*** T.O. suspension *** (3 Viewers)

[beefcake]

So noone wants to play for the eagles.Just young, hungry players who want a chance on the field, to prove themselves and get a big salary in Washington DC.If they outperform for a base salary, is that bad for PHI ?

 

[stevetrash]

First, I think this is a brilliant job by Reid to keep the spotlight off the terrible year they're having

They were above .500 and in second place in their division with Owens. They're winless without him and in last place in their division. Suspending Owens caused the terrible year they're having.

and someone could argue that keeping Owens caused them to have the season the terrible year they're having.without Owens: competitive vs. the Cowboys.

with Owens: blown out and thoroughly embarrassed vs. the Cowboys.

Please make that argument.

since you asked for it... if they had cut him when he first acted up in preseason, they wouldn't have had all these distractions, and the players and coaches could have focused on football rather than the TO circus. they could be in first place right now. on a more serious note though, do you really think the eagles were playing well with TO on the field? they were one San Diego mistake away from being under .500 and in last place in the division.

 

[GridironMenace]

There is really no reason to keep TO other than to piss him off. Philly isn't going to make the playoffs so who cares if he goes to a contender this year? He can go to any team he wants next year, so why not pocket the cash and just release him? I don't get the reason they would rather just deactivate him.

 

[MagicMan]

Will this finally put a stop to all the TO threads? Hes done. Nothing more to talk about this year.

Hopefully this will be the last thread on him.

 

[wilked]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division. That seems to be a bigger detractor...

 

[packersfan]

agents certainly won't want to guide their players to the Eagles.

The only agent who could possibly use this against the Eagles is Rosenhaus. Other agents will almost certainly look to capitalize on the situation and guide their players to the Eagles by selling them as strong team players and guys "who aren't like TO." That will serve to undercut Rosenhaus which you can rest assured is one of the top agendas for all NFL agents right now. More importantly, agents will guide their players to where the money is. If the Eagles demonstrate a willigness to pay then agends will guide their players to them. No agent is going to give a rat's ### what happened to TO if it means getting a nice chunk of salary from their player's new contract with the Eagles.

I don't think any of them have any altruistic interest in what happens to Owens or any other specific player. The players are little more than products in inventory for the agents. But I do think that the Eagles' continued stance does make it more difficult for agents to deal with them, and I think that this is the hardest stance they've taken yet. Imagine if you were a real estate agent selling a house, and you had two potential buyers. One of them has generally been willing to buy houses for fair market value, and sometimes seems to overpay. The other one plays a hard line, always tries to underbid, and if you find anything during the home inspection, they take a hard line on it and tell you to find another house if you want it fixed. All of that is within this buyer's rights, mind you, but as a seller, you'd be more likely to guide your client towards the soft case whenever possible.

The Eagles have been one of the league's top teams for the past several years doing business their way. Sure it's caused some waves when guys like Trotter, Douglas or Vincent were let go but every team lets go of players who were starters or highly regarded at one time. That's life in the cap age so the Eagles are hardly alone in that regard. But despite all that they have continued to be -- until this season -- one of the league's elite teams. So nothing they have done has posed a problem in their attempt to be successful. I see no reason to expect that to change now. And if for some reason there is some type of player revolt on the Eagles then they will simply use the draft to bolster their talent base. And in my opinion that's a smarter option anyway then hoping to hit it big through free agency every year.

In any event, I stand by my point that if the Eagles continue to be a winning team they'll have no trouble attracting top talent if they so desire. And again, any player who doesn't want to go to a winning situation isn't a player you want anyway because ultimately he's not a guy who's going to help you win.

 

[Bevo]

There is really no reason to keep TO other than to piss him off. Philly isn't going to make the playoffs so who cares if he goes to a contender this year? He can go to any team he wants next year, so why not pocket the cash and just release him? I don't get the reason they would rather just deactivate him.

Any idea on how this might effect their salary cap? Just asking, I don't really know at this point, but it might be a factor.And if I was them I would do it just to piss him off for all the trouble that he has caused them, if I was the Eagles I would relish the opportunity to do so. Just desserts for T.O.

 

[Vic Vega]

There is really no reason to keep TO other than to piss him off. Philly isn't going to make the playoffs so who cares if he goes to a contender this year? He can go to any team he wants next year, so why not pocket the cash and just release him? I don't get the reason they would rather just deactivate him.

They can't trade him because it's too late for that. I believe if they cut him now they take a bigger hit financially then they would later - as long as they cut him before his big bonus in March.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I believe other FAs will view the hard stance as a negative thing, and hurt the Eagles chances in landing future FAs.

