The Eagles Have Officially Dethroned The Seahawks For Dumbest NFL Trade In 2010

Wow. Um. Wow.

The Eagles have just let Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren rape the shit out of them with this trade.

Eagles trade: CB Sheldon Brown and LB Chris Gocong
Browns trade: LB Alex Hall and their 4th and 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (105 and 137 overall).

You've gotta be shitting me?

The Eagles traded a shitty starting linebacker for a shitty back-up linebacker who has only played 2 games. Advantage: Browns.

The Eagles traded the heart and soul of their secondary (not to mention best player in their secondary) for 2 middle of the draft picks. Advantage: Browns.

I have no idea what is going on anymore. The Eagles now have 10 draft picks and instead of filling a need, they have created another one. If there is truth to the rumor that the Eagles are going to trade McNabb and picks for Nnamdi Asomugha and picks, then the Eagles need to realize that Asomugha is only one player. As of this trade, our secondary corps is worse off than it was at the start of the day, our LB corps is worse off than it was at the start of the day (at least Gocong has NFL playing experience), but we have increased our number of draft picks to ten! Yay for draft picks!

Last season the Eagles tried to win a championship around a core of players that had been there for awhile. They built around that corps. They failed miserably. Now they are essentially getting rid of that entire corps. But if you are going to trade Sheldon Brown, at least get more value for him than a 4th round pick and a 5th round pick. Sheesh. And besides, having one or two veteran leaders that can still play the game of football is never a bad thing. Besides, Sheldon Brown is as tough as nails. He will be something that is very difficult to replace. As sad as it is, my belief in the Eagles secondary rests on the completion of a miracle deal involving Donovan McNabb and Nnamdi Asomugha. Save me now.

Assessing The Eagles Quarterback Situation

I wanted to wait a while after that playoff loss before doing a post on this, but with the dawn of free agency just around the corner and with a cool head on my shoulders, now is as good a time as any to break down the Eagles situation, what is likely with each situation, and who is likely to suit up in midnight green next season.

First we will take a look at the starter, Donovan McNabb. I am officially meh on McNabb. If he comes back, great. If the Eagles trade him, great if the haul is semi-decent. As for will he come back, if there is one thing the Eagles organization has showed is that they are completely loyal to Donovan McNabb. They may not be that way with other players, but they are with McNabb. Reid said that McNabb would be back next season and at this stage, I have no reason to not believe it. If they were keeping mum on McNabb, then I think you could legitimately talk trade speculation, but given Reid's statement over a month ago and the Eagles' past history in dealing with #5, it would be shocking if there was trade. The way I see it, if the Eagles trade McNabb this off-season, chances are I'll be giddy because I think that Lurie, Roseman, Reid, and co. would need to be floored with a team's offer in order to pull the trigger. There seems to be a new team everyday added to the list of teams that want him, so the market is there, the question is, what is Reid's price and are teams willing to pay it?

Kevin Kolb: The great unknown. When the Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb, a QB out of Houston, I thought it was a dumber move than trying to divide by 0. Now I can legitimately see him as the starting QB of this franchise. For what it's worth, he has already gained the respect of the locker room and he has proven himself competent in first 2 NFL starts where he had something called a full week of practice taking all the snaps. Whenever Reid had used him before in regular season situations, it was always because either McNabb was hurt or McNabb was benched and Kolb was forced into action. Granted whenever you breakdown Kolb's stats, you are looking at an unreasonably small sample not adequate to make a judgment about his potential as an every week starter, but the kid has the tutelage, the potential, and the respect of his team to make it all happen. Kolb is also the Eagle the least likely to be traded. Andy Reid has seen something in this kid since day 1 and who knows, maybe he is right. Heck, the schmuck that said Tyler Thigpen was the best QB in the 2007 NFL Draft is looking pretty darn good right about now. While my feelings for a McNabb trade would solely depend on the haul in return, I will be disappointed if the Eagles gave up Kolb, someone they have long-touted as the future of their franchise. The kid has potential and when given the opportunity to start after a full week of practice, has gotten the job done. When he has not been starting, he only done everything ever asked of him.

