Jayson Werth: The $126 Million Man

Congratulations to Jayson Werth. To start 2008, he was in a platoon with Geoff Jenkins. By the end of 2008, he had won a World Series ring. By 2009, he was a full time starter. By the end of 2009, he had another NLCS ring. Now, Jayson Werth has decided to cash in on the only chance he'll have to be a very wealthy man. And boy has he ever cashed in. 7 years and $126 million from the Washington Nationals.

While some fans might be angry that he decided to sign with a division rival, I feel nothing but happiness for Werth. Werth has already won a championship, and has made it very clear that this off-season was about money for him, not trying to win another championship in Boston or New York. And money is what Werth got. He would have been stupid to turn down the Nationals offered as it is a pretty ridiculous overpay. To put it in perspective, the Phillies were offering Jason Bay money for Werth. If you are a Phillies thing, be very glad the Phillies did not match the Nationals offense. It may sting a bit now, but in year 6 and 7 of that deal and Werth is in his late 30s, it will be a huge burden on the Nationals. That being said, the Nationals could be scary good in a year or 2 if they make the right moves. Who knows what the future holds in terms of personnel moves, but Strasburg will return from injury at the end of the 2011 season and who knows when we will see Bryce Harper debut. I don't think 2012 is out of the question for him.

As compensation, the Philadelphia Phillies receive the Nationals 2nd round draft pick in addition to a "sandwich round pick."

And for those that ever wondered, this is exactly why baseball players hire Scott Boras to be their agent. Congratulations to Jayson Werth and I wish him nothing but the best with the Nationals. If there is not a standing ovation for him at Citizens Bank Park on May 3, 2011, I will be greatly disappointed.

Your Philadelphia "What The Fuck" Moment Du Jour?

How? Why? The Flyers have practically no cap room, and in order to make room, they would have to likely trade Gagne and Carter just to clear cap space. The problem with this is Gagne and Carter can play defense. Granted Kovalchuk can skate through a defense like no one else out there, but he is terrible defensively. He is an asset just as much as he is a liability and for the Flyers to trade away 2 very solid 2-way forwards for just to clear the cap space to sign Ilya Kovalchuk would be absolute madness. This is a guy who wants mega millions over mega years. Just last night it was reported the Islanders would be willing to give sign him for 10 years at 10 million dollars per year. One. Hundred. Million. Dollars. That is the money Kovalchuk commands. Why would the Flyers want to do this? Why? Why? Why?

Recapping A Big Day In FlyerLand: Defensive Upgrades, Offensive Regressions, And A Murdered Salary Cap

Seeing as the Flyers made 50 bajillion moves today and I am too lazy to link specific articles, I will just encourage you all to check out Broad Street Hockey, as all the Flyers moves and rumors have been documented and appropriately cited in both the articles and the 2,000 comment discussion threads.

The Flyers started the day by making sure they had the best defense in the NHL. And to a man, I think they may have accomplished exactly that, even if they spent a bit more than most would have liked them to in getting there. They traded a 2012 2nd round draft pick for Andrej Meszaros. Meszaros is a big-bodied guy who per some has some turnover problems. The good thing is that he is 24 and I see no flaws that are uncorrectable. Originally, it seemed like a bad thing as not only did the Flyers take on his huge contract, but it also seemed to hint that the Flyers would not re-sign Braydon Coburn. By all indications, Meszaros would be a downgrade to Coburn. But that was not to be as the Flyers did re-sign Coburn to a 2-year deal, that once again, featured seemingly an overpayment. He went for 3.3 million a year, whereas most thought 3 per year would be the max. But regardless, Coburn may not always know how to use his big body and he may have some head-scratchingly awful bad games, but when he is on, he is pretty damn good.

In addition to extending Coburn and trading for Meszaros, the Flyers followed Chris Pronger's advice and signed 38-year old defenseman Sean O'Donnell to a 1-year contract. O'Donnell will fill the role of Flyers 6th defenseman and by all accounts, he is a gritty and tough player, much like the beloved Ian Laperriere, only Lappy is a forward whereas O'Donnell is a D-Man. What it boils down to is this, the Flyers have upgraded their 3rd defensive pairing from Lukas Krajicek and Ryan Parent to Andrej Meszaros and Sean O'Donnell. That, my friends, is a massive upgrade. Krajicek likely won't be back with the team whereas Broad Street Hockey's favorite Latvian Sea Wolf, Oskars Bartulis will likely be the team's 7th defenseman.

