La’el Collins
Posted: May 16th, 2015 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 214 Comments »More than a few people thought the Eagles should have signed La’el Collins after the draft. Heck, plenty of people thought the team should have drafted him in the 7th round.
I’m not so sure.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com shared something interesting from an article in MMQB that I had totally missed.
In a piece by MMQB’s Robert Klemko, here is what unfolded on May 5:
“Collins’ agents eliminate 16 teams from contention and give briefings to the remaining suitors. The contract would be non-negotiable. Collins would get a guaranteed contract with no offsets, second- and third-year maximum salaries for a UDFA, and the remainder of Team X’s signing bonus cash pool. If he were ever charged or indicted in the murder investigation, the guarantees would disappear and the contract would be torn up.
The agents narrow the list to a handful of teams, and then Collins cuts it down even more. He wants to be close to home, and he doesn’t want to be anywhere cold.
He books a trip to Dallas.“
So there it is. The Giants, Jets and Eagles were eliminated from contention simply because of geography. They all reside in the northeast … where it is cold. It snows in the winter. It’s bitter cold and windy. Given the choice, Collins (a Louisiana native) didn’t want any of that.
If Collins was this way during and after the draft, you wonder how he was in the pre-draft process. When he met with teams, did he tell them of his desire to play close to home? Was he awkward with teams from the northeast? More friendly with teams from the south?
That may sound absurd to some of you, but every year we hear of players who do things that are mind-blowing. Guys actually skip visits to some NFL teams.
A lot of good things were said about Collins publicly, but who knows the real truth. He may very well have been the kind of person the Eagles had no interest in, despite his talent.
I know there are reports the Eagles showed interest, but none of them were from impeccable sources. And if the Eagles did have interest, I think Chip Kelly would have been very aggressive in trying to go after Collins since all he was going to cost was money…no pick. It was also interesting the way Kelly definitively said to the media during the draft that Collins wasn’t on the Eagles draft board. Most coaches just don’t share that kind of information. Was that his way of saying “We’ve got no interest in this kid.”?
Sure feels like Dallas was very lucky to get a player like Collins the way they did. It will be interesting to see if they feel the same way in 3 or 4 years. There is no question about his talent. But does he have the right mindset for the NFL?
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Speaking of Dallas and the Eagles…Michael Irvin is ticking off Cowboys fans by saying he favors the Eagles to win the division. His reasoning…DeMarco Murray.
“Philly is the favorite in the NFC East,” Irvin said, via the Dallas Morning News. “You have to be able to, and it’s a difficult thing, to separate my head from my heart. You cannot tell me and you’ can’t convince me that you can just stick anybody back there.
“And if they [the Cowboys] had drafted a Melvin Gordon, or drafted a [Todd] Gurley, then, I’d go, ‘wait a minute, wait a minute, this might be something.’ But with Darren McFadden, and he may have some great things going, but right now I would take Philly, and then Dallas in the NFC East.”
I can absolutely see where he’s coming from.
The Dallas OL was dominant at times last year. But Murray was a huge reason the running game was so good. You can’t just stick anyone back there and get the same results. This would be different if it was Mike Shanahan, who had a track record of plugging in mid-to-late round RBs and getting great results.
Joseph Randle did average 6.7 yards per carry as a backup, but that was mainly due to having so few carries. The times when he has carried the ball 10 or more times in his 2 years in the NFL:
11 for 17
19 for 65
14 for 26
13 for 37
He was a good role player, but is he ready to be a workhorse runner?
As for Darren McFadden…he has never started more than 13 games in a season. He has only played in 16 games once, although that was last year. Murray rushed for 13 TDs last year. McFadden rushed for 13 TDs…in the last 4 years combined (almost 600 carries).
McFadden is a talented player, but is he a workhorse runner that you build your offense around? He hasn’t had 20 or more carries in the last 20 games. He’s only had consecutive games with 20 or more carries twice in his entire career.
Murray was the key to the Dallas offense last year. His running set the table for Tony Romo, Jason Witten and Dez Bryant. Dallas might be able to replace him, but I’m not so sure based on the moves they made this offseason.
The Cowboys still have enough talent to be a winning team, but they have the feel of 8-8/9-7 and not 12-4. One of the biggest benefactors of Murray’s success was the defense. They faced the 5th fewest plays in the NFL. If their offense can’t be methodical in moving the chains and eating up the clock, they are going to expose that weak defense more and that’s good news for offenses.
It will be fun to sit back in January and see how all of these moves played out. Jerry Jones made some good moves in 2014 (drafting Zack Martin, signing Rolando McClain). We’ll see if things pan out as well this year or if 2014 was an anomaly.
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T-Law:
Excellent material.
And thank you for giving every rational person who reads IB.com more than enough evidence to stop whining about how the Eagles — and every other NFL team — must be run by very stupid people because they all passed on Collins.
The self-believing ubermensch know less than jack compared to Kelly — and the other 31 GMs and coaches.
Wish he went to Miami. It appeared he was going to but canceled his visit. Dallas is close to home though.
It’s nice to know Collins is a hot house flower that wilts in cold weather.
We’ll have to turn up the AC when he’s in town.
I still think the cowboys will make a trade for Peterson.
No reason for Dallas — or AZ or anyone else — to rush into anything with Minnesota, right?
Peterson’s a veteran. He’s a running back. And all he needs to be told in the huddle is, “sweep right” or “sweep left” or “up the middle.” Nothing complicated.
Surely if the Vikings where going to move on from Peterson they would have drafted a running back this year? Cannot see them going with Matt Asiata, Joe Banyard and Henry Josey as their 3 backs. That is not a recipe for success for a young QB.
Think the Peterson and Vikings camp will kiss and make up – Guarantee the 2015 salary or something to show some commitment.
Great point.
Minnesota’s GM insists the team is not moving Peterson.
Your facts say he’s not posturing.
I assume they could have traded him already if they wanted to.. Not only would they have drafted a RB, but they also would have probably wanted picks to use in this past draft…. I think the cowboysRe grossly over rated and everything had to go right last year to finally have a good season, but I think Demarco Murray was the single most important non QB in the NFL last year. NO PLAYER besides QBs was more important and more valuable to his team last year then Demarco. He was so good, that he held up the “house of cards”… So arrogant and foolish to think they can replace their MVP with McFadden LOL. I think losing Demarco single handedly ruins their 2015 season and the division will be contested between us and the Giants..
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But I have to admit that if Dallas gets AP, it changes EVERYTHING and give them a very good chance of having another year like this past season.. Fortunately it really looks like the Vikings plan on keeping him. If Arizona or dallas wanted to pry him away, I think it would have had to happen before the draft…
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Heck I would fear dallas more today if they had Ryan Mathews I stead of their two RBs and he is probably our #3 RB. I assume sproles will get more snaps then him, even if Sproles probably isn’t playing the same exact role as Mathews/demarco
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Dallas NEEDED To trade for AP Or trade up for Gurley or Melvin Gordon.. At least trade back for Yeadon…instead they were arrogant with this McFadden crap, and I think it will cost them their season!!
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You can’t not respect AP running behind that OL which is top shelf at run blocking
There were stories that the Cowboys did offer picks to the Vikings, but Petterson had to renegotiate his contract to reduce the cap hit and refused. In all honesty, I think this is and interesting window into the disfunction in cowboy front office. They are gambling with a lot of issue guys trying to upgrade the talent level. Kelly did just that by bringing in guys coming of injuries at a discount. Jones is trying to do the same with issue guys. They had a tough time keep Dez Bryant stable last year. Expect locker room explosions this year.