Why? It's what the other Eagles' players all wanted. This isn't an example of the Eagles' oppressing their players. It's an example of them supporting their players. My understanding is that the Eagles players' had a meeting a while ago an decided that they'd had enough of TO.

 

[TankRizzo]

The Eagles typically don't go after big name free agents all that often anyhow. Kearse and TO are the exception, not the norm to their front office moves....and with the TO situation panning out the way it has, I don't look for them to splurge in free agency any time soon either.

 

[BigJim®]

- The Coach has the ability to forbid Owens from entering facility or attending practice for the rest of the year if he wants.

I guess the arbitrator was not aware that in addition to getting paid to sit on his sofa watching soap operas, it is the god given right of this poor victim to disrupt the team thru access to the team facilities.Sorry, I wish I could get back the hours I spent arguing with people who were reading ridiculous "player rights" into the CBA. Instead, I think I'll just do a series of sarcastic posts.

 

[JohnnyU]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division. That seems to be a bigger detractor...

Yep, and that's where the Eagles are headed.

 

[JohnnyU]

I believe other FAs will view the hard stance as a negative thing, and hurt the Eagles chances in landing future FAs.

Why? It's what the other Eagles' players all wanted. This isn't an example of the Eagles' oppressing their players. It's an example of them supporting their players. My understanding is that the Eagles players' had a meeting a while ago an decided that they'd had enough of TO.

I believe several also went public saying they would accept TO back

 

[packersfan]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division. That seems to be a bigger detractor...

Yep, and that's where the Eagles are headed.

This season. The fact they were one of the top teams in the NFC without TO strongly suggests they'll recover from this and be much better next season. It would be extremely foolish, in my opinon, to write off the Eagles.

 

[BigJim®]

No. What they are doing will impact exactly zero players since no one is as stupid as Owens.

 

[jonessed]

Will this finally put a stop to all the TO threads? Hes done. Nothing more to talk about this year.

Hopefully this will be the last thread on him.

We can only hope. I imagine we might get another one of these every time the Eagles lose a game though. Somehow losing TO turned their defense into mush and forced McNabb into surgery. TO is also a Mystic you know

 

[JohnnyU]

And again, any player who doesn't want to go to a winning situation isn't a player you want anyway because ultimately he's not a guy who's going to help you win.

I wouldn't call the current Eagles a winning situation.

 

[packersfan]

And again, any player who doesn't want to go to a winning situation isn't a player you want anyway because ultimately he's not a guy who's going to help you win.

I wouldn't call the current Eagles a winning situation.

I never said they were a winning situation this season. What I did say was I would expect them to regain their status as a winning team next season. Their success -- and few teams were better -- without TO strongly suggests this season will prove to be a fluke and not an indication of where this team is headed long-term.

 

[JohnnyU]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division.  That seems to be a bigger detractor...

Yep, and that's where the Eagles are headed.

This season. The fact they were one of the top teams in the NFC without TO strongly suggests they'll recover from this and be much better next season. It would be extremely foolish, in my opinon, to write off the Eagles.

Are the Eagles an old team? Do you think their window of opportunity has passed? I do. How's that WR core? What about the pass defense?

 

[Jason Wood]

I think players will look at how guys like Jeremiah Trotter and Hugh Douglass came back for veteran minimums to the team even though they weren't retained previously as an indication of the quality situation.

Those guys were playing at the top of their game, ready to make a big contract, and the Eagles let them walk instead. They had to go somewhere else to get paid, ended up getting cut, and when they came back, they were offered the veteran minimum. The fact that they took it is not really the advertisement for the Eagles you seem to think it is. From a player's perspective, this franchise hasn't been treating its stars well financially for a long time. Owens is another example of this.

That said, I'm not sure how much damage this will do to their recruiting abilities, for the reasons you said. The Eagles have been able to get away with this, and could still sign good players. The Patriots have a similar reputation, and continue to get good players too. The problem is, the Eagles have to keep winning for it to work, and this season isn't looking good for that.

Players won't want to play there if they continue to lose, and agents certainly won't want to guide their players to the Eagles. It's not something that will cripple their free agent signing ability, but it certainly doesn't help.

Fair enough bfred...but you can't argue with the Eagles decisions. In both cases, neither Trotter nor Douglas proved ANYWHERE close to worth the deals they got from Washington and Jacksonville, respectively. Neither did Shawn Barber, Carlos Emmon, Troy Vincent or Bobby Taylor for that matter. The team's record for knowing when to let loose players has been fantastic, there's no arguing that.As to the idea that a down year will hurt recruiting...