But the Flyers' head-scrather du jour came shortly afterwards. The Flyers inked Jody Shelley (yes, THAT Jody Shelley) to a 3-year, 3.3 million dollar contract. Let that sink in for a minute: Jody Shelley is making 1.1 million dollars a year to be Riley Cote Version 2.0. I just don't get it. Sharks fans and Rangers fans basically want to give the guy a freakin blow job, yet all I see is a $600,000 raise to Riley Cote. The only thing I can surmise is that Carcillo was asking for too much money and the Flyers are not going to bring him back (though CSN Philly's Tim Panaccio has tweeted that this move had nothing to do with Carcillo and he is still pending). He is slow, does not score (Carbomb can score), and can sometimes fight. We've seen this player before. His name is Riley Cote and he spent most of last season in the press box for a damned good reason. He is a completely useless player. If they thinking of putting Shelley on the 4th line, that means it will be a 4th line consisting of Blair Betts, Ian Laperriere, and Jody Shelley. Those are tough guys, but a line with 3 slow skaters is completely useless, especially in this version of the NHL, thus making the Shelley signing a bad move. If they don't play him, then we will be paying an additional $600,000 to a guy sitting in the press box doing nothing. In that situation, the move is even worse, especially seeing as this completely drained the Flyers of cap space to sign a goalie and will almost certainly have to dump someone. And if the rumors are true that person is fan favorite and Hero Of The Boston Series, Simon Gagne. Why Homer would want to trade Gagne with an NTC as opposed to Carter without an NTC is utterly beyond me, but thus are the rumors at this time.

Unless trading Gagne somehow lands the Flyers a goalie better than Leighton in addition to either Maxim Afinogenov or Bobby Ryan, the day Gagne gets traded will be an extremely sad day for Flyers fans. In a town known to be very tough on athletes who don't perform (see: Burrell, McNabb, Brand, and the rest of that list), never once has Simon Gagne, a man who has spent the entirety of a 10-year career in Philadelphia, drawn that ire. That being said, at the right price, it might be worth it if the Flyers are dead set on not wanting to trade Carter (who you could probably fetch more for anyways in a trade).

But I guess I have to look on the bright side of all this. At least the Flyers did not sign Derek Boogaard to a 4-year contract at 1.65 million PER YEAR. LOL Rangers!

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.

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!

HE'S BAAAAAAAAAACK!!!

After announcing his retirement through Steven A. Smith on Mike Missanell's radio show a week ago today, Allen Iverson is not only out of retirement but he is back in the city where he belongs, the city that loves him, the city of Philadelphia. Yes, Allen Iverson is once again, a Philadelphia 76er. From CSN Philly

Allen Iverson is rejoining the Philadelphia 76ers and is expected to make his debut Monday at home against the Denver Nuggets.

Iverson’s brief retirement is over after signing a free-agent contract with Philadelphia on Wednesday, three years after their acrimonious split led to his trade and seemingly ended any chance of his return.

The Sixers needed a replacement once they lost starting point guard Lou Williams, who’s expected to miss eight weeks after jaw surgery. Williams, who averaged 17.4 points and 5.1 assists, broke his jaw in a loss to Washington on Nov. 24.

Iverson, his agent and business manager met with team president Ed Stefanski, coach Eddie Jordan and two other members of the organization Monday to talk about returning.

“Without really seeing him on the floor, I would like to compare him to Brett Favre, a guy who people think is too old to play and he’s almost having an MVP year,” Jordan said. “That’s off the top of my head. When I woke up this morning, I said, ‘Maybe he can be that.’ It’s not a big maybe. I think he can be that.”

The 34-year-old Iverson announced his retirement last week after a stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. The 10-time All-Star was NBA MVP in 2001, when he led the Sixers to the NBA finals.

“We had, at times, a rocky road with Allen Iverson, but we also had a fantastic run with Allen,” Peter Luukko, COO of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the 76ers and Flyers, told The Associated Press. “The expectations with Allen have changed dramatically. We’re not looking for Allen to individually lead this team the way he has in the past.”

