons. He had just eight touches against the Bucs, and it's strange not to see his name among the league leaders in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. McCoy actually had one more touch than Westbrook.

Long gone are the days of Andy Reid settling for mediocrity at that position by starting guys like Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, and Reggie Brown who all were a sure fire bet to drop half the balls thrown their way. And even though Jackson and Maclin are doomed to make some mistakes and have some bad plays just because of their age, for once we can say that the potential at the wide out position is there and we may be looking at a couple of Pro Bowlers, a term that has not even come close to describing an Eagles wide receiver since Terrell Owens was here. And while Maclin only got the start because Kevin Curtis was injured, you can bet that if he keeps playing like this, he will be starting on a regular basis soon enough. Also, while Curtis has proven that he is a decent, not great, starting wide receiver, I think he is most dangerous as a 3rd guy, when teams are not paying him much attention. And don't forget about Jason Avant. McNabb likes throwing to him in clutch situations and more often than not, Avant can make the play.

It took him awhile, but Andy Reid has woken up and has finally figured out how to draft offensive players, just look at the running back position as well. Sure, the Eagles have Brian Westbrook, but in the past the Eagles relied on him way too much, and the result is the beaten and broken down man that you see now. This is not the same Westbrook that we saw a 2, 3 years ago, and if I'm a betting man, I don't think that he will ever regain that form. He is not a 30 carry-a-game back, he never was, and the Eagles trying to make him that all but ruined his career. Sure, he'll come in and make a big play every once in awhile, and while I see him as a great change of pace back, I think that in little time, we will be seeing more and more of Shady McCoy, another great find and great draft pick by Andy Reid. Sure he is a little Westbrook-esque, but unlike Brian, Shady is more groomed to be an actual running back, instead of some random dude like Westbrook who lines up out of the backfield, but if more effective catching the ball and bouncing it to the outside rather than running the ball.

And forgotten in all of this is perhaps one of the most underrated tight ends in the NFL, Brent Celek. Eagles tight ends have never gotten any national credit or spotlight, but perhaps if Celek keeps making plays like the one in the video below, he is surely going to get the national recognition he deserves real soon.



It's not everyday that you see someone leapfrog Ronde Barber. And speaking as an Eagles fan, that was just so sweet to watch as countless times in the past, when the Bucs played the Eagles, Ronde Barber has made a big, ginormous play against us that kills our momentum.

Bottom line, regardless of who the quarterback is, if the Eagles can play defense like they know how to play defense, and if Maclin, Jackson, and Celek really emerge as the big go-to targets and stay free of injury, this Eagle team will be in the hunt for the Super Bowl for many years looking down the road. And now just ask yourself, were we really ever saying this about the Eagles during the era of Lewis, Baskett, and Reggie Brown?

It Looks Like Philly Has Made A Decision: We Embrace Vick

When Vick was signed by the Eagles, there was a complete firestorm of media controversy surrounding the signing in Philadelphia. Some, like me, liked the idea. Others, like my blogging buddy, JamesCraven, completely loathed the sheer thought that Vick was an Eagle. But now it's 6 weeks later and while at the time you would not believe it, it seems that the majority of fans have cooled their anger and are in support of Mike Vick. Via Fox Sports.com

Move over, Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook. Black Philadelphia Eagles jerseys bearing Vick's name and his trademark No. 7 are the showcase items for two sports clothing stores inside Concourse C [at the Philadelphia International Airport]

"For real? That's awesome, man," Vick said Friday when told of the displays in front of both shops. "From what I hear, they're going like hotcakes."

Six weeks ago, the thought of Vick jerseys being burned in effigy wasn't far-fetched.

Vick arrived in Philadelphia last month amid a maelstrom of controversy because of his dog-fighting past. Protestors gathered outside team headquarters with graphic posters decrying his signing. Bigger demonstrations from animal-rights activists were expected outside Eagles home games. If Vick made one misstep, his signing would have heaped even more negative attention on a franchise already under enough pressure to win its first Super Bowl title.

"The locker room could have been turned upside-down," Eagles center Jamaal Jackson said.

But Vick's NFL return couldn't have gone more smoothly. The only crowd outside NovaCare Complex on Friday was autograph seekers. The mass protests never happened and aren't expected Sunday when Vick plays in a regular-season game against visiting Kansas City for the first time since December 2006.

Say what you will about Reid's penchant for pass-heavy offensive game plans. He couldn't have scripted Vick's return any better.

