Gibson In, Mathis Update

Posted: March 15th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 102 Comments »

Descartes and Hume will debate whether the Eagles signed or re-signed Mike Gibson on Wednesday.  In the end, it is all semantics.  The former Eagle draft pick is back in the fold.  He’s not here to take the LG job.  Gibson his here to replace Jamaal Jackson as the Eagles top interior backup OL.  Good move.     

Mike Gibson was a late round pick back in 2008.  He looked okay in the preseason.  You could see he had potential, but wasn’t good enough to make the roster.  He had an ankle injury so the team had him undergo surgery on the ankle and put him on IR for the year.  The hope was that he would challenge for a roster spot in 2009.  Gibson got caught in a numbers crunch and was cut.

Gibson then went to Seattle and stayed there from 2009-2011.  He started 8 games in 2010, but was strictly a backup aside from that.  Gibson was small in the old system at just 6’3, 298.  That’s good size in the Howard Mudd system.  He played mostly LT at Cal, but is a backup G/C now.

* * * * *

Evan Mathis is in Baltimore.  They just lost LG Ben Grubbs to the Saints.  Mathis doesn’t seem like a good fit for them, but he is arguably the top OG on the market so I’m sure they are taking a close look.

Grubbs got 7 yrs, $36M.  Mathis isn’t worth anywhere close to that.  My guess is that he’d be more in the $3M to $4M per season range.  If he can get more, god bless him.  Go for it.  Some team might just overpay.

My guess is that Mathis will call the Eagles to let them know what other teams are offering.  At that point the team will decide if he’s worth the money or not.  He wants to be back.  The team wants him back.  Finding fair compensation is tricky.  Mathis somewhat came out of nowhere in 2011.  I think teams want protection that his performance wasn’t a fluke based on playing in Mudd’s system.  I think his play was really impressive on its own, but the lack of a good track record can’t be ignored.

I’m still hopeful the Eagles can work something out, but the longer this goes, the less likely it would seem to be that he’ll return.  I sure hope he does.  Good player.  Fun guy to follow.

* * * * *

So…did you see that Curtis Lofton was an Eagle for 3 to 5 minutes yesterday?  Former college teammate Gerald McCoy got the world all confused on Wednesday.  The Bucs had been working hard to sign Lofton and McCoy was recruiting him in a big way.  McCoy said on Twitter that he had bad news for Bucs Nation.  Lofton was going to be an Eagle.

Say what????

Everyone went scrambling for an answer.  Was this for real?  The Twitter Universe went nuts for several minutes.  Then, sadly, the truth came out.  The Eagles had not even talked to his agent, let alone come close to signing him.

For 5 minutes, we had a stud MLB.

* * * * *

No real update on the LB situation.  David Hawthorne is in New Orleans visiting.  They just signed Grubbs so you wonder how much money they have left to spend.  Colston re-signed and they still have Brees to take care of.  I’d hate to lose Hawthorne to the Saints.

At the same time…I have no idea what the Eagles LB plan is.  All along I’ve thought they would go get a veteran MLB in free agency.  I wonder if Luke Kuechly’s great Combine showing changed that at all.  That was Andy Reid’s first chance to meet Kuechly and see him in action (workouts, not football).  Maybe Big Red liked what he saw.

If we go for a SAM in free agency, Kuechly is our primary draft target.  If we go for a MLB, we’re looking elsewhere at 15.  There are no good rumors right now.

Dave Spadaro did say on Twitter that the Eagles might have a visit coming up in the next couple of days.  Could that be a LB?

* * * * *

The LB market remains quiet.  That is painfully quiet if you are Lofton or Stephen Tulloch or London Fletcher.  Or their agents.  Those guys aren’t getting a sniff right now.  Should change in a few days.

* * * * *

Former Eagle CB Dimitri Patterson got a 3 yr, $16M deal from Cleveland.  Say what???

* * * * *

Alleged target LaRon Landry is visiting the Patriots.  Will they want him as a SS or will Bill Belichick try to convert him to a TE?  Or maybe they’ll use him at NT.  With those arms, who’s gonna block him?  Interesting to see what kind of offer Landry gets.  Big time talent, but weird guy with injury issues.  That’s kind of like being a hitchhiker with pets.  Not good.

* * * * *

Stay tuned for another interesting day.