[...]

Jordan said Iverson will likely start in place of rookie Jrue Holiday.

“I told him I would like for him to start, and that’s where it sort of ended,” Jordan said. “And he was really like a kid at Christmas. That’s how he sort of explained it to me. He’s really excited and we’re looking forward to it.”

The man who is all but shunned by the rest of the league is back in the city that loves him. This is great. And so what if this is not the best way to build a championship team, the Sixers are currently a car wreck of a team that is getting nowhere way too fast. A change needs to be made. While there were no expectations of this team to win a championship, there was and maybe now still is the expectation that they can be a bottom of the pack playoff team that can win a playoff game or 2.

This may not make the most sense basketball wise but financially speaking they need it and for the first time this year, Sixers tickets are selling like Philly cheesesteaks and also for the first time this year on Monday, I will do something that I have not done all season: watch a Sixers game.

A.I. is back in Philly. I love it.

Meet The 2 Newest Flyers: A Journeyman And One Extremely Familiar Face

The start of NHL free agency was yesterday and the Flyers made 2 signings and while none of them are earth-shattering, they are note worthy. So welcome to the Flyers none other than journeyman Ian Laperriere. CSN Philly has more on this signing.

Laperriere, who agreed to a three-year, $3.5 million contract, brings additional defensive-minded grit to the Flyers, something Holmgren wants emphasized now that Chris Pronger is around.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Laperriere, a 14-year veteran who played the past four seasons in Colorado, is a conscientious defensive winger and centerman who will throw down with anyone, rack up penalty minutes, kill penalties, and block shots with reckless abandonment.

“We’re still looking for offense,” Holmgren said. “… But the one area Ian Laperriere will add is he’s a role player who can lift a little of the burden off some of our guys in other roles, such as penalty killing and faceoffs. He’s a warrior type player. He’s very durable.”

He's not the only person that the Flyers signed, though. Please welcome back to the Flyers, none other than the winning goalie of the 3rd longest game in NHL history (and longest in the modern era), Brian Boucher! Once again, CSN PHilly...

Brian Boucher, one of the most popular, affable goaltenders to wear orange and black, has come home.

The Flyers signed the former San Jose Shark on Wednesday as free agency began. Boucher will back-up newcomer Ray Emery and earn $1.8 million over two years.

“I’m thrilled,” Boucher said. “I had a nice year in San Jose, but I’m happy to be back in Philly.”

Boucher, a 32-year-old native of Woonsocket, R.I., was a first-round pick by the Flyers in 1995 (22nd overall).

“He’s capable, he’s played a lot of NHL games, he has playoff experience,” said general manager Paul Holmgren. “And Brian is a guy who really wanted to come back here in the worst way.

“Even going back two years ago I think Brian is a lot better goalie now than when he left here. He’s more under control than he was [before here]. I thought he lost focus in the net a lot of times. He’s always been a real athletic goalie; very competitive.”

Boucher was Evgeni Nabokov’s backup last season in San Jose, posting a 12-6 record with a sterling 2.18 goals against average and .917 save percentage.

BOOSH!!!!!

That statement about Boosh being one of the most affable and popular goalies to be a Flyer is true and at the time during the 2000 playoff run, I thought that he was next in line of the Flyers goalie greats, coming after Bernie Parent, Pelle Lindbergh (it's a shame that he had to be taken away from this earth so early), and Ron Hextall. And while now he is just the back-up to Ray Emery, I can pretty much assure you that Flyers fans will (re)-embrace Boucher faster than they will embrace Emery.

I may have an occasional post here and there during the weekend if something major happens, but if not, have a nice weekend and I will see you all on Monday! Happy 4th of July to all of you and thanks for your continued patronage and support! And yes, I am aware that I am taking a break for a weekend and then after 5 days of being back, will be going on vacation.

This Just In: The Bucs Are Still QB Hogs

It's kind of ironic that the Song of the Day is "Second Chance" because Byron Leftwich has just been given a second chance to be a starter in the NFL after being unceremoniously dumped by the Jacksonville Jaguars who much preferred David Garrard. His second chance has come in the form of who else, but the Tampa Bay Quarterbacks Buccaneers. Via CBSSports

Leftwich agreed to a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, a deal that will give him a chance to compete for a starting job again. The deal includes a big roster bonus in 2010, which means it's a one-year audition for Leftwich.