Eagles brass did a masterful job on two fronts: helping Vick become re-acclimated to football while providing off-field assistance as he put his personal affairs in order following bankruptcy and 18-month prison term. Vick also was welcomed by his new teammates without a hint of dissent.

"The key was me being willing to come into this type of team atmosphere and wanting to make it about the team and not about myself," Vick told FOXSports.com. "That made the transition a lot easier."

Vick's willingness to accept blame for animal cruelty and promise repentance swayed Eagles fans hesitant to grant a second chance. Everything went so well that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell shortened Vick's regular-season suspension by three games in early September.

"It's a team effort on that," Reid said. "Obviously, it starts with Michael first. When he came out of being incarcerated, he handled things the right way. He's been getting great guidance and support. And he's got the will to do things right. With that, everything else is possible as long as it's a day-by-day process."

Vick is keeping that in mind. Although he has taken major strides and played in the preseason, Vick's comeback is far from complete.

First, he still has community obligations to fulfill. Vick has made several local appearances decrying his involvement in staging fights by pit bulls. His talks are aimed largely at children, many of whom could be at risk of being drawn into that same inhumane activity as Vick was in his youth.

"I'm just reaching out and trying to connect with them," Vick said. "It's something I never did before, but I'm starting to enjoy it and I like doing it."

Vick plans to continue his outreach even after no longer being obliged by the Eagles and NFL.

"All the publicity will fade away," he said. "Then I'll be able to do this without such a big media circus. But that doesn't bother me at all. I just focus on the task at hand, which is getting my message across."

It really was only a matter of time for the majority of fans to come around on this one. And the crowd will surely be full of Vick supporters tomorrow as Vick makes his official debut of the Philadelphia Eagles. I can't wait to see it and I, for one, really hopes that he makes some big plays and really gets the crowd excited about him. You'll see, once he starts making plans, those that initially started hating but have gone to a begrudging acceptance, will then be going nuts for him as well.

A.J. Daulerio at Deadspin put it best at the first announcement of the Vick signing, and while it is a completely gross exageration, makes the point about Vick in Philadelphia better than anyone has yet when he said: "if Michael Vick brings Philadelphia to the playoffs or, gasp, WINS a Super Bowl, well he could set a dozen baby poodles on fire in the middle of Broad Street and he'll still be a hero for life."

Like I said, it's a gross exageration, but if Vick can make the plays that lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl, he'll be as beloved as some of the all time Philly sports greats.

The Name Of Brian Dawkins Replacement Is.......(Today's Holy Shit Moment)

MACHO HARRIS!!! YES!!! YES!!! I LOVE YOU, ANDY REID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Head coach Andy Reid confirmed Tuesday on his weekly radio show on 610 WIP-AM that rookie Macho Harris will start at free safety in Sunday’s season opener at Carolina.

Harris practiced with the first team during Monday’s brief practice, replacing second-year pro Quintin Demps, who had been working with the first team throughout training camp and preseason.

I thought for sure he'd give it to Quintin Demps.

Ever since replacing the much maligned Sean Considene, Quintin Mikell has been awesome at strong safety next to sure-fire future hall of famer Brian Dawkins at free safety. Well it looks like Andy Reid has wisened up and given the job to Victor "Macho" Harris. I don't care or expect him to be anywhere near as good as Dawkins, I just want to give the kid a chance and I am not a Quintin Demps fan at all so this is great.

MACHO HARRIS IS THE STARTING FREE SAFETY FOR THE EAGLES!!!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and in use only diehard Eagles fans care about, the Eagles have signed Tampa outcast TE Alex Smith and cut TE Tony Curtis, thus once again leaving the Eagles with only actice 2 tight ends and one on the practice squad. My opinion on this is meh, you replaced a back-up loser in Schobel with a worse one in Curtis, to a slightly better one in Smith, although the trend seems to be that his numbers drop off with each passing year. But all I care about is that MACHO HARRIS WAS NAMED A STARTER!!! HOLY CRAP!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Source: CSN Philly

And Now For Today's Holy Shit Moment

From Chris Mortensen's Twitter account.

WOW! I'm shocked. But in a good way. Kevin Kolb showed what he was made of against the Ravens. A.J. Feeley sucks. And the Eagles nearly had a coaching intern play because of Kolb's injury. Sadly, though the NFL did not allow that move and instead that Eagles brought up Temple graduate Adam DiMichele.

I've always been for Vick's reinstatement into the league, and assuming he can still play, I'm happy to have him with the Eagles.