Agreed, I can see Dez having a sideline breakdown this season.
dallas is gambling, much like our Eagles, but the only difference is our Sports Science and Reconditioning program and the level of character of the players.
i truly think that Chip has strong faith in this program at being able to get these injured players back to optimal health and keeping them healthy.
The Eagles now have many players on this roster who come in with the highest level of character and I think it will pay dividends as the season progresses forward.
Peterson will be a Viking because they know that he is the only reason that fans come in droves just to see his talents put on display.
Between his phenomenal physique and his physical running style, how could they even contemplate on allowing him to leave?
He’s the ultimate RB, and to replace him would be impossible.
AP is the main attraction of that city and the Vikes are not as foolish as dallas to think they could replace him with bargian bin RB, like McFadden.
It’s going to be fun watching this season unfold, especially from an Eagles fan perspective.
The primary rushers absent AD would be Asiata and that ex-Georgia ST triple option QB.
Don’t count out Josey. He’s a guy who was fantastic in the preseason last year. Eagles fans are still trying to figure out why he was let go in favor if always injured Chris Polk who has since left himself. They wouldn’t have had to sign Mathews this offseason if Josey was still on the roster.
josey? a practice squad player at best? if he was so awesome why is he not starting somewhere? time to turn the sports radio off…. wip n 97.5 are like fox news. they make u sound so dumb spewing such nonsense…
I don’t listen to that trash on the radio. I look at what he was doing on the field. He’s better than you think.
Jerick McKinnon is better than all of those guys.
If they land Peterson, that’s changes everything. Best RB in football.
Wouldn’t surprise me if Peterson were to surpass 2000 yards again with them. He would be as fresh as he has ever been. Behind by far the best OL he has ever had. Teams would have to respect the pass and not only just defend against him. Him in Dallas would be scary.
Wouldn’t surprise me either. But, he’s still 2 years removed from being a truly elite back and has crossed over the 30 year old mark while missing a full year. It’ll be interesting to see how he comes back. I can’t think of any other player that missed a full season without an injury and came back and played again let alone remained a star player. I’m sure that freak of nature is in top shape, but it’ll definitely be interesting to see how the rust and lack of football action has effected him.
Even if it hasn’t effected him, I’m curious too see how much longer he can go before he is no longer the same back…
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Vikings would probably want a crazy haul in return. Not sure how you can pay what they are asking without knowing how long until he wakes up one morning, and age has caught up and he is no longer the same elite player you traded a ton for?
I would like to see Herschel Walker part II: Turnabout is Fair Play
The thing with him is that he is sort of in a category of his own.
He missed a season due to a torn ACL and the following year he is 9 yards short of the rushing record. I just think playing with the Cowboys versus the Vikings would be a monumental swing for him in his favor.
Agreed! He’s a freak of nature. Don’t get me wrong if Dallas were to trade for him I’d be very scared of what he could do in that offense. I’m not routing for him to come to our division at all! Let’s hope he toils away in Minnesota and doesn’t wreak havoc on us twice a year for the next few years.
Michael Vick. Spent time in jail missing at least a season then came back and played.
Great point! It’s kind of absurd that as a life long Eagles fan that example alluded me.
As a comparison it should be interesting to see. Vick took a full year to come back and in 2009 before his semi magical 2010 season, he looked like he had lost his speed.
Luckily for Peterson he only missed the games and was still able to train, instead of being stuck in a prison cell for 23 hours a day and only able to pump iron in the prison yard for an hour a day.
You could say the same about if the Eagles acquired him.
The only fact we are sure of is that our Eagles now have a RB who led the league in rushing last season and is now poised to make his old team pay for their carelessness in allowing him to come to a tough division rival in need of a good RB.
dallas will rue the day that that jerruh bumbled away
Murray is going to be a beast in this offense and I can’t wait to until we see him pushing the pile forward.
Seeing as they got “3 first round picks” this year, perhaps they’d like to mortgage their future for him. Works for me. AD can’t have too many great years left in the tank.
Did you mean AP or did I completely miss your reference? On the Peterson to Cowboys subject, do you know what Dallas would have to give up to get him?
AD = All Day. He goes by that, not AP. What they would have to give up? No idea. Last I heard, Minnesota was telling the media that they want him on the team. That loosely translates to “up your offer, Dallas.”
I thought it meant All Deflated
Based on Cowboys attraction to convicts and felons and general bad people that happen to play football
I think they are trying to get him, bad
They are getting a lot of grief from Dallas women’s groups. Apparently Jones daughter had to endure a humiliating public dressing down after Jone signed Hardy. She was high profile before and has disappeared since. I know from talking to my sister’s fiance (life long Dallas fan) that a lot of the fan groups do not like the change in the team character. He thinks Jones is desperate to win a Super Bowl with Romo and there is a lot of stuff going on down there celebrating the Super Bowl teams put together by Jimmy Johnson. Jones hates Johnson and has been trying to prove his superiority ever since.
Sounds very sad and pathetic of jerruh
Side note: U know the only life long dalass fan
Gregory should not count as a first round pick. Football writers way overrated him prior to the draft. Brandon Scherff and Donovan Smith owned him last year. I see him as a major bust and I’m talking about his future on-field performance. I’m not even accounting for whatever personality issues he has.
I would be surprised to see the Vikings trade him at this point. Think he is going to remain a Viking… AP IMO Is the ONLY thing Dallas can do at this point to make me fear them.
What if they get Forte?
Off topic- The draft would have been much more interesting if cardale Jones had come out
[…] La’el Collins – Tommy Lawlor of IgglesBlitz.com […]
I think this is very different than a guy acting like a prima donna during the predraft process. A homicide that he played no part in caused him to slide from a likely first rounder to an UDFA, costing him millions of dollars and dragging his reputation through the mud (even if it was laundered after the fact). The only positive that came out of it is that he got to pick his spot. I won’t fault him for taking advantage of that.
Right? Fans forget that these players are people too that have normal desires like anyone else. I’m sure if I could pick any team in the league and had multiple offers Id be able to eliminate half the teams as well. And, living close to my family, avoiding black hole teams and cities like Cleveland and Oakland and Jacksonville would be high on my list too, as I imagine weather would too. If I got a chance to meet all my financial desires while being pencilled in as a starter on the team I routed for as a kid, while being part of the consensus best line in the league, on a good team with a good offense, stay close to home and live in an area I was comfortable with, I’d make the same decision.
I just think his agent is a dope for telling people what his preferences were. Make your decision how ever you want in public, but play the right politics game too. Say you’re looking for the best coaches, a winning organization, or the best opportunity to succeed and help a team win. Don’t just admit that the biggest factors for you were warm weather, playing out a childhood dream and a desire to stay close to home.
Totally agree. Agent and personality aside, Collins may well turn out to be Dallas’s best player from the 2015 draft. That list of demands will alienate some fans, but it should not make him any less effective as a player. The idea that he prefers to reside in a warm climate does not mean he can’t play well in Green Bay in December.
Agree with both of you guys… The moment every team passed on him, he has the right to switch Into free agent mode, instead of acting like a draft pick happy to go anywhere. and I don’t view them as a list of demands, they are personel preferences used to narrow down your choices when you have a bunch of options..why shouldn’t he care about these things if he has options?
The agent is doing this to show how good he is at steering his client to the team he wanted. Of course he also gets $ millions less cash, but that is not his fault….
Tax perks too
I totally agree… Not a fan of this article… It’s almost like saying “Devin McCourty isn’t a chip kelly character guy, because he turned us down and wanted to stay in new England lol obviously I’m exaggerating…. too many assumptions for my taste..