102 Comments on “Gibson In, Mathis Update”

  1. 1 JRO91 said at 11:56 AM on March 15th, 2012:

    I hope like you said Mathis gives the Eagles at least a chance to match anything the Ravens might offer. It seem she owes this revitalized career to Howard Mudd. Honestly I never ever heard of Evan before this year. I get that he wants paid and this is probably the last contract of his career, but he should at least give the eagles a chance to counter.

  2. 2 Nick said at 12:11 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    McClane is echoing Tommy on Twitter, says Mathis will give Eagles a chance to counter, which is fair to me.

  3. 3 Brett Smith said at 11:58 AM on March 15th, 2012:

    Why did we let Amedola go?

  4. 4 TommyLawlor said at 12:09 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    The Rams signed him off our P Squad. Eagles liked him, but had a glut of WRs in 2009.

  5. 5 Brett Smith said at 1:52 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I remember. Just seemed like we should have found a spot for him.
    Maybe I was getting caught in the media hype that is making him out to be the next WelkAH.

  6. 6 ultramattman said at 2:08 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    The answer to your question is “To keep Hank Baskett, who was cut two weeks later.”

  7. 7 Matthew Verhoog said at 8:33 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    He was behind the 6th round pick Gibson? or something, and Baskett. Boy we had alot of WR that year

  8. 8 Brett Smith said at 11:53 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Crap that was what happend. Oh hind sight is 20/20. Never thought much of Baskett, nice guy… mediocre WR/ST

  9. 9 Sam Lynch said at 12:01 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Between Gocong, Brown and Patterson, ex Eagles get PAID in Cleveland.

  10. 10 TommyLawlor said at 12:10 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Hadn’t thought of that.

    Is that a good thing for the Browns?

  11. 11 hallcr3 said at 12:20 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Judging by the “progress” Cleveland has made since 2010, Heckert got PAID too.

  12. 12 Anders Jensen said at 1:02 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Wasnt they all drafted by Heckert?

  13. 13 TommyLawlor said at 1:48 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Not Patterson

  14. 14 ultramattman said at 2:09 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I saw the headline “Cleveland signs CB Patterson 3 yrs 16 mil” and thought “Dmitri? No, it has to be some other guy.”

  15. 15 aerochrome2 said at 3:55 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    same here.

  16. 16 Eric Weaver said at 2:00 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    And Arizona in years past. Or should I say Phoenix?

  17. 17 nopain23 said at 12:18 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Rumor has it that the Iggles are holding to AS to trade during the draft.why not trade him now..draft picks included in the deal?….the going rate for CBs is about 10mil…..so that makes Asante’s huge cap no. acceptable no?….am I missing something here?

  18. 18 TommyLawlor said at 12:28 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I tend to think the Eagles would trade Asante in a heartbeat for the right offer. Holding him makes no sense, unless the team expects the best offers to come on draft weekend. I think they would love to deal him now.

  19. 19 47_Ronin said at 12:44 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I read something per Adam Schefter that Roseman had deal for Asante last year for 3rd round pick, but the Eagles declined b/c they wanted a 2. Hope they’re wise enough to realize that sometimes it does not pay to be greedy.

  20. 20 BreakinAnklez said at 12:51 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    It has been stated multiple times that it was a late rounder, not a 2nd or 3rd round pick.

  21. 21 47_Ronin said at 4:03 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Umm, where did you get that information from? I did not read “late round” in these
    http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-eagles/Roseman-deserves-more-time.html

    http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/moving_the_chains/Report-Eagles-asked-for-2-second-rounders-for-Asante.html

  22. 22 Anders Jensen said at 1:03 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Could be a team targetting a CB in the draft early does not get who they want and then trade a 2nd or 3rd round pick for him

  23. 23 austinfan said at 6:38 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Had to wait for all the decent CBs to be signed.
    But when someone pays Wright $7M a year, Asante has value.
    Heck, some of his former teams might pay Wright not to play.

  24. 24 ACViking said at 12:23 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    T-LAW wrote:

    “Former Eagle CB Dimitri Patterson got a 3 yr, $16M deal from Cleveland. Say what???”

    Former Eagles GM — Tom Heckert — handed out that contract.

    That doesn’t exactly give me goose-bumps about what Heckert did while he was GM here.