Mark your calendars for December 6. Regardless of whether Vick is starting or not for what would be a presumably injured McNabb, it should be a show when Michael Vick returns to Atlanta....

Update: Vick's contract is worth $1.6 million for 2009, according to Fox's Jay Glazer, and the Eagles can pick up a 2010 option for $5.2 million.

ESPN Has A Unique System Of Grading Each Team's Draft

Yes, I saw this last night over at AA and was not planning on touching it, but it's a Tuesday, I'm bored out of mind, and hey, it's not like I have finals or anything this week and a paper due, right? More to the point, while initially they had a small problem with using the wrong USA Today grades (2008 instead of 2009), they have fixed it and then they have done something that I don't ever recall seeing before. They have averaged together a bunch of grades and given each team an NFL Draft GPA! So without further ado, this is what ESPN has calculated. The Valedictorians for the Class of 2009 are none other than........THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES!!! And while ESPN's format is somewhat hard to read without scrolling your lights out, I have simplified all of the GPAs for you underneath (teams ranked from highest to lowest).

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 3.56
2. New England Patriots: 3.44
3. Green Bay Packers: 3.33
3. New York Jets: 3.33
5. New York Giants: 3.30
6. Detroit Lions: 3.19
6. Cincinnati Bengals: 3.19
8. Houston Texans: 3.11
9. Arizona Cardinals: 3.07
10. Chicago Bears: 3.04
10. Baltimore Ravens: 3.04
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3.04
13. Atlanta Falcons: 2.96
14. St. Louis Rams: 2.74
14. Cleveland Browns: 2.74
16. Seattle Seahawks: 2.67
16. Tennessee Titans: 2.67
16. Indianapolis Colts: 2.67
19. Minnesota Vikings: 2.59
19. Buffalo Bills: 2.59
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: 2.48
22. Carolina Panthers: 2.41
22. Denver Broncos: 2.41
22. Kansas City Chiefs: 2.41
25. Miami Dolphins: 2.37
26. San Francisco 49ers: 2.33
27. New Orleans Saints: 2.30
28. San Diego Chargers: 2.22
29. Washington Redskins: 2.15
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2.00
31. Dallas Cowboys: 1.67
32. Oakland Raiders: 0.59

Like I said in my personal winners and losers post, the Raiders lost that draft so bad that they do not even deserve to be called losers. And I think that this pretty much proves it.

Consensus NFL Draft Grades (ESPN.com)

The Winners And The Losers Of The NFL Draft

So even though we really do not know what people will be booms and which ones will be busts, I think that it is safe to say that we can look at who on the outsets of things got some good deals and some bang for their buck while others, not so much. And while I could be like USA Today and give every team a grade, this is finals week and frankly, I don't have time for that. But alas, winners and losers

Winners

Philadelphia Eagles - Maclin, Jason Peters, Shady McCoy, Ellis Hobbs, Macho Harris.......I LOVE YOU ANDY REID, TOM HECKERT, JOE BANNER AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE EAGLES FRONT OFFICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hell, you can even throw Cornelius Ingram in that list as the receiving tight end that the Eagles need. And for those that think that the Eagles should have gotten Pettigrew instead of Maclin, Pettigrew is more of a run-blocking tight end than a receiving tight end and the Eagles much prefer the receiving type and Ingram more fits that bill than does Pettigrew. My only complaints, and all things considered they're minor ones, but I would have liked to see the Eagles draft a safety in case Sean Jones does not work out, especially seeing as his deal is only a 1-year deal, and I think that now might be time to find David Akers' successor. It is becoming more and more apparent that he is past his prime. Then again, arguably the kicker in the draft, Graham Gano, went undrafted, so there's still hope in that area. Obviously it's hard to judge drafts like this when you have not seen how these players will transition to the NFL, but comparing this draft to the past few drafts the Eagles had at this time, this one is by a mile their best in a few years.

New York Jets: I may take a lot of heat for this one because the Jets did not have a whole lot of picks, but they made the move of the draft, trading up to get Mark Sanchez. And while there are some question marks with Sanchez's experience, I see him having a better pro career and a better rookie year than Matt Stafford. Although a lot of that has to do with that while not an awful draft, the Lions did not hit a home run with their other picks like they had the potential of doing so.

New York Giants: And on the complete opposite side of the coin, there is the team that just sits there and gets lucky and gets the guys they want where they want them and that's what the Giants did. If Hakeem Nicks plays half as good as he did in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, then he is sure to have a great career in the NFL and for good measure meet Plaxico Burress' direct replacement, Ramses Barden, all 6'6" of him.