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When Chip said he wasn’t on our draft board he followed it up with a quote something like ” it’s a tragedy, two people lost their lives, football doesn’t even matter at this point”(something like that)… At the time, I took it as he isn’t on our draft board now. I don’t agree with the assumption that he wasn’t on our draft board before the murder took place.. Maybe he wasn’t on our board, maybe he was, either way I don’t think chip was talking about if he was on our board or not before the murder
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I also don’t agree with the assumptions assuming hat the way this kid conducted himself as a FREE AGENT was the same way he conducted himself in the predraft interviews which are basically job interviews..Being a free agent and being a draft prospect are two very different things.
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If I really had nothing to do with this and my name was dragged in the mud, it ruined my draft dream I worked my entire life for, cost me at least 10milliom dollars, you can bet I’m going to start thinking about what I WANT! Some team is getting to steal 10mil from me. They are getting a 1st round prospect who did nothing wrong for undrafted money, you can bet I’m going to start thinking about what I want..,, and when half the league is trying to sign you, why wouldn’t you use personal preferences to try and narrow down the list? That’s so damn far away from being a “prima Donna” that doesn’t fit chips culture. He is making a decision he feels is best for him, when half the league wants you, why shouldn’t your preferences come into play when you are a free agent? Because he didn’t want to be an Eagle he is a prima donna? The moment every team passed on him 7 times, it became Time to start kissing teams ass Like a prospect and starts worrying about what LAel wants like a free agent,,
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, the moment they robbed this kid of his draft dream, he no longer has to behave like a draft prospect… I bet Byron Maxwell sounded and acted very different this winter when he was a top free agent, self proclaimed prettiest girl at the dance, then how he acted when he was going on Job Interviews during the predraft process..
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IF chip wanted him he would have gone after him aggressively? How do we know he didn’t? How do we know the agent didn’t shoot him down right away with a “don’t waste your time, he isn’t intereated”??
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Not every really talented kid will want to become an eagle. When you are drafted you probably don’t worry about details, but when you are a free agent, why wouldn’t you take into account your preferences. Why wouldn’t you have an opinion about Weather? Why wouldn’t you have an opinion on the cities you can choose to live In the next 5 years? Why shouldn’t you care about no state income tax?
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Too many assumptions for my taste, but I don’t care enough about a dirty stinking cowboy to get into it..
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If the kid has any brains he Will try and take Doug Free’s RT spot and take his chances having to deal with Barwin. I do NOT reemd replacing Ronald Leary au LG. Linning up a rookie in front of Fletcher Cox is a terrible idea
The dirty secret no one wants to talk about is his link to the murders. He does not have to be arrested and convicted to be linked. I bet the NFL hired someone to look into it and made the information available to the teams. I suspect that the assessment was there were indications of some kind of link but they made no predictions as to guilt. Lets be honest, the NFL would not want a potential murder suspect drafted and on the stage with Goodall before doing the perp walk. If Dallas looses him now, it is not as a high profile 1st round draft pick, but someone who was recognized as a risk.
Except picking Dallas as his spot is the contemptible move of a bum of a human being.
I can tell ur hoping for a wrongful conviction lol
obv j/k
I don’t wish him ill, but he would have been better off in a different team. Dallas is about to get very complicated.
I wonder if there were no draft but all players could be signed no earlier than their 21st birthday. all teams have the same pool of money to work with. Would probably be more interesting than the draft.
Unless you were the Cleveland Browns or Buffalo Bills.
“You mean to tell me San Diego, NYC, Miami, San Fran and every other more desirable city to play in has the same amount of money to lure college stars to their team? This should be good…we’ll be stocking the team with 37 seventh rounders every year. Pass the scotch and whatever the security guards took off Josh Gordon when he came into the facility this morning.”
– Clevelands GM moments after hearing of the new league draft policy.
On the other hand it might be less disheartening for the fans than getting all excited for your top pick every year only to watch their teams continuously blow it.
Cleveland has had 6 1st round picks in the past four years. Here’s what they’ve done with more fire power to land elite talent than anyone else in the league:
2011: Phil Taylor
2012: Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden
2013: Barkevious Mingo
2014: Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel
Ew
Lol that’s jiust Terrible. Blowing two first in the same draft is like pathetic rock bottom..idiots were better off packaging both to trade up for one of the top guys…
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What’s hysterical that they need WRs, we just saw two cant miss WR drafts, and they didn’t spend any of their 4 first round picks in two years on a WR.. Atleast they would have gotten 1 first round pick right if they took a WR these last two drafts…. Johnny Manziel is one of the 5 worst first round picks:
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1) Tebow
2) Johnny Manziel
3) Sebastian Janikowski
4) Brady Quinn
5) Jamarcus Russell
Good list. I’d go Janikowski #1 on principle.
don’t see why. He’s no Danny Watkins.
When you can take a 26 year-old with three years of experience and questionable commitment to the game in the first round, you have to pull the trigger.
At least Janikowski is good at what he does. Unlike the rest of the 4. He gives you some value, rather than no value. Hell, he’s one of the all-time greatest kickers. Even so, that’s an absurd pick for sure.
All very true. The fact that he’s so good shows why it was such a bad pick. He has come close to hitting his ceiling and, Id argue, he adds little value over a host of guys that were signed off the street. I would much rather whiff on a QB.
Very interesting idea.
But Dallas would have the advantage with many of the best players, I think.
But that advantage is mitigated by the fact that everyone has the same amount of money to play with. Even if the America’s Team thing holds some sway or if a lot of great southern players want to be close to home, you’d have to think guys will ultimately take the best deals or go to the teams with the clearest path to playing time, so they can cash in on deal # 2. I think the advantage goes to teams with unique schemes and/or teams that can identify market inefficiencies. I like our chances by those criteria.
One thing we know for certain in this scenario is that Marriotta would be an eagle right now
I may be in the minority, but if Collins passed Kelly’s character test, i think his demands should have been ignored and that he should have been drafted in the 6th or 7th round. If he refused to sign, what was his alternative? He would have to go back to college, play for another year with the risk of injury. He is probably as poor as a church mouse and it would put off his pay day for a year. In addition, he would go back in the draft the following year where he could have been drafted by any team, not just a warm weather team close to his home. Most importantly, from his standpoint, it would would postpone the year when he could become a FA and earn his largest pay day for at least one year, two if he were a 1st round choice with a fifth year team option. There is no doubt in my mind he would have signed. However, if Kelly decided he failed on the character issue, i support his decision not to draft Collins.
With the draft so close to the Hernandez conviction for murder, teams — all 32 of them — made the same decision: Remove him from the Draft Board. [Some may not have liked him anyway.]
Maybe that would have happened 2 years ago. Maybe not.
But in 2015, no team wanted to take the chance.
Why? Maybe it’s the sponsors — who have to deal with the backlash of casual fans. What national or local sponsor of the NFL and its teams wants to be associated with an organization that could care less about the circumstances surrounding Collins?
Once some positive information hit the wire — (i) DNA test results, (ii) polygragh results — teams moved to sign Collins.
And while the Baton Rouge P.D. still has not cleared Collins (stupid to do so, because who know what can happen), that kind information made the public much receptive to he idea that Collins was caught in a whirlwind of bad timing.
To be sure, the timing of the murder and the police’s request to speak to Collins was unfortunate for the kid.
But life is full of misfortune for just about everyone — like the victim and her baby, for instance.
Relatively speaking, Collins is way ahead here.