Leftwich started for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-2006, but was released by the team nine days before the start of the 2007 season in part because of a personality clash with coach Jack Del Rio. In his four seasons, Leftwich was 24-20 as a starter.

Leftwich was a backup for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, playing well in relief of Ben Roethlsiberger. The Steelers wanted him back, and offered a two-year deal, but he opted for a chance to start again.

With new offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski using more of a downfield passing game, Leftwich would seem to be the perfect quarterback. He will compete with Luke McCown, Brian Griese and Josh Johnson for the starting job.

He may not be the guaranteed starter, but there's little chance that Leftwich will ever overthrow Big Ben as the starter in Pittsburgh so he is definitley in a better position with the Bucs. And seriously, if Leftwich cannot beat out Luke McCown, Brian Griese, and Josh Johnson, then maybe it is best that he is not a starter in the NFL.

And I will never know why Luke McCown is still in the NFL...

(FYI, if you have not already seen it, I have begun to add in the announcers for the NHL Playoffs. Click on the link on the sidebar or scroll down while you can to see them).

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!

The Eagles Have Let Another Player Get Away From Them

One thing is for certain when the Eagles take the field next year, the Eagles will be hardly recognizable. Yes, that's right, the Eagles have lost yet another player. Tra Thomas has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguears. From CSN Philly

The Tra Thomas-Jon Runyan era has officially ended for the Eagles.

The Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday agreeed to terms with Thomas, who is expected to sign later in the day.

Runyan, an unrestricted free agent who is recovering from major knee surgery, and Thomas have started a franchise record 134 regular season games together.

Now the Eagles either will move Shawn Andrews or Todd Herremans from guard to tackle or add another tackle – most likely through the draft. Andrews’ brother Stacy most likely will become the starting right tackle.

And while this story is not exactly heartbreaking like the Brian Dawkins was, Thomas will be missed. While not necessarily a great player, Thomas was solid. The thing that kept him from being great was that it always seemed like that he got called for holding at the worst possible times. Good luck in Jacksonville Tra William Tra Thomas!

The Eagles Have Signed Dawkins (Likely) Replacement

And his name is Sean Jones from the Cleveland Browns. I don't watch many Browns' games so I've hardly heard of him, but the stuff I am reading about him looks good. Believe it or not, I might actually like this signing. Way to go Andy, you're 2 for 30,000 this off-season! From CSN Philly

Sean Jones agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles on Friday. The 27-year-old has spent the last four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, who selected him in the second round of the 2004 draft.

In the last three seasons, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Jones has 14 interceptions, third in the league among safeties in that span behind Baltimore's Ed Reed and St. Louis' Oshiomogho Atogwe.

Jones missed a month last season recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee; he initially experienced swelling in the knee during the preseason, rested and played the season opener before being sidelined for the next four games.

In 12 games Jones had 69 tackles and four picks – one of which came against the Eagles, when he intercepted DeSean Jackson.

It sounds like the guy has some potential, let's hope he can get the job done!

The Eagles Continue To Mystify Me

So the Eagles just got rid of Brian Dawkins, their 35-year old Pro Bowl safety. It's time to bring someone into the defensive secondary, for after Quintin Mikell, our next starting safety is Quintin Demps, who based on his performance at safety last year, may not quite be ready. On the other side of things, the Eagles seem strong at corner with Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown the starters and Joselio Hanson, a proven nickelback and back-up cornerback. So naturally, with all that said above, the Eagles hosted 34-year old cornerback Shawn Springs for a visit. Seriously. 34-years old. Cornerback. From Bleed Eagles Green

The latest news from Eagleville is that CB Shawn Springs is in town for a visit. Big relief as I had thought the Eagles' invites to Free Agents were getting fire walled.

Springs, is it just a visit or is there a contract awaiting his signature? I guess time will tell. I guess time will also tell what this move truly means. Are there plans to move Sheldon to Safety? Are there plans to move Sheldon via trade? Are there doubts over the ability and progress of Jack Ikegwuonu? This fan is curious.