Seattle Seahawks: See Denver Broncos.

Losers:

Denver Broncos: The problem with the Denver Broncos is that there team is a clusterfuck of players with no real team identity. Is Neckbeard the Pirate really going to be the starting QB for the Broncos? And while Knowshon Moreno is projected to be a good pick, it can be said that it was a reach as a reach to a #12 pick, especiallly seeing as almost everyone projected him to the Eagles at #21. Oh yeah. And the Broncos are fucked next year. They traded a 1st round pick to the Seahawks in the 2nd round so that they could move up and take Alphonso Smith out of Wake Forest. Wait......THEY DID WHAT?!?!?!? A team that was not that good last year and may have done some subtraction through addition over the off-season, if you will (seriously....how many players did they get and yet, it seems like they got no one of worth; other than Dawkins' leadership) with a new coach and a mediocre free agent QB just traded away it's 1st round draft pick in 2010?!?!? Are you kidding me???? Be excited, Seattle fans. Be very excited. Write this down and don't you forget it: You just got yourselves a top 7 pick in the 2010 draft.

Dallas Cowboys: When you're the Dallas Cowboys and you do not pick until the third round and when you finally do pick, you draft some guy from Western Illinois and Trey Wingo's initial reaction is literally to say "Who?", it's not a good draft for you. (Alleged Wingo quote attributed to USA Today article linked to above)

Cincinnati Bengals: Maybe the Bengals know something we don't. They got great talent in the draft in Andre Smith and Ray Maualuga, but there's a reason why Smith was not the 1st offensive tackle taken and Maualuga dropped to the 2nd round and it's because they have character issues. And it would take 6 posts to document all of the character issues of 6th round pick Bernard Scott. I am yet to figure out if this is supposed to be a rehabilitation center of an NFL franchise.

The Team That Lost So Bad That They Don't Even Deserve To Be Called Losers

Oakland Raiders: The Detroit Lions absolutely <3 the Raiders!!!!!!!!!!! Darius Heyward-Bey (WR) at 7.........Michael Mitchell (safety) in the 2nd round........a 2-year old could have done a better job with this draft!!! Mitchell was projected 7th round!! And Heyward-Bay is the master at dropping balls and taking days and games off! But you know what their upside is: They have speed!!! Although Al Davis forgot to overlook one factor.....the speed factor is pretty much nullified if you can't make the catch or the tackle! The Raiders are on the clock for the 1st pick of the 2010 draft as we speak and the Detroit Lions may no longer be the lone team to go 0-16. And unlike the Lions, I am actually rooting for this team to go 0-16. Maybe that'll finally get Al Davis' head out of his own ass....

The Eagles Have Finally Made A Big Off-Season Move

Emphasis on the word big because breaking this afternoon is that the Philadelphia Eagles have traded their #28 overall 1st round draft pick, a 4th round pick in this year's draft, a late-round pick in next year's draft to the Buffalo Bills for offensive tackle Jason Peters! Yep, you read right. Jason Peters is now an Eagle! Via CSN Philly

A team source has told CSN's Derrick Gunn that the Eagles have sent three picks to Buffalo for Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters. The deal is contingent upon the Eagles' working out a new contract with Peters, who is in Philadelphia.

The Eagles would give Buffalo the 28th pick and a fourth-round pick in this year's draft and a late pick in next year's draft.

The 27-year-old Peters (6-4/340) has made the Pro Bowl each of the last two seasons. Dissatisfied with his contract – he is scheduled to make a base salary of $3.8 million this season – he held out of training camp last year and had a sub-par season.

A five-year veteran, Peters joined the Bills in 2004 as an undrafted rookie – and a tight end at that – out of Arkansas. In three seasons with the Razorbacks (he left after his junior year), he had 28 receptions for 300 yards and four touchdowns.

Buffalo spent the beginning of his rookie season on the Bills' practice squad before being promoted to the active roster in November. In 2005, he caught a touchdown pass in the opener against Houston before becoming the starting right tackle in Week 9. Peters moved to left tackle the following season.

YES!!!! YIPPEE!!!! WHOOHOO!!!! B-E-A-UTIFUL!!!! GREAT MOVE BY THE EAGLES!!

It's simple, the Eagles were no doubt going to use one of their draft picks on an offensive linemen so instead of risking drafting Winston Justice Version 2.0, they now have used that pick to get a proven Pro Bowl veteran. Pus, the Eagles still have their #21 overall pick and now that one will most definitley go towards drafting a skill position player. Essentially, this is a direct replacement of the departed Tra Thomas and a replacement that I could not be happier with.