Group think’s a helluva drug. I guess the question is whether there were character red flags with Collins apart from the fact that his ex was allegedly killed. If not, the comparison to Hernandez isn’t particularly strong. You’re only concerned about his involvement with the instant offense and not what he may or may not do in the future. I would have ventured a late pick on Collins. I have a hard time believing the sponsors would leave (without being replaced). Has the Pats’ bottom line suffered? At the first sign that he was actually involved, you jump ship. If, as seems to be the case, he wasn’t involved, all you have to do is sign the guy. His upside is orders of magnitude higher than the avg sixth- or seventh-rounder. I’d have no issue rolling those do r.
What’s your theory for why 32 owners, GMs, and coaches refused to draft him?
My main guess was that the uncertainty did mean that no team wanted to use a first or second day pick on him. After that, and the denial of the move to the supplemental draft, I think a lot of teams figured he had gotten a raw deal already and letting him get to UDFA status would at least let him get something back. It was clearly what he or the agent wanted. At the very least you’d have a very unhappy draft pick initially — taking advantage of the situation and ensuring he’d make about the minimum possible money he could — and might have had some bad press to live down. Of course the agent bragging about it might mean teams won’t be quite so generous in the future. Unique situation.
Oh I agree with your theory. I just think it’s short-sighted. The fear that he wouldn’t sign and the late-round pick would be wasted was probably at play too.
I completely agree with you. They would have signed!! All it was is a lame bluff attempt to try and re gain whatever little leverage they can..
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For me, the question comes down to: was he high on your board before the murder happened? If the answer was yes, then we are foolish for not taking a flier on him in the 7th…. No college kid will sit out and wait an extra year to get paid. It was just agent bluff, they even kind of admitted that it was a bluff.. I would have drafted him in the 7th, he wasn’t a suspect and wasn’t under arrest. The moment that changes you cut him, no big deal:.
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When chip said he wasn’t on our board, I took it as him meaning at that time… the question is How did we feel about the kid before the murder occurred. We are such all supposed to live in a world where innocent until prove. Guilty, yet no one would touch this kid and he was robbed of at least 10mil he had earned thru building his stock all these years. This is political correct/image crap going a little too far. This kid didn’t deserve to lose his entire draft experience without even having been arrested or even rumored to be a suspect. Every team that had him on their big board before the murder except the Cowboys got played and pissed away an amazing opportunity.. There is no way you can’t justify to the media drafting a kid who isn’t in any trouble at the time you drafted him. If that changes, you cut him immediately, problem solved…. I’d gladly trade Mihalik to take a flier on Collins..
What happens when he does sign, shows up at camp, and then walks through the drills, wears Beats through the meetings, and pours a milkshake into his smoothie cup? Do you put him on the 53?
You can force compliance through threats and punishments, but you cannot force someone to give full effort. If he didn’t want to be an Eagle, he wasn’t going to buy in.
Is there evidence to suggest he’s that kind of guy? Wouldn’t he decline to sign, as his agent threatened, rather than act like a jerk, thereby damaging his reputation among all 32 teams?
If he declined to sign he couldn’t join another team until next year. If he signs with the team that didn’t honor his request, and then forces the team to cut him, he can sign with anyone.
I am not saying he is a jerk (although he is a Cowboys fan and player). I am saying that people act as if we could have drafted him in the 7th and his only option would have been to say, “Okay, you got me, I was bluffing. Let’s go play.” It seems foolish to assume that he would suddenly buy in to what we do after specifically saying he didn’t want to be on our team. It is Madden logic that ignores the human element.
I don’t think signing and forcing the team to cut you by acting insolent is a realistic option. You’d run the risk of ruining your reputation leage-wide.
That said, I agree that a team such as ours, which is focused so much on culture and buy-in, probably shouldn’t risk bringing in a guy who doesn’t want to be here. Unclear if Collins did that pre-draft of course.
We know. It seems to be the only thing you are willing to discuss.
Birds made the right choice and I think it’s even more clear now then ever.
#neverforget
This was 2 years ago I think
http://i.imgur.com/ir01E3z.jpg
He chose the Cowboys, clearly he has no character
Just when you thought it was safe to change the subject…
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000492786/article/reckless-shekulation-on-tom-bradys-postdeflategate-future
…some interesting sheculations.
Thank you unhinged. Those are my sentiments as well.
That’s what has really been at stake for Brady, Kraft, Billicheck et. al from the start: Legacy.
Brady going down for this tarnishes not just his legacy, but the entire Patriots dynasty, especially when combined with spygate.
Brady will survive losing 2 million. He and his wife have more money than some small countries GDP’s (literally).
The Patriots will survive not having Brady for 4 games next year. Bet you anything they make the playoffs, no problem.
The Patriots will survive not having those draft picks. They can and do bring in FA’s of all stripes, plug them in and get excellent results.
What won’t survive however, is Brady’s reputation among the greats.
What won’t survive, is the idea in fan’s minds that the Patriots wins were always squeeky clean, unassailable.
What won’t survive is Bob Kraft’s “Patriot way”, already tarnished by spygate and the Hernandez murders, now taking an even greater hit when the golden boy got caught cheating.
Reputation and legacy means a lot to these people. Bob Kraft in particular I’m sure has a very self righteous and grandiose view of himself and his franchise.
That’s the real reason they’re going to fight tooth and nail over the findings. They want to cast doubt on the idea that they were cheating, not because of the money of the suspended games, but because of their egos.
I can’t help to wonder how many other ways the Pats cheated that we have No clue about? It arrogant and foolish to think that every time they cheated, we were able to catch them.. Who knows what they Been getting away with this past decade…
I think you have identified their emotional motivation, but I find their posture completely irrational. I can understand Brady challenging the ruling, and maybe, just maybe, Goodell will turn 4 into 2, but I would not count on it. What sets this challenge apart from many other appeals is the offense, and its proximity to the sacred perception of fairness that every owner and every player knows cannot be trivialized. It would have been a difficult pill to swallow, but Kraft should have convinced his star to come clean, apologize and take his lumps. Instead Kraft goes all in, and he should know he’s taking on a fight that he cannot win. It is supreme arrogance begetting incredible stupidity.
Can we put Collins in the Mariota box at the bottom of the river now?
That’s a grand idea.
Leave both for some future treasure hunter.
Put it in the time capsule with the Urlacherzz and Boldyn box.
Pls add Earl Thomas.
So… I know nothing about the guy. According to the scouting reports, he’s a late 1st round-2nd round kind of guy. Guard or RT. Nothing all-world or can’t miss about him, type of prospect who sometimes pans out, sometimes doesn’t. Isn’t the hand-wringing about him going to Dallas a bit much?
You’d have to watch him play to see why people were high on him. He has character flaws but he shows up on the field and mauls people.
Or in the case of the career of Collins; an archaeologist who specializes in human remains.
He was dead to me the moment he became a dirty stinking cowboy…
..
now I hope that they are dumb enough to line the rookie up in Front of Cox during what will be Cox’s Dominant “welcome to becoming an all pro, household name” season.
..
he was dead to me before he became a cowboy, when i learned he was a cowboy fan growing up
T-Law:
You’re a very skilled and provocative writer.
Never more clear than in the portion of this post specifically devoted to Collins.
Not a single sentence reveals your personal view — until the very end, when you wrote: “Sure feels like Dallas was very lucky to get a player like Collins . . . . There is no question about his talent.”
You just asked a series of excellent, thought-provoking questions.
Fantastic work.