I really wish I was making this up. You get rid of your 35-year old Pro Bowl safety, and you bring in a 34-year old back up cornerback, a position that is not on a concern of the Eagles at all.

BEG does bring up a good question. Is the answer going to be to have Springs play full safety? Or will Sheldon Brown be moved? Or would it be Asante Samuel? Or will they throw some 5th round pick schmuck?

Look, I have nothing against Shawn Springs, I think he is a really good player and if the need at corner arised, I would love to have him on my team, but for goodness sakes, a 4th cornerback is not the Eagles' primary concern. Nor is it their tertiary concern. And if they are planning on moving someone to the full safety position, whomever he is, he better be ready to fill the shoes of one of the greatest Eagles of all time.

Houshmandzadeh Signed With The Birds!

Yes, he did sign with the Birds. No, it those birds are not the Eagles, however, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Via a very giddy SSR.

Just a day after I was pretty much flying through the roof over the signing of Colin Cole, the Seattle Seahawks just made a signing that made me happy! Just hours ago TJ Houshmandzadeh agreed to a 5 year, $40 million deal ($15 million guaranteed) with the Seahawks, making him the biggest offensive signing of free agency so far.

And just because this blog has been deprived of happy fandom this football off-season, I present to you more from the same post of SSR that I linked to above!

YES!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!! I’ve been waiting for Ruskell to get off his chair and make a significant signing to improve their biggest need. Now with that said, this pretty much implies Bobby Engram is a goner and the chances of drafting Michael Crabtree took a nosedive, but this is a step in the right direction for rebuilding the offense.

For once, Seattle will finally have a receiver who isn’t 6 feet or shorter to throw to. Matt Hasselbeck and Seneca Wallace will have a fighting chance on fade passes into the end zone.

Next up is to rebuild the disastrous and aging offensive line.

Now if you’ll excuse me, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting back to the Eagles, though, after all of the campaigning I have done for the Eagles to sign Houshamanilly, I'm not upset at all, especially if the rumor that I reported a few days ago (sorry, it's 11:34 at night and I don't feel like searching for the link). Anyway, in a nutshell, Housh's agent lied to the Eagles, saying that he would go to them for less $ but the Eagles did research and it turned out Housh (and/or his agent) was actually wanted more money from the Eagles than other teams. If that rumor is true, then I don't blame the Eagles for not signing him.

Now if we can only TRADE FOR ANQUAN BOLDIN! and DRAFT BEANIE WELLS! Hell, this off-season has been so depressing, I'd even take a trade for Torry Holt or a Marvin Harrison signing has a free agency win, but come on Eagles, everyone is projecting it, DRAFT BEANIE WELLS!

I Think I Know Who The Lions Are Taking With The First Pick Of The Draft...

Okay, so I'm not breaking anything major here, but it is looking more and more that with the first pick of the draft, the Detroit Lions will select Matthew Stafford. What makes me so certain? Well the Lions traded their only quarterback with remote credibility, Jon Kitna, to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for cornerback Anthony Henry. Via NFL.com:

The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions swapped veteran players on Saturday, resulting in new addresses for cornerback Anthony Henry and quarterback Jon Kitna.

The Cowboys acquired a veteran backup for starter Tony Romo in Kitna, who started four games for the Lions last season before being placed on injured reserve with a back injury in October. Kitna was deemed expendable by the Lions, who renegotiated the contract of Daunte Culpepper and also own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

The Cowboys had a need for a backup when they released veteran Brad Johnon on Thursday. Kitna is due a $1 million roster bonus March 3.

So either they're going to draft Matthew Stafford, or it's back to Dan Orlovsky. And we all remember Dan Orlovsky...



And one last thing, going back to the article that I cited, I'm confused. Who is Brad Johnon? This article says he was a Dallas QB that was released, but I've never heard of him. They had a veteran QB named Brad Johnson, who won a Super Bowl a several years ago with Tampa Bay, but I could not tell you the first thing about Brad Johnon? Is he any good?

Update: The hilarity never ends! Dan Orlovsky has just signed a contract with the Houston Texans. Frankly, I'm surprised that no one in the CFL wanted him. He'd be great there.

Free Agency Recaps

Ugh. If you haven't done so yet, see the below post and you'll understand why I am doing this without a part of my heart.