  25. 25 Eric Weaver said at 2:03 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Look at the drafts and that’ll pretty much confirmation your assumptions. Sans the 2009 draft.

  26. 26 iskar36 said at 12:24 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    What are our backup plans for Mathis? I was really hoping to go into the draft with the freedom of looking for the BPA. While there is plenty of FA left, if Mathis signs in Baltimore, that leaves a huge hole at LG. While a few people have said DeCastro would be a good option, taking an OG two years in a row in the first round seems like a poor use of resources. Are there other LG options in FA? Any LGs in later rounds that you would be comfortable with stepping in and playing day 1?

    I know overpaying for guys is not ideal, but if it is the difference between filling a starting role and having to use a first round pick on a guy you wouldn’t otherwise take, I would rather overpay for a player I know plays well in our system.

  27. 27 TommyLawlor said at 12:30 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Not sure about backup options. Who thought Mathis would be a good option last year?

    Eagles and Mudd have some players targeted in case the situation arises. Not sure who. Could try to draft OG, but I don’t feel that’s all that likely. Drafted 2 last year. Probably rather add a vet.

  28. 28 GermanEagle said at 12:37 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I am totally against plugging another rookie into our O-Line, since we don’t have time for another growing pains as we had with Kelce and Watkins at the beginning of last season.

    It may hurt Lurie’s checkbook but I am afraid the Eagles will have to slightly overpay for not losing Mathis!

  29. 29 TommyLawlor said at 1:02 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Won’t happen. I like Evan a lot, but you don’t overpay for him. That’s bad business.

  30. 30 47_Ronin said at 12:44 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Tommy,

    Any thoughts on Mike Pollak (UFA, G) drafted by the Colts in ’08 2nd round as a backup option? He started under Mudd.

  31. 31 TommyLawlor said at 1:03 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Didn’t impress me last year when watching just a bit of tape on him. I do trust Mudd. If he vouches for a guy, I’m buying in. So far, Mudd has been right on just about every move.

  32. 32 Skeptic_Eagle said at 12:51 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I think anyone who reads Pro Focus Football.coms thought he’d be a good option. You’ve got to give those guys credit. Who would think a bunch of English and Irish guys could create the best football performance ranking site on the web? I think the Giants GM Jerry Reese was even saying he used them.

    I remember they had Jared Gaither ranked pretty highly last season, too. I wish the Eagles would have signed him instead of hoping Winstons Justice would come back full strength after being benched against the Green Bay Packers! Now Gaiher’s a franchise left tackle for the Chargers!

  33. 33 iskar36 said at 1:02 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I’m just really hoping they don’t rely on finding a guy the same way they found Mathis. Mudd is a great coach, but he isn’t going to turn every no-name FA into a reliable Olineman. While Mudd played a major role in developing Mathis, there was certainly a bit of luck involved in that signing as well.

  34. 34 Brett Smith said at 1:58 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Last year we went through a RT, and LG and a RG before we figured it all out. Mudd is great but he is not a miracle worker.

  35. 35 austinfan said at 6:39 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    The RT was fine until his back gave out.
    DeVan was strictly a patch job until Watkins was ready.

  36. 36 austinfan said at 6:38 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Jake Scott and Mike Pollack are still out there.

  37. 37 the guy said at 12:37 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Have to say, I’m worried the plan is “see what happens and then wind up starting Mike Gibson.”

    Could be that Howard Mudd’s reputation as a guy who can take a player off the street and make him a starter is a double-edged sword.

  38. 38 TommyLawlor said at 1:04 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    There are still a ton of options for LG. Eagles will explore them when/if Mathis leaves.

  39. 39 Jack Waggoner said at 7:33 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I realize that things are changing in the NFL, but left guard is still a position that is relatively easy to fill compared to many other positions. Especially because the system the Eagles use now does not require their guards to be of rare size, there are probably some good options available, maybe even some tackles that can be moved to guard.

    Mathis was a JAG until last year. He’ll probably be a JAG again if he goes to a system where he can’t use his athleticism to his advantage. He’s not an anchor-type and never will be.

  40. 40 GermanEagle said at 12:38 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Mind you..maybe OG becomes the second coming of our troubles at WR, PR, S or LB….