Beyond being one of the best Eagles bloggers, Tommy is one of the best sportswriters out there. He wouldn’t be out of place on the Grantland masthead if not for his lack of pretentiousness.
Gil Brandt @Gil_Brandt 2h2 hours ago
The Eagles wanted Agholor & turned down a chance to trade 1st round picks and add picks from Denver.
MKSP:
What do you think about that decision by Kelly and his team?
Versus, if Roseman’s still the GM, what do you think happens?
And who do the Eagles end up with Denver’s pick in Rd 1?
Then who do they take in Rd 2?
Byron Jones was taken one spot ahead of the Broncos pick. The only WR taken after the Eagles pick at 20 and before the 28th pick was Breshad Perriman.
So you think Rowe ends up in Rd 1 for the Birds in that scenario?
Then Fisher in Rd 2?
I doubt it. There must have been some guys in the war room telling Chip that Rowe will be there in the second round. If I had to guess, I wouldn’t even guess. Getting your guesses right on Chip is like winning the top prize of a scratch off lotto.
I understand why Chip doesn’t like to deal with hypotheticals…it strains the brain. 🙂
Here is the trade Denver made:
No. 23: Detroit → Denver (D). Detroit traded this selection to Denver in exchange for Denver’s 2015 first and fifth round selections (28th & 143rd), their fifth round selection in 2016, and guard Manny Ramirez.
Denver wanted Shane Ray, and was likely thinking they had to get in front of Cincinnati to get him. No idea what they offered. An extra 3rd would have been tough to turn down I think.
But:
If we traded back to #28, it is likely both Agholor (Detroit at #23) and Byron Jones (Dallas at #27) are gone. So maybe we would have taken Eric Rowe with pick #28? Which in hindsight, would be a “reach.”
Given these assumptions, I’m happy with the decision to stay at #20. I usually prefer the extra picks, but I like Agholor a lot, and think there is a legitimate drop off from him to Perriman / Smith / Dorsett, with regard to our scheme.
Fun to imagine how differently the draft would have played out if we made the trade. Almost guarantees we end up with an offensive lineman at some point.
Does Roseman make the move down?
I don’t think so.
Even last year, they didn’t want to trade down again because they thought MS II would be gone if they did.
If you’re sitting there thinking “I want to come out of the first round w/ either Agholor or Jones”, I don’t think you can risk going all the way down to #28.
Knowing Chip a little, I think you are right mksp. He had to get a WR who fit the system. The stakes were high.
Thanks mksp. Good insight and very informative.
I agree completely. Denver would have needed to offer us something much more that what Detroit took.
Broncos gave up a OL and 2 5th rounders for the 23rd pick. I’m guessing we would have gotten better value?
Pimlico swamped.
Horses look like they’ll be running in at least an inch of soft mud.
AP looked super strong. Hope he can win the the Triple Crown.
Same here.
If he’d been running the Belmont today, that lead would have just grown and grown to about 10 lengths.
It’s been so long since Seattle Slew — 3rd horse in a 7 year span, after none for 25 years.
Now it’s Year 36. It’s time!
I’m not a fan of owners that skip these triple crown races to be fresh for Belmont. Makes me want AP to win it even more!
Me too Flyin! But the Belmont is tough. Need a big heart, like an EAGLE.
Just as a shame it has to be horse owned by some North Jersey jack off and not either Smarty Jones (Thanks to that JV level jockey Stewart Elliot’s bungling in the Belmont) or Alfeet Alex (too many crap horses in his way in the Derby).
The horse to break the Triple Crown gap should have been a Philly horse.
Jockey ran a beautiful race. Didn’t let himself get pinched on the rail after the misstep out of the gate.
Tough situation..takes talent to get out of that.
It looked like a little nudge to his right to give him room from being pinched. Not sure if it was planned or a misstep.
Interesting point! That would be even more clever.
Reminds me of Kramer: his father was a Mudder! His mother was a Mudder!
Hopefully it’ll be fun reviewing Jerry’s moves in December when they have all failed 🙂
They won’t fail but they will fall to the Eagles. I have absolutely no doubt. We have a very good team.
Dunno Cowboys are not a well put together team. They have multiple ways to melt down – now that may not happen, but there are dozens of weak points that could all break down and leave them in a utter mess.
They have a paper thin squad, lots of character issues, injury prone QB, nothing proven at RB, not enough passing weapons outside of Des, suspect Defence, awful secondary, meh specials teams.
Now everything could work out again… but if Des goes awol or injured and they get some injuries on their Oline… things could implode.
You can really say this about most teams though, just list different deficiencies. It really just comes down to their OL which with the Collins signing may be even better then last year.
Their OL will keep their injury prone QB clean. Will help mediocre RBs look better then they are, and again help the TOP which helps the D. Lee will be back and if Jones and Gregory come along strong they could be a big boost to that D. Lee coming back is a big boost.
They may not have as many receiving threats as we do but let’s not under estimate them. Dez is Dez, I don’t need to elaborate on that besides the fact he draws coverage away from everyone else and will still beat that double coverage. I like their slot receiver ALOT. I admit I forget his name. Very quick and shifty with good speed. He is not easy to cover and works the middle really well with his quickness. Written is still a solid safety valve for them.
We talk smack about their RBs but I think its obvious they like them. Didn’t really sign one in FA besides McFadden and there were some good ones out there. Deep RB draft and they didn’t draft one. Randle has been VERY good for them when he touches the ball for them. It’s very possible he becomes a good back for them behind that OL.
This team may have improved from last year, and I am not underestimating their RBs. Again it all starts with that OL which appears to have improved.
They are unfortunately a good team. I thank god Romo is old.
Their slot WR is Cole Beasley. I think this is Lees first year playing against Chip as well as their rookies so they’re still not conditioned or know what to expect from us.
Lee is a professional and a damn good LB.
You can say the same thing about our Rookies and newly acquired players which is a good amount.
If they are good players they are not going to be obsolete just because they are playing against Chip.
Their D coordinator calls the play and they execute the play given to them and beat the man they are supposed to beat.
I don’t get this statement.
You don’t get that their rookies have to adjust to our pace on offense in one year?
Ummm… because that’s what you said right?
I guess what I really meant was I think how you phrased your statement, or really that statement in general wasn’t intelligent.
Randle averages under 3yards per carry when he has over 10 touches a game. Lets see him carry a load first.
They have a good run blocking unit with their Oline. But they hold unlike anyone i have ever seen in pass coverage. Tyron Smith is great, but otherwise there line is not as good as people claim them to be. Martin could be great long term but he got far to many plaudits last year. Fredricks is really not that special. Free is a league average RT. Leary is a solid road grader.
Dallas had this ‘amazing’ line because they were fit all year and had fantastic continuity, and because they could run the ball so well with murray they could get Dline gassed and where not exposed in pass blocking. If they are in 3rd and long and refs call offensive holding they wont be called the best line in football.
Fufina – All due respect (And I do not intend to appear condescending since I enjoy your posts), the Cowboys have a tradition that makes the odds better for them. There is a cache that drives excellence in dire situations for the Cowgirls – we should not forget that. Still, we have the talent and coaching to destroy them. And I truly believe we will.
Where did i read that if Collins was selected later his agent would have convinced him to sign as waiting for 2016 draft was too much of a risk.. Agent played this hes not gonna sign well n bluffed everyone out.. Rams sound like the team who were gonna spend their last pick on him with the agent saying he wont sign.. Late round pick n the chance to talk it through or let him hit UDFA n no chance on getting him over his fave team the Cowgirls
Hey, Joe Webb cudda been an Eagle, ‘cept he didn’t want to be cold anymore, so I can sorta see Collin’s point of view…
?:~)
When’s training camp, anyways?