Muhsin Muhammad to Chicago

Chike Okeafor to Arizona
Ken Lucas to Carolina
Jason Ferguson, Anthony Henry & Marco Rivera to Dallas
Rick DeMulling, Marcus Pollard & Kenoy Kennedy to Detroit
Dwight Smith & Jermane Mayberry to New Orleans
Antonio Pierce, Jay Feely, Kareem McKenzie & Plaxico Burress to New York
Jonas Jennings to San Francisco
Casey Rabach & David Patten to Washington
Gary Baxter & Joe Andruzzi to Cleveland
Reggie Hayward to Jacksonville
Kendrell Bell & Sammy Knight to Kansas City
Gus Frerotte & Stockar McDougle to Miami
Lamont Jordan to Oakland
Kyle Vanden Bosch to TennesseeGuys go to where they're wanted and where there's $$$$, plain and simple.

 

[packersfan]

Are the Eagles an old team? Do you think their window of opportunity has passed? I do. How's that WR core? What about the pass defense?

They still have one of the game's top QBs who is still in the prime of his career. I happen to like Reggie Brown and I think he's going to develop into a quality player. And I think that the combination of Brown and Lewis is much better than the Thrash-Pinkston duo that McNabb had to work with but still got to the NFC title game with. So the receiving corps, even without TO, will be better in my opinion than it was pre-TO. Plus Westbrook and Smith are still there. Johnson remains one of the game's premier defensive coordinators so if the Eagles draft well and add more talent that unit will continue to be effective. This team is a few months removed from the Super Bowl and now you want to write them off just because they're going to lose TO? That's your right, but I'm not going to do that. I think Andy Reid is one of the game's best coaches and this is a model organization. I see no reason to anticipate them going into a freefall.

 

[JohnnyU]

Guys go to where they're wanted and where there's $$$$, plain and simple.

Problem is, for the most part, the Eagles have a rep for not paying $$$ to FA (yes, they signed Kearse and TO, but they usually don't shell out the doe). Add all the negative TO / Eagles press, and Drew R slamming the Eagles to every FA he talks to, that can't be good for the Eagles.

 

[LTsharks]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division.  That seems to be a bigger detractor...

Yep, and that's where the Eagles are headed.

This season. The fact they were one of the top teams in the NFC without TO strongly suggests they'll recover from this and be much better next season. It would be extremely foolish, in my opinon, to write off the Eagles.

Are the Eagles an old team? Do you think their window of opportunity has passed? I do. How's that WR core? What about the pass defense?

give me a break, sometimes the fishing trips on this board are just hard to believe. either that or you really know nothing about football and the nfl. i'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you were fishing, so i'll say "nice try".

 

[LHUCKS]

 

[packersfan]

Guys go to where they're wanted and where there's $$$$, plain and simple.

Problem is, for the most part, the Eagles have a rep for not paying $$$ to FA (yes, they signed Kearse and TO, but they usually don't shell out the doe). Add all the negative TO / Eagles press, and Drew R slamming the Eagles to every FA he talks to, that can't be good for the Eagles.

Most of the press I've seen has been anti-TO so I'm not sure how that's working against the Eagles. And as far as Rosenhaus, he has plenty of negative press of his own that he has to worry about. It'll be very interesting to see what type of consequences this has on his ability to keep and recruit players. We've seen other agents (the Postons come to mind) who were the king of the hill at one time but lost a lot of their power because they also tried to strongarm teams and failed miserably.

 

[Jason Wood]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division.  That seems to be a bigger detractor...

Yep, and that's where the Eagles are headed.

This season. The fact they were one of the top teams in the NFC without TO strongly suggests they'll recover from this and be much better next season. It would be extremely foolish, in my opinon, to write off the Eagles.

Are the Eagles an old team? Do you think their window of opportunity has passed? I do. How's that WR core? What about the pass defense?

CB Sheldon Brown...26 years old, signed through 2012

CB Lito Sheppard...24 years old, signed through 2011

CB Rod Hood...24 years old, signed through 2005 (RFA)

CB Matt Ware...23 years old, signed through 2007

SS Michael Lewis...25 years old, signed through 2006

S Sean Considine...24 years old, signed through 2008

FS Brian Dawkins...32 years old, signed through 2006

FS Quintin Mikell...25 years old, signed through 2005 (RFA)

So we've got 3 Pro Bowlers...only one is older than 26 and young depth at all positions. You can make plenty of legitimate arguments against the Eagles but the age and status of their pass defense isn't one of them.

 

[JohnnyU]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division.  That seems to be a bigger detractor...

Yep, and that's where the Eagles are headed.