Open thread tonight guys, we've got Flyers-Pens Game 2 plus the Devils taking on the Hurricanes and the Canucks doing battle once again with the St. Louis Blues. See you guys tonight!

THE EAGLES HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT!!!!

YES!!!! I begged and pleaded for them to do so but I never thought the day would actually come! At the price of a 1st and 3rd round draft pick, the Eagles have traded for Anquan Boldin! Let me repeat that, ANQUAN BOLDIN IS NOW AN EAGLE! Via CSN Philly.

Talks were numerous over the off-season, but Anquan Boldin, the disgruntled Arizona Cardinal wide receiver, has been traded to the Eagles for the 21st pick in this year's draft and an additional 3rd round pick.

Boldin, in his 6 seasons as a Cardinal, has a total of 502 receptions for 6,496 yards and a total of 40 touchdowns.

"I am really excited to be an Eagle", said Boldin this morning. "I look forward to working with Coach Reid and the Eagles organization and I hope that I can help bring a Super Bowl trophy to this city."

Let me just say it one more time, ANQUAN BOLDIN IS AN EAGLE!!!!!!!!!!! The Eagles have made numerous questionnable moves this offseason but this is by a mile one of the best moves they have made in recent memory. McNabb wanted a playmaker and he has one now. And with the albeit now somewhat faded prospect of the Eagles drafting Anquan's brother, D.J. Boldin in the draft, the possibilites are endless if they do. What was always considered a weakness of the Eagles has just become a major strength for them.

YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eagles trade for Anquan Boldin (CSN Philly)

Update: I urge you all to click on the links. You'll find that they have some really interesting info on the trade. And even though they both say CSN Philly, they are 2 different articles! The one up top is the story which has really good information throughout, and the one on the bottom is a really good column on the trade.

The Eagles Have Actually Done Something Right This Off Season!

Seahawks fans are currently shedding tears right now because they just lost one of their more valuable players. So why is this getting a spot on my blog (other than to laugh at SSR)? It's because he signed with the Eagles! And who exactly is this player? Why, it's none other than Leonard Weaver! Seriously....the Eagles signed Leonard Weaver. Seriously, the Eagles actually made a good move this off-season! Via CSN Philly

After it appeared that he would sign elsewhere, Weaver on Friday agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles that can be worth up to $2.5 million.

The Eagles tried a litany of fullbacks last season, from Jason Davis, Jed Collins and Luke Lawton in the preseason to Tony Hunt, Dan Klecko and Kyle Eckel in the regular season.

“No. 1 for me was opportunity,” Weaver said. “I looked at Philly as a great opportunity for me as a fullback to play a position that was well needed.”

In addition to considering a return to Seattle, where he had spent all four of his NFL seasons, Weaver was also talking with Tampa Bay, Houston and Minnesota.

However, the Eagles not only would give him a chance to start but also do so in the familiar West Coast offense. The 26-year-old Weaver had spent his entire career playing for Mike Holmgren.

“My thing was, when I looked at Philly, was the type of offense they run. In free agency, a lot of guys look at the money. For me, that wasn’t really the case,” Weaver said. “I looked at more the opportunity.”

And as if it was not enough for the Seahawks and other teams interested, he was actually willing to take less money to come to Philly. And now, for the first time since the age of Jon Ritchie, THE EAGLES HAVE A FULLBACK! THE EAGLES HAVE A FULLBACK! THE EAGLES HAVE A FULLBACK!

WE'RE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!! WE'RE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!! WE'RE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!! Your Eagles Week 17 Recap

"BUSH!!!!!! BUSH!!!!!!!!! TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!"

My voice has not been the same since. It was gone before the Eagles even took the field for the season finale. For that's where the drama was. And oh boy, was there drama.

The Texans disposed of the the Bears fairly easily after a shaky start. There was little doubt in my mind that either Chicago and Minnesota would both win against teams superior to them. And while the Minnesota game was exciting, it was nothing, absolutely nothing compared to the drama in Raymond James Stadium.

Down 24-14 in the 4th quarter to the Bucs, the Oakland Raiders pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in Philadelphia Eagles history. There are no words that I can use that I haven't already used to describe it. Enjoy the sheer amazingness of Michael Bush.

Unbelieveable. Who would have thought?

And then there was the kickoff in the Linc. And believe it or not, a certain Eagle who would end up playing a key role in the first half in turning the game into a blowout was not made aware of the scores in Houston and Tampa Bay.