Joe Webb could still be an Eagle. He’s an UFA.
I heard that Green Bay actually has a lot of prospects they take off their board because they don’t want to live in Green Bay.
Boys were going to go as far as Romo took them last year and he had a great year including a really strong playoff performance run.
It’ll be the same again this year. I’d take Romo in a heartbeat too over Bradford. Besides a kind of down year in ’12 when the Boys asked him to try to do everything and he made too many mistakes, Romo has been a really good QB 3 of last 4 years. Not Manning/Brady/Rodgers level but right there in the next level of QBs.
no romo
romo, sanchez & tebow would just be unbearable
Romo for career? Yes. Romo at 35 with that back? No way.
He’d fit right in.
Pretty much nothing about Romo would fit in. Doubt Kelly would trade Bradford for Romo and a 1st. No knock on him, actually like the guy. But that organization has built a house of cards. When he does go down, they are so screwed financially. Unless they can arrange for a couple of Collinses to fall into their laps for the next few years, they need every longshot they try to pan out. Looking forward to an epic collapse. If Kelly was doing what Jones has done, the Philly blogosphere would spontaneously combust.
I think that was a joke about us signing older/injured players.
Thanks, just felt like rising above the sarcasm. 😉
It was an injury joke. No idea what you’re on about…
I’m over them. Too many people taking them at least half seriously. Felt like having a football discussion. 😉
Collins, and anybody else scared of playing in the Northeast due to weather, is an unmitigated mangina of a human being. Fleeing / avoiding the center of the known universe to only live / play in the sun belt is a punk move.
How is this guy going to play road games in November and December; let alone January if Dallas ever gets there again any time soon.
What a joke.
I suspect he was taken off the draft board after interviews…
Otherwise if Kelly wanted he would/could have drafted him (fuck what agent says lol)
I can’t imagine he was for some team, but to target on warm weather destinations is vile.
As a rationale human I get it. I would love dallass weather, after all its always fair
but as FB player/fan fuck that, hard
Yup. I there are no circumstances under which I’d rather live with those backwards dolts in Texas (unless you could make the city of Austin into a new state separate from Texas) rather than live/work in the Philadelphia area.
I have turned down a few job opportunities in the BIG D(OUCHE)
Wages, labor laws, schools, health care rights, etc. are all garbage in most of those states. Texas especially.
It was just being there wouldn’t fit with my FB life lol
I have more commitment to football then label collins
I live in Arizona, and what you said applies here. That being said, the weather is quite pleasant during the winter while you guys are freezing and I’m out playing tennis.
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/desperate-residents-of-austin-completely-surrounded-by-texas
http://www.nbcdfw.com/weather/stories/Tornadoes-Reported-in-Severe-Evening-Storm–301385501.html
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/NrACZiaxx4i/Major+Ice+Storm+Hits+Dallas+Area/OOY61oIlrsa
He was a free agent, and all teams could offer him the same amount of money. What are your approved criteria for him to use in selecting a team? If he wanted to play for a Texas or Florida team because of the lack of state income tax, which is significant given his relatively low salary, would that be okay? What if he’d rather be close to his family? Or have the chance to play on a potentially great o-line?
This is why I hate this time of the year…
Last year….
The cowboys felt like a 2-8 team (with the rest being forfeits) lol
And those reasons have not really gone away yet. People look at last year when everything went right, and see a great team. I see a flawed roster that could work out again, or could easily regress to the mean next season.
I agree completely i thought the Eagles were a 10-6 play off team
I see only improvements on D
and a huge gamble on O
ALL IM SAYIN IS WHY NOT US lol
If we had to worry about one side of the ball going Into a season, I’m glad it’s the offense, because if we don’t agree with coach decision, it’s easier to trust that chip knows what he needs more then anyone else knows…I don’t doubt him when it comes to knowing what his offense needs, so even if I can’t see his point of view, if I have I have to trust this coach about something, It would be, that this man knows offensive football
…
Even when we don’t agree with a move he makes on offense, I still believe that every move he makes is done to IMPROVE the offense, and there isn’t anyone’s opinion who should know better then chip when it comes to what he needs on offense to score 40 points on the competition.. If he could score 30 points a game with and Andys players, I can’t wait to see what he can do with the offense he built..
…
It’s friggin weird to be going into year 3 with a coach and have no friggin clue what our offense will look like. if I had to have blind faith in this coach, I’d rather have blind faith that he knows what he is doing on offense, then have blind faith in his
Defense… I like going into a season so confident and comfortable with our Defense and Special teams, assuming that no one knows what chip needed on offense more then chip, and that scoring points won’t be a problem as long as he is here…
..
Tons of questions on Offense, but I’m confident that when it comes to this coach, he will have more of those answers then not.. I’m much more comfortable going into a season trusting that chip knows what he is doing with Huff and Agholor then to have to go into a season trusting that chip knows what he is doing with Nate Allen and Chung at safety..
..
The only player that chip didn’t want to lose was Maclin who he offered big money to try and keep. Maclin is our ONLY loss… We didn’t Lose Shady or Desean, we chose to get rid of them, and whenever this coach adds or gets rid of someone, he does it In order to IMPROVE. I can’t worry about losing Desean and Shady when we could stlll have both if we wanted. Chip clearly thought he can do better, and that’s exciting for me.. Maclin is the ONLY player this offense LOST… Desean, shady, Herremans, we got rid of these players to improve..
Regress to the mean is a hot term. Doesn’t apply to this team for many reasons. Will GB, Seattle, and Patriots all regress to the mean this year? The mean for wins for a team is not 8, it’s based on talent and other factors. Turnovers and OT wins have roughly the same mean for all teams (even fumbles for the Patriots might finally average out this year). 😉
That said, the Eagles certainly can have things go wrong and fall apart this year. But I think that’s been blown out of proportion by the negativity that defines the city’s sports environment. The probability of being a threat in the playoffs is significantly higher for this team now than it was in Dec. Never underestimate the advantages of good coaches having players who fit their system.
The secondary coach, Undlin, will make a huge difference. And according to Jenkins, he already has.
Agree, that could turn out to be as meaningful as any other move this offseason.
It means something when Jenkins says that Undlin is an even bigger Upgrade in the secondary then adding a starting Corner from the Legion of Boom… No reason for Jenkins to stick his neck out and offer those statements if he really didn’t mean it and wasnt impressed with how much the new coach is bringing to the defense…color me excited
The team scored at historic, unsustainable levels on special teams and defense that papered over an inadequate offense that looked good only because of volume. When that faded, so did the team. There will have to be improvement, or some other kind of luck, to get to 10 wins again.
Eagles Defensive TDs: 4
League average Defensive TDs: 2.34
Eagles Special Teams TDs: 7
League Average ST TD: (Having hard time finding this but looks like most teams get at least one so we’ll say 1.66)
So that’s 11 for us compared to 4 for the “mean”
That’s 7 TDs over the course of 16 games. That 7TDs can easily be made up via improved OL play, more cohesive running game, improved QB play, etc. Also those D/ST TDs have an opportunity cost to the offensive scoring. So in reality you’re looking at something more akin to needing to make up 3 or 4 TDs.
Also while the numbers may regress, the emphasis we place on D turnovers, and ST, we shoud still finish well above league mean.
I still seethe over the embarrassing, gutless, and unfocused handover of the division to Dallas last year. Choking away a division title by getting 34 points worse in 2 weeks due to poor decision making and the inability of Jim Johnson to make counters to the moves of Dallas in the 2nd game is still inexcusable. Then following that up by losing to Washington’s joke of a roster the next week is too much to stand.