This season. The fact they were one of the top teams in the NFC without TO strongly suggests they'll recover from this and be much better next season. It would be extremely foolish, in my opinon, to write off the Eagles.

Are the Eagles an old team? Do you think their window of opportunity has passed? I do. How's that WR core? What about the pass defense?

give me a break, sometimes the fishing trips on this board are just hard to believe. either that or you really know nothing about football and the nfl. i'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you were fishing, so i'll say "nice try".

No, they aren't old, but maybe the window is closing.

 

[LTsharks]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division.  That seems to be a bigger detractor...

Yep, and that's where the Eagles are headed.

This season. The fact they were one of the top teams in the NFC without TO strongly suggests they'll recover from this and be much better next season. It would be extremely foolish, in my opinon, to write off the Eagles.

Are the Eagles an old team? Do you think their window of opportunity has passed? I do. How's that WR core? What about the pass defense?

CB Sheldon Brown...26 years old, signed through 2012

CB Lito Sheppard...24 years old, signed through 2011

CB Rod Hood...24 years old, signed through 2005 (RFA)

CB Matt Ware...23 years old, signed through 2007

SS Michael Lewis...25 years old, signed through 2006

S Sean Considine...24 years old, signed through 2008

FS Brian Dawkins...32 years old, signed through 2006

FS Quintin Mikell...25 years old, signed through 2005 (RFA)

So we've got 3 Pro Bowlers...only one is older than 26 and young depth at all positions. You can make plenty of legitimate arguments against the Eagles but the age and status of their pass defense isn't one of them.

this is what i was going to type but i was too lazy to do the leg work, thanks. and not to mention that their 2 best offensive players are signed long term as well.

 

[JohnnyU]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division.  That seems to be a bigger detractor...

Yep, and that's where the Eagles are headed.

This season. The fact they were one of the top teams in the NFC without TO strongly suggests they'll recover from this and be much better next season. It would be extremely foolish, in my opinon, to write off the Eagles.

Are the Eagles an old team? Do you think their window of opportunity has passed? I do. How's that WR core? What about the pass defense?

CB Sheldon Brown...26 years old, signed through 2012

CB Lito Sheppard...24 years old, signed through 2011

CB Rod Hood...24 years old, signed through 2005 (RFA)

CB Matt Ware...23 years old, signed through 2007

SS Michael Lewis...25 years old, signed through 2006

S Sean Considine...24 years old, signed through 2008

FS Brian Dawkins...32 years old, signed through 2006

FS Quintin Mikell...25 years old, signed through 2005 (RFA)

So we've got 3 Pro Bowlers...only one is older than 26 and young depth at all positions. You can make plenty of legitimate arguments against the Eagles but the age and status of their pass defense isn't one of them.

I agree with the Eagles not being old overall, but you like their pass defense?

 

[bumpman]

As a keeper owner of TO, I am kind of glad TO's grievance was denied. Hopefully, this will be sufficient incentive for him to keep his pie-hole shut when he is with a new team next year. :crossed-fingers

 

[LHUCKS]

If money is equal for an available FA, I would guess that it will hurt the Eagles in FA.

 

[Jason Wood]

If money is equal for an available FA, I would guess that it will hurt the Eagles in FA.

Money is never equal...Jevon Kearse didn't come to Philly for a discount. Ed Hartwell didn't go to Atlanta for a discount. Ike Reese didn't leave Philly for ATL for a discount. Muhsin Muhammad didn't pass up another team for Chicago because it's where he really wanted to play. C'mon LHUCKS...you're better than that.The only FA in the last few years I think we KNOW took less money in UFA was Derrick Mason who, GASP, chose Baltimore over New England of all places.

 

[JohnnyU]

Are the Eagles an old team?  Do you think their window of opportunity has passed?  I do.  How's that WR core?  What about the pass defense?

They still have one of the game's top QBs who is still in the prime of his career. I happen to like Reggie Brown and I think he's going to develop into a quality player. And I think that the combination of Brown and Lewis is much better than the Thrash-Pinkston duo that McNabb had to work with but still got to the NFC title game with. So the receiving corps, even without TO, will be better in my opinion than it was pre-TO. Plus Westbrook and Smith are still there. Johnson remains one of the game's premier defensive coordinators so if the Eagles draft well and add more talent that unit will continue to be effective. This team is a few months removed from the Super Bowl and now you want to write them off just because they're going to lose TO? That's your right, but I'm not going to do that. I think Andy Reid is one of the game's best coaches and this is a model organization. I see no reason to anticipate them going into a freefall.

I look for coach Johnson to be snatched up by another team soon.