Michael Vick: Oh boy. Here we go. Certainly the QB that is most likely to be traded by the Eagles. The good news for the team that trades him is that the Eagles took the big PR bullet, even if it was not as big a bullet as many feared it would be when the Eagles announced the signing last pre-season. The bad news is that we are talking about a QB who has not started a football game in 3 years. Toward the end of last year, he showed flashes of what he is able to do and what he might be, but the ultimate question is what will the Eagles get for him? If the Eagles can trade him to a team and get a 2nd or a 3rd round draft pick, it will be a huge success for them. They would have taken a QB out of jail, played him a few times with very little effect either way, and then traded him for a darn good draft pick. That would be flat-out awesome maneuvering and would make the whole Vick fiasco look like a big win for the team. And if the draft pick they get for him turns into somebody, it will be a big win for the team. Let's face facts here, Michael Vick was not the reason the Eagles ended up a #6 seed and he was not the reason they lost in the wildcard playoff. The Eagles would essentially trade nothing for a great big something. If they keep Vick, then surely we will see the same shenanigans as last year, most of which were ineffective, although as Vick spent sometime with the Eagles and as he slowly got back into football shape, he could see the improvement in his game.

My prediction: Vick gets traded for a 3rd round draft pick. McNabb starts the year and plays his last snap ever as an Eagle when he suffers a season-ending injury. Kevin Kolb then steps in and does his Kevin Kolb thing to end the year and take the Super Bowl in Big D. Okay, maybe the Super Bowl depends on a lot other factors, but I am being serious when I say I think this year will be McNabb's last in Philly.

Update: You can use this as your Eagles and NFL Free Agency Commencement open thread

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.

Eagles Free Agents: Who Should And Should Not Be Kept?

Seeing as it seems like a bunch of Eagles sites are doing this, I figured why not me. This year's free agency may prove pivotal to future Eagles success even if unrestricted free agency is itself limited because of the uncapped year coming up. The Eagles have some decisions to make and some people that will need bringing in, but lucky for them, they have only a small handful of people that absolutely need to bring back or else face cries of "Fire Andy Reid Now!" from yours truly. For the sake of easiness, here is that list and who I think should be kept and let go in alphabetical order.

WR Jason Avant: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and oh good grief Andy Reid you are a moron if you don't pay Jason Avant. The guy just has "it". He has solid hands, has the ability to make plays, and is a great option when defenses are zeroing in on DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. On 3rd and long situations, whenever McNabb throws to Avant, I feel good at least about the play call. Yes, this is one of the few that the Eagles absolutely must keep and lock up regardless of the price.

DE Jason Babin: I really could careless about Jason Babin. He plays with heart and he never gives up, but his skills just are not that impressive. He got some good playing time and got 2.5 sacks, but if the Eagles keep him to compete at training camp that's fine and if they let him walk, fantastic.

G Nick Cole: Notice it is G Nick Cole, and not C Nick Cole. Nick Cole sucked at center but he was a rock at guard this year. While I would not empty out the bank to pay to keep him, I would be happy to see him competing for a starting position at guard this summer and I would not be bummed at all if he won it.

LB Omar Gaither: Goodbye and good riddance. Every once in awhile he would make a play as an outside linebacker, but as a middle linebacker. I thought he was beyond useless. Not only should the Eagles not bring him back, I don't think that Reid will keep him. He started 2 seasons and ended up demoting him both times. Happy trails!

LB Chris Gocong: I like Chris Gocong. He is not the greatest, but I would bring him back to training camp to compete for a job. He battled injuries all year and this season was not the greatest for him, but I think he has quite a bit of potential. Besides, Stewart Bradley will bac back next year. That LB crew revolved around him at MLB and like I said, when he went down, that sent the Eagles linebackers into a season long tail spin. Give Gocong another chance.

CB Ellis Hobbs: Hobbs was injured during the year and we did not see totally what he could do, but as a kick returner, he did show some potential. Then again, Hobbs may want to be a starting CB again in this league. If he is willing to just be a 3rd or 4th corner as well as starting kick returner, keep him, if he wants to walk to test the market as a starting corner, let him walk and don't think twice about it.

G Max Jean-Gilles: I'm pretty sure he started at least one game at every position possible on the offensive line and was useless in each one of them. Okay, maybe it just seemed like he started every position because he was brought in whenever there was an injury and the Eagles needed a quick fix, but regardless, he was useless. Let him walk.

S Sean Jones: The Eagles themselves do not need to be nuked, but their starting safeties certainly do. Macho Harris is young and has a lot of learning to do, Sean Jones is a veteran who fared no better than the young kid. See ya, Sean!

LB Akeem Jordan: See Chris Gocong.