Sorry for not having the running blog up today, but when I was not in class this morning, I was shoving down my lunch so that I can pack my stuff up and head for home. I'll get to the league updates in a second, but I'll start with the Eagles.

As I mentioned earlier, the Eagles signed offensive linemen Stacy Andrews, brother of Shawn Andrews. Fincancial details of his contract are unavailable although it is reported that it averages to $7 million per year. Unbelieveable, T.J. Houshmandzadeh as all but came out and said that if the Eagles offer him a contract that he's sporting the midnight green, but yet, he is not an Eagle. Unbelieveable. I'm not objecting the signing of an offensive tackle, with Runyan and Thomas uncertain, but for goodness sakes, Andrew Walter Reid, get your star QB the receiver he's always deserved! And stat! Housh should not be in Seattle right now. Ugh, I feel a special comment if the Eagles don't do anything in the coming days.

There is a brief light of hope that maybe, just maybe, the Eagles might get a receiver. There has been talks of a trade with a certain NFC team. However, it's not the Cardinals. According to The Recliner GM's live updates, the Eagles are in talks with the Rams of giving up Reggie Brown and a draft pick for Torry Holt.

The Eagles are also thinking of taking a look at Derrick Ward. They could have kept Correll Buckhalter for a much cheaper price. Aspeaking of Buckhalter, he has also signed with the Broncos. Unlike Dawkins, I called careless about Bucky. Although the date is TBA, that Denver @ Philly game this season is looking like it could be something special. Assuming it hasn't been burned down, that is.

Sean Considine and L.J. Smith are off to Jacksonville and Atlanta, respectively.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh has channeled his inner college basketball fan and named a Final Four. It's down to the Eagles, Vikings, Giants, and Seahawks.

Getting to the rest of the NFL....

Fred Taylor has gone to the New England Patriots. Corey Dillon.....HELLO!

In the big move of the day, Albert Haynesworth is a $100 million man in Washington. Dan Snyder sure knows how to pay his players, but it always seems like when they get to Washington, they can never play.

The Vikings have signed Sage Rosenfels. Nice to see the Vikings know a good QB when they see one...

Kurt Warner is testing the market.

Brian Dawkins is a Bronco.

Brian Dawkins is a Bronco.

Brian Dawkins signed with the fucking Denver Broncos!!! Ugh, I'm still not over that.

The Jets have signed linebacker Bart Scott.

Who would have thought in September 08 that Kerry Collins would be signing a 2-year, $15 million extention with the Titans? Well, that's exactly what happened.

The Bucs are the big winners of the Kellen Winslow sweepstakes. The Browns in return have gotten some Buc draft picks.

If anything happens tonight and tomorrow and so on and so forth, I'll have it up here as soon as I possibly can.

The Latest In Whacky Eagles Rumors That Won't Come To Fruition

If I had a penny for every different Eagles off-season rumor that I have seen/read/heard this year, I'd have more money than Jeffrey Lurie, Andy Reid, and Donovan Mcnabb combined. And yes, there have been some that I did not report on here. And just when I was beginning to resign myself to stop reporting here on every major possibility that I came across and just wait for the actual free agency to begin, I came across this gem that really stood out at me and even gave me that giddy feeling in my stomach. The latest possible Eagle.....Marvin Harrison! Via InGameNow

Marvin Harrison is not ready to retire, but as valuable as he is to the Colts, the two parties cannot seem to agree on a new contract. The Colts acknowledge that his services are getting to be too expensive for them to keep, with Harrison taking up $13.4M in salary cap. Harrison has played for the Colts for the past 13 years.

While it appears Indianapolis will be releasing Harrison very soon, the most logical speculation is that he may end up in Philadelphia. He can play in the city where he already lives, while at the same time reunite with his old Syracuse teammate Donovan McNabb.

It does make all the sense in the world that should Harrison indeed be released by the Colts that the Eagles would be a frontrunner to get the receiver. For one thing, the Eagles need a big-time receiver (whether Heckert will admit it or not) and for a second thing, Harrison went to the same school as McNabb ('Cuse) and on top of that, the man still lives in Philly!