I’m not even close to done persecuting people from the team over how last season ended.
RIP 2014 season
Additions on D
1.Loss of Toastly Fletcher
2.Loss of Sconces Williams
3.Loss of Late Allen
4.Kiko Alanzo
5.Erik Rowe
6.Byron Maxwell
LOSSES
1.Trent Cole
I like it, but until we’re back in the winner’s circle for the division, smacking some team in the mouth in a home playoff game, and showing real progress I will be holding all feet to WWII air raid of a German city level of fire.
it really is a whole new team tho
How much would CK2015 off season plans journal go for after winning the superbowl lol
Let me know if that pressure affects their play. 😉
Indeed, then we would have all of the Olinemen’s fat melting off their bodies and pooling in the cellars, not to mention children and mothers swallowed up by and drowned in burning asphault which remelted in the heat…
Oh wait, bringing up something like firebombings isn’t funny and is actually offensive to anybody who has read accounts from the survivors.
Wasn’t especially funny to my English mother either. being in labour with V2 rockets landing nearby.
Very disappointed in Johnson.
In Jim Johnson’s defense, he died six years ago and it is hard to make counter moves when you are dead.
Guys who fear the cold rarely do well in the NFL. Flexibility and adaptability are hallmarks of the best players and that includes adjusting for climate. It will be interesting to watch. It also sounds like the contract cleaned out Dallas’ remaining cash for the rookie pool and that is interesting. It means they can not sign or will have a lot of trouble singing any other rookies this season when teams make cuts later in the summer. That is going to be interesting to see how that impacts them and their practice squad.
Michael Irving actually does make interesting observations about things on teams. I actually think the most interesting point he made though was one he has always admitted to. His career was due to the combination of Aikmann paired with himself plus Emmett Smith on the ground. Irving has always said his success was directly linked to Smith. For all the talk about Romo, he is old and not getting better. He should not have even been allowed on the field with a cracked vertebrae last season, but Dallas had nothing else and Murray kept a lot of the heat off him. I actually think the NFL took an enormous PR risk letting him play and it says a great deal about Jerry Jones as well. Romo is going to take a pounding without a smash mouth running back. No one is afraid of any of the cowboy running backs which means they can load up to get to Tony. If I was betting, I wager that Romo goes down in game 6 or 7 with a potentially career ending injury. At that point, Dallas is done and they finish at 6-10 or 7-9.
Wanting to play for a team in a warm weather city, especially one near your family, is very different than fearing the cold.
“No one is afraid of any of the cowboy running backs which means they can load up to get to Tony.”
This could actually lead to a guy like McFadden putting up better numbers than we expect because teams are more keyed into getting to Romo. Defending against play-action means something completely different when Murray is in there vs an RB that Casey Matthews could probably wrap up with no problems.
Tony is going to be seeing ghosts again.
I really don’t think highly of McFadden. offensive line is the ONLY position I have ever played on offense, I will NEVER devalue the importance of an OL, and when it comes to run blocking, no one can take anything away from The dallas OL, but I think it was an arrogant mistake to think you can lose the MVP of your team to your Rival and replace him with McFadden and Randle. My expectation is this arrogant mistake will prove much too costly.
..
Demarco had a big hand in the perceived improvement of their defense. The stats were so much better then the previous yer, but when you look. Little closer, the Dallas Defense put up similar percentages as the previous year, the main difference was how much less they were on the field then the previous year and Murray was basically a “time of possession MVP”.. Murray was so good that he was able to protect Romo a ton, at times allowing him to just be a game manger, reducing the risk of hurting his back too much, and making the game easier for Tony which helped him cut down on a lot of his mistakes
…
You don’t replace a warrior like that who meant THAT MUCH and effected the team in so many ways with Darren friggin McFdden. That’s just arrogant, and that arrogance will prove too costly…
“fear the cold”. If you had a choice to live anywhere in the country, would you choose the coldest place. You’re making a little too much of him wanting to live in the climate he’s used to rather than the fucking tundra.
I honestly don’t know how NFL players don’t just keel over and die on the field sometimes.
I was at the Eagles-Saints playoffs game a couple years ago and I have never been so cold in my life, and I was wearing like 4 layers, extra socks, had warmers all over.
I genuinely don’t understand how players who were in say, the ice bowl, didn’t get frostbite or hypothermia. This is a serious question, I don’t understand how its possible no one lost a pinkie or something.
Actually . . . frostbite did strike during the Ice Bowl. And the 1981 AFC title game in Cincinnati, with a wind chill of -57, between the Bengals and Chargers.
Cowboys DT Jethro Pugh (#75) — the victim in the iconic footage of Starr following OG Jerry Kramer’s wedge block into the EZ — lost a couple toes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYag0FNAObA
And arctic-like weather in the 1981 AFC title game cost Chargers QB Dan Fouts some of the nerves in his hand. Whenever he’s in cold weather, he says his fingers tingle — like they’re asleep.
It is not about the tundra or any such thing. This guy had his choice of teams and he eliminated half because of weather first thing. How he fit and his chances to grow into a star was secondary. Remember when Reggie White went to Green Bay? Everyone wondered but he said it was the best fit. He admitted the climate was a negative but he went tundra. It is interesting, but it is also a truth that the best want to go where they can be better.
This is stupid. Dude was a 1st Round Pick who got screwed out of 7/8ths of his salary by the unfortunate timing and the rookie salary cap. He has every right to demand absolutely everything a team can give him, since that’s not much, and every right to choose his team based on whether he likes the uniform colors if he wants, considering that (by the new rookie rules) he can’t get a penny more from one team over another.
Making insinuations about prima donnas or whatever is the definition of sour grapes – especially since the Eagles had no chance to sign him anyway, being eliminated along with half the league as being too far.
You are absolutely right. The moment this kid had his draft dream ripped away, and about an extra 10mil dollars he worked for his entire life that he earned, he has every right to try and get every single thing he can..
.
The kid can basically choose any team he wants, when you have so many job offers and the money is all the same, who the hell in their right mind wouldbt use personal preferences to narrow down his options and make his decision? Sounds like sour grapes because he signed with our rival… I don’t know how anyone can assume he acted the same way when he was doing pre draft interviews with teams, as he acted when he became a highly sought after free agent, with so many options.. Pretty big difference..
..
Actually he is luckier than most because he will get a new contract after 3 years opposed to 5
After seeing chip set offensive franchise records with Andy/Howie players, I’m so excited to finally see an offense chip built.
Andy players are almost all gone, Chip put this offense together:
All 3 QBs
all 3 RBs
5 of the 6 WR’s
2 of 3 TE’s
2 of 5 Offensive Lineman..
..
only Andy players left are
Jason Peters
mathis
Kelce
Cooper
Celek
..
I know some of chips decisions have been a little tough to initially digest, but when chip was getting rid of good players like Desean and Shady, he was doing it to IMPROVE his offense not self sabotage it..it’s easy for us to see that desean is better today then Huff, but it’s foolish to think we know what chip needs for his offense better then him. He dedicated his life to this game and this offense. Can’t wait to finally see how much better we can be with an offense he built..
..