 

[Dr. J]

We'll have to see if McNabb likes not making the playoffs anymore.

Because it took signing TO for McNabb to make the playoffs...

 

[Bushead]

I am not sure free agents want to play for teams in the cellar of the division.  That seems to be a bigger detractor...

Yep, and that's where the Eagles are headed.

This season. The fact they were one of the top teams in the NFC without TO strongly suggests they'll recover from this and be much better next season. It would be extremely foolish, in my opinon, to write off the Eagles.

Are the Eagles an old team? Do you think their window of opportunity has passed? I do. How's that WR core? What about the pass defense?

CB Sheldon Brown...26 years old, signed through 2012

CB Lito Sheppard...24 years old, signed through 2011

CB Rod Hood...24 years old, signed through 2005 (RFA)

CB Matt Ware...23 years old, signed through 2007

SS Michael Lewis...25 years old, signed through 2006

S Sean Considine...24 years old, signed through 2008

FS Brian Dawkins...32 years old, signed through 2006

FS Quintin Mikell...25 years old, signed through 2005 (RFA)

So we've got 3 Pro Bowlers...only one is older than 26 and young depth at all positions. You can make plenty of legitimate arguments against the Eagles but the age and status of their pass defense isn't one of them.

I agree with the Eagles not being old overall, but you like their pass defense?

They have let up some big plays this year and have obviously not played to expectations, but it is the same unit that sent 3 of the 4 players on their pass defense to the pro-bowl last year. Yes, I like the pass D.

 

[Jason Wood]

Are the Eagles an old team?  Do you think their window of opportunity has passed?  I do.  How's that WR core?  What about the pass defense?

They still have one of the game's top QBs who is still in the prime of his career. I happen to like Reggie Brown and I think he's going to develop into a quality player. And I think that the combination of Brown and Lewis is much better than the Thrash-Pinkston duo that McNabb had to work with but still got to the NFC title game with. So the receiving corps, even without TO, will be better in my opinion than it was pre-TO. Plus Westbrook and Smith are still there. Johnson remains one of the game's premier defensive coordinators so if the Eagles draft well and add more talent that unit will continue to be effective. This team is a few months removed from the Super Bowl and now you want to write them off just because they're going to lose TO? That's your right, but I'm not going to do that. I think Andy Reid is one of the game's best coaches and this is a model organization. I see no reason to anticipate them going into a freefall.

I look for coach Johnson to be snatched up by another team soon.

JU, You are on a ROLL today.

If the Eagles are going to lose one of their coordinators, it's not going to be Jim Johnson. His age and lack of head coaching experience are major gating factors. Add to that the fact he's paid more than several NFL head coaches currently and he's not going anywhere.

We ARE in danger of losing Brad Childress though. In fact, I would be somewhat surprised if he doesn't land an NFL head coaching gig after this season.

 

[Bushead]

Are the Eagles an old team?  Do you think their window of opportunity has passed?  I do.  How's that WR core?  What about the pass defense?

They still have one of the game's top QBs who is still in the prime of his career. I happen to like Reggie Brown and I think he's going to develop into a quality player. And I think that the combination of Brown and Lewis is much better than the Thrash-Pinkston duo that McNabb had to work with but still got to the NFC title game with. So the receiving corps, even without TO, will be better in my opinion than it was pre-TO. Plus Westbrook and Smith are still there. Johnson remains one of the game's premier defensive coordinators so if the Eagles draft well and add more talent that unit will continue to be effective. This team is a few months removed from the Super Bowl and now you want to write them off just because they're going to lose TO? That's your right, but I'm not going to do that. I think Andy Reid is one of the game's best coaches and this is a model organization. I see no reason to anticipate them going into a freefall.

I look for coach Johnson to be snatched up by another team soon.

Unless it is for a head coaching job, why would he want to leave? He is not likely going to get offered a head coaching job because of his age. Childress is more likely to get an offer than Johnson.Edit: JW you are too quick for me

 

[GregR_2]

There is really no reason to keep TO other than to piss him off. Philly isn't going to make the playoffs so who cares if he goes to a contender this year? He can go to any team he wants next year, so why not pocket the cash and just release him? I don't get the reason they would rather just deactivate him.

They would rather deactivate him because:a) They don't want him going to play for an opponent. Though at this point 99% of the sporting world realizes this isn't an issue as they are close to out of the playoff race.

b) Probably some combination of being vindictive and sending a message about how the Eagles do business.

 

[dwashington]

Anyone know the specifics of the process???