  41. 41 Anders Jensen said at 1:04 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    It kinda was before Watkins, but OG is not that valuable as OT or C

  42. 42 mcud said at 8:44 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I’d go as far to say as Left Guard is the least important position on offense not abbreviated “FB”. Give Julian a shot if Evan leaves.

  43. 43 ACViking said at 12:41 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Seems like this season is the “Year of the Guard”.

    Other than Steve Hutchinson (when he left the Seahawks for the Vikes), I don’t remember anyone really caring a whole lot about free agent guards.

    But this year, there’s Nicks, Grubbs, and Mathis — all important players to their teams getting lots of attention.

  44. 44 Kammich said at 12:43 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Okay, lets presume that we miss out on all of the ‘big’ FA MLBs(Hawthorne, Lofton, Tulloch). I think the team would clearly covet Kuechly with our first rounder at that point. The question becomes… would we value him enough to actually move UP to get him? He demonstrated at the Combine that he is clearly worth the 15th overall pick.

    But there is a bit of a murderer’s row in front of us. If Seattle loses Hawthorne, they might relish the chance to take Luke at #12. Arizona definitely needs OL help, but they took could spring for Kuechly to put alongside Daryl Washington. And I still think the Cowboys are leaning towards taking DeCastro at #14, but it wouldn’t stun me if they liked Luke a lot as well.

    Using the good ol’ draft value chart(which is probably nigh-on irrelevant these days, but run with me on this one)… Kansas City’s 1st rounder, 11th overall, could be had for our first rounder and our 3rd rounder(#77 overall). Do you think the FO would covet Kuechly enough to pull the trigger on a deal like that?

    Hopefully it will not come to that, but its food for thought.

  45. 45 TommyLawlor said at 1:06 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I don’t see Kuechly going before 15. Seattle has many more issues than MLB. If they get a QB in FA, I could see them going DE or OL with their pick.

    Could be wrong, of course. Only takes one team to love Kuechly and pull the trigger. That’s why you need a backup plan – like Mychal Kendricks maybe.

  46. 46 nopain23 said at 1:23 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Kendricks might not make it to 2nd round.Gmen might target him at 32 now that they signed a new TE

  47. 47 47_Ronin said at 1:46 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    If that’s a concern, that’s when Reid picks up the phone with his buddy Belichik, says some sweet nothings, and trades back into the first rd one pick ahead of the Gnots.

  48. 48 Eric Weaver said at 2:07 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I want them to trade back in regardless. Especially if Kuechly is their first pick. They should trade back in for the best DT available.

  49. 49 Eric Weaver said at 2:06 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Tommy, in your opinion, what sets Kuechly apart from some other comparable players like Laurinaitis and Poz, which were early second rounders?

    What set a guy like Brian Cushing apart from others that made him the 15th pick? Rushing ability? Strength?

  50. 50 Anders Jensen said at 4:00 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Kuechly, its production. His production is unmatched, by any MLB.

  51. 51 mcud said at 8:45 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I’d have to think that the Cowboys signing Dan Connor as an ILB helps us wrt Luke. I think a replacement for Bradie/Brooking would have been high on their list.

  52. 52 47_Ronin said at 2:03 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I wrote about this in prior thread, but even if the Eagles miss out on the so called “big” name FA MLB, there are options (albeit lesser known names) available in FA like Larry Grant (6’1″, 251 lbs) 49er RFA. He’s 27, came late to playing LB but is really coming into his own. In 3 games as a starter filling in for P. Willis, is stats compare more favorably than several FA LBs that people have commented about (like Erin Henderson). Eagles could sign Grant (such a move would fit the Eagles MO) and still draft Mychal Kendricks.

  53. 53 Kevin_aka_RC said at 3:10 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    No chance Dallas takes Kuelchy if they sign Connor (they’d have Lee/Connor/Carter). Seattle could take him, but needs a QB/DE/LG…positions that match their board. Arizona can’t possibly take Kuelchy over DeCastro given their roster, but that’s possible. IMO, the only team ahead of us that could take Luke is Arizona.

    I’m more worried about a team taking Cox ahead of us forcing us to trade down.

  54. 54 mcud said at 8:46 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Wrote a similar thing before I noticed you thought of it first…

  55. 55 Kammich said at 12:44 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Breaking news: Mario Williams has signed with the Bills.