P Sav Rocca: The Eagles took a chance when they brought in the Aussie with a huge leg a few years ago to unseat Dirk Johnson as the starter. Rocca is embarrassingly inconsistent. He'll shank one one time and his very next punt will be a 63-yard bomb. The Eagles can do better than that. For comparisions sake, I'd resign him to have him compete for the starting job, but it would not be disheartening at all if the punter they brought in takes the job from Rocca.

TE Alex Smith: After being the back-up to Brent Celek, Alex Smith figures to drop to 3rd string tight end next season when Cornelius Ingram returns to the Eagles after being injured in training camp. That being said, Ingram was frequently injured during his college career and spent his first year in the pros on IR, so keeping Smith around in case the injury bug bites Celek again would not be the worst idea in the world. Keep him for that reason.

LB Jeremiah Trotter: If he never plays another game in an Eagles uniform, they will be better for it. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but his prime is past and while he was not as bad this year as I initially feared he would be when they signed him off the streets, he is not going to get any better. The Axe Man deserves better than to push his career too far and become a complete laughing stock. Besides Stewart Bradley is coming back. Assuming Bradley does not get hurt again, we won't even need Trotter.

FB Leonard Weaver: For the first time during his time in Philly, Andy Reid had a viable running back at his disposal. So much so that he insisted on using him in 1st and 10 situations in the playoffs at Dallas! While that is a bit of misuse there, Weaver is the short yardage back that the Eagles always needed the past decade but never had until now. This is another of those players that I will be calling for Andy Reid's head if he does not lock him up long term. Church Van is the man and as long as Andy Reid uses him right (not a given), he is invaluable to this team. Another one of the few that the Eagles must keep and lock up regardless of the price.

LB Tracy White: A very solid special teamer who came in to play some linebacker during some games and was not awful at it. He is not a must nor would I give empty my wallets for him, but I would be much happier to see him return than to see him depart.

Sure it is awhile until free agency starts but with these lists popping up everywhere now and with the memory of the players still fresh in my mind, now was the best time to do one. Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments!

Why Fire Andy Reid When You Can Extend His Contract Throught 2013?

The speculation has been going on since this past weekend that this would happen. And sure enough it has. The Eagles have extended Andy Reid's contract through 13. From Reuters.

"I'm a piece of the puzzle here," a reserved Reid told a news conference. "By my waist size, I'm a big piece. But in reality I'm just a piece of the puzzle."

The 51-year-old Reid has a 115-73-1 record with the Eagles, who are 8-4 this season and tied for the lead in the NFC East with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Eagles, however, have never won the Super Bowl. They reached the title game following the 2004 season but lost to the New England Patriots 24-21.

"Our number one priority by far is to win a Super Bowl," said Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie. "That really goes without saying. One of the reasons for this contract extension is the obsession and the prioritization of that.

"There's been so much accomplished over the last decade with multiple division titles and an incredibly unusually successful decade in every measure. The one remaining priority is to win a Super Bowl championship and go from there.

"That's what this organization is obsessed with."

Again, this is no surprise. Reid is in good with Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles Front Office and seeing as the Eagles have not had a 3-13 season, the Eagles will won't fire him nor will they probably ever do so until that does happen or Reid just quits/retires.

All I'll add is that the Reid better fucking have a Super Bowl ring by 2013.

Eagles Commandment: Thou Shall Not Criticize The Eagles' Organization For Not Re-Signing Brian Dawkins

I'm pretty sure the Eagles' organization is taking this Brian Dawkins' thing a wee bit too far. And when I say a wee bit too far, I mean the Eagles' Front Office is quickly turning into some sort of Stalinist regime; firing employees for criticizing the not-resigning of Brian Dawkins. And when I say criticizing the Eagles, I mean he put up his criticism as his Facebook status! Seriously, the man was fired for something he said on Facebook! Inquirer Columnist John Gonzales has the story.

It's not personal. It's business. That was the cold cop-out the Eagles used when Brian Dawkins signed with Denver. But you can't fully appreciate how heartless the organization actually is until you learn how it apparently treated Dan Leone.

For the last six years, Leone was one of the team's many game-day stadium employees at Lincoln Financial Field. For longer than that - for his entire life - he's been a fan of the franchise.