It started out as a back-and-forth defensive battle which was a lot of what I expected. "But JFein, the Week 2 was a shootout, how could you have possibly thought this would be a defensive battle?" The answer is what has since happened. Neither offense was coming in that sharp and the Eagles' defense has been lights out ever since the Sunday Night game that the Eagles lost against the Giants. The teams traded field goals before Buckhalter started the fun with a 59 yard catch-and-run by Correll Buckhalter. That would eventually lead to a McNabb QB sneak for a TD. And get this. On 2nd and goal from the 1, the Eagles ran a sneak and it didn't work. But then he stuck with it, ran the sneak again and got in. It's amazing what happens when you run a sneak with a big QB. Just for that I'm adding the "Andy Reid Actually Does Something Right" tag.

The Eagles would complete another TD drive making it 17-3 before the game-changer occured. Dallas was trying to make a game of it before halftime and were driving. But then Romo threw the ultimate WTF happened interception on a pass intended for Roy Williams that went directly to the Eagle who had no idea the Eagles were in "Win and In" game, Sheldon Brown. That set up a TD to Celek. 24-3.

On the ensuing kickoff Adam "Don't Call Me Pacman" Jones fumbled the ball, the Eagles recovered, and Akers kicked a field goal to make it 27-3 at halftime.

Two redzone fumbles by the Cowboys that were returned for touchdowns by Chris Clemons and Joselio Hanson, respectively turned this one into the biggest laugher in Cowboys-Eagles history. 44-6 was the final and I'm still in shock. Not just that we absolutely creamed the Cowboys but the Raiders actually beat the Buccaneers! Repeat after me: THE RAIDERS BEAT THE BUCCANEERS!!! And remember the frequently played call by Gene Deckerhoff after the Matt Bryant kicked a 63-yard field goal to beat the Eagles. "MATT BRYANT IS MY HERO!" Well, today, to him I say, "MICHAEL BUSH IS MY HERO!"

The Eagles have been on an absolutely roller coaster ride this season. There have been highs. There have been lows. There have been lows so low that I went on a Keith Olbermann-esque Special Comment. And then there was today. The Houston Texans. Michael Bush. 44-6. It was the perfect day. The Eagles are now off to Minnesota to play the Vikings on Sunday at 4:30 on Fox. I'll have a preview of that game on Friday. Not only that, but throughtout the week, I post an exclusive preview of the other 3 wild-card games starting tomorrow with the Falcons @ Arizona.

Lastly, I have a couple points about the announcers followed by one strong point that you don't miss. First of all, what in the blue hell was up with all the pink ties today? Good lord. First it was Kevin Harlan in Tampa and then Joe Buck in Philly. Whatever was up with it, it brought good luck to the Eagles, that's for sure.

And aspeaking of our good friend, Joseph Francis Buck, I'll end by expanding on a point he said. Joe Buck takes a lot of heat, some of it deserved, some of it not. While not my favorite announcer, I think that I like him more than most other people do. However, there can be little arguing with his point at the end when they were discussing the Cowboys. Despite being blownout at this point, Aikman still called Dallas the most talented team in the NFL. Joe Buck would hit the nail on the head though.

"The Dallas Cowboys are just a bunch of talented individuals", he said, and he could not be more right. There is no camaraderie in Dallas. They are just a bunch of talented individuals wearing matching jerseys. That's it. They are not a team. And Jerry Jones thinks that money can buy championships. Guess what, Jerry, money can't buy championships. It never will. Look at the Patriots last year. Look at the Redskins every year. Look at you, Jerry. Mr. Publicity. Mr. Money Bags. What did it all get you? It got you blownout in Philly 44-6. Are you proud of yourself? And what are you going to do, Jerry? Spend more money? Try to build another team around the best collection of players. Instead, focus on building a team. Meanwhile, say what you want about Philly fans, but the Eagles are a team. They don't turn on each other. They don't complain when others are getting more playing time. They play together. They play with heart. I mentioned the roller coaster season earlier, well through all of it, one thing remained constant. The Philadelphia Eagles remained together. They were a team that never stopped believing in each other. They kept fighting when everyone had them written off. They never quit. And if you doubt that sincerity, then look at Sheldon Brown. Not even having been made aware of the situation, he played his heart out and made the interception that turned the game around. That's pride. That's passion. That's the work of a teammate. And the end result was that of what happens when a team plays up against a group of individuals.

44-6.