    You have to give all the credit in the world to Ralph Wilson, Chan Gailey, and the rest of Buffalo’s front office. Mario Williams is the best defensive free agent since Reggie White, and Buffalo didn’t even let him leave the damn city. They set their sights on him, and they got it done. Kudos, Buffalo. You just made yourselves relevant again.

    (P.s., thanks for keeping him out of the NFC.)

  56. 56 TommyLawlor said at 1:06 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Great news for us. Last thing I wanted was him in CHI.

  57. 57 Anders Jensen said at 1:07 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I think Peppers, Haynesworth, Kearse etc wants a talk with you about that statement. Yes Mario Williams is a very good DE, but he is not dominating to a degree other DEs have done before him.

  58. 58 Kammich said at 1:17 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I think Mario was more coveted than those guys. Peppers was going to be almost 31 on opening day when Chicago signed him, I believe. Haynesworth was a career underachiever who had only emerged in time for a contract year. And Kearse had missed 17 games in the two seasons before we signed him(granted, Mario is a bit injury prone as well).

    Mario Williams just turned 27 years old. He’s scheme diverse. Lines up all over the field. Made the move to 34 OLB last year and had 5 sacks in 5 games. He can be a straight-up game changer. And he never played with a pair of DTs like Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams when he was in Houston. Buffalo has been looking for a premiere edge rusher since Bruce Smith left town. They’ve finally got one.

  59. 59 Anders Jensen said at 1:45 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Maybe its because he put White on whole another level then Williams and really dont think he have shown that much compared to other DEs in the NFL. When White was a FA he was the best defensive player in the whole NFL, Williams is not even then best player at his position.

  60. 60 austinfan said at 6:43 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Mario is grossly overrated, the best two DEs are Jared Allen and Trent Cole.

    Mario had two great seasons in 2007 and 2008 and looked like the second coming of Reggie White. But like Peppers, he’s decided he’s a 290 lb ballerina who wants to play RDE and dance around OTs, negating his strength (his size and strength). Note the Houston only was better than 20th in defense one season with him at RDE, so it’s not like he’s a guy who made his teammates better, he gets injured and they’re top 5.

    Is he a top ten DE, sure. Is he elite, no way.

    Problem is people don’t remember how absolutely dominating players like Reggie and Bruce Smith were in their prime, heck, gap tooth was better than Super Mario.

  61. 61 AustinMax said at 12:46 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Tommy – with the $36 million reduction in capspace spread over 2 years for the Redskins – what are the chances they resign London Fletcher? I sincerely hope we can get him in here and grab Luke in the draft…that will be a perfect solution to our LB woes…I would consider Fletcher to be better than Tulloch and Lofton…

  62. 62 TommyLawlor said at 1:07 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Quiet so far on MLBs. London wants fair deal, from WAS or any other team. I’d love to see the Eagles sign him.

  63. 63 Anders Jensen said at 1:08 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Im surprised Fletcher hasnt been re-signed by the Skins yet. Instead they have overpaided for a WR

  64. 64 Mac said at 2:57 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Even if Fletcher never plays another snap of football I want him on the Eagles… just so he can stop injuring our players.

  65. 65 wee2424 said at 12:49 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Lol a hitchhiker with pets. That lofton thing did kill me though.

  66. 66 Skeptic_Eagle said at 12:55 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Tommy could probably explain it better, but it seems like with the increased use of multiple WR sets and spread concepts, guards that can get out and move in space in addition to holding their own against penetrating interior DL are more important than ever. It seems like the position has gained prominence and importance over the past several years to me.

  67. 67 TommyLawlor said at 2:35 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    The evolution of the passing game has required more OGs to be athletic and not just massive maulers that can run block. Things are changing.

  68. 68 Davesbeard said at 1:00 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    2009 Evan Mathis + http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezaAMcCy3u4 + Howard Mudd = 2010 Evan Mathis

    Perhaps means it wasn’t just Mudds coaching that helped Mathis improve and thus he isn’t quite so tied to this system.

    I /really/ hope we keep Mathis. Would be the first time in what, 5 years we’ll have had the same O-line start consecutive seasons?