Doubt many would Have tbought we would be going into year 3 under chip who now has full power with special teams and defense as obvious strengths and a bunch of questions on offense. But I’m confident hat chip is an ELITE offensive coach, who knows exactly what he needed to move this offense forward and wasn’t afraid to make tough unpopular decisions.. I will always be a diehard fan of defense. Offensive football doesn’t compare to the joy of watching a great defense, but I have to admit I’m excited and Fascinated to see what this brilliant offensive coach can do now that he has an offense he built…
.,
Chip set franchise records with amazing players like shady, Desean
Foles.. When chip decides to get rid of them, it’s Chip saying, we were pretty good with those great players, but pretty good isnt Good ENOUGH. When he gets rid of those players it says, “That’s Not good enough”, ” We can do better”, “we HAVE to do better”… And that’s so exciting to me… And I do believe for the most part, we are more talented now then we were 365 days ago. I trust this man knows what he is talking about when it comes to his offense, I believe everything he does is to make the offense BETTER, and I’m hoping that when we add up all the little individual improvements young players made from last year to now, when we add up all the individual talent up grades at so many positions, it should equal easily the best chip kelly eagle team we have seen up to now… Yes injuries can play a roll but that goes for every team, not just us
Watching Giants get pounded by Seattle on NFL rewind. Lynch ran RIGHT THROUGH JPP. Hope the giants had a good draft becuz they suck.
I hope the Giants had a terrible draft becuz they suck.
They did.
Yeah, Flowers will be a good player for them but other then that I think they really took a swing and missed.
I guess alot of the national media guys will say they got Collins at a good value considering how over hyped he was and how the large majority claimed he would go a little after midway in the 1st.
Personally I think he will be a big liability for them in coverage and will get consistently torched by the good WRs in our division and even lesser WRs.
It was really amazing how off alot of these so called experts were with this draft. Even more then usual. I will give them this though. Collins not being drafted definitely created a ripple effect that changed the outcome of this draft. Is it possible that if he was drafted we would end up with an OL in this draft? Who knows. It’s possible to say that a player we have on this team now wouldn’t be on the team if Collins was drafted.
Sort of interesting.
I did not hate the pick for the Giants, they need a run stuffing safety with the 3 other teams being strong rushing teams. Their 4-3 has always been attacking and does not cover the run well, and on passing downs they will drop him down as a LB.
wont help him against the eagles because we will isolate him against Ertz/Matthews in hurry up and wont let them get their nickle defence on the field until a player fakes an injury. At that point we just run it down their throats.
I would extremely worried about Flowers’ feet. The are so slow. I can’t see him as a left tackle.
I forget who they have at LT. I’m going to assume he is being projected to RT as of now right?
Looooool!!
Re speaking of the devil: just check out Jimmy Bama’s latest tweet. Long overdue. Hahaha
‘NFL projected starting OL, ranked by average age:’
Guess who the oldest is?!
Dallas. Jerrah has just signed on to play centre – because anyone could play with the other 4 guys and he feels he has something he can bring to the team.
I just read this an hour ago, and I want to get it out there:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12900850/roger-goodell-nfl-credibility-integrity-issues-wake-deflategate
I’m not sure there are many fans who actually believe Goodell has any integrity. Kind of preaching to the choir, that article is.
It’s a long read and there is much more food for thought than Simply Goodell’s lack of integrity.
He has taken $500 million of taxpayer’s money! Let me rephrase that, he hired Joe Banner to extort $500 million of taxpayer’s money…We villify the poor and uneducated who take public assistance but praise the wealthy for doing the same thing.
Sorry, I don’t mean to sound political but I refuse to praise any person whose personal wealth is very much based on corporate welfare.
Lurie was wealthy enough before the corporate welfare but yes he certainly enhances his wealth that way.
The stadium financing scam is something that populaces finally seem to be catching onto. It’s a shame it went on for so long.
Can you explain what you mean by that. I’m not trying to contradict you, I’m just uneducated on the subject and curious about it.
Sure, I didn’t mean to come off as cynical. Here is some info, but a little Googling on taxypayer financed stadiums will yield hundreds of articles…http://paindependent.com/2010/09/1-billion-and-counting-for-states-taxpayer-funded-stadiums/
The main thing for the Eagles is that the taxpayers footed $140 million in 2002 using a bond. A bond is similar to a mortgage. Over the life of the bond, that $140 million will actually cost the taxpayers close to $400 million. The Phillies will add over $550 million more in bond payments for Citizens Bank Park.
To be fair, calling it 400 mill was misleading. It was 140 mill. Also, if the Eagles left, wouldn’t the city lose a lot more than that? Not taking sides, but there definitely are nuances to this.
It’s costing the taxpayers $400 million. Nothing misleading there. My original post I thought it was $500 million but mixed up the Eagles and the Phillies deals in my crappy memory.
If the taxpayers didn’t give Lurie the money, he would have had to finance it as well. costing him the same $400 million. Lurie did not have an extra $140 million sitting around. Heck, his uncle is the one who lent him the money to buy the Eagles in the first place.
No, you’re including interest. If you finance a 100k house, you don’t get to brag about owning a 300k home.
Apples to oranges
Sorry to be so late responding to your comment (not that you were waiting for one), but I completely agree with your reference to social welfare, though I would refrain from the term extort. I don’t personally resent any person who has been knocked hard taking public assistance, and I absolutely oppose the allocation of resources that provides for huge handouts for stadiums to wealthy entrepreneurs, but that is a crooked system in which Lurie is no more than an opportunistic player. The politicians who vote on issues such as this are in the pockets of business, and folks such as Lurie could get nothing that wasn’t there for the taking.
And, by the way, life is political.
Yeah I think it’s a little naive to think that the majority of the owners don’t have some dirt on them, of the legal or illegal variety, and I also think its naive to think that that is going to change.
Again, I think it’s preaching to the choir a bit to say that NFL owners are dirtbags, etc.
As far as owners go Lurie isn’t too bad. At least he hasn’t completely embarrassed the franchise like Haslem or Irsay.
Goodell’s integrity is simply limited to his wallet and the NFLs income.
Earlier, I posted somewhere on here that I can’t find that the Eagles can still sign Joe Webb as an UFA if they wanted to(it was in reply to someone else, I have no interest in him). That’s incorrect. Carolina re-signing him. I was basing that off a site that incorrectly listed him as still being a FA.
No Webb, no Super Bowlzzzz. Sorryzzzz
At my son’s U10 soccer game today the ball was kicked out of bounds and down a steep embankment. Rather than waiting for it to be retrieved, the home team coach tossed another ball to the ref. Before using the new ball, the ref squeezed the ball to make sure it was properly inflated.
This isn’t difficult.
Or maybe he was squeezing it to deflate it. Hmmmm?
God underinflated soccer balls were the worst. Was like kicking a medicine ball sometimes.
Is Collins going to be surprised.
http://www.nbcdfw.com/weather/stories/Tornadoes-Reported-in-Severe-Evening-Storm–301385501.html
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/NrACZiaxx4i/Major+Ice+Storm+Hits+Dallas+Area/OOY61oIlrsa
I do have to side with Jimmy on this one (ducks). Collins’s agent basically admitted he was bluffing. At worst, if the Eagles used a seventh round pick and they weren’t bluffing, they just lost the chance to take another guy who might not make the team anyway.
Not to mention that the Cowboys defense played respectably last year and Dez Bryant took our lunch money. I truly think the Cowboys OL is the most fearsome in the NFL and almost any RB could get 1000 yards behind them. Maybe not 1600 like Murray got, but the running game will at worst be average. Perhaps a more indisputable point is that Romo is more likely to stay upright with the current OL now that Collins is on board. He is the best QB in the NFC East and, until we see a competent secondary on gameday, I fear he will continue to tear the defense to shreds at inopportune moments.
mariota still hasn’t signed.