However, one has to wonder, would the frivolous gun accusation on Harrison stop the Eagles from making the move? Personally, I always thought he was innocent and now I believe I read somewhere the other day that the man making the accusation was either being tried or in jail for, of all things, lying to police! One also has to question his age. The man is 36-years old, so the question also becomes does he still have it in him to be a stand-out player? I think yes, but I have thought wrong many times before.

To wrap things up, if Harrison does become available, I'd love to see him as an Eagle. That would be awesome, especially seeing as the Eagles may only have one or two more years before they enter a re-building stage that will consist of them sucking for several years.

FYI, I was hoping to put up a Top-10 coach's press conference meltdowns today but the internet in my building has been having tons of problems. It's been down for most of the day, and I've resorted to being in a campus CPU lab to get on the internet (which is where I am posting this from). And sadly, some people in here are actually working so I do not want to play the videos (I have to check to make sure I'm not putting up some guy doing a cheap imitation).

Eagles' Free Agency This Off-Season Has Gotten Instantly Boring

Well, this was certainly a rather anticlimatic way for the Eagles' hopes this free agency to fade away.

To recap everything that has happened in the past few days:

Panthers have tagged Julius Peppers and re-signed Jordan Gross, both of whom were considered Eagles prospects.

Antonio Bryant has been tagged; he had an outside shot of being an Eagle.

Joselio Hanson has signed a 5-year deal. That will mean bye-bye Lito. If only we would have traded him this time last year, he might have been worth something other than a 6th round draft pick.

The Eagles plan on resigning Tra Thomas and Brian Dawkins.

The only drama left this off-season is will the Eagles get a wide receiver, even after Tom Heckert has said that they will not pursue one. The good news is that Anquan Boldin has publically stated that if he does not get a new contract by this Tuesday that he wants out of Arizona.

Unless the Eagles do sign one of these receivers, it looks like any and all big moves the Eagles will make will come in this year's draft. They have the salary cap room to make a big move, the question is, will they take advantage of it?

Eagles Off-Season Update Du Jour

There were some whispers going around that the Eagles would be interested in acquiring Jordan Gross and/or Julius Peppers from the Carolina Steroid-Users Panthers. Well that won't be the case. Why, you ask? Because the Carolina Panthers have franchised Julius Peppers and signed Jordan Gross to six-year contract.

And while they were both long-shots to be Eagles to begin with, there's a part of me that would really like to have seen Julius Peppers on the other side of Trent Cole. Oh well, defensive-end is not the Eagles primary concern (eh-em, TRADE FOR ANQUAN BOLDIN! or SIGN T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH and DRAFT BEANIE WELLS!) Aspeaking of the draft, an interesting report came out about the Eagles in today's Philly Inquirer. Now while this could all be a misleading smoke screen and even though the Eagles have 2 1st round drat picks, the Eagles are thinking of potentially thinking to move up in the draft. From the Philadelphia Inquirer Blog Zone

Tucked away in this seemingly innocent story about Donovan McNabb was a very compelling bit of draft news that has yet to become mainstream information. The Eagles may have their eye on an offensive lineman way up the draft board. Jason Smith (6-foot-5, 300 pounds) out of Baylor is considered one of the top offensive linemen in the draft, and there is a strong possibility he'll be selected in the top 10. But apparently that's not stopping the Eagles from taking a look at the converted tight end. A solid pass blocker with experience at both left and right tackle, at least one analyst believes the Eagles could try to use their two [first-round picks] to land the prospect. "He can be a good pass blocker on Day 1," said the NFL Network's Mike Mayock. "I think it's the kind of draft that even in the early 20s and the late 20s, you can get some pretty good football players there depending on what you're looking for. Or, typical of Andy [Reid] and Joe Banner, you can package them and move up if there was somebody there that he really liked. And you know Andy, he'll move up or move down. He rarely stays static." . . . Of course the draft is also about misdirection, so it's possible the Eagles have leaked this because there is in fact another top lineman they hope will fall far enough where they can move up and get him.

I know I've been adament about the Eagles' need for Beanie Wells (DRAFT BEANIE WELLS!), but if the Eagles move up to the Top 10 and pick an offensive linemen, assuming they don't go with one that's a reach (something Andy Reid is famous for), I guess I really can't complain that much. And besides, there is a chance that should the Eagles give up their 21st spot to take an offensive lineman, I would not rule out the possibility that Beanie Wells falls to #28. Running backs are not a big market this draft. But then again, at what point does a team that does not need a running back say to themselves that Wells is just too good to pass up? I'd guess that he won't not make it past New England at #23. That's just my speculation, though, take it for what it's worth.