  69. 69 the guy said at 1:01 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Someone on PhiladelphiaEagles.com chat after the DeSean press conference said: “Sign Laws and Laundry NOW”

    I had a mental picture of Tommy doing this:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsXKAtpLm4I

  70. 70 nopain23 said at 1:13 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Hey T
    ESPN has Connor talking with Dallas.if he signs then they won’t even look at Luke.Supermario is staying in Buffalo so Seattle is going pass rusher in the draft no doubt.I see Arizona as the only obstacle to Luke being there at 15.Agree or Disagree?

  71. 71 Anders Jensen said at 1:46 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I dont think Dallas would have drafted him anyway and both Seattle and AZ have holes at more important positions then MLB.

  72. 72 Eric Weaver said at 2:09 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Yeah, Seattle will probably look at either a DE or Tannehill and Arizona, if they sign Manning, definitely needs OL help.

  73. 73 John Eagle said at 1:55 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Good afternoon Tommy! How would you rank the available FA LB’s as they would fit with what the Eagles do? Your best scenarios? !!!GO EAGLES!!!

  74. 74 SportiVore said at 2:04 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Pro Football Focus had Mathis as the best guard in football last year. Their take is he is better than Grubbs, and the Ravens would be upgrading if they inked him. Still, one year samples aren’t great.

    What about Jake Scott? Former Mudd guy. Played for the Titans recently. Reunion a possibility if things don’t pan out with Mathis?

  75. 75 Brett Smith said at 2:38 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Wow… Mathis just doesn’t seem like a fit for the Raven’s as they like BIG Dudes. Remember like back in the day when we would use a starting Right Tackle as a guard.

    If Mathis is the best LG in football good for him. I thought he was ok to the untrained eye. Just never noticed him. Probably too busy watching Watkins make bonehead mistakes and look lost.

    I guess he is a good guard.

  76. 76 SportiVore said at 2:56 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Yeah, they have their own methods/formulas for gauging performance, with tape evals. etc. I’m not sure anyone else shares their sentiments, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless.

    And I agree, it doesn’t seem to take into account scheme/fit. Because the Ravens are classically a mauling type of line, and Mathis isn’t exactly a mauling type of blocker.

  77. 77 Kammich said at 2:43 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    As if we weren’t sure that LaRon Landry was out in Washington, its official now… Redskins ink Brandon Meriweather to a 2-year, $6M deal. Replacing one head case with another, less talented, head case.

  78. 78 Brett Smith said at 4:29 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Great now we have to look forward to more HEAD TO HEAD hits twice a year….

  79. 79 nopain23 said at 3:40 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Rumor has it that Tulloch is asking for more money that Cleveland gave Dqwel Jackson…..hmm ..that seems like a lot of dough for a MLB….Tommy do you think the FO…should pony up that kind of cash for Tulloch?

  80. 80 Chris_Tomlinson116 said at 3:43 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Juqua Parker agrees to terms with the Browns 1yr, max of $3M – Jason La Canfora

  81. 81 hallcr3 said at 5:17 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Going to be weird not having Juqua Thomas/Parker on the team anymore.

  82. 82 iskar36 said at 4:14 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Interesting:

    Geoff Mosher ‏ @geoffmosher

    Confirmed: Dan Connor has signed with Dallas. Had one-year offer from Eagles but not competitive with Cowboys’ offer.

    Makes you wonder if he really was plan A at least in FA.

  83. 83 nopain23 said at 4:18 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Not good.hope they don’t panick and overpay for Tulloch/Lofton

  84. 84 GeorgeFleep said at 4:23 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    since when would the eagles panic. obviously they would like to add talent but will never get in a bidding war and certainly wont have it in the public.
    But Connor is mostly going to play situational role with Dallas. What is the deal with that. I thought that he was more of a 2 down run stopper.So what situation would he fill if he isnt in base defense. Could this be Dallas is 3-4 and it is completely different scheme?

  85. 85 nopain23 said at 4:31 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Hmmm…didn’t they overpay steve smith to keep him away from the giants..

  86. 86 GeorgeFleep said at 4:37 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    didnt Maclin almost die of cancer or something similar to that. Steve was insurance, a very expensive for what he did. As far as eagles panic for a LB is unlikely. There has been no signings or resignings or tagging of any 4-3 LB of my knowledge. So whatever price Hawthorne/Lofton/Fletcher/Tulloch is asking for is going to go down. The only visit that i am aware of is Hawthorne to the saints and Bears having interest in him. I believe the eagles will be happy with luck with the draft and having LBs do situational roles with packages. Since nickel might even play the same or more amount of this coming year in more than a few games. Of course that scenario is crazy but it wouldnt suprise me.