 

[vinwinephans]

First, I think this is a brilliant job by Reid to keep the spotlight off the terrible year they're having

They were above .500 and in second place in their division with Owens. They're winless without him and in last place in their division. Suspending Owens caused the terrible year they're having.

and someone could argue that keeping Owens caused them to have the season the terrible year they're having.without Owens: competitive vs. the Cowboys.

with Owens: blown out and thoroughly embarrassed vs. the Cowboys.

Please make that argument.

Anyone who thinks TO is SO important to the Eagles chances at winning is so near sighted and practically blind that they wouldn't see an airplane coming right at them until it was 5 inches from their nose.TO was not there the first three years the Eagles made the NFC Conference Game and one their division.

TO was not there last year for the play-off drive to the Superbowl - he was there for a superbowl in which they lost.

TO is not the reason the Eagles win or lose - he is a weapon that McNabb can use, probably a crutch that he came to rely on too much this year and this season just flat out blows. The only thing that could have saved it was a 100% healthy McNabb and a healthy team overall - both physically and emotionally.

All this TO love is sick - he's a great fantasy player, but he is not a team player or a essential player to any NFL teams Superbowl aspirations.

You show me how he is so important. Show me what TO has won for his teams and maybe, just maybe, you are not a blind as you sound.

 

[Jason Wood]

Well before you scream some conspiracy theory...this arbitor is a Redskins season ticket holder.

 

[JohnnyU]

Are the Eagles an old team?  Do you think their window of opportunity has passed?  I do.  How's that WR core?  What about the pass defense?

They still have one of the game's top QBs who is still in the prime of his career. I happen to like Reggie Brown and I think he's going to develop into a quality player. And I think that the combination of Brown and Lewis is much better than the Thrash-Pinkston duo that McNabb had to work with but still got to the NFC title game with. So the receiving corps, even without TO, will be better in my opinion than it was pre-TO. Plus Westbrook and Smith are still there. Johnson remains one of the game's premier defensive coordinators so if the Eagles draft well and add more talent that unit will continue to be effective. This team is a few months removed from the Super Bowl and now you want to write them off just because they're going to lose TO? That's your right, but I'm not going to do that. I think Andy Reid is one of the game's best coaches and this is a model organization. I see no reason to anticipate them going into a freefall.

I look for coach Johnson to be snatched up by another team soon.

JU, You are on a ROLL today.

If the Eagles are going to lose one of their coordinators, it's not going to be Jim Johnson. His age and lack of head coaching experience are major gating factors. Add to that the fact he's paid more than several NFL head coaches currently and he's not going anywhere.

We ARE in danger of losing Brad Childress though. In fact, I would be somewhat surprised if he doesn't land an NFL head coaching gig after this season.

Yeah, I'm in a contrary mood today JW. I've always thought teams should go after Johnson, and they still might. Does he have the desire to be a head coach? Or is he married to the Eagles?

 

[Jason Wood]

Are the Eagles an old team?  Do you think their window of opportunity has passed?  I do.  How's that WR core?  What about the pass defense?

They still have one of the game's top QBs who is still in the prime of his career. I happen to like Reggie Brown and I think he's going to develop into a quality player. And I think that the combination of Brown and Lewis is much better than the Thrash-Pinkston duo that McNabb had to work with but still got to the NFC title game with. So the receiving corps, even without TO, will be better in my opinion than it was pre-TO. Plus Westbrook and Smith are still there. Johnson remains one of the game's premier defensive coordinators so if the Eagles draft well and add more talent that unit will continue to be effective. This team is a few months removed from the Super Bowl and now you want to write them off just because they're going to lose TO? That's your right, but I'm not going to do that. I think Andy Reid is one of the game's best coaches and this is a model organization. I see no reason to anticipate them going into a freefall.

I look for coach Johnson to be snatched up by another team soon.

JU, You are on a ROLL today.

If the Eagles are going to lose one of their coordinators, it's not going to be Jim Johnson. His age and lack of head coaching experience are major gating factors. Add to that the fact he's paid more than several NFL head coaches currently and he's not going anywhere.

We ARE in danger of losing Brad Childress though. In fact, I would be somewhat surprised if he doesn't land an NFL head coaching gig after this season.

Yeah, I'm in a contrary mood today JW. I've always thought teams should go after Johnson, and they still might. Does he have the desire to be a head coach? Or is he married to the Eagles?

He interviewed for the Arizona job and then declined interviews for several other gigs after the Eagles made him the highest paid NFL assistant. I'm sure he would entertain a head coaching offer if he was bowled over, but he doesn't fit the profile of guys NFL owners covet. He's analogous to Monte Kiffin in Tampa Bay or Tom Moore in Indy; both masters of their craft but agism keeps them from even being mentioned for most gigs.