Panthers franchise Peppers, sign Gross (Comcast.net)

Eagles Won't Be Tagging Anyone

My apologies if it seems I have been doing this blog half-assed over the past week or so. I have been very busy with some of my classes (in partiuclar one), and now that what I needed to get done with is, well, done with, I am feeling exhausted. Give me a day or so, and hopefully I'll be back in the complete swing of things.

Anyway, on to the news piece, apparently the Eagles will not be franchise tagging anyone. Which to me is a surprise, considering they have quite a few free agents, most notably Brian Dawkins.

The Eagles will not put the franchise tag on any of their free agents, a team source said yesterday.
NFL teams have until tomorrow to designate a franchise or transition player in advance of the start of free agency Feb. 27.

In 2008, the Eagles designated tight end L.J. Smith as a franchise player. Under the terms of the collective-bargaining agreement, Smith received the average salary of the top five players at his position. But Smith had a disappointing season and the Eagles probably won't offer him a contract.

The source also did not deny the Eagles plan to meet with Donovan McNabb's agent, Fletcher Smith, to discuss a contract extension, and seemed confident a deal will be completed with the 32-year-old quarterback. McNabb has two years remaining on his current deal. Smith could not be reached for comment.

Seeing as the Eagles do have a lot of free agents, it is somewhat surprising that they would not tag anyone. The other free agents this year are L.J. Smith (he's a definite goner), Correll Buckhalter (he may or may not stay, if the Eagles are intent on going after Beanie Wells, then I doubt we will see him again in Philly), Tra Thomas, and Jon Runyan, who have been offensive line staples for as long as I can remember. It is surprising that neither of them have been tagged by the Eagles, who do have lots of salary cap room to make a big move this off-season and get a major draft pick.

Remember Eagles: TRADE FOR ANQUAN BOLDIN! or SIGN T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH! But most important of all, DRAFT BEANIE WELLS!

Eagles won't put a franchise tag on free agents (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Tom Heckert Is Quite Oblivious To One Of The Eagles Big Needs (However, When It Comes To Running Backs, They Might Listen To Me.!)

I am honestly hoping against hope that this is just a smokescreen. I really am. But alas, I am not convinced. Here is the latest chapter in the on-going saga of the Eagles and will they or won't they trade for Anquan Boldin or sign T.J. Houshmandzadeh. From a Fox 29 interview with Tom Heckert

It's an easy out for everyone to say we need a wide receiver but we did get one - DeSean Jackson," Heckert said. Jackson was a second-round pick last season.

Heckert believes Jackson is a prime threat at wide receiver and receivers won't be an issue for the team during the free agent season.

One problem with Heckert's thinking....you need 2 starting wide receivers! Kevin Curtis works best in the slot, Jason Avant is not ready yet, Reggie Brown had his shot and dropped it numerous times, literally. Baskett is not star-caliber, and Greg Lewis has been practically non-existent for 2-years now. Besides, we've all seen what kind of a knucklehead Jackson can be at times (see MNF Week 2 @ Dallas....do I really need to put up the video?)

But on the plus side of things, the Eagles might actually be listening to me! Here's a report from Pro Football Weekly that I came across on Eagles Gab.

The Eagles almost certainly are going to get help for RB Brian Westbrook, we hear. With a banged-up offensive line, no true fullback and no real inside runner to complement him, Westbrook took a beating this past season, and the Eagles know they can’t afford to expose him like that again. One route could be to use one of the team’s first-round draft picks in this area. It’s a good year for backs, and there’s a chance that a good one could slide in Round One because of the lack of teams needing backs that early.

Come on Eagles, you know what you have to do this offseason. It's quite simple.

1. TRADE FOR ANQUAN BOLDIN! or SIGN T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH!
And
2. DRAFT BEANIE WELLS!

That would constitute an epic off-seaon of win if they do that. Sadly, the odds of Andy Reid and the Eagles listening to the fans (in particular, me) are about the same as Andy Reid passing up a Philly cheesesteak. None.