  87. 87 Eric Weaver said at 4:33 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I don’t really see him as a very strong ILB in a 3-4, but who knows. I could see Connor being all for playing STs as well, but I don’t think that fits him well either.

  88. 88 iskar36 said at 4:23 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I certainly don’t think they should overpay for Tulloch/Lofton. Neither are guys that really are worth big contracts. That being said, I would have been equally disappointed if the brought in Dan Connor and tried to sell him as the solution to our LBer problems.

  89. 89 Michael Jorden said at 4:19 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Right on D Patterson! Really liked him during his time with the Birds. Best of luck to him.

  90. 90 Brett Smith said at 4:32 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Iggles MidWest just signed Juqua Parker as well…. I will miss him more than Patterson.

  91. 91 GeorgeFleep said at 5:21 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Chris Gocong, Sheldon Brown are also former eagles on the Browns. Anyone else?

  92. 92 hallcr3 said at 5:51 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Hank Fraley

  93. 93 Brett Smith said at 6:16 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Dimitri Patterson and Artis Hicks

  94. 94 Brett Smith said at 6:18 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Pretty sure Fraley got cut. He is not on roster right now.

  95. 95 Arby1 said at 4:38 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Best line of the day: the wonderful Mike Tanier on twitter on the Mario Williams signing: “Mario Williams signs with Bills under stipulation that they never make him tour the greater Buffalo area again.”

  96. 96 Kammich said at 5:06 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Hahahah, love it.

  97. 97 hallcr3 said at 5:20 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Let me try to understand the fan reaction to Dan Connor signing in Dallas…

    – Eagles fans were worried Connor was an Eagles target and being sold as the solution to MLB, but Connor wasn’t good enough to fill that role.

    – Dallas signs Connor and now Eagles fans are worried the Eagles have no options to fix MLB, despite all other LB options still remaining.

    OK, got it. Eagles fans remain insane. Just checking.

  98. 98 the guy said at 5:52 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Aside from perfectly normal panic about the Eagles seemingly ignoring a key position every year for no obvious reason, I think it’s the Penn State thing.

    I imagine it’s like if you started puberty with a crush on Lindsay Lohan. And then, like those PSAs say: “The Dallas Cowboys. Not even once.”

  99. 99 hallcr3 said at 5:58 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    Dallas Cowboys = Lindsay Lohan.

    Perfect.

  100. 100 iskar36 said at 5:59 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I can’t speak for other fans, but for me, I never viewed Connor as a quality target. When I saw he was signed by the Cowboys, I was relieved because 1, it means the Eagles wouldn’t go after him, and 2, it makes it less likely that they go after Kuechly. But then I saw the tweet saying that the Eagles not only had interest in Connor but gave him an offer that he turned down. In other words, the Cowboys outbid us for Connor. On top of that, we haven’t heard anything about the Eagles looking at any of the other MLBs. Obviously, none of us know for sure, but given that information, it suggests that Connor was our first target, and signing him likely would have taken us out of signing any other MLB in FA. It also would have made it less likely to go after Kuechly. To me, it confirms my concerns that the Eagles still refuse to put much value in the LBer position, and given last years results, that’s concerning. That being said, you are absolutely right that there are still options out there, so I’m certainly not worried yet. I just hope they get involved in the MLBer market soon though.

  101. 101 hallcr3 said at 6:12 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    But here is why I’m not concerned: all of the fan-friendly targets are still available AND not getting much attention. The Saints will have Hawethorn in for a visit and according to PFT are now interested in Lofton. Aside from that and the Connor signing, we haven’t heard about any LB getting a lot of looks from any team.

    Given that information, maybe Connor was the best option or maybe the Eagles know they can wait for another LB’s price to come down. If Connor really was the best option and the Eagles did sign him, could you imagine the fan reaction? They wouldn’t care if Dallas and other LB-hungry teams wanted him too.

  102. 102 Brett Smith said at 6:18 PM on March 15th, 2012:

    I believe Fraley got cut.