 

[chocolate bomber]

We'll have to see if McNabb likes not making the playoffs anymore.

Right, because they've never made it to the playoffs without Owens?

 

[Dr. J]

Are the Eagles an old team?  Do you think their window of opportunity has passed?  I do.  How's that WR core?  What about the pass defense?

They still have one of the game's top QBs who is still in the prime of his career. I happen to like Reggie Brown and I think he's going to develop into a quality player. And I think that the combination of Brown and Lewis is much better than the Thrash-Pinkston duo that McNabb had to work with but still got to the NFC title game with. So the receiving corps, even without TO, will be better in my opinion than it was pre-TO. Plus Westbrook and Smith are still there. Johnson remains one of the game's premier defensive coordinators so if the Eagles draft well and add more talent that unit will continue to be effective. This team is a few months removed from the Super Bowl and now you want to write them off just because they're going to lose TO? That's your right, but I'm not going to do that. I think Andy Reid is one of the game's best coaches and this is a model organization. I see no reason to anticipate them going into a freefall.

I look for coach Johnson to be snatched up by another team soon.

JU, You are on a ROLL today.

If the Eagles are going to lose one of their coordinators, it's not going to be Jim Johnson. His age and lack of head coaching experience are major gating factors. Add to that the fact he's paid more than several NFL head coaches currently and he's not going anywhere.

We ARE in danger of losing Brad Childress though. In fact, I would be somewhat surprised if he doesn't land an NFL head coaching gig after this season.

Do you think Marty M. is partially to blame for the Eagles' poorly designed playcalling? I know he's in AR's ear most of the time and I've scratched my head all season over some of the decsions made this year.

 

[dwashington]

Conspiracy theory? No..you have me confused with one of those crazy T.O. zealots who are so desperate to have him produce on their fantasy team this season, that they don't give a d'mn about the monumental statement that is being made by the Eagles and arbitrator concerning unselfish teamwork.Just because I have T.O. on my team doesn't mean I'm ignoring the big picture of what is going on. This is some of that Curt Flood type stuff..if you know what I mean, in terms of setting a precedent on how this league is going to be run.On the flip side, TO is such a dominant force on the field, IF the Eagles did cut him and make him available for the waiver procedure, I'd be in line like all the other greedy owners who don't give a d'mn about integrity and discipline, they just want the points.So seriously...how does one get to become an arbitrator? And how do they select from the pool per individual case?

 

[LHUCKS]

If money is equal for an available FA, I would guess that it will hurt the Eagles in FA.

Money is never equal...Jevon Kearse didn't come to Philly for a discount. Ed Hartwell didn't go to Atlanta for a discount. Ike Reese didn't leave Philly for ATL for a discount. Muhsin Muhammad didn't pass up another team for Chicago because it's where he really wanted to play. C'mon LHUCKS...you're better than that.The only FA in the last few years I think we KNOW took less money in UFA was Derrick Mason who, GASP, chose Baltimore over New England of all places.

I know this...I was just stating the scenario where I thought it would matter. In my original post I almost put in the qualifier "money is rarely equal" so I think we're on the same page.

 

[gman8343]

First, I think this is a brilliant job by Reid to keep the spotlight off the terrible year they're having

They were above .500 and in second place in their division with Owens. They're winless without him and in last place in their division. Suspending Owens caused the terrible year they're having.

and someone could argue that keeping Owens caused them to have the season the terrible year they're having.without Owens: competitive vs. the Cowboys.

with Owens: blown out and thoroughly embarrassed vs. the Cowboys.

Please make that argument.

Anyone who thinks TO is SO important to the Eagles chances at winning is so near sighted and practically blind that they wouldn't see an airplane coming right at them until it was 5 inches from their nose.TO was not there the first three years the Eagles made the NFC Conference Game and one their division.

TO was not there last year for the play-off drive to the Superbowl - he was there for a superbowl in which they lost.

TO is not the reason the Eagles win or lose - he is a weapon that McNabb can use, probably a crutch that he came to rely on too much this year and this season just flat out blows. The only thing that could have saved it was a 100% healthy McNabb and a healthy team overall - both physically and emotionally.

All this TO love is sick - he's a great fantasy player, but he is not a team player or a essential player to any NFL teams Superbowl aspirations.