Leone grew up in the shadow of Veterans Stadium in a red-brick rowhouse near 10th and Oregon. As a kid, he'd walk over to see his beloved Birds play. The trip was never easy. Leone has a neurological disorder called transverse myelitis. Because it causes muscle fatigue and limits the range of motion in his limbs, Leone was sometimes forced to use crutches as a child.

When he grew older and the Linc opened, Leone crossed his fingers and filled out an application. The Eagles hired him almost immediately. He was ecstatic. Leone called his friends and family and gushed about going to work for the team he's always loved. He couldn't have been happier if he'd been named the Eagles' starting quarterback.

On game days, Leone served as the west gate chief. The gig required Leone to hustle to different areas of the stadium as needed. That was tough. His left leg is weaker than his right, and standing for too long gives him severe pain in his right knee and hip because that's where he shifts all his weight. While on duty, he sometimes needed a wheelchair to get around.

"They had me running all over the place like a nut, but I didn't care," Leone said. "I was so proud to work for them. It was my dream."

Last week, the Eagles fired Leone.

Like a lot of Philadelphians, Leone was upset when Dawkins became a Bronco. So he did what a 32-year-old does these days: He vented on Facebook. "Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!"

It was a rash, stupid thing to do, and Leone regretted it almost instantly.

"I shouldn't have put it up there," Leone said. "I was ticked off, and I let my emotions go, but I didn't offend any one person or target a specific individual. I was just upset that we lost such a great guy. Dawkins was one of my favorite players. I made a mistake."

Less than two days after posting the Dawkins remarks, Leone said, he was contacted by Leonard Bonacci, the team's director of event operations. According to Leone, Bonacci said they needed to talk about Leone's Facebook page, and Leone agreed. Leone - who deleted the comment - figured that the two would sit down and that he could apologize to Bonacci in person. But Leone said Bonacci never got back to him after that.

Two days later, Leone said, he received a call from Rachel Vitagliano, the team's guest services manager. Leone said she fired him over the phone. The conversation lasted less than 10 minutes.

No warning. No suspension. No face-to-face meeting. Just a quick call to tell Leone he'd been terminated.

"I tried putting in my case to Rachel," Leone said. "I told her I worked there for six years. I did whatever they asked. I only missed one Eagles game the entire time I worked there, and that was because I'm a Mummer. I told her it was my dream to work for the Eagles and that I'd never do anything like that again."

Leone said Vitagliano didn't want to hear it. He said that she told him he couldn't be trusted, that the post made the team look bad, and that the only way to resolve the situation was to fire him.

"I apologized for it," Leone said. "I apologized 20 million times. I never bad-mouthed the organization before. I made one mistake and they terminate me? And they couldn't even bring me into the office to talk to me? They had to do it over the phone? At least look me in the eye. To get done dirty like this, I can't believe it. I'm devastated."

Messages left for Bonacci and Vitagliano weren't returned. Through a representative, the Eagles said, "The only information we can share is that Dan was a seasonal game-day employee and not a full-time member of the Eagles staff."

It's anyone's guess what that means. Perhaps the franchise thinks hourly-wage workers are disposable and, therefore, don't deserve consideration. At the very least, it appears the Birds don't think workers like Leone deserve a second chance.

The truly remarkable part about all this is that Leone isn't bitter, and he doesn't want revenge. He simply wants to be part of the team again.

"If they called me right now and told me to come back to work, I would," Leone said. "I'm not holding any grudges. I just want to do my job."

The way the Eagles appeared to have treated Leone seems so cruel and merciless, and they should be ashamed of themselves for it. Then again, how can you feel shame when you don't feel anything at all?

All I can say is wow. I love the Eagles players, but damn, the people in their Front Office can be such douche bags that it is not even funny.

"Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!" Can you imagine being fired for saying that? I mean, if my college had a rule where everyone who criticized anything about them was punished, I would be kicked out of school if they saw what I said about their food. For example, my current Facebook status, "Justin is fairly certain he just ate powdered potatoes." I love my college, but the food is, in fact, disgusting. And don't even get me started on some of the things that I post in order to allude to the one regret I have in life when I am thinking about it (2-year anniversary of that day coming up, thank goodness I'll have March Madness to keep me occupied that day). But back to the point, to no longer have a means of income for something you say on your Facebook status is just flat-out wrong.

Maybe there's a story to it that we don't know, but hopefully the publicity that this story is getting will convince the Eagles to re-hire the man.

A Reason To Never Work For The Eagles (Keith's Sports Journal)