You show me how he is so important. Show me what TO has won for his teams and maybe, just maybe, you are not a blind as you sound.

while I agree with much of your assessment, TO is a gamebreaker, and there's only a handful of these guys who can truly dominate a game. On the field, he's one of the best WRs I've ever seen, and one of the best offensive threats in the game. Off the field, he's a POS, on that I think most people will agree on.To say that TO isn't important to a team is like saying LT, Chad Johnson, and Priest Holmes aren't important. They are. Do the Eagles miss his talent on the field? Absolutely. Does TO give them a better chance to win? Absolutely. The team wants to move on, but in the short term they take a significant hit. In the long run, they may win out. As far as this season goes, their defense is one of the main reasons they were losing games, so TO or no TO I doubt they would have made much noise in the postseason.

 

[Jason Wood]

Are the Eagles an old team?  Do you think their window of opportunity has passed?  I do.  How's that WR core?  What about the pass defense?

They still have one of the game's top QBs who is still in the prime of his career. I happen to like Reggie Brown and I think he's going to develop into a quality player. And I think that the combination of Brown and Lewis is much better than the Thrash-Pinkston duo that McNabb had to work with but still got to the NFC title game with. So the receiving corps, even without TO, will be better in my opinion than it was pre-TO. Plus Westbrook and Smith are still there. Johnson remains one of the game's premier defensive coordinators so if the Eagles draft well and add more talent that unit will continue to be effective. This team is a few months removed from the Super Bowl and now you want to write them off just because they're going to lose TO? That's your right, but I'm not going to do that. I think Andy Reid is one of the game's best coaches and this is a model organization. I see no reason to anticipate them going into a freefall.

I look for coach Johnson to be snatched up by another team soon.

JU, You are on a ROLL today.

If the Eagles are going to lose one of their coordinators, it's not going to be Jim Johnson. His age and lack of head coaching experience are major gating factors. Add to that the fact he's paid more than several NFL head coaches currently and he's not going anywhere.

We ARE in danger of losing Brad Childress though. In fact, I would be somewhat surprised if he doesn't land an NFL head coaching gig after this season.

Do you think Marty M. is partially to blame for the Eagles' poorly designed playcalling? I know he's in AR's ear most of the time and I've scratched my head all season over some of the decsions made this year.

I loathed the Marty 'wig hiring and equally loathed the Mike McMahon signing. Nothing I've seen this year gives me reason to change my opinion. My biggest fear frankly is that Brad Childress gets a HC job and Reid promotes Marty to the OC position. :X I will be LIVID if that occurs, LIVID.

If money is equal for an available FA, I would guess that it will hurt the Eagles in FA.

Money is never equal...Jevon Kearse didn't come to Philly for a discount. Ed Hartwell didn't go to Atlanta for a discount. Ike Reese didn't leave Philly for ATL for a discount. Muhsin Muhammad didn't pass up another team for Chicago because it's where he really wanted to play. C'mon LHUCKS...you're better than that.The only FA in the last few years I think we KNOW took less money in UFA was Derrick Mason who, GASP, chose Baltimore over New England of all places.

I know this...I was just stating the scenario where I thought it would matter. In my original post I almost put in the qualifier "money is rarely equal" so I think we're on the same page.

 

[Bushead]

Are the Eagles an old team?  Do you think their window of opportunity has passed?  I do.  How's that WR core?  What about the pass defense?

They still have one of the game's top QBs who is still in the prime of his career. I happen to like Reggie Brown and I think he's going to develop into a quality player. And I think that the combination of Brown and Lewis is much better than the Thrash-Pinkston duo that McNabb had to work with but still got to the NFC title game with. So the receiving corps, even without TO, will be better in my opinion than it was pre-TO. Plus Westbrook and Smith are still there. Johnson remains one of the game's premier defensive coordinators so if the Eagles draft well and add more talent that unit will continue to be effective. This team is a few months removed from the Super Bowl and now you want to write them off just because they're going to lose TO? That's your right, but I'm not going to do that. I think Andy Reid is one of the game's best coaches and this is a model organization. I see no reason to anticipate them going into a freefall.

I look for coach Johnson to be snatched up by another team soon.

JU, You are on a ROLL today.

If the Eagles are going to lose one of their coordinators, it's not going to be Jim Johnson. His age and lack of head coaching experience are major gating factors. Add to that the fact he's paid more than several NFL head coaches currently and he's not going anywhere.

We ARE in danger of losing Brad Childress though. In fact, I would be somewhat surprised if he doesn't land an NFL head coaching gig after this season.

Yeah, I'm in a contrary mood today JW. I've always thought teams should go after Johnson, and they still might. Does he have the desire to be a head coach? Or is he married to the Eagles?

Honestly I have never heard much about him desiring a head coaching job. At his age it would seem unlikely that he would want to start over. He is being paid extremely well where he is at and he really has spent years molding the defense (players & scheme) to his liking.